1. That all the pleasures, treasures, and comforts of this life, wife, children, goods, gold, great friends, lands, livings, possessions, offices, honours, high rooms, brave situations, fair prospects, sumptuous buildings, pleasant walks, and even the world it self, upon which thou hast lost so much labour, time, care, thought-fullness, and doted so long, holding a divorce, as death it self, must all, upon the stroke of death, *which not heaven and earth, or any created power, can any ways possibly prevent, divert, or adjourn, be ⟨p. 75⟩suddenly, utterly, and for ever left, never more to be minded, meddled with, or enjoyed in this world or the world to come. When our breath goeth forth, and we return to our earth, all our thoughts perish: Even the thoughts of the greatest Princes, and mightiest Monarchs upon earth, who happily may have in their heads whole common-wealths, and the affairs of many kingdoms. Put not your 2trust in Princes (saith King David) nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish. And therefore let it be thy wisdom, to rent and wean thine affections from the world with an holy resolute violence in the mean time: *Disdain and scorn to set thine heart upon those things here, which thou canst not, thou must not have in the second life. And there is good reason for it. For they are all (as I said before) at the best, and in the height: 1. But vanity. And 2. Vexation of spirit. 3. They cannot satisfy the soul. 4. They will not profit in the day of revenge. 5. They reach not to eternity. 6. There is no man so assured of his honour, wealth or any worldly thing, but he may be deprived of them, the very next moment. 7. Thou needs to fear no want: There is no man (saith CHRIST) that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or 4father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my sake and the Gospels; but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, houses and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. Of eternal ⟨p. 76⟩life, the point is clear: But how shall they be so manifoldly remunerated in this life? 1. In the same kind, sometimes, and [Greek or Hebrew], as they say. Abraham, at GODS command, left his country, kindred, and fathers house:
1. That all the pleasures, treasures, and comforts of this life, wife, children, goods, gold, great friends, lands, livings, possessions, offices, honours, high roomes, brave situations, faire prospects, sumptuous buildings, pleasant walkes, and even the world it selfe, upon which thou hast lost so much labour, time, care, thought-fulnesse, and doted so long, holding a divorce, as death it selfe, must all, upon the stroke of death, *which not heaven and earth, or any created power, can any wayes possibly prevent, divert, or adjourne, be ⟨p. 75⟩suddenly, utterly, and for ever left, never more to be minded, medl'd with, or enjoyed in this world or the world to come. When our breath goeth forth, and we returne to our earth, all our thoughts perish: Even the thoughts of the greatest Princes, and mightiest Monarchs upon earth, who happily may have in their heads whole common-wealths, and the affaires of many kingdomes. Put not your 2trust in Princes (saith King David) nor in the sonne of man, in whom there is no helpe. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish. And therefore let it be thy wisdome, to rent and weane thine affections from the world with an holy resolute violence in the meane time: *Disdaine and scorne to set thine heart upon those things here, which thou canst not, thou must not have in the second life. And there is good reason for it. For they are all (as I said before) at the best, and in the height: 1. But vanity. And 2. Vexation of spirit. 3. They cannot satisfie the soule. 4. They will not profit in the day of revenge. 5. They reach not to eternity. 6. There is no man so assured of his honour, wealth or any worldly thing, but he may be depriued of them, the very next moment. 7. Thou needs to feare no want: There is no man (saith CHRIST) that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or 4father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my sake and the Gospels; but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, houses and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternall life. Of eternall ⟨p. 76⟩life, the point is cleare: But how shall they be so manifoldly remunerated in this life? 1. In the same kind, sometimes, and 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, as they say. Abraham, at GODS command, left his countrey, kindred, and fathers house:
- *Orbis medicos ad te convoca; Podaly•ios, Machao•as▪ Aesculapios, Hippocrates & Galenos omnes reviviscere •ube, non hi omnes vel horulam annis tuis apponent, ultra quam velit DEVS. Pharmacopolia exhau• as, aurum & uniones glutias ut vitam extendas, tamen terminos, qui praeteriri non poterunt, non promovebis. Cautus sis, quantum velis, vitae pericula omnia declines, morborum principijs obstes, numerum mensium non augebis. Op•es, vovea•, roges, nihil agis; vitae tuae termini jam constituti sunt, nec unquam, (quicquid resistas) praeteriri poterunt.—Ciborum tibi praestantissimorum copia sit & selectus; vini slorem bibas; nunquam labores nisi ad sanitatem; •artum somni capias, quantum & I ex Archiatrorum, & ratio valetudinis poscit; Ad numerum caleas & algeas, nihilo-minùs mortalis eris, & ubi vitae tuae metam contigeris, age, valedie rebus humanis, & ad rationem reddendam te para: Tribunal te vocat.
- 2Psal. 146. 3, 4.
- *Contemne vivens, quae post mortem habere non potes▪ Dissicile est, imò impossibile ut praesentibus quis •rnatur bonis, & futuris; ut hic ventrem, & illic mentem impleat, ut de delicijs tra•seat ad delicias, ut in terra & in coelo gloriosus appareat. Bern De interiori Domo. Cap. 45.
- 4Mar. 10. 29, 30.
