SERM. upon the fame account of conscience toward God, do exact LII. no lefs. If he that hath one talent, and he that hath ten, must both improve them for God's intereft; then he that hath two, or three, or more, is obliged to the fame duty proportionably. Every one fhould confider the world as the family of Eph. iii. 15. that great Paterfamilias, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, and himself as an officer or servant therein, by God's will and defignation constituted in that employment, into which Providence hath cast him; to confer, in his order and way, somewhat toward a provision for the maintenance of himself, and of his fellowMatt. xxiv. fervants. Of a fuperior officer our Lord faith, Who is that faithful and wife fervant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them their meat in due feaJon? So the greatest men are as ftewards, treasurers, comptrollers, or purveyors; the reft are inferior fervants, in their proper rank and capacity. 45. Luke xii. 42. 33. And he that with diligence performeth his respective duty (be it high and honourable, or mean and contemptible in outward appearance) will please God, as keeping good order, and as being useful to his fervice; fo that, upon 1 Cor. xiv. the reckoning, God will fay to him, Well done, good and Matt. xxv. faithful fervant, thou haft been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. But he that doeth otherwise (behaving himself carelessly or fluggishly in his business) will offend God, as committing diforder, and as being unprofitable. 21. 11. He committeth disorder, according to that of St. Paul; 2 Theff. iii. We hear there are fome, which walk among you diforderly, not working at all. His fentence and doom will be, acMatt. xxv. cording to our Lord, O thou wicked and slothful fervantCaft the unprofitable fervant into utter darkness; which words are spoken in relation to one, who being a flatterer, or fluggard in his calling, did not improve the fpecial 26, 30. talent intrusted with him for God's fervice. In fine, if we are conscientiously industrious in our vo cation, we fhall affuredly find the bleffing of God thereon; SERM. and that he thereby will convey good fuccefs, comfort, LII. competent wealth, a fair reputation, all defirable good unto us; for as all these things are promised to industry, fo the promise especially doth belong to that industry, which a man doth exercise in an orderly courfe of action in his own way; or rather in God's way, wherein divine Providence hath fet him. xiii. 11. An irregular or impertinent laboriousness, out of a man's calling or sphere; a being diligent in other men's affairs, invading their office, (as if I a priest will be trading, a layman preaching,) may not claim the benefit of those promises, or the bleffings of industry: but a husbandman, who, with confcientious regard to God, and confidence Prov. x. 4. in him, is painful in tilling his ground, may expect a good crop; a merchant, who (upon the fame principle, with the like difpofition) earnestly followeth his trade, may hope for fafe voyages and good markets; a prince carefully minding his affairs may look for peace and profperity to his country; a scholar studying hard may be well affured of getting knowledge, and finding truth; all, who with honeft diligence conftantly do pursue their business, may confidently and cheerfully hope to reap the advantages fuitable to it from the favourable bleffing of God. So that we have all reafon to obferve the Apoftle's precept, Not to be flothful in bufinefs. I should apply this doctrine to our own cafe, urging its practice by confiderations peculiar to our vocation: but having already paffed the bounds of time, I reserve the doing it to another opportunity. 23. Heb. xiii. Now the God of peace fanctify you wholly, and make 1 Theff. v. you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleafing in his fight, through our 20. bleffed Saviour Jefus Chrift; to whom for ever be all glory and praise. Amen. SERMON LIII. OF INDUSTRY IN OUR PARTICULAR CALLING, ROM. xii. II. Not flothful in business. SERM. I HAVE largely treated upon the duty recommended in LIII. this precept, and urged the obfervance of it in general, at a diftance: I now intend more particularly and closely to apply it, in reference to those perfons who seem more especially obliged to it, and whose obferving it may prove of greatest consequence to public good; the which application may also be most suitable and profitable to this audience. Those perfons are of two forts; the one Gentlemen, the other Scholars. I. The first place, as civility demandeth, we affign to Gentlemen, or perfons of eminent rank in the world, well allied, graced with honour, and furnished with wealth: the which fort of perfons I conceive in a high degree obliged to exercise industry in business. This at first hearing may seem a little paradoxical and ftrange; for who have lefs bufinefs than Gentlemen? who do need less industry than they? He that hath a fair eftate, and can live on his means, what hath he to do, what labour or trouble can be exacted of him, what hath he to think on, or trouble his head with, but how to invent recreations and pastimes to divert himself, and spend his waste leisure pleasantly? Why fhould not he be allowed to enjoy himself, and the benefits which na LIII. ture or fortune have freely dispensed to him, as he thinketh SERM. best, without öffence? Why may he not fay with the rich man in the Gospel, Soul, thou haft much goods laid up Luke xii. for many years; take thine eafe, eat, drink, and be merry? 19. Is it not often faid by the Wife Man, that there is no- Ecclef. ii. thing better under the fun, than that a man should make v. 18. viii. his foul to enjoy good in a cheerful and comfortable fru-15. ition of his eftate? According to the paffable notion and definition, What is a Gentleman but his pleasure ? If this be true, if a Gentleman be nothing else but this, then truly he is a fad piece, the moft inconfiderable, the most despicable, the most pitiful and wretched creature in the world: if it is his privilege to do nothing, it is his privilege to be most unhappy; and to be fo will be his fate, if he live according to it; for he that is of no worth or use, who produceth no beneficial fruit, who performeth no fervice to God, or to the world, what title can he have to happiness? What capacity thereof? What reward can he claim? What comfort can he feel? To what temptations is he exposed! What guilts will he incur! But in truth it is far otherwife: to fuppofe that a Gentleman is loose from bufinefs, is a great miftake; for indeed no man hath more to do, no man lieth under greater engagements to industry than he. He is deeply obliged to be continually bufy in more ways than other men, who have but one fimple calling or occupation allotted to them; and that upon a triple account; in respect to God, to the world, and to himfelf. 1. He is first obliged to continual employment in refpect to God. He, out of a grateful regard to divine bounty for the eminency of his ftation, adorned with dignity and repute, for the plentiful accommodations and comforts of his life, for his exemption from those pinching wants, those meaner cares, thofe fordid entertainments, and thofe toilfome drudgeries, to which other men are fubject, is bound to be more diligent in God's fervice, employing all the advantages of his ftate to the glory of his munificent Be 24. iii. 22. SERM. nefactor, to whofe good providence alone he doth owe LIII. them; for who maketh him to differ from another? And what hath he that he did not receive from God's free bounty? 1 Cor. iv. 7. In proportion to the bulk of his fortune, his heart fhould be enlarged with a thankful sense of God's goodnefs to him; his mouth fhould ever be filled with acknowledgment and praise; he should always be ready to express his grateful refentment of so great and peculiar, obligations. He should dedicate larger portions of that free leisure which God hath granted to him, in waiting upon God, and conftant performances of devotion. He, in frequently reflecting on the particular ample favours of God to him, fhould imitate the holy Pfalmift, that illuftrious pattern of great and fortunate men; sayPfal. lxxi. ing after him, with his spirit and disposition of foul; Thou 21. Pfal. xxx. haft brought me to great honour, and comforted me on every fide; therefore will I praise thee and thy faithfulness, O God. Lord, by thy favour thou haft made my mountain to 7. xxxi. 8. ftand firong: Thou haft fet my feet in a large room: Thou xxiii. 5. prepareft a table before me :-Thou anointeft my head with Pfal. xxx. oil, my cup runneth over ;-to the end that my glory may 12. xvi. 5, fing praise unto thee, and not be filent : The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup; thou maintaineft my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage; therefore I will bless the Lord. 6, 7. In conceiving fuch meditations, his head and his heart should constantly be employed; as also in contriving ways of declaring and discharging real gratitude; asking himPf. cxvi. 12. felf, What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits? What fhall I render to him, not only as a man, for all the gifts of nature; as a Chriftian, for all the bleffings of grace; but as a Gentleman alfo, for the many advantages of this my condition, beyond fo many of my brethren, by special Providence indulged to me? He hath all the common duties of piety, of charity, of |