A LETTER FROM S r MATTHEW HALE K t Sometime Lord Chief Justice of ENGLANDâ— To One of his SONS After his Recovery from the SMALL-POX LONDON Printed by J. Playford for W. Shrowsbery at the Sign of the Bible in Duke-lane 1684. A LETTER FROM Sir MATTHEW HALE To One of his SONS Son ALthough by reason of the Contagiousness of your Disease and the many dependents I have upon me I thought it not convenient to come unto you during your sickness yet I have not been wanting in my earnest Prayers to Almighty God for you nor in using the best means I could for your recovery It hath pleased God to hear my Prayers for you and above means and hopes now to restore you to a Competent degree of health for which I return unto him my humble and hearty thanks and now you are almost ready to come abroad again therefore I have thought fit to write this little Book to you for these reasons 1. Because it is not yet seasonable for you to come to me in respect of these same reasons above mentioned which hitherto have restrained my coming to you 2. Because at your coming abroad you will be subject to Temptations by young and inconsiderate Company which instead of serious Thankfulness to God for his mercy to you might perchance persuade you to a vain and light jollity And I thought fit to send you these Lines to prevent such inconsiderate impressions and to meet you just at your coming abroad to season you with more wise and serious principles 3. Because you are even now come out of a great and sore Visitation and therefore in all probability in the fittest temper to receive the impressions of a serious Epistle from your Father And I have chosen to put it into this little Volume because it is somewhat too long for a Letter and may be better preserved for your future use and memory God Almighty hath brought you to the very Gates of Death and shewed you the Terrour and Danger of it and after that he had shewn you this Spectacle of your own Mortality he hath marvellously rescued and delivered you from that danger and given you life even from the dead so that you are as a man new Born into the World or returned to Life again which now you seem as it were to begin You have passed through those two great Dispensations of the Divine Providence those two great Experiments that God is pleased sometimes to use towards the Children of men namely Correction and Deliverance his Rod and his Staff And therefore in all reasonable conjecture this is the most seasonable time to give you a Lecture upon both and those admonitions which may be render the one and the other profitable unto you And this I shall endeavour to do in these following Lines First you shall not need to fear that I intend to upbraid you with the errors of your Youth or to expostulate with you touching them For I do assure you I do from my heart forgive you all your follies and miscarriages And I do assure my self that you have repented of them and resolved against them for the time to come and that thereupon God-almighty hath also fully forgiven what is past And this is a great assurance thereof to me in that he hath so wonderfully restored you and given you as it were a new Life wherein you may obey and serve him better than ever you yet did And therefore if in this Letter there be any touches concerning former vanities assure your self they are not angry repetitions but only necessary Cautions for your future ordering of your Life The business of these papers is principally to commend unto you two general Remembrances and certain Results and Collections that arise from them they are all seasonable for your present Condition and will be of singular use and benefit to you in the whole ensuing Course of your Life First I would have you as long as you live remember your late Sickness in all its Circumstances and these plain and profitable inferences and advices that arise from it Secondly I would have you remember as long as you live your great deliverance and the several Circumstances of it and those necessary duties that are incumbent upon you in relation thereunto It is evident to daily experience that while Afflictions are upon us and while deliverances are fresh they commonly have some good effect upon us But as the Iron is no sooner out of the fire but it quickly returns to its old coldness and hardness so when the Affliction or Deliverance is past we usually forget them count them common things attribute them to Meanes and second Causes And so the good that Mankind should gather from them vanish and men grow quickly to be but what they were before they came their sick-bed promises are forgot when the sickness is over And therefore I shall give you an account of your sickness and of your recovery And let them never be forgotten by you as often as those Spots and Marks in your Face are reflected to your view from the Glass as often as this paper comes in your fight nay as often as you open your Eyes from sleep which were once closed and likely never to open again so often and more often remember your sickness and your recovery and the admonitions that this paper lends you from the Consideration of both First therefore touching your late sickness I would have you remember these particulars 1. The Disease it self in its own nature is now become ordinarily very Mortal especially to those of your Age Look upon even the last years General Bill of Mortality you will find near Two Thousand dead of that Disease the last Year and had not God been very merciful to you you might have been one of that number with as great likelyhood as any of them that Dyed of that Disease 2. It was a Contagious Disease that secluded the access of your nearest Relations 3 Your sickness surprised you upon a suddain when you seemed to be in your full strength 4. Your sickness rendred you Noysom to your self and all that were about you and a spectacle full of deformity by the excess of your Disease beyond most that are sick thereof 5. It was a fierce and violent sickness it did not only take away the common supplies of nature as digestion sleep strength but it took away your memory your understanding and the very sence of your own Condition or of what might be conducible to your good All that you could do was only to make your Condition more desperate in Case they that were about you had not prevented it and taken more Care for you than you did or could for your self 6. Your sickness was desperate in so much that your Symptoms and the violence of your distemper were without Example and you were in the very next degree to absolute Rottenness Putrefaction and Death it self Look upon the foregoing Description and
remember that such was your Condition you were as sad a Picture of Mortality and Corruption as any thing but Death it self could make Remember it And Remember also these ensuing Instructions that may make that Remembrance profitable and useful to you First Remember that Affliction cometh not forth of the dust nor doth trouble spring out of the ground Job 5.6 But this terrible visitation was sent to you from the wise overruling Providence of God It is he that bringeth down to the Grave and bringeth up again It is true that this Disease may seem common but you may and must know that there was more than the common hand of God in sending it upon you in such a manner and such a measure and at such a season when you were grown up to a Competent Age and degree of understanding to make a due use of it that you might see his justice in Afflicting you and his goodness in delivering you from such a danger Secondly Remember that Almighty God is of most infinite Wisdom Justice and Mercy he hath excellent ends in all his dispensations of his providences He never sends an Affliction but it brings a message with it his Rod has a voice a voice Commanding us to search and try our ways and to examin our selves whether there hath not been some great sin against him or neglect of duty to him a voice Commanding us to repent of what is a miss to humble our selves under his mighty hand to turn to him that striketh us to seek to him by Prayer for deliverance to depend upon him by Faith in his mercy and power to amend what is a miss to be more watchful circumspect and obedient to him in the future course of our lives to fear to offend him And if a man hear this voice God hath his end of mercy and goodness and man hath the fruit benefit and advantage of his Affliction and commonly a Comfortable issue of it Read often and attentively the 33th Chapter of Job from the beginning to the end Thirdly Remember how uncertain and frail a Creature man is even in his seeming strongest Age and Constitution of health even then a pestilential Air some evil humour in his blood some obstruction it may be of a little vein or artery a little meat ill-digested and a thousand small occurrences may upon a suddain without any Considerable warning plunge a man into a desperate and mortal sickness and bring a man to the grave Remember this terrible sickness seized upon you suddenly pulled down your strength quickly and brought you to the very brink of the Grave And though God hath recovered you you know not how soon you may be brought into the like Condition Fourthly Remember therefore that you make and keep your peace with God and walk in his fear in the days of health especially after so great a deliverance and that for very many reasons 1. You know not whether you may not be overtaken with sudden Death and then it will be impossible for you to begin that work 2. If you have sickness to give you warning of the approach of Death yet you know not whether that sickness may not suddenly take away your senses memory or understanding whereby you may be disabled to make your peace with God or to exercise any serious thoughts concerning it 3. But if that sickness give you fair warning and take not away your understanding yet your own experience cannot chuse but let you know that pain and weakness and distraction of mind and impatience and unquietness are the common attendants of a sick bed and render that season at least very difficult then to begin that greatest and solemness and most important business of a mans Life 4. But if your sickness be not so sharp but that it leaves you patience and attention of mind for that great business how do you know whether your heart shall be inclined to it Repentance and Conversion to God is his gift though it must be our endeavour And though the merciful God never refuseth a repenting returning offender yet how can a man that all the time of his health hath neglected Almighty God refused his invitations and served his lusts and his sin expect reasonably that God in the time of sickness when the man can serve his sins no longer will give him the grace of repentance What ever you do therefore be sure you make your peace with God and keep it in the days of your health especially after so great a deliverance from so desperate a sickness Fifthly Remember that your Condition is never so low but that God hath power to deliver you and therefore trust in him But remember withall that your Condition is never so safe and secure but you are within the reach of his power to bring you down You are now by the mercy of God recovered from a terrible sickness think not with your self that your turn is now served and that you shall have no more need of him and therefore that you may live as you lift and never regard your duty to him deceive not your self herein remember that this sickness within two or three days brought you upon your knees even from a seeming state of health The Case is the same still nay much worse if this Affliction make you not better Almighty God called you to love and serve and obey him by the still voice of his word by the perswasion of your Friends by the advises and reproofs of your Father and when these were not so effectual as I know you now wish they had been He sent a messenger that spake lowder that would be heard even this terrible sickness and most certainly if you have heard the voice of this Rod as I am hopeful you have and thereupon entirely turn to your duty to God in all sincerity and obedience it is the happiest providence that ever befell you and you will upon sound Conviction conclude with the Prophet It was good for me that I was Afflicted But on the other side if notwithstanding this voice of the Rod you shall after your recovery turn again to folly and vanity and excess and harden your self against this messenger know for certain you are within the reach of the Divine Justice and Power And if you walk contrary to him he will walk contrary to you and punish you yet seven times for your sins Levit. 26.24 I therefore give you that Counsel that our Lord gave to him that he had healed Behold thou art minde whole go thy way and sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee There is no contesting with Almighty God he is ready and easie to be reconciled to the worst of men upon humiliation and true repentance but he is not to be Mastered or Conquered by obstinacy and opposition Who hath hardened himself against him and prospered Job 9.4 Sixthly I would have you Remember that sickness as well as death doth undeceive Mankind and shews them where
year If young men would but have the patience to consider and ask themselves Questions of the like nature it would make them Considerate in their Expences and provident for the future and these Considerations will in a special manner concern you in respect of your Fathers great Expences for you which though I have forgiven and forgotten I would have you remember with Gratitude and Caution 14. The vanity of Young-men in loving fine Cloaths and new Fashions and valuing themselves by them is one of the most Childish pieces of folly that can be and the occasion of great profuseness and undoing of Young-men Avoid curiosity and too much expensiveness in your Apparel Let your Apparel be comely plain decent cleanly not curious or costly it is the sign of a weak Head-piece to be sick for every new Fashion or to think himself the better in it or the worse without it 15. Be careful what Company you consort with and much more careful what persons you grow intimate with chuse sober wise learned honest Religious Company you will gain Learning and Wisdom and improve your self in Virtue and Goodness by conversing with them But avoid debauched foolish intemperate prodigal atheistical prophane Company as you would avoid a Plague they will Corrupt and undo you they are a sort of the must pitiful fools in the World and familiar acquaintance and conversation with them will endanger to make you like them 16. Weigh and consider your words before you speak them and do not talk at random or at a venture let your words be few and to the purpose be more ready to hear others than to speak your self accustom your self to speak leisurely and deliberately it will be a means to make you speak warily and considerately 17. Be very careful to speak truth and beware of lying as lying is displeasing to God so it is offensive to man and always at the latter end returns to the reproach or disadvantage of him that useth it it is an evidence of a weak and unmanly mind Be careful that you believe not hastily strange news and strange stories and be much more careful that you do not report them though at the second hand for if it prove an untruth as commonly strange stories prove so it brings an imputation of levity upon him that reports it and possibly some disadvantage to others 18. Take heed what you promise see that it be just and honest and lawful and what is in your power honestly and certainly to perform And when you have so promised be true to your word It is for the most part the fashion of inconsiderate and Young-men especially that run in debt they will with great asseverations promise precise payment at this or that day when either they certainly know they cannot perform or at least have no probable assurance that they can do it and when their turn is served they are as backward in performance as they were before liberal in their promises Breach of promises and lying are much of a nature and commonly go together and are arguments of an impotent and unmanly mind 19. Beware of Gaming it is the suddennest Consumption of an Estate that can be and that vice seldom goes alone commonly debauchery of all kinds accompanies it Besides it makes a man of a wild vast and unsettled mind and such men are impatient of an honest Calling or of moderate or honest gain 20. Run not into debt either for Wares sold or Money borrowed be content to want things that are not of absolute necessity rather than to run upon the score such a man pays at the latter end a third part more than the Principal comes to and is in perpetual servitude to his Creditors lives uncomfortably is necessitated to increase his debts to stop his Creditors mouths and many times falls into desperate Courses 21. Be respectfull to all familiar and intimate with few be Grateful to your Benefactors especially to those who under God were instrumental for your good in your late sickness and return your thanks to them to your Father that spared no cost for your Recovery to your Doctor that was exceedingly diligent about you to those that attended you in your sickness to those that together with your Father often prayed to God for your Recovery and for a blessing upon this Affliction whose names you shall in due time particularly know But above all to Almighty God who not only provided and blessed the means but saved and delivered you above means and when means failed 22. Lastly I shall conclude with one advice more without the observance whereof my labour in writing this long Epistle will be probably fruitless Be not wise in your own conceit this is the unhappy error and many times the ruine of Young-men especially They are usually rash giddy and inconsiderate and yet extreamly confident of that which they have least reason to trust namely their own understanding which renders them most reserved from them that are willing and best able to advise them impatient of reprof love to be flattered and so become uncapable of good and wise Councel 'till their follies have reduced them to extream straits and inconveniences suspect therefore your own judgment Advise often with your Father especially in all things of moment be glad of his Councel and be Contented and willing to follow it and to guide your Life according to it at least 'till ripeness of Age Observation and Experience have enabled you better to advise your self This is an easie and ready and cheap way of attaining Wisdom and avoiding of infinite inconveniences And thus I have in this long Epistle given you the means how you may improve both your sickness and recovery to the Glory of God and your own benefit I shall therefore Conclude with two Considerations that may the more ingage you to this use of both these dispensations 1. The danger is great if Afflictions make not a man more humble and dutiful and the danger is yet greater if great deliverances and mercies do not make a man more thankful and obedient to God because it is the most obliging method that the Gracious God can use towards the Children of men for that end in this Life And the neglect of that invitation adds Ingratitude and Contempt to the neglect of it 2. The benefit that you will receive by making a good use of these two dispensations in improving your dutifulness and obedience to God will be singular and excellent 1. It will make you a wise man by making you a Good and a Religious man Believe it from your Father who will not deceive you nay believe it from a greater than your Father the very Spirit of truth who cannot deceive you the true fear of God is the only true Wisdom Read Deut. 4.6 Job 28.28 Psal 111.10 Prov. 1.7 Prov 9.10 Eccles 12.13 and very many more declarations there are of this great truth 2. It will make you a happy man it will give you the Favour and Love of God which is better than Life it self You shall have his Mercy to pardon you his Providence to protect you his Wisdom to direct you his Goodness to bless you and to forgive and forget whatsoever hath heretofore been done amiss by you This will make all Conditions Comfortable to you whether Life or Death Sickness or Health By this means you may be a Comfort to your Father a support to your Brothers and Sisters an Instrument of good to your Country and attain an Honest Credible and Competent Subsistence in this World and an everlasting inheritance of Glory and Immortality in the World to come Thus I have given you a large Letter of sound and good Counsel Set your heart to it and observe and remember it We see how unstable our Lives are you nor I know not how soon either or both of us may leave this World It may be this may be the last paper of Advice that your Father may give you But however it shall please God to deal with you or me touching our continuance in this World yet let me leave this with you in the close of this Letter If I shall find that these directions are dutifully observed I shall be ready from time to time freely to advise and direct you and as I have passed by your former Extravagancies so I shall thereby have great assurance that God hath blessed this Visitation to you But on the other side if I shall find that you neglect my Counsels that you make light of them that you still pursue those Courses that will certainly be bitterness in the end I must then tell you I shall pray for you and be sorry for you with my heart but I shall not easily be perswaded to give any more Advices or Counsels where I find them despised or neglected In this paper there are many things omitted which might have been inserted but the constant Reading of the Holy Scriptures will supply unto you that defect I have chosen only in this paper to mention such things which are seasonable for you upon this occasion God Almighty hath not been wanting to you in Admonition Correction Mercy and Deliverance neither hath your Father been wanting to you in Education Counsel Care and Expence I pray God Almighty bless all unto you This is the Prayer of Your Loving Father MATTHEW HALE FINIS