(and to be preferred) which ferve the neceffary Ends of human Life, than those which minifter only to its Conveniencies; and those which are highly convenient in a Commonwealth, before thofe which only make Provifion for Recreations or Ornament; for these last are the lowest Degrees of Callings, how gainful foever otherwise they may be.

Having thus given an Account of the Nature of Callings, and the Obligation which all Men are under to live in the Exercise of them, I cannot but make fome Application of what has been said to some particular forts of People among us.

(1.) It were heartily to be wifh'd, that the Nobility and Gentry, and all Men of Eftates, would seriously take an Account of themselves, how they ftand as to this Matter. They, as well as others, are to follow fome Employment, in which they may exercise their Natural Parts, and do Service to the World. If they do not, they are, for any thing I know, as great Criminals as thofe Vagrants and idle People which the Law orders fhould be fent to the House of Correction, to be made to work for their Living. It is the most ridiculous Thing in the World to fancy, that because a Man is honourably born, or hath an Eftate, that therefore he is no ways concerned in the World, but juft to live after his own Mind; and that only the poorer

fort

fort of People are made for Labour and Care. Why, the greatest of Men are but the Stewards of God's Bleffings, and are as accountable to him for them, as the pooreft; and the more Talents they have, the more diligent ought they to be in employing thefe Talents to their Lord's Advantage. Well; but what is the Calling or Employment which Perfons of this Quality, we are speaking of, are to follow? To which I anfwer, That whatever their Calling be, I am fure it is not merely to contrive for their Pleasures and Diverfions, and to fill up their whole Time in paffing from one Delight and Recreation to another. They have more to do within doors, than to eat and drink neatly and modifhly, to fleep and drefs, to receive Vifits, and read Romances. And they have more to do without doors, than to go about telling of News, paying of Compliments, vifiting the Theatres, and meeting at Clubs. And yet, as the World now goes, for a Gentleman to spend his whole Time in these kind of Things, is counted a very innocent way living; and they want not the Reputation of fober and virtuous Perfons, who employ themselves no worse. And I must confefs that this may be called indeed Virtue, in comparison of that wicked Course of Life which others are engaged in, who fpend their Days and their Nights in Revelling and Drunkenness, in Swearing and bur

K 3

of

lefquing

lefquing Religion, in pursuing unlawful
Amours, and all kind of Debauchery
O! who would take Pains to get an Estate
to have it thus fpent! What fober Man
would not defire a thousand times rather
to fee his Son an honeft induftrious Plough-
man or Mechanick, than to fee him the
fpruceft, the wittieft, the wealthiest Gen-
tleman of the Age, and to live at this rate?
O what will these Men fay for themfelves,
when the impartial Judge of the World
comes to enter into a ftrict Account with
them, not only for their Time which they
have had in common with others, but for
these extraordinary Advantages of Birth,
Wit, Education and Fortune, which they
had above other Men! Nay, How will
they answer for this Courfe of Life to their
Country, which might expect great Matters
from them? For they fhould be the prime
Stay and Support of the Kingdom where
they live; the great Examples, and En-
couragers and Patrons of all Virtue, and
Induftry, and Ingenuity; whereas, as they
have ordered the matter, they do little or
no Good at all to the Publick, unless per-
haps by Accident, to thofe who raife Bene-
fit to themselves out of their Folly: Nay,
fo far are they from doing Good to the
Publick, that by their diffolute Converfa-
tion they do a great deal of Harm. And
the only End which thofe Advantages,
which they have above others, ferve to,

is to put them into a Capacity of doing more Mischief; of being greater Burdens and Diseases to the Nation, than they could have been without thofe Advantages. But what is all this faid for? To reproach the Gentry, and thofe who have Estates? God forbid that it fhould the leaft enter into my Heart; but to awaken and rouze thofe who live idly and unprofitably, and to fet them upon ferious Thoughts, and ferviceable Employments. That they may live like themselves, be the Honour and the Ornament, as well as the Defence and Security, of the Nation: That they may put themselves into a Capacity of ferving their King and their Country, as well in Peace as in War: That they be useful to all who are under them, and all who are about them, in other Ways than by spending their Money among them: That they be hearty Lovers of God, and of his true Religion, and Patterns of Loyalty, Sobriety and Godlinefs to all those to whom the Influence of their Example doth extend.

(2.) But there is another Particular, to which I defire to make Application of the general Doctrine of Callings, which I have been infifting on. And I do it the rather, because I am afraid the Age we live in doth too much need it: It is the Bufinefs of Gaming. I fhould be loth to fay that all Gaming is, fimply and in itfelf, unlawful,

or that even a serious Chriftian may not fometimes, and at fome Seafons, use the common Games for the Relaxation of his Mind, and obliging and diverting his Company. No certainly; fo long as Play is used only as a Recreation, it is allowable; and the Reason is, because there is no Law of God or Man that doth forbid it. And if it be not forbid by a Law, the Use of it cannot be unlawful. But then every fober Man is to take care that this Liberty be ufed with great Prudence and Caution; viz. that he do not let it exceed the Bounds of an innocent Recreation: for Inftance, that he do not fet his Affections too much upon it, or play with fuch Concern as to be put into a Paffion at his bad Success; that he fits not too long at it, nor comes to it too frequently; that he always prefers his neceffary Business before his Divertisements; that he fo order his Recreations of this kind, as that they render him the more fit to spend his other Time the more usefully; and laftly, that he play not for Money, but Diversion; at least for no more Money than what he can very well lofe without the leaft Discompofure of Mind, and without the leaft Prejudice to his Family or Eftate. And it must be less too than he is willing to give upon a good Occafion, and lefs than he doth oftentimes bestow upon Objects of Charity: And laftly, when he does play for fuch little

Sums,