Debtors A Covetous Man can be good for nothing I 'm positively of that Opinion because the Love of those his little Idols is resolv'd by that great Gamaliel and competent Judge St. Paul to be the Root of all sorts of Evil. He is rude and uncivil to himself in not affording necessary Supplies for supporting his natural Contentment and cruel and tyrannical to his better Part if he have e're a one his Soul by distorting and perplexing and debasing it Night and Day in sordid Anxieties and unaccountable Drudgeries and to all his Neighbours and Conversants in the World Uneasie Fraudulent and Unsociable and Unintelligible and worse And remarkable I take it to be that splendid Instance and President of Mary Magdalen in bestowing a considerable sum of most precious Oyntment to wash our Saviours Feet withal which no body but covetous Judas the Bag-bearer grudged and would have pretended himself to have been so Charitable or Liberal as to have wisht it had been ad Valorem to the Value rather given to the Poor ss The Cash-keeper that was so bloodily Covetous as for thirty Shillings or Pieces of Silver to betray his Lord and Master A stingy narrow Soul can't be a Jurisprudent to all Effects and Purposes if to any at all for a Liberal Man considers of the Universe and and dispences accordingly quoad hunc nunc as to time and Person properly but the other minds no body but himself and in good earnest therefore is most his own Enemy though a common Enemy too to the World about him That a Man who is Deputy Lieutenant of the whole World should not act like a Prince within his Territories is a thing to be counted more a Matter of Prodigy than Proof That Soul that confines it self to it self and loves not to dilate is the greatest Heteroclite in rerum Naturâ in the visible World and such is he that is profoundly Covetous for a Man that 's never so Covetous is on some occasions liberally affected to wit towards himself but regards not the rest of the Family of God and is therefore a spurious and degenerate Monster amongst Mankind and not worthy to be owned by them as a rational or intellectual Agent but an Excresence of Humanity or a Creature not a Kin to Generous Mankind XVII De Vitâ Morte Of Life and Death MAnes suos quisque patimur said the great Horace Our Urns and Ends are as certain as our Beginnings Orimur morimur All of us that live must die which fatal word to the unthinking Vulgar is the most formidable in Nature and by the Heathen called so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But some of the more thinking of them have had a rarer Notion of it viz. Dii celant homines ut vivere durent Quam sit dulce mori That Men may endure to live's the Reason why The Gods conceal how sweet it is to die And the divine Philosopher Seneca seem'd to be much of that Mind when he saith that Pompa Mortis magis terret quam mors ipsa that the Circumstances of our Departure are more frightful than Death it self and Dr. Brown wonders any wise Man was afraid of it he professes himself to be rather asham'd to see so sudden and considerable a Change made in a Carcass it 's as natural to die as to be born saith Sir Fra. Bacon and therefore ought not to be so dreadful So that a Jurisprudent being well apprized of the Law of Mortality so lives that he 's neither afraid nor asham'd to die whensoever his great Soveraign that put him into Being thinks fit to recal him out of it It 's true that Life is a mighty Blessing and a living Dog is better than a dead Lion but in comparison with the Ends of Life and Consequences of Death it 's not worth the talking of Quis propter Vitam vivendi perdere Causas Velle potest could a Heathen say Who for Life's sake wou'd ever quit the Cause Of Living by his fundamental Laws Especially believing that a better Life and infinitely more to purpose will be subsequent to every one that dies a Jurisprudent Illi Mors gravis incubat Qui notus nimis omnibus Ignotus moritur sibi said the Tragedian Seneca excellently well ss Death cannot be really formidable to any but such as are too well and notoriously known to the World and understand not themselves Cogi qui potest nescit mori said he too That Man can't tell how to die that can be compell'd thereunto note that For in many Cases Death is more eligible than Life to a Jurisprudent but a Jurisimprudent or Ignoramus is afraid of his own Shadow and can't tell you why he does dread to die He that lives well need not fear to die Because he knows good reason why He leaves Time for Eternity While a Jurisprudent is present in the Body he is all that while absent from the Lord which I take to be the chief Reason why that Chief Justice of the Gentiles St. Paul desired rather to be dissolv'd than not as to himself but as to the care of the Churches and their edification by his Function for a season which was the great Province he was charged withal he was contented to endure to live a while longer The sager sort of the Heathen themselves had arriv'd to this Metaphysical Point That to be in Statu seperato from the cumbersom Body was much more eligible in it self singly consider'd from the benefit of Mankind than their longer residence in the Body Wherefore duly consider'd and jurisprudentially what we are and whither we tend we can shew no cause why we shou'd be at all dismay'd at Death Indeed if we had no further Assurances of future Felicity the Case were alter'd but who can be happy too soon or who that prudentially considers all the Weal and Woes of humane Life together does not judge him the happiest man that is well extricated out of the body There 's more perhaps than we are aware on primâ facie in that Saying ss Nemo ante obitum supremaque funera faelix No Man is truly happy till he dies This is no Riddle unto him that 's wise Life indeed is all in all when all 's said but to exchange a worse for a better Life is more than all that can be said è contra against it It 's better not to be than to be miserable all agree but if we are morally certain of an eternal Life he must needs be non Compos mentis out of his Wits that is loth to die As Death is an extinguishment of all our Faculties and a divorce of Soul and Body indeed it 's formidable but if we as Jurisprudents look on 't but as an Emancipation or Gaol-delivery and as a future State to which ab initio at first we were framed it is rather what we should long for and covet than be shy of or dread A Jurisprudent argues thus If I am here but by the
By If it 's impossible long Death to fly If Life eternal be to me hard by If no man can ' gainst it shew good Cause why Within a little while I must needs dye To be translated hence wherefore should I Be al a mort before-hand or be shy If Solomon and Paul approved best Of Dissolution why should not the rest Of the sage Jurisprudents and men wise Resolve the Point It is but a Demise No Prince or Jurisprudent ever dies Seneca said very true that Non est vivere sed valere vita He that 's in pain and no health hath His Life may properly be called Death The Life that now is as much as we make of our selves is not a thing worth the taking up were it not in pursuance of and in order to something better as the vulgar Note well observes Can Life be a Blessing And worth the possessing If Love were away O no c. The Practice of which principal part of Piety or Jurisprudence upon this Stage of Philanthropy and the full fruition of the beatifick Vision who is defined to be Love in the Abstract is that which is our main Business here and which only makes Life considerable and Death not so dreadful as desirable The very heathen Philosophers that had not so clear a Prospect of the future State made no Bones as we say Proverbially of it as Sir Fra. Bacon in his learned Essays gives us many Instances Fear induced some to court it Love and Friendship others others in Complements and generous Bravado's as Augustus Caesar parting with his Wife Livia at his Execution takes his leave of her and the World together thus Livia memor sis nostri Conjugii vive valeque That is to say Remember Livia our things Conjugal Live and prosper fare thee well It 's the Consequences of it are so formidable and astonishing and not it self which is nothing but a deprivation of something which is as natural and as necessary for us to part with as to enjoy Whoever leads a Jurisprudent Life need never dread never so sudden Death It 's for Fools and guilty Knaves to be afraid of their own Shadows and not for men of Temper and Discretion Life is here a thing only considerable in order to somewhat better and future Death is if rightly consider'd on at best but a transition to another State not Place if applied to Intelligent or jurisprudent Agents Sera nimis vita est crastina vive hodie said an Elegant heathen Poet to purpose viz. What you mean to do do to day Dream not to live to morrow pray Nec propter vitam vivendi perdito causam said another appositely and emphatically Dote not so much on this Life as to make The Reason why you live here a mistake Life is a very pretty pleasant thing If health attend it to Beggar or King But all the wealth and honour in the world If at once into your arms they were hurl'd Could never make you be so much in love With Life below if you 'r secure above Of such a Posture as you 'r now beneath To which nothing can you conduct but Death By God's permission when you'v lost your Breath We commonly wonder which is a vulgar Error when we hear of any body's Death whenas we have much more reason to wonder that any Individual is in Life and Health if we do but consider how small a matter serves to turn the strongest Constitution out of Being and how many millions of those accidental Matters we meet withal in a little time besides the incurable Disease of old Age. We ar ' no sooner born than we begin to dye Take Time by the Forelock then there is good reason why For she behind is bald and swiftly does she fly And eximious is that Saying of the heathen Philosopher Vitae nimis avidus quisquis Non vult mundo secum moriente mori That Man 's abominably covetous Of Life that 's loth to die with us The rest of all the Universe about Will keep him quickly company no doubt I close this Essay as Sir Wa. Rawley does his History of the World p. 776. who then had a close Prospect of his untimely End O Eloquent just and mighty Death whom none cou'd advise thou hast perswaded what none has dared thou hast done and whom all the World has flatter'd thou only hast cast out of the world despised thou hast drawn together all the far-stretched Greatness all the Pride Cruelty and Ambition of Man and cover'd it all with these two narrow words Hic jacet XVIII De Societate Conversatione Of Society and Converse MAn is defined very properly to be Animal sociabile a sociable or conversible Creature more than any other inferior Animal whatever the Tongue and Discourse gives him that Preheminence to make better guesses at another's meaning and mind and the complexion of their Thoughts than other Animals overt Actions indicate Without Conversation Society is non-sence and the World wou'd not be like it self Solomon the grand Jurisprudent has long ago remarked it That infinite Wisdom created one thing to correspond with another and it was told us ab initio first in Paradise that it was not fit or good for Man to be without Society and thereupon his Maker did superadd Eve for his companion or associate that nothing might pretend to be Independent but himself Whence it follows necessarily That anchoretick Doctrine and Discipline is quite out of doors both heterodox and immoral as well as unnatural and selfish Hence said the same sage and authentick Author That two are better than one for the sake of reciprocal Aids as well as Enjoyments even Affliction is sweetn'd by Society much more Prosperity according to the true old Saying Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris And a Man is known and understood by his Company that he frequents when he is not by his own Deportment So is the trite Saying Noscitur ex comite qui non cognoscitur ex se By Company that Men do keep They 'r known to such as wisely peep Hermitages and Cells and Solitudes help much to qualifie a Man vicibus alternis by fits and turns for Conversation So did our grand Exemplar Emanuel often withdraw into Deserts and other Recesses but it was to recollect himself with more advantage to appear upon the Stage and to converse with the Multitude Publicans and Sinners with whom we know he was so frequent and familiar as well as with Magistrates and Persons of better Quality otherwhiles that he was by the high-minded Scribes and Pharisees reproached with the Character of being a Friend of theirs of meaner Extract But wholly to sequester a man's self from all manner of Conversation abroad as those do that pretend to enter into Religion which indeed is more properly taking their leaves of it is altogether against the Principles of our Jurisprudent and his Practice too Both Extreams are odious and dangerous Never to be out of a
truth whereof upon Record I find That the true God eternal's onely one Besides whom save Son and Spirit there 's none That these great Elohim the Worlds did make And still preserve them for their own Name-sake That in the highest Heavens ever are And of his Sacred Truth do Record bear And that for Man God was Incarnated In his Nature on Earth and once was dead And buried not in Hell but now long since Rose again up to Heaven departing hence To reconcile laps'd Man to God again I hold one visible Church in the main And Saint's Communion's a true Position And will again rise to th' beatifick Vision And verily believe that God hath sent Forgiveness of sins to each Penitent And that Man's Soul a thing Immortal is And Bodies to the next World after this Will raised be and that the Holy Ghost To Man's Recov'ry now conduces most And doth negotiate with him instead Of Christ who ever lives tho' once was dead To intercede on High for poor Mankind Whom when he did ascend he left behind The Jurisprudent's Common-Prayer UNto thee O Heavenly Father who art the God of the Spirits of all Flesh and a God hearing Prayer shall all Flesh come being promoted by thine Assistance and Incouraged by thine Acceptance through Jesus Christ am I emboldned to make my most humble Applications in all due and filial acknowledgments of my Derivation from thee Dependance upon thee and Submission to thee who art both Original and Final and more intimate to us than any thing else within us or without wherefore I humbly own the Continuance of thy Fatherly Care Countenance Conduct and Protection every moment in and through Jesus Christ by whom we are incouraged to call thee Father I heartily recognize and own the to be my Soveraign Lord and Proprietor and adore thee for thine infinite Condescension in sending of thy Son to become a Ransome for the lost World and for all the blessed Fruits and Benefactions thereby redounding to me I humbly commit and surrender to thee my Soul and Body so dearly purchased by the Blood of the Eternal and Incarnate Word and in the use of that Liberty thou hast afforded me do make a voluntary Dedication and Resignation of this most reasonable Sacrifice to thine holy Majesty I confess and acknowledge that I am less than the least of all thy Mercies and have grossly degenerated and apostatized from the Law of thy Creation I have sinn'd and miscarried unaccountably and am altogether unworthy to be owned by thee but thou hast been graciously pleas'd to lay help upon one that is mighty and able and willing to save unto the uttermost all that come unto thee in and through his Name O Lord I do unfeignedly therefore deprecate thy Displeasure against me for those innumerable Failings and Obliquities all my Life long whereby I am most justly become obnoxious to thy divine Challenge and Rebuke more especially those manifold Relapses and Defections of mine after renewed Purposes and Resolutions of better Obedience as into inordinate Anger Impatience Intemperance Immodesty and divers other exorbitant and vile Inclinations and Passions and I heartily revoke and renounce all wherein I have done amiss and humbly beseech thee for thy Son's sake graciously to pardon both all mine own Delinquencies against thine Holy Majesty and all those that have any manner of ways disobliged or dealt injuriously with me especially my nearest Acquaintance O Father forgive them as I sincerely do for they know not what they have done and vouchsafe I beseech thee not only to divert thy further Judgments that have not already taken hold of them and me for our Iniquities have found us out but also to Sanctifie both to them and me thy present Judgments and severe but Fatherly Corrections that since thy tender Mercies have not those bitter Dispensations may hereafter teach us all to learn Righteousness I humbly pray thee to root out of all of us all malignity of Mind and lead none of us into further Temptations that may be too hard for us but deliver us from all evil Consequencies and the causes of them and by thine Omnipotent Arm preserve us from all Pollutions both of Flesh and Spirit unto thine approaching and everlasting Kingdom which is our Salvation Be good to the whole World please to recover thy lapsed Creation controul all Atheism Idolatry and Malignity in the Sons of Violence that daily make havock and disorder in the Family of God And to the rest of those manifold Favours which thou hast afforded us in Life be pleas'd to superadd this that I may not be hence removed but with all advantages for Eternity with a mind freed from the Snares and under a perfect Renunciation of all the sinful and lewd Guises and Customs of this mad World and under a sense of a thorow Reconciliation with and Resignation to thee and fully qualified and accomplisht for an eternal Enjoyment of thee that whensoe're thou callest me hence I may be fully assured of a blessed Departure in the Faith and Fear of thine Elect. Be propitious I intreat thee in a particular manner to thy Servant and our Soveraign Lord the King whom thou hast miraculously appointed in the Throne over us preserve him in Peace and Safety from all the Sons of Belial and indue him with Wisdom and all Graces requisite for the Discharge of so great a Trust and grant that we may lead quiet and prosperous Lives in all Godliness and Honesty under him Bless all inferior Magistrates and dispensers of thy Word and Sacraments with suitable Accomplishments for so great Functions Mercifully compassionate all the Sons and Daughters of Affliction every where suppress and discountenance Antichrist and all Impostors and let the Gospel be propagated from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof and â—hen hasten the coming of our Blessed Saviour and O bountiful Father accept I humbly beseech thee of my hearty Thanks and Praise for that Health and Welfare Liberty and Advantages thou daily art pleased to vouchsafe to me of doing or receiving any good Offices in the World for the Enjoyment in Peace and Safety of the Conversation of good Men and for the Benefit received by their Examples and Instructions particularly I sensibly and gratefully acknowledge the innumerable and extraordinary Deliverances from Deaths and Dangers all my Life long and for the Mercies and good Providences thou hast remembred me withal in the midst of so many Judgments and Calamities thou hast seen good to exercise me and mine withal and for the remarkable Returns thou hast been pleased to make to my poor Prayers early and late through the Intercessions of mine only and most blessed Advocate and Mediator the Lord Jesus and for the additional Suplies of Comfort by the Holy Ghost unto whom with thy self be Praise Homage and Obedience World without End Amen A Jurisprudents Ejaculation before Meat O God be merciful unto and bless me with the Pardon of all my Sins and a Sanctified Use of these thy good Creatures of thine infinite Bounty provided for me through Jesus Christ my Saviour His thankful Recognition after Meat PRaised be thy Name O Heavenly Father for the Supplies of this my present Refreshment by thy good Creatures and grant I beseech thee that I may improve the Advantages by them received to thy Service Praise and Glory through Jesus Christ my Redeemer The Character or Effigies of a down-right Jurisprudent HE is a Man of sense of profound Reason He 's Loyal foyal he hates all Treason He 's not Mercurial but a solid thing He loves and honours his Countrey King He is not busy'd about Chicanrees He studies Men Manners not Trees He Courts not Women with his Cap or Knees He troubles not his Head about such Bees He teaches all Men how to keep the Peace He likes his Client and he loves his Books He values no Man on account of looks He 's punctual and very diligent He practises true meaning and intent He well considers his Opinion He will not be brib'd by any one He is a Man of tender Conscience He 's not a Man of very small Expence He never is penurious He 's ever just and generous He 's for the Reason of the Thing He 's Counsel for Subject or King He scorns to plead a paltry Cause He sticks to Fundamental Laws He when he talks first makes a pause The Jurisprudent's Hymn To the Tune of the 148th Psalm LEt 's Praise Our God the Lord Whose goodness far exceeds Both in thought deed and word Our praises and our needs Let all things praise His Name always Both Old and Young With Heart and Tongue For why His Workman-ship And care is all Mankind When e're our feet do slip Let 's then keep him in Mind None of us let His Love forget But thankfully To him reply Rejoyce Continually Before him Sing and Pray Aloud unto him cry And to him Homage pay Whose Mercies sure Do still endure He will not fail Us Mortals frail Epiphonema ad Pythagoram Allegoricum Martiale RVmpitur Invidiâ quidam charissime Fili Quod me Rura Legunt Rumpitur Invidiâ Rumpitur Invidiâ Quod sum Jucundus amicis Quod Conviva frequens Rumpitur Invidiâ Rumpitur Invidiâ Quod Rus mihi Dulce sub Vrbe est Parvaque in Vrbe Domus Rumpitur Invidiâ Rumpitur Invidiâ Quod amamur quodque probamur Rumpatur quisquis Rumpitur Invidiâ Thus Translated I 'm Ridicul'd or envy'd dearest Son For all that I have written and have done That I 'me so Frank and Complaisant and that I Juncket so much of I can't tell what That I have so much leave to take the air And have a little House I can't tell where And that we are beloved and approved Much good may do 'em that yet never Loved Martial Epigram Non amo te Sabidè nec possum dicere quare Hoc tantum possum dicere non amo te Metamorphozed thus Valde amo Pythagoram quià possum dicere quare Hoc verum possum dicere Pythagorae I Love Pythagoras well and can tell wherefore And hope to love him still much more and more Both as a Jurisprudent Son and Friend To love him all along unto The END