The Sacred Diary, Section 22
SECT. XXII. A Calling, and Buſineſs, of what Importance.
IT becometh every one to be truly Diligent, and well employed in ſome lawful Calling. God himſelf (both Father and Son) are ſaid to Work, John 5.17. and will admit of no Loiterers, or Idle Perſons. He that will have his Penny, muſt work in his Vineyard, Mat. 20.6. And he that worketh, receiveth Wages, and gathereth Fruit unto Life Eternal, John 4.36. No Man therefore muſt be idle, or ill employed: He muſt work the Works of God, that is, ſuch as God ſets him about, and approveth, without picking and chooſing his own Work: He muſt work while it is Day, before the Night cometh, wherein no Man can work.
Let me adviſe thee, O Chriſtian, to improve Time and Buſineſs, that even thine Idleneſs (if I may ſo call thy vacant Hours) that is, thy neceſſary reſt, thy leiſure, may not be without ſome Diligence, becauſe it tendeth to fit thee for Buſineſs. When thou lieſt down to ſleep, let it be to this end, that thou mayſt riſe, and go about thy Work, not to pamper Sloth: If thou eateſt, do it to the ſame end as Elias did, to walk in the ſtrength of thy Food the way that God ſends thee, not to gratifie thy Belly, or thine Appetite. And when God puts thee at any time upon doing his Will, be thou never better pleaſed, than when God gives thee thy Hands full of work, nor more reſtleſs, than when God doth not employ thee.
It is the diligent Hand that maketh rich: Prov. 10.4. & cap. 13.4.And the Soul of the Diligent ſhall be made fat. If thou walkeſt in God's Way, thou art in God's keeping. But if thou ſtraggleſt from the way of Duty, thou art like enough to meet with a Lion, 1 Kings 13.24.as the diſobedient Prophet: Or with a Storm, a Wrack, a Whale, as Fugitive Jonas, Jonas 1.17.to ſwallow, not to ſave. But if thou walkeſt diligently in thy Calling, thou art within the Hedg and Pale of Providence, Pſal. 34.7.and under the Guard of the holy Angels. Idleneſs is the enemy of Health, the conſumption of Thriſt, the foil of Vertue, the hindrance of Wiſdom, and the hatred of God; as a Reverend Divine of ours termeth it.
No Man ever had larger Poſſeſſions than Adam, who was the only abſolute Monarch of the whole World; nor was any meer Man more Noble, for he is ſtiled the Son of God, Luke 3.38. If any exceeded him herein, it was only Jeſus Chriſt, the Natural Son of God, and Heir of all Things: Yet God would not that either Adam in Paradiſe, in the ſtate of Innocence, or his own Son appearing in our Fleſh, ſhould be without a Calling, or idle in it.
How many are there of the Gentry, that are poſſeſſed with this Opinion, that they muſt live at the height of their Eſtates, and ſpend all their time in Pleaſures and Idleneſs, no way conducing to the Common Good, but much to the Prejudice of it; as if God, like Auguſtus, had built an Apragopolis, a City void of Buſineſs, and a Nurſery of Idleneſs and Prophaneneſs.
Multitudes there are in the City, that like the Athenians, find little to do, but to buſie themſelves to hear and tell News. Others ſpend moſt of their time in Plays, and in Viſits, in the ſtudy of the Times, Faſhions, Modes, and Compliments, &c. erecting (as it were) an Academy of Idleneſs, to buſie all vain Perſons; like that Office ſet up at Rome by Tiberius, ſtiled, A Voluptatibus. But this will be the Doom of all Idle Perſons, Caſt the unprofitable Servant into utter Darkneſs, where ſhall be weeping, and gnaſhing of Teeth, Mat. 25.30. Every one (though never ſo Great and Honourable) ſtandeth in God's Family as a Servant; as David profeſſeth himſelf to be, Pſal. 116.16. Moſes was faithful in all God's Houſe as a Servant, and Servants are not idle.
Every one muſt ſerve in ſome particular Calling, wherein he muſt abide with God, whether it be in the Magiſtracy, ruling with God, (1 Cor. 7.21.) that is, for God, and being faithful with the Saints, (Hoſ. 11.12.) and ſo he muſt be a Servant unto all. Thus as David, he may ſerve his Generation by the Will of God, Acts 13.36. Or whether it be in the Miniſtry, ſo he is to be a Servant of Jeſus Chriſt. Thus St. Paul, in the behalf of all faithful Miniſters, We preach not our ſelves, but Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, and our ſelves your Servants for Jeſus ſake, 2 Cor. 4.5. Yea, the Maſter of the Family muſt be a Servant to the Family, elſe the Family will not abide in good Eſtate and Order. He that is idle, and neglecteth the care of his Family, is worſe than an Infidel.
See that you do not only labour, but that the thing you are diligent in, be worth your Labour; joyn Choice with Diligence, and ſee that you guide all your Affairs with Diſcretion. Meddle with nothing, till you are able to anſwer your ſelves that Queſtion, Cui bono? What is it good for? Is it my Calling, or within it? or in the way to it? Doth it prepare me for it, or quicken me in it? Doth it make me work more cheerfully, or fruitfully?
See that ye do your own Buſineſs, as St. Paul adviſeth, 1 Theſſ. 4.11. I do not mean that ye ſhould refuſe to do Buſineſs for others if they deſire it, and that it may be for their Good; but look, that what ye do for your ſelves, or others, be confined within the limits of your Duty, Place, and Calling. Meddle not with things beſide your Calling. God furniſheth every Man with Abilities ſuitable to his Calling; becauſe therein he works for God, but not with ſufficiencies for another Calling; becauſe therein he works for himſelf, or rather indeed againſt himſelf; as a Reverend Divine notes: For he that ſteps out of his Calling, offendeth God, and ſo runs himſelf into danger. He is as a Souldier, who having his Station appointed him by his General, goes to another: Or, as a Bird wandring from her Neſt where ſhe is ſafe, becometh liable to be caught in Nets, to be ſhot, or made a prey to other ravenous Fowls.
As Chriſtians, ye muſt ſeek the Kingdom of God in the firſt place, and do God's Work before your own; but in buſineſs of your own particular Calling, ſee that ye not only abide with God, as not ſtarting from him, or it; but labour for God, that ſo ye may pleaſe him that hath called you.
Among all Buſineſſes, ſet upon that which moſt concerneth you to look after, having an eye to God's Command, and the good of Humane Society: And in the midſt of outward Employments, labour to have your Converſation in Heaven; and to do your earthly Buſineſs with an heavenly frame of Heart: Let not your Hearts be taken up, nor taken away with the things of the World, but ſet your Affections on things above, and not on things on the Earth. And when ye are moſt diligent in the works of your Callings, aim at the gaining of Time and Liberty for vacancy to holy Duties. In your Working-days Labour, prepare for the Sabbath's reſt, and daily ſo endeavour, that you may gain time to ſolace your ſelves with the Lord, in Reading, Meditation, or Prayer.
See that ye manage all Buſineſſes without overmuch Carking and Vexation. I have read of a certain Prince, of whom it is ſaid, That he ſeemed always vacant in his moſt ſerious Employments.Care and Diligence may be accompanied with Tranquility of Spirit, but not ſo with Carking Vexation. Be careful then in all Affairs committed to thee by the Lord, but vex not thy ſelf about them; for that will cloud thy Reaſon, diſturb thy Judgment, and hinder thy doing of any thing well. The Waſps and Droans make more noiſe than the Bees, yet make no Honey, but Wax only. So they that perplex themſelves too much about Worldly Buſineſs, perform not any thing well. And in all thy Affairs reſt thy ſelf chiefly upon God, whence all our Buſineſs ſhould begin, commit all thine Affairs unto God, truſt in him, and have an eye ſtill unto him: [As thoſe that ſail at Sea, who that they may attain to the Land they deſire to come unto, do look more up to Heaven than down to the Sea,] then God will go along with you, and bleſs and proſper you, that you ſhall not only get Proviſion for your own Families, but be able alſo to miniſter to them that are in need.