the glorious state of wickednesse but therein contemplate the justice of Divine Providence for vertue is not distinguished by any sensible reward from vice And who dares consult with the eternal wisdome or who can compare with Omnipotence This makes me chearful in the greatest calamity and contemne all worldly things in respect of an honest fame LXXIII I know the separation of the body and soul in regard that nature abhors all evacuation dis-union and dissolution may be said to be unnatural yet I can apprehend this dis-junction as a necessary means to a more glorious redintegration and incorruptible union I know that there is a mutual relation and commerce a friendly society and interchangable conversation betwixt these two Yet I can see an image of Divinity a picture of heaven an impresse of eternity in the inward part which cannot appear and shine forth in its true lustre in that genuine purity and brightnesse till this dirty clay this red earth this body of dust be scoured off and refined for a resurrection I know that both shall meet againe so purified so rarified so together glorified as now I cannot conceive an expression to certifie my understanding but can understand enough to strengthen and confirme my faith I believe and know that both shall be renued with such perfection and absolute grace that there shall be no roome left fit for a temptation for a disease the Soul without hope or fear or anger or grief free from all tumultuary passion and rebellious lusts the body free from all paine and anguish and sicknesse the whole man void of all necessity of sin and misery I will not fear death that is the occasion of all this blessednesse Life is nothing else but a progresse unto death and death is nothing else but an entrance into life I know it is the end of all misery and the beginning of all happiness Against the fear of death and the desire of death I do thus conclude I wil so live that I may die happily I will so die that I may live eternally Lord give me thy grace here and I will not doubt of thy glory hereafter LXXIV Let our course of life be what it will we shall finde misery enough Abroad the Courts of Justice torment us as much as our own cares at home The Countrey is a kind of oppression with continual labours the Sea a confusion of dangers Travel if we go out rich is but a temptation of spoile and rapine if poore a provocation of scorne and contempt Matrimony is no more then a conjunction of mutual calamities and a single life a solitary mischief Children are monuments of care and barrenness a curse of Oblivion Youth is a tormenting fury Age a stump of weaknesse What is all this life of ours which we dote upon so much but a point of time a little grain of salt a summer flower a fading pleasure and yet sleep like a severe Publican and other idle diversions our officious enemies toile away above half this inconsiderable stock of nature What is Man but an Earthen vessel a fraile bottle a statue of snow or wax that melts at every blaze and will admit any impression a rotten chip a withered leaf a course thread spun out into Atomes This is that animal {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a creature for a day that starts up like a mushrum and vanishes like a shoure of frogges All things under the Sunne are vanity but he is All vanity a circle a whimsey a figure a fancy a feather a trifte a nothing a dream of a shadow and the shadow of a dream He is but a living carkasse a walking Ghost something in a trance a monument of death If this be our condition while we live who would not be ambitious to die LXXV We are but generated dust at first and at last degenerated ashes The soul in the body is but confined as it were to some dark prison The grave is not so strait a lodging to the body as the body is to the soul for the body is not sensible of this narrow imprisonment but the soule every day feels the iron weight of her fleshly fetters The flesh is a burden to the soul are we afraid of ease we shall never finde rest and quiet till God the Lord and proprietary call for his abused talent and repose it safe in those eternal Mansions What a benefit is this to be deprived of that darknesse and stupidity which hindred our prospect to be estated in an unchangable condition to enjoy an undeterminable felicity why should we be lesse unwilling to put off this fleshly garment than we are to undress our selves every night why should we be loath to change this vile body for eternity to shift this thread-bare-coat to be superinvested with immortal glory what but some strange misbelief and infidelity can obstruct the desire of this happy dissolution The world is full of miseries and heaven is full of blessings enough to excite the most dull heart to pant after this glorious change Death in it self is nothing are we afraid of nothing are we frighted with a Chimaera How shall I encounter with an Host if I tremble at a shadow There is nothing fearful in death if we embrace it with a good conscience An honest man cannot die a dishonest death It is reported of the Emperour Vespasian that when he lay upon his death-bed breathing out his last he made a sudden start and raised himself upon his feet Being requested to lie down again he refused and yeelded up his spirit with these words Oportet imperatorem stantem mori It behoves an Emperor to die standing which with a little change may become the mouth of a good Christian Oportet Christianum triumphantem mori It behoves a Christian to die triumphing LXXVI Every day we suck in fresh aire and breath it out again Our very Being is but an Emblem of mortality but after death we are no more dead then we live indeed when we cannot die Here we die many deaths but hereafter we shall live one everlasting eternal life Here we are subject to many inconveniences and much distress there we are free from all Who would not more willingly pass out of this world and if it were lawful thrust himself out than stay behinde in a throng of woful confusions can there be a worse Hell then is exercised on Earth if there be any greater torment then the guilt of sin sure it is prepared for those that remaine miserable in the judgement What is it that doth so trouble our apprehension Other afflictions because usual and familiar we endure well enough by acquaintance with our misery we can arme our selvs against the violence of fortune the fury of injustice the raging of poverty the cruelty of a Tyrant Familiarity they say breeds contempt now what more common then Death what more natural what a world is gone before us of all sorts and degrees Kings Prophets
ashes we may Canonize a Saint but cannot make him such by our greatest adoration The goodnesse of an action is in the stamp and character of its own nature not in the value of a vain report It were labour lost to pursue vertue if it could be taken from us by the violence of a railing tongue And though false witnesse may prevail for a time against the best innocence yet the Iudge of all the world cannot be unjust in his judgement XLI By the composition and stature of our bodies we are admonished how to behave our selves one towards another Every man ought to dwell within his own bounds and limits without incroaching upon his neighbours part As there is space and roome enough in the Head for those operations that are there fixed and the like in the rest of the Members by reason of that good order and consent setled amongst them So the world is sufficiently great to serve all if we had but skill to bear with one another if every man would be content with his own state and condition and satisfie himselfe with those peculiar gifts which he hath received from our Soveraign Lord as a member of the same body XLII 'T was well said of one Dreams are but dreams that is nothing but vanity Yet by these a wise man can make a large discovery of his own inclination The night sometimes represents things clearer then the day Sleep which is but the shadow of death can furnish our soules with lively thoughts The retired fancy is not disturbed with any outward object and finds room enough to expatiate it self To give credit to every dreame and to neglect all argues too much indiscretion in both extreames Superstion will make a God of nothing contempt will make nothing of God The Braine is not destitute of her vigilant motions under the greatest load of drouzie Morpheus It will become our wisdome to make a useful collection of our most extravagant fancies which we may do well enough and yet not abuse our faith with too much curiosity or observation XLIII What miseries attend this life when our best things are but vanity and vexation Solomon had a general experience of this universal frame yet could finde nothing but emptiness at the bottome The world was made of nothing consists of forms worth nothing and at last shall returne to nothing This will give our discretion wings to flie to heaven the state of true blisse of everlasting joy As God made every thing by his power of nothing so let us by grace from God make nothing of every thing let us slight and neglect these transitory fading toyes let us behold all as nothing and behold our Lord as All in all XLIV He that would settle a distracted State must first subdue all his Enemies To exalt a troubled Kingdome it is necessary that some should be made shorter by the hoad The humble sheep can never rest securely while the devouring wolves are at liberty Mercy and favour prove cruel sinnes when exercised upon a brood of Traitors for the innocent suffer when such guilty men are reprieved The members of a Common-wealth are torn in pieces when Rebels get a head above their Soveraigne Divisions and factions are the tortures of a Crown and he that neglects a correction must needs fall under it A quick dispatch is the onely cure for such desperate diseases A Prince that stayes to hear what his good rebellious Subjects can say for themselves does but suffer them to destroy him in a way of complement and send him to heaven for his happiness XLV We are all apt to dispute for a priviledge of revenge and every man would have the power of a King within him and something more The little shrub will contend with the lofty Cedar for supremacy Therefore those primitive Champions underwent as hard a service in subduing their affections to be prepared for a ready submission to the wilful tyranny of some wicked Prince as when they endured their fiery tryal or the most subtil torments of persecution This I believe was the greatest conquest The sweet assurance of an innocent death will countervaile the worst extremity of paine and miserable torture A good conscience is a continual feast or to use the expression of a learned Divine food in famine freedom in fetters health in sicknesse life in death XLVI As the body cannot live except it receive such food and nourishment as is agreeable to its nature so the soul cannot thrive if it want the knowledge to which it is naturally inclined And as life is preserved by heat in our bodily parts so the being of our foules consists in the apprehension of that fervor which the love of God bestows upon it The Spirit which is separated from the favour of God is in a mortal condition The blessed estate of eternity belongs to those that are animated with the warme beams of a living mercy The means appointed to obtain this happinesse is the heavenly and eternal word which we use as a preparative to receive those precious viands of everlasting glory XLVII Marriage is a composition of both Sexes The Creation was imperfect till Adam parted with a piece of himself to be returned with interest It is some kinde of an affront to Nature if there be no impediment to reject wedlock It is that by which the world subsists and he that upon reasonable termes will not improve such a benefit is an enemy to the very essence and whole constitution of man-kinde The chastity of a single life is a rare jewel and blessed are they that can preserve it entire yet honest Matrimony is the best remedy either to prevent or cure a lascivious disease When couples joyne with mutual favour and affection the danger of temptation is not so great but a solitary vertue is not so well armed against the fiery darts of Satan XLVIII Nothing becomes Authority so well as a grave and sober moderation Violence can never consist with peace He that rises above his heighth may fall below himself Preferment is a curse to him that knows not how to use it and many men had beene happy if they had not been exalted A man may know his distance and yet not part with his humility for 't is a vertue requisite in all conditions It is good to moderate the greatnesse of our prosperity with humble thoughts for he whose minde exceeds his fortune is miserable enough in the highest advancement XLIX When the tongue runnes over we may presume the heart is full of vanity He that speaks much of himself never considers what he ought to do His intention upon the fame makes him neglect the worth of his actions He takes it for granted that all his deeds are currant coine and therefore is bold to assume the glory of a high renown as the natural purchase of his merit Thus presuming that he cannot act amisse he passes by the best opportunities of doing good and is onely great in the
visible motion advance themselves by degrees into a fruitful state and condition The creature without life is not without action With what a brave carere the shining Sunne spreads his diurnal pace And how the sister Moon in a constant change follow this leading dance How nimble is the fire how piercing is the air How the Sea rowles about with perpetual waves All which may teach man a lesson of laborious diligence and raise him from the lethargy of a non-imployment Laziness corrupts both the body and the minde Nothing can be so tedious and irksome as to want business Exercise keeps the heart in tune and feeds the spirits with a lively sense whereas doing nothing disorders the brain and starves the quickest wits into a dull discontent VIII Boldness is an Ornament to a vertuous man but when 't is put on to boulster up a vicious act nothing more odious Bashful vertue 't is a foolish sin and bold vice is a sinful bravery Too much modesty intangles the soule with many impediments and over-daring drives headlong into infinite dangers Remorse for sinning is a divine grace but to be ashamed of goodnesse is the next way that leads to impiety How many good natures have betray'd themselves for want of courage to deny an unreasonable importunity As I would not stubbornly reject the worst request so I shall never grant the beâ—t without some intimation of power in the libertie of a denial I will neither accept nor afford any thing in such a manner but that the world shall see I could easily forbear to confer and as easily refuse a benefit IX If a man were nothing but all eare yet a boundlesse tongue would tire his patience And commonly those that are tedious in their discourse are also impertinent He that regards his matter will not strive for words He that loves to hear himself talk considers not what will please others How was poore Horace tortured with the shuffling shifting voice of Crispinus Like the scraping of a trencher or the noise of a drum to a learned Student such are the ill sounds of a talkative mouth to a judicious hearer The teeth and lips seeme to be drawn out as a circle to keep in the slippery speech which must needs run some hazard when it runs too far without these lines of communication But if a present danger cannot fright the secure speaker I wish those that love to speak much would consider that one day they must give an account for every idle word X. It is an easie task to censure another Hardly any thing can be undertaken without some mistakes No man can express himself so exactly but a censorious critick will finde matter enough to work upon We may easily spy a fault where there are many vertues It is not always a part of wisdom to discover a folly Ignorance is a busie fool that would seem wise by condemning others when it knows least it self He that is alwayes raking in ashes will but foule his own face and he that seeks to diminish the credit of his neighbour may cast a blemish upon his own reputation XI There are certain birds of Paradise which make the best musick in a Cage The sweet singer of Israel was most full of melody in his greatest Afflictions David could blesse God in a cave Iob on the dunghill The prison sometimes is the Saints Quire where the heart is at liberty while the body is under restraint and their very groans are acceptable notes of praise and benediction The good mans sorrow is never without some joy Our very hope can afford us songs of deliverance When our heavenly father makes up the consort who can forbeare to tune his voice and keep time with him Heaven and happinesse waits upon them that with patience attend his leasure Gods presence translates the Dungeon into a Sanctuary turns Babylon to Hierusalem captivity into triumph Our Jaylors are our life-guard our enemies our servants since they serve but as instruments to his will upon us who is indeed our Master He is happy enough that can patiently expect salvation As the Marriner keepes under hatches till the tempest be allayed so our present misery is nothing but a safe retiring till all dangerous stormes be blown over and we arive at last to the Haven of our Rest. XII In experience I shall observe this Rule rather spend too little then too much For covetousness there may be some satisfaction but the Prodigal is lost beyond all Redemption He that spends above his abilities will never be able to make himselfe amends I had rather deceive the expectations of others then cosen my self He that straines his estate to be accounted liberal may be thought covetous when all 's spent for the world is most apt to censure those that decline their former course Give God his due in Tythes the poor in Almes and thy self in Necessaries and there will remaine no great superfluitie of wealth to cast away in vanity XIII Our joys in this world do not alwayes run smooth and clear The best Contentments have some kinde of muddy mixture the sweetest cup hath some Lees at the bottom Our outward peace is frequently interrupted our inward peace is oftentimes eclipsed Here is no constant satisfaction in this Region of vicissitude Our comforts are neither full nor permanent We must look for that happinesse in heaven Who would live in this vale of brittle earth where every thing consumes and nothing is everlasting In the highest advancement some clouds will overshadow us In the heighth of joy there may be a depth of sorrow There is a kinde of connexion in contrarieties Here prosperity and adversity are linked together It is said of Hezekiah after his glorious victory over the host of Zenacherib that in those dayes Hezekiah was sick to the death Those dayes are these dayes and all dayes in our sphere where the greatest blessings are perpetually attended with some discontents and such sometimes that sicknesse or death would be a blessed remedy XIV Nothing makes the work of God in the compositions of our bodies more admirable then the beauty of their shape and curious Art used in the workmanship For this cause the Royal Prophet considering his Creation cries out as one ravished with admiration I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made No image or picture can be compared with the form of a mans body no imbroydered piece can be so well wrought or set out with such variety of excellent figures But when we consider that besides there is a soul inclosed in this exquisite frame as farre above it as that above all other things we cannot be so unthankful or unreasonable as not to acknowledge that the divine hand of heaven hath a peculiar influence of benediction and favour to the race of mankinde beyond all other Creatures whatsoever XV In every work we are to regard as well the manner of performing it as the work it self
Martyrs Philosophers Atheists Magicians And what a world will follow after Then why do we look upon this monster with such a fearful reverence This is the publique lot of all generation and corruption Let the manner of our death be what it will violent or natural painful or sudden or strange let the cause be extrinsecal or intrinsecal from within or from without death it is no more but death and what every living thing must feele Plants wither Flowers fade Beasts perish and old men die and young men too 't is but a defect of heat an eclipse of natural light The necessity and inevitable certainty of death well considered may advance our courage and banish all fear If they that delivered us into the world are themselves delivered out of it we may easily conclude our own mortality and say to corruption Thou art my Father to the morme thou art my mother and my sister The whole Common-wealth of man is subject to this universall Law Let unregenerate men afright themselves with this suspition the Religious heart is brim full of joy and assured confidence in the merits and mercy of a powerful Saviour The faithful Christian hath learnt his lesson before-hand in the practise of an honest life He knowes death to be a liberal Science an Art of freedome and preferment of priviledge and immunity of recompence of glory and immortality To wicked guilty soules death is both terrible and odious because it puts an end to their transitory joyes and begins their everlasting grief and torment But to the gracious heart this furious fiend appeares in the forme of a most lovely friend It prepares him for another world while he is going out of this Here is advantage enough to make amends for every loss To die is gain He that led captivity captive and swallowed up death in victory is ready with embracing armes to receive and entertaine us This glutton that devoures all flesh is meat for every true spirit Through the cold jawes of death we finde entrance to eternal life When death labours to block up all passages it findes and makes way for us to our immortal happinesse LXXVII God and a good Christian are alwayes good company He cannot want the accommodation of any place who enjoys the presence of him that is every where Let me be barr'd the society of my best friends deprived of the comfortable aire of my own countrey not suffered to see the face of any man that affects me and my welfare in all this deprivation of outward happinesse I can yet behold his face who is all goodness and comfort and content who instead of pleasing discourse to pass away the time can afford me the blessed operations of his holy Spirit As it was said of Athanasius he fled for the Trinity and with the Trinity So if I be carried to the utmost corners of the earth or confined to a dark solitude a narrow prison a loathsome dungeon in such a strict restraint I shall finde roome enough to contemplate to enjoy to admire to adore three persons in one Deity I shall have courage enough to hope for the happy enterview of Saints and Angels at the resurrection to be one of that heavenly association which shall never be dissolved LXXVIII That mans wisdom is meere folly that reproves another in his wrath Good counsel is then unseasonable and therefore unreasonable but when his anger is past he will be more apt to understand his fault and more ready to mend it When the minde is in a calme our advice may saile over it with ease but in a raging tempest the best admonitions run upon a desperate rock and their labour is but cast away Phisicians are not wont to administer in the height of a Feavor nor will any wise man apply physick to the soul in a distempered fit of madnesse LXXIX A Wise man is always more ready to hear then to speak It is well observed that Nature hath given us two ears and but one tongue as intimating that there is more need of those then of that This unruly instrument is oftentimes the shame of others and the owners ruine We read of none that ever were undone by hearing but thousands by speaking The eare though it may receive cannot possibly reach any evil but the other talkative Organ may discharge such mischief and folly as can never be recalled LXXX I would not desire to be made a Judge betweene two friends but endeavour all I can to reconcile them So shall I gaine the increase of a double love and obtaine a blessing from heaven for procuring peace But if the controversie be decided on either side I am sure to lose a friend whose ill will may hurt me more then the others favour can do me good So though my judgement be never so upright I am like to get little by the bargain LXXXI Nothing doth lesse represent a sound and active resolution than anger or revenge The Philosophers place this Passion in that part of the soul which is unreasonable as conceiving that the fittest habitation for so wilde a guest It is said that the anger of Kings is great The Kings wrath is as the roaring of a lion But this is no part of their greatness except attended with Iustice And in that sense our great Peace-maker did accept of that Motto to his standard Est Nobilis ira Leonis God himself whose just priviledge it is to be angry yet is quickly pacified His anger endureth but a moment And shall men that are unjust in their wrath accept of no satisfaction will no length of time abate the strength and unruly violence of their furious spirits The same God is as backward to entertaine a displeasure as ready to forgive For amongst his other attributes of mercy this is one slow to anger For our parts we are suddenly apprehensive but never forgetful of the least offence A perverse and froward disposition is quite opposite to the nature of our heavenly father Doth he deserve the name of Man that is sensible of every wrong and hath not will and power to strangle his passion in the birth and at the first insurrection suppresse that chollerick matter with a careless smile How much better is it to contemne than imitate the folly of another If any man think to hurt me with an angry malice shall I be his Ape to do the like To revenge an others fury with my own is a grosse absurdity How can I be justly angry with him when I am angry with my selfe If I neglect an injury the standers by will understand that I am wronged If my chollar rise I shall but raise a ground for my adversarie to plead a cause so the difference will be propagated to an endless strife Enmity encreaseth The wound is kept bleeding till at last it prove incurable but by a milde forbearance we may purchase the very love of our enemies This is the best way of conquest to