10. The Tradesman's Piety must be showed, In the sincere promoting of Goodness, and discouraging of Sin. As it is the Honour of God, that he is good and doth good; so he engraves the same image upon his Children. Whatsoever doth regularly tend to the advancing of God's Honour, or the Spiritual and Temporal Good of Mankind, Religion inclines the honest Tradesman to further it to his utmost Ability. It is that engages him in Conscience, if he have any concern in the Plantations beyond Sea, no way to encourage that ungodly Trade of spiriting away either Christians or Infidels against their Wills, but rather to endeavour the Instruction and Conversion of the poor Negros, who have Souls as precious and immortal as his own; and not to be indifferent about their eternal Salvation, much less to hinder their Instruction, as some are said wickedly to do, to the great affront of the Christian Religion: No, he knows that no Gain can countervail the Loss of a Soul; and that where Christ gains, he can never be a loser. This true Piety guides him in giving his voice in any Election; neither any private Respects, nor Inducements from others; neither the Frowns of one, nor Smiles of another shall sway him, but his fixed Design directs ⟨p. 216⟩him which is the Glory of God, and the common Good. This makes him to run among the first to further any Parish Business; this makes him ready to promote the good of his Company, to draw out his Purse for the Maintenance of godly Ministers, and to relieve the Poor. And if he be not the first, he will readily second any good Work: And if things go well with him, the Country shall fare the better for it, his Charity shall be accordingly. For he knows that pure Religion, and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: Not only to be frequent and devout in the Worship of God, but, To visit the Fatherless and the Widows in their Affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the World, Jam. 1. 27.
10. The Tradesman's Piety must be shewed, In the sincere promoting of Goodness, and discouraging of Sin. As it is the Honour of God, that he is good and doth good; so he ingraves the same image upon his Children. Whatsoever doth regularly tend to the advancing of God's Honour, or the Spiritual and Temporal Good of Mankind, Religion inclines the honest Tradesman to further it to his utmost Ability. It is that ingages him in Conscience, if he have any concern in the Plantations beyond Sea, no way to incourage that ungodly Trade of spiriting away either Christians or Infidels against their Wills, but rather to indeavour the Instruction and Conversion of the poor Negros, who have Souls as precious and immortal as his own; and not to be indifferent about their eternal Salvation, much less to hinder their Instruction, as some are said wickedly to do, to the great affront of the Christian Religion: No, he knows that no Gain can countervail the Loss of a Soul; and that where Christ gains, he can never be a loser. This true Piety guides him in giving his voice in any Election; neither any private Respects, nor Inducements from others; neither the Frowns of one, nor Smiles of another shall sway him, but his fixed Design directs ⟨p. 216⟩him which is the Glory of God, and the common Good. This makes him to run among the first to further any Parish Business; this makes him ready to promote the good of his Company, to draw out his Purse for the Maintenance of godly Ministers, and to relieve the Poor. And if he be not the first, he will readily second any good Work: And if things go well with him, the Country shall fare the better for it, his Charity shall be accordingly. For he knows that pure Religion, and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: Not only to be frequent and devout in the Worship of God, but, To visit the Fatherless and the Widows in their Affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the World, Jam. 1. 27.
