Now what Contentment can there be in ought, while the mind is thus affected, while the Conscience is unquieted?t So long as a man is heart-sick, he can have no joy of ought, find no relish in ought, be it never so pleasant and delightful otherwise, be it never so acceptable to him at other times; his wonted company is then but tedious and troublesome to him, his bed hard and uneasy, his chamber ⟨p. 160⟩too close, his usual fare, yea or fare more dainty than usual, is distasteful, he findeth no good taste in ought that he taketh: butu come health once, and that sweeteneth all again; and then liketh he his company well again, and can endure his bed well, and can feed savourly on a dry piece of course bread, that loathed his panada, made of fine manchet before.x In like manner here: So long as a man is soul-sick, he can have no joy of ought; be his outward estate what it will, it can no more minister sound comfort unto him,y than hot clothes or blankets can give inward warmth to a dead corps, where natural heat is utterly extinct: He may force himself sometime to some seeming mirth, but,z Even in laughter, saith Solomon, the heart is heavy. *He may set a good face on it in outward show to others, when his heart is full of heaviness and bitterness within him, and“ wringeth and pincheth him privily therea where none is aware of it but himself only that sustaineth and endureth it. And undoubtedly, let a man strive to smother it and smooth it over all that ever he can, let him strain himself to lightsomeness by all means that may be, let him want no outward matter of worldly either support or delight, yet so long as he hath his guilty conscience racking and griping him within; thoughb he may gear and grin outwardly, while he is nipped and galled inwardly, he can take no more true joy and delight, can find no more sound comfort and contentment in all his wealth and his treasures, or in his delights and his pleasures, thanc a prisoner or condemned person, that sitteth drinking and swilling, or playing at cards and tables in the Jail, while the halter that he is to be hanged withal, hangeth over his head.
Now what Contentment can there be in ought, while the minde is thus affected, while the Conscience is unquieted?t So long as a man is heart-sicke, hee can have no joy of ought, finde no rellish in ought, be it never so pleasant and delightfull otherwise, bee it never so acceptable to him at other times; his wonted company is then but tedious and troublesome to him, his bed hard and uneasie, his chamber ⟨p. 160⟩too close, his usuall fare, yea or fare more daintie than usuall, is distastefull, hee findeth no good taste in ought that hee taketh: butu come health once, and that sweetneth all againe; and then liketh he his company well againe, and can endure his bed well, and can feed savourly on a dry peece of course bread, that loathed his panada, made of fine manchet before.x In like manner here: So long as a man is soule-sicke, hee can have no joy of ought; be his outward estate what it will, it can no more minister sound comfort unto him,y than hot clothes or blanckets can give inward warmth to a dead corps, where naturall heat is utterly extinct: He may force himselfe sometime to some seeming mirth, but,z Even in laughter, saith Salomon, the heart is heavie. *He may set a good face on it in outward shew to others, when his heart is full of heavinesse and bitternesse within him, and“ wringeth and pincheth him privily therea where none is aware of it but himselfe onely that sustaineth and endureth it. And undoubtedly, let a man strive to smother it and smooth it over all that ever he can, let him straine himselfe to lightsomnesse by all meanes that may be, let him want no outward matter of worldly either support or delight, yet so long as he hath his guiltie conscience racking and griping him within; thoughb hee may geere and grin outwardly, while he is nipped and galled inwardly, hee can take no more true joy and delight, can finde no more sound comfort and contentment in all his wealth and his treasures, or in his delights and his pleasures, than
- t[Greek or Hebrew]. Plut. de tranquill.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Plut. de tranquill.
- u[Greek or Hebrew]. Plut. ibid. — valeat possessor oportet, Qui comportatis rebus benè cogitat uti. Horat. epist. 2. lib. 1. Sanis suavior est panis, quàm pulpamentum aegrotis. August. de verb. Dom. 4.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Plut. ibid. — valeat possessor oportet, Qui comportatis rebus benè cogitat uti. Horat. epist. 2. lib. 1. Sanis suavior est panis, quàm pulpamentum aegrotis. August. de verb. Dom. 4.
- xQui dolet, aut metuit, juvat illum sic domus, aut res, Ut lippum pictae tabulae, fomenta podagram, Auriculas citharae collecta sorde dolentes. Horat. ep. 2. lib. 1. Nihil est miserius quàm animus hominis conscius. Plaut. Mostell. 3. 1. Nec Siculi gravius gemuerunt aera juvenci; Nec magis auratis pendens laqucaribus ensis Purpureas subter cervices terruit. —Pers. sat. 3. Alludit ad Damoclis historiam, cui ea ratione Dionysius confirmavit, Nihil esse ei beatum, cui semper aliquis terror impendat. Cic. Tuscul. l. 5. Perpetua anxietas, nec mensae tempore cessat, Faucibus, ut morbo, siccis, interque molars Difficili crescente cibo: sed vina Misenus Expuit: Albani veteris pretiosa senectus Displicet. —Juvenal. sat. 13.Qui dolet, aut metuit, juvat illum sic domus, aut res, Vt lippum pictae tabulae, fomenta podagram, Auriculas citharae collecta sorde dolentes. Horat. ep. 2. lib. 1. Nihil est miserius quàm animus hominis conscius. Plaut. Mostell. 3. 1. Nec Siculi gravius gemuerunt aera juvenci; Nec magis auratis pendens laqucaribus ensis Purpureas subter cervices terruit. —Pers. sat. 3. Alludit ad Damoclis historiam, cui ea ratione Dionysius confirmavit, Nihil esse ei beatum, cui semper aliquis terror impendat. Cic. Tuscul. l. 5. Perpetua anxietas, nec mensae tempore cessat, Faucibus, ut morbo, siccis, interque molares Difficili crescente cibo: sed vina Misenus Expuit: Albani veteris pretiosa senectus Displicet. —Iuvenal. sat. 13.
- y[Greek or Hebrew]. Plut. de virt. & vit.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Plut. de virt. & vit.
- zProv. 14.13.
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