"business ;" and those who are tied to no particu lar calling, may allow fo much larger portions of their time to religion, and the fervice of God; and God likewife expects from them, that they fhould be ufeful to mankind in fome higher and nobler way, according to the publickness of their ftation and influence. Such perfons may be ferviceable to their country, and the affairs of government, and in the care of publick juftice, and may employ their time in preparing and rendering themfelves more fit for this fervice. They may find a great deal of work to do in the good government of their families, and in the prudent care and management of their eftates, and in reconciling differences among their neighbours, and in confidering the neceffities of the poor, and providing for their fupply.

So that befides the proper work of religion, and the more immediate fervice of God, every man in the world, how exempt foever his condition be from the common care and drudgery of human life, may find work enough wherein he may ufefully employ all his time, and provide for his own, and for the common benefit of mankind; and God expects it as a duty from fuch, that every man fhould employ himself in fome work or other, fuitable to the stationin which God hath placed him in this world.

II. The work which God hath given us to do in the world, confifts in doing what we can to further and promote the falvation of others. This chiefly lies upon us, who are the minifters of God, and to whom the word of reconciliation is committed.. We are more especially commiffioned and appointed for this work, and are ambassadors for Chrift to befeech men in his ftead to be reconciled to God. We are fent by God in a more peculiar manner, and ap-. pointed for this very work, to watch for mens fouls, and to be inftruments and means of their eternal

happiness. And therefore we who are fent by God in a more peculiar manner, and have this work affigned us to do in the world, ought to be very vigorous and induftrious in it: and this, whether we

con

confider the nature of our employment, or the glorious reward of it.

1. If we confider the nature of our employment, both in refpect of the honour and the happiness of it. It is the most honourable work that mortal man can be employed in; it is the fame in kind, and in the main end and defign of it, with that of the bleffed Angels; for we alfo are miniftring fpirits, fent forth by God to minifter for the good of those who shall be heirs of falvation. We are the meffengers and ambaffadors of God to men, fent to treat with them about the terms of their peace and reconciliation with God, to offer falvation to them, and to direct them to the best ways and means of procuring it. Nay, we have the honour to be employed in the very fame work that the Son of God was, when he was upon the earth, to feek and to fave them that are loft; and to call finners to repentance; and to carry on that work, whereof he himself laid the foundation, when he was in the world. And what greater honour can. be put upon the fons of men, than to help forward that glorious defign and undertaking of the Son of God, for the falvation of mankind?

And it is an employment no lefs happy than honourable; it is not to drudge about the mean and low concernments of this life, a perpetual toil and care about what we shall eat and drink, and wherewithal we shall be cloathed, which is the business of a worldly employment; but it is a direct and immediate feeking of the kingdom of God and his righte oufness, and a continual endeavour to promote these. It does not confift in the labour of our body, and in bodily toil, but in the delightful exercife of our minds, about the best and noblest objects, God, heaven and eternity; in an earnest and faithful endeavour by all wife ways and means to gain fouls to God, and to turn finners from the errors of their ways, and to prevent their eternal ruin and deftruction; and next to the procuring of our own happiness, to be inftrumental to the happiness of others, which is certainly the most pleasant and noble work that we can poffibly be employed in; especially if we confider,

that

that by the very nature of our employment we do at the fame time, and by the very fame means, carry on both these defigns, of the falvation of ourselves and others. So St. Paul tells Timothy, when he exhorts him upon this very confideration, to give himfelf wholly to this bleffed work; becaufe, fays he, in doing this, thou shalt both fave thyself, and them that hear thee, 1 Tim. iv. 16. And when two of the greatest and beft defigns in the world, our own happinefs, and the falvation of others, do fo happily meet in one, and are jointly carried on by the fame labour; this ought to be a great fpur and incitement to us, to be vigorous and unwearied, and abundant in the work of the Lord; and a mighty encouragement to us to preach the word, to be infant in feafon, and out of feafon, and to be examples to others, in word, in converfation, in charity, in fpirit, in faith, in purity; as St. Paul chargeth Timothy in the moft folemn and awful manner, before God and the Lord Jefus Chrift, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his kingdom, 1 Tim. iv. 12. and 2 Tim. iv. 1. And then,

2. If we confider the glorious reward of this work. If we be faithful and industrious in it, it will advance us to a higher degree of glory and happinefs in the other world. They that be wife (fays the prophet, Dan. xii. 3.) hall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever. They that are induftri ous in this work, as they are worthy of double honour in this world, fo they fhall fhine with a double glory and luftre in the other..

But though this work of promoting the falvation of others, be chiefly incumbent upon those whofe office it is to attend upon this very thing; yet we are all of us concerned in it; according to the advantages and opportunities we have for it. Every man is concerned to help forward the falvation of his brother, and not to let him perifh if he can help it; and it is in every man's power to contribute fomething to this bleffed work of faving others, by feasonable counfel and advice, by kind and gentle reproof, but e

Specially

fpecially by a holy and exemplary converfation, by a fhining virtue, which hath a filent power of perfuafion, and I know not what fecret charm and attraction to draw and allure others to the imitation of it.

III. And in order to both thefe, the faving of ourfelves and others, this work which God hath given us to do in the world, confifts in the careful ufe and good husbandry of our time; for without this, neither the one, nor the other can be promoted and carried on to any purpofe. Time is the feafon and opportunity of carrying on of any work, and for that reafon is one of the most valuable things ; and yet nothing is more waftefully spent, and more prodigally fquandered away by a great part of mankind than this, which, next to our immortal fouls, is of all other things most precious; because upon the right ufe or abufe of our time, our eternal happinefs or mifery does depend. Men have generally fome guard upon themselves, as to their money and eftates, and will not with eyes open fuffer others to rob and deprive them of it: But we will let any body almost rob us of our time, and are contented to expose this precious treasure to every body's rapine and extortion, and can quietly look on, whilst men thruft in their hands, and take it out by whole handfuls, as if it were of no greater value than filver was in Solomon's days, no more than the ftones in the street. And yet when it is gone, all the filver and gold in the world cannot purchase and fetch back the leaft moment of it, when perhaps we would give all the world for a very fmall part of that time, which we parted with upon fuch cheap and easy

terms.

Good God! what a ftupid and fenfelefs prodiga lity is this do we confider what we do, when we give away fuch large portions of our time to our eafe and pleasure, to diverfion and idleness, or trifling and unprofitable converfation, to the making and receiving of impertinent vifits, and the ufual and almost infeparable attendants thereof, fpiteful obfervations upon them that are prefent, and flandering and back

backbiting thofe that are abfent; (for the great defign of most people in vifits, is not to better one another, but to fpy and make faults, and not to mend them ; to get time off their hands, to fhew their fine cloaths, and to recommend themselves to the mutual contempt of one another, by a plentiful impertinence ;) when we part with it by wholesale in fleep and dreffings, and can fpend whole mornings between the comb and the glafs, and the afternoon at plays, and whole nights in gaming, or in riot, and lewdnefs, and intemperance; in all which people com. monly wafte their money and their time together!

Nay, how do even the beft of us mifplace this precious treasure; and though we do not employ it to wicked purposes, and in works of iniquity, yet we do not apply it to the beft and nobleft ufe, to the glory of God, and the good and falvation of men! By thus laying out this treasure, we might lay up for ourfelves treasures in heaven, and help others on in the way thither.

Thus our bleffed Saviour employed his precious time in going about doing good, in all kinds, and upon all occafions, healing the bodies, and enlightening the minds, and faving the fouls of men: This was his business, and this was his delight; it was his meat and drink, and his very life, he spent himself in it, and facrificed his eafe, and his fafety, and his life to thefe great ends, for which he came into the world; he confidered the goodness and the greatnefs of this work, and the little time he had to do it in, which made him inceffantly industrious in it, and to run the race which was fet before him with great fpeed, and to work while it is day, because he knew the night would come when no man can work. And this brings me to the

Second thing I obferved from the text, namely, that there is a certain and limited time for every man to do this work in; while it is day. I must work the works of him that fent me, while it is day. And this day comprehends all the opportunities of our life, which will foon be over, and therefore had need to be well spent. A great part of our life is paft be

fore