thy comfort that thou shalt one day dye to wish thy selfe ever upon earth is to wish thy selfe ever out of heaven BE imploy'd onely in such waies as thou wouldst not blush to bee met in Thamar goes disguis'd when to play the harlot tell nothing of another which thou wouldest not have told him believe nothing of another which thou mayest not tell doe not construe seriously what is spoken but in jest and forbeare those jests which may bee construed to earnest heare no ill of a friend but reply and speake no ill though of an enemy IN thy house let thy entertainement be free not costly bid thy friends welcome to thy ability not beyond it never make one meale so as thou must bee faine to fetch it up out of many bee hospitable but provident thinke nothing too much for thy friends which is not too much for thy estate hospitality bids thy friends welcome and providence makes thee able to bid them welcome if hospitality bee the life of neighbourhood providence is the life of hospitality hee is not thy friend that expects more than thou art well able thou art not thine owne friend if thou doest lesse to live above thy meanes is folly to live too far below thy means is a disparagement doe all like thy selfe so as may neither weaken thy respect nor thy estate LOve not ill company lest thou learne the ill of the company it is hard not to be like the company thou keepest it is rare if we deny not Christ in Caiphas his house with Solomon it is hard having the Ethiopian without her Idols wee see people change their complexion with the Climate Vessels smell of the liquor they containe by ordinary communication in the wayes of sinners without a great deale of care you will communicate with their sinne With the froward thou wilt learne frowardnesse he that goes to the meetings of wicked men will come a wicked man out or to say the best worse than he went in for thy conversation let this be thy rule if thy company be better imitate them if worse convert them if equall and as thou art joyn with them FEed the poore often at thy dooro sometime at thy Table whatsoever thou givest to Christ in his members hee will one day give backe againe to thee in thy person it is but just if God deny thee thy daily bread if thou daily deny him the crums LEt it not trouble thee what is talk'd of thee when thou art absent more then what will be talk'd of thee when thou art dead an ill report doth not make thee an ill man be careful to do no nothing that deserves to bee ill spoken of let it not trouble thee to be ill spoken of undeservedly LEt thy prayers bee frequent thy wants are so and thy thanksgivings frequent thy blessings are so pray daily at home and if thou canst at Church God is every where but there hee hath promised to be misse not the confession and abosolution unlesse thou hast no sinnes to confesse or carest not to bee forgiven them THinke not the worse of the ordinances of God for the sinnes of the Preacher those that are ill themselves may yet be instruments of good to other s God hath promised his blessing to the thing not to the person the sacrifices of Elies sonnes were effectuall for the people it is not the peoples fault that the Preacher is wicked and as it is without their fault so it is without their prejudice it was our blessed Saviours of the Pharisees After their sayings doe ye we must follow their sayings whose deeds we may not thou mayest not refuse the word of God from any if they teach what they should though they doe not what they teach the wickednesse of the messenger doth not abate the power of the meanes as the intemperance and debauchednesse of the Physician doth not hinder the working of the Physick REmember often that thou art a Christian and do nothing that may disprove it be not a law to thy selfe but bee regulated by that which is a law to us all the Word of God study not how much to make thy life longer but better consider that the longer thou art here here the longer thou art from God let it be thy care rather to lead a good life than a long endeavour to thy ability to doe well and grieve that thou canst not doe better doe not wrong to others forgive the wrongs which others doe thee strive what thou canst to keep a good name but rather a good conscience if men mistake thee comfort thy selfe that God which shall reward thee doth not looke upon the necessities of others not as a stranger but a member as thou wouldest have God looke upon thine be good to all God is so but with a difference Especially to the houshold of faith cherish no sinne in thy selfe and countenance none in another acquaint thy selfe rather with the commandements of God than the decrees and conclude of thy salvation to thy selfe rather by a diligent observing of his revealed will than by searching into his secret will let not the changes of this World to preferment or want make thee either sond of thy life or weary of it be contented to live but bee desirous to die To bee dissolved and to bee with Christ And though thy body bee not yet in heaven let thy heart be there LEt thy first care bee to bee good thy selfe thy next care to make others so be not a Christian in shew only yet in every thing shew thy selfe a Christian doe nothing but what is good and speake nothing but what is truth hee is the best Christian that speakes well and doth as hee speakes He is the true and reall Christian whose Most holy words are seconded with deeds Who lives Religion over and well knowes Christianity consists not all in creeds Pinns not his life nor faith to others sleeve Beleeves what 's writ and lives as hee beleeves Slow to revenge a wrong not to forgive Whose goodnesse is not onely to the eye Thinks rather how to die than how to live And yet is dead to sin before he die And who lives here on earth and dies to sin When he is dead his life doth but begin Who doth not what he likes but what he may And asks what may I to not of himselfe But of Religion and the Scriptures say Who is his own rule runs upon a shelfe Who though he might he would not bee deboise Is good not of necessity but choice That makes not opportunity his bawd Occasion sometime doth invite a sin To may and will not is the Christians laud He 's guilty that is out and would be in But being tempted or but not withstood Not to be evill it a double good That can revenge a wrong but doth forbear it And to be slow to malice is not sloth Speaks only what is truth but will not sweare it Nor second every trisle with an oath That
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