WISEDOME is a working Grace in the Soules of the Elect: by whom the Spirit is made capable of those secrets, that nei­ther Nature, nor Reason, is able to comprehend: who, by a powerfull vertue, She hath from the diuine Essence, worketh in all things, according to the will of the Almighty: and, being, be­fore beginning, shall exceede Time, in an eternall proceeding: She is a Light, in the Intellectuall part, by which Reason is led to direct the Sences in their due Course, and Nature is preserued [Page 2] from Subiecting her selfe to Im­perfection: in the Creation, Shee was of Councell with the Trini­tie, in the pleasing of the Deity, in the Redemption, the Inuenter of Mercy, for, the preseruation of the Elect, and in the Glorificati­on, the Treasurer of life, for the reward of the faithfull, who, hau­ing committed to her Care, the cariage of the whole Motion, fin­ding the disposition of earth in all the Children of her Wombe, by such a Measure, as she findes fit­ting their qualitie, she giues them either the grace of Nature, or the glory of Reason: While being the Mother of the Graces, Shee giues them that holy Instruction, that, in the knowledge of the highest Loue, thorough the pathes of Vertue, makes a passage to Heauen: Learning hath from her, that knowledge without the [Page 3] which, all knowledge, is meere Ignorance: while, onely, in the Grace of Truth, is seene the Glo­rie of vnderstanding: Know­ledge hath from Her that Lear­ning, whereby, she is taught the direction of her Loue, in the way of life: Vnderstanding hath from her that Knowledge, that keepes Conceit, alwaies in the Spirits comfort: and Judgement, from Vnderstanding, that Rule of Iustice, that by the euen waight of Impartiality, shewes the hand of Heauen in the heart of Huma­nitie: in the Heauens, She keepes the Angels in their orders, teach­eth them the Natures of their Offices, and emploies them in the seruice of their Creator: in the Firmament, She walkes among the Starres, sets, and keepes them, in their places, courses, and ope­rations, at her pleasure, She ec­clipseth [Page 4] the light, and, in a Mo­ment, leaues not a Clowde in the [...]kie: in Her Thunders, and Lightenings she shewes the Ter­ror of the Highest Wrath, and in Her temperate Calmes, the pati­ence of his Mercy: in her frostie Winters, she shewes the weaknes of Nature, and in her Sunny Springs, the Recouery of Her health: in the Louers of this world liues no part of her purenesse, but, with Her beloued She makes a Heauen vpon Earth: in the King, she shewes her Grace, in his Coun­cell her Care, and, in his State, her Strength: in the Souldior, she shewes Vertue, the truest Valor, in the Lawier, Truth, the Honor of his Plea, in the Merchant, Conscience, the wealth of his Soule, and in the Church-man Charity, the true fruit of his De­uotion: She liues in the World, [Page 5] but, not the worlds Loue, for the Worldes vnworthinesse, is not capable of her worth: Shee re­ceiueth Mammon, as a gift from his Maker, and makes him serue her vse to his Glory: She giues Honor, Grace in Bounty, and, manageth wit, by the Care of dis­cretion: She shewes the Necessi­ty of difference, and, wherein is the happinesse of Vnitie: Shee puts her Labor, to prouidence, her hope, to patience, her life, to her Loue, and her Loue, to her Lord: with whom, as chiefe Se­cretary of his secrets, she writes his will to the World, and as high Steward of his Courts, she keepes Account of all his Tenaunts: in Sum, so great is her Grace in the Heauens, as giues her Glory a­boue the Earth, and so, Infinite, are her Excellencies, in all the Course of her Action, and, so [Page 6] Glorious are the Notes of her In­comprehensible Nature, that, I will thus onely Conclude, farre short of her Commendation: She is Gods Loue, and his An­gells Light, his Seruants, Grace, and His Beloueds Glory.

LEarning is the life of Reason, and the Light of Nature, where, Time, Order, and Mea­sure, square out the true Course of Knowledge; where, Discretion, in the Temper of Passion, brings experience to the best fruite of Affection: while, both, the Theo­ricke, and the Practicke, labour in the life of Iudgement, till, the perfection of Art, shew the Ho­nor of vnderstanding: She is the [Page 7] keie of knowledge, that vnlocketh the Cabinet of Conceit, wherein are laide vp the Labours of Ver­tue, for the vse of the Schollers of Wisedome: where euery gratious Spirit may finde matter enough worthy of the Record of the best Memory: She is the Nurse of Na­ture, with that Milke of Reason, that, would make a Childe of Grace, neuer lie from the Dugge: Shee is the Schoole-mistris of Witte, and the gentle Gouernor of Will, when, the Delight of vn­derstanding, giues the Comfort of Study: She is vnpleasing to none that knowes her, and vnpro­fitable, to none that loues her: She feares not to Wet her feete, to Wade thorough the Waters of Comfort, but, comes not neere the Seas of Iniquitie, where, folly drownes Affection, in the delight of Vanity: She opens her Trea­sures [Page 8] to the Trauailers in Vertue, but, keepes them close from the Eies of Idlenesse: She makes the King Gratious, and his Councell, Iudicious, his Clergie, Deuout, and, his Kingdome, prosperous: She giues Honor to Vertue, Grace, to Honor, Reward, to La­bor, and, Loue, to Truth: She is the Messenger of Wisedome, to the mindes of the Vertuous, and, the Way to Honor, in the Spirits of the Gratious: She is the Store-house of Vnderstanding, where the Affection of Grace, can not want Instruction of goodnesse, while, in the Rules of her directi­ons, Reason is neuer out of square: She is the Exercise of Wit, in the application of Know­ledge, and the preseruer of the vnderstanding, in the practise of Memory: In briefe, she makes Age honorable, and, youth Ad­mirable: [Page 9] the vertuous, wise, and the wise, gracious: Hir Libraries are infinite, hir lessons without number, hir instruction, without comparison, and hir Schollers without equalitie: In briefe, fin­ding it a laborinth, to go through the grounds of hir praise: Let this suffice, that in all Ages shee hath been, and euer will be, the Darling of wisdome, the delight of wit, the study of vertue, and the stay of knowledge.

KNowledge is a Collection of vnderstanding, gathered in the grounds of Learning, by the instruction of Wisdome: Shee is the exercise of Memory, in the actions of the Minde, and the [Page 10] imployer of the Senses, in the will of the Spirit: shee is the Notary of Time, and the tryer of Truth, and the labour of the Spirit in the loue of Vertue: shee is the pleasure of wit, and the paradise of Reason, where Conceit gathe­reth the sweet of Vnderstanding. She is the Kings councellor, & the Councells grace, Youths guarde, and Ages glory: It is free from doubts, and feares no danger, while the care of Prouidence cuts off the cause of Repentance: shee is the enemy of Idlenesse, and the maintayner of Labour, in the care of credit, and pleasure of profit: shee needs no aduice in the Resolution of Action, while Experience in obseruation, findes perfection infallible: It cleares Errors, and cannot be de­ceiued, corrects Impuritie, and will not bee corrupted: Shee [Page 11] hath a wide eare, and a close mouth, a pure eye, and a perfect heart: It is begotten by Grace, bred by Vertue, brought vp by Learning, and maintainde by Loue: shee conuerseth with the best capacities, and communi­cates with the soundest Iudg­ments, dwells with the diuinest Natures, and loues the most pati­ent dispositions: Hir hope is a kind of Assurance, hir faith a con­tinuall expectation, hir loue an apprehension of Ioy, and hir life the light of Eternitie: Hir la­bours are infinite, hir wayes are vnsearcheable, hir Graces incom­parable, and hir Excellencies in­explicable: and therefore, being so little acquainted with hir worth, as makes me blush at my vnworthinesse, to speake in the least of hir praise: I will onely leaue hir aduancement to Vertue, [Page 12] hir honour to Wisdome, hir grace to Truth, and to Eternitie; his glory.

PRactise, is the Motion of the Spirit, where the Sences are all set to worke in their Natures, where, in the fittest employment of Time, Reason maketh the best vse of vnderstanding: Shee is the Continuance of knowledge in the Ease of Memory, and, the Honor of Resolution in the effect of Iudg­ment. Shee plants the Spring, and reapes the Haruest, makes labour sweet, and patience, com­fortable: Shee hath a foot on the earth, but, an eye at heauen, where the prayer of faith findes the feli­citie [Page 13] of the Soule: in the fruit of Charity, she shewes the nature of Devotion, and in the Mercy of Iustice, the Glory of gouernment. Shee giues Time honour, in the fruit of Action, and Reason, grace, in the application of know­ledge: She takes the height of the Sunne, walkes about the world, sounds the depth of the Sea, and makes her passage thorough the waters. She is ready for all occa­sions, attendeth all persons, works with all instruments, and finisheth all actions: Shee takes Invention for her teacher, makes time, her seruant, method her direction, and place her habitation: Shee hath a wakefull eye, and a wor­king braine, which fits the mem­bers of the body, to the seruice of the spirit: Shee is the Physitians agent, and the Apothecaries be­nefactor, the Chirurgions wealth, [Page 14] and the Patients, patience: Shee brings time, to labor, and care, to contentment: learning to know­ledge, and vertue to honour: in Idlenesse shee hath no pleasure, nor acquaintance with Igno­rance, but in Industry, is her de­light, and in vnderstanding, her grace: Shee hath a passage tho­rough all the Predicaments, shee hath a hand in all the Artes, a property in all professions, and a qualitie in all conditions: in briefe, so many are the varieties of the manners of her procee­dings, as makes me fearefull to fol­low her too farre in obseruation, lest, being neuer able to come neere the height of hir commen­dation, I be inforced, as I am, to leaue hir wholy to admiration.

PAtience is a kind of heauenly Tenure, whereby the Soule is held in possession, and a sweet temper in the Spirit, which re­straineth nature from exceeding reason in passion. Hir hand keeps time in his right course, and hir eye pierceth into the depth of vn­derstanding: Shee attendeth wis­dome in all hir works, and pro­portioneth time, to the necessitie of matter: Shee is the poyson of Sorrow in the hope of Comfort, and the paradise of conceit in the ioy of peace: Hir tongue speakes seldome, but to purpose, and hir foot goeth slowly, but surely: Shee is the imitator of the Incom­prehensible in his passage to per­fection, [Page 16] and a seruant of his will in the mappe of his workman­ship: in Confusion, Shee hath no operation, while she only [...]a­rieth hir conceit, with the consi­deration of experience: Shee trauailes farre, and is neuer wea­ry; and giues ouer no worke, but to better a beginning: Shee makes the King mercifull, and the Subiect loyall, Honour gracious, and, Wisdome glorious: Shee pacifieth wrath, and puts off re­uenge, and, in the humilitie of charitie, shewes the nature of Grace: Shee is beloued of the Highest, and imbraced of the wi­sest, honoured with the worthiest, and graced with the best: Shee makes imprisonment, Liberty, when the minde goeth thorough the world, and in sicknesse findes health, where death is the way to life: Shee is an Enemie to pas­sion, [Page 17] and knowes no Purgatory; thinkes fortune a fiction, and builds onely vpon Prouidence: Shee is the sick-mans Salue, and the whole mans preseruer: the Wise-mans staffe, and the good­mans Guide: In summe, not to wade too farre in hir worthinesse, lest I be drownd in the depth of wonder, I will thus end, in hir end­lesse Honour: Shee is the grace of Christ, and the vertue of Chri­stianitie, the praise of Goodnesse, and the preseruer of the world.

LOve is the life of Nature, and the ioy of Reason, in the Spi­rit of Grace; where vertue draw­ing affection, the concord of Sense, makes an vnion vnsepara­ble [Page 18] in the diuine apprehension of the ioy of Election, it is a rauish­ment of the Soule, in the delight of the Spirit: which, being caried aboue it selfe, into inexplicable comfort, feeles that heauenly sicknesse, that is better than the worlds health, when the wisest of men, in the swounding delight of his sacred Inspiration, could thus vtter the sweetnesse of his passion: My Soule is sicke of Loue. It is a healthfull sicknesse in the Soule, a pleasing passion in the Heart, a contentiue labour in the Minde, and a peacefull trouble of the Senses: it alters natures in con­trarieties, when difficultie is made easie, paine, made a pleasure, po­uerty, riches, and imprisonment, liberty: for the content of con­ceit, which regards not to be an abiect, in being subiect, but to an obiect: it reioyceth in truth, and [Page 19] knowes no inconstancie, it is free from Ielousie, and feareth no for­tune: it breakes the rule of Arith­mericke, by confounding of num­ber, where the coniunction of thoughts make one minde in two bodies, where neither figure, nor cipher, can make diuision of vnion: it simpathies with life, and participates with light, when the eye of the minde, sees the ioy of the heart: it is a predominat power, which endures no equali­tie, and yet, communicates with reason, in the rules of Concord: it breeds safety in a King, and peace, in a kingdome, Nations vnitie, and Natures gladnesse: It sings in labour, in the ioy of hope, and makes a paradise in re­ward of desert: it pleads but mercy, in the iustice of the Al­mighty; and but mutuall Amitie, in the nature of Humanitie: In [Page 20] summe, hauing no Eagles eye, to looke vpon the Sunne, and fea­ring to looke too high, for feare of a chip in mine eye, I will in these few words, speake in praise of this peerelesse vertue: Loue is the grace of nature, and the glory of reason, the blessing of God, and the comfort of the world.

PEACE, is a Calme in Conceit, where the Senses take plea­sure, in the rest of the Spirit: It is Natures holy day after Reasons labour, and Wisdoms musique in the Concords of the minde: It is a blessing of Grace, a bounty of Mercy, a proofe of Loue, and, a preseruer of life: It holds no Ar­guments, knowes no quarrells, is [Page 21] an enemie to sedition, and a con­tinuance of Amitie: It is the root of plenty, the Tree of pleasure, the fruit of Loue, and the sweet­nesse of life: It is like the still Night, where all things are at rest, and the quiet sleep, where dreams are not troublesome: or the re­solued point, in the perfection of knowledge, where no cares, nor doubts make controuersies in opinion: it needs no watch, where is no feare of Enemy, nor Sollicitor of Causes, where Agree­ments are concluded: It is the in­tent of Law, and the fruit of Iu­stice: the end of Warre, and the beginning of Wealth: It is a grace in a Court, and a glory in a Kingdom, a blessing in a Family, and a happinesse in a Common­wealth: It fills the rich mans co­fers, and feeds the poore mans la­bour: It is the Wise-mans study, [Page 22] and the Good-mans ioy: who loue it, are gracious, who make it, are blessed, who keep it are happy, and who breake it, are miserable: It hath no dwelling with Idolatry, nor friendship with falshood, for hir life is in Truth, and in hir, all is Amen. But lest in the Iustice of Peace, I may rather be reprooued for my Ignorance of hir worth, then thought worthy to speake in hir prayse, with this only Conclu­sion, in the commendation of Peace, I will draw to an end, and hold my peace: It was a message of Ioy at the birth of Christ, a song of Ioy, at the imbracement of Christ, an assurance of Ioy, at the death of Christ, and shall be the fulnesse of Ioy, at the com­ming of Christ.

WARRE is a scourge of the wrath of God, which by famine, fire, or sword, humbleth the spirits of the Repentant, tryeth the patience of the Faithfull, and hardneth the hearts of the vngod­ly: it is the misery of Time, and the terror of Nature, the dispeo­pling of the Earth, and the ruine of hir Beauty: Hir life, is Action, hir food; Bloud, hir honour, Valor, and hir ioy, Conquest. Shee is Valors exercise, and Honors ad­uenture, Reasons trouble, and Peaces enemy: shee is the stout mans loue, and the weake mans feare, the poore mans toile, and the rich mans plague: shee is the Armourers Benefactor, and the [Page 24] Chirurgions agent, the Cowards ague, and the Desperats ouer­throw: she is the wish of Enuy, the plague of them that wish hir, the shipwracke of life, and the agent for death; The best of hir is, that shee is the seasoner of the body, and the manager of the minde, for the induring of labor, in the resolution of action: shee thunders in the Aire, rips vp the Earth, cuts thorough the Seas, and consumes with the fire: shee is indeed the inuention of Ma­lice, the worke of Mischiefe, the musique of Hell, and the daunce of the Deuill: she makes the end of Youth vntimely, and of Age wretched, the Cities sacke, and the Countries beggery: shee is the Captaines pride, and the Captiues sorrow, the throat of bloud, and the graue of flesh: shee is the woe of the world, the [Page 25] punishment of sinne, the passage of danger, and, the Messenger of destruction: she is the wise mans warning, and the fooles paiment, the godly mans griefe, and, the wicked mans game: In summe, so many are her woundes, so mor­tall her cures, so daungerous her course, and, so deuilish her deui­ses, that, I will wade no further in her riuers of bloud, but, only, thus conclude in her description: she is Gods curse, and Mans mise­ry, hells Practise, and earthes Hell.

VAlor is a Vertue in the spi­rit, which keepes the flesh in subiection: Resolues without feare, and trauailes without fain­ting: [Page 26] she vowes no villany, nor, breakes; her fidelity, she is patient in captiuity, and pittifull in con­quest: Her gaine is honor, and, desert her meane, fortune her skorne, and folly, her hate: wise­dome is her guide, and conquest her grace, clemency, her praise, and humilitie, her Glory: she is youthes ornament, and ages ho­nor; natures blessing, and Ver­tue; loue: Her life is resolution, & her loue, victory, her triumph, truth, and her fame, vertue: Her armes are from antiquitie, and, her cote, full of honor, where, the title of grace, hath her Herauldry from heauen she makes a walke of warre, and a sport of danger, an ease, of labour, and a lest, of death: she makes famine, but ab­stinence, want, but, a patience, sickenesse, but a purge, and death, a puffe: she is the Mainteiner of [Page 27] [...]arre, the Generall of an army, [...]he terror of an Enemy, and the [...]ory of a campe: she is the No­ [...]lenesse of the minde, and the [...]rength of the Body, the li [...]e of [...]ope, and the death of feare▪ with [...] handfull of men, shee ouer­ [...]hrowes a multitude, and with a [...]daine amazement, she discom­ [...]tes a Campe: she is the reuenge [...]f wrong, and the defence of [...]ight, Religions Champion, and, [...]ertues choise: In briefe, let this [...]uffice in her commendation: she [...]rengthened Dauid, and conque­ [...]ed Goliah, she ouerthrowes her [...]nemies, and conquers her selfe.

REsolution is the Honoure [...] Valor, in the quarrell of Ve [...] tue, for the defence of Right, an [...] Redresse of Wrong: She, beate [...] the March, pitcheth the Battaile plants the Ordinance, and Main­taines the fight: Her Eare is stop [...] from Disswasions, her Eie aim [...] only at Honor, her hand takes the Sword of Valor, and her heart thinkes of nothing, but victory [...] Shee giues the Charge, makes the Stand, Assaults the fort, and en­ters the Breach: Shee breakes the Pikes, faceth the Shot, dampes the Souldior, and defeates the Army: Shee looseth no time, slippes no Occasion, dreads no danger, and, Cares for no force; [Page 92] [...]he is Valors life, and vertues [...]oue, Iustice Honor, and, Mer­ [...]ies Glorie: Shee beates downe Castles, fires Shippes, Wades [...]orough the Sea, and Walkes [...]orough the World: She makes [...]isedome, her Guide, and Will, [...]er Seruant, Reason, her Compa­ [...]ion, and Honor, her Mistris: [...]he is a Blessing in Nature, and a [...]eauty, in Reason, a Grace in In­ [...]ention, and, a Glory in Action: [...]he studies no plots, when her [...]latforme is set downe, and defers [...]o time, when her houre is pre­ [...]xed: Shee standes vpon no [...]elpes, when she knowes her own [...]orce, and in the Execution of her [...]ill, she is a Rocke Irremoueable: [...]he is the Kings Will, without Contradiction, and the Iudges [...]oome, without Exception, the [...]chollers profession, without Al­ [...]eration, and the Souldiers Honor [Page 30] without Comparison: In Summ [...] so many are the groundes of he [...] Grace, and the iust Causes of he [...] Commendation, that, Leauin [...] her worth, to the discription [...] better wits, I will in these few wordes, conclude my Conceit [...] her. She is the stoutnesse of th [...] heart, and the strength of th [...] minde, a gift of God, and, th [...] glory of the World.

HOnor is a Title of Grace giuen by the spirit of Vertue, to the desert of Valor, in th [...] defence of Truth: it is wronged in basenesse, and abused in vn [...]worthinesse, endangered in wan­tonnesse, and lost in wickednes [...] It nourisheth Art, and crownet [...] [Page 31] Wit, graceth Learning, and glo­rifieth Wisedome: in the He­rauldry of Heauen, it hath the richest Cote, being, in Nature Al­lied, vnto all the houses of Grace, which in the Heauen of heauens, attend the King of kings: Her Escucheon is a heart, in which, in the shield of faith, she beares on the Anckor of Hope, the Helmit of Saluation: she quarters with Wisedome in the Resoluti­on of Valor, and in the line of Charitie, she is of the House of Iustice: Her Supporters are Time, and Patience, her Mantle, Truth, and her crest, Christ trea­ding vpon the Globe of the world: her Imprese, Corona mea, Christus: In briefe, finding her state so high, that I am not able to climbe vnto the praise of her per­fection, I will leaue her Royalty to the Register of most Princely [Page 32] spirits, and in my humble hearts thus only deliuer my opinion of her: She is Vertues due, and Graces gift, Valors wealth, and Reasons ioy.

TRuth is the Glory of time, and the daughter of Eterni­ty: a Title of the highest Grace, and, a Note of a diuine Nature: she is the life of Religion, the light of Loue, the Grace of Wit, and the Crowne of Wisedome, she is the Beauty of Valor, the brightnesse of honor, the blessing of reason, and the ioy of faith: her truth is pure gold, her Time, is right pretious, her word is most gratious, and her will, is most glorious: Her Essence is in God, [Page 33] and, her dwelling with his ser­uants, her will in his wisedome, and her worke, to his Glory: she is honored in loue, and graced in constancie, in patience admired, and in charity, beloued she is the Angels worshippe, the Virgins fame, the Saints blisse, and the Martirs crowne: she is the Kings Greatnesse, and his Councels, Goodnesse, his subiects Peace, and his kingdomes Praise: she is the life of learning, and the light of the Law, the honor of Trade, and the grace of labor: she hath a pure Eye, a plaine hand, a piercing wit and a perfect heart: she is wisedomes walke in the way of holinesse, and takes vp her rest, but, in the resolution of goodnes: Her tongue neuer trippes, her heart neuer faintes, her hand ne­uer failes, and her faith, neuer feares: her Church is without [Page 34] schisme, her City without fraude, her Court, without Vanity, and her kingdome, without Villany: In summe, so infinite is her Excel­lence, in the construction of all sence, that I will thus only con­clude in the wonder of her worth: she is the Nature of perfection, in the perfection of Nature, where God, in Christ, shewes the glory of Christianity.

TIme is a continuall Motion, which from the highest Moouer, hath his operation in all the subiects of Nature, accor­ding [Page 35] to their qualitie, or dispo­sition: He is in proportion, like a Circle, wherein, hee walketh with an euen passage, to the point of his prefixed place: Hee atten­deth none, and yet is a servant to all; he is best emploied by wise­dome, and, most abused, by folly: He carrieth both the sworde and the scepter, for the vse both of Iustice, and Mercie: He is present in all Inuention, and, can not be spared from Acti­on: He is the Treasury of Graces in the Memory of the wise, and, bringes them forth to the world, vpon Necessity of their vse: He openeth the windowes of Hea­uen, to giue Light vnto the Earth, and, spreades the cloake of the Night to couer the Rest of labor: He closeth the Eie of Nature, and waketh the spirit of Reason, he trauelleth thorough [Page 36] the minde, and is visible, but, to the Eie of Vnderstanding: He is swifter then the winde, and yet, as still, as a Stone, pretious in his right vse, but, perilous in the contrarie: He is soone founde of the carefull Soule, and quick­ly mist in the want of his comfort, he is soone lost in the lacke of Em­ploiment, and not to be recoue­red without a world of Ende­uour: he is the true mans peace, and the Theeues perdition, the good mans blessing, and the wic­ked mans curse: He is knowne to be, but, his being vnknowne, but only in his being, in a being a­boue knowledge: he is a Riddle not to be read, but in the circum­stance of description, his name, better knowne then his nature, and hee that maketh best vse of him, hath the best vnderstanding so him: he is like the study of the [Page 37] Philosophers stone, where, a man may see wonders, and yet short of his Expectation: shee is at the Inuention of warre, Armes the Souldier, Maintaines the quarrell, and makes the Peace: Hee is the Courtiers Play-fellow, and, the Souldiers Schole-master, the Lawyers Gaine, and the Merchantes, Hope: His life, is Motion, and his loue Action, his honor, Patience, and his glory, perfe­ction: He masketh Modestie and blusheth Virginitie, hono­reth Humilitie, and graceth, Charitie: In Summe, finding it a world to walke thorough the wonder of his Worth, I will thus briefely deliuer, what I finde truely of him: Hee is the Agent of the Liuing, and the Register of the dead, the [Page 38] direction of God, and a great Worke-master in the world.

DEATH is an ordinance of God, for the subiecting of the world, which is limited his time for the correction of Pride; in his substance, he is nothing, be­ing but onely a depriuation, and in his true description, a name with­out a nature: He is seene, but in a picture: heard, but in a tale: fea­red, but in a passion: and felt, but in a pinch: He is a terror, but to [Page 39] the wicked, and a skar-crow, but to the foolish: but to the wise, a way of comfort, and to the godly, the gate of life: He is the case of paine, and the end of sorrow, the liberty of the imprisoned, and the ioy of the faithfull: it is both the wound of sinne, and the wages of sinne, the Sinners feare, and the Sinners doom. He is the Sextons agent, and the Hangmans reue­nue, the rich mans dirge, and the Mourners merry-day. Hee is a course of time, but vncertaine, till hee come, and welcome but to such, as are weary of their liues: It is a message from the Physitian, when the Patient is past cure, and if the writ be well made, it is a supra sedeas for all diseases: It is the heauens stroke, and the earths Steward, the follower of sicknesse, and the forerunner to Hell. In [Page 40] summe, hauing no pleasure to ponder too much of the power of it, I will thus conclude my opi­nion of it▪ It is a stinge of sinne, and the terror of the wicked, the crowne of the Godly, the staire of vengeance, and a stratagem of the Deuill.

FAITH is the hand of the soule, which layeth hold of the promises of Christ in the mer­cy of the Almighty: Shee hath a bright eye, and a holy eare, a [Page 41] cleare heart, and a sure foot: shee is the strength of Hope, the trust of Truth, the honour of Amitie, and the ioy of Loue: shee is rare among the sonnes of men, and hardly found among the daugh­ters of weomen; but among the sonnes of God, she is a conuey­ance of their inheritance, and a­mong the daughters of Grace, she is the assurance of their portions. Hir dwelling is in the Church of God, hir conuersation with the Saints of God, her delight with the beloued of God, and her life is in the loue of God: shee knowes no falshood, distrusts no Truth, breakes no promise, and coines no excuse, but as bright as the Sunne, as swift as the winde, as sure as the rocke, and as pure as the gold, she lookes towards heauen, but liues in the world, in the soules of the [Page 42] Elect, to the glory of Election: she was wounded in Paradise, by a dart of the Deuill, and healed of her hurt, by the death of Christ Iesus: shee is the poore mans cre­dit, and the rich mans praise, the wisemans care, and the good mans cognizance. In summe, finding her worth, in words hardly to be expressed, I will in these few words onely deliuer my opinion of her: Shee is Gods blessing, and mans blisse, reasons comfort, and ver­tues glory.

FEARE is a fruit of sinne, which droue the first Father of our flesh, from the presence of God, and hath bred an imperfection in a number of the worse part of his posteritie: It is the disgrace of na­ture, the foile of reason, the maime of wit, and the slur of vn­derstanding: It is the palsie of the Spirit, where the Soule wanteth faith, and the badge of a Coward, that cannot abide the sight of a sword: It is weaknesse in nature, and a wound in patience, the death of hope, and the entrance into despaire: It is childrens awe, and fooles amazement, a worme in conscience, and a curse to wick­ednesse. In briefe, it makes the [Page 44] Coward stagger, the Lyer stam­mer, the Thiefe stumble, and the Traitor start: It is a blot in Armes, a blur in Honour, the shame of a Souldier, and the defeat of an Army.