Directions for Daily Communion with God (continued)
and to give them his grace in his own time, and while you are patiently waiting on him, that will encourage you to take pains with them, and will likewise make you patient and gentle towards them.
And let children and young people wait on God in all their daily endeavors, to fit themselves for the service of God in their generation, you desire to be comforts to your relations, to be good for something in this world, do you not beg of God then a wise and an understanding heart, as Solomon did, and wait upon him all the day for it, that you may be still increasing in wisdom, as you do in stature, and in favour with God and man.
3. When you go to your shops, or apply yourselves to the business of your particular calling, wait upon God for his presence with you. Your business calls for your constant attendance, every day, and all the day, keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep thee; but let your attendance on God in your callings, be as constant as your attendance on your callings. Eye God's providence in all the occurrences of them. Open shop with this thought, I am now in the way of my duty, and I depend upon God to bless me in it. When you are waiting for customers, wait on God to find you something to do in that calling to which he hath called you; those you call chance customers, you should rather call Providence customers, and should say of the advantage you make by them, the Lord my God brought it to me.
When you are buying and selling, see God's eye upon you to observe, whether you are honest and just in your dealings, and do no wrong to those you deal with; and let your eye then be up to him, for that discretion to which God doth instruct not only the husbandman, but the tradesman, ISA 28:26, Isaiah 28:26 (KJV) that prudence which directs the way, and with which it is promised, the good man shall order his affairs; for that blessing which makes rich, and adds no sorrow with it; for that honest profit which may be expected in the way of honest diligence.
Whatever your employments be, in country business, city-business, or sea-business, or only in the business of the house, go about them in the fear of God, depending upon him to make them comfortable, and successful, and to prosper the work of your hands unto you. And hereby you will arm yourselves against the many temptations you are compassed