the very lowest degree of belief in it, and not believe it to be an affair of the utmost importance, is quite inconceivable: but notwithstanding they treat it, without fcruple, as a flight matter, because they fee it commonly treated fo. But this degree of depravity is not univerfal. We, perhaps, may blame thofe who do fo, and with marks of great feriousness profefs ourfelves chriftians: yet, it may be, are eafy in tranfgreffing, in a higher degree or a lower, as occafion offers, almost every precept of chriftianity, because others, who call themfelves chriftians alfo, do the fame thing. We acknowledge that we are foon to leave this earth, and give an account to God of the part which we have acted upon it: yet perceiving, that most people about us overlook these awful truths, we can do so too, as abfolutely, as if we had no concern in them. And, to be a little more particular: what is it that makes us in our common difcourfe fo regardlefs of equity and humanity, fo eager to fpeak evil and propagate fcandal? Surely not always malignity of heart and certainly very feldom any peculiar knowledge of the cafe, or interest in it. But fuch is the reigning turn of conversation, which we are wicked and weak enough to adopt and promote, at the very time that we inveigh bitterly against it, and suffer grievously by it. Again: how many are there who trifle away their days, in thinking of and doing nothing that tends to any good purpose, only because trifling is fashionable! How many are there who affect follies and vices, to which, at the bottom, they have little or no liking, which are highly prejudicial, and will probably be fatal to them, merely because they are in vogue: and for no wifer a reason will perfevere in them, when nature cries aloud to have them left off! How many diftrefs and undo themselves and their families, by imprudently vying with the luxury and expenfiveness of those about them, nay, of those above them! And, in general, from what is it elfe, than taking it on truft from common perfuafion, that poffeffing the things of this world is happiness; though we not only may obferve the contrary in all whom we know, but feel it in ourselves; that we pursue them through fins and through fufferings of all kinds, and deteft one another 'on account of them, at the rate we do? What, indeed, elfe could fupport the abfurdity of feeking our chief good where plainly it is not, but that we all fee one another do so, and and will perfuade ourselves, against the fulleft evidence, that fo univerfal an attachment must be well grounded. But the example of a fiall part of mankind is often fu.ficient to lead us into ftrange errors. Where party-zeal of any kind prevails, into what monftrons opinions of men and things, what ütter disregard to all truth and juftice, to public fpirit and humanity, will men run one after another! Indeed they will do things, when united in bodies, which, taken fingly, they would abhor nay, will think they juftify their own behaviour, completely, by alledging only, that it is the fame with that of their oppofers, whom they condemn as the worst of men. Sometimes a lefs authority than this proves able to mifguid us: and a blind prepoffeffion in favour of a few perfons, or a fingle one, shall feduce us into a very unjustifiable imitation; and even make us, by the means of it, contemptible, or, by carrying it too far, guilty, when what we meant to copy was commendable, or however innocent. Without fpecifying more inftances, or enlarging on thefe, the mischiefs of being injudiciously conformed to this world* appear fo confiderable, as to make the remedies which can be found for it extremely defirable. Now, remedies of mifchiefs vary with their causes: which in this cafe are numer ous. 1. Some follow the multitude to do evilt from mere inconfiderateness: pour creatures, greatly to be pitied, and yet feverely reproved. For, furely, enough depends on our chufing right in life, to make us think about it: and there is appearance enough of errors in the common practice, to give us no little diffidence in a matter of fuch moment. But mankind in general being thoughtlefs, each individual, as he goes on with the reft, finding few or none different from himself to compare with, is hardly fenfible of his own being fo. Yet would we in imagination, ftep out of the prefent fcene of things for a while, confider ourfelves as mere fpectators, and view the courfe of them as they pafs before us, how amazing would the fight be! The plain and only way to happiness, through the faithful cultivation of piety and virtue, almoft unanimoufly neglected nations and ages treading, in mutual implicit reliance, paths leading to deftruction: the lefs faulty furprisingly apt : Kk 2 ta Rom. xii. 2. † Exod. xxiii. 2. to be diffipated in a hurry of amufements, or plod on in worldly bufinefs without higher attentions; the rest, by irregular paffions, and unlawful pui fuits, making themselves and their neighbours as wretched at prefent as they well can, and at the fame time providing for unfpeakably greater mifery hereafter every generation reminded, every single person feeing, on one occafion or another, in how wrong a course they are; yet fhutting their eyes again, and going forward blind. fold none almoft taking warning by the fate of his prede ceffors; but each leaving, in his turn, an ufelefs admonition of his own to fuch as come in his ftead. This their way is their folly: yet their poflerity approve their fayings. And shall we be of the number of those who act thus: or rather affert our right to judge for ourfelves, where it concerns us fo nearly? Such is the ufage of the world: but is it the dictate of conscience, is it the road to happinefs? The multitude, blind leaders of the blind, have they reason, have they scripture, have they the final event of things, to juftify them? If not, let us chufe a fafer guidance; and apply the real rule of life to direct our fteps: afk ourselves often, what we are doing, and what it tends to? Stop fhort, wherever we difcern ground for fufpicion; beware of plaufible pleas, for they often colour over the woft actions; beware of indifcreet compliances, for they border nearly upon criminal ones; and ever remember the fon of Sirach`s advice: go not in a way wherein thou mayeft fall. Be not confident in a plain way. But above all let us beware of ourselves: and recollecting, as we have but too much caufe, our natural fu, pineness, and forgetfulness of the cautions that we fo often receive, give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, leaft at any time we let them flip§; and fet our hearts unto the words of God's law, for it is not a vain thing for us, because it is our life. 2. Others there are, not abfolutely thoughtlefs about their conduct, but diftruftful of their own judgment: borne down by fo great an authority, as the practice of all mankind appears to be, against seriousness in religion and stri&nefs in virtue. But, univerfal as this practice may feem, there are many Pfal. xlix. 13. § Heb. ii. 1. † Matth. xy. 14. Ecclus. xxxii. 27, 22, many exceptions from it amongst all ranks, and fome, God be praifed, in the highest, of exemplary chriftians, who, in the milft of a crooked and perverfe generation, fine as lights in the world. But were the apoftacy more general than it is, yet being the effect of mere inconfideratenefs or ungoverned pallions, what weight can there be in the most perfect agreement of perfons thus influenced? Or if ftill the multitude together look formidable, feparate them; and confider fingly, of whom the whole is compofed. The much larger part will be acknowleged at first fight to be fuch, as we fhould be ashamed once to think of taking for our directors, in a point of any confequence. And for the rest: the rich and great are rather peculiarly expofed to temptation, and, of course, to fall, than qualified to difcover and relish thofe momentous truths and rules of life, which humility and retirement into ourselves best difpofe us to receive. The learned and knowing are liable to be misled into wrong judgements by the vanity of judging differently from common men; nor do they always act agreeably to what they inwardly think. And the reputed wife and able very frequently have never confidered in earnest what the true wisdom of life is, but only bufied themfelves with a filly cunning to attain what they have rafhly and falfely taken for the end, at which they were to aim. But further this univerfal confent, pleaded against obferving the precepts of religion, is, when examined, no consent at all. For as the vices of men are contrary to each other, and every vicious temper is full of inconfiftencies within itself: no one immoral courfe will ever be generally approved, nor almost any one immoral perfon continue long of the fame opinion. The only thing, in which we fhall find them agree, is that, which they all by turns own, that the conduct of the virtuous is right; and their own, wrong. Here, therefore, a pious and difcreet man will eafily raife an intestine war amongst the enemy: defend himself against one fide by the authority of the other; indeed against all fides by the authority of all and in conclufion refolve, flighting and pitying a divided giddy crowd, in every good work to trust his own foul; for this is the keeping of the commandments†. : 3. Another strong inducement to have fellowship with the bad • Phil. ii. 15. Ecclus. xxxii. 23. bad cuftoms of the world, is defire of being efteemed by it. But do the vicious really efteem one another? Do they not almost always hate, or despise one another? Or fuppose that, for joining in their fins and abfurdities, you were fure to receive their applause as your reward. Perhaps the whole meaning of it is at the bottom no more than this: they want to keep themfelves in countenance, being conscious that they have occafion for it, by adding as many as they can to their number; and their good opinion of you is thinking you weak enough to be drawn in for one. Or perhaps the fuperiority, which your innocence gives you over them, is painful to them; and they would fain bring you down to their own level. Or they have fome interested defign upon you, or they confider you as an instrument fitted to amuse and entertain them: and fo extol you, while they deride you. This, you fee, is not being admired: it is being made a tool. But were it otherwife confider a little; what can fuch admiration be worth? How long will it be likely to laft? And what must the confequences prove, now and to eternity? Why then, instead of courting outward regard from thofe, who inwardly condemn themselves, do you not chuse to be respected by the wife and good, to enjoy the teftimony of your own confcience, and to fecure the important approbation of him, who hath said, them that honour me, I will honour: and they that defpife me, fball be lightly esteemed"? 4. A further motive, which yet more powerfully inclines too many to unlawful compliances, is falfe good-nature and shame. They have fo exceffive a flexibility of temper, that they know not how to ftand out against what the practice of the world recommends, and especially what their acquaintance invite and prefs them to, though they ever fo clearly see the impropriety of it, and have ever fo firmly refolved the contrary. Unhappy creatures, betrayed by difpofitions, almoft virtuous, into vice! The truly good-natured part, would they but reflect, is to lead others in the right way, not to follow them in the wrong the truly fhameful behaviour, not to be refolute, obftinate, if tempters please to call it fo, in confulting our prefent and future welfare. Beware of evil, faith the son of Sirach, and be not ashamed, when it concerneth thy foul. For there is a Shame, Sam. ii. 30. |