Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

and Moral Worts. III confift with true Grace than the former; and therefore are called Sins of Infirmity. 317. 13. When Ignorance ofTruth, Duty, orSin, cometh from an unwillingnefs toknow it, or anunwillingnefi to ufe the known means to help us to the knowledge of it, the negleû of fuch an unknown Truth or Duty, and thecommittingof fuch an unknown Sin, is tobe judged of according to the meafure ofthe forefaid willingnefs , or unwillingnefs. 318. 14. For he is not fincerely willing to know a Truth , todo a Duty, to forfake a Sin, who is not willing to ufe the known neceffary means appointed for thefe ends. For he vilifietb Godand Holinefs who thinketh them not worthy the feeking by fuch means. To fay, I would love God and pleafe _him and be faved , if I could do it with a with or without thefe means, is no laving defire. 119. i5. And to delire to be delivered from Sin, and to hate it as Sin, and yet to love it for the pleafure fo much more, as that the intereft of Godand Heaven in us, isnot ftrong enough to makeus ha- bitually willing both to leave it, and to avoid the temptations , and lofe thepleafure, but men had rather keep it than leave it on thefe terms ; this is no fincere repentance, norfign of a holyheart or life. 32o. 16. Even the Habit of a particular lefer Sin (as of jeafting, idle words, idle thoughts, Ò''c.) may be ftrongerthan thecontrarypar- ticular habit, (I think) and therebya man may habitually andaElually live and die in the Sin; and yet that habit not prevail againft the radical habit of Holinefs, of Faith, Hope,' Love, and Obedience in the main. 321. 17. A prefent full Refolution againft Sins that are Great and of eafle defertion to a willing mind, is efential to Repentance ; as is alfo a prefent Refolution for great and neceffary Duties, and to forfake force fmaller Sins, though it be neceffary neceffitate precepti, I think is not effential to PavingConverfion and Repentance, and neceffaryneceffitate medii to Salvation. 322. 18. He that committeth a Groff fin , (that is, aSin evidently Great, and in the power ofa willing mind to forbear) fo often as doth thew that habitually he more loveth it than hateth it, andhad ratherkeep it than leave it, doth fhew thereby that all his profeffed Repentance for it is unfound , and his heart unfantified, and that he bath yet no aétual pardon fromGod. 323. Therefore thofeamong the Papilts who abfolve fuch from their Sins, who commit Fornication or Drunkennefs once amonth (at lean) or once inmany months, or often, and comebetweenand fay, IRepent, dobut delude them. For the nature of thofe Sins is fuch, that he that is converted to anhabitual hatred of them more than he bath a love to them, cannot return to them fo oft : And he that doth notfo hate them Both not truly repent. And even their Hildebrand (Greg. 7.) in a Council at Romeexprefly faith, that [neitherfalfe Baptifm, nor falfe (a feigned and unfound) Repentance do put away sin. 334. 19. The chief tryal of a man's Holinefs and Repentance is by the main fcope and bufinefs of his life, efpecially in the pofitive part, and next in the oppoftive : when a man is confcious that God, and Ho- linefs, and Heaven, arehis great end, whicharedearer tohimand more powerful withhim than all things fenfible, and theintereft of the 'flefh, and whenhe can and dothdeliberately forfake all, when they stand in oppotition to or competition with GodandGlory, and fo as to the courfe

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