SEAM.
XXIX.]
A.
GOOD
REPORT,
&C.
481
kind, and the public
honour of
Christ. This
is
a
thing
óf
good
report
in.
the
church.
and,.in
the
world,
and it
will
turn
to
our
own
honour
in
the day
of
the
Lord.
But
let
no
man deceive
himself,
and
vainly imagine
that
he may lay
claim to
the
honour
of
a
public spirit,
because he spends
half
his days
in'
places
of
public resort,
and
in
fruitless
enquiries and chatterings
about
the af-
fairs
of
government,
and
the business
of
the
state;
per-
haps
he
extends
his
care
also to Muscovy
and Persia, as
well
as
Great
Britain,
while
the
care of his
shop
is
a
little
thing.with
him,
the business
of
his
study or counting-
house
is
forgotten, and
his family
complains
of
woeful
neglect: -Nor are
public
affairs
mended
by
all
his
imper-
tinence.
[If
this
sermon,
be
too long,
it
is
best divided
here.]
III.
Regularity
in
the .conduct
of our
affairs
is
a
be-
coming
character, and
will
gain
us
a
good name amongst
men.
As there are
many and various
duties
that belong
to
the
natural, the
civil,
and
the religious
life
;.
it
is
a
piece
of
eminent
wisdom to
appoint proper
seasons
and
rules
for
the performance
of
them; nor
should
we
think
it beneath
us,
as
far
as possible, to
govern ourselves by
those
rules,
and
keep
to
our
own
appointed seasons;
otherwise
all
our
affairs
will be
ready
to
run into
cori-
fusion;
one
duty
will
be
apt
to
intrench upon another,
and
some
-of
the duties
of
life
or
godliness
will
be
neg-
lected, or quite forsaken, under
a
pretence
of
want
of
time.
One
thing
that
intrenches upon the regular
hours
and
orders of life,
is
a trifling
and dilatory
temper,
putting
off
necessary
business,
whether
it
be work.
or devotion,
till
the
last moment;
and then,
if
the least accident in-
tervenes,
we
have
not
left
ourselves sufficient time to
perform
it.
These are the
persons
who
are frequently
found
in.
a
hurry and
confusion,
because
they have
neg-
lected
to
do the
proper
work in
the
proper
season.
Their
business
is
always
done
in haste,
and
often unfinished.
These
are
they
who
keep
no
appointments,
who
are sel-
dom
true
to
their
hour,
who
make
their
friends wait
for.
them upen
all occasions; who
often create uneasi-
ness
to all the company,
and put
a whole family
out
of
order.
What
an
unbecoming behaviour
is
this
!
What
an
ill:
aspect
it
bears
!
especially
if
,these
delayers
are in
VOL.
I.
a