our perfons, to have titles of dignity, to be above our fellowcreatures, to command the bows and obeisance of other people, to be looked on with admiration, to purfue our enemies with revenge, to fubdue all that oppofe us, to fet ourselves in as much splendor as we can, to live highly and magnificently, to eat and drink, and delight ourselves in the most costly manner; these are the great, the honourable, the defirable things, to which the fpirit of the world turns the eyes of all people; and many a one is afraid of standing still, and not engaging in the pursuit of these things, left the fame world should take him for a fool.

Many a man would often drop a refentment, and forgive! an affront, but that he is afraid the world would not forgive him.

How many would practice christian temperance and sobriety in its utmost extent, were it not for the cenfure which the world paffes upon fuch a life?

Thus do the impreffions which we have received from living in the world enflave our minds, fo that we dare not attempt to be eminent in the fight of GOD, and holy angels, for fear of being little in the eyes of the world.

You will perhaps fay, that the world is now become chriftian, at least that part of it where we live; and therefore the world is not now to be confidered in that state of oppofition to chriftianity, as when it was heathen.

It is granted, the world now profeffeth chriftianity. But will any one fay, that this chriftian world is of the spirit of CHRIST? are its general tempers the tempers of CHRIST? are the paffions of fenfuality, self-love, pride, covetousness, ambition, and vain-glory, less contrary to the fpirit of the gospel, now they are amongst christians, than when they were among› heathens? Or will you fay, that the tempers and paffions of the heathen world are loft and gone?

The world is fully defcribed to our hands by Saint John. "All that is in the world, the luft of the flesh, the luft of the eyes, and the pride of life," &c. Now will you fay, that this world is become chriftian? But if all this ftill fubfifts, then the fame world is now in being, and the fame enemy to. christianity that was in Saint John's days.mong Cc 3

-Had

Had you lived with our Saviour, as his true difciple, you had then been hated as he was; and if you now live in his fpirit, the world will be the fame enemy to you now, that it was to him then.

"If ye were of the world, (faith our blessed Lord) the world would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chofen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."

We are apt to lofe the true meaning of thefe words, by confidering them only as an biflorical defcription of something that was the ftate of our Saviour and his difciples at that time. But this is reading the fcripture as a dead letter: for they as exactly defcribe the ftate of true chriftians in this, and all other times, to the end of the world.

For as true chriflianity is nothing elfe but the fpirit of CHRIST, fo whether that fpirit appear in the perfon of CHRIST himself, or in his apoftles, or followers in any age, it is the fame thing: whoever hath his fpirit, will be hated, defpifed, and condemned by the world, as he was. For the world will always love its own, and none but its own: this is as certain and unchangeable, as the contrariety between light and darkness.

When the holy JESUS faith," If the world hate you," he does not add by way of confolation, that it may fome time.or other cease its hatred, or that it will not always hate them; but he only gives this as a reafon for their bearing it, "You know that it hated me, before it hated you:" fignifying, that it was he; or his spirit, that by reafon of its contrariety to the world, was then, and always would be hated by it.

Whether, therefore, the world outwardly profeffeth, or openly perfecuteth chriftianity, it is ftill in the fame state of contrariety to the true fpirit and holiness of the gospel.

And indeed the world, by profeffing chriftianity, is so far from being a lefs dangerous enemy than it was before, that it has by its favouri destroyed more chriftians, than ever it did by the most violent perfecution, 2 nd to sking ons bes

It is a greater and more dangerous enemy, because it has greater power over christians by its favours, riches, honours, rewards, and protections) than it had by the fire and fury of its perfecutions.

It is a more dangerous enemy, by having loft its appearance of enmity. And the change that the world has undergone, has only altered its methods, but not leffened its power of deftroying religion.

Christians had nothing to fear from the heathen world, but the loss of their lives; but the world become a friend, makes it difficult for them to fave their religion.

How many confciences are kept at quiet, upon no other foundation, but because they fin under the authority of the christian world? How many directions of the gospel lie by unregarded, and how unconcernedly do particular perfons read them for no other reafon, but because they seem unregarded by the chriftian world. So that there is hardly any poffibility of faving yourself from the prefent world, but by confidering it as the fame wicked enemy to all true holiness, as it is represented in the fcriptures; and by affuring yourself, that it is as dangerous to conform to its tempers and paffions, now it is chriftian, as when it was heathen.

From this quarter, therefore, arifes a great obftruction to a really devout life, because it cannot fubfift in any perfon, but fo far as he is dead to the world. And though human prudence feems to talk mighty wifely about the neceffity of avoiding particularities, yet he that dares not be fo weak as to be particular, will be often obliged to avoid the most substantial duties of christian piety.

CHAP. V.

Shewing that the education which men generally receive in their youth, makes a devout life difficult to be practifed; and the fpirit of a better education reprefented in the character of Paternus.

A

NOTHER obftruction to a devout life, arifes from our education. We are all of us, for the most part, corruptly educated, and then fent to take our courfe in a corrupt world: fo that it is no wonder, if examples of true piety are fo feldom seen.

Numbers are undone by being born and bred in families that have no religion; where they are made vicious and irregular, becoming like those with whom they first lived.

C c 4

But

But this is not the thing I now mean; the education that I here intend, is fuch as children generally receive from virtuous and fober parents, and learned tutors and governors.

The firft temper that we try to awaken in them is pride: as dangerous a paffion as that of luft. We ftir them up to vain thoughts of themselves, and do every thing we can to puff up their minds with a fenfe of their own abilities.

Whatever way of life we intend them for, we apply to the fire and vanity of their minds; and exhort them to every thing from corrupt motives. We ftir them up to action from principles of ftrife and ambition; from glory, envy, and a defire of distinction, that they may overtop all others, and shine above their neighbours in the world. Nay, we repeat and inculcate these motives upon them, till they think it a part of their duty to be proud, envious, and vain-glorious of their own accomplishments.

If children are intended for holy orders, we fet before them fome eminent orator, whose fine preaching has made him the admiration of the age, and carried him through all the dignities and preferments of the church. We encourage them to have thefe bonours in their eye, and to expect the reward of their ftudies from them.

If the youth is intended for a trade, we bid him look at all the rich men of the fame trade, and to confider how many are carried about in their ftately coaches, who began in the fame low degree as he now does. We awaken his ambition, and endeavour to give his mind a right turn, by often telling him how very rich fuch and fuch a tradesman died.

If he is to be a lawyer, then we fet great counsellors, lords, judges, and chancellors, before his eyes. We tell him what great fees, and great applause, attend fine pleading; we exhort him to take fire at these things, and to be content with nothing lefs than the highest honours of the long robe.

That this is the nature of our beft education, is too plain to need any proof; and yet after all this, we complain of the effects of pride; we wonder to fee grown men acted and governed by ambition, envy, fcorn, and a defire of glory; not confidering, that they were all the time of their youth, called upon to all their action and industry upon the fame principles.

How

How dry and poor muft the doctrines of felf-denial, and deadness to the world, found to a youth, that has been spurred up to all his induftry, by ambition, envy, and a defire of glory and diftinction? And if he is not to act by these principles when he is a man, why do we call him to act by them in his youth?

I know it is faid in defence of this method of education; that ambition, and a defire of glory, are neceffary to excite young people to induftry; and that if we were to prefs upon them the doctrines of felf-denial, and renunciation of the world, we should deject their minds, and fink them into dulnefs and idleness.

But fuch objectors do not confider, that this reason, if it has any strength, is full as strong against preffing the like doctrines upon grown men, left we should deject their minds, and fink them into dulnefs and idleness.

For who does not fee, that middle-aged men want as much the affiftance of pride, ambition, and vain-glory, to spur them up to action and industry, as do children? And it is very certain, that the precepts of humility are more contrary to the defigns of fuch men, and more grievous to their minds, when they are preffed upon them, than they are to the minds of young perfons.

But further could fuch objectors think, that if any children had been educated by our bleffed LORD, or his Apoftles, that their minds would have been funk into dulnefs and idlenefs? Or could they think, that fuch children would not have been trained up in the profoundest principles of felf-denial and true devotion? Can they fay, that our bleffed LORD, who, confidering him in his human nature, was the most devout, felf-denying man that ever was on earth, was hindered by his devotion from doing the greatest example of worthy and glorious actions that ever were done by man? Can they fay, that his Apoftles, who lived in the fame fpirit of their Master, did therefore cease to be laborious and active inftruments of doing good to all the world?

A few fuch reflections as thefe, are fufficient to expose all the poor pretences for an education in pride and ambition. PATERNUS lived about two hundred years ago; he had but one fon, whom he educated himself, in his own houfe.