Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A86479
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A letter from Sr Matthew Hale, Kt. sometime Lord Chief Justice of England: to one of his sons, after his recovery from the small-pox
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Hale, Matthew, Sir, 1609-1676.
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1684
(1684)
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Wing H247A; ESTC R228016
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15,415
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40
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year If young men would but have the patience to consider and ask themselves Questions of the like nature it would make them Considerate in their Expences and provident for the future and these Considerations will in a special manner concern you in respect of your Fathers great Expences for you which though I have forgiven and forgotten I would have you remember with Gratitude and Caution 14. The vanity of Young-men in loving fine Cloaths and new Fashions and valuing themselves by them is one of the most Childish pieces of folly that can be and the occasion of great profuseness and undoing of Young-men Avoid curiosity and too much expensiveness in your Apparel Let your Apparel be comely plain decent cleanly not curious or costly it is the sign of a weak Head-piece to be sick for every new Fashion or to think himself the better in it or the worse without it 15. Be careful what Company you consort with and much more careful what persons you grow intimate with chuse sober wise learned honest Religious Company you will gain Learning and Wisdom and improve your self in Virtue and Goodness by conversing with them But avoid debauched foolish intemperate prodigal atheistical prophane Company as you would avoid a Plague they will Corrupt and undo you they are a sort of the must pitiful fools in the World and familiar acquaintance and conversation with them will endanger to make you like them 16. Weigh and consider your words before you speak them and do not talk at random or at a venture let your words be few and to the purpose be more ready to hear others than to speak your self accustom your self to speak leisurely and deliberately it will be a means to make you speak warily and considerately 17. Be very careful to speak truth and beware of lying as lying is displeasing to God so it is offensive to man and always at the latter end returns to the reproach or disadvantage of him that useth it it is an evidence of a weak and unmanly mind Be careful that you believe not hastily strange news and strange stories and be much more careful that you do not report them though at the second hand for if it prove an untruth as commonly strange stories prove so it brings an imputation of levity upon him that reports it and possibly some disadvantage to others 18. Take heed what you promise see that it be just and honest and lawful and what is in your power honestly and certainly to perform And when you have so promised be true to your word It is for the most part the fashion of inconsiderate and Young-men especially that run in debt they will with great asseverations promise precise payment at this or that day when either they certainly know they cannot perform or at least have no probable assurance that they can do it and when their turn is served they are as backward in performance as they were before liberal in their promises Breach of promises and lying are much of a nature and commonly go together and are arguments of an impotent and unmanly mind 19. Beware of Gaming it is the suddennest Consumption of an Estate that can be and that vice seldom goes alone commonly debauchery of all kinds accompanies it Besides it makes a man of a wild vast and unsettled mind and such men are impatient of an honest Calling or of moderate or honest gain 20. Run not into debt either for Wares sold or Money borrowed be content to want things that are not of absolute necessity rather than to run upon the score such a man pays at the latter end a third part more than the Principal comes to and is in perpetual servitude to his Creditors lives uncomfortably is necessitated to increase his debts to stop his Creditors mouths and many times falls into desperate Courses 21. Be respectfull to all familiar and intimate with few be Grateful to your Benefactors especially to those who under God were instrumental for your good in your late sickness and return your thanks to them to your Father that spared no cost for your Recovery to your Doctor that was exceedingly diligent about you to those that attended you in your sickness to those that together with your Father often prayed to God for your Recovery and for a blessing upon this Affliction whose names you shall in due time particularly know But above all to Almighty God who not only provided and blessed the means but saved and delivered you above means and when means failed 22. Lastly I shall conclude with one advice more without the observance whereof my labour in writing this long Epistle will be probably fruitless Be not wise in your own conceit this is the unhappy error and many times the ruine of Young-men especially They are usually rash giddy and inconsiderate and yet extreamly confident of that which they have least reason to trust namely their own understanding which renders them most reserved from them that are willing and best able to advise them impatient of reprof love to be flattered and so become uncapable of good and wise Councel 'till their follies have reduced them to extream straits and inconveniences suspect therefore your own judgment Advise often with your Father especially in all things of moment be glad of his Councel and be Contented and willing to follow it and to guide your Life according to it at least 'till ripeness of Age Observation and Experience have enabled you better to advise your self This is an easie and ready and cheap way of attaining Wisdom and avoiding of infinite inconveniences And thus I have in this long Epistle given you the means how you may improve both your sickness and recovery to the Glory of God and your own benefit I shall therefore Conclude with two Considerations that may the more ingage you to this use of both these dispensations 1. The danger is great if Afflictions make not a man more humble and dutiful and the danger is yet greater if great deliverances and mercies do not make a man more thankful and obedient to God because it is the most obliging method that the Gracious God can use towards the Children of men for that end in this Life And the neglect of that invitation adds Ingratitude and Contempt to the neglect of it 2. The benefit that you will receive by making a good use of these two dispensations in improving your dutifulness and obedience to God will be singular and excellent 1. It will make you a wise man by making you a Good and a Religious man Believe it from your Father who will not deceive you nay believe it from a greater than your Father the very Spirit of truth who cannot deceive you the true fear of God is the only true Wisdom Read Deut. 4.6 Job 28.28 Psal 111.10 Prov. 1.7 Prov 9.10 Eccles 12.13 and very many more declarations there are of this great truth 2. It will make you a happy man it will give you the Favour and Love of God which is better than Life it self You shall have his Mercy to pardon you his Providence to protect you his Wisdom to direct you his Goodness to bless you and to forgive and forget whatsoever hath heretofore been done amiss by you This will make all Conditions Comfortable to you whether Life or Death Sickness or Health By this means you may be a Comfort to your Father a support to your Brothers and Sisters an Instrument of good to your Country and attain an Honest Credible and Competent Subsistence in this World and an everlasting inheritance of Glory and Immortality in the World to come Thus I have given you a large Letter of sound and good Counsel Set your heart to it and observe and remember it We see how unstable our Lives are you nor I know not how soon either or both of us may leave this World It may be this may be the last paper of Advice that your Father may give you But however it shall please God to deal with you or me touching our continuance in this World yet let me leave this with you in the close of this Letter If I shall find that these directions are dutifully observed I shall be ready from time to time freely to advise and direct you and as I have passed by your former Extravagancies so I shall thereby have great assurance that God hath blessed this Visitation to you But on the other side if I shall find that you neglect my Counsels that you make light of them that you still pursue those Courses that will certainly be bitterness in the end I must then tell you I shall pray for you and be sorry for you with my heart but I shall not easily be perswaded to give any more Advices or Counsels where I find them despised or neglected In this paper there are many things omitted which might have been inserted but the constant Reading of the Holy Scriptures will supply unto you that defect I have chosen only in this paper to mention such things which are seasonable for you upon this occasion God Almighty hath not been wanting to you in Admonition Correction Mercy and Deliverance neither hath your Father been wanting to you in Education Counsel Care and Expence I pray God Almighty bless all unto you This is the Prayer of Your Loving Father MATTHEW HALE FINIS