This is too fore an evil not to be ob→ ferved amongst perfons of all ages, in what is called higher life; and fo early does the contempt of this great concern begin to fhew itself that it is no uncommon thing to hear perfons difputing against religion, and raising cavils against the Bible, at an age when fome of them would be hard fet to read a chapter in it.

And I may add, of thofe whofe ftock in knowledge is fomewhat larger, that for the most part it has scarce any other foundation to reft on but the finking credit of traditional and fecond-hand objections against revelation, which, had they leisure to read, they would find anfwered and confuted a thousand times over. But this by the way.

If we take a view of the public worship of Almighty God, and obferve in what manner it is reverenced by perfons in this rank of life, whofe duty it is to fet an example to the poor and ignorant, we fhall find concurring evidence upon this melancholy argument-of a general want of all outward demonftration of a

fenfe of our duty towards God, as if religion was a business fit only to employ tradesmen and mechanics-and the falvation of our fouls, a concern utterly below the confideration of a person of figure and confequence.

I fhall fay nothing at prefent of the lower ranks of mankind-though they have not yet got into the fashion of laughing at religion, and treating it with fcorn and contempt, and I believe are too serious a fet of creatures ever to come into it; yet we are not to imagine but that the contempt it is held in by those whofe examples they are apt to imitate, will in time utterly shake their principles, and render them, if not as prophane, at least as corrupt as their betters. When this event happens-and we begin to feel the effects of it in our dealings with them, thofe who have done the mischief will find the neceffity at last of turning religious in their own defence,' and, for want of a better principle, to fet an example of piety and good morals for their own intereft and convenience.

Thus much for the languishing ftate of religion in the prefent age;-in virtue and good morals perhaps the account may stand higher.

Let us inquire

And here, I acknowledge, that an unexperienced man, who heard how loudly we all talked in behalf of virtue and mo ral honesty, and how unanimous we were all in our cry against vicious characters of all denominations, would be apt haftily to conclude, that the whole world was in an uproar about it—and that there was fo general a horror and deteftation of vice amongst us, that mankind were all affociating together to hunt it out of the world, and give it no quarter.-This I own would be a natural conclufion for any one who only trusted his ears upon this fubject. But as matter of fact is allowed better evidence than hear-fay-let us fee in the prefent how the one cafe is contradicted by the other.

However vehement we approve ourfelves in difcourfe against vice-I believe no one is ignorant that the reception it

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actually meets with is very differentthe conduct and behaviour of the world is fo oppofite to their language, and all we hear fo contradicted by what we fee, as to leave little room to question which fense we are to trust..

Look, I beseech you, amongst those whose higher stations are made a shelter for the liberties they take, you will fee, that no man's character is fo infamous, nor any woman's fo abandoned, as not to be visited and admitted freely into all companies, and if the party can pay for it, even publicly to be courted, careffed, and flattered.-If this will not overthrow the credit of our virtue,—take a fhort view of the general decay of it, from the fashionable exceffes of the age, -in favour of which there feems to be formed fo ftrong a party, that a man of fobriety, temperance, and regularity, fcarce knows how to accommodate himfelf to the fociety he lives in,-and is oft as much at a lofs how and where to difpofe of himself;-and unless you fuppofe a mixture of conftancy in his

temper, it is great odds but fuch a one would be ridiculed, and laughed out of his fcruples and his virtue at the fame time-to fay nothing of occafional rioting, chambering, and wantonnefs. -Confider how many public markets are established merely for the fale of virtue, where the manner of going, too fadly indicates the intention ;-and the difguife each is under, not only gives power fafely to drive on the bargain, but too often tempts to carry it into execution too.

This finning under difguife, I own, feems to carry fome appearance of á fecret homage to virtue and decorum, and might be acknowledged as fuch, was it not the only public inftance the world feems to give of it. In other cafes, a juft fenfe of fhame feems a matter of fo little concern, that instead of any regularity of behaviour, you fee thoufands who are tired with the very form of it, and who at length have even thrown the mafk of it afide, as a ufelefs piece of incumbrance.-This I