OUT of my great Respects I have for you, not only in memory of your good Father and Mother (now I hope in a State of Rest and Peace with God) but also my nearness of Relation to you.—I have taken the freedom to present to your View and Consideration, those few Maxims, Aphorisms and wise Sayings and Discourses of both Heathen Philosophers, and Christian Divines, and others, which I have taken more especial notice of. For as that wise Man, the Son of Syrach, Ecclus. 8.8. Adviseth us, despise not (saith he) the Discourse of the wife, but acquaint thy self with their Proverbs; for of them thou shalt learn Instruction: But then we must also consider that moral Precepts are learned, not to be repeated but practised. Maxims and Doctrins, when well digested (as our meat) Convert into Nou­rishment, and make the Soul and Mind Healthful and Vigorous, as a late Author telleth us.

And, Cousin, Considering that Transient Discourses (as we say) many times prove ineffectual and useless, for want of time to weigh and consider them, I have made choice of the present Method of imparting my Mind to you by Letter, and this with all Respects, de­ference and Affection imaginable.

And may I use the Words of a Great Prince of this Nation, once to his Counsel, the Parliament; Ajove principium, let me begin with God, that Optimus & Maximus, the best, tho greatest of all Beings (as the Heathens used to stile him) our great Lord and Bene­factor, which caused the Son of Syrach, aforesaid, to say, Ecclus. 10.24. Great men, judges, poten­tates shall be honoured; yet there is none of them [Page 2]greater then he that feareth the Lord, and Ecclus. 1.11.12. The fear of the Lord is honour, glory, and glad­ness, and a Crown of rejoycing. The fear of the Lord ma­keth a merry heart, and giveth joy and gladness, and a long life. For to speak truly, Bonum Corporis est ani­mus, & bonum animi est Deus, (i. e.) The Good of the Body is the Soul and Mind, but the good of the Soul and Mind is God. The Son of Syrach again telleth us, Ecclus. 31.9, 10. Blessed is the rich that is found without blemish, who is he, and we will call him blessed? For won­derful things hath he done among his People, who hath been tried, and thereby been found perfect; then let him glory, who might offend, and hath not offended, and might have done Evil, and hath not done it. For the great Philoso­pher, Aristotle, tells us, that Felicity is an Assemblage of three things, really beneficial. 1. That which de­pends upon the Soul, viz. The Endowments of the Mind, that is Wisdom and Integrity. 2ly, That which depends, or proceeds from the Body, as Health, Strength, Beauty, and the like. 3ly, That which is grounded upon outward Conveniences, as Riches, No­bility, Reputation, and the like, that depend upon For­tune; yet, (saith he) Vice is sufficient of it self to ren­der life miserable, though accompanied with all Cor­poral Conveniences. No wonder therefore that Me­trocles the Philosopher said, That a great Estate was a mischievous thing to one that did not know how to manage it wisely. As also that honest Socrates made this Observation, That he could not rosolve the Case, whether a Rich Man was happy until he saw how he had spent his Estate. And the Spanish Critick hath this excellent Passage, at the top of the Hill of all the Vir­tues, sat Prudence as a Queen, reaching out in her Hand a precious Crown, with this Inscription; for him who knows a Mediocrity in Wealth.

[Page 3] And Antisthenes the Philosopher used to say, That vertuous and good Things were Amiable, and Vicious and bad Things were Deformed and Ugly, and that it was the same thing to be a Gentleman, and to be a Man of Virtue; (Gentlemen therefore of of all others should study to be amiable and lovely, and hate Deformity) And that Virtue was a Weapon that a Man could never be disarmed of. Now Sobriety, (saith Monsieur Charron) is a way and kind of progress to other Virtues, and which is not painful to any but Fools and Madmen, according to that saying, salubrium Consiliorum parens Sobrietas. Now, Sir, it is to be observed that the first step to Vir­tue, est Bellum Indicere vitiis, &c. To enter into a War with our sensual Appetites: And accordingly the late Reverend Dr. Tillotson, when Dean of Canterbury, used to cite that Saying, Magna pars virtutis est bene meratus venter (i. e.) That a well governed Appetite was a principal part of Virtue, and accordingly the said before mentioned wise Man, the Son of Syrach, adviseth us Ecclus. 18.30, 32.) Go not after thy lusts but refrain thy self from thine Appetite; take not pleasure, in much good chear. And venerable Bede advised Men to deal with Pleasures, as they did with Hony, to tast only a little of it with the tip of the Finger. And ac­cordingly it was the saying of a Noble Spaniard. Major sum, & ad Majora natus, quam ut sim mancipium Corpo­ris mei, (i.e.) I am greater, and born to greater and more noble ends, then to be a Servant, or Slave to my body.

And Priscus an excellent Philosopher tells us, That they who are broken with Pleasures, and indulging their Carcasses, grew headstrong, and at last became haters of Reason and Philosophy; wherefore he put a restraint upon himself in many things. And accor­dingly, upon one Saying to Menedemus the Philosopher, that there could be no greater Good then for a Man to enjoy whatever he desired, the Philoso­pher [Page 4]answered; a much greater happiness for a Man to desire no more than is needful. Accordingly Socra­tes Triumphed, and said, How many things are there in the World of which I have no need? And that Rich­es, Nobility, and Birth, were so far from deserving to be valued and esteemed, that they were rather the usual Fountain of all Mischief. And as to Plea­sure, that it was a greater Pleasure to conquer inor­dinate sensual pleasure, then to enjoy it. One said not Improperly, that Pleasure and Destruction are near of kin, but when Inordinate, they were Brothers;

And further, as to Pleasures, Seneca tells us, if we would have Pleasure, consider, wherein it consists, viz. in a knowing and virtuous Mind, and according­ly labour to obtain that, but this is a Work of Labour and Industry. Yet certainly its worth the while to purchase that Good which brings all other along with it; and that they are the most miserable of all Mor­tals, who deliver themselves up to their Pallates and Lusts. If it be Pleasure in this World that you covet after, why do you not give it your selves in the Bles­sings of a well composed and virtuous Mind, that's a Pleasure, Substantial, Sincere, Unchangeable, and Untainted. Socrates advised those who were Slaves to sensual Pleasure to pray to the Gods for better Masters. And as to sensual Pleasure, Seneca saith, it is a mean servile Transitory tiresome sickly thing, the good of the Bel­ly, and only the Felicity of Bruits. And that he who knows the Irregularities of his own depraved Affecti­ons, had need keep a perpetual Sentinel upon them, as well as a Prince among turbulent Subjects, or else he will not be safe. Our Christian Warfare may be therefore said to be Dura pugna, a hard Task, but this is as sure, that Solus Amor nescit dissicultates, (i. e.) the Love of God knows no difficultys; and when also we have under the Gospel the assurance that God will enable us by his [Page 5]Grace and Spirit, which he hath promised to such as unfeignedly beg it of him. And (as a late Author tells us,) That that may be called ours, which we may have for asking. Let us not then pretend to Impossibility of our Victory in our Christian Warfare, when even Na­ture went so far with honest Socrates, that it made him one of an excellent, most virtuous and obliging Tem­per, who was naturally of an ill, crabbed, and sour Disposition. What a shame therefore will it be, that we Christians should not be of the most, sweet Charm­ing, Amiable, obliging Tempers of all other People in the whole World, far from all Sedition and Rebellion, &c. And this was truly verified in the Primitive Times, when that Holy Father Lactantius said, bring me a proud Man, a malicious, a covetous Man; and by Chri­stianity I will quite alter and change him, make him Humble, Meek, Patient, Friendly, a liberal Man. And here may I make mention of but one instance of many in this kind in our own Nation, (passing by that other of the late Pious and Honest Judge Hales in our days,) viz. that worthy Christian, Sir John Fineux a Judge in K. Hen. 8th's Reign, of whom it is said, he hated nothing but what was Dishonest, he feared nothing but what was Ignoble, and loved nothing but what was Just. And that he was, A most prudent Man, of a Noble Stock and Family, Fa­mous for Justice, adorned with Piety, Eminent for Humanity and good Nature, abounding in Charity; and that he was also entire in his Devotion to that Sa­cred thing, called, Friendship, that Bliss on this side Heaven, made up of Peace and Love, who also is said to have prayed so much Morning, Noon, and Night, as if he never studied. And he would say, to day I have not lived, when he had done nothing, whose ex­cellent Motto also was, Misericordiam Domini Cantabo in Eternum, (i. e.) I will sing of the Mercies of God to Eternity. Indeed that late Learned Divine Dr. Stil­lingfleet, [Page 6]when Dean of St. Paul's, telleth us, That Man is a Mass of Vanity and Disorder, naturally weak in his Judgment, wilful in his Passions, uncertain in his best Resolutions, violent in his worst Inclinations, strangely bent upon what tends to his Ruin, and hard­ly brought to understand and pursue his truest Inter­est. No wonder, then that Diogenes said, that most Men are within a Finger of Madness; how great need have they then of the Instructions of the Christian Religion? and the Grace of the Gospel, to reform them? Learn­ing Instruction, therefore (saith one) is Sobriety to the Young, Consolation to the Old, Riches to the Poor, and an Ornament to the Rich. And to one that said to Diogenes, that he was not sit for the Study of Philoso­phy, he answered him, why do'st thou then live? If thou takest no care to live well? For (as an other speaks) a Man may as soon be well without Health, as hap­py without Virtue and Goodness. Nothing there­fore (as the Son of Syrach speaks) Ecclus. 28.14. Is so much worth as a Mind well Instructed. Eger animus sem­per Errat, (i.e.) a sickly and unsound Mind always Errs and Mistakes; for the Mind of Man hath its Maladys, as well as the Body. And Dr. Sibs, long since in one of his Printed Sermons, informs us, That whosoever is Corrupt in Faith, is Corrupt in Obedience in that de­gree, and that evil Opinions did breed evil Life. And therefore I may add, that it is requisite for a Man to have an humble, sober ingenious, temperate, teacha­ble Mind and Understanding, as well as a Tempe­rate and Chast Body. According to that Saying, quid prodest vinum non bibere & ira inebriari? (i. e.) What is a Man the better to be Temperate, as to Meat and Drink, and yet to be an Hypocrite, entoxicated with Spiritual Pride, Passion, Self-conceit, and Malice? A Philosopher, (saith Plato) must have a natural Affecti­on to Truth, and an Aversion from receiving Falshood; [Page 7]as also to be very Temperate and Virtuous, according as the wise Man, Ecclus. 27.9. Saith, The birds will resort unto their like, and so will truth return unto them who practice in her.

Knavery, (saith Epictetus the Philosopher) proceeds from vitious Principles, and the Corruption of the Mind, and also that Diffimulation and Trick is what no Circum­stance can render excusable to a good Mind, an honest Man. Simplicity and Truth, (saith Seneca) is a great and wise thing, but Cunning and Deceit is foolish and mean. And that Honesty is that which raises a Man to Esteem; as possessing a Good that deserves the grea­test Applause of all Men, and he cries out, oh! what a Mischief is too much Cunning? Accordingly, it was the Opinion of most of the Philosophers, that Honesty was the chiefest Good, yea, the only Good; and that when a Man had once lost his Integrity, he became as a noxious Animal, sit to be abandoned by all, yea, hunt­ed out of the World. Now, what will then become of our sharp Men Without Honesty? sit to make Devils of?

A Man's Mind should (saith Seneca) be erected also a­bove the things of, the World, O quam Contempta res est homo, nisi supra humana erexcrit, (i. e.) O What a poor despicable thing is Man, except he raise his Mind a­bove the Things of this World! And further, he saith, Quid infelicius est quam Amator esse & non Dei? (i.e.) What greater Unhappiness can there be then to be a Lover, and not of God: And then we may be sure, Amor Dei amorem proximi generat, (i. e.) The Love of God will produce Charity to our Neighbour, and this will bring Peace to the World, and make it a Paradice.

In the next place, as to Custom and Habit, which is said to be a second Nature, both Aristotle, and Gallen tell us, That Custom is an ascititious Nature. To which Gallen also adds, That a Habit in any thing is a lasting, and hardly dissolveable Disposition; long Use and Exercise at last become Nature, Custom, (saith [Page 8]another) is the most intollerable Tyrant, and that the greatest Sin by Custom comes to be accounted as no­thing. And Cicero also saith, That so great is the In­fection of evil Custom, that the Seeds of Virtue com­municated to us by Nature, are choaked by it, and Vi­ces contrary thereto begotten. To which a late wor­thy Author further adds, That Consuetude in Sin doth so Corroborate Men in Sin, that a vitious Person can­not do well, even if he would, through an inveterate Inclination of Will; Men become so addicted to Evil, and so averse and disaffected to Good, that no Argu­ments to the contrary weigh with them; they grow so alienated by impure Habits, that all Virtue be­comes distastful, and Wickedness grows a Pleasure, (which is a woful Case indeed) So that much of our Impotency to Good is derived in Truth upon us, from our Earniliarity with Sin. And that every inordinate Desire, is as a Vessel without a bottom, that whatever you put into it, presently runs out, and you can never sill it.

It was excellently Discoursed of by the Reverend D. Tillotson, when Dean of Canterbury, in a Lent Ser­mon upon Jer. 13.23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his Spots, &c. That it was a difficulty, next to impossible, for a Man to conquer an evil Cu­stom and Habit in Sin, and that without a great deal of striving, diligent endeavours, assisted by a great deal of the Grace of God, it could not be conquered and subdued. But hence we may learn also, how we may make Virtue and Goodness easie and delightful to us, if he will, by accustoming our selves to it.

In the next place, as to Conversation, to which, Man (being a Sociable Creature) hath naturally a strong Inclination, noble Conversation, (as one calls it) the great Comfort of human Life, concerning which, a late Reverend Author hath given us these wise Cau­tions and Advice. Above all, (saith he) have a great [Page 9]care to shun and avoid the Company of wicked Men; for the World is so full of them, that one can scarce go a step without meeting them; keep your selves from them, if you desire not to sin, a mad Dog, a Viper ready to burst with Poison, are nothing so dangerous.

Now as to that noble Conversation of Man and Wife in the Matrimonial State. The Roman Tacious tells us, neque aliud probis quam ex Matrimonia solatium esse, (i. e.) That Matrin ony is the choicest Comfort of Minds, honestly given, according to that saying of the Son of Syrach, Ecclus. 26.22. That a harlot shall be counted as spittle, but a married woman is a tower against death to her husband. And further, Chap. 4.23. Solomon also adviseth us, Prov. 5.19. Let her be to thee as the loving hind and pleasant roe. Let her breasts satisfie thee at all times, and be thou always ravished with her love.

And may I, Sir, further recommend to you that great Christian Duty of Justice and Charity, the Sum of the Law and the Prophets, to do as you would be done un­to? To give it you in the Words of a Reverend Di­vine of the Church of England, in an excellent Print­ed Sermon Preached in London, Nov. 29. 1684. at a Country Feast. The shortness, (saith he) of human Life, and the difficulty and tedioufness of Learning, and the Intricacy of Knowledge, and the multiplicity of particular Cases, Exceptions and Restrictions, hath in all Arts and Sciences, recommended the usefulness of short Aphorisins, of compendious Axioms, of little Summaries, and comprehensive Abridgments, in which are contained the Substance, Pith, and Marrow of Things, and which are as so many Polestars to direct us in all our Doubts, and as so many Clues to guide and extricate us in the Labyrinth of Knowledge, in the va­riety and Meanders of human Affairs. Accordingly, (saith he) our good Lord, our gracious Law-giver, Je­sus Christ, in condescention to our Infirmity, and in Compassion to our Weakness, has in the Art [...] Godly [Page 10]living, in this Art of Arts; epitomised our Duty, and comprised in one easie and plain Rule, all those nume­rous, and sometimes difficult Precepts which are dif­fused, and are more largely commented upon, in the Law and the Prophets, in the short Abridgment sum­med up in this Golden Rule, of my Text; viz. All things whatsoever ye would that Men should do unto you, do ye even so to them.

Now in the next place, tranquility of Spirit is said to be the soverain Good of Man, and to this Innocency and good Conscience are necessary. Accordingly was the Wise and Christian Advice, which the Famous L. Bur­leigh in Q Elizabeth's Days, is said, gave to his Son; Labour, (saith he) to keep a good Conscience for thy Comforter; for he that is disfurnished thereof, hath fear for his Bedfellow, care for his Companion, and the sting of Guilt for his Torment. And indeed it hath been observed for an undoubted Truth, that true Reli­gion is the strongest Exciter, and Spur to the Virtue of Integrity and Honesty, fixing and engraving them up­on the Heart of Man, making such deep Impressions on the Soul, that a Man shall even prefer Death to the foregoing of his Duty; (for as it hath been said truly) That it is not enough to be Just, and where there is Ho­nour to be got, but to continue so in defiance of In­famy and Danger, is that approves a Man's Fidelity. In truth, (as Sir Francis Bacon used to say,) That Prospe­rity and Riches was the Blessings of the Old Testa­ment, but Affliction was the Bsessing of the New, the Cross was the way to the Crown. There are (it is most certain) Difficulties in Religion and Virtue, espe­cially at first, and that the ascent up Virtue's Hill, is hard and tedious, especially in the beginning and entrance into our Christian Warfare and Race, but the Serenity and fair Prospect at the top, is sufficient to invite to the labour of undertaking it, the Reward being no less then an eternal weight of Glory in the highest Heavens. As [Page 11]the Apostle St. Paul calls it, 2 Cor. 4.17. And what Man in his Wits, and not a Madman, but would prefer an Eternity of Happiness before a few short-liv'd transito­ry Pleasures of this frail Life here in this World?

I know, Sir, your Religious and Virtuous Education hath been such, that you are not a stranger to most of the things I have now presented to you; but this is most true also, that wise Men have need sometimes to be put in mind of what they know already. Pardon, Sir therefore my Attempt of Kindness and Affection to you, who am,