300 SEVENTH SERMON for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God," Mark x. 25. This was a cavil of the disputant in the apostle, against the counsels of God, " Why doth he yet find fault ?" if he harden whom he will, why doth he complain of our hardness, which it is impossible for us to prevent, because none can resist his will ? Rom. ix. 19. Now to this scandal we answer; 1. That the law of God was not originally, nor is' it in- trinsically, or in the nature of the thing impossible, but accidentally, and by reason of natural corruption which is enmity against it ; a burden may be very portable in itself, which he who is a cripple is not able to bear ; the defect is not in the law, but in us, Rom. viii. 3. 2. That of this impossibility there may be made a most excellent use, that being con- vinced of impotency in ourselves, we may have re- course to the perfect obedience and righteousness of Christ, to pardon all our violations upon it, Gal. iii. 21. 24. 3. Being regenerated and endued with the Spirit of Christ, the law becomes evangelically possible unto us again; yea, not only possible, but sweet and easy, Rom. vii. 2. 1 John v. 2. Matt. xi. 30. Though impossible to the purpose of justifica- tion and legal covenant, which requireth perfection of obedience under pain of the curse, Gal. iii. 10. in which sense it is a yoke which cannot be borne, Acts xv. 10. A commandment which cannot be endured, lieb. xii.. 20. yet possible to the purpose of accepta- tion of our services done in the obedience of it ; the spiritual part of them being presented by the inter- cession, and the carnal defects covered by the righteousness of Christ, in whom the Father is al- ways well pleased. 4. If any wicked man presume to harden himself in the practice of sins, under this
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