and know the men who teach otherways not to be of God; 3d, It should be
our ambition, when the all of religion is cried down, and a painted
shadow, a putrid, however perfumed, nothing put in its place, to make it
appear, by our practice, that religion is an elevation of the soul above
the sphere and activity of dead morality; and that it is no less or
lower principle that acts us, than Christ dwelling in us, and walking in
us. How can the love of God, and of Christ, and of the Spirit be in us,
if these perverse praters against the power of godliness, provoke us not
to emit a practical declaration to the world, and extort a testimony to
his grace by our way, from the enemies thereof? Improve, therefore, this
his special help to that purpose, which in a most seasonable time is
brought to thy hand.

But to sum up all shortly, there are but three things which make
religion an heavy burden; 1st, The blindness of the mind; and here thou
art taught to make use of that eye-salve, whereby the eyes of the blind
see out of obscurity, and out of darkness; he who formerly erred in
spirit, by the light held forth in these lines, may see a surpassing
beauty in the ways of God; 2d, That aversion and unwillingness which is
in the mind, whereby the sweet and easy yoke of his commands is spurned
at as heavy; in order to the removing thereof, and that thou mayest be
among his willing people, here thou hast Christ held forth in his
conquering beauty, displaying his banner of love over souls, so that
thou canst not look upon him as held forth, but faith will bow thy neck
to take on his yoke, because it sees it is lined with the love of
Christ, and then this love that lines the yoke, shed abroad in the
heart, will constrain to a bearing of it; but, 3d, When the spirit is
willing, there remains yet much weakness; love kindled in the heart
conquers the mind into a compliance with his will, and a complacency in
his commands, but its greatest strength is often to weep over a withered