readiest means to have the root increased for the future. XX. THE HE poets fable, that this was one of the labours imposed on Hercules, to make clean the Augean stable, or stall rather. For therein, they said, were kept three thousand kine, and it had not been cleansed for thirty years together. But Hercules, by letting the river Alpheus into it, I did that with ease which before was conceived impossible. This stall is the pure emblem of my impure soul, which hath been defiled with millions of sins for more than thirty years together. Oh that I might by a lively faith, and unfeigned repentance, let the stream of that fountain into my soul, which is opened for Judah and Jerusalem. It is impossible by all my pains to purge out my uncleanness; which is quickly done by the rivulet of the blood of my Saviour. XXI. HE Venetians showed the treasure of their THE state, being in many great coffers full of gold and silver, to the Spanish ambassador. But the ambassador, peeping under the bottom of those coffers, demanded whether that their treasure did daily grow, and had a root; for such, saith he, my master's treasure hath: meaning both his Indies. Many men have attained to a great height of piety, to be very abundant and rich therein. But all theirs is but a cistern, not fountain of grace, only God's goodness hath a spring of itself in itself. XXII. HE Sidonian servants agreed amongst them THE that morning, should first see the sun. Whilst all others were gazing on the east, one alone looked on the west. Some admired, more mocked him, as if he looked on the feet, there to find the eye of the face. But he first of all discovered the light of the sun shining on the tops of houses. God is seen sooner, easier, clearer in his operations than in his essence. Best beheld by reflection in his creatures. For the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.+ XXIII. A N Italian prince, as much delighted with the person as grieved with the prodigality of his eldest son, commanded his steward to deliver him no more money but what the young prince should tell his own self. The young gallant fretted at his heart, that he must buy money at so dear a rate, as to have it for telling it, but (because there was no remedy) he set himself to task, and being greatly tired with telling a small sum, he broke off in this consideration. Money may speedily be spent, but how tedious and troublesome is it * Justin, lib. xviii. p. 166. + Rom. i. 20. to tell it! And by consequence how much more difficult to get it! Men may commit sin presently, pleasantly, with much mirth, in a moment. But that they would but seriously consider with themselves how many their offences are, and sadly fall accounting them! And if so hard truly to sum their sins, sure harder sincerely to sorrow for them. If to get their number be so difficult, what is it to get their pardon? I XXIV. KNOW the village in Cambridgeshire* where there was a cross full of imagery. Some of the images were such, as that people, not foolishly factious, but judiciously conscientious, took just exception at them: hard by, the youths of the town erected a Maypole, and to make it of proof against any that should endeavour to cut it down, they armed it with iron as high as any could reach. A violent wind happened to blow it down, which, falling on the cross, dashed it to pieces. It is possible what is counted profaneness, may accidentally correct superstition. But I could heartily wish that all pretenders to reformation would first labour to be good themselves, before they go about the amending of others. * Cottenham. I XXV. READ that Ægeus, the father of Theseus,* hid a sword and a pair of shoes under a great stone; and left word with his wife (whom he left with child), that when the son she should bear was able to take up that stone, wield that sword, and wear those shoes, then she should send him to him for by these signs he would own him for his own son. Christ hath left in the custody of the church our mother the sword of the spirit, and the shoes of a christian conversation, the same which he once wore himself, and they must fit our feet, yea, and we must take up the weight of many heavy crosses, before we can come at them: but when we shall appear before our heavenly Father, bringing these tokens with us, then, and not before, he will acknowledge us to be no bastards, but his trueborn children. * Plutarch. in Theseo. MIXT CONTEMPLATIONS. I. HEN I look on a leaden bullet, therein I can read both God's mercy and man's malice. God's mercy, whose providence foreseeing that men of lead would make instruments of cruelty, did give that metal a medicinal virtue ; as it hurts, so it also heals; and a bullet sent in by man's hatred into a fleshy and no vital part, will (with ordinary care and curing), out of a natural charity, work its own way out. But oh! how devilish were those men, who, to frustrate and defeat his goodness, and to countermand the healing power of lead, first found the champing and empoisoning of bullets! Fools, who account themselves honoured with the shameful title of being the inventors of evil things,* endeavouring to out-infinite God's kindness with their cruelty. I II. HAVE heard some men, rather causelessly captious than judicially critical, cavil at grammarians for calling some conjunctions disjunctive, * Rom. i. 30. |