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SERMON X.

The Profitableness of Godliness.

HOW

I TIM. iv. 8.

But Godliness is profitable for all things.

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Φεῦ, δύο κολώ

ταχύ. Ari

OW generally men, with most unanimous con- s E R M. fent, are devoted to profit, as to the immediate scope of their defigns, and aim of their doings, if with the flightest attention we view what is acted upon this theatre of human affairs, we cannot but difcern. All that we see men so very serious and in- Prov. xiv. duftrious about, which we call business; that which 23: they trudge for in the streets, which they work or saya dúwait for in the fhops, which they meet and crowd voy way for at the exchange, which they fue for in the hall, stoph. Plut. and folicit for at the court, which they plough and dig for, which they march and fight for in the field, which they travel for at land, and fail for (among rocks and storms) upon the fea, which they plod for in the closet, and difpute for in the schools, (yea, may we not add, which they frequently pray for and preach for in the Church ?) what is it but profit ? Is it not this apparently, for which men fo eagerly conteft and quarrel, fo bitterly envy and emulate, fo fiercely clamour and inveigh, fo cunningly fupplant and undermine one another; which ftuffeth their hearts

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X.

SER M. hearts with mutual hatred and fpite, which tippeth their tongues with flander and reproach, which often embrueth their hands with blood and flaughter; for which they expofe their lives and limbs to danger, for which they undergo grievous toils and drudgeries, for which they distract their mind with cares, and pierce their heart with forrows; to which they sacrifice their prefent eafe and content, yea, to which commonly they proftitute their honour and confcience? This, if you mark it, is the great mistress, which is with fo paffionate rivality every where wooed and courted; this the common mark, which all eyes aim and all endeavours strike at; this the hire, which men demand for all their pains, the prize they hope for in all their combats, the harveft they feek from all the year's affiduous labour. This is the bait, by which you may inveigle moft men any whither; and the most certain fign, by which you may prognofticate what any man will do for mark where his profit is, there will he be. This fome profefledly and with open face, others flily and under thin veils of pretence, (under guife of friendship, of love to public good, of loyalty, of religious zeal;) fome directly and in a plain track, others obliquely and by subtle trains; fome by fordid and bafe means, others in ways more cleanly and plaufible; fome gravely and modeftly, others wildly and furioufly; all, (very few excepted) in one manner or another, do clearly in most of their proceedings level and drive at 2.

:

This practice then being fo general, and feeing that men are reasonable creatures, that it is fo cannot furely proceed from mere brutishness, or dotage; there must be fome fair colour or femblance of rea

Prima fere vota, et cunétis notiffima Templis
Divitiæ ut crefcant, &c. Juv. Sat. x.

Omnes ad affectum atque appetitum utilitatis fuæ naturæ ipfius magifterio atque impulfione ducuntur. Salv. ad Eccl. Cath. 2.

fon,

X.

fon, which draweth men into, and carrieth them for- s ER M. ward in this way. The reafon indeed is obvious and evident enough; the very name of profit implicth it, fignifying that which is ufeful, or conducible to purpoles really or feemingly good. The gain of money, or of fomewhat equivalent thereto, is therefore fpecially termed profit, because it readily fupplieth neceffity, furnisheth convenience, feedeth pleasure, fatisfieth fancy and curiofity, promoteth eafe and liberty, fupporteth honour and dignity, procureth power, dependencies, and friendships, rendereth a man fomebody confiderable in the world; in fine, enableth to do good, or to perform works of beneficence and charity. Profit is therefore fo much affected and purfued, because it is, or doth feem, apt to procure or promote fome good defirable to us.

If therefore a project fhould be proposed to us very feafible, and probable to fucceed, in purfuance whereof affuredly we might obtain great profit; methinks, in confiftence with ourselves, and conformably to our ufual manner of acting, we should be very ready to embrace and execute it. Such a project it is, which in my text, by a very trufty voucher and fkilful judge of fuch things, and one who had himself fully experimented it, is propofed; which in itfelf is very practicable, fo that any of us may, if we have a mind to it, and will be at the pains, throughly compass and carry it on: which will exceedingly turn to account, and bring in gains unto us unfpeakably vaft; in comparifon whereto all other defigns, which men with fo much care and toil do purfue, are very unprofitable, or detrimental, yielding but fhadows of profit, or bringing real damage to

us.

It is briefly this, to be religious or pious; that is, in our minds ftedfaftly to believe on God, (fuch as nature in fome measure, and revelation more clearly, declareth him,) in our hearts earnestly to love and reverence him, through all our practice fincerely and

diligently

X.

SER M. diligently to obferve his laws. This is it which St. Paul affirmeth to be profitable for all things, and which it is my intent, by God's help, to recommend unto you as fuch; demonftrating it really to be so, by representing fome of thofe numberlefs benefits and advantages which accrue from it, extending to all conditions and capacities of men, to all ftates, all feafons, and in effect to all affairs of life.

It hath been ever a main obftruction to the practice of piety, that it hath been taken for no friend, or rather for an enemy, to profit; as both unprofitable and prejudicial to its followers: and many femblances there are countenancing that opinion. For religion feemeth to fmother or to flacken the induftry and alacrity of men in following profit, many ways: by charging them to be content with a little, and careful for nothing; by diverting their affections and cares from worldly affairs to matters of another nature, place, and time, prefcribing in the first place to seek things fpiritual, heavenly, and future; by difparaging all fecular wealth, as a thing, in comparison to virtue and fpiritual goods, very mean and inconfiderable; by checking greedy defires and aspiring thoughts after it; by debarring the moft ready ways of getting it, (violence, exaction, fraud, and flattery,) yea, ftraightening the beft ways, eager care and diligence; by commending ftrict justice in all cafes, and always taking part with confcience, when it clatheth with intereft; by paring away the largest ufes of wealth, in the prohibition of its free enjoyment to pride or pleasure; by enjoining liberal communication thereof in ways of charity and mercy; by engaging men to expofe their goods fometimes to imminent hazard, fometimes to certain lofs; obliging them to forfake all things, and to embrace poverty for its fake.

It favoureth this conceit, to obferve, that often bad men by impious courfes do appear to thrive and profper; while good men feem for their goodness

to

tó fuffer, or to be no wife vifibly better for it, en- s E R M. during much hardship and distress.

X.

It furthereth the prejudice, that fome perfons, void of true piety, or imperfectly good, (fome dabblers in religion) do not from their lame, flight, and fuperficial performances, feel fatisfactory returns, fuch as they did prefume to find; and thence, to the defamation of piety, are apt to fay, with thofe men in the prophet, It is vain to ferve God; and what profit is Mal. iii. 14, it that we have kept his ordinances, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hofts? Yea, that fometimes very pious men, being out of humour, and fomewhat difcompofed by the urgent preffures of affliction, the difappointments and croffes incident to all men here in this region of trouble, are apt to complain and exprefs themfelves diffatisfied, faying with Job, It profiteth a man nothing, that he should Job xxxiv. delight himself with God. What advantage will it be 9. xxxv. 3. unto me, and what profit fhall I have, if I be cleanfed from my fin? or with David, Verily I have cleanfed my pf. lxxiii, heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency: for all 13, 14. the day long I have been plagued, and chaftened every morning.

To thefe confiderations, difadvantageous in this refpect to piety, may be added, that the conftant and certain profits emergent from it (although incomparably more fubftantial, and to the mind more fenfible than any other,) are not yet fo grofs and palpable, that men, who from being immerfed in earth and flesh are blind in error, dull of apprehenfion, vain and inconfiderate in their judgments, tainted and vitiated in their palates, can discern their worth, or relifh their sweetness. Hence it is that fo many follow the judgment and practice of those in Job, who Job xxi. Jay unto God, Depart from us, for we defire not the know- 14, 15. ledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should ferve him? and what profit fhould we have, if we pray

unto bim?

For voiding which prejudices, and the recommen

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