A BROTHERS GJFT: Containing AN HUNDRED PRECEPTS, Instructing all sorts of people to a godly, honest, and moral life. LONDON, Printed for john Wright, and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the Bible without Newgate. 1623. TO HIS LOVING Cousin Mr. Thomas Smith, all health, grace, and happiness. ACcept good Cousin, a small token of my love: value not the heart according to the greatness of the gift; only taste and try, and you shall find it, though small, yet not altogether fruitless, especially if after trial you trust and make use thereof. Your kind acceptance of this shall be a means to beget a better: So wishing God's grace and blessing to you and all your righteous endeavours I rest, Your ever loving Cousin HUMPHREY EVERINDEN. A BROTHERS GJFT: 1IVdge 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 than the tongue: for it is an easy thing and cheap to speak well, but costly and laborious to do well. 2 Never call or account a man which is truly and absolutely covetous, Religious: thou mayest as well call an open adulterer or common drunkatd, Religious: for Cotousnes is as contrary to religion as the other, as much hope of the other as of the covetous: and the covetous should as commonly be accounted not religious as the other, but that His filthiness is covered with the cloak of thrift, his parsimony with a pretence of not nourishing the poor in idleness. 3 Avoid the company of a covetous person, as thou wouldst the company of a Thief, Whoremaster, or Drunkard: for he is the most dangerous thief, because by the Laws unpunishable; he is as scandalous as the other, because as odious to God, and as sinful: His company is more dangerous than the others, because his wickedness 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 read well that knoweth not his Letters; so is it impossible to reap any full fruit by hearing of Sermons, not well knowing the first principles. 5 Receive the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ often: no Spiritual exercise is to be used seldom: The Word without the Sacraments, is like a Writing of Confirmation without a Seal. 6 If the Lord have sent into thine own Parish a Preacher, on the Sabbath hear him: for if he be bound to feed the flock of God which dependeth on him, his flock is bound to receive their food on him: If thou go from him, for contempt; Remember what our Saviour said of judas as well as of the other Apostles, He that despiseth you, despiseth me. 7 Receive the Sacrament of the Lords Body and Blood, always humbly kneeling: think not that so doing thou adorest the Bread, for thou mayst adore the Bread as well sitting or standing: and if thy heart be free from superstition, the three gestures are in themselves free, and being in themselves free, obey thy Prince in that one of them, that he commanded for conscience sake. To urge the second Commandment against kneeling at the Sacrament, is and profanely to make and account the Sacrament an Idol. 8 Hear the word of God often: say not thou canst hear enough at one Sermon to practise a long time after; for there must be line upon line, precept upon precept: because all the food thou receivest at one meal turneth not into the nourishment of thy body, thou therefore eatest again, and often: So because All thou hearest at one Sermon is not remembered, nor at large practised of thee, thou also must hear again 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 ears which regard to hear no Sermons but such as are polished with eloquence fitted to their humours, 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 available. 10 Be not long in Prayer, but often: long continuance, at one time, dulleth the affection (such is our weakness) and the affection dulled the prayer is dead: since, then lips labour, and not the heart: yet frequency in Prayer, increaseth the fervency of the affection, and the fervent cry of the affection pierceth far: so that The ferventer the Spirit, the nearer his groans ascend to the ears of God. 11 Choose such a Trade of life, as wherein with honest Art and gains, thou mayest maintain thine estate, not such an one, as wherein without cozening shifts thou canst not gain: some trades of life now used, are in the first institution unlawful; others in their first institution lawful, yet, as now they are used, unlawful: a third sort, by the , with cozening shifts abused, but, By the honest and godly with sincerity lawfully used. 12 Measure out the day into set portions, appointing to every of thy actions, therein to be performed, his times of the day, & continuance of time and in every day, let God have some time spared from thy labours: and if extraordinary occasions with-call thee to interrupt thy appointed order, rather take the time from thy portion which in the six days is the largest, then from the Lords, which is the least. 13 As the Sabbath is wholly to be spent in God's service, excepting some time for thy necessary refection, or perhaps recreation, or upon extraordinary occasion for the preservation of the life of Man or Beast: So the week days are wholly to be spent in thy calling (not in Idleness) excepting also some time for the private worship of God, or upon extraordinary occasion, for his public service: yet, Delay not at any time of the day, or in any day of the week, in thy labours, going, riding, or sitting, to lift up thy heart unto God, the mind will be always busied, and better such thoughts then other. 14 In the Morning, remember thy birth; that as the Sun riseth, not to stand still, but to go forward, not to darken, but to enlighten the earth: so thou wast borne, not to continue a child, but increase in true knowledge of thy Creator, By the light of a godly conversation to glorify thy God. 15 At Noon, remember thy middle age; that as the Sun when he 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 Grave. 16 At Night, remember thy grave, whereof thy bed is a figure; and thy death, whereof sleep is an image: remember that as the Sun setteth, the next morning to arise again, to begin either a fair day or a foul: so shalt thou lie down in the dust, at the Resurrection, to arise again, If thou have done well, to glorious life and light; but If thou have done evil, to everlasting darkness. 17 Make conscience all the day to follow thy vocation diligently, as in all thy life to embrace Righteousness sincerely: for Thou shalt give as certain account of thy ●●●e, as of thy deeds. 18 Be wary and heedful in thy dealings, not to be cozened or overreached of every one, for this heed is godly and honest; yet it will be said, simplicity is a jewel, and Christians must been as little Children: truth, agendo; not always patiendo: In doing; not always in suffering: for he that hath commended the simplicity of the Dove; that is, simplicity without deceit, hath also Commanded the wisdom of the Serpent; that is, wariness without guile. 19 Before and after meat, give GOD thanks, partly for God's sake, partly for thine own: for God's sake, to acknowledge him the giver to his glory for thine own sake, To obtain his blessing to thy comfort. 20 In feeding be sober: yet pine not the body for want of food, remembering, that the Golden means is best in all things; and that thou mayest offend in either extreme, in the excess, and also in the defect: if he be , which having this worldly goods, doth not feed and refresh his poor hungry brother, Much more is he faulty and cruel, that pineth his own body for want of food. 21 Account it as grievous a sin to overcharge thy body with meat, as with drink: God who hath commanded the sober use of his Creatures, hath commanded the sober use of the one as well as of the other: and therefore the excess in the one, is as sinful as in the other: the Drunken man hath abused one of God's Creatures, the Glutton many: Many a foggy Belly-god cryeth out of the swinish drunkard (and deservedly) where he amongst his dishes is more swinish and beastly: The Beast exceedeth more in eating, then in drinking. 22 In the feeding of thy body, remember thy Soul: if thy body must needs perish and pine for want of food, so must thy Soul: the one is fed with corporal meat, the other with spiritual: The one is often fed, else it decayeth; so must the other. 23 Use recreation, yet such as is honest and without offence: as thou wouldst not feed on such meats as should poison thyself, and thy envenomed breath should infect others: so use no such recretion as shall either infect thy own self, or give occasion of corruption to others: Remember all lawful things are not expedient. 24 Use recreation when thou feelest a want of refreshing of the Body or the Mind, not whensoever thou desirest: for the corrupted appetite is unbridled, and must be restrained with Christian discretion. Many Gallants, having wherewithal to maintain themselves, spend all their time in pastimes: who, no less offend, then if they did nothing but eat, drink, or sleep: They sit down to eat, and drink, and rise up (not to labour) but to play. 25 If thou find the flames of the fire of concupiscence within thee, defer not to marry: know that thou art called to that estate; and that as thou art bound by the Laws of God, to abstain from fornication, adultery, and such like uncleanness; so thou art not only permitted, but bound to marry, when thou burnest: Marriage is the ordinary means that God hath appointed for the remedy of Lust. 26 Say not thou art poor, and therefore if thou Marry, thou shalt impair thy mirth, and undergo many encumbrances: better the troubles of this life, than the foulness of the Mind: God will provide for thee, if thou cast thy care on him: Measure not the time of Marriage by the increase, or decrease of this wealth, but by the power thou hast to contain, or hast not to contain. A fool he is that saith when he is rich, and not when he is sick, he will provide for a dangerous disease. 27 Use thy Wife as a companion, not as a servant; as she is not the head, so she is not the foot; she was taken out near to the heart, no out of the heel: As She is to be a comforter, not a controller: So She is to be a comfort, not a slave. 28 Yet suffer her not to be thy commander, for thou art the head: yet disdain her not to be thy adviser in that which is good: and let her not rule neither by advice or command, in that which is evil. Have discretion to distinguish between wise Abigail and vainglorious Eve, or jobes' foolish wife: A good Woman makes a good Man better, and An evil Woman an ill man worse. 29 Although she have many faults (whoredom excepted) yet forsake her not: rather be careful beforehand to choose for virtue, not for beauty: thou hast taken her for better and for worse: A wise Husbandman if he have a barren Field and full of thorns, strait putteth it not away, but laboureth with all skill, care, and diligent culture to amend it. 30 Feed not, nor clothe more finely or daintily than she: but as she is thy yoke-fellow, to help bear the labours and sorrows 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 excess of the one as well as of the other: as thou oughtest not to eat or drink so long as the belly will receive or hold, so oughtest thou not to sleep so long as thou canst or desirest: he which sleepeth overmuch, is not only lazy, but sinful; and he which sleepeth least, sleepeth near half his time. Half the time of thy life thou restest in the shadow of death. 32 Never account him thy friend, that speaks thee always fair, for these causes: First, most commonly, the fairest speeches are but flatteries, proceeding from a filthy and dissembling heart: Secondly, he cannot be a friend which always speaketh fair; for a friend must be like a good Physician, 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 thee likewise: love covereth a multitude of offences: True brotherly Charity consisteth not only in doing, but also in suffering. 34 Seek and inquire earnestly for a true friend, for he is a jewel not easily to be found; and when thou findest, try before thou trust, for no jewel adorning the life of man is more sophisticated than friendship: and when thou tryest him, try him in adversity: for as most men are lovers of prosperity, so many will love thee to be partakers of thy happiness. Friendship is tried as faith; in hoping, not in having; in woe, not in wealth. 35 Have not many friends, for 'tis a thing impossible to have many and true; but if thou have, thou art the happiest man on earth, and shall be chronicled for a wonder: Many have lived having not one, never any that yet had many. 36 Provoke no man to be thine adversary, but so much as in thee lies, have peace with all men: In provoking an enemy thou procurest thine own harm, and sufferest rather as an evil doer, then as an innocent, and so losest the recompense of thine afflictions: if thou provokest an enemy, thou stirrest up his rage, and by consequence, art a means to provoke his wicked and injurious dealing and so also by necessary consequence his judgement, which is contrary to Charity: Charity commandeth to be a means to help, not to hurt the body, much more the Soul. 37 Beware of the violence & subtlety of thine adversary, that it hurt thee not: but if thou must needs be wronged of him, rather yield that his force hurt thy body, then that his allurements or thy impatience hurt thy Soul: the damages of the Soul are more irreparable than the harms of the body; that his oppressions endamage thy goods, then that his reports disparage thy fame: For a good Name is to be chosen above great Riches. 38 When thou beholdest Gods judgments fall on thine adversary, give God thanks for thy deliverance; but yet rejoice not at his affliction: for this displeaseth God, to whom vengeance belongeth; and it is a just judgement of God to thrust him into the stead, that is glad of his enemies fall. Charity rather desireth deliverance with the safety of the persecutor, then with his destruction. 39 Fret not at the riches, honour, or prosperity of thine enemy; alas, they are but snares, they may be his portion, which he hath only in this life: thy portion is fare greater, peace of Conscience in this world, & everlasting bliss in the world to come. A folly that the lean Cow should fret at the fat: She being lean, is reserved for increase; the other being fat, is appointed to the slaughter. 40 Obey thy parents, yea, although they be wicked. As is the King unto his Subjects, so is the Father to his Children, set over them by God, and God's ordinance: as therefore we must obey even evil Princes for conscience sake, as the ordinance of God so also must we been obedient even to wicked Parents, as set over us of God, And he that disobeyeth them, cannot be excusable. 41 Yet obey not thy parents in that which is contrary to the Word of God: who commandeth things unlawful, commandeth not as a Father, but as an enemy; not as the substitute of God, but as the instrument of Satan: in this case, thou must Forsake Father and Mother and all, for Christ's sake; and profess that thou hast but one Father which is in Heaven. 42 Yield unto thy Parents not only honour and obedience, but relief also in their necessities: thou hast received from them, next under God, thy body, thy being, thy maintenance, and canst not requite their kindness whatsoever thou dost, since Thou canst not beget, bear, and bring forth them as they have thee. 43 Contemn not thy stepfather or stepmother, thou owest them duty, as thy natural parents: As I will make it plain by instance. First, thy mother having married another man, he and she by marriage are made one flesh, thou owest therefore to one and the self same flesh, one and the self same duty; And so if thy Father marry another woman. Secondly, thou having married a wife, art by marriage with her, one flesh, and therefore one flesh hath also one father and one mother; how can one flesh although in two persons, not honour one and the self same parents: So is it to a woman that hath married an husband. 44 Regard thy master as the instrument of God to teach thee that knowledge, which God himself without the ministry 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 us. 45 Love, obey, and honour thy Master & thy Mistress acknowledge God's ordinance in them, that he hath set them over thee: thy parents having given thee, under God thy being, They also, under him give thee thy being skilful. 46 Behave thyself to thy fellow servants, as to thy yoake-fellowes, willing to help them bear the burden as thou wouldst be helped; if any be more skilful than thyself, and thy elder, respect the gifts of God in him: if less skilful, and thy junior, regard him as in the hopeful way to knowledge: crow not over, nor oppress such a one, but remember that when thou thyself hadst thy beginnings, thou wouldst have been loath to have been oppressed. 47 Accompany not with a lewd fellow-servant, otherwise then in your necessary labours, lest thou lose thine own recompense, & receive of his stripes: The gentle Ox draweth with the unruly, but rangeth not with him when he is out of the yoke, lest also with him he be turned off to the slaughter. 48 Learn rightly to distinguish betwixt Faith and Presumption: for as there is no means without the one unto salvation, so there is but one means beside the other to damnation. 49 As before the fact to say, The Lord doubtless will be merciful to me in this, is presumption: so to say after the fact, The Lord doubtless will show mercy, if joined with repentance, is faith, if without repentance is also presumption. 50 Make use of God's mercy with reverence, not with malapartness, Though God be merciful, yet he is mighty & just. 51 Continue not in sin, for God is just: yet despair not though thou hast often sinned, for God is also merciful. 52 When thou hast grievously offended, be not less confident to obtain God's mercy, then when thou hadst less offended: for By how much the more thou hast sinned, by so much the more thou art in thyself miserable: and by how much the more miserable thou art, by so much the more pitiful is God: and by how much the more pitiful, by so much the more merciful is he 53 Make not light of sin because God is merciful: a King's pardon is not to be played withal, but with reverence to be received. God's grace by how much the more abundant, by so much the more to be respected, and not abused 54 Procure the love of all men so far as with a good conscience thou mayst: but if thou must needs incur hatred, be hated of the evil rather than of the good: for The hatred of the evil is a probable sign of God's love, the hatred of the good of God's displeasure. 55 The hatred of the good may many ways endamage thee, the hatred of the evil cannot hurt thee, though for a time it may afflict thee: for, God for whose sake thou art hated, shall turn their curse into a blessing. 56 Love whom thou lovest unfeignedly: the good for God's sake, and as the children of God, to whom let thy love be without dissimulation, as it is to their father: the evil either by kindness or reprehensions to amend them: so shalt thou show thyself a builder in God's work, and not a plucker down; a planter in God's Garden, not a supplanter. 57 If thou feelest the sweetness of God's mercies abundantly, be not careless and heedless of his judgements; God is contemned by the careless respect of any of his attributes. As his mercies are contemned, if by Faith his love in jesus Christ be not apprehended: so his power is despised, when his judgements be not feared Gods judgements await those nearest, which by any means go astray in the abundance of his favours. 58 If thou hast offended God, be careful to amend in the time to come, then shall thy former iniquities be blotted out of his Register, and thy present righteousness be regarded of him in Christ: for God considereth not what a man hath been, but what he is, As the Tree falleth so it lieth; as God finds a man, so he takes him. He that hath a heavy burden on his shoulders already, if he desire to be eased, must lay up no more. 59 Think it not sufficient to amend thy life in the time to come, but also reconcile thyself 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 heavy burden, must not only heap up no more, but cast off that which is upon him already. 60 Defer not thy repentance to thy deathbed or last hour, that is the time of thy passage to give up thy accounts, not the time of deliberation to make it up; at that time the body is not only weakened, but the mind: and not only weakened, but also disturbed: Woe to those wretches which in the hour of death, first desire to learn an Art so hard and intricate, viz. The Art of reconciling and uniting themselves to God. 61 If thou feel in thyself a distrust of God's love, & an unsteadfast persuasion of thy salvation; examine and try thyself whether it be not by reason of sundry sins which thou fosterest in thy bosom, not repent of nor forsaken: for then as thy conscience preacheth peace for thy reformation in some things, it will preach judgement for thy want of reformation in others: and because thy greatest uprightness cannot save thee, but thy least sin is able to condemn thee; thou shalt not feel the comforts of saving health from thine imperfect reformation, but shalt see the representation of God's judgements awaiting thy defects. That which cannot save, will not preach peace, but that which can condemn, will preach judgement. 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 all controversies: Thou must bury altogether all matters of contention, and not begin them again. 63 Be not partaker with the in his sins yet pry not more into others faults then into thine own: the curious searching into other men's estates which appertains not to thee, is a principal means to cause thee neglect the due examination and trial of thyself. If every man would look carefully into his own garden, he should find so many weeds to be plucked up therein, that he should not need curiously to wander into another man's field. 64 judge no man rashly to be damned, or a Reprobate; for although there be many fearful presumptions in a profane life of reprobation; yet but one infallible token, which is the sin against the Holy Ghost, for all other sins whatsoever may be forgiven: Thou mayest see how the tree standeth in present; but knowest not how through God's mercy he may fall. 65 Flatter not thyself that it is but a foolery to be in thy life precise & careful: for as there is a difference between heaven & hell, so there must be between the professors of either. The children's bread is not for dogs, nor the joys of heaven for the profane. 66 Be careful rather to be precise in life then in profession; yet so precise in profession also, as not to blush at the words and works of piety. Preciseness in profession without the life, is a Christians tongue without a Christian. 67 Let the inward feeling of God's mercies towards thee in Christ, be an assurance of his fatherly provision for thee in things of this life: for although God's especial favour and outward prosperity do not always hold hands; yet must his fatherly care in the greater be assurance of his never failing care in the lesser: He which is ready to give unto thee heavenly things, shall he not give thee earthly; dost thou rely on him for the one, and wilt thou not trust him for the other? 68 In matters concerning thy souls health, be advised by him that is a man of God. But thou wilt ask how thou shalt know him? I answer, if he be humble and meek like his Master: but how shalt thou know whether he be humble & meek? I answer, if he be proud & stately in his carriage, he is not humble and meek 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, been not discouraged: God in withholding his hand, doth not only try thy patience, but also commend his gifts: Those things are accounted the meanest which are soon obtained, but those the most precious which are most hardly procured. 70 Love God zealously, yet without conditional expectation of reward: for although thy love towards God shall not be unrecompensed, yet ought it not to work for recompense: For love seeketh not his own, it is no mercenary contract. 71 Account it the most fearful estate of life to live without crosses and afflictions; for when parents do 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 have renounced them as bastards and none of those that shall any longer be partakers of their fatherly care or love thus to be dealt withal by an earthly father is dangerous and grievous: But much more so to be left to ourselves of our heavenly father. 72 Flatter not thyself in thy sins, that it shall not be for God's glory to confound thee being so silly a creature: for God is glorified by the destruction of the , as also he is by the salvation of the righteous: the righteous in his salvation is exalted with God, when God and his elect are exalted in the fall of the wicked, remember this undoubted truth, Thy wickedness hurteth not God but thyself. 73 Avoid the company and inward familiarity with the , as thou wouldst avoid the strokes of God's judgements: For when two embrace each other arm in arm, it is hard that the stroke that hitteth the one should miss the other. 74 Lament not with excessive sorrow the death of any friend, if thou fear their departure out of God's favour; as thy prayers cannot redeem them, so thy sorrow cannot help thyself or them. If they be departed in the favour of God, let thy joy for their happiness requite thy loss. If thou be doubtful of their estate, thou hast not cause to rejoice at that which peradventure is not, nor to sorrow at that which perhaps hath not happened, But in Charity to hope the best. 75 Learn to distinguish truly between security and true peace of conscience: Security feeleth no danger, & hath no fear; Peace of conscience feeleth and fears, but overcometh and rejoiceth in the assurance of God's favour: That thou mayest be most void of care, take heed of Security: no man feeleth his own force in the time of peace. 76 Fear not death although he be grisly: the grim sir though he bring ill news past, yet he brings good news to come: many an ill man fears not the Devil when he leads him to an earthly treasure, And shall a good man fear Death when he opens him the door to heavenly joys? 77 Possess not thy mind with the foolish fear of the dead, or the company of a carcase: a good man will not hurt thee dead or living: An ill man may well hurt thee when he is alive, but cannot harm thee when he is dead and not able to help himself: 78 Desire rather to live poorly and honestly, then richly and dishonestly: poor honesty gets a richer purchase then rich dishonesty; the one purchaseth heaven, which is the gains of all; the other hell, which is the loss of all: honest sorrow purchaseth greater comfort then dishonest joy: For more comfort shall a man reap at his latter end by one hour spent in God's service, then by many years spent in vanity or wickedness. 79 Suffer not thine eyes to wander too large, nor thy tongue to walk too fast: for as the best means to preserve the body in health, is to keep the eyes open and the mouth shut; so the best means for the good of the soul, is to shut the casements of the one, and to set a watch before the other. 80 Avoid the company of a contentious man, he is a perilous evil in two respects; for either he will contend with thee, and so thou shalt procure the stroke of the edge of his malice, or else provoke thee to contend with others, and so thou shalt for his love get the hatred of many. A penny is dear bought with a pound. 81 In seeking to persuade thy friend to forsake any wicked course, begin first with kindness, it may prevail without reprehensions; he is a foolish Physician who if he can cure with mollifying Cataplasms, will use painful Cauteries: reprehensions take the better place, where kindness hath led the way. The body which hath been strengthened with a cordial doth the better bear out a violent purgation. 82 Seek for the lawful assistance of Physic in the time of sickness, it is as needful and as lawful, as to seek for meat and drink in the time of hunger and thirst: God hath given to every Plant his several virtue, not for nothing, but for the health of the body, as of the selfsame Spirit there are sundry operations for the health of the soul. 83 Defer not the Christening of any Child, though thou be compelled to do it in thy own house: Wheresoever two or three be gathered together in Christ's Name, he is in the midst amongst them. The little Child must not be denied to come to Christ; who cannot by the word, must by Baptism: though thou mightst falsely object, the Baptism helpeth it not; Yet so it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness. 84 Love, honour, and obey thy Prince, dear, reverently, carefully: he is Pater patriae, the father of the Country, thou one of his children, if his subject: Thy good and safety is a part of that heavy burden of care that lieth on his shoulders. 85 Love also, honour and obey the Clergy; they are the eyes of God, for they are his watchmen; they are the mouth of God, for They are his speech-men, messengers, and Ambassadors for Christ. 86 Love also, honour and obey all Magistrates under thy Prince, they are as the members of his Body, whereby he worketh thy good and safety; thy Prince and the Magistrates his substitutes are the hand of God which carrieth the sword of justice to punish the offender. And the purse of reward to recompense the good. 87 Give unto the godly his due praise for his goodness; who doth well, deserveth praise of all; and who deserveth praise of all, deserveth praise of thee: pay him therefore his due and right, otherwise thou dost show thyself injurious. 88 Commend not the ungodliness of the wicked man: better it is in love to cover many sins, then in flattery to commend one: to commend that which is evil, is to make God a liar and unjust, which both discommendeth and punisheth it: To commend that which is evil, is to injury the good and innocent, viz. To bestow his portion on the unworthy, and to rob him of his due, and to make those partaker with him in his reward, that have not laboured with him in his work. 89 Be not hasty to reveal the infirmities of thy brethren, especially of the Clergy: for, whereas therein thou thinkest to do justly, thou mayst notwithstanding do very wickedly in causing a scandal to arise at Religion which cannot so soon be healed, as the offence of thy brother being concealed by secret admonition might have been salved; thereby, not only the offence of thy Minister shall be loathed, but also himself and his doctrine so much suspected, as that many a saving admonition of his shall be suspected. 90 Esteem not thyself out of the favour of God, because thou art hated, disliked, slandered, persecuted, poor and despised; for thy Master Christ was poor, hated, disliked, persecuted, slandered and despised; yet he most highly in God's favour, and thou for his sake: When therefore for his sake thou art hated, disliked, slandered, poor, persecuted and despised, thou art sure to be highest in his favour. 91 Yet boast not of thy sufferings: when thou sufferest for thy deserts, thou receivest not enough for thy sin, thy punishment is just: thy cause requireth mercy, thy sufferings challenge not recompense: It is the cause and not the punishment that makes a Martyr, the Thief was hanged for his murder, as well as Christ for the truth. 92 Yet distrust not of God's mercy when thou sufferest for thy deserts: Gods elect have been punished for their sins and follies, yet have comforted themselves with the hope of God's favour. It is a token of fatherly care and love when the child is chastened for his faults; all punishments whatsoever, are to the penitent but chastisements. 93 Think not vaingloriously to maintain thy reputation, without the fear of God; an life maketh the greatest gifts thou hast become contemptible: Wisdom doth more dignity a poor man than riches a fool. No man dareth to touch the hairs of a King, whilst they are on his head, in scorn: but being once cut off, they are cast with others unto the dunghill, and trodden under foot. 94 Object not against this advice: but those that fear not God, are in these times in greatest esteem: for of whom are they esteemed? of themselves; and therefore of no indifferent judges; of those that are like themselves, and therefore of no competent judges: Not of God nor of the good, and therefore not rightly esteemed. 95 Hearken not to fame what others say of thee, so much as to thine own heart what it doth witness of thee: fame may flatter thee causeless or condemn thee unjustly, but Thine own heart shall tell the whole truth without flattery and falsehood, which none but God and thyself is privy to. 96 Think it not sufficient to sorrow for thy sins, and to hate and detest them; but know that thou must strive against them, and overcome thy corrupt affections. A mortal enemy is not subdued when he is hated, but when he is resisted; nor when he is resisted, unless he be vanquished. 97 Feed not on delights hastily, nor when thou tastest them with greediness: there is no poison like to the sweetest, because it is most greedily devoured, And most speedily conveyed into all parts of the body. 98 Be as sparing in persecuting, yea the evil (if thou be no Magistrate) with the safety of God's glory, and thine own life and estate as thou canst: Let the Magistrate call thee to the bar, call not thou him; overmuch rashness and hastiness in persecuting is a shrewd presumption of a malignant spirit, as a learned Father hath notably observed, that Cain persecuted Abel; not Abel, Cain: Absolom, David; not David, Absolom: the jews, Christ; not Christ the jews. A mild spirit rather suffereth than doth violence. 99 Account it a greater happiness to suffer wrong then to do injury; if thou suffer wrong, thou art of the number of those whom Christ hath pronounced blessed: If thou do wrong, of those which he hath denounced cursed. 100 Let this short prayer be often sent the Ambassador of the desire of thy sorrowful soul, to the throne of Grace: Lord I am a most grievous sinner, therefore most miserable: but by how much the more miserable, by so much be thou the more merciful to put away my sins, 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 only endeavour, but delight to glorify thee, as heretofore I have been accustomed and have delighted to dishonour thee. Amen. IN thy Religion be sincere, and seem but what thou art: For God that made thee fully knows, thy inward thoughts and heart. Yield to thy parents honour due, their needs see thou relieve, And wisely rule thyself always, lest thou their age dost grieve. Thy wife as a companion fit, not like a servant use: Yet let her not rule over thee, lest thou thy place abuse. A friend do never him esteem that always speaks thee fair, For he a friend is for himself, and nought for thee doth care. But make thou much account of him that plainly will reprove, When aught amiss in thee he sees, for that is sign of love. For many a one in vice run on, and think they nought offend, Because that claw backs flatter them, and none will reprehend. Be thy vocation high or low, or whatsoever thou art, With conscience manage thy affairs, and uprightness of heart. Defraud no man by any means, take heed none thee deceive, The Dove and Serpent think upon if thou wilt rightly live. Of th'judgement day and last account, see thou still mindful be. That sin thou mayst the better shun, and all lewd courses flee: So shalt thou lead a happy life while God a place doth lend, And afterwards receive a Crown which never shall have end. FINIS.