corne, and to inne it when it is ripe,and the weather hfeafona- ble : fo God heere calleth him a fonne ofvnderf'anding, that is, a wife man which taketh time while time ferueth, for any goodpurpofe and occafion. And as the world cryeth, fie on him that fleepeth in haruef', that is, dothno more labour or bake to his affaires, then if hee were in a dead fleepe, and fo futl aineth the lofte of all his croppe, bymeanes whereof lice ouerthrowcth the fate ofall his familie : fo theLord tcrmeth him a fonneofconfufion, orwhich bringeth confufion,that is to fay, mifery,and fhmme vpon himfelfe,and his friends,which ftriueth not to takehis part of Godsblefsing in due feafon. It is a matter ofgreat importance tomake our vfeofa good Doa. oportunitie when it is offred.Theexample oftheAnt is to that oportunitie end roPofed.Chap. 3 o.z b Thatwe might learnofthe vnrea- not to beo- P fonable creatures,and thofe which are atfo ofno account and mittcd° reckoning.They arc led onely by fence,and in(linet ofnature, we haue reafö that mayperfwade to it:they haue none to giue themadmonitiö,or to call vpon them:wehaueguides to direct vs and the word ofGod ferioufly inf'ruting vs in the duetie. And that is there commended in t hem, which incomparably will bemore effe£fuall in Chrif'ians : namely, that wifedome fupplyeth the defea of flrength, and prouidence effeacth that whichother thingscannot bring to paffe by their power. 'Examplesheereofwe haue in Iofsph,who in the timeofgreat 'plentie, prouided again(' the yeares of fcarcitie : and in the Church of Antiochia, who beeing foretoldof the famine to come, made prouifion beefore hand for the Saints of Teruo falem. Firf',it is a thing pleating toGod to accept ofhis gifts when Reafons his gracioushand doth reach them out vnto vs : and very of- fenfiue tohimwhenwe put by the fauour and kindeneffethat he maketh offer of. For he taketh it, either as a contempt of the things which he wouldbellow : or as controlement ofhis wifedome,as thoughhe didnot fee far inough into the fitnefTe of euery feafon. Secondly, the euents that fall out on both fides doe make this manifctl : they that open their hands to rccaiue, when God
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