Apply thine heart to understanding. The tongue is an unruly member. delight to hear yourself speak. If you hear a wise sentence, or an apt phrase, commit it to your memory, with respect of the circumstance, when you shall speak it. Let never oath be heard to come out of your mouth, nor word of ribaldry; detest it in others, so shall custom make to yourself a law against it in yourself. Be modest in each assembly, and rather be rebuked of light fellows for maiden-like shamefacedness, than of your sad friends for pert boldness. Think upon every word that you will speak, before you utter it; and remember how nature hath rampired up, as it were, the tongue with the teeth, lips, yea, and hair without the lips, and all betokening reins, or bridles, for the loose use of that member. Above all things, tell no untruth, no, not in trifles. The custom of it is naughty; and let it not satisfy you that, for a time, the hearers take it for a truth; for after, it will be known as it is to your shame; for there cannot be a greater reproach to a gentleman than to be accounted a liar. Study and endeavour yourself to be virtuously occupied. So shall you make such an habit of well-doing in you, that you shall not know how to do evil, though you would. SIR HENRY SIDNEY. All lies disgrace a gentleman. Trust in the Lord with all thy might. A wise man will hear and increase learning. The Lord giveth wisdom. MAN. How poor! how rich! how abject! how august! How passing wond'rous He who made him such! Triumphantly distress'd, what joy, what dread! What can preserve my life? or what destroy? EDWARD YOUNG. Remove thy feet from evil. The Lord is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches. A good man is a common good. DOING GOOD. OW much evil may be done by one wicked man! Yea, sometimes one wicked man, of slender abilities, becoming an indefatigable tool of the devil, may do an incredible mischief in the world. We have seen some wretched instruments of cursed memory ply the intention of doing mischief at a strange rate, till they have undone a whole country; yea, unto the undoing of more than three kingdoms. It is a melancholy consideration, and I may say, an astonishing one; you will hardly find one of a thousand who does half so much to serve God and Christ and his own soul, as you may see done by thousands to serve the devil. A horrible thing! We read of a man "who deviseth mischief upon his bed; who setteth himself in a way that is not good." Now, why should not we be as active, as frequent, as forward in devising good, and as full of exquisite contrivances? Why should not we be as wise to do good as any are to do evil? I am sure we have a better cause, and better reason for it. My friend though perhaps thou art one who makest but a little figure in the world, "a brother of low degree," yet behold a vast encouragement. A little man may do a great deal of harm; and, pray, why Strive to do good unto all men. A good name is the reward of goodness. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Wise men lay up knowledge. may not a little man do a great deal of good? It is down a house. COTTON MATHER. THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM. T was the wisest saying of the wisest man, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Holiness, then, is the introduction of all wisdom, so it shall be the first of my advice. Fear God, and if holiness give knowledge, knowledge will give thee happiness, long life, riches, and honour. Length of days is in the right hand of wisdom, and in her left hand are riches and honour. How exalted a thing, then, is religion, which is the mother of so great blessings, and who will pity thy complaints for the want of any of these, if they be obtained by the pleasure of that which will also crown thee with heaven, an holy life; be pious, and thou art all these; fear God, and thou shalt not fear man or devil, for it will set thee above the reach of fortune or malice. EARL OF BEDFORD. The end of learning is to know God. The wise in heart will receive commandments. Flatterers are thieves in disguise. Flattery is a fool's wisdom. AGAINST FLATTERY. AKE care thou be not made a fool by flatterers, for even the wisest men are abused by these. Know, therefore, that flatterers are the worst kind of traitors; for they will strengthen thy imperfections, encourage thee in all evils, correct thee in nothing; but so shadow and paint all thy vices and follies, as thou shalt never, by their will, discern evil from good, or vice from virtue. And because all men are apt to flatter themselves, to entertain the additions of other men's praises is most perilous. Do not, therefore, praise thyself, except thou wilt be counted a vainglorious fool; neither take delight in the praises of other men, except thou deserve it, and receive it from such as are worthy and honest, and will withal warn thee of thy faults; for flatterers have never any virtue; they are ever base, creeping, cowardly persons. A flatterer is said to be a beast that biteth smiling; it is said by Isaiah in this manner :-My people, they that praise thee, seduce thee, and disorder the paths of thy feet; and David desired God to cut out the tongue of a flatterer. But it is hard to know them from friends, they are so obsequious and full of protestations; for as a wolf resembleth a dog, so doth a flatterer a friend. A flatterer is compared to an ape, Self-praise is no honour. A flatterer is either a rogue or a fool. |