. Holy Ohfer'llationr. I 127 A II, Gold is the heavieftof:Ul metals-: It is no wonder that thericb man is ufually carried downewardto his place.It is hard for the foule, dogged with manyweighrs,ro afcend to Heaven:It tnull be aftrong and nimble foule,that cancarrie upit felfe,and fuch a load, yet Ad•m and No•h flew up thither with the double Monarchy ofrhe world,rhc Parriarkswirhmuch wealrh,many holy Ktngs wtrh maflie Crownes and Sceptfrs· The burrhen of covetous defires is more heavy roan empty foul<, than much ueafureto the full. Our affections give poize or Iighrnelfe to earthly things. Either abate of thy load, ifthou find it tt>o.prdling, wherh.erby having Ielfe, or loving klfc:or adde to rhy ftrengrhand actlVlty,that thou mateft yet afcend.It is more commeodable,by how muchmore hard, to climbinto heaven with a butden. u. Il A Chriftian in all his wayes muft'haverhreeguides: Truth, Omity,Wifdome. Tturh to goe before him;CharityandWifdome on either h>nd. Ifany ofrhe three be abfenr,hewalkes amilTe. I have feene fome doe hurt by following a truth uncharirably.And others,while they '~mild falve up an error with love,havef.1iled intheir wifdome, and offended agamft JU(hce. A chamable unrrurh, and an unchanrable rrurh,and anunwife menaginf,oftruth or Iove,are all to be carefully avoided ofhim, that would goe with a right oor in rho narrowway. Ij. God broutlu man forth at firft,nor into awildernelfe, bur a Garden; ~et then he expetted the eft fervice ofhim. I never find that he delights in the mi cry, but in the profperity of his fervanrs. Checrefulnelfe pleafes him better than a dejetted and dull heavinelfeofhe:trr. Ifwe can begood with pleafure, hee grudgeth not our c joy: Ifnor, it is be(l to ftint our felvos ; nor for that rhefecomfons are nor good,bur becaufe our hearts are evil!: faultingnot their nature, bur our ufe and corruption. 14· The homeliefi fervice that we doe in an honefi calling, though it be but to plow, or dig, ifdone in obedience, and confcience ofGods Commandemenr, is crowned with an ample reward; whereas rhebeft\vorkes for their kind (preaching, praying, oftcringEvangelical! f•crifices) ifwithout refpe.:t of Gods injundion and glory,are loadedwith curfes. God loveth adverbs; and cares not howgood, but howwell• .. ,5· The golden infancy offotne harh proc-eeded to a brazen youth , and ended in a leaden age.All humane maturities have their period: onely grace hath none. I durft D never by too much hope on the forward beginning' of wit and memory, which have been applauded in children. I kncw,rhey coul butartaine their vigor;and that iffooner,oo \vhirrhe better: for the earlieris their perfedion ofwifdome, the Ionger (hall be their witlelfe age. Seafonablenelfe is the beft in all rhefe things which have their ripenefs and decay.Wecan never hope too much ofrh<! timely blolfomes ofgrace, lvhofc fpring is pcrperu•ll, and whofe harveft begins withourend. 16. A man muft give rhankes forfomewhat which he may nor pray for.It hath \Jecn f.tid ofCourtiers, that they muft receive injuries , and give rhankes. God cannot wrong his, bur hee will croffe them; rho(e crolfes are beneficiall ; all benefits chalIenge rha~ks:yer I have read,rhatGods children havowith conditionprayed againfi them,never tor rhem.In good rhmgs,wepray both foNhem,and their "OOd ufc: in evill,for theirgood ufe,t\ot themfelves;yer we moft give thanks for both. For there ; E is noevillofpai~e which God doth not; nothing that God dorb, is nor good; no good thmg buhswonhy.ofrhankes. '7· One halfe oftheworld knowes not how the orher lives:& rherfore the better fon pitty norrhedifirelfed; and the mi(erable envy not rhofe whic!Yfare better, becaufe they know knor.Each 1ilan judges ofothers conditions,by hiso,voe.Thcworft. fort ~vould ?<; roo much difc6renred,if they faw how far more pleafanr the lifeoforhers IS.And tfthe betterforr(fuch we call thofe which are greater) could look downe to the -
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