The Practice of Piety

3 To prevent many inconveniences, let me recommend ⟨p. 811⟩to thy discretion two things.

3 To preuent many inconueniences, let me recommend ⟨p. 811⟩to thy discretion two things.

1 If God have blessed thee with any competent state of wealth; make thy Will in thy health time. It will neither put thee further from thy goods, nor hasten thee sooner to thy death: but it will be a great ease to thy mind in freeing thee from a great trouble, when thou shalt have most need of quiet: for when thy house is set in order, thou shalt be better enabled to set thy soul in order, and to dispose of thy journey towards GOD.

1 If God haue blessed thee with any competent state of wealth; make thy Will in thy health time. It will neither put thee further from thy goods, nor hasten thee sooner to thy death: but it will bee a great ease to thy minde in freeing thee from a great trouble, when thou shalt haue most need of quiet: for when thy house is set in order, thou shalt be better enabled to set thy soule in order, and to dispose of thy iourney towards GOD.

2 If thou hast children, give to every one of them a portion, according to thine ability, in thy life time; that thy life may seem an ease, ⟨p. 812⟩and not a yoke unto them: yet so give; as that thy children may still be beholding unto thee, and not thou unto them. But if thou keep all in thy hands whilst thou livest: they may thank death and not thee for the portion that thou leavest them. If thou hast no children, and the Lord have blessed thee with a great portion of the goods of this world; and if thou mean to bestow them upon any charitable or pious uses: put not over that good work to the trust of others; seeing thou seest how most of other mens Executors, prove almost Executioners. And if friends be so unfaithful in a mans life? How much greater cause hast thou