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ON BEING DILIGENT IN OUR CALLING.

191

We cannot fancy things into being, or make them vanish into nothing by the stubborn confidence of our imaginations. Things are as sullen as we are, and will be what they are whatever we think of them. And if there be a God, a man cannot by an obstinate disbelief of Him make Him cease to be, any more than a man can put out the sun by winking.

2. ON BEING DILIGENT IN OUR CALLING.—(PREACHED BEFORE KING CHARLES II.)

We must be diligent in our particular calling and charge, in that province and station which God hath appointed us, whatever it be ; whether it consists in the labour of our hands, or in the improvement of our minds, in order to the gaining of knowledge for our own pleasure and satisfaction, and for the use and benefit of others; whether it lie in the skill of government, and the administration of public justice; or in the management of a great estate, of an honourable rank and quality above others, to the best advantage, for the honour of God, and the benefit and advantage of men, so as, by the influence of our power and estate, and by the authority of our example, to contribute all we can to the welfare and happiness of others.

For it is a great mistake to think any man is without a calling, and that God does not expect that every one of us should employ himself in doing good in one kind or other. Some persons, indeed, by the privilege of their birth and quality, are above a common trade and profession, but they are not hereby either exempted or excused from all business, because they are so plentifully provided for themselves; nay, on the contrary, they have so much the greater obligation, having the liberty and leisure to attend the good of others; the higher our character and station is, we have the better opportunities of being publicly useful and beneficial; and the heavier will our account be if we neglect these opportunities. Those who are in a low and private condition can only shine to a few, but they that are advanced a great height above others may, like the heavenly bodies, dispense a general light and influence, and scatter happiness and blessings among all that are below them.

And as they are capable of doing more good than others, so with more ease and effect; that which persons of an inferior rank can hardly bring others to, by all the importunity of counsel and persuasion, as, namely, to the practice of any virtue, and the quitting and abandoning of any vice, a prince and a great man that is good himself may easily gain them to, without ever speaking a word to them, by the silent authority and powerful allurement of his example. So that though every man have not a particular profession, yet the highest among men have some employment allotted to them by God, suitable to their condition, a province which He expects they should administer and adorn with great care.

The great business of the lower part of mankind is to provide for themselves the necessaries of life; and it is well if they can do it with all their care and diligence. But those who are of a higher rank, their proper business and employment is to dispense good to others; which, surely, is a much happier condition and employment, according to that admirable saying of our Saviour mentioned by St Paul, "It is a more blessed thing to give than to receive." Those of meaner condition can only be men to one another; and it were well if they would be so: but he that is highly raised and advanced above others hath the happy opportunity in his hands, if he have but the heart to make use of it, to be a kind of god to men.

Let no man, then, of what birth, or rank, or quality soever, think it beneath him to serve God, and to be useful to the benefit and advantage of men. Let us remember the Son of God, a person of the highest quality and extraction that ever was, who spent Himself wholly in this blessed work of doing good; toiled and laboured in it as if it had been for His life; submitted to all the circumstances of meanness, to all the degrees of contempt, to all kind of hardship and sufferings, for the benefit and salvation of men,-sweat drops of blood, and at last poured it forth in full streams, to save us from eternal misery and ruin. And is any of us better than the "Son of God, the heir of all things, and the elder brother of us all ?" Shall any of us, after this, think ourselves too good to be employed in that work which God Himself disdained not to do when He appeared in the likeness and nature of men? If we would esteem things rightly, and according to reason, the true privilege and advantage of greatness is, to be able to do more good than others; and in this the majesty and felicity of God Himself doth chiefly consist, in His ready and forward inclination, and in His infinite power and ability to do good. The creation of the world was a great and glorious design; but this God only calls His work. But to preserve and support the creatures which He hath made; to bless them and to do them good; to govern them by wise laws, and to conduct them to that happiness which He designed for them, this is His rest, His perpetual Sabbath, His great delight and satisfaction to all eternity. To do good is our duty and our business; but it is likewise the greatest pleasure and recreation, that which refresheth the heart of God and man.

I have insisted the longer upon this, that those who are thought to be above any calling, and to have no obligation upon them but to please themselves, may be made sensible that, according to their ability and opportunity, they have a great work upon their hands, and more business to do than other men, which, if they would but seriously mind, they would not only please God, but, I daresay, satisfy and please themselves much better than they do in any other course. I know it is a duty particularly incumbent upon the lower part of mankind to be diligent in their particular calling, that so they may provide for themselves and their families; but this is not so proper for this place; and if it were, the necessity of

ON TRUTH AND INTEGRITY.

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human life will probably prompt and urge men more powerfully to this than any argument and persuasion that I can use.

3. ON TRUTH AND INTEGRITY,

Truth and integrity have all the advantages of appearance, and many more. If the show of anything be good for anything, I am sure the reality is better; for why does any man dissemble, or seem to be that which he is not, but because he thinks it good to have the qualities he pretends to? For to counterfeit and dissemble, is to put on the appearance of some real excellency. Now, the best way for a man to seem to be anything, is really to be what he would seem to be. Besides, it is often as troublesome to support the pretence of a good quality as to have it; and if a man have it not, it is most likely he will be discovered to want it; and then all his labour to seem to have it is lost. There is something unnatural in painting, which a skilful eye will easily discern from native beauty and complexion.

It is hard to personate and act a part long; for where truth is not at the bottom, nature will always be endeavouring to return, and will betray herself at one time or other. Therefore, if any man think it convenient to seem good, let him be so indeed, and then his goodness will appear to every one's satisfaction; for truth is convincing, and carries its own light and evidence along with it, and will not only commend us to every man's conscience, but, which is much more, to God, who searcheth our hearts. So that, upon all accounts, sincerity is true wisdom. Particularly as to the affairs of this world, integrity hath many advantages over all the artificial modes of dissimulation and deceit. It is much the plainer and easier, much the safer and more secure way of dealing in the world; it hath less of trouble and difficulty, of entanglement and perplexity, of danger and hazard, in it; it is the shortest and nearest way to our end, carrying us thither in a straight line, and will hold out and last longest. The arts of deceit and cunning continually grow weaker, and less effectual and serviceable to those that practise them; whereas integrity gains strength by use; and the more and longer any man practiseth it, the greater service it does him, by confirming his reputation, and encouraging those with whom he hath to do to repose the greatest confidence in him, which is an unspeakable advantage in business and the affairs of life.

A dissembler must always be upon his guard, and watch himself carefully that he do not contradict his own pretensions; for he acts an unnatural part, and therefore must put a continual force and restraint upon himself; whereas he that acts sincerely hath the easiest task in the world, because he follows nature, and so is put to no trouble and care about his words and actions: he needs not invent any pretences beforehand, nor make excuses afterwards for anything he hath said or done.

But insincerity is very troublesome to manage. A hypocrite

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hath so many things to attend to as makes his life a very perplexed and intricate thing. A liar hath need of a good memory, lest he contradict at one time what he said at another. But truth is always consistent with itself, and needs nothing to help it out; it is always near at hand, and sits upon our lips, and is ready to drop out before we are aware; whereas a lie is troublesome, and one trick needs a great many more to make it good.

Add to all this, that sincerity is the most compendious wisdom, and an excellent instrument for the speedy despatch of business. It creates confidence in those we have to deal with, saves the labour of many inquiries, and brings things to an issue in a few words. It is like travelling a plain beaten road, which commonly brings a man sooner to his journey's end than by-ways, in which men often lose themselves. In a word, whatever convenience may be thought to be in falsehood and dissimulation, it is soon over; but the inconvenience of it is perpetual, because it brings a man under an everlasting jealousy and suspicion, so that he is not believed when he speaks truth, nor trusted when perhaps he means honestly. When a man has once forfeited the reputation of his integrity, nothing will then serve his turn, neither truth nor falsehood.

Indeed, if a man were only to deal in the world for a day, and should never have occasion to converse more with mankind-never more need their good opinion or good word, it were then no great matter (as far as respects the affairs of this world) if he spent his reputation all at once, and ventured it at one throw. But if he be to continue in the world, and would have the advantage of reputation whilst he is in it, let him make use of sincerity in all his words and actions; for nothing but this will hold out to the end. All other arts will fail; but truth and integrity will carry a man through, and bear him out to the last.

XXII. JOHN LOCKE.

JOHN LOCKE was born at Wrington, in Somerset, in 1632, and was educated at Westminster and Oxford, where he was highly distinguished by general proficiency. He adopted medicine as his profession, and was fortunate enough to become the medical adviser of Lord Ashley, afterwards the famous Earl of Shaftesbury, who highly appreciated his talents, and received him into his house, where he had the opportunity of meeting with many of the most distinguished men of the day. When the Cabal came into power, Ashley rewarded his friend with a government office, which, however, he soon lost when his patron forfeited the royal favour. Locke adhered steadily to Ashley in all his career, and even followed him to Holland, when he was obliged to save his life by fleeing from his country. In Holland Locke was said to have aided Monmouth's insurrection, and James demanded him from the States for punishment, but the philosopher escaped by prudently concealing himself for a time. At the Revolu

OF THE ORIGIN OF OUR IDEAS.

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tion Locke came over in the fleet with William of Orange, and for some time held office under his government; but ill health obliged him to retire from public life, and, after a few years spent in retirement, he died in 1704. In his own day Locke promoted the cause of liberty by his able "Letters on Toleration;" but it is chiefly as a philosophical writer that he is now famous. His " Essay on the Human Understanding," published in 1690, has perhaps exercised a greater influence on Mental Philosophy than any other modern work. It has been of essential service in clearing away the rubbish of scholastic phraseology and baseless theories which had obscured the subject of Mental Philosophy, and teaching men that in it, as in all the sciences, truth could only be found by relying on experience and common sense. It may be doubted, however, whether Locke has not carried his scepticism too far; and to many it appears, that the view which he has taken of the operations of the human mind is defective and one-sided. Besides the works mentioned, Locke wrote "Thoughts on Education,' Essay on the Conduct of the Understanding," and a Treatise on the Reasonableness of Christianity."

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1. OF THE ORIGIN OF OUR IDEAS.-("ESSAY ON THE UNDERSTANDING," BOOK II., CHAP. I.)

Every man being conscious to himself that he thinks, and that which his mind is applied about, whilst thinking, being the ideas that are there, it is past doubt that men have in their mind several ideas, such as are those expressed by the words, "Whiteness, hardness, sweetness, thinking, motion, man, elephant, army, drunkenness," and others. It is in the first place, then, to be inquired, how he comes by them? I know it is a received doctrine, that men have native ideas and original characters stamped upon their minds in their very first being. This opinion I have at large examined already; and, I suppose, what I have said in the foregoing book will be much more easily admitted when I have shown whence the understanding may get all the ideas it has, and by what ways and degrees they may come into the mind; for which I shall appeal to every one's observation and experience.

Let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper, void of all characters, without any ideas; how comes it to be furnished? Whence comes it by that vast store, which the busy and boundless fancy of man has painted on it, with an almost endless variety? Whence has it all the materials of reason and knowledge? To this I answer, in one word, from experience; in that all our knowledge is founded, and from that it ultimately derives itself. Our observation, employed either about external sensible objects, or about the internal operations of our minds, perceived and reflected on by ourselves, is that which supplies our understandings with all the materials of thinking. These, too, are the fountain of knowledge, from whence all the ideas we have, or can naturally have, do spring.

First, Our senses, conversant about particular sensible objects, do convey into the mind several distinct perceptions of things, accord

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