a HOLY LIFE. 5 



Doth not the Scripture tell us, i Kings 9. 

 46. There is no man that fameth not ? And 

 Ecclef*]. 10. For there is not a jufl man upon 

 earth that doth good^ andfmneth not. Prov. 

 ^o, 9. Who can fay, I have made my heart 

 cltan^ I am pure from my Jin? James 3.x. 

 In many things we offend all. i John i. 8. 

 If we fay that we have no fin^ we deceive 

 our felves*) and the truth is not in us. And 

 an Heathen Man could fay, Nemo invent- 

 tur qui fe pojfit abfolvere; & innocent em 

 qurque fe dicit^ refficiens teflem^ non confci- 

 entiam: There is no Man to be found that 

 can abfolve himfelf ; and he that faith he 

 is innocent, mufbrefpedaWitnefs, not his 

 own Confcience. 



I anfwer, It is true, that perfed and fm- 

 lefs Holinefs is not attainable by mortal Men 

 in this prefent Life , and therefore God is 

 pleafed to accept of fmcerity of Obedience 

 inftead "of Perfection ; and fo we may de- 

 fine Holinefs, fo far as it is attainable in this 

 imperfeft itate, to be a Jincere and conftant 

 defire and endeavour to obey God in all his 

 Commands. More than this, we cannot 

 perform, and lefs than this God will not 

 accept. 



B 3 i. This 



