The Rousing of the Sluggard, Sermon 1
THE ROWSING OF THE SLVGGARD, IN 7. SERMONS.
Published at the request of diuers godlie and well affected.
By W. B. Minister of the word of God at Reading in Barkeshire.
PROVER. 24. 30. I passed by the field of the slouthfull, &c. to the ende of the 32. verse.
AT LONDON, Printed by the Widow Orwin for Thomas Man. 1595.
THE ROWSING of the Sluggard.
The first Sermon.
PROVER. 6. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
6 Goe to the Pismire or Emot, O sluggard, behold her waies, and be wise:
7 For she hauing no guide, gouernor, nor ruler,
8 Prepareth her meate in the Summer, and gathereth her foode in haruest.
9 How long wilt thou sleepe O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleepe?
10 Yet a little sleepe, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleepe.
11 Therefore thy pouertie commeth as one that trauaileth by the way, and thy necessitie like an armed man.
IN the fiue former verses, the holie Ghost hath condemned hastines, and vnaduised rashnes, as the very bane of sur…iship, and the vndoing of many men. In these verses he proceedeth against idlenes, and negligent slouthfulnes, or slouthfull negligence, another extreame, contrarie to the former, and no whit inferiour in daunger vntounto the former. And betweene both he requireth in all the children of God, an aduised diligence in all the waies of their calling, to shew that the way of a Christiā is to make an euen course betweene so many rocks and dangers, as he is on both sides beset withall, and alwaies to saile by the carde and compasse of Gods word, the spirit of God sitting as Pilote at the helme to direct the course by the same; lest otherwise, either vponupon the rocks of rashnes & vaine glorie, or vponupon the sands of slouthfulnes and negligence, he suffer shipwracke of bodie and soule before he neede, or before he would.
The matter of these verses is in generall a disswasion from idlenes and negligence: Idlenes for want of a calling, and negligence in a mans calling are the principall things which the spirite of God here dealeth against, perswading also to faithfull diligence, by the example of a sillie creature the Pismire. But more particularly these poynts are in these verses to be considered of: first, the Sluggards Schoolemaster, and his lesson that he must learne, in the 6. 7. 8 verses: thē the Sluggards examination in the 9. verse: then his answere in the 10. verse: and lastly his iudgement in the 11. verse.
And this text may be called the rowsing of the Sluggard, because it hath to deale with one that is fast asleepe, and therefore commeth to awaken him by all the meanes he can deuise, as it were by calling, pulling, and hallowing, and pinching, & terrifying, as if he would not leaue him till he had awakened him, if he will be awakened: for first, he perswadeth him by the example of a Pismire, to shame him withall: then he debateth the matter with him to know how long he will sleepe, to see if that will awake him: and then he sheweth him his nature and propertie, to see if that will awaken him: and then seeing he will not awake, hee sheweth him the danger of it, and so he leaueth him: And the same course will I take.
But for as much as eueryevery man consisteth of two parts, viz. bodie and soule, both which are in time to be prouided for, and Salomons care was aswell for the one, as for the other: therefore we will set downe two sorts of Sluggards to deale withall. The Sluggard temporall, and the Sluggard spiritual: for some are Sluggards for the bodie, and some are Sluggards for the soule. Of Sluggards temporall which neglect the things of this life, wee may also set downe two sorts, either such as liue without any calling, or such as liue negligētly in their calling. Of Sluggards spirituall likewise, I summon two sorts to appeare before the Pismire: first, those that hauehave no care at al to vse the meanes of their soules health, but liue as though they had no soules to saue: then those that vse the meanes of their saluation but coldly, and negligently, driuing off all to the last cast, thinke that it is not yet time to make their prouision. And first of the Sluggard temporall.
Goe to the Pismire, &c. The Sluggard is here set to schoole with a very simple schoolemaster, and yet able to teach the Sluggard wisedome, if he will take the paines to behold her waies, that is, to consider well of the order and manner of her liuing, and to applie the same vntounto himselfe. Whereby wee may learne first that idle bodies and slow bellies which liue without a calling, or negligently in their calling, are not so wise, and therefore neither so profitable, as the sillie Pismire is. For she is wise to helpe her selfe, by making readie her prouision in time: the Sluggard hath no wisedome, nor care to helpe himselfe, nor to saue any thing that he hath. Now he that hath no care to helpe himselfe, for whom will he care? He that is vnprofitable to himselfe, to whom will he be profitable? He that will not till his owne ground, whose ground will he till? He that will not labour for himselfe, for whom wil he labour? for eueryevery man naturally is giuen to helpe himselfe, and to prouide for himselfe: therefore it seemeth that Sluggards and idle packes are vnnaturall, and monsters in nature. And therefore ought to hauehave no place in nature, that is amongst men or beasts, because they are not so profitable as either man, or beast, be the one neuer so simple, and the other neuer so filthie. For the beast is still in his kind euen to the very Pismire or Emmot, but the Sluggard is out of kind. And therefore the Apostle warneth the Thessalonians,2 Thess. 3. 10. that if any amongst them were able to worke and would not worke, they should not eate; to shew that idle persons are not worthie to liue: his reason is, because they be inordinate liuers, and work not at all, but are busie bodies, that is, they liue out of all order, intermedling with other mens busines, but altogether neglecting their owne dueties. Such are those wanton widowes and pratling gossips, of whē the Apostle speaketh in another place, which liue in pleasure, that is, they louelove not to take any paine for their liuing, now heare the Apostles iudgement of them, They that liue in pleasure (sayth he) are dead, 1. Tim. 5. 6.while they liue: that is, they are vnprofitable to men, and as good dead as aliue, and better too: for while they liued many were the worse, no man the better for them: but when they bee dead, they hurt no bodie: besides that, the wormes, or something els, doe then feed their fill vponupon their carkasse, which in their life time fed vponupon all other, but fed none themselues.
The naturall man hath abho…ed idlenes for want of a calling, although he had no light but the light of nature: therfore when Iosephs brethren came before Pharao, he asked them of what trade they were:Gen. 47. 3. for it was a very vnnaturall thing to be without a trade, that is, without some ordinarie and lawfull kind of calling, either in the Church, or Common-wealth, whereby a man may be both profitable to others, and helpfull to himselfe.
As the naturall man condemned it, so doth the Pismire here in our text rise vp in iudgement against the Sluggard whatsoeuer he bee, but especially against him that for want of a trade, or some calling, is become a sluggard, & leadeth an idle life: For she hauing no guide, gouernour, nor ruler, doth gather her meate in summer, &c. What would she do if she had a guide and gouernour? &c. And what a shame is this to the slouthful person (if he be not past shame) that hath both guides, and gouernours, and rulers, both to teach him, and keep him in order, besides the benefite of reason and vnderstanding: and yet for all these meanes and helpes, which the Pismire wanteth, is carelesse of his owne good? But hath the Pismire or Ant no guide, nor gouernour, will some say? how is it then that she doth alwaies keepe that wonderfull order, and take that meruailous trauaile for her liuing, without breaking or altering thereof? To this we may answere, that her order is the order of nature giuen and imprinted in nature by God at the beginning, her guide is God himself, and her gouernour is the euerwatching, and euerlasting prouidence of the Almighty, which extendeth it selfe to man and beast, to all things in heauen, in earth, in the sea, in hell, and in all places, and at all times, yea to the Pismire, the flye, the haires of a mans head, the haires of eueryevery mans head in the worlde, and finally taketh accompt of eueryevery haire vponupon eueryevery mans head.Mat. 10. 30. But as for other helpes, and other guides, and other gouernors, the Pismire hath none: man hath so much as she hath, and more too by many degrees: therfore if man shall be found more careles; nay, if not ten thousand times more carefull & painfull then the vnreasonable creatures, hee must iustly be condemned: for God doth condemne him, the naturall man doth condemne him, the bruite beast doth condemne him, the poore Pismire doth condemne him, and the whole course of nature doth condemne him. Then grieuous, and iust must that mans condemnation bee, that is denounced and ratified by all. Therefore in time goe to the Pismire, O sluggard, behold her waies, and be wise: for she hauing no guide, &c.
There be some, companiōs to Atheists, which partly through ignorance, and partly through pride of heart, (for commonly they goe together) that hauehave not stuck to finde fault with the creating of the Pismire, the flye, the worme, & an infinite number of creatures moe, and as it were to quarrell with God for making of thē, because (as they say) they cannot see to what purpose they serue, or what good they doe in the world. Now for an answere to these wittie fellowes that will set God to schoole, wee may tell them, that if these sillie creatures (whereat they are so offended) did no more good, nor were no more profitable in their kinde, then idle braines and the sluggish persons be, and such as themselues bee, which doe nothing but finde fault with God, and his workes in nature, like dogs which bark at the Moone; it were no great matter if the world were rid of them, sauing that God must be glorified in his iudgements vponupon them, if they repent not, or in his merciemercy, if it please him to worke their conuersion.
But in the meane time, I demaund of these cauillers, and quarrellers with God, what hurt doth the flye, &c? It is said of Apelles the cunning painter, that he did by arte make the picture of a flye, sitting vponupon a mans face, in such artificiall and liuely manner, that diuers comming to looke vponupon the picture of the man, tooke the sayd painted flye for a liuing flye indeede, in so much that one with his handkerchefe stroke at it, and thought to hauehave driuen it away but could not, which being perceiued, they did greatly wonder at the excellent cunning of the painter. But what is Appelles to the Almightie? or who gaue him that cunning which hee had? did not God? Now, shall a pain…ed flye, which is no flye, serue to set forth the cunning and skill of a man, and shall not men much more take occasion by seeing a liuing flye, to praise the Lord, and to wonder at his most excellent and vnspeakable wisdome, and skill, and power, and glorie, which into a thing of so small compasse, and quantitie, hath put such varietie of ioynts and members in such order, and comelines, with such …ute of diuers colours, such liuelines, nimblenes, and swiftnes, as a thousand worlds are not able to match or make the like vntounto any part thereof?
If any man would know to what vse frogs, grashoppers, caterpillers, and lice, &c. serue, let him aske Pharao, and his subiects of Egypt, & they will tell him, that as there be many vses of them, so one especiall vse is to punish wicked men by them, and when the Lord will, they shall be his hoste to subdue euen the pride of the proudest, & to make the stoutest to stoope.
But the Pismire, the Pismire, wherfore is she good, or what profite commeth by her, wil the sluggish Atheist say, that had neuer any leisure yet to peruse the Prouerbes of Salomon? Oh sayth the sluggard, we reade that she gathereth her meate in summer and haruest, &c. But what good doth she els? doth she nothing but gather meate and deuoure it? Verely no. Thats enough for thee O sluggard, to deuoure, and helpe none: for so thou doest indeed. Or els there is no creature but is profitable in some measure: The sea swalloweth vp whatsoe… is cast into it, but yet it is profitable both in nourishing of fishes, and carrying the ships for the good of man. The fire consumeth al that is cast into it, but yet it maketh a recompence with his heate, which is so necessarie that no man can be without it.Prou. 30. 16 The graue neuer saith hoe, (sayth Salomon) but yet it is profitable in smothering euill smels & sauours, which els would annoy the liuing. Yea they doe receiue the dead to their lodging, when no bodie durst abide thē within their doores, nor within their streetes, nor within their walkes, nor within their fieldes, nor within their sight, nor within their smelling: Like the earth which receiued Abels bloud,Gen. 4. 11. when it might not bee suffered to hauehave a resting place in Abels bodie.
Now, if idlenes and slouthfulnes were but halfe so profitable as the sea, which yet drowneth infinite numbers: or as the fire, which spareth neither house nor citie: or as the graue, wherein is nothing but stinke and rottennes: yea if they were not 1000. times more hurtful, then any of these, they might bee more borne withall, then now they can be, or ought to be.
But yet the Sluggard is not answered, hee must needes knowe wherefore the Pismire serueth, and what she should do in the world: And the Pismire on the other side meruaileth what the idle Sluggard doth in the world. It is no meruaile though the Sluggard cannot away with the Pismire of all other things: for many idle schollers cannot away with the schoole, nor their schoolemaster; no more can the Sluggard well digest the sight of the Pismire, because he is put to schoole with her to learne wisedome. For he counteth it as a kinde of disgrace to his person, to be set to schoole at an Ant-heape, or at any body els: but so it pleaseth the Lord wee see to pull downe the pride of men, and by the vile and base things of this world (as S. Paul sayth) to confound the mightie.1. Cor. 1. 27 What say many now adaies? They skorne to learne their duetie at the preachers hand, or to bee catechised, they will not so much bee abased and disgraced, when the Lord knoweth they be as blind as beetles in their duetie both to God and man. But if men be so proude, that they will not be taught by the preacher of the word, nor bee subiect to the ministerie of their pastors, the Lord knoweth a way to humble them well enough: He can turne them out into the fielde amongst the Ants, and flyes, and grashoppers, that they may see what manner of schollers they are, when such tutors are set to teach them their lesson:Dan. 4. 30. As he turned Nabuchadnezzar out of his pallace into the wildernes, from men to beasts, vntill amongst the beasts he had learned to know himselfe. And thus we may see that the poore Pismire can in no wise be wanting, if it be for nothing els, but to teach the Sluggard wisedome.
Behold her waies, and be wise. Here wee are further taught, that wee ought to beholde the creatures, with due consideration of their natures, and the wonderfull workes of God in them, and that we ought so to behold them, as to bee the better for beholding them, and not to bee (as most are) idle gazers vponupon them, or vaine and curious disputers of them to no purpose, but for ostentatiō of learning or wit, &c. It is good to be a naturall Philosopher, but it is better to bee a christian Philosopher withall: that is, when by beholding and learning the natures of the creatures, we are drawne neerer to the Creator, and taught to know our selues, and our duetie to God better then we did. For this is true wisedome, and true wisedome is true Philosophie. Therefore the Sluggard being sent to the Pismire to behold her waies, & so to get wisedome, what els is he taught, but to become a right Philosopher? So that a man may learne Philosophie in the fieldes, by an Ant-heape, if he hath the spirit of God; yea as good as any Aristotle can teach him in the schooles, and better too: for he goeth no further then the causes of things, and teacheth mē to rest there, saying: Foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas: that is, Happines standeth in the knowledge of naturall things, and the naturall causes of naturall things. But Christians hauehave learned out of the booke of God, to goe one step beyond Aristotle, and all that are but meere naturals, and that is not onelyonly to search out the causes and qualities of the creatures, (wherein indeede Salomon did excell, for he disputed of all things from the Hyssoppe that springs out of the wall to the Cedar in Lebanus) but then further to make vse of the same,1. King. 4. 33 and out of eueryevery thing to learne something, whereby they may either correct their manners, or bee more confirmed in the prouidence of God, or bee stirred vp to the doing of their dutie to God and man, or to be more humbled in themselues, or to magnifie the name of God for his wisedome, for his power, and for his goodnes, &c. Such a Philosopher was Dauid: When I behold thy heauens (sayth he) euen the workes of thy fingers, Psal. 8. 3. 4.the Moone, and the Starres which thou hast ordained, what is man, say I, that thou art mindfull of him, or the sonne of man, that thou visitest him?
There is no creature of God in the world, but that man may learne somewhat out of the same, and profite by it, to the amendment of his life. The reason is, because all the creatures of God doe serue their Creator in that course and kind wherein they were first created, only men are the sinners in this world, and hauehave forsaken their first estate, and are become vnkind against their Creator. If we speake of dutifulnes to our superiours, wee may learne it of the oxe, and the asse: for,Esay. 1. 3. The oxe knoweth his owner, (sayth Esay) and the asse his masters cribbe, but Israel hath not knowne, my people hath not vnderstand. If we speake of louingnes & kindnes betweene man and wife, eueryevery man may learne it of the Hind and the Roe: for Salomon willeth the husband and the wife, to louelove together as the louing hind and pleasant roe: Prou. 5. 19.to shew that there is not amongst all so much louelove and kindnes as they may learne of the beast. If any man will bragge of his diligence and paine… taking,Prou. 6. 6. the Pismire is more painfull then he. Again,Pro. 30▪ 26. 27. 28. The conies are not mightie, yet they build in rockes. The grashoppers hauehave no King, yet g…e forth all by bands: The spider takes hold with her hands, and is in Kings palaces. Againe, the Prophet Ieremie sayth,Ierem. 8. 7. that the storke, the turtle, the crane, and the swallowe are skilfull in the… appointed times: but man knoweth not the indgements of the Lord. The dogge is in his kinde more thankfull then man is. The sea keepeth his tides of ebbing and flowing, iust at the day and houre appoynted, that a man may be bold to build vponupon his comming: to shame those that promise much, but performe nothing, and to shewe that vnconstant men of their word may be taught by the sea. As they goe beyond vsus in glorifying their Creator, so doe they also farre excell vsus in many naturall gifts, or qualities of the bodie, which make mē forget themselues: The Horse in strength: The Roe in swiftnes: The Lion in courage: The Eagle in sight: The Dogge in winding. These and … ny moe besides these, doe excell man in the naturall faculties and qualities of the bodie. And therefore to conclude this poynt, what cause is there that we should bee so proude of our selues, or any thing that wee hauehave, or can doe, seeing as all the creatures in their kinde doe excell vsus? glorifying their Creator better then wee doe, yea and are appoynted as tutors and schoolemasters to teach vsus our dueties?
Lastly, we may learne from hence, not to cō temne, and disdaine, but with great reuerence, and in the feare of God to vse all the creatures of God: both for that they serue so notably to set forth the glorie of the Creator, and also for that they are appointed to teach men their duties. Of Lecturers, some reade of one thing, and some of another, and are reuerenced for their labour … are maintained in Cities, and V…iuersities: some by the Citie, some by the Vniuersitie, some by Noblemen, & some by the Prince, and therfore are called their Lecturers, & are greatly reuerenced & regarded. The Pismire here is the Sluggards reader, but maintained at the Lords cost and charges: therfore … may not be despised, but the work of the Lord in her is to bee had in great reuerence. For the works of the Lord are great, Psal. 111. 2. 3.(saith the Psalmist) and ought to bee sought out of all them that louelove them. Yea, His worke is beautiful and glorious, & therfore greatly to be regarded. It is coūted no small matter to bee the Philosphie Lecturer, or the Greeke Lecturer, or the Phisicke Lecturer, or a Reader in the Law: but to reade a Lecture of wisedome, as the Ant doth, is more▪ because wisedome is aboue them all. That was the cause why the Queene of the South counted the seruants of Salomon blessed,1. King. 10. 8. because they were in place continually to h…are th… wisedome of Salomon. Now, when the preaching of the word cannot be heard, which is th… Lecture of all Lectures, and teacheth only … wisdome, then the creatures are brought forth both to humble men and to condemn… them. And surely these are better Lay mens booke… ▪ then the Popish Images, which Papists caused to bee set vp in Churches: for they were layin… vanities, and taught nothing but …ollie and v… nitie: but the creatures of God are not so, and they teach men the trueth indeede, and out of eueryevery creature the spirituall man may learn… some heauenly lesson: therefore wher…soe…e… he becommeth, he is at schoole, both at home and abroade, at the Temple he learneth wis… dome, and in the field, and eueryevery where he … learning of something. Now therefore to th… Sluggard againe. Thou seest thy tutor, it is th… Pismire, her schoole thou knowest is in th… fields, and woods, all that goe to schoole with her must sit vponupon the low four…e, e…en the very ground, and lower they cannot …, & … low must eueryevery one sit that will goe to the Pismires Lecture, for she readeth the right P…il… sophie page missing … life. And some would faine be in h…aue…, because they are loth to endure any paine, or trouble, or labour, especially for the trut… vponupon earth, and this is but the sluggards wish.
We doe r…tly reprehend the Papi…ts for that Monkish life that is amongst them, to liue like Eremites,Eremites. &c. Monkes, Friers, Nunnes, Chaunt … Priests, Masse Priests, and Soule priests, and hedge priests, & a companie of Cloyster …reepers besides, which was most abominable before God and man. For first, they cast off all cal…ing, and were no way profitable, eith…r in the Church or Common-wealth: then …ec…ndly all helped them, but they helped none. God shall not neede an armie of Doctors … Councels to confute them, this poore … creature the Pismire doth shamefully … them, and most strongly confute them. Now, as this is common amongst those Ca…erp…llers, so we must take heede that this be not in all of vsus, for we are al too monkishly addicted. How doe men of trades de…ise with themselues how to leaue their paines and to sit downe,Men of trade. or goe vp and downe, being so rooted in idlenes … slouth, that they knowe not which way to … their hands to any honest labour? these are also sent to the Pismire to learne wisedome.
Next vntounto them must Churchmen hauehave a place on the low fourme, which fish till they hauehave caught that fish that they looked for, … then hang vp the net. And no merua…, … their net they say hit vponupon a company of od…e steeples which lay in the bottome of the ri…er,Nonre… dents▪ which they neuer looked for, nor thought of, and with haling of them vp, their …ettes were so piteously rent and torne and spoyled, that they could …euer fish with them since to any purpose. These also are here sent to the Pismire amongst the idle sluggards, to behold her waies, and to learne to be wise.
The vnlearned Minister likewise which hath made the Ministerie his last refuge,Ignorant Ministers. because he would liue at ease, he must goe to the Pismire too: for if it should be demaunded of him, as Pharao demaunded of Iosephs brethren, What trade, or calling hauehave they? What …ust their answere be? Forsooth, I was sometime a Taylor, or a Cobler, or a Weauer, or a Glouer, or an Ostler, or a Huntsman, or a Seruingman, or a Player, but now I am a Minister, or a Curat, or for fault of a better, the booke-reader of our parish, for preacher he is none, that is too painfull: Therefore goe to the Pismire O sluggard, behold her waies, and be wise. That is, giuegive ouer the Ministerie for which thou art so v…fit, and betake thee to thy old occupation againe, and learne of thy tutor the …ismire, to take more paines therein.
Next, the negligent Minister must goe along to the Pismires Lecture.Negligent Ministers. Such as at their first entring into the ministerie had good gifts, but afterwards liue like idle be…ies, and betray … …oules of Gods people into the hands of the diue…. Against such the Prophet Esay spe… keth,Esay. 56. …. 11. when hee sayth, Their watchmen are all blind: they hauehave no knowledge: they are aldu… dogges: they cannot barke: they lie and sleepe▪ and delight in sleeping. And the Prophet … sayth,Iere. 48. 10. Cursed is be that doth the work of the Lord negligently. Therefore if these sluggards will auoyde the curse of God, they must of necessitie goe to the Pismire, and learne of her to be more painfull and diligent in the worke of the Lord, there is no remedie.
The Magistrate also aswell as the Minister must goe to the Pismire, if he be slouthfull and negligent in his office.Magistrates For they are called pastors, …nd shepheards in the scripture. And therefore it is sayd of D…uid, That …e fed the people of the Lord according to the simpliciti… of his heart, Psa. 78. 70. 71. 72.And guided them by the discretion of his hands. The reason was, because the Lord did choose him, and take him from the sheepfolds, for to feed his people in Iacob, and his inheritance in Israel: By which Magistrates may see what they should doe. But if they be hot in their owne matters,2. Kin. 5. 11. like Naaman, who cha…ed because the Prophet would not come to him, when he sent for him; & cold in Gods matters, like Ely, who let his children do what they list: then are they guiltie of no small negligence,1. Sam. 2. 23 24 & he is here reproued by this sillie, yet diligent creature. Therefore O sluggish Magistrate wheresoeuer or whosoeuer, go to the Pismire.
There be many Gentlemen also that must be schollers to this schoolmaster:Gentlemen for it is a common thing amongst thē to say, I can liue of my lands, as though his lands were onelyonly to helpe him to liue, n…king no matter how he liue: or as though any man were borne to himselfe, & not to the soc…eie and comfort of others. And what though they be able to liue of their lāds? yet God abhorreth this idlenes, and spending that they hauehave gotten, idlie, at play, & pastime: For when it shall bee sayd vntounto them,Luk. 16. …. GiueGive account of thy stewardship▪ how hast thou spent that which I lent thee? What will they answer? I hauehave spent it in play, shall they say▪ And will this go for pa…ment? God placed Adam in the garden of Eden, not to liue idly, but to dresse it, and till it, &c. Adam was as well to liue as any gentlemā (for th… al was his) & yet he was not permitted to liue idlie. Let no gentlemā say, he hath no calling: for al hauehave a calling. If he hath no calling, he may busie himselfe in teaching his seruants & children to know God, as Ioshua did: or in visiting and relieuing the poore,Iosh. 24. 15. and distressed,Iob. 31. 8. in being an eye to the blind, a father to the fatherles, &c. as Iob was.
And this is also for thē that spend their daies and reuenewes in voluptuousnes & carnal delights, as at cards & dice, hunting & hawking, and bowling, and dauncing, and chambering, and wantonnes, &c. smoking it out in the excessiue pride of apparell, and spending of other mens labours: Surely they must needes to schoole. Therefore goe thou noble sluggard, or thou gentle sluggard, Goe to the Pismire, beholde her waies, and be wise.
A number of Citizens likewise must be sent after the rest of their fellowes, for that they hauehave takē pains heretofore, but now sit downe, and studie how to liue idlie with their families: some by vsurie, and some by brokerage, the one is the diuell himselfe, the other the diuels huntsman: some by promoting, & some by extortion, and all because of a more easie life, that it may bee sayd of them as it is sayd of Issachar, who seeing that ease was good, & the land pleasant,Gen. 49. 14. he became as a strong …sse couching downe betweene diuers burdens: that is, he gaue himselfe to ease, and let all alone. So these men perceiuing that ease is good, & the gaine of vsurie, and iniquitie to bee pleasant, they are become very beasts, and are content to lye downe vnderunder diuers burdens: that is, to let all their dueties be vnperformed, which they owe to God and the Common-wealth. Now, for that idlenes and lazines hath drawne them to liue a monkish life, this Pismire shall stand vp to giuegive iudgement against them, if they doe not the sooner goe to her Lecture, and learne to be wiser.
Besides all these, the Pismire hath a great number of schollers moe, which if they should come altogether the schoole would not h…ld thē, & they are scattered abroad in eueryevery coū trie, some in eueryevery shire, some in eueryevery towne, and in eueryevery village, in eueryevery faire and market some, and in eueryevery alehouse some, and vponupon eueryevery hie way some: and therefore the Pismire hath set vp her schoole in eueryevery field, and in eueryevery wood, in eueryevery pasture, in eueryevery lane, and in eueryevery hie way almost through the world, that they might not miscarrie for want of teaching. And these bee idle Players, and Fidlers, and Rimers, and Iesters, and Couseners, and Alehouse-hunters, and whorehunters, and tiplers, and tospots, and Bearewards, and walking mates, with a number of counterfeit Souldiers, and Pedlers, and talebearers, with a companie of pratling gossips, & a crue of good fellowes, besides legions of idle Seruingmen, and retainers, that be crept into Bishops houses, Noblemens houses, Knights houses, and Gentlemen… houses, which for any great busines that many of them hauehave to doe, might very well intend it to goe to the Sluggards schoole. Now to eueryevery one of these is this spoken: Go to the Pismire O sluggard, &c. that is, vp, and away to schoole. Me thinkes▪ I heare them all called at schoole by their names, and some bodie answering for them to excuse their absence: Some (sayth he) I saw on the stage at midnight, teaching youth and seruants, and all that came how to play the Cousener, the Lecherer, the Bawde, the Th…e…e, the Traitor, and how to scorne and deride the preacher, and religion, and how to practise all kinde of impietie and wickedne…e, and all to maintaine a poore liuing. Some are at the Alehouses set at tables, that they cannot come yet: and besides that, they are so filled with drinke, and so emptied of wit and reason, that if they should be brought to schoole, (for come alone they cannot) yet they should not be able to learne any thing, for they would fall fast asleep at the Antheape before the Pismire, as they doe at Church before the preacher. Then others were called: but answer was made againe, that some are gone to the faire, and some to market to cut purses, and some are keeping the hie way to take mens purses from them, that they might not bee robbed before they come home: Some are at the Tauerne drinking with their friends: some are stept aside to diuide the spoyle, and therefore they cannot come. Then another was called, and one answered for him and sayd, agr…tat, he is sicke of the dropsie, or layd of the new disease, called the French disease, and so is she too, his beloued companion. Then others were called, and answer was made, that they would come, but they cannot: for some of them bee in prison, and some bee at the Barre to answere for themselues, and some bee fast in the stockes, some bee vponupon the pillorie, some be dauncing about the market before the whip; and therefore cannot come yet: and some are executed at the gallowes, and therefore neuer looke▪ for their comming. So they were discharged▪ a…d others came in their stead.
Now these we see hauehave their excuses when they are sent to schoole: like the worldling… in the Gospell, who (being called to the feast of the Gospell) could not come, because of their farmes, or their oxen, or their plough, or their wiues, or some what els, and therefore were shut out when they would hauehave come. And yet though they could not, that is, would not come to the feast, the feast was furnished with other guests: so though this crue of good fellowes cannot, that is, will not goe to the Pismire, yet her schoole is furnished with other schollers. And the summe of all her reading is this, All that thy band shall finde to doe, Eccle. 9. 10.doe it with al… thy power: for there is neither works, nor inuention, nor knowledge, nor wisedome in the graue, whither thou goest.