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Show ( 14 ) of our Duty to ourfelvcs, to our Neighbour, and to God. And, that a Perfon, who did not command his Pdlions, but allowed himfelf in all manner of irregular Gratifications, which is neolechno his Duty to himfelf; or one who !h:'wed i~ his PraCtice no kind or benevolent ,\ffeClions for his Fellow-creatures, which is the neglect of his Duty to his Neighbour; or on.e who had no Sen{e of his Dependence upon hrs Maker, nor no Love for h1m, nor Fear to offend him, which is the NegleCl of our Duty to God: That fuch a Perf on, I fay, could not in the Nature of Things be capable of a State of - H'appinefs hereafter, but mufl of cour(e be miferable in himfelf, and make all about him fo too. For a wicked Man, therefore, to imagine, that he may be admitted into a State of Happinefs hereafter, with all his irregular and unfubdued Appetites and Paffions in full vigour, and without the neceffary Virtues and Graces habitually eflablilhed in his Soul, is to expect that Heaven fhould for his Sake unhinge the univerfal Conflitution of Thing•, and new model the whole Creation. ln order to the flrict and perfect Obfervation of your Duty, it is necdfary that you be prepared to encounter with, and to refiil, the Temptations, by which you will be in the moft Danger of being drawn afide and obflruCled in your Courfe through Life toward a happy Immortality. The Rocks on which the greatefl Number of Mankind fplit, are Ambition, Covetoufnefs, and Love of Pkafure. The great Reafon why thefe three fatal Delufions (o often get the better of People, and miilead them from true Happinefs, is, That they have very falfe and erroneous erroneous Notions of their true Nature, and·of the Gratifications they offer; That they expect from them what is not in their Power to give, I mca:J, fubflantial Happine(s; That they believe them to be true and real Goods, whereas they are only imaginary; and that they do not confider how difproportioned fuch fleeting and contemptible Objects are to the immenfe Defires of the immortal Soul. To confider them a little, as they are in themfelves; Firfl as to Amoition, how foolilh is it for any Man to place his Happinefs in the Applaufe or Admiration of other Men, who mufl be judged as well as himfdf, whofe Approbation or Blame will not in the leaf! affect his final State, or byas the unerrino Jud"e of all either to his Prejudice or Advant~gc. 0The only Value of the Opinioa of others is, That it may ferve to confirm the Judgment of a Man's own Confcience: For it cannot fatisfv him with any part of his Conduct, which he himfelf knows to have been unjuflifiable, or make him condemn any Action, which he knows he did in the Simplicity and Sincerity of his Heart, .from a truly good and laudable Motive, and for a good End. You will find that the Multitude judge almofl conflantly the wrong Way, even in Matte.rs whic~, .one would think, lay obvious to thear Exammatton; much more, when they pretend to judge of the fecret Springs and Motives of one another's Actions, which lie hid within the Heart, rmpenetrable to every Eye but His, who fees all Things. Let me advife you therefore to aim folely and fin~ly at the Approbation of your Confcience and your God, and 1 wi II alf;tre you of that of Men and Angels into the bargain, c 3 if |