who alone are concern'd in it: For Perfons of a timorous Confcience are always apt to overdo their Duty rather than fall fhort of it. Their chief Fault is too much Solicitude rather than Neglect; and their predominant Weakness is an immoderate Fear, which is fo apt to make them run into Exceffes on the right fide, that they are in no Danger of erring on the Left: Nay if there be any Danger in their State, it confifts in their being for the most Part too fliff and pofitive in the unfavourable Judgment they make of themselves, and not paying the Submiffion they ought to their Directors, who are better able to judge of their Condition than they themfelves. Because an exceffive Fear is no lefs apt to fet Things in a falfe Light, and impofe upon the Judgment, than Prefumption: And therefore thofe, who are told by their Directors that they are fubject to this Weakness, ought to be convinced that terrifying Truths are not intended for them, but for thofe alone, who, tho' careless and flothful in performing all Duties, yet live without Fear, and are therefore in danger of going on in the fame flothful Way, and good Opinion of themfelves, till Death prefents them before the Tribunal of the great Searcher

Searcher of Hearts, before whom nothing is cover'd that fhall not be reveal'd, nor hid, that fhall not be known. Matt. x. 26.

The Twelfth ENTERTAINMENT.

Concerning the Account to be given of other Men's Sins.

Cleanfe me from my bidden Sins, O Lord; and from the Guilt of other Men's Sins deliver thy Servant. Pfal. xviiií 13.

TH

HIS was the humble Prayer of the Royal Prophet, who was folicitous to obtain God's pardon not only for his own perfonal Sins, but thofe alfo to which he had been any ways acceffary in others. And who is there amongst us, that does not stand in need of this Mercy? who dares confidently fay his Soul is clear, or that he has nothing to answer for his Neighbour's Sins? what Parents, or Heads of Families, or Perfons in any other Poft of Authority, and intrufted with the Care of others, are fure they have not either by Words or Actions, or at least by Neglect, been an Occafion of Sin to thofe that are committed to I 2

their

their Charge? Nay, is there any one that has the Affurance to affirm, that even in the ordinary Commerce of human Life and common Converfation, he has always been fo watchful over himself, as never to have prejudiced his Neighbour's Soul by Difcourfe or Example? I dare boldly call it a Prefumption in any Man to make this pofitive Judgment of himself.

However, fince moft Chriftians have but a very weak Idea of this Truth, and seem to be fecure enough on that fide, I shall in this Entertainment lay before you the many Ways there are of drawing on ourselves the Guilt of other Men's Sins: of which there will be a ftrict Examination made, and for which we fhall be accountable at the great Day of Affizes.

All Sins of Thought, as long as they are ftifled within our own Breafts, and are neither manifested by Word nor Action, being incapable of influencing our Neighbour, are purely perfonal, and confequently foreign to the Subject of this Difcourfe. But

there is not any Sin of the Tongue, nor any finful Action, but if practifed in Company may in fome measure be an Occafion of Sin to others, either by being an immediate Inducement, or by preparing at least the remote Difpofitions to it. The Reason is, because all fort of Example being of it's

own

own Nature an Encouragement to Imitati on, as is evident from Experience, it follows, that as good Example is an Inducement to Virtue, fo bad Example is naturally an Incentive to Vice, and can never be wholly free from Infection. And therefore as Perfons that carry an infectious Diftemper about them are apt to communicate it to those they converfe with, whether they design it or not; fo all finning in the Prefence of others is catching in fome Degree, whether it be defign'd as a Snare, or done without any fuch Intention.

Hence it is that thofe, who are remark ably given to any Vice of the Tongue, as Curfing and Swearing, Detraction, Prophaneness, or immodeft Language, or are fubject to the Sin of Drunkenness, have fomething more to answer for than the bare Guilt of these Sins, confider'd nakedly in themselves. Because all Sins of this fort, being committed in publick, are by Confequence generally attended with the additional Guilt of Scandal, in their being an Encouragement to all that are prefent, to commit the fame. For Men are naturally embolden'd to venture at what they fee others do before them. We contract a certain Familiarity with Sin by feeing it often committed: We are wean'd by Degrees from the Horror we had to it. What ftartled us

at firft, becomes inoffenfive by Ufe, and when we are once reconciled to Vice in others, we have but an eafy Step to make to it ourselves. So that whofoever has been much concern'd in the foremention'd Vices, or others that are publick, can never be fecure of not having a great deal to answer for on the score of his Neighbour, tho' he never was guilty of exprefsly foliciting him to fin, or doing any Thing with a premeditated Defign to draw him into it. Because he knows not what Mischief his Example alone may have done, how far it may have fpread, or what Impreffion it may have left behind.

However, this Reason holds particularJy, when the Example is given by thofe that are in Authority, or whofe Superiority or Station in a Family makes them remarkable For then it carries a more power. ful Malignity, in not only being an Encouragement to Vice, but giving a fort of Credit and Reputation to it. Hence 'tis no wonder that where the Heads of Families are diforderly, the Servants fhould affect, or at leaft not fear to be fo too: Or that Children, who daily hear their Parents curfe and fwear, or fee them often in Drink, fhould as they grow up inherit thefe Vices of them. For confidering how prone all Mankind is to Imitation, and particularly

how