were over them in the Lord, and admonished them; and that it was for their works fake] that they were to efteem them very bigbly in love.] The highest title that ever was put on Pastors,` was to be [Labourers together with Gad, 1 Cor. 3. 9.]

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And the calling of Magiftrates also requireth no small dili.. gence. Jethro perfwadeth Mifes to take helpers, not that he might himself be idle, but left he should wear away himself with doing more than he could undergo, Exod. 18. 18.

So the calling of a Schoolmaster, and of Parents and Makers of families, who have rational fouls to inftru& and govern, requireth afpecial diligence: And negligence in fuch is a greater fin, than in him that negle&teth theep or horses.

So alfo it is a great fin in a Physician, because he doth neglec mens lives; and in a Lawyer, when by floth he deftroyeth mens eftates: The greatness of the truft, must greaten mens care.

13. He that hath bired his labour to another (as a Servant, a Lawyer, a Phyfician) is guilty of a thievish fraud, if he give him not that which he hath paid for: Owe nothing to any man, but love, Rom.13. Hired labour is a debt that must be paid.

14. Religious duties will not excuse idleness, nor negligence in our callings: (but oblige us to it the more :) nor will any bodily calling excufe us from Religious duties; bat both must take their place in their feafons and due proportions.

Qeft. 1. But what if a man can live without labour; may: not be forbear who needeth it not? Anfw. No, because he is nevertheless a fubje&t of God, who doth commandit: and a member of the Common-wealth which needeth it.

Queft. 2. What if I were not brought up to labour; am I¤ bound to use is? Anfw. Yes, you must yet learn to do your duty, and repent, and ask pardon for living fo long in finful idlenefs. What if you had not been brought up to pray, or to read, or to any needful, trade, or ornament of life? What if your Parents had never taught you to speak? Is it not your duty therefore to learn it when you are at age, rather than

not at all?..

Qu.3. But what if I find that it burseth my body to labour may Inot forbear? Anfm, If it fo hurt you, that you are unable to 000 3

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do it, there is no remedy: Neceflity hath no Law: Or if one fort of labour hurt you, when you can take up another, in which you may be as ferviceable to the Common-wealth, you may chufe that to which your ftrength is fuitable: But if you think that every fudden pain or wearineß is a fufficient excufe; or that fome real hurt will warrant you in an idle life, you may as well think that your fervant, and your Horfe or Oxe may ceafe all their labour for you, when they are weary: or that your candle fhould not burn, nor your knife be used in cutting, b:caufe that ufe confumeth them.

Queft. 4. What if I find that worldly business doth binder me in the fervice of God; I cannot pray, or read, or meditate fo much? Anfw. The labours of your callings are part of the fervice of God: He hath fet you both to do, and you must do both; that is, both spiritual and corporal work: And to quarrel with cither, is to quarrel against God who hath appointed them.

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Queft. 5. But is it not worldliness when we follow worldly bu fine, without any need? Anfo. 1. Yes, if you do it only from the love of the world, and with a worldly mind: But not when you do it in obedience to God, and with a beavenly mind. 2. He cannot be faid to have no need, who hath a body that needeth it,or liveth in a Common-wealth that needeth it,and is a fubje& to God who commandeth it.

Quft. 6. But what if I find by constant experince, that my foul is more worldly after worldly bufinefs, and more cold and alienated from God? Anfw. What if you fhould find it so after giving to the poor, or visiting the fick, or providing for your family? What then muft you do? You muft lament the carnality of your minds, and beg of God for fuch grace as may fit you for your duties: And not caft off your duty, becaufe you are fo bad; but labour to be better, and to do it better. And 2. You must not judge of the benefit only by prefent feeling: But if God hath promised a bleffing to you, believe it; and you fhall certainly meet with it at the laft. Many a one thinks that to for fake all bodily labour, and to do nothing but the duties of Religion, doth benefit them more at the prefent; when perhaps in a little time, the fickness of their bodies, or the melancholy deftraction of their minds,doth lofe them more than they had gotten, and make them unfit for almoft any duty

at

at all. And many a one that think their spiritual benefit is interrupted by their callings, do find all Gods Promiles fulfilled at laft, to their fatisfaction.

Qieft. 7. But is it not lawfulto fet ones felf only to Religion, as John Baptift, Anna, &c. did?

Anfm. It is a duty to be as religious as you can: But it is alfo a duty to labour in your calling, and do all the good you can to others. The aged and impɔtent that cannot labour in a calling, are excufed from it: And they that give up themselves to the Magiftracy, Ministry, Phyfick, &c. muft meddle with no lower things, which would hinder them in the higher. But no man can be excufed from doing all the good he can to others, by any pretences of looking to his foul: For he can no way more furely further his falvation; nor cahe hinder it more, than by finful negligence and floth.

Queft. 8. But was not labour and toil a curfe upon Adam af ter bi fin? and any man that can may labour to escape a curse. Anfo. 1. Adam in innocency was fet to dress and keep the Garden. 2. The curfe was in the toil and the frustration of his labour. 3. And even that is such a curfe, as God will not take off, or remit.

Queft. 9. Doth not Paul fay to fervants, If ye can be free, use it rather? Anf. True: But he faith not, If you can be idle, ufe it rather. A free man may work as hard as a bondman.

Queft. 10. May not a man that bath several callings before bim, chufe the ea fieft? Anf. Not meerly or chiefly because it is eafie: but he muft chufe the most profitable to the common good, be it cafie or hard, if it be fuch as he can undergo. Yet he may avoid fuch a calling, as by tyring his body, indifpofeth him to fpiritual things ; or by taking up all his time, will deprive him of convenient leifure for things fpiritual. But he that only to cafe his flesh, doth put by more profitable employments, because they will coft him labour, doth ferve his felb, and caft off his duty to his God.

II. The figns of wealthy-idleness are these :

1. When men think it unneceffary for them to labour conftantly and diligently, because they are rich, and can live without its or because they are great, and it is below them. The confutation

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of which errour, I gave you before, and fhall give you more of it anon. The poor in fpirit,think not a laborious life below them.

2.When men have time to fpare: This is a most evident mark of Idleness: For God hath given us no time in vain; but hath given us full work, for all our time. They that have time to play away needlefly, to fleep away needlefly, to prate away needlefly, do tell the world that Sodom's Idleness is their fin. Efpecially poor fouls, who are yet unfanctified, and are ftrangers to a renewed heart and life, and are utterly unfit to die, O what abundance of important work have thefe to do? And can they be idle, while all this lyeth undone? Indeed if they are in defpair of being faved, it is no wonder: And one would think by their lives that they did defpair: For furely a man fo neer another world, that must be in Heaven or Hell for ever, would never live idly, if he had any good hope that his endeavours fhould not be all in vain. The poor in fpirit have no time to spare: Labour is their life: Eternity is fill before their eyes: Neceffity is upon them; and they know the wo that followeth Idleness: Repentance for fin, and negligence paft, is a conftant fpur to future diligence. And their work is fweet, and incomparably more pleasant to them than Idleness. If the Devil be fo diligent, becaufe he knoweth that his time is fhort, Rev. 12.12. it is a thame to them that are not fo, who call themselves the fervants of the Lord.

3. When mens labour bath but the time that's due to Recrea tion; and Recreation and Idleness bath the great part of time that's due to labour. The labour of the idle Sodomite, is like the Religion of the referved Hypocrite: It is but the leavings of the flesh, or fomewhat that cometh in upon the by. But God is not unconftant in his mercies unto us: He is still preserving us, and maintaining us: The Angels are still guarding w: The faithful Minifters of Chrift are conftant in teaching us (and loth that Satan fhould hinder them, and fave their labour :) Faithful Magiftrates alfo watch continually, to be a terrour to evil doers, and a praise to them that do well, as the Ministers of God for our good: And can a fhort and idle kind of labouring then excufe us? Chrift faid, It was his meat to do bis Fathers will, when he was endeavouring mans falvation, John 4 34. And that he must do the work of him that

fent bim while it was day, John 9. 4. And thall Idleness be excufed in us? even in us who must be judged according to our works, Rev. 22. 12. Mark 13.34. by him that hath commanded every man his work? Yea when we are redeemed and purified to be zealous of good works, Titus 2. 14. and are bis workmanship created to good works in Chrift, which God bath ordained, that we should walk in them, Ephef. 2. 10.

4. When men make a great matter of all their labour; and of that which to a diligent man is small. The fluggard hath his tborn bodge, and a Lion in the way, Prov.22.13.& 26.13,15,16. But the diligent fay, when they have done their beft, We are unprofitable Jervants: Nothing is fo weary to them as unprofitable idleness (except hurtful wickedness.) They think ftill, O how fhort is time! and how much work is yet undone! And as every faithful Minifter in his calling, is never fo well pleafed, as when he doth most for the good of fouls, fo is it with every faithful Chriftian in his place. A Candle if it be not burnt, is loft, and good for nothing.

5. The idle Sodomite bath a mind which followeth the affections of his body: And as foon as his body is a little weary, bie mind is fo too, and fuffereth the weariness of the body to prevail: Because the flesh is King within them. Nay a flubful mind doth oft begin, and they are weary to look upon their work, or to think of it, before it hath wearyed the body at all: And what they do, they do unwillingly, because they are in love with idleness, Mal. 1. 13. But the lowly and laborious are in love with diligence and work: and therefore though they cannot avoid the wearynefs of the body, their willing minds will carry on the body as far as it can well go. The diligent woman worketh willingly with her hands; ber candle goeth not one by night. Prov. 31. 13, &c. Servants must do fervice with good will, as to the Lord, Ephef. 6. 7. If Minifters preach and labour willingly, they have a reward, 1 Cor. 9. 17. But not if they are only driven on by neceffity, and the fear of woe, i Per. 5.2. What fhall we do willingly, if not our duties? He that fineth willingly, and ferveth God, and followeth his labour wi ingly, fhall be rewarded according to bi will.

6. The idle Sodomite doth love and chufe that kind of life which is cafiaft, and hath leaft work to be den:. This is the

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