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Serm. to appear naked and without Disguise before IX. the Judge of all the Earth, to give an Account of your Behaviour towards your Fellow-creatures: Could any thing raise more dreadful Apprehenfions of that Judgment, than the Reflection that you had been implacable, and without Mercy towards those who had offended you; without that forgiving Spirit towards others, which that it may now be exercised towards yourselves, is your only hope? And these natural Apprehenfions are authorised by our Saviour's Application of the Parable: So likewife shall my heavenly Father do alfo unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one bis Brother their Trefpaffes. On the other hand, suppofe a good Man in the fame Circumstance, in the laft Part and Close of Life; confcious of many Frailties, as the beft are, but conscious too that He had been meek, forgiving and merciful; that He had in Simplicity of Heart been ready to pass over Offences against himself: The having felt this good Spirit will give him, not only a full View of the Amiablene's of it, but the fureft Hope that He shall meet with it in his Judge. This likewife is confirmed by his own Declaration : If ye forgive Men their Trefpaffes, your hea

venly Father will likewife forgive you. Serm. And that we might have a conftant Sense IX. of it upon our Mind, the Condition is exprefs'd in our daily Prayer. A forgiving Spirit is therefore abfolutely neceffary, as ever we hope for Pardon of our own Sins; as ever we hope for Peace of Mind in our dying Moments, or for the divine Mercy at that Day when we fhall moft ftand in need of it.

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SERMON X.

Upon Self-Deceit.

2 S A M. xii. 7.

And Nathan said to David, Thou art the

Man.

T

X.

HESE Words are the Application Serm. of Nathan's Parable to David, upon Occafion of his Adultery with Bathsheba, and the Murder of Uriah her Husband. The Parable, which is related in the most beautiful Simplicity, is this. * There were two Men in one City; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich Man had exceeding many Flocks and Herds: But the poor Man had nothing fave one little EwLamb, which he had bought and nourished up: And it grew up together with him,

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Serm. and with his Children; it did eat of his X. own Meat, and drank of his own Cup, and lay in his Bofom, and was unto him as a Daughter. And there came a Traveller unto the rich Man, and he spared to take of his own Flock, and of his own Herd, to drefs for the way-faring Man that was come unto him, but took the poor Man's Lamb, and dreffed it for the Man that was come to him. And David's Anger was

greatly kindled against the Man, and he faid to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the Man that hath done this thing shall furely die. And he shall restore the Lamb four-fold, because he did this thing, and because he had no Pity. David passes Sentence, not only that there fhould be a four-fold Reftitution made; but he proceeds to the Rigour of Justice, the Man that hath done this thing fhall die: And this Judgment is pronounced with the utmost Indignation against such an Act of Inhumanity; As the Lord liveth, he shall furely die, and his Anger was greatly kindled against the Man. And the Prophet answered, Thou art the Man. He had been guilty of much greater Inhumanity, with the utmost Deliberation, Thought and Contrivance. Near a Year

must.

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