others have the use of it onely the abuse of it he carries to judgement with him he hath made his friends as we say but he hath undone himself so that I may justly write this Motto upon every bagg This is the price of blood Shall I then treasure up the price of blood No Christ hath entrusted me as a Steward therefore what I have and need not Christ shall have in his members that need and have not So the transitory creatures when they shall slide away shall not carry me with them but when I shall pass away I shall carry them with me XII Meditat. GOod Lord what a miserable creature is a wicked man His very Manna turns to worms his very mercies make him miserable look upon him in his larger estate and you shall find either he hath not the benefit of enjoying it only the danger of keeping it and this adds not to his comfort or else if he doth enjoy it he doth so miserably abuse it that as one saith well he makes that which for use is but temporal for punishment to be eternal Alas the pleasures of it are quickly gone but the pain of it lyes in his bones for ever Lord therefore help me to improve thy mercies or else thy mercies will but improve my miseries XIV Meditat. WOuld'st thou know whether thy name be written in the Book of Life why then read what thou hast written in the Book of Conscience Thou needest not ask who shall ascend up into Heaven for to search the Records of Eternity thou mayest but descend down into thine own heart and their read what thou art and what thou shalt be Though Gods Book of Election and Reprobation be closed and kept above with God yet thy Book of Conscience that is open and kept below in thy very bosome and what thou writest here thou shalt be sure to read there If I write nothing in this Book but the black lines of sin I shall find nothing in Gods Book but the red lines of damnation But if I write Gods Word in the Book of Conscience I may be sure God hath written my Name in the Book of Life At the great Day of Judgement when all Books shall be opened there I shall either read the sweetest or the sharpest lines I will therefore so write here that I may not be ashamed to read hereafter XV. Meditat. BE not curious to search into the secrets of God pick not the Lock where he hath allowed no Key He that will be sifting every Cloud may be smitten with a Thunder-bolt and he that will be too familiar with Gods secrets may be over-whelmed in his judgements Adam would curiously increase his knowledge wherefore Adam shamefully lost his goodness the Bethshemites would needs pry into the Ark of God therefore the hand of God slew above fifty thousand of them Therefore hover not about this flame lest we scorch our wings for my part seeing God hath made me his Steward and not his Secretary I will carefully improve my self by what we have revealed and not curiously enquire into or after what he hath reserved XVI Meditat. NOthing is so sure as death and nothing so uncertain as the time I may be too old to live I can never be too young to dye I will therefore live every hour as if I were to dye the next XVII Meditat. AS the Tree falleth so it lyeth and where death strikes down there God layes out either for mercy or misery So that I may compare it to the Red Sea If I goe in an Israelite my landing shall be in glory and my rejoycing in triumph to see all mine enemies dead upon the Sea-shore but If I goe in an Aegyptian if I be on this side the Cloud on this side the Covenant and yet go in hardned among the Troops of Pharaoh Justice shall return in its full strength and an inundation of Judgement shall over-flow my soul for ever Or else I may compare it to the sleep of the ten Virgins of whom it is said they slumbred and slept we shall all fall into this sleep now if I lye down with the wise I shall goe in with the Bridegroom but if I sleep with the foolish without oyl in my lamp without grace in my soul I have closed the gates of mercy upon my soul for ever I see then this life is the time wherein I must go forth to meet the Lord this is the hour wherein I must do my work and that the day wherein I must be judged according to my works I know not how soon I may fall into this sleep Therefore Lord grant that I live every day in thy sight as I desire to appear the last day in thy presence XVIII Meditat. WHat is said of the Mariner in respect to his Ship that he alwayes sayles within four inches of death that may be said of the soul in relation to the body that it is alwayes in four inches of Eternity if the Ship splits then the Saylor sinks if our earthen vessels break the soul is gone plunged for ever into the bottomless Sea and bankless Ocean of Eternity This is the soul therefore that I desire to weep over that shall preposterously launch into the deep before he knows whether he shall sink or swim XIX Meditat. IT was a sad speech of a dying King Nondum caepi vivere jam cogor vivendi finem facere I must now dye before I begin to live It is the sad condition of many a dying man that their work is to do when their hour is come when the enemy is in the gate their weapons are to look for when death is at the door their graces are to look for when the Bridegroom is come their oyl is to buy the pursuer of blood is upon them and the City of refuge not so much as thought of by them In a word the seven years of plenty are wasted and no provision for the years of famine time is spent and nothing laid up for eternity I will therefore now finish every work I have to do that to dye might be the last work I have to finish XX. Meditat. THis impudent age of ours is grown so eminently uncivil that it is now a dayes counted one of the greatest shames to be ashamed of sin but for my part I had rather be accounted the Worlds fool than Gods enemy XXI Meditat. WOrldling thou deridest to see a Ceristian melting at the Word trembling at a sin I tell thee he is of a noble carriage he can triumph in death and in judgement it is not the King of fears that can appall him or Hell it self that can affright him but as a Conquerour over both he can leave the World with a smile O Death where is thy Sting O Hell where is thy victory That is his triumphant valediction and farewell But thou that gloriest so much because thou canst silence Conscience and out-face sin I tell thee thou art of a base
openly prophane and cunningly hypocritical meet both there at last only with this difference the way the one goeth through the Gate and the other stealeth through the Postern Lord Therefore whiles the Hypocrite cloaths himself with formality cloath me with sincerity It may be men will hate me but I care not so God love me my duties may be full of imperfection but yet they shall never want a gracious acceptance my way may be in trouble yet my rest shall be in glory LXV Meditat. AS great serenity of weather is a presage of an Earthquake and Whirlwind so great security of life is a great and sore prediction of the souls earthquake of trembling and astonishment of spirit he that takes up formality and sits down in security he that layes his foundation in the sand and there raises his building the fall of that house will be great and you may observe that Christian that is only brought out of open prophaneness into outward profession that hath taken down the frame of his gross iniquity to set up a superficial form of piety that hath covered his face with a surface of Religion no soul so subject to fall into the sleep of death as such a soul for while he thinks himself well he seeks not to be better so that he slumbers away his time ' untill the cry at midnight ' and then he startles and awakes and sees nothing but the bridge of mercy drawn up and the gates of Heaven shut in See with what confidence these Formalists in the Gospel come unto Christ they come under the relation of Servants and therefore they call upon him as their Master Lord Lord Have not we prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast cut Devils c. They made no question of salvation but show their works as if they would command it for their wages But hear Christs answer Then will I profess unto them I never knew you What Lord Never knew us That is strange Have not we heard thy Word received thy Sacraments and relieved thy Members and spake for Thee and prayed to Thee and done many things in thy Name and yet didst thou never know us No sayes Christ I never knew you but with an utter and absolute rejection I never knew you I never did approve you in all your specious wayes and glorious shews wherein you did so pride your selves because all was in formality and nothing in sincerity therefore depart from me They little thought of such a sad expulsion such a direful seperation And thus the out-side Christian because he hath reformed in many things and doth conform to many duties therefore with Agag he concludes the bitterness of death is past so he cloaths himself with smooth imaginations and deceitful apprehensions till he is hewen asunder before the Lord. I will not therefore in the least duty be formal or in the least duty be secure but with the blessed man be always fearing for I had rather tremble here than startle in Hell LXVI Meditat. DOth Sin present it self look upon it as it must be with tears or shall be in torments if thou committest the least sin and dyest impenitent thy soul is lost and thy redemption ceaseth for ever Or if thou committest this sin and dost repent yet what cloudings of the face of God What breakings of the bones with David What bitter pangs What painfull throws What shadows of Death What terrours of Hell may seize upon thee before thou canst make thy peace or settle thine assurance Wilt thou give way to sin because it is delectable or because it is pardonable Who loves poyson because it is sweet Or who drinks poyson because he may have an Antidote seeing it will work to his trouble if it work not out his life I have a precious soul shall I lose it for a lust I have a gracious God shall I venture him for a sin No I will alwayes reject that for which I am sure to lose my peace likely to lose my soul LXVII Meditat. WHat Heir travelling to take possession of a rich inheritance either lets a green Meadow or a pleasant Garden detain him or a black Cloud or a foul way dishearten him O my Soul Thou art travelling to take possession of a glorious inheritance among the Saints wilt thou turn aside to crop every flower Wilt thou stand still to hear every melodious sound Wilt thou leave thy way to drink of every gliding stream of carnal pleasure What is this but to view a Meadow and lose a mannor For a dying Flower to part with an eternal Crown For a flying vanity to lose an immortal felicity To forsake the way of Sion to gather one of the Apples of Sodom Or else O my Soul What if thy way be in tears and thy dayes in sorrow all clouded and a swelling Sea so that not only the lading of the Ship but thy very life is in danger yet here is enough to comfort thee that a good Father and a large portion a sweet rest and an everlasting refreshment will make amends for all Therefore Vain World promise not for I Will make no deviation because my way lyes to purer comforts and surer glory Vexing World threaten not for I will make no retarding because I am travelling to my Fathers to my Country to my Happiness LXVIII Meditat. AS the heart is so is the estate riches are but cyphers it is the mind that makes the sum What am I the nearer for a great estate if I am not contented with it desires of having will quickly eat up all the comforts and delights in possessing Therefore that Alexander that wants content is worse than Digenes that is contented with his wants It argued a rich mind in the Philosopher when walking through a Market and beholding varieties of good commodities yet could say Quà m multis rebus ego non egeo How many things do I not want But a richer mind in the Disciples that with a sweet complacency of spirit could acknowledge that as having nothing yet possessing all things I see all would be well if my heart were well I will therefore forme my heart to my estate so shall I have an estate according to my heart LXIX Meditat. When I remember saith one Job sitting on the Dunghill John hungering in the Wilderness St. Peter hanging on the Gibbet then I think how severely will God punish hereafter those Reprobates whom he loaths if he deals so sharply with his Children whom he loves if he do so much to his intimate friends in the time of Grace what will he do to his professed enemies in the day of Judgment You therefore that deride the miseries of the Saints Oh turn your jeers into fears for Hell sparkles out on Earth On the contrary Lord When I consider Herod in his pomp Haman in his honour Ahasuerus at his feast c. Then I think if God drop so much into a vessel of wrath what will he pour into a Vessel
of mercy If God do so much for a Slave on Earth what will he do in Heaven for a Son Therefore ye holy ones that are so offended at the flourishing of the wicked Oh leave your envy and see your glory for Heaven lyes above ground As the adversity of the Saints shall therefore give me a glimpse of Hell so the prosperity of the wicked shall give me a glance of Heaven LXX Meditat. GOd hath made all things for his elect and his elect for himself All is yours and you are Christs I will therefore serve my God in all things my self in nothing LXXI Meditat. THe Creature hath a goodness in it no further than it stands in reference to the chiefest good if you cut the stream off from the fountain it will quickly lose its sweetness pureness and it self at length the comforts and enjoyments of the wicked because they flow not from the spring of love they are but like dainty Channels mudded and imbittered with the wrath of God fading Brooks which at length will make the soul ashamed so that he which only enjoyes the creature in it self shall lose the creature and himself The purest and the sweetest mercies only run in the rivulets which are fed by the upper celestial springs of mercy Therefore O Lord Whatsoever I enjoy let it stream from the fountain of thy love and flow to me in the blood of thy Son LXXII Meditat. AS the Rivers which flow from the Sea run back again into the Sea So those blessings wich come from God must alwayes be employed for God What I have received from God in his mercy he must have it back again in his glory Therefore Lord Whatever I enjoy let me find thee in it and serve thee with it LXXIII Meditat. LOve should alwayes be the life of motion Amor meus pondus meum eo terror quocunque terror That soul goes true that hath true love to way it and that soul loves truly that hath a true object to center it a gracious spirit loves the Lord not because he does good but because he is good I will not weigh that friends affection that loves a fluent sweetness before an inherent goodness that soul that loves Christ for himself though you take away all weights else yet there is strength enough in love to move and constrain the soul O blessed be that Saint Lord that 's so taken with thy love that can truly say Were there neither Heaven nor Hell yet sin should be my Hell and holiness my Heaven LXXIV Meditat. TO speak the truth our Life what is it but a vital death The Poet being asked What he did Answered very well Paulatim morior I dye by little and little We do but then begin to live indeed when we begin to live to God our life before is but a race to the sepulcher but when we live to God then we are in our way to eternity As Alexander when he reckoned up his age counted not his years but his victories so when I take an account of my life I will not reckon up my time but my duties LXXV Meditat. O Thou precious Saint thou gracious Soul Three questions calls for thy answer thy answer for thy praise 1. What wast thou 2. What art thou 3. What shalt thou be 1. What wast thou A Rebel to thy God a Prodigal to thy Father a Slave to thy Lust an Alien from the Common-wealth of Israel 2. What art thou The Son of God the Spouse of Christ the Temple of the Holy Ghost begotten of the Immortal Seed born of the Blood Royal of Heaven made free among the Denizens of Sion written among the living of Jerusalem 3. What shalt thou be A glorious Saint a Companion of Cherubins a triumphant Victor a crowned King and an Attendant on the Lamb wheresoever he goeth a spectator of those soul-ravishing and ineffable excellencies that are in God the beholding of the King of glory face to face and enjoying immediate communion with Jesus Christ Nay more made one with Jesus Christ cloathed with his excellencies enthroned with his glories crowned with his eternity filled with his felicity The glory which thou hast given me I have given them Oh! Stand amazed at free grace and seeing God hath made thy soul a vessell filled with his mercy make thy self thy life a spring flowing with his praise LXXVI Meditat. THe Soul takes its rise from every creature to Heaven When I see the Stars Lord I think if one Star be of such magnitude what are the dimensions of those Heavens in which so many are fixed Nay how immensible is that God whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain When I see the Sun I think if one Sun make such a glorious and lustrious day what a glorious Heaven will that be wherein every Saint shall be a Sun and every Sun so farr brighter than this as this is brighter than our bodies And yet all these Suns are but a shadow to the Sun of righteousness Again when I consider the rising Sun how by the perfection of his beams he puts beauty life and joy upon the face of the whole Creation paints the Flowers guilds the Corn puts a flourish upon the Plants chears and exhillarates the Birds and makes the Valleys shout for joy I then think what shall be the shining beauty and soul ravishing delights of that soul upon which the brightness of thy glory shall fully rise and rest and into which the glorious splend our of thy beauty shall clearly shine to all eternity And when I consider the Air this is my thought That as here I cannot think at all unless I draw in this Air so I cannot think well at all except thou puts goodness into my thought Lord When I view the variety of thy Creatures and see one excell in beauty another in strength another in wisdome another in love and of others in swiftness Lord I think these are but beams of thy brightness and streams of thy fulness as they had only their being from thy hand so they have only their perfection in thy essence here they are mixt but there they are pure how happy then shall that soul be that enjoyes all perfection in God and God infinitely above all Lord I see stately buildings shady groves and crystal brooks and pleasant meadows and yet perhaps a wicked man the owner why then I think if Simeon goes away with such a mess what will Benjamin's portion be If the Children of the Concubines have so large a gift what shall be the inheritance of a Son of Promise Again when I look upon my self in temporals Lord I bless thee that I have a convenient sufficiency a goodly heritage my tents are by the wells of Elim my portion is from the hands of thy wisdome and though corruption may think it of the least yet wisdome it self knows it to be best Now Lord if thou givest me so much in the time of my vanity what wilt thou do
the inheritance they had rather take their portion in this life than to wait for an inheritance reserved in the Heavens Their unworthy spirits cry with Esau What profit will this birth-right do us We must have pleasure and we must have riches and therefore with Lysimacus they will sell their Kingdomes and themselves for a draught of water There are but few such elevated spirits as the Disciples had that can leave a possession to live upon a promise there are but few have such heroick spirits as Moses had that can despise the treasures of this present World out of respect unto the recompence of a future reward but there are many of such sordid spirits as Dives had that would enjoy their good things here but for my part Lord give not me my portion in this life I had rather live by faith XXXVIII Meditat. WHat Rebel under Proclamation of mercy stands out when he knows he shall be fetch'd in by the hand of Justice yet how many refractory sinners with those invited guests in the Gospel deride the messengers of Peace untill they are slain by the men of War Indeed hadst thou counsel wisdom and strength for the battel could thy heart endure or thy hands be strong in the day that God shall deal with thee this were much or could the Gods whom thou servest deliver thee out of the hands of Christ this were more but alas thou must one day be brought under his regal power either in favour or fury either in the praise of his Glory or to the magnifying of his Justice if thou hate his Throne thou shalt be made his footstool if thou wilt not have him to be thy head thou shalt be trod under his feet if he be not thy Jesus he will be thy Judge In a word if thou wilt not touch the golden Scepter of his Mercy thou shalt be crushed with the Rod of his Justice and remember this that this life is only the time of displaying the Flag of Mercy and the burning of the Taper of Peace if once the white Flag be folded up and the burning Taper burnt out then look for nothing but the sad flourishes of the black Flag As for those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me therefore now sit down and see thy weakness and while the King is yet a great way off send out the Ambassadours of thy prayers and tears and acquaint thy self now with God and be at peace For my part I had rather come in a Favourite than be brought in a Traytor XXXIX Meditat. SIn and Sorrow are two inseparable Companions thou canst not let in one and shut out the other If thy moment be spent in mirth thy eternity shall be spent in mourning if thou wilt not weep whil'st thou mayest have mercy to pardon thee thou shalt lament heareafter and yet have no eye to pity thee A bottle of tears may now quench the fire of Sin but a cloud of tears shall never quench the flames of Hell therefore while the wicked goe on laughing I desire to goe on mourning The Valley of Bochim will at length set me upon the Hill of Sion but the paths of rejoycing will at length bring into a hell of weeping for this is a truth that he that swims in sin shall sink in sorrow their laughter shall be turned into heaviness while my tears shall be wiped away I will therefore ever weep that I may not weep for ever XL. Meditat. THat way the Tree inclineth while it groweth that way it pitcheth when it falleth and there it lyes whether it be toward the North or South As we are in life for the most part we are in death so we lye down to eternity whether it be towards Heaven or Hell Being once fallen there is no removing For as in War an errour is death so in Death an errour is damnation therefore live as thou intendest to dye and dye as thou intendest to live O Lord Let the bent of my soul be alwayes towards thee that so I may fall to thee and ever rest with thee XLI Meditat. JOrdan that famous River no doubt runs through many a pleasant meadow by many a shady grove and flowery bank and yet at last is forc'd to empty it self into a dead Sea and not only so but those fresh Crystall streams that made those famous brooks lose both name and worth are turned into the dead Sea themselves Just so it is with a Weiked man here he walks through the meadows of Worldly pleasures and rests under the shades of earthly comforts and sports and wallows himself amongst the flowers of worldly delights but at last runs himself out into a dead Lake and is cast into Hell among the number of those that forget God and not only so but his very Heaven it self that made up all his hapiness is turn'd into hell his beauty is turn'd into horror his honour into shame his lusts into devils his pleasure into bitterness his scarlet into flames of fire and Brimstone so that that which was his fresh Stream here is his salt Sea there Lord Let me be a pure Stream that may end in Heaven I care not what stony veins I run through here on Earth so I may but there lose the name of weakness and corruption for glory and pefection XLII Meditat. WHat 's a day to an age And what 's an age to eternity And yet we know the shortest day is part of the longest time but the longest time is no part of eternity for where time ends there eternity begins Why are we then so foolish to heap up goods for mortality to lay up riches which at longest are but for many years perhaps not for many hours and yet to provide nothing for eternity And why are we so careful to humour and uphold a mouldering piece of clay a frail and mortal body which cannot stand above an age perhaps not above a day and yet neglect our precious souls that must endure for ever Do we all aim at a prosperous life Why then let us labour for a glorious eternity XLIII Meditat. ALL men would have happiness for their end but few would have holiness for their way all men would have the Kingdom of Heaven and the glory thereof but few seek the kingdom of Heaven and the righteousness thereof As that Noble man being asked what he thought of the course of precise Puritans as the World terms them or of the life of licentious Libertines Answered Cum ist is mallem vivere cum illis mori mallem I had rather live with those and dye with them So most men had rather live with Balaam but dye with Israel They would willingly have the Libertines ease but the godly mans end But this is certain no soul shall goe to God in death but onely that which draws near to God in life if the Kingdom of God be not first in us we shall
cowardly spirit let but a little sickness impair thy health or the thoughts of death charge upon thy spirit and what quick retreatings are there from thy bold resolutions What heaviness clouds thy looks What terrours shake thy joynts What sadness sinks thy heart So that a fancy frights thee a shadow startles thee Nabal-like thy spirits dye and sink within thee like a stone Therefore jeer on for my part I hold it better to fear while God threatens than to fall when God judgeth XXII Meditat. THe nearer the Moon draweth into conjunction with the Sun the brighter it shines towards the Heavens and the obscurer it shews towards the Earth So the nearer the Soul draws into Communion with Jesus Christ the comelier it is in the eye of the Spouse and the Blacker it appears in the sight of the World He that is a precious Christian to the Lord is a precise Puritan to the World He that is glorious to an heavenly Saint is odious to an earthly Spirit But it is a sign thou art an Aegyptian when that cloud which is a light to an Israelite is darkness to thee It is a sign thou movest in a terrestrial orb when thou seest no lustre in such celestial lights for my part if I shine to God I care not how I shew to the world XXIII Meditat. IT appears not what we are to the World and it hardly appears what we shall be to our selves for did they know that we are the jewels of God the favourites of Heaven the excellency of the Creation the beloved of Christ they would not mock and persecute us as they do Or if we did but know that we should be glorified together with Christ his happiness shall be as our happiness and that his joy shall be as our joyes and his glories shall be as our glories truly we should not be so much dejected as we are when I consider that my life is hid with Christ in God I wonder not to see the World hate me but when I consider that when Christ shall appear I shall be like him I wonder it doth so much as trouble me XXIV Meditat. WHy should I fret my self at the prosperity of the wicked Indeed when I look upon the spreading Bay and forget the withering Herb when I view their Quails and forget their Curse my feet had almost slipt but since I went into the Sanctuary of God I find that all the blossomes of their glory must dis-flourish under the blastings of Gods wrath and all their external felicity doth but only perfect the judgements of the Lord and fill up the measure of their misery for what 's their pleasure but just like the deceitful salute of Joab with Amasa What 's their honour but like Absolom's Mule it only mounts and carries them to their Gallows What is their riches but like Jaels Present in a Lordly dish it only makes way for the fatal nail for their sad account at the day of judgement This their prosperity slayes them Now who esteems that Oxe happy that hath a goodly pasture to feed himself for the slaughter Who envies that Malefactour that has a fair day to ride to execution in And why is it that the workers of iniquity flourish Is it not that they may be destroyed for ever And the larger their pasture the sooner they are fitted for the slaughter I therefore for my part when I see a sinner prosper in his wickedness will turn the flame of envy into a tear of pity XXV Meditat. THis is Heaven to be for ever with the Lord and this is Hell for ever to be without the Lord. You that can see no beauty in Christ nor glory in Heaven do you likewise see no flames in Hell no Hell in loss of God You therefore that cannot be taken with his presence Oh tremble at his absence and you that care not to be with Oh fear to be without him for this is Hell on Earth Depart from us and this is Hell when we leave the Earth Depart from me Lord thou art my Heaven and my happiness unite me to thee that I may be for ever with thee XXVI Meditat. THat good which is in riches lyeth altogether in their use like the Womans box of Oyntment if it be not broken and poured out for the sweet refreshment of Jesus Christ in his distressed members they lose their worth Therefore the covetous man may truly write upon his rusting heaps These are good for nothing Chrysostome tells us Thas he is not rich that layes up much buâ— that layes out much for its all one not to have aâ— not to use I will therefore be the richer by a charitable laying out whilâ— the Worldling hall be thâ— poorer by his covetouâ— hoarding up XXVII Meditat. WHo will part with his God I will parâ— with my life rather than with my God no marvel then the covetouâ— man so hugs his Gold iâ— is his God if you take that from him he may cry with Micah when he lost his Gods What have I more His Heaven is gone his Happiness is gone his All is gone if God be gone I will not therefore wonder so much at the closeness of his hand as at the vainness of his heart We count it singular wisdome to keep that God we choose but that is absolute folly to chuse that God we cannot keep XXVIII Meditat. OH my Soul Thou art spiritual in thine essence immensible in thy desires and immortal in thy nature so that there must be proportion and perfection of what thou â—njoyest with a perennity â—f both or else no full content no real satisfaction Now were the universal World turned into a pleasant Eden and that Eden refreshd with the living springs of immortality and thou seated in the Throne of its choicest excellencies crowned with the Diadem of its highest felicities swaying the Scepter of thy glory over all sublunary creatures nay could'st thou give reins to the Sun or guidance to the moving flames did thy Territories board upon the highest Heavens and the revenues of thy Crown flow in from the farthest parts of the Earth yet what proportion doth a material World bear to an immortal Soul Will a Lion feed upon grass Or can the Soul be satisfied with dust Thou mayest as soon feed thy body with grass as thy soul with the creature if it did bear proportion yet it wants perfection Could the Devil turn a Chymist and extract the very vitall spirits and quintessence of the purest and desirablest excellencies under Heaven yet it is of such an imperfect nature that there is more lees than liquor more thorns than flowers more smoak than fire more sting then honey so â—hat that soul shall be filled with a whirlwind of vexation that thinks to be satisfied with an object of imperfection For it is impossible that such a scanty excellency should any wayes fill such an enlarged capacity Yet again were there perfection yet there is not perpetuity it will fly away