between Virtue and Vice: One is the Way which Men who facrifice Honour and Confcience to their Intereft make ufe of: The other is the Method which wife and good Men take to recommend the Practice of Virtue and Religion. And what a wide Difference is this? In the first Cafe, to comply with the World, you must be like it, you muft conform yourfelf to it: In the other, you treat the World civilly, that it may the more eafily become like you; that you may gain upon it, and inftill the Principles of Virtue, which may be infused by gentle Degrees, but cannot be obtruded by Noife and Violence.

Those who are of too ftiff a Virtue to court the World into a Compliance with that which is good, may do well to confider how our Apostle is to be juftified in the Character he has given us of himself: Though I be free from all Men, yet have I made myself Servant unto all, that I might gain the more: Unto the fews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the Law, as under the Law, that I might gain them that are under the Law; to them that are without Law, as without Law, (being not without the Law to God, but under the Law to Chrift) that I might gain them that are without

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without Law; to the Weak became I as weak, that I might gain the Weak: I am made all Things to all Men, that I might by all Means fave fome, I Cor. ix. 19, &c. Into what a Variety of Shapes did he turn himself, to gain upon the Affections of Men, that he might the more eafily gain Admiffion for the Gospel of Chrift? Had he fallen directly upon their Infirmities and Mistakes, he might have fired their Minds, and stopped their Ears to his Inftruction. He knew that Patience and gentle Teaching would by Degrees get the Mastery of their Errors, and lead them, without Tumult or Oppofition, to the Acknowledgment of the Truth; that their Prejudices would wear out; and, as the Light of the Gospel began to dawn in their Hearts, their Affections would take a new Turn of themselves, which at prefent were not to be stemmed. He used the Art of a fkilful Pilot, who chufes to coaft it along the Shore when the Tide runs too high in the Channel, as knowing it to be not only the safest, but the shortest Way to the Point he makes.

Yet thus to court the Affections of Men is by many thought below the Dignity of Religion: But where does this Indignity lie? Ought

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Ought not Men to be made in love with Virtue and Religion? Yes, you will fay: And how is that to be done? Muft it not be by engaging their Affections in the Cause of Religion? Undoubtedly it muft: And is it then neceffary to engage Men's Affections in the Cause of Religion? And is it yet an unworthy Attempt to endeavour to engage them? How can these Things be made to agree? But, if it must be allowed that it is neceffary to apply to Men's Affections in the Cause of Virtue and Religion, it will fhew the Reasonablenefs of the Apostle's Advice in the Text, and the Neceffity there is of having Recourse to Chriftian Prudence and Wisdom to direct us in the Practice even of that which is good: For all Things have not the fame Appearance to all Men; nay, the fame Object appears indifferently to the fame Man, as it is exposed in different Lights; which holds as true with refpect to the Eyes of the Mind as of the Body: And therefore it lies upon us to guard against any ill Impreffions that may be made upon others by the Good we do.

This Care not to offend is the Foundation of Civility and Good-breeding in common Life, and will likewife be productive of mutual

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mutual Love and Condefcenfion in Religion: It will teach us to be tender of each other's Infirmities, and to avoid the Occafions of giving Offence, which Men who have not this Care upon their Minds rather labour to feek and to improve. Let us but view the Difference there will be in one Chriftian Grace, when attended with this Care, and when not: Let the Grace be Zeal, which is in itself, without Doubt, an excellent Gift; but, where Men have no Regard how far they truft or offend others, how rash and intemperate does it grow, in reproaching not only the Vices, but the Follies and Weakneffes of Mankind; how easily does it degenerate into Cenforioufnefs, and transport Men beyond all Bounds of Charity and Difcretion? The Confequence is, that it is immediately furrounded with Enemies of its own railing, and fuffers under the Names of Fury and Uncharitableness. But, on the other Side, where it is found in Company with Prudence, and joined with a Care not to offend, it is a gentle and heavenly Flame, which warms without fcorching: It falls upon its right Object, the Honour of God, and the Good of Men, and confines itself to fuch Methods only as may best serve to 2 promote

promote both: It will therefore never run into any Indecencies of Paffion, which are unbecoming the Cause it maintains; nor will it provoke and exafperate thofe whom it labours to reform, as knowing what little Benefit Men can receive by being ill-treated. Thus will it fecure itself from being evil fpoken of, and appear with Advantage in the Eyes of all that behold it. But, farther,

Some there are who have fo little Regard to the fecuring their Good from being evil spoken of, that their Zeal for Good arises even from Envy and Strife. This Spirit is ftill in being; and it is no uncommon Thing for Men to be spitefully good, and to delight in the Opportunities of exafperating others who differ from them: Men often fall upon Subjects for no other Reafon but because they know how difagreeable they are to fome of the Company; and, to justify themfelves, they fay, that Men ought not to be afhamed when they are in the Right, or afraid of owning the Truth; which are two very good Reafons very fadly applied; for Men ought to be afhamed of making this Ufe of Truth, which is merely insulting the Prejudices of Mankind, and not correcting them. It is a very unnatural Effect