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with my words, my words with my actions, my actions with my heart; and let all of them be approved of the God of Truth.

non verè turpem et odiosum. Quod ad me, curæ mihi sit, ut professio mea cum verbis, verba cum actionbus, actiones cum corde conspirent; utque omnia hæc à Deo Veritatis approbentur.

On a penitent malefactor.

LXXXIV. De scelerato quodam serid pani

I KNOW not whether I should more admire the wisdom or the mercy of God, in his proceedings with men. Had not this man sinned thus notoriously, he had never been thus happy. While his courses were fair and civil; yet he was graceless: now, his miscarriage hath drawn him into a just affliction; his affliction hath humbled him. God hath taken this advantage of his humiliation, for his conversion. Had not one foot slipped into the mouth of hell, he had never been in this forwardness to heaven.

There is no man so weak or foolish, as that he hath not strength or wit enough, to sin, or to make ill use of his sin: it is only the goodness of an Infinite God, that can make our sin good to us, though evil in itself.

O God, it is no thank to ourselves or to our sins, that we are bettered with evil. The work is thine: let thine be the glory.

tente.

NESCIO mirernè magis sapientiam an misericordiam Dei, in rebus humanis administrandis. Nisi ita flagitiosè peccâsset hic homo, nunquam tam fælix fuisset. Dum se inculpatè gesserat priùs; gratiâ interim destituebatur: nunc, illud in quod inciderat crimen gravissimam ipsi calamitatem superintulit; humiliavit eum illa calamitas. Humiliationis istius ansam arripuit Deus, homini opportunè convertendo. Ni pes illi unus in os inferni collapsus fuisset, nunquam profectò ita cœlo appropinquasset.

Nemo hominum ita væcors aut imbecillus est, ut cui parùm suppetant ingenium viresque, et peccandi, et peccato utendi pessimè: una Infiniti Numinis bonitas est, quæ peccatum, in se malum, nobis commodum ac salutare potest efficere.

O Deus, nihil nobis peccatisve nostris debemus, quòd malis nostris meliorescimus. Opus tuum est: tua solius sit gloria.

LXXXV.

On the sight of a lily. THIS must needs be a goodly flower, that our Saviour hath singled out, to compare with Solomon; and that not in his ordinary dress, but in all his royalty. Surely, the earth had never,

Ad conspectum liliorum. NON potest non esse flos pulcherrimus, quem selegit Servator noster, ipsi Solomoni; non quotidiano quidem habitu, induto, sed splendore regio jam tum ornatissimo; conferendum. Cer

so glorious a king as he. Nature yielded nothing, that might set forth royal magnificence, that he wanted: yet he, that made both Solomon and this flower, says, that Solomon, in all his royalty, was not clad like it.

What a poor thing is this earthly bravery, that is so easily overmatched! How ill judges are we of outward beauties, that contemn these goodly plants, which their Creator thus magnifies; and admire those base metals, which he, in comparison hereof, contemns! If it be their transitoriness, that embaseth them, what are we? All flesh is grass; and all the glory of man, as the flower of grass. As we cannot be so brave, so we cannot be more permanent.

O God, let it be my ambition, to walk with thee hereafter in white. Could I put on a robe of stars here, with proud Herod, that glittering garment could not keep me from lice or worms. Might I sit on a throne of gold within a house of ivory, I see I should not compare with this flower: I might be as transitory; I should not be so beautiful. What matters it, whether I go for a flower, or a weed, here? Whethersoever, I must wither. O thou, which art greater than Solomon, do thou clothe me with thy perfect righteousness: so shall I flourish for ever, in the courts of the house of my God.

tè, nullus unquam rex terræ fuit, æquè ac ille gloriosus. Nihil sanè produxit natura, regiæ magnificentiæ illustrandæ idoneum, quod ipsi defuit: ille tamen, qui utrunque et Solomonem et florem hunc fecerat, ait, Solomonem, vel regio apparatu insignem, huic flori parem non fuisse.

Quàm frivola est terrena istæc gloria, quæ tam facilè potest exuperari! Quàm iniqui sumus nos formarum externarum judices, qui speciosas hasce plantas, quas ita laudat Creator, adeò contemnimus; admiramurque viliora quæque metalla, quæ ille, istarum habitâ ratione, contemnit! Quid vero est? nunquid istæ tam citâ aritudine vilescunt? at nos ipsi quid sumus? Omnis caro fænum; et omnis gloria hominis, ut flos agri. Ut nos æquè speciosi esse non possumus, ita neque magis permanentes.

O Deus, illa mihi ambitio esto, tecum postmodò albis indutum ambulare. Vestem si ego istic stellis ornatam, cum superbo Herode, gestavero, splendida illa toga non me poterit à pediculis vermiculisve vindicare. Insiderem modò throno aureo in domo eburneâ, cum istoc tamen flore minimè forem comparandus: æquè certè caducus esse possem; non æquè speciosus. Quid refert, pro florenè, hìc, habear, an herba noxia? Uterlibet sim, arescam necesse est. tu, qui major es Solomone, indue me perfectâ justitiâ tuâ: sic ego, in atriis domûs Dei mei, æternùm efflorescam.

On the sight of a coffin stuck with LXXXVI.

flowers.

Too fair appearance, is never free from just suspicion. While

Visa sandapila floribus ornatâ.

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QUÆ nimis pulchra videntur, vix unquam à justâ suspicione im

here was nothing but mere wood, no flower was to be seen here: now, that this wood is lined with an unsavoury corpse, it is adorned with this sweet variety. The fir, whereof that coffin is made, yields a natural redolence alone: now, that it is stuffed thus noisomely, all helps are too little to countervail that scent of corruption.

Neither is it otherwise in the living: perpetual use of strong perfumes, argues a guiltiness of some unpleasing savour. The case is the same spiritually an over-glorious outside of profession, implies some inward filthiness, that would fain escape notice. Our uncomely parts have more comeliness put on. Too much ornament imports extreme deformity. For me, let my shew be moderate: so shall I neither deceive applause, nor merit too deep censure.

munia sunt. Dum nil lignum hic fuit, nullus istoc flos decorabat: nunc, ubi lignum hoc olido farcitur cadavere, suavissimâ hâc florum varietate adornatur illico. Abiegna hæc sandapila, de se quidem suaviter redolet: foetidum verò hunc hospitem nacta, ita nimis florum adininiculo indiget, ut, ne horum omnium ope, putridum hunc odorem evincere possit.

Dum nil præter

Neque aliter se in vivis habet: perpetuus unguentorum aromaticorum usus, malesuavis cujusdam odoris reatum secretum arguit. Idem etiam spiritualiter usuvenit: nimis gloriosa professionis facies, internam aliquam fœditatem, quæ lucem refugit, vulgò innuit. Partes magis pudendas minùsque decoras, vestimus honoratiùs. Nimium ornamenti intolerandam deformitatem subindicat. Quod ad me, nil nisi mediocre ac moderatum ostentem: ita neque fallam applausum, neque nimium merebor

censuræ.

LXXXVII.

On the view of the world. Ir is a good thing, to see this material world; but it is a better thing, to think of the intelligible world. This thought is the sight of the soul, whereby it discerneth things like itself, spiritual and immortal; which are so much beyond the worth of these sensible objects, as a spirit is beyond a body, a pure substance beyond a corruptible, an Infinite God above a finite crea

ture.

O God, how great a word is that, which the Psalmist says of thee, That thou abasest thyself, to behold the things both in heaven

Conspectá mundi fabricá. VEL materialem hunc mundum. cernere, bonum est; melius tamen, mundum intelligibilem cogitare. Cogitatio hæc anima quædam visio est, quà res sui similes, spirituales scilicet immortalesque contemplatur; quæ quidem objecta, sensibilia quæquæ non minùs exuperant, quàm spiritus materiam corporeani, substantia pura corruptibilem, Deus Infinitus finitam creaturam, transcendit.

O Deus, quale illud Psaltis de te tui verbum est, Humiliare te nempe temetipsum, ut contempleris et quæ in cælo sunt et quæ in

and earth! It is our glory, to look up even to the meanest piece of heaven: it is an abasement to thine incomprehensible Majesty, to look down upon the best of heaven. *Oh, what a transcendent glory must that needs be, that is abased to behold the things of heaven! What a happiness shall it be to me, that mine eyes shall be exalted to see thee, who art humbled to see the place and state of my blessedness! Yea, those very angels, that see thy face, are so resplendently glorious, that we could not overlive the sight of one of their faces, who are fain to hide their faces from the sight of thine. How many millions attend thy throne above, and thy footstool below, in the ministration to thy Saints! It is that thine invisible world, the communion wherewith can make me truly blessed. O God, if my body have fellowship here amongst beasts, of whose earthly substance it participates; let my soul be united to thee, the God of Spirits; and be raised up to enjoy the insensible society of thy blessed angels. Acquaint me beforehand with those citizens and affairs of thy heaven; and make me no stranger to my future glory.

terra! Haud parum nobis gloriæ est, vel infimam cœli partem contueri : humiliatio verò quædam tui est, vel optimam cœli partem despicere. Quanta mihi fælicitas erit, adeò exaltatum iri oculos meos ut te videant, cujus tam immensa est gloria, ut vel locum statumque beatitudinis meæ videre, quoddam demissionis genus sit! Imò, ipsi illi angeli, qui faciem tuam adspiciunt, ita gloriosi sunt, ut si quam unius istorum faciem intueremur, tantæ nos gloriæ diutius superesse non possemus, qui tamen interea faciem suam ab aspectu tui splendoris abscondunt. Quot horum myriades, et throno tuo in cœlis, et scabello in terris, Sanctis istìc tuis, ministraturæ, sive adstant, sive provolvuntur! Mundus ille tuus alter invisibilis, is est, cujus communio nos verè fœlices præstare potest. O Deus, si corpus meum hìc cum brutis, quorum terrenam substantiam participat, versetur; uniatur anima mea tecum, Spirituum Deo; et ad insensibilis beatorum tuorum angelorum societatis fruitionem elevetur. Fac præ manu intercedat mihi cum civibus rebusque cœli tui sancta quædam familiaritas; neque sim futuræ gloriæ hospes ac peregrinus.

LXXXVIII.

On the stinging of a wasp. How small things may annoy the greatest! Even a mouse troubles an elephant; a gnat, a lion a very flea may disquiet a giant. What weapon can be nearer to nothing, than the sting of this wasp? yet, what a painful wound hath it given me!

De respa aculeo.

Quàm minima possunt vel maximis molestiam facessere! Mus elephantum, culex leonem, imò vel pulex gigantem, vexare potest. Ecquod telum minus esse potest vespa aculeo? quantum tamen doloris, vel ex tantillo hujus ictu sentio! Vix visibilis

* This sentence is omitted in the Latin. EDITOR.

That scarce-visible point how it envenoms, and rankles, and swells up the flesh! The tenderness of the part adds much to the grief.

And if I be thus vexed with the touch of an angry fly, Lord, how shall I be able to endure the sting of a tormenting conscience? As that part, is both most active, and most sensible; so, that wound, which it receives from itself, is most intolerably grievous: there were more ease, in a nest of hornets, than under this one torture. O God, how soever I speed abroad, give me peace at home; and, whatever my flesh suffer, keep my soul free.

Thus pained, wherein do I find ease, but in laying honey to the part infected? That medicine only abates the anguish. How near hath nature placed the remedy to the offence! Whensoever my heart is stung with the remorse for sin, only thy sweet and precious merits, O Blessed Saviour, can mitigate and heal the wound: they have virtue to cure me; give me grace to apply them: that sovereign receipt shall make my pain happy: I shall thus applaud my grief: It is good for me that I was thus afflicted.

ista acies, quàm venenavit, quàm tumefecit mihi carnem ! Sed et non parum dolori addit, partis teneritas quædam et mollities.

Quòd si vel iratæ muscæ tactu minimo sic torquear, quomodo ferre potero dirum cruciatricis conscientiæ stimulum? Ut pars illa, et maximè agit, et sentit exquisitissimè; ita, vulnus, quod sibi infligit, necesse est ut supra modum grave sit et dolorificum: tutiùs profectò quis inter crabronum examina volutaretur, quàm uni hujus cruciatui subjaceret. O Deus, quicquid de me forìs fiat, da mihi pacem domi; et, quicquid caro mea patiatur, animam mihi sanam servato et incolumen.

Ecquod verò sic cruciato remedium, nisi parte affectâ melle statim illitâ? Ea sola medicina dolorem minuit. Quàm prope noxam collocavit remedium natura! Quandocunque cor meum peccati aculeo pungitur, sola tua dulcissima, O Servator, preciosissimaque merita, mitigare dolorem ac sanare vulnus possunt: illa medendi virtutem ha bent; da mihi unà applicandi gratiam: pharmacum hoc ilicet certissimum dolorem meum faciet salutarem: sic ego cruciatui meo gratulabor: Bonum mihi est, quòd sic fuerim afflictus.

On the arraignment of a felon. LXXXIX. Viso reo pro tribunali consistente. WITH what terror doth this malefactor stand at that bar! his hand trembles, while it is lift up for his trial: his very lips quake, while he saith, Not guilty: his countenance condemns him, before the judge; and his fear is ready to execute him, before his hangman. Yet this judge is

QUANTO cum terrore pro tribunali stat reus iste! tremit illi manus, dum probationis ergò elevatur: motitantur timore labia, dum se insontem pronunciant: vel ante judicis sententiam, damnat illum facies pallida et consternata; ante carnificis manum, mortem illi metus in

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