SERMONXXI. 420 him. May the blessings of heaven from above descend on them all, and render them in their successions an everlasting blessing to Great Britain and all the protestant churches! But a christian indeed should be so formed, and so furnished, as to be readyto profess and practise his religion in every nation, and in every age, in the midst of storms as well as under the shining sun. III. Whenwe are called to practise anunfashionable virtue, or to refuse compliance with any fashionable vice. This is ano- ther occasion that demands the exercise of christian fortitude. Let us survey a few instances of this kind. It is an unfashionable thing now-a-days to introduce a word of practical godliness into company : The polite world will tell us, it spoils conversation : Mark, what a silence is spread over the room, when any person dares to begin so disagreeable a sub- ject ; there is none to second him, he may preach alone, and it is well ifhe escapes a profane scoff: This is a very true, but avery shameful account of things, according to the present mode. Any thing but religion is thought fit to entertain a friend. Even where persons of piety meet together in their visits, this sort of language is banished from company and the parlour, and it is confined only to God and the closet. Alas! we are ashamed to appear truly religious ; but if we had holy courage enough, one person would not be afraid to begin, nor another to carryon such divine discourse. There are surely some happy moments wherein an useful wordmaybe introduced withprudence andde- cency, to warm each other's hearts, and to rekindle theholy fire of loveand devotion that isalmost expiring. Again, perhaps we maybemuch engaged in the world among persons that make no conscience of speaking truth : But if we would be christians indeed, we must have courage enough always to shew a hatredof falsehood, and keepup a tenderness of spirit, lest webe drawn to the borders of a lie ; nor must we be ashamed to let the world know that we are the devoted servants of truth. When someknavish or unjust practice has overspread a cityora country, and become almost universal, we must dare to be honest in a cheating world; we must maintain our righteousness, and let it shine in the midst of a deceitful age, though perhaps we maybe called scrupulous fools. If we happen to be engaged in necessary business with persons who drink to excess, we must boldly deny the imposed glass, we must secure our own sobriety, even in the midst of drunkards, and as much as possible avoid their society : Nor should any scandalous names of puritan and precision affright us from the paths of strict holiness. When we meet with gross affronts in the world, we may be made the scorn and jest of all the company, if we decline the modish customs of
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