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494
CHRISTIAN MORALITY, VIZ.
[SEAM. XXX.
I.
It
is
a
thing praise- worthy
to
labour after an extra-
ordinary
conduct
and uncommon excellence
in
our
com-
mon affairs
of
life,
to excel
all
others
in
the
things
that
relate
to
our station
in
the world.
Let each
of
us
search
and enquire, what
is
it,
within
our reach that
shines
brightest among
men,
and then pursue it
with vigour.
If
a
person,
who
professes religion in the
strictest
man-
ner, and
in.
the
purest
forms,
be
made
a magistrate.
or
public
officer,
let
him do
something extraordinary
for
the
public
welfare,
if
it
be possible,
and
merit
the
public
thanks and praise
of
the community.
So
if
a
man be
called
to
the
ministry
of
the
gospel,
let
him
imitate
the
blessed
apostle
in
zeal
for
Christ
:
as
in
1
Cor.
xv.
10.
I
laboured
more
--than
they
all
Let there
be no
bounds
to:our
desires
of
excellence,
and our
zeal
for the salva-
tion of
men.
Covet
earnestly
the,
best
gifts,
says
the
apostle,
1
Cor.
xii.
SI. and animate
them with the
no-
blest. graces.
There
is
a holy
emulation
wherein
we
may
vie with
one another, and
each
of
us
get
as
near
perfec-
tion
as possible.
This
is
praise
-
worthy.
I
told
you
before,
that
magistrates or ministers must
be diligent in
their
work
to gain a good
report, but
they
must double
that
diligence
to
obtain
special praise.
So
in
the most common employments
of
life,
and
the
management
of
daily
aff
firs
abroad
or
at
home,
we
should
aspire
to be
patterns of
every
thing
that
is
good
and lau-
dable,
that
we
may all be able to
say as
St.
Paul,
.Be
ye
followers
of
me,
even
as
I
also
am
of
Christ
1
Cor.
xi.
1.
Am
I a master
?
Let
me
have
a
holy
ambition to
be
the
best of
masters,
and
by an
excellent conduct constrain
all
my
servants to praise and
love me
:
except
such
vulgar
and
brutal
souls
that
no kindness can engage, no
merit
can
oblige,
and
no
virtue
can influence.
Am
I
a ser-
vant
?
Let
my zeal
for
my
master's
interest
exceed all
my
fellows,
and
my
faithfulness and diligence
in
every
duty
extort
honour
even from those
who envy me,
and deserve
the esteem and love
of
those
that
are above
me.
If
I
am
an artificer,
and God hath
given me
any supe-
rior
talents or capacities,
I
should
not
employ those
su-
perior
talents
in
trifles,
but
use them to some most
valu-
able purposes, for
the benefit
of
mankind, beyond what
former
ages
have
known.
I
should promote
useful know-
ledge,
if
I
am
a
philosopher, and
carry it
on
farther