a Lady, that was none of the handsomeft) It is all one to the Devil, how, or by what meanes he takes a man (whether with an ill favoured face, or with a Beauty) his pleasure lyes in the taking; and those are welcomeft to him that will be damned with the most ease.

It is ordinary with those that delight in fishing, to bait certain places where the fish are apteft to frequent; but in this point, the Devil hath the advantage above all others, that he hath his baits in all places; Court, Country, Pulpit, Bench; fitted for all conditions, all ages, all complexions; agreeable to all that is in the world, the luft of the flesh, the luft of the eyes, and the Pride of life. Who can escape his fnares? O my God, when I reflect upon mine own condition, how miferable do I find it to be? which of all his baits (that have fallen within my reach) have I not bitten at, and swallowed? and now how many books have I within me? where is the fweetness where is the pleasure, where is the profit

of

of those fins whereof I am now afhamed? now by a fad experience I find, that as I have caught the baits, fo the hookes have caught me. Who shall deliver me? Who can ? None can, and will, but that gracious ever bleffed Redeemer, who gaye himself a ranson for me, and by his own death hath made a way for me to escape; who hath not only freed me, but taken him that took me; and that, by being taken himself by him conquering him by death, that had the power of death; and by the advantage of that victory, leading my captivity captive. What fhall I render? To him be all glory, and praise and thanks.

BY

MEDITAT. XXI.

Upon the Sun-Jetting.

Y what infenfible degrees, and yet how speedily,hath the Sun travelled his day's journy? it was but fome hour's fince, that he arofe, and fhewed himself to our Hemisphere from the uttermost end of Heaven, and he hath allready finished his Circuit to the other end thereof. Certainly day unto day uttereth speech, and in their filent language feem to put me in remembrance, that I am going, or rather (as Job phrafeth it) pofting my circuit too from earth to earth: From the duft, out of which I was originally taken, to the duft, into which I must finally be refolved.

When I look back to the morning of my life, and confider my time paft, methinks it is but a very little while, fince I came out of the Chamber of

my

my

None can

and to day, How is my

Mothers Womb. How foon is the tale of threescore and feven years told? shall I fay, according to the impropriety of fome Languages, that I have fo many years? nay rather I may fay, I have them not according to the expreffion of Hezekiah (tho fomething in another fenfe) fo much of mine age is departed from me; and is as dead, as nothing to me. fay he is the fame Yesterday, but he that is for ever. time stolen away, and fo much of my felf gone with it? before I can well take notice, what a clock it is with me, I find my felf in the evening, or rather the night of mine age. It is a fad thing for a man to fleep out his beft time (as it was fabled of Epimenides) and not to wake till he be old; and then to bid the world good morrow, when the world may bid kim good night. Lord, fince the time paft is fo fluid, and tranfitory, that it is gone before I can lay what it is; and the time to come fo un certain, that I know not

what

what may be to morrow; no not what the next moment may bring forth; teach me, I beseech thee; fo to husband my time prefent, that in this my day, or rather in this my Now (which is all I can call mine) I may fo live to thy praise, and glory, as I would live mine eternity hereafter, which (without past, or future) is an everlasting prefent.

The motion of this glorious Planet is hardly to be difcerned, but in rifing and fetting of it; at noon, when it is at the height, it seems to be at a stay, as if it were there to stand still, as it did upon Gibeon. The like may be obferved in the course, and progrefs of our lives; when we are gotten up to our middle age, which is our Meridian (when we are in the strength of our years) we appear to be at a kind of confiftency; not fenfible of any motion toward our appointed change; but in the beginning and ending of our dayes, we may without any great difficulty remark how we gradually rife, and fet. It is apparent how our infancy grows from a fenfitive, to a rational condi

tion;