Sun and Moon.

HEAVENLY and earthly things are plainly represented to us by the two lights of heaven, which are appointed to rule the night and the day. Earthly things are resembled by the moon, which being nearest to the region of mortality, is ever changing, and never looks upon us twice with the same face; and when it is at the full, it is blemished with some dark blots, not capable of any illumination. Heavenly things are figured by the sun, whose great and glorious light is both natural to itself, and ever constant. That other fickle and dim star is fit enough for the night of misery, wherein we live here below. And this firm and beautiful light is but good enough for that day of glory, in which the saints live. If it be good living here, where our sorrows are changed with joys; what is it to live above, where our joys change not? cannot look upon the body of the sun; and yet I cannot see at all without its light. I cannot behold the glory of thy saints, oh Lord; yet without the knowledge of it I am blind. If thy creature be so glorious to us here below; how glorious shall thyself be to us, when we are above the sun. This sun shall not shine upward, where thy glory shineth: the greater light extinguishes the lesser. Oh thou Sun of righteousness, which shalt only shine on nie when I am glorified, do thou heat, enlighten, and comfort me with the beams of thy presence, till I be glorified. Amen.

Worldly Sorrow.

I

NOTHING is sooner dry than a tear, and nothing sooner out of season than worldly sorrow. If it be fresh and still bleeding, it finds some to comfort and pity it; if stale and skinned over with time, it is rather entertained with smiles than commiseration. But the sorrow of repentance is never out of time. All times are alike to that Eternity, to whom we make our spiritual moans: that which is past, that which is future, are both present with him. It is neither weak nor uncomely for an old

man to weep for the sins of his youth. Those tears can never be shed either too soon or too late.

A Good Name.

SOME men live to be the executors of their own good name, which they see buried before themselves die. Others, of great consequence and ill desert, part with their good name and their breath at once: there is scarce a vicious man, whose name is not rotten before his carcase. On the other hand, a good man's name is oftentimes heir to his life: either born after the death of the parent, because envy would not suffer it to come forth before; or so well grown up in his lifetime, that the hope thereof is the staff of his age, and his joy in death. A wicked man's name may be feared awhile: soon after, it is either forgotten or cursed. The good man either sleepeth with his body in peace, or waketh with his soul in glory.

Variety of Gifts.

A MAN is seldom eminent in different faculties of the mind, or in a variety of trades. If his memory be excellent, his fancy is dull: if his fancy be busy and quick, his judgment is but shallow: if his judgment be deep, his utterance is harsh. This holds no less true in the activities of the hand; and if it happen that one man be skilled in divers trades, and practises this variety, you seldom find him thriving in his estate. With spiritual gifts it is otherwise these are so chained together, that he who excels in one hath some eminence in more, yea in all. Look upon faith; she is attended with a family of graces. He that believes, cannot but have hope; if hope, patience. He that believes and hopes, must needs find joy in God; if joy, love to God. He that loves God, cannot but love his brother. His love to God produces piety and care to please, sorrow for offending, fear to offend; his love to men, fidelity and christian beneficence. Vices are seldom single, but virtues always go in troops; they go so thick that some of them are sometimes hid in the

crowd; they are, but appear not. They may be shut out from sight, but cannot be severed.

Happiness of the Christian.

NONE live so ill, but they content themselves in something. Even the beggar likes the smell of his dish. It is a rare evil that hath not something to sweeten it, either in sense or in hope: otherwise men would grow desperate, mutinous, envious of others, weary of themselves. The better that thing is wherein we place our comfort, the happier we live; and the more we love good things, the better they are to us. The worldling's comfort, though it be good to him, because he loves it; yet because it is not absolutely and eternally good, it fails him. The christian hath this advantage, that while he has all the same causes of joy refined and exalted, he has besides, more and higher, which the other knows not of. The worldling laughs more, but the christian is more delighted. Grief and joy are not less, when least expressed.

Motives to Compassion.

ONE half of the world knows not how the other lives, and therefore the better sort pity not the distressed; and the miserable envy not those which fare better, because they know it not. Each man judges of others' conditions by his own. The lowest sort would be too much discontented, if they saw how far more pleasant the life of others is and if the better sort, such we call those which are greater, could look down to the extreme miseries of inferiors, it would make them either miserable in compassion, or proud in conceit. It is good sometimes for the delicate rich man to look into the poor man's cupboard; and seeing God in mercy gives him not to know their sorrow by experience, yet to know it in speculation. This shall teach him more thankfulness to God, more mercy to men, and more contentment in himself.

Simplicity of Truth.

‍

MUCH ornament is no good sign: painting of the face argues an ill complexion of body, or a worse mind. Truth hath a face both honest and comely, and looks best in her own colours. But above all, Divine Truth is most fair, and scorns to borrow beauty of man's wit or tongue. She loves to come forth in her native grace, like a princely matron; and counts it the greatest indignity to be treated as a gaudy strumpet. She is to command reverence, and be kneeled to, not to be treated with levity. To prank her up in vain dresses and fashions, or to sport with her in a light and youthful manner, is most abhorrent from her nature: they know her not that give her such entertainment, and shall first know her angry when they do know her. Again, she would be plain; but not base, not sluttish. She would be clad, not tawdry, yet not in rags she likes as little to be set out basely, as to seem credited with gay colours. It is no small wisdom, to know her proper dress, but more to follow it; and so to keep the mean, that while we please her, we disgust not the beholders.

Christian Warfare..

THERE is a time when kings go not forth to war. Our spiritual war admits of no intermission: it knows no night, no winter; abides no peace, no truce. This calls us not into garrison, where we may have ease and respite; but into pitched fields continually, We see our enemies in the face always, and are always seen and assaulted; ever resisting, ever defending, receiving and returning blows. If either we be negligent or weary, we die: for what hope is there while one fights, and the other stands still? We can never have safety and peace, but in victory. Our resistance must be courageous and constant, where yielding is death, and all treaties of peace mortal.

The Epicure.

NOTHING is more absurd than that epicurean resolution, Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die;' as if we were made only for the paunch, and lived that we might live. Yet no natural man ever found savour in that meat, which he knew should be his last. We ought rather to say, Let us fast and pray, for to-morrow we die' for to what purpose is the body strengthened, that it may perish; whose greater strength makes our death more violent. No man bestows a costly roof on a ruinous tenement: that man's end is easy and happy, whom death finds with a weak body and a strong soul.

tom.

Unaccepted Offerings.

Not only the least, but the worst is always at the botWhat should God do with the dregs of our age? When sin will admit thee to serve no longer, then God shall be beholden to thee for thy service. Thus is God dealt with in all other offerings: the worst and least sheaf must be God's tenth: the most deformed or weakest of our children must be God's ministers the most slovenly house must be God's temple: the idlest and sleepiest hours of the day must be reserved for our prayers: the worst part of our age for devotion. We would have God give us still of the best, and are ready to murmur at every little evil he sends us: yet nothing is bad enough for him, from whom we receive all. Nature condemns this inequality; and tells us that he who is the Author of good should have the best, and he who gives all should have his choice.

Progress in Sin.

WHEN we go about an evil business, it is wonderful how ready the devil is to set us forward, how careful that we should not want assistance. If a man would be lewdly witty, he shall be sure to be furnished with a store of profane jests, and so a loose heart hath a double advan