The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. /…The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. /…

You are in such a condition, wherein nothing but perfect obedience shall stand you in stead. If you pray as well as you can, yet if you do not pray as perfectly as God commanded in the Law, you shall never be heard: If you keep all the Commandments of God, and fail but in one, yet you shall be damned; there is no accepting of imperfect obedience of you, because you are not under Christ, but under the Law. And I tell thee this, the Saints of God shall commit greater sins and go to Heaven, when thou lesser and go to Hell. Peter forsweareth his Master with an Oath and Curse, and yet he is pardoned; thou shalt not swear and curse, or deny Christ, (for the ordinary matter) and shalt be damned. Saul yieldeth God imperfect obedience, he obeyeth the command in part, he fighteth against Amalek, slayeth the people and the cattle, and yet notwithstanding ⟨p. 118⟩cast out of his Kingdom, and kept from Heaven for ever. David committeth a greater sin for the matter of it, he committeth adultery, murdereth Uriah, lieth in the sin almost a twelve-month, and yet he is pardoned. What is the reason: Saul was under the Law, therefore no acceptance without perfect obedience. David indeed for the matter of his sin did worse, but David was under grace; there is no sin so great but he had a pardon for it, the least obedience, so in truth, was accepted. Oh remember this, you are ready to bear out your selves with this conceit, because David, and Peter, and other Saints sinned so, and are pardoned, therefore you may sin so, and be pardoned. Indeed it is true, you shall be pardoned if you are in Christ, and are under grace: but yet being unconverted, thou art therefore in the state of nature, and so under the Law, and not under grace. Here is the third Use.

You are in such a condition, wherein nothing but perfect obedience shall stand you in stead. If you pray as well as you can, yet if you doe not pray as perfectly as God commanded in the Law, you shall never be heard: If you keep all the Commandements of God, and faile but in one, yet you shall be damned; there is no accepting of imperfect obedience of you, because you are not under Christ, but under the Law. And I tell thee this, the Saints of God shall commit greater sinnes and goe to Heaven, when thou lesser and goe to Hell. Peter forsweareth his Master with an Oath and Curse, and yet he is pardoned; thou shalt not sweare and curse, or deny Christ, (for the ordinary matter) and shalt be damned. Saul yeeldeth God imperfect obedience, he obeyeth the command in part, he fighteth against Amalek, slayeth the people and the cattell, and yet notwithstanding