The Happiness of Practice, Application – Postscript
A word of Application.
IF now at the end of my Sermon, my seuerall Hearers and Readers would doe as Saint Iohn Baptists did, aske what shall I doe? and what shall I doe? You hauehave said much in the generall of Doing: What say you in particular to this Nation, and to the seuerall conditions of men in it?
I answere: What can I say to these knowing times, which hath not beene said before me? What new doctrine vnheard of before, is it possible for me to broach? I will therefore say no more, but, Do that which you know you should doe. If you know that Baal be god, if Rome be the Church, let vsus returne to it againe: If you know that Swearing, Sabbath-breaking, and fashion-following be good things; let vsus all fall to doe these things. But if God hath giuen vsus the Truth, and the light, let vsus walke in it, and worke by it, while it is to Day; lest if wee play Reuell and ryot, by it the Candlesticke bee remoued, and the light put out: if purity, sanctitie, and sobrietie bee knowne to you to bee good things, and pleasing to God, Happy are you, if you doe them.
Certaine things there are knowne, and acknowledged, at all hands, as meet to be done, that an able Minister might be prouided for eueryevery Parish, that Popery, swearing, & drunkennes would bee suppressed. But why are they euer spoken of, and neuer done? How did they in superstition maintaine so many idle bellies? How was the head of the beast cut off at the first in this nation? Is it harder for vsus to cut off the friggling tayle of that Hydra of Rome? How was the infinit swarme of Rogues and Beggers suppressed by good Lawes? Verily, nothing is hard to industrious & actiue spirits, God assisting: and now it's high time, and GOD lookes that these things should be done.
To the Reuerend Clergie, and such as carry holinesse in their fronts. Let such bee sure to hauehave Thummim, as well as Vrim on their brests; their right thumbs and feete anointed with holy oyle, as vvell as their right eares; their fruitfull Pomgranats on their skirts, as well as their Bels to ring and make a sound withall, lest they bee as tinckling Cymbals to Gods and mens eares. You know better then I can tell you what should be done: Happy are you if you doe what you know.
To Nobles and great Persons: It's not your countenancing of Religion will serue the turne, which yet were vvell, if many of you would affoord but your practizing of it, not the hauing of a Chaplaine to say and doe you such seruice as Ahabs foure hundreth did; but a faithfull Michaiah, to direct you vvhat God would hauehave done, whom you may heare as Cornelius did Peter, with an intent to obey, not him, but the message hee deliuers out of Gods Booke vntounto you.
To Gentlemen: For Gods sake doe something, besides Hawking and Hunting, & liuing vponupon your Lands, and Patrimonies. You hauehave better meanes of knowing, and doing, then meaner men. Happy if you do vvhat you know.
To Lawyers, and Souldiers: I remit you to Saint Iohns counsel, which vvill serue you both; and happy should they and their Clyents be, if they would practise it, bee content vvith their vvages, and doe no wrong.
To Merchants and Trades-men: If you beleeue there bee a Country and Citie, that lyes Eastward, a new Ierusalem, where there are rich commodities, as rich as any in the East Indies; send your Prayers and good Workes to factor there for you: and hauehave a stocke imployed in Gods bankes, to pauperous and pious vses, and thinke of Religion, as of tradings that vvill bring no gaine, vnlesse diligently followed, and practised; it's not a nimble head, but a diligent hand that maketh rich.
In a word, to all hearers and goers to Sermons: Play not the fooles as most doe: heare not, to heare: goe not to Church as many now adayes doe to Vniuersities and Innes of Court, neither to get Learning, Law, nor money, for meere forme or fashion, or as boyes goe into the water to play and paddle there only, not to wash and be cleane. To all sorts: I say not a word more; but doe that vvhichwhich you know to bee good, and happie are you.
Breuis predicatio, longa ruminatio, actio perpetua
Denique, quid verbis? opus est spectemur agendo.
A POSTSCRIPT.
REader: If thou hadst read ouer a Treatise of Physicke, Policy, Mathematicks, or any other mystery, earnestly promising thee health, wealth, or special benefit; would'st thou not long till thou hadst made some tryall of it in practice? Here if thou wilt be perswaded to doe the like, without all If or and, Happy shalt thou be. To conclude, before thou bee tyred, consider well, much Reading is a wearinesse to the flesh, but much Doing, a refreshing to the Spirit. The generall complaint of the world is, that there is no end of making many Bookes, because there is little or no fruit in those that reade them, but as the grasse on the house top, which withers afore it commeth forth, whereof the mower filleth not his hand, nor the glainer his lap, neither they which goe by say, The blessing of the Lord be on you: or, we blesse you in the Name of the Lord. Thou therfore who desirest to be a wise Reader, one of a thousand, reade to some purpose; that is, intend, of a Reader, to become a Doer, So shalt thou auert this curse & reproch from thee. So shall God and man call thee blessed; and blessed shalt thou feele thy selfe in so doing. Doe them: and so hee hath done,
That layeth no heauier burden on thee then on himselfe; nor wisheth other happinesse then to himselfe:
SA: WARD.
FINIS.
End of the text · Samuel Ward, The Happiness of Practice (1621)