A94156:992
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 26: How to exercise our selves to Godliness in our Partiular Callings.
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.
Aristotle though a blind heathen, 1could see and say, Make Religion thy first and chief care that thou mayst prosper. The Mahometans are so sensible of this, that what occasion soever they have, they will pray five times a day; Because the Jews suffered Gods house to lie wast, therefore God blew upon their heaps and wasted their wealth.
- 1[Greek or Hebrew], &c. Arist Poli. lib. 7. cap. 8.〈non-Latin alphabet〉, &c. Arist Poli. lib. 7. cap. 8.
He that stealeth away time from his general for his particular calling, like a thief in the Candle wasteth all; our work on earth is done best, when our work in heaven is done first. Religious duties in reference to our Worldly occasions, is like sharpening the tools, which helpeth our work forward with more speed and ease. Mass and Meat hinder no mans thirst, was a truth visible in the dark night of Popery. He that neglecteth the service of his God, for the following his trade, may put what he getteth into his eye (as our proverb is) and never see the worse; nay like the gold of Toulouse, or the Vineyard of Naboth to Ahab, the profit will be the perdition and ruin of the possessor. They who want time to do Gods Work, must want an eternity to receive Gods reward. If men are so busy as not to attend their souls, God will be so busy as not to bestow salvation. I know, Farms and Oxen and Wives do hinder many from holiness: and I know also that they will hinder many from Heaven, Luk. 14.24. Mat. 22.5. That German Prince who would not part with his silver to pay ⟨p. 481⟩his Soldiers, lost thereby his Empire and treasure too; He that will not spare time from his present business for his future blessedness, is like to lose both.