The poor man's help and young mans guide containing I. Doctrinal instructions for the right informing of his judgment, II. Practical directions for the general course of his life, III. Particular advices for the well-managing of every day : with reference to his [brace] 1. Natural actions, 2. Civil imployments, 3. Necessary recreations, 4. Religious duties : particularly I. Prayer [brace] publick in the congregation, private in the family, secret in the closet, II. Reading the Holy Scriptures, III. Hearing of the Word preached, IV. Receiving of the Lord's Supper : unto which is added an earnest exhortation unto all Christians to the love and practice of universal holiness / by William Burkitt ...

CHAP. V. Of Glorifying God in our Civil Imployments, and La∣bours of our particular Callings.

ALmighty God has sent no Man into the World to be idle, but to serve him in the way of an honest and industrious Diligence: He that says, Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy, says also, Six days shalt thou labour, either with the Labour of the Mind, or of the Body, or with both. Riches and a great Estate will excuse none from labouring in some kind or other, in the Service of our Maker; for he that receives most Wages, surely ought to do some Work.

1. Labour to Understand and be thoroughly sensible how much you are beholden to God for the Benefit of a Calling: Thousands are now Blessing God in Heaven for the Blessing of a Calling here on Earth, by which multitudes of Temptations

were prevented; how many sins doth a Life of Idleness expose unto?

2. Be Diligent and Industrious in the way of thy Calling, and that from a Principle of Obedience to the Divine Com∣mand: He that says, Be fervent in Prayer, says also, Be not slothful in Business. An Idle Man has no Pattern or President either in Hell or Heaven: Not in Hell, for the Devils are di∣ligent about their Deeds of darkness: Not in Heaven, for the Angels are continually imployed, either in Beholding God's Beauty, or in Executing God's Commands.

3. If thou art called to the meanest and most laborious Calling, that of an Husband-man, murmur not at it, because it is Weari∣som to the Flesh; but eye the Command of God, and in Obe∣dience thereunto be diligent in thy place, and then thou glorifiest God as truely when digging in thy Field, as the Minister in his Pulpit, or the Prince upon his Throne.

4. Be strictly Just and exactly Righteous in the way of thy Calling, and with a generous Disdain and resolute Contempt abhorr the getting of Riches by Unrighteousness: Cursed Gain is no Gain. How sad is it to be Rich on Earth, and to roar in Hell for unrighteous Riches. He that cheats and over-reach∣es, he that tricks and defrauds his Neighbours, is as sure to go to Hell without Repentance and Restitution, as the prophanest Swearer or Drunkard in a Town. 1 Cor. 6.9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God?

5. Be very careful that thy partiular Calling as a private Person, do not incroach upon thy General Calling as a Chri∣stian: The World is a great devourer of precious Time, it robs the Soul of many an hour which should be spent in Commu∣nion with God, and in communing with our own Hearts. How many are so taken up with their Trade on Earth, that they forget to converse with Heaven: Verily there is a holy part in every mans Time, which the daily Exercises of Religion call for, and which it is our daily Duty to keep inviolable from the Sacrilegious hands of an encroaching World.

6. Labour after an heavenly frame of Spirit in the Ma∣nagement of thy Earthly Business; and take heed that thy Worldly Imployments do not blunt the edge of thy spiritual Affections, but endeavour to keep thy Heart close with God when thy hand is employed in the Labours of thy Calling. A faithful and Loving Husband, when he has been abroad all day in Varieties of Company, yet when he comes home at Night he brings his Affections with him as entire to his Wife, as when he went forth in the Morning from her; yea he is inwardly pleased, that he is got from all other Compa∣ny,

to enjoy hers: Thus doth a heavenly-minded Christian, after he has spent some time amidst his wordly Business in the La∣bours of his Calling; he desires and endeavours to bring his whole heart to God with him, when at Night he returns in∣to his presence to wait upon him; yea he strives to keep his Heart with God all the day long, by often lifting it up to God, in holy Thoughts and pious Ejaculations, which are an Help rather than an Hindrance to Wordly business.

7. Eye God in every Providence thou meetest with in thy Call∣ing. Dost thou meet with any dispointment, see and be sensible of Gods hand in it. All that are diligent are not thriving in this World: There are Mysteries of Providence as well as Mysteries of Faith, which we can never fathom. Dost thou meet with a Blessing? Own God in all that good suc∣cess thou findest in thy Imployment; with holy Jacob, Gen. 33.11. The Lord hath dealt graciously with me, and I have enough. When God at any time sends thee in Profit, let it be thy care to send him back praise: For nothing is so Acceptable to God as a Grateful Mind.

8. Watch daily against the Sin of thy Calling, as also against the Sin of thy Constitution; and whatever Temptations thou meetest with from either, cry mightily to Heaven for Pow∣er to resist them; knowing that thou never yieldest to a Tempta∣tion, but the Spirit withdraws in Tears, and the Devil goes a∣way in Triumph.

9. Having used faithful Diligence in thy lawful Calling, per∣plex not thy Thoughts about the Issue and success of thy En∣deavours; but labour to compose thy Mind in all Conditions of Life to a quiet and steady dependance on Gods Providence, being anxiously careful for nothing. There is a threefold Care which the Scripture takes notice of: Namely, A Care of the Head, A Care of the Hand, and a Care of the Heart. A Care of the Head, and that is a Care of Providence and prudential Fore∣cast, this is commendable. A Care of the Hand, that is a care of Diligence and Industry, this is profitable. But then there is the Care of the Heart, which is a Care of diffidence and distrust, a care of Anxiety and perturbation of Mind, this is culpable, and exceeding sinful. See St. Matth. 6.31, 32, 33, 34.

10. Resolve it in thy mind to be chearful and contented with thy Portion (little or much) which God as a Blessing upon thy Endeavours, allots unto thee: Not content because thou canst not have it otherwise, but from an Approbation of Divine Appointment. Necessity was the Heathen School-ma∣ster to teach Contentment, but Faith must be the Christians. Phil. 4.11.14. I have learnt, says the holy Apostle, (not

at the feet of Gamaleel, but in the School of Christ,) both how to be abased and how to abound; how to be full, and how to be empty; yea I know in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be con∣tent. How are some Christians Minds like Musical Instruments, quite out of tune, with every Change of Wheather. But it is an even Composedness of Mind in all Conditions of Life, that glorifies God; and is advantagious to our selves. 1 Tim. 6.16. Godliness with Contentment is great gain. Not Godliness with an Estate, but Godliness with Contentment.