But _Miranda_’s perfection does not consist in this, that she spends _so much_ time, or _so much_ money in such a manner, but that she is careful to make the best use of all the time and money which she has. Do you this, and then you are like _Miranda_. If she has _two hundred pounds_ a year, and you have only _two mites_, have you not the more reason to be exceeding exact in the wisest use of it? If she has a great deal of time, and you have but a little, ought you not to be the more _watchful_ and _circumspect_, lest that _little_ should be lost? CHAP. VIII. _Shewing that all orders of men and women, of all ages, are obliged to devote themselves to God._ 1. I HAVE in the foregoing chapters shewn that all the parts of our common life, our _employments_, our _talents_ and _fortune_, are to be made holy and acceptable unto God, by a wise and religious use of every thing, and by directing our actions and designs to the glory of God. I shall now shew, that this holiness of common life, this religious use of every thing we have, is a devotion that is the duty of all orders of Christian people. *_Fulvius_ has had a learned education, and taken his degrees in the _university_; he came from thence, that he might be free from any rules of life. He takes no employment upon him, nor enters into any business, because he thinks that every employment or business calls people to the just discharge of its several duties. He did not enter into holy orders, because he looks upon it to be a state that requires great holiness of life, and it does not suit his temper to be so good. He will tell you that he never intends to marry, because he cannot oblige himself to that regularity of life, which he takes to be the duty of those that are at the head of a family. He refused to be _godfather_ to his nephew, because he will have no _trust_ of any kind to answer for. _Fulvius_ thinks that he is conscientious in this conduct, and is therefore content with the most _idle_, _impertinent_, and _careless_ life. He has no religion, no devotion, no pretences to piety. He lives by no rules, and thinks all is very well, because he is neither a _priest_, nor a _father_, nor a _guardian_, nor has any _employment_ or family to look after. 2. *But _Fulvius_, you are a rational creature, and as such, are as much obliged to live according to _reason_, as a _priest_ is obliged to attend at the _altar_, or a _guardian_ to be faithful to his trust; if you live contrary to reason, you don’t commit a small crime, you don’t break a small trust; but you break the _law_ of your nature, you rebel against God who gave you that nature, and put yourself among those whom the God of _reason_ will punish as _apostates_ and _deserters_.