worms, but in the hot months of summer: in cold seasons, either they are not, or appear not; when the nights are both darkest, and longest, and most uncomfortable.

Thus do false-hearted Christians: in the warm and lightsome times of free and encouraged profession, none shine more than they in hard and gloomy seasons of restraint and persecution, all their formal light is either lost or hid. Whereas true professors, either, like the sun, shine ever alike; or, like the stars, shine fairest in the frostiest nights. The light of this worm is for some shew, but for no use: any light, that is attended with heat, can impart itself to others, though with the expence of that subject wherein it is; this doth neither waste itself, nor help others. I would rather never to have light, than not to have it always: I would rather not to have light, than not to communicate it.

L. On the shutting of one eye.

WHEN We would take aim, or see most exquisitely, we shut one eye.

Thus must we do with the eyes of our soul. When we would look most accurately with the eye of faith, we must shut the eye of reason: else, the visual beams of these two apprehensions will be crossing each other, and hinder our clear discerning. Yea, rather let me pull out this right eye of reason, than it shall offend me, in the interruptions of my happy visions of God.

LI. On a spring-water.

How this spring smoketh; while other greater channels are frozen up! this water is living; while they are dead. All experience teacheth us, that well-waters, arising from deep springs, are hotter in winter than in summer: the outward cold doth keep in and double their inward heat.

Such is a true Christian, in the evil day: his life of grace gets more vigour, by opposition: he had not been so gracious, if the times had been better. I will not say, he may thank his enemies; but I must say, he may thank God for his enemies.

O God, what can put out that heat, which is increased with cold? How happy shall I be, if I may grow so much more in grace, as the world in malice!

LII. On gnats in the sun.

WHAT a cloud of gnats is here! Mark their motion: they do nothing, but play up and down in the warm sun, and sing; and, when they have done, sit down, and sting the next hand or face, they can seize upon.

calidioribus scilicet mensibus resplendentem: frigidis anni tempestatibus, ubi et obscuriores, et longiores, et tristiores sunt noctes, nullæ aut sunt, aut certè apparent saltem.

Ita faciunt hypocritæ Christiani: fervidis lucidisque liberæ approbatæque professionis temporibus, nemo illis lucet magis: tempestatibus verò duris tristibusque sive inter dictionis sive persecutionis publicæ, simulata horum lux omnis aut periit aut certè latuit. Ubi veri quique professores, aut, instar solis, æquè semper lucent; aut, stellarum instar, gelidissimis noctibus maximè resplendent scintillantque. Noctilucæ hujusce lumen speciem quandam præ se fert, usui inservit nulli: lux omnis, quæ à calore proficiscitur, communicare se aliis potest, quanquam non sine subjecti cui inest diminutione continuâ; ista verò neque se absumit, neque alios quicquam adjuvat. Malo nunquam, quàm non semper lucere: nullum habere lumen malo, quàm non aliis quod habeo impertire.

L. Conspecto quodam oculum unum claudente.

UBI collimare aliquò velimus, aut cernere accuratiùs, oculum unum claudimus.

Ita et animi oculis facere solemus. Ubi fidei oculo exquisitissimè intueri volumus, rationis oculum interea claudimus: aliter fieri non potest, quin ut visuales radii, qui utrique harum apprehensioni inservire debeant, transversi sibi incidant, visionisque actum impediant. Imò, dextrum hunc rationis oculum eruam ego potiùs, quàm, ut intercipiendo beatificam Dei mei visionem, offendiculo mihi sit.

LI. Conspecto fonte.

QUANTUM verò fumum edit fons iste; ubi ampliores quique canales gelu constricti obrigescunt! viva est hæc aqua; aliis interim emortuis. Illud nos experientia omnes docet, fontanas aquas, quæ à scaturiginibus profundioribus oriuntur, hyeme calidiores semper quàm æstate profluere: intrinsecum nempe calorem repercutit duplicatque frigus externum.

Talis est verus quisque Christianus, in die malo: illa, quâ imbuitur gratiæ vita, oppugnando vigorem acquirit: neque ita sanctus fuisset iste, si in meliora tempora incidisset. Nolo dicere, eum hoc nomine gratias debere inimicis; certè dico, eum pro inimicis gratias debere Deo.

O Deus, quid tandem restinguere potest ignem illum, qui frigore intenditur? Quàm ego fœlix ero, si quantum mundus livore ac malitiâ, tantum ego gratiâ accrevero.

LII. Visis culicibus in radiis solaribus ludentibus.

QUANTA culicum nubes istìc est! Vide verò mihi horum motus omnes: ludunt illi nempe per solis radios, sùsque déque volitando, cantillantque; et, ubi desierint, sedent, et manum proximam faciemve, in quam incidere contigerit, mordent illico.

See here a perfect emblem of idleness and detraction. How many do thus miserably misspend their good hours! who, after they have wasted the succeeding days in vain and merely unprofitable pastime, sit down, and backbite their neighbours!

The bee sings too sometimes; but she works also; and her work is not more admirable than useful: but these foolish flies do nothing but play and sing to no purpose. Even the busiest and most active spirits must recreate; but to make a trade of sport, is for none but lazy wantons.

The bee stings too; but it is when she is provoked: these draw blood, unoffended; and sting, for their own pleasure. I would be glad of some recreation; but to enable and sweeten my work. I would not but sting sometimes, where is just cause of offence. But God bless me from those men, which will ever be either doing nothing, or ill.

LIII. On the sight of grapes.

There you see a

MARK the difference of these grapes. cluster, whose grapes touch one another, well ripened: here you see some stragglers, which grow almost solitarily, green and hard.

It is thus with us. Christian society helpeth our progress : and Woe to him that is alone. He is well, that is the better for others; but he is happy, by whom others are better.

LIV. On a corn field over-grown with weeds.

HERE were a goodly field of corn, if it were not over-laid with weeds. I do not like these reds, and blues, and yellows, amongst these plain stalks and ears. This beauty would do well elsewhere. I would rather to see a plot less fair, and more yielding.

In this field, I see a true picture of the world: wherein, there is more glory, than true substance; wherein, the greater part carries it from the better; wherein, the native sons of the earth out-strip the adventitious brood of grace; wherein, parasites and unprofitable hang-byes do both rob and over-top their masters. Both field and world grow alike, look alike, and shall end alike; both are for the fire while the homely and solid ears of despised virtue shall be for the garners of immortality.

LV. On the sight of tulips and marigolds, &c. in his garden.

THESE flowers are true clients of the sun: how observant they are of his motion and influence! At even, they shut up;

a The sentence " And her work is not more admirable than useful," seems to have been overlooked by the Translator.-PRATT.

Ecce perfectum emblema otii ac detractionis. Quot sunt, qui ita pessimè horas bonas consumunt! qui, ubi succedentes sibi dies vanis inutilibusque ludorum generibus prodegerint, resident tandem æquè inertes, detrahuntque proximis.

Etiam cantat aliquando apis; sed et laborat quoque assiduè: istæ verò fatuæ musciculæ ludunt semper canuntque perperam. Vel negotiosissima quæque et agillima ingenia necesse habent tantò magis recreari; totos verò se dedere ludis ac voluptatibus, otiosissimorum hominum èque Epicuri grege porcorum est.

Mordet stimulatque etiam apis; sed non nisi injuriâ quâpiam lacessita isti sanguinem, parùm provocati, eliciunt; et tantùm animi causâ lædunt. Non recusârim ego exercitationis genus aliquod; quo me recreem fiamque labori meo et aptior et alacrior. Neque non stimulare velim aliquando, ubi sontica me injuria irritaverit. Libera verò me, ô Deus, ab illis hominibus, qui aut nihil, aut malè semper agere mavolunt.

LIII. Conspectis uvarum racemis.

VIDE quantum inter uvas hasce discrimen est. Ibi botrum cernis uvarum, quæ se mutuò contingunt, benè maturum : solitariæ, quas alibi vides, virides planè duræque manent.

Sic et nobiscum se habet. Sancta societas progressum nostrum haud parùm promovet: Væ autum soli. Benè illi est, qui aliorum operâ fit melior; sed foelix est is, cujus operâ fiunt alii meliores.

LIV. Viso agro herbis noxiis malè infestato.

QUAM lætâ gauderet segete agellus iste, nisi quòd herbis hisce noxiis ita nimiùm abundet. Non amo colores hosce cæruleos, rubeos, flavos, simplicibus aristis interspersos. Venustas hæc alibi mihi placeret magis. Malo istìc videre arvum minùs pulchrum, ferax magis.

In agro hoc, vivam mundi effigiem video: in quo, plus gloriæ, quàm solidæ virtutis inesse comperitur; ubi, major pars exuperat meliorem; ubi, nativa terræ proles adventitiam gratiæ sobolem longè vincit; ubi, parasiti et inutiles scurræ dominos suos et spoliant et aliquando etiam supereminent. Et ager et mundus, uti similes apparent, ita similiter crescunt, desinuntque similiter; igni meritò adjudicatur uterque: dum simplices solidæque contemptæ virtutis arista in horreis immortalitatis reponuntur.

LV. Conspectâ tulipá, calendula, heliotropio in horto suo. VERI clientes solis sunt isti flores: quàm studiosè observant et motum illius et influxum! Sub vesperam, clauduntur statim,

as mourning for his departure, without whom they neither can nor would flourish: in the morning, they welcome his rising, with a cheerful openness and at noon, are fully displayed, in a free acknowledgment of his bounty.

Thus doth the good heart unto God. When thou turnedst away thy face, I was troubled; saith the man after God's own heart. In thy presence is life; yea, the fulness of joy. Thus doth the carnal heart to the world: when that withdraws his favour, he is dejected; and revives with a smile. All is in our choice. Whatsoever is our sun will thus carry us.

O God, be thou to me, such as thou art in thyself: thou shalt be merciful, in drawing me; I shall be happy, in following thee.

LVI. On the sound of a cracked bell.

WHAT a harsh sound doth this bell make, in every ear! The metal is good enough: it is the rift, that makes it so unpleasingly jarring.

How too like is this bell, to a scandalous and ill-lived teacher! His calling is honourable: his noise is heard far enough but the flaw, which is noted in his life, mars his doctrine; and offends those ears, which, else, would take pleasure in his teaching. It is possible, that such a one, even by that discordous noise, may ring in others into the triumphant Church of heaven: but there is no remedy for himself, but the fire; whether for his reforming, or judgment.

LVII. On the sight of a blind man.

How much am I bound to God, that hath given me eyes, to see this man's want of eyes! With what suspicion and fear he walks! How doth his hand and staff examine his way? With what jealousy, doth he receive every morsel, every draught; and yet meets with many a post, and stumbles at many a stone, and swallows many a fly! To him the world is, as if it were not; or, as if it were all rubs, and snares, and downfalls: and if any man will lend him a hand, he must trust to his, however faithless, guide; without all comfort, save this, that he cannot see himself miscarry.

Many a one is thus spiritually blind; and, because he is so, discerns it not; and, not discerning, complains not of so woeful a condition. The god of this world hath blinded the eyes of the children of disobedience. They walk on, in the ways of death; and yield themselves over to the guidance of him, who seeks for nothing but their precipitation into hell. It is an addition

b The remainder is omitted in the Latin.-PRATT.