Mead HI. 1J1tin unable t~ reco1.!er him/elf. I 39 canfl not, the very want of this perfection is a fin ; and fo lays thee open to the curfe, and ems thee off frol'lillife. Yea, it makes all thine atl:ions, even thy belt adions tir~ful, for •who fan hrit1g a clean thing out of an unclean? Job xiv. -" 4· And-dofi thou think by fin-, to help thyfelf out of fin and mifery ? (2.) Thy obedience mufl alfo be perfect in parts. It mufi be as broad as the whole law of God : if thou lackefi one thing, thou art undone ; for the law de– nounceth the curfe on him that continueth not i_n every thint q)Jritten therein, Gal. iii. 10. Thou mufi give internal and ·external Gbedience to the whole law ; keep all the com· mands', in heart and life . If thou breakefi any one of them , -that will infure thy ruin. A vain thought or idle word, v:ill fiill fhi.1t thee t.i'P under the curfe. ( 3.) It mufl: be per$ feel in refpetl: of degrees; as was the obedience of /!dam, while he fioJd in his innocence. This the law requires, and will accept of no le~, Matt h. xxii. 37. 'Thou /halt lov: t,~e Lord th;• God, with ali thy hea,:t, and with all thyfoul, 1tnd with all thy 'IJtind. lf one degree of that love required by the Jaw, be wanting ; if each part of thy obedience be not fcrewed up to the greateH height commanded, tht!t want is a breach of the law, and fo leaves thee fiill unde-r the carfe. One may bring as many buckets of water to a houfe that is on fire, as he is able to carry; and yet it may be con!umed, and will be fo, if he bring not as Q1any as will quench the fire. Even fo, although thou fbouldft do what .thou art able, in keeping the commands ; if thou fail in the leaf\: degree of obedience, which the laws enjoins, thou art certainly ruined for ever ; uolefs thou uke hold of Cbrift, resouncing all thy righteoufnefs as filthy rags. See Rom. x.). Gal. iii 10. Lafily, It mufl: be perpetual, as the f!!an Chrill's obedience was, who alwap did the things that pleafed the Father ; for the tenor of the law is; Curftd iJ every one that continueth not in all thing! writ.:. \, fen in the law, to do them. Hence, though //dam's obe– dience wa~ for a while abfolutely perfe.ct; yet, becaufe at length he tripped in one point, viz. in eating the forbid– den fruit, he fell under the curfe of the hw. If one fhould live a dutiful fubJ.eCl: to his prince till the dofe fff his days, and then <:onfpire 'againfl him ; he mufi die for his trea• fen. .~vcn fo, though thou !houldfi, all the time of .thy life, ' .
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