346 DIRECTÍONS FOR GETTING AND KEEPING from inordinate motions, and temptations, and fleshly desires, and urgent inclinations and solicitations to forbidden things. But yet we may restrain our appetite by reason, so far that it brings us not to gluttony and drunkenness, and astudying for our bellies, and pain- pering of our flesh, or a taking care for it, and making provision to satisfy its lusts ; Rom. xiii. 14. Wemay forbear the obeying it, in excess of apparel, in indecent, scandalous, or time-wasting recrea- tions, in uncleanness, or unchaste speeches or behavior, or the read- ing of amorous books and sonnets, or feeding our eyes or thoughts on filthy or enticing objects, or otherwise willfully blowing the fire of lust. So also for the performance of duty. We shall never in this life be able to hear or read so diligently, and understandingly, or affectionately, as we would do ; nor to remember or profit by what we hear; as we desire. But yet we can bring ourselves to the congregation, and not prefer our ease, or business, or any vain thing before God's word and worship, or loathe or despise it, be- cause of some weakness in the speaker. And we may in a great measure restrain our thoughts from wandering, and force ourselves to attend; and labor when we come home to recall it to mind. We cannot call on God so fervently, believingly, or delightfully, as we would; but yet we may do it as sincerely as we can, and do it constantly. We cannot instruct our children and servants, and re- prove or exhort our neighbors, with that boldness, or love, and compassion, and discretion, and meet expressions, as we would but yet we may do it faithfully and frequently as we are able. So that you may see in all this, what sin it is that Paul speaks of, Rom. vii., when he saith, When he would do good, evil is pres- ent with him; and that he is led captive to the law of sin, and serves the law of sin with his flesh. And Gal. iv. 17. when he saith, " We cannot do the things that we would," he speaks not of willful sinning or gross sin, but of unavoidable infirmities ; whereby also we are too often drawn into a committing of many sins which we might avoid, (for so the best do.) And because you may often read and hear of sins of infirmity, as distinguished from other sins, let me here give you notice, that this word may be taken in several senses, and that there are three several sorts of infirmity in the godly. ]. There are those sins which a man cannot avoid though he would ; which are in the gentlest sense called sins of infirmity. Here note, first, that Adam had none such ; and secondly, that the reason of ;hem because, 1. Our reason which should direct, and our wills themselves which should command, are both imperfect. 2. And our faculties that should be commanded and directed, are by sin grown impotent and obstinate, and have contracted a rebelling, disobedient disposition. 3. And that degree of grace, which the
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