affect and indifpofe the most found and healthful Conftitution; but if they are neglected and fuffered to grow too much upon it, they may become great and mortal. The first motions of Concupifcence are not strict Sins, or at most but Sins of Infirmity; but if thofe firft fparks are not put out as foon as they are kindled, but are fuffered to glow and kindle within by morofe thoughts and indulged fancies and imaginations, they will break out into fome undue acts and outward effects. If the Paffions and Appetites that are Natural to us are not mortified by due care, exercife and thoughtfulness, they will grow masterlefs and ungovernable, and be at the beck of every Temptation that invites them, and run greedily after every Luft that lays a proper object in their way or fets it before them. A hafty fit of Anger if it be not put out may not go off in a fudden blaze and expire in its own fudden heats and Paffion, but the Cholerick humour may concoct into malice and revenge, and habitual fpite and ill will, and fo may a fretful peevishnefs and sharpness of Temper fpread like a Tetter, and grow incurable, and eat out all that sweetness. and meekness, kindness, love and good Nature, which are to be the Vertues of a Chriftian in all the proper acts of them, however fower be their Blood or predomi-. nant their Spleen. God may abate in great measure for an unhappy Conftitution, but he will never allow any wilful Sin as the CC effc&

effect of it. We muft guard our felves with greater care and watchfulness where we know we lye open to any fuch weakness, and call in all the helps of Religion to fortifie and defend us against any fuch enemy that we are fo much in danger of, elfe an impure, an angry, a covetous, an ambitious thought and inclination nourished in our Hearts and not watched over and corrected, may like a poyfonous feed or root of bitterness, if fuffered to grow up, bring forth all the fruits that proceed from it, and make all those finful corruptions in the Heart become wilful Sins, and produce actual Tranfgreffions in our Lives.

We must not allow our felves in any Sins whatever upon pretence of their being little, for if we do they become wilful and chofen; and as the Wife Man fays, He that finneth by little and little shall perish by little and little. A fmall leak in a Ship may, if it be not ftop'd, let in Water enough in time to fink it, and a fmall breach in the Banks of a Sea-wall may caufe a general inundation.

Some little Sins will adhere to the best of Men; but they must not be voluntary or confented to, but brought upon them by ignorancé furprize or inadvertency, and fome unavoidable caufe or neceffity, which Morally fpeaking is fo to them, and they can never perfectly help it; for fo much of will as there is in any Sin, fo much there is of guilt, and whatever abatements there are

our willing it, by the Mind's not know

ing or not thinking of it, or being unawares ingaged in it, and not having the full use of its powers of choice or understanding, fo much there is of excufe for it, and fo far its circumftances make it pardonable by a good God who will not condemn us for any thing we cannot help, and which it was not in our power to avoid, and all Sins of Infirmity are fuch fome way or other: For who can help being ignorant and mistaken after he has ufed the best ways he can to inform himfelf of his Duty ? and if he then commit a Sin ignorantly, and through the meer error and weakness of his Understanding, God will forgive it him.

So who can be always fo much upon his guard and have his thoughts fo much about him as not to fay a rash and unfit word or do a fome-way blameable action, or not have fome inward motions and fenfual defires rifing up in his Mind contrary to ftrict Reason and Religion? If God fhould for every one of these enter into Judgment with us or condemn us, no Man could be faved, and no Flefh living could be justified But he who confiders our frame, and knows that we are but duft, weak, imperfect, blind, ignorant, inconfiderate, heedlefs Creatures, made up of Senfual Paflions, Appetites and Inclinations that are a part of our Nature, he will deal very graciously and favourably with us, and not punish us for any unavoidable weakneЛles of our Nature, but only for the wilful faults C c 3

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and prefumptuous mifcarriages that we wittingly and willingly commit against him and his Laws.

God alone can perfectly judge and exactly diftinguish between all the faults of weaknefs and wilfulness, and tell what degrees of voluntary and involuntary, and fo of blame and guilt are in them; he knoweth our Hearts and fearcheth our Reins, and can better judge of our Actions and the fecret fprings of them than our felves.

In great and notorious cafes every Man's Confcience can judge for him; buts God is greater than our Confciences and knoweth all things, and if we fincerely avoid every wilful and great and notorious Sin, and would not for any Temptation in the World commit it, if as the Pfalmift fays, We be upright and innocent from the great tranfgreffion, 'tis to be hoped all our other Sins and Miscarriages are Sins of pardonable Weakness and excufable Infirmity, that do no way endanger our good State; and whatever wilful Sins we have been guilty of through the whole courfe of our Lives, our having left them and truly Repented of them, as I have directed, frees us from all the dangers of them, and puts us into the Bleffed State of Pardon and Forgiveeefs, notwithstanding the leffer Sins of Frailty and Infirmity which we cannot live wholly without.

SECT.

SECT. III.

The Benefits of Repentance, or the Happiness of being in fuch a good state.

THE Effects and Benefits of true Repentance, fuch I have defcribed, and fuch as have given the fure Marks and Criteria of, are Pardon and Forgiveness, which are very great things and very comfortable words to a poor Sinner to whom nothing can be faid more reviving than those few words which Christ pronounced to the Paralytick, Matth. 9. 2. And which he pronounces by the Gospel to every true Penitent, Son, be of good chear, thy fins be forgiven thee; thefe are words as powerful and effectual as thofe of Lazarus, come forth, and let there belight; they will raife a drooping dead Soul out of the Grave, and restore Life and Comfort to him; they will make light fpring out of darkness, and difpel the doleful black State he was in, and make lightfome joy and gladness arife in his Soul; nothing can be faid fo chearing and refreshing, fo ravishing and tranfporting to him unless those other words which will follow upon it, Go ye bleffed, receive the Kingdom prepared for you; 'tis a very blessed and a very happy state at prefent next to Heaven it felf to have our fins pardoned and forgiven and to be freed from that miferable and wretched state into which they put us, if we are but duly fenfible of it as we ought