A Sons Patrimony and Daughters Portion, Part 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Chap. 5 §. 1 The implanting of good, The order therein; foure ſeaſons in the Day very ſeaſonable for this work.
THe childe is yet in his flower, and firſt ſpring; And that is the ſeaſon of ſowing and planting the ſeed of inſtruction, which is the next work and now followeth.
The Preacher gives us a good leſſon and incouragement both: In kEccleſ. 11 6.the Morning ſow thy ſeed, and in th… Evening withhold not thine band, for thou knoweſt not whether ſhall proſper, either this or that, or whether they both ſhall be alike good. In this hope the parent proceedeth, and according to his rule and charge, Deut. 11. 19. Foure ſeaſons there are in the day, very ſeaſonable for inſtruction: according as they ſhall miniſter matter, ſo a parent may fit his occaſionall inſtructions. Theſe ſeaſons are, as we finde them lie in the Text, though not in the ſame order.
I. In the morning, when thou riſeſt.
II. At noon, or the ſeaſon when thou ſitteſt at the table.
III. When thou walkeſt by the way.
IIII. At night when thou lieſt down.
§ 1. In the morning when thou riſeſt; There is no ſeaſon in the day fitter for inſtruction, then is the morning, nor fuller thereof. Now the Sunne is returning and begins to appeare on this our ſide of the Globe, making all light and lightſome about us, oh how comfortable is it to ſee the light, and how ſafe to walk by it! Before, darkneſſe covered the earth, and masked the face of the ſame; and then we could not diſcern in what order things lay; nor what way to ſettle about them; Many doubts we have, and feares in darkneſſe, ſome reall, though the moſt imaginary; for it is our nature in darkneſſe, if we finde them not there, to frame them there. Our way in the dark is uncertain and hazardous, full of danger. Learn hence, What darkneſſe is to the outward man, ſo is ignorance (the key of ſome mens lReade our Jewell. 27. Art.Religion) to the inward; I know not whereat I may ſtumble, nor wherein I may fall; nor, falling, how dangerouſly I may fall, nor how irrecoverably; OnelyOnly this difference there is, and it is a great one, betwixt him that walks in darkneſſe, and him that lives in ignorance, the darkneſſe of the minde; He that walks in darkneſſe, walks charily and cautelouſly, feeling his way with one hand, and fencing his face, and the choice ornament thereof, with the other, becauſe he hath no light to guide himſelf by, and he knows he is in darkneſſe, and is ſenſible of the danger. Therefore it falls out ordinarily, that he ſcapeth and preventeth danger, becauſe he is ſo ſenſible of the ſame; what I feare moſt is like to do me leaſt hurt, for it is likely I am prepared for prevention.
It is not ſo, with a man walking in ignorance, and darkneſſe of minde; He goes on boldly and confidently, according as the proverb is, he diſcernes no danger, he cannot fear it. The former by his carefulneſſe may not fall; The latter, by his ignorant careleſeneſſe muſt needs fall; it is not poſſible to be otherwiſe: The former, if he fall, he will ſurely riſe again; for he knoweth, he lieth not where he would; The other falling lieth ſtill, and can never riſe again till a light appeare unto him; the one knoweth where he is and what he doth, the other knoweth nothing as he ought to know.
There is one, & we may call that one, as Satan called himſelf, Legion, for that one is many, who holdeth ignorance to be the mother of devotion; but that one is the mother of fornications, and thence it is, that ſhe prevaileth with them, and deceives ſo many, for, as ſhe hath gained, ſo ſhe holds all ſhe hath gained, by the tenure of ignorance.
There is a farre greater difference betwixt a well knowing and conſcientious man, and an ignorant perſon, then is betwixt a man walking in the Sun and working by it; and another walking in the night when neither Moon nor Starre appeares. The one clearely ſetteth forth the other; he that worketh by the Sunne ſeeth all cleare about him; where he is, and what he doth, and why he doth it; he that is in darkneſſe, diſcerneth nothing, nor can do any thing as he ought to do; and yet, which is much worſe, living in the darkneſſe of ignorance, he diſcerneth not his danger.
He that doth in any part underſtand what ignorance is, and the fearfull effects of the ſame (this ignorant man doth not) will pray for himſelf and his (as they who were upon the ſea, and in great danger, They wiſhed for the day mActs 27. 29.) Send forth Lord, thy light and thy truth, through thy tender merciemercy, let the Day-ſpring from on high viſit us. Thus he wiſheth for the day. And now, This Day-ſpring from above hath viſited us; we, that once walked in darkneſſe have ſeen a great light, and the glory thereof we have ſeen, as the glory of the onelyonly Sonne of God: upon us who dwelt in the ſhadow of death hath this light ſhined. Oh happy are the people then, that are in ſuch a caſe? how bleſſed are they to whom the Sun of righteouſnes hath appeared? they are children of the day, and of the light; it is day with them, alwayes day, though neither Moon nor Starres appeare, that is, though they finde no influence from the earth, or regions bordering thereupon.
But clean contrary it is with them, to whom this Sunne of Righteouſneſſe appeareth not, or againſt whom they ſhut their eyes (as ſome will do though, as the proverb is, we ſhould ſhew them the nLact. 7. 1. Nec ſi Solem in manibus geſtemus, fidem commodabunt ei doctrine.Sun in our hands) ſeeing, but will not ſee. How miſerable are the people, that are in ſuch a caſe! they ſit in darkneſſe, as they do on the other ſide of the globe, when the Sun is with us: nay worſe then ſo, they dwell in a land dark as Aegypt was, even in the land of the ſhadow of death; For, though they have the Moon and Starres upon them, I mean the confluence of all outward things, yet they ſit in darkneſſe, in deep darkneſſe. For as the Sun is to this outward world, ſo is the Lord Chriſt, the Sun of Righteouſneſſe, to the world of beleevers; without Him it is all dark, with Him, it is ſtill light, like the land of Goſhen; happy are the people, that are in ſuch a caſe; bleſſed are the people, whoſe God is the Lord; Send forth thy truth, Lord, and thy light, and through the tender mercy of our God, let the Day-ſpring from above viſit us. This may take up our thoughts very ſeaſonably, when the darkneſſe of the night is paſt, and the comfort of the day is come; And it may ſet an edge upon our deſires after the principall thing, oEccleſ. 2. 13.knowledge, wiſdome, underſtanding: For wiſdome excelleth folly, as light excelleth darkneſſe: And the wiſe-mans eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkneſſe. Knowledge in the minde is as the eye in our little world, or as the Sun in the great. Thus much by way of Analogie or agreement betwixt the eye, or great light of the world, and the true light. Note we now, wherein they diſagree and their operation is contrary; for it yeelds a great leſſon. The great eye of the world doth lighten thoſe, who have eyes, and by a naturall power can apprehend that light: They whoſe eyes are dark have no benefit by it. But the true Light lightneth them pLege Cal. Inſt. 2. 2. 25., who have no principle of light within them, them, and them onelyonly, who are all darkneſſe, and know themſelves ſo to be; and for ſuch who think themſelves lightſome, and ſeeing men, they are left to the vanitie of their own thoughts. If qJohn 9. 41.ye were blinde, ye ſhould have no ſinne: but now ye ſay, we ſee, therefore your ſinne remaineth. It is of high g uſe, and ſpecially requires our conſideration.
2. The day is come, and the ſunne appeareth; ſo the Creatour thereof hath appointed, that it ſhould know its riſing, and thereby to renew and and refreſh the face of things. The inſtruction is, touching the might of His power, and the riches of His grace, creating light in the Soul, who at the firſt, brought it out of the wombe of darkneſſe; and cauſing the light of comfort to ariſe unto His ſervants in the darkeſt night of affliction; for it is He alſo, that curneth the ſhadow of Death into the Morning rAmos 5. 8..
And this affordeth a righteous people, an hint for a glorious dependance; they know, that as ſure as the morning follows the night; ſo the Sun of righteouſneſſe will appeare with healing under his wings: for, if the Sun know his appointed time, much more the Lord knoweth His; and the Sun of righteouſneſſe His ſeaſon, when and how to comfort thoſe, that wait for Him, as they that wait for the morning.
3. The appearance of the Sun inſtructs us touching the glory of His appearance, and the exceeding joy, the righteous ſhall be filled with all at that Day: For, if it be ſo comfortable to ſee the light; how comfortable will it be to ſee Him, that is the Light of that light? If this elementary Sun, be ſo glorious and full of light; what then is the Sun of Righteouſneſſe? And if it be ſo comfortable to ſee this light; how raviſhing ſLege Baſil. Hex. Hom. 6.will that joy be in beholding His face in that Day, when we ſhall know Him as He is, the Lord of glory.
But for the wicked, it is not ſo with them; for the morning is now unto them, as the ſhadow tJob 24. 17.of death; what then will be the morning of their reſurrection? when the hidden works of darkneſſe ſhall be brought to light, and the ſecrets of all hearts opened, and made cleare, before all Iſrael and before the Sunne.
4. We learne againe, how ſinne and ſorrow, can ſower our bleſſings, and make us diſreliſh the greateſt earthly comforts; Amongſt them, the chiefeſt is the light, yet to him, that is hurried or oppreſſed with his ſinne, this light is grievous; And to him, that is in paine, the day is doleſome: as he is wearyed with toſſings in the night, ſo is he tyred in the day, complaining thereof; for, In the uDeut. 28. 67.morning he ſhall ſay, would God it were evening. God can cauſe the Sunne to go down at noon, and darkens the earth in a cleare day (Amos 8. 9.) That is, (as the xChryſoſt. Ad Pop. Ant. Hom. 2 foreign. Ibid.Father expounds the place) He can ſo cloud the ſpirit of a man with ſorrow, that it cannot ſee the light, or if he ſee it, it ſhall not be lightſome to him. Our ciſternes of comfort are below, but they are filled above. All my ſprings (of my life) ſaith David (Pſal. 87. 7.) are in Thee. Some fruits of comfort we gather from the earth; but the root of our comfort is in heaven. And this, That our heart may have no dependance but on Him; and that we may feare before Him: Who can turn our yAmos 8. 10.feaſts into mourning, and our ſongs into lamentations; A pleaſant morning into a bitter day; And a day of mirth, into a night of ſorrow, as He can alſo turne the ſhadow of death into the morning.
5. The Sunne, though it be in an infinite diſtance from us (to our finite underſtanding) yet doth it ſend its influence downward (cleane contrary to the nature of light or fire) unto the loweſt of creatures; Thus, This great light doth: as if the Great Creator thereof had charged it thus to do; Send forth thy light againſt the nature of the ſame; caſt thy beames down towards Man, to guide and direct him there; do ſo, for, for him thou waſt made: His candle zAd Popul. Antioch. Hom. 9.cannot do ſo, it is againſt its nature, whoſe flame tends upward; but ſo ſhalt Thou do, that Thou maiſt ſerve man, for whom Thou waſt made; thy light ſhall tend downward, ſo Chryſoſtome. It teacheth thoſe, that are higheſt in place and gifts, to have an eye (as the eye of the body hath to the foot) to thoſe that are loweſt in regard of both, and to be the more ſervant unto all; we ſee, That the Sunne riſeth not for it ſelfe, but to be the common candle of the world, that we may ſee by it, and worke by it; It teacheth, (as before) that whether we labour in our callings, or to fit us for a calling, we ſhould in all intend the publique, rather then our private intereſt.
This ſelfe is a poore and an unworthy Center, for our actions to tend to, or reſt in: yet is it the great Idoll aSelf-love builds the citie of the Divell, &c. Aug. de Civit. lib. 14. cap. 28. ω.of the world (as ſelf pleaſing, ſo ſelf ſeeking) the meaſuring the publick good by private intereſt. And this ſinne is clearely evinced and reproved by the language of the Sunne and all thoſe creatures, that in their ranks obey their Maker and ſerve us. They ſerve man, not themſelves, to teach man not to ſerve himſelf, onelyonly or principally, but in ſubordination to God, and in due reference to his brother. The Sun, as the great eye of the world, is ſo divided by the Lord of the ſame, that all parts partake of it in their ſeaſon. Nay, the eye of our little world, hath ſight not to enjoy, but to lighten the members: ſo the wiſe man hath wiſdome, not for himſelf, but for thoſe of ſimple and ſhallow conceit. The Clarke hath wiſdome, but for the ignorant; The rich man wealth, for the poore mans ſake, that there may be no lack: All teacheth man, That he muſt carry himſelf as a Citizen of the world, and, as if his heart were a continent joyned to other Lands, that as many as may be, may receive fruit and comfort from him; and not to live as turned in upon himſelf, or as if his heart were an Iland cut off from others; ſo one phraſeth it bL. Verul. Eſſayes. 13. p. 70. Quam bonum eſt orbes mentis habere concentricos univerſo! De Aug. 6. 25.. I remember an elegant conviction of this ſelf-ſeeking, which is in theſe words; If ever you ſaw either an hand, or a foot, or an head lying by it ſelf, in ſome place or other, cut off from the reſt of the body (which were but a gaſtly fight) ſuch muſt thou count him to make himſelf, who onelyonly regards his own intreſt, neglecting the publick, and deviding himſelf from the common ſocietie, and generall unitie; ſo ſaid one cM. Aur. Ant. Med. lib. 8 ſect. 32. p. 122., who did and ſpake many excellent things, but yet below what a Chriſtian ſhould in both.
That man, who brings forth fruit to himſelf, is as an emptie vine dHoſea 10. 1. Nemini fructuoſa. Trem., which is good for nothing; he thrives but as ſome overgrown member depriving the other of their proportion of growth. Nay; he that ſeeks himſelf, making himſelf his end, is the greateſt Idolater in the world: For we muſt note, There is one thing, and but one, which we muſt ſeeke above our ſalvation, and that is the glory of God, the ultimate, the higheſt end. Now he that makes himſelf his end, he that onelyonly ſeeks himſelf (as many do, yea the moſt, for its the idol of the world) he doth, in ſo doing, what he thinks not, he knows not what, but this he doth; he makes a God of himſelf, and thats the way to make himſelf an abomination in the end: So monſtrous a thing it is, ſo dangerous alſo, for a man to make himſelf the end of his actions.
6. The Sunne, which diſtributeth his light to all nations, hath not the leſſe light in it ſelf. The more communicative we are of our gifts, the more they are increaſed. We are like eforeign, &c. Al. cl. Str. 1. pag. 201.wells, the fuller, the more drained; whereas if we lay up our talent, in what kinde ſoever, like the Manna, it corrupteth.
7. God maketh fMatt. 5. 45. Clem. Alex. 7. 543.His Sun (it is His Sun) to riſe on the evill and on the good; To teach us, to ſhew the kindneſſe of God to our brother; that is, to doe good for evill, which is the kindneſſe of God, And that, which David would g2 Sam. 9. 3.ſhew to the houſe of Saul.
8. We cannot command hJoh. 38. 12.the morning, nor ſtay the outgoings of the ſame; The morning commeth, and alſo the night iEſay 22. 12.; they know their appointed time: And it teacheth us to know ours, which is our ſeaſon, the ſmalleſt kforeign. H…p. praecep. pag. 273. foreign. Pind. Pyth. ode. 4.point of time; now it is, and now it is not. The Time paſt is gone; that to come is uncertaine; Time preſent is mine, and the Time acceptable, the Day of Salvation; when is that? Samuel tells us as he doth Saul; Now was the Time l1 Sam. 13. 13.; The Apoſtle anſwers alſo, Behold, now is the day of ſalvation m2 Cor. 6. 2., which ſhould ſtirre us up, ſo to husband the preſent Time, that it may appeare we had Time, and Grace to uſe it both together. Opportunitie is a great favour even to have it; a greater to diſcerne it, the beſt grace of all to diſcerne and take it. It is as the joynt in the member, hit it, and the labour will be nothing; but there is all the cunning nVigilantis eſt occaſionem obſervare properantem. Itaque hanc circumspice: hanc, ſi videris, prende & toto impetu hoc age. Sen. ep. 22., to hit upon this Article, or little joynt of Time, the tempeſtivitie thereof. Now if there be a tempeſtivitie, a ſet convenient oforeign. Act. 24. 25.ſeaſon (which Felix had, but diſcerned it not, for the convenient time was then when Paul was ſpeaking, and himſelf trembling) if, I ſay ſuch a Time there be, then is the morning, the tempeſtivitie thereof. That is the convenient ſet time, when God is orderly ſought and found: early will I ſeeke Thee pPſal. 63. 1., before the morning watch, &c. And they that ſeeke me earely, ſhall finde me qProv. 8. 17., ſaith Wiſdome; earely in the morning of their life, offering up their ſtrength, the firſt fruits unto God; earely in the morning of the day too, that is a convenient Time, the ſet Time, that is certaine.
The morning is the very marrow rMr. Bolt. Direct. p. 205.and fat of time, as one ſaith, the flower and firſt fruits of the day, and they were to be given unto God. The night is for ſleepe, which muſt ſerve, as other creatures, to ſtrengthen and refreſh our bodies, not to ſatisfie eaſe, ſloth, and a ſluggiſh humour ſPlus vigilare plus vivere eſt. Indalgendum ſomno eſt, ut corpus reparet non reſolvat; & vires revocet non enervet. Chryſol. de ſervo vigili. Ser. 24.; we muſt beware, leaſt that great Devourer tforeign, &c. Clem. Alex. Paed. 2. cap. 9.and waſter of time (ſleepe) rob and bereave us of thoſe precious and golden houres in the morning, when we are freſheſt and fitteſt for imployment; we ſhould often remember (ſaith the ſame Divine) uIndecens eſt Chriſtiano ſi radius ſolis eum inveniat in lecto. poſſet enim dicere Sol, ſi poteſtatem loquendi haberet, An plius laboravi heri quam tu; & tamen cum jam ſurrexerim, tu adhuc dormis.when we ſee the Sunne up before us, that ſaying of Auſtin: It is an uncomely thing for a Chriſtian to have the Sun-beames finde him a bed: And if the Sunne could ſpeake, ſaith he, it might ſay, I have laboured more then thou yeſterday, and yet I am riſen, and thou art ſtill at reſt.
And yet, as good reſt, as to move and to no purpoſe. We muſt not ſo much as eat in the morning: certainly, it doth concerne not thoſe of the higher ſort onelyonly, which we read, xforeign. Hom. Iliad. 2.A governour ought not to ſleep all night long, And it is a forerunner of a woe, when Princes eate in a *Eccleſ. 10. 16.morning. It cannot be conceived, that the meaner ſort have more priviledge then their betters, to eate unſeaſonably, or intemperately; ſo Tremellius expounds that place. Theſe precious houres of the morning are for precious imployment, the ſerving of God, as becommeth, with reverence and feare, and then our ſelves, and our brethren in love: Theſe are the ſervices, which muſt take up the whole day: But more eſpecially in the morning, we are fitteſt for them, when we are wholly our ſelves, as the ſaying is; The powers and faculties of the outward and inward man being awakened, and refreſhed. But firſt we muſt addreſſe our ſelves to God, and ſet our ſoules in order before Him, that we may ſtrengthen and perfume our ſpirits with ſome gracious meditations, ſpecially of the chiefe end and ſcope, wherefore we live here, and how every thing we do may be reduced, and ordered to further the maine.
This is firſt to be done, and a neceſſitie there is, that it be done firſt, elſe that, which follows to be done, will be done to little purpoſe; It follows now, That we conſider briefly, how we ſtand ingaged to this principall ſervice, even to call upon all to awake, as the Prophet ſaith; All without us and within us, to return unto the Lord according as we have received, and to give praiſe unto His Name, for now praiſe is comely.
† 1. It is He that kept us, when we could not keep our ſelves: He kept our houſes, which the watch did not keep, from thoſe, who yJob 24. 16, 17.marked them forth in the day-time. Our ſecurity is, as Noahs was, in Gods ſhutting our doores. He it was, who preſerved that ſpark of mankinde alive, in the midſt of the waters, as the Father zforeign Chryſ. Tom. 5 Ser. 6. in medio.elegantly; for ſo we reade, And the Lord ſhut him in aGen. 7. 16.. The Lord ſhut in our doores upon us alſo, kept us in ſafety, kept out danger, elſe we had not been alive. The deſtroying Angel (I mean danger in any kinde) waiteth but his commiſſion from the Almighty, and when he had it, we heard what havock he makes. From this deſtroyer the Lord kept us, though our hearts were not ſo beſprinkled as they ſhould have been, nor did we keep our ſelves, according to our bExod. 11. 22. See Mr Ainſw.charge, under the ſafe, and ſecure protection of that Bloud; as we ſhould have done; yet notwithſtanding the Lord kept us. The Lord is the great wing of our protection; our caſtles, towers, houſes, doores, chambers &c. but the ſmall feathers thereof: Theſe nothing without Him; He All without them. We may reade of cAtloanaſius. Cent. 4.one, who had a ſafe convoy, himſelf alone, through a troop of enemies five thouſand in number, all and every one appointed for his deſtruction: And of another dH. 3: Charron.we may reade murdered by a Monk, when he lay entrenched with an Army of friends about him, 40 thouſand ſtrong. Safety is from on high; from the Higheſt is our protection; He is our Sun and ſhield. He kept us this night, which is now paſt: But behold His goodneſſe yet further; He hath renewed the face of the earth unto us; given us a new reſurrection with the day, lengthened and ſtretched out yet further our ſpan of time, renewing our ſtrength and making us freſh like the …agle, crowning us with loving kindneſſe and tender mercies, ſuch mercies, as whereby our hearts are cheered to ſee the light, which thouſands cannot ſay: great reaſon we ſhould call upon all to praiſe the Lord, and this right early, for now praiſe is comely.
† 2. We muſt now every one to his work in his lawfull calling, or to that, which fitteth for the ſame, if children; we are not made, as it is ſaid of the Leviathan, to take our paſtimes in the world, and to paſſe our dayes in vanity. The Sun riſeth, and man goeth to his labour, every man his ſeverall way, and in thoſe ſeverall wayes ſo many ſnares: great cauſe to fence and guard our hearts, and as was ſaid, to perfume our ſpirits from above, that we may avoid theſe ſnares from below eThe firſt fruits of our lips and hearts are to be offered unto God. Amb. foreign, Why wilt thou ſuffer thine adverſary to ſurpriſe thy caſtle or ſtrong holds firſt in the morning? Baſil. de jejunio. p. 285.; for we ſhall meet with them, it is not poſſible to be otherwiſe. We draw along with us ſuch a concatenation, a chain of buſineſſe, as that we muſt needs be fettered and puzled with them, if a gracious hand leade us not the way into them, and help us out of them.
In the commerce betwixt man and man, which drives the great trade of the world; There ſinne ſticks as cloſe, as a naile ſticketh betwixt the joyning of the fEcclus. 27. 2.ſtones; which conſideration engageth us, to feare alwayes, and to walk cloſe with God, that our wayes may be eſtabliſhed; leſt going beyond our brother in bargaining, we exchange the favour of God, for ſome poore advantage from the world.
† 3. Now that we are going every man his way, as the way of our calling leads us; now we muſt know that God, and He onelyonly, openeth our way to all our occaſions, leades us unto them and gives us an iſſue out of them; we labour in the fire, if God reſtrain His influence from above; we … Endeavour without prayer is preſumption; prayer without endevour is temptation.may be early up, and never the neare, as the proverb is, we may gather, and put our gatherings in a broken bag: Therefore as in all our gettings, we muſt get wiſdome, ſo in all our wayes, we muſt ſeek to and for wiſdome; ſo ſhall our wayes be eſtabliſhed g.
It is the ſtrength of the Almighties hand, that inables us; It is His wiſdome, that inſtructs us; His bleſſing, that crowns all with ſucceſſe. To Him we muſt go in all conditions of life, for direction and guidance; And in all our neceſſities for ſupply, as being the fountaine and ſpring-head of every good and perfect gift, Iam. 1.
He that would obey well, muſt ſeeke to God, He ſubdueth the ſpirit, and makes it ſubject; He makes the mountaine a valley, and the rough way, ſmooth.
He that would governe well, muſt ſeeke to Him; He gave Salomon an underſtanding heart, 1 King. 3. 12.
He that would carry himſelfe valiantly in a juſt quarrell, muſt ſeek to God (as that victorious hAnte bellum in oratione jacuit ad bellum de oratione ſurrexit: priuſquam pugnam manu capeſſeret ſupplicatione pugnavit, Salv. d…guber. lib. 7. p. 251.Commander did, who alwayes roſe from off his knees, to go to fight) for He teacheth our hands to warre, and our fingers to fight, Pſal. 18. 34.
He that would have underſtanding and knowledge in his Trade, muſt binde himſelf a ſervant unto God; for He enableth us this way. Exod. 31. 3. And this we muſt know for our incouragement; That there is no greater glory, no, not to His Angels, then that, they ſerve before Him. If the husband-man would kforeign; Clem. Alex. Strom. lib. 7. pag.plough, and ſow, and threſh, &c. and all i foreign, &c. They who think, they can doe or ſpeake any thing without God, think alſo, that they can goe without feet. Clem. Alex. ad Gentes. p. 36. foreign, Chryſ. L…ge orat. 1. & 2. de precatione. Tom. 1.in ſeaſon; ordinary things we think, and yet the more prayerfull he is, the more ſucceſſefull he will be: for this God doth teach him; He inſtructs to diſcretion, Eſay 28. 26.
We muſt not aſcribe any thing to our own power: Remember we muſt the Lord God ſtill, for it is He, that gives power to get wealth. Deut. 8. 17.
And for our wants, there is a ſweet comfort, Phil. 4. 19. My God ſhall ſupply all your need; no good thing ſhall He with-hold, &c. That man is as bold as he is ignorant, who dares attempt the ſmalleſt buſineſſe without acquainting God with it, and craving His aſſiſtance in it, and bleſſing upon it. It is very notable, which we reade, Nehem. 2. verſ. 4. Then the King ſaid, for what doeſt thou make requeſt? ſo I prayed to the God of heaven. Marke here, we would have thought, that Nehemiahs anſwer was eaſie, and in a good readineſſe, and yet before he gave it, his heart was lifted up to the God of heaven, from whom, the anſwer of the tongue is lProv. 16. 1.. It teacheth us very much, and what it teacheth, is very plaine, which is; I muſt not onelyonly begin the day with prayer, ſo perfuming my ſpirits, for it is the key that unlocks the Treaſure of heaven and earth; It is as the morning ſtarre, it muſt uſher in the day; And as the evening ſtarre too (it is one and the ſame) it locks up the night; not only, I ſay, begin the day with prayer, but have my eyes intent to Him, as I look to proſper in my private and ſpeciall affaires; for, what I have not gained, as well by my prayers as my paines, will not prove a bleſſung to me. Looking up to God, gives me power to imploy my parts, and to improve them; it gives a better ſlde into buſineſſes.
For Application of all this; I know theſe things may ſeeme ſomewhat ſublime, and too high for the conceits of children; But I intend not their information onelyonly. I know alſo, that prayer, being one of the great engines, whereby to raiſe the dead heart, and to effect great and marvellous things, is an inſtrument too grave and weightie for a childe to manage. But yet, we muſt be dropping into children as we can: A drop makes the ſtone hollow not with once, but with often dropping. The Ant mSilices itinere earum attritos videmus, & in opere ſemitam ſactam, nequis dubitet qualibet in re quid poſſit quantulacun que aſſiduitas, Plin.▪ 11. 30.makes a path by her aſſiduitie and continuall traverſing the way: ſo if by continuall paines with them, often prayer for them, good example before them, you inſtill and drop upon your children as you can, you ſhall ſee Gods work in them nMartyr. pag. 1444., at length, ſaith Mr. Bradford in his letter to Io. Careleſſe. If the childe be a young Timothy, I meane ſuch an one, who is inſtructed from a childe to know the holy o2 Tim. 3. 15.Scriptures, he may prove, there is great likelihood ſo, a Mnaſon, an old pAct. 21. 16.Diſciple. qLectione aſſiduâ & meditatione diuturnâ pectus ſuum bibliothecam fecerat Chriſti, lib. 2. ep. 22. 267.Hieron tells us of one, who, by continuall exerciſe this way, had ſo wrought the word upon his ſoule, that it became indeed an ingrafted word, and his heart was the very library of Chriſt. This may aſſure us, that according to our childrens yeares, ſomething they may be taught; And by much rforeign, &c. I will never leave ſpeaking; he that heares not to day, may heare to morrow, Chryſ. in Ioh. Hom. 65. ω.teaching ſome thing may ſtick, as will the ſmell by ſtanding in a perfumers Chap. 6 §. 2 ſhop: And eaſily they may be taught, even by ſenſible things, they may be raiſed above ſenſe. They can underſtand, that the day was made for man to worke (we do not burne day light, as the proverb is) And the Sun riſeth, and gives his light for that end, and not to ſleepe by. And that He, who commands worke, muſt command a bleſſing upon the worke, elſe it will be a vaine worke; And that He, who commands a bleſſing, muſt be waited upon and ſerved in truth, and in truth called upon, &c.
Such like inſtructions as theſe, may take up our thoughts, and finde us worke in the morning, when we riſe; And direct us to, and ſet us in the way of a bleſſing, upon that we do afterwards. And ſo much to the firſt ſeaſon, In the morning, when thou riſeſt. Now that we have, as children of the day, acquainted our ſelves with God, and done the works agreeable to the light in ſerving others, we may now ſerve our bodies too, that they may be ſerviceable. That ſeaſon now follows, and the inſtructions therefrom.