-- Cent.ll. ~iMtions an(/; /Ta,'(Pe.s. r l-3 A tion by gracc;thc hcrfcet life of imputed •ighteouf~clfc ; t~c life ofglory begun; io - rhc feparatioo oft c foul;thc lifeof perfeCtglory,mthc f~cJcty ofthe body,with the foule in full happinctfc: Thcworlt whcrcofls better by many degrees,then the belt life of a naturall man. For whorcas the dignityofthe lite ismeafured,by the caufc of ir,(in which regard the !i~c of the plant is bafdl,becaufc it is b_ut from thcjuyce, ari" ling from ~h~ root,~dmmtltrcd by the earth: t_he hfc oftbe brutGcreaturc betret then. I it becau fe tt IS fenfiuve: ofa man better then 11, bccaufe reafonable) and the caufeof this life,is the Spirit ofGod; fa farre as the Spirit ofGod is above reafon,fo far cloth a Cbriftian exceed amecr naruralill.I thankGod much that he bathmade mea man, bur more, tllat he bath mademea Chrifiian: withoutwhich, I knownotwbetberit had been better for me; to have been a bealt,or not ro have been. B 35 Great mens favours,friends promifes, and dead mens lhooes, I will efieeme, but nottrultto. 36 It is a fearfull thing to linoe;more feartull to delight in fin; yet worfe then worlt, to boalt ofit. Iftherefore! cannot avoid linnc,becaufe I am a man; yet will I avoid the delight,d<f<nfe and boalling of finoe,becaufe I am a Chrillian. 37 Thofethings which aremolt eagerlydefired, arc moll: bardly both gotten and kept;God commonly croflingour delites,inwhat we arc over-ferventti will therfore account all things as roo good to havc,fo nothing too dearc to lofe. c 38 A,truc friend is not Q<>rn cveryday.It is !left tobe courte!Ous to all,entirc with few. So may we(perhaps)havelclfccaufc ofjoy: I am fure,lcffc occafion offarrow. 39 Secrccies,as they arc a burthen to the minde, ere they be uttered: fo are they no lclfc charge tothe recciver,when theyarc uttered. I wlll not long after more inward fetrets, lcfi I lhould procure doubt tomy fdfc,and jealous fcarc ro the difclofer: But as my mouth /hall be /hut withfidclity,not to blab them; fa mine car !hall not be too open to receive them. 40 As goodPhyficians,by one rcccitmakc wayforaoothcr:fo is it thcfafclt courfe in D pratlice:I will reveal a great fccm to none, but whom I have found faithfull in lctfe. 41 I will enjoyall things in God,and God in allthings;nothiog in it fdfc:So /hall my joyes neither change, nor perilh. For however the things thcmfelves may alter,or fade:yct he in whomthey arcmioc,is ever like himfclfe, cooltanr,and cvcrlalling. 4• If! would provoke my fclf to conrcntation;I wiU calt down mine eyes to my ioferiours1and there fee better men in worfc condition:ifto humility,I will cart them up tomy betters, and fa much more dcjeCt my felfc to them, by howmuch more I fee them thought worthy to be refpeCtcdofothcrs,and defcrvc better in themfdvcs. 43 E Trucvcrtuerelts in the confciencc ofitlelf,cithcr forreward,or ccnfure. If therefore Iknow ml, fclfuprighr,falfe rumours/hall not daunt mc:ifnot an[ werabl~tothc \hod rcporto myfavourers,I will my fclf findc the firfifault,that Imay prevent the ame ofothtrs. I willac~ouot venue the belt ricb~,koo~lcdgc the next, richesthe worfi; and therefore.wtlllabourto be vcrtuous and learned, without condition: as for riches, if they fall mmy way,I rcfufe them not;but ifnor, I delirc thl:m not. . 45 An honcfi word I account better then a careleffc oath.I will fay nothing but what I dare fwcar?an~ will perform.It isa !hame for a Chrill:ian to abide his tongue a falfc fcrvant,or h1s mmde a loofc miltrctfc. 46 There !
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