man,

that he had chosen the worst? Which would SERMON LVIII.

you have chosen had you been in his place, my

brethren? Would you have determined for war? THE REPENTANCE OF THE UN

Could you have borne the bare idea of it? Could

you have endured to see the once victorious CHASTE WOMAN.

armies of Israel led in triumph by an enemy,

the ark of the Lord a captive, a cruel and barLuke vii. 36-50.

barous soldiery reducing a kingdom to ashes, And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would rasing fortresses, ravaging a harvest, and de

eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's stroying in a moment the crop of a whole year: house, and sat down to meat. And behold, a Would you have deterinined for famine? Would woman in the city, which was a sinner, when you have chosen to have the heaven become as she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's iron, and the earth brass, the seed dying in the house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, earth, or the corn burning before it was ripe? and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and “ The locust eating what the palmer worm had began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe left, and the canker worm eating what the lothem with the hairs of her head, and kissed his cust had left," Joel i. 4; men snatching bread feet, and anointed them with the ointment. from one another's hands, struggling between Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him, life and death, and starving till food would afsaw it, he spake within himself, saying, this ford no nourishment? Would you have chosen

if he were a prophet, would have known mortality? Could you have reconciled yourwho, and what manner of woman this is thutt selves to the terrible times in which contagion toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus on the wings of the wind carries its deadly poianswering, said unto him, Simon, I have some- son with the rapidity of lightning from city to what to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, city, from house to house; a time in which social say on.

There was a certain creditor, which living is at an end, when each is wholly emhad two debtors: the one owed five hundred ployed in guarding himself from danger, and pence, and the other fifly. And when they had has no opportunity to take care of others; when nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. the father flees from the sight of the son, the Tell me therefore, which of them will love him son from that of the father, the wife avoids the most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that husband, the husband the wife; when each he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto dreads the sight of the person he most esteems, him, thou hast rightly judged. And he turned and receives, and communicates poisonous and to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou deadly infection? These are the dreadful puthis woman? I entered into thine house, thou nishinents out of which God required guilty gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath David to choose one. These he was to weigh washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with in a balance, while he agitated the moumtul the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss; question, which of the three shall I choose for but this woman, since the time I came in, hath my lot? However, he determines, "Let me fall not ceased to kiss my feet. Mine head with oil into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath great: but let me not fall into the hand of man." anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore He thought, that immediate strokes from the I say unto thee, her sins which are many, are hand of a God, merciful though displeased, forgiven; for she loveth much: but to whom would be most tolerable. He could conceive little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And nothing more terrible than to see between God he said unto her, thy sins are forgiven. And and himself, men who would intercept his looks, they that sal at meat with him, began to say and would prevent his access to the throne of within themselves, who is this that forgiveth sins

grace. also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith My brethren, the wish of David under his hath saved thee; go in peace.

consternation may direct ours in regard to all “Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, the spots that have defiled our lives. True, the for his mercies are great: but let me not fall eyes of God are infinitely more pure than those into the hand of man,” 2 Sam. xxiv. 14. of men. He indeed discovers frailties in our This was the request that David made in the lives which have escaped our notice, and “if most unhappy moment of his life. A prophet our heart condemns us, God is greater than our sent by an avenging God came to bring him a heart.” It is true, he hath punishments to inchoice of afflictions, “ I offer thee three things, Alict on us infinitely more dreadful than any choose one of them, that I may do it unto mankind can invent, and if men can kill the thee.--Shall three years of famine come unto body, God is able to destroy both soul and body thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months in hell.” However, this Almighty God, this E before thine enemies, while they pursue thee: terrible, this avenging God, is a merciful God, or that there be three days pestilence in thy “great are his tender mercies;” but men, men land? Now advise, and see what answer I shall are cruel; yea, the very men who allow themreturn to him that sent me," ver. 12, &c. selves to live in the most shameful licentious

What a proposal was this to a man accus- ness, men who have the most need of the patomed to consider Heaven as a source of bene- tience of others, men who themselves deserve dictions and favours! Henceforth he was to the most rigorous punishments, these very men consider it only as a cavern of thunder and are usually void of all pity for their fellows. lightning, flashirig and rolling, and ready to Behold a striking example. The unchaste wostrike him dead! which of these punishinents man in the text experienced both, and by turns would he choose? Which of them could he made trial of the judgment of God, and the choose without reproaching himself in future judginent of men. But she met with a very

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different treatment. In Jesus Christ she found / word signifies a sinner. This term sometimes a very severe legislator, who left her awhile to signifies in Scripture the condition of such as shed tears, and very bitter tears; a legislator, | lived out of the covenant, and in this sense it is who left her awhile to her own grief, and sat used in the epistle to the Galatians, where St. and saw her hair dishevelled, and her features Paul calls pagans sinners: but the word is apdistorted; but who soon took care to dry up her plied in Greek authors to those women who tears, and to address this comfortable language were such as all the circumstances of our histo her, “Go in peace.” On the contrary, in tory engage us to consider this woman. Though the hands of men she found nothing but bar- it is easy to determine the sin of this woman in barity and cruelty. She heard a supercilious general, yet it is not easy to determine the parPharisee endeavour to arm against her the Re- ticular kind, whether it had been adultery, or deemer of mankind, try to persuade him to prostitution, or only some one criminal intrigue. denounce on her sentence of death, even while Our reflections will by turns regard each of she was repenting of her sin, and to do his ut- these conditions. In fine, it is highly probable, most to cause condemnation to flow from the both by the discourse of the Pharisee, and by very fountain of grace and mercy.

the ointment, with which this woman anointed It is this instructive, this comfortable history, the feet of Jesus Christ, that she was a person that we set before you to-day, and which pre- of some fortune. This is all I know on this sort sents three very different objects to our medi. of questions. Should any one require more, I tation, the conduct of the incontinent woman, should not blush to avow my ignorance, and to that of the Pharisee, and that of Jesus Christ. recommend him to guides wiser than any I have In the conduct of the woman, prostrate at the the honour of being acquainted with, or to such feet of our Saviour, you see the principal cha- as possess that, which in my opinion, of all the racters of repentance. In that of the Pharisee talents of learned men, seems to me least to be you may observe the venom which not unfre- envied, I mean that of having fixed opinions on quently infects the judgments which mankind doubtful subjects unsupported by any solid armake of one another. And in that of Jesus guments. Christ you may behold free and generous emo- We will confine ourselves to the principal tions of pity, mercy, and compassion. Let us circumstances of the life of this sinner; and to enter into the matter.

put our observations into a kind of order, we I. Let us first observe the incontinent woman will examine first, her grief-next, the Saviour now become a penitent. The question most to whom she applied—then, the love that incontroverted by interpreters, and very differ- flamed her—and lastly, the courage with which ently answered by them, is that, which in our she was animated. In these four circumstances opinion is the least important, that is, who was we observe four chief characters of repentance, this woman? Not that a perfect knowledge of First, Repentance must be lively, and accomher person, and the history of her life, would panied with keen remorse.

Our sinner weeps, not be very proper, by explaining the nature of and her tears speak the language of her heart. her sins, to give us a just idea of her repentance, Secondly, Repentance must be wise in its appliand so contribute to elucidate the text: but be- cation. Our sinner humbles herself at the feet cause, though we have taken a great deal of of him, “who is the propitiation for our sins, pains, we have found nothing on this article and not for ours only, but also for the sins of worthy to be proposed to critical hearers, who the whole world,” i John ii. 2. Thirdly, Reinsist upon being treated as rational men, and pentance must be tender in its exercise, and who refuse to determine a point without evi- acts of divine love must take place of the love dence.

of sin. Fourthly, Repentance must be bold. I know, some expositors, misled by a resem- Our sinner surmounts all the scruples dictated blance between this anointing of Jesus Christ, by false honour, she goes into the house of the and that mentioned in the eleventh chapter of Pharisee, and acknowledges her misconduct in St. John, when our Saviour supped with Laza- the presence of all the guests, and was no more rus, have supposed that the woman here spoken ashamed to disavow her former crimes than she of was the same Mary, the sister of Lazarus, had been to commit them. who paid such a profound attention to the dis- We consider, in the repentance of this wocourse of Jesus Christ, and who, according to man the grief with which she was penetrated. the evangelist, “anointed the Lord with oint- Repentance must be accompanied with keen ment, and wiped his feet with her hair.” And remorse. It is the chief character of it. In as other parts of the gospel speak of another whatever class of unchaste people this woman "Mary called Magdalen,” some have thought ought to be placed, whether she had been a that Mary the sister of Lazarus, Mary Magda- common prostitute, or in adulteress, or whelen, "out of whorn” it is said, Jesus Christ had ther being unmarried she had abandoned her“cast seven devils," and the woman of our self for once to criminal voluptuousness, she text, were one and the same person.

had too much reason to weep and lament. If We do not intend to enter on these discus- she had been guilty of prostitution, she could sions. It is sufficient to know, first, that the not shed tears too bitter. Can any colours sufwoman here in question lived in the city of ficiently describe a woman, who is arrived at Nain, which sufficiently distinguishes her from such a pitch of impurity as to eradicate every Mary the sister of Lazarus, who was at Betha- degree of modesty; a woman letting herself out ny, and from Mary Magdalen, who probably to infamy, and giving herself up to the highest was so called, because she was born at Magdala, bidder; one who publicly devotes herself to the a little town in the tribe of Manasseh. Second-greatest excesses, whose house is a school of ly, the woman of our text was one of a bad life, abomination, whence proceed those detestable that is to say, guilty of impurity. The original maxims, which poison the minds of men, and

at

those infamous debaucheries, which infect the woman in the attire of a harlot, who is subtle body, and throw whole families into a state of of heart, loud and stubborn, her feet abiding not putrefaction? It is saying too little to affirm in her house, now without, now in the streets, that this woman ought to shed bitter tears at lying in wait at every corner, and saying to the recollection of her scandalous and dissolute such among the youth as are void of underlife. The priests and magistrates, and people standing, "I have peace-offerings with me, this of Nain ought to have covered themselves in day have I paid my vows.

I have decked my sackcloth and ashes, for having tolerated such bed with coverings of tapestry, with fine linen a house, for not having one spark of the zeal of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, of “Phinehas the son of Eleazar," Numb. xxv. aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our 11. For having left one stone upon another as fill of love, for the good man is not at home, he a monument of the profligacy of the city, and is gone a long journey, and will not come home for not having rased the very foundations of till the day appointed,” Prov. vii. 5, &c. Is it such a house, though they, who were employed necessary, think you, my brethren, to alter in the business, had been buried in the ruins. many of these descriptive expressions to give a One such a house suffered in a city is enough likeness of the manners of our times? to draw down the curse of heaven on a whole Are not modern dissipations described in the province, a whole kingdom.

perpetual motion of this “strange woman, Rome, what a fair opportunity have I now whose feet abide not in her house, who is now to confound thee! Am I not able to produce without in the country, then in the streets, in the sight of the whole world full proof of thy and at every corner?". What are some curious, shame and infamy? Do not a part of thy reve- elegant, and fashionable dresses, but the nues proceed from a tax on prostitution?* Are tire of a harlot?" Are not the continual artinot prostitutes of both sexes thy “nursing fa-fices, and accumulated dissimulations, which thers and nursing mothers?" is not the holy some people use to conceal future designs, or see in part supported, to use the language of to cover past crimes, are not these features of Scripture, by “the hire of a whore, and the this "subtle woman?” What are those pains price of a dog?” Deut. xxxii. 18. But alas! I | taken to form certain parties of pleasure, but should leave thee too much reason to retort. features of this woman, who says, “I have I should fear, you would oppose our excesses peace-offerings with me, I have this day paid against your excesses. I should have too much my vows, come, let us solace ourselves with reason to fear a wound by the dart shot at thee. loves?” What are certain moments expected I should tremble lest thou shouldst draw it with impatience, managed with industry, and smokir from thine own unclean heart, and employed with avidity, but features of this lodge it in ours. O God!“ teach my hands to- woman, who says “ to fools among the youth, day to war, and my fingers to fight.” My the good man is not at home, nor will he brethren, should access to this pulpit be for ever come home till the day appointed?”-I stop forbidden to us in future; though I were sure if the unchaste woman in the text, had been this discourse would be considered as a torch guilty of adultery, she had defiled the most of sedition intended to set all these provinces in sacred and inviolable of all connexions. She a flame; and should a part of the punishment had kindled discord in the family of him who due to the fomenters of the crime fall upon the was the object of her criminal regard. She head of him who has the courage to reprove it, had given an example of impurity and perfidy I do, and I will declare, that the prosperity of to her children and her domestics, to the world these provinces can never, no never, be well and to the church. She had affronted in the established, while such affronts are publicly most cruel and fatal manner the man, to whom offered to the majesty of that God," who is of she owed the tenderest attachment, and the purer eyes than to behold evil," Hab. i. 13. most profound respect. She had covered her Ah! proclaim no more fasts, convoke no more parents with disgrace, and provoked such as solemn assemblies, appoint no more public pray- knew her debauchery to inquire from which ers to avert the anger of heaven. “Let not of her ancestors she had received such impure the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep be- and tainted blood. She had divided her heart tween the porch and the altar, let them not say, and her bed with the most implacable enemy spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine of her family. She had hazarded the legiti. heritage to reproach,” Joel ii. 11. All this ex- macy of her children, and confounded the lawterior of devotion will be useless, while there ful heir with a spurious offspring. Are any tears are amongst us places publicly set apart for too bitter to expiate such an odious complicaimpurity. The filthy vapour that proceeds from tion of crimes? Is any quantity too great to them will ascend, and form a thick cloud be- shed, to wash away such guilt as this? tween us and the throne of grace, a cloud which But we will not take pains to blacken the the most ardent prayers cannot pierce through. reputation of this penitent: we may suppose

Perhaps our penitent had been guilty of adul- her unchasto, as the evangelist leads us to do, tery. What idea must a woman form of herself, without supposing her an adulteress or a prosif she has comunitted this crime, and considers titute. She might have fallen once, and only it in its true point of light? Let her attentively once. Her sin, however, even in this case, observe the dangerous condition into which she must have become a perpetual source of sorhas plunged herself, and that to which she is row: thousands and thousands of sad reflecyet exposed. She has taken for her model the lions must have pierced her heart. Was this woman described by Solomon, and who has had the only fruit of my education? Is this all I too many copies in latter ages, that "strange have learned from the many lessons, that have

been given me from my cradle, and which seem so proper to guard me for ever against the rocks where my feeble virtue has been ship-error, and acknowledged the Redeemer of wrecked? I have renounced the decency of my mankind, under the veils of infirmity and posex, the appurtenances of which always have verty that covered him. She knew that “the been timidity, scrupulosity, delicacy, and mo- blood of bulls and of goats” could not purify desty. I have committed one of those crimes the conscience. She knew that Jesus sitting which, whether it were justice or cruelty, man- at table with the Pharisee was the only offerkind never forgive. I have given myself up ing, the only victim of worth sufficient to satto the unkindness and contempt of him, to isfy the justice of an offended God. She knew whom I have shamefully sacrificed my honour. that he was “made unto sinners wisdom, and I have fixed daggers the hearts of my pa- righteousness, and sanctification and redemprents; I have caused that to be attributed to tion:” that his name was “the only one among their negligence, which was occasioned only men whereby they might be saved.” It was by my own depravity and folly. I have ban- to Jesus Christ that she had recourse, bedewished myself for ever from the company of ing with tears the feet of him who was about prudent persons. How can I bear their looks to shed his blood for her, and receiving by an Where can I find a night dark enough to con- anticipated faith the benefit of the death that ceal me from their sight

he was going to suffer, she renounced dependThus might our mourner think; but to refer ance on every kind of satisfaction except his. all her grief to motives of this kind would be The third character of the repentance of this to insult her repentance. She has other mo- sinner is love. It should seem, Jesus Christ tives more worthy of a penitent. This heart, would have us consider all her actions as evithe heart that my God demanded with so much dences of love, rather than as marks of repentcondescension and love, I have denied him, ance; "she hath loved much." These things and given up to voluptuousness. This body, are not incompatible. Though “perfect love which should have been a “temple of the Holy casteth out fear,” yet it does not cast out grief, Ghost," is become the den of an impure pas- for the pardon of sin received by an elect soul, sion. The time and pains I should have em- far from diminishing the regret which it feels ployed in the work of my salvation, I have for committing it, contributes to augment it. spent in robbing Jesus Christ of his conquests. The more we love God, the greater the pain felt I have disputed with my Saviour the souls he for offending him. Yea, this love that makes redeemed with his blood, and what he came to the happiness of angels, this love that inflames save I have endeavoured to sink in perdition. seraphim, this love that supports the believers I am become the cause of the remorse of my under the most cruel torments, this love is the accomplice in sin, he considers me with horror, greatest punishment of a penitent. To bave he reproaches me with the very temptations, offended the God we love, a God rendered to which he exposed me, and when our eyes amiable by infinite perfections, a God so tenmeet in a religious assembly, or in the perfor- der, so compassionate as to pardon the very sins mance of a ceremony of devotion, he tacitly we lament; this love excites in a soul such tells me, that I made him unworthy to be emotions of repentance as we should labour in there. I shall be his executioner on his death- vain to express, unless your hearts, in concert bed, perhaps I shall be so through all eternity with our mouths, feel in proportion as we deI have exposed myself to a thousand dangers, scribe. from which nothing but the grace of God has Courage is the fourth character of the reprotected me, to a thousand perils and dreadful pentance, or, if you will, the love of this woconsequences, the sad and horrible examples man. She does not say, What will they say of which stain all history. Such are the causes me? Ah, my brethren, how often has this sinof the tears of this penitent. “She stood at gle consideration, What will they say of me? the feet of Jesus Christ, weeping, and washed been an obstacle to repentance! How many his feet with tears." This is the first character penitents have been discouraged, if not preof true repentance, it consists in part in keen vented by it! To say all in one word, how

many souls has it plunged into perdition! PerRepentance must be wise in its application. sons affected by this, though urged by their Our sinner did not go to the foot of Mount Si- consciences to renounce the world and its pleanai to seek for absolution under pretence of sures, have not been able to get over a fear of her own righteousness, and to demand justifi- the opinions of mankind concerning their coneation as a reward due to her works. She was version. Is any one persuaded of the necessity afraid, as she had reason to be, that the lan- of living retired? This consideration, What guage of that dreadful mountain proceeding will be said of me? terrifies him. It will be said, from the mouth of divine justice would pierce that I choose to be singular, that I affect to her through. Nor did she endeavour to ward distinguish myself from other men, that I am off the blows of justice by covering herself with an enemy to social pleasure. Does any one superstitious practices. She did not say, desire to be exact in the performance of Divine "wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and worship? This one consideration, What will bow myself before the high God? shall I come they say of me? terrifies. They will say, I afbefore him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a fect to set myself off for a religious and pious year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thou- person, I want to impose on the church by a sands of rams, or with ten thousand rivers of specious outside; they will say, I am a weak oil Shall I give my first-born for my trans- man, full of fancies and phantoms. Our penigression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my tent breaks through every worldly considerasoul” Micah vi. 7. She did not even require tion. “She goes," says a modern author, priests and Levites to offer propitiatory sacri- “ into a strange house, without being invited, fices for her. She discerned the sophisms of to disturb the pleasures of a festival, by an illtimed sorrow, to cast herself at the feet of the in regard to their manners, and to distribute Saviour, without fearing what would be said, punishments of sin and rewards of virtue. At either of her past life, or of her present bold-least, when we usurp this right, let us not agness, to make by this extraordinary action a gravate our conduct by the manner in which kind of public confession of her dissoluteness, we exercise the bold imperious usurpation. and to suffer for the first punishment of her Let us not pronounce like bold iniquitous sins, and for a proof of her conversion, such judges on the actions of those sinners, to whom insults as the pride of the Pharisees, and her nature, society, and religion, ought to unite us own ruined reputation would certainly draw in an affectionate manner. Let us procure exe upon her."* We have seen the behaviour of the act informations of the causes of such crimipenitent; now let us observe the judgment of nals as we summon before our tribunals, and ihe Pharisee. “If this man were a prophet, he let us not deliver our sentences till we have would have known who, and what manner of weighed in a just balance whatever tends to woman this is that toucheth bim, for she is a condemn, or to absolve them. This would woman of bad fame.".

bridle our malignity. We should be constrainII. The evangelist expressly tells us, that the ed to suspend for a long time our avidity to soPharisee who thus judged, was the person at licit, and to hasten the death of a sinner. The whose table Jesus Christ was eating. Whether pleasure of declaring him guilty would be he were a disciple of Jesus Christ, as is very counterbalanced by the pain of trying the probable, and as his calling Christ Master seems cause. Did this Pharisee give himself time to to import, or whether he had invited him for examine the whole conduct of the sinner, as other reasons, are questions of little import- he called ber? Did he enter into all the discusance, and we will not now examine them. It sions necessary to determine whether she were is certain, our Saviour did often eat with some a penitent sinner, or an obstinate sinner: whePharisees, who far from being his disciples, ther she were reformed, or hardened like a rewere the most implacable enemies of his per- probate in the practice of sin? No, certainly. son and doctrine. If this man were a disciple At the sight of the woman he recollects only of Jesus Christ, it should seem very strange the crimes of which she had been guilty; he that he should doubt the divinity of the mission did not see her, and he did not choose to see of Christ, and inwardly refuse him even the her in any other point of light; he pronounced quality of a prophet. This Pharisee was her character rashly, and he wanted Jesus named Simon; however, nothing obliges us Christ to be as rash as himself; this is a woman either to confound Simon the Pharisee with of bad fame. Do you not perceive, my brethSimon the leper, mentioned in Matthew, and ren, what wicked indolence animated this inito whose house Jesus Christ retired, or the bis- quitous judge, and perverted his judgment? tory of our text with that related in the last The Pharisee sinned by rashness. See how mentioned place, for the circumstances are he judged of the conduct of Christ, in regard very different, as it would be easy to prove, to the woman, and of what the woman ought had we not subjects more important to propose to expect of Jesus Christ, on supposition his

Whosoever this Pharisee might be, mission had been divine, “this man, if he were he said within himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what a prophet, would have known who, and what manner of woman this is that touched him, manner of woman this is that toucheth him; for she is a sinner.” This opinion supposes, for she is a sinner.” There are four defects in that a prophet ought not in any case to have this judgment—a criminal indolence--an ex- patience with a woman of this sort. As if it travagant rashness—an intolerable pride-an were impossible for a prophet to have any deanti-Christian cruelty. As we cannot help sign impenetrable to the eye of a Pharisee! condemning the opinion of the Pharisee for As if any one had a right to censure the conthese four defects, so we cannot avoid censur- duct of a man under the direction of the infiing most of the judgments, that people form nite Spirit! But it is because this man is a on the conduct of their neighbours for the same prophet, it is because he is more than a pro

phet, it is because he is the spring, the ocean, A criminal indolence. That disposition of from which all the prophets derived the supermind, I allow, is very censurable, which in- natural knowledge of the greatest mysteries of spires a perpetual attention to the actions of revelation, of predicting events the least likely our neighbours, and the motive of it is suffi- to come to pass, of seeing into the most distant cient to make us abhor the practice. We have and impenetrable futurity; it is because of reason to think, that the more people pry into this, that he is capable of forming a just notion the conduct of their neighbours, the more they of the character of a sinner, and the nature of intend to gratify the barbarous pleasure of de- sin. Yes, none but God can form such a faming them: but there is a disposition far judgment. " Who art thou, that judgest anomore censurable still, and that is to be always ther?” Rom. xiv. 4. Such a judgment deready to form a rigorous judgment, on the pends on so many difficult combinations, that least appearances of impropriety, and without none but an infinite intelligence is capable of taking pains to inquire, whether there be no making it with exactness. circumstances that diminish the guilt of an ac- In order to judge properly of a crime, and a tion apparently wrong, nothing that renders it criminal, we must examine the power of the deserving of patience or pity. It does not be temptations to which he was exposed, the oplong to us to set ourselves up for judges of the portunities given him to avoid it, the force of actions of our brethren, to become inquisitors his natural constitution, the motives that ani

to you.