ing it most power in that which is evil. And this is the rather mentioned to take away the force of it, and cut off that influence which it might have had in their minds. There is a kind of conversation that the authority of your fathers pleads for; but remember, that it is that very thing from which you are delivered, and called to a new state and form of life, and have a new pattern set before you, instead of that corrupt example.

It is one great error, not only in religion and manners, but even in human science, that men are ready to take things upon trust unexamined, from these that went before them, partly out of easiness, and sparing the pains of trial, partly out of a superstitious over-esteem of their authority: but the chief reason why corruptions in religion, and in the practice of preceding ages, take so much with posterity, is that before mentioned, the universal sympathy and agreement that those evils have with the corrupt nature of man.

The prophet Ezekiel observes this particularly in the Jews, That their eyes were after their fathers idols, contrary to God's express forewarning'. This was the great quarrel of the Heathens against the christian religion in the primitive times, that it was new, and unknown to their fathers, and the ancient writers of those times are frequent in shewing the vanity of this exception, particularly Lactantius, Instit. lib. 2. cap. 7, 8. The same prejudice doth the church of Rome sing over continually against the reformed religion. Where was it before Luther? &c. But this is a foolish and unreasonable diversion from the search of truth, because error is more at hand; or from the entertaining it, being found, because falshood is in possession.

As in religion, so in the course and practice of mens lives, the stream of sin runs from one age into another, and every age makes it greater, adding somewhat to what it receives, as rivers grow in their course, by the accession of brooks that fall into 4 Chap. xx. ver. 24.

* v. 18.

them, and every man when he is born, falls like a drop into this main current of corruption, and so is carried down with it, and this by reason of its strength, and his own nature, which willingly dissolves into it, and runs along with it. In this is manifest the power of divine grace in a man's conversion, that it severs him so powerfully from the profane world, and gives him strength to run contrary to the great current of wickedness that is round about him, in his parents possibly, and in his kindred and friends, and in the most of men that he meets withal. The voice of God, that powerful word of effectual calling that he speaks in to the heart, makes a man break through all, and leave all to follow God, as Abraham did, being called out from his kindred and father's house, to journey towards the land that God had promised him. And this is that which is spoke to the church, and to each believing soul by the Spirit of God, Forget also thine own people and thy father's house, s0 shall the king greatly delight in thy beauty. Regard not what others think, though thy nearest friends, but study only to please him, and then thou shalt please him indeed. Do not deform thy face with looking out asquint to the custom of the world, but look straight forward on him, and so thou shalt be beautiful in his eyes. When God calls a man in a remarkable manner, his profane friends are all in a tumult; what needs this, to be more precise than we, and all your neighbours? But all this is a confused noise, that works nothing on the heart that the Lord hath touched; it must follow him, though by trampling upon friends and kindred, if they lie in the way. We see how powerfully a word from Christ drew his disciples to leave all and follow him.

The exhortation is against all sinful and unholy conversation, by what authority and example soever recommended to us. The Apostle's reasons in those words are strong and pressing; there is one exs Psal. xlv. 10, 11.

pressed in the very name he gives it, it is vain conversation.

The mind of man, the guide and source of his actions, while it is estranged from God, is nothing but a forge of vanities, the Apostle St. Paul speaks this of the Gentiles, that they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkned', their great naturalists and philosophers not excep, ed; and the more they strove to play the wise men, the more they befooled themselves; thus likewise ". And thus the Lord complains by his prophet of the extreme folly of his people, and by Jeremy, that their hearts are lodges of vain thoughts, and these are the true cause of a vain conversation.

The whole course of a man's life out of Christ is nothing but a continual trading in vanity, running a circle of toil and labour, and reaping no profit at all. This is the vanity of every natural man's conversation, that not only others are not benefited by it, but it is fruitless to himself; there arises to him no solid good out of it. That is most truly vain, that attains not its proper end: now all a man's, endeavours aiming at his satisfaction and contentment, that conversation that gives him nothing of that, but removes him further from it, is justly called vain conversation. What fruit had ye, says the Apostle, in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? Either count that shame that (at the best) grows out of them, their fruit, or confess they have none; therefore they are called the unfruitful works of darkness".

Let the voluptuous person say it out upon his death-bed, what pleasure or profit doth then abide with him of all his former sinful delights. Let him. tell if there remain any thing of them all, but that which he would gladly not have to remain, the sting of an accusing conscience, which is as lasting as the delight of sin was short and vanishing. Let the covetous and ambitious declare freely, even those

น

* Rom. i. 21. " Eph. iv. 17. 2 Rom. vi. 21.

* Isa. xliv. 20. y Jer. iv. 14.

a

Ephes. v. 11.

of them that have prospered most in their pursuit of riches and honour, what ease all their possessions or titles do then help them to, whether their pains are the less, because their chests are full, or their houses stately, or a multitude of friends and servants waiting on them with hat and knee; and if all these things cannot ease the body, how much less can they quiet the mind? And therefore is it not true, that all pains in these things, and the uneven ways into. which they sometimes stept aside to serve those ends, and generally that all the ways of sin, wherein they have wearied themselves, were vain rollings, and tossings up and down, not tending to a certain haven of peace and happiness? It is a lamentable thing to be deluded a whole lifetime with a false dream".

You that are going on in the common road of sin, although many, and possibly your own parents, have trod it before you, and the greatest part of these you now know are in it with you, and keep you company in it; yet be persuaded to stop a little, and ask yourselves, what is it you seek, or expect in the end of it? Would it not grieve any labouring man to work hard all the day, and have no wages to look for at night? It is a greater loss to wear out our whole life, and in the evening of our days find nothing but anguish and vexation. Let us then think this, that so much of our life as is spent in the ways of sin, is all lost fruitless and vain conversation.

And in so far as the Apostle says here, You are redeemed from this conversation, this imports it to be a servile slavish condition, as the other word (vain) expresses it, to be fruitless. And this is the madness of a sinner, that he fancies liberty in that which is the basest thraldom, as those poor frantick persons that are lying ragged, and bound in chains, yet imagine that they are kings, that their irons are chains of gold, their rags robes, and their filthy lodge a palace. As it is misery to be liable to the

bisa. ii. S.

sentence of death, so it is slavery to be subject to the dominion of sin; and he that is delivered from the one is likewise set free from the other. There is one redemption from both. He that is redeemed from destruction by the blood of Christ, is likewise redeemed from that vain and unholy conversation that leads to it. So our Redeemer was anointed for this purpose, not to free the captives from the sentence of death, aud yet leave them still in prison, but to proclaim liberty to them, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.

You easily persuade yourselves that Christ hath died for you, and redeemed you from hell; but you consider not, that if it be so, he hath likewise redeemed you from your vain conversation, and hath set you free from the service of sin. Certainly while you find not that, you can have no assurance of the other, if the chains of sin continue still upon you, for any thing you can know, these chains do bind you over to the other chains of darkness the Apostle speaks of. Let us not delude ourselves, if we find the love of sin and of the world work stronger in our hearts than the love of Christ, we are not as yet partakers of his redemption.

But if we have indeed laid hold upon him, as our Redeemer, then are we redeemed from the service of sin, not only from the grossest profaneness, but even from all kind of fruitless and vain conversation. And therefore ought to stand fast in that liberty, and not to entangle ourselves again to any of our former vanities'.

Not redeemed with corruptible things.] From the high price of our redemption the Apostle doth mainly enforce our esteem of it, and urge the preservation of that liberty so dearly bought, and the avoiding all that unholiness, and vain conversation, from which we are freed by that redemption. 1. He expresseth it negatively, not with corruptible things, (Oh! foolish we, that hunt them, as if they were incorruptible and everlasting treasures) no, not the

Tit. ii. 14. d Isa. Ixi. 1.2 Pet. ii. 4. Galat. v. 1.