This now being unquestionably_the Meaning of the Expreffion in two of the three Places where it is used, I think there can be no great doubt but it must have the fame Meaning in the third, which is my Text; and especially, if we confider the Reason which is here given why it did fo much concern all Chriftians to walk circumspectly, not as Fools, but as Wife, endeavouring to redeem the Time, viz. because the Days were evil. All which Things confider'd, lead us to this plain and short Paraphrase of my Text, wherein, I think, St. Paul's whole Meaning is comprehended. Ye are to confider, O Ephefians, that the Days you live in are evil Days; the Times are full of Dangers and Difficulties: It concerns you therefore, both for your own fake, that you may preferve your felves, and for your Religion's fake, that you may bring Honour to it, to walk circumfpectly, not as Fools, but as Wife; to behave your felves with all the Exactnefs, and Prudence, and Discretion, that ye poffibly can, that by this means you may redeem or gain Time to your felves, and avoid the Dangers, whether Spiritual or Temporal, which the evil Days will expofe you to.

This I take to be the natural Meaning of the Text; and for Authority it hath St. Chryfoftom's to vouch for it, who was, among the Antients the beft Interpreter of Holy Scripture.

Taking now this to be the Meaning of my Text, the Argument I have to treat of from it, is, that Wisdom and Prudence, or that circumfpect Walking that Chriftians are to use in evil and dangerous Times, both for fecuring themfelves, and bringing Honour to their Religion.

This would indeed be a difficult Argument, if we were to, take our Meafures from the Politicks of this World, which change as often as the Times do change, and which have no fixed Rule but juft the prefent Interefts, and which often put Men upon reconciling Contradictions, and which are not contriv'd fo much for the honeft Men, as the cunning Men of the Age. I fay, if the Chriftian Politicks were of this Nature, it would be a prefumptuous Thing in me to meddle with them; but, God be thanked, the Politicks of a Chriftian are quite of another Strain: They are the same in all Times: They are easily understood by every Body: Their Rules and Maxims never clash with one another; and the more honeft any Man is, the more capable and the better qualified he is for the living up to them and therefore, without pretending to be one of the wifeft Men in the World, I may fafely venture to give an Account of them.

The Truth is, all the Chriftian Politicks are refolved into one Maxim, which every Body is well acquainted with, viz. That a great

deal

deal of Honefty, mixed with a little Difcretion, is the best Policy. The Saying is not the lefs true because it is grown into a Proverb ; and I dare fay, that both the Reason and the Experience of Mankind in all Ages, generally fpeaking, do bear teftimony to the Truth of it. That God, who in the Contrivance of our Natures ftamped a vigorous Sense of Virtue and Honefty upon our Minds, as the great Law by which we were to be governed, hath, in all Ages, taken Care to give Reputation and Sanction to that Law, by bleffing and protecting the honeft and virtuous, notwithstanding all the crooked Contrivances and Machinations of fubtle Men to the contrary.

But to come to our Bufinefs. The Enquiry is, How St. Paul would have the Chriftians in his Days to behave themselves in evil and difficult Times. He tells us in general, that they are to walk circumspectly, that is, as we fay, cautiously and prudently. But how is this Caution and Prudence to be expreffed? Till that be declared to us, his Trumpet gives but an uncertain Sound, and we are no wifer than we were. I answer, that what St. Paul has here laid down generally, he has in his other Writings treated of moft particularly; and therefore to these other Paffages of his we must have recourfe for the directing ourselves in the Application of this his general Precept.

18.

1. The firft Thing I take notice of in his Writings relating to this Matter is, that Rule of his which he often takes occafion to put the Chriftians in mind of, viz. that they should avoid, as much as they could, the giving offence to any, and make all innocent Compliances with thofe they convers'd with. Thus he faith to the Philippians, Let your Moderation be known unto all Men. Phil. 4. 5. And again in another Place, As much as in Rom. 12. you lieth, live peaceably with all Men. And again in another Place, Put them in mind to Tit.3.1,2. be gentle, fhewing all Meekness to all Men. And lastly in another Place, fays the fame Apoftle, Give no Offence, neither to the Jew, 1 Cor. 10. nor to the Gentile, nor to the Church of God. And of this kind of Temper and Conversation the fame St. Paul propofeth himself for an Example, Even, fays he, as I pleafe all v.33. Men in all things. To the Jews I became as 1 Cor. 9. a Jew. To them that are without Law, as 20,21,22. without Law. I am made all things to all Men.

The Meaning of thefe and fuch like Speeches is this, that we are to yield to the Weaknefs and Neceffities of thofe with whom we converfe; not violently ftriving against the Stream in smaller Matters, nor affecting a fingular and morofe Behaviour, but being mild and easy in our Conversation, rather receding from our little Rights, than exafperating Men against us;

32.

fuiting

fuiting our Manners as far as innocently we can, to the Times we live in. And thus it is that Grotius expounds the very Text I am upon; Redeem the Time. What is that? Why, faith he, Honeftis obfequiis vitate pericula, viz. Endeavour to avoid the Dangers which threaten you by all decent and innocent Compliances.

But then you are to remember that this Rule of giving no Offence, and of pleafing all Men, is to be underftood with these two Restrictions.

(1.) First of all, that the Things wherein we comply with others, be Things of an indifferent Nature, fuch as may be innocently done, or left undone. If they be Things ill in themselves, or forbidden by the Laws of God and our Religion, then to comply with the World is to confpire against Christ; then to please Men is not to be the Servants of God. How valuable foever Peace and a quiet Life may be, yet we are upon no Account to ftretch a Point of Confcience for it.

(2.) Secondly, The Matters wherein we accommodate ourselves to the Humour of others for Peace fake, muft not only be innocent and lawful in themselves, but fuch alfo wherein the Laws and Conftitutions of the Place have laid no Reftraint upon us. We owe a great deal to our Neighbour, and we ought to comply with him as far as we can, tho' by fo doing we depart from

fome