*He, to whom all things are one, who reduceth all things to one, and seeth all things in one, may be stable in heart, and remain peaceable in God. *O God, the truth, make me one with thee in everlasting love. I am weary of reading and hearing many things; in thee is all that I desire. *Let all creatures be silent in thy sight; speak thou alone unto me. 3. The more simple anyone is, the more doth he understand without labour: because he receiveth the light of knowledge from above. *A pure, simple, and stable spirit is not dissipated, tho’ it be employed in many works; because it does all to the glory of God, and seeks not itself in any thing it doth. What hinders and troubles thee but the unmortified affections of thine own heart? Who hath a sharper combat, than he who laboured to overcome himself? This ought to be our business, to conquer ourselves, and daily to advance in holiness. 4. All perfection in this life hath some imperfection mixed with it; and no knowledge of ours is without some darkness. An humble knowledge of thyself is a surer way to God, than a deep search after science. Yet knowledge is not to be blamed, it being good in itself, and ordained by God; but a good conscience and a virtuous life is always to be preferred before it. 5. O If men bestowed as much labour in the rooting out of vices, as they do in moving of questions, there would not be so great wickedness, nor so much hurt done in the world! *Surely at the day of judgment we shall not be examined what we have read, but what we have done: not how well we have spoken, but how religiously we have lived. *Tell me, where are now all those doctors and masters with whom thou wast well acquainted whilst they lived and flourished in learning? Now others possess their preferments, and perhaps scarce ever think of them. In their lifetime they seemed something, but now they are not spoken of. 6. O how quickly doth the glory of the world pass away! O that their life had been answerable to their learning! then had their study been to good purpose. How many perish in this world, because they rather chuse to be great than humble? Therefore they become vain in their imaginations. *He is truly great, that is great in love. He is truly great that is little in his own eyes, and that maketh no account of any height of honour. *He is truly wise, that accounteth all earthly things as dung, that he may win Christ. *And he is truly learned, that doth the will of God, and forsaketh his own will. CHAPTER IV. _Of prudence in our actions._ WE must not give ear to every saying or suggestion, but warily and leisurely ponder things according to the will of God. But alas! such is our weakness, that we often more easily believe and speak evil of others than good. Good men do not easily give credit to every thing one tells them; because they know human frailty is prone to evil, and very subject to fail in words.