finess that is neceffary, charitable or profitable, in order to any of thofe Ends, which we are bound to answer, is the doing God's Work, who has given the good things of the World to ferve the Needs of Nature, by the Toil of the Ploughman, the Skill of the Artificer, and the Traffick of the Merchant: These Men are the Minifters of Divine Providence, and the Stewards of the Creation. Thus a King, a Judge, a Priest, a Lawyer, a Phyfician, doing the Work of their Offices, according to their proper Rules, are doing the Work of God, in ferving thofe Neceffities which God has made, and made no Provifion for them but by their Ministry. can complain that his Profeffion takes him off from Religion; his Profeffion itfelf is God's Service, and if it be moderately purfu'd, and according to the Rules of Christian Prudence, it will leave void Spaces enough for publick and private Devotions.

No Man

Who is it that can pretend to be idle for want of having fomething to do? Who is there that can fay he has no Leifure for Prayer and Meditation? He that has the most Business may so order it, that he shall serve God in his very Business, and find vacant Hours for Divine Worship.

What furer Remedy is there against Wantonness, Softness and Effeminacy, than Labour and Industry? To the Laborious there is fcarce any Paffage open for the Enemy, Temptation is forced to fleal upon them; but it comes upon the Idle barefaced, and with the Impudence of a reftlefs Importunity.

Idleness is the Burial of a living Man? an idle Perfon being fo useless to any Purposes of God and Man that like one that is dead he is unconcern'd in the Changes and Neceffities of the World, and lives only to waste his Time and eat the Fruits of the Earth; like a Vermin or a Wolf, when their Time comes they die and perish, and in the mean while do no Good; they neither plough, nor carry Burdens; all they do is either unprofitable or mischievous.

There

There is no greater Prodigal than the lazy Man; he throws away that which is invaluable, in respect of its prefent Ufe, and irreparable when it is paft. No Power of Art or Nature can recover it; wherefore it must be the greatest Folly imaginable not to improve it to our utmost ; to help us in which, we may observe and practise the following Rules,

Let us accuftom ourselves when we awake in the Morning to think firft upon God; let our laft Thoughts at Night be the fame, and what we may do for his Service. Let us fleep away no more of our precious Time than is necessary for our Health. The Glory of the Morning Sun is fufficient to invite the Sluggard from his Down, did not his Duty fummon him to leave it.

Whatever our Profeffions are, we fhould be diligent in them, and give none of thofe Hours to Idleness or Diverfion, which Prudence and good Husbandry dedicate to them.

When we have answered what we owe to the common Cares of Life, in our feveral Employments, we owe the Intervals of our Time to our Creator. Not that we may not divert ourselves innocently, to refresh the Soul, and make it the livelier in its other Ope rations. The Delight good Men take in Praying, Reading, and Meditation, is enough of itfelf to recommend it; and the Exercise of Works of Charity, Friendliness, and Neighbourhood, is so pleasant to a Human Mind, that like Virtue, 'tis its own Reward. Shall we forget to call upon God to relieve our Neceflities, and to praise him for his continued Goodness? Can we rife, can we lie down, without Raptures of grateful Devotion?

'Tis Matter of great Lamentation to fee how our folemn Fafts and Festivals are loiter'd away, instead of being spent in Prayer and Praises. Better for the

Husbandman to follow his Plough, and the Artificer his Trade, than to do nothing, or to do wickedly. Such Days fhould be devoted to Works of Religion and Charity instead of which, our Fafts are Festivals, changing only

only the Form; and our Feftivals, Days of Riot and Debauchery.

Let not the Jollity and gay Humour of Sots, dignify'd with the Title of good Company, tempt you to waste that Time, of which no Man can be too provident. Bufy Bodies are almost as Dangerous to it; they fquander it in Impertinence. One idle Babler may be the Lofs of many Mens Time, and the talkative Fool is not more guilty than the patient. Avoid alike fuch Triflers, and the Laughers, that are indebted for their Mirth to the Fumes of Wine; False is that Mirth, and the Wit that makes it. Sobriety reftores them to their native Dulness, and they seem not to have any Souls, any longer than they are fodden.

Never make yourself of any Parties to pass the Time only; think that a Day well spent may be the Day of your Salvation. Is not Eternity of Joy worth the Sacrifice of a few Hours? Remember they were given you to make your Peace with the offended Majefty of Heaven to pray for Pardon, and to lay up a Treafure of good Works against the great Day of Account, for all our Deeds done in the Flesh, whether they be good, or whether they be evil.

There is no Man fo much involv'd in worldly Bufinefs, but his Soul, in the greateft Hurry of it, may by an Ejaculation take a Flight to Heaven. Such Starts of Devotion and Piety are a pleafing Offering to God, who would never be forgotten by his Children. Thus may your Time be as truly improv'd by your Trade as by your Worship, and by your own fhort Prayers, as by the long Offices of those who have no Labour nor useful Employment to fill it up.

In whatever you spend your Leifure or your other Hours, let it be in fomething reafonable and profitable, fuitable to your Years and .Capacity; not in Trifles, like Children, or People out of their Wits. For a Man may be idly bufy, and the Time he employs in Folly and Vanity is as much wafted, as that which he

fleeps

fleeps or whiles away. If it answers no good End, to be employ'd is as pernicious as to be idle. Suit your Employment to the Dignity of your Perfon; remember you are a Man, and let your Works answer your Character. Mean or unworthy Employments are the Difeafes of Labour, and the Ruft of Time, which it contracts not by lying ftill, but by being employ'd in Filth.

Above all, take care that what you are bufied about becomes a Christian, and have no Mixture of Sin in it. He who labours in the Service of Avarice, or minifters to another's Luft, or deals in Impurity and Intemperance, is idle in the worft Senfe. Every Hour fo spent runs him backward, and the remaining and fhorter Part of his Life may not be long enough to recover what is thus mif-fpent. People of Condition ought to be very curious in what they employ themfelves about. Wretched are they if their Education has been fo loofe, that they know not how to spend their Time to any Purpose; if they are forc'd to throw themselves into Bafe Company, purely becaufe they cannot tell what to do when they are alone. No Solitude is fo frightful as that which leaves fuch Men with themselves; and nothing fo welcome as that which delivers 'em from fuch Company. They that have Learning know how precious every Hour is, and how to improve it to be useful to themselves and the Publick, in Arts, Counsel, or Arms: They that have none, should in the Choice of their Society obferve where they can make most use of others Improvements to those nobler Purposes, and affociate with fuch as will neither tempt them to any Vice, nor join with them in any; as may fupply their Defects by Inftruction and Example. Such as thefe may at least acquaint themselves with History, the Laws and Customs of their Country, and their own domeftick Affairs : They may learn OEconomy and good. Management, Humanity to their Tenants and Neighbours, may VOL. I. employ

C

employ themselves in charitable Offices, in reconciling Enemies, and preventing the Mifchief of litigious Spirits; and especially ought they to be well inftructed in the Leffons that have been already read to them, to lay out all the Hours they have to fpare from Acts of Neceffity and Charity, on Religion and Piety.

Thefe Reflexions relate chiefly to Men of Quality, not but they are many of them as ufeful for Ladies, whofe Time fhou'd be employed in fuch Works as feem to be allotted them by God and Nature. To take a Parent's Care in the Education of their Children is of late reckon'd very uncourtly; as if Quality was above Nature, and Title could discharge the Ladies from the Obligations of the Divine Laws. There was an Age when Women of the best Condition prided themselves in performing Chriftian Duties, in vifiting and affifting the Sick, comforting and relieving the Poor; but Shew and Vanity ufurp now the Places of Reafon and Duty. How unmannerly would a tedious Discourse be on their Duties, as Wives, Daugh

ters, Mothers ? Would they forgive the Prelate who fhou'd preach to them as one of the Fathers of our Church does Be courteous to your Neighbours, learn in Silence of your Husbands and spiritual Guides, read good Books, pray often, and speak little; learn to do Works for neceffary Ufes; by which, the Reverend Prelate tells us, the facred Writ intends good Houfwifry and Charity: Virtues that, rare as they are, fhine ftill in fome of our noblest Families, brighter even than Nobility itself.

Foppery and Wantonnefs of Drefs are of all things unbecoming a Chriftian Life; a worfe Employment Men and Women of all Conditions cannot be busy'd about: To indulge the Appetite too much, as it is prejudicial to the Health of the Body, fo alfo is it to that of the Soul; not only by taking up too much time in contriving how to regale the Palate, but by pampering