112 Peter's Denial of his Mailer, SE x M. meditated and cool any evil purpofe is, V. the lefs heinous ; yet thefe very circum- `" -'' fiances prove the point before us, the weak - nefs of human nature : for they clearly Thew, that man is obnoxious to fuch infir- mities and diflempers of mind as render him infufficient for aEling the part which be- comes him, and perfevering Readily in it. Diftempers which, though they be partly natural, and fo far compaffionable ; yet do they alto participate of moral evil, and com- municate it to the a f±ions proceeding from them ; which therefore are far from being altogether excufable, as furely St. Peter's denial of his mailer was not, whatever may be faid or imagin'd, in fome degree to exte- nuate it. Let us now proceed Secondly, To confider one faulty occafion of this good man's great offence, as it ap- pears from the Rate of the fact by the gof- pel hiflory, and it was felf- confidence, which he carried fo far as in exprefs terms to con- tradkt his Lord, when he told him fo cir- cumilantially, b fore the cock crow thou fhalt deny me thrice ; which one would think, might have very fenfibly affeted his mind, and produced at leaft a jealoufy of himfelf, if it was not peremptorily to be taken as a prediElion
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