II.

satisfieth fancy and curiofity, promoteth ease and liberty, SERM. supporteth 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 so much affected and pursued, because it is, or doth feem, apt to procure or promote fome good defirable

to us.

If therefore a project should be proposed to us very feasible, and probable to fucceed, in purfuance whereof affuredly we might obtain great profit; methinks, in confistence with ourselves, and conformably to our usual 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 trusty voucher and skilful judge of such things, and one who had himself fully experimented it, is propofed; which in itself is very practicable, so 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 unspeakably vaft; in comparison whereto all other defigns, which men with fo much care and toil do purfue, are very unprofitable or detrimental, yielding but shadows of profit, or bringing real damage to us.

It is briefly this, to be religious or pious; that is, in our minds steadfastly to believe on God, (fuch as nature in some measure, and revelation more clearly, declareth him,) in our hearts earnestly to love and reverence him, through all our practice fincerely and diligently to observe 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 fo, by representing fome of thofe numberless benefits and advantages which accrue from it, extending to all conditions and capacities of men, to all states, all seasons, 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

II.

SERM. to its followers: and many femblances there are countenancing that opinion. For religion feemeth to fmother or to flacken the industry 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, prescribing in the first place to seek things spiritual, heavenly, and future; by disparaging all fecular wealth, as a thing, in comparison to virtue and spiritual goods, very mean and inconfiderable; by checking greedy defires and aspiring thoughts after it; by debarring the most ready ways of getting it, (violence, exaction, fraud, and flattery,) yea, ftraitening the best ways, eager care and diligence; by commending strict justice in all cafes, and always taking part with conscience when it clasheth with intereft; by paring away the largest uses 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 expose 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 fuffer, or to be no wife vifibly better for it, enduring much hardship and diftrefs.

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 superficial performances, feel fatisfactory returns, fuch as they did prefume to find; and thence, to the defamation of piety, are Mal. i. 14. apt to fay, with those men in the Prophet, It is vain to ferve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, 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 disappointments and croffes ineident to all men here in this region of trouble, are apt to

II.

9. XXXV. 3.

complain and exprefs themselves diffatisfied, faying with SERM. Job, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himfelf with God. What advantage will it be unto me, and Job xxxiv. what profit fhall I have, if I be cleanfed from my fin? or with David, Verily I have cleanfed my heart in vain, and Pf. lxxiii. washed my hands in innocency: for all the day long I have 13, 14. been plagued, and chaftened every morning.

To these confiderations, difadvantageous in this refpect to piety, may be added, that the conftant and certain profits emergent from it (although incomparably more substantial, 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 fleth are blind in error, dull of apprehenfion, vain and inconfiderate in their judgments, tainted and vitiated in their palates, can difcern their worth, or relish their sweetness. Hence it is that so many follow the judgment and practice of thofe in Job, who fay Job xxi. unto God, Depart from us; for we defire not the knowledge 14, 15. of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should ferve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto

him?

For voiding which prejudices, and the recommendation of St. Paul's project, I shall, as I faid, propose fome of those innumerable advantages, by confidering which the immenfe profitableness of piety will appear. And first, I shall mention those confiderations, which more plainly do import universality; then shall touch fome benefits thereof, seeming more particular, yet in effect vaftly large, and of a very diffufive influence.

I. First then, we may confider, that piety is exceeding useful for all forts of men, in all capacities, all states, all relations; fitting and difpofing them to manage all their respective concernments, to discharge all their peculiar duties, in a proper, juft, and decent manner.

Col. iv. 1.

It rendereth all fuperiors equal and moderate in their Eph. vi. 9. administrations; mild, courteous, and affable in their converfe; benign and condefcenfive in all their demeanour toward their inferiors.

Correfpondently it disposeth inferiors to be fincere and Eph. vi. 5.

SERM. faithful, modeft, loving, refpectful, diligent, apt willingly to yield due fubjection and fervice.

II.

Col. iii. 22. 1 Pet. ii. 18.

Rom. xiii.

1.

It inclineth princes to be just, gentle, benign, careful for 'their fubjects' good, apt to adminifter justice uprightly, to protect right, to encourage virtue, to check wickednefs. Answerably it rendereth fubjects loyal, fubmiffive, obedient, quiet, and peaceable, ready to yield due honour, 1 Pet. ii. 13. to pay the tributes and bear the burdens imposed, to dif1 Pet. iv. 9. charge all duties, and obferve all laws prescribed by their Phil. ii. 14. governors, conscionably, patiently, cheerfully, without reluctancy, grudging, or murmuring.

Tit. iii. 1.

Eph. vi. 4.

It maketh parents loving, gentle, provident for their Col. iii. 21. children's good education, and comfortable subsistence; 1 Tim. v. 8. children again, dutiful, refpectful, grateful, apt to requite

Eph. vi. 1.

Col. iii. 20. their parents.

Eph. v. 25.

Husbands from it become affectionate and compliant Col. iii. 19. to their wives; wives fubmiffive and obedient to their Eph. v. 22. husbands.

1 Pet. iii. 7.

Tit. ii. 5.

Col. iii. 18. It disposeth friends to be friends indeed, full of cordial 1 Pet. iii. 5. affection and good-will, entirely faithful, firmly conftant, induftriously careful and active in performing all good offices mutually.

Gal. vi. 2. 10.

Phil. iv. 8.

It engageth men to be diligent in their calling, faithful to their trufts, contented and peaceable in their station, and thereby serviceable to public good.

It rendereth all men just and punctual in their dealing, orderly and quiet in their behaviour, courteous and com1 Theff. iii. plaisant in their converfation, friendly and charitable upon all occafions, apt to affift, to relieve, to comfort one another.

12.

2

13.

Cor. ix.

It tieth all relations more faftly and ftrongly, assüreth and augmenteth all endearments, enforceth and establisheth all obligations by the firm bands of confcience; fet afide which, no engagement can hold fure against temptations of intereft or pleasure. Much difference there is between performing these duties out of natural temper, fear of punishment, hope of temporal reward, selfish defign, regard to credit, or other the like principles, and the difcharging them out of religious confcience: this alone will

11.

keep men tight, uniform, refolute, and ftable; whereas SERM. all other principles are loofe and flippery, will foon be fhaken and falter.

In confequence to those practices springing from it, piety removeth oppreffion, violence, faction, disorders, and murmurings, out of the ftate; fchifms and fcandals out of the church; pride and haughtiness, floth and luxury, detraction and sycophantry, out of the court; corruption and partiality out of judicatures; clamours and tumults out of the street; brawlings, grudges, and jealoufies out of families; extortion and cozenage out of trade; ftrifes, emulations, flanderous backbitings, bitter and foul language, out of converfation: in all places, in all focieties it produceth, it advanceth, it establisheth, order, peace, safety, prosperity, all that is good, all that is lovely or handfome, all that is convenient or pleasant for human society and common life. It is that which, as the Wife Man Prov. xiv. faith, exalteth a nation; it is that which establisheth a throne.

34. xvi. 12. XX. 28. xxix. 14.

viii. 15.

It is indeed the best prop and guard that can be of xxix. 8. government, and of the commonweal: for it fettleth the body politic in a found conftitution of health, it firmly cementeth the parts thereof; it putteth all things into a right order and steady course. It procureth mutual respect and affection between governors and fubjects, whence ariseth safety, ease, and pleasure to both. It rendereth men truly good, (that is, juft and honeft, fober and confiderate, modest and peaceable,) and thence apt, without any constraint or ftir, to yield every one their due; not affected to needlefs change, not difpofed to raise any dif turbance. It putteth men in good humour, and keepeth them in it; whence things pafs fmoothly and pleafantly. It cherisheth worth, and encourageth industry; whence virtue flourisheth, and wealth is increased; whence the occafions and means of diforder are stopped, the pretences for fedition and faction are cut off. In fine, it certainly procureth the benediction of God, the fource of all welfare and prosperity: whence, When it goeth well with the Prov.xi.10. righteous, the city rejoiceth; and, When the righteous are xxix. 2.