~so VECAV.ll. him;whnce lhould joy orife,but from him~ And ifh<l_bl' rhe author ofJoy,how are A we Ch,i!tians, a"d rtjoyce nor!What!doe we freeze I tithe fire,and !larve acafea!l1 Have we a good confcience,and yet pine and hang down the head!When God bath made us happy, doe we make onrfelves miferable ~When I aske my hearc D•vids que!lion, I know nor whether I be more angry or ~fi1amed at cheaofwer;Wh-J .,, th•uf•d my foult?My body,mypurfe,tny fame,my fnends;or p'fhaps none of thefe, ondy I am tad, becoufe I om. And what ifall chefe! wha"t ifmore! when I come to my better wits, Have! a fath<r, an advocate, .a comfotcer, a maofion mheaven! If borh earch and hellconfpired eo afflictme, my forro\V cannot countervaile the caufe~ ofmy joy. Now I can challenge all adverfarits; and tither delie all tniferies, or bid all croffes, yeadeath icfd£<:, welcome. Yet God dGth not abridge o~ ofrhefeearrhly_ folaces, which dare weigh with our difconrentmenrs, and fometime deprelfe rhe B balaoce. His greater light doth nor fxringuith the lelfe. IfGod had n()(Jhoughtthem bldlings, he had norbe!lowed them: and how are they bleflings, ifthey delight us nor! Booke•, friends, wine, oyle, health, rtpuration, tomperencie, may give occafion<, bur nor bounds, ro ot1rr<joycings. We may not make them Gcdsriv~lls, bur his fpokes-mer. lnthemfdves they are nothing; but in God worth our joy. Thefe may be nfed; yet fo as they may be abfenr without di!lraetion. Letrhefegoe;fo God alone be prefent with us,ir is enough. He were nor God,ifhe w'te not All-fuflicient. We have him,! fpeak boldly;We have him in feeling,in faith,in ple:dges,and earnefl; yea, in poffeflion. Why doe wenorenjoy him!whydoewenor lhake-offrhat fenfeldle drowflne!l'e, which makes our lives unpleafant; and leave over all heavinclfe to thofe that want God; rorhofe that <ither know him not,orknow him difpleafed ~ C !l~~l~~~!~!~~!!~~~~~~!l~~~~~~~~!~~~tl~~~~~lll~l~~~lll ~~~-lllMBI~~ali!W~~SB.a~ To M.W.'Z{, Dedic. toM. ThomaJ 13urlz. E P t s 'f. IX. C1nfola:im if lmthddtralt grieft /<r :httltdlh 1/friends, VVHile the fireame of fotrow runs full, I know how "ajne it is ro oppofe counfeH. Paflions mull have leafurc ro dige!l.Wifdome doth nor more moderate rhem, than rime. Ar firft, it was be!l'to tnouroe with you, and ro mitigate your forrow,by bearing parr; wherein,would God my burden could • be your eafe.E"ery thing dfe islelfe,when it is divided;And then is be!l,afrer reares, togive couniell: yet, intheferhoughrs lam nor a little !lraired. Beforeyouhave D dige!led grief<, advice comes tooearly;roo late,when you have dige!led ic.Before,it was unfeafonable; after, would be fuperfiuous: Before,it could nor beflefic you; after, it may hurt you, by rubbing UJ' askinned fore afrefi1. It is as hard to choofe the feafon for counfell, as ro give it: and rhat feafon is, after rhe fir!t digdlion of farrow; beforerhe la !I. Ifmy Letters then meet with the bdl oppo!luniry, they lhall pleafe me, and profit you: Ifnot, yeti deferve pardon, that I wi01ed fo. You had bur rwo Jewels, which you held precious; aWife, and a Sonne: One was yourfelfe divided; the other, your felfe multiplied : You have loft both, and wdl-neere at one<, Tbe lo!l'e ofone caufed the other, and both o£them your ju!l griefe. Such loffes, when theycome fingle,affiitlus;buc,whendouble, a!lonilhus;and though rheygivc advantage ofrefpitr,would almo!l over-whelme the be !I patient. Lo, now is the tryall of E our mar.-:10od,yea, of our Chriflianitie : You are now in the li!ls,fer upon by two of Gods fierce affiiClions;lhewoow what patience you have,what forrimdr. Wherefore have you gathered, and laid up all this time, but for this brunt~ Now bring forth all your holy !lore to lighr,and to ufe; and approve to us in this difficulrie, that you have all this while bcene a Chri!lian inearnefl. I know, thefe events have nor furprif"d yon on a fudden: you have fufpeded they might come; you have put cafes if they 010uld come. Things rhar are hazardous, may be doubted :but certaine rhin~s are, and mu !I be expeCted. Providence abates griefe, and difcouncenme<sa crolfe. Or, ifyour af!cdions were fo !lrong, that you dur!l not forc-·hinke your lo!l'e; cake it cq01lly bur os ic falls. A wife man and a Chriflian knowes death fof•rallto Nature, lo
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