To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
DEmean thy self more warily in thy Study than in the Street; if thy publick actions have an hundred witnesses, thy private have a thousand; the Multi∣tude look but upon thy acti∣ons, thy Conscience looks in∣to them; the Multitude may
chance to excuse thee, if not ac∣quit thee; thy Conscience will accuse thee, if not Condemn thee.
Of all Vices, take heed of Drunkenness; other Vices are but fruits of disorder'd affecti∣ons, this disorders, nay banish∣eth Reason; other Vices but impair the Soul, this demolish∣eth her two chief Faculties, the Understanding and the Will; other Vices makes their own way, this makes way for all Vices: He that is a Drunkard is qualify'd for all Vice.
If thy Sin trouble thee, let that trouble comfort thee; as pleasure in the Remembrance of Sin exasperates Justice, so sorrow in the Repentance of Sin mollifies Mercy: It is less danger to Commit the Sin we delight in, than to delight in the Sin we have Committed; and more Joy is promised to Repentance, than to Innocency.
The way to God is by thy self, the way to thy self is by thy own Corruptions; he that baulks this way, errs; he that
travels by the Creatures, wan∣ders: the motion of the Hea∣vens shall give thy soul no rest; the virtue of Herbs shall not encrease thine; the height of all Philosophy both Natural and Moral, is to know thy self, and the end of this Knowledge is to know God.
Infamy is where it is recei∣ved; if thou art a Mud-wall, it will stick; if Marble, it will re∣bound; if thou storm at it, 'tis thine; if thou contemn it, 'tis his.
If thou desire Magistracy, learn to forget thy self: If thou undertake it, bid thy self fare∣wel. He that looks upon a Common Cause with private Eyes, looks through false Glas∣ses. In the exercise of thy Poli∣tique Office thou must forget both Ethicks and Oeconomicks: He that puts on a publick Gown, must put off a private Person.
Let the words of a Virgin, though in a good Cause, and to as good purpose, be neither
violent, many, nor first, nor last; it is less shame for a Virgin to be lost in a blushing silence, than to be found in a bold Eloquence.
Art thou in Plenty, give what thou wilt; art thou in Pover∣ty, give what thou canst: as what is received, is received according to the manner of the Receiver, so what is given is priz'd according to the mea∣sure of the Giver: He is a good work-man that makes as good Work, as his matter will per∣mit.
God is the Author of Truth, the Devil the Father of Lies; if the telling of a Truth shall endanger thy Life, the Author of Truth will protect thee from the Danger, or reward thee for thy Damage; if the telling a Lie may secure thy Life, the Father of Lies will beguile thee of thy Gains, or traduce the Security: Better by losing of a Life to save it, than by saving of a Life to lose it. However, better thou perish than the Truth.
Consider not so much what thou hast, as what others want; what thou hast take heed thou lose not; what thou hast not, take heed thou cover not: If thou hast many above thee, turn thy Eye upon those that are under thee. If thou hast not Inferiors, have patience a while, and thou shalt have no Supe∣riors; the Grave requires no Marshal.
If thou seest any thing in thy self which may make thee proud, look a little and thou
shall find enough to humble thee; if thou be Wise, view the Peacock's feathers with his Feet, and weigh thy best parts with thy imperfections: he that would rightly prize the man, must read his whole story.
Let not the sweetness of Con∣templation be so esteemed, that action be despised. Rachel was more fair; Leah more fruitful; as Contemplation is more de∣lightful, so is it more dange∣rous: Lot was upright in the City and wicked in the moun∣tain.
If thou hast but little, make it not less by murmuring; if thou hast enough, make it not too much by unthankfulness; he that is not thankfully conten∣ted with the least favour he hath received, hath made him∣self incapable of the least fa∣vour he can receive.
What thou hast taken un∣lawfully, restore speedily; for the Sin in taking it is repeated every minute thou keep'st it; if thou canst, restore it in kind; if not value; if it may be, re∣store
it to the Party; if not, to God; the Poor is God's Re∣ceiver.
Let the fear of a Danger, be as a spur to prevent it; he that fears otherwise gives advantage to the Danger; it is less folly not to endeavour the preven∣tion of the evil thou fearest, than to fear the Evil which thy endeavour cannot prevent.
If thou hast any Excellence which is thine own, thy Tongue may glory in it without shame; but if thou hast received it, thy
Glory is but Usurpation, and thy Pride is but the Prologue of thy Shame; where Vain-Glory Commands, there Folly Counsels; where Pride Rides, there Shame Lacquys.
God hath ordained his Crea∣tures not only for necessity but for delight; since he hath Carv'd thee with a bountiful hand, fear not to receive it with a liberal heart; he that gave thee Water to allay thy thirst, gave thee Wine to ex∣hilerate thy heart: Restore him for the one, the necessity of thanks; Return him for the other, the cheerfulness of Praise.
If the Wicked flourish and thou suffer, be not discourag'd; they are fatted for destructi∣on, thou art dieted for health; they have no other Heaven but the thoughts of a long Earth; thou hast nothing on Earth but the hopes of a quick Heaven: If there were no Journey's end, the Travel of a Christian were most Comfort∣less.
Imp not thy Wing with the Church's Feathers, lest thou fly to thy own Ruine; Impro∣priations
are bold Metaphors, which continued are deadly Allegories; one foot of Land in Capite encumbers the whole Estate; the Eagle snatch'd a Coal from the Altar, but it fir'd her Nest.
Let that Table which God hath pleased to give thee, please thee; he that made the Vessel knows her burthen, and how to ballast her; he that made all things very good, cannot but do all things very well; if thou be content with a little, thou hast enough; if thou complain∣est, thou hast too much.
Wouldst thou discover the true worth of a Man, behold him Naked, distreasure him of his ill got Wealth; degrade him of his dear bought honour; disrobe him of his purple ha∣bit; discard his pamper'd body; then look upon his Soul, and thou shalt find how great he is: Natural sweetness is never scented but in the absence of Artificial.
If thou art subject to any secret folly, blab it not, lest thou appear impudent; nor
boast of it, lest thou seem inso∣lent; every man's Vanity ought to be his greatest shame; and every man's Folly ought to be his greatest secret.
If thou be Ignorant, endea∣vour to get Knowledge, lest thou be beaten with stripes: If thou hast attained Know∣ledge, put it in practice, lest thou be beaten with many stripes; better not to know what we should practice, than not to practice what we know; and less danger dwells in un∣affected Ignorance, than un∣active Knowledge.
Take heed thou harbour not that Vice called Envy, lest a∣nother's happiness be thy tor∣ment, and God's blessing be∣comes thy Curse: Virtue cor∣rupted with Vain-glory turns Pride; Poison'd with Malice becomes Envy: Joyn there∣fore Humility with thy Virtue; and Pride shall have no foot∣ing, and Envy shall have no entrance.
If thy endeavour cannot pre∣vent a Vice, let thy Repen∣tance lament it; the more thou
remember'st it without hearts-grief, the deeper it is rooted in thy heart: Take heed it please thee not, especially in cold blood, thy pleasure in it makes it fruitless, and her fruit is thy destruction.
The two knowledges of God and of thy self, are the high∣way to thy Salvation; that breeds in thee a filial Love, this a filial Fear. The Ignorance of thy self is the beginning of all sin; and the Ignorance of God is the perfection of all Evil.
Rather do nothing to the purpose than be Idle, that the Devil may find thee doing. The Bird that sits is easily shot, when flyers 'scape the Fowler; Idleness is the dead Sea that swallows all Virtues, and the self made Sepulchre of a living man: The Idle man is the De∣vil's hireling, whose Livery is Rags, whose Dyet and Wages are famine and diseases.
Be not so mad, as to alter that Countenance which thy Creator made thee; remember
'twas the work of his hands; if it be bad how darst thou mend it; if it be good, why dost thou mend it? art thou asham'd of his work, and proud of thy own? he made thy face to be known by; why desirest thou to be known by another? It is a shame to adulterate Mo∣desty, but more to adulterate Nature; lay by thy Art, and blush not to appear what he blushes not to make thee. It is better to be his Picture than thine own.
Let the Ground of all thy Religious actions be obedience; Examine not why it is Com∣manded, but observe it because
it is commanded; true Obedi∣ence neither Procrastinates nor Questions.
If thou would'st buy an In∣heritance in Heaven, advise not with thy Purse, lest in the mean while thou lose thy Purchase. The Widow bought as much for two Mites as Zacheus did for half his Estate. The Price of that Purchase is what thou hast, and is not lost for what thou hast not, if thou desire to have it.
With the same height of De∣sire thou hast sinned, with the like depth of Sorrow thou must repent; thou that hast sinned
to day, defer not thy Repent∣ance till to morrow. He that hath promised thee Pardon to thy Repentance, hath not pro∣mised Life till thou repent.
Take heed how thou recei∣vest Praise from men; from good men, neither avoid it, nor glory in it; from evil men, neither desire it nor expect it: To be praised of them that are evil, or for that which is evil, is equal Dishonour; he is hap∣py in his Worth who is praised by the good, and imitated by the bad.
Proportion thy Charity to the strength of thy Estate, lest God proportion thy Estate to the weakness of thy Charity: Let the Lips of the Poor be the Trumpet of thy Gifts, lest in seeking applause thou losest thy Reward. Nothing is more plea∣sing to God than an open hand and a close mouth.
Dost thou want things ne∣cessary? Grumble not; per∣chance 'twas a necessary thing thou should'st want; endea∣vour lawfully to supply it: If
God bless not thy Endeavours, bless him that knoweth what is fittest for thee; thou art God's Patient, prescribe not thy Phy∣sitian.
If another's Death, or thy own, depend upon thy Confes∣sion, if thou canst, say nothing; if thou must, say the Truth: It is better thou lose thy Life than God his Honour; it is as easie for him to give thee Life being condemned, as Repentance, ha∣ving sinned: It is more Wis∣dom to yeild thy Body, than hazard thy Soul.
Cloath not thy Language, either with obscurity or affec∣tation; in the one thou disco∣verest too much darkness, in the other too much lightness: He that speaks from the Under∣standing to the Understanding, is the best Interpreter.
If thou expect Death as a Friend, prepare to entertain it; if thou expect Death as an E∣nemy, prepare to overcome it: Death hath no advantage, but when it comes a Stranger.
Fear nothing but what thy Industry may prevent: Be con∣fident of nothing but what for∣tune cannot defeat. It is no less folly to fear what is impossible to be avoided, than to be se∣cure when there is a possibility to be deprived.
Let not the necessity of God's Decree discourage thee to pray, or dishearten thy Prayers; do thou thy Dury, and God will do his Pleasure: If thy Prayers make not him found that is sick, they will return, and con∣firm
thy health that art sound: If the end of thy Prayers be to obtain thy Request, thou con∣finest him that is infinite; if thou hast done well because thou wert commanded, thou hast thy Reward, in that thou hast obeyed God's Pleasure in the end of our Prayers.
Marry not too young; and when thou art too old, marry not, lest thou be fond in the one, and dote in the other, and repent for both: Let thy. Liking ripen before thou love; let thy Love advise before thou chuse; and let thy Choice be first, before thou marry: Re∣member
that the whole Happi∣ness of thy Life depends upon this one Act; remember that nothing but Death can dissolve this Knot: He that weds in haste, repents oftentimes by lei∣sure; and he that repents him of his own Act, either is or was a Fool by Confession.
If God hath sent thee a Cross, take it up and follow him; use it wisely, lest it be unprofitable; bear it patiently, lest it be in∣tollerable; behold in it God's Anger against Sin, and his Love towards thee in punishing and chastising the other. If it be light, slight it not; if heavy,
murmur not: Not to be sensi∣ble of a Judgment, is the symp∣tom of a hardned Heart; and to be displeased at his Pleasure is a sign of a Rebellious Will.
If thou desire to be mag∣nanimous, undertake nothing rashly, and fear nothing thou undertakest: Fear nothing but Infamy; dare any thing but Injury. The measure of Mag∣nanimity, is neither to be rash, nor timorous.
Practise in Health to bear Sickness, and endeavour in the
strength of thy life to entertain Death. He that hath a Will to dye, not having Power to live, shews Necessity, not Virtue: It is the Glory of a brave mind to embrace Pangs in the very Arms of Pleasure. What name of Virtue merits he that goes when he is driven?
Be not too punctual in ta∣king place: If he be thy Supe∣riour, 'tis his due; if thy Infe∣riour, 'tis his Dishonour; it is thou must honour thy place, not thy place thee. It is a poor Reward of Worth, that con∣sists in a Righthand, or a brick Wall.
Pray often, because thou sinnest always; repent quickly, lest thou dye suddenly: He that repents it, because he wants power to act it, repents not of a Sin till he forsakes it: He that wants power to actuate his Sin, hath not forsaken his Sin, but his Sin him.
Make Philosophy thy Jour∣ney, Theology thy Journey's end: Philosophy is a pleasant way, but dangerous to him that either tires or retires: In this Journey it's safe neither to
loyter, nor to rest, till thou hast attained thy Journey's-End: He that sits down a Phi∣losopher, rises up an Atheist.
Fear not to Sin, for God's sake, but thy own; thy Sin o'erthrows not his Glory, but Good: He gains his glory not only from the Salvation of the Repentant; but also from the confusion of the Rebellious. There be Vessels for honour, and Vessels for dishonour; but both for his honour. God is not griev'd for the glory he shall lose for thy Improvidence, but for the horror thou shalt find for thy Impenitence.
Insult not over Misery, nor deride Infirmity, nor despise Deformity. The first shews thy Inhumanity; the second, thy Folly; the third, thy Pride; He that made him miserable, made thee happy to lament him: He that made him weak, made thee strong to support him; He that made him de∣formed, gave thee favour to be humbled; He that is not sen∣sible of another's Unhappiness, is a Living Stone; but he that makes Misery the object of his triumph, is an Incarnate De∣vil.
Make thy Recreations ser∣vants to thy business; lest thou become slave to thy Recreati∣ons; when thou go'st up into the Mountain, leave this Ser∣vant in the Valley; when thou goest to the City, leave him in the Suburbs; and remember, the Servant is not greater than his Master.
Praise no man too liberally before his face; nor censure him too lavishly behind his back. The one savours of Flattery; the other, of Malice,
and both are Reprehensible: The true way to advance ano∣ther's Virtue, is to follow it; and the best means to cry down another's Vice, is to decline it.
If thy Prince command a lawful act, give him all active Obedience: If he command an Unlawful act, give Passive O∣bedience. What thy well-grounded Conscience will suf∣fer, do cheerfully, without re∣pining; where thou may'st not do Lawfully, suffer couragi∣ously without Rebellion: Thy Life and Livelihood is thy Prince's, thy Conscience is thy own.
If thou givest to receive the like, it is Exchange: If to re∣ceive more, 'tis covetousness: If to receive thanks, it is Vani∣ty: If to be seen, 'tis Vain-Glory: If to corrupt, 'tis Bri∣bery: If for Example, 'tis For∣mality: If for Compassion, 'tis Charity: If because thou art Commanded, 'tis Obedi∣ence: The affection in doing the work, gives a name to the work done.
Fear Death, but be not a∣fraid of Death. To fear it
whets thy Expectation; to be afraid of it dulls thy Prepara∣tion: If thou canst endure it, it is but a slight pain; if not, 'tis but a short pain: To fear Death, is the way to Live long; To be afraid of Death, is to be long a Dying.
If thou desire the love of God and Man, be humble; for the proud heart, as it loves none but it self, so it is beloved of none, but by it self: The Voice of humility is God's Rheto∣rick. Humility enforces, where neither Virtue, nor Strength, nor Reason, can prevail.
Look upon thy burning Ta∣per, and there see the Emblem of thy Life: The flame is thy Soul; the Wax thy Body, and is commonly a span long; the Wax, (if never so well tem∣per'd) can but last his length; and who can lengthen it? If ill temper'd, it shall waste the the faster, yet last his length; an open Window shall hasten either; an Extinguisher shall put out both: Husband them the best thou canst, thou canst not lengthen them beyond their date: Leave them to the inju∣ry of the Wind, or to the mercy of a wastful hand, thou
hastnest them, but still they burn their length: But puff them out, and thou hast short∣ned them, and stop'd their pas∣sage, which else had brought them to their appointed End. Bodies according to their Con∣stitutions, stronger or weaker, according to the equality or inequality of their Elements, have their dates, and may be preserved from shortning, but not lengthned. Neglect may waste them, ill Diet may hasten them to their Journey's End, yet they have lived their length; a violent hand may interrupt them; a sudden death may stop them, and they are shortned. It lies in the power of Man, ei∣ther permissively to hasten, or
actively to shorten; but not to lengthen or extend the Limits of his Natural Life. He only (if any) hath the art to leng∣then out his Taper that puts it ••o the best advantage.
Demean thy self in the pre∣sence of thy Prince, with reve∣rence and chearfulness. That, without this, is too much sad∣ness; this, without that, is too much boldness: Let thy Wis∣dom endeavour to gain his opi∣nion, and labour to make thy Loyalty his Confidence: Let him not find thee false in Words, unjust in thy Acti∣ons, unseasonable in thy Suits, nor careless in his Ser∣vice:
Cross not his passion; Question not his pleasures; Press not into his secrets; Pry not in his prerogative: Dis∣please him not, lest he be an∣gry; appear not displeased, lest he be jealous. The anger of a King is implacable: The Jealousie of a Prince is Incura∣ble.
Give thy heart to thy Crea∣tor, and reverence thy Superi∣ors: Give diligence to thy Cal∣ling, and ear to good Counsel: Give alms to the Poor, and the Glory to God: Forgive him that ignorantly offends thee, and him that wittingly offen∣ded
thee, seeks thee. Forgive him that hath forcibly abused thee; and him that hath frau∣dulently betray'd thee: For∣give all thine Enemies; but least of all thy self: Give, and it shall be given to thee; For∣give, and it shall be Forgiven thee; the sum of all Christi∣anity is Give and Forgive.
Be not too great a Niggard in the Commendations of him that professes thy own Quality: If he deserves thy praise, thou hast discovered thy Judgment; If not, thy Modesty: Honour either returns, or reflects to the Giver.
If thou desire to raise thy For∣tunes, Encourage thy delights to the casts of Fortune; be wise be times, lest thou repent too late; what thou gettest, thou gainest by abused Provi∣dence; what thou losest, thou losest by abused Patience; what thou winnest is prodigally spent; what thou losest is prodigally lost: It is an Evil trade that prodigally drives; and a bad Voyage where the Pilot is blind.
Be very wary for whom thou
becomest Security, and for no more than thou art able to dis∣charge, if thou lovest thy Li∣berty. The Borrower is a Slave to the Lender; the Se∣curity is a Slave to both: whilst the Borrower and Lender are both eased, the Security bears both their burthens. He is a Wise Security that recovers himself.
Look upon thy Affliction as thou dost upon thy Physick; both imply a Disease, and both are applied for a Cure; that of the Body, this of the Soul: If they work, they promise health; if not, the threaten death:
He is not happy that is not Afflicted, but he that finds happiness by his Affliction.
If the knowledge of good, whet thy desire to good, it is a happy knowledge: If by thy ignorance of Evil, thou art surpriz'd with Evil, it is an un∣happy Ignorance. Happy is he that hath so much Know∣ledge of Good, as to desire it; and but so much Knowledge of Evil, as to fear it.
When the Flesh presents thee with delights, then present thy
self with dangers: Where the World possesses thee with vain Hopes, there possess thy self with true Fear. When the Devil brings thee Oil, bring thou Vinegar. The way to be safe, is never to be secure.
If thy Brother hath offen∣ded thee, forgive him freely, and be reconciled: To do Evil for Evil is humane Cor∣ruption; to do Good for Good, is civil Retribution: To do Good for Evil is Christian per∣fections; the Act of Forgive∣ness is God's Precept; the manner of Forgiveness is God's President.
Reverence the Writings of Holy Men; but lodge not thy Faith upon them, because but Men: They are good Pools, but no Fountains. Build on Paul himself, no longer than he builds on Christ: If Peter renounce his Master, renounce Peter. The word of Man may convince Reason; but the word of God alone can compel Con∣science.
In Civil things follow the most; in matters of Religion, the fewest; in all things, fol∣low
the best; so shall thy ways be pleasing to God, so shall thy behaviour be plausible with Men.
If any loss or misery hath befallen to thy Brother; dis∣semble it to thy self; and what Counsel thou givest him, Re∣gister carefully; and when the case is thine, follow it: so shall thine own Reason convince thy Passion, or thy Passion con∣fess her own Unreasonableness.
When thou goest about to change thy Moral Liberty, into
a Christian Servitude, prepare thy self to be the world's laugh∣ing stock; if thou overcome her Scoffs, thou shalt have dou∣ble honour; if overcome, dou∣ble shame. He is unworthy of a good Master that is ashamed of a bad Livery.
Let not the falling of a Salt, or the crossing of a Hare, or the crying of a Cricket, trouble thee: They portend no evil, but what thou fearest. He is ill ac∣quainted with himself, that knows not his own Fortunes better than they: If evil follow it, it is the Punishment of thy Superstition, not the fulfilling
of their Portent: All things are lucky to thee, if thou wilt; nothing but is ominous to the Superstitious.
So behave thy self in thy course of Life, as at a Banquet. Take what is offered with mo∣dest Thankfulness; and expect what is not as yet offered with hopeful Patience. Let not thy rude Appetite press thee, nor a slight carefulness indispose thee, nor a sullen discontent deject thee. Who desires more than enough, hath too much; and he that is satisfied with a little, hath no less than enough.
Is thy Child dead? He is re∣stored, not lost. Is thy Trea∣sure stoln? It is not lost, it is restored: He is an ill Debtor, that counts Repayment loss; but it was an ill chance that took thy Child, and a wicked hand that stole thy Treasure: What is that to thee: It matters not by whom he requires the things from whom he lent them; what Goods are ours by Loan, are not lost when willingly resto∣red, but when unworthily re∣ceived.
Censure no man; detract from no man; praise no man before his Face; traduce no man behind his back: Boast not thy self abroad, nor flatter thy self at home: If any thing cross thee, accuse thy self; if any ex∣tol thee, humble thy self: Ho∣nour those that instruct thee, and be thankful to those that reprehend thee. Let all thy Desires be subjected to Reason, and let thy Reason be corrected By Religion. Weigh thy self by thy own Ballances, and trust not the Voice of wild Opinion: Observe thy self as thy greatest Enemy; so shalt thou become thy greatest Friend.
Endeavour to make thy dis∣course such as may administer Profit to thy self, or Standers by, lest thou incur the danger of an idle Word: Above all Subjects, avoid all those that are scurrilous and obscene, Tales that are impertinent and improbable, and Dreams.
If God hath blest thee with a Son, bless thou that Son with a lawful Calling; chuse such Employment as may stand with his Fancy and thy Judgment: if his Country claims his Ability
towards the building of her Honour; if he cannot bring a Cedar, let him bring a Shrub: He that brings nothing, usurps his Life, and robs his Country of a Servant.
At thy first Entrance into thy Estate, keep a low Sail; thou must rise with Honour; thou canst not decline without Shame. He that begins as his Father ended, shall end as his Father begun.
If any obscene Tale should chance to slip into thine Ears,
among the Varieties of Dis∣course (if opportunity admit) reprove it; if otherwise, let thy Silence or change of Counte∣nance interpret thy dislike: The smiling Ear is Bawd to the la∣scivious Tongue.
Be more circumspect over the Works of thy Brain, than the Actions of thy Body; these have Infirmity to plead for them, but they must stand up∣on their own bottoms; these are but the Objects of few, they of all; these will have Equals to defend them, they have Inferiours to envy them, Superiours to deride them, all
to censure them: It is no less danger for these to be proclai∣med at Paul's-Cross, than for them to be protested, in Paul's Church-yard.
Use Common place-books, or Collections, as Indexes to light thee to the Authors, lest thou be abused: He that takes Learning upon Trust, makes him a fair Cupboard with ano∣ther's Plate; he is an ill advi∣sed Purchaser, whose Title de∣pends more on Witnesses than Evidences.
If thou desire to make the best advantage of the Muses,
either by reading to benefit thy self, or by writing others, keep a peaceful Soul within a tem∣perate Body: A full Belly makes a dull Brain, and a turbulent Spirit a distracted Judgment. The Muses starve in a Cook's Shop and a Lawyer's Study.
When thou communicatest thy self by Letters, heighten or d••press thy Stile according to the Quality of the Person and Business; that which thy tongue would present to any if present, let thy pen represent to him absent. The Tongue is the Mind's Interpreter; and the Pen is the Tongue's Secretary.
Keep thy Soul in exercise, lest her Faculties rust for want of Motion; to eat, sleep, or sport too long, stops the natu∣ral course of her natural acti∣ons. To dwell too long in the Employments of the Body, is both the Cause and Sign of a dull Spirit.
Be very circumspect to whose Tuition thou committest thy Child; every good Scholar is not a good Master. He must be a man of invincible Patience and singular Observation: He
must study Children, that will teach them well, and Reason must rule him that would rule wisely; he must not take ad∣vantage of an ignorant Father, nor give too much ear to an indulgent Grandmother: The common Good must outweigh his private Gains, and his Cre∣dit must out-bid Gratuities: He must be diligent and sober, not too familiar, nor too reserv'd, neither amorous, nor phanta∣stick; just, without fierceness; merciful, without fondness: If such an one thou meet with, thou hast found a Treasure, which if thou know'st how to value, is invaluable.
Let not thy Laughter hand∣sel thy own Jest, lest whil'st thou laugh at it, others laugh at thee; neither tell it often to the same Hearers, lest thou be thought forgetful or barren. There is no Sweetness in a Cabbage twice sodd, or a Tale twice told.
If Opinion hath lighted the Lamp of thy name, endeavour to encourage it with thine own Oyle, lest it go out, and stink. The Chronical Disease of Po∣pularity is Shame: If thou be
once up, beware; from Fame to Infamy is a beaten Road.
Cleanse thy Morning Soul with private and due Devotion: Till then admit no business; the first born of thy Thoughts are God's, and not thine but by Sacrilege. Think thy self not ready, till thou hast praised him, and he will be always ready to bless thee.
In all thy actions, think God sees thee; and in all his actions labour to see him; that will make thee fear him, this will
move thee to love him. The Fear of God is the beginning of Knowledge, and the Know∣ledge of God is the Perfection of Love.
Let not the Expectation of a Reversion entice thy heart to the wish of a Possessor's Death, lest a Judgment meet thee in thy Expectation, or a Curse overtake thee in thy fruition; Every wish makes the a mur∣therer; and moves God to be an accessary: God often leng∣thens the Life of the Possessor, with the days of the Expector.
Prize not thy self by what thou hast, but by what thou art: He that values a Jewel by her Golden Frame, or a Book by its Silver Clasps; or a Man by his vast Estate, errs: If thou art not worth more than the World can make thee, thy Re∣deemer had a bad Peny-worth, or thou an uncurious Redeemer.
Let not thy Father, nor the Fathers, nor the Church, thy Mother's belief, be the ground of thine: The Scripture lies Open to the humble Heart,
but Lock'd against the proud Inquisitor: He that believes with an Implicite Faith, is a meer Empyrick in Religion.
Of all Sins, take greatest heed of that which thou hast last, and most repented of: He that was the last thrust out of doors, is the next readiest to croud in again; and he that thou hast forest battled, is likest to call more help for a Revenge. It is requisite for him that hath cast one Devil out, to keep strong hold, lest seven Re∣turn.
In the meditation of Divine Mysteries, keep thy Heart hum∣ble, and thy Thoughts holy; let Philosophy not be ashamed to be Confuted, nor Logick blush to be Confounded; what thou canst not prove, approve; what thou canst not compre∣hend, believe; and what thou can'st believe, admire; so shall thy Ignorance be satisfy'd in thy Faith, and thy doubts be swal∣low'd up with wonders: The best way to see Day-light is to put out the Candle.
If Opinion hath cryed thy Name up, let thy modesty cry thy heart down, lest thou de∣ceive it, or it thee; there is no less danger in a great Name than in a bad; and no less honour in deserving of Praise, than in the enduring it.
Use the Holy Scriptures with all Reverence; let not thy wan∣ton fancy carry it out in Jests, nor thy sinful wit make it an advocate to thy Sin; it is a subject for thy Faith, not Fan∣cy: Where Wit and Blasphe∣my is one Trade, the Under∣standing's Bankrupt.
Dost thou complain that God hath forsaken thee; it is thou that hast forsaken him; 'tis thou that art mutable; in him there is no shadow of Change; in his light is Life: If thy will drive thee to a Dungeon, thou makest thy own darkness; and in that darkness dwells thy death; from whence if he Re∣deem thee, he is merciful; if not, he is just; in both, he receives Glory.
Make use of Time if thou lovest Eternity; know yester∣day
cannot be recalled; to mor∣row cannot be assured; to day is only thine; which if thou procrastinate, thou losest; which loss is lost for Ever; one to day is worth two to morrow.
If thou be strong enough to Encounter with the times, keep thy Station; if not, shift a foot to gain advantage of the times: He that acts a Beggar to pre∣vent a Thief, is ne'er the Poor∣er; it is a great part of Wis∣dom sometimes to seem a Fool.
If thou intend thy Writings for the publick View, lard them not too much with the choice Lines of another Author, lest thou lose thy own Gravy; which thou hast read and digested, be∣ing delivered in thy own stile, becomes thine; it is more de∣cent to wear a plain suit of one intire Cloth, than a gaudy Gar∣ment, chequer'd with other rich Fragments.
If God hath bless'd thee with Inheritance, and Children to Inherit, trust not the staff of
thy Family to the hands of one. Make not many Beggars in the building of one great Heir, lest if he miscarry through a prodigal will, the rest sink thro' a hard necessity: God's allow∣ance is a double portion: when high bloud and generous bree∣ding, break their fast in plenty, and dine in poverty, they often fup in Infamy: If thou deny them Falcon's Wings to prey on Fowl, give them Kite's Sto∣machs to seize on Garbage.
Be very vigilant over thy Child in the April of his Un∣derstanding, lest the frost of May nip his blossom; whilst he
is a tender twig, streighten him; whilst he is a New Vessel, sea∣son him; such as thou makest him, such commonly thou shalt find him; let his first lesson be Obedience, and the se∣cond shall be what thou wilt; Give him Education in good Letters, to the utmost of thy ability and his capacity; season his Youth with the love of his Creator, and make the fear of his God, the beginning of his Knowledge; if he have an active Spirit, rather rectifie than curb it; but reckon Idleness amongst his chiefest faults; a∣bove all things keep him from vain Lascivious and Amorous Pamphlets, as the Primer of all Vice. As his Judgment ripens,
observe his Inclination, and ten∣der him a Calling that shall not cross it: Forced Marriages and Callings seldom prosper; shew him both the Mow and the Plough, and prepare him as well for the danger of the Skirmish, as possess him with the honour of the Prize. If he chuse the profession of a Scholar, advise him to Study the most profitable Arts: Poe∣try and Mathematicks take up too great a Latitude of the Soul, and moderately used, are good Recreations, but bad Callings; being nothing but their own Reward. If he chuse the Profession of a Soldier, let him know withal, Honour must be his greatest Wages,
and his Enemies his surest Pay∣master: prepare him against the danger of War, and advise him of the greater mischief of a Garison: let him avoid De∣bauchedness and Duels, to the utmost of his power, and re∣member he is not his own Man; and (being his Coun∣tries Servant) hath no Estate in his own Life: If he chuse a Trade, teach him to forget his Father's and his Mother's Wing; advise him to be con∣scionable, Careful, and Con∣stant; this done, thou hast done thy part, leave the rest to Providence, and thou hast done well.
Convey thy Love to thy Friends, as an Arrow to the Mark, to stick there; not as a Ball against the Wall, to re∣bound back to thee; That Friendship will not continue to the End that is begun for an End.
Meditation is the Life of the Soul, Action is life of Me∣ditation, Honour is the Re∣ward of Action; so Meditate that thou may'st do; so do that thou may'st purchase Ho∣nour: For which Purchase, Give GOD the Glory.