upon us, and to prevent the mischievous effects of those public diversions which the generality of people are grown so fond of— I mean the masquerades and plays. In those seminaries of vice and irreligion every thing is contrived to inflame the passions and corrupt the tender minds of young persons; and I am persuaded they have greatly contributed to that general neglect of God and religion which is so visible among us.

Whether any thing that is here offered will be effectual to draw men off from the pursuit of those deceitful vanities, I cannot say; but sure I am (if the Scripture is to be the rule of our practice, as most undoubtedly it is) it must be the duty of every one, not only to take care that he gives no encouragement by his example to these licentious and ensnaring entertainments, but also to do what in him lies to dissuade others, especially those under his care, from resorting to places of so much danger and infection.*

It must be confessed, that it is no easy matter to prevail on those who are carried away by the false maxims and practice of a corrupt and deluded world, to renounce their sensual gratifications for the more refined

* See ante, pp. 24, 25. State of the stage during the seventeenth and considerable part of the eighteenth centuries; Melmoth's exertions to procure its reformation.-EDITOR'S NOTE.

pleasures of virtue and religion; but the difficulty of the work should not discourage the attempt. I have therefore endeavoured, according to my ability, to lay before the reader the advantages attending a good life, in the hope that whoever seriously considers what is urged in the following pages, will be convinced there is no pleasure to be compared with that of a good conscience, and that religion really is, what it was designed by the great Author of it to be, the only solid foundation of our present as well as future happiness.

I am sensible that what I shall offer hath been inculcated with much greater advantage in many of those excellent discourses which are already extant; yet, when I consider how much good hath been done by those small tracts which have been printed and dispersed of late years, I am encouraged to hope that this little treatise may prove of some service, as a check, at least, to that insatiable thirst of sensual pleasures, which seems to be the disease of the present age, and which must undoubtedly destroy the love of God wherever it prevails.

I have added some Prayers at the end of this book, not with an intention to prescribe to any one, but to assist those who are not furnished with better helps; well

knowing how important a duty prayer is, and how highly necessary it is for every good Christian to be frequent in his addresses to the throne of grace, if ever he expects the favour of God, and hopes to find grace to help him in time of need.

May God of his great goodness give a blessing to these weak endeavours, and render them instrumental to his glory and the good of souls!*

THE

GREAT IMPORTANCE

OF

A RELIGIOUS LIFE

CONSIDERED.

CHAPTER I.

dictates of conscience,

"WHAT must I do to be saved?" was a question which the trembling and astonished jailer put to Paul and Silas, when he saw the prison doors opened in a miraculous manner-a question of the utmost moment and importance, and in which it nearly concerns us all to be well resolved. For if there be a life after the present, and we do not die like the "beasts that perish;" if death does not put a final period to our existence, but when this short The voice of reason, the life is ended we enter upon the regions of eternity, and the Holy Scriptures and shall be for ever happy or miserable, according when this short life is loudly proclaim, that as we demean ourselves in this time of our trial the regions of eternity, and probation; if this be the state and condition of and shall be for ever happy or miserable, acmankind—as the voice of reason, the dictates of ourselves in this time of conscience, and the Holy Scriptures do loudly proclaim it is how does it behove every one of us to inquire what we must do to attain everlasting life, and to consider, whether we are in the way that leads to heaven and immortality!-or, if we have

D

ended we enter upon

our trial and probation.

been so unhappy as to wander out of it, how we may recover and return to it again!

This is an inquiry that deserves our utmost diligence and attention. For, if we are ignorant of the will of God, or, knowing it, will not follow or be led by that unerring light, but suffer ourselves to be hurried away by our unruly passions in the pursuit of the things of this life, we are wretched and miserable, blind and naked, notwithstanding all our attainments; and we shall one day be convinced, to our sorrow, that there is no folly like that of premay ferring things temporal to things eternal. Whatsoever they may ap- ever "the children of this world" may think, and plaud their own wisdom in contriving schemes to how much soever they may applaud their own

think, and how much

be rich and great, yet if

their chief care and con- Wisdom in contriving schemes to be rich and great; cern is taken up about

these things, it is certain yet if their chief care and concern is about these

they will be found fools

when weighed in the ba- things, it is certain they will be found "fools" when weighed in the balance of true wisdom.

lance of true wisdom.

Folly of confining our ambitious pursuits with

world without consider.

He that is truly wise will consider that he has a soul as well as a body to take care of; a spiritual and immortal substance which can never die, but, when enlarged from that prison in which it is now confined, must live for ever, either in happiness or misery. Shall we then be so foolish, as to confine in the limits of this our ambitious pursuits within the narrow limits of ing what will be the this world, without considering what will be the condition of our souls hereafter? Shall we labour and toil for "the meat that perisheth," and be cold and indifferent about the momentous concerns of eternity? Shall we spare no pains in order to increase our temporal estates, and to lay up "goods for many years," when we know not but "this night our souls may be required of us?" And if

condition of our souls hereafter.