380 DIRECTIONS FOR GETTING AND ItEEl'ING might purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works;" 1 Pet. ü. 12. Heb. x. 24. "Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love, and togood works." What a multitudeof such passages may you fmd in Scripture! You see, then, how'great a part of your calling and religion con- sisteth in doing good. Now, it is not enough to make this your care now and then, or do good when it falls in your way ; but you must study which are good works, and which are they that you are called to; and which are the best works, and to be preferked, that you choose not a less instead of a greater. God looks to be served with the best. You must study for opportunities of doing good, and of the means of succeeding and accomplishing it; and for the removing of impediments, and for the overcoming of dis- suasives, and withdrawing temptations. You must know what talents God bath intrusted you with, and those you must study to do good with ; whether it be time, or interest in men, or opportu- nity, or riches, or credit, or authority, or gifts ofmind, or of body: if you have not one, you have another; and some have all. This, therefore, is the thing that I would persuade you to; take yourself for God's steward ; remember the time when it will be said to you, " Give account of thy stewardship ; thou shalt be no longer steward." Let it be your every day's contrivance, how to lay out your gifts, time, strength, riches, or interest, to your Mas- ter's use. Thinkwhich way you may do most, first to promote the gospel and the public good of the church ; and then, which way you may help towards the saving of particular men's souls; and then, which way you may better the commonwealth, and how you may do good to men's bodies, beginning with your own and those of your family, but extending your help as much further as you are able. Ask yourself every morning, ' Which way may I this day most further my Master's business, and the good of men?' Ask yourself everynight, 'What good have I done to-day ?' And labor as much as may be to be instruments of some great and standing good; and of some public and universal good, that you may look behind you at the year's end, and at your lives' end, and see thegood that you have done. A piece of bread is soon eaten, and a penny or a shilling is soon spent ; but if you could win a soul to God from sin, that would be a visible, everlasting good. If you could be instruments of setting up a godly minister in a con- gregation that want, the everlasting good of many souls might, in part, be ascribed to you. If you could help to heal and unite a divided church, you fright more rejoice to look back on the fruits of your labor, than any physician might rejoice to see his poor patient recovered to health. I have told rich men, in another book, what opportunities they have to do good, if they had hearts.
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