tually employed in actions that are im- SER M. mediately of a religious nature; or that IV. all his Thoughts and Discourses are to be wholly confined to things Sacred: But that his Principal and Final Aim, his General and Conftant View, the fettled Temper and Difpofition of his mind, and the Habitual Tendency of all his Actions, be the establishing of Truth and Right in the World. And when once a man has habitually fixt to himself this Great End, and 'tis become (as it were) his Natural Temper; When he is transformed (as St Paul expreffes it) by the renewing of his Mind, and his Meat and Drink (as our Saviour speaks concerning himself) is to do the Will of his Father which is in Heaven: This Love of Goodnefs, will naturally, like all Other Habits, influence even the most common actions of his life: Even when he is not actually thinking of it, but employed perhaps in the most vulgar affairs, or even in diverfions themfelves; yet ftill every thing he does, will habitually have fomewhat in it, tending to promote a general fense of Truth and Equity, a general Regard to God and Virtue. And whatever his particular G 4

State,

. IV.

SER M. State, Relation, or Circumftances of Life be; he will particularly apply the proper Advantages and Opportunities, wherewith That State or Thofe Circumstances more peculiarly furnish him, to promote the fame Ends of Virtue and Goodness.

As a Magiftrate or Governour, he will take care that That Weight, and Power of influencing Others, which the Superiority of his Station gives to his Example, fhall be directed conftantly to the Interest of Virtue. In the execution of Laws, (in which matter there is room for great variety of Prudent or Imprudent exercise of Power,) he will always endeavour to put the Strels of Authority, upon urging men to do those things which will really make them better, and deterring them from fuch Practices as are intrinfically in their own nature evil or vicious; That fo the Laws of God and Man may uniformly promote one and the fame End, for the Punishment only of Evil doers, and for the Praife of them that do well: And with regard to Ambition, or the Increase of his own Power and Dominion; he will take much more pleasure in being able to be publickly beneficial to Mankind, by maintaining

taining their juft Rights and Properties ;SER M, than in obtaining to Himself Power, for Power's fake.

AGAIN: A person of This difpofition, if he be in his ftation a Preacher of the Gofpel; he will not have in his View the temporal Grandeur of any particular Sect or Party of Men; but will always endeavour to fet before men the Truth of God in That native Simplicity, and represent to them the religion of Chrift (in the manner our Lord himself represented it) to be fuch a reasonable Service, as that it may effectually convince the Minds of Gainfayers, and, by the irresistible force of Truth and Reafon, compel them to fubmit themselves to the Obedience of Christ. And above all things he will take care to give evidence in his whole behaviour, that He himself fincerely believes and expects That Judgment to come, which he fets forth to Others as the Great Argument that muft oblige them to embrace the Truths and to obey the Precepts of the Gospel According to That direction of our Saviour, Let your Light fo Shine before men, that they may fee your good works, and glorify your Father which

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IV.

IV.

SER M.is in Heaven. If he lives in a corrupt and degenerate Age, he will principally fet himself, with all meeknefs and gentleness, to oppose the particular corruptions of the Age he lives in; endeavouring, by all fair and righteous methods, to bring as Many as poffible to the acknowledgment of the Truth.

Lastly, SUCH a perfon, if he be in the capacity of a Father or Master of a Family, will take all proper occafions to inftill right notions of Truth and Virtue, into thofe over whom the Circumstances of his State and Relation naturally give him an Influence. And by his Private Example, fhowing in his most free and retired converfation, that he has conftantly upon his mind That Real Regard to God and Virtue, which 'tis more eafy and ufual to make Show of in Publick; he will with great efficacy promote the True Honour of God, and the advancement of fincere Religion. For, formal Admonitions and Publick Declarations concerning matters of Religion, are apt to be of very fmall force, either towards fixing in the Mind Right Principles, or forming in the Manners a Habit of virtuous Practice; if

in the private life and converfation of SER M. thofe by whom Families are to be direct- IV. ed, there appear Prophaneness and Impiety, or Lewdnefs and Debauchery, or tyrannical Oppreffiveness and violent and unreasonable Paffions. How affectionate foever the Exhortations of the Preachers of the Gospel be, and how often foever repeated Inftructions be given to young perfons either in Schools or otherwise; yet if the Examples they find at home in the Practife of common Life, be vitious, debauched, and altogether contrary to the Precepts and Admonitions given them in form; the effect of all fuch inftruction cannot but be, comparatively speaking, very inconfiderable. Nor is there any other poffible way, by which there can be any Hope that the arguments of Religion fhould come to have their due Weight, and general Efficacy in the World; unless They, whofe State, Relation, and Circumstances, give them a Natural Influence over Many, will fhow in the whole, course of their private converfation, and in the freeft and moft retired part of common Life, that they have really upon their minds a Senfe and Concern for Religion;