persons is the compassion of a severe tutor or of a physician. Chastise thy infant sin by discipline and acts of virtue. He that means to be temperate, and to avoid the crime and dishonor of drunkenness, must not love to partake of the songs, or bear a part in the foolish scenes of laughter which distract wisdom, and fright her from the company. Danger of admitting the first entrances of sin described, and illustrated by a beautiful simile.

III. There are some who are very much to be pitied and assisted, because they are going into hell, and, as matters stand with them, they cannot, or they think they cannot, avoid it. There are persons whose life is wholly in dependence on the will of others; and if the prince or patron be vicious and imperious, it is the loss of his dependent's fortune not to lose his soul: state of such persons enlarged on. So also it is when ignorant people are catechised into false doctrine, and know nothing but such principles as weaken the nerves and enfeeble the joints of holy living; they never heard of any other. State of those considered who follow great and evil examples, who are engaged in the public sins of a kingdom, which they understand not, and either must venture to be undone on the strength of their own little reasonings, or else must go where the popular misery has made the way plain before their eyes, though it be uneven and dangerous to their consciences. Many, if they be left alone, out of the sight of their tempter, go whither their education or custom carries them: but it is not in some natures to deny the face of a man and the boldness of a sinner, especially when it is not their interest to do so. These men are. in a pitiable condition, and are to be helped by the following rules :

1. Let every man consider that he has two relations to serve, and he stands between God and his master, or his nearest relative: in such cases it comes to be disputed, which interest is to

be preferred; which of the persons is to be displeased, God or his master, God or his prince, God or his friend. If we be servants of the man, let us remember that we are also servants of God: this topic enlarged on.

2. The next advice to persons thus tempted is, that they should learn to separate duty from mistaken interest: let them both be served in their just proportions, when we have learned to make a difference. Take the counsel of the son of Sirach: Accept no person against thy soul, and let not the reverence of any man cause thee to fall.'

3. When passion mingles with duty, and is a necessary instrument of serving God, let not passion run its own course, and pass on to liberty, and thence to license and dissoluteness : this explained.

4. Let every such tempted person remember, that all evil comes from ourselves, and not from others; and therefore all pretences and prejudices, all commands and temptations, all opinions and necessities, are but instances of our weakness, and arguments of our folly for unless we listed, no man could make us drink beyond our measures; and if I tell a lie for the advantage of my master or my friend, it is because I prefer a little money or flattery before my honor and innocence: this topic dilated on to the end.

:

PART II.

IV. The last sort of those that sin, and yet are to be treated with compassion, is of them that interrupt the course of an honest life with single acts of sin; whose resolution stands fair, and whose hearts sojourn in religion, or rather dwell there; though, like evil husbands, they go abroad and enter into places of dishonor and unthriftiness. Such as these all histories remember with a sad character: instance of David. God has given

us precepts of such holiness and purity, meekness and humility, as have no pattern but Christ, no precedent but his own purity and therefore it is intended that we should not live a life whose actions are chequered with white and black, half sin and ́ half virtue. It is not meant by this that a man's life must be as pure as the sun: but it may be like the moon, in which there are spots, but they are no deformity; a lessening only and an abatement of light: this enlarged on. The danger of allowing ourselves to enter on the confines of vice, to see the beauties, as it were, of the enemy's country, described: comparison of Dinah, Jacob's daughter. When men thus fall, not by design, but by folly; not by malice, but by surprise; not by the strength of the will, but by the weakness of grace; they are to be treated with great compassion, and to be assisted by the following considerations and exercises :

1. First, we should consider, that for a good man to be overtaken in a single crime, is the greatest dishonor and unthriftiness in the world. As a fly in a box of ointment, so is a little folly to him who is accounted wise.' Evil of this dilated on. Every crime committed interrupts the acceptation of grace, and makes the man to enter into a state of enmity with God. Sins once pardoned return again to all the purposes of mischief, if we, by a new sin, forfeit God's former loving-kindness. Such imprudence compared with theirs, who throw away in one night the wealth of long saving. They sow much and gather little, stay long and return empty, &c. This consideration ought to be effective in restraining us from sins, if the particulars be summed up: for he that hath lived well, and then falls into a deliberate sin, is infinitely dishonored, is most imprudent, unsafe, and unthankful.

2. Let persons tempted to single instances of sin in a laudable life, be very careful that they suffer not themselves to be drawn aside by the eminence of great examples: instances

cited. Exhortation, that we should first be as devout as David, and as good a Christian as St. Peter, and then we shall not dare, with design, to do that into which they fell by surprise and if we should fall as they did, then, when we have repented like them, it may be said of us, that we did fall and break our bones, but God did heal and pardon us.

3. Remember, that since no man can please God, or be partaker of any promises, or reap the reward of any actions in the returns of eternity, unless he performs to God an intire duty, according to the capacities of a man so taught, tempted, and assisted, such a person must take care that he be not cozened with the duties and performances of any one relation. Some there are who think that all religion consists in prayer, or in public and private offices of devotion: others judge themselves as they are spoken of by their betters: some have been admired abroad, in whom their own family never saw any thing excellent, &c.

4. He that hath passed many stages of a good life, to prevent his being tempted to a single sin, must be very careful that he never entertain his spirit with the remembrance of past sins, nor amuse it with fantastic apprehension of the present. When the Israelites fancied the relish of the flesh-pots, they longed to return and taste: this topic enlarged on. We cannot stand, unless we be watchful in this particular.

These are the sorts of men who are to be used with compassion, concerning whom we are to make a difference, as says the text. Danger of the sins above-mentioned, and methods of our treating them in others, still farther dilated on.

II. Others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire. Some sins there are, which in their own nature are damnable; and some are such as will certainly bring a man to damnation : this topic dilated on. If any man hath fallen, by great and repeated crimes, into a sinful habit, his case is little less than

desperate but that little hope which remains, has its degree, according to the infancy or the growth of the habit.

1. For all sins less than habitual, it is certain a pardon is ready on repentance; that is, to all that sin in ignorance, infirmity, or inadvertency; in small instances, or infrequent returns; with involuntary actions, or imperfect resolutions: but humility, and prayer, and watchfulness, are the direct instruments of the expiation of such sins.

2. But then, secondly, whosoever sins without these abating circumstances, that is, in great instances, where his understanding cannot be deceived; or in the frequent repetitions of any sin, where his choice cannot be surprised; where there is a love of the sin, and a power over his resolutions;—in these cases it is a miraculous grace, and an extraordinary change, that must turn the current of iniquity: and pardon is more uncertain, and repentance more difficult, and the man must be made miserable, that he may not be accursed for ever. 1. His pardon is uncertain, because there are some sins unpardonable, and they are not all particularly named, &c. 2. It may also be, that the time of pardon is past. 3. Pardon of such habitual sins is uncertain, because life itself is so; and such sins require much time for expiation. 4. Every delay of return is, in the case of habitual sins, an approach to desperation; because the nature of habits is like that of crocodiles, which grow as long as they live, &c. But as the pardon of these sins is uncertain, so the conditions of restitution are hard even to them who shall be pardoned. St. James (ch. iv. 1. 3.) plainly declares the possibility of pardon to great sins, these specified and also (ch. v. 20.) implies it to an habitual sinner. But then, the way that he appoints for the restitution of such persons, is humiliation, penances, and afflictions, resisting the devil, returning to God with weeping and mourning, &c. (ch. iv. and v.) These are harder conditions than God requires in the former cases; and are a kind of fiery trial.