1I answer, that the end of mens callings is not to gather riches, if men make this their end, it is a wrong end; but the end of our calling is to serve God and man. The ground of which is this. Every man is a member of the Common wealth, every man hath some gifts or other, ⟨p. 42⟩which must not lie idle: every man hath some Talents, and must use them to his Masters advantage; and how can that be, except he do good to men? Every one is a Servant to Christ, and must do Gods work: no man is free; every one is Christs servant, and must be diligent to serve Christ, and to do good to men.2 He that hath an office must be diligent in it, and attend on it: every man must attend his calling, and be diligent in it. If riches come in by our calling, that is the wages, not the end of our calling, for it looks only to God: we must not make gain the end of our callings; there are many that make gain their godliness, and the end of their professions:3 Some preach only for gain: others use all other callings only for gain: but if any man will make gain the end of his calling, though he may conceal and hide his end from men, yet let him be sure that he shall answer God, the searcher of the hearts for it: on the other side, if a man by diligence in his calling have Riches following him, he may take them as a blessing of God bestowed on him,4 and as a reward of his calling. The diligent hand maketh rich; that is, GOD will surely reward it; not that we must eye riches and make them our end:5 GOD makes a man rich, and man makes himself rich. God makes us rich, by being diligent in our callings; using them to his glory and mans good, he doth cast ⟨p. 43⟩riches on us: Man makes himself rich, when as he makes riches the end of his calling, and doth not expect them as a reward that comes from God. I shall express it by Jacob. Jacob he serves Laban faithfully, 6and God blessed him so that he did grow rich: he went not out of his Compass and Sphere, he took the wages that was given him, and because Gods end was to make him rich, God enriched him by his wages, as a reward of his service. The more diligent a man is in his calling the more sincere and upright, the more God doth bless him, and increase his riches. God makes men rich, 7when as he gives them riches without sorrows, and troubles, when as they come in with ease, without expectation and disquiet:
1I answer, that the end of mens callings is not to gather riches, if men make this their end, it is a wrong end; but the end of our calling is to serve God and man. The ground of which is this. Every man is a member of the Common wealth, every man hath some gifts or other, ⟨p. 42⟩which must not lie idle: every man hath some Talents, and must use them to his Masters advantage; and how can that be, except hee doe good to men? Every one is a Servant to Christ, and must doe Gods worke: no man is free; every one is Christs servant, and must bee diligent to serve Christ, and to doe good to men.2 He that hath an office must be diligent in it, and attend on it: every man must attend his calling, and bee diligent in it. If riches come in by our calling, that is the wages, not the end of our calling, for it lookes onely to God: wee must not make gaine the end of our callings; there are many that make gaine their godlinesse, and the end of their professions:3 Some preach onely for gaine: others use all other callings onely for gaine: but if any man wil make gaine the end of his calling, though he may conceale and hide his end from men, yet let him be sure that hee shall answer God, the searcher of the hearts for it: on the other side, if a man by diligence in his calling have Riches following him, hee may take them as a blessing of God bestowed on him,4 and as a reward of his calling. The diligent hand maketh rich; that is, GOD will surely reward it; not that we must eye riches and make them our end:5 GOD makes a man rich, and man makes himselfe rich. God makes us rich, by being diligent in our callings; using them to his glory and mans good, he doth cast ⟨p. 43⟩riches on us: Man makes himselfe rich, when as he makes riches the end of his calling, and doth not expect them as a reward that comes from God. I shall expresse it by Iacob. Iacob he serves Laban faithfully, 6and God blessed him so that hee did grow rich: hee went not out of his Compasse and Spheare, hee tooke the wages that was given him, and because Gods end was to make him rich, God enriched him by his wages, as a reward of his service. The more diligent a man is in his calling the more sincere and upright, the more God doth blesse him, and increase his riches. God makes men rich,
- 1Answ.
- 2Rom. 12.6.7.8.
- 3Rom. 16.18.
- 4Pro. 10.4.
- 5Pro. 10.22.
- 6Gen. 30.43.
- 7Pro. 10.22.
