In the second place it plainly appears, that these careless persons depended on a death-bed repentance. The door was shut before they began to knock, and cry, Lord, Lord, open to us.

Thirdly, it appears, that these persons had no evidence to produce in their favour, except that they had eaten and drunk in Christ's presence, and that he had taught in their streets: that is, they had only an outward connection with Christ; but knew nothing of him in their hearts.

Lastly, it is very plain from their sentence, that their own wickedness, not God's decree, was the cause of their rejection: I know you not, whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

XII.

Cleanse thou me from my secret faults.
Psalm xix. 12.

MORE or less every man has two characters, In public he is desirous to appear with his best face; and hangs out often the sign of virtues, which are not found within. Within too he often harbours vices, which never appear abroad.

sues.

Often

These secret sins are of various kinds. they consist of bad thoughts. When these wicked intruders are immediately driven out by an effort of reason, and religion, it is well: no harm enBut when they are encouraged, and make their abode, the mind is turned into a receptacle of avarice, impurity, malice, selfishness, or any other darling vice, to which its propensity leads. Against all this corruption of the heart, to which the Almighty only is privy, the Psalmist prays.

Sometimes these bad thoughts are matured into deeper sins, by being digested into wicked designs, though still in secret. Some scheme of malice is laid-some plan of revenge-or some train of corruption.

VOL. I.

A A

Sometimes

Sometimes they are pushed still further into actions such as, petty frauds-commodious lies-indulgencies of passions and appetites, and many other modes of transgression, which may be dexterously concealed from the eye of the world. All these may be ranked among our secret sins.

There is still another kind of sin, which may be called secret. When an action is plausible, and the motive base, the action is sinful: but it is sinful only in the secret recesses of the heart. The eye of God alone sees it. Under this head we may reckon all acts of hypocrisy.

1

The last kind of secret sins, I shall mention, are such sins, as are secrets even to ourselves. And this perhaps was David's principal idea, when he speaks of secret sins. Who can tell (says he, in the words preceding the text) how oft he offendeth? cleanse thou me from my secret sins. And thus we pray in our litany, that God would pardon our ignorances.-That we may commit a sinful action, without knowing it to be such, is certain. A furious zealot may think he does God service by persecuting one of a different sect. St. Paul thought so: but he confesses he acted sinfully, notwithstanding he acted ignorantly. He should have informed. himself

himself better; which, if his prejudice had not intervened, he might have done.

Thus again, with regard to-(an instance, which has lately made great noise in the world) -the slave trade; it may be hoped, that many who defend it, are well-meaning people, and think they are right; but at the same time if they could get rid of certain prejudices, which an attachment to party, or a love of gain, throws before their eyes, they might perhaps see they were acting in direct contradiction to the scripture-rule of doing to others as they would have others do to them: unless indeed they suppose, that a man's being of a different complexion disqualifies him from being an object of gospel precept.Many other cases might be mentioned; in all which we sin, if we act contrary to such information as God hath given us the means and ability to obtain.

I shall conclude the subject with observing that we should strive against that temptation, which secrecy holds out, to commit sin. We should always recollect, we are continually under the inspection of that great Being, with whom darkness and light are both alike.

XIII.

Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.-James, i. 14.

THAT is, in other words, every man is placed in a state of trial.

That we are placed in such a state, seems to admit of little doubt. We prove it from various topics, taken from the world around us-from the imperfection of every thing we see-from the nature of man-and from the word of God. But I shall endeavour to prove it here only by that striking connection, which subsists between every christian grace and its correspondent tempt

ation.

Man is born into the world with passions and appetites, suited to the various temptations he will have to meet with. At the same time, to assist him in his contest with these temptations, he is endowed with reason and consciencewith the instructions of God's holy word, and the promise of his divine assistance. Thus furnished he launches into life; and immediately begins his spiritual contest. Every passion, and

appetite,