Eremicus theologus, OR, A Sequestered Divine HIS APHORISMS, OR, BREVIATES of Speculations. IN TWO CENTURIES. By Theophilus Wodenote, B. D. sometimes fellow of King's College in Cambridge.  Cantic. chap. 4. ver. 16. Awake, O Northwind, and come thou South, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. 
LONDON, Printed by T. W. for Andrew Crook, at the Green Dragon, in S. Paul's Churchyard, 1654.   

TO THE HIGHLY BORN, HONOURABLY MINDED. AND WORTHY OF HONOURABLE AND HIGH RESPECT, MATTHEW HALSE of Efford in the County of Devon Esquire, THEOPHILUS WODENOTE one of his obliged Orators dedicates these his Aphorisms, or Breviates of Speculations; And daily beseecheth God for him, that both he, and all his issue, so specious already by affinity with so many Noble Progenies, and still growing more and more eminent by their own sincere and abundant piety and charity, may by divine mercy be preserved, through faith, unto salvation.   

APHORISMS, OR, BREVIATES of Speculations.  

The first Centurie.  

1.  
BEfore, and after, and in all businesses, and at all times, remember Prayer: how canst thou hope to speed in any thing thou dost, if thou dost it not in God's fear, and with his favour, which is the very soul of thy soul, and life of thy life, so profitable, so necessary, that by it thy souls salvation, and life itself liveth? Let not thy unworthiness deter thee, though thou art subject to many passions, and canst not pray as thou oughtest; Elias was subject to the like, and yet prayed, and was heard 
(a) James 5.17, 18. . Upon a cry made the thief seeks to fly, and neighbours come to help: upon a prayer made, the Devil shifts away, and God comes to secure.   

2.  
IN petitioning Almighty God, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek & ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you 
(b) Matth. 7.17. ; Not alone ask, and it shall be given you, there's not a full point; but seek, and knock, as well as ask: our Saviour useth a threefold phrase, and urgeth the duty from one degree to another, with interposition of proportionable promises, to signify, that we must pray often, be earnest; and zealous, for cold suitors prove cold speeders. Cold and superficial requests can never pierce the clouds, nor find any manner of access to the Throne of Grace. The prayer of the righteous availeth much, but with this condition, if it be fervent 
(c) James 5.16. ; but put not ferventness in copiousness of syllables, but of sense, not in lip-labour, but in heart-labour; God esteemeth not the loudness, or the length, but the strength of prayer, nor weighs he the ready words, but the radical devotion of him that praeth; Thou mayest pray, and cry, and outcry others, even without crying out: Moses prayer could not be heard on earth, 
(d) Exod. 14.15.  and yet the cry of it came up to heaven: when the tongue cannot speak to God, if with heart we can sigh to him, he understandeth that language, and we shall be sure of help; A sigh sometimes will serve, if truly from the soul.   

3.  
TRust not with the Papists, to scale the high fort of Heaven, by the broken, and rotten ladder of the merits of Saints, or thy own works or worthyness; but place all thy hopes, and move all thy suits, in the Name of Jesus Christ, without whom neither thou, nor any of the Saints, have any thing to do with God; but pray God for thy right in Jesus Christ, not to enter into judgement with thee; but claim all thy right to blessedness by thy right in Jesus Christ; without whom no man hath right in any thing, saving in God's indignation, and his own destruction.   

4.  
PRay that thy faith may be scientious and unfeigned; that thy lise may be conscientious and unspotted; Man's life and religion are for the most part like; A sound faith, a sweet behaviour; A false faith, a debauched demeanour; The fountain being fowl and noisome, can the water be fair and wholesome? Can a bad tree bring forth good fruit? Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles 
[e] Matth. 7.16. ? Neither can their outward conversation be pure, whose inward persuasion is not perfect.   

5.  
WHat books soever other men admire and make their Jewels, Let the Scriptures be dearer unto thee, than all other books together: Let them be a lamp to thy feet, and a light unto thy paths 
[f] Psal. 119.105. . Set and settle thy continual considerations upon them: Wherein nothing is superfluous, nor any thing wanting; wherein, whatsoever is taught, is truth, whatsoever is commanded is goodness, whatsoever is promised is perfect happiness; yea, which not only for pure and perfect matter, but for high and heavenly expressions, so far excel, that they are not to be mentioned with any other writings by way of comparison.   

6.  
HOw ragged are men's expressions? How poor the pithiness of their discourses? In sight of the sacred Scriptures, their most accomplished Treatises are not so much as the light of a candle, to the glorious brightness of the Sun in his chiefest splendour: In God's book every particle hath his poise, every tittle is useful; every syllable is sententious; every word is wonderful; He that once truly knows it, cannot choose but love it; He that truly loves it, cannot choose but with all the veins of his heart commend it to others.   

7.  
TAke not upon thee to justify whatsoever any the most learned men without special inspiration hath published; but whatsoever any penman of Scripture, to whom the Holy Ghost did dictate, hath set down, defend to thy death, and with thy death; Men may err not knowing the Scriptures 
[g] Matth. 22.29. ; not attaining to the perfect sense of them; Apollo's a learned Doctor, fervent in the Spirit, and mighty in the Scriptures, yet was he ignorant in divers things, and received instruction from Aquila and Priscilla 
[h] Acts 18.26. . We know in part, and we prophecy in part said S. Paul 
[i] 1 Cor. 13.9. , after long study, and many wonderful revelations; after God had exalted him to the third heaven, and there shown him more than a man might conceive. In sundry things, as men, we are many times much mistaken; but not a word in all the sacred volumes, that can be either false, or faulty, the Scriptures of God cannot err.   

8.  
TAke not advantages, but advertisements by Scripture; read it not to feed a faction, but to find a truth; look both forward and backward, and diligently ponder the circumstances, that thou mayest the more clearly perceive the substance; catch not at the words, or phrases, but consider what the will of the Lord is; Think not, when Christ saith, that all that ever came before him were thiefs & robbers 
[k] John. 10.8. , that therefore Moses, Elias, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the rest of the Prophets were no better than thiefs and robbers; because they went before Christ in time; but that such only were thiefs; as professed themselves to be the door of the sheep, or received, or shown any other than Christ himself; think not when Saint Paul said, that he was made all things to all men 
[l] 1 Cor. p. 22. , that therefore he did at his pleasure that which God had directly forbidden to be done, that therefore he did make himself a libertine, or establish libertinism, or purchase a protection for every man to do what seemeth good in his own eyes; but that in matters free and indifferent, and undetermined, which were not iepugnant to the Word, which were neither forbidden, nor commanded by God, such as may indifferently be either used, or not used, with a good conscience; according as the rules of godly discretion, circumstances duly considered, shall direct: he, without hurting the faith, or offending the righteous, changed himself into all fashions, and applied himself to the conditions of all, that by all means he might save some.   

9  
FRom particular privileges in Scripture, appointed by Almighty God for some singular choice purposes, as from the Israelites spoiling the Egyptians of their Jewels 
[m] Exod. 12.36. , or Samsons pulling down the house upon himself and others 
[n] Judg. 16.30. , as from Elias his calling of fire from heaven 
[o] 2 Kings 1.10. , or Elisha his cursing the children 
[p] 2 Kings 2.24. , or the like, collect not general precepts, or perpetual directions for the Church; extraordinary facts are no ordinary rules; every example is not a Law to bind every man to equal practice; thy argument taken from example is naught, unless thy warrant be alike good.   

10.  
SUch allegories, as thou findest expounded in the holy Scriptures, embrace, as rules of God's worship, matters of faith, and parts of religion, necessary to salvation; but such as men's several devices frame out of them, and commend to the world as hidden senses newly found out, neither believe them, nor desire to know them; but leave them to such as love a hidden divinity, and a secret religion devised in their own conceits, which will not abide the trial of the light; such pleasing various fancies, without sacred evidence of God's certain approbation, are but plausible allusions, and no probative allegations, can never work in the heart a full Theological persuasion. Conceive not with some passionate Papists, in the heat of their disputations, that God's Word is a potential only, no active rule; that the Scriptures are not authentical without the authority of the Church; that the authority of the Scriptures dependeth upon the authority of the Church necessarily; Not go for advice to the Church necessarily, but to the Law and to the testimony saith the Prophet Isaiah 
[q] Isaiah 8.20. , at that least examine and try the truth; Not what saith the Church? but what is written in the Law? how readest thou? saith our Saviour 
[r] Luke 10.26. . Not the Church but the Scripture is the sole and supreme Judge of all questions and Controversies of religion; The Church cannot give thee faith whereby thou believest in Christ, and layest hold of eternal life, It is the Scripture that worketh it by the inspiration of the holy Spirit; Thou mayest set the dial by the Sun, Thou canst not set the Sun by the dial; Thou mayest appeal from the judgement of the Church to the Scriptures, Not from the Scriptures to the Church.   

12.  
AS the wisemen stretched not their course beyond the direction of the star 
[s] Matth. 2.9, 10, 11. , so wander not thou in thy discourse, beyond the direction of the word; so much knowledge of divine mysteries, as God hath revealed in his sacred volumes, content thyself with, and offer not thyself to pry any further into them. Be sure thou make a resting place where God hath placed a full point; resign thyself up to his wisdom, adore his Counsels, and be not overcurious in any of his do, Neither suffer any, within thy walk and power, to make any superfluous questions about them; If any do out of infidelity, or too much curiosity, Answer him briefly with that holy and judicious Father Saint Austin, (than whom few could better resolve doubts) Do thou dispute it, I will believe it; Do thou reason it, I will admire it 
[t] Tu disputa, ego credam, tu ratiocinare ago mirabar. ; and rather seriously adore the worker, than curiously inquire the manner.   

13.  
GIve free ears of body, and full regard of mind to whatsoever God speaketh in a plain form, and frame of words; but give an excellent heedfulness to the Lord, where he useth a singular manner of speaking; There conceive some special thing is to be marked; there think thou art called to that special parenthesis of our Saviour, who so readeth let him understand 
[u] Matth. 24.15. ; where the Lord speaketh strictly and artificially, be sure to add to thy accustomed diligence a strict and artificial diligence, set thy attention where he setteth his words.   

14.  
WHatsoever scriptures thou readest or hearest, attend them carefully, and apply them usefully some way or other unto thyself; for whatsoever was written afore time, was written (not at all adventures, or as histories, to hear, or read for pleasure, but) for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 
[w] Rom. 15.4. . What shall a salve do, be it never so sovereign, if it be not laid to the sore? or what can the medicine avail, if it be not applied to the disease? We do not find it written of David in particular, that he should do the will of God, and yet in the volume of the book it is written of me, saith he, that I should do thy will, O God I am content to do it 
[x] Psal. 40.7. ; and yet he applies it in particular to himself, as if it had been spoken to him by name.   

15.  
BE not like those bare-tonguy Christians in these days, whose mouths are full of religion, but their hearts altogether empty; who show their faith by words, not by works; who think to be perfectly trusted for their pure talking. Tie not God's Word to thy tongue, but bind it to thy fingers; not only profess it with thy lips, but express it also, yea chief, in thy life: writ it not in a scroul, as the Romanists do Saint John's Gospel, tying it about their necks for external preservation, or (as the Pharisees did the Decalogue between their brows,) for external sign of holiness; but writ it in the table of thine heart, that thou mayest the better remember to put it in practice.   

16.  
TO Countenance sin allege not examples, hope not to stand upon the fall of others; conclude not thyself safe, if thou canst produce some holy men that have gone before thee in the same sins; we may not imitate the vices but the virtues of good men; sanctity goes not by precedents but by precepts; we are not to live by examples; but by the Word, whereby our actions must be guided as by a rule, and by no example without it: Examples in Scripture are not all written for our imitation, that we may learn what to do; but a great number of them for our admonition, that we may know what to shun.   

17.  
WHom thou now truly believest to be invisible, and immortal and incomprehensible, Think not at any time that God is in earnest like one of us, or that God hath a body, because the Scriptures sometimes give him our parts, because we read of the heart of God, eyes, ears, arms, hands, feet, and such like; for the holy penmen, by now and then the things of God by the phrases of men, for men's better apprehension, and readyer understanding; because we cannot understanding; because we cannot understand how one should see without eyes, or hear without ears, or show strength without arms. I speak after the manner of men, saith Saint Paul, because of the infirmity of your flesh 
[y] Rom. 6.19.  I speak as men commonly use, in regard of your weak capacities, and carnal imaginations: taking the best way to be understood, to instruct your souls, and affect your hearts. Come not to the hearing, or reading of such speeches, as the Corinthians came together, not for the better, but for the worse 
[z] 1 Cor. 11.17. ; gather not the more error from them, but the more knowledge: Hear them, or read them, to that end, for which they were written, even for thy clearer conception, and easier persuasion.   

18.  
IN all places, and amongst all persons, let thy main care alway be, to set forward God's cause, to defend his truth, to maintain his Name and estimation; whensoever it is any way questioned or evil spoken of. Have a greater care of God's glory, than of any others, or of thine own; and let it go nearer unto thee, to hear Gods Name dishonoured, than to have thine own destroyed; yea rather than thou, O Lord, shouldst lose any part of thy glory, which is most proper, and precious unto thee, glory be for ever taken away from us, and our honour with all contempt and disgrace laid in the dust, loss of credit and reputation be to all our do, and say, loss to our goods and good name, and whatsoever in this world is most dear unto us.   

19  
BE slow to wrath in the greatest in juries inferred upon thyself; but in the least affront offered to God, put on all the indignation and rigour thou hast: Be mild, and forbearing, suffering, and soft, in causer of thy own, but in the quarrel of God be magnanimous and fervent, sharp and severe, according to thy power, and place. Moses in his own quarrel, in matter concerning himself, was a man most meek, and had not an equal unto him in his time, for peaceable and gentle behaviour 
[a] Numb. 12.2, 3. ; he quietly bore wonderful wrongs, and was easily persuaded to departed from his right: But when he was to deal for God, he took upon him an holy obstinanacy; He would not consent unto Pharaoh, that so much as an hoof should remain behind them 
[b] Exod. 10.26. ; but, when he spied a Calf in the camp, when he perceived idolatry committed, and God's glory coming into question, He proclaimed a bloody massacre, and pronounced the execution to be a consecration; yea he with his partakers speedily sacrificed to God the blood of three thousand malefactors 
[c] Exod. 32.27, 28, 29. . S. Paul was not moved with thought of his own troubles, or danger of death; but when he saw the City of Athens wholly given to idolatry, his spirit was stirred in him, and though he did not as Moses, because he had not the like authority, yet he disputed in the Synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the Market daily with them that met with him 
[d] Acts 17.16, 17. .   

20.  
MAke, O make no long, yea no little tarrying to turn unto the Lord; put not off from day to day, from youth to old age, when Summer is turned into Winter, when the rain descendeth, and the floods come, and the winds blow 
[e] Matth. 7.27. , when men are beset with troubles and sickness, with pain and grief, and torment, when their wits and senses are taken up to devise remedies against their diseases, to prevent, or to sustain the pangs of death; but remember thy Creator, and remember a convenient time for thy Creator, remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, in thy young years, in thy flourishing days, in thy time of prosperity; whilst thy senses are sharp, thy memory quick, thy wit ripe, thy capacity ready, thy understanding deep; Remember his might that thou mayest believe, his mercy that thou mayest hope, his justice that thou mayest be fearful, his goodness that thou mayest be thankful 
[g] Augustinus. .   

21.  
LOve all God's children for his sake, and obey all superiors whom he hath appointed; The debt of love is general, we all own it, and we own it unto all; but trust in God, and depend upon him only, join not any creature with him; He is contented and hath commanded, that we should perform all other duties to all others, to whom they belong; Render therefore to all their deuce, tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour appertaineth 
[h] Rom. 13.7. ; provided always that we yield them all to him chief, to him ever, and to none so much as him; But the worship of confidence he hath reserved wholly to himself, neither may we communicate it to any other, upon any conditions, without extreme disloyalty to him; what is it less than idolatry for the meanest upon earth to tender it? and as much as it as sacrilege for the mightiest up●arth to take it.   

22.  
OPen thy mouth, and thy mind, for thy brethren, when they are molested and maligned, and laden with scandals and reproaches; but much more than for his cause, and for his glory, that made thy mouth and thy mind. Be not ashamed of his righteousness, or of his Gospel, lest he be ashamed of thee; confess his Name before the sons of men, and thou shalt be sure to be confessed before the sons of God; Acknowledge Christ's truth, and he will acknowledge thee, before the Angels and before his Father.   

23.  
IT hath been the custom always of the best sort, to offer, in the best manner, the best they had unto the best, that is to the Lord himself: Offer thou likewise the best to God whensoever thou hast cause to offer, if ever thou desire to be in the number of the best; otherwise the worst sort shall rise up in judgement and condemn thee; the very idolaters that worshipped the works of their own hands, and turned the truth of God into a lie, shall go before thee into the Kingdom of heaven: They in their oblations thought not the worst they had, or what came first to hand, as good enough, but brought the best they had, would have brought better if they could, and thought nothing too much for their newly devised God, they were content to spoil themselves that they might adorn their idols 
(i) Exod. 32.2, 3.    

24.  
STand upon thy credit, and provide things honest before men; A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour than silver and gold 
(k) Prov. 22.1. ; It seasoneth the gifts that we have received, and maketh them profitable unto others. Be our parts never so transcendent, Be our gifts never so excellent, Be we never so loaden with spiritual grain, and food and treasure; yet if we have not a good name to grace them, and countenance them, we can do very little or no good with them. It was an honour to Demetrius that he had a good report of all men, and of the truth if self 
(l) 3. Epist. John v. 12. : but stand no more upon thy credit than upon thy conscience, neither regard more the shame of men, than the fear of God; Have him still before thine eyes, who hath thee always before his eyes, look up unto him continually, who never leaveth to look down upon thee; so shalt thou walk evermore in his presence, and be sure to become ever the more upright.   

25.  
NEither derogate any thing from the Majesty of God, albeit he vouchsafe ordinarily to use external and ordinary means, in bringing his purposes to pass; for he useth them freely, not of necessity, and he is as well able to manifest his power, without them, as with them; He hath a prerogative above the prerogative of any Prince, to work above, and besides, yea and against nature. Neither yet magnify the creatures, which the Lord at any time is pleased to use, above that which is convenient, for any rare gifts and qualities that we see in them; for that were to set them in the place of God, who have no more efficacy than that which is given them from above from him who is the guide of nature and the cause of causes, according to his own pleasure; but first and above all give thou glory to God, to whom only it is due; and then for the Lords sake honour thou the means, because God hath put the honour of an instrument upon it.   

26.  
NEver distrust in thy least, or greatest vexation, any the least or greatest promise of God; for not one jot or one tittle of any shall fail to be performed, in due time. Man is variable in his love and promises to his neighbour; Men are subject, even the best men, both to deceive, and to be deceived; Men promise much, and perform little: but, as God is not deceived, so he cannot deceive, and, if thou be of any spiritual experience, thou canst not but know, that the Lord often bringeth to pass, more than he promiseth to do: Doubt not therefore at any time of his Word, who is many times better than his Word.   

27.  
Accounted it and acknowledge it always with all thankfulness, as a great mercy of God, that he sendeth thee to school, and speaketh to thee (who art not able to abide the beauty and brightness of his majesty) by men and brethren like unto thyself, and subject to like passions; If God himself should appear unto thee, and utter his voice, his voice from heaven, then wouldst thou fear, and quake, and fall down as a dead man; or cry out with great astonishment as many of the Fathers did, Alas I shall die: we hear not the thunder without fear, we behold not the brightness of the Sun without dazzling; how then should we hear the immediate voice of God, or see his glory, without confusion? Then, if by God's mercies, thou recoverest thy senses, thou wouldst make request to have the ministers of the Word to speak unto thee again, whom now thou despisest; and whose words thou contemnest now as base, and contemptible, thou wouldst then desire and embrace.   

28.  
REmember it, and consider it, as a principle, whensoever thou hearest; that howsoever we may not obey either man or Angel, if he speak any thing contrary to the written Word, though he come with all show of learning, and all appearance of unspotted and undefiled pureness: yet the greatest princes of the world are bound to hear and obey the meanest man that God doth send, so far as he teacheth according to his commission; If Princes resist the word of truth in the Preachers mouth, they resist not the messenger, but the master that sent him.   

29.  
GRow better, as thou growest elder; Be not like a dead hedge, with the many, by standing longer, waxing rottener; Art thou past growth in body? yet art thou not come to thy full growth in soul; thou so journest here in this valley of tears, until thy faith be turned into vision, and thy hope into fruition. As a new born babe desire the sincere milk of the Word, that thou mayest grow thereby 
[m] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Pet. 2.2. ; The Apostle speaketh it to the eldest as well as to the youngest. There is no bound for this thy growth, but the common bound of thy mortality: Grow still in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 
[n] 2 Pet. 3.18, etc. ; without whom, all knowledge is ignorance, all wisdom foolishness, all learning madness, and all religion error, or hypocrisy, or superstition; and of whom, the greatest part of that which thou knowest is not the least part of that which thou knowest not; Never be to teach unwilling, or to learn ashamed.   

30.  
THink not thou hast knowledge enough, for than thou clearly bewrayest thy want of knowledge; such as have attained and received the greatest knowledge, do find in themselves the greatest ignorance; such as imagine themselves to be most sure and rich in understanding, are indeed most sottish and childish in the matters of God: like empty vessels that make the greatest sound. Hereby thou shalt try thyself, whether thou hast reached to any measure of acceptable knowledge; if it work and kindle in thee a desire of more knowledge; if it do praferre facem, hold the light before thee, to see thy own weakness; and if it teach thee that still thy wants are greater than thy wealths.   

31.  
DEspise not, undervalue not, the the holy Word of God, because it is conveied unto thee by sinful man: Forsake not the exercises of religion for the wickedness or unworthiness of the Minister; As thou art not to receive his doctrine for his good life, so thou art not to reject it for his evil life: An evil Messenger may deliver a good message. The Pharisees in the days of Christ were lewd livers, full of pride, covetousness, hypocrisy, and dissimulation, and many of them of other tribes than of Levy; yet so long as they fate in Moses chair, that is, held themselves to Moses text and doctrine, the disciples are commanded ded to hear them (as damned hypocrites as they were) and to do whatsoever they commanded 
[o] Matth. 23.2, 3. ; which words our Saviour would never have delivered, if either the Minister might have defiled the Word, or any man be allowed for the faults of the Minister to have rejected and refused the Lords Mysteries.   

32.  
IF thou wouldst increase in learning, and grow in grace, set thine ears to hearken to the Word; if thou wouldst not have thy prayers despised, despise not the Word; to hear the Word come thou never careless, lest thou depart fruitless; come thou never with any contempt, lest thou reap condemnation; whosoever busieth himself in other things, as gazing here and there, observing clothes, and countenances, removing, talking, beckoning, nodding, and such like gestures, whilst he is hearing, heareth but with half an ear, if with half an ear, whereas both are too little for so high a work; whereas all the powers both of soul and body should for that time wait upon the voice of the Preacher.   

33.  
WHensoever thou art resolved to hear, be an humble suitor to God for a blessing both upon thyself and the preacher; upon the preacher to prepare his speech, upon thyself to persuade thy soul: For though hearing of necessity go before faith, yet faith doth not of necessity follow after hearing; The fowler catcheth not every bird he calleth, neither doth the preacher win every soul he wooeth; whom the Holy Ghost teacheth not inwardly they return unlearned 
[p] Quos Spiritus Sanctus non intus docet, indocti redeunt. August. in epist. Johan. tract. 3. ; It is not man's words that maketh man understand God's Words, It is God that maketh him to understand 
[q] Non ver bi hominis fit ut intelligatur verbum Dei, facit Deus ut intelligatis. Aug. ; He hath his chair in heaven that moveth hearts on earth 
[r] Cathedram in coele habet qui corda movet. Aug. .   

34.  
COme not to the house of God, only to hear others taught, but to learn thyself too; come not to refresh thyself, but to reform thy life; Affect not such teaching, as appeareth to be most plausible, but such as is most profitable; not that which may please the ear, but that which may pierce the heart: Attend not so much what well digested order, what eloquence, what learning the preacher showeth, as what mis-opinions he detecteth, what schisms or heresies he convinceth, what sins he reproveth, that so thou mayest the sooner come to repentance. There is danger in not hearing, and no less danger in hearing and not profiting; It is not more wicked not to come to hear, than to come and hear, and mind to be wicked; Better not come to hearing, than not come, by hearing, to be better.   

35.  
HEar not the Word by parts, and parcels, by clauses or cantels only, so far as it agreeth with thy humour, and keepeth fair and far off from meddling with thy offences; but attend and hear as well the judgements of God thundered out against thee, in the Law, as the sweet promises pronounced, and offered in the Gospel; as well the laying open of thy own sins, as the publishing of the sins of other men: we are ready to hear all things that are commanded thee of God, saith Cornelius 
[s] Acts 10.33. , when Peter came to preach at his house; not to hear only such things as we like, but to hear all things that are commanded thee of God; though thou be charged to press most earnestly upon us, to turn from our most pleasing ways. O who cometh to hear now adays with the like mind? And yet, as he must be reform whosoever will be saved, so he must with a calm, and subdued heart,  all just reproofs, whosoever desireth to be reform.   

36.  
SUbmit thyself unto thy Minister with reverence and patience, not only when thou hearest pleasing things, precious promises, and gracious comforts; but when thou hearest him, according to God's Word, sounding an alarm in thine ears, uttering reproofs, delivering threaten, and denouncing judgements, against the prevailing sins of the time (and therefore perhaps thine amongst the rest) as lying, slandering, murmuring, and treason, pride and oppression, malice and cruelty: The which howsoever it seem as bitter potions and very distasteful to flesh and blood, yet is it very wholesome for the soul and spirit, may help to purge away the gross humours of sin, and preserve from eternal death. No wickeder man than he, who being hardened in sin hateth to be reproved, who cannot without raging endure to hear him, by whom he is meekly and wisely rebuked for his sins.   

37.  
THat thou mayest not perish, but profit, by the threaten of God; know that the denunciations of God's Judgements, are, for the most part, conditional, not absolute, towards his people; and to be understood with this exception, except they repent 
[t] Luke 13.3.5. Apoc. 2.5. ; If we be hereupon stirred up to repentance and new obedience, even in the greatest and most fearful threaten of Gods heavy Judgements, there is comfort remaining, and hope of grace & mercy to be found, there is health in sickness, and life in death.   

38.  
NEither read, nor hear, as travellers by the Law might e'er grapes 
[u] Deut. 23.25. , that is, eat some for the present time, but carry none away with them; but whatsoever good thou readest or hearest, learn to remember it, and remember to follow it; remember it, love it, practise it; remember it that thou mayest earnestly love it, love it that thou mayest continually practise it, and persevere in it; to read it, or hear it, and not to remember it, is ridiculous; to remember it, and not to love it, is vain; to love it, and not to practise it, is absurd; but to remember it, love it, practise it, and persevere in it, is the way to everlasting blessedness.   

39  
UNderstand this and mark it, that outward service separated from inward obedience is not respected but rejected of God; If thou keep from him the one, he careth not for the other; naked hearing is but a needless halting in God's sight, which God cannot abide; bare receiving of the holy Sacrament, without faith, without love, without conscience, is but a base deceiving of thy own soul.   

40.  
KNowledge and practice of Gods will are as two wings whereby we must fly up to heaven; there is no flying with the one alone; It is not enough to know what to do, unless we labour to do what we know; knowledge without obedience and employment is not a virtue for good, but a venom for hurt, and in such an unthrifty steward, the more, increase of science, the more increase of sorrow: For what can he look for in the end, but an equal number of stripes, according to the measure of his unfruitful understanding? Even ignorance through want of the means, shall exempt no person from offence, or condemnation; He that knows not his masters will shall not altogether escape unpunished, though his case be more tolerable, though his censure shall be the less, though he be beaten with fewer strips; but on him, to whom the Lord hath vouchsafed the means of knowledge, will he be sure to power down the greater vengeance; but that servant that knew his Master's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his 
[w] Luke 12.47, 48.  will, shall be beaten with many stripes; the better he knows, the worse he shall be beaten.   

41.  
Ascribe neither too much, nor too little to thy Minister; Neither despise him, nor deify him, as the manner of some is; Esteem him not as a principal author, but as a subordinate actor, Not as a Lord, (which the Apostles every where disclaim) but as a steward, Not as a Master, but a Minister; And yet account him, not as a common and ordinary servant, but a man of God 
[x] 2 Kings 4.27. , a servant of the most high God, that showeth unto thee the way of Salvation 
[y] Acts 16.17. ; And yet account him, as he is indeed, not only a seer, but an overseer 
[z] Acts 20.28. , a steward of God's high secrets 
[a] 1 Cor. 4.1. , a messenger of the Lord of hosts 
[b] Malac. 2.7. , who is appointed to be the opener and declarer of the will of God amongst the people; by whose ambassage there is peace concluded and reconciliation ministerially made between God and man 
[c] 2 Cor. 5.18, 19, 20. ; the mouth of God unto the people by preaching, and by praying the mouth of the people unto God; one that in special place standeth before God, and ministereth unto him upon earth, as the Angels minister unto him in heaven 
[d] Rev. 1.20.2.1.3.1. .   

42.  
WHatsoever public mislike, or private unkindness fall out, yet fall not out of charity with him, whom God hath thought fittest to make thy Pastor; That special proviso, that strict charge, is not yet out of date, but in full force all thy life long, Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite, as long as thou livest upon the earth 
[e] Deut. 12.19. ; Did God, as men commonly do, make slight account of the Levite, he would not set so strong a guard about him, for his credit, and preservation. The Jews have a saying, that whosoever dieth in the displeasure of his Rabbi, that is, of him that hath charge of his soul, he shall not be forgiven in this world, or the world to come: I dare not affirm so much; But this I dare affirm, and can confirm, that dying, or living, to despise thy overseer, if it be not unpardonable, yet it is unprofitable, and that for thyself: obey them that have the rule over you, and submit your serves (to their good exhortations) for they watch for your souls, as they that must give an account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you, saith the Apostle 
[f] Heb. 13.17. , For if you grieve your overseers you will make them faint and quail away, and so you shall want guides to go in and out before you, and then you shall be ready and a fit prey for that roaring Lion that goeth about seeking whom he may devour. Nay I dare boldly say more, to despise thy Priest, though never so low, is a sin of so high nature, that it is no lower than to despise the high Priest Christ Jesus, He that despiseth you (in thought, word, or deed) despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me, saith Christ himself 
[g] Luke 10.16. .   

43.  
FAithless wretches and no better let them ever be in thy esteem, Never think them trust-worthy, whom thou seest maliciously bend against the persons of their faithful Pastors; Revile not, abuse not, offend not any of those that are called of God to be the Ministers of his Word, to be the stewards of his mysteries 
[h] 1 Cor. 4.1. , and to be his Ambassadors 
[i] 2 Cor. 5.20. , whom he hath set to be near unto him, and to be in special grace and favour with him. Dare any contend with him that is the King's friend or favourite? Do not all desire, and seek his favour? How then dare any disgrace and dishonour those, and seek their utter ruin, whom God hath pleased to make, as it were, of his privy Counsel, not to give him Counsel, but to take counsel from him, and to reveal his counsel to the sons of men 
[k] Amos 3.7. Acts 20.27. ?   

44.  
IN all thy secret and unknown sins (which thou tookest not to be sins, which thou in weakness and ignorance hast committed), A general acknowledgement, and general (if serious) mourning for them, may procure thy pardon; but thy known sins thou must confess in special, the several kind of them at least, though thou canst not remember the individuals; and pray with earnestness of spirit, as for life, and death, for the remission of them; thou must uncase, and uncover them, with all their circumstances, if thou wouldst have God to cover them with the precious garment of JESUS CHRIST; Blessed is the man whose sins are covered, David saith 
[l] Psal. 32.1. , but whose sins are covered by Christ, not by himself; himself must open them; David's heart smote him after he had numbered the people out of his mere pride and vanity to know how many thousand strong he was: and when he saw multitudes of the people swept away with the pestilence for his sin, with extreme sorrow of heart he cried unto the Lord, and said, Lo I have sinned, and I have done wickedly, but these sheep what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my Father's house 
[m] 2 Sam. 24.17. .   

45.  
Always remember that there are privative sins, as well as positive, negative, as well as affirmative; Not to do good, is to do evil; As well the forsaking or neglecting of necessary duties, as the practising and pursuing opposite evils may make a man stand guilty of sin in God's sight; He is called a wicked and slothful servant, who put not his Lord's money to the exchangers, thought he had hid it in the earth, and kept it safely; and the same is cast into utter darkness not for wasting his talon, or abusing it unto oppression, but for letting it rust, for not endeavouring to use it to his masters the Donors' advantage, according to his appointment 
[n] Matth. 25.26, 27, 30. ; Even Christ himself yields this much against himself, that if he had not done that good deed to the man with the withered hand, he had done evil, and if he had not given life to that dead member of his, he had so far killed him 
[o] Luke 6.9. ; It was not acting enmity, but omitting amity, not the taking away of others goods, but not giving of his own, that threw that delicious cormorant Dives into Hell 
[p] Non quod abstulerit aliena, sed quod non donârit sua. Greg. homil. 40. in Evang. ; He took nothing from Lazarus, He rob him not of a rag, He got not from him a crumb of bread, or a drop of water; and yet he is accounted cruel and unmerciful, and is cast into torments 
[q] Luke 16.23. .   

46.  
BEware of superficialnes, and  seriousness whensoever thou art about any divine office either for others, or for thyself; Let not thy mind wander, remember what thou hast in hand, consider what thou art doing, do it with thy best exactness; In examination call not only thy proceed and deeds, but thy intents and thoughts to account; In humiliation condemn thy inward cogitations which appear vain, as well as thy outward courses which appear violent; In reformation omit not to purge thy soul from impious imaginations, when thou meanest to cleanse thy life from ungodly conversation. Oh there is no sin can be so small, but it deserveth the anger of God, and is too great to be cherished; Nay the very entrance and being of any vile conceit within us, though we do not cherish it, though neither deed follow, nor heart consent, is yet no less than a traitor to God's Majesty.   

47.  
TRust not to thy trembling at the judgements of God, to thy fear to commit sin, to thy sorrow for it when thou hast committed it; trust not to the contrition of thy heart, to the confession of thy tongue, to the repayment of the ill gotten-goods, which the common Papists make to be the three essential parts of true repentance; For even the very reprobate may go so far in their profession, and yet afterwards fall away; All such qualities and practices might be found in some measure in Judas, that betrayed his master 
[r] Matth. 27.34. ; but let thy repentance proceed with conversion to God, with hope of mercy, with prayer for pardon, with bewailing whatsoever is amiss, and labouring to amend whatsoever thou bewailest; with hatred of sin, with love of righteousness; but let it proceed with turning thine eyes that were windows to let in iniquity, into doors to let it out; but let it persevere with a true turning of thy heart, and a right reformation of thy life; For that is the way that hath the promise: He that confesseth, and forsaketh his sins, shall have mercy 
[s] Prov. 28.13. ; He that joins with his acknowledgement of what he hath offended in, a settled purpose to renounce and strive against the same, yea and all corruptions else, He it is whom God accepts, He it is which shall find favour with the Lord; He that confesseth his sins, and would forsake his sins, before the earthly Judge, is many times condemned; but he that confesseth his sins, and forsaketh his sins, before the heavenly Judge, is always acquitted.   

48.  
WHat though thou canst not attain to loath sinsulness with so great a detestation, and to follow righteousness with so great a desire, as some other Saints have done? yet be not maskered, be not disanimated, fear not the losing of thy reward, if thou keep on still according to thy strength, to fly the one truly, and follow the other faithfully: God useth not to charge any man with the evil which he alloweth not, but hateth, and striveth against, though his feet be sometimes in a wrong path; and he cannot thoroughly avoid it; and how mercifully doth he approve every man for the good that he desireth & indeavoureth to do, though he now and then swarve from it, and cannot perfectly effect it?   

49.  
IF thy soul be truly penitent, with great grief and heaviness of heart, for all thy sins; If thou sincerely cry to God for mercy, and forgiveness, and bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life; If thou renounce all merit of righteousness in thyself, and fly to the merits and righteousness of Christ; Never account thy estate and condition forlorn and desperate; Never doubt of God's mercy though thou hast sinned often, and often shown thy weakness in the same sins; Darest thou set any bounds to God's grace? When the Apostle S. Peter asked Christ how often he should forgive his brother, whether seven times? Did not our Saviour answer, Not seven times only, but seventy times seven 
[t] Matth. 18.22. , in the bare letter of the text, but according to the true meaning of the same, even so many times as he trespassed against him, though they were times beyond special number 
[u] Toties quoties August. serm. 15. de verbis Domini. Vicibus innumerabiliter innumer abilibus, Maldonat. in locum. Species numeri magni pro numero magno in genere. Piscator in loc. ? O speech full of consolation, how doth it any mate us to repose on the Lord's mercy? Is not the Lord greater than man? Is he not better than man? If he require so great compassion in a man, in a sinful man, to forgive his brother trespassing against him so often; what compassion is in himself, to forgive his own poor penitent creature that prostrates himself to his mercy? The Lord, who hath enjoined us to forgive so often, will much more freely do it himself; whose mercy is infinite, whose favour is incomprehensible, whose loving kindness endureth for ever.   

50.  
LOok both behind thee to bewail sins past, and before thee to beware of sins to come; He reputes not hearty that amends not thoroughly, refolveth not at least thoroughly to mend. With a right deploration of sin, there is ever a true detestation of sin; Death may defeat the performance of thy purpose, or God may permit Satan to tempt thee afresh presently, and powerfully, but there must be in thine heart a resolution, at least, an intent of reformation, or else it is no sincere, but a seeming repentance.   

51.  
Think it not enough to make conscience of some greater sins, so long as thou neglectest smaller; Neither yet make conscience of some petty sins, neglecting greater: Beware of limiting thy duty to God, perform obedience to thy utmost power; If, when thou hast done thy best, thou yet fail in fit measure; Be not sour in thyself where God is sweet, vex not thyself out of measure; God measureth not our work but out will, He remitteth what is wanting, He receaveth what what is well.   

52.  
NEver think it enough to believe only in general, that God is just, and that Christ hath suffered to satisfy the justice of God; For (whatsoever some prime Papists teach 
[w] Bellar. lib. 1. de justific. cap. 7. , what can a confused and implicit faith profit? how can that faith ever save thee, when the ungodly and Satan believe as much, when the Devils believe and tremble? but endeavour, by all good means, to be able to apply Christ and his benefits unto thyself in particular; The particular faith is the only comfortable faith, and by this the just man liveth 
[x] Habac. 2.4. ; As faith is the life of a Christian soul, so an individual application is the life of faith; O God, thou art my God, saith David 
[y] Psal. 63.1: ; and again, Deliver me O my God, out of the hands of the wicked 
[z] Psal, 71.4. ; and again, Thou art my God, and I will praise thee, thou art my God, I will exalt thee 
[a] Psal. 118.28. ; and so in many other Psalms; My Lord and my God, saith Thomas 
[b] John 20.28. , being ravished with Christ's assured presence, and his having obtained victory over his doubting: who hath loved me, and given himself for me, saith Paul 
[c] Galat. 2.20. , apprehending and applying the merits of his Saviour to his soul, as the medicine to the malady.   

53.  
IF the departing of others from their faith, whom thou conceivedst more likely to have departed from their lives; Satan's alleging and aggravating thine infirmities, affronting & affrighting thee with God's Justice, troubles and persecutions, one after another (like Job's messengers) shake and stagger thee, make thee question thy own faith; yet if with thy faith in God thou feelest in thyself a hatred of sin, and a desire of righteousness, which refraineth thee from much wickedness, and stirreth thee up to some works of virtue (although there remain in thee the relics of sin, yea a motion unto sin contrary to the Spirit of God, which also breaketh out sometimes into actual sins) yet if thy conscience shall not upbraid thee with sin wilful and presumptuous; if thy heart's delight hath always been in God's Statutes, & thy study to thy strength to abandon all iniquity, sound without guile, and humbly without pride, It is a hand and seal unto thy soul to make it sure thou shalt be saved.   

54.  
DOst thou doubt and fear that thou truly lovest not grace and salvation, and yet lovest all the ordinances of God for man's salvation, and yet hungrest and thirstest after the word and Sacraments, and all other Christian exercises? Be not deceived, be not discouraged, These are sure effects of sincerity; These things make it apparent that thy doubts are of no weight, and thy fears frivolous; Thou couldst not with so great care and circumspection seek, if thou wert not willing to find; Thou couldst not with so great speed and resolution travel, if thou hadst not hearty mind to thy journey's end, even the salvation of thy soul 
[d] 1 Pet. 1.9. .   

55.  
DOst thou feel sometimes a doleful change in thy mind? Is thy soul cast down, and disquieted within thee? Doth thy faith sometimes fearfully stagger? Art thou ready to give over thy hold of God? Yet out of his gracious goodness will he never give over the hold that he hath of thee; His anchor is so firmly settled and fixed upon the ground of thy heart, that no storms or tempests can shake or lose it; Art thou prone sometimes to leave God? yet is he resolved not to leave thee, or to lose thee; The Lord hath bought thee at too high a price to part upon such low terms from thee,   

56.  
SEest thou the wicked so forward to put evil motions in practice, that they no sooner apprehend them, but approve them, no sooner approve, them than execute them, yea proceed and continue in them cheerfully and constantly? Tell not them of Bears or Lions in the way: They are busy in pursuing their game, and they will get it whatsoever it cost them, for they have so decreed and set it down; Oh be thou as ready to entertain the good motions of God's holy Spirit; Esteem of them highly, and embrace them hearty, practise them freely and faithfully, and return the strength to the giver; so shall God plentifully power down his grace upon thee, so shall thou never want favour after favour; God will never fail to add good to him, who employs that good which he hath received; Employ all those gifts thou hast, and look for more; Employ them not, and look to lose what thou hast; whosoever hath to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance 
[e] Matth. 13.12. , and whosoever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have 
[f] Luke 8.18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. .   

57  
BE not a sluggard in any good calling, and much less in thy calling to Christianity; notwithstanding all discouragements, temptations and oppositions to the contrary, that may stand up in the way to hinder thee; The calling of a Christian can least of all others stand with idleness; If the idle man's belly shall be pinched and starved for want of food 
[g] Prov. 6.11. , and his back clothed with rags 
[h] Prov. 23.21. ; If by doing nothing he shall bring himself to nothing, and having no calling poverty have a calling to arrest him; How shall the idle Christians soul speed; what regard, what entertainment shall that have? wish not only for grace and salvation, but work out thy salvation with fear and trembling 
[i] Philip. 2.12. ; If every languishing and lazy flash of every wisher and woulder were enough, there would be swarms of reprobates in heaven, flocks and flights of people would never fall into destruction, if words and desires without religious and righteous deeds would preserve them from it; Balaam that wretched, covetous hypocrite, wished that he might die the death of the righteous 
[k] Numb. 23.10. , but he took no care to live the life of the righteous, which might have assured him of dying well; The foolish Virgins would have gladly gone in with the Bridegroom, they hoped after oil of the wiser Virgins, and begged hard to be let in, if that might have prevailed; But they bewailed their want, and went to buy oil for their Lamps when it was too late, but they would not be at the pains and charges to provide themselves of oil in due time; but they had it not in readiness when the Lord came suddenly in the night: and therefore they reaped the sour fruit of their sweet security, they had the gates of the Bridegroom, and the door of eternal life shut up against them, and were excluded into perpetual darkness where is weeping and gnashing of teeth 
[l] Matth. 25.2, 3, etc. .   

58.  
IN all the actions and transactions of thy life, Let thy projects be pious and righteous, and thy practices proportionable and allowable; to aim at the best ends by byways is schismatical, to walk in the most worthy ways to wry intents is hypocritical, to desire neither lawful works nor lawful ways is Atheistical, but to labour at least for the right prize by the right path, is always both comfortable and commendable, is both the office and wisdom of a Christian.   

59  
LEt there be in thy purpose sincerity in thy practice integrity, in thy disposition diligence, in thy proceeding perseverance; Let thy duties both to God and man, be without dissembling, without diminishing, without repining, without revolting.   

60.  
BE always rich in the work of the Lord 
[m] 1 Cor. 15.58. , ready to distribute, willing to communicate 
[n] 1 Tim. 6.18. ; Be ready to every work 
[o] Titus 3.1. , which either the common duty of Christianity, or thy own private calling requireth of thee; or with such sacrifices God is well pleased 
[p] Heb. 13.16. ; and faith very probably proved; The historical faith, or faith of miracles may appear without good works as in the Devils who have one of them, and in Judas that damned reprobate who had both of them; but the true justifying faith that ingraffs thee into Christ, that reconciles thee to God, that quits thy sin, and saves thy soul can never be known to others nor to thyself, but by good works; There may happily be works where there is not faith, but there is certainly no true faith where there are no works; They are the tokens and trials, the pulse and breath at least of a lively faith; and by want of them, thou mayest as well conclude want of faith, as by the ceasing of the pulse, and breath, conclude the ceasing of life.   

61.  
IT is not enough to do well, unless thou speedily dispatch what thou dost; Delays, in any thing that is good, are ill, and in the best things worst; deadness and drowsiness in doing duty is no fit service in his sight, who requireth ferventness; and cheerfulness in all good actions; There may be as great a fault in practising a virtue too late, as in performing a vice too soon; say not to thy neighbour, go and come again, and to morrow I will give thee, when thou hast it by thee 
[q] Prov. 3.28. , when thou hast wherewith to supply his wants to day: To morrow may never come, either to him, or thee, or, if it come to thee, it may come unseasonable and unable to do him good; what availeth it to let the grass grow when the horse starveth? or when the steed is stolen to shut the stable door?   

62.  
ARt thou advanced to authority, and established in high place? make not much of vile persons of what estate soever, whose true title, for all their other titles, is, that they are the enemies of God: but make much of and be sure to honour those that sear the Lord, and walk in his ways, how mean soever they are upon earth, if ever thou desire and hope to inherit glory with them in heaven. Look not with so great regard how personable men are, or of what birth, or wealth, as of what faith and conscience, and pious deportment; show most courtesy to those that are most Christian, and give best countenance to them that are of best behaviour. If God have deputed thee to keep his room, to resemble his Majesty, to bear his image, it is not only comely but necessary, thou shouldst follow his example, whose bountiful favours never fail the righteous, nor the light of his loving countenance at any time shineth on the wicked.   

63.  
LOve all, even thy deadlyest enemies, and do good unto them, and that not only in their prosperity and flourishing estate, but in their greatest need, so far as thou dost not maintain, and help them against Christ; yea as thou seest the gifts of God more clearly to shine, & more manifestly to multiply in them, so let thy love increase towards them; Let not their will or work to hurt thee, overcome thy will or work to help them; Adjoin not thy impatiency to their injustice, keep them not off from thee by opposing, or upbraiding, but rather draw them nearer unto thee, by prayer and kindness; It is in vain for thee to represent and press, what evil they have done unto thee, how many ways they have wronged thee; should Christ have loved none but his friends, he had never loved thee; It is impossible for men to do that wrong one to another, which we have done all to God; There can be no surer pledge to thy soul, that thy sins are forgiven with God, and that he favoureth thee, than if thou find a readiness in thyself to remit injuries, and to favour those that do them; but especially make much of the household of faith, but more affectionately and more liberally Christians by profession, 
Majori & affectu & effectu. Ber.  Saints by calling, heirs by faith, but especially do good to those that are the sons of God by grace and adoption, that are thy brethren by grace & sanctification, whom God hath engraven as a signet in the palm of his hand, and whom he tendereth as the apple of his eye; Let them have the privilege of an elder brother, even a doubly portion; who when for thy miscarriages they privately blame thee, do not meanly profit thee, and pleasure thee, by showing thy sins to thyself, and covering them from other; and yet that is all the injury thou art like to receive from them.   

64.  
BE not hollow-hearted, but sincerely affected; Be not, like subtle Saul 
[r] 1 Sam. 18.17. , and hypocritical Absalon 
[s] 2 Sam. 15.5. , only kind in fair salutations, and friendly words; but, like faithful Jonathan 
[t] 1 Sam. 18.4. , and honest Onesiphorus 
[u] 2 Tim. 1.16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in deeds make good thy kindness, and manifest thy truth; and that not forcibly, or with grudging, but with good will, cheerfully, and that not sparingly, or basely, but bountifully, and with a large hand; If thou shalt do this from the true ground, because God hath commanded, and to a right end, that God may be glorified, and thy neighbour bettered, there shall not be wanting any thing to true liberality.   

65.  
SUch as are wronged, and oppressed, and cannot help themselves, be ready to help, by all good means thou canst afford; by thy deeds, and by thy words, by thy Counsel and by thy comforts, by thy pleading with men for them, and prayers to to God; and the more help them the weaker they are to help themselves, and the stronger thou art to help them; He that hasteneth to be merciful to another, shall himself in the like case soon obtain mercy; Neither is there a surer sign than mercy to be found of any man's present being under mercy.   

66.  
FOr thy neighbour's virtues allow not his vices; Neither for his vices condemn his virtues; Hate not so much his sudden passions, as never to love his sober actions; obscure not the glory of God's gifts upon whomsoever bestowed; but wisely distinguishing between every man's good properties, and his bad, Let the one be as a rock, the other as a rule, let the one divert thee, the other direct thee.   

67.  
NEither seek, nor admit embowelled entireness, or any special familiarity with those notorious hypocrites, those soul-murderers, who either poison the Church with heresy, 
Pejus est Ecclesiam scindere, guàm idolis sacrificare. August.  or (which is worse than to sacrifice to Idols) dismember and rend it asunder with schism; who labour to alienate the minds of men from their right teachers, and from the Word and Sacraments in the Church of this Land, because of their private dislikings and discontents; (to the hindrance of the chief business, and furtherance of the common enemy) whose friendship is servitude and abides not equality, whose kisses are treasons, whose religion is policy, and whose policy wickedness; who infect all whom they can draw within the compass of communication; and entice as many as they can possibly within that compass; with whom a man cannot peaceably live in this world, except he will believe with them, and with whom a man cannot believ, if he perfectly trust to live in the world to come.   

68  
BE not more careful what thou eatest, or drinkest, than amongst whom thou eatest, or drinkest: For there are some whose places we should rather desire, than their persons, and their rooms, rather than their company; who have forsaken God, and whom God hath forsaken; with the which loathsome and despicable men, more virulent and contagious than the breath of a Basilisk, we may neither eat, nor drink, that is, not familiarly converse; Evil words corrupt good manners 
[w] 1 Cor. 15.33. ; and what then doth evil company do? Oh what dangerous infection hath evil conversation often brought and wrought in those, who had made no small progress in Christianity? conversation breedeth that in continuance, that is not beaten off in any continuance.   

69.  
ARe they only now adays held complete and furnished cap-a-pe that can sort themselves to all companies, that can indifferently converse with all manner of persons, yea though they know their ill qualities as well as if they were stamped in their foreheads? yet consider with all diligence whom thou admittest into thy house, or in whose house thou betakest thyself to dwell; avoid all private and customary conversation with the wicked, though not public commerce 
[x] Malorum consortia fugere debemus quoad privatam consuetudinem non quo ad publicam conversationem. Ambrose offic. lib. 1. cap. 18. ; Decline their very presence as much as thou mayest, except thou be to discern their diseases, and minister medicines to cure them, or necessity of some duty of religion, or of thy vocation, or love or humanity command thee to be with them. What man in his right wits would wittingly and wilfully thrust himself into the hands of thiefs, having no less charge than the precious graces of God's Spirit about him? Enter not into the path of the wicked, saith Solomon, and go not in the way of evil men, avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away 
[y] Prov. 4.14, 15. ; what an heap of words doth he use? and to what serve so many repetitions? but to show the exceeding danger of communicating with the wicked, and how hardly we are drawn to leave them.   

70.  
BEtter others by thy company, or by thy company better thyself; Either always learn some good of others, or be teaching some good thing to others; Hath thy neighbour any resplendent grace? make it thine; Hast thou any rare gift? make it his; what rather should be the centre of all our conversation and conference, than to help and further one another in knowledge, and the practice thereof, than to make those that are bad good, and those which are good better?   

71.  
FLatter not thyself that any sin is the less, the more commit it; walk not on the bolder in any sin, because thou seest a multitude of fellows in it; For what is an unregenerate and unsanctified company, but a rout of Rebels and an heap of confederates conspiring together against God? Even the learnedst heathen thought it not the least part of their glory, to steer a course (like the Antipodes) clean opposite to the liking of the vulgar; How much more, though thou hast multitudes wilfully to go before thee, shouldst thou know, whom they follow, before thou willingly follow and join thyself with them? If thou offend with others, thou shalt be punished with others; and, if thou sin with great troops, thou shalt suffer with great troops; canst thou think it will be any consolation unto thee, in the end, that, as thou hast not sinned alone, so thou shalt not be punished alone? what profit hath the thief that is going to the place of execution, to see a train of many others bear him company? Is his judgement any whit the soster? or is his comfort any whit the sounder?   

72.  
PUll up thy spirits, and excite thyself, not only to do good, but to be chief in doing good, but to labour, like S. Paul, more abundantly than others 
(z) 1 Cor. 15.10. ; Hasten and strive in any good course to run before others, to lead them the way; that thou mayest have the greater and better reward in that great day; The chief and principal in any good work that draw on and encourage others in the way of godliness by their earnest example, their reward, no doubt, shall be exceeding great, they shall have a chief and principal compensation; the wages shall be sure to be according to the works.   

73.  
ADmire not all the faying and do of worshipful & wealthy men; Neither think that all that have power and titles are surely wise; but rather more especially pray for them, that they may be wise; for it is good, yea necessary for them, who have gotten the greatest inheritances, to get the greatest wisdom; that will make their possessions yet better, and that will bring them to a better use of their possessions, that will incite them to prayer, and thankfulness; that will move them to compassion and mercy, and make them able and ready to exercise every good duty in their calling: As on the other side their wealthyness, without wisdom, will be a gin and temptation to lewdness, and but as a sword in a mad man's hand.   

74.  
LEt not the dew of Heaven, and the store of the Earth become snares unto thee and occasions of falling; If thou be hedged about with outward blessings, and God have given thee great abundance to enjoy; If riches increase, though by never so honest means, though never so well gotten, or well saved, or well employed; yet trust not in them, boast not of them, set not thy heart upon them: set thy eyes and hands and marks and seals upon them, but not thy heart, at least settle not thy heart upon them; settle that wholly and solely upon God; settle not the least piece of it upon any other delight whatsoever; God loveth indeed a broken heart, as the Psalmist saith 
(a) Psal. 51.17. ; but not broken into pieces between him and the world, but a wounded heart he means, lanced and torn with anguish for sins, because it is guilty of much undutiful, and offensive carriage towards God.   

75.  
SEarch not so much after pedigrees, as after piety, which is the chiefest ornament of a Christian; Neither respect so much first and noble birth in the world, as second and new birth in Christ; what is the best blood worth without the best belief? what boots it to be well descended, if thou be ill disposed? to be before others in greatness, if thou be behind them in grace? what avail ancient progenitors without answerable duties and goodness according? what shall it profit thee to come of nobles according to the flesh, if thou nothing resemble them in the Spirit? He is Noble who is the Child of God, who is born from above he is honourable, being son to a King, brother to a King, Heb. 2.11. heir to a King, Rom. 8.17. yea to the King of glory, Psal. 24.7. to the King of all King's higher than the highest, Ecclesiast. 5.7. If thou esteem true nobility, labour by faith to be engrafted into Christ, and to be invested into the virtues of a Christian; to have thy name written in the book of life, and to be reckoned in the roll of the righteous; At this let all thy practice, let all thy pleasure level at this; so shalt thou be certain to attain that blessing, of which thou canst not say how much thou dost attain; so shalt thou be made both an heir of the earth, and have a title of inheritance in heaven.   

76.  
DIsdain not those that are most nearly linked and allied unto thee, though never so mean; but let kindred persuade and procure kindness; but secure them and befriend them, whereinsoever thou mayest do them good; as the Law of nature teacheth, and Christian duty bindeth; count them not a blemish to thy blood, nor a burden to thy state, the one argues thy scornfulness, the other thy miserableness; Disdain rather the cursed condition of those monsters in nature, so visible daily before our faces, who being in place and power exalted, warm and well furnished with all comforts, yet not only affect their own flesh and blood least, and most unnaturally prefer strangers before them, but herein worse than Heathen and Savages, can see and suffer without compassion, their nearest allies by nature to abide wants, and endure extremities.   

77.  
KNow thy place, and maintain the honour of thy place, but by discretion, not by disdain; but by making a just and meek account of others, if thou wouldst be had in account by others; For otherwise every one doth bear a Kingdom in his breast; howsoever his outward obedience or reverence may be wrested from him; Remember that thy neighbour's body was framed out of the same dust, and his soul breathed into him by the same God, as thine was; consider that you were both redeemed with the same price, are subject to the same law, and belong to the same master, and yet all that is not all the relation between you; but you are much nearer yet, even members of the same mystical body, whereof Christ Jesus is the head; yea members one of another. Be thy place therefore never so high, yet look not upon thy inferiors with so great strangeness, as if the eye had never seen the foot, or the heart never known the legs.   

78.  
LOve not any worldly blessing too much, of what account soever it be, lay it not too near thy heart, take not too much comfort and delight in it; love it with unfeignedness, but notwith unmeasurableness; Thou holdest it but at the will and pleasure of the great and high Landlord of all the world; what knowest thou how soon it may be taken away? May not the true and absolute owner of all the good things thou enjoyest do what he will with his own? So love it, that thou desire not to part with it, if God so please; yet so love it, that thou canst be content to part with it, if God so please.   

79.  
GEt heavenly graces, which make their possessors the better, rather than earthly riches, which often make men worse; and seek to be furnished inwardly, more than outwardly; what though thy greatness vanish? thy maintenance decrease? thy strength decay? thy friends forsake thee? (as what in this world is not mutable?) what though all worldly things remaining cannot secure thy heart from griefs, and fears, from troubles and vexations? or from thy adversaries violent pursuings and villainous practices? (as in such cases, like Jobs friends, what miserable comforters are they commonly found?) yet thy god iness, thy wisdom, thy love, thy humility, thy mercy, patience, gentleness, temperance, and the like, will abide with thee, and stand to thee, and suffer no misery to seize upon thee.   

80.  
BE not like those gormandizers, those slaves to their appetites, whose God is their belly and whose felicity is meat, and drink; but retain temperance, and soberness, and discretion in thy repasts; live not to eat and drink, but eat and drink to live; that thy body may not faint in the midst of necessary duties; that thou mayest be the better able to employ thyself in thy vocation; Feed thy body to serve, and not to rule, to obey, and not to lead the Spirit, lest (as we also say of fire, water, and money) of a bad servant it prove a worse master; Full meals make foggy minds, and fat bodies make lean souls.   

81.  
IF thou desire and hope for God's blessing upon thy own labours defraud not any other any way of the fruit of his labours; Restrain thy heart from coveting, thy eyes from desiring, thy hands from handling, thy house from holding other men's substance, lest whilst thou likest that which belongeth by just right to thy neighbour, thou lose for ever that which is thine own; lest, if thou reap where another hath sown, another thresh that which thou hast reaped.   

82.  
WHatsoever bad practices now adays are every where to be seen. Howsoever some closely thrive like motes in books and garments, by others losses; and some openly make no scruple, to take bread by force out of other men's mouths; corrade not possessions, lands, or revenues, by sacrilege, treason, depredation, plundering, oppression, stealth, or fraud, or by any indirect and unwarrantable dealing: Make stay of purloining goods unjustly; but make no stay of discharging thy hands justly of them; every not thyself by the spoil of others, nor fill thy house with the furniture of iniquity, lest thou fill it also with the vengeance of God, which is the reward of iniquity. Live, and give of thy own substance, which thou hast gotten by lawful means, though never so mean; It is better virtuously to want, than viciously to abound; 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  There is more comfort in a little honestly gotten, and hearty given, than in great riches and incomes of the wicked, and mighty, that carry with them God's marks, and curses, being wrongfully obtained, and wilfully retained.   

83.  
CAst not conscience overboard, though it be to reach the port of the greatest worldly contentment; Let not present gladsomness abolish all thought of future happiness; Account this world but an Inn to lodge in, not an house to dwell in; Always prepare for removing, here is no place for remaining.   

84.  
MAny would be at the rich man's table in this world, and in Abraham's bosom in another; Many would be Demas while they live, and Paul when they are dead; but that thou mayest be in Abraham's bosom, and with Paul, at thy death, Be not a Dives, be not a Demas whilst thou livest; He that lives ill seldom dies well, but he whose life is good, his death is sure not to be bad 
(b) Non potest malè mori, qui benè vixit, & v●x potest benè mori, qui malè virit. Aug. de Doct. Christi. .   

85.  
IN buying of truth, and heavenly matters, offer not slowly, or niggardly, be not too base a bidder; but in worldly wares and earthly commodities, be not too frank a chapman; part not with the fear of God, and faith in his providence, for vanity of vanities and only vanity; pay not too dear for wealth though thou win it, or for preferments though thou purchase them; compass not any thing with disturbing of thy conscience, or destroying of thy soul.   

86.  
WHat though the common conceit presume, that if a man thrive in the world than God loves him; and, if he be crossed in outward things, than God hates him? yet measure not the favour and love of God towards thyself, or others, by prosperity, or adversity; If thou wouldst find comfort in thy heart and unfeigned testimonies of Gods special respect towards thee, seek not for them in outward benefits, or in want of outward benefits; (both which are common to the godly and ungodly) but in joy in the holy Ghost, in remission of sins, in repentance from dead works, in the Spirit of adoption, in faith in Christ, in peace of conscience, which passeth all understanding; As for other things place not thy heaven or happiness in them, for they afford no such assurance; If blessings come receive them thankfully; If crosses happen endure them cheerfully.   

87.  
COnform thy fashions to thy fare, thy manners to thy means, our several conditions require feveral carriages; If thou be tried with adversity bear it without stubborness, or impatiency; If thou be called to prosperity, use it without insolency, or ingratitude; Debase thyself in the one as God hath debased thee, and take no more stare upon thee in the other than he hath given thee; Let not thy mind be so reflective upon thy degree in the world, as upon thy conscience; but especially remember always the Judge of thy conscience; who as in his mercy he hath lifted thee up, so in his wisdom can bring thee down; or, as in his wisdom he hath brought thee down, so in his mercy can lift thee up.   

88  
DIsable not thyself from being in the state of blessedness, for the life to come, because thou art in great misery in this life; yea though thou be justly punished for thy sins, for the which thou art not yet sufficiently penitent; Thou shalt but add to thy sorrows, and needlessly increase the weight of thy burden, if thou condemn thy state of election, because the Lord hath elected thee to chastise thee for thy faults; if thou relinquish thy hope of happiness in heaven, because thou art recompensed with judgements on earth; yea therefore are not Gods Children free from all manner of temporal plagues, that they may be free from everlasting, perdition; A man may be sealed by the holy Spirit of God unto the day of redemption 
[c] Ephes. 4.30. ; A man may be as secure from hell, as Satan is secluded from heaven, and yet his calamities may make him groan, and cry, and roar all the day long; and yet day and night God's hand may be heavy upon him 
[d] Psal. 32.3, 4. .   

89.  
BY deliverance from troubles past, assure thyself of deliverance from dangers present, and by former benefits never doubt of future favour, in God's good time, so far forth as it may stand with thy spiritual good; God loveth not, as men do, for a day, or two, and so farewell, but it was, it is, and it will be always true, God is the Lord, he changeth not: whom he once loveth, he loveth to the end; and where he hath once showed mercy, he will persevere in kindness; being yesterday, to day, and the same for ever 
[e] Heb. 13.8. Idem Objectiuè Subjectiuè Effectiuè. . When Saul told David that he was but a youth, and therefore too weak to combat with that strong Goliath the champion of the Philistines, who had been a man of war from his youth; How sound and comfortably did David reason from the experience he had in times passed of God's helping hand, that he who had delivered him from the paw of the Bear, and the jaw of the Lion, would also save him in that duel which he was to undertake with an uncircumcised Philistin that defied and oppressed the people of God 
[f] 1 Sam. 17.34, 35, 36. ? And how cheerfully did Saint Paul make the same argument, that God did deliver him, doth deliver him and hereafter will deliver him assuredly 
[g] 2 Tim. 4.17, 18. ?   

90.  
TAke up and bear the yoke of poverty with patience; poverty is no sin; nor always only the punishment of sin; Even Christ the Lord of heaven and earth, even the Lord of all haste, lead of all, and could say, 
[h] Matth. 8.20.  The Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head; showing, that as he was the Son of Man, the beasts & fowls were richer than he; he was poorer than the beasts & the birds. Art thou without this world's goods? yet be not without Christian courage; God oftentimes recompenseth compenseth the want of earthly blessings, with great abundance of heavenly graces; such gifts in the day of trouble, and in the hour of temptation, shall minister more comfort, and more true peace unto thee, than all things which begin with pleasure, and end with corruption.   

91.  
HOwsoever thou canst challenge nothing at God's hands, as due debt unto thee, but calamities and sorrows, which are the fruit of thy sins; yet know this, that God often protecteth thee from much harm which thou knowest not of; Consider often with all humbleness & thankfulness, that God not only forseeth thy dangers before they can come near thee, but preserveth thee from many a mischief, and much affliction, which through blindness and ignorance thou neither dost nor canst perceive; How much more than will he support thee, when thou knowest thyself to be in trouble, and pourest out thy earnest prayers unto him, for deliverance out of trouble? He that performeth the greater will always be ready to accomplish the less; He that keepeth thee back from the pit that was hidden, will help thee to escape from that which lieth open; He that is so forward to help thee when he is not requested, will not be backward to secure thee when he is entreated.   

92.  
IN thy greatest affliction and most grievous extremity, be thy wants never so great, thy means of ease never so small; be thy hopes in respect of outward helps never so few, the difficulties through which thou must pass, never so many; Regard not so greatly the things that are seen (which may work deadly discouragement and anguish) as that which is not seen with mortal eye, namely God's omnipotence; Look not so much to the danger of death before thee, as to the power of God above thee, which is never at a stand, never at a loss; which then gins to show itself when human help ends 
[i] ubi desinit humanum auxilium ibi incipit divinum. ; when men's cases seem most desperate, and help is thought to be furthest of, then is God's mercy greatest, and his presence nearest, then is his power made perfect through our weakness. When doth the Devil and his children more insult, than when they have men under? but when men are most miserable, then doth God show most mercy; when faith was enfeebled by long looking, and hope began to faint with much watching, when the burdens were increased, and the straw was taken away, then came Moses 
[k] Exod. 5.20. ; when the Israelits were hedged in on either side with mountains, when, they had the Sea before them, and the Egyptians marching behind them, and there appeared no way, no remedy, no hope of subterfuge in the sight of man, when Moses warrant might seem now to express rather a dream of desolation, than a day of deliverance, Then did the Lord cause the Sea to part in two, and stand like walls on the right hand and on the left, till the Israelites had passed over on dry land; and when Pharaoh followed he made them join again, and drowned him and all his; Then did God (oh admire both his might and his mercy) save his servants and destroy their enemies 
[l] Exod. 14.30. , to the terror of all those that shall persecute the Church of God and his people.   

93.  
SEest thou a man in distress, in troubles, crosses, dangers? If thou knowest him not, censure him not, censure not his manners by his misery, remembering and considering that neither all wicked men are so punished, nor all so punished are wicked men; I mean wicked above others: By profaneness judge of calamities, not by calamities of profaneness.   

94.  
MUrmur not in troubles, storm not in afflictions, as many do; knowing, from whom they come, and to whom they oft'nest come, better than many do; Dost thou know they come from God, & darest thou once repine? Dost thou know how the like are accomplished in all the Saints which are, or have been, or shall be in the world, and darest thou look to be spared? who in these thoughts would grudge that his case is no better, and not rather comfort himself that it is no worse? who would not rest contented with that, which is the pleasure of his Father, and the portion of all his brethren?   

95.  
IN all thy afflictions, howsoever suppullulating one after another, and exceeding each other in degrees, bristle not up thy affections against the pleasure or proceeding of the Almighty, whose judgements thou hast so many times deserved; Look not so much upon thy sorrows, as upon thy sins; and freely acknowledge that not only in that manner, but in a greater measure God might justly punish thee; He might plague thee more severely because thou art sinful; but he punisheth thee mildly because he is merciful, because his judgements are always mingled with mercy, because his justice and goodness go still together.   

96.  
AS God chastiseth thee, because he loveth thee, because he would separate from thee that which he misliketh, the dross of thy corruptions, as gold is fined in the furnace; so love thou him because he chastiseth thee; There is no surer sign of thy having the spirit of patience, and of thy being translated from death to life, than when his mercy bringeth forth fear in thee, and his justice love; He loveth the party hearty, that can love him when he wrongeth him; & (though God can do us no wrong) He loveth God unfeignedly, that can love him when he scourgeth him.   

97.  
WHatsoever Satan often suggests to men beset and encompassed with any trouble, conclude not the estate of the wicked to be the better, because they live for the present in pleasure and prosperity; Neither esteem the condition of the godly to be the worse, because they abide for a while under adversity: For if the gold must pass the furnace, shall not the dross, be rejected? If the good corn must be ground in a rough Mill, and baked in a hot oven, before it become good bread, shall not the chaff be burned up with fire unquenchable? Conflicts, and cares, fightings without, and fears within 
[m] 2 Cor. 7.5. , The outward and inward molestations of good men do not bring them behind the wicked, but rather show that the sufferings and sorrows of the wicked are yet behind.   

98.  
IF thou seest any mourn more than is meet, or more impatient than thou hast commonly seen, for the loss of their yoak-fellowes, or children, brethren or kindred; more weakly complaining that they are gone, than wisely considering whether they are gone; Yet cast them not off with thy uncharitable censures, lest thou condemn the righteous with the wicked; but bear a part of their burdens, upon thy Christistian counsels, and comforts, and contribution (if thou be able, and they want it) or at the least upon thy prayers, that they with thee, and thou with them, like feeling members of the same infirmities, may sustain your crosses by your mutual supplications, and obtain your assistance by the precious blood of your blessed Saviour.   

99  
BE not willing to sin, nor unwilling to suffer for sin; Be not impatient if God punish thee a little, when thou hast provoked him much; but be drawn and driven by it, nearer unto God, and unto his Word; but humble thyself with thankfulness, under the mighty hand of God, that out of his great indulgence his afflicting of thee is tolerable; that he doth not exercise that extremity upon thee, which he justly might; and ingenuously confess with holy Jeremy, that it is of the Lords mercies (that it ariseth from the abundance of his favour that thou art suffered still to enjoy the benefit of life) that thou art not (utterly) consumed 
[a] Lament. 3.22, , that thou art not, according to thy deserts, strucken dead upon a sudden for thy transgressions.   

100  
ARt thou troubled, and grieved, vexed, and oppressed, with changes, and armies of sorrows? Doth thy heart in the judgement of flesh so faint within thee, with pinching fear and pensive heaviness, that, knowing not how much thou art able to bear by the mediation and strength of CHRIST, thou thinkest thou canst no longer hold out, unless God help thee by such a season? Now what is the wisest man, that he should presume to assign unto the only wise God his stemming? Is it meet that man should direct God, as if it were his duty to minister to him, or as if there wanted discretion in him to know when to measure out his favours? Doth not the governor of all the world best discern his own opportunities, as for justice and judgement, so for mercy and compassion? It is good (saith the Prophet) that a man should both hope, and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord 
[o] Lament. 3.26. ; prescribe not unto the Lord the time of thy deliverance, but patiently leave it to his determination; Fit not the time to thyself, but fit thyself to the time that he hath appointed.    

APHORISMS, OR, BREVIATES, of Speculations. THE SECOND CENTURIE.  

1.  
HAving sincerely prepared, and devourly disposed thyself, according to thy skill, and power, (for how dare any man speak to Almighty God without premeditation?) Be not out out of heart, or hope, but make thy addresses in the Name of Jesus, to the Throne of Grace, with an humble confidence and holy cheerfulness; Let thy prayers proceed from a lively faith against all faintness, from a stirring zeal against all slackness, from a steadfast endurance against all weariness; what though the Lord grant thee not at first? yet he will at last; what though he grant thee not at all that same thing which thou desirest? He will give thee as good a blessing, or a better.   

2.  
GIve not over thy prayers, though not presently heard, but with faith, and perseverance, crave, and with hope, and patience, expect God's grace, and mercy, to help in due and convenient time; Be thy wound never so deep, thou art not past help, so long as thou art not past desire to be helped; who art thou, or what merit canst thou allege that therefore thy suit ought to receive a present dispatch? what knowest thou for what reasons God putteth thee off? perhaps not intending utterly to deny thee, but for sundry main and important causes; we tarry man's pleasure, and wait upon him after many petitions; where then is God's honour? why not wait much longer and willinger upon God? who both knoweth our need, and when it is most meet to supply it, better than our nearest friends, better than we ourselves, and never faileth or forsaketh those who unfeignedly put their trust in him; who will be sure to do in the end that which shall be most for our good, and his own glory.   

3.  
NEglect not Prayer under any pretence, though never so plausible, no, not under pretence of Gods knowing and understanding all things, or of his power enabling thee to do all things, or of his providence determining all things; but know that Almighty God hath commanded prayer as an instrument of continual use, profitable for all things; for the performance of all those things which he hath promised, and appointed; He hath ordained many other means to bring his purposes to pass, but none more excellent than prayer, which procureth a blessing upon all the rest, and without the which the rest cannot prevail.   

4.  
WHen thou prayest for the forgiveness of thy sins, as thou art daily bound to do, thou plainly confessest, that thou art not able to satisfy for them; that there can be no satisfaction made to God's Justice for sins by our works: How then canst thou supererogate, as some teach and believe? How then can the worthiness of thy deserts be so great, that doing God more service than can be sufficiently rewarded in thy own person, thou canst deserve heaven, not only to thyself, but for others too? How then canst thou have an overplus of works, or the measure of thy works running over, which may be disposed or sold (if he will liberally come off with his coin) to the spiritual benefit of another, which may go for payment of thy fellow's transgressions, when thou hast not enough to supply thy own necessity?   

5.  
HOw earnestly soever thou pray, against the pride, malice, and all the devices of the wicked, that God will not suffer their actions to prosper, lest they more and more offend; yet still pray for the offenders, that God may open their eyes, that they may come to see the truth, love it, and embrace it; yet without exception of persons, remember still to pray for the love of God, the grace of Christ, and the working of the Spirit upon all; upon the godly that they may be confirmed, upon the ungodly that they may be converted.   

6.  
WHen thou art about to take rest, and knowest not what a night or an hour may bring forth, and knowest not whether thou shalt ever work or wake again, or no; lie not down in thy bed, as a dog lieth down in a kennel, or a swine in his sty, or an ox in his stall, without any prayer, any ejaculation, any good motion to God-ward; but commit thyself, thy soul, thy body, thy goods, thy brethren, into God's hand, as a most faithful keeper; but remember and consider, that God is nigh thee, both in his essence, whereby he filleth heaven, and earth, and in his presence, whereby he beholdeth thy heart, and all thy courses, watching what thou dost; He is about thy paths and about thy bed, and spieth out all thy ways 
[a] Psal. 139.3. ; To him not only the light is light, but darkness is light; both the light and the night to him are all one in clearness 
[b] Psal. 139.11, 12. ; He therefore, that will rise in his favour, must lie down in his fear.   

7.  
HOwsoever worldly men, who savour nothing but of the eart, who see nothing but with fleshly eyes, are unable to behold the beauty of the Church, and therefore account it no part of their happiness, to live within the compass and bosom of it; yet esteem it thou more excellent and precious than all other societies in the world; and with humblest thankfulness consider, how highly thou art bound to God, that thou art made a free denizen of so glorious a Corporation; yea prefer always the good condition of God's Church before all concernments of thine own; In the welfare thereof most joy, In the wrong thereof most grieve; Let natural affections move thee much, but let spiritual affections sway thee more; so many cogitations of the distressed estate of the Church, so many tears and prayers for her; Let thy zeal to her evidence thy right in her; Thou canst not get a better argument or surer witness to thy own heart of being ingraffed into that body, whereof Christ Jesus is the head, of having the life of Christianity, and being possessed with the love of godliness, than the having a sensible feeling of the Church's distress, and a sincere and zealous affection and respect to the common good of religion, and the Churches prosperous estate.   

8.  
Marvel not if wicked men get advantage but too soon, and prosper but too well; if such as have no fear of God before their eyes have their projects in some degree performed, and their presumptions in part pleased; if the violent tread down the virtuous, and might now & then overcome right; Be not dismayed if the public enemies sometimes prevail and get the upper hand against the Church, God giveth not always victory for favour, or overthrow for displeasure, but for some other ends; to raise the wicked, that their fall may be the greater 
(c)— tolluntur in altum ut lapsu graviore ruant. Claudian. ; to rouse his own, that their faith may be the stronger.   

9  
IF thou be not fit to profit the Church or Commonwealth, by thy person, yet seek the good of both of them by thy Prayer; that they may endure, and flourish, and increase, and not be overthrown and suppressed by those that so cruelly seek, not their reformation, and conversion, but subversion and utter undoing; that peace and plenteousness, and holiness and righteousness may be always with them, and the free and public use of the Gospel; that such notable and rare men, as are wise in politic affairs, as are endued with all gifts and qualities fit for Statesmen, may be put in place, held in grace, and have employment, and they which are so employed may show themselves faithful, and they which are faithful may also be prosperous in effecting their purposes, so a layman may become a beneficial Churchman, so a private person may do good service to his sovereign, and all within the precincts of his jurisdiction.   

10.  
IT is not only not orderly, but very odious, for mean men to pry too far into the counsels or practices of Princes; of which for want both of knowledge, and warrant, they are not meet to be judges: It is his protestation that had the holy Ghost, that his heart was not haughty, nor his eyes lofty, neither did he exercise himself in great matters, or in things too high for him; but he behaved and quieted himself as a child that is weaned of his mother 
[d] Psal. 131.1, 2. ; But art thou therefore free from regarding any public affairs? Is there no kind of enquiring after them required of thee, being a private man? Now be thou never so mean, yet art thou bound both in duty and wisdom (as far as thou canst by good means attain unto it) to inform thyself of states-matters, that are not impertinent unto thee; not out of mere curiosity, like the heathen Athenians, whose ears itched after strange and new reports; who gave themselves to little else, to nothing else (as too many do now) but to hear, and tell news; but the better to direct thy prayers, according to the occurrences both for State and Church; Not out of envy to either, Not out of a plotting humour how to dispose of the Sceptre; but out of an earnest desire that the Sceptre may rightly dispose of thee, and thine, being assured that Princes are fingers of that great hand that governeth all the world.   

11.  
HOwsoever the persecutors of these times pretend piety, and the destroyers boast of devotion; Howsoever they bear themselves in hand, or would make others believe, that they are the only children of God, and truly religious; yet never think them truly reconciled to God, who hate or wrong any of his servants; He that loveth not his brother abideth in death, whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him 
[e] 1 John 3.14, 15. ; They that are reconciled to God against whom they formerly contended, and are at variance with sin with whom they formerly conjoined, cannot but be sound and kind and peaceable and and favourable towards all those who are sins foes, and Gods followers.   

12.  
BElieve not all those seeming sanctificeturs, who count zeal superstition, and dutiful adoration idolatry, those who detest the errors of Popery, who loathe to be accounted Papists, and would take it as a great injury done them to be so termed, for many such now adays if we weigh their practices, live more like unto Atheists: conceive not all those to be truly righteous who cry out against idolatry, who would think themselves greatly slandered to be reputed worshippers of a false God, for many such in these times, if we look to their fruits, are found rather to worship no God at all.   

13.  
Accounted it not enough to keep thyself from idols, or to abhor Idols, if thou keep not thyself from sacrilege, and coveting of goods set apart to holy use; for else thou runnest but from one rock unto another, from loving the false God, to the spoiling of the true God, which seemeth to be much worse than the worshipping of Images, and giving ourselves to the sin of idolatry.   

14.  
TAke heed and beware of covetousness, saith our Saviour 
[f] Luke 12.15. ; As if he had said, it is a subtle Serpent, it assaulteth secretly, it entereth like a friend, it hath pretences many and fair; but how much more than hadst thou need to beware of sacrilege, which is a fruit of extreme covetousness, and which is the main engine the Devil hath to overthrow the Churches; If thou hast never been sacrilegious, pray God thou never mayest; If thou hast, add not thirst unto drunkenness, wallow not in the mire any more, labour to get pardon in the merits and glorious righteousness of Jesus Christ; repent, restore, ask mercy, and never be sacrilegious again. It was a meek and pious resolution of Elihu, one of Jobs friends, If I have done wickedly, I will do no more 
[g] Job 34.32. ; will many a mean Christian rather starve than steal? then will a constant convert, a resolute professor, say, I will beg, I will starve, I will rather die, than be sacrilegious; for the which sin the wrath of God shall surely demolish all my other estate; and I in mine, or I and mine, be sure to come to ruin. Achan dreamt of a golden day when he had gotten a goodly Babylonish garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, which should have been all delivered into the Lord's treasury, which God had set apart for himself, and would not have converted to the private profit of any; He thought to have been rich upon a sudden, He thought to have benefited himself and his children for ever by so brave a booty; but it fell out to his own destruction, and the destruction of all that belonged unto him; but he with all his were stoned with stones, and burned with fire for his labour 
[h] Joshua 7.24, 25. .   

15.  
THe name of a traitor is most odious amongst all men, heathens 
[i] Cicer. Catil. 4. Valer. Max. lib. 9 Tacit. Annal. lib. 1. , as well as Christians; no man can abide to be so accounted; Beware then especially that thou be not a traitor to God, by unfruitful purloining, and obstinate detaining any thing that is his: It is a vain thing to say thou thou art not a traitor, thou hatest the very name of treason, if thou nourishest open rebellion against God who is the King of Kings; such as lard their leaner revenues with fat collops sacrilegiousle cut out of the sides or flanks of the Church, such as perpetually defraud God of his revenues, his tithes and offerings, and peremptorily live upon his deuce and ancient demeanes, are without question rank traitors, and we need crave no pardon if we boldly avouch and aver them to be children of rebellion; Neither yet if we say, that (if we consider them unpassionately) Theudas and Judas of Galilee 
[k] Act. 5.36, 37.  shall be justified as no rebels in comparison.   

16.  
THink not (with the new-fangled in these days) that the abuse of things ought always to take away the use: that every thing abused by wicked men is therefore not to be used by sober men; for then the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars should be pulled out of heaven, in as much as the whole host of heaven hath been worshipped as Gods 
[l] Deur. 4.19. Jer. 7.18. ; Then the holy Scriptures must be forsaken which the tempter abused, and holy prayers which the Pharisees abused, and the holy Sacraments, Baptism and the Lords Supper, which the Corinthians abused; Then Civil conversation of life and holy Christian exercises, reading, meditation, conference, fasting, alms, should be cast off and detested, because false Prophets have abused them, and do still abuse them to deceive the people of God, and lead them into error, to colour and countenance all their crafts and conveyances of corrupt doctrine; Then men must abhor their meat and drink because some be drunken, and some surfeit; Then must our wits, memories, health, strength, be taken away, because every part, and the whole man, hath been miserably abused by us all, through our many, and manifold transgressions.   

17.  
BE not so unadvised as to malice or utterly mislike any lawful vocation, because the professors, or practisers of it demean themselves unworthily or impiously; This or that officer may be hurtful, and yet his office still may be useful; was not Bennaiah the son of Jehoiada put over the Host in Joabs' room, and in the room of Abiathar, Zadock the Priest 
[m] 1 King. 2.35. ? Did not Eliakim a faithful and diligent man succeed Shebna the hypocrite, in the stewardship of Ezechiahs' house 
[n] Isaiah. 22.20. ? what a monster amongst men was Judas? a traitor to his Master, a murderer to himself, censured by Christ to be no less debauched than a Devil 
[o] John 6.70. ; And yet it is not said of him, let the Bishopric be taken away, Let there be no more Bishoprics for Judas his sake: but let the Bishopric remain, and let another take 
[p] Acts 1.20.  it that deserveth it better, who will not only bear the name, but discharge the trust, and more rightly perform the employment.   

18.  
DOth the world commonly like earnestness in any thing rather than religion? Is that ancient and heavenly fire, which once appeared most worthily in many, both in their entrance, and progress, of their good course of piety, and a good conscience, now turned to ashes, and extinct; or doth it burn so closely and feebly, that it can hardly be discerned? yet keep thy spirit, thy forwardness, and heat of heart, and be not at any time without zeal in the service of God. It well becometh every Saint to be earnest, to stick close to those holy duties which God hath laid upon him, and not to be flitting off and on, and unsettled, as many are who yet would be taken to be of the forwardest sort. It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing 
[q] Galar. 4.18. ; in the practice whereof good zeal with small learning is better than great learning with small zeal; But as knowledge is not sufficient without zeal, so neither zeal without knowledge. But let not the most spiritual project be without spiritual prudence, but in thy greatest heat let meek discretion in a proportionable rate order thy zeal; Lest unawares thou purchase God's displeasure by the miscarriage of thy well-meaning devotion, such as God never appointed, never approved, and such as he hath often both misliked and severely punished; zeal without knowledge is not zeal, but stomach, not a blessed holiness, but a brainsick giddiness; A brutish and savage passion and perturbation: such as is in that headstrong part of furious persons, whose zeal is to departed from the Church, yea even that Church, that first brought them to that knowledge and faith that they have, if in truth and soundness they have any at all.   

19  
BE sometimes severe to beat down. the sin, but commonly kind to win the sinner: Be at all times serving to befriend, but at no time soothing to betray.   

20.  
MArre not a good cause with ill handling, meddle not with evil, no not the least, that good, though the greatest, private, or public may come thereof; Thou canst not please God more with a good intent, than thou mayest displease him by using bad means to effect it.   

21.  
OBserve still the days worthily set apart to give thanks to God for his Apostles; for those benefits which he hath bestowed upon us by their ministry; for their eminent graces on earth, and now such unspeakable glory in heaven; whom though with the Papists, we neither do, nor dare adore, yet well may we admire and imitate, and well may we pray God to give us grace to follow them, both in their believing, living, and dying, who having now by their faith attained that which they desired, are an excellent direction for us, how to seek what they have attained.   

22.  
NEither harbour an ill thought against thy Sovereign; Neither admit any the least depravation of him, no not in the whispering of thy conscience: No, though he give cause to be evil thought of; No, though thou be wronged or worse thought of than thou deservest. It skilleth not much what his person is, when most sure it is, his power is of God; when of what nation, or nature soever, the Magistrate is, Jew or Gentil, Christistian or Heathen, good or bad, he hath his authority from God the Magistrate of all Magistrates; not from the Law of Nations, as some are not ashamed to aver 
[r] Bellar. de Pontif. Rom. lib. 1. cap. 7. paragr. praeterea. , but as from God and his Law. By diligent care in good services please thy governor as well as thou mayest, and that in most awful and loyal manner, and with all due circumspection beware how thou kindle his anger; Be far from those tumultuous and rebellious practices that may give him cause of provocation against thee, and keep thyself from those fierce and fiery fellows, those desperate or hypocritical companions, which may stir thee up to stand upon points with him, and embolden thee against him. From Church-robbers, and traitors, it is not pride, but a point of wisdom and godly policy, to affect always a stern kind of strangegeness aloof; It is salomon's injunction, in the giving whereof he was directed by God's Spirit, and be it ever in thy remembrance, My son fear thou the Lord, and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change 
[s] Prov. 24.21.  that are desirous of alteration, and changes, in the state according to their private and peevish humours.   

23.  
HOw ardently are wilful hearts enamoured with worldly greatness? How greedily do natural men affect dominion? How mightily do some men long to Lord it over their neighbours, in honour and dignity, power and authority? some are resolved to rise, and be in some office, or other, or it shall cost them a fall, yea a fall into hell; some had rather be traitors, than not Magistrates: But let us not be desirous of vain glory saith S. Paul 
[t] Gal. 5.26. ; But seek not thou the acclamation of man, more than the approbation of God: Be thou no Magistrate, no officer, yea no man, rather than a traitor.   

24.  
IF cunning rebellion under a show of religion, and vizard of virtue, without fear of God's vengeance or shame of men's reproof, cast his fiery darts at thee, let faithful loyalty and loyal faithfulness be ready to quench them; if seditious persons, and such as love innovations, seek with guileful speeches to steal thy soul from God, and thy heart from thy sovereign, let wisdom shape them an answer & send them packing; Be averse to follow the mightiest rebels for all their smooth persuasions, and sweet allurements, but more averse to persuade and allure others to rebellion; If they shall be sure to smart (as without repentance surely they shall) who rebel by other men's occasions, how much more shall they suffer, who are the occasions or give the occasions unto others?   

25.  
BE not refractory to any lawful authority; Be a diligent observer of good orders and good laws; submit thyself unto superior powers, procure, according to thy calling, whatsoever it be, the benefit of thy sovereign to whom thou art a subject, and the profit of the Church whereof thou art a member.   

26.  
WHen thou goest about to effect a good work, not only cast how good it is, but consider what warrant thou hast to do it; If it be a general good duty it belongeth unto thee in particular; but if a special practice, thou must have a special precept; It is not for private men to reform public abuses, or to dispose of public affairs; It is not for one calling to intrude upon another, no more than for one bodily member to usurp the work of another; what another may not omit without iniquity, thou mayest commit iniquity if thou offer to do it; and that may be for thee a most heinous sin, which may be for another a most holy service.   

27.  
BE not backward when thou shouldst be zealous, nor forward when thou shouldst be quiet; Make not too much haste with Balaam 
(u) Numb. 22.21. , nor too little with Lot's wife 
(w) Gen. 19.26. .   

28.  
MIghtest thou be freed from sequestration and sundry other oppressions? Mightest thou be preferred to offices, and sundry other favours; wouldst thou but confer thyself to some men's humours, help to set up the new superstition and oppose government and all good order? Alas what trifling and temporary baits are these? refuse them, yea despise them; who, to obtain those profits which nature regardeth, would forsake those duties which the God of Nature requireth? who that hath hope of heaven would not willingly suffer any thing that God imposeth, rather than wilfully do any thing that God detesteth?   

29.  
LEt neither love, nor fear, steal courage from thy heart, or thy heart from the Lord; Let no storms of troubles or calms of pleasure, turn thee back from Christ, or bring thee to deny him, lest thou be denied of him in his Kingdom; though the Loadstone draw Iron, yet let it not move gold; though Jet gather up the light straw, yet let it not take up the pure Steel. Be not moved, or carried a way, as some are, with the various blasphemous errors, and gaudy pious pretences of these times; Let no worldly promises or profits draw thee, or peremptory persecutions drive thee, to forsake thy Lord and Saviour, or to engage thyself in any apparent sin; what though plunderers have thy goods, or a prison, or worse punishment thy person, yet let God still have thy service, lest the Devil in conclusion have thy Soul.   

30.  
Incur not God's enmity, to increase thy neighbour's amity; fall not out with God, to keep in with men; to make thyself acceptable to the one, make not thyself abominable to the other; yield not so to peace, as to yield unto sin withal; who would not rather undergo man's unjust detestation, than God's just damnation? Be content to lose the love, & bear the displeasure of the whole world, for the love thou bearest to God and his truth; Thou refusest to be in the body, if thou wilt not suffer the hatred of the world with thy head 
[x] Recusas esse in corpore si non vis odium mundi sustinere cum capite. Augustin. 87. tract. in Johan. .   

31.  
LOve thy life, and preserve it by all good means, but love thy faith as thy life, and more than thy life, preserve that whatsoever become of thy life; Be not so desirous of retaining they natural life, as rather to deny the Truth of God, and forsake the Gospel of Christ, than to make profession thereof, and yield sincere obedience to it, with hazard and peril; He which chooseth to forgo life, rather than the services of God, and a good conscience, shall keep it to eternal life, be saved & glorified for ever; without which hope, if any man with all his skill could get all the world into his hands, and order all things every where according to his own pleasure, what were it available?   

32.  
REjoice under the cross, and be glad when thou sufferest for the truth; let the cause, for which thou sufferest, more comfort thee, than the trouble that thou indurest dismay thee; show thy cheerful obedience in suffering, as well as in doing, the will of God: Christ our blessed Saviour, the most perfect pattern of obedience, performed his part both ways, both by doing and suffering; And what is the substance of the Gospel, but to declare to all people, what he did, and what he suffered?   

33.  
NEither rashly thrust thyself into any needless affliction, nor cowardly desert thy station; true faith is neither bareheaded, nor bird-witted, neither foolhardy, nor faint-hearted; but when necessity requiteth, and duty designeth, it refuseth not any dangers be they never so great, with a trust and hope to glorify God, both in life and death.   

34.  
THou art not bound wilfully to cast thyself into the mouths of devouring and ravening persecutors; but never deny the Truth of God, nor thyself to be a professor of it, if thou be called in question for it; Not only believe confidently, but confess cheerfully, whensoever occasion is offered justly; for otherwise thou goest not beyond the Devils, whose faith is equivocal, and their confession forced, who believe God is, but believe not in him, and confess Christ, not of love, but of constraint.   

35.  
ARt thou controlled, reviled, and sequestered from thy share in the world? Know that it is not without a providence; acknowledge the Judgements of God, often secret, but ever just; sequester, thyself yet further from all those vain worldly delights, wherein some place their chiefest happiness; and live, as it were, carried up in regard of those ways of licentiousness, wherein others walk: Bind thyself to the good behaviour, and apply thyself more closely, and more constantly to God; As the Prophet David when he was vexed by unexpected enemies, when he had complained that his friend and companion 
(y) Psal. 55.16.  risen up against him, he gave himself unto prayer; and again, when for his love he found adversaries, where did he fly but unto God for comfort 
(z) Psal. 142. ?   

36.  
BEstow not thy blood on schism or heresy, it is a foolish death where the cause is fowl; canst thou be content to suffer? be sure it be in a good cause; either for God who knoweth all, or for that which thou knowest in thine own conscience to be well pleasing to God; Suffer not either out of fashion or out or faction, either as ambitious of honour, or to satisfy thy malignant humour; for such suffering can neither merit thanks of God, nor praise of men; Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake 
(a) Matth. 5.10. ; not for superstition, self-will, and singularity, but for righteousness sake; our sufferings are no argument of our righteousness, but our righteousness an ornament of our sufferings 
(b) Non ex passione certa est justitia sed ex justitia passio gloriosa est. Aug. count. epi. Parmen lib. 1. cap. 7.  A red colour is not beautiful if it be not grounded on a fair white; The pain hath no grace if the suffering have no truth; where the saith is not true, there is no true Martyrdom.   

(37)  
DElight not in brawls and controversies, which are easily begun, not so soon ended; seek no credit by opposition, pick no quarrels, nor desire to fall out with any man; strive not at any time, though never so meekly, but when a just necessity presseth thee to stir; when sin is not to be connived at, but contended against; when the truth is not to be forsaken but contended for; when thou canst not undergo the wrong without great damage to thy estate, nor otherwise but by that course in joy thy right.   

38.  
IF thou knowest not how to pacify man, to bring him to a firm and unfeigned reconciliation, to obtain, and enjoy a sound and well-grounded peace with him, seek more and more to be at amity with God, to appease and please the Lord by thy holy obedience to his Commandments; Hid God's Word within thy heart, that thou mayest not sin against him 
(c) Psal. 119.11.  refrain thy feet from every evil way, that thou mayest keep his Word 
(d) Psal. 119.101.  when a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him 
(e) Prov. 16.7.  He, that hath the hearts of all men in his own hands, be they in never so great places, or have they never so great spirits; He, in whose only power it is to turn all hearts which way he will, who is not only a searcher of hearts, but a worker, and changer of them, as seemeth best to his godly wisdom; He will not only make his friends to be more faithful unto him, but even his enemies to be at peace with him, if their favour and friendship be expedient for him; He will be sure either to remove his enemy's malice, or restrain their mischief, either to make them not willing, or not able to hurt him.   

39  
BE not to be carried away with every little puff of vain persuasion; be not to be bandied by the racket of other men's tongues into what Hazard they please; be not so unskilful and unstable, as lightly to believe every thing that is idly or cunningly told thee, or unadvisedly to yield to every thing imposed upon thee; but use thy best skill, and pains, in hearing more, enquiring further, searching, and trying, before thou give any credit, or assent to it, yea though a multitude join in persuading thee 
(f) Non statim multitudinis acquiescamus judicio; Hieron. comment. in Isaiah cap. 3. ; How common is it in these days to spread the nets of humility, and wove them with the knots of subtlety, till men have effected their policy, and then they bewray their hypocrisy; be not so subtle as to be guile others, not so simple as to be beguiled by others; be not taken at the first sight, and offer, with never so fair words or shows, though they seem to bring an honest meaning along with them; be circumspect for thy safety, as well as sincere for thy innocency; loathe the venom and poison of the Serpent, but learn his wisdom; follow the harmelesness of the Dove, but fly her simplicity.   

40.  
SOme carry themselves sincerely, but not wisely, some order themselves wisely, but not sincerely; but approve thyself, as far as thou art able, both before God and men; before God, in bearing thyself sincerely, before men, demeaning thyself wisely; perhaps, for all thy wariness, some may be offended with thee, which by thee are not offended; but such offences being not given of thee, but taken of them, are not thy faults, but their follies; woe indeed to that man by whom offences come; that is, come justly; but an offence, fond taken, not justly given, entangleth no man besides the taker.   

41.  
IN this subtle vizard age, in these times every day more and more degenerating from the former goodness, truth, and honest plainess; In these dangerous and dissolute intercourses; wherein faithful friends are for the most part gone to God, and their return is not to be expected; wherein we live amongst so many serpentine and subtle, so many malicious and mischievour men, with whom we may unawares be compelled to traffic, be conscionable, but circumspect, keep not only lawful, but wise demeanours; God requireth wisdom but simple, and simplicity but wisdom; If thou have wariness mingled with true sincerity, having thy spirit without guile, and thy actions without dissimulation; It is both lawful and expedient to set wisdom against wisdom, and policy against policy, and care against care, and understanding against understanding, that so by the enemy's subtlety, and thy simplicity, thou be not surprised in the cunning traps, and crafty wiles which are laid for thee.   

42.  
LAbour to have peace always with God, and, (if it be possible) with men, to the great glory of thy Heavenly Father, the profitable example of all beholders, and the abundant comfort of thy own heart; yea though it cost thee some temporal profit, as meek Abraham with worldly loss procured it betwixt his Nephew Lot and himself 
[g] Gen. 13.11. ; learn and labour to cut off all occasions of contention even from those that seek occasions; but with the World, Flesh, Devil, at no time admit either peace or parley; call not Satan to thy company, consult not with flesh and blood; contemn familiarity with the world, lest they suddenly get some advantage and overcome thee; Fight always with all thy courage against all these, clad with the whole armour of God, and do thy best to vanquish them; yea this war is no war to the peace thou oughtest to keep, but that peace is preserved by this war, and the more painfully thou thus warrest, the more peacefully thou still walkest.   

43.  
CAre not, and yet care for to morrow; care not out of distrustfulness, but care out of duty; care not as relying upon the means, without God's blessing (which is an humour that cannot dwell in God's Children) but care as trusting to God's favour upon thy endeavour; labouring both under a tender and heavenly Father, whose blessing no Counsel can hinder, no curse can take away; too little care is want of grace, too much care is want of faith; too little care is presumption, too much care is desperation.   

44.  
EXclude not God at any time resting on thyself and second causes, neither cast all upon God neglecting the means; either in temporal things for the saving of thy body, or in spiritual things for the salvation of thy soul; Almighty God hath from everlasting ordained both the ends and the means not the ends without the means, nor the means without the ends, but both of them; All lawful means may well stand with God's providence and faith therein; yea by not divorcing the means from the end we both declare our sincere obedience in using such weak means as are subordinate thereunto, and decline security, and presumption, two main enemies of our most holy faith.   

45.  
BY daily prayer and practice stir up the gifts of the Holy Ghost in thee, lest in the end, thou lose thy store, with stock and all; constantly keep on rowing against the stream of thy natural corruption; against which if thou do not strive continually, but stand at a stay, it will carry thee away and all thy merchandise, as a boat standing lose upon the river is carried backward, if it be not wafted forward; is, by the sway of the water, driven downward, unless it be still labouring to go upwards.   

46.  
OBserve diligently what adversaries be abroad, and warily watch that there be no traitors at home; All that hurt thee are not without thee, there are enemies too within thee; and such as may do thee more harm than all the rest: look upon thy outward senses, and reflect upon thy inward affections, lest by the former evils enter, and lest by the later evils conquer.   

47.  
TAke heed to thy mouth that thou speak not unadvisedly, and to thy hands that they act not unpreparedly; but especially and above all things look to the inward affections of thy heart; for as the fountain is, such is the river that runneth from it; If the fountain be sweet, the river that floweth from it will not be sour; as the Wood is, so the Fire will be, unsavoury wood will make unwholesome fire, but pure Frankincense or dry Juniper will yield a pleasant perfume: so if the soul be sanctified, the lips will be seasoned, but if the thoughts and affections be ungodly, they will bring forth lewd words and wicked actions; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, said the God of Truth who knew the heart 
[h] Matth. 12.34. , what the heart readeth the mouth repeateth.   

48.  
COnsider thy proper and personal sins, whereunto, by the corruption of thy nature, thou art most inclined; from which thou canst hardliest abstain, as being more strong, and more working in thee than some others are; and against them make thy spiritual compacts and barricadoes most durable, and most guard thy walls with Redoubts and outworks; where the hedge is lowest, every beast will seek to enter, and where we are weakest, Satan that beast will be strongest, his temptations will be thickest, where our defence is slenderest.   

49.  
STand to thy watch, look to thy ways, keep a continual guard over thyself, in all occurrences; and not only beware of personal sins, towards which thy nature most bends, but of those also which are incident to thy present estate, whatsoever it is. In wealth beware of high-mindedness, in health of wantonness, in mirth of forgetfulness, in want to distrustfulness, in loss of pensiveness, and in death of fearfulness.   

50.  
ABstain, as far as thou canst, not only from every sin, but also from every bait that may be a means to bring thee unto it; Look not thou upon the wine, saith the Holy Ghost by the mouth of Solomon, when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright 
[i] Prov. 23.31. ; and accordingly look not upon the meat, that may betray thy appetite, and then thy affections; young Daniel refused the meat that was allotted unto him by Nabuchadnezzar, (which of itself was lawful to be received with thanksgiving) because the King should not entice him thereby to forsake his own God, or to lean to the others Religion 
[k] Dan. 1.8. .   

51.  
CHeck not God's Word with the licentious Antinomian, give not God's Spirit the lie, who in every place warneth us, that the Moral Law is not abolished by the Law of faith, but established 
[l] Marth. 5.17, 18, 19, 20. ; In the uprightness & integrity of thy heart, endeavour to walk still in the old way of God's Commandments, if ever thou mean to come to Heaven by the new and living way Christ Jesus; For every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure 
[m] 1 Joh. 3.3. ; Examine and prove thou still, and fashion thy works by the Law, as by a right level, which God hath left to be a rule of righteousness, to remain in full strength, power and virtue for ever. Although thou canst not fulfil it, yet put it not out of thy sight, or care; stray from it as little as thou canst, though thou canst not obey it so fully as thou wouldst.   

52.  
HOwsoever thou fall through infirmity, or human frailty, into sin (as who is free from falling, It is not possible for any mere man to be without all offence) 
[n] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Chrysostom.  Howsoever being surprised by Satan, inveigled by slights, enticed by sinners, thou be taken, and upon a sudden overtaken in a fault (for it were a proud persuasion above man's state, and against-Gods Truth, to think thyself safe from sin) yet be not so insolent and impudent, stand not in justification of it; for that showeth less grace and more corruption; while men (though otherwise badly disposed) blush and are touched with some bashfulness, though they cannot contain themselves, yet there is hope of them; some sign of salvation is the acknowledgement of sin 
[o] Signum salut is agnitio peccati. Bern. ; but when they justify their bad do, and boldly defend what they have done, they are almost desperate, and give small hope of amendment, without special grace To sin is human weakness, but to plead for it wilful wickedness; Defence of a fault doubles it, and is a forerunner of obduration; Thy sin perhaps was small as thou didst commit it, but surely 'twill be great if thou strive to maintain it, for that cuts off all repentance, Nay it makes thy sin grow up into a wicked height of scandal, and so it may be not only a snare to thyself, but an unhappy seducement to other, warranting many more to be sinful.   

53.  
THere are many things evil in themselves, of which thou mayest speak without any evil; as of stealing, kill, which are wicked to be practised, not wicked to be published; but there are other things lawful to be done, which are non dicendas, unlawful and unhonest to be plainly spoken of; and therefore forbear (unless it be upon good cause and with great modesty) so much as to mention them; Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying; that it may minister grace unto the hearers; grieve not the Holy Spirit of God 
[p] Ephes. 4.29, 30. , Neither give him occasion, touching his comfortable and defensive presence to departed from thee.   

54.  
LEt not thy heart be in thy mouth, but thy mouth in thy heart, unless it be to glorify God, or edify thy brethren; or for justice and equity in behalf of them that are thrust down, and injuriously dealt with by some unconscionable oppressor; unless it be to speak such things as are just and acceptable in the sight of God, and good and profitable for the use of the hearers; unless thy speech be gracious and powdered with salt 
[q] Coloss. 4.6. , that is holy and wholesome for the matter, and discreet and seasonable for the manner; Either vent good matters, or break not good manners, Either speak that which is better than silence, or else keep silence still 
[r] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Eurip. ; we commonly make little reckoning of vain words, but even the least vain word is not the least sin, of which one day we must give a great account.   

55.  
SUspect all thy do; like Job that holy man, that feared all his ways 
[s] Job 9.28. , yea though he had much less cause to fear, than we have, who come far short of his carefulness; Suspect either thy negligence in them, or pride of them, or some corrupt affection mingled with them; And when thou hast done the uttermost thou canst, when thou hast bend all thy strength to serve the Lord in special manner, say not thou art righteous, like the Pharisee that condemned another, and justified himself; Be so far from setting up thy rest, or crest upon it, that thou condemn thyself for an unprofitable servant 
[t] Luke. 17.10. ; desiring remission, not deserving reward; As Christ said to the young man that was so forward in the Gospel, that seemed zealous in the ways of God, and even to make haste to the Kingdom of Heaven, yet one thing is wanting 
[u] Luke 18.22. , so still cry out to thy soul, either for the matter, or for the manner, some thing is wanting; Assure thyself, there is some want of holiness, nay, some unholiness in thy holiest aons.   

56.  
BE not Eagle-eyed, and sharp-sighted, to observe the behaviour, and look into the lives of other men, so long as being overcome with self-love, thou art purblind in regarding, and backward in reforming thine own; but first begin with thyself, and end with others; but first look to thy own ways, and without partiality consider how hard it is to subdue the strength of sin in thyself, and to overmaster thy own corruptions, so shall thou be more charitable, and less severe to others.   

57  
MAke conscience of the least sin, that thou mayest be afraid of the greatest, strain at every such gnat, and thou shalt not easily swallow a Camel; use to pull out but such a moat in thine eye, and thou shalt not soon suffer a beam to stick in it; to prevent sin at the beginning, the labour is little, but to shake off a custom is the work of a Samson.   

58.  
MAke not thyself guilty of other men's sins, by counsel, or commandment, or consent, by commending, or justifying, or concealing, or not opposing, if thou be able; For though thou do not execute it in the work, and apparently practise it with the hand, yet, if thou prevent it not, when it is in thy power so to do, thou comest within the compass of the sin, in God's account; If God have made thee strong, and thou make thyself weak, the evil that thou sufferest shall be required of thee.   

59  
LEt not the fatness of another's portion trouble thee, nor yet the leaness of thine own; Never envy that another hath more, not yet repine and grudge that thou hast less; Make not slight of that which thou enjoyest, because thou wantest something that thou desirest; It is not God's Ordinance that all should be alike, or that all should be aloft, or that all should abound in riches; As the Lord can give riches without contentment, so he can give contentment without riches. Be not sick for another's wealth, or another's office, or another's honour, but constantly and equally content thyself, with that honour, or office, or wealth, or mean estate, that God hath given thee; but satisfy thyself with that low or last place wherein he hath settled thee, and acknowledge that the meanest place is far more than either thou canst challenge, or canst deserve; I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, saith Jacob 
[w] Gen. 32.10. ; Not worthy of the greatest, No, not of the least; the least drop of thy mercies is greater than all my deserts.   

60.  
WHat though some, far unlike to just Lot 
[x] Pet. 2.7. , are nothing troubled in their souls with the filthy conversation of the wicked? Nay, which is worse, what though some can delight and sport themselves, can laugh and clap their hands, to behold men laden with drink tumble like swine, or observe how they rail upon the truth, and those that profess it, besides many other ungracious speeches; little imagining that by such applauding behaviour they seem also to rejoice in the Devil's conquest over their brethren; yet mourn thou for the sins of others as if they were thine own, for if thou do not thou wilt thereby make them thine own; If thou mourn for them, they are theirs not thine, but, if thou do not mourn, they are both theirs and thine; they are smitten in Ezechiel that mourned not for the abominations committed, as well as they that did commit them 
[y] Ezech. 9.5. .   

61.  
WHat intolerable oppression soever the malice of men shall not cease to multiply upon thee, let Christian wisdom and magnanimity subdue thy passions; Be so far from revenging thyself indeed for injuries done unto thee, as not in big words or bold assertions to threaten, or in the secret corners of thy mind to purpose any vengeance; commend thy cause to God, stay his leisure till he deliver thee; or, if thou live where God hath appointed a governor, appeal to his Vicegerent, the public Magistrate, who beareth not the sword in vain, and abide his determination; rather undergo a second injury, than with thy own revenging hand requite the first; rather with a good heart be ready to bear any thing, than by any thing, whereof thou hast no warrant, seek satisfaction; Art thou a Christian and wilt be revenged? Tarry a while, thy Lord and Master Christ Jesus is not yet revenged of his own death; 
[z] Vindicari vis Christiane? Nondum vindicatus est Christus August. in Psal. 30.  put away all rage, put on the Lord Jesus Christ 
[a] Rom. 13.14. ; pray, as thy blessed Saviour both did, and taught, that thy enemies may rather be pardoned, than punished.   

62.  
NEither by't thy neighbour present, nor backbite him absent; Neither by't him nor backbite him with what thou knowest, and much less with more than thou knowest; Move not any tale, whether false or true, whereby the credit of thy neighbour may be lost, or lessened; All truths are not to be told at all times; Thou mayst bear false witness when thou makest a true report, false witnesses do not always deliver untruths, but deck their fowl intents with a fair show of verity; the truth of the matter excuseth not the guilt of the slander 
[b] Veritas convitil non excusat convitium. .   

63.  
BE not careless of thy companions carriage, but exhort and edify him, as far as thou mayest, lest the man perish that is a friend, and the Devil rejoice at it that is an enemy; Be frequent in admonishing thy friend, and sometimes spare not sharply to check him, never rebuke him bitterly, never reject him utterly.   

64.  
LIe not for thy friend, or for thyself, or for Almighty God; God requireth me to love him, but not to lie for him; will you speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him? saith Job 
[c] Job 13.7. , checking in his friends a false speech, although it tended to defend the Lord; speak not at any time that which thou knowest to be false, nor at all times that which thou knowest to be true; conceal as far as lawfully thou mayest, that which may do hurt spoken; Thou art not ever bound to tell all the truth, but thou art ever bound that all be truth thou tellest; It is not a  when silence keepeth back something that is true, but when speech utters something that is false.   

65.  
Cell not one sin to buy another, amend not one error or corruption by another, but purge out the old leaven that thou mayst be a new lump 
[d] 1 Cor. 5.7: , Forsake not riotousness, to embrace covetousness, Neither leave secret repining, to fall into open rebellion; In avoiding superstition, become not either schismatical, or profane; Neither in abhorring profaneness fall into mere formality and hypocrify; To abandon Epicurism, admire not Stoicism, Neither run into Anarchy, to shun Tyranny; but seek, and turn to, and keep the golden mean, prescribed by the Lord in his Word; From the which the wider thou walkest, the worse thou wanderest, and the further off from thy journey's end.   

66.  
BE fervent and zealous, but not fierce and violent; Be diligent for the increase of thy wealth, but not a slave to the world; Be neither remiss in thy vocation, nor yet too severe a taskmaster over thyself to the oppressing of thy mind, or body; soon changeable is thy life with rest, and recreation; but without recreation or rest it cannot be long durable.   

67.  
ABhor haste, and love leisure, when thou art to undertake any serious business, lest, if thou go on with little heed, thou come off with less honour; Many circumstances belong to things of substance; Matters of moment are not to be managed but with much deliberation; It is safer and easier in such eases, to practise when thou hast pondered, than to ponder when thou hast practised.   

68  
APproximate none to thy secrets, neither willingly make choice of any to serve thee in any office, though of never so serviceable qualities or useful endowments otherwise; but such as are careful to serve God, according to their apprehension and ability; but such as are religious and virtuous, and adorned with true worthyness; but such as are more willing, at least, to heavenly causes, than quick in worldly matters; He, who hath freely sanctified their hearts with grace, will surely direct their ways with judgement; They will not falter in their business, nor will God fail in his blessing; They will be faithful and prudent in the managing, and God will be gracious and merciful in the prospering of all those employments which they take in hand.   

69.  
HOwsoever thou art before others in prerogative of birth and blood, and in many other things there be a great difference between thee and thy neighbour; Howsoever God hath invested thee with right unto titles, and revenues; and in worldly matters perhaps too hath nothing, whereas thou hast all things and wantest nothing; yet in the mainest matters and things of most worth, acknowledge him and account him thy equal. The lowest have as good a title to salvation, and the Kingdom of Heaven, as the highest, and the poorest as the richest; There is neither Jew, nor Greek; There is neither bound nor free; There is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus 
(e) Gal. 3.28. quantum ad sidei Statum & dignitatem. Diony. Carth. in locum. quantum ad justificationem attinet. Nicolaus Hemingius in locum. . It is not the meaning of God's mercy to countermand any civil respects; In the world there must be differences, and degrees; it must be so for policy and order, but in Christ Jesus all are one; All have one Redeemer; All are members of one body, Christ hath redeemed all of all sorts that believe in him.   

(70)  
THere is an excellent wisdom beyond the rules of Physic, beyond all sovereign medicines whatsoever, in the weakness of our bodies for their restauration, and in the good estate of our bodies for the continuation and strengthening of life; to send to heaven by prayer for the increase of faith, and fear of God, and that increase will make the heart better, and that beterness will procure more true cheerfulness, and that cheerfulness will stir up more found health, comforting natural heat, and dispersing it all over the body; and that health will multiply our days, and augment the years of our life; whereas raging, hopeless, heartless sorrow, like a devouring Harpy consumes our blood and spirits, drieth our bones, and suddenly dissolves and destroys us.   

71.  
SEest thou a man smitten with diseases, and lying in extremity and anguish; his heart panting, his strength failing, his flesh and bones tormenting; and, which is yet more lamentable, dost thou perceive that Satan (as he commonly useth upon such occasions,) endeavoureth now especially to breed no small troubles and terrors in his soul? send up thankful thoughts unto thy most gracious Lord God, for holding his hands, and not laying the like upon thee, for not dealing with thee severely as he might justly: God is always to be glorified of us both in our bodies and in our souls; not only for his proceeding to profit us, but also for his forbearing to punish us.   

72.  
AS it is a great fault not to put up a small wrong; So it may be no small fault to suffer a great injury; thou art bound in such a case not to make thyself a prey, but to make thy cause known, not to whet on others to lay on load upon thee, but (as Gods servants have done from time to time) to crave and call for the help of the Magistrate, and seek remedy from his hands, whom God hath left as his Lieutenant, and set to supply his place, either for the preventing of further wrong, or for the punishment of the doer of wrong; God bindeth our hands from unjust revenge, but he shutteth not our mouths from just complaint; God is offended as sure when lawful means are not used, as when unlawful means are practised.   

73.  
NOt only labour to serve God thyself, but stir up, and inflame others to serve him, to believe his truth, and walk in his Commandments; Him will God love most, who shall win most to the love of God 
(f) Is in amore Dei major erit, qui plurimos ad ejus amorem trahit. Greg. in hom. : wherefore hath God given thee light, but that thou shouldst give light to others? How canst thou be sure of thy own calling, if thou hast no delight to call others? Thou art not turned to God thyself, if thou bear not that heart, that thou wouldst even think thyself happy, mightest thou be a means to turn another unto God. The Prophet Isaiah, that Evangelical Prophet, and Prophetical Evangelist, prophesying of the Kingdom of Christ, bringeth in the people so full of zeal, that they stir up one another, saying, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in in his paths 
(g) Isaiah 2.3. . And Zachariah saith, They that dwell in one City, shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of Hosts 
(h) Zachar. 8.21. .   

74.  
BE not wise to thyself; Be not a niggard of thy knowledge, but communicate thy knowledge to others; Cover not thy candle with a vessel, neither put it under a bed, but set it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light 
(i) Luke 8.16. ; So shalt thou perform the intent of thy stewardship; so shalt thou be of the number of those, who profiting teach, and by teaching profit; knowledge may fitly be resembled to the Widow's oil, which, the more it was poured out, the more it increased; knowledge may be well likened to the five loaves, which the more they were distributed the more they multiplied; As contrariwise, if knowledge be not imparted, it will be impaired, If we keep it private, we shall be deprived of it.   

75.  
ARt thou learned, and able to teach others? yet disdain not that any should teach thee; what mortal mere man ever attained to that depth of judgement as not to be yet ignorant in many profitable concernments? Even in the same profession that may be hidden from one, which is known to another; to attend is no hindrance but that a man may speak, to speak is no hindrance but that a man may hear; therefore Job matcheth them together, saying, Let a man of understanding tell me, there is he prepared to learn, let a wise man hearken to me 
(k) Job 34.34.  there is he provided to speak; speaking and hearing amongst all that are  cannot be prejudicial one to another.   

76.  
ATtend as often, and as carefully, as thou mayest, to all wholesome and convenient directions; Be more desirous to hearken to others, than to hear thyself; but especially when thou meetest with such, as excel in knowledge, as are filled with the knowledge of Gods will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; by whom in many things thou mayest exactly cure thy ignorance by learning in silence; who are as profitable Well-springs plentiful and perpetual; such as fail not, nor can be drawn dry at any time; whose hearts feed their mouths; and thereout excellent observations in one useful respect or other, readily flow, as a free stream from a full fountain.   

77.  
COntemn not, neither lightly pass over such things as thou seest; but seriously search and seek, not only what temporal, but especially what spiritual use thou canst draw from them, that may enrich thy soul, and help to build thee up in Christ Jesus; learn which the Bee, to gather celestial honey, as well from the weed, as from the flower; learn by the Dust thy baseness, by the Grass thy frailty, by the Ant diligence, by the Sheep patience, by the Ox thankfulness, by the Clouds bountifulness; learn by the Darkness the time of thy ignorance, by the Light the time of the Gospel, by every thing something that may wean thee from earth, and win thee to Heaven.   

78.  
Common often with thy own heart, and let thy spirit make diligent search wherein thou hast offended, in thought, word, deed, by sins of omission or commission; against God, thy neighbour, and thyself; stand not in thine own light, be not partial, but examine thyself earnestly, thoroughly, uprightly; Neither only examine, but upon examination condemn thyself, fall at God's feet, and humbly cry for mercy; Thus if thou judge thyself before thyself in this thy day, thou shalt not be condemned in the last day, before the Judgement Seat of Christ, in the presence and audience of all the world.   

79.  
DIscover to thy Surgeon thy sores, to thy Physician thy disease, to Almighty God thy sins; It is a good disgrace, that procureth grace; He preventeth his cure that doth not publish his cause 
(l) Ipse sibi denegat curam qui suam medico non publicat causam. Aug. epist. 188. . The Lord indeed knoweth all things, but yet requireth thy confession; is acquainted with all thy wishes, and all the volutations of thy mind, but nevertheless expecteth thy words 
(m) Novit Deus omnia vocem tatamen tuam expectat. Ambros. de poenit. l. 1. cap. 23. .   

80.  
THink not thyself immediately made clean from all thy iniquity, transgression, and sin, if thou shed a few tears and bewail them; but be sorrowful for them, and sorrowful that thou canst be no more sorrowful; considering that if a river were turned into tears flowing from thine eyes, thou couldst never sufficiently be grieved for thy offences; if God should in his Justice only require it; and yet despair not, but take a true and comfortable, and fast hold upon God by a lively faith; who is gracious and abundant in mercy; whose mercy hath neither bottom nor measure; who will not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should repent and live; disliking himself for his manifold misdemeanours, and cleaving to God for his manifold mercies.   

81.  
BE not so cast down in the sight of thy own unworthiness, as to think, because thou deservest not God's mercy, therefore thou shalt never be partaker of it; For how plentiful are his gracious promises every where of favour and compassion? the which though there be no cause in thee why he should confirm, yet is there cause enough in himself why he should perform; who, whatsoever he will, he can, and, whatsoever he hath promised, he will, who always useth to be as good as his word, who is infinite in his mercy, and infallible in his truth.   

82.  
IF thou wouldst repent truly and thoroughly, pray earnestly to the Lord, that it would please him of his infinite compassion, to look upon thee with the eyes of his grace; The most merciful God is the only giver of repentance unto life (n); 
(m) Act. 11.18.  It is not in man's power to repent when he will, but when God will; It is not thy own, or any others endeavour, that can do any thing in this way, till God put to his help; until Christ did look back upon Peter, with his Spirit, as well as with his eye, thereby to work upon his conscience, He was not moved He was not touched with compunction, He had no heart at all to go out, nor will to mourn and weep bitterly for his sins.   

83.  
SEest thou thy neighbour drawn into a dangerous sin? draw not out thy stiletto of final condemnation upon him; look not upon him without hope; deprave not his former graciousness, as though it had never been real, nor conclude his future reprobation, as though he could never be righteous; what knowest thou, but that he that is fallen, may rise again? as a member that is out of joint may be set in again; And what knowest thou, but that the same, which is to day his sin, may be to morrow thy wickedness? reprove him and admonish him thou mayest and must, according to thy office and opportunity; So thou begin and proceed with a charitable construction, and Christian compassion; but to aggravate and amplify slips, or falls, as worldlings use to do, and to sentence offenders to the pit of hell, that is a power for the potter, not for the clay 
(o) Non est judicium luti sed figuli. Aug. de correp. & great. cap. 5. ; Thou hast no part nor fellowship in that authority.   

84.  
BEholdest thou any slain together in the field? or drowned together in the Sea? or any way else come to the same destruction together? yet conclude them not equally virtuous, or vicious, or their rewards after death, alike happy or miserable: For their lives may be contrary though their deaths be the same; or though they agree a long time in their race, yet may they differ before their races end; The two malefactors that suffered with our Saviour, on the Cross, had the like external punishment, but not the like eternal condemnation; in their death they were not divided, they both died a violent death; but in their souls they were plainly parted, the one went to heaven, the other to hell.   

85.  
JUdge not any man by his distemperature in his sickness, but by his disposition in his health, or by the strangeness of his death, but by the strictness of his life; whereof the constant course is the best rule whereby to conjecture his future estate; unless thou wilt be judged thyself to be full of malice and empty of charity. They are usual mischiefs and not extravagant misdemeanours; (No not raving and blaspheming in case of violent disease disturbing the head and brain) that can make any probable argument, or likely sign of a son of perdition.   

86.  
ABhor that peremptory censure, that this man is a Saint, and that man is a sinner, he the servant of God, and he the child of the Devil; For who is able, without special revelation, to say determinately and assuredly, touching another, that he is the child of the Devil, or that he is the Child of God? cannot grace easily cut off the oldest and strongest entail of wickedness? Are there not many Wolves within the very Church, whose hypocrisy the Lord will in time discover? and are there not many sheep without the sheepfold of Christ, which God in his time will call 
(p) August. hom. 45. upon John. ? What man is there, of so weak a faith, or so wicked a life, but that one day Christ out of his infinite goodness may call him and heal him? How far was Paul out of the way, and in what wrong and violent course in his former years? He breathed out threaten and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord 
(q) Acts 9.1. , he was a blasphemer and an oppressor 
(r) 1 Tim. 1.13. . But was he so always? Did not God reduce him, and reform him in his later years? whilst he was striking, was he not stricken into his conversion? and of a ravenous and most cruel wolf was he not made first a mild sheep, and then a most diligent and excellent shepherd? And where is he that dare take upon him so to judge of another man's future estate, as to say certainly that he is damned, or he is saved? Is it not more than he hath any warrant for? Who art thou that so judgest another's servant? Is it not to his own master only, who perfectly knows him, to whom he stands, or falls, and not to thee who art not able to know his heart? Is not his own master only that one Lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy 
(s) James 4.12. ? Who art thou that takest such authority, and severity upon thee? that dealest so unmercifully with thy brother? He is a sinner, and so art thou a sinner, so either thou art, or hast been, or mayest be; Judge thyself, try and examine thy own works, search and sift them; Judge thyself, and judge not him, lest thou be condemned of the Lord, for not judging and judging.   

87.  
BEfore thou receive the holy Sacrament, whose price is unvaluable and the virtue no less than the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ 
(t) 1 Cor. 10.16. ; To the partaking whereof no man should rashly and rudely thrust himself, or come without religious fear and trembling; lest instead of a seal of God's mercy, he receive a pledge of his wrath; if thou be not fit for such a favour, of so high, and holy a nature, endeavour to make thyself fit, and the way to make thyself fit, is examination of thyself in what case thou standest; Examine thy repentance whether it be sincere, thy purpose whether it be steadfast, thy faith whether it be lively, thy thankfulness whether it be real, and thy charity whether it be general.   

88  
BE frequent and forward in coming to the holy Sacrament, a visible pledge of God's grace, and holy covenant with thee; a Seal to assure thee of the performance of the gracious promises made to thee in the Word; a part of the most delicate and delightful souls food, that ever was tasted, or that can be in the world; Deprive not thyself of so excellent a help both to provoke obedience, and to strengthen faith, and to increase the comfort of the inward man; Make preparation, but make not excuse; Thou wouldst think thyself wronged, if having furnished thy table and provided liberally for thy guests, any one of them frowardly should reject thy kindness; what a wrong is it then to refuse the table and feast of Almighty God? It is no less danger to abstain from the Lords Supper wilfully, than it is to receive it unworthily.   

89.  
WHat though God's gifts be sure without sealing, as he himself is sure without changing? what though the Sacraments of themselves cannot confer grace ex opere operato, by the work wrought, that is, by force and virtue of the work and Word done and said in the Sacrament, as the Papists affirm 
(u) Conc. Trident. Sess. 6. cap. 8. Rhem. Acts 22. Sec. 1. Ro. 6. Sect. 5. , blasphemously giving that power to the creature, which belongeth only to the Creator? yet are they instruments of God's merc es, which he useth of his goodness towards us, to convey to our feebleness good things; and to make us more secure of his love; They are the King of Kings gracious pardon to confirm the weakness of our faith, to make good the truth of his own promises, to seal up unto us forgiveness of sins; Being then by God's institution very available, frequent them with a feeling of thy wants, with a reverence of his ordinances, with hungering after his graces, with calling upon his Name, to fit thee and prepare thee for that heavenly work.   

90.  
DEceive not thy own heart with a Zodiac of false signs; Rest not thyself in seeking after common gifts, general knowledge and illumination, diversity of tongues, and interpretation of tongues, all which are common to all sorts of men both good and bad; but labour and covet to be partaker of such gifts as are peculiar and proper to the elect, & do always accompany salvation, and eternal life; but labour to feel a certain knowledge of thy reconciliation to God in Christ, the gifts of regeneration, a dying unto sin, and rising up to newness of life, the grace of hearty prayer, meekness in bearing rebukes, delight in those that excel in virtue, comfort in distresses, and such like, which the elect of God find in some measure wrought in them; If these be in thee and abound, thou shalt have that peace of conscience through them, that passeth all understanding; but if these be not in thee, whatsoever knowledge thou hast besides, though thou hast tasted of the heavenly gift, been enlightened by the Spirit, been partaker of the holy Ghost, tasted of the good word of God, and received the Gospel with joy, thou shalt find no more sound comfort in them, than many most wicked men have had, who were enlightened by God, but shall never be saved; who attained to great and high knowledge, but never grew so high as faith.   

91.  
ACcording to the truth of the Word in mercy revealed unto thee, grow in grace more and more, and make every day some progress to the Kingdom of heaven; still press, and endeavour onwards to obtain it; Thou shalt find many lets and hindrances in the way, which to pass over may seem to be hard in the beginning (especially if they be looked upon with an eye of flesh;) but a settled course and continual practice of faith and repentance will within a while make all that was laborious, lightsome, the matter easy and evident, and the way plain and comfortable. A scorner seeketh wisdom and findeth it not; but knowledge is easy to him that understandeth 
(w) Prov. 14.6. ; that understandeth to desire it, and humbleth himself.   

92.  
THink not thyself discharged either by God's sovereign, or by the Priests subordinat working; but that thou must also put to thy help, and work out, not the price, but the assurance of thy own salvation 
(x) Philip. 2.12. ; but that thou must also by using the appointed means, by walking in all the Commandments of God without reproof, and continual increasing in sanctification (which is a sign and seal of our justification) procure to thyself an assurance of thy election 
(y) a Pet. 1.10. ; but that thou must also by fight the good fight, and keeping the faith, put thyself into an expection of the Crown of righteousness 
(z) 2 Tim. 4.8. ; If thou wouldst be sure to have salvation follow, then must holy and careful serving of God go before.   

93.  
HAst thou but little abilities, and few gifts, either of nature, art, or grace bestowed upon thee? beholdest thou a double portion in others, and a poor pittance in thyself? yet be not dismayed, be not out of heart, but in an humble contentation & devout thankfulness, proceed according to thy power, and thy labour shall not be in vain in the Lord; God desireth not toreap where he hath not sown, nor requireth he much, but where he hath given much; He looketh not for labouring beyond thy strength, nor travailing further than thy gifts can reach; When Ezechiah prayed for the people, that the Lord would pardon every one that prepared his heart to seek the Lord God of his Fathers, though he were not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary, the Lord heard him, and hearkened unto him, and healed the people 
(a) 2 Chro. 30.18, 19, 20. .   

94.  
COntent not thyself with knowledge and understanding, with utterance and discourse, or with ability to dispute and determine many difficult points of Religion, though these faculties be in thee very eminent and singular; but consider what faith thou hast to believe, and conscience to perform obedience; but look what power God's Spirit hath in thee, to sanctification of life, to amendment of errors and misdoings: of the Spirit illuminating the fruits are often given to the wicked (Balaam and Saul may Prophesy, Caiphas may have some transient revelations) but the fruits of the Spirit sanctifying are vouchsafed to none but only to God's Elect; Not he that knoweth most, but he, that maketh best use of what he knoweth, is the man whom God will know, and prefer, in the day of eternal retribution, in the day of his glorious appearance, when he shall destroy all the wicked, and make happy his own for ever.   

95.  
THe freehearted Jews still brought, either gold, or silver, or precious stones, or fine linen, or spices, or silk, or hair, or one thing or other, to the building of the material tabernacle; and they left not building till they were prohibited by proclamation; In building thy spiritual tabernacle to the Lord, leave not praying reading, hearing, learning, meditating, applying, practising, till thou be stayed by death; In thy spiritual progress, repine not at thy pains past, neither think much of that which is to come, but keep on still; Be not weary of good intents and gracious employments.   

96.  
LEt the examples of thy neighbours dying round about thee daily, thy own decaying in strength and health, the many calamities in this dangerous world, incite thee to apply (whilst thou hast time) both thy body and mind to do good; stir thee up to prepare thyself, both in profession and practice for thy departure; so shall neither life, nor death, no not sudden death, part thee from thy Saviour; so shall death be unto thee, nor death indeed, but a bare name, and no worse; so shall death not be terrible unto thee, but as welcome, as quiet sleep to a wearied and overwearied traveller.   

97.  
BE not so heartless as to fear death, nor yet so senseless, as to pray for death before the time appointed by the Lord thy Governor: It is a sin to work thy death before men, and it is a sin to wish thy death before God; Indeed death which bringeth the dissolution of nature, and is a passage to a better life, is a welcome guest to them that are the Lords; all the godly do make themselves ready to receive him, to meet and  him: Death to the wicked cometh with a sting, but to the godly hath lost it; O death where is thy sting? O Hell where is thy victory 
(b) 1 Cor. 15.55. ? Christ hath both abated the sting of the pain, and increased the strength of the patiented; Joyful and glorious is the happiness to be with God; but ask not thy wages before thou hast done thy work; and who can tell when he hath done all that? God may have something more for thee to dispatch, There may be some further office of a good servant, designed for thy part, to perform amongst thy fellow servants; It is better to live to God, than to be with God; If thou be with God thou shalt be glorified, but if thou live to God, God shall be glorified; It was the Spirits special warrant, that made old Simeon desire to departed; If we have not the like warrant, It is a great weakness to desire not to be, rather than to be in misery; Petition not to die but to live, and declare the works of the Lord, and labour further in his employments; Ask not, seek not for any means of death, but seek and sue for a blessing upon all those good means, that may maintain thy life, to do more good therein to the Church of God.   

98.  
LEt not any of God's Judgements either seen, or heard, pass without heedfulness, or be observed without usefulness; Let his vengeance justly fallen upon others, though it do not touched thee, yet teach thee, and stir thee up to amendment of life; God smiteth a few to warn many, and sometimes punisheth but one, to profit all; what a happiness shall it be, if, by God's grace, we so consider others punishment, that we ourselves may never be made examples of punishment unto others?   

99  
MAke what use thou canst of God's Judgements upon others, and learn at their charge, and by their stripes, to get some instruction to thyself; Meditate often upon the fearful Judgements of God, which he bringeth upon the world, that they may bring thy heart to a greater dread, and reverence of his holy Majesty; but especially ponder upon the last judgement in the end of the world, and of thy particular judgement at the hour of death; that so having made thy peace before hand with God, by the mediation of thy blessed Lord and Saviour, thou mayst be sure to escape God's wrath, and be saved; for if the tree fall towards the South or towards the North, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be 
(c) Ecclesi. 11.3. , As the tree falleth, so it must lie, whether it be to the North of God's Judgements, or to the South of his mercy; If the tree fall towards the South, (if a man die in faith) or towards the North (without faith) there it lieth; As God doth find thee, when he doth call thee, so doth he judge thee.   

100  
DAily consider, and daily practise to mind thy eternal life, in this thy temporal life, and have thy conversation in heaven, whilst thou walkest upon the earth, by using this world as though thou didst not 
(d) Phil. ●. 20.  use it 
(e) 1 Cor. 7.31. , having another respect in the use of it than for itself; and not only thinking, or talking, or wishing of heaven, not only meditating or discoursing of God, but doing Gods will, as the Angels in heaven, readily, willingly, faithfully, without let, murmur, or deceit; by seeking those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God; by setting thy affections on things above, not on things on the earth 
(f) Coloss. 3.1, 2. ; whatsoever thou wouldst do at the last gasp, and groan, when thou art dying, do the same every day, whilst thou art living; He that would live when he is dead, must die when he is alive.  Proverbs 4.13. 
TAke fast hold of instruction, let her not go: keep her, for she is thy life.  2. Epist. of John vers. 9 
He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, He hath both the Father and the Son.  Cyprianus Epist. Lib. 1. Epist. 4. 
Humanos errores, & mend●●●● relinquamus, & in veritate Dei maneamus.  
Let us leave the errors, and lies of men, and abide in the truth of God.    
FINIS.