L.

In meddling with the faults of friends, I have observed many wrongful courses; what for fear, or self-love, or indiscretion. Some I have seen, like unmerciful and covetous chirurgeons, keep the wound raw, which they might have seasonably remedied, for their own gain: others, that have laid healing plaisters, to skin it aloft; when there hath been more need of corrosives, to eat out the dead flesh within: others, that have galled and drawn; when there hath been nothing but solid flesh, that hath wanted only filling up: others, that have healed the sore; but left an unsightly scar of discredit behind them. He, that would do good this way, must have fidelity, courage, discretion, patience: fidelity, not to bear with; courage, to reprove them; discretion, to reprove them well; patience, to abide the leisure of amendment; making much of good beginnings, and putting up with many repulses; bearing with many weaknesses; still hoping, still soliciting; as knowing, that those, who have been long used to fetters, cannot but halt a while, when they are taken off.

LI.

God hath made all the world, and yet what a little part of it is his! Divide the world into four parts: but one, and the least, containeth all that is worthy the name of Christendom; the rest overwhelmed with Turkism and Paganism: and, of this least part, the greater half, yet holding aright concerning God and their Saviour in some common principles, overthrow the truth in their conclusions; and so leave the lesser part of the least part for God. Yet lower: of those, that hold aright concerning Christ, how few are there, that do otherwise than fashionably profess him? And, of those, that do seriously profess him, how few are there, that in their lives deny him not; living unworthy of so glorious a calling! Wherein, I do not pity God, who will have glory even of those that are not his: I pity miserable men, that do reject their Creator and Redeemer, and themselves in him: and I envy Satan, that he ruleth so large. Since God hath so few, I will be more thankful that he hath vouchsafed me one of his; and be the more zealous of glorifying him, because we have but a few fellows.

LII.

As those, that have tasted of some delicate dish, find other plain dishes but unpleasant; so it fareth with those, which have once tasted of heavenly things: they cannot but contemn the best worldly pleasures. As, therefore, some dainty guest, knowing there is so pleasant fare to come; I will reserve my

appetite for it, and not suffer myself cloyed with the coarse diet of the world.

LIII.

I find many places, where God hath used the hand of good angels for the punishment of the wicked; but never could yet find one, wherein he employed an evil angel in any direct good to his children: indirect I find many, if not all; through the power of him, that brings light out of darkness, and turns their evil to our good. In this choice, God would and must be imitated. From an evil spirit I dare not receive ought, if never so good: I will receive as little as I may, from a wicked man: if he were as perfectly evil as the other, I durst receive nothing. I would rather hunger, than wilfully dip my hand in a wicked man's dish.

LIV.

We are ready to condemn others, for that, which is as eminently faulty in ourselves. If one blind man rush upon another in the way, either complains of other's blindness; neither, of his own. I have heard those, which have had most corrupt lungs, complain of the unsavoury breath of others. The reason is, because the mind casteth altogether outward, and reflecteth not into itself. Yet it is more shameful, to be either ignorant of, or favourable to, our own imperfections. I will censure others' vices fearfully; my own confidently, because I know them: and those I know not, I will suspect.

LV.

He is a very humble man, that thinks not himself better than some others; and he is very mean, whom some others do not account better than themselves: so, that vessel, that seemed very small upon the Main, seems a tall ship upon the Thames. As there are many better for estate than myself, so there are some worse; and, if I were yet worse, yet would there be some lower; and, if I were so low that I accounted myself the worst of all, yet some would account themselves in worse case. A man's opinion is in others: his being is in himself. Let me know myself: let others guess at me. Let others either envy or pity me: I care not, so long as I enjoy myself.

LVI.

He can never wonder enough at God's workmanship, that knows not the frame of the world: for he can never else conceive of the hugeness, and strange proportion of the creature. And he, that knows this, can never wonder more at any thing else. I will learn to know, that I may admire; and, by that little I know, I will more wonder at that I know not.

LVII.

There is nothing below, but toiling, grieving, wishing, hoping, fearing; and weariness in all these. What fools are we, to be besotted with the love of our own trouble, and to hate our liberty and rest! The love of misery is much worse, than misery itself. We must first pray, that God would make us wise; before we can wish, he would make us happy.

LVIII.

If a man refer all things to himself, nothing seems enough: if all things to God, any measure will content him of earthly things; but in grace he is insatiable. Worldlings serve themselves altogether in God; making religion but to serve their turns, as a colour of their ambition and covetousness. The Christian seeks God only in seeking himself; using all other things but as subordinately to him: not caring whether himself win or lose, so that God may win glory in both. I will not suffer mine eyes and mind to be bounded with these visible things; but still look through these matters at God, which is the utmost scope of them: accounting them only as a thoroughfare, to pass by; not as a habitation, to rest in.

LIX.

He is wealthy enough, that wanteth not: he is great enough, that is his own master: he is happy enough, that lives to die well. Other things I will not care for; nor too much for these save only for the last, which alone can admit of no immoderation.

LX.

A man of extraordinary parts makes himself, by strange and singular behaviour, more admired; which if a man of but common faculty do imitate, he makes himself ridiculous: for that, which is construed as natural to the one, is descried to be affected in the other; and there is nothing forced by affectation can be comely. I will ever strive to go in the common road: so, while I am not notable, I shall not be notorious.

LXI.

Gold is the best metal; and, for the purity, not subject to rust, as all others: and yet the best gold hath some dross. I esteem not that man, that hath no faults: I like him well, that hath but a few; and those not great.

LXII.

Many a man mars a good estate, for want of skill to proportion his carriage answerably to his ability. A little sail to a

large vessel rids no way, though the wind be fair: a large sail to a little bark drowns it: a top-sail to a ship of mean burthen, in a rough weather, is dangerous: a low sail, in an easy gale, yields little advantage. This disproportion causeth some to live miserably, in a good estate; and some to make a good estate miserable. I will first know, what I may do for safety; and then I will try, what I can do for speed.

LXIII.

The rich man hath many friends; although, in truth, riches have them, and not the man: as the ass, that carried the Egyptian Goddess, had many bowed knees; yet not to the beast, but to the burthen. For, separate the riches from the person, and thou shalt see friendship leave the man; and follow that, which was ever her object: while he may command, and can either give or control, he hath attendance and proffer of love at all hands; but which of these dares acknowledge him, when he is going to prison for debt? Then these wasps, that made such music about this gallipot, shew plainly, that they came only for the honey that was in it. This is the misery of the wealthy, that they cannot know their friends: whereas those, that love the poor man, love him for himself. He, that would chuse a true friend, must search out one, that is neither covetous nor ambitious; for such a one loves but himself in thee. And if it be rare to find any not infected with these qualities, the best is to entertain all, and trust few.

LXIV.

That, which the French Proverb hath of sicknesses, is true of all evils: That they come on horseback, and go away on foot. We have oft seen a sudden fall; or one meal's surfeit hath stuck by many to their graves: whereas pleasures come like oxen, slow and heavily; and go away like post-horses, upon the spur. Sorrows, because they are lingering guests, I will entertain but moderately; knowing, that the more they are made of, the longer they will continue: and, for pleasures, because they stay not, and do but call to drink at my door; I will use them as passengers, with slight respect. He is his own best friend, that makes least of both of them.

LXV.

It is indeed more commendable, to give good example, than to take it; yet imitation, however in civil matters it be condemned of servility, in Christian practice hath his due praise: and, though it be more natural for beginners at their first initiation, that cannot swim without bladders; yet the best proficient shall see ever some higher steps of those, that have gone to heaven before him, worthy of his tracing. Wherein

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much caution must be had; that we follow good men, and in good good men; for, if we propound imperfect patterns to ourselves, we shall be constrained first to unlearn those ill habits we have got by their imitation, before we can be capable of good; so, besides the loss of labour, we are further off from our end in good; for, that a man should be so wedded to any man's person, that he can make no separation from his infirmities, is both absurdly servile and unchristian. He, therefore, that would follow well, must learn to distinguish well, betwixt good men and evil; betwixt good men and better; betwixt good qualities and infirmities. Why hath God given me education, not in a desert alone, but in the company of good and virtuous men, but that, by the sight of their good carriage, I should better mine own? Why should we have interest in the vices of men, and not in their virtues? And, although precepts be surer, yet a good man's action is according to precept; yea, is a precept itself. The Psalmist compares the Law of God to a Lanthorn: good example bears it. It is safe following him, that carries the light: if he walk without the light, he shall walk without me.

LXVI.

As there is one common end to all good men, Salvation; and one Author of it, Christ: so, there is but one way to it, doing well and suffering evil. Doing well, methinks, is like the Zodiac in the heaven, the high-way of the sun, through which it daily passeth: suffering evil, is like the Ecliptic-line, that goes through the midst of it. The rule of doing well, the Law of God, is uniform and eternal; and the copies of suffering evil in all times agree with the original. No man can either do well or suffer ill, without an example. Are we sawn in pieces? so was Isaiah. Are we beheaded? so John Baptist. Crucified? so Peter. Thrown to wild beasts? so Daniel. Into the furnace? so the three children. Stoned? so Stephen. Banished? so the Beloved Disciple. Burnt? so millions of Martyrs. Defamed and slandered? what good man ever was not? It were easy to be endless both in torments and sufferers whereof each hath begun to other, all to us. I may not hope to speed better than the best Christians: I cannot fear to fare worse. It is no matter, which way I go, so I come to heaven.

LXVII.

There is nothing, besides life, of this nature, that is diminished by addition. Every moment we live longer than other; and each moment, that we live longer, is so much taken out of our life. It increaseth and diminisheth only by minutes; and, therefore, is not perceived: the shorter steps it taketh,