T he vexation of the Spirit. brought fo much ignorance and inapprchenfion upon my underi+anding , fo much weakneífe upon my body, fo much intricateneffe upon my employments, fo much ruf+ and fluggithnelfe upon my faculties , fo much earthly - mindedneífe upon my heart , as that I am not able with- out much difcomfort to goe on in my Calling. All thy Creatures are of themfelves full of honour and beautie, the beames and glimpfes of thine owne glory ; but our fin hath f+ained the beauty of thine owne handy- worke, fo that now thy wrath is as well revealed from Heaven as thyglory , wee now fee in them the prints as well of thy terrours as of thy goodneffe. And now, Lord, I doe in humblenelfe of heart truely abhorre my felfe, and abo- minate thofe turfed finnes, which have not oncly defiled mine owne nature audperfon, but have fpread deformi- tie and confufion upon all thofe Creatures , in which thine owne wifedome and power had planted fo great a beauty, and fo fweet an order. After Ionic fuch manner as this ought the confideration of the thornyneffe of the Creature to humble us in the fight of thofe fins which are the roots thereof. Secondly, the confideration hereof fhould make us wife to prevent thofe cares which the Creatures arc fo apt to beget in the heart : thofe I meane which are bran- ches of the Vexation of the Creature. There is a twofold Care, Regular and Irregular. Care is then Regular, Firf+, when it hath a Right end , fuch as is both fineable with, and fubordinateto our maire end, the Kingdome of God and his righteoufncffe. Secondly, when the 'wanes of procuring that end are right ; for wee may not doe evill to effeát Good. Recovery was a lawfull end which A- baziah did propofe, but to enquire of Baalzebssb was a meanes which did poifon the whole bufineffe : nay, Saint .Augujtine is refolute , that if it were poflìblc by an of- ficious lye to compatfe the redemption of the whole world, yet fo weighty and univerfall a good mutt rather be u g . de Men-1 dac. ad content. lib.
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