to dwell in and sow the fields and plant vineyards which bring forth fruitfull increase for hee blesseth them and they multiply exceedingly and hee diminisheth not their cattell Hee powreth contempt vpon princes and turneth the springs of water into drinesse a fruitful land into barrennesse for the wickednes of them that dwel therin Yet he raiseth vp the poore out of misery and maketh him families like a flocke of sheep The righteous shall see it and reioyce and all iniquity shall stop her mouth And this is that which the holy Psalmist singeth of godly Ioseph more particularly Psal 105.17 18 19 20 21 22 Ioseph was sold for a slaue they held his feete in the stockes and hee was laid in yrons vntill his appointed time came and the counsell of the Lord tried him The King sent and loosed him he made him Lord of his house euen the ruler of the people deliuered him and made him ruler of his substance yea of his Princes and rulers that hee should bind them vnto his will and teach his ancient and wise men wisdome Gen. 45.16.17.18 19.20.21.22.23 And the Lord that thus gaue Ioseph fauour in the eyes of Pharaoh enclined likewise the heart of the King to fauour and loue Iacob the father of Ioseph and his brethren for his sake so that when the tidings came vnto Pharaohs house that Iosephs brethren were come it pleased Pharaoh well and his seruants Moreouer Pharaoh said vnto Ioseph say to thy brethren This doe yee lade your beasts and depart go to the land of Canaan and take your father and your housholds and come to me and I will giue you the best of the land of Aegypt and yee shall eate of the fat of the land And I command thee Thus doe ye Take you chariots out of the land of Aegypt for your children and for your wiues and bring your father and come also regard not your stuffe for the best of all the land of Aegypt is yours And the children of Israel did so and Ioseph gaue them Chariots according to the commandement of Pharaoh he gaue them victuals also for the iourney he gaue them all none excepted change of raiment and vnto Beniamin he gaue three hundreth peeces of siluer and fiue suites of raiment And vnto his father likewise he sent ten hee Asses laden with the best things of Egypt and ten shee Asses laden with wheat and bread and meate for his father by the way And when as Iosephs father and his brethren were come into Aegypt the good King knowing thereof Gen. 46.33 3â— 47.3 4.5 6.11 12. and vnderstanding that their trade for they liued not idle was to be occupied about cattell and sheepe as Sheepheards after that he had admitted them to his presence spake to Ioseph saying Thy father and thy brethren are come vnto thee the land of Egypt is before thee in the best place of the land make thy father and thy brethren dwell let them dwell in the land of Goshen and if thou knowest that there be men of actiuity among them make them rulers ouer my cattell And godly and happy Ioseph placed his father and his brethren and gaue them possession in the land of Egypt in the best of the land euen in the land of Rameses as good bountifull Pharaoh had commanded And the blessed son nourished his blessed father and his brethren and all his fathers houshold with bread euen to the yong children Dauid attained to great riches and honour by practising the rules of this Art 1 Sam. 16 17 2 Sam 2 5 7 8 22. 1 Chron 17 29. 1 King 3 6 Psal 78 70 71.72 hee feared God exceedingly called vpon him continally walking before him in truth in righteousnes and in purenes of his spirit yea he was a man after the Lords owne heart and he that was in his heart was with his heart and in his hand also and blessed him aboundantly Hee chose Dauid his seruant and tooke him from the sheepe-folds euen from behind the ewes with young brought hee him to feed his people in Iacob and his inheritance in Israel So he fed them according to the simplicitie of his heart 1 Sam. 18 18 23. Psal 113.7 and guided them by the discretion of his hands He was as hee saith of himselfe a poore man and of small reputation but God who taketh pleasure in raising vp the poore out of the dust and in lifting vp the beggar from the dongue-hil changed his pouertie into riches his despisednesse into honour his shepheards crooke into a princely scepter his countrey cap into a kingly crowne his base sheep-cote into a stately court and his pasture of small compasse into an ample kingdome In one word God that doth great things tooke him from following the sheep that he might rule ouer his people Israel 1 King 3 11 12 13. 10.21.23.25.27 28. 2 Chron. 1. 8. 13. Eccles 2.4.5.6.7 8.9 Salomon Dauids sonne did attaine to his great riches by practising these rules and namely because he did ask of the Lord vnderstanding to do iudgment and not riches nor honor nor long life nor yet the life of his enemies therfore the Lord gaue him not onely that which he asked but also those things he asked not euen riches and honor more then any in Israel had before him or yet after him So that hee builded houses planted vineyards pleasant gardens and orchards replenished with fruitfull trees purchased great possessions of Beeues and sheep gathered aboundance of siluer and gold yea hee made siluer as plenteous as stones in Ierusalem and exceeded all the Kings of the earth both in riches and in wisdome Iehosophat did attaine to great prosperitie by practising these Rules 2. Chro. 17. He sought the god of his fathers deuoutly and walked in his commandements diligently euen in the waies of his forefather Dauid and therefore the Lord was with him stablished the kingdom in his hand and all Iudah brought presents vnto him so that hee had of riches and honor in aboundance Esther and Mordecai attained to riches and honor by these Rules Esth 2. 6. 8. 10. The vncle the neece both of them feared God and therfore he raised them from low degree vnto princely dignitie from pouertie aduanced them to great riches So that Esther of a poore despised maid became a famous and an honourable queene euen the wife of king Ashuerus the mightie Monarke of the Medes and Persians and Mordecai of a poore despised man was preferred to great riches and honour so that he was made second vnto the king Daniel and his three fellowes Dan. 1 3 6. commonly called the three children practised the Rules of this art They excelled in the feare of the Lord and in wisdom which floweth therefro so that of poore captiues and prisoners hee made them Princes companions they were promoted in the Prouince of Babel to high honours
brimstone of Sodom let vs shunne and eschew their sinnes Besides that as the Wise man telleth vs the drunkard and the glutton shall bee poore Prou. 23.21 and the idle sleeper shall bee clothed with ragges And the labouring man that is giuen to drunkennesse Eccles 19.1 33 26. shall not bee rich Thus we see then that diligence and temperance are of great moment both to get and augment riches And trulie as the loue of intemperance and excesse doth hold the poore man from being rich so doth the practise of excesse in table or apparrell make the rich man poore as wee shall shew in the declaration of the ninth Rule of this Art And therefore to conclude this present discourse concerning diligence in a lawfull calling I wish the student in this Art to obserue this one thing that except hee begge dailie Gods blessing to his businesse his diligence and industrie will but little auaile Hee may well carrie out much seede into the field Deut. 28.23.24.38 Micah 6.14 Haggai 1.6 Amos 4.7.8.9 but except the Lord blesse it hee shall gather but little in for the grashoppers shall destroy it or the heauen shall bee as brasse aboue it and the earth as yron vnder it for the Lord shall withhold the first and the latter raine and shall shut the windowes of heauen so that it shall bee consumed with drought or hee will open the windowes of heauen in such a manner Ioel 1. Genes 7.11 Psalm 107.33.34 that either the floods shall ouerflow the fields or the cloudes shall powre downe riuers of waters to drowne the cornes so that the seed shal rot vnder the clods or else will he smite them with blasting and mildew so that howsoeuer he sow much yet shal he reape but little except the Lord blesse that which he hath sowen Hee may well plant a vineyard or a hopyard and dresse it but except the Lord blesse it hee shall not drinke of it for the wormes shall eate it Hee may well plant many fruit-trees fig-trees Deut. 28.39 Ioel 1.4.12 apple-trees plum-trees but except the blessing of the Lord be present with his planting swarmes and armies of palmer-wormes canker-wormes and caterpillers shall deuoute and eate vp his fruites and the buddes of his trees Deut. 28.18 Ioel 1.4.18.19.20 Hee may well enioy heardes of cattell and flockes of sheepe but except the Lords blessing bee with the owner hee shall bee cursed in them all yea the Lord shall make his beasts to mourne his cattell to consume and his flockes to fall away for want of pasture which shall either not spring out of the earth being hard as yron or shal be withered away through the excessiue heate or shall bee eaten vp by the multitudes of grashoppers Zephan 1.13 Hee may well get goods and build houses but except the Lord blesse him in the same his goods shall doe him no good they shall goe away from him or hee shall bee spoiled of them Prou. 28.8 Eccles 2.26 or hee shall leaue them to such as wil doe more good with them then he he shall heape vp to giue and leaue to him that is good before God and the houses that hee hath builded hee and his shall not inhabit In one word to speake with the Prophet Haggai Hag. 1.6 Hee may well eate but hee shal not bee satisfied nor haue inough hee may well drinke but hee shall not bee filled hee may well cloath himselfe but hee shall not bee warme and hee may well earne wages but hee shall put them into a broken bagge And the cause of all this is the want of the Lords blessing Psalm 127.1.2 For as the Kinglie Prophet saith except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it Except the Lord keepe the citie the keeper watcheth in vaine It is in vaine for you to rise earlie and to lie downe late and eate the bread of sorrow but hee will surelie giue rest to his beloued Not that hee will exempt them from labour but onelie from the vnprofitablenesse and vncomfortablenesse thereof For hee will giue to his beloued that is to such as are deare vnto him for the loue and feare of his name and doe continuallie begge his blessing to their adoes hee will giue them rest from all vnprofitable and vncomfortable paines taking Leuit. 26.20 whereas without his blessing a mans strength shall bee spent in vaine Hee may well passe and spend nights and daies in toiling and moiling but hee shall reape but little profit and lesse comfort let him labour neuer so much and neuer so long For diligence is no better then negligence and businesse is but idlenesse without the Lords blessing Psal 65.9.10.11.12.13 107.35.36.37.38.41 67.6.7 68.9 For it is the Lords blessing that watereth the earth and makes it very rich euen that watereth abundantly the furrowes of the earth and causeth the raine to descend into the valleies thereof and maketh it soft with showers and droppeth fatnesse vpon the fieldes so that the hilles are compassed with gladnesse the pastures are clad with sheepe and the valleies are couered with corne which maketh men to shout for ioy and sing IIII. Rule The poore man must not purchase nor the rich man increase his riches by violence oppression theft robberie extortion bribing vniust detention neither yet by peruerting of equitie as by false testimonie pleading in an euill cause or vnrighteous iudgement Probation and declaration Exod. 22.21.22.23.24 TThou shalt not doe iniurie to a stranger saith the Lord by Moses neither oppresse him yee shall not trouble any widow nor fatherlesse child If thou vexe and trouble such and so hee call and crie vnto me I will surely heare his crie then shall my wrath bee kindled and I will kill you with the sword and you wiues shall bee widowes and your children fatherlesse Thou shalt not ouerthrow the right of the poore in his suite 23.1.3.6.7.8.9 Thou shalt keepe thee farre from a false matter and shalt not slay the innocent and the righteous Thou shalt not receiue a false tale neither shalt thou put thine hand with the wicked to bee a false witnesse Thou shalt not esteeme a poore man in his cause Leuit. 19.13 Thou shalt not oppresse thy neighbour by violence neither robbe him or doe him wrong The workemans hire shal not abide with thee vntil the morning Thou shalt not oppresse an hired seruant that is needie and poore neither of thy brethren nor of the stranger that is in the land within thy gates Deut. 14.15 Thou shalt giue him his hire for his day neither shall the sunne goe downe vpon it for he is poore and therewith sustaines his life lest he crie against thee vnto the Lord and it be sinne vnto thee 16.19 Wrest not thou the law saith the Lord to Lawyers and Iudges nor respect any person neither take reward for the reward blindeth the
vpon their knees in good earnest and be made to feed with the beasts vntill they learne to liue like reasonable and moderate men and not like vnreasonable and intemperate beasts X. Rule A man to whom God hath giuen riches and store though but in a meane measure if hee would haue God to blesse him and it both with increase and continuance as hee ought to giue a part thereof cheerefully vnto the Prince and another part vnto the priests and take a third part for himselfe so ought he charitably to impart a proportionable part thereof to the poore by lending or giuing to them according to his power and their pouertie and need Probation and declaration Deut. 15 7 8 9 10 11. IF one of thy brethren with thee saith the Lord by Moses bee poore within any of thy gates in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine hand from thy poore brother but thou shalt open thine hand vnto him and shalt lend him sufficient for his neede which he hath thou shalt giue him and let it not grieue thine heart to giue vnto him for because of this the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy workes and in all that thou puttest thine hand to Because there shall bee euer some poore in the land therefore I command thee Exod. 22.25 26 27. Leuit. 25.35.36 37. saying Thou shalt open thine hand vnto thy brother to thy needie and to thy poore in the land Thou shalt relieue him and if thou lend money vnto him thou shalt not be as an vsurer to him thou shalt not giue him thy money to vsurie or vantage nor lend him thy victuals for encrease And if thou take thy neighbours rayment to pledge thou shalt restore it vnto him before the Sunne goe downe for that it is his couering onely and this is his garment for his skinne wherein shall he sleepe therefore when he crieth vnto me I wil heare him for I am mercifull Leuit. 19 9 10 23 22. Deut. 24 19 20 21. Also when yee reape the haruest of your land yee shall not reape euery corner of your field neither shalt thou gather the glainings of thy haruest thou shalt not gather the grapes of thy vineyard but thou shalt leaue them for the poore the stranger the fatherlesse and the widow When thou cuttest downe thy haruest in the field and hast forgotten a sheafe in the field thou shalt not goe againe to fet it but it shall bee for the stranger Psal 37 21 26. for the fatherlesse and for the widowe that the Lord thy God may blesse thee in all the workes of thine hands The righteous is mercifull saith the prophet Dauid and giueth 41.1 hee is euer mercifull and lendeth and his seed enioyeth the blessing Blessed is hee that iudgeth wisely of the poore the LORD shall deliuer him in the time of trouble 112.4 5 9. Vnto the righteous ariseth light in darkenesse hee is mercifull and full of compassion a good man is mercifull and lendeth and will measure his affaires by iudgement hee hath distributed and giuen to the poore his righteousnesse remaineth for euer his horne shall bee exalted with glorie Let not mercie and truth forsake thee saith King Salomon bind them on thy necke Prou. 3.3.4 and write them vpon the table of thine heart so shalt thou find fauour in the fight of God and Man â— 27 Hee that is mercifull rewardeth his owne soule 14.21.31 Hee that hath mercy on the poore is blessed yea the Lord honoureth him that hath mercy on the poore 19.17 Hee that hath mercy vpon the poore 21.13.21 26. lendeth vnto the Lord and the Lord will recompence that which he hath giuen The righteous giueth and spareth not and he that followeth after righteousnes and mercy shall finde life righteousnes and glory but hee that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore hee shall also cry and not bee heard 11.24.25.26 There is that scattereth and is more increased but he that spareth more then is right surely commeth to pouerty the liberall person shall haue plenty and hee that watereth shall also haue raine Hee that withdraweth the corne the people will curse him but blessing shall be vpon the head of him that selleth corne to wit 22 9. Eccles 31.29 good cheape and when the people stand in need by reason of scarcity and famine Hee that hath a good eye hee shall bee blessed for he giueth of his bread vnto the poore Prou. 25.21.22 If he that hateth thee be hungry giue him bread to eate and if he be thirsty giue him water to drinke for thou shalt lay coales vpon his head 28.27 and the Lord shall recompence thee He that giueth vnto the poore shall not lacke but he that hideth his eyes shall haue many curses Giue ye strong drinke vnto him that is ready to perish 31.6.7 and wine vnto them that haue griefe of heart let him drinke that hee may forget his pouerty and remember his misery no more 31.20 Also Salomons vertuous woman that encreaseth exceedingly her store and her substance is described to be such a one as stretcheth out her hand to the poore and needy Eccles 11.1.2 And therefore in his Preacher he exhorteth men to be liberall to the poore in these words Cast thy bread vpon the waters for after many dayes thou shalt finde it Giue a portion to seuen and also to eight for thou knowest not what euill shall be vpon the earth Is not this the fasting that I haue chosen saith the Lord by his prophet I say to loose the bands of wickednesse to take off the heauie burthens and to let the oppressed go free and that yee breake euery yoake Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungrie and that thou bring the poore that wander to thine house when thou seest the naked that thou couer him and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh Then shal thy light breake forth as the morning and thine health shall grow speedily thy righteousnes shall goe before thee and the glory of the Lord shall embrace thee then shalt thou call and the Lord will answer thou shalt cry and he will say here I am If thou powre out thy soule to the hungry and refresh the troubled soule then shall thy light spring out in the darknes and thy darknes shall bee as the noone day and the Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfie thy soule in drought and make fat thy bones and thou shalt be like a watered garden and like a spring of water where waters faile not And they shall bee of thee that shall build the old waste places thou shalt raise vp the foundations for many generations and thou shalt be called the Repairer of the Breach and the restorer of the pathes to dwell in Tobit 4.7