The Nature, Danger, and Cure prophaner fort; this isfuch a Ground, that though the Thing in it felf be tinful, yet we ought hereupon to abftain from it, being- a probable ground otf.t vil, though the Thing in it felf be not evil. Buc now if there be no fuch prob ~ ble ~ea~ons ~roduaed as carry in th~m a Shew and Appearance, char probabfthat Jse.vil wh1c.h we do,then w~ ar: no~ bound t~ abfiain meerly becaufe fuch ~ Man fa1th or thmksfuch ?" ACh?n tsevd: J:s f~r1nftance; if anyrhink,asoflare rnany have taken excepuon ag_atnit Preaclung tn a Pulpit, and by an H()ur-Giaji as things unlawful; ~ruly u!llefSthey produce fame Grounds tQ prove thefe thing; .to he unlawful, their Cavils ar~ not to be hearkened to, nor regarded. and f in any other Things that are lpd.ijf'erent ro be ufed. > 0 In the laft Place, take this Limitation alfo; We are not bound to abftainfroril ~hofe things that appear evil to ~thers,th6ugh th,ey ~re in themfelves lawful,unlefS Jn thofe places, a':ld at chofe-ttmes, where th6re 1s no danger of giving offence. atotherumes,and mother places,· we max lawfully do what is lawful. Whe~ there arc any prefent thac are weak and fcrupulous, and apt eo be fcandalized at us, then we muft have refpect umo their weak Confciences · hue at other times we are left to free and full ufe of our Chriftian Liberty. ' T H E Nature, Danger, Aggravations, and Cure OF Prefum~tuous SINNING, &c. S,E R M 0 NIX. PS AL. xix. 1 3· l(eep bac~ thy Ser)lant alfo from Prefumptuous Sins; let tbem not ha)le Dominion o)ler me, HAving in my formerSubjechreated of Abfiinence from thofe Things that have in them the Appearance of Evil, I fhall now from theWords read eo you, fpeak fomething alfo of thofe things that are apparently evil; that as you have already in part feen what Chrifiian Prudence and Circumfped:ion is required that your Converfations be not offinfive; fo here you may alfo .fee what Fervency of Prayer, what Meafure of Grace is requifite that they be not gro/ly ?JJicked. In the v.,f, immediately liefore the Text, the Pfalmiil prays that God would clean{e himfrom his fecret Faults; that is,from Sins of Ignorance,whereof he knew himfelf to be guilty ih the general, though in particular he knew not _what they were; now in this Verfe he prays, that God would keep him fro~ Sms of Pre[umption. The Connexion of thefe two Requefts is fOmewhat remarkable, and may afford us this pertinent and profitable Obfervation. Do8rine. That Sin is of a_growi,;g and advancing Nature. FromWeaknefs to WilfLJ.lnefs; from Ignorance to Prefumption, is its ordina. ry courfe and progrefs. The C/011d that Elijah's Man faw, was adirfi no bigger than a band's breadth, and it threacned no fuch thing as a general Tempeft; ~but yet at la!litoverfpread the face of the whole Heavens; Why,fo truly a Sin chat at
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