r, and there appears nothing but beauty and consent. Even so it falls
out in our conceptions of the gospel. The straitness and narrowness of our
spirits takes in truth by parcels, disjointed from the whole, looks upon
one side of it, and sees not the other. As for example, sometimes there
appears unto us our duty and strait obligation to holy walking and this
being seen and considered alone, ordinarily fills the soul with some fear,
jealousies, and confusion. Another time, there rises out from under the
cloud, the mercy and peace of Christ in inviting, accepting, and pardoning
sinners, by his blood, that cleanses from all sin; and in that view (such
is our weakness and shortness of sight) there is nothing else presented
but pardoning grace; and hence there is occasion given to the corruption
of our hearts, to insinuate secretly and subtilely unto us some
inclinations to more liberty, and indulgence to the flesh. Thus you see
what stumbling in practice, and disorder in walking, this partial way of
receiving the truth occasioneth. But it hath no less influence upon the
many controversies and differences in doctrine and opinion, about grace
and works. For from whence arise these mistakes on both hands, but from
the straitness of our apprehensions, that we do not take the truth of God
in its full latitude, but being eager upon one part and zealous of it, we
almost lose the remembrance, and sometimes fall, in wrangling with the
other? Many that proclaim the free grace of the gospel, their fault is,
not that they make it freer than it is, for truly it is as free of any
Antinomian can apprehend it, but rather because they take it not in its
entire and full complexion, which best declares the freedom of it, as
comprehending both the pardon of sin and purity from sin, grace towards us
and grace within us; and so, while they only plead for the one, they seem
at least to oppugn the other. And, in like manner, others apprehending the
necessity, beauty, and comeliness of holiness and new obedience, are much
in pressing and declaring this in opposition to the other way; in which
there may be some mistake, not in making it more meritorious than it is,
but at leastwise(441) in such a manner it may be holden out, as may
somewhat obscure the freedom of God's grace. The occasion of both these
misapprehensions may be from the scattering of these diverse parcels of
truth, as so many pearls in the field of the scripture; one is found here,
and