ofSantlification. _ I_7I pears from the texts above alledged. In confounding ofthefe, there lies a fnare. 'The be.fi of men, fc1y crat: ty finners, ·do in many ·things come .tb.ort of the obe· di~nce required of them; and but fo do we.' Now, that the faints do come .tb.ort of the d-egrees of eve– .ry part ofobedience required of them, is very true : bnt that they come lhort of anyofthe_par!s themfelves known to them, which is the cafe of the crafty finner' feeking lhelter for his fin here, is falfe. And herein the former do really difiinguilh themfelves from the· latter; as David .tb.ewed himfelfofanother make than Sau!, by his fulfilling all God's will in the feveral parts thereof, -which Sau/ did not, ACts xiii. 2,2. · It is here, as in the cafe of a family ·confi~ing of plyable' children, and refraCtory fervants . The mafier of the family prefcribes feveral pieces of work, to be done by them all: and his grown children who have perfect lkill of their bufinefs, do them all exaCtly, according to his ~ind ; and thus glorified f.1ints obey : th~ young· er children, who are but learning to work,. do out of regard to their Father's command, indeed put hand to every one of them, but they can do none of them exaCtly ; even fo it is with the fairits on earth : but :· th~ refrafrory fervants put hand to fome of them, but quite negleCt othets· of them: and this is the manner of the wicked and .ilothful fervant, who fee'ks {helter here for his floth, and his partiality in obedience. Secondly, Difiingui!h between perf9rming obedi· ence perfectly, and performing it acceptably. No man can perform obedience pe~feetly, in . this 1ife, Philip. iii. 12. But every true believer performs obe– 'dience acceptably, Atl:s x. 35· He that feareth him, and worketh righteoufne.fs, is accepted with him. In confounding 'of thefe, there is a fnare . The crafty ftnner faith, ' There is none ·thatperforms obedie~ce perfeCtly : and I am fure, I .do many things, though indeed not nll .' Now that true believers do not per– form obedience perfectly, is very true: but tbat they , . dQ
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