the Heart is truly converted, whilst the Actions remain the fame? That a Perfon has a fincere Deteftation of his paft Sins, and yet continues in them? Finally, that the Love of God is predominant in his Heart, when no Effect of that Love appears in his Actions? This is wholly inconfiftent with the Nature of Love or Charity; because Charity is a practical Virtue, which inclines the Soul to Action, and manifefts itself by outward Works.

But, let us ftill keep in View the Pattern. we have before us of the Prodigal Son. I will rife, fays he, and go to my Father, and I will fay, Father, I have finned against Heaven, and before thee: I am not worthy to be cal led thy Son; make me as one of thy hired Servants. He begins with an humble Accufation of himself, and fincere Acknowledgment of the Fault he had committed. He prevents his Father's Juftice by pronouncing Sentence upon himself. He not only fubmits to, but impofes on himself a rigorous Penance, which was to laft his whole Life, and defires to be received into his Father's Houfe, upon no other Terms, than to be treated there as a common Servant. Whereby we are not only taught, that Humility is an effential Part of Repentance, but also inftructed in the very Method

F 5

Method how this Virtue is to be practifed by a Penitent.

In the firft Place therefore, the Prodigal Son begins as I have obferved, with a fincere Acknowledgment of the Fault he had committed. He makes no Apologies or Excufes for himself, but reprefents his Fault under the most aggravating Circumftances, by owning himself guilty of a moft grievous Offence, both againft God and his Father.

'Tis a great Mark of a fincere Repentance, when a Sinner makes a plain and full Confeffion of his Sins, without the leaft Diffimulation or Difguife; when he lays the State of his Confcience clearly open before his Confeffor, without mincing the Matter, or any ftudied Excufes, or artifi cial Palliations: When, finally, he is fo difpofed, that were it in his Power, he would open his Heart as fully to him, as it is known to God himfelf. For fuch an humble Difpofition is a Sign he has a feeling Senfe, both of the Offence he has committed, and the Defire he has to discharge his Conscience of it: But, when a Penitent uses certain Artifices to palliate his Sins, in order to fave himself a little Confeffion; when he interweaves his Confeffions with Apologies and Excufes, or indirect Accufations of others, to fhove off Part of the

Blame

Blame from himself; or, what is worse, when he wilfully omits fome material or aggravating Circumftance, 'tis a fure Mark he is void of that humble Difpofition, which a Penitent ought to bring with him to the facred Tribunal: Becaufe, whoever has a true Sense of having offended God, and confiders he has deferved to fuffer eternal Confufion before God and Man, is willing to fubmit to a fhort Humiliation in Exchange of the everlasting Shame and Confufion he has deferved. He thinks himself most mercifully dealt with, in being only obliged to discover that to a fingle Perfon, who is under the ftricteft Obligation of Secrecy, which, if he were treated according to his Merits, would be laid open to the View of all the World, and cover him with everlasting Shame and Confufion.

When therefore a Penitent has faithfully practifed this firft Leffon of Humility, by fubmitting to the Confufion of a fincere and full Declaration of his Sins, let him proceed to the second, confifting in a hearty Defire to fatisfy God's Juftice by wor thy Fruits of Repentance. This Leffon of Humility is clearly taught us in the Behaviour of the Prodigal Son. For having humbly confefs'd his Fault, he is fo far from foliciting for an entire Exemption from Punishment, that he even fuggefts to his

Father

Father the Manner, how he deserved to be chaftifed by him. I am not worthy, fays he, to be called thy Son, make me as one of thy hired Servants. This marks out plainly to every Penitent, of what Rank foeyer he be, that from the Time of his Reconciliation to his heavenly Father, till the laft Moment of his Life, he is bound to become an humble and faithful Servant of Jefus Chrift, fubmit to all his Laws, and stoop to the humble Yoke of the Gospel. This, with repeated Acts of a fincere Contrition, is precifely his Duty, in the faithful Difcharge whereof, he may hope to fatisfy the Juftice of his offended Father, by worthy Fruits of Repentance.

God

'Tis certain indeed, that the Divine Juftice demands a kind of Proportion between Punishment and Sin. But, the Measure of this Proportion is unknown to us. will exactly obferve it in the World to come, and he who endeavours to come neareft to it in this, does certainly put himself into the fecureft Way to Salvation. But this Rule being very general, is apt to perplex great Sinners, who yet are the Perfons. particularly concern'd in the comfortable Moral of the Parable of the Prodigal Son,

1 suppose then, that a Person, who has led a diforderly Life for a long Time, is touch'd with a fincere Repentance, and be

ing defirous to return to God, asks what he must do in order to it. I anfwer him in fhort, that after he has made a general Confeffion of his whole Life, and accepted the particular Penance his Confeffor fhall enjoin him, he muft, from that Time forward, be faithful in Performing all the Duties of a Chriftian Life. Nothing can be more reasonable and practicable than this. Let me explain myself: He must, I say, be faithful in performing all the Duties of a Chriftian Life; that is, he must renounce Sin, and all the Occafions of it: He muft live in an intire Obfervance of the Commandments of God, and the Precepts of the Church to the utmost of his Power: He muft fuffer all Croffes God fends him with an humble Patience: Finally, he must be faithful in the Discharge of all the Duties of his refpective State, and endeavour to do all this in the Spirit of Penance, fupplying what may be wanting to the Rigour of it, by a profound Humility, and the conftant Practice of fome voluntary Mortifications.

But fince an End can never be attain'd without the Ufe of proper Means in Order to it; the Practice of the Duties I have mention'd, draws after it an indifpenfable Obligation of a regular and uniform Devotion: This being the Channel, through