crieth still Yet a little sleepe a little slumber and a little folding of the hands to sleepe therefore now let him hearken vnto his iudgement The Sluggards iudgment The seuenth Sermon 11 Therefore thy pouertie commeth as one that traâ—â—â—leth by the way and thy necessitie like an armed man HEre is now the Sluggards iudgement and the fruite of idlenes and negligence The wicked man sayth Dauid trauelleth of mischiefe and bringeth forth a lye And the Sluggard sayth Salomon trauelleth of idlenes bringeth forth pouertie and necessitie two twinnes borne both at a burden but such ill fauoured ones that euery one is out of loue with them so soone as they are borne A poore and a neâ—die birth without beautie or comelines oâ— shape or strength or any thing to liue vpon oâ— his owne And surely a fit birth for the Sluggard to begge withall The sluggard and the sluggards birth are faine to liue vpon other mens labours and yet are still poore and necdie like Pharaohs seuen leane kine which â—â—uoured seuen fat kine and yet were leane now that was but a dreame but this is a trueth And nâ—â—â—â—uaile for it is iust and 〈…〉 which will not sowe in sommer for feare of a shower should beg in winter when showers doe fall And he that will not worke when he may and is able must bee put from his meate when he would eate Therefore thy pouertie commeth c. As if he should say thou art the cause of thy owne pouertie thy selfe which is more then the sluggard would willingly confesse For by nature we would be rich and idle too and when 〈◊〉 are most dissolute and careles yet then 〈◊〉 looke to bee relieued aswell as if they had â—â—uer been the cause of their owne pouertie 〈◊〉 prophane reprobates which looke to cometo heauen aswell as any bodie and yet care not for the ordinarie meanes which God hath appoynted to bring men thither by By this then wee may see what a hard matter it is for flesh and bloud to see what is the crue cause of Gods hand vpon men especiaâ—â—â— when the fault is in our selues for selfe-loue is blinde And though we bee-plagued through our owne default yet commonly we think not so but wee make that the cause which is not the cause sometime most wickedly accusing the Lord of harde dealing against vs who is most iust in all his waies and holie in all his workes sometime crying out vpon the hardnes of the weather and vnseasonablenes of the yeare sometimes condemming others for waÌ„â— of charitie and compassion as is to bee seene when any dearth or scarcitio commeth vpon vs sometime with one thing and sometime with another but as for our selues we can neuer intende it to search out the cause there but still put it off from our selues though indeede our owne sinnes haue moued the Lord to deale in this and that sort against vs. Wherein we shew our selues to be the right children of Adam 〈◊〉 for so playd they when the Lord came to examine them about the eating of the foâ—bidden fruite Adam layeth his fault vpon his wife and his wife puts it off to the â—erpent but neither of 〈◊〉 would be knowne 〈◊〉 in t in fa 〈◊〉 So when any plague or calamitie came vpon the heathen they cried out against the Christians and â—ayd that they were the cause of 〈◊〉 which indeede was 〈…〉 for â—od plagued the heathen because they 〈◊〉 the Christians By which wee may see 〈◊〉 heathenish tricke this is among 〈◊〉 to blame othâ—râ— fâ—â— that which themselues are the causers of like Achab who said that Eliah troubled Israel when it was himselfe that troubled Israel as Eliâ—â— truely told him Though Achab be dead yâ—â— his peeuish and peruerse opinion still liueth amongst vs and the wicked keepe it fast and pleade hard for it as though it were Achabs legacie beqâ—eathed vnto them which no man may take from them For when any bee fallen into decay and proued bankeroupts as many are through their owne follie as some by vnâ— aduised suretiship some by play and gaming some by feasting some by negligence some by cousening and other vngoâ—ly practises Then they crie out vpon the preachers or against the preaching of the worde or againâ—â— the professors of the Gospell or against their creditors like dâ—gges which barke at the Moone when it giueth 〈◊〉 and nâ—ueâ— did hurt them more then Eliah did hurt Achab when perhaps he tolde him of his faâ—â—â— and bad him looke to his soule And being thus bewitched and besottâ—d they sleepe 〈◊〉 out in all securitie and brauerie â—hrowding themselues vnder false pretences and vaine â—llegations as lâ—nas did vnder the hatchâ—â— when both himselfe and the wholeship were readie to petish with him And so doe wiâ—â— ked men lye still in their vnthriftines and idlenes and vaine life when they bee readi◠〈◊〉 â—ink themselues and many others with 〈◊〉 Therefore the Lord doth here pul out the sluggard and set both his sinne and the fruit thereof before his face and telleth him plainly that himselfe is the cause of his owne pouertie and miserie and none but himselfe Againe wee are to note that God doth not say â—â—â—plie pouertie shall come vpon thee but he sayth Thy pouertie teaching vs thereby to distinguish of pouertie and the causes thereof for sometimes good men are in pouertie aswell as bad Christ was poore in the world buâ— his pouertie was to make vs rich Iob was striken with pouertie yet a good man fearing God and painfull to doe any good that he could to all men but his pouertie was sent him to make triâ—ll of his patience and to set forth the riches of Gods spirit in him which els could not haue so well appeared Lazarus was poore but his pouertie was to trie the rich mans charitie withall and to make the hard hearâ—â—dnes of rich gluttons to appeare And as the blindâ— mâ—n in the Gospell was made blinde neither for his owne sinne nor his parents sinne but that the worke of God might bee made manifest in him so some are made poore neither through their owne fault nor through their paâ—ents fault but that the work of God might appeare in them as it did in Iob and that in otherâ— either the worke of God or els the work of the diuell may bee made manifest while sâ—me shew compassion in relieuing the poore and others shut vp all compassion from the poore All men shall dye but not all of one disease Many haue suffered but not al foâ— one cause some haue suffered as cuill doers and some for well doing and true it is that not the death but the cause makes a martyr Therefore to make this poynt more plaine wee will consider of two things First how many kinds of pouertie there be Secondly what be the true causes of the saâ—â— Of pouertie then we will make two 〈◊〉 according to the parts of man consisting of body and soule as by
the same rule wee 〈◊〉 both the Sluggard temporall and the Sluggard spirituall So that there is the 〈◊〉 of the bodie and the pouertie of the soulâ— â—â—dily pouerty is bodily want and that is when a man wanteth such necessaries as belong to this life as health and food and apparelâ— and money and lodging and houshould 〈◊〉 and sufficient to pay euery man his 〈◊〉 And of this bodily pouertie there bee also two kinds some belonging to the godly and some to the wicked for both good and bad haue oftentimes their part in these wantes So that good men and honest men may 〈◊〉 poore and yet good and honest still for goodnes and honeâ—tie goeth not by riches for oftentimes worldly riches are meanes to the wicked to make them worse and 〈◊〉 hauing wealth to corrupt themselues and others authoritie to doe violence and health makes them lustie to doe mischiefe Neither doe dishonestie and wickednes alwaies goâ— by pouertie and want though these thinges be counted the onely euils of this life yet we see sometime they are meanes to good men to make them better as pouertie to bridle lust basenes to humble them and incumbrances to driue them to God and to teach them to succour others by which we may see that the pouertie of Laâ—arus is better then the riches of Diues The sickenes of a wise man with his wisedome is better then the health of a foole with his follie And what goods soeuer a man hath he cannot bee a good man so long as hee himselfe is euill and if a man may be tearmed a good man for hauing riches then a foole may bee tearmed a wise man when hee hath on a wise mans gowne The Scriptures speake much in the commendation of godly poore men and preferreth them before vngodly rich men as there is cause ye see your calling sayth the Apostle to the Corinthians How that not many wisemen after the flesh not many mightie not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake thinges of the world to confound the mightie things and vile things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen c. To shewe of what personâ— for the most part Gods Church doth consist now what greater preferment then to be chosen of God and who are counted more foolish and more weake and more vile and more despised in the world then the poore especially whom God hath chosen and set his marke vpon Among other great matters which Christ sent to Iohn to shew the power of Christ this was one thing of speciall note that the poore receiued the Gospell which was as great a work as much to be reioyced at as that the halt did walke or that the leapers were cleÌ„sed or that the deafe did hâ—are The rich were most bouÌ„d to receiue the Gospel but the poore receiued it it was as much as if he had said the poore are become rich the rich are poore for the gospel is true riches Salomon sayth Better is the poore man that walketh in his vprightnes then a rich man that peruerteth his wâ—â—es to shewe that a poore man may bee an vpright man and an vpright man may be a poore man and yet is to be preferred before the wicked rich man And in an other place hee sayth Better is a poore and a wise child then an old a foolish King which wilâ—â—â— more be admonished to shew that wisedome and lowlines doe not alwaies goe by yeares and riches though the riches of a king and that some mens pouertie is more blessed then some mens riches and as the poore which are godly are more blessed then the vngodly rich so are they in more account with the Lord and alwaies more deare vnto him And therefore hath the Lord laid downe so many charges in his worde concerning the poore which are as so many letters sent vnto the rich in their behalfe Remoue not the bounds of the fatherles sayth the Lord for he that is more mightie will surely defend them And againe â—ob not the poore because they are poore neither oppresse the afficted in iâ—dgement for the Lord will c. To shewe that the poore haue as good frends to stand by theÌ„ as the rich for the Lord himselfe doth promise to take their part especially as S. Paul saith If they feare God be of the houshold of faith And not without special cause in his singular wisdome hath his maiestie so ordained that there shall alwaies be some poore mingled amoÌ„g the rich in this life one reason is thereby to trie the rich mens charitie as appeareth by the Lords owne testimonie because there shall be euer some poore in the land therefore I command thee saying Thou shalt open thy hand vnto thy brother that is thou shalt bee liberal and not close-fisted vnto thy brother to thy needie and to thy poore in thy laude calling them our poore and our needie c. As if they were of our familie and charge to be prouided for by vs. And to this doth the Son of God the Lord Iesus also giue witnes The poore saith he you shall alwaies haue with you but me you shall not haue meaning in bodily presence and looke what 〈◊〉 would doe for me doe it for them to shew that if the poore were wanting the rich should not haue whereupon to exercise the works of liberalitie and christian compassion Another reason why there are poore in the world aswell as rich is that by such a differeÌ„ce Gods bountifull liberalitie might appeare to the rich as he would haue the liberalitie of the rich appeare to the poore God could haue made all alike and enriched all alike if it pleased him but hee sawe this inequalitie to bee more for his glorie wherein appeareth so many singular arguments of his vnspeakable wisdome and power and mercie and goodnes towards all men and all his creatures For if al were head where were the comelines of the bodie And what doth shew the height of the mountaine but the valley that lieth vnder it And if the rich consider well of the worke of God in this poynt they shall finde great cause to loue the poore and not to disdaine them We see how proude and insolent many are if they get vp a gorgious house ouer their heads or a veluet coate vpon their backes or a golde chaine about their necks and as for their poore neighbours they count them but as peasants and slaues in respect of themselues But alas poore soules what is it that setteth out the brauerie of their building but the poore cottage that standeth by it And in what estimation would their veluets and silkes bee had if some did not weare frize and goe plainly apparelled And againe if none were vnlearned then who would reuerence the learned or what account would there be
hee must needes knowe wherefore the Pismire serueth and what she should do in the world And the Pismire on the other side meruaileth what the idle Sluggard doth in the world It is no meruaile though the Sluggard cannot away with the Pismire of all other things for many idle schollers cannot away with the schoole nor their schoolemaster no more can the Sluggard well digest the sight of the Pismire because he is put to schoole with her to learne wisedome For he counteth it as a kinde of disgrace to his person to be set to schoole at an Ant-heape or at any body els but so it pleaseth the Lord wee see to pull downe the pride of men and by the vile and base things of this world as S. Paul sayth to confound the mightie What say many now adaies They skorne to learne their duetie at the preachers hand or to bee catechised they will not so much bee abased and disgraced when the Lord knoweth they be as blind as beetles in their duetie both to God and man But if men be so proude that they will not be taught by the preacher of the word nor bee subiect to the ministerie of their pastors the Lord knoweth a way to humble them well enough He can turne them out into the fielde amongst the Ants and flyes and grashoppers that they may see what manner of schollers they are when such tutors are set to teach them their lesson As he turned Nabuchadnezzar out of his pallace into the wildernes from men to beasts vntill amongst the beasts he had learned to know himselfe And thus we may see that the poore Pismire can in no wise be wanting if it be for nothing els but to teach the Sluggard wisedome Behold her waies and be wise Here wee are further taught that wee ought to beholde the creatures with due consideration of their natures and the wonderfull workes of God in them and that we ought so to behold them as to bee the better for beholding them and not to bee as most are idle gazers vpon them or vaine and curious disputers of them to no purpose but for ostentatioÌ„ of learning or wit c. It is good to be a naturall Philosopher but it is better to bee a christian Philosopher withall that is when by beholding and learning the natures of the creatures we are drawne neerer to the Creator and taught to know our selues and our duetie to God better then we did For this is true wisedome and true wisedome is true Philosophie Therefore the Sluggard being sent to the Pismire to behold her waies so to get wisedome what els is he taught but to become a right Philosopher So that a man may learne Philosophie in the fieldes by an Ant-heape if he hath the spirit of God yea as good as any Aristotle can teach him in the schooles and better too for he goeth no further then the causes of things and teacheth meÌ„ to rest there saying Foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas that is Happines standeth in the knowledge of naturall things and the naturall causes of naturall things But Christians haue learned out of the booke of God to goe one step beyond Aristotle and all that are but meere naturals and that is not onely to search out the causes and qualities of the creatures wherein indeede Salomon did excell for he disputed of all things from the Hyssoppe that springs out of the wall to the Cedar in Lebanus but then further to make vse of the same and out of euery thing to learne something whereby they may either correct their manners or bee more confirmed in the prouidence of God or bee stirred vp to the doing of their dutie to God and man or to be more humbled in themselues or to magnifie the name of God for his wisedome for his power and for his goodnes c. Such a Philosopher was Dauid When I behold thy heauens sayth he euen the workes of thy fingers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast ordained what is man say I that thou art mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him There is no creature of God in the world but that man may learne somewhat out of the same and profite by it to the amendment of his life The reason is because all the creatures of God doe serue their Creator in that course and kind wherein they were first created only men are the sinners in this world and haue forsaken their first estate and are become vnkind against their Creator If we speake of dutifulnes to our superiours wee may learne it of the oxe and the asse for The oxe knoweth his owner sayth Esay and the asse his masters cribbe but Israel hath not knowne my people hath not vnderstand If we speake of louingnes kindnes betweene man and wife euery man may learne it of the Hind and the Roe for Salomon willeth the husband and the wife to loue together as the louing hind and pleasant roe to shew that there is not amongst all so much loue and kindnes as they may learne of the beast If any man will bragge of his diligence and paineâ— taking the Pismire is more painfull then he Again The conies are not mightie yet they build in rockes The grashoppers haue no King yet gâ—e forth all by bands The spider takes hold with her hands and is in Kings palaces Againe the Prophet Ieremie sayth that the storke the turtle the crane and the swallowe are skilfull in theâ— appointed times but man knoweth not the indgements of the Lord. The dogge is in his kinde more thankfull then man is The sea keepeth his tides of ebbing and flowing iust at the day and houre appoynted that a man may be bold to build vpon his comming to shame those that promise much but performe nothing and to shewe that vnconstant men of their word may be taught by the sea As they goe beyond vs in glorifying their Creator so doe they also farre excell vs in many naturall gifts or qualities of the bodie which make meÌ„ forget themselues The Horse in strength The Roe in swiftnes The Lion in courage The Eagle in sight The Dogge in winding These and â—â—ny moe besides these doe excell man in the naturall faculties and qualities of the bodie And therefore to conclude this poynt what cause is there that we should bee so proude of our selues or any thing that wee haue or can doe seeing as all the creatures in their kinde doe excell vs glorifying their Creator better then wee doe yea and are appoynted as tutors and schoolemasters to teach vs our dueties Lastly we may learne from hence not to coÌ„temne and disdaine but with great reuerence and in the feare of God to vse all the creatures of God both for that they serue so notably to set forth the glorie of the Creator and also for that they are appointed to teach men their duties Of Lecturers some reade
of Artes and Scicoces if the knowledge of them were equallie giuen to euery one And where doth wisdome shine most in her glorious beautie but in the middest of fooles Therefore men should leaue admiring of themselues and despising of others which come short of them whether it be in the riches of the bodie or in the riches of the minde and learne to praise the wisedome and goodnes of the giuer and disposer of them and in all humblenes of minde vse them to the glorie of the giuer and the benefite of their brethren And further how could the rich liue without the poore and baser sort of people whom God hath made their seruants to supplie their wants For as it is not meete the ploughman should weare the Crowne so is it as vnfit for the King to holde the plough And therefore as in the bodie naturall God placed diuers members and all differing one from an other that one might be seruiceable to an other so in the bodie politicall he hath in no lesse wisedome made diuers degrees estates of men that one might be seruiceable helpfull vnto another And thus wee see that for diuers causes the Lord will haue the poore still amongst the rich and that good men haue bin in pouertie aswell as bad and yet the Loâ—â—â— hath still supplied their wants and not 〈◊〉 them to lacke what he sawe good for 〈◊〉 neither wil he but wil either giue them bread or abate their hunger or giue such a blesing with their little portion that it shal go as faâ—â—e and content them aswell as if it were greâ—â—â— and withall makes them rich in the heauenly graces of his spirite wherein many very 〈◊〉 rich men of the world are both bare and barren As there be good poore men so be there also wicked poore men which are become poore and miserable through their owne negligence and slothfulnes such are they 〈◊〉 Salomon speaketh vnto in my text And to such persons pouertie is both a reproch of men and a iudgement of God for as it is no shame to suffer but to suffer for euill doing so it is no shame to bee poore but to become poore through our owne negligence and wilfulnes Of those that beare the burthen of pouertie in that sort there be some in the Church and some in the common wealth of Church men that bee in pouertie some are of the popish and antichristian Church and some of the christian Churches In the popish church there are a companie of idle Monkes and 〈◊〉 ers and hedge priests and cloisterers which professe wilfull pouertie making the worlds beleeue that it is a step to happines and a degree of christian perfection and if that be â—â—ue what need the Sluggard care for such a iudgement Nay then it is no iudgement at all but a blessing and a happines and so by that reckoning the Sluggard were a blessed and a happie man and the Sluggards life were the onely happy life that could bee deuised in this world but that cannot bee for here wee see pouertie and necessitie set vpon the Sluggard to punish him for his slothfulnes In our christian Church also we haue seene some both in the ministerie and otherwise who liued in good estate and yet afterward through their couetousnes and ambition haue fallen into great decay for when they were not content with that which was conuenient for them but still would haue more it hath happened oftentimes to them as it did to the dogge that hauing a piece of meate in his mouth would snatch at the shadowe of the meate in the water and so when he thought to haue both hee lost both In the scriptures there are diuers causes of pouertie set downe and pouertie is made a punishment for diuers kindes of offenders and is a whip for the backe of many fooles it is a whippe for the Sluggards backe that in time will whip him to death if he repent not for Salomon saith The disire of the Sluggard â—layeth him for his hands refusâ— to worâ—e It is also a scourge for the wasting vnthriâ—t and prodigall spender as may appeare in the example of the prodigall sonne who hauing spent all was driuen to feed among the swine When it hath scourged the vnthrift it will also serue to scourge the niggard that knoweth not how to vse his goods as appeareth by the parable of him that hid his talent and therefore had all taken from him in the ende to shew that it is not the best way to thriue for a man to liue to himselfe And Salomon sayth There is that scattereth and is more encreased but hee that speaketh more then is right shall surely come to pouertie The liberall person saâ—â—h he shall haue plentie and he that watereth shall haue raine When it hath punished the niggard and the myser it shall also punish the â—â—uell man the oppressour for it is set down by Salomon as a definitiue sentence against him in this manner He that oppresseth the poore to enritch himselfe and to giue to the rich shall surely come to pouertie And the Prophet Esay as one in the same coÌ„mission confirmeth the sentence and goeth a little further and faith Wâ—e hee to thee that spoylest and wast not spoiâ—â— for when thou shalt cease spoiling of others thâ—â— shalt he spoiled by others and when thou hast deals wickedly against others then others shall dealâ— wickedly against thee The trueth whereof iâ— not hard to bee seene in some that haue gotten vp by prises and many that haue liued by vsurie brokerage promooting bribing extorting cousoning and such like meanes As it punisheth the cruell oppressour so will it also punish those which are rash and prophane in their affaires as Esau who without any more adoe when hee was hungrie solde away his birthright for a messe of pottage and when it was gone cried to haue it againe but could not get it The sentence is recorded by salomon thus The thoughts of the diligent dee surely bring abundance but who soeuer is hastie commeth surely to pouertie Which is also verified in many sureties which haue in a vaineglorious heate passed their wordes neither regarding for whom nor for what and after warde haue repented them too late and surely this is a point not vnfit for noble men and great gentlemen to consider of whome God hath blessed both with great liuings and also beautified with a liberall and free heart lest being as many are attended vpon and haunted by hungrie horse leaches and fawning parasites they impeach their estate and honour before they bee aware As it punisheth the rash and headie foole so doth it also helpe to plague fornicatours and adulterous fooles as may appeare by that wofull complaint of such as haue beene brought into the fooles paradise by the alluring baâ—tes of harlots And therefore Salomon that great man of experience aduiseth all that feare God to keepe their way farre