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THE Mind is the third and highest Region of Man, which includeth the other two within it self, and communicateth Heat and Life unto them. As it informeth its own Body, so it manageth and improveth all the Gifts of Fortune. Thales to show how easy a thing it was for a Philosopher to grow rich, foreseeing the fruitfulness of some Olive yards, bought them at the beginning of the year, and got a great summ of money by them. So∣lomon having a large Heart, em∣ployed
and husbanded his large Estate as providently as any mean man doth his small Fortune. He was a great Merchant, trading into Egypt and Tyre, even as far as O∣phyre, and thrived exceedingly by it: and he expended his great Riches in a most Glorious and Magnificent manner. Lucullus was famous for his Feasts and Entertainments. Pe∣tronius a Master of Pleasures in∣venting Laws and Orders even of Licentiousness. What Honor is, without Activity and Nobility of Spirit, these times of triall suffici∣ently discover. The Mind of one Man sufficeth for the Government of a whole Nation, yea of all the Nations in the World: which though it never happened to any, yet we have large Instances in the first four Monarchs of the suffici∣ency of some Great Spirits. The Mind of man is capable of know∣ing all things: God hath set the World in his Heart, which is an
Intellectuall Globe, wherein all things subsist and move in Spiritual Images and Idea's, not only Indivi∣dually and Physically, but also Uni∣versally and Metaphysically. Thus the whole World is Mans Universi∣ty: and there have been some such Monarchs of Learning, as have been singularly excellent in al∣most all Arts and Sciences. Animus cujusque est quisque: The Mind is the Man. The Genius of a Wise man seems to differ almost as much from a Fools, as a Man doth from a Beast. It is true, all souls are equall in their Kind and Faculties▪ but certainly not in the degrees of their Powers and Virtues. In Hea∣ven, where the Spirits of just men shall be made perfect, yet they shall all differ one from another in Glory, which is the perfection of their Grace. Homo homini quan∣tum tum interest? and as the enjoiment of the Chief Good is the proper perfection of the Mind, so the Ex∣cellency
or Baseness thereof is best discovered by the higher or lower moving thereof toward this per∣fection. Some mens Minds are set wholly upon drudging and moiling, which is a condition not much a∣bove Beasts. Others have a Hu∣mor of Gaming, others of Dally∣ing and Sporting, of Eating and Drinking and making themselvs Merry, such as think themselvs no mean Fools, of making themselvs Famous in the World, of Rising higher and higher, like seeled Doves they know not whither. Some of Learning much, and Practising little; some of Ruling others, and yet neglect themselvs; others of Ru∣ling and Governing themselvs, and yet neglect their Chief Good, which is infinitely above themselvs, setting up those inferior ends instead there∣of. Like Barclays Heraleon, we have all some particular Madness and private Fansy. It is commonly said, that Men are twice Children,
or rather the follies of Childhood grow up into our whole life in greater degrees & more maturity. The old Adage is very opposite, Children play with Nuts, and elder men with Oaths, then which no sport can be more foolish and dangerous. Thus do mens Ends and Aims dis∣cover their Principles. The White of the Ey and the White of the Mark are tied together with a direct Line. Every Creature in its several kind hath a natural Acme or Period of perfection to which it tends, and which it endeavors to attain with all the power and vigor it hath, only Man degenerates into lower and baser Ends then that for which he was made, busying himself about some particular De∣sign, and so goes on from one thing to another, neglecting that highest and chiefest Good, whereof he is capable, which is the greatest Error of Life, and brings upon him the curse of Cain, rendring him a Va∣gabond
on the face of the Earth, and makes him wander up and down like a Begger, knocking at every door, and crying out to every Creature, Who will show us any Good? Never thinking to gain this setled Estate of Universall and per∣fect Happiness, which may supply all his wants, and maintain him in a State of perfect Felicity; but ra∣ther chuses to live miserably upon the scraps of the Creatures, shark∣ing and shifting as well as he may, to support this frail life, and satisfy the necessities thereof: and at last wishes he may dy like a Beast, ha∣ving lived like a Beast, and made no provision for an Eternal Life. The Jewel of Mans true Happiness is to be found in this Treasury of the Mind, yet not among the inferior and particular Goods thereof, but in the fruition of the Chief and Universal Good, without which all the rest are vain, and of no value.