the fame tempers in all other places. He that truly knows, why he fhould fpend any time well, knows that it is never allowable to throw any time away. He that rightly understands the reasonableness, and excellency of charity, will know, that it can never be excufable to waste any of our money in pride and fol ly, or in any needlefs expences.

FOR every argument that fhews the wisdom and excellency of charity, proves the wisdom of fpending all our fortune well. Every argument that proves the wisdom and reasonableness of having times of prayer, fhews the wisdom and reasonableness of losing none of our time.

IF any one could fhew, that we need not always act as in the divine prefence, that we need not confider and ufe every thing, as the gift of God, that we need not always live by reafon, and make religion the rule of all our actions, the fame arguments would fhew, that we need never act as in the prefence of God, nor make religion and reason the measure of any of our actions. If therefore we are to live unto God at any time, or in any place, we are to live unto him at all times, and all places. If we are to use any thing as the gift of God, we are to use every thing as his gift. If we are to do any thing by ftrict rules of reafon and piety, we ought to do every thing in the fame manner. Because reafon, and wisdom, and piety are as much the best things at all times, and in all places, as they are the best things at any time, or in any place.

If it is our glory and happiness to have a rational nature, that is endued with wisdom and reason, that is capable of imitating the Divine nature; then it must be our glory and happiness, to improve our reason and wisdom, to act up to the excellency of our rational nature, and to imitate God in all our actions, to the utmost of our power. They therefore, who confine religion to times and places, and fome little rules of retirement, who think that it is being too ftrict and rigid to introduce religion into common life, and make

F 3

it

it give laws to all their actions and ways of living, they who think thus, not only mistake, but they miftake the whole nature of Religion. For furely they mistake the whole nature of Religion, who can think, any part of their life is made more eafy, for being free from it. They may well be faid to mistake the whole nature of wisdom, who don't think it defirable to be always wife. He has not learnt the nature of piety, who thinks it too much to be pious in all his actions. He does not fufficiently understand what reason is, who does not earnestly defire to live in every thing according to it.

IF we had a Religion that confifted in abfurd superftitions, that had no regard to the perfection of our nature, people might well be glad to have some part of their life excufed from it. But as the Religion of the Gospel is only the refinement and exaltation of our beft faculties, as it only requires a life of the highest Reason, as it only requires us to use this world as in reafon it ought to be used, to live in fuch tempers as are the glory of intelligent beings, to walk in fuch wisdom as exalts our nature, and to practife fuch piety, as will raife us to God; who can think it grievous, to live always in the fpirit of fuch a Religion, to have every part of his life full of it, but he that would think it much more grievous, to be as the angels of God in heaven?

FARTHER, as God is one and the fame Being, always acting like himself and fuitably to his own nature, fo it is the duty of every being that he has created, to live according to the nature that he has given it, and always to act like itself.

IT is therefore an immutable law of God, that all rational beings fhould act reasonably in all their actions; not at this time, or in that place, or upon this eccafion, or in the ufe of fome particular thing, but at all times, in all places, at all occafions, and in the ufe of all things. This is a law that is as unchange

able

able as God, and can no more cease to be, than God can ceafe to be a God of wisdom and order.

WHEN therefore any being that is endued with reafon, does an unreasonable thing at any time, or in any place, or in the ufe of any thing, it fins against the great law of its nature, abuses itself, and fins against God the author of that nature.

THEY therefore, who plead for indulgences and vanities, for any foolish fashions, customs and humours of the world, for the mifufe of our time or money, plead for a rebellion against our nature, for a rebellion against God, who has given us reafon for no other end, than to make it the rule and measure of all our ways of life.

WHEN therefore you are guilty of any folly or extravagance, or indulge any vain temper, don't confider it as a small matter, because it may feem fo, if compared to fome other fins; but confider it, as it is acting contrary to your nature, and then you will fee that there is nothing mall, that is unreasonable. Because all unreasonable ways are contrary to the nature of all rational beings, whether men or Angels. Neither of which can be any longer agreeable to God, than fo far as they act according to the reafon and excellence of their nature.

ry

THE infirmities of human life make fuch food and raiment neceffary for us, as angels do not want; but then it is no more allowable for us to turn these neceffities into follies, and indulge our felves in the luxuof food, or the vanities of drefs, than it is allowable for Angels to act below the dignity of their proper ftate. For a reasonable life, and a wife use of our proper condition, is as much the duty of all men, as it is the duty of all Angels and intelligent beings. Thefe are not fpeculative flights, or imaginary notions, but are plain and undeniable laws, that are founded in the nature of rational beings, who as fuch are ob liged to live by reafon, and glorify God by a continual right ufe of their feveral talents and faculties.

So

So that tho' men are not Angels, yet they may know for what ends, and by what rules men are to live and act, by confidering the ftate and perfection of Angels. Our bleffed Saviour has plainly turned our thoughts this way, by making this petition a constant part of all our prayers, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. A plain proof, that the obedience of men, is to imitate the obedience of Angels, and that rational beings on earth, are to live unto God, as rational beings in heaven live unto him.

WHEN therefore you would represent to your mind, how Chriftians ought to live unto God, and in what degrees of wisdom and holiness they ought to use the things of this life; you muft not look at the world, but you must look up to God, and the fociety of Angels, and think what wisdom and holiness is fit to prepare you for fuch a state of glory; you must look to all the highest precepts of the Gospel; you must examine your felf by the Spirit of Chrift; you must think how the wifeft men in the world have lived; you must think how departed Souls would live, if they were again to act the short part of human life; you must think what degrees of wisdom and holiness, you will wish for,when you are leaving the world.

Now all this is not over-ftraining the matter, or propofing to ourselves any needlefs perfection. It is but barely complying with the Apostle's advice, where he fays, Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatfoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatfoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Phil. iv. 8. For no one can come near the doctrine of this paffage, but ne that propofes to himself to do every thing in this life as a fervant of God, to live by reafon in every thing that he does, and to make the wisdom and holineis of the Gofpel, the rule and meafure of his defiring and ufing every gift of God.

CHAP.

CHAP. VI.

Containing the great obligations, and the great advantages of making a wife and religious use of our estates and fortunes.

A

S the holiness of Christianity confecrates all states and employments of life unto God, as it requires us to afpire after an univerfal obedience, doing and ufing every thing as the fervants of God, fo are we more efpecially obliged to obferve this religious exactnefs, in the use of our eftates and fortunes.

THE reafon of this would appear very plain, if we were only to confider, that our estate is as much the gift of God, as our eyes, or our hands, and is no more to be buried, or thrown away at pleasure, than we are to put out our eyes, or throw away our limbs, as we please.

BUT befides this confideration, there are several other great and important reafons, why we should be religioufly exact in the use of our eftates.

Firft, Because the manner of ufing our money, or fpending our eftate, enters fo far into the bufinefs of every day, and makes fo great a part of our common life, that our common life must be much of the fame nature, as our common way of fpending our estate. If reafon and religion govern us in this, then reafon and religion hath got great hold of us; but if humour, pride and fancy, are the measures of our spending our estate, then humour, pride and fancy, will have the direction of the greatest part of our life.

Secondly, Another great reafon for devoting all our estate to right ufes, is this, because it is capable of being used to the most excellent purposes, and is fo great a means of doing good. If we wafte it, we don't waste a trifle, that fignifies little, but we waste that which might be made as eyes to the blind, as a husband to the widow, as a father to the orphan: We

wafte