1. In directing you to a calling in your youth, and not suffering you to live an idle, useless, and sinful life, as many do who are but burdens to the edtxXh^fruges consumere nati, the wens of the body pohtic ; serving only to disfigure and drain it, to eat what others earn. Sin brought in sweat. Gen. iii. 19. but now, not to sweat increaseth sin, 2 Thes. iii. 12. He that lives idJi/ cannot Hve ho*
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nestly, as is plainly enough intimated, 1 Thess. iv. 11, 12. But when God puts men into a lawful calling, wherein the labours of their hands or heads is sufficient for them, it is a very valuable mercy : for thereby they " eat their own bread^'' 2 Thess. iii. 12. IVIany a sad temptation is happily prevented ; and they are ordinarily- furnished by it for works of mercy to others ; and surely it is more blessed to give than receive.
2. In ordering you to such calUngs and employments in the world as are not only lawlul in themselves, but most suitable to you. There be many persons employed in sinful trades and arts, merely to furnish other men's lusts : they do not only sin in their employ- ments, but their Very employments are sinful : they trade for hell, and are factors for the devil. Demetrius and the craftsmen at E- phesus got their estates by making shrines for Diana, Acts xix. 9.% 25. (i. e. little cases or boxes with folding leaves, within which the image of that idol sat enshrined). These were carrried about by the people in procession, in honour of their idol. And at this day how many wicked arts and employments are therein vented (and multitudes of persons maintained by them) merely to gra- tify the pride and wantonness of a debauched age ?
Now to have an honest, lawful employment, wherein you do not dishonour God in benefiting yourselves, is no small mercy.
But if it be not only lawful in itself, but suited to your ge- nius and strength, here is a double mercy in it. Some poor creatures are engaged in callings that eat up their time and strength, and make their Hves very uncomfortable to them: they have not only spending and wasting employments in the world, but such as allow httle or no time for their general call- ing; and yet all this doth but keep them and theirs alive. O therefore, if God have fitted you with an honest employment, wherein you have less toil than others, and more time for heavenly exercises, ascribe this benefit to the special care of providence for you !
3. In settling you in such an employment and calUng in the world, as possibly neither yourselves nor parents could ever expect you should ever arrive to ; there are among us such persons as, on this account, are signally obliged to divine providence : God hath put them into such a way as neither they nor their parents ever pro- jected. For, look as the Flower-de-luce in the compass turns now this way, then that way, and never ceases moving till it settle to the North-point ; just so it is in our settlements in this world. A child is now designed for this, then for that, but at last settles in that way of employment which providence designed him to. How strangely are things wlieeled about by providence ! Not what we or our parents, but what God designed shall take place. Amos
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was very meanly employed at first, but God designed him for a more honourable and comfortable calling, Amos vii. 14, 15. Da- vid followed the ewes, and likely never raised his thoughts to higher things in the days of his youth ; but God made him the royal shepherd of a better flock, Psal. Ixxviii. 70, 71. Peter and . Andrew were employed as fishermen, but Christ calls them from that to an higher calling, Mat. iv. 18, 19. to be fishers of men. Parens, when he was fourteen years old, was, by the instigation of his step-mother, placed with an apothecary; but providence so wrought that he was taken off from that, and fitted for the minis- try ; wherein he became a fruitful and eminent instrument to the church. James Andreas was, by reason of his father's inabihty to keep him at school, designed for a carpenter, but was afterwards, by the persuasion of his friends, and assistance of the church-stock, sent to Stutgard, and thence to the university, and so arrived to a very eminent station of service to the church. A master-builder, Oecolampadius, was by his father designed for a merchant, but his mother, by earnest entreaties, prevailed to keep him at school: and this man was a blessed instrument in the reformation of reli- gion. I might easily cite multitudes of such instances, but a taste may suffice.
4. In securing your estates from ruin. Job i. 10. " Hast thou " not made an hedge about him, and all that he hath .?'"* This is the enclosure of providence which secures to us what by its favour we acquire in the way of honest industry.
5. In making your calling sufficient for you. It was the prayer of Moses for the tribe of Judah, Deut. xxxiii. 7. " Let his hand *' be sufficient for him :" and it is no small mercy if yours be so to you. Some there be that have work, but not strength to go through with it ; others have strength, but no employment for it. Some have hands, and work for them ; but it is not sufficient for them and theirs. If God bless your labours, so as to give you and yours necessary supports and comforts in the world by it, it is a choice providence, and with all thankfulness to be acknow- ledged.
Object. 1. If any that fear God should complain, That although they have a calling', yet it is a hard laborious one, which takes up too much of their time, which they would gladly employ in other, and better work. I answer,
Solut. (1.) It is like the wisdom of providence foresaw this to be the most suitable and proper employment for you : And if you had more ease and rest, you might have more temptations than now yoa have : The strength and time which are now taken up in your daily labours wherein you serve God, might otherways have been
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spent upon such lusts, wherein you might have served the de- vil.
(2.) Hereby it may be your health is the better preserved, and natural refreshments made the sweeter to you, Eccles. v. 12. '' The sleep of a labouring man is sweet to him, whether he eat *' little or much : But the abundance of the rich will not suffer *' him to sleep."
(3.) And as to the service of God ; if your hearts be spiritual, you may enjoy much communion with God in your very employ- ments, and you have some intervals and respites for that pur- pose. Have you not more spare hours than you employ to that end?
Object. 2. But all my labours will scarcely suffice to procure me and mine the necessaries of life. I am kept short and low to what others are ; and this is a sad affliction.