"iniquity: fo is the tongue amongst our mem-"bers, that it defileth the whole body, and fet-"teth on fire the courfe of nature; and it is "fet on fire of hell. For every kind of beafts, "and of birds, and of ferpents, and things in "the fea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of "mankind: but the tongue can no man tame; "it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poifon." And that none may prefume, after all, to think thefe fins of the tongue inconfiderable, let us remember vi at our Saviour tells us, Matth. xii. "But I fay unto you, that every idle "word that men fhall fpeak, they fhall give "account thereof in the day of judgement.. "For by thy words thou shalt be juftified, and "by thy words thou fhalt be condemned."

36. 37.

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(3.) Now, to these fins of heart and converfa-tion, let us add the confideration of all the fins of our actions, by which we either offend God ourselves, or are the means, by a doubtful or fufpicious example, of inducing others to offend : him all the acts of infobriety and intempe- rance with regard to ourfelves; of injuftice, treachery, or oppreffion, with regard to others. Let us confider those fins to which we are led by our respective callings and employments, or by our refpective ages or tempers, or by our fituation, and the fociety with which we fland connected. The lightness and frothinefs of fome, the fournefs and morofenefs of others, the inconfideratenefs and folly of youth, the plotting and ambitious projects of riper years, the peevishness and covetoufnefs of old age,.

D+3

and

and the vanity and selfishness we carry with us through the several stages and periods of life. These things are moft, if not all of them, fins in themselves, and do infallibly betray us into a great number of others. If we confider all this with any measure of attention, can we refufe to adopt the language of the holy fcripture, that our fins are more in number than the hairs upon our heads, or than the fand that is upon the fea fhore ? In fine, if we confider the fins according to our conditions

we are guilty of, and relations in the world, as hufbands and wives, parents and children, mafters and fervants, magiftrates and fubjects, minifters and people, we fhall find the account fo prodigioufly fwelled, that we fhall have more than reafon to cry out, with the pfalmift, "Lord, if thou · "fhouldft mark iniquities, O Lord, who fhould "ftand?"

3. Confider the fins that cleave even to your religious duties, and every thing you do in obedience to the will of God. The pureft worshipper on earth must ask forgiveness for the fins even of his holy things. I am not here to infift upon the hypocritical performances of many profeffing Chriftians, done merely, or chiefly, to be feen of men, or spread, as a covering, over their hidden and fhameful deeds; nor am I to mention that religious zeal which arifes from ftrife, contention, and vain-glory, and which chiefly aims at the fupport of partynames; because these are directly and eminently finful they are an abomination in the fight

of

of God. But, my brethren, even in those performances which you go about with fome meafure of fincerity, how many defects are to be found? Oh! how much negligence, coldnefs, and formality, in worship! how many wandering, vain, idle, and worldly thoughts, in your hearts, when your bodies are in the house of God! Confider only the infinite glory and ma jesty of God, in whose fight the heavens themfelves are not clean, and who charges his angels with folly; and fay, whether you have ever prayed at all with becoming reverence of spirit. Confider only the unspeakable condescension of that God to his creatures, and the unfearchable riches of his grace to the finner; and fay, whe. ther your hearts have ever been fuitably affected with his love.

It is our duty, my brethren, to confider, how far we have been from preaching the word of God with proper impreffions of the majesty of him in whofe name we fpeak; how far we have done it with fimplicity and dignity, neither fearing the cenfure, nor courting the applause, of our fellow-finners; how far we have done it with that tenderness and affection, with that holy fervour and importunity, which the value of those precious fouls to whom we fpeak manifeftly demands. And is it not your business to confider, how feldom you hear with that attention, reverence, humility, and love, with which the facred and important truths of the everlasting gofpel ought to be received; how many hear much more as judges than as learners, as critics

rather

rather than as finners; and content themfelves with marking the weakness of an indifferent, or praising the abilities of an animated speaker? And how many run with itching cars from one congregation to another, or even from one party or profeffion to another, not that they may be edified, but that curiofity and fancy may be gratified? How many loft ordinances, how ma-ny mif-spent fabbaths, have we to lament before: God?

When we come to the fecond table of the law, how many finful motives mix their influence in the duties we perform to our neighbours? how many acts of justice owe their being, in part at leaft, to fear of reproach? how many works of charity owe their splendor to a defire of applause, as well as to a better principle? I fhould never have done, were I to go through all the great duties of the Chriftian life, and obferve the finful defects that cleave to them. I believe I may fay with great truth, that would we but deal faithfully, there would be no more neceffary to our humiliation, than a ftrict examination of our duties themselves. This would oblige us to confefs, that all our righteoufneffes are as fil"thy rags before God;" that we must not. plead for reward, but forgiveness; that no merit of our own, but infinite mercy alone, muft: be the foundation of our hope.

III. I come now to make fome practical application of the subject, for your instruction and direction. And, 1. How great is the deceitful

nefs

nefs of fin! how aftonishing the blindness of finners! How eafy and obvious is the confideration of our fins, in the order in which I have endeavoured to fet them before you ! Sins of omiffion, on the one hand, and of commiffion, on the other; and duties faulty in both respects, viz. by effential qualities neglected, and fins mixed with the performance: fins in thought, in word, and in deed, against God, our neighbour, and our felves. Yet, alas! how many are there in a great measure ignorant of the fins they are chargeable with, and therefore fleeping in fecurity! Think, my beloved hearers, on your condition. To know your danger, is the first step to deliverance. Is not the law of obedience clear, written upon all the creator's works? Is it not ingraven upon the confcience and is it not often repeated and inforced by the difpenfations of providence? Would there be fo much of divine judgement, if there was no offence? Every natural evil proclaims the fin of man. An inclement season, an injurious world, and a frail dying body, confpire in. pointing out our finful ftate. And yet, after all, how blind is the finner to the difcovery, how deaf to the friendly warning, how regardlefs of the approaching trial! Awake, I beseech you, while there and look upon be may peace, your danger, while there is yet and opportunity to fly from it.

given you time

2. If the holiest cannot ftand before God, if no flesh living can be juftified in his fight, how fearful must be the ftate of those who are