THE great God who was the Creator of all things, is the supream Disposer and Gover­nour of all. 'Tis his Providence that distri­butes to every person in the World that por­tion of present goods which he enjoyes; and he has appointed Rules, according to which every man ought to govern himself in the use of that Portion. Creation gives him an unquestionable right to Government, and we are indispensably oblig'd to obey him that made us. We are further obliged to obey him in the use of present enjoyments, because they are all his Gifts; who can have more right in all things to rule us, than he from whom we derive our being, and all that we enjoy?

Further, 'tis as necessary as it is just and equitable, that some Rules should be given men in this affair: For how wild and extravagant are they that only follow the dictates of un­govern'd inclination; they live as without God in the World, they forget all the obligations of gratitude and homage to him; they are useless at least to Mankind, fit for no good or great employment; they apply themselves to nothing that is good, but follow their own Pleasure; to gratifie their exorbitant Lusts, they will ruine the Innocent, grind the faces of the Poor, rob any that they can of their just Right by fraud or vio­lence, they will despise the limitations of the Laws of men, and [Page 2] good order, which are the strength and glory of Communi­ties: The unlimited obedience to inclination and appetite, has been the overthrow of mighty Kingdoms, it has been the ru­ine of ancient and flourishing Families; it has often brought particular persons from greatness, riches and prosperity, to a contemptible meanness, a miserable Poverty, to painful Di­stempers and a hasty Death.

Nor is the Remedy in this case provided, worse than the Disease: The Rules prescribed are as excellent and good in themselves, as they are justly and necessarily prescribed; they tend directly to prevent these mischiefs and Calamities, with­out having any tendency to cause other, without imposing upon us any thing that is unbecoming or truly prejudicial. The rules that God has given are certainly the fittest for us, they enjoin nothing unnatural, for they are adapted by Infinite Wisdom; They are, we may assure our selves, as indulgent to us, as they can be and be good; they prohibit nothing but what is hurtful; they cannot be supposed to confine the use of Gods gifts within too narrow and needless limits, because they are enjoined by infinite Goodness. 'Tis inconsistent with that goodness which has bestowed these things on Mankind for use and delight, to hinder him by any rules from using and de­lighting in them so far as is good and convenient for him: Up­on which accounts it becomes every man to endeavour, first, to know the rules by which God expects he should guide him­self in the use of his enjoyments; and after that to observe them.

This Verse that I have read, is part of a sentence which be­gins at the 29th. Verse of the Chapter; which is an exhorta­tion to men, to regard with great indifferency the things of this present Life: It remains (sayes the Apostle) that they which have Wives, be as thô they had none; and they that weep, as thô they wept not; and they that rejoyce as thô they rejoyced not; and they that buy, as thô they possessed not; and they that use this World, as not abusing it. Let not your Passions be much mo­ved by any thing here, that you may not abuse it while you [Page 3] enjoy, nor be uneasie with discontent or grief for the loss or want of it. And he begins and closes the sentence with a fit argument to enforce the Exhortation, The time is short, and the fashion of this World passes away; as if he should say, 'Tis but a little while that we shall live in this world, and all things here are lyable to change, there is no Condition but is of un­certain continuance, whether it be prosperous or adverse. Therefore let all men keep themselves as indifferent to these things as they can, and endeavour to use wisely and innocent­ly whatever Portion God bestows on them while they enjoy it.

These words afford to our Meditation this instruction.

It ought to be the Care of all persons to make a regular and good use of those outward enjoyments which the Providence of God af­fords them.

The following Discourse on this, I shall divide into these two parts.

• 1. To show you how a man may use this World, so as not to a­buse it.
• 2. To illustrate the motives to this, that are included in the Apostles argument, that the fashion of this World passes away.

To know in the first place wherein the right use of these things does consist, let us observe that summary of every mans Duty which the Apostle layes down under Three Heads in 2 Tit. 12. where he directs men to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present World: Thus ought we to guide our selves in the use of what we enjoy, to take care that we do not con­tradict in this, that reverence and pious homage which is due to God; nor that Justice and Good-will towards other men, which we may desire to find in their carriage towards us; nor that good and wise Government which best becomes, and is most advantageous for our selves. These three Heads include all the rules that are to be observed in this matter, I shall there­fore under these range them.

1. He that would rightly use his Portion in this Life, must not suffer himself to be transported thereby to the neglect or contradi­ction of those Duties of Piety which he owes to God: Which in­cludes these following Rules:

[Page 4] (1.) Take heed that you do not love your present Enjoyments more than God: This is actual abuse of them, as well as it disposes us to further abuse, for they were never made nor bestow'd to draw our chiefest Affection to them; God is our chiefest good, and does deserve the highest Interest in our Affections: He has made the mind of man capable to Contemplate and admire himself, to Love him and apprehend his Love to us, and be delighted therewith; to place then the chief affection of so noble a being upon any thing below the Supream good; is to abuse both that and our selves; 'tis to content our selves with that low thing as our Happiness, which was never in­tended to be so, and is in its nature unfit for it.

Again, whatever thing has the greatest share of our Affecti­ons, 'tis thereby in the place of a God to us, that will have most influence and power in the whole government of us; the homage of mind and body will be paid to it: An ardent Love, let the object be what it will, prejudices the Judgment, inclines the Will, leads all the rest of the affections, and so all the thoughts, the words and the actions, or the most of them shall be most readily employed with some relation to that. If any Creature then is thus lov'd, it becomes the Idol of a mans heart, and we revive the absurd Idolatry of the Aegyptians, who made every good thing a Deity: But did the true God ever intend that his Creatures should be thus exalted into a competition with himself, for the adoration of Mankind? or can we imagine that he made these things Servants to us, with a purpose that we should serve them, and live negligent of our Duty to him.

Since all our enjoyments are the free gifts of a bountiful and gracious God, 'tis reasonable they should kindle in us the Love of Him: The better and more delightful these are for kind, and the larger Portion he bestowes, we are the more bound thereby to love him: Do not imagine that you can fix your affections in a great degree on your present enjoyments, and yet highly Love God too; these two dispositions are like heat and cold, which cannot consist in an intense degree in the [Page 5] same Subject. This is that the Apostle means in 1 Joh. 2. 15. where he sayes, If any man loves the World, the love of the Fa­ther is not in him: As the one of these encreases, the other does proportionably decrease; if you much love the things of this World, you love them too much, and God too little.

Now this errour and abuse is practised in the following in­stances.

1. To have the thoughts and affections wholly employed about the things of this Life, and limited within the narrow bounds of this sublunary World; to take delight only in con­sidering and enjoying the Creatures here below; to have no flights of mind, no aspirings towards God; to have him sel­dom in our thoughts, and but very transiently when he is; when the mind does never fix for a few moments upon him; to think of God without any affection, without any desire or delight; this is evidently to love the things of this World more than him: If the Judgment did esteem him the chief good, and were convinced of his excellencies, and were ac­quainted how suitable he is to the Capacities of happiness in man; if the Will did thereupon choose and fix upon him as the center of its desires, as its ultimate end, and beyond whom it neither needs nor inclines to seek further for a full content; this were really to Love him, and suitably to him and our selves; and then the Meditations on him would be sweet, as they were to holy David, as he sayes in Psal. 104. and then they would often return and abide with you; they would be the gratefullest thoughts, obtain the easiest admittance, and entertain you longer than any without weariness: Then would your concern to have an Interest in God be stronger than the delight in what you enjoy at present; you would more ardently desire this, 'till you could obtain the assurance of it, and that when obtained, would afford the greatest de­light and satisfaction; the disposition of your Soul would be the same with that of the Psalmist, when he said, Whom have I in Heaven but thee, and there is none on earth that I can desire besides thee, Psal. 73. 25.

[Page 6] 2. Again, They are certainly lovers of Pleasure, more than lovers of God, who allow themselves in unlawful delights; who follow those Pleasures which he forbids, and will ra­ther break his commands than not gratifie their extravagant desires. 'Tis the inseparable property of Love to God to en­deavour the observance of his Commands. John 14. 21. This would make a man deny himself, and resist and mortifie his ir­regular inclinations. Those wild and lawless men that pur­sue their pleasures without any regard to what is lawful, or what is sinful, are under no influence or power either from the love or fear of God. He that had so true apprehensions of God as to love him, would understand that his Law allows all the Liberty that 'tis fit for us to take in the enjoyment of these things. He would give himself leave deliberately to consider upon how many accounts 'tis unreasonable to go further, and thus he would be fortified against Lust and Temptation.

3. Moreover, That man whose Estate is dearer to him than his Religion, who is not ready to forsake all his most pleasant enjoy­ments rather than abandon his Duty, he loves this World more than God. The question in this case put to him is, whether he will chuse and content himself with Earth or Heaven? Whether he will retain the possession of present goods, or the unfailing hopes of better? whether he will have God or the Creature for his portion? And he in deserting his Religion refuses the happiness it would bring him to. He lets go the hopes of an eternal happiness, to retain for a few moments an uncertain and temporal one: he preferrs the Creature before the Cre­ator, and the shallow Streams before the infinite Fountain of Bliss. 'Tis the enjoyment of God which constitutes the Felici­ty of Heaven, and 'tis no less thing than this is slighted, when you desert the way that leads to Heaven. Our Saviour has told us, that he who does not forsake all present contentments to follow him, if there be necessity for it, is not worthy of him. Without this you have no interest in his Blood, in his Merits or Intercession. If we are ashamed or afraid of the Cross of Christ, we shall never wear the Crown of Glory. The Glories and [Page 7] Honours which he has provided for the Saints will be possess'd only by those that continue such to the end of their lives. The most advantageous use we can make of our present possessions, is to lose them for righteousness sake; this is to transferr our treasures from Earth to Heaven, to change them from uncer­tain and perishing, to durable and eternal Riches.

(2.) Another rule of Piety to be observed is, That you put your confidence only in God, and acknowledge your dependance to be upon him: Those to whom the Divine Bounty has bestow'd a plentiful portion of outward goods, are apt to terminate all their hopes and expectations upon that for the support and comfort of their Lives; to forget that they derive from him all their enjoyments, that his Blessing and concourse gives them all their sufficiency and goodness. Our Saviour gives us an ex­act Character of this folly in Luke 12. beginning at the 16. v. where in a Parable he introduces a man whose Wealth encrea­ses to abundance, and he takes care to dispose of it to the best advantage for security and use, but we find no expression to signifie that he owns it to come from God, he is not sensible of a Providence in the case, that this happens to him by the disposal of Heaven; accordingly he contents himself in it, ap­plauds and rejoices in his felicity, upon the account of his Wealth, but is still unsensible of his dependance upon God; and thus the mistaken Fool flatters himself in the 19th. v. Soul take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry, for thou hast goods laid up for many years: Much pleasure and content he promises himself from his enjoyments, without seeking to God for it: What (sayes such an one) shall I want? my yearly revenue will allow me to provide my self whatever I desire, and it is enough to last all my dayes in the mainte­nance of a pleasant life; I will live free from care and trouble, I will banish Business, banish sorrow from my thoughts, and please my self 'till I dye. The rich mans Wealth (says Solomon) is his strong City, and as an high wall in his own Conceit; he pro­mises himself from hence a lasting and impregnable happiness, but God is not in his thoughts. The sensual minds of men [Page 8] are wont to take notice only of sensible things, and because the concourse and power of God is excercised unseen towards their support, they are apt to take no notice of it: What they do immediately, and to the apprehension of sense derive sup­port and satisfaction from, to that they ascribe it; these men enjoy the gifts of God, without making acknowledgments that they are his gifts, without owning that they depend up­on him for their virtue and sufficiency; they cover themselves every day with rich and convenient Cloaths, but without lift­ing one thankful thought to the kind donour for them; they make the Provision of their Tables, as nourishing and pleasant, and plentiful as they please, and then sit down to it as a Swine comes to his trough, with as little acknowledgment of their dependance upon God; they express no thankfulness to him for having afforded so excellent Provision, nor implore his Blessing to make it wholsome and nourishing. Consider, Man does not live by Bread alone, Deut. 8. 3. but by the vertue which Gods Blessing gives it. Every thing in nature depends upon a perpetual concourse both in its being and operation; you can derive nothing from any Creature, but what the first cause enables it to afford; the best Food cannot nourish, the most delicate cannot delight, no cloaths will give you warmth, nor can you find ease on the softest Bed, the largest Estate will not content the mind, nor any of your enjoyments serve the end for which you use them, unless the all-sufficient God gives them Vertue and Power; ought not this to be acknow­ledged then? should we not Pray to him for the comfort and continuance of our Lives? should we not render thanks to him for all the happiness we enjoy? Consider too, that he be­stows every good thing which you enjoy; and own that he has made you rich, he has exalted you in the world: It was in his Power to have put you in a mean place, to have cloath­ed you with rags, you might have trotted in the dirt and dust for a poor livelyhood among common men, you might have been in that Beggars condition who stands hungry and cold at your Gate, and he might have been in your warm Parlour, at [Page 9] your plenteous Table, still the Providence of God can make such an alteration. Let him then be owned as the Author of all good, let him alone be trusted in. Charge them (sayes the Apostle Paul to Timothy) that are rich in this World, that they do not trust in uncertain. Riches, but in the living God, who gives us all things richly to enjoy, 1 Tim. 6. 17.

(3.) Another Instance of of Piety which great and rich persons ought to charge themselves with, is Humility towards God. The Apostle Paul thought it necessary that such should be admouished not to be high-minded, as we see in that place last quoted. Pride is a vice to which Mankind is so much addicted, that it oft arises from things that are real dispa­ragements. We may sometimes hear men boasting of their follies and sins. Riches and Honours are things generally, though not very deservedly much esteemed and admired in the World; these must therefore be very apt to elevate the minds of those that possess them, beyond a true and modest O­pinion of themselves; and if they have such effect, it will ap­pear in the behaviour both towards God, and towards men. It is but too necessary then to urge such persons to the practice of Humility towards both. In this place I shall mention what Humility towards God requires, and hereafter how it must be exprest in our behaviour towards men.

To demean your selves in such an humble manner towards God as you ought, do not forget to acknowledge that you are sinners in his sight: Own that you are derived from the fallen Adam, and are of the Apostate, guilty race, however honourable in the World a few of your Ancestors may have been: know that no greatness of birth can exempt from the real and common pollution; that you derive a stain'd, infect­ed nature of whomsoever you are born; that you are by na­ture Children of Wrath as well as others; are born Heirs of Gods displeasure, whatever heaps of Treasure, large tracts of Land, stately Houses, or lofty titles you are born to. 'Tis all one in this respect to have been first wrapt in Raggs, or Purple; to have been nursed in the stately Chambers of the great, [Page 10] or carried about upon the shoulders of a Beggar.

Acknowledge too the actual Transgressions of your lives; that you have sinn'd in thought, in word, in deed, in every condition of life, in every Age, in every place that you have been in, that your Iniquities are more in number than the Hairs of your head. Acknowledge the aggravations which your sins have received from the circumstances wherein they were com­mitted: as that they have many times been contrary to the knowledge and actual checks of Conscience, contrary to the wise and good instructions given you in your education, con­trary to the intreaties of your best Friends: they have been committed upon or little or no temptation, or upon your wilful and needless exposing your self to temptation; that having had the more opportunity and ability to transgress by having a great Estate, you have been perhaps actually the worse, and so have answered the greater kindness of God with greater affront.

And upon the apprehension of these great and true disparage­ments, you should entertain the meanest thoughts of your selves, be vile in your own eyes, and own that you may just­ly be so in Gods; that if he should abhor, and condemn and reject you into eternal punishment, he were righteous. Let not the greatness of outward Prosperity hinder you from ap­prehending the greatness of that wrath which is due for your sin; believe the greatest to be due. Look upon your Riches as an unprofitable possession, which can be no advantage in the day of his wrath; which cannot redeem the guilty Soul from the eternal Prison, to which if you die impenitent you must be confin'd. Look upon your Honours as mean and contemptible things, which can procure no respect from the great and righ­teous God. Lament the ingratitude of your sins as they re­gard God, and the folly of them as they respect yourselves; that you have behaved your selves so unworthily towards him, and have so little consulted your own true interest. In a sense of the wretchedness of your condition, fly to the hope set be­fore you, and depend upon the satisfaction and merits of the Redeemer alone, to find favour and acceptance with God. 'Tis [Page 11] not below the greatest man to repent, but it is so to transgress. The commission of sin degrades and debases man, the Repen­tance for it, if true, raises him up again, to humble our selves before God is the way to rise in his esteem. While we com­plain, and lament for our sins, he pities us; while we judge and condemn our selves, he acquits and pardons; While with deep resentment we own our selves polluted, he will cleanse and sanctifie us.

2. Again you must express your Humility towards, God by magnifying all the exercises of his Goodness towards you, and if you are very sensible of your sin and unworthiness, you will have a very grateful sense of his mercy. The least gifts of his bounty will be thankfully received, and ought to be so; the smallest portion, the narrowest Fortune, will keep out discontent from the humble Soul, and he will praise the God that bestows any thing where nothing is deserved. Ascribe it to the mercy of God, and the merits of the Redeemer, that you are suffered to live, that you were nourisht and brought up though born in blood and pollution; though you had the infection of Enmity against God wrought into your natures, though you were conceived in sin, and brought forth in Iniquity. Much admire that when you had forfeited the least favours, the goodness of God should be liberal to you, and load you with a rich plenty of the good things of this life. Bless him especi­ally for spiritual mercies, and the care that he has taken for your happiness in Eternity. Admire the goodness which or­dered your Baptism, and pray that it may prove the Laver of Regeneration. It was unspeakable mercy, when he might have thrown you away into misery, that he should take you into the bosom of his Church in order to bring you to everlast­ing life. Adore the mercy that gave you by Parents, or Tu­tors, such instructions as direct to a wife, happy, and ho­nourable course of life; and especially have an high esteem of the favour, if these instructions have made any impression up­on you; if you are formed thereby so as to live regularly, and practise the Rules. Say, Lord what is man that thou art mind­ful [Page 12] full of him, and the Son of man that thou thus visitest him?

3. Testifie your Humility further, by a ready submission to the Divine Commands. Do not think you can be so great as to be exempted from the obligation of his Laws who is Soveraign over all things; or that the obligation of Obedience is less strict or indispensable upon you, than upon others, when you are be­holden to him for greater gifts. A Humble mind will not quar­rel at any of the Commands of God, nor account any course too strict which he enjoyns: He will say with the great pat­tern of Humility, the blessed Jesus, Lord, not my will, but thine be done.

4. Again, you must also quietly submit to every dispensati­on of Gods Providence: own his Justice in every affliction he layes upon you, and command your minds in Patience. 'Tis unreasonable as well as vain to murmure against God, and 'tis madness to rage and blaspheme because he chastises you. This is like the wild Scythians, to shoot Arrows against the Thunder, which will return upon your heads, and take ven­geance for the bold impiety in your destruction. By a pati­ent submission under Chastisement, we obtain the Compassion of the Father of mercies:Prov. 15. 1. This proves like a soft answer which turns away wrath.

5. Express your Humility towards God, by a modest Reve­rence in his Worship, and an honourable esteem of his Ordi­nances; to meddle with these in a slight unserious manner, is to profane things that are Sacred.

Your Prayers ought to be altogether serious and devout, without the least allowed Vanity of the Mind, or wandering of the Eyes, Thoughts or Affections: Is it not most agreeable and just that we should behave our selves with all possible so­lemnity, when we are upon our knees, begging of the great disposer of all things for what is necessary to our Happiness, or rendering due Praise for abundant and free mercy?

Again, your attention to the Holy Word of God, ought to be very reverent and serious, such as is due to divine Oracles. The Holy Scriptures and what is dictated from them, deserve [Page 13] to be regarded as divine Revlations, as a Message or a Voice from Heaven: The Commands are of divine Authority, the Promises, the Threatnings are made by the Infinite and Eter­nal God; and the greatness of him from whom these things first come, should strike an aw, and beget a reverence to them in the minds of all men, thô the Messenger from whom they immediately receive them be their inferiour. Reverence and esteem the Word of God as the appointed means of Salvation; he has determined, By the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe; thô the matter of it may seem foolish to the igno­rant and prejudiced World, and thô the Preachers may seem despicable to the Proud, yet the effects of Preaching are glo­rious upon them that believe, upon such as receive the in­structions that in this way are given to them: By so mean an Instrument. God accomplishes the great effect of the Salvati­on of men; what words then can express the madness and folly of those men that despise this Ordinance of God? they have neither any Reverence for him who instituted it, nor care for their own Happiness.

That you may not lightly and carelesly engage in the Wor­ship of God, consider you have therein immediate concern with an Infinite being, you present your selves before the aw­ful Majesty whom all the Angels humbly adore; who is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the God before whom the Na­tions of the Earth are as nothing; who is in Heaven as on a Throne of unconceivable Glory, and thou art on Earth as at his Foot-stool. What is the highest of men that he should for­get to behave himself with reverence in his addresses to Hea­ven. Thô you are a little elevated among men, and stand high­er than some others of them, yet you are infinitely below the Deity.

6. Further, let your Humility be exercised in having a ve­ry modest Opinion of your best actions. Do not think high­ly of your deserts upon the account of any good that you have done: consider it was the giver of every good and perfect gift that gave the ability to do well; he excited the Will to it, [Page 14] and his Providence presented the opportunity. Acknowledge the unhappiness of mankind is such, that no action can be per­formed by any man that is perfect, and does not in some respect or other want a pardon. At the best you have but paid a debt in what you have done, and answered an obligation laid upon you. The best man ought to expect his reward for the best service of his life, meerly from the mercy of God in Christ.

4. Another Duty of Piety which those that are rich ought to reckon themselves obliged to perform, is to promote Religi­on as much as they can in the World; to endeavour God may be generally honour'd, since he has graciously exalted them. Those whom he has lifted above their Neighbours, have great­er opportunity to serve him in this kind than others: but some­thing is expected from all men, and every man may help to­wards the increase of Religion, whether he be in a publick or a private station.

And to promote Religion, is the noblest and the most useful kind of service that you can perform; 'tis not below the greatest of men to set himself industriously to it. Religion is the End of the rational Creature; that for which we are men, and endow­ed with reason. To promote this, is to endeavour that God may receive his just rights from men: till they become Religious, they are so many Traitors and Rebels against the common So­veraign. This World, if it were without Religion, would be a Wilderness, a Confusion, without peace or order. This is the Glory of mankind, the Beauty, the Strength, the Happi­ness of any Society where it obtains: It is a sure foundation of Wealth, and Renown, and Stability, to any Community of men. And on the contrary, no Greatness can be raised or maintained without it. Wickedness and Irreligion have over­thrown many well-establisht Empires, and Combinations, but could never raise one. Air, Fire, and Water, are not more universally useful and necessary to mankind than Religi­on. They can as well breath without Air, be warm in the perpetual absence of the Sun, or quench thirst without Wa­ter, as they can be happy without Religion prevailing amongst [Page 15] them. Consider too, that almost the whole world lies in Wick­edness! And how little Religion is there remaining amongst us! Alas! to how great a degree is that Glory departed from our Israel! This loudly proclaims what need there is that eve­ry one do endeavour according to his place, and power, to encrease and spread it.

1. You that are great, that have many eyes upon you, should promote Religion by a good and pious Example. You are more largely known in your persons than common men, and yet more known by Name and Report; and as far as this goes, your Example may do good or hurt to Religion. There is a great propensity in mankind to imitate those whom they respect, their Superiors: if you practise Religion, you give it esteem and repute in the World; and if you neglect it, 'tis expo­sed to contempt and scorn: 'tis you that must bring it into fashi­on, and retrieve it from the too general contempt that it now lies under. Consider, that you do not only disparage your selves by a vicious conversation, but you infect others too; you contract to your selves much guilt from the sins of other men; from all those which your bad example does encourage: And if you are bad men, you are the Pests of the World, great causes of sin, and consequent misery.

How much more are those liable to the blame of other mens sins, and the infection of the World, who tempt others to wickedness, who promote the kingdom and interest of the De­vil, and subserve the grand Apollyon in his design of destroying mankind? they may be reckon'd a sort of inferior, incarnate De­vils, who strive to introduce vertuous and sober persons into the wicked practices and customs of the Age.

2. Further, Private persons may promote Religion▪ by the well ordering of their own Families. So far they may com­mand, and they ought to command the practice of this. The greater any of these are, the further may he that is the head of it promote Religion: your Children and Servants will help to debauch, and infect the rest of the World, if they are not re­ligious: for men will take their Examples from the families [Page 16] of great men, as well as from their Persons: Keep up the constant Worship of God in your Families, in Prayers, in reading the Holy Scriptures, in singing Psalms, and in a strict observation of the Sabbath. Are those Families fit to be called assemblies of Christians, where there is no constant Worship of God maintain'd? how can you expect any Blessing upon your Society, unless you Worship God together? The hap­piness of a Family lyes in the Love, the Suitableness, the Faith­fulness, the Serviceableness of all the Members of it towards one another, and these things he alone can bestow. The Go­vernour of the Family cannot know whether those under him do Worship God at all or not, if they do it not together.

If you would have those of your own Family Religious, you must be so your self; thus far at least your Example will have great influence; it will have greater influence upon your Domesticks either towards good or ill, than any other can: The Poet speaks a great deal of truth in that sentence,

The Examples of Vice which we dwell with, if they are in our Superiours too, do corrupt us sooner than any. The nearness and daily converse with you, is added to your Supe­riority, to make your bad example fatal to those of your own House. The sharpest Rebuke that can be exprest in words, is due to the folly of those Parents who take no care how they behave themselves before their Children; who after they have given them a Nature infected and disposed to ill, that they may not fail to ruine them, give them a bad Example too.

Again, to make your Family Religious, you must restrain those under you from all manner of Wickedness, by reproving the least errours, and punishing others. Give them also en­couragement to do well, let this alwayes purchase your ma­nifest favour and good-will.

But further, to effect this, you should carefully Instruct [Page 17] your Children and Servants in the matters that concern their Salvation; if you do not betimes take care to possess your Children with good and vertuous principles, the adversary of their Souls will early sow in their minds the tares of Vices; and should you be less industrious for the happiness of your own flesh and blood, than the malicious Devil is for their de­struction? should any one hate them more than you Love them, they will have cause to curse you hereafter for having given them being, if they mi [...]carry through your neglect; Train up a Child in the way wherein he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it, Prov. 22. 6. Let them be ac­customed to do well. The constant exercise of Piety and Ver­tue from tender years, will make it easie and familiar; In­struct them in the matter of their Duty, and labour to con­vince them of the reasons that perswade to the practice of it; tell them how honourable it is to be good and holy, what a lustre and beauty it has in the eyes of men; that this is appro­ved beyond any thing even in a wicked World; no man is so universally commended and esteemed, as he that is stedfastly and strictly vertuous; tell them what a fragrant odour it leaves behind, how it embalms the memory of the dead; with what applause the Histories of all Ages do mention brave and good men. The most partial Histories do never offer to com­mend any man without ascribing true Vertues to him: The Memory of the just is blessed, Prov. 10. 7. Learn them to put a high value upon the esteem of wise and good men; let them account it mean and base to be valued only amongst those whose Vices make them the Scum of the Earth, who will only applaud Confidence and Wit in doing foolish and shame­full things; there is no applause of any men worthy to be va­lued, but that of such men who are themselves worthy of Praise. Learn them to stand in great awe of their Creator, to remember him in their Youth, to be more concern'd to please him than men, to be most ambitious of his approbation in what they do: Let them know that his pure Omniscience does continually observe them, that no darkness, no secrecy [Page 18] can hide them from his view; that 'tis of no advantage to con­ceal their crimes from the Friends that would reprove them, since the righteous Judge of all the World observes, and will at one time or other severely reprove them: They only hin­der themselves by secrecy, from enjoying that admonition which might be a means to cure their follies. Thus endea­vour to convince their reason that they must be good, endea­vour by all great and good allurements, as they grow capa­ble to apprehend them, to perswade and incline their wills to Religion. Be not contented only with your restraining them from wickedness, but learn them as much as may be, to restrain themselves; fasten in their minds such Principles as may have power to keep them regular.

As the observation of the Lords day is one part of our duty towards God, so 'tis a practice that highly conduces towards our performance of all other Duties; 'tis alwayes observable, that the best men are those that most strictly devote this day to Religion. You cannot possibly have a religious Family, unless you keep those that are under you to the publick and private exercises of religious Worship on the Sabbath. This is to give up one day in seven to the consideration of divine things, and 'tis consideration which must give them impression and force upon the minds of men; those most important things reveal­ed from Heaven, will have no influence upon us, if we do not allow them a serious contemplation: On other dayes other lawful and necessary employments will often interrupt you in doing this. Take then the appointed time, and improve it as well as you can for this purpose; give your Servants as little other imployment on that day as you can, and keep them as close as you can to this; spend the time that remains, be­sides what the publick Worship will take up, in some pri­vate exercises of Religion in the Family.

3. Further, Those that are great and rich men, thô not in the Magistracy, may promote Religion among their Tenants and poor Neighbours, by encouraging and countenancing those that incline to it, protecting them from Injuries, pre­ferring [Page 19] them to your Service, and by frequent commendati­on of them in the hearing of others. You that have so ma­ny Tenants, have perhaps so many Families that are in some dependance upon you, whom you have opportunity to oblige, and can encourage or discourage; so many will value your favour or displeasure, and may therefore be influenced to the outward practice and profession of Religion at least, by your carriage towards them: 'Tis an useful exercise of Charity to­wards the promoting Religion, when you▪ will give Bibles and good Books among your poor Neighbours, and to assist them in the Education of their Children; such as are very poor, set their Children at the best to work, as soon as they are able to do any Service, that they may earn somewhat to­wards their own maintenance; and they can neither afford them time, nor spare any cost towards the teaching them so much as to read; and so do many poor Souls live and dye in a miserable ignorance of those things which concern their Sal­vation: Oh pity these Wretches, and endeavour that as ma­ny as you can, may have at least this Instruction.

4. You may yet more largely serve the Interest of Religi­on, by endeavouring as far as in you lies, that there may be a learned and pious Ministry: It were a very publick Service and benefit if you should chuse some poor Lad, that appears to have a very good Wit and sober Inclinations, and send him to the School and the University; you may entertain in your Family a deserving person, 'till he can obtain a more publick employment: you may out of your abundance spare some yearly allowance to assist and encourage a man of mean for­tunes, who with good assistance you have reason to think, might be very useful in the service of Religion. You may add to the Revenues of small Benefices, for the encourage­ment of an able Minister.

5. When persons are admitted to a part in the Govern­ment, 'tis certain that they have great opportunity to pro­mote Religion; they can force men to at least an outward practice of it; they can punish Vice and Profaneness, and [Page 20] make it uneasie to Men; they can make it ashamed of its self when 'tis grown bold, or prevent its growing so; they can reward, protect and countenance effectually those that will be good Men; they can command a general and strict obser­vation of the Sabbath, and force men to assemble to one or other of the places of publick Worship, whereby they will be under the means to make them good men; 'tis in their pow­er to restrain, at least from appearing in publick, that pro­fane liberty of Fancy, so much affected under the name of Wit; which lies in finding out improbabilities in the clearest and most important truths, and matter of ridicule in the gra­vest rules of Morality and Religion; a practice which tends to make men Scepticks and Atheists, to overthrow Religion, and civil Order and Government. Good Principles are the foundation of good Order, and this humour destroyes all Principles in the minds of Men, and leaves no foundation at all, whereon to build Virtue or Piety in them: This de­stroyes the power of Conscience, serves to justifie the grossest wickednesses, and hardens Men in their sins. 'Tis much in the Power of the Magistrate to procure an able faithful Mi­nistry, to protect them from Injury and Contempt, and en­courage them in their work: But I desire to be understood to intend these things only for a little direction to those young Persons that may hereafter be Magistrates.

Thus I have given you a brief account of those Duties to­wards God, which are required of all men to be regarded in their use of present enjoyments.

2. Further to show wherein the right use of the things of this World consists, I proceed in the next place to suggest, The Duties towards men which this requires, included under the name of Righteousness: And this includes all the Duties of the second Table of the Divine Law, required to be observed in our carriage towards our Neighbours; it commands both Justice and Mercy in that 2 chap. of Tit. To do to others as we would be done by, which is the great rule of Righteous­ness, is a rule both of Equity and Charity; he that exercises [Page 21] Charity to the Poor, and shews Mercy to the miserable, does to them what he himself would desire that others should do for him, if he were in their Condition: But I shall not men­tion all the particulars under this Head, because I study bre­vity, but only will lay down a few general rules, which shall include all the particulars.

(1) Let every man endeavour to be of some good use to the Community he lives in: It should be the hopes of a young man, that he may in the time of his Life be able, and have oppor­tunity to do some good service to Mankind: 'Tis generosity and good nature to be unwilling to live to himself alone. Pre­pare and fit your self for employment, and then readily accept it when it offers it self; thô 'tis not wisdom for a man hastily to rush into publick business, before he is well accomplisht, and rightly called to it, yet when he is so called and fitted, he ought not to decline or refuse it; unless the circumstances happen to be such, as that you cannot with a safe Conscience undertake it: 'Tis too great selfishness to consider the trou­ble, danger, cost or pains of an employment, wherein you may do great service to the publick, so as to be thereby dis­couraged from undertaking it: There is nothing great and glorious, that is not hazardous and painful, and the more dif­ficulties and dangers attend any good Office, 'tis the more ho­nourable. I cannot chuse but transcribe those two Stanza's so full of sense, to this purpose in one of our English Poets.

[Page 22] A good man will not seek an Office for the meer honour of it, but to have opportunity to do good in the World; but such men ought to seek and receive in the right way any Offi­ces conferr'd upon them, because otherwise bad men who are ambitious will possess and abuse them; he is not worthy to live in a Society, by and in which he enjoyes Riches or Honour, who will not deny himself in his own ease and interest to serve the publick safety and Prosperity: The damage and incon­venience which you may sustain in a publick employment, ought not in case of necessity to be regarded, unless it would be so great as utterly to disable you for performing the Duties of the place. A man ought not indeed to undertake what he is not able to manage, for this would be a great prejudice to the publick: What unprofitable and worthless wretches are those who give up themselves to an idle enjoyment of their own Pleasures, to live in Ease and Luxury, without any con­cern to do any good! they are the abject, the reffuse things of nature, differing from the whole Creation besides; every Creature besides serves to some use and purpose, and they live to none at all.

There are publick employments suitable to the several ranks and degrees of men, and every man should be fit for some or other of the employments that commonly belong to the men of his rank, and readily apply himself to it.

There are several good Offices that great men may do to the publick in a private condition, as I have in part shown al­ready; you may further help by your Intercession with the Magistrate to protect the Innocent, to obtain favour and pro­motion to men of Wisdom and Honesty, to right those that have been wronged, and relieve the Oppressed; you may vin­dicate those that may be misrepresented and falsely accused.

You may be instrumental to recover or maintain Peace a­mong the Members of the same Society, which is an Office expresly and particularly blest in the Sacred Writ, Mat. 5. 9. 'Tis an Office exceeding beneficial to Mankind, and therefore highly pleasing to God, to endeavour the promoting Peace [Page 23] among men: Peace cherishes Societies, and makes them flourish in Arts, Trade and Religion: Love is the band that tyes multitudes of men together, to the strength, safety and happiness of the whole Combination. You may perhaps find out wayes to employ many Poor, so to keep them from Idle­ness, and enable them to maintain their Families, and subsist without dependance on Charity.

When you are called into any Authority, assure your selves that you are raised by Divine Providence, more for the pub­lick good than your own Honour; think it glorious to be in such a place a publick Benefit, 'tis to resemble the Deity in a high and noble manner, who is over all, and good to all, who has power to do harm, and only does good: consider how much the happiness of all those that are within the Sphear of your Authority, does depend upon your wise and just management of your Office; let a generous pity make you loath to cause the misery of many of your fellow Creatures; 'tis a barbarous thing to contrive and delight in the misery of others, and 'tis ignominious and shameful to cause it by your neglect; let it be your care therefore, that those who are in some measure at your mercy, may have no reason to lament that they are so.

(2.) Another rule of Righteousness by which men should govern themselves in the use and enjoyment of the things of this World, is, To wrong no man of what is his due, to take or withhold from no person what he has right to, for main­tenance of your own pleasure: Accustom your selves to ex­act Justice, and do not desire liberty to transgress the bounds of it in any measure; desire no Pleasure which is a wrong to your meanest Neighbour, in Person, Estate or Reputation. It makes the Societies of men acquainted with more Wildness and Cruelty than the Wilderness it self, when the greater will please themselves to the hurt and damage of the less; while a Beast of Prey devours to serve his necessity, a lawless vo­luptuous man spoils his Neighbour to serve the extravagance of wanton desires, and is the most inhumane of the two: they are certainly very unrighteous, who to enjoy their Pleasure [Page 24] beyond all bounds, and to maintain their prodigal expences, do contract vast debts which they know themselves unable to pay, or take no care to do so; this is to Riot at the cost of other men, to abuse and rob perhaps him that loves you, and from that Love opened his Purse to your desires: You care­lesly scatter that which it may be your Creditor took a great deal of pains to scrape together; the Comfort which he pro­mised himself to take in what he had gathered, you disap­point him of; you take the Bread as it were from the mouths of him and his Family, perhaps to throw it to your Dogs, and they must goe ragged and thin cloathed, that your meanest Servants may be extravagantly fine.

Again, 'tis a most cruel and unnatural Injustice which they are guilty of, that wast the Estate upon their own pleasures, which should provide for a Wife and Children; and there never was any Age so barbarous in this respect as ours; some spend in superfluity and needlesly upon themselves, while they suffer their Family to want the things that are necessary; some wast their Estates in the Company of Strangers, and their own flesh and blood do hardly partake of them; some are so monstrously cruel as to give away the affection due to a Wife, a person it may be of Honour and great Virtue, with the Pa­trimony which she brought them, to another woman that is base in Birth, or at least in Lewdness; as if they only took care to be vexatious, and to leave her no Comfort: Some are negligent of making a treasure for their Children, thô the Providence of God has put them in a way to do it, out of a prodigal and voluptuous humour that spends at least all that comes in: And some neglect this out of a base unnatural En­vy, which would not have their own Children live as com­fortably as they have attained to do, without enduring (thô it might not be necessary) the same pains and hardships; He that provides not for those of his own House, (sayes the Scrip­ture) is worse than an Infidel, 1 Tim. 5. 8.

Does he that ruines her who committed her self and For­tunes to his Mercy, upon the Vows and Protestations of his [Page 25] Love, perform those Vows, or is he not false and forsworn? does he well and faithfully discharge the trust that was put in him? does he kindly requite the Love that laid the greatest possible obligation upon him? No, there is no gratitude, no faithfulness in that man. If one falls into the hands of savage Thieves, he may be stript and robb'd, and be glad to escape without further harm; but to be thus used by a man, who by great pretences of kindness has allur'd me into his Power, must be the highest baseness in him, and the greatest trouble and vexation to me.

What thanks do your Children owe you, who have begot them to Sorrow and Misery, when your extravagant Lusts devour what should afford them a good Education, and com­fort them after your Death? Certainly 'tis the provision that Parents make for their Children, or their endeavour to pro­vide well for them, the care and pains they take to render them wise, good and useful to the World, and to enable them to subsist without a precarious dependance, if they can, which is the thing that layes the great obligation upon Children to Love and reverence their Parents: 'tis for the most part meer­ly accidental that they are born, and 'tis a great unkindness and prejudice to give them being, without taking what care you can for their Happiness; have you natural affection, who to enjoy unlawful and excessive Pleasures, will leave them in a condition that can have none at all. I cannot chuse but won­der at those men who inherit an Estate, which has kept up the grandeur perhaps of a long race of honourable Ancestors, and by their folly and extravagance do spend it, and leave their Children Beggars: They leave perhaps a bare Title to their Children or other Relations, without any Riches to pro­cure it respect and esteem: If these men had any thing of a no­ble Spirit, they would scorn to bring either their own Poste­rity, or their Name and Title down into the dirt; such are the disgrace, the ignominy of the Family; they will be re­membred with hatred, as long as they are remembred by Po­sterity; I wonder that such men are not afraid, lest the Ghost [Page 26] of some departed Ancestor should disturb them at those mid­night revels, which wast the Estate, and bring the Honour which they purchased with great Labour and hazard, into contempt and disgrace.

(3.) Another rule of Righteousness may be, To practice all requisite Humility in your carriage towards men; this is the Ju­stice of requiring no more respect from others than is due to us, and of giving to others all the respect that is due to them; Let no man arrogate to himself those excellencies which he really has not, nor desire the respect due to them whilst he is without them: There can be nothing more ridiculous, than to see a rich Fool conceit himself wise, to think his mind is full of Wisdom, because his Baggs are full of Gold and Silver; or for him who bears a Title, to think himself upon that ac­count an Oracle: 'Tis too often seen, that they who have these things in eminence above others, are ready to conceit that they have Wit, Vertue or Beauty above them too, and accor­dingly they expect to be Honoured; or if they do not conceit they have every excellency in them, yet they put too high an esteem upon those they have; they think nothing compara­ble to a great Estate or a Title of Honour; and all the respect of Mankind, they account due to themselves. Thô the useless Creatures live as Cyphers in the Universe, and only serve to encrease the number of men; they are dogmatical in their most foolish and mistaken Opinions, and most peremptory and stiff in all their unreasonable humours and purposes. They are deaf to advice, and offended at reproofs, and will not receive any the most useful Instruction, because that implies they wanted it. They hate the most important advice that is gi­ven them, under the notion of Controll, and cannot distin­guish between obedience to the good Rules, and obedience to those that give them: They despise the dictates of right Rea­son and vertue, if suggested by an Inferiour, from an appre­hension that to regard them is to submit to that Inferiour; thus their Pride infatuates them to a willingness rather to be ruined than directed.

[Page 27] Be not too desirous of your own Commendation, nor too much elevated when you hear it; those who are much de­lighted with their own Praise, do usually not much care to hear any mens Commendation but their own; but Humility will not envy other men their just Commendation, nor blot it with detraction.

Do not despise him that is inferiour to you in any thing, he may perhaps excell you in another: God seldom gives all sorts of excellency to one man; And as you would not have him despise you for your want of that wherein he excells, do not you despise him for his want of that wherein you excell. The wise Providence of God has thus variously distributed his Gifts, that all men might be useful, acceptable, necessary to one another; every man ought to be respected for his parti­cular endowment, and according as the nature of it does de­serve: Indeed no man should be despised, for if there be no­thing else in him, he is a man, a Creature capable of reason, and bears some impresses of the Divine Creators Image. A humble mind will not despise the love and offer'd Services of the meanest person, but will account himself under obligati­on to requite them with kindness and good Offices; he will neither refuse them, nor take them as so much due to him as to deserve no acknowledgment.

So far as honesty and the advantage of others will permit, a humble man will endeavour to render himself easie and pleasant to all in a company, or in his neighbourhood; he will not so stiff­ly gratifie and humour himself, as not to deny his own inclinati­on sometimes to gratifie another, which is the common error of those that are new Gentlemen, or such as have gotten a great Estate, but have not had a genteel Spirit infused by Edu­cation: The civility of the World and that which we rightly call a genteel Carriage, is nothing else but a humble deport­ment towards all that we converse with.

The richest, the noblest, that are not Magistrates, must con­tent themselves to submit to Magistrates, and give to each of them the respect which is due to the place he holds. 'Tis a [Page 28] Pride that tends to confusion and all disorder, when such de­spise and affront those Officers of the State, who out of their Office are meaner persons than themselves: They ought to be respected in the exercise of their Authority, out of reverence to the supream Authority which is over every man in the State, and from whence they derive theirs. He that affronts the meanest Authority, does in effect affront the highest, and is in a preparation to slight the Authority of all Laws too. Such things are never practised, but when Law and Order begin to give way to the lusts of men: If the Cobweb be broken by Wasps and Hornets, little flies will escape through the holes which they make.

(4) Exercise all the Mercy and Charity towards the Poor and Miserable, which the Providence of God affords you ability and opportunity for. Imitate the Father of Mercies, and be ye mer­ciful as he is. He makes every Creature partake of his good­ness: The highest sort have their dependance upon it, and the meanest are not overlookt or neglected. It is pleasing to the infinite Fountain, to be alwayes flowing. And 'tis a high and noble imitation of him, for you to take all occasions of communicating, as you have power, to those that are indi­gent. Freely you have received from God, and should there­fore freely give. As you have been your selves beholden to Mercy, you ought to exercise it, or you prove your selves unworthy of it. What you give to the Poor, is treasur'd in the hands of God, from whence it will return in due time with a most plenteous Encrease. Thus you put your super­fluities to a good use, and shall obtain in reward of thus spend­ing them, many necessary blessings. 'Tis a large and compre­hensive encouragement to this excellent duty, which the wise man gives in a few words, in 3 Prov. 3, 4. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee, bind them about thy neck, write them upon the Table of thine heart, so shalt thou find favour and good un­derstanding in the sight of God and men. Let the Precepts and Rules of Sincerity and Charity be fastned in thee, let them abide with thee as if written upon thy heart: Let them also [Page 29] appear in thy Practice, and adorn thy Conversation as an Or­nament of Gold about thy neck. And then thou shalt be fa­voured and esteemed both by God and men.

Perhaps there is no one sort of good Works more accepta­ble and pleasing to God than this. How high an account he sets on it, appears, in that he deems the contrary to it a re­proach to himself, and the practice an honour. 14 Prov. 31. Our Saviour pronounces an express Blessing to this also, Mat. 5. 7. and makes the greatest Promise that can be imagined or desired, to encourage men to it. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall find mercy. They shall further partake of the divine goodness Mercy in general is promised; which gives us leave to expect all the various exercises of it; to expect whatever is necessary to our Souls, and future Happiness, and what is necessary to the continuance and Comfort of this present Life. Yea, the Mercy of God does not stop at him that is merciful, but descends upon his Posterity too, and his Seed is Blessed, Prov. 37. 26.

Among Men it procures a general Approbation and esteem, every one almost will love him that appears to love every one; it possesses the Minds of Men so much in a mans favour, as it conceals a great many faults, and expiates the rest. Thô eve­ry man may have some Enemies, the charitable man shall have the fewest of any: The unjust Accusations and Detractions of bad men, will provoke more to the hatred of themselves than of him; And on the contrary, there is nothing does so much raise the envy of the World against Riches and greatness, as to see all the Advantages of them terminate in the Possessors; to see them seeking nothing else but their own ease and Plea­sure, and neglecting that good which they might do to others without any prejudice to themselves: self-love is a vice as ge­nerally hated, as 'tis practised among men. He that allows it in himself, will yet condemn it in another. He that seeks only his own advantage, will seek it alone.

In the Exercise of your Charity, observe the following Rules.

[Page 30] 1. All sorts of men that are able, must reckon themselves bound to give some Alms of that which is their own. Those that labour for what they have, are not wholly exempted from this Duty. But are commanded to make it one end of their Labour,Eph. 4. 28. to purpose and design this, that they may be able to afford some relief to those that are in want.

2. The ordinary measure of your Charity ought to be taken from your ability, as is directed, 1 Cor. 9. 6, 7. Every man may commonly consider and allow for his own necessity, con­venience and the decency of his condition, and of his Childrens after him, and what remains after a moderate Provision for these, he can properly spare. But in extream necessity of an Object presented, you ought sometimes to enlarge your Charity beyond these bounds.

3. Every man that wants, is a fit Object of Charity; ex­cept such who make themselves indigent by Idleness and Wic­kedness. And 'tis most Charity to them to leave them with­out help, that necessity may cure them. A Good man ought to be preferred before a bad one, to receive your Charity, be­cause this will encourage Religion, and he is likely to make the best use of what you give. But you should not easily en­tertain any hard thoughts of a poor Neighbour, nor excuse your selves from assisting him by groundless suspicions. A Soul truly Charitable is not forward to think evil, as the Apostle in­timates, 1 Cor. 13, 5.

4. Do not give your Alms in a proud and contemptuous manner; 'tis more unkind to disdain and scorn, than 'tis a kindness to relieve: You should do it with a sense that the Providence of God might have made you the Receiver, and him the Giver; and as you would wish to be treated in that case, you ought so to use him. To give in a courteous and hum­ble manner, adds a great lustre and beauty to the action, and doubles the benefit: When you have bestow'd a Gift, you ought not to insist much upon the obligation, nor expect that he who has been beholden to you, should in every thing an­swer your humour, and be wholly at your devotion: This [Page 31] looks as if you sold your Gift for his Liberty; as if you made a bargain, instead of doing an act of Charity. If what you gave, did at first proceed from kindness, you do in effect call it back again, or require him to pay for it, perhaps more than it was worth.

5. Give your Alms readily and chearfully; God and men love a chearful Giver; 'Tis a sign of inward goodness, of a powerful inclination to the good you do, when it flows readi­ly and freely from you. When an act of Charity comes slow­ly from a man, and is unnecessarily delayed, 'tis to be suspe­cted that it does not proceed from a Charitable inclination; 'tis the effect perhaps of the indigent persons importunity, and not of the givers goodness; 'tis bestowed for your own ease and quiet, rather than out of compassion to the poor, and is more a deed of Charity to your selves, than to him that hard­ly obtains it.

These are the Rules of Righteousness to be observed in the use of present enjoyments.

3. In the third and last place, We must use these things with Sobriety, if we would use them so as not to abuse them: And this requires a due regard to our selves, to our own interest, and honour, and tranquility, in the use of this World. That men do not gratifie their Appetites, to the prejudice of the mind or body, to the loss and consumption of the Estate and Reputation, or to the neglect of those duties which belong to the place and condition they are in. Every man ought to con­sider the Circumstances of his condition, whether he is high or low, rich or poor, and have many Children or poor Relations, or but few or none; and according to these he may allow him­self a more or less splendid and plentiful enjoyment of his porti­on. That measure which is becoming, and in a manner ne­cessary to one man, may to another be extravagant and ex­cessive: Besides, the true end of every Creature that we enjoy is to be considered, and to direct in the use of it; nothing should be used for any other than the right end, or in such a way as does not promote that, nor to that degree that will contradict or destroy it.

[Page 32] These general Rules I have but briefly mentioned by them­selves, because I judge it will be most useful to propose them connected and applyed to the particular matters which they ought to direct, since it may consist with designed brevity. I shall therefore shew how Sobriety requires us to regulate our Diet, Apparel and Recreations.

(1.) For the right government of your selves in Eating and Drinking: Consider, that the proper end of them is to nourish and strengthen the Body, to maintain it in life, in health and vigour. Meat and drink are as Oyl to the vital flame, which if they be duly administred, cherish it, but if poured on too fast, they put it out: A man may kill himself with excessive using the means of life. 'Tis a great abuse of these things, to please a wild Appetite either with the quantity or quality of them, to the prejudice of health; and he that destroys his health, loses that to which all Pleasures are beholden for their Pleasantness. All the best enjoyments of outward things can­not prevent, but that the life will be a burden where this is wanting: This is the pleasant flavour of Wine, and the necessa­ry Sauce of your Sauces, without which they are all insipid: 'Tis a certain folly then to incumber your selves with distem­pers, which may a long while torment and trouble you, for the sake of so transient a pleasure as that is, which attends the swallowing of pleasant Meats and Drinks, which is enjoyed but in that moment wherein they are passing. A wise man would endeavour to understand by advice and experience, what measure and rule were most conducing to his Health, and would ordinarily observe that. 'Tis lawful, and of some use at some times, to enjoy these things a little beyond the measure which is meerly necessary, as on publick or private Festivals, or to express the welcome of Friends; but to do this often, or without moderation, will excite the sensual inclinations, and make them unruly and extravagant; and this were to assist an Enemy against our selves, and to cherish those lusts which war against the Soul. The wretch that has steept his brain in the fumes of excessive drinking, exposes himself to the mercy of [Page 33] every temptation. There is no folly so very absurd, no sin so great but he may commit it. Rapes, Murders, Adulteries, have been the too frequent Attendants of Drunkenness. Ma­ny a man has done that in his Wine which has been the tor­ment of his Mind, and his disparagement all his dayes. 'Tis necessary and useful at least to a healthful and vigorous per­son, to deny himself sometimes the enjoyment of that measure of these things which is commonly necessary; to tame the flesh, and keep it in subjection, that he may the better govern himself.

They use Meat and Drink beyond Moderation, who en­joy them to that degree, that they stupifie the Mind, and weaken the exercise of Reason. Drinking till Reason is di­sturbed, thô but in a small degree, is in that degree an ex­cess. Most certain it is, that habitual Gluttony and Drun­kenness have made some men almost Fools: Either they have become stupid and dull Fools, or rash and violent ones, drown'd in Phlegm and Sloth, or infatuated with rage and confidence. And in both cases are they fit to be easily imposed upon, and to become a Prey or a Tool to greedy and design­ing Knaves. But the best of the matter is, that honest men need not much fear any faction that depends upon such reel­ing Supporters.

You must not spend much thought about what you shall eat or drink, nor much of your time in these Pleasures: This is more than is necessary to promote the end of them, and shows the Mind too much in love with the pleasure it self. This is to make the enjoyment of that your End; and then it will be too much your Business. You will live as if you had nothing else to do but to eat and drink, and had no other Preparation for Death to make, but to fatten a Carkasse for the Worms. The only good that an intemperate Person does in the World, is, that he is industrious to deliver it quickly from an unprofitable burden. There is a just Wo denounced against those swinish Drunkards, that make it their frequent practice to spend whole dayes in drinking, in Isa. 5. 11. Wo [Page 34] unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink, that continue untill night till the Wine inflames them. Thus is all usefull service to God and men neglected, and the Sinner at length contracts a habit of Idleness, and becomes utterly negligent of his own most important Inte­rests; he regards not his Trade, nor his Estate, or Salvation. For this sin, because it was to so high a degree become com­mon among the Jews, 'tis said in the 13th verse of the fore­mentioned Chapter, that people were punisht with captivity and hunger and thirst.

'Tis not safe nor prudent to contrive, that your Provision be ordinarily very delicate and various: you are the more in danger of excess, and do make your own Table a Snare to you. The affectation of this, when 'tis for your own pleasure, shows a wantonness of the Appetite, that ought not to be allowed, and too great a love to the pleasures of the Palate. Or else 'tis the effect of former excess, which having glutted and weakned the Appetite, it now wants to be excited. Tem­perance usually preserves it so well, as to need little assistance from Art. Nature in health wants little of the exercise of Art, and it serves only Luxury and Excess.

You must so proportion your expences upon your Diet, as not to neglect any other necessities of your own, or those of the Poor, the Church, or the State. He that is so far a Glutton or a Drunkard, seldom stops there. The extrava­gant desire encreases the more 'tis gratified, and will soon grow beyond his ability to satisfie it; and then he will rob either God or Man to make himself more able. He will make his Feasts, if he can, with the Spoils of the Church, the necessary maintenance of oppress'd Orphans and Widows, and the fruits of other mens hard labour: And thus he devours his own reputation too, and makes himself odious to all Man­kind.

(2) You must order your Apparel also by the direction of So­briety. The proper ends of cloathing our selves, are to cover our Nakedness, and conceal our shame; to defend and guard [Page 35] the. frail Body from all unkindnesses of weather; and to di­stinguish the several ranks and degrees of men, by suitable Ornament. The sensual minds of men are commonly much influenced by sensible things, and therefore are splendid or grave habits used to procure that respect and veneration which is due to those Persons that wear them. The com­mon abuse of Apparel, and that from which all the Irregu­larities concerning it do proceed, is too much affectation of Ornament, upon the account of that respect which is com­monly paid to it in the world. Those that least understand true excellency, and give the greatest Veneration to external ornament in others, are wont to be most concerned about this for themselves. They take less care to adorn and accom­plish their Minds with Knowledge, Wisdom and Vertue, than to adorn their out-side with fine and gaudy Cloaths. Con­trary to that advice of the Apostle in this case, which he gives, 1 Pet. 3. 3, 4. Let your adorning be (sayes he) not that of the out-side, of plaiting the hair, and of wearing gold, or of putting on Apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, in a meek and quiet Spirit, which in the sight of God is of great value. 'Tis of more importance surely to have those excellencies which are in esteem with God, than those which are only valued by the weakest of men. How little must it deserve of time, cost and pains, to obtain the admira­tion of Fools. A wise man, thô he will not slight altogether this sensual means of procuring respect from the ignorant and vulgar, because that respect may in some cases be necessary to himself, and usefull for them; yet he will not be much concern'd about ornament, because none but such men will value and respect him at all the more for that.

Since this is all that Ornament serves for, he will not to be fine, neglect the necessary defence of his body. He will consider, that the rude Elements pay no respect to a Fashion, and therefore will not expose himself to be hurt by them, for the unprofitable respect of foolish men.

He will not think that the matter of dressing can deserve [Page 36] to be the sole business of himself and a servant, for several hours, and to be managed with a curious accuracy and care.

'Tis doubtless a great folly for a man to employ a great part of his Estate in the provision of his Apparel. The neces­sity of the body is served with a small expence; and if you will value the esteem of men, 'tis wisest to obtain by good and generous actions the estimation of the best and wisest men: This is a more valuable reputation than you can purchase by great expences on your Cloathing.

He that affects to be fine above his quality and degree, that he may have the greater respect, will find none at all: Some will be as foolish as himself, and strive to be equal to him; and all others will despise and condemn him, either for his Pride, or Prodigality. Custom is the common Rule that prescribes what it becomes every mans quality and degree to wear. But since alwayes some of every sort are so foolish as to en­deavour to equal their Superiours, and in so prodigal an Age as ours is, the Custom allows much more expence upon the Apparel than is just or necessary; you ought to make those of your own sort your Pattern, who are the most frugal and moderate men. Together with the Custom of the Times, con­sider your own Circumstances; what is required by other just occasions of expence, and let the Custom be observed only so far, as Prudence and Justice will permit. Common practice will not justifie any Vice in the sight of God, thô it too often does so in the opinions of men. And if it displeases him, that others spend a great part of their Estates in the Ornament of their Bodies, it will displease him if you do so too. If a great measure of what is spent in this purpose might be spared from this, and better employ'd, it ought to be so, and the giver of it expects that it should be. And when you must render an account how you have used the enjoyments that he gave, you will appear, if you have been Prodigal in this matter, to have been foolish if not unjust Stewards.

(3.) Let your Recreations also be regulated by Sobriety.

The goodness of God allows men the use of these for the re­freshment [Page 37] of body and mind: The powers of both are finite, and may be wearied and wasted with continual labour; we may divert our selves therefore sometimes from business, to be the better prepared to return to it again; but 'tis quite to alter the nature and design of recreations, to make a business of them, to spend all your time in running from one idle plea­sure to another:1 Tim. 5. 6. He that lives in Pleasure, is dead while he lives; He is as useless to the World as a dead Carkass, and it may be infects others too by a bad example, and he is as bad as dead to himself, in regard that he does nothing towards his own true Interest: He neglects all his most important affairs; He becomes daily more and more a Slave to the malicious Devil, by virtue of some sins that grow confirm'd and habi­tual; he swims down the stream of sensual Pleasures, to­wards the dead Sea of Pain and Perdition. In this careless kind of Life, he is only busie to destroy himself: He that gives himself up to sensual pleasure, does divert himself indeed, but 'tis from Wisdom, from Piety, from Virtue, from ever­lasting Happiness. Oh consider how unprofitable a life this is! what advantage have you from past dayes that have been spent in Pleasure? if you are sick of the folly, and intend to live more wisely for the future, you have gain'd then some advantage by them, but if you are hardened in the mad course, and inclined still to go on, you are much the worse for them. All wise and good men grieve to see a young per­son wholly addicted to Pleasure, they know the bitter Repen­tance that will at one time or other follow this; they fore­see the torments of Mind, that early or late it will end in; they know that every extravagance which you are now guil­ty of, will one day prove a sharp Sword to stab and wound you.

Recreations must not be used as Pastimes, there can be no need of any such thing to us, who have but a little while to live, and much to do; can you not tell what to do with your time? is it so easie a matter to conquer vicious inclinations, to wean your affections from their propensity to sensible [Page 38] things, to furnish your minds with every Virtue; that you can do all this, and have too much time? if besides this you have any publick business to attend, you have more need to redeem your time than to throw it away; if you may hereafter have such business, 'tis your wisdom to improve the oppor­tunity of your present leisure, for the preparing your self to manage it to your comfort and honour.

Let the Recreations you chuse be only such as are lawful; there are as many allowed as you can want, enow to spend more time about than you can well afford; do not venture therefore upon any that have certainly sin in them;1 Cor. 13. 6. Rejoyce not in Iniquity; make not any sins of other men the matter of your delight or diversion, 'tis contrary to the rule of Cha­rity to be pleased with that which is so hurtful and mischie­vous to the guilty person; 'tis the Pleasure of a Devil to tempt and draw men into sin, and then laugh at them; do not make your selves merry with sacred things, they are not matters to be jested with, which ought to be reverenced: it is not necessary either to the Mind or the Body, nor cer­tainly safe, and therefore not prudent to use those Recreati­ons, concerning which Divines are in dispute whether they be lawful or no, such as they are which rely wholly upon chance, as Dice and the like: in a doubtful Case, where no necessi­ty compells, 'tis too great a boldness not to abstain from such things.

Chuse those Recreations that are least offensive to the Pi­ous and Wise, and avoid all that are not of good Report: They I think are justly censur'd, who frequent publick Dan­cing Schools, and Balls, and especially Masqueraders. 'Tis no precise moroseness to censure those who need not disguise or conceal themselves, if they intended to do nothing shame­ful: You must value and be concerned to maintain a Repu­tation, or you are lost; there is little hope of that man, that he will ever be good and truly honourable, who is grown re­gardless of this; 'tis a wonder if he does not run into all manner of wickedness, when the restraint of Shame is taken off.

[Page 39] 'Tis great imprudence, to use those Recreations that are dan­gerous temptations to wickedness. Since our power to resist sin is very weak, and we are naturally more inclined to comply with than resist it; we ought by flying the temptations and occasions, to seek that safety which our own strength cannot give us. To young persons the description and representation of some sins is a Temptation, especially is it mischievous, when in the representation the guilty person is introduced wittily pleading for his sin, and justifying or extenuating it for thô what is wittily spoken, is not alwayes the truth, yet it is generally apt to impose upon young persons that are in­considerate, and have not resolutely fixed in themselves good Principles. You cannot say there is no harm in going of­ten to the Play-house, if you become thereby more addict­ed to sensual Pleasures, which are there represented with all possible advantages to charm and allure; unhappy Youth is too much inclined to these without such help: You do actu­ally receive hurt by seeing Playes, if Lust be inflamed, or Pride in Apparel encreas'd, or you learn Dissimulation, and become stronger inclined to any of the Vices of the Age; if you learn there to despise Morality, Government, Laws and Religion, by seeing the errours and defects of Magi­strates, and wise and good men represented and derided: Humane nature is in all instances unperfect, and the greatest and best men are not without some faults, but to represent those of Magistrates and Ministers upon a publick Theater, to be scorn'd and laught at, has commonly the mischievous event of making Magistracy and Ministry vile, and the Age licentious.

Do not play out of Love to Money, or meerly to win of others; this is the Trade of common Cheats, and tends to make you such; this gratifies a covetous humour, and che­rishes it, and is a relaxation that binds you faster in the bonds of Iniquity. Avoid too the contrary extream to this, and be not willing to lose more than is convenient: you must not neglect to provide things necessary, and convenient, and [Page 40] decent for your self and your family. Be not so unjust and cruel, as to throw away your Creditors money, your Ser­vants wages, your Childrens bread and Inheritance, or your Wives Portion, to enjoy so small, so unnecessary a plea­sure as that of play. How barbarous is he, that will make so many miserable, without any necessity or real advantage to himself. That you may not thô unwillingly, throw away too much at play, it should be your resolution not to venture too much: Venture no more than you may be willing to lose, and if that be gone, command your self at that time to proceed no further. Gaming does often insensibly entice men into excess, in the time they spend at it, and in the Money they expose: If they win, they are encouraged to both these, in hopes that good luck will still favour them: If they lose, they are tempted to go on with hope to turn their fortune, and recover their losses: To recover a great deal at once, they are tempted to expose a great deal more, and so frequently lose more to too much lost already. It requires more wis­dom for a man to govern himself well in these matters, than is commonly found in those that are much addicted to them.

Take heed that you be not transported with passion in your play. All excess in it may follow, if you have once gi­ven the Reins to passion; and besides, you will be apt if you are crost, to blaspheme God, and quarrel with your Neigh­bour. That is too dear a recreation, and much more sad in the consequence than it can be pleasant in the enjoyment, wherein you offend God, and hurt your Neighbour and your own Soul.

Thus I have finisht the first and chief part of this design, and shown you wherein the right use of the things of this World does consist.

I now proceed to the second thing intended; which is, to urge those Motives included in the Apostles argument here, to per­swade you so to use this world as not abusing it: His Argument for this is, The fashion of this World passes away; and the Mo­tives this includes, are these following.

1. 'Tis possible your present enjoyments may fail and be lost, be­fore [Page 41] the end of your life: There is hardly any good thing of this World that men enjoy, which they can be assured to re­tain in possession all their days.

We cannot be certain of the continuance of our Riches. Job, that on one day was the Wealthiest man in all the East Countrey in his time, became by the next, miserably poor. How many like Instances does History present us with? And how many more might our own observation in a few years tell us, if we make observation? If you are Rich in Treasures, Thieves may steal them; if in Ships and Merchandize, the stormy Sea may swallow them, or they may be seized by Pi­rates or adverse Nations: If in Buildings, or a large stock of rich Goods, Fire may consume them; if in Lands, they may be wrested from you by Tricks of Law, and the knavery of corrupted Judges and Lawyers. The negligence or impru­dence of Servants may ruine the Master, or if they are disho­nest and wicked, they may draw from him to enrich them­selves; especially, when the whole management of an Estate is committed to them. The Providence of God may blast a mans Estate, so that it shall wast he knows not how, nor how to prevent it. Riches, which you may hope will be a de­fence against Adversity, may expose you to it. Some have been miserable, and some have lost their lives by being rich: They are often a Prey to violence and injustice, when poorer Persons are let alone. In the Invasions of Enemies, the Pala­ces of the great are rifled, while the poor lonely Cottage may stand secure; and they themselves are chiefly sought for and kill'd,Jer. 52. 16. or made Captives, while the Poor of the Land escape by being despised.

What constancy is there in the Honours of this World, which depend upon the changeable inclinations and esteem of men? Has not the World often seen the greatest Favourites of Princes become the Objects of their hatred and scorn; under­min'd and overthown by the detractions first, and then the accusations of envious men; who after they have shone a lit­le while with the borrowed lustre of their Princes favour, have [Page 42] gone down Eclips'd, and blusht perhaps in their own blood at their setting.

Let him who lists ascend the tottering Seat of Courtly Grandeur, said he, in the person of another, that found it a tottering seat by his own experience:Seneca Thy­est. Act. 2. Chor. As for popular applause and an honourable esteem among the vulgar, that is gain'd by many actions, and may be lost by one: If a man cannot lose a noble Title while he lives, yet the Respect and Honour due to it, and all the other advantages of it are usually lost when his Estate is thrown away: He that lacks bread, may honour himself, but few besides him will do it. 'Tis ingeniously said by one,Du Moulin of Content­ment. That Honour without Riches, is like Hops with­out Poles to support them aloft; It must creep upon the ground, and is exposed to be trod upon by contempt.

Now, if these things are gone away from you while you live, all the Pleasure, the Convenience of them is vanisht too; and then, what will the wretched man do to be happy, who had set his chief affections on these things? What will he do for delights, when all that he delighted in is gone? How burdensome and melancholly will the remaining part of his life be! How often will he sadly think, how happy he has been, how miserable he is! Should we trust in uncertain Rich­es, and not rather in the living God, when they may fail us, he cannot! Shall we lay any confidence on friends, when the minds of men are so mutable? Is not this to lean on a broken Reed, which may fail our trust, and would us with disappointment? What shame and confusion will seize him in an adverse condition, who in his Prosperity be­haved himself haughtily towards others! How uneasie will it be to his lofty Spirit, to see himself the scorn of the mean­est abjects! And yet certainly no man is so likely to meet with contempt in a low condition, as he that practised it in [Page 43] a higher. It should be a provocation to brave actions, to con­sider; Perhaps my Fortune may not long continue my ad­vantages for the doing of them. A generous and publick Spirit, a lover of mankind, would say, Since the enjoyment of these things is uncertain, I will do all the good with them to mankind that I can whilst I yet retain them; I will industri­ously set my self to this, lest I lose my advantages, and die without doing any good in my time. If a man has exercised much compassion to others in their Misery, he will find much in his own; if he has been injurious, and an oppressor, eve­ry one will retaliate, and the same measure that he gave to others, shall be meted to him again. If by good and virtuous actions a man has acquired the esteem and friendship of good and virtuous men, they will not desert him in his adversity, but will join their assistance to comfort or raise him up; but if all his Friends and Familiars, and all that esteem him, are men of no virtue, of debaucht Principles and Manners, they will soon forsake him when adversity comes: The cold blasts of that will very easily cool the love of such men; and thô they crowd his Table with their company while 'tis covered with rich plenty, he may eat his morsels in melancholly so­litude when they are scanty and course. How uneasie will Poverty be to him that lived in boundless pleasure; who could deny himself in nothing, but was wont to gratifie every de­sire, and now has nothing to enjoy? He is possest with high and raging desires, and has no means to satisfie them. A temperate man will much more easily endure such a change, who has been wont sometimes to cross his own desires, and by that means has kept them moderate. 'Tis certainly the most effectual course that you can take, to make Adversity tolerable, to use your Prosperity in Godliness, Justice and So­briety.

(2.) Your death will shortly call you out of this World, and from the enjoyment of present things. Thus the fashion of this World passes away.Eccles. 1. 4 One Generation goes, and another comes. Who is he that lives, and shall not see death? (sayes the Psal­mist,) [Page 44] Psal. 84. 48. The eyes that now read this shall pe­rish, whatever vigour or brightness there may be in them at present: 'Tis now your turn to enjoy, perhaps the Riches and Honours which were possest before by your Ancestors: They after a while went off the Stage of this mortal state, and so must you, and leave those things to be enjoy'd by others When a man dies he shall carry nothing away,Psal. 49. 17. His glory shall not descend after him: This encreases with respect to us, the uncertainty of the duration of our present condition; Since all your pleasures fly away with life, who can assure himself any certain continuance of the enjoyment? It may endure for a few years, perhaps but for a few dayes or hours longer. How many things are able to cut the slender thread of humane life! How easily is a man kill'd? A hair, a little bone, a flie, the weakest thing in nature can easily dispatch frail man! How many ill accidents are we alwaies liable to, besides a multitude of Distempers! What can be more uncertain than life, which is so weak, and beset with so many Enemies? If it be suffer'd to continue as long as Nature, not abused, but care­fully cherisht, can maintain it, 'tis but short: The flower Life quickly withers, if it be not cut down: It must needs be short, when it makes continual hast to its end: when there is never the least stop put to the flying days; the flying days hurry us upon their rapid wings, with restless speed into Eter­nity: A part of life flies away every minute, and the remain­der grows less; while you are jovial and careless, your time is wasting, it steals unheeded from you; precious time, which once gone can never be recall'd; a life, a year, an hour spent can never be recall'd.

Thus are you never far off, and yet alwayes proceeding to­wards that important period, when you must bid adieu to Greatness and Honour, adieu to Flattery and Complements, to soft Beds, gilt Chambers, plenteous Tables, gawdy Orna­ments; adieu to your stately Houses, beauteous Gardens, large Possessions, shining heaps of Treasure; adieu to plea­sant Musick, to sprightly Wine, jovial Company, brisk Dances, [Page 45] and all the admired Charms of Youth and Beauty:Eccl. 12. 5. Man goes to his long home, and the Mourners goe about the streets: The gawdy Rooms are hung with melancholy Sable, and his Friends lay aside Ornaments, and cover themselves with black; he is carried away to the dark silent Grave, to become neg­lected dust, and a cold unbeautiful Clod; his place here shall know him no more for ever; he goes to Eternity, never, ne­ver to return again to time: His Walks, his Houses, his Parks, his Shop, the Exchange, the places of his Business, or his pleasure shall know him again no more for ever; Oh that men were wise, that they would understand this, and consider their lat­ter end!

Since the enjoyment of these things is transitory, and will be short, should we place our Affections upon them? Good things are usually of greater or less esteem with us, according to their durableness; since therefore Life with its Pleasures are not durable, 'tis not worthy of a great Value. If we could but frame a lively conception of the shortness of this Life, how should we despise the Pleasures of it? Vain are the Riches of the World, which are useful no longer than while we live here; Vain are all the Honours and Applauses of the Age, which cannot rescue us from Deaths dark Prison, nor attend us to the other World: What account would you make of a fine house founded on a Quick-sand? what account of Mirth and Jollity in a small Cock-boat on the wide Oce­an? what account of a Pleasant Dream? such alas is all the Prosperity of this World: Open then thine eyes, thou deluded admirer of these things, and take a view of the Eternal Plea­sures and Glories of the World to come; see what Joyes, what delights, what bright Mansions, what a blessed Society do invite thy affections upward; the Infinite, Eternal, Un­changeable God, thy chief good, invites thy Affections, he of­fers himself to be thy everlasting Portion, and exceeding great Reward; set thy affections then on things above, and let thy dearest treasure be in Heaven; spend thy time more in striving to attain these, than in the enjoyment of present things; [Page 46] conclude it most absurd, to value things temporal above the eternal, and to chuse the frail pleasures of this life, when they stand in competition with those that are ever lasting. To make your passage out of this world comfortable, you must be secure of Comforts in the other; you will be glad to leave a Life so allay'd with frequent vexations, as this is, to every man, when you have good hopes to enjoy that Happiness which knows no mixture of trouble: Since Death is a com­mon Necessity which every man must obey, 'tis the Wisdom and Interest of every one to provide that he may undergoe it with Comfort.

Since the end of all your present Pleasures is certain and near, live piously, righteously, and soberly in the enjoyment of them, that ye may not when that time comes, be troubled with a Guilty Mind. Oh how intolerable will it be to bear at once the loss of all your present Comforts, with the pangs of a painfull death, and the torments of a despairing remorse! How sad a state will you think your self in, when you are summon'd to depart hence, and a rouzed Conscience presents to your view a long Catalogue of enormous Crimes! Will you not then wish you had lived a regular Life, when you find your self going to receive what a Life of wickedness has deserved. Oh how ungrateful now will be the remembrance of unlawful Pleasures, of your guilty excesses, and mad care­lesness of your immortal Souls! Now the sting of sinful Plea­sures is severely felt, and they wound and torment the Sinner more deep and sensibly than ever they pleased him before; it torments him to think that for such things he should cast a­way himself, and incurr the eternal Wrath of God; and he is seized with dread and horrour, at the thoughts of what is likely for the future to become of him; he fears he shall be banisht by the angry Justice of God to some dismal abode, where no small Comfort will ever come near him; that he shall change his merry Companions for the cursed Society of damned Spirits, to dwell among them a weak, scorn'd, abused Stranger, to be vexed without pity by malicious Creatures, [Page 47] whose own Torments encrease their rage; he would pray it may be for Mercy, but his own remembred Cruelty dashes his hopes; he show'd no mercy in his Life, but was deaf to the wants and intreaties of the Poor, while he spent his wealth in Riot and Luxury; he would cry to God to spare his Life a little longer, and try how well he would manage the reprieve, but that he calls to mind how deaf himself has been to the Di­vine Commands, how he has despised the Promises and Threats of God, and neglected all the warnings and instructi­ons that were sent to him:Prov. 1. 24. to the end▪ And indeed, Since he has hated In­struction, and despised Reproof, to the last, God will now laugh at his Calamity, and despise him when these fears come upon him: The season of abused Mercy is at an end, and deserved Vengeance begins and now to have been a holy and a good man, would more avail than to have worn a Crown and wielded a Scep­ter: Now the greatest of men is rejected, if he be an impeni­tent Sinner; nothing but righteousness and holiness can find any favour with the righteous and holy God: Now will he that was injurious to men, find the great Soveraign of the World a severe avenger of all wrongs; and he that abused his enjoyment of the Creatures and gifts of God, shall be banisht from the Happiness of enjoying God himself; this is the dire­ful end of a wicked Life, and thus will the Wretch be used at last, who abuses his Portion here.

(3.) By the abuse of your present enjoyments, you encrease the mu­tability of them, at least with respect to your selves: You make your changeable Condition here more liable to change, if you do not use it well; a man must use a vessel of Glass with more care than he need to do one of Iron: The loss of your enjoy­ments during Life, or by Death, may be caused or hastened by the abuse of them.

That Estate which might afford a man comfort and plea­sure through a long life, a few years of extravagant expences will make an end of: the deepest Bag has a bottom; and you may observe by other men, that the greatest Estate, if it be not wisely and moderately used, may in a little time be thrown [Page 48] away. The Glutton and the Drunkard shall come to Poverty; and Drowzieness shall cloath a man with Raggs, sayes the wise man, Prov. 23. 21. Again, By means of a whorish Woman a man is brought to a morsel of bread, Prov. 6. 26. He shall be ser­ved just as the Prodigal in the Parable; first gull'd and drawn dry of all his Wealth, and to that purpose may be highly flat­ter'd, and carefully pleas'd and humour'd, and when he is poor shall be despised as much, and kickt out of Doors, and then like him he may have the honour to serve Swine, or be pre­ferr'd to dine with them. These sins, when a man becomes ad­dicted to them, do naturally bewitch him with a strange care­lesness of all his Affairs, and tend to make him most lavishly prodigal. He cannot keep his expence upon them within any other bounds than necessity forces: As long as his own Estate will administer to him, or others will lend, these wild sins can find occasion for expence.

The excessive and intemperate use of sensual pleasures, weakens and gluts the Appetite, and he that so uses them, can never have so high a Relish and sense of them as he may that is moderate. Foolish men through their greedy desire of Pleasure, destroy the thing they love: The Rich Glutton cannot take so much delight in his highest delicacies, as the hungry Labour­er does in his course fare.

By Excess too, men destroy themselves; they turn food in­to Poyson, and bring themselves to misery by their pleasures. It blasts the health of their body, and fills them with uneasie distempers; and hereby their lives are made miserable, and their death is hastened: After a few tedious and groaning years they drop betimes into their Graves. Sobriety and moderati­on are the most effectual means to cherish the health and life. But a man must begin and practise them from his youth, that they may have this effect: 'Tis late to begin it when you have corrupted the blood, and evaporated the spirits, and contract­ed distempers: the Jewel health is much more easily kept, than recover'd when 'tis once lost.

Poverty, Sickness and Death, the great Enemies of your [Page 49] Pleasures, are the natural Consequents of the intemperate use of them. But besides, these evils may be expected to fol­low this, from the just judgment of God. As he is highly of­fended at every abuse of his gifts, he may testifie that displea­sure by taking them away from you, or you from them. Consider, careless Sinner, that you continually provoke the righteous God, to put an end to all your Mirth and Pleasure; every irregularity you are guilty of deserves this, and perhaps does hasten intended Vengeance: The more you abuse the Pa­tience of God, the more unlikely do you make the continuance of it.

Now consider these things but a little, and the folly of a lawless intemperate Life will most plainly appear; is it not an unparalel'd folly to purchase a little wild Mirth at the dear rate of a miserable remainder of Life, and a hasty Death? Alas how little of the Pleasures of this Life do you enjoy, who are so soon overtaken by Distempers! what delight can a Man take in his dainties, when his sick Stomach nauseates them? what Pleasure is there in Musick when the Head akes, or is affected with a Frenzy or a Lethargy? what delight has the Sinner in his most pleasant Sins, when he lies languishing in a Bed, his feeble Limbs not able to support him, and there he is rotting alive? the remembrance of them is rather vexa­tious than pleasant, whe [...] the pains he feels were contracted by them. How little of the Pleasures of Life do they en­joy, that soon dye, are cut off in the midst of their dayes, and carried out to be laid in the Dust? Methinks if there were no other Argument for Temperance, the Love of Plea­sure should perswade to it: Consider too how sad and un­comfortable that Death will be, which you are conscious that your selves have hastened; when you think how many years longer in a course of nature you might have lived, and now are called hastily away from all that you have loved and delighted in.

[Page 50] Thus do careless Sinners pursue their own Misery and Vexation, when they allow themselves a boundless gratifi­cation of their Lusts, and seem to be only in the pursuit of Pleasure; let it therefore be your resolution and care, so to use this World as not abusing it.

Now I have finisht both the intended parts of this Dis­course; I have shown you how to behave your selves in the use of your present enjoyments towards God, and to­wards your Neighbour, and your selves; and the motive which the Spirit of God thought worthy to perswade men thus to use these things, I have illustrated; what success this Discourse has upon the Reader, I know not, but doubtless the great God observes; either it will reclaim or withhold thee from the Vices of a mad Age, or make thee more guilty in following them, after having received another Exhortation to the contrary: Thou dost not in tend perhaps to run into the great extravagances menti­on'd, but yet art unwilling to observe the strictness of Rule; but consider, that sin is very apt to encrease, that the small degrees of transgression allow'd make way for greater, and they make it just with God, and provoke him to give thee up to such a high degree of sin, as may severely punish its self. Consider, this general Rule which I have explain'd and urg'd, is the Command of Almigh­ty God, thou canst not willingly break it without Offence to him; 'tis of no less consequence to observe or slight it, than to enjoy his favour or incurr his displeasure: Oh think how easily he can crush the bold offending Worm! think what a danger he is in who stands exposed by his Crimes to the Divine Vengeance! Dread the invincible thunder of his Wrath! Think what Vengeance is due from God to him who makes his Advantages to do much good, the means to do much evil; who contradicts the end of God in the Gifts that he has bestowed on him, [Page 51] and has been only the more wicked, for the Bounty of God towards him; who to gratifie his own wanton and unnecessary Appetites, has often Offended; what severe Pu­nishments must such a Sinner deserve? Consider that this general rule directs you to use your Portion with Credit and Comfort, to make your Life as happy in what you have, as that can make it; to improve your Portion to the best advantage; It directs to such a course as will ren­der your passage out of Life easie and chearful, attended with a quiet mind, with the applauses of a good Consci­ence, and all your good Actions will then afford you com­fortable thoughts and reflections; It directs you so to use your Portion, as to make your Death as much lament­ed by others, as welcome to your self, so as to embalm your Name, and make your Memory blest and praised to Posterity. This rule directs you to such an use of your present enjoyments, as will be matter of Consolation to you in the other World, matter of eternal satisfaction and joy, when the good deeds which you wrought here, shall there be eternally rewarded.

I think then the Reader may easily conclude, I have been pleading with him in his own behalf, for himself and his own interest; I have been urging nothing but what Self-love to­gether with Wisdom would chuse: Who would think it should be a Presumption in me to imagine, that in such a case I shall prevail with many? can it be a difficult thing to per­swade Men to that which is their own Interest? but alas, it does too often prove so! Blinded by Lust and Temptation; men will not see their true Interest in the clearest discovery that can be made of it. God alone can effectually open the eyes of men to understand that, and incline their Wills to chuse and pursue it; to him therefore I commit the Reader with this Prayer.