Meditations touchingVe4th. 613 earthly things withthisthought, What doe I meaneto tier outmy reify inthis fort , who am but a (hanger here, and a foiourner as all my fathers were a? aPfa1.39u, why looke I not earneftlyfor that other Country?This is a good teflimonyof grace, accordingas theforgetfulneffehereof, and the feeling ofamans heart to theworld,outof aputting faroffthe latter day, is an euid,_nceofanearth- lymind. Seeing wee mullbee diffolued , let vslabour daily to ripen ouraKaions to the dayofourdeparture. Beware wee ofengulfing our fcluestoo deepe into thewoeld ,outofwhichweare ftillhaftening, muchfaflerthen the moflfwift (hips,or the Eeglerhsrfirerbtotheprerb. Withall, the thoughtofourhencede- bIob.w.: parture, Mould flirrevs vp toa callingwith our felues upon our after-flate : Who thinkes vponleauingthe houfe wherehe now dwelleth, at thecurtefeof his Lord, without concdering whereto hide hishead , if the wórIh fhould come, that hoebeefuddenly difinift ? Wel-fare the vniuflSteward, who be- ingwarned byhis Mafia to make vp his accounts and to glueouerhis fer- vice; began to layaplot for hisénterraincment,whenhe wasgone. Hee had eherealos tothinke,it would notbee goodfoe him, whocould neither digge, norbegge, to beeto fecke ofharbour. Andwhy was thisSteward commen- ded in this , but tobeapatternetovs, to makeprouifionbefore- hand,foran hiding place forthe foule whendeath !hall pluckedown that earthly cottage where it dwels? Oh what a wofuhl taking (hail thy poore foule bee in , when it feeth Death come marching furioufly,like/eba,bringingfiuh a Writ ofRemoue,ascannot be reuerfed,and yet cannot conceive nor imagine whither it malt ? Ohthere- forethat wecouldbee wife in this, to make liichfriendsnow in time,that wee maybe receiuedinto euerlafting habitations. Whatcomfort toremember our tranflatinghence, ifconcerningthisparti- cular (where we flail be next) wee hauenoaffùrance? Thecommonrefolution oftheworld herein(all mullbee aspleafethGod,&c.)alas,alas, it cangluebut fmallcontentment. This then letvs determine : Mull wee leaue the world ? then letvs not enfnareouraffe&ionswiththe loue oftheworld. Mull weeall firflorlaltbee remouedhence? Oh, let vs prouide forthe timeto come; for fhame, let not a matter of fo great importance bee put to a meere adven- ture. /ç A.. CiAp.IIII. To the childrenafead, Death it a fnall difchargefromall mannerafmifiry. did tearmeth death afettingofhimlooke, Idefrerobeelet leofce The teeond and he vfeth the fame rearme other-where, calling death, the generall mu. timeofhis bberty d. Itis(asit were) the vnfoldingofthe net,or ditat;om thebreakingopen ofthe prifondoore, by which the foule be- ing before detained inakindeof thraldome,is inlarged. Lord 1°`ef° TMo now difmiff eftthou thy feruant,faidold Srmeexe. Hitherto my:Lako ,s foule hathbeendetained fo, authat whilel't it wasat home lathe body, itwas ,,,,V t abfent fromthee , now I pray thee to giveme my difcharge , that I may re- f a Cor4,6, turnvnto thatrefs which I haue long defired. Saint Perer bath a phrafein thismatter notvnlike : he calieth his death, the f z pegnà laying downeofa tabernacle s; as it were the quitting himfelfe ofa burthen, d+roSrmszee by the depofition whereof the foule is after, a fort eafed and lightened. ex`rr`auxncs. And then againe hee ftileth it a Departure; vfing the fameword by which Nan; Mefbt
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