pampering the Flesh, and preparing it for Temptation. Moderate Food and Apparel diftinguish'd the firft Chriftians, who, upon their Converfion, renounc'd, as we all do now by our baptifmal Vow, the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World, the Luxury of Diet and Drefs.

Thofe that are over-curious, and always enquiring after things which concern them not, unprofitably employ their Time. The bearing and hearing of Tales is often attended with Scandal and Backbitings, Vices for which Chriftians, who have a new Commandment to love one another, fhould have an Abhorrence. How it has prevail'd lately, we have been fad Witneffes of; Meddlers with other Mens Matters, have infected the World with a malignant Spirit of Slander. So far only fhould we be concern'd for our Neighbours, as to pity their Diftreffes, and relieve their Wants. If unneceffary and fantastick Vifits are forbidden us under the Vice of Idlenefs, what will become of great part of the Ladies Time, and how will they account for it? It is now a Piece of good Breeding to ramble three or four Days in a Week from Houfe to Houle, not in doing good, but in doing nothing, and to fit at Home the rest of it, expecting as great Triflers as themselves. Dress, Meals, Vifit, Park, Opera, and Play, take up all the Hours that are not given by them to Sleep in which, if the Morning is not spent, Dress confumes it all: The Noon is not long enough for Dinner, the Afternoon is loiter'd away in the Park, and the rest of the Day at the Theatres : What part of it can they fpare for the Church and the Clofet? What part of it do they dedicate to God, who will moft furely demand his Share, at the laft Judgment, and eternally punish thofe that have defrauded him of it? Recreations, as has been obferv'd, however innocent they are in themselves, become criminal when that Time is mif-fpent in them, which fhould be apply'd to religious or civil Ufes; choose therefore

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therefore fuch as are healthy, fhort, and refreshing. Never make a Bufinefs of your Pleafure. He who waftes his Time in Sports, and calls it Recreation, is like him whofe Coat is all made of Fringes, and his Meat nothing but Sauces: They are healthlefs, expenfive, and useless; none are more fo than those that fteal your Affections from feverer Employments. To what you give your Affections, you will not grudge to give your Time. St. John diverted himself with a tame Partridge, 'but we should not for that reason fpend our Time in playing with Lap-dogs, or feeding Canary-birds; Employments, than which none can be more innocent, if too much Time is not wafted on them; none more trifling and ridiculous, if it is. The Mind, like a Bow, must not be always bent; it is lawful and neceffary to relax it; but we muft never fuffer it to be unready, or unftrung. What has been said of Prayer and Meditation will inftruct us to let nothing but a violent, fudden, and impatient Neceffity make us omit, one Day, our Morning and Evening Devotions: Minutes, fo employ'd, will help us to spend Hours the more ufefully and religiously. If the People wou'd withdraw themselves from Bufinefs and Company, to offer up fome fhort Prayers or Ejaculations to Heaven, they would at their return learn to feafon them with heavenly things. Thefe tranfient Devotions are only juftifiable in fuch as are bufy'd by the Cares of Life: For God's Work is not to be done negligently and idly; the Heart must not be set upon the World, when the Hand is lifted in Prayer. Be fure to prefer an Act of Religion, in its Place and proper Seafon, before all worldly Pleasure. Let Secular things, that may be difpens'd with, wait upon Spiritual. Sir Thomas More, Lord High Chancellor of England, being sent for by the King when he was at his Prayers in Publick, return'd anfwer, He would attend him when he had first perform'd his Service to the King of Kings: And it did Honour to Rufticus, that when Letters from Cafar

Cafar were given him, he refus'd to open them, 'till the Philofopher had done his Lecture. If that wife Roman thought fuch Homage was due to the Difpenfations of human Wisdom, how much more is to divine ? If to know how to govern ones felf in this tranfitory Life be of more Importance than imperial Commands, how important is it for us to do our Work for Eternity?

When the Clock strikes, or however else you meafure the Day, 'tis good every Hour to blefs it with an Ejaculation, and use yourself to measure your Time by your Devotion, which is the most infallible way to improve it: Do this alfo in the Breaches of your Sleep, that thofe Spaces which have in them no direct Business of the World, may be fill'd with Religion.

If it has been your Misfortune to have mis-spent any of your precious Time, make it your first Care to redeem it by repenting of what you have loft, and putting those Parts of it which were wasted on Trivial or Criminal Ufes, to Pious and Religious ones. Give thofe Hours especially to those Graces, the contrary of which you formerly practis'd. If you have been fo wicked as to have wafted any in Luxury and Uncleannefs, dedicate a great Part of your future Life. to Actions of Chaftity and Temperance. Be on the Watch against present and future Perils; and from time to time look out that you be in no more Danger of falling; this will be to redeem it: And befides Acts of Religion and Piety, you may buy your Security of it at the Price of any Labour or honeft Arts. As a part of every Day should be given to God's Service; fo also should a part of every Year; wherein all worldly Bufinefs fhould be quitted, and that folemn Portion of it be spent in Fafting and Prayer, Meditation and Attendances upon God; in examining ourfelves, to fee how we grow in Godliness, as we do in Age. Yearly ought we to make up our Accounts with

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Heaven;

Heaven; to renew our Vows, and study to amend whatever has been amifs in the former part of our Lives. In this we shall be much affifted if we examine ourselves daily, and keep our Accounts short. Take a particular Scrutiny of your Actions every Night before you Sleep; and clear your Confcience by Repentance and Prayer, if you have any thing to charge it with, as the pureft Minds will always have. When the Temptations of the Day have been great, by Feafts, Sports, and the like, the more ftrict let your Examination be, the more fevere your Penitence, the more firm your Refolutions, with the Divine Grace, to be upon your guard against them for the future. If nothing but common has happen'd, the less need we exa> mine ourselves: But let us never lie down, nor trust our Heads to the Pillow, without fuch a Recollection, for fear fome Sin fhould be forgotten, and pass by unrepented of, and we fhould accuftom ourselves to run back in our Account fo far, 'till we should be afraid to retrofpect, and, like Bankrupts, ruin our Souls, because we durft not look into the Book of our Confciences. By running over the Actions of every Day in our Minds at Night, we shall find out Matter of Thankf giving, as well as Sorrow, and commend ourselves to God in sweet Ecftafies of Praise.

In obferving these Rules, for the useful and pious Employment of our Time, let us practise them with Prudence and Moderation, not with Vexation and Scruple. Let us not lay too much ftrefs on our over Diligence, and think no Merit greater than our good Works, who have only the Merits of our Redeemer to rely upon. Civil Employments are good Advantages, but many of the Particulars recommended, not Divine Commandments; they must therefore be us'd, as shall be found expedient to every one's Condition. provided our Duty be fecur'd, the Degrees and Inftruments of it are permitted to every Man, according to his Station and Circumftances, and the Conduct of

For,

fuch

fuch as are appointed to be his Guides. Happy is he, who can secure every Hour for pious Ufes; but the Duty confifts not fcrupulously in Minutes and Halfhours, nor in greater or lefs Portions of Time, but in appropriating it all to the Duties that are required of us as Chriftians and as Men; remembring none of it must be fpar'd for Sin, and that without Sin we cannot be idle.

Were there no other Confiderations than what relate to this World only, one idle Perfon would be a Scandal and a Nufance to it. From Laziness came Knavery and Theft, Poverty and Beggary. The Laws of Man as well as God discountenance it in all wellgovern'd States. The Publick exacts a part of every Man's Time; and there is not a Man upon Earth of so exalted a Station, that he can say in any one Minute of his Life that he has nothing to do, either for himfelf or others. In the lower Order of Mankind, Idleness is not finful but criminal; and the Body as well as the Mind is fubject to Correction. As to the other World, thefe Confiderations are of the laft Importance on this account only, that the good ufe of our Time prepares us for all fudden Changes; and we shall not, if we have well improv'd it, be surpris'd at the fudden coming of the Day of our Lord. We fhall be ready and willing to render our Accounts of our Actions, because our Days have not been evil. Evil indeed are all our Days that have been best employ'd; but the Mercy of God will accept of our Repentance, when we daily beg it of him with Sincerity and Contrition.

Beg God's Bleffing, intend his Honour, and willingly fubmit to his Providence, in complying with the Duty of your Calling; be diligent and careful in it, and endeavour after Perfection. Do not act in it with too much Intensenefs; nor difcompofe nor hurry yourselves fo far as to lofe the Command of yourselves, and lie open to the Temptations of Avarice and Pride.