heart close with God, when thy hand is employed in the labours of thy calling. A faithful and loving husband, when he has been abroad all day in variety of company, yet when he cometh home at night he brings his affections with him as entire to his wife, as when he went forth in the morning from her; yea, he is inwardly pleased that he is got from all other company to enjoy hers: Thus doth a heavenly-minded christian; after he has spent some time amidst his worldly business in the labours of his calling, he desires and endeavours to bring his whole heart to God with him, when at night he returns into his presence, to wait upon him; yea, he strives to keep his heart with God all the day long, by often lifting it up to God in holy thoughts and pious ejaculations, which are an help, rather than an hindrance to worldly business.

7. Eye God in every providence thou meetest with in thy calling. Dost thou meet with any disappointment? See and be sensible of God's hand in it; all that are diligent are not thriving in this world; there are mysteries of providence, as well as mysteries of faith, which we can never fathom. Dost thou meet with a blessing? own God in all that good success thou findest in thy employment; say, with holy Jacob, Gen. xxxiii. 11. The Lord hath dealt ciously with me, and I have enough." When God at any time sends thee in profit, let it be thy care to return him praise for nothing is so acceptable to God as a grateful mind.

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8. Watch daily against the sin of thy calling, as also against the sin of thy constitution; and whatever temptation thou meetest with from either, cry mightily to heaven for power to resist them; knowing that whenever thou yieldest to a temptation, the Holy Spirit is thereby grieved, and the devil goes away in triumph.

9. Having used faithful diligence in thy lawful calling, perplex not thy thoughts about the issue and success of thy endeavours, but labour to compose thy mind in all conditions of life to a quiet and steady dependance on God's providence, being anxiously careful for nothing. There is a threefold care which the scripture takes notice of; namely, a care of the head, a care of the hand, and a care of the heart. A care of the head, and that is a care of providence, and prudential forecast; this is commendable: A care of the hand, and this is a care of diligence and industry; this is profitable: But then there is the care of the heart, which is a care of diffidence and distrust, a care of anxiety and perturbation of mind; that is culpable and exceeding sinful. See Matt. vi. 31-34.

10. Resolve in thy mind to be chearful and contended with thy portion (little or much) which God, as a blessing upon thy endeavours, allots unto thee. Be content, not because thou canst not have it otherwise, but from an approbation of the divine appointment. Necessity was the heathen schoolmaster to teach contentment, but faith must be the christian's. Phil. iv. 11, 12. "I have learnt, says the holy apostle, (not at the feet of Gamaliel, but in the school of Christ both how to be abased, and how to abound, how to be full, and how to be empty; yea, I know in whatsoever-state I am, therewith to be content. How are some Christian minds, like musical instruments, quite out of tune with every change of weather? But it is an even composedness of mind in all conditions of life that glorifies God, and is advantageous to ourselves. 1 Tim. vi. 16. " Godliness with contentment is great gain." Not godliness with an estate, but godliness with contentment.

CHAP. VI.

Of glorifying God in our lawful Recreations.

IT

T being impossible for the mind of man to be always intent upon business, and for the body to be exercised in continual labours, the wisdom of God has therefore adjudged some diversion and recreation (the better to fit both body and mind for the service of their maker) to be both needful and expedient: such is the constitution of our bodies, and the complexion of our minds, that neither of them can endure a constant toil without some relaxation and delighting diversion. As a bow if always bent, will prove sluggish and unserviceable: in like manner will a christian's mind, if always intent upon the best things: the arrow of devotion will soon flag, and fly but slowly towards heaven. A wise and good man perhaps could wish that his body needed no such diversion; but finding his body tire and grow weary, he is forced to give way to reason, and let religion choose such recreations as are healthful, short, recreative, and proper to refresh both mind and body: To which purposes, the following cautions may be necessary :

1. Look that your recreations be lawful, and such as have nothing of sin in them: We must not, to recreate ourselves, do any thing which is dishonourable to God, or injurious to our neighbour, as they do, who droll upon things that are sacred, and who make backbiting discourses their recreation, and the entertainment of their friends:

2. Look that your recreations answer the end and desire of their institution; not to pass time away,

which we ought above all things to study to redeem and improve. Surely no man needs to contrive how to drive away his time, which flies so fast of itself, and is so impossible to recover: But the true end of recreations is the refreshing the mind, and recreating of the body, to make them both the fitter for the service of God in the duties of our general and particular callings; therefore,

3 Be careful that your recreations be short and diverting, such as may fit you for business, rather than rob you of your time. He that makes recreation his business, will think business a toil. The end of recreation is to fit us for business, not to be itself a business to us.

4. Take care that covetousness have nothing to do in your recreations. Let your end be merely to recreate yourself, not to win money, for that will certainly bring you into a double danger; the one of covetousness and a greedy desire of winning; the other of rage and anger at thy bad fortune, if thou happenest to lose. Covetousness will occasion thy cheating and cozening, and anger occasion thy swearing and cursing; and thus thou makest that which is lawful in itself unlawful to thee, by making it an occasion of sin to thee.

5. Let not your recreations be costly and expensive: Some persons have spent more in gaming vainly than would build and endow an hospital, and maintain many families comfortably; little considering that they are only God's stewards, and must be severally accountable to him for every moment of their time, and every penny in their purse, which is consumed in sin and vanity.

6. Take heed that your sports and recreations be not cruel: we ought not refresh ourselves with spectacles of cruelty, in seeing either men or beasts need

lessly tormenting each other; that enmity which is among the creatures is certainly the effect of our sin: What a heart then has that man, that can take delight in seeing the dumb creatures torment one another? Is it not enough for thee to behold the antipathies which thy sin has put into the natures of the creature, but thou must barbarously make thyself merry with their miseries, who (in their kind) are far more serviceable to the creator than thyself?

7. Remember, young men, that God's eye is in the midst of you, when in the midst of your sports and recreations; therefore be wise and moderate in the pursuit of them; Do all things as in God's sight and you will do every thing to God's glory. Respect ought to be had to God in all we do, not in our vocations only, but in our recreations also; and the remembrance of God's all-seeing eye upon us, will have an universal influence upon all our actions.

8. Take an extraordinary care that your recreations do not engross too much of your precious time, which was given for nobler purposes: O, how sadly do some young men addict themselves to a life of pleasure, ease, and voluptuousness, unworthily wasting the flower of their youth, the strength of their bodies, the vigour of their minds, drowning in a brutish sensuality the fair and goodly hopes of a virtuous education, together with the honour of their families, the expectation of their country, and the improvement of their parts! As if Almighty God had placed them on the earth, as Leviathan in the sea, only to take their sport and pastime therein. Such persons being" Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God,” are certainly in a most deplorable state.

9. But above all, take heed of making the Lord's Day your day of sports and recreation: this is a crime of tremendous guilt. Wo be to that man who dis