our Voice, but are apt to flatten, and be out of tune, when our Mouths are full of Hofanna's in the higheft. Briefly, our Imperfections are fo deeply rooted in us, that we cannot get rid of them; in our Closets, in our most serious and fixt Contemplations, they are with us; nay, the very House of God is not a Sanctuary from them, but they are apt to bear us company even to the Altar: Yet this is for our Comfort, that if we fincerely endeavour to Conquer and caft them off, they are not Wilful Sins, nor, will God reckon them unto us to our Condemnation, because they are Infirmities which we cannot help.

4. Befides all these Infirmities, there are feveral indecent Actions, which though they cannot be juftified, or totally excufed, if rigorously confider'd, yet cannot properly come under the Notion of Sins that are perfectly Wilful; because they. are not the refult of mature Deliberation, but rather are done cafually, by means of fome surprising Temptations without, which on a fudden overcome ones Paffions, or by means of fome great disturbance within, which for that time hinders the use of Reason, and are too hard for it. Even in a State of Innocence, Man was fet lower than the Angels, though the Bruitish

part

A

part was fo Subject to the Rational Faculty of his Soul, that it was wholly under its command. Ever fince the Fall, Mens Affections have been Rebels; which have been apt to over-mafter them, and carry them away against their Reafon; becaufe Reason being many times wonderfully disturbed by them, it is not powerful enough to Govern and Rule them. And though the Grace of God be abundant under the Gospel, and very powerful in fuch as humbly obey it; yet even in Men that are Regenerated by God's Spirit, there is still a mixture of Good and Evil, as the hottest Tempers have fome degrees of Cold; fo that a Wife and Holy Man, may through Surprife, or Incogitancy, or the Violence of a Temptation, be overtaken unawares. It was not the case of Mofes alone, to speak unadvisedly with his Lips, being provoked to it by the Peoples Murmurings: Nor was it David's Cafe alone, to fay in his hafte, all Mèn are Lyers; nay, it was not Peter's Cafe alone, to deny his Lord through extremity of Fear. Every one is apt. fometimes to be born down by the Tempter, or by his own masterful and diforderly Paffions ; nor is there any Man but is fenfible of fome perturbations of Soul, which are ufually occafioned, either by his own Hereditary

weakness,

weakness, or by fome ill Accidents in his Family, or by fome Troubles in his Calling, or by the disappointment of his Expectations, or by the common Croffes of the World, or by the Apprehenfions of fome Evil to come, or by the Sense of fome Calamity that is paft, or by a Natural Distemper and Sickness, in his Conftitution, and by divers Accidents more, which the Subtilty and Malice of the Tempter maketh ufe of to difturb his Peace. Now, though in these Actions there be fome little concurrence of the Will, enough to make them imputable to us, if God fhould deal with us according to rigour and feverity, yet by the Mercies of the Gospel, they are not actually imputed to a Good Man, because they are not properly voluntary, that is, they proceed not from propenfe Malice, or a deliberate Judgment, but from fudden and dif pleafing Contingencies, fo that he would not be Guilty of them, were he not in Unfortunate Circumstances.

2. THE Nature and Quality of Unwilful Sins being thus Explained, it is neceffary now in the next place to confider, bow far, and to what degree, we are to Repent of them before we Eat and Drink at the Lord's Table: For if Men entertain false Notions of this matter, it is impoffi

ble

ble for them to be Satisfied that they are duly Prepared, as long as they labour under thofe Notions, especially if they be People of Tender and Scrupulous Spirits.

1. FIRST then in general we must Note, that we are not obliged to Repent of Infirmities in fuch an high degree, as to Vow, Promise, and Undertake, that we will keep our felves free from all manner of Sin. Though we are bound to be very watchful over our ways, and muft refolve with our felves not to act knowingly and prefumptuously against God's Commandments; yet it doth not lye in our Power to live wholly Innocent from every the leaft offence. The Divine Grace doth affift and ftrengthen our Natures, but it doth not Deftroy them: Men we are ftill, fubject to the Frailties of Poor Mortal Creatures, and as long as we are compaffed about with Flesh, we cannot lead fuch an Angelical Life, as to be clean from. all' Impurities, as thofe Bleffed Spirits in Heaven are. The Condition of our Nature cannot bear it; therefore the thing being impoffible, we are not obliged at any time to refolve upon fuch high degrees of Sanctity as are out of our reach. For which Reason we cannot conceive our selves obliged to it in order to a due Celebration of the Eucharist: For at this great Solemnity we renew that Covenant

Covenant we made at our Baptifm, which is, not to be void of all manner of uncleanness, but to Renounce the Devil and our own Lufts, fo as not to follow or be led by them, (as our Church hath excellently expreft it in the Office of Baptifm) that is, fo as not to be Govern'd, or Commanded, or Perfwaded by them, to do that which we know to be Evil. "Tis faid indeed, 1 Joh. 3. 9. that whofoever is born of God, doth not commit Sin; nay, that he cannot Sin, because he is born of God. But this is to be understood of Sins of forecast and deliberation, which profligate Perfons commit willingly and with greediness. There is in a Regenerated Perfon, fuch a Vital Principle of Grace and Goodness, as doth alter and rectifie his Nature; fo that if he doth readily obey the energy thereof, it muft needs have fuch an influence upon him, that to Sin Wilfully, is, as it were, against his Nature and Temper; and though it be not abfolutely, yet 'tis Morally impoffible for him to Act Prefumptuously; it goes against his Stomach, like a Dofe of Poyfon, which he cannot away with. but abhors the very thoughts of it. Now when a Man is thus difpofed, his Repentance is right, and he ought to be comforted with it, and to blefs God for it: And though he finds himself lyable to many

I