I Arreatife if Calling I. 757 in the alfembly, when bee heareth the word, A ofmanymen,who iliew themfeluesreadyand and receiaeth the Sacraments,bat he mull alwilling to hearc the wor<l of God ; yea, they fo !hew himfdfeto bee a Chriltian in the of· approoue it,receiue the Sacraments, and prolice ofreaching.And thusmuO:euery man-befelfe thcmfelues to bee,members of Chrill; haue himfc:lfein his particular calling:becaufe ' aRd all rhefe bee good duties of the firll and · theparticular calling & pra<lifc: ofrhe duties genemll calling: bur goe·on furrhcr,and looke thereof, feuered from the forefaid general! into their particular callings, there !hallyou calling, is nothing elfc: but a pra~hf<of iniu· find nothing lelfe,there is al oat oforder;fome lHce and profanenes. And the generall calling bee vfurers and opprefiours, fomeingrolfers, ofChri!lianitie, without the praaife gffome fome vfe falfe weights and meafures, fome lyparricularcalling,is nothing els,bnttheforme ingand fwearing,fome are loofe & lafciuious. ofgodlinelfe,withoutthe power thereof:And It may be, wch pcrfons refolue themfelues thereforebothcallings mull beioyned, as bo· that all is well, when they doe fomeduties of dy and foule arc i<>yned in a liuing man. And theirgeneral! calling: 'butwhoreas theynegthat wee may the better ioynebothour cal-' lethheperformanceofthefaidduties,intheir lings together , wee mull confider the maine B particular callings,they arefarre out oforder; ead ofour lines, and that is, to ferue God in yea, they leade a dangeorus and lamentable the feruing ofmen in the workes of our ea!· courfe oflife.For though they be indued with liags. God,as he made man,focanhe prcferee excellent gifi:s , and beeable to fpeakewell, man,without the helpe ofman : but his plea· conceiue prayer , and with fome rcuerence to fure is,that men fhould be his inllruments,for heare,the Word,and receiue the ~craments, thegood ofone another. For this caufe bath yetiftheypradife not theduties ofgodlinelfe he ordained the excellet office ofMagillrates within their own callings,al is buthypocrilie. & Minilters, and.almoft an infinite variety of And therefore, vnlelfe they repent thegreater trades oflife,all tending to prefcrue the body theirgifi:sare,themorefhalthey maketotheir or foole,or both. Thus God manife!ls his fadeeper condemnation at the day ofiudgment, therlycare ouervs,by the imployment ofmc;n Againe, this rule fc:rueth to teach all men inhis feruice;according to their feuerall vocathe right way to rcforme theirliues. If thou tions,forour gooo_: and there ;., not fo much would(\ leade a life·vnblameablc both before asthevalfall or bond-man; but he mull ferue God& man, thou mull firfr ofall bethinkethy God by feruing his mafier :as 'Pa•l teacHeth; felfe,wbat is thy particular calling. and then Cel.;.•i. And by this one point, wee may learne two c proceedetopradite dutiesofthe'moralllaw, things. The firlt,that they pt!Jfane theirHues andall otherdutiesofChriQianity,inthat ve- & callings that imploy them to get honours, ry calling. And if thou woulde!lhaue fignes pleafures, profits, worldlycommodit'ies,&c. and tokens ofthy eleftion and faluation, thou for thus wee liue to another end th<n G'od mail: fetch them from, the conllant praaife bath appointed, and thus we ferue our folues, oh~y two callings-ioyntly together: fc:uer & confequently,neither God,nor man. Some them in thy life, and thou !haltfinde no cornman will fay perchance;; What, mull ~,Ve noi fort, but rather fhame andconfulion offace, labour inourcallings, to maintaioe ourfamivnlelfethou r<pent. lies I I anfwer; this mull be dORc: but'thisis 1V. Rule. Such as beare publike callings, not the fcope and end of our Hues. The true mull firllreformethcmfc:luesin priuare. Whe end ofour liuesis,to do ferujcero God,inferMofts wentfrom Midian to Egypt;tobe a gouingofman:and for a recompence ol thisferuernour oftbe lfraelites, tbe Lord with!lood uice, God fends his blcfsings on mens tr~- biminthe way,by_rea~on ofa fault.in his pri~ ualles, and he allowes them to take for tsm uate famlly,that h1s child was notctrcumcifcd labours.Secondly,by this wclearoc,how men according to the law ofGod.How fhal he orofmeaneplace& calling, may comfortthem. L) der pul>like matters for the common good felues. Let them confider, that inferuing'of ' that cannot ort!:rhis owne priuarce!late1 ' men, by performance of pbore and bafe duV.R11/e.A particular calling mullgiue place ties.the? ferue Go~: ~nd therefore that their to the general! calling of a Chrillian , when fermce1snot bafe mh1s fight: & though their rhey canner both !land together. As for exreward from men be ltttlo, yet the reward-at ample: a fc:ruant is bound to his maller to 0 • Gods hand, !hall not be wanting. For fecing bey him,either becaufe he !s-ava£rall or at the they ferueGod in feruing of men, they may lea!lbecaofe he is hired to feruefor ~aoes:the iultly looke for reward from both. And thus faid mallet beinga zealous Papill, thr~atneth maywereape maruellous contentatio!j.in any his fcruant, beinga Protefrant, thatvnlelfc kind ofcalling, thoughit be but to fweepethe hecondefcend to heare Malfe, he!hall either houfe, o~keepe !h~epe, ifwe can rhus inpra~ borne at a llak.e, or carry a faggot. Now lhfe, vn~tcour callmgs. . . t~e fi:ruant feemg the malicious. purpofe of . Byth1s rule may any man tightly '"dge of h1s ma!ler, and not finding himfclfe able ro h1mfelfe &others.For wherefocuer rhefe two beare the brunt of a trial!, in thiscafe he decallings are feuercd, w~atf6cuer is in fhc!w; parts& withdrawes himfelfe for a tin:e: And there isnothing in fubllimce. And bythis alfo the que!li6 is,whetper he doth wd 0 rn 0 ?Tbe we may difcerne a commo11 fault in the liues anfweris,hedoth: and in fuch acafc,be may law-
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