CONFIRMED CHRISTIAN. 509 and be sincerely obedient to him, yet in many particulars, where his "corruption contradicteth, bath a great deal of backwardness and striving of the flesh against the Spirit ; and there needs many words and many considerations and vehement persuasions, yea, and sharp afflictions, sometimes, to bring him to obey. And he is fain to drive on his backward heart, and'hath frequent use for the ro'd-and spur, and therefore is more slowand uneven in his obedi- ence Gal. v. 17. 3. The seeming Christian is forward in those easy, cheaper parts of duty, which serve to delude his carnal heart, and quiet in a worldly life ; but he is sa backward to thorough sincere obedience in the most flesh-displeasing parts of duty, that he is never brought to it at all; 'but either he will fit his opinions in religion to his will, and will not believe them to be duties, or else he will do something like them in a superficial, formal way ; but the thing itself he will not do. For he is more obedient to his carnal mind and'lusts than he is to God, (Rom. viii. 6, 7.) and forwarder much to sacrifice than obedience ; Eccles. v. 1. XXIII. 1. A Christian indeed doth daily delight himself in God, and findeth more solid content and pleasure in his commands and promises, than in all this world: his duties are sweet to him, and his. hopes are sweeter. Religion is not a tiresome task to him : the yoke of Christ is easy to him, and his burden light, and his commandments are not grievous ; Psal. xxxvii. 4. i; 2. xl. S. xciv. 19. cxix. 16.35.47.70. Matt. xi. 28, 29. John v. 3. That which others take as physic, for mere necessity, against their wills, he goeth' to as a feast, with appetite and delight : he prayeth because he loveth to pray; and he thinks and speaks of holy things because he loveth 'to.do it. And hence it is that he is so much in holy duty, and so unwearied, because he loveth it, and taketh pleasure in it. As voluptuous persons are oft and long at their sports, or merry company, because they love them, and take pleasure in thém; so are sech Christians oft and long in holy exercises, because their hearts are set upon them as their recrea- tion, and the way and means of their felicity. If it be a delight to a studious man to read those books which most clearly open the abstrusest mysteries 'of the sciences, or to converse with the most wise and learned men ; and if it be a delight to men to converse with their dearest friends, or to hear from them and read their let- ters ; no marvel ifit be a delight to a Christian indeed, to read the gospel mysteries of love, and to find there the promises of ever- lasting happiness, and to see in the face ofJesus Christ the clear- est image of the Eternal Deity, and foresee the joys which he shall have forever. He sticketh not in superficial formality, but, break- ing the shell, Both feed upon the kernel. It is not bare external
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=