Firft, If we confider the Nature of our Minds. By which I mean that Knowing and Difcurfive Faculty in us, called Confcience, Implanted in our Souls by Almighty God, to Guide and Govern our Actions, and to Accufe or Excufe us, for what we have committed.

There is no Man that knowingly commits any Sin, but acts against his Confcience: and no Man does a virtuous and good Deed, but he has, thereupon, its Complacency and Approbation. This is that Faithful Monitor in us, which will be fure to give juft Teftimony, and not flatter us with wrong Notions, and falfe Suggeftions. The Antecedent Confcience, tells us what we fhould, and what we should not do; what is Lawful, and what is not, in order to a Just and Religious Practice: and the Subfequent Confcience tells us, whether, what we have done be Good or Evil. Thus it was with Jofeph's Bre thren, when they had Confpired against him, to take away his Life; their Confciences told them, that what they went about was a grievous Sin: for when they confulted to

flay

flay him, they thought it neceffary to declare, fome evil Beaft had devoured him; Chap. 38. 20. Tis plain from hence, that the Project was Wicked, and they knew it to be fo. Indeed there was no great Difficulty, as they ordered it, to perfwad their Father to believe them; for furely he would never fufpect, that unnatural Barbarity of his Sons: but, alas! it was utterly impoffible to impofe upon themselves: for let Men Act as they can, 'tis not in their Power to Believe what they will: Whatever they may fay to deceive Others, their own confcious Minds, will Contradict and Reprove them and although their Wills may ingage them to do Evil, they cannot preyail upon their Confciences, to believe it to be Good. Let us reflect a little, upon the firft Murder that was committed in the World, in the Death of Abel.

;

Cain and he, had each of them prepared an Offering, to prefent it unto God: the one brought the Firstlings of his Flock, the other the Fruits of the Ground. Almighty God, hereupon, was pleased to accept of Abel,

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and his Offering, but to have no Refpect unto Cain and his. It is probable the Divine Schechina appeared, and God gave fome vifible Token, of his Favour and Approbation to the one, which he did not to the other. Upon this Cain grows Angry, and Difcontented, and his Countenance falls; envying the Divine Preference, of his Brother before himself; and feeking,by fome Means,to be Reveng'd on the Favourite. And altho' the Almighty had affured him, that it was not Partiality to Abel, but fomething that he faw in him, which obtained his Favour; whereas, if Cain had been found deferving, he alfo fhould have met, with the fame kind of Recepti on: If thou doeft well, fays God to him, fhalt thou not be accepted? Intimating by that Expreffion, That he should. But altho' he had that Affurance given him, yet did it not fatisfie him; nor appeafe his Indignation; nor Reconcile him to his Brother: For as we read, He took an Opportunity, and rofe up against him, and Slew him. But fome will ask, perhaps, Wherefore Slew he him? There are diverfe Conjectures of the Caufe of this Fact:

but

but St. John's, certainly, is beyond Exception; Because his own Works were Evil, and his Brothers Righteous, I Epift. Chap. 3. 12. This unnatural Barbarity, and early Cruelty, he would afterwards have Conceal'd, when he declared to the Almighty, That he knew nothing of his Brother; for he was not his Keeper. But it was a vain Attempt, to go about to hide it from God; fince as the Pfalmift declares. He that made the Eye, ball not he fee? He that teacheth Man Knowledge, must not be know? He that formed the Heart, cannot be fearch it? Yes, moft affuredly! And this wretched Murtherer finds it to be true: for God presently reply'd to him; What haft thou done? The Voice of thy Brother's Blood crieth unto me from the Ground; and then Pronounced against him the Dreadful Sentence. This wretched Condition, put him into a deep Melancholly and Difpair; And be faid unto the Lord, my Punishment is greater than I can bear That is, according to the Marginal Note of the Place; My Iniquity is greater, than that it may be forgiven. Thus Conscience, you fee, comes home to

him at laft, and continually haunts him, for his deteftable Wickedness: His Mind, as well as the Earth, was ftained with his Brother's Blood; and the Guilt of it, ftuck to him where ever he went: But God did not think this a fufficient Mark, for the Wretch to bear; and therefore he fets an open one upon him, that Cain fhould be a terrible Example to Pofterity for fuch a Crime, and every one avoid both him and his Impiety. What this mark was, the Scripture does not inform us; and therefore the Conjectures about it, are Fond and Precarious. Some Imagine it, to have been a Letter branded on his Forehead: fome fuppofe him to have had a frightful and terrible Afpect; and others, a Trembling and Continual Shaking, over his whole Body: Whatever it was, he was certainly the moft Forlorn and Miferable Creature, that had God, and his own Confcience, and as he Thought, every one against him. But to return to the Brethren of Jofeph, their Cafe, indeed, was not quite fo bad: They had not committed Murder, or laid violent Hands upon their Brother: and yet, for all

that