lects of duty to the account of human infirmity, as are owing to a corrupted heart and will. Whoever withdraws himfelf from the publick worship of Almighty God, the better to serve his own covetous difpofition; or who attends not to the cries of the diftreffed, the poor and needy, when it is in his power to relieve them; fhall infallibly answer for these and the like omiffions before the Tribunal of Heaven. God is not mocked; He hath given no man a talent to hide in the earth, no advantages to any but for use and improvement. Many of our oversights and ignorances He will of his goodness forgive: But all wilful omiffions are fo many wilful fins, and as fuch must be accounted for.

Then, as to actual commiffion, there are too certain trefpaffes of this fort, which the frailty of man's nature may, after all his precaution, now and then

betray

betray him into. The beft men have their unguarded moments, when they are liable to be furprized into actions which in their cooler hours they condemn. And the tranfition from an innocent to a blameable behaviour is in fome cafes fo very easy, that he who ventures to the extremity of the former, may undefignedly flip into the latter. This confideration however, though it may alleviate a, tranfgreffion in one instance, should be a lafting caution to every one "who thinketh he standeth, to take heed left he fall." For that man has but a poor plea in his favour, who falls by a temptation upon which he intrudes himself. And indeed it must be faid in general, there are but few actual fins, but have too much of wilfulness in them to plead infirmity for their excufe. Shall the drunkard say, "I intended not a debauch?" or the adulterer, "I was furprized into guilt?" Shall the

covetous

covetous oppreffor be excufed in regard to his insatiable appetite? or the bloodthirfty perfecutor because of his blind zeal ?-Without doubt there are many flight offences which perfons of good difpofitions inadvertently commit; and were God extreme to mark what is done amifs, who might ftand? But to the commiffion of fins of any magnitude there must needs be fome previous deliberation, fome criminal process: They are prepared in the head and heart, before they are put in execution. Such therefore cannot reasonably pretend to any alleviation of guilt, upon account of the weakness of man's nature, which proceed from the full confent of his depraved will.

Having thus far reprefented the nature and circumftances of those Errors and fecret Faults alluded to in the text; I shall add only a few fuch use

ful

ful Reflections as refult from what has been delivered.

II. And here-A due fenfe of that propenfity to error and wickedness, derived upon our nature from the fall of our first parents, and of which we cannot but be intimately confcious, fhould teach us in the first place humility of spirit. For what claim to merit can any Son of Adam pretend to? Who being originally born under evident circumstances of weakness, is therefore encompaffed with fo great infirmities, that he can fcarce help falling feven times a day. So little reason have the best of mankind to think highly of themselves, above what they ought to think; but enough to think foberly, as the Apostle exhorts. Spiritual pride, above all other, is not for man: Much more fuitable to his condition is it, to lament with the Pfalmift, "Who can understand his errors? Who can tell

how

how oft he offendeth?"- For how regardless foever we may in general be of thofe little flips and mifcarriages, to which by the frailty of our very conftitution, as fallen and degenerate creatures, we are perpetually fubject; yet fhould it be remembered that all even the least of these have in them the nature of fin, and are therefore odious in God's fight; who, we are told in another pfalm, fets our iniquities before Him, and our fecret fins in the light of his countenance. Confequently Confequently they de

mand both our humble confeffion and unfeigned repentance; together with the beft endeavours we can poffibly exert to ftand clear of them. To which good

purpose it principally behoves us to keep the heart with all diligence, to observe and regulate it's earliest motions and tendencies; because hence are the iffues of life. It is from the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaketh: And the tincture