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Calling.
1 A Certaine man afflicted in minde, began, through the temptation of* 1.1 Sathan, to mislike his calling, and chaunged it, afterward he thought this calling & that calling to be vnlawfull, and so was almost brought to mislike all. He felt on a time a great paine in his legge, and being desirous to goe from his bed to his table for a booke, he could not, his legge remaining sore: Then remembring that it was said in the Scripture, If thy foote offend thee, cut it off; he straight way laying his le••ge on a blocke, and taking a hatchet in his hand, stroake off his legge, not feeling paine, the veynes being so torne, he could not but bleed to death, how be it he dyed very penitently: so dan∣gerous a policie, & so perilous a temptation is it, to leaue our callings as things vnlawfull.* 1.2
2 A godly Gentlewoman said, that euen in her ordinarie labour, she tasted oft of as heauenly meditations, as if all things ordinarie laid aside she had giuen her whole minde to attend vpon the spirit of God, in quietnes of studie. She also said, that we are like chil∣dren, who need not once to be bid to aske things necessarie, but twice to be thankfull for mercies receiued.
3 As in mariage, though the parties met in the flesh without any sanctified meanes, to* 1.3 assure themselues to be ioyned of the Lord: yet if God afterward giue them grace to liue holily in their meeting, he sheweth that not onely their corrupt meeting is pardoned, but that now their meeting is blessed: so if entring into a calling for want of gifts and affec∣tions, we haue no assurance at the first, of a warrantable calling: yet if God afterwards fur∣nish* 1.4 vs with able gifts, and sanctifie vs with pure minds, he doth not onely shew vs that our former sinne is pardoned, but also that he is well pleased with our calling whereunto he hath so blessed vs.
4 No trouble should hinder vs in our calling, vnlesse it be in a case of meere vngodli∣nes: for if for euery trouble, or for many troubles, a man may forsake his calling, he should be out of all, for euery calling hath both lets and troubles.
5 To one that asked his aduice, whether he might auoid the doing of a thing where∣vnto he was called, because he felt corruption in himselfe, he said: In auoiding societie you should couer, but not cure your infirmities, and though you depart from men, yet you cannot goe out of your selfe.
6 Vnto one that was willing to change his feate for the corruption of the place where* 1.5 he dwelt, he said: Wheresoeuer he purposed to liue as a Christian, the crosse would fol∣low him, because that Christ would follow him, and because on the earth are some good men, and some euill: but when we come to heauen, all would be good, and therefore there shall be no trouble.
7 He said he neuer looked for a better estate than that wherein he was, but often prepa∣red himselfe for a worse.
8 Whensoeuer we are out of our place and calling, Sathan hath a fit occasion of temptation.