We would, naturally, rather carve for ourselves, and shape our own estate to our mind, which is a most foolish, yea an impious presumption as if we were wiser than He who hath done it, and as if there were not as much, and it may be, more possibility of true contentmeat in a mean than in a far higher condition. The master's mind is often more toiled than the servant's body. But if our condition be appointed us, at least we would have a voice in some qualifications and circumstances of it; as in this, if a man must serve, he would wish willingly that God would allot him a meek gentle master. And so in other things, if we must be sick, we would be well accommodated and not want helps; but to have sickness and want means and friends for our help, this we cannot think of without horror. But this submission to God is never right, till all that concerns us be given up into His hand, to do with it, and with every article and circumstance of it, as seems good in His eyes.

Think you there is no way to Hell, but the way of open profaneness? Yes, surely, many a way that seems smooth and clear in a man's own eyes, and yet will end in condemnation. Truth is but one, Error, endless and interminable. As we say of natural life and death, so may we say in respect of spiritual; the way to life is one, but there are many out of it.

The heart is far more active in sin than any of the senses, or the whole body. The motion of spirits is far swifter than that of bodies. The mind can make a greater progress in any of these wanderings in one hour, than the body is able to follow in many days.

Men hear these (apostolic instructions) as general discourses, and let them pass so; they apply them not, or if they do, it is readily to some other person. But they are addressed to all, that each one may regulate himself by them; and so these divine truths are like a well drawn picture, which looks particularly upon every one amongst the great multitude that look up

on it.

Even sin may be sinfully reproved; and how thinkest thou that sin shall redress sin, and restore the sinner? There is a great deal of spiritual art and skill in dealing with another's sin : it requires much spirituality of mind, and much prudence, and much love, a mind clear from passion; for that blinds the eye, and makes the hand rough, so that a man neither rightly sees, nor rightly handles the sore he goes about to cure; and many are lost through the ignorance and neglect of that due temper which is to be brought to this work. Men think otherwise, that

their rigors are much spirituality; but they mistake it. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

If our feeling bowels and helping hand are due to all, and particularly to the godly, and we ought to pay this debt in outward distresses, how much more in their soul-afflictions!-the rather, because these are most heavy in themselves, and least understood, and therefore least regarded; yea, sometimes rendered yet heavier by natural friends, possibly by their bitter scoffs and taunts, or by their slighting, or, at best, by their misapplying of proper helps and remedies, which, as unfit medicines, do rather exasperate the disease; therefore they that do understand, and can be sensible of that kind of wound, ought so much the more to be tender and pitiful towards it, and to deal mercifully and gently with it. It may be, very weak things sometimes trouble a weak Christian; but there is in the spirit of the godly, a humble condescension learned from Christ, who broke not the bruised reed, nor quenched the smoking flax. The least difficulties and scruples in a tender conscience, should not be roughly encountered; they are as a knot in a silken thread, and require a gentle and wary hand to loose them.

He that refrains his lips, may ponder and pre-examine what he utters, whether it be profitable and reasonable or no; and so the tongue of the just is as fined silver, Prov. x. 20; it is refined in the wise forethought and pondering of the heart: according to the saying, Bis ad limam priusquam semel ad linguam. Twice to the file ere once to the tongue. Even to utter knowledge and wise things profusely, holds not of wisdom, and a little usually makes most noise; as the Hebrew proverb is, Stater in lagena bis bis clamat. A penny in an earthen pot keeps a great sound and tinkling. Certainly it is the way to have much inward peace, to be wary in this point. Men think to have solace by much free unbounded discourse with others, and when they have done, they find it otherwise, and sometimes contrary. He is wise that hath learned to speak little with others, and much with himself and with God.

Some good outward actions avail nothing, the soul being unrenewed; as you may stick some figs, or hang some clusters of grapes upon a thorn-bush, but they cannot grow upon it. In this men deceive themselves, even such as have some thoughts of amendment; when they fall into sin, and are reproved for it, they say, (and possibly think so too,) "I will take heed to my

self, I will be builty of this no more." And because they go no deeper, they are many of them ensnared in the same kind again; but however, if they do never commit that same sin, they do but change it for some other: as a current of waters, if you stop their passage one way, they rest not till they find another. The conversation can never be uniformly and entirely good, till the frame of the heart, the affections and desires that lodge in it, be changed.

Be not strangers in suffering. Which yet naturally we would be. We are willing to hear of peace and ease, and would gladly believe what we extremely desire. It is a thing of prime concern, to take at first a right notion of Christianity. This many do not, and so either fall off quickly, or walk on slowly and heavily; they do not reckon right the charges, take not into the account the duties of doing and suffering, but think to perform some duties, if they may with ease, and have no other foresight; they do not consider that self-denial, that fighting against a man's self, and fighting vehemently with the world, those trials, fiery trials, which a Christian must encounter with.

I remember what that pious Duke said at Jerusalem, when they offered to crown him king there, Nolo auream, ubi Christus spineam: No crown of gold, where Christ Jesus was crowned with thorns.

This is the way we must follow, or else resolve to leave Him; the way of the Cross is the royal way to the Crown. He said it, and reminded them of it again, that they might take the deep impression of it: Remember what I said unto you, the servant is not greater than the Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

This is the path to the kingdom, that which all the sons of God, the heirs of it, have gone in, even Christ; according to that well known word, One son without sin, but not one without suffering: Christ also suffered.

Leighton's admirable thoughts on Peter's directions in regard to the putting on of apparel are not among the selections in the body of this work; their excellence is such, that rather than omit them we insert them here.

That nothing may be wanting to the qualifying of a Christian wife, she is taught how to dress herself: supposing a general desire, but especially in that sex, of ornament and comeliness: the

sex which began first our engagement to the necessity of clothing, having still a peculiar propensity to be curious in that, to improve the necessity to an advantage.

The direction here given, corrects the misplacing of this diligence, and addresses it right: Let it not be of the outward man in plaiting, &c.

Our perverse, crooked hearts turn all we use into disorder. Those two necessities of our life, food and raiment, how few know the right measure and bounds of them! Unless poverty be our carver and cut us short, who, almost, is there, that is not bent to something excessive! Far more are beholden to the lowliness of their estate, than to the lowliness of their mind, for sobriety in these things; and yet, some will not be so bounded Deither, but will profusely lavish out upon trifles, to the sensible prejudice of their estate.

It is not my purpose, nor do I think it very needful, to debate many particulars of apparel and ornament of the body, their lawfulness or unlawfulness only, :

First, It is out of doubt, that though clothing was first drawn on by necessity, yet, all regard of comeliness and ornament in apparel, is not unlawful; nor doth the Apostle's expression here, rightly considered, fasten that upon the adorning he here speaks of. He doth no more universally condemn the use of gold for ornament, than he doth any other comely raiment, which here he means by that general word of putting on of apparel: for his [not] is comparative,-not this adorning, but the ornament of a meek spirit, that rather, and as being much more comely and precious; as that known expression, I will have mercy and not sacrifice.

Secondly, According to the different place and quality of persons, there may be a difference in this: thus, the robes of judges and princes are not only for personal ornament, but because there is in them, especially to vulgar eyes which seldom look deeper than the outside of things, there is, I say, in that apparel a representation of authority or majesty, which befits their place; and besides this, other persons who are not in public place, men, or women, (who are here particularly directed,) yet may have in this some mark of their rank; and in persons otherwise little distant, some allowance may be made for the habits and breeding of some beyond others, or the quality of their society, and those with whom they converse.

Thirdly, It is not impossible that there may be in some an affected pride in the meanness of apparel, and in others, under

either neat or rich attire, a very humble unaffected mind; using it upon some of the aforementioned engagements, or such like, and yet, the heart not at all upon it. Magnus qui fictilibus utitur tanquam argento, nec ille minor qui argento tanquam fictilibus, says Seneca: Great is he who enjoys his earthenware as if it were plate, and not less great is the man to whom all his plate is no more than earthenware.

Fourthly, It is as sure as any of these, that real excess and vanity in apparel will creep in, and will always willingly convey itself under the cloak of some of these honest and lawful considerations. This is a prime piece of our heart's deceit, not only to hold out fair pretences to others, but to put the trick upon ourselves, to make ourselves believe we are right and singleminded in those things wherein we are directly serving our lusts, and feeding our own vanity.

Fifthly, To a sincere and humble Christian, very little either dispute or discourse concerning this will be needful. A tender conscience, and a heart purified from vanity and weaned from the world, will be sure to regulate this, and all other things of this nature, after the safest manner, and will be wary, 1. of lightness and fantastic garb in apparel, which is the very bush or sign hanging out, that tells a vain mind lodges within; and, 2. of excessive costliness, which both argues and feeds the pride of the heart, and defrauds, if not others of their dues, yet, the poor of thy charity, which, in God's sight, is a due debt too. Far more comfort shalt thou have on thy death-bed, to remember that such a time, instead of putting lace on my own clothes, I helped a naked back to clothing, I abated somewhat of my former superfluities, to supply the poor's necessities-far sweeter will this be, than to remember, that I could needlessly cast away many pounds to serve my pride, rather than give a penny to relieve the poor.

As conscientious Christians will not exceed in the thing itself, so, in as far as they use lawful ornament and comeliness, they will do it without bestowing much either of diligence or delight on the business.

To have the mind taken and pleased with such things, is so foolish and childish a thing, that if most might not find it in themselves, they would wonder at it in many others, of years and common sense. Non bis pueri, sed semper: Not twice children, but always. And yet truly, it is a disease that few escape. It is strange upon how poor things men and women will be vain, and think themselves somebody; not only upon some