244 TheGófpel-My/7ery. Dire$. XIII. Tigoroufly upon the duty of fatting, when their fpi- nits were unfit for it ; becaufe he knew, that impof ing duties above their ftrength, is'like putting a piece of new cloth into an old garment, and new wine in- tooldbottles; whichfpoialethall at laft, Mat. ix. T4, 15, 16, 17. That precept of Solomon, " Be not righteous overmuch," Ecclef. vii. 16. is very ufeful and ne- ceffary, if rightly underftood. We are to beware of being too rigorous in exaaing righteoufnefs of our. (elves and others, beyond the meafure of faith and, grace. Overdoing commonly proveth undoing. Chil- drenwhoyenture on their feet beyond their ftrength, have many a fall; and fo have babes in Chrift, when they venture unrieceffarily upon fuch duties as are beyond the ftrength of their faith. Wefhould becon- tent, at prefent, to do the-beft that we can, accord- ing to the meafure of the gift of Chrift, though we know that others are enabled to do much better, and we are not to defpife the day of fmali things, but to praife God that he worketh in us any thing that is well pleating in his fight, hoping that he will fanaify us throughout, and bring us at laft to perfec- tion of holinefs through Jefus Chrift our Lord. And we fhould carefully obferve, in all things, that good leff:,ri of the Apoftle, " Not to think of ourfelves more highly than we ought to think; but to think " foberly according as God path dealt to every man " the meafure of faith," Rom. xii. 3. DIRECTION XIII. Endeavour diligently to make the right ufe of a means appointed in the WordofGod,for the ob- taining andpracctifing Holinefs, only in this Way of believing in Chrift, and walking in him, ac- cording to your new State by Faith.
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