ns that they have done since they were born. What losing of time it is
to travail about things that no profit comes of. Man ought to travail
only to the worship of GOD, and his soul-health. Thou shalt not deem the
man has lived long though he go with a staff stooping, and be
grey-haired; but deem him so old as he has lived well. Therefore
answered Barlaham to Josaphath, his disciple, when he asked him how old
he was: "I am," quoth he, "of 45 years." "Master," quoth Josaphath,
"methinks thou art of 60 years and more." Then said Barlaham, "Since I
was born has been 60 years; but those years that I spent in idleness and
sin before I took me to this life, I hold as years of death. But all
those I call years of life that I have served JESUS Christ my Lord in,
through His dear-worthy grace." Whoso would bethink himself what time
steals from him in long eating and drinking, in excess and useless
works, idle speech, and idle and foul thoughts, useless jests and other
vanities that men delight them in, he may soothly understand that though
he be old in years, that he has lived little time in the manner that he
ought to have lived; for he lived not to his profit, nor won him reward,
but peradventure pain for losing time.

It were a wonderful thing if the man who gives himself to business of
the world more than he need, had no hindrance in prayer, in rest of
heart, in soothfastness of words, in perfection of good works, in love
to GOD and all Christian men. Therefore, holy men, before now, who knew
their hindrances, they fled the world with all its vanities, as if it
had been accursed; for it seemed to them that they could not live a
righteous life therein; and therefore went they into the wilderness,
where they trowed to serve GOD in peace. Therefore says Seneca, "I have
become more avaricious, and more cruel, and more inhuman because I was
among men."

Three manners of occupations there are: as, various and much brawling;
raking about; and much caring about earthly things. Against much
brawling, Solomon says "The beginning of strife is as when one letteth
out water." "Let the water out," that is, "let the tongue fleet out in
quarrelling." But to the knowledge of GOD or of himself may no one come,
who lets his heart fleet out with much useless speech: for he makes a
way in himself for the fiend. Therefore Solomon likens such to a city
without a wall: "He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a
city that is broken down an