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ing ourselves to our great Lord and Mafter, than to any other Confideration,

This is that which St. Paul fo often exhorts us to. Whether (faith he) you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the Glory of God. And again, Whatever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the Reward of the Inheritance.

If we could once get ourselves poffeffed of this Probity, this Purity of Mind and Heart, it would better inftruct us in the Use of our Liberty, and teach us to diftinguish between Good and Evil; what is fit to be done, and what ought not to be done, in all Cafes and Emergencies we are concerned in; than all the dry Rules of Cafuiftical Learning, be they never fo carefully and accurately laid down.

When a Man is once arrived to that holy Temper of Mind, that he heartily loves God and his Neighbour, and has fuch a lively Senfe of the Truth and the Excellency of Christ's Religion; that he is refolved, that that fhall influence and govern the whole Course of his Life, and that he will do all his Actions, as much as he can, for the Honour of our Lord, and the Advancement of his Service in the World: there can hardly any particular Cafe occur to fuch a Man in which he will not have Rules and Measures ready at hand to fteer and direct him in his Proceedings,

Nay, this general Principle alone of doing all bis Actions to the Glory of God; that is to fay,

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to the Hounour of his Religion, and the Edification of his Neighbour: I fay, this alone will afford him fufficient Light and Direction for the Government of his Actions in all Contingencies. Because there is no Action he can be ingaged in, but it is at the first fight difcernable whether the doing of it, or the not doing of it, doth more tend to the Honour of his Religion, or the Good of others.

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That which makes the Conduct of a Man's felf in this World, fo nice and difficult a Matter, and has given Occafion to the Difcuffion of fo many › Cafes of Confcience, about the Lawfulness or Unlawfulness of Actions, is this That Men are not throughly honest, but halt between God and the World. They have a great Mindto ferve their Pleafure and their Ambition, and their fecular Ends, and yet to ferve God too; and this puts them upon tampering and trying to reconcile these Interefts together.

Whence it comes to pafs, that the ufual Questions that arife about their Actions, are not,, what is beft to be done, or what is moft agreeable to their Duty in this or the other Cafe? But, how far they may go in the Gratification of fuch an Appetite or Paffion, without tranfgreffing the Laws of God? How far they may fatisfie their covetous Defires, without being unjust? Whether they may ufe fuch Arts or Tricks, in getting or faving, without being knavish? How far they may drink, and not be drunk? How far they may gratifie their Humour of decking and adorning themP 4 felves,

felves, and yet do no unlawful Thing? How far they may indulge Wantonnefs, and yet be chaft?

Now, as I faid before, fuch Questions as these are not eafie to be refolved (nor indeed is the Gospel of Chrift fo contrived, as if it had taken much Care whether they were refolved, or no.) But they are really Cafes and Problems that require both Judgment and Learning, and likewife the Confideration of abundance of particular Circumftances, to have a good Account given of them.

But now the Man that doth entirely give up himself to the Conduct of the Spirit, and propofeth nothing to himself in all his Actions but the pure Glory of God; fuch a Man having none of these Worldly fenfual Designs to ferve in his Actions, can rarely be supposed to have any of these Queftions to put to himfelf: And confequently he can never be at a Lofs or Uncertainty, how he is to act for want of a Refolution of them; much lefs can he be in Danger of tranfgreffing the Bounds that God hath fixed to his Actions,

All the Point that such a one hath to confider in any Action is, whether will his doing or not doing fuch an Action, better serve the Ends of Religion? Which will tend moft to his own spiritual Benefit, and the Profit of his Neighbour, to purfue this Defign, or to fet it alone? Whether will be more conducive to the Honour of his Lord, to gratifie fuch an Appetite, or to deny it Satisfaction?

This, I fay, is the only Question that fuch a Man has to put to himself, and there is no Difficulty in giving an Answer to it. For there is fcarce any Cafe to be put concerning an Action, but it is very obvious, without an Inftructer, to find out which fide of the Cafe, if it be chofen, will moft minifter to the Ends of Vertue and Religion and Charity. Or, if it be not obvious, then it is very certain, the Man needs not much deliberate about it, but may chufe either fide indifferently.

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It is a very hard Matter oftentimes to determiné, concerning the Neceffity and Obligati on of Actions; that is, whether a Man be bound to do them or no. It is likewife often a hard Matter to determine, concerning the Lawful nefs of Actions, whether a Man may do them or no. But it is a very eafy Matter in moft Cafes, to determine concerning the Expedience of Actions; that is to fay, whether it be beft and fitteft for a Man to do them or no. Now this laft, I fay, is the Point that a throughly good Man will confider and fteer himself by in all his Actions.

Thus for Inftance, It may perhaps bear a Difpute, Whether a Man be precisely bound by God's Law, to pray folemnly twice a Day, fo as that he fins if he do not: But it will hear no Difpute, that it is much better and more acceptable to God, and beneficial to ourfelves, to pray at leaft thus often, than to pray feldomer. And therefore fuch a Perfon as I am fpeaking of, will, upon this Confideration, put it in Practice, (nay, and pray

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oftner too, as he has Occafion) without concerning himself, whether he be ftrictly bound fo to do or no.

It may bear a Difpute among fome Perfons, whether painting the Face, be not allowable to Chriftian Women. But it can bear no Difpute among any, that it is more agreeable to the Sobriety and Modefty, and Chastity of a Difciple of Jefus Chrift, and better ferves the Ends of Religion, to forbear all fuch fufpicious Ornaments. (There being rarely any good End to be ferved by them, but abundance of Evil often arifing from them.) Now this Confideration alone is enough to fet the Heart of every ferious Chriftian against those Practices, and to make them wholly to refrain them.

Thus again, it is argued both ways about Play or Gaming, whether it be Lawful or no: (especially when Sums of Money are played for; and the Thing becomes rather an avaritious Contention, than a Recreation and Diver tifement) fome believing that it is innocent; others that it is a grievous Sin. But there is no Man, even of thofe that use it moft, but will readily acknowledge, that it expofeth á Man to great and dangerous Temptations of fundry Kinds; that it is the Occafion of abun dance of Sin, and abundance of Mischief, and that it feldom fails to produce intolerable Confequences, both as to Mens Souls, and Eftates, and Families. Now to a Man that loves God, and has a tender Senfe of his. Duty, this is enough in all Confcience to deter him for ever

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