with Hezekiah upon a Death-Bed Remember now O Lord how I have walked before thee in Truth and with a perfect Heart and have done that which was right in thine Eyes And you that have already tasted those Joys which arise from a good Conscience and the Pleasures of a Godly Life and Conversation fall not from your own Stedfastness and since you see Wicked Men take such Pains to serve their Lusts to please their Senses and gratifie their Appetites be you at some Pains also to serve your God to advance his Glory yea and to encourage others likewise to do the same And if there be but Two in a Street that intend really to serve God to frequent the Sacrament and the Prayers of the Church let them make it their Business to perswade Two more to do the same and let your Prayers be frequent and fervent to God that He would increase the Number of true Believers and that it would please Him to bring into the Way of Truth all such as have erred and are deceived This would be one great Means to mend the World and without this it will hardly be done it is not good Books nor good Preaching that will reclaim a Prophane and Profligate Wretch for such Persons will neither read good Books nor hear Sermons they are out of the reach of all other Methods except Counsel Advice and Exhortation and oftentimes they refuse that too But when good Men are as Bold as evil Men are Impudent and as openly Good as others are Bad when Piety has Authority in it and frowns Prophaneness out of Countenance then the World will mend and if not grow Devout yet at least grow Modester and Civiller toward Religion when Virtuous Men give good Evidence that they do believe in good Earnest by endeavouring the Punishment of all vicious and open Offenders as the Law directs And altho Piety is now-a-days laugh'd at and Religion out of Fashion yet that I may now shew you how to Practise what I have been hitherto Recommending I mean a Christian Conversation and Society I must tell you that there are some Christians in this Barren Age and those of considerable Rank and Quality who think it is so far from unbecoming them that nothing is more acceptable to them than Pious Discourse and the Company of such Men as endeavour to make the Word of God their Rule to walk by And I have both known heard of some Numbers of Religious Men in this City who Meet at one anothers Houses usually every Week or as often as Occasions permit and there make it their Business to inforce upon one anothers Minds the great Principles of Christianity to live up to the Doctrines of our Church to frequent the Holy Sacrament every Lord's-Day and the Publick Prayers every Day they having a quick sense of Piety and a great concern upon them for another World they endeavour to preserve this Temper in themselves and to propagate it to others and many good Rules they have among them and by their frequent Meetings they take Notice of each others Virtues and so they strive to imitate each other In one there abounds the Grace of Meekness in another is a great Christian Courage and Zeal to stand up for God's Glory in another Patience in another Self-denial and Mortification in another a Zeal for Peace-making and this makes them the more to desire each other's Company as being Monitors to one another by their Example And this is one of their Rules Never to speak Ill of one another and if at any time they hear Ill of one another or of any other good Christian they first go and see if it be true what envious Men do report of him rightly considering that as one Man may do amiss so may another more easily speak amiss that being the Sin that does so easily beset every Man and also that as Society is the Excellency and great Blessing of Mankind so Slander and Reproach Censuring and Evil-speaking poysons and destroys all Love and Charity in the World But if it prove true that such an one has been overtaken in a Fault they take the Apostle's Advice and restore him in the Spirit of Meekness considering themselves also may be Tempted At these Meetings there is no Discourse of News nor Trade nor Worldly Business or Controversie in Religion but they take care that all their Speech be season'd with Grace and to the use of Edifying and may minister Grace to the Hearers And therefore they apply themselves to the constant Reading and Studying of the Holy Scriptures that the Word of Christ may dwell richly in them that so out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth may speak They do often at these times confer about the State of their Souls they do examine into the Growth and Decay of Piety in general and also particularly among themselves and each shews what does most affect and influence him and every one does frequently inculcate and stir up to Perfection Those that were Gentlemen and had Leisure made it their Business to order their Conversation so as to adorn the Gospel and publickly to discountenance Vice by the Promoting the Making of good Laws and the Putting of them in Execution knowing that their Example was necessary to influence Trades-Men to be Sober to be Religious and to be Just in all their Dealings and to imitate their Burning and Shining Lights Those that were Masters of Families acted in their Stations like Men that believed in good earnest that there was a Judgment to come a Heaven and a Hell and that God would call all Men to an Account what Good they have done in their Generation This made them never to omit going to Prayers in their Families and telling their Children and Servants what a Benefit it will be to them to live in the Fear of God and serve Him in their tender Years Those that were Officers in the Parishes they lived in would suffer no Disorder in the Streets nor no Night-Walker no Drunkard no Swearer no Prophaner of the Lord's Day to go Unpunished And this was one end of joyning themselves into Neighbourly Societies to consult upon Methods whereby to put a stop to Vice and bring Men to a Sence of their Duty to God and Man And thus they acted like Honest Men in their Offices without Bribes or Feasting upon the Parish Charge There was likewise another Sort of Religious Societies and those were of Young-Men that were Apprentices Servants and Journy-Men and these strived to out-do the rest in Zeal and Piety being not engaged in the World they endeavour to Dedicate themselves to God in their tender Years To this end they joyned themselves into Societies and there met once a Week perhaps in some Upper Room to excite and stir up one another to avoid the Sins of the Age they liv'd in and to imprint likewise upon other Mens Minds a Sence of Religion to this end they set up on the Lord's-Day
and the young Lion to lie down together yet the Hearing of the Ear in this is yet of more Benefit than the Seeing with the Eye Indeed the silent Arguments of Example work even upon the Natural Man but Discourse edifies more the Christian by Grace for Faith comes by Hearing And therefore in the Second place one Christian kindles another by Consolation Counsel Admonition Instruction and Reproof which though it be every ones Duty to do yet none performs it but the true Christian he who has a greater Love for other Mens Souls than for their Favour or Esteem For want of the Discharge of this one Duty alone How many Thousand well-disposed Persons are utterly lost who cannot of themselves see the Sin that does so easily beset them Witness David who could not see whilst himself was Party and lived near a Year insensibly under the Guilt of Murther and Adultery Certainly Miserable is the Man that has no such Friend and none can be such a Friend but the Christian for he that does not cast the Beam out of his own Eye before he pretends to take the Mote out of his Neighbours his Reproof will be taken for Envy or ill Nature and so will Exasperate rather than Melt But Thirdly this Christian Conversation might be yet more highly improv'd and render'd much more beneficial to our Souls if we would in conversing together so seriously consider the the Graces we want and the Blessings we injoy as by God's Ordinances of Prayer and Praise and the Reading of his Word to bring Christ into our Company to have Him in the midst of us O how happy would that Meeting be and even this we have his sure Word of Promise for then would our Meetings be every Day for the Better to us and we should rejoyce to come often together and even injoy that Communion of Saints which we hope to be of in Heaven A Zeal for God's Glory a Thirst for his Ordinances a tender Love and Pity to the Souls of Men and a Strictness of Life would then insensibly grow upon us so that we should be habitually prepared for all Holy Duties for the Blessed Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper and even for a sudden Departure out of this World if it should please God so to call us hence and might hope to be reckoned of the Number of those of whom the Prophet Malachi speaks saying Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a Book of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a Man spareth his own Son that serveth him I know there are those that would count you Troublesome and Busie-bodies to give them Advice or to pretend to concern your selves about their Souls but however let not this discourage you for of those you give Advice to or admonish if but One in Twenty hears you seriously you have no reason to repent the Loss of your Labour in all the rest Nay if even that it self should not happen yet for Religion's sake you should not hold your Peace for Shall Men be Impudent in the Devil's Service and shall we be Ashamed to own God's Is the Great God and our Maker become so inconsiderable in our Esteem that we dare not stand by Him when Men dare stand up for their Vices Is Eternal Salvation so indifferent a thing that we should be unconcerned for it Do we see the Vices of the Age Growing and Spreading and shall not we stand in Opposition to them Therefore since one teaches another Vice let us teach each other Virtue since one guides another to Hell let us help one another forward in the Way to Heaven and as they make one another Prophane let us teach one another Righteousness in all our Conversation and Friendly Societies and let us incourage others to do the same by our Advice and Example that Religion may once more become a general Practice that our Churches may be fuller and the Publick Prayers more frequented by all that are true Members thereof and those that name the Name of Christ may depart from Iniquity For if it be Charity to direct the Blind in his Way or when we see our Neighbour in danger of being Robbed or his House in danger of being Burnt if to run and help him is Charity then certainly it is greater Charity to instruct the Ignorant by shewing them the right way to Salvation And therefore if you see your Christian Brother your Neighbour or Fellow-Servant in danger of being Ruin'd by keeping ill Company or their Souls in danger of Hell-Fire by Prophaning the Lord's-Day by Neglecting his Laws and Forsaking his Commandments to help such by Godly Advice and Admonition is a great Deed of Charity nay it is your Duty too for thus saith the Lord Levit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy Heart Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him Be not Guilty then of this great Crime upon any Pretence whatsoever But Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the Deceitfulness of Sin knowing that he that converteth a Sinner from the Error of his Ways shall save a Soul from Death and shall cover a multitude of Sins All the Texts almost of the Holy Scripture point to this Duty either by Exhorting or Commanding us to set about this Necessary Work first to lead good Lives our selves and then to incourage others to do the same I do not exhort you to Controversie nor to meddle much with those of another Persuasion for that is the Minister's Work but this is your One thing needful to meddle with those that own the same Church and profess the same Faith and yet act contrary to it in their Lives and Conversations Put these in mind of their Baptismal Vow How they then promised to renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil and yet do live within the Embraces of them all Ask them How they dare blame others for their Unbelief while they live like Atheists themselves How they dare condemn others for separating from the Church when their own Lives and Conversations are quite contrary to the Holy Doctrines thereof How they dare reproach others for want of Seriousness when they live loose Lives themselves and are so far from Remembring their Creator in the Days of their Youth that they forget Him and his Laws all their Days But intreat them to take the Wise Man's Counsel That they make no tarrying to turn to the Lord and put it not off from day to day Put them in mind of the great Benefit of a Holy Life and early Piety and what a Pleasure it will be when they come to die to look back upon a well-spent Life and be able to say
Sermons at Night and the Sacrament in the Morning and the Prayers every Night in the Week in divers Churches that they might have Opportunity to go without wasting their Masters time and Instructed at their own Charge many poor Children in reading English and in the Grounds of the Christian Religion and where there was but one or two such in a Street they made it their Business to get two more to do the same so much was every one concerned for his Brother's Soul and where they saw a Young Man in their Neighbourhood that had no Sence of Religion but lived in Neglect of it they strove to reclaim him and so did increase the number of True Believers and make the publick Prayers more frequented and this makes Religion revive again and come something toward its Primitive Institution I have been but too short in giving you an Account of those Men considering what other good Works they have done for our Example whom we have great Reason to imitate as you may see in the Reverend Mr. Woodward's Book of the Rise and Progress of the Religious Societies as also in another Book Entituled An Account of the Societies for Reformation of Manners And though you have perhaps seen or heard that some few who have thus begun in the Spirit have ended in the Flesh yet let not this discourage you for he that endures to the End shall be saved but take our Saviour's Advice for He tells us in St. Luke That no Man having set his hand to the Plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God And therefore as you have begun by your Baptismal Vow and by the Christian Profession you have since made endeavour to go on from Vertue to Vertue And you that have found the Comfort of leading a good Life the Joy and Pleasure of a good Conscience the Advantage and Benefit of frequenting the Blessed Sacrament and the publick Service of the Church You that now see the Odiousness of those Vices that others wallow in That see the Beauty of that Vertue which others despise and the Charms of that Grace that others laugh at You that see the Reasonableness of Christ's Precepts which others count an intollerable Yoke In a word You that have some Sence and Hopes of another World while Thousands live as if there were none O let not these Comforts be hid within your Breasts but knowing your selves Converted strengthen your Brethren as is commanded by our Saviour in St. Luke and St. Chrysostom tells us To know the Art of Alms is greater than to be Crown'd with the Diadem of Kings and yet To convert one Soul is greater than to pour out Ten Thousand Talents into the Basket of the Poor therefore according to St. Paul's Advice Warn them that are unruly Comfort the feeble-minded Support the weak be Patient towards all Men see that none render Evil for Evil to any Man but ever follow that which is good both among your selves and to all Men and if you be laugh'd at for your pains consider that Blessed are they who shall be reviled for Christ's sake You may possibly cast your Pearl before Swine but let them know that mock at Religion and Piety what a sad after-Reckoning They shall have when the Judgment shall be set and the Books opened as in the Fifth Chapter of Wisdom Then shall the Righteous Man stand in great Boldness before the Face of such as have afflicted him and made no account of his Labours When they see it they shall be troubled with a terrible Fear and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his Salvation so far beyond all they look'd for Then they repenting and groaning for Anguish shall say within themselves This was he whom we have had sometimes in Derision and a Proverb of Reproach We Fools counted his Life Madness and his End to be without Honour How is he numbred among the Children of God and his Lot is among the Saints Then in sorrow and grief of Heart shall they cry out upon themselves What hath Pride profited us or What good hath Riches with our vaunting brought us All those things are vanished like a Shadow and as a Post that passeth by but the Righteous live for evermore their Reward is also with the most Highest Warn them therefore by these Terrors of the Lord that they stand in awe and sin not but that they Die unto Sin and Live unto Righteousness Intreat them to consecrate the Morning the Youth of their Age to God and that they think it not enough to give Him the sleepiest Hours of the Day while they bestow the liveliest upon the World nor to Sin as long as they can and then turn to God For How many alas have been cut off in this foolish Stupidity and know not by how small a Thread the Sword of Justice hangs over their Heads for though God is Merciful yet it is only to the Penitent but he is also Just and rewards every Man according to his works He hath Magazines of Vengeance Store-Houses of Curses and can ruine a sinful Creature a thousand ways and yet How Merry notwithstanding all this is the Drunkard over his Cups And how boldly does the Swearer send up his dreadful Oaths to Heaven and all this because God is Merciful and Long-suffering But O let them know what a terrible Abuse it is to let God's Mercy provoke them to Wantonness and his Patience to cause Sin to live in their Souls that his Goodness should tempt them to be Foolish and his Compassion prompt them to affront his Glory that his Kindness should prove their Bane and that the Meat he gives them should increase their Corruption that his Corn and Wine should be turn'd into Contempt of his Majesty and that they should make use of the Ease he gives them to Fight against his Laws that the Plenty they enjoy by his Providence should encourage them to make War with Him from whom all their Plenty flows O what monstrous Provocations are these If their Children or Servants should use Them so what Punishments could they think too great for them And must God put up Affronts which they will not O bid them consider how He waits for their Repentance and invites them to it Turn ye turn ye saith the Lord your God Why will ye die and yet they frustrate his Clemency He is Patient and would have them prevent the Blow and yet they are ready to pluck it down on their heads To such the Apostle speaks thus Rom. 2. 1. Therefore thou art unexeusable O Man whosoever thou art that despisest the Riches of his Goodness and Forbearance and Long-suffering not considering that the Goodness of God leads to Repentance Make them sensible therefore of the Benefit of Subduing their Lusts and Passions Beg of them to restrain their inordinate Desires and their sensual Appetites to curb their Anger and to put away all Hatred toward their Fellow-Christians to root out their Covetousness