A Sermon 'on Johrt 7· 19. remit of our Indufi:ry: And rhc:refore fince our Slo~h wilt rake Allo~ances to itltlf, lt is far more expedient for us that God harh cbmm~nde,d from ,us Thmgs _beyond rho Sphere ot our prefentAbiliry, than if he had command~d what was within ir. For I much doubr whether if God did not command us to do more than w~ can, w: thould do as much as we do. , . Bur you will fay, to require more than is poHible for us to perform m:~y rather feem a Difcouragemenuhan an Excitement to our Erideavours. for wha t Natural Man will attempt that which he knows robe impoffible> , ;• To this I anfwer, Firfl, That there is a Twofold Impoffibility; one that ,confifts in the Nature of rhe Thing propounded unro us, another that confifts only in aneminen~ and fuperlari ve Degree of ir. The firft Sort of lmpolflbility, which confifts in the Narur~ of the Thin~ irfdt; doth utterly forbid all Anemp!S and Endeavours. Neve~ any Wife Man artempted to climb up into the Sun, or to meramorphofe himfelf into, an Angel, becaufe the Thing itfelf i11 all confiderable Degrees of it is impoffible. But where the Impoffibility confifis only in fame eminent Degree, and yet every Degree thar is artaindble by us harh Excel.lency enough in itfelf to invire and engage our Endeavours, there the Impoffibility of the higheft Degree is no Difcouragemen~ to a WHC and Rational Man from attempting to do his uncrmofi. So it is in thi~ Cafe, many Degrees of l:lolinefs and Obedience are attainabl.e by us , and every Degree that we can atiaih unto is infinitely_woqh our Pains and ,Labour; and therefOre though abfolute PerfeCtion in it be impofiihle; yer this can be no Difcouragexhent from ufing our utmoft Endeavours. The more we Jh~ve afrer ir, tbe more We fhall ftiiL attain ~ 3nd whai: we do atrain is an abundam Recompence of our Jndd!try, and carries in it fo much Excel1ency as will quicken and excite us unto fa~ ther lmprovemenp~ And Certainly whilft we endeayour coward unattainJble' Perfe8:ion we fbaU attain unro much more than if we fet our Mark fhorrer; as he rbat aims at a Star is likely to iboor much higher than he ihat aims only at a Turf. Secondly, As we muft diftinguifh of lmpoflibility, fo likewife of PerfcE\ion, whicb is either Legal or Evangelical. , firft, There is a Legal Perfeaiod, to 1vhich fwo Things are riecc!farily re~· quired. . . . · ~ - - · 1ft, Freedom from Original Sin, that there be no Taint derived down upon out Natures, no Corruption inherent in us, that ihould incline us unto Evil: For, wherd Original Sin is, there Legal Righteoufnefs and PerfeElion canner poffibly be, for even this Sin is a Violation of the LaW. . ., , . . zdly, There muft be a perfeEl and exaa aElual fu ltllling of all the l aws of God, wirhout failing in the leaf! Circumftance or leaft Tittle of Obfervation, for Legal Per· feElion cannot poffibly confifl with the leaf! Guilt. ' , , . ::121 Suond!y, There is an EvangeJical PerfeEt:!on, .wqich is a Srate, though not ofinno~ cency, yet of fuch a Perfonal Righteoufnefs and Holinefs as iball be accepted and r.,. warded by God. Now this Evangelical Perfeaion confifts in Three Things: . 'fi, In true and fincere Repentance for our paft Offences, begging Pardon at God's ~ Hands, and endeavouring to abfl:ain from the Commiffion of the likefOr the future. 2dly, In a rrue and lively Faith, whereby we rely upon the Merits and Satisfatlioii of Chrift alone for the Rerniffion of our Sins. ' ;dly, In new and fincere Obedience, endeavouring to live more holily, and to walk more ftriElly and perfeaiy, before God, according to the Rules he bath prefcribed us i~ his holy Laws. And this confifts both in the Mortification of the corrupt and fin· ful Defires ofrhe Flefh, and in the daily quickning and renewing of the Spirit, where. by we grow in Grace, and make farther Progrefs in Cbrifiianity; when we do all thiS in the Truth and Sincerity ofour Souls, we are fa id to be perfetl with an Evangelical or Gofpel PerfeElion; and this indeed is all the inherent PerfeElion and Righteoilfnefi that is attainablt: by us in this Life. Thus it is that the Saints are in Scriprute termed Righteous, So IVoah is called Righteous, Gen 7· J, And AbrahJm pleads with God for the Righteous in Sodom, Gen. 18. 13, 24- And Zachary and Elizabeth have this Tefl:imonb that they were both Rigbteour, walking in all !ht Commandments of Goii blamelcji, Luke 1. 6. Thus we have the Ways ofHolinefs called Ways of Rigbtcoufncji, Pfal. 2J. 3· And the Works ofHolinefs, Wor~1 of Rigbrcoufnejs, PfJI. •5· ~ ' Ha. 64. 2, etc. This Evangelical PerfeElion is attainable in thi> Lite, and indeed t> attained by every fincere and upright CbriUian;
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