tongue blesse wee God even the Father Iam. 3.9 and therewith curse we men which are made after the similitude of God So those men will speake to the praise of God that they may bee reputed the children of the most High and yet will vilifie such as they in scorne and the Scripture in honour call Brethren who labour to repaire that image which was defaced by the fall of Adam and doe give unto the Lord that which is the Lords But envy hath ever beene like unto fire which ascendeth unto that which is highest David Invidiam tanquam ignem summa petâ—re Livi. whom God exalted to bee head of the people had many enemies And the men of this world doe hate those whom God hath chosen out of the world unto whom hee will give a crowne of life Yet their owne consciences doe tell them that they are more righteous than themselves Wherefore those servants that shall thus smite their fellow-servants for many Mat. 24.49 stripes are more tolerable than evill words their Lord shall come in a day when they looke not for him Qâ—i mortem ac verâ—era toleâ—â—biliora câ—â— aâ— quam 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—osa verba Sence and appoint them their portion with the hypocrites As for our selves 〈◊〉 2.20 if we suffer for doing well and take it patiently it is acceptable with God And hereunto were wee called because Christ also suffered for us who when hee was reviled reviled not againe Let us consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners Heb. 12 3. lest wee be wearied and faint in our minds Yee know how the whole band of Souldiers mocked him saying Haile King of the Iewes And they that passed by reviled him saying If thou be the Sonne of God come downe from the crosse Yea the chiefe Priests like whited walls contrary to the law spake evill of the Ruler of the people of the Lords Christ of that high Priest that offered up himselfe for us Hee trusted in the Lord let him deliver him if hee will have him And the theeves themselves to make the cause of their suffering to bee more just thought they could not spend their last breath better than by casting the same in his teeth All which reproaches were but as so many variations of that which was here spoken to David Where is thy God True it is that our blessed Saviour did seeme to bee forsaken of God for a time that wee might for ever enjoy the presence of the Almighty If we love him both He and the Father will come unto us Mat. 28 20. Iohn 14. and make their abode with us even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him But yee know him for hee dwelleth with you and shall bee in you How then can wicked men object Where is thy God seeing he is graciously present with us at all times and neerest unto us in any trouble as hee hath promised to bee with us in fire and water In gravescente rerum adversarum moleâ—ta frangitur piorum animus ut etiam ipsi dicant sibi c. Flamiâ— and the greatest danger Yet we our selves in the time of afflictioÌ„ through weakenesse want of faith may thinke that wee are cast out of his sight not clearely discerning his love towards us But as Iacob when he awaked out of his sleepe said Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not Gen. 28.16 so when the Lord doth raise us from our deadnesse and heavinesse of spirit we then find that hee was present with us in our disconsolate estate disposing all things for our future good And therefore wee may answer them as David doth Psal 115.3.4 Our God is in the heavens he hath done whatsoever hee pleased Their idols are silver and gold the worke of mens hands Such are the idols of all those that serve Mammon who keepe their gold and silver safe as being their onely gods that must defend them Gen. 31.34 But as Laban sought for his gods and could not finde them so they may hope for comfort and not finde it And then we may say unto them Where are thy gods Wee know that no man can see God and live The people said unto Moses Exod. 23.20 20.19 Let not God speake with us lest wee dye Gideon and Manoah feared death having seene an Angell And the souldiers themselves Mat. 28. became as dead men when the Angel of the Lord descended And yet such is the perverse corruption of mans nature that they neglect the worship of God the Creator of all things and doe bow downe to such Gods as they see with their eyes The Israelites having formerly seene the Egyptians worship Apis which is the same with Osyris in the likenesse of an oxe Sandys they forgat God their Saviour and began with a calfe saying These bee thy gods Num. 32.4 O Israel which in a short time would have multiplied into many gods The love and reverence which little children beare to their babies are evident seeds of Idolatry Moulin in buckler Imagines statuae deorum nâ—hil aliud sunt quam grandes pupâ—e and the Images of the gods are nothing else but babies come to the full growth Such as have blotted out that second commandement may justly feare that God will take away their part out of the book of life If in the time of affliction when God punisheth us for our offences it be a great addition to our misery the harsh censures and malignant speeches of wicked men Then it is our best wisedome so to walke with God that hee may be unto us a sunne and a shield bringing all good and defending from all evill And as Enoch pleasing God Heb. 11.5 was translated that hee should not see death which is the wages of sinne So if wee bee in all things obedient unto Gods Word hee will take us into his favour and wee shall bee delivered from unreasonable men Rom. 3.13 whose throate is an open sepulchre Wherefore as the lamp went not out in the Temple before the Lord called Samuel 1. Sam. 3.3 so the light both of good workes and also of joy should ever ascend untill God call us unto himselfe That others beholding the same may bee ashamed that they have falsly accused our good conversation and may be stirred up to glorifie God 1. Pet. 3.13 For who is he that will harme you if yee bee followers of that which is good Also our owne guilt doth set an edge upoÌ„ the reproaches of wicked men and make them to bee like a sword in our bones Whereas if wee were innocent wee should like the daughter of Eli neither answer nor yet regard what is spoken unto us Bitter invectives being contemned doe vanish away but by anger wee confesse them to be true Sâ—reta exoleseunt si irascar agnita vidâ—ntuâ— Tacit. Wherefore that wee
bodily disease looked daily when his panting should have an end and would often say Quousque DomineÌ„ How long O Lord And some space before his death which was just in the same moment when the sunne did set his prayers were nothing else but an expression of his souls panting after the Lord. The death of Coma was thought to be very rare Intra pectâ—s incâ—usa aâ— mafiâ—â—m sâ— repeâ—â— c. Val. Maâ— lib 9. cap. 13. who dyed by his violent retaining holding in of his breath But now there is nothing more frequent than this kinde of death though not of the body yet of the soule in those men which doe never pant after the Lord. Wee thinke it bee the signe of a dying man when his breath growes cold And our coldnesse in seeking after the Lord doth discover that the soule doth languish and is voyd of the life of grace For if our soules were inflamed with zeale the Kingdome of heaven should suffer violence Mat. 11.12 and bee taken by force VERSE II. My soule thirsteth for God for the living God When shall I come and appeare before God IN that expression which David used of panting after the Lord wee may well observe that it was not a weake and faint desire but most strong and forcible Now that wee not thinke it to bee too violent to endure and to passe away as a sodain flame in his outward speech rather than to burn constantly in the holy disposition of his heart it pleaseth God to perfect his owne good work and to give him this heavenly thirst And nothing is more frequent than for these two Aeris alternos angustat pulmo meatus Rescâ—soque nocent suspiria dura palato Lâ—â—an Oraque retro sorbet anhela sitis Statius Panting and Thirst to accompany each other If we take them as perturbations of the body that may be said of them which is spoken of worldly sorrow that they drye the bones and cause death But as in this place being rich endowments of the soule they bring life and peace and joy By those the outward man doth perish by these the inward man is renewed daily There is a thirst which beginneth when we hang upon our Mothers breasts and continues in the strength and vigour of our lives and doth not leave us in the time of old age but even to the very end we hold a just proportion with this last age of the dying world Nec sitis est extincta prius quam vita bibendo Ovid in desiring wine and strong drinke that thereby our vitall heat and radicall moisture may be preserved So that through abuse this vice of intemperate drinking seemeth to have a speciall right in these dayes wherein wee live The uncleane drunkard thinketh there is no other thirst but onely that with which hee is possessed nor any better meanes whereby to obtaine health unto himselfe or to confer it upon others than by profound drinking whereunto he addresseth himselfe as if hee were to encounter with his greatest enemy Persae potum tanquam adversarium aggredâ—entes Aelian and doth more than fill himselfe with strong drinke inflaming wines and hot waters and though improperly drinking more than these only to kindle a desire of drinking more Vt Anglorum corpora in Barbarorum naturam degenerasse videntur Camden in Elizab. I affect antiquity herein and will not name that which I finde was never anciently named Hereby doth hee deprive himselfe of his reasonable soule and becomes voyd of sense and worse than the bruite beasts having no life left but onely that of the plants not being able to move and helpe himselfe And which I cannot mention without horrour how many are pierced with the dart of death as with the javelin of Phinehas in the act of wickednesse Iudg. 4.21 whose end is like unto that of Sisera after he had drunke at the same time to bee smitten in the head and deprived of life And whereas the death of a good man is called a sleepe the death of the drunkard is contrary whose senses being bound in the time of his life that hee could not use them by death hee is awakened Then doth hee see his estate to be miserable by the paines of losse and sense where againe hee thirsteth and cannot obtaine one drop of water to coole his tongue But why doe I speake to him who is not capable to heare whose case is most fearfull For whereas other sinners may bee convinced by reason he by the wilfull losse of understanding hath made himselfe a foole and is in danger of hell fire The contentious man thirsteth after the waters of Meribah and the cruell man for they must bee joyned thirsteth after bloud M. Anten vino gravis sitiebat tamen sanguinem Senec. Cyri caput in Val. Max. wherein is the life Nothing can satisfie him but the fall of his enemy But the bloudy minded man shall not live out halfe his dayes for though the divine vengeance should not overtake him as for the most part it doth with rancor and malice hee consumes himselfe and drinkes his owne bloud whose estate is worse than a Serpents for hee beareth about him such a poyson as doth destroy his owne life The covetous man is thirsty as the horse-leach Pro. 30 15. crying Give Give The adulterer refusing to drinke waters out of his owne cisterne desireth to drink stolne waters 9.17 which hee thinketh to bee sweet And the adulteresse thirsteth for that bitter water which causeth the thigh to rot a common judgement of these times Num 12.18.21 The swearer is so thirsty that he cannot speake without an oath in his mouth whose cursing shall come like water into his bowels Psal 109.18 and like oyle into his bones In a word every sinner thirsteth for the water of Marah which will be as gall in the belly and bitternesse in the later end Of all which I may speake as Samuel of the sons of Iesse The Lord hath not chosen these to obtaine a crowne of life But this holy thirst of the soule for God for the living God And whom should the soule thirst after but God alone For with thee is the Fountaine of life Psal 36.8.9 thou dost make me drinke of the river of thy pleasures 23.5 My cup runneth over 63.5 My soule shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse 65.9 Our gracious God doth visit the earth 104.11 and watereth the ridges thereof abundantly and giveth drinke to every beast of the field Doth God take care for oxen 1. Cor. 9 9. then much more for man 1. Tim. 5.23 to whom hee giveth liberty to use a little wine which makes glad the heart But most of all for the soule of man and therefore he calleth Ho Isai 55.1 every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and Iohn 4.14 whosoever drinketh of this water that
thirst for the living God and shall thy soule thirst for many gods for dead gods for idols that are no Gods but the works of mens hands Shall he thirst for God who doth satisfie us with all good things and wilt thou desire that thirst whereby thou canst never be satisfied Abstemious men without question For when God hath commanded to keepe a feast they will keepe a fast When God hath given unto all the cup of blessing yet they will refuse it as counting themselves unworthy of so great salvation What can they merit by this their abstinence even to drink of that cup in the hand of the Lord Psal 75.8 which he powreth out for them If they shall plead that the use of the cup is freely given to some of them yet then there must bee a miracle in the change which among the Heathens themselves was thought to bee prodigious Insusum paterae Xerxis vinum in sanguinem conversum est Val. Max. But were not that woman drunken with bloud Revel 17 6. shee could not think that to be bloud which shee drinks 2. King 3. â—3 But now both shee and her followers by thinking that to bee bloud which is not as the Moabites did they run upon their own destruction Now if any shall object that David might well thirst after God who had dealt so bountifully with him who looked upon his poore estate and exalted him when hee was of low degree unto the highest dignity who gave him victory over all his enemies and made a way for him to escape out of the greatest dangers So that it had beene unthankefulnesse in him to have done otherwise As for themselves they desire first to compose their outward affairs settle their estates that they may not appeare to be worse than Infidels and then afterward to devote the remainder of their lives to the service of God Whereunto let mee answer That thy petition is the same with Balaams Let me dye the death of the righteous Thou art therefore unexcusable O man who in thy Testament dost in the first place commit thy soule to God and then dispose of thy estate But in the former part of thy life by a confusion without any good order thy chiefe care hath beene about thy worldly possessions and now in thine end it is not the love of God but the love of thy selfe that constraineth thee to take care of thy soule Whereas such as have alwayes used a cloke of covetousnesse a garment well knowne to Iudas but never worne by S. Paul how can they ever expect to put on the Lord Iesus 1. Thes 2.5 or to be clad with the rich robes of his righteousnesse No that thine unsatiable greedinesse will in the end bee as deadly uncomfortable unto thee as the Babylonish garment was unto Achan Iosh 7 11. And such as addict themselves to voluptuousnesse rejoycing in their youth Eccles 11 9. walking in the wayes of their owne heart and in the sight of their eies but intending to rejoyce in the Lord that their soules shall thirst for the living God in the time of age and trouble when they can find no rellish in vaine delights At last when God doth bring them to judgement can they expect to heare that comfortable saying Well done thou good and faithfull servant enter into thy Masters joy No Luke 16.25 they may feare to bee told that in their life time they received their good things but now there remaines no comfort for them Also such as are ambitious to make themselves a name laying a sure ground-worke as they thinke of honours and titles here upon earth intending with those foolish builders which had begun that they could not finish that the top of their tower should reach up to heaven hoping at last to obtaine a crowne of glory But that their Babel will prove their confusion Gen. 11. for they invert the order of Christ who hath commanded us in the first place to seeke the Kingdome of heaven And as in the creation Gen. 1.1 heaven is named before earth so our best endeavours should be to obtaine that estate of happines not casting our anchor of hope upon earth Heb. 6.19 but into heaven as David here did whose soule thirsted for the living God who did not then begin to serve God when he had received many outward blessings from him Such an objection came from Satan Iob 1. Doth Iob feare God for nought For who ever feared God for nought wee being lesse than the least of all his mercies De antiquâ—s illustrissimus quisque pastor erat Varrâ— But in his first estate in that most ancient kinde of life made famous by so many worthyes as Abel Iacob Moses and the like hee put his whole confidence in the Lord who delivered him out of the paw of the Lion 1 Sam. 17.37 and out of the the paw of the Beare which he remembred with thankesgiving 16.16 And having that leasure which shepheards have Pastor otiosâ—s Otium voluptatis ac lasciviae pater In Scal. he did not abuse it to wantonnesse and folly as they were wont for the most part to doe but being a cunning player on the Harp and a divine Poet Videtur autem modulatâ—o in pastroâ—â—b inventa prâ—mum Id. that art of poetry having its beginning from shepheards as the song of Moses doth testifie who formerly had led the flocke of Iethro Exod. 3.1 who at that time led the people like a flocke Hee composed most heavenly and melodious pastorals in praise of his Creator After that being lifted up by the right of the Almighty who loveth a cheerefull giver and not by his owne pride whereof hee was unjustly taxed by Eliab who foresaw that the elder must serve the younger he kept in tune still and did more excell the best of his nobles in gratitude and zeale than in regall dignity And here in his distresse a time of sufficient triall you see with what patience hee endured the cursing of Shimei and what confidence hee placed in God Hee doth not aske the life of his enemies you know the charge hee gave to the contrary and how hee was blamed for too much love of them 2. Sam. 1â— 6 Hee doth not aske long life that hee might bee restored unto his Kingdome and many yeares added unto his reigne But having a wise and understanding heart hee seeketh for God himselfe his soule thirsted for the living God hee knew if his prayer were acceptable God would give him more than hee asked as hee did afterward to Salomon 1. King 3. â—3 And if God gave himself he would give all things also Wherefore let us bee followers of him as hee was of God Phillip 3.8 And with S. Paul suffer the losse of all that wee may winne Christ It will be our best advantage and greatest gaine by any outward losse or imminent danger to be
1. and Augustus the second Emperor who after the death of Lentulus did take unto himselfe that dignity of being chiefe Pontifex Pontificatum maxâ—mum mortuo demum Lentulo suscepit Suet that thereby his authority might bee made complete Gratianus pâ—â—mus Imperatorum Christianorum deseâ—vit ab hoc mâ—â—oruâ— in sâ—â—tâ—â—o Causabon Which order continued untill that Gratian did neglect that rite and custome observed by all those Christian Emperors before him This hath beene the use in this Land since that intolerable yoke of servile subjection unto Rome hath bin cast off that our annointed Soveraigne should bee the chiefe head of the Church and in all causes Ecclesiasticall supreme governor Now where much hath beene given there much will bee required Therefore that should be imprinted in their hearts which was written upon Aarons crowne of fine gold Exod. 19.30 Holinesse to the Lord And as the head doth guide and conduct the body so ought they that are most eminent to leade and direct such as are under them that they may walke in this way which bringeth to life and salvation We use to say that the meanest officer would be knowne in his place being unwilling to bee abridged of the extent of his power Then how should they that are raised to highest honour exercise their authority to reduce men to the service of God as thinking to be their most royall prerogative so to doe Blessed are the people that bee in such a case yea blessed be the people whose God is the Lord And great is the comfort that would be found by the serious performance hereof when the chiefe ruler like a good shepheard Iohn 10 4. doth goe before his sheepe and they doe follow him then may he have this good testimony in the latter end 17.4 12. That in some measure hee hath finished the worke which was given him to do and hath not willingly lost any of those that were given unto him At which time he may pray as Nehemiah did Nehem. 13.14 Remember mee O my God concerning this and wipe not out my good deedes that I have done for the house of my God Surely there is a fulnesse of joy in the fulnesse of the assembly when the voyce of the congregation praising the Lord like that noyse of Charets which the Syrians heard 2. King 7.6 shall bee able to put that enemy to flight which doth continually besiege us Also therein is a most blessed resemblance betweene the Church militant and triumphant for as God commeth with tenne thousands of Saints Deut. 33.2 and hath tenne thousand times tenne thousand Angels to stand before him Dan. 7.10 So likewise many and great multitudes of his servants here upon earth doe desire to appeare in his presence Luke 15.10 And as the Angels rejoyce over one sinner that repenteth so the Saints doe rejoyce in this powerfull meanes whereby many sinners are converted Also it will not bee impertinent to consider how David was willing to joine with the meanest of his subjects in the service of God And would bee base in his owne sight though in so doing hee seemed vile unto others Thus in the Kingdome of grace Isai 40.4 every valley shall bee exalted and every mountain and hill shall bee made low Where truth and sincerity are there is also a ready disposition to receive benefit by those of least accompt yea and to doe good unto them without respect of persons Paul that was indued with such excellent gifts yet as hee desired to bee brought on his way towards Iudea by 2. Cor. 1.16 the Corinthians so in like manner hee desired to bee conducted towards that heavenly countrey whereof Iudea was but a figure by the Romanes where hee writeth Rom. 1.12 For I long to see you that I may bee comforted together with you by the mutuall faith both of you and me Whereas David makes mention of that singular consolation which hee found in this communion with the people they that are most mighty and noble may from hence learne how to esteeme of their poore brethren for whom Christ died Amongst barbarous nations there is most tyrannicall usurpation of power who thinke the vulgar unworthy to inhabite the same walls Quod spiratis quod vocem mittitis quod formam hominum habetis indignantur T. Livi lib. 4. to enjoy the same light to breathe to speake to have the shapes of men But as the brethren of Dives and all others who seeme to be gods upon earth shall dye like men So they which now seeme to bee as wormes and no men after death shall become glorious Likewise we may take notice how worthy of blame they are who doe oppose themselves against the godly example of David thwarting and contradicting his heavenly carriage by their unadvised practice of the contrary Here hee speaketh that hee went with the multitude and they peremptorily affirme that they will not go because of the multitude Hee who was a true Israelite Iohn 1.45 in whom was no guile knew right well that they were not all Israel which were of Israell Rom. 9.6 But yet the duty it selfe being holy and ordained as the royall meanes to make chose which were the seed of Abraham to become children he was ready to joyne with them therein Who have more need of the Physitian than the sicke and to be called to repentance than sinners Wherefore they offend that forbeare assembling themselves together And they also may justly be reproved who thinke if they should goe with the multitude their name would lye hid in obscurity and therefore out of vainglorious singularity Ambitio magnis addita est virtutibus Et eminendi fervor vinci dolens Cupido famae Dom. Baudius Act. 5.36 they seeke out many inventions with Theudas boasting themselves to bee some body Thus doe hereticks and sectaries by jarring warre against the peaceable estate of the Church But there was a curse pronounced against him that should attempt the building of Iericho Iosh 6.26 which was overthrowne by Ioshuah And there is no blessing due unto them that againe doe lay the foundation of these confused Babels which have beene razed and laid levell by the Churches champions That may bee said of our times which was once spoken of the Israelites The wood devoured more people than the sword 2. Sam. 18.8 We may praise God that wee are delivered from the sword of persecution and of our enemies But in the meane while how many doe lose themselves by intricate by-paths thinking there bee more wayes than one to walke in and thereby fall headlong into dangerous errors It sheweth the desolation of a countrey when the Kings way shall be forsaken Isai 33.8 Iudg. 5.6 so that none doe travaile therein And we may feare that it doth not prognosticate any happinesse unto our Land when this way of King David shall lye waste For now men will goe by themselves
everlasting weight of glory wherefore acknowledge this to bee thine infirmity rebuke and smite thy selfe saying Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted in mee It must not bee denied that the soule is sometime disquieted when wee are not able to give any reason of it But then it behoveth us to make strict inquisition into our selves and to see if there bee any root of evill Iosh 7. like Achans wedge which is the cause of our trouble If there bee any Ionas lurking in the bottome which may be sufficient not only to cast downe the soule but also to cast away the soule by a tempest of Gods wrath When we find our selves to bee innocent from great offences and acquitted from regarding iniquity wee must with patience wait upon the Lord How unsearchable are his iudgements Rom. 11. verse 33.34 and his wayes past finding out For who hath knowne the minde of the Lord Iob. 11. Loe hee goeth by me and I see him not Hee passeth on also but I perceive him not Behold hee taketh away Deut. 32.39 who can hinder him Hee woundeth and hee healeth hee bringeth low and hee lifteth up Shall wee receive good at the hand of the Lord Iob 2.10 and shall wee not receive evill Have wee learned to abound and be full of spirituall comfort Phil. 4.11 and have we not learned to suffer need and be abased in the sense of our wants and confession of our unworthinesse who are lesse than the least of all his mercies God will have us to see that wee are not able to merit any of his blessings which are wholly in his own disposing It is not in man that walketh Ier. 10 23. to direct his steps There may bee many devices in his heart neverthelesse the counsell of the Lord that shall stand Pro. 19.21 Also wee must know that wee are now in our passage through the vast wildernesse of this troublesome world unto the heavenly Canaan And we were of all men most miserable if our greatest comforts were not reserved for a better life God doth first cast us downe and then raise us up to a glorious estate Though wee walke in the midst of trouble hee will revive us Light is sowne for the righteous Psal 138.7 97.11 and gladnesse for the upright in heart That which thou sowest is not quickned except it dye first 1. Cor. 15. verse 36. So although wee seeme to be without the life of ioy yet we hope to reape everlasting consolation As sorrowfull wee alwayes reioyce 2. Cor. 6.10 There is an outward apparence of griefe There is an inward substance of true ioy But I may well desist from speaking of this sadnesse whereof wee can give no reason when there are so many causes of heavinesse whether we looke upon the sinnes of other men with charitable compassion or upon our own offences with sorrowfull compunction Psal 119.136 How did David lament for the transgressions of the people And may not we take up the complaint of the Prophet Isai 1.6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundnesse in it How great is the number of them that have sold themselves to worke wickednesse and never thinke of their redemption by Him who paid the ransome for us Quibus contra naturam corpus voluptati anima oneri fuit Salust whose bodies serve them for pleasure and their soules are as a burthen such a burthen as will bee greater than they can beare ready to sinke them to the pit of destruction Yet who doth repent of his wickednesse saying What have I done Every one turned to his course Ier. 8.6 as the horse rusheth into the battell Which of them doth search their heart by the light of the Word as with a candle and say as justly they may inverting these words of David Why art thou not cast down O my soule and why art thou not disquieted within mee Wherefore leaving them unto this examination let us reflect upon our selves and as the Circle Circulus fortitudinâ— atque capacitate caeteris figuris praecedit Clavius which doth returne upon it selfe is the strongest and most capacious figure and may bee resembled by the shape of a mans body Vmbilicum esse centrum c. Iul. Scal. So if wee doe returne unto our selves and search our owne hearts wee shall become more strong and capable of grace The opinion of Aristotle is to bee preferred before that of Plato The one held Visio fit recipiendo Arist Emittendo spiritum animalem Plato Keckerm that our sight was by receiving the image of the object into the eye The other by sending out those opticke rayes unto the object It will be our wisedome to keepe within our owne bounds and to looke into our selves rather than to exceed in curiosity to discover the blemishes of other men Like her whom they feigned to have used her sight onely when shee went abroad Lamia in vimineum cophinum oculos exemptiles inâ—iciâ—bat Erasmus but not when shee returned to her owne house Wee ought rather to look into our selves with David who seemeth here to strike his hand upon his breast saying Why art thou full of heavinesse O my soule God onely knoweth the hearts of all the children of men but by this private search 2. Chron. 6.38 1. King 8.38 every man may know the sore and the griefe and the plague of his owne heart and may find that his foule is cast downe when it is surcharged with thorny cares which choke the good seed O curvae in terris animae coelestâ—um inanes Persius and maketh him to become unfruitfull Can that souldier fight the good fight of faith who intangleth himselfe with the things of this life Habak 2.6 Woe to him that ladeth himselfe with thicke clay Such a man may in vaine beate the ayre but hee cannot runne with patience unto the race that is set before him Heb 12.1 unlesse hee doth cast aside every weight that may hinder him therein At the time of death wee see how dangerous and offensive it is by clamour to interrupt the soule in its departure from the body O that wee could as heedfully practise this during our whole life 1. Cor. 15.31 Every good man with Saint Paul doth dye daily being at all times ready to yeeld up his spirit How prudent should wee bee to avoyd all meanes of disturbance that our soule may not bee vexed and disquieted within us as it is oftentimes through distrust and infidelity when there is an inward combat betweene the flesh and the spirit the one lusting against the other Gal. 5.17 and being contrary the one to the other Gen. 25.22 like Iacob and Esau strugling in the wombe Whereas if Christ did dwell in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 wee should overcome the world and bee delivered from this vexation