The works of Ephesus explained in a sermon before the honourable House of Commons…The workes of Ephesus explained in a sermon before the honovrable House of Commons…

Laborious working in a good cause is very pleasing Doct. 2 unto God. God is not unrighteous to forget your work, ⟨p. 20⟩¹and Labour of Love. Where we have the same Gradation in the same words, and there, not to forget, is to delight in. God is himself a pure Act, and he loves to see man Active: And the more active we are, the more like we are to God, and therefore the more liked of God. Likeness is the ground of Love: He makes his ²Angels (or messengers) Spirits, and his Ministers a flame of fire Spirits are the most active creatures living, and fire is the most active creature without life. Fire is the most operative Element, and flame is the most operative part of the fire. No sooner had man received his being, but he is put to labour (to serious labour, though not to consuming labour) The Lord God took the man ³which he had made, and put him into the Garden to dress it, and to keep it. No sooner was man fallen, but he was put upon sore consuming labour: In the sweat of thy face shalt ⁴thou eat thy bread. Sin brought in sweat, and now not to sweat increases sin. It is a part of our holiness to submit to that which was a part of our curse. The idle man is Satan's Agent, and the laborious man is Gods: Not but that Satan hath nimble hands and heads in his service. Satan's idle man is he that will not do the work which God sets him, he is ready enough to toil (like a horse) in the work his own lust sets him. He will not work in the Garden of some honest employment, or not there honestly; and all this while he is idle, though he sweats and breaks his sleep, because he doth not a stroke of Gods work. Of such an idle man it is chiefly said, Diabolus quem occupatum non invenit ipse occupat; He employs whom he finds not well employed. On the contrary, Deus quem occupatum invenit ipse occupat; God employs them whom he ⟨p. 21⟩finds well employed. He found Moses labouring on the plains among his flocks, and sends him to Pharaoh for the deliverance of his people. He finds Peter and Andrew casting a Net into the Sea, and he saith follow