A Light to Grammar and All Other Arts and Sciences, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI
All Creatures ſerve man; Mighty Concluſions there-from. Art as well as Nature ſerves, man; hee ſets all trades a work, which concludes hee muſt have … Trade alſo; What that muſt be; How he may proſper in it.
VVEE have viewed Natures great work, rather the work of God actuating Nature: Now we muſt take a view alſo of ſome inferiour works of Nature, and Art both, employed all about mans body: Take good notice then, run over the body again, and not with a careleſſe eye; obſerve well every thing about thee, from that which honours thy head, to that which covers thy heele. Thou wilt conſider then, what creatures, and how many, have and do continually contribute towards thy accommodation. That is the firſt Conſideration.
2. Then again, How many like thy ſelfe, but perhaps much better, have been, and are employed dayly about the adorning thy poore carcaſſe. Thus obſerve the workes of Art about thee. A child cannot conſider this: yet wee muſt informe him what we can. Where is the man, who thinkes hereof as hee ſhould, conſiderately? yet doe theſe things require our ſerious thoughts and we ſhall very much gaine upon a childs underſtanding hereby.
Firſt, what a retinue, how great a company hath this poore man, alwaies ready preſſed to doe him ſervice? The Sun, the common ſervant of the world, ſee with what ſpeed he comes, obſerving his appointed time, that hee may not faile man of a minute. This is confiderable, and demonſtrable too. I have been curious (ſaid a great Scholar Bellar. de aſc. mentis p 111.in his time, too great to thinke himſelfe nothing) in ſearching into this ſecret, how many miles, the Suns race is in a minute, and thus I found it demonſtrable. I obſerved the firſt pearing of the Sunne to my eye in its riſing, then preſently I began to reade the 37. Pſalme, before I had read the Pſalme the ſecond time, the Sun was up, ſo quick, and ſpeedy is the morion of that mighty body, and ſo for mans ſervice altogether, which reads him a great lecture, but of that anon. Come we lower; The Moone doth him ſervice too, who knowes how much, every man knowes a great deale. Lower yet, The Winds, and the raine,fulfilling His word, hearing the earth, that the earth may heare man. The Birds of the ayre they are at mans ſervice: The Beaſts of the earth they groane under the hard uſage of their Lord. Some ſweat and toyle at his worke, other yeild him cloth and meate both. The wide Sea alſo, the Creatures there they are not behind to doe him homage; what a thing is Man! All above, below, and about him, all to doe him ſervice. What an honour is this, how great an engagement too? that muſt be conſidered alſo. And who is ſo weake that cannot reaſon thus, If all theſe be for my ſervice, how reaſonable is it, that I ſhould ſerve my Creator, Him only, and according to his rule, with reverence and godly feare?
But a ſoft pace goes far, wee are too quick for the Child; if wee are ſo curt, and ſhort, wee ſhall doe him little ſervice; I will then briefly cleare the firſt propoſition, That all Creatures have, and doe continually contribute towards mans accommodation; then, I will helpe him to make Concluſions thence ſerving much for our uſe.
Firſt, the Sun-beame is not more cleare upon the wall, then, That all Creatures are for mans uſe, All ſerve him: So God their great Lord hath appointed, I cannot expreſſe it more fully and briefly, then in the Fathers words; O man, what hath God given unto Chryſ. Tom. 1. Hom. 57.thee? nay rather ſay, what hath He not given thee? Hee hath given the Sunne, the Moone, all the Quire of Stars: Hee hath diffuſed the Ayre which encompaſſeth thee; He hath ſtretched the earth under us, the heaven above us, the Sea about us, Hee hath given Mountaines, Hils, Valleys, Rivers, fruitfull lands, fruitfull ſeaſons, All greene things, all good things. In a word, All wee behold with the eye, all we reach unto with the hand, all wee tread on with the foot. We have all, ſo bountifull a Lord have wee; It is cleared to our ſenſe, that wee live upon mercy, doles of mercy, every moment of time; now the Concluſions will be as cleare.
And firſt, (though it is no good order, but fitteſt for the Child) let us give the Creatures their due, then their Creator. Wee have them to uſe, wee muſt take heed we abuſe them not: if ſo wee doe, they will abuſe us, they will Lord it over their Lords, and make their Lords ſlaves, ſo revenging theit Creators quarrell. This appeares in the abuſe of meat, and drinke, which being ſurfeited upon, will caſt their Lord ſometimes into the water, ſometimes into the fire; And (to paſſe over greater aHoly war B. 3. c. 16. p. 135.miſchiefes, which our eye have ſeene, and our eare have heard) ſometimes layes him along in the ſtreets, to bee gazed upon as a baſe ſlave to that Creature, over which a little before he was Lord. If wee thinke hereon, wee have enough to conclude therefrom, the ſober uſe of the Creatures; That we uſe them as not abuſing the ſame.
And now wee are upon a great and nice point, but I muſt breake from it, yet not ſo abruptly. I ſay it is a nice and tickliſh point, to know the juſt bounds and limits how far we may goe in the uſe of lawfull aChilds Patrim. p. 80.things, (for there is all the danger bIn lici… is perimus omnes. More dye of Surfets the of poyſon..) I remember Hierome cCiborum largitatc ebriae 1. 2. ep. 17.ſaith (the moſt temperate man that ever I read off) You ſhal have ſome ſober at their wine, (yet he would have young folke drink none at all, and old folke, to uſe it as a Cordiall) but drunk with good cheere. And Auguſtine tels us, it was an abominatiō to him to be drunk: God for bid (ſaith he dEbrietas longe eſt a me, crapula oute ſubrepit nonnunquam &c. Cōfeſ. 1. 10. Hee muſt be very wakefull, that will keepe his heart from being overcharged with meat and drinke, yet that is our charge (foreign) Luke 21. 34. It is very hard to ſtand firme upon the …idge of our liberty.) that ſwiniſh ſin ſhould be objected to me, that I ſhould ſwallow Wine, till I have ſwallowed my reaſon, and given my ſelfe up into the power of the Creature; God for bid. But Lord, Intemperance ſteales upon me; my meat and drinke, not withſtanding all my watchfulneſſe, is my ſnare; I eate and I drinke ſometimes ſo as I feele I have ſtrengthened my enemy and weakened my beſt friend, Lord forgive mee, Lord fortifie mee at this point. I ſaid it is a great point and a tickliſh one. An eaſie paſſage it is from the uſe to the abuſe of a thing; there is but a ſtep, nay ſcarce an inch betweeene; and hence it is, that we fall foule by companies. I cannot ſay a little to it. I will onelyonly put a period to Auguſtins prayer, for it ſhould be ours, when the meat is before us, and kniſe in our hand, (the ſame in the uſe of all lawfull things) Lord make us watchfull now that we uſe the Creatures, to repaire, not to pamper Nature; that wee uſe them, not abuſing the ſame. Amen.
2. We muſt uſe the Creatures mercifully; They are commanded to ſerve us, wee muſt not make them ſerve in rigour; we muſt uſe them as Men that have bowels, wee muſt ſhew pity to our beaſt. There is no doubt of this. Wee are by ſpeciall indulgence Lords over the Creatures, a great honour; we muſt not bee Tyrants over them, an high point of injuſtice, and ſometime sevenged by the Creature it ſelfe; wee have heard, and knowne, when a man hath beate his horſe ſo long, till the horſe beate out his Maſters braines. Then learne wee to uſe the poore beaſt mercifully, for if we doe not make him wild, a Child may lead him.
3. And uſe it reverently too, even the leaſt bit of bread or drop of drink: what, uſe a bit of bread reverently? A Papiſt I beleeve. No, I doe not meane you ſhould adore a bit of bread; I hold it the greateſt preſumption in the World (and ſo our Juel ſaid before mee) to adore that which Longs wife can make. I ſaid we muſt uſe the bread reverently, and ſo I ſay againe, and it is concluded by the ſtrongeſt reaſon that can be: for it comes out of Gods hand into mine, and it is mine by free gift, and made a ſtaffe of bread to me by a free mercy: but that is not all: The bread (I include all there) is not mine, for I am not mine owne, I am bought with a price, I muſt glorifie God with ail, and in all, then whether I eate or drinke, ſo I muſt glorifie God, but ſo I doe not, unleſſe I uſe the Creatures reverently. But the chieſe reaſon is this; Theſe Creatures are a purchaſe too, nay the purchaſe of blood; wee had had no comfortable right to them, but in and through Chriſt. Wee were loſt, and we loſt the Creature too, Hee redeemed us, and gave us Title, and claim unto them; and all by blood. What? a purchaſe, and a purchaſe of blood? then we muſt uſe them reverently ſure enough, we are in the ſtrongeſt bonds that can be imagined.
4. And man muſt endeavour to be very good, ſo we have concluded too, All is good about him, very good, ſurely he doth not give the Creatures their right, unleſſe he ſtrives to be good, very good; even better then they, for man is the very beſt, the moſt excellent of all. He muſt ſtrive to be excellent. For all his ſervants are good round about him; What a ſhame, what indignity this, that their Lord ſhould bee naught amidſt all good things?
5. Nor ought man to diminiſh any thing from the works of God, the creatures I meane, thoſe that we think the leaſt of all, are very good all: they may differ in bulke and quantity, not in this prime quality. Wee muſt not ſpeake meanely, and below the dignity which belongs to the works of Gods hands, for this were to derogate from God Himſelfe. I think of Melancton now, his ſayings, and doings both were very exemplary. Hee bade one that ſate next him, to taſte the wine as himſelf had done, and tell how he liked it, which his friend did, then told him; It was no bad wine. At which words Eſt illnd haud malum, pene cum indigna…ione, &c. Cama. vita Meſ. p. 62.Melancton was very angry, (in him paſſion quickly to ſhewed it ſelfe, but hee was more quick to ſhew his command over it) S. ſaid he, Good wine muſt have better commendations then ſo, you ſhould have ſaid, It is very good. And now it is very eaſie to apply. And I hope from henceforward, the child will ſay, Dry bread is good, and hard cheeſe, and meate very good, though there be no other ſawce, but what he carrieth with him in the tip of his tongue.
6. One thing more while I think of it, for I am in ſuch a throng that I cannot get out; He that hath all good from Gods hands, wee will conclude him to be a mercifull man, a man that doth much good to others. What? hath God beſtowed richly upon any man? hath hee filled his hand and his mouth, and his coffers. and his barns with good things? And is this man a niggard? is he cloſe handed? like a fountaine ſealed up? doth he no good with all this good? The childe will cry ſhame upon him; For he hath concluded that ſuch a mans practiſe is againſt the voyce of the Creatures, and the Law of heaven.
The childe ſhall heare again his example, which is ſo freſh, being mentioned but now. Melancton had plenty, as he called plenty; a houſe full of good things, and ſee how good he was to every one that needed. It is obſerved of him that he never denied a poore mans requeſt, if he ſpake ſupplications, then did Melanotons lips, and fingers ends drop mercy, like the firſt drops from a full hony-combe, that is the ſweeteſt aMe quod per ſe fluit maxine lauda lie. Plin. lib. 11. c. 15. Vxor, liberi. &c. Cam. vit. Mel. p. 38.. Nay this is reported of him too; He gave almes, his wife gave almes, and by allowance from both, ſo did the children and ſervants alſo. Now it was as it ſhould be. He by Gods favour had many good things, he did good to many, nay to all, or ſuch was his deſire; and Ʋniverſos inquit cupio. i old. p. 41.this is our duty. Now we have given the Creatures their due, man his due, we will labour to give God His due alſo, for by this time the child ſeeth better how he ſtands engaged.
God hath given all theſe as ſervants to man, all miniſter to him; nay the Angels alſo, for ſo I ſhould have ſaid; how ſhould this engage his heart to ſerve his Lord? what, all for him, poore little creature! there is not ſuch adiminutive in the world: For the Nations are but as a drop of the bucket, or ſmall duſt of the ballancebEſay 40. 15.. What is man then, who beares out himſelfe? So little. comparatively) that you cannot ſee him, for he is nothing. For this nothing hath God, created all things, even to ſerve this little little Maſter, whom they call Lord, and they ſay well, But this doth wonderfully engage to duty. Hath God ſo honoured him? The Sun for him, Moone for him, Ayre for him, &c. for ſo I ſhould goe over all; All for him, how reaſonable a thing is it, that he ſhould be all for his God, that he ſhould ſerve Him, feare Him? ſo it ſhould be, nay ſo it muſt be; if man looks, that the creatures ſhould ſerve him, He muſt ſerve his Lord, elſe very likely, the Creatures will rebell, and riſe up againſt their Lord: they will obey and awe him, while hee keeps himſelfe as an obedient ſervant to his great Maſter: for ſo we know, the Viper, the Lyon, the fire did, thoſe hurtfull, thoſe devouring Creatures.
But if this Man be a Rebell againſt his God, the weakeſt, and moſt contemptible creatures may doe, as they have done, riſe up againſt man, and he ſhall fall before them, becauſe hee is fallen from the ſervice of his God. For thus it hath been; A gnat, a flie, an haire, a crum have choked him; frogges, mice have annoyed him; toads, rats have eat him up; ſo have lice alſo; ſo weake a Childs Patrimony Preface, p. 41.thing is man, when he forſakes the God of his ſtrength, the rock of his ſalvation.
Man muſt ſerve his Creator; no doubt of that; ſo he doth I hope, for who doth not ſerve God? I am perſwaded; nay no matter what I am perſwaded of, we know, That the Heathen did ſerve God, they glorified Him too; The ſacred Writ gives cleare intimation hereof, They knew God, and they glorified Him, but here they fell ſhort, as we doe by thouſands in the manner, and that is all in Gods ſervice: They gloriſied Him, but not as God That but, Rom. 1. 21.and not as corrupted all their ſervice; ſo now we muſt have a reaſonable ſervice, ſuch a ſervice as reaſon tells us is ſuitable to God our Maſter in heaven, Who created all things, to ſerve His Glory as the chieſe end, and man in ſubordination thereto; we muſt ſerve Him as God. That ſervice which will paſſe as currant money betwixt me, and my Governor, (yet I will addreſſe my ſelfe with care, and reverence in my ſervice before him) will bee too light in the ballance, when wee come before God. Bringeſt thou ſuch a ſervice to Mee? Goe offer it to thy Governor, who hath his breath in his noſtrils, as thou haſt, ſee whether he will accept of thy perſon, or thy ſervice: for blinde, and lame it is: and if he will not, a man as thou art, then venture not to come before Me with ſuch a ſervice, for in My hand is thy breath, and all thy wayes; I am God, as a God I muſt be ſerved, and then thou glorifieſt mee. Wee have this more then intimated in the firſt of Malachi Ve…ſe 8.. I have often thought of the Text, and this I will ſay, There is not any in all the ſacred Writ, which hath a better edge, or ſharper point to pierce the ſide of him, or her, ſo to awaken them, when they are addreſſing themſelves in their ſervice before God: we muſt ſerve Him as God, not as we ſerve our Governour; wee leave the waight of this ſervice upon that Chapter, and the firſt to the Ramanes, verſe 21. All the Creatures ſerve man; he muſt ſerve God, but as God, as the great Monarch, our Maſter in Heaven, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. In that manner, man muſt ſerve God, as God.
2. He muſt be thankfull to Him alſo: Hath he all things to uſe? Is his Lord ſo bountifull to him? doth he provide for his neceſſity, for his delight alſo? (this moved a Heathen cVſque ad de…ias amamur. S. n. le Benef. lib. …. L…p 5..)
Man muſt be thankfull, and chearfull in thankſgiving, for ſo it is expected, elſe hee may reade what followes. dDeut. 28. 47, 48..
I debated upon this large Theame in a fitting place, I ſhall be the ſhorter here, and borrow nothing thence.Childs Patrimony. p. 68.
The learned Knight hath a feeling ſpeech; It is a note of much unthankfulneſſe to entertaine the bleſſings of God with a ſullen, and unfeeling diſpoſition: What full of bleſſings within Hiſt. 3. 1. 11.and without, made up as it were thereof? the fuller of praiſe ſhould his mouth be, and his heart, as if filled with thankes, preſſed downe, running over; Oh how unworthy a Chriſtian, a Man, that lives continually upon the doles of mercy, to have his mouth wide opened to receive bleſſings, and cloſed up, as mute as a fiſh, when hee ſhould returne praiſe and thanks! how unbeſeeming a ſight, to ſee a man under the continuall droppings, (ſhal I ſay rather) ſtreams of bleſſings, and yet as dry as a Pumiceſtone, as the parched places of the Wilderneſſe! Better had it been for him, that he had ſeene no good all his dayes; better he had been as the King prayed the Mountaine of Gilboa might be, upon whom neither dew nor raine had fallen, for then his condemnation had been light, and eaſie to be born; but now it will be very heavy, becauſe he is compaſſed about with bleſſings; mercies diſtill upon him from above, like the de…v, and rain upon the graſſe, and yet behold barrenneſſe, the heart is ſhut up, and the tongue filent. I profeſſe heartily now, I have here penned my own condemnation, and have ſtopt my own mouth: for my ſelf, with thouſand thouſands, fall ſhort, infinitely ſhort here. Certain it is, for it is the concluſion of experience, we are then moſt apt to forget God, when He remembers us moſt, and moſt graciouſly: When His ſootſteps drop fatneſſe, then we are leaneſt; when our Table is fulleſt, then we are more likely to lift up the heele in rebellion, rather then the voyce in thankſgiving. Therefore it is, That the Spirit of God bids us beware, take heed, looke well to your ſelves, theſe are the Caveats, the Cautions, theremembrances, the Spirit gives all along, ſpecially then, when our portion is ſatleſt. All this I muſt paſſe over, though it were very good to build Tabernacles here, that our thoughts might fixe upon Gods mercies, that ſo our hearts might be inclined to a proportionable thankſgiving aReade M. wards note out of Bradward: in his fruitfull Sermon; A peace-Offering.. I ſhall only remember Melancthon at this point alſo; hee was invited to a great feaſt, and thither he came, and all the words from the Maſter of the ſeaſt were, Eate, eate, eate, I pray you eate, that's the manner. If he ſhould ſay as faſt, Drinke, drinke, drinke, pray you drinke, wee might thinke he were not Maſter of himſelfe, and were reſolved to doe us the greateſt diſhonour, to make us, not our owne men neither; this by the way, but ſo it was. In the very midſt of the feaſt, up riſeth the Maſter to addreſſe a City complement to his honoured friend Miclancthon, and this it was; I am ſorry Sir, I am not better provided for you. Better provided! out uponthee, (aſtrange returne for his good cheare, but very ſitting; hee was never knowne to hee more angry, not his ſpirit more ſtirred, for indeed hee ſaw God quite forgot, and his grace ſlighted, yeatrod under) out upon thee, what a wretch art thou! Better for mee! the worſt Camer. in vita Mel. p. 68.bit here is too good for thee, and for mee. I expected to heare from thee nothing elſe but praiſes; thankſgiving had beene comely, and but according to the Rule. Deut. 8. 10. and law of mercies. Certainly thou doſt but complement with thy God too, for wert thou thankfull, thou durſt not have ſpoken ſo ſlightly of His mercies before men. God forgive thee, and let it be thy hearty prayer alſo, for thy proviſion here is too much, and too good, unleſſe thy heart were better; here is no thankſgiving at all; but that was thy proper ſervice, being the Maſter here; So hee reproved his Hoſt. Indeed it is a cuſtome (it was not ſo of old) The greater the ſeaſt, and the Maſter thereof, the more out of cuſtome in his own perſon to beſpeake a bleſſing. Let cuſtome carry it: but I am perſwaded, I could conclude againſt it, and give reaſons ſtrong enough to breake this cuſtome, eſpecially amongſt the Churchmen, though no man is too high to give thanks to the Higheſt: Wee will thinke on Melancthons words, when wee make a feaſt or partake of it: we muſt be thankefull to God; wee ſee how wee ſtand bound to it, though we cannot tell the obligations, but ſo many mercies, ſo many bonds. But ſee how wee have forgot our ſelves; we muſt be thankfull! who doth not give God thanks? The Heathen did, we are ſure, and wee doe no more then they if we be not thank to Him, as to God, who gives all things Rom. 1. 21.richly to enjoy. As to God, the manner is all, wee heard ſo before, in that manner we muſt be thankfull.
3. And patient too, under this aſfliction, and under that, under three croſſes, and alſo under foure. The reaſon is plaine, and therefore wee will bee ſhort here: Suppoſe the man hath foure croſſes: hee hath foure hundred Bleſſings. Hee receives good things every moment. His houre-glaſſe hath not more ſands, then hee receives bleſſings; hee muſt then take in good part the evils he feeles ſo, and yet his ſenſe may be miſtaken, for chat which hee calls evill, and grievous to the fleſh, God can turne to good, ſo as thereout ſhall grow (if he can be quiet, and patient) a ſweet fruit of righteouſneſſe; for it is no riddle now, Out of the ſtrong came ſweetneſſe. aIudg. 14. …4.How ever, greater reaſon yet, that the man ſhould bee patient; for though his evils be many and grievous, God can lay on more, and make them more ſmart and grievous yet, there is no contending with Him. Hee is ſtronger then we, but Hee will do us good in the end, if wee can be patient now.
4. And depend on Him in ſilence; great reaſon He ſhould have the glory of our dependence, for we are at his finding. And though the man finds his proviſion ſhort, yet he muſt remember, that Hee that created all things, and worketh hitherto is not weary, He can and will create comforts too: And let not the man feare, for He that holds Eſay 40.up the earth, will ſuſtaine him in his fainting ſits, if he can hold his heart in a dependence upon Him.
And now though we have not given God his due, for we ſhall ſtill fall ſhort at that high point, yet wee paſſe on to the next propoſition; which wee ſhall cleare firſt, and conclude from thence after. And although all along. I ſpeake to the Child, and to his capacity; yet we ſhall ſee the wild Gallant ſhall be hampered anon, and bound to his good behaviour; I meane him, who makes play his worke, turnes night into day, and day into night, eates and drinkes and riſeth up to play. We will hold him faſt enough, or if we cannot, for I bethinke my ſelfe, and I ſee by his gate and action, he is a wild Colt, that is not our fault, we will eaſily make the cord ſtrong enough, and he ſhall be held faſt with it one day.
The Propoſition is;
The Artificials about him, whom wee call man, ſets all men on worke: that's the point.
It is cleared to the Child thus.
Behold, Child, the Artificials about thee, what Art, and skill hath ſitted to thy body; what variety haſt thou there? what a deale of good ſervice is done unto thee? Begin with thy head, the hoirie ſcalpe, and obſerve well how many that ſets on worke; now the Felt-maker comes in for thy ſervice, rather the Beaver-maker, ſo fine we are, and a hundred more that are their Maſters. Anon the Barber comes, and to worke he goes, Snip ſnip, as nimble as an Eele. Perhaps the Currier hath fome worke here too, for we weare his leather on our heads; wee allow the head moſt ſervice, for it is a principall part, and doth the moſt ſervice to us: we cannot be ſo large in all, but wee will looke over every part; then go we lower by degrees, and by that time we are come to the heele, we ſhall well underſtand, That Man ſindes work for all the Tradeſmen in the City and Country both. And this will ſuſſice for explication. Now we have gained theſe Cōcluſions, which cannot be denied us.
1. Sith Man doth ſet all on worke, every part about him yeilds matter of imployment, wee muſt finde imployment for him too, that wee muſt: How unreaſonable a thing were it, that all in the family ſhould bee as buſie as Bees, or Ants in the Summer, and one amongſt the reſt, as able as any of the reſt, ſhould like a Lord-Dane, anciently, or ſome Abbey-lubber, lye along in the chimeny corner? No, ſo it muſt not be: He that hath ſet ſo many Trades on worke, muſt have his Trade too, his Calling wee meane: it is our concluſion, but made in Heaven, and ever ſince there was a man upon earth: there is no ſlipping the collar,be hee high, be he low, (the more high he is, the more ſervants hee hath, and the more ſervant is he) this Concluſion ſhuts him in, and will hold him, he muſt have ſome trade alſo, ſome imployment, ſome calling, no matter what word wee uſe, our meaning is, be hee what he may be, how high ſoever, he muſt have his worke. Here now the Gentleman, the Idle-man, the Idolif you will (for as an Idol is nothing in the world, ſo he doth no good in the world) is hamper'd: and the Cord will hold him faſt, though he be looſe. For if to every man his worke, then to him alſo, unleſſe hee chooſeth rather to bee a Beaſt.
It is true, as in the naturall body, ſome parts there, are placed rather for ornament, command, overſight, and direction of the body, rather then for toyle, and labour about it: ſo alſo in the civill body, but full, To every man aMarke 13. 34.his worke. My Father …rketh hi…he…, and I worke bloh. 5. 17. So the Lord ſpeaketh to mans capacity; The Father, and the Son doe preſerve that in being, which is already made, which to us ſeemes a kind of worke as indeed it is, but without labour; But it teacheth us, that we muſt labour every one, as the Maſter of the houſe hath given authority, and to every man his worke cMarke 13. 34.Who dares contradict this?
2. But now we muſt work in order, every one in his place, according to his calling, and that muſt bee ever according to his gift: He that made the hat, did not buſie himſelfe with the ſhane, nor doth the foote guide, but is guided. It is a great point of diſcretion now for a man well to meaſure himſelfe, not foreign Cor. 10. 14.to ſtretch himſelfe beyond his Laſt, nor to move above his ſpheare. A man moving out of his place, is like a member out of joynt, hee vexeth the body rather then furthereth it.
We would have ſuch a calling, which is moſt honourable, but we muſt chooſe ſuch a calling as is fitteſt, moſt ſutable, to our ſtrength and parts, I Childs Patrim Chap. 10.have been upon this point of diſcretion before; I will onelyonly adde to it, what I finde ſupplied to my hand, it is full to our purpoſe, and of the ſame uſe. Wits miſplaced are moſt unquiet, and ſeditious, as any thing elſe ſtrained againſt nature; light things preſſe upward, and will yee force fire downe? Heavy things beare downward, and will yee have Lead to leap up? If that wit fall to Preach, which were fitter for the Plough, and he to clime a Pulpit, which is made to ſcale a wall, is not a good Carrer ill loſt, and a good Souldier ill placed? If hee will needs Law it, which careth for no Law; and profeſſe Juſtice, that proſeffeth no Right; Hath not right an ill Carver, and juſtice a worſe Maſter? If he will deale with Phyſick, M…jcaſt. pag. 137.whoſe braines cannot beare the infinite circumſtances which belong thereunto, whether to maintaine health, or to reſtore it; Doth hee any thing elſe but ſeek to haſten death, for helping the diſeaſe?
I could ſpare none of all this, ſo well it fitted our purpoſe, to every one his worke; but ſuch it muſt be, as may aſſure us of the fitneſſe, and right placing of our ſtrength, and wits thereunto: for then there will bee an agreement, and eaſe betwixt the work, and the work-man, whereas unfitneſſe, and miſplacing have the contrary companions, diſagreement, and diſeaſe. It is not what a Parent would doe, but what the childe can doe; I would put my childe into ſuch a calling as hath more grace & eſteem in the world, and ſo ambitious I may be: But if I ſee no fitneſſe of parts, if he be rather for the field and plough, I will not croſſe nature; God ſpeed him well, ſo he holds the plough, not looking backe; doth his work diligently, and faithfully, I have enough; ſo ſhall he have too. Nay if his parts be ſo low, that he muſt ſerve lower yet, as ſome Scullion in a Kitchin, lying amongſt the ranges, and every ones man; yet if he be his own man, not ſerving his own luſts, nor others neither; I mean, if he be diligent there, ſerving his Maſter in heaven, I have enough even there, ſo ſhall the childe have alſo; for this is a ſtanding rule, It is not the greatneſſe of place, but my fitneſſe for the place, and faithfulneſſe in the place, which commends me, now before God, and will honor me at the laſt before Angels and Men. Sincerity is an excellent kinde of Alchymy, ſaith one, it turneth iron into gold, and as once our Saviour, water into wine. We mean thus: Sincerity ſetteth a gloſſe, puts a luſtre upon the meaneſt parts, the loweſt employment, Holding the plough, Keeping ſheep, Sweeping the houſe, whereas Hypocriſie and unfaithfulneſſe Childs Patrim. Chap. 10. …caſteth a ſpewing upon all the glory of all the moſt glorious works, Almes, Prayer, Preaching.
S. Auguſtines words are very ſignificant. Tu…ior …ſt in corpore digitus ſanus, … … lippiens oculus, &c. In Pſal. 130.The finger is but a little thing, cannot do ſuch ſervice as the eye that is admirable for its nimbleneſſe, and quickneſſe, and can guide, and direct the whole body, ſo cannot the finger: And yet it is better to be a finger: and to be ſound, then …o be an eye, and to be dimme, and dark, ready to fall out of the head. We have made then our ſecond Concluſion: as, To every one his work, ſo to every one his fitting work.
3. I know every one hath made this concluſion, He will thrive if he can. If he muſt work, he would not work in the fire; he would proſper, that he would. Then he muſt know God doth all in the world, therefore God muſt be looked up unto in all, for in Him we live, and have our being; our breath is in His hands, ſo are our wayes. The childe knowes how he ends his prayers, juſt ſo we muſt begin our employments, Through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord. Nay we muſt end there too, our work as well as our prayers. For in Him, and through Childs Patrim. p. 75.Him, and to Him, be praiſe and glory for ever. Amen.
Thus much, that man may know, That he ſtands betwixt God and the Creatures, receiving all the comfort and profit of them with the one hand, and returning all the praiſe for them with the other hand unto the hands of the Lord. 2. That man muſt work the thing that is good, and be fitted for his work, and if he looks to have praiſe from the Lord, he muſt doe his work faithfully, and look up humbly. Then at the concluſion of his work, and day, he may ſpeak in good aſſurance, I have glorified Thee on earth, I have done the work Thou gaveſt me to doe, now glorifie thy ſervant, with the glory that Chriſt hath purchaſed for me, even ſo, Amen.