SECT. 1. Of Prudence in a Trade.

ANd the first of them is Prudence, or Discre­tion. It is said, Psal. 112. 5. A good Man sheweth Favour, and lendeth; he will guide his Affairs with Discretion, (or Judgment). Now this Prudence is an Habit of the Mind, inabling a good Man to dispose of his outward Affairs, in the most commodious manner. It is not that carnal Subtilty, which teaches a Man to get an Estate by hook or crook; but that godly Wisdom, which is consistent with a good Conscience. When the Apostle, James 3. 17. mentions the Wisdom which is from above; he plainly implies that there is a Wisdom which is from below. And as the for­mer is the Gift of God, who gives it liberally to those that ask it, as Solomon did; so the latter is earthly, sensual, and devilish. Subtilty is nothing else but Wisdom degenerate; and Prudence is only Subtilty strain'd and purg'd from all In­justice.

Now true Prudence and Piety were always very good Friends. He, that was Innocency it self, commended a Serpent's Eye in a Dove's Head: Mat. 10. 16. Be ye therefore wise as Ser­pents, and harmless as Doves. Doves, not to hurt or wrong others; Serpents, not to be hurt or [Page 53] wronged by others. For this end was that ex­cellent Collection of Proverbs written, Prov. 1. 4. To give Subtilty to the Simple; to the young Man Knowledg and Discretion. A Book to be therefore often read by our Tradesman. Of this Prudence as Almighty God is the Author, so he is the great Exemplar, whose Wisdom shines forth in so go­verning all Persons and Things, that they all cen­ter in that great End, for which the World was made and stands, his Glory. And what Ataxy and Confusion would suddenly follow the want of it! And therefore let every Man in his place study to be like God, in Wisdom as well as Holiness.

For this is sutable to Man's Nature, God hath given him a considering Mind, a Sagacity and Foresight of the End he aims at, and Judgment to chuse out the best means to attain it, which he hath denied to other Creatures: Psal. 32. 9. Be ye not as the Horse, or as the Mule, which have no Ʋnderstanding. He that acts foolishly, acts like a Brute, and degrades himself so far of Reason, his greatest Glory.

This is also very creditable to Religion: What an Honour were Joseph and Daniel to their Pro­fession? to have the mighty Pharaoh say to Joseph, Gen. 41. 39. There is none so discreet and wise as thou art: and to have Daniel for his Wisdom, pre­ferr'd to Offices of greatest Trust and Honour. When a Godly Man hath all the Accomplishments that any unsanctified Person hath, and the Ad­dition of Grace withal, it is a manifest Orna­ment and Advantage. And since wicked Men in Scripture are so commonly called Fools, it should [Page 54] make all good Men study Wisdom and Pru­dence.

Besides; this Discretion in the Affairs of your Trade, will greatly contribute to the Quiet and Comfort of your own Minds. For when you have taken the wisest Course in any Affair; if so be that the Event answer your Desires, you have Comfort both from your good Success, and also from your discreet Endeavours; and if it do not succeed, yet the Comfort of your godly Wisdom may well ballance the Loss, or Disappointment that you have met with: whereas there is no­thing doth more imbitter our Losses and Trou­bles, than our own Folly that hath brought them upon us.

And lastly; this Prudence greatly conduceth to our Well-being in this World. As in that Psalm fore-cited, it is said of the good Man, that he shews Favour, and lendeth; and certainly his Dis­cretion inableth him so to do. And Prov. 24. 3, 4. Through Wisdom is a House builded; and by Ʋnder­standing it is established. And by Knowledg shall the Chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant Riches; built, established, and furnish'd hereby. And on the other hand, as many sink by their other Vices, so too many are ruin'd by their own In­discretion; no visible Leak, by which their E­states have run out, only they have been rash, wilful, and weak in their Negotiations. God doth seldom bring Men low only for the trial of their Faith or Patience; but usually they contri­bute to their own Misery, and will be proved Felones de se at the day of Judgment. Certain it is, if godly Wisdom will not inrich a Man, [Page 55] Riches are not good for that Man.

Now this Prudence is to be exercised by a Trades­man, in the following Particulars.

1. In Getting a full Insight into his Calling; so as to know all the Parts, and lawful Arts and Methods thereof. For as there is a false Sleight, so is there a true Mystery in every Calling; tho more in some than others; and Ignorance herein undermines the Foundation of a Tradesman's Success; Prov. 14. 8. The Wisdom of the Prudent, is to understand HIS Way. Not to be curiously prying into other Folks Ways, but fully to un­derstand your own. Some there are that please and pride themselves much in their Skill in Cal­lings that are above, or besides their own; and in the mean time search not into the Concerns of their own Imployments: but the Wisdom of the Prudent is to be understand his proper way, and to be skilful at home: Prov. 8. 12. I Wisdom dwell with Prudence, and find out Know­ledg of witty Inventions. What vast Progress might be made in the Improvement of most Trades, if Men did imploy their Brains within the Sphere of their proper Callings? as is evi­dent in the curious Indian Wares, and in some Callings at home of latter Years. Study there­fore all the Parts of your Calling, and be not like some raw Travellers, that are ambitious to know other Countries, while they know least of their own. Your Trade is your proper Province. Neither God nor Man will condemn you for your Inexperience, properly it is not Ignorance in other matters; but your own Vineyard you should keep.

[Page 56]And to this end be careful to improve the time of your Apprenticeship, and Learning, well: and wo to those Masters that do not faithfully teach, especially that studiously hide the Myste­ries of their Trades from their Apprentices, contrary to their Obligations in that behalf; for that is the proper time of learning, and of sto­ring up such Rules and Observations, as you will have use for afterwards; Prov. 24. 27. Prepare thy Work without, and make it fit for thy self, and afterward build thine House. It's then that you must prepare your Materials, and afterward erect your Building. And never be ashamed to be still learning of any honest Skill: For let your Stock or Diligence be never so great; yet if you be defective in Knowledg, you will prove like a rich Ship with a weak Pilot, which will come to wrack.

2. This Prudence and Discretion must be used, in a wise Fixing the Circumstances of your Trade.

(1.) For Time; for to every thing there is a Sea­son, and a Time to every Purpose under the Heaven; Eccles. 3. 1. There is a time to buy, and a time to sell; that is, a fit time, which a wise Man nicks. It's true, God hath in his great Wisdom hid future things from us, but yet he hath given to Man Prudence instead of Prophecy. And it is said, Prov. 22. 3. A prudent Man foreseeth the Evil, and hideth him­self: And as he hideth, so he armeth, he furnish­eth himself in the due Season; and musters up all the Wisdom he hath, in hitting the right Sea­sons of buying and selling for his just Advantage, without the publick Prejudice.

[Page 57](2.) For Place. It is said of the vertuous Wo­man, Prov. 31. 16. She considereth a Field, and buyeth it. So the Tradesman must consider, what Place is most fit and proper for his Calling, and fix there, and he must suffer the Conveniences of his Family, to give place to the Conveniences of his Trade, and permit his Fancy to be directed by his Judgment therein.

(3.) For Persons. You had need of Prudence to discern, 1. Whom to deal with, to wit, Men of Conscience, or at least of moral Honesty; and common Fame will usually acquaint you where and who they be. For such you may rely upon with more Security, than upon others; and it is more creditable to have Correspondence with honest Men, than with Knaves. 2. Whom to trust: Here you have need of all the godly Wis­dom that you can get; for Man is a deceitful Creature, and the Metal that glisters most, is not always the richest. It is with many Men, as it is with many Fowls, that look fair and large, but stript of their Feathers, their Substanc is little. As that Faith is often soundest, that is accompa­nied with doubting, at least with inquiring and questioning; So it is better for you to be at the Cost and Pains of a diligent Inquiry, than at the Grief and Pain of a sad Experience. It is most certain, that as it may be Prudence to trust some Persons, and Charity to trust others; so there are many, whom it is neither Wisdom nor Cha­rity to trust at all. 3. Whom to be familiar with. Herein you have need of your discreet Prudence: For tho you must be friendly to all, yet you must be familiar but with few; and they must be those [Page 58] that may some way do good and not hurt to you, or such as you may do some good unto. And even of these, you must not chuse too many, for your Imployments will not allow you time to perform those Offices to many, which are neces­sary in the case of Friendship. Let your Choice therefore be among those, that are of a grave and even Temper, and of greater Wisdom and Grace than your selves. For, Prov. 13. 20. He that walketh with wise Men, shall be wise; but a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed.

3. This Prudence must be shewed, in due Deli­beration about the Affairs of your Trade. For it is certain, that many Men, otherwise very inge­nious, are ruin'd by their Rashness, not duly considering with themselves, nor consulting o­thers in their Negotiations: And some also lose their Opportunity by too much lingring and suspending their Determinations; and therefore I propound only due Deliberation, that you be neither too swift nor too slow therein, but pro­portionable to the weight of the Affair, to its Difficulty, and the Limits the Business will allow. And herein, since Deliberation is only of the fittest means to attain your Profit or Content in such or such a case, I earnestly exhort you to refuse whatever your Fancy proposes, that is not honest, just, and fair. For nothing is truly profi­table, that is not honest. In these cases, con­sult right Reason, consult the Scripture, consult that Golden Rule, Do as ye would be done by, and then you cannot resolve amiss. But if the case will admit it, take a Night's time to deliberate; for that which is weighed over Night, and re­viewed [Page 59] in the Morning, will be in some measure, ripe for a judicious Resolution. I speak all this while concerning matters of some moment: as for lesser matters; we take it for granted, that our Tradesman is furnish'd with those Parts which are sufficient for the speedy dispatch thereof. However, in all your Words and Actions, I advise a circumspect Slowness, rather than too quick a Speed; which is usually followed with Repen­tance. Let every Man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to Wrath; James 1. 19.

4. This Prudence stands in Proportioning the Affairs of your Trade unto your Abilities:

(1.) Of Mind: So as not to over-charge ei­ther your Understandings, Memories, nor Hearts with your Business; lest they, like a Bow over­bent, be broke in pieces. Some have stronger and larger Capacities than others, but no Man's Fa­culties are infinite. A Ship that's well built, rigg'd and ballanc'd, will carry a great Burden; but it may be over-laden, and then it sinks: and so is it with the Mind of Man; when your Busi­ness distracts you, that you cannot eat, or sleep, or be cheerful, or pray, it's time to abate and draw in your Sails.

(2.) Of Body: That is, to undertake no more Work, than you are able to perform. This commonly proceeds from Covetousness, whereby a Man would grasp at more than his share; and thereby becomes a Slave to his Calling; and must of necessity either injure his Correspendent by disappointing him; or else himself, by over-toiling himself. You should therefore consider, that God requires no more from any Man than what is [Page 60] possible, and consistent with those Duties he owes to his Maker, and to himself. And that the holy God will never allow, that that Body which is the Temple of the Holy Ghost, should be a Drudg and Slave to the World.

3. Of Estate: That is, to lanch forth no fur­ther, than you can feel firm Ground under you. For tho in some cases, as when the Gain is cer­tain, or extreamly probable, it may be lawful and prudent enough to inlarge a Man's Trade beyond his own Stock; yet a religious and wise Tradesman must be very cautious in this matter; partly, that his Motives be right, that Ambition and Covetousness do not ingage him in it; and partly, that he venture not more than his own Estate, in any such hazard, as may undo others without their own Consent. But Discretion will teach the Tradesman to keep himself ordinarily within his own Bounds; for as that Water which will merrily turn one Mill, when parted into two, will make them go but heavily about: So that Stock, with which a Man may chearfully drive an ordinary Trade, will fill the Mind with anxious Cares, when it must carry on a far great­er; when with the same Straw, you must make a double Tale of Brick, and when the same Stream must carry a Vessel of a double Burden: And oftentimes the Story ends sadly; and he that was not content with his own Stock, must be glad to live upon others Charity.

5. This Discretion is shown, in Ordering a man's Expences sutable to his Calling. That as he should not live sordidly much below his Estate, nor be defective in his Allowance either to God, to the [Page 61] Poor, or to himself; so he may not, either in his Provision, in his Furniture, in his Apparel, or in his By-expences and Entertainments, exceed that Proportion which his Trade will maintain. And therefore every prudent Man doth calculate as near as he can, what his ordinary Income is, and thereby adjusts his Expences. The Indiscretion or plain Folly of many is evident-herein; so that, without the Spirit of Prophecy, one may easily foretell their Ruine. Some such Slaves to their Appetites, that the Belly doth immediately de­vour what their Head or Hands do get, never providing for a time of Sickness or other extra­ordinary Casualty. Other furnishing their Houses above the Standard of their Quality, while their Shops or Purses want Furniture, and it may be some of their Creditors, or Workmen their just Dues. Others, if not in their own Persons, yet in their Wives and Children, proclaiming their Pride and Folly, in being apparelled above their Condition or Ability, which is an undeniable Token of Pride lodging within: For tho Pride is a Sin of the Heart, yet it shews it self in the Looks, Words, Apparel, and Behaviour of vain People; who by these exteriour Additions with­out, do tacitly acknowledge there are some great defects within: whereas the worthy Man or Wo­man, so that their Garb be not ridiculous, but seemly, are no way concern'd about the richness or fashionableness of their Garments. And others run out exceedingly in their By-Expences and En­tertainments; not considering, that they are only Stewards unto the great God, of whatsoever Ta­lents are in their hands; and also Trustees for [Page 62] their Wives and Children, and for the Poor, and that no mortal Man hath any thing of his own. Now herein Godly Wisdom comes in and puts due bounds to all these Expences, and teaches the Tradesman to live rather somewhat below, than at all above his Income; because he considers, that it is easie to augment ones port and manner of living, but very hard to sink or abate in it; and he that begins his manner of living as his Ma­ster ended, is like to end as his Master begun.

6. This Prudence is to be used, In a frequent In­spection into the state of your Affairs; that you may know whether, and how much you thrive or lan­guish in your Estates. This is chiefly to be done about the State of your Souls; and the neglect of it, renders a Man either very uncomfortable, or a very Bankrupt in Religion. It is also greatly re­quisit in your outward Affairs, to take a Survey either monthly, quarterly, or at least yearly, of your Condition: Prov. 27. 33. Be thou diligent to know the State of thy Flocks, and look well to thy Herds; and so in other Callings: and for that end, to observe an exact Method in keeping your Books of Account, that you may readily and cer­tainly take a view of the Posture of your Affairs. If you improve in your Way; this will fill your Heart with Comfort, & your Mouth with Thanks­giving unto God, and you will be encouraged to drive the Nail that is going. If you find Things at a stay; this will quicken you to more Industry and Frugality, before it be too late. If you find that you run backward; this will oblige you to search by what Leak your Estate wastes; what Excess or Improvidence you, or any that belong [Page 63] to you, are guilty of; wherein you have not lived so soberly, righteously, and godly as you ought to have done, for which God may justly blast you; you will discern what Sin doth waste you: for as the Thief in the Candle wastes it more, than the pro­per Week doth; so it will cost more to maintain one Lust, than many Children. And by this means you may see a flat necessity of stopping and altring your Course, and thereby save your Estate and your Soul also. As that Man that is not welcome into his own Conscience, can be truly merry no­where in the World; so that Tradesman that dare not look into, and cast up his own Books, can look into no other Book with comfort. As we say to careless People concerning their Souls, they must give an Account, and therefore it is needful that they take an Account of themselves: he that judges not himself, will be judged of the Lord: So it will be far more safe and comfortable, that you survey your Shops and Books, than that Commissioners should do it for you, which is the common Issue of such Carelesness.

7. This Prudence is to be exercised, In Govern­ing those Passions to which you are most liable in your Calling. Philosophers place much of the business of Prudence herein. Passions are natural to us, and inseparable from us; the Government of them is the Work of Prudence, the mortifying of their Extravagancies is the Work of saving Grace. To be a Slave to them, is a Misery below a Gally-Slave. It was said by Abimelech, Whether is bet­ter for you, that threescore and ten Persons reign over you, or that one reign over you? Judg. 9. 2. Surely it is far better, sweeter, easier to be under the [Page 64] Soveraignty of one good God, than under the Dominion of numberless and tyrannical Passi­ons. The Tradesman is in danger of this Bon­dage, but Christian Discretion will curb them. He is tempted to Discontent with the Providence of God; the Wind doth not favour his Mer­chandize; the Weather hinders his Manufacture. He is in danger of Envy at the thriving of others, when he sees that they have more Custom or Cre­dit than himself. He is apt to be tost with the Passions of Hope and Fear: And your Prudence wil preserve your minds steady above all ground­less Fears and Hopes. For when a Man hath with his utmost Skill proceeded so and so in his lawful Calling, he should never torment himself with unnecessary and unprofitable Fears of the Event, either of that Affair in particular, or of his Wel­fare in general: No, you are in your Way, you have the Providence and Promise of a wise and good God engaged with you: Your Fears will not prevent your Disasters, but rather provoke God to inflict them: And the Passion of Fear was seated in Man's Heart only to prevent Evils, not to encrease them: and therefore, as it is a very great Folly to entertain or cherish them about Contin­gencies, when we have done our best; so it is the Triumph of Wisdom to check and extinguish them. The like also of groundless Hopes: For many a Tradesman is ruin'd by his vain Hopes. He hath some great Hit in prospect, some rich Unkle whose Estate he expects. Some remote and unaccountable Wind-fall or other, and in Contemplation hereof, neglects his proper Af­fairs, lives above his present Estate; and tho he [Page 65] feel his Decay and Wasting, yet buoys up his Spi­rits with these vain Hopes till he fall irrecovera­bly. Just like a formal Hypocrite, whose Hope shall be cut off, and whose Trust shall be a Spider's Web; he shall lean upon his House, but it shall not stand; he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure. Job 8. 14, 15. Now a grain of Christian Discretion will free a Man from these Follies, and ground his Fears and Hopes upon a solid Bottom; and so mode­rate them, that they shall neither prejudice the quiet of his Mind, nor disorder him in the ma­nagement of his Calling. But his most common Palsion is Rash Anger; sometimes at his nearest Relations, but especially at his Servants, and o­thers that he deals with. Now the more Prudence a Man hath, the less Anger. For Anger resteth in the bosom of Fools; therefore be not hasty in thy Spirit to be angry. Eccles. 7. 9. A Wise-Man ere he give way to Anger will consider; whether the Matter be a Fault, and then of what sort it is, involun­tary, or wilful; of what degree it is; and will also put himself into the Delinquents place, and will consider, that a Youth, a Child, a Woman cannot have the same Judgment, Capacity, or Consideration that himself hath. And that his Passion, which doubtless is a Fault it self, can never be a likely Cure for another Error; for one Sin never cures another: The Wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God; and by these Confiderations he mitigates his Anger, and be­comes slow to speak, slow to Wrath: He at least defers the Expressions of his Anger, till the Storms and Clouds being over and clear'd, he may with a calm Mind animadvert on their Errors both [Page 66] with Justice and Mercy, that he may be angry and yet not sin.

8. This Discretion is shewed in a prudent Consi­deration of the Contingencies belonging to your Cal­ling. These are of great variety, and the Parti­culars fall under the Observation of every Trades­man in his way. Now a prudent Man in all those Cases, considers what may fall out in this or that Country, this and the other Commodity, upon the return of such and such Ships, and what degrees of Probability there be of its coming to pass; and accordingly, disposes his Affairs to the best honest Advantage he can. In this sense also that is true Prov. 14. 15. The Simple believeth every Word, but the Prudent Man looketh well to his going. As a Mariner, the greater guess he hath of the turning or rising of the Winds, or of the approach of a Storm, the wiser he is, and he puts forth a greater or lesser Sail accordingly; so the discreet Tradesman, by the right use of his Reason, and of his Experience, and Observati­on, should carefully consider what Events may fall out, and what Effects they may produce, and thereupon either spread or draw in his Sails in his Trade and Calling. If there were in eve­ry Trade, a certain and constant Method and Consequence of Events, a small degree of Saga­city would serve the turn; but with many Cal­lings it is otherwise; and there is requisite some depth of Judgment and Experience, whereby to make the best Conclusions in point of Practice. And tho he know not what God will do, yet he studies to know what he ought to do; and rec­kons it better for him to know his present Duty, [Page 67] than all the future Events in the World: The Issue of things belongs to God, and what is not within our Power, should be out of our Care. If the way he took, prove the worst, instead of fretting at his Disappointment, he adores and submits to the Providence of God; and concludes there were some secret Reasons in the Divine Wisdom to blast his Expectations for his spiritual Good; he grows not sullen upon't, but buckles to his Business again; and resolves, that God may still do what he will, and I will still do what I ought.

9. This Prudence of the Tradesman stands, in Avoiding those Courses that have ruin'd others. Cast your Eyes abroad, and you may easily discern the Rocks that others have dash'd upon, the Quick­sands wherein others have been swallowed, and true Wisdom will teach you to shun them with your utmost Care. I will instance in some few.

(1▪) Bad Company. I mean such as are infected in their Morals, that are accustomed to Swearing, Lying, Sabbath-breaking, Quarrelling, Unclean­ness, Knavery, or such like Vices. From such, Prov. 2. 11. Discretion shall preserve thee, Ʋnder­standing shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil Man, &c. Such there are in all Towns and Cities, that drive a Trade of De­stroying themselves, and as many others as they can. Now if there were no such thing as Reli­gion, yet common Prudence should teach you to avoid these, as you would Persons with the Plague; yea, tho you should be link'd to some of them by the Tie of Trading, Kindred, Cohabi­tation, Country, or former Custom: for as none [Page 68] of these can justify your consorting with them; so none of these Considerations can ballance the Ruine and Misery which such Company will bring upon you. It is almost impossible to converse with them, without becoming like them. What Credit, what Profit, what Comfort can you get by such Society? Wherein doth their Company make you wiser, or better? Why, but it pleases us Doth it indeed please you? That shews your Na­ture is corrupt, your Palat is viciated: But were it not better not to itch at all, than to be pleased with scratching? What Scripture do you profess and live by? God's People of old, their delight was in the Saints on the Earth; they were Compa­nions of those that feared God; and if ever you expect to live with them, you must live like them. But what speak I of living in Heaven? Such Companions will make you unfit and unable to live in the World. Destruction and Misery are in their ways. They are not only the Shame of Christianity, but the Reproach of Mankind; they are Brutes in human Shape; and will none serve you for Companions but these? Are you fond of a Prison or an Hospital, or of the Plantations, or of Tyburn? for to some of these, such Compa­ny send their Comrades. And therefore for God's sake, yea, for your own sake, cast in no Let among them, let your early Prudence prevent your late Repentance.

(2.) Another ruinous Mischief from which Dis­cretion will guard you, is Suretyship. I will not affirm that this is utterly unlawful, but I con­clude that as few Men do use the Care and Cauti­on necessary in this Affair, so no Man should in­gage [Page 69] therein, unless, first, he be able to pay the Obligation without injuring himself or Family; and, secondly, be contented to do it without pertur­bation of mind, and with the same freedom, wherewith he pays his other Debts: For without doubt, the Surety doth take upon himself the whole Debt, both in Law and Conscience, in case the Principal prove either unable or dishonest. And which of you are able and willing to run this Risque? If you object, that without doing and receiving this act of Friendship for one ano­ther, Trade cannot be upheld. I answer, Tho without it, a Man cannot trade so high, which perhaps may be his Sin, and prove his Ruine; yet he may trade still in a meaner degree, which may be more safe, and prove as comfortable. And he that will lanch out further, if the Creditor knows him to be a Man of good Discretion and Integrity, he may securely rely upon his single Bond, with­out intangling another with him. If you reply, that he hath formerly obliged you some other way, or that he will take it unkindly to be de­nied: I answer, that you must study to oblige him some other way, and labour to convince him, that it is not want of Love, but the force of a Preingagement (which I would advise every pru­dent Tradesman to make) to some near Relati­on, without whose Consent you cannot, without Injustice, bind your self. For alas! this Person that now solicits you, may be more indebted than you know of; he may prove less careful and ho­nest than you imagine; he may be bound for others in more than he is worth; at least he is mortal, and may leave his Estate and you intangled [Page 70] at his Death, to your great Molestation, if not utter Ruine. And these are not unlikely Suppo­sitions, but whereof sad Instances are visible every day. Therefore before ye enter into any such Engagements, read that Counsel of a wise Man, yea of a wise God, Prov. 6. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. My Son, if thou be surety for thy Friend—thou art snared with the Words of thy Mouth—deliver thy self—give not Sleep to thine Eyes—deliver thy self as a Bird from the hand of a Fowler: And, he that hateth Suretiship, is sure, Prov. 11. 15. See also Prov. 22. 26.

(3.) A third ruinous Course, whence this Pru­dence will preserve you, is Gaming, I mean all such Games as make an in-road upon your Time, when they devour that time which should be imployed either in your religious or secular Affairs, or such as hazard any thing considerable of your Estate. For it is certain, that Gaming was never ordained to be a Trade, whereon to live, but for a Diversion, a refreshment of the Spirits, whereby Men may be more fitted for their general and particular Callings. And therefore such Recreations only are to be used, as do most contribute to the health of the Body, and refreshment of the Mind; and they are to be followed moderately, seasonably, and religi­ously, so as you may comfortably beg the Blessing of God upon them, and bless his Name after them. Fix your unalterable Resolutions there­fore against all vain, prodigal, and hazardous Games whatsoever. For though Drunkenness, Whoredom, Idleness, Injustice will certainly do it, yet these two Follies of Suretiship and Gaming [Page 71] may suddenly destroy those that use them: A Man may by these in a few hours undo himself and Family to all intents. Play for no more in any Recreation than you may lawfully expend upon your Delight, and can be content to lose without impairing your Estate, or the Tranquil­lity of your Mind; and never reckon the Estate you have your own, until ye have made Resti­tution of what ye have dishonestly gain'd there­by.

(4.) A Fourth dangerous Evil from which this Prudence will secure you, is Pragmaticalness or Cu­riosity, which is a busy meddling with matters which belong not unto you. You have business enough of your own to imploy all your wit, time and strength; either in the works of Piety and Devotion; or charity to the Souls and Bo­dies of others; of civility to your Friends and Relations; and of Industry in your own Callings. And there is no Wisdom in intermedling in others Affairs without a just cause, and a clear call: and God never calls you thereunto, when it in­terferes with the necessary Duties abovesaid. But especially beware of the Athenian Disease, who spend their time in nothing else, but either to tell or hear some new thing: Acts 17. 21. I know the Nature of Man is bent upon News; and Religi­on not only permits, but approves of our being concern'd for the prosperity of God's Church. But it is a natural itch, and not any pure devo­tion, which inclines most Men to inquire after such things; and much time is lost, much ha­zard is run, and little good is gain'd by this idle course.

[Page 72]Above all, be conscionably careful of tampering with State-affairs. You ought to make good the place wherein God hath set you, and by all prudent and honest means in your Station, pro­mote the Publick-Good; but let no pretence how pious soever, let no pressure how heavy soever, let no prospect how specious soever, prevail with you to dishonour your Political Pa­rents, to disturb the Publick Peace, or to im­bark your self in any design foreign to your own Calling, or unjustifiable by the Laws ye live un­der. Let Almighty God alone to rule the World, let the lawful Magistrate alone to rule his Subjects, and let it be your business, chear­fully to obey, or quietly to suffer. 1 Pet. 4. 14, 15. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ, hap­py are ye: But let none of you suffer as an evil doer, or as a busy-body in other Mens matters.

10. This Godly Wisdom will help you, To dis­pose your Outward in subordination to you Spirituel Calling. That is, so to order the particular duties which belong to each of them, that in the instances of practice, they may not clash or justle with one another; but sweetly agree and be fur­therances each to other. I know that some Cal­lings are of that nature, and some Tradesmen again so necessitous, that it is difficult to find Conve­niences for the Worship of God and good of the Soul. But Wisdom here is profitable to direct; here­by the pious Tradesman after a due consideration of all Circumstances, and of his necessary business within doors and without, fixes a time for pray­er, for reading, and hearing, as well as for work­ing and bargaining; and tho he cannot assign [Page 73] so much as others can, yet he doth it with a right good-will; and he takes care, that neither of these Affairs do intrench upon the other, nor prejudice the other. His Devotion disposes him for his business, and his Diligence in his business renders his acts of Devotion welcome. And it is imprudence as well as want of zeal, which occasions the confusion in Families in these mat­ters. The uncertainty of Time, or undue fixing of other Circumstances, doth commonly thrust out those Exercises of Religion, which if pru­dently and sincerely perform'd, would bring a blessing with them both on Soul and Body. But of these hereafter in a more proper place.

Let us now apply what hath been said on this Head.

First; By way of Reproof.

1. Of the great Indiscretion of many even Godly and well-meaning Tradesmen, that do greatly Err in some or other of the foresaid Cases. It's true, this fault is not so criminal as many others; for you'l say, no Man can have more Wit or Prudence than God hath given him; every Man is not born a Philosopher. But I say, many Men might have more Wisdom, than they had at first; they might have improv'd their single Talent, and made it double: For as there is Wisdom infus'd, so there is Wisdom acquir'd by means which God hath appointed; and for the want hereof, he may justly punish you in this World, however ye may escape in the next. Hence pro­ceed the ruines of so many Families; the Man, [Page 74] his Wife and Children brought to beggery. Here lies one in Jail for Suretiship, another for haunting ill Company, yonder's one sent to Jamaica by living above his Ability, another for want of keeping and casting up his Books, some for trusting, others for trading too high. All which might have been prevented, if Men would ei­ther get more Prudence of their own, or consult and be ruled by their wiser Friends. O that the Shipwrack of others might be as marks to the rest! That these Pillars of Salt might season all other Tradesmen to the End of the World!

2. But all this gives no countenance, but ra­ther reproves the Carnal Policy of Ʋngodly Trades­men, who, resolving to be rich, will compass their Ends, tho it be by the undoing others, and of their own Souls. That have the subtilty of the Serpent without the innocence of the Dove; who have learned all the cunning tricks Satan or his instruments can inspire them withal, and so are able to turn and wind their easy and well-mean­ing Neighbour. This is Wisdom from beneath; and however you may thrive with it for a mo­ment, yet ye fight against God, whose Justice will find you out; oftentimes in this World, Prov. 20. 21. An Inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning: but the end thereof shall not be blessed. But to besure, without Repentance, in the never-ending World. And what will it profit a Man to gain the whole World, and lose his own Soul?

Secondly; By way of Exhortation. Then la­bour (all Tradesmen) for this Godly Wisdom. It may stand you in more stead than all your Stock [Page 75] and all your Friends. A Man's Wisdom maketh his face to shine: It makes him amiable, it makes him useful. But how shall we obtain it?

Answ. 1. Beg it of God. James 1. 5. If any of you lack Wisdom, let him ask it of God, that giveth to all Men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. Say not, I am a weak Man, a sinful Man; he giveth to all Men: Say not, I am ex­treamly foolish, and I need more than I have hopes to get; for he giveth liberally: Say not again, I have received abundance of Mercy already, and have not improved the Parts he gave me; well, ask still, for he upbraideth not, and it shall be given you. This course Solomon took, 1 Kings 3. 5. when he was entring upon his Calling; and the Lord readily gave it him, and threw him in Riches and Honour besides.

2. Consult wise Men. For the Lord giveth Wisdom 'tis true, but not by inspiration, but in the use of means: The long Observations of o­thers may be made yours in a few days, if you would be willing to learn. Do not think that you can grasp all the ways and rules of Prudence by your own Skill: Prov. 12. 15. The way of a Fool is right in his own Eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto Counsel, is wise: not only he that gives Counsel is wise, but he that hearkeneth to it. And therefore be sure that ye consort with such; rather chuse to be learning among the wise, than vaunting your selves among the foolish. He that walketh with wise Men, shall be wise, as ye heard before; but a Companion of Fools shall be de­stroyed.

[Page 76]3. Study for it in the use of proper means. Read God's Word, wherein are the mines of all true Wisdom, and particularly the Book of Proverbs, which is a Collection of such wise Ob­servations as may be applied to all particular cases. Read also such other good Books, where­of there is store, to make you wise. But add withal serious consideration of men and things, whereby you will vastly improve in godly Wis­dom; for every thriving and decaying Trades­man will be a Book, to teach you something: Prov. 24. 32. Then I saw and considered it well, [that is, the Vineyard of the slothful] I looked upon it, and received Instruction. Which brings me to the second Requisite, conducing to the right managing of a Trade or Calling.

SECT. 2. Of Diligence in a Trade.

AND the second Requisite in a Trade is Dili­gence. About which, 1. I shall describe the Nature; 2. The Object of it: 3. Some Inducements to it. 4. Make some Application.

First; For the Nature of it. It is a Christian Vertue, disposing a Man to use his greatest Skill, Care, and Strength in his Calling. It differeth not in substance from the same moral Vertue [Page 77] among the Heathen; but that, in a Christian there is a better Root whence it grows, and that is a sanctified Heart, a Conscience that stands in awe of God, and so causes the Man to stand in awe of it. And also he hath a higher End in his Diligence, and that is the Glory of God and the good of others, and not meerly for his own credit or advantage. Whereas the industrious Pagan, as he knows not God, so he cares not for him: but self is at the beginning, self is at the middle, and self is at the end of all his Care and Pains; and the unsanctified Christian is little better, but rather worse, because he hath greater light, and yet lives not up to it. That which distinguishes it from other Vertues is, that it con­sists in imploying all a Man's Skill, Time, Care, and Strength in a sober and moderate measure in his Calling; and so the extream on the one hand is Idleness and Carelessness, together with a busying ones self with other Mens matters; and on the other hand, immoderate carking, and slavish drudging. Diligence walks between these extreams. Next to the saving his Soul, his care and business is to serve God in his Calling, and to drive it as far as it will go: for he knows that his strength and time are lent him for that pur­pose; and that whatsoever are imployed other­wise, run waste. In short, the Diligent Man makes all the convenient haste he can, to dispatch his work upon Earth, that he may the sooner be in Heaven.

Secondly; This Diligence, as to the Extent of it, stands in these following Particulars.

[Page 78]1. In the serious Imploying all the Faculties of your Mind about your Trade and Calling. Your Fancies, your Understandings, your Memories, and all the acquired Improvements of them, are all to be laid out therein. In that, Prov. 27. 2 [...]. where the Holy Ghost commands that Men be diligent, he adds in the Hebr. Set thy Heart to thy Herds. So that whatsoever sagacity of Mind, depth of Judgment, quickness of Invention, soundness of Consideration you are masters of, should be here imployed. And tho in some Trades there be less need and use of these than in others; yet there is no Calling, but imploy­ment may be had for every one of them. And it is a great commendation to any Man, that having a rich Fancy, a clear Understanding, a strong Memory, instead of abusingt hem to Sin, or misimploying them in matters foreign to his busi­ness, he improves them to the utmost in his Cal­ling, how mean soever. And that this is your Du­ty is manifest from that, Eclces. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no Work, nor Device, nor Knowledg, nor Wisdom in the Grave whither thou goest▪

2. This Diligence requires the Imploying all your Strength of Body in the business of your Trades. Have you a firm Constitution, a vigorous Nerve, an able Arm, a strenuous Back? all these must serve God in your Callings, for he hath intrusted you with this Strength for this end. And this is especially requisite in the time of youth and health: God having ordained those honest La­bours, both to provide for a livelihood for the Body, and to prevent the distempers of the Soul: [Page 79] for the more laborious, the less lascivious; that honest industry spending those exuberant Spirits, which are otherwise apt to break forth in unlaw­ful flames. Besides, Sickness and old Age will come, when the strong men will bow themselves, and the grinders cease; and those that look out at the windows will be darkned. It's true, God doth not re­quire or approve, that Men should so exhaust their strength in the labours of their Calling, that they are left spiritless in his immediate service, when their work is done; but observing that modera­tion which is in every thing requilit, they should not be shy to lay out their strength in the affairs of their Calling; knowing that God accepts their Labour, and will by Food and Rest recruit them again. Man goeth forth to his work, and to his labour until the evening. Psal. 104. 23.

3. This Diligence requires the Imploying the sub­stance of your Time in the affairs of your Trades. As the Servant's Time is his Master's, so the Master's Time is God's, and not his own; and according­ly to be justly bestowed betwixt his Temporal and Spiritual Calling, Hours having wings, and every moment flies up to the Author of Time, and car­ries news of our usage of it. And here you have that commendable instance of Jacob, Gen. 31. 40. Thus I was, in the day the drought consum'd me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from mine eyes. And it is recorded to the praise of Ru [...]h, chap. 2. 17. She gleaned in the Field until Even and of the vertuous Woman, Prov. 31. 15, 18. She riseth also while it is yet night,—and per­ceiving that her Merchandize is good; her Candle goeth not out by Night. By all which Instances it is [Page 80] evident, that the consciencious Tradesman is bound (if health permits him) to be stirring early about his lawful occasions, and continue therein with a chearful diligence all the day long, except such time as his Soul or Body must be refreshed. For the necessary Duties of Religion, as they take up but a little time, so they lose none; and mode­rate refreshment must be allowed. But as Prayer and Provender hinder no Journey, so Meal and Mattens gain time, and waste it not. The Dili­gent Tradesman hath always something to do, either to lay in or to lay out, either to be learn­ing or teaching; his Shop or his Books are al­ways calling him. He is as wary in his expence of Time as of Money, knowing that his Time is but short; short for the work he hath to do for his Soul, for his Livelihood, for his Family, for his Friends, and for the Publick: And that it is also uncertain. For Man also knoweth not his time, as the Fishes that are taken in an evil Net; Eccles. 9. 12. That, death is lurking in some part or other of his Body, and it will be cold comfort, if it seize him out of his Calling: But, Blessed is the Servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing: Mat. 24. 46. He considers also that Time when spent is irrecoverable, no Prayers, nor Tears, nor Money can fetch it back again; and many times, that which might have been dispatched yesterday, cannot be done to day. As the Hebrew Phrase is, the work of a day is best in its day. And therefore let the diligent Trades­man be careful to fill his Time with useful im­ployment, and get the substance of his work done, before his Time and Strength be done; lest he [Page 81] be undone himself both here and hereafter.

4. The Tradesman's Diligence consists, in Laying hold of Opportunities. For if a Man be never so in­dustrious and painful, yet unless he be watchful to observe his Opportunity, and then swift to lay hold thereon, he is wanting in the diligence re­quisit for him. For oft-times great matters may be done in a small juncture of time. Hence some Translations render that, Prov. 22. 29. Seest thou a Man diligent in his business; ready and swift. As there are sometimes shreds of time, that may be improv'd to great advantage; so especi­ally Opportunities, which if caught by the fore­lock, will pay for all the care and watching for them; and if slipt, may never present themselves again. The foolish Virgins had a proper season to have stor'd themselves sufficiently with Oil, but then trifling and sleeping, they could after­wards get none for love nor money. Opportu­nity is Wind and Tide; an Affair transacted in a due season, is dispatch'd with ease. The dili­gent Tradesman observes these, and so sails with Wind and Tide. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the Heaven. And therefore is care requisit in a diligent man, as well as labour; and many thoughts more useful, than many words. Thus the Kingdom of Heaven is com­pared, Matth. 13. 45. to a Merchant-man seeking goodly Pearls; who when he had found One Pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought that Pearl. He spied his Opportunity, and struck in with it to his great Advantage: and so must the diligent Tradesman do, in what ever ca­pacity he be, always provided that he build not [Page 82] his Gain on others Ruins, nor purchase his pri­vate Advantage with prejudice to the Publick.

5. This Diligence is shewn, In Taking a due care in those that seem lesser matters. Many small mat­ters amount to what is considerable at length. A mean Customer attended, and pleased, shews the way to a greater. The disdaining to get, or save, or mind things of small value, is often punish'd of God, by bringing such proud and careless ones to a morsel of Bread. When the Creature groans under one Man's vanity or abuse, the Lord hears it, and usually transfers it to another, who will use it better. Plain and notable is that passage of our blessed Saviour, Joh. 6. 12. when there were only some fragments left of five Loves and two Fishes, which had fed five thousand People; and thereby one would think had done their part; yet he appoints his own Disciples, to gather up the Fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Now it is one thing to be thus wary, out of a penurious gripple humour, and another when it is out of a consciencious respect to all God's Crea­tures, and a diligent care to put every thing to its best use; as it's very likely that Christ caused these Fragments to be reserved for those that needed them. And a constant and careful respect to such small matters, will render a man able to do much more good, than a heedless person shall do, tho he be of a larger estate. God has promised, that to him that hath, shall be given; namely, to him that hath but two Talents, and improves them, they shall increase to four. I mean not by this particular to incourage any Sordidness, or un­seemly Parsimony; but a due regard to those [Page 83] smaller matters, on which greater do depend, or which by some few repetitions amount to great. By a due care hereof, many Persons have attain'd to a great Estate, and have done a great deal of good with it.

6. This Diligent Care consists, In Rejecting those Avocations which would divert you from your Affairs. In general, you should indeavour to be as much in your Shops, Ware-houses, or places where your most constant business is, as possibly you can: yea, ye ought to delight to be there, as every thing doth to be in its place, and to be restless when you are necessitated thence, until your return thereunto. For there is your place, where you may most confidently expect the Pre­sence and Blessing of God. Where did Peter and Andrew and James and John meet with Christ, but in their Ships, fishing or mending their Nets? As therefore it must be a weighty Cause, that will excuse the Clergy-man in his Non-residence, if ever his Conscience do consider that repeated charge to Peter, Feed my Sheep: Joh. 21. 17. So must it be a considerable matter that will justify a Trades­man's pleasing and reposing himself at his Country­house, while his Affairs and Family at home are left at sixes and sevens. How many hopeful Youths have been undone hereby, being left by their Masters to their own wills, and so in that unhappy opportunity trapan'd either by bad Men or Women unto all kind of Sins? Hath the Mi­nister the charge of Souls in his Place, which being a personal Trust, cannot be devolv'd upon ano­ther; and so have you in your Family; your Apprentices Parents confiding in your personal [Page 84] worth and care, have intrusted their Children with you; and wo to you, if by your Non-resi­dence they miscarry. If you be grown too high for your Trades, or that they be grown too hard for you, it is better to resign them unto more diligent hands, than to neglect them to the offence of God, and hurt of others.

This Diligence will also guard you against fre­quent, and needless frequenting of Taverns, Ale­houses, and Coffee-Houses, where a great deal of Money is wasted, a great deal of Sobriety is lost, and a great deal of Time is squandred away, which should be imployed in your Callings. It is hard to determine how far such Converse may be permitted; but it is not hard to perceive, that many Tradesmen exceed those Bounds, which, I do not say Religion, but a reasonable Diligence doth allow. And how many, which should be found in their Shops, must be sought in the Tavern; and others when they should be worshipping God in due season in their Families, are loitering away their time in Coffee-houses; wherein, tho there be no Law to restrain, they have no Superior to call them to account; yet there is an holy God who will enter into Judg­ment with them, if they do not repent, that is, amend.

The same Diligence restrains you also from needless and fruitless Visits. A due performance of these, is not only necessary in order to busi­ness, but also to the preserving and cultivating of Friendship and Alliance; but then Religion teaches Men to improve those civil Offices, to our own and others greatest good; either by giving [Page 85] or receiving some good Counsel or needful Com­fort; but it is the idle and useless Visits, which the diligent Man avoids; the Visits which are spent in ransacking all the affairs and faults of their Neighbours or Acquaintance, in correcting the Miscarriage of Church and State, in judging and condemning Persons that are absent, and so cannot make their own defence: Such as these, 1 Tim. 5. 13. Wandring about from ▪house to house; not only idle, but Tatlers also and Busi-bodies, speak­ing things which they ought not. The Diligent Man gives his Visits, but commonly they are short, serious and chearful, whereby he may both leave a savour of Goodness behind him, and a desire in his Friends to injoy him again.

This Diligence also excludes all bewitching Plea­sures and Recreations, which would distract you from your business. Such as are lawful, necessary, and sea­sonable you may admit; but if they insnare your Heart, or incroach upon your business, you must reject and answer them, as Nehemiah did, Neh. 6. 3. I am doing my work, so that I cannot come down: why should the Work cease, whilst I leave it and come down to you? Pleasures have their charms, but he that feareth God, shall escape them all. The diligent Man useth them, as Sauce to restore his Stomach, palled with poring on his business; and therefore a touch of them serves his turn. He tastes them as the Dogs of Egypt do the Water of Nilus, with great caution, lest the Crocodiles devour them. But I have spoken somewhat about these before.

Lastly, This Diligence will restrain all unsea­sonable Devotion. Far be it from me to dis­courage [Page 86] the Exercises of Piety: This Climate is grown cold enough in them. But there is a pre­posterous Zeal in some Tradesmen, and Women espe­cially, which draws them to neglect one Calling to further another. But the diligent Man considers, that God in his great Wisdom appointed the six days for Work, and a seventh for Rest. And tho upon extraordinary occasions we may and ought to devote some of this time to sacred pur­poses, as in case of Solemn Fasts and Feasts; and tho an industrious Tradesman may redeem by his Diligence some other hours, as for the Refresh­ment of his Body, so for the inriching his Soul, by reading, hearing, and prayer; yet it is no way justifiable, to neglect a Man's necessary Af­fairs, upon pretence of religious Worship; to l [...]t necessary Work be undone at home, just Debts unpaid abroad, the Family languish for want of Providence, the Shop languish for want of his Presence; while he runs from one opportunity to another, till hi [...] Estate be weakned, and his Credit s [...]nk. Doubtless there is a mea­sure to be observed in those things, and usually a Man is bound to pray and hear no more than will consist, 1. With his Ability of Body; for if the Bucket be once broken, it will carry no Water. 2. With hi [...] lawful Calling; for therein God is tru­l [...] served. 3. With time to meditate on what he hears; for one Duty must never exclude another, he that doth nothing but hear, will grow deaf with hearing; and those holy Exercises are but means, the end is still nobler, which is to live so­berly, righteously, and godly in this present World. And so much for the Particulars, wherein this Diligence is exemplified.

[Page 87] Thirdly; The Inducements which are proper to dispose the Tradesman to this Diligence are these.

1. It is matter of Duty. Those places men­tion'd in Prov. 27. 23. and Eccles. 9. 10. put it out of doubt. Yea the Holy Ghost doth link it together with the holiest Actions: Not slothful in Business, fervent in Spirit, serving the Lord; Rom. 12. 11. Ye are as truly bound to be dili­gent in your Business, as to be servent in Prayer; and it's intimated there, that you serve the Lord in both, and consequently it is a real Sin, both to be bewailed and amended, to be negligent in your Callings, as to be lukewarm in your Prayers. And in the Fourth Commandment God doth as well command Diligence in your Work on the six days, as Seriousness on the Sabbath, and pro­pounds his own Example to the same purpose; For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth. And tho he ceas'd creating, yet he is working still: Joh. 5. 17. My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. His Eyes are continually running to and fro thorowout the whole Earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them, whose Heart is perfect towards him: 2 Chron. 16. 9. So that here's the Command and Example of God himself for Diligence.

2. It is matter of Safety. An honest Industry is an excellent Preservative both from Sin and Danger. Most Men's Temptations overtake them, when they be out of their Imployment, or negligent in it. When good David had been sleeping in the af­ternoon, and walking too idly afterward, 2 Sam▪ 11. 2. then did he fall into that Temptation, that [Page 88] cost him so dear. You know the standing Pool corrupts, the un-employed Harness rusts; but he that is in the way of his Vocation, is most out of the way of Temptation. So it is also in case of Danger; if any Mischief hover over a Man, it is likeliest to seize upon him, while he is neg­ligent in his Vocation. When Ishbasheth was ly­ing on his Bed at noon, Baanah and Rechab smote him under the fifth Rib, 2 Sam. 4. 5. In all likelihood, it had fared better with these two Princes, if they had been studying and doing the Duty of Magistrates, instead of reposing them­selves upon their Beds. Let the Tradesman learn from others harms to prevent his own, up and be doing, and the Lord is engaged to be with you.

3. In respect of Benefit. God doth usually bless the diligent Man with Plenty. The Hand of the diligent maketh rich, Prov. 10. 4. For the thoughts of the diligent tend only to Plenteousness; Prov. 21. 5. Now a plentiful Estate is desirable, provided it be for right ends. If Riches and Honour be good for you, Diligence is the means to compass them: Prov. 22. 29. Seest thou a Man diligent in his Business: he shall stand before Kings, he shall not stand before mean Men: That is, he is sit for the highest Offices; he may aim at them, he is likeli­est to obtain them. We see Princes chuse out industrious Men for their Service; 1 Kings 11. 28. And Solomon seeing the young Man (viz. Jerobo­am) that he was industrious (or as the Margin from the Hebr. that he did work, or take pains) he made him Ruler over all the Charge of the House of Joseph; and you know how great he grew. If [Page 89] Princes see Men to be only wise, they suspect they will be too conceited; if high-spirited, too turbu­lent; if honest and conscientious, too difficult; if popular, dangerous; but if diligent, they are fit to be imployed. Now tho the ordinary Trades­man never expects any great Office or Prefer­ment; yet certainly his Industry puts him into the road of all the Preferment whereof he is ca­pable; Isa. 23. 8. Whose Merchants are Princes, whose Traffiquers are the Honourable of the Earth.

4. In respect of Comfort. There is a certain secret satisfaction of Mind, that always attends an honest Diligence. The Sleep of a laboring Man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: Eccles. 5. 12. He hath been doing the duty of his Calling, and that comforts him. I appeal to your own Con­sciences, and to every Man's Experience, whe­ther you find not more inward Peace and Comfort at night after you have been diligently imployed in your Calling, than when you have trifled there­in. And any cross which befalls you is better born, when it finds you in your Imployment, than when out of it. And if by the wise Pro­vidence of God you do not by your Industry obtain abundance; yet you have this comfort, of having done your Duty, which is the chiefest ground of all just Satisfaction.

Fourthly; The fourth thing then upon this Head is to make some useful Improvement hereof, which is,

• By Reproof,
• By Counsel.

[Page 90]1. This detects and reproves the baseness and sinfulness of Idleness and Sloth, whether it be in point of Care, or of Labour. The holy Ghost by the hand of the Wise-Man doth frequently lash this sort of Men. Prov. 26. 13, 14, 15, 16. The slothful man saith, There is a Lion in the way, a Lion in the streets: he fancies danger and difficulties where there are none. Then, As the Door turneth upon his Hinges, so doth the Slothful upon his Bed: The Slothful hideth his Hand in his Bosom, it grieveth him to bring it again to his Mouth. And yet after all this, The Sluggard is wiser in his own conceit, than seven Men that can render a Reason. And herein he did not beat the Air: For there were then, and are now, numbers of idle Companions, idle Tradesmen, like those Cretians, Tit. 1. 12. that were evil Beasts, slow Bellies, therefore evil because idle. Come to their Shops in the day, they are abroad; the Prentice saw not his Master since eleven of Clock; knock at their Doors at eleven at night, they are at the Coffee-house; come in the Morning, they are in bed. Is this to be dili­gent in vour business? Is this doing what your hand findeth to do, with all your might? How will you account for your Time, and Strength, and Parts? Why stand ye thus idle in the Market­place? Where are the old Roman Censores morum, Officers who were to examine and punish those that spent much, and labour'd little? It is said of the Manna, that if it were not gathered early, it melted: They that lov'd their Beds, starv'd their Bellies. This course will load you with Guilt, and ease you of your Estate; no Calling so high, but Sloth will impoverish; none so mean, but [Page 91] Diligence will inrich. I was by the Field of the Slothful, and by the Vineyard of the Man void of Ʋnderstanding: You see the idle Man and the Fool are wrapt in the same Cloak. And lo, it was all grown over with Thorns, and Nettles had co­vered the face thereof, and the Stone-wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well, I looked upon it and received Instruction. Yet a little Sleep, a little Slumber—So shall thy Poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed Man: Prov. 24. 20, &c. O learn by others Ruine to prevent your own. Conclude that Sweat is better than Tears, Weariness bet­ter than Hunger, and aking Bones than a gall'd Conscience. It was holy Mr. Carter's farewel charge to a Scholar, Cave fastum, ignaviam, Anti­christum. And one of the three things that wise Cato was said to repent of, was, that ever he had spent an idle day.

2. Be perswaded then,

(1.) To be diligent in your Callings: You have excellent Patterns set before you, the great God at work every day every where. Jesus Christ went about doing good: Slipt his Breakfast to be at his Work; Mat. 21. 18, 23. wav'd his Dinner to dispatch it, Joh. 4. 6, 34. Behold the Sun al­ways in motion, and rejoyceth in it, as astrong Man to run a race; Psal. 10. 5. The Moon and Stars, the Sea, the Rivers, all Creatures busy: Yea, go to the Ant, thou Sluggard, consider her ways and be wise. You have excellent Promises for your Encourage­ment, and severe Threatnings to awake you; you have undeniable Instances of such as have [Page 92] been raised by their Industry, and of such as have been ruin'd by Idleness: you have all Requisites to inable you: you have Brains, and Arms, and Health, there's nothing wanting but an Heart. Shake off then the Lethargy that hath benum'd you, mind your Business, revive your Love to your lawful Calling; reckon your selves to be most easy and happy in your Shops and Busines, and drive the Nail while it is going. But direct all to a right end, the Honour of God, the Pub­lick Good as well as your Private Commodity, and then every step and stroke in your Trade is sancti­fied. You are working for God, who will be sure to reward you to your Hearts content.

Withal, you must beware, lest this Diligence degnerate either into sinful carking, or into im­moderate pains, whereby either the Soul or Body should be opprest; for whatsoever is gain'd there­by, contracts a Curse which comes along with it, and without Repentance and Amendment, none of it shall ever do you, nor your Posterity any good. Behold is it not of the Lord of Hosts, (that is, by way of just Judgment) that the People shall labour in the very Fire, and weary themselves for very Vanity? Labour in the Fire, and yet for very Vanity! Hab. 2. 13.

And one other Caution yet, Let not your Di­ligence in your earthly Callings, thrust out the Service of God. For this, was Martha reprov'd, Luke 10. 41. Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and troubled about many things; but one thing is need­ful. You have a Soul as well as a Body; and both must live, and consequently must be fed: and the Blessing of God must be daily sought, [Page 93] without which all your Diligence will be ineffectu­al; ye cannot be rich whether God will or not. Observe that, Prov. 10. 4, 22. In the 4th Verse, The hand of the Diligent maketh rich; but in the 22d Verse, The Blessing of the Lord it maketh rich, and he addeth no Sorrow with it. Now God's Blessing and Man's Diligence are not oppos'd one to another, but subordinate to one another; that as the principal cause, this as the ordinary means; as the Physicians Skill and the Patients Care. It is only the Blessing of God, that supplies you with natural Abilities, both inward and outward. It is he that giveth thee power to get Wealth; Deut. 8. 18. He governs and directs the Hearts of others; he speakes a good word for them to the Conscience of thy Neighbour: He prospers thy Endeavours; for all Second Causes depend upon the First both in their being and in their work­ing: He rules all those Circumstances that must concur to thy Success; and he preserves and multiplies what thou hast. Hast thou not made an Hedg about him, and about his House, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blest the work of his Hands, &c. Job 1. 10. And without this Blessing, It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, or to eat the Bread of Sorrow: Psal. 127. 2. And therefore allow convenient room for Prayer every day; and reckon to go round about by Heaven, is the next way to Success, in all thy Undertakings; this is the way to thrive on Earth, and to be blest from Heaven. And this leads me to the last use of this Point.

(2.) If such Diligence be needful about your Earthly Callings; How much more dili­gent [Page 94] ought you to be about your Heaven­ly? If you should rise betimes to work, how much more to pray? If we should sweat to gain the World, what Agonies should we have to obtain Heaven? There giving all Dili­gence, add to your Faith, Vertue; and to Vertue, Knowledg: Again, Give Diligence to make your Calling and Election sure; 2 Pet. 1. 5, 10. If Riches do not, how should Heaven drop into your Mouth, while you are sleeping? What race is gotten without running? What Crown is obtain'd without fight­ing? I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the Air: 1 Cor. 9. 26. As Sloth is the evident cause of Men's Poverty here, so it hath the most general and certain In­fluence into Men's Misery hereafter: Few Men being willing to be at the pains to be saved; tho all the labour in Religion be accompanied with real Sweetness, and be like a Scholars Studies, tho they make his Brain and Back to ake, yet re­fresh his Mind, and he had rather study than be idle. What is it that hinders Men from reading, whereby to get Knowledge? Sloth. What from Prayer? from afflicting their Souls? from exa­ming their Hearts and Ways! Yea, from Consi­deration; or any thing that is difficult to Flesh and Blood? But Sloth. Shake off this base Di­stemper, learn of them that will be rich, what pains they take; they rise, they run, they sweat, they are unwearied for false Riches; and shall we sleep and freeze in the pursuit of the true Riches? In the Name of God stir up thy self, strive to enter in at the strait Gate, and work while it is Day, wheu Night comes no Man can work. Let [Page 95] spiritual Diligence accompany your temporal and out-strip it. For that's the brave Christian, (in holy Mr. Dod's Judgment) that can work hard, and pray hard also. And so much for this second Requisite to a good Tradesman, to wit Diligence.

SECT. 3. Of Justice in a Trade.

THE next Requisite in a Trade is Justice; we discourse not here, either of Ʋniversal Ju­stice, which the Moral Philosopher reckons to in­clude all Vertues in their Ʋse or Exercise; nor of Distributive Justice, which consists in a due Distribution of Rewards and Punishments, which belongs not to the Tradesman as such. But of that which is called Commutative, which is ex­ercised in Dealings between Man and Man; and of this also not only as it is directed by the Law of Nature, but also as it is adopted among the Christian Graces, where we shall consider,

• I. The Nature of it.
• II. The Necessity of it.
• III. The Extent of it.
• IV. Make some Ʋse of it.

[Page 96]I. For the Nature of it. It is a gracious Habit, inclining one constantly to render to every one their Right. Where you see,

1. Its general Nature: It is a gracious Habit. An Habit, and so rooted and fix'd in the Soul, and will exert it self when no body is present to applaud or to disgrace: an Habit, and so readi­ly inclining a Man to Actions sutable to it self. For neither is the Habit within sufficient, nor the Acts without, they must go both together: And then a gracious Habit: For tho Morality may restrain unjust Actions, and smooth the out­ward Conversation; yet it cannot breed in the Heart a love of Justice, as it is pleasing to God; especially when the Practice of it crosses a be­loved Interest: No, that the Spirit of God must work. For the Fruit of the Spirit, is in all Good­ness, and Righteousness, and Truth: Ephes. 5. 9. And then,

2. The particular difference of this from other gracious Habits is, that this inclines us constantly to render to every one their Right. It supposes that there is a Property which every Man hath in these outward things, and that the World lies not in common. And that an intercourse is necessary among Men for their mutual well-being; that no Man can so subsist of himself, but that he hath use or need of others. Then steps in Justice to regulate all such Negotiations, and teaches, and disposes the honest Tradesman to render to every one what of right belongeth to him. To Su­periours, Inferious, Equals, Relations, and gene­rally to every one, that he may be able to say [Page 97] with holy Paul, I have lived in all good Conscience before God, until this day; Acts 23. 1.

II. For the Necessity hereof.

1. It is every Man's Duty. For,

(1.) It is commanded by the Law of Nature. Those strictures of Man's primitive Righteousness which are left in him, do teach him this. It was an Heathen Emperour that made choice of this Motto; Quid tibi non vis fieri, alteri ne feceris. What you would not have done to you, do not to another. Which being rightly understood, is both the Foundation and the Rule of Justice. Every Man would desire to be justly dealt with; and is it not equal and reasonable, to render to every man, that which we expect from every man? It is scarce possible to obliterate this Principle out of natural Conscience: and they that act other­wise, do overthrow the common Principles of Na­ture and right Reason.

(2.) It is commanded by the written Law of God. This is the tenour of all the second Table of the Moral Law, and is particularly intended in the eighth Commandment, which saith, Thou shalt not steal. Which is nothing else but the reviving of the Law of Nature, or a new Edition thereof. Other Scriptures are frequent, and express to this purpose. Deut. 16. 20. That which is altogether just (or, as the Hebrew emphatically, Justice, Ju­sticer) shalt thou follow. Which Law is strengthned with the threatnings of Punishment in case of dis­obedience frequently in the Scripture, and clear Instances of the Performance thereof accordingly. In short, the Righteous God whom we worship, is [Page 98] a Spotless Mirrour and Pattern hereof in himself; He is Righteous in all his Ways, Psal. 145. 17. And he tells us, 1 John 3. 7. Let no man deceive you, he that doth Righteousness is righteous, even as he is Righ­teous. And the Righteous Lord loveth Righteous­ness, his Countenance doth behold the Ʋpright. Psal. 11. 7.

(3.) It is commanded by the Law of Christ. Our heavenly Saviour that died for us, hath own'd and urged this Justice. For, he came not to destroy the Law, but to press it; and so hath enfranchized this Adage. Mat. 7. 12. Therefore all things what­soever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them: for this is the Law and the Prophets. And when the Apostle describes the great Design of the Gospel, Tit. 2. 12. He tells, that the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation, hath appeared to all men; teaching us, that denying ungodliness and world­ly lusts, we should live soberly, [towards our selves] righteously [towards others] and godly [towards God] in this present world. Wherein is contain­ed the Sum of all practical Religion. So that the unrighteous do blot out a third part of the Gospel, and so are unworthy of the Christian Name.

2. This Justice is every Man's Interest. It is the sound and safe way to Prosperity: In that Deut. 16. 20. That which is altogether just thou shalt follow, that thou mayst live, and inherit the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Other ways possibly may be speedier to Riches, but this is the safe way. Psal. 5. 12. For the Lord will bless the Righteous, with Favour wilt thou compass him as with a Shield. Tho it please God to suffer some right honest Men to be poor and distressed in this Life, [Page 99] to evince that there is a Judgment to come; yet he doth manifestly favour others with temporal Blessings, to shew that there is a Providence at the present. And on the contrary, the most certain way to Crosses, Poverty, Misery, and Hell after all, is Injustice. Endless Instances here­of are in every place: Every Assizes bears wit­ness hereunto. And if there were a Collection of all the Injuries, and the shameful Issue of them, adjudged in these Judicatories year by year, you would see a famous Commentary upon the just Threatnings of God against Sins of this kind. Besides, those secret Executions done by divine Vengeance, sometimes on the Persons themselves, and on their Estates; sometimes on their Poste­rity, in theirs; which secretly moulder away, none imagining the cause, but only God. A Fire not blown shall consume him, it shall go ill with him that is left in his Tabernacles: Job 20. 26. Upon all which accounts, it is highly necessary, that the Tradesman be exact and just in all his ways.

III. I come in the Third place, to shew the Extent of this Justice, as it is to be exercised by the Tradesman.

1. It consists in performing all your lawful Pro­mises. You should be careful before you promise any thing, you should be cautious in them; that what you promise be lawful and possible, or else you sin in the very making such Promises. More­over you should consider the Equity and Conveni­ence thereof before-hand; but when your word is past, tho it be difficult to fulfil it, tho it be prejudicial; you are snared by the words of your [Page 100] Mouth, and ought, yea tho there be no witness in the case, to make it good. And a Promise or Contract made by your Servant, whom you have us'd to intrust, binds you equally to Per­formance, as if made by your self: For he whose Contract you would adhere unto, if it should turn to your Advantage; you ought not to re­cede from, when it turns to your Prejudice. It it given as a mark of one, that shall dwell in the holy Hill of God. Psal. 15. 4. He is one that swear­eth to his own hurt, and changeth not. And a Pro­mise binds an honest Man, as truly as his Oath. These are the Bonds of human Society, which being dissolv'd, no Man can trust, nor rely, nor trade with another. No Man can firmly pro­ceed in his own Affairs, when they do depend in any wise upon such unfaithful Men, who make no Conscience of performing what they have pro­mised. It is true, if a Man have been cozen'd, and so ingaged by a fraudulent Bargain into a Promise: if the Fraud be in the substance of the thing bar­gain'd for, as Copper Lace for Gold, or the like, the Contract is void ipso facto: for there was no consent which is necessary in a Bargain, the one sold one thing, and the other bought another: But if the Fraud was only in some undiscern'd Circumstances, or faulty qualities, tho the Seller ought to compensate the Injury, yet in case he release you not, you are obliged; unless the De­fects be so considerable, as do render the Commo­dity useless; in which case you may seek your re­medy, and caveat emptor the next time.

This reaches such Handicraftsmen who promise to do such a piece of Work; but never heed what [Page 101] they promise, and never heed how they perform it. This is Injustice.

If you answer, That your Purpose went along with your Promise, but that unexpected Acci­dents prevented your Performance; other Work of more haste or profit came in; you had unfore­seen Diversions, &c. I reply; Your Promises then ought to be conditional, and such as he who im­ployeth you will admit of, or else you wrong him to advantage your self, or to gratify another. And if unavoidable necessity compel you to fail in any Promise, apply your self to the Party in­jured, indeavour someway to satisfie him, and res­cue your Reputation: For in all these breaches of Promises, besides the Sin, this Mischief natu­rally results from them, that no body at length will trust you, which is next to being buried alive.

And other Tradesmen, that agree for a Commo­dity, but the Market falling, or some other Con­tingence happening, never come for it. This is Injustice. Others solemnly promise to pay such a Sum of Money at such a Day; The Day comes, but no Money, nor perhaps any Message to crave further time. This is Injustice. Justice requires a punctual exactness; else all Humane Society is broken, Conscience is debauched; and he that commonly breaks his Promises to Men, will easily break his Covenants with God.

And particularly, this Justice obligeth you to pay your Work-folks their Wages, and that at their Day, or usual time for the receipt thereof. No Command of God can be more strict and plain than that, Deut. 24. 15. At his day (not when [Page 102] you please, or are in the humour, but at his day) thou shalt give his Hire, neither shall the Sun go down upon it: for he is poor and setteth his Heart upon it; lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be Sin unto thee. His Belly or Back may want it, or his Family may want it, or his Trade may want it; or if none of these, yet it is his, not yours, but his when it is earned, and becomes due; and if it be not unjust to detain from another against his will what is his due, there is no such thing as Un­righteousness in the World. See also Levit. 19. 13. Thou shalt not defraud thy Neighbour, nor rob him: the Wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night, until the morning.

2. This Justice is shewn in paying your due Debts. The prudent Tradesman is wary how he contracts a Debt, and considers whether God do call him to enter such Obligations; but when they become due, then it is plain Justice to dis­charge them, and to do it as chearfully as you did contract them; otherwise, tho you keep the Pos­session, yet another hath the Right; and in de­taining it against his Will, you are unjust. The Scripture is clear, Rom. 13. 8. Owe no Man any thing, but to love one another. The business is not whether your Creditor be rich or poor, (tho it be a heavy Aggravation, when the Widow or Fatherless be defrauded of their due; their Tears will cry in the Ears of the Lord of Hosts) but Justice stands in rendring to every one his due, and all the while it is with-held, you live in Sin against God. For every Man is Steward of his Estate unto God, and he that wrongs a Steward in what his Lord has intrusted him, wrongs the Lord [Page 103] himself. If you plead Inability, this will be so far from justifying your Wrong, that it doth not so much as excuse you, unless the Hand of God hath disabled you: And then also, you ought to use all possible and lawful Endeavours to make them due Satisfaction. But take heed of char­ging that upon God's Providence, which hath been the effect of your own Improvidence; therein you charge God foolishly.

But there remains one other Offence against Justice, which is most inexcusable, which is, Break­ing upon Design. And that is, when a Tradesman conceals an Estate, and counterfeits a Failure, compounds with his Creditors, induces them to accept a part of their due Debt for the whole, and inriches himself with their Spoils; How false and base a course is this? How many damning Sins dost thou wilfully commit, for the compassing a little momentary Gain? Here's Lying, here's Stealing, here's notorious Hypocrisy and Dissem­bling, Distrust in God, and Injury to Man. How canst thou hope to escape the Curse of God upon thy Soul? Nay, upon this thy fraudulent Estate? is not this the defrauding thy Brother? and is not the Lord the Avenger of all such? 1 Thess. 4. 6. These Men can have no Refuge, but direct Athe­ism; or else that Conscience must be in a deep Le­thargy, that is not affrighted with such Threat­nings of the Almighty. But let all such Men know, that their Iniquity will find them out, sooner or latter. The Prisons they take, cannot keep out either Sickness, Terrors, or Death. And that's a poor Relief, that only reaches the Body, and that also but for a few moments.

[Page 104]3. This Justice consists in using exact Weights and Measures. And that not out of fear of the Officers, but out of love to Justice. For without these, your Commerce is a perfect Cheat; the Buy­er goes away satisfied, that he hath so much as he bargain'd for, for his Money, when indeed he hath not. See how punctual the Law of God is in this matter, Deut. 15. 13, 14, 15, 16. Thou shalt not have in thy Bags divers Weights, a great (to buy with) and a small (to sell with.) Thou shalt not have in thy House divers Measures, a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just Weight, a perfect and just Measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an Abomination unto the Lord. Here's the Law, and the Sanction: The Law shines with its own Evidence; so just and ho­nest, and yet to strengthen it, the greatest In­couragement is given to the Obedience of it, and the greatest Check to the contrary. The Lord is a God of Justice, and there is no Unrighteousness in him. He hates all such Workers of Iniquity.

And as the Seller should use no other but exact Weights and Measures; so the Buyer should be con­tented with them, and not desire or indeavour to have more than he buys; for thereby he strives to his Ability to make them greater, as the Seller would make them less, than the Law requires, which is equally abominable unto God. For the same Law of Justice and Equity should govern both of them; and what Arts or Tricks soever are used by either of them for their own Ad­vantage, to the Prejudice of the other, are cri­minal [Page 105] before the Lord. Hearken what he saith, Ezeck. 28. 16. Thou hast defiled thy Sanctuaries by the multitude of thine Iniquities, by the Iniquity of thy Traffique: therefore will I bring forth a Fire to devour thee, &c.

And among other Frauds False Lights are justly reckon'd; when Men do so contrive the Lights in their Shops, as to represent their Commodi­ties to be better than they are; when the honest Chapman comes home, they are quite another thing. What can be more fraudulent? It is no other than picking thy Neighbour's Purse of so much as is extorted hereby from him, above the real worth of that Commodity. How can you rejoyce or sleep with such dishonest Gain? Is not the Lord the Avenger of all such? Be not de­ceived, God is not mocked, tho thy harmless Neighbour be trapan'd. If thy timely Repentance and Restitution prevent it not, he will take thee from thy false Lights, and thrust thee without Bail or Main-prize into true and endless Dark­ness.

4. This Justice doth oblige a Tradesman to the right working of all Manufactures. The Municipal Laws indeed, do generally make excellent Pro­vision for this; but unless Men be under the awe of God and their own Consciences, they may easily find Evasions, and trample the Laws un­der their Feet. And the Law reaches not to in­numerable Cases of this nature. Tho it bind him that makes the Cloth, yet it reaches not him who makes up the Apparel; tho it obligeth him that tans the Leather, yet it reaches not him that makes up the Shoe; and so in many other In­stances; [Page 106] now here Justice comes in, and teaches the Tradesman to do all such Work for others, as he would chuse to have them done for himself. It's true, it may not be necessary to bestow e­qual care and labour upon each piece of Work; the Stuff, the Price, the design of it may not require it; but Equity requires you to give to every Manufacture the Perfection requisite to its kind; and not through Sloth, or multiplicity of Business, or any other selfish respect, render things useless, or unserviceable.

Much less may you deceitfully thrust in a baser Stuff or Metal instead of a better; here­by cheating you Customer in the Price, tho he should never come to know it, yea, tho it should do him equal Service: for this is to impose upon his Ignorance, and to extort from him a Price above the true value of the Commodity. Say not, that the common Price will not allow, that you should bestow any more Care or Pains about your Work: For it is the Slightness of the Work which in many cases hath abated the Price; which if you would generally reform, you might and would in a short time raise up the Price to the just value of your Work; and this Tract is design'd to rectify not only one or two Tradesmen, but the Generality; and particular­ly all such as desire to walk honestly, and to procure the Blessing of God.

5. This Justice consists in making conscionable Bargains. And herein lies all the Imployment of divers Tradesmen, to wit, in Buying and Selling. Now Justice doth incline a Man neither to buy too cheap, nor to sell too dear: but to deal with [Page 107] others, as he would desire to be dealt with. So that here;

(1.) It requires only a reasonable Proportion of Gain, from what you buy or sell. It is not easy to determine, by any particular standing Rule, the measure of that Gain which a Tradesman may receive. For it cannot always be measured, by what the Commodity Cost him, which he is about to sell; sith he might by surprize or otherwise buy it too dear, and why should another pay for his Folly? Or he might by some special Providence obtain at an under-value; and, why should he causelesly make another partaker of his Advan­tage? For without doubt a Man may take greater Gain at one time than at another, and may take the Advantage the Providence of God puts into his hands, so be it he use it moderately. The Rates at which some Others sell, cannot always be a measure of a Tradesman's Gain; for many of them may be necessitated to sell at an under-rate; and why should other Mens Indigence prejudice him? Or some of them may under-sell others, to gain a Customer, and so may take too little for one Commodity, that they may have too much for another; and why should any such indirect De­signs regulate him that is above them? What a man hath Formerly sold for, can be no Rule; for every one knows, that Commodities ebb and flow, and that which was worth a Shilling the last Month, may not be worth Six-pence this. Again, so much Profit as may comfortably Main­tain the Tradesman and his Family, cannot al­ways be a right measure of his Gain; because Twelve-pence in the Pound may sufficiently [Page 108] maintain him that is in Health, or hath a small Family; whereas twice as much will not answer the necessary Expences of another, that is sickly, or hath a numerous Family to provide for. A­gain, the Ʋtmost of what he can get for his Com­modity cannot always be a sure Rule whereby to measure his Gain; for it is possible for him to obtain of an unwary Customer, double the true worth of his Commodity; which yet in Justice he ought not to do. Nor lastly, can the Intrin­sick worth of a thing be a sufficient Rule, where­by to measure his Gain; since that in divers Commodities cannot be determined; and in ma­ny others, the Buyer's Fancy only makes them valuable.

All therefore that can be said by way of Di­rection herein, must be drawn from that Golden Rule aforesaid, Whatsoever you would that Men should do to you, do ye likewise to them. From whence it follows, That what I may reasonably desire to gain by another, when I am to sell, that Proportion I should willingly allow him when I buy to gain by me. And on the other side, That which I allow reasonable to another to gain by me, when I am to buy, that only should I de­sire to gain, when I am to sell to another. And in general, that Gain is reasonable, where due Consideration is allowed to a Man for his Time, Pains, and Hazard, which is best to be known in individual cases by the concurrent Opinion or common Use of prudent and consciencious Per­sons. The Market-Price is generally the surest Rule, for that is presumed to be more indifferent than the Appetites of particular Men. Howbeit, [Page 109] in case the Seller allow any considerable time to the Buyer for the payment of the agreed Price, it is lawful enough to advance the rate accor­dingly; not only because he is thereby depriv'd of the improvement of his Money in other Traf­fick, but also runs some hazard of the losing of it: But here, as in many other cases, an up­right Conscience must be the Clerk of the Mar­ket, and the Rule it must steer by, is that good old one, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self.

(2.) In your Bargains, Justice forbids your taking advantage of anothers Necessity. A Man's Ne­cessity may be twofold, Respective or Conditional: as when, for instance, your Fellow-Tradesman needs some Commodity of yours to serve his Customer withal; in such cases you must do to others as you would be done unto. But there is also an Absolute or Extream Necessity. A poor Work­man or Work-woman must needs sell now to buy their Family Bread. A poor Man must needs buy such a Commodity needful for Back or Belly; now to beat down the Price with the former of these, or to screw up the latter, one jot beyond that which you could and would afford it to them, in case you knew of no such Necessity, is manifest Injustice; and Oppression is added to it. And I restrain it not to these cases alone, but ex­hort you in no case to lie on the catch, to make your Markets of others Straits; for no Man would willingly be so dealt with; and Estates so gotten will be like Gravel between your Teeth. Nay, your Compassion should incline you rather to deal better with those, whose wants bring them to you, than you would with those that [Page 110] stand in no need of your Consideration, and the righteous God will recompence you.

(3.) Make not your Advantage in your Bargains of others Ʋnskilfulness. Every Man hath not the like Sagacity, and the weak may easily forget, mis­take, and overshoot themselves: Now God hath not given to you greater Parts for the hurt, but for the help of your Neighbour; and for you to imploy them to his Detriment is quite to pervert the use them. The Buyer perhaps knows not the true worth of what he is about; as for Ex­ample, the best Edition of the Book he would buy. The Seller sometimes knows not the true value of what you are buying of him. Now may you make a prize of his over-sight? No, here comes in that Royal Law, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self. No Man would over-reach or defraud himself, and why will you deal so with your Brother? Say not, Let every Man un­derstand his own Business, and our Wit and Parts are Talents given us to improve to our own ad­vantage, as well as our Estates. For tho every one should indeavour to be skill'd in their own Affairs, yet certainly God hath not bestow'd upon all the same natural Abilities or Opportunity, no more than the like portion of outward Estates; and whosoever hath a greater measure either of inward Qualifications, or outward Estate, hath an Obligation upon him with them, to relieve, and not to ruine those that are defective, accor­ding to that Rule in another case, Rom. 15. 1. We then that are strong, ought to bear the Infirmities of the weak, and not to please (or seek) our selves.

[Page 111](4.) Make no Bargains with such as have no just Propriety in that which you are contracting about. Some Care is due in this case, in those that sell; that they incourage not Children, or other weak People, who cannot rationally be thought to be trusted with Money, to barter with them. But especially this concerns those, that are fre­quently tempted to buy such Goods as they know, or have vehement suspition to be stollen from the right Owner. It's true, your Gain by such Bar­gains may be great, but the Sin of it is manifest; you incourage them in an evil way, you assist them in a wicked course, and so become Partakers with them; Psal. 50. 18. When thou sawest a Thief, then thou consentedst with him. Why should your Gain blind your Eyes? He that knowingly connives, assists, and any way furthers an ill Action, shares in the Guilt of it. And as the Sin, so the Dan­ger; you are in danger of the Law of Man, and of the Wrath of God; if the one miss you, the other will reach you, either here or hereafter. Say not, that your Shops are your Markets; for what honest Man will buy a stoln Horse in the Market, if he know, yea or suspect it? Say not, If you buy them not, another will: for the Folly or Wickedness of another will never justify, nor excuse yours. What Man in his Wits will say, If I go not to Hell, another will, and there­fore I'l step before him. Perhaps you'l plead Ignorance, at least Uncertainty in the matter. Indeed, if there be no rational cause to doubt, you are not culpable; but tho you be not certain, yet if there be reason to suspect it, you should not meddle with them, unless it be to retain them [Page 112] for the Owner, and to bring the Thief unto de­served Punishment: For who will buy a Suit of Clothes, if he have but any ground to think the Plague in them? Away therefore with all such dishonest Gain, lest it bring a Curse upon all the rest; and rather resolve to be poor with Inte­grity, than rich by Unrighteousness.

(5.) Accustom your selves to an honest Plainness in your Bargains. A necessary Prudence we have before recommended. Ordinary and discerna­ble Faults every Buyer is suppos'd to take notice of; but if your Commodity hath any such pri­vate Defects or Faults, as, being known to your Customer, would induce him to relinquish his purpose, or at least to sink his Price, you do not justly to obtrude the same upon him: for you would not, you ought not to be so dealt by. If the Buyer be culpable that cries, It is naught, it is naught, but when he is gone his way, boasteth, Prov. 20. 14. then the Seller is no better, that cries, O it is faultless! it is excellent good! when it is neither so nor so. It is not your Formal Cant, nor smoothest Harangues, that will make good a bad Commodity. And tho these Methods may serve you for a while, yet, according to the old Proverb; Frost and Fraud will end in Foul. But of this more hereafter.

6. This Justice in a Tradesman is shewed, in defraying all lawful Impositions. For it is suppo­sed, that every Tradesman lives under some Go­vernment; that in every Government, the Prince, or Magistrate, must be supported in the Execu­tion of his Office, and inabled to protect his Subjects; that for this end, such and such Tri­butes [Page 113] and Customs are allowed him by common Consent; that a great part of such Impositions do issue from the Tradesman, especially from those that do export our own, or import forreign Commodities. Now Justice expresly requires that, Rom. 13. 7. You render to all their dues, Tri­bute to whom Tribute is due, Custom to whom Custom; so that you must either punctually discharge them, or else plainly deny that they are due. And how can you question this, when they are setled by Law, and this Law past with your own (in your Trustees) Consent, and that in a meer secular matter, wherein the Magistrates▪ Juris­diction is unquestionable; and grounded upon the plainest Reasons, the Welfare, Safety, and Commodity of the Subject, and of the Trades­man in a special manner? And therefore you cannot in Justice deny them, or indeavour to defraud the Magistrate of any part of them. Say not, that their Property is altered, they are transfer'd by the Prince into other hands; so that he is not wrong'd, but his Farmers or Offi­cers, who, notwithstanding your Defalcation, gain abundantly. For These are invested with an undoubted Right from the Proprietor, and so cannot lawfully be defrauded, no more than a Tenant of what he taketh in Lease from his Landlord.

Neither plead, that the end wherefore such Taxations were granted, is not attained; the Seas are not guarded, nor Traffick secured. For it is hard to prove the matter of Fact; the Prince's Care herein ought not to be call'd into question, without clear and uncontroulable Evi­dence; [Page 114] every neglect of subordinate Officers must not involve the Supream Magistate, unless it be frequent, notorious, and considerable, and after due Information. And when all is done, in all Ages there ever were, and still will be some Over-sights, some unworthy Persons imploy'd, who will seek their own, and not the Publick Good; whose Faults must be corrected by their Superiours, and not pleaded in bar of Duty by every private Person. Neither is it enongh to reply, That if you do adventure to with-hold Custom or the like, then you are ready, if detect­ed, to stand to the Penalty; and reckon, that thereby you are discharged from any Guilt. For granting that it is due by Law, which certainly settles every Man's Right in his Estate, it is flat Unrighteousness to rent away any ones Right without their Consent; and the Penalty is chiefly intended to affright ill Men from doing Injury, whom Conscience of God will not restrain. And therefore in the Judicial Law, which was foun­ded upon the highest Reason, there was a Trespass-Offering to be offered to God to atone for the Guilt, besides the full Restitution to the Party wronged; Levit. 6. 5. & Numb. 5. 6. There is no common Thief or Pick-pocket but might make this Plea, if there were any Strength in it: That he ventures the Penalty, and so is blameless. And the Greatness or the Poverty of the Party wrong'd, is so far from extenuating the Crime, that it aggravates it.

And as you should render to Caesar the things that be Caesar's, so ought you to render unto God the things that be God's. If ever ye expect the [Page 115] Blessing of God, with-hold not from his Messen­gers, whatsoever is by Law or Equity due unto them. The Labourer, in any Calling, is worthy of his Hire; their's is a laborious Calling: The Sweat of the Brain consumes more than the Sweat of the Brows. Never deprive, nor de­fraud, nor defer God's Ministers their Main­tenance. Dent. 12. 19. Take heed to thy self, that thou forsake not the Levite, as long as thou livest upon the Earth. And 1 Cor. 9. 14. The Lord hath ordained, that they which preach the Gospel, should live of the Gospel. Alas! they cannot trade as you can; they have relinquish'd those gainful Emploi­ments, and are devoted to the Service of God, and the good of Souls. And yet some diligent Cobler may live as plentifully as some of them. They must not only have Bread, but Books and Physick; and should be so supplied, that they might make competent Provision for their Families, and also be Examples as well as Promoters of Charity to them that want; 1 Tim. 5. 17. The Elders that rule well, are worthy of double Honour, especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine. And this is not only a Point of Religion and Charity, but of Justice and Equity.

7. The Tradesman's Justice must be shewed in paying due Respects to the Laws and Orders of his Society. This Particular hath place only in those Places where such Societies are erected, and By-Laws and Orders made among themselves; to the observation whereof the Members of the same are usually obliged by a solemn Oath. Now sup­posing these said Laws to be consonant to God's Word, and to Right Reason, you are in Justice [Page 116] and Conscience bound to give your Obedience to them; yea, tho it sometimes interfere with your particular Advantage. When thereby you are called to any Office of Charge or Trouble, you ought readily to discharge it; so that it be con­sistent with the Imployments of your Calling, or other necessary Concernments: or else submit chearfully to such Fines as are duly imposed.

Again; Tho you might (for instance) import or export some Commoditie to your great profit; yet if the same be prohibited by the Laws of your Society, you ought in Justice to forbear so doing. If there be Laws and Orders to which you are sworn, engaging you to imploy no Foreigner in your Trade, lest those who served an Apprenti­ship be discouraged, and left without Imployment; you are bound in Justice to refuse all such Assist­ance, especially where in so doing you do really cross the End of those Constitutions. In a word, you ought in all things to consult the good of the Society as well as your own; yea, the future welfare thereof as well as the present, if you will be jast unto your Obligations.

8. This Justice will instruct you, to have An equitable Regard to your fellow Tradesmen. Though every Man is bound to use all honest endeavours to get and increase his Custom, yet as it is pity to be an hindrance to one that is poorer than your self, so there is a Decorum to be observed in win­ning over to you, your Neighbours Chapmen or Customers; namely you must abhor all unjust Re­flexions upon your fellow- Tradesman, or on his Commodity, for that is directly against the Ninth Commandment; and any other cunning or unhand­som [Page 117] Tricks to attain your Ends; you must beware of a Covetous Principle, of all Injustice and Un­charitableness, of any thing that is unseemly or scandalous. And though Masters should be content, that their Apprentices having served their Time with them, should carry away at their setting up some part of their Custom and Customers; yet no ingenuous Apprentice will use any indirect means, either before the Expiration of his Time, or after, to feather his own Nest by leaving his Master naked, or to endeavour any thing herein, but what is commonly and approvedly done in that case: For himself will not, when the case comes to be his own, be content to be so used. Neither is it agreeable to Justice or Equi­ty, that the rich Tradesman, whose Estate per­haps will bear it out, should under-sell his meaner Neighbours; or the rich Artificer so fall in the Prices of his Manufactures, that his poorer fel­low-Tradesman, wanting his Stock and Credit, cannot subsist upon it; especially if such sinking the Price of your Commodity spring from a de­sign of weakning or impoverishing the other.

The like sinful Injustice there is, in such an ingrossing of Commodities, as doth manifestly tend to the undoing of many, for the inriching of a few, whether this be done by single Persons or Societies; if the Prejudice redound to many, and the Profit to a few, it is a common Injury, it is a making haste to be rich by Oppression, which tho your present Gain blind you from seeing; yet the righteous God, who is the common Father to all, will one time or other be sure to reckon about it. Surely none of you would be content, or had [Page 118] reason to be content to be so used.

Above all, that Injustice is intolerable which is offered to your Partners that repose the same Con­fidence in you, as they do in themselves; and where you are bound by the strictest Ties of Law, and Conscience, and mutual Confidence to be ex­actly just. So that to undermine one another, or to purloin from one another is a Crime that deserves the severest Censure; and of which none will be guilty, that have not dismist all Love of Vertue, or Fear of Shame.

9. This Justice will oblige the Tradesman to a Paternal Care about his Apprentices. It behooves you in Prudence, to be cautious whom ye take in that Relation; to consider what their Birth, what their Education hath been, what their Dispo­sition and Aptitude is; and do not for the supply of any present pinch of Business, or for the lucre of a little Money, thrust a Thorn into your Foot, which may pain you for seven long Years together: but chuse such as are of honest Paren­tage, sober Education, tolerable Temper, and capable of your Business. And when you have bound them and inoculated them into your Fa­mily, then Justice obliges you to use them just as you would have your own Children used, when they come into that Condition. Beware of un­due Severity or Rigor on the one hand; and of foolish Indulgence, or careless Neglect on the other. For as the wise Horseman when he would break a young Horse, will neither check nor rein him too hard; lest he spoil his Mettle, and force him to the Curvet to the danger of the Rider; nor yet doth he throw the Reins on his Neck, and suffer [Page 119] him to go where and how he pleases, lest he de­stroy himself and his Rider also: So should the wise Master have a special Care to shun that Au­sterity, which discourages his Apprentice's En­deovours, and also that Softness, which incourages his Vices.

As to the former, it is unquestionably a Sin a­gainst God. Tho you had nothing with them, yea tho you had bought them of their Parents for seven Years; yet God, who is your Master, hath charg'd you, Levit. 25. 43. Thou shalt not rule over him with Rigor; but shalt fear thy God; which he repeats again, Vers. 46. But over your Bre­thren the Children of Israel, ye shall not rule over one another with Rigor. And as the Sin is great, so the Danger is evident, for such usage hath dri­ven hundreds of Youths to desperate Resolutions; wherein, tho they cannot be justified, yet for giving them such occasion, you shall be condem­ned. Forbear then all imperious Carriage to­wards then; I would have you to maintain your Authority; but that is sufficiently preserved by a grave and religious course of Life, which will beget a Veneration in your Inferiours; whereas any discerned Sin in you degrades you, and breeds an inward Contempt of you in them that see it. Fix in your Hearts an unfeign'd love to them, and that will both guide you in all your Behavi­our towards them, and dispose you to bear with their Frailties and Imperfections: and certainly if we own this debt of Love to every Man, we ought to pay a greater measure of it to those that are so near us. Be sure, that they have Food, and Raiment, and Rest convenient for them. For [Page 120] Quality, let them have that which is sutable to their Condition: For Quantity, let them have what is sufficient for their necessity. For Time and Season, let them have it in such due season, as may be for their Health and Comfort. You should scorn to squeeze an Estate out of your Ap­prentices Bellies, or rent it from off their Backs. And then impose not too heavy Tasks upon them; make not their Lives grievou, lest they cry unto the Lord, and he be wrath with you, and blast all your Affairs. Charge them not with Faults without cause, neither refuse to hear their just Apologies: read and think of that Scripture, Job 31. 13, 14, 15. If I did despise the cause of my Man-Servant, or of my Maid-Servant, when they contended with me, what then shall I do when God ri­seth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? Did not he that made me in the Womb, make him? and did not one fashion us in the Womb? And in case of Correction, let it be the last Expedi­ent; and then by no means, brutish or cruel, but such as a wise Father should give his own Child, that they may discern your Love through your Anger; and be sure that you be as ready to in­courage them by word and deed, when they deserve it, as to rate and chide them when they do amiss: for the one is as due as the other; and he that is incur'd to be ever finding fault, disheartens the Servant, and weakens the Authority of the Master.

You must also be equally watchful against the other extream, which is a weak Softness, or dan­gerous Indulgence. The Authority wherewith you are invested, is God's, and therefore you have no right to lose or part with it, but ought to [Page 121] preserve and improve it both for the good of your Apprentices, and your own Comfort. God is a God of order, and therefore you should let them understand, that you are plac'd in a Sphere above them, and that they must observe a due respect toward you, both in their Words and other Be­haviour. Indulge them in no known Evil, especially not in lying or scoffing at Religion. Teach them none of the wicked Crafts in your Calling, but still recommend to them Equity and Honesty. Above all, do your utmost to keep them out of bad Company; and to that end, take an exact account of their time, when they are out of your sight; for 'tis then that they contract their mis­chievous Acquaintance; and particularly on the Lord's-day, a day appointed of God for the good of the Soul, but abus'd very often by poor Ap­prentices both to the ruine of their Souls and Bo­dies. Keep them that day under your Eye; and the same Authority that ye assume over them on the week-day, exercise the same to keep them from evil, and in good Duties on the Sabbath­day; or else God may justly reproach you for your Selfishness and Hypocrisy. Some Relaxati­on ye ought to allow them, but let it be at such Times and Places, and with such Company, that may be safe for them; that they may be refreshed, but not infected. And tho they grudg at this restraint, for the present; yet the time will come, that if they through their Obstinacy come not to curse themselves for their own Folly, they will bless you, and bless God for your Care about them. And one other Caution here is needful, which is to beware how you send them into Fo­reign [Page 122] Parts without some competent furniture both of Wisdom, Counsel and good Books; whereby they may be there secured from the Temptati­ons, which raw and unprincipled Youth do often fall into: For what will it profit them or you to gain the whole World, and lose the precious Soul?

10. The Tradesman should be just in making due Provision for his Wife and Children, if he have those Blessings, for there is Justice herein. The Wife hath brought a considerable Portion, in pro­spect of a comfortable Provision; or else hath been helpful to get or keep your Estates, and go­vern your Houshold-Affairs, or however is Bone of your Bone, and Flesh of your Flesh. She hath for­saken her Parents, and all her Friends, and cast her self upon the Love and Care of her Husband; Is it not just therefore that she be provided for? Your Children are pieces of your selves; in whom, as far as can be, you are perpetuated; and by whom your Name, and God's Name, which is more, must be upheld. These you have brought into the World in a helpless Condition: And is it just in you so to leave them? And yet such is the Idleness and Negligence of some Tradesmen, such the palate-pleasing in others, and in others such foolish Bargains, and improvident Courses, that they leave little to their Families, but Mise­ry and Tears. The Goods are priz'd, but they are old and useless: the Books are searcht, and they speak no Comfort. The poor Wife runs and shifts one way, the Children they flee ano­ther. Nothing for the Creditor, nothing for the Wife, nothing for the Children. O wretch­ed Injustice! the Name of such Men must rot: [Page 123] Their Posterity cannot rise up, and call them Blessed. Will it excuse such Men, that they have been just to all Men, when they have been un­just to their own Flesh? Not at all. Limit your selves therefore in your Expences; abate of your daily Superfluities in Clothes, Diet, and Furniture, that you may leave your Wives better than you found them; that you may leave your Children above the Charity of their Friends; that you may not die like the Brutes, who have no care of those they leave behind them. Prov. 13. 22. A good Man leaveth an Inheritance to his Childrens Children. Psal. 112. 3. Wealth and Riches shall be in his House, and his Righteousness endureth for ever.

11. This Justice in the Tradesman obligeth him, to shew Mercy to the Poor. For it is evident from the Scripture, that Righteousness containeth Cha­rity: Psal. 112. 9. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the Poor, his Righteousness endureth for ever: which the Apostle also, 2 Cor. 9. 9. appli­eth hereunto. And with good reason; for the Poor have a right to what we can spare for them. Hence, Prov. 3. 27. With-hold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. It is the Duty then of every Trades­man, as it is of every other Man, to labour and work with his Hands the thing that is good, that he may have (not only to feast himself and Friends, or to hoard up for his Posterity, but) to give to him that needeth. And he should so order his own Expences, and improve his Skill and Care, that he may, if it be possible, be helpful unto others. It is therefore an unrighteous and unmerciful course in such Brokers who require and retain for [Page 124] Pledges even the necessary Apparel, Tools, &c. of poor People, whom they ought rather to re­lieve in their wants, than ruine by their Oppressi­on. In such Professions, if they mix not Chari­ty with Justice, they build their Houses with the Tears and Blood of the Poor. The Christian Tradesman will rather study how he may imploy or relieve many, than impoverish any. He remem­bers how poor he was at his beiginning, and con­cludes, that he must give some real Testimony of his Gratitude to God for his Bounty to him.

And here is a large Field before you, wherein to sow your Seed. Either you have some poor Kindred in City or in the Country; or God hath some poor Children of his, whose necessities cry for relief; or some poor Ministers of Christ, that instead of living to study and preach, must study to live and get Bread; or some poor ingenious Scholars, that if they were supported a while, would become excellent Instruments of Good; or some towardly Youths, whose Parents can't put them to Trades; and others that have Skill and Parts, but have no Stock to set up with; or some poor Tradesmen and House-keepers that often want Work, and so want Bread, or are over­stock'd with Children, and yet are loth to com­plain, and asham'd to beg, and so languish and waste away: or some honest Maids, whom a little Money would settle either in Imployments or Marriage; who, being indigent and neglected, become liable to great Temptations. Besides in the Country, there are Schools and Hospitals to erect and endow; Tithes to redeem from the Im­propriators: Work-houses to make for the Poor: [Page 125] Lectures to set up in the dark Corners of the Land; room and imploiment enough for your Charity. And to speak the Truth, the Trades­men of England, and especially of London, have outstript all other Subjects in such Acts of Chari­ty as these: No Sort of Men being more ready on all Occasions to realize their Charity, or that have scatter'd up and down the Nation such visi­ble Instances thereof. For they are taught, that they are only Stewards of God's Stock, which is in their Hands; that well-ordered Charity is the most certain way of thriving; that what is imployed this way is not lost, but lent on the best Security, and for the greatest Interest; that it concerns them to lay up a Treasure in Heaven, because they must not abide always upon the Earth; and that the best Trading is for Invisibles.

IV. And here let us stay a while, and make some Application of all this, which is the fourth Thing to be handled upon this Head.

1. By way of Reflexion. Have you been exact­ly just in all the above-said Instances? Examine your own Consciences. Perhaps no Man can charge you with any Injustice; but what says Conscience? bring it to that Rule, Whatsoever ye would that Men should do to you, do ye likewise to them: If Conscience be not blind, it will see some­thing amiss; if it be not sear'd, it will speak, and make you hear it; and the softest Pillow will not give you sleep till you have made your peace both with God and Man. And withal take notice, that it is not sufficient to intitle you to the Fa­vour of God, that you have done as you would [Page 126] be done by; unless your Principle be right, that the Fear of God and the Authority of a sanctified Conscience incline you to it. Can you say as Neh. 5. 15. other Governours before did so and so; but so did not I, because of the Fear of God? I was careful of my Credit, I was fearful of Disgrace; but the chief Bridle that kept me from doing any Wrong, was the Fear of God. And though others made no scruple to use such Tricks, no­thing hath been more common than such and such Methods, yet so did not I do, nor ever will, be­cause of the Fear of God. And if this hath been your Course, then

2. Here is Comfort for you. If you can truly say, I have nothing that of right belongs to others; I can truly assure you, that many Bles­sings do of right belong to you. Whether you have much or little, a Blessing is in it. Better is a little with Righteousness, than great Revenues with­out Right, Prov. 16. 8. Perhaps your Estate is but little, little to what it might have been, if you had taken the indirect Courses, which some of your Neighbours have done: But your little is better than their Revenues, yea than the Riches of many Wicked, Psal. 37. 16. You adorn the Gos­pel, and the Gospel will crown you: Your Poste­rity shall, if it be good for them, flourish; when theirs shall be brought to a Morsel of Bread: For the righteous God loveth Righteousness, and doth usually in this Life reward the Upright. However he that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the Gain of Oppressions,—he shall dwell on High.—Thine Eyes shall see the King in [Page 127] his Beauty, they shall behold the Land that is very far off, Isa. 33. 15. &c.

3. But if God or Man, or your own Consciences can prove you unrighteous and unconscionable in your Dealings, that care not how you get Wealth, so that you have it; nor whom you wrong, so that you can do it cleverly; let these Lines help to convict you, let these Words sink into your Hearts. Happy ye would be, but this is not the way to it: this only is the way to ac­cursed Riches; you build your House upon a Quick-sand; Jerem. 17. 11. As the Partridg sitteth on Eggs, and hatcheth them not: So he that getteth Riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his Days, and at his End shall be a Fool. He was a Fool all along, but he shall find at last that he is a Fool. And though the Sword of Justice never reach you, nor any Man's Eye find you out; yet that Scripture will follow and overtake you, 1 Thess. 4. 6. Let no Man go beyond and defraud his Brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the Avenger of all such, as we also have forwarned you, and testified. You wrong your Neighbour much, but you wrong your selves more. You dishonour and defy a righteous God, who hath said, Job 20. 15, &c. He hath swallowed down Riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his Belly,—surely he shall not feel Quietness in his Belly,—In the Fulness of his Sufficiency he shall be in straits, &c. Will ye not believe this, until ye feel it? Do not his Eyes behold, and his Eye-lids try the Children of Men? Hath he left off to be just? No, no; your Sin is crying for Vengeance all this while. O let the Long-suffering of God be [Page 128] Salvation to you! Let our Counsel be acceptable to you! which is to break off your Sins by Righteous­ness, and your Iniquities by shewing Mercy to the Poor, if it may be a lengthning of your Tranquillity, Dan. 4. 27. Your Riches are corrupted, your Gold and Silver is canker'd, your Subtilty is Folly, ye are in the wrong way to Greatness; durable Riches and Righteousness go together; Wrath gotten by Vanity shall be diminished, but he that gathereth by Labour, shall increase, Prov. 13. 11.

4. Let all this strengthen my Exhortation to all you Tradesmen unto these four Things.

1. That you govern your selves and all your Acti­ons by this golden Rule of Justice and Equity. Put your selves into the Place of those you deal with, and carry it to them, as you would be us'd by them. Remember, that as you are selling to others to day, so you may be buying of others to morrow. Reckon not that all is gain'd, which is gotten from your Brother, but only that which is honestly gain'd; that it is a light Gain that makes a heavy Purse, and that a good Conscience is the best Estate; and generally in all the above­named Instances exercise your selves to have a Conscience void of Offence, both towards God and Men. Believe God, so shall ye prosper. Of­ten think of that Saying, What shall it profit a Man, if he shall gain the whole World, and lose his own Soul?

And 2. If you have wronged any Man, and dealt unjustly with him, make speedy Restitution: For you cannot be said truly to repent of your Sin, unless you have at least a real Purpose to restore, [Page 129] whatsoever you have unjustly gotten. This is both your Duty and your Interest.

1. It is your Duty; commanded by God and commended by him: Commanded, Numb. 5. 6, 7. When a Man or Woman shall commit any Sin that Men commit, to do a Trespass against the Lord, [mark, though your Neighbour be the immediate Object, yet it redounds to the Lord] and that Person be guilty: then they shall confess their Sin which they have done, and he shall recompense his Trespass with the Principal thereof [that is, the just Value of the Thing wherein he hath wronged his Brother] and add unto it the fifth Part thereof [both as a Penalty for the Wrong, and also to make the Satisfaction full] and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed. Now the Moral Equity which is contained in any of these judicial Laws, binds every Man to the End of the World. See also Levit. 6. 5. Hereupon Samuel saith, 1 Sam. 12. 3. Whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? and I will restore it you. This Nehemiah called for, Nehem. 5. 11, 12. and the People presently yiel­ded to him. And this is Commended in Zacheus, Luk. 19. 8. Lord, if I have taken any thing, [mark, any thing of what kind soever, of what quantity soever] of any Man [good or bad, rich or poor, King or Subject] by false Accusation, I restore him [not I'll do it at my leisure, when I have a greater Estate to do it with, but upon the nail I restore him] fourfold: I'll be the Loser, he shall have fourfold. And if ever Salvation come to your House, and the Dominion of Grace into your Heart, you will go and do likewise.

[Page 130]2. It is your Interest to make Restitution. For what you have got by Wrong, will never do you good. The Gain of Deceit lasts but a while; or if it do, it stays with you in Wrath. If it abide with you till you dy, yet the Curse of God stays with it; and lies, if not visibly upon your Estate, Body, or Children, yet really on your poor Souls, which is worst of all. It adheres to all you have, as the Plague to a rich Suit of Cloaths; they are gay and rich, but Death is in them: and who, that's wise, would wear the richest Suit with the Plague in it? course Sack-cloth were much bet­ter. So it were better for you a thousand times to live poor and just, and dy blessed, than to live and dy with a Curse. Now is it not Wisdom to part with that which will do you no good but harm? What, run a hazard of losing all your honest Gain, by keeping some little which is dis­honest? What, and venture Hell-fire, rather than part with some of your Estate; when as (if God say the Word tonight) you must part with it all before Morning? Is it not better to bring it back and be saved, than to have it fetcht, and you be lost? I tell you, if ever your Eyes be savingly open'd, you will make as much haste to restore what you have wrongfully gotten, as ever you did to get it; and shake it out of your Skirt, as you would brush a Spark of Fire off your Cloaths. Think not hereby to lay up Estates for your Children, alas! this is not the way; for if you could rise out of your Graves but one fifty Years after your Death, you would see that the Canker of your Deceits and Injuries had consum'd it all; and that those Riches which ruin'd your poor [Page 131] Souls in the getting of them, had ruin'd the Souls of your Posterity in the consuming of them. The Father damn'd by injurious Getting an Estate, and the Son, or Grand-child at furthest, damn'd by the ungodly Wasting of it. How many Houses have you seen ruin'd, where an Oppressor, where a Knave hath dwelt? in a few Generations their Names are blotted out; and they who preferr'd Earth to Heaven, have neither Earth nor Heaven at last: and can you go by their Houses, and not receive Instruction? will you see and know this, and yet follow them? Resolve then from this Day to restore what you cannot honestly or safe­ly keep. Make your selves Friends of the Mammon of Unrighteousness. Take thy ill-gotten Goods in thy Hand (as that Philosopher did his Estate, when he threw it into the Sea) and resolve, 'tis better that these Things be lost for me, than with me: What shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul?

Perhaps you will plead your Inability: that if eve­ry Bird had its own Feathers, you should be left absolutely naked; and in short, that your whole Estate would not recompense those whom you have wrong'd.

Answ. Total Inability excuses Restitution in the Kind, but yet there must be Restitution in the Mind. The Will you must have at present, and the Deed (except remitted) if ever you be able. In the mean time you ought to mourn, that you have wrong'd your Neighbour in Actions, and can only right him in your Wishes. And sure there is some just Hand of God in it, that your Estate (though increas'd by your wronging of [Page 132] others) should be brought to such an Ebb, that you are now unable to make just Restitution. Sure­ly God hath blown upon it with his Curse alrea­dy; and you may find by this, that no Industry or Cunning can assure ill-gotten Goods. And as sure as this Curse follows you externally; so sure­ly (without Repentance and Restitution) will it follow you eternally. And therefore you are quite out in your Arguing, you cannot restore, because it will make you poor; for if you do not restore, you will be poorer still: And then it's better to be poor with God's Blessing, than poor with his Curse. And grant it do bring you low, to restore every Man his own; alas! it doth only deliver you from that Estate, which would do you hurt, and strip you of some Garments, that would keep you too hot. However the Event, Duty must be done, whether we grow rich or poor by it. Poverty and Piety are better company than Riches and Sin. And if you can trust God (and otherwise you cannot be saved) he can and will, if it be for your good, make you amends for your Self-denial, and give you Goods and a good Conscience also: 2 Chron 25. 9. The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. How­beit, if the present Restitution should be to your utter undoing, which may be avoided by some reasonable Delay; acquaint the Party injured with your purpose, who will in Charity allow you some space of Compensation, and praise your Integrity.

Obj. It may be you will say, I shall be shamed, my Name will be posted up for Dishonesty, and my Credit (which is a Tradesman's Demesne) will be blasted.

[Page 133] Answ. Sin is worse than Shame. A Man may stand under Shame, but you cannot stand under the guilt of Sin. A wounded Conscience who can bear? Holy Augustine hath determin'd long ago, that Sin is not remitted, till the Thing be restored, wherein you sinned. If your Conscience were ten­der, or your Eyes truly open, you would more tremble for Guilt than Shame. It was never bet­ter with Ephraim, than when he was ashamed, yea even confounded (the highest degree of Shame) for the Sins of his Youth, Jer. 31. 19. and never worse with Ephraim, than when he was given up to Sin, Hos. 4. 17. How long do you think it will be, ere you must be charged before God, Angels, and all your Neighbours with your unworthy Dealings? and then what unspeakable Shame will cover your Face, when it will be found, that after all these Warnings, you liv'd and died in those Sins? Alas! it will be but a while, and all your Hearts and Actions shall be laid out to the view of all; and were it not better that you prevented this your self? But, I pray, what Shame is it to do that which is good, and to undo that which is evil? It is a Shame indeed to sin, but that is past; but now you are about a Work of Righteousness, Equity and Honesty, there is no Shame in this; nay all Men, at least all wise Men, will think bet­ter of you, than ever before: They will now conclude certainly, yonder is a singular good Man, that of his own accord will part with his Estate, and venture his Credit, rather than burden his Conscience, or remain under the guilt of Sin. All Men will commend this, and much Praise will re­dound to God. Pray what Disgrace is it to Za­cheus, [Page 134] that he was willing to restore which he had gotten by wrong? God and Man record it to his Honour.

But for this you may so order your Restitution, that (if Occasion require it) you never need to be known. Consider whom you have injured, and how much; and then chuse your discreet Mini­ster, or some other faithful Friend, who may dis­pose the Thing restored, or the Value of it, to the right Owner, and your Name never needs be known. But rather exceed than fall short of the full Value, in your Restitution. I will restore him, saith Zacheus, fourfold. And you know the Con­stitution which God made in this behalf, Numb. 5. 7. And add to the Principal the fifth Part thereof, and give it to him. This is equitable for him, who haply hath been prejudiced by your Injury, more than the naked Value, especially if much Time be past: and it is profitable for you, when your Sin costs you so dear, it is likely you will not easily trespass so again.

If after all, you plead that the Party you have wronged is dead, and perhaps there is none left, to whom Restitution may be made; or the Persons are now at such a distance, that it is impossible to make them personal Amends.

I answer; Restitution must be made in the pro­per place, if it be possible; or if the Party be dead, to their Heirs or Executors, and pains must be taken to find them out. But if no Person can be found, in whom the Right of receiving doth remain; then hear what God saith, Numb. 5. 8. But if the Man have no Kinsman (or Person having Right) to recompense the Trespass unto, let [Page 135] the Trespass be recompensed unto the Lord, even to the Priest. Almighty God is Heir-General in such Ca­ses, in whose name and stead his Priests and Poor are authoriz'd to give you an Acquittance; and your Sin, being bewailed, shall through the Ram of Atonement, mentioned in the same Verse, be forgiven. But till this be done or fully purpo­sed, your Guilt remains, you are yet in your Sin.

3. Hence be exhorted, in all your Trading to take always the safer Path in doubtful Cases; for it is impossible to specify the Cases, which occur to you in the Course of your Negotiations, wherein you will be in doubt whether this and that may be done or no. In such Cases chuse to do that which seems the most innocent, the most just and the most charitable of the two. Run not always to the utmost of Things that may be lawful; he that goes upon the Brink of a River, you know is in Danger to fall into it. In matters of Duty, it's generally best to do the most, but in matters of Priviledg or Advantage (where there is doubt) chuse to take the least; for we have naturally Dis­positions, that will byass us towards our selves. And in point of Gain, always use Favour to the Poor, Ingenuity to the Unskilful, and Modera­tion towards all. You will find this to be the best way to a quiet Conscience, and to a firm Estate. And in cases of weight and difficulty, resort to some more experienc'd and conscientious Trades­man for Advice; yea, resort to God's Ministers, and stating the Case aright, crave their Counsel. For the Priests Lip should keep Knowledg, and the People should seek the Law at his Mouth; for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Host, Malach. 2. 7.

[Page 136]4. Lastly, prevent others (as far as you can) from doing wrong. Recommend and propagate Justice to your Children; charge your Servants, that they offer not the least wrong. Be, and profess your selves to be, irreconcilable Enemies to all injurious and deceitful Dealing. If Knaves and Cheats can incourage one another in their Vi­lanies; how much more should upright and ho­nest Men promote Righteousness and Honesty? Stand not patiently by, while another Man offers to do Injury; at least be not Partakers with them. He that hinders not an Injury when he might, makes it his own. Improve the Interest or Sway you have in your several Societies, to reform what is amiss there in this respect; and do your best to settle whatsoever belongs to your several Trades in such a manner, as is most agreeable to Equity and Honesty. And for all these Ends, la­bour to have your Hearts renewed: the Tree must be good, before the Fruit can be so. The Name of a Christian will not save him, that lives a Pagan Life. Imputed Rightcousness will not pro­fit an unrighteous Dealer. Think often, I must leave this Shop and all these Riches when I dy; and I know not how soon that may be: and what makes me fear Death, but Sin? What comfort can I have in all my Riches, if my Conscience be unsound? and resolve therefore, though I be a poor Man, yet I'll be an honest Man; though I may not be very great, yet I will always be very just; that so you may when you dy, take a good Conscience with you, and leave a good Name and a Blessing behind you. And so much for the Tradesman's Justice.

SECT. 4. Of Truth or Veracity in a Trade.

THE fourth Requisite for the right managing of a Trade, is Truth or Veracity. Where I shall,

• I. Describe the Nature thereof.
• II. Demonstrate your Obligation to it.
• III. Declare the Instances wherein it is to be exercised in the Tradesman's Calling.
• IV. Make some Application of it.

I. Concerning the Nature of Truth; I willing­ly let pass many Notions and Distinctions of the School-men: And shall only take notice:

1. That there is a Truth of Things, whereby they are agreeable to that Idea, according to which they were fram'd.

2. A Truth of Apprechensions, whereby we think, know, or believe of things according to their true Nature.

3. A Truth of Expressions, whereby we speak of things according to what we think, know, or believe. Now when our Apprehensions of things are not right, that's Error or Mistake; which is a Fault and Sin in us, if it be about things which [Page 138] we ought to know, or pretend to know. As for Example, when you conceive that such a Com­modity (which by your Calling you should have Knowledg in) is good, when indeed it is not. But then, when our Expressions agree not with our Apprehensions, That's a Lie, and is a far greater fault, because it's voluntary: So that eve­ry Mistake is not a Lie, every concealing the Truth is not a Lie; every doubtful Speech is not a Lie; every Parable or Fable, such as That Judg. 9. is not a Lie; every rehearsing of a Lie is not a Lie; though a Man may so rehearse it, as to make it his own. But, a Lie is the voluntary falsifying of the Truth; and it is aggravated when it is joyned with an intent to deceive. Truth is like the Sun, a Lie is the eclipse of it, it puts out the Eye of Truth. But of this afterward. At the present this is sufficient, That every Man in his Calling should judge of things as they are, and should (when he is cal­led to it) speak of them according to such his Judgment: and this is called Veracity, whereby a Man speaketh the Truth in his Heart, as it is Psal. 15. 2. neither adds nor diminishes; neither de­preciates a Commodity, or puts Colours upon it, will neither affirm a thing or deny it, when he knows the contrary; and this he doth out of Conscience to God, and out of Love to Truth. And this is sufficient for the Description of it,

II. Every Mans Obligations to this, result.

1. From the Light of Nature; by which it is evident, that the Tongue and Faculty of Speech is given to Man, whereby to express and signify his Mind to others; so that he that is [Page 139] dumb in Speech, is better than he that deceives with it. As the design of a Clock or Watch is to be a true measure of Time, and to keep its just pace with the Sun; but being false in this, were better to be laid aside, that to deceive you; better to lie in your Desk, than tell you a Lie in your Pocket. The design and honour of the Tongue is to speak truly; so that it is reported of the very Indians, that in case they be con­vinced of a Lie, they will in revenge draw Blood of their own Tongues. Hence it is, that even natural Conscience doth so strongly support a Man, when he speaks Truth; no Frowns can daunt him: and on the contrary, he that falsifies the Truth (if Conscience be not utterly sear'd) is pinch'd within, even natural Conscience stings him, tho no body can accuse him; and then if he be detected, intolerable is that Shame that co­vers him.

2. By the Light of Scripture. Which doth con­stantly command Sincerity and Truth, and forbid the contrary, Zech. 8. 16. These are the things that ye shall do, Speak ye every Man Truth to his Neigh­bour. It describes a good Man by his Veracity: Prov. 13. 5. A righteous Man hateth Lying: Ur­geth it with most pregnant Reasons, Ephes. 4. 25. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every Man (no Man, no not the Tradesman excepted) Truth with his Neighbour: for we are Members one of another: Where the Apostle ushers in his Ex­hortation with one strong Reason, couch'd in the Illative [Wherefore] which shews that this is an Inference from the foregoing Verses. q. d. You have put off the old Man with his Deeds: All of [Page 140] you professedly, all true Christians really. It is ridiculous and shameful for him that is invested with new Robes to retain any one foul Rag upon him: And ye have put on the new Man after the Image of Christ, who is Truth, and so it is fit that all his Members be in the same Livery. And then, he backs his Exhortation with another Rea­son; We are Members one of another. Now every Man will be true to himself, will never go about willingly to deceive himself: It were a monstrous thing for one Member of the Body to go about to impose upon another. Now we are all of us Members of one another.

(1.) As Men. Adam was the Root, we all are the Branches.

(2.) As Christians; and so we are all one in Christ Jesus; our Religion doth knit us closer together than all other Ligaments in the World. 1 Cor. 12. 25, 27. The Members should have the same care one for another. Now ye are the Body of Christ and Members in particular: So that in de­ceiving any of the Members, you affront the Head. In short, unless ye be true Men, ye can be no true Christians; a salse Man, and a true Saint, is a Contradiction. Thus you see, that the Scripture is direct for speaking Truth; it doth indeed relate divers Untruths spoken by others, both good men and bad, but it never justifies them. The Narration of such Faults of pious Men is a strong Argument of the Sincerity of the Scripture; and, that it no way excuses them, of its Sanctity. In which case Augustine cha­ritably concludes, that God accepted in Rahab and the Midwives, &c. Fidem mentis, and par­don'd [Page 141] to them fallaciam mentientis. In a word, we own and worship a true God, we profess a true Religion, we pursue a true Happiness; by all which we are obliged to all manner of Truth, in Heart, in Lip, in Life.

3. This Veracity is demonstrable by the Light of sound Reason; that even those that care not for the Scripture, may be convinced of the necessity of it; unles▪ they will not only renounce Divinity, but Humanity also. For,

(1.) There is Equity in it. Every Man would be truly dealt with: No Man would be content that his Wife, Children, or Servants should de­ny the Truth, or feed him with Lies. Which of you chuses to have any thing to do with those whom you cannot believe? Now is it not very equal, that you should alway speak the Truth, that do desire always to hear others speak it? Is it reasonable that other Folks should live by one Rule, and you by another? That Truth should be eligible by all others, and not by you? This Veracity and Justice are so conjunct, that he cannot be just in his Dealings, that is false in his Words: For the same Law that commands us to do by others, as we would be done unto, equally obliges us to speak in our Commerce to them, as we would be spoken to.

(2.) There is Commodity in it. This Veracity is so commodious, yea so necessary among Men; that all Civil Society is dissolv'd without it. For all Transactions and Commerce between Man and Man, do lean upon this Fundamental Point; That one Man may believe another; now if Men do not constantly speak the Truth, how can they [Page 142] be believ'd? thus all human Conversation is sha­ken. Now Reason it self must needs enter an Action against any Course that overthrows the good of Mankind: and it were endless to tran­scribe the pithy Expressions of divers of the Heathens, in the praise of Truth and Veracity, and in defiance of the contrary.

(3.) There in Ingenuity in it. There is a cer­tain bravery of Spirit and true Courage in speak­ing the Truth, and a real cowardize in blanching and denying it. It is only some worldly Hopes, or sordid Fear that doth biass the Tongue from its true Office; which is to be an Interpreter of the Mind. Let no Man that trades in Lies, pre­tend to Generosity. Hence all noble Spirits are so sensible of the Imputation, that they will pre­sently answer the Lie given them with their Sword: which tho neither true Fortitude nor Piety can ever justify; yet such their Sensibleness proves, how ingenuous a thing it is to speak the Truth, and how base a thing to pervert it.

(4.) There is Policy in speaking the Truth, honost Policy; for every Man should by all good means, maintain and promote his Credit. This is the only way to make a Man credible: Who will believe one, who he knows is accustomed to derogate from the Truth? Such a Person shall not be believed, when he speaks never so truly. He that is punctual in his Words, shall bebelieved in doubtful things, when the other will be suspect­ed in certain things. Among the very Turks, the word of a Mahometan, spoken on the Faith of a Mussulman, weighs against all Contradiction. And therefore, setting aside the Scripture, there's [Page 143] great reason for this Veracity, unless ye are con­tent to be esteem'd profligate Wretches, who neither value the esteem of God or Man. Such Persons will find in the issue, when they have affrighted all that know them from dealing with them, that Honesty is the best Policy, and that the Reputation of fair dealing within, is better than the fairest Sign they can hang out.

Three Objections are usually made against all this:

Object. That the Examples of others doth incourage us sometimes to spare the Truth. We read of many in the Scripture, that have trip'd in this kind: Abraham himself, and Isaac, Rahab, David, and such like. And we daily see it done by thousands; and surely then we may venture upon it as well as they.

Answ. That some holy Persons have been guil­ty this way, cannot be denied: but it is observa­ble, that it was generally for Fear, never for Gain: So Abraham, David, Rahab, &c. Again; It is God's Word, and not good Men's Examples, which we are to be guided and judged by: You can produce the instances of their Sins, but you know not the bitterness of their Repentance. Again; when you are mustering up Scripture-Examples, omit not that Lie of Ananias and Saphira, Acts 5. 8. which cost them both their Lives. Tell me, saith Peter, whether ye sold the Land for so much? and she said, Yea, for so much; and never spake another word. And then for the commonness of this Sin by others, it is an Objection to be an­swered with Tears; it is too frequent, which is an Aggravation of the Fault, and so far enough [Page 144] from excusing it. We are taught other Doctrine out of the Scripture of Truth, Exod. 23. 2. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil. But if you will needs do as the most do, you must resolve to go where most do go, and where all Liars are tormented for ever.

Object. 2. The smallness of the Sin excuses us. Lying is not Swearing, nor Killing or Stealing; there can be no great hurt in it, for we do no great hurt by it.

Answ. 1. Let the Sin be never so little, the Image and Superscription of the Devil is upon it. For he is a Liar, and the Father of it, Joh. 8. 44.

2. If it were so small a Sin as you pretend; pray how many little Rents can you be content to be made in your Garments? how many little Motes will any of you rest with in your Eye? how many little Wounds will you brook in your Flesh? and should we be more tender of every thing than of the precious Soul? Besides, let me tell you,

3. That a little Sin allow'd, justified and plea­ded for: is more intolerable than a greater Sin that's disallow'd and disown'd.

But lastly, this Sin is not so small as you make it; For as it renders a Man most unlike to God, whose grand Attribute is Truth; So it is rank'd among those Sins which he is said particularly to hate, Prov. 6. 16. A proud Look, alying Tongue; and there is so much Atheisin and Hypocrisy included in a Lie, that all Liars are rank'd with Murderers, Sorcerers, and Idolaters, and lodged with them in the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brim­stone for ever: Rev. 21. 8.

[Page 145] Object. 3. Necessity compells us to it: We can neither buy nor sell without somewhat of it; neither will People believe us when we speak never so truly, and so we are forc'd to lie; there is no trading, or at least no gaining a sufficient Livelihood without it.

Answ. 1. There is no lawful Calling but may be followed with Truth and with a good Con­science: they that plead the contrary, do tacitly make the holy God to be the Author of Sin; an Inference to be abhor'd as much as he abhors the thing it self. Nothing can make Sin needful. Peter's Lie to save his Life did not justify it, he wept bitterly for it. And if it were a Crime to lie to save his Life, can the pretence of a Liveli­hood excuse you in it? Cursed is that Trade that cannot be followed without Sin. But your case is otherwise. How many consciencious Persons are there in your very Trades, that had rather die than lie? If People will not believe you when you tell the Truth, much less will they, when you tell Lies. Besure, whatsoever is gotten by your lying, is cursed Gain; Prov. 21. 6. The getting of Treasures by a lying Tongue is a Vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek Death. They that seek Death and Destruction, in this course are sure to find it.

III. I come now in the Third Place, to de­clare how this Veracity should be exercised by the Tradesman. And that we may not strain this Duty too far; you may know that he is not obliged hereby imprudently to declare always all the Truth he knows; and consequently to discover [Page 146] either the just Price that his Commodity cost him, nor any other Circumstance, which would make to his Disadvantage: For though you are bound never to speak a Falshood, yet you are not bound always to blurt out all the Truth, ex­cept when you are by the Magistrate lawfully called thereunto. No Man is obliged to reveal the Mysteries of his Calling; nor to tell where or how he is furnish'd with such a Commodity; nor where his Customer may be sped at a cheape rate: Yet herein you must be govern'd by that Royal Law, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self: and you are to answer others in all such cases, as you should desire to be answered your self. And prefer a greater and common Good before a lesser private Advantage; as the Law of Nature taught that Heathen to judg that the Mariner, who having got the start of other Ships, which were carrying Corn to a distressed Island, should scorn to make Advantage of the poor Peoples Ignorance and Indigence, but plainly tell them of the Supplies that were coming towards them. In other Cases, tho a Tradesman may not lie upon the Catch to defraud his Brother, yet he may stand upon his Guard, and not betray or preju­dice himself.

1. The Tradesman's Veracity then consists, In not concealing from your Customer that Truth which by the Law of Equity or Charity you ought to tell him. If you know any secret considerable Fault in your Commodity, it is not sufficient that you make what Abatement you think fit for it, but you ought to discover it to him: for he may, and perhaps upon good Reasons, set a greater [Page 147] value upon that defect than you do, and be far more prejudic'd by it, than your Abatement comes to: Or if you know any other cause, whereby you may be reasonably assured that the Bargain will turn considerably to his Prejudice, and the forbearing of it will not be an equal Prejudice to you; the Law of Justice and Chari­ty obliges you to give him warning of it. By the same Rule you ought not to pay to any Man that Coyn which is not currant, especially to him that confides in your Sincerity; but fairly tell him your Suspicion of it, for otherwise you do not indeed pay him the Sum for which you did agree. In all such cases you would take it well and reckon it for great Integrity, to be advertis'd your selves, and then it must needs be highly commendable in you, to advertise your Neigh­bour. Say not, that you only do herein as you were done by, you were deceived in the Coyn or Commodity by others, and therefore may now do the like: For you must not deal with others as you are, but as ye would be dealt with; and you will find it an unsound Conclusion at last, to deceive an honest Man, because you have been deceived by a Knave.

2. This Truth and Veracity is shewed in shun­ning all unjust Commendations of your Commodities. If you do this ignorantly, thinking them to equa­lize your Praises, when indeed they do not, you offend in a culpable Mistake, because you ought to know the real Goodness of your own Commo­dity; or to hesitate about it, if it be dubious to you. But if you extol that which you know is not praise-worthy, or above that which you [Page 148] know it deserves, it is then a notorious Offence against Justice, Charity and Truth. Thus, to affirm that a Commodity is new, or of the newest Fashion, when it is old; that it is the best in Town, when you know there is better. To cry up this Book, meerly because you printed it, or this Edition, because you would gladly sell it, when you know the intrinsick Goodness of the thing doth not answer it, are all Trespasses against that Veracity and Truth, which should be currant between Man and Man.

3. This Veracity will teach the Tradesman, To avoid all unjust Disparagements of a Commodity▪ Thus we read, Prov. 20. 14. The Buyer saith, it is naught, it is naught, but whon he goeth away he boasteth. But the Gain you reap by such Arti­fices, will not ballance the Guilt you contract by such double dealing. Forge not therefore any causless Exceptions; for your own Consci­ence must needs (if you have any left) give the Lie to your Tongue. Things which are mani­festly good, allow them their due Commendati­ons, otherwise you will more disparage your own Judgment, or your Sincerity, than the thing [...] themselves: Things that are evidently faulty you may plainly, but withal modestly mention their Defects. But be not too confident of wha [...] is doubtful, but make use of due Caution in re­spect of your selves, and the like due Charity i [...] respect of your Neighbour. Ruin not his Cre­dit, because he hath sometimes a Commodity▪ which will not pass the muster: nor aggravate a Defect above Demerit of it, for that savours of Spite and Uncharitableness. You may think [Page 149] that your Tongues are your own, and being vo­luble, by them you can enhanse or depress what you please; but all this is but a sort of Cheating, which the less it falls under the Cognizance of Man's Law, the more it is obnoxious to the Justice of God.

4. This Veracity of the Tradasman consists, In abhorring to affirm or say what is Untruth, either about the Kind, or Price of his Commodity. This is so plain a case, that one would think none so base and wicked, as to offend herein. But daily Experience proves, that this is too usual. To pretend a Commodity is of one Kind or Country, and it is of another; that it is faultless, when you strive only to cover them; to affirm that the Beast is sound, when he is lame; that the Manufacture is of such an excel­lent Artist's Work, when it is not; that is cost you two Shillings, when it never did; that you cannot afford it under such a Price, when your own Conscience doth or may tell you, that you can; that you have refused so much for it, when it was never offered you; that you never sold it at such a low rate, when you know that you have. These and all such like Affirmations, are directly against Truth and Veracity; and you have strongly stupified and imposed upon your own Conscience, that dare trade with these Falsities. Does not the God of Truth stand by you and hear every Word? and may not he justly, how soon you know not, cram these Lies down your Throats and choak you with them? Well, his Forbearance is no Acquittance. If, for every Lie, your Tongue were boar'd through with an [Page 150] hot Iron, would you be so brisk with them? Alas, without a sound Repentance, a far greater Tor­ment is prepared for you. Resolve therefore, if Truth will not maintain you, Falshood never shall. An Estate gotten by Deceit, will deceive him that gets it. And the Wise Man hath de­termined, That a poor Man is better than a Liar: Prov. 19. 22.

5. This Veracity is to be shewed by the Trades­man, In forbearing all Equivocations and disguises in his Transactions. For, as you have heard, the end of Speech is to notify your Minds to others; when therefore it is clouded with Ambiguities, purposely to deceive another, the end is frustrate, and your Neighbour unjustly imposed upon. 'Tis true, a Man, as above, is not bound always to impart all he knows; Prov. 29. 11. A Fool ut­tereth all his Mind: but a wise Man keepeth it in till afterwards: But he is never permitted to deal in mental Reservations and Equivocations, where­by to deceive his Neighbour, which are nothing else but painted Lies. Your ambiguous Words are in one Sense true, it may be, but in another, false; and you present them to him in one Sense, and keep them to your selves in other; or per­haps you will speak out so much as may deceive another, and reserve so much in you own Mind, as, were it added to the rest, would contradict what you have said. Now these, as they are equally injurious with downright Lies to them with whom you deal; so they are equally abhor­red and avoided by the upright Tradesman. For as a Thief disguis'd, is fully as dangerous as bare-fac'd; so all such sophistical trafficking is as [Page 151] destructive to Justice and Honesty, as plainer Falshoods. The upright Tradesman, tho he should be a wise Man, yet he is a plain Man; he will speak as he thinks, and do as he speaks. It savours strong of Knavery, when a Man's Speech is like Apollo's Oracles, which may be un­derstood either in a fair, or in a fatal Sense. Would any of you be so trapan'd? or be pleased with such double-dealings? why then renounce such dealing your selves: Be Israelites indeed, in whom there is no gule.

6. The Veracity in the Tradesman extends to the Restraining the multiplicity of Words. The Scripture doth every where condemn a multitude of Words, and saith, Prov. 10. 19. In the mul­titude of Words there wanteth not Sin: but he that refraineth his Lips, is wise. And Eccles. 5. 3. That a Fools Voice is known by multitude of Words: Yea, Prov. 29. 20. Seest thou a Man that is hasty in his Words? there is more hope of a Fool, than of him. And on the contrary, Prov. 17. 27. He that is wise, spareth his Words. And yet what a flood of Words are commonly poured out about the smallest Traffick? Amongst which, there must needs be many vain and unprofitable. The Seller commonly asking unreasonably high, while the Buyer doth as commonly bid unreasonably low; and a long ado ere they can come near one ano­ther. Yea oftentimes he that sells, shall peremp­torily affirm, he will take no less than he hath spoken; and he that is buying as possitively con­cluding, that he will give no more than he hath offered; and yet both of them shall recede from their Words, ere they have done. Now tho I [Page 152] cannot say that every altering of a Man's Price, either in the Seller or the Buyer, is a Lie; for you have heard that a Lie is a falsifying the Truth with an Intention to deceive, whereas this when it is justifiable is only to ask too much, that the Chapman may give just enough, or only to bid too little, that the Tradesman may not have too much; iniquum petere, ut aequum ferat: Yet great Caution must herein be used, lest you take an unjust Price as well as ask it, or at least occasion others to think you do so: but as our Saviour saith in a like case, Mat. 5. 37. Let your Communication be yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil: So certainly these Methods pro­ceed from that Injustice, which Men either have in themselves, or suspect to be in others; or else why might not any such Traffick be dispatch'd in two Words, as well as in two hundreds? And this shews how far we are degenerated from the Primitive Simplicity; for there in one Verse, Gen. 23. 15. Ephron saith, The Land is worth four hun­dred Shekels of Silver: and in the next Verse A­braham weighed to Ephron the Silver without more ado. The like in the case of Boaz, of Da­vid and Araunah, of Jeremiah and Hanameel. And you will find that frequent recedings from your Word, will indanger to forfeit your Credibility, and it were much better and easier for Men to be at a word in their Bargains; unless upon a stricter Observation of the Commodity, there is visible cause to alter it. Say not, there is no trading without this Custom; for we see, that de facto considerable trading is dispatch'd by divers Per­sons, without either many Prices, or many [Page 153] Words, which shews that the thing is possible, and surely should be endeavoured by all discreet and consciencious Persons.

IV. And here let us make Application of this Point.

1. Let all Tradesmen reflect upon and take due Cognizance of their own Behaviour in this mat­ter. Have you in the foresaid Particulars liv'd in all good Conscience to this day? Have you always spoken the Truth in your Hearts? Have you been cunning Hunters, as Esau, or plain Men as Jacob? have you set a watch before the Door of your Lips, and kept your Mouth with a Bri­dle? have you never made Lies your Refuge? nor affirm'd any thing, which your Consciences have contradicted? O judg your selves, that ye may not be judged of the Lord! Erect a just Tribunal in your own Breasts, and call over your Behaviour in your several Callings; let matters have a fair Trial, and pronounce righteous Judg­ment. And if you find your selves faulty, make your Atonement with God; and make what possible Amends you can, to those that have been deceived by you. Make true Confessions of your false Equivocations, and rest not, till you have obtain'd Pardon through the Blood of Jesus Christ.

2. I am authoriz'd from this Point to speak Reproof and Terror to all those Tradesmen that do love or make a Lie. There are too many that care not what they say, so that they may gain by it; affirm any thing, deny any thing, cloud, co­lour, equivocate, deny their own Words, con­tradict [Page 154] themselves, and their Consciences, pro­stitute their Credits, cheat and injure their Bre­thren; and all this to get that Wealth, from which they may be rent, or it rent from them in a moment. Is this Wisdom? Is this Religion? Is it Morality? No, none of them. This is to burn your Fingers, to save yours Snuffers; to suffer your Heads to be broken, to spare your Helmet: It is to over-reach your selves. They that observe lying Vanities, for sake their own Mercy. 'Tis ten to one, that this course will disappoint you in this World: You will at length be de­tected and shun'd of all Men: Prov. 12. 19. The Lip of Truth shall be estabishled for ever: but a lying Tongue is but for a moment. God may justly pro­nounce your Fate like Moabs, Jer. 48. 30. His Lies shall not so effect it. But if he please, in Judgment, to prosper a lying Tongue, and that you grow rich thereby, yet a heavy Curse is in­tail'd upon your Estates. They will be means to feed your, or your Posterities Sins in this World, and to sink your Souls into endless Misery in another. Behold Gehazi, 2 Kings 5. His Heart was set upon Money, no matter how he got it; he makes one Lie to Naaman, and another, to Elisha, and got the Prize; but he got the Curse of Leprosy with it: let him be a Pillar of Salt to you. If you value your External Credit, if you value your Internal Comfort, if you value your Eternal Happiness, buy the Truth and sell it not, and banish away those lying Lips. You dare not swear; you think, and that truly, that swear­ing is an heinous Sin; but lying it's a Peccadillo, a venial matter: but deceive not your selves; [Page 155] For, Rev. 22. 15. without are Dogs, and Sorcerers, and Whoremongers, and Murderers, and Idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a Lie: Behold the Company that Liars are found in, and the Place whither they are cast. And tho among Sins there is no best, yet there is a bad, and a worse, and Lying is justly reckon'd among the very worst of Sins; he must have a great measure of Atheism, and very little Life in his Conscience, that can in­dulge himself in this Trade; yea, it is worse than Swearing in some respects: Therein you offend God and hurt your selves; but herein you offend God, hurt your own Souls, and injure your Neighbour also. If all this cannot stop your lying Tongues, behold shortly, that shall come to pass which is written, Psal. 63. 11. The Mouth of them that speak Lies, shall be stop­ped.

3. I exhort you in God's Name and Behalf, to speak Truth every Man with his Neighbour, see­ing you are Members one of another. Let your Words be a true Copy of your Meaning: Do not row one way and look another, speak one thing and think another. The People whom God will save, are Children that will not lie; Isa. 63. 8. What Man is he that desireth Life,—keep thy Tongue from evil, and thy Lips from speaking Guile; Psal. 34. 12, 13. Study and practise it your selves, recommend it to your Children, charge it upon your Apprencices. If you permit them to lie to your Advantage, they will not scruple to lie to your Prejudice. No, let Justice and Truth have both of them a place, behind your Counters; let them rule in the Shop, [Page 156] let them accompany you to the Exchange; so shall you find Favour and good Understanding in the sight of God and Man. When Agur had but two things to ask of God, this was one of them, Prov. 30. 7, 8. Remove far from me Vanity and Lies; and then, will God give you the other thing which he requested, that is, he will find you with Food convenient for you.

To this end, 1. Labour for the true Faith and Fear of God. So you will set the Lord al­ways before you: and then, sure you dare not utter an Untruth. This will make you say with holy Paul, 2 Cor. 11. 31. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. Few that will dare to speak an Untruth, if they know that a stander-by is able to disprove them. If you had but one dram of Faith or Fear, actually stirring in your Hearts, you durst not, you could not speak a false thing. He always sees, tho he be oft unseen: He is not far from every one of us. How can you lift up your Faces to him in Prayer at Night, when you have so affronted his Truth and Omniscience in the Day? Assure your selves, that the God of Truth will never bless either a Lie, or a Liar. Learn that Lesson, Prov. 23. 17. Let not thy Heart envy (or imitate, so it may be rendred) Sinners; they'l go their own way: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. Place thy self always before him, and believe every place to be filled with God.

2. Get and keep a truly tender Conscience. This is God's Substitute, and being in our Bosoms, is at hand to smite when the Tongue trips: even [Page 157] natural Conscience would go far in this matter. The wise God hath placed Conscience and Shame in us for the bridling of Sin, and of this Sin in particular. Conscience that stands in awe of God, and Shame that stands in fear of Man; and when these Bridles are broken by the strength and custom of Sin, Man grows the most profli­gate and abominable Creature in the World. But unsanctified Consciences are very often, ei­ther void of Sense, or full of Rage; they are either slumbring with Security, or roaring with Horror. A renewed Conscience is the great Preservative, which having smarted for Sin, is tender at the approach of it again; and so dare not come nigh any of the Avenues of Sin. In the Body, the Hand can endure a Blow, the Eye cannot endure a Mote; the tenderness of the part cannot bear it. Conscience is the Eye of the Soul, it is Index, Judex, Vindex. And therefore beware of baffling, or of bribing your own Con­sciences. If they may not speak, they will write; and write bitter things. And some Care must be used tothis end, you must with that holy Apostle, Act. 24. 16. Exercise your selves herein, to have always a Conscience void of Offence toward God and toward Men.

3. And lastly; You must Love your Neighbour as your selves. Delicatares est amor; we are im­patient of any Injury done to those whom we love. It is base Self-love, that begins and ends at home. No, he that rightly loves himself, truly loves his Neighbour: And every Man is our Neighbour. O the Excellency of our Re­ligion! It teaches us to be sober, righteous, and [Page 158] godly here, as well as how to be happy hereafter. It teaches us to be wise, and yet upright. Na­ture teaches us to love our selves, but Grace teaches us to love our Neighbour as our selves; and what Man ever told a known Falshood to him­self? But whither is this lovely Grace fled and gone? Of old the Christians, Occultis se no­tis nôrunt & amant mutuò penè antequam noverint; as Min. Faelix observes, but now it is not so. Let every Man revive this noble Grace in his own Heart. Let all Tradesmen walk according to this Rule; you are supported by others, be wil­ling that others be supported by you; you that expect plain dealing, use it. And if you have any true Love to God, or to your Neigh­bour, or to your own Souls, putting away Lying, speak every Man Truth with his Neighbour: for we are Members one of another:

SECT. 5. Of Contentedness in a Trade.

A Fifth Requisite to the right managing of your Trades, is Contentedness. This the Apostle aims at in that Exhortation, 1 Cor. 7. 20. Let every Man abide in the same Calling, wherein he was called. For it seems that some raw Christians had a conceit, that the Christian Religion dissolv'd all [Page 159] precedent Obligations, that the believing Wife was ipso facto released from her Infidel Husband; that it was unlawful and unreasonable for a Christian Servant, to continue in his outward Servitude. And the Servants by the Jewish and Roman Laws were in such Slavery, that Flesh and Blood was glad of such an occasion for Li­berty. Now to rectify this Mistake, says the Apostle, Let every Man (of what Birth, or Parts, or Grace soever he be, let him) abide in the same (outward) Calling, wherein he was (inwardly) called: Tho it be mean, let him stoop to it; tho it be laborious, let him buckle to it; yea tho he be a Bond-Slave, yet let him be quiet, till God that called him into it, call him out of it. Like the famous Epictetus, of whom it was said, that he was Servus & mutilus & pauper, sed Diis Charus. And here, I shall,

• I. Give a Description of this Requisite.
• II. Give some Reasons for it.
• III. Shew you wherein the Practice of it is ex­prest, in a Man's Trade and Calling.
• IV. Make some Ʋse of the whole.

1. For the Description of it, as it relates to this Subject; It is a chearful Satisfaction in the Place and Calling, wherein God hath set us. There is a natural Stupidity in some Persons, and a mo­ral Obstinacy in others; and there is a meerly Ra­tional Contentment in others; but this which I am speaking of, is a work of God's Spirit; a Mystery which is learned only in the School of true Religion, whereby the Soul, the whole Soul [Page 160] is inwardly satisfied with God's wise and holy Will, whereby he hath chosen a Man's Professi­on for him; his Satisfaction doth not so much proceed from the Excellency of his Calling, as from the declared Will of his heavenly Father, who hath placed him therein. He is at rest in his Mind, as far as it fit to be at rest, in this sin­ful and miserable World. This is that hard Lesson which the Apostle Paul had learn'd, Phil. 4. 11. For I have learned in whatsoever State I am, therewith to be content: And an hard Lesson it is to Flesh and Blood, and rarely learn'd. Ever since our Father Adam was unsatisfied with all the De­licacies of Paradise, none of his Posterity could be well content with their Condition; unless God by his Grace renew their Nature, and limit their Desires. Men may think, and many have imagined, that if they were in another Estate, in another Condition, they should be well, and never desire more: but they have found, that the Heart of Man is herein, like a Bladder, which the more it's filled, the more it stretches. And you will scarce find an individual Person, unless truly mortified, that is at full ease in his present State; but hankering after some absent Injoyments. The Child in love with the Liberty of the Parent, weary of his Restraint; the Pa­rent's weary of his Cares and Labours; the Ʋnmar­ried not content with their Condition, and the Married less with theirs; the Poor envies the Plen­ty of the Rich, and the Rich admire the Ease and Quiet of the Poor; and so it is among all other sorts, and amongst the rest, our Tradesman is not free. He is prone to prefer not only the Gown [Page 161] or the Sword before the Apron; but this and that Trade before his own. So that it is evident, that Contentedness is an hard Lesson, and not to be learn'd but from the holy Spirit of God; and that there is some need to assist the Tradesman in this difficult Point: We shall therefore demonstrate the great Reasonableness and Necessity of it.

II. The Reasons to inforce this Requisite are either, 1. In respect of God: Or, 2. In respect of our selves. There are many other Topicks, whereby to urge it, but I shall content my self with these.

1. In respect of God.

(1.) His plain Command of this frame in ge­neral; Heb. 13. 5. Let your Conversation be with­out Covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. No Command can be more plain; nor any Reason to a Christian more strong, than God's Command. Be content with such things as Ye have; not such things as Others have, others have this and that, such a Trade, such a House, such a Table, such Clothes; but be ye content with such things as ye have. Again, think not what things ye have had; you have lived so and so, have fared better, and lived every way high­er, before your Marriage, before the Fire, in your younger days; but be content with such things as ye now have. Again, he saith not, be content with such things as ye would have; say not, If I had but a better House, a better Trade, greater Custom, lesser Hazard, more Acquain­tance, I should do well, I should be content, but [Page 162] be ye content with such things as ye have, and adds a most satisfactory Reason: For I have said, I will never leave thee, nor for sake thee. I am enough, he that cannot be content with Me, my Fa­vour and Grace, is hard, yea impossible to be pleased.

(2.) His wise Providence, which hath placed you in this your Calling in particular. Your Pa­rents or Friends, who disposed you therein, were directed or permitted by the all-wise God; who knew what Calling was best and fittest for you. None of these things are brought about without God, and if you belong to him, your Condition is good for you; and if you do not, it is but too good for you. All things (and then all Callings) work together for good, unto them that love God. Besides, he hath Soveraign Dominion over you, and all his Creatures; and accordingly where he placeth them, there they must chearfully abide. As the Souldier must stand in the rank or post, where his Captain placeth him, how dif­ficult or dangerous soever; much more must you be satisfied with the standing your heavenly Lord and Master allots you: you know not what Service God hath for you to do in that Capaci­ty, or what Blessings you are there to receive; Psal. 47. 4. He shall chuse our Inheritance for us: And when he hath chosen it, shall we enter our Dissent, question his Goodness, or correct his Wisdom?

(3.) The Glory of God is another Reason. You should be contented in your Calling, because you may glorify God in it. There is no lawful Calling, but God is honoured and served in it. [Page 163] Your Wisdom, your Patience, your Diligence, your Uprightness do glorify God exceedingly; for all men must know, that every good thing, every vertuous Disposition, every good and perfect Gift (if you trace them up to their proper Spring, they) come from the Father of Lights; and conse­quently they infallibly prove him to be holy and wise, and good; and so they glorify him. Hence even Servants are said, Tit. 2. 10. by their shew­ing all good Fidelity, to adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour. The meanest Trade may as truly contribute to the Honour of God, as the least Finger or Toe doth to the Beauty and Welfare of the Body. It is not only the Beams and Pil­lars, but the very Pins that are serviceable in the Building. And therefore while you may bring Glory to God in your Calling, you should be very well content in it. For that's the highest End and Honour we can reach unto in this World, to set forth the Praises of him, who hath called us: 1 Pet. 2. 9.

2. Other Reasons for this Contentedness in your Trade, are in respect of your selves.

(1.) Your own Deserts. Do but consider what poor Creatures you are, what unprofitable Servants you have been to God, what great Sin­ners against him; and you will see reason enough for you to be content in your place, tho it were ten times worse than it is. If good Jacob, when he had occasion for the best Arguments he had, was forced to say, I am not worthy of the least of all the Mercy thou hast shewed me: Gen. 32. 10. What pretence can you have to expect every thing to your Mind, when you are not worthy [Page 164] of the common Air, the hardest Crust, or the meanest Rags? It's rank Pride that feeds out Discontentedness. The humble Man concludes, here's e'en a poor Trade, a sorry House and mean Fare, but it is good enough for me. I won­der I am not begging, or starving, or roaring for Pain and Misery. Some others speed better, but I verily think they deserve better: However, I am sure I deserve nothing; and therefore having something, I am well content. Having Food and Rayment, let us be therewith content: 1 Tim. 6. 8.

(2.) Your own Mortality: A great Argument to Contentedness. Whatever Exceptions you have unto, or Disasters in your Callings, yet this may quiet you, that your time in this World is but short, in comparison of Eternity. This makes the Apprentice content with all his Hardship, that after his seven Years, he hopes to live hap­pily. You know not whether your Straits, and Troubles, or Life shall last so long; and then afterwards you have the prospect of a far longer Felicity. If you fear God, there is but one Life between you and a Crown of Glory, and that Life is wearing away apace. When a few Years are come, then (says Job) I shall go to the place, where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary be at rest: Job 3. 17.

(3.) Your own Comfort. For Contentedness produces that inward Comfort and Tranquillity of Heart, which is not to be found in the great Houses, Shops, and Wealth of those that are above you. It is the poor Tradesman's Riches; It fills his Table, warms his Bed, trims his Ap­parel, gives him Musick, it is his Country-house, [Page 165] makes his Shop a Palace, his Work pleasant, and his Sleep sweet: When he can get no Money, no Trade, no Trust, yet this Grace supports him, and gives him Songs in the Night. In short, there is no outward Comfort which you want, but Contentment supplies it: Whereas on the con­trary, if this be wanting; the best Trade, House, or Estate will not make a Man happy. You see the Merchants fine Clothes, but you see not the Disquiet of his Mind; your Neighbour hath a great House, a fuller Table, a softer Bed; but if he have not this Furniture, this Dish, this Pillow, his Life is but a burden to him. This al­ways makes the best of a bad matter, believes God's Promises, hopes for the performance, considers his own Unworthiness, sees the Emptiness of all outward things; looks not at those that are a­bove him, but at those below him, and studiously keeps a Calm within, whatever Troubles he meets with abroad. It is so needful to a Christi­an, that the Apostle, 1 Tim. 6. 6. ranks it with Godliness; Godliness with Contentment is great Gain; as if, even Godliness it self, were not sufficient without Contentment. Many other Arguments to press this matter might be used, but they are fully insisted on by Others, that I need to inlarge no further hereupon.

III. I proceed, in the third place, to shew to the Tradesman, wherein this Contentedness is to be practis'd by him.

And that, 1. In a chearful undergoing the In­conveniencies, and Difficulties in his Trade. There are some Inconveniences in a trading Life in ge­neral, [Page 166] compar'd with some other Callings; what Condition in this World is wholly free from them? One Inconvenience is, that your Business lies among all sorts of Men, where you meet with much Falseness and Wickedness, Deceit and Disap­pointments. This meeting with a discontented Spirit, makes it outwardly to flame, or inwardly to smother. And the Man cries, Who would lead such a Life? never was Man thus vext perpe­tually; this Misery is never to be indured, &c. But now Contentment prevents, or pacifies this Disquiet; and concludes, what cannot be cur'd must be indur'd: If I cannot make others better, yet they must not make we worse; I will mourn for that which I cannot mend; tho I am sorry that the World is so bad, yet I congratulate my Hopes of a better, and I know that this Life is my State of Exercise, and not of Rest, and so will be content.

Another Inconvenience which the Tradesman often meets with, is, bad Servants: They are idle, careless, unfaithful, vicious. No sooner is his Back turn'd, but his Business is neglected, his Goods imbezelled, and he loseth more at home, than he, with all his Care, can get abroad. Now a discontented Man upon this is all on a flame, throws the House out at the Windows; seeing he cannot reform them, torments himself, and cries out upon the Miseries of a Trade, and can take no rest. But now Contentment will (af­ter you have used all fit means to reduce these ungracious Creatures, or, that being ineffectual, to discharge them: When there is no remedy this will) make Peace within, and teach you to [Page 167] possess your Soul in Patience; you must e'en re­new your Indeavours to convince and cure them: you must diligently both watch and pray for them, you must mingle sweet Advice with bitter Reproaches: you must manifest, that you do truly love them, and not your self only; and in case the Success answer not your Expectation, you must conclude with the Prophet, Jer. 10. 19. Wo is me, for my hurt, my Wound is grievous; but I said, Truly this is a Grief, and I must bear it.

Another Inconvenience incident to a Trade is, that you must have a Dependance upon many. If it be an Handicraft, you depend upon many Masters; if a selling Trade, on many Work-folks, and ma­ny Customers; and these are some of them fan­tastical, some penurious, some troublesome, some imperious, some inconstant, some idle, and many very humorous. Now if a discontented Mind lodg within, this is Fuel for it. No Man would be a Slave to such People. I must please every one, no body cares to please me: I believe every body, no body will believe me. I am weary of my Life, 'twere better to drive the Plough, or row at the Oars, than drive a Trade. But Con­tentedness stills the Tempest with these Considera­tions; God hath set me in this Imployment, these are things that are incident to others in my Voca­tion, and ever have been. I know where my own Shoe pinches me, but I know not the Troubles of others. These are not my Sins, and any thing is better to be born than Sin: What have I Wis­dom, Patience, and Humility for, but to be ex­ercised on such occasions? why should I expect Men to be without human Infirmities? I that [Page 168] have Frailties of my own, surely may indure them in others: Since the holy God bears long with the Follies of Men, why should not I, that am obnoxious to his Justice as well as they? And therefore I'l take up my own Burden, and Con­tentment will help me to carry it easily.

These are some of the Inconveniences that are common to most Trades: But besides these, par­ticular Trades have their proper Inconveniences; and every Tradesman is apt to enlarge and pore up­on his own, because he feels them, and smarts under them; not considering that there may be far greater Troubles, which belong to others, and that every Man hath his Load. And tho these are the Fruits of Sin, yet the infinite Good­ness of God permits and ordains these to be oc­casions for the Exercise of Grace, and Means to wean us from this World, and to prepare us for a better.

The like is to be said of the Difficulties which the Tradesman meets with. Some Trades require hard Labour, others continual Care; sometimes he hath too much Work, and sometimes too little. One day a Bill is brought him, and he wants Money; next day, he goes to dun his Debtors, and can get nothing. Now there is no Relief in these cases, but Christian Patience and Contentedness. You must go out of this World, if you would be free from Difficulties: For Man is born unto Trouble, as the Sparks flie upward; Job 5. 7. Shall the Earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the Rock be removed out of his place? Job 18. 4. Must a new kind of World be created to give give you Satisfaction? No, no, your business is [Page 169] to imploy your Wit, your Time, and your Strength in that Condition wherein you are plac'd, and humbly to submit to the Providence of God; and to assure your selves, that God will either lighten your Burden, or strengthen your shoulder; that no Evil shall befal you, out of which he will not bring some good to you; and in short, that innocent Troubles are better than sinful Triumphs.

2. This Contentedness of the Tradesman is shew­ed, In a thankful Acknowledgment of the Excellen­cies and Advantages of his Calling. For herein God hath in great Wisdom set the one over against the other (Conveniences to ballance Inconveni­ences) to the end, that Man should find nothing af­ter him; Eccles. 7. 14. no just cause to com­plain of his Proceedings. And tho the Trades­man must be content to give place to some other Callings, that move in a Sphere above him; the Stars do not envy the Sun and Moon; yet he hath many Advantages, let him not grow proud by them, above others that are below him. And these you ought to take thankful notice of, since it is both a sign and means of your Contented­ness.

And, first in general, The Calling of a Trades­man is more comfortable for the Body, than divers other Callings: unless it be some of the more servile Trades, for the most part, you meet with less Toil than the poor Husband-man, and less Danger than the Souldier. There are few of you that are kept from sleep by the Aches of your Bones in daily Labour, or that will be content with the Fare or Apparel of the Country-man; you know [Page 170] best how it is within, but one may easily see by your outside, that you have the advantage of him every way; and therefore you may be well content.

Again; Your Calling is more friendly to the Mind; you have generally a more ingenious Education, than labouring-Persons; and when Apprentices, you are fix'd in Families, and among Persons where you have opportunity to cultivate your Parts. In many Trades, you have much spare time, wherein by reading and converse you may accomplish your selves above the ordinary sort of Men; not that I would incourage any of you to extravagate, or wander out of your proper place; but therein you have room enough for the exer­cising of your Invention, Judgment, and other Faculties, and thereby to advance your Trades to greater Perfection, and your own Credit and Profit therewithal.

Again; You have in your way, more opportuni­ty to get good, than the poor Husbandman. For spiritual Good, which is the main, you are usually feated in such Places, Cities, or Towns, where God's Word is most constantly and seriously preached; whereas many poor Husbandmen can seldom reach an edifying Sermon; you converse among good Books, which carefully read, do convey Light and Heat into your Souls, when many poor Country-men are happy, if they can procure a Bible, and a Practice of Piety, and that's all. And then you are commonly seated among many sober and godly Neighbours, by whose sweet Company and Converse, you have much Comfort and Benefit, and so beguile the [Page 171] Tediousness of your Pilgrimage; whereas the poor Rustick hath very few near him, that can be helpful to him. And then for outward good things, you have a great advantage. For if God add his Blessing to your Prudence and Diligence, you may arrive at a greater Estate, and make better Provision for your Posterity, then the Country­man is ever like to do. If he can but get plain Food and Rayment, pay his Rent, and bring up his Children to read and write, and then ad­vance them to some Trade among you, it is the highest of his Ambition; but you many times obtain a plentiful Estate, and prove a Credit and Succour to all your Relations.

And then, lastly; You Tradesmen have a great Opportunity to do good; which next the beatifical Vision is Man's greatest Honour and Happiness: You have opportunity to educate and instruct divers young ones that are committed to you, and to direct them by your Counsel and Exam­ple into the way of Piety and Vertue; whereby they may, when they swarm out of your Hive, carry those Habits with them, which will inable them to do worthily in Ephrata, and be famous in Bethlehem. And if the Lord do bless you in your Imployments, you are inabled to do much good both for the Church and Common-wealth. It was once the Character of a Bishop, that he could not preach, but he could make Preachers by his libe­ral Maintenance and Education of Persons for that Calling: So though the Tradesman cannot preach, yet he can support and incourage Prea­chers; he can settle a Maintenance on the poor Vicarage or Chappel where he was born; or erect [Page 172] a School, and endow it, for the Instruction of poor Men's Children in reading and writing at least; or an Hospital for the decrepit poor in the place of his Nativity; or at least, he can bestow a quantity of Bibles, and other good Books, upon those that would read them, if they had them. He can educate and prefer some or other of his poor Kindred, and perhaps make his old Parents bless God for their Relief and Assistance by him. And thanks be to God, there be many Instances of such Feats, which the Tradesman hath done in every Country. And these are the Advantages of a Tradesman's Calling in general, which they should thankfully acknowledg, and which should render them very well content with their Con­dition.

Besides, every Tradesman should study and collect the particular Advantages of his own Cal­ling. If it be laborious, then it's usually more free from Cares, and less subject to Losses; if you spend your time in buying and selling only, then you have commonly more Time, and less Toil. In some Trades you are brought into great Acquaintance, with the Mysteries of Na­ture; in others, with the Curiosities of Art; in some, you learn to know Men, in others, Things. Now the Tradesman should muster up and sur­vey all these Excellencies and Advantages of his Calling, both to demonstrate and to further his Contentment therein, and so should conclude, I am well if I can see it, my Calling is but too good for me.

3. This Contentedness is to be shewn, in a pati­ent bearing of the Losses and Disappointments that [Page 173] befal him in his Trade. And here our Tradesman hath occasion for all Grace he hath: For some­times he meets with great losses in his Goods them­selves; perishing either by their own Corrupti­bility, or by the Carelesness of his Servants; some­times he hath great Losses by the Breaking of his Chapmen or Correspondents; and sometimes meerly by the Providence of God, permitting either dreadful Storms at Sea, or wicked Pirates to swallow them up. Now if God's Grace do not support his Spirits under these Losses; he frets himself in pieces with impotent Vexation: he falls out with his Trade, with Men, yea with God himself, and injoys nothing of what he hath left, because he is deprived of what he hath lost. He inlarges upon the Folly of Trading, he condemns all Mankind, because he finds some of them dishonest; he extols every Man's Calling but his own; he frets at the Providence of God; nay, almost questions whether there be any Providence, because it frowns upon him; quarrels with his Meat, his Drink, his Servants, his Wife, yea with himself; because (forsooth) he could not prophesy; he could not fore-see and fore-tell how the Seas or Men would prove: whereas by vir­tue of Christian Contentment, the Tradesman, tho he be not insensible of his Losses, yet he labours to digest them; and things looking ill, he will not make them worse by his own Folly.

He considers the Uncertainty of all worldly Imployments, and of all human Affairs, and that there is no sure trading, but to Heaven; he con­cludes that tho he will not do it, yet God hath [Page 174] set Bounds to his Estate, how much will do him good, and that he takes, nor suffers others to take any way, but what he knows would do him hurt. He knows that when he bears a Loss with Chear­fulness, God will the sooner make it up, than when he murmurs: He remembers that he un­dertook this his Calling with a supposition of such Events as these. Tho he smart and have loss by the failing of his Neighbour, yet he thanks God that he is not the Bankrupt himself, and ac­cordingly if he find him not dishonest, extends Compassion towards him. He knows that Indea­vours belong to him, but Events belong to God, who he is sure is more careful of his good, than he is himself.

And therefore, when he hath examined his own Heart and Ways, and mourn'd for the Sins which have deserved and procured the Affliction, he satisfies himself in the Will of God, refers the matter wholly to him, and rests contented, eats and drinks, and sleeps as chearfully as before. Thinks he, if my Happiness did lie in these things, I might repine at my Losses; or, if Man's Life did consist in the abundance of what he possesses, I were in a forlorn Condition: but my Happi­ness is in God, he is the Strength of my Heart, and my Portion for ever: Or if my own Vices had brought me low, my Idleness or Debauche­ry, my Pride or Lusts, there were cause enough of Dolour and Discontent. But the Faults of others shall never make me fall out with my self. And therefore whatever Losses or Disappointment I meet with, I'l be content.

[Page 175]4. This Contentedness is to be exercis'd, in watch­ing against the contrary Temptations. Those Vices which do oppose and thwart this excellent Temper. And they are,

(1.) Ambition, whereby you will be tempted to reach at things too high for you: When a Man's Heart is too big and too high for his Cal­ling, he is never at ease. The Shoe is uneasy, but it is because the Foot is swell'd. This ruin'd our first Parents, and this ruines many of their Po­sterity. It is true, a Tradesman may modestly aim at a convenient Pitch, yea, so that he do it soberly and honestly, let him hopefully endea­vour to attain the highest degree of Greatness attainable in his own Calling; but this Indea­vour so qualified, will not make him restless and uneasy in his present Condition. He is very well, but yet hopes for better; that he may be in a better Capacity to do good, and rectify what he sees amiss in the Imployment. He does not, he ought not to aim only at himself herein. His greatest Ambition is to do good in the World, and to get well to Heaven.

(2.) The Tradesman ought to watch against En­vy; whereby a Man hath an evil Eye at those that seem to be in a better Condition than him­self. There's one in more Credit than I; ano­ther gets far more Money than I; such and such live without Care and Pains; Riches flow in up­on them; they have what Heart can wish. Sure the World is unequally divided; we are as skilful and diligent, as honest as they, but they go away with all the Wealth, and we sit down with all the Labour. See what a House, and what rich [Page 176] Furniture yonder is, how they can lay up and how they can spend, how they—. And what is all this to thee? Is thine Eye evil because God's is good? A little Modesty would teach thee that he hath Wisdom to know where to bestow his Gifts. Alas he sees, that thy Neighbour's high Estate, and thy high Spirit would undo thee: he knows what's fit for him, and he knows what's fit for thee: he knows that a Competence, and Heaven at the end of it, is enough for thee, if thou be his Child, and it is too much, if thou be his Enemy: While you have more than you de­serve, you need not care what God bestows upon others.

And then for those you envy, you know not the Burdens they lie under; you see their seeming Happiness, but you see not their real Miseries: You envy their brave Houses, but you see not the Cares, the Fears, and Discontents that com­monly lodg within them; you are vext at the bravery of their Apparel, but you would pity them, if you knew the Diseases that are under it. Their Cares and Troubles are proportiona­ble to their Estates, and so are their Temptati­ons. A wise Man would not have their Estates a Year, for the Temptations they have in an Hour; Temptations to Pride, to Flesh-pleasing, to Covetousness, to Atheism: What Fuel do their Estates lay up for these Sins? And then the greatness of their Account, and the imminent danger they are in of missing Heaven at last, makes their Condition to require your Compassi­on, rather than your Emulation. Therefore, Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the Glory [Page 177] of his House is increased: For when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away, his Glory shall not descend after him: Psal. 49. 16. He that rejoyces in ano­thers Prosperity, makes it his own; he that en­vies at it, robs himself of what he has to no pur­pose.

(3.) The Tradesman ought to watch against Co­vetousness, as a Sin most repugnant to Conten­tedness, as is plain in the Scripture before men­tioned, Heb. 13. 5. By Covetousness I mean here, An unsatiable desire of Riches; when a Man will be rich, or else thinks he cannot be happy. And this restless Desire when it is kindled in the Tradesman's Heart, perpetually torments him; and he hath no content in what he hath, for the longing he hath for more. This makes him grudg himself Conveniencies, scant his Family of Ne­cessaries, forget the Poor, and neglect his precious Soul to get Money: grasps after the Shadow, and loses the Substance. Now what a madness is this? Do Riches make a Man more wise, more holy, more chearful, more happy any way? but only that, when they are rightly got, they more inable a Man to do good. And do you in very deed desire them for this end? why do you not then, do some good with those you have? ‘I take God to witness to my Conscience, (said good Mr. Tindal in the Book of Martyrs) I de­sire of God to my self no more in this World, than That without which I cannot keep his Laws.’ I know you aim at Satisfaction; Every Man's mind would have Satisfaction, but that will never be got by increasing your Estate, but only by abating your desires. You may as well content your selves [Page 178] with a moderate, as with a vast Estate. As Cyneas told Pyrrhus, when he was boasting how he would conquer Rome, and then Italy, and then Sicily, and then Carthage; to whom Cyneas, And what will ye do then? O then, says he, we'l feast and be merry: Why so, says he, you may do now every whit as well, without all this Pain and Dan­ger.

So, that Comfort and Satisfaction, which you promise to your selves after all your desired abun­dance, you may every whit as well receive at present. And why then should you pinch your Bodies, neglect your Souls, trouble your own House, and only inherit the Wind? For what hath Man of all his Labour, and of the Vexati­on of his Heart, wherein he hath laboured under the Sun? For all his Days are Sorrows, and his Travel Grief; yea, his Heart taketh not rest in the Night. This is also Vanity: Eccles. 2. 22, 23. Wisdom hath said, He that loveth Silver, shall not be satisfied with Silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with In­crease. And that, when Goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the Owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their Eyes? Eccles. 5. 10, 11. Watch there­fore carefully against this Temptation; if Riches decrease, break not thy Heart for them; if Riches increase, set not thy Heart upon them. Chear­fully make use of what you enjoy; bridle your Desires after the World; detest the motion of getting any thing indirectly; trust in God to sup­ply you, who gives us all things liberally to injoy; and still remember, that sincere Charity is the best method to obtain, and intail an Estate upon you and yours.

[Page 179](4.) Another opposite to the Tradesman's Con­tentedness, and which he must watch against, is, Despondency and Dejection of Mind. And this commonly seizes upon him, when Trading is dead. He has Goods in his Shop, but no Customers; waits diligently, and watches for some Imploy­ment, but no Money comes: Another has been at some Cost, and much Pains in his Handi­craft, to prepare his Wares; but knows not how, or when to vend them; and Provision must be had, Rents must be paid; and the Pond that is always running out, and hath no Spring with­in, will at length be dry. And hereupon the Tradesman's Heart sinks: he sees, that neither his Care nor Industry avail him, things grow worse and worse, and he is not so concern'd for present Affairs, as he is sollicitous for the future, what will become of him and of his Fa­mily.

Against this Temptation you must vigorously arm your selves, by acting Faith upon the Pro­mises of God; who hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, Heb. 13. 5. That tho the Lions do lack, and suffer hunger; yet they that seek; the Lord, shall not want any good thing; Psal. 34. 10. So that if an affluence of outward things be good for you, ye shall not want it. You are to know that God hath all Men and Things in his Hands, and orders them with perfect Wisdom and Good­ness: That he sometimes permits his dearest Children to come to Straits, to try their Faith, Hope, and Patience, and their Dependance on him; whereof the Grashopper is an Emblem, who is represented sucking Dew and singing; I con­tent [Page 180] me with this, and hope for better. You must know your Happiness consists in the Favour and Grace of God: So that, although the Figtree shall not blossom, neither shall Fruit be in the Vine, yet you may and ought to rejoyce in the Lord, and joy in the God of your Salvation. Withal you should consider, That this Dejection is the ready way to let in Mclancholy, and also Despaire, which are miserable Companions; and which will make you a burden to your selves, and to all your Friends. Rouze up therefore your fainting Spi­rits. Attend still upon your Calling, make your Complaint to God, spread all your Case before him. If you knew what God can do, you would bear up. They that know his Name, will put their trust in him, for he has never for saken them that seek him: Psal. 9. 10. Therefore wait on the Lord, be of good Courage, and he shall strengthen they Heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.

(5.) Another Temptation that is opposite to this Contentedness, you must avoid, and that is, Invading other Callings. Contentment may well consist with your utmost Diligence in your own Calling; but for a Man either to gripe (if possible) at all the Custom in his own Calling, or to accumulate two or three Callings, meerly to increase his Riches, argues that Man to be far from true Sobriety and Contentedness with his own.

In some cases, indeed it may be lawful for one Person to follow two or three Trades. But then, 1. A just necessity must compel you to it; not a greediness of the World, but a just desire to have a Livelihood, which the one in some Cases [Page 181] and Places will not afford. And, 2. They must not be inconsistent; if the one do hinder the other, or both together distract and hinder you from other indispensable Duties, they are to be esteem­ed Snares, and to be cashier'd accordingly. The Apostles would not serve Tables, that is, take care about the Poor, when it hindred them in the Ministry of the Word and Prayer: Acts 6. 4. Yea, 3. You may not follow them, to the pre­judice of the common Good; for you must not love your selves so, as thereby to exclude your Love to your Neighbour. Many a poor Family per­haps is sustained by the Trade, which you can live well enough without. Unless therefore you proceed with these Cautions, you discover a co­vetous Discontent in your Calling; and the wise and just God, who hath more Children besides you to provide for, will not hold you guiltless. In like manner, you must beware of Invading any thing else, that is proper to your Neighbour: If his House, or Shop be never so convenient and desirable for your purpose, you must neither de­sire nor indeavour to procure it, to his Preju­dice and your Advantage: you must not only avoid any unjust, but any scandalous course to settle your self in it. The wise God hath plac'd him there, and wo to him that supplants him against God's revealed Will, that is, against Ju­stice, Equity and Charity.

5. Lastly; The Tradesman's Contentedness in his Calling is shewed, in his steady Continuance in it: whereby, notwithstanding the Trouble, Pains, Disappointments, Losses, and Crosses he meets with, he constantly abides by it; and doth not [Page 182] without sufficient cause desert it. And this was the case in the Primitive Times, which the Apo­stle plainly resolves in that, 1 Cor. 7. 20. Let eve­ry Man abide in the same Calling, wherein he was called. For Ignatius saith, That in his time, many Christian Servants were importunate with the Church, that at her cost they might, by all means, be made free: They were sick of their present Callings. Thus many now, when they grow slothful, or meet with some Check in their Trades, are all on the spur to leave their own Callings, and betake themselves to some other, or perhaps to none at all.

But he that knows himself to be at God's dispo­sal, and not at his own, will quiet his Mind in his present Condition, and will not budg, till God that called him to it, do call him out of it. For as he that goes to Sea, hath resolved before­hand that he must have Storms and Enemies to meet him in that Seafaring Life; so the Tradesman must reckon upon Discouragements and Difficul­ties, (such there's also in all other Callings) and must not be affrighted by them. How often have I in travelling along one side of a dirty Lane, verily thought that the other side, if I could cross over to it, was fair and even? but when with much difficulty I have crost over the Road unto it, have found it equally deep and dirty, as that I left. And even so you imagine that some other Im­ployment would be far more convenient for you, and it looks so at a distance; but you will find, it may be by too late Experience, that every Cal­ling hath its Troubles and Inconveniences; and if you cannot live upon that wherein you have [Page 183] been educated, and the Mysteries whereof you know, it is very unlikely you should make better shift in a way wherein you have far less, and per­haps no Experience at all. And therefore Di­vines do conclude that it is unsafe for any Man to change his Calling, unless it be occasioned by his Private Necessity, or for the Publick Good, wherein also he will never do wisely or piously, unless he proceed by the Advice of judicious and upright persons.

IV. And now this Section doth require some Application of it.

1. Here then we must implead and reprove the Discontented Tradesman: That is always either openly murmuring, or inwardly fretting at his Calling. 'Tis a great Sin.

(1.) It displeases God. When the Israelites of old were sick of this Disease, observe how angry God is with them: Exod. 16. 7, 8, 9. five times he repeats their Murmurings in three Verses, as we commonly repeat a thing that vexes us. It re­flects upon his Wisdom and Goodness. If your Apprentice should be frequently murmuring, and shew Discontent in his place, would you like it well? does it not reflect upon you? So, and much more doth yours, displease your Master in Hea­ven.

(2.) It diseases and disquiets your selves; good it doth you none, but hurt every way. The Bullock that is uncustomed to the Yoke, plucks his Neck this and that way, and frets himself; but this only makes his Shoulders sorer, and unable to bear it: So Discontent only makes your Burden [Page 184] heavier. And why should you disquiet your selves in vain? Why should you overlook so many Mer­cies which you have, or have had, and pore only upon some few Inconveniencies?

(3.) It gratifies the Devil. It incourages that Tempter to tempt you: That wicked and dis­contented Spirit watches these Opportunities to tempt you, either to take some indirect Courses for your Redress, or to ferment you with an Ha­tred to God, and possibly to drill you on to Self-Destruction: for he is a Murderer from the be­ginning. It must therefore be an odious Sin, that so highly offends God, that so gratifies the Devil, and that doth so much mischief to your own selves.

2. Be exhorted then to rest content in your Cal­ling. Three things will further you herein.

(1.) Faith, whereby to believe God's Word, which hath said, All things work together for good, to them that love God: Rom. 8. 28. To believe his Providence, so that all Events in the World are wisely govern'd; and that, All the Paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth (mark it, Mercy and Truth) to them that keep his Covenant: Psal. 25. 10. So that as he can do a Sinner no wrong, so he cannot do his Child any harm. Faith, I say, to appropriate God, and then you have all things, when you have Him that hath all things. They that have not God, patch a sort of Con­tent out of the Creature; one Creature contri­butes one thing towards it, and another Crea­ture contributes another; now if any one part be away, any one String out of Tune, the Musick is spoiled; all the rest cannot fill up that Defect, [Page 185] and therefore it is a vain attempt to seek Satis­faction in them: But as Jacob said to Esau, I have all; and having God, so he had. And then Faith, whereby to believe Eternity, that there is another endless World, where there will be no Defect, no Grievance, no Cares nor Fears for ever.

(2.) Humility will greatly further you herein. For Discontent is usually a brat of Pride: Ezek. 28. 5. By thy great Wisdom, and by thy Traffick hast thou increased thy Riches, and thine Heart is lifted up because of thy Riches: But the humble Man concludes, I am nothing, I deserve nothing, I am worse than nothing; if I can live, that have forfeited my Life, it is very fair. They that have most, do but live, they have but Food and Raiment, and so have I. This startled that great Prince, Lewis the 11th of France, who coming incog­nito to discourse his Turnspit, and to question him what he got in his Imployment, had this Answer: Says he, I get as much as the King, for the King has but his Life, and so have I; God feeds the King, and the King feeds me.

3. Prayer is another means: Seek his Grace, seek his Counsel: If your Contentment be of the right kind, it is won by Prayer. Interrupt your disquieted Thoughts, and compose your Heart to Prayer. So David in his Dejections, and he sped accordingly. Recount to him your Difficulties and Discouragments, and be sure then God will either make you fit for your Cal­ling, or provide a Calling fit for you. And so much for the fifth Requisite.

SECT. 6. Of Religiousness in a Trade.

THE Sixth Requisite for a Tradesman in his Calling is Religiousness, or true Piety and Godliness. This compleats him, this crowns him. Here,

• I. I shall shew the Nature of it.
• II. The Inducements unto it.
• III. The Exercise of it.
• IV. The Ʋse and Application.

I. For the Nature of it. I do not consider it in this place in its utmost Latitude, for so it comprehends all the before-mentioned Duties. It teaches a Man to be wise, diligent, just, true, and contented; but here it denotes only a Man's Behaviour towards God; and we may describe it to be, A due respect to God in Heart and Life. The Scripture in the Old Testament describes it by walking with God: Gen. 6. 9. And Noah was a just Man, and perfect in his Generation; and Noah walked with God: He was not only just and exact towards Men, but also he walked with God; that is, he lived in that Reverence and Respect to God, as if God had walked with him upon [Page 187] Earth; or, as if he had lived and walked with God in Heaven. In the New Testament it is cal­led a walking in the Spirit; Gal. 5. 25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit: that is, if we (or since we) live a Spiritual Life, if we have a distinct Principle of Life, besides that of Nature; let us walk by the Quickning and Conduct of that good Spirit; as on the con­trary, to walk after the Flesh, is to be acted and guided by the Motions of our carnal Concupis­cence. And we find, that the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation, teaches us to live not only soberly, and righteously, but also godly in this present World; Tit. 2. 12. So that it is not e­nough for a Tradesman, that he be discreet and just, &c. as before; but if he design to be a happy Man here or hereafter, he must be a re­ligious Man, an holy Man, and that both in Heart and Life.

II. And for Inducements hereunto:

1. Nature teacheth it. Religion is as natural to Man as Reason: It is a Principle so firmly six'd in the Soul of Man, that he can scarce pos­sibly raze it thence. And tho some barbarous Nations, have mist of the true God; yet there are none so savage, but that a Sense of Religi­on cleaves to them. Cicero an Heathen, could say, Nulla est gens tam fera, nemo omnium tam immanis, cujus mentem non imbuerit Deorum timor. So that he must devest himself of Humanity, that denies the Obligation of Religion. It is this that doth most clearly distinguish Men from Beasts, who have some shadow, some approaches to Reason, [Page 188] but they are utter Strangers to any thing of Re­ligion. It's true, Education doth cherish and ripen these natural Notions; but if we could conceive a Man to be brought up from his Infan­cy, without any Society or Instruction from o­thers; he would no sooner reflect upon himself, and imploy his Faculties, but he would be sensi­ble of a Power above him, and of a deep Respect thereunto. So that this is no precarious Bu­siness, we need not to inlarge at all, when we propound Religion to a rational Creature: He must be a Brute that denies it. Now if all Mankind agree to it, the Tradesman must not think that he is exempt from it, whom we must suppose to be somewhat refin'd from the Dregs of Mankind.

2. The Scripture teacheth it. It is the great design of the Scripture, to make Men Religious. And to this end, the Holy Ghost doth therein lay down the clearest Rules, propound the most excellent Examples, produce the strongest Argu­ments, and provide the most effectual Means and Helpes, that the Wisdom of God could devise, or the Heart of Man desire. And as Piety and Religion is there urged upon all Men in general; so also it is prest upon Men, as they are di­stinguished by their particular Callings. So 1 Cor. 7. 24. Brethren, let every Man wherein he is called, therein abide with God. Mark, let him ahide with God; that is, cleaving to God still, to whom by his religious Allegiance he is obliged: Or, not imagining but that he may be godly in it: Or with God, as if God look'd at him, and at his Carriage in his Place: Also with God, [Page 189] that is, in a godly manner, looking at him and walking with him. So that this Text which must needs include the Tradesman, doth lay an unquestionable Obligation upon you, to add to your Vertue Godliness. Hereupon it is that the Scripture checks those severely that say, To day, or to morrow we will go into such a City, and continue there a Year, and buy, and sell, and get Gain: Jam. 4. 13. without taking due notice of God. These are some of those Words by which you may be saved, and by which you must be judged at the last day.

3. Reason teacheth it. For,

(1.) Religion is the truest Wisdom: When that wisest of Men, Solomon, had search'd in vain to find out an Happiness for Man, in all th [...] Ho­nour, Riches, and Pleasures which the World could afford, ( and what can the Man do, that cometh after the King?) he concludes the whole matter in these words, Eccles. 12. 13. Fear God, and keep his Commandments; for this is the whole of Man. This is his real Wisdom, this is his grand Duty, this is his only Happiness. For in­deed there is nothing doth so conduce to our Happiness in this World, as true Religion. It is the most certain way to Health, to Safety, to Plenty, to true Pleasure, and to true Honour. Nothing doth so much perfect, and regulate the Faculties of the Soul, nor crown it with that Peace and Tranquillity, as the Fear of God and true Piety; and then it's plain, that it and it only leads us to the Fruition of Eternal Happiness both in Soul and Body: Therefore unto Man be said, Behold, the Fear of the Lord, that is Wisdom, [Page 190] and to depart from Evil, is Ʋnderstanding: Job 28. 28. And therefore let every Tradesman be truly Religious.

(2.) There is the highest Equity in it: And that upon the account of all the Favours and Blessings which you have receiv'd from God, and which you now possess. Did not that God (whose Fear and Service we are now persuading) place you in these your Callings? Did not he preserve you in your Apprentiships from many Dangers, Diseases, and Temptations? Hath not he supported you in your Trades, when many that had better Foundations have bin ruin'd? Hath not he given you all that Estate ye have? and if that be too little, is not he ready to give you such and such things? Hath not he pluck'd you out of divers Dangers, Pains, Diseases, and kept you alive, when some of your Neighbours round about you are hid in the Grave? Besides the great things which he hath done for your Souls and for your Families. Now for all this, what doth the Lord your God require of you? Only fear the Lord, and serve him in Truth with all your Heart, considering what great things he hath done for you: 1 Sam. 12. 24. So that in point of Gratitude, it behoves the Tradesman to be truly Religious.

(3.) There is the soundest Comfort in it. There is, it's true, a kind of Pleasure in sinful Ways, which bewitches those that follow them; but as it cannot affect the whole Soul, for there is Conscience in the most profligate, which as it is vexed in them, in the midst of their Follies, and consequently their Satisfaction cannot be intire; [Page 191] so it leaves a Sting which is both inseparable, and unsufferable; and when all is done, this Pleasure is mortal, and commonly is but momentary; it is but like the crackling of Thorns under a Pot, which makes a great noise, but is soon extin­guished. But now Religion as it doth permit to you all innocent Pleasures, you may have an e­qual Liberty with others, to all that is worth the having in them; so it fills the Soul and en­tertains all the Faculties thereof, with those De­lights, that are most congruous to them, and also feasts it with the sweet review of an holy Life. The Fear of the Lord is clean, rejoycing the Heart. It affords Laughter without a Sting, Mirth with­out a Reckoning. It will support and comfort you under your Losses, and give you Songs in the Night, while others are eaten up with their Cares, or wallowing in their Puddle. And there­fore it is your real Interest to be truly Religi­ous.

(4.) There is the greatest Necessity of it. Our wise and blessed Saviour told Martha, Luke 10. 41, 42. Thou ant careful, and cumbred about many things; but one thing is needful, which you see was the business of Religion; hearing the words of Eternal Life. For as sure as you have mortal Bodies, so sure it is, that you have immortal Souls; and as sure as there is (you see) a visi­ble World with respect to the Body, so cer­tain is it, that there is an invisible World for the invisible Soul. Now if you must needs care and labour to sustain the Body, and it is your common cry, Rent must be paid, Bread must be had; so let me oppose, our must against yours; [Page 192] God must needs be serv'd, the Soul must needs be saved; and in order to it, Knowledg must needs be got, Sin must needs be pardon'd and mortified, a new Heart must be procured, and a new Life led; and here's Religion.

Yea it is necessary for the procuring a Blessing upon all your Affairs; for Godliness is profitable to all things, having the Promise of the Life that now is; 1 Tim. 4. 8. If you will truly serve him, he will certainly bless you. He will establish the Work of your Hands upon you, yea he will establish it, if you earnestly seek it: Psal. 90. 17. All that he doth shall prosper; Psal. 1. 3. Survey the Book of God, and you will generally find, when the Kings were most religious, they were then most prosperous; 2 Chron. 26. 5. And as long as Uz­ziah sought the Lord, the Lord made him to prosper: See the whole 112th Psalm. Indeed one may prosper by other Courses, but that Gain is clear Loss, and the Prosperity of such Fools shall de­stroy them. And you should do well to consi­der, whether many of your Losses, and Crosses, and Decays be not the just Punishment of your Neglects in Religion. For when the People of God of old neglected God's Service; Hag. 1. 6. He that earned Wages, earned Wages to put into a Bag with Holes. God can easily blast your most effectual Endeavours about this Life, if you be negligent about the things of a better, and so you may come to lose two Worlds, for want of one Religious Heart.

Object. 1. It may be you will object the Difficulty of Religion, that the Lessons of it are too hard, and that the way to Heaven is too narrow for you.

[Page 193] Answ. But I answer. There is nothing so hard in Religion, but the Grace of God will make it easy. Your Trades seemed very hard at first, but now you find them easy enough. As a new Suit of Cloaths pincheth you a little at first, but in a few days they are easie enough; so being a while habituated to a godly Course, the Diffi­culty will vanish, and the Suavity will abide. To live in Idleness and perish for hunger, looks easy; but who will therefore chuse it? No, you'l work, and sweat, and die with Labour, rather than live in want. And why should Dif­ficulties in Religion only fright you? But if you will believe God, you must acknowledg, that his Yoke is easy, and his Burden is light; that his ways are ways of Pleasantness, and all his Paths are Peace. Or, if you will credit those that have tried them, they will unanimously avouch, that there is more Comfort in the Hardships of Religion, than in the Pleasures of Sin. But what do we dispute about Difficulty, when Necessity is in the case; you must be holy now, or miserable for ever: and you that cry, how hard a thing it is to get into Heaven, will find it an harder matter to get out of Hell.

Object. 2. O but (you object) it will be preju­dicial to us. It will take up our Time, hinder us in Business, and cut off some ways of Gain, which now we live by. We would gladly read such a good Book, go and confer with a good Mi­nister, but we have not time for these things.

Answ. This is but the old Song, when Israel should go to sacrifice, than Pharaoh calls to work. But 'tis a meer Evasion, how much time do many [Page 194] of you squander away in sleeping, eating, smoak­ing, and visiting? You can stay with any body, but with God; and can find time for any thing, but the saving of your Souls. How busy soe­ver you are, your Work on Earth will be done best, when your Work in Heaven is done first. You would not like it, that your Apprentice should tell you, he could not do your Business, because he had some Business of his own to do. You are the Lord's, and your time is his, and to post­pone his Work for any thing else, is a far greater Affront to him. And tho the Fear of God may check you in your indirect ways of Gain, yet it will make you treble amends, by drawing down a Blessing on your well-gotten Estate, and entayling it on your Posterity.

Object. 3. But I shall be singular herein. I see few that make any business of Religion, and why should I be alone?

Answ. You are ignorant and uncharitable in so saying. There are hundreds, tho you know it not, that make Religion their great Business; that both trade more, and read, and pray more than you: but they do not stand praying in the Street, nor expose their Piety to all Mens view. And then, there is a sober Singularity and a super­stitious. To be hypocritically or superstitiously sin­gular is not more abominable, than a Scriptural Preciseness is necessary. No doubt, the wicked Sodomites laid this often in the Teeth of Lot, when his Life and Way ran counter to theirs; ay, he is an Hypocrite, I warrant him; he is wiser than all his Neighbours! his very Sons in Law minded him not: and how did the ungodly [Page 195] Crew about Zoar in all probability triumph at his fall in the Cave? Yes, here's one of your Religious Men, that seem'd to be mightily grieved at the Wickedness of Sodom, but trace him into private, he lies with his own Daughters. They are all such, I war­rant you, precise and severe to others, but loose enough themselves. And the wise God doth sometimes permit some of his own Children to fall, that those who seek occasions, may find oc­casion to stumble at true Godliness, and be hard­ned in their own Wickedness. For no body makes such wretched Constructions and Inferences, but such as are already bent to be wicked. And for all the sad Fall of Lot, yet his Singularity in Sodom was no Crime. As it is better to walk alone in the Field, than to be accompanied with a Croud to Tyburn: so it is better to go towards Heaven with a few, than with a multitude to Hell.

Object. 4. Yea, but there may be Danger in it. A serious course will expose me to Scorn at least, and perhaps to greater Troubles: I love to be quiet, and to keep out of harms way.

Answ. But did Jesus Christ, or his Apostles, or the Primitive Christians stand upon this? Are Men, who at most can but ruin and kill thee, more to be dreaded than God, who, if thou livest not in his Fear, can and most certainly will damn thee? Is the Fire of Hell cooler than one of Faggots? Do not imagine it. However, practise thou first all that Religion, that may safely be done within doors, and then we'l dis­course further about the rest. Hath not God [Page 196] said, Trust in the Lord, and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the Land, and verily thou shalt be fed: Psal. 37. 3. Hath not he said, Who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 1 Pet. 3. 13. It would be a sad Brand upon the Age, if it were any crime among Christians to be a Christian: and we press you to be nothing else. No, no, these are but the Sluggards Ex­cuses; Prov. 26. 13. There is a Lion in the way, a Lion in the Streets. But assure your selves, that those who dread a Lion in the way to Heaven, will meet with a worse Lion in the way to Hell.

Object. 5. Yes, but you say, This is needless for us, for this is the Work and Care of Mini­sters; what do we support them for, but to ma­nage these matters for us, and it is sufficient for us to mind our Business?

Answ. I have evinc'd the necessity of being truly pious before. Certainly the End is need­ [...] the great End of Man, which is to be happy for ever: if it be indifferent whether you be saved or lost, nothing is necessary. And the means is equally necessary: for there is no taking of Heaven without Violence. Inquire concern­ing the Sufferings of Christ, were they needful? and doth not that require your Care, which re­quired his Blood? Ask all the Saints of God, were your Prayers, and Tears, and Diligence n [...]edless? The Apostle Paul said, This one thing I do, &c. Phil. 3. 13. as tho he intended nothing else, and is it come now to be needless?

And then; as to God's Ministers; Wo to us, if we preach not the Gospel, but we cannot do your Work: we can execute our Commission, but we [Page 197] cannot change your Hearts: It is needful for us to open the Doctrine of Salvation; and it is needful for you to imbrace it. It is needful for us to give Vertue and Vice, Godliness and Ungod­liness, their true Colours, and to describe to you Heaven and Hell; but it is needful for you to fall to practise. God is our witness, we chuse the fittest Texts we can find, we produce the plainest Scripture, the strongest Arguments, the soundest Directions that we can; but if you do not concur to the saving of your own Souls, all our Labour is lost, and you are lost. We are not satisfied with your Approbation or Applause, we long for your Amendment; we wait to know what good Answer we may return to him that sent us. It grieves us not to see you so diligent, so just, so rich; but that you seek the Kingdom of God with the least Care, and in the last place; that you neglect the Substance for Accidents, for Shadows: We would have your Credit to be good in Heaven; we would have you to be rich towards God.

III. And so I come to the third thing under this Head, which is to shew wherein the Practise of this Godliness lies in the Tradesman's way. And that is;

1. In maintaining a Religious Frame of Heart. There is the Fountain, there's the Root that must feed all the Branches of a Religious Life. In vain will ye rectify some Disorders in your Actions, unless ye begin your Reformation at the Heart: Make the Tree good, and the Fruit will [Page 198] be good. Your great Care must be to get, and keep an holy Heart; that i [...],

(1.) An Heart bent against Sin; for any allow­ed Sin will be a continual Thorn in you Consci­ences, and a Canker in your Estates. You know who said, I also was upright before him, and I kept my self from my Iniquity; Psal. 18. 23. Consi­der therefore what Sin it is, to which you are most easily inclin'd, what Sin you find hardest to resist, what Sin you are lothest to leave, what Sin star'd you in the Face in your last Sickness, what Sin your Consciences do pitch upon when the Hue and Cry is sent out in the Ministry of the Word, and what Sin you would most carefully conceal, or at least excuse, (they are excellent Mr. Bolton's Marks) And set your selves against that Sin; for that's the Sin that threatens your utter ruine. It may be conquered, it may be mortified, and you will have more Comfort in its Overthrow, than ever you had in its Tyranny. And,

(2.) You must have your Heart set upon that which is good. Abhor that which is evil, but that's not enough, you must also cleave to that which is good; Rom. 12. 9. You must set your Affections on things above, not on things on the Earth; Coloss. 3. 2. When the Soul leans thus the right way, you will be ready to every good Work, it will be a mar­velous Advantage to you upon every occasion. How often might you have opportunities to me­ditate or pray, or to reprove a Fault, which you will lose for want of an honest frame of Heart? And this is a thing too much neglected; People think it sufficient to observe their Words and Actions, but few do mind the Temper and Frame [Page 199] of their Souls, as they ought. Our Conversation, saith the Apostle, is in Heaven. We are Citizens of another and better City, and we must be always driving a Trade there. No sight to such a Soul, like a Throne in the Clouds: No Musick like the Arch-Angel's Trumpet; no Song like, Awake ye Dead, and come to Judgment.

2. The Tradesman's Religion lies in the due Ex­ercise of Faith: Without this you can no way please God in your Calling. If you have not a Ground, and an Heart to believe, that your Calling is pleasing to God, every step you take in it, is guilty. Hereby you believe that there is a Divine Providence, which governs all Men, and all their Actions; which will quiet you in all Events whatsoever. When others fret and fume under their Losses, or swell and stroke them­selves in their Success; this will discern the Hand of God both in giving and taking away, and so quiet and fix the Soul aright: Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace whose Heart is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee: Isa. 26. 3. Hereby you will be able to live upon God's Promises for out­ward Supplies, and will be incouraged to use the means to obtain them; yea, when the Providence of God seems to contradict his Promises, when all things seem to conspire against you, by Faith you will see a Bow in the Cloud, God's Promise and Covenant to do you good by all: 2 Sam. 23. 5. Altho my House be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things and sure: for this is all my Salvation, and all my Desire, altho he make it not to grow: Whereas if ye only depend upon Second Causes, you shall see what [Page 200] you may expect: Jer. 17. 5. Cursed is the Man that trusteth in Man, and maketh Flesh his Arm, and whose Heart departeth from the Lord: When a Man works and cares so as if he had no need of God, he shall be like the Heath in the Desert, and shall not see when good cometh, as it follows there. He that trusts in Man, makes him God; he that distrusts God, makes him Man.

This Faith will free you from that Anxiety, which torments carnal Men; who have perhaps the greatest part of their Estate floating upon the Sea, and therefore can scarce eat, or drink, or sleep by reason of their unworthy Fears. Now Faith depends upon God, is not afraid of evil Ti­dings: for his Heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord; Psal. 1 12. 7. I'l do my Duty, and let God do his Will. And then for Spiritual Mercies, which the Trades­man hath daily need of, Faith is all in all. What's the Scripture, or God, or Christ, without Faith? How shall he obtain Mercy and Pardon, or find Grace and Comfort in time of need, without Faith? In a word, the Christian Tradesman must live by Faith, and breath by Prayer.

3. The Tradesman's Religion is to be exercised In the right Performance of Religious Worship. For the same Light of Nature, Scripture, and Reason, which prove there is a God, do with equal strength evince that he is to be worshipped. He that doubts of this, disputes against Principles. The Trades­man is obliged to this, as well as other Men. How can he be said to abide with God in his Cal­ling, that comes not near him. By Prayer we ap­proach to God, and by his Word he comes near [...]o us. The Tradesman must know that he hath [Page 201] two Landlords, one on Earth, and another in Hea­ven; that he holds his House and Shop of Man, but he holds his Health and Life of God: to whom a due Rent of Prayer and Praises must be daily paid. Rouze up your selves therefore in the Morning, and lay the Scripture next your Hearts, read some part of it with Understanding and Application; and then kneel you down, and lift up your Hearts to God in sincere and serious Prayer.

And at the fittest hour, but the sooner the bet­ter, let you whole Family come together, (un­less any be unavoidably hindred) and there let a Psalm and a Chapter be read, and then joyn to­gether in Prayer: And the like course hold at Night, withal remembring to sing the Praises of God, and let no Company or Business (unless of present necessity) tempt you, either to omit these Duties, or to do them unseasonably. Reckon that Almighty God is staying for you at your due hours, and will not excuse your neglect, unless you can conclude in your Conscience, that he himself by his Providence with-holds you. Do you think in earnest, that when your Family at eleven or twelve of the Clock at Night, are some of them in Bed, and the rest half asleep, it will satisfy an all-seeing God to hear you ex­cusing your selves with a story of such Company that held you, or such unseasonable Recreation kept you from his Service; or any other Business which might have been dispatched, or deferred to another time. Say not, that ye want time for this Work, for a Man must have time to eat and sleep, and pray, whatever other Business stays. [Page 202] And all this excellent Work needs not go away with an hours time in the whole day; for it is not the length, but strength of Devotion that carries it with God. Be but serious and sincere, God will accept a little from you, that have not time for more.

Plead not your Weariness in your Calling, that you are quite tir'd before Night, (remem­ber you cannot plead this in the Morning) that you have no Strength nor Spirits left you. For immoderate Labour may be sinful as well as im­moderate Meat or Drink. God requires no more, nor accepts, nor will bless such toiling as is inconsistent with the Ability of your Bodies, or the good of your Souls. You should Reason thus with your selves, Have I taken pains all day for a little Money, and shall not I strain my self a little at night for Pardon and Grace? If I have tir'd my Legs about the Earth, shall I not weary my Knees to get to Heaven? If I have wearied my Arms to get a Living here, shall I not stretch out my Hands to get a Crown hereafter? O if you had but a spark of Zeal, you would answer your selves. Zeal revives the languishing Spirits, infuses new Spirits, makes a Man all Spirit for a time. This in a false Religion will raise up a Man to his Orisons at Midnight, will send him some hundreds of Miles on Pilgrimage, &c. It's true, it works more languidly in a true Religion; Men swim faster down than up the Stream; yet when a Man considers, that the success of his Affairs depends upon God, and that he cannot keep Friendship with him, if he hold not Cor­respondence; and that most certainly he [Page 203] can and will make the Tradesman amends by the Years end, for every minute that he sincerely devotes to his Service: This should bear down all Difficulty, and oblige him to the constant Worship of God.

4. The Tradesman's Religion is exercised, in Ob­serving a right Rule and End in all his worldly Affairs. And here he guides not his Behaviour by the Ex­ample of others, nor of his Master that went before him, nor by the current of his particular Humour, Appetite, or Interest, but by the holy Word of God, and such Dictates of sound Rea­son that are agreeable thereunto. You must not conclude, thus and thus I'l do, for so do others, or so did my Master before me, or it is my Hu­mour, or it is for my Interest: but what saith Moses and the Prophets? what saith Christ and his Apostles? and what would they do, if they were in my place? and this must be your Rule. And in case of doubt and difficulty you must consult the wise and honest, and so be determin'd. They asked Counsel at Abel, and ended the matter; 2 Sam. 20. 18. And this Care and Pains before, is much bet­ter than to wound your Conscience, and give ill Example to others: He that doth Truth, cometh to the Light, that his Deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God: Joh. 3. 21. Your Deeds must be wrought in God.

And Religion must teach you the like care in the End which you should aim at in all your Busi­ness; which should be to please and glorify God. For none of us (Christians) liveth to himself, and no Man dieth to himself; and indeed, he that liveth to himself, will be likely to die to himself. But [Page 204] whether we live, we live unto the Lord: Rom. 14. 7. This is Man's greatest Duty, this is his highest Priviledg. We reckon it a great Honour to that Nobleman, that shall put the Crown upon the Head of a King: O how much greater is it, to put the Crown of Glory upon God's! But of this be­fore. Only you may ask, May not a Man aim at Riches by his Calling, that he may have Ease in his old Age, &c. Answ. An End is subordinate, or ultimate; a next end, or a last end. You may de­sign to get an Estate, but not meerly for your own sake, but chiefly for God's sake; not so much that ye may live at ease, but that ye may do good thereby. A Man may desire a good Horse, or a good Boat to carry him to his Friend. Every step of a Religious Tradesman, being trac'd to the utmost, ends at God. He would not care for himself, but that he may be of use to glo­rify God.

5. The Tradesman's Piety is shewed, In spiritu­alizing his Calling. There is in every Calling a Temporal and a Spiritual respect. The outside of them is the Object of Sense; a brutish Man may comprehend that, and get his Living by it; but there is an inside, which only the gracious Eye can read. There is scarce any thing which you trade in, but a Religious Heart may learn some­thing of God out of it. And this (surely) is one end of Similes and Comparisons, so frequent in the Bible, not only that God may come down by them to us, but that we may by them ascend unto him; he hath translated the World into the Scripture, that we may think of the Scripture in the World. This is the safest and richest Chy­mistry, [Page 205] whereby you may extract the purest Spi­rits out of the grossest Bodies. As the Bee can gather Honey out of every Flower, yea, out of the very Weeds; so may and should the Religious Tradesman gather some Spiritual Lessons, out of his temporal Wares and Imployments. Thus the Merchant may learn something from Mat. 13. 45. And all that buy and sell from Mat. 25. 16. and Luk. 29. 15. The Writer from Psal. 45. 1. They that work in Wooll from Isa. 1. 18. and Psal. 147. 16. The Apothecary from Eccles. 10. 1. The Carpenter from Isa. 10. 15. and Zech. 1. 20. The Founder from Jer. 8. 29. The Refiner from Mal. 3. 2, 3. The Baker from Hos. 7. 4, 6. The Fisher from Jer. 16. 16. and Mat. 4. 19. The Weaver from Job 7. 6. The Potter from Isa. 6. 8. and Jer. 18. And I think these are all the Trades ex­presly mention'd in Scripture, by which the Holy Ghost directeth us to spiritual things.

There are also mention'd the Goldsmiths, Neh. 3. 8. The Silversmiths, Acts 19. 24. The Spice-Merchants, 1 King. 10. 15. The Masons, 1 Kings 12. 12. The Mariners, Ezek. 27. 9. The Cal­kers, Ezek. 27. 9. The workers in fine Linnen, 1 Chron. 4. 21. The workers in Needle-work, Exod. 26. 36. The Smiths, Isa. 54. 16. The Ingra­vers, and the Imbroiderers, Exod. 35. 35. The Tent­makers, Acts 18. 3. The Tanner, Acts 9. 43. The Copper-smith, 2 Tim. 4. 14. The Cook, 1 Sam. 8. 13. The Barber, Ezek. 5. 1. The Fuller, Mark 9. 3. In general, the Chapmen, 2 Chron. 9. 14. and the Cunning Artificers, Isa. 3. 3. And those are (as far I can find) all the Trades mention'd in the Scripture. But as it is said, Isa. 28. 26. [Page 206] concerning the plain Husband-man, His God doth instruct him to Discretion, and doth teach him; so will the Spirit of God teach the ingenious Trades­man to learn spiritual Lessons from his Tem­poral Calling. An ingenious Head indeed is a great help herein, but an heavenly Heart is all in all. This inspir'd our blessed Saviour to make a Sermon out of a Vine, Joh. 15. 1. and to raise Instruction from a barren Fig-tree. As we see on the contrary, how wickedly witty a naughty Man will be, to collect base and sinful matter out of the Objects that come before him, and turn all to Poison; surely it is as possible, and much more noble, to extract the Gold, than the Dross. Do but keep open the Eye of Faith to see Invisibles, pray for Skill, and fall to Practise, and it will come. The Profit will ballance the Pains. He that turns Earth into Heaven, hath an Heaven upon Earth.

6. This Religion will teach the Tradesman, To observe the Christian Sabbath in a holy manner. In­deed this is one of the first things that God's Grace reforms in a serious Christian. No sooner doth he begin to look towards Heaven in sober Sad­ness, but he begins to value, and use the Lord's­day in another manner than before: Hence, Ezek. 20. 12. I gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them. Remember the Sabbath before it comes: And, if possibly you can, dismiss your Affairs a little the sooner the day before, that you may have time over night, to reflect on your Works the Week past, as God did on his at the six days end, and to bewail your Sins there­in; [Page 207] that you may have time to consider, what Mercies you have to acknowledg, and what Blessings to beg on the Day following; that you may solemnly renounce all your Sins, and wholly dismiss all your worldly Business, and the thoughts thereof, till the Sabbath be past. Let not the Guilt, nor the Love of any one Sin enter with you into the holy Ground; but wash you Hands in Innocence, and so compass the Altar of God.

And tho upon that holy Day you may be inno­cently chearful, and rejoyce in the Blessings of God; yet you should not only abstain from any vile Thoughts or Words, but even from vain and fruitless ones: Isa. 58. 13. Thou shalt call the Sabbath a Delight, the Holy of the Lord, Honourable, and shalt honour him, not doing thine own Wayes, nor finding thine own Pleasure, nor speaking thine own Words. Yea, your Hearts must rise against all un­fit Discourse, and with a Christian Dexterity, endeavour to carry the Stream of such Discourse another way. Be not ashamed to speak of God and Heaven, since ungodly Men have the Impu­dence to speak of Wickedness. See that ye rise early, and work hard that day in your hea­venly Trade; that so you may be able all night to give as clear an account of what you have gotten, as you can on other days.

Let no worldly Business be contrived or men­tion'd or done that Day, which might have been done before, or may be done after without plain Prejudice. It was the Men of Tyre that sold their Wares on the Sabbath, whom Nehemiah represt, Neh. 13. 16, 20, 21. and command your Fami­lies from stragling, or foolish Sports that day: [Page 208] beware how you give them Liberty that Day, because you can best spare them, to see their Friends, or to be out of your sight; for that Day, and that Way, multitudes of them are undone; but let them spend that Day in God's House, and in your own. Examine them of the state of their Souls, of their Proficience that Day, and scri­ously catechize the younger sort in the Principle; of Religion. O let not your Childrens Souls be neglected, while you pamper and deck their Bo­dies; but show them the evil of Sin, and the beauty of Holiness; convince them of their wo­ful State by Nature, and mind them of the Vow which they are under in their Baptism; let them see you in the Pangs of Travel for them, till Christ be form'd in them: you have time for this upon this Day; and you are bound in Equity and Piety, to recover them out of that Condition, into which you have brought them: put good Books into their Hands and talk with them about Regeneration, and explain the Catechism to them; that, being well grounded in the Principles of Religion, they may rationally imbrace the Pra­ctice of it.

And then for your Servants, both Apprenti­ces and others: Do you think it is sufficient, that they do your Work faithfully? Have not they most precious Souls? and have not you the charge of them? can you find in your Hearts to suffer them to live, and for ought you know die, in a State of Ignorance and Unregeneracy? Where are your Bowels of Compassion? Alas you should have the same care of their Souls, as you have of your own Children! You allow to your [Page 209] Beasts Food and Lodging for their Work, and will you treat Christians no otherwise? on this day you have time, if you have but Hearts, to call them to you, and to enquire into their Spiri­tual Condition: and never to give them rest, until you have (with God's help) cur'd their Ignorance and Vices, or find them incurable. Lose not therefore a minute of that precious Time, make it as long a day as any of the rest; and when it is done, long for another Sabbath. And heartily bless the Lord, that he hath given you such a merciful Release from the Labours of your Body, and the Cares of your Mind, and withal blest you with a Market-day for your Souls. I say, bless him, and let the Voice of Praise and singing Psalms be heard in the Righteous Man's Dwellings. A joyful Sabbath is the Suburbs of Heaven.

7. This Religion will oblige the Tradesman to the practice of constant Watchfulness. Which is a continual care to please God in your Thoughts, Words, and Actions, and that you offend him not in any of them. And herein lies much of the Essence and Life of Practical Religion; as pre­ventive Physick is much better than curing, and Obedience better than Sacrifice. For they that have such sinful Hearts within them, and such a wicked World, and malicious Devil without them, had need to watch, as well as pray against Temptation. Above all keeping, keep the Heart; Prov. 4. 23. quench the first Sparks of Sin there, O quench them quickly! and know, that as Light only excludes Darkness, so it is impossible to keep out bad Thoughts, without the Prevalence [Page 210] of good ones. Watch over your Words, and consider what, and how, and why you speak; and indeavour not only to speak what is lawful, but what is useful; remember that Words are like Arrows, when once out, you know not where they may light; especially be careful of them before your Children. And for your Acti­ons, take a wise Man's Counsel, Prov. 4. 26. Pon­der the Path of thy Feet, and let all thy Ways be established.

And especially watch against the Temptations of your particular Calling; for every Trade hath some particular Snare, as every Constitution hath some particular Sin, and it is the Wisdom of a Man to keep constant Watch against it. But the Temptations that are most common to all Trades, are either Debnuchery on the one hand, or World­liness on the other. Your greatest Temptation to the former, besides what is common to you with other Men, is the obliging of your Custo­mers or Chapmen; when to get or keep them, you will break with God, distemper your Body, Head, Hear, tand all: Now how can you expect that Gain to be blessed, which is procur'd by Sin? No, no; if you deal with wise Men, it is the Punctualness of your Word, the Goodness and Cheapness of your Commodity, that will oblige them sufficiently; and sooner or later, I am sure, this will do the business▪ but if you deal with Fools, whom Wine and Drink do chiefly ob­lige, they'l disappoint you at last, and leave you in the lurch.

And on the other hand; Take heed of Worldli­ness, beware of the love of Money, or of loving [Page 211] the World for its own sake. For the love of Money is the root of all Evil, 1 Tim. 6. 10. It is not the greatness of an Estate, but the nearness of it to a Man's Heart which ruines him. The Water under the Ship makes it swim, Water within it makes it sink. They that buy, should be as if they possessed not, 1 Cor. 7. 30. for the time is short. And worldly Wealth will not stay long, nor satisfy the Soul while it stays. Hearken to the Voice of God, Prov. 23. 4, 5. Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own Wisdom: Wilt thou set thine Eyes upon that which is not? For Riches certainly (mark that, cer­tainly) make themselves Wings, they flee away as an Eagle towards Heaven. What Wise-Man will fall in love with a Bird on the House-top? and such are Riches. Unless you find, that you are ready according to your ability to any good-work, and that you can find in your Heart to eat and drink, and wear Apparel sutable to your Estate; the World is in your hearts, and you must ply the work of Mortification quickly, and lift up your Affecti­ons from things below, to the better things that are above.

8. The Religion of the Tradesman is to be exer­cised in the frequent use of holy Ejaculations. An Ejaculation is the darting up of the Heart unto God, in a short and lively Prayer. And they may be used, either by way of Confession, as that, God be merciful to me a Sinner! O wretched Man that I am, who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death? Or, by way of Petition, as that of Neh. 13. 31. Remember me, O my God, for good: Or, by way of Deprecation, as David; O Lord turn the Counsel of Achitophel into Foolishness: Or by way [Page 212] of Intercession; as, O that the Salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! Or, by way of Thanks­giving; as that of Christ; I thank thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, &c. Now this is the excellency and advantage of these kind of Pray­ers, that as they will dispatch much business in Heaven, so they will hinder no business upon Earth; they are like a well-plac'd Parenthesis, they hinder not the Sense; they may be interlin'd not only in a Sermon, but in the throng of your Imployments. Nehemiah could list up such a Prayer, while the King and Queen were all in Presence, Neh. 2. 4. Especially you that are Ar­tificers, whose Imployment lies in manual Ope­ration; what excellent opportunities have you to step often to Heaven, by these kind of Prayers and Praises!

And that you may see, this is not a new Inven­tion, or piece of modern Preciseness; hear what holy Augustin says, De Opere Monachorum; As vain Men have their Fables and filthy Songs at work; quid ergo impedit▪ Servum Dei manibus ope­rantem in Lege Domini meditari, & psallere nomi­ni▪ Dei altissimi—Cantica divina cantare, etiam manibus operantes facile, possunt, & ipsum laborem tanquam divino celeumate consolari: that is, God's Servants should, while they are at work, sing the Praises of God. When the Heart is inditing a good matter, the Tongue will quickly be, as the Pen of a ready Writer. By these you will keep in the fire of Grace between your set-times of Pray­er; by these you may meet with and quench a Temptation on the sudden. When Satan is at his Injections and Injaculations, have you re­course [Page 213] to your Ejaculations. When you feel the Guilt of Sin to pinch you, or the Sense of any Mercy to affect you, or of any Danger or Diffi­culty to affright you, this will be a present Re­lief, till you have opportunity of more solemn Prayer. And as no Ship is so laden, but one may thrust in two or three small Jewels into it; so no Man's Business is so throng, but he may interline an holy Ejaculation. And of the like nature are Soliloquies, wherein we speak to our own Souls; either to rouze up our dull Spirits, or to revive our drooping Souls, as we find holy David frequently, Psal. 42. & 62, &c. Hereby you may make Company of your selves, when (as in some Callings) you are working alone all the day; and it is a sad thing, that a Man shall know how to confer with Men, yea how to converse with God, and yet cannot tell how to commune with his own Heart.

9. This Religion or Godliness in a Tradesman is shewed, In exercising of Grace in his Calling. It is not enough to have all Organs of a human Body, without a vital Principle, and vital Acts; what's a Hand, if it work not, or an Eye if it see not? and what signifies your Grace within, if it be not actually imployed? Joh. 4. 14. But the Water that I will give him, shall be in him, a Well of Water springing up into Everlasting Life. A Well is always springing up, and true Grace should be still in Activity. Most Men act only according to their natural Humour all the week long, and others consult only their world­ly Interest; but the Christian Tradesman hath not so learned Christ. He must every day act [Page 214] the Graces of Spiritual Wisdom, Zeal, Self-de­nial, Patience, Charity, and particularly that Truth, Justice, and Contentedness which hath been described to him: you will have more Com­fort in the review of this, than of all your other Gains. You will be frequently provoked by your Servants and others, here ye must act both Wisdom and Patience; you will see too much Sin and Dishonour done to God every day, here's Work for your Zeal; you will be often presen­ted with poor Objects, there's occasion for your Charity.

In short, you will have occasion to buy or sell every day, there's Work for your Veracity and Equity: And the acting of these Graces is so ne­cessary; that you are but dead Christians without it; and so pleasing to God, that every such Act both strengthens the Habit, and opens the chari­table Hand of God to give you more: And without these you will be but the World's drudg here, and that's sad, and the Devil's hereafter, and that's worse. A pious Tradesman may act Grace, as much as the greatest Rabbi. Famous is the Story of a Primitive Saint in Egypt, ‘Who having for ma­ny Years retired himself from the World, and chiefly imployed himself in the Acts of Morti­fication and Devotion; and being thereupon tempted to think himself among the holiest Men on Earth, and long'd to know who should sit next him in Heaven, was warned to inquire for a Man in Alexandria who was holier than him­self; and who should that be but, when he had found him, but a poor Cobler, that work'd hard most of the day, but was so circumspect in his [Page 215] Life, so just in his Dealings, so thankful with his Wife for his mean fare, and then so truly devout in the Worship of God, that the poor Hermite return'd crest-faln to his Cell, and found that the honest Tradesman was like to sit above him in Heaven.’ So that the Exercise of Grace should be no uncouth Business to a Christian Tradesman.

10. The Tradesman's Piety must be shewed, In the sincere promoting of Goodness, and discouraging of Sin. As it is the Honour of God, that he is good and doth good; so he ingraves the same image upon his Children. Whatsoever doth regularly tend to the advancing of God's Honour, or the Spiritual and Temporal Good of Mankind, Religion in­clines the honest Tradesman to further it to his utmost Ability. It is that ingages him in Con­science, if he have any concern in the Plantati­ons beyond Sea, no way to incourage that un­godly Trade of spiriting away either Christians or Infidels against their Wills, but rather to in­deavour the Instruction and Conversion of the poor Negros, who have Souls as precious and im­mortal as his own; and not to be indifferent about their eternal Salvation, much less to hinder their Instruction, as some are said wickedly to do, to the great affront of the Christian Religion: No, he knows that no Gain can countervail the Loss of a Soul; and that where Christ gains, he can never be a loser. This true Piety guides him in giving his voice in any Election; neither any private Respects, nor Inducements from others; neither the Frowns of one, nor Smiles of ano­ther shall sway him, but his fixed Design directs [Page 216] him which is the Glory of God, and the com­mon Good. This makes him to run among the first to further any Parish Business; this makes him ready to promote the good of his Company, to draw out his Purse for the Maintenance of godly Ministers, and to relieve the Poor. And if he be not the first, he will readily second any good Work: And if things go well with him, the Country shall fare the better for it, his Cha­rity shall be accordingly. For he knows that pure Religion, and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: Not only to be frequent and devout in the Worship of God, but, To visit the Fatherless and the Widows in their Affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the World, Jam. 1. 27.

And the like Zeal he will express in discou­raging Sin; for he that cannot indure it in him­self, cannot indure it any where else. He first drives it out of his Family: to this end, reads often the 101st Psalm, a Psalm it is for Houshoulders, and there you'l find that a truly Religious Man, hates the Works of them that turn aside, cannot abide a froward Person, will not know a wicked Person; indures not a Slanderer, a Liar, a deceit­ful or a proud Person. If he be invested in any Office, he takes that opportunity to express his hatred to Sin by due execution of the Laws a­gainst it; for he considers, that he may never have the like advantage again to serve God and his Generation. He sets himself to detect and root up all Frauds, all Debauchery, and whatso­ever is contrary to Justice and Holiness. By this indeed he runs a hazard of contracting some ill­will from some ill Men; but that he still ex­presses [Page 217] a Friendship to their Persons, and lays all fitting Obligations upon them; that so they can­not but see, that it's Iniquity which he only dis­likes, and that he only prosecutes a common Ene­my: When they come to themselves, they will give him Thanks; and if they do not, his Wit­ness and his Reward is above. The best of Men will applaud him, and the worst of Men will re­verence him.

Now to further a Tradesman in this his heaven­ly Trade, it is very convenient that he be fur­nished with some good Books; with which this Nation (praised be God) is richly stor'd. These will be Entertainment for him in vacant Hours, and on Winter-Evenings; and so pre­serve him from Idleness, and from vain Imagi­nations, and from fruitless Company. Here he may inrich his Understanding, instruct his Con­science, warm his Affections, and increase his Graces: your Shop-Books may help you to be rich for a while, but your Closet-Books will help you to be rich for ever.

But herein take Direction, 1. How to chuse them: Be well-advised, not to buy every Book that you fancy, nor every Book that is com­mended to you, nor that hath a taking Title, nor that hath a great Bulk and small Price. But consult your faithful Minister, or some judicious Fri [...]nd in the buying of your Books; unless you have a mind to throw away your Money, and which is more, your Time, yea and your Souls too, which is most of all: For, as some have been corporally poison'd by reading a Letter, so many have been spiritually poison'd by reading [Page 218] infectious Books. Neither be covetous after more Books, than will comport with your Estate to buy, and with your time to peruse: Too much variety confounds; a few Books well chosen, and well read, will make you solid Christians.

Above all Books, read the Holy Bible; let no day pass without tasting of some heavenly Man­na thence. And to assist the Frailties of your Memories, buy a Concordance. Downham and Wickens are the least; Cotton, or the Cambridg-Concordance are larger and better; whereby, if you remember but one Word, you may find in what Book, Chapter, and Verse the Sentence is: And then to open to you, what is difficult in Scripture, buy Bishop Hall's Parephrase on the hard places of Scripture, or, which is fuller, the Dutch Annotations. To ground you and your Fa­mily in the Christian Doctrine, you may have the Assemblies Confession and Catechisms; to which you may add, Mr. Ball's Catechism, with the Ex­position, or Bishop Ʋsher's Body of Divinity, and also Dr. Gouge on the Lord's-Prayer, Dr. Pearson on the Creed, Mr. Dod on the Com­mandments, and Mr. Vines, with Mr. Dolittle on Sacrament; and then, the Practice of Piety, and the Whole Duty of Man will be very useful both for your Instruction and Devotion: Mr. Dent's Plain Man's Path-way to Heaven, Mr. Shepherd's Sound Reliever, Mr. Baxter's Call to the Ʋnconver­ted, and Mr. Allen's Vindiciae Pietatis, will all of them be of great use, for the promoting the Work of Conversion in your selves and Family: buy also Dr. Gouge's Book of Domestical Duties, whereby Husband and Wife, Parent and Chil­dren, [Page 219] Master and Servant will be instructed in their Relative Duties; read also as many of the Lives and Letters of learned and holy Men, as you can, whereof you have a large Collection in Mr. Clark's Lives, and Martyrology: You should also have Mr. Perkins, Dr. Ames, or Bishop Hall's Cases of Couscience, to which you may re­sort in dubious Cases for Direction; Bishop Jew­el will largely, and Mr. Pool's Dialogue will briefly sufficiently arm you against Popery. And then, for Practical Divines, these following are the best I remember, Dr. Preston of the New Covenant, and on the Attributes; Mr. Perkins, Mr. Hildersam, Mr. Rob. Bolton, especially his Directions for a com­fortable walking with God, Mr. Tho. Hooker, Mr. Fen­ner, Mr. Scudder's Daily walk, Mr. Capel of Temp­tations, Dr. Harris, Mr. Reyner, Dr. Reynolds, Mr. Gurnal his Christian Armour, Dr. Tho. Good­win, Mr. Baxter's Directory, and everlasting Rest, Dr. Manton's and Dr. Tillotson's Sermons. And because you should have some Diversion: For History, read Mr. Fox's Acts and Monuments, Dr. Fuller's Church History of England. And for other History, you may have Mr. Speed's History of England. (The wealthier may add to these, Camb­den's Britannia, Sir Rich. Baker's Chronicle, Isaack­son's Chronology, and Plutarch's Lives and Morals.) And having the present State of England, and of London in particular, and a Statute-Book, you are competently provided for Books in the English Tongue. Tho you may read, yet you need not buy many more. That Money which others spend in superfluous Treats and Vanities, will in a short time furnish you with these Companions [...]; [Page 220] and that time which they bestow in doing no­thing, will serve you for this Employment, which will advance both your Intellectuals and your Morals here, and your Eternal Happiness hereafter. But then you must learn,

2. How to use these Books when you have them. They must not lie by you in the dust, but they must be read, and read throughout, not by parcels here and there; and yet not too much at once, for the Mind and Memory are frail and finite; and you should leave them, as you should your Sermons and Meals, with an Appetite. But be­sure you read with a deliberate Attention, and Application of what you read to your own Souls, and as occasion is offered, interline holy Ejacula­tions to God, to bless what you read unto you. If the Excellency or Difficulty of matter require it, grudg not to read it twice or thrice: and if you have time and convenience, extract and transcribe those things which most eminently concerns you; or make some Index whereby to find them again. Lend them also to any that will be sure to read them, and restore them; so you may have a Trade going of saving Souls when you are asleep. Finally, let not your read­ing intrench upon your necessary Business, nor make you more contentious, proud, censorious; but more holy, and humble, and useful; that the Divinity of your Books may be read in your daily Practice, and that your Works may com­mend your Authors.

IV. Ʋse. 1. Then I pray cast back your Eye, and review these ten Particulars, and then turn [Page 221] your Eyes inward upon your selves, and your behaviour in the Premises. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, Consider your Ways, Hag. 1. 5. Hath the Fear of God accompanied you into your Shops, to the Exchange, every where? What hath been your inward frame? How have you ex­ercised Faith? What care hath been taken of God's Worship? What Rule have you observed, and what Ends have you propounded? What spiritual use have you made of earthly things in your Callings? How have you kept the Sabbath? what Watchfulness? what Ejaculations? what Exercise of Grace? what Good have you pro­moted, or what Sins have you prosecuted? Of these things you will be examined, when you cannot avoid answering. It were better to judg your selves, than to be judged by the Lord. The Day is at hand, when the Secrets of all Hearts, and the Ways of all Men will be discovered, and impartial Sentence pronounced. And if you do reflect in good earnest, I conclude that you will see cause to abhor your selves, and to repent in Dust and Ashes. You will find that some of you have been so far from being religious in your Cal­lings, that you have been earthly in your Devo­tions: there you can spare some Looks and Thoughts about the things of this World, when in your Vocations, you will scarce lift up one Look or Thought to a better; instead of mix­ing Prayers with your Cares, you have mingled Cares with your Prayers. Nay in many of your Houses no Prayers at all; lest you should be ac­counted Fanaticks, you chuse to be Profanaticks. Where's any constant praying? If every Door [Page 222] were but mark'd, where there is no Prayer with­in, I fear many Houses would stand crost as for the Plague, with a Lord have Mercy upon us, writ­ten upon them. We have had the Gospel in Power and Purity now above an hundred and twen­ty Years, and there is yet so much bare-fac'd Wickedness, and so little of the Power of Godli­ness, that the Lord may justly say to us, as he did to the old World, Gen. 6. 3. My Spirit shall no more strive with Man.

We preserve the Name of Christians, Reformed Christians, but we dishonour that worthy Name, by which we are called. How do we trifle in Religion! God and Christ, and Satan and Death are all in good earnest, and we our selves do but dream. O the best had need to repent and amend: What then will become of them that hate and oppose all that's serious, that ridicule all Religion, tho under other Pretences; they dislike the Men, not the Religion; or only their Sins, not their Sanctity: and too much occasion for that Umbrage is given by many; and wo to them by whom Offences come; yea, and wo to the World, because of Offences, both those that Give Offence, and those that Take and improve it to the Prejudice of Religion are in a woful Condi­tion: For why should not a great deal of Good­ness in a pious Man, cover a little Evil, as well as some little Goodness in others, shall cover a great many Faults? Let a Religious Man have never so many vertuous Qualities, and let him have done never so many good things; yet if he have any one Fault, as if he be too passionate, or too worldly; all the worthy things in him, or [Page 223] done by him, are buried, and he only hears Hypo­crite, and all that's naught on both Ears. But if a wicked Wretch have never so many ill Qua­lities, and have lived in Sin all his days; yet if he have but one good Property, as to be good hu­mour'd, charitable, or the like; all his Faults are pass'd over and buried in silence, and he shall be excus'd them all, and cry'd up for a very fair condition'd Man. Now is not here rank Parti­ality? Do not these Men show hereby their Ha­tred to God? Yes, yes, the Malignity is at God himself. If good Men were less like to God, they might sleep quietly with their other Faults. Who ever affirm'd that the most sober and religi­ous were without Sin? and must they, and Reli­gion also, be therefore hooted out of the World? Who throws Stones at the Moon, because there be some dark parts in it? I would advise such to beware, for Religion is the Cause of God, who is a jealous God: and if he damn them that are without it, what will become of them that are against it? These Arrows do penetrate Jesus Christ himself, whom you might hear, if you had an Ear to hear, saying, I am Jesus, whom thou per­secutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the Pricks. Acts 9. 5. Dread therefore hereafter (as Saul there did) to open thy Mouth against the un­questionable Duties of Religion, and betake your selves to the Practice of that Piety, without which, you can neither comfortable live, nor safe­ly die.

But more particularly, I cannot chuse but la­ment and reprove two great Omissions of too ma­ny Tradesmen: And the one is, of Family-Prayer; [Page 224] which is wholly neglected by many, partially practi­sed, that is, at night only by some, and unsea­sonably performed by others. Assuredly, Sins of Omission deserve Condemnation, as you may see, Mat. 25. throughout, and all your other Pro­fession or Vertues, will not compensate for one wilful Neglect: Jam. 2. 10. For whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend (or stumble) in one point, he is guilty of all. If the Fear and Love of God did induce you to other good Duties, they would also oblige you to this; and you would no more plead Inability, Bashfulness, or Business, but seri­ously set about it. Till then you live in danger of that Fury, which is prepar'd for the Heathen, and for the Families that call not upon his Name; Jer. 10. 25. Better were it for you, to break through these petty Obstacles, and either with a Book or without it, render to God a Morning and Evening Sacrifice with your Families: For tho you may perhaps read and pray alone, yet 'tis great odds, some others, who are under your charge, have no time or mind to it, and so live without Prayer and without God in the World.

And then, why will you that pray with them only at night, thereby curtail half the Homage and Rent that is due to God? Doth not the same Scripture that commands the Evening Sacri­fice, require the Morning Sacrifice also? Exod. 29. 38, 39. Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the Altar: two Lambs of the first Year, day by day continually. The one Lamb thou shalt offer in the Morning; and the other Lamb, thou shalt offer at Even. And have not you as much cause to bless [Page 225] the Lord together for your Sleep and Safety in the Night, as for your Mercies in the Day? Nay, have you not greater need to beg divine Assistance, Protection and Grace, when you go out into the World, than when you only go to bed? Think of it, and answer these things in your Consciences, if you can.

And then, how unfit are you and the rest of your Houshold for any lively and earnest Prayers, at unseasonably late hours? Do not you come to them at such times, rather as to an unwell­come Task, than as to a gracious Priviledg? and accordingly they are performed; one sleeping in one corner, and another in another; God hath no Honour, you no Edification by them, which should be great Ends of all Religious Duties.

And the other grand Omission of the Trades­man, is of the Lord's-Supper. Some of them can live to thirty, forty, fifty Years of Age, (I speak what I know) without ever once approaching the Lord's Table. And yet that blessed Saviour of ours in his last Will and Testament (and dy­ing Commands are usually observed) comman­ded the frequent use thereof, to all that expect benefit by his Death. If, Do this in remembrance of me, be not a plain Command, nothing is plain in the Scripture: How can ye satisfy your Con­sciences in such a palpable Disobedience? Be­sides, you lose unspeakable Comfort and Strength, which is conveyed into the Soul of the true Be­liver therein. Say not, you are not worthy, but labour to be worthy, and let your godly Mini­ster be judg in the case; certainly, that Unwor­thiness [Page 226] which keeps you from the Sacrament, will also keep you out of Heaven, and where are you then? Plead not, that you are unprepared; for that is your Sin, which you should not sleep in another Night. How long, I pray, will you be preparing? No, no, the plain truth is, you are loth to be at the trouble of Self-Examination, loth to be disturbed in a sinful and slothful course, loth to settle to the Practice of serious Piety, loth to forgo the Sin you wot of, and here it sticks: but ( Sirs) these are the Suggestions of your Enemy. He commonly tells Men, it is too soon, till at length it be too late: If you could make a Covenant with Death, and escape the Judgment that follows, it were another matter. But Sin must be repented, Grace must be obtain'd, Heaven must be ensur'd; and how shall these things be, unless you buckle to it, unless you use the means, whereof this is one? I do therefore earnestly advise and perswade you, to take a speedy course to come, and come worthily to the Lord's Table. Read such good Books as may direct you, apply your selves to some faithful Minister, who will gladly assist you, and above all, beseech the Lord to help you; to pardon your great Neglect, to cloath you with necessa­ry Graces, and to welcome you afterward with a Blessing.

2. Let all Tradesmen be hence exhorted, to in­troduce Piety into their Callings. I beseech you to abide with God in your Callings. You cannot be truly rich, you cannot be safe, you cannot be happy without it. It is a poor House that hath [Page 227] no Fire in it; it is a poor Shop that hath no Goods in it: but tho you have Fire and Meat e­nough in the House, and Goods sufficient in your Shop, yet it is a miserable, a cursed House and Shop that have no Religion in them. You may, I grant, get Estates, dispose your Children, live deliciously, &c. Go on and prosper, but you will die like Fools, and these very Estates (as you have been often told) will help to sink your Po­sterity in the spending, that have ruin'd your Souls in the getting of them. Remember your Profession, remember your Baptismal Vow, re­member Eternity, and be wise for your own Souls. If you abide with God in your Calling, he will abide with you, and then you shall be hap­py here, and happy for ever. Happy are the Peo­ple that are in such a case; yea, happy is that People whose God is the Lord: Then will your Callings be better for you, and you will not be worse for your Callings. Say not again, it is impossible to be religious in your Calling; for tho it be more difficult to walk with God in some Callings; yet it is possible to do it in any. In the Apostles times, they that were Servants, yea, Slaves to ve­ry Heathens, are required to abide with God even in that Calling. There is no lawful Calling under Heaven, but there have been holy Men in it; and if you be not so, it is the fault of the Person, and not of the Calling.

To this end, be restless until you have a sense of Religion in your Hearts: Embrace Christ there, yield up your Souls to him, take his Yoke upon you. Accept of him in all his Offices, and re­sign [Page 228] your Souls to him with all its Faculties, and then you are past the strait Gate. It is said Mat. 22. 5. They made light of it and went their ways, one to his Farm, another to his Merchandize. Miserable is that Merchandize that keeps Men from Jesus Christ: If you are too busy to go to Heaven, your Money will perish with you. But if laying aside every weight, and the Sin that doth so easily beset you, you immediately set upon the Work of Repentance and Holiness, you will have Fruit unto Holiness, and the end Everlast­ing Life. Prov. 4. 7. Get Wisdom, get Ʋnderstan­ding. You are all for getting; here's Gain with­out hazard, a great Bargain without Money. And now what say you? What Answer shall I return to him that sent me? As the Levite said of old, Consider of it, and take Advice, and speak your Mind. And the Lord incline your Heart to true Wisdom! And so much for the Sixth Requisite, and also for this Head about the right managing of a Trade or Calling.