ple of better rank, faying to themselves, they will never be the worse of it, they can eafily fpare it; but time has perfected them in their trade, till they ended their days upon a scaffold. Some have begun with little arts of equivocation, and concealing the truth, who, in time, came to boldnefs and obftinacy in grofs falfehood. And many have begun with levity of carriage, and vanity of drefs, who have ended in luft, whoredom, and open proflitution. My brethren, though we are all born in fin, and powerfully inclined to that which is evil, from our first entrance into the world; yet we have alfo a witness for God in our own confciences. There feems to be fome reluctance in the first commiffion of fin; fome forrow and regret for departing innocence. It is a faying of one of the heathens, "No man becomes all "of a fudden very wicked;" or, if I may ufe the expreffion, is made perfect in fin. It ufually takes fome time, and is carried on by progrefs and improvement, though fome, alas! make wonderful proficiency in it, and advance at a very great pace. These leffer fins, then, are the introduction and preparation for what afterwards fhall follow; they begin the attack upon confcience, which, at laft, ends in a total overthrow and defeat.

(2.) Let us now follow the finner to the next ftage of his unhappy courfe. Having once begun in the ways of fin, he ventures upon fomething greater and more daring; his courage grows with his experience; and he gives himself more liberty to walk in the ways of his own heart, and the fight of his own eyes. Now, fins of a deeper dye do not look

fo frightful as before. The reafon of this is plain, or rather there are many reafons which concur in producing this effect. Cuftom makes every thing familiar, even to defpifing the authority of God, and counteracting the ftrongeft obligations. Sinners, after fome apprenticeship to this infamous trade commit fuch fins as lay waste the confcience, and offer the greatest violence to their own minds; thefe ftill lead forward to others, and to every new tranfgreffion, if I may fpeak fo, they are driven by a ftronger inclination, and with-held by a weaker refiftance. No fin comes by itfelf alone, but stands in clofe connection with many others. Some fins teach us how to commit others, as well as afford an opportunity to do it. I have heard of a fervant who went into an apartment with no other intention than to gratify appetite, by making free with fome fweatmeats, but happening to see something very valuable lying open, which might be easily concealed, could not refift the temptation, but commenced thief, and came, at laft, to a miferable end. Many fins alfo bring others after them, as excuses to cover them. So that no perfon, who once breaks over the limits of clear and unquestionable duty, knows how far he may be carried before he returns back, or rather whether he may not be fo deeply involved, as never to return at all. This leads me to observe, (3.) That open fins foon throw a man into the hands of ungodly companions. This effect is necessary, becaufe they determine his character; and, according to the old obfervation, thofe of like difpofition, by a natural and powerful inftinct, are led to affociate toge

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ther. No fooner do men begin to take liberties in their conduct, than they begin to fhun the fociety of good men; the presence of fuch is a restraint upon them; their example is a reproof to them, and awakens any principle of confcience, which yet remains unfubdued, to reproach and sting them; whereas, in fociety like themfelves, they are greatly emboldened, by feeing vice practifed, and by hearing it juftified. Behold the finner, then, with corrupt communication as well as corrupt inclination! The danger of this we are warned of by the apoftle Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 33.

Pe not deceived; evil communications corrupt good 'manners.' As united fires burn the fiercer and the ftronger; fo a finful fociety improves and grows in impiety, and every member joins his brother's pollution to his own. It is not eafy to fay, how much profane companions are inftrumental in reciprocally undoing one another. But furely if those, otherwife virtuous, are often in danger of being led away with the error of the wicked, much more muft -they who are themselves fo difpofed, and are every whit as ready to follow a bad advice or example, as others are to give it.

I cannot forbear adding upon this fubject, that feriously difpofed perfons are as much afraid of the fociety of loofe perfons, as they are impatient of theirs. This makes the feparation ftill more complete. And even when they are occafionally joined, the fear of cafting their pearls before fwine, who may trample them under their feet, and turn again and rent them, often fhuts their mouths. It prevents them from giving that falutary inftruction, and

ufeful admonition, which their heart might dictate, or the neceffity of the cafe might require. I confefs, my brethren, when I confider the unfpeakable advantages for true piety, which arife from the relation, the company, or the friendship of eminent Chriftians, it fills me with the deepest concern for those unhappy perfons, who, by their conduct, and circumstances, are neceffarily deprived of every thing of this kind, nay, are daily expofed to all the contrary foares. I dare fay, not a few in this affembly will bear witnefs, as I defire to do with inward gratitude to God, what infinite benefit arifes from the fociety of the excellent ones of the earth; to have been inftructed and trained up by pious parents in the fear of God; to have had your lot caft in a family which was a houfe of prayer; to have the faithful admonitions of a truly confcientious friend; and to have the daily edifying, reftraining, comforting, animating example of an eminent Chriftian, as well as a fhare in his fervent prayers. Nay, I will fay more, the very precious remembrance of fuch, after they have entered into rest, whether parents, children, friends, or neighbours, has the nobleft and happiest effect in reproving our floth, and ftirring us up to be fol

lowers of them, who, through faith and patience, ⚫ do now inherit the promifes.' How miferable thofe who are wholly ignorant of every fuch privilege! How deceitful is fin, which daily adminifters the moft deadly poison, and, at the very fame time, clofes up the way on every fide, and debars the infected victim from every mean that might contribute to his cure!

(4.) In the next stage, the finner begins to feel the force of habit and inveterate cuftom. The frequent repetition of acts of fin conftitutes a habit. How powerful this is, and hard to be overcome, experience is a daily ftanding proof. We are warned of the danger of habitual wickednefs in many passages of fcripture, particularly Jer. xii. 5. If thou haft run ⚫ with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then • how canst thou contend with horses? and if, in

the land of peace, wherein thou truftedft, they 'wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the fwel

ling of Jordan? Chap. xiii. 23. Can the Ethio'pian change his skin, or the leopard his fpots? then may ye alfo do good, that are accuftomed to do e

vil.' Nature itself, in this, as in many other inftances, is full of spiritual instruction. Habits of any indifferent kind, when once established, can hardly be overcome even by the greatest effort of refolution; even any motion of the body, or any particular word or phrafe in difcourfe, if once they have taken place by cuftom, are hardly ever laid down. But, it must be observed, that habits of fin are not only infinitely more hurtful than habits of a common kind, but they are alfo much more obftinate. They fall in with the bent and difpofition of corrupt nature; and, therefore, are like a double cord, not eafily broken.

Behold then the finner rooted and fettled in an evil way! Before, it might have been expected, that an awful difpenfation of providence,or the convincing demonstration of the word of God, might have had an effect upon him; but now, though it is still poffible, it