the most accurately treated of those Mat

ters.

Whether the Reprefentations which are made in our Days upon the Stage, do fall under the Notion of thofe Pomps we have now spoken of, is a Point which I think needs not much be difputed. The Reprefentations and Spectacles of the Heathens. were upon a religious Account; they were defigned in Honour of their Gods, and were a Part of the idolatrous Worship which obtained among them. But I believe it will eafily be granted, that none frequent our Theatres upon account of ferving any Ends of Religion, or doing any Honour either to the true God or the falfe ones. But tho' it be granted that our Shews are not of the Nature of those among the Pagans, being no ways defign'd for the promoting of an Idol Worship, and confequently that they do not fall under the precise Notion of the Pomps of the World, as the firft Chriftians underftood that Term: yet if it do appear that they minifter to Vice and Sin, if they tend to the debauching Mens Manners, if they promote Wantonness and Luxury, if they infinuate into the Minds of the Spectators, Principles of Atheism or Irreligion; I fay, if thefe be the Effects of them, tho' they are not strictly the Pomps of the ancient World, yet they are juftly to be ftiled the Pomps of the present, and by Parity of Reafon are to be abandoned

by

by the present Chriftians, as much as thofe were by the primitive. But whether they be of this Nature, or do directly or neceffarily tend to the Production of fuch Effects, let those who know them beft determine. If they do not, I have nothing to say to them. But this by the by.

That which I was faying is, That a Chriftian's not being conformed to the World, or to the Pomps and Vanities of it, doth in general confift in not complying with those finful Customs and Ufages, which do generally obtain in the Times and Places in which he lives, of what Kind foever they be. The Precept is levelled against the prevailing fashionable Sins of every Country, which are various, according to the different Ages, and the different Climates of the World; fo that every one is to make an Application of the Precept to himself, according to the Times and Places in which he lives.

Now to make fome kind of Application of it to us at this Time: To name fome particular Inftances in which this Precept of not conforming to the World doth more especially seem to concern us of this Na tion, is the Third Head which I propofed to infist upon.

III. And God knows, there are too many Inftances of Sins, and great ones too, fit to be taken Notice of, which thro' the Prevalency

VOL. V.

T

valency of Custom and ill Example are become modifh and fashionable, even to that Degree, that they are accounted creditable amongst many, and venial by the moft. Oh! that every one of us would seriously lay thefe to Heart, and whenever we remember our Vow of renouncing the World, and not being conformed to it, would ferioufly think ourselves concerned to avoid thefe Sins efpecially! I fhall name fome of them, and think it very proper and seasonable to infift a little upon them.

1. The firft is profane Swearing in our ordinary Converfation, which is fo cuftomary, that for a Man to use it, is accounted no Difparagement to him: Nay, it is even thought by fome Perfons ornamental. It is made the Seasoning of their Discourse: It fupplies the Place both of Wit and Courage, and of Truth too. Yet there is nothing more exprefly forbid by the Laws of our Saviour, nor any Thing that is more unreasonable in itself, nor from whence either lefs Pleasure or lefs Advantage doth arife to them who ufe it.

2. Another Vice, which by reafon of its Commonnefs hath almost loft all Disrepute among us, and among fome is paffed into Credit, is Revelling and Drunkenness.

A

Sin fo odious to God, that it is put into the black Catalogue of thofe Vices, which Gal. 5.21.whofoever lives in, fhall not enter into the and 1 Cor. Kingdom of God. And yet fo frequently,

6.10.

and

and with fo little Scandal is it practised in our Days, that Bufinefs can fcarce be difpatched, or any Mirth or Society made without it. And the worst Cenfure that a Man ordinarily undergoes for it, is, that he is a Man of a free Humour, an honefthearted, good-natured Companion, and one who is the greatest Enemy to himself. As to this, we ought to learn Wisdom even from fome of thofe Nations of Europe, whom we should be loth to imitate in other Matters. How lewd and diffolute foever they may be in other refpects, yet this fottish Vice is generally abhorred by them. And a Man who is found guilty of it, shall undergo as fevere a Penance for it from his fpiritual Guide, as for the greatest of Crimes.

3. And this gives us occafion, in the third Place, to name another Sin among us, which is grown fo common, that it ought to be cautioned againft, as one of the prevailing modifh Sins of this Age, viz. the Sin of Lewdnefs and Uncleannefs. It is a very fad. Confideration, that we fhould be fo far degenerated from the Severity and Honefty of our Forefathers, that that Vice, which was heretofore accounted foreign to us, and proper to the Southern Climates, fhould not only find. Entertainment among us, but thrive and propagate as fruitfully it doth among them. They yet keep our Sins out from among them (namely, thofe

2

of exceffive Eating and Drinking, as I now faid) But we not only preferve our own Sins, but to increase our Condemnation have taken in their Sins too. I fear this is not spoken without ground; for any one that lives among us, and hears what a flight Matter is every Day made of purfuing unlawful Love, and how trifling a Business even Adultery itself is accounted, will be convinced that we are grown to a strange Pitch of Debauchery as to this Point. The Senfe of Juftice, and Faith, and Charity, is fo far loft among us, that an adulterous Love is fo far from being punished, fo far from being detefted and branded, as it fhould be, that it is only made a Business of Laughter and Merriment. As for that which they call fimple Fornication, it is by many, and by fuch too as would be thought Chriftians, doubted whether it be a Sin or no. Will not God vifit for these Things? Will he not fome Time or other call us to a fad Account for this open and scandalous Violation and Defiance of his moft facred fundamental Laws, by which the World is governed and doth fubfift? There is not a ferious Writer among any of the Pagans, whoever excufed fuch Things, much less juftified them: And fhall we Chriftians dare to do it? Oh! that we would all feriously confider what St. Paul fays in his 6th Chap. of the 1ft Epift. to the Corinthians, ver. 9. Be not deceived neither Fornicators, nor Adul