CONSIDERATION. I.

FIrst, call to your remem­brance that great Statute, That all must once dye. And that doome for sinne,Heb. 9.27 Gen. 3. Dust thou art, and into Dust thou shalt returne.

Nascimur, & morimur, is e­uery ones Motto; Wee are all borne mortall.

What maruell to see that cut asunder which may bee cut asunder? That melted which is fusible and apt to melt? That burnt which is combustible? The Sonne die as well as the Father, being borne vnder the same Condi­tion of Mortality, that the Fa­ther was?

All vnions in this world must be dissolued: Fathers and Children must bee seuered; Friends & Friends, Husbands & Wiues, as they had a Time to come together, so they must haue a Time to part asunder.

CONSIDERATION. 2.

SEcondly, consider that it is the case of others with you. If you had beene the first, or onely Father that had lost a Sonne, and no other had drunk of this Cup before you; then you had some Colour to com­plaine, and to continue and spin out your laments. But the worme is spred euen vnder Roy­all Branches; Kings and Princes are depriued of their Children, as well as meaner men; yea those Children, that should keepe their [Page 13] Kingdome from staggering.

Histories are full of instan­ces; Whence you (that are so conuersant in those readings) can easily store your selfe; let it bee inough for me to reach you onely three or foure fami­liar Ones, within the reach & l [...]en of our owne memory.

That Noble Lord of the North lost three of his Sonnes, In florentissima aetate, in the ve­ry bloome of youth, and lusti­hood: One, before his aged Eyes, by the ruggednesse of an vnbroken Horse; and Two together out of a Boate pas­sing ouer a rough Ferry.

You know, but a little since, A worthy Knight of our Country lost one of his Sons, a lusty yong Gentleman, in our owne Riuer, his Horse leaping with his Rider, plum ouer the Boates side.

[Page 14]A Noble Gentlewoman, our neighbour, after the losse of a deare and excellent Husband, lost in the Circle of a few yeeres, sixe of her Children, all growne Men and Women, three faire Daughters, and three braue Sonnes; the yong­est in a Tempest of Bullets, at the assault of an vnfortunate Iland.

The Prince Palatines losse of his First-borne Sonne, by the vnlucky running of a Ship with full saile ouer his Barge, is fresh in all minds.

Perishing by misfortune is a greater Cut, then leauing the world by Gods Visitation. So that your case being common with others, and more easie then diuers others, That may stifle some sighs, and calme a many repining complaints.

[Page 15] Inter arma & lituos, Am. Mar. lib. 26. c. 13. conditio­nis aequatio leuiorafacit pericula. Euen among weapons and sounding Trumpets, the equali­ty of Condition makes the danger lighter, and lesse sensi­ble.

Who reckes his life, or dreads death, when in the whirle and Din of warre, hee seeth not onely his fellow-Soldiers knockt downe beside him, but a many valiant yong Nobles, resolute and hardy Knights, and Commanders, that erewhile cleft the crowdes, and hewed them­selues a way thorow the thickest Rankes of the Ene­my, fallen to ground also, and lying breathles among Thou­sands of other dead bodies?

What a Rowe might bee presented of weeping Fathers [Page 16] and Mothers for their Sonnes, accomplisht (at their no small charge) with learning and breeding, sodainely hurried out of the world vpō a Sword or Rapiers point, in desperate quarrels, or Challenges and Duells, within the com­passe of halfe Your Time?

CONSIDERATION. 3.

THirdly, the impossibility of recouering your losse.Prorsus nö sunt tentä­da impossi­bilia. So­pho.

[Page 17]The best salue for an irreco­uerable losse, is Obliuion.

Non placet istud factum, Terent. Adelph. Act. 4.5.8 si pos­sem mutare; nunc cum non queo, aequo animo fero. This fact likes me not, if I knew how to help it; now that I cannot, what re­medy but patience?

If your Sonne were to bee bought and brought to life a­gaine at a set price of sorrow, I beleeue, you would bid frankly for him. But, The Graue returnes no Men. You shall goe to him, he shall not come againe to you.

And therefore to sit day by day with folded armes, and dropping eyes, & a heart heauy as lead, for the Losse cannot possibly be regayned; as it is vnprofitable to the bemoa­ned, so 'tis a hurt to the be­moaner; yea of one harme to [Page 18] make Two. Nay it is to resist the high and heauenly Will, and to bee found Striuers a­gainst God: In which number, I know, you would be loth to be ranked. You haue not so lear­ned Christ.

CONSIDERATION. 4.

FOurthly, Time it selfe may minister some Physicke to your Affliction. A Prisoners Irons seeme not so heauy to him the second day, as the first. No griefe hath so much violence in the continuation, as in the first Accesse.

Take the simplest Country-Mother, the weakest Nurse of a Village, that wrings her hands, and teares her haire, & [Page 19] laues the Ground (on which she wallowes) with eye-wa­ter, and takes on neuer so im­potently for her departed Child; and the space of a few dayes will slake the rage of her sorrow, and anon bury it in vtter forgetfulnesse.

That which Time worketh in the ignorant, shall not Time and Reason together effect as easily in the wise?

CONSIDERATION 5.

Fiftly, But you will say, your Son might haue liu'd lon­ger. And hee might as well haue dyed sooner. Who can shew me a Lease of his life vn­der Seale for one houre? Why may not euery day proue our last day?

[Page 20]Some are suffocated in the wombe; others crowz'd to death in the Birth. One is snatcht away in the Cradle: Another mow'd off in his May of youth; being onely shewne to the world like a curious picture finisht, and straight the Curtaine drawne and re­mou'd away againe. Its the priuiledge but of few, to step down vpon the Griece of Old Age. Our life, from the first houre to the last, gallops on towards death: And who seeth not, with what speed it conquers euen the longest way in this iourney?

If Time then be the thing you stand on for your Sonne, how small a matter of Oddes is a little more or lesse Time in so fugitiue and swift a Race? It's scarce discernable.

[Page 21]A Cart full of Prisoners are brought to execution; what skills it which is first, or third, or sixt, or tenth, or sixteenth? All must dye. What gets hee that is delayed till the after­noone, aboue him that was executed in the morning? Per­haps to be superafflicted with longer expectance and pre-ap­prehension; sighing that his turne had not beene with the formost.

(But the Prisoner may not appoint his owne course, that is in the Iudge or the Sheriffe to dispose of.)

The whole world is but a Cart of condemned persons: God culls out euery day some and some for Execution.

This very Minute a Slaue dyes, foredone with toyle and hardship. Instantly, a King or [Page 22] great Lord mounts the Scaf­fold. By and by a Mechanick, a Rusticke, a Pesant, a Milk­maid, a Cow-heard, a Schoole-boy, or Girle, suffer.

Straight after, a Royall Lady or Princesse stoopes her faire Neck to the Blocke.

Anon, a fresh, louely, actiue, vigorous Youth, a beauteous young Damsell (Ornaments to the world) are presented to the Axe.

Behold now, a feeble old man is led vp, hauing scarce life inough left, to be kild, &c.

The oldest of these hath not liu'd a minute ouer his Time, nor the youngest a minute vn­der: for neither might the one budge any sooner without summons & order; nor the other tarry any longer, being call'd away. But you will say, He [Page 23] had no cause to complaine, that was respited to Old Age, which brings with it a saciety of liuing. Nor You, by the same reason. For when God hath decreed, I shall liue no longer, This (fall it when it will) is my Old Age.

Wee are not Caruers of our owne Times. Hee onely that predestinated the houre of our Birth from all Eternity, hath power to decree the houre of our Death.

You neither could cause your Child to bee borne soo­ner, or to dye later. Times Maker knowes the fittest Times for all his purposes.

He hath not appointed all to liue the same terme of yeeres. Some goe before,Serius aut citius, me­tam prope­ramus ad vnam. Ouid. some after. But first or last, all arriue at the same marke.

[Page 24]The Husbandman reapes not all his Akers at once, but one sooner, another later, as they are sooner or later ripe. Let God alone, hee knowes (better then any Farmer) the number and condition of his Akers, & where he findes one forward, turn'd white betimes, (though but the other day greene, and in the blade) there he puts in his Sickle, and car­ries it into the Heauenly Barne: A Place of safety.

Which with longer stan­ding might haue spilt & shed, or beene wansled, and come to nothing.

Long lasting, euen to the frostiest old Age is not the matter,Puer cen­tum anno­tum. Esa. 65. for there may bee a Child of a hundred yeeres old, that yet is not ready for Heauen.

[Page 25]God hath reserued to him­selfe alone, the sight of the run­ning out of the Glasse. Man knoweth not his Time and End: but vnperceiuingly slides into it, as the Fish into the Net, or the Bird into the Snare, God pushing on meanes, to vs vn­dreamt of, and vnsuspected, to serue his Decree.

It is with men in the world, as with the Vessels in a Potters Shop. There are of all sorts, sizes, and fashions. That which to day is whole, & handsome, and vsefull: to morrow, with a knocke, or a fall, may bee broken to sheards. Your Ves­sell was sheene and new, of a firme making, likely to haue lasted many a faire yeere, euen till it had flawed and mou­dred away of it selfe; but it stood in harmes-way, disease [Page 26] and sicknesse gaue it a knocke, and a cracke, which could not bee soldred. And indeed, the sleekest, the sweetest, the trim­mest Dish of China, is but a China Dish; handle it, or set it vp as charily as you can de­uise.

Wee would haue our Can­dle burne downe into the soc­ket; but God hath a wind to blow it out, sometimes as soone as lighted; or a Thiefe to consume it with guttering, ere any Eye heed it. Few of our liuing Candles (not one a­mongst a Thousand) last bur­ning to the last Inch.

Hee that numbreth all our Times and houres, hath num­bred your Sonnes also, and set him his day, beyond which he could not passe.

Honour him with free [Page 27] yeelding this preeminence to him, and let it stop your mouth, and stoope your heart. I held my peace, Psal. 1. Sam. Iob. because thou didst it. It is the Lord, let him doe whatsoeuer he pleaseth. He giueth, he taketh, blessed be the Name of the Lord.

But he doth nothing but for the best to them that loue him. Many times Life is not so much taken away, as Death giuen for a speciall Fauour.

Iust and Mercifull men are ta­ken away from the Euils to come. Esay. How many times ouer, haue some dyed, by liuing long?

Righteous Abel, the second Sonne of the sole Emperour of the whole Earth, was cut off in his Youth. The Eternall Son of God himselfe died a young Man.

Our Estimate of Life is [Page 28] wrong, and false; quite odde and different from Gods. We measure it like Canuas, by the Ell; God like Gold, by the Graine. Our Examen is by the Tale, so many Scores; Gods by the Touch, so vertuous, so ex­emplary, of such an Allay.

Now, God hauing thus qualified Your Sonne with Grace, made him early ready for Heauen; hee had attain'd his due, and true Seniority, and could not com­plaine that hee lackt Time, or had liu'd too little while.

The Heathens haue noted it for a blessing, to dye young.

Cleobis and Biton, Cic. Tusc, quast. when their Mother for their piety in drawing her Chariot to the Temple themselues, (in the ab­sence of the Horses) prayed, that they might be rewarded with the greatest blessing that could possibly happen from God to Man; were both found dead next morning in their sleepe.

And when newes hereof [Page 30] was brought to their Mother, as of a great misfortune: No (saith she) I will neuer count my selfe vnfortunate, that was the Mother of such Sonnes, as the gods haue guerdon'd with immor­tality for their pious Act.

Shall a Pagan Mother, ha­uing no other light but that of duske nature, count it for a Di­uine Fauour, that her excellent Sonnes haue early quit this life and world; and a Christi­an Father inlightned with the Raies of the Sacred Truth breathed from the Holy Ghost, pule, and repine, and looke sowre vpon Heauen, and God, when in mercy he hath done for ours, not what's most plea­sing to vs, but what's most fit and commodious for both? If wee bee truely penitent for our sinnes, and can perswade [Page 31] our hearts of our right and in­terest in the blood and merits of Christ Iesus, what need we doubt of Gods Fauour?

Hath he not told vs in his Word assur'd vs, proou'd, de­monstrated to vs, that he loues vs; yea better then we can loue our selues?

And will such a Cause pro­duce any other then benefici­all, and friendly effects?

Was it not in loue vnspeak­able, that he gaue his own Son to Vs? and can it bee but in like loue, that hee takes our Sonnes and Daughters vnto him?

O thinke of it; and thinke withall, whether such a loue, from Him so great, to Vs so [Page 32] base, be not worthy re-louing, aboue Sonnes, Daughters, Wines, Friends, Wealth, Lands, or whatsoeuer else the World holds most deare?

May we not, hauing this left vs (the loue of God in Christ) fit vs downe as blessed Men and Women, with cheerefull hearts and faces, though all things else be torne from vs?

This is the miraculous Phi­losophers Stone, that turnes any Metall it touches, into Gold.

This turnes Crosses into Comforts, Losses into Thrifts, Sorrows into Smiles, Wounds into Medicines, and Death it selfe of our selues, or ours, into superlatiue Aduantage and Blisse.

CONSIDERATION 6.

GOd may intend herein the Fathers tryall, as well as the Childs Benefit. You your selfe haue sometimes giuen one of your little Ones an Ap­ple, and askt it againe imme­diately, to try his loue. So God giues vs deare Pledges, and anon requires them from vs againe, to make proofe which wee loue better, our Children or Him.Chora pig­nora, Cha­rior Deui. He allowes vs to hold them deare, but Himselfe must bee dearer.

Was't not inough, that God (who could haue with-held that blessing of marriage) gaue you such a Sonne, vnlesse hee would bargaine with you to [Page 34] let him liue forty yeeres be­yond you? would you rather bee childlesse, then the Father of such a Sonne, as might out­runne his Father in the race of Death?

If you had a iourney to goe afoote thirty Miles, will you not say God a mercy to him will let you ride a Dozen of it, because he will not spare you his Horse the other Eigh­teene?

A great Duke or Prince lends you a dainty sweet Pi­cture, of exquisite Workman­ship, to delight your Eyes withall; Will you powte, and snuffe, and take on as iniuri'd, when after diuers yeeres vse, he re-demaunds it from you, to bee placed againe among the Ornaments of his Gallery?

Ah te, si flentem super aethera [Page 35] mox rapuisset Iupiter.

What could you say for your selfe; how excuse such froward bearing, if God should instantly summon you to make you answer before him?

CONSIDERATION 7.

BVt you could haue better brookt any Crosse, then this. But we may not choose our Crosse, but beare patiently that is laid on vs. Shall wee take vpon vs to curb, or di­rect, and giue lawes to God?

You deceiue your selfe, and lay vp but discomfort against the euill day, if you thinke no Thorne could pricke, but this. God can quickly make you [Page 36] know, that he is able to set a point, and sting vpon a Crosse of wooll.

Exod. He can make a few Flies as irkesome and intolerable, as angry Botchos and Blaynes all the body ouer. Darkenesse, which euery night makes fa­miliar to vs, as discomforta­ble and dreadfull, as incessant Haile-stormes mingled with fire, and accompanied with Thunder-strokes able to shake the heart of a Mirmadon.

That Rod shall smart, which God will set on, though it be but of Rushes.

A little browne paper shot out of an Elder-Gun, is scarce felt against the hand of a Child; The same browne paper out of a Musket, is able to breake the Ribs of a Giant.

What maruell if one bee in bitternesse, the stroke falling like a Talent of Lead, and the wound no light one, when the hand of God inflicts it?

I know, losse of Children, Men of best Blood and Minds, take most to heart: and by the helpe of their sharpe conceit, encrease and sharpen their af­fliction: which made that say­ing scape from the Pen of One, In non sapiendo iucundissima vita. Sodho. The sweetest life is in not be­ing wise. And from anothers, It's good sometimes to be a foole. Dulce est desipere in loco.

Iners malorum Remedium ig­norantia. The more of igno­rance, the lesse of grieuance. It's the downe-right, senslesse Remedy of Euils. For Such a [Page 38] one cannot by his discourse aggrauate a Losse.

But me thinkes, Wisdome should reach vs as soft a Cushion to leane on, as Igno­rance can: and Discretion forge an Armour of as good proofe against Aduersity,Jsocrat. as Folly and Doltishnesse. Qui memmit quid homo sit, propter nullum euenientem casum immo­dicè tristabitur. He that remem­bers well, what Man is, (the Butt against which so many shafts of disasters are aimed euery hand-while) shall neuer be immoderátely hadded for any Chance obuersant to him in this world: hee shall be able to say with Iob, Iob. The thing I scared, is fallen vpon me.

If God had spared you from this affliction, doe you thinke you should haue beene at rest [Page 39] from euils? Hath God but one Rod? Is his Storehouse so vnfurnisht? Is not the very place wee liue in, a place of toyle, and turmoyle, and bicke­ring, and vexation? And shall we thinke to find Rest in that, whose composition is of Tu­mults?

Nam nemini esse prorsus folici, licet. No man but finds a Pound of Woe, for a Dram of Con­tent. God will not glut vs with Felicities.

His manner is eftsoones to vitiate the comforts hee al­lowes his Children with some vn-expected Dash of sorrow, lest they should imagine that true & sincere Content might be found on Earth.

I haue heard you obserue a like course held with your selfe. For, speaking of some [Page 40] proiects of yours for a retired Country life, how much you affected the sweetnesse and inno­cency thereof, and what please you could giue your selfe in it: God (you said) did by one meanes or other still crosse and defeate your purposes, fore­seeing how it might steale a­way your heart from heauen and him, and make you desire to moare here, and set vp your Rest in the things of this world. This vse you made of that Crosse then; doe the like by this now. God hath taken your Darling from You, lest he should haue taken your heart from Him.

CONSIDERATION 8.

POnder oft that saying, Sapit qui non tristatur propter absentia, sed gaudet praesentibus. He is wise that is not so much sorry for the absent, as ioyous in the present Comforts.

You looke to what you haue lost, but not to what you haue left. As God hath Crosses moe then one: So Hee hath Com­forts & Blessings moe than one. And hee hath left you a great many of them, euen Childrens Children; When others haue nor Son, nor Daughter in their inheritance.

Will you, because one is re­moued out of your sight, way­wardly depriue Your selfe of [Page 42] enioying the Remainder, as not worth thankes, now one of the tale is diminisht?

That were leke little Chil­drē, if you catch vp one of their Play-games, they presently cast away all the rest in a fume.

If in a vast succourles Cham­pian, or Downe, the furious Wind should snatch off your Hat, and hurry it away beyond ouertaking, (so much, as with you Eye,) would you straight in a Moode strip off your other Garments to your shirt, and dare the Wind to do his worst with those Parcels also? O take heed of such behauiour.

'Tis not stouting, and sto­macke, and pettishnesse, but meekenesse, and patience, and humility, makes God propiti­ous. What shall you get by standing and knocking your Fists [Page 43] at Him, that must be your one­ly Comfort in your Anguishes; or you are like to haue none at all, but scorne and dirision?

Set not God to Schoole; appoint him not what to take, what to leaue. He knowes best which Branch of the Vine to prune off.

Be thankefull for them are reserued to you, and enioy them as from a thrice friend­ly and gracious hand. Set your loue on them as on ano­ther mans Loane, which you must restore vpon demaund.

Thinke not that to be your owne, that was but lent you; nor that to bee too soone re­quired againe, which with­out iniury might haue beene altogether kept from you.

CONSIDERATION. 9.

O But, he was so hopefull, so towardly, so well dis­pos'd, such a Modell of Good­nesse, &c. I grant you all this. But how know you, he would haue held on so, if he had liued longer? How many godly Fa­thers haue had their hearts broke with the lewdnesse and ill proofe of their Children?Tacit. Eu'n many Good Princes came short of Neroes first 5. yeeres.

What Traps doe we see set daily in the way of Vertue, to trip it, and make it fall?

Occasions to many sinnes are presented, and taken hold of in tract of Time, which once we neuer dreamt of com­mitting, [Page 45] or contracting the least acquaintance with them.

He is gone, beginning to rel­lish vertue, vntainted of vici­ous inclinations; his soule had not yet dipped in the dish of voluptuousnesse; wickednesse had not altred his heart. What hath he lost by that? By be­ing Heauenly on Earth, hee is now made Glorious in Heauen.

Besides; you will say, (for passion hath no hoe in obiect­ing) To you, he was so vsefull, so necessary, your finger next the Thumbe, growne fit to aduise with, to impart your Counsels to, to make a Friend and Companion of, &c. Hinc [Page 46] lachrymae. This smoke also makes your eyes runne ouer. But let me tell you,

To bewayle the losse of your Child, because hee was necessary to you, & you could ill misse him, is selfe-loue, not the loue of your Child. And to be sad for the welfare of your Child, being euaded all perils, and highly promoted, and dig­nified besides; is the part of an enuious person, not of a Father or Kinsman.

Would old Iacob, or any true-hearted Friēd or acquain­tance of Iosephs be drest in me­lancholy, to heare that the King of Egypt had releast him out of prison, and sent for him to Court, to make him a great Lord, and Vice-roy of the Kingdome?

If you had beene told a [Page 47] while agon of some extraor­dinary worldly preferment befalne your Sonne, aboue all that you could thinke or hope for, though in some farre re­mote place, whereby your former familiar Conuerses must be cut off; yet I suppose, that for his good, you would haue entertain'd the newes with gladnesse, and laid by your owne particular respects:

And now that he is exalted to the very Top and heighth of honour, and that in eterni­ty; now that he is enstall'd a Prince among Celestiall Prin­ces (for not any are lesse then Kings and Queenes that are admitted thither) will you lowre and be in dumps, as for a matter of speciall discom­fort, and mishap?

Will you bee sorry for his [Page 48] ioy? deiected for his aduance­ment? sicke of his happinesse?

Had you rather your Sonne should bee without Heauen, then you without your Sonne? This is a plaine degree of Madnesse.

Shall wee lament for them that laugh? mourne for them that feast and sing? hurt our health for them that are per­fectly whole? Now that hee is dead and buried, nay now that his life is indeed truly Vi­tall and Liuing; will you for his sake goe drowne your selfe in your owne teares?

He hath no sence of your sorrowes for him, nor will [Page 49] thanke you for hurting your selfe, by the liberty you giue to the Rage of Nature.

CONSIDERATION. 10.

GOd hath by death freed him, not onely from the dangers and corruptions of the Age, wherein hee might haue beene swallowed, but from the common euils which may fall vpon his Suruiuers, greater perhaps, and neerer then we imagine. The Condi­tion of the Times is so bad, as pu­nishments cannot be farre off.

To be set in safety before their approaches, whil'st the storme is but a thickning, is no small benefit.

If yee lou'd mee (saith our Lord to his Disciples) ye would [Page 51] verily reioyce, because I goe to the Father; out of this trouble­some and euill world.

So if we lou'd our Children, and Friends departed, it would bee a more regular course to expresse it, in gratu­lating their escape by Death from so manifold hazards and euils of life, and their estating thereby into so ample beati­tude and happinesse, then in giuing scope to those effeminate plaints, and distaffe lamentati­ons.

That which easeth vs of all burdens and cares; Is the end and death of our miseries; The euerlasting farwell to all smart and woes; Preuents our seeing, suffring, and doing of much euill; Cuts the Cords where­by wee are hampered in the world, and hindred to goe to [Page 52] God; Is the accomplishment of our sanctification; our Por­ter to Glory, rendring vs into the Armes and Embrace of our Bridgroome Christ Iesus, neuer more to be separated, or disioyned from him; doth it present vs cause of pensiuenesse and mourning, or of Iubile and reioycing rather?

Is the tired Bondman sorry for the approach of night, that he may giue ouer, and goe to rest? Is the brute Oxe grieued to be vnyoked? was euer Ma­riner ill apaid, that after long and doubtfull tossing in a dreadfull high-going Sea, hee had recouered the safe & quiet Hauen? Or banished man, that hee was call'd home to his Country and Kinred? Or Priso­ner, that hee was brought out of a Dungeon, into the liberty [Page 53] and pleasures of a Palace? And will you still weare a Cloudy brow, and wither away in your Mournings for him, that is a sharer in all these Priuileges and Blessings?

CONSIDERATION. 11.

ELeuenthly: You remember the saying; Schola crucis, Schola lucis. The Schoole of Tribulation is the Schoole of Edification. The Graecian Pro­uerb is like it, [...]. Those things that trou­ble vs, teach vs. You may perhaps learne more out of this Affliction, then prosperi­ty euer could teach you in all your life. This may make you looke into your Conscience, [Page 54] examine the state of your soule, weepe your owne De­seruings, and iustifie God in all his Doings; and in this Parti­cular, though the waight were doubled & trebled vpon you. Pray that these effects may be wrought in you.

These will proue salubres cogitationes, lacrymae beatae, verni imbres; holsome Meditations, Teares of Grace, Aprill showres, which will cause the flowres of Consolation to spring vp in your heart.

When I lost the better halfe of my selfe, (the Best of Wiues, such a One, as euen by wish­ing could hardly haue beene exceeded, the Country that bred her, being left poore of such another;) Pectore concepi nil nisi triste meo: You can iudge (for your hand dropt the first [Page 55] Balsome into my wound) whe­ther there were not cause for my Brest to bee full fraught, bursting-ripe, with Anguish and Dolour?

And how long had the wound beene kept rawe, if I had wilfully insisted here, and sate onely plodding, and showring Teares vpon my Losse?

But when at length (almost too late) I turn'd away from Nature, and humane Reason, (ill aduising Friends in this Time and Occasion) to Religion, and considered this Crosse as the Rod of God for my many many sinnes; That it was not a beating vpon the Coates, but laid on in good earnest, with a prouoked angry hand; That he was constrained to runne this rugged Race with me; [Page 56] Though my Griefe were not lessened by this consideration, yet it began to be turned into a righter Channell.

Recenti Malo, priorum quo (que) admonemur. The fresh Euill which I suffred, laid fresh be­fore mee former Euils I had done. And where before I grieued for the suffring, now my griefe was to haue deser­ued so to suffer.

Here was sorrow changed into sorrow; worldly sorrow for a Precious, but Temporall Losse, into godly Sorrow to Repentance, neuer to bee re­pented off. Dolor ipse iam volup­tas erat. Plin. There was now a kinde of pleasure in these bri­nish drops.

Now began Nature to bee content to wipe her Eyes, and Reason, that suggested the va­lue [Page 57] of such a Iewell, to lay her hand vpon her Mouth; and the golden Morne of Comfort to dawne to me.

Now I found it true, That God will not alway be chiding, nor keepeth his anger for euer. That his correcting is not to destru­ction, but to saue vs from be­ing destroyed and condemned with the World.Cypr. Hee chastens vs, to amend vs, and amends vs, to saue vs. When we stoope, he is appeased. Discipline goes be­fore, but pardon followes after.

Now I willingly kist the Rod, that beat me neerer to Heauen and God; and blest the Occasion, that led mee from sorrow to sorrow, that I might arriue at true and sound Ioy.

O how good was it for me to be so afflicted! Psal. Iudg. Out of the Eater came [Page 58] meate, and out of the Strong came sweetnesse. According to the measure of our sorrow, so is his Consolation.

Finally, now I saw how grossely passion had made my thoughts ouershoote before; not onely in wronging her happy soule, by so often wish­ing her againe in these Elements of sorrow, who walkes arme in arme with Angels; but euen in charging God foolishly, (par­don me, O blessed Fountaine of long suffring and Goodnes) as ouer-cruell and rigorous to his Creature, (rauishing our Comforts from vs, then, when wee had cause to hold them closest to our bosome; delight­ing, sporting in our vn-resista­ble miseries and ill-turnes;) who indeed of very faithfulnesse had caused me to be troubled.

[Page 59]O what a Foole, a Franticke, a wild prodigious thing is Man thus transported, till God vouchsafe his finger, to temper, and tune him right againe!

This End the Lord in his mercy made for Mee; This was the Method of my Cure, the Crop and Haruest of my sowing in Teares; And my Wish & Hope is, that by his Blessing, Yours may be like.

CONSIDERATION. 12.

TWelfthly. And now, Sir, summ vp these parcels, & see if the foot of the Account declare you not a Gayner.

You haue lost a Son, whom all that knew, lou'd liuing, and commend dead. One you had [Page 60] bred vp for Heauen; and haue now return'd him to the true Owner, the Father of Spirits. Is he not well there? doe you thinke hee would bee better here? would you haue him change his glorious Eternall Mansion, for a ragged, reeling, mudwalld Houell?

Did you not ayme at his be­ing a Citizen there, instructing, preparing, fitting him for it? Could you wish a righter Sea­son to be taken thither, then when the Ages viciousnesse, & infections example had dropt least slubber and soyle vpon him?

Are you sorry hee is early there arriued, his Vessell safely landed before you thought he should?

What though (in your e­steeme) others were neerer [Page 61] Land then he? Is it any disad­uantage to a Merchant, that his Ship so farre behind the rest, while they lye still at Anchor, is flown to shore fraught with welcome lading?

Paines haue chas'd his soule out of this House of Earth: But is not Abrahams bosome, where Angels haue lodg'd it, a ioyfull Receptacle? Come, wash your Cheekes, giue no further pas­sage nor indulgence to your pas­sions, Vina bibe, & laetus vescere pane tuo. Eate your bread with gladnesse: You thought you were hurt, and are benefited rather.

He is not cleane gone,Praemissus, non amis­sus. but onely gone before. His Morta­lity is ended, rather then his life. You haue lost him for a Time, God hath found him for Euer.

Reioyce and blesse God, that [Page 62] you had such a Son. Had him, did I say? You haue him still. Not one Child the fewer haue you for his taking hence.

When God turned the Captiuity of Iob, the Text saith, hee gaue him twice so much Substance of euery kind, as he had before.

He had 7000. Sheep before, now hee had 14000. Three thousand Cammels before, now 6000. Fiue Hundred Yoke of Oxen before, now 1000. 500. Shee-Asses before, now 1000. of them also. Why were not his Children doubled as his other Blessings?Gregor. Hauing Ten Children before, why had he but Ten now? Because those in Heauen were his still.

But oh! How much chan­ged from that themselues were, or that their Brothers [Page 63] and Sisters are in their Fathers House!

Iobs Children on Earth, though the prime Women of the Land for Beauty, would appeare but Ethiopians, compa­red with the radiant glistering faces of Them in Glory. Their Festiuall Apparell here, though as rich as Salomons Royallest Mantles, would seeme no bet­ter then Cannas, or Haire-cloth, being set in match with the Robes of Glory, and immorta­lity, bright as the light it selfe, of those Heauen-dwellers.

And as great Ods is there betweene your Immortall Son, and his Mortall Brethren and Sisters.

You may, when you will, haue him present with you in your minde and thought. You may see him as he was, A yong [Page 64] Plant in your house; You may see him as he is; A blessed Soule in Gods heauenly Palace.

Liue you mindfull of your owne Mortality, and Eternall life; and let your heart leape vp into ioy, that he hath alrea­dy hit the White, whereat o­thers are but leuelling; And weares the Garland, for which others are doubtfully wrast­ling and contending.

He sits aloft, and smiles at this Emmet-hill of Earth, with such a deale of Bustle and Gar­boyle, and Vanity, & Foolery, and Mischiefe, & Wickednes left beneath him; Out of the Gun-shotte of Temptation, freed from sinne, in safety from Foes, resting from labours, exempt from sighs, and teares, and cares; A Consort with Angels, and happy Spirits that [Page 65] see Gods Face, and attend vp­on his Throne; laughing euen Kings, and all their painted Glo­ries and Pleasures here, to scorne.

There you shall one day see him againe face to face, in that very House of clay, which hee laid downe, when hee left the World and You, (though al­tred in Quality:) And (if that may make to the increase of your Blisse) I am perswaded, know, and enioy him, see Hea­uen the richer in your Seed, his ioy augmented and made fuller by yours, and yours by his

Let Sadduces deny this, and Gentiles deride it; This is the Hope of Israel.

There you shall sing that Alleluïa with him,Reu. to him that sits vpon the Throne, and to [Page 66] the Lambe, that hath redee­med you from the earth, and made you Kings and Priests to God his Father; and to the blessed Spirit of Truth, and Comfort, proceeding from them both; the All-glorious, Ineffable, Eternall Trinity; To whom in the meane time, let vs in earth with them in Hea­uen, (knees, faces, and hearts bending to the dust before Him.) render all Praise, Pow­er, Maiesty, and Dominion for euermore, Amen.

FILIVS AD PARENTES.