for

regard. Vice then becomes popular and creditable; and he that ftartles at the Commiffion of any Sin when he is alone, fhall make no stop or fcruple when he hath the Invitation and Approbation of fo many; he fins now by Consent and Sympathy, and hath the opinion of others to vouch him: when Confcience accufeth, or virtuous Men reprove him, he hath his Authorities ready to produce for his Wickednefs, and can quote others to justify his Debaucheries.

Sin is infectious, and when it once gets head, and Men dare be openly profane, it fpreads like a contagious Difeafe; and tho for fome time we should keep our felves untainted, yet by degrees we fhall be apt to lofe that Averfenefs and Abhorrence we had of it: it will not seem so strange and dismal a thing to us, it will become more familiar, and then we shall proceed to wish our felves free that we might alfo do the fame; to long and hanker after a greater Liberty, to think ourselves too hard tied up: and then the next step is running with others into the like excess of Riot. The Senfe and Apprehenfion we have of any Danger, cannot but be much abated when we fee the greatest part of Men conti nually to outbrave and daringly to defy it: and it is hard to retain a just Value for Goodnefs, when it is defpifed and contemned by thofe who are fam'd for their Wit and Prudence in other things.

But

But tho by experience we find that Examples do thus ftrongly influence Men, yet that they fhould do fo, Reason there is none: for what can argue greater Stupidity and Unmanliness, than at a venture to take every thing for better for worse, and to go on only for company fake, and leave all matters, tho we are ever fo deeply concerned in them, to be judged of only by others? What doth Reafon or Understanding advantage him who lives wholly by Precedent, and is always what others please to make him?

"But alas! it is very tedious and troublesom "for a Man to examine his own ways, and "ask himself a reason of every step he takes. "It would coft too much time and pains to "be wary and thoughtful, and confider al

ways what ought to be fpoken or done 66 next; this is a dull and methodical way of "living but to be always poised, to be in"different to every thing, to wait the next "tide and to follow the next hint, this is gay, "and free, and eafy." But be it as eafy as it will, it is nevertheless no other than the Life of Beasts, who herd together, and follow one another, and love to be in the fame track.

But more particularly; Men are led by Examples, and tempted to do as the most do, chiefly on one of these accounts, either that they may not be thought fingular, or which is worse, rude and uncivil; or elfe that they may avoid Scoffs and Reproaches.

I. Το

1. To avoid the imputation of Singularity: and this indeed must neceffarily be laid to the charge of good and virtuous Men, fo long as the greateft part of the World is wicked and fenfual. But then it is to be confidered that it is fuch a Singularity as is most honourable, and redounds the more to our Credit, by how much the fewer are of our fide. 'Tis true, to affect Singularity in any indifferent or trivial matter is unbecoming and ridiculous; but Men were never afraid of being fingular in any Excellency and tho Religion and Innocency may not always meet with that Efteem which is due to them, yet it is ftrange that any one fhould ever think 'em fcandalous.

If this caft any difparagement upon Piety and Virtue, that there are but few in the World that heartily regard them, it does equally on all things that are extraordinary and really praife-worthy. Are Men afhamed of being counted fingular in any Knowledge or Wisdom, in any Skill or Trade? and why fhould it be otherwife in the Inftance of true Goodness, the highest Perfection our Natures are capable of? Are not great Honours and Eftates as liable to this Exception, fince there are but few that can deferve the one, or acquire the other? and yet Men rather vaunt and glory in fuch things as these, which dif tinguish them from the vulgar Rout, and ufually reckon those the most desirable Accomplishments which few are Masters of. Why

then

then should this prejudice Men against Religion, that the greatest part of the World are Fools, and are contented to be miserable?

2. We must follow, fay they, the Examples of others, and do as the most do, or else we fhall be counted rude and uncivil; we fhall be thought ill-manner'd, and to want fashionable breeding. And this alone hath so far prevailed in the World, that I doubt not but there are many who make themseves seem to be worse than really they are, and boast of Sins which they never durft commit, only that they may not be without this Mark and Character of Gentility; who hypocritically diffemble Wickednefs, that they may gain the Name and Reputation of Gentlemen, and not be thought precife or godly.

But fure it is a fign of a mean, low and base Spirit, and futes not with that Braveness and Gallantry of Mind, which is or ought to be in all Gentlemen, to fuffer themselves thus to be ufurped upon, and fo tamely to fubmit to mere wicked Customs; and instead of all those good Qualities and Difpofitions and virtuous Actions, to which their Forefathers owed their good Names and great Titles, to value themselves or others upon the account of fuch Vices, as in former times were found only in Clowns and Beggars.

This indeed is the proof of a very wicked and degenerate Age, and a notorious fign that Irreligion appears with a very bold Face, when it is counted a piece of bad Manners,

and

and becoming only those of a mean Rank, to own a Reverence for that fovereign Majesty who made us all, and a due Refpect to thofe Laws, which not fo much his Power and Dominion over us, as our own Intereft and Selflove do oblige us to obferve; when we shall be called Rude, unlefs, befides the hopes of eternal Happiness, we foolishly hazard the lofs of our Health, Peace, and every thing elfe that is truly valuable, for a momentary fatisfaction, merely out of compliance with our Company; when to be able to walk, ftand, or fpeak Senfe, fhall be thought an indecent thing, an uncivil trick put upon those whom we either chanc'd or were forced to converfe with: to name no more, when it fhall be esteemed lefs difhonourable to be a Murderer, than to forgive fome petty Injury, or put up any fmall Affront. We should therefore in this cafe fay as David when he danced before the Ark of the Lord, and was derided for it, If this be vile, I will yet be more vile than thus. If Meeknefs, and Patience, Chastity and Temperance, the Fear of God and true Religion be uncivil and ungenteel, we will be yet more uncivil and ungenteel; and I fhould as foon think it rude and clownish not to pledg one who drank to me in rank Poison, as that it is any want of good Breeding and genteel Carriage, to be wifer and more fober than the rest of the World.

3. Laftly, Men are tempted to comply with bad Examples and follow the Multitude,

that