ciety of the first Christians; and of Vol. II. the rest durft no man join himself unto them, A&s5.13. Thou doft too much accommodate thy felf to the Modes and Humours of the World, and this draws upon thee the Company of the Impertinent and Vicious; 'tis an earthly vanishing Splendour, about which thefe Moths and Night-flies flutter: 'Tis Jet, not Gold and Diamond, that is faid to attract Straws.

3. But lastly,. This Rule obliges us only as far as we can (the nearness of Relation or neceffary Bufinefs, does sometimes make it our Duty to Converfe with those which we otherwise would decline. And in this Cafe all that can be expected is) not to have any Fellowship or Communion with them in their Vices, but to discountenance or reprove them: And, as the World goes now, I think this Rule is to be extended no farther then to Intimacies and Familiarities, to voluntary and chofen Acquaintance, not to Accidental Meetings or Occafional Correfpondencies. But we must take care not to be too favourable and complyant in this Matter; the more Sin abounds, the less Discipline is or can be H 4

exer

Vol. II. exercised; the more zealous fhould we be in particular to do honour to Religion, and to fix a Mark of Shame and Infamy upon Vice. Never is this Rule more fcandaloufly tranfgrefs'd, then when Priests and Prelates court theCompany and Favour of Atheists and Adulterers or Matrons and Virgins that of a wretched Woman, whofe State and Port is not more notorious than the Shame and Lewdness that maintains it. How can our Wives or Daughters think that there is any Shame or Turpitude in the Sin, when we pay fo much refpect to the Sinner.

2. We must confider what ought to be the true end and defign of Society and Conversation among Chriftians. Certainly that Man has a very mean and low Notion of Friendship, who propofes no other End than to Eat and to Drink together, or to laugh and fool away our precious Moments. The Scripture points out to us much nobler Purposes and Defigns of Converfation, when it tells us, That our Speech fhould be fuch as may adminifter Grace that we should build up one another in our holy faith; that we should comfort one another, exhort one another

3

con

continually, and fo much the more, be- Vol. II. caufe the day approaches, &c. and furely we are strangely mistaken, if we think that our Communication will lofe all guft by being directed to one of thefe ends. On the contrary, it would doubtless be as much more delightful as beneficial, if when we meet we were accustomed, inftead of Cenfures and Reflections, News and Impertinence, or Frothinefs and Lighthefs, to discourse of some worthy and noble Subject, becoming the Genius and Hope of a Chriftian. The Example of David confirms this Notion 3 he try'd and found that Friendship was both useful and pleafant, whilst it was maintain'd on the ftock of Reli gion; My Companion, my Guide, my familiar Friend; we took Sweet Counsel together, and walked into the House of God in company, Pfal. 55. 14, 14.

To this it will be again objected, It will be very difficult at all times to find Matter and Occafion for good Difcourfe. I answer, First, I do not utterly and totally exclude the common Accidents of Life, the Business and Affairs of it, nay, even Things of a pleasant and divertive Nature, if mo

deft

Vol. II. deft and inoffenfive, from being fometimes the Subject of Conversation ; but, I fay, Religion ought to be the main and great End of it. Secondly, 'Tis hard for me to conceive how a good Christian should often want either Matter or Opportunity for pious Difcourse. As for Matter, he muft suffer the Providences of God to pass without any observation or remark, he must be a Stranger to the Works of Nature; he must be utterly unread in the History of Human Affairs; he must be unacquainted with the Book of God; and he must have little experience of the Power and Operation of God's Word and Spirit upon his own Soul he must have reflected very little on the Wilds of Satan, the Temptations of the World, and the Defects and Weakneffes of Human Nature, who can want Matter for good Discourse. The Man of Letters, the Man of Bufiness, the Man of Pleasure, never wants Matter; Books furnish the one, Bufinefs the other, and their Vices and Diversions the third. 'Tis ftrange that the Christian alone fhould be barren. The Chriftian, who is a Child of the Light, and of the Day, and should abound

bound in Wisdom and Understanding. Vol. II. The Chriftian, who has every hour Matters of the highest Importance on his hands! and who, finally, is entertain'd with more and richer Pleasures than the most fortunate Epicurean can pretend to. As to Occafion or Opportunity of good Difcourfe, did the Heart run that way, every thing would afford it us. But alas! we rather fhun than feek occafions : and I know not by what strange Error we have banish'd all Matters of Religion out of Company; as if nothing but Ignorance or Affectation could make a Man fo impertinent, as to talk of any thing that were pious and good. I befeech you to confider, whether this be not a very near approach to the being asham'd of Chrift; and if it be, how fhall we escape that dreadful Sentence which is denounced against it, Mark 8. 38. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this wicked and adulterous Generation, of him alfo fhall the Son of Man be afhamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels. This minds me of the

3d, and laft Direction, which is,

That