but his whofe confcience were feared; and when one's heart did condemn one, God would be fure to acquit one: which agrees very ill with St. John, If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things, 1 Job. iii. 21. No man, unlefs arrived at a reprobate fenfe, can do that which is evil, without reluctancy; for his confcience will forbid him, as long as it has the leaft degree of tenderness in it and restrain him as far as it has power. And as to Rom. vii. it has been abundantly confidered; and, I think fufficiently proved to belong to those, who are the fervants of fin; as Rom. viii. does to thofe who are fet free. St. Auftin indeed tells us, that he understood that chapter at firft as the Pelagians did, for a perfon under the law, and under the power of fin; but that he found himself constrained afterwards to understand it of St. Paul himfelf. I will not examine the folidity of his reafons: 'tis enough to me, that his change of opinion does religion no harm: for he is fo far from making a state of holiness to consist with acts of deliberate fin against confcience, that he will not excufe fo much as rebellious motions and appetites, if consented to. All that he contends for, in a good man, from this chapter is, that lapfed nature will fometimes exert itself, even in the best

men,

men, in diforderly and diftempered appetites.

3. Others, laftly, will have thofe fins, into which we fall, either overpowered by the strength, or wearied out by the affiduity or length of a temptation, pass for Infirmities. But this opinion has as little ground as the two former. I can find no fcripture that countenances this notion. There are indeed fome of great reputation, who have promoted it. But, I think, the words of St. Paul make against it, 1 Cor. x. 13. There hath no temptation taken you, but fuch as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not fuffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation alfo make a way to escape; that ye may be able to bear it. The defign of which words is certainly to encourage Chriftians against the biggeft temptations, by an affurance of relief from God, proportionable to our neceffities; and confequently muft imply, that if we yield to a temptation, 'tis our own fault. God expects we should ftand firm under the highest trials. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life, Rev. ii. 10. To him that overcometh will I grant to fit with me in my throne, even as Ialfo overcame, and am fet down with my Father in his throne, Rev. iii. 21. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I alfo deny X 3

before

before my Father which is in heaven, Mat. x. 33. If therefore, by fins of Infirmity, men mean, fuch as are confiftent with the ftate of grace, i. e. fuch as good men may frequently fall into, without forfeiting the peace of confcience, and the favour of God, I cannot poffibly think, that any deliberate fin can be fuch, upon the fcore of the temptation; or that any of thofe fins, reckoned in the catalogue, Gal. v. and Eph. v. can be fuch on the account of the violence or perfeverance with which they attack us. But, fecondly, if by fins of Infirmity, they mean fuch fins as righteous men are liable to; I know not what they are from which they are exempted. But if, laftly, by fins of Infirmity, they mean fuch, for which God is more eafily intreated; then there is no queftion to be made, but that there is a difference in fins; which is to be estimated by the different meafures of grace and knowledge; by the different degrees of deliberation and furprize; and by the force or weaknefs, the continuance or fhortness, of a temptation: and, finally, by the different effects and tendencies of fins. To all which, I do not question, but that the fpirit has regard in thofe diretions, which it gives us, for our behaviour towards fuch as fall, Gal vi. 1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are Spiri

Spiritual, reftore fuch a one in the spirit of meekness; confidering thy felf, left thou also be tempted. And of fome have compaffion, making a difference: and others fave with fear, pulling them out of the fire, Jude 22, 23.

2. A Second fort of actions are fuch as we call involuntary; that is, those wherein we exercise no deliberation, no choice. Some have reduced fins of infirmity to this head, but with what colour of reafon any one may judge. For fince action truly involuntary, are neither the objects of the understanding nor will, 'tis hard to conceive what morality there can be in them. The grounds on which this opinion is built are fuch as thefe. First, the measure, fay they, of good and evil is the law of God; but involuntary and unavoidable actions are not a proper fubject of laws for to what purpose is it to prescribe rules, or to propofe rewards and punishments to fuch actions, as are no way subject to our choice? Secondly, They tell us, 'tis inconfiftent with the goodness of God, and the riches of gofpel grace, to impute those things to a man as damnable fins, which fall not within the compafs of his power or deliberation. Now, I must confess, I am fo far from denying any actions, that can lay a juft claim to this apology, to be venial,

X 4

that

that I cannot forbear thinking that they are not finful: for where there is no law, there is no tranfgreffion. But how does this way of arguing for the excufableness of involuntary tranfgreffions, confist with those other doctrines which they maintain concerning them; namely, that we are bound to repentance for them; that thefe fins are not venial in their own nature, but only thro' the favour of God? For the law, taken in its rigour, denounces death against all fin in general, without limitation or exception; fo that if God should judge rigorously, even involuntary fin would fall under that fentence, The wages of fin is death. This, I must confefs, feems to me very incoherent. For if an action be of that nature, that it cannot properly be the matter or fubject of a law, how can it fall under the condemnation of law? If it be of that nature that it is incapable of any moral regulation, nor fubject to the influence of reward or punifhment, how can it be mere matter of grace that a man is not damned for it? In a word, if an action be truly and properly involuntary, it can by no means be fin; and if it be voluntary, it is subject to the regulation of laws: 'tis a proper inftance of deliberation and freedom, and capable of rewards and punishments. And the truth is, the one needs

na