dangerous with a great burthen upon his back, even then when he were told of the danger, and earnestly importuned not to do it? And let him but change the inftances and the perfon, and he fhall find that he hath the fame reason to think as bad of himself, who purfues trifles with earneftness, spending his time in vanity, and his labour for that which profits not? who knowing the laws of God, the rewards of vertue, the curfed confequents of fin, that it is an evil fpirit that tempts him to it, a Devil, one that hates him, that longs extreamly to ruine him, that it is his own deftruction that he is then working, that the pleafures of his fin are bafe and brutish, unfatisfying in the enjoyment, foon over, fhameful in their ftory, bitter in the memory, painful in the effect here, and intolerable hereafter, and for ever: yet in defpight of all this, he runs foolishly into his fin and his ruine, meerly because he is a fool, and winks hard, and rushes violently like a horfe into the battel, or like a madman to his death. He that can think great and good things of fuch a perfon, the next step may court the rack for an inftrument of pleasure, and admire a fwine for wisdom, and go for counsel to the prodigal and triAling grafhopper.

After the use of these and fuch like inftruments and confiderations, if you would try how your foul is grown, you fhall know that Humility, like the root of a goodly tree, is thruft very far into the ground, by thefe goodly fruits which appear above ground,

Signs of Humility.

1. The humble man trufts not to his own discretion, but in matters of concernment relies rather upon the judgment of his friends, counsellors or fpiritual guides. 2. He does not pertinaciously purfue the choice of his own will, but in all things lets God chufe for him, and his Superiors in thofe things which concern them. 3. He does not murmur against commands. Affai corn 4. He is not inquifitive into the reasonableness of in- manda chi, different and innocent commands; but believes their alfaggio.

command

ubbi difce

oftendit.

S. Hier.

Sect. command to be reason enough in fuch cafes to exact his obedience. 5. He lives according to a Rule, and with compliance to publick cuftoms, without any affectation or fingularity. 6. He is meek and indifferent in all accidents and chances. 7. He patiently Verum humi- bears injuries. 8. He is always unfatisfied in his own lem patientia conduct, refolutions and counfels. 9. He is a great lover of good men, and a praifer of wife men, and a cenfurer of no man. 10. He is modeft in his fpeech, and referved in his laughter. 11. He fears when he hears himself commended, left God make another judgment concerning his actions than men do. 12. He gives no pert or faucy antwers when he is reproved, whether juftly or unjustly. 13. He loves to fit down in private, and if he may he refufes the temptation of offices and new honours. 14. He is ingenuous, free and open in his actions and difcourfes. 15. He mends his fault, and gives thanks when he is admonished. 16. He is ready to do good offices to the murtherers of his fame, to his flanderers, backbiters and detracters, as Chrift washed the feet of Judas. 17. And is contented to be fufpected of indiscretion, fo before God he may be really innocent, and not offenfive to his neighbour, nor wanting to his just and prudent interest:

SECT. V.

Of Modesty.

Modefty is the appendage of Sobriety, and is to Chastity, to Temperance and to Humility as the fringes are to a garment. It is a grace of God that moderates the over-activeness and curiofity of the mind, and orders the paffions of the body, and external actions, and is directly oppofed to Curiofity, to Boldness, to Undecency. The practice of Modefty confifts in these following Rules.

'As

Ейдимо

Alts and Duties of Modesty, as it is oppofed to Curiofity.

σύνη.

1. Enquire not into the fecrets of God, but be con- Ecclus. 3. 21, tent to learn thy duty according to the quality of 22, 23. thy perfon or employment; that is, plainly if thou beeft not concerned in the conduct of others; but if thou beeft a Teacher, learn it fo, as may best enable thee to discharge thy Office. God's Commandments were proclaimed to all the world, but God's Counfels are to himself and to his fecret ones, when they are admitted within the veil.

Prov, 25.

Αὕτη ἀρχὴ

2. Enquire not into the things which are too hard Qui fcrutator eft Majeftatis for thee, but learn modeftly to know thy infirmities opprimetur à and abilities; and raife not thy mind up to enquire gloria. into myfteries of State or the fecrets of Government, or difficulties Theological, if thy employment really be, or thy understanding be judged to be, of a lower rank. ἡγεμονικᾶ πῶς ἔχει με ν' τὸ γνῶναι ὅτι ἀθενῶς, ἐκ ἔςι θελήσει πρόθε αὐτῷ πρὸς τὰ μέγα. Arrian. lib. Ι. cap. 26.

το φιλοσο Dev,alan

τις τὸ ἰδία

Et plus fapere interdum vulgus, quod quantum opus eft fapiat. Lastant.

3. Let us not enquire into the affairs of others that concern us not, but be bufied within our felves and our own spheres; ever remembring that to pry into the actions or interests of other men not under our charge may minifter to pride, to tyranny, to uncharitableness, to trouble, but can never confift with modefty, unless where duty or the meer intentions of charity and relation do warrant it.

mano in ta

4. Never listen at the doors or windows: for befides Ecclus. 7. 27. that it contains in it danger and a fnare, it is also an Ne occhi in invading my neighbour's privacy, and a laying that lettera ne open which he therefore enclosed that it might not be fca, ne orec open. Never ask what he carries covered fo curiously; chi in fecreti for it is enough that it is covered curioufly. Hither altrui. alfo is reducible, that we never open letters without publick authority, or reafonably prefumed leave, or great neceffity, or charity.

Every man hath in his own life fins enough, in his

H

own

*

own mind trouble enough, in his own fortune evils enough, and in performance of his offices failings more than enough to entertain his own inquiry: so that curiofity after the affairs of others cannot be without envy and an evil mind. What is it to me it my Neighbour's Grandfather were a Syrian, or his Grandmother illegitimate, or that another is indebted five thousand pounds, or whether his Wife be expenfive? But commonly curious perfons, or (as the Apoftle's phrafe is) bufie bodies are not follicitous or inquifitive into the beauty and order of a well-governed family, or after the vertues of an excellent perfon; but if there be any thing for which men keep locks and bars and porters, things that blush to fee the light, and either are fhameful in manners, or private in nature, these things are their care and their bufinefs. But if great things will fatisfie our inquiry, the courfe of the Sun and Moon, the fpots in their faces, the firmament of Heaven and the fuppofed Orbs, the ebbing and flowing of the Sea, are work enough for us: or, if this be not, let him tell me whether the number of the Stars be even or odd, and when they began to be fo; fince fome ages have discovered new Stars which the former knew not, but might have feen if they had been where now they are fixed. If these be too troublefome, fearch lower, and tell me why this Turf this year brings forth a Daifie, and the next year a Plantane; why the Apple bears his feed in his heart, and Wheat bears it in his head: let him tell why a graft taking nourishment from a crab ftock fhall have a fruit inore noble than its nurse and parent: let him fay why the beft of oil is at the top, the bell of wine in the middle, and the best of ho ney at the bottom, otherwife than it is in fome liquors that are thinner, and in fome that are thicker. But thefe things are not fuch as please bufie-bodies; they muft feed upon Tragedies, and stories of misfortunes and crimes and yet tell them ancient ftories of the ravifhment of chaft maidens, or the debauchment of nations, or the extream poverty of learned perfons, or the perfecutions of the old Saints, or the changes

of

of Government, and fad accidents happening in Royal Families amongst the Arfacida, the Cafars, the ProLemies, these were enough to scratch the itch of knowing fad ftories: but unless you tell them fomething fad and new, fomething that is done within the bounds of their own knowledge or relation, it seems tedious and unfatisfying; which fhews plainly it is an evil fpirit: envy and idleness married together, and begot curiofity. Therefore Plutarch rarely well compares curious and inquifitive ears to the execrable Gates of Cities, out of which only Malefactors and Hangmen and Tragedies pafs, nothing that is chaft or holy. * If a Phyfician fhould go from houfe to houfe unfent for, and enquire what woman hath a cancer in her bowels, or what man a fiftula in his cholick-gut, though he could pretend to cure it, he would be almost as unwelcome as the difeafe it felt: and therefore it is inhumane to enquire after crimes and difafters without pretence of amending them, but only to difcover them. We are not angry with Searchers and Publicans when they look only on publick merchandise; but when they break open trunks, and pierce veflels, and unrip packs, and open fealed letters.

Curiofity is the direct incontinency of the fpirit; and adultery it felf in its principle is many times nothing but a curious inquifition after, and envying of another man's inclofed pleafures: and there have been many who refufed fairer objects that they might ravifh an inclofed woman from her retirement and fingle poffeffour. But these inquifitions are seldom without danger, never without bafenefs; they are neither juft, nor honeft, nor delightful, and very often ufelefs to the curious inquirer. For men ftand upon their guards against them, as they secure their meat against Harpyes and Cats, laying all their counfels and fecrets out of their way; or as men clap their garments clofe about them when the fearching and faucy winds would difcover their nakednefs: as knowing that what men willingly hear; they do willingly fpeak of. Knock therefore at the door before you enter upon your

H 2

neigh