ofSanilification. 173 that the fervant ought to have called for them. But here lies a ruining fi1are to many, ' We can do ·no· thing of ourfelves,' fay tbey : and hereupon, the flug– .gard puts his hand-·in his bofom, and does nothing ; but, having laid his head on his {oft pillow, he fleeps · to death on the bed of floth and carnal eafe. 0 tha t· men would open their eyes, and fee thro' this piece . of ruining deceit! No man {hall be able to excufe himfelf hereby, from the performance of holy obedi- - ence in all the parts thereof. Nay, this his condutl: will bring·him under a double guilt; one, of negl t c-·. · . ting what it was his duty to do ; another; of defl?iling the grace offered him, to enable him thereto: and fo, he'll be condemned, not becaufe he could not obey, but becaufe he would not. God hat~?. never been a– hard Mafier to mankind, reaping where h~ did not· J~.w; but hath always made a fuitable allowance of grace and flrength to them, for his work. In the covenant of works, only perfetl: obedience could be accepted, at the hands ofthe covenanted -people: and there was an allowance of grace and firength conform~ · m~de to them in it. God made men upright, able to obey the law in perfetl:ion. And the law juil:ly infifis for perfetl:ion of obedience fiill, upon , the ground of that provifion which was made for it, tho' it is now lofi ; feeing that it was lofi by man's own fault. In the covenant of grace, which is adapted to our fallen fiate, fincere obedience may be accepted, notwithfianding the imperf~B:ions attending it. And according1y, in it there is made a provifion and allow– ance of fuch a fufficiency of grace and fireHgth, as thereby every piece of obedience required of the co– venant-people, may be done, even in this lifu ; tho' not as it fhould be done, yet fo as it may be accepted: 1 accepted, I fay, not for its own fake indeed; nor for · the worker's fake neither; but for Chrifi's fake, in whofe .name it is required to be done and offered to Gocoi, as a fpiritual ' iacrifice acceptable to God by - jefl.1s
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