the more good by how much it is good to more and doest rather that which is good to thee then what is truly good in it selfe this is to make thine owne selfe and thy advantage the rule of goodnesse that should'st make goodnesse the rule of thy selfe and thy actions Think that in death thou dost not lose a life but exchange one death is but a change and therefore not to feare a change that art every day so acquainted with changes every chang is a kinde of death in as much as that which it changeth from doth die to what it was if the beasts and creatures themselves did not change from what they are how should we be fed Nay if their skins and clothing did not change from it's naturall use to them how could it be usefull to us if the Sun it selfe did not change his place if the yeere and the parts of the yeere did not change how should wee either have life or necessaries thou then that doest thus subsist by changes why doest thou feare a change especially considering that other things being ever altering in thēselves doe yet ever continue alterable whereas we changing but once and for the better shall ever after remaine immutable so that to be loth to change is to contradict what thou doest to feare a change and yet love a life that is full of changes If God have made thee handsome let not that make thee proud beauty is an ornament doe not thou make it a snare why should'st thou have cause to wish that thou had'st beene ill favour'd show nothing naked of thy selfe to others but thy face and that only that thou mayest be knowne not seene be curteous to all but no◠familiar stay not to heare thy handsomenesse prais'd much lesse to praise it think no time so ill spent about thy selfe as in dressing nor no money as in fashions yet in neither be ridiculous allow for both acknowledge no beauty in thy selfe but of the mind nor strive for none if God have made thee beautifull in others eyes let it be thy care to make thy selfe so in his beauty without grace is the greatest deformity In Gods house and businesse forget thine owne be there as a member of the Church not of the Common-wealth empty thy selfe of this world thou art conversant in the next let al thy senses have no other object but God let thy eares be open but thy eyes shut if anothers beauty draw thy eyes from God that beauty is become thy deformity and hath turn'd God's eyes from thee Love no woman but a wife and use no familiarity with her but in publike thou knowest not whither it may grow many have thought no hurt in the beginning of those things that after have proceeded to impiety and in all thy behaviour examine not what thou doest but with what minde thou doest it else that which happily in it selfe was indifferent is to thee unlawfull to a good minde all company is safe and all familiarity is harmlesse T is the minde that makes a fault Else such things would not be naught Hee that can and is no lyer Sporte and talke without a fire Can be curteous can be kinde And not kindle in his minde And can touch a womans skin As his owne not stirre within Doth salute without delight And more would not if he might Nor scarce that whom thus to bill Manners teacheth not his will Nor with hand nor lip nor eye Doth commit adultery But see and salute each other Woman as he doth his mother As the Nurses harmelesse kisse To her childe is such is his Without pleasure without taste With a minde a thought as chaste As Turtle till thy minde be such Doe not looke nor sport nor touch Or at least till this thou can Sport and talke and play with man Not with woman for if faire Thou wilt finde or make a snare Nay although thy minde be such Doe not toy nor sport nor touch For although thy thoughts be good Yet thoughts are not understood But by actions so therein May be scandall if not sinne Who exactnesse will fulfill Must forbeare things seeming ill Not that are but might have beene Or that may be construed sinne Men judge thee ill or innocent By what 's seene not what is meant Then untill all mindes be such Thinke a Looke a smile too much Love thy Neigbour as thy selfe in the kinde unfainedly but love thy friend as thy selfe in the degree doe as much as thou canst but love more than thou canst doe he that doth but little for his friend because his ability is so loves more than hee which doth much but lesse than he is able Revenge no injury though thou canst and require every curtesie if thou canst yet shew that thou art willing to requite a curtesie where thou art not able and shew that thou art able to revenge a wrong if thou canst though thou art not willing so by shewing that thou couldst revenge this thou wilt happily prevent another and by not revenging it thou wilt prove thy selfe better then thou shouldst for to revenge a wrong done is to doe a wrong to God so thou wilt be guilty of doing that which thou complainest of and therefore unjustly complainest of that which thou thy selfe doest Let thy conceit of thy selfe bee low but thy desires high even as high as heaven think thy selfe not worthy of the least good yet by the grace of God capable of the greatest thinke often upon Christs death it wil sweeten thine and account it his he accounts it so he dyed not for himselfe but for thee and if thou live not to thy selfe but to him then he lives not for himselfe neither but for thee to make thee partaker of eternall life which already thou hast in the certainety though not in the fruition and believest all this and more very humbly but very confidently That thou mayest avoid sin avoid the occasion of it as he that complaines of heat removes farther from the fire omit no oportunity of doing good do no evill though thou hast oportunity it is a greater commendations of thy goodnes that thou mightst and wouldst not Meditate often upon thy death thou wilt like it the better and often upon the next life thou wilt like this the worse thinke of this World as a thing in trust and provide to discharge it account nothing thine owne but as being shortly to give an account of it to the right owner Be not angry without cause bee merry without offence admit a seasonable anger and shun an unseasonable jest be moderate in both do not forget thy selfe in thy anger nor thy friend in thy mirth by the one thou wilt be burthensome to thy selfe by the other to the company Love the body but subordinate to the soule the Tenant is more noble than the House the most beautifullest body is but a body of earth and the Iewels which adorne it are but stones in the earth and the
not by money if thou deservest it not thou wrongest others if thou dost deserve it thou wrongest thy selfe The goodnesse of the minde is witnessed in the outward actions the goodnesse of the outward actions is determined by the intention and minde inward goodnesse without outward showes of it is like a Tree without fruit uselesse outward shewes of goodnesse without inward sincerity is like a Tree without heart livelesse that thou art good inwardly in thy heart is thine owne comfort that thou dost outwardly prosesse this goodnesse in thy life is others benefit thou thy selfe are not the better for that goodnesse which thou dost not make shew of others are not the better for that goodnesse of w ch thou makest no shew so inward sincerity is required in respect of God outward profession onely in respect of men by the first thou art a true Christian by the other it doth appeare that thou art so Neither undertake much nor talke much and that to the purpose deliver thy minde rather in profitable language than curious by this happily thou wilt gaine more applause but by the other thou wilt doe more good and it is a greater vertue to do well than to heare well Do nothing which thou disallowest disallow thy selfe some things w ch thou mayest doe but nothing which thou oughtst to do give no liberty to thy selfe in unlawfull things use not the utmost of that liberty which is given thee in other things and so use thy liberty in what thou art permitted as that they may not hinder thee in the things thou art commanded Promise nothing which may prejudice thee in the performance performe what thou hast promised though to thy prejudice thinke thy selfe bound by thy word though without oath or witnesse if thou art not well able to performe consider thou wert able not to promise a good man measurs his promises by his ability but he measures his performance by his promise Account it the greatest knowledge truly to know thy selfe and the greatest cōquest to subdue thy self not give way to thine own lusts nor boast of thine owne parts to do nothing that is ill nor vaine gloriously to tell of what thou doest well in all things to approve thy selfe a good man and a Christian but not boast of it Place not Religion in talke only it is an easier matter to give counsell than to follow it sometimes wee have knowne men to fall into those sins from which they have with great paines converted others but Christianity as we say of Charity begins at home it was Christs to S. Peter Art thou converted strengthen the brethren but first be converted himselfe hee may happily save others that is not saved himselfe yet he will sooner save another that goes in the way of salvation himselfe good doctrine is weakned much with ill life he that will do good upon others must first be good himselfe Speake nothing which thou would'st wish to recall and do nothing which thou shalt need to repent condemne nothing in a humour nor maintaine nothing out of fashion never defend a false cause either to revenge a wrong or to doe a pleasure Think only the present time thine for that which is past is none of thine and that which is to come it is a question whether ever it shall be thine so the certaine time of thy life is very little and the account which thou shalt certainly give of this life very great and thy account is made greater by tarrying but thy life lesse so that to put off the finishing of this account till a farther time is to make thy selfe a greater account and have lesse time to do it in nay thou shalt answer for the neglect of that time wherein it might have beene done and it may be denyed another time to do it Measure not goodnesse by good workes onely a Parrat may be taught to speake well good words cost us nothing and men are for that Religion that is cheapest it is an easie matter to speake like a Christian Satan himselfe can talke Scripture Charity consists not barely in knowing or discoursing of what is good but in practising what we do know in Religion not to doe as thou sayest is to unsay thy Religion in thy deeds Ever expect death though not wish for it let thy last houre finde thee rather willing to goe than contented to tarry put not off amendment till another day thou art not sure to see an end of this provide that thy death bed may rather finde thee fitted for God than fit thee and so order thy estate and thy soule in thy health that when death comes thou mayest have nothing to do but to dye In point of reformation first pluck out thy owne More spend not thy time in exhorting others to the keeping of the Commandements and breake them thy selfe measure not thy goodnes by anothers want of it nor measure thy want of goodnesse by others store of it God doth not so though thou art not so good as the best yet while thou endeavour'st to be so thou art good enough God who workes in us both to will and to doe doth in some case accept the will for the deed Reckon nothing which thou hast thine owne nor nothing which thou doest at thine owne disposing and use all not as a Master but a servant remembring thou must one day answer for them to their Master Do not murmure at thy condition if meane nor measure Gods blessings by thy wants but by thy deserts if God be better to others than he is to thee yet while hee is better to thee than thou deservest he is good enough In Christianity not thinke to attaine the end without the meanes and if the same meanes do not in al produce the same effect not to impute it to any alteration or deficiency in the meanes but in the subject the meanes is the same the parties are not all men are not alike hardned in sin therefore all are not alikehard or easie to be converted sins are compar'd to diseases all diseases are not mortall some humours spend themselvs others are not recovered but with expence and danger and the same sicknesse is not remov'd with the same ease in all bodies because there is not in all the same temper that physick doth but stir the humour in some bodies which in others would utterly expell it it is with the sicknesse of the soule as of the body al sins are not equal all men are not equally sinfull either the sins may be lesse or of lesse continuance for custome as it begets a greater liking of sin so it leaves a deeper root continuation of things makes them partly naturall therefore we call custome another nature setled impieties like setled humours doe not easily stir though the meanes are the same yet while the subject is no◠it is no wonder that the effects are not there must be the same disposition of the matter as well as of the agent it
and desire rather to partake of others sufficiency than to publish thine own in meaner company thou mayest be admired more but in this thou shalt profit more it is better to learne wisdome from those that are wise than to be thought wise by those that are ignorant be studious rather of being able than of being so accounted not to pick up thy knowledge especially thy opinions from other mens discourse but with paines and industry rather to search out the knowledge of truth thy selfe than lazily to take it up from others In Religion examine but not broach opinions ever incline to Antiquity and suspect novelty in middle things ever submit to the Authority thou livest under and let the Churches opinion be thine Measure not equity and right by friends and profit nor doe wrong either to get or to do a curtesie not upbraid others with the kindnesses thou doest for them nor forget the kindnesses which others do for thee be sparing of receiving a curtesie where it is an ingagement and of doing one where it is dis-honorable Be not wilfull nor wavering not change but upon good reason not obstinate against reason not believe every report not to report every thing thou believest not grant every thing which thou canst not answer but suspect rather thine owne insufficiency that cannot defend it than cry down the matter as not to be defended Be sparing of thy commendations especially of thy selfe commend no man undeservedly that is flattery nor thy selfe though never so deserving it is vaine-glory Doe not admire or applaud what thou understandest not do not seem to understand where thou doest not it is better to acknowledge thy ignorance and learne than falsely to professe learning and be still ignorant Desire rather to do wel than to heare well if thou canst preserve to thy selfe a good report but be ambitious onely of a good conscience doe not measure thy selfe by other mens reports nor measure other men by thy selfe ask thine owne heart and not their tongues what thou art Labour to reforme thy selfe first let other mens sins rather be the subject of thy griefe than of thy discourse so speake of other mens sins as that thou detract not from the person and so excuse or mitigate the slip of any person as that thou seeme not to countenance the sin Doe not thinke thou art good enough so long as thou art not knowne to be otherwise and never thinke thy life so good as not to need mending Say nothing but what thou meanest and promise nothing but what thou art able not to intend what thou speakest is to give thy heart the lye with thy tongue not to performe what thou promisest is to give thy tongue the lye with thy actions Doe not greedily finde fault in any nor reproachfully publish it but rather by a hidden and oblique way to insinuate his errour to him than detractingly to blaze it seek not the advancement of thine owne wit by another mans folly not alwayes comply with the fortune and censure him that is downe not ever judge of things by the event nor condemne that as unadvÃsedly undertaken which succeeds ill Put not off devotion and the duties of Religion with want of leisure nor the needy and duties of charity with want of ability in both though never so straightned thou mayest doe somewhat though the lesse a sigh or a groane in the one and a cup of cold water in the other thou canst not be without When thou promisest think thou mayest be taken at thy word be nothing in a complement which thou darest not stand to in earnest as there is lesse sin so there is lesse wrong in denying than in not performing to deny is at most but a discurtesie not to performe is an injury for if thou denyest hee may seeke to others if thou deceivest he fails of all it is lawfull for thee not to promise it is not lawfull for thee to breake promise Observe what is good in any man learn it what is evill and eschew it if any thing good in thy self to be thankfull for it or evill if evil of punishment to beare it if evill of sin to repent of it nor deride any mans imperfections but thanke God that they are not thine not to scorne any friend for an errour but be sorry that he is wrong and be so much his friend as to endeavour to set him right For a servant ever to speake well of his Master if ill to speake the best if ill to him to impute it to his ill deserving is a duty yet a commendations to thinke obedience a vertue not servitude and that it is not the least mastery so far to command ones selfe as to be contented to submit to the commands of others Doe curtesies for others as gifts not looking for requitall receive curtesies of others as loanes and meaning to repay what favours thou doest for others to forget them if thou receivest any ever to remember them not to requite the injuries of an enemy with the like nor the good turnes of a friend only with the like Speake not censoriously of thy betters not scornefully of thy inferiours not vain-gloriously of thy self not to boast of thy selfe that w ch thou never didst nor to assume to thy selfe the praise of that learning and wit which is not thine owne not slightly and undervaluingly to speake of other mens vertues and not at all of their vices not to think superciliousnesse majesty or a grave reservednesse wisdome as if thou would'st bee therefore thought wise because thou sayest little not be a ridle which is rather to puzzle curiosity than to benefit society which man was made for and therefore be such rather as men may make use of thee than be troubled to know thee Be covetous of nothing but of doing good and be prodigall of nothing but good counsell be slow in believing ill of any but slower in speaking it In place of judicature looke not whose cause comes before thee but what and judge even thy brother not as a brother but a Iudge not measure the sentence by the relatition not sell judgement nor do a profitable wrong it will never repent thee that thou art the poorer for doing right Be milde to all but know when to be severe there is an unseasonable meekness I know not which is worse to be angry unjustly or not to be justly angry if by the first thou mayest wrong an innocent person by the other thou mayest a guilty sometime to be silent at is to encourage a fault it may be a due chiding would reforme that offence which takes heart with sufferance Affirme not any thing out of humour or because thou hast affirm'd it it is a greater disparagement to stand in a lye than to recant an error to erre is but a weaknesse and the case of all to acknowledge an error is a vertue and the praise but of a few but to maintaine an error is a sin and