loved. Having thus invoked our heavenly Father, we begin our Confeffion by a general Acknowledgment of our having deviated from his holy Ways. "We have erred and "ftrayed from thy Ways like loft Sheep." So fays the Pfalmift; I have gone aftray like a loft Sheep. Pf. cxix. 176. And the Prophet Isaiah; All we like Sheep have gone aftray: we have turned every one to bis own Way. I. liii. 6. Thus are we taught to confess,' in the infpired Language, our general Departure from our Duty, and to view ourselves in the Light of loft Sheep, continually ftraying from the GREAT SHEPHERD of our Souls ; whofe tender Care and Watchfulness over us are frequently reprefented in holy Scripture. under this beautiful and affecting Image The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want→→→ He maketh me to lie down in green Pastures: He leadeth me befide the ftill Waters: He reftoreth my Soul: He leadeth me in the Paths of Righteousness for his Name's Sake. Pf. xxiii. 1, 2, 3. He shall feed his Flock like a Shepberd. If. xl. 11. And our Saviour fays: I am the good Shepherds the good Shepherd giveth his Life for the Sheep. John x 14.

"We

"We have followed too much the Devices and Defires of our own Hearts" of thofe Hearts, which, if we believe the Scripture (however mortifying it may be to human Pride) we must own to be by Nature deceitful above all Things, and defperately wicked. Jer. xvii. 9 out of which, our Saviour tells us, proceed evil Thoughts, Murders, Adulteries, Fornications, Thefts, falfe Witness, Blafphemies. Mat. xv. 19. If we confider attentively, these two firft Sentences in the Confeffion, there seems to be a very just and ftriking Contraft intended by them, which I fhall endeavour to illuftrate by the following fhort Paraphrafe

We have erred and ftrayed from thy Ways, O Lord, from that Way which leadeth to Life eternals and have wandered in our own Ways, in that broad Path, which leadeth to Deftruc→ tion-We have left Thee, the good Shepherd, the only true Guide; and have followed thofe falfe Guides, Satan, and our own corrupt Hearts We have forfaken the Wif dom that defcendeth from aboves and have pur fued that, which is earthly, fenfual, devilifk We have offended againft thy holy Here lies the Effence and Malig

Again

Laws"

nity of Sin; not in oppofing the moral Fitnefs of Things, in not attending to the native Beauty of Virtue and Deformity of Vice, or in neglecting the dark and obfcure Notices of natural Religion (on which Points fome philofophical Divines are apt to lay too great a Stress) but in offending against the plain, pofitive, revealed Will of God. This it is, the Scripture tells us, that makes Sin become exceeding finful. Where no Law is, there is no Tranfgreffion; and the clearer the Law is, the greater certainly is the Crime of tranfgreffing it. Indeed no Man ever lived, that had not fome Notices of the divine Will, from the Suggeftions of Confcience, or the Help of Tradition; so that all were, in some Senfe, without Excufe for their Sins. But much more inexcufable are we Chriftians, if we continue in Sin, after the Wrath of God has been fo clearly and plainly revealed from Heaven against it. We cannot plead Ignorance of our Duty; for it is fet forth to us in the clearest Terms imaginable, throughout the Bible. Neither can we plead Inability to perform it; for however unable we may be of ourselves to do any Thing as of ourselves,

yet

yet we can do all Things through Chrift that Strengtheneth us. His Holy Spirit is abundantly fufficient for us; and it is intirely our own Fault, if we do not obtain it. Having thus confeffed our Sinfulness in general,we proceed to lament it under the two diftinct Heads of Sins of Omiffion, and of Commiffion ; of Duties omitted, and Offences committed against the divine Majefty. We have left undone thofe Things, which we ought to have done; and we have done thofe Things, which we ought not to have done." The feveral Inftances of Duties to be performed, and of Sins to be avoided, I fhall not here enumerate, as they will come to be confidered more properly under the ten Commandments, and occafionally in other Parts of this Work. Suffice it to obferve at prefent, that in many Things we offend all; and what particular Offences every Man has been guilty of, his own Confcience will beft inform him. Presumptuous and deliberate Sins are certainly of the deepest Dye, and fhould be lamented with the greatest Contrition. The frequent Repetition of any Sin is alfo a very great Ag-" gravation of it, and should lead us to a pecu

liar Earneftnefs of Sorrow, and a more than ordinary Care to avoid it for the future. What shall we say then to that great Sin of Omiffion, that Sin fo truly prefumptuous and deliberate, and fo often repeated, of refufing to receive the holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper? What an Abfurdity, what a Mockery of God, is it, to confefs, and pretend to be forry, that "we have left undone those Things which we ought to have done;" when at the fame Time we are obftinately determined ftill to leave undone that most important and effential Duty, fo expressly commanded us by our bleffed Redeemer Having now, in a Variety of Expreffions, confeffed our manifold Sins and Wickedness, we in the laft Place bewail the fad Corruption and Depravity of our Nature, whence they all proceed; humbly acknowledging, that "there is no Health in us" that the whole Head is fick, and the whole Heart faint. The Scripture Doctrine of Original Sin (as our Church calls it) is extremely plain and clear. Behold, fays David, I was shapen in

Iniquity:

+ The following Extract from a very elegant Work, en