Actio Laesa.
The strength, and the function
of the Senses, and other faculties
change and faile.
THE
Heavens are not the less constant, because they move
continually, because they move continually one and the same way. The Earth is not the
more constant, because it lyes stil continually, because continually it changes, and melts in al parts
thereof.
Man, who is
the noblest part of the Earth, melts so away, as if he were a
statue, not of Earth, but of
Snowe. We see his owne
Envie melts him, he growes leane with that; he will say, anothers beautie melts him; but he feels that a
Fever doth not melt him like snow, but powr him out like
lead, like
iron, like
brasse melted in a
furnace: It doth not only melt him, but
calcine him, reduce him to
Atomes, and to
ashes; not to water, but to lime. And how quickly? Sooner than thou canst receive an answer, sooner than thou canst conceive the question;
Earth is the center of my Bodie,
Heaven is the center of my Soule; these two are the naturall places of those two; but those goe not to these two in an equall pace: My body falls downe without pushing, my Soule does not go up without pulling:
Ascension is my Soules pace and measure, but
precipitation my bodies: And, even Angells, whose home is
Heaven, and who are winged too, yet bid a Ladder to goe to
Heaven, by steps. The Sunne who goes so many miles in a minut, the Starres of the
Firmament, which go so very many more, goe not so fast, as my body to the earth. In the same instant that I feele the first attempt of the disease, I feele the victory; In the twinckling of an eye, I can scarse see, instantly the tast is
insipid, and
fatuous; instantly the appetite is dull and
desirelesse: instantly the knees are sinking and
strengthlesse; and in an instant, sleepe, which is the picture, the copie of death, is taken away, that the Originall, Death it selfe may succeed, and that so I might have death to the life. It was part of
Adams Punishment, In the sweat of thy browes thou shalt eate thy bread: it is niultiplied to me, I have earned bread in the sweat of my browes, in the labor of my calling, and I have it; and I sweat againe, and againe, from the brow, to the sole of the foot, but I eat no bread, I tast no
sustenance:
Miserable distribution of Mankind, where one halfe lackes meat, and the other stomacke.
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Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions