MED. I. "tell, how oft he offendeth? Oh! "cleanse thou me from my secret "faults *." Can I, while I sit in judgement on my fallen brother, forget that I may fall, that I have fallen myself? Can I, when I see his offence brought into the light of day, veil over that silent transgression which I should startle to see revealed before the face of man, much more before the assembled multitude of men and angels, at the tribunal of Christ? I know my own heart, but I know not his. I may have sinned with greater opportunities of prevention; he may be detected and punished for a less offence, if any offence may be called small, in a scale of guilt, where every crime is sinful. A confession of this nature every man may make, who watches over the errors of his mind: and if he does not watch, still greater reason has he to repeat the oft repeated words of Psalm xix. 12. David, "O cleanse thou me from my MED. secret faults!" That the best of men have made this confession, and therefore have sanctioned the doctrine, I might prove from the meditations of some of the most excellent. The private thoughts of one are laid before me.Alas! I can neither set my head nor my heart about any thing, but I still shew myself to be the sinful parent of a sinful offspring. Nay, I do not only betray the inbred venom of my heart, by poisoning my common actions, but my most religious performances also, with sin. I cannot pray, but I sin; I cannot hear or preach a sermon but I sin; I cannot give an alms or receive the sacrament but I sin; nay, I cannot so much as confess my sins, but my very confessions are still aggravations of them; my repentance needs to be repented of*-And again, "I know not how it is with *Bp. Beveridge's Private Thoughts, Art. 4. I. MED. I. "others, but for my own part, I do "not remember, neither do I believe, "that I ever prayed at all in my life "time, with that reverence, or heard "with that attention, or received the "sacrament with that faith, or did any "other work whatsoever, with that pure heart and single eye, as I ought "to have done *." Many will be ready to conclude that this good man judged himself with an unbecoming severity, I can only say, that the film was taken from his eye, and that he saw sin in its native aspect; and “if "the righteous scarcely be saved, where "shall the ungodly and the sinner appear†?" Jesus replied to some of the Pharisees who enquired, whether they were blind also?" If ye were "blind ye should have no sin; but now ye say, we see; therefore your "sin remaineth." The good Bishop Bp. Beveridge's Private Thoughts, Art. 8. + 1 Pet, iv. 18. I. did not accuse himself, neither will MED. any man accuse him, of the commission of wilful and deliberate sin. But he found such a war in his breast, as left him no opportunity of pleading his innocence.--And he that calls himself without sin among us, let him cast the first stone at him. But if we do not accuse him of sin, shall we accuse him of severity? -a word in frequent use with those who would compromise their faith; or at least," who say unto the prophets, Speak unto us smooth things *."—Let us inquire, what is meant by severity? Something more than rigid Justice. But does God judge by any other rule than Justice? By no means; except when eternal Justice is tempered by eternal mercy. Justice, plain practical Justice, will be found fully sufficient for the condemnation of the sinner. It is mercy only which remits Isaiah xxx. 10. MED. the punishment. I. No man therefore will call that, severity, which exacts a specified penalty for a specified offence. "All unrighteousness is sin;" and "the wages of sin is death *." Away then with the mis-application of the word severity, when we are judging of our own offences; for " if we would judge ourselves," and institute an honest scrutiny on our own actions-we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world +." The doctrine on which Imeditate, now recurs upon me with double force. "The "crown is fallen from our heads: woe "unto us for we have sinned ‡." I prayed "unto the Lord my God," said penitent Daniel," and made my confes❝sion, and said, O Lord! the great and ❝ dreadful God, keeping the covenant 1 John v. 17. Rom. vi. 23. +1 Cor. xi. 31, 32. Lam. v. 16. |