Christian geography and arithmetick, or, A true survey of the world together with the right art of numbering our dayes therein being the substance of some sermons preached in Bristol / by Thomas Hardcastle.

CHRISTIAN Geography and Arithmetick.

Matth. 6.34.

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

THere are two things which we find in the course of the Evange∣lists to lie with much weight upon the heart of Christ, and which he seems to press upon his followers, with a more than ordina∣ry seriousness argumentativeness, and affectionatenest: The one is, holy care∣lesness about the things of this life; The other is, holy watchfulness and prepara∣tion for his coming: for this, read over at your leisure these Scriptures, Mat. 24.42. to the end, and 25.13. Mar. 13.32. to the end, Luke 21.36. The former

is that which at present falls more direct∣ly, under my Consideration; having al∣ready treated of the latter in divers Ser∣mons. That I may make way to my Text, be pleased to take notice of our. Saviour's general Dehortation, Ver. 25. Take no thought, &c. Observe how par∣ticular he is, as if he designed to answer all the secret Objections and Surmisings of an unbelieving heart; if I have Meat, what shall I do for Drink, and if I have both, how must I get Clothes? why saies he, be not careful about any of these, and he gives us several weighty Reasons for what he sayes.

1. In the latter end of Ver. 25. Is not the life more than meat, &c. It is an Ar∣gument from the greater to the less; he that has given life, will he not maintain it? It's less trouble and charge for him to make a Coat for thy Body, than to frame thy Body which was curiously wrought, rare Embroidery, curious Needlework; * 1.1 a skin will serve for the Back, and the slesh will serve for the Belly, but the placing of the Bones was not so easily done.

2. Argument lies in Ver. 26. From God's care of the inferiour Creatures, the Animals, the Fowls of the Air, and

this is an Argument from the lesser to the greater, It's your heavenly Father that feeds them: The Master of the house will not feed his Cattel without, and suf∣fer his Children to perish for want of bread within; If God cares for Oxen, then much more for Saints. Are ye not much better than they?

3. Ground, ab inutili, from the un∣profitableness of this anxious & perplex∣ing care, in Ver. 27. Which of you by ta∣king thought, &c for neither if you be solicitous, are you the better; and if you be not, are you the worse.

4. Reason lies especially against ta∣king care for Raiment, from the conside∣ration of the Lillies of the Field, the Ve∣getables more inconsiderable than the the Fowls, for they have life and sense, these only life; but Men have Life, Sense and Reason, and Christians have more, for they are made partakers of the Di∣vine Nature and the life of God. If your Reason will not help you here, one would think your Faith should help you; can you think that immortal souls, for whom God hath prepared such glory, shal be slighted here, and yet the fading, wi∣thering, perished Grass be so much re∣garded! which way soever a Christian

looks, he may find Food for his Faith •• When I see the Fields so adorned, can I think that God will suffer me to go na∣ked for want of a Covering.

5. Inducement is, ab absurdo, in the beginning of Ver. 32. It's not ingenious, not at all becoming you to be so carking and caring, it is a Gentilish property, poor Heathens that know of no better things, may be allowed to seek after these earthly matters; but it is not suitable for those that have been acquainted with things of an higher nature, and of Eter∣nal duration; it is not worthy, not Christian; your Education and Expe∣ctation should teach you better things, and spirit you to a more Noble and Ho∣nourable search and endeavour.

6. Incitement is, a non-necessario, in the latter end of Ver. 32. For your hea∣venly Father knows, &c. He that made you, knows what you stand in need of, what your Constitutions do require, how much will serve, how little Nature requires, and how much less Grace needs, if you have but little, do not call it Poverty, but Discipline; he is your Father.

7. Motive is, a proprio medio, from the proper and most effectual way and

means to secure a competency, and that is by seeking first of all the kingdom of God, Ver. 33. He that would make Earth sure, must first of all make Hea∣ven sure; shall I be taking thought what to eat and drink here, and never fear begging a drop of water hereafter? shall I be solicitous for Clothes, and do not know but my Soul and Body may lie naked in the scorching flames of the wrath of God to all Eternity? be∣sides, I have a Promise of God for outward things, if I make it my business to seek after Heavenly; it is a very needless care; God provides meat for me that I may not be taken off my work to seek af∣ter it.

8. Ground lies in my Text, and it is taken from the Consideration of that sufficient trouble that each day is filled with; you need not fetch the misery of another day unto this day, it hath enough full enough of its own; some read it, The day hath enough with his own grief.

I now came to the Observations.

Doct. 1. Which is implyed, The life of a Christian is to be reckoned by the

day: Sufficient unto the Day; not to the Week, or Month or Year, but to the Day. I need not insist upon the proof of the Point. What saies old Jacob, Fen and evil have the dayes of the years of my life been. It is observable that (dayes) * 1.2 is four times repeated in that verse.* 1.3 So Job, Man that is born of Woman is of few dayes; His dayes are determined. Turn from him that he may accomplish as an Hireling his day. Take a third wit∣ness of this, and it is no other than a King and a Prophet; David; * 1.4 The dayes of our years are threescore years and ten, &c. But a greater than all these is our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who tells us in the Parable of the Labou∣rers in the Vineyard, * 1.5 that they were hired for a day, which is the time of life; and he calls his own life a day: Abraham re∣joyced to see my day. There is a Natu∣ral day, and there is a Metaphorical day, a day of time, and a day of opportuni∣ty, season, and dispensation; mark the expression of our Saviour, I must work the works of him taht sent me, whilst it is Day, the Night cometh when no man can work, whil'st I have time, time, and whil'st I have opportunity. So we read of the dayes of his flesh; I might

make this further appear by shewing to you;* 1.6

1. That we are taught to beg our Bread for the day, Give us this day our daily Bread, and forbid to take thought for to morrow; for why should I take thought for Meat, when I know not whether I shall have a Mouth to put it in, or for Clothes when I know not whether I shall have a Body to put them on.

2. We are to beg our pardon for the day, and to forgive our Brother to day; forgive us our Trespasses this day: for as Jacob sayes, Thou may'st seek me in the morning, and I shall not be; and for our Brother,* 1.7 The Sun (which is the measure of the day) must not go down upon our wrath: And if we come to the Altar, and there remember that our Brother hath ought against us, we must leave the Gift before the Altar, &c. we must not say that we will do it to morrow.

3. Every night is a resemblance of Death; Death is called a Sleep, and the Grave is called a Bed; the Sun rises and sets, which measures time.

4. The Commands and Promises in Scripture run for the present day, and none for to morrow, Heb. 3.7. To day

if ye will hear his voice. Ver. 13. Exhort one another daily, whil'st it is called to day; now is the accepted time: But to con∣clude the Proof of this Point, I shall and this, that our whole life-time is very fit∣ly compared to a Natural Day.

1. As a day is but a short space of time, so is our life; what is a day to a thousand years? what is our time to Eternity?

2. As a day is cut off by the night, so is our life cut short & cut off somtimes soon∣er somtimes later, some dayes are longer than others, but none very long; some mens lives are longer than others, but never a long life among them, all of them cut short, all of them cut off.

3. The day is succeeded by the night, so is this life by the darkness, the dayes of darkness which shall be ma∣ny. There is a day which shall not be succeeeded by night, and there is an evening which shall be succeeded by light, but it is not this day.

I now come to the Reasons of the Point, Why must our lives be reckoned by the day; and they are principally these four.

Reason 1. Because our Breath is in

our Nostrils, our Lives hang by a small Threed, how soon are our Countenances changed, and we sent away? how ma∣ny that have been well in the morning, have been dead before evening, gone out in health, and a dead Carcase brought home? or else they have died and been buried abroad, and never came within their own doors more? how many ways may a mans breath expire, and how quickly is it done? Ah, my Brethren, how little is this considered, though no∣thing is more ordinary than to say, I little thought such an one would have been gone so soon, what an healthful lusty Man was he, it was but such a day I saw him, and I thought he never look∣ed better since I knew him, I thought I should have died long before him; was not he at such a place, at such a Meet∣ing but a few dayes ago? &c. Oh Friend!. Know his Breath was in his Nostrils; and so it is with thee; there may not be a step between thee and Death for any thing thou knows; a lurking Distemper in thy Body may rise up and pull thee by the Throat, and all thy friends stand about thee, and none be able to rescue thee, and save thee from that deadly Hand: A slip, a fall, a cross

accident, a Surfeit, &c. presently the health is gone. As it is with a Venice-Glass very useful whil'st it is whole, but one fall upon the ground breaks it, and than it's good for nothing, but the bro∣ken pieces are thrown out to the Dung∣bild So whilst breath is there, thou art very useful for many things, can walk, and work, and advise and manage Af∣fairs; but when once thy breath is gone, and thy life like water spilt upon the ground which can not be gathered up a∣gain thy dead Carcase must be taken up and carried out, and laid in the ground.

Reason 2. Our times are in God's hands, and in our own, and we have no assurance of another day, therefore no reason why we should reckon of it; My times are in thy Hands:* 1.8 and so Job, Is there not an appointed time to Man up∣on Earth? are not his dayes like the dayes oftan Hire ling? the dise of Man is mea∣sured; by the will of God; hitherto shall ••iy time come, and not further. As thou canst not add one Cubit to thy Stature, so not one Minute to thy Dayes. It's well observed by one, as Christ is the

Lord of the Sabbath, so God is the Lord of time; and they who dye in a time when God forbids, yet dye in a time that God appoints. Some men, nay most men, live as if they were Masters of their own time, as if they had made a Covenant with Death, and Articles with the Grave. How does the A∣postle James reprove and cheek with all sevrity this great Pride and Arrogandy in Men, that would be cutting out snip∣pets, large threeds of time, when it was not at all in their own power, but was anothers Right and this they would do without asking any leave, we say leave is light : see Jam. 4.13, 14, 15. Go to now ye that Jay, to Day or to Mrrow we will go into such a City; and continue there a year, and buy and sell and get gain, Where as ye know not what shall be on the Morrow, for what is your Life, it is even a Vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that. After the like manner does the Prophet Esay Tax the Wretch∣edness of this Temper: To Morrow shall be as this Day, and much more abundant.* 1.9 Time is God's peculiar and if he will not

hold them Guiltless that meddle with his Name, and Worship, and People, &c. no more will be those that take his time and spend it upon their Lusts: Friend, who gave you leave to promise and De∣sign and contrive and lay Trains for so long a time? did you come and ask me for my advice both about the thing and the time? I'le cut you short, I'le give a nick in your time, and all your thoughts with all the links of them shall perish and fall to the ground.

Reason 3. Because Satan and his In∣struments are so Malicious and Bloody, and are so bent against the Lives of Christians: that is a markable Expres∣sion in Job 24.22. He riseth up and no Man is sure of his Life; Wicked Mens Lives are cut short by the Lord's just Hand, so that do not live out half their Dayes, and Righteous Mens Lives are cut off by evil Mens unjust Hands, so that they do not live out half their dayes, nor a quater; witness the many Bloody Massacres that have destroyed the Lives of Thousands of Men, Women, and Children, Infants and Sucklings. The Devil and his Instruments would not have you Live a Day if they could help

it; if Satan were let loose in a few mi∣nutes there would not be a Person alive in this Congregation, and if the rage of the wicked was permitted to do its ut∣most, none of us could easily escape long with our Lives, whilst we are in this world. Among the Men of the World, we should walk with our Lives in our Hands; Its Dangerous Travelling in some places because of Wolves, and Bears, and Wild Beasts: I know no place in the World but is infested with such Crea∣tures as the Scripture calls Beasts, Lyons, Wolves, Dogs, Foxes, destroyers of the Earth; every Saint of God may safely say, that he is afraid of Bodily harm whilst he lives here. Let me tell you God has Wonderfully curbed the Egyptian Dogs, that no more Lives have gone than there has; the Curs have been still barking, their Tongues have kept mov∣ing, but their Hands have been pretty well tyed up; Blessed be the Name of our God, but that by the way. Observ∣able to this Purpose :is that Passage of Cain and Abel; And* 1.10 Cain talked with Abel his Brother and it came to pass when they were in the Field, that Cain rose up a∣gainst Abel his Brother and slew him. There is the same rising at Heart the

same murdering Humor; and Sprite in every Cain against every Abel, though there be not the same rising up: see for this and mark diligently, 1 Job. 3.12.15. The ground of the hatred will al∣waies remain whilst there are good and bad upon Earth, and therefore we may be expecting the Fruits, he that hateth is a Murderer, hatred is the Embryo of Murder. But further, Jobs Sons should have reckoned their Lives by the Day upon this account; whether they were good Men, or only a good Mans Chil∣dren, needs not be discoursed here, if only the latter it was enough to entitle them to Satans malice; who having a little lether-length given him, presently brings the House about their ears, and Kills every Man and Woman that was there: see Job 1.19. He was not long of doing it, he smote the four Corners of the House, he did it to purpose.

Reason 4. The Irruptions and Inun∣dations of the Ocean of Eternity, which once in an hundred years overflows the whole Country, and carries away every living Creature.* 1.11 It was said upon that great Judgment of the Death of the first∣born in Egypt, that there was not in House where there was not one death:

not to mention those great inundations of the Plague and Pestilence, which some∣times sweep away an Hundred Thous and out of our City in one Year;* 1.12 not yet those eruptions of the Sword which in a very few hours sinks Thousands into the Deep, * 1.13 and sends them into the great Gulph of Eternity: do but take notice of those over flowings that are usual and common, which do not cause wonder, Oh that they might procure more Ob∣servation than they do! what Day is there especially great Places wherein there is not one or more found Dead? how frequently is the Passing Bell foun∣ding in thine Ears? how many Specta∣cles of Mortality Old and Young daily carried to the Graved? yet who layes it to Heart? Burials are so frequent in Ci∣ties that they are not regarded, and so seldom in the Countries that they are not taken notice of. How many has thou known Buried out of the House where thou lives; if none, be sure thou Reckon of one every Day, and that is of thy self, as well as of other: go over the city into every House, and set whether you can find the same Persons sitting by those fire-sides, and lying in those Beds, that sate and lay there twen∣ty

Years ago; thou will not find ma∣ny Houses from whence some have not been snatched; where Death has not crept in at Windows, and carried away an Husband, a Wife, a Child, a Ser∣vant, a Friend: if thou find a free house, bid them look to it, for the next stood that comes, the Water may flow in at their Doors, and carry some of them as way into Ocean of Everlastingness; there is no fenceing against Death, no capitulating with it; it is usually, (though not alwaies) so civil as to knock before it comes in, but it seldom stayes till you open the Door to let it in, and say welcome Death, now Lord, lettest 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thy Servant depant in Peace: it will not be prevailed with for the least delay pray thee suffer me to go & bury my Fa∣ther to set my House in order, to give some directions about my Children and Estate, no I cannot stay, come away; ay but let me first Pray to God, and deal with him about my Soul, no, thou must come now as thou art: this is the fourth and Last Reason why the Life of a Man, is to be reckoned by the Day. I now come to the Application.

Ʋse 1. Is it so then that our Lives

must be reckoned by the Day, I note in the first place, that every Christian is to do all he can do, and all he has to do, upon the present Day, and leave nothing to be done tomorrow. What saies Solo∣mon: Whatever thine hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might,* 1.14 for there is no Work, nor Device, nor Knowledge, nor Wisdom in the Grave whither thou goest; be sure thou even accounts daily, do e∣very thing thou dost as if it were the last time thou should do it; how heartily, how carefully will thou do it then! let me pray now as if I should never have time to pray more, hear now as if this were the last opportunity of hearing: leave nothing to do to morrow that possible can be done to day; what true Christians should we be if we did not reckon of a Morrow. To Day is God's Day, to Morrow is Satan's Day, how many would have been good to Day if thay had not though of being good to Morrow:* 1.15 but see what a grand Deceit lies here; by putting it off till to Mor∣row we gratify Conscience in this that we intend to do it hereafter, but most of all please Corruption in this that we do not do it to Day. Consider then thus with thy self, I will set all right with

God now, I may be gone before Morn∣ing, I may be taken away in my sleep and awake in Eternity; Nulla Dies sin•• linea, we have been many Dayes but we have lived but few: well then this is the first Use, do all thou canst do, and all thou hast to do Day,* 1.16 and leave no∣thing undone till tomorrow.

2. Let this put a check to the Cares and Pleasures of this Life; my Life is but short why should my Care and De∣light be long; it is not much we need nor long that we shall need any thing, we have but a Body, a piece, and that is a small one, and a Mortal one; long Reaches and Designs are very unsuitable to a Man that has but a Dayes time. Famous is the Instance of the Fool in the Gospel; Luk. 12.19, 20. I will pull down my Barns, saies he, and I will build greater, and I will say to my Soul, Soul thou hast goods laid up for many Years, Eat, Drink, and be Merry; * 1.17 But God said unto him, thou Fool, this Night shall thy Soul be required of thee &c. If he had only reckoned of this Day, he had not heard that dreadful Word of, this Night, or at least would not have been dreadful to him to have heard it.

Ʋse 3. Hence we see what little cause we

have either to fear or envy any man in the World, any wordly great Man's what saies the Psalmist, Surely thou didst set them in slippery places, how are they brought into Destruction as in a Moments, &c.* 1.18 For this matter consult further those places, Job. 21.13.30. and 24.19, 20, 24. Rev. 18.10.17.19. Ezek. 34.27. &c. We use to say of some Men in a way of Reproach and Scron, that they are but Yesterday-Men, and we may say truly of the Greatest and Highest and Happiest in this World, that they are but Men of to Day, no Morrow-Men; come to seek them in the Mornings and they may not be Persecutors and Oppres∣sors many threaten what they will do, but it may be to Morrow they may be Sick, the next Week you may find them. Cold in their Graves, I remember a Passage in Story of one Libanius, a great Favorite of Julian ther Apostate; Julian was gone in an Expendition into the East, against some that had made an insurrec∣tion against him, and resolved at his re∣turned destroy all the Christians, and utterly to root them out; saied this Li∣banius to one the Christians in a Scof∣fing manner; where is now your Car∣penters Son, meaning Christ, what will

he now do for you, to save you from the Emperour? to whom the Christian re∣plied Boldly, this Carpenter, as you call him, made the World; a Work above any Carpenter, and he is now making a Coffin for Julian; and so it proved, for Julian was slain before his return: I will pursue, I will overtake saies proud Pha∣raoh, the next News we hear of him, he is in the Bottom of the Sea as Mute as the Fishes that seed upon his Dead Car∣case; Oh that Oppressors would con∣sider this!

Ʋse 4. Let this teach us Patience un∣der the Greatest Afflictions; they are but for a Day, or if you will but for a Night, no Man ought to think that he shall be miserable to Morrow: our Dayes are but few: and therefore our Dayes of Sorrow cannot be many. It is an hour of Temptation, if it grieve you that your Comforts stay with you so little a while, they are but Day-Comforts, you cannot prevail with them to Lodge with you; Why, let this relieve you that your Troubles are but Night-Troubles, they will be gone in the Mor∣ning, they will not abide in your House why should I complain much of that, which for any thing I know may be

ended before my complaint be at an end: For a Conclusion, let us Labour to live under the Power of this Doctrine; if this Truth were Believed as it should, Oh what abundance of thoughts, and Cares and Fears would be getting out of the meeting before you, and you would never feel them more! how would the Face of your Affairs and Families be changed! you would let alone and lay by a great many things that you were very busie about before, and set upon doing some things you never did before; or if you did them before; you would do them so now as you never did them before: you would say, this thing must be done and done to day too, or else I may be undone for ever: for other things if I have time I may do them; but if they be never done it will be no great loss to me: resign up your Lives into God's Hand's every Evening, and take them again from him by a new Lease every Morning.

I come now to the second Observation, which is this.

Doct. 2. That every Day has its proper evil and peculiar Trouble attend∣ing

it, and enough of it. I need not stand much upon the Proof of it, every ones experience bids me save my self this Labour, our daily complaints dis∣cover our daily troubles! where is the Person that ever could say, this Day have I lived, and met with no Cross, no Tri∣al, no Disappointment, no Grief, no Perplexity, every thing, every circum∣stance has been to my Hearts desire, I could not have wished it otherwise; but however take a taste of Scripture-Judg∣ment in this matter: Old Jacob that tells you his years were few, tells you with the same Breath,* 1.19 that they were Evil too; Job that saies that Man that is Born of a Woman is of few Daies, does at the same time say that they are full of Trouble;* 1.20 and indeed seeing they are so full of Trouble its well for us they are so few; and Da∣vid that speaks of the shortness of our Dayes, added this, yet is their Strength Labour and Sorrow; * 1.21 the best of them have Trouble enough in them. I shall en∣deavour further to make it appear and evident to you in four Instances.

1. Daily Temptations cause daily Troubles; how canst thou expect to be quiet one moment, that hath such an

active and diligent Enemy, who goes a∣bout night and day seeking whom he may devour? he sleeps not in the night time, much less on the day time; he is upon thee continually either as a Temp∣ter, or a Troubler: what a quiet World should we have if it were not for the De∣vil and his Instruments! what brave living will there be when they shall be chained up. There is no place but the Devil is there; he is constantly at Meetings, and is one of the first there, who-ever come late, he is there betimes; how should this shame you for your late coming? what comes he for, but to disturb and distract: with vain; unruly, worldly, wandring thoughts? if thou go into thy closet, thou canst not shut him out thence for he is there before thee, and assoon as ever thou hast shut thy Door, down he sits with thee, and presents thee some∣times with one sort of thoughts, some∣times with another sort; sometimes he bids make haste, get thee down, get thy Chap∣ters read, and thy Prayers said, such a business stayed for thee, such an one is to be spoken with, and you must not fail, your Family wants you, a Customer waits, &c. be but shout now, you may

be longer another time: God is a God of mercy, if thou be indisposed now, God is a God of pity, he will pass it by, he knows the flesh is weak, &c. Sometimes again with other thoughts, if he sees thee sit down to consider in good ear∣nest about thy Soul; why, Soul, what dost thou mean to make thy; life so un∣comfortable? Godliness is a chearful thing, thou comes into thy Closet, and thou thinks many a sad thought, and weeps a great many tears, and puts up so many Petitions, and spends so much time, and thou art never the better; this is but to turn as a Door upon the Hinges, this life is not to be led, this is not to be endured, here comes no fruit at all; it might even be as well not to make so much ado, and make Religion a burden, you may do your duty to God, and please him as much with a great deal less trouble to your self; how com∣fortably does many a good Christian live that do not spend so much time alone, nor so many sorrowful thoughts, and yet are careful not to neglect their Duty; put away these troubled thoughts, and try how it will be &c. This is Satan's Language, and by the way let me ob∣serve four Deceits, Fallacies and lies in

these few Words he has spoken. First, It is a most false insinuation as if too much time and care could be spent in good service. Secondly, The good Chri∣stian he means, is the careless formal Pro∣fessor, that is much a stranger to the Pow∣er of Godliness. Thirdly, Here is a means to make thy thoughts more sad and per∣plexed than they should be, that so he may provoke thee to throw all away, all seriousness, all Godly Sorrow, as a Tem∣ptation. Fourthly, He would put this quite out of thy Mind, that the Soul that diligently waits at the foot of Christ Weeping and Mourning, though for a while Sorrow may rather seem to increase than abate, yet shall certainly at last meet with full assurance, with a∣bundance of comfort, peace and satis∣faction; they that sow in Tears shall reap in Joy. But yet a little further, Sa∣tan is in the shop, in the Ware house, counting house; medling with buying and selling, egging on to lying Equivo∣cation, bad Wares, false Weights, Over∣reaching, Defrauding, and presently after to anger and discontent with Ser∣vants; and it may be at last to murmur∣ing, this Trade will not do, we can∣not make both ends meet, so many bad

Debts, so much Damaged Goods, such bad Markets; but if he be on the en∣creasing and thriving Hand, then he Tempts to a self-pleasing proud humour, * 1.22 Thou hast found the Life of thine Hand, therefore thou wast not grieved: and now thoughts come crouding in how to keep up and enlarge Trade; Satan sits down with thee at thy Table, and there he is Tempting to forgetfulness of God, drawing fear off, keeping down thank∣ful Spirit, prompting to sensuality and gratifying appetite, &c. He lies down with thee, and is impatient whilst thou art bidding God good night, and has o∣ther Work for thee, other Meditations than those of the Name and Word of God; and assoon as ever thou awakes in the Morning; he is with thee to distract thee and trouble thee: say now whe∣ther Satan alone be not enough to fill e∣very day with trouble. Secondly, No condition free from temptations, the rich and the Poor, the high and the low; Sa∣tan is in Kings Courts, and Beggars Cottages; he is with the sick Man, and the Healthful, the Freeman and the Im∣prisoned, the Honoured and the Re∣proached; no place free, no Condition free.

2. Daily wants cause daily Griefs, to want is an Evil, a Misery, now the Bo∣dy and Mind are alwaies wanting some∣thing: consider the restlesness of the Bo∣dy in a kind of tedious wearisomness stealing upon us in the very Reflections, the interchangeable Reflections of the Body, we must Sleep a while till we be Weary of that, and then we must Wake another while till we come to the former again; we must Eat a while till we be weary of that, and Fast another while till we come to the former again; we we must stand &c. Whatsoever we turn to for our Ease, there again we find our wearying; these Bodies of ours are like wayward crying Children, that are no sooner quieted with one thing but pre∣sently complaining again; so I must walk, I must sit, I must cool, I must warm my self again; like the Nurses toil, dress and undress, how long the very same things? Again, consider the trouble of Laborious toiling and moil∣ing in several Callings and Vocations to get a little supply for the wants of the Body: since the time it was said, in the sweat of thy Brows thou shal Eat thy Bread, the World is become a great Correction of Work-house, a General Bridewel to

task us all to our Labours; the very Bread we put into our Mouths, the ve∣ry Cloaths we put upon our Backs, the very Houses we put our Heads into, what are they but evident Arguments of Mans great labour and pains? As for the House, consider what a deal of labour must needs come between the Timber standing uncut in the Mountains, and the Stones unhewn in the Quarry, and the making of them now in the form of a fit House to dwell in; as for thy Cloaths thou puttest on, consider but all the la∣bour that comes between the Sheeps wearing them on their Backs, and thy wearing them on thine; As for the Bread also which thou puttest into thy Mouth, consider (besides the Plowing up the Ground) the great labour that comes between the Seed-Mans hand casting it into the Ground, and thy Hand putting it into thy Mouth; consider well but these, and then thou wilt acknowledge many great labours every Day. I might add likewise the great Trouble that comes in regard of Sores, and Sicknesses and Infirmities; they know well what this trouble means, that tell the Clock whilst others sleep, that have wearisome Dayes and Nights appointed for them,

that are seldom free from Pains and Weakness and griefs as much as they can well bear. Consider also the manifold troubles of the Mind by reason of disap∣pointments and discontents from Friends, from Enemies, from Children, from Servants &c. will you now say that our daily wants and troubles that flow from thence are not sufficient to fill eve∣ry Day with as much Affliction as e∣ver it can hold?

3. Daily fears bring daily perplexi∣ties; have you a Day without its fears, fears about the state of your Souls, whe∣ther your Faith be right, your Repen∣tance unfeigned, your Duties accepted, your Works wrought in God? whether you have savingly closed with Jesus Christ upon Gospel-terms? whether you have brought all to him, and take all from him? whether you are truly Marri∣ed to him, and can groundedly say, my Beloved is mine, and I am his; I hare every false way, I have respect to all God's Commandments, so far as I am acquainted with his will? Again, fears a∣bout holding out, my Corruptions are strong, my temptations are pressing, I shal one Day fall by the Hands of my strong Lusts and unruly Affections; if Persecu∣tion

should come I should do as Peter did, I should want Courage, I should dishonour God, I know not how to suf∣fer Imprisonment or be a Martyr for the Gospel and Waies of Christ: Again Fears of Death, which keep some in Bondage all their dayes, every day they do up∣rise; what shall I do when I come to Dye? I cannot think of it but with a∣mazement, I cannot look that King of Terrours in the Face, I neither know how to part with my Comforts, nor yet how to endure the Pains and Pangs of Death, and least of all to meet with God, who I have caufe to Fear is not at peace with me; and then what will become of me to fall into the Hands of a Living God who is a Consuming Fire? Again, fear of outward Want; how the World will hold out? how I shall maintain my Family and bring up my Children; such Fears as these are daily companions to some: though by the way let them con∣sider that fear Want, that they want no∣thing so much as Faith; a little more Trusting God, and a little less sinful; foresight and needless care would do ve∣ry well: Now tell me whether all these Fears and a great many such like, be not enough to spoil the comfort of our Day.

4. Daily defects and disappointments procure daily Misery and Vexation. The shortness that is in every Creature-com∣fort, and which the Soul cannot but be every day sensible of, must needs cause Trouble; I thought to have had such an easy seat, and the stool breaks under me, I promised my self so much comfort in this Child, How are my hopes, and ex∣pectation frustrated! I reckon'd that this design would have prospered and have done my Work, and I see it has failed me; I see these Worldly enjoy∣ments are but dreamish things, they are but shadows, they can feed the hunger of the Soul, but they cannot feed the hungry Soul; I have been Labouring for the Wind, I never plcased my self in any thing, but to be sure I met with a Cross in it: these outward enjoyments promise more than they can perform; I never leaned upon them, but they deceived me, I never trusted them but they fail∣ed me, Riches, and Friends, and Rela∣lations make themselves Wings and they flee away; I was at the merry meeting but some things were wanting, and some passages did not please me: and thus you have the proof of the Doctrine, I now come to give you the Grounds and Rea∣sons

of the point,* 1.23 how it comes to pass (as you have already heard how it does appear:) that every day should be so full of Trouble, What is the matter? why will God have it so?

Take these three Reasons in special.

Reason 1. The Lord does it for Cor∣rection of Sin; daily Sins must have dai∣ly chastisements, there is a necessary con∣nexion between Sin and Punishment, as between sowing and reaping, we are fowing and reaping every day. It is wor∣thy your observation, that some kind of grain comes up sooner a great deal than others; but the Husband-man does so order his sowing, that commonly he reaps all together: some sins that are com∣mitted, are not punished till a great while after, again some sins are reckoned for immediately upon the Commission; some sad sinful seed comes up quickly, sown in the morning & reaped the same day, some not till a Week or a Month, or a Year, or many years after: but it is so ordered that there is reaping work for every day; I may be reaping this week what I sowed the last, and sowing this week for the next; I may this year be

teaping what I sowed last, Or twen∣ty years ago, as Joseph's Brethren did their cruelty to their Brother; I may in old Age be reaping the Sins of my Youth; Thou writest bitter things a∣gainst me and makes me possess the Sins of my Youth saith Job. The Fathers sow for the Children,* 1.24 God punishes the Ini∣quity of the Fathers upon the Children: and I may be reaping the Fruit of my Fore-Fathers transgression, and I may now be sowing that seed that my poste∣rity may taste the bitter fruit of, and set their teeth on edge. When I meet with any remarkable Affliction more bitter than ordinary, then should I be thinking with my self, what seed was this of, what is the name of the seed that this Fruit came from, what is the name of the Apple, it is a very sowre one, it wrings me by the Bowels and causes me to make Faces, and groan and cry out; What is the Sins name? what do you call that Iniquity of mine that has laid me under this great distress? is not the name of it Self-Love, Back-sliding, falling from the Fear of God, decay of love to God, unpro∣fitablness under the means; I have heard that such kind of seed does use to bring forth Friut with such a taste or may not

the Name of it be Love of the World Covetousnes, or may it not be Idolatry have not I set up something or other in my Affections and esteem above God have not I made an Idol of some com∣fort? for I hava read that God is very jealous of his Glory, and cannot endure that any thing should be in the throne of the Heart equal to him, much less above him; and upon this account I have know a him sometime Kill a Child in the Mothers bosom a Wife in the Husbands bosom, an Husband in the Wifes bosom to the amazement and astonishment and even overwhelming of the survivor; and all this because he was robbed of that love he ought to have had, and he will not give his Glory to another: if the liv∣ing have been the Idol, the Dead shall he thy punishment. Those that have trusted in their Wealth and the abun∣dance of their Riches, that have pleased and prided themselves in them, he has all on a sudden sent his Serjeants and dis∣treined and recovered all from them, by Fire or Water, or Thieves, or that little moth his secret curse and blasting; those that have lived carelesly and wan∣tonly he has brought them to Pinching & Peverty; some the Lord paies with rea∣dy

Money, and lets them see their Fruit assooh as ever they have sown their seed: let me not think therefore to want my troubles daily while I am committing sin daily; there is none that lives and sinneth not, the Righteous Man falls se∣ven times a day into sin, and let him not wonder if he get as many hurts as falls: Moses and Aaron were Men as holy as the most,* 1.25 yet what sais the Psalmist? Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance on all their inventi∣ons; they had their crooked Affections, their daily Infirmities, their continued Irregularities, for which the Lord thought fit to give them daily correcti∣on and chastifement, and this was con∣sistent enough with his forgiving them; for therefore they were chastned that they might not be condemned with the World, and so instead of a daily correc∣tion have incurred Eternal destruction. To conclude this, wonder not at Suffer∣ing, whilst you see sinning: They that Plow Iniquity and sow Wickedness reap the same; if you see the Corn come up in rank clusters, you conclude the seed has fallen too plentifully there.

Reason 2. The Lord fills our dayes with trouble for Discipline and the Ex∣ercise of Grace; if the Sea was not rough, Grace would be becalmed, there would be no motion; Faith, Hope, Self-denial Mortification, &c. cannot live but in hard and rough, and stormy Weather; the more tempeltuous the Sea is, the better Faith works; Faith has but little em∣ployment, where there is much enjoy∣ment: No Grace honours God so much as Faith doth, and the exercise of it; and nothing gives Faith that exercise as trouble doth. The Ships are safest in the Harbour, and the Seamen quiet and out of danger in their Beds at home; But there is nothing to be gotten, and they may starve at, home, unless they ven∣ture forth to Sea: How canst thou trust God when thy Cupboard is full, thy Barns and Garners full? it's true, thou mayest and ought to exercise Faith then in acknowledging God, and depending upon the goodness and blessing of God in the enjoyment of them, and using them in his fear; but the exercise of Faith is much more difficult, and much less visible in such a condition: Faith that is seen, is not Faith; till the Stream be dryed up, thou canst not so well take

thy fill of the Fountain: When the wa∣ter in the Bottle is spent, then the Well is best seen and discovered, see Hab. 3.17, 18. No such rejoying in God, as when we have nothing else to rejoyce in, no such Grape as the Wilderness-Grape; God tastes the sweetest, when the World is the most bitter: so Repent∣ance and Mortification will go on the most prosperously, when the occasions, and means, and supports of Lust and Corruption are removed; Sensuality is sooner curbed by want than by plenty, and Pride better checkt by disgrace than Honours; and a wandring, vain, perverse Spirit sooner brought down by sickness and pain, than by health; and the love of the World, delight in it, designs for it are more easily mortified by continual losses, and crosses, and fastings, than by successes, encrease, and prosperous re∣turns; we shall more readily be brought to believe on God alone, when we can see nothing but him; the life of Sense and the life of Faith are quite con∣trary the one to the other. Take a Chri∣stian that hath lived in a quiet, serene, calm, and undisturbed condition for some years, never meeting with any consider∣able trouble; Take another that hath

still been exercised with variety of affli∣ctions, almost never without some great distress upon him in one kind or ano∣ther; let them both have been under the same means of Grace, and advantages in that kind; compare these two Chri∣stians together, and you will find how much the Weather-beaten▪ Saint will excel the other in Liveliness, Fervency, Zeal, Faith, Humility, yea, even in a Spirit and expressions of thankfulness, there will be no compare between them. Prospe∣rity is clogging, Adversity is cleansing; it's an harder matter to endure, than to enjoy, any one can lie upon a Feather∣bed, but every One cannot lie under an Hedg; it's more easie to love a Child, than part with a Child, to seek and pos∣sess than part with an estate, to love a good Wife or Husband than to bury them: all Honourable things are diffi∣cult things, difficilia quae pulcra; Wisdom is Honourable, the experienced man is the Wise Man, and he cannot be an ex∣perienced man that was never tried but in one conditions; he that has travelled through all quarters, that there is scarce a Country but he has been in, hardly an Affliction but he has been under, that's the Man that's Company for a Prince;

it's worth sitting by such a Man to hear him discourse of his travels, how he passed from one Region to another, from one condition to another, how loth he was to enter into it, with, what amaze∣ment he was received into it, with what difficulty, distress and anxiety of Spirit he passed on under it, how many times he had almost fainted, how wonderfully good and kind the Lord was to him, how seasonably supports and supplies came in once and again, what ebbings and flowings he passed through; how when he vehemently cried out, save me Master I perish, presently the Lord Jesus appeared and said, be not afraid, it is I; this dispensation has Love in it, it is for thy good, it wil not hurt thee, be not so a∣frighted, not an hair of thy Head shall perish by thy affliction, thou shall lose nothing but what would, have done thee harm to have kept; how afterwards the Lord quieted, composed and satisfied his Soul, made him see how much need there was of such a severe Providence, such a sharp Passage, such a bitter Dis∣pensation; as also how much Love and Goodness there was in it, which at first sight carried so much of the Face of en∣mity, disturbance and destruction; so

that he comes to say, this Affliction, this Loss, this great Trial, though I thought at first I could not have born it, yet I now see I could not have been without it; as he said once, I had been undone if I had not been undone, * 1.26 I had perished if I had not perished; and lastly, how he no sooner had got through one Afflicti∣on, but the Lord brought him to the borders of another; he was no sooner Landed, and safe in his Harbour, but God bids him prepare for another Voy age; in those dayes was Hezekiah seek unto Death, see Isa. 38.1. comp. with 3 last verses of 37. cha. To hear him tell you how gladly now he would have ta∣ken a little rest, and was thinking, sure∣ly he should now meet with no more Troubles so dismal, when presently ano∣ther messenger came to tell him, that the Lord did intend to try him again, (the first chapter of Job did not conclude his combate,) and bid him make ready for a new on-set either in the same or ano∣ther kind; how he treated the Messenger and spake wisely and kindly unto him in such language as this; it is but lately that my Lord laid an heavy and an a∣mazing Affliction upon me, it found me much unready and unprepared, I did

storm and rage at it, I was as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoke; I was cast down and dejected, I did murmur and repine, many an hard thoght had I of my maker, and several unhandsom and un∣becoming expressions came from me, some that favoured of despair, Oh I shall never have a comfortable day more, my good dayes are gone, better for me that I had never been Born, than to live to see this Trouble; why does the Lord let me live, why does he not destroy me, it would be an happiness for me if some would come and take a Knife and cut my throat, its happy for them that are Dead, they endure no such tormenting pain, they sustain no such losses, they know not tht meaning of such piercing, Heart∣breaking Sorrows &c. But it plesed the Lord by degrees to bring me to more sober expressions, he began to convince me that I had deserved a great dealmore, it is a wonder I was out of Hell, he set my sins in order before mine eyes; and then I saw that he had Puhished me less than mine Iniquities did deserve, that if I had my Due I should be in Endless, Easeless and Remediless Torment; and then I came to acknowledg him, his Ju∣stice, his Mercy, and to fall down at his

Feet; he then began to speak some com∣fortable Words to me, to give me a little reviving, a little Faith and Hope in him∣self, and to let me see his end and de∣sign ih Afflicting me; he shewed me my work, * 1.27 and my transgressions wherein I had exceeded, he opened my ear to Discipline, and commanded me to depart from Iniquity: and now he has recovered me and made me to live in his sight, if it be his plea∣sure to bring me into the fire again, I know it is for the purging away of my Iniquity; I desire I may not dishonour him, and then let him do with me what he pleases; I hope he will lay no more upon me than he will enable me to bear, and then his will be done: thus you see what great experience is to be got by Affliction, how needful it is for the ex∣ercise of Grace.

Reason third,

The Lord fills our day with trouble for distinction sake, that we may know Earth from Heaven and God from the Creature. To Know the meaning of that text, there remaineth therefore a rest for the People of God; if it were not so we should be apt to say, it is good being

here. There are two things the World is hardly brought to Believe. First, That quietness and peace and rest can∣not be obtained here: And Secondly, That it is to be enjoyed hereafter, and in himself. Now it is impossible that we should ever meet with any full conten∣tive good under Heaven; if one could show me that which the Tempter shew∣ed our Saviour even all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them, they are too beggarly a good to give content: excellently to this purpose, one of the Antients; O Lord saies he, thou hast made us for thy self,* 1.28 and our Hearts cannot be at quiet, till they come to rest in thy self; I tumble and toss this way, and that way, up∣on Back and Belly, this side and that side, and every way to get a little ease, and yet I find every thing to be hard, and God is the only true Rest.

No satisfaction to he had from any thing here below; look but upon the se∣veral Conditions of Men in City, Court and Country, and see if every one would not be a little higher, a little Richer, and a little bettered in estate; or else what means their endless carking

and caring? what means so many hands working and Heads hammering about this thing and that thing? there is not the veriest frock and apron but by little and little it would hirstle up to the Rob and Purple; * 1.29 not the poorest Friars cowle but by step and step have at the Popes mitre. This unsatisfied desiring of one thing after another (which Is very troublesome and grieving) the Preacher elegantly calls the walking of the de∣sire; * 1.30 better, saies he, is the sight of the Eyes, that is, the comfortable behold∣ing and enjoying these things we have, then the walking of the desire, the ram∣bling of it after the things we have not, or as some render it, the walking Soul: a walking Soul is very uncomfortable, to be haunted night and day with a Spi∣rit of greediness and unsatisfiedness, to have its company going out and com∣ing in, lying down and rising up; nay, to have disturbing and troublesome dreams too. The Lord never intended that the world should be a quiet place; do you know any place upon Earth that a man may go to have one day of rest, and free∣dom from care, and trouble, within and without? I would go many miles to see that place, and enjoy such a Day:

he that kept the key of such a place would quickly heap up Treasures; what flocking would there be thither from all quarters, of all sorts of People! you would see great numbers of Great-one and Noble-men posting thither. The Apostle dehorts us from seeking things that are upon the Earth, & the reason is, because they are things upon the Earth, it is a bad soile, it is a troublesome air. Men may save themselves a lobour of shiting from one condition to another, for till they shift out of the World, let them never expect to sit easily; no rest to be found in any part of the Earth, no rest∣lesness in any mansion in Heaven. I might still prosecute this matter of the wandring of the desire, which is in all conditions of men upon Earth: Does not he that is just within the presence Cham∣ber door, wish he were a little nearer the chair of State? and he that is the third Man to the chair, wish he were the se∣cond? and he that is the second, wish he were the first, that he might have the Princes ear? the first grieves because the chair is not his, and he that hath the chair wishes it were advanced a step higher, that whereas he has but one Kingdom, he had two, and he that hath

two wishes he had more, and he that hath more, wishes he had all, and he that hath all, is not content because he hath all a strange thing! at first he was not content because he had not all; and now he is much less content, because he hath all for then he had some hope to obtain his desire, when he aimed at all, but now he has no hope to obtain his desire, be∣cause all will not suffice; but he com∣plains there are no more Worlds. And now I am fallen into this Discourse, give me leave to answer an Objection.

Object.

Are there not many that will say, that had they but so much, they would be content, ay that would they with all their heart, and never desire more; does not this contradict your Doctrine, and that which you are designing to prove all this while; that he that lives upon Earth in any part of it, or in any condition in it, must expect trouble every day, all their life time and enough of it?

Answer.

1. Perhaps they know not what they

say; are there not many that thought be∣fore they had no great stomack, that when good victuals are set before them, they find a stomack, and desire there to taste of one dish after another? are there not many that designed to buy no great matters, that when they are in the fair, in the midst of so many pretty commo∣dities, desire this thing and that thing? are there not many that when they put off from shore, thought to go but thus far to Sea for recreation, that the Wind arising are afterwards carried away into the deep God knows whither? So these unexpected Winds rise as often by Land as by Sea, the wind of Affection, of too much Love and desire towards the World and joy in it; and carries Men a way into the wide World God knows whither.

2. This that they say, that if they had so much they would be content, fully content and not desire a whit more; this is only out of a ground of unlikely-hood that e∣ver they should come to more, or scarce to that, and not as though that same would absolutely satisfy and content them; as sickly Men, or old Men, that in likely-hood cannot live long, will say

perhaps, that were they certain to live but so many years, they would never de∣sire to live longer, not as though simply that would satisfy them (for every man naturally hath an infinite desire to live for ever) but because considering their present state in all likely-hood they can∣not go beyond, or scarce attain unto that period of time; and therefore they say that were they but certain to live so long they would even desire no more; but restore to the sickly Man his perfect health again, and to the old man his former youth; and try my parties then if so few years will content them, if they will be so moderate in their desires: just thus many men, because in al likely-hood they can never attain to greater matters, and scarcely to those they instance in, therefore they seem to have moderate de∣sires, and such, and such things will content them; but give them all the opportunities and means that others have, and then see if their desires be not the like: there are many would climb higher, if they had but a ladder, and he that laid 38 years at the Pool of Bethesda, if he had had any to help him in, he would not have laid there any longer than the others.

3. And lastly, if there be any that when they had got somuch or somuch, be truly for Worldly matters content, and neither seek for nor desire more, then this con∣tentedness ariseth not out of the nature of the thing, but out of the moderation of their own minds; that seeing their bodies about which all the toil is, are neither so great, nor to last so long, therefore there is not need of much. Again, it ariseth out of the ground of the Apostle; That Godliness is great gain with contentment, * 1.31 necessarily drawing contentment with it, because any thing will serve as present to him that hath the reversion of Heaven, any place will serve him that looks at last for God's right Hand, any fare will serve him here in the day-time, that looks at night forthe Lamb's Supper; and therefore it remains still good, that of themselves these things cannot satisfy any man, and give con∣tent: but stil let him have never so much, yet like the Assyrian Monarch, he cannot keep at home, * 1.32 enlarging his desire as Hell, and as Death, but gathereth un∣to him all Nations &c. I have been the longer upon this point, because it is so hard a thing, as was hinted, to perswade even Professors, that his World has no

true comfort in it, nor can it possible have any. Trouble and enough of it •• the genius of the World and the infepa∣rable companions of every Man's Life in it, and thus God will have it to distin∣guish Earth from Heaven, that Men may be as it were driven to seek af∣ter that happiness that is above. Give me leave to add one thing more before I come to the Application, & that is this; I would ask no plainer evidence that there is no satisfaction to be found upon Earth in any part or place of it, but trouble and enough of it; because your greatest Men with whom, if with any, some fair Halcyon peaceable quiet Dayes should have been found, have complained so of discontents that they have been weary of their fortunes.* 1.33 Augustus Caesar, as Seneca hath it, that was so great a Monarch; yet often and often, again and again intreat∣ed the Senatours that he might lay down his Empire, and become a private Mans and never thought more joyfully of any day than of that wherein he should lay down his greatness; he knew by expe∣rience what a deal of toil and trouble his greatness cost, and felt how heavy the Crown was on his Head, whose glory and glistering others admire. And Tis∣berius

after he could find no content in his Empire, nor could tell how with safety to turn private man, complained that fortune had set him a Cock-height, and then took away the ladder that he could not come down when he would. And above all Solomon that had so flou∣rishing a Kingdom as the best, and sought good so accurately and universally, what might be that good, for the Sons of Men, which they would so fain lay hold of under the sun; and what can the man do that comes after the King: yet after all this search: the sum is this, all is vanity and vexation; this is proof enough of my Doctrine if I had no other: He went about to cause his Heart to despair of all the labour which he took under the Sun, King's Palaces say,* 1.34that peace and qui∣etness is not in them, the Crown and Purple say they have not heard of it; (but on the contrary, trouble and vex∣ation, and anguish and sorrow and, e∣nough of it;)why should we then not think, that it is no-where to be found? if great Men that have so many fences a∣gainst Affliction cannot escape, how shall poor, infirm, naked Men avoid the dint of it? I remember an answer of one A∣pollonius Thyaneus to one who asked him,

whether he believed the story of the Cup made of an Unicorns-horn, that he who should drink out of it should be privi∣ledged from all Diseases, wounds and poisons? I will believe it, saies he, if I shall know that the King of the Coun∣try where the Unicorn lives shall be im∣mortal and escape Death: * 1.35 he thought if any then the King would procure that Cup and enjoy the Benefit; so if there be any that could free their Dayes from trouble, or so much trouble as others may have, King's and Great-ones would surely hit on it; but we find it is quite otherwise. The Doctrine standing thus clear with the grounds and reasons of it; I come now to draw some Inferen∣ces from it.

Ʋse. 1.

In the first place I note this; that every man thinks he has trouble enough, and would not willingly bear more than he has; take any man in the World, and come to him, what day you will chuse, and what time of the day you will, and say to him: Sir, do you want any trouble? no, saies he, I have trouble enough; if it be a duty, I

must take it though troublesome, but cares and crosses I want none; come to the King, and say, Sir, do you want any trouble? he will tell you, he has e∣nough of his own; the Crown of gold has thorns in it, every man you meet with, if you would sit down and hear him, he will give you a large catalogue of his griefs; and tell you either of some inward trouble from the fear and sense of the wrath of God, from the temptations and bufferings and assaults, suggestions and injections of the wicked one, or else arising from the corruption; and deceitfulness of his own Heart; or he will acquaint you with some outward trouble, full of discontent, it may be, from Superiors, by putting up many a wrong and injury at their hands, from inferiours by back-biting, slander, and detraction; from equals by much unso∣ciable fallings out, or being in every thing our rivals or emulous copemates to give us the check at every turn, from Friends by unkind falling away, or trea∣cherous disclosing of secrets, or failing in the time of need, like Jobs friends: For now ye are nothing, saies he, ye see my cast∣ing down are afraid. * 1.36 My Brethren have dealt deceitfully with me as a brook,

and as the stream of brooks they pass away: From enemies also by doing us (as we look for no other) all the despite they can: from Wife or Husband by many frowns or unkind fits between them; from servauts by common negligence and unfaithfulness &c. And as from all sorts of People, so in all sorts of condi∣tions; in the married estate, discontents sometimes for want of Children, but much more for having unthriving Chil∣dren, and little less from having good and hopeful ones sometimes untimely taken away, or that they must leave such to the wide World, without leaving any thing to such pretty Babes. The married body hath discontents in being put to care for others, and the single person is not without it, that he hath none to care for him; Masters com∣plain of bad Servants, and Servants think that Masters are very cross and froward; see the Apostle Paul's Cata∣logue of his Troubles, 2 Cor. 11.23. &c. There is trouble in getting the World, trouble in keeping it, and trouble in parting with it. I shall conclude this with that of the Wise-Man who spoke by experience, and there's nothing like it; * 1.37 What hath Man of all his labour, and

of the vexation of his Heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? For all his dayes are Sorrow, and his travel grief; yea, his Heart taketh not rest in the Night; This is also vanity.

Ʋse. 2.

I note the goodness of God, that seeing the day hath trouble enough, he has so ordered it, that trouble is but for a day; if many dayes, and many troubles met together it would be sad; its well that Dayes of trouble and extream misery are shortened. * 1.38 In Hell there is a Life without end, and trouble without end; seeing it is sharp, it is a comfort it is so short.

Ʋse. 3.

I note the great difference between this life, and the Life to come; many Dayes and full of joy, for few Dayes and full of troubles.* 1.39 In thy Presence is ful∣ness of joy, at thy right Hand are pleasures for evermore.

Ʋse. 4.

The great mistake of promising a better morrow; if you have not the same trouble to morrow which you had to

day, you shall have another in the room of it, and full as bad; to mor∣row may not be, and if it be, it will not be better; it is looked upon as great vanity and wickedness in them that said, to Morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant.

Ʋse. 5.

The great Mercy of God that has been pleased to order suitable sup∣port, and sufficient supply for the day. * 1.40 As thy day is, so shall thy strength be.

Ʋse. 6.

There is comfort in this, that we canot expect a worse morrow; more than enough cannot be, fear of a worse makes this the worst. The Lord will lay no more upon you, than he will enable you to bear: if thou shalt have burthen enough for thy bearing, so thou wilt have strength enough for thy bur∣den; if thou hast but little trouble, thou has but little strength, and the burden is enough for thy strength; so if thou hast great troubles thou hast proportion∣able strength, and so the strength is e∣nough

for the burden. To conclude this Text, my care will not make to morrow's trouble less, and therefore why should it make this day's trouble more; I am resolved to part with a great many thoughts and cares, which have been very chargeable to maintain, have eaten up my strength and comfort, and I have got nothing by them, they shall now all be banished, let the morrow take thought for it self, each day hath enough with his own grief.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ps. 139.19 acupictus sum.
• * 1.2

  Gen. 47.9.
• * 1.3

  Job 14.1.5, 6.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 90.10
• * 1.5

  Mat. 21.2
• * 1.6

  Heb. 5.7.
• * 1.7

  Job 7. last Eph 4.26. Mat. 5.2, 3
• * 1.8

  Psa. 31.15 Job. 17.1.
• * 1.9

  Isa. 56.12.
• * 1.10

  Gen 4.8.
• * 1.11

  Exo. 12.30
• * 1.12

  London.
• * 1.13

  War and sea-Fights
• * 1.14

  Eccle. 9.10.
• * 1.15

  Mr. F.
• * 1.16

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.17

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.18

  Psa. 73.18 19.
• * 1.19

  Gen. 47.9.
• * 1.20

  Job 14.1.
• * 1.21

  Psa. 90.10.
• * 1.22

  Esa. 57.10
• * 1.23

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.24

  Job 13.26
• * 1.25

  Psal. 98.9.
• * 1.26

  periissem nisi peri∣issem.
• * 1.27

  Job 36.8.9.10.
• * 1.28

  Fecisti nos ad te & cor nostrum inquictum estdonec re quiescat in te versa & reversa in tergum &in late∣ra & in ventrem, & dura sunt omnia! tu solus requires Austin
• * 1.29

  Mr. G.
• * 1.30

  Eccles. ••.9.
• * 1.31

  1 Tim. 6.••
• * 1.32

  Hab. 2.
• * 1.33

  De brev.••••t.
• * 1.34

  Eccl. 2.20
• * 1.35

  Mr. G.
• * 1.36

  Job 6.15.21.
• * 1.37

  Eccles. 2.22.23.
• * 1.38

  Mat. 24.22.
• * 1.39

  Psal. 16.11.
• * 1.40

  Deut. 33.25.