,474. Iter novilíimum, or, us, that (according io the Argument thereof) there is no Doftrine fo fit for all{ Preachers to teach, and all hearers to learn, as the vanity of the creature, and the emptinefs of all earthly delights and comforts'. And in very deed there is no meditation more fetious, then upon the -vanity ofAte world, no confideration morefeafonable, than of thebrevity and uncertainty'dE'Eime it felf; no knowledge more wholfome than of the difcafes of the mind ; nocontemplation more divine; than of humanemifery and frailty: Which though we read in the infcription of every ftone, fee in the fall ofevery leaf, hearin the knellofevery Bell, taftc in the .rgna ¡cere no- garnifbing and fauce ofevery dilh,finèll in the flenchofevery dead ebxpfes; feélin tmmti,,gnodig- the beating°feverypulle: yet we arenor fenfrhleofit;,wewill'- noti takeknotvhcdge nowt non pof- of it, though we cannot be ignorant of it. In which confideration theWife man, I Immut' wholewords areas goads and nails, verf.'rt..pricks us deep with the remembrance¡ Cypr. de Mor- hereof, fo deep that he draws bloodfang:daem aniket,thebl odofthe four; as 4,ait tal. Auflin tearmeth our tears, lachrymæfallout's anima. For who can read with dr eyes, that thofe that lookout of thewindows fhall be dart ned. 1,t ho can hear with- out horror, that the keepers ofthe houfe /Ball tremble, or confider without forrow, that thedaughters ofMuftk(hallbe brought low'; orcomntënt Without deep fetched fight upon mans going to his long home, and the mournersgong aboti? íheflretls, to'' wafh them with tears,and fweep them with R.ofemary. viol. vieorigï Origen, after he had chofen, rather facere periculasè quarr peeped tserpieér, to prefix. loin, burn Incenfetothe Heathen gods, than to fuffer his body to be defiled'by' a Blacka- more,and the flower ofhis chaftity which hehad fo long time preferved robe fome way blaRed, at a Church in Jerufalem, goeth into the Pulpit, openeth the Bible at' all adventures, intending topreach upon that Textwhich he fhould firs lightupon, but fallingupon that verf. inPfal. 50. But to the wicked, faith god, what hall thou' to do, to declare my Patutes, or that thoufhouldefl take my covenants in thy mouth? (whichcontainedhis fufpenfion) lhuttethhis book, fpeakethnot a word more, but comments upon it with his tears : fome thinks having read thisTextinwhich I find' , all our captial dooms written,Icannot do better,than follow thatFathers pre&dent,'' and (hut up not only my book,- but mymouthalfo, and Peal tip my lips, and com- ment upon the coherence withdiftraEtion, the parts withpailion, the notes with fight, the periods with groans, and thewords withtears ; for alas,as foon as a man cometh into his(hortbooth in this world, 'which he faluteth with tears, he goeth to his long home, in thenext, And the mourners go about thefireets. Infantnondnm It is lamentable to hear thepoor infant which cannot(peak, yet, to boadhisown tognitur, & mifery, and toprophecyofhis future condition, and what are the contents of his town prophe Propecy ,. but lamentations , mournings and woes ? Saint rian accords with tat. Seem. de Cyp ess bow p<r Saint Auflip in his doleful note , Vitamartens anxietates, & dolores , & procellae mundi quae ingreditur in exordio flatimfits ploratu, vel gcmitu rudes anima tefla- Cur ; Little Children newly born, take in their fiat breath with a filth, andcome crying into the world,as foon as they open their eyes they fhed tears, to help fill up theVale of tears, into which they were then brought, and (hall be after a Ilion time carried out with a ffream of them, running from the eyes ofall their friends. And if the Prologue andEpilogue beno better, what (hall we judge of the Scenes and Alts of the life of man, they yield fo deep fprings of tears, and inch flore of arguments againftour aboad in this world, that manyreading them in the books of Cic.prirnosta%a .Hegefiou the Platonick,prefently brake the prifon oftheir body,and leapedout ofthe1 world into the grave; othersconcluded with VenusOptimum nonnafci,proximum quam primummori;That it was limplybell never to be born,thenextto ittodie out of hand,and give theworld ourfalve,and takeour vale at once. How-be. it though this might pafsfora fage Effay, andaftrong line =onePhi- lofophers, yet we Chriftians, who know that this prefent life to all that livegod') in Cbrifl Defies, how full of troubles, cares, and perfecutions foever it be, is buta fadand short Preface to endlefs Volumnesof joy, an Eves faf on earth to an ever- lafling feaPin Heaven, ought thustocorre&thefonnerApophthegme, Optimum renafci,pproximumquamprimummori; That it ishefttobe new born,and then (if it fo pleafe God) after ournew birth to betranflatedwith alffpeedinto thenew Heaven. But
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