their Housholdes for no man can euer serue or rule well the Church of God that hath not well behaued himselfe in the Domesticall and oeconomical life The wise Cato woulde haue the Housholder Prouidere familiae instituta cibos medicinam to prouide first for the maners secondly for the maintenance and lastly for the Medicine of their Families in the time of sicknesse What is meat and large allowance of fare and dyet to our seruants without good and Diuine maners What are Diuine good maners without maintenance What are both of them without health And what is it to liue in such a family where neither God is feared nor the labours of good seruantes regarded in time of sicknesse Surely let no man trust that Maister that forgetteth seauen or but one yeares seruice for one monethes sickenesse A vile Nature or Prodigality or worse is the cause heereof Be studious therefore of your families good and with Salomons Mother Seeke Wooll and Flaxe and labour cheerefully with the hands Be like a Merchants ship to bring foode from farre Rise early while it is Night giue your portion to the Housholde and the ordinary to the Maides Put the hande to the Wheele and your Armes to the poore and needy Consider Fields and Carpets fine Linnen and Garments and buy them so shall honour bee your cloathing and â—ou shall reioyce in your latter dayes But yet remember in all your labours that Almighty God be not forgotten for it is in vaine saith Dauid to rise early eat the bread of carefulnesse going late to bed except the Lord giue rest to his beloued You may with Elisha Plow in the field and follow the Oxen but if Eliahs Mantle bee cast vppon you you must forsake the Plough and follow the Prophets Our sermons are like his Mantle and they call you to heauen as that did Elisha to be a Prophet Matthew may sit in his Publicans Office but if our Sauiour call him away Hee must arise and follow him Al Trades of life are but Hand-maids to Religion therefore vaine are they which forsake the Mistresses which is Godlinesse her Table and Parlour which is the Temple for the Maidens webs and Worke-houses of lesse value and estimation 10 How shall they bee able to looke almighty God in the face which either feeling wealth comming vpon them or els in an ouer-carefull desire to bee rich and accounted laborious forsake the Churches and Altars of the Lord sildome visiting the holy Communion as a day-feast sildome comming to the Church as a Market wherein there is nothing gotten and as sildome mumble vppe their priuate Prayers without Deuotion Vnderstanding or Diligence Oh I say what account shal they giue vnto the Lorde for this drousie Lethargical negligence in their soules cases Al their care is for the shoo none for the foote all for the Hat and Feather none for the head all for the Badge on the sleeue none for the Wages in the purse all for the body that body and soule are both lost It is a comely thing to see a ship rigged and with spread sailes floating on the Waters obseruing also how one is at the Sterne another at the top and euery man in his place the winds moouing withall so it will continue in order and sayle surely but if either Pilot or Steersman bee wanting or other Marriner the Winds wil soone rend the sayles and the Shippe split against the rockes euen so it is a goodly thing and a royall to see a Man sayling to heauen hauing vnder him the earthly Waters though inconstant aboue him the windes of heauen if hee want not in him Reason vnderstanding Religion and Grace which are the Mariners that row and waft our soules to the eternall kingdom It is good therefore to lay hold on this and not to forget that For what shall it aduantage a man to win the whole world and loose his owne soule 11. Now I returne againe to the carefull Housholder who must looke to euery part of his possession as it is in my text Hay graine Catle and Seruants yea although he weare the Crowne It was an excellent saying of Alphonsus a King of Spaine Principis inane nomen nisi habet in aerario the name of a king or Prince is an idle thing if he haue not a Treasury to maintain it The Crowne is maintained by diligence by the Plow and the Common-wealth flourisheth vnder the same I will not nor may I meddle with Princes but I say that the name of a Housholder is an ydle thing without a storehouse more or lesse according to the proportion of the family more or lesse The kingdome of heauen is likened to such a store-house out of which the Lordes Family is replenished with things new old The Lorde hath his Apple Trees and Orchards and Sellers as hee telleth his Church to teach vs that store is no sore but sorrow commeth by the default therof When God himselfe made the world he made man last of all hauing first prouided all other things for him as the world roofed with the Heauens and floored with the greene Grassie earth stored with all fruits incessantly and successiuely growing one after other The Starres being his lightes the Creatures of all sorts being Seruantes and Tributaries to him the Angels of heauen his assured friends waiting on his safety euery bird singing melody to his prosperity so did the great housholder prouide for man euen before he was made so hath he continued his store working hitherto And seede time haruest cold and heat Winter summer day and night hath not ceased but shal remain as long as the earth shal endure So must wise Housholders prouide aforehand things honest euen before mariage Meat and houses clothing before children as the mother doth the swadling cloaths That out of the heards he may with Abraham fetch a Lambe or a Kid or an Oxe out of the Pastry with Sara fetch the Meale for the bread of strangers It is not good to want store and prouision at hande the Venison is best in the Parke and the Cattle in our owne and not in others mens heards WheÌ„ Isaac would haue Venison because it ran wilde Esau was long in taking it so Iacob came in the meane time with the tame Kid a thing in store and at hande and got away the blessing Euen so when necessaries are then to bee sought when they should be vsed it preuenteth both the thankes and the benefit and store bringeth both for Iacobs Venison though not true had both the blessing and the thankes Store at hand is like friendes at hande whereof Salomon saith A friend at hand is better then a Brother a great way off The ancient Egiptians were woÌ„t to hang or paint at their doors a Vulturs Wing in token of their Gentry The Romans the Spears Shields Swords and warlike weapons which their Antecessors had gotten by their
libertie and wantō cares forcing them forward to fulfill their temptations which being acted they receiue not one halfe so much good by this sinne as Esau did by his pottage 10 We will leaue Esau and the folly of the prophane who contrarie to the wisedome of Salomon Deuoure holy things and so we will come to a second foole and that was a couetous foole Nabal When Dauid and his men had done him fauours in the wilde and wide fields at last he sent vnto him for a recompence and yet it was not a demand of any desert but an intreaty for som necessary victuals for himselfe and his troope which thing the foole did not onely deny but to his perrill and the perrill of all his family reproached Dauid and his followers for Runnagates And if his wife had not been wiser then himselfe it had not failed but that their blood had all beene that day shed vpon the ground Heere was his folly that would stand for a little to endaunger all to saue one horse-load of Raisins Bread and Wine woulde bring himselfe in hazard to loose the whole store in his Barne in his house in his seller besides the life of himselfe and his Family This foole wee also hate deride who was so penny-wise and so pound-foolish But are not many of Nabals haters Nabals followers Many of his Scorners his Disciples Yes verily for the very same men to saue their wealth together deny not onely to Dauid that is to men in want that which should bee the fruite and worke of mercy but vnto the Church the Lords Ministers their poore and iust deserued portions pensions Tythes whereby their priuate cofers being not sanctifyed vnto holyvses are for a while stuffed with the poore Church-mens liuinges like Bladders with wind and then commeth the Lord with one little pricke and letteth all the whole store fly away from their posterity A Reuerend Byshop in our nation hath left recorded in writing this History that a certaine Gentleman offered to the Parson for his Tith-wooll a fleece or two whereas in truth his due was to pay more the Parson beeing a Lay-man brought the Tyth-wooll to the Church and shewed it to the Neighbours desiring them to witnesse by the view of that Fleece whether hee had iustly Tythed his Wooll or no which all that saw witnessed that hee had very falsely dealt therein then the Parson refused to take it whereat the Gentleman grewe furious seeing himselfe so iustly shamed before all the Neighbours and in his rage swore or vowed that hee woulde neuer giue him one lock more although it cost him neuer so deare Thus he rested and the Parson also forbare his farther vexation but almighty God did not forget this false furious Gentleman for hee sent a consumption into his wealth and brought him in short time to such pouerty that hee was content to take Dole or Almes amongest the poore people which were relieued at the Funerall of the saide Parson Remember this I beseech you and neuer forget this folly neither grow rich by vnmercifulnesse or falshoode for what you thinke to saue in the Acre you shall loose in the Field or what you gaine in the yard shall be again taken from you in the whole piece remembring alway the Countrey Prouerb Couetousnesse bringeth nothing home And so we take our leaue of Nabal 11 In the next place commeth the proud foole Rehoboam sauing the honour due vnto Kings so we will be bold to stile him although he were King Salomons sonne His folly was that when people came vnto him and desired a release of his Fathers impositions which thing the Elders of Israel perswaded him vnto by one proude and scornefull aunswere following the Counsell of his young Minions Play-fellowes he lost ten Tribes that is ten partes of Dauids Kingdome at once and left himselfe only but two Heere is a foole indeed for it is impossible for a proud man to bee wise and Princes cannot hold their Subiectes so fast tyed in allegiance vnto them with bloude and terrour as they may doe with compassion blandishing words Curtesie being a great Iewell in a Princes crowne Compassion the handle Iustice the edge and Mercie the point of a Kings sword But dyed Rehoboam childlesse hath he no suruiuors in his State I will not meddle with kings nor Lords or great persons but let vs come to our selues and such as are our equals Austen the Monke whom the Papistes call the English-mens Apostle lost all the Brittish Monks by his pride so wee like Austen loose our Friends our Seruantes our Neighbors harts by our Lord-like and proud behauiour we care not whom we deuoure vpon whō we tread so we may rise some by slaunders some by fury some by folly and truth not to be reuealed fill the worlde with contentions rending the Wife from the Husband the Husband from the wife the Father from the Sonne the Sonne from the Father the Lorde and Maister from the Seruant and the Seruant from the Lorde and Maister the Land-lorde from the Tenant and the Tenant from the Landlord that there is not so much loue and good wil left in the Countrey as was betwixt Balaam his Asse when he did beat him I wil speake plainly Some like Rehoboam speak proudly others like the rebellious Israelites take it as peeuishly they will haue as little charity in their eares as other haue in their tongues a word a blow friendship is no heauier then a feather which euery blast of wind tosseth too and fro The losse of sixepence will cause a sute the gaine of a shilling will make a Traitour and they are more ready to follow a Crowne of Gold then an Angel of Heauen All their varnishing is outward they are like Gyants pictures terrifying the beholders and if they haue not power to be cruell inough in their owne persons of their owne estate then they flye to the mightier and incense them abusing good Natures by false tales and force them instead of milke to draw blood from their Inferiours so they make themselues fooles for they liue without credite and die without pitty sauing It is pitty they die no sooner 12 Yet behold more fooles then these And now wee bring in the man in the Gospel who in presumption of long life destroied his Barnes and builded greater and bad his soule take his ease eat drink and take pastime for it had much goods laide vppe for many yeares Ah foole saide God this night they wil fetch away thy soule from thee And worthily and rightly is he a Foole whom God calleth a foole for his iudgement cannot be deceiued his insight into mans heart is so perfect that it cannot erre for he hath anatomized and dissected more then all the Physitians that euer haue beene But who doth so now adaies Who blesseth himselfe in his riches Seeketh them but to spend them spendeth them but on himselfe keepeth but for
Conscience byteth them then they seeke out false remedies more hurtfull then assured perils Namely the companie of good fellowes and Musicall merrimentes as though sin were sent to afflict them to helpe the Tauerne Alchouse or Minstrell but so also they bewray their folly and want of skill for their last recourse is vnto GOD when they haue tryed all other meanes and then they neither speed well nor do well because they doe it late too late beginning at the wrong end all is out of course and lost yea with their own wiues they commit fornication and poyson themselues with their owne meate There is not one Vertue or grace of God which they cannot Nicke-name nor a fault so foule which they wil not blaunch ouer with some defence and if at any time it droppe into them to heare a Sermon it is for the phrase or some sinister respect goodnesse being a stranger and scornefulnesse an ordinarie companion with them They haue learned nothing of God but to sweare by him and that rashly falsely and presumptuously for to reprooue them neuer so gently for the same is to take a Kid from a Beare and a Lambe from a Lyon and a Wolfe by the eares They haue no care for their soules no more then for Beggers by the High-way whom they neither desire to heare to remember to releeue They loue none but themselues and care not vppon whom they treade nor whome they disgrace to bee a foundation to their rising I would they loued themselues in the Nature of true loue for such loue is like the Mothers loue to her Childe a loue to preserue but their loue is like the hungry mans loue to his meate a loue to consume To conclude from hence it commeth that they neuer thinke of death with patience and feare it more then hell because they are not so throughly perswaded of hell as they be of death and in one word I may describe them by the Psalme The wayes of GOD they haue not knowne and there is no feare of God before their eyes 7 Thus and this haue I spoken of knowledge as it is a vertue Morrall and Theological now it is varied in my Text by these words And take heed to thy Heards which afterwarde are also deuided into Hay Corne Cattell and seruants that euery one of these may be preserued in Vse Office Life So our Flockes and Heards are our Families our Cattell our charges Pastorall and Magisteriall kingdoms to Kinges Monarchies to Emperors Counties to Sheriffes offices to Officers euery Seruant maid haue their Flockes their Heards Hee that worketh by the day or that is hyred for a yeare or is apprentice till a Iubilee whether hee follow the Flockes and Ewes with young as Dauid did or the Plowe and Oxen as Elisha did or the wars as Ioab and Abner did or attend on their Maister as the Centurions seruant did or on their Lady Mistris as the Maids of Esther did or Fish in the Sea as the sonnes of Zebedee or walke on Messages on the Land as the Seruant of Abraham and to conclude whether they be set ouer all as Baliffes and Stewards or ouer the Hay or ouer the Corne or ouer the Cattle or ouer the Men and Maid-seruants they haue their Flocks Heards and charges which they must know and take heed vnto for seruice is no inheritance and badges of Lords and great men are neyther to maintaine vs or defend vs in ill These are the thinges that make a man that make him perfect in as perfect manner as may bee if they be found in the way of righteousnesse such seruants shall diuide the inheritance among brethren and men of this quality shal stand before Princes 8 There is nothing more commendable in a man then oftentimes to visit view review their possessions take special consideration of their meanest vtensiles so shall they see how they are kept preserued which of them must be altered which nourished which continued which remoued which standeth in the stable and which is fallen into the ditch Our Cattell are not free from our care on the Sabbaoth day Which of you saith our Sauiour shall haue an Oxe or an Asse fall into the ditch on the Sabaoth day and shall not help him out And which of you doth not loose his Oxe or his Asse to water on the Sabbaoth day By which we see our blessed Sauiour giue allowance to this labour arising both out of necessity and mercy which two onely cases giue dispensation to ciuill and base seruices on the Sabbaoth day which workes else were vnlawfull and insufferable in true Diuinitie Yea in the Law wee are bounde not onely to regard our owne cattle but our Neighbours yea our enemies and to bring home his Oxe or Asse that goeth astray to restore the pledge to restore that wee find to the true owner if we can come to the knowledge of him Such care hath almighty God of euery mans particuler as that they which follow not this order corrupt his ordinaunce alter his prouidence chaunge the Diuine property of those things they lose negligently or retaine vniustly and shall pay most deerly for vsurpation of that which God in triall not in right hath giuen into their handes Againe if we often looke not to our estates I meane such as are householders how can we knowe what to giue according to our proportion or what store to keepe after our allowance we may giue that we cannot spare and must go buy else where which is folly we may keep that we cannot spend that is misery and wretchednesse our Granaries shall be empty or fustie without our knowledge our wardrobes void of store of Houshold our Armouries without weapons our Sellers without drink or wine which il beseemeth a Housholder a Man much lesse a Christian to whome God hath giuen state and liuing and a family for He sayth S. Paule that prouideth not thinges honest before hande for his owne Family is worse then an Infidell 9 The charge of this life is food raiment and friends care first to prouide these then to vse them Weee read that Ioseph was ordained and honoured of Almightie GOD with the second dignity in the kingdome of Egipt after hee was drawne out of prison for the prouision of Corne and Victuall yea for this his Father Brethren gaue reuerence vnto him Loe an excellent dignity of hous-keeping and prouidence for to feede them whom the Lord hath sent into the Worlde among whom are his Church that must not want when the Lyons lacke and suffer hunger Euery Family hath its children in whose name bloud and estate it consisteth their enlargement and continuance standeth vppon the wise administration of Housholde affaires as well to keep that which is already gained as to gaine that which is desired Saint Paul would not haue a Byshop or Deacon to be chosen but by this Touch-stone of experience how they had ordered and guided