Cent. ?0 1-----1 that caufe to covet death) is neither difficult, nor commendabk1 but rather argues a A bafe weakndfeofminde. So it may be a cowardly part,ro conrcmnrhe utmofl of all terriblethings,ina fear ofling~ring mifery: but for •.man either living happily h<re on earrh,or refolviog to ltve ffiiferably,yer to ddire hts removall ro.Hcaven,dmhwcl become atrue Chri!liancouragc;and argues anoble mixture of patrencc andfaith.Of patience,for that hrcan & dare abide to live forrowfully:offJith,~or that hdsatfurcd ofhis better Beingother.where; and therefore prefers t~c abfenr )oyes hclooks for, ro thofe he fecks in prefcnr:No forrow fhall make me wtfb my fclf dead, that I may nor beat all.No contentment fhall hinder me from wifhing my fclfwith Chrifl,rhat I may be happier. 86 It was not for nothing that the wife Crcaror ofall things hath placed gold & fil ver B and all precious minerals under our feet to be trod upon , and bath htd them low in the bowds ofthe earrh,that they cannotwithomgreat labour bccith<r found,or gor1 teM\>hctrcas he hath placed the ooblcfl pareofhis creation above our heads: and rhat fo opento our view,that we cannot chufe bur everymoment behold them.Wherein what did bcelfe intcnd,b_utto draw away our mindcs from thcfc worthlcfir, and yer hidden rreafures, (to whtch heforefawwe would be too much addt~ed) and to call them ro the contemplationofthofe lomerrhings, which (befide their bcaury) arc more obvious to us,that in them we may fee and admire the glory oftheir maker,and withall fcck our o•~n( How doe thofe men wrong themfdves,and mifconflrucGod who(as ifhe had hidden tbeferhings, bocaufc he would have them fought, and laid the other. ?pen for ncgle~) bc~d thcmfdvcs w~olly ro rhc feeking of rhcfe earthly C commodmcs! &do no more uund Hcaven,thcn tf there wcr< none.Ifwe could imagine a bcall to have r..afon,.how could he be more abfur? in bischoicc :Howeafie is it to obfcrvc,that lhll the lugher we goe , rhe more punry and perfedron we finde ! (So earth is the very drotfe and dregs ofall the elemmts:watcr fomewhat more pure then it; yet alfo more feculent then rheairabovc it: the lower air lctfcpure then his uppermofl regions; and yctthcfeas far inferiour to the lowdl heavens : which again arc more exceeded by the glorious and Empyriall fear ofGod,which is rhc heavenof the jufl:)Yet thcfe brutilh men take up thdr refl,and place their felicity in the lowefl and worfl ofall Godswork":'anfbip;not regarding that which wirh ic own glory can make rhcm happy. HeavenlSrhepropfr place ofmy foule: I will fend it up thither continually in my thoughts,whiles ir fojourncs with mc,beforc it goc to dwell there D for ever. 87 · Aman need notto care for more knowledge, rhcn.ro know himfclf: he needs no more pleafurc,rhcn to content himfclf: no more vidor_v,rhcn to overcome himfdfc: no more richcs,theoro enjoy himfclf. Wl!ar foolcs are they that fcckto know all orher things, and arc !hangers in thcmfe!vcs ( that fcek altogether to fatisfic other mens humours, with their own difplcafurc: that fcek ro vaoquifb Kingdomes and Countries, when they are QotMaflcrs ofrhcmfclvcs;that havt no hold ofrheir own beam, yet feck to be poffcffcd ofall outwardcommodities. Goc home ro thy felf, lirfl,vaio heart: and whcntho• haft made furc work rhcro, (in knowing, conrcnting,ovcrcomming, enjoying thy fc:lf)fpend all rhc fupcrfiuiry ofthy time and labour, E upon others. asIr was an excellent rule that fell from the Epir•rt ( whofc name is odious ro us for the farher ofloofcnetfc1)Thar if a man would be rich,l)onourablc,agcd,hc fbould nor flrive lo much ro addc to hiswcalrh,repuration,yc<rcs,as to detract from his defires. Forccrtainly,in thcfe things which!land mofl uponconccit,he hath the mofltha•dcfircrh !call. A poorman that hatb little, and defircs no more, is in truth richcrthen grcatefl Monarch,rhot thinkcth he hath nor whar he Owuld,or what he miohr or grieves there is no more to hav~. It is notneceffiry,hut ambition, that {<:t~ m~s the rack. IfI h~.vc meat, drink. appar<ll, I will learn therewith to be conIf I had the world lull ofwealth belidc,I.couldcnjoy no more then I ufc:the refl could
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