A Man to be wise for himselfe as well as for others. [ 1086]
VVHen an Orator, with great store of Wisdom, had bitterly declaimed a∣gainst folly,* 1.1 and somewhat abused his Auditors; it was afterwards re∣plyed upon him by one of them; Sir, your discourse of folly may well be divided into three parts: One part you have declaymed against in all Men, one part you have bestowed upon us, and the other part you have kept to your selfe; Here was some wit in this; But when a Man shall commend wisdome to all his Hearers, and keep no part of it to himselfe,* 1.2 for his own exercise, Is it not great madnesse? For a Man to have a full brain, and an empty heart; a Library of Divinity in his head, and not so much as the least Catechism in his Conscience, is, as if one were to tell heads, and to number the company, and should forget to reckon himselfe: When an Inheritance is be divided among many Children, will any Coheir set out the por∣tions of the rest and forget his own? We say for temporall things, When a Man spends or gives away all, it was but his kind heart: But in the distribution of things spirituall,* 1.3 to leave our selves none, argues not a kind but a stupid heart; Heavenly knowledge is not lost by communicating, we may give all and keep all; Lord en∣able us therefore to give so much as may make others rich in grace, and yet keepe so much as may make our selves rich in glory.