The trades-man's calling being a discourse concerning the nature, necessity, choice, &c. of a…

Another Inconvenience incident to a Trade is, that you must have a Dependence upon many. If it be an Handicraft, you depend upon many Masters; if a selling Trade, on many Work-folks, and many Customers; and these are some of them fantastical, some penurious, some troublesome, some imperious, some inconstant, some idle, and many very humorous. Now if a discontented Mind lodge within, this is Fuel for it. No Man would be a Slave to such People. I must please every one, no body cares to please me: I believe every body, no body will believe me. I am weary of my Life, 'twere better to drive the Plough, or row at the Oars, than drive a Trade. But Contentedness stills the Tempest with these Considerations; God hath set me in this Employment, these are things that are incident to others in my Vocation, and ever have been. I know where my own Shoe pinches me, but I know not the Troubles of others. These are not my Sins, and any thing is better to be born than Sin: What have I Wisdom, Patience, and Humility for, but to be exercised on such occasions? why should I expect Men to be without human Infirmities? I that ⟨p. 168⟩have Frailties of my own, surely may endure them in others: Since the holy God bears long with the Follies of Men, why should not I, that am obnoxious to his Justice as well as they? And therefore I'll take up my own Burden, and Contentment will help me to carry it easily.

Another Inconvenience incident to a Trade is, that you must have a Dependance upon many. If it be an Handicraft, you depend upon many Masters; if a selling Trade, on many Work-folks, and many Customers; and these are some of them fantastical, some penurious, some troublesome, some imperious, some inconstant, some idle, and many very humorous. Now if a discontented Mind lodg within, this is Fuel for it. No Man would be a Slave to such People. I must please every one, no body cares to please me: I believe every body, no body will believe me. I am weary of my Life, 'twere better to drive the Plough, or row at the Oars, than drive a Trade. But Contentedness stills the Tempest with these Considerations; God hath set me in this Imployment, these are things that are incident to others in my Vocation, and ever have been. I know where my own Shoe pinches me, but I know not the Troubles of others. These are not my Sins, and any thing is better to be born than Sin: What have I Wisdom, Patience, and Humility for, but to be exercised on such occasions? why should I expect Men to be without human Infirmities? I that ⟨p. 168⟩