and Cain was a Tiller of the Ground Tho they had the whole World before them yet they had no Writ of Ease from a settled Imployment 2. We have God's express Command 1. In the fourth Commandment Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy Work Exod. 20. 9. This Thy Work plainly implies that every Man for every Commandment is given to every Man should have his proper Work or Business which should ordinarily take up his time from Sabbath to Sabbath which is further prest upon all Mankind from God's own Example vers 11. For in six Days the Lord made Heaven and Earth which he could have done in six Minutes but chose to fill every Day with Work probably for our Instruction and Encouragement to the like Diligence And 2. We find Commands to the same purpose in the New-Testament Ephes 4. 28. Rather let him labour working with his Hands the thing that is good that is following some honest Calling Yea the Apostle 2 Thess 3. 12. doth command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that Men should with Quietness that is without disputing or grudging work and eat their own Bread Let all idle and useless Persons consider how they will answer these plain Injunctions at their Peril Add to this the sharp Reproofs we find in Scripture upon the Neglecters hereof When Hagar Gen. 16. 8. had quit her Imployment the Angel meets her with Hagar Sarah ' s Maid whence comest thou and whither wilt thou go And in the next Verse sends her home to her uncomfortable Calling again And the Apostle 2 Thess 3. 11. calls such as work not at all disorderly People and such as ought to be sharply admonished yea Verse 6. commands them in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ to withdraw from every such disorderly Person So that 't is no trivial Fault in a Man or Woman to live without a Calling 3. We have in Scripture the Example of our Saviour himself When Almighty God has but one Son in the World he bestowed him in a Calling he made him a Preacher And before his entrance upon his Ministerial Imployment it is highly probable that he labour'd with his supposed Father Joseph in the Carpenters Trade For tho in Mat. 13. 55. the People stil'd him the Carpenter's Son yet in Mark 6. 3. they plainly ask'd Is not this the Carpenter the Son of Mary c. And if our Saviour Christ in whom the Fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily stooped to an ordinary Calling that he might fulfil all Righteousness how dare any that are called by his Name disdain or refuse some settled Imployment And we sind the Apostles themselves not only chosen to that glorious Office out of their respective Callings but even after the Death and Resurrection of Christ they diligently return'd to the same until they had their Commission given them to preach the Gospel as is evident John 21. 2 3 c. Yea the Apostle Paul upon occasion even after his entrance into his Sacred Function abode and wrought with Aquila and Priscilla at their Craft for they were Tent-makers Acts 18. 3. 3. We have the Light of Reason to strengthen this Point viz. That every Person that is capable ought to have besides their Christian some Particular Temporal Calling And that 1. In point of Justice and Equity Justice 1 to a Man's Self he that is useless in the World steals from himself and hereupon this Duty falls under the Eighth Commandment which saith Thou shalt not steal Which condemns all such Omissions as turn to the prejudice of ones self in his outward Estate and certainly an honest Diligence in any lawful Calling with the Blessing of God would greatly encrease a small Estate and enable a Man to live more comfortably himself and more usefully to others 2. Justice to a Man's Family requires it For If any provide not for his own and especially for those of his own House he hath denied the Faith and is worse than an Infidel 1 Tim. 5. 8. So that a Person without a Calling so far robs his own Family for by his Care and Pains they might live more comfortably and be disposed more happily And the idle Parent is also a ready Copy for the idle Child to write after till at length By much Slothfulness the Building decays and through Idleness of the Hands the House droppeth through Eccles 10. 18. And at last Drousiness covers them all with Rags Prov. 23. 21. Whereas the Industrious Spinster is not afraid of the Snow for her Houshold for all her Houshold are clothed with Scarlet She maketh her self Coverings of Tapistry her Clothing is Silk and Purple Prov. 31. 21. 3. There is a Justice to the Poor And neglect of a Calling disableth from that Hence Ephes 4. 28. Let him labour that he may have to give to him that needeth God who hath given to you Eyes and Hands and Health and Stock intendeth and appointeth you to be helpful to those that have no Eyes no Strength no Health or Ability to work at all And no Man should murmur at this seeing it was one of our Saviour's Proverbs recorded Act. 20. 35. It is a more blessed thing to give than to receive 4. There is Justice and Equity in it in respect of the Publick it is good for the Common-wealth And as every Member of the Body is useful to the whole so should every Person who is as before a Member of the Body Politick be serviceable to the common Good No man should stand like a Cypher in his Generation but should so imploy himself that there may be a want of him in the World How many Trades have been at work to furnish thee out in Meat Drink and Cloaths every day and how unreasonable is it that thou shouldst make no Returns to them again That many Rivers should daily empty themselves upon you and that you should be like a dead Sea without any vent or use to them again Hence the Apostle gives this Order Tit. 3. 14. And let ours also learn to maintain good Works or as the Margin profess honest Trades for necessary uses that they be not unfruitful The very Bees will drive out the Drones from their little Common-wealth Indeed he deserves not the Protection that adds not to the Welfare of the Publick 2. The other Reason for every ones engagement in a Calling is in respect of Safety and that 1. From Sin For he that is fully imployed hath not that leisure to sin that others have Non vacat hinders more than non licet I have no leisure restrains more than I have no leave Satan with his Temptations hath a fair Mark at a Man that is unimployed as a Fowler hath at the Fowl that is sitting still whereas the busy Man as the Fowl upon the Wing escapes many a Snare 1 Tim. 5. 13. And not only idle but Tatlers also and Busy-bodies It 's a rare thing to be meerly idle and no worse an idle Head hath
as the Dogs of Egypt do the Water of Nilus with great caution lest the Crocodiles devour them But I have spoken somewhat about these before Lastly This Diligence will restrain all unseasonable Devotion Far be it from me to discourage the Exercises of Piety This Climate is grown cold enough in them But there is a preposterous Zeal in some Tradesmen and Women especially which draws them to neglect one Calling to further another But the diligent Man considers that God in his great Wisdom appointed the six days for Work and a seventh for Rest And tho upon extraordinary occasions we may and ought to devote some of this time to sacred purposes as in case of Solemn Fasts and Feasts and tho an industrious Tradesman may redeem by his Diligence some other hours as for the Refreshment of his Body so for the inriching his Soul by reading hearing and prayer yet it is no way justifiable to neglect a Man's necessary Affairs upon pretence of religious Worship to lâ—t necessary Work be undone at home just Debts unpaid abroad the Family languish for want of Providence the Shop languish for want of his Presence while he runs from one opportunity to another till hiâ— Estate be weakned and his Credit sâ—nk Doubtless there is a measure to be observed in those things and usually a Man is bound to pray and hear no more than will consist 1. With his Ability of Body for if the Bucket be once broken it will carry no Water 2. With hiâ— lawful Calling for therein God is trulâ— served 3. With time to meditate on what he hears for one Duty must never exclude another he that doth nothing but hear will grow deaf with hearing and those holy Exercises are but means the end is still nobler which is to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World And so much for the Particulars wherein this Diligence is exemplified Thirdly The Inducements which are proper to dispose the Tradesman to this Diligence are these 1. It is matter of Duty Those places mention'd in Prov. 27. 23. and Eccles 9. 10. put it out of doubt Yea the Holy Ghost doth link it together with the holiest Actions Not slothful in Business fervent in Spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. Ye are as truly bound to be diligent in your Business as to be servent in Prayer and it 's intimated there that you serve the Lord in both and consequently it is a real Sin both to be bewailed and amended to be negligent in your Callings as to be lukewarm in your Prayers And in the Fourth Commandment God doth as well command Diligence in your Work on the six days as Seriousness on the Sabbath and propounds his own Example to the same purpose For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth And tho he ceas'd creating yet he is working still Joh. 5. 17. My Father worketh hitherto and I work His Eyes are continually running to and fro thorowout the whole Earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose Heart is perfect towards him 2 Chron. 16. 9. So that here 's the Command and Example of God himself for Diligence 2. It is matter of Safety An honest Industry is an excellent Preservative both from Sin and Danger Most Men's Temptations overtake them when they be out of their Imployment or negligent in it When good David had been sleeping in the afternoon and walking too idly afterward 2 Sam 11. 2. then did he fall into that Temptation that cost him so dear You know the standing Pool corrupts the un-employed Harness rusts but he that is in the way of his Vocation is most out of the way of Temptation So it is also in case of Danger if any Mischief hover over a Man it is likeliest to seize upon him while he is negligent in his Vocation When Ishbasheth was lying on his Bed at noon Baanah and Rechab smote him under the fifth Rib 2 Sam. 4. 5. In all likelihood it had fared better with these two Princes if they had been studying and doing the Duty of Magistrates instead of reposing themselves upon their Beds Let the Tradesman learn from others harms to prevent his own up and be doing and the Lord is engaged to be with you 3. In respect of Benefit God doth usually bless the diligent Man with Plenty The Hand of the diligent maketh rich Prov. 10. 4. For the thoughts of the diligent tend only to Plenteousness Prov. 21. 5. Now a plentiful Estate is desirable provided it be for right ends If Riches and Honour be good for you Diligence is the means to compass them Prov. 22. 29. Seest thou a Man diligent in his Business he shall stand before Kings he shall not stand before mean Men That is he is sit for the highest Offices he may aim at them he is likeliest to obtain them We see Princes chuse out industrious Men for their Service 1 Kings 11. 28. And Solomon seeing the young Man viz. Jeroboam that he was industrious or as the Margin from the Hebr. that he did work or take pains he made him Ruler over all the Charge of the House of Joseph and you know how great he grew If Princes see Men to be only wise they suspect they will be too conceited if high-spirited too turbulent if honest and conscientious too difficult if popular dangerous but if diligent they are fit to be imployed Now tho the ordinary Tradesman never expects any great Office or Preferment yet certainly his Industry puts him into the road of all the Preferment whereof he is capable Isa 23. 8. Whose Merchants are Princes whose Traffiquers are the Honourable of the Earth 4. In respect of Comfort There is a certain secret satisfaction of Mind that always attends an honest Diligence The Sleep of a laboring Man is sweet whether he eat little or much Eccles 5. 12. He hath been doing the duty of his Calling and that comforts him I appeal to your own Consciences and to every Man's Experience whether you find not more inward Peace and Comfort at night after you have been diligently imployed in your Calling than when you have trifled therein And any cross which befalls you is better born when it finds you in your Imployment than when out of it And if by the wise Providence of God you do not by your Industry obtain abundance yet you have this comfort of having done your Duty which is the chiefest ground of all just Satisfaction Fourthly The fourth thing then upon this Head is to make some useful Improvement hereof which is By Reproof By Counsel 1. This detects and reproves the baseness and sinfulness of Idleness and Sloth whether it be in point of Care or of Labour The holy Ghost by the hand of the Wise-Man doth frequently lash this sort of Men. Prov. 26. 13 14 15 16. The slothful man saith There is a Lion in the way a Lion in the streets he fancies danger and difficulties where there are none Then
more languidly in a true Religion Men swim faster down than up the Stream yet when a Man considers that the success of his Affairs depends upon God and that he cannot keep Friendship with him if he hold not Correspondence and that most certainly he can and will make the Tradesman amends by the Years end for every minute that he sincerely devotes to his Service This should bear down all Difficulty and oblige him to the constant Worship of God 4. The Tradesman's Religion is exercised in Observing a right Rule and End in all his worldly Affairs And here he guides not his Behaviour by the Example of others nor of his Master that went before him nor by the current of his particular Humour Appetite or Interest but by the holy Word of God and such Dictates of sound Reason that are agreeable thereunto You must not conclude thus and thus I 'l do for so do others or so did my Master before me or it is my Humour or it is for my Interest but what saith Moses and the Prophets what saith Christ and his Apostles and what would they do if they were in my place and this must be your Rule And in case of doubt and difficulty you must consult the wise and honest and so be determin'd They asked Counsel at Abel and ended the matter 2 Sam. 20. 18. And this Care and Pains before is much better than to wound your Conscience and give ill Example to others He that doth Truth cometh to the Light that his Deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Joh. 3. 21. Your Deeds must be wrought in God And Religion must teach you the like care in the End which you should aim at in all your Business which should be to please and glorify God For none of us Christians liveth to himself and no Man dieth to himself and indeed he that liveth to himself will be likely to die to himself But whether we live we live unto the Lord Rom. 14. 7. This is Man's greatest Duty this is his highest Priviledg We reckon it a great Honour to that Nobleman that shall put the Crown upon the Head of a King O how much greater is it to put the Crown of Glory upon God's But of this before Only you may ask May not a Man aim at Riches by his Calling that he may have Ease in his old Age c. Answ An End is subordinate or ultimate a next end or a last end You may design to get an Estate but not meerly for your own sake but chiefly for God's sake not so much that ye may live at ease but that ye may do good thereby A Man may desire a good Horse or a good Boat to carry him to his Friend Every step of a Religious Tradesman being trac'd to the utmost ends at God He would not care for himself but that he may be of use to glorify God 5. The Tradesman's Piety is shewed In spiritualizing his Calling There is in every Calling a Temporal and a Spiritual respect The outside of them is the Object of Sense a brutish Man may comprehend that and get his Living by it but there is an inside which only the gracious Eye can read There is scarce any thing which you trade in but a Religious Heart may learn something of God out of it And this surely is one end of Similes and Comparisons so frequent in the Bible not only that God may come down by them to us but that we may by them ascend unto him he hath translated the World into the Scripture that we may think of the Scripture in the World This is the safest and richest Chymistry whereby you may extract the purest Spirits out of the grossest Bodies As the Bee can gather Honey out of every Flower yea out of the very Weeds so may and should the Religious Tradesman gather some Spiritual Lessons out of his temporal Wares and Imployments Thus the Merchant may learn something from Mat. 13. 45. And all that buy and sell from Mat. 25. 16. and Luk. 29. 15. The Writer from Psal 45. 1. They that work in Wooll from Isa 1. 18. and Psal 147. 16. The Apothecary from Eccles 10. 1. The Carpenter from Isa 10. 15. and Zech. 1. 20. The Founder from Jer. 8. 29. The Refiner from Mal. 3. 2 3. The Baker from Hos 7. 4 6. The Fisher from Jer. 16. 16. and Mat. 4. 19. The Weaver from Job 7. 6. The Potter from Isa 6. 8. and Jer. 18. And I think these are all the Trades expresly mention'd in Scripture by which the Holy Ghost directeth us to spiritual things There are also mention'd the Goldsmiths Neh. 3. 8. The Silversmiths Acts 19. 24. The Spice-Merchants 1 King 10. 15. The Masons 1 Kings 12. 12. The Mariners Ezek. 27. 9. The Calkers Ezek. 27. 9. The workers in fine Linnen 1 Chron. 4. 21. The workers in Needle-work Exod. 26. 36. The Smiths Isa 54. 16. The Ingravers and the Imbroiderers Exod. 35. 35. The Tent-makers Acts 18. 3. The Tanner Acts 9. 43. The Copper-smith 2 Tim. 4. 14. The Cook 1 Sam. 8. 13. The Barber Ezek. 5. 1. The Fuller Mark 9. 3. In general the Chapmen 2 Chron. 9. 14. and the Cunning Artificers Isa 3. 3. And those are as far I can find all the Trades mention'd in the Scripture But as it is said Isa 28. 26. concerning the plain Husband-man His God doth instruct him to Discretion and doth teach him so will the Spirit of God teach the ingenious Tradesman to learn spiritual Lessons from his Temporal Calling An ingenious Head indeed is a great help herein but an heavenly Heart is all in all This inspir'd our blessed Saviour to make a Sermon out of a Vine Joh. 15. 1. and to raise Instruction from a barren Fig-tree As we see on the contrary how wickedly witty a naughty Man will be to collect base and sinful matter out of the Objects that come before him and turn all to Poison surely it is as possible and much more noble to extract the Gold than the Dross Do but keep open the Eye of Faith to see Invisibles pray for Skill and fall to Practise and it will come The Profit will ballance the Pains He that turns Earth into Heaven hath an Heaven upon Earth 6. This Religion will teach the Tradesman To observe the Christian Sabbath in a holy manner Indeed this is one of the first things that God's Grace reforms in a serious Christian No sooner doth he begin to look towards Heaven in sober Sadness but he begins to value and use the lord's-Lord's-day in another manner than before Hence Ezek. 20. 12. I gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between me and them that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them Remember the Sabbath before it comes And if possibly you can dismiss your Affairs a little the sooner the day before that you may have time over night to reflect on your Works the Week
that a dark Morning will have a Sun-shine Evening and in the mean time that the Sun-shine of God's Favour will guild every drop of the Storm that falls upon you and sweeten it unto you But your greatest Danger is from the Temptations that will meet you in your Imployment which you must carefully discover and then resolutely avoid For our Adversary the Devil hath Baits in all Places and in all Callings and we see how many swallow them to their Perdition but if you can but see the Hook as well as the Bait and contemplate the Baseness the Odiousness the Danger as soon as you see the Profit or Pleasure that hides it by the Grace of God you will escape And of all Temptations resolve to shun ill Company Such there are in every place who like the fallen Angels having made Shipwrack of a good Conscience themselves indeavour to draw others into the same Condemnation Such there are in both Sexs who may soon betray an unwary Youth into all Ungodliness Begin therefore no Acquaintance with any till you have received concerning them from some judicious Hand a sober Character He might be very innocent at the School whom you may find very criminal in the University or in the City But especially if you hear or see any that are Idle Voluptuous Swearers Drunkards Wanton Sabbath-breakers bless you from them and if your Vicinity or Relation to them should necessitate you to be sometimes with them let it be always with a wary Reservedness let them see that you are sailing another way And herein you must be resolute Two or three Denials and Frowns will rid you of them whereas your Easiness will strengthen their Importunity and when you are once gotten into the Snare it will not be an easy matter to get out again Enquire therefore after the Diligent the Modest the Religious of your Age and converse with them for there is most certainly a secret Charm in Society and in a short time he that frequents and delights in any Company whether good or bad will be like them Fourthly For a right Entrance into any Calling earnest Prayer is necessary For if every Creature be sanctified unto us by the Word approving the use of it and Prayer procuring the Blessing of it we may justly conclude that Calling unfanctified that is not blest with Prayer It is not the best Trade or Calling it is not the best Tutor or Master tho as much Care ought to be taken mark it well in the choice of a Master as of a Trade but it is the Blessing of God earnestly sought by Prayer which makes the Man If People would abate of their anxious Care about these things and add more of their fervent Prayers they would have more Comfort For so the Apostle directs Phil. 4. 6. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving let your Requests be made known unto God The utmost Care and Providence of the wisest Parent comes far short of the constant and powerful Providence of God which is procured by Prayer And let the young Person concern'd earnestly seek the Favour and Blessing of God withal and heartily bewail the Sins of his Childhood his Disobedience Slothfulness Lying Sabbath-breaking and all such like that he may not carry the heavy Load of Guilt out of one Place and Condition of Life into another which as it will provoke God to Anger so it will expose him to new Sins when he hath never bewailed the old How many have we known and seen hopeful every way good Education good Parts good Callings good Tutors or Masters and yet have miscarried and come to nothing This shews that GOD stands for something that all other Requifites are but Cyphers without the Blessing of Heaven which must be sought by Prayer and earnest Prayer And this not only at his Entrance but he must continue this sweet and needful Duty at least each Morning and Evening if possible during his whole time for it is the Key to open to him the Mercies of the Day and to shut out the Dangers of the Night Young People would be glad to have twice a day Opportunity to send to their Earthly Parents how much greater a Priviledg is it to have free Liberty to send to your Father which is in Heaven who hath more Will and Power to do you good than all the Creatures in the World And now having discoursed of the right Entrance into a Calling let each of us make a double Vse of it 1. By way of Reflection on time past Did all of you that are in Callings thus enter upon them Were your Ends right Were you duly qualified Were your Resolutions firm and your Prayers earnest Let your Consciences return a true Verdict a just Answer If they acquit you what Peace what Joy what Satisfaction may you have whether you have succeeded in outward things or not You have done your Duty to which a Blessing always belongs But if upon a serious Inquiry Conscience accuse you what cause have you to be humbled to bewail your Neglects and cry for Mercy and Forgiveness and this notwithstanding all the good Success you have had in them For God doth sometimes give to Children outward Blessings with respect to the Parents or other Ancestors Integrity which is a Seal to the Uprightness of the Parent but not to the Goodness of the Child Or he may give you a great Estate and Honour in Wrath or to pay you off for some good thing and yet short of Grace which may be found in you For your own Parts you had need to judg and condemn your selves with broken and contrite Hearts if perhaps your Sin may be forgiven you For as an Oppressor yea a Thief may get Possession of a well-stor'd House and be jovial in it till the Judg inquire how he entred it so may a Man obtain in his Profession a vast Estate but at last God will examine how he entred upon it and whether by an orderly way he took Possession of it 2. By way of Instruction for the future Let all those who expect the Favour and Blessing of Almighty God see that they follow this course These are Rules of Practice and therefore are not answered either by your Approbation or Contempt but do carry their Authority with them and call for Obedience to them When you are entring into any Calling take care to propound for your Ends the Glory of your Maker the Good of Mankind as well as your own Comfort See that you be qualified with Knowledg in the Mind and saving Grace in the Heart Let your Resolutions be good and strong to break through all the Difficulties and Temptations which are in your way And set forth with Prayer If you believe that there is a God you cannot deny that all these are necessary for you If you would prosper in vour Affairs this is the ready road to Success If you live to accomplish your
As the Door turneth upon his Hinges so doth the Slothful upon his Bed The Slothful hideth his Hand in his Bosom it grieveth him to bring it again to his Mouth And yet after all this The Sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven Men that can render a Reason And herein he did not beat the Air For there were then and are now numbers of idle Companions idle Tradesmen like those Cretians Tit. 1. 12. that were evil Beasts slow Bellies therefore evil because idle Come to their Shops in the day they are abroad the Prentice saw not his Master since eleven of Clock knock at their Doors at eleven at night they are at the Coffee-house come in the Morning they are in bed Is this to be diligent in vour business Is this doing what your hand findeth to do with all your might How will you account for your Time and Strength and Parts Why stand ye thus idle in the Market-place Where are the old Roman Censores morum Officers who were to examine and punish those that spent much and labour'd little It is said of the Manna that if it were not gathered early it melted They that lov'd their Beds starv'd their Bellies This course will load you with Guilt and ease you of your Estate no Calling so high but Sloth will impoverish none so mean but Diligence will inrich I was by the Field of the Slothful and by the Vineyard of the Man void of Vnderstanding You see the idle Man and the Fool are wrapt in the same Cloak And lo it was all grown over with Thorns and Nettles had covered the face thereof and the Stone-wall thereof was broken down Then I saw and considered it well I looked upon it and received Instruction Yet a little Sleep a little Slumber So shall thy Poverty come as one that travelleth and thy want as an armed Man Prov. 24. 20 c. O learn by others Ruine to prevent your own Conclude that Sweat is better than Tears Weariness better than Hunger and aking Bones than a gall'd Conscience It was holy Mr. Carter's farewel charge to a Scholar Cave fastum ignaviam Antichristum And one of the three things that wise Cato was said to repent of was that ever he had spent an idle day 2. Be perswaded then 1. To be diligent in your Callings You have excellent Patterns set before you the great God at work every day every where Jesus Christ went about doing good Slipt his Breakfast to be at his Work Mat. 21. 18 23. wav'd his Dinner to dispatch it Joh. 4. 6 34. Behold the Sun always in motion and rejoyceth in it as astrong Man to run a race Psal 10. 5. The Moon and Stars the Sea the Rivers all Creatures busy Yea go to the Ant thou Sluggard consider her ways and be wise You have excellent Promises for your Encouragement and severe Threatnings to awake you you have undeniable Instances of such as have been raised by their Industry and of such as have been ruin'd by Idleness you have all Requisites to inable you you have Brains and Arms and Health there 's nothing wanting but an Heart Shake off then the Lethargy that hath benum'd you mind your Business revive your Love to your lawful Calling reckon your selves to be most easy and happy in your Shops and Busines and drive the Nail while it is going But direct all to a right end the Honour of God the Publick Good as well as your Private Commodity and then every step and stroke in your Trade is sanctified You are working for God who will be sure to reward you to your Hearts content Withal you must beware lest this Diligence degnerate either into sinful carking or into immoderate pains whereby either the Soul or Body should be opprest for whatsoever is gain'd thereby contracts a Curse which comes along with it and without Repentance and Amendment none of it shall ever do you nor your Posterity any good Behold is it not of the Lord of Hosts that is by way of just Judgment that the People shall labour in the very Fire and weary themselves for very Vanity Labour in the Fire and yet for very Vanity Hab. 2. 13. And one other Caution yet Let not your Diligence in your earthly Callings thrust out the Service of God For this was Martha reprov'd Luke 10. 41. Martha Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things but one thing is needful You have a Soul as well as a Body and both must live and consequently must be fed and the Blessing of God must be daily sought without which all your Diligence will be ineffectual ye cannot be rich whether God will or not Observe that Prov. 10. 4 22. In the 4th Verse The hand of the Diligent maketh rich but in the 22d Verse The Blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and he addeth no Sorrow with it Now God's Blessing and Man's Diligence are not oppos'd one to another but subordinate to one another that as the principal cause this as the ordinary means as the Physicians Skill and the Patients Care It is only the Blessing of God that supplies you with natural Abilities both inward and outward It is he that giveth thee power to get Wealth Deut. 8. 18. He governs and directs the Hearts of others he speakes a good word for them to the Conscience of thy Neighbour He prospers thy Endeavours for all Second Causes depend upon the First both in their being and in their working He rules all those Circumstances that must concur to thy Success and he preserves and multiplies what thou hast Hast thou not made an Hedg about him and about his House and about all that he hath on every side thou hast blest the work of his Hands c. Job 1. 10. And without this Blessing It is vain for you to rise up early to sit up late or to eat the Bread of Sorrow Psal 127. 2. And therefore allow convenient room for Prayer every day and reckon to go round about by Heaven is the next way to Success in all thy Undertakings this is the way to thrive on Earth and to be blest from Heaven And this leads me to the last use of this Point 2. If such Diligence be needful about your Earthly Callings How much more diligent ought you to be about your Heavenly If you should rise betimes to work how much more to pray If we should sweat to gain the World what Agonies should we have to obtain Heaven There giving all Diligence add to your Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledg Again Give Diligence to make your Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 5 10. If Riches do not how should Heaven drop into your Mouth while you are sleeping What race is gotten without running What Crown is obtain'd without fighting I therefore so run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the Air 1 Cor. 9. 26. As Sloth is the evident cause of Men's Poverty here so
your Affections on things above not on things on the Earth Coloss 3. 2. When the Soul leans thus the right way you will be ready to every good Work it will be a marvelous Advantage to you upon every occasion How often might you have opportunities to meditate or pray or to reprove a Fault which you will lose for want of an honest frame of Heart And this is a thing too much neglected People think it sufficient to observe their Words and Actions but few do mind the Temper and Frame of their Souls as they ought Our Conversation saith the Apostle is in Heaven We are Citizens of another and better City and we must be always driving a Trade there No sight to such a Soul like a Throne in the Clouds No Musick like the Arch-Angel's Trumpet no Song like Awake ye Dead and come to Judgment 2. The Tradesman's Religion lies in the due Exercise of Faith Without this you can no way please God in your Calling If you have not a Ground and an Heart to believe that your Calling is pleasing to God every step you take in it is guilty Hereby you believe that there is a Divine Providence which governs all Men and all their Actions which will quiet you in all Events whatsoever When others fret and fume under their Losses or swell and stroke themselves in their Success this will discern the Hand of God both in giving and taking away and so quiet and fix the Soul aright Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace whose Heart is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Isa 26. 3. Hereby you will be able to live upon God's Promises for outward Supplies and will be incouraged to use the means to obtain them yea when the Providence of God seems to contradict his Promises when all things seem to conspire against you by Faith you will see a Bow in the Cloud God's Promise and Covenant to do you good by all 2 Sam. 23. 5. Altho my House be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my Salvation and all my Desire altho he make it not to grow Whereas if ye only depend upon Second Causes you shall see what you may expect Jer. 17. 5. Cursed is the Man that trusteth in Man and maketh Flesh his Arm and whose Heart departeth from the Lord When a Man works and cares so as if he had no need of God he shall be like the Heath in the Desert and shall not see when good cometh as it follows there He that trusts in Man makes him God he that distrusts God makes him Man This Faith will free you from that Anxiety which torments carnal Men who have perhaps the greatest part of their Estate floating upon the Sea and therefore can scarce eat or drink or sleep by reason of their unworthy Fears Now Faith depends upon God is not afraid of evil Tidings for his Heart is fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 1 12. 7. I 'l do my Duty and let God do his Will And then for Spiritual Mercies which the Tradesman hath daily need of Faith is all in all What 's the Scripture or God or Christ without Faith How shall he obtain Mercy and Pardon or find Grace and Comfort in time of need without Faith In a word the Christian Tradesman must live by Faith and breath by Prayer 3. The Tradesman's Religion is to be exercised In the right Performance of Religious Worship For the same Light of Nature Scripture and Reason which prove there is a God do with equal strength evince that he is to be worshipped He that doubts of this disputes against Principles The Tradesman is obliged to this as well as other Men. How can he be said to abide with God in his Calling that comes not near him By Prayer we approach to God and by his Word he comes near â—o us The Tradesman must know that he hath two Landlords one on Earth and another in Heaven that he holds his House and Shop of Man but he holds his Health and Life of God to whom a due Rent of Prayer and Praises must be daily paid Rouze up your selves therefore in the Morning and lay the Scripture next your Hearts read some part of it with Understanding and Application and then kneel you down and lift up your Hearts to God in sincere and serious Prayer And at the fittest hour but the sooner the better let you whole Family come together unless any be unavoidably hindred and there let a Psalm and a Chapter be read and then joyn together in Prayer And the like course hold at Night withal remembring to sing the Praises of God and let no Company or Business unless of present necessity tempt you either to omit these Duties or to do them unseasonably Reckon that Almighty God is staying for you at your due hours and will not excuse your neglect unless you can conclude in your Conscience that he himself by his Providence with-holds you Do you think in earnest that when your Family at eleven or twelve of the Clock at Night are some of them in Bed and the rest half asleep it will satisfy an all-seeing God to hear you excusing your selves with a story of such Company that held you or such unseasonable Recreation kept you from his Service or any other Business which might have been dispatched or deferred to another time Say not that ye want time for this Work for a Man must have time to eat and sleep and pray whatever other Business stays And all this excellent Work needs not go away with an hours time in the whole day for it is not the length but strength of Devotion that carries it with God Be but serious and sincere God will accept a little from you that have not time for more Plead not your Weariness in your Calling that you are quite tir'd before Night remember you cannot plead this in the Morning that you have no Strength nor Spirits left you For immoderate Labour may be sinful as well as immoderate Meat or Drink God requires no more nor accepts nor will bless such toiling as is inconsistent with the Ability of your Bodies or the good of your Souls You should Reason thus with your selves Have I taken pains all day for a little Money and shall not I strain my self a little at night for Pardon and Grace If I have tir'd my Legs about the Earth shall I not weary my Knees to get to Heaven If I have wearied my Arms to get a Living here shall I not stretch out my Hands to get a Crown hereafter O if you had but a spark of Zeal you would answer your selves Zeal revives the languishing Spirits infuses new Spirits makes a Man all Spirit for a time This in a false Religion will raise up a Man to his Orisons at Midnight will send him some hundreds of Miles on Pilgrimage c. It 's true it works
past as God did on his at the six days end and to bewail your Sins therein that you may have time to consider what Mercies you have to acknowledg and what Blessings to beg on the Day following that you may solemnly renounce all your Sins and wholly dismiss all your worldly Business and the thoughts thereof till the Sabbath be past Let not the Guilt nor the Love of any one Sin enter with you into the holy Ground but wash you Hands in Innocence and so compass the Altar of God And tho upon that holy Day you may be innocently chearful and rejoyce in the Blessings of God yet you should not only abstain from any vile Thoughts or Words but even from vain and fruitless ones Isa 58. 13. Thou shalt call the Sabbath a Delight the Holy of the Lord Honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own Wayes nor finding thine own Pleasure nor speaking thine own Words Yea your Hearts must rise against all unfit Discourse and with a Christian Dexterity endeavour to carry the Stream of such Discourse another way Be not ashamed to speak of God and Heaven since ungodly Men have the Impudence to speak of Wickedness See that ye rise early and work hard that day in your heavenly Trade that so you may be able all night to give as clear an account of what you have gotten as you can on other days Let no worldly Business be contrived or mention'd or done that Day which might have been done before or may be done after without plain Prejudice It was the Men of Tyre that sold their Wares on the Sabbath whom Nehemiah represt Neh. 13. 16 20 21. and command your Families from stragling or foolish Sports that day beware how you give them Liberty that Day because you can best spare them to see their Friends or to be out of your sight for that Day and that Way multitudes of them are undone but let them spend that Day in God's House and in your own Examine them of the state of their Souls of their Proficience that Day and scriously catechize the younger sort in the Principle of Religion O let not your Childrens Souls be neglected while you pamper and deck their Bodies but show them the evil of Sin and the beauty of Holiness convince them of their woful State by Nature and mind them of the Vow which they are under in their Baptism let them see you in the Pangs of Travel for them till Christ be form'd in them you have time for this upon this Day and you are bound in Equity and Piety to recover them out of that Condition into which you have brought them put good Books into their Hands and talk with them about Regeneration and explain the Catechism to them that being well grounded in the Principles of Religion they may rationally imbrace the Practice of it And then for your Servants both Apprentices and others Do you think it is sufficient that they do your Work faithfully Have not they most precious Souls and have not you the charge of them can you find in your Hearts to suffer them to live and for ought you know die in a State of Ignorance and Unregeneracy Where are your Bowels of Compassion Alas you should have the same care of their Souls as you have of your own Children You allow to your Beasts Food and Lodging for their Work and will you treat Christians no otherwise on this day you have time if you have but Hearts to call them to you and to enquire into their Spiritual Condition and never to give them rest until you have with God's help cur'd their Ignorance and Vices or find them incurable Lose not therefore a minute of that precious Time make it as long a day as any of the rest and when it is done long for another Sabbath And heartily bless the Lord that he hath given you such a merciful Release from the Labours of your Body and the Cares of your Mind and withal blest you with a market-Market-day for your Souls I say bless him and let the Voice of Praise and singing Psalms be heard in the Righteous Man's Dwellings A joyful Sabbath is the Suburbs of Heaven 7. This Religion will oblige the Tradesman to the practice of constant Watchfulness Which is a continual care to please God in your Thoughts Words and Actions and that you offend him not in any of them And herein lies much of the Essence and Life of Practical Religion as preventive Physick is much better than curing and Obedience better than Sacrifice For they that have such sinful Hearts within them and such a wicked World and malicious Devil without them had need to watch as well as pray against Temptation Above all keeping keep the Heart Prov. 4. 23. quench the first Sparks of Sin there O quench them quickly and know that as Light only excludes Darkness so it is impossible to keep out bad Thoughts without the Prevalence of good ones Watch over your Words and consider what and how and why you speak and indeavour not only to speak what is lawful but what is useful remember that Words are like Arrows when once out you know not where they may light especially be careful of them before your Children And for your Actions take a wise Man's Counsel Prov. 4. 26. Ponder the Path of thy Feet and let all thy Ways be established And especially watch against the Temptations of your particular Calling for every Trade hath some particular Snare as every Constitution hath some particular Sin and it is the Wisdom of a Man to keep constant Watch against it But the Temptations that are most common to all Trades are either Debnuchery on the one hand or Worldliness on the other Your greatest Temptation to the former besides what is common to you with other Men is the obliging of your Customers or Chapmen when to get or keep them you will break with God distemper your Body Head Hear tand all Now how can you expect that Gain to be blessed which is procur'd by Sin No no if you deal with wise Men it is the Punctualness of your Word the Goodness and Cheapness of your Commodity that will oblige them sufficiently and sooner or later I am sure this will do the business but if you deal with Fools whom Wine and Drink do chiefly oblige they 'l disappoint you at last and leave you in the lurch And on the other hand Take heed of Worldliness beware of the love of Money or of loving the World for its own sake For the love of Money is the root of all Evil 1 Tim. 6. 10. It is not the greatness of an Estate but the nearness of it to a Man's Heart which ruines him The Water under the Ship makes it swim Water within it makes it sink They that buy should be as if they possessed not 1 Cor. 7. 30. for the time is short And worldly Wealth will not stay long nor satisfy the Soul while it
sinful Idleness Consider this ye younger Tradesmen and provide for the future Spend not your Estates as fast as ye get them Go to the Ant thou Fool and consider her Ways and be wise There is a time to get and a time to spend Eccles 3. 6. And therefore now imploy your Parts your Strength your Opportunities to make competent Provision for a time of Sickness Now rise up that then you may lie in Bed run now that then you may keep your Chair labour now that then you may rest And beware of all Intemperance and hurtful Lusts whereby Nature is weakened and a Door opened to many Informities lest you remove to the Hospital at last Sobriety and Piety will be Health to your Navel and Marrow to your Bones Then will you have the Comfort of your former Integrity when you will receive but little from your present Indisposition your Calling and you must part there is no remedy But you will Ask May not a Tradesman tho yet of some competent Abilities of Mind and Body lay aside his Calling when he hath gotten a sufficient Estate for himself and Family Nay should he not in that case do it thereby to have some Injoyment of his Labours and also to give place to young Traders to improve their Talents I Answer Yes he may provided he intend not to be unserviceable in the World but to imploy his Parts his Abilities and his Estate some way to the good of Mankind He may rather chuse a Country-Life and God forbid he should be denied after his wearisom Imployment the comfort of it But then he must not say to his Soul Soul thou hast much Goods laid up for many Years take thine Ease eat arink and be merry He must not lay up Dainties and Treasures only for himself but must be rich towards God Luke 12. 20. Indeed he must not only aim at Ease but at Leisure to prepare himself for the World to come And I conceive that the Tradesman who hath arrived at a sufficient Estate and is declined in Years not only may but should unless there be some other justifiable Reasons that do preponderate give place to the younger Tradesmen and not stand like great old Trees which hinder the growth of all below them He that conjoyns the common Good with his private Advantage will not be so selfish as to prefer his own unnecessary Emolument before the necessary Encouragement of many He thought it unreasonable in his Predecessors and therefore should not deal so with those that are coming after him And in this his Repose he should not only instruct young Tradesmen in the Vertues of Prudence Justice Truth and Piety but set himself to do all the good he can in the place of his Retirement and there lay out some of that Wisdom Religion and Estate which he had laid up before so shall he come to his Grave in a full Age like as a Shock of Corn cometh in his Season Job 5. 26. 3. When a Man is disabled in his Estate to follow his Calling then he is plainly released from it You must not give it up for every Loss nor for every Abatement in your Estate God is pleased sometimes to try the Faith and Patience of his dearest Children by Ebbs and Tides in their Estates and many who have been reduced to a very small scantling have recovered again in a wonderful manner But if a Man's Estate be reduced to nothing and that his Calling is such as requires an Estate to manage it then he is discharg'd he doth not properly leave his Calling but his Calling leaves him But it highly concerns this Man to review his Carriage both towards God and towards Men and to find out wherefore God hath taken his Talent from him He should consider whether he have served his Master with all his Strength whether he hath not liv'd in some Omission or indulg'd some Transgression or other Whether he hath imploy'd his utmost Wisdom Strength and Skill in his Vocation Whether he hath not been unjust or uncharitable towards others And in case he find himself faulty to deplore his Sin and implore the Mercy of God in Jesus Christ lest those Sins which drive him out of his Shop keep him out of Heaven also But in this case he and his Calling must live no longer together he is starv'd out of it and must seek another For God will not give his Consent that he should be idle He must be content to be a Servant when he cannot be a Master and to be helpful in anothers Shop when he cannot keep open his own And this is rather to be chosen than to wander into Imployments foreign to his own for tho it may be less creditable and more laborious yet he is within the Purlieus of his own Calling and if he can get Food and Raiment he ought therewith to be content 4. Lastly God doth manifestly discharge a Man of his Calling by Death This puts an end to all a Man's Cares and Labours and puts a Man from his Calling for ever His Wares his Books his Chapmen his Projects and he must part for good and all His Breath goeth forth he returneth to his Earth in that very day his Thoughts perish Psal 146. 4. This day will come and it often comes in an hour he is not aware of When God calls to the Grave all other Callings must be left Job 14. 10. Man dieth and wasteth away yea Man giveth up the Ghost and where is he He was wont to be in his Shop he is not there Where is he See in his Counting-house he is not there where is he Look for him at the Exchange there he is not where is he then why he is gone whither into another Country No he is gone into another World and his House nor Shop will known him no more Let my Counsel therefore be acceptable to every Tradesman 1. Set thy Heart in order this day defer it no longer break off thy Sins by Righteousness and thine Iniquities by shewing Mercy to the Poor-Repent of all your Sins from the bottom of your Hearts not only in the lump but with particular Reflection and sutable Grief for every one of them batter Heaven with your earnest Cries for Pardon and for Grace Settle your selves in a course of sincere universal and constant Piety-Live in the daily Expectations of dying and lay up for your selves Treasure in Heaven If you have done Wrong to any make them speedy and full amends whatever you would now regret if you were called this night to give an account of your Stewardship that rectify this day For besides the Quickness and Violence of some Diseases which give a Man neither Opportunity nor Ability to think or do any thing about his Soul your Death-bed Repentance allows you no Opportunity to demonstrate the Sincerity of your Purposes by actual Amendment They will appear to be only Bonds made in Durance Godliness out of Force not out of Choice 2.