1. Good choice of a calling
2. Good entrance into it. (page 760) 3. Good continuance in it. (page 763) 4. An honest and good leaving of it. (page 774)
1. Good choice of a calling For the first, in the choice of our callings, we must remember and observe three particular rules.
Rule 1. We are to choose honest and lawful callings to walk in. Let him that stole (says Paul) steal no more: but let him rather labor and work with his hands, the thing that is good (Eph 4.28). Here we are warned by the Holy Spirit to choose such callings as are honest.
Again, all the works of our callings must be done in faith, and there is no faith unless the calling is honest.
For better direction in the choice of an honest calling, this general ground must be observed: every calling that serves to uphold and maintain the three several estates and societies — namely the estate of the Church, or the estate of the Commonwealth, or the estate of the Family — is grounded upon the moral law, and therefore lawful; and consequently it may be had, used, and enjoyed with good conscience. On the contrary, if it is a hindrance to any of these three estates, in whole or in part, it is an unlawful calling.
Rule 2. Every man must choose a fit calling to walk in; that is, every calling must be fitted to the man, and every man must be fitted to his calling. This rule is as necessary as the former; for when men are out of their proper callings in any society, it is as though a joint were out of place in the body. Now, in the choice of callings, two sorts of men must be considered: men who are of age, and children. Men who are of age choose fit callings for themselves when they test, judge, and examine themselves as to what things they are apt and fit for, and what things they not. And every man must examine himself about two things: first, touching his affection; secondly, touching his gifts.
For his affection, he must search out what mind he has for any calling, and in what calling he desires most of all to glorify God. For his gifts, he must examine which calling they are best fitted for.
Having thus tested both his affection and his gifts, and also finding the calling to which they tend to agree, he may say that is his calling
— because he likes it best, and he is in every way best fitted for it. For example, one brought up in the schools of learning, desires to know what ought to be his calling. Well, he examines his affections or desire, and finds it most of all inclined to the ministry of the Gospel.
He examines his gifts also, and finds both knowledge and speech that are fit for it. Now such a person may safely say that the ministry is the calling to which he is set apart. And any man in any other calling may say the same for himself. Yet, because many men are partial in judging their inclination and gifts, the best way for them is to use the advice and help of others who are able to give direction in this, and to discern better than themselves.
Now, touching children, it is the duty of parents to choose fit callings for them, before they apply them to any particular condition of life.
And that they may better and rightly judge which calling their children are fit for, they must observe two things in them: First, their inclination; secondly, their natural gifts.
First, touching INCLINATION, every child, even in his first years, is affected with one particular calling more than another; some are affected with music more than others; some with merchandise; some with a more liberal kind of learning — some with this, some with that. And by this, the parents may judge something about their inclination and leaning. This was practiced among the Athenians, who before they placed their children in any calling, first brought them to a public place where instruments of all sorts were laid out; and they observed which kind of instrument each child took delight in; afterwards they applied their children to a similar Art with good success. And it will not be amiss for Christians to be followers of the heathen in this, or any other commendable practice.
Secondly, the NATURAL GIFTS which parents are to observe in their children, are either in their bodies or in their minds. And those children who excel in the gifts of the body are to be brought up in
callings performed by the labor of the body, as in Mechanical Arts.
And those who excel in the gifts of the mind, are to be applied to those sciences that are performed by wit and learning. The marks of a child that is fit for learning are these: a love of learning, a love of labor, a love of praise, and a wit that is neither too quick, nor too dull. A fine wit in a child is like a pen-knife that will not slice a large loaf, but only serve to cut a quill.
Again, in the gifts of the mind, mark a special difference; there are two kinds of understanding: Active and Passive.
The active understanding not only conceives of things invented by others, but can also invent things itself.
The passive understanding only conceives of things devised by others, and can but very hardly invent by itself. And everyone, both old and young, has one of these kinds of understanding.
Now, all those children that excel in this active understanding are to be set apart for the greatest callings in the Church and 10 the Philosopher chose Protagoras
Commonwealth. Democritus to be his scholar, because he showed wit in the artificial binding of a 12 Athanasius, that famous Bishop, 13 was first put to learning because he was found by the seaside playing the part of a Minister among the company of little children like himself, examining and baptizing them according to the solemn order used in bundle of sticks.
14 that famous clerk, used to question his father Leonidas about the sense of the Scripture, and he demanded from tradesmen the causes of things, and the use of their tools and instruments. And thus we see, in some sort, how parents may judge what calling every child is fit for. the congregation. When he was a child, Origen,
And here all parents must be warned that the neglect of this duty is a great and common sin. For the care of most is that their children may live — not regarding at all whether they live well, and do service to God in a fit calling or not. And the truth is, parents cannot do greater wrong to their children, and to the society of men, than to apply them to unfit callings — as when a child is fit for learning, to