602 Hose fhatl Merchants inforraign parts keep up Serm. 26. claim my faith and Religion, yet am I engaged never to difown it, and therefore we mu(I take herd of that which El,hn charged lob with, lob 36,21. the choofing iniquity rather than apt-lion ; and therefore when fear or covetoufnefs would urge us to fin, rather than fuller, let us remember, againfl our fears, that 'cis a morefear- full thing to fall into the hands of the living God, than dying men, Ifa. 51.12. and again(} oar earthly delres, fetus remember, that if we gain the whole world, and lofe our own fouls, we (hats be in- comparable lofers by the bargain, Matt-b. i6. 26. On the other fide, when ambition, vain-glory or humour would urge us to unneceffary full_ rings, let us remember , that God who is Wif- dome it felf, hirh no pleafure in fouls, Eccl. 5.4. nor delightsin chofe ffcrifices which are not prefented to him by prudent conlderation and fober refolution but by the folly of a precipitate zeal ; and however where the heart is right and full of love, God may ac- cept of the love, and pardon the weaknefs, yet he no way delights in the fufferings which men bring upon themfelves unnecefharily, by rafh, imprudent carriage, whereby they betray their lives and libe ti.s to the lulls and rage of men, and draw on their enemies to blood and cruelty, and upbraid the wifdome of thofe who are not fo rafh, as being lets real to God and Chrifl, and make others have hard thoughts of that Religion which cannot confifï with-pru- dence and wifdome. z. Be much in the exercife of thofe a &s of true Religion weich are beautiful in the eyes of all, even the worts of men ; the Apollle Peter intimates the fecurity of an evidently good and holy life, t Pet. 3.t 3 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers ofthat which tQ good ? the chief pieces of Christian Religion are fuch as Papifis, Turks and Infidels mull needs acknowledge to be good ; To vifite the fatherlefs and widows in their afitlion ; ro wrong no man ; To do to others whatever we would that others jhould do to ns : Now when we cannot without danger exercife fome other (perhaps morequefli- onable) parts of Chriflian Religion, then 'tis good to be fo much the more in the pra&ice of thefe undoubted pieces of a Chriflian fife, and zeal in chefe things will force thofe without to approve, whereas zeal in arguing for, or in pra&ifng other things may caufe them to hate and perfecure us ; zeal in arguing' and difputing brings on evil words and evil actions, but zeal in the praelice of un- quellionable duties, produceth good deeds in our (elves, and forceth good thoughts and good words, if not good deeds from others. In
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