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ugly Idea's into the Brain and Fancy, as over-moist Soyls caft up Vapours and Fogs into the Air; and though for a while they bring a Cloud over ones Spirit, yet common Experience fhews, that the day breaks up again; and therefore he that is disturbed with things of no greater moment than these, ought no more to be frighted from the Holy Communion, or dejected in his mind, than if he were fick of the Spleen; there being fuch a vast difference between Matters of this nature, and an Evil Confcience..

3. THE other Particulars I fhall bring under one common Confideration, because the fame things in a manner are to be faid of them all. As for those involuntary Omiffions which the best Men cannot but be fenfible of, and those mixtures of Imperfection which they find in their Nobleft Actions; and those irregularities to which the common frame and condition of Humanity makes us all subject; every Man ought, as to be humbled for them by a general Repentance, so to beg pardon for them in David's Style; O cleanfe thou me from my fecret faults, Pfal. 19. 12. So alfo to guard himself from them with that care and vigilance which becomes a Man of an. honeft and fincere heart. This is certain, that if we do but I 4 fecure

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fecure our hearts unto God, he will fe-
cure all his mercies to us. It is not abfo-
lute and spotlefs perfection he expects
from us, but fincerity, which is Evange-
lical Perfection. As long as we are Men
we shall be feeble, and as long as we are
feeble, it cannot be but we must trip
fometimes, or tread a little awry, efpe-
cially where our way is long, and the
ground flippery. But if we do not wil
fully turn afide out of the right Path,
nor fall, fo as to Apoftatife from the
Truth, or caft away our Righteousness,
fuch is the Divine Goodness and Mercy
that we shall not fall into Perdition.
There is not a Righteous Man on the Earth
that Sinneth not, Ecclef. 7. 10. Bring in
all the whole Army of Noble Saints and
Martyrs, and you fhall hear them com-
plain of their Infirmities. God gives us
Grace fufficient to enable us to maintain
a Combate with the World, the Devil,
and our own Lufts; but not so much as
will gain us a perfect and entire Victory,
fo as to free us from all further Allarms,
and Onfets. And indeed there is good
Reason why we fhould not be unexerci-
fed by Temptations; that we may not be
Proud. As God left the Canaanites among
the Jews, to humble, and to try them;
fo doth he leave our Infirmities in us,

*

even when he gives us the Spirit of Promise, that he may make us fenfible of our failings, and lay us in the duft under the fense of them; fo that the fetting of a Crown upon our heads, may be acknowledg'd to be an act of his free Grace, and that we may Triumph in the Name of God alone,, who hath concluded all under Sin, that he may have Mercy on all. By reafon of these Infirmities we are commanded to Watch; which is a plain argument, that we are ftill in danger of being affaulted, and our most treacherous Enemies may be those of our own Houfhold. Now what we cannot avoid, by the Mercies of God we fhall not be accountable for: But our Frailties and Infirmities, if they be acknowledg'd, and bewail'd, and prayed against, and frugled with, are Pardoned of courfe; and every Man is accepted according to that which he bath, and not according to that he hath not, 2 Cor. 8. 12. Chriftianity is neither a foft Pillow for Wicked Men to fleep. on, nor yet a weary yoak for Good Men to fink under; there being in the Gospel fuch an admirable mixture of the Promifes with the Threats; that as a vicious Wretch has no reason to prefume, so a Sincere and Humble hearted Man hath no reason

reafon to Despair. Thou Lord art Merciful, faith the Pfalmift; for thou rewardest every Man according to his Works: And it is the ufual Course and Tenour of a Man's Life, that God doth judge of him by, making a great abatement for his Humane Infirmities; and were it not thus, no Flesh living could be Saved; because our present state of imperfection will not fuffer us to be without all manner of blemish; and he that boasteth of abfolute Perfection, is hot more a Pharifee, than a Fool; because in many things we are apt to offend all. But every Sin grieveth not the good Spirit of God, nor is every Offence inconfiftent with a State of Regeneration; nor doth every little tranfgreffion dif-entitle us to the Divine Favour. The daily. Sacrifice of the Heart in Prayer, and the conftant ftriving with our manifold Infirmities, do fo effectually Operate through the Merits of Chrift, who died even for weak ones, that an Act of Frailty is not a Sin armed with a Damning Power. Though there be fomething of the Viper in us, yet as long as we do not Cherifh, or Indulge, or keep it warm in our bofom, it cannot Hurt, however it may fright us, and create in us fome trouble and borrour. And fo much be spoken

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fpoken of Sins of Infirmities, and of those degrees of Repentance which are necessary for them.

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CHAP. VII. .

Of Wilful Sins.

PROCEED next to Difcourfe of Sins of Wilfulness; that nothing may elcape us which is neceffary to be known, in order to a full understanding of that Repentance which is to be preparatory to the Holy Communion. Now Wilful Sins are fuch as are Advisedly and of fet purpofe committed when a Man confiderately doth this or that Evil action, either for his pleasure, or for his profit fake, or upon any other fuch unreasonable inducements. And thefe, Sins are of two forts, Habitual, or Occafional. Habitual Sins are fuch as are the general Tenor and Course of ones Life; which he allows himfelf in, and gives himself up to, and usually follows as his common Trade and Way. As, when ill Men accuftom themselves to Prophane the Holy Name of God, or

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