of the gospel, and receivers of it, as he that
would judge of a sentence by one word, of a book by one page, of a harmony
by one note, and of the world by one parrel of it. The beauty and harmony
of things consist in their entire union, and though there should appear
many discrepancies and unpleasant discords in several parts, yet all
united together, makes up a pleasant concert. Now this is our childish
foolishness, that we look upon the gospel only by halves, and this being
alone seen, begets misapprehensions and mistakes in our minds, for
ordinarily we supply that which we see not with some fancy of our own.
When the blood of Jesus Christ is holden out in its full virtue, in the
large extent of its efficacy, to cleanse all sin, and to make peace with
God, and wipe away all transgressions, as if they had never been, the
generality of you never apprehending much your own desperate condition,
nor conceiving an absolute necessity of a change, you think this is all
that is in the gospel, and begin to flatter yourselves, and bless
yourselves, though you live in the imaginations of your own hearts, and
never apprehend the absolute need and inevitable sequel of walking in
purity after pardon. And, alas! there is something of this sometimes
overtakes the hearts of true believers, in the slight and overly
consideration of the mercy of God, and blood of Christ, you do not lay the
constraint upon your hearts to a holy conversation. I say, it is not
because you apprehend that blood, that you take more liberty to the flesh,
but rather because you too slightly and superficially consider it, and
that but the one half of it, without piercing into the proper end of that
cleansing, which is, that we may walk in purity.

But, on the other hand, some believing souls, having their desires
enlarged after more holiness and conformity to God, and apprehending not
only the necessity of it, but the beauty and comeliness of it, yet finding
withal how infinitely short they come, and how oft their purposes are
broken and disappointed, and themselves plunged in the mire of their own
filthiness, this doth discourage them, and drives them to such a
despondency and dejection of spirit, that they are like to give over the
way of holiness as desperate. Now, my beloved, for you who look upon the
gospel by a parcel,(243) and such a parcel as enjoins much upon you, I
would earnestly beseech you to open and enlarge your hearts to receive the
full body of th