Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	commandment_n	law_n	moral_a	3,008	5	9.5759	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61398	The trades-man's calling being a discourse concerning the nature, necessity, choice, &c. of a calling in general : and directions for the right managing of the tradesman's calling in particular / by Richard Steele ...	Steele, Richard, 1629-1692.	1684 (1684)	Wing S5394; ESTC R20926	138,138	256

it hath the most general and certain Influence into Men's Misery hereafter Few Men being willing to be at the pains to be saved tho all the labour in Religion be accompanied with real Sweetness and be like a Scholars Studies tho they make his Brain and Back to ake yet refresh his Mind and he had rather study than be idle What is it that hinders Men from reading whereby to get Knowledge Sloth What from Prayer from afflicting their Souls from examing their Hearts and Ways Yea from Consideration or any thing that is difficult to Flesh and Blood But Sloth Shake off this base Distemper learn of them that will be rich what pains they take they rise they run they sweat they are unwearied for false Riches and shall we sleep and freeze in the pursuit of the true Riches In the Name of God stir up thy self strive to enter in at the strait Gate and work while it is Day wheu Night comes no Man can work Let spiritual Diligence accompany your temporal and out-strip it For that 's the brave Christian in holy Mr. Dod's Judgment that can work hard and pray hard also And so much for this second Requisite to a good Tradesman to wit Diligence SECT 3. Of Justice in a Trade THE next Requisite in a Trade is Justice we discourse not here either of Vniversal Justice which the Moral Philosopher reckons to include all Vertues in their Vse or Exercise nor of Distributive Justice which consists in a due Distribution of Rewards and Punishments which belongs not to the Tradesman as such But of that which is called Commutative which is exercised in Dealings between Man and Man and of this also not only as it is directed by the Law of Nature but also as it is adopted among the Christian Graces where we shall consider I. The Nature of it II. The Necessity of it III. The Extent of it IV. Make some Vse of it I. For the Nature of it It is a gracious Habit inclining one constantly to render to every one their Right Where you see 1. It s general Nature It is a gracious Habit. An Habit and so rooted and fix'd in the Soul and will exert it self when no body is present to applaud or to disgrace an Habit and so readily inclining a Man to Actions sutable to it self For neither is the Habit within sufficient nor the Acts without they must go both together And then a gracious Habit For tho Morality may restrain unjust Actions and smooth the outward Conversation yet it cannot breed in the Heart a love of Justice as it is pleasing to God especially when the Practice of it crosses a beloved Interest No that the Spirit of God must work For the Fruit of the Spirit is in all Goodness and Righteousness and Truth Ephes 5. 9. And then 2. The particular difference of this from other gracious Habits is that this inclines us constantly to render to every one their Right It supposes that there is a Property which every Man hath in these outward things and that the World lies not in common And that an intercourse is necessary among Men for their mutual well-being that no Man can so subsist of himself but that he hath use or need of others Then steps in Justice to regulate all such Negotiations and teaches and disposes the honest Tradesman to render to every one what of right belongeth to him To Superiours Inferious Equals Relations and generally to every one that he may be able to say with holy Paul I have lived in all good Conscience before God until this day Acts 23. 1. II. For the Necessity hereof 1. It is every Man's Duty For 1. It is commanded by the Law of Nature Those strictures of Man's primitive Righteousness which are left in him do teach him this It was an Heathen Emperour that made choice of this Motto Quid tibi non vis fieri alteri ne feceris What you would not have done to you do not to another Which being rightly understood is both the Foundation and the Rule of Justice Every Man would desire to be justly dealt with and is it not equal and reasonable to render to every man that which we expect from every man It is scarce possible to obliterate this Principle out of natural Conscience and they that act otherwise do overthrow the common Principles of Nature and right Reason 2. It is commanded by the written Law of God This is the tenour of all the second Table of the Moral Law and is particularly intended in the eighth Commandment which saith Thou shalt not steal Which is nothing else but the reviving of the Law of Nature or a new Edition thereof Other Scriptures are frequent and express to this purpose Deut. 16. 20. That which is altogether just or as the Hebrew emphatically Justice Justicer shalt thou follow Which Law is strengthned with the threatnings of Punishment in case of disobedience frequently in the Scripture and clear Instances of the Performance thereof accordingly In short the Righteous God whom we worship is a Spotless Mirrour and Pattern hereof in himself He is Righteous in all his Ways Psal 145. 17. And he tells us 1 John 3. 7. Let no man deceive you he that doth Righteousness is righteous even as he is Righteous And the Righteous Lord loveth Righteousness his Countenance doth behold the Vpright Psal 11. 7. 3. It is commanded by the Law of Christ Our heavenly Saviour that died for us hath own'd and urged this Justice For he came not to destroy the Law but to press it and so hath enfranchized this Adage Mat. 7. 12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye even so unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets And when the Apostle describes the great Design of the Gospel Tit. 2. 12. He tells that the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly towards our selves righteously towards others and godly towards God in this present world Wherein is contained the Sum of all practical Religion So that the unrighteous do blot out a third part of the Gospel and so are unworthy of the Christian Name 2. This Justice is every Man's Interest It is the sound and safe way to Prosperity In that Deut. 16. 20. That which is altogether just thou shalt follow that thou mayst live and inherit the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Other ways possibly may be speedier to Riches but this is the safe way Psal 5. 12. For the Lord will bless the Righteous with Favour wilt thou compass him as with a Shield Tho it please God to suffer some right honest Men to be poor and distressed in this Life to evince that there is a Judgment to come yet he doth manifestly favour others with temporal Blessings to shew that there is a Providence at the present And on the contrary the most

furtherances each to other I know that some Callings are of that nature and some Tradesmen again so necessitous that it is difficult to find Conveniences for the Worship of God and good of the Soul But Wisdom here is profitable to direct hereby the pious Tradesman after a due consideration of all Circumstances and of his necessary business within doors and without fixes a time for prayer for reading and hearing as well as for working and bargaining and tho he cannot assign so much as others can yet he doth it with a right good-will and he takes care that neither of these Affairs do intrench upon the other nor prejudice the other His Devotion disposes him for his business and his Diligence in his business renders his acts of Devotion welcome And it is imprudence as well as want of zeal which occasions the confusion in Families in these matters The uncertainty of Time or undue fixing of other Circumstances doth commonly thrust out those Exercises of Religion which if prudently and sincerely perform'd would bring a blessing with them both on Soul and Body But of these hereafter in a more proper place Let us now apply what hath been said on this Head First By way of Reproof 1. Of the great Indiscretion of many even Godly and well-meaning Tradesmen that do greatly Err in some or other of the foresaid Cases It 's true this fault is not so criminal as many others for you 'l say no Man can have more Wit or Prudence than God hath given him every Man is not born a Philosopher But I say many Men might have more Wisdom than they had at first they might have improv'd their single Talent and made it double For as there is Wisdom infus'd so there is Wisdom acquir'd by means which God hath appointed and for the want hereof he may justly punish you in this World however ye may escape in the next Hence proceed the ruines of so many Families the Man his Wife and Children brought to beggery Here lies one in Jail for Suretiship another for haunting ill Company yonder 's one sent to Jamaica by living above his Ability another for want of keeping and casting up his Books some for trusting others for trading too high All which might have been prevented if Men would either get more Prudence of their own or consult and be ruled by their wiser Friends O that the Shipwrack of others might be as marks to the rest That these Pillars of Salt might season all other Tradesmen to the End of the World 2. But all this gives no countenance but rather reproves the Carnal Policy of Vngodly Tradesmen who resolving to be rich will compass their Ends tho it be by the undoing others and of their own Souls That have the subtilty of the Serpent without the innocence of the Dove who have learned all the cunning tricks Satan or his instruments can inspire them withal and so are able to turn and wind their easy and well-meaning Neighbour This is Wisdom from beneath and however you may thrive with it for a moment yet ye fight against God whose Justice will find you out oftentimes in this World Prov. 20. 21. An Inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed But to besure without Repentance in the never-ending World And what will it profit a Man to gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Secondly By way of Exhortation Then labour all Tradesmen for this Godly Wisdom It may stand you in more stead than all your Stock and all your Friends A Man's Wisdom maketh his face to shine It makes him amiable it makes him useful But how shall we obtain it Answ 1. Beg it of God James 1. 5. If any of you lack Wisdom let him ask it of God that giveth to all Men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Say not I am a weak Man a sinful Man he giveth to all Men Say not I am extreamly foolish and I need more than I have hopes to get for he giveth liberally Say not again I have received abundance of Mercy already and have not improved the Parts he gave me well ask still for he upbraideth not and it shall be given you This course Solomon took 1 Kings 3. 5. when he was entring upon his Calling and the Lord readily gave it him and threw him in Riches and Honour besides 2. Consult wise Men. For the Lord giveth Wisdom 't is true but not by inspiration but in the use of means The long Observations of others may be made yours in a few days if you would be willing to learn Do not think that you can grasp all the ways and rules of Prudence by your own Skill Prov. 12. 15. The way of a Fool is right in his own Eyes but he that hearkeneth unto Counsel is wise not only he that gives Counsel is wise but he that hearkeneth to it And therefore be sure that ye consort with such rather chuse to be learning among the wise than vaunting your selves among the foolish He that walketh with wise Men shall be wise as ye heard before but a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed 3. Study for it in the use of proper means Read God's Word wherein are the mines of all true Wisdom and particularly the Book of Proverbs which is a Collection of such wise Observations as may be applied to all particular cases Read also such other good Books whereof there is store to make you wise But add withal serious consideration of men and things whereby you will vastly improve in godly Wisdom for every thriving and decaying Tradesman will be a Book to teach you something Prov. 24. 32. Then I saw and considered it well that is the Vineyard of the slothful I looked upon it and received Instruction Which brings me to the second Requisite conducing to the right managing of a Trade or Calling SECT 2. Of Diligence in a Trade AND the second Requisite in a Trade is Diligence About which 1. I shall describe the Nature 2. The Object of it 3. Some Inducements to it 4. Make some Application First For the Nature of it It is a Christian Vertue disposing a Man to use his greatest Skill Care and Strength in his Calling It differeth not in substance from the same moral Vertue among the Heathen but that in a Christian there is a better Root whence it grows and that is a sanctified Heart a Conscience that stands in awe of God and so causes the Man to stand in awe of it And also he hath a higher End in his Diligence and that is the Glory of God and the good of others and not meerly for his own credit or advantage Whereas the industrious Pagan as he knows not God so he cares not for him but self is at the beginning self is at the middle and self is at the end of all his Care and Pains and the unsanctified Christian is little better but