shall thy Doubts be preserved from Despair 41. If thou stand guilty of Oppression or wrongfully possessed of anothers Right see thou make Restitution before thou givest an Alms if otherways what are thou but a Thief and makest God thy Receiver 42 When thou prayest for spiritual Graces let thy Prayer be absolute when for temporal Blessings add a Clause of God's pleasure in both with Faith and Humiliation so shalt thou undoubtedly receive what thou desirest or more or better never Prayer rightly made was made unheard or heard ungranted 43. Not to give to the Poor is to take from him not to feed the hungry if thou hast it is the outmost of thy power to kill him that therefore thou mayest avoid both Sacriledge and Murder be charitable 44. So often as thou rememberest thy sin without grief so often thou repeatest these sins for not grieving 45. In thy Apparrel avoid Singularity Profuseness and Gaudiness be not too early in the Fashon nor too late Decencie is the half way between Affectation and Neglect the Body is the Shell of the Soul Apparel is the Husk of that Shell and the Husk often tells you what the Kernel is 46. Be not Censorious for thou knowest not whom thou judgest it is a more dextrous Errour to speak well of an evil man than evil of a good man and safer for thy Judgment to be misted by simple Charity then uncharitable Wisdom he may tax others with Priviledge that hath not in himself what others may tax 47. If thou canst desire any thing not to be repented of thou art in a fair way to Happiness if thou hast attained it thou art at thy ways end He is not happy who hath all if it were possible that he desires but that desires nothing but what is good 48. Hath any wronged thee be bravely revenged slight it and the work is begun for give it and it is finisht he is below himself that is not above an injury 49. Deride not him whom the looser Worlâ— calls Puritan lest thou offend a little one 〈◊〉 he be a Hypocrite God that knows him will râ—ward him if zealous God that loves him wâ—â—â— revenge him if he be good he is good to God Glory if he be evil let him be evil at his oâ—â— Charges He that judges shall be judged 50. As thou desirest the love of God and Man beware of Pride it is a Tumor in thy Mind that breaks and poysons all thy Actions is is a Worm in thy Treasure which eats and ruines thy Estate it loves no man is beloved of no man it is the friend of the Flatterer the mother of Envy the Nurse of Fury the Bawd of Luxury the Sin of Devils and the Devil in Mankind it hates Superiors it scorns Inferiors it owns no Equals in short till thou hate it God hates thee 51. Beware of Drunkenness lest all good Men beware of thee where Drunkenness reigns there Reason is an Exul Vertue a Stranger and God an Enemy 52. Take no pleasure in the folly of an Idiot nor in the frenzie of a Lunatick nor in the extravagancies of a Drunkard make them the Object of thâ— Pity not of thy Pastime when thou beholdest them behold how thou art beholding to Him that suffered thee not to be like them there is no difference between thee and them but God's favour 53. Use Law and Physick only for necessity they that use them otherways abuse themselves into weak Bodies and light Purses they are good Remedies bad Business and worse Recreations 54. In every relative Action change Conditions with thy Brother then ask thy Conscience what thou would'st have done to the being truly resolved exchange again and do thou the like to him and thy Charity shall seldom or never err it is injustice to do what without Impatience thou canst not 〈◊〉 55. Things temporal are sweeter in the expectation Things 〈◊〉 are sweeter in the fruition the first shames thy Hope the second crowns it it is a vain Journy whose end affords less pleasure then the way 56. If thy words be Luxuriant confine them lest they confine the he that thinks he can never speak enough may easily speak too muchâ— a full Tongue and an empty Brain are seldom parted 57. Of all Vices take heed of Drunkenness other Vices make their own way this make way for all Vices he that is a Drunkard is qualified for every evil 58. Let the words of a Virgin though inâ— good Cause and to as good purpose be neitheâ— violent many nor first nor last it is less shamâ—â— For a Virgin to be lost in a blushing silence theâ—â— to be found in a bold Eloquence 59. If thou hast but little make it not leâ—â— by murmuring if thou hast enough make 〈◊〉 not too much by unthankfulness he that is nâ—â— thankfully contented with the least favour 〈◊〉 hath received hath made himself uncapable of the least favour he can receive 60. Dost thou want things necessar grumbâ—â— not perchance it was a necessar thing thâ—â— shouldst want them endeavour lawfully to suppâ—â— it if God bless not thy Endeavour Bless hâ—â— that knoweth what is fittest for thee thou 〈◊〉 God's Patient prescribe not the Physician 61. Look upon thy Affliction as thou usestâ— do upon thy Physician both imply a Diseaâ—â— and both are applyed for a Cure that of the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 if they work they promise 〈◊〉 if not they threaten Death he 〈…〉 that 〈◊〉 not afflicted but he that findâ— happiness by his Affliction 62. Many times when we are in heavy Affliction and â—â—sperate of all outward Means our Faâ—â—â— is more strong then afterwards when Goâ—â—â—â—th mercifully delivered yea so far doth the Devil prevail upon the heart of wretched man wiâ—â—â—st in any pleasing Prosperity that in the day of his Accounts it will at least often be found that his Troubles have been his greatest Mercies 63. It is good to suffer twice before one complain once for those that often though justly complain come with disadvantage especially iâ— it be to a Party who from the too common Infirmitâ— incident to Mankind is ready to determine persons under straitâ—â—ing Circumstances to be â—â—â—lish if not worse as they are ready to overprize the Actions of the worldly prosperous 64. He that desires but what he may may have â—hat he desires therefore he that is sparing in his desires may have Pâ—enty even in a moderate â—state FINIS Dear THEOPHILUS YOu may remember that in our discoursing together some Weeks since we considered that Love was the great Duty required of Man and the Apostle having said 1 Joh. 4.7 Let us love one another for love is of God yea our Blessed Lord in the Evangelist Joh. 13.35 Declares that By this shall all men know such to be his Disciples as have love one to another And having said in Mat. 22.37 38. That the First and Great Commandment was to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul And the
will be of no effect until we have entirely resigned our selves and moulded our affections into that frame as whatever be His Dispensations to us-ward we can cordially say with old Ely 1 Samuel 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth good unto him 21 Hate and eschew Pride which is rightly termed the Devils sin for it was the cause of the Fall of that Creature from a most excellent â—tation and if we could seriously and unbyasedly look upon it we would see great cause to abhor it It is not only without reason but against reason for any proud person by their being so are so far from conciliating respect or any thing else desireable as it do's directly procure to them disrespect and doth in every thing prejudge them for the Proud have this misfortune to displease every body but themselves It is impossible a vain man should love to be blamed and a man when he hateth reproof ought not to be accounted a reasonable Creature and Pride is unspeakably disadvantagious by its being hateful to God as in Prov. 8.13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil and arrogancy c. And the sad effects thereof are foretold Prov. 16.18 Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty Spirit before a fall And the punishments threatned therefore are apparent Prov. 15.25 The Lord will destroy the house of the proud c. Psal 119.25 Thou hast rebuked the proud which are cursed and in Prov. 16.5 The Lord declareth his abhorrence thereof and the undoubted certainty of its punishment Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord though hand joyn in hand he shall not go unpunished And Psal 101.5 him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer 22. As the extream folly of Pride is apparent from many places of Scripture so are the advantages of being truly humble as in Psal 9.12 He forgeteth not the cry of the humble and in Prov. 29.23 A mans pride shall bring him low but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit And in Isa 57.15 For thus saith the high and lofty One whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit c. And as pride in heart doth altogether incapacitate a person from drawing near to God in Duty so Humility hath the promise of being heard and accepted of as in Psal 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humle thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear 23. Be sober and moderate in your Apparel for excess therein is most unbecoming a man and inconsistent with reason forbear following of Fashions or appearing singular in being too much opposite to them a decent comeliness therein answerable to your Station is desireable for it is obvious that Cloaths can add no worth to the Owners thereof and it is intollerable Vanity their valuing of themselves thereupon 24. Anger is almost always the effect of Pride and as you respect Soul or Body strive against it surely it is at no time advantagious and the folly thereof when the Cloud it procures is taken off our Reason is obvious to any that hath the use of Reason we ought truly to be angry at nothing but sin for Anger is fitly called Madness and Fury and Bruitishness arise from it I think you need only behold the Actions of any person inflamed with Anger to satisfy you of the truth of all that Tongue or Pen can express against it you may from Scripture be fully satisfied of its being exceeding sinful you will find it dehorted and the folly thereof held forth Eccles 7.9 Be not hasty in spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosom of fools And Psal 37.8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath fret not thy self in any ways to do evil How often are we angry when there is no cause and when our Corruption may be stirred up to that Passion We are told Prov. 19.11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to pass over a transgression And in Prov. 14.17 He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly and in vers 29. He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly 25. Endeavour in all your Conversation such a meek and peaceable deportment as becomes a Christian which will even from these that are much otherwise disposed procure you an advantagious Testimony and the advantage to your self will be so great as is hardly expressible for as Pride and Anger clouds Reason and discomposeth from proceeding rationally either in thinking or doing so meekness of Temper leaves you at full liberty to use all your Reason and will even procure compassion from others if your Ignorance or Corruption should bring you under any inconvenience and the benefite thereof is clearly holden forth from Scripture where it hath the promise of temporal Blessings as in Psal 37.11 But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace Yea it hath the promise of Eternal Life Psal 149.4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautify the meek with salvation And in Mat. 11.29 We have the blessed Example of our Lovely Saviour where he says learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls 26. Beware of Envy as what hath nothing in it but what is to be hated for as it is hurtful and intolerable burdensome even to those who entertain it so it is altogether inconsistent with Society and the Rules of Christianity Yea the envious person doth directly wage War with God and repines at all his Dispensations to the advantage of others and certainly these persons must be miserable whose Sorrows arise from the satisfaction of the Publick and whose happiness proceeds from the misery of those of their Acquaintance Covetousness is an Evil against all reason and is to be hated because of the sordid baseness that attendeth it how bruitishly foolish are the ways of the Covetous And they being the delight of the Wicked God hateth them as the Psalmist doth well express in Psal 10.3 For the wicked boasteth of his hearts desire and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth Yea the Holy Ghost holds it forth to be Idolatry Eph. 5.5 For this ye know that no covetous man who is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God And in vers 3. he urgeth it may not so much as be named among Christians Yet would you make conscience of living frugally and whatever Station you are in and Profession you follow let Vertue and Industry be your Guides and not Pleasure and Idleness Undertake nothing without your Sphere or above your Capacity and let all your Ends and the means whereby you intend to come to them be just and honest in the sight of God and man Be content with
God you may with all your strength endeavour I have reason to fear that my corrupt wretched heart may not in my Directions to you have had the sole prospect of His Glory in your eternal Well-being and the vain Imaginations thereof in what I do may justly provoke to His keeping back His Blessing upon my Endeavours to your doing of Duty which I pray my good God in His Mercy may avert and I earnestly intreat you may so walk as you be not an Offence to the professing the Name of Christ for my Endeavours in relation to you howbeit faint and frail will tend to your advantage if you seriously mind them and seek of God strength enabling you to live up to Duty in your Station and if this you do not my heart is afraid you will thereby provoke God to leave you to your self and they will witness against you to your eternal undoing I did in the end of the last Sheets I wrot to you send you the Double of some Apothegms and short Sayings but want of time and the Paper I wrot upon having failed I have herein sent you some that I have found written by several Persons and albeit you may consider that your having them to read being printed might have spared my Labour yet being what of Sayings of that kind I judged fittest to be under your consideration I have been at the pains of writing them and of contracting some of them and of altering others thereof which makes me expect you will so peruse them as to imprint the same upon your Memory 12. It is a never failing Rule of decerning a man to be in the state of Grace when he finds every thing that befalls him draws him nearer to God 13. We may safely expect God in His ways of Mercy when we are in His ways of Obedience 14. We do truly honour God when we see nothing for us but rather all things contrary to what we look for than to shut our eyes to all inferior things and to look altogether to His All-sufficiency 15. In what we are called to we ought to do our own Work and depend upon God for Success Diligence in what is required of us and trust in Him is only our Duty Let us then with cheerfulness perform our part and our Merciful God will beyond all doubting in His own due time make the Event our advantage and comfort 16. It is folly to think that we should have Physick and Health both at once God's time is the best time resolve therefore your waiting upon it after a weary Week comes a Sabbath and after Fight comes Victory 17. It is an evidence of true trust when we can wait God's time and not make haste 18. A man can be in no Condition wherein God cannot Supply if Comforts be wanting He can Creat them not only out of nothing but even make Afflictions the cause of Comfort 19. The only way to have our Will is to bring it to God's Will No Sin but is easier kept out then cast out 20. What we are afraid to do before Men we should be afraid to think before God 21. The humble and thankful acknowledgement of the Goodness of God in His several Dispensations is advantagious for such as retain the memory of Mercies seldom loses the sight of them 22. He that cannot abound without Pride is unable to suffer Want without too much dejection 23. The frequent meditating upon the certainty of Death will stir up so to live as the horrour thereof will be found swallowed up in the Death and Sufferings of our Blessed Saviour 24. If you would have God hear your Prayers do you hear the Requests of the Needy 25. He that carelesly regards the misfortunes of other Men ought not to think it strange if others look upon his Misfortunes without Compassion 26. Prosperity makes others know what we are and Adversity makes us know who are our true Friends 27. If you do not easily bear with the failings of others ye will render your own failings unsufferable 28. He that will not know his Friends in his Prosperity deserves to meet with none in his Misery 29. He that boasts of his good Qualities loses the merit of them by his Pride and he that hides them adds to their Esteem by his Modesty 30. Temperance and Exercise are the best means of Health 31. An able Cook is as much to be feared in time of Health as an ignorant Physician in time of Sickness 32. Flatter not thy self in thy Faith to God if thou wantest Charity for thy Neighbour and think not thou hast Charity for thy Neighbour if thou wantest Faith to God where they are not both together they are both wanting and both are dead if once divided 33. If thou hope to please all thy Hopes are vain if thou fears to displease some thy fears are idle the way to please thy self is not to displease the best and the way to displease the best is to please the most if thou canst fashion thy self to please all thou shalt displease Him that is all in all 34. If thou hast any Business of Consequence in agitation let thy care be reasonable and seasonable continual standing Bent weakens the Bow too hastie drawing breaks it put off thy Cares with thy Cloaths so shall thy Rest strengthen thy Labour and so shall thy Labour sweeten thy Rest 35. If thou desire not to be too poor desire not to be too Rich he is Rich not that possesses much but he that covets no more and he is not poor that enjoys little but he that wants too much the contented Mind wants nothing which it hath not the covetous mind wants not only not what it hath not but likewise what it hath 36. If thou desire that unestimable grace of saving Faith detest that insatiable Vice of damnable Covetousness It is impossible a heart though never so double should lodge both Faith possesses thee of what thou hast not Covetousness disposesses thee of what thou hast thou canst not serve God unless Mammon serve thee 37. If any hard Affliction hath surprized thee cast one Eye upon the hand that sent it and the other upon the Sin that brought it if thou thankfully receive the Message he that sent it will discharge the Messenger 38. Trust not the Promise of a common Swearer for he that dars sin against his God for neither Profite nor Pleasure will trespass against thee for his own Advantage 39. So use Prosperity as Adversity may not abuse thee if in the one Security admits no fears in the other Dispair will afford no hopes he that in Prosperity can foretell a Danger can in Adversity foresee Deliverance 40. If thy Faith hath no doubts thou hast just cause to doubt thy Faith and if thy doubts have no hope thou hast just reason to fear Dispair when therefore thy Doubts shall exercise thy Faith keep thy Hopes firm to qualifie thy Doubts so shall thy Faith be secured from Doubts so