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learning Arts and Sciences, in the Managery of our Trades and Employments; in a Word, in the Choice and in the Profecution of every Design that is propofed to us. In all these Things, the great Enquiry is to be, What Good will they tend to? How fhall we be rendred more ufeful to the World, if our Defigns and Endeavours, as to these Matters, do take Effect?

Let this be the great Rule by which we proceed in the Education of our Children and Relations, and the Provifions we make for them in the World. Let it be our firft Care to poffefs them with a deep Senfe of the Duty they owe to the Publick, and to furnish them with fuch Qualities, as will render them profitable Members of it, and to put them into fuch Profeffions and Employments, as may afford them fair Scope for the Exercife of those Qualities. If we thus provide for them, though we otherwise leave them never fo fmall an Estate, yet, with the Bleffing of God, they have a good Portion.

Laftly, Let this Defign of doing Good in. fluence our very Offices of Religion. When we make our Applications to the Throne of Grace, let us be fure to have the Publick always in mind; and even when we pray for ourfelves, let it be with this Defign and Refolution, that as God in Mercy bestows upon us the Bleffings and the Grace we pray for, we will employ them for the Good of others.

O that we would thus feriously concern ourselves in doing Good! O that we would

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once lay afide all our little selfish Defigns, and that Narrowness and Penuriousness of Spirit, with which most of us are bound up; and with ardent Love and Charity, fet our felves not to feek his own, but every Man another's, Cór. 19. Good, as the Apostle exhorteth.

Secondly, If the doing Good be fo necessary a Duty, as hath been reprefented, what muft we fay of those Men that frame to themfelves Models of Chriftianity, without putting this Duty into its Notion? There is a Sort of Christianity, which hath obtained in the World, that is made up of Faith and Knowledge of the Gofpel-Myfteries, without any refpect to Charity and Good-works. Nay, have we not heard of a Sort of Chriftianity, the very Perfection of which, feems to confift in the difparaging this Duty of doing Good, as much as is poffible; crying it down as a Heathen Vertue, a poor blind Piece of Morality, a Thing that will no way further our Salvation; nay, fo far from that, that it often proves a hindrance to it, by taking us off from that full Reliance and Recumbency that we ought to have on the Righteoufness of Jefus Chrift only, in order to our Salvation?

But, O how contrary are thefe Doctrines, to the Doctrine of Chrift and his Apostles How widely different a thing do they make Christianity to be from what it will appear if we take our Notions of it from their Ser mons and Practices? Is it poffible, that he that went about doing Good himself, made

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it his Meat and Drink, the Business and Employment of his Life, fhould fet fo light by it in us that are his Followers?

Is it poffible that they that fo often call Tim. 6. upon us to do Good, to be rich in good Works, 18. above all Things to have fervent Charity among 1 Cor. 13. ourselves, telling us, that all Faith is nothing, 2.13. all Knowledge of Myfteries is nothing, all Gifts

1Pet. 4.8.

of Prophecy and Miracles are nothing; but that Charity is all in all. I fay, Is it poffible that they should think doing Good fo infignificant fo unprofitable, nay, fo dangerous a thing as these I spoke of do reprefent it?

But I need not farther reprove their Opinions, because, I hope, they find but few Patrons; but this seriously ought to be reproved among us, viz. that we do not generally lay that Stress upon this Duty we are speaking of, that we ought to do.

Many are ready enough, to acknowledge their Obligations to do Good, and count it a very commendable Thing, and a Work that God will blefs them the better for; yet they are loth to make it an effential Ingredient of their Religion; they think they may be religious, and ferve God without it. If they be but Sober in their Lives, and Juft in their Dealings, and come to Church at the ufual Times, they have Religion enough to carry them to Heaven; though in the mean Time they continue Covetous, and Hard, and Uncharitable, without Bowels of Pity and Compaffion, and make no Ufe of their Wealth, or their Power and Intereft, or their Parts and

and Industry, or their other Talents committed to them for the doing Good in the World.

Far be it from any Man to pretend to determine what Vertues or Degrees of them are precisely neceffary to Salvation, and what Vertues or Degrees of them a Man may fafely be without: But this is certain, that Charity and doing Good are none of those that can be fpared. The Scripture hath every where declared thefe Qualities to be as neceffary in order to our Salvation, as any Condition of the Gospel. Nay, if we will confult St. Matth. 25. where the Process of the General Judgment is defcribed, we fhall find these to be the great Points that at the Last Day Men fhall be examined upon, and upon which the whole Cafe of their Eternal State will turn. So that if we take the Scripture for our Guide, these Men at last will be found to be much mistaken, and to have made a very falfe Judgment both of Religion and of their own Condition.

Thirdly, From what has been faid about doing Good, we may gather wherein that Perfection of Christianity, which we are to afpire after, doth confift. It has been much difputed, which is the most perfect Life, To live in the World as other Men do; and, To ferve God in following our Employments, and taking care of our Families, and doing good Offices to our Neighbours, and discharging all other Duties, that our relation to the Publick requires of us; or to retire from the World,

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World, and to quit all fecular Concernments, and wholly to give up ourselves to Prayer and Meditation, and those other Exercises of Religion, properly fo called.

This latter kind of Life, is fo magnified by the Romanifts, in Comparison of the other, that it hath engrossed to itself the Name of Religious. None, among them, are thought worthy to be filed Religious Perfons, but those that Cloyfter up themselves in a Monaftery. But whatever Excellence may be pretended in this Course of Life, it certainly falls much fhort of that, which is led in a Publick Way. He ferves God beft, that is moft Serviceable to his Generation. And no Prayers or Fafts, or Mortifications, are near fo acceptable a Sacrifice to our Heavenly Father, as to do Good in our Lives.

It is true, to keep within Doors, and to attend our Devotions (though those that are in appearance moft abftracted from the World, are not always the most devout Perfons) I fay, this kind of Life, is the most eafy and the fafer. A Man is not then expofed fo much to Temptations; he may with lefs Difficulty preferve his Innocence; but where is the Praife of fuch a Vertue? Vertue is then moft Glorious, and fhall be moft Rewarded, when it meets with most Trials and Oppofitions.

And as for the Bravery of Contemning the World and all the Pomps of it, which they fo magnify in this kind of Life; alas! it is rather an effect of Pufillanimity and Love

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