EPI•S'l:..JIIIL A rheciJiindfe of revenge,':tS it yeelds frequence of offi:nces, fo multitude of doubts : Whether the wronged husband lhould conceale, orcolnplaine :complaining, wnerher he lhould retain<or difmifie: difmifling, whether he maymarry, or mull rontinue lingle: not continuing lingle,whether he may recdv~ his owno,or chufe another: but your inquiries flull be my bonds.The fad (you fty) ts too ev<dertt. Letme aske ,you; To your felfe, orro the world. This point alone mull vary our proceedings. Publike notice requires publlkedifchargc; Private wrongs are ill ~ur owne power: Publike, in the handsofauthority; the thoughts ofour owne brell~, while they (mother themfelves within us, are at our command, whether for fuppre!llng, or expref. fmg; but ifthey once have vented themfelves by words,unto others eares, now (as ~ommon ftrayes) they mull lland to the hazard of cenfure : fuch are our adions. B Neither the fword,nor the Keyes meddle withi do6res,and what buttheywithout~ Iffame have laid hold o.n the wro g, profecute it, deer your name,cleer your houfe, yea Gods.Eifeyoufhallbe reputed a Pandar to your owne'bed:and the fecond lhame !hall furpalfe the firll,fo much as your own fault can more blemifhyou,then anothen. If there were no more;he is cruelly mercifull;that negletts his owne fame. But what iftbe fin were fhrouded in fecrecy~The loathfomnes ofvice confills not in common knowledge.lt is no ldfe hainous, iflelfe talked of.Reports givesbut fhame. God and thegood foule detefi clofe evils. Yet then I aske not ofthe offence, but ofthe offender;nor of her crime,but her repentance. She hath finned again(! heaven & you. But hath !he wafhed your polluted bed with her teares ~ Hath her true farrow be<ne no ldfe apparent then her fin ~ Harh !he peecedher old vowwith new proreftarions of C fidelity~ Doe you findheraroncehumbledand changed~ Why lhould rhareare be deaf to her praiers,that was open to her accufation!why istherenor yet placefor mercy~ Whydowe Chrillianslive as under Mauialllaw,wherein we fin but once~ Plead nor authority :Civilians have been too rigorous : the niercifu\1 fentetlce of Divinity fl1all Iweedy temp~r humane feverenelfe. How many have we kttown the better for their finne ~ That M•gd•im(her predecelfour in filrhin~II'e)had never loved fo much, iflhe had not fo much finned.How oft hath Gods Spoufe defetved a divorce!1<vhich ·yet fiill her confeflions,her tear~s have revetfed. Howoft bath that fcroll been written, and figned; and yet againe·cancdkd, and torne, upon fubmiflion ~ His attions, not his words onely, are our prec<pts : Why isman cruel!, where God relents! The wrong is ours onely, for his fake; without whofe law, were no finne.Ifthe CrediD tor pleafe to remitthe debt,do fianders-by complaine~But illhe beat once filrhy,and ob(linare, flie from her bed, as contagious. Now your benevolence is adultery; you impart your body to her, !he her finne to you : A dangerous exchange; A:n honell body for an harlots finne : Herein you are in caufe that f11e bath more then one adul. terer. I applaYd the rigour of thofe ancient Canons, which have (lili roughly cenfured even this cloak ofvice : As there is neceflity of charity in the former fo of jufiice in this. Ifyou can fo love your wife, that you deteft nor her finne, yo~ area better husband then aChrifilan, abetter bawd then an husband. I dare fay no more upon fo generall arelation; good Phyfitians in dangerous difeafd dare nor prefcribe on bare fight ofurine, or uocertaine repot~; bur will feele the pulfe and fee the fympromes,erethey refolve.on ther<ceit. You fee how no niggard I am ofmy counfels : E would God I could as eafily a !I wage your griefe,as fatisfieyour doubts. ToM. RoBERT H.Av. E P r s 1'. V' l f I. A lifcllff[e •fihwnlilfti•llii:ercir/•f • chrifli•n,litJ"' ht "''1 kttp .~iJ htATI jrsm h4rdltt./Je, And hiJ '"}ts [r1m tTTIT • TO keep the heart inure with God,is the bighelhask ofaChri(lian.Good mo· t10~s are not froquent:but the conftancy ofgood difpofition is rare and hard. Tlu~ work mu(l be conrmuall,orelfe [peederhnot:like as the body frt>m a fetled and habuuall d1_ftemp~r mufi b~ recovered by long diets; and fo much the rather for that we ca~not 1nterm1t h<re Without relapfes.lf this fidd be'not tilled every day, It will run outmto thifiles.The evening is-fitteft for this work :when retired into our felves,
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