Aa.zo. >8. A 'TreatlfeofCallings·. 751 life, which h:we no warrant fromGods word, arevnlawfull. Now God in his word, ordai– neth callings two waics. Fidt by commanding and prcfcriblng them particularly, as bee doth the moll: weightie callings in the family , Church,orcommon-wealth. Secondly,by ap– pointing and fetting down certain !awes and commandements, generally; wherebywe may eafi!ygather,that he doth either approoue, or not approoue of them, though they bee not particularly prefcribed in the word. A 'and notthe common good. And that common faying,Eutrymanfor himftlfo,andGodfor 1JJ aR, is wicked, and is direftly againll: the end ofeucry calli•gor honell: kindeof life. . Thus much ofthe defcription of Vocatio» in generall. Now befure I come particularly to intreatc ofthc fpeciall kindes ilfcallings,thore are two generall rules to bee learned of all, which belong to eucry calling. The fir£!: whatfoeuer any man enterprizeth ordGth, either in wordor deede, he mull: doe it by venue of his calling, and he mull: keepe himfelfe within the compaffe, limits, or pre– cinelsthereef. Thisrultislaid downe in thefe wordes ofthe Apoftlts: Leteuery manabidein B thatcaHmg,whmin he w.ucaOed:tlledrift wher• ofis, to binde mento their calling, & to teach them to performc all their actions by warrant thereof.It isfaid,Hebr.t t .6.W•tho11tfaithitu imp•ff'd.ie to plcaft G•d: and Whatfoeuer u not of faith~ iJftnne. Whatfoeuer is not done within thecompaffe ofacalling, isnotoffairh, be– caufe aman mufl firft haue fome warrant and word ofGod toaffure himofhiscaUing, to do thisor thatching, before hecandoitinfaith. When the two brethren that ll:roue about their inheritance cameto Chriil::& willed him to makeogt<emen: betweene them,Chrill: an– fwered,Luk,t 2-14· WhomademeallulgeordeThe fecoo<l action ofGod, which is the im– pofitionofcallings, is, when he doth particu– larly fct apart any man, to any particularcaJ,. ling : and this mult be vnderltooo of all cai.. lings in tbe world. Now God d<>th this two waies. Firlt by himfdfe immediately,without the helpe ofany creaatre. Thus in the begin– ning was AdAm called & appoiored ro dreOe the garden ofEdtn.ThusAbrAhamWa! called from theidolatrieofhis fore-fathers , and re– ceiued into the couenanr ofgrace. Thus was ..:Mofts calledk> becaPritke ooerthe Ifrae– lires,to guide them outofEgypt, into the prp– mifed land. And in thenew Tdbment, rhus were the Apo!lles called topreach the Gof.. pel. Secondly,G<>dcalsmediatcly bymeancs, which beoftwo forts; m•nand angels. By an angel was Philip,bcingaDeacon,calledrobe a an Euangelill:: and the fee or appqinred cal– lings in Church and common-wealth, are or- C dinarily difpofed by men,who are inthis mat– ter the in£truments of God. And thereforo menlawfully calltd by them , are truely called ofGod.Thus the Elders of Ephefus, called by the Apollles, and the re!tofthe Church, are faid to becalkd by theholyGholl:. And rhus we fee how God is theauchorofcuerycalling. uiderbetweeneyrm? as ifhec thould fay,it is not within the compatfc of mycalling: for I came toaccomplilh the worke ofmans redemption, and not to deuide inheritances: hereby gi– uingvs to vnderil:and, that euery thing to bee done mull: bedone by warrant of fome calling: and fo long as men kcepe themfelues in their callings, they haue a promife of proteftion fromGod,P[nJ.9t. II. HetjhaOgiue hu A•~,ge/s ~h"r[,tfJHir thu,u k§epe thcein~/1 thy waies: that ~,fo longns thou keepefl: thy felfe within the waies ofthy calling, fo long !hall my Angels prefcrue thee. Theexample of Dauid is wor• thy our confidering, for hce depending on t~eprouidenceofGod, & walking in hiscal• ling,had rhe proteftion of God, when S•ul fmote twice athim withafpeare: whenbewas The finall caufe or end of euery calling , 1 notein the !all: words of the defcriprion ; For thccommongocd: that is, for rhe bwefite and good ell:are of mankinde. In mansbody there be fundry parts and members, and euery one hath his fcuerall vfe and office, which it per– formeth not for it fdfe , but for the good of the whole bodie; as the officeofrhe eye, is to fee, ofthe careto heare, and the foote te goe. Now all focieries ofmen,are bodies, a farnily D isabodie, andfois cuery partieu!ar Church a booie,and the common-wealth alfo: and in thefe bo,dies there be feuerall members, which arc men walking io fenerall callings and olfi– ces,the execution whereof, muft: tend to tbc happy and good elbte of the relt; yea of all men enery where, a. much as pofsible is. The common good ofmen fl:ands in this, not onely [thatthey liue, butthat they liue well,in rightcl oufnes and holines, and confequently in true happinelfe. An<l for the attainement hereun– to, God harh ordained and difpofed all cal– lings, and in his prouidcnce defigned the per– fon.ro beare them. Here then we muU in ge– nerallkaow, that he abuftth his calling, who– foeuor hebe that againlt the cod thcieof, im– ployes it for himfelfe, feeking wholly hi• own, made a captain ofa th<>ufad that he might bee £laine ofthe Phili!Hms:wheoMichol was pro. mifed to be his wife for an hundred fore-skins ofthe Philiftims: whenSa•l commanded his own feruaftts to kill him, whenhe fmot againc at himwith afpcare: when he fought to take him in his owne houfe: when he followedhfm ta Nai.th in Ramah: when hewasab!Ontfrom the folemne feafl: mlde by s•• t; when the priclts of <JUb were llainc,85. perfons,and all the inhabitants ofthe place: when SaKiperle. cured h1mm the defart of Mab.n, Contrari· wife, when any man is without thecompalfc ofhis calling,he is oat ofthe way, and by 1his meanes hee bereaues himfclfc ofthe protecti– on ofthe Almighty; and lies open and naked ~o al the punilhments & plagues ofGod. And tfwemarke it wdl,tho word ofGod !hewse• uidently to wharidangersthey are fubiect, that Sff 2' doe r.S:~m. 18.u. vetfc 13. Chap.19 '· Chap.2.1 H~,19. Chod.Jf•. ::.s~ 16.
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