Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

Besides, the ways of Religion are not suitable to his principles, but he is fain to force himself to them, ¹and all forced things are tedious; but a gracious heart goes on in the ways of Religion as suitable to his principles.

1. 12.

Besides, an Hypocrite hath not those comforts as ⟨p. 635⟩¹those that are gracious have in their ways, they have the assurance of Gods acceptance, and the light of God shining upon them, which Hypocrites have not; so that the ways of God are more difficult to Hypocrites, then to the godly; and yet they get nothing by them but some base ends, and the godly that do not endure so much difficulty, get Heaven, and immortality, and a Crown of glory, and all because their ends are different: O be sure your ends be right, you see what vast difference mens ends may make!

1. 13.

As if two should go to sea, it may be they go out both together, and one endures as much tempest and storm as the other, and they are at the like charge; perhaps yet the one comes home richly laden, and the other brings nothing but Cockle shells, and a little gravel; when he that brought home the Cockle shells and the gravel, shall see the difference between him and the other, when as they were at like charge, and endured the same difficulty, how will he be ashamed? This is the difference between a gracious heart and an hypocrite, both go out in Religion, the one makes as much stir as the other, and suffers as much disgrace and contempt as the other; the one enjoys all the riches of the Kingdom of God; the other, what does all his profession come to? he gains a little respect from some, that this body or that body says, He is a man of good parts, and here is all. O miserable voyage that such as these are have made, when all their profession comes but to this! Yea, it may be they do not so much as gain respect from those that are wise and judicious, but only from a company of prattlers, that will speak well of you