The Earth is fruitful, the Sea, the Air, the Heavens are fruitful; and shall not man bring forth fruits, for whom all these are fruitful? While all the Armies of Heaven and Earth are busied in fructifying; shall Man, of more singular graces and faculties, be idle, a burden to the world and himself? Both the Church of God for the propagation of piety, and the world it self for the upholding of his estate, requires our Fruits. If Happiness consisted in doing nothing, God that meant Adam so happy, would never have set him about business: but as Paradise was his Store-house, so also his workhouse: his pleasure was his task. There is no state of man that can privilege a folded hand: Our life is, Vita pulueris, non puluinaris. Landes, Means, and Moneys, men make the protections of Idleness: whereas Adam commanded the whole earth, yet work expected him. In Paradise all things did labour for man, now man must labour for all things. Adam did work because he was happy, we his children must work, that we may be happy. Heaven is for joys, Hell for pains, Earth for labour. God hath three houses; this is his Work-house, that above is his Ware-house. O then let us be fruitful; that others benefit may be ours, our benefit theirs; and the glory of all, the Lords. If Magistrates yield not the Fruits ⟨p. 30⟩of Justice, Ministers the fruits of knowledge, private men the fruits of Charity and Obedience; it is as unnatural, as if the Sun should forget to shine, or the earth to fructify. God made all these for man, he made man for himself: of us he looks for Fruit, of us let him find it, from us accept it, in us increase it, and to us reward it, through Him, in whom alone we expect mercy, Jesus Christ.
The Earth is fruitfull, the Sea, the Ayre, the Heauens are fruitfull; and shall not man bring foorth fruites, for whom all these are fruitfull? While all the Armies of Heauen and Earth are busied in fructifying; shall Man, of more singular graces and faculties, be idle, a burden to the world and himselfe? Both the Church of God for the propagation of pietie, and the world it selfe for the vpholding of his estate, requires our Fruites. If Happinesse consisted in doing nothing, God that meant Adam so happy, would neuer haue set him about businesse: but as Paradise was his Store-house, so also his workhouse: his pleasure was his taske. There is no state of man that can priuiledge a folded hand: Our life is, Vita pulueris, non puluinaris. Landes, Meanes, and Moneyes, men make the protections of Idlenesse: whereas Adam commaunded the whole earth, yet worke expected him. In Paradise all things did labour for man, now man must labour for all things. Adam did worke because he was happy, wee his children must worke, that wee may bee happy. Heauen is for ioyes, Hell for paines, Earth for labour. God hath three houses; this is his Worke-house, that aboue is his Ware-house. O then let vs bee fruitfull; that others benefit may bee ours, our benefit theirs; and the glory of all, the Lords. If Magistrates yeeld not the Fruits ⟨p. 30⟩of Iustice, Ministers the fruits of knowledge, priuate men the fruits of Charitie and Obedience; it is as vnnaturall, as if the Sunne should forget to shine, or the earth to fructifie. God made all these for man, hee made man for himselfe: of vs he lookes for Fruit, of vs let him finde it, from vs accept it, in vs increase it, and to vs reward it, through Him, in whome alone wee expect mercie, Iesus Christ.
