Ten Sermons, Sermon 4

Ten Sermons · Sermon 4

p. 401THE FOVRTH SERMON.In S. Pauls Church London, 4. Nov. 1621.

1. COR. 7.24.

Brethren, let eueryevery man wherein he is called, therein abide with God.

IF flesh and bloud be suffered to make the Glosse, §. 1. The Occasion, and scope of the Text.it is able to corrupt a right good Text. It easily turneth the doctrine of Gods grace into aaIude 4.Jude 1:4wantonnesse: and as easily the doctrine of Christian libertie into licenciousnesse. These Corinthians, being yet but bb1. Cor. 3.1.3.4.1 Cor 3:11 Cor 3:31 Cor 3:4Carnall; for the point of Liberty consulted (it seemeth) but too much with this cursed glosse. Which taught them to interpret their Calling to the Christian faith, as an Exemption from the duties of all other Callings: as if their spirituall freedome in Christ had cancelled ipso facto all former obligations, whether of Nature or Ciuility. The Husband would put away his wife, the seruant dis-respect his master, eueryevery other man breake the bonds of relation to eueryevery other man: and all vnderunder this pretence, and vponupon p. 402this ground, that Christ hath made them free. In this passage of the Chapter, the Apostle occasionally correcteth this errour: principally indeed as the present Argument led him, in the particular of Marriage; but with a farther & more vniuersal extent to all outward states and conditions of life. The summe of his Doctrine, this. He that is yoaked with a wife, must not put her away, but count her worthy of all louelove; he that is bound to a master, must not despise him, but count him worthy of all honour; eueryevery other man that is tyed in any relation to any other man, must not neglect him, but count him worthy of all good offices and ciuill respects sutable to his place and person: though Shee or He, or that other, be Infidels and Vnbeleeuers. The Christian Calling doth not at all preiudice, much lesse ouerthrow; it rather establisheth and strengtheneth, those interests, that arise from naturall relations, or from voluntary contracts (either domesticall or ciuill) betwixt Man and Man. The generall rule to this effect he conceiueth in the forme of an Exhortation; that eueryevery man (notwithstanding his calling vntounto liberty in Christ) abide in that station wherein God hath placed him, containe himselfe within the bounds thereof, and cheerefully & contentedly vndergoe the duties that belong therto: vers. 17. [As God hath distributed to eueryevery man, as the Lord hath called eueryevery one, so let him walke.] And lest this Exhortation (as it fareth with most other, especially such as come in but vponupon ccEx incidenti dat documentum generale. Lyran. ad vers. 17.the by, as this doth) should be slenderly regarded: the more fully to ddQuod, vt plenè commendet reiterat. Ambros. in 1. Cor. cap. 37.commend it to their consideration p. 403& practise, he repeateth it once againe, vers. 20. [Let eueryevery man abide in the same calling, wherein he was called.] And now againe once more; in the words of this verse; concluding therewith the whole discourse into which he had digressed, [Brethren, let eueryevery man, wherin he is called, therin abide with God.]

From which words,§. 2. The Pertinency; I desire it may be no preiudice to my present discourse, if I take occasion to entreat at this time of a very needefull argument; viz. concerning the Necessity, Choyce, and Vse of particular Callings. Which whilest I doe, if any shall blame me for shaking hands with my Text: let such know, First, that it will not be very charitably done, to passe a hard censure vponupon anothers labour; no nor yet very prouidently for their owne good, to slight a profitable truth for some little seeming impertinency. Secondly, that the points proposed are indeede not impertinent: the last of them (which supposeth also the other two) being the very substance of this Exhortation; and all of them such as may without much violence be drawne from the very words themselues, at leastwise if we may be allowed the liberty (which is but reasonable) to take-in also the other two verses the 17. and the 20. in sense, and for substance, all one with this: as anon in the seuerall handling of them will in parr appeare. But howsoeuer, Thirdly, (which S. Bernard deemed a sufficient Apology for himselfe in a case of like nature, aaNouerint—me n…n …àm in…endisse exponere Euangelium, quàm ex Euangelio sumere occasionem loquendi, quod loqui delectabat. Bernard, super Messus est.Nouerint me non tam intendisse &c.) let them know, that in my choyce of this Scripture my purpose was not so much to binde my self to the strict exposition of the p. 404Apostolicall Text, as to take occasion there-from to deliuer what I desired to speake, and judged expedient for you to heare; concerning 1. the Necessity, 2. the Choyce, and 3. the Vse of particular Callings.

§. 3. and Needfulnesse of the Points.Points, if euer needefull to bee taught and knowne; certainly, in these dayes most. Wherein some habituated in idlenesse, will not betake themselues to any Calling; like a heauy jade, that is 1good at bit, and nought else. These would bee 2soundly spurred vp, and whipped on end. Othersome, through weakenesse, doe not make a good choyce of a fit Calling: like a young vnbroken thing that hath mettall, and is free, but is euer wrying the wrong way. These would be fairely checkt, turned into the right way, and guided with a steddy 3& skilfull hand. A third sort (and I thinke the greatest) through vnsettlednesse, or discontentednesse, or other vntoward humour, walke not soberly, and vprightly, and orderly in their Calling; like an vnruly Coult, that will ouer hedge and ditch; no ground will hold him, no fence turne him. These would be well, fettered and side-hanckled for leaping. The first sort, are to be taught the Necessity of a Calling: the second, to be directed for the Choyce of their Calling: the third, to be bounded and limitted in the Exercise of their Calling. Of which three in their order: and of the First, first; the Necessity of a Calling.

§. 4. The Generall and the Particular Calling.The Scriptures speake of two kinds of Vocations or Callings: the one, ad Foedus; the other, ad Munus. The vsuall knowne termes are; the Generall and the Particular Calling. Vocatio ad Foedus, or the p. 405Generall Calling; is that wherewith God calleth vsus, either outwardly in the ministery of his Word, or inwardly by the efficacy of his Spirit, or iointly by both, to the faith and obedience of the Gospell, and to the embracing of the Couenant of grace and of mercy and saluation by Iesus Christ. Which is therefore termed the Generall Calling, (not for that it is of larger extent than the other, but) because the thing whereunto we are thus called, is one and the same, and common to all that are called. The same duties, and the same promises, and eueryevery way the same conditions. Here is no difference in regard of Persons: but aaEph. 4.4.5.Eph 4:4Eph 4:5one Lord, one faith, one baptisme, one body, and one spirit; euen as we are all called in one hope of our Calling: Thats the Generall Calling. Vocatio ad Munus, or our Particular Calling; is that wherewith God enableth vsus and directeth vsus and putteth vsus on to some speciall course and condition of life, wherein to employ our selues, and to exercise the gifts he hath bestowed vponupon vsus, to his glory, and the benefit of our selues, and others. And it is therefore termed a Particular Calling, (not as if it concerned not all in generall; for wee shall proue the contrary anon;) but because the thing whereunto men are thus called is not one and the same to all, but differenced with much variety according to the quality of particular persons. bbVers. 7. hic.Alius sic, alius verò sic: [EueryEvery man hath his proper gift of God; one man on this manner, another on that.] Here is ccIbid.foreign, some called to be Magistrates, some Ministers, some Merchants, some Artificers; some one thing, some another, as to p. 406their particular Callings. But as to the Generall Calling, there is ddIude. 3.Jude 1:3foreign, the common Saluation: all called to the same State of being the seruants and children of God; all called to the performance of the same duties of seruants, and to the expectation of the same inheritance of children; all called to be Christians. Of both which Callings, the Generall and Particular, there is not (I take it) any where in Scripture mention made so expresly and together, as in this passage of our Apostle; especially at the 20. verse [Let eueryevery man abide in the same calling, wherein he was called.] Where, besides the matter, the Apostles elegancy is obserueable in vsing the same word in eeforeign. Piscat. hîc.both significations: the Nowne signifying the Particular, and the Verbe the Generall Calling. Let eueryevery one abide in the same calling wherein he was called; bearing sense, as if the Apostle had sayd, Let eueryevery man abide in the same Particular Calling, wherein hee stood at the time of his Generall Calling. And the same, and no other, is the meaning of the words of my Text.

§. 5. A Particular CallingWhence it appeareth, that the Calling my Text implieth, and wherein eueryevery man is here exhorted to abide; is to be vnderstood of the Particular, and not of the Generall Calling. And of this Particular Calling it is we now intend to speake. And that in the more Proper and restrained significatition of it; as it importeth some settled course of life with reference to businesse, office, and employment: accordingly as we say a man is called to be a Minister, called to be a Lawyer, called to be a Tradesman, and the like. Although I cannot be ignorant, p. 407that our Apostle (as the streame of his Argument carryed him) here taketh the word in a much wider extent; as including not only such speciall courses of life as refer to imployment, but euen all outward parsonall states and conditions of men whatsoeuer, whether they hauehave such referencce, or no: as we may say, a man is called to Marriage or to single life, called to riches or pouerty, and the like.

But omitting this larger signification,§. 6. Necessary for all men: wee will hold our selues either onelyonly or principally, to the former: and by Calling vnderstand a speciall setled course of life, wherein mainly to employ a mans gifts and time for his owne and the common good. The Necessity wherof whilest we mention, you are to imagine not an absolute and positiue, but a conditionall and suppositiue necessity. Not as if no man could be without one de facto, (daily experience in these dissolute times manifesteth the contrary:) but because de jure no man should be without one. This kind of Calling is indeede necessary for all men: But how? Not as a necessary thing ratione termini, so as the want thereof would be an absolute impossibility: but virtute praecepti, as a necessary duty, the neglect whereof would be a grieuous and sinfull enormitie. He that will doe that which he ought, and is in conscience bound to doe; must of necessity liue in some Calling or other. That is it we meane by the Necessity of a Calling. And this Necessity we are now to proue.

And that First, from the Obedience we owe to eueryevery of Gods Ordinances;§. 7. in respect 1. of the Ordinance, and the Account wee must render for eueryevery of Gods Gifts. Amongst p. 408those ordinances this is one, and one of the first; that aaGen. 3.19.Gen 3:19in the sweate of our faces eueryevery man of vsus should eate our bread, Gen. 3. The force of which Precept, let none thinke to auoyde by a quirke: that forsooth it was layed vponupon Adam after his transgression, rather as a Curse, which he must endure; than as a Duty, which he should performe. For first; as some of Gods Curses (such is his goodnesse) are Promises as well as Curses; as is that of the bbGen. 3.15.Gen 3:15Enmity betweene the Womans seede and the Serpents: so some of Gods Curses (such is his Iustice) are Precepts as well as Curses; as is that of the ccGen. 3.16: Eph. 5.22. Col. 3.18. 1. Tim. 2.11. &c.Gen 3:16Eph 5:22Col 3:181 Tim 2:11Womans subjection to the Man. This of eating our bread in the sweate of our face, is all the three: it is a Curse; it is a Promise; it is a Precept. It is a Curse; in that God will not suffer the Earth, to affoord vsus bread, without our sweate. It is a Promise; in that God assureth vsus, wee shall hauehave bread for our sweate. And it is a Precept too; in that God enioyneth vsus, if wee will hauehave bread, to sweate for it. Secondly; although it may not be gainsayed, but that that injunction to Adam was giuen as a Curse; yet the substance of the injunction was not the thing wherein the Curse did formally consist. Herein was the Curse: that whereas before the fall, the taske which God appointed man was with ddNon erat laboris afflictio, sed exhilaratio voluntatis. Augustin. 8. de Gen. ad lit. 8. —non labore seruili, sed honestâ animi voluptate. Ibid. c. 9.pleasure of body and content of mind, without sweate of brow or brayne; now after the fall he was to toyle and forecast for his liuing, with eeSore trauell. Eccl. 1.13. Great trauell, and a heauy yoake, Sirac. 40.1.Eccl 1:13care of mind and trauell of body, with **Eccl 12.12.Eccl 12:12wearinesse of flesh and eeEccl. 1.14.17.Eccl 1:14Eccl 1:17vexation of spirit. But as for the substance of the injunction, which is, that eueryevery man should hauehave p. 409somewhat to doe, wherein to bestow himselfe and his time and his gifts, and whereby to earne his bread: in this it appeareth not to hauehave bin a Curse, but a Precept of diuine institution; that Adam, in the time and state of Innocency, before he had deserued a Curse, was yet enjoyned his taske, ffGen. 2.15.Gen 2:15to dresse and to keepe the garden. And as Adam liued himselfe, so he bred vp his children. His two first borne, though heires apparant of all the world, had yet their peculiar employments; the one in ggGen. 4.2.Gen 4:2tillage, the other in pasturage. And as many since, as hauehave walked orderly, hauehave obserued Gods Ordinance herein; hhEph. 4.28.Eph 4:28working with their hands the thing that is good in some kind or other: those that hauehave set themselues in no such good way, our Apostle elsewhere justly blaming as iiforeign 2 Thes. 3.6.11.2 Thess 3:62 Thess 3:11inordinate, or disorderly walkers. And how can such disorderly ones hope to finde approueance in the sight of our God, who is a God of order? He commandeth vsus to liue in a Calling: and woe to vsus, if we neglect it.

But say there where no such expresse Command for it: the very distribution of Gods gifts were enough to lay vponupon vsus this necessity.§. 8. and Gifts of God; Where God bestoweth, he bindeth: and to whom any thing is aaLuk. 12.48.Luke 12:48giuen, of him something shall be required. The inference is stronger, than most are aware of; from the Ability to the Duty, from the Gift to the Worke, from the Fitting to the Calling. Obserue how this Apostle knitteth them together at the 17. verse, [bbVers. 17. hîc. As God hath distributed to eueryevery man, as the Lord hath called eueryone, so let him walke.] God hath distributed to eueryevery man some proper gift, or p. 410other: and therefore eueryevery man must glorifie God in some peculiar Calling, or other. And in Eph. 4. hauing alleaged that of the Psalme, ccPsal. 68.18.Ps 68:18He gaue gifts vntounto men; immediately he inferreth,ddEph. 48. &c. He gaue some Apostles, some Prophets &c. as giuing vsus to vnderstand, that for no other end God did bestow vponupon some Apostolicall, vponupon others Propheticall, vponupon others gifts in other kinds, but that men should imploy them some in the Apostolicall, some in the Propheticall, some in eeDeus & Natura nihil faci…t f…ustà.Offices and Callings of other kinds. And if we confesse, that Nature doth not, wee may not thinke the God of Nature doth bestow abilities, whereof hee intendeth not vse: for that were to bestow them ffFrustra est potentia, quae non perducitur in actum.in vaine. Sith then he bestoweth gifts and graces vponupon eueryevery man some or other, and none in vaine; let eueryevery man take heed that he receiue them not in vaine: let eueryevery man beware of ggLuk. 19.20.Luke 19:20napkining vp the talent, which was deliuered him to trade withall: Let all, hh1 Pet. 4.10.1 Pet 4:10as eueryevery one hath receiued the gift, euen so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold graces of God. The manifestation of the spirit being giuen to eueryevery man ii1 Cor. 12.7.1 Cor 12:7to profit withall; he that liueth vnprofitably with it, and without a Calling, abuseth the intent of the giuer, and must answer for his abuse.

§. 9. 2. of eueryevery mans selfe;Secondly, the Necessity of a Calling is great, in regard of a mans selfe: and that more wayes than one. For man being by nature actiue, so as he cannot be long, but he must be doing: hee that hath no honest vocation to busie himselfe in, that hath nothing of his owne to doe, must needs from doing p. 411nothing proceede to doing naught. That saying of Cato was subscribed by the wiser Heathens as anaaCatonis oraecul um, quo nihil verius. Colum. 11. de re iust 1.Oracle, Nihil agendo male agere disces. bbSyrac. 33.28.Idlenesse teacheth much euill, saith the wise son of Syrac: nay all kind of euil, as some copies hauehave it. It hath an eare open to eueryevery extrauagant motion; it giueth entertainment to a thousand sinfull fancies; it exposeth the soule to all the assaults of her Ghostlyccforeign. Ex Soph. Stob. Serm. 28.enemies: & whereas the Deuills grea…est businesse is, to tempt othermen; the idle mans only businesse is to tempt the Deuil. Experience of all histories & times sheweth vsus, what aduantages the Deuil hath won vponupon Godly and industrious men otherwise, (as vponupon Dauid in the matter of Vriah, & many others) only by watching the opportunity of their idle houres, & plying them with suggestions of noysome lusts, at such times, as they had giuen themselues but some little intermission more than ordinary, from their ordinary employments. How wil he not then lead captiue at his pleasure those, whose whole liues are nothing else but a long Vacation, & their whole care nothing but to make vp a ddNos numerus sumus, & fruges consumere nati. Horat. 1. Epist. 2.number, & to wast the good creatures of God? There is no readier sanctuary for thee then, good Christian, when the Deuill pursueth thee, than to betake thy selfe at once to prayer, and to the eeres age, tutus cris. Ouid. de remed.workes of thy Calling: fly thither, and thou art safe, as in a Castle. Non licet is a very good, and proper, and direct answer, when the Deuill would tempt thee to sinne; it is euill, and I may not doe it: but yet Non vacat is the stronger answer and surer; I am busie, and I cannot doe it. That giueth him scope to reply; and p. 412it is not safe to hold argument with the Deuill vponupon any termes: he is a cunning Sophister, and thou maist be circumuented by a subtilty before thou art aware. But this stubborne and blunt answer cutteth off all reply; and dishearteneth the Tempter for that time.ffHieron. ad. Rusticum. Tom. 1. Epist. 4 It was S. Hieromes aduice to his friend; Semper boni aliquid operis facito, vt Diabolus te semper inueneat occupatum: Be alwayes doing something, that the Deuill may neuer find thee at leysure. There is no crosse, no holy-water, no Exorcisme so powerfull to driue away, and to conjure downe the Fiend; as employment is, and faithfull labour in some honest Calling.

§. 10. 3. of Iustice; the Idle person being a thiefeThirdly, Life must be preserued, Families maintained, the poore relieued: this connot bee done without Bread, for that is the aaLevit. 26.26.Lev 26:26staffe of life: and Bread cannot be gotten, or not honestly, but in a Lawfull vocation or Calling. Which who euer neglecteth, is in very deede no better, than a very bbforeign. Phocylides. foreign. Chrys. in Eph. Hom. 2.theife: the Bread hee eateth he cannot call his owne. cc2 Thes. 3.11.12.2 Thess 3:112 Thess 3:12We heare, saith S. Paul writing to the Thessalonians, that there are some among you that walke inordinately, and worke not at all, but are busie bodies: Them therefore that are such, wee command and exhort by our Lord Iesus Christ, that they worke with quietnesse, and eate their owne bread. As if it were not their owne bread, if not gotten with the worke of their owne hands, and in the sweate of their owne faces. And againe writing to the Ephesians, ddEph. 4.28.Eph 4:28Let him, that stole, steale no more: but rather let him labour &c. If he will not steale, he must labour; and if he doe not labour, hee doth steale: steale p. 413from himselfe, steale from his Family, steale from the Poore.

He stealeth from himself, §. 11. to himselfe,& so is a kind of Pelo de se. Spend he must: and if there be no gettings to repaire what is spent, the stocke wil shrinke and wast, and aaforeign. Hesiod. in foreign.beggary will be the end. God hath ordained Labour as the Proper meanes whereby to obtaine the good things of this life: without which, as there is no promise, so ordinarily there is no performance of those blessings of Plenty and Sufficiency. God hath a bountifull hand; bbPsal. 145.16.Ps 145:16he openeth it, and filleth all things liuing with plenteousnesse: but vnlesse we hauehave a diligent hand, wherewith to receiue it, we may starue. ccQui vitat molam, vitat farinam. Adag.No mill, we say, no meale. And he that by the sloath of his hands disfurnisheth himselfe of the meanes of getting, he is as neere of kin to a waster as may be; (they may call ddProu. 18.9.Prov 18:9Brothers:) and it is but just, if Gods curse light vponupon him, and that he hath, and bring him to want, it to nothing.

He stealeth also from his Family, §. 12. to his family,which should eate the fruite of his labours. The painefull housewife; see, in what a happy case her husband is, and her children, and her seruants, and all that belong to her. They aaProu. 31. vers. 15 21.27.28.Prov 31:15are not affraid of hunger, or cold, or any such thing: they are well fed, and well clad, and carefully looked vntounto. Her husband praiseth her, and her seruants: and her children, when they hauehave kneeled downe, and asked her blessing, arise vp, and call her blessed. Prou. 31. But the idle man, that for want of a course to liue in, empouerisheth himselfe, and his family, whom hee is bound to p. 414maintaine; is a burden to his friends, an eye-sore to his kindred, the shame of his name, the ruine of his house, and the bane of his posteritie. He bequeatheth misery to his off-spring instead of plenty: they that should fare the better for him, are vndone by him: and he that should giuegive his children Gods blessing and his, pulleth vponupon himselfe Gods curse and theirs. bb1 Tim. 5.8.1 Tim 5:8If any prouide not for his owne, and specially for those of his owne house, hee hath denied the faith, and is in that respect euen worse than an Infidel. 1. Tim. 5.8. The very Infidels take themselues bound to this care: Let not him that professeth the faith of Christ, by his supine carelesenesse this way, justifie the Infidel, and deny the Faith.

§. 13. and to the Poore;He stealeth also, (which is the basest theft of all) from the poore: in robbing them of that reliefe, which he should minister vntounto them out of his honest gettings; the ouerplus wherof is their proper reuenew. The good houswife, of whom we heard something already out of the 31. of the Prouerbs, aaProu. 31. vers. 13.Prov 31:13seeketh wooll and flaxe, bbvers. 19.layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaffe. But cui bono, and to what end, and for whose sake, all this? Not only for her self, ccvers. 22.to make her couerings of tapestry, t…ough that also, nor yet only for his houshold ddvers. 21.to cloath them in Scarlet, though that also: but withall that she might hauehave somewhat in her hands eevers. 20.to reach out to the poore and needy; like another Dorcas, to make ffAct. 9.39.Acts 9:39coates and garments for them, that ggIob. 31.20.Job 31:20their loynes might blesse her: so eueryevery man should be painfull and carefull, to get some of the things of this earth by his faithfull labour; not p. 415as a foolish worldling, to make a Mammon of it; but as a wise Steward, to hhLuk. 16.9.Luke 16:9make him friends with it. So iiRom. 12.13.Rom 12:13distributing it to the necessities of the poore Saints, that it may redound also vponupon the by to his owne aduantage: whilest sowing to them temporall things, the comfort of his Almes, he reapeth in recompence of it their spirituall things, the benefit of their Prayers. S. Paul exhorteth the Ephesians by word of mouth, (and it was the very close of his solemne farewell, when hee tooke his last leaue of them, and should see their face no more;) that kkAct. 20.34.35.Acts 20:34Acts 20:35by their labour they ought to support the weake, and minister to the necessities of others; remembring the words of the Lord Iesus, how hee sayd, It is more blessed to giuegive than to receiue. And after his departure, he thought it needefull for him to put them in mind of the same duty once againe by letter; llEphes. 4.28.Eph 4:28Let him that stole, steale no more, but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing, that is good, that he may hauehave to giuegive to him that needeth. Lay all this, that I hauehave now last said, together; and say if you know a verier thiefe than the Idle person? that stealeth from himself, and so is a foolish thiefe; stealeth from his family and friends, and so is an vnnaturall thiefe; stealeth from the poore, and so is a base thiefe.

Fourthly, and lastly:§. 14. 4. of the Common-wealth. a Calling is necessary in regard of the Publike. God hath made vsus aaforeign. Arist. 1. Polit. 2.sociable creatures; contriued vsus into pollicies, and societies and common-wealths; made vsus bbMembra sumus corporis magni. Senec. Epist. 93.fellow members of one body, and ccRom. 12.5.Rom 12:5eueryevery one p. 416anothers members. As therefore wee are not ddNon nobis solum natisimus: sed partem atria, partem parentes &c. Cic. ex Platonis Epist. 9. In commune nati sumus. Senec. Epist. 9….borne, so neither must we liue, to and for our selues alone: but our parents, and friends, and acquaintance, nay eueryevery man of vsus hath a kind of right and interest in eueryevery other man of vsus; and our eeforeign Arist 8. Polit. 1.Countrey and the Common-wealth in vsus all. And as in the artificiall body of a Clocke, one wheele moueth another, and each part giueth and receiueth helpe to and from other; and as in the naturall body of a Man, consisting of many members, all the members ffRom. 12.4.Rom 12:4hauehave not the same office, (for that would make a confusion,) yet there is no member in the body so meane or small, but hath its proper faculty, function and vse, whereby it becommeth vsefull to the whole body, and helpefull to its fellow-members in the body: so should it be in the Ciuill body of the State, and in the Mysticall body of the Church. EueryEvery man should conferre aliquid in publicum, put-to his helping hand to aduance the common good, employ himselfe some way or other, in such sort, as hee may be ggforeign. Arist. 8. Pol…t. 3.seruiceable to the whole body, and profitable to his fellow-members in the body. For which reason, the ancient renowned Common-wealths were so carefull to ordaine, that no man should liue but in some profession; and to take district examination who did otherwise; and to punish them, some with fasting, some with infamy, some with banishment, yea and some with death. The care of the Indians, Egyptians, Athenians, and others herein; hhSee Valer. Max. 2.6. Patric. 1. de Rep. 8. Cassan. 11. Catal. glor. consid. 1.Historians relate, and I omit. It were to be wished that Christian Common-wealths would take some greater p. 417care, if but from their example, to rid themselues of such vnnecessary burdens, as are good for nothing but to deuoure the fruites of the land; and either force these ii—foreign. Hesiod. in —foreign. Plat. Polit 8.droanes to take paynes for their liuing, or else thrust them out of the hiues for their Idlenesse.

Which course if it were taken;§. 15. A just reproofe of idle what would become of many thousands in the world, quibus anima pro sale, who like Swine liue in such sensuall and vnprofitable sort, as we might well doubt whether they had any liuing soules in their bodies at all or no, were it not barely for this one argument, that their bodies are a degree sweeter than carrion? I meane all such, of what ranke and condition soeuer they be, as for want of a Calling mispend their precious time, bury their masters talent, waste Gods good creatures, and weare away themselues in idlenesse, without doing good to themselues, to their friends, to humane society. Infinite is the number of such aa—foreign Homer. Iliad. 6. —foreign. Plat. in Theat.vnprofitable burdens of the earth: but there are amongst other, three sorts of them especially, whereof the world ringeth, and such as a man that hath to speake of this argument can scare balke without some guilt of vnfaithfulnesse. It is no matter how you ranke them, for there is neuer a better of the three. And therefore take them hand ouer head as they come: they are Monkes, Gallants, and Roagues.

First, those foreign,aaTit. 1.….Titus 1 Euill beasts, slow bellyes; p. 418stall-fed Monkes and priers ▪ §. 16. 1. Monkes with the limitation.who … m…ed vp in their Cell: and Cloystere, like Beares in a fr…n…e, pining themselue: into La…d, and beating downe their bodies till their girdles crack…. I quarrell not the first institution and Originall of these kind of men: which was then e…cusably good, the condition of those … considered; and might yet bee tolerably followed euen in these times, if those grosse superstition: and foule abuses which in processe of time hauehave adhered, and are by long and vniuersall custome growne almost essentiall thereunto, could be fairely remoued. But Monkery was not then that thing, which it is now. There was not then that opinion of sanctity and perfection, in the choyse; that imposition of vnl…wfull, vnnaturall, and to some men impossible vowes, in the Entrance; that clogge of ridiculous habits and ceremonies and regular irregular obseruances, in the vse; that heauie not of Apostacy vponupon such as altered their course, in the loose: all which now there are. Those by their fastings, and watchings, and deuotions, and charity, and learning, and industrie, and temporance, and vnaffected austeritie, and strictnesse of life, wonne from many of the ancient Fathers (as appeareth in their writings) ample and large testimonies of their vertue and pietie. And that most deseruedly: although their willingnesse, (out of a zealous desire to excite others to the imitation of their vertues,) to set forth their praises in the highest Panegyrick straines, they could, drew from their pens now and then such p. 419hyperbolicall …xcesses in ma…s loq…ena…, as ga… occasion to those … in after ages, which they then neuer dreamed of. … those Man…e… of old… so good, so god…y. Whereas these …of …, by their affected … habits, and gestures, and rule… ; by …eir grosse and dull ignorance; by their in …, though pretending humilitie, and their more …an Pharisa… call ouerlooking of others; by t…eir insa…iable a…arice, and palpable art: of getting i…to their hands the farrest of the earth, and th… vnderunder colour of Religion, and pretences of pouerty; by their sensuall wallowing in all ease and idlene…e and fulnesse of bread, and (the fruites of these in abominable and prodigeous filthinesse and luxury: became as Prouerbs and as by-words in the mo…ths and pens of men of all sorts. No sober writer almost of any note, euen in those darker times, but noted and bewailed the corrupt est…e of the Church and Clergy in that behalfe: for by this time, you must know, these droanes had thr…st themselues, against all reason and common sense, into the ranke of Church-men, and shrouded themselues vnderunder the title of the Clergy. Di…ers godly and learned men …wrote against the abuse…, desired a reformation, laboured to hauehave mon…ery reduced, if not to their first institution there seemed to be little hope of that, things were so farre out of course;) yet at leastwise to some tolerable expression of it. The Poet: wanted no sport the while; who made themselues bitterly merry with descanting vponupon the leane …, and the p. 420ddO Monachi, vestri stomachi, sunt amphora Bacchi, &c.fat paunches of these lasie gullings: there was flesh-hould enough for the riming Satyrists, & the wits of those times, whereon to fasten the sorest and the strongest teeth they had.

§. 17. and explication.Not to insist vponupon other differences; that which concerneth the point we hauehave in hand, argueth a manifest and wide declination in these kind of men from their primitiue puritie. The ancient Monks liued vponupon the labour of their hands: & thereby not only maintained themselues, (which they might doe with a verie little in that course of abstinence and austeritie wherein they liued) but relieued manie others, and did manie pious and charitable workes, out of that they had earned with their fingers. And when about S. Augustines and S. Hieroms times, Monkes began to relish ease, and vnderunder pretence of reading & prayer to leaue off working, and to liue vponupon the sweate of other mens browes; both those good Fathers misliked it: S. Hierome to aaAegyptiorum monasteria hunc ordinem teneat, vt nullum absque operis labore suscipiant. Hieron. Tom. 1. Epist. 4Rusticus alleaging the laudable custome of the Monasteries in Aegypt, which admitted none to be Monkes but with expresse condition of labour; and S. Augustine in a iust bbTom. 3. libro de opere Monachorum.Treatise opposing it not without some bitternesse, rebuking them as contumacious & peeuishly ccQui autem se dicunt vacare lectioni, nonne illic inueniunt quod praecipit Apostolus? Quae est ista ergo peruersitas, lectioni nolle obtemperare, dum vult ei vacare; &, vt quod bonum est diutiùs legatur, ideo facere nolle quod legitur. c. 17. ibi.peruerse, who reading in the Scriptures, that he that will not labour should not eate, do yet resist the Apostles admonition, and vnderunder pretence that they may hauehave leisure to reade, refuse to obey what they doe reade. But ease is ddforeign. Eurip. in Hipp. coron.pleasing to flesh and bloud; and will not bee easily wrung from those that hauehave anie while giuen themselues to p. 421it; especially when it can pretend the face and colour of Religion. So that for all this the humour still encreased, and spred; till at the length there grew whole Orders of disorderly Mendicants, begging runnagate Friers: who by their affected pouertie diuerting the Charitie of well-minded people from those that were truely poore, enriched themselues with the spoyles of the poore; and vnderunder colour of long prayers, made a prey; not now (as those crauing Pharisees of old, whose simplicitie they pitie) of eeMat. 23.14.Matt 23:14widowes houses, but of goodly Lordships, and whole countries before them. It is well knowne in this our Land, how both Church and Common-wealth groaned vnderunder the burden of these heauie lubbers: the Common-wealth, whilest they became Lords of verie little lesse (by their computation who hauehave traueised in the search) than the one halfe of the Temporalties of the Kingdome; and the Church, whilest they engrossed into their hands the fruits of most of the best Benefices in the Realme; allowing scarce so much as the chaffe towards the maintenance of those that ff1. Cor. 9.9.1 Cor 9:9trod out the corne. Their profession is (God be thanked) now long since suppressed, and their habitations demolished, by the violent & Iehu-like reformation of a mightie King: and the Land by that meanes well purged of these ouer-spreading Locusts. There is nothing of them now remayneth, but the rubbish of their nests, and the stinke of their memorie: vnlesse it be the sting of their diuelish sacriledge in robbing the Church by damnable Impropriations.

p. 422§. 18. 2. Gallants; with the limitation,But let them goe. The next wee meet withall are those, with whose eyther birth, or breeding, or estate it sorteth not (as they thinke) to be tyed to labour in anie vocation. It is the sinne of manie of the Gentry, whom God hath furnished with meanes & abilities to do much good; to aaforeign. Epitaph. Timocreontis, apud Athen. dipnos. 5.spend their whole dayes and liues, in an vnprofitable course of doing eyther nothing, or as good as nothing, or worse than nothing. I cannot be so eyther stupid, as not to apprehend; or rigorous, as not to allow, a difference in the maner of imployment, and in other circumstances thereto belonging, betweene those that are nobly or generously borne and bred, and those of the meaner and ordinarie ranke. Manuall and seruile and mechanicke trades, and arts, are for men of a lower condition. But yet no man is borne, no man should be bred vntounto idlenesse. There are generous and ingenuous and liberall imployments, sortable to the greatest births and educations. For some man, whom God hath blessed with power and authoritie in his countrey; with faire liuings and large reuenues; with a numerous family of seruants, retainers and tenants, and the like: it may be a sufficient Calling, and enough to take vp his whole time, euen to keepe hospitality, and to order and ouerlooke his family, and to dispose of his lands and rents, and to make peace and preserue louelove and neighbourhood among them that liue neere or vnderunder him. He that doth but this, as he ought to do, or is otherwise bbnon ociosè vivit, qui qualitercunque vtiliter Aquin. 22.2 ae. qu. 187.5. ad 2.industrious for the common good; must be acknowledged a worthie member of the p. 423Common-wealth: and his course of life, a Calling (though perhaps not so toilsome, yet) in suo genere as necessarie and profitable, as that of the Husbandman, Merchant, Lawyer, Minister, or anie other.

But for our (meere or parcell) Gallants, who liue in no setled course of life,§. 19. Explication, but spend halfe the day in sleeping, halfe the night in gaming, and the rest of their time in other pleasures & vanities, to as little purpose as they can deuise; as if they were born for nothing else but to eate and drinke and snort and sport; who are spruce and trimme as the Lillies (aaMat. 6.29.Matt 6:29 Salomon in all his royaltie was not clothed like one of these) yet they neither sow, nor reape, nor carrie into the barne, they neither labour nor spin nor doe anie thing else for the good of humane societie: let them know, there is not the poorest contemptible creature, that cryeth Oysters and Kitchen-stuffe in the streetes, but deserueth his bread better, than they; and his course of life is of better esteeme with God and euerie sober wise man, than theirs. A horse, that is neither good for the way, nor the cart, nor the race, nor the warres, nor anie other seruice; let him be of neuer so good a cc— nempe volucrem Sic laudamus equam— Nobilis hic, quocun que venit de gramine— Sed venale pecus Corythae, posteritas & Hirpini, si rara …i…go victoria sedit; Nil ibi maiorum respectus, gratia nulla Vmbrarum: dominos pr…ciis mutare iubentur exiguis. Iuuenal. Satyr. 8.breede, neuer so well marked and shaped; yet he is but a jade; his Master setteth no store by him, thinketh his meate ill bestowed on him; euerie man will say better knock him in the head than keepe him; his skin, though not much worth, is yet better worth than the whole beast besides.

p. 424§. 20. and exhortation.Consider this, you that are of noble or generous birth. Looke vntounto the rocke, whence you were hewen; and to the pit, whence you were digged. Search your Pedigrees; collect the scattered Monuments and Histories of your Ancestors: and obserue by what steps your worthy Progenitors raised their houses to the height of Gentry, or Nobility. Scarce shall you find a man of them, that gaue any accession, or brought any noted eminency to his house; but either seruing in the Campe, or sweating at the Barre, or waiting at the Court, or aduenturing on the Seas, or trucking in his Shop, or some other way aaforeign. Euripid.industriously bestirring himselfe in some settled Calling, and Course of life. You vsurpe their Armes, if you inherite not their vertues: and those bb—effigies quò Tot bellatorum, si luditur alea pernox ante Numantinos? Iuuen. Sat. 8.ensignes of Honour and Gentry which they by industry atchieued, sit no otherwise vponupon your shoulders, than as rich trappings vponupon Asses backes; which serue but to render the poore beast more ridiculous. If you by brutish sensuality, & spending your time in swinish luxury, staine the colours, and embase the mettalls of those badges of your Gentry and Nobility, which you claim by descent: think, when we worship or honour you, we do butcc—Nanum cujusdam, Atlanta vocamus; Aethiopen…, Cygnum. Iuuen. ibid.flout you; & know, the dd—honores, Quos illis damus, & dedimus, quibus omnia debes. Iuuen ibid.titles we in courtesie giuegive you, wee bestow vponupon their memories whose degenerate off-spring you are, and whose Armes you vnworthily beare; and they doe ee—quis enim generosum dixerit hunc, qui Indignus genere? Ibid,no more belong to you, than the reuerence the good man did to Isis, belonged to the Asse that carryed her image.

p. 425The third sort of those that liue vnprofitably and without a Calling, are our idle sturdy Roagues, & vagrant townes-end Beggars:§. 21. 3. Beggars: with the limitation, the very scabs, and filth, and vermine of the common-wealth. I meane such as hauehave health, and strength, and lims, and are in some measureable to worke, and take paines for their liuing; yet rather chuse to wander abroad the country, and to spend their dayes in a most base and vngodly course of life: and, which is yet more lamentable, by I know not what conuinence, contrary to all Conscience, Equitie, and Law, are suffered. All Christian Common-wealths should be the aaGal. 6.16.Gal 6:16Israels of God: and in his Israel, God as hee promised there should be bbMath. 26.11.Matt 26:11alwayes some poore, on whom to exercise charity; so hee ordayned there should be ccas some vnderstand that in Deut. 15.4.Deut 15:4no beggar, to make a trade and profession of begging. Plato, than whom neuer any layed downe a more exact Idea of an happy Common-wealth, alloweth not any ddforeign. Plat. de legib. 11.beggar therein: alleaging, that where such were tolerated, it was impossible but the State must abound with eeforeign. Id. de Rep. lib. 8.pilfering and whoring, and all kind of base villany. The Ciuill Lawes hauehave flat constitutions against them, in the titles ffCod. Iustin. lib. 11. Tit. 25. & Cod Theo. 14. Tit. 18.de mendicantibus non inualidis. But I thinke neuer kingdome had more wholesome lawes in both kindes, I meane both for the competent releefe of the orderly poore, and for sharpe restraint of disorderly vagabonds; than those prouisions which in many of our owne memories hauehave bin made in this land. But ggHorat. lib. 3. Carm. 24.Quid leges sine moribus—? Those Lawes are now no Lawes, for want of due execution: but Beggars are Beggars still, for want of due p. 426correction. hhTacit. lib. 1. Histor.Et vetabitur semper, & retinebitur; the saying is truer of Roagues and Gipsies in England, than euer it was of Mathematicions in Rome. You to whose care the preseruation of the Iustice, and thereby also of the Peace of the Land is committed; as you tender the Peace and Iustice of the Land, as you tender your owne quiet and the safety of your neighbours, as you tender the weale of your Country and the honour of God: breath fresh life into the languishing Lawes by seuere execution; be rather cruell to these Vipers, than to the State. So shall you free vsus from the Plague, and yourselues from the guilt, and them from the opportunities of infinite sinfull abominations.

§. 22. and Remedy.But we are vnreasonable to presse you thus far, or to seeke to you or any others for Iustice in this matter; hauing power enough in our owne hands to doe ourselues Iustice vponupon these men, if wee would but vse it. Euen by making a strait Couenant with our Eares, not to heede them; and with our Eyes, not to pittie them; and with our Hands, not to releeue them. Say I this altogether of my selfe? or sayth not the Apostle euen the same? aa2 Thes. 3.10.2 Thess 3:10He that will not labour, let him not eate: releeue him not. But hath not Christ required of vsus to feede the hungry, and to cloath the naked, and to be free & charitable to the poore? Nothing surer: God forbid any man should preach against Charity and Almesdeedes. But remember, that as God approueth not bb1 Cor. 13.3.1 Cor 13:3Almes or any other worke, if without Charitie; so nor Charity it selfe, if without Discretion. cc1 Tim. 5.3.1 Tim 5:3Honour widdowes, saith S. Paul, but those that are p. 427widowes indeed: so relieue the poore, but relieue those that are poore indeede. Not eueryevery one that asketh, not eueryevery one that wanteth, nay more, not eueryevery one that is poore, is poore indeede: and he that in his indiscreete and mis-guided charity should giuegive to eueryevery one that asketh or wanteth or is poore, meate or clothing or Almes; would soone make himselfe more hungry and naked and poore, than hee that is most hungry or naked or poore. The poore, whom Christ commendeth to thee as a fit obiect for thy charity, the poore indeed; are those that want not onelyonly the things they aske, but want also meanes to get without asking. A man that is blind or aged and past his worke; a man that is sicke or weake or lame and cannot worke; a man that desireth it, & seeketh it, and cannot get worke; a man that hath a greater charge vponupon him than his honest paines can maintaine; such a man as one of these he is poore indeede. Let thine Eares be open, and thine Eyes open, and thy Bowells open, and thy Hands open to such a one; it is a charitable deede, and a ddPhil. 4.18.Phil 4:18sacrifice of sweete smelling, eeHeb. 13.16.Heb 13:16with such sacrifices God is well pleased: Forget not thou to offer such sacrifices vponupon eueryevery good opportunity, and be well assured God will not forget in due time to reward thee. But for a lusty able vpright man (as they stile him in their owne dialect) that had rather beg, or steale, or both, than digge: he is no more to be relieued as a poore man, than a woman that hath poysoned her husband is to be honoured as a widow. Such a woman is a widow, for shee hath no more an husband than any other widow hath: p. 428but such a woman is not ff1. Tim. 5. Compare vers. 3. with vers. 5. & 16.1 Tim 5a widow indeede, as S. Paul would be vnderstood; not such a widow as he would hauehave honoured: it is almes to hang vp such a widow, rather than to honour her. And I dare say, hee that helpeth one of these sturdy Beggars to the stockes, and the whip, and the house of correction, not onelyonly deserueth better of the Common-wealth; but doth a worke of greater Charity in the sight of God, than hee that helpeth him with meate and money and lodging. For hee that doth this, corrupteth his Charity by a double errour. First, hee maintaineth, and so encourageth the other in idlenesse; who, if none would relieue him, would be glad to doe any worke, rather than sterue. And secondly, he disableth his Charity, by mis-placing it; and vnawares robbeth the poore, whilest hee thinketh he relieueth them. As he that giueth any honour to an Idol, robbeth the true God, to whom alone all religious honour is due: so hee that giueth any Almes to an idle Beggar, ggPars sacrilegij est, rem pauperum dare non pauperibus. Hieron.robbeth the truly poore, to whom properly all the fruites of our Almes are due. And so it commeth to passe oftentimes (as S. Ambrose sometimes complained) that the hhNeque transcribatur vita pauperum inspolia fraudulentorum. Ambros. 2. Offic. 16.maintenance of the poore is made the spoile of the loyterer.

§ 23. The conclusion of the first Point.But I forget my selfe, and you, and the time; whilest I giuegive way to my iust indignation against these base excrements of the Common-wealth. You hauehave seene the Necessity of a Calling: without it, we despise Gods ordinance, and smother his gifts; we expose our selues to sinfull temptations; p. 429we depriue our selues, our families and the poore of due maintenance; wee withdraw our bounden seruice from the Common-wealth. It is not the pretence of Deuotion, that can exempt the lazie Monk; nor of Birth, the riotous Gallant; nor of Want, the able Beggar; nor of anie other thing, any other man, from this common Necessitie. And that is the summe of our first point, viz. the Necessity of a Calling. Proceed we now to the second, the choice of a Calling.

A Point indeed (I must confesse) not directly intended in the words of my Text:§. 24. The choyce of a Calling. yet being after a sort implyed therein (for the Apostles wish that euerie particular man would abide in his owne proper station and particular Calling, cannot but imply that there is a difference and choyce of such Callings;) and being withall a matter of such great consequence to bee taught and knowne; I thought it would be more expedient for the present discharge of my duety in this place, to take it in, (though with some hazzard of the imputation of impertenency to my selfe) than by passing it ouer to defraud them (and it is likely there are many such here present) whom it may concerne in point of conscience, of such instructions as may giuegive them profitable directions in a businesse so materiall. Concerning which, it behooueth eueryevery man the rather to hauehave an especiall care, because much of a mans comfort and content in this life dependeth thereupon: it being scarce possible, that that mans life should bee aaforeign. Socratis dictum apud Stob. serm. 1.comfortable to him, or he goe on with any p. 430cheerefulnesse in his course, that liueth in a Calling for which neither he is fit, nor the Calling fit for him. Neither will the consideration hereof bee vsefull onelyonly for such, as are yet free to choose; but euen for those also, who hauehave alreadie made their choice. For, since the verie same rules ▪ which are to direct vsus in the choyce of our Calling, are to helpe vsus also for the triall of our Callings; it can be no losse to the best of vsus all to giuegive heed to those Rules: thereby either to rectifie our choyce; or to quicken our alacritie in what we hauehave chosen, by warranting our courses to our own soules, and silencing manie vnnecessarie scruples, which are wont frequently to arise concerning this matter, in the Consciences of Men.

§ 25. That is our proper Calling, whereunto God calleth vsus:And first, we are to lay this as a firme ground, that that is euerie mans Proper and right Calling, whereunto God calleth him. For he is the Author, as of our generall, so of our particular Callings too: [As the Lord hath called eueryevery one, vers. 20.] When therefore we speake of the choyce of a Calling, you are not so to vnderstand it, as if it were left free for vsus euer, to make our choice where, and as wee list. The choyce that is left to vsus, is no other but a conscionable enquiry which way God calleth vsus, and a conscionable care to take that way. So that if it shall once appeare, that God calleth vsus this way or that way, there is aa—mortalia quarunt Consilium; certus …ussa capesse Dei. Auson. Theodosio.no more place for choice; all that wee hauehave to doe, is to obey. —bbAuson. ibid. Obsequium sufficit esse meum. The enquiries we are to make ordinarily, are (as you shall heare anon) what lawfulnesse there is in the thing, what p. 431abilities there are in vsus, what warrant wee hauehave from without. But all▪ these must cease, when God once expresseth himselfe, and calleth vsus with an audible voyce. No more enquirie then into the thing, how lawfull it is. If God bid Peter ccAct. 10.13. &c.Acts 10:13kill and eate, and send him to preach vntounto the Gentiles; there is no answering foreign not so Lord, nor alleaging the vncleanenesse of the meate, or the vnlawfulnesse of going into the way of the Gentiles: Iniusta iusta habenda- what God will hauehave cleane, he ddIb. vers. 28.must not account common. His verie call to anie thing, maketh it lawfull. No more enquirie into our selues how able we are. If God call eeExod. 4.10. &c.Exod 4:10Moses, one of a slow speech & not eloquent, from the sheepefold, to pleade for his people before a Tyrant; or ffIudg. 6.14.15Judg 6:14Judg 6:15Gideon, a meane stripling of a small family and tribe, from the threshing floore, to deliuer Israel out of the hands of their oppressors; or ggIerem. 1.6. &c.Jer 1:6Ieremy, a very childe and one that could not speake, from his cottage in Anathoth, to set him ouer nations & kingdomes to roote out and to plant; or hhAmos 7.13, 14, 15.Amos 7:13Amos 7:14Amos 7:15Amos, a plaine countrey fruit-gatherer, from the Heard in Tekoa, to prophesie at Bethel, and in the Kings Court: it is a fruitlesse and vnseasonable modestie to alledge vnsufficiencie or vnworthinesse. iiAuson. vbi supra.Iuvat idem Qui iubet. Where he setteth on worke, hee giueth strength to goe through with it. His verie calling of anie man maketh him able. No more enquirie into outward meanes, what warrant we hauehave. If God kkRom. 1.1.Rom 1:1call Paul to be an Apostle, and llAct. 9.15.Acts 9:15to beare his name before the Gentiles, and Kings, and the children of Israel; it p. 432is needlesse to mmGal. 1.16.17Gal 1:16Gal 1:17conferre with flesh and bloud, or to seeke confirmation at Ierusalem from them which were Apostles before him, by the imposition of their hands. Gods work in him supplyeth aboundantly the want of those solemnities; and Paul is as good an Apostle as the best of them, although he be nnIbid. vers. 1.an Apostle not of men, neither by man. Gods calling any man to any office, sealeth his warrant ooAuson. vbi supra.Non tutum renuisse Deo—Away with all excuses, and pretences, and delayes: when God calleth; submit thy will, subdue thy reason, answer his Call, as Samuel was taught to doe, pp1 Sam. 3.9.101 Sam 3:91 Sam 3:10Speake Lord, for thy seruant heareth.

§. 26. and by what Enquiries that may be knowen.If it were expedient for vsus, that God should still deale with vsus, as he did long with the Iewish, and a while with the infant Christian Church, by immediate inspirations; and call vsus either by secret Enthusiasmes, or sensible insinuations (as hee did many of them) into the way wherein hee would hauehave vsus walke: the Rule for our Choyce would be easie; or rather there would neede no Rule at all, (because indeede there would be left no Choyce at all;) but this onelyonly, euen to get vp and be doing, to put our selues speedily into that way whereunto he did point vsus. But since the wisedome of God hath thought it better for vsus, to take counsell from his written word, which he hath left vsus for our ordinary direction in this & all other difficulties; rather than to depend vponupon immediate and extraordinary inspirations: it will be very profitable for vsus to draw thence some few Rules, whereby to make reasonable judgement concerning any p. 433course of life, whether that it be, whereunto God hath called vsus, or no. The Rules, as I hauehave partly intimated already, may be reduced to three heads: according as the Enquiries wee are to make in this businesse are of three sorts. For they either concerne the Course it self; or else our selues, that should vse it; or else thirdly those that hauehave right & power ouer vsus in it. If there be a faile in any of these; as if either the Course it selfe be not lawfull, or we not competently fit for it, or our superiours will not allow of vsus, or it: we may well think, God hath not called vsus thither. God is just; and will not call 1any man to that, which is not honest and good: God is all-sufficient; and will not call any man to 2that, which is aboue the proportion of his strength: God is wonderfull in his Prouidence; and will not 3call any man to that, whereto he will not open him a faire and orderly passage. Somewhat, by your patience, of each of these.

And first, of the Course wee intend.§. 27. Three Conditions requisit in eueryevery lawfull calling: 1. as considered in it selfe; Wherein let these be our Enquiries: First, whether the thing be simply and in it selfe lawfull, or no; Secondly, whether it be lawfull so as to be made a Calling, or no; Thirdly, whether it will be profitable, or rather hurtfull to the Common-wealth. Now obserue the Rules. The first Rule this, Aduenture not on any course, without good assurance that it be in it selfe lawfull. The ground of this Rule is plaine and euident. For it cannot be that God, who hateth and forbiddeth and punisheth eueryevery sin in eueryevery man, should call any man to the practice of any sinne. aaEph. 4.28.Eph 4:28Let him that stole, steale no more, p. 434saith S. Paul; but rather let him labour with his hands the thing that is good. Eph 4. If it be not something that is good; it is good for him to hold his hands off: let him be sure God neuer called him to labour in that: and he were as good hold to his old trade, and steale still, as labour with his hands the thing that is not good. If bbAct. 19.25. —27.Acts 19:25Diana of Ephesus be an Idol, Demetrius his occupation must downe: hee must make no more siluer shrines for Diana, though by that craft hee hauehave his wealth. Tertullian excellently enlargeth himselfe in this argument in his ccpraesertim cap. 5—8.booke de Idololatriae; strongly disapprouing their practice, who being Christians, yet got their liuing by making Statues and Images and other ornaments to sell to heathen Idolaters. Offenders against this Rule are not only such as liue by Stealing, and Robbing, and Piracy, and Persecuting, and Witch-craft, and other such like vngodly practices as are made capitall euen by the Lawes of men, and punishable by death: but all such also, as maintaine themselues by, or get their liuing in any course, absolutely condemned by the Law of God; howsoeuer they may finde amongst men either expresse allowance, as Whores and Baudes doe in the holy Mother Church of Rome, or at least some kind of toleration by conniuence; as Charmers, and Fortune-tellers, and Wisards doe amongst vsus. Which sort of people, it is scarce credible how generally and miserably our common ignorants are besotted with the opinion of their skill, and how pitifully they are gulled by their damnable impostures, through their owne foolish credulity. p. 435These superstitions helped to roote out the ddDeut. 18.10. —12.Deut 18:10Amorites out of the land of Canaan: and it may passe among Sauls best Acts, that hee rooted out these ee1. Sam. 28.9.1 Sam 28:9superstitions out of the land of Israel: And great pitie it is, that such as make a trade of these superstitions are not by some seuere prouisions rooted out of this, and eueryevery other Christian Land. Let this first Rule be remembred of vsus in eueryevery choice and tryall of our Callings; No vnlawfull thing can be a lawfull Calling.

No, nor yet eueryevery lawfull thing neither. For many things may be lawfull in the priuate vse, which yet may not lawfully be made a Calling, §. 28. 2. Considered as a Calling.or trade of life. Who can reasonably deny the lawfulnesse of many disports and recreations, as bowling, or shooting, or euen Cardes and Dice? and yet who can aaforeign. Arist. 8. Polit. 3.reasonably thinke it should be a commendable Calling for any man to be a profest Bowler, or Archer, or Gamster, and nothing else? Therefore take a second Rule; Make not a Calling of that, which was not made to be a Calling. If you shall aske, how you shall know a thing to be such. I answer, generally all such things are of this nature, as are indifferent for men of all sorts and callings to vse with due caution and circumstances; and more especially matters of delight, and recreations are such. And the reasons are good. The bbhîc vers. 17.ground of particular Calling is some ccforeign. vers. 7.peculiar gift of God, according to the differences that are to be found in particular men in regard either of the soule, or of the body, or of outward things: wheras such things as these, whereof we now speake, p. 436become of Lawfull and commendable vse, not so much from any speciall ability receiued from God, which should be exercised therein, as from the common necessity of our weak nature, which is to be refreshed therby. And the End also, for which God permitteth vsus these things, is not to employ our strength and time in them; but to giuegive vsus some ddV…i quidem illis licet: sed sicut somno, & quietibus coeteris, tum cum grauibus serijsque rebus satisfecerimus. Cic. 1. Offic.refreshing, when we are wearied with former labour, and so to fit vsus for fresh and future employment. The workes of our Callings, they are as our Meates and Drinkes: these of Delight, as Sauces, or as eeforeign. Arist. 8. Polit. 3Physicke; and as sauces or Physicke they are to be vsed, and not otherwise. As absurd then as it would be for a man to accustome himselfe to no other dyet but slabber-sauces, and Druggs: so absurd a thing is it for a man to hauehave no other Calling but Dicing, and Carding, and Gaming. Amongst offenders against this Rule, that I reckon not Iuglers, and Fidlers, and Tumblers, and Bearewards, and Rope-dancers, and Rymers, and the rest of that rabble; they may thanke the basenesse of their condition, rather than the Lawfulnesse of their Course. I strike rather, at those that are more both eminent and pernicious; especially those Bawdes of vnthriftinesse, and almost eueryevery other Vice; (for where vnthriftinesse is, there is almost eueryevery other Vice,) I meane those parcell-Gallants that hauehave nothing to liue on but their witts, and no other vse of their witts, but to distill a kind of maintenance from juicie heires and flush nouices by play. I would our Pantomimes also and Stage-players would examine themselues and p. 437their Callings by this Rule. If they should hauehave beene tryed by the bench of Fathers and Councells of old, or would hauehave put it to most voyces among later Diuines both Popish and Reformed; they had beene vtterly cast and condemned by the first Rule, and not hauehave beene repriued till now: most holding, not the Calling onelyonly, but the very Practice and Thing it self vnlawfull and damnable. For my owne part, I dare not at all say the Practice is, neither will I now say the Calling is vnlawfull: onelyonly let them that make a Calling of it, consider themselues and their Calling well, and examine whether God hath not bestowed vponupon them some gifts, which they might hauehave employed a better way, and what inducements they hauehave, and of what waight those inducements are, to giuegive their consciences security, that they hauehave done well, in embracing this as their Calling. And when they hauehave thus done, freely and faithfully as in the sight of God; if their own hearts condemne them not, neither doe I: in the meane time, I would but be their remembrancer of thus much onelyonly, that there are some things lawfull to doe, which are not lawfull to liue by; something lawfull as Delights, which are not lawfull as Callings. And so much for that second Rule.

There is yet a third Rule behind, and that is this.§. 29. 3. considered, with respect to common vtility. Resolue not vponupon that course for thy Calling, what pretences soeuer, or what reasons thou maist hauehave for the lawfulnesse of it otherwise, which is rather hurtfull, than profitable for the common-wealth. The aaSee before, §. 14.Publicke good is one of those maine respects p. 438which enforce the Necessitie of a Calling: the same respect then must of necessitie enforce such a Calling, as may at leastwise stand with the Publique good. bb1 Cor. 12.7.1 Cor 12:7The manifestation of the Spirit is giuen to eueryevery man (saith our Apostle after at the twelfth Chapter) to profit withall; yea perhaps, to profit himselfe withall. If it were but so, yet that were enough to inferre more; sith the ccforeign. Xenop. de Venatione.priuate good is included in the publike tanquam trigonum in tetragono. But the Apostle meant to speake home; and therefore he made choyce of a word that will not admit that glosse of priuate profit foreign. That very word impliedly preferreth the ddSanis hominibus publica priuatis potiora sunt. Senec. 1. de Clem. 4.publike good before the priuate; and scarce alloweth the priuate otherwise than as it is enterwouen in the publike. Now things in themselues lawfull, and at sometimes vsefull, may, in regard of the End, or of the Matter, or by some accident, otherwise happen at some other times to be hurtfull to the Common-wealth: and hereof such due consideration would be had in the choyce and exercise of our Callings, as euer to hauehave one eye vponupon the common good, and not wholly to looke after our owne priuate gaine. Offenders against this Rule are most of our Engrossers, and Forestallers, and sundry kinds of Hucksters and Regraters: as also those that export money, corne, or other needfull commodities out of the Land in times of want or scarcenesse, or bring in vnnecessary commoditities when there is plenty at home: and all those that project new deuices, & vniust Monopolies, to fill their owne Coffers, perhaps not without pretension p. 439of some small benefit to the Common-wealth, but certainly not without sensible and grieuous pressures of those that are a great part of the Common-wealth.

Thus hauehave we deliuered three Rules, §. 30. The Vsurers Calling examined by these Rules.concerning the Qualitie of a right Calling: and pointed out some speciall offenders against each of them. And now me thinkes I see the Vsurer hugging himselfe, and clapping his sides, that hee hath come off so fairely: surely his Calling is absolute good, whereon none of these Rules could fasten. But it is indeede with the Vsurer in this case, as with the Drunkard. If the Drunkard should aske me against which of the ten Commandements hee offended; I confesse I could not readily giuegive him a direct punctuall answer: Not that he sinneth not against any; but because hee sinneth against so many of them, that it is hard to say against which most. He sinneth against the sixt Commandement, by distempering his body; he sinneth against the seuenth, by enflaming his lust; he sinneth against the eighth by making waste of the good creatures of God. Right so is it with our Vsurer in this Case: Hee would pose me, that should aske me the Question, which of these three Rules fetcheth-in the Vsurer, & his Calling. Verily, I cannot well tell which most; I thinke eueryevery one of the three may: howsoeuer, among the three, I am sure I hauehave him. If Vsury be 1simply vnlawfull (as most of the learned hauehave concluded,) then the first Rule hath him. I should be very tender to condemne any thing as simply vnlawfull, which any euen imaginary conjuncture of p. 440circumstances would render lawfull; and would chuse rather by an ouer-liberall charity to aa1. Pet. 4.8.1 Pet 4:8couer a multitude of sinnes, (if I may abuse the Apostles phrase to that sense) than by a too superstitious restraint make one. Yet the Texts of Scripture are so expresse, and the grounds of Reason so strong against all Vsury: that when I weigh these on the one side, and on the other side, how nothing all that is, which I euer yet saw or heard alleadged to the contrary; I cannot find in my selfe charitie enough to absolue any kinde of Vsury, with what cautions or circumstances soeuer qualified, from being a sinne. But I will suspect mine owne and the common iudgement herein, and admit for this once (dato, non concesso,) that Vsury bee in some case lawfull, and so our Vsurer escape the first Rule; which yet cannot be, till his teeth be 2knocked out for biting: But you must knock out his braines too, before he escape our second Rule. I dare say, the most learned Vsurer that liueth (and they say some learned ones are Vsurers) will neuer be able to proue, that Vsury, if it bee at all lawfull, is so lawfull, as bbArtem nequitiae delegerunt, vnde vitam transigant: & inde se volunt pascere, vnde offendant eum, à quo omnes pascuntur. August in psal. 129.to bee made a Calling. Here all his Doctors, and his Proctors, and his Aduocates leaue him. For can it possibly enter into any reasonable mans head to thinke, that a man should be borne for nothing else, but to tell out money, and take in paper? which if a man had manie millions of gold and siluer, could take vp but a small portion of that precious time which God would hauehave spent in some honest and fruitfull emploiment. But what doe I speake of the iudgement p. 441of reasonable men in so plaine a matter; wherein I dare appeale to the conscience, euen of the Vsurer himselfe; and it had neede bee a very plaine matter, that a man would referre to the conscience of an Vsurer. No honest man neede be ccPernagatissimus ille versus, qui vetat Artem pudere proloqui, quam f…ctites. Cic. in Orator.ashamed of an honest Calling: if then the Vsurers Calling be such, what need hee care who knoweth it, or why should he shame with it? If that be his trade, why doth hee not in his Bills, and Bonds, and Nouerints, make it knowne to all men by those presents that he is an Vsurer, rather than write himselfe Gentleman or Yeoman, or by some other stile? But say yet our Vsurer should 3escape, at least in the iudgement of his owne hardened conscience, from both these Rules, as from the sword of Iehu and Hazael: there is yet a third Rule, like the sword of Elisha, to strike him stond dead; and he shall neuer be able to escape that. Let him shew wherein his Calling is profitable to humane society. Hee keepeth no hospitalitie: if he hauehave but a barr'd chest, & a strong lock to keepe his god and his scriptures (his Mammon and his Parchments in,) hee hath house-roome enough. He fleeceth many; but cloatheth none. He biteth and deuoureth; but eateth all his morsels alone: He giueth not so much as a crumme, no not to his dearest Broker or Scriuener; onelyonly, where he biteth, he alloweth them to scratch what they can for themselues. The King, the Church, the Poore, are all wronged by him, and so are all that liue neere him: in eueryevery common charge hee slippeth the collar, and leaueth the burden vponupon p. 440those that are lesse able. It were not possible Vsurers should be so bitterly inueighed against by sober heathen Writers; so seuerely censured by the Ciuill and Canon Lawes; so vniformly condemned by godly Fathers and Councells; so vniuersally ddIer. 15.10.Jer 15:10hated by all men of all sorts and in all ages and countries, as Histories and experience manifest they euer hauehave been, and are: if their Practice and Calling had been any way profitable, and not indeed eueryevery way hurtfull and incommodious both to priuate men and publike societies. If anie thing can make a Calling vnlawfull; certainly the Vsurers Calling cannot be lawfull.

§. 32. Enquiries concerning our selues:Our first care past, which concerneth the Calling it selfe; our next care in our choyce must be, to enquire into Our selues, what Calling is most fit for vsus, and wee for it. Wherein our Enquirie must rest especially vponupon three things; our Inclination, our Gifts, and our Education. Concerning which, let this be the first Rule: Where these three concurre vponupon one and the same Calling, our consciences may rest assured that that Calling is fit for vsus; and we ought, so farre as it lieth in our power, to resolue to follow that. This Rule, if wel obserued, is of singular vse, for the settling of their consciences, who are scrupulous & doubtfull concerning their inward Calling to anie office or imployment. Diuines teach it commonly, and that truly, that euerie man should hauehave an inward Calling from God for his particular course of life: and this in the calling of the Ministerie is by so much more requisite, than in most other p. 443callings, by how much the businesse of it is more weighty than theirs, as of things more immediately belonging vntounto God. Whence it is, that in our Church none are admitted into holy Orders, vntill they hauehave personally and expresly made profession before the Bishop, that they find themselues aaBook of ordering, &c.inwardly called & moued thereunto. But because what that inward calling is, & how it should be discerned, is a thing not so distinctly declared and vnderstood, generally as it should be: it often falleth out, that men are distressed in conscience with doubts & scruples in this case, whilest they desire to bee assured of their inward calling, and know not how. Wee are to know therefore, that to this inward calling there is not of necessity required anie inward secret sensible testimony of Gods blessed sanctifying Spirit to a mans soule, (for then an vnsanctified man could not be rightly called;) neither yet any strong working of the Spirit of Illumination, (for then a meere heathen man could not bee rightly called): both which consequents are false. For bb1. Sam. 10.24.1 Sam 10:24Saul and ccIoh. 6.70.John 6:70Iudas were called; the one to the Kingdome, the other to the Apostleship; of whom it is certain the one was not, and it is not likely the other was, endued with the holy Spirit of Sanctification. And many heathen men hauehave beene called to seuerall emploiments, wherein they hauehave also laboured with much profit to their owne, and succeeding times; who in all probability neuer had any other inward motion, than what might arise from some or all of these three things now specified: p. 444viz. the Inclination of their nature, their personall Abilities, and the care of Education. If it shall please God to affoord any of vsus, any farther gracious assurance than these can giuegive vsus, by some extraordinarie worke of his Spirit within vsus; we are to embrace it with ioy and thankfulnesse, as a speciall fauour: but wee are not to suspend our resolutions for the choice of a course, in expectation of that extraordinary assurance; since wee may receiue comfortable satisfaction to our soules without it, by these ordinary meanes, now mentioned. For who need be scrupulous, where 1all these concurre? Thy parents hauehave from thy childhood destinated thee to some special course, (admit the Ministery) and beene at the care and charge to breed thee vp in learning, to make thee 2in some measure fit for it: when thou art growne to some maturity of yeares and discretion, thou findest in thy selfe a kinde of desire to bee doing some thing that way in thy priuate study by way of tryall; and withall some measure of knowledge, 3discretion, and vtterance, (though perhaps not in such an eminent degree as thou couldest wish, yet) in such a competency, as thou maist reasonably perswade thy selfe thou mightest thereby be able (with his blessing) to doe some good to Gods people, and not bee altogether vnprofitable in the Ministery. In this so happy concurrence of Propension, Abilities, and Education; make no farther enquiry, doubt not of thine inward Calling: Tender thy selfe to those, that hauehave the power of Admission for thy outward Calling; p. 445which once obtained, thou are certainly in thine owne proper Course. Vp and be doing: for the Lord hath called thee, and (no doubt) the Lord will be with thee.

But say, these three do not concurre; as oftentimes they doe not.§. 33. with some more speciall directions, in doubtfull cases; in respect A man may be destinated by his friends, and accordingly bred, out of some couetous or ambitious or other corrupt respect, to some Calling; wherefrom he may be altogether averse, and whereto altogether vnfit: as wee see some parents, that hauehave the donations or aduocations of Church liuings in their hands, must needs hauehave some of their children (and for the most part they set by the most vntoward and mishapen chip of the whole blocke to make timber for the Pulpit;) but some of their children they will hauehave thrust into the Ministery, though they hauehave neither a head, nor a heart for it. Againe, a man may hauehave good sufficency in him for a Calling, and yet out of a sloathfull desire of ease and liberty, if it seeme painfull or austere; or an ambitious desire of eminencie and reputation, if it seeme base and contemptible, or some other secret corruption, cannot set his mind that way; as Salomon saith, there may beaaProu. 17.16.Prov 17:16 a price in the hand of a foole, to buy wisedome, and yet the foole hauehave no heart to it. And diuers other occurrents there may be, and are, to hinder this happie conjuncture of Nature, skill, and Education. Now in such Cases as these, where our Education bendeth vsus one way, our Inclination swayeth vsus another way, and it may be our Gifts and Abilities lead vsus a third: in this distraction, p. 446what are we to doe? which way to take? what calling to pitch vponupon? In point of Conscience, there can no more be giuen generall Rules, to meete with all Cases, and regulate all difficulties; than in point of Law, there can be generall Resolutions giuen, to set an end to all suites, or prouisions made to preuent all inconueniences. Particulars are infinite, and various: but Rules are not, must not, cannot be so. He whose Case it is, if he be not able to direct himselfe, should doe well to take aduice of his learned Counsell: this wee can readily doe in matters of Law, for the quieting of our Estates; why should wee not doe it at least as readily in matter of Conscience, for the quieting of our soules? But yet for some light, at least in the generality; what if thou shouldest proceede thus?

§. 34. 1. of our Education;First, hauehave an eye to thy Education: and if it be possible to bring the rest that way, doe so rather, than forsake it. For besides that it would be some griefe to thy parents, (to whom thou shouldest be a comfort) to hauehave cast away so much charge as they hauehave beene at for thy education; and some dishonour to them withall, (whom thou art bound by the law of God and Nature to aaExod. 20.12.Exod 20:12honour,) to hauehave their judgements so much slighted, and their choyce so little regarded by their child: the very consideration of so much precious time, as hath beene spent in fitting thee to that course, which would be almost bbHand aequum facit, qui, quod didicit, id dedicit Plaut. in Amphitr.all lost vponupon thy Change, should preuaile with thee to try all possible meanes, rather than forgoe it. It were a thing indeede much to be wished, that Parents and Friends and Guardians and p. 447all those other whosoeuer, that hauehave the Education of young ones committed vntounto them; (all greedy desires to make their children great, all base penurious nigardesse in sauing their own purses, all fond cherishing of their children in their humours, all doting opinion of their forwardnesse and wit and towardlinesse, all other corrupt partiall affections whatsoeuer, layed aside;) would ccinque eo vel maximè probaui—Apollonium,—qui cùm mercede doceret, tamen non patiebatur cos, quos judicabat non posse orat… res euadere, operam apud sese perdere, dimittel atque: & ad quamcunque artem putabat esse aptum, ad eam impellere, atque hortari solebat. Cic. 1. de Orat.out of the obseruation of their naturall prope…sions and inclinations, and of their particular abilities and defects, frame them from the beginning to such courses, as wherein they were likeliest to goe on with cheerefulnesse and profit. This indeed were to be wished: but this is not alwayes done. If it hauehave not beene so done to thee; the fault is theirs, that should hauehave done it, and not thine: and thou art not able now to remedy that which is past and gone. But as for thee, and for the future; if thy Parents hauehave not done their part, yet doe not thou forget thy duty: if they hauehave done one fault, in making a bad choyce; do not thou adde another, in making a worse change: disparage not their Iudgements by misliking, neither gain-say their Wills by forsaking their choyce, vponupon eueryevery small incongruity with thine owne Iudgement or Will. If thine Inclination draw thee another way; labour throughly to subdue thy nature therein: Suspect thine owne corruption; Thinke this backwardnesse proceedeth not from true iudgement in thee, but issueth rather from the roote of some carnall affection: Consider thy yeares are greene, ddIuuenile vitium est, regere non posse impetum. Senec. in Troad.affections strong, judgement vnsettled: Hope that this backwardnesse will grow off, as p. 438yeares and stayednesse grow on: Pray and endeauour that thou mayst daily more and more waine thy affections from thine owne bent, & take liking to that course; whereunto thou hast beene so long in framing. Thus possibly thou mayst in time make that cheerefull and delightfull vntounto thee, which now is grieuous and irkesome. And as for thy insufficiency, if that dishearten thee, (which is indeede a maine rubb,) doe thus. Impute thy former non-proficiency to thine owne sloath and negligence: Thinke, if after so long time spent in this course, thou hast attained to no greater perfection in it; how long it would be ere thou shouldest come to a tolerable mediocrity in another: Resolue, not to lose all that precious time forepast, by beginning the world a new; but rather saue as much of it, as is redeemeable, by adding to thy diligence: Suspect that it commeth from thy pride, that thou canst not content thy selfe with a Calling, wherein thou mayst not be excellent; and imagine that God, of purpose to humble thee, might diuert thy education to another, for which thou art lesse apt: Obserue what eeNihil est quod non expugnet pertinax opera, & intenta ac diligens cura Senec. —Labor omnia vincit Improbus. Virgil. 1. Georg. Praeliatus est contrarerum naturam, & quidem victor abijt; malignitatem ejus pertinacissimo robore superando. de Demosthene, Valer. Max. 8.7. foreign. Heliodor. lib. 3. Aethiop. hist.strange things past beliefe, and such as hauehave seemed insuperable, hauehave beene conquered and subdued by the obstinacy and improbity of vnwearyed labour, and of assiduity: Doubt not, but by Gods blessing vponupon thy faithfull industry, to attaine in time, (if not to such perfection as thou desirest, and mightest perhaps hauehave attained in some other course if thou hadst beene bred vp to it; yet) to such a competent sufficiency, as may p. 439render thy endeauours acceptable to God, comfortable to thy selfe, and seruiceable to community. If by these and the like considerations, and the vse of other good meanes, thou canst bring thy affections to some indifferent liking of, and thy abilities to some indifferent mediocrity for, that course which Education hath opened vntounto thee: thou hast no more to doe; There's thy course, that's thy Calling, that's the Worke whereunto God hath appointed thee.

But if after long striuing, and paines, and tryall,§. 35. 2. of our Abilities, thou canst neither bring thy mind to it, nor do any good vponupon it, hauing faithfully desired and endeauoured it, so that thou must needes leaue the course of thy Education; or (which is another case) if thy Education hauehave left thee free; (as many Parents, God knoweth, are but too carelesse that way:) then Secondly thou art in the next place to consider of thy Gifts and Abilities; and to take direction from them, rather than from thine Inclination. And this Rule I take to be very sound: not onelyonly from the Apostles intimation, vers. 17. (aaVers. 17. hīc. As God hath distributed to eueryevery man, as the Lord hath called eueryevery one,) where hee seemeth to make the choyce of mens Callings, to depend much vponupon the distribution of Gods Gifts: but withall for two good Reasons. One is, because our Gifts and Abilities, whether 1of body or mind, being in the Braine or Hand, are at a better certainty; than our Propensions and Inclinations are, which are seated in the Heart. The heart is bbIerem. 17.9.Jer 17:9deceitfull aboue all things: and there are so many rotten corruptions in it, that it is a very p. 450hard thing for a man to discerne his owne Inclinations and Propensions, whether they spring from a sound, or from a corrupt roote. Whereas in the discerning of our Gifts and Abilities, we are lesse subject to grosse Errours and mistakings: I meane for the truth and reality of them; howsoeuer wee are apt to ouerualue them for the ccfere plus nobis videmur posse quàm possumus. Senec. de tranquill. c. 4.measure and degree. Now it is meete in the choyce of our Callings, we should follow the surer guide: and therefore rather be led by our ddMetirise quemque suo modulo ac pede verum est. Horat. 1. Epist. 7.Gifts, than by our Inclinations. The other Reason is; because our Inclinations cannot so well produce Abilities, as these can draw on them. We say indeede, there is nothing hard to a willing minde: and in some sense, it 2is true. Not as if a willing minde could make vsus do more than we are able. A man can doe no more, than hee can doe, be hee neuer so willing: but because a willing mind will make vsus exerere vires, stirre vp our selues to do as much as we are able, which we vse not to doe in those things we goe vnwillingly about. Willingnesse then may quicken the strength we hauehave: but it doth not put any new strength into vsus. But Abilities can produce Inclinations de nouo; and make them, where they finde them not. As we see, every other naturall thing is inclinable to the exercise of those naturall faculties, that are in it: so certainly would eueryevery man hauehave strongest inclination to those things, whereto he hath strongest abilities, if wicked and vntoward affections did not often corrupt our inclinations, and hinder them from mouing their own proper and naturall way. It is best then, to begin p. 451the choice of our Callings from our Abilities, which will fetch on Inclinations; and not from our Inclinations, which without Abilities will not serue the turne.

Concerning which gifts or abilities;§. 36. With sundry considerations concerning them; what they are, & how to make true iudgement of them, and how to frame the choice of our Callings from them: to speake punctually and fully, would require a large discourse. I can but touch at some few points therein, such as are of daily vse; and proceed. First, by gifts and abilities we are to vnderstand 1not onelyonly those of the Minde; Iudgement, Wit, Inuention, Memory, Fancy, Eloquence, &c. and those of the Body; Health, Strength, Beauty, Actiuity, &c. but also those which are without; Birth, Wealth, Honour, Authoritie, Reputation, Kindred, Alliance, &c. generally any thing, that may be of vse or aduantage vntounto vsus for any emploiment. Secondly, as our abilities 2on the one side, so on the other side all our wants and defects, which might disable vsus more or lesse for any emploiment, are to bee duely weighed and considered of: and the one laid against the other; that we may know how to make as neere as wee can a iust estimate of our strength and sufficiency. Thirdly, it is the safer way to 3vnderualue, than to ouerprize our selues: lest ignorantly confident, we affect a Calling aboue our strength; which were to flye with waxen wings, and to owe the world a laughter. Be we sure of this: if God hauehave not gifted vsus for it, he hath not called vsus to it. Fourthly, in the iudging of our Abilities, p. 4524wee should hauehave a regard to the outward circumstances of times and places, and the rest. Those gifts, which would hauehave made a sufficient Priest, in the beginning of the Reformation, in that dearth of learning, and penury of the Gospell; now the times are full of knowledge and learning, would bee all little enough for a Parish-Clarke. 5Fifthly, some thing would be yeelded to the iudgements of other men concerning our Abilities. It is either secret pride, or base faintnesse of heart, or dull sloath, or some other thing, and not true modesty in vsus: if being excellently gifted for some weighty emploiment in eueryevery other mans iudgement, wee yet withdraw our selues 6from it with pretensions of vnsufficiency. Sixthly, and lastly; let vsus resolue on that course, (caeteris paribus;) not only for which we are competently fit, but for which we are absolutely fittest. A good Actor it may bee could very sufficiently act any part in the play; represent the maiestie of a King, or the humour of a Swaggerer, or the prankes of a Bedlam, or any thing: but yet if hee be notedly excellent at some part rather than another, he would not willingly be put from that, to act another. Ergo histrio hoc videbit in scenâ, quod non videbit sapiens in vitâ? Shame we to let these men be wiser in their generations, than wee in ours. And thus much for abilities.

§. 37. 3. of our Inclinations. concerning which, the first Rule,There is yet a doubt remaineth concerning a mans Inclination. In case wee hauehave examined our gifts, and finde them in a good measure of competency for such or such a course, and yet remaine p. 453still averse from it, and cannot by any possible meanes worke ouer our affections to any tolerable liking of it: in such a case, what is to be done, or how shall we iudge what Calling is fittest for vsus to take? whether that whereto our Abilities lead vsus, or that whereto our Inclinations draw vsus. As I conceiue it; in such a case, wee are to hold this order. First, if our Inclinations cannot be wonne ouer to that course, for which our Abilities lye fittest; we are to take a second surview of our Abilities, to see if they bee competently fit for that, whereto our Inclination swaieth vsus: and if vponupon due vnpartiall examination wee finde they are, we may then aa—Rectè facit, animo quando obsequitur suo; Quod om…es homines sacere oporcet, dum id modo fiat bono. Plaut. in Amphitr.follow the sway of our Inclinations. The reason this. A mans inclination cannot be forced. If it can be fairely wonne ouer, well and good: but violence it cannot endure at any hand. And therefore if we cannot make it yeeld to vsus in reason, there is no remedy, wee must in wisedome yeeld to it, (prouided euer it be honest:) or else all is lost. What euer our sufficiencies bee; things will not fadge that are vndertaken bb… alè respondent coacta ingenia: reluctante naturâ, irritus labor est. Senee. de tranquil. c. 6.without an heart: there is no good to bee done against the haire.

But then secondly, §. 38. the second,if vponupon search wee finde our selues altogether vnsufficient and vnfit for that Calling, whereunto our inclination is strongly and violently carried: we are to oppose that inclination with a greater violence; and to set vponupon some other Calling, for which wee are in some mediocrity gifted, speedily and resoluedly, and leaue the successe to Almighty God. The reason this. It p. 454being certaine, that God neuer calleth any man but to that, for which hee hath in some competent measure enabled him: wee are to hold that for a pernicious and vnnaturall inclination at the least, if not rather for a wicked and Diabolicall suggestion, which so stiffely exciteth vsus to a function, whereto wee may bee assured God neuer called vsus.

§. 39. the third.But yet thirdly, (and I would commend it vntounto you, as a principall good Rule, and the fairest out-let of all other from amid these difficulties;) we should doe well to deale with these mutinous and distracting thoughts within vsus, as wife Statists doe when they hauehave to deale with men diuided in opinions, and factions, and ends. How is that? They vse to bethinke themselues of a middle course, to reduce all the seuerall opinions to a kinde of temper; so as no side be satisfied fully in the proposals they hauehave tendred, and yet eueryevery side in part: as wee commonly hold those to bee the aaApud arbitrum neque nihil, neque tantum quantum postulauimus, consequemur.— Quis vnquam ad arbitros, quantum petit, tantum abstulit? Cic. pro Rosc. Com.iustest arbitrators, and to make the best and the fairest end of differences betweene the parties for whom they arbitrate, that by pleasing neither, please both. So here, if our Educations, Abilities, and Inclinations looke seuerall waies; and the Inclination be peremptory and stiffe, and will not condescend to either of the other two: it will be a point of good wisedome in vsus, if wee can bethinke our selues of some such meete temper, as may in part giuegive satisfaction to our Inclinations; and yet not leaue our gifts and educations wholly vnsatisfied. And that is easily done p. 455by proposing the full latitude of our Educations & Abilities, as the vtmost bounds of our choice; and then leauing it to our Inclinations to determine our particular choice within those bounds. For no mans education or gifts runne so Mathematically, & by the Line, to that point whereto they direct him, but that there is a kinde of latitude in them; and that for the most part (by reason of the great variety and bbNulla ars non alterius artis, aut mater, aut propinqua est. Tert. de Idol. cap. 8.affinity of offices and emploiments) very large and spacious. One instance shall serue both to exemplifie, and illustrate this Rule. A man designed by his parents to the Ministery, and for that end brought vp in the Vniuersity, studieth there Phylosophy, and History, and the Arts, and the Tongues, and furnisheth himselfe with generall knowledge, which may enable him as for the work of the Ministery so for the exercise of any other profession, that hath to doe with learning: so as not onelyonly the Calling of the Ministery, but that of the Lawyer too, and of the Physitian, and of the Tutor, and Schoolemaster, and sundry other besides these, doe come with in the latitude of his Education and Abilities. Certainly if his minde would stand thereunto, no course would bee so proper for such a man, as that which he was entended for, of the Ministery. But he proueth obstinately auerse from it, and cannot bee drawne by any perswasion of friends or reason to embrace it. It is not meete to force his Inclination quite against the bent of it: and yet it is pity his Abilities and Education should bee cast away. This middle course therefore is to bee held; euen to leaue it p. 456free for him to make his choice of Law or Physique, or teaching, or any other profession that belongeth to a Schollar, and commeth within his latitude, which of them soeuer he shall finde himselfe to hauehave the strongest Inclination and Propension vntounto. And the like course wee are to hold in other cases of like nature: by which meanes our Inclinations, which cannot bee driuen to the Centre, may yet bee drawne within the Circumference of our Educations and Abilities. Hee that obserueth these Rules I hauehave hitherto deliuered, with due respect to his Education, Abilities, and Inclination; and dealeth therein faithfully and vnpartially and in the feare of God: may rest secure in his conscience of his Inward Calling.

§. 40. The necessity of an outward Calling;But there must be an Outward Calling too: else yet all is not right. The generall Rule, aa1. Cor. 14.40.1 Cor 14:40[foreign] Let all things be done honestly, and in order, enforceth it. There are some Callings, which conscionably discharged, require great paines and care; but yet the profits will come in, whether the dueties bee conscionably performed, or no. Our Calling of the Ministery is such; and such are all those offices, as hauehave annexed vntounto them a certaine standing reuenue, or annuall see. Now into such Callings as these, eueryevery vnworthy fellow that wanteth maintenance and loueth ease, would bee intruding; (as wee of the Clergy finde it but too true:) and there would be no order kept herein, if there were not left in some others a power to keep backe vnsufficient men. There are againe diuers Callings, necessary for the publique, which p. 457yet bring in either no profits at all, (if not rather a charge,) or at least profits improportionable to the paines and dangers men must vndergoe in them: such as are the Callings of a Iustice of peace, the high Sheriffe of a County, a Constable, Church-Warden, Souldier, &c. Now from these Callings men of sufficiency to auoide trouble and charge would withdraw themselues; and so the King and Countrey should be serued either not at all, or by vnworthy ones. Here likewise would bee no order, if there were not left in some others a power to impose those offices vponupon sufficient men. It may bee, those in whom either power resideth, may sometimes, yea often abuse it; (for they are but men:) keeping backe sufficient men, and admitting vnsufficient, into callings of the former; sparing sufficient men, and imposing vponupon vnsufficient, offices of the latter kind. This is not well: but yet what wise man knoweth not, that there could not bee auoided a necessity of generall inconueniencies, if there should not be left a possibility of particular mischiefes? And therefore it is needfull, there should be this power of admitting and refusing, of sparing and imposing, in Church and Common-wealth, though it may happen to bee thus mischieuously abused; rather than for want of this power, a multitude of vnsufferable inconueniences (as needs there must) should ensue. And from this power must eueryevery man hauehave his warrant for his outward Calling to any office or emploiment in Church or Common-wealth.

Now then to frame a case to either of these§. 41. Exemplified in two cases: the first; p. 458two sorts of Calling. A man desireth a lawfull Calling, suppose the Ministery; not onelyonly his Inclination bendeth him, but his Education also leadeth him, and his Gifts encourage him that way: hitherto all things concurre to seale vntounto his conscience Gods calling him to this function. But for so much as he hath not, (as it is not fit any man should hauehave,) power to giuegive himselfe either aaSee Heb. 5.4.Heb 5:4Orders to bee a Priest, or Institution into a Pastorall charge; hee must, for his admission into holy function, depend vponupon those, to whom the power of admitting or refusing in either kinde is committed. He may tender himselfe, and his gifts to examination; and modestly craue-admission: which once obtained, he hath no more to do, his Calling is warranted, and his choice at an end. But if that bee peremptorily denied him, (whether reasonably, or no, it now mattereth not;) hee is to rest himselfe content awhile, to employ himselfe at his study or in some other good course for the time, and to waite Gods leisure and a farther opportunity. And if after some reasonable expectation, vponupon further tender with modest importunity, hee cannot yet hope to preuaile: hee must begin to resolue of another course, submit himselfe to Authority and Order, acknowledge Gods prouidence in it, possesse his soule in patience, and thinke, that for some secret corruption in himselfe, or for some other iust cause, God is pleased that he should not, or not yet, enter into that Calling.

§. 42. the second,On the other side, a Gentleman liueth in his p. 459Countrey in good credit and account; knowen to be a sufficient man both for estate and vnderstanding; thought eueryevery way fit to doe the King & his Countrey seruice in the Commission of the Peace: yet himselfe, either out of a desire to liue at ease and auoyd trouble, or because hee thinketh hee hath as much businesse of his owne as hee can well turne him to, without charging himselfe with the cares of the publique, or possibly out of a priuy Consciousnesse to himselfe of some defect, (as, it may be, an irresolution in judgement, or in aaSee Syrac. 7.6.courage, or too great a propension to foolish pity,) or for some other reason which appeareth to him just, thinketh not that a fit Calling for him, and rather desireth to be spared. But for so much as it is not fit a man should be altogether his owne judge (especially in things that concerue the Publique;) he must herein depend vponupon those to whom the power of sparing or imposing in this kind is committed. He may excuse himselfe by his other many occasions, alleage his owne wants and insufficiencies, and what he can else for himselfe; and modestly craue to be spared. But if he cannot by faire and honest suite get off; he must submit himselfe to Authoritie and Order, yeeld somewhat to the judgement of others, thinke that God hath his secret worke in it, and rest vponupon the warrant of this Outward Calling.

The Outward Calling then,§. 43. with the importance hereof. is not a thing of small moment, or to be lightly regarded. Sometimes (as in the Case last proposed,) it may hauehave the chiefe and the Casting voyce: but where it p. 460hath least, it hath alwayes a Negatiue; in eueryevery regular choyce of any Calling or course of life. And it is this Outward Calling, which (I say not principally, but) euen alone must rule eueryevery ordinary Christian in the judging of other mens Callings. We cannot see their hearts; we know not how God might moue them; we are not able to judge of their inward Callings. If we see them too neglectfull of the duties of their Calling; if we find their Gifts hold very short & vnequall proportion with the waight of their Calling; or the like: we hauehave but little comfortable assurance, to make vsus confident that all is right within. But yet (vnlesse it be such as are in place of Authoritie and Office, to examine mens sufficiencies, and accordingly to allow or disallow them,) what hath any of vsus to do to judge the heart, or the Conscience, or the inward Calling of our brother? So long as hee hath the warrant of an orderly outward Calling, wee must take him for such as he goeth for: and leaue the tryall of his heart to God, and to his owne heart. And of this second generall point, the choyce of a Calling, thus farre.

§. 44. The abiding in our CallingsRemaineth now the third and last point proposed; The Vse of a mans Calling. Let him aavers. 17. hîc.walke in it, vers. 17. Let him bbvers. 20.abide in it, vers. 20. Let him abide therein with God, here in my Text. At this I aymed most, in my choyce of this Text; and yet of this I must say least. Preachers oft times do with their proposalls, as Parents sometimes do with their Children: though they louelove the later as well, yet the first goe away with the largest portions. But I p. 461doe not well, to trifle out that little sand I hauehave left, in Apologies: Let vsus rather on to the matter; and see what Duties our Apostle here requireth of vsus, vnderunder these phrases of Abiding in our Callings, and abiding therein with God.

It may seeme, hee would hauehave vsus sticke to a course; and when we are in a Calling, not to forsake it, nor change it,§. 45. disalloweth not a change, no not for a better, no not vponupon any termes. Perhaps some hauehave taken it so: but certainly the Apostle neuer meant it so. For taking the word [Calling] in that extent wherein he treateth of it in this Chapter; if that were his meaning, he should consequently teach that no single man might marry, nor any seruant become free: which are apparantly contrary, both vntounto common Reason, and vntounto the very purpose of the Chapter. But taking the word as we hauehave hitherto specially intended it, and spoken of it, for some settled Station and Course of Life whereby a man is to maintaine himselfe, or wherein to doe profitable seruice to humane society, or both: is it yet lawfull for a man to change it, or is he bound to abide in it perpetually without any possibilitie or liberty to alter his course vponupon any termes? I answer: it it Lawfull; so it be done with due caution. It is Lawfull: first, in subordinate Callings. 1For where a man cannot warrantably climbe vntounto an higher, but by the steps of an inferiour Calling; there must needes be supposed a lawfulnesse of relinquishing the inferiour. How should we doe for Generalls for the warres, if Coronells and Lieutenants and Captaines and Common Souldiers p. 462might not relinquish their charges? and how for Bishops in the Church, if beneficed men & Colledge-Gouernours were clench't and riuetted to their Cures, like a naile in a sure place, not to be remoued? Nay, wee should hauehave no Priests in the Church of England, (since a Priest must be a Deacon first,) if a Deacon might not leaue his station, and become a Priest. But S. Paul saith, aa1. Tim. 3.13.1 Tim 3:13they that hauehave vsed the office of Deacon well, purchase to themselues a good degree: and so in lower Callings it is, that men should giuegive proofe of their worthinesse 2for higher. It is lawfull secondly, yea necessary; when the very Calling it selfe, though in it selfe good & vsefull, doth yet by some accident become vnlawfull or vnusefull. As when some Manufacture is prohibited by the State; or when some more exact deuice of later inuention, hath made 3the old vnprofitable. It is lawfull thirdly, when a man by some accident becommeth vnable for the dueties of his Calling: as by age, blindnesse, maime, decay of estate, and sundry other impediments which daily occurre. It is lawfull fourthly, 4where there is a want of sufficient men, or not a sufficient number of them in some Callings, for the necessities of the State and Countrey: in such cases, Authority may interpose, and cull out men from other Callings, such as are fit, and may bee sp…red, to serue in those. Not to braunch out too 5many particulars, it is lawfull generally; where either absolute Necessity enforceth it, or lawfull Authority enioyneth it, or a concurrence of weighty circumstances faithfully, and soberly, and p. 463discreetly laid together, seemeth to require it.

But then it must be done with due cautions. §. 46. So it bee done with due cautions:As first, not out of a desultory lightnesse: some men are euer aaNullam mentem animi habeo: vbi sum, ibi non sum; vbi non sum, ibi est animus. Plaut. in Cistel.restlesse, as if they had Wind-mills in their heads: eueryevery new crotchet putteth them into a new course. But these rowling stones carry their curse with them; they seldome gather mosse: and who proue many Conclusions, it is a wonder, if their last Conclusion proue not Beggary. If thou art well, bbforeign apud Stob. serm. 1.keepe thy selfe well: lest thinking to meet with better, thou finde worse. Nor secondly, out of the greedinesse of a couetous or ambitious lust. Profit and Credit, are things respectiuely amongst other things, to be considered both in the choice and change: but not principally, and aboue all other things; certainly not wholly, and without, or against all other things. Thirdly, nor out of sullennesse, or a discontentednesse at thy present condition. Content groweth from the minde, not from the condition: and therefore change of the Calling, the minde vnchanged, will either not affoord content, or not long. Thy new broome, that now sweepeth cleane all discontents from thee, will soone grow stubbed; and leaue as much filth behinde to annoy thee, as the old one thou flungest away. Either learne with S. Paul, in whatsoeuer state ccPhil. 4.11.Phil 4:11thou art, to be there withall content: or neuer hope to finde content in whatsoeuer state thou shalt be. Much lesse fourthly, out of an euill eye against thy neighbour that liueth by thee. There is not a baser sinne than enuy: nor a fouler marke of enuy, than to forsake thine owne trading, to iustle p. 4645thy neighbour out of his. Nor fifthly, out of degenerous false-heartednesse. That man would soone dare to bee euill, that dareth not long bee good. And he that flincheth from his Calling, at the first frowne; who can say he will not flinch from his conscience, at the next? In an vpright course, feare not the face of man: neither 1 Eccl. 10.4.Eccl 10:4leaue thy place, though the spirit of a Ruler rise vp against thee. Patience will coniure downe againe that spirit in time; onelyonly, if thou keep thy selfe within thy circle. But 6sixthly, be sure thou change not, if thy Calling bee of that nature, that it may not be changed. Some degrees of Magistracy seeme to be of that nature: and therefore some hauehave noted it, rather as an act of impotency in Charles the fifth, than a fruit either of Humility, or Wisedome, or Deuotion, that hee resigned his Crowne, to betake himselfe to a Cloister. But our Calling of the Ministery is certainely such. There may be a change of the station, or degree, in the Ministery vponupon good cause, and with due circumstances: but yet still so, as that the maine Calling it selfe remaine vnchanged. This Calling hath in it something that is sacred, and singular, and different from other Callings. As therefore things once dedicated and hallowed to religious seruices, were no more to returne to common vses; (for that were to prophane them ipso facto, and to make them vncleane:) so persons once set apart for the holy worke of the Ministery, (eeAct. 13.2. whence foreign. Rom. 1.1.Acts 13:2Rom 1:1 separate mee Paul and Barnabas,) and inuested into their Calling with solemne collation of Ioh. 20.22.John 20:22the holy Ghost in a speciall manner; if any more they p. 465returne to be of that lumpe from which they are separated, they do as it were puffe the blessed breath of Christ backe into his owne face, and renounce their part in the holy Ghost. Bethinke thy selfe well therefore before-hand, and consider what thou art in doing, when thou beginnest to reach forth thine hand towards this spirituall Plow: know, when it is once there, it may not bee pulled backe againe, no not for a Dictatorship. That man can bee no lesse than disorderly at the least, that forsaketh his Orders. You see I do but point at things as I goe, which would require further enlarging: because I desire to hauehave done.

This then,§. 47. but importeth. 1. Contentednesse; that we should perseuere in our Callings vntill death, and not leaue or change them vponupon any consideration whatsoeuer; is not the thing our Apostle meaneth by abiding in our Callings. The word importeth diuers other Christian dueties, concerning the vse of our Callings. I will but touch at them, and conclude. The first is contentednes: that we neither repine at the meannes of our owne, nor enuy at the eminence of anothers Calling. aaVers. 21. hicArt thou called being a seruant? care not for it, saith this Apostle, but a little before my Text. All men cannot hauehave rich, or easie, or honourable Callings: the necessity of the whole, requireth that some should drudge in baser and meaner offices. bb1. Cor. 12.17.1 Cor 12:17If all the body were Eye, where were the Hearing? And if there were none to grinde at the Mill, there would soone be none to sit vponupon the Throne. Salomons Temple had not beene reared to this houre, if there had not been cc3. Kin. 5.15.burden-bearers p. 466and labourers, as well as canibus workers in stone, and brasse, and gold. There should be no shame in that, whereof there can be no want: nay dd1 Cor. 12.22.1 Cor 12:22much more; those members of the body, which seeme to be more feeble, are necessary. Grudge not then at thine owne lot; for not the meanest Calling, but hath a promise of Gods blessing: neither enuy an others lot; for not the greatest Calling, but is attended with worldly vexations. Whatsoeuer thy Calling is, therein abide: be Content with it.

The second is Faithfulnesse, §. 48. 2. Faithfulnesse;and Industry, and Diligence. What is here called Abiding in it, is at vers. 17. called aaves. 17. hic.Walking in it; and in Rom. 12. Waiting on it, (bbRom 12.7.Rom 12:7 Let him that hath an office, waite on his office.) cc1 Cor. 4.2.1 Cor 4:2It is required in stewards that a man be found faithfull: and eueryevery man in his Calling, is dd1 Pet. 4.10.1 Pet 4:10a Steward. He that professeth a Calling, and doth nothing in it; doth no more abide in it, than hee that leaueth it, or he that neuer had it. Spartam quam nactus es, orna. Whatsoeuer Calling thou hast vndertaken, therein abide: bee painfull in it.

§. 49. 3. Sobrietie.The third is sobriety, that wee keepe our selues within the proper bounds and limits of our Callings. For how doth hee abide in his Calling, that is euer and anon flying out of it, or starting beyond it? like an extrauagant souldier, that is alwayes breaking ranke. aa2 Sam 6.6.2 Sam 6:6Vzza had better hauehave ventured the falling, than the fingering of the Arke, though it tottered. It is neuer well, when the bbNe Sutor ultra crepidam. v. Plin. 35. Nat. hist. 10.Cobler looketh aboue the Ankle; nor when Lay-men teach vsus what, and how, we should teach them. The p. 467Pope should hauehave done well, to hauehave throwne away his keyes, (as they say one of them once did,) before he had taken the sword into his hands: and Midwiues well, to ccMath. 28.19.Matt 28:19goe teach all nations, before they baptise them in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost. Let it be the singular absurdity of the Church of Rome, to allow Vicars to dispose of Crownes, and Woman of Sacraments. As for thee, whatsoeuer thy Calling be, therein abide: keepe within the bounds of it.

But yet abide with God. §. 50. The abiding therein with God, requireth 1. a Conscience of the duties of the Generall Calling;That clause was not added for nothing: it teacheth thee also some duties. First; so to demeane thy selfe in thy particular Calling, as that thou doe nothing but what may stand with thy generall Calling. Magistrate, or Minister, or Lawyer, or Merchant, or Artificer, or whatsoeuer other thou art; remember thou art withall a Christian. Pretend not the aajam illa obijci solita vox, Non habeo aliud quo viuam— Tertull. de Idolol. cap. 5. v. ibid. cap. 12. pulchrè.necessities of thy particular Calling to any breach of the lea…t of those Lawes of God, which must rule thy generall Calling. God is the author of both Callings: of thy Generall Calling, and of thy Particular Calling too. Doe not thinke he hath called thee to seruice, in the one, and to liberty in the other; to Iustice in the one, and to Cousenage in the other; to Simplicity in the one, and to Dissimulation in the other; to Holinesse in the one, and to Prophanenesse in the other; in a word, to an entire and vniuersall Obedience in the one, and to any kind or degree of Disobedience in the other.

It teacheth thee secondly;§. 51. 2. a Care of the exercises of Religion; not to ingulfe thy selfe …o wholly into the businesses of thy particular p. 468Calling, as to abridge thy selfe of conuenient opportunities for the exercise of those religious duties, which thou art bound to performe by vertue of thy generall Calling; as Prayer, Confession, Thankesgiuing, Meditation, &c. God alloweth thee to serue thy selfe; but he Commandeth thee, to serue him too. Bee not thou so all for thy selfe, as to forget him: but as thou art ready to embrace that liberty, which he hath giuen thee, to serue thy selfe; so make a conscience to performe those duties which hee hath required of thee for his seruice. Worke, and spare not: but yet pray too, or else worke not. Prayer is the meanes, to procure a blessing vponupon thy labours, from his hands; who neuer faileth to serue them, that neuer faile to serue him. Did euer any man aaIob. 1.9.Job 1:9serue God for nought? A man cannot hauehave so comfortable assurance, that he shall prosper in the affayres he taketh in hand, by any other meanes, as by making God the Alpha and Omega of his endeauours; by beginning them in his name, and derecting them to his glory. Neither is this a point of Duty only, in regard of Gods command; or a point of Wisecome onelyonly, to make our labours successefull: but it is a point of Iustice too, as due by way of Restitution. We make bold with his day, dispence with some of that time which hee hath sanctified vntounto his seruice, for our owne necessities. It is equall, we should allow him at least as much of ours, as we borrow of his; though it be for our necessities, or lawfull comforts. But if wee rob him of some of his time, (as too often we doe,) employing p. 469it in our owne businesses, without the warrant of a just necessitie: we are to know that it is theft, yea theft in the highest degree, sacriledge; and that therefore wee are bound, at least as farre as petty theeues were in the Law, to a bbExod. 22 1. 2. Sam. 12.6.Exod 22:12 Sam 12:6fourefould restitution. Abide in thy Calling, by doing thine owne part, and labouring faithfully; but yet so, as Gods part be not forgotten, in seruing him daily.

It teacheth thee thirdly; to watch ouer the speciall sinnes of thy particular Calling.§. 52. 3. Watchfulnesse against the speciall sinnes of the Calling. Sinnes I meane, not that cleaue necessarily to the Calling; for then the very Calling it selfe should be vnlawfull: but sinnes, vntounto the temptations wherof the condition of thy Calling layeth thee open, more than it doth vntounto other sinnes, or more than some other Callings would doe vntounto the same sinnes; and wherwith, whilest thou art stirring about the businesses of thy Calling, thou mayest be soonest ouertaken, if thou dost not heedefully watch ouer thy selfe and them. The Magistrates sins, Partialitie and Injustice; the Ministers sinnes, Sloath and Flattery; the Lawyers sinnes, Maintenance and Collusion; the Merchants sinnes, Lying and Deceiptfulnesse; the Courtiers sinnes, Ambition and Dissimulation; the Great Mans sinnes, Pride and Oppression; the Gentlemans sinnes, Ryot and Prodigality; the Officers sinnes, Bribery and Extortion; the Country mans sinnes, Enuy and Discontentednesse; the Seruants sinnes, Tale-bearing and Purloyning. In eueryevery State and condition of life, there is a kind of oppertunity to some speciall sinne: wherin p. 470in if our watchfulnesse be not the greater, mainly to oppose it, and keepe it out; we cannot abide therin with God.

§. 53. The conclusion.All that I hauehave done all this while, in my passage ouer this Scripture, is but this. I hauehave proued the Necessitie of hauing a Calling; layed downe directions for the Choyce and tryall of our Callings; and shewed what is required of vsus in the vse of our Callings for the abiding therein with God. And hauing thus dispatched my Message, it is now time I should spare both your eares, and my owne sides. God grant that eueryevery one of vsus may remember so much of what hath beene taught, as is needfull for each of vsus; and faithfully apply it vntounto our owne soules and consciences; and make a profitable and seasonable vse of it in the whole course of our liues: euen for Iesus Christs sake, his blessed sonne, and our alone Sauiour. To whom &c.

FINIS.

End of the text · Robert Sanderson, Ten Sermons (1627)