The Practice of Piety

6 Be not proud for any external worldly goods, nor for any internal spiritual gifts. Not for external goods, because that as they came lately, so they will shortly be gone again, their loss therefore is the less to be grieved at. Not for any internal gifts, for as GOD gave them, so will he likewise take them away: If (forgetting the giver) thou shalt abuse his gifts, to puff up thine heart with a pride of thine own worth: and to contemn others, for whose good Almighty God bestowed those gifts upon thee. Hast thou any one virtue that moves thee to be self-conceited? thou hast twenty vices that may better vilify thee in thine own eyes.

6 Be not proud for any externall vvorldly goods, nor for any internall spirituall gifts. Not for externall goods, because that as they came lately, so they will shortly be gone againe, their losse therefore is the lesse to be grieued at. Not for any internall gifts, for as GOD gaue them, so will hee likewise take them away: If (forgetting the giuer) thou shalt abuse his gifts, to puffe vp thine heart with a pride of thine owne worth: and to contemne others, for whose good Almightie God bestowed those gifts vpon thee. Hast thou any one vertue that moues thee to be selfe-conceited? thou hast twenty vices that may better vilifie thee in thine owne eies.

Be the same in the sight of God, who beholds thy heart, that thou seemest to be in the eyes of men that see thy face. Content not thy self with an outward good name, ¹when thy Conscience shall inwardly tell thee it is undeserved, and therefore none of thine. A deserved good name for any thing, but for godliness, lasts little, and is less worth. In all the holy Scriptures I never read of an Hypocrites repentance: and no wonder, for whereas after sin, conversion is left as a means to cure all other sinners; what mean•• remains to recover him who hath converted conversion it self into sin? Woe therefore unto the Soul that is not, & yet still seem religious.