vanced above all the powers of heaven? and if one body, why not more? and if our Elder Brother, why no more of our spiritual fraternity? Yea, if the twelve thrones of those judges of Israel shall be conspicuous; how shall we not acknowledge them? And if these, who shall restrain us from more? You will easily grant, that our love can never fail: faith and hope give place to sight, to present fruition; for these are of things not seen but love is perpetual; not of God only, but his Saints for nothing ceases, but our earthly parts; nothing, but what savours of corruption: Christian love is a grace; and may well challenge a place in heaven : and what love is there, of what we know not? More plainly, If the three disciples in Tabor knew Moses and Elias, how much more shall we know them in God's Sion! Lastly, for it is a letter not a volume that I intended in this not necessary but likely discourse, that famous Parable can tell you, that those, which are in hell, may know singular and several persons, though distant in place: the rich Glutton knows Lazarus and Abraham. I hear what you say: "It is but a Parable:" neither will I press you with the contrary authority of Ambrose, Tertullian, Gregory, Jerome, or any Father; nor with that universal rule of Chrysostom, That those only are parables, where examples are expressed, and names concealed: I yield it; yet all holy parables have their truths, at least their possibilities: deny this, and you disable their use, wrong their Author: our Saviour never said ought was done, that cannot be; and shall then the damned retain ought, which the glorified lose? No man ever held that the soul was advantaged by torment. fort you, therefore, in this; you shall know, and be known. But far be from hence all carnal and earthly thoughts; as if your affections should be, as below, doubled to your wife or child nature hath no place in glory here is no respect of blood; none, of marriage: this grosser acquaintance and pleasure is for the Paradise of Turks, not the Heaven of Christians: here is, as no marriage, save betwixt the Lamb and his Spouse, the Church; so, no matrimonial affections: you shall rejoice in your glorified child; not as your child, but as glorified. In brief, let us so enquire of our company, that, above all things, we strive to be there ourselves; where, we are sure, if we have not what we imagined, we shall have more than we could imagine.

Com

EPISTLE VII,

TO MR. T. L.

Concerning the matter of Divorce, in the case of apparent Adultery; advising the Innocent Party, of the fittest Course in that behalf. ALL intermeddling is attended with danger; and ever so much more, as the bond of the parties contending is nearer and straiter:

how can it then want peril, to judge betwixt those, which are or should be one flesh? Yet great necessities require hazard. My profession would justly check me, if I preferred not your conscience to my own love.

I pity and lament, that your own bosom is false to you; that yourself, with shame and with sin, are pulled from yourself, and given to whom you would not: an injury, that cannot be paralleled upon earth; and such as may, without our wonder, distract you. Slight crosses are digested, with study and resolution; greater, with time; the greatest, not without study, time, counsel.

There is no extreme evil, whose evasions are not perplexed. I see here mischief, on either hand: I see you beset, not with griefs only, but dangers. No man ever more truly held a wolf by the ear; which he can neither stay nor let go, with safety.

God's ancient Law would have made a quick dispatch; and have determined the case, by the death of the offender, and the liberty of the innocent. And not it alone: how many heathen lawgivers have subscribed to Moses! Arabians, Grecians, Romans, yea very Goths, the dregs of Barbarism, have thought this wrong not expiable, but by blood.

With us, the easiness of revenge, as it yields frequence of offences, so multitude of doubts: whether the wronged husband should conceal, or complain: complaining, whether he should retain, or dismiss: dismissing, whether he may marry, or must continue single not continuing single, whether he may receive his own, or chuse another.

But your enquiries shall be my bounds.

The fact, you say, is too evident. Let me ask you: To yourself, or to the world? This point alone must vary your proceedings.

Public notice requires public discharge; private wrongs are in our own power; public, in the hands of authority. The thoughts of our own breasts, while they smother themselves within us, are at our command; whether for suppressing, or expressing: but, if they once have vented themselves by words unto others' ears, now, as common strays, they must stand to the hazard of censure: such are our actions. Neither the sword, nor the keys, meddle within doors; and what but they, without ?

If fame have laid hold on the wrong, prosecute it; clear your name, clear your house, yea, God's: else, you shall be reputed a pander to your own bed; and the second shame shall surpass the first, so much as your own fault can more blemish you, than another's. If there were no more, he is cruelly merciful, that neglects his own fame.

But what if the sin were shrouded in secrecy? the loathsomeness of vice consists not in common knowledge. It is no less heinous, if less talked of. Report gives but shame: God and the good soul detest close evils.

Yet then, I ask not of the offence; but of the offender: not of her crime; but her repentance. She hath sinned against heaven,

and you but hath she washed your polluted bed with her tears? hath her true sorrow been no less apparent, than her sin? hath she pieced her old vow, with new protestations of fidelity? do you find her, at once, humbled and changed? Why should that ear be deaf to her prayers, that was open to her accusations? Why is there not yet place for mercy? Why do we Christians live as under martial law, wherein we sin but once? Plead not authority: Civilians have been too rigorous: the merciful sentence of Divinity shall sweetly temper human severeness. How many have we known the better for their sin! That Magdalen, her predecessor in filthiness, had never loved so much, if she had not so much sinned. How oft hath God's Spouse deserved a divorce; which yet still her confessions, her tears have reversed! How oft hath that scroll been written, and signed; and yet again cancelled, and torn, upon submission! His actions, not his words only, are our precepts. Why is man cruel, where God relents? The wrong is ours, only for his sake; without whose law were no sin. If the creditor please to remit the debt, do standers-by complain?

But, if she be, at once, filthy and obstinate, fly from her bed, as contagious. Now, your benevolence is adultery: you impart your body to her; she, her sin to you: a dangerous exchange; an honest body, for a harlot's sin. Herein you are in cause, that she hath more than one adulterer. I applaud the rigour of those ancient Canons, which have still roughly censured even this cloak of vice. As there is a necessity of charity in the former, so of justice in this. If you can so love your wife, that you detest not her sin; you are a better husband, than a Christian; a better bawd, than a husband.

I dare say no more, upon so general a relation. Good physicians, in dangerous diseases dare not prescribe, on bare sight of urine, or uncertain report; but will feel the pulse, and see the symptoms, ere they resolve on the recipe. You see how no niggard I am of my counsels: would God, I could as easily assuage your grief, as satisfy your doubts!

EPISTLE VIII.

TO MR. ROBERT HAYE.

A Discourse of the continual Exercise of a Christian; how he may keep his Heart from Hardness, and his Ways from Error.

To keep the heart in ure with God, is the highest task of a Christian. Good motions are not frequent; but the constancy of good disposition is rare and hard.

This work must be continual, or else speedeth not: like as the body, from a settled and habitual distemper must be recovered by long diets; and so much the rather, for that we cannot intermit here without relapses. If this field be not tilled every day, it will run out into thistles.

The evening is fittest for this work when, retired into ourselves, we must, cheerfully and constantly, both look up to God, and into our hearts; as we have to do with both to God, in Thanksgiving, first; then, in Request.

It shall be therefore expedient for the soul, duly to recount to itself all the specialties of God's favours. A confused Thanks savour of carelessness; and neither doth affect us, nor win ассерtance above. Bethink yourself, then, of all these external, inferior, earthly graces: that your being, breathing, life, motion, reason is from him; that he hath given you a more noble nature than the rest of the creatures, excellent faculties of mind, perfection of senses, soundness of body, competency of estate, seemliness of condition, fitness of calling, preservation from dangers, rescue out of miseries, kindness of friends, carefulness of education, honesty of reputation, liberty of recreations, quietness of life, opportunity of well-doing, protection of angels. Then, rise higher, to his spiritual favours, though here on earth; and strive to raise your affections with your thoughts: bless God, that you were born in the light of the Gospel; for your profession of the truth; for the honour of your vocation; for your incorporating into the Church; for the privilege of the Sacraments, the free use of the Scriptures, the Communion of Saints, the benefit of their prayers, the aid of their counsels, the pleasure of their conversation; for the beginnings of regeneration, any footsteps of faith, hope, love, zeal, patience, peace, joy, conscionableness; for any desire of more. Then, let your soul mount highest of all, into her heaven; and acknowledge those celestial graces of her election to glory, redemption from shame and death; of the intercession of her Saviour; of the preparation of her place; and there let her stay a while, upon the meditation of her future joys.

This done, the way is made for your Request. Sue now to your God; as for grace to answer these mercies, so to see wherein you have not answered them. From him, therefore, cast your eyes down upon yourself; and, as some careful Justicer doth a suspected felon, so do you strictly examine your heart, of what you have done that day; of what you should have done: enquire whe ther your thoughts have been sequestered to God, strangers from the world, fixed on heaven, whether just, charitable, lowly, pure, Christian; whether your senses have been holily guided, neither to let in temptations, nor to let out sins; whether your speeches have not been offensive, vain, rash, indiscreet, unsavoury, unedifying; whether your actions have been warrantable, expedient, comely, profitable. Thence, see if you have been negligent in watching your heart, expence of your time, exercises of devotion, performance of good works, resistance of temptations, good use of

good examples; and compare your present estate with the former: look jealously, whether your soul hath gained or lost; lost, ought of the heat of her love, tenderness of conscience, fear to offend, strength of virtue; gained, more increase of grace, more assurance of glory. And, when you find, (alas who can but find?) either holiness decayed, or evil done, or good omitted, cast down your eyes, strike your breast, humble your soul, and sigh to him whom you have offended: sue for pardon as for life, heartily, yearningly: enjoin yourself careful amendment: redouble your holy resolutions strike hands with God, in a new covenant. My soul for your safety.

Much of this good counsel I confess to have learned from the Table of an unknown Author, at Antwerp. It contented me: and, therefore, I have thus made it, by many alterations, my own for form, and yours for the use: our practice shall both commend it, and make us happy.

EPISTLE IX.

TO MR. I. F

ONE OF THE COMPANY OF THE TURKISH MERCHANTS.

Discoursing of the Lawfulness of Conversation and Trade with Infidels and Heretics; and shewing how far, and wherein, it is allowable.

IN matter of sin, I dare not discommend much fear: looseness is both a more ordinary fault, and more dangerous, than excess of care: yet herein the mind may be unjustly tortured; and suffer, without gain. It is good to know our bounds, and keep them; that so we may neither be carelessly offensive, nor needlessly afflicted.

I see

How far we may travel to and converse with Infidels, with Heretics, is a long demand; and cannot be answered, at once. extremes, on both hands; and a path of truth, betwixt both, of no small latitude.

First, I commend not this course to you: it is well, if I allow it. The earth is large; and truth hath ample dominions: and those, not incommodious, not unpleasant. To neglect the main blessings with competency of the inferior, for abundance of the inferior without the main, were a choice unwise and unequal. While we are free, who would take ought but the best? Whither go you? Have we not as temperate a sun, as fair a heaven, as fertile an earth, as rich a sea, as sweet companions? What stand I on equa