The Practice of Piety

7 Bestow no more thought upon worldly things then thou needs must, for the discharge of thy place, ¹and the maintenance of thine estate: but still let thy care be greater for ^*heavenly then earthly things: and be more grieved for a ^adishonour done to GOD, then for an injury offered to thy self: But if any private injury be offered unto thee; bear it, as a Christian, with Patience. Never was an innocent man wronged, but if patiently he bare his cross, he ^*overcame in the end. But thy good name in the mean while is ⟨p. 364⟩wounded: bear that also with Patience. And he that at the last day will give thy Body a Resurrection, will as sure in his good time grant a resurrection to thy good name. ⁵If impatiently thou frettest and vexest at thy wrongs, the hurt which thou doest thy self, is more then that which thine Enemy can do unto thee. Neither canst thou more rejoice him, then to hear that it throughly vexeth thee. But if thou canst show Patience on earth, GOD will show himself just from Heaven. Pray for him, for, if thou be a good man thy self, thou canst not but rejoice, if thou shouldest see thy worst enemy to become a good man too. But if he ⟨p. 365⟩still continueth in his malice, and increaseth in his mischief, give thou thy self unto Prayer, committing thy self, and commending thy cause unto the Righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth, saying with Jeremiah, O Lord of hosts, that judgest righteously, ⁶and triest the reins and the heart: vengeance is thine, and unto thee have I opened my cause. In the mean while, wait (with David) on the Lord: ⁷