1 IVdge not of Religion by the tongue, but by the life: the heart thou canst not search, and the life doth more plainly bewray the sin­cerity of the heart then the tongue: for it is an easy thing and cheap to speake well, but costly and laborious to doe well.

2 Neuer call or account a man which is truly and absolutely couetous, Religious: thou mayest as well call an open adulterer or common drunkatd, Religious: for Co­tousnes is as contrary to religion as the [Page] other, as much hope of the other as of the couetous: and the couetous should as com­monly be accounted not religious as the other, but that His filthinesse is couered with the cloake of thrift, his parsimonie with a pretence of not nourishing the poor in idlenesse.

3 Auoid the company of a couetous per­son, as thou wouldest the company of a Thiefe, Whoremaster, or Drunkard: for he is the most dangerous thiefe, because by the Lawes vnpunishable; he is as scanda­lous as the other, because as odious to God, and as sinfull: His company is more dangerous then the others, because his wic­kednesse is not accounted sin, therefore not accounted dangerous.

4 Be sure (frequenting Sermons) to be perfect in the first principles of Religion: for As it is impossible for him to reade well that knoweth not his Letters; so is it impos­sible to reape any full fruit by hearing of Sermons, not well knowing the first prin­ciples.

[Page] 5 Receiue the Sacrament of the Body and Bloud of Christ often: no Spirituall exercise is to be vsed seldome: The Word without the Sacraments, is like a Writing of Confirmation without a Seale.

6 If the Lord haue sent into thine owne Parish a Preacher, on the Sabbath heare him: for if he be bound to feed the flocke of God which dependeth on him, his flocke is bound to receiue their food on him: If thou goe from him, for contempt; Re­member what our Sauiour said of Iudas as well as of the other Apostles, He that despiseth you, despiseth me.

7 Receiue the Sacrament of the Lords Body and Bloud, alwayes humbly knée­ling: thinke not that so doing thou ado­rest the Bread, for thou maist adore the Bread as well sitting or standing: and if thy heart be frée from superstition, the thrée gestures are in themselues frée, and being in themselues frée, obey thy Prince in that one of them, that hee commanded for conscience sake. To vrge the second [Page] Commandement against kneeling at the Sacrament, is vngodly and prophanely to make and account the Sacrament an Idoll.

8 Heare the word of God often: say not thou canst heare enough at one Sermon to practise a long time after; for there must be line vpon line, precept vpon pre­cept: because all the food thou receiuest at one meale turneth not into the nourish­ment of thy body, thou therefore eatest againe, and often: So because All thou hearest at one Sermon is not remembred, nor at large practised of thee, thou also must heare againe and often.

9 Desire in prayer to be frequent in heart, not eloquent in words: the Lord (to whom thou speakest) is not like those itching eares which regard to heare no Sermons but such as are pollished with eloquence fitted to their humors, pounced with va­riety of learned Arts: but The simplicity of the heart pleaseth him best, and what is to him most acceptable, shall be with him most auailable.

[Page] 10 Be not long in Prayer, but often: long continuance, at one time, dulleth the affe­ction (such is our weaknesse) and the affe­ction dulled the prayer is dead: since, then lips labour, and not the heart: yet fre­quency in Prayer, encreaseth the feruen­cie of the affection, and the feruent cry of the affection pierceth far: so that The fer­uenter the Spirit, the neerer his groanes ascend to the eares of God.

11 Chuse such a Trade of life, as wherein with honest Art and gaines, thou mayest maintaine thine estate, not such an one, as wherein without cousoning shifts thou canst not gaine: some trades of life now vsed, are in the first institution vnlawfull; others in their first institution lawfull, yet, as now they are vsed, vnlawfull: a third sort, by the vngodly, with cousoning shifts abused, but, By the honest and god­ly with sincerity lawfully vsed.

12 Measure out the day into set portions, appointing to euery of thy actions, there­in to be performed, his times of the day, & [Page] continuance of time and in euery day, let God haue some time spared from thy labours: and if extraordinary occasions with-call thée to interrupt thy appointed order, rather take the time from thy por­tion which in the sixe dayes is the largest, then from the Lords, which is the least.

13 As the Sabbath is wholly to be spent in Gods seruice, excepting some time for thy necessary refection, or perhaps recre­ation, or vpon extraordinary occasion for the preseruation of the life of Man or Beast: So the wéeke dayes are wholly to be spent in thy calling (not in Idlenesse) excepting also some time for the priuate worship of God, or vpon extraordinary oc­casion, for his publike seruice: yet, Delay not at any time of the day, or in any day of the weeke, in thy labours, going, riding, or sitting, to lift vp thy heart vnto God, the minde will be alwayes busied, and better such thoughts then other.

14 In the Morning, remember thy birth; that as the Sunne riseth, not to stand still, but to goe forward, not to darken, but to [Page] enlighten the earth: so thou wast borne, not to continue a childe, but encrease in true knowledge of thy Creator, By the light of a godly conuersation to glorifie thy God.

15 At Noone, remember thy middle age; that as the Sunne when hée is at the highest, declineth without staying, so thou In thy greatest strength shall not stay, but in a moment decrease, and descend to­wards the Graue.

16 At Night, remember thy graue, where­of thy bed is a figure; and thy death, whereof sléepe is an image: remember that as the Sunne setteth, the next mor­ning to arise againe, to begin either a faire day or a foule: so shalt thou ly downe in the dust, at the Resurrection, to arise a­gaine, If thou haue done well, to glorious life and light; but If thou haue done euill, to euerlasting darkenesse.

17 Make conscience all the day to follow thy vocation diligently, as in all thy life to embrace Righteousnesse sincerely: for [Page] Thou shalt giue as certaine account of thy [...]e, as of thy deedes.

18 Be warie and héedfull in thy dealings, not to be cousoned or ouer-reached of eue­ry one, for this heede is godly and honest; yet it will be said, simplicitie is a iewell, and Christians must bée as little Chil­dren: truth, agendo; not alwaies patiendo: In doing; not alwayes in suffering: for he that hath commended the simplicitie of the Doue; that is, simplicitie without de­ceit, hath also Commanded the wisdome of the Serpent; that is, warinesse without guile.

19 Before and after meate, giue GOD thanks, partly for Gods sake, partly for thine owne: for Gods sake, to acknow­ledge him the giuer to his glory for thine owne sake, To obtaine his blessing to thy comfort.

20 In féeding be sober: yet pine not the body for want of foode, remembring, that the Golden meane is best in all things; and that thou mayest offend in either ex­treame, [Page] in the excesse, and also in the de­fect: if he be blameable, which hauing this worldly goods, doth not feede and refresh his poore hungry brother, Much more is he faulty and cruell, that pineth his owne body for want of foode.

21 Account it as grieuous a sinne to ouer­charge thy body with meate, as with drinke: God who hath commanded the sober vse of his Creatures, hath comman­ded the sober vse of the one as well as of the other: and therefore the excesse in the one, is as sinfull as in the other: the Drun­ken man hath abused one of Gods Crea­tures, the Glutton many: Many a foggy Belly-god cryeth out of the swinish drun­kard (and deseruedly) where he amongst his dishes is more swinish and beastly: The Beast exceedeth more in eating, then in drinking.

22 In the féeding of thy body, remember thy Soule: if thy body must needs perish and pine for want of foode, so must thy Soule: the one is fed with corporall meat, the other with spirituall: The one is often [Page] fed, else it decaieth; so must the other.

23 Vse recreation, yet such as is honest and without offence: as thou wouldest not féede on such meates as should poison thy selfe, and thy enuenomed breath should infect others: so vse no such recre­tion as shall either infect thy owne selfe, or giue occasion of corruption to others: Remember all lawfull things are not expe­dient.

24 Vse recreation when thou féelest a want of refreshing of the Body or the Minde, not whensoeuer thou desirest: for the cor­rupted appetite is vnbridled, and must be restrained with Christian discretion. Ma­ny Gallants, hauing wherewithall to maintaine themselues, spend all their time in pastimes: who, no lesse offend, then if they did nothing but eate, drinke, or sléepe: They sit downe to eate, and drinke, and rise vp (not to labour) but to play.

25 If thou finde the flames of the fire of concupiscence within thée, deferre not to [Page] marry: know that thou art called to that estate; and that as thou art bound by the Lawes of God, to abstaine from fornica­tion, adulterie, and such like vncleannesse; so thou art not only permitted, but bound to marry, when thou burnest: Mariage is the ordinary meanes that God hath ap­pointed for the remedy of Lust.

26 Say not thou art poore, and therefore if thou Marry, thou shalt impaire thy mirth, and vnder-goe many encumbran­ces: better the troubles of this life, then the foulenesse of the Minde: God will prouide for thée, if thou cast thy care on him: Measure not the time of Mariage by the increase, or decrease of this wealth, but by the power thou hast to containe, or hast not to containe. A foole he is that saith when hee is rich, and not when hee is sick, hee will prouide for a dangerous dis­ease.

27 Vse thy Wife as a companion, not as a seruant; as she is not the head, so she is not the foote; shée was taken out néere to the heart, no out of the héele: As Shee is to [Page] be a comforter, not a controler: So Shee is to be a comfort, not a slaue.

28 Yet suffer her not to be thy comman­der, for thou art the head: yet disdaine her not to be thy aduiser in that which is good: and let her not rule neither by ad­uise or command, in that which is euill. Haue discretion to distinguish betwéene wise Abigaile and vainglorious Eue, or Iobes foolish wife: A good Woman makes a good Man better, and An euill Woman an ill man worse.

29 Although shée haue many faults (whore­dome excepted) yet forsake her not: ra­ther be carefull before-hand to chuse for vertue, not for beauty: thou hast taken her for better and for worse: A wise Hus­bandman if he haue a barren Field and full of thorns, straight putteth it not away, but laboureth with all skill, care, and diligent culture to amend it.

30 Féed not, nor cloathe more finely or daintily then shée: but as shée is thy yoke-fellow, to helpe beare the labours and sor­rowes [Page] of this life, so Let her be partaker with thee in the fruits of your labours.

31 Be abstinent in sleeping, for conscience sake, as in eating or drinking; for God is offended by the excesse of the one as well as of the other: as thou oughtest not to eate or drinke so long as the belly will re­ceiue or hold, so oughtest thou not to sléepe so long as thou canst or desirest: he which sléepeth ouer-much, is not only lazie, but sinfull; and he which sléepeth least, slée­peth néere halfe his time. Halfe the time of thy life thou restest in the shadow of death.

32 Neuer account him thy friend, that speakes thée alwayes faire, for these cau­ses: First, most commonly, the fairest spée­ches are but flatteries, procéeding from a filthy and dissembling heart: Secondly, he cannot be a friend which alwaies spea­keth faire; for a friend must be like a good Physitian, who sometimes purgeth and sometimes restoreth: so A true friend; sometimes comforteth, and sometimes re­prehendeth.

33 Bear with thy friend in many things, and account him not thy friend that bea­reth not with thée likewise: loue couereth [Page] a multitude of offences: True brotherly Charity consisteth not only in doing, but also in suffering.

34 Séek and enquire earnestly for a true friend, for he is a iewell not easily to be found; and when thou findest, try before thou trust, for no iewell adorning the life of man is more sophisticated then friend­ship: and when thou tryest him, try him in aduersity: for as most men are louers of prosperity, so many will loue thée to be partakers of thy happinesse. Friendship is tryed as faith; in hoping, not in hauing; in woe, not in wealth.

35 Haue not many friēds, for tis a thing impossible to haue many and true; but if thou haue, thou art the happiest man on earth, and shall be chronicled for a won­der: Many haue liued hauing not one, ne­uer any that yet had many.

36 Prouoke no man to be thine aduersa­ry, but so much as in thée lies, haue peace with all men: In prouoking an enemie thou procurest thine owne harme, and sufferest rather as an euill doer, then as an innocent, and so losest the recompence of thine afflictions: if thou prouokest an enemie, thou stirrest vp his rage, and by [Page] consequence, art a meanes to prouoke his wicked and iniurious dealing and so also by necessary consequence his iudgement, which is contrary to Charitie: Charitie commandeth to be a meanes to help, not to hurt the body, much more the Soule.

37 Beware of the violence & subtilty of thine aduersary, that it hurt thée not: but if thou must needs be wronged of him, ra­ther yeeld that his force hurt thy body, then that his allurements or thy impati­ence hurt thy Soule: the dammages of the Soule are more irreparable then the harmes of the body; that his oppressions endammage thy goods, then that his re­ports disparage thy fame: For a good Name is to be chosen aboue great Riches.

38 When thou beholdest Gods iudgmēts fall on thine aduersary, giue God thanks for thy deliuerance; but yet reioyce not at his affliction: for this displeaseth God, to whom vengeance belongeth; and it is a iust iudgement of God to thrust him into the stead, that is glad of his enemies fall. Charity rather desireth deliuerance with the safetie of the persecutor, then with his destruction.

39 Fret not at the riches, honor, or prospe­ritie [Page] of thine enemie; alas, they are but snares, they may be his portion, which he hath only in this life: thy portion is farre greater, peace of Conscience in this world, & euerlasting blisse in the world to come. A folly that the leane Cow should fret at the fat: Shee being leane, is reserued for encrease; the other being fat, is appointed to the slaughter.

40 Obey thy parents, yea, although they be wicked. As is the King vnto his Sub­iects, so is the Father to his Children, set ouer them by God, and Gods ordinance: as therefore wée must obey euen euill Princes for conscience sake, as the ordi­nance of God so also must wée bée obedi­ent euen to wicked Parents, as set ouer vs of God, And he that disobeyeth them, cannot be excusable.

41 Yet obey not thy parēts in that which is contrary to the Word of God: who commandeth things vnlawfull, comman­deth not as a Father, but as an enemy; not as the substitute of God, but as the instrument of Sathan: in this case, thou must Forsake Father and Mother and all, for Christs sake; and professe that thou hast but one Father which is in Heauen.

[Page] 42 Yéeld vnto thy Parents not only ho­nour and obedience, but reliefe also in their necessities: thou hast receiued from them, next vnder God, thy body, thy bée­ing, thy maintenance, and canst not re­quite their kindnesse whatsoeuer thou do­est, since Thou canst not beget, beare, and bring forth them as they haue thee.

43 Contemn not thy step-father or step-mother, thou owest them duty, as thy na­turall parents: As I will make it plaine by instance.

First, thy mother hauing marryed ano­ther man, he and she by mariage are made one flesh, thou owest therefore to one and the selfe same flesh, one and the selfe same duty; And so if thy Father marry another woman.

Secondly, thou hauing married a wife, art by mariage with her, one flesh, and therefore one flesh hath also one father and one mother; how can one flesh although in two persons, not honor one and the selfe same parents: So is it to a woman that hath married an husband.

44 Regard thy master as the instrument of God to teach thée that knowledge, which God himselfe without the ministry [Page] of any master did teach thy forefathers, Arts and Sciences are the gifts of God, and Masters are the ministers of God, as from him to impart them to vs.

45 Loue, obey, and honour thy Master & thy Mistresse acknowledge Gods ordi­nance in them, that he hath set them ouer thée: thy parents hauing giuen thee, vnder God thy being, They also, vnder him giue thee thy being skilfull.

46 Behaue thy self to thy fellow seruāts, as to thy yoake-fellowes, willing to helpe them beare the burden as thou wouldest be holpen; if any be more skilfull then thy selfe, and thy elder, respect the gifts of God in him: if lesse skilfull, and thy iu­nior, regard him as in the hopefull way to knowledge: crow not ouer, nor oppresse such a one, but remember that when thou thy selfe hadst thy beginnings, thou wouldest haue beene loth to haue beene op­pressed.

47 Accompany not with a lewd fellow-seruant, otherwise then in your necessary labours, lest thou lose thine owne recom­pence, & receiue of his stripes: The gentle Oxe draweth with the vnruly, but rangeth not with him when he is out of the yoke, [Page] lest also with him he be turned off to the slaughter.

48 Learne rightly to distinguish betwixt Faith and Presumption: for as there is no meanes without the one vnto saluation, so there is but one meanes beside the other to damnation.

49 As before the fact to say, The Lord doubtlesse wil be mercifull to me in this, is presumption: so to say after the fact, The Lord doubtlesse will shew mercy, if ioyned with repentance, is faith, if without re­pentance is also presumption.

50 Make vse of Gods mercy with re­uerence, not with malepartnesse, Though God be mercifull, yet he is mighty & iust.

51 Continue not in sinne, for God is iust: yet despaire not though thou hast of­ten sinned, for God is also mercifull.

52 When thou hast grieuously offen­ded, be not lesse confident to obtaine Gods mercy, then when thou hadst lesse offen­ded: for By how much the more thou hast sinned, by so much the more thou art in thy selfe miserable: and by how much the more miserable thou art, by so much the more pittifull is God: and by how much the more pittifull, by so much the more [Page] mercifull is hee

53 Make not light of sinne because God is mercifull: a Kings pardon is not to be played withall, but with reuerence to be receiued. Gods grace by how much the more abundant, by so much the more to be respected, and not abused

54 Procure the loue of all men so far as with a good conscience thou maist: but if thou must néeds incur hatred, be hated of the euill rather then of the good: for The hatred of the euill is a probable signe of Gods loue, the hatred of the good of Gods displeasure.

55 The hatred of the good may many wayes endammage thee, the hatred of the euill cannot hurt thée, though for a time it may afflict thee: for, God for whose sake thou art hated, shall turne their curse into a blessing.

56 Loue whom thou louest vnfainedly: the good for Gods sake, and as the children of God, to whom let thy loue be without dissimulation, as it is to their father: the euill either by kindnesse or reprehensions to amend them: so shalt thou shew thy selfe a builder in Gods worke, and not a plucker downe; a planter in Gods Garden, not a supplanter.

[Page] 57 If thou féelest the swéetnesse of Gods mercies abundantly, be not carelesse and héedlesse of his iudgements; God is con­temned by the carelesse respect of any of his attributes. As his mercies are con­temned, if by Faith his loue in Iesus Christ be not apprehended: so his power is despised, when his iudgements bee not feared Gods iudgements await those nea­rest, which by any meanes goe astray in the abundance of his fauours.

58 If thou hast offended God, be carefull to amend in the time to come, then shall thy former iniquities be blotted out of his Register, and thy present righteousnesse be regarded of him in Christ: for God con­sidereth not what a man hath beene, but what he is, As the Tree falleth so it lyeth; as God finds a man, so he takes him. Hee that hath a heauy burthen on his shoulders already, if he desire to be eased, must lay vp no more.

59 Think it not sufficient to amend thy life in the time to come, but also reconcile thy selfe to God by faith, an' true repen­tance for that which is past: the New man is not put on, before the Old man is put off: He that will be eased of a heauy burden, [Page] must not only heape vp no more, but cast off that which is vpon him already.

60 Defer not thy repentāce to thy death-bed or last houre, that is the time of thy passage to giue vp thy accounts, not the time of deliberation to make it vp; at that time the body is not onely weakned, but the mind: and not only weakned, but also disturbed: Woe to those wretches which in the houre of death, first desire to learne an Art so hard and intricate, viz. The Art of re­conciling and vniting themselues to God.

61 If thou féele in thy selfe a distrust of Gods loue, & an vnstedfast perswasion of thy saluation; examine and trie thy selfe whether it be not by reason of sundry sins which thou fosterest in thy bosome, not re­pented of nor forsaken: for then as thy conscience preacheth peace for thy refor­mation in some things, it wil preach iudg­ment for thy want of reformation in o­thers: and because thy greatest vpright­nesse cannot saue thée, but thy least sin is able to condemne thée; thou shalt not féele the comforts of sauing health from thine imperfect reformation, but shalt sée the re­presentation of Gods iudgements awai­ting thy defects. That which cannot saue, [Page] will not preach peace, but that which can condemne, will preach iudgement.

62 In thy practice of repentance, la­ment and forsake all thy sins, if thou wilt be at perfect peace with God, thou must make a final end of al controuersies: Thou must bury altogether all matters of conten­tion, and not begin them againe.

63 Be not partaker with the vngodly in his sinnes yet pry not more into others faults then into thine owne: the curious searching into other mens estates which appertaines not to thée, is a principall meanes to cause thee neglect the due exa­mination and tryall of thy selfe. If euery man would looke carefully into his owne garden, he should finde so many weeds to be plucked vp therein, that hee should not need curiously to wander into another mans field.

64 Iudge no man rashly to be damned, or a Reprobate; for although there be ma­ny fearfull presumptions in a prophane life of reprobation; yet but one infallible token, which is the sinne against the Holy Ghost, for all other sins whatsoeuer may be forgiuen: Thou mayest see how the tree standeth in present; but knowest not how [Page] through Gods mercy he may fall.

65 Flatter not thy selfe that it is but a foolery to be in thy life precise & careful: for as there is a difference betwéene heauen & hel, so there must be between y^e professors of either. The childrens bread is not for dogs, nor the ioyes of heauen for the prophane.

66 Be carefull rather to be precise in life then in profession; yet so precise in profes­sion also, as not to blush at the words and workes of piety. Precisenesse in profession without the life, is a Christians tongue without a Christian.

67 Let the inward féeling of Gods mercies towards thée in Christ, be an assurance of his fatherly prouision for thée in things of this life: for although Gods especiall fa­uour and outward prosperitie doe not al­waies hold hands; yet must his fatherly care in the greater be assurance of his ne­uer failing care in the lesser: He which is ready to giue vnto thee heauenly things, shall hee not giue thee earthly; doest thou rely on him for the one, and wilt thou not trust him for the other?

68 In matters cōcerning thy souls health, be aduised by him that is a man of God. But thou wilt aske how thou shalt know [Page] him? I answer, if he be humble and méeke like his Master: but how shalt thou know whether he be humble & méeke? I answer, if he be proud & stately in his cariage, he is not humble and méeke in his heart: For although there be counterfeited humility, yet there is no counterfeited pride.

69 If thou obtain not presently what thou desirest at the hand of God, bée not discou­raged: God in with-holding his hand, doth not onely try thy patience, but also com­mend his gifts: Those things are accoun­ted the meanest which are soonest obtai­ned, but those the most precious which are most hardly procured.

70 Loue God zealously, yet without cōdi­tionall expectation of reward: for although thy loue towards God shall not bee vnre­compenced, yet ought it not to worke for recompence: For loue seeketh not his own, it is no mercinary contract.

71 Account it the most fearfull estate of life to liue without crosses and afflictions; for when parents doe not scourge their children, either they let them alone with­out rebuke to run headlong into all im­piety, and from thence to destruction; or else they haue renounced them as bastards [Page] and none of those that shall any longer bee partakers of their fatherly care or loue thus to be dealt withall by an earthly fa­ther is dangerous and grieuous: But much more so to be left to our selues of our hea­uenly father.

72 Flatter not thy selfe in thy sins, that it shall not be for Gods glory to confound thée being so séely a creature: for God is glorified by the destruction of the vngod­ly, as also hée is by the saluation of the righteous: the righteous in his saluation is exalted with God, when God and his elect are exalted in the fall of the wicked, remember this vndoubted truth, Thy wic­kednesse hurteth not God but thy selfe.

73 Auoid the company and inward famili­arity with the vngodly, as thou wouldest auoid the strokes of Gods iudgements: For when two embrace each other arme in arme, it is hard that the stroke that hitteth the one should misse the other.

74 Lament not with excessiue sorrow the death of any friend, if thou feare their de­parture out of Gods fauour; as thy pray­ers cannot redeeme them, so thy sorrow cannot help thy selfe or them. If they be departed in the fauour of God, let thy ioy [Page] for their happinesse requite thy losse. If thou be doubtfull of their estate, thou hast not cause to reioyce at that which perad­uenture is not, nor to sorrow at that which perhaps hath not hapned, But in Charitie to hope the best.

75 Learne to distinguish truly betwéen securitie and true peace of conscience: Se­curitie feeleth no danger, & hath no feare; Peace of conscience féeleth and feares, but ouercommeth and reioyceth in the as­surance of Gods fauour: That thou may­est be most void of care, take heed of Secu­ritie: no man feeleth his owne force in the time of peace.

76 Feare not death although he be gris­ly: the grim sir though he bring ill newes past, yet he brings good newes to come: many an ill man feares not the Deuill when he leads him to an earthly treasure, And shall a good man feare Death when he opens him the doore to heauenly ioyes?

77 Possesse not thy mind with the foo­lish feare of the dead, or the company of a carkase: a good man will not hurt thée dead or liuing: An ill man may well hurt thee when hee is aliue, but cannot harme thee when he is dead and not able to helpe himselfe:

[Page] 78 Desire rather to liue poorely and ho­nestly, then richly and dishonestly: poore honesty gets a richer purchase then rich dishonesty; the one purchaseth heauen, which is the gaines of all; the other hell, which is the losse of all: honest sorrow pur­chaseth greater comfort then dishonest ioy: For more comfort shall a man reape at his latter end by one houre spent in Gods seruice, then by many yeares spent in vani­tie or wickednesse.

79 Suffer not thine eyes to wander too large, nor thy tongue to walke too fast: for as the best meanes to preserue the body in health, is to kéepe the eyes open and the mouth shut; so the best meanes for the good of the soule, is to shut the casements of the one, and to set a watch before the other.

80 Auoid the company of a contentious man, hée is a perilous euill in two respects; for either he will contend with thée, and so thou shalt procure the stroke of the edge of his malice, or else prouoke thée to con­tend with others, and so thou shalt for his loue get the hatred of many. A peny is deare bought with a pound.

81 In séeking to perswade thy friend to forsake any wicked course, begin first [Page] with kindnesse, it may preuaile without reprehensions; hée is a foolish Physitian who if he can cure with mollifying Cata­plasmes, will vse painful Cauteries: repre­hensions take the better place, where kind­nesse hath led the way. The body which hath bin strengthened with a cordiall doth the better beare out a violent purgation.

82 Séeke for the lawfull assistance of Physick in the time of sicknesse, it is as néedfull and as lawfull, as to séeke for meate and drinke in the time of hunger and thirst: God hath giuen to euery Plant his seuerall vertue, not for nothing, but for the health of the body, as of the selfe-same Spirit there are sundry operations for the health of the soule.

83 Deferre not the Christening of any Childe, though thou be compelled to doe it in thy owne house: Wheresoeuer two or three bee gathered together in Christes Name, hee is in the midst amongst them. The little Childe must not be denied to come to Christ; who cannot by the word, must by Baptisme: though thou mightst falsly obiect, the Baptisme helpeth it not; Yet so it becomes vs to fulfill all righteous­nesse.

[Page] 84 Loue, honour, and obey thy Prince, dearely, reuerently, carefully: he is Pater patriae, the father of the Countrie, thou one of his children, if his subiect: Thy good and safetie is a part of that heauy burden of care that lyeth on his shoulders.

85 Loue also, honour and obey the Clear­gie; they are the eyes of God, for they are his watch-men; they are the mouth of God, for They are his speech-men, mes­sengers, and Embassadors for Christ.

86 Loue also, honour and obey all Ma­gistrates vnder thy Prince, they are as the members of his Body, whereby hée worketh thy good and safety; thy Prince and the Magistrates his substitutes are the hand of God which carieth the sword of Iustice to punish the offender. And the purse of reward to recompence the good.

87 Giue vnto the godly his due praise for his goodnesse; who doth well, deser­ueth praise of all; and who deserueth praise of all, deserueth praise of thée: pay him therefore his due and right, otherwise thou dost shew thy selfe iniurious.

88 Commend not the vngodlinesse of the wicked man: better it is in loue to co­uer many sinnes, then in flattery to com­mend [Page] one: to commend that which is e­uill, is to make God a lyar and vniust, which both discommendeth and punisheth it: To commend that which is euill, is to iniury the good and innocent, viz. To be­stow his portion on the vnworthy, and to rob him of his due, and to make those par­taker with him in his reward, that haue not laboured with him in his worke.

89 Be not hasty to reueale the infirmi­ties of thy brethren, especially of the Cler­gie: for, whereas therein thou thinkest to doe iustly, thou mayst notwithstanding doe very wickedly in causing a scandall to arise at Religion which cannot so soone be healed, as the offence of thy brother be­ing concealed by secret admonition might haue béen salued; thereby, not onely the offence of thy Minister shall be lothed, but also himselfe and his doctrine so much sus­pected, as that many a sauing admonition of his shall be suspected.

90 Estéeme not thy selfe out of the fa­uor of God, because thou art hated, disli­ked, slandered, persecuted, poore and despi­sed; for thy Master Christ was poore, ha­ted, disliked, persecuted, slandered and de­spised; yet he most highly in Gods fauor, [Page] and thou for his sake: When therefore for his sake thou art hated, disliked, slandered, poore, persecuted and despised, thou art sure to be highest in his fauour.

91 Yet boast not of thy sufferings: when thou sufferest for thy deserts, thou recei­uest not enough for thy sinne, thy punish­ment is iust: thy cause requireth mercy, thy sufferings challenge not recompence: It is the cause and not the punishment that makes a Martyr, the Theefe was hanged for his murder, as well as Christ for the truth.

92 Yet distrust not of Gods mercy when thou sufferest for thy deserts: Gods elect haue béene punished for their sinnes and follies, yet haue comforted themselues with the hope of Gods fauor. It is a to­ken of fatherly care and loue when the childe is chastened for his faults; all pu­nishments whatsoeuer, are to the penitent but chastisements.

93 Thinke not vaingloriously to main­taine thy reputation, without the feare of God; an vngodly life maketh the greatest gifts thou hast become contemptible: Wisdome doth more dignitie a poore man then riches a foole. No man dareth to touch [Page] the hayres of a King, whilst they are on his head, in scorne: but being once cut off, they are cast with others vnto the dunghill, and trodden vnder foot.

94 Obiect not against this aduise: but those that fear not God, are in these times in greatest estéeme: for of whom are they estéemed? of themselues; and therefore of no indifferent Iudges; of those that are like themselues, and therefore of no com­petent Iudges: Not of God nor of the good, and therefore not rightly esteemed.

95 Harken not to fame what others say of thee, so much as to thine owne hart what it doth witnesse of thee: fame may flatter thee causlesse or condemn thee vniustly, but Thine owne heart shall tell the whole truth without flattery and falshood, which none but God and thy selfe is priuy to.

96 Thinke it not sufficient to sorrow for thy sins, and to hate and detest them; but know that thou must striue against them, and ouercome thy corrupt affecti­ons. A mortal enemy is not subdued when hee is hated, but when hee is resisted; nor when hee is resisted, vnlesse hee be van­quished.

97 Féed not on delights hastily, nor [Page] when thou tastest them with gréedinesse: there is no poyson like to the swéetest, be­cause it is most gréedily deuoured, And most speedily conueyed into all parts of the body.

98 Be as sparing in persecuting, yea the euill (if thou be no Magistrate) with the safety of Gods glory, and thine owne life and estate as thou canst: Let the Ma­gistrate call thée to the bar, call not thou him; ouermuch rashnesse and hastinesse in persecuting is a shrewd presumption of a malignant spirit, as a learned Father hath notably obserued, that Cain persecu­ted Abel; not Abel, Cain: Absolom, Da­uid; not Dauid, Absolom: the Iewes, Christ; not Christ the Iewes. A mild spirit rather suffereth then doth violence.

99 Account it a greater happinesse to suffer wrong then to doe iniurie; if thou suffer wrong, thou art of the number of those whom Christ hath pronounced bles­sed: If thou doe wrong, of those which he hath denounced cursed.

100 Let this short prayer be often sent the Embassador of the desire of thy sor­rowfull soule, to the throne of Grace: Lord I am a most grieuous sinner, therefore most [Page] miserable: but by how much the more mi­serable, by so much be thou the more mer­cifull to put away my sinnes, and to cure my miseries, and to renew me and streng­then me with thy grace, in the course of my life hereafter, that I may not onely en­deauor, but delight to glorifie thee, as here­tofore I haue beene accustomed and haue delighted to dishonour thee. Amen.