the meditations-第27节

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he　deities。　For　the　nature　of　the　universe；　is　the　nature　the　common　parent　of　all；　and　therefore　piously　to　be　observed　of　all　things　that　are；　and　that　which　now　is；　to　whatsoever　first　was；　and　gave　it　its　being；　hath　relation　of　blood　and　kindred。　She　is　also　called　truth　and　is　the　first　cause　of　all　truths。　He　therefore　that　willingly　and　wittingly　doth　lie；　is　impious　in　that　he　doth　receive；　and　so　commit　injustice：　but　he　that　against　his　will；　in　that　he　disagreeth　from　the　nature　of　the　universe；　and　in　that　striving　with　the　nature　of　the　world　he　doth　in　his　particular；　violate　the　general　order　of　the　world。　For　he　doth　no　better　than　strive　and　war　against　it；　who　contrary　to　his　own　nature　applieth　himself　to　that　which　is　contrary　to　truth。　　For　nature　had　before　furnished　him　with　instincts　and　opportunities　sufficient　for　the　attainment　of　it　；　which　he　having　hitherto　neglected；　is　not　now　able　to　discern　that　which　is　false　from　that　which　is　true。　He　also　that　pursues　after　pleasures；　as　that　which　is　truly　good　and　flies　from　pains；　as　that　which　is　truly　evil：　is　impious。　　For　such　a　one　must　of　necessity　oftentimes　accuse　that　common　nature；　as　distributing　many　things　both　unto　the　evil；　and　unto　the　good；　not　according　to　the　deserts　of　either：　as　unto　the　bad　oftentimes　pleasures；　and　the　causes　of　pleasures；　so　unto　the　good；　pains；　and　the　occasions　of　pains。　　Again；　he　that　feareth　pains　and　crosses　in　this　world；　feareth　some　of　those　things　which　some　time　or　other　must　needs　happen　in　the　world。　And　that　we　have　already　showed　to　be　impious。　　And　he　that　pursueth　after　pleasures；　will　not　spare；　to　compass　his　desires；　to　do　that　which　is　unjust；　and　that　is　manifestly　impious。　Now　those　things　which　unto　nature　are　equally　indifferent　（for　she　had　not　created　both；　both　pain　and　pleasure；　if　both　had　not　been　unto　her　equally　indifferent）：　they　that　will　live　according　to　nature；　must　in　those　things　（as　being　of　the　same　mind　and　disposition　that　she　is）　be　as　equally　indifferent。　　Whosoever　therefore　in　either　matter　of　pleasure　and　pain；　death　and　life；　honour　and　dishonour；　（which　things　nature　in　the　administration　of　the　world；　indifferently　doth　make　use　of）；　is　not　as　indifferent；　it　is　apparent　that　he　is　impious。　　When　I　say　that　common　nature　doth　indifferently　make　use　of　them；　my　meaning　is；　that　they　happen　indifferently　in　the　ordinary　course　of　things；　which　by　a　necessary　consequence；　whether　as　principal　or　accessory；　come　to　pass　in　the　world；　according　to　that　first　and　ancient　deliberation　of　Providence；　by　which　she　from　some　certain　beginning；　did　resolve　upon　the　creation　of　such　a　world；　conceiving　then　in　her　womb　as　it　were　some　certain　rational　generative　seeds　and　faculties　of　things　future；　whether　subjects；　changes；　successions；　both　such　and　such；　and　just　so　many。

II。　　It　were　indeed　more　happy　and　comfortable；　for　a　man　to　depart　out　of　this　world；　having　lived　all　his　life　long　clear　from　all　falsehood；　dissimulation；　voluptuousness；　and　pride。　But　if　this　cannot　be；　yet　it　is　some　comfort　for　a　man　joyfully　to　depart　as　weary；　and　out　of　love　with　those；　rather　than　to　desire　to　live；　and　to　continue　long　in　those　wicked　courses。　Hath　not　yet　experience　taught　thee　to　fly　from　the　plague？　For　a　far　greater　plague　is　the　corruption　of　the　mind；　than　any　certain　change　and　distemper　of　the　common　air　can　be。　This　is　a　plague　of　creatures；　as　they　are　living　creatures；　but　that　of　men　as　they　are　men　or　reasonable。　　III。　　Thou　must　not　in　matter　of　death　carry　thyself　scornfully；　but　as　one　that　is　well　pleased　with　it；　as　being　one　of　those　things　that　nature　hath　appointed。　　For　what　thou　dost　conceive　of　these；　of　a　boy　to　become　a　young　man；　to　wax　old；　to　grow；　to　ripen；　to　get　teeth；　or　a　beard；　or　grey　hairs　to　beget；　to　bear；　or　to　be　delivered；　or　what　other　action　soever　it　be；　that　is　natural　unto　man　according　to　the　several　seasons　of　his　life；　such　a　thing　is　it　also　to　he　dissolved。　It　is　therefore　the　part　of　a　wise　man；　in　matter　of　death；　not　in　any　wise　to　carry　himself　either　violently；　or　proudly　but　patiently　to　wait　for　it；　as　one　of　nature's　operations：　that　with　the　same　mind　as　now　thou　dost　expect　when　that　which　yet　is　but　an　embryo　in　thy　wife's　belly　shall　come　forth；　thou　mayst　expect　also　when　thy　soul　shall　fall　off　from　that　outward　coat　or　skin：　wherein　as　a　child　in　the　belly　it　lieth　involved　and　shut　up。　But　thou　desirest　a　more　popular；　and　though　not　so　direct　and　philosophical；　yet　a　very　powerful　and　penetrative　recipe　against　the　fear　of　death；　nothing　can　make　they　more　willing　to　part　with　thy　life；　than　if　thou　shalt　consider；　both　what　the　subjects　themselves　are　that　thou　shalt　part　with；　and　what　manner　of　disposition　thou　shalt　no　more　have　to　do　with。　True　it　is；　that。　　offended　with　them　thou　must　not　be　by　no　means；　but　take　care　of　them；　and　meekly　bear　with　them　However；　this　thou　mayst　remember；　that　whensoever　it　happens　that　thou　depart；　it　shall　not　be　from　men　that　held　the　same　opinions　that　thou　dost。　　For　that　indeed；　（if　it　were　so）　is　the　only　thing　that　might　make　thee　averse　from　death；　and　willing　to　continue　here；　if　it　were　thy　hap　to　live　with　men　that　had　obtained　the　same　belief　that　thou　hast。　But　now；　what　a　toil　it　is　for　thee　to　live　with　men　of　different　opinions；　thou　seest：　　so　that　thou　hast　rather　occasion　to　say；　Hasten；　I　thee　pray；　O　Death；　lest　I　also　in　time　forget　myself。　　IV。　　He　that　sinneth；　sinneth　unto　himself。　He　that　is　unjust；　hurts　himself；　in　that　he　makes　himself　worse　than　he　was　before。　　Not　he　only　that　committeth；　but　he　also　that　omitteth　something；　is　oftentimes　unjust。　V。　If　my　present　apprehension　of　the　object　be　right；　and　my　present　action　charitable；　and　this；　towards　whatsoever　doth　proceed　from　God；　be　my　present　disposition；　to　be　well　pleased　with　it；　it　sufficeth。　　VI。　　To　wipe　away　fancy；　to　use　deliberation；　to　quench　concupiscence；　to　keep　the　mind　free　to　herself。　　VII。　　Of　all　unreasonable　creatures；　there　is　but　one　unreasonable　soul；　and　of　all　that　are　reasonable；　but　one　reasonable　soul；　divided　betwixt　them　all。　As　of　all　earthly　things　there　is　but　one　earth；　and　but　one　light　that　we　see　by；　and　but　one　air　that　we　breathe　in；　as　many　as　either　breathe　or　see。　　Now　whatsoever　partakes　of　some　common　thing；　naturally　affects　and　inclines　unto　that　whereof　it　is　part；　being　of　one　kind　and　nature　with　it。　Whatsoever　is　earthly；　presseth　downwards　to　the　common　earth。　Whatsoever　is　liquid；　would　flow　together。　　And　whatsoever　is　airy；　would　be　together　likewise。　　So　that　without　some　obstacle；　and　some　kind　of　violence；　they　cannot　well　be　kept　asunder。　Whatsoever　is　fiery；　doth　not　only　by　reason　of　the　elementary　fire　tend　upwards；　but　here　also　is　so　ready　to　join；　and　to　burn　together；　that　whatsoever　doth　want　sufficient　moisture　to　make　resistance；　is　easily　set　on　fire。　Whatsoever　therefore　is　partaker　of　that　reasonable　common　nature；　naturally　doth　as　much　and　more　long　after　his　own　kind。　For　by　how　much　in　its　own　nature　it　excels　all　other　things；　by　so　much　more　is　it　desirous　to　be　joined　and　united　unto　that；　which　is　of　its　own　nature。　　As　for　unreasonable　creatures　then；　they　had　not　long　been；　but　presently　begun　among　them　swarms；　and　flocks；　and　broods　of　young　ones；　and　a　kind　of　mutual　love　and　affection。　　For　though　but　unreasonable；　yet　a　kind　of　soul　these　had；　and　therefore　was　that　natural　desire　of　union　more　strong　and　intense　in　them；　as　in　creatures　of　a　more　excellent　nature；　than　either　in　plants；　or　stones；　or　trees。　　But　among　reasonable　creatures；　begun　commonwealths；　friendships；　families；　public　meetings；　and　even　in　their　wars；　conventions；　and　truces。　Now　among　them　that　were　yet　of　a　more　excellent　nature；　as　the　stars　and　planets；　though　by　their　nature　far　distant　one　from　another；　yet　even　among　them　began　some　mutual　correspondency　and　unity。　　So　proper　is　it　to　excellency　in　a　high　degree　to　affect　unity；　as　that　even　in　things　so　far　distant；　it　could　operate　unto　a　mutual　sympathy。　But　now　behold；　what　is　now　come　to　pass。　　Those　creatures　that　are　reasonable；　are　now　the　only　creatures　that　have　forgotten　their　natural　affection　and　inclination　of　one　towards　another。　Among　them　alone　of　all　other　things　that　are　of　one　kind；　there　is　not　to　be　found　a　general　disposition　to　flow　together。　But　though　they　fly　from　nature；　yet　are　they　stopt　in　their　course；　and　apprehended。　　Do　they　what　they　can；　nature　doth　prevail。　And　so　shalt　thou　confess；　if　thou　dost　observe　it。　　For　sooner　mayst　thou　find　a　thing　earthly；　where　no　earthly　thing　is；　than　find　a　man　that　naturally　can　live　by　himself　alone。

VIII。　　Man；　God；　the　world；　every　one　in　their　kind；　bear　some　fruits。　All　things　have　their　proper　time　to　bear。　　Though　by　custom；　the　word　itself　is　in　a　manner　become　proper　unto　the　vine；　and　the　like；　yet　is　it　so　nevertheless；　as　we　have　said。　As　for　reason；　that　beareth　both　common　fruit　for　the　use　of　others；　and　peculiar；　which　itself　doth　enjoy。　Reason　is　of　a　dif…fusive　nature；　what　itself　is　in　itself；　it　begets　in　others；　and　so　doth　multiply。

IX。　　Either　teach　them　better　if　it　be　in　t