THUS it is in all the virtues and holy tempers of Christianity, they are not ours unless they be the virtues and tempers of our ordinary life. So that Chriftianity is fo far from leaving us to live in the common ways of life, conforming to the folly of customs, and gratifying the paffions and tempers which the spirit of the world delights in, it is fo far from indulging us in any of these things, that all its virtues which it makes neceffary to falvation, are only fo many ways of living above, and contrary to the world in all the common actions of our life. If our common life is not a common course of humility, felf-denial, renuntiation of the world, poverty of fpirit, and heavenly affection, we don't live the lives of Chriftians.

Bur yet though it is thus plain, that this and this alone is Chriftianity, an uniform, open and vifible practice of all thefe virtues; yet it is as plain, that there is little or nothing of this to be found, even amongst the better fort of people. You fee them of ten at Church, and pleas'd with fine preachers; but look into their lives, and you fee them just the fame fort of people as others are, that make no pretences to devotion. The difference that you find betwixt them, is only the difference of their natural tempers. They have the fame taste of the world, the fame worldly cares, and fears, and joys, they have the fame turn of mind, equally vain in their defires. You fee the fame fondness for state and equipage, the fame pride and vanity of dress, the fame felf-love and indulgence, the fame foolish friendships and groundless hatreds, the fame levity of mind and trifling fpirit, the fame fondnefs for diverfions, the fame idle difpofitions, and vain ways of spending their time in vifiting and converfation, as the rest of the world, that make no pretences to devotion.

I DON'T mean this comparifon betwixt people feemingly good and profefs'd rakes, but betwixt people of fober lives. Let us take an initance in two modeft women: let it be supposed, that one of them is care

ful

ful of times of Devotion, and obferves them through a fense of duty, and that the other has no hearty concern about it, but is at Church feldom or often, just as it happens. Now it is a very easy thing to see this difference betwixt thefe perfons. But when you have seen this, can you find any farther difference betwixt them? Can you find that their common life is of a different kind? Are not the tempers, and cuftoms, and manners of the one, of the fame kind as of the other? Do they live as if they belong'd to different worlds, had different views in their heads, and different rules and measures of all their actions? Have they not the fame goods and evils, are they not pleafed and difpleafed in the fame manner, and for the fame things? Do they not live in the fame courfe of life? Does one feem to be of this world, looking at the things that are temporal, and the other to be of another world, looking wholly at the things that are eternal? Does the one live in pleasure, delighting herself in hew or drefs, and the other live in felf-denial and mortification, renouncing every thing that looks like vanity either of perfon, dress, or carriage? Does the one follow publick diverfions, and trifle away her time in idle vifits, and corrupt converfation, and does the other study all the arts of improving her time, living in prayer and watching, and fuch good works as may make all her time turn to her advantage, and be placed to her account at the last day? Is the one careless of expence, and glad to be able to adorn herself with every costly ornament of drefs, and does the other confider her fortune as a talent given her by God, which is to be improv'd religiously, and no more to be spent in vain and needless ornaments, than it is to be buried in the earth?

WHERE muft you look, to find one person of Religion differing in this manner, from another that has none? And yet if they do not differ in these things which are here related, can it with any sense be faid, the one is a good Chriftian, and the other not?

: TAKE

TAKE another inftance amongst the men. Leo has a great deal of good nature, has kept, what they call, good company, hates every thing that is falfe and bafe, is very generous and brave to his friends, but has concern'd himself fo little with Religion, that he hardly knows the difference betwixt a Few and a Chriftian.

Eufebius on the other hand, has had early impreffions of Religion, and buys books of Devotion. He can talk of all the feafts and fafts of the Church, and knows the names of moft men that have been eminent for piety. You never hear him fwear, or make a loose jeft, and, when he talks of Religion, he talks of it, as of a matter of the last concern.

HERE you fee, that one perfon has Religion enough, according to the way of the world, to be reckon'd a pious Chriftian,, and the other is fo far from all appearance of Religion, that he may fairly be reckon'd a Heathen; and yet if you look into their common life, if you examine their chief and ruling tempers in the greatest articles of life, or the greatest doctrines of Christianity, you will find the least difference imagi nable.

CONSIDER them with regard to the ufe of the world, because that is what every body can fee.

Now to have right notions and tempers with relation to this world, is as effential to religion, as to have right notions of God. And it is as poffible for a man to worship a Crocodile, and yet be a pious man, as to have his affections fet upon this world, and yet be a good Chriftian..

But now if you confider Leo and Eufebius in this refpect, you will find them exactly alike, feeking, ufing, and enjoying all that can be got in this world in the fame manner, and for the fame ends. You will find that riches, profperity, pleasures, indulgences, ftate, equipage, and honour are just as much the happiness of Eufebius as they are of Leo. And yet if Chriftianity has not changed a man's mind and temper with relation to these things, what can we fay that it has done for him?

FOR

FOR if the doctrines of Chriftianity were practifed, they would make a man as different from other people as to all worldly tempers, fenfual pleafures, and the pride of life, as a wife man is different from a natural; it would be as eafy a thing to know a Chriftian by his outward courfe of life, as it is now difficult to find any body that lives it. For it is notorious that Christians are now not only like other men in their frailties and infirmities, this might be in fome degree excufable, but the complaint is, they are like heathens in all the main and chief articles of their lives. They enjoy the world, and live every day in the fame tempers, and the fame defigns, and the fame indulgences, as they did who knew not God, nor of any happiness in another life. Every body, that is capable of any reflection, must have obferv'd, that this is generally the ftate even of devout people, whether men or women. You may fee them different from other people fo far as to times and places of Prayer, but generally like the reft of the world in all the other parts of their lives. That is, adding Chriftian Devotion to an Heathen life; I have the authority of our Bleffed Saviour for this remark, where he fays, Take no thought, Jaying what fhall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal fhall we be cloathed? for after all thefe things do the Gentiles feek. But if to be thus affected even with the neceffary things of this life, fhews that we are not yet of a Chriftian Spirit, but are like the Heathens; furely to enjoy the vanity and folly of the world as they did, to be like them in the main chief tempers of our lives, in felf-love and indulgence, in fenfual pleasures and diverfions, in the vanity of dress, the love of fhew and greatnefs, or any other gaudy diftinctions of fortune, is a much greater fign of an Heathen temper. And confequently they who add Devotion to fuch a life, must be faid to pray as Chriftians, but live as Heathens.

CHAP.

CHA P. II.

An Enquiry into the Reason, why the generality of Christians fall fo far fhort of the Holiness and Devotion of Chriftianity.

I

T may now be reasonably enquir'd, how it comes to país, that the lives even of the better fort of people are thus ftrangely contrary to the principles of Christianity.

But before I give a direct answer to this, I defire it may also be enquir'd, how it comes to pass that fwearing is fo common a vice amongst Christians? It is indeed not yet fo common amongst women, as it is amongst men. But amongst men this fin is fo common, that perhaps there are more than two in three that are guilty of it through the whole course of their lives, fwearing more or less, juft as it happens, fome conftantly, others only now and then, as it were by chance. Now I ask how comes it, that two in three of the men are guilty of fo grofs and prophane a fin as this is? There is neither ignorance nor human infirmity to plead for it: It is against an exprefs commandment, and the most plain Doctrine of our Blesfed Saviour.

Do but now find the reafon why the generality of men live in this notorious vice, and then you will have found the reafon, why the generality even of the better fort of people live fo contrary to Christianity.

Now the reafon of common fwearing is this; it is because men have not fo much as the intention to please God in all their actions. For let a man but have fo much piety as to intend to please God in all the actions of his life, as the happiest and beft thing in the world, and then he will never fwear more. It will be as impoffible for him to fwear, whilft he feels this intention within himself, as it is impoffible for a man that intends