When Men think to out-wit God, his Juftice and Providence is concerned for their difcovery: Almoft as many Sinners as we fee hanged, or pilloried, or whipt, fo many Demonftrations there are, that Men cannot conceal their Sins, or can never be fure they fhall: For all these Malefactors ftudy Secrefie and Concealment, as much as they can; and yet are at one time or other difcovered and fuffer that publick Shame and Punishment they deferve. There are a thousand Accidents which betray the greatest Privacies, a thousand Circumftances which make Men fufpected, and that makes them watched, and curiously obferved; they cannot always ufe that Caution that is required, or the Partners and Inftruments of their Sins are discovered, and then they betray one another: Nay, many Sins without great Caution will betray themselves; let Men be never fo fecret in their Luft, it will be known to all the World when they begin to rot with it, when the Marks of their Sin grow visible, and can be hid no longer: Nay, Men who fin very cautiously and fecretly at first, in time grow more bold and impudent, and are not fo much concerned to be private; what at firft they were afhamed the World fhould know, in time they think no fhame. A cuftom of finning, though in private, wears off the Modefty of Humane Nature; and when Men forget to blush, they defpife Reproach and Cenfure, and then publish their own Wickednefs, and feek for Retirement and Privacy no longer: The most impudent Sinners in the World were at firft modeft; but if they find

any

any Excufe to make a beginning, how modest foever their beginnings are, they quickly improve and lofe the fenfe of Sin, and averfion to it by their repeated Commiffions, and then cannot bear the Restraints of Modefty and Retirement.

And this fhews what little hope there is, that fecret Sinners fhould ever prove true Penitents; for the most impudent and hardned Sinners finned very fecretly at firft; and of all thofe Sinners, who made very modeft and bashful beginnings, I doubt for one true Penitent, fome hundreds fin away all Thoughts of Repentance.

For the only effectual Reftraint upon Humáne Nature is an Awe and Reverence for God, and the Fear of Future Judgment, and Men may fin away this in private as well as in publick. When once they conquer a Reverence for God, and for their own Confciences, which a Custom of Sinning will do, be it never fo fecret, they will have little regard to what the World fays of them; they may fear Humane Punishments, but they are funk below the fenfe

of Shame.

If ever God reclaim fuch Men, it must be either by fome great and fevere Afflictions, which carry the Marks of a Divine Vengeance on them, or by discovering their Wickedness, and expofing them to publick Shame before they have loft all fenfe of it. But if Men fin fecretly, and are very fortunate in concealing their Sins, they will never think it time to repent, till they can fin no longer.

And therefore fince GOD fees our most fecret Sins, and will judge us for them; let us maintain a conftant Awe for God in our greateft Retirements; let us remember, that God is always prefent with us, that he fees when no other Eye fees, that he abhors our most secret Sins, that it is a great Contempt of God to retain a Reverence for Men, and to caft off the Reverence of God; to be ashamed that Men fhould know and fee that Wickedness which we are not ashamed to commit, though we know God looks on.

But then on the other hand, we must remember, that at the Day of Judgment God will reward all the good we do, how private and fecret foever it be; as our Saviour affures us, with reference to our private Devotions private Alms, and private Fafts: 6 Mat. That our Father, who feeth in fecret will reward us openly.

It is too often feen, that Men make Religi on it felf minifter to their Lufts and fecular Interefts; as the Pharifees did all their Works, to be feen and to be admir'd of Men; and therefore their great care was for what is external and visible, they prayed in the Corners of the Streets, and gave their Alms with the found of a Trumpet, and disfigured their Faces, that they might appear unto Men to faft. This was all vain Glory and Hypocrifie ; and when they were admired by Men for it, they had the Reward they aimed at, and all the Reward they muft expect.

But

But true Religion does not court the Applause of Men: A good Man muft fet a good Example to the World in his publick Conversation; but fuch Acts of Vertue as may be private, he is contented fhould be known to none but God and his own Confcience.

This is highly acceptable to God, for it is to do good only for God's fake, and that fatisfaction we take in doing good: Here is no mixture of fecular Ends, but God is the whole World to us: That he fees it, is more than all Humane Applaufe,though the whole World were the Theatre; we expect our Reward from him, and from him only, for we let no body elfe know it; which is fuch a Perfection of Obedience, of Faith, of Hope and Trust in God, as deferves the greatest Rewards.

Those who induftrioufly conceal the good they do from Men, can expect nothing from Men for it, neither Praise nor Rewards, and therefore can have no other Motive to do good, but the Love and Reverence of God, and Faith in him, or the Pleasure they take in doing good for Goodness fake, which are fuch Noble and Divine Principles of Action, as command Reverence from all Men, when they are discovered, do great Honour to the Divine Nature, and will procure great Rewards: Which is a mighty Encouragement to the most secret Vertues, to the moft fecret Acts of Devotion and Charity, That our Father who feeth in fecret, will reward us openly in the Prefence of men and Angels,

VI. We fhall be judged for the Sins of our Thoughts; and though all Men will confefs this alfo, yet few confider it.

Good God! could we look into one anothers Thoughts, how should we blufh, and be confounded to fee each other! Men, who feem to make Confcience of their external Behaviour and Converfation, make very little Confcience of governing their Thoughts and fecret Paffions.

Those who appear fo modeft as to blush at any indecent Word or Action, too often at the very fame time burn with Luft, and entertain their Fancies with all impure and unclean Imaginations.

The most affable and courteous Men, whofe Words and Behaviour are foft, endearing, and obliging, can yet cherish revengeful Thoughts, Anger, Malice, Hatred, and please themfelves with the Imagination of fome Tragical Scenes, which they dare not act.

Nay, many times thofe who appear Humble to a Fault, who feem as free from Ambition as any Men in the World, who arrogate nothing to themfelves, nay feem to admire every body but themselves, are yet very full of themfelves, fwoln with vain Conceits of their own Worth and Merit, and please themselves with their own Deferts, and that the World takes notice of their Deferts; and then'they confider, how they ought to be rewarded and preferred, and will be fure to choose very well for themfelves; and thus entertain their deluded Fancies with vain and empty Scenes of Greatnefs and Glory.

The