named means do indeed contribute to the making of a Fortune, (and if they do not, no Man knows what doth; and we strangely abuse our Friends and our Children, when upon that account we recommend them to them) it follows, I say, that a life of Godliness is a mighty advantage to a Man for the purposes I am speaking of. And first of all, it will be eafie to shew that Godliness doth above all things tend to make a man wife and prudent, skilful and dexterous in the management of his Affairs of what nature foever: For it doth very much 00 clear and improve a Mans understanding, not only by a certain natural efficacy it hath (as I fhall fhew hereafter) to purifie the Blood and Spirits, upon which the perfection of our Intellectual Operations doth exceedingly much depend; but also by difpelling those adventitious clouds that arife in the difcerning faculty from the noi1 fome Fumes of Luft and Paffion. All Vice in the very nature of it, depraves and distorts a mans judgment, fills our minds with Prejudices, and false Apprethenfions of things; and, no Man that is under the dominion of it, can poffibly have fuch a free use of his Reafon as otheri wife he might; for he will commonly fee things, not as they are in themselves, but in those disguises and false colours which 52 his Paffion puts upon them: Upon which We fee this every day verified in Men of all Ranks and Conditions, of all Callings and Employments. What a multitude of inconveniences, as to matter of dealing between Man and Man doth an intemperate Appetite betray Men to? How filly and foolish is the most fhrewd Man, when Wine hath gotten into his head? There is none fo fimple in his Company, but fuppofing him to be sober, and to have designs upon him, he fhall be able to over-reach him. What a World of Advantages doth the Angry Man give to him he deals with, by the hastiness and impatience of his Spirit? How often doth a Man do that in the fury and expectancies of a Luft, for which when his Ardours are over, he is ready to bite his Nails for very vexation? It is thus more or lefs with all kind of Vices, they craze a Man's head, and cast a mift before his Eyes, and make him often lose himself in those very ways wherein he pretends to be moft skilful: So that it cannot be denied, that Vertue is of a fingular ufe in all matters wherein we have occafion to make use of our Reason, and doth secure us from a multitude of indiscretions, which without it we should unavoidably commit. But fecondly, Godliness is also an excel-. lent means to fecure a man's diligence in the discharge of his Calling and Employment, which is also a matter of very great confequence in order to our thriving in the World: for it is the diligent hand that maketh rich, and the man that is diligent in his business, that shall stand before Kings; as Solomon tells us. Now the Obligations that Religion layeth upon us to be careful in this point, are far stronger than what can arife from any other refpect or confideration foever; for it obligeth us to mind our Business, not only for our own but for God's fake: It chargeth the matter upon our Confciences, and represents it to us as a part of that fervice we owe to our Creator; and upon the due performance of which, no lefs than the everlasting welfare of our Souls doth depend for it affures us, that he that will call us to account for every idle Word, will much more do fo for the idle expence of our Time, and the abuse and not improvement of those Talents that he hath entrusted us with. So that though we had no worldly inducement to make us diligent in our Callings, though we were fure we should fuffer no prejudice in our Temporal Affairs by Idleness, and the neglect of our Bufinefs, (the fear of which yet is the only principle that puts Worldly Men upon action) nevertheless we were infinitely concerned not to be flack or negligent in this matter, in regard it is a point that will be fo feverely exacted of us in the other World. I know but one Objection that can be made against this Difcourfe, and it is this, that what engagements foever Religion lays upon us to the careful spending of our time, yet its own Exercifes, Prayer and Reading, and Meditation, take up fo great a portion of it, which might be spent in the works of our ordinary Employment, that in effect it rather hinders our attendance on our Business than promotes it. But to this it is eafily answered, that there is no Man fo engaged in the World, but may if he please, make both his Business and his Devotions confift together without prejudicing of either. They They have very false Apprehenfions of Religion, that think it obliges us to be always upon our Knees, or always poring upon fome good Book: No, we do as truly ferve God, and perform acts of Religion, when we labour honestly in our Vocation, as when we go to Church, or fay our Prayers. It is true indeed, we ought to have our hearts in Heaven as much as is poffible, and to that end we ought to pray continually; but what hinders but we may do this in the midst of our Bufinefs? There is no employment doth fo entirely engross a Man's mind; but he may find leisure, if he please, many times a day, to entertain good thoughts, to quicken and reinforce his purposes, to caft up a fhort Prayer or a with to God Almighty. And this I dare fay for your encouragement, that fuch a devout frame of heart, fuch frequent and fudden dartings of your Souls to God, while you are at your Bufinefs, will he fo far from hindring or diftracting you in it, that they will make you go about it with much more vigour and alacrity. But farther, I would ask any Man that makes the forefaid Objection, supposing Religion ten times more expenfive of our time than really it is, yet whether Vice and Sin be not much more fo, than it would |