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108 Lewis Bayly The practice of piety directing a Christian how to walk that he may please God 1611–12 [first extant edition,1613] To the high and mighty Prince CHARLES, Prince of WALES: CHRIST JESUS, the Prince of princes, bless your Highness with length of days and an increase of all graces, which may make you truly prosperous in this life and eternally happy in that which is to come. Jonathan shot three arrows to drive David further off from Saul’s fury, and this is the third epistle which I have written to draw your Highness nearer to God’s favor, by directing your heart to begin (like Josiah) in your youth to seek after the God of David (and of Jacob) your father. Not but that I know that your Highness doth this without mine admonition, but because I would with the Apostle have you to abound in every grace, in faith and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to God’s service and true religion. Never was there more need of plain and unfeigned admonitions, for the Comic in that saying seems but to have prophesied of our times: Obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit.1 And no marvel, seeing that we are fallen into the dregs of time, which being the last, must needs be the worst days. And how can there be worse, seeing vanity knows not how to be vainer, nor wickedness how to be more wicked? And whereas heretofore those have been counted most holy who have shewed themselves most zealous in their religion; they are now reputed most discreet who can make the least profession of their faith. And that these are the last days appears evidently, because that security of men’s eternal state hath so overwhelmed (as CHRIST foretold it should) all sorts, that most who now live are become lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. And of those who pretend to love GOD, O God, what sanctified heart can but bleed to behold how seldom they come to prayers? how irreverently they hear God’s word? what strangers they are at the Lord’s table? what assiduous spectators they are at stage-plays? where, being Christians, they can sport themselves to hear the vassals of the devil scoffing religion and blasphemously abusing phrases 1 {Flattery finds one friends; truth, hatred (Terence, Andria)} 109 Lewis Bayly of holy Scripture on their stages as familiarly as they use their tobacco-pipes in their bibbing-houses.2 So that he who would nowadays seek in most Christians for the power, shall scarce almost find the very shew of godliness. . . . And if the Bridegroom should now come, how many (who think themselves wise enough, and full of all knowledge) would be found foolish virgins, without one drop of the oil of saving faith in their lamps? For the greatest wisdom of most men in this age consists in being wise, first, to deceive others, and, in the end, to deceive themselves. And if sometimes some good book haps into their hands or some good motion comes into their heads, whereby they are put in mind to consider the uncertainty of this life present or how weak assurance they have of eternal life if this were ended, and how they have some secret sins for which they must needs repent here or be punished for them in hell hereafter, Security then forthwith whispers the hypocrite in the ear that, though it be fit to think of these things, yet it is not yet time, and that he is yet young enough (though he cannot but know that many millions as young as himself are already in hell for want of timely repentance). Presumption warrants him in the other ear that he may have time hereafter at his leisure to repent, and that howsoever others die, yet he is far enough from death and therefore may boldly take yet a longer time to enjoy his sweet pleasures and to increase his wealth and greatness. And hereupon, like Solomon’s sluggard, he yields himself to a little more sleep, a little more slumber, a little more folding of the hands to sleep in his former sins; till at last Despair (Security’s ugly handmaid) comes in unlooked-for & shews him his hour-glass, dolefully telling him that his time is past and that nothing now remains but to die and be damned. Let not this seem strange to any, for too many...

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