SECTION IV. 43 all the day long, and leave no time for some secret addresses to the throne of grace. If there be any person that practises the . rules of temperance andsobriety withgreater strictness and pru- dence than his neighbours ; if there be any one that appears more remarkably just and true, and faithful in his dealings amongst men, or kind, charitable and benevolent to his fellow- creatures, and particularly eminent in the practice of meekness, patience and forgiveness to them that have injured him, let a protestant dissenter be the man that dares he thus singular. Phil. iv. S. Whatsoever things rareerninently pure and lovers and of good report, if there -be any virtue, if there be any praise, jf there be any thing of the practice of truth or goodness that is peculiarly honourable in the sight of men, let a nonconformist have the honour of this peculiarity. He that is singular in the church, let him bravely dare to be so in the world. O let it never be said by those who differ from us, and espe- cially by those who hate us, " These are the persons who 'pro- fess 'purity in worship, but see how vicious they live ! They are as much given to luxury in diet, to extravagance and vanity in dress, to every thing that is sensual and voluptuous, or gay and vain, as any of us who do not make such pretences to religion : they give their lips as wild and wanton a licence as any amongst us ; they are as loose, as frothy, as unsavoury in their discourse as any of their neighbours ; they have no more inclination, or at least no more courage, to speak one word for God and religion than we have ; they are as ready to overreach those who deal with them, and to cheat and defraud in matters of trade as any amongst us ; they are as often found tardy in the performance of their promisès, and in fulfilling their appointed payments ; their consciences will stretch as largely as any of ours to indulge a pleasing iniquity, and they are as poor and wretched per- formers of any of the relative duties of social life ;" Oh ! let it never be said concerning any ofyou, that you are as severe and unreasonable masters, as idle and unfaithful servants ; that you are as unkind and careless, as faithless and as insolent hus- bands ; as vain and unthrifty, as peevish and as noisy wives; as cruel parents, andas undutiful children ; as ungenerous dealers, and as deceitful buyers and sellers, as any of the rest of your neighbours : Let it never be said of you, that you are catched as often in a lie, that you are as proud and haughty, as angry and passionate, as griping, as covetous and hard=hearted to the poor as any of the rest of mankind. What 'a shameful thing would it be if you should give occasion to the world to say, " that notwithstanding all your pretences to purity in religion, and your separation from us in our waysof- wórship, as though they were not pure enough for you, yet you make no more conscience of sin or duty, with regard to God or man, in the course of your
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