Whet1Jrr the greateft Good is ftill to be preferred ~ Anfw. Speaking of that Good which is within his choice, it is 1;0 more doubt than whether Good be the objtd: of the will. If Gcod be eligible ar g"d, th<n the grcatcfi gcoo is nooli eligib!r. whnher 3 Object. But this is ftiO a difficztlty i11jUptrable: How can a m.m iu ttotry a{Jiofl aJtd rxpcnce dijcmt nu n is bound -which rPay .i~ is tb;t the greotfj~ goad is likJ tobe attained? Thir putwb .J. t11JJtJ confcience up 011 enl to prdrnhe ltfi perplexmu ; and rre .Pn1U never be /itre tiJat rre do 11ot fin ' F~r when I h.1ve given to apoor mm greatcflgcod? or done {ome good, for ought I k,Jtow there wus a p!Jorer tbat Jhould luve bad it, or agreater good th.l; •!. fhou!d bave hem done. . Anfw. r. The contrary opinion legitimateth almoft all villany, and ddhoycth mort good works as to our {'elves or any others. If a man may lawli.1lly prefer a ~tonm lcjJcr good before a greata, and be jullified becaufe that the ldfcr is a real gMd, than he may be feeding his HoriC, when he 010uld be f~ving the life o'f his child or neighbour, or quenching a lire in the City, or dtfending the perfon of his King: He may deny to ferve his King and Countrey, and f1y, I was ploughing; or fowing the while. He may prd!r C3.critice before mercy: He may negleCt: his foul, and {crvc his body. He may plow on the Lords Day, and neglcd: all Gods Worfhip. A ldfcr duty is no duty but a fin, when a greater is to be done. Theretorc it is certain that whw two goodJ comt: together to our choice, the greater is w bechofcn, or clfe we fm. -:z. Ar; you e:xpcd that ycur Sceward fhould pro– portion his expences according to the necdfity of your butinefs, and nor give more for a thing than it is worth, nor lay out your money upon fmaUer commodities, while he lraveth your grraur bufincfs unprovided for : And a'S .r ou fxpeCl: that ~our Servant who bath many thing~ i·n the day to dr, lhould have fo much sktll as to know whtch to prefer, and not to leave undone the chicfe{t, whilett he fpendeth his time upon the ltaj1·: So cloth God require that his fcrvants labour to be fo skjiful in his fervice, as to be able to compare their bufindfes together, and to know which at tvery feafon to prefet : If Chtiflianity nquirc4 no wifdome and skil1, it were below mens common Trades and Cal~ lings. 3· And yet when you have done your befi her<, and truly endtavour to fervc God faithfully with the bdl skill and diligence you have, you need not make it a mart er of fcrupnlolity , perple~ ~ity and vexation; For God accepteth.you, and pardoneth your intim1ities, and rewardeth your ti– del'ity: And what if it do follow, that you know not but there may be forrte finful omiffion of a ~ctter way _? Is that fO {\range or intollcrable a conclulion ? As long as it is only a pardoned failing which fhould no't hinder the comfort c.f your obedience? hit Orange to you that we are all irn: perfect> And imperfcd: in every good we do> Even by a culpable finful imperfection? You never Loved God in your lives without a finful imperfection ih your Love? And yet nothing in you is more acceptable tohim than your love. Shall we think a cafe of Confcience ill nfolvcd, unlefs we may conclude, that we are fure we have no iinful imperfeCtion in our duty? If your Servant have not per~ feel skill, in knowing what to prefer in buying and felling, or in his work, I think yon will neither allow him thcnfore to negled: the greater and better, k__nowingly, or by carelefs nrgligence, nor yet wol)ld you have him fit down and whine, and fay, I know not which to choofe : But 'you wonld have him learn to be as skJ/ful as he Cln, and then willingly and chearfully do his bulinefs with the bell skill, and care, and diligence he can; And this you will belt accept. So that this holdcth as the true(\ and exactell folution, of this and many another fuch q fe. Ho that fptndeth that upon an entertainment of forne great ones, which lhould relieve fume poor di~ firdTtd families, that are ready to pcri01, doth fpend it linfully: If you cannot fee this in God; ca:~fo, fuppofc it were the Ki11g1, and you will fee it : If you have but twenty pound to fpend·, and your Tax or Subfidie corneth to fo much: if you entertain fame Noble friend with that money, w·ill the King be fatisfied with that as an eXcuft? Or will you 110t be told that theKing (hould have firfi been 1 fcrved? Remember him then who will. one day ask, [-{;ve yort ftd, or cl(!thed, or vifitedme l Mat.25. You arc not abfolute Owners of any thing, but the fiewards of God! and mufl: expend it as heap~ pointeth you ; And if you let the poor lye languifhing in necdfi!ies, whilefl you arc at great charges ~o entertain the rich without necrffity or a greater good, you rnult anfwer it as an unfaithful Servant. . And yet on the other fide, it may fall out that a pirfon of qu>lity, by a feafonablc, prudent, hand– fame, refpeClful entertainment of his equals or fuperiours, may do more good than by bellowing that chuge upon the poor ; He may t3.vc more than he expcndeth, by avoiding the difpleafurc of men in power: He may keep up his intereft, by which if he be faithful, he may do God and his Countrey rilore fervicc, than if he had given fo much to the poor. And when really it is a uerdful meanr to a grrater good, it is a duty : and then to omit it, and give that cofi.to the poor, would be a fin. ~· 6. Object. But if tiJ~ rule IJ.ld, a mall "'!'ft mver d. but "'" /ijnd of g••d; when be h"h found""' the greateft, he muft d. trothing dfe. Anfrv. He rnufi alwayes do the greateft g-.d : but the fame thing is not at all times the grwcfl good. Out of feafun and meafure a good may be turned to an (vi\: Praying in its fc:afon is bcuer than p!owing; and plowing in its feafon is better than praying, and will do more good: For God will more accept and blefs ir. . 9· 7• Objed. 7hercfore it fumtth the przedmtrft way, to divide my expcnceJ accordi;tg to tbe pro~ P-ortion of otlJcrt of my quality; fome to tbi poor, and {ome to mctffary cbargu, and Jomt to ~mmt of due civility ? Anfrv. That there mufi be a jufi diOribution is no quefiion : becaufe God hath appointed you fe– vexal duties for your expcnces: But the queftion is of the proptmionr, of each rcfpectively. W~e~~
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