LIB. XL A N N .-\ and PE N I N N A. A thrice a yea re; and once a yeare with all his family. Tl:e wminuance of an un-~ knowne linr.e cannot hinder the uprightncffe of amans heart with God i as~ man . may have a mole upon his backe, and yet thmke hJS skmnc cl eare; the lcafl: touch of knowledge or wifulneffe marcc; I' is finccrity. He that by 'ertuc ofhis place was imploycd about the fKrifices ofothers,woulcl much lelfc 11ei\lecl: his ow11e. I~ is a fhame for lnm that reaches Gods people that they 010uiJ not appcare before the Lord cmpty,ro bno::; no facnfice for himfcJtc. If Levites be profane, who tl1ould be religious? . . It w.t; the f.l!lJion,when they facnficccf,to feall:;fo dhi. e/1-an•IJ;the day oflus devotion is the d.ty ofhis triumph; he makes great cheerc for his whole fi1mily, even forthat wife which he loved lcffc. There is nothing n1ore comely th m chcrlulneflc B in the fcrviccs of God. yVhat is there in all the wor\d,wherewirh the heart ofman tl10uldbe fo lifrup, as with theconfcience of his ,:ury done to his Maker I Whiles we doe {o, God doth to us, as ourglaQo, fmile upon ll>,whilewe fmile on him. Love will be fccnc by cntcrtJinmcnt ; Peni~m•t and her Chi!Jren f11Jll not corn· 1 pltiue ofw<nt, bur eA an,, fhall find her busbandsaffetlion in her portion: as his 1 10\c to her wa• double, fo was her part; Sbe tared not the worte, becaufe 01e was chi ldleffe: no good husb.md will di!likt his wife tor a fault out ofrhe power ofher I redrdfc: yea, ratl·er, that which might !ceme to lofe tl:e lqvc of her husband, I . winues it, her b.lrre·-me!T"e. The gnod nature of £/1 n~1.1b bboured by his dearo refpetl s ro recompcnce this afHichon,rhat fo 01e might find no leffe difconrentment in the frnit of his ltearty lo1 e,> han fhe had grieffrorn h<r own fruirlefQeffe.lt is the C property oftrue mercy,to be moll favorable to the weake!l:Thus dot!]the gracious Sponle oftl•e Chrinian !oule pitty rhebarrenneffe of his fervants. 0 Saviour, we !11ould not finJthee fo iwlulacnt to us,if wedid not complain ofour ownc unworthineffe, Per;in~a may have tf,e more children,but.barren .Ann.• harh the moll love. H01v much rather could ell:•nab havewifhed PMinna barren, and AmMfruitfull? but if fhe Chould have bad both iffue and love, 01c had been proud, and her rivall defpifed. God knowes how to difperfe his favours lo, that every one may have caufe both ofthan~fulneffe and humiliation; whiles there is no one that ha~h all, no one but bath fome.lf envy and contempt were not thus equally tempered,fomc would be over haughty,and others too miferable; llut now, every man fees that in himfelfc which is worthy ofcontempt,andmatter ofemulation in others;andconD rrarily, fees what to pitty,and dinike in rh~ mol\: eminent, •nd what to app)aud in himfelfe; and out ofthis contrariety, arifes a fweet mc.mofcontentarion. The 10\e of £/l·,wah is fo unable tq fr~e Ann;, fron> thewronr;s ofher rival,that it procures them rather.The uufruitfulnos of A•tn•< had 11evcr w tth fo much defpight bceue !Jid in her dith, if her husb1nds heart hac! beetle"' lnrrcn of love to her. Em y, though it ukc JJv.tntt~c: nf our wcJkncffcs, yet il c 'f r:tifed upon fomc 1 ;;ro~tn~s of happine!fc in them whum it em11latcs;it is ever an ill c ffefl of a e;ood , · C:tlllc: H Ahei< f.tcnhce haJ not been accepted, and •f rhc acceptmon of his Jacrifice had not been a blerling, no.cuvy had followed upon it. : . There is no evill of <\nOt her, wher~in it is fit to rejoyce, but his envy, and this '"' 'ortby of Ollr jov at1d thankfulneflc, bccaufe it thewcs us the priceof that good, E. which wee had, and 'aluecl not. The n\:llignity of envy is rims well an!ivered, when •t ts made thee' dl caufeofa·~oo.l cftetl to 11s, wbcn God and our foulcs may g~ il)c by anothc.:rs linne. I doe not ~ti.n~l that ~Ant~'" infultcJ upon Peninn.t, for the ~~rcatcr mc·tfl1rc of her hn-;bands love, as Penirw:t diJ upon her, for her frujrfulnes. Thofethaqrettu,ly gracious, know how to receive the blerling.s of GoclwithOlltcontempr of them that want; and have learnd to be thanketull, without overlincflc. _Envy, \~hen it is once conceived in Jll1lliciou~ heart, is like fi.., in billets of Jumper, Whtch (they fay) continues more yea res rlun one. Every yeare w:!s vfnna thus' e~ed with heremulous partner, and troubled botb in her prayers and meals: Amid£1 all \heir fea!lings,fhe fed on nothing bur tears.S6mcdifpontions arc leffe Pp p ~ 4 fenfible
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=