8. *The _husbandman_ that tilleth the ground, is employed in an honest business, that is necessary in life, and very capable of being made an _acceptable service_ unto God: but if he labours and toils, not to serve any reasonable ends of life, but in order to have his _plough_ made of _silver_, and to have his _horses_ harnessed in _gold_, the honesty of his employment is lost as to him, and his labour becomes his _folly_.
A _tradesman_ may justly think, that it is agreeable to the will of God for him to sell such things as are _useful_ in _life_; such as help both himself and others to a reasonable support, and enable them to assist those that want to be assisted: but if instead of this, it be his chief end in it to grow _rich_, that he may live in _figure_ and _indulgence_, and be able to retire from business to _idleness_ and _luxury_, his trade, as to him, loses all its _innocency_, and is so far from being an acceptable service to God, that it is only a more plausible course of _covetousness_, _self-love_, and _ambition_. For such a one turns the necessities of his employment into pride and covetousness, just as the _sot_ and _epicure_ turn the necessities of eating and drinking into _gluttony_ and _drunkenness_. Now he that is up early and late, that sweats and labours for those ends that he may be some time or other rich, and live in _pleasure_ and _indulgence_, lives no more to the glory of God than he that _plays_ and _games_ for the same ends. For though there is a great difference between _trading_ and _gaming_; yet most of that difference is lost, when men trade with the _same desires_ and _tempers_, and for the same ends that others game. _Charity_ and _fine dressing_ are things very different; but if men give _alms_ for the same reasons that others _dress fine_, only to be _seen_ and _admired_, charity is then but like the vanity of _fine cloaths_. In like manner, if the same motives make some people industrious in their _trades_, which makes others constant at _gaming_, such pains are but like the pains of gaming.
9. *_Calidus_ has traded above thirty years in the greatest city of the kingdom; he has been so many years constantly increasing his _trade_ and his _fortune_. Every hour of the day is with him an hour of business; and though he _eats_ and _drinks_ very heartily, yet every meal seems to be in a hurry, and he would say _grace_ if he _had time_. _Calidus_ ends every day at the _tavern_; but has not leisure to be there till near nine o’clock. He is always forced to drink a good _hearty glass_, to drive thoughts of business out of his head, and make his spirits _drowsy_ enough for sleep. He does business all the time that he is rising, and has settled several matters, before he can get to his _compting-house_. His prayers are a short _ejaculation_ or two, which he never misses in _stormy_ weather, because he has always something or other at _sea_. _Calidus_ will tell you with great pleasure, that he has been in this _hurry_ for so many years, and that it must have killed him long ago, but that it has been a _rule_ with him, to get out of the town every _Saturday_, and make the _Sunday_ a day of _quiet_ and good _refreshment_ in the country.
*He is now so rich that he would leave off his business, and amuse his _old age_ with building and furnishing a fine house in the country; but that he is afraid he should grow _melancholy_, if he was to quit his business. He will tell you with great gravity, that it is a dangerous thing for a man, that has been used to get money, ever to leave it off. If thoughts of religion happen at any time to _steal_ into his head, _Calidus_ contents himself with thinking, that he never was a friend to _heretics_ and _infidels_; that he has always been civil to the _minister_ of his parish, and very often given something to the _charity-schools_.
10. *Now this way of life is at such a _distance_ from all the doctrines and discipline of Christianity, that no one can live in it through ignorance or frailty. _Calidus_ can no more imagine, that _he is born again of the Spirit_¹; that _he is in Christ a new creature_²; that he lives _here as a stranger and pilgrim, setting his affections upon things above, and laying up treasures in heaven_³. He can no more imagine this, than he can think that he has been all his life an _apostle_, working _miracles_, and preaching the _gospel_.
¹ John iii.
² 1 Pet. ii. 11.
³ Coloss. iii. 1.
It must also be owned, that the _generality_ of trading people, especially in _great towns_, are too much like _Calidus_. You see them all the week buried in business, unable to think of any thing else; and then spending the _Sunday_ in _idleness_ and _refreshment_, in wandering into the country, in such visits and jovial meetings as make it often the worst day of the week.