for even innocent Adam, tho' the Lord of all the World, was himself to labour; you discover a Stupidity, and a Bafenefs of Temper; and your Sin is of the fame Kind with fuch grofs Abominations as Fornication, Gluttony, Drunkenness; for it is all but Flesh-pleafing, and giving fuch an Enemy as the Flesh, greater Advantage for lording it over you. This Sin is much aggravated by its long Continuance. What a continual Courfe of Sin do our rich and genteel Drones live in? What a Timewafting Sin is it? And what a Contradiction is it to itself; for the Idle tremble at every Sign of Death, and yet lavish away their Lives at Cards, Dice, or Stage-Plays, in Dreffing, Feafting, or Compliments; and are ever teaching their Servants to be idle, and yet abhor them for it! You make it appear by your Idlenefs, that when you do labour, it is not to serve God and Chrift, but only your carnal felves. While you 'eat the Bread of Idle nefs (h),' you forfeit divine Protection, and even your daily Bread; you rob both yourselves and others of the Fruit that might arife from your Labours; you are Burthens to the Common-Wealth; you deprive yourselves of the nobleft Pleasure, even that of doing Good; you expofe yourselves to the final Doom of the unprofitable Servant (i);' you cherish the Difeafe of Melancholy, which is most n effectually cured by the conftant Labours of a lawful Calling; and indeed you destroy your Health and Lives; for idle Fulness brings Thousands un- N feasonably to their Graves. What compleats the Sinfulness of Idleness is, that it produces and nurfes up (h) Prov. xxxi. 27. (i) Mat. xxv. 30, 6 up a World of other Vices; for it is the Field, where Satan fows his Tares while Men are asleep (k).' But while profperous Idlenefs appears to be fo great a Sin, don't make this a Pretence for faying concerning the Godly, as Pharaoh did of the Ifraelites, when they defired to go and facrifice to God, ye are idle (1); nor for oppreffing your Servants with unmerciful Labours, without allowing them Time to pray every Day, or to fanctify the Lord's Day. If you really defire to overcome your Temp-tations to this Sin, make Confcience of unrefervedly fubjecting yourfeives to God as his Servants; and confider all your Poffeffions as Talents, which God has committed to your Trust, and for which you must be strictly accountable. Live as those that must die, tho' the Time is uncertain, and that know what an eternal Weight' of Joy or Mifery depends upon the fpending of your prefent Time. Ask yourselves what you would be found doing, if Death now furprife you; and whether Work or Idlenefs will be beft in the Review? Try a laborious Life of well doing, and Experience will encourage you to proceed. Refolve upon a ftated Course of Bufinefs, that Neceffity may be laid upon you. Forfake the Company of the Idle and Voluptuous, and converfe with the Laborious and Diligent. And ftudy how to do the greatest Good in your Power, that you may be ever excited by the Excellency of your Work. $9. Triumph alfo by Faith over Unmercifulnefs to the Poor and Needy, by which Profperity is fo often turned into Curfe. Sodom is a Pattern of unfanctified (k) Mat. xiii. 25, 39. (1) Exod. v. 17. fanctified Prosperity; for, 'Pride, Fulness of Bread, and Abundance of Idlenefs was in her, and in her Daughters, neither did the ftrengthen the Hands of the Poor and Needy (m).' LoveGod, your Creator and Redeemer, and then you will love the poorest of your Brethren for his Sake. Give all Diligence to cure your inordinate Self-Love, which makes Men care little for any but themselves, and fuch as are useful to themfelves. Overvalue not the Things of the World, and then you will not make a great Matter of parting with them for another's good. Do as you would be done by. Remember at how much dearer a Rate Chrift fhewed Mercy to you and others, than he requires you to fhew Mercy to any; ftudy well his Precepts of Charity and Mercy; and firmly believe his Promises to the Merciful. Obferve how Mercy has the Applaufe of all the World, and that the Unmerciful are hated by all. Live not in Senfuality, for that will leave you little or Nothing to do Good with. Set apart a convenient Proportion of your Income, with which God fhall blefs you, that you may have a stated Way of doing Good; and often ask your felves, How fhall we give up our Account to our great Lord at laft, as good Stewards of his Property, which he committed to our Truft? Never forget, that whofo ftoppeth his Ears at the Cry of the Poor, he shall cry himself, but fhall not be • heard (n).' Let not an unbelieving Heart restrain you from well-doing, for Fear of wanting yourfelves; but let God be trufted with your Bodies, as well as your Souls; and in fhewing Mercy to the Bodies Bodies of others, let your greatest Mercy be fhewed to their Souls. $10. [II] In Order to live by Faith in Adverfity, let the following Advice be attended to, In all Adverfity remember the Evil of Sin, and the Holiness and Juflice of God. You will then fay, I will bear the Indignation of the Lord, because I have finned against him. Why doth a living Man complain, a Man for the Punishment of his Sins? Let us fearch and try our Ways, and turn again unto the Lord (o).'- Be faithful then with your Hearts and Lives. Reft not till your Confciences teftify to your true Repentance. Otherwife you may lengthen your Diftrefs; or God may change it for a worfe; or may give you over to Im patience; or at leaft, you will want that Peace with God, which is the grand Support and Comfort under Affliction. Look more at the fanctifying Fruit of Affliction, than either at Comfort, or Deliverance, Your Part is to do your Duty, by getting the Benefit of Affliction, but it is God's Part to remove Affliction. Seriously ask yourselves, What does this Affliction require from me? What fpiritual Good may I get by it? Is it not the End of my heavenly Father, to increase my Repentance, Self-Denial, Humility, Contempt of the World, Patience, and Confidence in himfelf? Is not his Rod in Love and Kindness to me Have I in any Measure answered his gracious Defign? ? Take Heed of over-valuing outward Profperity, and of under-valuing the Profperity of the Soul." Never think of bearing Affliction with a fubmiffive Temper, as long as you over-value the worldly Pleasure (o) Mic. vii. 9. Lam. iii. 39, 40, Pleasure, Plenty, and Honour which Affliction takes from you. if you had rather have more Health, than Holiness; more of the World, than of heavenly-Mindednefs; more flefhly Pleafure, than Mortification of fleshly Defires; you will never approve the correcting Hand of God, nor rightly profit by it. David faid, and you must be brought to fay fo, Before I was afflicted, I went aftray; but now I have kept thy Word. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy Statutes. I know, O Lord, that thy Judgments are tight, and that thou in Faithfulness haft afflicted me (p).'-Be perfuaded that Nothing can be amifs which God does. Perfection of: Wifdom, Power, and Goodnefs can do Nothing bad. Tho' God cannot caufe Sin, yet he wifely permits it to happen as a Punishment. Shall there be Evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it (q)?' Was not Chrift delivered by the determinate Counsel and Foreknowledge of God,' when he < was taken, and by wicked Hands was crucified " and flain (r).' $11. Ever attend to the Example of Chrift and his Followers in their Sufferings. Confider him that endured fuch Contradiction of Sinners against himfelf, left ye be wearied and faint in your Minds (s). You will love the narrow Way of Suffering, when you fee before you the Footsteps of your Lord, and of fo many holy Apoftles and Martyrs. Keep the Eye of Faith always fixed on eternal Glary. Blefied are they that mourn, for they fhall be comforted (t).' He willefteem (p) Pfalm exix. 67, 71, 75. (t) Mat. v. 4. (q) Amos iii. 6. (s) Heb. xii. 3. the |