practically improved. 113 predid}ion of a future faa ; but the anfwer S E R r,2. was pronounced, rafhly enough, in direct V. oppofition, tho' I Jhould die with thee, yet will not deny thee. It is not at all to be doubted but Peter exprefi'ed the prefent real fentiments of his heart, he was far from intending to conceal a defign then form'd to aft a treacherous part : That was an hypo= crify which fo good a man could not be ca- pable of. But his fault was, fpeaking fo pofitively, without due deliberation, with- out a becoming fenfe of his own frailty, and a juft apprehenfion of his danger. He fpoke the language of a fudden emotion, a fervor that was natural to him, and even a paffion, rather than a calm, well weighed judgment, which is the true foundation of ftable and 'tatting virtuous purpofes. He did not confider cooly, as he ought to have done; the deceitfulnefs of fin, and the power of temptation, having never met with fuch a a trial before : But too prefumptuoufly truff- ing to the prefent warmth of his affection, was fanguine enough to believe it would ne- ver fail him. I (hall only obferve at prefent, that an at- tention to what experience obvioufly teaches; will tend to illuftrate the point before us. No- thing is more certain, or better known, than VOL. I. I that
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