Use 1 First, this doth show us how to come and appear beautiful in the eyes of the Lord Jesus: which is when we turn our feet from the estate and ways, and bondage of sin and Satan, and come out of the captivity into the liberty of his children, when we claim our Inheritance of the Kingdom of heaven, seeking after it above all earthly blessings, and walking towards it; when we walk confidently in a Christian course, then Christ admireth our beauty. How beautiful are thy goings with shoes, O Princes daughter! Yea, Christ then esteemeth us as Princes children: what matter then if foolish Men account us Peasants, and our going with shoes as straight in the instep? but we stand not, nor fall not to their judgements, ⟨p. 216⟩but to his who shall judge us to eternal happiness, or misery at the last day:1 He word must stand when heaven and earth shall fall:2 If he account us vessels of honour, we are so indeed, who is it that dishonoureth us? If men should cast a vessel of gold or silver into the mire, and trample upon it, yet the vessel is still a vessel of honour, good, and rich, and precious; the mire may easily be washed off from such vessels. Be not discouraged then from Christian courses by foolish fears of reproach: The truth is, if we go on in sin, Christ esteemeth of us as base peasants, as ugly and abominable in his sight, naked, bare, deformed, and defiled; yea, he esteemeth our goings as going barefoot, which either, first, brawneth our feet with a thick skin, that thereby we grow insensible and feel nothing: or secondly, pricketh us with unnecessary scruples and fears.
Ʋse 1 First, this doth shew us how to come and appeare beautifull in the eyes of the Lord Jesus: which is when wee turne our feet from the estate and wayes, and bondage of sin and Satan, and come out of the captivity into the liberty of his children, when wee claime our Inheritance of the Kingdome of heaven, seeking after it above all earthly blessings, and walking towards it; when we walke confidently in a Christian course, then Christ admireth our beauty. How beautifull are thy goings with shooes, O Princes daughter! Yea, Christ then esteemeth us as Princes children: what matter then if foolish Men account us Peasants, and our going with shooes as straight in the instep? but wee stand not, nor fall not to their judgements, ⟨p. 216⟩but to his who shall judge us to eternall happinesse, or misery at the last day:1 He word must stand when eeaven and earth shall fall:2 If he account us vessels of honour, we are so indeed, who is it that dishonoureth us? If men should cast a vessell of gold or silver into the mire, and trample upon it, yet the vessell is still a vessell of honour, good, and rich, and precious; the mire may easily be washed off from such vessels. Be not discouraged then from Christian courses by foolish feares of reproach: The truth is, if we goe on in sin, Christ esteemeth of us as base peasants, as ugly and abominable in his sight, naked, bare, deformed, and defiled; yea, he esteemeth our goings as going barefoot, which either, first, brawneth our feet with a thicke skin, that thereby we grow insensible and feele nothing: or secondly, pricketh us with unnecessary scruples and fears.
