Meditation I
1
What means this Paradox?
How can the Rich be poor?
Or Poor men Rich? What is their Wealth?
Or where is all their store?
I know thy Poverty,
Saith Christ, yet thou art Rich,
To Smyma's undefiled Church:
Thou seest there may be such
2
But to Laodicea ;
Thou say'st that I am rich,
But thou art naked, blind and poor,
A miserable wretch
I counsel thee to buy
Eye-salve that thou may'st see,
Of me; try'd Gold to make thee rich,
White Robes to cover thee
3
The beggar Lazarus
Laid at the Rich man's doore,
To beg relief, all Ulcerous,
And full of running sores;
When once his body dies
With many griefs opprest:
His Soul by Angels carried is
Unto that Heavenly Rest.
4
The Riotous Epicure,
That feasted every day,
That cloath'd himself with Purple, and
Most gorgeous array:
He dy'd and went to Hell,
Suff'ring Eternal Pain.
What thinkest thou my Soul? which was
The richer of these twain?
5
He was a Rich Poor man,
Whose Poverty prepar'd him
for Heav'n: But he a Poor Rich man
Whose Worldly Wealth ensnar'd him
That man is Poor indeed
Both when he lives and dies,
That hath some Treasure here on Earth,
But none above the Skies.
6
He that enlarg'd his Barns
To treasure up his store,
Was fetch'd away to Hell that night,
And died worse then poor.
And so is every man,
That being worldly-wise
Provides for th' outward man, but doth
The Heavenly wealth despise.
7
All Poor men are not Rich
('Iwere happy if they were)
But such as Christ enriched hath,
And unto God brought near.
All Rich men are not Poor
(That were a woful case)
But such as have no part in Christ,
Nor any saving grace
8
Let not the poorest Saint
Despond; for thou art rich:
Nor richest Worldling bless himself;
For thou may'st be a wretch.
But let both Rich and Poor
Endeavour to make sure
Of Heavenly Treasure, Spiritual Wealth
This only will endure
9
If others will be fools
And no true wisdom learn:
Yet what belongs unto my peace,
Lord, help me to discern
To have my portion here
Oh never let me chuse,
Not for the sake of trifling Toyes
Eternal Joyes refuse
10
My Soul craves better things
Then this World can afford:
Thou art the Portion that I chuse,
Give me thy self, O Lord
I shall be richer then,
Then if I were possest
Of all the Riches, that are found
Both in the East and West
Meditation II
1
The World doth value men
According to their Wealth,
Without enquiring how'tis got,
By Honesty, or Stealth
What such a man is worth
They commonly declare
By telling what his yearly Rents
Or his Possessions are.
2
But God doth more esteem
Mens Virtues then Estates;
And if they have small Grace, or none,
Accordingly them rates
When Belshazzar weigh'd
With Babel at his back,
Although he were an Emperour
He found him weight to lack.
3
I'le not envie the Rich,
Nor will I sleight the Poor:
But what God prizeth more then wealth,
That I will value more.
For Poor men may be Rich,
And Rich men may be Poor;
If those have Heavenly wealth, and these
Have none but Earthly store
4
For Riches profit not
When as the day of Wrath
Is come; But Gospel-Righteousness
Delivereth from Death.
The Upright man is better,
(Though in a Sheep-skin clad
And fed with Indian Bread and water)
Then those whom wealth makes mad
5
Though Riches in the World
Do make men honourable;
Though Poverty do bring contempt,
And render despicable:
Yet God oft-times bestows
True Faith with Saving Grace,
And Heavenly Glory upon those,
Whom men account most base
6
Weak, foolish, mean, obscure,
And such as men despise,
Such are the Persons and the things
Whereon God sets his eyes.
Of such he maketh Sons,
Yea more then Sons, his Heirs
And Fellow-heirs with Christ that so
The Kingdom may be theirs.
1
What means this Paradox?
How can the Rich be poor?
Or Poor men Rich? What is their Wealth?
Or where is all their store?
I know thy Poverty,
Saith Christ, yet thou art Rich,
To Smyma's undefiled Church:
Thou seest there may be such
2
But to Laodicea ;
Thou say'st that I am rich,
But thou art naked, blind and poor,
A miserable wretch
I counsel thee to buy
Eye-salve that thou may'st see,
Of me; try'd Gold to make thee rich,
White Robes to cover thee
3
The beggar Lazarus
Laid at the Rich man's doore,
To beg relief, all Ulcerous,
And full of running sores;
When once his body dies
With many griefs opprest:
His Soul by Angels carried is
Unto that Heavenly Rest.
4
The Riotous Epicure,
That feasted every day,
That cloath'd himself with Purple, and
Most gorgeous array:
He dy'd and went to Hell,
Suff'ring Eternal Pain.
What thinkest thou my Soul? which was
The richer of these twain?
5
He was a Rich Poor man,
Whose Poverty prepar'd him
for Heav'n: But he a Poor Rich man
Whose Worldly Wealth ensnar'd him
That man is Poor indeed
Both when he lives and dies,
That hath some Treasure here on Earth,
But none above the Skies.
6
He that enlarg'd his Barns
To treasure up his store,
Was fetch'd away to Hell that night,
And died worse then poor.
And so is every man,
That being worldly-wise
Provides for th' outward man, but doth
The Heavenly wealth despise.
7
All Poor men are not Rich
('Iwere happy if they were)
But such as Christ enriched hath,
And unto God brought near.
All Rich men are not Poor
(That were a woful case)
But such as have no part in Christ,
Nor any saving grace
8
Let not the poorest Saint
Despond; for thou art rich:
Nor richest Worldling bless himself;
For thou may'st be a wretch.
But let both Rich and Poor
Endeavour to make sure
Of Heavenly Treasure, Spiritual Wealth
This only will endure
9
If others will be fools
And no true wisdom learn:
Yet what belongs unto my peace,
Lord, help me to discern
To have my portion here
Oh never let me chuse,
Not for the sake of trifling Toyes
Eternal Joyes refuse
10
My Soul craves better things
Then this World can afford:
Thou art the Portion that I chuse,
Give me thy self, O Lord
I shall be richer then,
Then if I were possest
Of all the Riches, that are found
Both in the East and West
Meditation II
1
The World doth value men
According to their Wealth,
Without enquiring how'tis got,
By Honesty, or Stealth
What such a man is worth
They commonly declare
By telling what his yearly Rents
Or his Possessions are.
2
But God doth more esteem
Mens Virtues then Estates;
And if they have small Grace, or none,
Accordingly them rates
When Belshazzar weigh'd
With Babel at his back,
Although he were an Emperour
He found him weight to lack.
3
I'le not envie the Rich,
Nor will I sleight the Poor:
But what God prizeth more then wealth,
That I will value more.
For Poor men may be Rich,
And Rich men may be Poor;
If those have Heavenly wealth, and these
Have none but Earthly store
4
For Riches profit not
When as the day of Wrath
Is come; But Gospel-Righteousness
Delivereth from Death.
The Upright man is better,
(Though in a Sheep-skin clad
And fed with Indian Bread and water)
Then those whom wealth makes mad
5
Though Riches in the World
Do make men honourable;
Though Poverty do bring contempt,
And render despicable:
Yet God oft-times bestows
True Faith with Saving Grace,
And Heavenly Glory upon those,
Whom men account most base
6
Weak, foolish, mean, obscure,
And such as men despise,
Such are the Persons and the things
Whereon God sets his eyes.
Of such he maketh Sons,
Yea more then Sons, his Heirs
And Fellow-heirs with Christ that so
The Kingdom may be theirs.