I. In what capacity man ſtands here, he is a Servant, That Servant. God made man, but made him not for nought; but to the excellency of his endowments in the deſign of Heaven was proportion'd an employment for him. The Schools maintained this Axiome, Quicquid agit, agit propter finem, that whatſoever moves in the nature of an Agent, deſigns ſomething as the end of its acting. And certainly this perfection muſt be eminently in the Author of Nature, and no end can we define worthy his propoſal, but his own Glory in the manifeſtations of his Power, Wiſdom, and Goodneſs; the moſt learned Philoſopher and the greateſt Divine that ever was in the World, affirms this of the great work of Creation, Pro. 16.4. The Lord hath made all things for himſelf: yea even the Wicked for the day of evil. That diſorderly improfitable part of the Creation Telluris inutile pondus, as the Poet ſpeaks, the wicked (though God made them not ſo, he made man upright, and left him in the hands of his own counſel, as the Son of Sirach, Ecclus. 15.14. yet) his overruling Wiſdom makes them ſerve the deſigns of his inflexible Juſtice, becauſe they will not pay that homage they owe to their Maker, but refuſe to be happy, and ſo defeat the purpoſes of enthroning his Mercy, therefore he obliges them to wait on the triumph • of his Vengance as the juſt demerit of their obſtinacy and rebellion. In the 1ſt of Geneſis laſt verſe, when the Ahnighty ſurveys the workmanſhip of his fix dayes creation, he gives his approbation: God ſaw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good. Good in this reſpect among others, in regard of that the God of order had placed in this large family of the Creation, allotting each part its ſtation, and aſſigning them operations according to what powers and faculties he had implanted in them, ſo that from the Seraphim to the Piſmire there is no creature but what in a larger or leſs capacity is a Servant of its Creator. The Philoſopher could ſay that all things do ſerve in his notion the firſt Being and Cauſe of all things; which is one of the meditations of the Royal Pſalmiſt, which he hath left us, Pſal. 119.89, 90, 91. where he enumerates particulars: For ever, O Lord, thy Word is ſetled in Heaven. Thy Faithfulneſs is unto all Generations: thou haſt eſtabliſhed the Earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to thine Ordinances. And then he concludes, For all are thy Servants. And upon enquiry we ſhall find his aſſertion true. Do but lift up your eyes to the Heavens, and as the Prince of the Philoſophers affirms them to be in perpetual motion; ſo he that was a Prince as well as a Philoſopher, obſerves that they move in that Sphere which their all-wiſe Framer fixt them in. Pſal. 19.1. The Heavens declare the Glory of God. And if we behold the Sun, it confutes Copernicus, Rejoyceth as a ſtrong man to run his race, v. 5. Should I take you up into the third Heaven, the Heaven of Heavens, the Angels there are miniſtring Spirits, Heh. 1. ult. Angels and Arch-Angels, and all the company of Heaven, all the Orders of that Celeſtial Hierarchy, they do God's Commandments, and execute his pleaſure, Pſal. 103.20, 21. If we look upon the creatures here below, they bear a part in this ſervice, the Sea hath the boundary of God's decree for its ebbing and flowing; hitherto ſhalt thou extend thy proud waves and no further: the moſt inconſiderable inferiour particles of the univerſe, the Snow, and Vapour, and Stormy-Wind are ſaid to fulfil his Word, Pſal. 148.8. So that this relation of Servants the Angels thoſe heavenly Courtiers diſdain not, and the lower parts of the World are not too mean for an Intereſt in; then certainly Man the Lord of this ſublimary World can upon no account plead exemption, he is a ſervant. But as the Apoſtle uſes the compariſon touching the Reſurrection, 1 Cor. 15.42. One Star differeth from another Star in glory. or as the ſame Apoſtle expreſſes it, In a great houſe thee are not only veſſels of gold and ſilver, but alſo of wood and earth. 2. Tim. 2.20. ſo t'is here in the large Houſe-hold of the ſupernal and lower world, each ſervant hath his province & employment ſet him ſuitable to thoſe capacities, by which he is inabled to make a diſcharge of his duty, which what Man's is, is a ſeaſonable enquiry; and,

II. The ſecond part of the text. As a Servant what is mans employment expreſt in theſe words, ſo doing. Man hath a work to do, but what it is you cannot imagine in that little ſcantling of time allotted for this exerciſe I ſhould fully diſcourſe to you, the doing the particulars of which will take up our whole lives, did they never ſo far exceed Davids ſumme of them. It is to doe the work which God hath ſet us and ſent us into the world to do, briefly 'tis doing the works of our general and particular calling.

1. The works of our general calling as Chriſtians. And here the Chriſtian is obliged to the obſervance of that divine precept. Rom. 13.7. To render to all their dues. And the duties of our general calling are reducible to theſe three heads, which the Apoſtle gives us in charge, Tit. 2.12. To live ſoberly, righteouſly and godly in this preſent world.

1. To begin with our duty to him, who is the beginning of all things, and Lord of the family. And this we are early call'd upon by the wiſeman to make a diſcharge of. Eccleſ. 12.1. Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth. He that gave us our being, provides for our well-being, and hath contriv'd our being happy, (unleſs we our ſelves fruſtrate the deſign) may upon all accounts challenge a gratefull ſervice and homage, there being nothing in the world more rational then Religion and the Worſhip of a Deity. And here the Chriſtian hath a large task of duty, the performance of all internal and external acts of Piety and Devotion, the maintaining alwaies a reverential dread and fear of the Divine Majeſty, to adore that incomprehenſible Being, to demean our ſelves ſo towards God, as may beſt comport with thoſe Divine attributes of his purity and power, wiſdome and goodneſs, ſincerely and conſcientiouſly to perform all external acts of Religion, all duties of divine worſhip and ſervice, to hear and pray, meditate and receive, and what elſe in the whole duty of man God requires of us, as his immediate worſhip. This is to live godly.

2. Righteouſly, towards our fellow-Servants. To love my Neighbour as my ſelf, to obſerve that golden rule, ſo much admired by the Heathen, ſo little practiſed by the Chriſtian, ſo fully taught in the old and new Teſtament, ſo frequently preſt by Prophets and Apoſtles, and inculcated by our Bleſſed Lord, Whatſoever we would that men ſhould do unto us, we ſhould do the ſame to them. To do juſtice and to love mercy, to make our ſelves friends of the Mammon of unrighteouſneſs, to diſtribute to the neceſſities of the poor, to do good to all men, by good counſel and a ſuitable converſation to perſwade as many as we can to be holy and religious and to ſave their ſouls, to reprove our offending Brother, to bear with the infirmities of thoſe that are weak, to comfort thoſe that mourn, to exhort one another to day, while it is called to day, to do as our Bleſſed Lord did, when he was upon the earth, whoſe buſineſs it was to go about, and ſeek all opportunities of doing good, Acts. 10.38.

3. Soberly. To have ſo much regard to our ſelves as to do nothing unworthy of that place in Gods family he hath ſet us in. To obſerve all rules and precepts of ſobriety, temperance and chaſtity. Some of the heathen Philoſophers have diſſwaded from ſome debaucheries, as indecencies & affronts offer'd to humane Nature, but the Chriſtian hath higher motives for all ſobriety of converſation; to reverence our humane nature as united to the Divine in the perſon of Chriſt, and ſo to preſerve it from all ſpot and defilement, as he did when he was veſted with our fleſh here below; to look upon our bodies as Temples of the Holy Ghoſt, and ſo not to allow them to be ſinks of ſin and neſts of all uncleanneſs: and laſtly, to think what they ſhall be in their glorified eſtate after the reſurrection, that ſo when Chriſt ſhall come to work that mighty change upon them, he may not find them in the worſt ſenſe vile, that is, ſinful bodies. To do all this, and ſo to do it, as to be ſaluted with an Euge for our well-doing, may well be thought no eaſy task, but that which will require all Chriſtian diligence and circumſpection, ſo to redeem the time, as to fill up every part of it with the proper duties of it, and yet after all this one thing is ſtill wanting which is, —

2. To be diligent in our particular Callings, that ſtate and condition of life to which God hath call'd each of us, as ſome to be Magiſtrates, ſome Miniſters, ſome Merchants, ſome Artificers, &c. The Command of God to earn our bread in the ſweat of our brows, the prevention of idleneſs, the obligation of providing for our families, God's diſtribution of ſeveral gifts, the benefit of humane ſociety and the Weal-publick, beſpeak the neceſſity of ſome Calling or other for every man to employ and buſie himſelf in. Here perhaps there may be ſome will cenſure my diſcourſe to be ungentile, and that I maintain a paradox to affirm, as I do, that every man muſt labour in ſome calling or other; if you bring up this levelling humour, where's the Gentleman? was not he born like that Leviathan Job ſpeaks of, only to take his paſtime in the World? But a Reverend and modeſtThe Author of the whole Duty of Man. Author hath made it out to be no Soloeciſm to aſſert a Gentleman to have a Calling, the orderly diſpoſal of his Family, the preſerving what in him lyes peace among his Neighbours, the influencing all he converſes with by a good example will not ſuffer him to be an exception to this general rule, that every man in the world hath a Calling, and to be diligent in it is every mans duty, and that which is highly juſtifiable: for the husband-man to be at his plough the trades-man in his ſhop, the ſchollar at his book, is to be ſo doing. But here we muſt obſerve a double caution.

1. That our general and particular Calling do not juſtle out or enterfere upon the duties of each other. The wiſe Steward renders to each his portion in due ſeaſon. It is a ſin for me to be in the market or in a worſe place, when I ſhould be at the Church; and on the other hand, an indiſcreet zeal muſt not make me neglect my Calling and to provide for my family; ſuch a profeſſion renders me worſe than an infidel.

2. We muſt be ſure keep within the bounds of our particular Calling for which we have an expreſs command. 1 Cor. 7.24. Let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. He that holds the plough muſt not touch the Ark, the Apron and the Ephod, the Shop and the Pulpit are diſtinct, unleſs our Mechanick Preachers can confute St. Paul, who ſaith, that all are not Prophets, nor all Apoſtles, nor all Teachers. The motion of a Chriſtian muſt not be excentrick, he muſt keep within bounds. No man can climb the Throne or the Pulpit without a warrant from God, leſt it be ſaid to him, as the Egyptian to Moſes, Exod. 2.14. Who made thee a Prince, a Judge over us? who made thee a Preacher? for No man taketh this honour unto himſelf, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron, Heb. 5.4.

Thus have I with all imaginable brevity gone through the ſeveral parts of mans duty, ſhewed him what it is the Lord doth require of him, to do juſtly, to love mercy, to be ſober and temperate, and walk humbly with his God. So that by way of Application you will eaſily infer with me.

1. That 'tis not nihil agendo, doing nothing. Idleneſs is the Devils anvil, on which he hammers us into any ſhape of vice or wickedneſs, 'tis a tempting of the Tempter, a giving him the opportunity of throwing a temptation in our way, and therefore it was St. Hieromes advice to be alwaies buſied, to prevent the Devils having this advantage over us. Semper boni aliquid operis facito, ut Diabolus te ſemper inveniat occupatum. Had David been in the Camp or at Council-table, when he walkt on the battlements of his houſe, Bathſheba had waſht her ſelf without defiling uriahs bed. Man is of an active nature, if he be doing nothing, he will quickly be doing ſomething he ſhould not. Nor,

2. Is it nil boni agendo, doing that which is as good as nothing. To ſpend a morning inter ſpeculum et pectinem, our eyes would ake and our hands grow weary, ſhould a Prayer-Book be our entertainment but a third part of that time the comb and the glaſſe take us up. One meal conſumes as much of our precious time as Luther ſpent of the whole day in prayer, which was three houres. Stratonitus ſaid of the Rhoudians, that they built houſes as if they were immortal, but feaſted as if they were to live but a little while; we who dwell in houſes of clay, feaſt as if we were immortal, no life beyond this, as if the indulging our ſenſual appetites were the higheſt ſatisfaction of our reaſonable nature, and the hoc agere of a Chriſtian. An empty viſit, wherein our entertainment is an idle and uncharitable cenſure of the actions of others, and a debaucht Theatre ſhare the reſt of the day. Than theſe the Emperours pricking of flies will be found a buſie idleneſs more innocent. Nor,

3. Is it male agendo, doing that which is worſe than nothing, doing evil, committing ſin. This is the Devil's work, and as he ſets them to work, from him they muſt expect their wages, which what it is the Apoſtle lets them know beforehand. Rom. 6.23. The wages of ſin is eternal death. This will not paſs in the account, it will not be well our Lord ſhould find us ſo doing if he doth, we ſhall have ſmall thanks for our pains. Which minds me of the third general of the text.

3. The account will be taken of him, the Lord of the family will come to take it himſelf, though it be intimated, that the time when he will come is very uncertain. Here we muſt know that there is a particular and a general coming of our Lord to Judgement. His particular coming to Judgment is on every one in particular at the hour of death, Eccl. 12.7. Then ſhall the duſt return to the earth as it was: and the ſpirit ſhall return unto God who gave it. Where by the return of the ſoul to God, we muſt underſtand its giving up an account of all its actions done in the fleſh, whether good or evil; as certainly as the Body at death returns to its earthly Mother to be diſſolved, ſo aſſuredly the ſoul returnes to its heavenly father to be judged. The general coming of Chriſt ſhall be at the laſt day, when the dead bodies ſhall ariſe out of their graves, and both ſoul and body receive the ſentence of abſolution or condemnation. John. 5.29. All that are in the graves ſhall come forth, they that have done good, unto the reſurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the reſurrection of damnation. This latter is a ratification and publication of the former, and a more full collation or infliction of reward or puniſhment. Each of thoſe Advents of our Lord are certain, but the time of them very uncertain,

1. His particular coming to Judgment is certain, which is at the hour of death. There is a Decree for this paſt and ſign'd in Heaven. Heb. 9.27. It is appointed for all Men once to die. And you know what follows that, And this Decree is irreverſible like the Laws of the Medes and Perſians. Deaths vaſt ſpoils and large triumphs ſufficiently prove its univerſal Empire. 'Tis not to purpoſe to inſiſt upon this, when there's ſcarce any man living will ſhew himſelf ſo little a man, as to queſtion whether he be mortal. The wiſe and the fool, the King and the Subject, the Paſtor and his Flock, the Honourable and the vile Perſon, the Rich man and the Beggar, all muſtly down in the duſt, and make their bed, as Job ſpeaks, in the darkneſs. But though there be an appointed time for this great and laſt change of man, yet when that time will come is very uncertain. Thoſe infinite diſeaſes and ca • ualties to which the life of man is incident & ſo eaſily cut the thread of it, fully evince that there is nothing more certain then the uncertainty of the hour of death. One dies in his nonage, another in the ſtrength and vigour of his years, and another in a full age: one in his bed, and another in the field. Hodie mihi, cras tibi. The Bell went for ſuch a one laſt, but who ſhall go next God knows. To any of us that are here in health this hour, that for all we know before the next it may be ſaid as St. Peter to Sapphira, Acts. 5. Behold the feet of them which brought this honorable Perſon to her grave, are ready to bear thee to the ſame place. And therfore tis a point of the greateſt 〈◊〉 to conſider our latter end and prepare for it, ſince its 〈◊〉 is ſo uncertain. And perhaps in this caſe, that advice of 〈◊〉 was not amiſs, to him that deſired to know when was the beſt time to repent and reform his life in, to whom he gave this anſwer, that it was ſafeſt to do that the day before he died, which was that preſent day for any thing he was aſſured of the contrary.

2. As his particular coming at the hour of death is certain, ſo is his laſt coming at the end of the World. The ſon of man ſhall come in his glory, and all his holy Angels with him, and ſhall ſit upon the Throne of his glory. Mat. 25.31. And then we muſt all appear before the Judgment-ſeat of Chriſt, that every one may receive the things done in his Body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad, 2 Cor. 5.10. And St. Peter hath deſcribed this day with its attendant circumſtances. 2. Pet. 3.10. The day of the Lord will come, in the which the Heavens ſhall paſs away with a great noiſe, and the elements ſhall melt with fervent heat, the earth alſo and the works that are therein ſhall be burnt up. This is an Article of our faith, that Chriſt will come to judge the quick and the dead, and is a deduction in Divinity that the belief of a God and of his providence and government of the world doth neceſſarily infer. But of that day and hour, when this judgment ſhall paſs on the whole world, knoweth no man. Our Lord hath told us, that this his coming will be as a thief in the night, to allarm us to ſtand upon our guard and watch, that we be not guilty of the improvidence, and ſo overtaken with the ſurprize of the fooliſh Virgins: We have the Doctrine of Chriſts coming, and the uſe we ſhould make of it both laid down by our Bleſſed Saviour in the 42. v. of this cb. Watch therefore, for you know not what hour your Lord doth come. And again verſ. 44. Therefore be ye alſo ready: for in ſuch an hour you think not, the ſon of man cometh. There have indeed been ſome ſo bold as to adventure to define thoſe times and ſeaſons which the Father hath put in his own power, and to pretend to a diſcovery of the Arcana Imperil of Heaven, among the reſt to determine when this day ſhall be; but in that time hath overcome and outworn ſeveral their computations, the preſumption of their folly needs no other confutation.

To preſs you to that which is the natural reſult of this Doctrine, diligence and faithfulneſs in doing your duty, I ſhall only urge you with a double conſideration about this coming of our Lord.

I. It will be a ſevere and ſtrict account our Lord will take of us when he comes. He will bring every work into judgment with every ſecret thing, Eccles. 12.14. All our irreligion and prophaneſs, our injuſtice and oppreſſion, our intemperance and uncleanneſs. There will be no impoſing on him, no prevaricating with him, no palliating any fault, cloaking it from him, before whom all things are naked and open. Heb. 4.13. Indeed if we be found faithful, and that in the maine we are not tardy, God will overlook (I do not ſay he ſees not, but) he will paſs by our failings and infirmities, our humane frailties. But there be two things, either of which if we be found guilty of, it will go hard with us inſtead of an euge we ſhall have an apage. Hypocriſie or Partiality.

1. Hypocriſie and Inſincerity in his Service, whatſoever we do, we muſt do it heartily, as to the Lord. The heart is the chief part of the Sacrifice, which if it be wanting, God loaths the Oblation, be it never ſo Coſtly. To love the Lord our God with all the Heart, with all the Soul, and with all the Mind, is the firſt and great Commandment of the Law, Mat. 22.37, 38. To bow and cringe in the Temple, as the Syrian in the houſe of Rimmon, and the heart to be at a diſtance, is a Service f •… r for ſuch a blind Idol, than an all-ſeeing, heartſearching God.

2. Partiality, A moſt unhappy error men are willing to deceive themſelves with, they think to do the will of God in a Figure will ſerve the turn, and ſo give him a part for the whole. If they are Zealous and forward in his Service and Worſhip, he will wink at their Injuſtice and Oppreſſion, or if I am open-handed I may be wicked-hearted; an Alms ſhall diſpenſe for my Uncleanneſs, my Loyalty atone for my Impiety and Debauchery; if I have heapt up an Eſtate by indirect means and unrighteous practiſes, to build a ſmall Hoſpital, or bequeath a petty Legacy to the Poor will ſanctifie the whole lump of ill-gotten goods, and effect my pardon for all my wickedneſs. But God delivered to us the whole Decalogue, and for the whole he will account with us. I'm ſure we ſhall never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven with a maimed obedience. If at the laſt day we ſhall plead any of this, the good deeds we have done, and think that they will expiate for whatſoever elſe we have omitted, Chriſt will reply to us as to the Phariſees; Theſe ought ye to have done, and not have left the other undone. David's confidence was onely in a Catholick Obedience, Pſal. 119.6. Then ſhall I not be aſhamed, when I have reſpect unto all thy Commandments.

2. The Sentence that will be then paſt is final and deciſive beyond any appeal or rehearing. An error here is of moſt unhappy conſequence, there is no place for a ſecond. We ſhall then be adjudged either to an happy or a diſmal Eternity, to everlaſting life or endleſs puniſhment. Prayers and Tears, Repentance and promiſes of amendment, which if ſincere, are in this life effectual for Mercy and Pardon, will then be unavailable: ſo that indeed we have the Sentence of Life and Death within our ſelves, 'tis in our own choice whether we will be happy or miſerable to all eternity. Theſe two eſtates depend upon our acquitting our ſelves here in our Maſter's ſervice; if upon our Lord's ſeeming delay of his coming, we ſhall ſmite our fellow-ſervants, eat and drink with the drunken, be riotous and diſorderly in the family, what can we expect but to have our portion aſſign'd us with Hypocrites, where there ſhal be weeping and gnaſhing of teeth? On the other hand, if we are emulous of happineſs, and ſtudious of our Lord's approbation, we muſt be faithful and diligent, work if we expect wages, abound in every good work of humility, ſobriety and charity; for with him it ſhall fare well, whom his Lord when he cometh ſhall find ſo doing, he ſhall recieve a bleſſing from the Lord. And this brings me to,