284 SEVENTH SERMON it was revealed. That will being in God most holy and perfect, the law or word, which is but the mani- festation of it, must needs be holy and perfect too ; therefore it is called the acceptable and perfect will of God, Rom. xii. 2. Col. i. 1. It is also called a word of truth, importing a conformity between the mind and will of the speaker, and the word which is spoken by him in which respect it is said to be holy, just, and good, Rom. vii. 12. 5. In regard of the smoothness, plainness, and perspicuity of them, in the which men may walk surely, easily, without danger of wandering, stumbling, or miscarriage ; as a man is not in danger of missing a way, if it be straight and direct, without any turnings ; and in no great danger of falling in it, if it be plain and smooth, and no stumbling block left in it. Now such is the word of God to those who make it their way, a straight way, which looketh directly forward, Psa. v. S. Heb. xii. 13. An even and smooth way, which hath no offence or stumbling block in it, Psa. xxvi. 12. cxix. 165. It is true, there are hard things to exercise the study and diligence, the faith and prayers of the profoundest scholars ; waters wherein an elephant may swim ; but yet as nature hath made things of greatest necessity to be most obvious and common, as air, water, bread, and the like ; whereas things of greater rarity, as gems and jewels, are matters of honour and ornaments, not of daily use : so the wisdom of God bath so tempered the scriptures, as that from thence the wisest Solomon may fetch jewels for ornament, and the poorest Lazarus bread for life ; but these things which are of common ne- cessity, as matters of faith, love, worship, obedience, which are universally requisite unto the common sal- vation, (as the apostle expresseth it, Jude, ver. 3.
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