I 88 Hea'llen upon EarJb. th<r drawes upon himfelfe an uncertaine evill through feare:onefeeks tn!e content- A ment, but notenough; another bath ju!lcaufe of joy, and perceives it not: One is vexed,for that his grounds of joyarematched with equallfurievances;another cannot complaine ofany prefent occafionofforrow, yet Jives ullenly, bec~ufe he finds not any prefent caufe ofcomfort; one is hauntedwith his finne; another di!lratled with his paffion: among !I all which, hee is amiracle ofall men, that lives not fome waydifcontented. So we live not while we doe !ive,onely for that wee want either wifdome,or will,to husband our lives to our owne bell advantage. 0 the inequality ofour cares! Let riches or honour be in que!lion, we fue to them, wefecke for them with importunity, with fervile ambition: our paines need no follicitor; yea, there is no way wronx that leads to this end ; wee abhorre the patience to !lay till they enquire for us, nd ifever(as it rarely happens)our defert andworthindfe wins us rhe favour ofthis proffer, wee meet it with bothhands, not daringwith our modell de- B nials to whet the i,nllancie, and double the intreaties offowelcome fuiters. Yet toe, here the only true and precious riches, thehighett advancement ofthe foule, peace. and happines,feeks for us,fues to us for acceptation;our anfwers arc coyand ovcrly, fuch as we give to thofe clients that looke to gaine by curfavours. Ifour wanr were through the fcarcity ofgood,we might yet hope for pity to cafe us : but now that it is through negligence, and that we perifh with our hands in our boiome, weeare rather worthy of!hipes, for the wrongwe doe our felves, than ofpity f<>< what wee fuffer. That wee may and will not, in opportunity ofhunrngothers, is noble and Chriflian: but in ourownebenefit fluggi!h, and favouring ofthe wor!l kind ofunthriftineffe. Saiett thou then,this peace is good to have, hut hard to get ~ It were a llJamefull c neglect that hath no pretence, Is difficulty fuflici<nt excufe to hinder thee from the purfuit ofriches, ofprefennent,oflearning,ofbodily plcafnres~ Art thou content to fit f11rugging in a bafe cottage,ragged,fall)illJed,becaufe houfe,clothes,and food wil neither bee hadwithoutmoney, nor money without labour, nor labour without trouble and painfuloeffe ~ Who is fomercifull, as notto fad that a whip is the bell almes for fo lazy and wilfull need(Peace llJOuld not be goo if it were not hard:Go, and by this excpfe !hut thy f~lf our ofheaven atthydeath,and live miferably till thy death,becaufethegoodofbothworlds is hard to compaffe.Thereis nothing but mii fery onearth and hell below,rhat thou can!l come to without labour:And ifwe can I be contenttocaflaway fuch immoderate and unfeafonable hlines upon thefe earthly I rrifles,as to weare our bodies with violence, and ro encroac upon the n•ght for time I to getthem ; what madneffe !hall it feeme in us, not to afford a leffe labour to that D which is infinitely better,andwhich ondy givesworth and goodneffe to the other ~ Wherefore if we have notvowedemnity withour felves, ifwee be not in lovewith mifery and vexation,ifwe be not obflinatelycareleffe ofourownegood;let us !hake offth1s unthrifty,dangerous,anddefperate negligence,and quicken thefe dui hearts, to a lively and effetluall fearch ofwhat only can yeeld them fweet and abiding contentment: which once attained, how llJall wee infult over evils, and bidthemdoe i their worll~How1lul weunderthis calme and quiet day,laugh atthe rough weather !. and unlleadymotions ofthe world~ How !hall heaven and earthfmile upon us,and we on them;commanding the one,afpiring to the other~ How pleaf.1nt lhall our life ~ee, while neither joyes nor forrowes ca,ndifloemper it with exceffe ~ yea while the motter ofjoy thatis within us,turnes all the moll f.1d occurrences into pleafure~How deare and welcome !hall ourdeath be,that !hall butlead us from one heaven to another,from peace to glory~ Goe now,yee vaine and idle worldlings, and pleafe your E [elves in the large extent ofyour richManners , or in the homage of thofe whom - bafendfeofmi11d hath made llaves to your greatndfe,orin the priteand f.1!hions of your full warde-robe,or in thewanton varietiesofyourdelicate Gardens,or in your coffers full ofred and white earth; or ifthcre be any other earthlything, more alluring,more precious,enjoy it,poffcffe ir,and lee it poffcffe you: Letme have only my Peace; and letmeneverwant it, till I envy ymL FINIS. - . .. . . .
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