A PRESERVATIVE FROM SIN AND FOLLY. 287 3. Q. What is it you call frailties and follies ? A. Those things which God bath not so plainly forbidden ; but if they are indulged, will lead us into sinful practices, and are attended with many inconveniences. Note, Tne word vice is sometimes used to signify sins, and sometimes follies*. 4. Q. How many sorts of sins are committed by mankind ? A. Our sins are of three sorts, viz. the sinsof the heart, the sins of the tongue, and the sins of the life. 5. Q. Against whom are thosesins committed ? A. Some more directly against God, some against our neighbours, and some against ourselves. 6. Q. But are not all sins committed against God ? A. Yes, we sin against God in all the evil that we do, because his law forbids it all: But in some sins we do more particular injury to our neighbours or our, selves. 7. Q. Are children and youth in danger of all these sorts of sin A. Yes, ournatures being sinful, we children are in danger of these sins, as well as grown persons. 8. Q. What are the best ways to avoid these sins, and to free yourself from them ? A. I must do these six things : l. I must endeavour to see the evil nature and ill consequences of every sin 1 am in danger of. -2. I must be sorry for what evil 1 have done in time past. 3. I must he more watch- ful fortime to come.--4. I must pray to God tochange my sinful nature, and to give me strength against these sins. -5. I must trust in Jesus Christ, and his grace to keep me from them. -6. I should have some goodreason, and someproper scripture in my memory always ready to oppose them. Thus farof sins ingeneral : Let us now come to particulars. PART I. Of Sins against God. 9. Q. What are the chief sins more directly against God, of which chit- dren are in danger? A. Our sins against God may be ranked under these three heads, viz. ungodliness, profaneness, and self-saffciencyf. 10. Q. What is ungodliness? A. To forget God continually, and have nothing todo withhim: And it appears in four things. 11. Q. What is the first sign of ungodliness ? A. If I never honour nor praiseGod for his own greatnessand glory. Reason against this sinful neglect. Tne great and glorious God, who is our Maker, deserves our honour, and demands it of us, on account of his own ex- cellencies manifested in all his works. Scripture saith, " Rom. i. 20,.21. They are without excuse, because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God." 12. Q. What is the second mark of ungodliness ? A. When I do not pray to God for the blessings which I want. Reason for prayer to God. God is gracious, and will hear whenwe pray to him ; but I have no reason to hope.he will bless me, if I do not ask it of bim, nor acknowledge any dependence on him. t; Though it is sufficiently evident that there are some fooleries or frailties of children which cannot properly be called sins, yet there are also some sins or follies, wherein it is hard to distinguish some of the kinds or branches of them from one another in their ownnatures. Nor is it easy to say under which head they shouldbe ranked. The scripture often calls sin, folly ; and if any of Shone which I have mentioned be ranked under an improper name, the candid reader will excuse it. f Ungodliness is a neglect of God; profaneness is an actual contempt of him: One is negative, or a sin of omission : the other is positive, and a sin of commission, as we may well distinguish them. And perhaps some may think that a sinful self.sufficiency is implied in the neglect of God : But children must have every thing spoken in a plain and ex- plicit manner to make them attend and remember it, and therefore I have made it a distinct head.
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