Cent. II. Meditation.r and Vowe.r. 33 theauthor offin,noDevill: if I have once finned,it is too much;ifoft,woe betome, - A ifthe iteration ofmyoffence caufe boldneffe,and not rathermore farrow, more dereflation:woe beto meand my lin,if I be not thebetter becaufe I have finned. 99 It is flrange to f<e the varieties and proportion of fpiritual! and bodilydiets: there b: fame creatures that are fatted anddelighted with poyfons: others live by nothing butair;and fame (they fay )by fire:others will taflc no water but muddy:others feed on their fellowes,or(pcrhaps)onpart ofthemftlves:others,on the excwions of nobier creatures:fome fearch into theearthfor fuflenance,or dive into the waters:others content themfclves with what the upper earth yeelds the without violence.All thefc and more,are anfwered in thepalate ofthe foul therebe fome(yea the moll)towhom B fin(which is pf -a mo!l venomous nature)is both food anddainties ; others that think it the only life,to feed on the popular air ofapplaufe; others, that are never " ·ell out ofthe fire ofcontentions;and that wilfully trouble all watrrs witb their private humours and opinions;others,whofe crudty delights in oppreflion,& bloud;yea,whofe envy goawes upon their own beam; others, that take pleafure ;o revive thewicked and foule herefies of the greater wits of the former times ; others, whofe worldly mindes root alt';f.ether inearthly cares;or who not content with theordinaryprovifi on of dotlrine,a ect obfcure fubtilties, unknown to wifer men; others, whofe too indifferent mindes feed on what-ever opinion comes next to hand,without anycarefull difquifition of truth:fo fame feedfoul;others(but few)clcan,&wholefome.As there is nobea!l upon Earth,which bath not his like in the S:a,and which (p:rhaps) is nor c in fome fort paralleled in the Plants of the earth:fo there is no bea!liall difpofition, which is not anfwerably found in fome men. Mankind therefore hath within it fclfe his Goats,Chameleons,Salamanders,Camrh,Wolves,Dogs,Swine, Moles,& what ever forts ofbeafls:tbere are but a few menamongll men: to a wife man thefhapc is not fomuch as the qualities:If! be not a man within, in my choices, affet~ions, incli. nations1it had been better for me to have been abea!l without : A beall is but like it fdfe;but an evill man is halfea beall,and h.alfe aD:vill. lOO ' Forced favours are thankldfe:and commonly with noble mindcs find noacceptadon: for aman to give hisfauleto God,when he fees he can no longer hold it; orto bellow his goods,when he is forced to depart wirh them;or to forfake bis fin, when D he cannot follow ir,are but unkinde and cold obedi<nces: God fees ournecefliry,and fcoroes ourcompelled offers ; what man ofany generous fpirit will abide bimfelfe made theh!l refugeof a craved,denied,and conllrained curtefie ~ While God gives me leave to keep my foule , yet then to bequeath it to him, and wh•les llrenoth and opportunity f<rve me to finne,then to forfakeir,isboth ac<'pted and crown~d: God loves neither grudged,oor neceffarygifts: I will offer betimes,that hemay xouchfafe to take:I will give him the be!l,that he may take all. 0 God,give methi; grace,that I maygive thee my G.!f,freely and feafonably:and then I know thoucan!l not but accept me,becaufe this gift isthine own. E FIN I S. •
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