A15013:162
Prototypes, or, The primary precedent presidents out of the book of Genesis showing, the…Prototypes, or, The primarie precedent presidents out of the booke of Genesis shewing, the…
Prototypes, or, The primary precedent presidents out of the book of Genesis showing, the [brace] good and bad things [brace] they did and had practically applied to our information and reformation / by that faithful and painful preacher of Gods word William Whately ... ; together with Mr. Whately's life and death ; published by Mr. Edward Leigh and Mr. Henry Scudder, who were appointed by the author to peruse his manuscripts, and printed by his own copy.Prototypes, or, The primarie precedent presidents out of the booke of Genesis shewing, the [brace] good and bad things [brace] they did and had practically applied to our information and reformation / by that faithfull and painefull preacher of Gods word William Whately ... ; together with Mr. Whatelyes life and death ; published by Mr. Edward Leigh and Mr. Henry Scudder, who were appointed by the authour to peruse his manuscripts, and printed by his owne coppy.
London: printed by G.M. for Edward Langham book-seller, 1640London: printed by G.M. for Edvvard Langham booke-seller, 1640
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Surely true piety and godliness will very well accord with diligence in a calling, and it is but mens mistake if they think that their vocations hinder them from the true Worshipping of God; Abel as well as Cain had his trade of life. The miserable corruption of our nature will turn all things into occasions of hurt and mischief, and make them means of interrupting us in good ways, but else a calling duly followed by exercising the graces of Gods Spirit, and humbling and taming the flesh, and well employing the thoughts, and preventing many temptations and opportunities of sinning, doth greatly further our growth in piety, and is far from being any just hinderance unto it: we must therefore mark this in Abel as well as Cain, and be careful to imitate it.
Surely true piety and godlinesse will very well accord with diligence in a calling, and it is but mens mistake if they thinke that their vocations hinder them from the true Worshipping of God; Abel as well as Caine had his trade of life. The miserable corruption of our nature will turne all things into occasions of hurt and mischiefe, and make them meanes of interrupting us in good waies, but else a calling duely followed by exercising the graces of Gods Spirit, and humbling and taming the flesh, and well imploying the thoughts, and preventing many temptations and opportunities of sinning, doth greatly further our growth in piety, and is farre from being any just hinderance unto it: we must therefore marke this in Abel as well as Caine, and be carefull to imitate it.
All you that have children to educate, bring them up to some calling. Let them be as members not excrements in the body of humane societies.1 All you that are already come to such a state as you can discern between good and evil, apply your selves to some calling, some work of body or mind, some constant and settled employment in some lawful actions, tending to the common good and your own, that you may be sure as S. Paul saith, to labour if not ⟨p. 31⟩with your hands, yet with your heads the thing that is good, that you may have to give, and that you may not be counted inordinate and unruly walkers, not working at all but being busy bodies, workers round about as the word signifieth, do nothing but fetch frisks and vagaries through the world. O expose not your selves and yours to so much misery as to have nothing to do. An empty vessel is fit to receive any liquor that is poured into it; the Devil will put you on evil employments, if you do not bestow your selves on good: A bird that sitteth still on a tree is easily hit with a piece or cross-bow, but it is hard to take the flying bird. It is easy for Satan to entangle with his temptations the Idlesbee, but hard to fasten on the man of employments. The Lord commends and rewards diligence in a calling, and bids know the state of thy flock, and bids men go and learn of the Pismire, and discommends idleness and sluggishness, and threatens him that follows the idle. Let good Abel teach you faithfulness in your calling. Cast away sluggishness and unthriftiness, wearing out your bodies in vanities and worse then vanities, and set your selves to some such work as may make you able to answer the question of God and your Master when he shall call you to account for the laying out of so precious a thing as time.