least too remisse and carelesse of their gouernment §. 26. Of moderating seruants labour Though labour and paines be proper to a seruants place yet he may be so put vnto it as the health and strength of his body may be impaired thereby For the well ordering of this therefore a dutie lieth vpon masters and that in two things especially 1. That they well moderate the labour whereunto they put their seruants so as they may be able for the time to vndergoe it and to endure so long as their time of labour is appointed It was a good reason which Saul rendred to keepe Dauid from entring combat with Goliah because as he thought Dauid was not able to fight against the Philistim Dauid being a youth and Goliah a man of warre And indeed if Dauids faith had not exceeded the strength of his body it had beene vnmeet to haue put Dauid to that taske They which are put to things aboue their abilitie are like to faile and sinke vnder the burden of them It is contrary hereunto to put seruants to such hard taskes as impaire their strength endanger their lims and venture their liues Saul shall rise vp in iudgement against such for he supposing that it was too hard a taske for Dauid to vndertake combat with Goliah was loth to put him to it Dauid exceedingly failed herein when he gaue direction that Vriah should be set in the forefront of the hottest battell and yet the Generall with his strength to retire from him Many seruants being put to seruices aboue their strength either lose their liues thereby or as we speake are neuer their owne men againe It is also a fault in this kinde to put seruants to such toiling workes as are fitter for beasts then men or to oppresse them with too much worke as the Egyptians oppressed the Israelites Let Gods hearing the cry of those seruants so oppressed and reuenging their oppressors for it make all masters take heed of the like crueltie §. 27. Of affording seruants fit meanes for their worke 2. The other thing required of masters for wel ordering their seruants worke is that they afford their seruants things needfull and behouefull for that worke whereunto they are put which minde was commendable in Saul who assaied if his armour might be fit for Dauid when he was to goe against Goliah To reckon vp all the particulars were an infinite taske euery seuerall trade and worke hath proper meanes of helpe appertaining to it this generall direction may be sufficient to moue masters to applie it to the particular workes and seruices whereunto they put their seruants Fit meanes are such an helpe as that which with them may easily be done without them can hardly if possibly at all be done It is contrary hereunto to deale with seruants as the Egyptians did with the Israelites exacting worke at their hands and not affording them meanes to doe it whereby many times they exact impossibilities Some will haue much worke done in the night time and not afford candle light so in other particulars §. 28. Of affording seasonable rest to seruants Intermission ease and rest from labour at seasonable times is as needfull and requisite as food and apparell The reason which God rendreth of the fourth commandement sheweth that masters ought to afford rest to their seruants it is this that thy seruant may rest Without intermission and rest the body cannot endure labour it will wax weake faint and vtterly vnable to continue but as labour decaieth strength so rest repaireth it There are two especiall times of rest which seruants may not be denied 1. The rest of the night 2. The rest of the Lords day The first is ordinary for all liuing creatures for it was one principall-reason why God caused the light of the Sunne to be withdrawen from the face of the earth that the inhabitants thereof might rest from their labour Vntill the euening man goeth forth vnto his labour and worke Time of darknesse is more fit for rest then worke Let not this be so taken as if no worke were to be done after the light of the day is taken away then would but little worke be done in the depth of winter when the daies are short and then would not God haue afforded artificiall lights but to shew that difference must be made betwixt the day and night and that the night is afforded for that time wherein men are most to rest The other time of rest being the Sabbath day is by diuine institution It was sanctified vnto man in the time of Adams innocency when he stood as a publike head and stocke of all mankinde The very name Sabbath which in Hebrew signifieth rest and the expresse prohibition of doing any worke on that day doe shew that it is a day of rest and that one end thereof was for seruants to rest therein is euident by the reason thereof that thy seruant may rest So as there is a double bond to tie masters to afford rest to their seruants on the Lords day 1. The bond of piety to God 2. The bond of charity to seruants for in that God did thinke it meet for seruants to rest one day in seuen we ought to thinke that it is needfull and behouefull for them §. 29. Of denying seasonable rest to seruants Contrary to both the forenamed times of rest doe many masters offend as first they who make their seruants watch too long at night and againe rise too soone in the morning not affording so much time of rest and sleepe as is needfull for refreshing their bodies and repairing their strength whereby it commeth to passe that beside the wrong done to their poore seruants their worke cannot be done so well Obiect It is said of the forenamed good houswife that her candle is not put out by night Answ That is a tropicall speech and some-what hyperbolicall The word night is put for a part thereof The phrase only implieth vigilancy shewing that she is not as many in the euening betimes in bed and in the morning late vp but late downe and early vp This phrase she riseth while it is yet night vsed before sheweth that that which I haue noted is the true sense If not putting out her candle by night should imply a sitting vp all night long how could it be said that she riseth vp Quest What time may be thought sufficient to afford sleepe vnto seruants Answ As the same quantity of food is not ouer-strictly to be proportioned to all alike so nor the same continuance of sleepe Yet by experience it hath beene obserued that for sound and healthy bodies fiue houres is the least time that may be allowed and seuen houres is time sufficient for any §. 30. Of masters offence in keeping seruants from the rest of the Lords day 2. Against the rest of the Lords day doe too too many masters offend as 1. By keeping
children their dutie by keeping them vnder obedience thus haue they Gods promise to assure them that it shall goe well with their children and that they shall liue long When parents are vpon their death-beds they may rest more securely vpon this promise then vpon great store of treasure laid vp for them and great reuenues reserued for them Many parents neglect themselues they moile and toile they carke and care they pinch and spare to leaue their children store of wealth thinking thereby to doe good to their children when as withall they too much cocker their children giue the reines vnto them and care not how little dutie they performe Gods curse will lie vpon all the store that is laid vp for such children as a fire to consume it all Doth not daily experience verifie the truth hereof The iudgements which are laid on some such children doe euidently manifest Gods iust indignation against all Let not rich men therefore thinke they haue left their children well enough if they leaue them a large portion but rather if they haue obserued them to be obedient children and if poore mens children be such let them not feare but that it shall goe well with them It is said that a good trade is better then house and land but by vertue of this promise we may say that obedience in a childe is better then trade and all this is the trade of a childes way which parents should teach children Wherefore as parents are desirous of their childrens good so they ought to be wise in procuring it which is by teaching them this trade of obedience and so they shall bring much comfort to themselues while they liue and good to their children after them §. 112. Of the perpetuitie of the substance of such things as in their circumstances respecting the Iewes are vanished In laying downe this particular promise the Apostle in stead of the limitation thereof vnto the Iewes in these words in the land which the Lord thy God shall giue thee putteth a generall word which extendeth it to all nations namely this in the earth whence I gather that The substance of these things which in some circumstances were after a peculiar manner restrained to the Iewes remaineth in force to all Christians The substance of this promise was that it should goe well with obedient children while here on earth they liued and in this welfare they should long liue The circumstance was that in Canaan they should inioy that blessing Though Christians liue not in Canaan which is the circumstance yet well it shall goe with them and long they shall liue which is the substance Thus though the circumstance of Gods couenant with Abraham which was circumcision be abolished yet the substance which is to be our God and the God of our seed remaineth This might further be exemplified in many hundred instances for the substance of all the Iewish sacrifices and Sacraments both ordinarie and extraordinarie of their Sabbaths of their fasts of their feasts and the like remaine though the circumstances as shadowes be vanished away Hence is it that many promises made to them are applied by the Apostles to Christians as this I will not faile thee nor forsake thee and in generall it is said The promise to you and to your children and to all that are afarra off Hereby we may learne what vse to make of the old Testament euen of those promises and priuiledges which in some particular respects were appropriated to the Iewes namely by obseruing the substance and distinguishing it from the circumstance thus shall we finde that to be true which the Apostle speaketh of all the things which were written afore time namely that they were written for our learning In this respect the same Apostle saith of the things recorded of Abraham they were not written for his sake alone and againe of the things recorded of the Israelites they are written for our admonition By this we may learne how to applie the preface to the ten Commandements which mentioneth the deliuerance of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt Pray therefore for the spirit of illumination to discerne betwixt substance and circumstance in reading the old Testament especially §. 113. Of the determined period of mans life Hauing declared such orthodoxall points as this text affordeth I will further note out two hereticall positions which our aduersaries thence raise One is of those that to the dishonour of him whom God raised vp to be a worthy instrument in dispelling the mist of Poperie which had much darkned the light of the Gospell call themselues Lutherans the other of Papists The former is this God hath not determined the set period of mans daies but it is in mans power to lengthen or shorten them for if it were otherwise say they this and such like promises of long life were to no purpose nor yet the contrary threatnings of shortning mans daies For full answer hereunto I will first shew that the position it selfe is directly contrarie to the current of Scripture and then discouer the vnsoundnesse of their consequence Touching the determined period of mans daies thus speaketh the Scripture Is there not an appointed time to man on earth are not his daies also as the daies of an hireling Note with what emphasis the point is set forth euen so as if it were a point so cleare as none could doubt of it Note also two metaphors here vsed which doe much cleare the point one taken from souldiers the other from hired seruants That of souldiers is implied in the meaning of the originall word translated appointed time but properly signifieth him that hath his time appointed for warfare or the time it selfe so appointed the other expressed Now we know that these times are appointed to an houre so is the time of mans life In this respect Iob saith againe all the daies of my appointed time will I wait c. where he vseth the same word that before in the same sense To this purpose are these and such like phrases frequently vsed in Scripture determined daies number of daies houre c. Did not the Prophet expresly declare to Hezekiah that he should liue iust 15 yeeres after his sicknesse He could not haue told it if the Lord had not before set that period Christ saith our haires are numbred are not much more our daies Againe he saith who can adde one cubit to his stature Can then any adde to his daies So euident is this point that the heathen noted it Touching their consequence if a mans time be determined all the promises of long life are to no purpose I answer that God who hath set downe the iust time and period of mans life hath also set downe the meanes of attaining to that period Now the time he hath kept secret to himselfe the meanes he hath reuealed to vs. In regard of vs therefore who know not the
and commeth into the breasts when the childe commeth out of the wombe Whence we may gather that of all womens milke that womans milke is fittest for the childe out of whose wombe the childe came 3. Together with the milke passeth some smacke of the affection and disposition of the mother which maketh mothers to loue such children best as they haue giuen sucke vnto yea and oft times such children as haue sucked their mothers breasts loue their mothers best yea we may obserue many who haue sucked others milke to loue those nurses all the daies of their life 4. Other things are nourished by the same that they are bred The earth out of which plants grow ministreth nourishment to the said plants trees that bring forth fruit yeeld sap to that fruit whereby it groweth to ripenesse vnreasonable creatures and among them the most sauage wilde beasts as Tigers and Dragons yea sea-monsters giue sucke to their young ones whereupon the Prophet saith of women that giue not sucke to their Children that they are more cruell then those sea-monsters Like the Ostriches in the wildernesse for the cruell Ostrich and the hatefull Cucco are the two kinde of creatures which are noted to leaue their young ones for others to nourish the Ostrich leaueth her eggs in the dust the Cucco leaueth hers in other birds nests Other creatures if nature afford them not milke and dugges as to birds it doth not feed their young ones other waies yet by themselues 5. Shall I adde another argument which daily experience confirmeth namely Gods blessing vpon this motherly dutie commonly such children as are nursed by their mothers prosper best Mothers are most tender ouer them and cannot indure to let them lie crying out without taking them vp and stilling them as nurses will let them crie and crie againe if they be about any businesse of their owne For who are commonly chosen to be nurses euen poore countrie women which haue much worke to doe and little helpe and so are forced to let the childe lie and crie many times till it burst againe Children nursed by their mothers are for the most part more cleanly and neatly brought vp freer from diseases not so many die I am sure not so many through negligence cast away The number of nurse children that die euery yeere is very great It hath beene obserued in many countrie villages that the most part that from time to time die there are nurse children Are not mothers that might haue nursed their owne children if they would accessary to the death of those that are cast away by the nurses negligence On these and other like reasons heathen women and very sauages haue in all ages beene moued to nurse their owne children and some heathen Philosophers haue vrged and pressed the necessitie of this dutie Neuer was it more neglected then among those that beare the name of Christians Let mothers know of what ranke or degree so euer they be that out of the case of necessitie they haue no warrant to put forth their children to others to nurse We read not in all the Scripture of any holy women that euer did it §. 13. Of the obiections for putting children forth to nurse Obiect Many nurses are mentioned in Scripture as Rebekahs nurse Mephibosheths nurse Ioash his nurse and others 1. Answ Such nurses mentioned in Scripture were commonly drie nurses Rebekahs nurse went with her before she was maried how can it be thought that she was a milch nurse Could they tell when Rebekah should haue a childe or when he had one that Deborah the nurse there mentioned should haue milke for her It is said that Naomi became nurse to Ruths â—hilde now Naomi was old long before this she was past â—hild-bearing without an husband for many yeeres how then was it possible that she should giue sucke She was therefore a â—rie nurse as other nurses mentioned in Scripture 2. Answ The mothers of those children which are said to â—aue nurses if those nurses were milch-nurses might be â—ead or if liuing not able to giue sucke for want of milke â—ipple or for some other like defect or if able sinne in putting forth their children 3. Answ Though it be said that there were nurses yet is no where said that a mother put forth her childe to sucke 2. Obiect Pharohs daughter put forth the childe which she â—â—oke for her owne to nurse Answ She bare not this childe nor was the naturall mother of it so as this is nothing to the purpose Yea it maketh against the obiectors in that the true mother of this childe nursed it 3. Obiect The metaphor taken from nurses is oft vsed and applied to God and to Gods ministers 1. Answ The vsing of a thing by way of comparison and resemblance doth not simply iustifie it instance the parable of the vniust steward and of a theefe 2. Answ The metaphor may be taken from a drie nurse as well as a milch nurse for the comparisons are not vsed of giuing sucke but of bearing and carrying in armes as drie nurses vse to carry children 3. Answ The metaphors are most fitly taken from mothers that are nurses to their owne children 4. Obiect Many mothers haue not such skill in giuing sucke as nurses haue Answ Let them learne seeing it is their dutie 5. Obiect Mothers that are of great wealth and high place cannot endure the paine of nursing nor take the paines in handling young children as they must be handled 1. Answ The greatest that be must set themselues to doe that duty which God requireth at their hands though it be with paine and paines Note Sarahs example before recorded 2. Answ By this it appeareth that if other women could beare their children in the wombe nine moneths and endure the paine of trauell for them they would hire them to doe it But seeing they doe the one namely beare and bring forth their owne children with hard labour why should they not doe the other If they say there is an vnauoidable necessity of bearing and bringing forth their children I answer that conscience ought to moue them to nurse those children which necessity forceth them to bring forth God by this latter oâ— nursing children maketh triall of women whether they will for conscience sake doe that duty which they may if they will put off But because God knew that many will doe no more then necessity laieth vpon them he hath made it a matter oâ— impossibility for women to beare and bring forth their children by another 3. Answ If women would with cheerefulnesse set themselues to performe this duty much of the supposed paine and paines would be lessened 4. Answ Though they put not forth their children to nurse they may for their ease entertaine a nurse so they giue sucke themselues 6. Obiect A mother that hath a trade or that hath the care of an house will neglect much businesse by nursing her