The Rousing of the Sluggard, Sermon 7
The Sluggards iudgment.
The seuenth Sermon.
11 Therefore thy pouertie commeth as one that tra…leth by the way▪ and thy necessitie like an armed man.
HEre is now the Sluggards iudgement, and the fruite of idlenes, and negligence. The wicked man (sayth Dauid) trauelleth of mischiefe, and bringeth forth a lye. And the Sluggard (sayth Salomon) trauelleth of idlenes, & bringeth forth pouertie, and necessitie: two twinnes borne both at a burden, but such ill fauoured ones, that eueryevery one is out of louelove with them so soone as they are borne. A poore, and a ne… die birth, without beautie, or comelines, o… shape, or strength, or any thing to liue vponupon o… his owne. And surely a fit birth for the Sluggard to begge withall. The sluggard and the sluggards birth, are faine to liue vponupon other mens labours, and yet are still poore, and necdie: like Pharaohs seuen leane kine which … uoured seuen fat kine, and yet were leane: now that was but a dreame, but this is a trueth. And n… …uaile: for it is iust and … which will not sowe in sommer, for feare of a shower, should beg in winter when showers doe fall. And he that will not worke when he may, and is able, must bee put from his meate when he would eate.
Therefore thy pouertie commeth, &c. As if he should say, thou art the cause of thy owne pouertie thy selfe, which is more then the sluggard would willingly confesse. For by nature we would be rich, and idle too: and when … are most dissolute and careles, yet then … looke to bee relieued aswell as if they had … uer been the cause of their owne pouertie: … prophane reprobates, which looke to cometo heauen aswell as any bodie, and yet care not for the ordinarie meanes which God hath appoynted to bring men thither by.
By this then wee may see what a hard matter it is for flesh and bloud to see what is the crue cause of Gods hand vponupon men, especia… when the fault is in our selues: for selfe-louelove is blinde. And though we bee-plagued through our owne default, yet commonly we think not so: but wee make that the cause which is not the cause: sometime most wickedly accusing the Lord of harde dealing against vsus, who is most iust in all his waies, and holie in all his workes: sometime crying out vponupon the hardnes of the weather, and vnseasonablenes of the yeare: sometimes condemming others for wā … of charitie, and compassion, as is to bee seene when any dearth, or scarcitio commeth vponupon vsus: sometime with one thing, and sometime with another: but as for our selues we can neuer intende it, to search out the cause there: but still put it off from our selues, though indeede our owne sinnes hauehave moued the Lord to deale in this and that sort against vsus. Wherein we shew our selues to be the right children of Adam …: for so playd they when the Lord came to examine them about the eating of the fo…bidden fruite: Adam layeth his fault vponupon his wife,Gen. 3. and his wife puts it off to the …erpent: but neither of … would be knowne … int in fa…. So when any plague or calamitie came vponupon the heathen, they cried out against the Christians, and …ayd, that they were the cause of …, which indeede was …: for …od plagued the heathen, because they … the Christians. By which wee may see … heathenish tricke this is among …, to blame, oth…r… f… that which themselues are the causers of:I. King. 18. 17. 18. like Achab, who said that Eliah troubled Israel, when it was himselfe that troubled Israel, as Eli… truely told him. Though Achab be dead, y… his peeuish and peruerse opinion still liueth amongst vsus, and the wicked keepe it fast, and pleade hard for it, as though it were Achabs legacie beq…eathed vntounto them, which no man may take from them. For when any bee fallen into decay, and proued bankeroupts, as many are through their owne follie: as some by vn… aduised suretiship: some by play and gaming: some by feasting: some by negligence: some by cousening, and other vngo…ly practises: Then they crie out vponupon the preachers, or against the preaching of the worde, or again… the professors of the Gospell, or against their creditors: like d…gges which barke at the Moone, when it giueth …, and n…ue… did hurt them, more then Eliah did hurt Achab, when perhaps he tolde him of his fa…, and bad him looke to his soule. And being thus bewitched and besott…d, they sleepe … out in all securitie, and brauerie, …hrowding themselues vnderunder false pretences, and vaine …llegations: as l…nas did vnderunder the hatch…, when both himselfe and the wholeship were readie to petish with him. And so doe wi… ked men lye still in their vnthriftines, and idlenes, and vaine life, when they bee readi… … …ink themselues, and many others with … Therefore the Lord doth here pul out the sluggard, and set both his sinne and the fruit thereof before his face, and telleth him plainly that himselfe is the cause of his owne pouertie, and miserie, and none but himselfe.
Againe, wee are to note that God doth not say …plie [pouertie shall come vponupon thee] but he sayth, [Thy pouertie] teaching vsus thereby to distinguish of pouertie, and the causes thereof: for sometimes good men are in pouertie, aswell as bad: Christ was poore in the world, bu… his pouertie was to make vsus rich: Iob was striken with pouertie, & yet a good man, fearing God, and painfull to doe any good that he could to all men: but his pouertie was sent him to make tri…ll of his patience, and to set forth the riches of Gods spirit in him, which els could not hauehave so well appeared. Lazarus was poore, but his pouertie was to trie the rich mans charitie withall, and to make the hard hear…dnes of rich gluttons to appeare. And as the blind… m…n in the Gospell, was made blinde,Iohn 9. 3. neither for his owne sinne, nor his parents sinne, but that the worke of God might bee made manifest in him: so some are made poore, neither through their owne fault, nor through their pa…ents fault, but that the work of God might appeare in them, as it did in Iob: and that in other… either the worke of God, or els the work of the diuell may bee made manifest, while s…me shew compassion in relieuing the poore, and others shut vp all compassion from the poore. All men shall dye, but not all of one disease. Many hauehave suffered, but not al fo… one cause: some hauehave suffered as cuill doers, and some for well doing: and true it is, that not the death, but the cause makes a martyr. Therefore to make this poynt more plaine, wee will consider of two things.
First, how many kinds of pouertie there be. Secondly, what be the true causes of the sa….
Of pouertie then we will make two …, according to the parts of man consisting of body and soule, as by the same rule wee … both the Sluggard temporall, and the Sluggard spirituall: So that there is the … of the bodie, and the pouertie of the soul…: …dily pouerty is bodily want, and that is when a man wanteth such necessaries as belong to this life, as health, and food, and apparel…, and money, and lodging, and houshould …, and sufficient to pay eueryevery man his …. And of this bodily pouertie there bee also two kinds: some belonging to the godly; and some to the wicked, for both good and bad hauehave oftentimes their part in these wantes. So that good men, and honest men may … poore, and yet good and honest still: for goodnes and hone…tie goeth not by riches, for oftentimes worldly riches are meanes to the wicked to make them worse and …, hauing wealth to corrupt themselues and others, authoritie to doe violence, and health makes them lustie to doe mischiefe. Neither doe dishonestie and wickednes alwaies go… by pouertie and want, though these thinges be counted the onelyonly euils of this life: yet we see sometime they are meanes to good men to make them better, as pouertie to bridle lust, basenes to humble them, and incumbrances to driue them to God, and to teach them to succour others: by which we may see that the pouertie of La…arus is better then the riches of Diues: The sickenes of a wise man, with his wisedome, is better then the health of a foole with his follie. And what goods soeuer a man hath, he cannot bee a good man so long as hee himselfe is euill: and if a man may be tearmed a good man for hauing riches, then a foole may bee tearmed a wise man when hee hath on a wise mans gowne. The Scriptures speake much in the commendation of godly poore men, and preferreth them before vngodly rich men, as there is cause: ye see your calling1. Cor. 1. 26. 27. (sayth the Apostle to the Corinthians) How that not many wisemen after the flesh, not many mightie, not many noble are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise: and God hath chosen the weake thinges of the world to confound the mightie things: and vile things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, &c. To shewe of what person… for the most part Gods Church doth consist: now what greater preferment then to be chosen of God, and who are counted more foolish, and more weake, and more vile, and more despised in the world then the poore, especially whom God hath chosen, and set his marke vponupon? Among other great matters which Christ sent to Iohn to shew the power of Christ;Mat. 11. 5. this was one thing of speciall note, that the poore receiued the Gospell, which was as great a work, & as much to be reioyced at as that the halt did walke, or that the leapers were clēsed, or that the deafe did h…are. The rich were most boūd to receiue the Gospel, but the poore receiued it, & it was as much as if he had said, the poore are become rich, & the rich are poore, for the gospel is true riches.
Salomon sayth, Better is the poore man that walketh in his vprightnes, Prou. 28. 6.then a rich man that peruerteth his w…es: to shewe that a poore man may bee an vpright man, and an vpright man may be a poore man, and yet is to be preferred before the wicked rich man. And in an other place hee sayth,Eccle. 4. 13. Better is a poore and a wise child, then an old & a foolish King which wil… more be admonished: to shew that wisedome and lowlines doe not alwaies goe by yeares and riches, though the riches of a king, and that some mens pouertie is more blessed, then some mens riches: and as the poore which are godly, are more blessed then the vngodly rich: so are they in more account with the Lord, and alwaies more deare vntounto him. And therefore hath the Lord laid downe so many charges in his worde concerning the poore, which are as so many letters sent vntounto the rich in their behalfe. Remoue not the bounds of the fatherles, Pro. 23. 10.(sayth the Lord) for he that is more mightie will surely defend them. And againe, …ob not the poore, Pro. 22. 22.because they are poore, neither oppresse the afficted in i…dgement, for the Lord will, &c. To shewe that the poore hauehave as good frends to stand by thē, as the rich: for the Lord himselfe doth promise to take their part, especially (as S. Paul saith) If they feare God, & be of the houshold of faith. And not without special cause in his singular wisdome hath his maiestie so ordained, that there shall alwaies be some poore mingled amōg the rich in this life, & one reason is: thereby to trie the rich mens charitie, as appeareth by the Lords owne testimonie, because there shall be euer some poore in the land, therefore I command thee, saying: Thou shalt open thy hand vntounto thy brother, Deut. 15. 11(that is, thou shalt bee liberal, and not close-fisted vntounto thy brother) to thy needie, and to thy poore in thy laude: calling them our poore, and our needie, &c. As if they were of our familie and charge, to be prouided for by vsus. And to this doth the Son of God, the Lord Iesus also giuegive witnes:Mat. 26. 11. The poore (saith he) you shall alwaies hauehave with you, but me you shall not hauehave, (meaning in bodily presence) and looke what … would doe for me, doe it for them: to shew that if the poore were wanting, the rich should not hauehave whereupon to exercise the works of liberalitie, and christian compassion.
Another reason why there are poore in the world aswell as rich, is, that by such a differēce Gods bountifull liberalitie might appeare to the rich, as he would hauehave the liberalitie of the rich appeare to the poore. God could hauehave made all alike, and enriched all alike, if it pleased him: but hee sawe this inequalitie to bee more for his glorie; wherein appeareth so many singular arguments of his vnspeakable wisdome, and power, and merciemercy, and goodnes towards all men, and all his creatures. For if al were head, where were the comelines of the bodie? And what doth shew the height of the mountaine but the valley that lieth vnderunder it? And if the rich consider well of the worke of God in this poynt, they shall finde great cause to louelove the poore, and not to disdaine them. We see how proude and insolent many are if they get vp a gorgious house ouer their heads, or a veluet coate vponupon their backes, or a golde chaine about their necks: and as for their poore neighbours, they count them but as peasants and slaues in respect of themselues. But alas poore soules, what is it that setteth out the brauerie of their building, but the poore cottage that standeth by it? And in what estimation would their veluets and silkes bee had, if some did not weare frize, and goe plainly apparelled? And againe, if none were vnlearned, then who would reuerence the learned? or what account would there be of Artes and Scicoces, if the knowledge of them were equallie giuen to eueryevery one? And where doth wisdome shine most in her glorious beautie, but in the middest of fooles? Therefore men should leaue admiring of themselues, and despising of others which come short of them, whether it be in the riches of the bodie, or in the riches of the minde, and learne to praise the wisedome and goodnes of the giuer and disposer of them, and in all humblenes of minde vse them to the glorie of the giuer, and the benefite of their brethren. And further, how could the rich liue without the poore and baser sort of people, whom God hath made their seruants to supplie their wants? For as it is not meete the ploughman should weare the Crowne: so is it as vnfit for the King to holde the plough. And therefore as in the bodie naturall God placed diuers members, and all differing one from an other, that one might be seruiceable to an other: so in the bodie politicall he hath in no lesse wisedome made diuers degrees & estates of men, that one might be seruiceable & helpfull vntounto another. And thus wee see that for diuers causes the Lord will hauehave the poore still amongst the rich, and that good men hauehave bin in pouertie aswell as bad: and yet the Lo… hath still supplied their wants, and not … them to lacke what he sawe good for … neither wil he, but wil either giuegive them bread, or abate their hunger, or giuegive such a blesing with their little portion, that it shal go as fa…e, and content them aswell as if it were gre…, and withall makes them rich in the heauenly graces of his spirite, wherein many very … rich men of the world are both bare and barren.
As there be good poore men, so be there also wicked poore men, which are become poore and miserable through their owne negligence, and slothfulnes: such are they … Salomon speaketh vntounto in my text. And to such persons, pouertie is both a reproch of men, and a iudgement of God: for as it is no shame to suffer, but to suffer for euill doing: so it is no shame to bee poore, but to become poore through our owne negligence and wilfulnes. Of those that beare the burthen of pouertie in that sort there be some in the Church, and some in the common wealth: of Church men that bee in pouertie, some are of the popish and antichristian Church, and some of the christian Churches. In the popish church there are a companie of idle Monkes and … ers, and hedge priests, and cloisterers, which professe wilfull pouertie, making the worlds beleeue that it is a step to happines, and a degree of christian perfection, and if that be …ue, what need the Sluggard care for such a iudgement? Nay then it is no iudgement at all, but a blessing and a happines: and so by that reckoning the Sluggard were a blessed and a happie man, and the Sluggards life were the onelyonly happy life that could bee deuised in this world, but that cannot bee; for here wee see pouertie and necessitie set vponupon the Sluggard to punish him for his slothfulnes. In our christian Church also we hauehave seene some both in the ministerie and otherwise, who liued in good estate: and yet afterward through their couetousnes and ambition hauehave fallen into great decay: for when they were not content with that which was conuenient for them, but still would hauehave more: it hath happened oftentimes to them as it did to the dogge, that hauing a piece of meate in his mouth, would snatch at the shadowe of the meate in the water, and so when he thought to hauehave both, hee lost both.
In the scriptures there are diuers causes of pouertie set downe, and pouertie is made a punishment for diuers kindes of offenders, and is a whip for the backe of many fooles: it is a whippe for the Sluggards backe, that in time will whip him to death if he repent not, for Salomon saith, The disire of the Sluggard …layeth him▪ for his hands refus… to wor…e. Pro. 21. 25.It is also a scourge for the wasting vnthri…t, and prodigall spender,Luke 15. as may appeare in the example of the prodigall sonne, who hauing spent all, was driuen to feed among the swine. When it hath scourged the vnthrift, it will also serue to scourge the niggard, that knoweth not how to vse his goods, as appeareth by the parable of him that hid his talent,Luk. 19. 20. 26. and therefore had all taken from him in the ende, to shew that it is not the best way to thriue, for a man to liue to himselfe.Pro. 11. 24. 25. And Salomon sayth, There is that scattereth and is more encreased, but hee that speaketh more then is right, shall surely come to pouertie. The liberall person (sa…h he) shall hauehave plentie, and he that watereth shall hauehave raine. When it hath punished the niggard, and the myser, it shall also punish the …uell man, & the oppressour: for it is set down by Salomon Pro. 22. 16.as a definitiue sentence against him in this manner: He that oppresseth the poore to enritch himselfe, and to giuegive to the rich, shall surely come to pouertie. And the Prophet Esay as one in the same cōmission confirmeth the sentence, and goeth a little further and faith, Esa. 33. 1. 2.W…e hee to thee that spoylest and wast not spoi…, for when thou shalt cease spoiling of others, th… shalt he spoiled by others, and when thou hast deals wickedly against others, then others shall deal… wickedly against thee. The trueth whereof i… not hard to bee seene in some that hauehave gotten vp by prises, and many that hauehave liued by vsurie, brokerage, promooting, bribing, extorting, cousoning, and such like meanes. As it punisheth the cruell oppressour, so will it also punish those which are rash and prophane in their affaires: as Esau, Heb. 12. 17.who (without any more adoe) when hee was hungrie, solde away his birthright for a messe of pottage, and when it was gone, cried to hauehave it againe, but could not get it. The sentence is recorded by salomon thus:Prou. 21. …. The thoughts of the diligent dee surely bring abundance, but who soeuer is hastie, commeth surely to pouertie. Which is also verified in many sureties which hauehave in a vaineglorious heate, passed their wordes, neither regarding for whom, nor for what, and after warde hauehave repented them too late: and surely this is a point not vnfit for noble men, and great gentlemen to consider of, whome God hath blessed both with great liuings, and also beautified with a liberall and free heart, lest being (as many are) attended vponupon and haunted by hungrie horse leaches, and fawning parasites, they impeach their estate and honour before they bee aware. As it punisheth the rash and headie foole, so doth it also helpe to plague fornicatours and adulterous fooles: as may appeare by that wofull complaint of such as hauehave beene brought into the fooles paradise by the alluring ba…tes of harlots. And therefore Salomon, Prou. 5. 8. 9. 10.that great man of experience, aduiseth all that feare God, to keepe their way farre from the harlot, & not to come neere the doores of her house, and giueth this as a reason: lest (sayth he) thou giuegive thy honour vntounto others, and thy yeares vnot the cruell: and le…t the strangers bee filled with thy strength, and thy labours be found in the houses of strangers. And last of all it is a piece of a punishment for the contemners of the worde, and those that obstinately disobey the lawes of the almightie. Deuter. 28. 15. 23. 24.For (saith Moses) If thou wilt not obey the voice of the Lord thy God, to keepe and to doe all his commandements, and his or …, which I command thee this day, The hea… shallbe brasse, and the earth iron: The Lord shall giuegive thee for the raine of thy land, dust and ashes, vntill thou be destroyed. So that pouertie and necessitie, bee like a common gallowes at the townes end, which hang vp both theeues, and murtherers, and traytors, and witches, and all that are brought to be executed. Then it is not a part of happines, nor a degree of perfection as papists holde, but a verie sore iudgement of God.
Here is now the Sluggards pouertie, and the niggards pouertie, and the vnthrifts pouertie, and the hastie mans pouerty, & the whoremongers pouertie, and the cruell mans pouertie, aud the vngodly mans pouertie, and pouertie is a whippe for them all. By which we are taught not to blame others (as many doe) if they bee fallen behinde hand, but let eueryevery man examine himselfe in these poyntes: and if thou canst cleere thy selfe of one, suspect thy selfe in another, and trie thy heart in all, till thou hast founde out the cause, as thou wilt trie eueryevery keye of the bunch vntill the locke bee opened. And saye to thy soule as Dauid saide to the woman of Tekoah, who came to the King about Absalom, 2. Sam. 14. 19.Is not the hand of loab in all this? So is not the hand of flouth, or negligence, or the hand of crueltie, or the hand of incontinencie, or of niggardlines, or of rashnes, or of vngodlines in this my pouertie? And this may suffice for the pouertie of the bodie.
And nowe a little of spirituall pouertie. Where of the Scriptures speake sometime in the better part, and sometime in the euill part: in the better part it is attributed to the children of God to their great commendation, and as a speciall ve…tue, and grace of God, and that is when they be humble & lowlie in their owne eyes, and thinke poorely and basely of them themselues in respect of others. And this is that …pirituall po…ertie which our Sauiour … speaketh of, and calleth it blessed po…itie, in Ma…th. 5. …. …hen hee saith: Blessed … …oore in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdome of …: To shew that it is not onelyonly a blessed, but a rich pouertie, because the kingdome of H…auen doth follow it. And this is a grace founde …swell in Kings and great rich men of this worlde sometimes, as in the pooret … when God dooth sanctifie their hearts, and teach them to knowe themselues: such a one was Abraham a rich …, and Iob a rich man and Dauid a King: yet were they poore in … rite, and therefore blessed: the contrar…e whe… of is found in those that are wise in their own conceite, and wedded to their owne wai…r, whatsoeuer can bee said to the contrarie,Pro. 26. 10. whether they bee rich or poore, of such Sal… saith, There is more hope of a foole then of …
Againe to bee poore in spirite is sometime taken in the euill parte, not as a vertue, but … fowle vice: not as a grace but as a disgrace… and that is when men a bounde in their owne spirites, and in their owne iudgements, and … ing altogether carnall, and …, are … of the spirite of God, and barren in the gr…t… of the same spirite, abounding in pride, and ba…re… in humilitie, abounding in ma…ce, and barren in louelove, abounding in ignorance, and barren in knowledge, abounding in … …ie, but barren in …, and so i… the rest and yet thinke not so, … president of which pouerti… wee hauehave in theminister and … of Laodicea, to whom Christ speaketh in … sorte:Reue. 13. 17. Thou saiest thou are rich and … with goods, and bast needs of not …ing, and … est not that thou art wr…ed, and … and poore, and blinde, and naked. And in … do the soule that is destitute of the heauenly … c…s of the holy ghost, is a poore soule, although he iette it vp and downe in his silkes and veluets: yea and in cloth of golde too. But the soule that hath them is rich indeede, though otherwise for want of worldlie necessaries they bee constrained to lye begging in the streetes. Therefore the holy ghost doubteth not to call them riches,Ephe. 2. 7. saying that God sent the Gospell of his sonne amongst the gentiles that hee might shew thereby to the ages to come, the exceeding riches of his grace, through his kindenes towards vsus in Christ lesus. To shew that the giftes of the holy ghost sanctified to the children of God, are riches, and more then riches, for they are exceeding riches. And in the same Epistle, the Apostle saith, that he preached vntounto the gētiles, the vnsearchable riches of Christ,Ephe. 3. 8. to shew that whosoeuer hath Christ, is rich enough. Therefore is the Gospell of Christ compared to a pearle of inesti…nable value, which could not bee bought, except a rich man solde all his substance to buie it, to shew how rich they are that hauehave that pearle. Many rich men want these riches: Therefore let no man saye, oh I am rich and well increased in worldlie goods, therefore I am not guiltie of the sluggards sinne, for through thy slouthfulnes thy soule may bee poore enough in the riches of Gods spirite, how rich soeuer thou bee in the things of this world. And if any man woulde hauehave these riches, he must earnestly desire, and long after them:Luk. 1. 53. for the Lord filleth the … grie with good things, but the rich, that is the full stomack, he sendeth emptie awaie. In the 2. of Prou. Salomon propoundeth two thing… and sheweth what course must bee taken of those that will obtaine them. The … the vnderstanding of the feare of God, and the knowledge of God: the way to get them is to receiue the worde, and to hide it: then he must hearken with his eares, and encline his heart, then to calland crie af…er them, as if they were going away, for feare they shuld not beint… rained as they are worthie: …nd if they cannot be had with calling and crying, then hee must fall to seeking, and searching, as if they sought for filuer, and searched for treasure. This being done, then shalt thou vnderstand, and fi… &c. to shew that these things sent from God, must be earnestly sued vntounto, and will not ma… rie, but with such as will vse them well, and … count of them as speciall guests. VntoUnto whi… hunger and longing, must also be ioyned … gence, and painefulnes: for A slotfull … (saith the holy Ghost) maketh poore, Pro. 10. 4.but … hand of the diligent maketh rich: So a slot… eare to heare, and a slothfull heart to bele… maketh poore in heauenly things: but the eare and the heart of the diligent maketh rich. Some say they hauehave been diligent in hearing, &c. and yet are poore, and that may well … for it is not our diligence, but the blessing of God that maketh rich, which blessing is not giuen alwaies at the first, but is promised to those, that in faith and patience, and by earnest prayer are continuall su… and seekers for the same,Gen. 32. 26. like lacob, who could not obtaine a blessing of the Angell, without great stri…ng and wrestling. And sometime it is v…terly denied, and not giuen at all to some, because the Lorde seeth in them a false heart, and a wicked affection that sette them a worke, and knoweth that if the wicked should hauehave those excellent graces and ie…els, they would abuse them filthilie and proudely, to the dishonour of the giuer, like swine which trample pearles vnderunder their feet, and digge vp filth out of the dunghilk and to speake indifferently, what should the Lorde doe reucaling his secrets, and his counsels to them that meane not to follow them? Of such kinde of seekers, and gatherers of spirituall riches, is that speech of Saint Iames verified,Iam. 4. 2. which hee vseth against some, that seek fo… temporall riches: Ye lust and hauehave not, ye … others, yede fire … derately, … cannot obtai…e, yee …ight and …arr…, and get …hing, because ye aske not. verse 3.Then to those that aske he saith: Ye aske and receiue not, because ye asks amisse, that you might laie the same out vponupon your pleasures. So in seeking for heauenly riches, many …, and hauehave not, and no bodie doth pitty their longing, because they are not with child traueling,Apoc. 12. 1. 2. nor traueling in paine… be deliuered as the true church doth. Again… they enuie the giftes of other men, they des… immoderately, they would attaine to gre… matters, but they cannot obtaine, they stri… and keepe a stirre and get nothing, because they aske not. And when they aske, they … ceiue not, because they aske amisse, to spend their knowledge and their learning, and the… vtterance in maintaining of contentions, and quarrels, and in defending of superstitions, and sinne, and in peruerting the straight wai… of the Lorde, and all at their owne pleasure, but nothing to the glorie of GOD, or to the good of Gods Church. Now it is well, if … pouertie commeth not for want of diligence and painefulnes but then God may curse … vnsanctified affections, and his giftes that h… gauevs may be giuen in his wrath, as Saul was to the Israelites, and the wicked may peri… with all their knowledge and excellent graces, for want of Gods grace, as the Iewes… ed with the meate in their mouthes, for want of Gods blessing: and this may likewise … fice for the matter of spirituall pouertie. Now further (to encrease the paine) besides poue… tie there commeth necessitie, to shew that the time willcome, when the sluggard shall be… glad of that which before he despised and ca… away, and shall not get it, like the rich glutto… who while h… liued amongst his delicates scorned to drinke water, yea perhappes wind exceptit were the best, but being in hell, hee called for water: yea but for a droppe of water▪ and could not get it. Or as the prodigall child, who was at last glad of pease hulles amongst the swine, whē in his fulnes he scorned bread And so is it in spirituall necessitie, the time wil come when many wil be glad to heare the meanest of those Sermons, and instructions, and bookes, which now they neglect, and lothe, and consure at their pleasure, and will thinke themselues happie too, if they may …ue but a droppe of that water to drinke, which now they power downe the streetes and chanels, for God must needes bee reuen…d of such horrible contempts.
Now for the manner of this iudgement, it …ery fearefull, for it is saide in my text, first, that it shall come vponupon him as one that trauai…h by the way, which …eeteth with a thee…e on a sodaine, before he looked for his cōming. … hath … out with …any dealers and …upiers in the world, who for want of diligence, and carefull circumspection, hauehave gone … still, as if they were on a iourney, and so…inely hauehave been ouertaken with pouertie, and set vponupon by necessitie before they hauehave … aware, and where as they were taken before, to bee in very good case, it hath been …ounde, that when eueryevery man hath taken his share, they hauehave been left very poore and naked. And so shall Gods graces waste in v… one after another, if we suffer them to di… vsus for want of renewing, and continual… payring: And at the last when wee think… hauehave the most vse of them, our faith will … gone, and turned into infidelitie; our rep… tance shall bee turned into impenitencie … hardnes of heart, our zeale will be blasted, … our louelove wee shall finde abated, and also … ted vp, as if all the hogges in the tow…e … been in our garden. And then we shall … and doe nothing but weepe for them, as … chel wept for her children, and shall not … comforted because they are not, nor can… be had or else we shall hardly kno… them, … take them againe, nay they will hardly know… vsus, or take vsus againe, we shall be so altered, … if wee had r…ne away from out masters, … lien long abroade in ditches, or as though w… had been newlie taken out of our sti…ck… graues.
And lastly, as this execution shal be so… ly serued vponupon the Sluggard, so shall it … mightily assisted with necessitie, which shall come against him as an armed man: so… no rescue or resistance can bee made. And … the Sluggard then make any, it will not se… his turne, for he shall be so ouer matched, that he shall not be able to recouer himselfe, … new supplie of strenght and grace come from God. And this point may serue notably t… uerthrow the folly of Papists, and secure gospe…ers, which thinke to commaund God, and to repent when they list, or beleeue, or heare, or worke when they list. No, no, well maiest thou striue, but it shall bee against an armed man, and thy selfe naked: yea thou must then yeelde and confesle thy folly in spite of thy teeth.Gen. 49. 14. The Sluggards are of kinred to Isbachar, who seeing ease to be good, and the land pleasant, became secure, and careles, and like a strong asse cou…hing downe betweene diuers …hens: to shew that the Sluggards are like asses, which hauehave some strength indeed, but al their strength is in couching downe, but not in rising vp: when hee goeth to sleepe, and betakes himself to idlenes, & slothfulnes, he shal finde himselfe strong enough: but when hee thinketh to rise vp to worke, and to make resistance against pouerrie and necessitie, the Lords sergeants sent to arrest him; hee shall then finde himselfe weake enough, and too weake. For as the drun … ard drinketh till hee hath drunke all the money out of his purse, and all the wit out of his head, and all goodnes out of his heart, that there is no difference betweene him and the beast, except it bee in this: that the beast can goe and keepe his way which the drunkard cannot doe: so the Sluggard sleepeth in all securitie, and neglecteth al his busines, and puts off all care, for doing of all his dueties, vntill he hath slept all thri…t out of his shop, and all his friends out of his … panie, and all Gods gra… out of his … and all comfo…t out of his …oule▪ & all … out of his bodie, and all conscience out of … dealing, till his stocke be spent, and his … pying decaied, and his customers gone, … Gods spirite gone, and all bee gone: and … nothing be left but feare, and shame, with … uertic, and penurie, and a bare head and … ble shoulders to beare off the blowes. And in… word, til there be no difference betweene hi… and the asse, except it bee in this: that the … can rise againe when hee is downe, which th… Sluggard cannot doe: For his pouertie is … like one that trauaileth by the way, and his … cessitie is set vponupon him like an armed man. And thus hauehave you heard the Sluggardrowsed. If … hath roused any of vsus, let vsus thanke God for it if it hath not, let vsus pray that it may, and when wee are gone, let vsus take heede wee fall not asleepe againe, lest a worse thing happen vntounto vsus.
FINIS.
Soli Deo gloria.
A Table whrein are set forth the principall poyntes that are handled in the Treatise following.
End of the text · William Burton, The Rousing of the Sluggard (1595)