thy increase annexing a promise to this precept So shall thy barnes be filled with plenty and thy presse shall burst out with new wine But forasmuch as many things are required to the mortification of this earthly Mammon wee will reduce them to two especiall heads the better to retaine in memory this meanes of mortification 1. to consider from whom we have received these worldly blessings 2. how to dispose of them lest they become cursings of blessings For the first wee are positively to set downe that every good gift and every perfect gift commeth from above the beasts that graze on a thousand hills are his the treasures of the earth are his for from whom should wee thinke are they derived to us but from him by whom they were created for us He who never had it how can he give it but he who hath all guides all governes all and is all in all is sole-sufficient for all He it iâ— then that maketh rich and maketh poore exalteth and humbleth sendeth forth his waters out of their treasuries and all things are drowned shutteth them in their treasuries and all things are dried Hee it is that maketh the fruitfull barren and the barren fruitfull In stead of the thorne shall come up the firre tree and in stead of the brier shall come up the mirtle tree and it shall be to the Lord for a name for an everlasting signe that shall not be cut off He it is that made Heaven and Earth and all things replenished Heaven and Earth with all things giving Man dominion over all things that Man might be subject unto him who made all things Now as he gave them to man so are they to be disposed of by man to his glory who made man And how is that Not in laying land unto land with the oppressour nor in repairing to the house of the strange woman with the adulterer nor consuming your substance in excesse with the rioter nor hoording up vengeance against the day of wrath with the miser nor grinding the face of the poore with the extortioner but rather distributing freely of that which you have and communicating to the necessitie of the Saints so shall you make to your selves friends of your unrighteous Mammon and shall be fed with Manna in the Courts of Sion Gainfull is the use of that money which is put out to the workes of charitie which be it more or lesse cannot but be exceeding great being given with devotion and the worke attended by singlenesse of heart and sinceritie of affection for where a sincere will is not joyned with the worke the worke cannot be effectuall to the doer howsoever it may seeme fruitfull to the beholder Ac which sort of men who erect sumptuous works rather for popularitie and affectation than pietie or sincere affection the Poet pleasantly glanceth THESE Statues reare in publike wayes as trophies of their love Which as they heare in passengers will admiration move And gaine a fame unto their name which may survive in them But trust mee Sirs these works of theirs shew them vaine-glorious men Which works howsoever usefull unto others were better undone than done in respect of themselves for to glory in our works doth not only derogate from our works but denounce upon us greater damnation ascribing to our selves what duly properly and solely ought to be attributed to the glory of God But to draw neerer the point wee have in hand there is nothing that weaneth our minds more from the meditation of God and mortification to the world than our earthly affections which beare such sway over us as they will not suffer those divine motions or meditations to take root in us This is excellently shadowed in that Parable of the great Supper where many guests were invited but all with one consent began to make their excuse the first he had bought a peece of ground and he must needs goe see it the second had bought five yoke of oxen and he must goe prove them and another had maried a wife and therefore he could not come These though the fatlings be provided the choicest dainties prepared wherewith their hunger-starved soules might be refreshed cannot come the world must detaine them their earthly respects inchaine them their sensuall delights restraine them they cannot come though often invited nor reâ—ort to this great Supper though all things be provided These seldome or never take into their more serious consideration the state of the blessed in Heaven or the state of the damned in Hell Neither can the joyes of the one allure them or the paines of the other deterre them These will dispense with the word for the profit of the world and enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season deferring repentance till it be past season Saint Chrysostome relateth how Paulus Samosetanus that arch-heretike for the love of a woman forsooke his faith Saint Augustine relateth divers who denied the torments of Hell to have eternitie thereby to flatter their affections with a pretended assurance of impunitie Saint Gregory imputeth it to avarice and covetousnesse that many forsake their faith These follow not the example of sundry devout men the memory whereof is recommended unto us in holy writ who being possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sold and laid them downe at the Apostles feet and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need The like contempt in respect of earthly substance wee reade to have been in many noble and equally affected Pagans as Crates Bisias Zeno Bias Anacreon Anacharses who though they had scarce the least glimpse of an eternitie yet they dis-valued the substance of earth as the subject of vanitie But I must now draw in my sailes and take a view of your dispositions Gentlemen how you stand herein affected that seeking what I expect to finde I may no lesse glory in your aversion from earth than if you were ascending Iacobs ladder to have your names enrolled in the kingdome of heaven Have yee honoured the Lord with your substance and tendered him the first fruits of his bounty Have yee acknowledged every good thing to come from him as from the fountaine of mercy Have yee subjected your selves unto him as he hath subjected all things to your soveraigntie Have yee disposed of them soberly and solely to his glory Have yee beene oppressors and with good Zacheus made fourefold restitution Have yee not exposed your inheritance to riot and pollution Have yee not hoorded up vengeance against the day of affliction Have yee not grinded and grated the face of the poore with extortion Have yee distributed freely and communicated to the Saints necessitie Have yee made you friends of your unrighteous Mammon and so made your selves way to the heavenly Sion Have yee done these works of compassion with singlenesse of heart and without affectation Have yee beene by no
conversant in that holy Exercise ibid. 378 Circumstances observable in workes of charitie and devotion ibid. Objections and resolutions upon the ground of Perfection 381. lin 16 Of the Contemplative part of Perfection 382 A Corollary betwixt the Heathen and Christian contemplation 384 Examples of a contemplative and retired life 387 A three-fold Meditation of necessarie importance 1 Worthinesse of the soule 2 Vnworthinesse of Earth 3 Thankefulnesse unto God who made man the worthiest creature upon Earth 389 Of the Active part of Perfection 391 No contagion so mortally dangerous to the body as corrupt company is to the soule 393 Two especiall memorials recommended to our devoutest meditation 1 The Author of our creation 2 The End of our creation ib. A foure-fold Creation 394. lin 8 The fabulous and frivolous opinions of foure Heathen Philosophers ascribing the creation of all things to the foure Elements 396. lin 6 Their arguments evinced by pregnant testimonies both of Scriptures and Fathers ibid. The End of our creation 397 Singular precepts of Mortification 399 Idlenesse begetteth security properly termed the Soules Lethargy 400 A Christians Ephemerides or his Euening account 401 The Active part of Perfection prefer'd before the Cōtemplative 403 No ARMORY can more truly deblazon a Gentleman than acts of charity and compassion 404 The Active preferred before the Contemplative for two respects the first whereof hath relation to our selves the second to others 407 408 Ignorance is to be preferred before knowledge loosely perverted with a comparison by way of objection and resolution betwixt the conveniences of Action and Knowledge 406 407 Action is the life of man and Example the direction of his life 409. l. 3 Wherein the Active part of Perfection consisteth 410 Active Perfection consisteth in Mortification of Action and Affection Mortification extends it selfe in a three-fold respect to these three distinct Subjects 1 Life 2 Name 3 Goods illustrated with Eminent Examples of Christian resolution during the ten Persecutions 411 412 Not the act of death but the cause of death makes the Martyr 414 No action how glorious soever can be crowned unlesse it be on a pure intention grounded 415 Mortificat in respect of name or report is two-fold 1 In turning our eares from such as praise us 2 In hearing with patiēce such as revile us 418 Scandals distinguished and which with more patience than others may be tollerated 424 425 c. Mortification in our contempt of all worldly substance pitching upon two remarkable considerations 1 By whom these blessings are conferred on us 2 How they are to be disposed by us 427 Vain-glory shuts man from the gate of glory 428 An exquisite connexion of the precedent Meditations 430 The absolute or supreme end wherto this Actuall Perfection aspireth and wherein it solely resteth 434 Singular Patternes of Mortification in their Contempt of life and embrace of death 439 440 The reason of his frequent repetition of sundry notable occurrences throughout this whole Booke 439 The Heart can no more by circumference of the World be confined than a Triangle by a Circle filled 442. lin 23. Though our feet be on Earth our faith must be in Heaven 445 A pithy Exhortation A powerfull Instruction clozing with a perswasive Conclusion 453 454 455 A Character intitled A Gentleman THE ENGLISH GENTLEMAN YOVTH Argument The dangers that attend on Youth The vanitie of Youth display'd in foure distinct Subjects Three violent passions incident to Youth Physicke prescribed and receits applied to cure these Maladies in Youth YOVTH HOwsoever some more curiously than needfully may seeme to reason that there be divers Climactericall or dangerous yeeres in mans time sure I am that in mans age there is a dangerous time in respect of those Sinne-spreading Sores which soile and blemish the glorious image of the soule And this time is Youth an affecter of all licentious liberty a Comicke introducer of all vanitie and the only Heire apparent to carnall securitie This it was which moved that princely Prophet to pray Lord forgiue mee the Sinnes of my youth Sins indeed because the youthfull sinner is ever committing but never repenting usually provoking God but rarely invoking God This is hee who Snuffeth the wind with the wilde Asse in the desart being like the Horse or Mule which hath no understanding by giving Sense preeminence aboue Reason and walking in the fatnesse of his heart as one wholly forgetfull of God He may say with the Psalmist though in another sense Vt jumentum factus sum apud te upon exposition of which sentence it is laudable saith Euthymius that in the sight of God we take our selues as Beasts to shew our humility but not to resemble beasts in ignorance or brutish sensualitie Many are the dangerous shelfes which menace ruine and shipwracke to the inconsiderate and improvident Soule during her sojourning here in this Tabernacle of clay but no time more perillous than the heat of Youth or more apt to give fuell to the fire of all inordinate desires being as ready to consent as the Devil is to tempt and most willing to enter parley with her spirituall enemie upon the least assault It is reported by Eusebius that Saint Iohn meeting a strong young-man of good stature amiable feature sweet countenance and great spiri◠straightway looking upon the Bishop of that place he said thus unto him Christ being witnesse and before the Church I commend unto thee and thy care this young man to be especially regarded and educated in all spirituall discipline Whom when the Bishop had received into his tuition and promised that he would performe whatsoever he ought S. Iohn againe and againe gives his charge and contesteth his fidelity and afterwards he returnes to Ephesus The Bishop takes the young man home brings him up as his owne sonne keeps him within the limits of his dutie intreats him gently and at last baptiseth him and confirmes him Afterwards upon remitting something of his care and giving freer reines to his libertie the young man takes occasion to shake off the yoake of tuition and falls into bad company who corrupt him diverting his course from the path of vertue by these meanes First they invite him to banquets then they carry him abroad in the Night afterward to maintaine their profuser expence they draw him to theevery and so by degrees to greater wickednesse being now made Captaine in this theevish company At last Saint Iohn returnes and saith Goe to Bishop give me my depositum which I and Christ committed unto thee in the Church which thou governest The Bishop was astonied thinking that he had deceitfully demanded some money which he never received and yet durst scarce distrust the Apostle But as soone as Saint Iohn said I demand the young man and soule of my brother the old man hanging downe his head sighing and weeping said ille mortuus est he is dead How and with what kinde of death said Iohn Deo mortuus
est hee is dead unto God answered the Bishop Nam nequam perditus uno verbo Latro evasit for he is wicked and lost and in a word a Theefe Much matter might be collected from this Story to enlarge the ground of our Proposition to wit what imminent dangers are ever attending on Youth and how easie it is by the painted flag of vanity and sensuall pleasure to draw him to ruine For doubtlesse many excellent rules of instruction had this grave Bishop delivered and imparted to his young Pupill many devout taskes and holy exercises had hee commended to his practice many prayers full of fervent zeale had hee offered for his conversion many sighes had he sent many teares had he shed to reclaime him from his former conversation Yet see how soone this youthfull Libertine forgets those instructions which hee had taught him those holy taskes which were injoyned him those zealous prayers which were offered for him those unfained sighes and teares which were shed for him I hee leaves this aged Father to become a Robber he flies from the Temple to the mountaine he puts off the roabe of truth and disguiseth himselfe with the vizard of theft And no small theefe but a Leader Rachel was a theefe for shee stole idolls from her father Iosuah was a theefe seeing hee stole grapes from Canaan David was a theefe seeing he stole the bottle of water from Saul Ionathas was a theefe since he stole hony from the Hive Iosaba was a theefe since he stole the infant Ioash But here was a theefe of another nature one whose vocation was injury profession theevery and practice crueltie one whose ingratitude towards his reverend Foster-father merited sharpest censure for Bysias the Grecian Osigeâ— the Lacedemonian Bracaras the Theban and Scipio the Roman esteemed it lesse punishment to be exiled than to remaine at home with those that were ungratefull for their service So as it is not only a griefe but also a perillous thing to have to doe with ungratefull men And wherein might ingratitude be more fully exemplified than in this Young-man whose disobedience to his Tutor sleighting his advice that had fostered him deserved severest chastisement But to observeâ— the cause of his fall wee shall finde how soone those good impressions which he had formerly received were quite razed and defaced in him by reason of depraved company whence we may gather that Youth being indeed the Philosophers rasa tabula is apt to receive any good impressure but spotted with the pitch of vice it hardly ever regaines her former puritie Whence wee are taught not to touch pitch lest we be defiled for as that divine Father saith Occasiones faciunt Latrones Truth is the sweetest Apples are the soonest corrupted and the best natures quickliest depraved How necessary therefore the care and respect Youth ought to have in the choyce and election of his Company may appeare by this one example which sheweth that Society is of such power as by it Saints are turned into Serpents Doves into Devils for with the wise wee shall learne wisdome and with the foole we shall learne foolishnesse Dangerous therefore it is to leave illimited Youth to it selfe yea to suffer Youth so much as to converse with it selfe So as that Greeke Sage seeing a Young man privately retired all alone demanded of him what hee was doing who answered he was talking to himselfe Take heed quoth he thou talke not with thine enemie For the naturall pronenesse of Youth to irregular liberty is such as it is ever suggesting matter of innovation to the Soveraigntie of reason Now to reduce these enormities incident to Youth to certaine principall heads we will display the Vanitie of Youth in these foure distinct Subjects Gate Looke Speech Habit that by insisting and discoursing on each particular we may receive the feature of Ladie Vanitie portrayed to the life IT is strange to observe how the very Body expresseth the secret fantasies of the minde and how well the one sympathizeth with the other I have seene even in this one motion the Gate such especiall arguments of a proud heart as if the body had beene transparent it could not have represented him more fully And I have wondered how Man endued with reason could be so far estranged from that where with he was endued as to strut so proudly with feet of earth as if hee were never to returne to earth But especially when Youth is employed in ushering his Mistresse hee walkes in the street as if hee were dancing a measure He verily imagins the eyes of the whole Citie are fixed on him as the very patterne which they esteeme worthy imitation how neerely then concernes it him to stand upon his equipage He walkes as if he were an upright man but his sincerity consists onely in dimension He feares nothing so much as some rude encounter for the Wall and so be discredited in the sight of his Idoll Now I would be glad to weane this Phantasticke from a veine of lightnesse and habituate him to a more generous forme First he is to know how that which is most native and least affectâ—ve deserves choisest acceptance We were not borne to glory in our feet the Bases of Mortalitie but to walke as children of light in holinesse and integritie Safer it were for us to observe and make use of that which the Swan is reported to use when at any time shee glories in the whitenesse of her colour to wit shee reflects her eye upon her blacke feet which qualifies her proud spirit making her so much the more dejected as joying before in her owne beautie shee was erected Excellently was that Embleme of humane frailtie shadowed in the image of Agathocles the Syracusan tyrant who commanded his Statue to be composed after this sort the Head to be of gold signifying purenesse the armes of ivory intimating smoothnesse the body of brasse implying strongnesse but the feet of earth importing weaknesse Be the Head-peece never so pure be it a Diadem of gold wee weare it cannot promise to us perpetuitie wee stand on earthen feet how may we then stand long relying on such weak supporters Though Nebuchadnezzer strut never so proudly upon the turrets of his princely Palace saying Is not this great Babel which I have builded hee knowes not how soone he shall be deprived of his glory and be enforced to feed with the Beasts of the field being as one estranged from his former magnificence Quid ergo ad nos consolatio mundi Let us not glory in mundane vanitie nor repose too much confidence in these feet of frailtie Sipes interris mens sit in coelis Though our foot be on earth let our minde be in heaven knowing that as Saint Augustine saith Three cubits of earth doe expect us and how little or much so ere wee possesse this is all that shall be left us THe next Subject we are to treat of in
in May-games profest lovers of all sensuall pleasures That Roman Curtezan Semphronia was noted for her singing sporting and dancing wherein shee laboured to shew more art than became a modest woman with other motives of Licentiousnesse But in my opinion there is no one meanes to sift out the Disposition of Man better than by noting how he beares himselfe in passion which is of that violence as many times it discovers him though his purpose was to walke never so covertly from the eye of popular observance Should we have recourse to the lives of sundry Tyrants whose outward appearance or semblance promised much goodnesse we might finde sufficient matter to confirme this argument Some whereof as Tiberius so commonly carried and covered their plots as none could dive into their thoughts pretending ever most smoothnesse when they intended a tempest Yet if at any time as it befell many times their Spirits became netled or incensed so farre did passion transport them as they apparantly expressed their Natures without further Character Other discoveries may be made and those are the manifestest of all how men are affected or disposed when they are least themselves and this is with griefe I speake it for too highly doth Albion labour of it when Man losing indeed that Name at least his Nature becomes estranged from the use of reason by drowning his understanding with drunkennesse In high Germanie the parents of such children as should be married will see those which should be their sonnes in law to be drunke before them to see what Disposition they are of before they marrie their children unto them For they imagine if they be subject to any especiall vice they will then discover it having no Locke to keepe it secret Yet in this there are different humours which reigne and rage according to the Disposition of the person subject unto it as we shall see one lumpish without all conceit another jocund and merry apt for any conceit one weeping as if some disastrous fortune had befallen him another laughing 〈◊〉 if some merry Scene were presented him We reade of two distinct conditions in Philip and Alexander when they were in drinke for the one shewed his rage and furie towards his foes the other to his friends the one whereof participates of more true generous spirit than the other For as nothing can be imagined more ignoble than to triumph over our friend so nothing relisheth of more resolution than to shew our spirit so it be upon equall termes and without braving upon our Enemie But would you indeed see the disposition of Man truly discovered and the veile which kept him from sight cleare taken away Then come to him when he is advanced to place of honour or esteeme for Promotions declare what men be and there you shall finde him pourtrayed to life Galba was esteemed in the opinion of all fit to governe till he did governe Many have an excellent gift of concealing and shadowing which giveth grace to any picture so long as they are obscure and private but bring them to a place of more eminent note and give a lustre to their obscuritie you shall view them as perfectly as if their Bodies were transparant or windowes were in their bosomes Here you shall see One unmeasurably haughtie scorning to converse with these Groundlins for so it pleases him to tearme his inferiours and bearing such a state as if he were altered no lesse in person than place Another not so proud as he is covetous for no passion as a learned Schooleman affirmeth is better knowne unto us than the coveting or desiring passion which he calls Concupiscible and such an one makes all his inferiours his Sponges and Ostridge-like can digest all metalls Another sort there are whose well-tempered natures have brought them to that perfection as the state which they presently enioy makes them no more proud than the losse of that they possesse would cast them downe These Camillus-like are neither with the opinion of Honour too highly erected nor with the conceit of Affliction too much deiected As their conceits are not heightned by possessing it so they lose nothing of their owne proper height by forgoing it These are so evenly poized so nobly tempered as their opinion is not grounded on Title nor their glory on popular esteeme they are knowne to themselves and that knowledge hath instructed them so well in the vanitie of Earth as their thoughts have taken flight vowing not to rest till they approach heaven Pompey being combred with his Honour exclaimed to see Sylla's crueltie being ignorant after what sort to behave himselfe in the dignitie he had and cried out O perill and danger never like to have end Such is the nature of Noble spirits as they admire not so much the dignitie of the place to which they are advanced as they consider the burden which is on them imposed labouring rather how to behave themselve in their place than arrogate glory to themselves by reason of their place Neither are these sundrie Dispositions naturally ingraffed in men meerely produced from themselves as the affections or Dispositions of our mindes doe follow the temperature of our bodies where the Melancholy produceth such the Cholericke Phlegmaticke and Sanguine such and such according to Humours predominant in that body whence these affections are derived but I say these participate also of the Clime wherein we are For otherwise how should our Observations appeare good which we usually collect in the Survey of other Countries noting certaine vices to be most entertained in some especiall Provinces As Pride among the Babylonians Envie among the Iewes Anger among the Thebans Covetousnesse among the Tyrians Gluttonie among the Sidonians Pyracie among the Cilicians and Sorcerie among the Aegyptians to whom Caesar gave great attention as Alexander was delighted in â—he Brachmans So as I say our Dispositions how different or consonant soever doe not only partake of us but even of the Aire or temperature of Soile which bred us Thus we see what Diversitie of Dispositions there is and how diversly they are affected Let us now take a view of the Disposition it selfe whether it may be forced or no from what it naturally affecteth THe Philosopher saith that the Disposition may be removed but hardly the Habit. But I say those first Seeds of Disposition as they are Primitives can hardly be made Privatives being so inherent in the Subject as they may be moved but not removed Not removed objectest thou Why Disposition can be of no stronger reluctance than Nature and wee see how much shee may be altered yea cleare removed from what she formerly appeared For doe we not in the view of humane frailtie observe how many excellent wits drained from the very Quintessence of Nature as apt in apprehending as expressing a conceit strangely darkned or dulled as if they had beene steeped in some Lethaean slumber Nay doe we not in
this round Circumference of man note divers honest and sincere Dispositions whose gaine seemed to be godlinesse and whose glory the profession of a good Conscience wonderfully altered becomming so corrupted by the vaine pompe or trifling trash of the world as they preferre the puddle before the pearle forsaking Christ for the world Doe we not see how uprightly some men have borne themselves all their time without staine or blemish being all their Youth vertuously affected all their Middle-age charitably disposed yet in their Old-age miserably depraved Againe doe we not behold how many women whose virgin-modestie and Nuptiall-continencie promised much glory to their age even then when the flower of Beautie seemed bloomelesse so as their very age might make them blamelesse when their skin was seere and their flesh saplesse their breath earthie and their mouth toothlesse then even then fell these unweldie Beldames to embrace folly promising longer continuance to Pleasure than they could by all likelihood unto Nature Now tell me how happened this Were not these at the first vertuously affected if Disposition then could not be forced how came they altered All these rivers of Objections I can drie up with one beame darting from the reflex of Nature Thou producest divers instances to confirme this assertion That Dispositions are to be forced from what they were naturally affected unto Whereto I answer That Dispositions in some are resembled and not improperly unto a Beame cloathed or shadowed with a cloud which as we see sheweth his light sometimes sooner sometimes later Or as by a more proper Allusion may seeme illustrated may be resembled to the first Flourish in trees which according to the nature or qualitie of the internall pith from whence life is diffused to the Branches send forth their bloomes and blossomes sooner or later True it is you object that to the outward appearance such men shewed arguments of good Dispositions for they were esteemed men of approved Sanctitie making Conscience of what they did and walking blamelesse and unreproveable before all men but what collect you hence That their Dispositions were sincerely good or pure if Societie had not depraved them No this induction will not hold it is the Evening crownes the day What could be imagined better or more royally promising than Nero's Quinquennium What excellent tokens of future goodnesse What apparant testimonies of a vertuous government What infallible grounds of princely policie mixed with notable precepts of pietie Yet who knowes not how all the vices of his Ancestours put together seemed by a lineall descent to be transferred on him being the Patterne and Patron of all crueltie the Author and Actor of all villany the plotter and practiser of all impietie so as if all the titles of crueltie were lost they might be found in this Tyrant How then doe you say that his Disposition was naturally good but became afterwards depraved and corrupted No rather joyne with me and say that howsoever his Disposition seemed good during those five yeares wherein he dissembled with vertue and concealed those many vices which he professed and possessed afterwards yet indeed he was the same though not in shew yet in heart Only now the Cloud being dispersed his tyrannous and inhumane nature became more discovered acting that in publike which he had long before plotted in private For howsoever our Dispositions may seeme forced from what they naturally or originally were it is but a Deception they remain still the same though advice and assistance may sometimes prevaile so much with them as for the time they seeme to surcease and discontinue from their former bent but returning afresh they will Antaeus-like redouble their strength and become more furious For resolve me and shew what may be the effectuallest or powerfullest meanes to remove Disposition or alter Man most from what he may seeme naturally inclined unto Can Honour No for that man whose inclination is subject to change for any exteriour Title is not to be ranked amongst these generous spirits with whom I am onely here to converse For these admire Titles and assume a kinde of affected Majestie to make their persons more observed But tell mee what are these whom Honour hath thus transported expressing state with winkes and nods as if the whole posture of Stateâ—â—â—sisted â—â—â—sisted in gesture but meere Popin-jayes who glory more in the painting or varnish of Honour than the true substance of it And to speake truth as I had never fortune to doat much on an immerited Title nor gloze with counterfeit greatnesse their Dispositions howsoever they seeme to the vulgar eye changed they are nothing so for their inclinations were ever arrogantly affected so as they no sooner became great than they deblazoned their owne thoughts Can Riches neither for such whose imaginations are erected above earth scorne to entertaine discourse with ought that may make them worse all in the world being either fumus or funus a vanitie or vexation as the Preacher saith These conclude that no Object lesse than Heaven can satisfie their eye no treasure lesse than eternitie can answer their desire no pleasure save what hath concurrence with felicity can gaine them true delight Now for these earthly Moles who are ever digging till their graves be digged their Dispositions are of baser temper for they can taste nothing but earthly things They measure not estate by competence desiring only so much as may suffice Nature but by Abundance which fares with them as liquor with an Hydropticke man who the more he drinkes the more he thirsts so the more they have the more they crave making their desires as endlesse as their aimes effectlesse their hopes as boundlesse as their helpes fruitlesse When their mouths shall be filled with gravell and corruption shall enter those houses of clay for which so much Provision was stored and so small a share in the end contented Can Acquaintance No for if company better me by an internall grace working secretly yet effectually in mee my Disposition consented before such good fruit was produced if it make me worse my Disposition by consenting to suggestion induced me that I should be therto moved Yea generally whosoever is wel-disposed wil keepe no man company but either in hope to 〈◊〉 him or to be bettered by him as he whose inclination is vicious and corrupt leaveth the company hee frequents ever worse than when he found them For as a troubled fountain yeelds impure water so an infected soule vicious actions Can Travell No for give me a man that hath seene Iudasses Lanterne at S. Denisses the Ephesian Diana in the Louvre the great Vessell at Heydelberge the Amphitheatre at Vlâ—smos the Stables of the great Mogol or the solemnities of Mecha yea all the memorable Monuments which the world can afford or places of delight to content his view or learned Academics to instruct and enrich his knowledge yet are not all these of power to
alter the state or qualitie of his Disposition whence the sententious Flaccus To passe the Sea some are inclinde To change their aire but not their minde No shouldst thou change aire and soile and all it were not in thy power to change thy selfe yet as soone thy selfe as thy Disposition which ever accompanies and attends thee moving in thee a like or dislike just as shee is affected HAving thus proved that the Disposition is not to be forced wee are now to descend to discourse of the Noblest and most generous Disposition which wee intend to make knowne by certaine infallible markes which seldome erre in their attendance being vowed Servants to such as are vertuously affected The first is Mildnesse the second Munisicence the third Fortitude or Stoutnesse Mildnesse is a qualitie so inherent or more properly individuate to a Gentleman as his affabilitie will expresse him were there no other meanes to know him Hee is so farre from contemning the meaâ—â—â— as his Countenance is not so cheerefull as his Heart compassionate though the one be no lesse gracious in promising than the other generous in his performing He poizeth the wrongs of the weakest as if they were his owne and vowes their redresse as his owne He is none of these furly Sirs whose aime is to be capp'd and congied for such Gentilitie tastes too much of the Mushrom You shall never see one new stept into Honour but he expects more observance than an Ancient for though he be but new come from Mint he knowes how to looke bigge and shew a storme in his Brow This Meeknesse admits of Humilitie to keepe her company in whose sweet familiaritie she so much glories as she cannot enioy her selfe without her And in very deed there is no Ornament which may adde more beauty or true lustre to a Gentleman than to be humbly minded being as low in conceit as he is high in place With which vertue like two kinde Turtles in one yoake is Compassion as I noted before linked and coupled which Compassion hath many times appeared in the renowmedst and most glorious Princes When Pompeyes head was offered to Caesar as a most gratefull and acceptable Present it is reported that hee washed the Head with teares of princely compassion and inflicted due punishment vpon his Murderers The like is written of Titus that Love and Darling of Mankinde in his taking and destroying of Ierusalem using these words I take God to witnesse I am not the cause of the destruction of this people but their sinnes mixing his words with teares and tempering his victorious successe with royall moderation The like is related of Marcus Marcellus who having won the most flourishing City of Syracusa stood upon the walls shedding plenty of teares before he shed any bloud And this Compassion attracts ever unto it a kinde of princely Maiestie gaining more love than any other affection For as proud Spirits whose boundlesse ambition kâ—eps them ever afloat till they sinke downe for altogether use to triumph in others miseries till miserie in the end finde them out so these in a discreet moderation or noble temper will never assume more glory to themselves for any exploit how successively or prosperously soever managed Such is the native Modestie wherewith they are endued as their victories are never so numerous or glorious as to transport them above themselves Which Modestie surely becommeth men of all Degrees but especially men of eminent and noble ranke to the end they may understand and acknowledge in every action that there is a God from whom all things proceed and are derived Now as there is no glory equall to the command or soveraigntie over our owne passions the conquest whereof makes Man an absolute Commander so there is no ornament which conferres more true or native grace to one ennobled by place or birth than to put on the Spirit of Meekenesse being expresly commanded and so highly commended of God as the goodnesse thereof is confirmed by a promise The meeke shall inherit the earth So Humilitie is said to purchase Gods favour for by that one vertue wee become to have a resemblance of him whose glory it was to disesteeme all glory to fashion us like unto himselfe Now how precious may that exquisite Treasure appeare unto us which conferres so much light on us as by it wee are brought to know our selves being strangers as it were and aliens unto our selves till Humilitie tooke off the veile and shewed man his Anatomie So rare was this divine vertue and so few her professors in former time especially amongst such whose titles had advanced them above inferiour ranke as the place which they held made them forget the mould whereof they were made An excellent historicall demonstration wee have hereof as wee receive it from venerable Bede who reports 〈◊〉 thus Aidan a religious Bishop weeping for King Osuinus and demanded by the Kings Chaplaine why he wept I know said he that the King shall not liue long for never before this time have I seene an humble King Which hapned accordingly for he was cruelly murdered by Oswin But thanks to him who became humble for us wee have in these declining dayes among so many proud Symeons many humble Iosephs whose chiefest honour they make it to abase themselves on earth to adde to their complement of glory in heaven so much sleighting the popular applause of men as their only aime is to have a sincere and blamelesse conscience in them to witnesse in that judiciall day for them These have not like those furies of revenge hearts full of wrath but with all meeknesse and long-suffering will rather endure an injurie than inflict too violent revenge though they have readie power to effect or performe it It is reported of Thomas Linacres a learned English-man much commended for his sanctitie of life that when hee heard it read in the fifth Chapter of S. Matthew Diligite inimicos Blesse them that curse you c. he brake forth into these words O amici aut haec vera non sunt aut nos Christiani non 〈◊〉 O my friends either these things are not true or we are no Christians True it is indeed that so strangely are some men affected as they tender revenge equally deare as their owne life their plots are how to circumvent their traines how to surprize their whole consultations how to inflict due revenge where they have alreadie conceived distaste And these are those Bulls of Basan who rome and roare and when the prey falleth they stare on it and teare it with their teeth On these men may that of the Poet be truly verified They feare no Lawes their wrath gives way to might And what they plot they act be 't wrong or right But how farre the Disposition of these men may seeme removed from the meeke and humble affected whose only glory is to redresse wrong and render right judgement unto all
respect of that which is injoyned me to know Nothing in respect of others who knew farre more than ere I may know For saith Bernard how canst thou possibly be a proficient if thou thinkest thy selfe alreadie sufficient But alas how farre hath selfe-opinion estranged Man from knowledge of himselfe who rather than he will be found ignorant in any thing will assume upon him a supposed knowledge in every thing He will rather lye upon his knowledge then seeme defective in any knowledge Whence one speaking of the knowledge of Mans selfe most divinely concludeth Nosce teipsum first descending from Heaven to Earth is now ascended from Earth to Heaven leaving miserable Man admiring his owne feature as if hee were his owne Maker And whence proceedeth this but because he hath ascended unto that Mountaine to which the first Angell ascended and as a Devill descended whereas if he duely considered those many imperfections whereto he is engaged those many debts and bills of errours which as yet are undischarged that naturall or originall sinne wherein hee was conceived and that actuall sinne wherewith hee is daily polluted hee would questionlesse conclude What 's man whose first conception's miserie Birth baine life paine and death necessitie Which divine Meditation is of power to subdue the whole Man of Sinne and bring him under the yeaâ—â—â—â— of obedience by an incessant consideration had of Gods mercie and mans misery which may produce in him a more blessed effect by extenuating and humbling himselfe both in respect of the Substance or matter of his creation and in respect of the irregenerate course of his conversation as also in contemplating the ineffable mercie of the Almightie whose grace it is that directs miserable man and reduceth him from erring whose compassion it is that raiseth him from falling and whosâ— tender mercy it is that supporteth him in his rising Buâ— in my conceit there is no one motive more effectuall or divinely powerfull to bring us to a true and perfect knowledge of our selves than to observe with what passions or perturbations wee are encountred especially when through immoderate excesse we are in the cup of forgetfulnesse drowned Which Saint Basil confirmeth saying That passions rise up in a drunken man like a Swarme of Bees buzzing on every side Which passions are not such as are prevented by reason and directed by vertue for these are not altogether to be extinguished as the Stoicks supposed but to be provoked as movers of vertue as Plutarch teacheth But rather such distempâ—red oâ— indisposed affections as are suggested to Man by his implacable Enemies labouring to undermine and ruine the glorious palace of his deare bought soule Vpon which affections seriously to meditate were to expell all selfe-conceited or opinionâ— tâ— arrogance to become humble in our owne thoughts concluding that our knowledge is ignorance our strength wâ—â—knesse and our wisdome foolishnesse Being as one well observeth like a Spring-locke readie of our selves to shut but not to open apter to shut grace from us than to receive grace into us or like stones upon the top of a hill by reason of our heavie and earthie nature readie enough to tumble downe but without the helpe or motion of another slow enough to mount up Saint Anselme walking abroad in the field and beholding a Shepheards Boy who had caught a Bird and tied a stone to her leg with a threed and ever as the Bird mounted the stone haled her backe againe The venerable old man moved with this sight fell a weeping pitifully lamenting the miserable condition of Man who endevouring to ascend up to heaven by Contemplation are detained by the passions of the flesh which enforce the soule to lye there like a Beast and not soare to heaven by that proâ—er motion which was first given her by her Creator â—ow to conclude this first point by making a fruitfull use or application of what hath beene already spoken I could wish Young Gentlemen whose aymes perchance are addressed to purchase rather the light freight of forraine fashions than the precious gemme of Selfe-knowledge to be otherwise minded by conforming themselves to his patterne and example who though he knew all things boasted not of his knowledge but abased himselfe to make us rich in all spiritual knowledge As for such as are puft up and know nothing but dote about questions and strife of words whereof commeth envie strife railings evill surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth we are taught to withdraw our selves from them because their fellowship is not of Light but Darknesse their knowledge no perfect nor sincere knowledge but palpable ignorance their wisdome no sound nor substantiall wisdome but meere foolishnesse Their wayes are not by the stockes of the Shepherds but ragged and uneven wayes leading their deluded followers head-long to all perdition Deare Christians though I know this point to have beene gravely and exactly handled by many solid and learned Divines whose holy oyle hath beene fruitfully employed in unmasking and discovering these dangerous Separatists who have sowne the seed of pernicious doctrine in the eares of their weake Auditory yet I thinke it not amisse to presse this exhortation further lest your speedie ruine prevent you of all hope hereafter Beware of these Pharisaicall Doctors whose puritie only consists in semblance and outward appearance whose doctrine hath ever a taste of pride whose counsells ever tend to faction and whose wayes are ever Antipodes to the truth These are called Prophets but they are none being humblâ— Teachers but proud Doctors Outwardly specious but inwardly vicious having faire rindes but false hearts having a shew of godlinesse but denying the power thereof Come from among them and leave them for their wayes lead to death and their paths to destruction Saint Iohn would not come in the Bathâ— where the Hereticke Cerinthus was Another holy Man though most innocent could endure to be accounted a Whoremaster an uncleane person and the like but when one called him Hereticke he could beare no longer Wee have here thankes to our Maker more pleasant and delightfull Springs to retire to than these troubled and corrupted Puddles which taste of nothing but pollution Leave these and love those Where can there be Vnitie where there is no Conformitie Where a holy zeale or compassionate fervour when nothing is spoke but by the sonnes of thunder Be yee wise unto salvation may godlinesse be your best knowledge that dissolved from this Tabernacle of earth yee may keepe consort with the Angells in a blessed Harmony because ye resembled them on earth in mutuall love and unitie And let this suffice for the first branch to wit Knowledge Now wee will descend to the second to wit Discourse with some necessary Cautions very profitable if put in use to direct or rather limit such whose 〈◊〉 liberall and profuse Speech oft times brings them within the censure of indiscretion DEmocritus
compared to the rich Miser whose best of having is only possessing for that Communicative good he knowes not but admires so much the Golden Number as he prefers it before the Numbring of his dayes Yea as it is much better not to have possessed than to mis-imploy that whereof we were possessed so is he in a happier case who never knew any thing than such a Man who knew much yet never made a Communicative or edifying use of his knowledge As may appeare by the Parable of the Talents The Contemplative part indeed affords infinite content to the Spirituall man whose more erected thoughts are not engaged to the Meditations of earth but are spheared in a â—ighe Orbe This mans Minde like Archimedes ayme should Enemies invade him death and danger threaten him inevitable ruine surprize him his desire is only to performe his taske and that taske the highest pitch of a soule-solacing Contemplation And this kinde of Rapsodie or intrancing of the Soule as I may terme it ministers unspeakable delight to the Minde of that man who is usually affected to these divine aspirations as a godly Father termes them Yet these contemplative persons whose retirednesse of estate immunitie or vacation from publike government have drawne their affections wholly from the thought of earth or conversing with men as they relish more of the Cloister than societie of Nature more of the Cell or frocke than Communitie which affords the most fruit so they never extend further than satisfying their owne disconsorting humour I confesse indeed their contemplations farre exceed the worldly mans for his are to earth confined or the voluptuous mans for his are to pleasures chained or the ambitious for his are to Honours gaged or the deluded Alchimist whose knowledge is a palpable mist for his are to impossible hopes restrained yet as profit and pleasure make the sweetest Musicke so Contemplation joyned with Practice make the fruitfullest knowledge To conclude our Discourse touching Education on which as the principall'st Seasoner of Youth we have long insisted may the first Seeds of your more hopefull harvest worthy Gentlemen be so sowne as they may neither by extremitie of Winter that is by too awfull rigour be nipped nor by the scorching heat of Summer that is too much connivencie of your Tutor parched So may your Countrey reape what she hath with long hope expected and receive a plentifull crop of that which she her selfe by hopefull Education hath long manured THE ENGLISH GENTLEMAN Argument Of the Necessitie of a Vocation No man is exempted from it Of Vocation in generall Of the Vocation of a Gentleman in particular And how he is to employ himselfe therein VOCATION VOCATION is a peculiar calling allotted to every one according to his degree Wherein we are to consider First a Necessitie of Vocation Secondly no Exemption from that Vocation and first of the first In that originall or primitive puritie of mans Nature I say before his Fall there was no such command exhibited as was afterwards injoyned For then He was created pure and deputed Soveraigne over a pleasant and flourishing Empire a delightfull Eden receiving no inhibition after so large and ample a commission save this That of the Tree of good and evill hee should not eat of it But when Adam had transgressed this command was forth with directed to him and his sin-stained posterity in the sweat of his face should he eat bread Then then and not till then began Adam to delve Eve to spin inferring that the Sweat of their brows should earne them a Living There were none that did gallant it in the workes of Wormes There were none that pierced the bowells of the Earth for precious stones to adorne them None that had minde of precious Odours and aromaticall sweets to perfume them In briefe None held it then a grace to have the out-cast Feathers of Birds to plume them The very excrements of Beasts to sent them The bowels and entralls of Wormes to cloath them The white excretions of Shell-fish to decke them Those Leatherne coats were provided to cover mans shame and doe evince him of Sinne. They were provided likewise to repel the extremitie of Heat and Cold to shelter him against the violence of all seasons There were other Vocations then intended and attended other labours proposed and sustained other fashions used and observed than the vanities of this age where the Devill that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that imitating and apish thing as Damascen calls him peccati fomenta succendit kindles those foments of sin to traine wretched man to the Lake of perdition Hence it is that he sets up that vexillum superbiae to which all the sonnes and daughters of vanitie repaire affecting incivilitie before modestie inquiring after the fashion not how neat it is but how new it is These imagine it a Labour sufficient a Vocation for their state and degree equivalent to spend the whole Morne till the Mid-day in tricking trimming painting and purfling studying rather to Die well than Live well These are they who beautifie themselves for the Stage to become deluding Spectacles to the unbounded affections of Youth They make time only a Stale for their vanities and so prostitute their houres those swift Coursers of mans pilgrimage to all enormous Libertie These are Penelopes wooers gilded gallants whose best of discourse is complement or apish formalitie whose best thoughts reach but to where they shall dine or the choice of an Ordinary and whose best actions are but ravishing of favours from the Idolls of their fancie But how farre short come these of that Necessitie of Vocation injoyned them They thinke it sufficient so to attire themselves as they may become gracious in the eye of their Mistresse whereas that wherein they seeme to themselves most gracious to the eye of a grave and considerate man may seeme most odious as in apparell we say that onely to be commendable which is comely that laudable which is seemely for it is an ornament which adorneth Now how deformed are many of our rayments drawne from forren Nations and as ill-seeming our Ilanders as Cockle-chaines Agricola's souldiers Certainly this attire becommeth not a Christian but such as are prostitutes to the whore of Babylon The garment of a true follower of Christ is innocencie which because it cannot be simple or absolute wee should endevour to lessen our imperfections daily becomming conformable to his Image who being free from sinne tooke upon him our sinne to free us from the guile of sinne and punishment due unto sinne Let us therefore endeuour our selves I say to attaine the reward of our high calling in Christ which that wee may the better obtaine and purchase at his hands by whom wee expect reward wee are in the meane time to serve him in our vocation here on earth that we may reigne with him in heaven Now that there is
my opinion there is no meanes better or surer to weane man endued with reason from being too much captived or enchained with these pleasures than to consider what benefits redound from moderate Recâ—eâ—tâ—on and againe what inconveniences arise from immoderate delight therein First then let us consider the end for which Recreations were ordained and wee shall finde that they were rather intended to beguile time than to bestow our selves on them all our time Though many too many there be who will not sticke to say with him who sported himselfe in the warme Sunne Vtinam hoc esset vivere would to God this were to live would to God this Recreation were a Vocation this pleasure my trade forever No as Recreation was at first intended for refreshing the minde and enabling the body to performe such offices as are requisite to bee performed so is it not to bee made a Trade or profession as if we should there set up our rest and intend nothing else Consider therefore the Benefits which redound by a moderate or temperate use of Recreation FIrst it refresheth or cherisheth the minde accommodating it to all studies clearing the understanding which would be easily depressed if either with worldly cares or more noble and generous studies wholly restrained It is said of Asinius Pollio that after the tenth houre he would be retained in no businesse neither after that houre would he reade so much as any Letter Of Cato likewise that he used to refresh his minde with wine the like of Solon and Archesilaus that they would usually cheere their spirits with wine yet whosoever should object drunkennesse to Cato might sooner prove that crime honest than Cato dishonest So as whether we beleeve the Greeke Poet It is sometimes pleasing to be a little madding or Plato who in vaine expulsed Poets the bounds of his Common-weale or Aristotle That there can never be any great wit without some mixture of folly we shall finde that even the gravest and most experienced Statists have sometimes retired themselves from more serious affaires to refresh and solace their tired spirits with moderate recreations The Poet excellently describes a man buried in the deepe slumber of contemplation after this manner He dies pent up with studie and with care So were the Anchorites and Hermites in former time being wholly divided from societie yea so immured as they seemed to be buried living Whose conversation as questionlesse it argued a great mortification of all mundane desires so it ministred matter of admiration to such who given to carnall libertie wondred how men made of earth could be so estranged from conversing with inhabitants of earth But to leave these and imagine their conversation to be in heaven though their habitation was on earth we perceive hence how beneficiall Recreation is to the minde in cheering solacing and refreshing her if used with moderation How it lessens those burdens of cares wherewith shee is oppressed revives the spirits as if from death restored cleares the understanding as if her eyes long time shut were now unsealed and quickens the invention by this sweet respiration as if newly moulded Neither is this Benefit so restrained as if it extended onely to the minde for it conferres a Benefit likewise to the bodie by enabling it to performe such labours Taskes or Offices as it is to be imployed or exercised withall There are two proverbs which may be properly applied to this purpose Once in the yeare Apollo laughes this approves the use of moderate Recreation Apollo's Bow 's not alwayes bent this shewes that humane imployments are to be seasoned by Recreation wee are sometimes to unbend the bow or it will lose his strength Continuall or incessant imployment cannot be endured there must be some intermission or the bodie becomes enfeebled As for example observe these men who either encombred with worldly affairs so tye and tether themselves to their businesse as they intermit no time for effecting that which they goe about or such as wholly nayled to their Deske admit no time for Recreation lest they should thereby hinder the progresse of their studies See how pale and meager they looke how sickly and infirme in the state of their bodies how weake and defective in their constitution So as to compare one of these weaklings with such an one as intermits occasions of businesse rather than he will prejudice his health 〈◊〉 serving times as well for recreation and pleasure as for imployment and labour were to present a spectacle of Iuius Dwarfe not two foot high and weighing but seventeene pound with a Rhinoceros Tiger or Serpent of fiftie cubits long such difference in proportion such ods in strength of constitution For observe one of these starved worldlings whose aimes are onely to gather and number without doing either themselves or others good with that they gather with what a sallow and earthy complexion they looke being turned all earth before they returne to earth And what may be the cause hereof but their incessant care of getting their continuall desire of gaining being ever gaping till their mouthes be filled with gravell So these who are wholly given and solely devoted to a private or retired life how unlike are they to such as use and frequent societie For their bodies as they are much weakned and enfeebled so is the heat and vigour of their spirits lessened and resolved yea their dayes for most part shortned and abridged the cause of all which proceedeth from a continuall secludiâ—g and dividing themselves from company and use of such Recreations as all creatures in their kinde require and observe For if we should have recourse to creatures of all sorts wee shall finde every one in his kinde observe a recreation or refreshment in their nature As the Beast in his chace the Bird in her choice the Snaile in her speckled case the Polypus in her change yea the Dolphin is said to sport and play in the water For as all things were created for Gods pleasure so hath he created all things to recreate and refresh themselves in their owne nature Thus farre have wee discoursed of moderate recreation and of the benefits which redound from it being equally commodious to the minde as well as the body the body as well as the minde to the minde in refreshing cherishing and accommodating it to all studies to the understanding in clearing it from the mists of sadnesse so the body in enabling it for the performance of such labours tasks or offices as it is to be imployed or interessed in It now rests that wee speake something of her opposite to wit of immoderate recreation and the inconveniences which arise from thence whereof wee shall but need to speake a word or two and so descend to more usefull points touching this Observation AS the wind Caecias drawes unto it clouds so doth immoderate recreation draw unto it divers and sundry maine inconveniences for this immoderation
conceive or apprehend the smallest occasion of offence than to prosecute revenge upon occasion offered For the first the bravest and noblest spirits have beene affected to it I meane Ambition but their ends were more glorious As Themistocles Who walked in the night time in the open street because he could not sleepe the cause whereof when some men did enquire hee answered that the triumph of Miltiades would not suffer him to take his rest The like might be observed in Alexander Who sighed that his father should winne so much and leave him so little to winne So as it is said that he wept hearing that there was another world saying He had not yet wonne one world But with these it fareth many times as it did with Marius who not contented with the glory hee got in the Cimbrian warres by seeking to augment it did extenuate it Yet are these more noble in their aymes than such whose Ambition it is to commit all impieties onely to gaine them a perpetuall infamy As Pausanias who killed Philip of Macedon onely for fame or vaine-glory so did Herostratus burne the temple of Diana to get him a name by an infamous act For the latter sort being such as are given to quarrells I have ever noted their gaines to bee small in all their adventures For what are these but such as value bloud at a low rate they pretend how their reputation stands engaged they cannot put up such disgraces but with touch of cowardize and what a blemish were it for ones Reputation to bee brought in question upon termes so neere concerning them and not seeke revenge where the wide world would take notice of their disgrace pointing at them in the streets and saying There goe such and such who were most grosly baffled preferring their bloud before their honour their safety before their reputation O Gentlemen how many of your ranke and quality have perished by standing upon these termes how many and those of the choicest and selected'st ranke have exposed themselves to extremest danger whereby they might gaine themselves the stile of valiant how many even upon trifling occasions have gone into the field and in their heat of bloud have fallen Sure I am their deare Countrey hath felt their losse to whom in all due respect they should have tendred both love and life and not have made prodigall expence of that which might have beene a meanes to strengthen and support her state Yet doe I not speake this as one insensible of wrong or incapable of disgrace for I know that in passages of this nature publike imputations require publike satisfaction so that howsoere the Divine Law to which all humane actions ought to be squared may seeme to conclude That wee are to leave revenge to whom revenge belongeth yet so passionate is the nature of man and through passion so much weakned as hee forgets many times what the divine Law bids him doe and hastens to that which his owne violent and distempered passion pricks him to Now to propose my opinion by way of direction in a word it is this As one may be angry and sinne not so one may revenge and offend not and this is by heaping coales of fire upon our Enemies head for by this meeknesse is anger appeased and wee of our owne fury revenged But the best meanes to prevent occasion of distaste in this kinde is to avoid the acquaintance or society of such as are given to offence whence it is that the wisest of Kings exhorteth us in these words To have no familiarity with an angry man neither goâ— with the furious man And why Lest thou learne his wayes and receive destruction to thy soule For indeed these whose turbulent dispositions are ready to entertaine any occasion of offence albeit the occasion perchance was never intended are unfit for any company or to passe time withall in any Recreation So as of one of these it may be said as was said of Scaeva who shewed apparant arguments of resolution to slave himselfe to the servile yoake of tyrannous subjection Infelix dominum quant â virtute parasti How many courses miserable man hast thou tryed How many wayes hast thou traced how many adventures entertained to get thee a Master Fury Archtraiâ—our to that glorious fortresse of Patience These are those Bloud-hounds who are ever in quest and are never satisfied in pursuit till their eyes become the sad spectators of a fall yea rather than these men will be out of action they will engage themselves in maintaining other quarrels so prompt they are to take offence as a strangers engagements must be made their owne rather than they will discontinue their former profession Another sort there are who albeit they finde abilitie in themselves to subdue and moderate this passion of furie by the soveraigntie of reason yet it fares with them as it did with Hannibal Who knew better how to conquer than how to make use of his conquest or as it is said of Glendor That he was more able to get a victorie than skilfull to use it So these though reason like a discreet Monitor advise them to moderate their passions yet so ambitious are they of popular praise as rather than they will lose the name of being esteemed resolute they will oppose themselves to all perils and entertaine a course in the eye of true valour most dissolute Yet respect to our good name being indeed the choicest and sweetest perfume must not be so sleighted as to incurre apparent termes of disgrace and not labour to wipe off that staine by shewing some arguments that wee have so much conceit as to apprehend what an injurie is and so much spirit as to take revenge on him by whom the injurie is offered It is true neither am I so stupid as not to conceive how insupportable the burden of those wrongs is which touch our name So as indeed to speake as a man unto men these wrongs are above the nature of mortalitie to beare for the naturall man tasting more of earth than heaven whilest he ponders the qualitie of his disgrace and how farre he stands engaged in respect of the opinion of men to beare himselfe like himselfe and not to burie such wrongs in silence as if senselesse of the nature of an injurie he never considers what the divine Law injoynes but casteth his eye upon the wrong he sustaines Wherein if passion will needs over-master reason albeit I doe not hold it consonant to the Divine Law Morall or Nationall but to all generous spirits experimentally usefull I could wish him to come off faire at the first for this either wins him the buckler or loseth it so shall hee ever gaine to himselfe an esteeme of conceit in knowing the nature of a wrong and an opinion of spirit in daring to wipe off the disgrace that shall be laid upon him For this is my Position Faile at
and ingenuously confesse that his unbounded aimes deserved no better guerdon for had his actions beene sincere they had made him more secure Likewise for the Voluptuous man whose belly is his god and sensualitie his delight let me speak thus much as his care extends but only to the day slaving himselfe to the pleasures of sinne and preferring the huskes of vanity before the soule-solacing cates of eternitie so shall his misery appeare greater when deprived of those delights wherein his sole felicity consisted This fleshly Libertine mis-imployeth Time in two respects first in respect of himselfe secondly in respect of those good creatures which were ordained for the use or service of himselfe In himselfe by exposing so glorious an Image to the subjection of sense and mis-applying those gifts which he hath received being diverted from those good offices for which they were bestowed In Gods good creatures by converting them to abuse which were only ordained for use and turning them to wantonnesse which were created for health and releefe of weaknesse This is he who makes life a merriment his pilgrimage a pastime each yeare his Iubile This is he who turnes fasting into feasting praying into playing almes-deeds into all mis-deeds This is he whose sole delight is in dainty feeding to cause inordinate motions to be stirring without least respect at all of his soules starving This is he whose dishes are the poore mans curses and whose gate is the beggers Iaile where they are barred from least crumme of comfort This is he who stalkes and struts in the street sends forth his eye to bring him in a booty of Lust or acquaint him with some new fashion or delight him with some vaine shew This is he who sends forth his eare to convey unto him some choice melody to intraunce him his taste with some luscious viands to provoke him his smell with some rare perfumes to cheere him his touch with soft cloathing or whatsoever may more effeminately move him But where to shall these outward delights availe him when the cold earth shall eâ—tertaine him when he shall be divided from them and they from him When Belshazzar beheld the hand upon the wall he was put quite out of his humour of jollity his cheerefulnesse was turned into pensivenesse his mirth into mourning his solace into sorrowing Even so shall it fare with the Voluptuous man whose delight was only on earth when that fearfull and ungratefull summons shall peremptorily injoine him to bid a due a long a due to those sensuall consorts which accompanied him those inordinate meetings which so much delighted him yea all those licentious pleasures which so inchained him hee will exclaime but in vaine shall be those exclamations and curse the occasions of his mis-spent Time O what a hard taske would he endure to redeeme what his Security hath lost What extremities would he suffer what difficulties undergoe How great and exceeding things would he promise In what bonds of firme devotion would he stand engaged Surely there is nothing that either flesh could sustaine or Mortality suffer which he would not most willingly indure to deliver his endangered soule from eternall torments Lastly for the miserable Covetous wretch who makes great use of his Coine but small use of his Time treasuring up vengeance against the day of wrath how carefull is he in making his barnes larger in filling his chests fuller in inhauncing his rents higher but how respectlesse of that supreme good wherein all happinesse consisteth See how Menedemus-like he is ever digging and delving to raise a fortune for his seldome thriving posterity Thus lives he to become an eternall affliction to himselfe in whose person the Poet very properly expressed a Misers nature after this manner Thus doe I digge thus doe I delve â—'enrich my state thereby Yet th'poorest slave of all I have enjoyes as much as I. This was one of those vanities which the wisest of Princes observed as incident to the children of men that many gathered yet knew not for whom they gathered having likewise no power to use what God had in his mercy bestowed Now to give this miserable Caitiffe his due Character He is his owne executioner being good to none but worst to himselfe His eye is so fixed on earth as he finds no Time to erect it to heaven Hee employes so much time in getting and gathering goods as he reserves no time for doing good He little observes how all earthly things are sweeter in the ambition than in the fruition in the affection than possession Nor how the circular World cannot fill the triangular Heart no more than a Circle can fill a Triangle where still there will be some empty corners He runs on still in desire labouring of a disease incurable till Death cure him He encreaseth his cares with his substance and the more hee addes to his estate the more hee detracts from his content The poore hee hath alwayes with him for hee makes all poore that deale with him In briefe hee is of all others most miserable because in his riches hee hath all his consolation which like the Aegyptian reed will faile him in his confidence leaving him bare and naked to the testimony of a guilty conscience For how secure was the Rich-man as he thought when he invited his wretched soule to take her rest having much goods laid up for many yeares but this selfe-securitie was the occasion of his succeeding misery for that night was his soule to be taken from him It is a true saying that the Devill requires nothing of man but Securitie for that gives him opportunity of practising his undoing Now how bitter is the remembrance of Death much more the unwelcome approach of Death to this miserable covetous man who hath all his peace in his substance For if nothing be so terrible as Death as Aristotle writeth which Antiochus feeling sensibly in himselfe crieth out thus Oh into what adversitie am I come and into what floâ—ds of misery am I now fallen He addeth the reason anon after For I must die with great sorrow in a strange Land Surely then to the miserable worldling who hath made a covenant with sin and a league with transgression must the approach of Death seeme terrible being to be divided from the staffe of his confidence from thence to descend without least hope of comfort to the land of forgetfulnesse for as it cannot possibly be that he should die ill who hath lived well so it cannot be that he who hath lived ill should die well for as the Scorpion hath in her the remedie of her owne poison a receit for her owne infection so the evill man carrieth alwayes with him the punishment of his owne wickednesse the which doth never leave so incessant is the torment of a guiltie conscience to wound and afflict his minde both sleeping and waking so as to what place soever he betake him he
cannot so privately retire but feare and horror will awake him nor sly so fast though hee should take the wings of the morning but fury and vengeance will over-take him Having thus far proceeded in the treating of such Subjects wherin Temperance is required and of such assailants by whom shee is usually encountred and impugned it rests now that I impart my advice briefly touching Temperance or Moderation of the Passions of the minde whereof omitting the rest as having else-where discoursed of them I will only and that briefly insist of these two the passions of Ioy and Sorrow This passion to insist on Ioy first requires direction to order our desires aright in the matter of Ioy. Every man loves a glad heart and wisheth Ioy as the fruit of his labours but therein many mistake First one rejoyceth in his Substance he hath gotten much Secondly another rejoyceth in his Promotion Thirdly another doateth upon that mad mirth which Salomon speaks of Fourthly another rejoyceth in a Table richly deckt an over-flowing cup a faring deliciously every day Fifthly another rejoyceth at the destruction of him whom he hates Sixthly another rejoyceth in sinne and wickednesse It is a pastime to a foole to doe wickedly It is the Drunkards joy to be at the cup early and to sit till the wine hath enflamed them The twi-light glads the heart of the Adulterer The Oppressour danceth upon the threshold of him that is oppressed Ismael geereth at Isaac Holy Iob was as a Tabret to the godlesse ones and the Drunkards made songs on David But this is not that Ioy which is required because the foundation of this Ioy is grounded on sinne wherefore we are to finde a Ioy more pure more permanent for the Ioy of the wicked is short but the Ioy of the righteous shall endure for ever This Ioy which we are to seeke and whereon we are to ground our sole content is no carnall but a spirituall Ioy the Ioy of our hearts the divine Melody of our soules concluding with the blessed Apostle God forbid that we should rejoyce in any thing but in the crosse of Christ and him crucified For in this did all the Saints and servants of God joy disvaluing all other joy as unworthy the entertainment of the soule Wee are to rejoyce likewise forasmuch as God hath called us not to uncleannesse but unto holinesse Wee are to rejoyce in the testimonie of a good conscience being that continuall feast which refresheth every faithfull guest Wee are to rejoyce in our brothers aversion from sinne and conversion to God in his prosperitie and successe in his affaires of state But above all things wee are so to moderate our joy in the whole progresse of our life that our joy may the more abound in him who is the crowne of our hope after this life The like directions are required in our moderation of sorrow for there is a sorrow unto death which to prevent understand this by the way that not so much the passion as the occasion enforcing the passion is to be taken heed of Sorrow wee may but not as Ammon did till he had defloured Thamar for that was the sorrow of licentiousnesse Sorrow wee may but not as Ahab did till he had got Naboths vineyard for that was the sorrow of covetousnesse Sorrow wee may but not as Iosephs brethren did grieving that their father should love him more than them for that was the sorrow of maliciousnesse Sorrow wee may but not as Ionah did grieving that the Ninivites were not destroyed for that was the sorrow of unmercifulnesse Lastly sorrow wee may but not as the Gergesenes did grieving for the losse of their swine for that was the sorrow of worldlinesse These sorrowes are not so much to be moderated as wholly abolished because they are grounded on sin but there is a religious and godly sorrow which though it afflict the body it refresheth the spirit though it fill the heart with heavinesse it crowneth the soule with happinesse And this is not a sorrow unto sinne but a sorrow for sinne not a sorrow unto death but a sorrow to cure the wound of death By how much any one saith a good Father is holier by so much in praier are his teates plentifuller Here sounds the Surdon of religious sorrow the awaker of devotion the begetter of spirituall compunction and the sealer of heavenly consolation being the way to those that begin truth to those that profit and life to them that are perfect But alas the naturall man saith the Apostle perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned It is true and this should move us to more fervour of devotion beseeching the divine assistance to minister strength to our weaknesse that what is wanting in the flesh may be supplied by the spirit yea daily to set our houre-glasse beside us and observe those precious graines the minute treasures of time how swiftly they run thorow the Cruet whereof not one must fall un-numbred for as a haire of the head shall not perish no more shall the least moment of time Now how healthfull were it though the carnall man distaste it to vie teares with graines of sand that our sinnes being as the Sands of the Sea-shore that is numberlesse might be bound up and throwne into the deepe Sea of eternall forgetfulnesse so as they may neither rise up in this life to shame us nor in the world to come to condemne us Surely if you would know those blessed fruits which true penitent sorrow produceth you shall finde that He who sowes in teares shall reape in joy Neither can any one goe to heaven with drie eyes May your teares be so shed on earth that they may be bottled in heaven so shall you bring your sheaves with you and like fine flower being boulted from the bran of corruption receive your portion in the land of the living And may this Sacrifice of teares which you offer up unto him whose eyes are upon all the wayes of the children of men minister like comfort to your soules as they have done to many faithfull members of Christs Church And let this suffice to have beene spoken of such Subjects wherein Moderation is to be used for to speake of Moderation of sorrow for sinne I hold it little necessary seeing most men so insensible are they of their inward wounds come rather short of that sorrow which is required than exceed in any sort the measure that is prescribed AS Moderation in all the precedent subjects is to be used so in all and every of them is it to be limited for to be so Stoically affected as we have formerly noted as not to entertaine so much as modest mirth or approve of the temperate and moderate use of those things which were at first ordained for the
some mixture of pride for they would have the world to observe how well they deserve it and againe their humilitie which is seldome in these without some tincture of vaine-glory in that they so little desire it So as these popular and firie spirits whose only aimes are to dignifie themselves deserve no sharper curbe for over-valuing themselves than these who pride themselves in their humilitie deserve for counterfeiting a kinde of debasing or dis-valuing of themselves to the eye of the world Whence I might take occasion to speake of those precise Schismaticks who cannot endure any precedencie or prioritie of place to be in the Church but an equalitie of Presbyterie but I will leave them to a sharper censure till they be throughly cured of their distemper Now for the second motive to sinne which is the Concupiscence of the eye as it is so to be moderated that it stray not so should it be so directed that it sleepe not sleepe not I say in the survey of that for which it was created The eye strayeth when it coveteth what it should not it sleepeth when it retireth from what it should it strayeth when it lusteth after a strange woman it sleepeth when it readeth not the Law of God to reclaime it from lusting after a strange woman it strayeth when it lusts after Naboths vineyard it sleepeth when it lookes not after Gods vineyard Neither is the eye so to be limited as if contemplation were only intended for as it is not sufficient to pray unlesse wee practise as well as pray so is it not sufficient to looke upon the Law unlesse wee live after the Law on which wee looke Wee reade that Abraham buried Sarah in the cave of Maâ—pelah that is in a double Sepulchre He that burieth his minde in knowledge only without any care of practice he buries Sarah in a single Sepulchre but he that buries his minde as well in the practice and feeling of religion which is all in all as in the knowledge and understanding of it he buries Sarah in a double Sepulchre and so must all wee doe which are the true children of Abraham for then with Abraham burying our spirit in a double Sepulchre wee shall with Elizeus have a double Spirit a spirit that as well doth as teacheth Otherwise wee are but tinkling Cymbals making only a sound of religion without any sound or sincere profession being as that honey-tongu'd Father saith in body inward but in heart outward Now the eye as it is the tenderest and subtilest organ of all others so should the object on which it is fixed be the purest and clearest of all others The Eagle accounts those of her young ones bastards which cannot fix their eyes upon the Sunne and with equall reflexion as it were reverberate the beaming vigour or splendour thereof which should be the Embleme of divine contemplation teaching us that howsoever wee have our feet on earth wee are to have our eyes in heaven not by prying too saucily into the sealed Arke of Gods inscrutable will but by meditating ever of him so to rest in him that after earth wee may for ever rest with him It is observed by profest Oculists that whereas all creatures have but foure muscles to turne their eyes round about man hath a fift to pull his eyes up to heaven How farre divert they then their eyes from the contemplation of that object for which they were created who cannot see their neighbours ground but they must cover it nor his beast but they desire it nor any thing which likes them but with a greedy eye they heart-eat it So large is the extent or circuit of their heart to earthly things as they can see nothing but they instantly desire so strait is the circumference of their heart to heavenly things they set no minde on them as if altogether unworthy their desire So as I cannot more aptly compare these idolizing worldlings to any thing than to the bird Ibis which is of that filthy nature as she receives those excrements in at her mouth which she had purged before from her guts Neither doe they resemble this bird only in respect of their bestiall or insatiate receit but also in the unbounded extent of their heart Oris Apollo writeth that the Egyptians when they would describe the heart paint that bird which they call Ibis because they thinke that no creature for proportion of the body hath so great a heart as the Ibis hath Neither hath our worldly Ibis a lesse heart to the filthy desires of the world being of necessity forced to leave the world before he can leave desiring the things of this world for their Satan-like come from compassing the whole earth esteeming no joy to the worldling like much enjoying yet am I not so rigorously affected or from feeling of humanity so farre estranged as with Democritus to move you to pull out your eyes that the occasion of temptation might be removed by being of your eyes those motives to temptation wholly deprived Nor with that inamored Italian to wish you to fix your eyes upon the beames of the Sunne till they were â—eared that the sight of your Mistresse might not move your disquiet No enjoy your eyes and make them directers to guide you not as blinde or deceitfull guides to entrap you use the object of this Sense but weane it from assenting to concupiscence concluding ever with that good remembrance May that object be from our eyes removed which makes us from our deare Lord divided Now for the last Motive which is the Pride of life it was Lucifers sinne and therefore should be each true Christians scorne For this sinne saith an ancient and learned Father are the children of the kingdome throwne into utter darknesse and whence commeth this but because they ascend up unto that Mountaine unto which the first Angell ascended and as a Devill descended Hee who entertaineth this Motive is an ambitious man who as one rightly observeth may be well and fitly similized with the Chameleon who hath nothing in his body but Lungs so the badge of the ambitious is to be windy and boisterous whereas if hee would measure all his undertakings rather by the dignity of the thing than the Ambition of his minde he should finde as much content as now he finds disquiet It was the rule of a wise Statesman and well deserves it the observance of every private person but especially of such who sit neere the Sterne of State not to suffer any ambitious heat transport him but to measure aâ—l things according to their dignity and worth and withall rather to refer the opinion of themselves and their actions to the censure of others and freely put themselves to be weighed in the judicious scale or ballance of others than to be approvers of themselves without the suffrage of others for certainely as there is no humour more predominant than Ambition nor
so much lamented for that is of necessitie and therefore exacts no teares of sorrow being if spent as fruitlesse as the doome reverselesse but their sudden or inopinate departure Whereto I answer that no death is sudden to him that dies well for sudden death hath properly a respect rather to the life how it was passed or disposed than to death how short his summons were or how quickly clozed Io. Mathes preaching upon the raising up of the womans sonne of Naim by Christ within three houres afterward died himselfe The like is written of Luther and many others As one was choaked with a flie another with a haire a third pushing his foot against the tressall another against the threshold falls downe dead So many kinde of wayes are chalked out for man to draw towards his last home and weane him from the love of earth Those whom God loves saith Menander die young yea those whom hee esteemeth highest hee takes from hence the soonest And that for two causes the one is to free them the sooner from the wretchednesse of earth the other to crowne them the sooner with Happinesse in Heaven For what gaine wee by a long life or what profit reape wee by a tedious Pilgrimage but that wee partly see partly suffer partly commit more evils Priamus say more dayes and shed more teares than Troilus Let us hence then learne so to measure our sorrow for ought that may or shall befall us in respect of the bodie that after her returne to earth it may be gloriously re-united to the soule to make an absolute Consort in Heaven Thirdly and lastly for the goods or blessings of Fortune they are not to command us but to be commanded by us not to be served by us but to serve us And because hee onely in the affaires of this life is the wealthiest who in the desires of this life is the neediest and he the richest on earth who sees little worth desiring on earth we are so to moderate our desires as I have formerly touched in respect of those things we have not that wee may labour to over-master our desires in thirsting after more than we already have likewise so to temper and qualifie our affections in respect of those things we have as to shew no immoderate sorrow for the losse of those we have but to be equally minded as well in the fruition of those wee have as privation of those we have not For of all others there is no sorrow baser nor unworthier than that which is grounded on the losse of Oxe or Cow or such inferiour subjects Neither incurre they any lesse opinion of folly who carried away with the love of their Horse Hound or some such creature use for some prize or conquest got to reare in their memory some Obeliske or Monument graced with a beauteous inscription to preserve their fame because poore beasts they have nothing to preserve themselves for howsoever this act seeme to have some correspondence with gratitude labouring only to grace them who have graced us rearing a stone to perpetuate their fame who memoriz'd our Name by speed of foot yet is it grosse and so palpable to those whose discretion is a moulder of all their actions as they account it an act worthier the observation of an Heathen than a Christian. Cimon buried his Mares bestowing upon them specious Tombs when they had purchased credit in the swift races of the Olympiads Xanâ—ippus bewailed his Dogs death which had followed his master from Calamina Alexander erected a Citie in the honour of Bucephalus having beene long defended by him in many dangerous battels And the Asse may well among the Heathen be adorned with Lillies Violets and Garlands when their Goddesse Vesta by an Asses bray avoided the rape of Priapus But howsoever these actions among Pagans might carry some colour of thankfulnesse rewarding them by whose speed fury agilitie or some other meanes they have beene as well preserved as honoured yet with Christians whose eyes are so clearely opened and by the light divine so purely illumined would these seeme acts of prophanenesse ascribing honour to the creature to whom none is due and not to the Creator to whom all honour is solely and properly due In briefe let us so esteeme of all â—he goods and gifts of Fortune as of Vtensils fit for our use and service but of the Supreme good as our chiefest Soâ—ace For he who subjected all things to the feet of man that man might be wholly subject unto him and that man might be wholly his he gave man dominion over all those workes of his so he created all outward things for the bodie the bodie for the soule but the soule for him that shee might only intend him and only love him possessing him for solace but inferiour things for service Thus farre Gentlemen hath this present discourse inlarged it selfe to expresse the rare and incomparable effects which naturally arise from the due practice of Moderation being indeed a vertue so necessary and well deserving the acquaintance of a Gentleman who is to be imagined as one new come to his lands and therefore stands in great need of so discreet an Attendant as there is no one vertue better sorting his ranke not only in matters of preferment profit or the like but in matters of reputation or personall ingagement where his very name or credit is brought to the tesh Looke not then with the eye of scorne on such a follower but take these instructions with you for a fare-well Doth Ambition buzze in your eare motions of Honour This faithfull Attendant Moderation will disswade you from giving way to these suggestions and tell you Ambition is the high road which leads to ruine but Humilitie is the gate which opens unto glory Doth Covetousnesse whisper to you matters of profit Here is one will tell you the greatest wealth in the world is to want the desires of the world Doth Wantonnesse suggest to you motives of Delight Here is that Herbe of Grace which will save you from being wounded and salve you already wounded In briefe both your expence of Time and Coine shall bee so equally disposed as you shall never need to redeeme Time because you never prodigally lost it nor repent your fruitlesse expence of Coine because you never profusely spent it Thus if you live you cannot chuse but live for ever for ever in respect of those choice vertues which attend you for ever in respect of your good Example moving others to imitate you And for ever in respect of that succeeding glory which shall crowne you THE ENGLISH GENTLEMAN Argument Of Perfection Contemplative and Active The Active preferred Wherein it consisteth Of the absolute or Supreme end whereto it aspireth and wherein it resteth PERFECTION WE are now to treat of a Subject which while we are here on earth is farre easier to discourse of than to finde for Perfection is not absolute in this life but
graduall So as howsoever we may terme one perfect or complete in respect of some especial qualities wherewith he is endued yet if we come to the true ground of Perfection we shall finde it farre above the Sphere of Mortality to ascend to for man miserable man what is he or of himselfe what can he to make him absolutely perfect Exceed can he in nothing but sinne which is such a naturall imperfection as it wholly detracts from his primitive Perfection Time was indeed when man knew no sinne and in that ignorance from sin consisted his Perfection But no sooner was that banefull Apple tasted than in the knowledge of sinne he became a professant Wee are therefore to discourse of such Perfection as wee commonly in opinion hold for absolute though in very deed it appeare only respective and definite for to treat of that Perfection which is transcendent or indefinite were to sound the Sea or weigh the Mountaines so far it exceedeth the conceit of man yea I say to taske humane apprehension to the discussion of that soveraigne or supreme Perfection were as unequally matched as ever were earth and heaven strength and weaknesse or the great Behemoth and the silliest worme that creepeth in the chinkes of the earth Let us addresse our selves then to this Taske and make this our ground that as no man is simply good but God so no man is absolutely perfect till hee be individually united to God which on earth is not granted but promised not effected but expected not obtained but with confidence desired when these few but evill dayes of our Pilgrimage shall be expired yet is there a graduall Perfection which in some degree or measure wee may attaine becomming conformable unto him whose Image we have received and by whom we have so many singular graces and prerogatives on us conferred And this Perfection is to be procured by assistance of Gods Spirit and a desire in man to second that assistance by an assiduall endevour Which devout and godly endevour that it might be the better furthered and his glory by whose grace we are assisted the more advanced needfull it were to reduce to our memory daily and hourely these two maine Considerations First those three profest Enemies that infatigably assaile us which should make us more watchfull Secondly that faithfull friend who so couragiously fights for us which should make us more thankfull for our Enemies as they are some of them domestick so are they more dangerous for no foe more perillous than a bosome foe Besides they are such pleasing Enemies as they cheere us when they kill us sting us when they smile on us And what is the instrument they worke on but the soule And what the time limited them to work in but our life Which humours do swel up sorrows bring downe heats dry aire infect meat puffe up fasting macerate jests dissolve sadnesse consume care straitneth security deludeth youth extolleth wealth transporteth poverty dejecteth old-age crooketh infirmity breaketh griefe depresseth the Devill deceiveth the world flattereth the flesh is delighted the soule blinded and the whole man perplexed How should wee now oppose our selves to such furious and perfidious Enemies Or what armour are we to provide for the better resisting of such powerfull and watchfull Assailants Certainly no other provision need we than what already is laid up in store for us to arme and defend us and what those blessed Saints and Servants of Christ have formerly used leaving their owne vertuous lives as Patternes unto us Their Armour was Fasting Prayer and workes of Devotion by the first they made themselves fit to pray in the second they addressed themselves to pray as they ought in the third they performed those holy duties which every Christian of necessity ought to performe And first for Fasting it is a great worke and a Christâ—â—â—worke producing such excellent effects as it subjects the flesh to the obedience of the spirit making her of a commander a subject of one who tooke upon her an usurped authority to humble herselfe to the soules soveraignty Likewise Prayer how powerfull it hath beene in all places might be instanced in sundry places of holy Scripture In the Desart where Temptation is the readiest In the Temple where the Devill is oft-times busiest On the Sea where the flouds of perils are the neerest In Peace where security makes men forgetfull'st And in Warre where imminent danger makes men fearfull'st Yea whether it be with Daniel in the Denne or Manasses in the Dungeon whether it be with holy David in the Palace or heavenly Ieremie in the Prison the power and efficacie of Prayer sacrificed by a devout and zealous beleever cannot chuse but be as the first and second raine fructifying the happy soile of every faithfull soule to her present comfort here and hope of future glory else-where Thirdly workes of Devotion being the fruits or effects of a spirituall conversation as ministring to the necessitie of the Saints wherein we have such plenty of examples both in divine and humane writ as their godly charitie or zealous bounty might worthily move us to imitate such blessed Patternes in actions of like Devotion For such were they as they were both liberall and joyed in their liberality every one contributing so much as he thought fit or pleased him to bestow And whatsoever was so collected to the charge or trust of the Governour or Disposer of the stocke of the poore was forth with committed Here was that poore-mans Box or indeed Christs Box wherein the charity of the faithfull was treasured Neither did these holy Saints or Servants of God in their Almes eye so much the quality of the person as his Image whom he did represent And herein they nourished not a sinner but a righteous begger because they loved not his sinne but his natur◠〈◊〉 now because wee are to treat of Perfection in each of these we are to observe such cautions as may make the worke perfect without blemish and pure from the mixture of flesh As first in that godly practice of fasting to observe such mediocritie as neither desire to be knowne by blubbered eyes hanging downe the head nor any such externall passion may tax us to be of those Pharisees whose devotion had relation rather to the observance of man than the service of God neither so to macerate the body as to disable it for performing any office which may tend to the propagation of the glory of the Highest For the first institution of Fasts as it was purposely to subdue the inordinate motions of the flesh and subject it to the obedience and observance of the spirit so divers times were by the ancient Fathers and Councels thought fitting to be kept in holy abstinence of purpose to remove from them the wrath of God inflicted on them by the sword pestilence famine or some other such like plague
Oratorie and Ciceroes tongue could not assume to themselves such perfection as to free them from other blemishes which detracted as much from their worth as these perfections added to their glory For howsoever that saying of Solon may seeme authenticke All things among men are sound and perfect it is to be understood that he meant of dealings or commerce among good men whose word is their bond and whose profession is to deale uprightly with all men All things among such men are sound and perfect for no commoditie can move them to infringe their faith or falsifie their word for any advantage But it may be objected if none can be perfect whence is it that wee reade wee ought to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect or how is it that Paul exhorteth us to perfection or how may wee be presented every man perfect in Christ Iesus Surely not of us nor of our selves but through him who became righteousnesse and all perfection for us that he might perfect that in us which was farre from us without his especiall grace working or operating in us Yet are we to labour and strive hard towards the marke that is set before us not ceasing till wee become conformable unto him and be made perfect in him But become conformable unto him wee cannot unlesse wee take delight in contemplating him to whom our desire is to be conformed Wee will therefore descend to the second branch proposed to wit the Contemplative part of Perfection wherein wee shall easily finde what diviâ—e comfort is ministred to the minde in contemplating Him who distinguished Man from the rest of his creatures by a reasonable minde IT was the saying of a Heathen If God tooke delight in any felicitie it was in Contemplation To the free use whereof even those which are as Hortensius called L. Torquatus unlearned rude and ignorant may be admitted For howsoever some have beene pleased to terme the Images of Saints Lay-mens bookes sure I am whosoever he be be he never so simple or ignorant that contemplateth God in his creatures shall finde sufficient matter in that voluminous booke of his Creation to move him to admire the workmanship of his Maker For the heavens are his the earth also is his and he hath laid the foundation of the world and all that therein is So as even from the Cedar of Lebanon to the grasse upon the wall hath he shewne his power and his might to the ends of the world Now to the end this Contemplation might not be hindred by any worldly objects wee are to with-draw our eye from the Creature and fix it wholly upon our Creator For how can any one behold the glory of heaven when his eyes are poring upon earth or how should hee whose affections are planted upon his gold erect his thoughts to the contemplation of God So as we must not only leave whatsoever wee love on earth but even leave our selves till wee become wholly weaned from earth so shall our affections be in heaven though our temporary plantation be on earth For what are these Ostrich-winged worldlings who never flie up stooping to every lure that either honour profit or preferment cast out but base Haggards who lie downe and dare not give wing for feare of weathering Whereas these high fliers whose aimes are above earth are ever meditating of earths frailtie and heavens felicitie These consider how the solace of the captive is one and the joy of the freeman another These consider how that hee who fighs not while he is a Pilgrim shall not rejoyce when he is a Citizen These consider that it is an evident signe that such an one hates his Countrey who holds himselfe to be in good state while hee lives a Pilgrim These will not preferre the husks of vanitie before those inestimable treasures of glory These and only these value earth as it should be valued desiring rather to leave earth than set their love on ought upon earth Neither can death take any thing from him going out of the world who sets his love on nothing in the world Whereas it is much otherwise with them whose eyes are accustomed to darknesse for they cannot behold the beames of that supreme veritie neither can they judge any thing of the light whose habitation is in darknesse they see darknesse they love darknesse they approve of darknesse and going from darknesse to darknesse they know not whither they fall Such was Demas who forsooke his faith and embraced this present world Such was Simon Magus who bewitched the people with sorceries to gaine himselfe esteeme in the world Such was Demetrius the Silver-smith who brought great gaines unto the Crafts-men and mightily enriched himselfe in the world And in a word such are all those whose eyes are sealed to heavenly Contemplations but opened to the objects of earth prizing nothing else worthy either viewing or loving It is rare and wonderfull to observe what admirable Contemplations the Heathen Philosophers enjoyed though not so much as partakers of the least glimpse of that glorious light which is to us revealed How deeply searching in the influence of Planets how studious after the knowledge of Herbs Plants vertue of Stones which inforced in them no lesse admiration than delight in so sweet a Contemplation Now if the Heathens who had no knowledge of God but only a glimmering light of Nature being not so much I say as the least beamling in comparison of that glorious light which we enjoy conceived such sweetnesse in the search of causes and events preferring their contemplation before the possession of earth or all that fraile earth câ—uld promise what surpassing comfort or ineffable sweetnesse are wee to conceive in the contemplation of God the one and only practice whereof maketh man blessed although in outward things he were the poorest and needfullest in the world The blessed Saints and faithfull servants of God have beene so ravished with this sweetnesse as they were drunke with joy in contemplation of the Highest For either honour or preferment they were so indifferent as they rejected it and for riches so equally contented as they dis-valued it selling their possessions and laying the money at the Apostles feet Yea Peter to instance one for all no sooner tasted this sweetnesse than forgetfull of all inferiour things he cried out as one spiritually drunke saying Lord it is good for us to be here let us make us here three Tabernacles let us stay here let us contemplate thee because wee need nothing else but thee it sufficeth us Lord to see thee it sufficeth us I say to be filled with such sweetnesse as commeth from thee One onely drop of sweetnesse he tasted and he loathed all other sweetnesse What may wee imagine would he have said if he had tasted the multitude of the sweetnesse of his divinitie which he hath laid up in store for those that feare him Surely
the contemplative man whose affections are estranged from earth and seated in heaven makes use of whatsoever he seeth on earth as directions to guide him in his progresse to heaven His eyes are not like the Ambitious mans whose eye-sore is only to see others great and himselfe unadvanced nor like the Covetous mans whose eyes Tarpeia-like betray his soule seeing nothing precious or prosperous which he wisheth not nor like the Voluptuous mans whose sealed eyes are blinde to the objects of vertue but unsealed to the objects of vanitie seeing nothing sensually moving which he affects not nor like the Vain-glorious maâ—s who practiseth seldome what is good or honest for the love of goodnesse but to bee praised and observed Whereas the true Contemplative man loves vertue for vertues sake concluding divinely with the Poet This amongst good men hath beene ever knowne Vertue rewards herselfe herselfe's her crowne And for these light objects of vanity he as much loaths them as the Voluptuous man loves them and for coveting he is so farre from desiring more than he hath as he is indifferent either for injoying or forgoing what he already hath and for aspiring he holds it the best ambition of any creature to promote the glory of his Maker He is ever descanting on this divine ditty O how glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God! for his thoughts are sphered above earth and lodged in the Contemplation of heaven And if so be that he chance to fix his eye upon earth it is as I said before to direct his feet and erect his faith to the Contemplation of heaven For by consideration had to these temporall goods to use the words of a devout Father hee gathereth the greatnesse of the heavenly Councell comprehending by these little ones those great ones by these visible those invisible ones For if the Lord shew or rather showre so great and innumerable benefits from heaven and from the aire from the land and sea light and darknesse heat and shadow dew and raine winds and showres birds and fishes and multiplicity of herbs and plants of the earth and the ministry of all creatures successively in their seasons ministring to us to allay our loathing and beget in us towards our Maker an incessant longing and all this for an ignoble and corruptible body what how great and innumerable shall those good things be which he hath prepared for them that love him in that heavenly Countrey where we shall see him face to face If he doe such things for us in this prison what will â—ee doe for us in that Palace Great and innumerable are thy workes O Lord King of heaven For seeing all these are very good and delectable which hee hath equally bestowed upon both good and evill how great shall those be which he hath laid up only for the good If so divers and innumerable be the gifts which he bestoweth both upon friends and foes how sweet and delectable shall those be which he will only bestow upon his friends If such comforts in this day of teares and anguish what will he conferre on us in that day of Nuptiall solace If a prison containe such delights what I pray you shall our Countrey containe No eye O Lord without thee hath seene those things which thou hast prepared for them that love thee for according to the great multitude of thy magnificence there is also a multitude of thy sweetnesse which thou hast hid for them that feare thee for great thou art O Lord our God and unmeasurable neither is there end of thy greatnesse nor number of thy wisdome nor measure of thy mercy neither is there end nor number nor measure of thy bountie but as thou art great so be thy gifts great because thou thy selfe art the reward and gift of thy faithfull warriours Thus is the spiritually Contemplative man ever employed thus are his affections planted thus his desires seated caring so little for earth as he is dead to earth long before hee returne to earth drawing daily neerer heaven having his desire only there long before he come there Now to instance some whose profession was meerely contemplative having retired or sequestred themselves from the society of this world we might illustrate this subject with many excellent Patternes in this kinde as those especially who strictly professed a monasticke life becomming severe Enemies to their owne flesh and estranging themselves from conversing wittâ—man Which kinde of discipline as it was in respect of humanity too unsociable so in respect of themselves doubtlesse sweet and delightfull being so intraunced with divine contemplation as they forgot earth and all earthly affections Of this sort you shall reade sundry examples whereof one more memorable than the rest might be instanced in him who reading that sentence of holy Scripture Goe and sell all that thou hast presently imagining it to be meant by him did so The like contempt towards the world might be instanced in holy Ierome Paulinus that good Bishop of Nola and many others upon which I would be loth to insist for brevity sake Neither certainly can they whose thoughts are erected above the centre of earth having their Hearts planted where their treasure is placed deigne to fix their eye upon ought in the world because they see nothing worthy affecting in the World for they thinke godlinesse is a great gaine if a man be content with that he hath They doe good being rich in good workes and ready to distribute and communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life Yea they have not only learned in whatsoever state they are therewith to be content but wholly to relinquish both selfe and state to advance the glory of God But it may be now well objected that these men whereof we now treat are fitter for a Cell than a Court and therefore too regular masters to have young Gentlemen for their Schollers for how should these whose education hath beene liberty conversation publike society and who hold good fellowship an appendice to Gentry betake themselves to such strictnesse as to be deprived of common aire live remote from all company passing the remainder of their dayes in a wildernesse as if they had committed some egregious fact that deserved such severe Penance mistake me not my meaning is much otherwise for as I would not have Gentlemen Libertines so I would not have them Hermits for the first as they are too prodigally secular so the latter are too severely regular Neither am I ignorant how a Cloister may be no lesse shelter unto error than a more publike place of delight or pleasure But my discourse touching this Contemplative Perfection was purposely to draw the Curtaine from before the Picture and to shew to their eye that faire Idaea or feature which hath beene so long shadowed I meane the faire and beautifull structure of the inward man
which so long as it is darkened with these bleere-eyed Leahs these objects of vanity cannot enjoy it selfe but peece-meale as it were divided from it selfe seemes wholly deprived of life for a Heart divided cannot live And what are these objects of vanity whereon the eye of your Contemplation is usually fixed but those soule-soiling sores of this Land Pride and Voluptuousnesse With what greedinesse will a young gallants eye gaze upon some new or phantasticke fashion wishing O vaine wish that he had but the braines to have invented such a fashion whereby he might have given occasion to others of imitation and admiration With what insatiablenesse will he fix his eye upon some light affected Curtezan whose raiment is her onely ornament and whose chiefest glory is to set at sale her adulterate beauty No street no corner but gives him objects which drawes his eye from that choicest object whereon his whole delight should be seated No place so obscure wherein his Contemplative part is not on the view of forbidden objects greedily fixed How requisite then were it for you young Gentlemen whose aymes are more noble than to subject them to these unworthy ends to take a view sometimes of such absolute Patternes of Contemplative Perfection as have excelled in this kinde But because a three-fold cord is hardly broken I will recommend unto your consideration a three-fold Meditation the daily use and exercise whereof may bring you to a more serious view of your owne particular estate First is the worthinesse of the soule secondly the unworthines of earth thirdly thankefulnes unto God who made man the worthiest creature upon earth For the first What is she and in glory how surpassing is she to use the selfe-same words which an holy Father useth being so strong so weake so small so great searching the secrets of God and contemplating those things which are of God and with her piercing wit is knowne to have attained the skill of many Arts for humane profit and advantage What is shee I say who knoweth so much in other things and to what end they were made yet is wholly ignorant how herselfe was made A Princesse surely for as a Queene in her Throne so is the soule in the body being the life of the body as God is the life of the soule being of such dignity as no good but the Supreme good may suffice it of such liberty as no inferiour thing may restraine it How then is the soule of such worthinesse as no exteriour good may suffice it nor no inferiour thing restraine it How comes it then that it stoopes to the Lure of vanity as one forgetfull of her owne glory How comes it then to be so fledged in the bird-lime of inferiour delights as nothing tasteth so well to her palate as the delights of earth Surely either she derogates much from what she is or there is more worthinesse on earth than wee hold there is Having then taken a short view of the dignity or worthinesse of the soule let us reflect a little upon the unworthinesse of Earth and see if we can finde her worthy the entertainment of so glorious a Princesse Earth as it is an heavie element and inclineth naturally downward so it keeps the earthly minded Moule from looking upward There is nothing in it which may satisfie the desire of the outward senses much lesse of the inward For neither is the eye satisfied with seeing be the object never so pleasing nor the eare with hearing be the accent never so moving nor the pallat with tasting be the Cates never so relishing nor the nose with smelling be the Confection never so perfuming nor the hand with touching be the Subject never so affecting And for those sugred pills of pleasure though sweet how short are they in continuance and how bitter being ever attended on by repentance And for honours those Snow-balls of greatnesse how intricate the wayes by which they are attained and how sandie the foundation wheron they are grounded How unworthy then is Earth to give entertainment to so princely a guest having nothing to bid her welcome withall but the refuse and rubbish of uncleannesse the garnish or varnish of lightnesse For admit this guest were hungrie what provision had Earth to feed her with but the Huskes of vanity If thirstie what to refresh her with but with Worme-wood of folly If naked what to cloath her with but the cover of mortality If imprisoned how to visit her but with fetters of captivity Or if sicke how to comfort her but with additions of misery Since then the worthinesse of the soule is such as Earth is too unworthy to entertaine her expedient it were that she had recourse to him that made her and with all thankefulnesse tender herselfe unto him who so highly graced her Let man therefore in the uprightnesse of a pure and sincere soule weaned from Earth and by Contemplation already sainted in heaven say What shall I render unto thee O my God for so great benefits of thy mercy What praises or what thanksgiving For if the knowledge and power of the blessed Angels were presenâ— with me to assist mee yet were I not able to render ought worthy of so great piety and goodnesse as I have received from thee yea surely if all my members were turned into tongues to render due praise unto thee in no case would my smalnesse suffice to praise thee for thy inestimable charitie which thou hast shewne to me unworthy one for thy onely love and goodnesse sake exceedeth all knowledge Neither is it meet that the remembrance of a benefit should be limitted by day or date but as the benefits we receive are daily so should our thankfulnes be expressed daily lest by being unthankfull God take his benefits from us and bestow them on such as will be thankfull And let this suffice for the Contemplative part of Perfection descending briefly to that part which makes the Contemplative truly perfect by Action WE are now to treat of that which is easier to discourse of than to finde for men naturally have a desire to know all things but to doe nothing so easie is the Contemplative in respect of the Active so hard the Practicke in respect of the Speculative How many shall we observe daily propounding sundry excellent Observations divine Instructions and Christian-like Conclusions touching contempt of the world wherein this Active Perfection principally consisteth yet how farre short come they in their owne example so easie it is to propound matter of instruction to others so hard to exemplifie that instruction in themselves This may be instanced in that Ruler in the Gospell who avouched his integritie and Perfection concluding that hee had kept all those Commandements which Christ recounted to him from his youth up yet when Christ said unto him Sell all that thou hast and distribute unto the poore and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and
answer for them for their Stoves Summer arbours Refectories and all other places wherein they enjoyed the height of delight shall be produced against them to tax them of sensuall living and witnesse against them their small care of observing the end for which they were made O Gentlemen you whose hopes are promising your more excellent endowments assuring and your selves as patternes unto others appearing know that this Perfection whereof we now intreat is not acquired by idling or sensuall delighting of your selves in carnall pleasures which darken and eclypse the glory or lustre of the soule but in labouring to mortifie the desires of the flesh which is ever levying and levelling her forces against the spirit Now this Mortification can never be attained by obeying but resisting and impugning the desires of the flesh Wherefore the onely meanes to bring the flesh to perfect subjection is to crosse her in those delights which shee most affecteth Doth she delight in sleepe and rest keepe her waking takes she content in meats and drinkes keepe her craving takes she solace in company use her to privacie and retiring takes shee liking to ease inure her to labouring Briefly in whatsoever shee is delighted let her be alwayes thwarted so shall you enjoy the most rest when she enjoyes the least Hence it was that Saint Ierome that excellent patterne of holy discipline counselleth the holy Virgin Demetrias to eschew idlenesse exhorting her withall that having done her prayers shee should take in hand wooll and weaving after the commendable example of Dorcas that by such change or variety of workes the day might seeme lesse tedious and the assaults of Satan lesse grievous Neither did this divine Father advise her to worke because she was in poverty or by this meanes to sustaine her family for she was one of the most noble and eminent women in Rome and richest wherefore her want was not the cause which pressed him to this exhortation but this rather that by this occasion of exercising herselfe in these laudable and decent labour she should thinke of nothing but such as properly pertained unto the service of God which place he concludeth in this manner I speake generally no rayment ornament or habit whatsoever shall seeme precious in Christs sight but that which thou makest thy selfe either for thine owne peculiar use or example of other Virgins or to give unto thy grand-mother or thy mother no though thou distribute all thy goods unto the poore See how expresly this noble woman was injoyned to her taske that by intending herselfe to labour shee might give lesse way unto errour Certainly as mans extremity is Gods opportunity so the Devils opportunity is mans security we are then principally to take heed lest we give way to the incursion of Satan by our security of life and conversation And what is it that begetteth this security but Idlenesse which may be termed and not improperly the Soules Lethargie For nothing can be more opposite to this Actuall Perfection than restor vacancy we say vertue consisteth in Action how then may we be said to be favourers followers or furtherers of vertue when wee surcease from Action which is the life light and subsistence of vertue Wherfore as it is little to reade or gather but to understand and to reduce to forme what we reade gather or understand for this is the ornament of Art the argument of labour so it is little or to no purpose that wee know conceive or apprehend unlesse we make a fruitfull use of that knowledge by serious practice to the benefit of our selves and others I have knowne divers Physitians some whereof were of great practice but small reading others of great reading but small practice and I have heard sundry men of sufficient judgement confidently averre that in cases of necessity they had rather hazard their lives in the hand of the Practicke than Theoricke and their reason was this though the Practick had not exercised himselfe in the perusall of bookes he had gained him experience in the practice of cures and that the body of his patient was the onely booke within his Element To which assertion I will neither assent nor wholly dissent for as he that practiseth before he know may sooner kill than cure so he who knoweth and seldome or never practiseth must of necessity to get him experience kill before he cure But sure I am that many ignorant Lay-men whose knowledge was little more than what nature bestowed on them by means of regular discipline and powerfull subduing of their owne affections have become absolute men being such as reached to as high a pitch of Actuall Perfection as ever the learned'st or profoundest man in the world attained for it is neither knowledge nor place but the free gift of Gods grace which enableth the spirituall man to this Perfection Now forasmuch as not to goe forward is to goe backward and that there be two Solstices in the Suns motion but none in times revolution or in a Christians progression the only meanes to attaine this Actuall Perfection at least some small measure or degree therein is every night to haue our Ephemerides about with us examining our selves what we have done that day how far we have profited wherein benefited our spirituall knowledge Againe wherein have we reformed our life or expressed our love to Christ by communicating to the necessitie of his Saints By which means we shall in short time observe what remaines unreformed esteeming it the sweetest life every day to better our life But principally are we to looke to our affections which rise and rage in us and like the Snake in the fable pester and disturbe the inner house of man for these are they which as Saint Basil saith rise up in a drunken man drunke I meane with all spirituall fornication like a swarme of Bees buzzing on every side When the affections of men are troubled they change them like Circes cups from men to beasts Neither is it so ill to be a beast as for man to live like a beast O then let us have an eye to our affections let them be planted where they may be duly seasoned Earth makes them distastefull let them be fixed then in heaven the only thought whereof will cause them to be delightfull And to conclude this branch it will not be amisse for us to counterpoize our affections if wee finde them at any time irregular with weights of contrary nature as if we finde our selves naturally affected to Pride that Luciferian sinne to counterpoise it with motives of Humilitie as the vilenesse of our condition basenesse of our composition and weaknesse of our constitution or naturally inclined to Covetousnesse that Mammons sin to give though the gift afflict vs liberally that our forced bounty may in time weane us from our in-bred misery if of grating oppression or grinding extortion that Ahabs sin let us
enterludes boasting of young Ladies favours glorying more in the purchase of a glove than a Captaine in the surprizall of a Fort Have yee cashiered all those Companions of death those seducing Consorts of misery and betaken your selves to the acquaintance of good men conceiving a setled joy in their society O then thrice happy you for having honoured God he will honour you having repaired the ruines of Sion he will place you in his heavenly Sion or engaged your lives for the testimony of a good Conscience hee will invite you to that Continuall feast of a peaceable Conscience or fought the Lords battell hee will say you have fought a good fight crowning you after your victory on earth with glory in heaven or shut the doore of your Chamber and kept the roome cleane and sweet for your Maker he will come in and sup with you that you may rejoyce together or made a covenant with your eyes not to look after the strange woman with those eyes yee shall hehold him who put enmitie between the Serpent and the Woman or weaned your itching and bewitching humours from affecting Out-landish fashions madding after phantasticke habits for stuffe it skils not whether silken or woollen so the fashion be civill and not wanton you shal be cloathed in long white roabes and follow the Lambe wheresoever he goeth or done with your mid-night revels and Court pleasures you shall be filled with the pleasures of the Lords house and abide in his Courts for ever or left frequenting Maskes Tilt-triumphs and Enterludes the glorious Spectacles of vanity you shall be admitted to those angelicall triumphs singing heavenly Hymnes to the God of glory or cashier'd those companions of death whose end is misery you shall have the Saints for your companions and share with them in the Covenant of mercy Doe yee not hence observe what inestimable comforts are reserved for those who are truly mortified mortified I say in respect of your contempt to the world which is expressed by ceasing to love it before you leave it Who would not then disvalue this life and all those bitter sweets which this fraile life affordeth to possesse those incomparable sweets which every faithfull soule enjoyeth Yea but our silken worldling or delicate Wormeling will object this discipline is too strict for flesh and bloud to follow Who can endure to yeeld his head to the blocke or his body to the faggot when the very sight of death in another ministers to the beholder motives of terror Surely this is nothing to him that duely considereth how hee that loseth his life shall save it but he that saveth his life shall lose it What is a minutes anguish to an eternity of solace Wee can endure the launcing or searing of a putrified member and this endures as long as our time of wrastling with our Dissolution which brings us to our Saviour nor skils it much what kinde of death wee die seeing no kinde of death can hurt the righteous be the terrors and torments of death never so numerous The way then to contemne death is to expect it and so to prepare our selves for it as if we were this very houre to encounter it resolving never to goe with that conscience to our bed with which we durst not goe to our grave being so uncertaine whether before the next morne wee shall be taken out of our bed and shrouded for our grave And this shall suffice touching our Mortification or Contempt of life if with such a sacrifice wee may be thought worthy to honour him who gave us life We are now to speake of Mortification in respect of name or report wherein you are to understand that this is two-fold First in turning our eares from such as praise us Secondly in hearing with patience such as revile us For the first it is and hath beene ever the condition of sober and discreet men to avert their eare from their owne praises at least with a modest passing over such vertues as were commendable in them which modesty appeared in Alphonsus Prince of Aragons answer to an Orator who having repeated a long Panegyricall oration in his praise replied If that thou hast said consent with truth I thanke God for it if not I pray God grant me grace that I may doe it Others likewise we reade of who could not with patience endure their persons or actions to be praised above truth this princely passion appeared in Alexander who hearing Aristobulus a famous Greek Historian read his writings purposely penned upon the memorable acts he had atchieved wherein he commended him farre above truth being mightily incensed therewith threw the booke into the river as he was sailing over Hydaspes saying withall he was almost moved to send Aristobulus after Neither indeed will any wise man endure to heare himselfe praised above truth seeing no lesse aspersion may be laid on his person by being too highly praised than if he were discommended for should we praise one for his bountie who is publikely knowne to the world to be parâ—â—monious or for his humility who is naturally ambitious or for his continencie who is licentious our praises would not tend so much to his honour as to the display of his nature yea even he himselfe guilty in himselfe would tax us knowing that he the least of all others deserved these praises from us It is flattery saith one to praise in absence that is when either the vertue is absent or the occasion is absent But in the report of our owne praise admit wee should deserve it the safest course is to withdraw our eare from hearing it lest vain-glory transport us upon hearing of those praises which are spoken of us for if our aymes be only to purchase popular esteeme preferring the praise of men before the praise of God or the testimony of a good conscience as our aymes were perverted so shall we be rewarded Now there is no better means to abate or extenuate this desire of praise in us than duly to consider whose gifts they be that deserve this praise in us for were they our owne we might more properly be praised for them but they are Gods and not ours therefore is the praise to be ascribed unto God and not unto us For hee that would be praised for Gods gift and seeketh not Gods glory but his owne in that gift though he be praised by men for Gods gift yet is he dispraised by God for not seeking Gods glory but his owne for this gift and he who is praised by men God dispraising shall not be defended by men God judging nor be delivered God condemning Whereas hee that loveth God will chuse rather to be deprived of all future glory than detract by any meanes from God the Author of all glory Let us then so avert our eare from selfe-praise or ought else that may beget in us vain-glory or ostentation that we may become like unto him who dis-esteemed all
What delights then can be pleasing what delicates relishing to the palat of this prisoner She is an exile here on earth what societie then can be cheerefull to one so carefull of returning to her Countrey If Captives restrained of their libertie Exiles estranged from their Countrey can take no true content either in their bondage be it never so attempred nor in their exile be they never so attended how should the Soule apprehend the least joy during her abode on earth Where the treasure is there is the heart her treasure is above how can her heart be here below Mortalitie cannot suit with immortalitie no more can Earth with the Soule Whereto then be the motions of our Soule directed To Him that gave it no inferiour creature may suffice her no earthly object satisfie her nothing subject to sense fulfill her In Heaven are those heavenly objects wherewith her eye rests satisfied in Heaven are those melodious accents wherewith her eare rests solaced in Heaven those choicest odours wherewith her smell is cherished in Heaven those tastfull'st dainties wherewith her soule is nourished in Heaven those glorious creatures wherewith herselfe is numbred What difference then betwixt the satietie and saturitie of Heaven and the penurie and povertie of Earth Here all things are full of labour man cannot utter it The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare filled with hearing whereas in Heaven there is length of dayes and fulnesse of joy without ending And wherein consists this fulnesse Even in the sweet and comfortable sight of God But who hath seene God at any time To this blessed Austine answers excellently Albeit saith he that summary and incommutable essence that true light that indeficient light that light of Angels can be seene by none in this life being reserved for a reward to the Saints only in the heavenly glory yet to beleeve and understand and feele and ardently desire it is in some sort to see and possesse it Now if wee will beleeve it though our feet be on earth our faith must be in heaven or understand it wee must so live on earth as if our conversation were in heaven or feele it wee must have so little feeling of the delights of this life as our delight may be wholly in heaven or desire it wee must hunger and thirst after righteousnesse to direct us in the way which leadeth to heaven It cannot be saith a devout holy man that any one should die ill who hath lived well Wee are then to labour by a zealous religious and sincere life to present our selves blamelesse before the Lord at his comming O if wee knew and grosse is our ignorance if we know it not that whatsoever is sought besides God possesseth the minde but satisfies it not wee would have recourse to him by whom our minds might be as well satisfied as possessed But great is our miserie and miserable our stupiditie who when wee may gaine heaven with lesse paines than hell will not draw our foot backe from hell nor step one foot forward towards the kingdome of heaven Yea when wee know that it pleaseth the Devill no lesse when wee sinne than it pleaseth God to heare us sigh for sinne yet will wee rather please the Devill by committing sinne than please God by sending out one penitent sigh for our sinne For behold what dangers will men expose themselves unto by Sea and Land to increase their substance Againe for satisfaction of their pleasures what tasks will they undertake no lesse painfull than full of perill A little expectance of penitentiall pleasure can make the voluptuous man watch all the night long when one houre of the night to pray in would seeme too too long Early and late to inrich his carelesse heire will the miserable wretch addresse himselfe to all slavish labour without once remembring either early or late to give thanks to his Maker Without repose or repast will the restlesse ambitious Sparke whose aimes are only to be worldly great taske himselfe to all difficulties to gaine honour when even that which so eagerly he seekes for oft times brings ruine to the owner Here then you see where you are to seeke not on earth for there is nought but corruption but in heaven where you may be cloathed with incorruption not on earth for there you are Exiles but in heaven where you may be enrolled and infranchised Citizens not on earth the grate of miserie but in heaven the goale of glory In briefe would you have your hearts lodged where your treasures are locked all your senses seated where they may be fully sated your eye with delightfull'st objects satisfied your eare with melodious accents solaced your smell with choicest odours cherished your taste with chiefest dainties relished your selves your soules amongst those glorious creatures registred Fix the desires of your Heart on him who can only satisfie your heart set your eye on him whose eye is ever upon you and in due time will direct you to him intend your eare to his Law which can best informe you and with divinest melodie cheere you follow him in the smell of his sweet oyntments and hee will comfort you in your afflictions taste how sweet hee is in mercy and you shall taste sweetnesse in the depth of your miserie become heavenly men so of terrestriall Angels you shall be made Angels in heaven where by the spirituall union of your soules you shall be united unto him who first gave you soules And so I come to the third and last When wee are to seeke lest seeking out of time wee be excluded from finding what wee seeke for want of seeking in due time If words spoken in season be like apples of gold with pictures of silver sure I am that our actions being seasonably formed or disposed cannot but adde to our soules much beautie and lustre To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven which season neglected the benefit accruing to the worke is likewise abridged There is a time to sow and a time to reape and sow wee must before wee reape sow in tears before wee reape in joy Seeke wee must before wee finde for unlesse wee seeke him while he may be found seeke may wee long ere wee have him found After the time of our dissolution from earth there is no time admitted for repentance to bring us to heaven Hoc momentum est de quo pendet aeternitas Either now or never and if now thrice happy ever Which is illustrated to us by divers Similitudes Examples and Parables in the holy Scripture as in Esaus birth-right which once sold could not be regained by many teares and in the Parable of Dives and Lazarus where Abraham answered Dives after he had beseeched him to send Lazarus that he might dip the tip of his finger in water and coole his tongue Sonne remember that thou in thy life
is And therefore Prudentius in one of his Hymnes give this memorandum Thinke with thy selfe if thou from sin would free thee Be 't day or night that God doth ever see thee O then let us fix our thoughts upon God here on earth that we may gloriously fix our eyes upon him in heaven Let us so meditate of him here on earth that wee may contemplate him there in heaven So repent us to have dishonoured him here on earth that wee may be honoured by him in heaven Let us become humble Petitioners unto him and prostrate our selves before his foot-stoole of whom if we begge life his hand is not so shortâ—ed as it will not save his eare so closely stopped as it will not heare it is reported that when a poore man came to Dionysius the Tyrant and preferred his petition unto him standing the imperious Tyrant would not give eare unto him whereupon this poore Petitioner to move him to more compassion fell downe prostrate at his feet and with much importunity obtained his suit after all this being demanded by one why he did so I perceived quoth he Dionysius to have his eares in his feet wherefore I was out of hope to be heard till I fell before his feet But God who intendeth rather the devotion of the heart than the motion of the hand or prostration of the bodie will heare us if wee aske faithfully and open unto us if wee knocke constantly and having fought a good fight crowne us victoriously Thus you have heard what we are to seeke where we are to seeke and when we are to seeke What a Kingdome not of earth but of heaven Where not on earth nor in earth but in heaven When while we are here on earth that after earth we may reigne in heaven What a Garden inclosed a Spring shut up a Fountaine sealed What a crowne of righteousnesse a precious pearle a hid treasure What wisdome health wealth beautie libertie and all through him who is all in all Aristippus was wont to say that he would goe to Socrates for wit but to Dionysius for money whereas this we seeke and seeking hope to enjoy confers upon us the rich treasures of wisdome and abundance of riches for evermore For first seeke we the kingdome of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof and all things else shall be ministred unto us Secondly where wee are to seeke Where in Heaven the House of God the Citie of the great King the inheritance of the just the portion of the faithfull the glory of Sion Where not without us but within us for the kingdome of God is within us So as I may say to every faithfull soule Intus habes quod quaeris That is within thee which is sought of thee It is God thou seekest and him thou possessest thy heart longeth after him and right sure thou art of him for his delight is to be with those that love him Lastly when on earth when in this life when while we are in health while we are in those Tabernacles of clay while we carry about us these earthen vessels while we are cloathed with flesh before the evill day come or the night approach or the shadow of death encompasse us now in the opportunate time the time of grace the time of redemption the appointed time while our peace may be made not to deferre from youth to age lest wee be prevented by death before we come to age but so to live every day as if we were to die every day that at last we may live with him who is the length of dayes What remaineth then but that wee conclude the whole Series or progresse of this Discourse with an Exhortation to counsell you an instruction to caution you closing both in one Conclusion to perswade you to put in daily practice what already hath beene tendred to you Now Gentlemen that I may take a friendly farewell of you I am to exhort you to a course Vertuous which among good men is ever held most Generous Let not O let not the pleasures of sinne for a season withdraw your mindes from that exceeding great weight of glory kept in store for the faithfull after their passage from this vale of misery Often call to minde the riches of that Kingdome after which you seeke those fresh Pastureâ— fragrant Medows and redolent Fields diapred and embrodered with sweetest and choicest flowers those blessed Citizens heavenly Saints and Servants of God who served him here on earth faithfully and now raigne with him triumphantly Let your Hearts be enditers of a good matter and your voices viols to this heavenly measure O how glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God as the habitation of all that rejoyce is in thee Thou art founded on the exaltation of the whole earth There is in thee neither old-age nor the miserie of old-age There is in thee neither maime nor lame nor crooked nor deformed seeing all attaine to the perfect man to that measure of age or fulnesse of Christ. Who would not become humble Petitioner before the Throne of grace to be made partaker of such an exceeding weight of glory Secondly to instruct you where this Crowne of righteousnesse is to be sought it is to be sought in the House of God in the Temple of the Lord in the Sanctuary of the most High O doe not hold it any derogation to you to be servants yea servants of the lowest ranke even Doore-keepers in the House of the Lord Constantine the Great gloried more in being a member of the Church than the Head of an Empire O then let it be your greatest glory to advance his glory who wil make you vessels of glory But know that to obey the delights of the flesh to divide your portion among Harlots to drinke till the wine grow red to make your life a continued revell is not the way to obtaine this Crowne Tribulation must goe before Consolation you must clime up to the Crosse before you receive this Crowne The Israelites were to passe thorow a Desart before they came to Canaan This Desart is the world Canaan heaven O who would not be here afflicted that he may be there comforted Who would not be here crossed that he may be there crowned Who would not with patience passe thorow this Desart onely in hope to come to Canaan Canaan the inheritance of the just Canaan the lot of the righteous Canaan a fat Land flowing with milke and honey Canaan an Habitation of the most holy Canaan a place promised to Abraham Canaan the bosome of Father Abraham even Heaven but not the heaven of heaven to which even the earth itselfe is the very Empyraean heaven for this is heaven of heaven to the Lord because knowne to none but to the Lord. Thirdly and lastly that I may conclude and concluding perswade you neglect not this opportunate time of grace that is now
offered you I know well that Gentlemen of your â—anke cannot want such wittie Consorts as will labour by their pleasant conceits to remove from you the remembrance of the evill day but esteeme not those conceits for good which strive to estrange from your conceit the chiefest good Let it be your task every day to provide your selves against the evill day so shall not the evill day when it commeth affright you nor the terrours of death prevaile against you nor the last summâ—ns perplex you nor the burning Lake consume you O what sharpe extreme and insuperable taskes would those wofull tormented soules take upon them if they might be freed but one houre from those horrours which they â—ee those tortures which they feele O then while time is granted you omit no time neglect no opportunitie Be instant in season and out of season holding on in the race which is set before you and persevering in every good worke even unto the end Because they that continue unto the end shall be saved What is this life but a minute and lesse than a minute in respect of eternity Yet if this minute be well imployed it will bring you to the fruition of eternitie Short and momentanie are the afflictions of this life yet supported with Patience and subdued with long sufferance they crowne the â—ufferer with glory endlesse Short likewise are the pleasures of this life which as they are of short continuance so bring they forth no other fruit than the bitter pils of repentance whereas in heaven there are pleasures for evermore comforts for evermore joyes for evermore no carnall but cordiall joy no laughter of the body but of the heart for though the righteous sorrow their sorrow ends when they end but joy shall come upon them without end O meditate of these in your beds and in your fields when you are journeying on the way and when you are sojourning in your houses where compare your Court-dalliance with these pleasures and you shall find all your rioting triumphs and revelling to be rather occasions of sorrowing than solacing mourning than rejoycing Bathe you in your Stoues or repose you in your Arbours these cannot allay the least pang of an afflicted conscience O then so live every day as you may die to sinne every day that as you are ennobled by your descent on earth you may be ennobled in heaven after your descent to earth Laus Deo Totum hoc ut à te venit totum ad te redeat A Gentleman IS a Man of himselfe without the addition of either Taylor Millener Seamster or Haberdasher Actions of goodnesse he holds his supreme happinesse The fate of a younger brother cannot depresse his thoughts below his elder He scornes basenesse more than want and holds Noblenesse his sole worth A Crest displayes his house but his owne actions expresse himselfe Hee scornes pride as a derogation to Gentry and walkes with so pure a soule as he makes uprightnesse the honour of his Familie He wonders at a profuse foole that he should spend when honest frugalitie bids him spare and no lesse at a miserable Crone who spares when reputation bids him spend Though heire of no great fortunes yet his extensive hand will not shew it Hee shapes his coat to his cloth and scornes as much to be beholden as to be a Gally-slave He hath beene youthfull but his maturer experience hath so ripened him as he hates to become either Gull or Cheat. His disposition is so generous as others happinesse cannot make him repine nor any occurrent save sinne make him repent He admires nothing more than a constant spirit derides nothing more than a recreant condition embraceth nothing with more intimacie than a prepared resolution Amongst men he hates no lesse to be uncivill than in his feare to God-ward to be servile Education hee holds a second Nature which such innate seeds of goodnesse are sowne in him ever improves him seldome or never depraves him Learning hee holds not only an additament but ornament to Gentry No complement gives more accomplishment He intends more the tillage of his minde than his ground yet suffers not that to grow wilde neither He walkes not in the clouds to his friend but to a stranger He eyes the Court with a vertuous and noble contemplation and dis-values him most whose sense consists in sent Hee viewes the City with a princely command of his affections No object can with-draw him from himselfe or so distract his desires as to covet ought unworthily or so intraunce his thoughts as to admire ought servilely He lives in the Countrey without thought of oppression makes every evening his dayes Ephemeris If his neighbours field flourish he doth not envy it if it lie fit for him he scornes to covet it There is not that place he sees nor that pleasure he enjoyes whereof he makes not some singular use to his owne good and Gods glory Vocation hee admits of walking in it with so generous and religious a care as hee makes Pietie his Practice acts of Charitie his Exercise and the benefit of others his sole solace Hee understands that neither health commeth from the clouds without seeking nor wealth from the clods without digging He recommends himselfe therefore in the morning to Gods protection and favour that all the day long hee may more prosperously succeed in his labour He holds idlenesse to be the very moth of mans time Day by day therefore hath he his taske imposed that the poison of idlenesse may be better avoided He holds as Gods opportunitie is mans extremitie so mans securitie is the Devils opportunitie Hoping therefore he feares fearing he takes heed and taking heed he becomes safe Hospitalitie he holds a relique of Gentry He harbours no passion but compassion He grieves no lesse at anothers losse than his owne nor joyes lesse in anothers successe than his owne peculiar Recreation he useth to refresh him but not surprize him Delights cannot divert him from a more serious occasion neither can any houre-beguiling pastime divide him from an higher contemplation For honest pleasures he is neither so Stoicall as wholly to contemne them nor so Epicureall as too sensually to affect them There is no delight on mountaine vale coppice or river whereof he makes not an usefull and contemplative pleasure Recreation he admits not to satisfie his sense but solace himselfe Hee fixeth his minde on some other subject when any pleasure begins too strongly to worke upon him He would take it but not be taken by it Hee attempers his attractivest pastimes with a little Alloes to weane him all the sooner from their sweetnesse He scornes that a moment of content should deprive him of an eternitie of comfort He corrects therefore his humour in the desire of pleasure that he may come off with more honour Acquaintance he entertaines with feare but retaines with fervour He consorts with none but where he presumes he may either better them or
be bettered by them Vertue is the sole motive of his choice Hee conceives how no true amitie nor constant societie can ever be amongst evill men He holds it a blemish to the repute of a Gentleman and an aspersion to his discretion to make choice of those for his Associates who make no more account of time than how to passe it over Conference he affects and those hee admits only into the list of his discourse whom he findes more reall than verball more solid than complementall He will try him before he rely on him but having found him touch they touch his honour that impeach him Moderation in his desires cares feares or in what this Theatre of Earth may afford he expresseth so nobly as neither love of whatsoever he enjoyes can so enthrall him nor the losse of what he loves can any way appall him A true and generous Moderation of his affections hath begot in him an absolute command and conquest of himselfe He smiles yet compassionately grieves at the immoderation of poore worldlings in their cares and griefes at the indiscretion of ambitious and voluptuous Flies in their desires and feares Perfection hee aspires to for no lower mound can confine him no inferiour bound impale him Vertue is the staire that raiseth to height of this Story His ascent is by degrees making Humilitie his directresse lest he should faile or fall in his progresse His wings are holy desires his feet heavenly motions He holds it the sweetest life to be every day better till length of dayes re-unite him to his Redeemer Hee hath plaid his part on this Stage of Earth with honour and now in his Exit makes heaven his harbour FINIS EMBLEME WIth a Climacterick yeere this Worke began Which is exprest when Sev'ns Nines doe meet Held fatall to this short-spun threed of man And with same number ends the finall sheet Of these Observances whereof I treat Threescore and three is held the dangerous yeere And just so many sheets shall you finde here But not a leafe to give a life to feare Vpon the Errata HOwsoever some no lesse justly than confidently might â—vouch quod plura non dantur vulnera miâ—â—tiâ—n praelio â—uam authori in prelo Yet must I ingeniously wipe off this aspersion from my judicious friend and Artist an ornament to his Profession Whose sâ—dulous care towards me and others hath already gain'd him a deserved esteeme and approvement of all Authors Truth is Gentlemen when you encounter with any Erroâ—s as they are individuates to all Labours you are to impute the Eâ—â—or to the absence of the Author Whose affaires in the Countrey tooke him from cares of the City Or to explaine himselfe more fully that he may come off fairely and possesse him of your opinion more freely He was call'd away from Laurence Iury by the impannel of a Northerne Iury and pressed to attendance by an Old Bayliffe of the Country when his occasion lay for the Presse in the old Bayly neere the City In a word had not a Nisi prius interposed these Errors by a Quest of in juiry had beene prevented It is your generous Candor to rectiâ—ie him with your pennes who solely for your sakes undertooke this paines ERRATA Vtilitas Erroris Humilitas Authoris PAg 12. lin 35. for Harparates read Harpocrates p. 20. l. 7. for stanes r. staines p. 29. this marginall distich omitted Est Venus in vinis vinis Venus illita venis Sint procul à mensis vina Venusque meis p. 35. l. 9. for as r. is p. 38. l. 6. for Comine r. Commes p. 64. l 23. for stare r. seaze p 112. marg for utilitas r. utilitatis p. 106. l. 10. A branch of Vocation undistinguished p. 149. l. 31. for enndagred r. endangered p. 157. l. 18. for Hawke r. hanke * which inverts sense p. 159. l. 17. for enevors r. endevours p. 166. l. 10. for smimming r. swimming p. 170. l. 33. for thrust r. tâ—ussd p. 236. l 16. * A branch of Acquaintance undistinguished p. 241. l. 23. * Another undistinguished p. 250. l. 26. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. ib. num for 295. r. 296. p. 321. l. 22. for wounded r. wounding p. 323. l. 18. for 80. r. 8. p. 324. l. 35. for estimate r. estimates p. 326. marg for Charibdis r. Charybdis p. 357. marg for felicie r. felicitie p 369. l. 12. for say r. saw p. 406. l. 2. for lesse r. Ishai p. 421. marg for percepit r. praecepit ¶ Sundry marginall notes you shall finde obscured which by your candor may be cleared Mancipia paueae lectionis cum sint ☞ For my Dedication instead of all unnecessary excuses of presumption I wil cloze briefly with this constant Resolution Though to your TITLE there be HONOVR due It is your SELFE that makes mee HONOVR you Observat. 1. The Dangers that attend on Youth Vnum est inslar belluae humiliari aliud est belluinos inores imitari * Vicina lâ—psibus adolesc â—â—a Hieron Omnia in hat aetole juvenescunt vitia Euseb. lib 3.17 Si ingratum dixâ—ris omnia dixeriâ— Min. Publianus Quisimus Quinam â—â—â—mus in Ephebio constituâ—um est Diog. Cyn. Lectum non citius relinquens quà m in Deum delinquens nâ—n citius surgens quà m insurgens The vanitie of Youth displâ—yed in foure distinct Subjects GATE Audacia pro 〈◊〉 habetur Salust in Bell. Catiâ— Dan. 4.27 29. 30. Seneca LOOKE Plutarch in vit Syll. August Gregor De tranq an Quo altior in divitiis eo copâ—ostor in vitiis Ber. de inter Dom. Mâ—â—am 1. SPEECH Sine loq â—â—la non potest slaâ—e societas Arâ—st Aug. de Magist. Psal. 141.3 Prou. 25.11 In vit Phoc. In lib. desecr secret Two reasons why Young men were not admitted to deliver their opinions in publike assemblies * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pic. Mâ—rand in epist. ad Hâ—râ—ol Neque locus neque amious quisquaÌ„ teget quem arma non texerint Salust in Bell. Iugurth Ferociam animi quam habebat vivus in vultu retinust Catilina Salust in Conjur Caâ—il Salust Law Logicke and the Swâ—tzers may be hired to fight for any one Blos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil. Virtus maxima in mole minima Eccles. 22.8 9. HABIT In vit Solon Horâ—t epist. l. 1. Ep. 18. * Vt in exequiis epuâ—sque celebrandis nâ—mioque apparatu corporis omnis inutilis sumptus prohibeatur Plutarch in vit Alcibiad Socrates Mihi mirabile fit quòd non enecentur cum tantum onus bajulent Clem. Alex. 2. Paedag. Hieron ad Fur. de vid. Serm. Tom. 1. Aug. de Christ. fide Tertull. de hab Mul. cap. 7. 1 Tim. 2.9 10. 1 Pet. 3.5 Prima est haec ulâ—io quod se Iudice neâ—o nocens absolvitur Iuv. Sat. 13. August in enar sup 45. Psal. Bernard de interdomo cap. 1. Anâ— Solâ—loq cap. 14 Sen. 〈◊〉 Lucil. Tuscul. quaest lib. 1. Aug. sup Psâ—â— 64. Prov. 5.5 Prov. 7.