so long as these sullied garments of sin cover thee. To a clear lord must be a clean habitation. A pure heart must be his mansion, purged by faith, adorned with good works, inflamed with heavenly thoughts. No edging of vanity, no pearl of vain glory, no tinsel lustre of hypocrisy, must set forth thy nuptial garment; for these would detract from thy virgin beauty. Those Egyptian laces, and Babylonian borders, might attract a wandering eye, but purely fixed be the eyes of thy spouse. Whatsoever is without thee cannot take him; it is thy inward beauty that doth delight Him. Let thy affection then be renewed, thy virgin beauty restored, thy decays repaired. Come not in his sight till thou hast put off those rags of sin, and having put them off, say with the spouse in the Canticles: "I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on?" Let thy new dress be a new heart, so shall thy spouse take delight in thee, with his sweet arms embrace thee, and be enamored of thee when he looks on thee; and, in the knowledge of thy beauty, say thus unto thee; "Thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee." Cast thine eye all about thee, O my soul, but let it not wander lest thou lose thine honor. Take a full view of the renewal of all creatures, and reflect upon thyself, who, though sovereigness over all becomes least renewed of all. Thou seest the hart, the eagle, the swallow, how they are renewed; nay, even the snake, how by casting his slough he is renewed. Again, thou observest how years, days, hours, and minutes, are renewed; how the earth itself is renewed. She is with fresh flowers adorned, with a native tapestry embroidered, with a new beauty afreshed. Meantime how art thou renewed? Where be those fresh fragrant flowers of divine grace, and permanent beauties, wherewith thou shouldst be adorned? Must all things change for better, and thou become ever worse in the sight of thy Maker? None more inconsistent than thou in humoring the fashions of our time; none more constant than thou in retaining the fashion of sin. What canst thou see in thee that may please thee, or appear pleasing to him that made thee? Sin is a soil which blemisheth the beauty of thy soul. In this, then, to glory, were the highest pitch of infelicity. Thou art only to approve that with a discreet choice, which may make thee most amiable in the sight of thy spouse. When thou eyest the vanity of earth, fix the eye of thy heart on the eternity of Heaven. Mix not thy delights in such objects where surfeit or excess begets a loathing, but in those lasting pleasures where fruition begets in thee an affectionate longing. Fashion not thyself after this world, where there is nothing that tempts but taints. Desire rather to be numerous in hours than in years; so dispose of thy time, that time may bring thee to eternity. Ever consider, O my soul, that thou art here in a wilderness, and far removed from the Canaan of true happiness. A captive's proper melody is Lachrymæ he cannot raise his voice to any other note, unless he mad himself in his misery, and forget his own state. Fie, then, in sighs with sins. Take compassion of thy woful condition. Be not commanded by thine handmaid, restrain her lest she grow imperious; show thyself a mistress, that she may become more obsequious. She is worthy to obey that knows not how to command. Do not lose thy prerogative; preserve thy style, retain thy state, and make her know how dangerous it is to incur thine hate. The more thou bringest her to contempt, the more shalt thou partake of content. Shouldst thou delicately feed her, or in her desires supply her, or loose thy reins, and give liberty unto her, she would not stick to deprive thee of thine honor, and by thy unworthy subjection become an usurping commander. To free thee from this danger, let devotion be thy succor; so shall the shadow of the Almighty be thy shelter. "Though the servant earnestly desire the shadow, and the hireling look for the reward of his work, or rather the end of the day to conclude his work, tarry thou the Lord's leisure; with patience endure the heat of the day, the weight of thy labor;" Though a pilgrim be wearied, he must not fail nor faint till his journey be ended; wherein he acounts himself so much the happier, as he is to his own native country nearer. If thou fit and furnish thyself in all points for this journey, thou shalt be joyfully received in thine arrival to thy country. Run, then, to the goal which is set up for thee; strive to come to the mark which is before thee. Let no impediments foreslow thee, no delights on earth divert thee. Seal up thine eye if it wander, but open it if it promise to fix on thy Saviour. Hourly thy dissolution is expected; the marriage-feast prepared; and, though, invited, let thy garment be holiness, so shall thy end be happiness. 352. THE GOOD PARSON. A parish priest was of the pilgrim train ; CAYEEN. Rich was his soul, though his attire was poor He bore his great commission in his look: But sweetly temper'd awe; and softened all he spoke. But, when the milder beams of mercy play, The tithes, his parish freely paid, he took; Yet of his little he had some to spare, To feed the famish'd, and to clothe the bare ; A poorer than himself he would not see. "True priests," he said, "and preachers of the word, Wide was his parish; not contracted close All this, the good old man perform'd alone, But duly watched his flock, by night and day: The proud he tam'd, the penitent he cheer'd: His preaching much, but more his practice wrought The prelate for his holy life he prized; In purple he was crucified, not born. They who contend for place and high degree, Not but he knew the signs of earthly power The prince may keep his pomp, the fisher must be plain. Such was the saint; who shone with every grace, Reflecting, Moses like, his Maker's face. God saw his image lively was express'd; And his own work, as in creation bless'd. The tempter saw him too with envious eye; And, as on Job, demanded leave to try. |