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of our own when we place our Devotion in them And no less unworthy of God and unbecoming our selves is the other Extreme of rejecting all Order and Decency in Religious Exercises It deprives him of that Publick Honour and Homage which 't is fit the Lord of Heaven and Earth should receive from his Creatures and his Vassals and quite takes away all Face of Religion out of the World Which yet when in Conjunction with the Religion of the Mind he has often declar'd himself well pleas'd with and expresly commanded his Peculiar People to pay him and was their Director in the manner how and never has forbid to any since And nothing certainly more unbecoming us poor Sinful Dust and Ashes and who had been extremely miserable but that the Mercies of our God were Infinite nothing more unbecoming us in our Addresses to him especially in Publick than to confine within our Breasts the Sence we have either of his Majesty or of his Mercy Rather with all humble Postures of our Bodies and grateful Expressions of our Lips should we declare to all the World and glad of an Opportunity to do so that there is an Infinitely Excellent tho' to us Invisible Being to whom we owe all that we are and have and hope for and to whom all possible Adoration and Praise is due And till of late this was the Sence and Practice of all the World But one Extreme generally produces another and too much of outward Religion in some has been the occasion of none at all in others Both equally unreasonable and far from true Devotion As for Familiarities and Intimacies with God they are likewise utterly condemn'd for the same Reasons as before being only an Argument of Mens unmeasurable Boldness and Confidence and that they very little understand or will not understand either God or themselves True Devotion is the most Humble Modest Decent thing in the World and is always attended with Reverence and Godly Fear And therefore such Men would do well to consider that Passage Luke 13.25 26. where we find the Door is shut upon those who with great Assurance could knock and cry Lord Lord open unto us and plead great Intimacy too We have eat and drunk in thy Presence and thou has taught in our Streets but still the Door continues shut and this Killing Answer given 'em Depart from me I know you not whence ye are ye workers of iniquity And then it follows There shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets Persons peculiarly remarkable for their Great Modesty and Humility and profoundest Awe and Dread of the Divine Majesty and that tho' the Highest Favours were shown to them by God when ye shall see these in the Kingdom of Heaven who were far short of you in their Pretences to it and you your selves thrust out as Bold and Confident Intruders There is one more Mistake in this matter which it will not be amiss to take notice of and that is of those who are mightily for Blending Religion with common Conversation putting every thing into a Religious Dress and make this a great Argument of a Devout and Heavenly Mind Now tho' I readily grant that where there is True Devotion innumerable Hints and Opportunities will be taken to dart up Pious Thoughts to God and Holy Aspirations and nothing more acceptable to him nor a more becoming and grateful and beneficial Employment of a Christian's Mind and which I would therefore earnestly recommend to the Practice of all good People as the Beginning of their Heaven upon Earth Yet Devotion being a Rational thing all the outward Expressions of it to Men must be guided by Discretion and made use of only in proper Times and upon just Occasion But now every Time certainly is not proper nor every Occasion just for things of so Sacred a nature as is this we are speaking of And at every turn right or wrong to wedge in a Religious or Scripture-Sentence and affect to speak nothing but the Language of the Temple is the ready way to cloy Men with Religion and make them nauseate the most Holy Things And what has such a Tendency as this is a Strange kind of Devotion very Indiscreet if not much worse Having thus Consider'd the Description we gave of true Devotion in order to the preventing several great and dangerous Mistakes which are often made about it before I proceed to Recommend the Practice of it to young Persons from the great Benefit and Pleasure that attends it I can't but take notice how true the Devotion of the Church of England is and how infinitely to blame and without Excuse those of her Communion are if not truly devout Her Doctrine relating to it is what we have now explain'd and 't is founded on the Nature of God and the Nature of Man consisting in what is highly agreeable to each and excluding Mens Private Fancies and Humours Superstition and Enthusiasm and every thing that is unbefitting either God or our selves And as for the Manner of expressing it in Private we are left to our Liberty provided we keep within the Bounds of Decency and Reverence And in Publick there is every thing that is needful to raise and increase true Devotion and fix it upon its due Object and make it look like it self but nothing to divert the Mind from its Holy Employment and divide and weaken its Attention or make it degenerate either into Sordidness and cold Indifferency or an unbounded Liberty of Expression and Behaviour How few and how comely are her Ceremonies Such as an humble Devotion would choose were they not enjoyn'd such as express with Decency tho' without Pomp the Inward Sentiments of a Pious Mind and distinguish our Religious from Common Assemblies and that 's all So careful is our Church not to give Offence that altho' something more of this nature would not be too much yet less than she prescribes would be indeed too little Her Service I may truly call Divine it being for the main collected from the Holy Writings and the rest taken out of the best Liturgies of the Primitive Church Compil'd it is with excellent Judgment express'd in plain but very proper Language divided into short but comprehenfive Collects with variety enough to entertain the Mind and prevent its tiring but not so much as to scatter its Thoughts and tempt it to lose it self in unprofitable Wandrings And where all we have to do is to bear our part in it with all the Warmth and Fervour that we can and to which the Brevity of each particular Prayer does very much conduce As for the Musick of our Church in Declaiming against which many are so strangely Religious as to place a great part of their Devotion and Zeal who really are Objects of our Pity as well as Indignation no Man can express to what a Pitch it wings Devotion what Holy Flames and Ardors it excites how
than in Mine and the World's Creator who hath communicated Being and Happiness to all the Universe and by whose Bounteous Hand we are all supply'd with abundant Plenty of our proper Good For the same Reasons therefore that we love any thing we shall find our selves strongly engaged to Love our Creator infinitely more and Imitation and Obedience will naturally follow True Gratitude and Love So that Would Young Persons be but perswaded Eccles 12.1 as the Wise King Advises Thus to Remember their Creator in the Days of their Youth That His Hands have made them and fashioned them and trace their Life and their Happiness up to its Eternal Spring And would they do this seriously and not too seldom what Religious Affections would it not excite What Self-Annihilation and Humblest Thankfulness content in every Change of their Condition and Modesty and Moderation in their greatest Prosperity What Admiration at the Divine Wisdom and Power and Goodness and entire Resignation of themselves to all his Disposals and resolv'd Conformity to all his Pleasure And what a happy Influence upon their future Life such a Temper of Mind as this would have is not to be express'd The Second Advice BUT Secondly Advice 2 Let them Remember too that they are Christians the Disciples of Jesus that Eternal Son of God the King of Glory who is the Saviour of the World Who from a most deplorable Condition into which Mankind had plung'd themselves by Sin by his Bitter Sufferings in their stead and cruel Death upon a Cross Redeem'd and Rais'd them up to Infinitely Happy Circumstances and most Glorious Hopes And that upon this Reasonable Condition only that they Believe what He has done and suffer'd for them to be sufficient to their Salvation and trust in it as the only Meritorious Cause of it and give full Assent to the Great Truths He hath made known to them and carefully observe what He hath commanded in the Gospel Revelation All which was engag'd for them in their Baptism or Admission into this Happy Society and which they have since Agreed to and Ratified in their own Persons at their Confirmation There is no Title in the World that carries with it so much Honour empâ—â—ys so much Happiness and reminds of so much Duty as that of Christian It bespeaks a Man a Friend and a Favourite Rom. 8.14 c. nay a Brother of the Son of God receiv'd by Adoption into the same near Relation to the most High an Heir of God and Coheir with Christ of Eternal Glory in the Highest Heavens 1 Joh. 3.2 Where he shall be made Like to his Heavenly Father in all his Communicable Excellencies and in the Bosom of Jesus for ever enjoy the most consummate Felicity And all this from a state of Enmity with God and open Rebellion which had deservedly brought His Curse upon him made him the Object of the Divine Hatred and Vengeance which would have made him extremely Miserable to Eternal Ages had not the most Compassionate Jesus made an Attonement with His Blood and Introduc'd this wondrous Happy Change But then what Vast Obligations lie upon all Christians for such Amazing Favours as these As first so far to know themselves as to Live suitable to the High Honour conferr'd on them by God which the Apostle stiles Walking worthy of the Vocation wherewith we are call'd Eph. 4.1 and not to Degrade themselves by vile and finful Courses If God has rais'd 'em from so Low and Miserable to so Glorious and Happy a Condition 't will be Inexcusable Meanness of Spirit and contrary to all the Principles of Honour to become Slaves and Drudges for such pittiful base things in comparison as the Objects of Sense and the Enjoyments of Brutes and forgetting their Treasure in Heaven the Crown that awaits 'em there employ all their Thoughts and their Diligence upon the Trifles of this Earth Again If they are the Purchase of the Son of God Redeem'd by the Inestimable Price of His most Precious Blood from the Extreamest Misery there 's all the Reason in the World that they should entirely Dedicate themselves to His Service as no longer their own 1 Cor. 6.20 and Glorify that Blessed Saviour of theirs with their Bodies and their Spirits which are his Would a Slave ransom'd from the Mines or Gallies think much for ever to serve and obey his Redeemer Would a Wretch condemn'd to the Rack or Wheel there to be Tortur'd to Death think any thing too much to do for that dear kind Man who procur'd for him his Pardon Can his Life and his Liberty be employ'd better than in doing him Honour to whom he owes both And how would our Blood rise against that ungrateful Wretch who would take no Notice of all this or at most return a few cool dry Thanks and refuse some easy reasonable piece of Service that was requested of him or put it off till he had nothing else to do What Love and Duty then can be enough to the Great Saviour of the World from Misery infinitely greater than the most witty Malice upon Earth could e're invent and which too Never Never should have End and who besides has rais'd us to a State as Glorious and Happy as that we are redeem'd from would have been Wretched and Miserable And can we think the most Compassionate Jesus who underwent such barbarous cruel Usage and lost his Life in Torment for our Sakes would e're require of us unreasonable Things No no All His Commands are Holy Just and Good contriv'd on purpose to carry on the Gracious Design of making us both now and ever completely Happy and that at length we may have full Possession of what he has purchas'd for us That he may see the Blessed Effects of the Agonies and Travel of his Soul and conduct his little Flock which Mens own Obstinacy does make so little into the blissful Kingdom of his Father That where he is there they may be also Joh. 17.24 and behold and partake of his Glory How can we better spend the Prime and Flower of our Age than in the Service of so Good a Master and who himself did lead the way perform'd what he requires of us and made his excellent Precepts look still more lovely by the Lustre of his own Example Nothing can more commend the True Nobleness and Generosity of our Spirits than in the midst of those Temptations which surround us at our First Entrance into the World to Remember our Obligations to Jesus our Best Friend and freely lay our Fortunes our Strength our Reason our Affections our very Life down at his Feet to be entirely Govern'd and Directed by him who once as great a Person as he was submitted to Poverty suffer'd the greatest Hardships and e're he arriv'd to half the Age of Man became a Sacrifiee for us Certainly we can't but think this highly reasonable especially since we are so firmly engag'd to it by the most Solemn
whether 't is not much better even in base of a considerable Injury to endeavour to right ones self calmly and quietly in the Methods that Cool Reason and Good Laws direct than by following blind Passion and I can't tell what Mistaken Notions of Honour to be far more Injurious to our selves than ever the greatest Enemy was that we had yet to deal with What is this but to Punish our selves for other Mens Faults To make our Lives extreamly troublesome and uneasy because such a one is proud and haughty another silly and impertinent a third behaves himself rudely and like an Ill-bred Clown and a fourth it may be has made too bold with our Reputation and said things of us which he cannot Justify And therefore with great Reason did Solomon say Prov. 19.11 The discretion of a Man deferreth his Anger and it is his Glory to pass over a Transgression And in another place Prov. 14.29 He that is slow to Anger is of great Vnderstanding but he that is hasty of Spirit exalteth Folly Which wise Observations I shall leave to young Persons serious Consideration and proceed to The Ninth Advice ANother piece of Advice which I think very needful to be given and observ'd and that is relating to the common way of Conversation now in use that they would have a care of Conforming too much to that which for the most part is made up of Vanity and Censure and a treacherous collecting such Remarks and Observations in one Visit as may be matter for Invidious Reflections the next And this is now become an Art and set Rules there are of Learning and Practising it and a great Reflection it is upon a Man not nicely to observe 'em especially if he transgresses on the good Natur'd side And to encourage Peoples Proficiency those that are most ready at it and carry it most smoothly on and with the least suspicion and make most use of it upon Occasion are esteem'd as Persons of the best Breeding and best Sense and their Company Courted as the most agreeable and diverting This is that which we call Glozing and Complement Expressions of Kindness and Esteem without Sincerity at the bottom when Mens fair smooth Behaviour set Flourishes great Civilities c. is nothing but Dissimulation and they are really upon the spy all the while that they may discover something in each others Discourse or Behaviour whereby they may Expose one another when there is opportunity And this as a choice Treasure they lay up safely in their Memories and bring it out to the next Company they are in and shew it with all the Advantages that may be Comment and Inlarge upon it and recommend it as the Subject of every ones nicest and most critical Remarks and so 't is handed round Which seems to be most exactly describ'd by the Psalmist Psal 41.6 And if he come to see me he speaketh Vanity his Heart gathereth Iniquity to it self and when he goeth abroad he telleth it So that after all 't is an Old Fashion'd Vice tho' probably the World has refin'd upon 't and improv'd it by long Use and Practice Wickedness as well as other things being perfected by time Now that this is really the present Modish way of Conversation every one that knows what Conversation is must needs be sensible What a World of seeming Endearment do we meet with every where So many Fine Expressions of Mens extraordinary Value Kindness and Respect such frequent Assurances of ready Service and Assistance and the like that did those deserve all this to whom it is given and those that give it sincerely mean as they speak we should have a Heaven upon Earth Such great Desert and Excellency on the one hand and so much Benignity and Rejoycing in each others Good on the other would make the World a Family of Love and again give Occasion to the Wonder and Envy of the Enemies of our Faith when they should see the Christians so entirely love one another But what is at the Bottom of all this Why truly for the most part either nothing or what is very much worse 'T is either a set way of Conversation made use of Indifferently to every body to shew the Man's Breeding more than his Friendship and tho' there is no Sincerity there 's yet as little Malice in it or else 't is design'd as a Snare to trepan People into such Discourses or Behaviour as may give Occasion for the exposing and ridiculing of them afterwards And 't is no new thing for a Man to have as Ill a Character in good earnest given of him and by the same Person behind his back as he had a Fair one in Complement before his Face Nay those very things which were then spoken well of and it may be deserv'd it shall have quite another Gloss set upon 'em in the Company where it may be Acceptable What more usual than for People to be upon the Pump in their Visits Making use of little sly Arts and Fetches to discover one anothers Thoughts of this or that Person such and such an Action or Occurrence how they are inclin'd in such an Affair and the like and all this on purpose to make 'em the Subject of the next Discourse to display their want of Wit or Breeding to call in question their Prudence or their Principles and not seldom to make a breach between Family and Family Friend and Friend whose good Correspondence and right Understanding they before envy'd and would fain destroy And how happy do some account themselves in Plenty of such kind of Observations which to be sure shall lose nothing in their Communicating 'em to others nor fail of their End for want of any Additions that are necessary Their Company they think can't but be very diverting which will make Men so knowing in other Folks Matters and furnish Ill Nature with so many choice Topicks for Censure and Occasion so much of a Laugh And if a loud Whisper will recommend any thing of this Nature and make it fly further in the Disguise of a Secret then it shall be disclos'd with seeming Caution as a great Trust an Argument of the Confidence they have in you when all the while they 're upon the watch what your Sentiments will be of the matter and as officiously carry them back to the Party concern'd as they brought their Treacherous Remarks of him to you And thus is the Fire of Contention kindled and that too often beyond all possibility of Exstinction That this is no Feign'd Description of modern Conversation I may Appeal to any Man 's own Observation and to very many's Practice But now one would wonder what should Incline People to it Whether Pride and Envy which prompts Men to sink every Bodies Reputation but their own whether Malice and Revenge which takes this secret undiscover'd way to return an Injury or that Hellish Temper of doing Mischief for Mischiefs sake and making sport with setting People