352 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



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 bless- 

 ings we receive daily from God make us not to value or not 

 praise Him because they be common ; let us not 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 its 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, because they be so 

 common, most men forget to pay their praises; but let n 



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