cause he is dull, or difhoneft, and must therefore be a worthlefs mischievous Member of it. True indeed it is that Religion hath frequently been made a Cloak for Knavery to work under, and a Wolf will be always capable of doing most Mischief in Sheep's Cloathing; but if the Abuse of any thing were an Argument against the Ufe of it, that Argument would extend to every thing; every thing in this Life must be laid afide, and chiefly the best things, because they are generally applied to the worft Purposes. To decline therefore any Part of Religion for fear of being efteem'd Hypocrites, is actually to incur Damnation for fear of its being thought that we fhall incur it and however fome Men may talk piously in order to act impioufly to greater Advantage, yet certain it is, that were Men generally better Talkers, they would likewife generally be better Livers. It is not indeed always out of the Abundance of the Heart that the Mouth Speaketh, yet the Abundance of the Heart will utter itself; and where there is no good Dif

course,

courfe, there is certainly no Fund of Goodness within.

As to the Charge of Stiffness and Formality, it is very improperly applied to Religious Difcourfe, because they are Terms which fignify an unneceffary Severity; and however fevere Religion may feem in fome of its Articles, it is certainly not unneceffary in any of them; on the contrary, it furnishes out the most neceffary Topicks of Difcourfe, because on its Articles our Eternal Welfare depends; it furnishes out likewise the most refined and exalted Topicks, because it takes in the tranfcendant Glory and Purity of the Divine Attributes, the Wonders of the Creation, the much greater Wonders of our Redemption, the Beauty, the Wisdom, the Power of Providence, the lively Notices of Virtue and Holiness, the splendid Hopes of Bliss and Immortality: Religion enriches the Soul with the most bright Ideas of whatever is excellent, and engages our Performances in the most noble Scenes of Action. Were Men but induced to talk together of their Eternal Concerns with

the fame Freedom and Affection as they do of their Temporal; were they to apply the fame Brightness of Fancy, the same Elegance of Expreffion, the fame Delicacy of Wit, the fame Force of Argument to Religious Truths, as they employ with respect to worldly Bufinefs and Amusements, our Converfation would then become heavenly, not only in Point of Holinefs, but in Point of Pleasure and Satisfaction too: Men would be to one another as the Angels of God, and Piety would appear, as it really is, an amiable and an ornamental Qualification. If any Sparks of Religion do remain in Mens Minds, an industrious Concealment would be a certain Means to ftifle and extinguish them; Conversation will ferve to kindle them into an holy Flame, and when our Hearts are hot within us, the pious Breathings of Devotion will vent themselves, and communicate a godly Warmth to those we converfe with: This would give wonderful Countenance to Religion in the World; here the good Man would meet with vaft Encouragement to pursue the Course of Virtue, when he is all along

favoured

favoured with the Approbation of others, as well as rejoiced by the Applauses of his own Confcience: Here Shame would be turn'd upon the Ungodly, and he muft in his own Defence be obliged to pay a due outward Regard to Religion, that he may become like the reft of Mankind: And thus were there a fufficient Number of good Men, who out of the good Treafure of their Heart, would in this Way, bring forth good Things, the pious Zeal they exprefs for God's Glory would raise and animate the like Zeal in others; The Mouth of the Righteous would then become a Well of Life, and their Lips would feed many.

BUT because fome Indulgence is to be given even to the Iniquity of the Times, and Acts of Goodness must be sometimes with-holden, when we are fure they will take a wrong Turn; it may be proper to fubjoin a Direction or two with respect to Religious Converfation, which may tend to preferve, or rather recover the Use of it, and at the fame time, if poffible, take off from the Disgust of it; and that is, in general we ought to avoid

the

the juft Imputation of thofe Charges, which we before mentioned are generally caft upon Religious Difcourfe, viz. Hypocrify and Formality.

Now these two Charges thus far fall in with one another, that the greatest Hypocrites are generally the most formal, because when People are acting a Part, they are very apt to exceed Nature; and it may poffibly be thought by the Actors of Hypocrify, that their inward Foulness requires a great deal of outward Dawbing to conceal it. Religious Difcourfe therefore should be eafy and unaffected, to fhew that it is the natural Outgoings of the Soul, the true Bent and genuine Difpofition of the Mind: It should be chearful, to fhew that Peace and Joy are the Effects which Religion hath upon us, and by that Means to engage others to make Religion their Study and Business, that it may have the like Effects of Pleafure and Comfort upon them: It should be appofite, otherwise it will appear forced and conftrain'd, and confequently difagreeable Time, Place, Occafion, Company, &c. are all to be taken into Confideration,