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On the sight of a looking-glass. CXXXII.
WHEN I look in another man's
face, I see that man; and that
man sees me, as I do him: but,
when I look in my glass, I do
not see myself; I see only an
image or representation of my-
self: howsoever it is like me,
yet it is not I. It is for an ig-
norant child, to look behind the
glass; to find out the babe, that
he seeth: I know it is not there;
and that the resemblance varies,
according to the dimness or dif-
ferent fashion of the glass.

At our best, we do but thus see God, here below. One sees him more clearly; another, more obscurely but all, in a glass. Hereafter, we shall see him, not as he

appears, but as he is: so shall we see him in the face, as he sees us the face of our glorified spirits shall see the glorious face of him, who is the God of Spirits. In the mean time, the proudest dame shall not more ply her glass, to look upon that face of hers, which she thinks beautiful; than I shall gaze upon the clearest glass of my thoughts, to see that face of God, which I know to be infinitely fair and glorious.

Admoto speculo.

Cùm alterius faciem intueor, hominem video; qui et me vicissim, æquè videt: at, cùm speculum inspicio, mei tantùm imaginem, per omnia quidem mihi persimilem, video; meipsum interea non video. Puerorum est, puerulum, quem vident, pone speculum latentem quærere ego nihil ibi subesse sat novi; sed et similitudinem quoque variari, juxta vel obscurita tem vel formam speculi variam.

Cùm vel optimè sumus dispositi, non aliter nos Deum, in terris, videre possumus. Hic quidem clariùs ipsum videt; obscuriùs, ille uterque, in speculo tamen. In cœlis, Deum videbimus, non uti apparet, sed ut revera est: faciem ejus intuebimur, quemadmodum et ille nostram: spiritus nostri glorificata facies, gloriosissimam illius faciem, qui est Spirituum Deus, liberè intuebitur. Interea temporis, non frequentiùs fixis in speculum oculis hærebit fæminarum superbissima, vultum, quem ipsa credit formosissimum, curiosè speculando; quàm ego clarissimum cogitationum mearum speculum oculis usurpabo meis, ut vultum illum Dei contempler, quem infinitè pulchrum et splendidum esse novi.

On the shining of a piece of rot- CXXXIII. ten wood.

How bright doth this wood shine! When it is in the fire, it will not so beam forth, as it doth in this cold darkness. What an emblem is here of our future estate! This piece, while it grew

Viso ligni cariosi
splendore.

Quàm clarè micat lignum istud! In foco, non ita radiabit, ac jam modò sub mediis tenebris facit. Quàm pulchrum hic est futuræ conditionis nostræ emblema! Quamdiu lignum hoc arbori con

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BEHOLD a true emblem of false love. Here are kind embracements, but deadly: how close doth this weed cling unto that oak, and seems to hug and shade it! but, in the mean time, draws away the sap; and, at last, kills it.

Such is a harlot's love: such is a parasite's. Give me that love and friendship, which is between the vine and the elm; whereby, the elm is no whit worse, and the vine much the better. That wholesome and noble plant doth not so close wind itself about the tree that upholds it, as to gall the bark, or to suck away the moisture: and, again, the elm yields a beneficial supportation to that weak, though generous, plant. As God, so wise men, know to measure love, not by profession and compliment, which is commonly most high and vehement in the falsest, but by reality of performance.

Viså hederá.

ECCE istic fucati amoris verum emblema. Blandi hi sunt, sed fatales amplexus: quàm intimè herba hæc quercui se adjungit, arctequè amplexa umbram præbet non ingratam! dum, interea, succum illi suffuratur clanculùm; vitamque, tandem, exugit.

Talis est meretricis affectus : talis et parasiti. Da mihi veram mutuamque vitis et ulmi amicitiam; eam scilicet, quâ et viti melius sit, et ulmo nihilo pejus. Salutaris illa nobilisque planta suffulcientem arborem non adeò rudibus ulmis circumplectitur, ut corticem lædere possit, succumve exhaurire: ulmus, è contrà, debilem quidem illam, at generosam tamen, alumnam benignè sustinet. Ut Deus, ita et homines, satis nôrunt, amorem, non ex merâ professione externisque ceremoniis, quæ vel simulatoribus excidunt sæpenumerò calidiores, sed ex ipsis actionibus, æstimare. Ille mihi inimicus

He is no enemy, that hurts me not: I am not his friend, whom I desire not to benefit.

non est, qui nocere nollet: nec ego illi amicus, cui non cupiam benefacere.

On a quartan ague.

CXXXV. De frebre quartaná.

I HAVE known, when those things, which have made a healthful man sick, have been the means of making a sick man whole. The quartan hath of old been justly styled the shame of physicians; yet, I have more than once observed it to be cured by a surfeit. One devil is sometime used, for the ejection of another.

Thus have I also seen it, in the sickness of the soul. The same God, whose justice is wont to punish sin with sin, even his mercy doth so use the matter, that he cures one sin by another. So have we known a proud man healed, by the shame of his uncleanness; a furious man healed, by a rash bloodshed. It matters not greatly, what the medicine be, while the physician is infinitely powerful, infinitely skilful. What danger can there be of my safety, when God shall heal me, as well by evil, as by good?

EXPERTUS sum aliquando, ea ipsa, quibus morbum contrahit sanus, media etiam fuisse, quibus ægrotus sanaretur. Febris quartana medicorum opprobium olim, nec immeritò, audiit; quam tamen, merâ crapulà, non semel sede suâ pulsam observavi. Est ubi dæmonum unus, alterius ejectioni operam elocat.

Sed et idem etiam, in animæ morbis comperi. Idem Deus, cujus justitia peccatum peccato plectere solet, non rarò etiam, mirificè operante ipsius miserecordiâ, peccatum etiam peccato, justissimè tamen, medetur. Sic superbum turpissimæ, in quam inciderat, libidinis, pudore conversum aliquando novimus; sic furiosè iracundum, temero quodam homicidio cicuratum vidimus. Non est quòd de pharmaco nimiùm laboremus, dum medici infinitam cùm artem tum potestatem intelligimus. De salute meâ quid est quòd metuam, cùm Deus mihi possit non salubribus modò, sed et noxiis remediis opitulari?

On the sight of a loaded cart. CXXXVI. Conspecto plaustro benè onusto. IT is a passionate expression, wherein God bemoans himself of the sins of Israel, Ye have pressed me, as a cart is pressed with sheaves. An empty cart runs lightly away but if it be soundly loaden, it goes sadly, sets hard, groans under the

Patheticè admodum exprimitur illa Dei de peccatis Israelis querimonia, Pressistis me, plaustri instar tritico onusti. Plaustrum vacuum leviter decurrit: gravi verò pondere saburratum, difficulter et ægrè progeditur, gemitque sub pondere, altos terræ

weight, and makes deep impressions; the wheels creak, and the axle-tree bends; and all the frame of it is put unto the ut

most stress.

He, that is Omnipotent, can bear any thing, but too much sin his justice will not let his mercy be overstrained. No marvel, if a guilty soul say, Mine iniquity is greater than I can bear; when the Infinite God complains of the weight of men's sins. But, let not vain men think, that God complains out of the want of power, but out of the abundance of mercy. He cannot be the worse for our

sins: we are. It grieves him, to be over-provoked to our punishment. Then doth he account the cart to crack, yea to break, when he is urged to break forth into just vengeance.

O Saviour, the sins of the whole world lay upon thee: thou sweatedst blood, under the load. What would become of me, if I should bear but one sheaf of that load; every ear whereof, yea every grain of that ear, were enough to press down my soul

to the nethermost hell?

cedenti sulcos imprimens; crepant rotæ, incurvatur axis; tota denique fabrica quam maximè urgetur opprimiturque.

Omnia, præter peccatum, facilè ferre potest, qui Omnipotens est: non patitur justitia ejus, ut miserecordia ipsius nimiùm prægravetur. Mirum non est, si anima peccatorum conscia dixerit, Major est iniquitas mea quàm ut ferre possim ; cùm Deus ipse Infinitus peccatorum nostrorum pondere se oppressum queritur. Absit, tamen, ut querelam hanc vanus quispiam putet ex potentiæ defectu, et non potiùs ex superabundantiâ miserecordiæ profectam. nostra non possunt Deum quicquam lædere: nos lædunt ipsos gravissimè. Dolet ipsi, cùm ad pœnas nobis infligendas provocatur. Tum crepitare illi plaustrum videtur, imò frangi, cùm justam de nobis vindictam sumere, quasi invitus, urgetur.

Peccata

Bone Jesu, peccata mundi universa humeris tuis imposita sunt: tu sanguinis grumos exudabas ubertim, tanto pondere gravatus. Quid de me actum foret, si vel unicum de totâ illâ messe manipulum subiissem; cujus quælibet spica, imò vel unicum spicæ granulum, ad imum usque barathrum animam meam deprimeret ?

CXXXVII. Viso quodam nano.

On the sight of a dwarf. AMONGST all the bounteous gifts of God, what is it, that he hath equally bestowed upon all; except it be our very being, while we are? He hath not given to all men the same stature of body,

Ex omnibus quotquot sunt Dei beneficiis, quid est, quod is æquè omnibus impertire voluerit; nisi modò ipsum illud, quòd sumus? non eandem corporis mensuram, easdem ingenii vires, eandem

not the same strength of wit, not the same capacity of memory, not the same beauty of parts, not the same measure of wealth or honour.

Thus hath he done also in matter of grace. There are spiritual dwarfs: there are giants. There are perfect men; children; babes; embryos. This inequality doth so much more praise the mercy and wisdom of the Giver, and exercise the charity and thankfulness of the receiver. The essence of our Humanity doth not consist in stature: he, that is little of growth, is as much man, as he, that is taller. Even so also spiritually, the quantity of grace doth not make the Christian, but the truth of it. I shall be glad and ambitious, to add cubits to my height; but, withal, it shall comfort me to know, that I cannot be so low of stature, as not to reach unto heaven.

On an importunate beggar.

memoriæ capacitatem, eundem decorum partium, eundemve aut divitiarum aut honoris cumulum.

Eodem etiam modo dona gratiæ suæ dispensavit Deus. Sunt enim nani spirituales: sunt etiam et gigantes. Viri sunt perfecti; sunt et pueri; infantes; embryones. Imparitas hæc eò magis benignitatem sapientiamque Largientis extollit, et charitatem quoque gratitudinemque recipientis exercet. Homines quòd sumus non in ipsâ corporis mensurâ consistit: pusillus quisque æquè homo est, ac proceritate eminentior. Ita etiam et spiritualiter sese habet: quantitas gratiæ non est, quæ Christianum constituit, sed veritas. Illud mihi in votis erit, ut cubitos multos staturæ animæ meæ adjicere possim; hâc tamen, interea, firmabo me solaborque confidentiâ, quòd sciam, non posse me adeò humilem esse, quin ut cœlum aliquando attingam.

CXXXVIII. Audito paulò importuniore men. dico.

It was a good rule of him, that bade us learn to pray of beggars. With what zeal, doth this man sue! With what feeling expressions! with how forcible importunity! When I meant to pass by him with silence, yet his clamour draws words from me. When I speak to him, though with excuses, rebukes, denials, repulses; his obsecrations, his -adjurations draw from me that alms, which I meant not to give. How he uncovers his sores, and shews his impotence, that my eyes may help his tongue to

NoN malè profectò monuit, qui nos à mendicis orare discere consuluit. Quanto zelo, instat iste? Quàm fervidis votis, quàm efficaci importunitate, vim infert viatori! Cùm antea silentio ipsum præterire proposuissem, clamor rogitantis verba mihi elicit. Alloquor, non alio quidem quàm excusationum, minarum, increpationis, commotiorisque repulsæ sono; ille, obsecrationibus adjurationibusque urget acriùs; nec desistit, donec tandem eleemosynanı à me, quàmlibet reluctante, impetraverit. Quàm

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