time, are intermingled with many grievances. Here thou hearest one cry out of a sick body, whereof there is no part which affords not choice of diseases. This man layeth his hand upon his consuming lungs, and complaineth of short breath; that other, upon his rising spleen; a third shaketh his painful head; another roars out for the torment of his reins; another, for the racking of his gouty joints. One is distempered with a dropsy; another, with a colic; a third, with an ague; a fourth, with melancholy. One grovels and foams with the falling sickness; another lies bed-ridden, half senseless, with a dead palsy. There are but few bodies that complain not of some disease; and that thou mayest not look far, it is a wonder if thou thyself feel not always one of these evils within thee. There thou hearest another lament his loss either his estate is impaired by suretiship, or stealth, or shipwreck, or oppression; or his child is unruly, or unfortunate; or his wife dead, or disloyal. Another is tormented with passions. Each one is some way miserable. But that which is yet more irksome, thy one ear is beaten with cursings and blasphemies; thy other, with scornful, or wanton, or murdering speeches : thine eyes see nothing but pride, filthiness, profaneness, blood, excess, and whatsoever else might vex a righteous soul. And if all the world besides were innocent, thou findest enough within thyself to make thyself weary, and thy life loathsome. Thou needest not fetch cause of complaint from others: thy corruptions yield thee too much at home, ever sinning, ever presuming; sinning even when thou hast repented; yea, even while thou repentest, sinning. Go to now, my soul, and

solace thyself here below, suffering thyself to be besotted with these goodly contentments; worthy of no better, while thou fixest thyself on these! See if thou canst find any of these above; and if thou canst meet with any distemper, any loss, any sin, any complaint, from thyself or any other, above, despise thine heaven as much as now thou lovest the earth. Or, if all this cannot enough commend unto thee the state of heavenly glory, cast down thine eyes yet lower, into that deep and bottomless pit, full of horror, full of torment, where there is nothing but flames, and tears, and shrieks, and gnashing of teeth; nothing but fiends and tortures. Where there is palpable darkness, and yet perpetual fire; where the damned are ever boiling, never consumed; ever dying, never dead; ever complaining, never pitied. Where the glutton, that once would not give a crust of bread, now begs for one drop of water; and yet, alas, if whole rivers of waters should fall into his mouth, how should they quench those rivers of brimstone that feed this flame? where there is no intermission of complaints, no breathing from pain, and, after millions of years, no possibility of comfort. And if the rod wherewith thou chastisest thy children, O Lord, even in this life, be so smart and galling, that they have been brought down to the brim of despair, and, in the bitterness of their soul, have entreated death to release them; what shall I think of their plagues, in whose righteous confusion thou consultest, and sayest, "Aha, I will avenge me of mine enemies?" Even that thou shalt not be thus miserable, O my soul, is some kind of happiness; but that thou shalt be as happy as the

reprobates are miserable, how worthy is it of more estimation than thyself is capable of !

Wonder, then, O my soul, as much as thou canst, at this glory; and in comparison thereof, contemn this earth, which now thou treadest upon-whose joys, if they were perfect, are but short; and if they were long, are imperfect. One day when thou art above, looking down from the height of thy glory, and seeing the sons of men creeping, like so many ants, on this mole-hill of earth, thou shalt think: Alas, how basely I once lived! Was yonder silly dungeon the place I so loved, and was so loth to leave? Think so now beforehand, and, since of heaven thou canst not, yet account of the earth as it is worthy. How heartless and irksome are ye, O ye best earthly pleasures, if ye be matched with the least of those above! How vile are you, O ye sumptuous buildings of kings, even if all the entrails of the earth had agreed to enrich you, in comparison of this frame not made with hands! It is not so high above the earth in distance of place, as in worth and majesty. We may see the face of heaven from the heart of the earth; but from the nearest part of the earth, who can see the least glory of heaven? The three disciples on Mount Tabor saw but a glimpse of this glory shining upon the face of their Saviour, and yet, being ravished with the sight, cried out, Master, it is good being here; and thinking of building of three tabernacles, (for Christ, Moses, Elias,) could have been content themselves to have lain without shelter, so they might always have enjoyed that sight. Alas, how could earthly tabernacles have fitted those heavenly bodies! they knew what they saw; what

they said they knew not. Lo, these three disciples were not transfigured; yet how deeply they were affected even with the glory of others! How happy shall we be, when we ourselves shall be changed into glorious, and shall have tabernacles not of our own making, but prepared for us by God; and yet not tabernacles, but eternal mansions! Moses saw God but a while, and shined: how shall we shine, who shall behold his face for ever! What greater honour is there than in sovereignty? What greater pleasure than in feasting? This life is both a kingdom and a feast. A kingdom: "He that overcomes, shall rule the nations, and shall sit with me in my throne." Oh blessed promotion! Oh large dominion and royal seat! to which Solomon's throne of ivory was not worthy to become a footstool. A feast: "Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." Feasts have more than necessity of provision-more than ordinary diet; but marriage feasts yet more than common abundance; but the marriage feast of the Son of God to his blessed spouse the church, must so far exceed in all heavenly munificence and variety, as the persons are of greater state and majesty. There is new wine, pure manna, and all manner of spiritual dainties; and, with the continual cheer, a sweet and answerable welcome; while the Bridegroom lovingly cheereth us up-" Eat, O friends; drink, and make you merry, O well-beloved :" yea, there shalt thou be, my soul, not a guest, but (how unworthy soever) the bride herself, whom he hath everlastingly espoused to himself in truth and righteousness. The contract is passed here below, the marriage is consummated above, and

solemnized with a perpetual feast so that now thou mayest say, "My well-beloved is mine, and I am his." Wherefore hearken, O my soul, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house (thy supposed home of this world); so shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty: for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him.

sun.

What need I seek those resemblances, when the very name of life implieth sweetness to men on earth, even to those who confess they live with some discontentment? Surely the light is a pleasant thing, and it is good to the eyes to see the Yet when temporal is added to life, I know not how, this addition detracteth something, and doth greatly abate the pleasure of life; for those who joy to think of life, grieve to think it but temporal; so vexing is the end of that whose continuance was delightful. But now, when there is an addition (above time) of eternity, it maketh life so much more sweet, as it is more lasting; and, lasting infinitely, what can it give less than an infinite contentment? Oh dying and false life which we enjoy here, and scarce a shadow and counterfeit of that other! What is more esteemed than glory? which is so precious to men of spirit, that it makes them prodigal of their blood, proud of their wounds, careless of themselves: and yet, alas, how pent and how fading is this glory, effected with such dangers and death! hardly, after all trophies and monuments, either known to the next sea, or surviving him that dieth for it. It is true glory to triumph in heaven, where there is neither envy nor forgetfulness.

What is more dear to us than our country?