since the goodnesse of these is not measured by what is done but by what minde we doe it with Cursed be hee that doth the worke of the Lord negligently there is that curse upon negligent doing which upon unwilling leaving of it undone is not there is little difference between not doing what thou shouldest and not doing it as thou shouldest to doe thy duty for shew onely or in shew onely is to doe thy duty and be still undutifull if that which thou doest be right if the minde with which thou doest it be not so all is wrong and thou forfeitest the acceptation of what was good by the ill performance TWo things do not trouble thy selfe to know other mens faults nor other mens estates the estate of thine owne soule and the amendment of thine owne faults let that be thy study not thinke any sinne lesse because it is hid remember that to him that shall judge theo it is open and that in the last day God will not measure his judgement by ours the day of judgement will condemne many a man whom wee have quitted DO not practice Religion in shew onely yet shew it in thy practice thinke no sin little nor no good which thou doest great it is from the acceptance of God that it is good at all hope for but not challenge a reward of thy well doing yet not for it selfe but for what Christ hath done measure thy self not by what others are but by what thou oughtest to be remember thy sinnes with griefe and thy goodnesse the one for that thou hast been so bad the other that thou canst be no better and though thou canst not attaine to perfection on earth yet aim at it LAbour not onely to know what thou should'st be that most men do but to be so nor at all to know what other men are thou shalt not answer for it be carefull if thou canst to make others better by thy good counsell or at least not to make them worse by thy example BE ever contented with thy present estate but if thou canst better it doe not corruptly thrust thy selfe into any place and being in do nothing that may thrust thee out make the execution of thy office a discharge of thy conscience not an improvement of thy estate and desire any place rather to do good then to grow rich give no bribes to procure an unjust thing nor take none to doe one and if thou art in the place of judicature remember thy office is to give sentence but not sell it DO not make any sinne lesse by custome for as men do at first lesse like sinne so with continuance they do lesse feele it as those that are accustomed to carry burdens are lesse sensible of the weight and if thou doest now the same things with more ease do not thinke that the sinne is more light but that thou art more hardned and thy case is so much more desperate by how want of sense is neerer to death than paine feeling is an argument of life thou art a dead member if thou hast lost thy feling but here 's the misery that thou hast lost thy feeling in regard of sin but not of punishment FIx thy desires upon such things as may not shame thee in the obtaining and compassethy desires by such meanes as may not shame thee to own though that which thou seekest for be good yet while the way by which thou seekest for it be evill thou shamest the end by the way and shamest thy selfe in the end THinke no sinne little and make it not great by iteration what is a mountaine of earth but an accumulation of many little dusts What is a floud but a concurrence of many little drops a little pricke being neglected may fester to a Gangreen by how much that in which thou sinnest is lesse by so much thy sinne is the greater that wouldest dishonour God for so little a thing THinke of death as a thing thou must meet with and of thy life as a thing thou must part with and not to love too well that life that keepes thee from a better nor at all to feare that death that leades thee to a better life this life is a journey and the World an uneasie horse that with much jolting and some falls brings you to your home and why art thou unwilling to alight love rather that passage that leades to eternall happinesse than that life which keepes thee from it and not without continuall misery STudy rather to make thy selfe fir for any imployment and place than to thinke thy selfe so and be preferred by thy desert not by purchase slip no lawfull meanes to doe thy selfe good and use no unlawfull hee which groweth great by buying doth likely continue that greatnesse by selling MEasure thy wealth by thy minde not by thy estate a contented minde is ever rich but measure thy expence by thy estate not by thy minde not what thou wouldest do but what thou art able to doe thinke not frugality a disparagement nor out-run thy self to keepe pace with others this is to procure that which thou fearest and least thou shouldest be thought meane to become so many times a slow pace performes that journey whilst galloping tires by the way LEt thy thoughts be such to thy selfe as thou art not ashamed to have God know them and thy words such to God as thou art not afraid to have men hear them and let thy whole life be such toward God and man as that thou neither dishonour God by thy ill life nor draw others to the same dishonour of him by thy ill example PLeasure not thy selfe by wronging others nor with the unjust Steward make thee friends with other mens monies lest while thou wouldest buy other friends thou sell God come to promotion if thou canst by friends not by money if thou deservest it not thou wrongest others if thou deserve it thou wrongest thy selfe THe goodness of the mind is witnessed in the outward actions the goodnesse of the outward actions is determined by the intention and minde inward goodnesse without outward showes of it is like a Tree without fruit uselesse and outward shewes of goodnesse without inward sincerity is like a Tree without heart livelesse that thou art good inwardly in thy heart is thine owne comfort that thou dost ontwardly professe this goodnesse in thy life is others benefit thou thy selfe art not the better for that good nesse which thou dost not make shew of others are not the better for that goodnesse of which thou makest no shew so inward sincerity is required in respect of God outward profession only in respect of men by the first thou art a true Christian by the other it doth appeare that thou art so NEither undertake much nor talke much and that to the purpose deliver thy minde rather in profitable language than curious by this happily thou wilt gaine more applause but by the other thou wilt doe more good and it is
worse to thinke thou art well enough wee measure crooked things by that which is straight not by that which is more crooked the rule of goodnesse is Gods Word not other mens deeds not to measure the straightnesse of thy life by the crookednesse of anothers hee that measures his beauty by anothers deformity may still be unhandsome enough if a Drunkard shall measure himselfe by some debauchednesse hee will seeme a sober man in the day of judgement God will not examine thee by what others were but by what thou wert commanded to be PLead not for licenciousness of life under liberty of conscience as if Christian liberty consisted in doing what they lift or that Christ hath so freed thee from the yoke of the Law as that thou art not still subject to the commandements not thinke that Christ was therefore obedient unto the death that thou shouldest be tyed to no obedience of any thing during life that the merits of our Redeemer hath obtain'd not that the Commandements of God should not stil be observed but that tho not sufficient observing of them should not be imputed MAke not other mens sinnes thine by imitating them nor thine other mens by teaching of them doe nothing in which thou wouldest not be followed follow nothing of which thou canst not well justifie the doing AFfect not too much businesse especially other mens yet to hate idlenesse to use recreations but not dwell in them to affect rather what is needfull than curious not to overdoe and in all these things to suffice nature not humor it BE slow in choosing a friend but slower in changing him when thou hast chosen bee courteous to all but inward only with a few thou maiest use that freedom to a friend which thou wilt not to every acquaintance thy acquaintance is but thy neighbour but thy friend is thy selfe SCorne no man for his meanness and humour no man for his wealth doe nothing to please any whereby thou shalt displease God never be drunk to please the company or think it uncivility to part sober or to cease to be a good Christian that thou maiest be thought a good companion BE displeased with nothing which God doth and as neere as thou canst doe nothing wherewith God is displeased doe all thou doest as in Gods presence and speake all as in his audience and let neither thy words nor actions be such as to which thou maiest willingly desire Gods absence or not desire his assistance IT is the goodnesse of God to us that is the cause of the love of God to us and it is the goodnesse of God in us that is the cause of the love of God in us confesse that the good which thou receivest is not for thine owne sake nor the good which thou doest is not by thine own power it is the mercy of God that mooves him to do for us that inables us to doe that which pleaseth him ACcount that good which is lawfull not which is profitable and endeavour rather to serve God then thine owne turne in all make these two the rule of thy selfe justice and godlinesse and thou shalt fulfill the duties of both Tables God and thy neighbour NOt repiningly to complain of thy sufferings of this life since it is partly in thy power to make them blessings and if to make them blessings be in thine own power then that they are otherwise it is thy owne fault God intends amendment in it if it doe not amend thee thou makest it a punishment not be LAbour to see thy own mortality in other mens deaths and thy owne frailty in other mens sinnes and since thou must shortly die bee afraid to sinne and so order thy sinnes as thou mayest not be afraid to die that thy sinnes doe not bring thee to a worse death and that this death may lead thee to a better life DOe what thou art commanded not what others doe make no mans example a rule not the best mans all may erre and be that in all things followes him that may erre will be sure in some things to fall into errour CAll to minde often what thou hast done and then compare with it what thou hast suffer'd and what thou hast received and when thou shalt finde that thou hast received more good than thou hast done and hast done more evill than thou hast suffered fear that there is lesse good behind for thee and more evill and therefore betake thee to repentance and a new life and by that thou mayest prevent the evill which thou hast deserved to suffer and procure to thy selfe though not deserved a reward of that good which thou hast done LEt it not trouble thee that some others have liv'd longer than thy selfe not the length of thy life but the goodnesse is the measure of thy happinesse if thou hast lived well thou hast lived long enough if thou hast not lived well thou hast lived too long NEver thinke it too soon to repent thou doest not know how soone thou mayest die and after death it it too late hee that puts off his amendment with hope of living loseth eternall life in a presumption of this INtend rather the effecting of a publike good than a particular for by intending only thy particular good thou mayest doe wrong to the publike whereas thou canst not effect a publike good without thine owne good in particular for what ever is beneficiall to the whole cannot be prejudiciall to the parts so then thou being a member of the whole in performing a generall good even by that thou art so farre good to thine owne particular as thou hast an interest in the generall whereas by seeking thy private good with the neglect of the publike thou doest both decline from the common nature of things and from the nature of goodnesse which is by so much the more good by bow much it is good to more and dost rather that which is good to thee then what is truly good in it selfe this is to make thine owne selfe and thy advantage the rule of goodness that thou should'st make goodnesse the rule of thy self and thy actions THinke that in death thou doest not lose a life but exchange one death is but a change and therefore not to feare a change that art every day so acquainted with changes every change is a kinde of death in as much as that which it changeth from doth die to what it was if the beasts and creatures themselves did not change from what they are how should wee bee fed Nay if their skinnes and cloathing did not change from its naturall use to them how could it be usefull to us if the Sunne his selfe did not change his place if the Yeare and the parts of the Yeare did not change how should we either have life or necessaries thou then that doest thus subsist by changes why doest thou feare a change especially considering that other things being ever altering in themselves doe yet ever continue
when it crosseth thine cheerfully to passe over crosses yet to take notice of them to be patient but not without sense to be sorrowfull but not without hope not to grow great by corruption nor to grow proud with greatnesse nor to grow strange to others in a high estate or thinke God so to thee or you so to him in a meane not to ebbe and flow with thy condition and bee either supercilious or dejected to take the changes of this World without any great change of thy selfe he that is contented ever with what he is makes himselfe happy without a fortune THinke of death as a thing certaine it may be at hand that Physicians dye that Kings in this are Subjects some like crude fruit are pluckt off by casualty others like over-ripe drop off with age old and young there are graves of all sizes to endeavour therefore rather to procure eternall life than to prolong this and use meanes rather to sweeten death then to deferre it LEarne not to thinke of the things of this world as of things of continuance and to use the things of this World not as an owner but a Stward so thou wilt be neither loth to leave them nor afraid to account for them DOe curtesies to thy friend not with hope to receive greater and receive curtesies of thy friend as if thou hadst done none think of requiting the good which thou receivest though thou deservest it expect no requitall of that good which thou doest though undeserved lest failing of what thou expectest thou repent of what thou hast done and so losest the praise of thy goodness by looking after the reward of it COmmend no man to his face and censure no man behind his back if thou knowest any good thing of him tell it others if any ill or vice tell it himselfe so by telling others of his good parts thou wilt procure for him a good opinion and by telling him and admonishing him of his faults thou wilt make him deserve that good opinion ABstaine not onely from ill but from the appearance of it lest thou heare ill underservedly or doe ill unawares LEt thy discourse be neither light nor unseasonable such as may call either thy goodnesse in question or thy judgement if thou canst not speake well say nothing so it others be not bettered by thy silence yet they shall not bee made worse by thy discourse THinke meanely of thine owne sufficiency though others thinke not so look much upon thy defects and little upon upon thy good parts and thinke that thou art short not only of what thou oughtest but of others that that which thou knowest is nothing to that of which thou art ignorant and therefore to labor rather truly to know thy selfe than to make those small parts superficially known to others SCorne not to be better'd by the good example of others and be carefull not to make others worse with thine do nothing in which thou would ' st not be imitated and imitate nothing which thou knowest is not fit to be done it is a fault to doe what thou shouldst not it is none to learne what thou shouldst doe of any THinke in the morning what thou hast to doe this day and at night what thou hast done and do nothing upon which thou maist not boldly aske Gods blessing nor as neere as thou canst nothing for which thou shalt need to ask his pardon let thy first care be not to do ill thy next care to repent of it account often with thy selfe thy last account will be the lesse bee not afraid to looke upon thy score but be afraid to encrease it to despaire because thou art sinfull is to be worse because thou hast been so bad Be thy life like his that must Account and hath it but in trust Let the actions of thy youth Answer not the times but truth Let thy words by modest few Thy opinions firme not new Thy mirth plausible not vain Not abusive not profane Live not onely to the eie Sin is sin though none be by Witnesses do onely prove Not make guilty and true love Of vertue more esteemes in ought So to be then to be thought 'T is weaknesse to eschew the scarre Nâ—t the ulcer and preferre Esteeme to truth deeds must be Such as God approves not wee Be in private what you seem In publike view and not deem All things lawfull that are hid Not what 's seen but what 's forbid is unjust And onely what we may we must BE not wicked with advantage nor be drawne to do a gainefull sinne not thinke that godly which is gainefull but thinke that gaine enough which is with godlinesse hee that makes his commodity the measure of his actions for a morsell of bread that man will transgresse EVer learne to be contented with what thou hast in as much as there is nothing which by the appointment of God doth not happen unto thee and to dislike what God doth is to doe what God dislikes and make that a sinne which was before but a punishment and as it might have been used a blessing to finde fault with God is to make a fault in our selves that which God doth may be harsh it cannot be unjust or if that state which thou hast be bad yet that which thou hopest for is better THinke not well of thy selfe though others thinke so yet give no occasion to any to thinke otherwise and give the glory of both to God both of thy good parts and their good opinion EVery morning take leave of the things of this world as thingking thou mayst part with them before night and every night to examine the imployment of that day as thinking thou mayst account for it before morning hee that is providing for his going will lesse increase his account by tarrying we doe not commend his providence that hath his furniture to buy when hee should take horse MAke not a neighbours fault greater to men then it is nor thine owne lesse to God to excuse thine owne sinne is to double it detractingly to aggravate anothers fault is to make it thine own BUfie not thy selfe in searching into other mens lives the errours of thine owne are more then thou canst answer for it more concernes thee to mend one fault in thy selfe than to finde out a thousand in others BEE carefull not to fall into sinne being fallen not to lie in it being surprised not to stand in it confession is some part of satisfaction by denying a little sinne thou makest it great by truly confessing a great sinne to God thou makest it none IF thou hast lived long think thou hast the longer account thinke thou hast had the longer time to provide for thy account and therefore hast the greater sinne if unprovided where God fort eares a great while he expects a greater increase as where men give long day they expect larger payment PErforme not the things of Religion either out of vaine glory or custome
tou art dead LOve nothing in this world too well no not thy selfe thinke of the pleasures of this World either as sinnes or occasions of it and the other more necessary things of it though they have thy presence let them not have thy heart and use them rather because thou wantest them than because thou likest them and so provide that thy death may be the beginning of thy happinesse not the end of it Ever suspect ever feare For to be too happy here Left in heaven thou have lesse If any for this happinesse Seldome haue I known To have Heavens more then one All the pleasures of this life They are usefull but a knife I may warme me by their fire But take heed of comming nigher Yet in this is danger still He that warmes is after chill Oh JEHOVAH but with thee Is there true felicity All this sublunary treasure Yeeld but counterfeit of pleasure Silken cares Kings of clouts Full of torments feares and doubts Trifles dangers baited books Sha dowes onely shape and looks Of what we call worse than naughts Snares temptation if not faults Whether it be birth or place Beauty and the pride of face Honour wealth or higher yet That they call a favourite Like a shadow on the Sun Have their being and are done From anothers like or frown So they rise and so go down They are got and kept with feares And are parted with with teares And accounted for with borror And then Dives is the poorer When the finall day shall come A dreadfull day indeed to some And we answer for their use Then to want them we would choose So then much of these to aske Is to beg thy seâ—f a taske A beggery for thus to be Is the greatest poverty All thou hast is on the score What is that but to be poore Adde to this it doth not last And happinesse is torment pass't It may be present so thy host Is but may be at the most In Heaven onely is there blisse That ever shall be ever is Worldly laughter is not mirth Born and buried in the birth Where O God there wants thy grace Mirth is only in the face O God thou art only thou To morrow yesterday and now To thee my self my time I give All that I have all that I live DEliberately to move to any businesse is proper to man headily to be carried by desired is common to beasts in civill actions be led by thy reason not by thy appetite in divine action by Religion and doe nothing that may forfeit either thy reason or thy honesty measure the goodnesse of things by their lawfulnesse not by their profit nor be drawne to doe ill for advantage not intend thy particular good with the forfeiture of the genreall IN religion publish nothing which thou datest not stand to nor libell against the truth if thou think it is not the truth why doest thou publish it if thou thinkest it is the truth why art thou ashamed of it such are between two rocks either of which splits them for either they sinne in publishing that which is a lye or else having published it they sin in being asham'd or afraid to stand to it which they think is the truth true Gold flies not the Touchstone a good mans actions are such as hee feares not to be discovered it is a signe their workes are ill when they dare not own them Oderunt lucem is our Saviours note of such if it be the truth they ought not onely in some case to owne it but to die in it if it be a lye they ought not to live in it much lesse to give it life every lye is a sinne but to print a lie is to justifie a sinne and in Religion to print a lie for truth is to father a lie upon God a good man will publish nothing in God's name to which he dares not set his own MEasure not thy selfe by what men say of thee they may mistake thee it is their sinne not thine if others slander thee to bee ill spoken of and undeser vedly is neither thy fault nor alone thy case Christ himselfe was thought a Wine bibber and Saint Paul mad if ill tongues could make men ill good men were in ill taking never regard what any can say against thee but thine owne conscience though all the World condemne thee while God and thy selfe doe not thou art innocent enough the wickednesse of ill tongues doth but dirt themselves the mire that is cast upon thee is not thine care not to have ill men speake well of thee it may be if thou wert worse thou wouldeft hear better Parcit cognatis maculis similis fera the Devill doth not accuse his owne if thou wert one if them they would speake more favourably bee carefull to bee cleane to God what ever thou art to the world and bee slow in soyling and blacking others if they are not so cleane as thou could'st wish their foulnesse bee to themselves let them bee never the fouler for thy mouth they that are forward in censuring and accusing others are usually such themselves TO all thy promises need no other bond but thy word nor no other witnesse but God be carefull never to promise any thing of which thou shalt wish to be forgiven the performance nor plead either want of ability or testimony an honest man doth not promise more than he meanes nor a wise man more than hee is able BE not a servant to those things which thou shouldest command thy mony thy body and thy appetite or thy sensitive part but use thy estate to serve thy body and thy occasions and thy body to be subservient to thy soule and thy soule to serve God thus while either of these serve in their proper office God is serv'd in all if thou art commanded by the first of these thou art neither thine owne Master nor fit to be God's servant REsolve nothing but upon good ground nor alter thy resolution but upon good reason not inconstantly to waver nor obstinately to persevere in things to heare others judgements besides thine own and if right to submit to them not to thinke it a disparagement that there are wifer than thy selfe to thinke it a fault rather to stand in an errour than to fall into one not choose to defend a lie rather than descend to yeeld to others it that which is the truth to maintaine an opinion because it is thine not because it is true is to maintaine thy selfe not the truth and to prefer thy selfe to the truth SO farre intend thy profit as that thou still subject it to your religion not make thy commodity the sterne of the conscience he was not the best Disciple that had the bag so procure or continue to thy self a place upon earth as that thou lose not thy place in heaven LEarne not to examine thy selfe by what thou art not as the Pharisee not like other men and while some others are
alterable whereas wee changing but once and for the better shall ever after remaine immutable so that to bee loath to change is to contradict what thou dost to feare a change and yet love a life that is full of changes IF God hath made thee handsome let not that make thee proud beauty is an ornament doe not thou make it a snare why shouldest thou have cause to wish that thou hadst been ill favoured shew nothing naked of thy selfe to others but thy face and that onely that thou mayest bee knowne not seen be courteous to all but not familiar stay not to heare thy handsomnesse prais'd much lesse to praise it thinke no time so ill spent about thy selfe as in dressing nor no money as in fashions yet in neither bee ridiculous allow for both acknowledge no beauty in thy selfe but of the minde nor strive for none if God have made thee beautifull in others eyes let it be thy care to make thy selse so in his beauty without grace is the greatest deformity IN Gods house and businesse forget thine owne be there as a member of the Church not of the Common-wealth empty thy selfe of this world thou art conversant in the next let all thy senses have no other object but God let thy eares be open but thy eyes shut if anothers beauty draw thy eyes from God that beauty is become thy deformity and hath turn'd God's eyes from thee LOve no woman but a wife and use no familiarity with her but in publike thou knowest not whither it may grow many have thought no hurt in the beginning of those things that after have proceeded to impiety and in all thy behaviour examine not what thou doest but with what minde thou doest it else that which happily in it selfe was indifferent is to thee unlawfull to a good mind all company is safe and all familiarity is safe 'T is the mind that makes a fault Else such things would not be naught He that can and is no lyâ—… Sport and talke without a fire Can be courteous can be kind And not kindle in his mind And can touch a womans skin As his own not stir within Doth salute without delight And more would not if he might Nor scarce that whom thus to bill Manners treacheth not his will Nor with hand nor lip nor eye Doth commit aduliery But see and salute each other Woman as he doth his mother As the Nurses harmelesse kisse To her child is such is his Without pleasure without taste With a minde a thought as chaste As Turtle till thy minde be such Do nor look nor sport nor touch Or at least till this thou can Sport and talk and play with man Not with woman for â—f fair Thou wilt findk or make a snare Nay although thy minde be such Do not toy nor sport nor touch For although thy thoughts be good Yet thoughts are not understood But by actions so therein May be scandall if not sin Who exactnesse will fulfill Must forbeare things seeming ill Not that are but might have been Or that may be construed sin Men judge thee ill or innocent By what 's seen not what is meant Then untill all mindes be such Think a look a smile to much LOve thy neighbour as thy selfe in the kinde unfainedly but love thy friend as thy selfe in the degree doe as much as thou canst but love more then thou canst doe hee that doth but little for his friend because his ability is so loves more than hee which doth much but lesse than he is able REvenge no injury though thou canst and requite every courtesie if thou canst yet shew that thou art willing to requite a courtesie where thou art able and shew that thou art able to revenge a wrong if thou canst though thou art not willing so by shewing that thou couldst revenge this thou wilt happily prevent another and by not revenging it thou wilt prove thy selfe better then thou shewst for to revenge a wrong done is to doe a wrong to God so thou wilt be guilty of doing that which thou complainest of and therefore unjustly complainest of that which thou thy selfe doest LEt thy conceit of thy selfe be low but thy desires high even as high as heaven thinke thy selfe not worthy of the least good yet by the grace of God capable of the greatest thinke often upon Christs death it will sweeten thine and account it his he accounts it so he died not for himself but for thee and if thou live not to thy selfe but to him then he lives not for himselfe neither but for thee to make thee partaker of eternall life which already thou hast in the certainty though not in the fruition and believest all this and more very humbly but very confidently THat thou mayest avoid sin avoid the occasion of it as he that complaines of heate removes farther from the fire omit no opportunity of doing good and doe no evill though thou hast opportunity it is a greater commendations of thy goodnesse that thou mightest and wouldst not MEditate often upon thy death thou wilt like it the better and often upon the next life thou wilt like this the worse thinke of this World as a thing in trust and provide to discharge it account nothing thine owne but as being shortly to give an account of it to the right owner BE not angry without cause be merry without offence admit a seasonable anger and shunne an unseasonable jest be moderate in both doe not forget thy selfe in thy anger nor thy friend in thy mirth by the one thou wilt be burthensome to thy selfe by the other to the company LOve the body but subordinate to the soule the Tenant is more noble than the house the most beautifull body is but a body of earth and the jewels which adorne it are but stones in the earth and the gold and silver which it prides in are veines in this earth the cloaths which thou wearest were the cloathing of some beast or the labour of some Worme or at the best of a man like thy selfe thinke then with what vile things thou art made fine which yet doe but make thee so in the esteeme of others not truly so in thy selfe and doe but hide those parts which thou art ashamed to shew not adorne that inner part which doth truly shew thee therefore to bee so much a Christian to preferre that part which thou hast common with Christ in respect of his humane nature thy reasonable soule or so much a man not to prefer that part which thou hast common with the beast an earthly body IF thou art a Master let thy family beaw'd rather by thy example then thy word bee angry for small faults it will prevent greater commend and encourage those that doe well they will doe better commendations of former goodness is a provocation to more THinke upon this life as a current ever running doe not hope to live long but be assur'd not to live still and account it