Lives of these Creatures for the Food of Man by THY express Commission yet I still do and ever did think that there was a Justice due from Man even to these Sensible Creatures that he 〈…〉 them Sparingly for Necessity and not for 〈…〉 or if for Delight yet not for Luxury 〈…〉 apt to think That if there were any 〈…〉 use of Creatures for Delight or 〈…〉 be of Fruits or such other Delicacies 〈…〉 be had without the loss of Life But howâ—…r it be this very Consideration hath made me very Sparing and Careful not Vainly or Superfluously or Unnecessarily or Prodigally to take away the Life of THY Creatures for Feasting and Excess And the very same Consideration hath always gone a long with me in reference to the Labour of THY Creatures I have ever thought that there was a certain degree of Justice due from Man to the Creatures as from Man to Man and that an excessive immoderate unseasonable Use of the Creatures Labour is an Injustice for which he must Accompt To deny Domestical Creatures their convenient Food to exact that Labour from them that they are not able to perform to use Extremity or Cruelty towards them is a breach of that Trust under which the Dominion of the Creatures was committed to us and a breach of that Justice that is due from Men to them and therefore I have always esteemed it as part of my Duty and it hath been always my Practice to be Merciful to my Beasts and upon the same Account I have ever esteemed it a breach of Trust and have accordingly declined any Cruelty to any of THY Creatures and as much as I might prevented it in others as a Tyranny inconsistent with the Trust and Stewardship that THOU hast committed to me I have abhorred those Sports that consist in the Torturing of the Creatures and if either Noxious Creatures must be Destroyed or Creatures for Food must be Taken it hath been my Practice to do it in that manner that may be with the least Torture or Cruelty to the Creature and I have still thought it an Unlawful thing to Destroy those Creatures for Recreation-sake that either were not Hurtful when they Lived or are not Profitable when they are Killed ever remembering that tho THOU hast given us a Dominion over THY Creatures yet it is under a Law of Justice Prudence and Moderation otherwise we should become Tyrants not Lords over THY Creatures and therefore those things of this nature that others have practised as Recreations I have avoided as Sins Touching my Body My Body which was given to Serve and Obey became the Empress and Commanded and Corrupted my Soul Embased and Enslav'd It to Lust and Disorder and my Soul which was given to Rule became but the Slave of my Body I Consider'd That if the business was thus carried my Happiness must be only in this Life and that when Death seiz'd upon me I had an Immortal Soul that had lost Her time wholly in this World and therefore could expect nothing but Vexation and Everlasting Confusion to all Eternity c. Upon these and the like Considerations I Resolved and Practic'd Severity over my Body and refused to Gratify her Intemperate Desires Deny'd them kept them in Awe and under Dissipline and because I found that my Lusts grew Unruly 〈…〉 and Curiossity of Meats and Drinks 〈…〉 them by Moderate Dyet and Temperance My Table was Sparing to my Self 〈…〉 Plain my Retinue and Attendance 〈◊〉 Necessary I chased away my Lusts with the Conâ—…plations of the Presence of GOD the End of CHRIST's Sufferings the Certainty yet Unceâ—…ty of Death the State after Death and mingled all my Enjoyments and Desires with these serious and cleansing Considerations and I Peremptorily refused to gratify the cravings of an Inordinate Sensual Appetite and did resolutely let them know they should not might not expect any better dealing from me and my Practice was accordingly Concerning my Wealth The more I had the more was my Care and the greater the Charge that I had under my Hands and the more was my Solicitude to be a Faithful Steward of it to the Honour and Use of my MASTER but my part was the least that was in it Indeed I rejoyced in this that my MASTER esteemed me Faithful committing the Dispensation thereof to my Trust but I thought it no more mine than the Lords Baily or the Merchants Cash-keeper thinks his Masters Rents or Mony his And therefore thought it would be a breach of my Trust to Consume or Embezil that Wealth in Excessive Superfluities of Meat Drink or Apparel or in advancing my Self or my Posterity to a massy or huge Acquest Touching my Reputation Tho' I have loved my Reputation and have been vigilant not to lose or impair it by my own Default or Neglect yet I have looked upon it as a brittle thing a thing that the Devil aims to hit in a special manner a thing that is much in the Power of a False Report a Mistake a Mis-apprehension to wound and hurt Notwithstanding all my Care I am at the Mercy of Others without GOD's wonderful over-ruling Providence And as my Reputation is the esteem that Others have of me so that Esteem may be Blemished without my Default I have therefore always taken this care not to set my Heart upon my Reputation I will use all Fidelity and Honesty and take care it shall not be lost by any Default of mine and if notwithstanding all this my Reputation be soiled by Evil or Envious Men or Angels I will patiently bear it and content my Self with the Serenity of my own Conscience Hic murus ahenius esto The aforesaid Author in His Book Of the Nature of True Religion c. p. 17. c. TRue Religion Teaches and Tutors the Soul to a high Reverence and Veneration of Almighty GOD a Sincere and Upright Walking as in the Presence of the Invisible All-Seeing GOD It makes a Man truly to Love to Honour to Obey HIM and therefore careful to know what HIS Will is It renders the Heart highly Thankful to HIM both as his Creator Redeemer and Benefactor It makes a Man intirely to 〈…〉 on HIM to seek to HIM for Guidance 〈…〉 and Protection to Submit to 〈…〉 with all Patience and Resignation of Soul 〈◊〉 gives the Law not only to his Words and Actâ—…s but to his very Thoughts and Purposes 〈…〉 dares not entertain Thoughts unbecoming 〈…〉 Sight and Presence of that GOD to Whom all our Thoughts are Legible It teacheth and bringeth a Man to such a deportment both of External and Internal Sobriety as may be Decent in the Presence of GOD and all HIS Holy Angels It crusheth and casts down all Pride and Haughtiness both in a Mans Heart and Carriage and gives him an Humble Frame of Soul and Life both in the sight of GOD and Men It Regulates and Governs the Passions of the Mind and brings them into due Moderation and Frame It gives a
SOME Necessary and Importaâ—… CONSIDERATIOâ—S TO BE Consider'd of by all sorts of People Taken out of That late Worthy and Renowned Judge Sir MATTHEW HALE's WRITINGS And therein His own Experience of the Inward and Invisible Guidance of the Spirit of GOD. The Righteous shall be had in Everlasting Remembrance Psal CXII 6. The Ninth Edition LONDON Printed by John How in Ram-Head-Inn-Yard in Fenchurch-street 1697. And are Freely given away by I. P. Mr. Baxter's Character of Judge Hale SIR Matthew Hale That Vnwearied Student That Prudent Man That Solid Philosopher That Famous Lawyer That PILLAR and BASIS of JUSTICE who would not have done an Vnjust Act for any Worldly Price or Motive That Godly Serious Practical Christian The Lover of Goodness and all Good Men. That great Contemner of the Riches Pomp and Vanity of the World Who while He fled from the Honour that persu'd Him was yet made Lord Chief Justice of the Kings-Bench after His being long Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer Living and Dying with the most Vniversal Love and Honour and Praise that ever did any English Subject in this Age or any that just History doth acquaint us with c. JUdge Hale was a Person well Known yet Unknown a Publick yet Hidden Man which State was and is as yet known but to few He that Reads this Little Book in a Serious and Weighty Mind may as in a Glass plainly see how it is betwixt GOD and his own Soul What Man is he that Feareth the LORD Him shall HE Teach in the way that HE shall chuse Psal 25.12 SOME Necessary and Important CONSIDERATIONS 〈◊〉 The following is taken out of The Great Audit With the Account of The Good Steward As Touching my Conscience I Have been very diligent to keep my Conscience Clean to Incourage It in the Vicegerency that THOU the great LORD of the World hast given It over my Soul and Actions I have kept It in the Throne and greatest Reverence and Authority in my Heart In Actions to be Done or Omitted I have always Advised with It and taken Its Advise I have neither Stifled nor Forced nor Bribed It but gave It a free Liberty to Advise and Speak out and a free Subjection of my Will Purposes and Actions to It. If through Importunity of Temptations c. I have at any time done Amiss I have not taken Her up short or stopped Her Mouth or my own Attention to Her Chiding and Reproof but I have with much Submission of Mind born Her Chastisement and improved it to an Humbling of my self before THEE for my Failings for I looked upon Her as Acting by THY Authority for THY Service and to THY Glory and I durst not Discourage Discountenance or Disobey Her When She was Pleased and gave me Good Words I was Glad for I esteemed Her as a Glass that represented to my Soul the Favour or Displeasure of GOD Himself and how HE stood affected towards me I have more Trembled under the Fear of a Seared or Discouraged Conscience than under the Fear of a Sharp or Scrupulous Conscience because I always accounted the Latter tho' more Troublesome yet more Safe I have been very jealous either of Wounding or Grieving or Discouraging or Deadning my Conscience I have therefore chosen rather to forbear that which seemed but Indifferent lest there should be some-what in it that might be Unlawful and would rather Gratifie my Conscience with being too Scrupulous than Displease Disquiet or Flat It by being too Venturous I have still chosen rather to Forbear what might be Probably Lawful than to Do that which might be Possibly Unlawful because I could not Err in the Former I might in the Latter I have been careful to advise Impartially with my Conscience before my Actions But lest I had commited any thing Amiss either in the Nature or Manner of the Action I commonly every Night brought my Actions of the Day past before the Judicatory of my Conscience and left Her to a Free and Impartial Censure of them and what She Sentenced Well Done I with 〈…〉 returned the Praise thereof to THY 〈…〉 She Sentenced Done Amiss I did humbly 〈…〉 THEE for Pardon and for Grace to 〈…〉 from the like Miscarriages By this 〈…〉 my Conscience Active Renewed and 〈…〉 my Peace with THEE and learned Vigâ—…ce and Caution for the Time to come Touching THY Creatures I have not only looked upon THY Blessings and Bounty in Lending me THY own Creatures for my Use but I have sought unto THEE for a Blessing upon them in my Use of them I did very well observe That there is by my Sin a Curse in the very Creatures that I receive unless THY Blessing fetch it out an Emptiness in them unless THY Goodness fill them Tho' THOU shouldest give me Quails and Manna from Heaven yet without THY Blessing upon them they would become Rottenness and Putrifaction to me and therefore I ever begg'd THY Blessing upon THY Blessings as well as the Blessings themselves and attributed the Good I Found or was to Expect in them to the Same HAND that Gave them I received and used THY Creatures as committed to me under a Trust and as a Steward and Accomptant for them and therefore I was always careful to use them according to those Limits and in order for those Ends for which THOU didst commit them to me 1 st With Temperance and Moderation I did not use THY Creatures to Luxury and Excess to make Provision for my Lusts with vain Glory or Ostentation but for the convenient Support of the Exigencies of my Natuâ—e and Condition and if at any time THY Goodness did indulge me an Use of them for Delight as well as Necessity I did it but Rarely and Watchfully I looked not upon the Wine when it gave its colour in the Cup nor gave my self over either to Excess or Curiosity in Meats or Drinks I checked my Self therein as being in THY Presence and still remembred I had THY Creatures under an Accompt and was ever careful to avoid Excess or Intemperance because every Excessive Cup and Meal was in danger to leave me some-what in Super and Arear to my LORD 2 dly With Mercy and Compassion to the Creatures themselves which THOU hast put under my Power and Disposal When I considered the Admirable Powers of Life and Sense which I saw in the Birds and Beasts and that all the Men in the World could not give the like Being to any thing nor restore that Life and Sense which is once Taken from them When I considered how Innocently and Harmlesly the Fowls and Fish and Sheep and Oxen take their Food that THOU the LORD of All hast given them I have been apt to think that surely THOU didst intend a more Innocent kind of Food to Man than such as must be taken with such Detriment to those Living parts of THY Creation and although THY wonderful Goodness hath so much Indulged to Man-kind as to give up the
Man a right estimate of this present World and sets the Heart and Hopes above it so that he never Loves it more than it deserves It makes the Wealth and the Glory of this World high Places and great Preferments but of a low and little valew to Him so that He is neither Covetous nor Ambitious nor over Solicitous concerning the Advantages of it It brings a Man to that Frame that Righteousness Justice Honesty and Fidelity is as it were part of His Nature He can sooner Dye than Commit or Purpose that which is Unjust Dishonest or Unworthy a Good Man It makes Him value the Love of GOD and Peace of Conscience above all the Wealth and Honour in the World and to be very vigilant to keep it inviolably He performs all his Duties to GOD in Sincerity and Integrity and whilst he Lives on Eaâ—th yet his Conversation his Hopes his Treasure is in Heaven and he intirely endeavours to Walk sutably to such a Hope This Man hatâ— the Life of Religion in him and that Life Acts in him and will conform his Soul to the Image of his SAVIOUR and to Walk along with HIM to all Eternity Knowledge of GOD p. 286 287. GOD hath given to the Sons of Men in respect of Sensual Things Objects not only for Necessity but Delight But here is their Misery as well as their Sin That they rest not in what GOD Lawfully allows And hence it is that the GOD of Mercy Curses and that most Justly HIS own Blessings unto that Man that thus Perverts the Use of them Wine Rejoyceth the Heart of Man as it was given for that end but when a Man in the Use of it looks no higher but to Satiate himself there is a Sting put into it and it proves a Serpent Pro. 23. 32. Touching the Conscience * Knowledge of GOD. p. 269. COnscience is GOD's Vicegerent in Man and when Her LORD is Angry the Conscience will Chide It is a Glass wherein a Man may by Reflection see the Face of Heaven and of his own Soul If thy Conscience blame thee tho' never so little Dispise It not nor Neglect this Secret Check it is a Message from Heaven that Summoâ—… 〈…〉 to thy Duty p. 372. Certainly the sense of the Love of 〈…〉 Not at all or not Awake when any 〈…〉 commits the least Sin againâ—… 〈◊〉 â—onscience p. 297. The Direction of Conscience 〈…〉 well us'd is seldom without the Immediat Direction of the very Spirit of GOD but if the Guidance of that Spirit be Neglected it will not Return to thy Assistance when thou Pleasest p. 369. Contemp. p. 373. There is nothing in the World conduceth more to the Composure and Tranquillity of the Mind than the Serenity and Clearness of the Conscience keep but That Safe and Untainted the Mind will enjoy a Calm and Tranquillity in the midst of all the Storms of the World And although the Waves beat and the Sea works and the Winds blow the Mind that hath a Quiet and Clear Conscience within will be as Stable and as Safe from Perturbation as a Rock in the midst of a Tempestuous Sea and will be a Goshen to and within it self when the rest of the World without is like an Aegypt for Plagues and Darkness Whatever thou dost Hazard or Lose keep the Integrity of thy Conscience both before Troubles come and under them it is a Jewel will make thee Rich in the midst of Poverty a Sun that will give thee Light in the midst of Darkness a Fortress that will keep thee Safe in the greatest Danger and that is never to be taken from thee unless thou thy self Betray it and Deliver it up Judge Hale's Experience of the Inward and Invisible Guidance of the Spirit of GOD. THOSE that truly fear GOD have a Secret Guidance 〈◊〉 a higher Wisdom than what is barely Humane namely The Spirit of Truth and Wisdom that doth Really and Truly but Secretly Prevent and Direct them Any Man that Sincerely and Truly Fears Almighty GOD relies upon HIM calls upon HIM for HIS Guidance and Direction hath it as Really as a Son hath the Counsel and Direction of his Father And tho' the Voice be not Audible nor the Direction always Perceptible or Discernable to Sense yet it is equally as Real as if a Man heard the Voice saying This is the Way walk in it And this secret Direction of Almighty GOD is Principally seen in matters relating to the Good of the Soul yet it may also be found in the Concerns of this Life which a good Man that fears GOD and begs HIS Direction shall very often if not at all times find Contemp. p. 45. I can call my own Experience to witness That even in the External Actions of my whole Life I was never disappointed of the best Guidance and Direction when I have in Humility and Sincerity implored the Secret Direction and Guidance of the Divine Wisdom p. 323. Knowledge of GOD c. pag. 331. 378. 391. The Observation of the Secret Admonition of the Spirit of GOD in the Heart as It is an Effectual Means so It is a Calm and Comfortable Means to Cleanse and Sanctify thy Heart and the more It is attended unto the more 〈…〉 Conversant with thy Soul for thy 〈…〉 In the midst of thy Difficulties It 〈…〉 Counsellour In the midst of thy 〈…〉 It will be thy Strength and a Grace 〈…〉 for thee In the midst of thy Troubles 〈…〉 thy Light and thy Comforter Only 〈…〉 thou neglect not the Voice of This Spirit 〈◊〉 â—aybe thy Neglect may Quench It and thou maist never hear that Voice more It is impossible for thee to Enjoy That which must make thee Happy till thou art deeply sensible of thy own Emptiness and Nothingness and thy Spirit thereby brought down and laid in the Dust The Spirit of CHRIST is an Humbling Spirit the more thou hast of It the more It will Humble thee and it is a Sign that either thou hast It not or that It is yet over-master'd by thy Corruptions if thy Heart be still Haughty Watch therefore the Secret Perswasions and Diswasions of the Spirit of GOD and beware thou Quench It not nor Grieve It be sure thou Observe This Voice This Wind that blows where It lists if Shut out Resisted or Grieved may haply never Breath upon thee again but leave thee to be Hardned in thy Sins But if Observed and Obeyed thou shalt be sure to have It thy Monitor and Director upon all Occasions When thou Goest It will Lead thee when thou Sleepest It will Keep thee and when thou Awakest It will Talk with thee These are Faithful Weighty and True Sayings Happy are those that Witness them so to be This Little Tract is a Treasure worth keeping and to be often Perus'd by People of all Perswasions For We must all come to Judgment To give an Account of our TALENTS and STEWARDSHIP