SERMON X.

On Occupation.

GEN. xlvi. 33.

What is your occupation?

ACTIVITY is the life of nature.

The planets rolling in their orbits, the earth revolving on her axis; the atmosphere purified by winds, the ocean by tides; the vapours rifing from the ground and returning in frethening fhowers, exhaled from the sea, and poured again by rivers into its bofom, proclaim the univerfal law. Turn to animated exiftence. See the air, the land, and the waters in commotion with countlefs tribes eagerly engaged in attack, in defence, in the conftruction of habitations, in the chafe of prey, in employment fuited to their fphere and conducive to their happinefs. Is man born an exception

exception to the general rule? While the whole creation toils around him, is he to flumber in fupinenefs? Man is born to labour. For labour, man while yet innocent was formed. The Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it. To that exertion which was ordained to be a fource of unmitigated delight; painful contention and overwhelming fatigue, when man apostatifed from his God, were fuperadded. In the fweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. By toil must thy daily food be purchased. To toil must thou look as the inftrument of fecurity, of accommodation, of comfort, of improvement. Such was the decree. And are none exempted? None. To Adam, as virtually including the whole human race, of whom he was to be the progenitor, was the mandate iffued. Of bread, as the reprefentative of earthly acquifitions among which it is pre-eminently neceffary, did the mandate speak. On every individual labour is enjoined. Through labour is every bleffing to be fought.

In the early ages of the world employments now confined to the loweft claffes were deemed not unbecoming perfons of the most elevated rank. The wearifome cares

of agriculture, and the humble offices of domestic life, occupied princes and kings. Thus fpeaks the voice of profane history: and thus, even on a fubject of comparatively fmall importance, bears teftimony, unsuspicious because incidental, to the veracity and infpiration of the Sacred Records. Of the wealth of the Patriarchs flocks and herds formed a diftinguished branch: and to the fuperintendence of flocks and herds was their daily folicitude devoted. Abraham, who was very rich in cattle, in filver and in gold; Abraham, whofe household was fo numerous, that he had already produced in arms on a critical occafion three hundred and eighteen of his trained fervants born in his own house; when he beheld three travellers approaching him as he fat in the door of his tent in the heat of the day, dispatched not an attendant with offers of hofpitality, but ran himself to invite them to pause and refresh themselves; and haftening to the herd, with his own hands felected the calf for their entertainment, while his wife prepared the cakes upon the hearth. His grandfon Jacob is now gone down with his family into Egypt. Jofeph, the ruler of the land under Pharaoh, forefeeing that the king, to whom his brethren are about to be prefented,

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fented, will queftion them concerning the mode of life to which they have been habituated; directs them, for a fpecial reafon fubjoined to the general obligation of veracity, to state the truth in its ampleft extent. When Pharaoh fhall call you, and fhall fay; What is your occupation? Ye shall fay; Thy fervants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Gofben.

Though Pharaoh, when he invited the brethren of his favoured minifter out of Canaan, had fent to them this express meffage; Regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours: though, after their arrival, he faid to Jofeph, The land of Egypt is before thee: in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell: the idea that they had hitherto dwelt, or were henceforth to dwell, in idleness, entered not the mind of the king. On their introduction he enquired of them, according to the reasonable expectation of Jofeph; What is your occupation? On their reply; Thy fervants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers: he affigned to them the land of Goshen, as fuited by its fingular fertility for the pafturage of their flocks which they had conducted from Canaan:

and having thus provided them with the means of continuing their antecedent employment, he added, in his conference with Jofeph; If thou knowest any men of activity among them, make them rulers over my cattle.

From every individual in his dominions, and from each occording to his vocation, Pharaoh looked for diligent exertion. From every individual among us, as throughout His boundless empire, the fupreme Lord of all, demands habitual labour in the daily employment of the talents entrusted to our management. In the emblematical language of the parable, the Son of God cries to every one of his profeffed servants; ·Occupy till I come. Let us then, in the first place, contemplate the motives under the guidance of which we are, each of us, to labour: fecondly, fome of the general lines of human labour as connected with their attendant temptations: and thirdly, the principal benefits immediately refulting from Occupation.

1. Whatfoever ye do, do all to the glory of God (a). Behold the universal motive of a Christian! Health and ftrength, whether (a) I Cor. x. 31.

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