you

V.

But if your Calling be lawful in itself, and s ER M. you don't abuse it to unlawful Ends; if purfue it only for the Benefit of Mankind," and take care to infringe not upon the more important Concerns of another Life; then you are still to be industrious in it, and, tho' you should fit at the Receipt of Custom, to keep your Sitting. For the Reason why St Matthew and the rest of the Apostles so absolutely forfook their several Employs, was, because in the Bufinefs, to which our Saviour called them, he had Occafion for all their Time and Diligence. This indeed, fhould be an Inftruction to those who fucceed the Apostles in the great Work of miniftering to Souls, to spend themselves wholly in this necessary Affair, and not to perplex, and involve themfelves with the common, or fecular Employments of Life. But for the reft of Mankind, the Apostle's Example fhould influence them no further, than always to be ready to quit their Gains, and Means of Gaining, when any extraordinary Providence of God shall call them to it; and in the mean while to communicate cheerfully of their temporal Substance to those who fequefter themselves from all other Engagements, purely to adminifter to their spiritual Good.

Notwithstanding

SERM. Notwithstanding then this Example of the V. Saint of this Day, of leaving his Calling to follow Chrift; the Generality of Chriftians may follow Chrift, better by keeping to their Callings, than quitting them. For as every Man is a Member of the Community in which he lives, and fhares in the common Benefit or Good; as every one helps to fill the World, and is himself one more, whom the World is to provide for, and confequently one who adds to the Business the World has to do; fo must he fome way or other endeavour on his Part, to promote the Good of those that are useful to him; he must take his Share in the general Toil, and do what he can for the World again. For this Reason, when St Paul gives Directions, how Perfons of different Circumftances of Life, are to behave themselves after their Converfion to Chrift; he feems to infert it as a general Rule, that no Man should quit or change his Employment: But in the fame Calling (faith he) i. e. in the fame Occupation, wherein he is called, or, wherein he was engaged, when converted to Chriftianity, therein, in the very fame, let every Man abide with God, I Cor. vii. 20-24. i. e. Let him abide in his Calling which he practifed before; with this Difference

ference only, let him now abide in it withs ERM. God. Confequently, he must abide in it in V. fuch a Manner as God allows, and fo as neither to prejudice his Faith, nor corrupt his Practice, nor interfere with more neceffary Duties.

And thus far the Example of the Bleffed Saint we are commemorating is an Obligation, even to the moft fecular Chriftian: For as Matthew left all to follow Christ, because no Part of his Employ was confiftent with the Duty to which he was called; fo every Chriftian is to fequefter himself from the Business of his ordinary Calling fo far, as to referve fufficient Time and Opportunity, for those Duties of Religion, which every Christian is by his very Profeffion obliged to perform. For to spend the Hours of Devotion at your Trade, to be upon the Road, or in the Fields, at Times when you ought to be worshipping God, in your Closets or at Church; what is this but to bestow upon Mammon, what you fteal from God? To hear your Saviour call you away, and to keep your Sitting? I wish therefore, there were not too much Occafion to urge St Matthew's Example here! For tell me, Chriftians, I mean, tell me if you can; how often have you rifen from your Beds,

your

and

V.

SERM. and jump'd into them again, without a Prayer, or a fingle Thought shot up to Heaven, nor a Moment of the whole intermediate Day spent in the Service of God, or your Souls? And even as to the Days purposely fet apart, and demanded by God, for the Worship of himself, and the Use of Religion; how many, even of these have you arrested and profaned,, to the carrying on of your worldly Concerns, either by an open following your Trade, or, by evening your Books, and fettling your Accounts of the Week paft, or in contriving, and making Preparations for the next? or, if not fo, by spending, or wasting some Way or other upon yourselves, or fome impertinent Affairs at Home, the Hours which God requires to be spent upon himself elsewhere. Or if Custom or Decency, Curiofity or a Remainder of Time upon your Hands, should happen to draw you to the House of God once upon a Sunday, or now and then twice; how plainly does the Carriage and Behaviour of many People in it, make us understand that Prayer and Devotion is an awkward Work they know not how to perform? and that, though we have their Bodies (which help indeed to fill the Church) they are absent as to their Souls, their Heads and Hearts being

イ

both

both intent upon Business of a very different s E R M. Concern? But is not this again, to worship V. Mammon instead of God, to place your Happiness and Heaven in this World, and not in the next?

Mistake me not, I befeech you, I will allow this World, if you will, to be loved; for I think it justly deferves your Love; had you but the Art of managing it right, or did you but know it's real Value. Nor are the Goods of this World, not Riches, as I know of, of fo perverse a Nature, but that a prudent Use may make them fubfervient to Religion and Piety, and turn them into Inftruments of our Happiness hereafter. Pursue them therefore, if honeftly, as diligently as you please, provided you pursue them but as fecondary Means, and don't place your final, or principal Happiness in them. You may ftill call, and still esteem the Bufinefs you live by, your main Chance; provided you remember (if the Expreffion be allowable) that there is still a mainer; i. e. that there is a more neceffary Bufiness, than the greatest Business of this World, which fure, you must allow, if the Welfare of the Soul, be of greater Importance than that of the Body. For to fave your Souls, it is not your Application to the Affairs of this

World