enemy to inward rest as outwarde rest may well stand with inwarde vnquietnesse 9 None liue so ill but they contēt themselues in somewhat Euen the begger likes the smell of his dish It is a rare euill that hath not something to sweeten it either in sense or in hope Otherwise men woulde growe desperate mutinous enuious of others wearie of themselues The better that thing is wherein wee place our comfort the happier we liue and the more wee loue good things the better they are to vs. The Worldlinges comfort though it bee good to him because he loves it yet because it is not absolutely and eternall good it failes him wherein the Christian hath iust aduantage of him while hee hath all the same causes of ioy refined and exalted besides more and hyer which the other knows not of The worldling laughes more but the Christiā is more delighted These two are easily seuered Thou seest a goodly picture or an heap of thy gold thou laughest not yet thy delight is more then in a iest that shaketh thy splene As grief so ioy is not lesse whē it is least expressed 10 I haue seene the worst natures most depraued minds not affecting all sinnes but still some they haue condemned in others and abhorred in themselues One exclaimes on couetousnesse yet he can too wel abide riotous good fellowship Another inueighes against drunkennesse and excesse not caring how cruel he be in vsury and oppression One cannot indure a rough and quarrellous disposition yet giues himselfe ouer to vnclean lasciuious courses Another hates all wrongs saue wrong to God One is a ciuill Atheist another a religious Vsurer a third an honest Drunkarde a fourth an vnchaste Iusticer a fift a chaste Quarreller I know not whether euery diuel excel in all sins I am sure some of them haue denomination from some sinnes more speciall Let no man applaude himselfe for those sinnes he wanteth but condemn himself rather for that sin he hath Thou censurest another mans sinne hee thine GOD curseth both 11 Golde is the heauiest of all metalles It is no wonder that the rich man is vsually carryed downward to his place It is hard for the soule clogged with manie weights to ascēd to heauen It must be a strong and nimble soule that can carry vp it selfe and such a lode yet Adam and Noah flewe vp thither with the double Monarchy of the worlds the Patriarkes with much wealth maoie holy Kings with massie Crowns and Scepters The burden of couetous desires is more heauy to an empty soule then much treasure to the full Our affections giue poise or lightnesse to earthly things Either abate of thy lode if thou finde it too pressing whether by hauing lesse or louing lesse or adde to thy strength activitie that thou mayst yet ascend It is more commendable by how much more harde to climbe into heauen with a burden 12 A Christian in all his wayes must haue three guides Truth Charity Wisedome Truth to go before him Charity Wisdome on eyther hand If any of the three be absent he walks amisse I haue seen some doe hurt by following a truth vncharitably And others while they would salve vp an errour with loue haue fayled in their wisedome and offended against iustice A charitable vntruth and an vncharitable truth and an vnwise menaging of truth or loue are all to be carefullie auoyded of him that woulde goe with a right foot in the narrow way 13 GOD brought man forth at first not into a Wildernesse but a Garden yet then he expected best seruice of him I neuer finde that hee delights in the misery but in the prosperity of his seruants Cheerfulnes pleases him better then a deiected and dull heauinesse of heart If wee can bee good with pleasure hee grudgeth not our ioy If not it is best to stint our selues not for that these comforts are not good but because our harts are euil falting not their nature but our vse and corruption 14 The homeliest seruice that we doe in an honest calling tho it be but to plow or dig if done in obedience cōscience of Gods cōmandement is crowned with an ample reward whereas the best works for their kind preaching praying offering euangelical sacrifices if without respect of Gods iniunction and glory are loded with curses God loueth aduerbs cares not how good but how well 15 The goldē infancy of some hath proceeded to a brazen youth and ended in a leaden age All humane maturities have their period Onely grace hath none I durst neuer laie too muche hope on the forwarde beginnings of witt and memorie which haue been applauded in children I knew they could but attaine their vigor and that if sooner no whit the better for the earlier is their perfection of wisedome the lōger shal be their witless age Seasonablenesse is best in all these things which haue their ripenesse and decay Wee can neuer hope too much of the timely blossomes of grace whose spring is perpetuall and whose haruest begins with our end 16 A man must giue thankes for some-what which he may not pray for It hath been sayde of Courtiers that they must receiue iniuries giue thanks God cannot wrong his but hee will crosse them those crosses are beneficiall all benefites challenge thanks Yet I haue read that Gods children have with condition prayed against them neuer for them In good things we pray both for them and their good vse in euill for their good vse not themselues Yet wee must giue thankes for both For there is no evill of paine which God dooth not nothing that God doth is not good no good thing but is worthy of thankes 17 One half of the world knowes not how the other liues and therefore the better sort pitty not the distressed and the miserable enuy not those which fare better because they knowe it not Each man iudges of others condition by his owne The worst sort would be too much discontented if they sawe how farr more pleasant the life of others is And if the better sort such we cal those which are greater could look down to the infinit miseries of inferiours it would make them either miserable in compassion or proude in conceite It is good some-times for the delicate riche man to look into the poor mans cupboard and seeing God in mercy gives him not to knowe their sorrowe by experience to knowe it yet in speculation This shall teache him more thankes to God more mercy to men more contentment in himselfe 18 Such as a mans prayer is for another it shall be in time of his extreamity for himselfe For though he loue himselfe more then others yet his apprehensiō of God is alike for both Such as his praier is in a former extreamity it shal be also in death this way we may haue experience euen of a thing future If God haue been far off frō thee in a fit of thine ordinary sicknesse feare least he will not
be neerer thee in thy last what differs that from this but in time Correct thy dulnesse vpon former proofs or els at last thy deuotion shall want life before thy body 19 Those that come to their meat as to a medicine as Augustine reports of himself liue in an austere Christian teÌ„per shal be sure not to ioy too much in the creature nor to abuse themselues Those that come to their medicine as to meate shall be sure to liue miserablie and dye soone To come to meate as meate if without a gluttonous appetite palate is allowed to Christians To come to meat as to a sacrifice vnto the belly is a most base brutish idolatry 20 The worst that euer were euen Caine and Iudas haue had some â—autors that haue honoured them for Saints And the Serpent that beguyled our first Parents hath in that name had diuine honour and thankes Neuer anie man trod so perilous and deepe steppes but some haue followed and admired him Each master of heresie hath found some clients euen hee that taught all mens opinions were true Againe no man hath been so exquisite but some haue detracted from him euen in those qualityes which haue seemed most worthy of wonder to others A man shall bee sure to be backed by some eyther in good or euil and by some shouldred in both It is good for a man not to stand vpon his Abbetters but his quarrell and not to depend vpon others but himselfe 21 We see thousands of Creatures dye for our vse and neuer doe so much as pitty them why do we think much to dye once for God They are not ours so much as wee are his nor our pleasure so much to vs as his glory to him their liues are lost to vs ours but chaÌ„ged to him 22 Much ornament is no good signe Paynting of the face argues an ill complexion of bodie a worse minde Truth hath a face both honest and comely and lookes best in her owne colours but aboue all diuine truth is most faire and most scorneth to borrowe beautie of mans witt or tongue she loveth to come forth in her natiue grace like a Princely Matrone and counts it the greatest indignity to be dallyed with as a wanton Strumpet She lookes to command reuereÌ„ce not pleasure she would be kneeled to not laughed at To pranke her vp in vaine dresses and fashions or to sport with her in a light and youthful maner is most abhorring from her nature they know her not that giue her such entertainment and shall first knowe her angry when they do know her Againe shee would bee playne but not base not sluttish She would be clad not garishly but not in ragges Shee likes as little to bee set out by a base foyle as to seeme credited with gaye colours It is no small wisdome to know her iust guise but more to followe it and so to keepe the meane that while we please her wee discontent not the beholders 23 In worldly carryage so much is a man made of as he takes vpoÌ„ himselfe but such is Gods blessing vppon true humility that it still procureth reuerence I neuer sawe Christian lesse honored for a wise neglect of himselfe If our deiection proceed from the conscience of our want it is possible wee should be as little esteemed of others as of our selues But if wee haue true graces and prize them not at the highest others shall value both them in vs and vs for them and with vsurie giue vs that honour wee with held modestly froÌ„ our selues 24 He that takes his full liberty in what he may shall repent him how much more in what he shoulde not I neuer read of Christian that repented him of too little worldlie delight The surest course I have still found in all earthlie pleasures To rise with an appetite and to bee satisfied with a little 25 There is a time when Kings goe not forth to warfare Our spirituall warre admitts no intermission it knowes no night no winter abides no peace no truce This cals vs not into a garisoÌ„ where we may have ease and respite but into pitched fields coÌ„tinually we see our enemies in the face alwaies and are alwayes seene and assalted euer resisting euer defeÌ„ding receiuing and returning blowes If eyther wee be negligent or weary wee dy what other hope is ther while one fights the other stands still We can neuer haue safetâ—â— peace but in victory There must our resistance be couragious and constant wheâ—â— both yielding is death and all treatyes of peace mortall 26 Neutrality in things good or euil is both odious and preiudicial but in matters of an indifferent nature is safe and commendable Herein taking of parts maketh sides and breaketh vnitie In an vniust cause of separation hee that fauoureth both partes may perhaps haue least loue of either side but hath most charitie in himselfe 27 Nothing is more absurd then that Epicurean resolution Let vs eat and drinke to morrow wee shall dy As if wee were made onely for the paunch liued that we might liue yet ther was neuer any naturall man found sauor in that meat which hee knewe should be his last wheras they should say Let vs fast and pray to morrow we shall die For to what purpose is the body strengthened that it may perish whose greater strength makes our death more violent No man bestowes a costly roofe on a ruinous tenement That mans end is easie happy whom death finds with a weak bodie and a strong soule 28 Somtimes euen things in themselues naturally good are to bee refused for those which being euil may be an occasion to a greater good Life is in it self good and death-euill Els Dauid Elias and many excellent Martyrs would not have fled to hold life and auoid death Nor Ezekiah haue prayed for it nor our Sauiour haue bidden vs to flee for it nor God promised it to his for a reward yet if in some cases wee hate not life wee loue not God nor our soules Heerein as much as in any thing the peruersnesse of our nature appeares that wee wishe death or loue life vpon wrong causes we would liue for pleasure or wee woulde die for payne Iob for his sores Elias for his persecution Ionas for his gourd would presently dye and will needs outface God that it is better for him to die then to liue wherin wee are like to garrison souldiers that while they liue within safe wals and showe themselues once a day rather for ceremony pomp then neede or daunger like warrefare well enough but if once called foorth to the field they wish theÌ„selues at home 29 Not onely the least but the worst is ever in the bottome what shoulde God doe with the dregges of our age when sinne will admitt thee his Clyent no longer then God shall be beholdeÌ„ to thee for thy seruice Thus is God dealt-with in all other offrings The worst least sheafe must bee
Gods fauours is vnpartially bâ—â—â—â—wed vpon all willing â—eceiuers whereas Nobilitie of blood and height of place blessings of an inferiour nature are reserued for fewe Heerein the Christian followes his Father his prayers which are his richest portion hee communicates to al his substance according to his ability to fewe 57 God therfore giues because hee hath giuen making his former fauours â—â—â—â—ments for more Man therefore shuts his hand because he hath opened it Ther is no such way to procure more from God as to vrge him with what he hath done All Gods blessings are profitable and excellent not so much in themselues as that they are inducements to greater 58 Gods immediate actions are best at first The frame of his creation how exquisite was it vnder his hand afterwardes blemished by our sin mans indeuours are weake in their beginnings and perfitter by degrees No science no deuise hath euer bin perfite in his cradle or at once hath seene his birth and maturitie of the same nature are those actions which God worketh mediately by vs according to our measure of receit The cause of both is on the one side the infinitenesse of his wisedome and power which cannot bee corrected by any second assayes On the other our weakenes helping it selfe by former grounds and tryals Hee is an happie man that detractes nothing from Gods workes and addes most to his owne 59 The olde saying is more coÌ„mon then true that those which are in hell know no other heauen for this makes the damned perfitly miserable that out of their own torment they see the felicitie of the saints togither with their impossibility of attayning it Sight without hope of fruition is a torment alone Those that heere might see God and will not or doe see him obscurely and love him not shall once see him with anguish of soule not enioie him 60 Somtimes euill speeches come from good men in their vnaduisednesse and somtimes euen the good speeches of men may proceede from an ill spirit No confession coulde bee better then Satan gaue of Christ It is not enough to consider what is spoken or by whom but whence for what The spirit is oft-times tryed by the speech but other-times the speech must bee examined by the spirit and the spirit by the rule of an higher word 61 Greatnesse puts hie thoughts big words into a man whereas the deiected minde takes carelesly what offers it selfe Euerie worldling is base-minded therfore his thoughts creep stil lowe vpon the earth The Christian both is knowes himselfe truely great and thereupon mindeth and speaketh of spirituall immortall glorious heauenly thinges So much as the soule stoopeth to earthly thoughts so much is it vnregenerate 62 Long acquaintance as it maketh those things which are euill to seem lesse euill so it makes good thinges which at first were vnpleasant delightfull There is no euill of payne nor no morall good action which is not harsh at the first Continuance of euill which might seem to weary vs is the remedie and abatement of wearinesse the practice of good as it profiteth so it pleaseth He that is a straÌ„ger to good and euill findes both of them troublesome GOD therefore dooth well for vs while he exerciseth vs with long afflictions and wee doe well to our selues while wee continually busie our selues in good exercises 63 Sometimes it is well taken by men that wee humble our selues lower then there is cause Thy seruant IACOB sayth that good Patriarch to his brother to his inferiour And no lesse well doth God take these submisse extenuations of our selues I am a worme no man Surely I am more foolish then a man haue not the vnderstanding of a man in mee But I neuer finde that anie man bragged to GOD although in a matter of Truth and within the compasse of his desert and was accepted A man may be too lowly in his dealing with men euen vnto contempt with God hee cannot but the lower hee falleth the higher is his exaltation 64 The soule is fed as the bodie starued with hunger as the body requires proportionable diet and necessarie varietie as the bodie All ages and statures of the soule beare not the same nourishment There is milk for spiritual infants strong meate for the growen Christian The spoone is fit for one the knife for the other The best Christian is not so growen that hee neede to scorne the spoone but the weake Christian may finde a strong feede dangerous How manie haue beene cast away with spirituall surfets because being but newe-borne they haue swallowed down bigge morselles of the highest mysteries of godlinesse which they neuer could digest but together with them haue cast vp their proper norishment A man must first know the power of his stomach ere hee knowe how with safetie and profit to frequent Gods Ordinary 65 It is verie hard for the best man in a suddayne extreamitie of death to satisfie himself in apprehending his staie and reposing his heart vppon it for the soule is so oppressed with suddaine terrour that it cannot wel commaund it selfe till it haue digested an euill It were miserable for the best Christian if all his former prayers and meditations did not serue to ayde him in his last straites and meete together in the center of his extreamitie yielding though not sensible reliefe yet secret benefit to the soule wheras the worldly man in this case hauing not laid vp for this houre hath no comfort from God or from others or from himselfe 66 All externall good or euill is measured by sense neither can we account that eyther good or ill which doth neither actually auaile nor hurt vs spiritually this rule holds not All our best good is insensible For al our future which is the greatest good we hold onlie in hope and the present fauour of God wee haue many times and feel not The stomach findes the best digestion euen in sleepe when we least perceiue it and whiles wee are most awake this power worketh in vs eyther to further strength or disease without our knowledge of what is done within And on the other side that man is most dangerously sick in whome nature decayes without his feeling without his complaint To knowe our selues happie is good but wo were to vs Christians if wee could not bee happie and knowe it not 67 There are none that euer did so much mischief to the Church as those that haue beene excellent in wit learning Others may bee spightfull enough but want power to accomplish their malice An enemy that hath both strength craft is worthy bee feared None can sinne against the Holy-Ghost but those which haue had former illumination Tell not mee what partes a man hath but what grace honest sottishnes is better then profane eminence 68 The intertainement of all spiritualll euents must bee with feare or hope but of all earthly extreamities must bee with coÌ„tempt or derisioÌ„ For what is