deep Senfe of Religion in our Hearts, fo we should be endeavouring to imprefs it upon others. That we fhould not only be fully poffeffed ourfelves with an intire Efteem and Love of the Gofpel of Chrift, and a thankful Heart to God for all his Benefits, but that we should make it our Business to infufe the fame Spirit of Devotion into the Minds of all we converfe with. Oh, what a world of Good might we do, if we would but thus manage our Converfation among Men! It is not my Meaning here to encourage any one in a teligious Cant, or in a Course of using Scripture Expreffions in their common Difcourses, or to advise any one to be always talking about fpiritual Matters, whether seasonably or unfeasonably. But this I fay, It would become us all, in our several Stations, to do as much Good as we can. And therefore, where-ever Occafion offers itself, if we can pertinently caft in any thing in our Difcourfe, that either tends to the impreffing on our Company a Sense of God, or to the confirming them in a Belief of Chriftianity, or to the amending any Defect we fee in them, or to the arousing them to a more hearty lively Exercife of Devotion, we should do extremely well to take the Opportunity. This I am confident of, that if the deyout and serious Men among us, they who Z 2 have have a hearty Senfe of Religion, (tho' the Number of them be but fmall in Comparison of the rest of Mankind) would but make it their Bufinefs in all their Converfation heartily to ftand up for the Interefts of God and Virtue, as Opportunity fairly leads them to it, by difcouraging Vice, and Immorality, and Infidelity, where-ever they may decently do it; and by taking all Occafions of recommending the Practice of Holiness and Virtue, we should, in a little Time, fee a much better World; nor would Atheism, Profaneness and Irreligion be able to bear up and fupport itself against the irrefiftible Evidence of Truth. But, alas! we think not much of thefe Things. It is enough for us that we fay our Prayers in our Clofets, and have an inward Reverence for God and Religion. But as for the concerning ourselves about it in our Converfation, there we are to be excufed. We do very well, and as much as we can hope for, if we can avoid the Vices and Irregularities of Difcourfe: But to talk of promoting Piety, that doth not belong to us. But why fhould Piety be banished all our Difcourfe? Why should we not take occafion to mingle fomething of that in our common Conversation, as well as those many impertinent Things that come into our Heads? Are not the Arguments of Religion; are not the Being of a God and his Providence, and the Truth and and Excellence of Chrift's Religion; are not the unexceptionable Reasonableness of Virtue and Holiness, and the infinite eternal Rewards we may attain to thereby; I fay, Are not these Things of as great Concernment to us, as the Fashion of our Apparel, or a new Play, or a Story of an Amour, or how fuch a Perfon managed in fuch an Affair, or how Things go at Court, or what Account the foreign Letters give of the Tranfactions abroad? I fay, Are not the former Things a thousand times of more Concernment to us than these? Nay, and are they not more proper, and every way more fit for us to talk of? Nay, I will add further, Are they not more delightful and entertaining to any well-difpofed Perfon, than the other? There is not the leaft Doubt of it. All that is to be faid, is, that there is Custom for the one, but not for the other. But why should evil and unreasonable Cuftoms be kept up, especially when fo much Good would accrue to Mankind from the breaking of them? I declare all this time I am not for a preaching, canting Conversation. I would have no one break the Rules of common Decency, for the fake of talking religiously out of Seafon. The Thing I recommend, is to be managed with Prudence; and chiefly I propose it in fuch Conversations, where there is an entire Friendship and Intimacy. Here, I fay, efpecially lies our Oppor 23 Opportunity of doing much Good to one another by our Difcourfes. Here we may, without the Imputation of Singularity or Affectation, mingle moft ferious favoury Things with our common Talk: Here we have Opportunity of inftructing one another in Matters of Salvation; of reproveing one another for our Faults; of exhorting one another to a serious Regard to our eternal Interefts; of exciting one another to grow more and more in all Goodnefs and Virtue. Here we may, without ill Manners, warm one anothers Hearts, by recounting God's innumerable Favours to us, by fetting forth his Praise, and declaring his moft wonderful Works, and comforting one another with the Promifes he hath given us in being our God, and making us Heirs of eternal Life. And this let me fay further, for the Encouragement of all pious Perfons in this religious Communication, viz. That they can feldom use any of this Difcourfe in good Earneft, but it will have fome good Effect. Though their Friends, to whom it is fpoken, do not feem at present to be much rought upon by it, yet it is not wholly loft upon them. They think of it afterwards, and, in all Probability, it proves either a Step to their Converfion, or at least a Check to their further proceeding in Wickedness. I doubt not, but all religious Talk, if it be warm, and withal prudent, |