Seven Treatises, Treatise 4 · Chapter 17
CHAP. 17. Of the declaration of the ſixth dutie: Of vſing proſperitie well.
THE next dutie to be obſerued, is: that with the ſame ſanctified and ſound heart we enioy all our lawfull liberties and commodities of this life rightly and ſoberly, from day to day, whiles the Lord graunteth them vntounto our vſes: and whatſoeuer croſſes and afflictions befall vsus in the day, (as both theſe are diſtinct parts of our life from the former) that we goe vnderunder them patiently, meekely and thankfully. Theſe two parts of dutie are required, not at ſome one time in the day, (as the firſt and ſecond rules hauehave their certaine time, in which they are to be performed) but (as ſome of the other parts of daily direction) throughout the day: becauſe there is no part of our life in the day, but it is either exerciſed with ſome croſſe or with likelihood and feare of it; or it is free from both, and enioyeth ſundrie benefits of the Lords; or (that which is the moſt vſuall and common caſe of Gods ſeruants) it is mixed and compounded of both: which of all theſe ſoeuer be our eſtate, we are in great danger, if we be vnprouided for it: I meane; if we be not watchfull in either of them to carie our ſelues vprightly, and before the time of both if we pray not feruently with full reſolution to it. And to ſay ſomewhat diſtinctly and ſeuerally of both, (although it be my purpoſe to ſay as litle as I may, ſeeing I hauehave by occaſion ſpoken of both in another place:) of the firſt I will ſpeake in this chapter; and in the next of the other.
It is not hard to vnderſtand what I meane by proſperitie: properly,VVhat is meant by proſperitie. euen all pleaſures and delights, which may lawfully be enioyed of the ſeruants of God in this life, as health, riches, friends, peace, mariage, and all that appertaine thereto, as wife, children, &c. Theſe therefore which are things that a man would moſt deſire, with freedome from afflictions which might impaire the ſweetneſſe of them,Mat. 9.23. Iona. 4.8. we muſt know that it is a moſt difficult thing to poſſeſſe them without great daunger to our ſoules: and therefore the liuing in ſuch an eſtate, as to abound in many good bleſſings of God, (which the world counteth happineſſe) is compared to a ſlipperie way, in the which a man is euer ſliding and readie to fall. Now then,An hard thing to forgo things which we louelove well. to looke to our ſelues daily that we be not hurt, what leſſe worke is it, then as if a man iourneying all the yeare through, yea and all his life long, ſhould be conſtrained continually to be looking to his feete and ſteppes? which thing how vnwelcome it would be and weariſome, if it were but one day, who doth not ſee and perceiue?
Now the caſe being like in this part of our trauell and ſpirituall iourney; therefore that we may be free from the hurt which might meete with vsus herein, theſe two points ſhall be needfull to be conſidered and learned: Firſt,The tvvo generall points of this chapter. how hardly in proſperitie we walke ſafely from day to day towards the kingdome of heauen: ſecondly, how and after what ſort we may do it though it be hard, and how we may grow to the right vſe of the ſame: which who ſo attaineth vntounto, ſhall find no common, nor ſmall eaſe in his life ouer others do, and paſſe by manifold and grieuous dangers which few auoide.
And firſt, although a man ſhould much better performe all Chriſtian duties eueryevery day,The firſt point in this ſixt duty. who hath feweſt afflictions to draw his heart from them, and who hath moſt helpes by peace & wealth, to ſet him forward therein: yet (as men go to worke) we ſee it is cōmonly cleane contrary. For by reaſon of this, that men are ſo readily caried to vſe all earthly things amiſſe, euen to their owne hurt and hinderance, and ſo hardly brought to be the better by benefits; it commeth to paſſe, that it is found by experience with vsus for the moſt part, as we read in ages paſt that it was with men then: that is, the more that a man hath of theſe earthly commodities,Note. the leſſe he is inriched with ſpirituall grace; and as they are increaſed & multiplied, ſo this decaieth and is diminiſhed. And yet I do not here ſpeake of the wicked of the world (as oft times I put the Reader in mind:) but euen of thoſe which go before others in the imbracing of the Goſpell. For euen of them, many are very faultie and blame worthie in this matter: and therefore they had need to be willing to take knowledge of it by the leaſt watch-word, and amend it; and not tary with the world, till they be ſhamed for it and confounded.
Yea, and this is the more to be marked, becauſe ſome of theſe, whiles they hauehave bene vnderunder the croſſe,The greater ſinne, to be vnfruitfull in proſperity, vvhen it hath bene purpoſed in affliction. hauehave bene humble and kept within good compaſſe in their liues, and hauehave had oft recourſe to God in their prayers (as they hauehave confeſſed it was meete for them to do.) But why ſpeake I this? becauſe when the Lord hath giuen them deliuerance, they hauehave ſhewed thēſelues to hauehave bin no ſuch perſons as before, but hauehave ſoone gone from their former care and hauehave kicked vp their heele, waxing wanton in their proſperitie, euen as they were forgetfull of their former calamities, Pſal. 119.67. So that it may truly be ſayd, that few by earthly things are drawne on and incouraged to the louelove of heauenly:In ſundry kinds of Gods benefits, litle good done. Act. 9 31. which yet is the end that the Lord hath in giuing them. If they hauehave reſt from perſecution and trouble, and inioy peace in their daies, how many do with the Churches mentioned in the Acts, take the benefit of it; that is, to edifie and build vp themſelues the more ſtrongly in knowledge, faith and godlineſſe, and draw others thereto by their example?
And if their plenty of Gods outward benefits be ſuch, that they may eate of the fat and drinke of the ſweete: yet how many find the Lords ſeruice more ſweete daily to them, then they find his outward benefits? But they do rather after the manner of others, begin to reſt in them many times and to ſay, Here is good being for vsus: whereas the more men hauehave, the more they ſhould looke that they ſerue him with ioy for all their abundance. And further, if they hauehave time at will, wherein much good may be done to themſelues and others,Epheſ. 5.16. Pſal. 90.12. is this their chiefeſt care to redeeme it to eueryevery good vſe becauſe the dayes be euill, and to apply their hearts to wiſedome, ſeeing they hauehave but a while to liue? Nay, that were too ſad a matter for them to heare of. But numbers of them take vp a great part of the day moſt commonly in the pleaſures and delights, which are by euill cuſtome in eueryevery ſeaſon of the yeare affoorded.
Wherein, for the ſatisfying of them to the full, if the publicke duties of Gods worſhip in the familie (which ſhould be daily continued for the benefit of the whole company) be not neglected oft times, yet how come they to them, and in what caſe are their hearts to the performing of them, when they ſauour of nothing elſe but their vaine, if not vnlawfull, pleaſures? Which complaint, if euer, may now in this generation be made of the better ſort of Chriſtians, and that alſo moſt rightly,Numbers through long peace and proſperity worſe then ſometime. when many of the gentry of this land and others, who had for certaine cauſes iuſtly mouing them, for ſundry yeares together baniſhed out of their houſes the vſe and practiſe of dicing and carding, with ſuch prophaneneſſe and diſorder as accompanieth the ſame, hauehave within theſe few yeares (as though they could no longer forbeare) brought them in againe: A lamentable fruite of their wealth, peace, and proſperitie among many other ſuch. But if it be duly conſidered,Oh vvhat good might hauehave bene done in the time of this long peace. what good might hauehave bene done through our land in this long time of peace and plentie, and how the oportunitie, euen the time of our viſitation (as fit for holy duties, as faire weather for harueſt) hath bene ouer-ſlipped, (that I ſay no more) it ought iuſtly to wring out plenty of teares for ſo great tranſgreſſion.
But I will containe my ſelfe.Riches, one peece of proſperity, hardly well vſed. Our Sauiour ſpeaking but of one part or peece of proſperity, namely of riches, ſaith: Oh, with what difficultie ſhall they who hauehave riches, enter into the kingdome of heauen? If he ſpeake thus of riches, what (thinke we) is his iudgement of them which with riches hauehave many other kinds of bleſſings? with how much ado ſhall ſuch go into the kingdome of heauen; and much more, gouerne themſelues rightly from day to day? And what maruell, ſeeing a rich mans riches are his ſtrong city,Prou. 18.11. and thereby he is bold to do many things wilfully, which he durſt not ſo preſumptuouſly do if he had them not. They are baites, and do often draw his heart to be ſet vponupon them, that whiles they are in requeſt and chiefly accounted of, there may be no place for better things to rule and raigne there, although for ſhame and feare they are not altogether reiected; euen as it may be ſayd of play: Where that is entertained, good bookes are litle red and occupied.
It was the laſt temptation that the Diuell attempted our Sauiour withall (The glory and wealth of the world, I meane:) to teach vsus this, among many other things; That if the other two be ouercome, yet the Diuell looketh to preuaile by this. What ſhould I ſay of the innumerable hurts which euen good men ſuſtaine by theſe benefits and good bleſſings of God, as that they hate one another, contend with and deceiue one another, and make themſelues ſtrangers one to the other thereby: and (which is none of the leaſt euils among other) their harts are ſo knit to them, that they conſider not how they take in hand their worldly buſines, nor how they vexe & trouble their poore brethren (if any fall into their hands;) but go to worke againſt them cruelly, or at leaſt in raſhneſſe, with which nothing is well done. If we ſhould but conſider how they beate their braines about them eueryevery way, who are yet wealthie alreadie, beſtowing all their wiſedome in deuiſing how to increaſe and bring them in, when it were to be looked for,Ioh. 6.27. Mat. 6.33. 1. Tim. 6.6. that the great riches [godlineſſe] ſhould be much more ſought after: If, I ſay, we ſhould conſider this, we ſhould enter into a very maze. By which, and many ſuch like, it may with bitter complaint be lamented (of the which we hauehave bin long admoniſhed:) that Religion in theſe many yeares of our peace, hath brought forth much wealth to the Church, but the daughter hath deuoured and eate vp the mother.
And that this which I ſay, may not be vnderſtood onelyonly of riches, know we that all lawfull liberties do worke the ſame effects, that men, for the moſt part,Pſal. 119.67. become worſe by them, as in the Pſalme the Prophet declareth: Before I was afflicted I went aſtray, that is, when I had my libertie: and therefore this ſhall ſerue to ſhew, with how much ado they which hauehave them, walke daily in a Chriſtian courſe; and the rather, the more variety of earthly delights they inioy with them. Now therfore it being thus, what cauſe hauehave all ſuch as are louers of the truth (whō God ſuffereth to liue in peace, health and proſperity) to be wiſe and wary againſt ſo many dangers, and warned by the hurt of ſo many who hauehave gone before vsus? and to learne how they may not be hindred nor holdē backe any way by their proſperitie; but ſet forward rather, and that many wayes, as it is moſt conuenient? The watch-word is not in vaine and needleſſe, which was giuē to our fathers *Deut. 6.11.: When thou haſt eate & art full: beware leſt thou forget the Lord. But I will proceed. Therefore as I hauehave now declared the one of theſe two points, that is, how hard it is, to vſe proſperity aright: ſo I will go forward with the other, namely how this maybe, that we may well vſe it, that it may be no ſnare nor hinderance to vsus.
And to this end we muſt conſider, how nearely we are knit vntounto the ſame as hath bene ſayd,The ſecond point in this ſixt rule. how naturally we deſire to hauehave all that our hearts do long after without regard, whether it be good or euill for vsus: which cauſeth vsus to eſteeme of all ſuch things more highly then becommeth vsus, and therefore to ſet our greateſt care vponupon them, and to ſeeke to inioy them, whatſoeuer better things we looſe and depriue our ſelues of for them. This inordinate louelove which we beare to any lawfull libertie or bleſſings pertaining to this life, muſt be by all meanes poſſible weakned and abated in vsus, which we hauehave too much through our owne folly ſtrengthened and increaſed. And to obtaine this, as we ſhall be able, ſome perſwaſions I will briefly ſet downe. Firſt therefore, this ſpirituall drunkenneſſe is to be expelled, and the inordinate louelove of earthly things to be weakened and abated by diligent earneſt viewing and weighing, how momentany and flitting all things of the greateſt reckoning vnderunder the Sunne,Eccleſ. 1.2. are; and how vncertaine hold we hauehave of them, euen when we thinke our ſelues moſt certaine and ſure of them. And further, by valuing and pricing them thereafter, as the Lord himſelfe teacheth vsus to do,1. Cor. 7.29.30 &c. Luc 12.15. Prou. 23.4. ſaying: The faſhion or ſhadow of this world paſſeth away. And againe: Happineſſe doth not conſiſt in the things which a man poſſeſſeth; and of riches which is counted the chiefeſt of all the reſt, he ſaith: Why doſt thou weary thy ſelfe to grow rich? ceaſe from thy wiſedome: why doſt thou caſt thine eyes vponupon them? for they are nothing.
The ſecond.Alſo, we ſhall by litle and litle breake off this neare knot of amitie betwixt our hearts, and earthly peace and proſperity, (as well as we louelove them) if we wil ſuffer our ſelues to be perſwaded, how many waies we be in dāger of ſore plunges by means thereof: and that the Scripture giueth them many titles & names drawne from the effect which they worke in moſt men, as that they are ſnares,Mat. 13.22. thornes, choakes, becauſe they intangle vsus, pricke, and hold in and ſmouther the many graces of God in vsus, that they bud not out and fructifie. And ſo ſaith Saint Paul, that they pierce vsus through with many ſorowes,1. Tim. 6.10. being meere vexation and affliction of ſpirit, when men hauehave giuen themſelues after the courſe of the world, to ſeeke what is the ſweetneſſe of them. Few Iobs do know and find out the deceiptfulneſſe of riches, vntill after they hauehave proued it, they complaine too late, and in vaine begin to repent, and ſay: We are deceiued.
Beſides,The third. it is an eſpeciall good helpe to weaken the louelove of theſe earthly things, if we often record, that they are not our owne, but borrowed:Luke. 16.12. and therefore, as no wiſe man reioyceth for the ſtocke of money which he hath borrowed of another man, (which he muſt returne home againe) as if it were his owne: ſo it is ſmall wiſedome for vsus, who are appointed to ſaluation by Ieſus Chriſt, to delight in and ſet our hearts vponupon the things of this life, which are but lent vsus, and may eueryevery day be required againe of vsus: but our owne riches which ſhall neuer be taken from vsus, as the knowledge of God, the louelove of our brethren, ioy and peace by the holy Ghoſt; theſe ſhould ſo ſo make vsus in louelove with them, that the louelove of the other might be ouer-ſhadowed thereby. Thus if we can thinke of all outward commodities of this life, & hauing this iudgement of them, will daily meditate one time or other of the momentany condition of them with vnfeined prayer to God to renounce and forſake our old louelove and acquaintance with them; we ſhould find this knot more and more to be broken, and our thoughts not to be caried after them with ſuch earneſtneſſe and continuance.
And if we could poſſibly thinke what hurt they hauehave done vsus,The fourth. euen our ſelues alreadie (for what vnſetlings from a Chriſtian courſe do we (in a maner) ſuſtaine, but they are one cauſe of it, if not the onelyonly?) I am perſwaded, if we could rightly thinke but of this one thing, we would abate our greedineſſe, and put the knife to our throat, as the wiſe man wiſheth in the like caſe;Prou. 23.2. that is, to reſtraine our appetite. But as experience hath taught, that mens latter thoughts are, for the moſt part, better then the former (as they may well be, ſeeing they come with more mature deliberation:) ſo it may be ſayd with griefe, that when we hauehave played the fooles, by letting looſe our former thoughts to worldly luſts, and cheriſhing of them, we ſeldome hauehave the grace to light vponupon the latter; that is, to digge and weed them out, vnleſſe (perhaps) vponupon our death-beds we complaine, when yet oft times it is too late.
Furthermore,The fift. it would not a litle helpe vsus forward to a ſlight and meane eſtimation of all earthly proſperitie, if we would daily accuſtome our ſelues to muſe vponupon the examples of ſuch, as hauehave inioyed the ſundry commodities as plentifully as any of vsus do, and yet hauehave bene taken from them, and ſome of them in their flouriſhing age vntimely; as leauing to the reſt of vsus, who yet remaine, a manifeſt ſpectacle of our mortalitie, and a warning of vsus to a moderate vſe of them, that we might not iuſtifie the worlds practiſe.
And it is another ſpeciall meane to the contemning of the world (though it go againſt nature) to vſe to viſite them,The ſixt meane. as others alſo in their ſickneſſe (as we ſhall be able) and there marke how they then ſpeake of them; that ſo we may ſee, how litle good their commodities can do them, in compariſon of that good which they hauehave kept from them, and conſidering how greedily they hauehave bene ſought after of them: for one would looke that things ſo ſought,The ſeuenth. ſhould hauehave more excellency in them then eueryevery one ſeeth. And beſides that, by going into the houſe of mourning, we may ſee and ſo be put in mind of our owne death and departure, which cannot too oft be thought vponupon, and which is the end of all fleſh; that thereby we may ſomewhat more like ſtrangers, learne to vſe the world after: beſides the thinking that we muſt giuegive an account how we hauehave gotten and vſed them.
Thus I hauehave in ſome ſort, ſhewed how and by what meanes the louelove of all earthly things ſhall be weakened in vsus, without the which we can neuer vſe the lawfull pleaſures and profits of this life moderately and rightly: this one thing being added, that this aduice be the more carefully and conſtantly regarded, ſeeing the danger were like to be great by the neglecting of it.
And now vponupon this which hath beene ſayd, it clearly and neceſſarily followeth, that if thus we get ſuperiority and dominion ouer our hearts and affections in the vſe of earthly things, then our actions and dealings about theſe lawfull liberties, ſhall be well ordered in the ſight of God and men, to the great quietneſſe and peace of our conſcience: for the righteous is bold as a Lyon. For who doth not know, that as the heart is affected either well or ill:Luke 6.45. euen ſo it draweth the wordes and workes after it, to be like and ſutable? which is the cauſe why I labour to perſwade Chriſtians, to the ſubduing of the luſts and intemperate rebellions of the heart, and to hauehave in meane reckoning and price all things here below, that they may be the leſſe offenſiue in the whole courſe of their earthly dealings. For when we be thus reſolued in our hearts conſtantly, watching thereto, that we (as God hath taught vsus) will ſo farre forſake all, as we ſhall thereby be hindred from following our Lord Ieſus Chriſt in any point of his holy commandements; we are ſtayed from manifold abuſings of our liberties, as wealth, peace, preferment, and ſuch like.
And when we can containe and keepe our hearts from coueting and deſiring any way to vſe our proſperity vnlawfully, we ſhall neither iniure others in any thing that is theirs, nor hauehave our commodities as ſnares, thornes and choakes to ſtrangle and hurt our ſelues; but in the inioying of all bleſſings of this life, ſhall be ſober and fruitfull in good workes, and more feruently longing after the treaſures of the paradiſe of God. Which fruits of proſperity few do reape, but runne into exceſſe and paſſe their bounds one way or other: ſo truly it is ſayd, That as it was in the dayes of Noe, ſo it will be in and vntill the comming of the ſonne of man: They eate, they dranke, maried wiues and were maried, &c. that is, they chiefly regarded theſe things rather then the manner how, or the end why; and more then they did conſider, wherefore the Lord ſet them in this world. And this be ſayd of the firſt branch of this dutie; that is, of the vſing of proſperity, and the lawfull liberties of this life rightly: and how God teacheth his children daily as their ſtate ſhall require, to do the ſame accordingly, as it is one of the duties which is of neceſſity to be obſerued daily of all that deſire well to beſtow the day, and to giuegive a good account thereof at the euening and end thereof.
Obiection.Yet to ſuch as obiect and aske, If I will debarre them of their mirth and pleaſures, which in their proſperitie and through the benefit of their wealth they may inioy, I will adde this briefe anſwer:Anſwer. I wiſh they proſpered in health, ſtrength, earthly commodities and peace, ſo as their ſoules might alſo proſper. And I thanke God I am not ſo enuious againſt the welfare of any of my good brethren, but that with the Apoſtle I can and do pray,Act. 26.29. that they might be altogether Chriſtians; that is, true and faithfull ſeruants of God without the bands or other hardneſſe which ſome other of Gods people do ſuſtaine and go vnderunder.
But ſeeing proſperity is a ſlippery way, it is meete that all ſuch as deſire to be free from dangerous fals, ſhould looke diligently to their ſteps: and ſeeing that our Sauiour himſelfe hath taught vsus that it is an eſtate full of danger, they ſhould not thinke much to be admoniſhed & put in mind daily,2. Pet. 1.12. to take heed that they ſtand ſure and in ſafety. It is not enough, (thinke we) and a great fauour of God, that he giuegive vsus liberty to inioy his earthly benefits, vnleſſe we abuſe them to the fulfilling of our fleſhly deſires? Doth Chriſt allow vsus any otherwiſe to take our pleaſure on the earth, then that it may not hinder vsus from following him by temperance and ſoberneſſe, by humbleneſſe and meekneſſe, the way to heauen? Or doth he beſtow more on ſome then vponupon others, that they who hauehave much ſhould ſet on edge the teeth of others by licentiouſneſſe?
We are called (and that moſt fitly) ſtrangers: to teach vsus, that we ſhould not be medling, nor intangle our ſelues here ſo, as we ſhould be vnready and vnwilling to go home. And that is a right ſtranger-like liuing in the world, and an inioying the lawfull liberties of it, that we be made more fit thereby for the heauenly life, and not to linger after any thing here or cling about it, ſo that we being tied to any lawfull pleaſure or profit we ſhould not as free citizens of heauen be daily ſomewhat nearer it, and readier to go to it. And do we thinke that they are ſuch ſtrangers, who pleade for ſuch a liberty and reioycing here, that their owne conſciences do tell them that they are not willing and readie to die? Are they ſuch ſtrangers, who are priuy in their owne hearts, that their reioycing is moſt for the commodities and delights of this world, eating, drinking, paſtime, mariage, gaine and ſucceſſe in their dealings, &c. who if death ſhould come vponupon them, whiles they are in the middeſt of them, muſt needs cry out and ſay: O death, how vnwelcome art thou vntounto vsus who hauehave our pleaſure in theſe?
It is the Lord that ſaith by his Prophet: Let not the rich reioyce in his riches, Ier. 9.23.nor the ſtrong in his ſtrength, nor the wiſe in his wiſedome: but he that will reioyce, let him reioyce in this, that he knoweth me. And it is our Sauiour which ſaith: Woe be to them which now laugh, for they ſhall houle and weepe: Luke 6.25.woe be to them which are full, for they ſhall be hungry. And againe: Sonne, Luke 16.25.thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleaſure, therefore now art thou tormented. Laſtly,Iob. 31.25. Iob that was deare to the Lord, ſayd: If I hauehave reioyced for that my hands hauehave gotten much, and for that my riches are great, euen this were to deny the Almighty. Therefore know we, that our reioycing ought not to be earthly: yea, as a godly man may not be glad for that he hath much, going no further; ſeeing that were but to be tied to the creature, and to reſt in a broken and a deceiptfull ſtay: ſo neither may he reioyce in any other earthly thing whatſoeuer, but he ſetteth it as well as riches in the Lords place, from which it ought to be baniſhed. Now the heart of a Chriſtian is the Lords temple and dwelling place;Pro. 23.26. and he it is that muſt dwell there, as he himſelfe hath ſaid: GiueGive me thine heart, my ſonne.
That muſt be where the treaſure is: it muſt hauehave no other treaſure in heauen but him, nor any on the earth in compariſon of him. So that it may be ſeene of all ſuch as deſire to be ſatisfied, that God hath not giuen to his faithfull ſeruants earthly proſperitie to naile their hearts to it;Pſal. 73.25. but to proue them, whether any thing be ſweeter to them then he himſelfe who hath giuen it, that is, whether the gift or the giuer be in greateſt requeſt with them; and that all which he giueth them, might be an occaſion to knit them nearer vntounto him; who will yet giuegive much more to them which depend vponupon him: to this end (I ſay) all Gods benefites ſerue.
And I hauehave not denyed in all that I hauehave ſaid, but that it becommeth the beſt of Gods ſeruants to labour for earthly maintenance, that they may be able to giuegive rather then to receiue, and that without any iuſt offence they may do it: and that they ought to acknowledge it for a great merciemercy of God, that he reacheth out his hand to helpe them with neceſſaries, euen here where they be ſtraungers, and to prouide for their bodily neceſſities; and therefore to be thankefull, yea and ioyfull in this reſpect, that they are freed from much care and diſtruſt, and hauehave the way made more eaſie thereby to the heauenly life: for want whereof many of their deare brethren are in much penſiueneſſe and ſorrow. But yet may they not in any wiſe take ſuch ſweetneſſe in thoſe things, that they forget or neglect better: but alwaies remember, that they ſerue to a further end, that is, to ſeeke better; and are not themſelues the end of their hope, in which they ſhould reſt.
And ſo to conclude: it remaineth that we in no wiſe reioyce, nor put our delight in any tranſitorie thing, but with moſt great diligence we vſe all earthly benefites of God daily and throughout our life, moderately. And this is to enioy our proſperitie aright, and to make that part of our life ſweet and ſauorie to vsus indeed which is paſſed therin. And this is that which I hauehave thought conuenient to be ſaid of this ſixt rule, namely: that it is a great part of godlineſſe, eueryevery day to looke to this with due regard, that we moderately and fruitfully vſe our lawfull liberties, and all the commodities earthly of this preſent life.