AND FOR THE COLOURING OF ROD AND LINE 



be the poor in spirit, for their's is the kingdom of heaven. 

 And, Blessed be the meek, for they shall possess the earth. 1 

 Not that the meek shall not also obtain mercy, and see God, 

 and be comforted, and at last come to the kingdom of heaven ; 

 but in the mean time he, and he only, possesses the earth as 

 he goes toward that kingdom of heaven, by being humble and 

 cheerful, and content with what his good God has allotted 

 him : he has no turbulent, repining, vexatious thoughts, that 

 he deserves better ; nor is vexed when he sees others possessed 

 of more honour, or more riches than his wise God has allotted 

 for his share ; but he possesses what he has with a meek and 

 contented quietness ; such a quietness as makes his very 

 dreams pleasing, both to God and himself. 



My honest Scholar, all this is told to incline you to thank- 

 fulness; and to incline you the more, let me tell you, that 

 though the Prophet David was guilty of murder and adultery, 

 and many other of the most deadly sins : yet he was said to be 

 a man after God's own heart, because he abounded more with 

 thankfulness than any other that is mentioned in holy scripture, 

 as may appear in his book of Psalms ; where there is such a 

 commixture of his confessing of his sins and unworthiness, and 

 such thankfulness for God's pardon and mercies, as did make 

 him to be accounted even by God himself, to be a man after his 

 own heart : and let us in that, labour to be as like him as we 

 can ; let not the blessings we receive daily from God, make us 

 not to value, or not praise him, because they be common ; let 

 not us forget to praise him for the innocent mirth and pleasure 

 we have met with since we met together : What would a blind 

 man give to see the pleasant rivers, and meadows, and flowers, 

 and fountains, that we have met with since we met together? 

 I have been told, that if a man, that was born blind, could 

 obtain to have his sight for but only one hour, during his whole 

 life, and should, at the first opening of his eyes, fix his sight 

 upon the Sun when it was in his full glory, either at the rising 

 or setting of it, he would be so transported and amazed, and so 

 admire the glory of it, that he would not willingly turn his eyes 

 from that first ravishing object, to behold all the other various 

 beauties this world could present to him. And this, and many 

 other like blessings, we enjoy daily; and for most of them, 



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