Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

our great landlord to let. All haue their bounds fet, ouer which they cannot paffe, and till the expiration of that time, no dangers, no ficknes, no paines nor troubles, shall put a period to our dayes; the certainty that that time will come, together with the vncertainty how, where, and when, fhould make vs fo to number our dayes as to apply our hearts to wifedome, that when wee are put out of these houfes of clay, we may be fure of an euerlafting habitation that fades.

not away.

AL

LXXI.

LL weak and difeafed bodys haue hourly mementos of their mortality. But the foundest of men haue likwife their nightly monitor by the embleam of death, which is their fleep (for fo is death often calld), and not only their death, but their graue is liuely represented before their eyes, by beholding their bed; the morning may mind them of the refurrection; and the fun approaching, of the appearing of the Sun of righteousnes, at whofe comeing they shall all rife out of their beds, the long night fhall fly away, and the day of eternity shall neuer end: feeing these things must be, what manner of perfons ought we to be, in all good converfation?

A

LXXII.

S the brands of a fire, if once fevered, will of themfelues goe out, altho you vse no other meanes to extinguifh them, fo diftance of place, to

gether with length of time (if there be no intercourse) will coole the affectiones of intimate friends, though there fhould be no difpleafence betweene them.

A

LXXIII.

GOOD name is as a precious oyntment, and it is

a great favour to haue a good repute among good men; yet it is not that which Commends vs to God, for by his ballance we must be weighed, and by his Judgment we must be tryed, and, as he paffes the fentence, fo fhall we ftand.

LXXIV.

WELL
ELL doth the Apoftle call riches deceitfull

riches, and they may truely be compared to deceitfull friends who fpeake faire, and promise much, but perform nothing, and fo leaue thofe in the lurch that most relyed on them: fo is it with the wealth, honours, and pleasures of this world, which miferably delude men and make them put great confidence in them, but when death threatens, and diftreffe lays hold vpon them, they proue like the reeds of Egipt that peirce infteed of fupporting,* like empty wells in the time of drought, that thofe that go to finde water in them, return with their empty pitchers afhamed.

"Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it.” -2 KINGS xviii. 21.

LXXV.

T is admirable to confider the power of faith, by

IT

which all things are (almoft) poffible to be done: it can remoue mountaines (if need were) it hath stayd the course of the fun, raised the dead, caft out divels, reversed the order of nature, quenched the violence of the fire, made the water become firme footing for Peter to walk on; nay more then all these, it hath ouercome the Omnipotent himself, as when Mofes intercedes for the people, God fath to him, let me alone that I may destroy them, as if Mofes had been able, by the hand of faith, to hold the everlasting armes of the mighty God of Jacob; yea, Jacob himfelf, when he wrestled with God face to face in Peniel: let me go! fath that Angell. I will not let thee go, replys Jacob, till thou bleffe me! faith is not only thus potent, but it is fo neceffary that without faith there is no falvation, therfore, with all our feekings and gettings, let vs aboue all feek to obtain this pearle of prife.

LXXVI.

OME chriftians do by their lufts and Corruptions as

SOM

the Ifralits did by the Canaanites, not deftroy them, but put them vnder tribute, for that they could do (as they thought) with leffe hazard, and more profit; but what was the Iffue? they became a fnare vnto them, prickes in their eyes, and thornes in their fides, and at

last ouercame them, and kept them vnder flauery: fo it is most certain that thofe that are difobedient to the Command of God, and endeavour not to the vtmost to drive out all their accurfed inmates, but make a league with them, they shall at last fall into perpetuall bondage vnder them vnleffe the great deliuerer, Christ Jefus, come to their rescue.

LXXVII.

OD hath by his prouidence fo ordered, that no

GOD

one Coventry hath all Commoditys within it self, but what it wants, another fhall fupply, that so there may be a mutuall Commerce through the world. As it is with Countrys fo it is with men, there was neuer yet any one man that had all excellences, let his parts, naturall and acquired, fpirituall and morall, be neuer fo large, yet he stands in need of fomething which another man hath, (perhaps meaner then himfelf,) which fhews vs perfection is not below, as also, that God will haue vs beholden one to another.

MY

Y hon and dear mother intended to haue filled up this
Book with the like obfervations, but was prevented by

Death.*

* This note is in the handwriting of the Rev. Simon Bradstreet.

IN

Ad Sim. Bradstreet filium charifsimum meum.

N posteris Parentes vitam perpetuam faciunt, & in liberorum imitatione, mores diuturnos.

Naturaliter tamen posteritati ineft difpositio magis, defectus majorum quam vertutes imitari. Sed a te, meliora, mi Fili, expecto. Tu enim, petiisti, ut scriptioni tibi legendum, aliquid, cum ab oculis detraherer, committerem. His igitur sequentibus meditatiunculis, nihil venit in mentem, tibi idoneus, mihi nihil facilius. Qualia funt addico tibi. Parva ab amicis acceptabilia funt dona, multo magis, a filiis piis. Cogitationes aliorum quo nullas nifi verè maternas darem, studiosé vitavi; quas, magni estimandas, credo, mei caufâ, futuras, licet seipsis, parvas fuerint. Largiatur tibi in hac vitâ gratiam suam Jehovah, & posthâc gloriæ coronam donet, ut in Die judicii, gaudio te summo, afpiciam. - Sic Deum continuò fupplicè rogat

Tua amantifsima Parens,

Mar. 20. 1664.

ANN BRADSTREET.

Hæc Epiftola Romano Sermone verfus eft à Simone Bradstreet hujus Excellentifsimæ Fæminæ Pronepote, cum fequentibus meditatiunculis.*

"This epistle was translated into the Roman Language by Simon Bradstreet, this most excellent woman's great-grandson, together with the following short meditations."

This Simon Bradstreet was son of the Rev. Simon Bradstreet, of

« AnteriorContinuar »