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manner of Hindrance to us in our Affairs in this World, and will infallibly make us everlaftingly happy in that which is to come?

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But farther; What if it be certain, that a Life of ftrict Virtue is not only no Hindrance to our Temporal Defigns, but a great Furtherance of them? What if it can be proved, that befides the Influence it has on our Happinefs in the next Life, it is alfo the best Thing in the World to ferve our turns in this? And that nothing can fo much contribute to the bringing about our Worldly Aims, no fuch ready way to attain to what our very Flef and Blood moft defires, moft delights in, as to be fincerely Pious. What imaginable Pretence can we have then for our Contempt of God and Virtue? If this can be made to appear, fure all our Objections will be fully anfwered; all our Scruples fatisfied; all our Prejudices against Religion wholly removed, and every one that is not abandoned of his Fortune and his Senfes, as well as his Reafon, muft think himfelf concerned to become a Votary to it; fince he can have no Temptation or Motive to Vice, which will not more powerfully draw him to Virtue; and all the Ends that the one can pretend to ferve, will much more effectually be ferved by the other; and he escapes an Eternity of Mifery, and gets everlasting Life in to the Bargain.

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I think it, therefore, worth the while to fpend the Time now allotted me, in making good this Point, and difcovering fomething at leaft of that univerfal Profitableness of Godlinefs,

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nefs, to the Purposes of Human Life, that St. Paul in my Text affures us of.

But because the Studies of Men are fo infinitely various, and the Ends of Life to be ferved, fo many, that it will be impoffible to fpeak particularly of them; it will be needful to pitch upon fome General Heads, fuch as, if they do not comprehend all, may yet take in moft of thofe Things, to which the Labours and Endeavours of Men are directed, and in the Acquifition of which they have compaffed their Defigns; and to fhew the Serviceableness of Religion above all other Means, for the attaining of them. And I think I cannot pitch better than upon those Three noted Idols of the World, Wealth and Honour and Pleasure; thefe being the Goods which have always been accounted to divide Mankind among them; and into the Service of fome one or all of which, all that fet up for a Happy Life in this World, do lift themfelves, how different and difagreeing foever they be from one another as to their particu lar Employments and Ways of Living. I fhall therefore make it appear, that Godliness and Religion, is a very great Furtherance to the Acquifition of all these; and that no Man can take a more ready way, either to improve his Fortune, or to purchase a Name and Reputation among Men, or to live comfortably and pleasantly in this World, than heartily to ferve God, and to live in the Practice of every Virtue.

And in the First Place, I begin with the Conduciveness of Religion and Godliness, to im

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prove our outward Fortunes; the Advantages of it for the getting or encreafing an Estate; for this is the Thing to which our Thoughts are commonly first directed, as looking upon it as the Foundation of a happy Life in this World.

But here I defire not to be mistaken; I would not be thought to deal with you, as one of our ordinary Empiricks, that promifes many brave Feats in his Bill, which are, indeed, beyond the Power of his Art I do not pretend that Wealth and Opulency is neceffarily entailed 'upon Religion; fo that whoever is good fhall presently be enabled to make Purchafes, and to leave Lands and Livings to his Children. Riches are one of those Things that are not fo perfectly in our Power, that all Men may hope for an equal Share of them. The having more or lefs depends often-times not fo much upon curfelves, as upon that Condition and Quality in which we were born, the Way and Courfe of Life into which our Friends put and a Hundred accidental Circumftances to which ourselves contribute nothing. But this I fay, fuppofing the virtuous Man, in equal Circumftances with others, fuppofing him to ftand upon the fame Level, and to enjoy, the fame fortuitous Hits, and external Concurrences that they do, and he fhall by many odds have the Advantage of them for thriving and improving in the World in any Condition of Life whatfoever.

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So that, fo far as the getting of Riches depends upon Human Endeavours; fo far as it is an Art, and falls under Precepts and Directions;

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rections; no Man alive can propose a better Expedient in order thereto, than a ferious Practice of Religion.

To make this good, let it be confidered, that as to the Means that do in a more direct and immediate Manner influence upon the getting or improving an Estate (I speak of General Means, fuch as are of ufe in all Conditions of Life; for to meddle with the Myfteries of any particular Art or Trade, is not my Purpofe, as, indeed, it is beyond my Skill:) as to fuch Means as thefe, I fay, none can prefcribe more effectual than thefe Four.

1. Prudence, in adminiftring our Affairs.
2. Diligence, in that Vocation wherein God
hath placed us.

3. Thrift and good Husbandry.

4. Keeping a good Correfpondence with thofe in whofe Power it is to hinder or promote our Affairs.

If now it do appear that Godliness doth highly improve a Man in all thefe Four Refpects; if it can be fhewed, that all these Fruits naturally grow and thrive better in a Religious Soil than any other, it will evidently follow, that fuppofing thefe above-named Means do indeed contribute to the making of a Fortune, (and if they do not, no Man knows what doth; and we ftrangely abuse our Friends and our Children, when upon that account we recommend them to them) it follows, I fay, that a Life of Godliness is a mighty Advantage to a Man, for the Purpofes I am fpeaking of.

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And First of all it will be easy to fhew, that Godliness doth above all Things tend to make a Man wife and prudent, skilful and dexteri ous in the Management of his Affairs of what Nature foever. For it doth very much clear and improve a Man's Understanding, not only by a certain natural Efficacy it hath (as I fhall fhew hereafter) to purify the Blood and Spirits, upon which the Perfection of our intellectual Operations doth exceedingly much depend; but alfo by difpelling thofe adventitious Clouds that arife in the difcerning Faculty from the noifome Fumes of Luft and Paffion.

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All Vice in the very Nature of it, depraves and distorts a Man's Judgment, fills our Minds with Prejudices, and falfe Apprehenfions of Things; and no Man that is under the Dominion of it can poffibly have such a free Use of his Reason as otherwise he might; for he will commonly fee Things, not as they are in themselves, but in thofe Difguises and falfe Colours which his Paffion puts upon them: Upon which account he cannot avoid but he will be often impofed upon, and commit a Thoufand Errors in the Management of his Affairs, which the virtuous Man, whofe Reafon is pure and untinctur'd, is fecured from. It cannot be imagined, that either he should forefee Events fo clearly, or fpy Opportunities fo fagacioufly, or weigh Things fo impartially, or deliberate fo calmly, or tranfact fo cautioufly, as the Man that is free from thofe mainifold Prepoffeflions which bis Mind is fraught with.

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