Now in the generality of our tranfgreffions, it is otherwife. The heart is commonly firft corrupted. There too often lies the feat of our wickednefs. There our reformation fhould begin. In thofe fecret receffes, hid from the world, the wickedness of man is firft hatched. It is out of the heart that fornications, and adulteries, we are told, and thefts, and murders proceed. And St. Peter admonishes the forcerer Simon, that his heart was not right in the fight of God. This was the first thing he should have corrected. It is happy, when we can keep our words, and actions within the bounds of decency, and propriety: but neither our words, nor actions can be depended on, unlefs the heart be correct. There lie the motives of action. The ftream is cleanfed in vain, if the fountain be left foul. Cleanfe that, and all will be pure. Besides, St. Peter's denial of Chrift, was only in his words. And tho we are told, that by our words we shall be justified, and by our words we shall be condemned that is, our words fhall certainly go in part to make up our acquittal, or our condemnation yet in few cafes they are stained with the guilt of wicked actions. In fome cafes, they may have equal, or even greater guilt; as when you injure your neighbour's character, you may do. him greater mischief, than if you took his purfe. -But in general, the wicked action brings the mifchief more home to others; and of course, the guilt more home to ourselves. You fall into a violent paffion, for inftance, with your neighbour; and reproach him with abufive language. This is. bad: but the law, with great justice, takes much lefs notice of this, than if you fhould attack his perfon. Again, you talk loosely it is criminal no doubt; but when your guilty pleafures involve others in fins the mischief is ftill greater. your Thus St. Peter's denial of Chrift in a few hefitating words, is nothing in comparison of that guilt, which attends the denial of him by a wicked life. Does the intemperate man-the debauched man, or the drunkard fuppofe, that by merely profeffing himself a chriftian, he acknowledges Chrift? By no means every act of intemperance cries out in louder language than St. Peter's, I know not the man. Or does the blafphemer, the common fwearer, or the sabbath-breaker, imagine, that because he is born in a chriftian country, he has any connection with Chrift? By no means every time he blafphemes, or curfes, or breaks the fab bath, bath, he cries out in louder language than St. Peter's, I know not the man.-Or does he, who cheats, and defrauds his neighbour-cherishes malicious defigns against him-and intends, if he can, to do him a private mifchief, fuppofe that he has any connection with Chrift? All his thoughts, and all his actions are continually crying out, What is Chrift to me? I know not the man Many too there are, who are not stained with any notorious offences-yet being entirely engaged in the business, or pleasures of the world, live conftantly, as it were, out of the fight of God, and trouble themselves but little with the affairs of religion. Such perfons cannot think they have any regard for Chrift: their own hearts must tell them, they know not the man. The laft particular we take notice of in St Peter's denial of Chrift, is his repentance. He had no fooner committed the fin, than he endeavoured to wash it away with the tears of penitence. Repentance confifts in a thorough change both of heart and life. St. Peter's heart, we conceive, wanted little change. : It was right in the fight of God and as to his life, fo far was he from ever denying his mafter after this, that he continued ever afterwards the most eminent example of apoftolic conftancy; and at length fuffered martyrdom for the fake of Chrift, and his religion. Happy would it be for us, if we could imitate the penitence, as we do the fin of St. Peter. But fin, and repentance, I fear, are not always connected. Repentance is a ferious thing. To ftrip bad habits from a corrupted heart, is ftripping off the skin. Yet however reluctant we are, if our repentance be fincere, it must be done. It is not being forry for our fins, or even weeping bitterly, that is repentance If it end there, it is fear only. When do we repent, like St. Peter, once for all? St Peter denied Christ once; but he never in thought, word, or deed, fo far as we know, denied him again. Thus I have compared the circumftances of St. Peter's fin, with the circumftances of those fins, which we commonly commit; and I hope the comparison will fhew us, that his fin affords little cover to any of us, who may wish to fhelter ourfelves under it. I shall conclude with a few general remarks on the fubject. As all fcripture is given us for our instruction, we may be affured that the fins, and failings of holy men are recorded for that purpose alfo. allo. Let us then fee what particular uses they chiefly ferve. In the first place, they teach us caution. Danger is the great incitement to fear and fear produces caution. What multiplied reafon therefore have we to fear from the dangers of our chriftian warfare, which befet us on every fide-dangers which have overcome faints, When an apoftle falls, what have we to expect? Secondly, we learn from the miscarriages of thefe holy perfons a ftriking leffson of humility. From our own bad difpofitions we have ground enough for humility. But when we fee fuch illuftrious examples of holiness fometimes involved in fin, we have reason to be humbled to the lowest degree. The miscarriages of eminent perfons administer comfort alfo. If only the bright fide of thefe exalted characters had been placed before us, and all their failings had been concealed, it might have led us too much to despair. It might have difcouraged our exertions. But when we fee they are men of like paffions with ourfelves, we proceed with greater courage to follow their fteps: and to truggle more patiently with our own difficulties. From |