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fcripture, that the beft men have their infirmities and defects; and that thefe may properly enough be called fins. I think it fuperfluous to prove, that they confift with a state of falvation; fince 'tis not by any, that I know of, denied; and may be eafily enough made out, from what I have already faid. I am now to enquire,

2. What these fins be; and how dif tinguished from mortal or damnable ones. To this purpose we may diftinguish human actions (under which I comprise both internal and external) into three forts; voluntary, involuntary, and mixt.

§. 1. There are actions properly and truly voluntary; fuch are thofe deliberate tranfgreffions of a divine law, which man commits in oppofition to the direct remonftrances of confcience; he knows the action is forbid; he fees the turpitude and obliquity of it; he is not ignorant of the punishment denounced against it, and yet he ventures upon it: this is plainly mortal, damnable fin; and I cannot think, that any circumftance or pretence whatever can render it venial. And therefore I must be pardoned, if I cannot be of their opinion, who fuppofe, that the smallness of the matter, the reluctancy of confcience, or the length and force of a temptation, can fo foften and miti

gate

gate a voluntary tranfgreffion, as to diminish it into a fin of Infirmity. 1. As to the smallness of the matter. Some cannot but think thofe tranfgreffions venial, which are, for the matter of them, fo flight and infignificant, that they seem to be attended by no mischievous confe quence, nor to offer any difhonour to God, nor injuftice to man. But I doubt this notion of venial fin has no folidity in it; for either men perform fuch actions deliberately, or indeliberately; knowing them to be finful, or believing them to be innocent. Now, if we perform any action deliberately, and knowing it to be finful, we never ought to look upon this as a little fin, much less a venial one. The reason of this is plain. The firft notion that every man has of fin, is, that it is forbidden by, and difpleafing to God; and then to do that deliberately, which we know will provoke God, is an argument of a fearless and irreligious heart, a heart deftitute of the love of God, the love of righteousnefs, and heaven. But if a man tranfgrefs in a trifling inftance indeliberately; this alters the cafe; for the matter not being of importance enough to excite the intention and application of the mind; and there being confequently no malignity of the will in an action, where there was no concurrence of the judgment, I

cannot

cannot but think, this may very well pafs for an human infirmity; for all the fault that can be here laid to the charge of man is, incogitancy or inadvertency; and that too as excufable a one as can be. Lastly, where the matter of an action is very trifling and inconfiderable, and draws after it no ill confequence, either with respect to God or man; in this cafe, if a man judge it no fin, I cannot think it is any to him; though by a nice and fcrupulous conftruction, it may fall within the compafs of fome divine prohibition. The dif tinction of the schoolmen is good enough here; it is besides the law, but not against it or it is against the letter, but not the defign and intention of the law of God. I cannot think that it is confiftent with the infinite goodness of God, to punish fuch things as thefe with eternal mifery, or that it can become a man of fenfe seriously to afflict his foul for them. I cannot for my life perfuade my felf, that I fhould provoke God, if paffing through a field of my neighbour's corn or peafe, I fhould pull off an ear or cod; or paffing through his orchard, fhould eat an apple. The notion I have of God, and the great end and defign of his laws, will not fuffer me to entertain fuch trifling, weak, and fuperftitious fancies. And here I cannot but take

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notice of two things, which very much perplex the minds of fome good people; that is, an idle word, and jefting: concerning both which, 'tis very plain, that fuch are miferably mistaken; and that they are no fins at all, unlefs unreafonable and fuperftitious fcruples make them fo this, I fay, on fuppofition that by idle word, they mean only fuch talk, as does not tend to edification; and by jefting, only that which is innocent and divertive. By an idle word (Mat. xii.) our Saviour plainly means a blafphemous word, if that faying of our Saviour, of every idle word, &c. be to be limited and confined by the fenfe of the context: for the occafion of the affertion of our Lord, was the blafphemy which the Jews belched out against his miracles. Or if our Lord here, on this occafion, advances a general doEtrine, then, by an idle word, we must understand a wicked one, proceeding from a corrupt and naughty heart; and tending as directly to promote impiety, as gracious and wholfome difcourfe does to promote edification. This is evident from ver. 25. A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good things; and an evil man, out of the evil treafure, bringeth forth evil things. And ver. 37. for by thy words thou shalt be juftified, and by thy words thou shalt be con

demnned.

demned. By jefting, Eph. v. 4. the apoftle understands the modifh raillery of the Greeks, which was generally made up of prophaneness and wantonness; or brisk and fharp ironies. This is plain, both from the company we find it in agons x μwegy, filthinefs and foolish fpeaking; and from the character given it in common with the other two, To su avinovly, being the very fame that is given the most infamous and vileft lufts and paffions. Rom. i. 28. Things not convenient is a diminutive expreffion, implying fuch things as contain much turpitude and wickedness in them. Beza, as appears by his notes, reads, not, in this place, foolish fpeaking, or, not and, jefting; which (as he obferves) makes jefting the fame thing with foolish fpeaking, or buffoonry. And juftifies that jefting, which confilts in a pleafant and divertive facetioufnefs from 1 Kings xviii. 27. 2 Kings iii. 23. Ifa. xiv.

II.

2. Some think, that the mere reluctancy and oppofition of confcience against fin, is fufficient to conftitute a fin of Infirmity. And this has received no fmall countenance from fuch an interpretation of Rom. vii, as makes holiness to be nothing elfe but a viciffitude of defires and actions, repugnant to one another. But at this rate no man's fins would be damning X 2

but

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