Meditations and 'f/orPes. Cent. Ill. to God: for natutallywherewe are not acquainted, welill not to hazard ourwd. A come;chufing rather to fp<nd our money a<a limple Tnne,then to turn in for a f>ee lodging to an unknownOall, whom we have only heard of, never had friendfhip ivith;whereas to an entire friend, whofenature and welcome we know, andwhom we have elfe-where familiarly converfed withall,we go as boldly and willinglyas to our home,knowing that no hour can be unfeafonable to fuch aone: whiles on rhe other fidewe fcrapc acquaintance with theworld, that never did u• good, even afrer many repulfes.I will not livewith God,and in God,wirhouc his aequainrance,knowing it my happinetre to have fuch a friend. I will not let one day palfc without fame afr ofrenewing my familiarity with him: nor giving over till! have given bim fome teflimony ofmy love to him,and joy in him; and till he bath left behinde him fume pledge of his continued favnurro me. B 30 Men,for the moft part,would neither die nor be old.When wefee an aged man that bath over-lived all the teeth of his gummes,the hair ofhis bead,the fighe of his eyes, thetafle of his palate; we profeffe, we would not live till fuch acomberfeme age, wherein we prove burdens to ourdearell friends,and our felves:ycr iric be ·pur to our choicewhat yeer we would die,wecver fhift it offtill rhe nexr;and want not exeufes for this prorog3tion, m her then faile , alleaging, wewould live to amend; when yet we doe but addemoretothe heap ofour fins by continuance. Nature bath nothing to plead for this folly, but thadifeis fweer : wherein we give oecafion ofrenewing that ancient chcck,or one not unlike to it,whereby tbar primitive vilion taxed the timoroufnelfe ofthe lhrinking Confelfors; Yee would oeith<r live to be old, C nor die ere your age:what !hould I doe with you? The Chriflian mun not think it enough toendure the thought ofdeath with pllienee, when it is.obtruded upon him by necdlity; bmmoll voluntarily call it into his mindewich joy;not only abiding it lhou!d come,but wi01ing that ic might come.! will not leave till I can r~folvq if I might die tQ day,not tolive till to morrow. Jl As atrue friend is thefweeteft contentment in the world: CO in his qualities he wdl refembleth bony,the fweeteft ofall liquors. Nothing is mOte fweet to the cane, nothing more lharpe and cleanfing, when it meets with an exulcerate fore. For my fclfe,Iknow I mull havefaults;and therefore! care not fotthat friend, that I !hall never finatt by.For lilY fri<nds,I know they cannot be faultlelfe; and therfore as they 0 !hall finde me fweet in their praifesand encouragements, fo !harp alfo in their een. fure.Eicher let them •bideme no friend to their faulrs,or no friend tothemfdves. l• In all other things we are lead by profit1but in the main.matterofall,we !hewour fdves utte1ly untbrifty; and whilosweare wife in making good markers in thefe bafecommodities,\ve !hew our fdves foolilh in thegreat march of our foulos. Cod and the world come both to one lhop,and make proffers for our foules. The world, like a lranke Chapman ,fayes, All thefe will I give thee,!hewing us his bagges, and promotions,and thrufling them into our hands.Gocl olfers aerown ofglory, which yet he tels us we muft give him day to performe, and have nothing in prefent, but our hope and fome fmall earoeft of the bargaine.Though we know there is no corn- E parifon betwixtthefe two in value, finding thefe earthly things vain & unable to give any contentment,& thofeothers of invaluableworth and benefic: yet we had rarher takethefein hand,then truft God on his word for the future; while yet in the Gme kind wechuferatherto take fome rich Lordlhip in reverfion, afror the long exp<fra· tion ofthree lives expired, then a prefent fumme much under foot: As cootrarily, when God and the world are fellers,and we come to the Marr, the world offers fine plioted wares,but will not part with them under thepriceofour torment : God pro. claims;Come yee that want; buy for nought. Now we thrifry men,chatrry all fhops for the cheapen penniworrh,refufe God,proffering his preciouscommodities for nothing;& pay a,n hard price for that which is worfethen nothing,painfui.Surely we are wife forany thing but ourfouls:not fo wifeforrhe body,as foolifh forthem. 0 Lord, thv
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