3 S Chap. 3 t . Expoftion upon the Book of Jo B. Verf.7. love the way to it ? He that goes a journey is careful( ofhis way, he would take and keepe, the belt, the fhorteft, the ealiefl, the Weft way. Ifheknowes it not, he will enquire of every manhe meetes, whether he mutt turne to the right hand or to the left. And if any man (ofwhom he enquires and askes the way) lets him in a wrong way, is he not angry ? And ifhe himfelfe miffe or millake his way doth he not grieve ? doth not every flep tire him ? bath he not as it were a clogge upon his heeles, when he is uncertaine, whether he is in his way, or out ofit ? Now feeing .men are focareful! not ro mille their outward way,that theymay get wel to their journeyes end ; is it not tobe lamented,that they are even willirg yea defirous to goe out of their fpirituall way ? moll are not only negligent of their way, never enquiring about it, as the Lord byhis Prophet commands us_to doe ( Per. 6. 16.) Standye in the waye.r and lee ( that is, flay a while and confider your waybefore) e venture to goe in it ; for fo it fallows) and aske for the old paths,where is thegood way,andwalke therein,& ye (hallfind rrfl foryour foules ; (now I fay molt are not only negli- gent oftheir way)But when they are (hewed the right way,they are obftinare and willfully refolve againft ir, as the Prophet tells us thofe Jewes were in theclofe of the fame verfe, But they fayd ,ve willnot walke therein. lob was afrayd that any one flepofhis fhould turne out ofthe way, whereas the moll ofmen utterly re- fufe to turne or ftep into it. Thirdly, Obferve. Every morall all or work! ofman, is aflop, eytherin the way, or outpfthe way, which JCnd bathgiven to to walke in. All the while we are thinking, fpeaking, or doing, we are mo- ving in a good way or in a bad one. Though there are fome things indifferent in their nature , that is, they may be done, or they may be left undone without fin; yet there is nothing indif- ferent when it is doneby us: Whatfoever we doe, we doe eyther well or ill indoing it ; ifwe hit not the right way,our flep turnes out ofthe way,and'then we are in awrong way ; There is no way lyes between theft two. Fourthly, Obferve. Ya/fewept, yr wrong wafer, are indeed nowafer. 74
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