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Quest. 8. How do they relish with you when you think of death and judgment? Are they a comfortable part of your preparation? Had you rather then review and answer for your time spent in these, than in greater things?

If you will but set conscience to answer these questions, methinks you should soon perceive yourselves what things they be that are needless, and therefore not to be chosen, and consequently unlawful.

But that you may see that I drive you not to any extremes, I shall negatively add,

1. I do not number all our thoughts, care, and labour for our bodies, children, or others, about things needful and convenient, to be these needless things.

2. Nor is our diligent labour in a constant calling needless; he that will not labour, St. Paul saith, should not eat; this is a part of our obedience to God, "Six days shalt thou labour."

3. Nor is it needless to labour for more than we need ourselves, that we may have to give to him that needeth, and to do good to others.

4. Nor is it needless to do our best for our bodily health to fit our bodies to be able and cheerful servants to our souls. That food, that recreation and pleasure, which is necessary to fit body or mind for service, and the work of a Christian life, is not vain.

5. All men are not called to the same kind of labour and employment. That is needful to one, which is not to another.

6. The lowest things which we do in obedience to God, if it were but sweeping the streets or chimnies, is not to be numbered with the needless things, but rather a comfortable exercise of humility and obedience.

But every man must prefer the greatest thing.

IV. What are the common excuses of this sin?

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Object. 1. Some say, that it is but few persons, at least not all, that are fitted for, and called to great employments. They that cannot do greater matters must do lesser.

Answ. All are not called to govern kingdoms, nor to be teachers and pastors of the church; but all have some talent, which they must use and answer for; and all may do somewhat which tendeth to the common good; the servant of labour that plougheth, soweth, and reapeth doth serve the

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commonwealth; and if his master live idly, and spend his time in gaming, plays, or other vanity, can he excuse it by claiming a greater incapacity than his servant had? A mason, a carpenter, a tailor, a chimney-sweep, do that which is needful to be done; and shall rich men live idly, and do no good, because they are rich?

Object. 2. 'I was not bred up to labour; they that were bred up to it must use it.'

Answ. If you were not bred up to some calling or employment, profitable to yourself and others, you were bred in sin, and then it were time to break it off. Idleness, with pride, and fulness, are noted to have been Sodom's sins; and will you not amend because you were bred in sin? Can you bear the doom of the unprofitable, slothful servant? Matt. xxv. Or will it excuse you because you have been slothful from your youth?

Object. 3. God doth not require toil and labour from those that are rich, and need it not.'

Answ. God doth not require the same kind of labour from all; but if he give you more than the poor, he requireth not less, but more from you; that is, your constant diligence in more profitable work; else you may as well say, That God is the Governor of none but the poor; or that he looketh for least service where he giveth most wages.

Your labour is not only to supply your own needs, but to profit others, and for the common good.

And the more you do in way of duty, the more you re-
Idleness is your own loss to

ceive and profit yourselves.

soul and body.

Object. 4. Men need recreation and relaxation.'

Answ. What do you need it for? Is it not for your work, and your health, to enable you to work? Use no more than furthereth your health and work, and that shall not be called needless.

Object. 5. Little things are useful in their places: Christ saith of some such, "Those ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.""

Answ. No doubt but there are things good and needful of several degrees; all are not of the most needful kind. But what is this to that which is not needful? Or that hindereth more needful things, as afore described?

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Object. 6. Old men are incompetent judges of the case

of youth, as not having their inclinations to sports and pleasures; and all men, especially divines and lawyers, and such like grave men, who are themselves taken up with greater matters, are incompetent judges of the affairs of women, their clothes, their furniture, their expenses, and their employments, and are apt to call all needless which is below their work.

Answ. Yet Christ thought himself meet to judge of the choice, of Martha and Mary, and Solomon to give directions to women, and so did St. Peter and St. Paul. Old men were once young, and know what youthful inclinations are; and grave men that live among women, see their business, and know their reasons. And if all sorts of persons shall judge ministers, lawyers, and judges incompetent to judge of their tradings, actions, and affairs, and so appropriate the judgment of them to themselves alone, then all persons will by their own judgments be always in the right, and none will be capable of amendment; the proverb is, ' A stander-by may see more than a player;' but it is confessed that a just judge must hear and consider the whole case.

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Object. 7. We shall be derided if we are singular.'

Answ. Will God deride you for obeying him? Hath not he said, "Be not conformed to this world?" You will be derided and persecuted too by wicked men, if you will be true to Christ, to godliness, sobriety, and honesty; and is that a good reason why you should be sensual, worldly, and ungodly?

V. But what is the sin here reproved, &c.? What harm is it to be thus careful and troubled about many things that are not comparatively needful?

Answ. 1. To prefer little things before greater, and thus to employ ourselves, is a wilful debasing of our souls, which should be exercised about that which is answerable to the dignity of their natures; as it is a debasing of a prince to use him as beggars, or in sordid work; and as it were below a wise man to talk at the rate of fools and children; so is it a debasing of a soul that is made for things of endless consequence to employ it upon needless trifles. Pride maketh men think well of themselves, and look high in the world, and disdain to be set low in men's thoughts, words, or em

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ployments; and yet when God commandeth them to look higher, they choose a low and sordid life.

2. It is a wilful contempt of the most excellent things: God and our Redeemer, grace and glory, are before us, and should be remembered and sought in the first place; and it is a contempt of them needlessly to turn from them our minds and time to vanity. The mind of man is not infinite, but narrow, and cannot be employed on many things at once; if it be taken up with trifles, it cannot choose but neglect greater things. And for God, and Christ, and heaven, to be set by, while we play with toys, is profane contempt.

Object. We cannot be always thinking of God and hea

ven.'

Answ. But you must always be serving God in one kind or other, and always doing that which tends to heaven; as you are not all day meditating of the light, but you are all day using it.

3. This taking up our minds and time with needless things, is a great injury to ourselves by neglect of our own greatest benefit and necessities. Did but men know what they have to mind and seek, it would be their speedy cure. Alas! we are all behindhand in our great and necessary business; and these triflers usually are more behindhand than others. They have more to do of unspeakable consequence than all their time and diligence will serve for, as it deserveth, (having lost so much already,) and yet have they so much to spare for trifles.

O that these loiterers knew their necessity and their work! 1. You have a God to know, of whom you are too ignorant; you have his word and will to know, which you are yet much unacquainted with. 2. Do you know what it is to get, keep, use, and strengthen a lively belief of the word of God, and the unseen world? 3. Do you know what it is to get assurance that God is your reconciled Father, that Christ and salvation are yours; that you are truly sanctified, and shall live in heaven for ever? 4. Do you know what it is to get the heart in love with God, and to long after communion with him in glory? 5. Do you know what it is to get down all the lusts of the flesh, and watch against all the snares of sense and vain imagination, and to escape the love of these alluring pleasures, and the danger of particu

lar sins of sensuality? 6. Do you know what it is to subdue all your carnal affections and passions, and to get in their stead a zeal for God, and to be fervent in his service? 7. Do you know what it is to get above the love of riches, and to escape all the snares of covetous desires? 8. Do you know what it is to keep a holy government of your thoughts, and to employ them in their proper work? 9. Do you know what it is to rule your tongues, in forbearing evil, and using them for that which they are made for? 10. And do you know what the spiritual, sincere, and constant use of all God's worship is, word, prayer, sacraments, &c. 11. Do you know what it is to renew repentance for our renewed sins? 12. And to keep down all pride, and to walk humbly before God and man? 13. Do you know what it is to love others as yourselves; to do as much good to all men's souls and bodies as you can? 14. And what it is to discharge all the duties of your several relations, to all your superiors, inferiors, and equals? 15. And what it is to find out the corruptions and deceitfulness of your own hearts, and well to understand yourselves? 16. And what it is to understand the nature and danger of all satan's temptations, and to escape or overcome them? 17. And what it is to obey all the motions of God's Spirit? 18. And to use all our daily mercies well? 19. And to bear afflictions patiently, and profit ably? 20. And to be above the love of this body and life, and ready to die? 21. And to live in the joy and comfort which beseemeth the children of God, the members of Christ that wait in hope of endless glory? Do but understand what all, or half this is, and conscionably do it, and then spend the rest of your time in cards, dice, plays, vain adornings, curiosities, and other trifles.

4. Consider also that time and life are very short, and very uncertain, and therefore not to be spent on needless things by one that standeth at the door of eternity...

5. The experience of other men should move us: all right repenting men, and most dying men, wish that their time had not been so wasted, but spent on that which was necessary to the great ends of life.

6. Conscience telleth most that have not seared it, that at death and judgment we are like to wish that needful things had taken up all our time.

7. It is a wrong to our great Creator and Preserver, that

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