A spiritual spicerie containing sundrie sweet tractates of devotion and piety. By Ri. Brathwait, Esq.

GENERALL Rules of living well.

The highest pitch of Wis∣dome's pie••y,By which man's taugh•• both how to live & die.

EVery day drawest thou nearer than other to Death, Judgement, and Eternity. Bethinke then with thy selfe every day, how thou maist stand in the severe discussion of death and judg∣ment, and how thou maist eternally live. Thou art to

take an exact account of all thy thoughts, words and deeds, because an exact ac∣count is to be given of all thy thoughts, words and deeds. Thinke every evening, that death is that night approa∣ching: Thinke every mor∣ning, that death is that day accoasting. Deferre not thy conversion, nor the perfor∣mance of any good action till to morrow, because to mor∣row is uncertaine, but death is ever certainly waiting. There is nothing that hin∣ders piety more than delay. If thou contemne the in∣ward calling of the holy Spi∣rit, thou shalt never come to true conversion. Doe not defer thy conversion, nor the practice of any religious acti∣on

to thy old age; but offer unto God the flower of thy youth: Uncertaine is old age to the young, but cer∣taine destruction attendeth him that dieth impenitently young. There is no Age more fit for the service of God, than youth, flourishing in abilities both of body and mind. For no mans sake oughtst thou to take in hand an evill action; for not that man w^ch thou so respectedst, but God in whose brest all the treasures of wisdome are stored, shall in the end judge thy life: Doe not then preferre any mans favour be∣fore the honour of thy Ma∣ker. In the way of the Lord wee either increase or decrease: Take examination

then of thy life every day, whether in the practice of piety thou increasest or de∣creasest. To stand in the way of the Lord is to goe back. Let it not then delight thee to stand in the course of pie∣ty, but endevour alwaies to walke in the way of the Lord. In thy conversation bee cheerefull to all, distastefull to none, familiar to few: Live to Godward devoutly, to thy selfe chastly, to thy Neighbour justly. Use thy friend as a pledge of affecti∣on, thine enemy for a triall of thy patience, all men to a well-disposed benevolence, and wherein thou maist more effectually worke to beneficence. While thou livest, dye dayly to thy selfe

and to thy vices; So in thy death maist thou live to God. Let meekenesse appeare in thy affection, mildnesse in thy countenance, humility in thy habit, modesty in thy habitation, patience in tri∣bulation. Let facility be in thine accesse, decency in thy dresse, humility in thy pre∣sence, affability in thy dis∣course, benignity in thy wayes, charity in thy works. Let constancy be in thine eie, content in thy chest, tempe∣rance in thy cup. Observe mo∣deration in thy desires, discre∣tion in thy delights. Think al∣waies of those 3. things past, Evil committed, Good omit∣ted, Time mis-spēded. Think alwaies of these 3. things pre∣sent: ••he shortnes of this pre∣sent

life, the difficulty of be∣ing saved, the fewnesse of those that are to be saved. Think alwayes of these three things to come, Death, than w^ch nothing is more horrible; Judgement, than which no∣thing is more terrible; the paine of Hell, than which no∣thing more intolerable. Let thine Evening Prayers re∣deeme the sinnes of the fore∣past day; let the last day of the weeke reforme the offen∣ces of the dayes gone before. Thinke in the Evening, how many soules are that same day thrown head-long into Hell; and give thankes unto God, for that hee hath given thee time to repent in. There be three things above thee, which ought never to de∣part

from thy memory: That Eye which seeth all things, that Eare which heareth all things, and those bookes wherein all things are recor∣ded. Wholly hath God com∣municated himselfe to thee; communicate thy selfe like∣wise wholly to thy neigh∣bour. That is the best life, which is wholly employed to the behoofe and benefit of others. Render to thy su∣periour obedience and reve∣rence, to thy equall counsell and assistance, to thy inferi∣our succour & supportance. Let thy body be subjected to thy mind, and thy mind to God. Bewaile thy evils past, disesteeme thy goods pre∣sent, covet with all the desire of thine heart those goods

to come. Remember thy sin, that thou maist grieve: Re∣member thy death, that thou maist cease from sinne: Re∣member Gods justice, that thou maist feare: Remember Gods mercy, lest thou de∣spaire. Withdraw thy selfe as much as thou canst, from the World, and devote thy selfe wholly to the service of God: Thinke alwayes, how chastity is endangerd by deli∣cacy, humility by prosperity, and piety by employments transitory. Desire to please none but Christ: feare to displease none but Christ. Beseech God alwayes, that as he bids what he would, so he would doe what hee bids: that hee would protect what is done, and direct in what

is to bee done: Endevour thy selfe to bee what thou wouldst have thy self thought to be; for God judgeth not according to the outward semblance, but according to the inward substance. In thy discourse beware of much speech, because account shall be required of every vaine word. Whatsoever thy works bee, they passe not a∣way, but as certaine seeds of eternity, are they bestowed: if thou sow according to the flesh, from the flesh shalt thou reape corruption: if thou sow after the Spirit, from the Spirit shalt thou reap the reward of eternall retri∣bution. After death, nei∣ther shall the honours of this World follow thee, nor

heaps of riches favour thee, nor pleasures enjoy thee, nor the vanities of this World possesse thee, but after the fatall and full period of this life all thy works shall follow thee. As then thou desirest to appeare in the day of judge∣ment, appeare such in the sight of God at this present. Thinke not with thy selfe what thou hast, but rather what thou wantst: Pride not thy selfe for that which is given thee, but rather be∣come humbled for that which is deni'd thee. Learne to live now while thou maist live. In this time is eternall life either got or lost. After death there remains no time for working, for then begins the time of rewarding: In

the life to come is not ex∣pected any worke, but pay∣ment for the worke. Holy Meditation may beget in thee knowledge, knowledge compunction, compunction devotion, devotion may pro∣duce prayer. Great good for peace of the heart, is the si∣lence of the mouth: By how much more as thou art divi∣ded from the World, so much more acceptable art thou unto God. Whatsoever thou desirest to have, aske it of God; whatsoever thou already hast, attribute it to God: He is not worthy to receive more, who is not thankfull for what he hath received: Then stops the course or current of Gods grace to man, when man

makes no recourse by thank∣fulnesse to God: Whatsoe∣ver befals thee, turne it to good; so often as prosperity comes upon thee, thinke how occasion of blessing and praising God is ministred unto thee; againe so often as adversity a••••ayles thee, thinke how these are ad∣monitions for the repen∣tance and conversion of thee. Shew the force of thy power in helping, the force of thy wisdome in instructing, the force of thy wealth in relee∣ving. Neither let Adversity bruise thee, nor Prosperity raise thee: Let Christ be thy scope of thy life, whom thou art to follow here in the way, that thou maist come to him there in thy countrey.

Amongst all other things, let profound humility, & ardent Charity be thy greatest care. Let charity raise thine heart unto God, that thou maist cleave unto him: Let humili∣ty depresse thine heart, les•• thou becom proud & so leave him. Esteem God a Father for his clemency, a Lord for his discipline; a Father for his sweet power, a Lord for his severe power; Love him as a Father devoutly, feare him as a Lord necessarily: Love him because he will have mercy: Feare him, because he will not suffer sin. Feare the Lord, and trust in him; acknowledge thy misery, and declare his mercy. O God, thou who hast given us to will, give us likewise to performe.