them, by their frequent Attendance on prophane and wanton Plays, vain Mufick-Gardens, and wicked Masquerades, Opera's, &c. The Reafon why Chriftians are to be found in a watchful Pofture, is here given; Because our Adversary the Devil, is feeking whom he may devour; we are exhorted to take Heed how we ftand, leaft we fall, to watch and pray, left we enter into Temptation; therefore a Life of Wantonnefs and Riot, Eafe and Security, cannot be agreeable to that Circumfpection and Diligence requifite in every Chriftian, in order to make his Calling and Election Jure. And I have thought a Life of Diverfion and Pleasure, is very unsuitable to Sinners, who may be guilty of immoral Acts, and, perhaps have lived long in open Violation of God's Laws: Surely it is high Time for fuch as these to awake out of Sleep, out of the Lethargy and Death of Sin; for the Lord, by the Mouth of his Prophet, pronounces a Woe against such as are at Eafe in their Sins; and calls upon them to reform, in thefe Words, Cleanfe your Hands, ye Sinners, and purify your Hearts, ye double-minded, be afflicted for your Sins, mourn and weep: Go to, you rich Men, weep and bowl for your Miferies that fhall come upon you; for you have lived in Pleasure on the Earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your Hearts as in a Day of Slaughter, &c. And our Lord pronounces a Woe against them that laugh now, for they fhallweep and mourn; but bleed are they that weep now, for ye shall rejoice hereafter. Weep for yourselves, and for your Children, was the Advice of Chrift to the Daughters of Jerufalem; and very neceffary for us at this Day, that our Mirth fhould be turned in

to

to Mourning, and the evil Rejoicing of many into Heaviness. These, and fuch like Sentences of the' facred Records, appear to me to be irreconcilable with the common Study and Practice of leaving Tokens of Mirth, Luxury and Wantonness, in every Place, faying, To-morrow shall be as this Day, and much more abundant; whereas we know not what shall be on the Morrow: For what is your Life! It is even as a Vapour, that appeareth for a little Time, and then vanishes away. The Wicked, fays holy Job, spend their Days in Mirth, and, in a Moment, go down to the Grave. But some object, that Solomon seems to allow Times and Seafons for Recreations and Divertisements, which you confider as unlawful Pleafures, viz. A Time to fing, and a Time to dance, &c. But, what is called an Allowance, appears to me to amount to no more, than that in Solomon's Days, as well as in all former Ages of the World, there were Times in which People did those Things he enumerates, and which he obferves, only adds Vanity to all human Actions and Inventions; but he does not determine whether they were lawful or otherwife: He tells us alfo, of a Time to laugh, or rejoice; our Lord, as above, pronounces a Woe against those that laugh now (or in this Golpel-Day, wherein you are called to Repentance, to fit and qualify you to receive the Golpel of Chrift and his Kingdom] for they shall mourn and weep.

Solomon meations a Time to hate; which under the Gospel is pofitively prohibited, or forbid, by Chrift's own Remarks on the Jewish Law or Tradition; where he evidently fhews, that there is

no

no fuch Paffion of the Mind to be exercised by Christians (except againft Sin, as the Godly hate Sin, because it is a Breach of God's Law) no, not against our Enemies; his Gofpel being univerfal Love and Beneficence to all Mankind. But granting that Solomon indulged himself in the Pleafures and Vanities of the Age he lived in, which indeed, appears to be his Cafe; yet hear how he estimates them, in what is commonly called his Recantation; having firft proved worldly Wifdom, he perceived that this was Vanity and Vexation of Spirit: For in much Wisdom is much Grief; and he that increaseth Knowledge, increafeth Sorrow, Eccl. i. 18. Then fays he, I commended Mirth, becaufe a Man hath nothing better under the Sun, than to eat, drink, and be merry. Go to, I will prove thee with Mirth, therefore enjoy Pleasure; but, behold, this is alfo Vanity; I faid of Laughter, it is Madness, and of Mirth, what doth it? Eccl. ii.

I, 2.

For even in Laughter the Heart is forrowful, and the End of the Mirth is Heaviness, Prov. xiv. 13. And we have this wife Man's Opinion, That it is better to go to the House of Mourning, than to the House of Feafting; and that Sorrow is better than Laughter; for by the Sadness of the Countenance, the Heart is made better: The Heart of the Wife, is in the House of Mourning; but the Heart of Fools, in the Houfe Mirth: Thus, thou may rejoice, O young Man, in thy Youth, and let thy Heart chear thee in the Days of thy Youth, and walk in the Ways of thy Heart, and in the Sight of thine Eyes; but remember it is at thy Peril; for know thou, that for all thefe Things God will bring thee into Judgment. Let us now hear his Conclufion

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Conclufion of the whole Matter: The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom, and to depart from Evil a good Understanding; therefore fear God, and keep his Commandments, for this is the whole Duty of Man: For God fhall bring every Work into Judgment, with every fecret Thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

But further, to evince that the common Diverfions and Amusements of the Age, are incongruous and unfit for Chriftians to recreate themfelves with-do but propofe to a pious, grave Clergyman, to accompany any one of you to a Ball, a Play, a Masquerade, or Affembly; or invite him to make a Party at Cards, Dice, or any Game; and see what an Indignity he'll tell thee thou haft offer'd him, telling thee, that these Amusements are inconfiftent with his Function, &c. And indeed every one who has, or does frequent Play-houses, knows that those Clergymen who take the undue Liberty of frequenting them, go conceal'd and difguis'd in what they call a Layhabit: Whereas, if these Entertainments were fuitable to a Chriftian Spirit, and that folid, grave, pious Difpofition of Mind, which it is the Duty of every common Chriftian to labour for, and be found in ; why may not the best Chriftians frequent them openly, as well as those who pretend to a leffer Degree of Piety and Holiness? I am not acquainted with any Text in the facred Writings, that allows me, or any one else, to be one wit lefs pious, holy, or virtuous, than our Teachers; nay, David did not fcruple to fay, in Matters of Religion, or the Things of God, that he was wifer, and had more Understading than all

his Teachers; For thy Teftimonies, O Lord, are my Meditation and Delight; I understand more than the Antients (who undoubtedly were well acquainted with the outward and written Law) for this cogent Reason, because I keep thy Precepts. And Paul exhorts the Philippians in thefe Words, Brethren, be ye Followers of me, and mark them which walk fo, as ye have us for an Example; and whereunto we have already attain'd, let us walk by the fame Rule, and mind the fame Things. And in his Directions or Council to Timothy, tells him, To be an Example to the Believers, in Word, in Cónverfation, in Charity (or Love) in Spirit, in Faith, and in Purity. He also directs Titus, To exhort the young Men to be jober-minded; in all Things fhewing himself a Pattern of good Works, in Uncorruptness, Gravity, and Sincerity.

But it may be objected, that fome of the Remarks on the fashionable Diverfions of the World, don't immediately affect you, as you have no Masquerades nor Mufick-gardens, to entertain you; neither are Theatrical Entertainments frequent amongst you. This is true; but you have, in the Winter-feafon, Affemblies once a Week, wherein you dance and game; Balls and Dancing at other Times and Places, Card-playing at your own Houses, &c. And, fuffer me farther to fay, that I am fenfible you, many of you, fail not to give your Attendance on every Occafion of Mirth and Jolity; and that you mimick Great Britain in every Foppery, Luxury and Recreation, within your Reach; which discovers an equal Inclination, but lefs Power of gratifying a Fondness for Pleasure and Diversions: And tho' you may have few or no Opportunities D 2

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