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<DATE>2009-07-27</DATE>
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<NAME>Pip Willcox</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<IDG S="marc" R="OX" ID="A86521">
<STC T="W">h262</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99896245</BIBNO>
<VID>153971</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>SOME <HI>Nece&s;&s;ary and Important</HI> CONSIDERATIONS, (TO BE Con&s;ider'd of by all &s;orts of People) Taken out of (That late Worthy and Renowned Judge) Sr <HI>MATTHEW HALE</HI>'s ACCOUNT of <HI>The Good Steward.</HI> By <HI>J. P.</HI></P>
<Q><P>The Righteous &s;hall be had in Everla&s;ting Remembrance.</P>
<BIBL><HI>P&s;al. CXII. 6.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<P><HI>The Second Edition.</HI></P>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed by <HI>John How,</HI> in <HI>Ram-Head-Inn-Yard,</HI> in <HI>Fenchurch-&s;treet,</HI> and are to be freely given away.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="tract">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD><HI>SOME</HI> Nece&s;&s;ary and Important <HI>CONSIDERATIONS,</HI> &amp;c</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="conscience" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>As Touching my Con&s;cience.</HEAD>
<P>I Have been very diligent to keep my Con&s;ci|ence Clean, to Incourage It in the Vicegerency that THOU, [the great <HI>LORD</HI> of the World] ha&s;t given It over my Soul and Actions. I have kept It in the Throne and greate&s;t Reverence and Authority in my Heart.</P>
<P>In Actions to be Done or Omitted, I have al|ways Advi&s;ed with It, and taken Its Advice; I have neither Stifled, nor Forced, nor Bribed It; but gave It a free Liberty to Advi&s;e and Speak out, and a free Subjection of my Will, Purpo&s;es, and Actions to It.</P>
<P>If&mdash;I have at any time done Ami&s;s, I have not taken Her up &s;hort, or &s;topped Her Mouth, or my own Attention to Her Chiding and Reproof; but I have, with much Submi&s;&s;ion of Mind, born Her Cha&s;ti&s;ement, and improved it to an Humbling of my &s;elf before THEE for my Failings; for I look|ed upon Her as Acting by THY Authority, for THY Service, and to THY Glory; and I dur&s;t not Di&s;courage, Di&s;countenance, or Di&s;obey Her.</P>
<P>When She was Plea&s;ed, and gave me Good Words, I was Glad; for I e&s;teemed Her as a Gla&s;s that repre&s;ented to my Soul the Favour or Di&s;plea|&s;ure of GOD Him&s;elf, and how HE &s;tood affected towards me.</P>
<PB N="2" REF="3">
<P>I have more Trembled under the Fear of a Sear|ed or Di&s;couraged Con&s;cience, than under the Fear of a Sharp or Scrupulous Con&s;cience; becau&s;e I always accounted the Latter, tho' more Trouble|&s;ome, yet more Safe.</P>
<P>I have been very jealous, either of Wounding, or Grieving, or Di&s;couraging, or Deadning my Con&s;cience. I have therefore cho&s;en rather to forbear that which &s;eemed but Indifferent, le&s;t there &s;hould be &s;ome what in it that might be Un|lawful; and would rather Gratifie my Con&s;ci|ence, with being too Scrupulous, than Di&s;plea&s;e, Di&s;quiet, or Flat It, by being too Venturous: I have &s;till cho&s;en rather to Forbear what might be Probably Lawful, than to Do that which might be Po&s;&s;ibly Unlawful; becau&s;e I could not Err in the Former, I might in the Latter.</P>
<P>I have been careful to advi&s;e Impartially with my Con&s;cience before my Actions; &s;o le&s;t I&mdash; had committed any thing Ami&s;s, either in the Nature or Manner of the Action, I commonly, every Night, brought my Actions of the Day pa&s;t, be|fore the Judicatory of my Con&s;cience, and left Her to a Free and Impartial Cen&s;ure of them; and what She Sentenced Well Done, I with Humility returned the Prai&s;e thereof to THY Name; what She Sentenced Done Ami&s;s, I did humbly &s;ue unto THEE for Pardon, and for Grace to prevent me from the like Mi&s;carriages. By this means I kept my Con&s;cience Active, Renewed, and pre&s;erved my Peace with THEE, and learned Vigilance and Caution for the Time to come.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="creatures" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Touching THY Creatures.</HEAD>
<P>I have not only looked upon THY Ble&s;&s;ings and
<PB N="3" REF="3">Bounty, in Lending me THY own Creatures for my U&s;e; but I have &s;ought unto THEE for a Ble&s;|&s;ing upon them, in my U&s;e of them. I did very well ob&s;erve, That there is by my Sin a Cur&s;e in the very Creatures that I receive, unle&s;s THY Ble&s;&s;ing fetch it out; an Emptine&s;s in them, unle&s;s THY Goodne&s;s fill them: Tho' THOU &s;houlde&s;t give me Quails and Manna from Heaven, yet with|out THY Ble&s;&s;ing upon them, they would become Rottenne&s;s and Putrifaction to me; and therefore I ever begg'd THY Ble&s;&s;ing upon THY Ble&s;&s;ings, as well as the Ble&s;&s;ings them&s;elves; and attributed the Good I Found, or was to Expect in them, to the Same HAND that Gave them.</P>
<P>I received and u&s;ed THY Creatures, as com|mitted to me under a Tru&s;t, and as a Steward and Accomptant for them; and therefore I was always careful to u&s;e them according to tho&s;e Limits, and in order for tho&s;e Ends, for which THOU did&s;t commit them to me: 1&s;t. With Temperance and Moderation; I did not u&s;e THY Creatures to Luxury and Exce&s;s, to make Provi&s;ion for my Lu&s;ts, with Vain Glory or O&s;tentation, but for the convenient Support of the Exigencies of my Nature and Condition; and if at any time THY Goodne&s;s did indulge me an U&s;e of them for De|light, as well as Nece&s;&s;ity, I did it but Rarely and Watchfully; I looked not upon the <HI>Wine,</HI> when it gave its colour in the Cup; nor gave my &s;elf over either to Exce&s;s or Curio&s;ity in <HI>Meats</HI> or <HI>Drinks;</HI> I checked my Self therein, as being in THY Pre|&s;ence, and &s;till remembred I had THY Creatures under an Accompt; and was ever careful to avoid Exce&s;s or Intemperance, becau&s;e every Exce&s;&s;ive
<PB N="4" REF="4">Cup and Meal was in danger to leave me &s;omewhat in <HI>Super</HI> and Arear to my <HI>LORD.</HI> 2dly. With Mer|cy and Compa&s;&s;ion to the Creatures them&s;elves, which THOU ha&s;t put under my Power and Di&s;|po&s;al. When I con&s;idered the Admirable Powers of Life and Sen&s;e which I &s;aw in the Birds and Bea&s;ts, and that all the Men in the World could not give the like Being to any thing, nor Re&s;tore that Life and Sen&s;e which is once Taken from them; When I con&s;idered how Innocently and Harmle&s;ly the Fowls, and Fi&s;h, and Sheep, and Ox|en take their Food, that THOU, the <HI>LORD</HI> of All, ha&s;t given them, I have been apt to think that &s;ure|ly THOU did&s;t intend a more Innocent kind of Food to Man, than &s;uch as mu&s;t be taken with &s;uch Detriment to tho&s;e Living parts of <HI>THY</HI> Creation; and although <HI>THY</HI> wonderful Goodne&s;s hath &s;o much Indulged to Man-kind, as to give up the Lives of the&s;e Creatures for the Food of Man by <HI>THY</HI> expre&s;s Commi&s;&s;ion, yet I &s;till do, and ever did think, that there was a <HI>Ju&s;tice due</HI> from Man, even <HI>to the&s;e Sen&s;ible Creatures,</HI> that he &s;hould take them Sparingly, for Nece&s;&s;ity, and not for Delight; or if for Delight, yet not for Luxury: I have been apt to think, That if there were any more Liberal u&s;e of Creatures for Delight or Variety, it &s;hould be of Fruits, or &s;uch other Delicacies as might be had without the lo&s;s of Life; But however it be, this very Con&s;ideration hath made me very Spa|ring and Careful, not Vainly, or Superfluou&s;ly, or Unnece&s;&s;arily, or Prodigally, to take away the Life of <HI>THY</HI> Creatures for Fea&s;ting and Exce&s;s. And the very &s;ame Con&s;ideration hath always gone a long with me, <HI>in reference to the Labour of THY Crea|tures.</HI>
<PB N="5" REF="4">I have ever thought that there was a cer|tain degree of Ju&s;tice due from Man to the Crea|tures, as from Man to Man; and that an exce&s;&s;ive, immoderate, un&s;ea&s;onable U&s;e of the Creatures Labour, is an Inju&s;tice for which he mu&s;t Accompt.</P>
<P>To deny Dome&s;tical Creatures their convenient Food; to exact that Labour from them, that they are not able to perform; to u&s;e Extremity or Cru|elty towards them, is a breach of that Tru&s;t, un|der which the Dominion of the Creatures was committed to us, and a breach of that Ju&s;tice that is due from Men to them; and therfore I have always e&s;teemed it as part of my Duty, and it hath been always my Practice, to be Merciful to my Bea&s;ts; and upon the &s;ame Account I have ever e&s;teemed it a breach of Tru&s;t, and have according|ly declined any Cruelty to any of <HI>THY</HI> Creatures; and as much as I might, prevented it in others, as a Tyranny, incon&s;i&s;tent with the Tru&s;t and Stew|ard&s;hip that <HI>THO&V;</HI> ha&s;t commited to me. I have abhorred tho&s;e Sports that con&s;i&s;t in the Torturing of the Creatures; and if either Noxi|ous Creatures mu&s;t be De&s;troyed, or Creatures for Food mu&s;t be Taken, it hath been my Practice to do it in that manner, that may be with the lea&s;t Torture or Cruelty to the Creature; and I have &s;till thought it an Unlawful thing to De&s;troy tho&s;e Creatures for Recreation-&s;ake, that either were not Hurtful when they Lived, or are not Profi|table when they are Killed; ever remembering that tho' <HI>THO&V;</HI> ha&s;t given us a Dominion over <HI>THY</HI> Creatures; yet it is under a Law of Ju&s;tice, Pru|dence, and Moderation; otherwi&s;e we &s;hould be|come Tyrants, not Lords, over <HI>THY</HI> Creatures;
<PB N="6" REF="5">and therefore tho&s;e things of this nature, that others have practi&s;ed as Recreations, I have avoid|ed as Sins.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="wealth" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Concerning my Wealth.</HEAD>
<P>The more I had, the more was my Care, and the greater the Charge that I had under my Hands, and the more was my Solicitude to be a Faithful Stew|ard of it, to the Honour and U&s;e of my MASTER; but my part was the lea&s;t that was in it: Indeed I re|joyced in this, that my MASTER e&s;teemed me Wi&s;e and Faithful, committing the Di&s;pen&s;ation thereof to my Tru&s;t; but I thought it no more mine, than the Lords Baily, or the Merchants Ca&s;h-keeper, thinks his Ma&s;ters Rents or Money his.</P>
<P>And therefore thought it would be a breach of my Tru&s;t to Con&s;ume or Embezil that Wealth in Exce&s;&s;ive Superfluities of <HI>Meat, Drink</HI> or <HI>Apparel,</HI> rel, or in Advancing my Self, or my Po&s;terity, to a ma&s;&s;y or huge Acque&s;t.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="reputation" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Touching my Reputation.</HEAD>
<P>Tho' I have loved my Reputation, and have been vigilant not to lo&s;e or impair it by my own Default or Neglect, yet I have looked upon it as a brittle thing, a thing that the Devil aims to hit in a &s;pe|cial manner, a thing that is much in the Power of a Fal&s;e Report, a Mi&s;take, a Mi&s;-apprehen&s;ion, to wound and hurt: Notwith&s;tanding all my Care, I am at the Mercy of Others, without GOD's won|derful over-ruling Providence. And as my Re|putation is the E&s;teem that Others have of me, &s;o that E&s;teem may be Blemi&s;hed without my De|fault. I have therefore always taken this care, not to &s;et my Heart upon my Reputation. I will
<PB N="7" REF="5">u&s;e all Fidelity and Hone&s;ty, and take care it &s;hall not be lo&s;t by any Default of mine; and if not|with&s;tanding all this, my Reputation be &s;oiled by Evil or Envious Men or Angels, I will patiently bear it, and content my Self with the Serenity of my own Con&s;cience: <HI>Hic murus ahenius e&s;to,</HI> (This &s;hall be as a Wall of Defence to me.)</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="contemplations" TYPE="poem">
<HEAD>The afore&s;aid Author on Changes and Troubles. <HI>CONTEMPLATIONS. p. 380.</HI></HEAD>
<LG>
<L>PEACE, Way-ward Soul; Let not tho&s;e various Storms,</L>
<L>Which hourly fill the World with fre&s;h Alarms,</L>
<L>Invade thy Peace; nor di&s;compo&s;e that Re&s;t,</L>
<L>Which thou may&s;t keep Untouch'd within thy Bre&s;t,</L>
<L>Amid&s;t tho&s;e Whirl-winds, if thou keep but free</L>
<L>Thy Intercour&s;e betwixt thy GOD and thee:</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This Region lies above the&s;e Storms; and know,</L>
<L>Thy Thoughts are Earthly, and they creep too low,</L>
<L>If the&s;e can reach thee, or acce&s;s can find,</L>
<L>To Bring, or Rai&s;e, like Tempe&s;ts in thy Mind.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But yet in the&s;e Di&s;orders &s;omething lies,</L>
<L>That's worth thy Notice, out of which the Wi&s;e</L>
<L>May trace and find that Ju&s;t and Powerful HAND,</L>
<L>That Secretly, but Surely, doth Command;</L>
<L>And manage the&s;e Di&s;tempers with that Skill;</L>
<L>That while they &s;eem to Cro&s;s they Act HIS Will.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Ob&s;erve that Silver Thread, that &s;teers and bends</L>
<L>The wor&s;t of all Di&s;orders to &s;uch Ends,</L>
<L>That &s;peak HIS Ju&s;tice, Goodne&s;s, Providence,</L>
<L>Who clo&s;ely guides it by HIS Influence.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And tho' the&s;e Storms are Loud, yet Li&s;ten well,</L>
<L>There is Another Me&s;&s;age that they tell:</L>
<PB N="8" REF="6">
<L>This World is not thy Country, 'tis thy Way;</L>
<L>Too much Contentment might invite thy &s;tay</L>
<L>Too long upon thy Journey; make it &s;trange</L>
<L>Unwelcome News, to think upon a Change:</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Whereas this Rugged Entertainment, &s;end</L>
<L>Thy Thoughts before thee to thy Journey's End;</L>
<L>Chides thy De&s;ires homeward; tells thee plain,</L>
<L>To think of Re&s;ting here, it is but Vain:</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Makes thee to &s;et an Equal E&s;timate</L>
<L>On this Uncertain World; and a Ju&s;t Rate</L>
<L>On that to Come: It bids thee Wait and Stay,</L>
<L>Until thy MASTER Calls; And then with Joy</L>
<L>To entertain it: Such a Change as this,</L>
<L>Renders thy Lo&s;s, thy Gain; Improves thy Bli&s;s.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="solitude" TYPE="poem">
<HEAD>On Solitude. <HI>p. 121.</HI></HEAD>
<LG>
<L>LET him that will, A&s;cend the Tottering Seat</L>
<L>Of Courtly Grandeur, and become as Great</L>
<L>As are his Mounting Wi&s;hes: As for me,</L>
<L>Let &s;weet Repo&s;e and Re&s;t, my Portion be.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Give me &s;ome mean ob&s;cure Rece&s;s; a Sphere</L>
<L>Out of the Road of Bus'ne&s;s, or the Fear</L>
<L>Of Falling Lower; where I &s;weetly may</L>
<L>My Self, and dear Retirement, &s;till Enjoy.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Let not my Life, or Name, be known unto</L>
<L>The Grandees of the Times; To&s;s'd to and fro,</L>
<L>By Cen&s;ures or Applau&s;e: But let my Age</L>
<L>Slide gently By, not Over-thwart the Stage</L>
<L>Of Publick Action; Unheard, Un&s;een,</L>
<L>And Unconcern'd, as if I ne'er had been.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And thus, whil&s;t I &s;hall pa&s;s my Silent Days</L>
<L>In Shady Privacy, free from the Noi&s;e</L>
<L>And Bu&s;tles of the World: Then, then &s;hall I</L>
<L>A Good, Old, Innocent Plebeian, dye.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="Holy Spirit" TYPE="sayings">
<PB REF="6">
<HEAD>Judge <HI>Hale</HI>'s Experience of the Inward and Invi&s;ible Guidance of the Spirit of GOD.</HEAD>
<P>THOSE that truly fear GOD, have a <HI>Secret Guid|ance</HI> from a higher Wi&s;dom than what is barely Humane; namely, <HI>The Spirit of Truth and Wi&s;dom,</HI> that doth Really and Truly, but <HI>Secretly,</HI> Prevent and Di|rect them.</P>
<P>ANY Man that Sincerely and Truly Fears Al|mighty GOD, relies upon HIM, and calls upon HIM for HIS Guidance and Direction, hath it as Really as a <HI>Son</HI> hath the Coun&s;el and Direction of his <HI>Father.</HI> And tho' the Voice be not Audible, nor the Directi|on always Perceptable <HI>(or Di&s;cernable)</HI> to Sen&s;e; yet it is equally as Real as if a Man heard the Voice &s;ay|ing, <HI>This is the Way, walk in it.</HI> And let no Man think that this is a piece of Fanatici&s;m, <HI>(or Enthu&s;ia&s;m.)</HI></P>
<P>AND this &s;ecret Direction of Almighty GOD, is Principally &s;een in matters relating to the Good of the Soul; yet it may al&s;o be found in the Concerns of this Life, which a good Man, that fears GOD, and begs HIS Direction, &s;hall very often, if not at all times find. <HI>P.</HI> 45.</P>
<P>I can call my <HI>own Experience</HI> to witne&s;s, That even in the External Actions of my whole Life, I was ne|ver di&s;appointed of the be&s;t Guidance and Directi|on, when I have, in Humility and Sincerity, implo|red the Secret Direction, and Guidance, of the Di|vine Wi&s;dom. <HI>P.</HI> 323.</P>
<TRAILER>[The&s;e are Faithful, Weighty and True Sayings.]</TRAILER>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>THE END.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="7" MS="y">
</DIV1>
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