A Light to Grammar and All Other Arts and Sciences

CAP. 1.

SOme have compared children to the Earth, their common Mother; different moulds there: All must be tilled, which we would have fruitful, but notwithstanding all our tillage, all are not alike fruitful.

Some have compared them to flowers, soon up, as soon down; quickly flourishing, as quickly fading: This comparison runs well, and instructeth us in our short course; for the whole course of things under the Sun run from us, as upon wheels, (then children are not behind, nor are out of the number) and then good reason why we should not set our hearts upon them.

Some have compared them to fruits of the earth, some early-ripe, some not yet, some yet later: everything is good in its season; we follow the last comparison.

Some children (for their use this is intended) are, as Sophocles said, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Men-boys, like Summer fruits, quickly ripe, commonly as quickly rotten. 2. Other some (they the most) not so quick for speed, but more sure for use. 3. Some also, whom we miscall, (and misuse too, the more should be the pity) dullards, hard-heads, &c. what not? many abusive words, and all for that they cannot help. And yet if we could have patience (a chief virtue even at this point also) and wait their full time and growth, we may taste them good, very good in their season.

Look we over again these forms or ranks of children, and observe them everyone; we shall find them all, even the quickest of all, like their age, weak and tender: As the Vine, very fruitful, as the ground is, or the care about it must be; but must have a strong prop, which it runneth up by, spreadeth it self upon, most lovingly embracing; take away that, you see where it lieth; such a thing is childhood and youth both.

Shall I stop here? No. And Enos also, he that writes himself, as he thinks, a strong, and well grown man; even he is but a poor, frail, weak man ; though he thinks none of all this, but is it not even thus? Hearken what one saith, and no ordinary one; Man in his best state is but altogether vanity . Hear what another saith, an excellent Penman also; His wits are drowned in the body, occupied of pbansies, weak of sight, (he cannot see far off, seldom farther then the present) sick and impotent through the fall of Adam, and his own sins; dead therein. What is this man now, he that boasteth great things? he will go hither, and thither, and there he will do that and this, and all this tomorrow. These are his proud thoughts. Poor man! he may be in good readiness for his grave by tomorrow. And this day knows he not, he can do no not the easiest thing without an influence from Him, in whose hands is his breath, and all his ways. Nay, man must know more then so; He that hath great gifts, yet wants the great, and special gift, is but like a stately Ship ready rigged, and set out for a Voyage, but wants a wind. I tremble rather then speak, (said the Greek Father lest I should launch forth into (any business) and want the gale of the good Spirit. His comparison is;

If all these, yet if the holy Spirit be not there, Who is All, and doth all in all; if the gale of this Spirit breath not, all is nothing, and to no purpose: so weak and frail a thing is man, even when he is at the best.

But what is he at the worst, in himself considered, or as delivered over to himself? I cannot well express that. Better it were, he were delivered over to the Devil, for so he might be for his after good, his salvation; but to be delivered over to himself, to be left forever in his own lap, this is damnation sure, to perish forever. O hold us back, Lord, from that we most desire, To walk on in our own way; It tendeth straight to the bottomless pit. We cannot but run thither-ward; All our canning in good things is gone, we cannot serve the Lord, but we can do wickedly as we can, that is, with all our might, then we can rejoice too; such a thing is man left to himself, to every good work reprobate. Such a thing is man, a very carcass, no life in him, (properly so called) for dead he is, (as we truly call dead) and so he hath been three days, yea four, (that is all his days) and then we may more then suppose that he stinketh, having lien so long in his grave. Have I said too much now, either for the vilifying myself, or any other? No sure not enough. Lord make us more vile then this, more base yet in our own sight, even as he whose resolution it was so to be, and these his words, What is thy servant? What honor wilt thou have in pursuing or taking away my life? A dog, (then fit to lie under the table, to pick the crumbs there) A dead dog? (then fittest for the ditch) so said he, who was afterwards a King, precious in God's eyes: a likely man to be so, and to be raised high, who was so vile in his own eyes, so base and low there.

The voice of the Tall men of the world (who are not raised to a life higher, and out of themselves) sounds higher, Am I a dog ? Is thy servant a dog ? Yes, thou art a dog, thou mayest be sure, though thou thinkest not so; old nature thou art, and nothing else; and thou art thyself still, and not in another, and that will blaspheme the Living God; It will rend and tear more then any dog can; such a thing our old nature is; such is man, so cruel, so fierce, while he walketh by himself, and hath no b •• ter leader. But so vile though he is, so as we have heard and read, yet so he is not in his own eye, but of great and high account there, A man of name and renown; nay he that is better then either of those two, may be wonderfully deceived in the thoughts of himself, while he is but himself; he may think himself some great one, when he is nothing; he may have a name that he liveth, and is dead; he may think himself rich, and to have need of nothing, and know not that he is wretched, and poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked.

But when this man shall be able to bottom himself, to see clearly within (the anointing will teach him:) when he can discern what a thing himself is, what God is; Now hear him what he saith,

When I say, The man doth clearly see how vile himself is, and yet •• w highly exalted by David his Prince, the • hear him what he saith, What is thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog, as I am? Making me eat bread at thy Table always, so accounting me thy friend? It is not my theme now to dilate upon man's weakness, or wickedness, or his misery from both; when he is put in fear, when pains are upon him, when his words are fighes, & his complaints tears, then he may know himself to be but a man , a poor frail man, a very nothing, yea worse then so, he would count it his happiness he were reduced to his first principles and were as if he had never been. Thus it will be with him, when he is put in fear, when he lieth languishing, and thinks the hours over long and cannot command his breath.

O that the Lord's counsel might take hold of us now in the day of our peace! Remember this, and show your selves men; Bring it again to mind, ô ye transgressors. And this is not from our scope, but mightily advancing the same. My end is the child's good, his instruction is at hand: We can make no work therein, unless we take down his proud heart first; A proud child, (that is the fool all along the sacred Scripture) will not hear instruction : And such naturally we are all. It is our very Mother-sin, the first that putteth forth it self; (as hath been said ) our first care must be, how to keep down the working thereof, and to weed it out what we can. It is a sure lesson, the best that can be taught, but the hardest learnt. And I thought it fittest to begin with it, and to speak of it in the man's ears, for in the child's it had been much of it lost. To contract all; the sum, and purpose hereof is; we must look up to God in the use of all means, whereby to hide pride from our eyes, else we cannot hide the Law of God in the heart; instructions cannot find entertainment there, such an opposite or enemy this mother-lust is to all good. It is the valley which is fruitful , for there the drops stay. He giveth grace to the humble. The meek will he teach his way. He will beautify them with salvation. They are the simple ones of the world, the little ones (so in their own account, and so the world accounts of them too) who wait at Wisdomes door, and shall be remembered. And thus I thought most fit to dedicate my first entrance upon this high service, in all points promoting the Child.

CHAP. II.

ANd now we are turning towards the child, before we take him by the hand we must seriously consider, how to order him, and where to begin, for this requires our serious consideration, the very extract of our judgment and skill.

I do not mean now, what I must teach him in the first place. That is out of question, the Mother-tongue: nor do I mean what Science first; Music say some, and they give good reason: Arithmetic, saith the noble Scholar, as the Child may be, for that will fixe his mind in case he be birdwitted ; and to say the truth, I know nothing taught in good order but that: for the weakest teacher may find a necessity. I should add the Mathematics also, a general containing the other; for as that proceeds gradually, and there is order; so these by Sense; and there is certainty.

I say again, we had need now of all our wits about us, and to have our understanding part ready even at our fingers ends. I mean not that thereby we may be taught where to begin our information; for every man well understands this, that the informing the understanding is the main point. And for this great end and purpose we must look through, and through the child; we must well understand him, before he can understand us. And this is not quickly done; probabilities are our guides, and our conjectures great, yet not without exception, where there is such uncertain motion as there is in Children. The Quick-wit puts out apace, gives great appearance, so as we may prophesy, and yet be deceived; for as there be fair blossoms, so there are nipping frosts: The Dull-wit would offer fair, praise must help him; when he hath it, he holds fast, and may prove somebody. The Quick must not be held in all the hope, the Dull in despair; we must not neglect the meanest wits, but do the work of the day upon the Day, and leave the event to God, who hath reserved His calling and discovering hours to His own peculiar knowledge. We go on then, and take the Child as he is, and so apply ourselves to him as we can. He may be like your Quicksilver, quick, and fleeting; we must labor to fixe him, and (if so we can) then to make him flee; yet so, that he make no more haste, then good speed. Most likely he may be not so quick, but naturally more composed and fixed; we like him the better. We must make him rid much way in a little time.

He may be much of the nature of a log, not stir a whit, unless you lift him, and move hard; This is the Child whom we should set upon his legs, lead onward, so jogging on. The means that we should use will effect it, (if he be not monstrously deficient) provided still we use no compulsion, but all diligence, we must not put him out of his pace, for then he stands still, but let him march on like a man that hath all his armor about him; though it be a Snayles pace, yet it gets ground, and by still improving and adding to the heap, by constancy in moving, the Child may attain to the top of the Muses Hill, as we read the Snayle did to the top of the Tower.

There are some, they say, who will be Scholars whether we will or no: I cannot tell that, but very quick they are; as he was of old (commonly known) his own Master, and Teacher all at once. Nay there was one, if we may believe it, that was Tom of all Trades, for he could make everything belonging to the adorning of his body, yea though he went in complete armor; I do not mean him, who was so good at everything, that he was for all turns, at all hours ^b : but it was to make himself and others merry, the very froth of wit, or a good wit ill used. Let these wonder-workers go, and also those monsters in nature, so deficient as are not one of a thousand; And let the middling Child stand still, yea and the Harding too (as before) he whom the Parents have designed to the Cart, and holding of the Plough; with the Parents leave, let him have some instruction, (for he is too young yet for that employment) which may make him drive the better, and when he comes to it, to hold the Plough steadily, not looking back.

We told you before, that our scope is, (I include here all Teachers) to unfold the understanding, to set up a light there; for the understanding is as is the eye to the body, the candle thereof. The main work (it cannot be said too often) is the informing of the same, the making that clear. A main and chief thing indeed, for till that be done, the child is in a wood, he doth not go but stumble; and hath no more comfort in his way, then we have in ours, when the night is darkest. Can he be diligent now? No, he cannot tell what to do, then he hateth the work: Diligence implies delight, and love; That great Centurion, who commands eyes, and ears, and all, makes all diligent; Bids them come, and they come, do this, and they do it. If you have won your child to the love of his book, you shall have all at command, he will use all diligence. But if this love, this delight be not, diligence cannot be; It is true fear may work out something, ever in the book, but then mark we must the fearful, and unnatural workings thereof, of fear I mean, it maketh the child wish (as is feigned touching the Ferry-man, who was ever merriest when others were saddest) for some plague to come upon the earth. I remember a truer story, for Chrysostom tells it, what fell out in the City where he lived; The Lord had made the earth iron, and the Heavens brass, such a drought there was and want of bread, and then of all things. It pleased the Lord in his own time, to cause the Heaven to hear the earth, and the earth to hear man, and in the remembrance of that mercy they rejoiced, and kept holy day. One man amongst the rest walked heavily and discovered as much sadness as others did joy; and being demanded why? concealed it not, but told them the very reason;

Alas poor man! I mention it here that we may consider; if men will do so for gain, what will children do for fear? I will tell you what: for I am sure this generation is not better nor wiser then their Fathers, I will tell you what we did, when we were led on in the dark; when our Master began at the wrong end, as was said, when he should at the top, the understanding, the crown of a man; I will tell, I say, what we did; Besides all our excuses, and they were, for the most part, lies; we wished our Master no good, none at all, neither going forth, nor returning home, nor lying down, nor rising up: we wished it might rain pouring down, especially all the morning, though the fruits of the earth lay in the suds, so we might stay at home what cared we for that: we were content with sore eyes, and kybed heels, they were good commodities with us, but that they hindered our play; we would wish ourselves dead too, when we had not learnt to live; and though we could not be sick when we would, yet we would fain it pretty well, and find a time to steal to the Cupboard (not discerned) for provision of a crust against the next day, (when we did forecast trouble.) To a boy play & a dry crust is good cheare. It is not fit to tell all, and this could not be spared. But why all this? what unhappy boys those! the blame was not ours, we were in the dark, and yet spurred on as the Drunkard doth his horse, when he minds not the danger, nor sees one step of his way; we have cleared it then, that the understanding must be unfolded.

How is that? as we do let in light into our house, by the doors and windows. An ignorant man lives, we say, like one in a dark house: he is a dark man: and dark let him be, if he will not take the pains to pluck down the wooden window, thereby to let in so glorious a creature as light is, and so delightful. God be thanked, the man's house hath windows, let him set them open; so much light will come in whether he will or no, as will leave him without excuse, though he may be in the dark for all that.

But touching the Child, our purpose is that he shall not stir one inch farther, then he carries his Torch or Lantern in his hand, that thereby the understanding may do its office, and put to memory to do hers; and now we go sure, because in order making no inversion thereof, for that is to turn the picture.

Our endeavor shall be to put the Child in a good forwardness, before he knows where he began; he shall be well entered, before he knows how he came into the way; he shall do his work playing, and play working; he shall seem idle and think he is in sport, when he is indeed serious, and best employed. This is done, when the understanding is cleared by its own light; when the Childs own door, which he thinks shut, is opened by a natural key, of the child's own framing, and using. It is, I say (for I would be clear herein) thus done, when things are so ordered and explained, as that the consequence is made easy by receiving his light, and dependence from the antecodent.

And this is a familiar way of teaching, when the School is otium, indeed a profitable kind of play, for under that notion the work will be both more pleasant, and then more profitable: but very different it is from those sports and recreations (as we mis-call them) usual now amongst boys. Such a way there is, that is certain; and we will grope after it anon, for so sensual it is, that it may be felt. But I say again, an infallible way it is, and in point of teaching, all in all, it being lex generalitatis as the Logicians term it, an excellent help both to the judgment and memory, when a child can see himself speak, and know what he doth remember.

I cannot express the way in one word, and in our Tongue more plainly then in the Latin it is, there we call it precognition, which in more words, thus may be described.

CHAP. III.

THe way of working hereby is when the inward senses of the child are instructed by the outward: And the more help I have of the outward, the surer and firmer the instruction is within, that is certain.

Therefore praise we God, yea all within us praise His holy name, that the child can see and hear both specially that it hath, that great Organ or instrument of knowledge, the ear, (though the eye helpeth most this way, but without the ear we could do nothing) and that open to Instruction. It is true, some there have been who have attained a great measure of knowledge, yet never saw a letter; and one there was of full age, who plucked out his eyes, and wished his ear like the deaf stone, that he might be the more free for meditation.

But as I said before, I say again; Bless we God that our children see, and hear, and labor we for grace, that we may use and improve these so useful, so adorning faculties to the glory of the Giver. This is a main point, for too many there are, to whom these excellent faculties are as useless as i • they were not at all. Nay, they are so far from using, from improving them, that they abuse them altogether, turning them the clean contrary way. So many members, so many weapons of righteousness unto holiness, so it should be; but most ungrateful as we are! we fight against God with His own weapons, and grieve Him with that, wherewith He hath comforted us; we dishonor Him with that, wherewith He hath honored us.

If I should say, Those Talents spoken of in the Gospel are our senses, I should say but as some before me; but so I say not, yet this I say, God hath given us these to traffick, and gain withal, so to improve by use of them, that there may be a good return made to his glory; for inquired it will be, What hast thou gained? and happy we, if we are found good and faithful servants; but if wicked and slothful, (mark how these two stand conjoined in the Text, close together, never parted) then shall we be (as the expression is) silent in darkness.

I said well, we are now upon a main point; Be we circumspect, and careful with all our care, to improve our senses, for the reason above-said; and for this which followeth.

Our method all along holds hands with our senses, The extract, the Quintessence of all the Simples in the world, if they could be gathered, (we shall pick up some in due place) is conveyed, is dropped into the understanding through no other Limbeck but these Mark it once for all, Every Lesson must (next to God) pay tribute to the senses.

God hath imprinted the Vestigia of His power, and wisdom, of all His attributes in the glorious Workmanship of the world. Why now this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that which may be known of God, is manifest in us, for God hath manifested it unto us, by that we see and feel of Him.

The chief work then is, To discipline the senses, and since they must teach us, first to teach them. A main and prime work this is indeed, and very hard to sublimate our senses (which needed not if we intended no other but Grammatical learning, such trivial points, but we must make the world his book) to snuff the light (for very dim it is to those great purposes it is intended for) that it may be cleared of the scales, or filme there; And certainly the Snuffers must be of gold.

Plato said well, The soul hath broken her wings; It hath indeed, and we may see it so, by her hovering here below, though the treasure be above. The inferior faculties thereof have lost much of their activity too, our nature catched a fall, like Mephibosheth, in the cradle of our infancy, and could never outgrow it; lame we are, and dim-sighted too, we cannot see afar off, no nor well the snares before us, so weaksighted are we. This is the comfort, The Restorer of all things will restore even this also. We shall see clearly; in the mean time there is an anointing, and that will do the thing; It will clear nature so far, that she will be able to give us some light in the search, even after hidden things. To them our Method will necessarily lead us first. I have been too short here touching the disciplining the senses; but I have prevented myself elsewhere, and I love not to make repetitions.

Thus we have scoured the way, and cleared the Text, for plain it is that the senses are the only medium, the means, whereby to open the understanding, and to let in thereby, there to leave the instruction sure and safe as under lock and key.

We will give but one note by the way, which will be of great use to us all along.

Now we come to the child who hath his light at his fingers ends, though he thinks not so; and how universal the use thereof shall be unto him in his way to Grammar, and higher things; how delightful also, we shall discern in our passage anon, but we • will well observe the child first.

We shall find him still in action, here and there, and everywhere with his stick, or with his gun, or with his casting stones; perhaps i • these be not at hand, he is blowing up a feather; I cannot reckon up his Implements: I believe he is as well stored for the driving his pleasant trade, as is the best Merchant in the Town for his so gainful: we suppose him well sorted with commodities, he hath his Exchange and Warehouse too, both his box and his pocket. And we shall see anon, that by his dealings in the world, he hath learned good part of his Grammar (that dull book, as it is taught) before he came at it. But we observe for present that the child is all for action, and very earnest therein, never quiet▪ except in motion. It is true, he should be better employed, but we must take things as they are, and make use of them as we can. We must observe too, or else we observe nothing; That the child is as desiours after knowledge, very curious and enquiting that way, What is this? what is that? All is news to him, and thereof our nature is greedy. It is as a little Ape taken up by imitation: what he sees the Governor do, (he must take heed what he doth) the child will make offer to do the like, though he hath neither strength to do it, nor knows he the manner how; but such is his desire, he thinks all possible to him, nor can you gratify him better, nor please him more, then to suffer him to try his skill by putting his hand to the work, which you must move altogether, but he will think he hath done the deed, and by his own strength: he must enjoy his conceit, and make himself merry with it; all such encouragement doth good everywhere: for when the child finds himself a party in the work, he speaks of it willingly and with delight, remembers it accurately, and much good there is in all that.

CHAP. IV.

ALL this while the profit and delight is the Childs, the work the Masters, and this the hardest piece of it, herein the greatest part of cunning how to find out this precognition, (we will use this single word all along; for now we have some understanding thereof, what it doth note out unto us, how much it doth import) then how to use it or work by it. There is most difficulty in the first, for if we can find out this preparatory; (as I may call it) our work will be easy enough.

Aristotle a requires it in all Studies, but he must understand it of them, whose foundation is laid, either in the light or in the law of Nature. But Languages have no ground in Nature: for though to speak be natural, yet to speak this or that Language is merely ex instituto, (as a man is taught) he being by Nature no more capable of his Mother Tongue then of any other. Hence it is that Grammar learning, as it is taught, is a matter of greater difficulty (a great wrong to children) then any study that a man afterwards undertakes. For here can be no such preparatory to the understanding (I know not how to express it otherwise) which the Philosopher requires in all studies. But here even in teaching Languages, something must be done in way of preparation to, or anticipation of the understanding; we must, I say, as a wise man doth an occasion, either find a prec • gnition or make it. But this we shall understand more fully in our practicke part, in point of Grammar, which when I shall show, I shall resume this again, and set down the Rules whereby we have proceeded, which shall hold pace with nature and right reason all along.

There is a greater thing to be done first, we must begin with God, so the very Heathen by their light could direct us; how shall we help ourselves here? this is a great Science indeed, and precognitions here we have none. Indeed Divinity hath its principles also, but how are they worked into the understanding? By the Spirit of God, and that either of illumination, or adoption; either of which far exceed nature, but have no foundation there.

In this we say right fure: no preparation from Nature, whereby to elevate the understanding to that height, as to comprehend God, and the mysteries of Grace:

These are his words who was of great years, and wonderful reputation, the most notable Preacher of all Italy, famous for the great example of his good life there. And observe we should these two words, breath and pant: for though God accepteth weak performances, yet He expecteth strong desires; This by the way; we will read onward, that we may take with us his following words. Nature cannot read this riddle; grace can, for so it follows;

What precognition now from nature, to open the understanding, for the letting in this great light? Yes, from Nature, and so much light, and preparation there-from, as shall, being neglected, leave us without excuse. What though sense cannot lead me exactly, yet I must not put out that light. Though nature cannot do the thing, but leaves us in a Maze, (as we may see anon) yet I will take her by the hand, and go by her clue as far as I can; that I will by God's help, for I am bound to it. God forbid that we should neglect the light of nature, or conduct of right reason; for this were to cast away our lantern, because we cannot go by the Sun. So some have done, and we must read, and well observe their judgment Principles laid in nature, and right reason, will carry us very far, here, even from the foot-stool on earth, to the Throne in heaven: By these I proceed a little with the child.

We conceive the earth hanging in midst of heaven, no Pillars bearing it up; even that will lead us by the hand to an all-supporting hand. We have read oft, and seen a creature exceeding strong; there-from I can raise up the mind to conclude an Almighty power: for mark how it is hinted out unto us, He that made him, can make his sword to approach unto him; That is, there is a stronger then he, strong enough to pierce the head (that is the seat of life) of the greatest Leviathan (oppressor) upon earth, and to give his Church strong confidence there-from forever. Give but the understanding a rise, it cannot cease climbing, till it be at the Pinnacle: And yet though so high it be, it is but a natural understanding still. My meaning then is, which I find fully expressed by another.

To give an instance more;

We see a murthering engine before us. A brave work, saith the child, Who made that? A plain Fellow, he that blows the coals. Who gave the Smith breath so to do? He that is Almighty, which yields a mighty instruction now and always of the same use. We might be large here, all would amount but to this, A man hath a law of nature, and principles answerable, which teacheth him somewhat touching the Being of God: And that is all: But God in Christ is all to the soul, and here natural law hath not a letter to teach us anything God in Christ reconciling the world is a mystery, an heavenly riddle; nothing can spel it, and find it out but faith alone, faith a learned Divine. And a truth it is more fixed then the earth; more stable then the Heavens: for so saith the sacred Scripture, and so it doth dispoyle Nature of her glory, giving her neither part nor lot in this matter; The world by wisdom knew not God. Nature polished, Reason sublimated, may help somewhat for the elevation of our thoughts: yet is it but Nature still, and must move no higher then in her Sphere; & there she gives us her best help: but she cannot tell us with all her Philosophy how our meat and drink do nourish; how our clothes do keep us warm; nor whence the wind comes, nor whither it will. And if she cannot tell us earthly things, we will not believe her in the Heavenly. It is said indeed;

This being premised and the way cleared, we go on with the Child, using such helps we have at hand, and thus we would work up his understanding .

Darkness we are, what communion then with light? so soon as the Lord formed the one, and created the other, He separated betwixt both, they cannot stand together. Betwixt a mortal creature, and an immortal God, a finite creature, an infinite GOD, what communion? And yet, The work of Thy hands, Lord, Thou wilt not forsake. Mee thinks, here reason helps, points us towards a middle thing, that must stand betwixt these and partake of both, so filling up the gulf, and making both one. I said well, Helps, and we must account of it so, as a help, for the Jews blundering against this very light, and stumbling it out, fell we know how irrecoverably. Reason helps, it concludes, that so it must be: But how or which way, it cannot tell. It is in a Maze; now faith must help her out, which break through all difficulties, and then the way is known, but the wonder ceaseth not, so wonderfully hast thou contrived it, O Lord God Almighty.

We procceed then a little further in this Maze (so reason left to it self will make it) taking the Clew of Nature in our hand, but following the track of sacred Scripture all along.

We see misery here below, and man only capable thereof, of the greatest misery; We must take good notice of it, and what we can, fathom that bottomeless pit:

And now mark we must how the Lord, blessed forever, hath condescended for our instruction if our desires be strong after Him. If we see the necessity, the excellency, the preciousness of Him; ye that thirst; Thirst dries up the soul, making it like the earth gaping, for, as was once said, but must be remembered always,

And then we hear of water, and wine, and milk, and oil, nay rivers, floods, brooks, of honey and butter. All this to give in clear evidence to the soul, That all good is in Christ; All from Him; all must be referred to Him. He is the Christ, the anointed, the anointing: All healing . He heals all our infirmities; pardons all our sins; perfects all our obedience; Is all to us; works all in us; doth all for us. O, all ye that hunger and thirst, come to Him, He is bread indeed, drink indeed. Taste, and see how good this Lord is, for under these familiar things even Nature will make report thereof unto the soul. And the very evidence of Nature given in against us will make us silent in darkness, as the expression is. The maid, who so often hath laid her leaven, and seen the working thereof, yet hath not learnt by all that, the work of grace, and the contrary working of corruption, even she will be reproved and left speechless. For she cannot say, but that so much was plainly taught her thereby. If the bread and drink we receive daily do not raise up our hearts to Him, who gives us our daily bread; if we do not relish. Him in them; if these streams from Him refreshing our fainted bodies, mind us not of our souls also (for they have a meat too even their daily bread) carrying them to the fountain head, there to be refreshed; if not so, then so it is, our Table will be our snare, our ease will slay us, so foolish we are and ignorant, even as a Beast before the Lord, and at our Tables. If the Salt wherewith we season our meat, teacheth us not the danger of our unsavory and unprofitable walking , nor learns us to season our words with a grain thereof in a Metaphor; if not so, we shall not have a word to say for ourselves, why we went against that rule ; He that sees filthy rags, and sees not himself in them, even at the best no better ; or white, and clean linen, and learneth not thereby the glory of the Saints , (but in another) in whom he must be found, else he will be filthy still; if he seeing these, makes not this use of what he sees, certain it is, he sees but discerns not, he sees as an Ox doth a painted gate, sees and no more.

Thus I think it is clear, that we have our preparatories from Nature to the understanding of divine matters; and that by these low things (so the Lord hath condescended to our weakness) we may prepare our way to higher matters, and get a good understanding even thereof: And then by such familiar ways, be still dropping into our Children (for we may take up the Emblem of a watering pot ) as we observe them able to receive. I must remember for the present, that I must move in a very low orbe, for so low my subject is, to whom I must stoop, and, as I can, raise him and make him capable, I shall wind him up very gently, and with much ease to the same height anon.

CHAP. V.

WEE have not yet begun with the Child, but now setting upon it, if it be thought a fitting time. When is that? So soon as the Child can exercise his inward faculties, hath any strength there, then we must begin and well husband the time. Now the Child will take in fast enough, like a fair Table-book • , wherein is nothing yet, but presently there will be something written, which we cannot so easily blot out: It is the Masters wisdom, and for that he shall be counted an understanding man, not to leave the child to his choice: For now (and so we shall know the nick of time) the Child can distinctly observe that which is before his eyes, and can call it by its name.

The Child hath Arithmetic too, what a jolly fellow is this? (I must insert words of encouragement, that promoteth greatly the little thing) he can skill of Greek, he can tell you how many fingers he hath upon the one hand, then he can number I hope.

He can put the other five to them, and tell what all amounts to; then he can add; he can take away the one hand, and tell you how many remains: The best Accountant in the town cannot answer more punctually; then we will grant he can subtract: yes & more yet is his skil, for he can tell you what twice 5. is, so he can multiply; And ten to one, if these ten were ten Apples, he would divide them by 2. to each hand even parcels, and so keep all for himself: otherwise, and in such cases, he careth not for division, though he understands it for his use very well.

Poor Child! he hath discovered himself too far: for now his skill is so well known, he must to School to learn his Mother-tongue the very next Monday; And there we suppose he is, where the Mistress helps to hold the book with one hand, and (if it be as I have seen) a little twig in the other, which the child marks very earnestly, as we would have it do the lesson.

Here is a change now, and that will be pleasing for some hours. The next week the child will tell you when is the next Holy-day, for that is all he heard at Church, and all he looks for, he knows where, for he finds it to be a red letter: And for the School he hath no mind to it; by his going thither, and returning thence, we perceive well enough, that no man loves a prison worfe: never looks he to see a merry day, so long as he is pent up there. Why? because the School indeed is but a prison to his body; and no way is taken to enlarge his mind. What a coyle is there to make him pronounce false? and because he cannot readily do so, for very nature teacheth otherwise, perhaps he feels the twig too, and his sense is so quick at that point, that he cannot relish the School.

He hears also of Vowels and Consonants, What are they? Latin; poor little Englishman, he cannot skill of that. Then he must put these together, and spell, What is that? Greek; indeed so it is to the child, and to the Teacher too.

Certain it is, the child understands more of his own tongue in one month from his Nurse (after he can speak articulately) then he gains from a School in three in any language; which clearly showeth of what force nature is, specially when a little helped by Art, and made mighty by use: The one and the other, even all three gives us great accommodation here: Nature gives us the precognition; Art, Skill to use it: Use makes it familiar.

It must not be expected here, that I should give the precognition to everything that I would have learnt thereby; that were a dead work; Time and place will instruct much, and the very thing in hand. This I say again, we must make it a preparatory to the understanding of everything, so preventing the toil of conceiving the same: And we must find a precognition, or make it, as the great Commander said, when his way was blocked up before him. And this nature shows, that a vowell makes a sound alone, perfect of it self; The Consonant not without a Vowell, being indeed of it self, but the very essay, and offer of the tongue, and no more.

And if c, g, and t, might but know their power once, and keep it ever, u, and v, distinct in figure, but more in sound; if I say it were observed, it would save us much trouble in afterproceeding; so also if the syllable were distinctly framed according to the plain rules for spelling, so pronounced, specially the last letter. For the pauses or stops, our breathing will help us there, but the observation thereof, is the chiefest part in good reading.

I confess my thoughts are not ripened here; if they were, I would not blot paper with them, though it is no disparagement to go even so low; for the Mother-tongue is the foundation of all; nay indeed we have a necessity so to do every day, else we cannot go forward orderly; the ground-work of the child's entry being so rotten underneath. But I may spare my pains o • writing upon this Elementary point, fo • I find a short paper for direction this way, from a man of long experience in higher matters, gained by travel, and and other ways : And a large tractate there is also, treating on the very same subject, of more large use.

And surely great need of all this: for the matter of the elementary (the Hornbook) though it be small in show, yet it is great for process: and for the manner of handling the child, of great moment also, to hearten him on for afterwards. And therefore it would promote the common good not a little, if an able man had the ordering the child at this first stair or step; for a firm ground here, at this low point, raiseth the work mightily, and makes all stand firm. But it is supposed the Master must have answerable pay: a good encouragement to come down so low, when he shall perceive that reward shall rise up. This will be thought upon when times mend, and the day clears up, then our judgment, and fore-sight will clear up too: In the mean time, I know what will not be done; a good Scholar will not come down so low, as the first elementary, and to so low a recompense also; it shall be left to the meanest, and therefore to the worst. And there I leave it also even in the Mistress her hands, for there is no remedy; And so I come to that work which more properly belongs unto the Master.

CHAP. VI.

WEE are making way now toward Grammar learning. And what if I set down the accommodation of writing first? Nay, I will not consult about it, I am resolved already so to do, and that for great reason; for thereby, I shall the better work upon his senses. But what if the Parent will not have it so? (for he must direct the Master, not the Master him) No matter; I am not now to question the Fathers will, which commonly is the worst of his reason, but to show how it will promote the child in the thing he is about, where, by one and the same light, at one and the same time, the child shall see his work, understand it, and remember it too, even all this, and altogether, by the use of his pen. And it may promote him afterwards, for ought we know, as the Harp did David. I remember one saith very well; To write and read well is a pretty stock for a poor boy to begin the world withal, and to live comfortably too . And we must be persuaded to ground that quickly in young years, which must requite them with grace in after years: If we consider so much, we shall relent at the voice of Reason, which commands us to begin with the pen.

But the child is too young yet, he is [Object.] not capable; sitting with his pen may make him grow crooked too. All this [Answ.] may be, as he may be handled: he may sit too long as the most do, and as the custom is: But we are fully concluded, That the child must be set straight to his work, and not sit long at it, but while he is sitting there, he mu •• make it his play. Observe him with his little stick puddering in the ashes, drawing lines there, or upon the dirt where he can make an impression; and almost as busy he is, as one was, who would not be driven from it with the sword . I will tell my observation; I have known some who were not taught to write, yet could draw faces of all sorts, bodies in due proportion; frame several buildings, Castles, Ships, and the like. I mention it, that Parents and Masters might be persuaded to draw forth Nature as you would do a piece of gold, it will spread and compass it self, (as gold will ) beyond an ordinary imagination. Let us follow nature here, for this drawing, whether with stick, or pen, is but Cosen-Germane to writing, a precognition, or training principle thereunto. These two, (and drawing, the most children do naturally) are of one Parentage and pedigree, as is noted by the Philosopher , and others. We cannot doubt then, but the child will quickly gain so much, now his hand is flexible, and fit for frame▪ as will serve very much for his use.

But what use is of it? [Obj. 2] [Answ.]

This was implied before, we will add to it; The use of the pen is great, almost universal; It helps the little thing to judge of artificial things; what substance is, what forms or fashions are; and this helps not a little in our practic part. It is the character of the speech, as the speech is of the thought. Besides all this, It fixeth the mind of the child, (who is Squirrill-headed) confirmeth the understanding; Is the Assurance office, to it and to the memory: For now all is safe; he may lay in, and carry out at pleasure, and no hazard worth the thinking of. Then the use thereof is great.

But it will be said sure; That writing [Obj. 3] is so far from confirming memory, that it weakens it, hurts it altogether. And it is confessed of all, even of them that write for it; And the experience of all, that have used their pen, will say as much too.

Nay, but they must not say so, for [Answ.] then they say not the truth; They did not use the pen, making it subservient to memory; but abusd it, employing it altogether, and trusting to it, so putting the memory out of office, and making it quickly of no use . This is the abuse of the pen, and as a great Scholar said long since, The most certain corruption, yea death of the memory . If we scribble, scribble, scribble, and then think we have done the deed (as once I did, so wise I was) our memory will do us no more service shortly, then a man can do to himself that is in a Lethargy. The memory must still be kept waking; if we let it sleep, (as it hath been in some diseases) it will die. At this point we must remember the dark man, his memory is even to a wonder, but no wonder at all, for he employeth and exerciseth the same, and exercise is all.

We understand Plato's words now:

So we have seen the abuse of the thing, which can never be a sufficient condemnation of the thing abused, for then gluttony will forbid meat; Let it be noted, But we have no need to fear this abuse of the pen from the Child, for he is under them, that can direct better for present, and give him a Caution for afterwards.

I suppose now the Child is put to School there to learn the Art of writing, which makes a wonderful riddance in the rest of learning.

I should say a word to the writing Master, and though I have little hope he will make use thereof, yet he must hear it, for it is of much use to the Child, and as much concerns the Parent.

The Master must look to the government in his School, which is so loose, that though the Child thinks, now he is put thither, he is made, yet the great fear is, and so experience tells us, he is in a way to be mar'd; There he sees and hears Boys of all sizes, who know they have a patent there to prate and to be rude, which corrupts the little Thing, we have now in hand, more then is imagined.

Should not a Master look to the government above all? Yes, he cannot doubt of it, nor of this which follows. He must consider well, what Copy he sets before the Child; his own example in point of behavior must be straight and exact, for the Child frames after that also, most of all, for there is life in it. And the dead example, the copy in his book I mean, the Master must see to also; and not so much to its form, I doubt not but there he is exact enough, but to the matter thereof, that it savor of piety, and be a leading hand thereunto, so fashioning the life, as well as the hand; For we must still remember, because this Master thinks not of it, That the right manner of handling the Childs wit in his reading and writing is of great moment for afterwards, and delivereth the next Master from manifest toil, the child from marvelous trouble, secureth the Parent also against his fears and sorrows; so prevailing these beginnings are, of such consequence for afterwards.

CHAP. VII.

ANd now I suppose this Art is attained, (for we must proceed gradually, making clean riddance all along) and then we must grant also, that the Child cannot complain of difficulty afterwards, who can read and write perfectly (as may serve his turn) now. For as Plato said of Arithmetic, and Geometry, they were his two wings, whereby he could fly up to Heaven, so setting free the imprisoned ignorant: The same may be said of reading and writing, if the child hath purchased these two, he hath excellent fair wings, which (as his Master is able to help him) will cause him to tower up to the top of all learning. And yet for all our hast we must not skip nor leap, we may attain to the top in due season; but we must remember our season now, and begin at the bottom stair; so we are upon the Grammar, where our practice shall be very easy, and familiar to the Child, (for the labor is prevented already) and speedy too, for we must remember he hath two wings, therefore he can fly. But withal we must grant this, that the Reader, if he have forgot his grammar, (as certainly he hath, though in his younger years he could say it over, and over, as perfectly, as count his fingers: A short time and other employments will quickly spoil the memory of all that; but what were conveyed to the understanding by an orderly and natural way, so much remains and no more) such an one I say, cannot go along with the Child one foot of the way worth his labor: And the Scholar that doth understand may think it a dull way, but my little Judgment upon it. It is the only quick, and sure way; And let him take my word yet further, That he shall read no more spoken here, but what is really done: So we begin out practice, with hast enough, and yet good speed, for we have our Preparatories at our fingers ends: and stumble we cannot, for the Lamp is in our hands. It appeareth thus (the rules will make it more plain anon) not by explaining the Grammar to him, for it is already done; If I were to do it now, and so begin, I should speak Greek to him, and what use of that? I must recall what he already knows, and that will do the thing, and then we have the use indeed, if we please to observe what follows.

CHAP. VIII.

THE child will meet sometimes with a construction different in form and fashion from that he hitherto hath observed: To the understanding whereof, both in words and sentences, he hath good preparatories from the eye, and ear; from nature, and reason, to frame true construction there, and his voice thereunto, for that is a chief thing.

There are some flowers of speech, (as the Rhetorician calleth them) which will stand the child in great stead as he goeth along. He will find also in the practice of the Syntaxe one word put for another, as where the word signifies Suns, he must construe days: So where he reads the seed of the woman, and of Abraham, he must understand the son of the Virgin, and the children of Abraham; and when the Poet saith, He hath an Horn in his hand, his meaning is, it is a Lanthorn, &c.

The foundation of all this little Art, is grounded in nature; the child's natural Logic will do it; which hath been exercised ever since he saw his Mother make Apple-pies, for then he could discern who made them, of what materials; The form and fashion, he is exact there, and knows for what end, as well as the biggest fellow in the town. And because that follows, and we suppose him in the dark, where the Lantern gives him light; he will understand, that is not so, but the light in the Lantern, that was it; and it was put into the Lantern, and is taken out; the Lantern remains still; but so you cannot folly from a fool, that sticks closer then so; Now he understands his Subject, and his Adjunct, and something more belonging to it then so.

His Mother called him good boy, when by a lawful kind of mockery, she meant the contrary, that he was a very wag, and the Child knows it very well. The child hath heard often, that he hath a stony heart; that is but a borrowed word, the child knows where, and that the meaning must be, that he hath a hard heart; And yet the man knows not, that so hard his heart is, harder then any kind of metal, for that will gain again in the fire, and melt, so will not a stone. The Child can take a part of an Apple for the whole, when the Mother will let him have no more; and he can take the whole for a part, when he can be his own chooser: And he can tell what whole this is, as well as he, who understands homogeneum, for that is Greek; he can tell the whole Apple, is Apple, and so is every part, as are Earth, Water, Air, Fire, Silver, Gold, &c.

The Child reads; The Gospel was preached to every Creature; that's too general sure, for Beasts could not hear it, it is more specially meant then so. He daily asketh his daily bread; our desire here must be moderate, yet not confined to our loaf only (a word we find in our English, but in no other tongue:) we mean thereby as we have good warrant, our meat too, our clothing also, all necessaries: little doth a child think, what a blessing he hath in his hand when Bread is there; For, as the word meaneth, and our Lord also, having Bread, he hath All.

Thus the Child hath this necessary additament to Grammar, for he can make no way without it. And in all this we have not out-compassed his understanding nor burdened it at all. For our precognitions have prepared way thereunto, and prevented the labor. For that was our promise still, and we are sure we have kept our word.

But I shall transgress presently, if I do not take leave, as all along I have done, to go out of the Common-rode way, for there lieth Prosodia next, straight on in the rode, at the very bottom of the way. And there we have Tone, a very acute and witty word; Spirit, as sublime: Time long and short, a great part of a man's understanding to observe it, and yet for his Turn the child shall do it, nay can do it well enough. But what shall we do with those things here? Certainly they stand out of place. I said well a little before; This part of Grammar lieth at the very bottom. It doth indeed even there, therefore I took it in, when I was upon my bottom work, the Declensions and Verbes, for they are the foundation of all. And we carried it along with us, as the Master-builder doth his measuring line, through the whole structure, up to the very top, and this is the natural order. Nor do we go alone here at this point: There is one who showeth his Judgment here, as he hath his judgment, and learning both, in higher points; For he makes it no distinct part of Grammar, but as that, which hath its use everywhere, and so it spreadeth it self through all, whereby it comes to pass, that the Child well perceives its use in every word he speaks; attains to a more perfect understanding thereof in one week, then by a verbal repetition of it, he can attain unto in a whole year. And so for the whole Grammar, though, haply he cannot give you six lines in ryme, (which will never be required by any understanding man) yet for every line and word, he can give you good reason, and that we hope one day, will satisfy a reasonable man. And now our practice is gone as far as we can, perhaps farther then needed; we will set down also the Reasons of our practice, which may serve as rules for our after proceeding.

CHAP. IX.

1. HEre I must resume again what was said in the beginning of the fourth Chapter, and enlarge it a little, for thereon depends very much. It was this,

For here can be no such preparatory to the understanding as the Philosopher requireth in all studies. Here examples and precepts are alike difficult, either being as strange, and as unknown as the other: and therefore like to yield a poor illustration, where their proceeding is ab ignoto ad ignotum. Whereas in other Studies, if the precepts be difficult, yet such examples may be had for explication of them, as are obvious to every man's experience. Hence it must needs follow, that seeing for the study of Latin, and of other Languages, there is no 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Nature; there is Reason good enough to leave the ordinary course, and to make a preparation unto rule by experience, which may serve instead of Nature. But this way of experience, which is nothing else but the very method of Invention, being in it self considered, and without the other, must needs be very confused, as being exercised in singulars, which (as the Philosophers say) are infinite, and mutable, and therefore not scientificall. Besides, it can give but little satisfaction, as proposing only the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and leaving the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to the labor of the learner. Nor can it but be long, before it attains the end, which is the making Analogy known. For if the rules of Grammar being already framed by men of Heroic wits that were the first inventors of them, have yet suffered so many alterations of after Ages, before they could be brought to their true Generalities: and so many supplements of other rules, deseried by them afar off, and more clearly seen, and found out of others by occasion of their former labors, together with their own endeavors, before the discipline could be sucked to a perfect and proportionable body; How long may we think it will be before Children, who are led more by the sense then by the understanding, and therefore can hardly use abstraction, will be able to frame unto themselves general rules by induction out of particular examples.

On the other side, The Method of Doctrine must needs be too subtle for Children; as taking his beginning from Universals and so necessarily requiring subtraction, which is not to be expected from that age. Besides it cannot but be dry, tedious, and lifeless in this case, as being without all Principles. So then there is a mid way to be taken, a Method mixed of both these, beginning in experience, as the way to rule, preventing the difficulties of generalities; and ending in rule, as the perfection of experience taking away the tediousness of Induction. And this is the most Cardinal rule, the very hinge whereon the whole frame doth hang and turn it self; The most natural method, setting use aside; whereby we gain the Language, which reduceth all Grammars to one, and teacheth them all alike for the manner, Thus.

2. The Child must observe what eye-service he can do himself, when he is upon Declension (there he begins, for by one example there, he sooner learns what part of speech, number, case, and gender, then by saying the rules thereto belonging ten times over) Declension and Verbe; and the service is this, he observes that there are letters which stand in the one and other, as substantially fixed, and unchangeable as a root, the same still in every Case, Tense, and Person therein: Some letters again are very accidental, and moveable, of a servile condition, serving only their turn, Time, and Place, and then away giving place to some other. This must be distinctly observed, and no subtlety at all, but with this direction; That he shall find these Radicall letters (now the word is easy) in the first or second case of the Noun, (the second never fails, nor the first case in the first, fourth, fifth Declension) and then the same all along; but in the Verbe, three Cardinals, and the Radicals more or less, and most times different in all. The same to be observed in the Greek, but more Cardinals; we mean by a Cardinal such a Tense, which is, as it were, the hinge on which the Verbe is turned; or where-from all the Tenses are framed or derived.

And this is as proper to the Latin and Greek, as to the Hebrew it is every whit, only with this distinction; These servants, these servile letters, are still at the end of the Latin and Greek word, (except in the Tense wherein the first fyllable is doubled) in the Hebrew they are in the beginning, middle, and end, but more stayed, not so fleeting.

3. All this service, the child's pen hath made easy and familiar to him, and more service it must do then this; for the English must be written anent the Latin, after first, then before, and in the same manner he must be examined; and hereof the child shall quickly see full use; full indeed, for hereby he hath attained, that which in the study of language we aim at, even these two things, To understand others; and to express ourselves; And this the child must practice in simple words first, before he can effect it in sentences, that being the order of nature to proceed a simplicibus ad composita, materials first, and then composition, a putting them together. And so expressing one language by the other in declining and examining of words, fair way is made for Syntax, the formet for the construing, the later for the making of Latin: For all words in any one language of the same Accidents always have the same expressions in another language, in respect of those accidents. So that in construing, having the signification, the child cannot fail in the adsignification: and in making Latin, having the word, he will not fail in the accident. Where we may note by the way, That the hardest matter, and whereat we stick, is the supplying the child in words, what is Latin for this, and that: for having the Accidents of five, and four, he hath them in all. My meaning is; The child in his way never sticks at the adsignification of his word; as if ranarum be the word, he will say of, but he may not know that rana is a frog, so if the word be ambichant, he knows his Analogy, as audiebant, they did, and there stops. Here use must help us, and that wherein we are so wanting; labor. I know no other help where-from to supply us; But the child goes on in true method, for by the same way he pronounceth his word right also, seeing the Analogy, and Agreement betwixt them, their Dorivation, Composition, all three.

4. But here we go very leisurely as nature doth, and will: if we leap and skip now, we shall fall back again presently. The child must go very gradually here, specially at the first steps, as up a pair of stairs: every step gains a degree of light, which he puts out presently, if he hastens up, and ascends but to ruin. My plain meaning is this; The child must make a stand at his first word, till he well understands the Accidents thereof; for there comes in the light, which clears the way to all the rest. But if the Master will hasten the child to the next step, before he sees his standing on the first, the child doth but step up and fall down, learn and unlearn all along; for certain it is, there is a gradation in Grammar, so in all Arts, as up a pair of stairs, a natural order, and ascent, which if we break, we are sure to fall back: we may seemingly move onward, but promote the child never a whit; our labor is rather in circle, then in progression; The child would on apace, and that pleaseth the Parent; for it is not in their Philosophy, to consider, that examples are rules, which is our Position all along: And that in learning them by tale, we rather Multiply then Number; for though we seem in our stand, but to make Cyphers here, yet we gain places now, more then two or three, so making one word stand for more then a thousand. I will briefly set down the manner how.

So soon as we are exact in three Declensions, (we must be exact all along, for one mistake in the beginning, multiplies in our proceeding) so soon, I say, as we have perfected the three Declensions, with all their Accidences, wetake two Adjectives (indeed for some considerable differences to a Novice, we take four, ater, albus, (not bonus being irregular) audax, dulcis, and in these two we have declined all Adjectives, whether Noun, Pronoun, or Participle, and compared them exactly well. The example makes the impression, and from the particular the child is able to conclude the General rule, by the help of his Master questioning the child, so workin up the understanding . And this is to Catechize indeed, be it in high matters or in low: for hereby knowledge is distilled, or dropped into the mind, by the greatest ease that can be imagined, to the Teacher, and Learner both. I know full well, That Custom, the Universal Monarch or King of the world (faith Herodot) would bear down this with the impetuousness of its stream, but it shall be found for all that, as firm as the earth, if so be that time (which makes all wise that observe it) and experience may be suffered to give in their verdict . The child hath spent some time in learning the Grammar without book, What hath he gained? Not the knowledge of the Vocative Case in the second Declension, when the Nominative endeth in us; nor how many Cases are alike when the Gender is Neuter, though he hath said the rule twenty times; nor knows he from what Tense or Person the Praeterperfect Tense is framed, so experience tells us, though As in presenti is as familiar with him, as his bread and butter. But now let him fixe upon the examples here, and work out the rule, which by the help of his Master he will very quickly do, then he understands it, and it is under safe lock and key, ready for his use always. I could clear very well, how natural the progress is from the sense to the understanding, thence to the memory; how unnatural and retrograde the other way is. But I have said enough to him that will understand: I will add but this here; It is the readiest way in the world to nuzzle up the child, or the man (for he is a child in knowledge) in ignorance, if we keep him in his rode, and content ourselves that he saith perfectly by rote. This comes to nothing: we must parcel forth his lesson into questions, whereto, in his rode way, it is not possible he should frame an answer.

And thus if we do, we shall make Grammars all alike to the child, let me say, and Catechisms also; And now I have spoken that which is of infinite use, and mighty concernment to the Catechist, whether he teacheth men or boys.

There is an Objection: That the old method produced as good scholars anciently, as any new can do now. I verily believe it, and better scholars too; but no thanks to the method. I shall give a full reason for that in a few words, but I refer it to the last both Part, and Chapter. I proceed now onward in my rules directing our practice.

5. We observe the universal use of all in Analysis, commonly called construing and parsing; and in Genesis termed Making Latin. In construing, the first & principal care is to find out the Nominative Case, (by the rule of Logic that Case must be sought first, being the theme or subject of the Axiom, but the child will sooner find out the Verb, and let him take his way) the Verb next, (this is the argument or predicat:) both together make the Axiom. Where also we note by the way, that the second Concord is taught presently after the Declension, and indeed it is the first in nature, being most simple, and having a Topicall disposition, without affirmation or negation, whereas the disposition of the other is axiomaticall; but no need of this to the child. It is enough he can find out the Verb, and his Nominative Case, (for that is easiest) and knows the rest are additaments, depending upon one of the two.

6. The phrases are to be construed, first rendringword for word, for the learners understanding; then rendering phrase for phrase for his use in translation, that he may understand that all languages have their several properties, which are by no means to be violated, nor the composition of the Author neither; wherein Caesar is most exact, as he is the best History in the world, (saith a great Scholar) expressed in the greatest propriety of words, and perspicuity of Narration that ever was.

7. His Authors must be such as are most sensual, I mean such as do best instruct his understanding, and life together, whether Fables, Colloquies, Comedies, or Epistles, familiar Histories. Poets also of the very best; for though versifying supposeth plenty of words, and freedom of speech, yet if a child stay til then, for ought I know, (I know what their slackness is) he will never read a Poet in the School. And then no small want, though I know prose should be well perfected first. But if to a verse, then why not to Homer, Virgil, Ovid, and Horace? we all are sure they are the best, and a child must be acquainted with more kind of verses then one. But there the child may find the worst too, and so he may also even in those Poets, which we account, and indeed are most Christian. We never knew any garden weeded so clean, but something there was which might offend there; our instruction was long since, we know no better now: We must imitate the Be: and then we shall find honey, or make it so .

8. Concerning Translation, and Imitation, &c. what can be said after M. Ascham, M. Horn, and many others? So also touching aids or helps to speech and invention: Such are Apologues, Proverbs, Emblems, Histories, Causes, Effects, Topics, the heads or places which assist us therein. So much hath been said in all this, as I know not what can be added. Besides, it is beyond my scope in this place, which is no more then to show the way how the child must be taught his Grammar, where all along the way, the Teacher must observe this, and it is the chief of his duty at this part; he shall hear more, at the conclusion of the next, but this now.

9. Now the Master must consider all along that the first impressions in children are weak and waterish, no sooner made but gone, like lightning, at once begun and ended. The first and second time their lesson is rather looked on then learned; and the Master must have patience for all that, he must compose himself to go as slowly as the child's conceit requires; if the Master be quick when the child is slow (then there is much matter offered unto passion, but then) passion goes on, and the child back. The Masters wisdom is to stoop to the child, to see where he sticks. His pen is but a dead thing, the Master must put life unto it; he must so speak that the child must see him speak, he must (as some have done ) hear with the eye, and learn to speak by his fingers; and this will not be with some children, till the Master puts his words upon his fingers ends, a thing very possible to be done, nay it must be done.

I may not forget the counsel that Nazianzen gives to his fellow- Pastors, and Overseers; or rather what such should be:

so lively a copy, as that it bid the lookers on, (and they are many; every ones eye is upon the light, and a City set upon an hill) ) look on us, and as you see us do, so do ye. And this is of singular use for them, who teach youth also. But that I specially noted for our purpose now, when I read that Oration, (it is his sixth) was this expression; . What is that? I will express it as well as I can, for that is to our purpose, And so may ye all speak; and always speak ye servants of the Lord! for this is to speak with tongues indeed, when everything about a Minister speaks; And this is to speak in the language of the most sacred Scripture also, and in the Dialect of the people too; they understand it full well.

But I seem to teach my Teachers: no, I do but recite the counsel of an ancient father unto them, that they may learn how to speak with tongues, and to the people's understanding; They cannot be put in mind too often thereof, that their words may not swim in the brain only, but sink into the heart also; For us, who move in a lower sphere, answerably we must speak, stooping, as low as is possible, to the capacity, or else we move in a round. or circle, we do not go forward, we do not promote the Child; whether we would or no, whether pleasing to us or not, we must, if we would do good, so speak to the child, as if we painted our words, he must see us speak. He must read our words upon our fingers ends, even so; and how I have said so, I had said all; but that I must give further light hereunto, for at this point we Teachers differ very much, and now it shall be cleared, who goes right, informing the Child the right way.

10. There is a fond opinion abroad, & ever was since I could remember, and will be when I am not, which is this,

A great mistake that; As the Host said of his various dainties, and doubtful supper, though there seemed a variety, yet all was but Swines flesh diversely cooked; and yet not very diversely neither, for all was either sod or roasted; Just so here: we all dish in the Grammar to the Child: there should be no doubt of that, though it is objected and concluded against some, Yes, they do, and account it, though not as the principal Dish, yet as necessary almost as Bread and Salt to a feast: we all dish-in the Grammar to the Child I said: What diversely cooked? every Teacher his way? No; there are but two ways; They serve up the Grammar to the Understanding of a Child, but through the wrong door, they begin with the memory first; We serve it up too, but in very good order by the door of the Sense, as the man cooked his meat; so proportioning it to the palate of the understanding; and now the Child can taste or relish it, and well remember it altogether.

But it will be still said, This is a strange and novel way; No; The most familiar way; for what more easy to a Child, then to enter by his own door, set open by his own key. And most ancient too; for, thus it was of old, from that, the Child saw or heard, he put a question to his Father; What is this? What the meaning of that? Then the Father, improving the Childs senses, answered, So and so; so informing the Childs understanding, in that he knew not, by that he knew. So anciently it was.

We affirm then (and it cannot be reasonably contradicted) concerning our handling the Grammar, and theirs, as of old was said of Rhetoric and Logic:

So here; In teaching the Grammar, They begin with memory first, that leaves the understanding in the dark: we with the sense, so putting to the understanding; then to memory; this is explication, for it unfolds the understanding, makes all light there, and so perspicuous, that the Child can see through all even to his memory also. And this is as it should be. For this is a conclusion of experience; Therefore, That a Child cannot be said to proceed, unless his understanding and memory keep mutual correspondency in pace, like two parallels, running on in equal extent, as beginning, so ending both together. And thus much, that my meaning might be full, and fully explained; That the difference might be accorded, the true way taken, which certainly will be by him, who shall think advisedly on the matter. But yet I have not done; having two Rules more concerning our practice, Two also touching the practice of the Child, wherein I shall be very brief, reserving the fuller prosecution thereof to the last, the fittest place.

11. We must not neglect Gesture here, for as the tongue speaketh to the ear, so the gesture speaketh to the eye: And they that understand not one the others language, do understand their minds expressed in gestures, though not exactly, yet to serve the turn.

12. We had almost forgot one Rule, which may seem strange and of little worth, but yet a rule it shall be whereafter he will practice, who will consider the matter. We make some faults willingly, as well as the Scholar will ignorantly; and as many doubts as we can, and give good leave for enquiring after resolution thereunto, which shall put the doubt out of all doubt, clearing the understanding therein, and then putting it out of the calender, and decarding it for afterwards. It is notable, which the great Scholar hath,

He that will begin with Certainties, shall end in doubts; but if he be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties; so for our practice. Now to the Child.

13. Concerning whom, this we must needs note; That the more careful the Master is, the more negligent will he be: And for this we shall talk with him to good purpose in the closing of the second Part. For this we must observe still all along, it will regulate our practice also; That we must not reckon with the Child for his negligence, till his lesson be done: While we are instructing, we must be as Calme every whit, as they say the sea is, when the Halcyon is building there. Therefore this to the last, but it must not be forgot, it is but deferred.

14. Lastly, we have not touched upon recreations all this while, yet they lie direct in our way, and they are as necessary in season (and upon good choice of the Master) as the meat is. But at this point I had two considerations. First, that here the Child will carve liberally enough to himself, (labor est inhibere) whatsoever he neglects, he will not neglect his play; and for his neglects otherwise, he hath more excuses in his little pate, then he hath books in his butchet. I will not plead for him at this point, only this I must say; The Child sits too long, I do not say, at his book, for that troubles him not; he can sit still and do nothing: but he sits keeping a posture too long; and custom will have it so, though it makes against the child's health, and custom of other Countries. Therefore I say; observe we the old verse so much out of use, Puerum nil nisi pura: and spare not, let him take as much play as he will, for then it is as we would have it, true recreation, play and profit both; and this very thing was my after-consideration;

That, for the boys sake, I have gained of the intelligent Master, to excuse the child, though he do not give him rime the very next morning saying his part without book: For I remember well, that was a tedious work once to me, and of no benefit then nor since: but account it reasonable enough, that he can his Declensions, and Verbes exactly well, giving such an account of both every day, as that it may appear he takes all the rules of English and Latin Etymology (the Latin supplies what the English doth want) along with him (for they contain all) and will evidence, That the boy is not led one inch further then his senses (those great intelligencers) shall give him through-pass to the understanding of the same (a mighty help to memory, besides delight to boot.) It is indeed the greatest ease to the Scholar, and the Master, that I can think of, whereby to gratify both; and so will he say that shall take leisure to consider thoroughly thereof. So much to the Rules, which may serve to promote him that comes after, and thinks fit to Practice the same way.

CHAP. X.

AND now I had almost said, We have done with the Grammar; but indeed we cannot tell when we have done. For though it be of small use in our Mother-tongue, yet in foreign tongues of more use it is, of most use in such, which cease to be vulgar, and are rightly called learned tongues; All these three we would still perfect, as well for intercourse of speech, and understanding of Authors, as also for examining the power, and nature of words, as they are the foot-steps, and prints of reason. And all this we cannot do by any other Art, then by the Art of Grammar: The following words are to be noted.

But though the Grammar is of so much and so general use, yet we must not dwell upon it, nor must we make it our ambition to make our child a Grammarian, and no more, for that were a very mean promotion. He may haply, having knowledge therein, pick up a poor living, if his Salary be duly paid: For Homer, they say, gives many a man his dinner; much good may it do him. But he will be a despised man for all that. A Grammarian! anciently it was a word of reproach; and it was well known, That a base Hypocr • te, a Stage-player, a Fidler, had their precedency a mile before him: And a Barber weighed down this Wordy-man above ten thousand pounds in bad money, and as much more in good Land. What his worth is now, I will not dispute; but if he be a Grammarian, and no more, he is as a mere Logician, and he hath esteem to the top of his worth, and somewhat above it. He is in very deed a Babbler , a man of rags, made up of words;

that is a Babbler indeed, of no more worth in judgment, then in purse, of no worth in either.

Surely if our work be to promote the child, we must not set up our staff here, here must not be our Pillars: we must not dwell upon words, as the Sophister may do too long upon Genus and Species. The Grammar teacheth no more but words; it hath indeed some jagges, centons, or old ends of things, nothing of worth. It is the unfittest book to gain the knowledge of things by, that I know in the world, I mean such books now which may properly be called so, for all that pass under that name, are not Books, said the Noble Scholar . Though Voces and Res should never be distinct, (in learning) yet we must take a more distinct notice of things, and not of this, or that, or the third thing, of three things, or of four, for this were to emprison the understanding, or to keep the immortal soul in a Cloister, nay to seal it up in a dungeon. We must inform the understanding, what we can concerning this totum scibile, this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 All that may be known of God; and we must take the very way, that God Himself hath revealed; for such His Grace, He hath made it known unto us.

It was well answered by one, who was thought that he could live but in one place; Yes, said he, in any place where it is possible to live, in any place of the world, for I am a Citizen thereof. Certainly so is man, such a Citizen, though he may be confined for many weighty reasons, to this or that place, yet he is a Citizen of the world, for he is the very modle thereof, he is made after the pattern, (I know my word is too low) and for his understanding, it hath for its Range, the whole world too: what a wrong then to consine this so noble a faculty, and to impale it within a circle (which will not keep in a mouse.) The understanding is quicker then any bird, more soaring then an Eagle, nay it came from heaven, and thitherward it is pointed. It hath appealed thither in its right and straight motion, and therefore to heaven it shall go; so we say, for it is our main scope, the white we aim at. We may like enough fall short of it: But he that threatens a star, will shoot higher then he that bends to a mole-hill .

And so we leave the Grammar, that dull work, and set upon that which is more noble, and besitting so noble a faculty. But it is the work of another day, a second task.

CHAP. I.

WEE left at the Grammar, the understanding whereof we gained by way of precognition, whereto our sense gave us great accōmodation, so also to the understanding of higher matters, as it will to the knowledge of all Learning: For if Grammar be conveyed into the understanding by a natural Light, and through its own Gates; much more easy it is to carry in all Arts and Sciences by the same way; that is out of doubt, if we take the straight and natural Method thereunto.

And this were a work fecible in length of time, and by such helps that are at hand: But of no use at all to the Youth, wanting, we suppose, those Training Principles, which are, as I may say, preparatories, even to those precognitions.

My undertaking was in the close of the first part, to ennoble the understanding what I could; To find it work suitable to the dignity of so high and excellent a faculty. Surely we may say of it; it is the great Peripatetic of the World: So wide is its Range, and it hath its Emissaries, its Scoutes, and Spies, which it can send forth to the very corners of the earth, the depth of the seas, and the highest of the Heavens also. So that we cannot fit it with any book so genuine and natural, as is the book of Nature, which we called the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , for the worlds are its Book, and every creature there its lesson: And very suitable to its capacity is all this, of so large an extent the understanding is. It can contain Philologie, Philosophy, Theology, Law, Physic, so the divers Arts inferior to them. It can widen it self even to all, for receiving the Universality, the Encyclopaedi • , a world of Disciplines. And so quick, and expedite it is, that though we, having our pen, should fly (as we purpose to do, though the more haste the least speed) yet we cannot for all that hold pace with it; so fast will it run through all the Seminaries of Arts, and Sciences, grasping, and catching at all, though all will not fill it up, nor suffice, it can contain but its measure, which serves as a mirror, only wherein to view our ignorance; or as a light, enough to discover that we are in the dark.

We will take the advantage of the higher ground, and raise up the child to the Pinnacle, as was said, and there look about us a little. It will learn us what use there is of Generalls to a child, little, or none at all, and then afterwards, haply, to lead the child more wisely. Therefore thither we will rise first in our imaginations, so we may, for indeed we should live pent up in a prison, (as the Philosopher saith) if our mind were confined as our body is.

Note this for the clearing the way; That we make use of the Pinnacle, and our Imaginary there, as in a crowd, and press of people we use Lictores, and Viatores, Sergeants, and Whifflers, ad summovendans turbam, to keep off the thronging in of singulars. We must look upon things at the first, (though we overlook them) as he did upon his Army, in one lump and mass, as they were once altogether; For in a way so various, should I have minced out things into particulars, they would have so crowded in upon us, that we should have found ourselves not in a way, but in a maze. So we will employ our imaginary in the first place, which will quickly run over a large circuit, and let it take scope, and range where it will, we shall the better see what account it will give us at the last.

Yet that this travel of the mind may not be wholly fruitless, I will give the child some general lessons, which may serve us in stend of precognitions, of as great use as those were, which the old father gave his son, about to take his flight.

1. We must take our mind with us, we must make sure of that: A great commodity, yet ofttimes left behind, or quickly slipped away from under our command, when it should do us most service. The mind doth all, it is that which sees, which hears , &c. It is the eye, ear, hand of the soul, and body both; for if the mind be not present we do not see what we look upon; Indeed sometimes, the sensible, that I hear, or see, may be so vehement, and exceeding, that it will be heard or seen whether the mind will or no: but we need fear no such matter now.

2. We cannot but remember we carry about us our five senses, so Organicall or Instrumental are they to the whole body, yea, and to the mind too. We must needs mind them, for else they will mind us, especially that, which is at the tip of the tongue, and the other which is dissused through the whole body, which is not the out-most skin there, for that is as dead as: door nail, but that which is very near it, of a glutenous and sinewy substance, most tender always where the sinews are most, as Tormentors of old knew very well.

Take them all together, and according to the command we take over them, they will evidence us to be either beasts or men. They give us the greatest accommodation, so also, for there is no mean, they do us the greatest hurt. Some there were who listed Alexander very high, they made a god of him, as the manner is; sometime after, this Great one received a great wound, and outgushed a great deal of blood;

The Philosopher reads us a good Lecture upon this, we must not contemn what he saith: so saith the Philosopher, or to the like purpose. Indeed we may now remember, that one man, and but one, who was led by sense, said, He had enough; how enough? A great deal to glut him; it was not such an enough, (I may say) as his good brother had, he had enough indeed, God was his portion, and there the soul for God is All. I am a very little diverted from my scope here, I return, and say only, we have our five wits if we do not guard them, they will spoil us even of our crown, and Princely dignity: such a necessity there is, if we will be our own men, to keep a strict watch about them, a sure command over them, specially when we are gadding and gazing abroad. This is our wisdom, and for this we shall be counted understanding men.

3. There are(say some) three inward senses performing the offices of the Animall spirit, which useth the body as an instrument. But these three upon the matter are all one, for if we be attent upon a thing, we do imagine or consider what it is, and then we can record, or remember it also. These are indeed but three distinct operations, (common to us with beasts, but with some advantage on man's side) of one and the same spirit, which the mind or soul useth, and thereby doth exercise those great powers of Under standing, Will, Conscience: For from diligent attention there is conveyed to a man, the understanding of things: from imagination, or dijudication, a choosing, or refusing: from remembrance, conscience, that great and impartial Judge, for it cannot be bribed, nor ever can it be alone.

4. And now, having these helps about us, the higher we soar, the better, for the higher, the nearer we come to the highest; and the more discerning we have there, the more we shall discern ourselves, and our own vileness, which will cause us to walk humbly below, and to avoid the snares there.

5. It must be considered for the closing up of the method, else there will be a gaping; That I have led the child through the earth already, and over the deep waters; upthrough this great gulf, the Air, to the Starry heaven, and above them. I shall not do what is already done, but rather add thereunto.

In the last place, I suppose the child is still asking questions, (so he should be ) and myself giving hints thereof, or making answer thereunto. So these premised, we suppose where we are, upon the Pinnacle of the Temple, for there our prospect hath the largest compass, and best fits so capacious a subject. And here we would behold all the works of God, and operations of His Hand; All He hath created, and all that Man hath made; All the works of Nature and of Art upon dry land: We would to Sea also; to behold the wonders there; specially the Ship, the oldest house of the new world; and then to the remotest regions of the earth, or air, to behold all the works there. And if all this in our Imaginary we could do, yet the understanding would not be satisfied with all this. One world is not enough, nor, had we such another, could it be sufficient. But where abouts are we now in the world, for where the mind is, there are we? In a Maze sure enough: And by grasping all, we have lost the benefit of all, that is certain.

It puts me in mind of a very merry fellow and me thinks I have done somewhat like him;

In good time all this, but we hope his benefit was not much, which he made of his travel. This is the way to let the under standing remain confused, without fruit, as lieth the field, where they cast over much seed. He that goes with a child in his hand, must go as the child can go; and he must drop-in instructions, as the Nurse fed him, by little spoonefuls, and even that little, by little degrees too; for of that little, much goes beside, in and out, as Nurses know best: But this we see very well, as the Nurse feeds the body, so we the understanding; We must be dropping drop after drop, and many a drop falls by too. He that pours altogether upon a child, or gives it him in a lump, loseth all his labor, and choketh the understanding.

CHAP. II.

WHat way then with the Youth? to insist upon Generals is to leave him in a maze without any thread in his hand, and to give him singulars is impossible, for they are infinite unto us. That is true, yet we must give him as many as we can, though those many will be but a few. We must lead him from the Schools to the Colleges, Inns of Court, Monasteries, yea Shops too, &c. he must go through them all.

But this is impossible also, unless we could carty the Child from place to place, as fast as Fame can fly; which was (if she be not belied her self, that hath told so many lies of others) 2500. miles in one day . This cannot be, how then may we help the Child?

I know no better way, then to furnish him with Emblemes; To let him observe the Egyptian manner (that Nation was one of the most ancient Schools in the World) by Hieroglyphics; They have the darkest interpretation, I will unfold one or two, that the Child may the better conceive the use of them.

The Persian manner was, when they expected a full surrender of all into their hands, To demand a quantity of earth, and water to be sent unto them, which should be a sign that all was yielded, and such a message he sent to the Scythian.

But the Scythian teturned an Hieroglyphicall answer, sending instead of Earth, and Water, a Bird, a Frog, a Mouse, and five Arrows: which dumb show the Persian interpreted according to his wish; and thought, That the Scythian had yielded all the elements, where these Creatures live, and his weapons withal; The Scythians meaning was quite contrary, as the event proved; That unless the Persian could get wings like a Bird, or dive under water like a Frog, or creep into holes like a Mouse, he should not escape their Arrows.

By this example we make judgment, how significant this manner of teaching is. So also to verse the Child in Muthologie; To let him hear Parables; and see Maps, Travel upon the Globes; To read some lectures there; To give him as many Images, or Representations of things as possible can be. A sure way of teaching, said the Philosopher.

The Philospopher closeth this with a very useful speech. So much the Philosopher hath touching the use of Images, (as he calls them) or representations. Certainly the use of this is great; If we could make our words as legible (which was said) to Children as Pictures are, their information there-from would be quickened, and surer. But so we cannot do, though we must do what we can: And if we had such books, wherein are the pictures of all Creatures, Hearbs, Beasts, Fish, Fowls, they would stand us in great stead. For Pictures are the most intelligible books, that Children can look upon. They come closest to Nature, nay, saith Scaliger, Art exceeds her. A strange speech, but he will have it so; I verily believe, said he,

A strange speech, I say again, and exceeding. But indeed if our eyes may be Jedges, which see not the body, but the Accident thereof, color, &c. there may be some truth in the thing, for the eyes seeing but the surface, and accidents thereof, may report unto us, that there is more beauty in an Artificial, then a Natural body.

Certain it is, and that is to our purpose, That Art is very curious, and though it cannot give this aliquid intus, yet will it frame a thing very lively , therefore takes the eye very much, and helps the understanding not a little . Let it be considered, how much this one piece of cunning Art may gain upon a Childs understanding; when the Childs eye observes the eye of the Picture upon him wheresoever he stands, so upon everyone in the same room. How shall I avoid GOD'S eye? He that made the eye, shall He not see? It is our Conclusion then, or rather not ours, but the conclusion of experience, that Pictures are easy and legible Books, children understand them quickly: But we have two Cautions touching these, both bid us beware of Pictures.

1. Take we heed, they be not such, as I have seen in some neighbor Countries; naked Pictures of both Sexes, and these very ordinary. I observed also much brutishness in the inhabitants there; And he that will tell his observation, must say as much now. For their conversation is as it was, and will be till such Pictures, so insnaring, be cast out to the Bats, and Moth, or rather stamped to pieces, as the Idol was. I could say much at this point, and I think much to purpose, I will say but this: Pictures are Children's books, their scope, and tendency must be to promote good manners, and the soul of the child, they must not look towards immodesty; if so, I will say but as one did long ago: It is too much, which children do understand.

2. There is another danger yet. They are very bewitching things; a man may be exceedingly taken with the work of his own fingers. I have read the pedigree of Pictures, and I have stood, and wondered till I could in some measure bottom my own heart; That from so low a bottom, they should rise to so high a Top; from so base, and beggarly a beginning, they should grow so rich, and be of such account in the world. It had its rise from a stock; (a wooden beginning) then it was set up in the Court; then crept into the Common House, thence into GOD'S House. There they began to gaze upon it, then to bend before it, after that (for they must not serve the Devil with nothing) to offer unto it, and but a grain of Incense at first, a very little thing: but mark how that little did increase, more then did a grain of Mustard-seed; for at last the Father offered his Child, the Son of his body, for the sin of his soul. That Little little did so increase, at length that it opened the mouth of their Molech (it was an Image) Like as Lucians feigned Fish , (which swallowed up a great Ship smooth) for it devoured many at once, flesh and bones and all together. I mention this, that we may take heed of a little in point of God's worship, for a little is not a little. The least deviation from the Rule, the least swerving there-from, is like a little separation of the building from its foundation, which quickly causeth a ruin. Therefore saith the Father well, in such cases, A little is not a little. I must not delate here, though so I could do to good purpose.

But is it not strange (yet nothing is so, to him that knows his own heart, which hath its Idols too many) that a reasonable creature should fall down before a calf, and say, Thou art my God; Or before a stock, and say, Awake, Arise, and save us; Yet so brutish have some been, as we read more then once. And though the Story be old, so may our hearts be too, and then such practice will be new; for a fear there is,

may be the old-man's Baby; so we have known it also; O abomination! What, adore the work of the fingers ends! Yes, and then in the sacred Scriptures language, thus it is, He that makes the stock his fear, will feel it his sharpest sorrow for in propriety of speech, and in the sacred tongue, so Idol signifies.

I would not have the child want these Books, not would I he should be endangered by them, as they may soon be; For as the learned Knight saith;

as foolish and weak as that of the Physicians wife, touching pepper; It was hot in working, but cold in operation: By such a like distinction as this. the Devil hath, I say, held his habitation, so as ever since, these carcasses, though they would seem to promise much in guiding the sense, do produce intolerable inconveniences by misguiding the heart, drawing it from the truth, which is a matter of power, being the immediate work of God, not of man, and fixing it upon a form or resemblance, which is as far from the thing, as is the Image from the life of that, which it doth represent to the soul.

I will tell the child here, for I would have him well informed at this point; How these Pictures, or Images, (I know not what to call them in the childes ears, the sacred Scripture calls them Dunghill-gods) how I say these Images (the best and the most contemptible have all the same Ancestors, descending from the same common stock) have scoffed at, and played upon their Carvers, and thus by the allowance of their Masters, very Heathens too; An Image is thus brought in debating the matter before his Carver, in this manner;

not able so much as to hold my nose. What think we? is not this a notable jeer cast upon the Image-maker? He was served well enough, he conceived that he could make his God, ^b and frame a work more noble then the work-man, who is more precious then the whole world ^d . What a fool is that? how like the stock he made, or that he sits upon? He shall hear one jeer more, though we hate the practice, and the Heathen shall cast it into his teeth, because he hath wrought such a silly sorry work, and yet accounts it something; for thus the Heathen man jeeres at the stock: Let the man think of this as he pleaseth, I am sure it is to the child's understanding, and may make him both think, and practice like a man, if adding thereto we remember him of this which follows.

They who made a god like a four-footed beast, God gave up to a sin, which did abase them into a worse condition then of beasts. And so it is at this day, such, and so just the judgment upon them, amongst whom these pictures are in such request, as saith Sr. Ed. Sands, and a great deal more. What I make my Idol will be my shame, my torment also. Little children think on this, and keep yourselves from dumb Idols. Amen.

CHAP. III.

THus we learn to stoop what we may, to the low capacity of children, by making singulars, what we can, plain and visible before them. To verse them in Generalities, is to carry them in a cloud, or to keep them upon the pinnacle, yet because so high we are, and it is a word we read much of, we will get some informations from it, and some instructions also, by the descent there-from, which may lead us to singulars, and to the chief amongst them, which is man, the Compendium or Abridgement of the great world; we shall teach the child to read that book first, I mean himself: there we will begin, but in order, we suppose we are upon the pinnacle yet, and our hope is to gain something there.

1. What a prospect have we here? yet not enough, no not enough to satisfy the eye, much less the soul, so capacious that nothing but heaven can fill it, the good things there: Jacob's enough only fills the soul, (as was said) the four quarters of the world, the regions of the Air too, cannot afford us enough to fill up the eye, and ear, notwithstanding all, there would be a desire after, and a capacity of more. Alas! what a poor thin is all this, which we can reach with our eye? much like the point where the compass stands, where with you draw the circumference: and that is but an atom, like a mote in the Sun, or a grain of mustard-seed; such a thing is earth, and Sea too, in reference to heaven.

for God is yours, and Christ yours, and then all yours; that was Jacob's enough, to satisfy even in famine, in the greatest worldly wants or straights enough.

2. What beauty do we observe here! All this did the Lord bring out of confusion, as He did light out of the womb of darkness, and with no labor, by His word only. When the Lord is the doer, when He worketh, all wonder ceaseth. We are persuaded now nothing is hard to the Lord, He can make it dark at noon, and midnight as mid-day;

for this is He, that brought this beauty out of confusion, and by His Word, He spake, and it was done.

3. See how insnaring this glory is! The tempter thought he could have taken his Lord with it. But blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, He hath overcome this Tempter, and broke this snare to His children. They can see through this beacuty, and account the glory, and pomp thereof to be no better then a fancy . And indeed the wonder is, That so many should still be taken with this glory, since it is the confession of all persons in all ages downward to this day, who greedily pursued, and hunted after that we call the Glory of the world, That the same thought deceived them, they wearied themselves catching at, they thought, a substance, but when they came better to see into it, it was but a shadow, like some Apples we read of, which seem fair to the the eye, the least touch turns them into smoke, or ashes, into which the Cities were turned, whereabouts they grow. A wonderful deceit this is, That a reasonable creature should stretch out it self to catch a shadow: and open the mouth so wide to let in the East wind, or to feed upon ashes.

4. We observe this place exposed to all the injuries of Heaven. O the pinnacle of honor, how slippery, how troublesome that standing, how open to all winds, and weather! pray for him who hath his Seat there. Let all the Censers of the Saints, and the odors there have an influence upon his precious soul; hold him fast, Lord, by thy own right hand, establish him; Let him feel underneath the Everlasting Arms, inspire him also, be with his Spirit, put holy desires into his heart, then give him his hearts desire.

5. There is no building Tabernacles here, a cloud would quickly overshadow all: Though the beauty may please us, yet hath it no continuance, it passeth away as doth a fancy. The Stayres are before us, a sure way down by them, and no other: It were a madness to cast a man's self down, when he may go down, so everyone will judge: yet so the proud spirit tempted his Lord to do, Cast thyself down, the Angels shall bear thee up.

The great Tempters, Satan, and our own hearts, prevail mightily by very temptation; (in a figure) thus they tempt;

This is the deceit; nay, while we are looking upon the Stairs, we cannot think it less then madness, yet thus it is every day. 1. we may have glory, there is no doubt of that, what ever becomes of grace, which is but the beginning or first fruits thereof. Salvation is sure enough, though the means of reconciliation be neglected, despised altogether. We are sure of Heaven, though on earth we walk most contrary thereunto. 2. we may walk in our own way, the way of death, and yet have life at the last; no question of all this, but this is neglect neglect the Stairs.

6. We go down them now: for easy the descent is. So is the way of sin to old nature: And so is the way of God's Commandments to nature renewed, as natural as for fire to burn; for sparks, those light things, to fly up. My yo • ke is easy, my burden light; my Commandments not grievous; Truth hath said so: New nature will seal unto it. 2. We go gently down the Stairs, and very circumspectly, a slip is dangerous: So we must use the means, carefully, and this must ever be remembered, his way is safest, which is least secure. 3. We step in to view the Bell, that artificial thing: Its sound is yet more admirable: it may be heard down the water 20. miles, and more. Indeed sound is the wonder in Nature, put the hand upon it, it checks the sound, every soft substance will do it: if it receive a crack, it will never sound clear again till it be new cast. Such a thing is man, made of such very mettle; he hath some flaws in him ever since his fall, and will never be perfect till the day of his resurrection. He that expects a Man should walk like an Angel, is much mistaken, you must weigh him as you do gold, give him his allowance; And if he be yet too light, he may suspect, he will be found wanting at the Sanctuary, to which balance he must come. Certain it is (I speak it, because we are apt to take too much allowance here) He that walks by the leading of the good Spirit, (which we should all do) walketh little short of an Angel, for his way is above on high, so he escapes many snares below. 4. We should pass by nothing of use, and then if we step aside to some old corner of the wall, we might, haply, find half a bushel of Flies there, for so I am sure some have done. I do not think that Flies are more about the Temple now (though so anciently when beasts were slain there, and thence the name Beelzebub) then in some old unfrequented corner or cranie in the house or wall: But no matter where they be: this is the little wonder, that they should revive again: yet so experience tells us they do, nor they only, but Spiders, Frogs, Swallows, &c. The wonder is yet a little more; how the spirits of these Creatures should be maintained. It is somewhat stranger then that Bears should live all the winter, yet lie as dead, for their spirits may be maintained upon the old stock of Grease: but that these poor thin Creatures should so live and be revived, is still some kind of wonder to me; though we know very well; Flies choked in water, will revive again being put into hot ashes. I will relate stranger things then these (it is a very ready way to make the Child learn as was said ) from a very good hand, but the Author doth not desire we should believe all we read . A boy was starved with cold, not found till four days after, yet by the hottest applications was revived. In Swounds and Traunces, some have been taken for dead, laid out for the grave, nay brought thither, and there revived; (it was high time to awake) this truth many will seal unto. That which is not so credible is this: In the remotest parts of Muscovy, where it is extreme cold, the men lie frozen all the winter, and then as the Sun beats towards them, revive again, (like the Tortoise who goes to his bed about the 16. of September, and comes out of his mouldy Cabin the very same day of April following.) We need not believe all this: But this is certain, That the spirits are wonderful tenacious, we cannot drive them from the body, neither with heat not could. As it is said of water, (the Wiseman notes a fool thereby) beat it in a Mortar, it will be water still. So these spirits, do what you will, they will not away, as we see in the Limbeck-distillations, &c. This animal Spirit, rather then it will forsake its matter, though putrefied, and rotting away, it will go and form Other little Creatures of another kind, as experience shows us in all Corruption. We intend the use in all this, else it had been vain; Doth God take care for Oxen? shall the poor fly be remembered in the appointed time? or is this for our sakes altogether? for our sakes no doubt this is written; That when we must to our earth, whence we were taken, we may go down to that Chamber of death, and make our beds there, in hope, that dead bones shall live; they that sleep in the dust, shall awake, for they are not dead there, but sleeping. We cannot but remember a short controversy marvelously carried, in a full contrariety of words, but meering in a Point of an eternal Truth; the controversy was concerning the Rulers Daughter: The Lord Christ said of her, She is not dead . The standers by laughed him to scorn, (the words of Christ are to the wisest of the World still foolishness) and they knew what they did well enough; for, saith Saint Luke , They knew she was dead. What dead, and not dead? Yes, and yet a truth in both. She was dead to Nature, and Nature was Judge now: they knew it to be so, being natural men altogether; they said true enough, though they should not have laughed him to scorn. Our Lord's words are true also, nay Truth it self, and Spirit too: She is not dead, not dead to Christ, who is the resurrection and the life; the body is not dead to Him. When He shall say to the Prisoners, Go forth, to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves, then presently shall the prey be taken from the mighty, and the lawful Captive delivered from the King of Terrors. It is no labor to Christ; if He speaks only, the Land and the Sea shall give up their dead, Death shall be swallowed up in victory. It shall be then, when the Lord Christ shall speak, as we know, (and it is worth our knowledge) once it was, And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

We will take these sacted Scriptures along with us, and the sent of them which is wonderful reviving. Now we may suppose, we are going by these dark Chambers, where our beds are also, and we may be laid thereon, we know not how soon: We must not forget any of this. And so we are come to our home, where we should be most versed; I mean that great singular before spoke of; over that I shall, by God's grace, read the next Lecture.

CHAP. IV.

THere is an itching humor in many, to gad & rome abroad like the Pilgrim in other Countries: In the mean time they care not though known to be stark blind in their own. Thus it is also nearer home; we are most strangers there; though the best lesson in the world is for a man well to read himself; That is an excellent book, and much variety therein. I shall but dip my pen in it here and there, so as I may not do what is already done .

I remember some have likened the great men of the world to the first letter of a Patent or limmed book, which though it hath large flourishings, yet it is but a letter. That is true, and hath its use.

But we think we may say, That man even at the lowest is more then a letter, though we may suppose it to be of the most spreading, and largest size; he is indeed a whole volume, and so many letters, so many lessons, I had almost said wonders: for so have some said before me, who have glossed upon them, and running over the whole Table, have left us many good instructions, which at leisure we may glean up by the way : For thy present use, look child upon thyself, from the top to the bottom; look inward too, if thou canst, the Anatomist will teach thee; spell every letter, and then put all together, and thou must needs say, All is wonderful; how curiously framed am I! And then, so low a thought as this cannot find place in thee; That so Lord-like a creature, such a curious piece of workmanship, should be framed for low and base work, the service of ones self; of men ; of the world; the lusts of these or any of these; no, ever the more noble the thing is, the more excellent its employment whereto it is designed; if the sunffers be of gold, it doth imply some honorable service. It is good in some cases, that man should know his dignity, his house, his pedigree, being the offspring of God; that his deportment may be answerable, with honor, and majesty. The Father hath a full speech, we will give the full purpose of it;

How reasonable a request is this? How many creatures they say, so many tongues in in the world, all setting forth the praise of the Creator, so it should be in the great world, and in the little world too; so many members, so many tongues, all to join in that great service of praise, which is the uncessant work of the spirits of just men glorified. So hath He done in every member of the body, love, bounty, mercy, and upon all the superscription is, Holiness to the Lord.

We have a world of matter here, for it is a little world we are upon, but thus I have abridged it.

He that would hear a full Lecture upon this subject, let him read our second Reinolds . Had I been Scholastical at this point. and shown a little of a little, Learning I mean, I had shown myself altogether, and neglected the child. But my scope is his information, and to make my words so many hints, thereby to gain upon his understanding, which is indeed perfected by the worthiest contemplations, but enabled thereto by the lowest enquiry. In this method we pass on a little further.

Thou hast, child, heard the best touching thy body, what it was once, what it should be now in its proper use, and after its primitive Dedication. The worst is in sight, we cannot be mistaken, for we can see, and feel both, how weak, and frail the body is, so sensible are we. Nay thou canst see that little infant before thee; what a body is there? how underlayed and underpropt? what cares about it? how necessary all, if not inordinate, for how infirm and helpless is that little thing ! But he will outgrow his infirmity: No never, no more then Mephibosheth did his lameness, which he caught by a fall in the cradle of his infancy; we never outgrow our hereditary evils: they rather grow upon us, and get strength by time. Infirmity, (we would include all under that general word, that we may be the shorter) Infirmity grows up with him, it is that squire of the body, which in all its stages, attends the same, We see it so, we feel it so; I would we might stop here, but indeed we must not. Infirmity might be born with, and well passed over, for it is not properly evil, but there is that we may properly call wickedness, and that is truly evil, and nothing in the world but that. We usually say, The body is like a goodly Instrument. It is indeed, but quite out of tune, every string thereof; what a jarring there is? or more plainly, what a deordination in all the members, and faculties of the same? how cross to that end, wherefore they were framed?

so it should be, but thus it is; Such a thing is the body now, we hear, see, feel it even so, an infirm, sick, corrupt, base body; Nay yet more, A very beast, a rebel. And yet from the beginning it was not so: It was as we heard, but now its dignity is gone, its Dominion, and Lordship is much impaired: so sin hath enfeebled it, weakened, nay indeed, left it as a carcass to the souls of prey: But yet not without hope, That the time will come when both weakness and wickedness shall be done away; when it shall be restored to its former dignity, and raised much above the honor it once had, when it shall hunger no more, thirst no more, faint no more, wax pale no more, for it shall be as the Angels in heaven.

Here now I should have carried the child back to his first original, and there bid him view himself well, how unclean and filthy. And then have pointed him to the fountain set open, wherein to wash, and be clean; but this is done in a fitter place Indeed I should not here have spoken of the body first, yet purposely so I did, because it is so full in the child's eye: Nor should I have spoken so much touching it, for in comparison, the body will be nothing anon. And yet so much I have spoken, that I might gain these things of the child, which in reason he cannot deny me.

1. When proud thoughts shall arise, as every moment they will, then, that he smite them down with the breath of his mouth; there is no such sword in the world, wherewith to smite the proud thought at once to the ground; he hath an infirm, weak, frail body, subject, or obnoxious to all, that we call evil in the world: And so much it can endure, pain I mean, as, God for bid, (so one said, who suffered a great deal, yet not passing strength) so much should be laid upon it, as it can bear. But suppose it in its full strength, yet is its glory but like a flower, and how soon doth his breath go forth, and returns no more, then where is he? we may speak big, and have high thoughts, but our breath is in our nostrils, therewith we must smite them down, for there is room enough to let it out, before the next morning.

2. Because the body is a venerable Monument, though worn and desaced with time, yet I say venerable: We must use it reverently as we do the Temple, for that name the Spirit gives unto it: It is dedicated unto God, nay, we may say properly touching these living Temples, they are consecrated unto Him. We are careful that the Temple hath no out ward pollution, no defilement at all; so careful we must be of our bodies, such an honorable respect must they have. They are mighty words which follow. He that defiles the Temple, him will I destroy. If we pollute and defile our bodies, God will pollute us, He will make us vile, contemptible, as is a louse, or like rottenness, so much the word implies.

3. We must cherish our bodies, they must be served that may be serviceable: We must eat, though not to pamper Nature, yet to repair it, and if need require, we may take a little Wine for our stomachs sake, and our manifold infirmities. We need not be long upon this, our ear is open to this counsel; we will not be indebted to our bodies. But let this be noted, how sparing good people have been towards their bodies, I may say, how niggardly religious. It would seem strange, if I should relate what Clem: Alex: tells us concerning the Lord Christ in point of Abstinency; but let that pass, certain it is, though one prattles be-speaking liberty on the Lord's day in the afternoon, from our Lord's example, telling us,

yet when we are sober, we shall read of healing first, &c. and that His meat was to do the will of His Father; for other meat, and drink, though He came eating, and drinking, yet such was His moderation as we read, as much as we need to imagine; and prattle what they will, Wisdom is justified of her children; Observe we S. Paul's example, for he followed Christ, he was in hunger often; that is, he would have eat, but had it not: And in fasting often, when he might have eaten, he would not. But that I most observed, (the place is not at hand) is concerning Chrysostom, Why? that he knew best; certain it is, he durst not at sometimes gratify his body so far, as to give it its fill of bread. Such was the abstinence of God's people, so they denied themselves, and so used their bodies, as if they had been enemies there unto, beating them down, and keeping them under, as servants, nay as slaves; For it is with our bodies, as with fire, and water, very good servants, but very bad Lord's. Nay indeed they cannot be Kings, but they will be Tyrants, and then behold the most unseemly sight in the world, the Prince goes on foot, and the servant rides on horse-back, and hath all the honor done unto him, whereas he should have none at all, by Scripture allowance.

Lastly then, now we have given the body its due, and a full portion, we may remember in the shutting up of all, That there is very little account made of the body, all along the sacred Writ. It is scarce named there, or if so, seldom with much honor; we read there of a vile body, and dead bodies, and bodies of Beasts, but when the Scripture speaks of Men, then the body is left out, and the Soul is mentioned still. The body (we mean by that all a man calls himself) is in the Scripture a very disregarded thing, and accounted of by the servants of the Lord, as a Beast, or as a carcass, in some cases, not worthy the casting of an eye upon it. It is most worthy our consideration, how sharply the Lord Christ reproved Peter, when out of an inordinate affection, he did bespeak pity and commiseration toward his Master,

The salvation of souls is before Mee, and thou dost bid Mee to entreat My self kindly, to be gentle, kind, pitiful to my body; I tell thee, I took this body, it was prepared for this very end of old, that I might not spare it: therefore in that thou dost chide, and rebuke thy Master, and wouldst cross Him in that highest design, the salvation of Souls, thou art a great block in my way, and savorest of nothing in so saying, but of self, which as it is crucified in the head, so must it in all the members. We will observe Paul's example once more; His good friends almost broke his heart with their love, and pity towards him, weeping and blub bering about him, and all their lay was, Go not up to Jerusalem, if thou dost, thy carcass will smart for it: I have cast up my reckoning, and counted the cost, and am bound in my spirit faster then they can bind me. God's will be dont, mine is so meekened that it can submit. So God may have glory, I am well content to be abased, for that is indeed to honor the body: so His Kingdom be advanced, whether by life or by death, I am careless; The will of the Lord be done. Here would come in now a cloud of witnesses all speaking out, That their bodies, they esteemed them not, beat them, bind them, starve them, burn them, what cared they; It was well observed touching them; so mortified where they; we have whole volumes filled with such, what shall I say, Heroic? rather Christian-like resolutions. I will single out one amongst those Worthies, it being freshest in my memory, and read his answer to a friends letter, which was to this purpose, (I never tie myself to words) So he bespeaks his friend, and pity to his body, the saving a temporal life.

The good man answers to this purpose.

Now I have said all, and it is no more then the words of these Worthies, if we please to look a little further, then upon one letter, for though I cannot tie myself to the same words still, yet I must be a faithful relater.

And now it doth fully appear what esteem the Saints of old have had of their bodies, and how far they went in mortification there. Of great use to the child and man both, for if we would be as they are, we must do as they did.

CHAP. V.

WEE have heard that the body is like a stately house, something ruined, but stately still; though it be the receptacle of all diseases, and the center where all kinds of miseries do meet, yet is it proud enough, because it hath a specious outside. What kind of thing is the soul then? It is beyond our expression or imagination; but thus we reason:

If this outside be so glorious, which is but as the back, the out-house, or the like, what is the inmate, the dweller there? If we see a goodly Palace, we can conclude, That it was not built for the Shepherd and his dog: It is true, we read of specious, and goodly Temples, and within an ugly beast, but that beast was accounted a god by them; such beasts they were . But still if the house be specious & rich, so we presume is the dweller there too. What an house have we, how beautified, how adorned, what is the inmate then, how glorious, how excellent, how precious is that, which we call the soul! I will not gaze upon that wonder, so wonderful it is yet this, how wonderful a thing the soul is, the operations there-from do show. We may speak the language of the Spirit, and say thereof, This invisible thing is made visible, and legible, by that we see it do, for thereby its power, and excellency is made so plain, that he who runs may read it. And for its preciousness, we must remember the price was paid for it, for that will declare it. But we need not go so high yet. The child haply marks this rather: If we do not count our souls precious, the Devil will reprove us,; Skin for skin, all that a man hath will he give for his soul; so Junius reads it, and from thence Salvian gives us an easy lesson;

That a man should have a base esteem of his soul, which the Devil accounts precious?

Again the child reads, That so many souls went down into Egypt, he knows the meaning is, so many persons: He reads also,

that could not be; for the edge of a man's sword cannot reach the soul. We must beware of men, but we will not fear them: some injury they may do to the body; but the soul is out of their reach; it is to be understood then, as before, every person there was slain: And because the soul is the excellency of a man, the very all of a man, therefore it is put ordinarily for the whole man, for if I say his soul, I have said all. Therefore it is, we are bid to take no care for the body (in comparison) to make no provision for the flesh: The soul is all, that must take up all the care: The Apostles salutation is notable; Yes, that is prosperity indeed, for what is the gain of the whole world, if the soul be lost? what is the bodies prosperity, if the soul wither? we know we bestow but ordinary care upon ordinary matters, but for our jewels, they have our eyes, and heart too: And if danger come, fire, or the like, let the lumber alone, out go the jewels, all the precious things. This practice argueth clearly to the weakest understanding, what we should do touching our souls, look to them with all our care: For a man to intend his mind about low, and poor things of the world, is to do as we read a great Emperor did, who busied himself about flies, when he should have attended the great affairs of the State, or Empire; or to do as another did, who mustering a great Army, then commanded them to gather cockle-shells along the Sea-shore.

And now change but the person, and we do the same as they did: Man, that Lord-like creature, is not wiser at that point of practice; He letteth the substance go. The All of a man, that is altogether neglected, as a worthless thing; And he catcheth at flies, gathereth shells, poor empty things, and yet, inferior to those before mentioned, is lifted up with conceit of some great purchase. This puts me in mind of a strange story, concerning a man whose mind changed as his shadow did:

The child will say, this was a fool sure, he was indeed: And such another is he, no wiser, and as full of changes, and more inconstant then the Moon, who is taken with any worldly thing; for at the best it is but a shadow, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter, and the mind being fixed on it, so variable, and changeable, must the mind be too; it must ebb, and flow, rise, and fall, being carried with the stream, and current of human things. This is not distinct enough.

Suppose we then, that thou shouldest see a man, his house being in a flame, carrying out the old lumber, baggage, stuff, some contemptible trash, but having a Chest of silver and gold in his Chamber, should take no care about that; would we not judge such a man to be very weak, and simple; such another is he, who minds everything more then his soul. Suppose again, that we should see a Captain, or Commander gratifying his enemy what he can, victualling his Camp, sending him provision every way, doing all that could be done, to help his enemy to make him strong; In the mean time, should starve up himself, and those about him, exposing himself and them to the very fury of the Adversary. We must needs think, such a man hath a crackd brain, he is not his own man sure. Such another is he, who pampers his body, is all for that, for in so doing he weakens himself, and fights against his own soul.

Now look abroad in the world, see whether men, for the most part, do not just so. But thy observation is sleight; entreat thy father • o help thee to make enquiries into this matter. Certainly, if thy Father doth not find himself caring and providing for everything in his house, or about him, more then for the souls there, his own or theirs, yet so he will observe it to be, noting the practice of the most in the world: For thus it is, they hate a precious jewel in their keeping, more worth then a world, yet they esteem their Ox and their Ass before it, nay, lower and baser things then those, far before their precious soul: Right Gaderens they preferred their swine before Christ; so do these much the same; they provide better for them, their swine I mean, they better look unto them, then to the soul.

I dare not cast the first stone here, it is more proper to examine myself at this great point. But certain it is, Augustus his tannting proverb will reach most of us, as well as it did Herod, (who, more then probable, killed his own Son, when he slew the Beth: Children)

It is no jesting matter, but a very sad thing, for the Application is easy.

We must be more particular yet; for we say, that Physic doth not cure Man in specie; but this or that Man in individuo: So then from these premisses we have concluded this Man, who is so careless of his Jewell, to be one of Solomon's fools. Nor is it possible for him to evade here. For he hath a Treasure in his hand, that is granted, and he hath no heart unto it, that is as certain.

Then he is a fool past all question; and till he knows it, he will never be wiser; till he can say, heartily with David,

Till he knoweth himself to be void of knowledge, so simple, till then, he will never cry for wisdom, nor lift up his voice for understanding; he must know first before he will understand; he must prize Wisdom first, accounting her precious, before he will seek her as silver, and dig, &c. But certain it is, for the present he is the fool, for he neglects the Treasure, and follows after trifles, things that will not help. His care is not for the soul, as the Scripture counts a care, a well ordered and diligent care, but all is for the body, the things thereof, things that are not, and are of no account : These shadows, shells, empty things, poor, and beggarly, though they are, take up the strength of his soul, and drink in his spirits: Such a fool is he. But whence this folly? this deordination? this confusion in the soul? whence this darkness in the mind?

This leads him by the hand to the rock whence he was hewn; where he lost his strength, his dignity, himself, and whatever he was, he is now most miserable, and as weak as water.

And here I leave this man ever to contemplate on the face of this deep, and we shall wait till the Spirit shall move thereon, where by one deep may call upon another deep, the depth of misery to the depth of Mercy. We know this wind bloweth where it listeth, the gifts of this Spirit are free .

And when this great work is done, when this Arm of the Lord is revealed; when this Salvation is made known to the soul, we are sure of these things, everlasting Truths, streaming forth from this full fountain, this sea of mercy.

1. Now this Man can put a right esteem upon things, he can esteem them as they are; trifles, as trifles; Low, earthly, beggarly things, as such indeed; and no better: He is all for Heaven, the good things there. The substance, that is it; for shadows, let them go. One grain of grace, though but as a Mustard seed, he esteems more then the richest earthly pearl; and he can part with all, the dearest affections of his heart, and buy the field, knowing well, That Heaven did never cost dear. He is all now for the soul, soul-blessings, soul-mercies: for the body, it shall be respected in due place, and to its worth, but, if it doth require more then its share, it shall fare the worse for that; It shall be kept as a servant, nay as a slave. But the soul, and the prosperity thereof, shall be advanced, next to Christ Himself: and if anything shall come betwixt Christ and it, and stand in competition there, away it shall, it shall be thrust away, whether goods, good name, life, all shall go, shall be sacrificed, as we heard before.

2. When things of Heaven shall be clearly revealed, the things of the earth will be of little or no account with him, only to accomodate him in his way, and no more: they have no more luster in his eye, then a star hath in ours, when the Sun shines forth in his strength. The good things of Christ made known to the soul make a prey of all things here below. If swallows up all our natural knowledge, all that we call flesh. It makes all new, as if it were not the same, we are sure of that. All that before was lovely, and is so still in its proper place and sphere, is now, (in comparison) but as dung, or, if you will, as that you cast forth to the dog

3. When Christ shall manifest this great redemption, the soul will never seek to other saviors; He is a mighty Redeemer; He will redeem out of all adversity. Sins are multiplied, pardons shall be multiplied; The sea of misery is large, and wide, such is the sea of this mercy, what need we eekeout that which is infinite? Nay though the Lord should hide Himself, and the Spirit should faint, yet he will not run out after other Comforters; He knows that the odour but of one only Name, is as an ointment poured forth over all the Churches;

I remember a pretty story, fit enough for a child even in so great a business. Aelian tells us, a great person sent to his great Lord, a present of Roses, perfumed with the best Spices. Certainly the odour of Christ His death is of power enough to revive the most fainting spirit; and to perfume that sweet smelling odour with anything else, is deadly, we are fure of that too.

4. When such a deliverance as this is made known to him; even that through Christ, he hath obtained an eternal redemption; he is quick swallowed up in this Ocean of mercy, and is no more now himself, being bought with such a price; What he is, He is for Him, Who bought him; And if anything there be, which shall seek to turn him away from this Lord his God, though it be as dear as his right arm or eye, nay as his own soul, he will not consent nor hearken thereto; his eye will not pity that lust, nor spare; he will thrust it from him, for it would thrust him from the service of that Lord, Who redeemed his soul from all adversity.

It is deeply charged upon the ancient people the Jews, and it lieth as a reproach upon them to this day, That they suffered themselves to be thrust away from the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt, from the house of bondage. This, I say is charged upon them often, I know not how often, but it is worth our inquiry. So unthankful, so abominable were they, They provoked Him at the Sea, even at the red Sea: When the deliverance was fresh, and such a deliverance as that, yet even then they provoked Him, at the Sea, even at the red Sea. And may not then such a delivered person as this, we speak of, suffer himself to be thrust away from the Lord, that bought him, so provoking his Lord, even as they did, may it not be so? No, not possible; for we do suppose, This man understands the wonderfulness of his redemption, the freeness of that mercy; then he cannot hearken to that lust, which would thrust him away from the Lord, That bought him; he will say, How can I do this, and sin against the kindness of my Lord? which is understood, and remembered, for so it is suppofed.

Now for these people before mentioned, It is said of them; They understood not the wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of mercies. What follows then? that which ever follows the want of observing God's works; and forgetting His mercies; They turned away from their Rock, their Redeemer, they provoked Him at the Sea, even at the red Sea.

The understanding this wonderful salvation; the recording such a mercy, keeps up the soul, even to its height, to walk still with God below: If we could but understand; and mark common mercies, we should find ourselves mightily engaged unto duty thereby: we should not easily give way to that lust, which would thrust us away from that Lord, who feeds us, clothes us, makes His mercies new every morning, reneweth our strength every moment: The very thoughts of these are great engagements; But the understanding such a deliverance as this, recording such an unspeakable mercy, binds the soul to God in bonds, as strong as iron, and brass; If there be atumult, and disorder in the soul, as there will be sure enough; thus the man reasons, and overcomes; How should I do this, and sin against the Lord that bought me? How should I be as those who provoked him at the Sea, even at the Red-Sea? Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, nay we are sure so they will say after such a deliverance as this, fully understood, and recorded.

5. This person is now a secure person, his spirit is now at rest, he knows God hath dealt bountifully with him. Now his fears, and troubles, and sorrows are under his feet; Let the rain fall, and the winds rise from all quarters, and the Sea of this world rage, he stands for all that like a rock, all these may wash him, they cannot wast him; they may threaten, they cannot destroy, no not hurt him: If the Ship save him not, a plank shall; and if the extremity be such, that the Sea-Monster swallows him up quick, it is but to do his Lord and him service, for now he shall be conveyed to the Haven where he would be, and no hurt in all that. We cannot be mistaken here: We mean all this while, God doth manifest the riches of His mercy to him; this is not always.

The Lord doth hide his face, even from his dearest, and then if but a little, no little trouble, as when the Sun withdraws, there follows darkness; But even then when God absents Himself, there is more praise, and stronger prayets. And this is the courage and comfort to his soul; That as the Lord hath made him put his feet upon the necks of his enemies: So through God, that makes strong, and gives power, he shall do to all his enemies, against whom he fights, he shall feel them no more again for ever. So it shall be, but he is yet as a Soldier in the field, he may have some fainting sits; he is not yet attained to that height of security, that his face shall wax pale no more: But he knows whom he hath trusted, and though youths shall faint, for they are confident of their own strength, yet he shall mount up with wings as Eagles, &c. Isaiah 40.

6. This man is one of the humblest persons in the world: what should he be proud of? what hath he, he hath not received? He was vile in his own eyes, ever since God accounted him precious: ever since God regarded the low estate of his servant, he walked alow by the ground humbly with his God. He keeps Court in his own breast, there he judgeth himself, no man else. He censures no man; He prays for every man, the love of Christ is spread abroad in his heart; now he can spread out himself for others; what he is, what he hath, is for them in reference to Christ; His heart is enlarged. O that all were as he is, excepting his bands, if any about him! O that the bounds of Christ's Kingdom were enlarged, His glory advanced, Jesus Christ exalted everywhere; in all His Attributes, in all His Excellencies! whether by life or by death, therein he is careless, so the thing be done, that is his ambition, there in he laboreth , we are certain of all this.

Lastly, for we will break off; This man thirsting to see God's glory, and having the joy of his life in immortality, (so we suppose) in respect of which he accounteth all dung, as was said; This man, I say, is not taken with favors, nor troubled with frowns: But as M. Deering said long since, seeing the goodness of God such towards him, he weighs not all the world (except sin) a feather, and with as glad a mind he can spit blood, as clear spittle; Nay though God should beat him every morning, and correct him every night, yet he is silent, and can rejoice in his portion, pressing down, running over. His heart is fixed now, his heart is fixed; now his ear is prepared, let me say, and his back too; In patience he can possess his soul; Now he can say, Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth; Nay, Smite Lord, for thy servant beareth: He is fitted now to do the whole pleasure of the Lord, and to suffer the same too. His Fathers will is his will: Speak Lord, smite Lord, do what thou wilt, thou dost all things well; he can now hear, he can now bear, all things readily, patiently, silently, nay and rejoice in all: for he sees love in all, and eternal love: he sees pleasures at the foot of the account, and all shall further the giving up his account with joy.

In the mean time, though the Sea of his conflicts rise high, and the floods of great waters make a noise, yet is he quiet, secure, at peace round about; how so? God is friends with him, and then all is peace; he hath spoken supplications to his God; his God in Christ hath spoken peace to his soul; He hath commanded him to come under the shadow of his wing, where he is secure and at peace; he can mock at danger, and laugh at famine, and the sword, for God is his rock, the mighty God of Jacob is his defense; he will not be afraid, not he; though the floods rise, yet there will be a standard set up against them: Nay though his God strikes him, it is but to correct him, to sweeten his after-comforts; he knows his God will do him no hurt , for the Father will not hurt his child, we are sure of that; These are mighty words, I know it well, yet no other but what a mighty servant of the Lord, Luther, said long since, for the comfort of all those, whose God is the Lord, who can stay themselves upon God Almighty:

I said I would break of. And yet we will read a short prayer first, it is the same in effect which one c M. Merlinus put up for his friend O siander.

And so much to the whole Compositum, the body, and the soul put together; The excellency of the one, and of the other, but lost in both; How repaired; The exceeding mercy in that work of mercy; The Conclusions there-from.

CHAP. VI

WEE have viewed Natures great work, rather the work of God actuating Nature: Now we must take a view also of some inferior works of Nature, and Art both, employed all about man's body: Take good notice then, run over the body again, and not with a careless eye; observe well everything about thee, from that which honors thy head, to that which covers thy heel. Thou wilt consider then, what creatures, and how many, have and do continually contribute towards thy accommodation. That is the first Consideration.

2. Then again, How many like thyself, but perhaps much better, have been, and are employed daily about the adorning thy poor carcass. Thus observe the works of Art about thee. A child cannot consider this: yet we must inform him what we can. Where is the man, who thinks hereof as he should, considerately? yet do these things require our serious thoughts and we shall very much gain upon a child's understanding hereby.

First, what a retinue, how great a company hath this poor man, always ready pressed to do him service? The Sun, the common servant of the world, see with what speed he comes, observing his appointed time, that he may not fail man of a minute. This is confiderable, and demonstrable too.

and so for man's service altogether, which reads him a great lecture, but of that anon. Come we lower; The Moon doth him service too, who knows how much, every man knows a great deal. Lower yet, The Winds, and the rain,fulfilling His word, hearing the earth, that the earth may hear man. The Birds of the air they are at man's service: The Beasts of the earth they groan under the hard usage of their Lord. Some sweat and toil at his work, other yield him cloth and meat both. The wide Sea also, the Creatures there they are not behind to do him homage; what a thing is Man! All above, below, and about him, all to do him service. What an honor is this, how great an engagement too? that must be considered also. And who is so weak that cannot reason thus, If all these be for my service, how reasonable is it, that I should serve my Creator, Him only, and according to his rule, with reverence and godly fear?

But a soft pace goes far, we are too quick for the Child; if we are so curt, and short, we shall do him little service; I will then briefly clear the first proposition,

then, I will help him to make Conclusions thence serving much for our use.

First, the Sun-beam is not more clear upon the wall, then, That all Creatures are for man's use, All serve him: So God their great Lord hath appointed, I cannot express it more fully and briefly, then in the Fathers words;

We have all, so bountiful a Lord have we; It is cleared to our sense, that we live upon mercy, doles of mercy, every moment of time; now the Conclusions will be as clear.

And first, (though it is no good order, but fittest for the Child) let us give the Creatures their due, then their Creator. We have them to use, we must take heed we abuse them not: if so we do, they will abuse us, they will Lord it over their Lord's, and make their Lord's slaves, so revenging their Creators quarrel. This appears in the abuse of meat, and drink, which being surfeited upon, will cast their Lord sometimes into the water, sometimes into the fire; And (to pass over greater mischiefs, which our eye have seen, and our ear have heard) sometimes lays him along in the streets, to be gazed upon as a base slave to that Creature, over which a little before he was Lord. If we think hereon, we have enough to conclude therefrom, the sober use of the Creatures; That we use them as not abusing the same.

And now we are upon a great and nice point, but I must break from it, yet not so abruptly. I say it is a nice and ticklish point,

I remember Jerome saith (the most temperate man that ever I read off) And Augustine tells us, it was an abominatiō to him to be drunk: there is but a step, nay scarce an inch betweeene; and hence it is, that we fall foul by companies. I cannot say a little to it. I will only put a period to Augustine's prayer, for it should be ours, when the meat is before us, and knise in our hand, (the same in the use of all lawful things) Lord make us watchful now that we use the Creatures, to repair, not to pamper Nature; that we use them, not abusing the same. Amen.

2. We must use the Creatures mercifully; They are commanded to serve us, we must not make them serve in rigor; we must use them as Men that have bowels, we must show pity to our beast. There is no doubt of this. We are by special indulgence Lord's over the Creatures, a great honor; we must not be Tyrants over them, an high point of injustice, and sometime sevenged by the Creature it self; we have heard, and known, when a man hath beat his horse so long, till the horse beat out his Masters brains. Then learn we to use the poor beast mercifully, for if we do not make him wild, a Child may lead him.

3. And use it reverently too, even the least bit of bread or drop of drink: what, use a bit of bread reverently? A Papist I believe. No, I do not mean you should adore a bit of bread; I hold it the greatest presumption in the World (and so our Jewel said before me) to adore that which Longs wife can make. I said we must use the bread reverently, and so I say again, and it is concluded by the strongest reason that can be: for it comes out of God's hand into mine, and it is mine by free gift, and made a staff of bread to me by a free mercy: but that is not all: The bread (I include all there) is not mine, for I am not mine own, I am bought with a price, I must glorify God with ail, and in all, then whether I eat or drink, so I must glorify God, but so I do not, unless I use the Creatures reverently. But the chiese reason is this; These Creatures are a purchase too, nay the purchase of blood; we had had no comfortable right to them, but in and through Christ. We were lost, and we lost the Creature too, He redeemed us, and gave us Title, and claim unto them; and all by blood. What? a purchase, and a purchase of blood? then we must use them reverently sure enough, we are in the strongest bonds that can be imagined.

4. And man must endeavor to be very good, so we have concluded too, All is good about him, very good, surely he doth not give the Creatures their right, unless he strives to be good, very good; even better then they, for man is the very best, the most excellent of all. He must strive to be excellent. For all his servants are good round about him; What a shame, what indignity this, that their Lord should be naught amidst all good things?

5. Nor ought man to diminish anything from the works of God, the creatures I mean, those that we think the least of all, are very good all: they may differ in bulk and quantity, not in this prime quality. We must not speak meanly, and below the dignity which belongs to the works of God's hands, for this were to derogate from God Himself. I think of Melanchthon now, his sayings, and doings both were very exemplary.

At which words Melanchthon was very angry, (in him passion quickly to shown it self, but he was more quick to show his command over it) S. said he, Good wine must have better commendations then so, you should have said, It is very good. And now it is very easy to apply. And I hope from henceforward, the child will say, Dry bread is good, and hard cheese, and meat very good, though there be no other sauce, but what he carrieth with him in the tip of his tongue.

6. One thing more while I think of it, for I am in such a throng that I cannot get out; He that hath all good from God's hands, we will conclude him to be a merciful man, a man that doth much good to others. What? hath God bestowed richly upon any man? hath he filled his hand and his mouth, and his coffers. and his barns with good things? And is this man a niggard? is he close handed? like a fountain sealed up? doth he no good with all this good? The child will cry shame upon him; For he hath concluded that such a man's practice is against the voice of the Creatures, and the Law of heaven.

The child shall hear again his example, which is so fresh, being mentioned but now. Melanchthon had plenty, as he called plenty; a house full of good things, and see how good he was to everyone that needed. It is observed of him that he never denied a poor man's request, if he spake supplications, then did Melanotons lips, and fingers ends drop mercy, like the first drops from a full honey-comb, that is the sweetest . Nay this is reported of him too; He gave alms, his wife gave alms, and by allowance from both, so did the children and servants also. Now it was as it should be. He by God's favor had many good things, he did good to many, nay to all, or such was his desire; and this is our duty. Now we have given the Creatures their due, man his due, we will labor to give God His due also, for by this time the child seeth better how he stands engaged.

God hath given all these as servants to man, all minister to him; nay the Angels also, for so I should have said; how should this engage his heart to serve his Lord? what, all for him, poor little creature! there is not such adiminutive in the world:

What is man then, who bears out himself? So little. comparatively) that you cannot see him, for he is nothing. For this nothing hath God, created all things, even to serve this little little Master, whom they call Lord, and they say well, But this doth wonderfully engage to duty. Hath God so honored him? The Sun for him, Moon for him, Air for him, &c. for so I should go over all; All for him, how reasonable a thing is it, that he should be all for his God, that he should serve Him, fear Him? so it should be, nay so it must be; if man looks, that the creatures should serve him, He must serve his Lord, else very likely, the Creatures will rebel, and rise up against their Lord: they will obey and awe him, while he keeps himself as an obedient servant to his great Master: for so we know, the Viper, the Lyon, the fire did, those hurtful, those devouring Creatures.

But if this Man be a Rebell against his God, the weakest, and most contemptible creatures may do, as they have done, rise up against man, and he shall fall before them, because he is fallen from the service of his God. For thus it hath been; A gnat, a fly, an hair, a crumb have choked him; frogs, mice have annoyed him; toads, rats have eat him up; so have lice also; so weak a thing is man, when he forsakes the God of his strength, the rock of his salvation.

Man must serve his Creator; no doubt of that; so he doth I hope, for who doth not serve God? I am persuaded; nay no matter what I am persuaded of, we know, That the Heathen did serve God, they glorified Him too; The sacred Writ gives clear intimation hereof, They knew God, and they glorified Him, but here they fell short, as we do by thousands in the manner, and that is all in God's service: They glorified Him, but not as God That but, and not as corrupted all their service; so now we must have a reasonable service, such a service as reason tells us is suitable to God our Master in heaven, Who created all things, to serve His Glory as the chiese end, and man in subordination thereto; we must serve Him as God. That service which will pass as currant money betwixt me, and my Governor, (yet I will address myself with care, and reverence in my service before him) will be too light in the balance, when we come before God.

We have this more then intimated in the first of Malachi . I have often thought of the Text, and this I will say, There is not any in all the sacred Writ, which hath a better edge, or sharper point to pierce the side of him, or her, so to awaken them, when they are addressing themselves in their service before God: we must serve Him as God, not as we serve our Governor; we leave the weight of this service upon that Chapter, and the first to the Ramanes, verse 21. All the Creatures serve man; he must serve God, but as God, as the great Monarch, our Master in Heaven, King of Kings, and Lord of Lord's. In that manner, man must serve God, as God.

2. He must be thankful to Him also: Hath he all things to use? Is his Lord so bountiful to him? doth he provide for his necessity, for his delight also? (this moved a Heathen .)

Man must be thankful, and cheerful in thanksgiving, for so it is expected, else he may read what follows. .

I debated upon this large Theame in a fitting place, I shall be the shorter here, and borrow nothing thence.

The learned Knight hath a feeling speech;

What full of blessings within and without, made up as it were thereof? the fuller of praise should his mouth be, and his heart, as if filled with thanks, pressed down, running over; Oh how unworthy a Christian, a Man, that lives continually upon the doles of mercy, to have his mouth wide opened to receive blessings, and closed up, as mute as a fish, when he should return praise and thanks! how unbeseeming a sight, to see a man under the continual droppings, (shall I say rather) streams of blessings, and yet as dry as a Pumicestone, as the parched places of the Wilderness! Better had it been for him, that he had seen no good all his days; better he had been as the King prayed the Mountain of Gilboa might be, upon whom neither dew nor rain had fallen, for then his condemnation had been light, and easy to be born; but now it will be very heavy, because he is compassed about with blessings; mercies distill upon him from above, like the de • v, and rain upon the grass, and yet behold barrenness, the heart is shut up, and the tongue filent. I profess heartily now, I have here penned my own condemnation, and have stopped my own mouth: for myself, with thousand thousands, fall short, infinitely short here. Certain it is, for it is the conclusion of experience, we are then most apt to forget God, when He remembers us most, and most graciously: When His sootsteps drop fatness, then we are leanest; when our Table is fullest, then we are more likely to lift up the heel in rebellion, rather then the voice in thanksgiving. Therefore it is, That the Spirit of God bids us beware, take heed, look well to yourselves, these are the Caveats, the Cautions, theremembrances, the Spirit gives all along, specially then, when our portion is satlest. All this I must pass over, though it were very good to build Tabernacles here, that our thoughts might fixe upon God's mercies, that so our hearts might be inclined to a proportionable thanksgiving . I shall only remember Melancthon at this point also; he was invited to a great feast, and thither he came, and all the words from the Master of the seast were, Eate, eat, eat, I pray you eat, that's the manner. If he should say as fast, Drink, drink, drink, pray you drink, we might think he were not Master of himself, and were resolved to do us the greatest dishonor, to make us, not our own men neither; this by the way, but so it was. In the very midst of the feast, up riseth the Master to address a City complement to his honored friend Miclancthon, and this it was; I am sorry Sir, I am not better provided for you. Better provided! out uponthee, (astrange return for his good cheare, but very sitting; he was never known to he more angry, not his spirit more stirred, for indeed he saw God quite forgot, and his grace slighted, yeatrod under) So he reproved his Host. Indeed it is a custom (it was not so of old) The greater the seast, and the Master thereof, the more out of custom in his own person to bespeak a blessing. Let custom carry it: but I am persuaded, I could conclude against it, and give reasons strong enough to break this custom, especially amongst the Churchmen, though no man is too high to give thanks to the Highest: We will think on Melanchthon's words, when we make a feast or partake of it: we must be thankful to God; we see how we stand bound to it, though we cannot tell the obligations, but so many mercies, so many bonds. But see how we have forgot ourselves; we must be thankful! who doth not give God thanks? The Heathen did, we are sure, and we do no more then they if we be not thank to Him, as to God, who gives all things richly to enjoy. As to God, the manner is all, we heard so before, in that manner we must be thankful.

3. And patient too, under this asfliction, and under that, under three crosses, and also under four. The reason is plain, and therefore we will be short here: Suppose the man hath four crosses: he hath four hundred Blessings. He receives good things every moment. His hour-glass hath not more sands, then he receives blessings; he must then take in good part the evils he feels so, and yet his sense may be mistaken, for chat which he calls evil, and grievous to the flesh, God can turn to good, so as thereout shall grow (if he can be quiet, and patient) a sweet fruit of righteousness; for it is no riddle now, Out of the strong came sweetness. How ever, greater reason yet, that the man should be patient; for though his evils be many and grievous, God can lay on more, and make them more smart and grievous yet, there is no contending with Him. He is stronger then we, but He will do us good in the end, if we can be patient now.

4. And depend on Him in silence; great reason He should have the glory of our dependence, for we are at his finding. And though the man finds his provision short, yet he must remember, that He that created all things, and worketh hitherto is not weary, He can and will create comforts too: And let not the man fear, for He that holds up the earth, will sustain him in his fainting sits, if he can hold his heart in a dependence upon Him.

And now though we have not given God his due, for we shall still fall short at that high point, yet we pass on to the next proposition; which we shall clear first, and conclude from thence after. And although all along. I speak to the Child, and to his capacity; yet we shall see the wild Gallant shall be hampered anon, and bound to his good behavior; I mean him, who makes play his work, turns night into day, and day into night, eats and drinks and riseth up to play. We will hold him fast enough, or if we cannot, for I bethink myself, and I see by his gate and action, he is a wild Colt, that is not our fault, we will easily make the cord strong enough, and he shall be held fast with it one day.

The Proposition is;

It is cleared to the Child thus.

Behold, Child, the Artificials about thee, what Art, and skill hath sitted to thy body; what variety hast thou there? what a deal of good service is done unto thee? Begin with thy head, the hoirie scalp, and observe well how many that sets on work; now the Felt-maker comes in for thy service, rather the Beaver-maker, so fine we are, and a hundred more that are their Masters. Anon the Barber comes, and to work he goes, Snip snip, as nimble as an Eele. Perhaps the Currier hath foam work here too, for we wear his leather on our heads; we allow the head most service, for it is a principal part, and doth the most service to us: we cannot be so large in all, but we will look over every part; then go we lower by degrees, and by that time we are come to the heel, we shall well understand,

And this will sussice for explication. Now we have gained these Cōclusions, which cannot be denied us.

1. Since Man doth set all on work, every part about him yields matter of employment, we must find employment for him too, that we must: How unreasonable a thing were it, that all in the family should be as busy as Bees, or Ants in the Summer, and one amongst the rest, as able as any of the rest, should like a Lord-Dane, anciently, or some Abbey-lubber, lie along in the chimeny corner? No, so it must not be: He that hath set so many Trades on work, must have his Trade too, his Calling we mean: it is our conclusion, but made in Heaven, and ever since there was a man upon earth: there is no slipping the collar,be he high, be he low, (the more high he is, the more servants he hath, and the more servant is he) this Conclusion shuts him in, and will hold him, he must have some trade also, some employment, some calling, no matter what word we use, our meaning is, be he what he may be, how high soever, he must have his work. Here now the Gentleman, the Idle-man, the Idolif you will (for as an Idol is nothing in the world, so he doth no good in the world) is hamper'd: and the Cord will hold him fast, though he be loose. For if to every man his work, then to him also, unless he chooseth rather to be a Beast.

It is true, as in the natural body, some parts there, are placed rather for ornament, command, oversight, and direction of the body, rather then for toil, and labor about it: so also in the civil body, but full, To every man his work. My Father •• rketh hi • he •• , and I work . So the Lord speaketh to man's capacity; The Father, and the Son do preserve that in being, which is already made, which to us seems a kind of work as indeed it is, but without labor; But it teacheth us, that we must labor everyone, as the Master of the house hath given authority, and to every man his work Who dares contradict this?

2. But now we must work in order, everyone in his place, according to his calling, and that must be ever according to his gift: He that made the hat, did not busy himself with the shane, nor doth the foot guide, but is guided. It is a great point of discretion now for a man well to measure himself, not to stretch himself beyond his Last, nor to move above his sphere. A man moving out of his place, is like a member out of joint, he vexeth the body rather then furthereth it.

We would have such a calling, which is most honorable, but we must choose such a calling as is fittest, most suitable, to our strength and parts, I have been upon this point of discretion before; I will only add to it, what I find supplied to my hand, it is full to our purpose, and of the same use.

I could spare none of all this, so well it fitted our purpose, to everyone his work; but such it must be, as may assure us of the fitness, and right placing of our strength, and wits thereunto: for then there will be an agreement, and ease betwixt the work, and the work-man, whereas unfitness, and misplacing have the contrary companions, disagreement, and disease. It is not what a Parent would do, but what the child can do; I would put my child into such a calling as hath more grace & esteem in the world, and so ambitious I may be: But if I see no fitness of parts, if he be rather for the field and plough, I will not cross nature; God speed him well, so he holds the plough, not looking back; doth his work diligently, and faithfully, I have enough; so shall he have too. Nay if his parts be so low, that he must serve lower yet, as some Scullion in a Kitchen, lying amongst the ranges, and every ones man; yet if he be his own man, not serving his own lusts, nor others neither; I mean, if he be diligent there, serving his Master in heaven, I have enough even there, so shall the child have also; for this is a standing rule, It is not the greatness of place, but my fitness for the place, and faithfulness in the place, which commends me, now before God, and will honor me at the last before Angels and Men.

whereas Hypocrisy and unfaithfulness casteth a spewing upon all the glory of all the most glorious works, Alms, Prayer, Preaching.

S. Augustine's words are very significant.

We have made then our second Conclusion: as, To everyone his work, so to everyone his fitting work.

3. I know everyone hath made this conclusion, He will thrive if he can. If he must work, he would not work in the fire; he would prosper, that he would. Then he must know God doth all in the world, therefore God must be looked up unto in all, for in Him we live, and have our being; our breath is in His hands, so are our ways. The child knows how he ends his prayers, just so we must begin our employments, Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Nay we must end there too, our work as well as our prayers. For in Him, and through Him, and to Him, be praise and glory forever. Amen.

Thus much, that man may know, That he stands betwixt God and the Creatures, receiving all the comfort and profit of them with the one hand, and returning all the praise for them with the other hand unto the hands of the Lord. 2. That man must work the thing that is good, and be fitted for his work, and if he looks to have praise from the Lord, he must do his work faithfully, and look up humbly. Then at the conclusion of his work, and day, he may speak in good assurance, I have glorified Thee on earth, I have done the work Thou gavest me to do, now glorify thy servant, with the glory that Christ hath purchased for me, even so, Amen.

CHAP. VII.

WEE have well observed the body, and the things, that serve, and adorn the same; how Nature hath supplied Man, and what supply from Art; We will look about the house now. I have already given the child some lessons, which may serve him in some stead, 1. when he riseth up; 2. when he sitteth at meat; 3. when he lieth down, 4. when he walketh abroad: so I shall be the quicker here, but running over, or skimming of things, first what is done in the house, some mean services there, then the Creatures abroad, we will glean there.

1. We will not then neglect the Maid scumming the pot, there to the Spirit doth allude: A happy thing when affliction is to us as fire to the pot, seething out our scum; but if our scum will not out, then what can we expect, but going out of one fire, another fire shall devour us ?

2. I would gain but this here, That the most homely places, and services in a house may yield us wholesome, and savoury instructions. The most stinking kennel may be a means to purge us, that our throat be not like an open Sepulcher , nor our communication corrupt , like that we stop our nose at.

3. We observe the Maid scraping her trenchers, and washing her dishes; where the child doth learn, what small account the world hath of their best servants , for they have, and still do, bear up the Pillars thereof, yet are they accounted of as we know and read: we will see the dish wiped also; That tells us from God's own mouth, what shall be done to that City or person wherein such and such abominations are found, God will wipe him as a man wipeth a dish, turning it upside down .

2. We look abroad now, and behold the hen gathering her chickens: so the Lord will gather His outcasts. Men may cast them out, He gathers them in; It is said, He made His servants houses, for they feared Him . And touching those two so faithful servants, it is said, But the Lord hid them , that is, He spread the great wing of His protection over them, then they were safe enough. S. John was observed still leaning on Jesus bosom ; no such pillow in the world, there is secure rest. All his Disciples do so, the whole Church is observed, Leaning upon her Beloved. They run thither, they commit all to Him, and under the shadow of His wing, they have sure confidence. Our eye is not yet off from the hen, and her chickens, see how they wait upon the hand that feeds them, then they put their bills to the water, and look up, it is more then every man will do.

3. We observe the swine, the most brutish creature that is, see how they run when the paile calls, that is their bell. We do not look carelessly upon the Sow in the mire, a very great means to keep the man clean.

We will suppose now as we may, That the Sheep is with the Sow in the same mire; and if so, we will divide the whole world betwixt them two, and distinguish clearly thus; The one is where the would be, well content with its portion; The other not so, In the mire she is, but it is death to her to be where she is.

The maintaining of these creatures before mentioned, put us to no expense. For three things there are, which seem of no use to man, the one for their littleness, the other for their slutrishnesse; crumbs, outshaken eorn, and wash: see the wise providence of our God now: That nothing may be lost, He hath provided creatures for the receiving of these, Poultry, and Swine; if we suffer anything to be lost, we have no excuse, ir might have been put to the wash, or given to the Hen and her Chickens.

4. We go to the stable, and observe the Horse there, higher then a Lion, and though not so strong, yet too strong for the tallest man in the Parish, but that the good Providence is such, that he knoweth not his strength, and so a Child may lead him.

5. See how acquainted the Ox is with his Master, we know whom that upbraideth even me and thee.

6. Go we to the barn, observe the least grain there, so little, you can but see it, yet hath it spread it self, and become a great tree Truth of grace will quickly spread, labor we after sincerity, after an honest heart; a little grace there will increase mightily, for it is with the increase of God. 2. Wheat, the chiefest grain, none so common for use, none whose flower is purer, none so carefully laid up. The Child must mark his Parents now, (servants may be negligent) see how they pick it up, not a grain shall be lost. This shows the happy peace, and security of all them who truly fear God: Though the be sisted with temptations &c. as wheat with a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the ground. 3. We must observe the Sieve also; The Fool thought he could make it hold water, so he set about the stopping up the holes, but when he viewed it well, he spake out plainly, he could not tell where to begin. To such a confusion the Church may be brought, they that bear good will to her, and would mend her breaches, may not know where to begin. It was the state of the Germane Church an hundred years ago, saith Melancthon, using the very comparison; so confused they were in Doctrines and in Manners both. And then he with others prophesied, of those after desolations, that very deluge of wrath, under which those Churches lie now quite covered, waiting when the Lord will withdraw His hand, and call in those waters, that the face of that land may again appear.

But let us note herewith, That he was a Fool, who could discern nothing but confusion. Indeed the face of things may be so overcasted, as that a natural eye can discern nothing but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 all things like a desolate and empty wilderness. But a cleared eye sees a spirit moving there all that while: and he knows Light will come anon, the clearer, the thicker the darkness was, and then he can track the prints of a Providence, which he cannot do less then adore: For it is His way, whose manner is, To carry His Church into Babel, there to give Deliverance; To give her into the enemies hands, thence to work Redemption; To bring her into the wilderness, there to speak comfortably to her; that she may speak out to His praise; How, &c.

7. To the garden now, we would observe there, what might be observed, so in the Orchard too, but this cannot be, such variety there is, Seeds, Herbs, Flowers, Plants, Trees, we can observe but this; and it is a great observation; What ever evil comes upon the earth, yet the tree which brings forth fruit shall be spared. But if barren there, better it had never been there, for we know its doom. There may be a Snake there, the best places are not privileged from such Creatures, but if the Swine come thither, they make havoc. The Bees are commonly thereabouts, but we cannot stand to look upon them, nor is it safe, for if they be stirred, they be very angry. There are books written of them, and yet all fierce enough to satisfy touching the beauty of their commonwealth.

And very likely, for if a man will be too curious in his inquiries, he may lose himself in the search. We must read the book of the Creatures, but not dwell upon them. We leave the Garden, and will go no farther then the Fathers Wind-mill.

CHAP. VIII.

IT shall not be said, that the Child hath lived in a Tub, and never was so far as his Fathers Wind-mill, Thither I will carry him, from thence to Church, then I shall make towards a Conclusion.

If in our way now, we chance to see or hear a Toad, let it instruct us; it doth better service then we, and is less poisonful, if we are as we were, in our blood , and in our own way, the way of sin, and death: which consideration is enough to smite to the earth the wisdom of man, and to make him all humble, and subject to God. The sight thereof remember us also of that person, who being at the last point of time, which he had thrown away, and feeling his heart ready to break, his eye-strings also, then said,

even such a Creature! for then I had glorified my Maker in such a being; but I have dishonored him altogether, and so making myself vile. , I must look now to be lightly esteemed .

If the little Worm be at our foot, it teacheth us, That so low the Lord bringeth even His Church, His own people,

that went over . And when her estate is so low, she is called Jacob, a poor Worm, one that saw very much evil in a few days, but it never hurt him: therefore he must not fear for all that, nor doubt, but that, small though he be, yet he shall rise again and be exalted, he shall, like a Prince, have his Charrets and Horsemen, so he shall prevail with God, and shall be called Israel. So much the Worm in our way may teach us. The stones yield us a good lesson also; if we look upon them we see our hearts, as face in water answers face. Iron will melt in the fire, so will brass, so will not a stone. Neither mercy nor misery can melt the heart; If the premisses are true, then say what they will, the conclusion is clear, That in point of conversion we are us dead as a door nail. The voice of the Son of God. that only makes us hear and live. And now we are come as far as the Windmill, where, against all expectation, we shall find a very precious stone, nor shall the Millar doubt thereof, by that time we have viewed it well. And this is the Milstone: he gives good reason for what he saith, and better Scripture. The Milstone, saith he, brings in many a man his living. It was noted long ago, that Homer hath given more men their livings, then either Sylla, or Caesar, or Augustus ever did, not withstanding their great largesses, and donatives, and distributions of lands to so many legions: so we may say of this stone, it hath done more this way then all the precious stones in the World; for it maintains that precious thing, which we call life, therefore the Mil-stone is put for anything that brings in a man's livelihood . What lesson learn we hence? for therefore came weehither. A mighty lesson; fitter for men of more account, and higher place in the World, but for every man a very fit lesson.

It teacheth us to beware we meddle not with that, which is a man's living, which brings him in his bread, though it seem never so mean, and contemptible in our eyes as the Milstone doth, so contemptible though it be, yet, it is dangerous to heave at it, it may prove a burdensome stone: For if I take it away from the man, (we know what it doth import, for it is his living) I take away his life with it also, that I do. The words are express;

then so is that, which maintains life. If I take away lively hood, life is taken away too. Nay it is the highest degree of cruelty against the body, that we read of.

I will relate a story touching as bloody a person, as any our modern Histories make mention of. D. Alva was his name. employed by Philip the second for the regaining the Low Councries to the Crown of Spain; In prosecution of which great design, he spent as the King spake, or rather sighed on his death-bed, a great treasure, a mass of money, but made no other return thereof to his great Master, but in Barrells, or Tuns of blood. Amongst other his nororious, and bloody practices, this is scored up in the reddest letters. He had besieged the town of Harlem, and shortly after parling with the poor people there, it was compounded, they should yield the Town, and have their lives: The peeled people were well apaid, life is well bought at any reasoble rate. One day passed, and a second came, all that while they were pent up from livelihood. They call out for bread, bread, for they thought that was included in the bargain; if life, then means to support life; No, said the General, ye were mistaken,

This I say is scored up in red letters amidst a thousand more his bloody executions, but exceeding all in bloody cruelty. Indeed with our good God, life is more the food, but with man, food is more then life. It more then seems then, if I take away life, I am a murderer; but if I take away the Milstone, that is bread, I am such an one, a murderer I mean, but in an higher degree, and more notorious. Deliver us from blood, good Lord; for though life is very precious, yet to man, that which maintains life, is yet more precious.

And now we have so touched this stone, that we find it to be a very precious stone. The finest rubie is not to be compared to it, for God accounts it as precious as life, and man accounts it more precious; so we leave the Milstone, for we have seen into it, and through it. We go now towards the Church, for that is the way to make the lessons we have heard profitable.

CHAP. IX.

I Should now lead the child from thence into the field: but we have been there already to my cost, and we have been very circumspect there, for we have viewed above, below, and round about us. No more remains now, but that we return to the Temple again, for there we were first; and there we will be last, for after we have viewed that sacred place a little, we shall make towards a sitting Conclution.

To the Church then we go, but we will not go in. Thou shalt peep into it, thrusting in thy head or so, but no further, then as thou mayest discern how neat, and costly all things are there, (so we suppose) no further shalt thou go.

For me to present myself there, or to present thee there, is a matter of eost, a chargeable work, and properly the Parents. We must remember how it it was under the Law; The poorest came not to the Temple, but something he brought according as his estate was, but the meanest something.

That is true, for that was a very [Obj.] chargeable service; But that burden is taken off now.

It is indeed; God blessed for every, [Answ.] hath taken off that yoke. But yet now the shadow is gone, the substance is come, there is that, we may call cost, remaining still, what it is we shall know presently: Cursed is he still, that serveth the Lord with that which costs him nothing; we cannot go to a Playhouse, but it will cost something, and as the place is higher or lower, so must the cost be: And think we then, the presenting ourselves before the Lord in His house, shall cost us nothing? Who made us so familiar? as a great person said to one, who was too bold with him. Look child; behold the place well, go round about it, look in, see the beauty of it. Why all this beauty? It is the house that God hath built for the honor of His great Name, that it is. We must carry ourselves reverently there. If thou dost hear any laughing, talking, brawling there, or seest anymore irreverent carriage, know, that so it should not be, but a Christian like deportment everywhere. Of two extremes we say not which is better, being both extreme naught: But certainly it is a more seemly, a more becoming sight, even a devout and humble superslition, then a profane and bold rudeness, not tolerable in a common house. This, as we said, is God's house. And yet thou must not conceive, that the earth, or stones, or wood there, such materials have any holiness in them, any at all: No, take heed of that vain thought. But in relation, and reference to the great things done there, the place is an holy place; God's Name is called on there, Holy and Reverend is His Name. Tidings of great joy are heard there, the everlasting Gospel, that, by which we must be judged; by which we stand or fall at the last day; This is published there, and made known to the children of men. There the reproach of Egypt is rolled away : There the Lord Christ doth even now at this day, as great things as He did in the days of His flesh; He healed the withered arm; opened the eyes that were shut; made the lame to go; great things these: He doth the same things now: He by the ministry of His faithful servants (He is the great Prophet) doth open men's eyes, doth turn them from darkness to light, and from , &c. Wonders no doubt! works for which the Lord Jesus Christ shall be admired. . And can we think, we may come to Church (we may bring our bodies thither, so the beast doth too) present ourselves there, see all these things done upon our souls, and be at no cost? A bewitching, a befooling thought this. Certain it is, we must remember the Sabbath, we must prepare for it, (as the ancient and laudable custom amongst us did teach) we must retire ourselves the night before, and they with us under our charge, we must sanctify ourselves this night, using the means, the Lord hath appointed, and sanctified: we must take pains with our heart, so aukward and untoward, (this is to be at cost) if we look to see such great things on the morrow; We must never forget, what Joshua spake, (we will fixe upon that Text a little, the Lord fixe it upon our hearts forever: it will clear unto us, that to morrow, if we do any good at the Temple, we must be at some cost to day) we must not, I say, forget what Joshua said; we read the context first. The Lord was about to do great things before their eyes: His mighty Arm would make the waters of Jordan stand upon heaps: the Priests to stand in the midst thereof upon firm ground, as dry as the stone in the street, and some good while they should stand (while the people passed over apace) with a wall of waters at their back, like valiant men; this great work the people should see the very next day; but yet see they might, and not see; see, and not perceive; see, and yet not lay it to heart, unless they would be at cost with themselves, in all the means, and ways of grace, and sanctification: Therefore Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. This is the Text so notable. And the Lord write it in the tables of our hearts, and keep it as a sure word there forever; That we may ever remember it, and do according, when we expect the Lord shall do great things in us, for us, before us, as the turning Jordan back: The turning our hearts to Him, which is in its own way like Jordan when the banks were full: The making our feet stand firm in the Covenant, when the waters of affliction are at the back, and threaten they will run over all; yet to stand like men of war; yet to stand fast, not yielding an inch. When we expect these great cures; these wonderful deliverances; these mighty works; these unspeakable mercies, (call them what we will, so we have them) wrought for or upon our souls, in expectation thereof we should come to Church) which are the opening our eyes,

when I say we expect all this, we must remember Joshua's Counsel, and practice thereafter; Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. This concerns us as much as it did the people of old; if we are not sanctified for the work, it is extraordinary, if we receive good from the work; certainly we must be at cost with ourselves, as the Scripture counts cost, we must take pains with our hearts, so plowing up our fallow ground: else to go to Church is not worth our labor, for the seed there will fall amongst thorns.

There was an old Ceremony in use amongst us, I will not compare it with the new, but I will say it was as harmless, as that we call most harmless. The Ceremony was, To salt the Child at the Church door. I hope I shall never dare to add or take away, to or from God's Will, or Word, so much as one jot. But let me say, the Moral is good, and concerns all together. Everyone shall be salted with fire, and every Sacrifice shall be salted with salt: Have salt in yourselves What is the meaning of this? For surely we cannot salt with fire. The Child can tell us in a word; It is no more but this; burn out your corruptions, purge out your blood, cleanse yourselves from your silth, else your persons will be no fit Sacrifice, not your prayers, nor your praises. Your speech must be seasoned with salt, then so all your services, sure enough. The sum is, we must Purge, cleanse, sanctify ourselves It [Obj.] will be said, we sanctify ourselves! It is impossible. It is God that sanctifies, He purgeth, He doth all, it will never be done else. That's true; God [Answ.] doth all, He doth circumcise, He washeth, He cleanseth, and it is His promise so to do. But now when He graciously affordeth us the means, then He doth, in effect bid us, as we read often;

and look up to Mee, this is to circumcise our hearts, to sanctify ourselves, as when we have salt, (Metaphots teach Children very much) we must rub, it into our meat.

And now my fingers are upon a great sore, a Plague-sore. I will lay it open, that we may see the blood, but all the salt in the parish will not cleanse it out, but, had we salt in ourselves, that would do it. The Reader may wonder now what I mean, a little patience, he shall know presently, and the wonder will cease, I shall tell him no more but what he knows, and everyone will grant: I shall set down the common observation, the same which he hath made, and which I have made ever since I was able to look abroad, and make any observation, which I could do 34. years ago. I say I will set down the observation of every man, who hath his eyes in his head, and can observe to purpose. Then we shall hear some complaints, which the Reader shall believe too, if he will believe his own ears. When this is done, the foundations of all our woe, and misery will be discerned in point of manners, then let them come in for help, that will, and can. The observation is, That at your great Assemblies, where the people meet to serve their God, and expect to see those great wonders (we speak of) wrought there: the Servingmen for the most part, those wicked and slothful servants (do not pardon me, I offend not, nor have I a low esteem of the meanest officer in a house, no, I honor him if he be faithful) these Servingmen, fruitless Creatures, very Cretans, come not to Church, or if they come they stay not: They come many of them, as Whifflers, to make room for their Lord's, and their Ladies, when that is done, their work is done: out they go, you may take them napping on their Coachboxe, or sitting close in a warmer place, with their cup at their nose. This observation is common, is it not thus, even thus? Now we must hear the complaint, there is no remedy. The Lord, and Lady both tell us, their Coach-man is a drunken, that is their English; he brought them to their great friends house; In they went to the Parlour, the servant into the Cellar; when they were to return, there was no man, he was gone they found a Beast in his room, for he was not his own man, he could not be theirs, being swallowed up of Wine, and strong drink.

Do we wonder now? no sure. It were a wonder if it be not so; a wonder if they are not as plague soars in a house, firebrands there. For the servant went in with his Lord, and Lady, to the great man's house, and there he sat by it, till he could not well stand. But so he doth not do, when he goes to God's house, if he goes in, he goes out presently; or suppose he stays there; the polluted himself even then, or a lirde before in the Cellar we spake of, and now if we find him at Church, you find him asleep there. Now he that hath an ear, let him hear; or an hand, let him come unto help; or bowels, let him make lamentations. And for us Governors (high and low, rich and poor, all fall foul here) are our complaints right? can we expect a reasonable service, from unreasonable men? Can we look that these Cretans should serve their Masters, who rebel against their great Master in Heaven? Can we hope, that they should be within command, and walk according to rule, who come not within the verge of the Spirits walk? That they should be wetted with the drops of Heavens rain, who came not to the place where the heavenly dew fell? or if they come, then place, and service to be performed there, then the horse hath which he drives.

And pity souls, our own, and theirs, committed to our charge. Shall our servants be at a loss for serving us? or can we recompense to them that loss with the greatest wages? We must, we must, we are bound to it, being sworn servants to our great Master, we must look (to ourselves first) we must govern our own house, walking exactly there: and then a vile person will be contemned, and he that hath spewed so often there, shall be spewed out. A well governed man, a good Governor, who answers his name, can no more endure such a carcass in his house, then the Sea can a dead corps, it is not quient till it work the dead out.

This is of infinite concernment, let us consider better of it. Can we think, he can give us a reasonable service, who swallows Wine and strong drink till he be swallowed up of the same? That he can be faithful to man, who robs God of His Day, and of His service every day? That he should walk in a way of obedience towards his Master on earth, who carrieth himself presumptuously in a way of rebellion against his Master in Heaven? To think thus, is not to consult with Reason. We must then according to our pattern and rule keep Sessions in our own hearts and families every day, so ordering ourselves and them, as those that walk under that engagement and bond of duty, if we look that Children and servants shall walk decently and in order. We must sanctify ourselves and ours as we heard, and then present ourselves, and them before Him, who is all to us, doth all for us; we must sanctify ourselves today, if we look for great things tomorrow. And so I have prepared the way to Church, which was as much as I intended, and if it be done it is enough, and it may prepare the way to our Conclusion.

CHAP. X.

IN very good time, now we have read our Lecture, and done with our lessons, a we will keep Sessions, but in our own Court. We will take the child to task for his negligence. I said well negligence. Let the Master look to him, and the Parent by all means, he must not scape for his negligence, nor for his willfulness neither. But the Master must be careful, and the Parent also, very circumspect must they both be, that they may discern well, that, we spake of, from weakness, from frailty of nature, and invincible ignorance. A very hard matter it is to go even there, turning nowhere, neither to the right hand, nor to the left.

The Master had need to carry his understanding always in his hand, (so the wisest Master cannot always do, he must do what he can) that would punish a child always for his fault. A fault it is not to miss again, and again, and yet a third time, nay a fourth, as the child may be taught; for he may be in a Maze, and no clue in his hand to lead him out. I am persuaded in my conscience, That if justice were done at this petty point, (so it is adjudged to be, but it is no small point) the Master might suffer thrice for the child's once; for either he informs not the child at all; or if he do, it is the wrong way, and by the wrong end; or if any way, then be knocks him first, his hand going before his tongue; or if together, (which should never be) the hand is the quicker; a great wrong to the weak child. Certainly, we should do at this point, as the Judge of all the world doth, and He doth right: For speaking after the manner of men, and to instruct our ignorance,

and then, if after long patience, He will thunder in His judgments, as certainly He will, yet behold Grace still! He will lighten first, He will give warning, that certainly the clap is coming: He did so, if we mark the Context, even to those Cities, I made reference to. But we look too high at so low a point, this is too high for us! No, I remember Chrysostom saith, and do thereafter. Indeed it concerns men in Judicature more specially, that they proceed leisurely, not like that speedy Judge Ireade of in Bishop Jewel, who hanged • man in the fore-noon, and sat upon him, examining his fact in the after-noon. That other, but an hasty Judge too, for so learned Fortescue calls him, did better then so, for he proceeded and she was burnt for it; but some months after the man servant confessing that his Mistress was innocent, and himself was the man of bloods: the Judge now seeing his error, and the waste which haste makes, weighing withal the fore-mentioned Scripture, sorrowed so much, that he never enjoyed himself after till his dying day. So Fortescue reports also. This, I say, concerns more specially men in high places, called God's in Scripture oftener then Men, That, according to their great example, they consider well before they determine, using all their eyes and ears also, for it must ever be remembered which the learned Knight said;

Nor is this praeter casum, nor praeter causam. It concerns all, then us too, we must in our low way, well see, and examine first, and punish after. Is it a fault, sloth, stubbornness, &c. which we are about to punish? It is: Yet stay the hand; not withstanding we must not thunder yet, The child should smart in a less terrifying way. But if we must speak high, as if sons of thunder, and clap hard too, for so the fault may require; yet we must be sure, that we have lightened first, I mean, we have let a light into the child's understanding, and so set it up there, that he is convinced clearly, that he might have seen his way, and have walked by the light, but he would put it out, and the clap came, he knows now, how deservedly. We must be very careful at this point, for our petty actions now, teach for afterwards, and make great impressions that way. The child will tell you twenty years hence,

Therefore I say again, we must not do, as that light Judge did, command execution now, and call a Jury for examination anon; God forbid; but it is as preposterous every whit to do as many times we do; Thunder first, and lighten after; and most cross it is to the way of heaven.

I shall never forget, for I felt it, That I suffered once, as sometimes children do, for my ingenuity. I mention it by way of caution, as there is need, for I do not think that any one twig fell in vain, so much I honor the memory of my master: I had Iter in my way, and it was my lot to parse it: A stammering boy I was, and making haste fell short a syllable; my Master was as short with me, and up I went. Wise men have not always their wits about them, nor their understanding at their fingers end. But this was the old Discipline; my judgment is utterly against it, but I think withal, in this lazy age, it would do most good: of that anon. To our purpose, instruction, and correction must still go together; but in the same order still, when the child smarts he must learn too; (as was said in due place ) I learned nothing by all my smart, unless frowardness. A Master may teach that quickly; with the froward the child will be froward; that we remember well. I saw not my error, (a great hint to progress) nay to say the truth, error there was none, for as the meanest Scholars know well, It argued more ingenuity, to give the word an increase but of one syllable, then of two, for I was never told, that the old word was Itiner.

I say then, and it is an Oracle, if we would in all cases let in the light first, it would save us the trouble of thundering, and the poor child would on apace, eased of that terror, for it is all the trouble he yet feels in the flesh, as play is his chief joy.

Assuredly the Music-master takes a good way; when he would make the child sing, he will not make him cry, for then he knows the Music is marred. It is so, if we would see it, in Grammar learning; when the child stands quaking, and learns crying; when he speaks prayers, and the Master threats, all this time is lost, no good done, but hurt a great deal. Now the Proverb plucks the Master by the ear;

The sum is, we must go gently, and very calmly on, not blowing at all, when we would set up a light in the understanding, which must first be done. A little puff of wind blows out all presently. The light you set up in a child's understanding is, at first, as the candle you have newly lighted, and are gone with it, by that time you have gone three steps, the candle is out, for you were too hasty, and you did not (as the manner is) shelter it well from the wind, for the least breath doth it. Now we have our lesson, how to teach, and when to correct: we will take this one note with it.

And now I hope, the Child and I are very good friends: all this while, I have spoken to his heart, and to very good purpose. I have indeed, and I have spoken heartily, as he that greatly tenders the Childs good. But yet for all this, he, and I are not friends as he calls friendship. and accounts the shows thereof. Certain it is, I am as great an enemy to his negligence; as any one in the Town; and I have many reasons why I must be so; For, for the most part, such the negligence is, that it checks the Masters pains everywhere: and it is so fostered at home, for the most part, that the Parent cannot think, and think with reason; that the Child will prove for afterwards, either serviceable to himself, or the place he lives in. The Parent must think so as reason must accompany his thoughts, for by that level he must walk; and then he takes the means along with him, conducting to the end. Then we make judgment by the Parents practice in the breeding of the Child, That he looks for no more from him, then that he eat and drink and rise up to play. We have disciplined the Parents house already, but that labor is lost. And so is ours too, I speak as all Teachers would speak, our pains with the Child, for the most part, runs on, as some water doth, to wafte, and all because the Child is not quickened betimes, and roused out of his lazy disease. Some hurt also the Master may do the Child, against his will; he may make the Child careless by his over-much care, yet he cannot abate an Ace of it. The diligent Master, may make the Scholar negligent; nay, past all doubt, so it is.

It is the complaint of a learned Commentator on Isocrates, and certainly he was right,

His master may do all, he will do nothing at all; or so carelessly, that nothing comes of it . Doubtless the best Masters are troubled hereat, and it is the great arrest of their endeavors, as sloth is the Canker of the parts.

I am upon the Irish disease, I know how well enough it is naturalized amongst us. Idleness is the common disease of City and Country, as dangerous, and destroying too. It makes Master, and Scholar all unprofitable, gifts, parts, graces; It spoils all. Worse then a Moth it eats great holes in the web of our life. Nay, more unhappy then an Ape or Iackdaw (I speak to the Childs capacity) it steals from us our very jewels, and besides, it is very mischievous also. Now that we have met with this block in our way, it shall bear all the blame which is unjustly cast upon the Master; and besides, it shall do us some little service, for it shall help us to clear an objeetion: Some there are that call former times to their succors; and so make a party against the present course, the most natural Method that can be thought of; and thus they object.

Obj.

Sol. We will gratify them so far now, as to grant this;

I verily believe it. There is an invincible reason for it. The old discipline is gone, nay that which was but 36. years ago, we have it not now: The boy is grown idle and lazy, the Parent likes it well. But if the old discipline, which so crossed Nature, and a new method, which is (they will call it so, whether we will or no, though) according to Nature, if these did meet, and close each with other; then I know what would be, we should have very good Scholars now: (though we love not comparisons) much good would be done in a little time, whereas little is done now in much time. I am sure the Objection is answered.

Now the Parent may hear how he may be mistaken, though he hath committed his Child to an honest able man; (he must be both:) he expects now his Child will thrive, and prove a good Scholar, and all very quickly, for he knows his Childs abilities are good, and the Master faithful, (he hopes) what should hinder, why his Child should not prove a good Man, and a good Scholar both together? A happy proceeding, Amen, God grant it prove so, even so, Amen.

I must tell the Parent now, what blocks we find in the way, which hinder progress mightily; and if he will not put to both his shoulders for the removing of them, he will fall infinitely short of what he hopes to see. But if he will join his hand to the work heartily, walking by the level of right reason, and according to his rule, he may find his hopes, and reap comfort, all in their season.

1. First then, he must catechize his child, drop instructions into him, whet them upon him, morning, noon, and night; that is the Scriptures Method, and Rule. These are the seasons for our precognitions spoke of and explained before, let that be marked. Now if thus the Parent doth not, what he possibly can do; for, I say again, these are the seasons, and one more, when he walketh by the way, let him believe me this once, a man of some experience here:

when the time comes, it is more then a doubt, he will not find his hope in his hand; If he abate so much as an inch of his proper duty and endeavor touching his child, he must abate also, more then an ace of his expectation.

2. The boy (and girl too) hath naturally a lazy, sluggish humor; Let him do what he will, he will do just nothing, or as good as nothing. or worse then nothing; he will be idle all the day long; and idleness, we have heard what that will do, rather what it will undo. The Parent must purge out this bad humor what is possible, and the sooner the better. Let the child rather pick sticks, or gather wool, then stand idle. If the Parent looks not to this, and doth as hath been said, I can assure him, the Master cannot, for he knows it is vain labor to countercheck that, which is countenanced and fostered at home.

The Master doth but his own task, and that hath been compared long s • nce to the Mid-wives work. We understand that well enough for our use: Then we understand the Masters work; The Master finds that in the child, which he works upon, he doth not put it there, he finds wit and abilities, and nature forward to put all forth, and now the Master, as the Midwife, promotes exceedingly. But if nature be in a Lethargy, (laziness is such a disease) then the Masters may sleep too, and do as much good as talk to a lazy boy. I do not say a dull boy, he never troubles me, he will do well enough, for he minds what he doth; I say a lazy boy; the boy must do his endeavor, else we are at a stand. Why? it is the law of nature, man must put forth his endeavors, if he means to live; God gives us corn, we must make it bread; the grape, we must make it wine; wool, we must make it cloth; wood and stones, we must build the house. Still God showeth us by His works in nature,

It is just so here betwixt the Master and the Scholar. But I am of the same mind I was, The more the Maser doth, the less the Scholar will do, if after the common manner. Nay, I cannot see with reason how it should be otherwise: For the easy gaining of a thing makes us all slack. This extundere, the pursuit after a thing; wich difficulty in attaining the same, whets our endeavor, and sweeteneth it when we have it. That I cry after, and lift up my voice for; That I seek as silver, and search for as hid Treasures, that, that is a treasure indeed, and so will be accounted of.

The easy attaining to anything takes off from our esteem we have of it, and as that falls in our judgment, so do we in our endeavor.

The Commander said well,

and then it would be dainties. Nor did the old Father dote, when he told his son, He left him a treasure hid in a field; the young man fell to digging, &c. but no treasure all that while; yet by his good husbandry, he made the field very fruitful, and that was the treasure the Father meant. I say then, and such my judgment is, I say not under correction And I thank God that so it was with me; for thereby it comes to pass, God ordering it so, that I have been the more industrious ever since; And what a man gets by his own labor is sure, and best pleaseth as we heard. But yet, this I must say also; It is a way I shall never allow, for it is to make the child to serve in rigor, (fit enough for his lazy nature, which will be taught no good, but by a bad method) exacting the full tale of bricks, and allowing no straw; requiring the task, and not making it possible, by showing the way of performance. No; that is petty tyranny, or oppression, no better. I would rather, if it might be, the child were led on with delight, carrying his candle in his hand, and then if he slumble as one in the dark, fetch him up as you do your horse, and let him feel the spurr in its place. And we should do pretty well here, and discipline the child well enough, with the Parents leave also, if the child were quickened at home: but there he is suffered to go on so slack and lazy a pace, that he will not be put out of it by our spurr. Yet for all that, something we must do; else we shall undo the child quite, who is half undone already. The child must know and feel too, (that is his knowledge) that there is a double part in the School, nay in every place that is for instruction, one the Masters, the other the Childes. And they must do each their work mutually, else there will be a vain work. The Master must speak, the child must hearken; The child must ask, as the Master must give him the hint of a question; the Master must answer calmly. And thus the lesson goes on till the Masters work be done. And now the child sets to his work presently, for it is the opportunity of time, he must foreslow no time, to recollect, to fasten that which was said, to make in it a sure word, his own forever; The boy must use all diligence, that doth mighty things, else the Master labors in the fire, and so will the child too, if he be not well instructed withal, that the blessing is from heaven, a thing the child hears little of, but it is all in all.

I said before, till the Masters work be done; It is never done. Something in point of information, something in point of reformation, about the child or himself, finds him work still. Let me say it once for all: The Master may learn much by teaching the child; A great deal of good Divinity from that little thing, which is old Natures right. I know no such looking glass in the world, wherein to see the man's heart, as is the face of the child. Therefore I said well, The Master hath still something to do, either about himself or the child, and when he cannot make the child better with all his care, then his care must be to make himself better, then there is no lost labor. The longest day is short enough for this work; In the winter he must take the night too, and and all too little to do a great deal of good in. which should be his ambition.

The Masters recreation must be with the child, (he will make him merry sometimes, so must he the child, and then the work goes on) I have read and seen an old Grand-sire sporting with his young child, so refreshing his own spirits, and the child's both: Assuredly we may learn and teach both, no fitter way; for as (so I told you) the boy must be serious in his play, (we allow no time for calvish mirth) so must the Master what possibly he can, play in his work: he must do it with all the delight that may be; then it is no burden. But this is the point, He must use diligence, , that he must: And what will that do? strange things, See the omnipotency of industry , said one very ingeniously as he doth all; But then add too, he must be a man of an unblamable conversation, that he must: he walks before boys, they mark; where you would not have them mark; and they understand too much, where you would have them understand nothing, like a sieve, they will let go an hundred good instructions, when but one bad example will stick by them, while they live. He must look to his conversation, he must walk reverently there, else he is doing, and doing, and yet doing nothing, or which is worse, he doth a great deal of hurt. As examples in Grammar (for they are rules as was said) make the quickest penetration into the understanding, so doth the example of the Master into the manners of the Disciple; nay a greater penetration into the life, for the example is lively. It hath been said,

but that distinction was not subtle enough for the Devil, for taking away the bad man, the good Citizen followed for company. Good and bad cannot stand so near together: if a bad man, then no good Citizen, no, nor a good Teacher: he must have the Character of a right Orator, else he may tickle the ear, but never gain the heart, The Master must be a pious man, there is no remedy, for he is the child's Catechism, the child hath it by rote. He must be an exact copy; I pray you let us mark that, and the reason, why? The Philosopher gives it; And it is no more but what the Leper gives us clear intimation of, for if he was half whole, nay three parts whole, and one part leprous, then he must be shut up most infectious; The Master must set anexact copy; his example must be so, even thus. He must pray with the child, he must pray for the child; he must hear for the child, (the child must hear from him again, all that is for his use) he must hear with the child; He must be reverent in his carriage here and there and everywhere, then some hope there is, the child will prove good, and grave also in his season, else none at all.

The Masters conversation is a mould, into the fashion of which the disciple is cast; then I said very well a little before, (all the skill is to practice there after)

I profess heartily, I know not what we can do (no good sure) unless we have a continual recourse to heaven, and an influence thence.

No creature so hardly governed as man, so it was anciently concluded. I say also, it is the tenderest work in the world, to deal with a child. It is tender, man is naturally rough; the child is like it self, slow, the man is quick; the child is as weak as is imagined, very aukward to his business; the man's passion is like himself, strong, and quickly breaks out at the mouth, and fingers end, and then he begins at the wrong end. So then, if we have not continall recourse to heaven, we shall be out, and (as the expression is very full) heavenly wide. We must then be much with God, that He may be still with us, specially then when we are setting upon instruction; for then we shall have matter for passion to work on; therefore we must remember ourselves, so calming our spirits; for our work hath an influence not into the child only, but into the whole Comonwealth; great reason we should importune an influence from heaven. So then we are at our conclusion still; A good School-master must be as a good Bishop, (I am so charitable, that I do not think there is a bad Bishop in the world, for I mean really, and allow the name heartily; and do believe verily, there are degrees amongst men, as amongst Angels; else where order should be, there confusion will be; and I know this as well as anything else, That he is but a man, like an earth vessel, frail, &c. weak) as a Bishop, who oversees himself, there is the chief work, next his own house, then God's house; and then he must be as his Predecessors have been, a man of another world, having his conversation in heaven: such a one a good School-master must be, (how ever they stand in the circumference, they meet at this point) his conversation must be in heaven, if he look to do much good upon earth. Note the example of two famous men, excellent in their time, it is written for our example.

It is said of Bradford, nay I think he speaks it of himself, you may take his record;

And it is an high expression of Bernard Ochin , It is certain this, he hears most, he learns most, he teacheth most, that prayeth most. As it was said of the good hearer, he hears praying, and prays hearing; so it must be with the good Teacher too; he must pray teaching, and teach praying. He that prayeth most, teacheth most: Certainly, certainly, he must'oe often upon his knees, that will promote the child in good: His conversation must be on high, that would carry the child thitherward. And so I am at a Conclusion, which I find made to my hand, and concludes Master and Learner, even both these, for here they must meet, or never meet in heaven. It is a conclusion of universal use, and experience: It shall set a period here.

Now we have gained our point; if we would keep within compass, and order our conversation aright, we must with the Mariner , fixe our eye in heaven, and walk humbly with God on earth; the only means to find out a right way for us and our little ones; a way which tends straight to life, not like that we live now, for it shall never run out to death.