thou also wise with him and art thou hard fauoured with Bias be thou also learned with him so then they that look vpon thee will deceiue themselues both in thy riches and also in thy beautie truely it is the greatest beautie to bee indued with learning and greatest wealth to be inriched with wisdome a poore man vertuous is as far beyond a rich man vicious as the soule is beyond the body it is better to be a man without money then to be money without a man wherefore if aduersitie approacheth learn wisdom if thy troubles bee small beare them because they bee easie to be borne but if they be great grieuous beare with them also for in so dooing thy glorie shall be the greater nay both in bearing them and also bearing with them it is thy duetie and and so shalt thou purchase the reward of obedience lastly if thou canst not haue what thou wouldest thou must be contented with what thou canst gette to will much is follie where ability wanteth and to desire nothing is content which despiseth all things If thou hast neither land nor liuing labour diligently and eate thy bread in the sweat of thy browes so God commanded and appointed thy father Adam to doe Gen. 3.19 23. and the riches that proceed heere-hence are sweetest the blessing best of all and tell and those my soule what they must trust too that haue hands SECT 105. For such as are visited with sicknesse ANother crieth I am horribly punished with sicknesse art thou so perswade thy selfe that thou shalt haue case anon wherefore did God create Physitions saue onely to helpe the sicke what if thou art sick now perswade thy selfe that sickenesse and diseases cannot last long for eyther thou wilt leaue them or else they will leaue thee we cannot be at one stay it maketh no matter how ill thy budy be so that thy soule be sound indeed if the inward man haue a paine in his head wherby he caÌ„not lay him downe in peace and take his rest the contagion then surly is much to be feared Psal 4.8 thinke not that bodily sicknesse is any crosse at all it is rather a propertie who then may auoid it SECT 106. For such as are griened with old age THe third crieth old age is crept vpon mee I am filled with griefes and aches alas my body is weake thereby mine hands shake mine eyes dazell my feet tremble so that I am wearie of my life I would to God I wer a yard vnder grouÌ„d or else I would I were as lustie as euer I was ah sinfull wish I see now that thou delightest in naught but in sporting and toying in vanities vain pleasure if Gods spirit did dwell in thee thou wouldest not so earnestlie complaine but giue God praise and thanks for thy long life and reioyce at thy gray head which deserues much honour Ieuit. 19. this is that age which the Lord hath promised vnto all them that loue him Exod. 19. and keepe his commaundements hee hath promised that their daies shall be long in the land that they shall liue many yeares Nay this is that age which euerie man defireth and tell mee didst not thou thy selfe desire to see it when thou wast young thinke then that thou art happie now for that thou hast thy wish this also is no crosse onely a propertie Porphiâ— p opâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—ra de Senect onely belonging vnto man but not vnto euerie man In this age there is no swilling no swearing no swaggering no quaffing nor surfeiting SECT 107. For such as are discontented for that they must leaue the world ANd now who is hee that will not complaine when he must die and howle and cry when he must leaue this world who will say from his heart I haue liued a great while this then is the part of an vnthankfull man who is not contented with the time hee hath liued Grieue not because thou must dy that thou must leaue thy wife and children thy lands and lordships and all things else behinde thee say not thou woe is mee woe is mee that I must die and must thou so 2. King 12 what then It is the nature of a man to die it is no punishment when thou camest first into the world it was vpon this condition that thou shouidest once goe out againe this life is but peregrination for when thou hast walked vnto the end of thy iourney thou must then returne backe nay it is the part of a foole and a dastard to feare that which by no meanes can bee auoided many are gone before thee and many shall goe after thee and thou must knowe that thy life is not thine owne thnu art onely vita commodatus and not donatus thy life is onely lent vnto thee thou hast not a lease thereof thou art but a tenant at will Grieue not at the remembrance of death for death it selfe cannot be greeuous seeing that it is but once it bringeth all happinesse with it and to the godly it is a verie great aduauntage But must thou die indeede if Godly then be glad if wicked repent no man I trow wil speak against death saue he who hath a guiltie conscience death indeed makes this man tremble quake but thou shalt hardly see an honest man vnwilling to die Yet another disc ontented bloud cries out alas what must I dyin my youthfull daies how sottish and how ignorant art thou tell me what is not a commoditie sweetest when as it commeth vnexpected nay death doth euen as well appertaine to youth as vnto old age the Lambs skin comes euen as soon to the market as the sheeps And it makes no matter how many yeres thou hast to liue but how many thou hast liued then if thou canst liue no longer that is thine old age and this the state and condition of all mankinde euen to die at last SECT 108. For such as are slandered YEt another grieues because hee is slaundered so that me thinks there is neuer an heauenly minded man amongst vs art thou slaundered if guiltlesse reioyce if guiltie amend wilt thou grieue at slaunders thou must knowe that no good man will slaunder thee and wouldest thou bee praised of euill men I tell thee to bee commended of them is as bad as to be commended for euill dooing Themistocles did neuer any famous thing in all his life time Senec de odio Inuid or yet what was praise-worthy and yet did no man euer speake against him Oftentimes haue I saw cankers gnawing the greenest and freshest leaues and oftentimes haue I likewise saw enuie pricking those especially that were godly and religious be thou then of good comfort if Cicero if Scipio if Cato if Dauid if Salomon if Peter if Paul or if any of the Prophets or Apostles if any good man should speake euill of thee then hadst thou some cause to grieue but these as malitious vipers doe enuie thy
and Starres are but his Instruments Gen. 14. Ioh. 38. Mat. 5.34 35. Instruments to moue by mouing to effect by effecting to alter and order al things here below heauen is his seate the earth his footstoole who when we runne awry spurns and kickes vs with the heele of his wrath if then the lowest and meanest part of his body meanest and weakest too according vnto humane sence bee able to curb in our wandring appetites what then me thinkes may his hands do which alwaies holdes the bridle tell mee my soule what may his hands doe which haue made both heauen and earth Act. 4.24 the sea and land and therin both great and small things Ecch. All things SECT 3. A terror for Hypocrites and cold professors IF then there bee a God why doe men still hault betweene two opinions 1. King 18.21 saith Eliah why are they creeples and why walk they on crouches in their religion know they not how that it is a long and hard way to heauen and therefore a lame creeple can neuer bee able to reach thither if the Lord be God follow him but if Baal be he then go after him baule after Baal for surely all lukewarme professors the Lord will cast and spew out of his mouth Deut 22. these Linsewolse mungrils glut and ouercome the puritie of his stomack is God then thinke ye who is my sweet Lord my maker and my redeemer like vnto Baal or like Dauids Image in his 135. Psalme one that hath eyes but cannot see their wickednes one that hath eares yet cannot heare the crie of their sinnes One that hath a throat yet cannot roare after his pray Amos 3.8 one that is a sleepe and vnderstands not or one that hath hands and cannot strike surely God is no Idol nor yet an idle God but a liuing God and if liuing why then doth this age thinke him to be so patient as that hee will not reuenge his foes or so weake as that hee cannot or so ignorant as that he knowes not how or so fearefull as that he dares not or else doe these wicked ones thinke him to be a lyer who saith he will punish offences and yet will not He that saith there is no God is guiltie of damned Atheisme and he that thinkes in his heart that there is a GOD but withall thinkes him to be so patient and mercifull as that hee will not reuenge in time to come is guiltie of that horrible sinne of presumption Psalm ista and both fearefull God is patient and God is iust too for mercy truth are met together righteousnes peace haue imbraced each other his mercie is great we know it is aboue all his workes and wee finde it so Mich. 7.18 19. for what saith my soule hath the Lord shewed himselfe to bee for that so long on our sins hee hath euen winkt and smilde Ecch. Milde SECT 4. The carelesnes of the wicked in seruing God MAny of the braue lads of this world are now turned Gamster they thinke to obteine Heauen by lot if it bee their fortune to come in well and good so it is alas poore fooles if their chance be not the better it may so chaunce that they may all stand without at the doore with the fiue foolish Virgins and there pipe for colde and gnash their teeth Mat. 25.10 11. Mat. 8.12 with the fieri-frozen soules in hell plaine casting wil not win such golden price for if they know not how to help their die they may there die without helpe and yet neuer die but pine in paine with the vnskilfull sort heauen is round I confesse yet not like Fortunes wheele and he that thinkes with the former it is his fortune if so be that hee comes thither may chance if the spoakes of his wheele be not stronger to lie in the mire thus men play all their goods yea their chiefest good too at mum-chance they stake their Soules at this vnfortunate game and then if chaunce beare the sway the victory must needs bee doubtfull but what wiseman would hazard such a pretious price as his soule at such a base game and with such a conicatching cogger as Sathan that grand-gamster who can strike a die at pleasure hee hath his false dice and al other shifts that may bee to deceiue and blinde the eyes of our vnderstanding to winne the soules of poore doting worldlings SECT 5. A Meditation on the birth of Christ and the three wisemens offerings O Sweet Iesus O my sweet who art white and ruddy Canti 5.10 Mat. 2.1.2 c. O thou the chiefest of ten thousands when thou wast borne there came wisemen from the East euen the first fruite of the Gentiles to worship thee and in their iourney they were guided by a Starre which Starre did direct them brought them vnto thee vnto Bethlem vnto that place where thou O prettie harmelesse smiling Babe didst lye in a cratch so graunt my Lord that thy word may neuer vanish from our eyes that light of lights that true light but may bring vs to that place that heauenly Bethlem which our soules most long after euen as the Hart desireth the water brookes where wee shall see thee not as these wisemen did a seruant but a Lord not to bee iudged but to iudge not to call men to repentance Mat. 11 2◠Luke 21.27 Esay 53.3 Mat. 24.42 Iohn 8.15 1. Thes 4.17 but to punnish the vnrepentant not sitting on an Asse or starueling beast but riding on the starrie skie on the wings of the wind not lying in a cold stable in a poor ragged manger but in state and maiestie in pompe and much glorie And when these wisemen had worshipped they opened their treasures presented vnto thee gifts euen gold and incense and mirhe and that because Lord the Persians manner was not to salute Kings without a present grāt therfore that we neuer come vnto thee Psa 93.1 99.1 o thou the king of kings vnlesse we bring a presenttoo euen an heart tried and purified as golde and siluer an heart of incense and mirhe deuout praiers godlie Meditations that the sauour thereof may ascend vp into the cloudes and be a sweet smelling sacrifice vnto thee my loue my hearts delight O thou the chiefest of ten thousands SECT 6. True knowledge what it is MAny men in these daies thinke themselues wise because they know and learne many things though what they are bound to know that they know not that is to vnderstand and learne the commandements of God and theron to meditate day and night they haue forgot that the wisdome of this world is foolishnesse with God the knowledge of Gods lawes maketh yong men sober for wherwithall saith the prophet Psal 1.2 Psal 119.9 shall a young man clense his way euen by ruling himselfe after thy commandements it doth comfort old men it is wealth to the poore and treasure to the rich
prosperitie no honest or vertuous man will backebite his neighbour and we know that the veryest whore will crie whore first they that are moste vicious will soonest speake of other mens vices of other mēs deformities and enormities there are also many dogs that barke often Senec. de Kemed fortuit not for any cause that they haue but onelie for custome sake SECT 109. For such as haue lost their money YEt me thinkes I heare another set sighing for that he hath lost his money what if thy money be gone now thou art in lesse daunger oh how happie were thou if thou hadst lost thy couetousnes with it too art sure thou hast lost thy money prethee tell me how many money hath lost truely thou hadst better loose it then to let it loose thee and now shalt thou bee more light in thy iourney and more safe at home SECT 110. For such as are lame and ill fauored ANother is discontented and cries alas I am lame I goe vppon crouches I am crompt sholdred crooked deformed I am of an vgly visage and the like so that the least and lightest crosse is burdensome and grieuous vnto vs. Art thou deformed so was Aristotle so was graue and prudent Aesope and yet both of them in their age the wisest men that were it is not the proper flature of the bodie it s not the beard the tyranuizing countenance stately apparell new fashions new cuts rings Iewels or yet any outward ornament else that makes the man and likewise on the contrarie it s not a platter face maimed limmes one legge one arme or yet a paire of bow-legs that hindereth his difinition a man as he is a man doth not consist of flesh and bloud but of minde and courage of soule and spirit we say such a beast is a faire beast but we say such a man is a vertuous man which vertue onely proceedeth from his minde pray how doe we define a man we doe not say a man is a liuing Creature set out with a large paire of hose or the like but wee rather define him thus Arist Homo est animal rationale a man is a liuing creature indued withreason to conclude a man is a man if hee hath but a socke on his head What art thou lame indeed be content thy crouch serueth as well to fight withall as to leane on SECT 111. For such as are banished SOme againe weepe by cause they are banished but let me aske them whether they haue not deserued it indeed we say that fooles and children commonly will eate their cake and yet haue it too if they could but bee thou contented it s no crosse at all though thou thinkest it one its law iustice it fitteth wel thy desert what though thou art banished out of this lād thou shalt dwel in another thou canst not bee banished out of the world oh I shal be banished out of my countrie wherein I was borne thou art deceiued for Patria est vbicunque bene est that is thy countrie not that wherein thou wast borne but wherein thou canst best liue what is thy banishment it is but a trauelling and what noble spirit doth not desire to trauaile and to see new fashions if thou art not banished from the land of the liuing thou hast no cause to grieue Oh but I shall then die in a strange countrie what then thou shalt goe to heauen in a strange land as soone as in thy natiue countrie for heauen contrarie to the rules of Philosophie is a centre and the earth a circumference from which vnto the centre are drawne many lines and though many ascend vp one line many byanother yet at length all meet and reioyce in one and the same place let not this thought vexe thee for there is no earth strange vnto a dead man but yet alas it may be as I wander vp and downe I shall dy by my selfe and so I may lie vnburied what then thou shalt feele neither colde nor heat winde nor weather nay if thou doost respect that it is warmer lying aboue ground where the sunne shineth pleasantly then vnder the earth where is naught else but a colde crude and dampish moysture and what if thou shalt lie vnburied know that Coelo tegitur qui non habet vrnam hee that hath neuer a graue or coffin to shadow him hath the whole heauens to couer him What care I when I am once dead whether fier consumes me wilde beasts deuour me the sea drownes mee or the earth rots me surely I will neuer take thought for my body had not I as good let the birds those little prettie harmelesse creatures picke gently my bones as to let those filthy stinking maggots deuour them burying was not inuented first for those sakes that die but for those that remaine aliue afterward that so all the noysome smels and stinking vapours arising from the dead carkasse Senee de Rem fortuit might bee kept from them SECT 112. For such as weepe for losse of Children YEt crieth another I haue lost my Children Oh what will become of mee alas how sottish art thou to grieue for mortalitie is it a strange matter to see thy Children die surely it s no matter to see the tree stand and the Apples fall and no more strange is it then to see the fruite of thy bodie diseased and thy selfe aliue now shalt thou neuer heare worse of them and wilt thou mourne for that they bee in ioy surelye then thou doost not loue them though thou seemest loath to leaue them SECT 113. For such as mourne because they are in bondage ANd lastly another cries I am a slaue I am a bondman dost not know Qui non didicit parere non potest imperare hee that hath not learned to obey can neuer gouerne or rule his houshold well thou needest not now to hoe as wee say for hous-rent seruants wages and the like things which thy maister doth if thou art not a slaue vnto old Sathan al is wel But alas I haue not my belly ful if thou hast not bee contented for God punisheth the glutton as much as he doth thee if thou hast stomacke and little vittailes hee hath vittailes and little stomacke if thou labourest for meat for thy stomacke hee laboureth for stomacke for his meat nay the drunken to spot is as often thirstie as the drie trauailer SECT 114. An example of content in Dyogines the Cynicke I Wonder greatly at the impatience of this age that cannot suffer a fleabiting without rubbing and scratching learne of the sillie bird who although she be kept in a close cage bard from all liberties and pleasures minst of her diet yet sings shee more melodious and sweete then she that flies abroad in the open ayre no close imprisonment no thought can molest her But we are sullen in afflictions murmuring in crosses and powting in our sweetest trobles what though my lodging be in bulkes porches and tubs Vita