Thefe Sins, however confcious we have been of them heretofore, with refpect to our Repentance are as fecret as if we had never known them, and can only be confeffed and bewailed in general Terms.

Thus have I fet before you the several Kinds of our fecret Sins. One general Character there is which belongs to them all, namely, that they are fuch as we cannot, not fuch as we will not remember: For though the Mercy of God will cover our Defects, when they are unavoidable, and fuch as arise from our natural Weakness and Infirmity; yet we have no Reason to expect any Allowance, where we are wanting to ourselves through Laziness and Indifpofition; where, to avoid the Trouble or the Anguish of Repentance, we cover our own Sins deceitfully, Such Hypocrify will be no Plea in His Prefence, who trieth the Heart and Reins, and Spieth out all our Ways.

But, Secondly, We are to confider what Guilt we contract by our fecret Sins, left it should be thought that the Sins which escape our Knowledge ought not to burden our Confcience. Where there is no Guilt, there needs no Remiffion; and if we cannot in Juftice be charged with our fecret Sins, there

is no Sense in the Pfalmift's Petition, Cleanfe thou me from fecret Faults. In another place he has told us, That God fets our Iniquities before him, and our fecret Sins in the Light of bis Countenance: And the Day approaches, when for all these things he will call us into Judgment.

In the Instances already set before you, you may observe, that our most secret Sins are fometimes the most heinous. Thus it is in the Cafe of habitual Sins; we are too well acquainted with them to take particular Notice of them; they are the involuntary Motions of a fecond Nature, and we are as little concerned to count their Number, as we are the Beatings of our Pulfe. But fhall this plead their Excufe? Shall only fearful Sinners and modeft Beginners be punished? and shall the Height of Iniquity, because it takes away all Shame and Senfe of Sin, take away likewise all Danger of Judgment? This can agree with no Rule of Justice or Equity; for by this means the fame Man will stand chargeable with the Guilt of his early Sins, fuch as he committed before his Confcience was quite hardened, and yet not accountable for the more enormous Crimes of finful Wickedness;

Wickedness: As if the only Sin we could commit, were to be fenfible of our Faults.

The fame might be made appear in the other Instances: For every idle Word, how foon foever it flips out of our Memory, for every vain Imagination of the Heart, how foon foever it vanishes away, we shall give an Account at the Day of Judgment. For the Guilt of Sin does not arise from the Power of our Memory, nor is it extinguished by the Weakness of it: If it were, Forgetfulness would be the fureft Repentance; and want of Thought and Reflection, which is fo often represented in Scripture as the Aggravation of Sin, would be the Sinner's best Security. But, alas! though we forget, there is One who cannot, before whom our Iniquities are ever prefent; who will enter into Judgment with us, as well for the Sins which we cannot remember, as for thofe we cannot forget.

The Confequence from the whole is this: That fince many of our Sins are fecret to us, they can only be repented of in general; and fince many of our fecret Sins are very heinous, they must seriously and folemnly. be repented of. By general Repentance you are not to understand then a flight or super

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ficial Repentance only. The Petition of the Pfalmift, Cleanfe thou me from fecret Faults, proceeded from a Heart deeply affected with the Senfe of its Guilt, and does not express the Sentiments of one who was excufing or leffening his Faults; for he remembered, and fo must we, that fecret as our Faults are, yet God has placed them in the Light of his Countenance.

DISCOURSE

Wickedness: As if the only Sin we could commit, were to be fenfible of our Faults.

The fame might be made appear in the other Instances: For every idle Word, how foon foever it flips out of our Memory, for every vain Imagination of the Heart, how foon foever it vanishes away, we shall give an Account at the Day of Judgment. For the Guilt of Sin does not arife from the Power of our Memory, nor is it extinguished by the Weakness of it: If it were, Forgetfulness would be the fureft Repentance; and want of Thought and Reflection, which is fo often represented in Scripture as the Aggravation of Sin, would be the Sinner's best Security. But, alas! though we forget, there is One who cannot, before whom our Iniquities are ever prefent; who will enter into Judgment with us, as well for the Sins which we cannot remember, as for those we cannot forget.

The Confequence from the whole is this: That fince many of our Sins are fecret to us, they can only be repented of in general; and fince many of our fecret Sins are very heinous, they must seriously and folemnly be repented of. By general Repentance you are not to understand then a flight or fuper