234 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART I. 



of heaven: but in the mean time, he, and he only, pos- 

 sesses the earth, as he goes towards that kingdom of 

 heaven, by being humble and cheerful, and content with 

 what his good God has alloted 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 alloted 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 

 thankfulness; 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 con- 

 fessing of his sins and unworthiness, and such thankful- 

 ness 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 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 trans- 



