THe World is an imperious Mistress, who makes those most uneasie that are fondest of her. Which hath induced several to prefer Retirement before Greatness and Splendor in the World, after they have found the emptyness of all those things, which men commonly make their Idols. Providence having con­trived it so wisely, that whosoever hath a wrong aim in point of happiness, is sooner or latter made sensible of his having missed the mark: All the mischief cometh from misplacing our affections, and from not bestowing a true value upon the things we are in pursuit after. If we remembred the, Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven, we would soon find fullfilled the, All things shall be added unto you. Since a hearty concern for a future Life, would make us look with so much contempt upon the trifles of this World, that we would hardly ever disquiet our selves with the desire of any thing, that is not added to us already. But such a Resignation to Providence requireth perhaps more Re­ligion than is commonly met with in men. However we all pretend to reason, and those that are not totally deprived of the right use of reason, will own that they have an immortal Soul, and that consequently the securing Eternity to the Soul, is not on­ly the most important business, but that without the hopes of it, our mind will not be free from grudgings very injurious to its quiet and contentment, which influences the health of our Body very much. So that reason should tell every man, he must look after Heaven, if he will enjoy happiness upon Earth, which cannot subsist, without health in the Body and tranquility in the Mind. Gods goodness as well as wisdom having ordered it so, that the interest of Body, Mind, and Soul is so closely united to­gether, that a concern for the Soul brings us to the observing of our Saviours Rules, and practising of those vertues, whereby the vigour of our Body and the contentment of our Minds is promoted; and on the other hand, managing the Body according to the Precepts of Temperance and Sobriety, strengthens our Understanding, and inables it to descry in Nature and Providence, those glorious Beams of Wisdome and Goodness, which cannot chose but inflame our desires of obtaining the favour of that infinite perfect Being Which desire, if it be sincere and earnest, is half way towards our Souls home. This consideration alone should be enough to keep any rational man from bestowing any more value upon the Goods and Pleasures of this World, than is consistent with a due care of the next. Which if they did, they would not be weary of Earth before they are fitted for Heaven, and even Earthly pleasures of Body as well as of mind, would be more real, more lasting, and more easily attained. They would not be at a loss where to find retirement and quiet. For in my opinion it is not changing of City or Court for the Country, wherein a quiet Retirement consists, because in the greatest Solitude, and most concealed Recess our mind may be hurried about with restless passions and desires; on the other hand, neither the noise of the City nor the hurry of the Court, can dis­compose a temper well settled by not depending upon uncertainties, but intirely rely­ing on Gods Providence, which designs nothing but good for us. Though it cannot be denyed, that every body is not strong enough to resist the temptations of City and Court, which wheedle us into wrong courses.

SInce then Retirement, which is to set our mind at ease doth not consist in the bare changing of the place of our abode; it seems to me, that the secret of en­joying quiet and tranquillity of mind, consists only in withdrawing our-heart from any thing we are in possession of in this World. This is the way to hold Riches, and Honour, nay even that more valuable pleasure of friendship, without the uneasi­ness of fearing to lose them, or grieving for them, when they give us the slip. It is a common observation, that Sin and Folly differ but very little, and that the Wisdome of Providence hath put a straight connexion between Sin and Punishment. So that whosoever forgets his duty to his Creator to such a degree, as to lay him by for the Creature, and to bestow upon the Creature those affections, which were due only to the Creator; that person must needs expose himself to a great many inconveniencies, which by Gods unchangeable Law attend the committing of Sin and Folly. We daily see that Wise-men make themselves ridiculous about those Worldly objects, which they most dote upon, and never make a worse use of their understanding, than when they are bu­sied about the things they love best. Love, as well as other passions, leading common­ly their Mistress the Reason, by the nose; and the Proverb, Love is Blind, is of a lar­ger extent, than to be understood only of admiring a Woman. For we see Parents, fond of their Children, not only over-value their parts, but by too much indulgence to the humour of their Children, to expose themselves to the just censures of discreet impartial persons. We meet with bookish men puffed up with some Philological remarks, that are hissed at by men of sence, and of use to either Church or State. Children and Books are questionless as harmless objects of our fancy as any, and yet when our heart is set upon them, they easily betray our folly, and bring no less an inconvenience upon us, than the lessening of our reputation by having our judgement called in question. As ir­rational loving of sensual pleasures, Money and Fame is more criminal, so it is attend­ed with punishment more real, than the bare loss of the good opinion of men of sence. I do not speak only of men that pursue these things by the commission of the most provoking sins, but even of those that hunt after them in some seeming honest course. A man may endeavour to grow rich, without Robbing and Cheating, another may offer at Greatness without Slandering or Supplanting, and yet both these men will find themselves mistaken at the long run, if they make this their chief business, and it is a Mercy of God, when he shews them their error, and directs them to look after that which must render the injoyment of plenty and greatness secure and comfortable. This cannot be obtained unless a body be sure of Gods favor and support, but it is not pro­bable that God Almighty will assure a man of so great a blessing, unless he thinks it worth the longing for it, which he is not like to do, as long as his mind chiefly runs upon worldly things. Wherefore I conclude that withdrawing our heart from worldly things, is the true retirement, which leads us to calmness of mind, and keeps us from being disturbed, in the City and Court as well as in the Country. Nay it will beget that love and trust in God, which makes Prosperity the more comfortable and adversi­ty the less uneasie, and when our crosses seem to overballance too much our comforts, this sort of Retirement will make us amends for all, by a promising prospect of our future hopes.

IT is, I must confess, not so very easie, to withdraw our heart from the world; for it is hard to blot out the impressions made upon our minds in our younger years. One that alwayes heard people admired for a great Estate, for a splendid House­keeping and magnificent Furniture and Retinue, will be backward to believe that all those things signifie nothing, and are not worth our seeking them. We hear Great Men so often reckoned among the fortunate, and very often see so many real advantages of power, that we cannot help almost our being betrayed into Ambition. Nay when bountiful Nature hath bestowed so good an understanding upon us, as to be convinced, that Wealth and Greatness are very empty things without Contentedness, there is one object left, from which it is hardest of all to withdraw our heart, that is, We our selves; The wise Author of Nature hath implanted in us a love of our being, that we might seek to preserve, and to improve it: And there is no question to be made, but that it would stand us in very great stead, if we loved our selves with a due regard to our glorious Maker, for it is more than probable that our Being may be improved by him, that contrived it so artificially. But when we lay him a side, and perhaps do every thing to affront him into the bargain, it is no wonder he should revenge so base an ingratitude, by suffering our Self love to lead us as a blind Guide. This perverse Self love begets that uncharitableness and envy, from whence springs all the strife and faction, which disturbs so very much both publick and private. It intoxicates us with that conceit of our own judgment, that we will hardly allow any body to be in the right but our selves, making commonly very peevish requitals to those that offer to shew us our mistakes. In one word Self-love is the root of Pride, which is so criminal a qualification, that it turned Lucifer out of Heaven. The inlightened Author of The Whole Duty Man, makes very good Remarks upon this subject. Nor can it be denyed that the greater the thing is which we are proud of, the greater is our Sin and consequently the Fall that attends Pride commonly. The mischief of our being pleased with our own person is not so great, as to think our judgment infallible; and being puffed up with a vain conceit of Saintship, is worse still, and very often occasions those false lights, whereby many a poor soul is lead into precipices. The reason seems to be, that Pride hath ingratitude towards God Almighty at the bottom, for the proud man doth not reflect upon his holding every thing of God Almighty, and the greater his gifts are, the greater is his ingratitude, when he ascribes them to himself. Since then Self-love is so dangerous, and yet so natural to us, we ought to take the more particular care to break ourselves of that fondness of our selves, which is the last and hardest difficulty to be overcome by one, who would fain injoy that Retirement, wherein we are past being displeased with any thing but what displeases God Al­mighty.

SUCH a disengagement of our hearts from all worldly affections fits us for that love of God, whereby we endear our selves to him, and receive those returns from him, which bring us to so much experience of his mercy, that we never despond even under the worst circumstances, but bear the worst lot of his Providence without reluctancy. It would be strange if God Almighty, who hath given so innu­merable proofs of his goodness towards us, should look with indifferency upon those that endeavour to answer his design in creating of Man, and endowing him with un­derstanding. If we think we have reason to lessen our kindness for a person, which doth love another besides us. How can we imagine, that Infinite Being should take it well at our hands, when we kindly entertain so despicable Rivals besides him. Many pious persons hold, that God created Man only for a witness to his wonders, to ad­mire and injoy the beauty of the whole Creation; and after Man had by his ingratitude, forfeited so great a bliss, and by his disobedience brought the sad punishment upon him, which hath made his Posterity smart ever since; Yet God was pleased to give still a greater proof of his Love in pittying Mans deplorable condition, and providing a mean for its relief. What is not such an Infinite Goodness like to do for one, who is sensible of so unspeakable a Mercy, and with a due acknowledgement of his un­worthiness makes it his utmost care to please his Creator. If we make never so few Christian Reflexions upon the course he takes with us, we will soon find that he courts us for our heart, by all the methods imaginable, and when they do not prevail, he im­bitters the enjoyment of those very things which inticed our heart away from him. He doth not deserve so great a favour as affliction, that doth not look upon it, as a de­sign of God Almighty to wean us from those things which rendered us treacherous to him. Our mind must have some thing to delight chiefly in, and which way soever it inclines, there it sticks closer and closer. If it bend towards the world, it will intangle it self faster and faster in it, and remove further and further from God. But if our mind fix once upon God, it will despise the world more and more, and grow in delighting in God Almighty and Heaven. The more our love tends this way, the more our expectations will be answered. Till by degrees it bring us to so straight a union with God, that no Temptation will tear us from him. When God once finds us true to him, he gives us those assurances of his being true to us, that nothing is able to shake us, or to grieve us; till at length we arrive at such an intimacy with him, as to have no other will but his, and to bear with an intire resignation his disposals. Then we begin to see wonders of Wisedome, Goodness, Mercy and Justice, even in those Events. which the world thinks chance, and we will find that the more we seek Heaven the more we find happiness upon Earth, whereas seeking the Trifles of the Earth makes us lose Heaven and doth nothing but inbroil us here upon earth. So that in my opinion it is Prudence as well as Religion, to give our Heart to God and not to the World, than I am sure the Vanity of the World will never make us uneasie, nor puzzle us where to find that tranquillity and cherfullness of mind, which sweetens this life and gives us a foretaste of that which is to come.

FOr fear any body should think these Notions insignificant whims of my own brains. I advise to examine, whether they are not agreeable to what was said before by one, whose Wisdom and Truth no Christian can have an exception to, There is scarce another sence to be given to those words of our Saviours, whereby he declared, That the Love of his Heavenly Father was not in us, as long as we loved the, World. But if people will not mind his Doctrine, how can they wonder at their not finding the Truth and Benefit of it. Withdrawing our heart from the World, and giving it to God, is that forsaking of every thing, which hath the promise of an hundred fold recompence. Whereof no body is like to gain a fortunate experience that doth not think it worth his while to attempt a trial of it. Though I am of opinion the truth of my Notions will be called in question by no body who owns the Bible to contain Gods Word. The number indeed of those is far greater, which think it beneath them to submit their understanding to Gods Wisdome, not to speak of those, which count David a fool, for calling those Fools, which denyed a God. I will not now incroach upon the province of Divines, and threaten those Sparks with the heavy Judgments, that are like to befal them, or think so meanly of my time, as to go about the prov­ing their errors, since they admit only of heathenish arguments, they may go; those passages in Seneca, which make Contempt of Riches the great Road towards becoming Rich. And they may learn of Epicurus, that since mans happiness consists in pleasure he must needs be most happy, whose pleasure is least subject to uncertainty, or to taste as much of Gall as of Hony. My Meditations being designed only for the improvement of Christianity. I dare assure my self, that any person, who will earnestly endeavour for Christs sake to forsake his Life, will by Gods blessing find a far better. I have not been yet in the other World, and cannot speak by experience of what we have to expect there. But I know that forsaking of those courses which set us at a greater and greater distance from God, will bring us by degrees to such a life here upon Earth, which is not only free from disquiet, and fear, but wherein natural pleasures are easie, and even the thought of their loss most pleasant. I shall never be perswaded to embrace the sottish con­ceipt of those, that suppose all the pleasures of the body, were by the bountiful Creator of the Universe, laid only as so many snares for our Soul, and upon that account deny their bodies not only recreation but necessaries. It is too low a fancy to imagine that so infinite a goodness as that of the Almighty can take delight in making us uneasie, and I have reason to believe, that the infinite liberality of our Creator desireth nothing of us but a grateful injoyment of what is given, being so free to grant the desires of those that love him, that they can scarce thank him heartily for a mercy received, before there is a greater one ready. Though I am afraid there is not over many that have had a full sence hereof, since there is so few, that think it worth their while by a real hearty Contempt of the World to offer at a little more familiar acquaintance with Gods good­ness. My Meditations do not belong to those that had rather live like Beasts than Men, but those that pay some respects to Reason and Christianity, will be backward to con­demn me too rashly for an Enthusiast, especially if they do not measure other peoples Corn with their own Bushel, but have humility enough to suppose, that by others they may be exceeded in Vertue as well as in Vice, and that consequently they must not think themselves in possession of the greatest share, of those Blessings, which are pro­mised to Vertue and Piety, in this Life as well as in the next.

THis new Life, which it is no paradox to call the beginning of the Eternal one, is so unspeakable a happiness, that no body ought to grudge forsaking the Old one, which St. Paul had so contemptible an opinion of, that he did not think it worth the name of Life, when he desired to be delivered of the body of this death. I can give so far an experimental description of it, that it puts a period to those unfortunate jarrings between the Passions, Reason, and Faith, which so desperately disturb a man in the Old life, and all our Faculties within us, do in the new Life their parts with such a sweet harmony, that Reason commands our Appetite and Passions with such an absolute, and yet very indulgent sway, that both Appetite and Passions, afford nothing but Pleasure, and such a Pleasure, which leaves no sting behind but in­creases with the injoyment. Reason on the other hand acts with that humble regard to the Divine Majesty, from whence it had its spring, that it willingly by Faith submits to those unsearchable Mysteries, which must of necessity be far above an understanding, darkened by the general corruption of Mankind. But the more we endeavour by the grace of God to free our selves from that corruption, the more that veil of the eyes of our understandings will fall off, and by degrees God Almighty enables us to see, that Faith is no intollerable Mistress to Reason, but that the perfection of Reason consists, in being convinced of, and in understanding the Truth and Reality of Divine Mysteries. It is true, it would be great presumption in any man by his own forces to recover that per­fection, which was forfeited by his Primogenitors ingratitude; But since Gods infinite mercy hath provided the mean of our Mediator for our Restauration, it is the greatest wonder to me, that there can be such wretches, as to neglect and mock that, for which no humane tongue or understanding can find proportionate thanks. I must confess the generality of Christians, is so little behind hand with the Jews in despising of our Saviour, that they boggle as much as the Jews at the truth of our Saviours asseveration, That, no body ever should see death that kept his Sayings. But how can any body be inabled to keep those Sayings or Commandments, if he will not take his refuge to him, whose Merit and Intercession must procure us the necessary help for it Since then Eternal Life, or the beginning thereof, a New Life here upon earth, can be attained to, only by keep­ing of Christs Saying, or by following of his Example, it is absolutely necessary, sin­cerely to desire, and earnestly to attempt the practice of those Vertues which Christ reckoned our blessedness, and made them the Subject of all his discourses, though he knew the World such a stranger to them, that he thought it necessary to bespeak their attention by Similitudes and Parables. I will not waste Time and Paper in summing up and describing the Loveliness and Usefulness of those Vertues, the Practice whereof is, that Keeping of Christs Commandments, which he takes as a sign of our belief in, and love of him, for which he hath promised so unimaginable a Reward, that God will love us, come to us and make his abode with us, Joh. 14. Those that think our Saviour too plain in recommending of those Vertues, may read the Whole Duty of Man, where they are treated of more methodically, and in a stile more sutable to the fashion of these times. But I am afraid there is such a proud stubborn Generation, which would hardly hear one ap­pointed, to speak of GODS WILL, though he should comply with all the fashions of the World, that are not directly opposite to the will of God. For I believe they would think him as far from being a Prophet, because he appeared among the wicked, as the old Prophets were contemned for flying from the wickedness of the World. But God will confound the vain conceit of the World, by not confining his Providence to the notions of humane Wisdome.

THE damned Pride of humane Wisedom is indeed come to that pass, that People will hardly allow the Almighties Prorogative by his uncontroulable Provi­dence to manage this World. We have a daily experience of Gods disap­pointing the subtlety of Mens designs, and of embroiling that success of the crafty, which Gods unsearchable counsel permits sometimes. And yet we are generally so far from reflecting more upon God than upon our own brains, that we fancy we are able to baffle the disposals of Infinite Power, which I am afraid hath connived long enough to convince us of his extraordinary Mercy, and to keep us from thinking those judgements too severe, which it seems begin to come upon Earth, and which will very heavily light upon those heads, that have hitherto laughed at the threatnings of Gods Word. It is not my task by these Meditations to explain the first part of the Lords Prayer, and to determine what way and how soon here upon Earth as well as in Heaven; Gods Name is to be hallowed, Gods Kingdom to come, and Gods will to be done. Those that mind our Saviours Exhortations, will not neglect to endeavour the being in a readiness for it at all times. Gods mercy hath nevertheless extended so far as to raise of late persons, understanding those dark Passages both of the Old and New Testament, which speak of the Triumph of goodness over wickedness. I have seen onely some writings of Mrs. Bourignon and Mr. Poiret, but I know there is more persons acquainted with the nearness of that time. But I perceive there is scarce any more heed taken of what they say or Write, than of Noah before the De­luge. It is an unaccountable thing that even those, which own the Bible to come from God, should less reflect upon what is contained in it about an universal Reign of Justice, Peace and Joy; than upon the tricks of the Devil, to turn that Reign into ri­dicule by some Millenarians, some Quakers, and some Family of Love Men. We are questionless too presumptuous of ourselves, if we suppose there was no need of our Saviour for warning us against the fierceness and cheats of the Devil in the latter times. But our Saviours Doctrine is grown so despicable with the far greater part, that it is thought below a Wit, either to hold that our Saviour is God, or to believe that there is a Devil.

But Great God have thou in thy infinite Mercy a tender compassion of thy poor people in this last and most furious assault of the Adversary, hear the sighs of those that groan under his Tyranny, and prepare those that fear thee, for thy appearence which thou wilt shortly make to avenge the Scorn of thy Onely Son, strengthen the Faith of those thou thinkest fit to bring to the fiery Trial, and do not defer long mercifully to fullfil thy decrees about me; for my Redeemers sake.