ple of better rank, saying to themselves, they will never be the worse of it, they can easily spare 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 boldness and obstinacy in gross falsehood. And many have begun with levity of carriage, and vanity of dress, who have ended in lust, whoredom, and open prostitution. 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 seems to be fome reluctance in the first commiffion of fin; some forrow and regret for departing innocence. It is a saying of one of the heathens, "No man becomes all " of a fudden very wicked;" or, if I may use the expression, is made perfect in fin. It usually takes fome time, and is carried on by progress and improvement, though some, 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 shall follow; they begin the attack upon confcience, which, at last, ends in a total overthrow and defeat.

(2.) Let us now follow the finner to the next stage of his unhappy course. Having once begun in the ways of fin, he ventures upon something 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 so frightful as before. The reason of this is plain, or rather there are many reafons which concur in producing this effect. Custom makes every thing familiar, even to despising the authority of God, and counteracting the strongest obligations. Sinners, after some apprenticeship to this infamous trade commit such fins as lay waste the confcience, and offer the greatest violence to their own minds; these still lead forward to others, and to every new tranfgreffion, if I may speak so, they are driven by a stronger inclination, and with-held by a weaker refiftance. No fin comes by itself alone, but stands in close 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 some sweatmeats, but happening to fee something very valuable lying open, which might be easily concealed, could not resist the temptation, but commenced thief, and came, at last, to a miferable end. Many fins also bring others after them, as excuses to cover them. So that no person, 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 so 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, because they determine his character; and, according to the old obfervation, those of like disposition, by a natural and powerful instinct, are led to associate toge

K

ther. No fooner do men begin to take liberties in their conduct, than they begin to shun the society of good men; the prefence 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 society like themselves, they are greatly emboldened, by feeing vice practifed, and by hearing it justified. Behold the finner, then, with corrupt communication as well as corrupt inclination! The danger of this we are warned of by the apostle Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 33. • Pe not deceived; evil communications corrupt good ' manners.' As united fires burn the fiercer and the stronger; so a finful society improves and grows in impiety, and every member joins his brother's pollution to his own. It is not easy to say, how much profane companions are instrumental in reciprocally undoing one another. But furely if those, otherwise virtuous, are often in danger of being led away with the error of the wicked, much more muft they who are themselves so disposed, 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 subject, that seriously difpofed persons are as much afraid of the society of loose perfons, as they are impatient of theirs. This makes the feparation still more complete. And even when they are occafionally joined, the fear of casting their pearls before swine, who may trample them under their feet, and turn again and rent them, often shuts their mouths. It prevents them from giving that falutary instruction, and

useful admonition, which their heart might dictate, or the neceffity of the cafe might require. I confess, my brethren, when I confider the unspeakable advantages for true piety, which arise from the relation, the company, or the friendship of eminent Christians, it fills me with the deepest concern for those unhappy persons, who, by their conduct, and circumstances, are necessarily deprived of every thing of this kind, nay, are daily exposed to all the contrary fnares. I dare say, not a few in this affembly will bear witness, as I defire to do with inward gratitude to God, what infinite benefit arises from the fociety of the excellent ones of the earth; to have been instructed and trained up by pious parents in the fear of God; to have had your lot caft in a family which was a house of prayer; to have the faithful admonitions of a truly confcientious friend; and to have the daily edifying, restraining, comforting, animating example of an eminent Christian, as well as a share 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 noblest and happiest effect in reproving our floth, and stirring us up to be 'fol• lowers of them, who, through faith and patience, • do now inherit the promises.' How miscrable those who are wholly ignorant of every fuch privilege! How deceitful is fin, which daily adminifters the most 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 sinner begins to feel the force of habit and inveterate custom. The frequent repetition of acts of fin conftitutes a habit. How powerful this is, and hard to be overcome, experience is a daily standing proof. We are warned of the danger of habitual wickedness in many passages of scripture, particularly Jer. xii. 5. ' If thou hast 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 trustedst, they ' wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swel• ling of Jordan? Chap. xiii. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then • may ye alfo do good, that are accustomed to do e• vil.' Nature itself, in this, as in many other instances, is full of spiritual instruction. Habits of any indifferent kind, when once established, can hardly be overcome even by the greatest effort of resolution; even any motion of the body, or any particular word or phrase in discourse, if once they have taken place by custom, 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 also much more obstinate. 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 dispensation 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