fuch as we cannot, not such as we will not remember: for though the mercy of God will cover our defects, when they are unavoidable, and fuch as arise from our natural weakness and infirmity; yet we have no reason to expect any allowance, where we are wanting to ourselves through laziness and indifpofition; where, to avoid the trouble or the anguish of repentance, we cover our own fins deceitfully. Such hypocrify will be no plea in his prefence, who trieth the heart and reins, and Spieth out all our ways. But,

Secondly, We are to confider what guilt we contract by our fecret fins, left it should be thought that the fins which efcape our knowledge ought not to burden our confcience. Where there is no guilt, there needs no remiffion; and if we cannot in justice be charged with our fecret fins, there is no fenfe in the Pfalmift's petition, Cleanfe thou me from fecret faults. In another place he has told us, that God fets our iniquities before him, and our secret fins in the light of his countenance: and the day approaches, when for all these things he will call us into judgment.

In the inftances already fet before you, you may observe, that our moft fecret fins are fometimes the moft heinous. Thus it is in the cafe of habitual fins; we are too well acquainted with them to take particular notice of them; they are the involuntary motions of a second nature, and we are as little concerned to count their number, as we are the beatings of our pulfe. But fhall this plead their excufe? Shall only fearful finners and modeft beginners be punished and fhall the height of iniquity, because

it takes away all shame and fenfe of fin, take away likewise all danger of judgment? This can agree with no rule of juftice or equity; for by this means the fame man will stand chargeable with the guilt of his early fins, fuch as he committed before his confcience was quite hardened, and yet not accountable for the more enormous crimes of finful wickedness as if the only fin we could commit, were to be fenfible of our faults.

The fame might be made appear in the other inftances: for every idle word, how foon foever it flips out of our memory, for every vain imagination of the heart, how foon foever it vanishes away, we shall give an account at the day of judgment. For the guilt of fin does not arife from the power of our memory, nor is it extinguished by the weakness of it if it were, forgetfulness would be the fureft repentance; and want of thought and reflection, which is fo often reprefented in Scripture as the aggravation of fin, would be the finner's beft fecurity. But, alas! though we forget, there is One who cannot, before whom our iniquities are ever prefent; who will enter into judgment with us, as well for the fins which we cannot remember, as for those we cannot forget.

The confequence from the whole is this: that fince many of our fins are fecret to us, they can only be repented of in general; and fince many of our fecret fins are very heinous, they must seriously and folemnly be repented of. By general repentance you are not to understand then a flight or fuperficial repentance only. The petition of the Pfalmift, Cleanfe thou me from fecret faults, proceeded from a

heart deeply affected with the sense of its guilt, and does not express the fentiments of one who was excufing or leffening his faults; for he remembered, and fo muft we, that fecret as our faults are, yet God has placed them in the light of his countenance.

DISCOURSE XXXVI.

PART I.

MATTHEW Xii. 36.

But I fay unto you, That every idle word that men shall Speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judg

ment.

IT is very evident from the context, that our Saviour's intention was to diftinguish between the heinous offences of blafphemy, perjury, and the like, and the idle words mentioned in the text, as I fhall have occafion to obferve. We must therefore look among the more common and lefs crying fins of speech, to know what kind of words they are, which our Saviour threatens with an account at the day of judgment. Of these there are many forts:

Firft, Idle words may denote words which proceed either from the vanity or the deceitfulness of men's minds; and this fenfe will take in all the empty boastings and great pretences of vanity and pride, and all the fly infinuations of craft and hypocrify; and there is no doubt to be made, but that men fhall be accountable for words of this kind at the day of judgment.

Secondly, Idle words may comprehend the reports which proceed oftentimes from mere curiofity, and a defire of hearing and telling news, by which our neighbour fuffers in his credit or reputation; and questionless these words will be alfo remembered in the day of the Lord.

Thirdly, Idle words may imply fuch words as are the impure conceptions of a polluted mind, which often pass for wit and entertainment among those who have learned to make a mock of fin. Under this head will be comprehended the filthiness and foolish talking and jefting, which the Apostle to the Ephefians would not have fo much as once named among Chriftians.

Laftly, Idle words may fignify useless and infignificant words. This fenfe will comprehend a great part of the converfation of the world, which aims at nothing but prefent amusements; as if it were the bufinefs of a rational creature to divert his mind from thought and reflection. How far words of this kind, when attended with no other evil, may expose a man to guilt, is not eafily difcerned; though I think it is evident at leaft, that a man may spend fo much of his time in idle or unprofitable words, as to render himfelf obnoxious to an account for the misuse and misapplication of the reason and speech with which his Maker has endowed him.

These are the common fins of speech, which are comprehended under the general term of idle words, which, if perfifted in, may prove of dangerous confequence to our fouls; for of every idle word we Speak we must give account thereof in the day of judg

ment,