A94156:840
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
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.
Reader, God can give thee sour sauce to thy sweet meat, if thou dost banish him thy Table; he can make thy meat lye so hard and heavy at thy stomach, either by sickness, Job 33.20. or sorrow, Psa. 107.17. that thou shalt never digest it whilst thou livest. When thou art at thy merriest meeting, he can send such a mournful terrible message (as to Belshazzar carousing in his cups) that shall make thine ears to tingle, and every joint thou hast to tremble. He can make thy feast to end either as Adonijahs in a fright, or as Absaloms sheep-shearing, in a funeral. When thine heart is merry with Wine, he can summon thee as Ammon into the other World; Thy wisest way therefore is to beseech his company, whomsoever thou wantest.
Reader, God can give thee soure sauce to thy sweet meat, if thou dost banish him thy Table; he can make thy meat lye so hard and heavy at thy stomach, either by sickness, Job 33.20. or sorrow, Psa. 107.17. that thou shalt never digest it whilst thou livest. When thou art at thy merriest meeting, he can send such a mournful terrible message (as to Belshazer carousing in his cups) that shall make thine eares to tingle, and every joynt thou hast to tremble. He can make thy feast to end either as Adonijahs in a fright, or as Absoloms sheep-shearing, in a funeral. When thine heart is merry with Wine, he can summon thee as Ammon into the other World; Thy wisest way therefore is to beseech his company, whomsoever thou wantest.
The fruits of trees under the law, were the three first years unclean, the forth year offered to God, and after that free for the owners. All thy comforts are by reason of sin unclean and cursed to thee; if thou wouldst have them clean and blessed, they must be sanctified by the Word of God and prayer. The Elephant is said to turn up towards Heaven the first Sprig that he feedeth on. O Friend, wilt thou be worse then a beast? For shame be not so Swinish as to feed on the Acorns, and never look up to the tree that bears them.