from the great Variety of human Actions, and the complicated Nature of them, from the Short-fightedness of the Understanding, and the Weakness and Imperfection of the Faculties, to fhew how very hard it is, and almost impoffible, for any one perfectly to understand his Errors: Whence might be deduced the Reasonableness of the Petition, Cleanfe thou me from fecret Faults; because where we cannot in particular recollect, we can only in general lament, our Iniquities : Beyond this Probability we cannot go to determine the Method in which God will deal with Sinners. But take the Words as spoken by David, of the Sincerity of whofe Repentance, and the Acceptance of it with God, we nothing doubt, and the Conclufions will be much fuller, and fuch as cannot fail to refresh the Soul of every languishing Penitent; for in this View the Words fairly afford us these two Propofitions:

First, That the Security and Efficacy of Repentance do not depend upon a particular Recollection of all our Errors.

Secondly, That for fuch Errors as we cannot recollect, a general Confeffion and Repentance are full and fufficient.

These

These two Propositions contain the plain Doctrine of the Text; fo plain, that I need not spend your Time in enlarging upon it. But that we may not mistake in the Application of it to ourselves, and hope for Forgiveness whilst we are willingly ignorant of our Sins, and, to fave the Trouble and Pain of Recollection, endeavour to cover them all under general Ejaculations and Petitions for Mercy; I beg your Patience, whilst I set before you of what kind and nature the Sins are, which we may juftly call our fecret Sins, and for the Expiation of which a general Confeffion and Repentance will be accepted.

And, firft, we may reckon among our fecret Sins those which our Liturgy has taught us to afk Repentance and Forgiveness for, under the general Names of Negligences and Ignorances. For Neglect of our Duty, and Negligence in discharging it, are two things; the one arifing from a Diflike and Averfion to the Work, and attended with a Confciousness and Confent of Mind; the other proceeding commonly from want of Thought, or want of Difpofition, two Infirmities which we care not to accufe ourselves of, and yet from which we are feldom free: Infomuch VOL. III.

E

that

that, when we think ourselves most secure of a good Difpofition and firm Refolution to go through the Business of our Duty, they often forfake us in the midst of our Work, and we find ourselves on a fudden becalmed, our Inclinations grown faint and languid, and too fick of the Employment to support us in the Profecution of it.

Such Surprizes good Men have frequently complained of in their Devotions: They fet out with Zeal and Fervency of Spirit, with Eyes and Hearts up-lifted to God, till fome thance Object diverts the Eyes, fome favourite Care steals into the Heart, and they both wander and are loft in the Multiplicity of Objects and Imaginations which fucceed each other; and when their Thoughts return to the proper Object, they are as one that awaketh from a Dream. Offences of this kind are fecret to us even whilst they are committing, the Mind not being conscious to the Delufion; and yet they are fo frequent in every Part of our Duty, that when we call ourselves to the ftricteft Account, it is impoffible to find their Number, or to bring every fingle Act to our Remembrance.

Secondly, Sins of Ignorance are fecret Sins likewife, as the very Name they are distin

guished

guished by imports. Where there is no Law, fays the Apostle, there is no Tranfgreffion; and therefore unavoidable Ignorance feems to be rather a Misfortune than a Crime; and though it be dumb, and cannot speak in its own Defence, yet its very Silence will be a ftronger Plea in the Prefence of the Almighty, than all the laboured Excufes which the Wit of knowing Sinners has invented. In all Cafes where Men may be faid to offend through Ignorance, they must be equally infenfible of the Crimes they commit, and the Ignorance they labour under; and therefore equally incapable of repenting particularly of their Sins, and of their Ignorance. For when Men venture boldly upon Actions, being conscious to themselves that they know not whether they are going right or wrong, their Sin is Prefumption, and not Ignorance; and should they chance to blunder into the right Way, it is much to be doubted, whether the Happiness of their Mistake will excuse the Rashness of their Attempts. Such Repentance therefore as this must be numbered, not with our fecret Faults, but with fuch Sins, as being acted with Consciousness and Confent, carry in them an avowed Contempt of the Majefty and Authority of God: E 2

For

For if a Man thinks Virtue and Vice fo indifferent, that he may venture to chuse blindfold which to follow, there wants no better Evidence, that his Heart is not right with God, who can with so much Coolness and Temper affront his Honour.

But though the Ignorance itself be prefumptuous, and is fuch as, being conscious to, we must certainly be accountable for; yet the Mistakes, the Follies, the Sins it leads us to, may be unknown to us, both at the Time of our offending, and of our repenting; And whatever Aggravation they receive from the obftinate Ignorance they proceed from how much foever the Heinousness of them may deserve to be distinguished in our Sorrow and Contrition; yet, fince the Mind cannot reach the Knowledge of them, they can only be lamented under the general Character of fecret Sins. Nor is this the only Cafe in which our Sins partake of the Malice of the Will, and yet escape the Notice of the Understanding: For,

Thirdly, Nothing fhews more the Corruption of the Will, or Difinclination of the Heart to Virtue, than confirmed Customs and Habits of finning; and yet in this Perfection of Vice we lose the very Sense and Feeling