since the goodnesse of these is not measured by what is done but by what minde we doe it with Cursed be hee that doth the worke of the Lord negligently there is that curse upon negligent doing which upon unwilling leaving of it undone is not there is little difference between not doing what thou shouldest and not doing it as thou shouldest to doe thy duty for shew onely or in shew onely is to doe thy duty and be still undutifull if that which thou doest be right if the minde with which thou doest it be not so all is wrong and thou forfeitest the acceptation of what was good by the ill performance TWo things do not trouble thy selfe to know other mens faults nor other mens estates the estate of thine owne soule and the amendment of thine owne faults let that be thy study not thinke any sinne lesse because it is hid remember that to him that shall judge theo it is open and that in the last day God will not measure his judgement by ours the day of judgement will condemne many a man whom wee have quitted DO not practice Religion in shew onely yet shew it in thy practice thinke no sin little nor no good which thou doest great it is from the acceptance of God that it is good at all hope for but not challenge a reward of thy well doing yet not for it selfe but for what Christ hath done measure thy self not by what others are but by what thou oughtest to be remember thy sinnes with griefe and thy goodnesse the one for that thou hast been so bad the other that thou canst be no better and though thou canst not attaine to perfection on earth yet aim at it LAbour not onely to know what thou should'st be that most men do but to be so nor at all to know what other men are thou shalt not answer for it be carefull if thou canst to make others better by thy good counsell or at least not to make them worse by thy example BE ever contented with thy present estate but if thou canst better it doe not corruptly thrust thy selfe into any place and being in do nothing that may thrust thee out make the execution of thy office a discharge of thy conscience not an improvement of thy estate and desire any place rather to do good then to grow rich give no bribes to procure an unjust thing nor take none to doe one and if thou art in the place of judicature remember thy office is to give sentence but not sell it DO not make any sinne lesse by custome for as men do at first lesse like sinne so with continuance they do lesse feele it as those that are accustomed to carry burdens are lesse sensible of the weight and if thou doest now the same things with more ease do not thinke that the sinne is more light but that thou art more hardned and thy case is so much more desperate by how want of sense is neerer to death than paine feeling is an argument of life thou art a dead member if thou hast lost thy feling but here 's the misery that thou hast lost thy feeling in regard of sin but not of punishment FIx thy desires upon such things as may not shame thee in the obtaining and compassethy desires by such meanes as may not shame thee to own though that which thou seekest for be good yet while the way by which thou seekest for it be evill thou shamest the end by the way and shamest thy selfe in the end THinke no sinne little and make it not great by iteration what is a mountaine of earth but an accumulation of many little dusts What is a floud but a concurrence of many little drops a little pricke being neglected may fester to a Gangreen by how much that in which thou sinnest is lesse by so much thy sinne is the greater that wouldest dishonour God for so little a thing THinke of death as a thing thou must meet with and of thy life as a thing thou must part with and not to love too well that life that keepes thee from a better nor at all to feare that death that leades thee to a better life this life is a journey and the World an uneasie horse that with much jolting and some falls brings you to your home and why art thou unwilling to alight love rather that passage that leades to eternall happinesse than that life which keepes thee from it and not without continuall misery STudy rather to make thy selfe fir for any imployment and place than to thinke thy selfe so and be preferred by thy desert not by purchase slip no lawfull meanes to doe thy selfe good and use no unlawfull hee which groweth great by buying doth likely continue that greatnesse by selling MEasure thy wealth by thy minde not by thy estate a contented minde is ever rich but measure thy expence by thy estate not by thy minde not what thou wouldest do but what thou art able to doe thinke not frugality a disparagement nor out-run thy self to keepe pace with others this is to procure that which thou fearest and least thou shouldest be thought meane to become so many times a slow pace performes that journey whilst galloping tires by the way LEt thy thoughts be such to thy selfe as thou art not ashamed to have God know them and thy words such to God as thou art not afraid to have men hear them and let thy whole life be such toward God and man as that thou neither dishonour God by thy ill life nor draw others to the same dishonour of him by thy ill example PLeasure not thy selfe by wronging others nor with the unjust Steward make thee friends with other mens monies lest while thou wouldest buy other friends thou sell God come to promotion if thou canst by friends not by money if thou deservest it not thou wrongest others if thou deserve it thou wrongest thy selfe THe goodness of the mind 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 and 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 ontwardly professe this goodnesse in thy life is others benefit thou thy selfe art not the better for that good nesse which thou dost not make shew of others are not the better for that goodnesse of which thou makest no shew so inward sincerity is required in respect of God outward profession only 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
worse to thinke thou art well enough wee measure crooked things by that which is straight not by that which is more crooked the rule of goodnesse is Gods Word not other mens deeds not to measure the straightnesse of thy life by the crookednesse of anothers hee that measures his beauty by anothers deformity may still be unhandsome enough if a Drunkard shall measure himselfe by some debauchednesse hee will seeme a sober man in the day of judgement God will not examine thee by what others were but by what thou wert commanded to be PLead not for licenciousness of life under liberty of conscience as if Christian liberty consisted in doing what they lift or that Christ hath so freed thee from the yoke of the Law as that thou art not still subject to the commandements not thinke that Christ was therefore obedient unto the death that thou shouldest be tyed to no obedience of any thing during life that the merits of our Redeemer hath obtain'd not that the Commandements of God should not stil be observed but that tho not sufficient observing of them should not be imputed MAke not other mens sinnes thine by imitating them nor thine other mens by teaching of them doe nothing in which thou wouldest not be followed follow nothing of which thou canst not well justifie the doing AFfect not too much businesse especially other mens yet to hate idlenesse to use recreations but not dwell in them to affect rather what is needfull than curious not to overdoe and in all these things to suffice nature not humor it BE slow in choosing a friend but slower in changing him when thou hast chosen bee courteous to all but inward only with a few thou maiest use that freedom to a friend which thou wilt not to every acquaintance thy acquaintance is but thy neighbour but thy friend is thy selfe SCorne no man for his meanness and humour no man for his wealth doe nothing to please any whereby thou shalt displease God never be drunk to please the company or think it uncivility to part sober or to cease to be a good Christian that thou maiest be thought a good companion BE displeased with nothing which God doth and as neere as thou canst doe nothing wherewith God is displeased doe all thou doest as in Gods presence and speake all as in his audience and let neither thy words nor actions be such as to which thou maiest willingly desire Gods absence or not desire his assistance IT is the goodnesse of God to us that is the cause of the love of God to us and it is the goodnesse of God in us that is the cause of the love of God in us confesse that the good which thou receivest is not for thine owne sake nor the good which thou doest is not by thine own power it is the mercy of God that mooves him to do for us that inables us to doe that which pleaseth him ACcount that good which is lawfull not which is profitable and endeavour rather to serve God then thine owne turne in all make these two the rule of thy selfe justice and godlinesse and thou shalt fulfill the duties of both Tables God and thy neighbour NOt repiningly to complain of thy sufferings of this life since it is partly in thy power to make them blessings and if to make them blessings be in thine own power then that they are otherwise it is thy owne fault God intends amendment in it if it doe not amend thee thou makest it a punishment not be LAbour to see thy own mortality in other mens deaths and thy owne frailty in other mens sinnes and since thou must shortly die bee afraid to sinne and so order thy sinnes as thou mayest not be afraid to die that thy sinnes doe not bring thee to a worse death and that this death may lead thee to a better life DOe what thou art commanded not what others doe make no mans example a rule not the best mans all may erre and be that in all things followes him that may erre will be sure in some things to fall into errour CAll to minde often what thou hast done and then compare with it what thou hast suffer'd and what thou hast received and when thou shalt finde that thou hast received more good than thou hast done and hast done more evill than thou hast suffered fear that there is lesse good behind for thee and more evill and therefore betake thee to repentance and a new life and by that thou mayest prevent the evill which thou hast deserved to suffer and procure to thy selfe though not deserved a reward of that good which thou hast done LEt it not trouble thee that some others have liv'd longer than thy selfe not the length of thy life but the goodnesse is the measure of thy happinesse if thou hast lived well thou hast lived long enough if thou hast not lived well thou hast lived too long NEver thinke it too soon to repent thou doest not know how soone thou mayest die and after death it it too late hee that puts off his amendment with hope of living loseth eternall life in a presumption of this INtend rather the effecting of a publike good than a particular for by intending only thy particular good thou mayest doe wrong to the publike whereas thou canst not effect a publike good without thine owne good in particular for what ever is beneficiall to the whole cannot be prejudiciall to the parts so then thou being a member of the whole in performing a generall good even by that thou art so farre good to thine owne particular as thou hast an interest in the generall whereas by seeking thy private good with the neglect of the publike thou doest both decline from the common nature of things and from the nature of goodnesse which is by so much the more good by bow much it is good to more and dost 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 goodness that thou should'st make goodnesse the rule of thy self and thy actions THinke that in death thou doest 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 change 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 wee bee fed Nay if their skinnes and cloathing did not change from its naturall use to them how could it be usefull to us if the Sunne his selfe did not change his place if the Yeare and the parts of the Yeare did not change how should we 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 themselves doe yet ever continue
when it crosseth thine cheerfully to passe over crosses yet to take notice of them to be patient but not without sense to be sorrowfull but not without hope not to grow great by corruption nor to grow proud with greatnesse nor to grow strange to others in a high estate or thinke God so to thee or you so to him in a meane not to ebbe and flow with thy condition and bee either supercilious or dejected to take the changes of this World without any great change of thy selfe he that is contented ever with what he is makes himselfe happy without a fortune THinke of death as a thing certaine it may be at hand that Physicians dye that Kings in this are Subjects some like crude fruit are pluckt off by casualty others like over-ripe drop off with age old and young there are graves of all sizes to endeavour therefore rather to procure eternall life than to prolong this and use meanes rather to sweeten death then to deferre it LEarne not to thinke of the things of this world as of things of continuance and to use the things of this World not as an owner but a Stward so thou wilt be neither loth to leave them nor afraid to account for them DOe curtesies to thy friend not with hope to receive greater and receive curtesies of thy friend as if thou hadst done none think of requiting the good which thou receivest though thou deservest it expect no requitall of that good which thou doest though undeserved lest failing of what thou expectest thou repent of what thou hast done and so losest the praise of thy goodness by looking after the reward of it COmmend no man to his face and censure no man behind his back if thou knowest any good thing of him tell it others if any ill or vice tell it himselfe so by telling others of his good parts thou wilt procure for him a good opinion and by telling him and admonishing him of his faults thou wilt make him deserve that good opinion ABstaine not onely from ill but from the appearance of it lest thou heare ill underservedly or doe ill unawares LEt thy discourse be neither light nor unseasonable such as may call either thy goodnesse in question or thy judgement if thou canst not speake well say nothing so it others be not bettered by thy silence yet they shall not bee made worse by thy discourse THinke meanely of thine owne sufficiency though others thinke not so look much upon thy defects and little upon upon thy good parts and thinke that thou art short not only of what thou oughtest but of others that that which thou knowest is nothing to that of which thou art ignorant and therefore to labor rather truly to know thy selfe than to make those small parts superficially known to others SCorne not to be better'd by the good example of others and be carefull not to make others worse with thine do nothing in which thou would ' st not be imitated and imitate nothing which thou knowest is not fit to be done it is a fault to doe what thou shouldst not it is none to learne what thou shouldst doe of any THinke in the morning what thou hast to doe this day and at night what thou hast done and do nothing upon which thou maist not boldly aske Gods blessing nor as neere as thou canst nothing for which thou shalt need to ask his pardon let thy first care be not to do ill thy next care to repent of it account often with thy selfe thy last account will be the lesse bee not afraid to looke upon thy score but be afraid to encrease it to despaire because thou art sinfull is to be worse because thou hast been so bad Be thy life like his that must Account and hath it but in trust Let the actions of thy youth Answer not the times but truth Let thy words by modest few Thy opinions firme not new Thy mirth plausible not vain Not abusive not profane Live not onely to the eie Sin is sin though none be by Witnesses do onely prove Not make guilty and true love Of vertue more esteemes in ought So to be then to be thought 'T is weaknesse to eschew the scarre Nâ—t the ulcer and preferre Esteeme to truth deeds must be Such as God approves not wee Be in private what you seem In publike view and not deem All things lawfull that are hid Not what 's seen but what 's forbid is unjust And onely what we may we must BE not wicked with advantage nor be drawne to do a gainefull sinne not thinke that godly which is gainefull but thinke that gaine enough which is with godlinesse hee that makes his commodity the measure of his actions for a morsell of bread that man will transgresse EVer learne to be contented with what thou hast in as much as there is nothing which by the appointment of God doth not happen unto thee and to dislike what God doth is to doe what God dislikes and make that a sinne which was before but a punishment and as it might have been used a blessing to finde fault with God is to make a fault in our selves that which God doth may be harsh it cannot be unjust or if that state which thou hast be bad yet that which thou hopest for is better THinke not well of thy selfe though others thinke so yet give no occasion to any to thinke otherwise and give the glory of both to God both of thy good parts and their good opinion EVery morning take leave of the things of this world as thingking thou mayst part with them before night and every night to examine the imployment of that day as thinking thou mayst account for it before morning hee that is providing for his going will lesse increase his account by tarrying we doe not commend his providence that hath his furniture to buy when hee should take horse MAke not a neighbours fault greater to men then it is nor thine owne lesse to God to excuse thine owne sinne is to double it detractingly to aggravate anothers fault is to make it thine own BUfie not thy selfe in searching into other mens lives the errours of thine owne are more then thou canst answer for it more concernes thee to mend one fault in thy selfe than to finde out a thousand in others BEE carefull not to fall into sinne being fallen not to lie in it being surprised not to stand in it confession is some part of satisfaction by denying a little sinne thou makest it great by truly confessing a great sinne to God thou makest it none IF thou hast lived long think thou hast the longer account thinke thou hast had the longer time to provide for thy account and therefore hast the greater sinne if unprovided where God fort eares a great while he expects a greater increase as where men give long day they expect larger payment PErforme not the things of Religion either out of vaine glory or custome
a greater vertue to do well than to hear well DO nothing which thou disallowest disallow thy self some things which thou maiest doe but nothing which thou oughtest to doe give no liberty to thy selse 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 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 perform consider thou wert able not to promise a good man measures his promises by his ability but hee measures his performance by his promise ACcount it the greatest knowledge truly to know thy selse and the greatest conquest to subdue thy selfe not give way to thine owne lusts not boast of thine owne parts to doe nothing that is ill nor vainegloriously 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 we have known men to fall into those sinnes from which they have with great paines converted others but Christianity as we say of charity begins at home it was Christ's to S. Peter Art thou converted strengthen the Brethren but first bee converted himselfe he may happily save others that is not saved himselfe yet hee will sooner save another that goes in the way of salvation himself good Doctrine is weakned much with ill life hee that will doe good upon others must first be good himself 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 faction never defend a false cause either to revenge a wrong or to do a pleasure THinke onely 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 certainely 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 doe it in nay thou shalt answer for the neglect of that time wherein it might have beene done and it may bee denied another time to doe it MEasure not goodnesse by good words onely a Parrat may bee 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 himself can talke Scripture Charity consists not barely in knowing or discoursing of what is good but in practising what wee doe 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 find 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 amy rather finde thee fitted for God than fit thee and so order thy estate and thy soule in thy health that when death comes thy mayest have nothing to doe but to die IN point of reformation first plucke 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 goodnesse 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 endeavourest to be so thou art good enough God who workes in us both to will and to do 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 mean nor measure Gods blessings by thy wants but by thy deserts if God be better to others then he is to thee yet while he is better to thee than thou deservest hee is good enough IN Christianity not thinke to attaine the end without the meanes and if the same meanes doe not in all produce the same effect not to impute it to any alteration or deficiency in the meanes but in the subject the means is the same the parties are not all men are not alike hardned in sin therefore all are not alike hard or easie to bee converted sinnes are compared to diseases all diseases are not mortall some humours spend themselves others are not recovered but with expence and danger and the same sickenesse is not removed with the same ease in bodies because there is not in all the same temper that physick doth but stirre the humour in some bodies which in others would utterly expell it it is with the sicknesse of the soule as of the body all sinnes are not equall all men are not equally sinnefull either the sins may be lesse or of lesse continuance for custome as it begets a greater liking of sinne so it leaves a deeper root continuation of things makes them partly naturall therefore wee call custome another nature setled impieties like set led humours doe not easily ftirre though the means are the same yet while the subjects is not it is no wonder that the effects are not there must bee the same disposition of the matter as well as of the agent it is nor enough that the word bee the same if the hearers be not as as the same physicke doth not worke or cure alike nor the same seed thrive alike in all grounds so neither doth the same word save alike or prevaile alike withall Sodome would have repented with those meanes which Corazin did not in thine impenitency therefore not to accuse God or the meanes but thine owne selfe in thy conversion not to thanke thine owne selfe or the means but God and the meanes under God REnember that as there is â—…e death which thou must prepre to meet so there is another death which thou must study to avoid the death of the soule the naturall death consists in the dissolution of the soule from the body the spirituall death in the dissolution of the soule from God and one day of soule and body from God which is the second death now as wee say of the naturall body that the way to be young long is to be old betimes so the way to live not long but ever is to die betimes if thou die but once while thou livest the death of sinne thou shalt live eternally after
likes no vice though follow'd with a throng Who measure truth by voices doth it wrong Some good he doth yet sain he would do more To would be better is an act of grace His mind is rich to Christ his power is poor God mend his power he will mend his pace Mean time God likes the will in his Son What we would do is in th' acceptance done If yet he doe as who did never ill Who is without his errors yet is this The errour of his frailty not his will He doth indeed but grieves to do amisse To sigh and grieve for what we cannot do Is to come short and yet to do it to You 'll say them Christianity is hard What good was ever easie where the gaines Are greatest likely there the way is bar'd Double renowne is bad with double paines Who so doth follow Christ doth pitch a field 'T is less praise not to fight than not to yeeld Worldly advancements are not had with case And want is the inheritance of sloth Wouldst thou do less for heaven than for these 'T is fit who would have one he should have both The gain with hardnes thus it is les hard The danger 's great and so is the reward LEt it trouble thee more to doe a fault than to hear of it if thou art ill spoken of by another first call thy selfe to account before him it may be thou deservest it bee more sorry that it is true then that it is knowne if false it is not thy fault that thou art bely'd it is thy comfort that it is a lye doe not thinke to bee ever free from censure here not sometimes from faults hee is the best man that erres seldomest hee is more then a man that never errer IN Religion receive no opinion upon credit and vent none upon discontent be of that opinion that may save thee rather then that may raise thee let not the doores of thy lips move upon the hinges of another mans tongue speake what thou thinkest not what others speak so follow good men as remembring they are but men goe rather the way which you ought than the way that is gone make others companions but not copies or so far copies as they agree with the Originall TAke whatsoever God doth thankefully and do whatsoever hee commands cheerefully labour to make a good use of ill accidents hate every mans sinne love every mans person and love no mans sinn for the persons sake FEare rather to doe ill than to suffer for thy ill doing he that truly feares sinne shall never feare punishment think upon the goodnesse of God and thou wilt love him and thinke upon the justice of God and thou wilt feare him and so by consequence love that which may free thee from this feare and so between these two thou wilt feare to doe any thing against him whom thou lovest and thou wilt at least not love to do any thing against him for fear IF the actions of another reflect to thy harme examine not what is done but what was intended and if he intended no ill thinke hee hath done thee none though in effect he have willingly doe no wrong wink at those wrongs that are unvillingly done thee God doth so and measures what wee doe by what wee meane to doe hee that shot at a marke and kil'd a man by the Law of God was not held a murtherer God workes in us both to will and to doe as hee doth sometimes accept the will for the deed so bee doth usually measure the deed by the will DO not easily entertaine a friend nor easily part with him think him no true friend whom one injury can make thineenemy or that accounts every errour an injury he must have no friends that will have a friend with no faults make no man thine enemy by doing him wrong become not an enemy to every one that wrongs thee account every man thy neighbour though thine enemy that needs thee IN Religion looke to the end but by the meanes thinke not to partake of what God hath promised but by doing in some measure what hee hath commanded though heaven be had without our desert yet it is not had without our paines then mayest thou hope that God wil be as good as his word to thee when thou sincerely endeavourest to be as good as his Word commands thee to bee towards him DO nothing which is ill nor every thing which is lawfull measure not thy liberty by the lawfulnesse of the thing but the expediency many times an unseasonable good though it bee not ill in it selfe yet it is in the occasion of it he which will at no time forbeare to do something which he may will at sometime do something which he may not BE content to heare of anothers praises before thee without repining and to tell of anothers praises without detracting to speak well of all men or not at all for as it is flattery of speak that good of another which is false so it is detraction to speak that ill of another unnecessarily which is true FOrgive the willfull injuries of any yet tell him of them by shewing him of his fault thou shewest him his duty do not love him less for it but trust him lesse but if he be thorowly sorry for it be thou thorowly satisfied God askes no more for thine consider that to suffer wrongs is common to thee with Christ and to forgive wrongs proper to thee as a Christian God doth suffer such wrongs to be that he may exercise thy patience and hee commands thee to forgive those wrongs that thou mayest exercise thy charity SO live as thou mayest not be afraid to die as thou mayest bee assur'd of a better life after death do nothing which shall need an excuse or feare a witness and so use this world as remembring you must account for it in the next LEt thy discourse bee ever of goodnesse but not of thine owne or of the good which thou hast received of God not which thou hast done if thy talke bee good thou doest at once both shew goodnesse and teach it BEE good without much noise bee provident without perplexednesse be merry without lightnesse bee bountifull without wast live to the benefit of all but to the service only of God If now thou act not perfect yet with these As where is there perfection here below Yet they may do enough to make thee please God accepts what we can for what me owe Whilst thou endeavour'st to be what tho shouldst If thou want'st power 't is enough tho wouldst The clearest water is not free from mud The Sun is not exempted from â—…lips Here our perfection is but mingled good And he is more then man that never slips In all we doe we something do amisse And our perfection imperfection is For the condition of our present plight Is that we would he better than we are Not a perfection ever but a height And we are good but not without a scarre All things are like our selves a mixture then God doth not look that we should not be men FINIS GLORIA DEO