treme of remifsnefs as well as feverity. A flight careless reproof is often worse than none; for it is ready to make the offender think lightly of his own offence. There muft, therefore, be fuch evident weight and concern of fpirit, as may serve to evidence as well his danger as your own love. For this reason, I beg leave to obferve, that speaking in a way of jeft, and merriment, on fins of an atrocious nature is deeply criminal, and highly pernicious. Solomon tells us, Fools make a mock at fin.' Tho' a turn to raillery and pleasantness of temper is reckoned a very harmless as well as agreeable difpofition; yet great care ought to be taken of the fubjects on which it is exercifed. It is only fmaller weakneffes that ought to be treated in this manner. Sins against God fhould be treated with a gravity and ferioufnefs from the importance of their nature and effects. I fhall give an inftance of this. Swearing, and taking the name of God in vain, is fometimes ridiculed, instead of being reproved. This feldom has a good effect. The crime is of fo atrocious a nature, and fo direct an affault upon the majefty of God, that it ought not to be treated lightly, as only a fmall indecorum, or breach of good manners. It ought, indeed, to be despised for its folly; but, at the fame time, it ought to be deeply abhorred for its guilt.

4thly, In the laft place. In admonishing one another for particular fins, we should still keep in view the fource of all fin, a polluted nature; and the great danger of the finner, as in a finful state. Though particular mifcarriages may give the occafion, it is of

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small moment to convince them of the folly of fuch or fuch a practice, unless you point out to them the neceffity of repentance, in general, upon evangelical principles. I have rarely feen that any arguments were fufficient to reform a finner of any particular fault he was once addicted to, but thofe drawn from eternity, and the awful effects of the displeasure of a holy God. Prefent inconveniencies, however great, foon lofe their effect, and are quite unequal to combat a vitious inclination, or wrestle with the power of habit. But, though it were otherwise, what a fmall matter is it to cure a man of being a drunkard, or a fwearer, or a whoremonger, if ftill you leave him a flave to fin, upon the whole, a fervant of the devil, and an heir, of hell? It is plainly with a view to the final confequences of fin, that the Apostle recommends mutual exhortation in this passage, Exhort one another daily, while it is called, to-day; left any of you be bardened through the deceitfulness of fin. Would you, therefore, admonish any person to his real profit? make ufe of particulars, to convince him of the evil of all fin, as fuch, and its power and influence over him by nature. When you reprove him for any fault he has committed, shew him the deceitfulness of fin, and where, if he do not fpeedily ftop, he will be landed at laft. Let his eternal state be the motive that urges you to the duty, and let the fame great confideration be made use of to carry home the inftruction with power and efficacy upon his heart.

5thly, In the last place. Let those who would acquit themfelves of this duty, in a proper manner, be

particularly watchful and circumfpect in their own conduct. It is evident, that nothing can be more unfuitable, than for thofe, who take upon them to admonish others, to be grofsly and visibly blameable themselves. It is, indeed, fo intolerable, that nobody can bear their inftructions with patience. You know, from daily experience, that recrimination is the first thing to which thofe who are reprehended betake themselves. The moment they are challenged, the reply is ready, Why, you yourself, do so and so, or, perhaps, worfe. So prone are they to this, that many times they will upbraid men with innocent or lawful things, as if they were faults, to cover their own guilty practice. Now, if this is the cafe, how much more hurtful muft it be for those, who reprove others, to be really liable to juft accufation themfelves, and, perhaps, upon the fame fubject? Therefore our Saviour fays, with the greatest strength and propriety, Luke vi. 41, 42. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceiveft not the beam that is in thine own eye? Ei"ther, how canft thou fay to thy brother, Brother, let 'me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou, thyfelf, beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then fhalt thou fee clearly ⚫ to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye?* Perhaps, my brethren, fome of you are faying within yourfelves: Alas! you have now destroyed the whole effect of what has been urged, at fo great length, on the duty of mutual exhortation; for where is the man that is without fin to reprove his neigh

bour? My brethren, no doubt we have all fuch failings, as ought to make us do it with meekness and felf-denial; yet, furely, we both may and ought to walk fo circumfpectly, as not to be juftly liable to heavy accufations. Though there is no holding of intemperate tongues, yet, surely, there is fuch a thing as a converfation becoming the gofpel, which will entitle the fervant of Christ to appear with some meafure of courage in his master's caufe; nay, and fuch an habitual love of mankind, as may fometimes open their ears to his falutary counfel. And, believe it, those who begin to make confcience of their duty to their neighbour, either in a family, or a wider sphere, will find its powerful and happy influence as a restraint upon their own conduct. They will be naturally led to double their diligence, left their example should, unhappily, fruftrate the effect of their reproofs.One particular more I muft add, that the next thing to being always in the right, is to be humble, and ready to confefs when you have been in the wrong. This alfo is a fcripture precept, James v. 16. Confefs your faults one to another, and pray

one for another, that ye may be healed.' I am perfuaded that few things would add greater weight to any perfon's admonitions, than his being willing to confefs, and ready to amend, any thing that was pointed out to him as blameable in his own conduct.

I come now, in the laft place, to make fome practical application of what has been said. And,

1. From what has been faid, you may fee the great

corruption and depravity of our nature. I look upon it as of great moment to have a deep and growing conviction of this truth. It is the language of fcripture, it is the language of experience, and it is the parent of humility. I observed, in the beginning of my discourse on this fubject, and it appears from every thing that has been faid upon it, that the deceitfulness of fin is but another expreffion for the treachery of the human heart. In vain would the objects of fin appear before us; in vain would Satan and his emiffaries prefent their folicitations, if our own inclination did not plead powerfully in their fa

vour.

To be deeply convinced of this, will lead to the exercise of penitence, and to felf-denial, which is the beft mean of our support and preservation. If the deceitfulness of fin lies chiefly in ourselves, that man will guard against it in the most effectual manner, who has learned to fear himself as his own greateft enemy.

2. From what has been faid, let us be led to ftrictnefs and frequency in felf-examination. If fin is fo deceitful, it may eafily lurk unobferved. Self-knowledge is a ftudy of as great difficulty as importance. You have heard what artful difguifes fin puts on, and how dreadfully fome have been led aftray. The very beft duties may be polluted by finful motives, and the very worst things may be done by an erring confcience, of which we may juftly fay, with our Saviour, Matth. vi. 23. If therefore the light that is in thee

be darkness, how great is that darkness!' The old heathen precept, "Know thyfelf," was reckoned fo excellent a faying, that they fuppofed it to be a reve