To which, methinks, I hear some reply, that this way is too sublime for their Spirits. They cannot mount themselves on this fashion, but cleave fast to these Terrestrial objects. It may be so; and all that I can say to such is this, That next to God and our blessed Saviour, whom they apprehend, I hope, everywhere to take care of those that commit themselves to the fatherly Providence of the most supreme Reason: They should entertain themselves in the company and embraces of their remaining Friends, whose presence. is most delightful, and converse most comfortable. And all of them put together, may make a sensible Image of a dead Husband.

I know they will say, but these Friends may die too, and then what shall I do? I have told you already, and therefore have the less to add on this subject. Yet I shall remember you of the words of Seneca concerning the death of a Friend, which are to this purpose: If thou hast other Friends besides this, is it not a great reproach to them of their unworthiness, that all of them are not able to comfort thee for the loss of one? If thou hast no more, then thou hast done thyself a greater wrong than God hath done thee? for he hath taken but one, and thou hast made never an one. God makes men, (as is said

by some) and we make Friends. And if thou be desirous of more, and findest such need of them, thou hast leisure now to go and seek them. He can never want Friends that wants not Virtue. He loveth not one well, that cannot love any more than one. Is it not a ridiculous folly for a man to shrug and cry when he hath lost his coat, rather than go to fetch another garment to cover him from the cold? If he be taken away whom thou didst love, seek another whom to love. It is far better to repair thy loss, than to mourn for it. And if thou canst not find another to thy mind, How couldst thou be a Friend to him that is dead, if thou hast no power to help thyself? Why should not a good man find enough in God and himself? The want of nothing can make the want of Virtue; and he that hath that, hath enough. Nay, every good man is thy Friend, if thou be good; and they that never saw thy face before, if they see thy goodness, will be good unto thee. Bonos omnes oportet inter se amicos esse, etsi sint minus noti: All good men ought to be Friends, though they be not much acquainted.

I have passed over this last particular (as you see) very swiftly, because I observe my discourse swells to a greater bigness than I intended: And in some of

the following Considerations you shall find satisfaction to every one of these cases, if you will but concoct them.

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SECTION 6.

Which directs how to quiet ourselves by comparing ourselves, both with ourselves, and with others: And there are five ways of comparisons insisted

3.

on.

CONS

D

CONSIDER so far as to make comparisons: And first of all compare thyself now with what thou once wast, yea, with what thou once wast not. There was a time when thou thyself wast not so much as dead; for thou wast not at all, nor hadst any capacity of joy or sorrow. Hath God dealt unkindly with thee in giving thee a Being capable of both? Wouldst thou have refused a Being (if we may suppose an offer to be made to nothing) unless he would have given thee nothing but joy, and never taken away a what he gave thee? Unless thou hast a mind to be nothing, be contented with what thou art. Then thou hadst not these Relations? for thou hadst not thyself. Why shouldst thou mourn now that thou hast them not, since thou hast thyself? Is there not more reason to be thankful for a Being, though capable of mourning,

I

than to be troubled at the occasion of it? Surely thou dost not desire to cease thy mourning by ceasing to be. Ease thyself then of thy grief by the Being that God hath given thee, If thou couldst not mourn then, Do not mourn now. But then consider, that since thou hadst a being, there was a time when thou hadst none of these Relations, no Wife nor Children, nor Friends, which thou art deprived of. Yet thou didst not then weep and lament, and trouble thyself, as now thou dost. Seeing thou art what thou wast, be contented as thou wast. What difference is there between that time and this? Thou wast as much without them then as now thou art; why shouldst thou not be as much contented now as then? All the difference between those that wante a thing, and those that lose it, is only this: That they who lose it once had that, which they that want it, never had. Now shall we be the more troubled because we once had it? One would think that their trouble should be the greatest that neither have it, nor ever had it. We have reas son to be more pleased that we had it, if there were any good in it; and if there' was none, then we have no reason to be displeased that we have it not Say, hadst thou rather never have enjoyed thy Friends, than now be deprived of them?

Was thy condition worse or better heretofore? If it was but equal to thy present, then thou hast reason to be equally pleased: Remember how thou wast then, and be so now. If it was worse then, why shouldst thou be now worse troubled? If it were better then, why didst thou change it, seeing thou knewest that all must die? No question it is better to have enjoyed a good thing, than never to have known it. And therefore seeing thou art no worse now than thou wast once, but hast been better than once thou wast, be not more troubled than thou wast once, yea, be less troubled. :

But Secondly, Compare thy present condition with what thou mayest be This is not the worst that may befal thee in such a world of Miseries. Suppose then that thou shouldst lose all thy Children as Job did, and then lose thy whole Estate; that the Sea should swallow one part, and the fire burn another, and Thieves rob thee of a third, and bad Debtors quite undo thee. Suppose after all this, that a fire should begin to burn in thy own Bones, and that should break into Boils, and they should break into Scabs, and thou shouldst be poor, even to a Proverb, as that holy man was, Must thou not be contented then? But how is that possible, seeing thou canst not be