up in store to speake for him taint you Fie for shame saith Innocentius now adayes man is esteemed according to his money whereas rather the money should bee esteemed according to the man Every one is reputed worthy if he be wealthy and naught if he be needy whereas rather every one should be reputed wealthy if he be worthy and needy if he be naught Marcus Caelius was said to have a good right hand but an ill left hand because he could plead against a man better than for him Be you so equally handed as poyzing the weight of the cause sincerely you may minister right judgment to all parties being as ready to defend the cause of the needy as of the wealthy giving him the best countenance who hath the best cause It was Romes fault which presages Romes fall to be facunda inimicuiis faecunda praemiis farre be it from our Iland who as she hath enjoyed a long peace so ought shee to become more thankfull to that God of peace who in his mercy hath strengthned her bulwarkes enclosed her as a hedged garden fed her with the flower of wheat making her feet like Hindes feet to runne the wayes which hee hath appointed And so I come to speake of such private affaires as require the care and charge of a Gentleman even within the compasse of his owne family IF there bee any that provideth not for his owne and namely for them of his Houshold he denieth the faith and is worse than an Infidell saith the Apostle Now how carefull should we be to remove from us so hatefull a title as the name of infidell Have we not our appellation from Christ but in vaine are we named after Christ if wee doe not follow Christ. Wee were not borne to passe our time in an improvident or carelesse sensuality wee were not created onely to cramme our selves and spend our dayes in securitie Man saith Iob was borne to labour as the sparkes to flie upward at least to provide for his owne family over which hee is made a master by releeving them outwardly with all necessaries and inwardly with all good and wholsome instructions Now to propose you a forme in what manner you are to demeane your selves towards all degrees within your family I shall little need since the Apostle himselfe hath so notably laid downe every ones office or duty where hee sheweth in what manner Wives are to submit themselves unto their Husbands and againe how Husbands should love their Wives Even as Christ loved the Church and gave himselfe for it In the next ensuing chapter hee declareth the duty of Children in these words Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right Then he descendeth to the duty of Parents And ye Fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in instruction and information of the Lord. Then touching servants Servants bee obedient unto them that are your masters according to the flesh with feare and trembling in singlenesse of your hearts as unto Christ. Concluding the last duty with Masters And yee Masters doe the same thing unto them putting away threatning and know that even your master also is in heaven neither is there respect of person with him Thus have wee briefly and cursorily runne over those particular duties deputed to every one from the highest to the lowest in their peculiar places and offices where we can finde no exemption from the servant to the master but that certaine particular duties are injoyned either As every mans house is his Castle so is his family a private Common-wealth wherein if due government be not observed nothing but confusion is to be expected For the better prevention whereof I have thought good to set downe sundry cautions as well for direction in affaires temporall as spirituall which observed it is not to bee doubted but that God will give you all good successe to your endevours First therefore in affaires Temporall I could wish you to observe this course so to provide for the releefe and supportance of your family as you may not onely have sufficient for yourselves but also bee helpfull unto others sufficient for your selves in providing food and apparell being all which Iaakob desired of God and helpfull unto others in giving food and raiment to the fatherlesse in providing releefe for the desolate and comfortlesse in harbouring the poore needy and succourlesse and briefly in ministring to the necessity of the Saints and all such as are of the family of faith And because providence is the way by which releefe both to your selves and others may bee sufficiently ministred beware of Prodigality and excesse lest you give your honour unto others and your yeares to the cruell Lest the stranger should be filled with your strength and your labours be in the house of a stranger Go rather to the Pismire who though she have no guide governour nor ruler provideth in Summer her granary for Winter Neither is it sufficient to gather but frugally to dispose of that which is gathered This Providence admits of no Vitellius break-fasts nor Cleopatra's bankets The Prodigalls daintie tooth brought him to feed on husks Esau's to sell his birth-right for a messe of pottage Ionathans for a honey-combe to endanger his life The Israelites to murmure against Moses Babylons golden cup to fill her full of abominations I have observed and no lesse admired than observed how some have consumed their estates in satisfying their appetites and that only in the choice of meats and drinkes and was not this a great vanitie That those whom meats though lesse delightfull yet more healthfull might haue sustained and fewer diseases occasioned could not content themselves with that which might have better satisfied nature but to shew themselves Epicures rather than Christians will bestow the revenues of a Manour upon the superfluous charge of a supper For these are they who like Eryâ—thous bowels will disgorge as much upon the boundlesse expence of their owne Family as might serve well for releeving a whole Countrey These are they who like the Endive or Misselto sucke up all the native verdure and vigour of such plants as they inwreath for by their excesse though their owne luscious palats taste no want the commonaltie feeles it when they goe to the Markets and finde the rate of all provision inhanced by such whose Prodigalitie scarce extends a provident eye to themselves much lesse to the behoose of others It is said of Cambletes the gluttonous King of Lydia that he dreamed he devoured his wife while they lay sleeping together in the same bed and finding her hand betweene his teeth when he awaked hee slow himselfe fearing dishonour Howsoever the History be authenticke sure I am the Morall taxeth such whose Epicureall mindes are only set upon prodigall expence without respect either of present fortunes or care to posteritie whose want is oft-times procured by their riot To be short as Parcimonie is
too late when it comes to the bottome so it may be with discretion used when it is at the top for I approve of his opinion who would have a Gentleman neither to hoord up niggardly nor lash out lavishly For as the former argueth a miserable and ignoble minde so the latter sheweth a minde improvident and indiscreet both which are to be so avoided that a meane betwixt both may be duely observed For as I would have a Gentleman even in arguments of outward bountie shew whence he was descended so would I have him keepe a Hawke left his too free disposition be â—hrough necessitie restrained So as in matters of expence I hold his resolve authenticke who said I will never spare where reputation bids mee sâ—end nor spend where honest frugalitie bids me spare It is a good rule and worthy observation for whosoever spares when with credit and reputation hee should spend is indiscreetly sparing and whosoever spends when with honest frugalitie hee may spare is prodigally spending Now in government of a Family as I would not have you too remisse so I would not have you too severe towards your Servants I meane and those who have received their several charge from you this it was which moved the Apostle to exhort masters to put away threatning adding this reason For know that even your Master also is in heaven neither is there respect of person with him Therefore it was Saint Augustines prayer unto God that he would root out of him all rashnesse frowardnesse roughnesse unquietnesse slownesse slothfulnesse sluggishnesse dulnesse of minde blindnesse of heart obstinacie of sense truculencie of manners disobedience to goodnesse repugnance of counsell want of bridling the tongue making a prey of the poore shewing violence to the impotent calumniating the innocent negligence of subjects severitie towards servants harshnesse towards familiars hardnesse towards neighbours Hence note how in this holy Fathers repetition and enumeration of many grievous and odious sinnes he toucheth severitie towards servants as a hainous and egregious offence and not without great cause for if we be taught not to muzzle the Oxe that treadeth out the corne and that we are to spare the life of our beast much more ought we to have mercie over such as partake with us in the same Image which wee have equally from him received by whom we live move and have our being I approve therefore of them who put on the spirit of mildnesse towards such as are deputed or substituted under them bearing with one anothers weaknesse as those who have a compassionate feeling of humane infirmities not laying such heavie burdens upon them as they themselves will not touch with their finger but will in some measure partake with them in all their labours But of all other vices incident to masters there is none more hatefull in the sight of God and man than the unthankfulnesse or disrespect of masters towards their servants when they have spent their strength and wasted themselves in their service These like the Grey-hound in the fable may well say that they see nothing can please but that which doth profit when they were young able and fit to endure labour they were respected whereas now being old infirme and helplesse either to themselves or others they are sleightly regarded Whereas if they were thankfull masters these whom they once loved for profit sake in youth they would now love in age in respect of the profit they reaped by their youth But alas doe we not see how nothing is more contemptible than an old Serving-man He may say he was a man in his time but that is all There is no man that will know him since his blew-coat knew no Cognizance the losse of his Crest makes him hang downe his crest as one crest-fallen so as the poore Larke may boast of more than he may for every Larke hath his crest saith Simonides but he hath none To redresse this as in humanitie you ought so I know such as are Generously disposed will that those who have deserved well under you being now growne aged yet unpreferred may by your care be so maintained that their service of Labour may be made a service of Prayer offering their sacrifice of devotion unto God that great Master of a Houshold that he in his mercy would give a happie successe unto all your endevours Now as the Labourer is worthy of his wages for cursed is he that defraudeth â—he labourer of his hire so there is an especiall care required in every servant to looke unto that which is given him in charge For the better discharge whereof it is injoyned you that be Masters not to be too remisse in your care and overseeing thereof for much oversight is usually committed for want of a good overseer Admonish your servants that they intend their charge suffer them not to idle but in their peculiar places to doe that which they in dutie are to performe and you in reason are to expect Wherein as they proceed in diligence so are you to require their care with a cheerefull thankfulnesse If it be your lot to have such an one as Iaakob was as rare it is to finde such an one as he was reward him not with a bleare-eyed Loah for a beautifull and faire Rahel I meane abridge not nor scant not their wages for this is a discredit to your selfe and a discouragement to your servant If he say These twenty yeeres I have beene with thee thine ewes and thy goats have not cast their young and the rams of thy flocke have I not eaten Whatsoever was torne of beasts I brought it not unto thee but made it good my selfe of mine hand diddest thou require it were it stollen by day or stollen by night I was in the day consumed with heat and with frost in the night and my sleepe departed from mine eyes Thus have I beene twenty yeeres in thine house and served thee fourteene yeeres for thy two daughters and six yeeres for thy sheepe and thou hast changed my wages ten times If I say hee hath thus served you and shewne faithfulnesse in that charge over which hee was appointed reward him with a bountifull hand and encourage his care with your best countenance Whereas contrariwise if you meet with such a Servant that saith in his heart My master doth deferre his comming and shall begin to smite the servants and maidens and to eat and drinke and to be drunken you are not to use remisnesse to such a Servant but to cut him off lest you give example unto others by your indulgence to be of the like condition In briefe as a good servant is a precious jewell tendring the profit and credit of him he serveth so an evill servant whose service is only to the eye and not for conscience sake is a scatterer of his substance whom he serveth aiming only at his owne private profit
without least respect had to his Masters benefit Difference therefore you are to make of their care in cherishing the one and chastising the other which can hardly be effected unlesse you who are to make this difference of your servants have an eye to their imployments Neither would I have your care so extended as to afflict and macerate your selves by your excessive care a meane is the best both in the preservation of health and wealth Be diligent saith Salomon to know the state of thy flocke and take heed to thy herds Yet withall note his conclusion Let the milke of thy goats be sufficient for thy food for the food of thy familie and for the sustenance of thy maids Whence you may observe that to gather is admitted so the use or end for which wee gather be not neglected For such whose Hydroptick minds are ever raking and reaping yet know not how to imploy the blessings of God by a communicative exhibition unto others are become vassals unto their owne making their gold-adoring affection an infection their reason treason and the wealth which they have got them a witnesse to condemne them But I have insisted too long on this point especially in framing my speech to you whose more free-borne dispositions will ever scorne to be tainted with such unworthy aspersions wherefore I will descend briefly to such instructions as you are to use touching spirituall affaires being Masters of Housholds in your private families WE reade that Abraham commanded his sons and his houshold that they should keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse and judgement And wee are taught what wee must doe returning from Gods house to our owne and what wee are to doe sitting in our houses even to lay up Gods word in our heart and in our soule and binde it for a signe upon our hand that it may be as a frontlet betweene our eyes And not only to be thus instructed our selves but to teach them our children speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest up And not so onely but thou shalt write them upon the posts of thine house and upon thy gates Whence you see how no place time or occasion is to be exempted from meditating of God but especially in Housholds and Families ought this exercise of devotion to be frequently and fervently practised for a Blessing is pronounced upon the performance hereof as appeareth in the foresaid place and the next ensuing verse where he saith You shall doe all that I have commanded you that your dayes may be multiplied and the dayes of your children in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them as long as the heavens are above the earth Marke the extent of this Blessing for it promiseth not only length of dayes to them that performe it but even to the children of them that performe it and that in no unfruitfull or barren land but in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them and that for no short time but so long as the heavens are above the earth So as this blessed promise or promised blessing is as one well observeth not restrained but with an absolute grant extended so that even as the people that were in the gate and the Elders wished in the solemnizing of that mariage betwixt Boaz and Ruth that their house might be like the house of Pharez so doubtlesse whosoever meditates of the Law of the Lord making it in his Familie as a familiar friend to direct him a faithfull counseller to instruct him a sweet companion to delight him a precious treasure to enrich him shall finde successe in his labours and prosperitie in the worke of his hands But amongst all as it is the use or Masters of housholds to call their servants to account for the day past so be sure Gentlemen and you who are Masters of houses to enter into your owne hearts by a serious examination had every night what you have done or how you have imployed your selves and those Talents which God hath bestowed on you the day past in imitation of that blessed Father who every night examined himselfe calling his soule to a strict account after this manner O my soule what hast thou done this day What good hast thou omitted what evill hast thou committed what good which thou shouldst have done what evill which thou shouldst not have done Where are the poore thou hast releeved the sicke or captive thou hast visited the Orphan or widow thou hast comforted Where are the naked whom thou hast cloathed the hungry whom thou hast refreshed the afflicted and desolate whom thou hast harboured O my soule when it shall be demanded of thee Quid comedit pauper how poorely wilt thou looke when there is not one poore man that will witnesse thy almes Againe when it shall be demanded of thee Vbi nudus quem amicivisti how naked wilt thou appeare when there is not one naked soule that will speake for thee Againe when it shall be demanded of thee Vbi sitiens quem potasti Vbi esuriens quem pavisti Vbi captivus quem visitasti Vbi moestus quem relevasti O my soule how forlorne wretched and uncomfortable will thy condition be when there shall not appeare so much as one witnesse for thee to expresse thy charitie not one poore soule whom thou hast releeved one naked whom thou hast cloathed nor one thirstie whom thou hast refreshed nor one hungry whom thou hast harboured nor a captive whom thou hast visited nor one afflicted whom thou hast comforted Thus to call your selves to account by meditating ever with S. Hierome of the judgement day will be a meanes to rectifie your affections mortifie all inordinate motions purifie you throughout that you may be examples of pietie unto others in your life and heires of glory after death concluding most comfortably with the foresaid Father If my mother should hang about mee my father lie in my way to stop me my wife and children weepe about mee I would throw off my mother neglect my father contemne the lamentation of my wife and children to meet my Saviour Christ Iesus For the furtherance of which holy resolution let no day passe over your heads wherein you addresse not your selves to some good action or imployment Wherefore Apelles posie was this Let no day passe without a line Be sure every day you doe some good then draw one line at the least according to that Line upon line line upon line And Pythagoras posie was this Sit not still upon the measure of corne Doe not looke to eat except you sweat for it according to that He which will not worke let him not eat In my Fathers house saith Christ are many mansions So that no man may sing his soule a
ended Non sine lepôre tanto labore pro uno Lepore homines torqueri video saith one very wittily and elegantly I can never chuse but laugh to see what labour men will take for a poore Hare What Mountaines they will climbe what Marishes they will passe what brakes and bryers they will runne through and all for a Hare which may be an Embleme of humane vanity where men miserable deluded men will refuse no toyle or labour to gaine a trifling pleasure What indirect courses they will take for a moments delight which is no sooner showne them than vanished from them These pleasures are most commonly affected by Youth because they have agility and ability of body to maintaine the pursuit of them whence the Poet The beardlesse Youth when 's guardians raines do yeeld Sports him in Horse and Dogges and open field The reason may be this he cannot endure restraint for the heat of youth must needs take aire or it choaks it selfe with too much holding It must be carried aloft on the wings of the wind taking an Icarian flight but never fearing his fall Such dogges as were presented by the King of Albanie unto Alexander the Great who would not stirre at small beasts but at Lions and Elephants are the fittest for his kennell for Youth is no sooner moving than mounting Whence Ascanius in a youthfull bravery Wisheth some Boare or savage Lion should Descend the Mount and cope with him he would So subject is Youth to expose it selfe to all dangers swimming ever with bladders of vain-glory till they receive water and it sinke There are some also of these youthfull Hunts-men who when they cannot speed in their sport will rather buy it than want it that having their game on their backe they may proclaime to the world how they are masters of their profession And these are excellently displaid by the Poet in the person of Gargilius As once Gargilius who one Morne betime Sent out his Servants forward to the chace With Hunting poles and twisted nets of line To buy a Boare which through the Market place Laid on a Mule as if his men had slaine him Would as he thought eternall glory gaine him So apt are many in inventing and eager in pursuing ought which may raise them a name though in things meerely indifferent For as reputation is a common conceit of extraordinary vertue so every one laboureth to acquire the end albeit they misse the meanes of acquiring it For how should any one imagine unlesse his conceit were wholly darkned that these things could be any meanes to perpetuate his name But so soone transported is Youth with any phantasie suggested albeit upon no sufficient ground builded as whatsoever his conceit whispers to him that may tend to his praise he entertaines it with a greedy and eager desire labouring to effect what may gaine him popular esteeme So as the Lover is never more blinded with affection towards his beloved than Youth is in affecting that which may cause him to be praised To speake much touching this Recreation I will not addresse my discourse only this is my opinion that as it is generous so generally is it most harmelesse so it be moderately used for otherwise it may weaken or enfeeble the body impaire the health and be occasion of many inconveniences for in my discourse upon the particular branch of this Observation I am onely to approve of such Recreations as are used with Moderation As Hawking which as I before observed is a pleasure for high and mounting spirits such as will not stoope to inferiour Lures having their mindes so far above as they scorne to partake with them It is rare to consider how a wild Bird should be so brought to hand and so well managed as to make us such pleasure in the aire but most of all to forgoe her native liberty and feeding and returne to her former servitude and diet But in this as in the rest wee are taught to admire the great goodnesse and bountie of God who hath not only given us the Birds of the aire with their flesh to feed us with their voice to cheere us but with their flight to delight us The Eagle which is indeed the Prince of Birds and the prime Hawke was observed much among the ancient Romans in all their Auguries so as an Eagle hovering in the aire in the reigne of Augustus and at last setling upon the name of Agrippa and just upon the first letter of that name A. a lightning descending downe from heaven strucke the first letter of his owne name out C. whence South-sayers by conjecturall arguments gathered that he should but live an hundred dayes after and be afterwards canonized for a god because Aesar the residue of that name in the Tuscane language signified god For the Romans of all Nations under the Cope of heaven relyed most upon the prophesying of Birds so as we reade that they ever kept their Oscines or Birds of Augury by which they collected what their successe should be both in peace and war Albeit some there were among the Heathen who made small account of them so as Claudius Pulcher when in taking his Auspicia or the predictions of his successe before Sicily the Pullets would not feed He commanded they should be plunged in the Sea that they might drinke seeing they would not eat It is the saying of an ancient Father That the piercing eye of the Eagle exceeds the sight of all other Birds being of such sharpe sight as reflecting the beames of the Sunne fixed upon her she can looke upon the Sunne without shutting her eyes which are not to be dazled shine the Sunne never so brightly So as it is said shee makes a triall of her brood when they are but young by mounting up and fixing their eyes against the Sunne of which if any be so tender-eyed as they cannot looke upon it she disclaimes them but such whose sharpe sight can looke stedfastly upon it shee tenders them as her selfe Whence many secret and sacred uses might be gathered for this is but the type of a divine Morall if I should insist upon the exposition of that blessed Father but I must briefly descend to speake of the Moderate use of this Recreation This pleasure as it is a princely delight so it moveth many to be so dearely enamoured of it as they will undergoe any charge rather than forgoe it which makes me recall to minde a merry tale which I have read to this effect Divers men having entred into discourse touching the superfluous care I will not say folly of such as kept Dogs and Hawkes for Hawking one Paulùs a Florentine stood up and spake Not without cause quoth he did that foole of Millan laugh at these and being entreated to tell the tale he thus proceeded Vpon a time quoth he there was a citizen of Millan a Physitian for such as were distracted or Lunaticke who tooke upon
passion which makes man more forgetfull of himselfe so to subdue it makes man an absolute enjoyer of himselfe Athenodorus a wise Philosopher departing from Augustus Caesar and bidding him farewell left this lesson with him most worthy to be imprinted in an Emperours brest That when he was angry he should repeat the foure and twenty Greeke letters Which lesson received Caesar as a most precious jewell making such use thereof as he shewed himselfe no lesse a Prince in the conquest of this passion than in his magnificence of state and majestie of person No lesse praise-worthy was that excellent soveraigntie which Architas had over this violent and commanding passion as we have formerly observed who finding his servants loytering in the field or committing some other fault worthy reproofe like a worthy master thought it fit first to over-master himselfe before he would shew the authoritie of a Master to his servants wherefore perceiving himselfe to be greatly moved at their neglect as a wise Moderator of his passion hee would not beat them in his ire but said Happy are yea that I am angry with you In briefe because my purpose is only to touch these rather than treat of them having so amply discoursed of some of them formerly as the Sunne is not to goe downe upon our wrath so in remembrance of that Sunne of righteousnesse let us bury all wrath so shall wee be freed from the viols of wrath and appeare blamelesse in the day of wrath For in peace shall wee descend to our graves without sighing if in peace wee be angry without sinning Secondly wantonnesse being so familiar a Darling with the flesh is ever waging warre with the spirit she comes with powdred haire painted cheeke straying eyes mincing and measuring her pace tinkling with her feet and using all immodestie to lure the unwarie youth to all sensualitie These light professors as S. Ierome to Marcella saith are matter of scandall to Christian eyes those eye-sores which wound the inward man with the sting of anguish Now what receit better or more soveraigne to cure this maladie than to take away the cause which begets this infirmitie And what may wee suppose the cause to be but the complaceâ—cie of the flesh when wee labour to satisfie our desires and give easie reines to our affections For the flesh while she is obedient becomes a servant to the soule shee governeth the other is governed this commandeth that is commanded but having once begun to usurpe she will scarcely ever become a faithfull and loyall subject What necessitie then is there injoyned us to stand upon our guard when wee have a Tarpeia within our gates ready to betray us to our professed enemy With what continuall and incessant labour ought wee to imploy our selves that this untamed Iebusite might be so tired and wearied that all inordinate motions might be extinguished which by sloth and want of imployment are ever cherished Let us then embrace Continence and by power of so good a spirit dispossesse the bad Let us not entertaine those dangerous motives to sinne which like a Snake in the bosome will wound us to death And what be those motives Wanton thoughts and wanton words which corrupt mens manners with wicked works It is a sure note and worthy observance whensoever any thought is suggested to you which tasteth of evill make the doore of your heart fast lest you give actuall possession to the Devill Wanton words likewise are dangerous motives to incontinence the habit whereof being once attained will hardly be relinquished So as Speech which Democritus calls the image of life being exercised in scurrilitie seemes to deface that image by laying on it the darke and sable colour of death For as muddy water is an argument that the fountaine is troubled so filthy words are witnesses that the heart is corrupted A good Tree brings forth good fruit a pure Spring cleare water and an uncorrupt heart words tending to the edification of the hearer Now he who useth his tongue to filthy communication incurres a threefold offence First in dishonouring God Secondly in sinning against his owne soule Thirdly in ministring matter of scandall or offence to his brother How necessary is it then to keepe a watch upon our mouth and a gate of circumstance unto our lips that wee offend not with our tongue which like the poisonous Adder stings even unto death wounding the soule with an incurable dart Neither doe I speaking of wantonnesse onely restraine my discourse to incontinence but to whatsoever else may properly tend to the complacencie or indulgence of the flesh as to tender obedience to her in the desire of luscious and lascivious meats or the like including all such as turne the grace of God to wantonnesse making a profession of faith but denying the power thereof in their life and conversation Thirdly Pride that Luciferian sinne whose airie thoughts are ever mounting must be subdued by the spirit of humilitie Wee would hold it to be no faithfull part of a subject to make choice of no liverie but his who is a profest foe to his Soveraigne And what I pray you doe wee when wee attire our selves in the habiliments of Pride not only outwardly in gorgeous apparell choicest perfumes and powdred locks but likewise inwardly in putting on the spirit of Pride attended by scornfull respects disdainfull eyes and haughtie lookes Can wee be truly termed Subjects May wee wearing the Devils crest partake of the seamlesse coat of Christ May wee expect a Crowne after death that oppose him who wore a thorny Crowne to crowne us after death No as the Souldier is known by his Colours the Servant by his cognizance the Sheepe by his marke and Coine by the stampe so shall wee be knowne by our Colours if wee be Christs Souldiers by our Crest or Cognizance if his followers by our marke if his Sheepe and Lambkins by our stampe or superscription if his Coine or Starling O know by how much wee are the humbler by so much to our Beloved are wee the liker Let us resemble him then in all humilitie that afterwards wee may reigne with him in glory Lastly that wee may become conformable unto him whose image wee have received wee are to learne of the blessed Apostle in all things to be contented Content saith the Proverbe is worth a Crowne but many Crownes come farre short of this content Now to propose a rule how this Content may be acquired were a Lesson well worthy our learning which I could wish might be as soone learned as proposed for Content briefly consists in these two To be free from desiring what wee have not to be free from fearing to lose what wee already have Now hee who seeth nothing in the world worthy desiring cannot chuse but be free from feare of losing being so indifferent touching the world or whatsoever else he hath in enjoying For he that neither hath nor soâ—th
worldly praise from the houre of his birth to the houre of his passion Secondly wee are to heare with patience such as revile us and reason good for observing this a blessing is pronounced on us Blessed are yeâ— saith the Lord of all blessing when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evill against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you Yea not only the Prophets but even Him of whom all the Prophets bare witnesse yet became he as one that did not heare having no rebukes in his mouth When hee was tempted in the wildernesse the Scripture was his armour of resistance when he was reviled on the Crosse hee prayed for his enemies to expresse his heavenly patience Now if the Sonne of God was in the desart tempted what Hermit can expect to be from temptation freed If the Master be reviled how may the servant looke to be intreated For howsoever some or indeed most of the antient Fathers doubt whether the Devill did know that Christ was God or no touching that parcell of Scripture wherein Christ was tempted in the Defart yet may it appeare probable by inference from the text it selfe that after Iesus had said unto him It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God the Devill tooke him up into an exceeding high mountaine and shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them saying All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me Whence I collect that after Christ had told him that hee was God he continued his temptation which was an argument to evince him of palpable ignorance or of distrust to Christs speech which argued his diffidence but our purpose is not too curiously to insist upon these subtill digressions it sufficiently appeareth that Christ who ought to be every faithfull Christians patterne was reviled yet opened not hee his mouth but with sweet silence and amiable patience offered his prayers unto his Father for them who maliciously offered him upon the Crosse leaving us an example of admiration and imitation that following him and suffering with him we might likewise reigne and remaine with him yea but will our spritely-stately Gallant object can any man who knowes the value of reputation with patience suffer publike disgrace Is there any punishment so grievous as shame Yea were it not better for a man who is eminent in the eye of the world to die right out than still live in reproach and shame For a man to live or die is naturall he performeth but that taske to which all mortality is injoyned but for a man to live in shame and contempt and be made a spectacle of disgrace to the world an apparent touch or taint to his friends a laughing stock of his enemies is such a matter as no well-bred and noble minded man that hath any courage or stomack in him or tenders his esteeme can ever digest it True it is that flesh and bloud will suggest many such objections and if there were nothing to be valued so much as worldly esteeme or popular grace which relyeth on opinion as soone lost as got there were some reason to stand so punctually upon termes of reputation but the eye of a Christian ought to extend it selfe to an higher object We are exhorted to heape coales on our enemies heads to render good for evill and to be revenged on them by well doing Diogenes being asked how one should be revenged of his enemie answered by being a vertuous and honest man What matter then though all the world revile us having a sincere and unblemished conscience within us to witnesse for us Socrates in his Ecclesiasticall History writeth that Athanasius being accused by one Iannes to have killed Arsenius and after to have cut off his hand that hee might use it to magicke and forcerie cleared himselfe notably of this slender having by good hap found out Arsenius who lay hid for the nonce he brought him before the Councell of Tyrus whereto he was convented and there he asked his accuser whether he ever knew Arsenius or no He answered Yes then Athanasius called him forth with his hands covered under his cloake and turning up the one side of his cloake shewed him the one of his hands and when most men surmised that the other hand at leastwise was cut off Athanasius without any more adoe casteth up the other side of his cloake and sheweth the second hand saying You see Arsenius hath two hands now let mine accuser shew you the place where the third hand was cut off Whence two remarkable considerations are recommended unto us malicious subornation in the accuser gracious moderation in the accused For the former let the speech of a Heathen man for ever be printed in your hearts who when his friend came unto him and desired him to take a false oath in a cauâ—e of his made answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You must saith he beare with mee there are many friends to be gotten if I lose you but if by forswearing my selfe I lose the favour of God I cannot get another there is but one God For the latter as soft words pacific wrath so by a pleasant conceit he cooled all wrath fleighting so much the aspersion of his accuser as even of his enemies hee gain'd him honour To instance which Moderation or patience even in sundry Heathen men towards such as aspersed disgrace upon them were it not that I feare enlarging of this branch too much I might produce many heroicke and princely examples as Vespasian his sonne Titus Marcellus Demetrius yea the stiffe and rough-hew'd Hercules who cared not a flie for back-biting termes But I am to use a word or two unto you Gentlemen by quest of inquiry how you are found affected herein and so descend to the third and last Branch arising from this Subject Have yee not delighted in hearing your owne praise but reproved such as praised you or turned your care from their applause leâ—t it should transport you Have yee distributed to the poore without looking who saw you Have yee fasted without hanging downe your head to cause men observe you Have ye prayed with zeale fixing your eye only on God that he would look on you Have ye performed the workes of charity and that for conscience sake and not for vain-glory Have ye not too Pharisaically prided your selves in your own integrity Have ye ascribed to your selves shame and to God the glory Have yee heartily wished rather to be deprived of all hope of glory than by your meanes to detract in any wife from Gods glory O then happy and blessed are you for having turned your eares from the applause of men you shal receive applause from Angels or having distributed to the poore without looking