appear, that whatever else we do, must, in its proper way, be done with the same regard to the glory of God, and agreeably to the principles of a devout and pious mind.

CHAPTER V.

Persons that are free from the necessity of labour and employments, are to consider themselves as devoted to God in a higher degree.

GREAT part of the world are free from the necessities of labour and employments, and have their time and fortunes in their own disposal.

But as no one is to live in his employment according to his own humour, or for such ends as please his own fancy, but is to do all his business in such a manner as to make it a service unto God; so those who have no particular employment are so far from being left at greater liberty to live to themselves, to pursue their own humours, and spend their time and fortunes as they please, that they are under greater obligations of living wholly unto God in all their actions.

The freedom of their state lays them under a greater necessity of always choosing, and doing, the best things.

They are those, of whom much will be required, because much is given unto them.

A slave can only live unto God in one particular way, that is, by religious patience and submission in his state of slavery.

But all ways of holy living, all instances, and all kinds of virtue, lie open to those who are masters of themselves, their time, and their fortune.

It is as much the duty, therefore, of such persons, to make a wise use of their liberty, to devote themselves to all kinds of virtue, to aspire after every thing that is holy and pious, to endeavour to be eminent in all

good works, and to please God in the highest and most perfect manner; it is as much their duty to be thus wise in the conduct of themselves, and thus extensive in their endeavours after holiness, as it is the duty of a slave to be resigned unto God in his state of slavery.

You are no labourer, or tradesman, you are neither merchant nor soldier; consider yourself, therefore, as placed in a state in some degree like that of good Angels who are sent into the world as ministering spirits, for the general good of mankind, to assist, protect, and minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.

For the more you are free from the common necessities of men, the more you are to imitate the higher perfections of Angels.

Had you, Serena, 13 been obliged, by the necessities of life, to wash clothes for your maintenance, or to wait upon some mistress that demanded all your labour, it would then be your duty to serve and glorify God, by such humility, obedience, and faithfulness, as might adorn that state of life. It would then be recommended to your care, to improve that one talent to its greatest height. That when the time came, that mankind were o be rewarded for their labours by the great Judge of quick and dead, you might be received with a Well lone, good and faithful servant: enter thou into the oy of thy Lord.”*

But as God has given you five talents, as He has laced you above the necessities of life, as He has left ou in the hands of yourself, in the happy liberty of hoosing the most exalted ways of virtue; as He has nriched you with many gifts of fortune, and left you othing to do, but to make the best use of a variety of lessings, to make the most of a short life, to study our own perfection, the honour of God, and the good your neighbour; so it is now your duty to imitate he greatest servants of God, to inquire how the most minent saints have lived, to study all the arts and

* Matt. xxv. 21.

E

methods of perfection, and to set no bounds to your love and gratitude to the bountiful Author of so many blessings.

It is now your duty to turn your five talents into five more, and to consider how your time, and leisure, and health, and fortune, may be made so many happy means of purifying your own soul, improving your fellow-creatures in the ways of virtue, and of carrying you at last to the greatest heights of eternal glory.

As you have no mistress to serve, so let your own soul be the object of your daily care and attendance Be sorry for its impurities, its spots, and imperfections and study all the holy arts of restoring it to its natura and primitive purity.

Delight in its service, and beg of God to adorn i with every grace and perfection.

Nourish it with good works, give it peace in solitude get it strength in prayer, make it wise with reading enlighten it by meditation, make it tender with love sweeten it with humility, humble it with penance, en liven it with psalms and hymns, and comfort it wit frequent reflections upon future glory. Keep it in th presence of God, and teach it to imitate those guardia Angels, which, though they attend on human affairs and the lowest of mankind, yet "always behold th face of our Father which is in heaven.

This, Serena, is your profession. For as sure as Go is one God, so sure it is, that He has but one comman to all mankind, whether they be bond or free, rich poor; and that is, to act up to the excellency of the nature which He has given them, to live by reason, walk in the light of religion, to use every thing a wisdom directs, to glorify God in all His gifts, an dedicate every condition of life to His service.

This is the one common command of God to a mankind. If you have an employment, you are to thus reasonable, and pious, and holy, in the exercise it; if you have time and a fortune in your own powe Matt. xviii. 10.

you are obliged to be thus reasonable, and holy, and pious, in the use of all your time, and all your fortune.

The right religious use of every thing and every talent, is the indispensable duty of every being that is capable of knowing right and wrong.

For the reason why we are to do any thing as unto God, and with regard to our duty, and relation to Him, is the same reason why we are to do every thing as unto God, and with regard to our duty, and relation to Him.

That which is a reason for our being wise and holy In the discharge of all our business, is the same reason for our being wise and holy in the use of all our money.

As we have always the same natures, and are everywhere the servants of the same God, as every place is equally full of His presence, and every thing is equally His gift, so we must always act according to the reason of our nature; we must do every thing as the servants of God; we must live in every place, as in His presence; we must use every thing, as that ought to be used which belongs to God.

Either this piety, and wisdom, and devotion is to go hrough every way of life, and to extend to the use of everything, or it is to go through no part of life.

If we might forget ourselves, or forget God, if we hight disregard our reason, and live by humour and ancy, in any thing, or at any time, or in any place, it would be as lawful to do the same in every thing, at very time, and every place.

If therefore some people fancy that they must be rave and solemn at Church, but may be silly and rantic at home; that they must live by some rule on the unday, but may spend other days by chance; that they hust have some times of prayer, but may waste the est of their time as they please; that they must give ome money in charity, but may squander away the rest s they have a mind; such people have not enough con-idered the nature of religion, or the true reasons of iety. For he that upon principles of reason can tell

why it is good to be wise and heavenly-minded at Church, can tell that it is always desirable to have the same tempers in all other places. He that truly knows why he should spend any time well, knows that it is never allowable to throw any time away. He that rightly understands the reasonableness and excellency of charity, will know that it can never be excusable to waste any of our money in pride and folly, or in any needless expenses.

For every argument that shows the wisdom and excellency of charity, proves the wisdom of spending all our fortune well. Every argument that proves the wisdom and reasonableness of having times of prayer. shows the wisdom and reasonableness of losing none o our time.

If any one could show that we need not always ac as in the Divine presence, that we need not conside and use everything as the gift of God, that we need no always live by reason, and make religion the rule o all our actions; the same arguments would show tha we need never act as in the presence of God, nor mak religion and reason the measure of any of our actions If, therefore, we are to live unto God at any time, o in any place, we are to live unto Him at all times, an in all places. If we are to use any thing as the gift o God, we are to use every thing as His gift. If we ar to do any thing by strict rules of reason and piety, w Becaus are to do every thing in the same manner. reason, and wisdom, and piety, are as much the bes things at all times, and in all places, as they are th best things at any time or in any place.

If it is our glory and happiness to have a rationa nature, that is endued with wisdom and reason, tha is capable of imitating the Divine nature, then it mus be our glory and happiness to improve our reason an wisdom, to act up to the excellency of our rationa nature, and to imitate God in all our actions, to th utmost of our power. They therefore who confine re ligion to times and places, and some little rules