no, God saith to him, Abraham, go leave thy Country, and this word was enough to lead him all the world over, he is presently upon his march; here was a man had learned to be content. But let us descend a little lower, to Heathens*. Zeno (of whom Seneca speaks) who had once been very rich, hearing of a ship-wrack, and that all his goods were drowned at Sea, Fortune, saith he (he spake in an Heathen dialect) hath dealt well with me, and would have me now to study Philosophy*; he was content to change his course of life, to leave off being Merchant, and turn Philosopher. And if an Heathen said thus, shall not a Christian much more say when the world is drained from him, Jubet Deus mundum derelinquere & Christum expeditius sequi, God ⟨p. 199⟩would have me leave off following the world, and study Christ more, and how to get to heaven? Do I see an Heathen contented, and a Christian disquieted*? How did Heathens vilify those things which Christians magnify? though they knew not God, or what true happiness meant, yet would speak very sublimely of a numen or Deity, and of the life to come, as Aristotle and Plato; and for those Elysian delights which they did but fancy, they undervalued and contemned the things here below; it was the doctrine they taught their scholars, and which some of them practised, that men should strive to be contented with a little; they were willing to make an exchange, to have less gold, and more learning; and shall not we be content then to have less of the world, so we may have more of Christ? May not Christians blush to see Heathens content with a viaticum, so much as would ⟨p. 200⟩recruit nature, and to see themselves so transported with the love of earthly things; that if they begin a little to abate, and the bill of provision grows short, they murmur, and are like Michah, Have ye taken away my gods, and do you ask me what I ail*? Have Heathens gone so far in contentation, and is it not sad for us to come short of them that came short of heaven? These Heroes of their time, how did they embrace death it self? Socrates died in prison, Hercules was burnt alive, Cato (whom Seneca calls virtutum viva imago, the lively image and portraiture of virtue) thrust through with a sword, but how bravely, and with what contentment of spirit did they die?
no, God saith to him, Abraham, goe leave thy Countrey, and this word was enough to lead him all the world over, he is presently upon his march; here was a man had learned to bee content. But let us descend a little lower, to Heathens*. Zeno (of whom Seneca speaks) who had once been very rich, hearing of a ship-wrack, and that all his goods were drowned at Sea, Fortune, saith he (he spake in an Heathen dialect) hath dealt well with me, and would have me now to study Philosophy*; he was content to change his course of life, to leave off being Merchant, and turne Philosopher. And if an Heathen said thus, shall not a Christian much more say when the world is drained from him, Iubet Deus mundum derelinquere & Christum expeditius sequi, God ⟨p. 199⟩would have me leave off following the world, and study Christ more, and how to get to heaven? Do I see an Heathen contented, and a Christian disquieted*? How did Heathens vilifie those things which Christians magnifie? though they knew not God, or what true happinesse meant, yet would speak very sublimely of a numen or Deity, and of the life to come, as Aristotle and Plato; and for those Elizian delights which they did but phansie, they undervalued and contemned the things here below; it was the doctrine they taught their scholars, and which some of them practised, that men should strive to be contented with a little; they were willing to make an exchange, to have lesse gold, and more learning; and shall not we be content then to have lesse of the world, so wee may have more of Christ? May not Christians blush to see Heathens content with a viaticum, so much as would ⟨p. 200⟩recruit nature, and to see themselves so transported with the love of earthly things; that if they begin a little to abate, and the bill of provision growes short, they murmure, and are like Michah, Have ye taken away my gods, and doe you aske me what I aile*? Have Heathens gone so farre in contentation, and is it not sad for us to come short of them that came short of heaven? These Heroes of their time, how did they embrace death it self? Socrates died in prison, Hercules was burnt alive, Cato (whom Seneca calls virtutum viva imago, the lively image and portraiture of vertue) thrust through with a sword, but how bravely, and with what contentment of spirit did they die?
- *Socrates Philosophorum lucu. lentissimus, pauper semper, •udis pedibus incedens, sordido palliolo contentus, honours omniáque terrena, contemnens. Plut.Socrates Philosophorum lucu. lentissimus, pauper semper, •udis pedibus incedens, sordido palliolo contentus, honores omniáque terrena, contemnens. Plut.
- *Jubee me fortuna expeditiùs Philosophari. Seneca.Iubee me fortuna expeditiùs Philosophari. Seneca.
- *Pudeat, pudeat illos nomine tenus Christianos quibus quod ad hanc rem attinet Ethnici rectiùs sapuerunt. Hyperius:
- *Judg. 18. 24.
