Hall - HP BX5133 .H34 1647

Heaven upon Earth. A cufebefore thetribunall ofHeaven: wherefore, then ondy is the heart quiet, when our aClions ;u:egrounded upon judgement, and our judgement upon truth. S•cT,XXV. FOrhis dbte, the quiet minde mult firlt roll it fdfe upon the providenceof the Highclt. For wboloever fo calts himfdfe upon the!c outward things, that in their profperous eflatc he rcjoyceth, and ( contrarily)is calt downe in tbeir roilcarriage; I know not whether he !hall find more uncertaintyof reft,or morecertainty ofunquietndfe; !ince bee mult ne<ds be like a light unbalb!fod Vdfell,that rifes ana falls with every wave,and depends onely on the mercy ofwinde and water:But who B rdics on the inevitable decree,and all-feting providence ofGod, (which can neither be cro!fed with fecond thoughts, norwith events unlooked for ) !ayesa fure ground ofTr.mquiUit1• Let the world to!fe bow it lilt, and vary it fdfe (as it ever doth)in llormcs and calmcs;his relt is pitched alofr,above the fphere ofchangeable mortali• ty. To begin,is harder thenro profecute: What eounfelfhao God in the fi1·1t moulding ofthee in tl\e womb of thy mother~ What aid ihall bee have in repairing thee from the womb ot the earth~ And ifhe could make, and fl1all rellore thee without th«,why !hall he DOt much more (without thy endeaYour) difpofe of thee~ Is God wife enough to guide the Heavens, and to produceall cr~atures in their kinds and feafons~ Andlhal he not be able to order thee alone~ Thou fayelt,I have fricDds,and C (whichis my bell friend) I have wealth to makeboth them and me 1 andwittoput both to bell ufe. 0 the broken reeds ofhumane confidence! Who evertrultcd on . friends, that could trull to himfelfe~ W/JDt<Jtr wM fo wJft, 114 notfometimtstD be• foole in his Dll>ne e~nreit?Dft· timtt ;, tht eDn&eil •f•thert ? Who was evermore difcootent, thenthe Wealthy~ Frie11d1 may bef•lfe: WtA/thcannot but he deceitfull: Wit bath made many fooles.Trull thou tothat,wbich(ifthou wou\dell)cannot faile thce,N~t thAt th1u dc(infl fo•P e~me tD p•Jft; h•t th•t whJeh G1dh.sh decrmJ. Ntither thy feares, nor thy hopes,nor vowcs ilia\ either f9rcflow or alter ir. The unexperienced pa!fengcr, when bee fees the nlfellgoe ami!feortoo farre, !ayes fall hold onthe contrary part, oron theMalt forremedy: the Pilot laughes at his folly 1 lr.nowiog, that (what-ever helabours) the Barlcewill goe which way the wind aad his ftemc dir«terh ir.Thy goodsarcembarlr.ed:Now thou wilhelt adireCl North-wind todrive thee D to the StrAits; and then aWell,to run io: and now,when thou hall emptied and laded againe, tboucalleft as earoefily for the South, and South-call:, to rctume; and lowrell,if all thefe anfwerthce not: As ifHeaven and Earth had norbingelfe mdoe, but towait upon thy p\eafure; and ferved oncly, to beecommanded fervice by thee, Another that bath contrary occa!ion , askes for winds quire oppofite to thine. Hcc tbat !its in Heaven, neither firs thy f:;ncynpr his: but bids his winds fpct fometimes in thy fa~e; fometimes to f•~our thee with a fide blaltsfometime_s, to beboyRrous; otherwhJles,to he lilcnr,at h1s owne pleafure. Whetherrhe Manner ling or curfe, it !hall goe,whirhcr it is fent.Strive,or lye llill, thydelliny !hall run on; andwhat muft be,lhall be:Not that we lhould hence exclude beodit of meanes,(which are alwaies nece!farily included in thiswife preordination ofall things) but perplexity ofcares, E and wre!lling with providen". Oh,the idle and ill-fpent cares ofcurious men, that confult with llars,and fpirits for theirdellinies, under colour ofprevention ! Ifir he not thydelliny; why wouldll thou know it,what needlhhou rclillit!Ifit be thyde• lliny; whywouldlt thou know that thou eanit not prevent~ That which God bath decreed, isalready don~ inHeaven, and muft be done OD Earth. This lr.indeofexpc· Clarion doth bur halteo flo1v evils, and prolong them in their continuance r hallco them, not in their eveDt,but in our conceit. Shortly then, ifthou fwimmeft agaioft the llreame ofthis proyidence, thou canll not efcapedrowoing1 every wavetY1'11cs thee over, like a Ptrkpifte before a tempell: But ifthcu fwimmell with the llreame, doe but cafi thine armes abroad, thou palfe!l with fafcty, aod with cafe: it both bearcs thee up,andcarries thee on to the Haven(whitherGod bath determined thine arrivall) in peace. SEcT.

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