To my Countrie.

BRethren, my hearts desire for this our Israel, is, that it may be saued: Saued tem∣porally, saued eternally. And from the abundance of this desire in my heart, my mouth speaketh. True it is, that I am not willing to encrease the vnnecessary burthen of words, vnder which the world groneth; Page  [unnumbered] yet therefore necessarie words may not be retained. And as I said in the for∣mer, so may I not say yet in this latter, Is there not a cause? Is there not yet a cause to take more physick, as long as there are yet more diseases? Neuerthe∣lesse, these are thrifty ad∣ditions, both in measure & manner. That is added which seemeth to bee neces∣sary; and where things are already done, men are di∣rected to fetch new health out of old Medicines. But indeed a Medicine should not be accounted old as our Page  [unnumbered] Fashionists terme oldnesse, as long as new health is to be gotten out of it. In bo∣dily sicknesse, a man will not loathe a Medicine that can cure him, because hee knowes it: much lesse will hee auoide to bee throughly recouered by it, because in part thereby hee hath beene already recouered. And least of all should any man thinke, that the reading of a Receipt without the ta∣king of it, is able to cure him. This were to vse it for a Charme, and not for a Medicine. Yet the fashi∣on of men now a dayes, is in Page  [unnumbered] these kindes most vnreaso∣nable, and most lamentably to their owne losse: For they reade things profita∣ble, only for pleasure; and so being content with a va∣nishing shadow; they wil∣lingly lose a solid and sub∣stantiall good. The plea∣sure of newnesse, or some handsome shape, wherein wholsome matter doth ap∣peare, is the tentation of their reading. But this is the very folly of children, who loue to play with guil∣ded Pills, because they are guilded, but will not take them as Pills, or meanes of Page  [unnumbered] health. Surely, I wish that these men who professe to hate oldnesse, would hate this fashion; for it is an old one, euen as old, as the captiuity of Israel. Thou art vnto them as a very louely Song of one that hath a pleasant voyce,*and can play well on an Instrument; for they heare thy words, but they doe them not. But though this wanton∣nesse may fall out in health, yet it ill becomes sicknesse. Wherefore let men consi∣der whether they haue any griefe, or not; and if they Page  [unnumbered] haue, let them leaue their playing with physicke, and fall to taking of it. Espe∣cally physicke, which is so confirmed by proofe, that of all those that haue taken it soundly, none did euer perish.