son is a duty. The greatest and the most urgent work must be preferred. And some works must be done with double fervour and resolution, and some with less. Buying, and selling, and marrying, and possessing, and using the world, must be done with a fear of overdoing, and in a sort as if we did them not, though they also must have a necessary diligence. God's kingdom and its righteousness must be first sought. And our labour for the meat that perisheth, must be comparatively as nonea. 3. Lastly, it is not an irregular, nor a self-disturbing, vexatious violence that is required of us; but a sweet, wellsettled resolution, and a delightful, expeditious diligence, that makes the wheels go merrily on, and the more easily get over those rubs and difficulties, that clog and stop a slothful soul. And now will you lend me the assistance of your consciences, for the transcribing of this command of God upon your hearts, and taking out a copy of this order, for the regulating of your lives? 'Whatsoever,' is not a word so comprehensive as to include any vanity or sin; but so comprehensive as to include all your duty. 66 1. To begin with the lowest: the very works of your bodily callings must have diligence. "In the sweat of your brows you must eat your bread"." "Six days shalt thou labour, and do all that thou hast to do." "He that will not work, let him not eat "." Disorderly walkers, busybodies, that will not work with quietness, and eat their own bread, are to be avoided and shamed by the church." Lazy servants are unfaithful to men, and disobedient to God, who commandeth them to "obey their masters according to the flesh" (unbelieving, ungodly masters) “in all things," (that concerns their service) "and that not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, and in the fear of God, doing whatsoever they do as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord" (even for this) "they shall receive the reward of the inheritance i." "But he that doth wrong" (by slothfulness, or unfaithfulness) shall receive for which he hath done k." the wrong Success is God's ordinary temporal reward of diligence1. And diseases, poverty, shame, disappointment, or self-tormenting melancholy, are his usual punishments of sloth. Hard labour redeemeth time: you will have the more to lay out in greater works. The slothful is still behindhand, and therefore must leave much of his work undone. 2. Are you Parents, or Governors of Families? You have work to do for God, and for your children's and servants' souls. Do it with your might. Deal wisely, but seriously and frequently with them about their sins, their duty, and their hopes of heaven. Tell them whither they are going, and which way they must go. Make them understand they have a higher Father and Master that must be first served, and greater work than yours. Waken them from their natural insensibility and sloth. Turn not all your family duties into lifeless, customary forms, (whether extemporate, or by rote); speak about God, and heaven, and hell, and holiness with that seriousness as beseems men that believe what they say, and would have those they speak to, to believe it. Talk not either drowsily or lightly, or jestingly, of such dreadful, or joyful, unexpressible things. Remember, that your families and you, are going to the grave, and to the world where there is no more room for your exhortations. There is no catechising, examining, or serious instructing them in the grave, whither they and you are going. It must be now or never; and, therefore, do it with your might. The words of God must be "in your hearts, and you must diligently teach them to your children, talking of them when you sit in your houses, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up"." 3. Have you ignorant and ungodly neighbours, whose misery calls for your compassion, and relief? Speak to them and help them with prudent diligence. Lose not your opportunities. Stay not till death hath stopt your mouths, or stopt their ears. Stay not till they are out of hearing, and taken from your converse. Stay not till they are in hell before you warn them of it, or till heaven be lost, before you have seriously called to them to remember it. Go to their houses; take all opportunities; stoop to their infirmities; bear with unthankful frowardness; it is for men's salvation. Remember there is no place for your instructions or Prov. x. 4. xii. 24. 27. m Deut. vi. 6-8. xi. 18-20. exhortations in the grave or hell. Your dust cannot speak, and their dust cannot hear. Up, therefore, and be doing with all your might! 4. Hath God intrusted you with the Riches of the world; with many talents or with few, by which he looketh you should relieve the needy, and especially should promote those works of piety which are the greatest charity? Give (prudently, but willingly and liberally) while you have to give. It is your gain. The time of market for your souls, and of laying up a treasure in heaven, and setting your money to the most gainful usury; and of making you friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; and furthering your salvation, by that which hindereth other men's, and occasioneth their perdition. "As you have opportunity, do good to all men, but especially to them of the household of faith"." "Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth." "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper,this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good"." "Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it. Say not to thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee P." Lay up a foundation for the time to come. Do good before thy heart be hardened, thy riches blasted and consumed, thy opportunities taken away; part with it before it part with thee. Remember it must be now or never. There is no working in the grave. 5. Hath God intrusted you with Power, or Interest, by which you may promote his honour in the world, and relieve the oppressed, and restrain the rage of impious malice! Hath he made you Governors, and put the sword of justice into your hands? Up, then, and be doing with your might. Defend the innocent, protect the servants of the Lord, cherish them that do well, be a terror to the wicked, encourage the strictest obedience to the Universal Governor, discountenance the breakers of his laws. Look not to be reverenced or obeyed before him, or more carefully than he. Openly maintain his truth and worship without fear or shame. Deal n Gal. vi. 6.9. 12. Eccles. xi. 1, 2. 6. P Prov. iii. 27, 28. gently and tenderly with his lambs and little ones. Search after vice that you may successfully suppress it. Hate those temptations that would draw you to man-pleasing, temporizing, remissness,or countenancing sin; but especially those that would ensnare you in a controversy with heaven, and in quarrels against the ways of holiness, or in that self-confounding sin of abusing and opposing the people that are most careful to please the Lord. Your trust is great, and so is your advantage to do good. And how great will be your account, and how dreadful, if you be unfaithful. As you signify more than hundreds or thousands of the meaner sort, and your actions do most good or hurt, so you must expect to be accordingly dealt with, when you come to the impartial, final judgment. Befriend the Gospel as the charter of your everlasting privileges; own those that Christ hath told you he will own. Use them as men that are ready to hear. "Insomuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it unto me." "Know not a wicked person;" but let " your eyes be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell therein, and lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty "Let those that work the work of the Lord, be with you without fears." Remember that it is the character of a Pharisee and hypocrite, to see the mote of the non-observance of a ceremony, or tradition, or smaller matter of difference in religion in their brother's eye, and not to see the beam of hypocrisy, injustice, and malicious, cruel opposition of Christ and his disciples in their own. And that it is the brand of them that please not God, that are filling up their sins, on whom God's wrath is coming to the utmost, to "persecute the servants of the Lord, forbidding them to preach to the people that they might be saved '." r " Learn well the second and the hundred and first Psalm. And write these sentences on your walls and doors, as an antidote against that self-undoing sin. "Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea"." “He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye." "Him q Matt. xxv. 1 Thess. ii. 15, 6. r Psal. ci. 1.. s 1 Cor. xvi. 10. that is weak in the faith, receive you; but not to doubtful disputations. For God hath received him"." "He that receiveth you, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a righteous man, in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whoso shall give to drink to one of these little ones, a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily, I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward"." If you love not the godly, love yourselves (so far as to such self-love is possible), wound not your own hearts, to make their fingers bleed. Damn not your own souls, (and that by the surest, nearest way) that you may hurt their bodies. Provoke not God to thrust you from his presence, and deny your suits, by your dealing so with them. Stop not your own mouths, when your misery will bespeak your loudest cries for mercy, by your stopping the mouths of the servants of the Lord, and refusing to hear their requests for justice. If you have the serpent's enmity against the woman's seed, you must expect the serpent's doom. Your heads will be bruised, when you have bruised their heels "." "Kick not against the pricks"." Let not "briars and thorns set themselves in battle against the Lord, lest he go, therefore, through them, and burn them together "." a I speak not any of this by way of accusation or dishonourable reflection on the Magistrate. Blessed be God that hath given us the comfort of your defence. But knowing what the tempter aimeth at, and where it is that your danger lieth, and by what means the rulers of the earth have been undone, faithfulness commandeth me to tell you of the snare, and to set before you good and evil, as ever I would escape the guilt of betraying you by flattery, or cruel and cowardly silence. And especially when your Magistracy is but annual, or for a short time, it concerneth you to be doing with your might. It is but this year, or short space of time that you have to do this special service in; lose this, and lose all. By what men on earth should God be eminently served and honoured, if not by Magistrates, whom he hath eminently advanced, impowered, and intrusted? With considerate y Rom. xiv. 1, 2. xv. 1. b Acts ix. 5. z Matt. x. 40-42. a Gen. iii. 15. |