The (ure Trial of Vprigbtnefs. difparag'd under rhe Names of Vices ; from wh~ncc the Undcrll:anding and \rjJJ, dw Mind and Manners .w.crc depraved , and .Sha~lC \vas cart upon rh~ Verruous, an~1 B?ldncfs given ro r_hc V tctous. ProfufcncfS 1S fhl' d Magnificence, VIOlCI~~e ~ alot:r, J?tlfoJurcncfs Gcnttliry, Fraud and Craft Prudence.. .On the comr_a_ry, Smccnry_ ~s b.afted with the Name of Folly, Patience rcputedStt~ptchry, and Confncncc Superflm~n: The Proud will fCt off the lofty Humour and Carnage ~s a ~lcc~nt Grcatncfs of Spmt, an_d Yiufie rhe Humble as low and ford id. The Cholcnck wtll mgagc Reafon to ju(li'ie Ius Pailion ; he will allcdgc rhc Provocation would anger an Angel. The Luke-warm in Religion,will r~prefcnt Lukcwarmnefs as a difcrccr Temperament between the vicio~ · Exrrcams of a W1ldfire Zeal, and a prophane Coldnefs and Neglect. .The Earthly-nunded ;:r~~~~:: ~:~~~;;~~ fo~1 ~i~~~ ~~~c~~~~:~to~~~~;"~~~n;~~~'ci'!Ji~~~: ~r'~~r~~~~:h~~~;~~r~f,b; .377 a mild ConilruCbon extenuate the gmlt of their darlmg Sm. The Illcontment Pcrfon w11l make a Canopy for his LuO:, as only a human Frailty. The Intemperate will excufC his Excefs, as free Mirth and harmlcfs Society. Mat1y Apologies arc made for the Sins Men indulgendy commit; fame ":ill ~lead in Exeufc_, a pr~:me NecelTiry of Natu~e; fome, the CuO:om of the Places they ltve m; fome, their unfettlcd ~o~tth; any dung that may ldTen the turpicude in the view of Confcience, or in the Opuuon of others. Now pleading argues Love, and Love denominates rhe Sin t? be their own. *From hen_ce it is • ~oc xque ~~~~~1~~ hld~yo~0 ;~t~~~ clt~~;p~:f~~e~Si~~:e~f;e;1~~:~~n1~~~~~~~·~~l1ft:;;y:~;~~~ it~t~~~ ~~i~ ;:::~~~i~~~: ~~~'~e~~~~~~~:e~~,a~~1~fi~1[!a~?~::d ~~e~ir~~~i1~~i~l1~1i~ .so~~~~cat~J,~~~itl11~7j~:ar~: ~:~:r,~~~7rt~ ges the divorcin$ Commat.td of God between ~hem and rhe1r pleafam Sms, and reprcfents :finccrely the Gt~tlt of rhe1r finful courfe_ of. L1fe,. they becot~C fierce and _vehement,. and recoil upon thc_tr Rcp~ovcrs, as. ~~rogatmg unpenous Authonry~ or ~or Rtgour and Se\-;.> riry, or impcrtmcnce 111 admomn~mgrhe1~; and fomctimc~ recnmin~tc, ~ha.t the Rc.:p~over is as bad orworfC himf.Clf: hke a Rtver that pa(fcs wtthom N01fe, n1! lt meets w1rh the Arches of a Bridge that fl:ops its free Cur~cnt, then ~t fwclls and roars. . In flwrt, the indulgent Sinner will endeavour to defend lus Bofom,-Sm, or to fub..iue lus Confcience that it may not torment him for it. ;. The Sin that the enlighrncd Confcience reAeCl:s upon, with anguin1 and bitter Remorfe, is ufually that which has been indulg'd, and \vhereby God has been mo!l: difuonour'd. There is 10 de~p an Impreffion of the Deity in the Soul, and our Duty and Accountablcncfs , that ircannor be utterly defac'd; and though the rebeiiious Will a1id AffeCtions conrrou1 it for a time, yer it remains for the ConviCtion and Punifiunent of Delinquents. Confcicnce_ is a ~py in our Bofoms, and obfcrves in order ~o a DifCovcry; and what is written in HS Regdler cannot be razed our. 'Tis true, a Spirit of Sluinber fometit~1es fciz.cs upon the \Vickcd, and ~Onfciencc _is fo fl:upified, that they fin \Vithout Reflctlwn and Rcmorfe; but ~1ere are ttmes wherein Confcicnce is ~ous'd up like a Lion, and tears tbem in pie~es accordmg eo the fearful Threarni.ng. This ts iOmeruncs done by the powerful prcaclnng of the Word : The ApofHe defcnbcs the Wore/ of Gorl by its adnurablc Efficac_y; '_lu quick and powerful, an~ Jhmfer than a11y two-edged Sword, piercing ~e11 to tbe dt'Vidmg afimder tiJe Soul and Sptrit, and of tiJe Joints mtd Marrow, a11d i!a rlifcerner of the Jhoughts oncl!~tents of the Heort; When rhc Word by a piercing Applicanon ddcovers the Bofom-Sm, and the fearful Judgment that atrends it, fo r.hat the Guilt~ cannot obfcure rheEvidencc of rhe orie, nor avoid the Terror of the othcr5 t!icn ConiCiencc bleeds afrclh thar was feared before:. There is recorded a wonderful Infl:ance of rhis in the Afh of the Apof/les: when Pou/rhe Prifoner reafon"rl of Righteo"fuefs iemperance,_ mu/ Judgment to c~m(, ~clix tremU~t~: Tl:e difcoerfing of .thofc Vertu~s that r:\~[ril<;:&e;r. were duectly contrary to lus habtrual Enormmes, npt up his Confcicnce to the a~lick · bidin~m ]u1 and firuck inro ~onO:e_r~ation th~t l?fty Sinner. From hence ir. is that many dec 1 !ine ~ r~t~% r:::~~ :fh~rp and fearclung Mt_11IO:ry, '.vluch IS always the Token of a guilty Heart. The \Vord cu-ir !-.fri:.lib, · fluning upon ~he ConfCience (like the RefleCtio:1 of the ~un up01l the WaterHhat niadc 5. H!l'l. , them ~ppear ilke Bloo.cl) makes Sins to appea _~ m their cnm10n Guilr, their bloody A.g- ;,~-;4;'!:-e~!·w grava_ttons. Our Savwur teJls us, rhat the evtl Doer neit}Jer /()!Jet or comes to the Ligbt, Joh. 1 . :o. ~e.fl bts Deeds foould be reproved. lVhen a poWerful Preacher, as a fecond Confcience, <!5 1f he knew the ~carts a~1d Way~ of Men~ ~cts their Sins in order before their Eyes, ?'~d dofely _applies the fl_1rcarnmgs of Dtvme Veng~ance to them, Confcience _of~en JOms with hun, and as a £11thful £echo repeats the tcrnblc Truths ro their ConnCbon and Anxiety. In times _of' Affiitlion, when our Sins jint! us out, we ufoal!y jint! out our SiNs. In full Profpenty Men arc Strangers at Home, and rarel y look inward : they will noten~ure D d d 2 the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=