a minde not to learne but to iudge and cauill at their Sermons heard 6. If hee want the key of vnderstanding viz. if hee bee ignorant of those things which are altogether necessary to the vnderstanding of Scriptures and Sermons that is if he haue not his senses exercised 1. In the Arts of words and things Grammer Rhetorick and Logicke that is if hee do not vnderstand that some words are proper and others tropicall and figuratiue some to be of manifold significations some onely of one signification For words are the notes and markes of things also if not in Logique by the benefite of nature he haue profited so much that he can discerne betwixt propositions affirmatiue and negatiue questions simple and compound and by what third argument they bee confirmed and illustrated by the Holy Ghost and the Minister both in Scriptures and Sermons Also if hee haue not some competent knowledge at the least of the methode that hee can iudge of the disposition of the Sermon But here I desire to be rightly vnderstood for I speake not of Scholasticall subtleties but of the right accommodation and applying of principles that are borne with vs and by vse and experience imprinted in vs from whence all Arts had their beginning 2. Hee must haue his senses exercised in the doctrine of the couenant betwixt God and man and in the heads of Christian doctrine in the Summe and History of the sacred Bible 3. In the Notes Proofes of the true and naturall sense of Scripture of true and false doctrine of good and bad Sermons 7. If there bee a neglect of breeding vp children at the Schoole to learne the principles of Religion 8. If there bee not in the Hearer a loue zeale and care of heauenly things but a loathsomnesse and contempt 9. If he giue not thankes vnto God for things vnderstood and knowne for he is vnworthy of more that is not thankfull for that hee hath 10. If hee abuse them to palliate and cloake his fore-conceiued false opinions or to pride or sport 11. Also blindnesse of nature hinders many from soundly vnderstanding of Sermons 12. Too much admiration of mundane and fleshly wisedome 13. As also our carnall senses and fore-conceiued opinions of preâ—udicies 14. An implicit faith and pretence of simplicity 15. If there bee no meditation vsed but that they content themselues with a superficiall and sleight hearing and knowledge 16. If no censure and examination of our vnderstanding bee vsed before at and after Sermons to know with what profite wee heare 17. If the whole Sermon bee not heard 18. If they doe not often heare Sermons 19. If the hearer doe not note those things in the Sermon that he cannot attaine to the knowledge of nor confer of them with others but especially with the Minister that hee may bee fully satisfied 20. If he haue no care of teaching and edifying others and of shewing his profession of the truth by labouring to edifie himselfe and others in their most holy calling 3. Wee are to consider of the aduancements and helpes to this duety of sound vnderstanding the things heard wherein if wee finde these said impediments or the most of them to bee abandoned and in their places these helpes ensuing entertained then will there bee a sound knowledge vnderstanding of things heard and handled in Sermons 1. Then to promote this duety an earnest care of praying in the beginning midst and end of Sermons is a great helpe If but in a sigh or desire onely this prayer bee put vp For God is the fountaine of all wisedome therefore of him is this blessing to bee begged 2. A faithfull Teacher is an acute and circumspect Leader who chiefly in his Sermon proposeth profitable doctrines wholy methodically distinctly briefly and plainely and doth often iterate and repeate the same with friute 3. A fit well prepared and attentine Hearer such as before is described 4. Such a one as is very solicitous and carefull of the Preachers methode that hee may obserue the same methode in hearing that he doth in Preaching 5. Such a Hearer that comes with a minde to learne for if hee come to any other end what profite shall hee haue 6. Who comes furnished with the competent knowledge of things necessary to vnderstand Sermons namely with the knowledge of words and things of the Summe and History of Christian doctrine and the sacred Bible of the notes and markes of true and false doctrine and of the true naturall sense of the Scripture Not that I looke for such a hearer as can discourse pro con of the Precepts of Grammer Rhetorique and Logicke of true and false doctrine and of the true sense of Scripture but such as at the least is furnished with some competent knowledge of these things 7. He must to this purpose bee bred vp in the Schooles from his youth And I would to God that Magistrates Ministers and Parents Citizens and Countrey-men would in time begin to thinke of the necessity and vnspeakeable benefite of Schooles where youth are fitted to all Offices of Church and Country that they would bee row sed vp from their slouth to the loue institution reformation and promotion of Schooles and houses of learning 8. The hearer must burne with the loue of heauenly things belonging to his saluation which loue will prouoke him to the care of knowing and vnderstanding them soundly 9. If hee obserue in himselfe any fruit or growth of knowledge let him referre all with a thankefull heart to the Fountaine of all solide and true wisedome euen God himselfe And if in the Sermon hee heare any thing which was before vnknowne to him let him giue God the glory and pray vnto him that hee would fortifie and strengthen his vnderstanding and giue him grace to performe and fulfill it 10. Let him put the things knowne and vnderstood in vse that the gaine of his Talent may arise to the Lord who shall thus greete his soule Behold good and faithfull seruant thou hast beene faithfull in a little I will make thee ruler ouer much 11. Being to enter into the fountaine of saluation that hee may drinke from thence wholesome doctrine let him lay aside his naturall poyson namely blindnesse of nature too much admiration of mundane wisedome his owne carnall sense fore-conceiued opinions preiudicies opinion of implicit and simple faith whereby pretences of grosse ignorance are sought 12. Circumspect and diligent meditation of the things spoken but yet let not the minde and thoughts so cleaue to the words that things to be spoken be neglected 13. Often let the hearer by censure and examination stir vp himselfe to the sound knowing and vnderstanding of things spoken 14. Let him heare the whole Sermon and obserue the connexion of euery part of it 15. Let him neuer conceiue that hee hath sufficiently profited but still go forwards and neuer neglect the sacred Assemblies and Sermons 16. If any thing fall out in the Sermon which his
which as the Porter shuts the doore of the sences that they see not heare not doe not what they list it is an argumeÌ„t the Lord of that house that is God himselfe is within but when feare is away a free entrance is giuen to al a mans dissolute desires it is a plaine demonstration that God is not there Nor let Kings and Potentates thinke themselues freed from this course of godlinesse as if piety rooted out naturall affection and tooke away all true liberty as if a father might not loue his child a husband his wife or as if a man might not loue his houses lands health riches and honest recreations Piety takes not away the good vse of these things but husbands them well to their good that haue them and of mistresses which they were but should not bee makes them all hand-maides to the loue and feare of God as they were not before piety came but indeed should be Therefore Kings and Potentates must not consider vnde sint whence they descended but qui sint who they are that but men nor quanti sint how great they are but quales sint how good they are or should be nor how potent but how pious Therefore one asking Socrates if the King of Persia were happy he answered nescio I know not cum nescio quam sit doctus quä sit vir boaus seeing I am ignorant how learned and good a man he is Hence the learned Poet calls a noble and religious gouernment Virg. who adornes mankinde with the defence and practise of true religion orders lawes and discipline formosi cuslos pecoris formosior ipse the shepheard of a beautifull flocke of sheepe himselfe being farre more beautifull and glorious then his whole flocke And indeed that holy thirst and desire of knowing and propagating the heauenly wisedome of God reuealed in his word by reading meditating hearing praying and the like is as necessary to all sorts of men as well Kings as Keysarâ— for the defence of their good safety and saluation as heate and moisture are necessary to the nourishing of plants and as conuenient and sit nutriment is to the nature of euery thing liuing And it is our duty who labour the saluation of all sorts of men and therefore put them in mind of their seuerall offices and duties to explode and cast out the vaine opinion of those men who bind the religious and assiduous reading of the holy Scriptures and other holy acts of religion vpon diuines onely as if either it consorted not with men of their rankes and offices or els that they had no neede of it For doe not the testimonies of sacred Scripture shew that these things both by manifest Lawes of God are coÌ„maÌ„ded to all sorts of men and also are most necessary and profitable for them In the ancient Church when the Priest-hood was setled vpon the Tribe of â—â—ui only were there not many Israelites of other tribes for all that famous for the study and knowledge of holy Letters And in the Primitine Church and downe wards albeit the office of teaching was euer committed to a certaine sort of men were there not to all other sorts of christians many commandements proposed to stir them vp to the study of the sacred Scriptures what is that extent of wisedome which the Apostle would haue all men draw from the word Col. 3.16 what is the sure word of the Prophets to which all Christians doe well to take heed as to a light that shineth in a darke place 2 Pet. 1.19 till the day dawne and the day-star arise in their hearts and what are those commendations of holy Scripture as to be a light shining through all a mans life a doctrine bringing comforts hope patience saluation a faculty to consute all doctrines repugnant to the truth and by the true profession whereof all good things are promised But to Princes and such as are destinated and appointed to the gouernment of other men these duties of piety are chiefly and aboue all others conuenient and profitable as many ponderous reasons may infome vs. For it is no small matter that God communicates his own name with them calling them Gods that they are by diuine institutions and precepts instructed and inabled to this their excellent knowledge and faculty of gouerning others which of all other things in the world is the greatest and most difficult that they are guarded and defended by the authority of diuine lawes against all aduersary power of all rebellious and pestilent men that they are by the authority of peculiar written lawes bound to the assiduous and diligent not onely reading but also meditating of the sacred Scripture And albeit this our euâ—◠〈…〉 with such men as prepaâ—◠〈…〉 a returne into the oâ—gly and â—â—â—â—ke cloudy barbarity of error and ignorance from which by the singular mercy of God we haue been wondeffully deliuered or 〈◊〉 hâ—â—e vtreâ—ly â—ast off all care of godlinesse till they be a dying and who withall doe as well explode detest as neglect and contemne aboâ—e all other things the study of holy Letters and labour of sanctification yet al godly PoteÌ„tates ought to haue their minds stirred vp to the admiration exercise of those studies by the examples and institutes of their worthy and famous predecessors And if they will not bee mooued by the examples of most potent pious and glorious Princes as Ioseph Dauid Salomon Ichosaphat Iosiah Ezekiah Daniel Nehemiah and the like whose religious care is famous in the sacred story yet at the least let them thinke that they ought to haue no lesse care of diuine things then the heathen Caâ—o Iulius Caesar Octauius Augustus Plyâ—ius and before them Alexander Magnus had of humane things Besides if many haue thought Agesilauâ— that most wise and excellent King of Sparta worthy of all commendations in that hee would neither goe to bed nor rise vp before he had lookt into Homer Panorm whom he had called amasium suum his sweet heart if Alphonjus King of Arragon be extolled for reading the Scriptures ouer fourteen times with glosses and expositions and the Emperor Theodosius the second for reading prayers and singing Psalmes euery morning with his wife and family nay if Scipto Assricanus were for this thought praise worthy that hee euer had in his hands the bookes of Xenophous institutions of Cyrus which yet were rather written according to the forme of a iust Empire then the truth of the History we cannot but account those Princes worthy of infinit commendations who are wont euer to carry in their hands the bookes of Moses the Prophets Apostles Christ himselfe and such other issuing from those diuine fountaines which are not only written according to the Image of the best happiest and most acceptable men to God but also according to the very truth of the story For by this their care they shall bring to passe both more thorowly to vnderstand and embrace and more willingly to promote
For one sinner destroieth much good Eccles 9.18 nay the breath of a wicked person is euen bainfull to the company Nor let them euer thinke that such a companion or such a seruant as is not the true seruant of God Suidas can euer bee faithfull to them For as the Historian reports when one changed his religion to please the King hee was iudged to loose his head and one appointed to cry at his execution He that keepes not faith towards God what sound conscience can he haue towards men therefore in euery great house there would bee prouision of besoms and wings to sweep downe the Spiders webs so by leauing them no place nor meanes to hurt the harmlesse slies the Spider it selfe might at last be quite swept our too Nor let them thinke that because they are great they may vse what customs companions and seruants they please For as Alexander to a City of Asia that offered him halfe their riches to desist from war answered I came not into Asia with a purpose to take what you would giue me but that you should retain what I would leaue you so faith God to them I came not into your houses or kingdomes or soules that you should condition with me what I should suffer you to doe and to liue as you list and to take such conditions of you as you would giue me at your pleasure but that what conditions I haue thought fit to require of you you should accept them and thinke them best and most happy For God is our summum bonum wee must not rest below him not yet reach aboue him below him is dangerous neglect aboue him is damnable presumption Therefore must wee not loue God forour owne profit or pleasure which is the soule-killing custome of most in the world for such a one is like a child that faith his prayers that he may haue his break-fast But we must loue him how-soeuer it fare with vs with-out any respect of our owne good because he only is worthy of our loue and nothing is worthy of it but he and in his loue consists all our happinesse I say there is great need therefore of the practise of this art of seruing God as this short pro-gresse sets it out seeing it brings vs not only within the view of the heauenly Canaan but euen into the bosome and communion of his loue And seeing also we liue in the dregs of time wherein it is come to passe that as the waters couered the whole earth so pride and other monstrous impieties hath couered it againe and not suffered eight persons to escape For doe we not see the City of God the holy profession of Iesus Christ to bee destitute of walls gates and guards and the repaire of it either hindered by sects of men madly furious or else oppugned by the craft and cunning violent assaults of men either meerely epicures or sottedly superstitious on the one side Christ Iesus is vtterly cast off by the lust of these most impure hogs that are euer wallowing in the myre on the other side the riches estateâ— of the meaner sort nay often of the greater sort is exhausted and vtterly rained by the greedy auarice of most cruell and barbarous vâ—â—oâ—s and other time-sellers here shall we see bodies by drunkennesse and gluttony consumed there by lust surquedry and pride and other intemperancies both bodies soules and ostates ouer-throwne and all places and persons with extreme filthinesse and fopperies slurred and defiled to say nothing of whole Prouinces and Kingdomes by intollerable bribery extortion symony sacriledge craft and cruelty miserably expiled and robbed and none to be found for all this which dare or can meete with these mischiefes and the most part of men hauing so cast off all hope of amendment of these great euils as that they thinke they may bee numbred amongst those diseases which are so desperate as either by no aâ—t can be cured or else whose cure is as dangerous as the disease For though Nebuchadnezzar bee dead yet his pride is come amongst vs though Sodom be burnt to dust and ashes yet are her sinnes remaining if not raigning with vs though Symon Magus be gone yet hath he left the staine of symony in the highest degree to vs though Iezabel be dead yet doe bribes liue and thriue and beare away the bell in all businesse and men begin to take courage to commit any sinne by example For when the pillars sinke the Temple falls when a great tree is hewen downe which is a shade to the beasts and a rest to the birds many leaues boughs and twigs nay the shrubs and lesser trees are borne downe and crushed with it so many doe fall with them whose lampes should giue light to others and thinke it no sinne to sinne by example and for company This being so it is not only necessary that some stand vp in the gappe to turne away the wrath-full dis-pleasure of God from vs but also is fully confest that froÌ„ this Pro-gresse of the soule most apt and necessary helps instructions may be drawne to the vse of all sorts of men of our times For if we call to mind those heauenly secret and wonderfull mysteries of our saluation also those things by which all mankind is either much furthered or greatly hindered in the way to heauen to conclude if we call to minde those things which aswell the Church of God as kingdomes states stand as much need of vs as the world doth of fire and water wee must needs confesse that in this Pro-gresse are proposed most excellent necessary and profitable things of all men to bee knowne and obserued How great a benefit the diligent reading thereof may bring to all sorts accommodating and directing all things therein to the vse of true religion and increase of holy life the due consideration of the parts and true practise of the passages thereof will sufficiently declare For here are shortly and plainely deliuered the true and onely means faculties and helps to raise man to the highest step of perfectioÌ„ in glory Now for as much as the world is postered with a kind of people resembling seruants and men of low condition who expecting in the lobbies and out-rooms their masters comming and being idle and brainlesse how to bestow their time well do take a coale and with fond and filthy phrases be-sincare the faire plastered wâ—ls I assure my self to meet with some such enuious idlebies or ignoraÌ„ts as most men doe that put themselues vpon the worlds stage by publicke writings who with the blacke coale of a blistered tongue will not sticke to bespawle and depraue both the worke and the worke-man Therefore as those that for some time haue bin exercised in some craggy difficult and dangerous place desire much to come into some safe and wished hauen wherein they may take their rest and with true pleasure and delight call to mind their former labours and losses so I
sinnes of one man and no more who can bee so ignorant meditating this but easily will arise from the dungeon of despaire and in the midst of his heart conceiue vn-repellable hope This reason is able not onely to giue health to the sicke but life to the dead 3 Reason Besides the most vnspeakeable loue of God exhibited to vs in Christ who is the foundation of our hope Christ himselfe hath spoken in the Gospell many things to stirre vp our hope Aske and you shall receiue c. But aboue all that I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shall aske beleeue that you shall receiue it and it shall be done vnto you These words to stirre vp our minds and beget hope are most forcible I say vnto you As if Christ had giuen his Obligation for the truth of it to bind himselfe to vnworthy man requiring onely this condition of vs that wee hold a good opinion and faith of his goodnesse that hee will giue vs what wee aske And how consonant to reason is this Is there any Prince that promising faithfully hee will giue to some that aske him a peece of siluer so they aske faithfully that performes no this promise Or doe any doubt of it that are wise If then that most high Potentate of heauen and earth that cannot loofe any of his riches nay who the more hee giues tho richer hee is do promise to giue to them that aske faithfully being able to do what hee list with a beck Who is so mad that doth not vndoubtedly hope and aske nay which doth aske and doth not obtaine Now then if God who is most propense to doe good as the first reason prooues and of his owne accord sent his Son his onely begotten Son deliuering him to most bitter death that I might by him obtaine what I aske as appeares in the second reason And to conclude the Son of God himselfe both God and Man my Redeemer haue bound himselfe by promise most ample and most worthy of himselfe to giue vnto mee what I faithfully aske as in the third reason it must needs follow that I must not onely swerue from all Christianity but euen from the right vse of reason or else most constantly hope for the eternall good things of saluation which I pray for The Fourth Daies Iourney of the Soule to Heauen is Holinesse of Life THIS indeed is the full complement of all the rest to heare the word with iudgement to meditate vpon Diuine Mysteries with diligence and to pray vnto God with deuotion are to small purpose except there follow practise and application of all these in the life Our labour then must bee in this discourse first to giue some generall precepts how to acquire those vertues that helpe to the sanctification of life and to roote vp the vices which hinder the increase of godlinesse in our hearts Secondly to propose a daily methode of practising such holy duties as being performed will make our whole liues a sweete smelling Sacrifice to God 1 The ignorance of a sure methode and meanes to beget the seeds of vertues in mans heart is the cause that so few do arriue at the Hauen of Perfection in any measure Insomuch that hardly shall one finde one man in all his life that hath attained to any competent habite of any one vertue All vertues as the learned doe well obserue are either infused into the soule by the onely grace of God which giueth all good things or else are acquired by the industry and labour of man being helped therevnto by the grace of Gods holy Spirit for the obtaining of which let him consider these points following 1 Hee that will attaine to any vertue as humility or the like must know these fiue things to be very necessary 1 An earnest and great desire of that vertue which is ingendred first by pondering the glorious beauty nobility excellency and necessity of that vertue secondly how it pleaseth God that a man be adorned with that vertue thirdly what examples and admonitions Christ left of that vertue fourthly how displeasing and detestable to God the contrary vice is fifthly how farre I am yet from that vertue and what is the cause of it 2 Prayer whereby with most earnest supplications he must beg that vertue of God 3 Frequent meditations vpon that vertue in which hee must reuolue with himselfe these foure points first how pleasing this vertue is to God secondly how excellent in it selfe thirdly how necessary to mans saluation fourthly what worthy benefites and fruites it briugeth with it 4 A continuall exercise and vse as well of the inward as outward acts of that vertue 5 Examination whereby to discusse himselfe daily touching his defects against this vertue 2 Albeit all vertues are desireable yet the more easily to gaine the habite of them wee must take some one by the space of a month or as shall bee needfull wherein to exercise our selues and so long to frequent the actes thereof vntill wee haue gained some habite therein else wee shall hardly euer come to a wished end 3 Before all things those vertues are most to bee loued and laboured for which are of most moment and which euery one knowes to bee most necessary for him the rest by little and little are to bee sought for And surely to speake generally two vertues seeme to bee chiefest and most necessary for all men Humility and Charity 4 It is profitable in acquiring of vertues to reade some booke or chapter writing of that vertue we propose to our selues and of the contrary vice 5 And it will bring no small furtherance to gather some choice sentences from Scriptures and Fathers and prophane Writers to be committed to memory and and often to bee repeated 6 Lastly it is most profitable to propose the example of some Saints of God who haue excelled in that vertue but chiefly the example of Iesus Christ to bee imitated But before I depart from these instructions how to acquire necessary vertues for sanctification of life let mee reueale vnto you the rules of two deuout and learned men which they aduise to bee obserued in this affaire The one is Saint Bernard who giues two rules very profitable for the attaining vnto perfection Ber. libel de formula Hon. vitae If saith hee thou wilt fully obtaine what thou entendest two things are necessary First that thou with-draw thy selfe from all transitory and earthly things that thou regard them no more then if they were not Secondly that thou so giue vp thy selfe to God as that thou neither say nor doe any thing but that which thou constantly beleeuest is pleasing vnto God 1 The first thou shalt by this meanes attaine vnto 1 By all meanes which thou art able to doe thou shalt vilifie thy selfe reputing thy selfe to be nothing and beleeuing all other men to bee good better then thy selfe and more pleasing vnto God 2 Whatsoeuer thou shalt heare or see in men professing Religion except it bee
euidently flagitious and prophane thinke that it was spoken or done with a good intent albeit it may seeme to the contrary for humane suspition is no true guide but easily deceiued 3 Thou must labour to displease no man 4 Neuer at any time speake any thing of thy selfe that may seeme to import thy owne praise albeit hee bee neuer so much thy familiar with whom thou speakest nay labour more to silence thy vertues then thy vices 5 Speake not ill of any man albeit the thing bee neuer so true and manifest except it bee so that otherwise thou shouldst betray the truth 6 More willingly apply thy eare to the commendations then to the dispraises of any man 7 When thou speakest let thy words bee few true ponderous and of God 8 If any man propose vaine things vnto thee as soone as thou canst cut off his speech turn thy self to the things that are of God 9 Regard not whatsoeuer befall thee or another albeit most deere vnto thee if it bee aduersity bee not thou grieued if prosperity reioyce not but thinke it all nothing and praise God 10 Haue all the care that possibly thou canst that thou intend diligently things profitable for thy soule 11 Flee occasions of much speech for it is better to be silent then to speake 12 When thou seest any thing that displeaseth thee looke if it bee in thy selfe and cast it off if thou seest any thing that pleaseth thee looke if it bee in thy selfe and hold it fast if it bee not get it and so shall all things bee vnto thee as in a glasse 13 Do not murmurre with man concerning any thing except thou beleeuest it will profit how burthen some soeuer the thing be that thou hast 14 Neuer affirme or deny any thing pertinaciously and stiffely but let your affirmatiues and negatiues bee powdered with the salt of doubtfulnesse 15 Alwaie abstaine from immoderate laughter laugh but seldome and with few men open thy mouth 2 The second necessary point to Perfection is thus obtained 1 In prayer bee instant and intentiue with great deuotion both on daies and seasons appointed for it and also in priuate and that which thou offerest in prayer offer in thy heart and that thou maist confirme the things thou readest diligently thinke on them againe againe and imagine the state and condition of them in whose memory thou shalt speake these things 2 Euer haue in thy minde these three things First what thou hast beene secondly what thou art thirdly what thou shalt be What thou hast bin because a filthy seede what thou art because a vessell of dung what thou shalt bee because a banquet of wormes 3 In like manner conceiue the paines and torments of those that are in hell and that they shall neuer bee ended and for how small and slender pleasure they suffer such great euils 4 So maist thou imagine the glory of heauen and that it shall neuer be ended how shortly and quickly it is acquired and how great griefe and sorrow may they iustly conceiue who for so small a thing haue lost so great glory 5 When thou hast any thing or fearest to haue which displeaseth thee thinke that if thou wert in hell thou shouldst both haue that and also whatsoeuer thou wouldst not haue 6 And when thou hast that which pleaseth or thou wishest to haue thinke that if thou wert in heauen thou shouldst haue that and whatsoeuer thou wouldst haue but if in hell thou shouldest neither haue that nor yet that which thou wouldst haue 7 Whensoeuer any Saints day is celebrated thinke of him how great things hee sustained for the loue of God because they were short things that hee suffered and what things hee hath obtained because they are eternall good things 8 In like manner thinke that the torments of the good and ioyes of the wicked doe quickly passe ouer and that these with their vndue ioyes haue gotten eternall punishment but those with their torments haue obtained eternall glory 9 Whensoeuer any slouthfulnesse ouercomes thee then take vnto thee this writing and diligently ponder all these things and thinke on the time which thou so loosest that those in hell would giue the whole world for it if they had it 10 When any tribulations doe afflict thee thinke with thy selfe that those in heauen doe want them in like manner when God sends thee any comforts thinke that those in hell do want them 11 Euery day when thou liest downe examine diligently what thou hast thought said and done that day and how thou hast spent the time which was giuen thee in which to lay hold on eternall life and if thou hast well spent it praise God if ill and negligently lament it heartily if thou hast thought said or done any thing which gnaweth thy conscience eate not vntill by repentance thou haue dis-burthened thy selfe 12 This for conclusion I say that thou imagine two Cities the one full of all torments which is hell the other full of all comforts which is heauen and vnto one of these thou must of necessity come Behold what it is that can draw thee vnto euill or hinder thee from doing good surely I beleeue there is nothing that thou canst find in this whole world Sure I am that if thou dost well obserue and doe the things that are heere written the holy Spirit shall dwell in thee and shall perfectly teach thee to doe all things therefore thou shalt well performe these things and not neglect them reade them twice euery weeke on Wednesday and Saturday and as thou shalt finde thou hast performed what is written praise thy God who is good and mercifull world without end Now followeth the exhortation of Thomas Aquinas Aqui. Opuscu 68. which hee made vnto a friend wherein hee proposeth a fit way of attaining both Diuine and Humane wisedome Because thou hast desired to know of mee beloued brother in Christ how thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in acquiring the treasure of knowledge take this counsell from mee in this businesse that thou maist by and by passe by the little Riuers into the maine Sea because by things of more facility it behoueth vs to passe to things more difficult This then is my admonition and thy instruction 1 First I command thee to bee slow of speech and that thou do slowly ascend to speake of any businesse Secondly imbrace purity Thirdly neglect not to giue thy selfe to prayer Fourthly shew thy selfe amiable and louing vnto all men Fifthly bee not inquisitiue of other mens actions Sixthly shew not thy selfe very familiar to any because too much familiarity breeds contempt and ministers matter of with-drawing thee from thy studies Seuenthly put not thy selfe at any hand into the deeds and words of wordly men Eightly aboue all things shunne discourses Ninthly omit not to imitate the foote-steps of good and holy men Tenthly respect not of whom thou hearest but what good thing soeuer it bee commit to memory Eleuenthly the things