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Stock. I tell you both muft fubfift together. Nay, the one must be the motive to the other. God commands us to be induftrious, and if we love him, the defire of pleasing him fhould be the main fpring of our induftry.

Will. I don't fee how I can always be thinking about pleafing God.

Stock. Suppofe, now, a man had a wife and children whom he loved, and wifhed to ferve, would not he be often thinking about them while he was at work? and though he would not be always thinking about them, yet would not the very love he bore them be a conftant fpur to his induĹ try? He would always be purfuing the fame courfe from the fame motive, though his words, and even his thoughts, must often be taken up in the common tranfactions of life.

Will. Well, I fay first one, then the other now for labour, now for religion.

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Stock. I will fhew that both muft go together. I will fuppofe you were going to buy fo many fkins of our currier-that is quite a worldly tranfaction-you can't fee what a fpirit of religion has to do with buying a few calves' fkins. Now, I tell you it has a great deal to do with it. Covetoufnefs, a defire to make a good bargain, may rife up in your heart. Selfifhnefs, a fpirit of monopoly, a wifh to get all, in order to diftrefs others; these are evil defires, and must be fubdued. Some opportunity of unfair gain offers, in which there may be much fin, and yet little, fcandal. Here a Chriftian will stop short; he will recollect," that he who maketh hafte to be rich fhall hardly be innocent." Perhaps the fin may

be on the fide of your dealer-he may want to overreach you--this is provoking-you are tempted to violent anger, perhaps to fwear-here is a fresh demand on you for a fpirit of patience and moderation, as there was before for a spirit of juftice and felf-denial. If, by God's grace, you get the victory over thefe temptations, you are the better man for having been called out to them; always provided, that the temptations be not of your own feeking. If you give way, and fink under thefe temptations, don't go and fay that trade and bufinefs have made you covetous, paffionate, and profane. No, no; depend upon it, you were fo before; you would have had all thefe evil feeds lurking in your heart, if you had been loitering about at home, and doing nothing, with the additional fin of idlenefs into the bargain. When you are bufy, the devil often tempts you; when you are idle, you tempt the devil. If bufinefs and the world call these evil tempers into action, bufinefs and the world call that religion into action too which teaches us to refift them. And in this you, fee the Week-day fruit of the Sunday's, piety. 'Tis trade and bufinefs in the week which calls us to put our Sunday readings, praying, and church-going into practice.

Will. Well, master, you have a comical way, fome how, of coming over one. I never fhould have thought there would have been any religion wanted in buying and felling a few calves' fkins. But, I begin to fee there is a good deal in what you fay. And, whenever I am doing a common

action, I will try to remember that it muft be done after a godly fort.

Stock. I hear the clock ftrike nine-let us leave off our work. I will only obferve farther, that one good end of our bringing religion into our bufinefs is, to put us in mind not to undertake more business than we can carry on confiftently with our religion. I fhall never commend that man's diligence, though it is often commended by the world, who is not diligent about the salvation of his foul. We are as much forbidden to be overcharged with the cares of life as with its pleafures. I only wish to prove to you, that a difcreet Chriftian may be wife for both worlds; that he may employ his hands without entangling his foul, and labour for the meat that perifheth, without negle&ting that which endureth unto eternal life; that he may be prudent for time, while he is wife for eternity.

Z.

THE HYMN,

O THAT the Lord would guide my ways,
To keep his ftatutes still!

O that my God would give me grace
To know and do his will!

Lord, fend thy spirit down to write
Thy love upon my heart,

Nor let my tongue indulge deceit,
Nor act a liar's part.

G

From vanity, Lord, turn mine eyes,
Let no corrupt defign,
No covetous defires arife
Within this foul of mine.

Order my footsteps by thy word,
And make my heart fincere ;
Let fin have no dominion, Lord,
But keep my confcience clear.

My foul hath gone too far aftray,
My feet too often flip;

I would not, Lord, forget thy way,
Bring back thy wandering fheep.
Make me to walk in thy commands,
'Tis a delightful road;

Nor let my head, or heart, or hands, Offend against my God.

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MR. Bragwell and Mr. Worthy happened to meet laft year at Weyhill-Fair. The were glad to fee each other, as they had but fellom met of late; Mr. Bragwell having removed, fome years before, from Mr. Worthy's neighbourhood, to a diftant village where he had bought an eftate.

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