forted me on every side; therefore will I praise thee and thy faithfulness, O God.”

"Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: Thou hast set my feet in a large room: Thou preparest a table before me :-Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over;-to the end that my glory may sing praise unto thee, and not be silent: The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup; thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage;" therefore" I will bless the Lord."

In conceiving such meditations, his head and his heart should constantly be employed; as also in contriving ways of declaring and discharging real gratitude; asking himself, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits?" What shall I render to him, not only as a man, for all the gifts of nature; as a Christian, for all the blessings of grace;

but as a Gentleman also, for the many advantages of this my condition, beyond so many of my brethren, by special Providence indulged to me?

He hath all the common duties of piety, of charity, of sobriety, to discharge with fidelity; for being a Gentleman doth not exempt him from being a Christian, but rather more strictly doth engage him to be such in a higher degree than others; it is an obligation peculiarly incumbent on him, in return for God's peculiar favours, to pay God all due obedience, and to exercise himself in all good works; disobedience being a more heinous crime in him than in others who have not such encouragements to serve God.

His obedience may be inculcated by those arguments which Joshua and Samuel did use in pressing it on the Israelites; "Only," said Samuel, "fear the Lord, and serve him in truth; for consider how great things God hath done for

you." And, "I have given you," saith God by Joshua, "a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not; and ye dwell in them: of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not, do ye eat. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth."

His disobedience may be aggravated, as Nehemiah did that of the Israelites : They took strong cities and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards and oliveyards, and fruit-trees in abundance; so they did eat and were filled, and became fat; and delighted themselves in thy great goodness: nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs-They have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness, which thou gavest them; neither turned they from their wicked works."

A Gentleman hath more talents com

mitted to him, and consequently more employment required of him: if a rustic labourer, or a mechanic artisan, hath one talent, a Gentleman hath ten; he hath innate vigour of spirit, and height of courage fortified by use; he hath accomplishment and refinement of parts by liberal education; he hath the succours of parentage, alliance, and friendship; he hath wealth, he hath honour, he hath power and authority, he hath command of time and leisure; he hath so many precious and useful talents entrusted to him, not to be "wrapped up in a napkin,” or “hidden under ground;" not to be squandered away in private satisfactions; but for negociation, to be put out to use, to be improved in the most advantageous way to God's service. Every talent doth require a particular care and pains to manage it well.

He particularly is God's steward, entrusted with God's substance for the sustenance and supply of God's family; to

relieve his fellow-servants in their need, upon seasonable occasions, by hospitality, mercy, and charitable beneficence; according to that intimation of our Lord, "Who is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler of his household, to give them their portion and meat in due season?" And according to those apostolical precepts, "As every one hath received a gift, (or special favour,) even so minister the same to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God:" and, "Charge the rich in this world, -that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate."

And he that is obliged to purvey for so many, and so to abound in good works, how can he want business? How can he pretend to a writ of ease?

Surely that Gentleman is very blind, and very barren of invention, who is to seek for work fit for him, or cannot