Four books on the eleventh of Matthew

Secondly When he hath chose them, this makes them easy because they are such ways as himself comes freely on unto, what a man comes freely on unto that is easy, and all the people of God are a willing people in Psal. 110. Now when he comes freely on, perhaps, you will say, a man may come freely on to a thing, yet when he is come on, he may find more difficulty then he thought of. Therefore in the second place they are easy in this respect, because they are suitable unto the temper and disposition of a gracious heart, such a one finds the ways of Christ very suitable and agreeable to him. Now Similis Simili gaudet, every like thing doth rejoice in that which is like, a Godly heart finds the counterpane (as I may so speak) of the Lord Jesus Christ written in his own heart, that as it was in the first creation, there the Law of God, the Moral Law, it was written in the heart of man fully, ⟨p. 706⟩and that that we have written in scripture, it is but as it were an extract and counterpane of what was written in the heart of man in the first creation, now by sin a great part of it is blotted out, but now when the soul comes to Jesus Christ, then Christ writes again the Law of God in the heart of the sinner, writes it fair out again, & writes the Law as it comes to be Evangelical, in an evangelical way, for so it is, the Gospel comprehends all that holiness that was in the Law before, the same holiness that was in the Law, the Gospel that takes it in, and makes it more complete, and raiseth it up higher, and makes it more spiritual, and hath more of God in it, and doth show us how to enjoy God in a higher, better, and fuller way, that the Law of the Gospel is written in the heart of believers as the Moral Law was in the heart of Adam at first was, when he was made, and the Law of the Gospel takes in the holiness of Gods Law, and adds a further spiritualness, and shows a higher way of enjoyment of God then before was, when man at first was created, now therefore it must needs be easy in that respect It is easy for a fish to swim in the water, and it is easy for a bird to fly in the air, for it is their own element, so the ways of the Gospel are the proper element of a true godly, & gracious heart And as we say, nullum corpus grave in suo loco▪ no element is heavy in his own proper place. It is true, the ways of Godliness is a heavy burden to a carnal heart, Why?