ties: wise men look at you as at players, or morice-dancers, some with laughter, and all with pity; and think what empty souls are these that mind such little childish things.

And seeing common reason tells you, that a man's dignity or baseness lieth in the dignity or baseness of the things which he mindeth, hopeth for, and seeketh, and of the work in which his life is spent, why will you set yourselves so far below your poor tenants and labouring servants, as to choose employments, so far baser than theirs? That is basest which is most vain, and of little benefit to yourselves or others. Your ploughman, your baker, your brewer, your cook, yea, your chimney-sweeper, live upon more useful employments, than some rich, vain, curious, idle persons.

And as all sin blindeth and befooleth sinners, it is two to one but these self-abasing persons will distaste what I say, as thinking that it is against them; when common reason might tell them that all this that I speak is for them, even for their honour, their commodity, their conscience, and their salvation. Should I persuade one that selleth pins and points, or the scavengers that carry out dust and dung, to become merchants that trade for gold and enriching merchandise, few of them would be so sottish, as to think I speak against them, to their dishonour or their loss.

And still I confess that many little things are needful in their place and season. We should miss pins and points if we were without them. Dirt and uncleanness must be swept and washed away. Garments should be warm and comely. Rooms that are convenient are desirable. Comely and stately buildings and furniture for princes and rulers are a due ornament to magistracy, and splendid cities and temples are an honest imitation of the great and glorious works of God. Sweet harmony and melody exhilarate the spirits for and in God's holy praise. All his mercies should be used to fit us to serve him with gladness and joyfulness of heart. It is not a cynical life that I plead for, but a base and childish life that I am dispraising. When comeliness, and decency, and cleanliness, and reputation is made a pretence for such trifling away your own and your servants' time, and setting up such toyish trades and employments, as nothing but your own sinful disease and folly could keep you from being ashamed of, and your consciences from accusing

you for. I am ashamed to name over the trifles within doors and without which I mean.

But satan is subtle as well as malicious, and knoweth that all fish bite not at the same bait. Crowns and enlarged dominions are the diversion of some who think their designs are high and honourable, while they go to damnation with more applause than worldly peasants. Brave speculations and pleasing knowledge of things unnecessary, are the bait of others, that scorn to neglect God, and cast away their salvation for such low and little things as the wanton, and the glutton or drunkard do. Yet these that are pleased in satisfying their appetites, think that they make a wiser bargain, and have somewhat more instead of heaven than sickbrained childish women, that have no better in exchange than things and businesses which I am ashamed to name.

O that God would awaken all our reason by a lively faith, to see where we stand, and what is before us, and with whom we have to do, and how little transitory things of the flesh do signify to a sound understanding! We should then see that time and life are of greater use than to be played and fooled away. Every moment of it would then appear to be very precious, and of great use. Whereas that is vile which is good for nothing but vile employments. That hour which is useful for no greater work than your trifling neednots, is of no greater worth than the work which it is for.

Had you no more to do with it, how undesirable were life! Surely the gain or pleasure of an idle or a trifling life will never compensate the cares, and troubles, and sufferings which we must all undergo. Were a prince, judge, or doctor, set up as a picture only to adorn a room, or as a mawkin to frighten away crows from the corn or garden, this were not useless, yea, it were better than many of your time-wasting vanities: but sure it would be a great debasing of such persons, as scarce worth the cost and trouble of living.

The Scripture tells us indeed, that man walketh in a vain show, and that "verily every man at his best estate is vanity," yea, all under the sun is "vanity and vexation of spirit." But all this is said only of man as seeking a felicity in this world, and of all that he is and doth, with no higher respect than to the present prosperity and pleasure of the flesh. But there are greater things offered us which are not

vanity, even the pleasing of God, and the fruition of his love and glory for ever; and were our life and time devoted to these high and noble ends, were our waking and sleeping, our eating and drinking, our health and sickness, our labours, yea, and our needful recreations, employed for these, and measured accordingly as means hereto, they would be holy and comfortable, and the lowest things would be thus honoured and precious. They that are " stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord," do find their “labour not in vain ;" 1 Cor. xv. 58. The same house, goods, money, food, raiment, time, as used by holy believers, and by carnal worldlings, &c. differ more than we can now conceive. HOLINESS TO THE LORD is the name of the one, and VANITY, VEXATION, and SIN of the other.

But alas, man who as a shadow passeth away, doth set his heart on transitory shadows, asd dreaming, and seeming, and stage-employments, and enjoyments, make up his hypocritical life and comforts. His religion is naturally (till grace amend him) but show and ceremony; his heartwork, and house-work, and public-work, is little but shadow and ceremony. Time is spent, and money spent, and talk spent, and thoughts spent, upon shadow and ceremony. Servants are employed too often also in wasting their time to serve their master's fancies in mere shadow and ceremony. You can see and hear but little that is better, or of greater use in many rich persons' daily conversations, in their retinue, in their splendid houses, and curious adorned rooms, or any thing even of that which commandeth their hearts and time, and in which they place their dignity and pleasure; until either grace happily, or death miserably, awake their wit, and then they cry out, All is vanity and vexation; O that we had better spent our time!' "This their way is their folly, and yet their posterity approve their sayings;" Psal. xlix. 11-13. And still others rise up that tread in their unhallowed steps; and satan's kingdom can truly boast of an uninterrupted succession, even from the days of Cain until

now.

I shall end with seme directions how to to judge, 1. Of needless things. 2. And an answer to some cases of conscience.

I. 1. All things are culpably needless which answer not

the cost, and labour, and time, which is laid out upon them You may judge by the good which they are like to do.

2. Those things are culpably needless which are but to serve a desire or humour, which we have no need to please. If the lust or fancy be vain, the means that serve it can be no better; whether it be the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or pride of life, which are not of the Father, but of the world. Men say, We delight in this or that, in curiosity, in costly or time-wasting sports, or such as profit not their bodily health, in gawdy dresses, or such like; and why may we not gratify our delight? Why, it is supposed to be a needless, unprofitable delight, proceeding from a vain fancy, which should rather be cured than pleased.

3. All things are much more culpably needless which proceed from a vicious, sinful humour, desire, or lust; make no provision for the flesh, to satisfy the lust therefore :" Rom. xiii. 13, 14. To mind the things of the flesh is enmity to God, and to the minding of spiritual things; Rom. viii. 6.7. Unnecessary, sensual delights corrupt the soul, and strongly turn down the mind from God and holy pleasures; and the mortifying of such fleshly lusts or pleasures is no small part of our religion.

4. All those are culpably needless and worse which are preferred before truly needful things; and which are against them, and shut them out, or take up that same time and room which they should have; if you have any thing of greater moment, which should be done at that same time, whatever hindereth it is vanity, and worse; and therefore there is no cure for vanity of mind and life, till men come to know their great necessities, and important business, which they have for all their thoughts and time, even the regard of their end and all the means, the duties of their spiritual and temporal callings, and see that they have no time to spare.

II. Quest. Is it lawful to be of a trade which serveth the humours of vain persons, as to make cards, or dice, or stageplays; or vain attire, as ribbons, perriwigs, and such like?

Answ. 1. These things are of very different natures. Some of them, as stage-plays, cards and dice (though instances may be devised in which it is possible to use them lawfully) are so ordinarily used sinfully and so seldom well, that the trade that maintaineth them may well be supposed

to be a trade of maintaining sin. And had I a son, I had rather he begged his bread than have such a trade. But laces, and ribbands, and fine clothes, and feathers, and divers such things, have (among some that they are fit for) a more ordinary lawful use; and therefore I cannot say such trades are sinful. 2. But yet because they are of so little benefit to the commonwealth, and so very frequently used to serve a vain and sinful lust and fancy, I take it to be a sin for any one to prefer such a trade before one that is more blameless and profitable, though the person might get more money by it. And they that will use such a trade without sin, must necessarily be so careful in distinguishing of customers, and not promiscuously sell to all who they perceive will serve their sin by it, that it will much diminish their gain. The case is much like an ale-seller's or vintner's which is lawful in itself, but must be used with so much distinguishing care as I doubt few practise, lest their gain be hindered. And therefore a safer trade is much to be preferred, which is not a continual temptation.

Quest. 2. May a servant dwell with and obey such a master, or lady, or mistress, as will command them to spend much of their time in trifles and vanities, that are but to please a proud or curious fancy?'

Answ. 1. It must be supposed that many times servants, through sloth or education, misjudge those things to be needless or evil which are not such; and think that their superiors should command them no other labour than what they like themselves. In this case their error will not justify their neglect. Persons of honour and dignity may lawfully go much further in employing their servants in dressing, and adornings, and attendance, and in washing, and rubbing rooms, and such smaller things, than lower persons, from whom it is not expected, and to whom the marks of wealth agree not, though none must be inordinate.

2. In mere doubtful cases servants are not the judges of their governor's commands and business; and where they are no judges, and know no sin, they must submit.

3. Sometimes that which is sinfully commanded may be lawfully and dutifully obeyed. As it is a sin in a sick man to be peevish, and hardly pleased, and to command many needless things to a servant in that peevish humour; when yet (they being lawful things to be done) the servant may be