is our busy time," or "This is
our dead time;" which implies that they do not day after day deal with
God about their calling, but that they ascribe their having much or
little to do to circumstances, or to times and seasons. That the people
of the world should do so is not to be wondered at; but that the
children of God should act thus, who in the most minute affairs of life
should seek the help of God, and deal with God about them, is a matter
of sorrow to the spiritual mind, and is altogether unbecoming saints.
But what is the result? The Lord, according to the expectations of his
children, allows them to be without employment, because they say, "This
is our dead season." "He did not many mighty works there because of
their unbelief," contains a truth which comes in here. But what is the
right way of looking at the matter? It is this: the child of God should
say, though generally about this time of the year there is little
employment to be expected, looking at it naturally, just as want of
employment is neither good for the outward nor inward man, and as I only
desire employment to serve God in my business, to have to give to those
who are in need, or help in other ways the work of God, I will now give
myself to prayer for employment, for I can by prayer and faith as a
child of God obtain blessings from my heavenly Father, though not in the
ordinary course of things. If thus the child of God were to say and to
act, he would soon have employment in his calling, except the Lord meant
to use his time otherwise in his work, which he would point out to him.

8. A further reason why God may be obliged to resist children of God in
their business, may be this, that they with the greatest carefulness
seek to obtain persons for their shop who are considered "good
salesmen," _i. e._ persons who have such persuasive ways, as that they
gain an advantage over the customers and induce them not only to buy
articles for which they ask, whether suitable or not, but that they also
induce them to buy articles which they did not at all intend to buy when
they came to the shop. Concerning this I notice, in the first place,
that if the child of God puts his dependence upon the "good salesmen,"
let him not be surprised if his heavenly Father should be obliged to
disappoint him, because he sees his child lean upon the arm of flesh,
instead of trusting in the living God; and therefore the business does
not succeed. Further, it is altogether wr