698 Chap. 27 e n Expof'tiox upon the Bookof J o 1;, Yerf, i-5> loved, O thon fairefl among women ? What is thy belovedmore then another' beloved, that thou doeft thus charge us ? Theyde- mand what, and what is thy beloved ? out ofan earneft deft re of further information. men esa Al- mighty of delireto kowwhathe , but in cone and derifion ofwhat they vainly and ignorantly conceive him tobe. even too meane to be ferved by them. Secondly, Obferve e44 wicked man thinksfcern toferve God. 2(o, man can ferve two Mailers ( faith our GreatMatter, Mat. 6. 14.) That is, two Matters of contrary interefts, and who iffue out contrary commands. Every wicked man ferveth more Matters then two, but he ferveth not that onewho is in- finitely better and more deferving our fervice then All. He is a fervant to luft,yea heferves divers 1pfsand pleafores(Tit.3.3.). he ferves at thepleafure ofevery luft,and therefore he can have, no pleafure in ferving the Lord : and unleffe we make it our pleafure as well as our work to ferve the Lord,he hath noplea- fure neyther in us nor in our fervices.Wecannot ferve God un. leffe we deny our felves, and- refòlve our will into his. But every wicked man is a felfe-feeker, therefore he cannot ferve God, And as in that fiate he cannot, fo he bath no will, no sninde to ferve the tord. He looks upon his fervice as flavery, andcalls the commandementsofGod coards and bonds, and fubmiflion to them bondage, therefore he faith, I will breare thofe bonds afunder, andcaft away thofe coardsfromme(Pf.2.3 ) Till we are made free from fin, we are never free toferve the Lord. The Apoftle joynes thofe two in confequence, Rem. 6. 20, 21 . Whenye were thefervants offin,yewerefree from righ- teoufrofire (not free by any liberty given, but by a libery taken, which is licentioufnefe) but now being made free fromfinne ( Chrift manunnitteth all whom he redeemeth) and becomefer- vants to God ; There is a bleffed tranfition from that freedome which is indeed flavery, into a fervice which is indeed free- dome. He is incomparably more free thatferveth the Lord, then he who, not ferving him, ruleth the world. /reeve (God beingmy Matter ) maybe the Motto, and is the Honourofall the Saints. The yokeofChrift, yea the Croffeof Ch are fweete,
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