a liar, that affirm the contrary. Eccl. vii. 20. "For there is not a juft man upon earth, that doth good, and finneth not.' Kings viii. 46. For there is no man that finneth not.' James iii. 2. For in many things we offend all.' 1 John i. 8. 10. 'If we fay that we have no fin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we fay that we have not finned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.' 3. Because the fcripture hath recorded the fins of the most holy that ever lived: Abraham's diffimulation concerning his wife. Gen. xx. 2. ‹ And Abraham faid of Sarah his wife, She is my fifter.' The like diffimulation of Ifaac. Gen. xxvi. 7. And he faid, She is my fifter; for he feared to fay fhe is my wife.' Jacob's lie to his father. Gen. xxvii. 24. And he faid, Art thou my very fon Efau ? And he faid, I am.' Jofeph's fwearing by the life of Pharaoh. Gen. xlii. 15. By the life of Pharaoh, ye shall not go hence, except your youngest brother come hither.' Mofes' unadvised fpeech. Pfal. cvi. 33. They provoked his spirit fo that he spake unadvisedly with his lips. The fcripture recordeth Noah's drunkennefs; Lot's inceft; David's murder and adultery; Job's and Jeremiah's impatience, and curfing their birth day; Peter's denial of his mafter with oaths and curses, and his diffimulation afterwards before the Jews; Paul and Barnabas' contention. And if fuch perfons as these, who were filled with the Holy Ghost, and had as great a measure of grace as any whom we read of, either in the fcriptures or any history, were not perfect without fin, we may fafely conclude, that no faints in this life have ever attained unto abfolute perfection.

Q. 8. Doth not the fcripture tell us, 1 John iii. 9. Whofeever is born of God doth not commit fin; for his feed remaineth in him: and he cannot fin, because he is born of God: And if the faints are without fin in their life, are they not perfect ?

A. 1. If the fenfe of this place fhould be, that fuch as are born of God do not commit fin at all, then no regenerate perfons which are born of God, would ever be found committing fin: but the fcripture doth record the fins of many regenerate perfons, as hath been fhewn ; and experience doth evidence the fame, that fuch as are born of God commit fin, and therefore that cannot be the mean

ing of the place, that fuch as are born of God do not commit fin at all. 2. Such as are born of God do not commit fin; that is, 1. They do not commit fin with the full confent of their will, which is in part renewed; and which fo far as it is renewed, doth oppofe fin, though fometimes it may be overpowered by the ftrength and vi olence of temptation. 2. They do not live in a course of fin, as the unregenerate do. 3. They do not commit fin unto death, as 1 John v. 17, 18. 'All unrighteousness is fin: and there is a fin not unto death. We know that whofoever is born of God finneth not; that is, not unto death.

Q. 9. Doth not God himself teflify concerning Job, that he was a perfect man? Jobi. 8. Haft thou confidered my fervant Job, that there is none like him upon the earth, a perfeð man ? Doth not Hezekiah alfo plead his perfection with the Lord when he was fick ? 2 Kings xx. 3. Remember now how I have walked before thee with a perfect heart. And doth not Paul alfo affert himself, and other Chriftians, to be perfect? Phihip. iii. 15. Let us, therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded.' And how then is perfection unattainable by the faints in this life?

A. 1. This perfection, which is afcribed unto the faints in the fcripture, is not to be understood of abfolute perfection and freedom from all fin, for the reasons already given, which prove the contrary; but it is to be undertood of fincerity, which is evangelical perfection, or at the furtheft of comparative perfection, not an absolute perfection. 2. Thus we are to understand the perfection which God teftifieth of Job. Haft thou confidered my fervant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect man?" that is, fo perfect as he is, a perfect and upright man.' His perfection did confift in his uprightnefs and fincerity; and that Job was not abfolutely perfect doth appear from his fin a little after, in his curfing his birth-day. Job iii. 3. Let the day perish wherein I was born.' And after he is charged with fin. Job xxxiv. 37. He multiplieth his words against God.' 3. So alfo Hezekiah's perfection, which he pleadeth, was no more than his fincerity. Remember I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart.' And the fcripture doth

note his fin a little after, which is a clear evidence that he was not abfolutely perfect. 2 Chron. xxxii. 25. But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up therefore wrath was upon him, and upon Judah and Jerufalem.' 4. In the fame place where the apostle Paul, doth affert himself, and other Christians, to be perfect, he doth acknowledge that he was not perfect. Philip. iii. 12, 13. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which alfo I am apprehended of Chrift Jefus. Brethren, I count not myfelf to have apprehended, &c. Therefore the perfection which he had attained, which he fpeaketh of, verfe 15. is to be understood of evangelical perfection; the perfection which he had not attained, is to be understood of abfolute perfection. It is evident therefore, that no faints do attain absolute perfection in this life; and fuch as do pretend unto it, it is through their ignorance of themselves and of God, and the extent of God's law.

Q. 10. Do all the children of men, and the faints themselves, break the commandments of God in this life?

A. The faints themfelves, and much more fuch as are no faints, do daily break the commandments of God in thought, word, and deed. Gen. viii. 21. The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth.' James iii. 8. The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poifon.' John iii. 19. Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.'

10. 11. Are all thoughts of fin breaches of God's-commandments, when they are without evil words or actions?

A. All thoughts of fin are breaches of God's commandments, without evil words or actions, when they are accompanied with evil inclinations, defires, and affections. Matth. v. 28. Whofoever looketh upon a woman to luft after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.' Matth. xv. 19. 'Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, falfe-witnefs, blafphemies.'

Q. 12. May not the faints in this life be kept from finfal thoughts, words, and actions?

A. 1. The faints in this life cannot be wholly free from all finful thoughts, words, and actions, because all, even the best of faints, through remaining corruption, are fubject to daily infirmities and defects. 2. The faints in this life may be kept from all grofs fins of thoughts, wards, and deeds, and they are kept from the reigning power of any fin.

Q.13. How are the faints kept from grofs fins, and the reigning power of any fin?

A. The faints are kept from grofs fins, and the reign

ing power of any fin : 1. By the reign of Christ in their

hearts. 2. The mortification of fin in the root of it through the Spirit. 3. By watchfulness against fin in the thoughts. 4. By avoiding occafion of fin, and refifting temptations unto it.

LXXXIII. Queft. Are all tranfgreffions of the law equally beinous ?

Anfw. Some fins in themselves, and by reafon of feveral aggravations, are more heinous in the fight of God than others.

Q. I. What is it for fin to be heinous ?

A. Sins are heinous, as they are grievous and offenfive unto God.

Q. 2. Are not all fins heinous unto God?

A. All fins are heinous unto God, but all fins are not equally heinous ; for fome fins are more heinous in the fight of God than others.

Q.3. How many ways are fome fins more heinous in the fight of God than others?

A. Two ways. 1. Some fins are more heinous in themfelves. 2. Some fins are more heinous than others, in regard of their several aggravations.

Q.4. What fins are more heinous in themselves than others? A. 1. Sins against the firft table of the law, are more heinous than fins against the fecond table of the law: thus idolatry is more heinous than adultery, facrilege is more heinous than theft, blafphemy against God is more heinous than speaking evil of our neighbor; and fo proportionably the higheft fin committed againft God more immediately, is more heinous than the highest fin committed more immediately against man; and the lowest fin

committed immediately against God, is more heinous than the lowest fin committed against man. 1 Sam. ii. 25. If one man fin againft another, the judge fhall judge him but if a man fin against the Lord, who fhall entreat for him? 2. Some fins against the fecond table of the law are more heinous in themselves, than others against the fame fecond table; as murder is more heinous than adultery, adultery is more heinous than theft, theft is more heinous than coveting thy neighbor's houfe; and here now may be added, that the fame fins of any kind ripened into actions, are more heinous in themselves, than those fins in the thoughts only and inclinations. This is evident from the greater difpleafure which God doth express in scripture for fome fins than for others, against the fecond table of the law; and for finful works than for finful thoughts. 3. Sins against the gospel are more heinous of themselves than fins against the law; fins against the gospel being committed against the greatest light that ever did fhine upon men, and the greatest love and grace of God that ever was fhewn unto men, and therefore the punishment of gofpel-finners will be greater than the punishment of the most notoriously wicked heathens. Matth. xi. 20-24. "Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not. Wo unto thee, Chorazin! wo unto thee, Bethfaida! it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, fhalt be brought down to hell: it fhall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee.'

Q. 5. What are the aggravations which render fome fins more heinous than others?

A. The aggravations which render fome fins more heinous than others, are the circumstances which do attend them.

Q. 6. What is the first aggravation of fin?

A. The firft aggravation of fin is from the perfons offending thus the fins of magiftrates, ministers, parents, the aged, and all governors, are more heinous in the fame kind than the fame fins of fubjects, people, children, the younger, and those who are under government, because