All recreative pleasures and exercises of body, which require much time, pains and cost to be spent in them, wherein men labour for that which is not bread: yet these have their lawful use, in that men thereby become helpful and beneficial one to another, and so necessity hath brought forth many exquisite mechanic arts. There are also rare endowments of mankind, the exercises of the minds of men, as grammar for languages, logic in discoursings, rhetoric in persuasions for reconciling different affections, to the peace and comfort of human society; delight of pleasant music; arithmetic, that fundamental requisite for accountants in all commerce and traffic, without which nothing of great moment can be managed. Geometry in surveying, architecture, geography, optics or perspective, picture, sculpture, graving. Also astronomy which regulates the order of times in the transaction of civil affairs, and in navigation, husbandry, chronology: And lastly, astrology, whereby is hinted to us the pre-discovery of the change of seasons to dearth or plenty, the inclination of years, countries or persons to sickness or health, to purity or impurity of the air, dryness or moisture. And whatsoever more the arts called liberal do furnish man with, are not esteemed where there is not health of body.
And were it not that the performances, effects and works that are wrought in this mortal life, do follow the soul in the world to come, and are represented distinctly and particularly to the soul as thoughts to the mind; and as the actions of great victors are set forth in shows of triumph: it were in vain to spend our time here in anything but drowsiness and sleep: if the enjoyment of our works were not the fruit of our labours;
as in the Revelation it is said, Blessed are those that die in the Lord, for they rest from their labours, and their works follow them (Rev. xiv. 13): the manner whereof being well understood would cause such circumspection and care in men, that they would endeavour to have only such works as wherein they shall have joy, and not such as shall be burned and the person suffer loss though the soul be saved, as through fire: and this at that day when the thoughts of all hearts shall be laid open;
as if they were plainly limned before us in a picture to the life, and every secret thought shall be brought to judgment: the cabinet councils of the close Cabals, of emperors, kings, princes and states, and the lustful imaginations when the mouth speaks holy things in highest devotions, and the body acting in demurest posture; the cheating intentions in fairest pretences of love and friendship; the lies and falsehoods in multiplicities of words for self-ends; for if Elisha could tell what was whispered in the secret chamber of the King of Syria (2 Kings vi. 12), shall anything be hidden, when all things shall be made manifest; and then of every idle sword that a man shall speak he shall give an account at the day of judgment; also we shall be judged for all things that were done in the body, whether they be good or evil: This is easily confessed to be truth, because written in the Holy Scriptures; but who knows how and in what sense it shall be really so, and in what manner performed; and lays it seriously to heart.
All recreative pleasures and exercises of body, which require much time, pains and cost to be spent in them, wherein men labour for that which is not bread: yet these have their lawful use, in that men thereby become helpful and beneficial one to another, and so necessity has brought forth many exquisite mechanic arts. There are also rare endowments of mankind, the exercises of the minds of men, as grammar for languages, logic in discoursings, rhetoric in persuasions for reconciling different affections, to the peace and comfort of human society; delight of pleasant music; arithmetic, that fundamental requisite for accountants in all commerce and traffic, without which nothing of great moment can be managed. Geometry in surveying, architecture, geography, optics or perspective, picture, sculpture, graving. Also astronomy which regulates the order of times in the transaction of civil affairs, and in navigation, husbandry, chronology: And lastly, astrology, whereby is hinted to us the pre-discovery of the change of seasons to dearth or plenty, the inclination of years, countries or persons to sickness or health, to purity or impurity of the air, dryness or moisture. And whatsoever more the arts called liberal do furnish man with, are not esteemed where there is not health of body.
And were it not that the performances, effects and works that are wrought in this mortal life, do follow the soul in the world to come, and are represented distinctly and particularly to the soul as thoughts to the mind; and as the actions of great victors are set forth in shows of triumph: it were in vain to spend our time here in anything but drowsiness and sleep: if the enjoyment of our works were not the fruit of our labours;
as in the Revelation it is said, Blessed are those that die in the Lord, for they rest from their labours, and their works follow them (Rev. xiv. 13): the manner whereof being well understood would cause such circumspection and care in men, that they would endeavour to have only such works as wherein they shall have joy, and not such as shall be burned and the person suffer loss though the soul be saved, as through fire: and this at that day when the thoughts of all hearts shall be laid open;
as if they were plainly limned before us in a picture to the life, and every secret thought shall be brought to judgment: the cabinet councils of the close Cabals, of emperors, kings, princes and states, and the lustful imaginations when the mouth speaks holy things in highest devotions, and the body acting in demurest posture; the cheating intentions in fairest pretences of love and friendship; the lies and falsehoods in multiplicities of words for self-ends; for if Elisha could tell what was whispered in the secret chamber of the King of Syria (2 Kings vi. 12), shall anything be hidden, when all things shall be made manifest; and then of every idle sword that a man shall speak he shall give an account at the day of judgment; also we shall be judged for all things that were done in the body, whether they be good or evil: This is easily confessed to be truth, because written in the Holy Scriptures; but who knows how and in what sense it shall be really so, and in what manner performed; and lays it seriously to heart.
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.