to arts or arms, to counsel in public, or government in their country but for others of them, that are unlearned, let them choose good company, such as may not tempt them to a vice, or join with them in any; but that may supply their defects by counsel and discourse, by way of conduct and conversation. Let them learn easy and useful things, read history and the laws of the land, learn the customs of their country, the condition of their own estate, profitable and charitable contrivances of it: let them study prudently to govern their families, learn the burdens of their tenants, the necessities of their neighbours, and in their proportion supply them, and reconcile their enmities, and prevent their lawsuits, or quickly end them; and in this glut of leisure and disemployment, let them set apart greater portions of their time for religion and the necessities of their souls. 12. Let the women of noble birth and great fortunes do the same things in their proportions and capacities, nurse their children, look to the affairs of the house, visit poor cottagers, and relieve their necessities, be courteous to the neighbourhood, learn in silence of their husbands or their spiritual guides, read good books, pray often and speak little, and "learn to do good works for necessary uses;" for, by that phrase, St. Paul expresses the obligation of Christian women to good housewifery, and charitable provisions for their family and neighbourhood. 13. Let all persons of all conditions avoid all delicacy and niceness in their clothing or diet, because such softness engages them upon great mispendings of their time, while they dress and comb out all their opportunities of their morning devotion, and half the day's severity, and sleep out the care and provision for their souls. 14. Let every one of every condition avoid curiosity, and all inquiry into things that concern them not. For all business in things, that concern us not, is an employing our time to no good of ours, and therefore not in order to a happy eternity. In this account our neighbours' necessities are not to be reckoned; for they concern us, as one member is concerned in the grief of another; but going from house to house, tattlers and busy-bodies, which are the canker and rust of idleness, as idleness is the rust of time, are reproved by the apostle in severe language, and forbidden in order to this exercise. 15. As much as may be, cut off all impertinent and useless employments of your life, unnecessary and fantastic visits, long waitings upon great personages, where neither duty, nor necessity, nor charity obliges us; all vain meetings, all laborous trifles, and whatsoever spends much time to no real, civil, religious, or charitable purpose. 16. Let not your recreations be lavish spenders of your time; but choose such which are healthful, short, transient, recreative, and apt to refresh you: but at no hand dwell upon them, or make them your great employment: for he that spends his time in sports, and calls it recreation, is like him whose garment is all made of fringes, and his meat nothing but sauces; they are healthless, chargeable, and useless. And therefore avoid such games, which require much time, or long attendance; or which are apt to steal thy affections from more severe employments. For to whatsoever thou hast given thy affections, thou wilt not grudge to give thy time. Natural necessity and the example of St. John, who recreated himself with sporting with a tame partridge, teach us, that it is lawful to relax and unbend our bow, but not to suffer it to be unready or unstrung. 17. Set apart some portions of every day for more solemn devotion and religious employment, which be severe in observing: and if variety of employment, or prudent affairs, or civil society, press upon you, yet so order thy rule, that the necessary parts of it be not omitted; and though just occasions may make our prayers shorter, yet let nothing but a violent, sudden, and impatient necessity, make thee, upon any one day, wholly to omit thy morning and evening devotions; which if you be forced to make very short, you may supply and lengthen with ejaculations and short retirements in the day-time, in the midst of your employment or of your company. 18. Do not the "work of God negligently"* and idly: let not thy heart be upon the world, when thy hand is lift up in prayer; and be sure to prefer an action of religion, in its place and proper season, before all worldly pleasure, letting secular things, that may be dispensed with in themselves, in these circumstances wait upon the other: not like the patriarch, who ran from the altar in St. Sophia to his stable, in all his pontificals, and in the midst of his D * Jer. xlviii. 10. office, to see a colt newly fallen from his beloved and muchvalued mare Phorbante. More prudent and severe was that of Sir Thomas More, who, being sent for by the king, when he was at his prayers in public, returned answer, he would attend him, when he had first performed his service to the King of kings. And it did honour to Rusticus, that, when letters from Cæsar were given to him, he refused to open them, till the philosopher had done his lecture. In honouring God and doing his work, put forth all thy strength; for of that time only thou mayest be most confident that it is gained, which is prudently and zealously spent in God's service. 19. When the clock strikes, or however else you shall measure the day, it is good to say a short ejaculation every hour, that the parts and returns of devotion may be the measure of your time: and do so also in all the breaches of thy sleep; that those spaces, which have in them no direct business of the world, may be filled with religion. 20. If, by thus doing, you have not secured your time. by an early and fore-handed care, yet be sure by a timely diligence to redeem the time, that is, to be pious and religious in such instances, in which formerly you have sinned, and to bestow your time especially upon such graces, the contrary whereof you have formerly practised, doing actions of chastity and temperance with as great a zeal and earnestness, as you did once act your uncleanness; and then, by all arts, to watch against your present and future dangers, from day to day securing your standing; this is properly to redeem your time, that is, to buy your security of it, at the rate of any labour and honest arts. 66 so 21. Let him, that is most busied, set apart some lemn time every year,"* in which, for the time, quitting all worldly business, he may attend wholly to fasting and prayer, and the dressing of his soul by confessions, meditations, and attendances upon God; that he may make up his accounts, renew his vows, make amends for his carelessness, and retire back again, from whence levity and the vanities of the world, or the opportunity of temptations, or the distraction of secular affairs, have carried him. 22. In this we shall be much assisted, and we shall find the work more easy, if, before we sleep, every night we examine the actions of the past day with a particular scru * 1 Cor. vii. 5. tiny, if there have been any accident extraordinary; as long discourse, a feast, much business, variety of company. If nothing but common hath happened, the less examination will suffice: only let us take care, that we sleep not without such a recollection of the actions of the day, as may represent any thing that is remarkable and great, either to be the matter of sorrow or thanksgiving: for other things a general care is proportionable. 23. Let all these things be done prudently and moderately, not with scruple and vexation. For these are good advantages, but the particulars are not divine command. ments; and therefore are to be used, as shall be found expedient to every one's condition. For, provided that our duty be secured, for the degrees and for the instruments every man is permitted to himself and the conduct of such who shall be appointed to him. He is happy, that can secure every hour to a sober or a pious employment: but the duty consists not scrupulously in minutes and half hours, but in greater portions of time; provided that no minute be employed in sin, and the great portions of our time be spent in sober employment, and all the appointed days, and some portions of every day, be allowed for religion. In all the lesser parts of time, we are left to our own elections and prudent management, and to the consideration of the great degrees and differences of glory, that are laid up in heaven for us, according to the degrees of our care, and piety, and diligence. The Benefits of this Exercise. This exercise, besides that it hath influence upon our whole lives, it hath a special efficacy for the preventing of, 1. Beggarly sins, that is, those sins which idleness and beggary usually betray men to; such as are lying, flattery, stealing, and dissimulation. 2. It is a proper antidote against carnal sins, and such as proceed from fulness of bread and emptiness of employment. 3. It is a great instrument of preventing the smallest sins and irregularities of our life, which usually creep upon idle, disemployed, and curious persons. 4. It not only teaches us to avoid evil, but engages us upon doing good, as the proper business of all our days. 5. It prepares us so against sudden changes, that we shall not easily be surprised at the sudden coming of the day of the Lord: for he, that is curious of his time, will not easily be unready and unfurnished. SECTION II. The second general instrument of holy Living, THAT We should intend and design God's glory in every action we do, whether it be natural or chosen, is expressed by St. Paul,* "Whether ye eat or drink, do all to the glory of God." Which rule when we observe, every action of nature becomes religious, and every meal is an act of worship, and shall have its reward in its proportion, as well as an act of prayer. Blessed be that goodness and grace of God, which, out of infinite desire to glorify and save mankind, would make the very works of nature capable of becoming acts of virtue, that all our lifetime we may do him service. This grace is so excellent, that it sanctifies the most common action of our life; and yet so necessary, that, without it, the very best actions of our devotion are imperfect and vicious. For he that prays out of custom, or gives alms for praise, or fasts to be accounted religious, is but a pharisee in his devotion, and a beggar in his alms, and a hypocrite in his fast. But a holy end sacrifices all these and all other actions, which can be made holy, and gives distinctions to them, and procures acceptance. For, as to know the end distinguishes a man from a beast, so to choose a good end distinguishes him from an evil man. Hezekiah repeated his good deeds upon his sick bed, and obtained favour of God, but the pharisee was accounted insolent for doing the same thing; because this man did it to upbraid his brother, the other to obtain a mercy of God. Zacharias questioned with the angel about his message, and was made speechless for his incredulity; but the blessed Virgin Mary questioned too, and was blameless; for she did it to inquire after the manner of the thing, but he did not believe the thing itself: he doubted of God's power, or the truth of the messenger; but she, only of her own incapacity. This was it, which distinguished the mourning of David from the exclamation of Saul; the confession of Pharaoh from that of Manasses; the tears of Peter from the repentance of Judas; "for the praise is not in the deed done, but in the manner of its doing. If * 1 Cor. x. 31. |