hand in it, than he had in the Formation of his Body. It is no more his Will that he is Born with Evil Inclinations, than 'twas his Will he was made up of fuch and fuch parts, or that he came into the World, with an Appetite after Food, or with an Inclination to Sleep and Reft, and fuch other Natural Actions.

2. BESIDES this Natural Inclination and Aptitude unto Sin, there are feveral other things which come under the Notion of Evil, but yet cannot be called Wilful Alts, but meer Infirmities. I. As Evil thoughts, especially in the first rising of them, and when they are not attended with fubfequent Actions, nor entertain'd with Pleafure and Delight. I call fuch thoughts Evil, because they are of themselves breaches of that Spiritual Law of God which reacheth the very Heart and Soul, and requires, Furity in the inward parts: But yet they are not to be accounted voluntary Tranfgreffions, because they are not Acts of the Will, the Refults of deliberation and choice, but the fudden breakings out of a Diftemper'd Nature, things which our inward Corruptions do ever and anon caft out; as Putrified Blood is apt upon fermentation to throw out Boyls and Blifters, and the like. Indeed our Bleffed Saviour, fpeaking of

thofe

mond in

those things which come forth from the Heart, and Defile a Man, mentioneth particularly Evil Thoughts: Matth. 15. 18, 19. Thofe things which proceed out of the mouth, and come forth from the Heart, they Defile the Man; for out of the Heart proceed Evil Thoughts, &c. But in this place is meant, not those indeliberate and sudden startings of the Mind, which I have now been fpeaking of, but black Designs, Studyed Purpofes, and Malicious Contrivances of the Heart, especially against a Man's Life, as our Learned Paraphraft hath very rightly Dr. Hamnoted. These inward motions which we Loc. feel within us, and which all Good People complain of, as long as they are bare thoughts and furprises of Soul, are not to be reckon'd as Wilful Sins, nor are they inconfiftent with a State of Grace and Salvation. They are many times the effects of a Disorder'd Brain, and of a Body Diftemper'd with the Spleen, Melancholy, and the like; fo that they are often as Natural Effects of fome Disease, as hot and cold fits are the effects of an Ague. They rife in the Mind without ones Will, nay against it; and they are to Good Chriftians an Affliction and Trouble: As they are afraid of them before hand, fo they are apt to be ruffled when they come, and to be Difcompofed and Tormented for them

when

when they are gone. This is a plain Argument, that in fuch Perfons they are not Wilful Sins; and therefore they do not Defile them, fo as to render them loathfom or impure in the Eye of God: However they must be Repented of in fome measure, as I fhall fhew in its proper place. 2. There are too divers Omiffions, which the best of Men are Subject to be guilty of, through the common and inevitable course of Humane Affairs, and by Reafon of the infufficiency of Humane Nature, though affifted with Divine Grace. Now God forbid we should think, that all fuch Omiffions are Sins of Wilfulness; for many of them proceed from an hurry of Secular Matters, which makes even Good Men forgetful of fome things, and unwil fully wanting in others; nor is it poffible it fhould be otherwife. Many Omiffions alfo proceed from meer Inadvertency, in cafes which have no room for deliberation: Nay though a Man be never fo cautious and confiderate, yet 'tis not in his power to debate and confult with himself in eve ry particular and minute contingency; the frail and narrow condition of Humanity. will not allow it; nor is it imaginable, that any Man can be fo watchful at all times, as not to Sleep at all, nor fuffer any thing to escape him. The Spirit truly is

willing

willing, but the Flesh is weak, as our Saviour told his Dfciples when they slept inftead of Miniftring Comfort to him, and Praying for him in his great Agony, Matth. 26. And as long as we carry Flesh about with us, fo long we shall be wanting in fome part or other of our Duty. The daily Sacrifice may be fome times neglected, at least in fome measure, and our Devotion may be miffing for a while in a croud of Bufinefs. Serene and Pleasant times are apt to draw out our thoughts from their clofe retirements, like Bees fporting in the Sun. The Neceffities of the Saints are not always in our thoughts, and fo thofe thirfty Channels may remain without any Water from our Cistern. Many Bleffed Opportunities, of doing our felves and others good, flide away from us infenfibly; nay even in our Callings, to which commonly we Sacrifice most of our time and care, we are not always fo vigilant and induftrious, but that we may deserve the Cenfure of fome Negligence, though we may not deferve the charge of Dishonesty.

3. There is another fort of Infirmity, viz. a mixture of Imperfection in our very best Performances. Though the thing be done with an Honeft and Good Heart, yet we come short as to the Degree, and

fail

fail more or less in the manner of doing it. Who can understand his Errors? faith the Pfalmift, Pfal. 19. 12. Such is our Condition, that like the Image which Nebuchadnezzar faw in his Dream, it is not all of a Temper, but confifteth of a medly, fo that there is fomething in us of Gold, fomething of bafer Metal, and fomething of Clay By means whereof it cometh to pafs, that our good Works are defective, and ftand in need of a Pardon. We find by daily Experience, that what State foever we are in, what Graces foever we are to Exercise, what Duties foever we are to perform, many Infirmities ftill cleave to us like a Leprofie which we cannot totally cure. In our Profperity we are apt to be lifted up in our Minds;and when a sweeping Affliction comes upon us, we are as ready to be difcouraged and caft down.Our Faith is apt to be attended with fome diftrust, our Hopes with fome Prefumption, our Obedience with fome abatements of Love, our Charity with a little touch of Pride, our Meditations with a great deal of Diftraction; and even at our Devotion, when we take down the ftringed Instruments from the wall, to chant out Praises and Prayers to our God, our Zeal fuffereth fome alloy by many wandring thoughts, nor do our Hearts keep exact time with

Our