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Guilt of it can be removed; it being impoffible for Vice and Grace to Reign together, or that God and Belial fhould fit together in the fame Throne. 'Tis Repentance that Prepares the way for Mercy, and makes room for that Pardon, which we beg for at the Altar; and that we may be fure of Forgivenefs, we must fo Condemn all our Impieties, as to forfake them, and so to grieve for them, as to deteft and abhor them. For Chrift is not an Abfolutę, but a Conditional Saviour: Nor doth he Ranfom any by his Blood from Eternal Death, but whom he Redeems, first by the affiftance of his Grace from those Iniquities, whereof Death is the Wages. All that Blifs and Happiness, which is referved for us in Heaven, and whereof we have a foretast and earnest at this Sacrament, is the Portion of Holy Souls only, that Love the Lord Jefus in Sincerity, and refolve to Obey him.

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C H A P. VI.

Of the Degrees and Measures of Repentance: According as Mens Sins are. Of Unwilful Sins.

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HIS being enough to fhew the Neceffity of Repentance in order to a due Communion; I proceed in the next place to fhew, what Meafures and Degrees of Repentance are neceflary. For the clearing of this too, we muft of neceffity confider the different Degrees and Meafures of Sin; because Repentance must bear fome Proportion to the Offence; and as a Man's Sins are of a greater or a leffer Nature, fo muft his Repentance

be also.

NOW confidering that the Act and Confent of a Man's Will, is that which renders an Action formally Sinful, and the more wilful any Sin is, the more it rifeth and fwelleth in greatnefs; we must first diftinguish between Wilful and Unwilful Sins; for fo it will the more fully and evidently appear, what degree that Repentance

pentance must be of, which is to be proportionable and fuitable to both.

WILFUL Sins then are fuch, as are committed with a Man's full Approbation and Choice; when he deliberates upon it, or at leaft hath means and time to deliberate, and refolves with himself to do the thing; either for the gratifying of fome Luft, or for the procuring of fome worldly end, though he knows the Action to be contrary to God's Law, and might refrain from it, if he would make a due use of that strength which God hath either fixed in his Nature, or added by his Grace. Such an Action is rightly faid to be wilful, because a Man's Will hath the greatest hand and ftroak in it. For we fuppofe in this cafe, that the Understanding is or may be fufficiently informed, and that the Inclinations are not fo ftrong, nor the Temptations fo great, but that they might be Victoriously Refifted, if the Party would but give his mind to it, and fet his Heart to employ his Power and Abilities. And therefore the Sin is called Wilful, because though fome little fault may perchance lye both in his Underftanding and Affections too, yet the main blame lyes upon the Will, for carrying the Action on with Resolution and Obstinacy; because he is fet upon frowardness. H 3

Umvilful

UNWILFUL Sins are fuch, as have not the Confent, or not the full Confent of the Will, but proceed rather from fome Natural and Hereditary Imperfection; either from a defect of Knowledge, by means whereof a Man either wants light in his Understanding, or looks upon things in a wrong light (and then 'tis a Sin of Ignorance :) or elfe it proceeds from a defect of Strength, from fome Inability and Lameness of Humane Nature, by means whereof his own corrupt Inclinations within are too quick for him, or fome Temptations from without are fo fudden, fo thick, fo violent against him, that he cannot hold out against himfelf, as the cafe ftands, but doth that which he knoweth he fhould not, in a hurry and without due Confideration, his poor feeble Nature being over-born; and his Councels, which otherwife he would ufe, being prevented by a furprife (and this is that which is called, a Sin of Weaknefs and Infirmity.)

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1. OF thele Unwilful Sins I fhall speak in the first place; and in the Process of this Difcourfe, I fhall, i.give fome particular account of thefe Sins: And,2.fhew how far,and to what degree we are to Repent of them, before we come to the Bleffed Sacrament.

1. THE First kind of these Unwilful Sins, and that which is the ground and

Original

Original of all the reft. is the Sinful Inclination in every Man's Nature, that Proneness, Propensity, and Aptnefs unto Evil, which cleaves to every Child of Adam infeparably from the Womb; fo that his Nature through meer Impotency and Hereditary weakness, lies always bending and bowing towards Wickedness. Though good Men do not yield to this Inclination, and every Man hath fufficient affistance from .God to check it; yet all Men have more or less their share of it, fo that they are ftill apt to flag and fwerve from their Duty, though they be in a State of Grace and Regeneration. This Natural Inclination and crookedness is termed Sin, because materially it is fo, being a repugnancy to the Law of God, and a deviation from it. For all Sin is, dvouia, as the Apoftle defines it, I Job.3.4. A Tranfgreffion of, or a Contrariety unto, or a deflection and diffonancy from the Law; and becaufe the Heredi tary Propenfity of our Nature is fuch, therefore is it truly faid to be Sin and finful materially and in it felf. But yet on the other fide, it cannot by any means be reckoned among wilful or voluntary Şins; because this Inclination of Nature is not contracted by any Act of Man's own Will, by any confent, choice, or approbation of his own; nor indeed hath he any more hand

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