and in the hands of young men if there be not counsayl at home and in the breasts of the aged And as some fruits are ripe before others and divers fit for divers seasons of the year so God and nature hath so ordayned that the bodyes of young men should be ripe in their youth fittest for bodily employments by reason of their naturall heat and spirits and the counsayls of old men in their age through their long experience and observation Things go well where both do their parts in societies It is worthily sayd of one that Childehood should be manly that is not without all wisedom and age childe-like that is without pride and arrogancy Yet may the aged above the younger sort chalenge and use a kinde of authority and confidence in their words caryage So is there to be permitted unto childhood that childeishnes which without violence to nature the God thereof cannot be driven from it Many in pride striving and streyning to have their children men and women too soon and ere they be full boyes and girls force them above their pace and eyther cause them to tyre as discouraged or occasion them to content themselvs in after time with certayn manly forms without substance unseasonably forced upon them in their childehood Fruits ripened by art before their time are neyther toothsom nor wholesom So children made men when they should be children prove children when they should be men Notwithstanding stubbornnes and corruption cannot too soon be forced out of them Neyther is half that libertie to be given to the younger sort which they would take not knowing nor being easily brought to beleiv how slipperie their state is till they come to feel it by their fals which if they did they would not complayn with the foolish young man in the poet that all parents keeping any hand over their children though for their good are injurious unto them As all men are to honour all men because they are men and made after Gods image so should the younger sort specially be trayned up to a bashfull and modest reverence towards all and cheifly towards their ancients Which so well becomes their mayden years as that the phylosopher accounts blushing a vertue in young folks though a fault in the aged Many parents desire to have their young ones trayned up in such exercises and courses as may inbolden them But they should for the most part provide much better for them specially in our audacious age if they got them held constantly in courses of modestie and â—hamefastnes that so Demetrius might have his wish in them which was that young folks would reverence their fathers at home all men abroad and themselvs being alone The Apostle writeing to Timothie warns him to fly the lusts of youth If Timothy who was brought up in the knowledg of the Scriptures from a childe and who had profited so well therein and whose place in the church was so eminent for the teaching and governing of others stood in need of such advertisement and warning what warning can be sufficient for ordinarie young people to eschew and fly from such lusts and vanities as to follow after them and unto which the heat and heedlesnes of youth carryeth them It is indeed a great mercy of God when young persons get over that their slipperie and inexperienced state without eyther such publique scandall or secret wound of conscience as the scar whereof they carry to their graves with them How much more and greater a mercy is it when they receav the grace to consecrate their youth and best dayes to God in holynes offering their souls and bodyes as the sacrifices of young lambs unblemished upon the Lords altar Wicked men who hate goodnes both in youth and age use to say young saints old divels But the truth is young divels old Beelzebubs for the most part To whom yet if God in singular grace vouchsafe repentance in after age what a corasive will it be to the heart of such a convert casting back his eyes to his youth consumed in lusts and vanitie to think how great dishonour he hath brought to Gods name and hindrance to others salvation which he may repent of but cannot redeem On the contrarie sweet is the remembrance in old age of a youth led in true vertue and godlynes Some would enjoy both the honour of age and liberty of youth But curled grey hayr is not comely Eyther state hath its benefit and burden alotted of God He that obteyns the benefit must be content to bear the burden Young men must be content to want the honour which is due to the aged of their order otherwise in regard of the image of Gods eternitie which they bear And so must the aged be content to forbear even the lawfull libertie delights of youth Multitude of years should teach wisdom sayth young Elihu in Iob to his three ancients And this the younger sort should with reverence and may with good reason look for at their elders hands considering their long experience and manifold advantages above them for the getting of wisdom This wisdom makes their age honourable indeed and their grey head a crown of glory being founded in the way of righteousnes whereas an elementarie old man having no other argument to prove that he hath lived long but his grey hayrs and wrinkled forehead is a contemptible and ridiculous creature How many such a b c old folks are there in the world whose grey hayrs promise wisdom knowledg and to whom opportunitie and means of atteyning it hath not been wanting who yet being proved and known will appear very babes in understanding and such as for that skill had need to begin to live againe This is not meerly a want of wit in them or of the love of knowledg eyther but withall a curse of God upon them usually punishing a lustfull and rechlesse youth with a doltish age in whom the proverb is true in another sense Ab equis ad asinos Such of young horses become old asses A wise man should live well in youth and before old age come that he may dye well in age if it come and may be ready for death as the white regions are for the harvest and so may both wayt for it and even meet it the more boldly in the way of such vertuous actions as expose unto it For though youth likelyhood of long life should make none withdraw from any good duety or doe amisse for fear of danger of losse of life yet age should though in course of nature the more fearfull upon ground of good reason wisdom and grace make men the more ventersom of that in a good cause which God destiny will deprive them of ere long though other men let them alone as Solon was bold upon his old age to oppose himself to Pisystratus the tyrant One adviseth to be old
or all which they spake by the Spirit written but onely so much as the Lord in wisdom and mercie thought requisite to guide the Church in Faith and obedience to the worlds end so as the Scriptures should neither be defective through brevitie nor burthensom by too great largenesse and prolixitie And thus to judg is more answerable both to Gods providence in preserving the Scriptures from miscarrying and to the Churches care and faithfulnesse in keeping safe this heavenly treasure committed to her custodie then to say with some that any of the Books or parts of the Canonicall Scriptures are lost It no more detracts from the authentique authoritie or generall use of some parts of the Holy Scriptures that they were penned upon some speciall occasions then of the Sermons of Christ the Prophets and Apostles that some of them were preached upon speciall occasions And surely it seems a strange conceipt that the authoritie of the writing should be the lesse because the thing written was suggested by the Holy Ghost and so penned upon speciall occasion offered as such Scriptures were The Scriptures are not onely authentique in themselvs as having the Spirit of God for the Authour both of matter and manner and writing but do also as they say carrie their authoritie in their mouthes binding both to credence and obedience all whomsoever unto whom they come by what means soever And if God left not himself without witnesse in his works of creation and providence how much lesse in his written Word Wherein without comparison he reveals himself much more clearly then the other way which is therefore discernable by its self as is the Sun by its own beams and light and which as one saith he that studies to understand shall be compelled to beleev Their assertion therefore who hold and teach that we are to receav the Scriptures for the Churches testimonie because usually as others more truly and religiously speak we receav them by its testimonie is in effect none other then that we are to beleev God for mens cause whereas on the contrarie if a man should finde the Book of Holy Scriptures in the high-way or hidden under a stone yet he were bound to learn receav beleev and obey them and everie part of them in his place though without yea against the likeing and approbation of all the men in the World except God must not be God without mens likeing And if the Word preached by Christ the Prophets and Apostles in their time whether to Iews or Gentiles were absolutely to be beleeved and obeyed by everie one that heard it without other or further testimonie why not as well and much now by all that read it written He that receavs the testimonie of Christ for it self whether exhibited in speach or writing sets to his seal that God is true He that receavs it for the testimonie of the Church sets to his seal that men are true But the Childe of God knows his Fathers voyce The profit and power of the Scriptures both for stay of Faith and rule of life and comfort in all manner of afflictions no tongue or pen is able so fully to expresse as everie true Christian findes and feels in his own experience There is but one true happinesse life eternall one giver of it God one Mediatour Iesus Christ and so but one means of imparting it the Word of God by which he that is both Authour and finisher of all both begins and perfits all Blessed is the man that hath his delight therein and meditates in the same day and night that so he may learn the things upon Earth the knowledg whereof will fit him for Heaven When we avow the Scriptures perfection we exclude not from men common sense and the light of nature by which we are both subjects capable of understanding them and directed in sundry manners of doing the things commanded in them yea besides other humain helps we both acknowledg and beg of God as most needfull for their fruitfull understanding the light of his holy Spirit onely we account and avow them as a most perfect rule neither crooked any way nor short in any thing requisite This their sufficiencie and perfection is not to be restrained to matters simply necessarie to Salvation For who can say how many or few and no more nor lesse they are But to matters necessarie to obedience that we may please God in all things great or small expressed or intended and to be gathered by proportion and just consequence Without Faith we cannot please God and Faith comes onely by the Word of God which we must therefore make our guide in all our wayes And if we be to give an account for everie idle word and so for every vain thought or work there is then a Law of God for these smallest matters for where no Law is there is no transgression and where there is no transgression or fault there is no account to be given But as Phylosophers say that the least naturall things are not sensible by reason of their smalnesse so may and doth it too easily fall out that we fail through want of skill or care in applying our rule of direction both in smaller matters and others of greater moment also But this is not because the Scriptures are defective in directing but we either blinde in discerning or negligent in searching or both And if the Holy Scriptures direction reach unto the whole course of our life how much more of our Religion or worship of God In which nothing is to be practised but that which is to be beleeved nothing to be beleeved but that which is to be taught nothing to be taught but according to the Scriptures This being the first thing that we are to beleev that we must beleev nothing but according to them All things els are humain and humain it is to er and be deceaved The custom of the Church is but the custom of men the sentence of the Fathers but the opinion of men the determination of Councels but the judgments of men To conclude One onely place of Holy Scriptures rightly understood and fitly applyed will have more power and fasten deeper upon a truly good and godly heart then all the consenting authorities of men and Angels though uttered with the tongue of men and Angels As the title set over the head of Christ crucified was the same in Hebrew Greek and Latin so are the Scriptures the same whether in the Originall or other Language into which they are faithfully translated Yet as the waters are most pure and sweet in the Fountain so are all writings Divine and humain in their Originall Tongues it being impossible but some either change or defect or redoundancie will be found in the translation either by default of the Translatour or of the Tongue into which it is made In a Translatour is required specially skill in words and
put more confidence in their riches for their safetie and welfare then they do in Gods providence and by them promise themselvs all aboundance of happines This madnes befals not the but half-mad prodigals Thirdly The covetous doth good to none nor to himself neither many tymes wanting as well the things he hath as the things he hath not God not giving him power to eat of and use his riches Whereas the prodigall doth good to manie though not well Fourthly Covetousnes is a base and beggarlike vice Prodigalitie a worshipfull honourable and kingly sin Fiftly Povertie and want the fruits of prodigallitie prove oft times good scool-masters to the ding-thrift for his bettering as we see it fell out with the prodigall son But the effects of Covetousnes which are usually riches and plentie harden the hould-fast causing him to blesse himself the more in his wicked way The ryot of the prodigall drawes him dry but the gettings of the other serve to feed his disease which causeth him dropsie-like the more he hath to desire the more Ad we unto all these that whereas age is some remedie against other vices specially against prodigalitie which grows old and decayes with the person in whom it is Covetousnes then grows young so as they who are but thriftie in youth are usually covetous in age And though it seem and indeed be unreasonable that the lesse way men have to go they should be carefull for the more viandour and provision for their journey yet are there divers colourable occasions though no just causes of this maladie As first age being impotent and unable to susteyn it self is occasioned the more carefully to seek and gâ—t riches as a staffe to lean on But for this we shall never see any more greedie then such as have more then enough for many ages their aboundance no more quenching their lust then fuell doth the flame Secondly the aged are oft charged with families and freinds for whom they are to provide from which burden youth is free for children are not to lay up for the parents but parents for the children But for this also we see that a man though he be alone and have no second neyther child nor brother puts no end of labour to get nor is ever satisfyed with riches I have not in my life observed any more given to covetousnes then such as have not nor are like to have children to leave their goods to Thirdly the other lusts of prodigal youth languishing in age the heart not being set upon God and true goodnes which alone could fill and satisfy it findes onely the lust of coveting riches a fit guest to harbour in it wherewith the flesh mainteyns it self that it fall not wholly into decay So Symonides being accused of covetousnes answered that whereas the delight of all other pleasures was gone he nourished his age with that alone profitable pleasure And lastly which is worst of all though God have set religion and covetousnes at such variance that they can not possibly reign in one person None can serve God and mammon And again He that loveth this world the love of God dwelleth not in him yet we see it that religion working in persons a loathing of excesse in worldly vanities their flesh so works with it as it disposeth very manie to such a warines as between which and playn covetousnes there is too near affinitie Yea how many have I known who having passed the danger of the high-way ground and understood the word of God preached and professed the same and of the stonie ground too in undergoing some troubles and persequutions for the same yet nourishing in themsevs too much love and care of worldly riches have had all their goodnes choaked before the harvest by those dangerous thornes Against this so dangerous deceitfull and close-cleaving evill we are first to get into our hearts fayth in Gods providence as well and as much for the good things of the life present so far forth as they are good indeed as of that to come He that dares not in the use of good means trust God for this life doth not indeed trust him for life everlasting how oft soever he say over his creed Such a man mocks with God in making a shew of trusting him with that which in truth he profanely despiseth whereas for worldly good things which he desires in earnest he will trust God no further then he sees him Though the Lords love shew forth it self more in heavenly then in earthly things yet his truth bindes him alike to performance as he hath promised upon which he that dares not rest for the lesser makes but a shew of resting for the greater Secondly we must get contentation with that which we have seeing God hath said to us I will never leav thee nor forsake thee esteeming and saying with our selvs that this which we enjoy with a good conscience and by means lawfull diligently used is our alotment from God by the sanctified use whereof he will provide competently for our temporall state and further our eternall Thirdly considering how uncerteyn means of our good even for this life all earthly things are and how many times they become the very snare thereof as in the case of Naboth and how alwaies the coveting of them deprives of the hope of a better for the covetous is an idolater and hath no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God it is both sin and folly inordinately to affect the getting or keeping of them But as the Pharisees being covetous mocked at Christ when they heard him speak against their joyning the serving the mammon of unrighteousnes with the serving of God so men in all ages becomeing rich by covetousnes and proud by riches are ready to mock at whatsoever God or man can say against their gaynfull wickednes Considering how many poore people want and of those not a few the living members of Christ Iesus we ought to make great conscience eyther of spending prodigally or sparing covetously any thing lesse or more wherewith we might comfort them and shew them mercy how much more of that whereby we should deal justly with them in giving them their due which should first be done CHAP. XXXII Of Health and Phisick HEalth is the greatest bodily blessing which God bestows upon any in this life yet is it one of the least regarded partly by reason of its commonnes to al sorts of people poore and rich fools and wise the vilest and most excellent otherwise partly for that it is a naturall good thing which we bring for the most part into the world with us and so oftens preserv without any sensible change And accordingly we see that no man is the more honoured for his health which can scarse be sayd of any other good thing whatsoever The benefit of this most sweet sause of al other goods is scarsly
is an inureing of them from the first to such a meannes in all things as may rayther pluck them down then lift them up as by plain and homely dyet and apparrel sending them to school betimes and bestowing them afterwards as they are fit in some course of life in which they may be exercised diligently and the same rayther under then above their estate by not abetting them one against another nor against any specially before their faces without great cause nor by makeing them men and women before they become good boyes and girls How oft have I observed that parents who have neyther fayled in diligent instructing of their children nor in giving them good example nor in correcting them duely have onely by streyning too high this way eyther endangered or utterly overthrown their posteritie hereby lifting them up in their vayn hearts and teaching them to despise both mean things and persons and themselvs also many times amongst others thereby drowning them Icarus like in a sea of mischeif and misery by their flying too high a pâ—â—ch And this must be the more mynded because there is in men an inbred desire and that inordinate usually to hoyse up their children as high as may be so as they half think they do them wrong if they set them not higher or as high at least as themselvs almost whether God will or no. Yea what place affoards not some such as make themselvs their childrens slaves not careing how basely they themselvs grovell in the earth so they may set them on their tiptoes But first of all for childrens competent education specially for their disposeing in some particular course on which all are to settle at last though some libertie of stepping this way or that be given them for a while as a man though for his pleasure he see many places yet seeks his abode in some one in the end there is required in their parents a through discerning and right judgment of their disposition which is as difficult as necessarie The difficultie aryseth from the partiality of parents towards their own for that as the crow thinks her own bird fayrest so do they commonly their children towardlyer and better then they are or then any other indifferent judg doth This partiality in many is so grosse as they not onely deem small good things in them great and great evils small but oftens account the same things well becomeing them and commendable which in others they would censure as undecent and it may be enormous This perniâ—ous errour ariseth from self love For as in nature the object cannot be seen which is eyther too near the eye or too far from it so neyther can the disposition of that â—â—iâ—de be rightly discerned which lyeth too near his fathers heart And yet is the knowledg of this so necessarie that we build not eyther upon a vain or uncerteyn foundation with great hazzard of losse both of labour and expence in sorting our childe to his particular calling and course of life as all without it is but a verie rash adventure For as none is fit for everie course nor hardly any for many in any great degree so everie one is fit for one or other to which if his ability and disposition be applyed with any convenient diligence on his part and helps by others he may easily come to a mediocritie therein if not to some rarenes Hence was it that fathers in some places used to lead their children to the shops of all kinde of artificers to try how they could both handle their tools like their works that so they might bestow them accordingly Some wise men also have wished that there might be established by publique authoritie a course for the due tryall and choyce of wits for severall sciences And surely where there goes not before a naturall aptnes and morall disposition also for some callings there will follow nothing but losse losse of time losse of labour losse of charges and all as when the seed is cast into the barren ground And as the midwife how skilfull soever in her art cannot make the woman to be delivered that was not first with childe so neyther can the best maysters make their schollers or servants to bring forth sciences unlesse they have an aptnes thereunto first conceaved in their brayns There is running in the breasts of most parents a strong stream of partiall affection towards some one or other of their children above the rest eyther for its beautie or wit or likenes to themselvs or some other fancyed good in it which is alwayes dangerous and oft hurtfull Sometimes the Lord takes away such before the rest to punish the fathers fondnes And most commonly such if surviveing prove the worst of all the rest as growing hereby proud and arrogant in themselvs presumptuous upon their fathers love and contemptuous of the rest of their brethren and sisters as we may see in Esau Absolom and Adoniah their fathers darlings and in many mo in our dayly experience And though they in themselvs which they seldom are free from be not corrupted with pride yet will the rest seldom or never escape the infection of envy at it as is to be seen in Iosephs brethren It is naturall for parents tenderly to love all their children and best for them to be as equall towards all as may be reserving the bestowing of their best and greatest love till they see where God bestows his And if so be they cannot or will not command their inordinate affections as they should yet it is wisdom to conceal them from their children whom els they may hurt so many wayes as the ape is said many times to kill her young ones by too streyt embraceing them The Lord promises and affoards long life to such as honour father and mother whose dayes if he shorten in this life for their good he lengthens out with immortalitie in glory On the other side he cuts off from the earth stubborn and disobedient children suddeynly and sundry wayes And if he give them long life it is for a curse unto them They also oftens dye without children themselvs and if not their children oftener pay them that which is due and owing them from their parents The historie is note worthy of the father who being drawn by his son to the threshold of the house by the hayr of the head cryed to him to draw him no further for that he had drawn his father no further And how should they expect honour from their children who have dishonoured their parents or a happy life who despise the author of their life under God This honour is due not onely to them by whom we have our being but to them also by whom our well-being is furthered CHAP. LXI Of Youth and Old age THat cittie or common wealth sayth one flourisheth most where old mens counsayl and young mens swords are in request And a litle sayth another avail weapons abroad
ready blessed is he whom his Lord when he cometh findes so doing Young folk may dye shortly but the aged cannot live long The green apple may be pluckt off or shaken down by violence but the ripe will fall of it self It is wisdom therefore to provide for death in youth there being many more that dye in youth or childehood then that survive till old age but madnes it is to neglect preparation when age commeth Though in truth few dye well in age that have not lived well in youth That we may once dye the great death aright and in peace it is requisite that we dye dayly many litle deaths both by outward afflictions inward mortifyings of our worldly and corrupt lusts We should so live as being content to dye when God calls us hence and that upon knowledg of the nature cause and event of death and out of a good conscience towards God and men And not in senseles blockishnes overcomeing death as the most do by forgetting it as if a man overcame his enemy by getting as far from him as he could nor yet by desperate wearisomnes of life for any troubles in it but as being willing yea desyrous to live to serv Gods providence for good upon earth It is ill sayth the wise heathen to wish death but worse to fear it But godly Christians are to doe both in different respects To desire it as it stands with Gods will that they may be free from sin and misery it being best for them to be dissolved and to be with the Lord To fear it as being in it self a fearfull punishment of sin the dissolution of the most excellent creature upon earth and an end of further praysing God in his church and performing particular offices of goodnes and love to men And in truth though grace have this effect with them that desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ that they do not dye onely patiently but even dye with delight and live patiently yet nature causeth that not onely they that know they must dye as all doe but they also which beleev that after death they shall enjoy a more happie state desire the deferring of it so loath to part are the two old acquayntances the body and soul. Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saincts when they dye for or in â—ayth and a good conscience as the gold melting and dissolving in the furnace is as much esteemed by the gold-smith as any in his shop or purse Pretious also it is whilst they live and that which God will not lightly suffer to befall them And if he put their tears in his bottle he will not neglect their blood nor easily suffer it to be shed Neyther doth death when it comes part him and them though it part man and man yea man and wife yea man in himself his soul and body Freinds shew themselvs faythfull in sticking to their freinds in sicknes and all other afflictions but they how affectionate soever must leav them in death and are glad to remove them and to haue their dead buried out of their sight But the fruit of Gods love reacheth unâ—o death it self in which he doth his beloved ones the greatest good when freinds can do no more for them He that sayd Before death and the funerall no man is happy spake the truth as he meant of the happines which can be found in worldly things But both he and they who have so admyred his saying should have considered that he who is not happie before death in worldly things cannot be happy in them by it which deprives him of them all and of life it self which is better then they and for which they are But miserable indeed is the happines whereof a man hath neyther beginning nor certainâ—ie but by ceasing to be a man The godly are truly happy both in life and death the wicked in neyther We are not to mourn for the death of our christian freinds as they which are without hope eyther in regard of them or of our selvs Not of them because such as are asleep with Iesus God will bring with him to a more glorious life in which we in our time and theirs shall ever remayn with the Lord and them Not of our selvs as if that because they had left us God had left us also But we should take occasion by their deaths to love this world the lesse out of which they are taken heaven the more whether they are gone before us and where we shall ever enjoy them Amen FINIS THE TABLE Conteyning the Contents of everie Chapter CHap. j. Of mans knowledg of God fol. 1. Ch. ij Of Gods love 4. Chapt. iij. Of Gods promises 9. Chapt. iiij Of the works of God his power wisdom will goodnes c. shineing in them 13. Chapt. v. Of created goodnes 21. Chap. vj. Of Equabâ—litie and perseverance in wel-doing 29. Chap. vij Of religion and differences and disputations thereabout 38. Chap. viij Of the holy Scriptures 53. Chapt. ix Of authoritie and reason 65. Chapt. x. Of fayth Hope and Love Of fayth Reason and Sense 73. Chapt. xj Of Atheisme and Idolatrie 84. Chapt. xij Of Heresy and Schism 87. Chap. xiij Of truth and falshood 90. Cha. xiiij Of knowledg and ignorance 95. Chapt. xv Of simplicitie and craftines 101. Chap. xvj Of wisdom and folly 104. Chap. xvij Of discretion 110. Cha. xviij Of Experience 112. Chap. xix Of examples 114. Chapt. xx Of counsell 119. Chap. xxj Of thoughts 124. Cha. xxij Of speach and silence 127. Cha. xxiij Of books and writings 135. Cha. xxiiij Of good intentions 139. Cha. xxv Of means 141. Cha. xxvj Of labour 143. Ch. xxvij Of callings 147. Ch. xxviij Of the use and abuse of things 152. Cha. xxix Of riches and povertie 155. Chapt. xxx Of sobrietie 162. Chap. xxxj Of liberalitie 166. Chap. xxxij Of health 172. Cha. xxxiij Of afflictions 176. Ch. xxxiiij Of iniuries 184. Chap. xxxv Of patience 190. Cha. xxxvj Of peace 195. Ch. xxxvij Of Societie and friendship 199. Ch. xxxviij Of Credit and good name 209. Cha. xxxix Of contempt and contumelie 214. Chapt. xl Of envie 218. Chapt. xlj Of slander 221. Chap. xlij Of flatterie 225. Chap. xliij Of suspicion 227. Chap. xliiij Of appearances 231. Chapt. xlv Of offences 235. Chap. xlvj Of temptations 238. Chap. xlvij Of conscience 244. Cha. xlviij Of prayer 247. Chap. xlix Of oaths and lots 253. Chapt. l. Of zeale 257. Chapt. lj Of hipocrisy 260. Chapt. lij Of sin and punishment from God 264. Chapt. liij Of rewards and punishments by men 270. Chap. liiij Of affections 273. Chap. lv Of fear 278. Chapt. lvj Of anger 283. Chap. lvij Of humilitie and meeknes 287. Chap. lviij Of Modestie 293. Chapt. lix Of mariage 296. Chapt. lx Of children and their education 304. Chap. lxj Of youth and old age 314. Chap. lxij