whenever they are fo, are without question very pardonable Infirmities. But, if this were the only Use made of this Notion, no one would think it worthy of a Difpute.

But, as fome Men of melancholic Tempers and Difpofitions have fancied every Sin they have been guilty of to be the Sin against the Holy Ghost, and themselves irrecoverably rejected, and incapable of the Mercy and Favour of God; fo others of a different Temper have reckoned all their Sins to be Sins of Infirmity, and themselves fecure enough from the Anger of God, and Danger of Punishment. The one pays dear for his Mistake in this World, by the Fears and Apprehenfions under which he continually fuffers: And the other will have no Reason to be proud of his Contrivance, when his Error comes to be rectified by the impartial Judgment of God in another. It is a false Security Men gain to themselves by these little shifting Tricks in Religion; and there is just as much Policy in this Conceit, as in his, who shut his own Eyes fast, and thought no body else could fee him. For, however Men darken and blind their own Judgment, there is, who fees through all their Pretences, and will judge a righteous Judgment.

But, the better to enable us to judge of this Matter, it may be proper to inquire, what are Sins of Infirmity, and what Value there is in the Excufe. And though there is no Ground in the Words of the Text for this Distinction, yet, since they have been so often applied to this Purpose, I hope it will not be thought an unfeasonable Deviation to endeavour to rectify the Miftakes in this Cafe, which are but too general, and of too fatal Confequence to the Souls of Men.

In this Inquiry I shall confine myself to the following Method:

First, To confider what is the Scripture Senfe of Infirmities.

Secondly, What Sort of Sins they are, which will admit of an Excuse, because of the Infirmity from which they proceed.

The State of human Nature is fuch, as to be liable to many Pains, Diseases, and at laft to Death: And though all are not equally affected, some having a lefs Share of these Evils than others, yet all, by the Weakness of Nature, are equally liable and exposed to these Miseries: This is the first and proper Notion of Infirmity. In this Sense Christ is faid to bear our Infirmities; being, by the neceffary Law of his human Nature, subject to

the

the like Miferies and Afflictions with us. St. Paul fays, he was crucified through Weaknefs; that is, he was by the Condition of his Humanity liable to Death, which exposed him to the Death of the Crofs, through the Malice and Power of his Enemies. Under this Sense are contained, as Particulars in a General, all the natural Wants and Weakneffes of Nature; fuch as Hunger, Thirst,' Sleepinefs, the Fear and Dread of Pain, and the Averfion and Horror of Death: Which Infirmity our bleffed Saviour himself was not free from, as appears by what has been already faid.

But Men are not more weak and imperfect in their Bodies than in their Minds, nor more exposed to bodily Pains than to the Impreffions of Sin, which is our spiritual Disease And though all are not Sinners alike, yet all are alike weak, and subject to the Temptations of Sin: And this is the general Sense of Infirmity, when applied to our fpiritual Condition. St. Paul tells us, the Law was weak through the Flesh: And the Author to the Hebrews to the fame Sense, There was a difannulling of the Commandment going before, for the Weakness and Unprofitableness thereof: For the Law made nothing VOL. III.

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perfect.

perfect. Which is not to be understood, as if the Law was weak, carnal, and unprofitable, confidered in itself; for, St. Paul says, the Law is holy, and the Commandment holy, just, and good: But Men were so weak and carnally minded, the Difpofition to Evil was fo great, for which the Law had not provided a fufficient Cure, that the holy, just, and good Commandment was made ineffectual. Agreeable to this, St. Paul, in the Person of an unregenerate Man, fays, The Law is Spiritual, but I am carnal, fold under Sin; for in me, that is, in my Flesh, dwelleth no good Thing: For to will is prefent with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. This, and more to the fame Purpose, you will find in Rom. vii. This Incapacity St. Paul calls the Law of Sin which is in the Members, which rules and governs in the Unregenerate, and from which we are freed by Christ, as he immediately declares: The Law of the Spirit of Life in Chrift Jefus bath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death. For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the Flesh, God fending his own Son in the Likeness of finful Flesh, and for Sin, condemned Sin in the Flesh: That the Righteoufness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who

walk

walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. So that now the Weakness of the Flesh is done away, and we, having received the Spirit of Life and of Chrift, must fulfil the Righteousness of the Law; and may, if we walk according to the Spirit we have received. Nothing is plainer, than that St. Paul opposes the Law of Sin, and the Law of the Spirit of Life; and the Condition of him who was under the Law of Sin, in whom is the Weakness of the Flefh, and of him who is under the Law of Life, in whom is the Spirit of Righteousness. Yet fome will have St. Paul speak in his own Perfon without a Figure, that is, in the Person of a regenerate Chriftian, when he defcribes the State of the Law of Sin; and have learned to make Grace and Sin confiftent, and taught that Grace once received can never be effaced by actual Sins, of what Number or Quality foever, or the Sinner made lefs the Child of God. A Doctrine, of which it is hard to fay, whether it has lefs of Christianity or common Senfe.

In this Argument St. Paul more than once speaks thus: If I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but Sin that dwelleth in me. Which is thought by fome to come very near