vid, have mercy on me." Herein the power of godliness is distinguished from the form. Godliness in power rises by opposition, but the form doth not; but the power of faith doth, the power of love doth, and the power of repentance doth even as a little fire is quenched with water, but if the fire be strong, it flames and burns out the more by that dish of water which ye do cast upon it. So in regard of sin, where it is in power it will not be quenched by opposition, but it flames out the more; witness that powerful malice of the Jews against Christ, who when they were but a little checked by Pilate, they cried out so much the more, Crucify him, crucify him. Doth thy sin, therefore, ordinarily rise by opposition? this argues that it is sin in power, that it reigns in thee, that it is no sin of infirmity; for a reigning, fullbreathed sin is no sin of infirmity.* Thus negatively.

But how shall we know, then, affirmatively, whether our sin be a sin of infirmity?

Thus: If it do merely proceed from want of age in christianity, then it is, without doubt, a sin of infirmity. There are several ranks and forms of christians in the school of Christ. The apostle John doth allude unto three ages: " I write unto you fathers (saith he), I write unto you young men, and I write unto you babes." There are the grown

children of God, and there are babes.

Babes are weak and

full of weaknesses. And if your sin be such as doth arise merely from want of age and time in grace, then it must needs be a sin of a babe, and so a sin of infirmity.

If it be no other sin than what is incident unto all the saints, then it is a sin of infirmity; for that sin which is committed by all the saints, is no reigning sin, but a sin mortified, enervated and weakened; there is no reigning sin in the child of God: sin reigning and being under grace are opposed, Rom. vi., "Let not sin have dominion over you, for ye are under grace." Those that are under grace have their sin at an under and if the sin be committed by all the saints, then it doth rather arise from want of strength to resist, than from will to commit. Is thy sin, therefore, no other than what is

* Manifestum igitur est quod credere improbabilia, fortitudinis est, atque vigoris nostri intellectus, sicut amare damnosa, molesta et ignominiosa fortitudines est et vigoris nostri affectus.-Parisiens. de fide, p. 2.

VOL. IV.

incident unto all God's people? then surely it is no other than a sin of infirmity.

If it be such a sin as you cannot avoid, which breaks in upon you before you are aware, even before you can call in for help from your reason and consideration, and which the general bent and frame of your heart and soul is against, then it is a sin of infirmity, for then it doth arise from want of strength to resist, and not from will to commit. This was the case of Paul, Rom. vii., when evil was present with him, being against the general bent and frame of his soul; for saith he, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man, and yet the thing that I would not do, that do I." Can you, therefore, say with Paul, "It is no more I that do it," &c, for my delight is otherwise, and the general bent and frame of my heart is otherwise? then you may also say, This is mine infirmity.*

If your sin be your burden, because it is the burden of your grace, then is your sin your infirmity. I speak not of gross, foul and scandalous sins. But the apostle tells us, Gal. vi., that this sin of infirmity is our burden, for having said in verse 1, "If any one be overtaken, you that are spiritual restore him," &c; he then gives the reason of it at verse 6, "Bear ye one another's burdens." It seems, then, that this sin of infirmity is a burden unto him that commits it. Now a man may be burdened with sin upon a twofold account: either because he is or shall be burdened with it, in regard of pain and punishment, or, because it is the luggage and burden of his grace and duty. In the first sense, all men may be burdened with sin, even the most wicked man: Cain was so burdened when he cried out, and said, "My sin (or burden) is greater than I can bear." In the second sense, only those are burdened with sin that are godly. Dost thou, therefore, groan under the burden of this evil, though it be no gross and scandalous sin, and that because it is a burden to your grace and duties? surely it is no other than a sin of infirmity.

* Hæc peccata quæ accidunt ratione operationis sensitivi prevenientis rationem, dici peccata ex infirmitate, nam infirmitas humanæ voluntatis contracta ex peccato originali magna ex parte consistit in rebellione appetitus, hoc est in illa potestate quam habet operandi ante usum rationis ex sola apprehensione sensus.-Caspens. Cursus Theolog. Tract. de Peccat. Disp. v. § 4.

Ego sum in carne, ego sum in mente, sed magis ego sum in mente quam in carne, et quia mens regit ego sum in regente.—August. de Verbis Apost. Serm. 5.

An infirmity will hardly acknowledge itself to be a sin of infirmity; but the person in whom it is, fears lest it should be worse. It is in this case as in the matter of temptation; though a wicked man's sins be his own, the brat of his own conception and corruption, yet he will hardly acknowledge them to be his own corruption : no, but saith he, These are the temptations of Satan and not mine own corrruption: a good man, on the contrary,saith, Nay, but these are mine own corruptions, not the devil's temptations; oh, these are worse than temptations, they are all mine own. Witness David, 1 Chron. xxi. 8, " And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing, I have done very foolishly;" yet the devil provoked him to it, and it was originally his temptation, for it is said, verse 1, " And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number the people." David doth not lay the fault upon the devil, but upon himself; he did not say, I was thus and thus tempted by Satan, no, but I, even I have sinned and done foolishly. Temptation will hardly acknowledge itself to be a temptation; and so infirmity will hardly acknowledge itself to be infirmity; but the person in whom it is, doth fear worse, saying, This my sin is great, and I fear it is no infirmity. Wicked men excuse their sin by infirmity, because it is no infirmity; but a good man fears it is worse than infirmity. And therefore is thy sin no gross and foul sin, and yet art thou afraid that it is worse than infirmity? this doth rather argue that it is no other than a sin of infirmity.

If your sin do arise chiefly from some outward cause, it is a sin of infirmity; for then it is not so much from will to commit, as from want of strength to resist. The sin which the apostle speaks of, Gal. vi. 1, is a sin of infirmity, and the man that commits it is said to be overtaken. Now when a man is upon his journey travelling and is overtaken by another person, his inward inclination and disposition was not to meet the other: so when a man is overtaken by sin, it argues that his sin doth proceed from some outward cause; and when it doth proceed from some outward cause, then he is truly said to be overtaken with it. It is true the worst of men say they are overtaken when they sin. Oh, saith the drunkard, I confess I was drunk at such a time, and in such a place, but I was drawn into it; my inward disposition was otherwise, but I was so and so overtaken. But if men were

only overtaken and surprized by their sin, then why are they angry with those who keep them from their sin? why are they in their own element, and never more at home than in the way of their sin? and why do they so heartily will that which is the cause of their sin? It may be they do not will the effect, namely, drunkenness, but do they not will that which is the cause thereof? He that is overtaken with a sin, is unexpectedly surprized with the cause thereof; and therefore if it be not a gross and scandalous sin, it is a sin of infirmity.

Infirmity loves admonition: I mean, the person that sins out of infirmity, loves to be admonished, takes admonition kindly, and doth bless God for it. Possibly the admonition may be given scalding hot, and so he may refuse to take it down; but ordinarily, he will take the admonition kindly. Ye know how it was with David, when he was going against the house of Nabal in a great passion: Abigail came forth to meet him, and having admonished him of his duty, he did not only forbear the evil intended, but he blessed God for her and her words, who kept him that day from shedding innocent blood. Tell an honest man that he is out of his way, and direct him into it, and he will thank you for it. Tell a thief that he is out of his way, and he will laugh at you. So, tell a wicked man that he is out of his way, and he will despise you for it; tell a good man that he is out of his way, and he will bless God for it, and for you: why? because he hath but missed his way. Canst thou, therefore, take an admonition kindly, when thou art out of thy way? This argues that thy sin is one of those infirmities, which Christ our great High Priest will forgive, "Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he also was compassed with infirmities,” Heb. v. 2.

An infirmity discovers good, though it be in itself evil; it is an ill sin, but a good sign. The thistle is an ill weed, yet it discovers a fat and a good soil; smoke is ill, but it discovers fire. So do the saints' infirmities; though they be in themselves weaknesses, yet they discover life. Moses was angry, but his anger did discover his zeal: Job was somewhat impatient, but his impatience did discover his innocency and his great goodness: Abraham failed in saying Sarah was his sister, but there was a faith which this unbelief grew upon:

the woman that came behind Christ, touching the hem of his garment, came fearing and trembling, discovering her unbelief; yet she discovered her faith therewithal: the disciples failed, when they said, "Lord, save us, carest thou not that we perish?" yet they discovered their faith too. Infirmity sometimes is an excrescence which doth grow out of duty, and upon duty. Doest thou therefore fail in thy duty, or exercise of thy grace; and doth thy duty go on, and thy grace go on? Though thy failing may be thy burden, yet it being but an excresence and discoverer of thy grace, it is no other than a sin of infirmity.

Sins of infirmities are servants and drawers of water unto your graces; though in themselves evil, yet through the overruling hand of God's grace, they will make you more gracious another way. Ye know how it is with a young tradesman, who hath but a small stock; he keeps his shop diligently, and will not spend as others do. If you ask him the reason, saying, Such and such men are of your trade, and they will spend their shilling with us, and their time with us; why will not you do as they? He answers presently, True, they do so, and they may do so, their estate will bear it; but as for me, my stock is small, very little, therefore I may not do as they do, but I must be diligent, and a good husband; I am but a young beginner, and have little skill in the trade, therefore it behoves me to be diligent. His very weakness is the cause of his diligence. So here, the more infirmities that a gracious soul labours under, the more diligent he will be; and if you ask him, Why do you take so much pains in following the means, and the like? he answers, Alas, I am a poor weak creature: such and such an one there is that hath an excellent memory, all that ever he reads or hears is his own; but my memory is naught, my head and heart is naught, and therefore by the grace of God I will take the more pains in following after Christ. Thus his very infirmity is a provocation unto all his diligence. The Gibeonites served the Israelites, and were hewers of wood and drawers of water for them; why? but because the Gibeonites were at an under. So now, if your very sins be drawers of water, servants, and handmaids to your graces, it argues that your sins are at an under; and being so, they are weak, and but