of the whole Earth for in all places where there are Men of this Character and Quality Men of the truly Christian Temper and Spirit Men that obey the Law of Christ and live as he did there are the Members of Christ's Body For Christ is not a Name and a Word nor is Christianity a Profession and a Shew only nor is the Company of the Faithful Men of an external Denomination but Christ is a spiritual Head and Christianity is an inward Principle of Life and Power and Christians are not those who have a Form of Knowledg and Godliness but the Power They are Christians who are inwardly such who have not only wash'd their Flesh in the Sacred Font but who have purified their Hearts who have cleansed their Consciences from dead Works to serve the Living God And where-ever in the World such Men are in what places how remote soever they are of the same Body of which Christ is Head and in whatsoever distant times they lived they were of the same Society For there were alway two great Corporations or Bodies of Men in the World and never more one who obeyed the Laws of God of whom the only begotten of the Father the Eternal Word is the Head the other who cast the Laws of God behind them and follow their own Lusts of these the Devil the Prince of Apostate Angels is the Governour So that the Men of this Christian Temper and Life in whatever Ages or Places of the World they have lived or do or shall live they are of this Society or Church Nay it extends it self further to those in Heaven also the Spirits of just Men made perfect They are indeed the Church Triumphant but they are still of the Church so that of this there shall be no end When we shall put off these corruptible Bodies and leave this Earth and go to Heaven yet even then and there we shall continue in the same Society and be Members of the Body of Christ From this Consideration we may infer What a grand Privilege it is to be of this truly Catholick Church which hath been in all Ages of the World and which will continue for ever which is not only in all places of this Earth but in Heaven also For by our being of the same Body we are engaged and disposed to an universal Love to all holy and good Men as Men of the fame Country or Town are more inclined to love each other rather than Strangers And this is a great Advantage indeed to have our Love directed aright and increased But besides this we communicate with the Saints of all Times and Places and receive many Benefits upon the account of their Prayers and their Holiness How many times hath the infinitely good God transmitted down his Blessings to many Generations for the sakes of his Abrahams and his Davids and the whole World but especially Men of the same Society with them have fared the better because of them This also is considerable That we cannot be separated from this Body by any length of Time or distance of Place where-ever we live or where-ever we are if we be of the Christian Spirit and Temper and live the Life of Christ we are of the Christian Church Nay tho it should happen that we be deprived of the outward Ordinances provided this be not through our own â—ault our Neglect or Contempt of the Divine Institutions we are not in this Case deprived of the Inward and Spiritual Influences which we have by our Union with this Mystical Body For the Prayers of the Vniversal Church bring Blessings upon us and the Spirit of Christ which enlivens and animates all his Members quickens us excites and assists our Endeavours and that care which our great and good Lord hath of all his Disciples reacheth us and we partake of his Protection as well as others that are of his Kingdom Thirdly There is such an excellent Order established in this Christian Polity that there is no clashing nor interfering of opposite interests but on the contrary each part doth assist other and is assisted by it and they all most friendly conspire together in the best manner to promote the welfare of all and every one There are no Confusions and Disorders but every one hath his Work his Business allotted him and that is according to every Man's Gifts and Qualifications and every Man is required to attend and do that Work which he is sitted for Now because Order and consequently Peace cannot be preserv'd without Government Christ hath instituted an excellent Government in his Church a Government that is both gentle and yet sufficiently strict for the attaining its Ends which is the Common Good And herein our Saviour hath shewn that he hath a care of the Body and therefore hath appointed Officers Deacons to see to the necessities of the Saints Men whose Business it should be to receive the charitable Gifts of some and bestow them upon the Indigent But he hath taken especial care of the Soul and therefore hath appointed others Presbyters whose Work this is to teach and instruct to exhort and persuade Men to live well and to administer his Holy Sacraments And he hath set Bishops over them to see that they do their Office and these Superiors are to ingage Men by their own Examples as well as by their Authority There are several Abuses and things which are destructive of Government all which our wise and good Governor the Lord Jesus hath as much as can be by his Institution prevented They are such such as these 1. Vsurpation of Office This will quickly bring in the greatest Disorder imaginable into any state if any Man may thrust himself into what Office he pleaseth for mens Ambition will lead them to desire those things for which they are no way fitted and divers will be aiming at the same which would therefore bring in Everlasting Contentions To prevent this our Saviour hath shewn by his own Example that Men must not take the honour of such Offices to themselves and by his Apostles hath straitly charged that none run before they be sent And therefore they did in the first times of Christianity which hath been continued ever since solemnly Ordaiâ— and set apart Men by Fasting and Prayer and Imposition of Hands 2. But lest they should authorize Men that were not fit for that Employment we have in several places of the inspired Epistles the Qualifications and Characters of those Men who should be commissioned 1 Tim. 3. 2 3. 3. That they may not affect a boundless Absoluteness he hath declared to them and others that he is Supream that they are all subject to him and that therefore we are to call no Man Master on Earth That is own none here to be Absolute and Supream account none to have Dominion ever our Faith They are all under Christ tho they be above us and must be accountable to him Nay they must be owned and obeyed by us
these Punishments on themselves 2. The Penalties are very Humane such as will chiefly work on Men's Understandings and Modesty and do suppose their Love to Vertue and Sense of Religion and Value for the Christian Institution To admonish to withdraw from to account him as an Heathen to shut him out of the Church Indeed there followed upon this Diseases and Death but these were instructive and by such Punishments greater might be and were prevented 3. They were as gentle and easy as could be inflicted no more than Necessity and the Nature of the Crime extorted They were gradual And yet 4. Sufficiently severe that if a Man had any Sense of Goodness they must reclaim him 5. Yet even the most severe were very charitable They were not inflicted to satisfy Revenge and Malice but in compliance with Love and to carry on the Deâ—igns of Charity That the Spirit may be saved and thou hast gain'd thy Brother No other end Sixthly The Holy Solemnities and Sacred Rites to which every one as a Christian is admitted in the publick Assemblies are such as are instructive to those that use them as well as full of Argument to ingage them to the practice of Vertue and they have a manifest aim and tendency to make all that are admitted to them truly religious toward God and to unite them in Love to each other Besides we may well suppose the Divine Blessing and Influence on these his own Institutions and Ordinances and that we receive more good by them than is naturally consequent on the use of them I may refer them to these three Heads 1. Praying to God 2. Hearing his Word 3. The Sacraments 1. Prayer is one of the first and most natural of those Acknowledgments we make to God And there is no holy good Man that is not frequent in this For â—he is sensible of his dependance on God and therefore he supplicates he knows his own Guilt and therefore confesseth he understands his own Inability and God's Power and Readiness to help others and therefore he intercedes and upon the receipt of any Good he gives Thanks and by all he praises and glorifies the great Power and Wisdom the Goodness and Holiness of God He owns him to be the Great and Good God on whom all depend and who governs the Worlds and is the Author of all that Good which we or others enjoy that he hath Right to our Obedience and may require of and do with us what he will All this we ascribe to God by our Prayers and Praises by our Confessions of our Faults and Intercessions for our Brethren This is a piece of Worship so due to God that we may not alienate it from him it is an incommunicable Honour which must not be given to any of his Creatures This is so just and so fit a thing that every one is naturally inclined to and can hardly be with-held from it Rather than not do it at all they will pay this Homage where it is not due and pray to Stocks and Stones or to Men that cannot hear nor help them All which shews that we have a secret sense of our Dependance on God and our Obnoxiousness to him and of his Perfections This is inherent in us and we cannot but know it and if we would carefully observe and trace this Inclination it would lead us to the knowledg of God and we should easily infer that he must be powerful and wise and good and holy Now tho no good Man can be with-held from frequently addressing himself to God in this manner for his Mind will silently ejaculate his good thoughts of God and his holy Fervors will ascend up to Heaven like the Fumes of sweet Incense and he hath also his constant Times of entring into his Closet and shutting his Door and there pouring out his very Soul before Him that sees in secret and will reward openly yet besides all this his great Humility in himself and Charity to others and Desire of God's Glory make him to set a great value on the Publick Prayers and it is and ought to be a thing of great account to join with the Assembly in Prayer and Thanksgiving to God When a Man confesseth his own and his Brethrens Faults thus publickly it must necessarily lay an Engagement on him for the future to be careful to prevent the Repetition of the same or the Commission of any others by himself or his Brethren who join with him His Intercession for others and theirs for him doth both suppose and will increase their mutual Love and Friendship But all those Acknowledgements of the Divine Goodness which are made in the solemn publick Prayers and Praises of the holy Congregation as they proceed from true and right thoughts of God and becoming Affections towards him so they tend to continue and increase their Knowledg and Devotions and will have a mighty Influence on their Love and Good-will to each other For whilst they pray and give thanks for one another they are in the greatest exercise and highest expression of their Love to one another that can be and by this they engage themselves to use their utmost endeavours to do all good Offices for and to make one another as happy as they can For they that pray to God for the greatest Blessings of Heaven upon their Brethren will not fail to do all they can toward the procuring of that Happiness for them which in their Prayers they have desired of God And whosoever he be that joins with the Publick Assemblie in Prayers for all the Congregation but in private opposeth the Welfare and good Estate of any or that doth not constantly and heartily endeavour it he proclaims to the World that he is an Hypocrite that he goes about to mock God and to cheat the World in that he pretends to pray for the Welfare but acts for the Ruine of his Neighbour Again the joining together in the same Religious Worship the doing the same Actions tends greatly to Love and Unity especially when by this we discover our selves to have the same Deâ—ires and Designs as Men that pray together do Besides a Man may reasonably expect to receive greater Benefits on the account of the united Prayers of many than of his own single ones and therefore our Saviour hath made the Promise to two or three met and agreeing together to ask any thing It is on this consideration that an humble Christian relies so much on the Prayers of the Church and even when he is in secret he is comforted with the thoughts that the Prayers of the whole Catholick Church are made to God on his behalf And this I heartily with they would consider who make so small account of those good Prayers which are the Common-Prayers of our whole Church and are used by all the Members of it 2. Hearing the Word of God frequently read and sometimes expoâ—â—ded But is this such an Advantage Yes â—urely Two sorts of Men will look on
Men and Angels and they continuing to do well shall be Partakers of everlasting Life and Happiness This is the Condition these are the Privileges of every true Christian of every Man who is not grossly wanting to himself and careless of his own manifestly greatest and best Interests The Inferences I would make are these two I. Let us then set an high value upon the Christian Religion in general and in particular on our being Members of that Body of which Christ is the Head Since so many and such inestimable Advantages accrue to us by being parts of this Society let us take the greatest care to preserve our selves in Union with it Let us not as too many in our Days are be indifferent whether we be of this Body or no Let us not needlesly separate our selves from it Do not make slight Account of those Censures which cut us off from the Church for if they be exercised non errante Clave that is upon good ground a just Cause and by a just Authority God confirms in Heaven what his Commissioners do upon Earth Whose Sins they remit or retain are remitted or retained by him also And if there be a Male Administration yet the excommunicated Person is deprived of some Benefits which otherwise he might have Have a great regard for that Body of which whosoever is a Member hath so great Privileges Be careful not to make any unnecessary and unnatural Divisions and Schisms in it or to do any thing that may tend to the dissolution of that most excellent Scociety II. Let us behave our selves as becomes the Members of this excellent Society and let our Lives and Tempers our Devotion towards God our Justice and Charity towards Men our good Government of our selves according to the Rules of Temperance and Moderation let these make it manifest what excellent Advantages we have by being Members of the Christian Church We have Advantages above others let us shew this by living better Lives than others If we be not much better than other Men we must needs be far worse Let us not be so foolish as to neglect the Advantages we have Forsake not the assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is c. Neglect not the Sacraments as too too many do I conclude all by reminding you in short of the Advantages of which I have spoken And desire you 1. To consider Men singly And 2. In Societies And under the First That their Knowledg and Wisdom their Vertue and Goodness their Quiet and Peace their Joy and Pleasure their future and everlasting Happiness are further'd and secured by their being Members of this Society Under the second That this sacred Society is a great Security to and Establishment of that Order which is necessary to all Civil Societies and doth greatly conduce to that Peace and Prosperity i. e. Wealth and Credit which is their End This Society is so far from interfering with the Civil that it is very beneficial to them for it preserves and confirms them All this Good is procured by Mens being incorporated into the Body of Christ as appears First By the first Admission and Entrance into the Church which is done by a publick Profession of the Religion of Christ a being baptized into the Name of Father Son and Holy-Ghost All which must lay a great Engagement on us to live holy and excellent Lives that so we may live answerably to the Profession we have made and the Engagement we have taken upon us Secondly This will also appear hugely beneficial to that excellent Order and Government which is setled and is to be observed in the Church but especially those incomparably good Laws which are given to this Society those especially which are peculiar to it Those of Love and doing good to all in especial manner of Love to one another of forgiving even Enemies of Meekness c. And also that most humane and proper Discipline which is prescribed to be used toward Offenders For this is a Government whose design is the Increase of every Man's Vertue and Happiness And this Government is so excellently contrived that the particular and private Interests of any do never clash or interfere with the publick Interest of the Society in general And tho many Corruptions and Abuses have crept into the Government of the Christian Church yet even in a very Male-Administration of it there are still great Helps to Vertue And those very Formalities and Shadows and Names of some Offices and Things which remain may serve to put us in mind what ought to be and what we should take care to do or to avoid It is in this as in other Governments better to be under bad ones than none at all and more eligible to bear the Corruptions of Men who are at present in place of Power than to attempt a Change of the Constitution or to go about to alter the Government it self Thirdly The Archives and Records of this Society which are contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament which indeed it is possible a Man may have that is not of this Society but by his being of it he is entitled to this Privilege he now hath free access to them And how much these Divine Records tend to enlighten Mens Minds and to purify their Hearts only they know who have used them There we have upon Record the first Original of this excellent Society the gradual Dispensations of God to his Church of all Ages the Examples and Lives of many of the Members of it but especially the Holy Jesus the Acts of Government and Discipline which have been in the first Age after Christ Fourthly The Publick Assemblies for the Exercise of Religion to which they are admitted Where 1. They pray to God publickly for and with each other 2. The Scriptures are read 3. They receive the Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper and Infants are baptized Fifthly The Conversation the Counsels and Exhortations and Reproofs and Examples of their Fellow-Members All these tend to make Men vertuous and that brings with it present Peace and future Happiness for God loves and will reward Vertue c. OF LOVING OUR ENEMIES MATTH 5. 44. But I say unto you Love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you c. THese Words are enforced by a very great Authority and it was necessary in the Opinion of some that they should be born up by the Credit of the Law-giver that the repute of his Wisdom and Goodness might take off the Scandal of Folly and Evil in the Command For with many this Text and divers others are contradictory to Reason and opposite to the Nature of Man than which Opinion I know nothing more prejudicial to Christian Religion For if this be granted it is then confess'd that our Religion is false and evil that whosoever believes it believes in Opposition to his Mind and he that obeys
to understand by Nature the Corruptions and Depravations of it So many that declaim against Nature interpret that Phrase 1 Cor. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which should be rendred the animal Man the Man that lives the Life of a mere Animal one that hath not the Reason and Understanding of a Man By Nature therefore I understand here 1. Nature in General 2. Particularly that part of humane Nature which is common to Man with inferior Torts of Beings 3. That wherein he differs from and excells them and agrees with those that are better 1. As for Nature in general it is observable that all Beings do by their motions and alterations conspire to the preserving of the Universe that they do not more endeavour their own Good and Continuance than the Good of the Whole Nay many times they leave their own proper Tendencies and seem to neglect as it were their private Concerns to promote the more Publick and Universal This is so obvious to every Observation and there are so many Instances of it in both animate and inanimate Bodies that I need not insist upon it I shall only mind you of another almost as common as this that Animals of the same kind are loving and helpful to each other and do not only associate and herd together but will also expose themselves to danger for their mutual Defence and other good Offices But I go on further and more particularly 2. To that part of Nature which is in Man common to him with other Animals his Body how does every Part minister to other and all of them conspire to preserve and perfect the whole How is Nourishment conveyed from one to another through the whole Body And when it is thus with it the Body is in its natural good State of Health If it be otherwise if one Part draw all the Nourishment to it self it is then diseased and this tends to the Dissolution of the whole and consequently of that Part it self which does not distribute Add to this what the Naturalists have observ'd that no Passion is more agreeable to Man's Body than Love which is the Principle of doing Good that nothing contributes more to his Health nor is a more certain Argument of it than Good-will that the very Body of Man is never in better State than when he is most enclined to do good Offices And that the Motions which maintain Life are then most equally vigorous when we are in the Exercise of Charity and Compassion 3. This is no less congruous to the Nature of Man as distinguished from all other Animals it is agreeable to the Mind and Reason of Man Hear the Sence of an honest Heathen which is the Voice of Nature not of Revelation Saith he to his Friend Qui tibi amicus est scito hunc omnibus amicum esse Again Non sum uni angulo natus Patria mea est totus hic Mundus Nor was it only one but many of the Philosophers that called themselves Citizens of the World not that they forgot their Native Country but they remembred their Relation to the whole They look'd on themselves in the same order to the Universe which others do to the Town where they were born and dwell Again Posterorum res ago He did not content himself to be a Benefactor to the present Age but would take care also that those that should be born after should receive advantage by his Labours and so they have Lucan says of Cato and as many as speak of him say the same Hi mores haec dura immota Catonis Secta fuit servare modum finemque tenere Naturamque sequi Patriaeque impendere vitam Non sibi sed toti genitum se credere Mundo Thus we see Nature taught the very Heathens And I do the more willingly insist on this Argument from Nature because I cannot think that the God of Nature being also the Author of our Religion should make this inconsistent with that or destructive of it And because by this means we shall have a great assistance both in the understanding of our Duty and in making us willing to do it Had this been duly observ'd Men had never sacrificed their Sons to Moloch And if this be received one of the greatest Objections against our being Religious vanishes In general then If it be natural for the Soul of Man before it be corrupted with any of those Passions that are the off-spring of Folly to observe and be affected with the welfare and ill State of others besides it self If it be displeased and unquiet and griev'd when it goes ill with them and joyed and delighted to see them in good Plight then it 's natural to it to will and endeavour their good and welfare The Understanding of Man is a large and unlimited kind of thing it reaches forth it self to all Beings and views them and wherever it sees Good it loves and desires the continuance and when it observes Evil it 's troubled and wishes it were not and will endeavour it may not be And if this be natural to the Mind of Man unaltered by wicked Practices and foolish Passions then it is natural to it to do good universally and then certainly to all Mankind Again it 's natural to the Soul of Man to love Pleasure and to pursue it and to be averse from whatsoever displeases it Now nothing can be the object of Pleasure but Good or if any Evil be 't is only in order to what is Good and as it serves that i. e. as it is good in Reality No Man can be delighted to see any Beings in an ill Plight or if he be he is in an unnatural state himself and his Soul is corrupted More particularly and distinctly If we understand by natural that which proceeds from an inward Principle and which tends to preserve and perfect Nature in general and particularly that which is a Conclusion deriv'd from Principles of Reason and clear Discourses for that 's natural to Man which is rational then I will use this Method to evince that all this which is here required is agreeable to Nature in general and to humane Nature in Particular 1st It 's natural for us to be acting If we either conform to the rest of the Beings we live with in the World or act agreeably to our own Natures we must be doing The best Philosophers assure us that in the vast Universe there is not one little Particle that is idle but the World and all in it are in uncessant motion tho' some Bodies that move more slowly and less discernibly than others are said to be at rest Whether we climb up into Heaven or dive into the Sea or dig into the Bowels of the Earth we shall find all Beings employed and busy nothing idle The Heavenly Bodies are whirling about perpetually the Waters cease not to run and in the Caverns of the Earth which might be imagined the dens of Sleep yet the Mines are made And
that believe and love are the true Worshippers such as God is pleased with In short Nothing makes a Man so truly Religious as a through Belief and Sense of the Goodness of God and nothing so fully assures him that God is good in general and will be so to him in particular as being himself good and loving For this assures him it is the best Life that can be lived and must therefore be the Life of God And it is natural for all Men to expect to be dealt with themselves as they deal with others and that if they be merciful they shall obtain Mercy I have shewn that to do Good to all Men is the way to make Men themselves Religigious I add it is the way to make others so too This is the way to adorn the Doctrine of our Saviour to honour our Profession to make Men entertain the Gospel heartily when the Professors of it are universally beneficent and good when they see them just and charitable hospitable and liberal and communicative in all good things Prayers and Praises Retirement and Devotion then are reverenced when they go attended with a great retinue of good Works but when Piety appears alone it 's no other than a Ghost and Specter that affrights and amazes and when it is accompanied with Injustice and Uncharitableness with Inhumanity and sordid filthy Avarice then is it blasphem'd and evil spoken of And Men are afraid to entertain that Religion which keeps so ill Company And if these be the Effects of Praying and Fasting of Solitariness and Reading to make Men morose and ill-natur'd and rigorous Exactors of all Punctilio's of Duty and severe Punishers of every little Offence and stingy selfish and inconversible they will â—lee from it If they that worship God have no regard for Men if that Zeal which flames up to Heaven set this lower World on fire and fill it with Smoak all Men will be afraid of it and use all Arts to quench it But on the other hand when we see Piety toward God and Charity toward Men go hand in hand when they that say they love God love Man also and they that live in Communion with the Father and the Son live also in Fellowship with their Brethren when they that ask Pardon of God for their own Faults forgive other Mens toward them and are condescending and meek and patient and communicative to their Fellow-Creatures as they desire God should be to them and because they pray he would be thus to them are therefore more so to others then do they win others to their Profession by their good Conversation and bring in many Proselytes to their Religion For it is not Names and Professions not Formalities and Shews not Opinions and Phrases not singular Conceits and uncommon Practices that will commend us to God or our Religion to Men but Good Works and Kindness to be communicative and loving these things will beget in them an Esteem of our Profession and give a Lustre to the Religion we own In this case Religion is like an excellent Diamond well set but in the other it is a Diamond in a Dunghil When Men see and feel our good Works then do they glorify our Father which is in Heaven Thus we see how Religion and a due regard to God is promoted by this Temper of Universal Love and Charity Thirdly To be good to all hath a great Influence on us to make us Vertuous An universal Benevolence is a Spring from whence all the Streams of Vertue run forth which gives them both beginning and continuance and increase In general this will make us both active and moderate It will both engage us to action and keep us within due Bounds that we shall neither do too little nor too much Some of the Principal Causes why Men do not practise Vertue are 1. That they are sluggish and unactive not quickned by any Affection Or 2. They are overborn with the violent assaults of evil Passions not governed by Love as Anger c. Or 3. Their Love is particular and confined Now where an universal Good-will obtains it removes all these Obstacles and 1. Makes us active and diligent in all ways of doing Good 2. It regulates all the other Passions and suffers them not to exceed their Bounds that is they are always made to serve its designs Both Anger and Hatred it self are in order to doing Good And Men that live by this Principle do not do any Evil for it self but as it conduces to some greater Good And 3. It sets Love at liberty from those restraints which by being too particular it was under before And so prevents those numberless Vices and Immoralities which arise from a selfish and too contracted Love I think most of our Miscarriages in Life proceed from an undue Preference of our selves and an unequal considering other Men's Interests and the way to rid our selves of them is to follow the Apostle's Counsel not only to mind our own things but also the things of others and here to do good to all Men. This gives that greatness and largeness of Mind in which true Generosity and bravery of Spirit does consist This Lover of the World goes on steadily in his way of well-doing and is not stopp'd by Injuries or Affronts nor reduced by particular Respects His mind is not only taken up with his own particular Concerns but he has regard to his Brethren and his Affection makes him call not only the Disciples of Christ but all the Sons of Adam by this Name And this is Generosity and Nobleness indeed to pass by Offences and pardon Injuries and to requite Evil with Good And is not that a great Mind which embraces the World in its Arms and takes the Universe into its Bosom This is Divine and God-like Particularly There is scarce any Vertue but universal Beneficence doth one way or other beget or increase it 1. No Man can be wise and prudent who doth not take into his Consideration the Community and he that does and intends the Good of Mankind steers a Course directly betwixt Folly and Mischievous Cunning. He is neither amongst those that have none or Evil or but little petty Designs No this Man hath proposed to himself one and that an excellent good and great end the Good of Mankind and he takes the proper fit means for the attaining it to do as much as he can Thus available is doing Good to all to Prudence Besides this Practice will give a Man a great insight into particular Mens affairs and an understanding of many things and circumstances which is necessary and will much contribute to Discretion and prudent Determination And 2. Justice is no less beholden to it It 's impossible that Man should be Just who doth not intend other Mens Good as well as his own and all Mens as well as some and most to those that are best But where the Hand that 's stretch'd out to all holds the Ballance there