and he will have Mercy, and to our God, who will abundantly pardon.

I would now observe to you who indulge yourfelves in the falfe Pleasures, vain Amusements and Recreations of the Age, which once I had a Fondness for, as well as you now have; that when the Almighty was pleased in his Mercy to open the Eyes of my Understanding, I plainly perceived by that Light (he had placed in my Confcience, which enabled me to difcern between Right and Wrong, the Precious and the Vile) that a Life of Pleasure and Diverfion was inconfiftent with the Life of a Christian: I found, that to be thus carnally minded, has been Death to my Soul; but as I gradually witneffed Christ, and the Power of his Resurrection raising me from the Death of thefe Sins, I felt a Neceffity of parting with, and denying myself of them; and I confider'd them to be of the greatest Obstacles in a religious Progrefs.

I

But it has been objected, That Recreations are abfolutely necessary to unbend and relax the Mind, when it has been occupy'd or employ'd in worldly Affairs, or in the more ferious Attention on divine Objects,to which it is not poffible it can be attending always. grant, that that our Lord's enjoining his Followers, to watch and pray continually, and Paul's exhorting the Theffalonians to pray without ceafing, does not, in a strict and literal Senfe, oblige us to be always on our Knees, nor occupy'd in mental Prayer; for tho' we ought to be led and guided by the Spirit of Chrift in all our Actions, or, at leaft, that all we do by Permiffion, as well as by immediate Direction, may be approved in his Sight; yet we are not at all Times under an In

Auence

fluence neceffary for addreffing the Throne of Grace, in the folemn Act of Prayer: Nevertheless, we should always be fo far in a Spirit of Prayer and Watchfulness, as we ought to be always in a Chriftian and virtuous Temper of Mind; which is indeed truly and effectually worshipping the Divine Being, when we do not confine our Service to fet Days, or appointed Hours of Devotion, but to a conftant, steady and uniform Life of Virtue, Piety and Holiness. Some are apt to think all his well, and they have done their Duty to God, when they neglect not customary Times of formal Prayer, or Devotion (as it is falfly called) or their Diverfions don't interfere with this Formality, which by fome is punctually perform'd.

This brings to my Remembrance the abfurd as well as impious Character, a certain Author gives of a Woman of this prepofterous Compofition of Diverfion and Devotion, or, in his own Words, of Religion and Cards; he represents her, in fome Interval of her Game, juft recollecting it was her Hour of Devotion or Prayer, upon which she rises in great Precipitation, and defires her Neighbour to hold her Cards till fhe steps and fays her Prayers. To mention this Character, is fufficient to fhew the Abfurdity of it. Again, the Description another Writer gives of a Woman at her Gaming-Table, is enough, one would imagine, to make the hardest Forehead blush: And to fay no more, than that it renders her unaimable in the Eyes of reasonable People, one would judge, this would be a great Reafon for her to decline the Diverfion; but when she is reprefented accufing her ill Fortune, as the calls it, in Terms of Fury and Abfurdity, the Portrait

Portrait is horrid and fhocking, unbecoming a rational Mind, and most unworthy any Person who profeffes Christianity. Compare this Character with humble Mary's fitting at her Lord's Feet, waiting to hear the gracious Words that proceeded out of his Mouth compare it with the Apoftle's Defcription of a Woman profeffing Godliness, whofe Mind is adorn'd with Meekness, Quietness and Modefty; and fee if you can discover one fimilar Line in the Characters. Again, describe a Woman dancing at a Ball, and adorn'd with all the Luxury and Pomp of Drefs, tending, according to the Opinion of a pious Writer, to excite a Paffion I forbear to name; and Country Dances, fome of 'em, you know, are condem'd by a Writer much admir'd by the polite and fashionable Part of the World; who peruse him, I have thought, to very little Purpose: Examine, I fay, the Characters I have mentioned,and fee if you can observe the least Trace of Christianity in them: In short, a dancing, gaming, masquerading Chriftian, appears as great a Contradiction, and founds as harsh and uncouth in one's Ears, as a polluted Chriftian; which I have heard a learned Perfon fay, was no Inconfiftency; however, he fail'd in his Proof, fince I can as foon reconcile Light and Darkness, Chrift and Belial, as that a Perfon can be both a Sinner and a Saint, at the fame Moment of Time. But, farther, tho' fome Recreations, properly chofen and adapted, may be lawful to a Chriftian; yet I have found thofe the Generality of People allow themselves in, are pernicious and hurtful in their Confequences, and therefore unlawful to, and incofiftent with the Life of a Chriftian,

Upon

Upon perufing the Scripture, I find the Apostle Paul exhorting the Corinthians in these Words, Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the Glory of God: From whence I alfo learn, that I ought not to do any Thing that would obftruct or hinder, or may be in Oppofition to God's Honour. And tho' I dont find any direct Prohibition of Cards, Plays, Balls, Affemblies, Mafquerades, Mufick-Gardens, &c. yet I obferve they are indirectly forbid, as they have not the leaft Tendency to promote God's Glory; but, on the contrary, if you'll take my own Experience for Evidence, tend to hinder and prevent any Taste or Relish for divine or fpiritual Enjoyments; the Soul given up to fenfual Pleasure, lies fordidly groveling on Earth, when 'tis defign'd to contemplate and enjoy more rational, as well as fublime and heavenly Delights.

We are told by an Author (pretty generally read) who difcourfing, in some of his Writings,on the Defign of the Almighty in placing Mortals here on Earth, We were, fays he, left here for a Time, to be educated for Heaven. But when we

look about and obferve what Methods for this, Education are purfued, we can't well help concluding, the Generality of People have very unnatural, inadequate and grofs Ideas, of that glorious Kingdom; and that, if they reflect at all, they must confider it no other than a Mahometan Paradife; as the Plan of Education now-a-days, feems defign'd and calculated, to qualify for a Place where the Senfes are only to be gratified and entertained: And indeed I am induced to think the Apostle's Doctrine quite revers'd by thofe called

Chriftians,

Christians, who, many of them, appear to live by Sight, and not by Faith. That Chriftians ought not to indulge themselves in the usual Pleasures, Diverfions, and vain Customs of the World, seems evident from the sacred Writings; as these Amusements appear to be diametrically oppofite to the Spirit, Temper and Rules of Chriftianity; that Syftem being abfolutely of another Nature and Tendency, calculated to fubdue and regulate the Paffions and Affections of the Mind, by calling us to a Life of Self-denial, and inftructing us to walk in the Steps of an humble, lowly and crucified Saviour; for whoever will be Christ's Disciple, muft crucify the Flesh, with the Affections and Lufts; and I think the following Paffages of Scripture greatly evince, that a Life of Pleasure is inconfiftent with the Life of Chriftianity; the Apostle Paul tells us, that those who live in Pleasure, are dead while they live: Dead to God and fpiritual Enjoyments. Chriftians are by the fame Apostle exhorted to redeem the Time, becaufe the Days are Evil;, which I cannot reconcile to the fashionable Phrase used by profeffed Chriftians; How shall we kill Time? Work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling, is a Precept incompatible to spending the greatest Part of our precious Time in Mirth, Wantonness, Gaming, Dancing, &c. Be fober; be vigilant, because your Adverfary, the Devil, is walking about like a roaring Lion, feeking whom he may devour; whom refft, ftedfaft in the Faith: I have confider'd this Paffage alfo, and find it contrary to the Practice of modern Chriftians; who, instead of refifting the Temptations of Satan, blindly feek and run into

them,