The Works of John Donne with a Memoir by H Alford

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 60 SERMON LXI. PREACHED UPON THE PENITENTIAL PSALMS. Psalm xxxii. 10, 11. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice ye righteous; and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart. The two elements, of which heaven is proposed to ua to be composed, are joy and glory. That which is opposed to these, is sorrow and contempt: of the sense of contempt and inglorious- ness, men are not alike capable in this world; but of the sense of sorrow, we are somewhat more equal. A man must have had some possession, or at least some hopes of glory and greatness, that apprehends contempt or ingloriousness very passionately. And besides, in the lowest and most abject contempt a man may relieve himself by conveniences of a plentiful fortune at home, how much soever he be undervalued and despised abroad. But when it comes to a sorrow of heart, which dwells not imaginarily in the opinion of others, as contempt doth, but really in mine own bosom, it is a heavy colluctation. Therefore doth the Holy Ghost so often, so very often, blow that coal, and threaten that insupportable, that inextinguishable fire, sorrow, sorrow of heart, sorrow of soul; Many sorrows shall be to the wicked. But the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of consolation; he is a dove that hastes to a better air, to a whiter house, to the ark of peace, the station of the righteous; joy in the mercy of God; for, He that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about; Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice ye righteous, and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart. Our parts arc, the persons, and their portions; who they be, and what they have. The persons are all the inhabitants of this world; for all are wicked, or righteou...