Meditations andVowes. Cent. IlL contemne,ifthey had our reafon, might more jullly comemae us; and as they are, A may teach us by their examples,and doe coodemne us by their practice. 39 Theidl~ man is the Devilscufhion,on which hetaketh his free tafe: who as heis uncapable ofany good,fo he is fidy difpofed for all evill motions. The !landingwater foon llinketh;whaeas the cunent ever keeps cleer3nd cleanly: conveying down all noifome matter thatmight infect it, by the force ofhis ftream. If I doe but little goodto others bymyendevours, yetthisisgreatgood tome, that by my labourl keep my fdfe from hurt. 40 There can beno neerer conjunction in nature,then is berwixt tha.body and thefoul: yet thefe two are offo contrary difpofirion, that as it falls out in an ill-matchedman B and wife, thofe fervants which the onelikes bell, are moll difpraifed ofthe other1fo here,on.e llill takes part againll the other in their choice:what benefits the one, is the hurt oftheother.The glutting ofthebody pines the foule; and the foule thrives hell when the body is pinched. Who can wonder, that there is fuch faction among{! others,that fees fo much in his very felfe!True wifdome is to rake,not withthe llronger,asthe f.lfhion oftheworld is, but with the better: following herein, nor ufur. ped pow<r,but jullice.Tt is not har4 to difcern,whofe the right is;wherherthe fcrvaot lbould ruleor the millreffe.I will labour to make and keep the peace, by giving each part his own indifferently : but if more be affectedwith an ambitious contention, I will rather beat H•g., out ofdoors,thenfhe lhall over-rule her millrelfe. 41 . c I fee Iron firll heated red hot in the fire, and afterbeatenand hardned with cold wat~.Thus will I dealewith ano!fendi~g friend: firll heathim with deferved praife ofhiS verrue,and thenbeat upon h1mWith reprebenfion: fo good nurfes, when their children are fallen, full take them up and !peak them fair, chide them afterWllrds : Gentle fpeech isa good preparative for rigor. He fhall fee that Ilove him,by my approbation;and that I love not his faults by my reproof.Ifhe love himfelf,hewillove thofe that mifiikehisvices:&ifhelove nothimfdf,it matters not whether he love me. 4• Theliker we are toGod,which is thehell and only good,ihe better & happier we mull needshe.AII fins make us unlike him,as beingcontrary tohis perfect holine!fe 1 D but fame fhew moredirect comrariety:fuch is envy.For whereas God bringeth good out ofevill; the envious man fetcheth evil! out ofgood ; wherein alfo his fin proves a kinde of punifhment: for whereas to good men evenevill things work togerher to their good, contrarily,to the<nvious, good thingswork together to their evill. Tho evill, in anyman, though nev<r fo profperous, I will not envy, but pity : The good graces I will nompine at,but bolilyemulate; rejoycing that they are fo good 1 but grieving that lam nobetter. 43 The covetous man is like a fpider,as in this,that he doth nothingbut lay his nets to catch everyFlie,gaping onlyfor abooiyofgain,fo yet more,in that whiles he makes nmfor thefellies,he confumeth his own bowels:fo that which is his life is his death. E Ifthere be any creature miferable,it is he;and yet he is leall tobe pitied, becaufe bee makes himfelfmiferable1fuch as he is I will account him 1 and will therefore fweep down his webs and bate his poyfon. 44 In heaven there is alllife,and no dying:in hell isall death,and no life.In earth there is both living ond dying; which, as it is betwixt both, fo it prepares for both. So that hewhich here bdowdyes to finne , doth after live in heaven'; and contmrily,he that lives in finne upon earth, dies in bell afterward. '(Vhat if I have no part of joy h<re bdow,but llill fuccdlion of alllictions~ The wicked have no pm in heaven, and yet chey enjoy theearth with pl<afurc:I would not change portions with them.! r<joyce, that feeing I cannot have both,yer I have the b<rter. 0 Lord , let me paOi: borh 111y . ' deaths
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