A94156:248
The Christian-man's calling: or, A treatise of making religion ones business. Wherein the nature…
The Christian-man's calling: or, A treatise of making religion ones business. Wherein the nature and necessity of it is discovered. : As also the Christian directed how he may perform it in [brace] religious duties, natural actions, his particular vocation, his family directions, and his own recreations. / By George Swinnock ...
London: printed for T.P., 1662
Treatise › Chapter 8: A Complaint that this Trade is so dead, and the Worlds trade so quick.
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.
Who can read the stories how Domitian the King spent his time in catching Flies, Solyman the Magnificent in making Arrow-heads; Achmat the last in making strings for Bows; Harcatius the ⟨p. 79⟩King of Persia in catching Moles; Caligula the Emperor in playing the Poet; Nero the Emperor in Fiddling, and not admire at their folly; that such great Princes should busy themselves in things so infinitely below their places. But thy folly Reader (if one of them I am writing of) is far greater, in that thy practices are more below thy spiritual and heavenly principle. May I not say to thee as Philip to Alexander, (when he heard him singing) Art thou not ashamed being a Kings Son, to sing so well; Art thou not ashamed being an immortal angelical substance, the off-spring of God, and capable of his likeness and love, to be glued as a Toad-stool to the earth, to spend thy time and strength, venture the perishing of thy mortal body and immortal soul too, for that meat which perisheth. It is storied of Pope Sixtus the fifth, that he sold his soul to the Devil for Seven years enjoyment of the Popedom. What fool ever bought so dear? what mad man ever sold so cheap? yet every worldly person doth implicitly the same with this Pope. He selleth what is more worth then all the World for a little Wind. Ah, how costly is that treasure which makes him a beggar to all eternity.
Who can read the stories how Domitian the King spent his time in catching Flies, Solyman the Magnificent in making Arrow-heads; Achmat the last in making strings for Bows; Harcatius the ⟨p. 79⟩King of Persia in catching Moles; Caligula the Emperour in playing the Poet; Nero the Emperour in Fidling, and not admire at their folly; that such great Princes should busie themselves in things so infinitely below their places. But thy folly Reader (if one of them I am writing of) is far greater, in that thy practices are more below thy spiritual and heavenly principle. May I not say to thee as Philip to Alexander, (when he heard him singing) Art thou not ashamed being a Kings Son, to sing so well; Art thou not ashamed being an immortal angelical substance, the off-spring of God, and capable of his likeness and love, to be glewed as a Toad-stool to the earth, to spend thy time and strength, venture the perishing of thy mortal body and immortal soul too, for that meat which perisheth. It is storied of Pope Sixtus the fifth, that he sould his soul to the Devil for Seven years enjoyment of the Popedom. What fool ever bought so dear? what mad man ever sold so cheap? yet every worldly person doth implicitly the same with this Pope. He selleth what is more worth then all the World for a little Wind. Ah, how costly is that treasure which makes him a beggar to all eternity.