gument to excufe Sin; but thought the firft Neglect in fuffering the Habit to grow up, entitled Men very juftly to the Guilt of all the Sin confequent upon it. If we know how to remedy our Infirmities, why do we still boaft of them, or place our Security in them? St. Paul complains of a Thorn given him in the Flesh, for the Removal of which he thrice prayed; to which he had no other Anfwer from the Lord, than my Grace is fufficient for thee, for my Strength is made perfect in Weaknefs. Upon which St. Paul triumphed and gloried in his Infirmity. But how? Not as we glory in our Infirmities, ufing them as an Excufe for Sin; but, because through his Infirmity the Power of Chrift rested on him. The Law of the Spirit of Life having then so plentifully provided against this Weakness and Depravity of the Flesh, there can no longer any Colour of Excufe be had from it.

Next to this general Senfe of Infirmity come the particular Infirmities included in it. As every Difeafe of the Body is called an Infirmity, as our Saviour, when he healed the Sick of their particular Diftempers, is faid to cure their Infirmities; fo, by the Lime Analogy, every particular Sin may be called an Infirmity. Thus David, fpeaking

of

of his Diftruft of God's Goodness, calls it his Infirmity. So the Author of the Hebrews, fpeaking of the Jewish High-Priests, says, the Law maketh Men High-Priefts which have Infirmities. But in the Scripture it is no where used in this Senfe as an Alleviation of Guilt.

But the Senfe of Scripture is the least thing regarded in setting up this Plea of Infirmity, which has been invented and used to shelter fome particular darling Sins, and seldom or never for the univerfal Imperfection of all, even the best of our Actions, in which Senfe only it can be reasonably used; but that Men think not worth excufing. The Bofom Sin is the Thing to be defended: In which Cafe two Things are generally urged, a natural Paffion, and the Violence of the Paffion. A natural Paffion has the fame Author with Nature, and belongs to us as we are Men, and therefore not to be avoided. For the Violence of the Paffion, the particular Conftitution and Temperament of Body are alledged, which expofe fome more to this or that Paffion than others perhaps are liable to. But it is the Misfortune of fome Arguments to prove too much, and, like an Arrow too ftrongly drawn, mifs the Mark by going beR 4

yond

yond it. What Sin is there that may not thus be excufed? St. Paul reckons among the Works of the Flesh, Adultery, Fornicatian, Uncleanness, Lafcivioufnefs, Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Envyings, Murders, Drunkennefs, Revellings, and the like; thẹn adds, they which do fuch Things Shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Now try these round, they all immediately, or by Confequence, arife from Paffions which are called natural, and, as they meet with a fuitable Temper, fome may prevail in one, fome in another; and then either the Excufe is vain, or the Apoftle's Judgment is vain, that they which do Such Things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God,

The Scripture uses Weakness in another Senfe, as opposed to Knowledge; as weak Chriftians are those newly converted, and not yet confirmed in the Knowledge and Myfteries of Christianity: But this Senfe is nothing to our Purpose.

So likewife Weakness is applied to them who have weak and tender Confciences, eafily offended, who fcrupled eating Meat offered to Idols, the Ufe of which the Apostle allows to fuch as had Senfe enough not to be offended at it. Their Infirmity was a nice

and

and fcrupulous Fear of Sin, where there was no Reafon to fear: A Weakness we are pretty well got over.

These are the moft ufual, if not all the Scripture Senses of Infirmity; and I think it appears, that none of them have Infirmity enough in them to be an Excufe for Sin. All Sin is Weakness; the more perfect any Creature is, and the nearer it approaches to Him who is all Perfection, the more remote is it from a Poffibility of finning. It was our Weakness made it feceffary for the Son of God to come to our Affiftance, to rescue us from the Law of Sin and Death; which he did by condemning Sin in the Flesh, and by the powerful Effufion of his Holy Spirit. But to what Purpose is the Holy Spirit promised or given, but to overcome our Infirmities, that the Strength of God may be made perfect in Weakness?

we are not,

St. James How fhall

But yet, after all these Helps, nor cannot be, perfect Creatures. fays, In many Things we offend all. thefe Errors be excufed, which the best of Men are liable to? Is there a Foundation for an Excufe, or must all alike perish in the Error of their Ways? This will receive an Answer, if we confider,

Secondly,

1

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

And here you are not to expect a Catalogue of Sins, for I know no kind of Sin that can be otherwise excufed than by Repentance and Amendment; and at beft there is an Impropriety of Speech in Sins of Infirmity. The neceffary Effects of our Infirmities are not finful: Where they are not neceffary, they may be finful; but why they are called Sins of Infirmity in Diftinction to other Sins is hard to fay. There is an Imperfection in the Obedience of the best of Men. The five Wife Virgins flumbered, and their Lamps grew dim, and wanted trimming, when the Bridegroom came: But yet they foon made ready, and were received to the Marriage Feaft: And, without queftion, God will favourably look upon the Failings of good Men, and accept their fincere, though not perfect Obedience. This, I hope, we have Reafon to allow : But yet the common Notion of Sins of Infirmity gains nothing by it; for let any one fay what is the Sin of Infirmity that all good Men are guilty of. There is an Imperfection which flows from the Weakness of our present Condition, and shews

itself,