Christian directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…

III. Thou must with as great care and circumspection watch against secret sins, as against open and public sins, making conscience of sinning in secret, even when thou hast the opportunity of privacy for the acting and committing thereof, and that for these reasons.

III. Thou must with as great care and circumspection watch against secret sins, as against open and publick sins, making conscience of sinning in secret, even when thou hast the opportunity of privacy for the acting and committing thereof, and that for these reasons.

1 Because we are more apt to fall into secret than into open and public sins. For if we can hide our sins from the eyes and knowledge of men, we are apt to think all is well and safe, and thereupon encourage our selves to sin in secret. The fear of shame and discredit with men, hath great force to restrain men from committing sin in the public view, but in secret few care what they do; and therefore the Murderer and Adulterer are brought in by Job emboldening themselves,¹ saying, No eye seeth us.

1 Because we are more apt to fall into secret than into open and publick sins. For if we can hide our sins from the eyes and knowledge of men, we are apt to think all is well and safe, and thereupon encourage our selves to sin in secret. The fear of shame and discredit with men, hath great force to restrain men from committing sin in the publick view, but in secret few care what they doe; and therefore the Murtherer and Adulterer are brought in by Iob emboldning themselves,¹ saying, No eye seeth us.

1. 1Job. 24. 14