EP lS'T. YliL A bur, is never r<leafed iA fobjlance,rill that God,whogave us oar v1'<illimus into this Gaole, oiveus our Deliv<ry,with R<lurne ye {onnes of vf d•m:Thus either a!\ men are prifonc;;, or you arenone. Is it reftraint ~ Howmany (efpecially ofthat otherfex in thofe your Eafterne parrs)chamber up themfelves,forftate; fo as they neither fee the Sunne,norothersthem ~How many fuperftitious men, for devotion; how many obfcure vfgl•i, for eafe and-carelefnetfe, keep themfelves in their owne cottage, in their owne village; and never walke forth lo much.as to the neighbour townes! And what is your Rufia to all her inhabitants,but a large prifon, awide Galley ! yea, what other is the world to us! Howcan he complaine offtrairndfe, or rdlr:tint, that roves over all the world, and beyond it~ .Iyranniemay part the foule from the b<;>dy; cannot confineit to thebody. That which others doe for eafe, devotion, !late, you B doefoe neceflity: why not aswillingly, frnce'you muft doe it! Doe but imaginethe other caufe; and your cafe is the fame with thei~ which both have cho_fen, and delightto keepe clofe; yet hating the name of prifoners, while they embrace the condition, But, why doe I perfwadeyou, not to mifiikethat,whi<;h l pray you may forfake ~ I had rather you iliould be no prifoner at all, then to be acheerefull prifoner upon n~ceflity. lfthedoores be open, my perfwafion !hall nothold you in. Rather ' our prayers fltall open thofe doores, and fetch you forth into this common liberty of men; wbich alfo bath not a little (though an inferiour) contentment. For, how pleaf:mtis it to thofe fenfe$, bywhich we men are wont to be led, to fee and be feene, to fpea!te to our friends, and hearethem fpeake to us, to touch and kitfethe dearc hands of our Parents, and with them atlall: to have our eyes do fed~ Either this !hall C befall you; or what hopes,what paines(I addeno more)hath this your carefull friend loll~ and we, what wilbes, what confultations! It !hall be; I dare hope, yea bdeeve it : Onely thou our good God give fuch end, as thou haft done entrance inco this bufineffe; and fo dilpofe ofthefe likely endeavours, tliat whom we love and honour ab. fenr, wemay at !aft in prefent fee and embra~e. ~~~~~~l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~£~~~£~~~~~ll~A~~l~ll~llll~l~~~ll To my lather in Law.M.q./Venyffi. EP Is T. V I I ,I. Exciting to chrifli•nChtmfi•ll1tjfo. YOu complaine ofdulneffe;a common difeafe,and incident to the beft minds, D and fuch ascan moft cootemne vanities. For,the true Worldling hums after nothing bur mitth;neithercares how lawleffe his fporr be,fo it be pleafant:he faines to himfelfe falfe ddighrs, when he wanes : and ifhe can paffc the time, and chafo away Meiancholie, he thinks his day fpenr happily. And thus itmuft needs be; while the world is his god, his devorion can be but his pleafure: whereas rhe mortified foule bath learned ro fcorne rhde, frivolous and finfull joy<s; and alf<Cts either folid delights,or none;and had ratherbe dull for wznt ofmirth,then tranfporred with wanton pleafur<s. When the world, like an important Minftrdl, rhrufts it felfe into his chamber, and offers him.muficke, unfought; if he vouchfafe ir the hearing, it is the higheft favour he dare, or can yeeld: He rewards it nor, he commends it not: Yea, hefecretly lathes thofe harili and jarring notes, and rejects them. For, he licds E a betterconfort within, betwixt God and himfelfe, when he bath a little tuned his hmtwith meditation. To fpeakefully, the Worldislikean ill foolein a Play: the Chriftian is a judicious fpectator,which thinks thofe jefis coo groffe to be !aught ar; and therefore enrertaines that with fcorne,which others with applaufe. Yet in truth, we fio, ifwe rcjoycenot: there is not more error in falfe mirth, then in unjuft hcavineffe. Ifworldli_ngs offen.d, that they laugh, when they fl1ould mourne; we !hall offend no leffe, 1f we droope in caufe ofcheerefulndfe. Shall we envie, or fcornc, to fee one joy in red and white drotfe, another in a vainc title; one in a dainty diili, anoth~r in a jc: fi:;. one ia a booke, anoth<:r in a friend ; one: in a Kite, another in a Dogg<;whileo weenjoy the God ofHeaven, and are forrowfull! What dullmetall is this we are made of~W c;have rhe founraine of joy,and yet complaioeofheavines. ls tbere any joy, without God~Cerrainly,if joy be good, and all goodnetfe be from B b z him:
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=