Spirit from us. fome People the Reason, why they are fo dead and fenfelefs of Religion, and hardly capable of an outward formal Compliance with it; they are not guilty of grofs Sins, they have an averfion to Cheating and Falfenels, but at the fame timə have no more feeling or relifh of Religion, than mere Reprobates. Now the Reafon of it is this, they live in fuch an Impertinence of Conversation, their own Communication is so constantly upon filly and vain Subjects, and they are fo fond of those who have the Talent of converfing in the fame Manner, that they render themselves unfit for the Refidence of the Holy Spirit. Their whole Life is almoft nothing elfe, but a Courfe of that Filthiness, foolish Talking and Jefting, which the Apostle forbids. Now this kind of Converfation may grieve the Holy Spirit, for these two Reasons, firft, because it proceeds from too diforder'd a Soul, for the Holy Spirit to delight in; for fuch as our Conversation is, fuch is our Heart, for Truth itself has affured us, that Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. If therefore we are delighted with idle Raillery, foolish Jeftings, and ridiculous Stories, we must not think that we are only Foolish, so far as a little talk goes, but we must charge

Let this also teach

our

our felves home, and be affured that it is a foolishness of Heart, a vanity of Soul that we labour under.

SECONDLY, Another Reason why this Converfation grieves the Holy Spirit, may be this, because it is of fo great Confequence, and has fo great an Influence in Life. We don't feem enough to apprehend, either how much Good or how much Evil there is in Conversation, and I believe it may be affirmed that the greatest Instructions, and the greatest Corruptions proceed from it. If some People were to give us their true Hiftory, they would tell us that they never had any Religion, fince they had fuch Acquaintance, and others have been infenfibly led into a fincere Piety, only by converfing with pious? People. For Men's common Converfation and ordinary Life teach much more effectually, than any thing they fay or do at fet Times and Occafions.

WHEN a Clergyman Preaches, he is for the most part confidered as doing his Duty, as Acting according to his Profeffion, and doing that which all Clergymen do, whether good or bad. But if he is

the fame wife and virtuous Man in his Communication, that he is in the Pulpit, if his Speech be feafon'd with Salt, that it may minister Grace unto the Hearers,

if the common and ordinary Actions of his Life be visibly govern'd by a Spirit of Piety. Such a one will make Converts to Holinefs; he will be heard with Reverence on the Sunday, not fo much for the Weight of what he says, as for what he fays and does all the Week. And on the contrary, if a Clergyman when he comes out of the Pulpit, is but like other Men, as Irregular in his Tempers, as Trifling in his Converfation, as Eager in Diverfions, and as Ridiculous in his Pleasures, as Vain in his Designs, as other People, he will mightily leffen his Power over the Hearts of his Hearers. A Father now and then gives his Son virtuous Advice, and the Son perhaps would be much the better for it, but that he never hears him talking Virtuously, but when he is giving him Advice, this makes him think, that he is then only Acting the Part of a Father, as when he is buying him Clothes, or putting him out to an Employment. Whereas if he saw his Father's ordinary Life and Converfation to be under the Rules of Religion, and his every-day Temper, a Temper of Piety, 'tis very likely, that he would be won into an Imitation of it.

A MOTHER, orders her Daughter to taught the Catechism, and defires that she

may

may have Books of Devotion, the Daughter would have imagined that she was to have formed herself by these Books, the would have read them when she was alone, but that the finds her Mother fits up at Night to read Romances, and if the is ill, must be read to Sleep with a Play. She might have had fome Notion of religious Modefty and Humility, but that the fees her Mother eager after all Diverfions, Impatient till she knows all Intreigues, fond of the Wit and Flattery of Rakes, pleas'd with the Gentility of Fops, and the Gracefulness of Players.

Now a Daughter educated with a Mother of this Temper and Converfation, is render'd almoft incapable of Religion.

THIS therefore may be one Reafon, why a vain unedifying Converfation grieves the Holy Spirit, viz. because it not only proceeds from a Corruption of Heart, a diforder'd State of the Soul, but because it is fo powerful in its Influences, and does fo much harm to those that we converse with. For it is our Communication, our ordinary Temper, and manner of common Life that affects other People, that either hardens them in Sin, or awakens them to a Senfe of Piety. Let therefore all Clergymen, and Mafters and Miftreffes of Families,

look

look carefully to themselves, let them confider, that if their ordinary Life, their Communication be vain, impertinent, and unedifying, that they are not only in a corrupt State of Heart, but are guilty of corrupting and perverting the Hearts of those that belong to them. Let them not think, that they have fufficiently discharg'd their Duty, by feeing that those who relate to them, have their proper Inftructions, for it is next to impoffible for fuch Instructions to have their proper Effect, against the Temper and Example of those we converse with. If a Clergyman Plays, and Drinks and Sports with his Flock in the Week-Days, let him not wonder, if he preaches them afleep on Sundays. If a Father is intemperate, if he Swears, and converfes foolishly with his Friends, let him not wonder, that his Children cannot be made virtuous. For there is nothing that teaches to any Purpofe, but our ordinary Temper, our common Life and Conversation; and almost all People will be fuch as thofe, amongst whom they were born and bred. It is therefore the neceffary Duty of all Chriftans in all States of Life, to look carefully to their ordinary Behaviour, that it be not the Means of poisoning and corrupting the Hearts of thofe that they converfe with. They must confider, that all the Follies,

and