and so he must be a servant unto all. Thus, as David, he may serve his generation by the will of God, Acts xiii. 36. Or whether it be in the ministry, so he is to be a servant of Jesus Christ. Thus St. Paul, in the behalf of all faithful ministers, "We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord ; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake," 2 Cor. iv. 5. Yea, the master of the family must be a servant to the family, else the family will not abide in good state and order.

See that you do not only labour, but that the thing you are diligent in, be worth your labour; join choice with diligence, and see that you guide all your affairs with discretion. Meddle with nothing, till you are able to answer yourselves this question, What is it good for? Is it my calling, or within it? or in the way to it? Does it prepare me for it, or quicken me in it? Does it make me work more cheerfully, or fruitfully?

See that ye do your own business, as St. Paul advises, 1 Thess. iv. 11. I do not mean that you should refuse to do business for others if they desire it, and that it may be for their good; but look, that what ye do for yourselves, or others, be confined within the limits of your duty, place, and calling. Meddle not with things beside your calling. God furnishes every man with abilities suitable to his calling, because therein he works for God; but not with sufficiencies for another calling, because therein he works for himself, or rather indeed against himself; as a reverend divine observes: for he that steps out of his calling, offends God, and so runs himself into danger. He is as a soldier, who having his station appointed him by his general, goes to another; or as a bird wandering from her nest

where she is safe, becomes liable to be caught in nets, to be shot, or made a prey to other ravenous fowls. As Christians, you must seek the kingdom of God in the first place, and do God's work before your own; but in business of your own particular calling, see that you not only abide with God, as not departing from him, or it; but labour for God, that so you may please him that hath called you.

:

Among all businesses, set upon that which most concerns you to look after, having an eye to God's command, and the good of human society and in the midst of outward employments, labour to have your conversation in heaven; and to do your earthly business with an heavenly frame of heart. Let not your hearts be taken up, nor taken away with, the things of the world, but set your affections on things above, and not on things on the earth. And when you are most diligent in the works of your callings, aim at the gaining of time and liberty for holy duties. In your working days labour and prepare for the sabbath's rest, and daily so endeavour, that you may gain time to solace yourselves with the Lord in reading, meditation, and prayer.

See that you manage all businesses without overmuch anxiety and vexation. Care and diligence may be accompanied with tranquillity of spirit; but not so with anxious vexation. I have read of a certain prince, of whom it is said, that he seemed always at leisure in his most serious employments. Be careful then in all affairs committed to thee by the Lord, but vex not thyself about them; for that will cloud thy reason, disturb thy judgment, and hinder thy doing of any thing well. The wasps and drones make more noise than the bees, yet make no honey, but only wax. So those that perplex them

selves too much about worldly business perform not any thing well. And in all thy affairs rest thyself chiefly upon God, whence all our business should begin. Commit all thine affairs unto God; trust in him, and have an eye still unto him; as those that sail at sea, who, that they may attain to the land they desire to come unto, look more up to heaven than down to the sea. Then God will go along with you, and bless and prosper you, that you shall not only get provision for your own families, but be able also to minister to those that are in need.

SECTION XXIV.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR THOSE THAT HAVE THE PRE-EMINENCE ABOVE OTHERS IN THE BODY POLITIC.

THAT man has no small business who has many under his charge. It is an high point of honour to be head and lord over others; it is also a high point of service. Here it may not be impertinent to set down the words of a grave divine and devout Spaniard, Avila, to his great lord, which are these:"Look upon the Lord of men and angels, whose person you represent. It is but reasonable that he that sits in the place of another should have the properties of him whose place he represents. A lord of vassals is a lieutenant of God. There is nothing to which great lords ought to attend so much as truly and cordially (and like men who live in the presence of God) to remain ever faithful and firm to him, without inclining either this way or that. And this will be easily performed by that great man who shall attentively consider that he is but the minister of God,

as one who but merely executes, and must not exceed the commission which is given to him. God placeth not great lords in the world to the end that they may do and undo what they please, but to execute the laws of his holy will; and though they may account themselves lords, yet are they still under the universal Lord of all, in comparison of whom they are more truly vassals than their vassals are theirs; and their power is as truly limited as their vassals' power is, as far as regards the dispensing with what he ought to do.

"Your lordship must consider, that as you are set as an eye in the body, so hath he placed you in the eyes of many, who take that to be a rule of their lives which they see you do. Make account that you are seated in an high place, and that your speech and fashions are seen by all, and followed by the most men. Take it for a point of greatness to obey the laws of Christ our Lord: doubtless inferior men will hold it an honour to do that which they see practised by great persons. Let great men consider what they do, for that will be followed, either to their salvation, if they give good example, or for their condemnation, if it be evil.”

I will add one thing more, namely, the speech of Sarpedon, to his brother Glaucus, which is worthy to be observed by all great men :-"Come on, brother, we are lords over others, accounted gods upon earth; let us show that we are so indeed, and not in name. Our work must evidence our worth. Those who are the highest lords, must, in point of good service to their country, be the lowest servants. Those that are above others in place, must shine before others in virtue ; those that eat of the fattest, and drink of the sweetest, and so have the best wages, must, by the

rule of proportion, do the best work.

And the ra

ther, that our inferiors may have cause to say, these are honourable persons, and they walk honourably; they are prime and principal men among us, and they are (as their pre-eminence in place imports) the first and foremost in every good and honourable action." So Sarpedon encouraged his brother, that, as two worthy persons, they might do worthily, which is worthy every man's knowledge that hath pre-eminence above others.

SECTION XXV.

OF THE GOVERNMENT OF A FAMILY.

THE master of the family is a person in whom rests the private and proper government of the whole household; and he comes not to it by election, as it falleth out in other conditions, but by the ordinance of God, settled in the order of nature. To the father and chief head of the family the true right and power over all domestic matters belong. If thou art in that place,

1. See that thou set up and further the worship of God in thy family. It was the resolution of Joshua, As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord," Josh. xxiv. 15. And to this end, do thou both pray for and with thy household, and also instruct them in the Holy Scriptures, and catechise them in the grounds of religion, that they may grow in knowledge, and may profit by the public ministry. Thus God commanded the children of Israel to walk in their families: "Thou shalt teach these things diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them, when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by