demning one whose heart he saw overwhelmed with penitential grief, fear, and shame.

-His wisdom in avoiding that fnare, which the infidious crafty Pharifees laid for him. -Our Saviour well knew their hearts, and had frequently great experience of their hypocrify, treachery, and proud conceit of their own righteousness. They had before this time asked him to dine with them, only to have opportunity to cavil at his discourse, and take exception at his manner. And when he had, in great condefcenfion, accepted the invitation to dine with a certain Pharisee, then he marvelled, that he had not first washed before dinner. Which veil of hypocrify drew upon him and his fect, that fevere rebuke and condemnation contained in the 11th chapter of St. LUKE. In fhort there was no end of the cavils of this contentious fect, that were continually lying in wait for words, Nor could the most benign actions of our blessed Master pass uncenfured by them, even his permitting a poor female penitent to stand behind him, weeping. We may easily conjecture, that a confciousness of her crimes would not allow her any other attitude, Which leads me,

SECONDLY,

SECONDLY, To confider, the wisdom and clemency of our divine Mafter in his conduct towards thefe unhappy criminals, so very different from the general conduct of mankind towards them, and of the Scribes and Pharifees in particular.-To the first of these criminals, which gave occafion to my text, we find no feverer rebuke than this, Woman where are thofe thine accufers? Hath no man condemned thee ?---Neither do I condemn thee. Go, and fin no more. Thus did he at once defeat the malice of his enemies, and answer the end of his divine embaffy, which was, to feek and to fave that which is loft. Punishment here seemed as if it was his frange work, and mercy his darling attribute. The bruifed reed, he will not break, nor will he quench the Smoking flax. From this mild conduct I would infer how much more good would probably be done, to those of a true contrite fpirit, that have either, by the contagion of bad company and example, been polluted, or drawn into error and vice, by fudden furprise or inexperience; which, tho' not of a capital nature, as in this cafe, yet bring them under such a cloud of difgrace, as to make them hang down their head as a bulrush, and go mourning all the day long. And if the

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divine

divine goodness, that knoweth the thoughts of the heart, and confidereth whereof we are made, will hold out the fceptre of mercy to these unhappy perfons, and tell them, their fins, which are many, are forgiven them; shall we that are partakers of the fame frail nature, (tho' perhaps we have not been under the fame preffure of temptation and diftrefs) can we, I ask, in charity to ourselves, deny them that mercy, which our heavenly Father is pleased to fhew unto them, and which we ourfelves fhall one day want? If the delinquent is under the arreft of confcience, that is fharper than calumny itself, and renders such a one an object of the tenderest pity and compaffion. Or if by falfe representations any may seem to have been stripped of their glory, and the crown taken from their head, yet, will it make the crown of chastity shine with more refplendent luftre on our own brow, to treat them as JOB's companions did him, in the days of his humiliation, when they followed him with undeserved reproaches, which vexed his foul, and broke him in pieces with words? No, no; it would better become us to be thankful that we have not been entangled with vicious habits, and overcome, and that we have been kept fecretly

in his tabernacle from the ftrife of tongues. And if we can be of any real fervice to fuch as have been infnared to tread the deluding paths of fin, let us fly to them on the wings of love, when they are ashamed to seek us, and offer them the friendly aids of counsel, the foothings of compaffion, (that balm to diftreffed minds) and try to guide their steps in the way of peace; rather than add to their heart-felt forrow by cruel recriminations, which gratitude to Heaven for our own prefervation, piety, and christian charity, nay humanity itself forbid. Such a conduct can never derogate from the virtue and honour of worthy perfons; for those who have most genuine merit or honour in themselves, have most to bestow upon others.-To be admitted into their company, is to the unfortunate a letter of credit, and often affords a light to the feet of those who know not how to walk uprightly. And how honourable must it be to themselves to be conftituted, as it were, the delegates of Heaven, who have alfo the facred word of truth to affure them, that those, who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and as the ftars for ever and ever. They will not let the humble and contrite fpirit

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fpirit fink into defpondency, when it is in their power to revive it by cordials.--The compunction and pain of their own mind, they judge to be a fufficient punishment, and they will not add to the burden 'till it is made intolerable. For when the mind is weakened by fear and fhame, and the perplexities of guilt, it is often rendered unable to form or to pursue wife and virtuous refolutions, without proper encouragement.----It is indeed a fad reflection upon women of character in general, that they are less severe to men for crimes of a licentious nature than they ought to be, by behaving towards them with every degree of complacency; while they treat those of their own fex, that have been drawn into error by the subtle wiles of men, with the extremeft rigor, by excluding them from their company, and shutting them out of fociety, which fevere treatment too often proves a fatal bar to returning virtue. But can a good mind give encouragement to the authors of these complicated diftreffes in the former; or fee penitence written in the faces of the latter, and not wish to restore them to the credit they enjoyed, in months paft? How tenderly and feelingly does our Saviour expoftulate on this fubject, in favour of the

poor