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A94156 The Christian-man's calling: or, A treatise of making religion ones business. Wherein the nature and necessity of it is discovered. : As also the Christian directed how he may perform it in [brace] religious duties, natural actions, his particular vocation, his family directions, and his own recreations. / By George Swinnock ... Swinnock, George, 1627-1673. 1662 (1662) Wing S6266A; ESTC R184816 359,824 637

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So God giveth others outward portions some of the good things of this life but to thee O Christian he giveth a Benjamins mess his image his spirit his son himself a worthy portion a goodly heritage because he loveth thee Others have a little meat and drink and wages but thou hast the inheritance Others like Jehosaphats younger Sons have some Cities some small matters given them but thou like the first born hast the Kingdom the Crown of glory others feed on bare elements thou hast the Sacrament others stand without doors and thou art admitted into the presence Chamber others must fry eternally in Hell flames and thou must enjoy falness of joy for evermore O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever To him that chose thee before the foundation of the World for his mercy endureth for ever To him that called thee by the word of his grace for his mercy c. To him that gave his onely Son to dye for thy sins for his mercy c. To him that entred into a Covenant of grace with thee for his mercy endureth for ever To him that hath provided for thee an exceeding and eternal weight of glory for his mercy endureth for ever O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Remember the poor on that day Gods bounty to thee in spirituals may well provoke thy mercy to others in carnals The Jews at their Passover released a Prisoner in remembrance of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage Surely at the Lords Supper when thy heart is warmed with Gods compassion to thee thy hand should be enlarged in contribution to the poor in remembrance of thy redemption out of slavery to sin and Satan The Primitive Christians had their collections for the poor and the Lords Supper both on a day On the first day of the week Because the Saints like the wall being then heated by the Sun should reflect that heat on the passengers on others Acts 20.7 2 Cor. 16.1 Thy cup runneth over O let others drink with thee Thy Charity may make thy Coffer lighter but it will make thy crown heavier It was a notable expression of one who having given much away was like to want and asked what she would do I repent not of my charity for what I have lost in one World I have gained in another 2. Faithfulness The Sacrament is a strong engagement to sanctity Sacramentum est juramentum At the Lords Supper thou takest a new Oath of Allegiance to the King of Saints whereby every wilful iniquity after it becomes perjury 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuam a Hedge The Greek word for an Oath cometh from a word signisieth an Hedge to shew that an Oath should keep men in and prevent their wandering out of the field of Gods word It is the character of an Harlot She forgetteth the Covenant of her God Prov. 2.17 I know that the Devil will come to sit with thee after Supper Flies love to settle on the sweetest perfumes When Israel had drunk of the Rock which followed them which Rock was Christ then Amalek fought them When Jesus Christ had received the Sacrament of Baptism then the Devil pursued him with his fierce assaults When thou hast been at the Table expect the Tempter That subtle theif will hear of the new treasure of grace which is brought into thy house thy heart and will use all his pollicy and power to rob thee of it thy care must be by stronger Bolts and Locks then ordinary by greater diligence and watchfulness then before to secure it Surely Reader If thou didst but find the Saviour in the Sacrament thou canst not but fear sin after the Sacrament Thou hast seen what sin cost Christ didst thou not at the Table see the Lord Jesus hanging on the Cross Didst thou not thus bespeak thy soul Look O my soul who hangeth there Alass it is thy dearest Redeemer See his bloody head bloody hands bloody back belly his body all over bloody But O his bleeding soul Dost thou not hear his lamentation My God My God why hast thou forsaken me What thinkest thou is the cause of all this Ah t is thy sins which is the source of all these sorrows And canst thou joyn with them or love those lusts that hate the Lord Canst thou wound him whom God hath wounded and crucifie the Lord Jesus afresh Hath not thy Saviour suffered enough already O here is a Medicine instar omnium instead of all to kill those diseases of thy soul It is said of the Souldiers of Pompey that though he could not keep them in the Camp by any perswasion yet when Pompey threw himself upon the ground and told them If ye will go ye shall trample upon your General Then saith Plutarch in the life of Pompey they were overcome Truely if nothing will disswade thee from sin yet this consideration that it is a trampling upon thy blessed Saviour should prevail with thee Though thou shouldst be marching never so furiously yet as Joabs Souldiers when they saw the dead body of Amasa stay'd their march and stood still when thou seest the mangled wounded peirced crucified body of thy Saviour thou shouldst stop proceed no further How many arguments mayst thou find in this ordinance to be close in thy obedience The greatness of Christs love calleth for graciousness in thy life The love of Christ constraineth 2 Cor. 5.14 Other Motives may perswade but this compelleth If deliverance from the yoke of Pharoah were such a bond to obedience what is deliverance from sin wrath hell mayst not thou Reader say with the Jews After such a deliverance as this should I again break thy Commandements woulst thou not be angry with me till thou hast consumed me Ezr. 9.13 They that receive such courtesies if any men the World sell their liberty and ought to be Christs servants 〈…〉 Friend hath God wiped off the old score wilt thou run again in debt did Christ speak peace to thee at the Table and wilt thou turn again to folly O Reader when thou art tempted to sin say with the Spouse I have washed my feet how shall I defile them I have washed my soul how shall I pollute it with sin I have given my self wholly to God before Angels men and how can I do this great wickednes sin against my God against my Saviour against my Covenant There is a beast some write which if she be feeding doth but turn her head about forgeteth what she was doing O do not thou after thou hast fed on the bread of life forget what thou wast doing but as at the Sacrament thou hast remembred Christs death so do it after by dying to sin all the days of thy life O do not use this ordinance as Papists do the Popes Indulgences to purchase a new licence to sin Judas went from the Supper to betray his Master Absolom
so dreadful but its certain and therefore calls for the more caution 2. By the season of it In the latter times When the world groweth old it will dore and decline when it comes to the bottom it will run dregs Its last days which should be best will be its worst days 3. By the causes procuring it Seducing spirits and Doctrine of devils Satan and his Emissaries will like Sampsons Foxes carry firebrands abroad to set the world in a hellish flame Secondly The Remedy is prescribed in reference to himself Something he must forbear Refuse prophane and old wives fables 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rejice Piscat Beza Excommunica alii If thou wouldst not swim down with the tide of those apostatising times take heed of steering thy course by prophane though ancient customs Refuse them with scorn reject them with anger let thy spirit rise and thy stomack turn at the very sight of such sins One way to prevent Apostacy is to refuse ungrounded antiquity The will of the Father of spirits not the ways of the fathers of our flesh is to be the rule of our walking It is well observed that God in no command but the second which forbids his Worship in any way not appointed by his Word threatneth to visit the sins of the fathers upon the children because superstitious Worshippers are of all men most strengthned by the Traditions of their Fathers They will tell us Shall we be wiser then our Fathers Now because they are resolved to sin with their Fathers God is resolved they shall suffer for their Fathers They that will follow their forefathers in sin for ought I know must follow their forefathers to hell If Timothy would not share in others declensions he must forbear others traditions Refuse prophane and old wives fables Something he must also follow after Exercise thy self unto godliness This is the special help which the skilful physician appointeth his beloved patient in those infectious times to preserve his soul in health As a pestiferous air is very dangerous to the body yet for a man to get and make it his work to keep a sound constitution will be an excellent means to prevent infection So an Apostatizing place or people is very dangerous to the soul spiritual diseases are more catching and killing then corporal but a spiritual habit of a real sanctity with a constant care to continue and increase it will be a soveraign means to preserve it in safety Bodies without life quickly corrupt and become unsavory not so living creatures Running waters are sweet and clean when standing ponds putrifie and abound in vermine He that is ever trading and thriving in godliness need not fear that he shall prove a bankrupt Carts overthrow not going up hill Timothy is considerable in his twofold capacity 1. As a Minister of Christ or in his particular calling in this respect he must exercise himself to godliness Non tan tum sana doctrina sed eti●m pia relig●ola vita m●●i●ri verbo opus ●st Beza in loc A Pastor must not onely some days give precepts but every day give a pattern to his people he must not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely divide the word rightly but also order his conversation aright He must as Nazianzen said of Basil thunder in his doctrine and lighten in his life Singular holiness is required of those that minister about holy things as Painters they must teach by their hands by their lives as well as by their lips Ministers must exercise themselves to godliness that is do their duties with the greatest diligence They are sometimes called the Salt of the earth Matt. 5 13 14 because they must waste themselves to prevent corruption in others Sometime the light of the world they must consume themselves to direct others in the way to heaven Greg in 1. cap. lob Gregory observeth that the Spirit of God appeared in two shapes in the shape of a Dove signifying innocency in the shape of Fire signifying activity The zeal of Gods house not the rust of idleness must eat the Minister up he must be a burning shining light if ever he would thaw the frozen hearts of his hearers Quic quid d●cit Lutherus quicquid scribit id in a●in as pe●etrat mirificos relinquit acul●os in cordibus ●o minum Melch. Adam in vit Luther our Chappels must not be turned into Chappels of ease Christ neglected his food spent his strength wrought so hard that he was thought to be beside himself We are called Fishers Labourers Souldiers Watchmen all which are laborious callings We are compared to clouds the clods of the earth lye still but the clouds of heaven are ever in motion and dissolve themselves to refresh others But alas how many fleece their flocks Sacerdotum nomi●a acce●imus non ad quiet●n● sed ad labore●● ut inver amu● in oper● q●od sig●amur in no mine Greg. l. 4. ep 8. but never feed them as if their Benesices were Sine cures The Green-sickness is the maids and laziness many Ministers disease Who is instant in season and out of season It was a notable speech of Boniface the Martyr to one that asked him whether it was lawful to give the Sacramental wine in a wooden cup. Time was when we had wooden cups and golden Priests but now we have golden cups and wooden priests CHAP. II. The opening of the Text and the Doctrine 2. TImothy is to be considered as a member of Christ or in his general calling and so this Exhortation belongs to every Christian In it we may observe these three parts 1. The act Exercise 2. The subject of that act Thy self 3. The object about which it was to be conversant Vnto godliness Exercise thy self unto godliness I shall briefly open the terms in the Text and then lay down the Doctrinal truth Exercise The word signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exercei semeti●sem ad pietatem qui diligerter intambit action bus qui bus deus servitur Est in loc strip thy self naked it s a metaphor from Runners or Wrestlers who being to contend for the prize and resolved to put forth all their strength and power lay aside their cloaths which may hinder them and then bestir themselves to purpose as if Paul had said O Timothy let godliness be the object of all thy care and cost Follow thy general calling with the greatest industry pursue it diligently do not loiter but labour about it lay aside what may hinder lay hold of what may further and mind it as the main and principal work which thou hast to do in this world Thy self A Christians first care must be about his own spiritual welfare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Religion commands us to be mindful of and helpful to our neighbours and relations The Sun rayeth out his refreshing beams and the Spring bubleth up her purling streams for the
sinners love their friends who love them and wilt thou be worse then Publicans and sinners Consider seriously Jesus Christ loved thee when thou wast in a loathsome estate Ezek. 16. when thou wast wallowing in thy blood when no eye pitied thee then was his time of love he passed by thee and said unto thee Live yea when thou wast in thy blood he said unto thee Live And wilt thou not love him Ponder the heat of his love possibly the greatness of that fire may warm thy heart and thou mayest reflect some heat back again for indeed love is a Diamond which must be written upon with its own dust He loveth thee as a servant surely this is a favour for he hath thousands of glorious Angels who count it their honor and happiness to serve him To be made one of his hired servants was the great priviledge desired by the Prodigal Ye call me Lord and Master and ye say well for so I am John 13.13 but though this may be somewhat it is not enough for him He loveth thee as a friend Ye are my friends John 15.15 I have not called you servants but friends Friends love entirely witness Jonathan and David Jonanathan loved David as his own soul Friendship is one soul in two bodies saith the Philosopher This is much but his love to thee is more then so he loveth thee as his Brother He is not ashamed to call them brethren I will declare thy name unto my brethren Heb. 2.11 Some Brethren are knit very close in the bond of love Camh. Brit. In Queen Elizabeths Reign in a fight between the Earl of Kildare and Earl of Ter Owen two of the Earl of Kildares Brethren were slain which he took so heavily that he dyed shortly Some write that there is no such love in the World as between Foster-Brethren in Ireland This love is great but his love is greater He loveth thee as his childe the stream of love descendeth most swiftly from Parents to their children He shall see his Seed Isa 53.10 How tender is the Mother of her childe Can the Mother forget her childe that sucketh her breast The Mothers bowels will yern towards her childe the Mothers breasts will put her to pain if not drawn and thereby minde her of her childe But though the Mother may prove a Monster and like the Ostrich leave her young to be destroyed yet will I not forget thee saith the Lord Thou art engraven upon the palms of my hands thy walls are ever before me Isa 49.13 14 15. Children have you any meat If not lo here is my body Thou mayst say of Christs love to thee as David of Jonathans Thy love to me is wonderful it far surpasses the love of women for he loveth thee as his Spouse Men do or at least should love their wives above all relations For this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife But who can conceive Christs love to his Spouse Thou art all fair my love thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse How fair is thy love my Sister my Spouse Cant. 4.8 9 10. The nearest affinity is Spouse and the nearest consanguinity is Sister to shew that his affection is like that of the nearest relations If this be not enough Reader he loveth thee as himself nay above himself he did as it were hate himself out of love to thee He denied himself displeased himself and gave himself to be buffeted scourged condemned wracked crucified and to be a sacrifice for thy sins Well is it possible for thee to read of this infinite love without love When wood hath been laid a sunning it takes fire presently Hast not thou been so fitted by the warm hot beams of this Sun that now upon the very thoughts of Christ thou art all in a flame Truly it would be as great a miracle for thee to be in such a furnace of love and not fired with love to him as for the three Worthies in Daniel to be in the midst of the fiery furnace and not burnt Christ loved thee so unspeakably as thou hast read as a servant as a friend as a brother as a childe as a wife as himself nay above himself all this when thon wast a sinner without strength yea his enemy which threefold gradation the holy Ghost taketh special notice of Rom. 5.6 8 10. and wilt thou ever give him cause to complain of thee as Paul of his Corinthians the more I love the less I am beloved Love him dearly love him entirely love him above all love him more then all say with the Spouse Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love and with holy Brandford sprinckle thy trencher thy food with tears that thou canst love so loving and so lovely a Saviour no more 3. When thou art at the Table Exercise repentance what sorrow for and anger against thy sins should the sight of a crucified Saviour cause Some tell us that if the murderer be brought near and touch the body slain by him it bleeds afresh O when thou who art indeed the murderer of the Son of God dost touch and taste his body and blood shouldst not thou fall a bleeding a weeping a fresh Behold his broken bleeding body with an eye of faith and thine eye cannot but affect thine heart with grief I am confident thou canst not see it with dry eyes Was his soul exceeding sorrowful heavy even unto death for thy sake and is not thine friend for thy sins Did he drop so much blood and canst thou drop never a tear the very rocks were rent at his sufferings and is thy heart harder then those stones Is it possible for the head to be so pained and peirced and the members not be affected with it surely Deep calleth unto Deep Deep sufferings in Christ for deep sorrow in thee O Christian If his body were broken to let his blood out thy soul may well be broken to let it in They shall see him whom they have peirced and mourn for him as one that mourneth for his onely Son Zach. 10.12 His love may make as Davids kindness even a Saul to lift up his voice and weep It is so great and so hot a fire that one would think it would distil water out of thee wert thou never so dry an herb When Christ sat at Supper in the Pharisees house Mary washed his feet with her tears When Christ and thy soul are supping together thou mayst well weep in remembrance of thy unkindness and wickedness But the cheifest reason why I mention repentance now to be exercised is not so much for thy contrition or sorrow for sin though when the sweet sauce is a little sharp with Vinegar the meat will rellish the better for it as for thine indignation and anger against sin When thou considerest that thy dearest Saviour in a cold night lay groveling on the ground all over in a bloody sweat that
times a day At six in the morning eight at night and before dinner and Supper in his Chappel David returned to bless his house 2 Sam. 6.21 that is say Expositors to bless God with his Family and to beg Gods blessing on his family He ster prayed and fasted with her Maidens Hest 4.16 The holy Ghost enjoyneth Husband and wife to dwell together as fellow-heirs of the grace of life that their prayers be not hindered 1 Pet. 3.7 Our blessed Saviour is to be our pattern now he prayed with his family of Disciples And it came to pass as he was alone praying his Disciples were with him Luk. 9.18 He was alone not secretly to exclude all society but privately to include onely his own family Our Houses are Gods Houses and in Gods House there must every day be morning and evening Sacrifice I will that men pray every where surely then in private as well as in secret and in publique 1 Tim. 2.8 Families need direction in the day and protection in the night and truely either of them is worth a prayer Thy family sins must be pardoned thy family wants must be supplied and if they do not deserve a prayer they deserve nothing Horses kneel before they lye down at night and when they rise up in the morning and shall thy house be worse then a stable of beasts They that will not beg family supplies and blesse God for family mercies may well be branded for ungodly and ungrateful wrethces Prayer and prayse are like the double motion of the lungs what we suck in by petition we breath out in thanksgiving and without this Religion cannot live in a family What dangers are thy family liable to every day and without prayer thou hast no guide no guard Origen going once to comfort a Martyr was himself apprehended and constrained either to have his body abused by a Blackamore or to offer to the Idol which latter he did but bewailing it saith I went out that morning without prayer which I know was the cause of that evil It s said of the Egyptians that there was a great cry at midnight for in every house there was one dead Reader are there not dead souls in thy family Children and servants dead in sins and trespasses and shall there be no cry no complaining to God there I must tell thee thy house is worse then a Pest-house for thou hast infected and dangerously diseased souls in it and not so much as Lord have mercy upon us written on thy door Heathens and families without prayer are fitly joyned together Jerem. 10. ult The truth is such persons are English in their language but Indian in their Athiestical carriage They feed and cloath their bodies like English men but they starve and go naked in their souls like Indians Onely herein they differ that they cannot be prayerless in their Houses at so cheap a rate but must expect an hotter Hell because they sin against a clearer light Many families are the picture of Hell one may hear twenty Oaths for one prayer the Master will often curse but seldom or never bless his family he loveth cursing so it will come to him and as he delighted not in blessing so it will be far from him Do not say thou canst not pray Had the father of spirits ever any dumb children Every begger at thy door who is pinched with hunger will tell thee that sence of misery will teach thee to be earnest for mercy If thou wert condemned to be hanged thou wouldst not want words to p●en for a pardon Surely eternal death to which thou art liable is far more lamentable and if ever God make thee sensible of it which must be done or thou art lost for ever thou will quickly follow him with prayers and tears for grace and life Thy affections in prayer if right will abundantly make up thy want of expressions A sanctified Heart is better then a silver Tongue Though thou hast not the gift of prayer yet if if thou canst act grace in prayer all will be well Pray much in secret and thou wilt quickly learn to pray well in private Use at any Trade will make me prompt and perfect Rather use a form out of a Book then omit the duty They who cannot dress their meat themselves must be beholden to their Neighbours to do it for them Set upon it presently it is thy honor thy priviledge and use crutches till thou art able to go alone onely do not content thy self with them Alas who ever was proud of stilts but labour to gain knowledge in spiritual things by reading secret praying and conference that thou mayest throw them away 2. The Word of God must be read in thy Family and thy Houshold instructed there As by prayer thy duty is to acquaint God with thy family-wants so by reading some portion of Scripture daily thy duty is to acquaint thy family with Gods will An house without light is in a dreadful lamentable condition Thy houshold without the Word sit in darkness and thereby in the shadow of death The Commandment is a lamp and the Law is Light Prov. 6.23 Alas how can thy servants or children do their heavenly Masters and Fathers work when they are wholly ignorant of his will The weeds of sin grow of themselves but the ground must be ploughed and sown and harrowed and watered before good Corn will spring up God expecteth that thou shouldst be both a Priest to offer up Sacrifice for and a Prophet to instruct and teach thy Family A good House-keeper is like that Nobleman who had for his impress two boundles of ripe Millet with this Motto Servare servari meum est for the nature of Millet is say some to guard it self from corruption and that which lieth nearest to it The Word of God and holy instructions to a Family are as salt which is helpful against putrifaction Mat. 5. Ye are the salt of the earth Masters must be sure to have salt in themselves and for their families It s said that the Hammanients in Cyrene made their houses of salt hewn out of their hills in maner of stone Hierom counselled Leta Let thy children daily give thee some account of some choice flowers gathered out of thy Bible Teach thy children to remember their creatour in the days of their youths It is too late to season flesh when it crawleth with wormes Do it therefore betimes Bishop Rider read and expounded the Psalm 101. which treateth the good Government of Families often to his houshould and hired them with mony to learn it Abraham had letters testimonial from Heaven of his sincerity and the favour to be trusted with Arcana imperii Gods secrets because of his faithfulness in this particular And the Lord said shall I hide from Abraham the things which I do For I know him that he will command his Children and his House hold after him and they shall keep the Way of the Lord Gen. 18.17