11. And if any one was to ask himself how it comes to pass, that there are any _degrees_ of sobriety which he neglects, any _method_ of charity which he does not follow, any _rules_ of redeeming time which he does not observe, his own heart will tell him, that it is because he never _intended_ to be so exact in those duties. For whenever we fully intend it, it is as possible to conform to all this _regularity_ of life, as it is possible for a man to observe _times_ of prayer. So that the fault does not lie here, that we desire to be good and perfect, but thro’ the weakness of our nature fall short of it; but we have not piety enough to _intend_ to be as good as we can, or to please God in _all our actions_. This we see is plainly the case of him that spends his time in _sports_, when he should be at _church_; it is not his want of power, but his want of _intention_, or desire to be there. 12. And the case is plainly the same in every other folly of human life. She that spends her time and _money_ in the unreasonable ways and fashions of the world, does not do so, because she wants power to be wise and religious in the management of her time and money, but because she has no _intention_ or desire of being so. When she feels this intention, she will find it as possible to act up to it, as to be strictly _sober_ and _chaste_ because it is her care and desire to be so. 13. This doctrine does not suppose, that we have no need of divine grace, or that it is in our own power to make ourselves perfect. It only supposes, that through the want of a _sincere_ intention of pleasing God in _all our actions_, we fall into such irregularities of life, as by the _ordinary_ means of grace, we should have power to avoid. And that we have not that perfection, which our present state of grace makes us capable of, because we don’t so much as intend to have it. It only teaches us, that the reason why you see no _real_ self-denial, no _eminent_ charity, no _profound_ humility, no _heavenly_ affection, no _true_ contempt of the world, no _Christian_ meekness, no _sincere_ zeal, no _eminent_ piety in the _common lives_ of Christians, is this, because they don’t so much as _intend to be exact and exemplary_ in these virtues. CHAP. III. _Of the great danger and folly of not |intending| to be as eminent as we can, in the practice of all Christian virtues._ 1. ALTHOUGH the goodness of God, and his rich mercy in Christ Jesus, are a sufficient assurance to us, that he will be merciful to our unavoidable weaknesses, that is, to such failings as are the effects of _ignorance_ or _surprize_; yet we have no reason to expect the same mercy towards those sins which we live in, through a want of _intention_ to avoid them.