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ligion be a Courfe of Life difficult and unpleasant; a Way ftrewed with Briars and Thorns; a Way which if we follow, we are certainly loft, as to our Hopes of any thing here? Yet fince a Time will certainly come when we shall wifh, that we had been good Chriftians, though we had loft our right Eyes and our right Hands upon the Condition; when we fhall wish, that we had purchased Vertue, tho' at the rate of the Lofs of the whole World; for God's fake, why fhould we not be of the fame Mind now? Who but Fools and Children, but will look upon that, which shall certainly and unavoidably be, with the fame. regard, as if it were now prefent?

But, indeed, this is not the Cafe of Religion; This Bufinefs of Piety is not fo formidable, as we often reprefent it. It is no fuch Enemy to our Temporal Defigns. It is a very innocent Thing, and will do us no harm; tho' we look no farther than this prefent World. It will hinder none of our Delights or Pleafures; but will allow us to gratifie every Appetite that God and Nature hath put into us. And if any Man doubt this, let him name the natural Defire, which the Chriftian Religion doth forbid, or any way hinder the innocent Satisfaction of: I am confident he fhall be able to name none. Since this is the Cafe, then, how much more Childish than Children, fhall we appear, if we make fo little reckoning of it? How inexcufably foolish fhall we be, if we will not be at fome Pains to poffefs ourselves of that which will be no VOL. I. D

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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?

But farther: What if it be certain, that a Life of ftrict Vertue 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 Happiness 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 Flesb 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 Vertue? If this can be made to appear, fure all our Objections will be fully answered; 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 Reason, muft think himself 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 Vertue; and all the Ends that the one can pretend to ferve, will much more effectually be ferved by the other; and he efcapes an Eternity of Mifery, and gets everlasting Life in to the Bargain.

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

ness,

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

But because the Studies of Men are so 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 most 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 these Three noted Idols of the World, Wealth, and Honour, and Pleafure; 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 particular 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 thefe; 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 Vertue.

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 Advantage 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 promises 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 prefently be enabled to make Purchafes, and to leave Lands and Livings to his Children. Riches are one of thofe 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 ourselves, as upon that Condition and Quality in which we were born, the Way and Course of Life into which our Friends put us; and a Hundred accidental Circumftances to which ourselves contribute nothing. But this I fay, fuppofing the vertuous 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.

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

rections; no Man alive can propofe 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 use in all Conditions of Life; for to meddle with the Myfteries of any particular Art or Trade, is not my Purpose, as, indeed, it is beyond my Skill:) as to fuch Means as thefe, I fay, none can prescribe more effectual than these 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 those 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 these 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 these 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 Purpofe I am speaking of.

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