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and make it your Bufinefs to be as pious,
and charitable, and fober, as is poffible?
Why, whether you believe in Chrift or no,
thefe are the Dictates of Natural Religion;
and you muft thus frame your Life, other-
wife you are not qualified for any Direction
or Affiftance from God Almighty. And if
any Man among us do thus frame his Life,
I fhall think it very ftrange if fuch a Man
be not a hearty Chriftian. Sure I am, I
never yet heard or read of any Inftance to
the contrary.

The Truth of it is, Men that are of this
Temper, Men that are thus honeftly dif
pofed, never fail to believe in Christ at laft,
tho' at the Beginning they do not. All
fuch fhall come unto Chrift, because the
Father draweth them. All fuch, because
they endeavour to do God's Will, fhall
know of Chrift's Doctrine, that it is of
God. All this our Saviour hath long be-
fore told us.

But here is our Cafe:

It is not the virtuous, the good, the humble, the modeft, the charitable, the piouslydifpofed Souls that disbelieve Christianity among us, but another fort of Men: And I pray God the great Reafon of their Unbelief be not this, that the Doctrines of the Gospel do not fuit with thofe Principles of Liberty which they have espoused; nor with that Courfe of Life they are engaged in and therefore fince the Gospel is against VOL. V. them,

S

them, they will be against the Gospel. But Woe be to all fuch, for they are of all Mortals in the most hopeless Condition.

I pray God convert them from the Evil "of their Ways, that they may understand "the Things that belong to their Peace be"fore they be hid from their Eyes." And we ought all to joyn in this Prayer, not only for their Sakes, but for the Publick. For Atheism and Irreligion are infinitely mifchievous to the Kingdom, as well as to thofe particular Perfons who maintain and promote them. And I pray God that all of us, who do heartily embrace and believe the Christian Religion, may frame our Lives and Converfation fuitably to it, that fo we may be no Difparagement to our holy Faith, but may rather adorn the Doctrine of God we do profefs in all Things: This is the true Way to obtain happy, peaceful Days in this World, and the Way likewise that will infallibly bring us fafe to the Kingdom of Heaven after this World is ended. May God Almighty grant us both these Bleffings for the Sake of his dear Son our Lord Jefus; To whom, &c.

DIS

243

DISCOURSE VIII.

Of Conformity to the Customs and Ways of the World. How far allowable, and how far not.

[Delivered in Two Sermons.]

ROM. xii. 2.

Be not conformed to this World.

HE whole Verfe is this: And be not conformed to this World, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your Minds, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect Will of God; that is, ye that call your felves Chriftians must not follow the Ways of the Men of this World, nor frame your Converfation according to the evil Cuftoms you fee before you; but you are to look upon your felves as Men of another World: your Minds are to be formed and acted with new spiritual Principles, that fo ye may both approve and pra S 2

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cise what the Gospel of Chrift requires of you, which is that good, and acceptable, and perfect Law by which God would have you to frame your Lives.

This Point of not conforming to the World is fo effential to Chriftianity, that it is one of thofe Things which we all vow in our Baptism for as we then promise to renounce the Devil and all his Works, fo do we also promise to renounce the Pomps and Vanities of this World; and therefore, as there is the greatest Obligation that is poffible laid upon us to practise this Duty, fo it is of mighty Concernment to us that we do well understand it, otherwife we fhall bring endless Scruples and Difficulties upon ourfelves. For to think of living in this World, and not in many Things conforming to it, or complying with the Customs of it, will feem even to the beft of Men an hard, if not impoffible, Task; and confequently, if the Bounds and Limits of this Precept be not well understood, we must unavoidably be entangled in many Perplexities.

To fix thefe Bounds therefore fhall be my Endeavour in the enfuing Difcourfe. And in order hereunto I fhall do thefe four Things.

I. Firft of all I fhall fhew what kind of Conformity to the World is allowable to Chriftians.

II. What

II. What kind of Conformity to the World is here forbidden.

III. I shall name fome particular Inftances in which this Precept of not conforming to the World doth more efpecially feem to concern us at this Day.

IV. I fhall give account by what Rules and Measures we are to guide ourselves in this Point of Conformity to the World, that what is lawful in itself may not be unlawful or finful in us.

I. I begin with the firft of thefe Points, that is, To fhew what kind of Conformity to this World is allowable to Chriftians. And what I have to say upon this Head I fhall comprize in two Propofitions.

ift. First of all; No Man is bound to differ from the World merely for Difference fake.

2dly. That it is not only lawful, but expedient, that in Things which are not by the Law of God forbidden, we should frame our Converfation according to the Course of the World.

Ift. No Man is bound to differ from the World in his Way of Living merely for Difference fake.

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