deformity to another: we should be looked upon, in this man's country, with no less wonder and strange coyness than he is here our whiteness would pass there, for an unpleasing indigestion of form. Outward beauty is more in the eye of the beholder, than in the face that is seen. In every colour, that is fair, which pleaseth: the very Spouse of Christ can say, I am black, but comely.

This is our colour spiritually: yet the eye of our gracious God and Saviour, can see that beauty in us, wherewith he is delighted. The true Moses marries a Blackmoor; Christ, his Church. It is not for us to regard the skin, but the soul. If that be innocent, pure, holy, the blots of an outside cannot set us off from the love of him, who hath said, Behold, thou_art fair, my Sister, my Spouse: if that be foul and black, it is not in the power of an angelical brightness of our hide, to make us other, than a loathsome eye-sore to the Almighty.

O God, make my inside lovely to thee: I know that beauty will hold; while weather, casualty, age, disease, may deform the outer man, and mar both colour and feature.

XXXIX. On the small stars in the Galaxy, or milky circle, in the firmament.

WHAT a clear lightsomeness there is, in yonder circle of the heaven, above the rest! What can we suppose the reason of it, but that the light of many smaller stars is united there, and causes that constant brightness? And yet those small stars are not discerned; while the splendor, which ariseth from them, is so notably remarkable.

In this lower heaven of ours, many a man is made conspicuous, by his good qualities and deserts: but I most admire the humility and grace of those, whose virtues and merits are usefully visible, while their persons are obscure. It is secretly glorious, for a man to shine unseen. Doubtless, it is the height, that makes those stars so small and invisible: were they lower, they would be seen more. There is no true greatness, without a self-humiliation. We shall have made an ill use of our advancement, if, by how much higher we are, we do not appear less if our light be seen, it matters not for our hiding.

XL. On the sight of boys playing.

EVERY age hath some peculiar contentment. Thus we did, when we were of these years. Methinks, I still remember the old fervor of my young pastimes. With what eagerness and

forme et nos, in istius hominis patriâ, pari stupore ac fastidio adspiceremur: decorus iste, qui nobis videtur faciei candor, non aliud illis, quàm cruda quædam formæ indigestio censeretur. Pulchritudo externa in spectantis oculo potius, quàm in spectati formâ collocatur. Color, quicunque fuerit, pulchrum est quod placet etiam ispa Christi Sponsa de se fassa est, nigram esse se, sed decoram tamen.

Hic idem spiritualiter color nostri omnium est: oculus tamen benignissimi Dei et Servatoris nostri, pulchritudinem illam, quâ maximè delectatur, in nobis conspicari profitetur. Verus Moses ducit Ethiopissam; Christus, Ecclesiam. Non est quod nos cutem curemus, sed animam. Illa si innocens, pura, sancta fuerit, externæ cutis rugæ ac maculæ parùm amovere poterunt amorem illius, qui dixit, Ecce, formosa es, mea Soror, et Sponsa; ecce, formosa es: quòd si illa turpis et atra fuerit, non est penes angelicam corii nostri formam ac splendorem, præstare nos quicquam aliud, quàm exosum horrendumque Deo spectaculum.

O Deus, animam meam facito pulchram tibi ac spectabilem: novi sat benè intimam illam formam usque duraturam; dum cœlum, casus, ætas, morbus, foedare exteriorem hunc hominem, et tam colores quàm liniamenta omnia deformare, facilè pote

runt.

XXXIX. Visa Galaxiâ, minimisque in eâ stellulis.

QUANTA claritudo ac splendor, in illo cœli circulo, supra reliquos quosque orbes, cernitur! Unde hoc evenire arbitramur, nisi forsan ex eo, quòd multarum minutiorum stellarum lumen ibi uniatur, constantemque hunc nitorem efficiat? Illæ tamen minutiores stellæ non discernuntur interea; dum splendor, ab illis profectus, ita insigniter conspicuus est.

In cœlo hoc inferiore, multi sunt, qui, dotibus egregiis meritisque, in hominum notitiam deveniunt: ego verò illorum humilitatem ac gratiam plurimùm admirari soleo, quorum virtutes ac benè-gesta utilitati publicæ maximè conducere cernuntur, dum ipsorum personæ obscuræ delitescunt. Secretè gloriosum est, nemini visum splendere interim. Nimia, proculdubio, altitudo est, quæ facit ut vel omnino non videantur stellæ illæ, aut videantur minimæ: quæ si inferiùs paulò demitterentur, majores apparerent. Nulla vera magnitudo est, absque intrinsecâ quâdam humiliatione sui. Provectione nostrâ utemur pessimè, si, quanto altiùs elevamur, tanto minores non videamur: parùm refert abscondi nos, dum lumen nostrum palam cernitur.

XL. Viso puerorum ludo.

TRAHIT sua quamque ætatem voluptas. Ita fecimus et nos, hoc ætatis. Videor equidem mihi, jam nunc veterem puerilium ludorum fervorem recèns recordari. Quàm acriter quantoque

passion, do they pursue these childish sports! Now that there is a handful of cherry-stones at the stake, how near is that boy's heart to his mouth, for fear of his play-fellows next cast; and how exalted with desire and hope of his own speed! Those great unthrifts, who hazard whole manors upon the dice, cannot expect their chance with more earnestness, or entertain it with more joy or grief.

We cannot but now smile, to think of these poor and foolish pleasures of our childhood. There is no less disdain, that the regenerate man conceives of the dearest delights of his natural condition. He was once jolly and jocund, in the fruition of the world. Feasts, and revels, and games, and dalliance were his life; and no man could be happy without these; and scarce any man but himself: but when once grace hath made him both good and wise, how scornfully doth he look back at these fond felicities of his carnal estate! Now he finds more manly, more divine contentments; and wonders he could be so transported, with his former vanity. Pleasures are much according as they are esteemed: one man's delight, is another man's pain. Only spiritual and heavenly things can settle and satiate the heart with a full and firm contentation.

O God, thou art not capable, either of bettering, or of change: let me enjoy thee; and I shall pity the miserable fickleness of those, that want thee; and shall be sure to be constantly happy.

XLI. On the sight of a spider and her web.

How justly do we admire the curious work of this creature! What a thread, doth it spin forth! What a web, doth it weave! Yet it is full of deadly poison. There may be much venom, where is much art.

Just like to this is a learned and witty heretic. Fine conceits and elegant expressions fall from him; but his opinions and secretly-couched doctrines are dangerous and mortal. Were not that man strangely foolish, who, because he likes the artificial drawing out of that web, would therefore desire to handle or eat the spider that made it? Such should be our madness, if our wonder at the skill of a false teacher should cast us into love with his person, or familiarity with his writings. There can be no safety in our judgment or affection without a wise distinction; in the want whereof, we must needs wrong God

passionum impetu, prosequuntur pueruli isti ludicra hæc exercitia! Vide mihi puerum illum, ubi totus calculorum manipulus jam pignori sistitur, quàm cor illi ferè in os insilit, præ formidine proximi jactûs; quàmque desiderio ac spe proprii successûs nimiùm exaltatur! Certè, magni illi nepotum gurgites, qui quicquid est patrimonii alearum fortunæ totum committere audent, casum illum decretorium, aut vehementiùs expectare, aut majore cum gaudio doloreve accipere nequeunt.

Non possumus non ridere modò, ubi subit animum tam futilium fatuarumque pueritia nostræ delectationum recordatio. Nec minore profectò fastidio, renatus homo vel charissimas naturalis conditionis voluptates prosequi solet. Hilari olim solutoque animo, solebat ille mundo frui. Convivia, comessationes, ludi, lascivi gestus, obscœnitatesque cordi huic fuerant priùs; nec quem sine istis fœlicem esse posse autumabat; vix verò, præter seipsum, aliam quempiam: ubi autem salutaris Dei gratia et probum hunc reddidit et prudentem, quàm fastidiosè despicit hic insulsas carnalis suæ conditionis fœlicitates! Delectationes nunc alias magis viriles, imò divinas magis persentiscit; miraturque potuisse se olim juvenem, vanis hisce voluptatum blandimentis abripi. Ita se plerunque habent voluptates prout æstimantur: quod huic volupe est, cordolio est illi. Sola spiritualia ac cœlestia, firmâ solidâque contentatione, et stabilire animum possunt et satiare.

Tu solus, ô Deus mi, capax non es, aut emendationis cujuscunque aut mutationis: liceat mihi te uno frui; miserebor ego seriò infœlicissmæ illorum, qui te carent, instabilitatis; certusque ero semper constantissmæ beatitudinis.

XLI. Ad conspectum araneæ telam suam exordientis.

Quàm meritò admirari solemus curiosas nimis animalculi hujusce operas! Quàm tenue filum est, quod educit protrahitque! Qualis hæc, quam texit, tela! Ipsa tamen bestiola mortifero veneno plena. Toxici esse potest plurimum, ubi multum est artis.

Similis planè huic doctus est ingeniosusque hæreticus. Acutissimi fortè conceptus, verba acutissima excidere illi possunt; quæ tamen venditat dogmata, secretique doctrinæ apices, periculosi læthalesque planè sunt. Annon insaniret ille planissimè, quisquis esset, qui, ex eo quòd miro telæ hujus artificio plurimùm delectatur, opificem araneolam, vel manu tractare, vel ore manducare discuperet? Pariter desiperemus et nos, si, dum falsi doctoris artem quamcunque mirabundi suspicimus, aut ipsum authorem deperire, aut scripta illius familiariter pertractare, non vereremur. Tuti profectò esse non possumus, sive judicia nostra spectemus sive affectus, absque prudenti quâdam rerum ac personarum discriminatione; sine quâ, fieri sanè non potest, quin et Deo injurii simus et nobis ipsis: Deo

or ourselves: God, if we acknowledge not what excellent parts, he gives to any creature; ourselves, if, upon the allowance of those excellencies, we swallow their most dangerous enormities.

XLII. On the sight of a natural.

O GOD, why am not I thus? What hath this man done, that thou hast denied wit to him? or, what have I done, that thou shouldest give a competency of it to me? What difference is there betwixt us, but thy bounty; which hath bestowed upon me, what I could not merit; and hath withheld from him, what he could not challenge? All is, O God, in thy good pleasure, whether to give or deny.

Neither is it otherwise, in matter of grace. The unregenerate man is a spiritual fool: no man is truly wise, but the renewed. How is it, that, while I see another man besotted with the vanity and corruption of his nature, I have attained to know God and the great mystery of salvation; to abhor those sins, which are pleasing to a wicked appetite? Who hath discerned me?

Nothing, but thy free mercy, O my God. Why else was 1 a man; not a brute beast? why right shaped; not a monster? why perfectly limbed; not a cripple? why well-sensed; not a fool? why well-affected; not graceless? why a vessel of honour; not of wrath? If ought be not ill in me, O Lord, it is thine. Oh let thine be the praise; and mine the thankfulness.

XLIII. On the loadstone and the jet.

As there is a civil commerce amongst men, for the preservation of human society; so there is a natural commerce, which God hath set amongst the other creatures, for the maintenance of their common being. There is scarce any thing therefore in nature, which hath not a power of attracting some other. The fire draws vapours to it; the sun draws the fire: plants draw moisture; the moon draws the sea: all purgative things draw their proper humours. A natural instinct draws all sensitive creatures to affect their own kind; and, even in those things which are of imperfect mixtion, we see this experimented: so, as the senseless stones and metals are not void of this active virtue: the loadstone draws iron; and the jet, rather than nothing, draws up straws and dust. With what a force, do both these stones work upon their several subjects! Is there any thing more heavy, and unapt for motion, than iron, or steel? yet these do so run to their beloved loadstone,