Serra. CLVIII. andparticular Calling. 3 79 Thefe are the two parts of the Text, and they fhall be the two heads of my following Difcourfe; and God grant, that what fhall be faid upon them, may be effe&ual to perfuade every one of "us ferioufly to mind our great intereft and concernment, and to apply our felves with all our might to that which is our pro- per work and bufintcfsin this World. Fir/f, We will confider the matter of this Counfel and Exhortation, and that is that we would ufe great Diligence and Induftry about that which is our pro- per work and bufinefs in this life ; and this may very probably comprehend in it thefe two things. I. Diligence in our great work and bufinefs, that which equallyconcerns every Man, I mean the bufinefs of Religion, in order to the eternal Happinefs and Sal- vation ofour Souls. II. Diligence in our particular Calling and Charge, whatever it be. I. Diligence in our great and general Work, that which equally concerns every Man, the bufinefs ofReligion, in order to the eternal Happinefs and Salvation of our Souls ; and this confifts in thefe two things. I. In a fincere care and endeavour of univerfal Obedience to God, by the con- formity ofour lives and a&ions to his laws. 2. In a cafe of fin and mifcarriage, in a fincere repentance for our fins, and a timely care to be reconcil'd toGod. I. In a fincere careand endeavour ofuniverfal Obedience to God, by the con- formity of our lives and a&ions to his will and law. And this is a great work; and requires our greateft care and diligence to re&ifie our minds, to reftrain our evil inclinations, to fubdue and mortifie our lufts, to corre& the irregularity of our paffions, to moderate and govern our appetites and affe&ions, and to keep them within due and reafonable bounds, to take heed to ourways, that we offend not with our tongue, nor tranfgrefsour Duty by word or deed ; to ferve God with true devotionof mind, both in publick andprivate ; to attend upon the Duties of his worfhip, and to perform all altsof Piety and Religion, with care and'conftan- cy, in the fincerity and uprightnefs of our hearts ; to be meek and humble, peaceable and patient, chearful and contented with our condition ; to be ready not only to forgive injuries, but to requite them with kindnefs and good turns, to do all Offices of humanity and charity to all Men, according to our ability and opportunity ; to inftru& the ignorant, and to reduce thofe that are in error to the knowledge ofthe truth, bywife Counfel andgood Example; to endeavour to turn men from the evil of their ways, and to fave their fouls from death; to be ready to fupply Mens outward wants andneceffities, to comfort them in their forrows, and to relieve them in their afAi&ion and diftrefs. And thefe works of Compaffion and Charity are perhaps more particularly in- tended here in theText, for fo the Chaldee Paraphrafe interprets thefe words of Solomon, as a Precept of Charity, rendring them thus, Do all thou canfl, according to thy utmoft ability in alms and charity: for nothing but this will turn to our ac- count in anotherWorld ; no other way of laying out our Eftates, will be of any advantage to us in the future Rate. And though I do not think Solomon did here intend to exclude any part of religious,pra&ice, yet he might very well have a more efpecial eye and regard to this, as one of the principal inftances and belt evi- dences of a. true and fincere Piety, according to that of St.James, Chap. r. Yer. lait. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the father, is this, to vita the fa- therlefs andwidows in theirafiftions. To be fore, our Saviour lays mighty weight upon it, by making it the great Article by which Men fhall be tryed at the Judg- ment of the great day. And indeed no Religion is to be valued, that wants Hu- manity and Compaffion; for fo far as it departs from this, it departs from the true nature of God and Religion. So that it is a vaft work which liesupon our hands, and which every one of us, from the higheft to the loweft, are ingaged in; this bufinefs ofReligion, this care . of our whole Man, and of our whole Duty, of the inward frame and difpofition of our minds, and of all our words and a&ions, to keep our hearts with all dili- C c c 2 gene,
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