; for the trust which God hath put into their hands
to profit withal, they discharge not for the account which everie one is
to give unto him of his Stewardship, is not how careful hee hath kept
things of use unto himself, to pride himself in the possession of that
which others have not, (as the custom of men is, that know not what true
glorie is) but how faithfully and diligently hee hath distributed the
same to such as were worthie thereof for their good, that they might bee
stirred up both to glorifie God for his goodness; and to imitate him in
the Communication of all good things unto others for his sake freely.
This was Christ's Work on Earth to receiv us, unto the Glorie of God;
this was that which hee taught by this practice, that it is _more
blessed to give, then to receiv_. This is that which this envious World
cannot rellish, and what stop's the current of true love in the hearts
of men? Nothing so much as the self-seeking of men in the waies of
Learning, by which they covetously obstruct the fountains of life and
comfort, which might overflow and water abundantly the barren and
thirstie Souls of those that perish for want of address unto wisdom;
which in all the waies of humane and divine Learning might bee mainly
advanced, by the industrie of one man in such a place, whose Trade
should bee such as I formerly described, to deal with the spirits of all
men of parts, to set them a working one by and towards another, upon the
subjects which hee should bee intrusted withal to keep in the stock of
Learning. It is the Glorie and Riches of Nations and of great Cities, to
make themselvs the Center of Trade for all their Neighbors; and if they
can finde waies of politie, to oblige their Neighbors to receiv from
their Magazines the Commodities whereof they stand in need, it is
everie waie a great benefit unto the State, so it may bee in matters of
Learning, and by the Trade of Sciences this Church may oblige all the
Neighbor Churches, and that Universitie all Forreiners that Trade in
knowledg to receiv pretious Commodities, whereof they stand in need,
from our Magazines and Storehouses; if a painful Steward and dispenser
thereof, bee imploied and mainteined to use industrie for so blessed a
work, from whence much Glorie to God in the Gospel, and honor will
redound to the Nation. For although the waies of humane Learning are
almost infinite and wonderfully various, and have their peculiar uses in
the outward life of man,