fituation, and every ftate has its engagements;-calls upon us to exert ourselves, and to fill up the circle of our duty.

Some work then we, all of us, have to do; fome business to complete. But the difficulty is not fo much to convince our judgments that we are to act at all, as to engage our affections that we may act aright. Something we are always ready to do from the mere activity of our nature; but that fomething may prove at last neither agreeable to our duty, nor answerable to our pains. As all actions are not in themselves equally worthy, nor in their confequences equally beneficial; we should feriously reflect, before we engage in any work, what is becoming of, and what may be useful to us. For, otherwise, we shall labour on with a blind impetuofity,

and ruin ourselves by a perverfeness of induftry.

But if we give ourselves time to confider, we fhall find-what I am now to prove in the

Second place, that the works which are worthy of us here, and will redound to our benefit hereafter, are thofe of GOD that fent us. They are called his works, not only, because he has enjoined them, but because himself alfo performs them. Would we then know what we must do, in order to work the works of God? Why, the point is clear-we must do as GOD does. For as he has defigned us to be partakers of his glory, fo he has appointed us to be fellowworkers with him. That we may then be properly directed in our labours, let us look up to God, and act as we have him for an example.

Now

Now, itis extremely visible in the scheme of providence, that God constantly adjusts his operations in a regular, though diverfified manner, to the general good and preservation of the world. And fince we are ordained to act as fervants under him in the exccution of his gracious plan, it should ever be our care to perform with diligence those various parts of it which he hath committed to our charge. These parts are affigned us with our stations. For our stations are the allotments of GOD; and if we mean to answer his intention of placing us in them, we must labour to promote the welfare of fociety; for without the benefits arising from our various occupations, the city cannot be inhabited, nor the state of the world preferved: and therefore every neglect in the business of our stations, is not only hurtful to ourselves, but also an injury

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injury to the public, and a violation of the laws of GOD.

We are apt to confider our fecular employments in too contracted a light. We generally look upon them, as nothing more than the natural means of acquiring fubfiftence; whereas in truth they are fo many portions of the divine administration; and represented in fcripture as so many inftances of piety; the performance of which will entitle us to a reward, and the omiffion expofe us to punishment.

Since then we are placed in the body civil, as the Apostle obferves of the body fpiritual, for the mutual benefit of each other, and the perfection of the whole; it is every man's duty according to his circumstances to attend continually to that very thing, And "having gifts, differing accor

ding to the grace given unto us; whether prophecy, let us prophefy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our miniftering; or, he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with fimplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that fheweth mercy, with cheerfulness." In fhort: "Whatever our hand findeth to do," whatever business our proper station points out, we must not be flothful in it, but must do it with all our might, from a principle of confcience and fidelity. "This is wellpleafing to GOD; and at the fame time, good and profitable unto men."

But whilft we are employed in these works-the works of our feveral profeffions; let us bear in mind, that we have still a work, common to us all, of much higher