Book IV. Looking unto :Je/141. 1. They object that Chrift himfelfe confeifeth it co be a yMkt and a burth~n; butt~ t~at we anfw~r with Chrift, hi& yoakg :;;· eajie, and hu b;~rthen u ltght. Certamly there.are bl!lrthens which grieve not the bearers at all,. as the burthen offeathers upon a birds back ; it is nothing grievous to 'her," but rather beares her up; and a burthenofgold and jewels upon a mans back (fup· pofing it the reward of his portage, and the hire of his labour) it is nothing grievous to him, but rather cheeres.kim up. Men brethren, and fathers, if we will but come and clofe with Chrift' tile Spirit is given to enable us, and .heaven is promifed to en~ courage us; the one gives power, and the othrr ll:irs up our atfed:ions, and how thea fhould we complaine of preifure? 0 it is a fweet burthen ! fweetned by his grace, and fweetned by his. . , Spirit, and fweetned by a principle oflove, 0 how love I thy law ? Pfal.t 19· 97· and fweetned by a principleofdelight, th]law i& my delight, and ~>~~: 19 • 11 • fweetned with a promife ofreward,, in the kfeping of thy commandments there is great reward. 2. They objed:; we feele no fuch thing; you tell us offweetneife, eafinelfe; pleafantneife; but if we muft fpeak out our own ·' experiences, oh whqt a wearinef{e is it ?-when will the new ~~~51s~~; moone be gone, that we may fell corne? andthe Sabbath, that we may Jet forth wheat ! . we feele a fweetneffe in thefe prefent enjoyments of the world, but as for holineife, grace, Religion, the dikip!jne ofChriil, we wonder where the fweetneife is, we can finde no fuch fecrct golden mynes in thefe fpiritual diggings. I anfwer, r. This indeed is the fpeech of carnal and prophane men, they fede no iweetneife, eaune!fe, pleafantnefl'e in Gods C _waie>. the natural man receiveth not the things ofthe Spirit of qod, I Ofl1•14> 1) f I ' fi fh IT', h, . h h L. h b . ,(. J or tY.Jey are eo/J neJJ e uZ~to 1m, nell er can e '00W t em, ecau;e they are JPiritually, difcerned: Jlflt he ~hat is fJiritual judgeth w· di[Cerneth rill things. Poore touts! t1ll God fpeak to your hearts you cannot underftand this hidden Manna : It is obferved tl1~t God never fent thl! pleafant Manna unto I [rae! fo long as their flower and bread of Eg]pt lafied, fo never will you taft how good the Lord is, fo long as you doat on finne and vanity .. 2 Though you feele not thefe things for the prefent, yet in time you may do ; yea certainly if you belong to God, in time you will do 2 Oh but when? you will fay, when? I anfwcr, the_ - _ · - firft
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