242 The Gofpel-Myflery Dire1. XII. Rix you up, to make ufe of them by faith, as they ferve to fl rend;? leenyou either for univérfal obedience, or for particular duties. And, by this manner of walking, your hearts will be comforted, and efla- biifhed in every good word and work; and you will grow in holinefs, until you attain unto perfeaion in Jefus Chrift. 8. If you endeavour to grow in grace, and in all holinefs, truft affuredly that God will enable you by this manner of walking, to do every thing that is ne- ceffary for his glory, and your own everlafting fal- vation; and that he will gracioufly accept of that o- bedience through Chrift, which you are enabled to perform according to the meafure of your faith, and pardon your failings,tho' you offend in many things, and fall flirt of many others, as to degrees of holi- refs'and high acts of obedience. And therefore at- tempt not the performance of duty in any other way, tho' youcannot yetattain to do fo much as you would in this way. This is a neceffary inftruEtion to efta- biifh us in the life of faith, that the fenfe of our ma- nifold failings and defeats may not move us either to dcfpair, or to return to the ife of carnal principles and means, for help againft our corruptions, as ac- counting this way of living and wingby faith to be infufficient for our fans ification and falvation. The apoftle Paul exhorts the Galatians to walk in the Spi- rit, tho'' the flefh Tufts againft the fpirit, fo that they cannot do the things that they would, Gal, v. 16, 17. We are to know, that though the law requireth of us the utmoft perfcftion of holinefs, yet the gofpel rnaketh an allowance for our weaknefs, and Chrift is fo meek and lowly in heart, that he accepteth of that which our weak faith can attain to by his grace, and doth not exa& or expect any more of us for his glory and our falvation, until we grow ftronger in grace. God fhewed his great indulgence to his people under the OldTefla:nent, that Mofes the lawgiver fuffered them becaufe of the hardnefs of their hearts., to put
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