beings, we learn from the first chapter of Genesis; but how difficult it is for infinite mercy to forgive sin, we learn from that costly atonement, those bloody sacrifices, those pains and penances, those sicknesses and death, which must be undergone, befor the sinner is fit to appear in the presence of God.

Ponder these great truths; that the Son of God was forced to become man, to be partaker of our infirmities; to undergo a painful, miserable, and contemptible life; to be persecuted, hated, and at last nailed to a cross; that the bloody sacrifices of the Jewish law, were to represent the necessity of this great sacrifice, and the displeasure, God bore to sinners; that the world is still under the curse of sin, and certain marks of God's displeasure at it; such, as famine, plagues, tempest, sickness, diseases, and death.

Consider, that all the sons of Adam are to go through a painful, sickly life, mortifying their natural appetites, and crucifying the lust of the flesh, in order to have a share in the atonement of our Saviour's death; that their tears and repentance are only made available by that great intercession, which is still making for them at the right hand of God.

After

Consider. these great truths; that this redemption, these sacrifices and sufferings are only to remove the guilt of sin; and let this teach you, with what tears and contrition, you ought to purge yourself from it. this general consideration of the guilt of sin, which has done so much mischief to your nature, and exposed it to so great punishment, and made it so odious to God, that nothing less, than so great an atonement of the Son of God, and so great repentance of our own, can restore us to the divine favor.

Consider next your own particular share in the guilt of sin; and if you would know, with what zeal you ought to repent yourself; consider how you would exhort another sinner to repentance; and what repentance and amendment you would expect from him, whom you judged to be the greatest sinner in the world.

The greatness of our guilt arises chiefly from the

greatness of God's goodness toward us, from the particular blessings, favors, the light, and instruction, we have received from him.

Now, as these blessings, and the multitude of God's favors toward us, are the great aggravations of our sins against God; so they are only known to ourselves. Therefore every sinner knows more of the aggravation of his own guilt, than he does of other people's; and consequently may justly look upon himself to be the greatest sinner, that he knows.

How good God hath been to other sinners; what light and instruction, he has vouchsafed to them; what blessings and graces they have received from him; you cannot tell. But all this you know of yourself; therefore you know greater aggravations of your own guilt, and are able to charge yourself with greater ingratitude, than you can charge upon other people; and this is the reason, why the greatest saints have in all ages condemned themselves, as the greatest sinners; because they knew some aggravations of their own sins, which they could not know of other people's. The right way therefore to fill your heart with true contrition, and a deep sense of your own sins, is this; you are not to compare the outward course of your life, with that of other people's, and then think yourself to be less sinful, than they; because the outward course of your life is less sinful, than theirs. But, in order to know your own guilt, you must consider your own particular circumstances, your health, your sickness, your youth, or age, your particular calling, the happiness of your education, the degrees of light and instruction, you have received; the good men, you have conversed with; the admonitions, you have had; the good books, you have read; the numberless divine blessings and favors, you have received; the good motions of grace, you have resisted, the resolutions of amendment, you have so often broken; and the checks of conscience, you have disregarded. As you only know these circumstances of your own sins; so you must necessarily know, how to charge yourself with higher degrees of guilt,

than you can charge upon other people. God Almighty knows greater sinners, it may be, than you are; because he sees and knows the circumstances of all men's sins; but your own heart, if it is faithful to you, can discover no guilt so great, as your own; because it can only see in you those circumstances, on which a great part of the guilt of sin is founded. You may see sins in other people, that you cannot charge upon yourself; but then you know a number of circumstances of your own guilt, that you cannot lay to their charge. Perhaps that person, who appears at such a distance from your virtue, and so odious in your eyes, would have been much better, than you are; had he been altogether in your circumstances, and received the same favors from God, you have.

This is a very humbling reflection, and very proper for those people to make, who measure their virtue, by comparing the outward course of their lives with that of others. For, look at whom you will, however different from you in his way of life; yet you can never know that he has resisted so much grace, as you have; or that, in your circumstances, he would not have been much truer to his duty, than you are. This is the reasop, why I desired you to consider, how you would exhort that man to confess, and bewail his sins, whom you looked upon to be one of the greatest sinners. Because, if you will deal justly; you must fix the charge at home, and look no farther, than yourself. For God has given no one any power of knowing the true greatness of any sius, but his own; and therefore the greatest sinner, that every one knows, is himself. You may easily see, how such a one, in the outward course of his life, breaks the laws of God; but then you can never say, that, had you been in his circumstances, you should not have broken them more, than he has. Serious and frequent reflection on these things will tend to humble us in our own eyes, make us very apprehensive of the greatness of our own guilt, and very tender in censuring other people, for who would dare to be severe against other people, when, for aught he can tell, the severity of God may be more

due to him, than to them? Who would exclaim against the guilt of others, when he considers, that he knows more of the greatness of his own guilt, than he does of theirs? How often you have resisted God's holy Spirit! How many motives to goodness you have disregarded; how many particular blessings you have sinned against; how many good resolutions you have broken; how many checks and admonitions of conscience you have stifled, you very well know. But how often this has been the case of other sinners, you know not. Therefore the greatest sinner, you know, must be yourself.

Whenever, therefore, you are angry at sin; when. ever you think of God's indignation and wrath at wicked men; let this teach you to be the most severe in your censure, and most humble and contrite in the acknowledgment and confession of your own sins, because you know of no sinner, equal to yourself.

Having thus examined and confessed your sins, you must afterward look upon yourself, as obliged to betake yourself to prayer. The subject, most proper for your prayers, is death. Let your prayers therefore then be upon the danger, uncertainty and terror of death; let them contain every thing, that can awaken your mind into just apprehensions of it. Let your petitions be for right sentiments of the approach and importance of death; and beg of God, that your mind may be possessed with such a sense of its nearness, that you may have it always in your thoughts; do every thing, as in sight of it; and make every day, a day of preparation for it. Represent to your imagination, that your bed is your grave; that all things are ready for your interment; that you are to have no more to do with this world; and that it will be owing to God's great mercy; if you ever see the light of the sun again, or have another day, to add to your works of piety. Then commit yourself to sleep, as into the hand of God; as one, who is to have no more opportunities of doing good; but is to awake among spirits, that are separate from the body, and waiting for the judgment of the great day.

Such a solemn resignation of yourself into the hand of God every evening, and parting with the world, as if you were never to see it any more; and this in the silence and darkness of the night, is a practice, that will soon have excellent effects upon your spirit. For this time of the night is exceeding proper for such prayers and meditations; and the likeness, which sleep and darkness have to death, will contribute to make your thoughts about it more deep and affecting.

CHAP. XXIII.

The conclusion. Of the excellency and greatness of a devout spirit.

I HAVE NOW finished, what I intended in this Treatise. I have explained the nature of devotion, as it signifies a life devoted to God, and a regular method of daily prayer. I have only to add a word or two in recommendation of a life, governed by this spirit of devotion. For, though, it is as reasonable, to suppose it the desire of all Christians, to arrive at Christian perfection; as to suppose that all sick men desire to be restored to perfect health; yet experience shows us, that nothing wants more to be pressed, repeated, and forced upon minds, than the plainest rules of Christianity. Christian perfection is tied to no particular form of life; but is to be attained in every state of