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 wrong for a
child of God to induce the customers, by means of such men or women
who have a persuasive tongue, to purchase articles whether they suit
or not, and whether they are needed or not. This is no less than
defrauding persons in a subtle way, or leading them into the sin of
purchasing beyond their means, or at least spending their money
needlessly. However such sinful tricks may be allowed to prosper in
the case of a man of the world, in the case of a child of God they
will not prosper, except God allow them to do so in the way of
chastisement, whilst leanness and wretchedness is brought into the
soul. I knew a case of this kind where it was the whole bent of the
mind of a professed believer to obtain such "good salesmen," and
where even a Jew was kept outside the shop walking up and down to
induce persons to come in and buy; and yet that same professed
believer failed twice in his business. 9, Another evil with reference
to business, and why children of God do not get on in their calling
is, that they