Hea"'Pm upon Earth. A 8owers hath his thornes :and who cm determine wherherrhe lent be more dcltct I abl<,or the pricks moreirkelomel It is enoughfo~· heaven to have abfolm~pleafures: which if they could be found here below, ccrramly that heaven, whtch ts now not 1 enouoh ddired would then be feared. God will have our plealureshere (accor- 1 ding ~0 the fa eh ion of our fdves) compounded: I? as the bdl delights may flill fa- : vouroftheir earth. See how that great Kmg, whtch never had any match for wtf. dome, fcarce ever any fuperiour for :vealth, traverfed over all this inferiour world, with diligent inquir_y, and obfervanon, and all to find_ out th~t &oodndfeof ~he children ofmen whtch they enJOY underrhe Sunne; abndgmg htmldfe of nothtng that either his eyes, or his hemcould luggefl to him :(as what is ir, that hecc;;ld not either know or purchafe!) ond now comming home to hirnfelfe (after thedifquilirion ofall namrall and humanethi~gs) complains, th~t Bthold, aU is not only B 'lhtnity but vtxamn. Goc then, thou Wtle lcholler ofexpenence, and make amore accura;e fearch forthat which he fought, and mifi"ed. Perhaps l01ne-where (b<rwixt thetall<flCedar in Lebanon, and the 01rubby Hyfop upon the \V all) Pkafure 0Jrouded her felf that fi1e could not be defcried of him ; whether through ignorance, or neolioence: thine inGght may be more piercing, thy means more commodious, thy f~c~e!fe happier. If it were poflible for any man to enterraine fuch hopes, his vaine experience could not make him a greaterfoole :it could but r<ach him what he is and knowerh not. And yet fo lmperfe{l as our Pkafures arr, they have thdr fatiety: and as their Cor.tinu.nce is not good, fo their Conclt~{t.n is worfe: looke to their end, and fee how fudden, how bitter it is. Their only Courttfi< is, to fa lure us with abrnvdl ; and fuch aone, as makes their falutation uncomforrabk. This D•· C fila fhewes and fpeaks faire; but in the end fi1e will bereave thee ofthy flrength, of thy light, yea of thy fdfe. Thefe gnats Aie about thine eares, and make th<e mu6cke awhile; but evermore they fling,erethey parr. S1rrort1 and RtpmtaNC~ is the bell: end offlujim: Pain <is yet worfe; but the worll: is Dtjpairc. If thou mi!fe ofthe fir{\ ofrh&, one ofthe latter Dull find thee; perhaps both. How much better is it for thee to wanta little honie,then tobe fwolne up with a venomous ll:ing ~ D Thus then,the mind rrfolved, that thefeearrhly things (Hon••rr, fftalth, Plta(iiw) are cafuall, unflable, deceitfull, imperfeCt, dangerous; mu£\ learne to ufe them withomtru£\, & to wantthemwithout griefe; thinking flill, If I have them,I have lome benefit with a great charge : If! have them not; with Iittle refpett ofoth.,s, I have much fccurity and eaf~, in my lclfe: which onceobtained, we cannot fare ami!fe in either ellatr;and wirhout which,we cannotbut mifcary in both. SEcT. XXII. AL the enemies ofour inward peace,are thus defcribed & difcomfit<d.Which P•"''" J!.ul<t done, we luve enough to preferve us from mifery: but (liace we moreover ofo"' 1'""·· fecke how to hve well & happtly)th:re yer remaine thofe P•Jitiv< rulu where· by our T'""1"""J may be both had, conttnued, and confirmed. Wherein I feare not kll: I fi1ould leeme over divine, in ca£\ing the AnlKor ofQgetndfe fo derpeas Heaven (the only feate ofcon£\ancy;) whiles it can find no hold at all upon earth. All earthly rhtn~s are full of vanablen~ffe: and therefore having no ll:ay in then;fel~es, congtve none. r.ous.He that wtll haveand hold tight Trawquility, mufl find mhtmfclfe a fweet frumon of God, and feeltng apprehenfion ofhisprefcnce· E thlt when he finds man>f<;ld occalions of.vexationin thele earthly things,he(over~ looktng them all, and havtngrecourfe to hts Comforter) may find in him fucb matrer ?fcontemmenr,that he may pa!feover all thefe perrie grievances wirh contempr: whtch whofoever wants, may be lecure, cannot be quier. The mind ofman cannot w~nt fon;e refuge, and(as we fay of the Elephant) cannot reil:, unldfc it have fomet~tng to ..eane upon. The Covetou< m•n, (whole heaven is his che£\) when he heares I htmldfe rated and c~rfed for oppreffions, comes home; and feeing his baggs fafe, /applauds ht?Jfelfeagotnfl all cen~ures. The GluttoN, when he loleth friends or good , name, yet JOyeth tn htswell furmfht table, and the laughter ofhis wine: more plea. lin
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