Thirdly, To fhew that thofe, who are very good indeed, and have a due thorough Senfe of Religi on, will have regard to this Practice, and, at least in fome confiderable Measure, exercife themfelves in it. So making good the Character given of them by the Pfalmift, The Mouth of the Righteous fpeaketh Wisdom, and his Tongue talketh of Fudg

ment.

Part I.

And Firft,for the Reasons of the Disuse of Religion in Difcourfe. And here in the First place, I take it for granted,that I am not going to account for an Imaginary Defect, or Neglect in Idea only; but that the Cafe fuppofed is Real; that to talk of Religion is indeed very much difufed and out of Fashion, and that among People of laudable Character, and otherwife good and vertuous. Not that the Articles, Points, Queftions and Controverfies of Religion are fo pafs'd over in filence; No, there was always Noife and Clamour enough about them, and never more than now; though there be but little Truth gain'd, and a great deal of Charity loft,in the Contention. But 'tís not the Notional, but the Practical part of Religion, whose difufe in Converfation I complain of. Men do indeed talk of Religion, but not of that which is Practical, nor in a Practical way; that is, I mean after fuch a ferious and devotional Manner, ás to put one another in remembrance of the great Concernments of a good Life,and of that two-fold Eternity which depends upon it; and to ftir one another up to the Works of Piety and Charity, and the Exercife of fuch Chriftian Graces as are neceffary both to carry them to Heaven, and to qualify them for the Enjoyment of it, Do Men

talk

talk thus of Religion? No, Wicked Mén cannot, and Good Men (unless they be very good indeed, whofe Number, God knows, a few Figures will ferve to caft up) for fome certain Reafons too often decline it. So that between them both, what through the Indifpofition of the One,and the Incapa city of the Other, a Man may make Vifit after Vifit, go from Houfe to Houfe, out of one Company into another, for it may be a Twelvemonth together, and never hear one word of Religion pats; unless it be (as was hinted before) by way of Wrangle and Difpute; and that indeed, unlefs he ftop his Ears, he can hardly avoid; if he can then. But as for any ferious and edifying Difcourte about it, whither fhall a Man go, unless it be to Church, to hear any fuch thing? All the Difcourfe of the World runs upon the things of the World, fuch as News, Trade, Bufinefs, Learning; not to fay any thing of leffer and meaner Subjects that imploy Goffiping and Cenforious Tongues. And these things make the great Buz and Hum of the City. But as for Religion, there is in all this hurry fuch; an univerfal Hufh and Silence about it, that were it not for our Books of Devotion and our Churches, (thofe two Providential Monuments and Prefervatives of declining Piety) a Stranger would hardly know, whether there were any Religion among us. Sure I am, it would be a great while before he would find it by our Difcourfe, and were he to pick it out by that, for ought I know he might learn our Language much fooner. It looks, in my Mind,as if Religion had a kind of: Imbargo laid upon it, and Men were under a Prohibition to talk of it, and to forfeit fome Penalty to the Government, if they did. Were this the

B 3

Cafe,

Cafe, I am Confident they could not be more Silent concerning it, than they are; and, confidering the bent of our Inclination to what is forbid, I quetion whether they would be fo much!

And yet Men profefs Religion all this while, exprefs a decent regard towards it, and pretend to believe the weighty Doctrines of it, the Being of God, the Refurrection of the Body, the Immortality of the Soul, and the two great Eternities. And is it not ftrange then, that they should never talk of these things? Should but any two of thefe Men Travel together upon the Road, especially if to a place of confiderable Note, and which they were never at before, and where they were ever after to dwell; how often would they talk of it, before they got to it! Now is not this exactly our Cafe? We are all Travellers, and our Life is but a Journey, and we are bound not for a little Town or City, but for another World, to which we are perfect Strangers at prefent, and in which we are to take up our happy or miferable abode for ever. And is it not then very strange, that Men fhould Travel on together, day after day for many Years following, upon a Journey of fuch Confequence as this, and never entertain themfelves upon the Road with what all other Travellers do, difcourfe about their Journeys End, and the right way that leads to it. That a thing that is fo much every Body's Concern, fhould be almost no Body's Difcourfe. Is not this a Wonder? yes it is, the very greateft that I know of in the World. But then this makes it the more neceffary, to confider the Reafons of fo ftrange à Conduct.

And

And here I think,in the First place,'tis very plain: and obvious, why Wicked Men talk no more of Religion; even becaufe they have none to talk of.. The reafon why there is fo little of it in their Mouths, is because there is lefs of it in their Hearts. When there are fo many other Subjects that are more agreeable to their Taftes, they have no Heart to talk of a thing they have neither Notion nor Relith of themfelves, and which would but lull their jolly Company afleep. And truly'tis no great matter whether they do or no, fince they must needs do it with a very ill Grace, and to very little purpofe. Religion has no advantage from the Commendations of thofe, whofe Lives are a conftant Satyr upon it; and they do it difhonour enough by their bare Profeffion of it; and therefore need not add to that, the further difgrace of their Difcourfe. And unless they owe it a Spite, and have a mind either to Affront that or their Company, fure they will not. For certainly the Religious Difcourfe of him cannot be very decent to Men, whofe Religion it felf, whofe very Prayer, is an Abomination to God; and if a Parable, as Solomon fays, Prov. 26. 7. be not comely in the Mouth of a Fool, much lefs is Religion in the Mouth of an ill Man. But I think we may excufe thèm here, it being a fault they are very rarely guilty of, unless it be upon two particular Occafions, when they are either Drunk or about to Dye; and then indeed you fhall have fome of them very Devoutly given, and much for talking of Religion; but at other times they ftudiously baulk and decline it,as too flat a Subject for their gay Spirits.

But 'tis not worth while to confider any longer, what thefe Men do, or upon what Grounds and Motives

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Motives they act. It is of more Confequence,to inquire into the Grounds and Reasons of the great difufe of Religious Difcourfe among Good Men. And here,though I doubt not,but that this is in great Measure to be afcribed to want of Goodness too, as well as in the other fort; or, which is all one, to the imperfection of it; fince, as will be made appear under the Third Part, those who have a due Senfe of Religion, and a thorough Zeal for it, will fhew it by their Difcourfe; yet because the Men I am now fpeaking of, though not the very Beft, are yet fuppofed to be Good, and fo must have a true Love and value for Religion, and confequently muft bè fuppofed willing enough of themselves to talk of it, were there not fome Difcouragements from without,that did hinder them from fo doing; I think it more Material at present to Confider what thofe unhappy Difcouragements are. The moft ordinary and moft prevailing of which, I take to be thefe Three.

1. The Contempt that is generally caft upon Good

Men.

2. The Fear of being thought Hypocrites.

3. Shame of being out of the Mode or Fashion.

1. The Contempt that is generally caft upon Good Men. Not that I think an ill Man can poffibly defpife a good Man, in his Heart. No, he has a fecret Efteem and Veneration for him there, and as he would willingly dye the Death, fo he inwardly Honours the Life,of the Righteous. But yet for all this, Wicked Men have ftill fo much of their Father the Devil in them, that they are loath to be unhappy alone, and take a Solitary Journey to Hell;

and