EPIS'T. IL A to fquarc circles, how to Give up the cddliall motions, how to correCt mif-wrirrcn copies, to fc:tch op old words from forgetfulndfc, and a rhoufand other hko pomrs of idle si<ill; whiles the mainccarc oflifc and dcathisnegletlcd ! There is an Art of this,infalliblc,eternall both in truth, and ufe: for though the mcanes be divers, yet thclallaetisllilltbdame, andtbedifpofitionofthefoule ne<dnor be other: it is all one whether a fever bring'ir, ora fword; wherein yet, afterlong profdlion ofother fciences,Iam llill (why fhould I fbame to co.n!e!fcq a learner; arid fha!l be (I hope) whilell I am: yet ir fhall nor repent us, asd1hgenr Schollers repeat thm parts unto each other,to bemore perfect; fo mutually to recall fame of our rules ofwelldying : The firll whereofis a confcionable life:The ne&ta right apprehenfion oflife, and death: !tread in the beaten path; doe you follow me. To live holily,is the way to die fafdy,happily.Ifdeath be terrible, yet innocence is bold, and will neither feare it felfe, norl<t us fcarc; where conttariwlfe Wlckcdndfc iscowardly, and cannot a- ~ B bide either any glimpfcoflight, or thew of danger. Hope Cloth not moredraw our des forwarp, then confcience ruroos them backward, and forces us to lookc behind us; alfrighting us even with our pall evils. Befides the paioe of death, every fin is a new Fury to torment the funic, and to make it loth to parr. How can irchufe; when itfe<s on the one fide, what evill it bath done; on the orher,what evil! ir mull fuffer~ It was aclearc heart(what elfc could docit~)rhar gave fo bold aforehead to that holy Bifhop,who durll on his death-bed pr0fdfe, I have fo lived, as I neither fearc to die, nor fhame tolive.What care wewhen webe found,if wd-doing~ What care we how fuddenly, when our preparation is perpctuall! What care we how violently, when c fomany inward friends (fuch arcourgood actions) giveus fccrct comfort~ Thereis no good Steward, but is glad of his Audit; his llrairgh accounts dcfircJ nothing more then a difcharge: onely the doubtfull and unnully fearcs ofhis reckoning. Neither only doth the wantof integritymake us timorous, but ofwifdome, in that ourigno. ranee cannot equally value, eithcrthe life which weleave, orthedeath wcexpctl. We have long convcrfed with thi$ life, and yet are unacquaiotcd : howfhould we .then know that death we never faw f or that life which followes that death~ · Thefc cottages havebccne ruinous,and we have not thought of their fall: ourway bath qccne deepe, and we have not looked for our roll. Shew me ever any mati that knew what life was; and was loth to lcavcir. I Will !hewyou a prifonerthat would dwdl in his Goale, aflavc that likes to be chained to his Galley. What is there here, D but darkndfe of ignorance, difcomfort of events, impotency ofbody,.vex:;tioo of confcicnce, dillemper ofpaflions, complainrofdbte, feates and !Onfe of evill,hopcs and doubts ofgood, ambitious rackings, covct<lus toylcs, envious lioderminings, irkfome difappointmcnts , weary focietlcs, relllelfe dcfires, and many worlds of difconteotments in this one! What wonder is it that we would live~ We laugh at their choice that are in love with the deformed ; and what a face is this we dote upon~ See if finnes, and cares, and croffes, have not (like a filthy Morphew) over. fpcad it, and made it loathfome to all judicious eyes. I marvell then, thatany wife· men couldbe other butStoicks, and could have any conceit of life, but contemptuous 1 not more for the mifcry of it, while it lalleth1 then for the not !ailing: we may love it, we cannot hold it. What a fhadow ofa fmoakc, what a dreame ofa fhaE do~ is this, we affect~ Wife S•l•m~n fayes, there is a time to be borne, and atime tod1~ : )'DU doe not heare him fay, a time to live. What is more flitting then rime! Yet hre IS not long enough to be worthy ofthe title of time. Death borders upon our b~tth , ond our cradle !lands in our grave. We lament the loffe of our pa· rents : how foone !hall our fonncs bewaile ours ! Loe, I that write this; and you thatreade 1t, how long arc we here! It were well, ifthc worldwcreas our tent, yea as ourlnne;_ it not to lodge, yet to bait in: but nowltisonelyourthorowfare, on_c gcncrano? paff~th, ooother commeth ; none llayeth. If this earth were a Parad1fe, an~ thiS wh1ch we call our life were fwcet as the joycs above, yet how fhould thiS ficklcneffe of it coole our delight ! Grant it abfolute, who can ellccme a vaoifi1ing plcafure ~ How much more now , when the drammcs of our honey are loll· in pounds of gall ; when our contentmems arc Cc as
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