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places which have been formerly the scenes of them--the aids and the arts which they have employed to compass their gratification. In confequence of the natural and powerful principle of affociation in the human mind, he is prone to regard with abhorrence, or with fear, whatever has been connected, by any close tie, with vice. The concomitants of vice he facrifices along with the vices themfelves. This is likewife a principle of prudence. For fuch is the frailty of the heart that the most fincere convert may expose his virtue to danger by incautiously frequenting fcenes, or by indulging an unneceffary familiarity with objects, that have formerly been to him the occafions, or the minifters of fin. His paffions accustomed to kindle at the fight of them, may, by the influence of habit, insenfibly become enflamed, and in an unguarded moment, he may be surprised into a fault. It is neceffary not only to flee from the fins that are in the world, but often to flee from the world itself. Retirement, felf-denial, moderation, and even abftinence in pleafure are frequently requifite in order to preferve our virtue, and to impose a proper guard upon the passions.

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A queftion has been raised, to what degree may amusements, recreations, and generally all fenfible pleasures, be lawfully pursued by a good man? And when do they become blameable? It is difficult to mark out any limits on this subject that shall be precife and accurate. They, are not the fame, perhaps, to every man-much depends on character, on habit, on the peculiar irritability of the paffions, and on many circumftances that vary with the individual, and cannot be embraced in any general rule. Confiderations of this nature, while they ought to render a man candid and liberal in his interpretation of the conduct of others, fhould make him rigorous in judging of his own. Whatever he has found, by experience, to impair the firmness of his pious refolutions, or to discompose the serene and steady habit of his devout affections, to him becomes criminal. And if he has difcovered that companies of a certain kind are unfriendly to ferious reflectionif public diverfions and amufements have diffipated the heart, and rendered it lefs prepared to approach to God in the exercifes of a spiritual and lively devotion—if any worldly cares have occupied too large

a portion of his time to the exclufion of the higher and nobler objects of religion-if attentions to the person have had too much of a fenfual aim-if the arts of corrupting have been studied in the arts of pleafing, he will still regard with a holy jealousy and caution what has once proved to him a dangerous fnare. He will imitate the prudent and generous felf-denial of this penitent woman who renounced even her temptations. It is in vain to afk, is not company innocent? Are not amusements lawful? Is not a certain conformity to the world juftifiable? Are not attentions to please laudable? I agree-No one difputes the principle thus generally expreffed. It is in the particular applications of it that the difficulties arife. And, whatever indulgences might be admitted in a general theory of morals-whatever, in practice, might be fafe and lawful for others, the queflion recurs, have they been found to produce an ill influence on the ftate of your mind, or the habits of your conduct? Have they occupied that time which ought to have been employed in purfuits more ufeful and more worthy of your nature? Have they tended to awaken criminal pallions in your S

own breaft? Have they been designed to excite loofe defires in others? In one word, do they seem to have interpofed a distance between your foul and God? Have they made you lefs circumfpect in your conduct, and lefs vigilant over all the movements of the heart? Have they rendered you more forgetful of your dependent state, and of your eternal destiny? In proportion as they have been followed by these effects they have become finful. And, I repeat it, true repentance will make the facrifice of them. The fpirit of repentance never asks

what is the exact limit between virtue and vice, in order that it may approach, as near as poffible, the confines of forbidden pleafures. It ftudies to keep far within that dangerous boundary. It is inclined rather to carry abftinence from pleasure to a holy excefs, if I may fpeak fo, than to permit one doubtful liberty. Job made a covenant with his eyes in order to guard the purity of his heart. And every man who is honest to himself will perceive fome fin which more eafily than others befets him, and with regard to which he finds himfelf more frail. Here all his guards ought to be doubled—all his vigilance ought to exhaufted. A good

man will fear and fhun the opportunities and incitements of temptation, as well as abhor and flee from fin.

IV. This penitent inftructs us, in the last place, by the holy zeal with which the avows her change of life, and professes her attachent to her great deliverer.

She had wounded the interests of piety and virtue. She is folicitous, by her future conduct, to repair the effects of her fatal mifcarriages. Her courfe of reformation fhe commences by a profeffion of her pious purpose, and an acknowledgment of her duty as public as had been her offences. She did not come to Jefus by night, like the ruler of the Jews who, through a false pride, thought to conceal from the observation of the world, the most honorable action of his life-fhe did not go to meet him in the diftant villages, or, in the mountains to which he often retired apart to pray, that fhe might reveal to him, in private, the fentiments of her heart-Her offences had been notorious--Jerufalem knew that he was a finner*-And in that city

Mallon.

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