strict life, insomuch as none at that time did the like, to whom came a voice from heaven, saying, Anthony, thou art not so perfect as is a cobbler that dwelleth at Alexandria. Anthony hearing this, rose up forthwith, and took his staff and travelled till he came to Alexandria, where he found the cobbler. The cobbler was astonished to see so reverend a father come to his house. Then Anthony said unto him, Come and tell me thy whole conversation, and how thou spendest thy time? Sir, said the cobbler, as for me, good works have I none, for my life is but simple and slender; I am but a poor cobbler: in the morning when I rise, I pray for the whole city wherein I dwell, especially for all such neighbours and poor friends as I have after, I set me at my labour, where I spend the whole day in getting my living, and I keep me from all falsehood, for I hate nothing so much as I do deceitfulness; wherefore, when I make any man a promise, I keep it, and perform it truly; and thus I spend my time poorly, with my wife and children, whom I teach and instruct, as far as my wit will serve me, to fear and dread God. And this is the sum of my simple life.*

Serm. xxxiii. vol. 2, p. 737. ed. 1758.

Amongst the reasons which Sir Thomas More assigns for not having sooner published his Utopia, he has transmitted to us the following family picture :-Dum foris totum ferme diem aliis impertior, reliquum meis: relinquo mihi, hoc est, literis nihil. Nempe reverso domum, cum uxore fabulandum est, garriendum cum liberis, colloquendum cum ministris. Quæ ego omnia inter negotia numero, quando fieri

THE SHEPHERDS.

THE Nativity was revealed first to the shepherds, and it was revealed unto them in the night time, when every body was at rest, then they heard the joyful tidings of the Saviour of the world for these shepherds were keeping their sheep in the night season from the wolf or other beasts, and from the fox.

By these shepherds all men may learn to attend upon their offices, and callings: I would wish that all clergymen, the curates, parsons, and vicars, the bishops, and all other spiritual persons, would learn this lesson by these poor shepherds; which is this, to abide by their flocks and by their sheep, to tarry amongst them, to be careful over them, not to run hither and thither after their own pleasure, but to tarry by their benefices and feed their sheep with the food of

necesse est (necesse est autem, nisi velis esse domi tua peregrinus) et danda omnino opera est, ut quos vitæ tuæ comites, aut natura providit, aut fecit casus, aut ipse delegisti, his ut te quam jucundissimum compares.-Mori Utopia, præfatio, pagina, 4, 5.

He devoted the little time which he could spare from his avocations abroad to his family, and spent it in little innocent and endearing conversations with his wife and children : which, though some might think them trifling amusements, he placed among the necessary duties and business of life; it being incumbent on every one to make himself as agreeable as possible to those whom nature has made, or he himself has singled out for his companions in life.

God's word, and to keep hospitality, and so to feed them both soul and body.*

And now I would ask a strange question; who is the most diligent bishop and prelate in all England, and passeth all the rest in doing his office? I can tell, for I know him who he is; I know him well but now methinks I see you listening and hearkening that I should name him. There is one that passeth all the other, and is the most diligent prelate and preacher in all England. And will ye know who it is? I will tell you: It is the devil. He is the most diligent preacher of all other; he is never out of his diocess; he is never from his cure; ye shall never find him unoccupied; he is ever in his parish; he keepeth residence at all times; ye shall never find him out of the way, call for him when ye will; he is ever at home; the most diligent preacher in all the realm. He is ever at his plough; no lording nor loitering may hinder him; he is ever applying to his business; ye shall never find him idle, I warrant you. And his office is to hinder religion, to maintain superstition, to set up idolatry, to teach all kind of popery. He is as ready as can be wished for to set forth his plough; to devise as many ways as can be to deface and obscure God's glory. Where the devil is resident, and hath his plough going, there away with books and up with candles; away with bibles and with beads; away with the light of the gospel, and up with the light

up

Serm. xxxv. vol. 2, p. 769, ed. 1758.

of candles, yea, at noon-day. Where the devil is resident, that he may prevail, up with all superstition and idolatry; censing, painting of images, candles, palms, ashes, holy water, and new service of men's inventing; as though man could invent a better way to honour God with, than God himself hath appointed. Down with Christ's cross, up with purgatory pickpurse, up with popish purgatory, I mean. Away with clothing the naked, the poor and impotent, up with decking of images, and gay garnishing of stocks and stones; up with man's traditions and his laws, down with God's will and his most holy word. Down with the old honour due unto God, and up with the new god's honour. Let all things be done in Latin: there must be nothing but Latin, not so much as, "Remember man that thou art ashes,

and into ashes shalt thou return."*

DRESS.

WE need not to cry out against Bethlehem, but let us cry out on ourselves, for we are as ill in all points as they were. I warrant you, there was many a jolly damsel at that time in Bethlehem, yet amongst them all there was not one found that would humble herself so much as once to go see poor Mary in the stable, and to comfort her. No, no; they were too fine to take so much pains. I warrant you they had their bracelets, and fardin

Serm. iv. vol. 1, p. 32, ed. 1758.

L

gals, and were trimmed with all manner of fine and costly raiment, like as there be many nowa-days amongst us, which study nothing else but how they may devise fine raiment; and in the mean season, they suffer poor Mary to lie in the stable; that is to say, the poor people of God they suffer to perish for lack of necessaries.* But what was her swaddling clothes wherein she laid the king of heaven and earth? no doubt it was poor geer, peradventure it was her kerchief which she took from her head.+

66

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye shall love one another." So that he maketh love his cognizance, his badge, his livery. Like as every lord most commonly giveth a certain livery to his servants, whereby they may be known that they pertain unto him; and so we say yonder is this Lord's servants, because they wear his livery. So our Saviour, who is the lord

* Serm. xxxii. vol. 2, p. 715, ed. 1758.

↑ Burnet, in his History of his Own Times, when speaking of Sir H. Grimstone, says,

"His second wife, whom I knew, was niece to the great Sir Francis Bacon, and was the last of that family. She had all the high notions for the church and the crown, in which she had been bred; but was the humblest, and devoutest, and the best tempered person I ever knew of that sort. It was really a pleasure to hear her talk of religion. She did it with so much elevation and force. She was always very plain in her clothes. And went oft to jails to consider the wants of the prisoners, and relieve, or discharge them; and by the meanness of her dress she passed but for a servant trusted with the charities of others. When she was travelling in the country, as she drew near a village, she often ordered her