A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

§. Sect. 5 That they who undertake matters above their strength, cannot do them in sincerity, but in show only.

§. Sect. 5 That they who vndertake matters aboue their strength, cannot doe them in sincerity, but in shew onely.

Again, for small proficients in Christianity, to tie themselves unto the same exercises, which are performed by those that have attained to greatest ⟨p. 470⟩perfection, both in respect of matter and manner, measure and degree, what is it, but as if a child should travel in a mans shoes? what is it, but to bring the exercises of Religion unto a fashion, of which, every one must be, who will be in any esteem? what is it, but to fit all bodies with the same garment, and to make all Christians of one size and stature, leaving no distinction of childhood and riper age? And what do they who thus do, but open a gap to gross hypocrisy, and shut sincerity out of doors? For how can we be sincere, when we have no measure of inward ¹grace in any proportion answerable to the show of our outward duties? or how can we perform service unto God in them, heartily and cheerfully as he requireth, when as wanting a support of inward gifts, we toil our selves above our strength? Finally, how can we think that to exercise our selves in things above our power and reach, is to take upon us Christs yoke and burden, and not rather such as are of our own making and imposing, seeing he hath taught us, that his yoke is easy, and burden light, bringing quiet rest unto our souls, and not an intolerable weight, ²which pressing us down and vexing us, maketh our lives unpleasant unto us, and our hearts never at ease until we have again cast them off? Rather let us imitate the example of David, who having an humble conceit of himself and his own gifts, even like a child new weaned, kept