Eremicus theologus, or, A sequestred divine his aphorisms, or, breviats of speculations, in two centuries / by Theophilus Wodenote ...

APHORISMS, OR, BREVIATS of Speculations.

The first Centurie.

1.

BEfore, and after, and in all businesses, and at all times, remember Prayer: how canst thou hope to speed in any thing thou do'st, if thou do'st it not in Gods fear, and with his favour, which is the very soule of thy soule, and life of thy life, so profitable, so necessary, that by it thy souls sal∣vation,

and life it self liveth? Let not thy unworthiness deterr thee, though thou art subject to many passions, and canst not pray as thou oughtest; Elias was subject to the like, and yet prayed, and was heard(a). Upon a crie made the thief seeks to flie, and neighbours come to help: upon a prayer made, the Devill shifts away, and God comes to succour.

2.

IN petitioning Almighty God, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek & yee shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you(b); Not alone ask, and it shall be given you, ther's not a full point; but seek, and knock, as well as ask: our Saviour useth a threefold phrase, and urgeth the du∣ty from one degree to another, with interposition of proportionable pro∣mises, to signifie, that we must pray often, be earnest; and zealous, for cold suters proove cold speeders. Cold and superficial requests can never pierce the clouds, nor find any man∣ner of access to the Throne of Grace.

The prayer of the righteous availeth much, but with this condition, if it be fervent(c); but put not fer∣ventness in copiousness of syllables, but of sense, not in lip-labour, but in heart-labour; God esteemeth not the loudness, or the length, but the strength of prayer, nor weighes he the ready words, but the radicall de∣votion of him that praeth; Thou mayest pray, and cry, and outcrie others, even without crying out: Moses prayer could not be heard on earth,(d) and yet the cry of it came up to heaven: when the tongue can∣not speak to God, if with heart we can sigh to him, he understandeth that language, and we shall be sure of help; A sigh sometimes will serve, if truly from the soul.

3.

TRust not with the Papists, to scale the high fort of Heaven, by the broken, and rotten ladder of the merits of Saints, or thy own works or worthyness; but place all thy hopes, and moove all thy sutes,

in the Name of Jesus Christ, with∣out whom neither thou, nor any of the Saints, have any thing to do with God; but pray God for thy right in Jesus Christ, not to enter into judgment with thee; but claime all thy right to blessedness by thy right in Jesus Christ; without whom no man hath right in any thing, sa∣ving in Gods indignation, and his own destruction.

4.

PRay that thy faith may be scien∣tious and unfeigned; that thy lise may be conscientious and unspotted; Mans life and religion are for the most part like; A sound faith, a sweet behaviour; A false faith, a debau∣ched demeanour; The fountaine be∣ing fowle and noysome, can the water be faire and wholesome? Can a bad tree bring forth good fruit? Do men gather grapes of thornes, or figs of thistles[e]? Neither can their outward conversation be pure, whose inward perswasion is not perfect.

5.

WHat books soever other men admire and make their Jewels, Let the Scriptures be dearer unto thee, than all other books together: Let them be a lampe to thy feet, and a light unto thy paths[f]. Set and settle thy continuall considera∣tions upon them: Wherein nothing is superfluous, nor any thing wan∣ting; wherein, whatsoever is taught, is truth, whatsoever is commanded is goodness, whatsoever is promised is perfect happiness; yea, which not onely for pure and perfect matter, but for high and heavenly expressi∣ons, so farr excell, that they are not to be mentioned with any other writings by way of comparison.

6.

HOw ragged are mens expressions? How poor the pithiness of their discourses? In sight of the sacred Scriptures, their most accomplished Treatises are not so much as the

light of a candle, to the glorious brightness of the Sun in his chiefest splendour: In Gods book every par∣ticle hath his poize, every tittle is usefull; every syllable is sententi∣ous; every word is wonderfull; He that once truly knows it, cannot chuse but love it; He that truly loves it, cannot chuse but with all the veines of his heart commend it to o∣thers.

7.

TAke not upon thee to justify whatsoever any the most learned men without speciall inspiration hath published; but whatsoever any pen-man of Scripture, to whom the Holy Ghost did dictate, hath set down, defend to thy death, and with thy death; Men may erre not knowing the Scriptures[g]; not at∣taining to the perfect sense of them; Apollo's a learned Doctour, fervent in the Spirit, and mighty in the Scriptures, yet was he ignorant in divers things, and received instru∣ction from Aquila and Priscilla[h]. We know in part, and we prophe∣sy

in part said S. Paul[i], after long study, and many wonderfull revela∣tions; after God had exalted him to the third heaven, and there shewed him more than a man might con∣ceive. In sundry things, as men, we are many times much mistaken; but not a word in all the sacred volumes, that can be either false, or faulty, the Scriptures of God cannot erre.

8.

TAke not advantages, but adver∣tisements by Scripture; read it not to feed a faction, but to find a truth; look both forward and back∣ward, and diligently ponder the circumstances, that thou mayest the more clearely perceive the substance; catch not at the words, or phrases, but consider what the will of the Lord is; Think not, when Christ saith, that all that ever came before him were thieves & robbers[k], that therefore Moses, Elias, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the rest of the Pro∣phets were no better than thieves and robbers; because they went be∣fore

Christ in time; but that such only were thieves; as professed them∣selves to be the door of the sheep, or received, or shewed any other than Christ himself; think not when Saint Paul said, that he was made all things to all men[l], that there∣fore he did at his pleasure that which God had directly forbidden to be done, that therefore he did make himself a libertine, or establish li∣bertinism, or purchase a protecti∣on for every man to do what see∣meth good in his own eyes; but that in matters free and indifferent, and undetermined, which were not ie∣pugnant to the Word, which were neither forbidden, nor commanded by God, such as may indifferently be either used, or not used, with a good conscience; according as the rules of godly discretion, circum∣stances duely considered, shall di∣rect: he, without hurting the faith, or offending the righteous, changed himself into all fashions, and apply∣ed himself to the conditions of all, that by all means hee might save some.

9.

FRom particular privileges in Scrip∣ture, appointed by Almighty God for some singular choice purposes, as from the Israelites spoiling the AEgyptians of their Jewels[m], or Samsons pulling down the house up∣on himself and others[n], as from Elias his calling of fire from hea∣ven[o], or Elisha his cursing the children[p], or the like, collect not generall precepts, or perpetuall di∣rections for the Church; extraordi∣nary facts are no ordinary rules; every example is not a Law to bind every man to equall practice; thy argument taken from example is naught, unless thy warrant be alike good.

10.

SUch allegories, as thou findest ex∣pounded in the holy Scriptures, imbrace, as rules of Gods worship, matters of faith, and parts of reli∣gion, necessary to salvation; but such as mens severall devices frame

out of them, and commend to the world as hidden senses newly found out, neither believe them, nor de∣sire to know them; but leave them to such as love a hidden divinity, and a secret religion devised in their own conceits, which will not abide the triall of the light; such pleasing various fancies, without sacred evi∣dence of Gods certaine approbati∣on, are but plausible allusions, and no probative allegations, can ne∣ver work in the heart a full Theo∣logicall perswasion. Conceive not with some passionate Papists, in the heat of their disputations, that Gods Word is a potentiall onely, no a∣ctive rule; that the Scriptures are not authenticall without the autho∣rity of the Church; that the autho∣rity of the Scriptures dependeth up∣on the authority of the Church ne∣cessarily; Not go for advice to the Church necessarily, but to the Law and to the testimony saith the Pro∣phet Isaiah[q], at that least examin and try the truth; Not what saith the Church? but what is written in the Law? how readest thou? saith our

Saviour[r]. Not the Church but the Scripture is the sole and supreme Judge of all questions and Contro∣versies of religion; The Church can∣not give thee faith whereby thou believest in Christ, and layest hold of eternall life, It is the Scripture that worketh it by the inspiration of the holy Spirit; Thou mayest set the diall by the Sun, Thou canst not set the Sun by the diall; Thou mayest appeal from the judgment of the Church to the Scriptures, Not from the Scriptures to the Church.

12.

AS the wisemen stretched not their course beyond the dire∣ction of the star[s], so wander not thou in thy discourse, beyond the di∣rection of the word; so much know∣ledge of divine mysteries, as God hath revealed in his sacred volumes, content thy self with, and offer not thy self to prie any further into them. Be sure thou make a resting place where God hath placed a full point; resigne thy self up to his

wisedom, adore his Counsels, and be not overcurious in any of his do∣ings, Neither suffer any, within thy walk and power, to make any su∣perfluous questions about them; If any do out of infidelity, or too much curiosity, Answer him briefly with that holy and judicious Father Saint Austin, (than whom few could better resolve doubts) Do thou dis∣pute it, I will believe it; Do thou reason it, I will admire it[t]; and rather seriously adore the worker, than curiously inquire the manner.

13.

GIve free eares of body, and full regard of mind to whatsoever God speaketh in a plain form, and frame of words; but give an excel∣lent heedfulnes to the Lord, where he useth a singular manner of spea∣king; There conceive some speciall thing is to be marked; there think thou art called to that speciall pa∣renthesis of our Saviour, who so readeth let him understand[u]; where the Lord speaketh strictly and

artificially, be sure to add to thy ac∣customed diligence a strict and ar∣tificiall diligence, set thy attention where he setteth his words.

14.

WHatsoever scriptures thou readest or hearest, attend them carefully, and apply them usefully some way or other unto thy self; for whatsoe∣ver was written afore time, was writ∣ten (not at all adventures, or as hi∣stories, to heare, or read for pleasure, but) for our learning, that we tho∣rough patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope[w]. What shall a salve do, be it never so soveraigne, if it be not layd to the sore? or what can the medicine availe, if it be not applyed to the disease? We do not find it written of David in particular, that he should do the will of God, and yet in the volume of the book it is writ∣ten of me, saith he, that I should do thy will, O God I am content to do it[x]; and yet he applies it in particular to himself, as if it had been spoken to him by name.

15.

BE not like those bare-tonguy Christians in these dayes, whose mouths are full of religion, but their hearts altogether empty; who shew their faith by words, not by works; who think to be perfectly trusted for their pure talking. Ty not Gods Word to thy tongue, but bind it to thy fingers; not onely pro∣fess it with thy lips, but express it also, yea chiefly, in thy life: write it not in a scroul, as the Romanists do Saint John's Gospell, tying it a∣bout their necks for externall preser∣vation, or (as the Pharisees did the Decalogue between their browes,) for externall signe of holiness; but write it in the table of thine heart, that thou mayest the better remem∣ber to put it in practise.

16.

TO Countenance sin allege not examples, hope not to stand upon the fall of others; conclude

not thy self safe, if thou canst pro∣duce some holy men that have gon before thee in the same sins; we may not imitate the vices but the ver∣tues of good men; sanctity goes not by presidents but by precepts; we are not to live by examples; but by the Word, whereby our actions must be guided as by a rule, and by no example without it: Examples in Scripture are not all written for our imitation, that we may learne what to do; but a great number of them for our admonition, that we may know what to shun.

17.

WHom thou now truly be∣lievest to be invisible, and immortall and incomprehensible, Think not at any time that God is in earnest like one of us, or that God hath a body, because the Scrip∣tures sometimes give him our parts, because we read of the heart of God, eyes, ears, arms, hands, feet, and such like; for the holy pen-men, by

now and then the things of God by the phrases of men, for mens better apprehension, and readyer under∣standing; because we cannot un∣derstanding; because we cannot un∣derstand how one should see with∣out eyes, or heare without eares, or shew strength without armes. I speak after the manner of men, saith Saint Paul, because of the infirmi∣ty of your flesh[y] I speak as men commonly use, in regard of your weak capacities, and carnall imagi∣nations: taking the best way to be understood, to instruct your souls, and affect your hearts. Come not to the hearing, or reading of such speeches, as the Corinthians came together, not for the better, but for the worse[z]; gather not the more errour from them, but the more knowledge: Hear them, or read them, to that end, for which they were written, even for thy clearer conception, and easier perswasion.

18.

IN all places, and amongst all per∣sons, let thy maine care alwaye

be, to set forward Gods cause, to defend his truth, to maintaine his Name and estimation; whensoever it is any way questioned or evill spoken of. Have a greater care of Gods glory, than of any others, or of thine own; and let it go neerer unto thee, to hear Gods Name dis∣honoured, than to have thine own destroyed; yea rather than thou, O Lord, shouldst lose any part of thy glory, which is most proper, and precious unto thee, glory be for ever taken away from us, and our honour with all contempt and disgrace layd in the dust, loss of cre∣dit and reputation be to all our do∣ings, and sayings, losse to our goods and good name, and whatsoever in this world is most dear unto us.

19.

BE slow to wrath in the greatest in juries inferred upon thy selfe; but in the least affront offered to God, put on all the indignation and rigour thou hast: Be mild, and for∣bearing, suffering, and soft, in causer

of thy own, but in the quarrell of God be magnanimous and fervent, sharp and severe, according to thy power, and place. Moses in his own quarrell, in matter concerning him∣self, was a man most meek, and had not an equall unto him in his time, for peaceable and gentle be∣haviour[a]; he quietly bare won∣derfull wrongs, and was easily per∣swaded to depart from his right: But when he was to deal for God, he took upon him an holy obstina∣nacy; He would not consent unto Pharao, that so much as an hoofe should remain behind them[b]; but, when he spyed a Calf in the campe, when he perceived idolatry committed, and Gods glory com∣ming into question, He proclamed a bloody massacre, and pronounced the execution to be a consecration; yea he with his partakers speedily sacrifised to God the blood of three thousand malefactours[c]. S. Paul was not mooved with thought of his own troubles, or danger of death; but when he saw the City of A∣thens wholy given to idolatry, his

spirit was stirred in him, and though he did not as Moses, because he had not the like authority, yet he dis∣puted in the Synagogue with the Jewes, and with the devout persons, and in the Market daily with them that met with him[d].

20.

MAke, O make no long, yea no little tarrying to turne unto the Lord; put not off from day to day, from youth to old age, when Sum∣mer is turned into Winter, when the raine descendeth, and the flouds come, and the winds blow[e], when men are beset with troubles and sick∣ness, with paine and grief, and tor∣ment, when their wits and senses are taken up to devise remedyes a∣gainst their diseases, to prevent, or to sustain the pangs of death; but remember thy Creatour, and re∣member a convenient time for thy Creatour, remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth, in thy young years, in thy flourishing dayes, in thy time of prosperity;

whilst thy sences are sharpe, thy memory quick, thy wit ripe, thy capacity ready, thy understanding deep; Remember his might that thou mayest believe, his mercy that thou mayest hope, his justice that thou mayest be fearfull, his good∣nes that thou mayest be thank∣full[g].

21.

LOve all Gods children for his sake, and obey all superiours whom he hath appointed; The debt of love is generall, we all owe it, and we owe it unto all; but trust in God, and depend upon him onely, joyne not any creature with him; He is contented and hath comman∣ded, that we should perform all o∣ther duties to all others, to whom they belong; Render therefore to all their dues, tribute to whom tri∣bute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour appertaineth[h]; provided alwayes that we yeeld them all to him chiefly, to him ever, and to none so much as him; But the

worship of confidence he hath re∣served wholy to himselfe, neither may we communicate it to any o∣ther, upon any conditions, without extreme disloyalty to him; what is it less than idolatry for the meanest upon earth to tender it? and as much as it as sacrilege for the mightiest up∣••arth to take it.

22.

OPen thy mouth, and thy mind, for thy brethren, when they are molested and maligned, and laden with scandals and re∣proaches; but much more then for his cause, and for his glo∣ry, that made thy mouth and thy mind. Be not ashamed of his righte∣ousnes, or of his Gospell, lest he be ashamed of thee; confess his Name before the sons of men, and thou shalt be sure to be confessed before the sons of God; Acknowledge Christs truth, and he will acknowledge thee, before the Angels and before his Fa∣ther.

23.

IT hath been the custome alwayes of the best sort, to offer, in the best manner, the best they had unto the best, that is to the Lord himself: Offer thou likewise the best to God whensoever thou hast cause to offer, if ever thou desire to be in the num∣ber of the best; otherwise the worst sort shall rise up in judgment and condemn thee; the very idolaters that worshipped the works of their own hands, and turned the truth of God into a lie, shall go before thee into the Kingdom of heaven: They in their oblations thought not the worst they had, or what came first to hand, as good enough, but brought the best they had, would have brought better if they could, and thought nothing too much for their newly devised God, they were con∣tent to spoil themselves that they might adorn their idols(i)

24.

STand upon thy credit, and pro∣vide things honest before men; A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour than silver and gold(k); It seaso∣neth the gifts that we have recei∣ved, and maketh them profitable unto others. Be our parts never so transcendent, Be our gifts never so excellent, Be we never so loaden with spirituall graine, and food and treasure; yet if we have not a good name to grace them, and counte∣nance them, we can do very little or no good with them. It was an honour to Demetrius that he had a good report of all men, and of the truth if self(l): but stand no more upon thy credit than upon thy con∣science, neither regard more the shame of men, than the fear of God; Have him still before thine eyes, who hath thee alwayes before his eyes, look up unto him continual∣ly, who never leaveth to look down upon thee; so shalt thou walk ever∣more

in his presence, and be sure to become ever the more upright.

25.

NEither derogate any thing from the Majestie of God, al∣beit he vouchsafe ordinarily to use externall and ordinary meanes, in bringing his purposes to pass; for he useth them freely, not of necessity, and he is as well able to manifest his power, without them, as with them; He hath a prerogative above the prerogative of any Prince, to work above, and besides, yea and against nature. Neither yet magni∣fy the creatures, which the Lord at any time is pleased to use, above that which is convenient, for any rare gifts and qualities that we see in them; for that were to set them in the place of God, who have no more efficacy than that which is given them from above from him who is the guide of nature and the cause of causes, according to his own pleasure; but first and above all give thou glory to God, to whom

onely it is due; and then for the Lords sake honour thou the means, because God hath put the honour of an instrument upon it.

26.

NEver distrust in thy least, or greatest vexation, any the least or greatest promise of God; for not one jot or one tittle of any shall fail to be performed, in due time. Man is variable in his love and pro∣mises to his neighbour; Men are sub∣ject, even the best men, both to de∣ceive, and to be deceived; Men pro∣mise much, and perform little: but, as God is not deceived, so he cannot deceive, and, if thou be of any spiri∣tuall experience, thou canst not but know, that the Lord often bringeth to passe, more than he promiseth to do: Doubt not therefore at any time of his Word, who is many times better than his Word.

27.

ACcount it and acknowledge it alwayes with all thankfulnes, as a great mercy of God, that he

sendeth thee to school, and speaketh to thee (who art not able to abide the beauty and brightnes of his ma∣jestie) by men and brethren like unto thy self, and subject to like passions; If God himself should ap∣peare unto thee, and utter his voyce, his voyce from heaven, then wouldst thou fear, and quake, and fall down as a dead man; or cry out with great astonishment as many of the Fathers did, Alas I shall dye: we hear not the thunder without feare, we behold not the brightnes of the Sun without dazeling; how then should we hear the immediate voice of God, or see his glory, without con∣fusion? Then, if by Gods mercyes, thou recoverest thy sences, thou wouldst make request to have the ministers of the Word to speak un∣to thee again, whom now thou des∣pisest; and whose words thou con∣temnest now as base, and contemp∣tible, thou wouldst then desire and imbrace.

28.

REmember it, and consider it, as a principle, whensoever thou hea∣rest; that howsoever we may not obey either man or Angell, if he speak any thing contrary to the written Word, though he come with all shew of learning, and all appearance of unspotted and unde∣filed pureness: yet the greatest prin∣ces of the world are bound to heare and obey the meanest man that God doth send, so far as he teacheth ac∣cording to his commission; If Princes resist the word of truth in the Preach∣ers mouth, they resist not the mes∣senger, but the master that sent him.

29.

GRow better, as thou growest elder; Be not like a dead hedge, with the many, by standing longer, waxing rottener; Art thou past growth in body? yet art thou not come to thy full growth in soul;

thou so journest here in this valley of teares, untill thy faith be turned into vision, and thy hope into frui∣tion. As a new born babe desire the sincere milk of the Word, that thou mayest grow thereby[m]; The A∣postle speaketh it to the eldest as well as to the youngest. There is no bound for this thy growth, but the common bound of thy mortali∣ty: Grow still in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ[n]; without whom, all knowledge is ignorance, all wise∣dom foolishnes, all learning mad∣ness, and all religion errour, or hy∣pocrisy, or superstition; and of whom, the greatest part of that which thou knowest is not the least part of that which thou knowest not; Never be to teach unwilling, or to learn ashamed.

30.

THink not thou hast knowledge enough, for then thou clearely bewrayest thy want of knowledge;

such as have attained and received the greatest knowledge, do find in themselves the greatest ignorance; such as imagine themselves to be most sure and rich in understanding, are indeed most sottish and childish in the matters of God: like empty vessels that make the greatest sound. Hereby thou shalt try thy self, whe∣ther thou hast reached to any mea∣sure of acceptable knowledge; if it work and kindle in thee a desire of more knowledge; if it do praferre fa∣cem, hold the light before thee, to see thy own weakness; and if it teach thee that still thy wants are greater than thy wealths.

31.

DEspise not, undervalew not, the the holy Word of God, because it is conveied unto thee by sinfull man: Forsake not the exercises of religion for the wickedness or un∣worthiness of the Minister; As thou art not to receive his doctrine for his good life, so thou art not to reject it for his evil life: An evill Messenger may deliver a good message. The

Pharisees in the dayes of Christ were lewd livers, full of pride, covetous∣nes, hypocrisy, and dissimulation, and many of them of other tribes than of Levy; yet so long as they fate in Moses chaire, that is, held themselves to Moses text and do∣ctrine, the disciples are commanded ded to heare them (as damned hy∣pocrits as they were) and to do whatsoever they commanded[o]; which words our Saviour would ne∣ver have delivered, if either the Minister might have defiled the Word, or any man be allowed for the faults of the Minister to have rejected and refused the Lords My∣steries.

32.

IF thou wouldst increase in learn∣ing, and grow in grace, set thine ears to harken to the Word; if thou wouldst not have thy prayers despised, despise not the Word; to heare the Word come thou never careless, lest thou depart fruitless; come thou never with any con∣tempt, least thou reape condemna∣tion;

whosoever busieth himself in other things, as gazing here and there, observing clothes, and coun∣tenances, remooving, talking, beck∣ning, nodding, and such like ge∣stures, whil'st he is hearing, hea∣reth but with half an ear, if with half an ear, whereas both are too little for so high a work; whereas all the powers both of soul and bo∣dy should for that time wait upon the voice of the Preacher.

33.

WHensoever thou art resolved to hear, be an humble suter to God for a blessing both upon thy self and the preacher; upon the preacher to prepare his speech, upon thy self to perswade thy soul: For though hearing of necessity go before faith, yet faith doth not of necessi∣ty follow after hearing; The fowler catcheth not every bird he calleth, neither doth the preacher win every soule he wooeth; whom the Holy Ghost teacheth not inwardly they return unlearned[p]; It is not

mans words that maketh man un∣derstand Gods Words, It is God that maketh him to understand[q]; He hath his chaire in heaven that mooveth hearts on earth[r].

34.

COme not to the house of God, onely to heare others taught, but to learn thy self too; come not to refresh thy self, but to reform thy life; Affect not such teaching, as ap∣peareth to be most plausible, but such as is most profitable; not that which may please the ear, but that which may pierce the heart: Attend not so much what well digested or∣der, what eloquence, what learning the preacher sheweth, as what mis∣opinions he detecteth, what schismes or heresies he convinceth, what sins he reprooveth, that so thou mayest the sooner come to repentance. There is danger in not hearing, and no less daunger in hearing and not profiting; It is not more wic∣ked not to come to hear, than to come and hear, and mind to be wic∣ked;

Better not come to hearing, than not come, by hearing, to be better.

35.

HEar not the Word by parts, and parcels, by clauses or cantels onely, so farr as it agreeth with thy humor, and keepeth fair and far off from medling with thy offences; but attend and hear as well the judg∣ments of God thundered out against thee, in the Law, as the sweet pro∣mises pronounced, and offered in the Gospell; as well the laying o∣pen of thy own sins, as the publish∣ing of the sins of other men: we are ready to hear all things that are commanded thee of God, saith Cor∣nelius[s], when Peter came to preach at his house; not to hear on∣ly such things as we like, but to hear all things that are commanded thee of God; though thou be char∣ged to press most earnestly upon us, to turn from our most pleasing ways. O who commeth to hear now a∣dayes with the like mind? And yet, as he must be reformed whosoever

will be saved, so he must with a calme, and subdued heart, intertain all just reproofs, whosoever desireth to be reformed.

36.

SUbmit thy self unto thy Minister with reverence and patience, not onely when thou hearest pleasing things, precious promises, and gra∣cious comforts; but when thou hearest him, according to Gods Word, sounding an alarm in thine ears, uttering reproofs, delivering threatnings, and denouncing judg∣ments, against the prevailing sins of the time (and therefore per∣haps thine amongst the rest) as ly∣ing, slandering, murmuring, and treason, pride and oppression, ma∣lice and cruelty: The which how∣soever it seem as bitter potions and very distastfull to flesh and bloud, yet is it very wholesom for the soul and spirit, may help to purge away the gross humours of sin, and pre∣serve from eternall death. No wic∣keder man than he, who being hardened in sin hateth to be reproo∣ved,

who cannot without raging in∣dure to hear him, by whom he is meekly and wisely rebuked for his sins.

37.

THat thou mayest not perish, but profit, by the threatnings of God; know that the denunciations of Gods Judgments, are, for the most part, conditionall, not absolute, towards his people; and to be un∣destood with this exception, except they repent[t]; If we be hereupon stirred up to repentance and new obedience, even in the greatest and most fearfull threatnings of Gods heavy Judgments, there is comfort re∣maining, and hope of grace & mercy to be found, there is health in sick∣ness, and life in death.

38.

NEither read, nor hear, as tra∣vailers by the Law might ear grapes[u], that is, eat some for the present time, but carry none away with them; but whatsoever good

thou readest or hearest, learn to remember it, and remember to fol∣low it; remember it, love it, practise it; remember it that thou mayest earnestly love it, love it that thou mayest continually practise it, and persevere in it; to read it, or hear it, and not to remember it, is ridiculous; to remember it, and not to love it, is vain; to love it, and not to pra∣ctise it, is absurd; but to remember it, love it, practise it, and persevere in it, is the way to everlasting bles∣sedness.

39.

UNderstand this and mark it, that outward service separated from inward obedience is not respected but rejected of God; If thou keep from him the one, he careth not for the other; naked hearing is but a needless halting in Gods sight, which God cannot abide; bare re∣ceiving of the holy Sacrament, with∣out faith, without love, without con∣science, is but a base deceiving of thy own soul.

40.

KNowledge and practice of Gods will are as two wings whereby we must flie up to heaven; there is no flying with the one alone; It is not enough to know what to do, unless we labour to do what wee know; knowledge without obedi∣ence and imployment is not a ver∣tue for good, but a venom for hurt, and in such an unthrifty steward, the more, increase of science, the more increase of sorrow: For what can he look for in the end, but an equall number of stripes, according to the measure of his unfruitfull un∣derstanding? Even ignorance tho∣rough want of the means, shall exempt no person from offence, or condemnation; He that knowes not his masters will shall not altoge∣ther escape unpunished, though his case be more tolerable, though his censure shall be the less, though he be beaten with fewer strips; but on him, to whom the Lord hath vouch∣safed the means of knowledge, will

he be sure to powr down the grea∣ter vengeance; but that servant that knew his Masters will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his[w] will, shall be beaten with many stripes; the better he knows, the worse he shall be beaten.

41.

ADscribe neither too much, nor too little to thy Minister; Nei∣ther despise him, nor deify him, as the manner of some is; Esteem him not as a principall author, but as a subordinate actor, Not as a Lord, (which the Apostles every where disclaim) but as a steward, Not as a Master, but a Minister; And yet ac∣count him, not as a common and ordinary servant, but a man of God[x], a servant of the most high God, that sheweth unto thee the way of Salvation[y]; And yet account him, as he is indeed, not only a seer, but an overseer[z], a steward of Gods high secrets[a], a messenger of the Lord of hosts[b], who is ap∣pointed to be the opener and de∣clarer

of the will of God amongst the people; by whose ambassage there is peace concluded and recon∣ciliation ministerially made between God and man[c]; the mouth of God unto the people by preaching, and by praying the mouth of the people unto God; one that in spe∣ciall place standeth before God, and ministreth unto him upon earth, as the Angells minister unto him in heaven[d].

42.

WHatsoever publick mislike, or privat unkindness fall out, yet fall not out of charity with him, whom God hath thought fittest to make thy Pastour; That speciall proviso, that strict charge, is not yet out of date, but in full force all thy life long, Take heed to thy self that thou forsake not the Levite, as long as thou livest upon the earth[e]; Did God, as men commonly do, make slight account of the Levite, he would not set so strong a guard about him, for his credit, and pre∣servation. The Jewes have a saying,

that whosoever dieth in the displea∣sure of his Rabbi, that is, of him that hath charge of his soul, he shall not be forgiven in this world, or the world to come: I dare not affirm so much; But this I dare affirm, and can confirm, that dying, or living, to despise thy overseer, if it be not unpardonable, yet it is unprofitable, and that for thy self: obey them that have the rule over you, and submit your serves (to their good exhortati∣ons) for they watch for your souls, as they that must give an account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief, for that is unprofi∣table for you, saith the Apostle[f], For if you grieve your overseers you will make them faint and quaile a∣way, and so you shall want guides to go in and out before you, and then you shall be ready and a fit prey for that roaring Lyon that go∣eth about seeking whom he may de∣vour. Nay I dare boldly say more, to despise thy Priest, though never so low, is a sin of so high nature, that it is no lower than to despise the high Priest Christ Jesus, He that des∣piseth

you (in thought, word, or deed) despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me, saith Christ himself[g].

43.

FAithless wretches and no better let them ever be in thy esteem, Never think them trust-worthy, whom thou seest malitiously bent a∣gainst the persons of their faithfull Pastours; Revile not, abuse not, offend not any of those that are cal∣led of God to be the Ministers of his Word, to be the stewards of his my∣steries[h], and to be his Ambassa∣dours[i], whom he hath set to be neer unto him, and to be in speciall grace and favour with him. Dare a∣ny contend with him that is the Kings friend or favourite? Do not all desire, and seek his favour? How then dare any disgrace and disho∣nour those, and seek their utter ru∣ine, whom God hath pleased to make, as it were, of his privy Coun∣sell, not to give him Counsell, but to take counsell from him, and to re∣veale

his counsell to the sons of men[k]?

44.

IN all thy secret and unknown sins (which thou tookest not to be sins, which thou in weakness and ignorance hast committed), A ge∣nerall acknowledgment, and gene∣rall (if serious) mourning for them, may procure thy pardon; but thy known sins thou must confess in speciall, the severall kind of them at least, though thou canst not remem∣ber the individuals; and pray with earnestnes of spirit, as for life, and death, for the remission of them; thou must uncase, and uncover them, with all their circumstances, if thou wouldst have God to cover them with the precious garment of JESUS CHRIST; Bles∣sed is the man whose sins are cove∣red, David saith[l], but whose sins are covered by Christ, not by him∣self; himself must open them; Da∣vid's heart smote him after he had numbred the people out of his meer pride and vanity to know how ma∣ny

thousand strong he was: and when he saw multitudes of the peo∣ple swept away with the pestilence for his sin, with extreme sorrow of heart he cryed unto the Lord, and said, Lo I have sinned, and I have done wickedly, but these sheep what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and a∣gainst my Fathers house[m].

45.

ALwayes remember that there are privative sins, as well as positive, negative, as well as affir∣mative; Not to do good, is to do evill; As well the forsaking or neglecting of necessary duties, as the practising and pursuing oppo∣site evills may make a man stand guilty of sin in Gods sight; He is called a wicked and slothfull ser∣vant, who put not his Lords mo∣ney to the exchangers, thought he had hid it in the earth, and kept it safely; and the same is cast into ut∣ter darkness not for wasting his ta∣lent, or abusing it unto oppression,

but for letting it rust, for not indea∣vouring to use it to his masters the Donors advantage, according to his appointment[n]; Even Christ himself yeeldeth this much against himself, that if he had not done that good deed to the man with the wi∣thered hand, he had done evill, and if he had not given life to that dead member of his, he had so far killed him[o]; It was not acting enmi∣ty, but omitting amity, not the taking away of others goods, but not giving of his own, that threw that delicious cormorant Dives in∣to Hell[p]; He took nothing from Lazarus, He robbed him not of a rag, He got not from him a crum of bread, or a drop of water; and yet he is accounted cruell and un∣mercifull, and is cast into tor∣ments[q].

46.

BEware of superficialnes, and in∣tertain seriousness whensoever thou art about any divine office ei∣ther for others, or for thy self; Let not thy mind wander, remember

what thou hast in hand, consider what thou art doing, do it with thy best exactness; In examination call not only thy proceedings and deeds, but thy intents and thoughts to ac∣count; In humiliation condemn thy inward cogitations which appear vain, as well as thy outward courses which appear violent; In reforma∣tion omit not to purge thy soul from impious imaginations, when thou meanest to cleanse thy life from ungodly conversation. Oh there is no sin can be so small, but it deserveth the anger of God, and is too great to be cherished; Nay the very entrance and being of any vile conceipt within us, though we do not cherish it, though nei∣ther deed follow, nor heart consent, is yet no less than a traitor to Gods Majestie.

47.

TRust not to thy trembling at the judgments of God, to thy fear to commit sin, to thy sorrow for it when thou hast committed it; trust not to the contrition of thy

heart, to the cōfession of thy tongue, to the repaiment of the ill got∣ten-goods, which the common Pa∣pists make to be the three essentiall parts of true repentance; For even the very reprobate may go so far in their profession, and yet afterwards fall away; All such qualities and practices might be found in some measure in Judas, that betrayed his master[r]; but let thy repentance proceed with conversion to God, with hope of mercy, with prayer for pardon, with bewailing whatso∣ever is amiss, and labouring to a∣mend whatsoever thou bewailest; with hatred of sin, with love of righteousness; but let it proceed with turning thine eyes that were windows to let in iniquity, into doors to let it out; but let it persevere with a true turning of thy heart, and a right refor∣mation of thy life; For that is the way that hath the promise: He that confesseth, and forsaketh his sins, shall have mercy[s]; He that joynes with his acknowledgment of what he hath offended in, a setled

purpose to renounce and strive a∣gainst the same, yea and all cor∣ruptions els, He it is whom God accepts, He it is which shall find favour with the Lord; He that con∣fesseth his sins, and would forsake his sins, before the earthly Judge, is many times condemned; but he that confesseth his sins, and forsa∣keth his sins, before the heavenly Judge, is alwayes acquitted.

48.

WHat though thou canst not attaine to loth sinsulness with so great a detestation, and to follow righteousness with so great a desire, as some other Saints have done? yet be not maskered, be not disanimated, fear not the losing of thy reward, if thou keep on still ac∣cording to thy strength, to flie the one truly, and follow the other faithfully: God useth not to charge any man with the evill which he alloweth not, but hateth, and stri∣veth against, though his seet be sometimes in a wrong path; and he

cannot thoroughly avoid it; and how mercifully doth he approve every man for the good that he de∣sireth & indeavoureth to do, though he now and then swarve from it, and cannot perfectly effect it?

49.

IF thy soul be truly penitent, with great grief and heaviness of heart, for all thy sins; If thou sincerely cry to God for mercy, and forgiveness, and bring forth fruits worthy a∣mendment of life; If thou renounce al merit of righteousness in thy self, and flie to the merits and righte∣ousness of Christ; Never account thy estate and condition forlorn and desperat; Never doubt of Gods mercy though thou hast sin∣ned often, and often shewed thy weakness in the same sins; Da∣rest thou set any bounds to Gods grace? When the Apostle S. Peter asked Christ how often he should forgive his brother, whether seven times? Did not our Saviour answer, Not seven times only, but seventy

times seven[t], in the bare letter of the text, but according to the true meaning of the same, even so many times as he trespassed against him, though they were times be∣yond speciall number[u]? O speech full of consolation, how doth it ani mate us to repose on the Lords mercy? Is not the Lord greater than man? Is he not better than man? If he require so great com∣passion in a man, in a sinfull man, to forgive his brother trespassing a∣gainst him so often; what compas∣sion is in himself, to forgive his own poor penitent creature that prostrates himself to his mercy? The Lord, who hath enjoyned us to forgive so often, will much more freely do it himself; whose mercy is infinite, whose favour is incom∣prehensible, whose loving kindness indureth for ever.

50.

LOok both behind thee to be∣waile sins past, and before thee to beware of sins to come; He re∣pents

not heartily that amends not thoroughly, refolveth not at least thoroughly to mend. With a right deploration of sin, there is ever a true detestation of sin; Death may defeat the performance of thy pur∣pose, or God may permit Sathan to tempt thee afresh presently, and powerfully, but there must be in thine heart a resolution, at least, an intent of reformation, or els it is no sincere, but a seeming repentance.

51.

THinke it not enough to make conscience of some greater sins, so long as thou neglectest smaller; Neither yet make conscience of some petty sins, neglecting grea∣ter: Beware of limiting thy duty to God, perform obedience to thy ut∣most power; If, when thou hast done thy best, thou yet fail in fit measure; Be not sowr in thy self where God is sweet, vex not thy self out of measure; God measureth not our work but out will, He remitteth what is wanting, He receaveth what what is well.

52.

NEver think it enough to believe only in generall, that God is just, and that Christ hath suffered to satisfie the justice of God; For (whatsoever some prime Papists teach[w], what can a confused and implicit faith profit? how can that faith ever save thee, when the un∣godly and Sathan believe as much, when the Devils believe and trem∣ble? but indevour, by all good meanes, to be able to apply Christ and his benefits unto thy self in par∣ticular; The particular faith is the onely comfortable faith, and by this the just man liveth[x]; As faith is the life of a Christian soul, so an individuall application is the life of faith; O God, thou art my God, saith David[y]; and againe, De∣liver me O my God, out of the hands of the wicked[z]; and again, Thou art my God, and I will praise thee, thou art my God, I will exalt thee[a]; and so in many o∣ther Psalmes; My Lord and my

God, saith Thomas[b], being ra∣vished with Christs assured pre∣sence, and his having obtained vi∣ctory over his doubting: who hath loved me, and given himself for me, saith Paul[c], apprehending and applying the merits of his Saviour to his soule, as the medicine to the malady.

53.

IF the departing of others from their faith, whom thou concei∣vedst more likely to have departed from their lives; Sathans alleging and aggravating thine infirmities, affronting & affrighting thee with Gods Justice, troubles and persecu∣tions, one after another (like Job's messengers) shake and stagger thee, make thee question thy own faith; yet if with thy faith in God thou feelest in thy self a hatred of sin, and a desire of righteousness, which refraineth thee from much wickedness, and stirreth thee up to some works of vertue (although there remain in thee the relicts of sin, yea a motion unto sin contra∣ry

to the Spirit of God, which also breaketh out sometimes into actu∣all sins) yet if thy conscience shall not upbraid thee with sin wilfull and presumptuous; if thy hearts delight hath always been in Gods Statutes, & thy study to thy strength to abandon all iniquity, soundly without guile, and humbly without pride, It is a hand and seal unto thy soule to make it sure thou shalt be saved.

54.

DOst thou doubt and fear that thou truly lovest not grace and salvation, and yet lovest all the or∣dinances of God for mans salvati∣on, and yet hungrest and thirstest after the word and Sacraments, and all other Christian exercises? Be not deceived, be not discouraged, These are sure effects of sincerity; These things make it apparent that thy doubts are of no weight, and thy fears frivolous; Thou couldst not with so great care and circum∣spection seek, if thou wert not willing to find; Thou couldst not

with so great speed and resolution travell, if thou hadst not hearty mind to thy journeys end, even the sal∣vation of thy soul[d].

55.

DOst thou feel sometimes a dole∣full change in thy mind? Is thy soul cast down, and disquieted with∣in thee? Doth thy faith sometimes fearfully stagger? Art thou ready to give over thy hold of God? Yet out of his gracious goodness will he never give over the hold that he hath of thee; His anchor is so firm∣ly setled and fixed upon the ground of thy heart, that no stormes or tempests can shake or loose it; Art thou prone sometimes to leave God? yet is he resolved not to leave thee, or to lose thee; The Lord hath bought thee at too high a price to part upon such low termes from thee,

56.

SEest thou the wicked so forward to put evill motions in practice, that they no sooner apprehend them, but approve them, no sooner approove, them than exe∣cute them, yea proceed and conti∣nue in them cheerfully and con∣stantly? Tell not them of Beares or Lyons in the way: They are busy in pursuing their game, and they will get it whatsoever it cost them, for they have so decreed and set it down; Oh be thou as ready to in∣tertaine the good motions of Gods holy Spirit; Esteem of them highly, and imbrace them heartily, practise them freely and faithfully, and re∣turn the strength to the giver; so shal God plentifully powr down his grace upon thee, so shall thou never want favour after favour; God will never fail to add good to him, who imployes that good which he hath received; Imploy all those gifts thou hast, and look for more; Im∣ploy them not, and look to lose what thou hast; whosoever hath to

him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance[e], and who∣soever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have[f].

57.

BE not a sluggard in any good calling, and much less in thy cal∣ling to Christianity; notwithstan∣ding all discouragements, tempta∣tions and oppositions to the con∣trary, that may stand up in the way to hinder thee; The calling of a Christian can least of all others stand with idleness; If the idle mans belly shall be pinched and starved for want of food[g], and his back cloathed with raggs[h]; If by do∣ing nothing he shall bring himself to nothing, and having no calling poverty have a calling to arrest him; How shall the idle Christians soule speed; what regard, what in∣tertainment shall that have? wish not only for grace and salvation, but work out thy salvation with fear and trembling[i]; If every lan∣guishing and lazy flash of every wi∣sher

and woulder were enough, there would be swarmes of repro∣bates in heaven, flocks and flights of people would never fall into de∣struction, if words and desires with∣out religious and righteous deeds would preserve them from it; Ba∣laam that wretched, covetous hy∣pocrit, wished that he might dy the death of the righteous[k], but he took no care to live the life of the righteous, which might have assu∣red him of dying well; The foolish Virgins would have gladly gone in with the Bridegroom, they hoped af∣ter oil of the wiser Virgins, and beg∣ged hard to be let in, if that might have prevailed; But they bewailed their want, and went to buy oil for their Lamps when it was too late, but they would not be at the paines and charges to provide themselves of oil in due time; but they had it not in readiness when the Lord came suddenly in the night: and therefore they reaped the soure fruit of their sweet security, they had the gates of the Bridegroom, and the door of eternall life shut up a∣gainst

them, and were excluded in∣to perpetuall darknes where is wee∣ping and gnashing of teeth[l].

58.

IN all the actions and transactions of thy life, Let thy projects be pious and righteous, and thy pra∣ctices proportionable and allowa∣ble; to aime at the best ends by by-wayes is schismaticall, to walk in the most worthy wayes to wry intents is hypocriticall, to desire neither lawfull works nor lawfull wayes is Atheisticall, but to labour at least for the right prize by the right path, is alwayes both com∣fortable and commendable, is both the office and wisdom of a Christi∣an.

59.

LEt there be in thy purpose sin∣cerity in thy practice integrity, in thy disposition diligence, in thy proceeding perseverance; Let thy dutyes both to God and man, be without dissembling, without dimi∣nishing,

without repining, without revolting.

60.

BE alwayes rich in the work of the Lord[m], ready to distri∣bute, willing to communicate[n]; Be ready to every work[o], which either the common duty of Chri∣stianity, or thy own private calling requireth of thee; or with such sa∣crifices God is well pleased[p]; and faith very probably prooved; The historicall faith, or faith of mi∣racles may appear without good works as in the Devils who have one of them, and in Judas that dam∣ned reprobate who had both of them; but the true justifying faith that ingraffs thee into Christ, that reconciles thee to God, that quits thy sin, and saves thy soul can ne∣ver be known to others nor to thy self, but by good works; There may happily be works where there is not faith, but there is certainly no true faith where there are no works; They are the tokens and trials, the pulse and breath at least

of a lively faith; and by want of them, thou mayest as well conclude want of faith, as by the ceasing of the pulse, and breath, conclude the ceasing of life.

61.

IT is not enough to do well, un∣less thou speedily dispatch what thou dost; Delayes, in any thing that is good, are ill, and in the best things worst; deadness and drow∣siness in doing duty is no fit service in his sight, who requireth fer∣ventness; and cheerfulness in all good actions; There may be as great a fault in practising a vertue too late, as in performing a vice too soon; say not to thy neighbour, go and come again, and to morrow I will give thee, when thou hast it by thee[q], when thou hast where∣with to supply his wants to day: To morrow may never come, ei∣ther to him, or thee, or, if it come to thee, it may come unseasonable and unable to do him good; what availeth it to let the grass grow

when the horse starveth? or when the steed is stollen to shut the stable door?

62.

ARt thou advanced to authori∣ty, and established in high place? make not much of vile per∣sons of what estate soever, whose true title, for all their other titles, is, that they are the enemies of God: but make much of and be sure to honour those that sear the Lord, and walk in his wayes, how mean soever they are upon earth, if ever thou desire and hope to inherit glo∣ry with them in heaven. Look not with so great regard how perso∣nable men are, or of what birth, or wealth, as of what faith and con∣science, and pious deportment; shew most curtesy to those that are most Christian, and give best coun∣tenance to them that are of best be∣haviour. If God have deputed thee to keep his room, to resemble his Majestie, to bear his image, it is not onely comely but necessary, thou shouldst follow his example,

whose bountifull favours never fail the righteous, nor the light of his loving countenance at any time shineth on the wicked.

63.

LOve all, even thy deadlyest ene∣myes, and do good unto them, and that not only in their prosperity and flourishing estate, but in their greatest need, so far as thou dost not maintain, and help them against Christ; yea as thou seest the gifts of God more cleerly to shine, & more manifestly to multiply in them, so let thy love increase towards them; Let not their will or work to hurt thee, overcome thy will or work to help them; Adjoin not thy im∣patiency to their injustice, keep them not off from thee by oppo∣sing, or upbraiding, but rather draw them neerer unto thee, by prayer and kindness; It is in vain for thee to represent and press, what evill they have done unto thee, how ma∣ny wayes they have wronged thee; should Christ have loved none but

his friends, he had never loved thee; It is impossible for men to do that wrong one to another, which we have done all to God; There can be no surer pledge to thy soul, that thy sins are forgiven with God, and that he favoureth thee, than if thou find a readiness in thy self to remit in∣juries, and to favour those that do them; but especially make much of the houshold of faith, but more af∣fectionatly and more liberally Chri∣stians by profession, Saints by cal∣ling, heires by faith, but especially do good to those that are the sons of God by grace and adoption, that are thy brethren by grace & sancti∣fication, whom God hath ingraven as a signet in the palm of his hand, and whom he tendereth as the apple of his ey; Let them have the privi∣lege of an elder brother, even a dou∣bly portion; who when for thy mis∣carriages they privatly blame thee, do not meanly profit thee, and plea∣sure thee, by shewing thy sins to thy self, and covering them from o∣ther; and yet that is all the injury thou art like to receive from them.

64.

BE not hollow-hearted, but sin∣cerely affected; Be not, like sub∣till Saul[r], and hypocriticall Ab∣salon[s], onely kind in fair salu∣tations, and friendly words; but, like faithfull Jonathan[t], and honest Onesiphorus[u], in deeds make good thy kindness, and mani∣fest thy truth; and that not forci∣bly, or with grudging, but with good will, cheerfully, and that not sparingly, or basely, but bountiful∣ly, and with a large hand; If thou shalt do this from the true ground, because God hath commanded, and to a right end, that God may be glo∣rified, and thy neighbour bettered, there shall not be wanting any thing to true liberality.

65.

SUch as are wronged, and oppres∣sed, and cannot help themselves, be ready to help, by all good means thou canst afford; by thy deeds, and

by thy words, by thy Counsell and by thy comforts, by thy pleading with men for them, and prayers to to God; and the more help them the weaker they are to help them∣selves, and the stronger thou art to help them; He that hasteneth to be mercifull to another, shall himself in the like case soonest obtaine mer∣cy; Neither is there a surer signe than mercy to be found of any mans present being under mercy.

66.

FOr thy neighbours vertues allow not his vices; Neither for his vices condemne his vertues; Hate not so much his sodaine passions, as never to love his sober actions; ob∣scure not the glory of Gods gifts upon whomsoever bestowed; but wisely distinguishing between every mans good properties, and his bad, Let the one be as a rock, the other as a rule, let the one divert thee, the other direct thee.

67.

NEither seek, nor admit imbow∣elled intireness, or any speci∣all familiarity with those notorious hypocrits, those soul-murderers, who either poyson the Church with he∣resy, or (which is worse than to sa∣crifise to Idols) dismember and rent it asunder with schism; who labour to alienate the minds of men from their right teachers, and from the Word and Sacraments in the Church of this Land, because of their pri∣vate dislikings and discontents; (to the hinderance of the chief business, and furtherance of the common ene∣my) whose friendship is servitude and abides not equality, whose kisses are treasons, whose religion is poli∣cy, and whose policy wickednes; who infect all whom they can draw within the compass of communica∣tion; and intise as many as they can possibly within that compass; with whom a man cannot peacea∣bly live in this world, except he will believe with them, and with whom

a man cannot believ, if he perfe∣ctly trust to live in the world to come.

68.

BE not more carefull what thou eatest, or drinkest, than amongst whom thou eatest, or drinkest: For there are some whose places we should rather desire, than their per∣sons, and their roomes, rather than their company; who have forsaken God, and whom God hath forsa∣ken; with the which loathsom and despicable men, more virulent and contagious than the breath of a Ba∣silisk, we may neither eat, nor drink, that is, not familiarly converse; Evill words corrupt good manners[w]; and what then doth evill company do? Oh what dangerous infection hath evill conversation often brought and wrought in those, who had made no small progress in Christianity? conversation breedeth that in conti∣nuance, that is not beaten off in any continuance.

69.

ARe they onely now adayes held complete and furnish∣ed cap-a-pe that can sort them∣selves to all companies, that can indifferently converse with all man∣ner of persons, yea though they know their ill qualities as well as if they were stamped in their fore∣heads? yet consider with all diligence whom thou admittest into thy house, or in whose house thou betakest thy self to dwell; avoid all private and customary conversation with the wicked, though not publick com∣merce[x]; Decline their very pre∣sence as much as thou mayest, ex∣cept thou be to discerne their dis∣eases, and minister medicines to cure them, or necessity of some duty of religion, or of thy vocation, or love or humanity command thee to be with them. What man in his right wits would wittingly and wilfully thrust himself into the hands of thieves, having no less charge than the precious graces of Gods Spirit

about him? Enter not into the path of the wicked, saith Salomon, and go not in the way of evill men, a∣void it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away[y]; what an heap of words doth he use? and to what serve so many repetitions? but to shew the exceeding danger of com∣municating with the wicked, and how hardly we are drawn to leave them.

70.

BEtter others by thy company, or by thy company better thy self; Either alwayes learn some good of others, or be teaching some good thing to others; Hath thy neighbour any resplendent grace? make it thine; Hast thou any rare gift? make it his; what rather should be the cen∣ter of all our conversation and confe∣rence, than to help and further one another in knowledge, and the pra∣ctice thereof, than to make those that are bad good, and those which are good better?

71.

FLatter not thy self that any sin is the less, the more commit it; walk not on the bolder in any sin, because thou seest a multitude of fellowes in it; For what is an unregenerate and unsanctified company, but a rout of Rebells and an heap of confede∣rates conspiring together against God? Even the learnedst heathen thought it not the least part of their glory, to steer a course (like the Antipodes) clean opposite to the liking of the vulgar; How much more, though thou hast multitudes wilfully to go before thee, shouldst thou know, whom they follow, be∣fore thou willingly follow and joyn thy self with them? If thou offend with others, thou shalt be punished with others; and, if thou sin with great troupes, thou shalt suffer with great troupes; canst thou think it will be any consolation unto thee, in the end, that, as thou hast not sinned alone, so thou shalt not be punished alone? what profit hath

the thief that is going to the place of execution, to see a train of ma∣ny others bear him company? Is his judgment any whit the soster? or is his comfort any whit the soun∣der?

72.

PUll up thy spirits, and excite thy self, not onely to do good, but to be chief in doing good, but to la∣bour, like S. Paul, more abundant∣ly than others(z); Hasten and strive in any good course to run before o∣thers, to lead them the way; that thou mayest have the greater and better reward in that great day; The chief and principall in any good work that draw on and encourage others in the way of godlyness by their earnest example, their reward, no doubt, shall be exceeding great, they shall have a chief and princi∣pall compensation; the wages shall be sure to be according to the works.

73.

ADmire not all the fayings and doings of worshipfull & wealthy men; Neither think that all that have power and titles are surely wise; but rather more especially pray for them, that they may be wise; for it is good, yea necessary for them, who have gotten the grea∣test inheritances, to get the greatest wisdom; that will make their pos∣sessions yet better, and that will bring them to a better use of their possessions, that will incite them to prayer, and thankfulness; that will moove them to compassion and mer∣cy, and make them able and ready to exercise every good duty in their calling: As on the other side their wealthyness, without wisdom, will be a ginne and temptation to lewd∣ness, and but as a sword in a madd mans hand.

74.

LEt not the dew of Heaven, and the store of the Earth become snares unto thee and occasions of fal∣ling; If thou be hedged about with outward blessings, and God have given thee great abundance to en∣joy; If riches increase, though by never so honest means, though never so well gotten, or well saved, or well imployed; yet trust not in them, boast not of them, set not thy heart upon them: set thy eyes and hands and marks and seals upon them, but not thy heart, at least settle not thy heart upon them; settle that wholy and soly upon God; settle not the least piece of it upon any other delight whatsoever; God loveth indeed a broken heart, as the Psalmist saith(a); but not broken into pieces between him and the world, but a wounded heart he meanes, lanced and torn with an∣guish for sins, because it is guilty of much undutifull, and offensive car∣riage towards God.

75.

SEarch not so much after pedegrees, as after piety, which is the chie∣fest ornament of a Christian; Nei∣ther respect so much first and noble birth in the world, as second and new birth in Christ; what is the best bloud worth without the best be∣lief? what boots it to be well de∣scended, if thou be ill disposed? to be before others in greatness, if thou be behind them in grace? what avail ancient progenitors without ans∣werable duties and goodness accor∣ding? what shall it profit thee to come of nobles according to the flesh, if thou nothing resemble them in the Spirit? He is Noble who is the Child of God, who is born from above he is honorable, being son to a King, brother to a King, Heb. 2.11. heire to a King, Rom. 8.17. yea to the King of glory, Psal. 24.7. to the King of all Kings higher than the highest, Ecclesiast. 5.7. If thou esteem true nobility, labour by faith to be engraffed into Christ,

and to be invested into the vertues of a Christian; to have thy name written in the book of life, and to be reckoned in the rowl of the righte∣ous; At this let all thy practice, let all thy pleasure levell at this; so shalt thou be certain to attain that bles∣sing, of which thou canst not say how much thou dost attain; so shalt thou be made both an heire of the earth, and have a title of inheri∣tance in heaven.

76.

DIsdain not those that are most neerly linked and allied unto thee, though never so mean; but let kinred perswade and procure kindness; but succour them and be∣friend them, whereinsoever thou mayest do them good; as the Law of nature teacheth, and Christian duty bindeth; count them not a blemish to thy blood, nor a burden to thy state, the one argues thy scornfulnes, the other thy miserable∣ness; Disdain rather the cursed con∣dition of those monsters in nature,

so visible daily before our faces, who being in place and power exalted, warme and well furnished with all comforts, yet not only affect their own flesh and blood least, and most unnaturally prefer strangers before them, but herein worse than Hea∣then and Savages, can see and suffer without compassion, their neerest al∣lies by nature to abide wants, and indure extremities.

77.

KNow thy place, and maintaine the honour of thy place, but by discretion, not by disdaine; but by making a just and meek account of others, if thou wouldst be had in ac∣count by others; For otherwise eve∣ry one doth beare a Kingdom in his breast; howsoever his outward obe∣dience or reverence may be wrested from him; Remember that thy neighbours body was framed out of the same dust, and his soul breathed into him by the same God, as thine was; consider that you were both redeemed with the same price, are

subject to the same law, and belong to the same master, and yet all that is not all the relation between you; but you are much neerer yet, even members of the same mysti∣call body, whereof Christ Jesus is the head; yea members one of ano∣ther. Be thy place therefore never so high, yet look not upon thy infe∣riours with so great strangeness, as if the ey had never seen the foot, or the heart never known the leggs.

78.

LOve not any worldly blessing too much, of what account soe∣ver it be, lay it not too neer thy heart, take not too much comfort and delight in it; love it with un∣feignedness, but notwith unmeasu∣rableness; Thou holdest it but at the will and pleasure of the great and high Landlord of all the world; what knowest thou how soon it may be taken away? May not the true and absolute owner of all the good things thou enjoyest do what he wil with his own? So love it, that thou

desire not to part with it, if God so please; yet so love it, that thou canst be content to part with it, if God so please.

79.

GEt heavenly graces, which make their possessours the better, rather than earthly riches, which often make men worse; and seek to be furnished inwardly, more than outwardly; what though thy greatnes vanish? thy maintenāce de∣crease? thy strength decay? thy friends forsake thee? (as what in this world is not mutable?) what though all worldly things remaining cannot secure thy heart from griefs, and fears, from troubles and vexations? or from thy adversaries violent pursuings and villanous practices? (as in such cases, like Jobs friends, what miserable comforters are they commonly found?) yet thy god i∣ness, thy wisedom, thy love, thy hu∣mility, thy mercy, patience, gentle∣ness, temperance, and the like, will abide with thee, and stand to thee,

and suffer no misery to seize upon thee.

80.

BE not like those gormandizers, those slaves to their appetites, whose God is their belly and whose felicity is meat, and drink; but re∣tain temperance, and soberness, and discretion in thy repasts; live not to eat and drink, but eat and drink to live; that thy body may not faint in the middest of necessary dutyes; that thou mayest be the better able to imploy thy self in thy vocation; Feed thy body to serve, and not to rule, to obey, and not to lead the Spirit, lest (as we also say of fire, water, and money) of a bad servant it prove a worse master; Full meals make foggy minds, and fat bodyes make lean souls.

81.

IF thou desire and hope for Gods blessing upon thy own labours de∣fraud not any other any way of the fruit of his labours; Restrain thy

heart from coveting, thy eyes from desiring, thy hands from handling, thy house from holding other mens substance, lest whilst thou likest that which belongeth by just right to thy neighbour, thou lose for e∣ver that which is thine own; lest, if thou reap where another hath sown, another thresh that which thou hast reaped.

82.

WHatsoever bad practices now adayes are every where to be seen. Howsoever some closely thrive like motes in books and garments, by others losses; and some openly make no scruple, to take bread by force out of other mens mouths; corrade not possessions, lands, or revenews, by sacrilege, treason, de∣predation, plundering, oppression, stealth, or fraud, or by any indi∣rect and unwarrantable dealing: Make stay of purloyning goods un∣justly; but make no stay of dischar∣ging thy hands justly of them; En∣rich not thy self by the spoyl of o∣thers,

nor fill thy house with the furniture of iniquity, lest thou fill it also with the vengeance of God, which is the reward of iniquity. Live, and give of thy own substance, which thou hast gotten by lawfull means, though never so mean; It is better vertuously to want, than viciously to abound; There is more comfort in a little honestly gotten, and heartily given, than in great riches and incomes of the wic∣ked, and mighty, that carry with them Gods marks, and curses, be∣ing wrongfully obtained, and wil∣fully retained.

83.

CAst not conscience over-board, though it be to reach the port of the greatest worldly content∣ment; Let not present gladsomness abolish all thought of future happi∣ness; Account this world but an Inne to lodge in, not an house to dwell in; Alwayes prepare for re∣moving, here is no place for re∣maining.

84.

MAny would be at the rich mans table in this world, and in Abrahams bosome in another; Many would be Demas while they live, and Paul when they are dead; but that thou mayest be in Abra∣hams bosome, and with Paul, at thy death, Be not a Dives, be not a Demas whilst thou livest; He that lives ill seldom dyes well, but he whose life is good, his death is sure not to be bad(b).

85.

IN buying of truth, and heavenly matters, offer not slowly, or nig∣gardly, be not too base a bidder; but in worldly wares and earthly com∣modities, be not too franck a chap∣man; part not with the fear of God, and faith in his providence, for va∣nity of vanities and only vanity; pay not too dear for wealth though thou win it, or for preferments though thou purchase them; com∣pass

not any thing with disturbing of thy conscience, or destroying of thy soul.

86.

WHat though the common conceit presume, that if a man thrive in the world then God loves him; and, if he be crossed in outward things, then God hates him? yet measure not the favour and love of God towards thy self, or others, by prosperity, or adversity; If thou wouldst find comfort in thy heart and unfeigned testimonies of Gods speciall respect towards thee, seek not for them in outward bene∣fits, or in want of outward bene∣fits; (both which are common to the godly and ungodly) but in joy in the holy Ghost, in remission of sins, in repentance from dead works, in the Spirit of adoption, in faith in Christ, in peace of con∣science, which passeth all understan∣ding; As for other things place not thy heaven or happiness in them, for they afford no such assurance; If blessings come receive them thank∣fully;

If crosses happen indure them cheerfully.

87.

COnform thy fashions to thy fare, thy manners to thy means, our severall conditions require feverall carriages; If thou be tryed with adversity bear it without stubborness, or impati∣ency; If thou be called to pros∣perity, use it without insolency, or ingratitude; Debase thy self in the one as God hath debased thee, and take no more stare upon thee in the other than he hath given thee; Let not thy mind be so re∣flective upon thy degree in the world, as upon thy conscience; but especially remember always the Judge of thy conscience; who as in his mercy he hath lifted thee up, so in his wisedom can bring thee down; or, as in his wisedom he hath brought thee down, so in his mercy can lift thee up.

88.

DIsable not thy self from being in the state of blessedness, for the life to come, because thou art in great misery in this life; yea though thou be justly punished for thy sins, for the which thou art not yet suffi∣ciently penitent; Thou shalt but add to thy sorrows, and needlesly in∣crease the weight of thy burden, if thou condemn thy state of election, because the Lord hath elected thee to chastise thee for thy faults; if thou relinquish thy hope of happi∣ness in heaven, because thou art recompensed with judgments on earth; yea therefore are not Gods Children free from all manner of temporall plagues, that they may be free from everlasting, perdition; A man may be sealed by the holy Spirit of God unto the day of re∣demption[c]; A man may be as secure from hell, as Sathan is seclu∣ded from heaven, and yet his cala∣mities may make him groan, and cry, and roar all the day long;

and yet day and night Gods hand may be heavy upon him[d].

89.

BY deliverance from troubles past, assure thy self of delive∣rance from dangers present, and by former benefits never doubt of fu∣ture favour, in Gods good time, so far forth as it may stand with thy spirituall good; God loveth not, as men do, for a day, or two, and so farewell, but it was, it is, and it will be alwayes true, God is the Lord, he changeth not: whom he once loveth, he loveth to the end; and where he hath once shewed mercy, he will persevere in kind∣ness; being yesterday, to day, and the same for ever[e]. When Saul told David that he was but a youth, and therefore too weak to combat with that strong Goliah the cham∣pion of the Philistins, who had been a man of warr from his youth; How soundly and comfortably did David reason from the experience he had in times past of Gods helping hand,

that he who had delivered him from the paw of the Bear, and the jaw of the Lyon, would also save him in that duell which he was to undertake with an uncircumcised Philistin that defied and oppressed the people of God[f]? And how cheerfully did Saint Paul make the same argument, that God did deliver him, doth deliver him and hereafter will deliver him assuredly[g]?

90.

TAke up and bear the yoak of poverty with patience; pover∣ty is no sin; nor alwayes onely the punishment of sin; Even Christ the Lord of heaven and earth, even the Lord of all hast, lead of all, and could say,[h] The Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head; shewing, that as he was the Son of Man, the beasts & fowls were richer than he; he was poorer than the beasts & the birds. Art thou without this worlds goods? yet be not without Chri∣stian courage; God oftentimes re∣compenseth

compenseth the want of earthly blessings, with great abundance of heavenly graces; such gifts in the day of trouble, and in the hour of temptation, shall minister more comfort, and more true peace un∣to thee, than all things which begin with pleasure, and end with cor∣ruption.

91.

HOwsoever thou canst chalenge nothing at Gods hands, as due debt unto thee, but calamities and sorrowes, which are the fruit of thy sins; yet know this, that God often protecteth thee from much harm which thou knowest not of; Cōsider often with all humbleness & thank∣fulness, that God not only foreseeth thy dangers before they can come neer thee, but preserveth thee from many a mischief, and much af∣fliction, which through blindness and ignorance thou neither do'st nor can'st perceive; How much more then will he support thee, when thou knowest thy self to be in trouble, and powrest out thy earnest

prayers unto him, for deliverance out of trouble? He that performeth the greater will alwayes be ready to accomplish the less; He that kee∣peth thee back from the pit that was hidden, will help thee to escape from that which lieth open; He that is so forward to help thee when he is not requested, will not be back∣ward to succour thee when he is in∣treated.

92.

IN thy greatest affliction and most grievous extremity, be thy wants never so great, thy means of ease never so small; be thy hopes in res∣pect of outward helps never so few, the difficulties through which thou must pass, never so many; Regard not so greatly the things that are seen (which may work deadly dis∣couragement and anguish) as that which is not seeen with mortall ey, namely Gods omnipotence; Look not so much to the danger of death before thee, as to the power of God above thee, which is never at a stand, never at a loss; which then

begins to shew it self when human help ends[i]; when mens cases seem most desperate, and help is thought to be furthest of, then is Gods mer∣cy greatest, and his presence neerest, then is his power made perfect through our weakness. When doth the Devill and his children more insult, than when they have men under? but when men are most miserable, then doth God shew most mercy; when faith was en∣feebled by long looking, and hope began to faint with much watching, when the burdens were increased, and the straw was taken away, then came Moses[k]; when the Israe∣lits were hedged in on either side with mountains, when, they had the Sea before them, and the Egyp∣tians marching behind them, and there appeared no way, no reme∣dy, no hope of subterfuge in the sight of man, when Moses war∣rant might seem now to express ra∣ther a dream of desolation, than a day of deliverance, Then did the Lord cause the Sea to part in two, and stand like walls on the right

hand and on the left, till the Isra∣elites had passed over on dry land; and when Pharao followed he made them joyne againe, and drowned him and all his; Then did God (oh admire both his might and his mer∣cy) save his servants and destroy their enemies[l], to the terrour of all those that shall persecute the Church of God and his people.

93.

SEest thou a man in distress, in troubles, crosses, dangers? If thou knowest him not, censure him not, censure not his manners by his misery, remembring and conside∣ring that neither all wicked men are so punished, nor all so punished are wicked men; I meane wicked above others: By prophaneness judge of calamities, not by calami∣ties of prophaneness.

94.

MUrmur not in troubles, storm not in afflictions, as many

do; knowing, from whom they come, and to whom they oft'nest come, better than many do; Do'st thou know they come from God, & darest thou once repine? Do'st thou know how the like are accompli∣shed in all the Saints which are, or have been, or shall be in the world, and darest thou look to be spa∣red? who in these thoughts would grudge that his case is no better, and not rather comfort himself that it is no worse? who would not rest contented with that, which is the pleasure of his Father, and the por∣tion of all his brethren?

95.

IN all thy afflictions, howsoever suppullulating one after another, and exceeding each other in de∣grees, bristle not up thy affections against the pleasure or proceeding of the Almighty, whose judgments thou hast so many times deserved; Look not so much upon thy sor∣rowes, as upon thy sins; and freely acknowledge that not only in that

manner, but in a greater measure God might justly punish thee; He might plague thee more severely because thou art sinfull; but he pu∣nisheth thee mildly because he is mercifull, because his judgments are alwayes mingled with mercy, because his justice and goodness go still together.

96.

AS God chastiseth thee, because he loveth thee, because he would separate from thee that which he misliketh, the dross of thy corruptions, as gold is fined in the fornace; so love thou him be∣cause he chastiseth thee; There is no surer signe of thy having the spi∣rit of patience, and of thy being translated from death to life, than when his mercy bringeth forth fear in thee, and his justice love; He loveth the party heartily, that can love him when he wrongeth him; & (though God can do us no wrong) He loveth God unfeignedly, that can love him when he scourgeth him.

97.

WHatsoever Sathan often sug∣gests to men beset and en∣compassed with any trouble, con∣clude not the estate of the wicked to be the better, because they live for the present in pleasure and pros∣perity; Neither esteem the condi∣tion of the godly to be the worse, because they abide for a while under adversity: For if the gold must pass the furnace, shall not the dross, be rejected? If the good corn must be ground in a rough Mill, and baked in a hot oven, before it become good bread, shall not the chaff be burned up with fire unquenchable? Con∣flicts, and cares, fightings with∣out, and fears within, The outward and inward molestations of good men do not bring them be∣hind the wicked, but rather shew that the sufferings and sorrowes of the wicked are yet behind.

98.

IF thou seest any mourn more than is meet, or more impatient than thou hast commonly seen, for the loss of their yoak-fellowes, or children, brethren or kinred; more weakly complaining that they are gon, than wisely considering whe∣ther they are gon; Yet cast them not off with thy uncharitable censures, lest thou condemn the righteous with the wicked; but bear a part of their burdens, upon thy Christi∣stian counsels, and comforts, and contribution (if thou be able, and they want it) or at the least upon thy prayers, that they with thee, and thou with them, like feeling mem∣bers of the same infirmities, may sustain your crosses by your mu∣tuall supplications, and obtain your assistance by the precious blood of your blessed Saviour.

99.

BE not willing to sin, nor unwil∣ling to suffer for sin; Be not im∣patient if God punish thee a little, when thou hast provok'd him much; but be drawn and driven by it, nee∣rer unto God, and unto his Word; but humble thy self with thankful∣ness, under the mighty hand of God, that out of his great indulgence his afflicting of thee is tolerable; that he doth not exercise that extremi∣ty upon thee, which he justly might; and ingenuously confess with holy Jeremy, that it is of the Lords mer∣cyes (that it ariseth from the abun∣dance of his favour that thou art suffered still to enjoy the benefit of life) that thou art not (utterly) consumed, that thou art not, ac∣cording to thy deserts, strucken dead upon a sudden for thy trans∣gressions.

100.

ARt thou troubled, and grie∣ved, vexed, and oppressed, with changes, and armyes of sor∣rowes? Doth thy heart in the judgment of flesh so faint within thee, with pinching fear and pen∣sive heaviness, that, knowing not how much thou art able to bear by the mediation and strength of CHRIST, thou thinkest thou canst no longer hold out, unless God help thee by such a season? Now what is the wisest man, that he should presume to assigne unto the only wise God his stemming? Is it meet that man should direct God, as if it were his duty to mi∣nister to him, or as if there wan∣ted discretion in him to know when to measure out his favours? Doth not the governour of all the world best discerne his own op∣portunities, as for justice and judg∣ment, so for mercy and compassi∣on? It is good (saith the Pro∣phet) that a man should both

hope, and quietly wait for the sal∣vation of the Lord[o]; prescribe not unto the Lord the time of thy deliverance, but patiently leave it to his determination; Fit not the time to thy self, but fit thy self to the time that he hath appointed.

APHORISMS, OR, BREVIATS, of Speculations. THE SECOND CENTURIE.

1.

HAving sincer∣ly prepared, and devour∣ly disposed thy self, ac∣cording to thy skil, and power, (for how dare a∣ny man speak to Almighty God without premeditation?) Be not out

out of heart, or hope, but make thy addresses in the Name of Jesus, to the Throne of Grace, with an hum∣ble confidence and holy cheerful∣ness; Let thy prayers proceed from a lively faith against all faintness, from a stirring zeal against all slack∣ness, from a stedfast indurance a∣gainst all weariness; what though the Lord grant thee not at first? yet he will at last; what though he grant thee not at all that same thing which thou desirest? He will give thee as good a blessing, or a better.

2.

GIve not over thy prayers, though not presently heard, but with faith, and perseverance, crave, and with hope, and patience, expect Gods grace, and mercy, to help in due and convenient time; Be thy wound never so deep, thou art not past help, so long as thou art not past desire to be holpen; who art thou, or what merit canst thou al∣lege that therefore thy sute ought to receive a present dispatch? what

knowest thou for what reasons God putteth thee off? perhaps not in∣tending utterly to deny thee, but for sundry main and important causes; we tarry mans pleasure, and wait upon him after many petitions; where then is Gods honour? why not wait much longer and willing∣er upon God? who both knoweth our need, and when it is most meet to supply it, better than our neerest friends, better than we our selves, and never faileth or forsaketh those who unfeignedly put their trust in him; who will be sure to do in the end that which shall be most for our good, and his own glory.

3.

NEglect not Prayer under any pretence, though never so plausible, no, not under pretence of Gods knowing and understanding all things, or of his power enabling thee to do all things, or of his pro∣vidence determining all things; but know that Almighty God hath commanded prayer as an instru∣ment

of continuall use, profitable for all things; for the performance of all those things which he hath promised, and appointed; He hath ordained many other means to bring his purposes to passe, but none more excellent than prayer, which procureth a blessing upon all the rest, and without the which the rest cannot prevail.

4.

WHen thou prayest for the for∣giveness of thy sins, as thou art daily bound to do, thou plainely confessest, that thou art not able to satisfie for them; that there can be no satisfaction made to Gods Ju∣stice for sins by our works: How then canst thou supererogate, as some teach and believe? How then can the worthiness of thy deserts be so great, that doing God more ser∣vice than can be sufficiently rewar∣ded in thy own person, thou canst deserve heaven, not only to thy self, but for others too? How then canst thou have an overplus of works, or

the measure of thy works running over, which may be disposed or sold (if he will liberally come off with his coin) to the spirituall be∣nefit of another, which may go for payment of thy fellowes transgres∣sions, when thou hast not enough to supply thy own necessity?

5.

HOw earnestly soever thou pray, against the pride, ma∣lice, and all the devices of the wic∣ked, that God will not suffer their actions to prosper, lest they more and more offend; yet still pray for the offendors, that God may open their eyes, that they may come to see the truth, love it, and imbrace it; yet without exception of per∣sons, remember still to pray for the love of God, the grace of Christ, and the working of the Spirit upon all; upon the godly that they may be confirmed, upon the ungodly that they may be converted.

6.

WHen thou art about to take rest, and knowest not what a night or an houre may bring forth, and knowest not whether thou shalt ever work or wake again, or no; ly not down in thy bed, as a dog lyeth down in a kennell, or a swine in his sty, or an oxe in his stall, without any prayer, any eja∣culation, any good motion to God∣ward; but commit thy self, thy soul, thy body, thy goods, thy brethren, into Gods hand, as a most faithfull keeper; but remember and consider, that God is nigh thee, both in his essence, whereby he filleth hea∣ven, and earth, and in his pre∣sence, whereby he beholdeth thy heart, and all thy courses, watching what thou do'st; He is about thy paths and about thy bed, and spieth out all thy wayes[a]; To him not onely the light is light, but dark∣ness is light; both the light and the night to him are all one in clear∣ness[b]; He therefore, that will

rise in his favour, must ly down in his feare.

7.

HOwsoever worldly men, who savour nothing but of the eart, who see nothing but with fleshly eyes, are unable to behold the beauty of the Church, and ther∣fore account it no part of their hap∣piness, to live within the compass and bosome of it; yet esteem it thou more excellent and precious than all other societies in the world; and with humblest thankfulness consi∣der, how highly thou art bound to God, that thou art made a free de∣nizen of so glorious a Corporation; yea prefer alwayes the good condi∣tion of Gods Church before all concernments of thine own; In the welfare thereof most joy, In the wrong thereof most grieve; Let na∣turall affections move thee much, but let spirituall affections sway thee more; so many cogitations of the distressed estate of the Church, so many teares and prayers for her; Let thy zeal to her evidence thy

right in her; Thou canst not get a better argument or surer witness to thy own heart of being ingraffed into that body, whereof Christ Je∣sus is the head, of having the life of Christianity, and being possessed with the love of godliness, than the having a sensible feeling of the Churches distress, and a sincere and zealous affection and respect to the common good of religion, and the Churches prosperous e∣state.

8.

MArvell not if wicked men get advantage but too soon, and prosper but too well; if such as have no fear of God before their eyes have their projects in some degree performed, and their pre∣sumptions in part pleased; if the vio∣lent tread down the vertuous, and might now & then overcome right; Be not dismayed if the publick e∣nemies sometimes prevail and get the upper hand against the Church, God giveth not alwayes victory for favour, or overthrow for displea∣sure,

but for some other ends; to raise the wicked, that their fall may be the greater(c); to rowse his own, that their faith may be the stronger.

9.

IF thou be not fit to profit the Church or Commonwealth, by thy person, yet seek the good of both of them by thy Prayer; that they may indure, and flourish, and increase, and not be overthrown and suppressed by those that so cru∣elly seek, not their reformation, and conversion, but subversion and ut∣ter undoing; that peace and plen∣teousness, and holiness and righte∣ousness may be alwayes with them, and the free and publick use of the Gospell; that such notable and rare men, as are wise in politick af∣faires, as are indued with all gifts and qualities fit for States-men, may be put in place, held in grace, and have imployment, and they which are so imployed may shew themselves faithfull, and they

which are faithfull may also be pro∣sperous in effecting their purposes, so a lay-man may become a benefi∣ciall Church-man, so a private per∣son may do good service to his so∣veraigne, and all within the pre∣cincts of his jurisdiction.

10.

IT is not onely not orderly, but very odious, for mean men to pry too far into the counsels or pra∣ctices of Princes; of which for want both of knowledge, and warrant, they are not meet to be judges: It is his protestation that had the holy Ghost, that his heart was not hauty, nor his eyes lofty, neither did he exercise himself in great matters, or in things too high for him; but he behaved and quieted himself as a child that is weaned of his mo∣ther[d]; But art thou therefore free from regarding any publick af∣faires? Is there no kind of inquiring after them required of thee, beeing a private man? Now be thou never so meane, yet art thou bound both

in duety and wisdom (as far as thou canst by good means attain unto it) to inform thy self of states-mat∣ters, that are not impertinent un∣to thee; not out of meer curiosity, like the heathen Athenians, whose eares itched after strange and new reports; who gave themselves to little els, to nothing els (as too ma∣ny do now) but to hear, and tell newes; but the better to direct thy prayers, according to the occur∣rences both for State and Church; Not out of envy to either, Not out of a plotting humor how to dispose of the Scepter; but out of an earnest desire that the Scepter may rightly dispose of thee, and thine, being as∣sured that Princes are fingers of that great hand that governeth all the world.

11.

HOwsoever the persecutors of these times pretend piety, and the destroyers boast of devotion; Howsoever they bear themselves in hand, or would make others be∣lieve, that they are the onely chil∣dren

of God, and truly religious; yet never think them truly reconci∣led to God, who hate or wrong a∣ny of his servants; He that loveth not his brother abideth in death, whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer, and ye know that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him[e]; They that are recon∣ciled to God against whom they formerly contended, and are at va∣riance with sin with whom they for∣merly conjoined, cannot but be sound and kind and peaceable and and favourable towards all those who are sins foes, and Gods follow∣ers.

12.

BElieve not all those seeming sanctificeturs, who count zeal superstition, and dutifull adorati∣on idolatry, those who detest the errours of Popery, who loath to be accounted Papists, and would take it as a great injury done them to be so termed, for many such now adayes if we weigh their practices, live more like unto A∣theists:

conceive not all those to be truly righteous who cry out against idolatry, who would think them∣selves greatly slandered to be repu∣ted worshippers of a false God, for many such in these times, if we look to their fruits, are found rather to worship no God at all.

13.

ACcount it not enough to keep thy self from idols, or to ab∣hor Idols, if thou keep not thy self from sacrilege, and coveting of goods set apart to holy use; for els thou runnest but from one rock un∣to another, from loving the false God, to the spoyling of the true God, which seemeth to be much worse than the worshipping of I∣mages, and giving our selves to the sin of idolatry.

14.

TAke heed and beware of cove∣tousnes, saith our Saviour[f]; As if he had said, it is a subtill Ser∣pent,

it assaulteth secretly, it en∣tereth like a friend, it hath pre∣tences many and fair; but how much more than hadst thou need to beware of sacrilege, which is a fruit of extreme covetousnes, and which is the main engine the De∣vill hath to overthrow the Chur∣ches; If thou hast never been sacri∣legious, pray God thou never mayest; If thou hast, add not thirst unto drunkenness, wallow not in the mire any more, labour to get pardon in the merits and glorious righteousnes of Jesus Christ; re∣pent, restore, ask mercy, and ne∣ver be sacrilegious again. It was a meek and pious resolution of Elihu, one of Jobs friends, If I have done wickedly, I will do no more[g]; will many a mean Christian rather starve than steal? then will a con∣stant convert, a resolute professour, say, I will begg, I will starve, I will rather dy, than be sacrilegi∣ous; for the which sin the wrath of God shall surely demolish all my o∣other estate; and I in mine, or I and mine, be sure to come to ruine.

Achan dreamed of a golden day when he had gotten a goodly Baby∣lonish garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, which should have been all delivered into the Lords treasury, which God had set apart for himself, and would not have converted to the private pro∣fit of any; He thought to have been rich upon a sudden, He thought to have benefited himself and his chil∣dren for ever by so brave a booty; but it fell out to his own destructi∣on, and the destruction of all that belonged unto him; but he with all his were stoned with stones, and burned with fire for his labour[h].

15.

THe name of a traitour is most odious amongst all men, hea∣thens[i], as well as Christians; no man can abide to be so accoun∣ted; Beware then especially that thou be not a traitour to God, by unfruitfull purloining, and obsti∣nate detaining any thing that is

his: It is a vain thing to say thou thou art not a traitour, thou ha∣test the very name of treason, if thou nourishest open rebellion a∣gainst God who is the King of Kings; such as lard their leaner re∣venews with fat collops sacrilegi∣ousle cut out of the sides or flanks of the Church, such as perpetually defraud God of his revenews, his tithes and offerings, and peremp∣torily live upon his dues and anci∣ent demeanes, are without questi∣on rank traitors, and we need crave no pardon if we boldly avouch and aver them to be children of rebel∣lion; Neither yet if we say, that (if we consider them unpassionate∣ly) Theudas and Judas of Gali∣lee[k] shall be justified as no re∣bells in comparison.

16.

THink not (with the new-fangled in these dayes) that the abuse of things ought alwayes to take a∣way the use: that every thing abu∣sed by wicked men is therefore not

to be used by sober men; for then the Sun, the Moon, and the Starrs should be pulled out of heaven, in as much as the whole host of heaven hath been worshipped as Gods[l]; Then the holy Scriptures must be forsaken which the tempter abused, and holy prayers which the Phari∣sees abused, and the holy Sacra∣ments, Baptism and the Lords Sup∣per, which the Corinthians abused; Then Civill conversation of life and holy Christian exercises, rea∣ding, meditation, conference, fa∣sting, almes, should be cast off and detested, because false Prophets have abused them, and do still abuse them to deceive the people of God, and lead them into errour, to colour and countenance all their crafts and conveiances of corrupt doctrine; Then men must abhor their meat and drink because some be drunken, and some surfet; Then must our witts, memories, health, strength, be taken away, because every part, and the whole man, hath been mi∣serably abused by us all, through our many, and manifold transgres∣sions.

17.

BE not so unadvised as to malice or utterly mislike any lawfull vocation, because the professors, or practisers of it demeane themselves unworthily or impiously; This or that officer may be hurtfull, and yet his office still may be usefull; was not Bennaiah the son of Jehoiada put over the Host in Joabs room, and in the room of Abiathar, Zadock the Priest[m]? Did not Eliakim a faithfull and diligent man succeed Shebna the hypocrite, in the stew∣ardship of Ezechiahs house[n]? what a monster amongst men was Judas? a traitour to his Master, a murderer to himself, censured by Christ to be no less debauched than a Devill[o]; And yet it is not said of him, let the Bishoprick be ta∣ken away, Let there be no more Bi∣shopricks for Judas his sake: but let the Bishoprick remain, and let another take[p] it that deserveth it better, who will not onely bear the name, but discharge the trust, and more rightly perform the imploy∣ment.

18.

DOth the world commonly like earnestnes in any thing rather than religion? Is that ancient and heavenly fire, which once appeared most worthily in many, both in their entrance, and progress, of their good course of piety, and a good conscience, now turned to ashes, and extinct; or doth it burne so closely and feebly, that it can hardly be discerned? yet keep thy spirit, thy forwardnes, and heat of heart, and be not at any time with∣out zeal in the service of God. It well becommeth every Saint to be earnest, to stick close to those ho∣ly dueties which God hath layd upon him, and not to be flitting off and on, and unsetled, as many are who yet would be taken to be of the forwardest sort. It is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing[q]; in the practice where∣of good zeal with small learning is better than great learning with small zeal; But as knowledge is

not sufficient without zeal, so nei∣ther zeal without knowlege. But let not the most spirituall project be without spirituall prudence, but in thy greatest heate let meek dis∣cretion in a proportionable rate or∣der thy zeal; Least unawares thou purchase Gods displeasure by the miscarriage of thy wel-meaning devotion, such as God never ap∣pointed, never approved, and such as he hath often both misliked and severely punished; zeal without knowlege is not zeal, but stomack, not a blessed holiness, but a brain∣sick giddiness; A brutish and sa∣vage passion and perturbation: such as is in that head-strong part of fu∣rious persons, whose zeal is to de∣part from the Church, yea even that Church, that first brought them to that knowledge and faith that they have, if in truth and soundnes they have any at all.

19.

BE sometimes severe to beat down. the sin, but commonly kind to

winne the sinner: Be at all times serving to befriend, but at no time soothing to betray.

20.

MArre not a good cause with ill handling, meddle not with evill, no not the least, that good, though the greatest, private, or publick may come thereof; Thou canst not please God more with a good intent, than thou mayest dis∣please him by using bad means to ef∣fect it.

21.

OBserve still the dayes worthi∣ly set apart to give thanks to God for his Apostles; for those be∣nefits which he hath bestowed upon us by their ministery; for their emi∣nent graces on earth, and now such unspeakable glory in heaven; whom though with the Papists, we nei∣ther do, nor dare adore, yet well may we admire and imitate, and well may we pray God to give us grace to follow them, both in their

believing, living, and dying, who having now by their faith attained that which they desired, are an ex∣cellent direction for us, how to seek what they have attained.

22.

NEither habour an ill thought against thy Soveraigne; Nei∣ther admit any the least deprava∣tion of him, no not in the whisper∣ing of thy conscience: No, though he give cause to be evill thought of; No, though thou be wronged or worse thought of than thou deser∣vest. It skilleth not much what his person is, when most sure it is, his power is of God; when of what na∣tion, or nature soever, the Magi∣strate is, Jew or Gentil, Christi∣stian or Heathen, good or bad, he hath his authority from God the Magistrate of all Magistrates; not from the Law of Nations, as some are not ashamed to aver[r], but as from God and his Law. By diligent care in good services please thy governour as well as thou

mayest, and that in most awfull and loyall manner, and with all due cir∣cūspection beware how thou kindle his anger; Be far from those tu∣multuous and rebellious practices that may give him cause of provo∣cation against thee, and keep thy self from those fierce and fiery fel∣lowes, those desperate or hypocri∣ticall companions, which may stir thee up to stand upon points with him, and imbolden thee against him. From Church-robbers, and traitors, it is not pride, but a point of wisedom and godly policy, to af∣fect alwayes a stern kind of strange∣geness aloofe; It is Salomons in∣junction, in the giving whereof he was directed by Gods Spirit, and be it ever in thy remembrance, My son fear thou the Lord, and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change[s] that are desirous of alteration, and changes, in the state according to their private and peevish humours.

23.

HOw ardently are wilful hearts enamoured with worldly greatness? How greedily do na∣turall men affect dominion? How mightily do some men long to Lord it over their neighbours, in honour and dignity, power and au∣thority? some are resolved to rise, and be in some office, or other, or it shall cost them a fall, yea a fall into hell; some had rather be traitours, than not Magistrats: But let us not be desirous of vain glory saith S. Paul[t]; But seek not thou the acclamation of man, more than the approbation of God: Be thou no Magistrate, no officer, yea no man, rather than a traitour.

24.

IF cunning rebellion under a shew of religion, and vizard of vertue, without fear of Gods vengeance or shame of mens reproof, cast his fie∣ry darts at thee, let faithfull loyal∣ty

and loyall faithfulness be ready to quench them; if seditious per∣sons, and such as love innovations, seek with guilefull speeches to steal thy soul from God, and thy heart from thy soveraigne, let wisedom shape them an answer & send them packing; Be averse to follow the mightiest rebels for all their smooth perswasions, and sweet allurements, but more averse to perswade and allure others to rebellion; If they shall be sure to smart (as without repentance surely they shall) who rebell by other mens occasions, how much more shall they suffer, who are the occasions or give the occa∣sions unto others?

25.

BE not refractory to any lawfull authority; Be a diligent obser∣ver of good orders and good lawes; submit thy self unto superiour po∣wers, procure, according to thy cal∣ling, whatsoever it be, the benefit of thy soveraign to whom thou art a subject, and the profit of the

Church whereof thou art a mem∣ber.

26.

WHen thou goest about to ef∣fect a good work, not on∣ly cast how good it is, but con∣sider what warrant thou hast to do it; If it be a generall good duety it belongeth unto thee in particular; but if a speciall practice, thou must have a speciall precept; It is not for private men to reform publick a∣buses, or to dispose of publick af∣faires; It is not for one calling to intrude upon another, no more than for one bodily member to usurpe the work of another; what another may not omit without iniquity, thou mayest commit iniquity if thou offer to do it; and that may be for thee a most hainous sin, which may be for another a most holy ser∣vice.

27.

BE not backward when thou shouldst be zealous, nor for∣ward when thou shouldst be quiet;

Make not too much hast with Ba∣laam(u), nor too little with Lots wife(w).

28.

MIghtest thou be freed from se∣questration and sundry other oppressions? Mightest thou be pre∣ferred to offices, and sundry other fa∣vours; wouldst thou but confer thy self to some mens humours, help to set up the new superstition and op∣pose government and all good or∣der? Alas what trifling and tempo∣rary baites are these? refuse them, yea despise them; who, to obtain those profits which nature regardeth, would forsake those duties which the God of Nature requireth? who that hath hope of heaven would not willingly suffer any thing that God imposeth, rather than wilfully do any thing that God detesteth?

29.

LEt neither love, nor fear, steal courage from thy heart, or thy heart from the Lord; Let no stormes

of troubles or calmes of pleasure, turn thee back from Christ, or bring thee to deny him, lest thou be denyed of him in his Kingdom; though the Loadstone draw Iron, yet let it not moove gold; though Jeat gather up the light straw, yet let it not take up the pure Steel. Be not mooved, or car∣ried a way, as some are, with the va∣rious blasphemous errours, and gau∣dy pious pretences of these times; Let no worldly promises or profits draw thee, or peremptory persecu∣tions drive thee, to forsake thy Lord and Saviour, or to ingage thy self in any apparent sin; what though plun∣derers have thy goods, or a prison, or worse punishment thy person, yet let God still have thy service, lest the Devill in conclusion have thy Soul.

30.

INcurr not Gods enmity, to in∣crease thy neighbours amity; fall not out with God, to keep in with men; to make thy self acceptable to the one, make not thy self abominable to the other; yield not so to peace,

as to yield unto sin withall; who would not rather undergo mans un∣just detestation, than Gods just dam∣nation? Be content to lose the love, & bear the displeasure of the whole world, for the love thou bearest to God and his truth; Thou refusest to be in the body, if thou wilt not suf∣fer the hatred of the world with thy head[x].

31.

LOve thy life, and preserve it by all good means, but love thy faith as thy life, and more than thy life, pre∣serve that whatsoever become of thy life; Be not so desirous of retaining they naturall life, as rather to de∣ny the Truth of God, and forsake the Gospell of Christ, than to make profession thereof, and yield sincere obedience to it, with hazard and pe∣rill; He which choseth to forgo life, rather than the services of God, and a good conscience, shal keep it to eter∣nall life, be saved & glorified for ever; without which hope, if any man with al his skil could get al the world into his hands, and order all things every

where according to his own pleasure, what were it available?

32.

REjoice under the cross, and be glad when thou sufferest for the truth; let the cause, for which thou suffrest, more comfort thee, than the trouble that thou indurest dismay thee; shew thy cheerfull obedience in suffering, as well as in doing, the will of God: Christ our blessed Sa∣viour, the most perfect pattern of obedience, performed his part both wayes, both by doing and suffering; And what is the substance of the Gospell, but to declare to all people, what he did, and what he suffered?

33.

NEither rashly thrust thy self into any needless affliction, nor cow∣ardly desert thy station; true faith is neither bare-headed, nor bird-wit∣ted, neither fool-hardy, nor faint∣hearted; but when necessity requi∣teth, and duty designeth, it refu∣seth

not any dangers be they never so great, with a trust and hope to glorify God, both in life and death.

34.

THou art not bound wilfully to cast thy self into the mouths of devouring and ravening persecutors; but never deny the Truth of God, nor thy self to be a professour of it, if thou be called in question for it; Not only believe confidently, but confess cheerfully, whensoever oc∣casion is offered justly; for otherwise thou goest not beyond the Devills, whose faith is equivocall, and their confession forced, who believe God is, but believe not in him, and con∣fess Christ, not of love, but of con∣straint.

35.

ARt thou controlled, reviled, and sequestred from thy share in the world? Know that it is not without a providence; acknowledge the Judgments of God, often secret, but ever just; sequester, thy self yet

further from all those vaine worldly delights, wherein some place their chiefest happiness; and live, as it were, carryed up in regard of those wayes of licentiousness, wherein o∣thers walk: Bind thy self to the good behaviour, and apply thy self more closely, and more constantly to God; As the Prophet David when he was vexed by unexpected enemies, when he had complained that his friend and companion(y) rose up against him, he gave himself unto prayer; and again, when for his love he found adversaries, where did he fly but unto God for comfort(z)?

36.

BEstow not thy blood on schism or heresy, it is a foolish death where the cause is fowl; canst thou be content to suffer? be sure it be in a good cause; either for God who knoweth all, or for that which thou knowest in thine own conscience to be well pleasing to God; Suffer not either out of fashion or out or facti∣on, either as ambitious of honour,

or to satisfy thy malignant humour; for such suffering can neither merit thanks of God, nor praise of men; Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake(a); not for superstition, self-will, and singulari∣ty, but for righteousness sake; our sufferings are no argument of our righteousness, but our righteousness an ornament of our sufferings(b) A red colour is not beautifull if it be not grounded on a fair white; The paine hath no grace if the suffering have no truth; where the saith is not true, there is no true Martyrdom.

(37)

DElight not in brawles and con∣troversies, which are easily begun, not so soon ended; seek no credit by opposition, pick no quarrells, nor desire to fall out with any man; strive not at any time, though ne∣ver so meekly, but when a just ne∣cessity presseth thee to stir; when sin is not to be connived at, but con∣tended against; when the truth is not to be forsaken but contended

for; when thou canst not undergo the wrong without great damage to thy estate, nor otherwise but by that course in joy thy right.

38.

IF thou knowest not how to pacify man, to bring him to a firm and unfeigned reconciliation, to obtain, and injoy a sound and well-grounded peace with him, seek more and more to be at amity with God, to appease and please the Lord by thy holy obedience to his Com∣mandements; Hide Gods Word within thy heart, that thou mayest not sin against him(c) refrain thy feet from every evill way, that thou mayest keep his Word(d) when a mans wayes please the Lord, He maketh even his enemyes to be at peace with him(e) He, that hath the hearts of all men in his own hands, be they in never so great places, or have they never so great spirits; He, in whose only power it is to turn all hearts which way he will, who is not only a searcher of

hearts, but a worker, and changer of them, as seemeth best to his god∣ly wisedom; He will not only make his friends to be more faithfull unto him, but even his enemies to be at peace with him, if their favour and friendship be expedient for him; He will be sure either to remoove his enemies malice, or restrain their mis∣chief, either to make them not wil∣ling, or not able to hurt him.

39.

BE not to be carryed away with every little puff of vain perswa∣sion; be not to be bandyed by the racket of other mens tongues into what Hazard they please; be not so unskilfull and unstable, as lightly to believe every thing that is idlely or cunningly told thee, or unadvi∣sedly to yield to every thing impo∣sed upon thee; but use thy best skill, and pains, in hearing more, inquiring further, searching, and try∣ing, before thou give any credit, or assent to it, yea though a multitude joyn in perswading thee(f); How

common is it in these dayes to spread the nets of humility, and weave them with the knots of subtilty, till men have effected their policy, and then they bewray their hypocrisy; be not so subtil as to be guile others, not so simple as to be beguiled by others; be not taken at the first sight, and offer, with never so fair words or shewes, though they seem to bring an honest meaning along with them; be circumspect for thy safety, as well as sincere for thy in∣nocency; loath the venom and poy∣son of the Serpent, but learn his wis∣dom; follow the harmelesness of the Dove, but flie her simplicity.

40.

SOme carry themselves sincerely, but not wisely, some order them∣selves wisely, but not sincerely; but approove thy self, as far as thou art able, both before God and men; be∣fore God, in bearing thy self sincere∣ly, before men, demeaning thy self wisely; perhaps, for all thy wari∣ness, some may be offended with

thee, which by thee are not offended; but such offences being not given of thee, but taken of them, are not thy faults, but their follies; woe indeed to that man by whom offences come; that is, come justly; but an offence, fondly taken, not justly gi∣ven, intangleth no man besides the taker.

41.

IN this subtill vizard age, in these times every day more and more degenerating from the former goodness, truth, and honest plainess; In these dangerous and dissolute intercourses; wherein faith∣full friends are for the most part gon to God, and their return is not to be expected; wherein we live a∣mongst so many serpentine and sub∣till, so many malicious and mischie∣vour men, with whom we may un∣awares be compelled to traffique, be conscionable, but circumspect, keep not only lawfull, but wise demea∣nours; God requireth wisdom but simple, and simplicity but wisedom; If thou have wariness mingled with

true sincerity, having thy spirit with∣out guile, and thy actions without dissimulation; It is both lawfull and expedient to set wisdom against wis∣dom, and policy against policy, and care against care, and understanding against understanding, that so by the enemies subtilty, and thy simplicity, thou be not surprized in the cun∣ning traps, and crafty wiles which are laid for thee.

42.

LAbour to have peace always with God, and, (if it be possible) with men, to the great glory of thy Hea∣venly Father, the profitable ex∣ample of all beholders, and the a∣bundant comfort of thy own heart; yea though it cost thee some tempo∣rall profit, as meek Abraham with worldly loss procured it betwixt his Nephew Lot and himself[g]; learn and labour to cut off all occasions of contention even from those that seek occasions; but with the World, Flesh, Devill, at no time admit either peace or parley; call not Sathan to thy

company, consult not with flesh and blood; contemn familiarity with the world, lest they suddenly get some advantage and overcome thee; Fight always with all thy courage against all these, clad with the whole ar∣mour of God, and do thy best to vanquish them; yea this warr is no warr to the peace thou oughtest to keep, but that peace is preserved by this warr, and the more painfully thou thus warrest, the more peace∣fully thou still walkest.

43.

CAre not, and yet care for to mor∣row; care not out of distrustful∣ness, but care out of duty; care not as relying upon the means, without Gods blessing (which is an humor that cannot dwell in Gods Chil∣dren) but care as trusting to Gods favour upon thy indeavour; labou∣ring both under a tender and hea∣venly Father, whose blessing no Counsell can hinder, no curse can take away; too little care is want of grace, too much care is want of

faith; too little care is presumption, too much care is desperation.

44.

EXclude not God at any time re∣sting on thy self and second causes, neither cast all upon God negle∣cting the means; either in tempo∣rall things for the saving of thy bo∣dy, or in spirituall things for the sal∣vation of thy soul; Almighty God hath from everlasting ordained both the ends and the means not the ends without the means, nor the means without the ends, but both of them; All lawfull means may well stand with Gods providence and faith therein; yea by not divorcing the means from the end we both declare our sincere obedience in using such weak means as are subordinate thereunto, and decline security, and presumption, two main ene∣mies of our most holy faith.

45.

BY daily prayer and practice stir up the gifts of the Holy Ghost in thee, lest in the end, thou lose thy store, with stock and all; con∣stantly keep on rowing against the stream of thy naturall corruption; against which if thou do not strive continually, but stand at a stay, it will carry thee away and all thy merchandize, as a boat standing loose upon the river is carryed back∣ward, if it be not wafted forward; is, by the sway of the water, driven downward, unless it be stil labouring to go upwards.

46.

OBserve diligently what adversa∣ries be abroad, and warily watch that there be no traitours at home; All that hurt thee are not without thee, there are enemies too within thee; and such as may do thee more harm than all the rest: look upon thy outward senses, and reflect up∣on

thy inward affections, lest by the former evills enter, and lest by the later evills conquer.

47.

TAke heed to thy mouth that thou speak not unadvisedly, and to thy hands that they act not unpre∣paredly; but especially and above all things look to the inward affe∣ctions of thy heart; for as the foun∣tain is, such is the river that run∣neth from it; If the fountain be sweet, the river that floweth from it will not be sowre; as the Wood is, so the Fire will be, unsavoury wood will make unwholsome fire, but pure Frankincense or dry Juniper will yield a pleasant perfume: so if the soul be sanctified, the lips will be seasoned, but if the thoughts and affections be ungodly, they will bring forth lewd words and wicked actions; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, said the God of Truth who knew the heart[h], what the heart readeth the mouth repeateth.

48.

COnsider thy proper and per∣sonall sins, whereunto, by the corruption of thy nature, thou art most inclined; from which thou can'st hardliest abstain, as beeing more strong, and more wor∣king in thee than some others are; and against them make thy spiri∣tual compacts and barricadoes most durable, and most guard thy walls with Redoubts and outworks; where the hedge is lowest, every beast will seek to enter, and where we are weakest, Sathan that beast will be strongest, his temptations will be thickest, where our defence is slen∣derest.

49.

STand to thy watch, looke to thy wayes, keep a continuall guard o∣ver thy self, in all occurrences; and not only beware of personall sins, towards which thy nature most bends, but of those also which are incident to thy present estate, what∣soever it is. In wealth beware of

high-mindedness, in health of wan∣toness, in mirth of forgetfulnes, in want to distrustfulness, in loss of pensiveness, and in death of fear∣fulness.

50.

ABstain, as farr as thou canst, not only from every sin, but also from every baite that may be a means to bring thee unto it; Look not thou upon the wine, saith the Holy Ghost by the mouth of Salomon, when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it mooveth it self a∣right[i]; and accordingly look not upon the meat, that may betray thy appetite, and then thy affections; young Daniel refused the meat that was allotted unto him by Nebu∣chadnezzar, (which of it self was lawfull to be received with thanks∣giving) because the King should not intice him thereby to forsake his own God, or to leane to the others Religion[k].

51.

CHeck not Gods Word with the licentious Antinomian, give not Gods Spirit the lie, who in every place warneth us, that the Morall Law is not abolished by the Law of faith, but established[l]; In the uprightness & integrity of thy heart, endeavour to walk still in the old way of Gods Commandements, if ever thou mean to come to Heaven by the new and living way Christ Jesus; For every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure[m]; Examin and proove thou still, and fashion thy works by the Law, as by a right le∣vell, which God hath left to be a rule of righteousnes, to remain in full strength, power and vertue for ever. Although thou canst not ful∣fill it, yet put it not out of thy sight, or care; stray from it as little as thou canst, though thou canst not obey it so fully as thou wouldst.

52.

HOwsoever thou fall through in∣firmity, or human frailty, into sin (as who is free from falling, It is not possible for any meer man to be without all offence)[n] Howsoever being surprized by Sathan, inveigled by slights, inticed by sinners, thou be taken, and upon a sudden over∣taken in a fault (for it were a proud perswasion above mans state, and a∣gainst-Gods Truth, to think thy self safe from sin) yet be not so in∣solent and impudent, stand not in justification of it; for that sheweth less grace and more corruption; while men (though otherwise bad∣ly disposed) blush and are touched with some bashfulness, though they cannot contain themselves, yet there is hope of them; some signe of sal∣vation is the acknowledgment of sin[o]; but when they justify their bad doings, and boldly defend what they have done, they are almost desperate, and give small hope of a∣mendment, without speciall grace

To sin is human weakness, but to plead for it wilfull wickednes; De∣fence of a fault doubles it, and is a forerunner of obduration; Thy sin perhaps was small as thou didst com∣mit it, but surely 'twill be great if thou strive to maintain it, for that cuts off all repentance, Nay it makes thy sin grow up into a wicked height of scandall, and so it may be not on∣ly a snare to thy selfe, but an unhap∣py seducement to other, warran∣ting many more to be sinfull.

53.

THere are many things evill in themselves, of which thou mayest speak without any evill; as of stea∣ling, killing, which are wicked to be practized, not wicked to be publi∣shed; but there are other things lawfull to be done, which are non dicendas, unlawfull and unhonest to be plainly spoken of; and there∣fore forbear (unless it be upon good cause and with great modestie) so much as to mention them; Let no corrupt communication proceed out

of thy mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying; that it may minister grace unto the hearers; grieve not the Holy Spirit of God[p], Neither give him occasion, touching his comfortable and defensive pre∣sence to depart from thee.

54.

LEt not thy heart be in thy mouth, but thy mouth in thy heart, un∣less it be to glorify God, or edifie thy brethren; or for justice and e∣quitie in behalf of them that are thrust down, and injuriously dealt with by some unconscionable op∣pressour; unless it be to speak such things as are just and acceptable in the sight of God, and good and pro∣fitable for the use of the hearers; un∣less thy speech be gracious and pow∣dered with salt[q], that is holy and wholesom for the matter, and dis∣creet and seasonable for the man∣ner; Either vent good matters, or break not good manners, Either speak that which is better than si∣lence, or els keep silence still[r]; we commonly make little reckning of

vain words, but even the least vain word is not the least sin, of which one day we must give a great ac∣count.

55.

SUspect all thy doings; like Job that holy man, that feared all his wayes[s], yea though he had much less cause to fear, than we have, who come far short of his carefulness; Sus∣pect either thy negligence in them, or pride of them, or some corrupt af∣fection mingled with them; And when thou hast done the uttermost thou canst, when thou hast bent all thy strength to serve the Lord in speciall manner, say not thou art righteous, like the Pharisee that con∣demned another, and justified him∣self; Be so farr from setting up thy rest, or crest upon it, that thou condemn thy self for an unprofitable servant[t]; desiring remission, not deserving reward; As Christ said to the young man that was so forward in the Gospell, that seemed zealous in the wayes of God, and even to make hast to the Kingdom of Hea∣ven,

yet one thing is wanting[u], so still cry out to thy soul, either for the matter, or for the manner, some thing is wanting; Assure thy self, there is some want of holiness, nay, some unholiness in thy holiest a∣ons.

56.

BE not Eagle-eyed, and sharp-sighted, to observe the behaviour, and look into the lives of other men, so long as beeing overcome with self-love, thou art pur-blind in regarding, and backward in re∣forming thine own; but first begin with thy self, and end with others; but first look to thy own wayes, and without partiality consider how hard it is to subdue the strength of sin in thy self, and to over-master thy own corruptions, so shall thou be more charitable, and less severe to others.

57.

MAke conscience of the least sin, that thou mayest be affraid of the greatest, strain at every such

gnat, and thou shalt not easily swal∣low a Camel; use to pul out but such a moat in thine ey, and thou shalt not soon suffer a beame to stick in it; to prevent sin at the beginning, the la∣bour is little, but to shake off a cu∣stom is the work of a Samson.

58.

MAke not thy self guilty of other mens sins, by counsell, or com∣mandment, or consent, by com∣mending, or justifying, or concea∣ling, or not opposing, if thou be able; For though thou do not execute it in the work, and apparently pra∣ctise it with the hand, yet, if thou prevent it not, when it is in thy power so to do, thou commest within the compass of the sin, in Gods account; If God have made thee strong, and thou make thy self weak, the evill that thou sufferest shall be required of thee.

59.

LEt not the fatness of anothers portion trouble thee, nor yet

the leaness of thine own; Never en∣vy that another hath more, not yet repine and grudge that thou hast less; Make not slight of that which thou enjoyest, because thou wantest something that thou desirest; It is not Gods Ordinance that al should be a∣like, or that al should be aloft, or that all should abound in riches; As the Lord can give riches without con∣tentment, so he can give content∣ment without riches. Be not sick for anothers wealth, or anothers of∣fice, or anothers honour, but con∣stantly and equally content thy self, with that honour, or office, or wealth, or mean estate, that God hath given thee; but satisfie thy self with that low or last place wherin he hath setled thee, and acknowledge that the meanest place is far more than either thou canst chalenge, or canst deserve; I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercyes, saith Jacob[w]; Not worthy of the greatest, No, not of the least; the least drop of thy mercies is greater than all my de∣serts.

60.

WHat though some, far un∣like to just Lot[x], are no∣thing troubled in their souls with the filthy conversation of the wic∣ked? Nay, which is worse, what though some can delight and sport themselves, can laugh and clap their hands, to behold men laden with drink tumble like swine, or observe how they rail upon the truth, and those that profess it, besides many other ungracious speeches; little ima∣gining that by such applauding be∣haviour they seem also to rejoyce in the Devills conquest over their bre∣thren; yet mourn thou for the sins of others as if they were thine own, for if thou do not thou wilt thereby make them thine own; If thou mourn for them, they are theirs not thine, but, if thou do not mourn, they are both theirs and thine; they are smitten in Ezechiel that mourned not for the abhominations commit∣ted, as well as they that did commit them[y].

61.

WHat intollerable oppression so∣ever the malice of men shall not cease to multiply upon thee, let Christian wisdom and magnanimity subdue thy passions; Be so far from revenging thy self indeed for inju∣ries done unto thee, as not in big words or bold assertions to threaten, or in the secret corners of thy mind to purpose any vengeance; com∣mend thy cause to God, stay his lei∣sure till he deliver thee; or, if thou live where God hath appointed a governour, appeal to his Vicegerent, the publick Magistrate, who beareth not the sword in vain, and abide his determination; rather undergo a se∣cond injury, than with thy own re∣venging hand requite the first; rather with a good heart be ready to bear any thing, than by any thing, wher∣of thou hast no warrant, seek satis∣faction; Art thou a Christian and wilt be revenged? Tarry a while, thy Lord and Master Christ Jesus is not yet revenged of his own death;

[z] put away all rage, put on the Lord Jesus Christ[a]; pray, as thy blessed Saviour both did, and taught, that thy enemies may rather be par∣doned, than punished.

62.

NEither bite thy neighbour pre∣sent, nor backbite him absent; Neither bite him nor backbite him with what thou knowest, and much less with more than thou knowest; Moove not any tale, whether false or true, whereby the credit of thy neighbour may be lost, or lessened; All truths are not to be told at all times; Thou mayst bear false witness when thou makest a true report, false witnesses do not alwayes deliver un∣truths, but deck their fowl intents with a fair shew of verity; the truth of the matter excuseth not the guilt of the slander[b].

63.

BE not careless of thy companions carriage, but exhort and edify him, as far as thou mayest, lest the man perish that is a friend, and the De∣vill

rejoice at it that is an enemy; Be frequent in admonishing thy friend, and sometimes spare not sharply to check him, never rebuke him bitterly, never reject him ut∣terly.

64.

LIe not for thy friend, or for thy self, or for Almighty God; God requireth me to love him, but not to lie for him; will you speak wicked∣ly for God? and talk deceitfully for him? saith Job[c], checking in his friends a false speech, although it ten∣ded to defend the Lord; speak not at any time that which thou knowest to be false, nor at all times that which thou knowest to be true; con∣ceal as farr as lawfully thou mayest, that which may do hurt spoken; Thou art not ever bound to tell all the truth, but thou art ever bound that all be truth thou tellest; It is not a ly when silence keepeth back something that is true, but when speech utters something that is false.

65.

SEll not one sin to buy another, amend not one errour or corrup∣tion by another, but purge out the old leaven that thou mayst be a new lump[d], Forsake not riotousness, to imbrace covetousness, Neither leave secret repining, to fall into open rebellion; In avoiding super∣stition, become not either schismati∣call, or prophane; Neither in ab∣horring prophaneness fall into meere formality and hypocrify; To aban∣don Epicurisme, admire not Stoi∣cisme, Neither run into Anarchy, to shun Tyrannie; but seek, and turn to, and keep the golden mean, prescribed by the Lord in his Word; From the which the wider thou wal∣kest, the worser thou wanderest, and the further off from thy journeys end.

66.

BE fervent and zealous, but not fierce and violent; Be diligent for the increase of thy wealth, but

not a slave to the world; Be neither remisse in thy vocation, nor yet too severe a taskmaster over thy self to the oppressing of thy mind, or body; soon changeable is thy life with rest, and recreation; but without recrea∣tion or rest it cannot be long du∣rable.

67.

ABhor hast, and love leisure, when thou art to undertake any seri∣ous business, lest, if thou go on with little heed, thou come off with less honour; Many circumstances belong to things of substance; Mat∣ters of moment are not to be mana∣ged but with much deliberation; It is safer and easier in such eases, to practise when thou hast pondered, than to ponder when thou hast pra∣ctised.

68.

APproximate none to thy secrets, neither willingly make choice of any to serve thee in any office, though of never so serviceable qua∣lities or usefull indowments other∣wise;

but such as are careful to serve God, according to their apprehen∣sion and ability; but such as are re∣ligious and vertuous, and adorned with true worthyness; but such as are more willing, at least, to hea∣venly causes, than quick in worldly matters; He, who hath freely san∣ctified their hearts with grace, will surely direct their ways with judg∣ment; They will not faulter in their business, nor will God fail in his blessing; They will be faithfull and prudent in the managing, and God will be gracious and merciful in the prospering of all those imployments which they take in hand.

69.

HOwsoever thou art before o∣thers in prerogative of birth and blood, and in many other things there be a great difference between thee and thy neighbour; Howso∣ever God hath invested thee with right unto titles, and revenews; and in worldly matters perhaps too hath nothing, whereas thou hast all things

and wantest nothing; yet in the mainest matters and things of most worth, acknowledge him and ac∣count him thy equal. The lowest have as good a title to salvation, and the Kingdom of Heaven, as the highest, and the poorest as the richest; There is neither Jew, nor Greek; There is neither bound nor free; There is neither male nor fe∣male: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus(e). It is not the meaning of Gods mercy to countermand any civil respects; In the world there must be differences, and degrees; it must be so for policy and order, but in Christ Jesus all are one; All have one Redeemer; All are members of one body, Christ hath redeemed all of all sorts that believe in him.

(70)

THere is an excellent wisedom beyond the rules of Physick, beyond all soveraign medicines whatsoever, in the weakness of our bodyes for their restauration, and in the good estate of our bodyes

for the continuation and strength∣ning of life; to send to heaven by prayer for the increase of faith, and fear of God, and that increase will make the heart better, and that be∣terness will procure more true cheer∣fulness, and that cheerfulness will stir up more found health, comfor∣ting natural heat, and dispersing it all over the body; and that health will multiply our dayes, and aug∣ment the years of our life; whereas raging, hopeless, heartless sorrow, like a devouring Harpye consumes our blood and spirits, drieth our bones, and suddenly dissolves and destroyes us.

71.

SEest thou a man smitten with dis∣eases, and lying in extremity and anguish; his heart panting, his strength failing, his flesh and bones tormenting; and, which is yet more lamentable, dost thou perceive that Sathan (as he commonly useth up∣pon such occasions,) endeavoureth now especially to breed no small

troubles and terrours in his soul? send up thankfull thoughts unto thy most gracious Lord God, for hol∣ding his hands, and not laying the like upon thee, for not dealing with thee severely as he might justly: God is alwayes to be glorified of us both in our bodyes and in our souls; not only for his proceeding to profit us, but also for his forbearing to punish us.

72.

AS it is a great fault not to put up a small wrong; So it may be no small fault to suffer a great injurie; thou art bound in such a case not to make thy self a prey, but to make thy cause known, not to whet on others to lay on load upon thee, but (as Gods servants have done from time to time) to crave and call for the help of the Magistrate, and seek remedy from his hands, whom God hath left as his Lieutenant, and set to supply his place, either for the preventing of further wrong, or for the punishment of the doer of wrong; God bindeth our hands from unjust

revenge, but he shutteth not our mouths from just complaint; God is offended as sure when lawfull means are not used, as when unlaw∣full means are practised.

73.

NOt only labour to serve God thy self, but stir up, and in∣flame others to serve him, to believe his truth, and walk in his Com∣mandments; Him will God love most, who shall winne most to the love of God(f): wherefore hath God given thee light, but that thou shouldst give light to others? How canst thou be sure of thy own cal∣ling, if thou hast no delight to call others? Thou art not turned to God thy self, if thou bear not that heart, that thou wouldst even think thy self happy, mightest thou be a means to turn another unto God. The Prophet Isaiah, that Evangelical Prophet, and Prophetical Evange∣list, prophecying of the Kingdom of Christ, bringeth in the people so full of zeal, that they stir up one

another, saying, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in in his paths(g). And Zachariah saith, They that dwell in one City, shall go to another, say∣ing, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of Hosts(h).

74.

BE not wise to thy self; Be not a nig∣gard of thy knowledge, but com∣municate thy knowledge to others; Cover not thy candle with a vessel, neither put it under a bed, but set it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light(i); So shalt thou perform the intent of thy stewardship; so shalt thou be of the number of those, who profiting teach, and by teaching profit; knowledge may fitly be resembled to the Wi∣dows oyl, which, the more it was powred out, the more it increased; knowledge may be well likened to the five loaves, which the more they

were distributed the more they mul∣tiplyed; As contrariwise, if know∣ledge be not imparted, it will be impaired, If we keep it private, we shall be deprived of it.

75.

ARt thou learned, and able to teach others? yet disdain not that any should teach thee; what mortal meer man ever attained to that depth of judgment as not to be yet ignorant in many profitable concernments? Even in the same profession that may be hidden from one, which is known to ano∣ther; to attend is no hinderance but that a man may speak, to speak is no hinderance but that a man may hear; therefore Job matcheth them toge∣ther, saying, Let a man of under∣standing tell me, there is he prepa∣red to learn, let a wise man harken to me(k) there is he provided to speak; speaking and hearing a∣mongst all that are wise-hearted cannot be prejudicial one to ano∣ther.

76.

ATtend as often, and as careful∣ly, as thou mayest, to all whole∣some and convenient directions; Be more desirous to harken to others, than to hear thy self; but especially when thou meetest with such, as excell in knowledge, as are filled with the knowledge of Gods will in all wisedom and spiritual understan∣ding; by whom in many things thou mayest exactly cure thy ignorance by learning in silence; who are as profitable Well-springs plentifull and perpetual; such as fail not, nor can be drawn dry at any time; whose hearts feed their mouths; and thereout excellent observations in one usefull respect or other, readily flow, as a free stream from a full fountain.

77.

COntemn not, neither lightly pass over such things as thou seest; but seriously search and seek, not only what temporal, but especially

what spiritual use thou canst draw from them, that may enrich thy soul, and help to build thee up in Christ Jesus; learn wich the Bee, to ga∣ther celestial honey, as well from the weed, as from the flower; learn by the Dust thy baseness, by the Grass thy frailty, by the Ant dili∣gence, by the Sheep patience, by the Oxe thankfulness, by the Clouds bountifulnes; learn by the Darknes the time of thy ignorance, by the Light the time of the Gospel, by every thing something that may wean thee from earth, and win thee to Heaven.

78.

COmmune often with thy own heart, and let thy spirit make diligent search wherein thou hast offended, in thought, word, deed, by sins of omission or commission; against God, thy neighbour, and thy self; stand not in thine own light, be not partial, but examin thy self earnestly, thoroughly, uprightly; Neither only examin, but upon exa∣mination condemn thy self, fall at

Gods feet, and humbly cry for mer∣cy; Thus if thou judge thy self be∣fore thy self in this thy day, thou shalt not be condemned in the last day, before the Judgment Seat of Christ, in the presence and audience of all the world.

79.

DIscover to thy Surgeon thy sores, to thy Physician thy disease, to Almighty God thy sins; It is a good disgrace, that procu∣reth grace; He preventeth his cure that doth not publish his cause(l). The Lord indeed knoweth all things, but yet requireth thy con∣fession; is acquainted with all thy wishes, and all the volutations of thy mind, but nevertheless expe∣cteth thy words(m).

80.

THink not thy self immediately made clean from all thy ini∣quity, transgression, and sin, if thou shed a few tears and bewail

them; but be sorrowful for them, and sorrowful that thou canst be no more sorrowful; considering that if a river were turned into tears flow∣ing from thine eyes, thou couldst never sufficiently be grieved for thy offences; if God should in his Ju∣stice only require it; and yet dis∣pair not, but take a true and com∣fortable, and fast hold upon God by a lively faith; who is gracious and abundant in mercy; whose mercy hath neither bottom nor measure; who will not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should repent and live; disliking himself for his mani∣fold misdemeanors, and cleaving to God for his manifold mercyes.

81.

BE not so cast down in the sight of thy own unworthyness, as to think, because thou deservest not Gods mercy, therefore thou shalt ne∣ver be partaker of it; For how plen∣tiful are his gracious promises every where of favour and compassion? the which though there be no cause

in thee why he should confirm, yet is there cause enough in himself why he should perform; who, whatsoe∣ver he will, he can, and, whatsoe∣ver he hath promised, he will, who alwayes useth to be as good as his word, who is infinite in his mercy, and infallible in his truth.

82.

IF thou wouldst repent truly and thoroughly, pray earnestly to the Lord, that it would please him of his infinite compassion, to look up∣on thee with the eyes of his grace; The most merciful God is the only giver of repentance unto life (n);(m) It is not in mans power to repent when he will, but when God will; It is not thy own, or any others in∣deavour, that can do any thing in this way, till God put to his help; un∣till Christ did look back upon Peter, with his Spirit, as well as with his ey, thereby to work upon his con∣science, He was not moved He was not touched with compunction, He had no heart at all to go out, nor

will to mourn and weep bitterly for his sins.

83.

SEest thou thy neighbour drawn into a dangerous sin? draw not out thy stilletto of final condemna∣tion upon him; look not upon him without hope; deprave not his for∣mer graciousness, as though it had never been real, nor conclude his future reprobation, as though he could never be righteous; what knowest thou, but that he that is fallen, may rise again? as a member that is out of joint may be set in again; And what knowest thou, but that the same, which is to day his sin, may be to morrow thy wic∣kedness? reprove him and admonish him thou mayest and must, accor∣ding to thy office and opportunity; So thou begin and proceed with a charitable construction, and Chri∣stian compassion; but to aggravate and amplify slips, or falls, as world∣lings use to do, and to sentence of∣fendours to the pit of hell, that is a

power for the potter, not for the clay(o); Thou hast no part nor fel∣lowship in that authority.

84.

BEholdest thou any slain toge∣ther in the field? or drowned together in the Sea? or any way els come to the same destruction toge∣ther? yet conclude them not equal∣ly vertuous, or vicious, or their re∣wards after death, alike happy or miserable: For their lives may be contrary though their deaths be the same; or though they agree a long time in their race, yet may they dif∣fer before their races end; The two malefactours that suffered with our Saviour, on the Cross, had the like external punishment, but not the like eternal condemnation; in their death they were not divided, they both dyed a violent death; but in their souls they were plainly par∣ted, the one went to heaven, the other to hell.

85.

JUdge not any man by his distem∣perature in his sickness, but by his disposition in his health, or by the strangenes of his death, but by the strictness of his life; whereof the constant course is the best rule whereby to conjecture his future estate; unless thou wilt be judged thy self to be full of malice and empty of charity. They are usual mischiefs and not extravagant misdemea∣nours; (No not raving and blasphe∣ming in case of violent disease di∣sturbing the head and brain) that can make any probable argument, or likely signe of a son of perdition.

86.

ABhor that pe remptory censure, that this man is a Saint, and that man is a sinner, he the servant of God, and he the child of the De∣vill; For who is able, without spe∣cial revelation, to say determinately and assuredly, touching another,

that he is the child of the Devill, or that he is the Child of God? can∣not grace easily cut off the oldest and strongest entail of wickedness? Are there not many Wolves within the very Church, whose hypocrisy the Lord will in time discover? and are there not many sheep without the sheepfold of Christ, which God in his time will call(p)? What man is there, of so weak a faith, or so wicked a life, but that one day Christ out of his infinite goodness may call him and heal him? How far was Paul out of the way, and in what wrong and violent course in his former years? He breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord(q), he was a blasphemour and an oppres∣sour(r). But was he so alwayes? Did not God reduce him, and re∣form him in his later years? whilst he was striking, was he not stricken into his conversion? and of a rave∣nous and most cruell wolfe was he not made first a mild sheep, and then a most diligent and excellent shepheard? And where is he that

dare take upon him so to judge of another mans future estate, as to say certainly that he is damned, or he is saved? Is it not more than he hath any warrant for? Who art thou that so judgest anothers ser∣vant? Is it not to his own master only, who perfectly knows him, to whom he stands, or falls, and not to thee who art not able to know his heart? Is not his own master only that one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy(s)? Who art thou that takest such authority, and severity upon thee? that dealest so unmercifully with thy brother? He is a sinner, and so art thou a sinner, so either thou art, or hast been, or mayest be; Judge thy self, try and examin thy own works, search and sift them; Judge thy self, and judge not him, lest thou be condemned of the Lord, for not judging and judging.

87.

BEfore thou receive the holy Sa∣crament, whose price is unvalu∣able

and the vertue no less than the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ(t); To the partaking whereof no man should rashly and rudely thrust himself, or come with∣out religious fear and trembling; lest instead of a seal of Gods mercy, he receive a pledge of his wrath; if thou be not fit for such a favour, of so high, and holy a nature, endeavour to make thy self fit, and the way to make thy self fit, is examination of thy self in what case thou standest; Examin thy repentance whether it be sincere, thy purpose whether it be stedfast, thy faith whether it be lively, thy thankfulness whether it be real, and thy charity whether it be generall.

88.

BE frequent and forward in com∣ing to the holy Sacrament, a visible pledge of Gods grace, and ho∣ly covenant with thee; a Seal to assure thee of the performance of the gracious promises made to thee in the Word; a part of the most delicate

and delightful souls food, that ever was tasted, or that can be in the world; Deprive not thy self of so ex∣cellent a help both to provoke obe∣dience, and to strengthen faith, and to increase the comfort of the inward man; Make preparation, but make not excuse; Thou wouldst think thy self wrong'd, if having furnished thy table and provided liberally for thy guests, any one of them frowardly should reject thy kindness; what a wrong is it then to refuse the table and feast of Almighty God? It is no less danger to abstaine from the Lords Supper wilfully, than it is to receive it unworthily.

89.

WHat though Gods gifts be sure without sealing, as he himself is sure without changing? what though the Sacraments of themselves cannot confer grace ex opere operato, by the work wrought, that is, by force and vertue of the work and Word done and said in the Sacrament, as the Papists affirm(u),

blasphemously giving that power to the creature, which belongeth only to the Creatour? yet are they instruments of Gods merc es, which he useth of his goodnes towards us, to convey to our feebleness good things; and to make us more secure of his love; They are the King of Kings gracious pardon to confirm the weakness of our faith, to make good the truth of his own promises, to seal up unto us forgiveness of sins; Being then by Gods institution ve∣ry available, frequent them with a feeling of thy wants, with a reve∣rence of his ordinances, with hun∣gring after his graces, with calling upon his Name, to fit thee and pre∣pare thee for that heavenly work.

90.

DEceive not thy own heart with a Zodiack of false signes; Rest not thy self in seeking after common gifts, general knowledge and illu∣mination, diversity of tongues, and interpretation of tongues, all which are common to all sorts of men both

good and bad; but labour and covet to be partaker of such gifts as are peculiar and proper to the elect, & do always accompany salvation, and eternal life; but labour to feel a certain knowledge of thy recon∣ciliation to God in Christ, the gifts of regeneration, a dying unto sin, and rising up to newness of life, the grace of hearty prayer, meekness in bearing rebukes, delight in those that excel in vertue, comfort in distresses, and such like, which the elect of God find in some measure wrought in them; If these be in thee and a∣bound, thou shalt have that peace of conscience through them, that passeth all understanding; but if these be not in thee, whatsoever knowledge thou hast besides, though thou hast tasted of the heavenly gift, been inlightned by the Spirit, been partaker of the holy Ghost, tasted of the good word of God, and recei∣ved the Gospel with joy, thou shalt find no more sound comfort in them, than many most wicked men have had, who were enlightned by God, but shall never be saved; who

attained to great and high know∣ledge, but never grew so high as faith.

91.

ACcording to the truth of the Word in mercy revealed unto thee, grow in grace more and more, and make every day some progress to the Kingdom of heaven; still press, and indeavour onwards to obtain it; Thou shalt find many lets and hinderances in the way, which to pass over may seem to be hard in the beginning (especially if they be looked upon with an eye of flesh;) but a setled course and conti∣nuall practice of faith and repen∣tance will within a while make all that was laborious, lightsome, the matter easy and evident, and the way plain and comfortable. A scor∣ner seeketh wisedome and findeth it not; but knowledge is easy to him that understandeth(w); that un∣derstandeth to desire it, and hum∣bleth himself.

92.

THink not thy self discharged ei∣ther by Gods soveraigne, or by the Priests subordinat working; but that thou must also put to thy help, and work out, not the price, but the assurance of thy own salva∣tion(x); but that thou must also by using the appointed means, by wal∣king in all the Commandments of God without reproof, and conti∣nuall increasing in sanctification (which is a signe and seal of our ju∣stification) procure to thy self an assurance of thy election(y); but that thou must also by fighting the good fight, and keeping the faith, put thy self into an expection of the Crown of righteousness(z); If thou wouldst be sure to have salva∣tion follow, then must holy and carefull serving of God go before.

93.

HAst thou but little abilities, and few gifts, either of nature, art, or

grace bestowed upon thee? beholdest thou a double portion in others, and a poor pittance in thy self? yet be not dismay'd, be not out of heart, but in an humble cōtentation & devout thank∣fulness, proceed according to thy power, and thy labour shall not be in vain in the Lord; God desireth not toreap where he hath not sown, nor requireth he much, but where he hath given much; He loo∣keth not for labouring beyond thy strength, nor travailing further than thy gifts can reach; When Ezechiah pray'd for the people, that the Lord would pardon every one that prepared his heart to seek the Lord God of his Fathers, though he were not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary, the Lord heard him, and harkened unto him, and healed the people(a).

94.

COntent not thy self with know∣ledge and understanding, with utterance and discourse, or with a∣bility to dispute and determine ma∣ny

difficult points of Religion, though these faculties be in thee very eminent and singular; but con∣sider what faith thou hast to believe, and conscience to perform obedi∣ence; but look what power Gods Spirit hath in thee, to sanctifica∣tion of life, to amendment of errours and misdoings: of the Spirit illumi∣nating the fruits are often given to the wicked (Balaam and Saul may Prophesie, Caiphas may have some transient revelations) but the fruits of the Spirit sanctifying are vouch∣safed to none but onely to Gods Elect; Not he that knoweth most, but he, that maketh best use of what he knoweth, is the man whom God will know, and prefer, in the day of eternal retribution, in the day of his glorious appearance, when he shall destroy all the wicked, and make happy his own for ever.

95.

THe free-hearted Jews stil brought, either gold, or silver, or pretious stones, or fine linnen, or spices, or

silk, or hair, or one thing or other, to the building of the material ta∣bernacle; and they left not building till they were prohibited by procla∣mation; In building thy spiritual tabernacle to the Lord, leave not praying reading, hearing, learning, meditating, applying, practising, till thou be stayed by death; In thy spi∣ritual progress, repine not at thy pains past, neither think much of that which is to come, but keep on still; Be not weary of good intents and gracious imployments.

96.

LEt the examples of thy neigh∣bours dying round about thee daily, thy own decaying in strength and health, the many calamities in this dangerous world, incite thee to apply (whilst thou hast time) both thy body and mind to do good; stir thee up to prepare thy self, both in profession and practise for thy de∣parture; so shall neither life, nor death, no not sudden death, part thee from thy Saviour; so shall death

be unto thee, nor death indeed, but a bare name, and no worse; so shall death not be terrible unto thee, but as welcome, as quiet sleep to a wea∣ried and over-wearied traveller.

97.

BE not so heartless as to fear death, nor yet so senseless, as to pray for death before the time ap∣pointed by the Lord thy Governour: It is a sin to work thy death before men, and it is a sin to wish thy death before God; Indeed death which bringeth the dissolution of nature, and is a passage to a better life, is a welcom guest to them that are the Lords; all the godly do make themselves ready to receive him, to meet and intertain him: Death to the wicked cometh with a sting, but to the godly hath lost it; O death where is thy sting? O Hell where is thy victory(b)? Christ hath both abated the sting of the pain, and increased the strength of the patient; Joyful and glorious is the happyness to be with God; but ask not thy

wages before thou hast done thy work; and who can tell when he hath done all that? God may have something more for thee to dispatch, There may be some further office of a good servant, designed for thy part, to perform amongst thy fel∣low servants; It is better to live to God, than to be with God; If thou be with God thou shalt be glorified, but if thou live to God, God shall be glorified; It was the Spirits spe∣cial warrant, that made old Simeon desire to depart; If we have not the like warrant, It is a great weak∣ness to desire not to be, rather than to be in misery; Petition not to dy but to live, and declare the works of the Lord, and labour further in his imployments; Ask not, seek not for any means of death, but seek and sue for a blessing upon all those good means, that may maintain thy life, to do more good therein to the Church of God.

98.

LEt not any of Gods Judgments either seen, or heard, pass with∣out heedfulness, or be observed with∣out usefulness; Let his vengeance justly fallen upon others, though it do not toucht thee, yet teach thee, and stir thee up to amendment of life; God smiteth a few to warn many, and sometimes punisheth but one, to profit all; what a happy∣ness shall it be, if, by Gods grace, we so consider others punishment, that we our selves may never be made examples of punishment un∣to others?

99.

MAke what use thou canst of Gods Judgments upon others, and learn at their charge, and by their stripes, to get some instruction to thy self; Meditate often upon the fearful Judgments of God, which he bringeth upon the world, that they may bring thy heart to a grea∣ter dread, and reverence of his holy

Majesty; but especially ponder upon the last judgment in the end of the world, and of thy particular judg∣ment at the hour of death; that so having made thy peace before hand with God, by the mediation of thy blessed Lord and Saviour, thou mayst be sure to escape Gods wrath, and be saved; for if the tree fal towards the South or towards the North, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be(c), As the tree falleth, so it must ly, whether it be to the North of Gods Judgments, or to the South of his mercy; If the tree fall towards the South, (if a man dy in faith) or towards the North (without faith) there it lyeth; As God doth find thee, when he doth call thee, so doth he judge thee.

100.

DAily consider, and daily practise to mind thy eternall life, in this thy temporal life, and have thy conversation in heaven, whil'st thou walkest upon the earth, by using this world as though thou didst not(d)

use it(e), having another respect in the use of it than for it self; and not only thinking, or talking, or wishing of heaven, not only medi∣tating or discoursing of God, but doing Gods will, as the Angels in heaven, readily, willingly, faithful∣ly, without let, murmur, or deceipt; by seeking those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God; by setting thy affections on things above, not on things on the earth(f); whatsoever thou wouldst do at the last gasp, and groan, when thou art dying, do the same every day, whilst thou art living; He that would live when he is dead, must dy when he is alive.

Proverbs 4.13.

TAke fast hold of instruction, let her not go: keep her, for she is thy life.

2. Epist. of John vers. 9.

He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, He hath both the Father and the Son.

Cyprianus Epist. Lib. 1. Epist. 4.

Humanos errores, & mend•••••••• relinquamus, & in veritate Dei maneamus.

Let us leave the errours, and lyes of men, and abide in the truth of God.

FINIS.

Notes

• (a)

  James 5.17, 18.
• (b)

  Matth. 7.17.
• (c)

  James 5.16.
• (d)

  Exod. 14.15.
• [e]

  Matth. 7.16.
• [f]

  Psal. 119.105.
• [g]

  Matth. 22.29.
• [h]

  Acts 18.26.
• [i]

  1 Cor. 13.9.
• [k]

  John. 10.8.
• [l]

  1 Cor. p. 22.
• [m]

  Exod. 12.36.
• [n]

  Judg. 16.30.
• [o]

  2 Kings 1.10.
• [p]

  2 Kings 2.24.
• [q]

  Isaiah 8.20.
• [r]

  Luke 10.26.
• [s]

  Matth. 2.9, 10, 11.
• [t]

  Tu dis∣puta, ego credam, tu ratiocinare ago mirabar.
• [u]

  Matth. 24.15.
• [w]

  Rom. 15.4.
• [x]

  Psal. 40.7.
• [y]

  Rom. 6.19.
• [z]

  1 Cor. 11.17.
• [a]

  Numb. 12.2, 3.
• [b]

  Exod. 10.26.
• [c]

  Exod. 32.27, 28, 29.
• [d]

  Acts 17.16, 17.
• [e]

  Matth. 7.27.
• [g]

  Augu∣stinus.
• [h]

  Rom. 13.7.
• (i)

  Exod. 32.2, 3.
• (k)

  Prov. 22.1.
• (l)

  3. Epist. John v. 12.
• [m]

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 I Pet. 2.2.
• [n]

  2 Pet. 3.18, &c.
• [o]

  Matth. 23.2, 3.
• [p]

  Quos Spiritus Sanctus non intus docet, indo∣cti redeunt. August. in epist. Jo∣han. tract. 3.
• [q]

  Non ver bi ho∣minis fit ut intelligatur verbum Dei, facit Deus ut intelliga∣tis. Aug.
• [r]

  Cathe∣dram in coe∣le habet qui corda mo∣vet. Aug.
• [s]

  Acts 10.33.
• [t]

  Luke 13.3.5. Apoc. 2.5.
• [u]

  Deut. 23.25.
• [w]

  Luke 12.47, 48.
• [x]

  2 Kings 4.27.
• [y]

  Acts 16.17.
• [z]

  Acts 20.28.
• [a]

  1 Cor. 4.1.
• [b]

  Malac. 2.7.
• [c]

  2 Cor. 5.18, 19, 20.
• [d]

  Rev. 1.20.2.1.3.1.
• [e]

  Deut. 12.19.
• [f]

  Heb. 13.17.
• [g]

  Luke 10.16.
• [h]

  1 Cor. 4.1.
• [i]

  2 Cor. 5.20.
• [k]

  Amos 3.7. Acts 20.27.
• [l]

  Psal. 32.1.
• [m]

  2 Sam. 24.17.
• [n]

  Matth. 25.26, 27, 30.
• [o]

  Luke 6.9.
• [p]

  Non quod abstu∣lerit aliena, sed quod non donâ∣rit sua. Greg. ho∣mil. 40. in Evang.
• [q]

  Luke 16.23.
• [r]

  Matth. 27.34.
• [s]

  Prov. 28.13.
• [t]

  Matth. 18.22.
• [u]

  Toties quoties August. serm. 15. de verbis Do∣mini. Vici∣bus innume∣rabiliter in∣numer abi∣libus, Mal∣donat. in locum. Spe∣cies numeri magni pro numero mag∣no in genere. Piscator in loc.
• [w]

  Bellar. lib. 1. de justific. cap. 7.
• [x]

  Habac. 2.4.
• [y]

  Psal. 63.1:
• [z]

  Psal, 71.4.
• [a]

  Psal. 118.28.
• [b]

  John 20.28.
• [c]

  Galat. 2.20.
• [d]

  1 Pet. 1.9.
• [e]

  Matth. 13.12.
• [f]

  Luke 8.18. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• [g]

  Prov. 6.11.
• [h]

  Prov. 23.21.
• [i]

  Philip. 2.12.
• [k]

  Numb. 23.10.
• [l]

  Matth. 25.2, 3, &c.
• [m]

  1 Cor. 15.58.
• [n]

  1 Tim. 6.18.
• [o]

  Titus 3.1.
• [p]

  Heb. 13.16.
• [q]

  Prov. 3.28.
• Majori & affectu & effectu. Ber.
• [r]

  1 Sam. 18.17.
• [s]

  2 Sam. 15.5.
• [t]

  1 Sam. 18.4.
• [u]

  2 Tim. 1.16. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• Pejus est Ecclesiam scindere, guàm idolis sacrificare. August.
• [w]

  1 Cor. 15.33.
• [x]

  Malo∣rum consor∣tia fugere debemus quoad pri∣vatam con∣suetudinem non quo ad publicam conversatio∣nem. Am∣brosius of∣fic. lib. 1. cap. 18.
• [y]

  Prov. 4.14, 15.
• (z)

  1 Cor. 15.10.
• (a)

  Psal. 51.17.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• (b)

  Non po∣test malè mori, qui be∣nè vixit, & v••x potest benè mori, qui malè virit. Aug. de Doct. Christi.
• [c]

  Ephes. 4.30.
• [d]

  Psal. 32.3, 4.
• [e]

  Heb. 13.8. Idem Objectivè Subjectivè Effectivè.
• [f]

  1 Sam. 17.34, 35, 36.
• [g]

  2 Tim. 4.17, 18.
• [h]

  Matth. 8.20.
• [i]

  ubi de∣sinit huma∣num auxi∣lium ibi in∣cipit divi∣num.
• [k]

  Exod. 5.20.
• [l]

  Exod. 14.30.
• [m] 2 Cor. 7.5.
• [a] La∣ment. 3.22,
• [o]

  La∣ment. 3.26.
• [a]

  Psal. 139.3.
• [b]

  Psal. 139.11, 12.
• (c)

  —tolluntur in altum ut lapsu graviore ruant. Claudian.
• [d]

  Psal. 131.1, 2.
• [e]

  1 John 3.14, 15.
• [f]

  Luke 12.15.
• [g]

  Job 34.32.
• [h]

  Joshua 7.24, 25.
• [i]

  Cicer. Catil. 4. Valer. Max. lib. 9. Tacit. An∣nal. lib. 1.
• [k]

  Act. 5.36, 37.
• [l]

  Deur. 4.19. Jer. 7.18.
• [m]

  1 King. 2.35.
• [n]

  Isaiah. 22.20.
• [o]

  John 6.70.
• [p]

  Acts 1.20.
• [q]

  Galar. 4.18.
• [r]

  Bellar. de Pontif. Rom. lib. 1. cap. 7. pa∣ragr. prae∣terea.
• [s]

  Prov. 24.21.
• [t]

  Gal. 5.26.
• (u)

  Numb. 22.21.
• (w)

  Gen. 19.26.
• [x]

  Recusas esse in cor∣pore si non vis odium mundi sus∣tinere cum capite. Au∣gustin. 87. tract. in Johan.
• (y)

  Psal. 55.16.
• (z)

  Psal. 142.
• (a)

  Matth. 5.10.
• (b)

  Non ex passione certa est ju∣stitia sed ex justitia pas∣sio gloriosa est. Aug. cont. epi. Parmen lib. 1. cap. 7.
• (c)

  Psal. 119.11.
• (d)

  Psal. 119.101.
• (e)

  Prov. 16.7.
• (f)

  Non sta∣tim multi∣tudinis ac∣quiescamus judicio; Hieron. comment. in Isaiah cap. 3.
• [g]

  Gen. 13.11.
• [h]

  Matth. 12.34.
• [i]

  Prov. 23.31.
• [k]

  Dan. 1.8.
• [l]

  Marth. 5.17, 18, 19, 20.
• [m]

  1 Joh. 3.3.
• [n]

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Chrysostom.
• [o]

  Signum salut is ag∣nitio pecca∣ti. Bern.
• [p]

  Ephes. 4.29, 30.
• [q]

  Coloss. 4.6.
• [r]

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Eurip.
• [s]

  Job 9.28.
• [t]

  Luke. 17.10.
• [u]

  Luke 18.22.
• [w]

  Gen. 32.10.
• [x]

  Pet. 2.7.
• [y]

  Ezech. 9.5.
• [z]

  Vindi∣cari vis Christiane? Nondum vindicatus est Christus August. in Psal. 30.
• [a]

  Rom. 13.14.
• [b]

  Veritas convitil non excusat convitium.
• [c]

  Job 13.7.
• [d]

  1 Cor. 5.7:
• (e)

  Gal. 3.28. quan∣tum ad si∣dei Statum & dignita∣tem. Diony. Carth. in locum. quantum ad justifica∣tionem atti∣net. Nico∣laus He∣mingius in locum.
• (f)

  Is in a∣more Dei major erit, qui pluri∣mos ad ejus amorem tra∣hit. Greg. in hom.
• (g)

  Isaiah 2.3.
• (h)

  Zachar. 8.21.
• (i)

  Luke 8.16.
• (k)

  Job 34.34.
• (l)

  Ipse si∣bi denegat curam qui suam medi∣co non pu∣blicat cau∣sam. Aug. epist. 188.
• (m)

  Novit Deus omnia vocem ta∣tamen tuam expectat. Ambros. de poenit. l. 1. cap. 23.
• (m)

  Act. 11.18.
• (o)

  Non est judicium luti sed fi∣guli. Aug. de correp. & grat. cap. 5.
• (p)

  August. hom. 45. upon John.
• (q)

  Acts 9.1.
• (r)

  1 Tim. 1.13.
• (s)

  James 4.12.
• (t)

  1 Cor. 10.16.
• (u)

  Conc. Trident. Sess. 6. cap. 8. Rhem. Acts 22. Sec. 1. Ro. 6. Sect. 5.
• (w)

  Prov. 14.6.
• (x)

  Philip. 2.12.
• (y)

  a Pet. 1.10.
• (z)

  2 Tim. 4.8.
• (a)

  2 Chro. 30.18, 19, 20.
• (b)

  1 Cor. 15.55.
• (c)

  Ecclesi. 11.3.
• (d)

  Phil. ••.20.
• (e)

  1 Cor. 7.31.
• (f)

  Coloss. 3.1, 2.