Thirdlv, When he expects the success of his labour from God, and accordingly if he speeds, gives his humble thanks to God. Indeed they go together ; he that doth not the one, will not the other. The worldling that goes not through his closet, by prayer, into his shop in the morning, when he enters upon his business, no wonder if he returns nqt at night by his closet in thankfulness to God. He began without God, it were strange if he should end in him. The spider that spins her web out of her own bowels, dwells in it when she hath done ; and men that carry on their enterprises by their own wit and care, entitle them- selves to what they think they have done. They will sooner sacrifice (as they 'to their net and drag,' Job viii.; Habak. i. IG,) to their own wisdom and industrj^ than to God. Such a wretch I have lately heard of in our days, who being by a neighbour excited to thank God for a rich ci-op of corn he had standing on his ground, atheistically replied, ' Thank God ! nay, rather thank my dung-cart.' The speech of a dung-hill spirit, more filthy than the miu-k in his cart ; but if thou wilt be a Christian, thou nuist ' acknowledge God in all thy ways, not leaning to thine own understanding;' and this will direct thee to him, when success crowns thy laboiu-s, to crown God with the praise. Jacob laboured as diligently, and took as much pains for the estate he had at last, as another; yet laying the foundation of all in prayer, and expecting the blessing from heaven, Gen. xxviii. 20, he ascribes all that fair estate he at last was possessed of to the mercy and truth of God, whom he had in his poor state, when with his pilgrim staff he was travelling to Padan-Aran, engaged by a solemn vow to provide for him. Gen. xxxii. 10.
Fourthly, When the Christian is content with the portion, little or much, that God upon his endeavours allots him ; not content, because he cannot have it otherwise. Necessity was the heathen's schoolmaster to teach contentment, but faith must be the Christian's, whereby he acquiesces in the dispositions of God's providence with a sweet complacency, as in the will of God concerning him. Here is godliness in triumph, when the Christian can carve contentment out of God's providence, whatever the dish is that is set before him. If he gathers little, he lacks not, but is satisfied with his short meal ; if he gather much, he hath nothing over ; I mean not more than his grace can well digest, and turn to good nourishment ; nothing over that turns to bad humours of pride and wantonness. This was the pitch Paul attained unto, Phil. iv. 14 : ' He knew how to abound, and how to want.' Take contentment from godli- ness, and you take one of the best jewels away she wears in her bosom : ' Godliness with contentment is great gain ;' not godliness with an estate, but godliness with contentment, 1 Tim. vi. 16.
Fifthly, When the Christian's particular calling doth not encroach upon his general. Tndy this requires a strong guard. The world is of an encroaching nature ; hard it is to converse with it, and not come into bondage to it. As Hagar, when Abraham shewed her some respect more than ordinary, began to contest with, yea, crow over, her mistress, so will our worldly employments justle with oiu- heavenly, if we keep not a strict hand over them. Now the power of holiness appears here in two things ; first, when the Christian suffers not his worldly business to eat up his time for communion with God, but keeps it inviolable from the sacrilegious hands of the world. The Christian may observe, that if he will listen to it, he shall never think of setting about any religious duty, but some excuse or other to put it off will present itself to his thoughts; this thing must be just now done, that friend spoken with, or customer waited for ; so that, as the wise man saith, ' He that observeth the wind shall not sow, and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap,' Eccl. xi. 4 ; so he that will regard what his own sloth, worldly interest, and fleshly parts suggest, he shall never pray, meditate, or hold communion with (Jod in any other religious duty. O it is sad ! when the master must ask the man le;ive when to eat, and when not ; when the Christian must take his orders from the world, when to wait on
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