How did the indulgence of this same passion disgrace the life of one of the most just and holy, King David, the man in other respects, after God's own heart! It would have destroyed the merit of all his piety and good actions, if he had not wiped off with tears of penitence and contrition the reproach which his vicious inclinations had cast on a life and conduct, otherwise so glorious and exemplary.

What! but his unbounded love for a harlot, destroyed the honour and life of Samson, and made him the butt and common fable among the very enemies of his country and religion, to whom he had been so formidable. Every volume of history is filled with examples of great men rendered infamous by the indulgence of their passions, who, without this blemish in their character, would have lived for ever in the praise and admiration of posterity...

It is the nature of this sin to be at

tended always with a certain degree of shame and infamy; for whatever pains a man may take to disguise it under the specious terms of gallantry, a pardonable weakness, and fashionable pleasure, yet he evidently shews by all his actions, that he considers it himself as a reproach, by the arts he makes use of to conceal it from the knowledge of the world, and even to avoid the very suspicion of the guilt annexed to it- he chooses darkness rather than light, because he knows his deeds are evil. He must be hardened beyond all sense of shame and modesty before he can bring himself even to speak of the things that are done by him in

secret.

To avoid the infamy of this sin, and even the imputation of it, every avenue that leads to the commission cannot be too cautiously guarded-all unwarrant

able licence of speech, books, profane songs, and in short every word and every look that can inflame the passions should be absolutely restrained; for, if the mind is once corrupted by the improper desire of the heart, the most resolute and the purest intentions may be conquered, in some unguarded moments of weakness, some dangerous opportunities of sin, that offer themselves but too readily to those who seek them.

To females, in particular, this caution is necessary-they have besides their own weakness the arts of designing men to guard against, the snares and temptations laid by the wickedness of the seducer, to entice them from the path of virtue ; the heart is too apt to soften by prayers and intreaties, promises and presents, to give encouragement to those liberties of conversation and freedom of manners, which while they appear at the beginning to

lead to nothing sinful, and to be easily checked, conduct the most rigid minds insensibly to neglect, till by degrees they look with less horror at the prospect of sin, and that which appeared at first so dreadful, begins to wear a milder aspect, and even to promise pleasure in the gratification.

Thus the Tempter finishes the work he first began, and he who found little difficulty in the state of innocence to seduce our first parent to reject the commands of her Creator for the prospect of promised pleasures, finds still less in this age of corruption, to fulfil his infernal purpose of destroying the soul as well as the body.

Our Saviour, in speaking of this commandment, enforces it with these words: "Ye have heard that it was said by them "of old time, Thou shalt not commit "Adultery; but I say unto you, that

"whosoever looketh on a woman to lust "after her, hath committed adultery with ❝her already in his heart." Though the desire of the heart hath not produced the bad consequences attending the commission of this sin, with respect to society, yet it is already productive of numberless inconveniences to a man's self. He feels the bad effects of his desire in the derangement of his passions, the depravity of his morals, and the subversion of his religious principles; for when he has once indulged the wish of doing wrong, he is not restrained from effecting his purpose by the fear of offending God or his neighbour, but merely from the dread of punishment; and therefore would spare no pains to gratify the desire of his heart, could he flatter himself it might be perpetrated with impunity, and escape the eye of man, regardless of that all-seeing eye, that searches into the deepest recesses of the heart.