Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest

The 4. Burden of Legal Performances.

4. Those that perform duties in a legal way merely, while they are striving to do their duty, they are contracting still further guilt upon their souls, they strive to do that that the law requires, and in their very striving they are breaking of the law. You will say, so godly men while they are striving to do their duty they sin also, there is imperfection in the best, I but yet their sin is done away in Christ, their sin is not laid to their Charge, but those that are merely legal, while they are striving, they sin and contract Guiltiness upon their spirits, and it lies upon them, and they stand charged with it. But then it may be said it were better that they did not strive, no not so neither, conscience must have them strive, it would be a greater guiltiness if they should not strive, though when they strive they stand charged with further evil then before, now this is a grievous burden; as now if a man were rolling a stone up a hill, and as soon as he had rolled it up, the stone should come down upon him again, it would be a mighty tiresome work, it is so with those that are merely legal, while they are in duty, in working, still corruption brings them down again, and they contract continually guiltiness upon their souls.

4. Those that performe duties in a legal way meerely, while they are striving to do their duty, they are contracting stil further guilt upon their souls, they strive to do that that the law requires, and in their very striving they are breaking of the law. You wil say, so godly men while they are striving to do their duty they sin also, there is imperfection in the best, I but yet their sin is done away in Christ, their sin is not layed to their Charge, but those that are meerly legal, while they are striving, they sin and contract Guiltiness upon their spirits, and it lies upon them, and they stand charged with it. But then it may be said it were better that they did not strive, no not so neither, conscience must have them strive, it would be a greater guiltiness if they should not strive, though when they strive they stand charged with further evil then before, now this is a greivous burden; as now if a man were rowling a stone up a hil, and as soone as he had rolled it up, the stone should come down upon him again, it would be a mighty tiresome work, it is so with those that are meerly legal, while they are in duty, in working, stil corruption brings them down againe, and they contract continually guiltiness upon their soules.