yond it. What Sin is there that may not thus be excused? St. Paul reckons among the Works of the Flesh, Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lafcivioufnefs, Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Envyings, Murders, Drunkenness, Revellings, and the like; then adds, they which do fuck 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 Apostle's Judgment is vain, that they which do fuch Things shall not inberit 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 Reason to fear: A Weaknefs we are pretty well got over. Thefe are the moft ufual, if not all the Scripture Senfes 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 neceffary for the Son of God to come to our Affiftance, to rescue us Sin from the Law of 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? St. James How fhall But yet, after all thefe Helps, we are not, nor cannot be, perfect Creatures. fays, In many Things we offend all. these Errors be excufed, which the best of Men are liable to? Is there a Foundation for an Excufe, or muft all alike perish in the Error of their Ways? This will receive an Anfwer, if we confider, Secondly, 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 beft 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 prefent Condition, and fhews itself, itfelf, not regularly, but in various Inftances. Many good Chriftians have complained of a Coldness fometimes in their Devotion, and of wandering and roving Thoughts; which is, without doubt, one of thofe Weakneffes that shall be forgiven to pious and fincere Christians. Will you then make this one of your Sins of Infirmity, an Evil that carries its Excufe always with it? Surely no: For, though it shall be forgiven fome, it will be an Aggravation of the Guilt of others, who have not the fame fincere Obedience and good Difpofition to plead in their Excufe. Some are troubled with impious and blafphemous Thoughts, unworthy Conceptions of God and Chrift, and fuffer a prodigious Torment and Anxiety of Mind because of them, who are Objects of Pity and Compaffion both to God and Man: And when this is the Cafe of well-difpofed Perfons, who are no ways confenting to them, there feems to be as little Guilt in them, as in a Fever or an Ague. Upon the whole then: Since there is fo little Reason to depend upon this Excuse, and fince all Men in fome Degree ftand in need of it, I will fhew you the Way, and I know but one Way of entitling ourselves to this Plea, |