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Defcriptions of Luft; are the indecent Actions, the amourous Transports, the wanton Addrefs of the Actors, which make so great a Part of the most fober and modeft Tragedies, are these Things an Entertainment confiftent with this Christian Doctrine ? You may as well imagine, that Murder and Rapine are confiftent with Charity and Meekness. I hope it will not now be faid, that I have spent too much Time upon a Subject, that seems not neceffary in a Treatife upon Chriftian Perfection. For tho' these Things are generally look'd upon as little because they are called Pleasures and Diverfions, yet they may as juftly be called Vices and Debaucheries; they affect Religion, as Lies and Falfhood affect it, in the very Heart and Effence, and render People as incapable of true Piety, as any of the groffeft Indulgences of Senfuality and Intemperance. And perhaps it may be true, that more People are kept Strangers to the true Spirit of Religion, by what are called Pleafures, Diverfions, and Amusements, than by confefs'd Vices, or the Cares and Business of Life. I have now only one Thing to beg of the Reader, that he would not think it a fufficient Answer to all this, to fay in general, that it is a Doctrine too ftrict and rigid, but that he would confider every Argument as it is in it felf, not whether it be ftrict and rigid, but whether it be falfe

Reafoning,

Reasoning, or more strict and rigid than the Doctrine of Scripture: If it prescribes a Purity and Holiness which is not according to the Spirit and Temper of the Scriptures, let it be rejected, not as too strict and rigid, but as a Species of falfe Worship, as vain and ridiculous as Idolatry: But if what is here afferted, be highly conformable to the most plain Doctrines of Scripture, the faying that it is too ftrict and rigid, is of no more Weight against it, than if it was faid, that it was too true. It is not my Intention to trouble the World with any particular Notions of my own; or to impofe any unneceffary Rules, or fanfy'd Degrees of Perfection upon any People. But in declaring against the Stage, as I have done, I have no more follow'd any particular Spirit or private Temper, or any more exceeded the plain Doctrine of Scripture, than if I had declared against Drunkenness and Debauchery. Let a Man but be fo much a Chriftian, as not to think it too high a Degree of Perfection, or too ftrict and rigid to be in earnest in these two Pe titions, Lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil; and he has Christianity enough to perfwade him, that it is neither too high a Perfection, nor too strict and rigid, conftantly to declare against, and always to avoid the Entertainment of the Stage.

CHA P.

CHAP. XII.

Chriftians are called to a conftant State of Prayer and Devotion.

T is one principal Article of our Religion, to believe, that our Bleffed Saviour is now at the Right Hand of God,there making perpetual Interceffion for us, till the Redemption of Mankind is finifh'd. Prayer therefore is undoubtedly a proper Means of drawing near to God, a neceffary Method of restoring Sinners to his Favour, fince he who has conquer'd Sin and Death, who is conftituted Lord of all, is yet, as the great Advocate for Sinners, oblig'd to make perpetual Interceffion for them.

WHENEVER therefore, we are in the Spirit of Prayer, when our Hearts are lifted up to God, breathing out Holy Petitions to the Throne of Grace, we have this Encouragement to be conftant and fervent in it, that we are then joining with E e

an

an Interceffion at the Right Hand of God, and doing that for our felves on Earth, which our Bleffed Saviour is perpetually doing for us in Heaven. This Reason of Prayer is perhaps not much confider'd, yet it certainly contains a most powerful Motive to it. For who, that confiders his Redemption, as now carrying on by an Interceffion in Heaven, can think himself fo agreeable to God, so like his Saviour, as when the Conftancy of his own Prayers bears fome Resemblance to that never ceafing Interceffion which is made above? This fhews us alfo, that we are most of all to defire those Prayers, which are offer'd up at the Altar, where the Body and Blood of Christ are joined with them. For as our Prayers are only acceptable to God. through the Merits of Jesus Christ, so we may be fure, that we are praying to God in the most prevailing Way, when we thus pray in the Name of Chrift, and plead his Merits in the higheft Manner that we can.

DEVOTION may be confider'd, either as an Exercise of publick or private Prayers at fet Times and Occafions, or as a Temper of the Mind, a State and Difpofition of the Heart, which is rightly affected with fuch Exercises. Now external Acts of Devotion, are like other external Actions, very liable to Falfenefs, and are only so far

good

good and valuable, as they proceed from a right Difpofition of Heart and Mind. Zealous Profeffions of Friendship are but the more abominable Hypocrify, for being often repeated, unless there be an equal Zeal in the Heart; fo folemn Prayers, rapturous Devotions, are but repeated Hypocrifies, unless the Heart and Mind be conformable to them. Since therefore it is the Heart only, that is devout, fince the Regularity and Fervency of the Heart, is the Regularity and Fervency of Devotion; I fhall confider Devotion chiefly in this Refpect, as it is a State and Temper of the Heart. For it is in this Senfe only, that Chriftians are called to a conftant State of Devotion, they are not to be always on their Knees in Acts of Prayer, but they are to be always in the State and Temper of Devotion.

FRIENDSHIP does not require us to be always waiting upon our Friends in external Services, thefe Offices have their Times and Seasons of Intermiffion, it is only the Service of the Heart, the Friendship of the Mind, that is never to intermit; it is not to begin and end, as external Services do, but is to perfevere in a Conftancy like the Motion of our Heart, or the Beating of our Pulfe. It is just fo in Devotion, Prayers have their Hours, their Beginning and Ending, but that Turn of Mind, that DifE e 2 pofition

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