rate habits, may at length carry him, is almost impoffible. To acknowledge the pitch of vice to which he may be brought, would be to fuppofe himself much worse than he really is.

Finally, my brethren, another reason why wicked men are apt to flatter themselves with their being incapable of many vices which they afterwards commit, may be discerned from the nature of temptation. There are a great many of the most heinous crimes that man can be guilty of, to which no particular principle or paffion in his nature leads him. To delight in cruelty, is in no fenfe natural to man, and it is but feldom acquired. But this forms no fufficient fecurity against our committing cruel actions. The feeling no propensity towards them, but on the contrary. an averfion, gives a bias to our judgment, and makes us believe that we fhall never be ftained by them: but the danger lies, not from a direct defire, but from feeing fuch and fuch actions neceffary to obtain certain ends upon which our hearts are fet. The prompter to cruel and barbarous actions is not a love of cruelty; but the temptation may arise either from unlimited ambition, uncontrolled

lufts,

lufts, or a thirft of revenge. Temptation does not always intrude itself upon us. Till objects that excite the appetites of wicked men are, in fome meafure, within their reach, they feldom wish for the attainment of them, In the mean time, the paffions which rule them are, as it were, afleep: they conceal themselves from the view even of those who are governed by them. But no fooner is the temptation offered, than they awake with all their fury, and while their fway prevails, plunge the man into exceffes which he could not have believed himself capable of committing.

The man who fuffers one unlawful paffion to obtain the empire over his heart, has really every thing to fear. He submits to the dominion of a tyrant who will bear no refufal, and will never fuffer a command to be difputed. Let us confider the case of that man whom our text represents to us.

He was the favourite and minifter of a powerful fovereign. To obtain this office had been at first, probably, the highest aim of his ambition. But now he was within one step of the throne, his master's fickness opens the profpect; being accidentally left

alone

alone with him, the whole force of temptation overwhelms his foul, and the crown appears ready to fall on his own head. The demon takes full poffeffion of his heart; and the man who never before, perhaps in any flagrant inftance, had tranfgreffed the duty of a faithful subject, now impelled by the luft of murders his benefactor and his power, king. Will dominion thus acquired be folicitous about the juftice of the means by which it must be preserved? Or will revenge never actuate the heart which ambition has fo thoroughly corrupted? Believe it not. If one devil enters, there will be feven ready to follow. What are the lives of a thousand innocent perfons to the man who has never endeavoured to reftrain his ambition, his revenge, or his pride? The fword of Hazael is unfheathed; his unlawful paffions impel him; and the miferable inhabitants of Judea feel that all his fentiments of humanity are but weak barriers against their force.

Thus I have endeavoured to trace fome of the principal caufes why wicked men are fo ignorant of themselves, and form fuch a partial judgment with regard to their future

conduct.

conduct. Let us now attend to fome of the practical inftructions which this fubject affords. In the first place, we may obferve in general, from what has been faid, how folid a foundation is laid in human nature for virtue and religion. They approve themselves to the natural feelings of men, and whatfoever is contrary to them is naturally hated and abhorred. It is not the language of the good only, How amiable is virtue! but even the wicked give their teftimony to the fame truth. O virtue! at thy image the worst must bow; and while they defpife thy counfel, they must yet confess thy authority. In this fituation, how inexcufable are they who would deny the difference between virtue and vice, good and evil! On the other hand, let it be ever our care to maintain the rights of the former facred and inviolable. Let that holy religion which beft unfolds its precepts, whofe author gave a living example of its perfection, whofe rewards, promises and threatenings are its furest and its chief fupports, be ever dearer to us than life itself. If not only by the light of nature, but by the clearer light of revelation, we must be fully fenfible of the beauty of

holinefs,

holiness, let us follow after the practice of it. But more particularly, I would obferve, from what hath been faid concerning the progrefs of vice, the great danger and fatal confequences of a first departure from the paths of integrity. The man who once fuffers himself to be allured by fin, knows not how far he may proceed. If finners, therefore, entice thee, faith the wife man, my fon confent thou not: In this cafe, a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Let no perfon give up with that which is good and right, prefuming that he will ftop when he pleases. I present you with a picture at which you ftartle; yet if you are now initiated into vice, let a few years revolve, and you yourfelves will, perhaps, be the original. Let me, therefore, with earneftnefs, exhort every one, and young people in particular, in the words of Solomon, Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil Avoid it, pafs not by it, turn from it, and pass away". Temptation, my brethren, is powerful; we know not whether we shall

men.

be

Prov. i. 19.

Prov. iv. 14.