74 Hea"'en upon Earth. eofier:it isa bbour wdlloll:,ifthey come not;and wdLbdlowed,if they doe come. A Wearefure the worfimaycome, why!houldwebefecure that it will not! SuddeMelfe finds weake minds fecure, makes them miferable, leaves them defperate. The befi way therefore is,to make thingsprefent,in conceit, before they come, that they may be halfe pofi intheir violence when they doe come:even as with woodden wafters, we learne to play at the !harp. As therefore good Souldiers exercife themfdves long ot the pale,and there ufe thofe adivities, which afr<rwords they !ha!l prallife upon a true adverfary: fo muft we prefent to our fclves imaginary crollh, and manage them in ourminde,before God fends them in event.Now I eate,Oeepe,digefi all foundly,without complaint;what ifa langui!hingdifeofe fl1ould bereave me ofmy appetite and re!l! that I !hould fee dointies and loath them, furfetting ofthe very fmdl, ofthe thought ofthe befi dill1es ! thot I !hould count the lingring houres, ond thinke Eulti.u long day rrturned,wearyiag my fclfe with changing fides, and wi!h- B inganything but what I am! How could I take this difiemper! Now I have (ifnot what I would,yet) whJt I need; as not abounding with idle fuperAuities,fo not !lrait. ned with penury ofneceffary things. What if poverty !hould rulh upon me asan ar· med man, fpoiling me of•11 my little that I had, and fend me to the fountaine for my beft celbr!tothe ground for my bed!for my bread to onothers cupbord!for my clothes to the Brokers !hop,or myfriends wardrobe!How could I brookethis want! I am nowat home, walking in mine owne grounds, looking on my young plants the hope ofpofierity, confidering the nature, advantages or feares ofmyfoile, enjoyiog the patrimony ofmy fathers. What iffor my Religion,or themalicious fenrence of fame great one, I ll10uld be exiled from my Country, wandring amongft thofe, whofe habit, language, fa!hion, my ignorance !hallmake me wonderat; where the folitudeofplaces,and ftrangenes of perfons,!hall make my life uncomfortable? How c could I abide the fmell offorrainefmoke!How Jhould I rake the contempt and hard ufage that waits upon {\rangers! Thy profperity is idle,and ill fpent, ifit be not medledwith fuch fore-ca!l:ing,and wifely fufpiciousthoughts,ifit be wholly beftowed in enjoying, no whit in preventing. Like unto a fooli!h City,which notwithftanding a dangerous fituation, fpends all her wealth in rich furnirures ofchambers and fiatehoufes; while they befiownot one !hovell full ofearth on outward Bulwarks to their defence : this is but to make our enemies the happier, and our felves the more readily miferable. Jfrhou wilt not therefore be opprelfed with evils Exptc1 & txercifo; Ex. ercifethy fdfe with conceit ofevils:Expell the evils therofdves; yea exercife thy fdfe in expellarion: fo whilethe mind pleafeth itfelfe in thinking, Yet I am not thus, it prepareth it fdfe againft it may be fa. And tf fame that have bin good at the Foiles, have provedcowardly at the !harp!yet on the cont~ary,:who ever durfi point alingle D combat in the fidd,that bath not bm fomewhat tmned tn the Fence-fchoole~ SEcT. XII. Thi!! Rtxt re· rRcdy of croffa when rhey :arc come. Fro•1 rhdr Author, NEither doth it a little blunt the edgeofevils,ro conliderrhatthey come from a divine hand,whofe almighty power is guided by a moft wife providence,and ttmpered with aFatherly love. Event~ favag~creatures will be frnittenof ttleir keepcr,andrcrine not; if ofa{l:ranger,rhey tcare him in pecces. He !hikes me that made m(,that moderates the world;whyfiruggle I with him,whywith my fdfe! Am I a foole,or a Rebell?Afoole,ifi bdgnoranrwhence rnycrolfes come:a Rebell, if! koow it,and be impatient. Myfufferings are from a God,frommy God; he bath E ddlin'd meevery.dmnme offorrowthat I feele: thus much thou fl1alt abide, and here !h:dl thymiferies be fiinted.All worldly helps cannot abate rhem,all powers of hdl cannot adde onefcruple to their weight, that he hath allotted me: I muft therefore either blafpheme God in my heart,detrading from his infinite juaice,wifdome, power, mercy, which all ftand inviolable, when millions offuch wormesas I am, are gone to dufi; orelfe confelfcthat I oughtto be patient. And ifl profeJTe I !hould be tbati will nor,I befoolc myfdfe,and bewray miferable impotency.But(as impatienccis full ofexcufe) it was thine owne rall1 improvidence, or thefpight of thine enemy
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