Chap.3.s~a- .-:. · t=· ===1L _~- _-o=o_l.,..it_ --n=g=t=tt_t - =o='Jj=-:-c-=r=u_5-=- _. - _-' :-:.:.. ~~~-~-B=o:-o-k~=lV=·==t_9-3= ~nto them by his Word and Spirir, !fa. 30. 2I.) The W•')'faring men though fools ]hall n~t erre thmill; Chrifls way is fo ealie that the limplefl fo conducred by hts Word and Spmt n,all not mifs of it, '"the meek will he g~<ide in j~tdgment, and the meek_wtll he teach hts Pral, >S. 9· w~{i,e ApoH!es arc yet more clear; For this is thelove of Godthat1i>e ktep his command- ~[~~~-$;. 3~ ments, and hiscommandments are not gruvoYA. And th~ law ofthe Sptrtt of !tfe tn Chri~ Rom. 7 • 6 , gefi;, hath made me fm fromthe law of fin and death. .And now are we deltvered from (he law, that being dead ••hemnwe ~ereheld, that we Jho~<ldfervetn new»efs of Spmt, and 110 t in tiJC otdnefs of the lm:r· Chn~ Jefus came to b_reak off from our necks thofe two great yoaks, the one of lm, by whtch we. were kept t.n fe_mrs >nd pnfons, .the other of Mofes Jaw, by which we were kept In pup!llage and_mmonry; and now Chnfl havmg taken off tbefe two, he bath pur on a thtrd; he qurts us of our burthen, but not of our _ dury; he bath changed tbe yoak of fin, and the yvak of the law flndly tak~n, into the fweemefs of his fatherly regtment, whofe very precepts carry part of thetr reward tn hand and 'alfurance of glory afterward. Tl;e reafonsof the fweetnefs, ealinefs, and pleafantnefs of Chriflian Religion; and the pra<'tife of it, I Ihall reduce into thefe heads. I. Chriflian Religion is mofl rational, If we lhould look into the belt laws that the wifeft men in the world ever agreed upon, we !hall find that Chrifl adopted the quimef– fence of them all into this one law; the highefl pitch of reafon is but as afpark, a taper, a letTer Jioht, wbid1 i1involved and fwallowed up in the body ofthis great light, that is made up by the Sun 0f righteoufnefs. Some obferve that Chrifls difcipline i• the bre– viary of all thewisdomeofthe befl men, and a _fa_ir copl' _and tranfcript ~f his Fathers wifdorn . there is notlung 111 the Llws of Chrtfltan Rehgwn, but what ts perfeCtiVe of our fpin'ts, rare expedient of obeying God, and of doing duty and benefit to all capa– cities and orders of men . Indeed the Greeks, whom the world admtred for their hu- ' mane wifdom, accounted the preaching of the Gofpcl foolilhnefs, and thereupon God b!al\ed their wifdom, as it is written, 1 will deflroy the wifdom of the wife, and will bring 1 Cor: 1 ; , 9 , to nothing t!Je 11nderjlanding •f thepmdmt, I Cor. l. 19. the Gofpel may be asfoolifltnefs umo fome, but Jmto th•m which are called- Chrijl thepower of God, andthe Wifd•m 1Clor. r. 14. of ~0~hriftian Religion bath lefs trouble and llavery in it than fin, or any thing rhat ;, · contrary to it ; as for inflance ; he that propounds to himfelf to live a low, a pious, an humble and retired life, his main employment is nothing but futingreligiouJir quiet, and undiflurbed with variety of impertinent affairs; but he that loves rhe world entertains a thoufand bulinelfes, and every bulinefs bath a world of employments: how eafie a thing is it to re!lore a pledge? but if a man means to defeat, or tocozen him that tru!ls him, wh.r a wotld of arts mull he ufe to make gretences ? as firfl to delay, then to excufe. then to object, then to intricate the bulinefs, then to quarrel; and all the way to palliate the.crime, and to reprefem himfelf an hone!! man: the wayes of fin are crooked, defert, rocky, and uneven wayes: the Apocriphal Book' of Solomon brings in fuch men, as ifin hell they were fpeaking this language, We wearied CJ<r [elves In theway of wicktdncfs, ye11 Wild. 5 ; 1 . we havegonethrMg h deferts, where there l~yno way; bJ<t M for thewayoftheLord we have not eyown it. Wicked men are in thraldome, but where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is frced•m. 0 the pains, troubles, expence. that men are at to ferve their fenfuali- • Cor. 3· ' 7· t);'! fee how the ambitious man rifeth early, and goes to bed late . fee how he flatters, ' dtffembles. folicits to obtain nothing hut a little wind, a puff~, a' breath of vain mem m?uths l ~ee how the covecous man toyls, as if he were tyed in a Gaily by the leg wuh acham to ferve by rowing for ever; fo I· hav.c heard, that Turk§ ufe fome Chriflians ; butthis is athoufand times worfe fervirude, for fuch a one is in fervirude toamare bafe creature than aT,.rk._, and he lies bound not only by the feet, bm alfo by the hands, ears, eyes, he.art, a~d all, $)nly the Chriflian is at liberty; only Chriflian Religion and the pracbfe of 1t fets men at liberty; If ye cominM in my Word, (faith Chrifl ) then arcyemydifcipl<s indeed, and ye jhall k,I!OW the trmh, and tbe truth jha/lmakt yo~< johnS-;t,3'· free. · • 3• Chriflian Religion is all compo[ed of peace; her wayes ~re the wayes of pleafant– nefs, and ~ll her_ paths are peace, Prov. TJ.. 3·. Chrin framed all his Laws in comply– ance of thrs dehgn of peace; peace within, and peace at home, and peace abroad . I· It holds forth a cenain heavenly peaoe, and tranqui!ity within; Great peace hav~ PM. 119 • t 6 <. they whtehlove thy law, and nothmg Jhallojfendthcm. But on thecomrary, The wicktd 1fa.s 7 .2o, ,.; D d 2 .
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