The rule and exercises of holy living. In which are described the means and instruments of obtaining every vertue, and the remedies against every vice, and considerations serving to the resisting all temptations. Together with prayers containing the whole duty of a Christian, and the parts of devotion fitted to all occasions, and furnish'd for all necessities.

Poverty or a low For••une.

1. Poverty is better then riches, and a mean fortune to be chosen before a great and splendid one. It is indeed despised and makes men contemptible: it exposes a man to the insolence of evil persons, and leaves a man defencelesse: it is alwayes suspected: its stories are accounted lies, and all its coun∣sells follyes: it puts a man from all im∣ployment: it makes a mans discourses te∣dious, and his society troublesome. This is the worst of it: and yet all this and ••arre worse then this the Apostles suffered for being Christians; and Christianitie it selfe may be esteemed an affliction as well as poverty, if this be all ••hat can be said a∣gainst it; for the Apostles and the most eminent Christians were really poor, and

were used contemptuously: and yet, that po∣verty is despised may be an argument to com∣mend it,* 1.1 if it be despised by none but per∣sons vitious and ignorant. However, certain it is that a great fortune is a great vanity, and riches is nothing but danger, trouble, and temptation; like a garment that is too long, and bears a train; not so useful to one, but it is troublesome to two; to him that bears the one part upon his shoulders; and to him that bears the other part in his hands: But pover∣ty is the sister of a good minde, the parent of sober counsels and the nurse of all vertue.

For, what is it that you admire in the for∣tune of a great King? Is it that hee al∣wayes goes in a great company? You may thrust your self into the same croud, or goe often to Church, and then you have as great a company as he hath, and that may upon as good ground please you as him, that is, justly neither: for so im∣pertinent and uselesse pomp, and the other circumstances of his distance, are not made for him, but for his Subjects, that they may learne to separate him from common usages, and be taught to be governed.* 1.2 But if you looke upon them as fine things in themselves, you may quickly alter your opinion when you shall consider that they cannot cure the toothach, nor make one wise, or fill the belly, or give one nights sleep, (though they help to break many) nor satisfying any appetite of Nature, or Rea∣son, or Religion: but they are states of great∣nesse which onely makes it possible for a Man to be made extremely miserable. And it was long agoe observed by the Greeke

Tragedians, and from them by Arrianus,* 1.3 saying,

That all our Tragedies are of Kings and Princes, and rich or ambiti∣ous personages, but you ne∣ver see a poor man have a part, unlesse it be as a Cho∣rus, or to fill up the Scenes, to dance or to be derided: but the Kings and the great Generals; First (sayes he) they begin with joy 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 crown the houses: but about the third or fourth Act, they cry out, O Ci∣theron why didst thou spare my life to reserve me for this more sad calamity?

And this is really true in the great accidents of the World: for a great estate hath great crosses, and a mean fortune hath but small ones. It may be the poor man loses a Cow (for if his Childe dyes he is quit of his biggest care) but such an acci∣dent in a rich and splendid Family doubles up∣on the spirits of the parents: Or it may be the poor man is troubled to pay his rent, and that's his biggest trouble: but it is a bigger care to secure a great fortune in a troubled estate, or with equal greatnesse, or with the circumstan∣ces of honour, and the nicenesse of reputation to defend a Law-suit: and that which will se∣cure a common mans whole estate, is not e∣nough to defend a great mans honour.

And therefore it was not without mystery observ'd among the Ancients,* 1.4 that they who made gods of gold and silver, of hope and fear, peace and fortune, Garlick and Onions, Beasts and Serpents, and a quartan Ague, yet never deified money: meaning, that however wealth was admired by common or abused under∣standings;

yet from riches, that is, from that proportion of good things which is beyond the necessities of Nature, no moment could be ad∣ded to a mans real content or happinesse. Corn from Sardinia, herds of Calabrian cattel, mea∣dows through which pleasant Liris glides,* 1.5 silkes from Tyrus, and golden Chalices to drown my health in, are nothing but instru∣ments of vanity or sinne, and suppose a dis∣ease in the soul of him that longs for them, or admires them: And this I * 1.6 have other∣where represented more largely; to which I here adde, that riches have very great dan∣gers to their souls, not onely who covet them, but to all that have them. For if a great per∣sonage undertakes an action passionately, and upon great interest, let him manage it in∣discreetly, let the whole designe be unjust, let it be acted with all the malice and impo∣tency in the World, he shall have enough to flatter him, but not enough to reprove him. He had need be a bold man that shall tell his Patron, he is going to Hell; and that Prince had need be a good man that shall suffer such a Monitor: And though it bee a strange kinde of civility and an evil dutifulnesse in Friends and Relatives to suffer him to pe∣rish without reproofe or medicine, rather then to seem unmannerly to a great sinner, yet it is none of their least infelicities, that their wealth and greatnesse shall put them into sinne, and yet put them past reproof. I need not instance in the habitual intem∣perance of rich Tables, nor the evil accidents and effects of fulnesse; pride and lust, wan∣tonnesse and softnesse of disposition, huge talking, and an imperious spirit, despite of

Religion, and contempt of poor persons: At the best, it is a great temptation for a man to have in his power whatsoever he can have in his sensual desires;* 1.7 and therefore riches is a blessing like to a present made of a whole Vintage to a Man in a Hectick Feaver; he will be much tempted to drink of it, and if he does he is in∣flam d, and may chance to dye with the kindnesse.

Now besides what hath been already noted, in the state of poverty there is nothing to be accounted for, but the fear of wanting neces∣saries, of which if a man could be secured, that he might live free from care, all the o∣ther parts of it might be reckoned amongst the advantages of wise and sober persons, rather then objections against that state of fortune.

But concerning this I consider, that there must needs be great security to all Christi∣ans, since CHRIST not onely made ex∣presse promises that we should have suffici∣ent for this life; but also took great pains and used many arguments to create confi∣dence in us: and such they were which by their own strength were sufficient, though you abate the authority of the Speaker. The Sonne of GOD told us, his Father takes care of us: Hee that knew all his Fathers counsels and his whole kindnesse towards mankinde, told us so. How great is that truth, how certain, how necessary, which CHRIST himself proved by arguments. The excellent words and most comfortable sen∣tences which are our Bills of Exchange, up∣on the credit of which we lay our cares down, and receive provisions for our need, are these.

Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink,* 1.8 nor yet for your body what ye shall put on. Is not the life more then meat, and the body then raiment? Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Fa∣ther feedeth them. Are ye not much better then they? which of you by taking thought can adde one cubit to his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the Lillies of the field, how they grow: They toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory, was not arayed like one of these. Therefore if God so clothe the grasse of the field which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithall shall we be clothed? (for after all these things do the Gentiles seek;) For your heavenly Father know∣eth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righte∣ousnesse, and all these things shall bee added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the mor∣row: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of it self: sufficient to the day is the evil thereof.

The same discourse is repeated by S. Luke: and accordingly our duty is ur∣ged and our confidence abetted by the Disci∣ples of our Lord,* 1.9 in divers places of holy Scrip∣ture. So S. Paul, Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanks∣giving, let your request be made known unto God: And againe, Charge them that are rich in this world that they bee not high minded, nor trust in uncertaine riches, but in the living GOD▪ who giveth us richly all things to enjoy: and

and yet again, Let your conversation be without covetousnesse, and be content with such things as ye have; for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee: So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper. And all this is by S. Pe∣ter summed up in our duty, thus: Cast all your care upon him, for he careth for you: Which words he seems to have borrowed out of the 55 Psalm, verse 23. where David saith the same thing almost in the same words; To which I onely adde the observation made by him, and the argument of experience; I have been young and now am old, and yet saw I never the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread. And now after all this, a fearlesse confidence in God and concerning a provision of neces∣saries is so reasonable that it is become a du∣ty; and he is scarce a Christian whose faith is so little as to be jealous in God and suspitious concerning meat and clothes: that man hath nothing in him of the noblenesse or confidence of Charity.

Does not God provide for all the birds and beasts and fishes? Do not the sparrows fly from their bush, & every morning finde meat where they laid it not? Do not the young ravens call to God and he feeds them? and were it reaso∣nable that the sons of the family should fear the Father would give meat to the chickens and the servants, his sheep and his dogs, but give none to them? He were a very ill Father that should do so: or he were a very foolish son that should think so of a good Father. * But besides the reasonablenesse of this faith and this hope; we have infinite experience of it. How innocent, how carelesse, how secure is Infancy? and yet how certainly provided

for! we have lived at Gods charges all the dayes of our life, and have (as the Italian pro∣verb sayes) set down to meat at the sound of a bell; and hitherto he hath not failed us: we have no reason to suspect him for the future; we do not vse to serve men so; and lesse time of tryal creates great confidences in us towards them who for twenty years together never broke their word with us: and God hath so ordered it that a man shall have had the expe∣rience of many years provision, before he shall understand how to doubt: th••t he may be pro∣vided for an answer against the temptation shall come, and the mercies felt in his childehood, may make him fear lesse when he is a man. * Adde to this that God hath given us his holy Spirit; he hath promised heaven to us; he hath given us his son; and we are taught from Scripture to make this inference from hence, How should not he with him give us all things else?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Alta ••or∣tuna alto trava••lio apporto:
• * 1.2

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Bis se•• dierum mensura cons••ro ego agr••s Ber••cynchia arv•• Animusque meus sursum usq. evectus ad polum De••i••it h••mi, & me sic videtur all••qui. Disce haud nimis magni∣••acere m••rtalia. Tantal. in ••••agaed.
• * 1.4

  ••fune••ta 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Templo Nondu•• habitas, nullas ••••mmo∣ruin ere••i∣mus aras Ut colitur pax at{que} 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.5

  Horat. od•• 3••. l••b. 1.
• * 1.6

  Chap. 4. Sect. ••. ••••∣tle of Co∣vetousness
• * 1.7

  2 Iam. 5.6, 7.
• * 1.8

  Mat. 6.25.
• * 1.9

  Luke 12.22. to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 verse. Phil. 4.6. 1 Tim. 6.17.