and eases them of the Terror and Apprehenfion of Guilt, which would otherwise be very unwelcome Companions to the Pleafures of Sin.

The Text, when used to this Purpose, is thus explained: The Difciples are supposed to have committed fome great Fault, for which our Saviour rebukes them; What, could ye not watch with me one Hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into Temptation: But then, checking himself, he makes this Excufe for them, The Spirit indeed is willing, but the Flesh is weak: Abfolving them for the Willingness that was in them, and throwing all the Blame and Guilt of Sin upon the Weakness of the Flefh. Now to make the moft of this: The Fault which the Disciples were guilty of, could be no other than falling asleep, and that after long and tedious Watching; fo that if the Weakness of the Flesh was applied as an Excuse to the Apostles Cafe, nothing else can be understood by it, but the natural Wants and Cravings of Nature, which are neceffary to the Support of Life; fuch as Sleepinefs, Hunger and Thirft, which no one doubts but may be fo ftrong, without any Fault of ours, as to interrupt us when we might be better employed; and,

whenever

whenever they are fo, are without queftion 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 melancholick 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 themfelves 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 Reafon to be proud of his Contrivance, when his Error comes to be rectified by the impartial Judgment of God in another. It is a falfe Security Men gain to themselves by these little shifting Tricks in Religion; and there is juft as much Policy in this Conceit, as in his, who fhut his own Eyes faft, 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,

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, fince they have been so often applied to this Purpose, I hope it will not be thought an unfeasonable Deviation to endea vour 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:

Firft, To confider what is the Scripture Sense of Infirmities.

Secondly, What Sort of Sins they are, which will admit of an Excufe, 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 last to Death: And though all are not equally affected, fome having a lefs Share of thefe 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 Senfe Chrift is faid to bear our Infirmities; being, by the neceffary Law of his human Nature, fubject 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, Sleepiness, 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 fpiritual 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 Senfe 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.

R

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 boly, and the Commandment boly, 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, juft, and good Commandment was made ineffectual. Agreeable to this, St. Paul, in the Perfon of an unregenerate Man, fays, The Law is Spiritual, but I am carnal, fold under Sin; for in me, that is, in my Flefb, 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 Righte oufness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who

walk