CHA P. IV.

We can pleafe God in no ftate, or employment of life, but by intending and devoting it all to his honour. and glory.

H

AVING in the first Chapter ftated the general nature of Devotion, and fhewn, that it implies not any form of Prayer, but a certain form of life, that is offer'd to God not at any particular times or places, but every where and in every thing; I fhall now defcend to fume particulars, and fhew how we are to devote our labour and employment, our time and fortunes unto God.

As a good Christian should confider every place as holy, becaufe God is there; fo he should look upon every part of his life as a matter of holiness, because it is to be offer'd unto God.

THE profeflion of a clergyman, is an holy profeffion, because it is a miniftration in holy things, an attendance at the Altar. But worldly business is to be made holy unto the Lord, by being done as a fervice to him, and in conformity to his divine will.

FOR as all men and all things in the world, as truly belong unto God, as any places, things, or perfons that are devoted to divine fervice; fo all things are to be used, and all perfons are to act in their several ftates and employments for the Glory of God.

MEN of worldly bufinefs therefore must not look upon themselves as at liberty to live to themselves, to facrifice to their own humours and tempers, because their employment is of a worldly nature. But they muft confider, that as the world and all worldly profeffions, as truly belong to God, as perfons and things that are devoted to the Altar; fo it is as much the duty of men in worldly bufinefs to live wholly unto God, as 'tis the duty of those, who are devoted to divine fervice.

As

As the whole world is God's; fo the whole world is to act for God. As all men have the fame relation to God, as all men have all their powers and faculties from God; fo all men are oblig'd to act for God with all their powers and faculties.

As all things are God's; fo all things are to be used and regarded as the things of God. For men to abufe things on earth, and live to themselves, is the fame rebellion against God, as for Angels to abuse things in Heaven; because God is just the fame Lord of all on earth, as he is the Lord of all in Heaven.

Things may, and must differ in their use, but yet they are all to be ufed according to the will of God.

Men may, and must differ in their employments, but yet they must all act for the fame ends, as dutiful fervants of God, in the right and pious performance of their feveral callings.

Clergymen must live wholly unto God in one particular way, that is, in the exercise of holy offices, in the ministration of Prayers and Sacraments, and a zealous diftribution of spiritual goods.

BUT men of other employments are in their particular ways as much oblig'd to act as the fervants of God, and live wholly unto him in their several callings.

THIS is the only difference between clergymen, and people of other callings.

WHEN it can be fhewn, that men might be vain, covetous, fenfual, worldly-minded, or proud in the exercise of their worldly bufinefs, then it will be allowable for clergymen to indulge the fame tempers in their facred profeffion. For tho' these tempers are moft odious and most criminal in clergymen, who, befides their baptifmal vow, have a fecond time devoted themselves to God, to be his fervants, not in the common offices of human life, but in the Spiritual service of the most holy facred things; and who are therefore to keep themselves as feparate and different from the common life of other men, as a Church or an Altar is

to

to be kept feparate from houfes and tables of common ufe: Yet as all Chriftians are by their baptifm devoted to God, and made profeffors of holinets, for are they all in their feveral callings to live as holy and heavenly perfons; doing every thing in their common life only in fuch a manner, as it may be received by God, as a fervice done to him. For things fpiritual and temporal, facred and common, muit, like men and angels, like heaven and earth, all confpire in the glory of God.

1.ves;

As there is but one God and Father of us all, whose Glory gives light and life to every thing that 1. whole prefence fills all places, whofe power fupports all beings, whofe providence ruleth all events; fo every thing that lives, whether in heaven or earth, whether they be thrones or principalities, men or angels, they must all with one fpirit, live wholly to the praife and glory of this one God and Father of them all. Angels as angels, in their heavenly miniftrations, but men as men, women as women, bishops as bishops, priests as priests, and deacons as deacons; fome with things fpiritual, and fome with things temporal, offering to God the daily facrifice of a reasonable life, wife actions, purity of heart, and heavenly affections.

THIS is the common business of all perfons in this world. It is not left to any women in the world to trifle away their time in the follies and impertinencies of a fashionable life, nor to any men to refign themfelves up to worldly cares and concerns; it is not left to the rich, to gratify their paffions in the indulgencies and pride of life, nor to the poor, to vex and torment their hearts with the poverty of their ftate; but men and women, rich and poor, must with bishops and priefs, walk before God in the fame wife and holy fpirit, in the fame denial of all vain tempers, and in the fame difcipline and care of their fouls ; not only because they have all the fame rational nature, and are fervants of the fame God, but because they all want the fame holinefs to make them fit for the fame happiness,

happiness, to which they are called. It is therefore abfolutely neceffary for all Chriftians, whether men or women, to confider themselves, as perfons that are devoted to holiness; and fo order their common ways of life by fuch rules of reafon and piety, as may turn it into continual fervice unto almighty God.

Now to make our labour or employment an acceptable service unto God, we must carry it on with the fame Spirit, and temper, that is required in giving of alms, or any work of piety. For, if whether we eat or drink, or whatfoever we do, we must do all to the if we are to use this world as if we used it not; if we are to prefent our bodies a living facrifice, holy, acceptable to

I Cor. x. 31.

glory of God;

Rom. xii. 7.

God; if we are to live by faith, and not by fight, and to have our converfation in heaven; then it is neceffary, that the common way of our life in every state, be made to glorify God by fuch tempers, as make our prayers and adorations acceptable to him. For if we are worldly or earthly-minded in our employments, if they are carried on with vain defires, and covetous tempers, only to fatisfy ourselves, we can no more be faid to live to the glory of God, than gluttons and drunkards can be faid to eat and drink to the glory of God.

As the glory of God is one and the fame thing, fo whatever we do fuitable to it, must be done with one and the fame fpirit. That fame ftate and temper of mind, which makes our alms and devotions acceptable, must also make our labour, or employment, a proper of fering unto God. If a man labours to be rich, and purfues his bufinefs, that he may raise himself to a itate of figure and glory in the world, he is no longer -ferving God in his employment; he is acting under other masters, and has no more title to a reward from God, than he that gives alms, that he may be seen, or prays, that he may be heard of men.

For vain

and

and earthly defires are no more allowable in our emplayments, than in our alms and devotions. For these tempers of worldly pride, and vain glory, are not only evil, when they mix with our good works; but they have the fame evil nature, and make us odious to God, when they enter into the common business of our employment. If it were allowable to indulge covetous or vain paffions in our worldly employments, it would then be allowable to be vain-glorious in our devotions. But as our alms and devotions are not an acceptable fervice, but when they proceed from a heart truly devoted to God, fo our common employment cannot be reckon'd a service to him, but when it is perform'd with the fame temper and piety of

heart.

MOST of the employments of life are in their own nature lawful; and all thofe that are fo, may be made a substantial part of our duty to God, if we engage in them only fo far, and for fuch ends, as are fuitable to beings, that are to live above the world, all the time that they live in the world. This is the only measure of our application to any worldly bufnefs, let it be what it will, where it will, it must have no more of our hands, our hearts, or our time, than is confiftent with an hearty, daily, careful preparation of our felves for another life. For as all christians, as fuch, have renounced this world, to prepare themselves by daily devotion, and univerfal holinefs, for an eternal state of quite another nature, they must look upon worldly employments, as upon worldly wants, and bodily infirmities; things not to be defir'd, but only to be endur'd and fuffer'd, till death and the refurrection has carry'd us to an eternal ftate of real happiness.

Now he that does not look at the things of this life in this degree of littleness, cannot be faid, either to feel or believe the greatest truths of christianity. For if he thinks any thing great or important in human business, can he be faid, to feel or believe those E

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