17e The Promift 30. they would be like the yoke and burthen of the law as a covenant of works, grievous to be bvrne,chap. xxiii. 4.But his commandments are nrJt grievous, tJohn v. 3· It was no vain boafl:ing the Apofile ufed, when he iaid, ' I can do all things through Chriil which firengthneth ,me; Philip. iv. 13. Nor was Epaphras out, in fu_ppofing that the Co!offian believers might ' fiand compleat in all the will of God,' Col. iv. 12. David had God's own tc~imony, as to the fact in that matter, ACJ:s xiii. 22. ' .I have found David, -a man after mine own heart which fhall fulfil a{! my will.' This b~ars no prejudice to the doCtrine of the imper– fection of the obedien~G to the faints in this life, main- ·, tained by orthodox divines againfi the Papijls and other Perfellionijls; which as it is abundantly evident from the holy fcripture,s, hath alfo a concurring tefii– rnony to the truth thereof, in the breafis of all the ferious godly, to whom it is given by the Spirit to difcern the holinefs of God, the fpirittiality of the law, and the corruption of their own nature. But I am perfuaded, that thro' the flight of Satan, that doctrine is, as feveral other precious truths are, a fione of Humbling to many, through their not adverting to the · provifion and allowance of grace, made in this promife of the covenant : and that, by this means, many apoor !inner is fnared and ruined, and the hands of many faints weakned in the pracrice of holinefs; to-the great difad'vantage of the_ caufe of holinefs in the ;world. To break that fi1are, and fet this matter in a dear light, there are three things carefully to be di!Hn• guilhed . · , Firfl, Diflinguifh between performing obedience, -in all the parts thereof, and in all the degrees of thefe parts. The latter indeed no man can, at any rate, do in this life, James iii. 2. Eccl. vii. 20. But the for– mer every true believer may do, yea, and actually ooth, fo £1r aS thefe partS are known to him-; ;lS ap~ pears
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