many only as the fashionable Religion of their Country, and for the fake of those civil Encouragements which attended their Profeffion, the Complaint was too vifibly applicable to the Lives even of Chriftians, to excuse them any longer from the Extent of it. Alas! the Enemy of our Happiness has his Servants and Votaries, even among those who are called by the Name of the Son of God. He is ftyled in Scripture the Prince of this World; and the Conduct of too great a Number will always be influenced by his Authority, and obey his Direc tion. Let us with all the Charity that can confift with a juft Observation, ftand ftill and reflect upon what we daily fee practifed in the World; and can we believe if an Apoftle of Chrift appeared in our Streets, he would retract his Caution, and command us to be conformed to the World? Do we find fo much Piety, Virtue, and Religion, in the publick Example of the Age, as may fecure our. Imitation, and encourage us to rely on the general Practice for the Measures of our Duty? Shall we not rather be tempted to cry out with the Pfalmift, They are all

gone

gone out of the Way, they are altogether become abominable, there is none that doth good* *? Let us not flatter ourselves that our Innocence is without danger of Contagion from a World, where we behold every Inftance of Lewdnefs and Intemperance, Prophaneness and Irreligion, not only committed, but own'd, defended, and gloried in. The World indeed was never without Examples of Vice and Immorality; wicked Men there always were, and always will be. But the public State of Religion is fomewhat lefs in Danger of Corruption, while the Sinner acknowledges the Obligations of his Duty, is afhamed of his Irregularities, profeffes a Révérence for the Laws of God, and promises ftill to reform, and live agreeably to them. He offends indeed, but 'tis with a Modefty like the Son in the Gofpel, who own'd the Authority of the Command, and promifed his Father to go, tho' he went not. But the Cafe is far otherwife, and the Danger of the Example much greater, when an open Party is form'd against Religion; when Vice has the public Encouragement of Applaufe, and Prophancnefs be

* Pfalm xiv. *.

comes

comes eftablifh'd as a Fashion; when Men shall no longer affect to hide and conceal their Crimes, but make the most daring Impieties a Motive of their Vanity; when the Principles of Obedience, and the Authority that requires it, are queftioned, and the very Articles of our Creed difputed, and ridiculed: when Atheism, Deifm, and Herefy are confefs'd, applauded, and supported; when the Altar, the Service, and the Minifters of God are treated with Scorn, and the whole Oeconomy of the Gospel exposed to Contempt as Fable and Imposture, This is not Difobedience, but Rebellion; 'tis difclaiming the Sovereignty of Chrift, and renouncing all Allegiance to his Authority, and declaring in Terms, we will not have this Man to rule over us. And yet thefe are the Crimes, this the Pattern, which the World propofes to our Imitation: Thefe it recommends to us as Arguments of more refined Senfe, and a fuperior Understanding: To these we are follicited by numerous Examples in every Rank and Order of Men; by the Authority of the Great, and the Intimacies of our Equals; by the Arguments of the Subtil, and the Rail

leries of the Prophane; by the Reproaches of Enemies, and the Perfuafion of Friends: While Christian Faith, Piety, and Devotion are traduced and ridiculed as morofe unconverfable Qualities, the Effect of Pride or Folly, of Knavery or Superftition. And can the Minifters of the Gofpel too frequently remind Men of fo imminent a Danger, or too earneftly difcourage a Conformity to fo corrupt and diffolute a World? For be we affured, it is not a Trifle that we hazard, but the greateft Intereft of our Nature, the eternal Salvation of our Souls, the End for which we were born, and the Reafon for which we came into the World.

LET me therefore,

III. RECOMMEND fome Rules to your Conduct, which may preferve you from the Impreffions of fo importunate, fo dangerous a Temptation. And here,

1. THE moft effectual Prefervative of our Virtue, is to avoid, as far as is poffible, the Converfation of wicked Men. If indeed we would only decline evil Company, we must renounce human Society, and (as

the

the Apoftle * fays) go out of the World. But 'tis in our Power to confine our Friendfhips and Intimacies to Men of Virtue and Religion. The Righteous are not so fail'd from the Earth, but we may find good Men enough for the Support and Entertainments of Society: Men whofe Converfation will weaken the Influence of vicious Examples, inftruct our Ignorance, relieve our Modefty, and give us Courage and Affurance in the Duties of our Profeffion. But because the Business and Affairs of Life will fometimes unavoidably engage us in the Converfation of wicked Men, let us,

2. ARM ourselves with an habitual Refolution never to cummunicate with them in their Vices, not to fuffer any Friendship or Relation, any Example or Authority to prevail on us to defert the Truth of Christ, or act any thing in Contradiction to our Duty to God. And,

3. WE fhall be very much affifted in forming and executing this Refolution, if we inure ourselves to express our Abhorrence and Averfion to Vice, and with a decent Freedom reprove every Action that