APPLICATION.

APPLICATION.

Behold here the life of a serious Christian, shadowed forth to the life. As the life of a Husbandman, so the life of a Christian is no idle, or easy life. They that take up Religion for ostentation, and not for an occupation; and those that place the business of it in notions, and idle speculations, in forms, gestures, and external observances, may think, and call it so: but such as devote themselves unto it, and make Religion their business, will find it no easy work to exercise themselves to godliness. Many there are, that affect the reputation and sweet of it, who cannot endure the labour, and sweat of it. If men might be indulged to divide their hearts betwixt God and the World, or to cull out the cheap and easy duties of it, and neglect the more difficult and costly ones, it were an easy thing to be a Christian: but surely to have respect to all God's commandments, to live the life, as well as speak, the language of a Christian: to be holy in all manner of conversation, is not so easy. This will be evident, by comparing the life of a Christian, with the life of a Husbandman, in these five particulars: Wherein it▪ will appear that the work of a Christian, is by much the hardest work of the two.

BEhold here the life of a serious Christian, shadowed forth to the life. As the life of a Husbandman, so the life of a Christian is no idle, or easie life. They that take up Religion for ostentation, and not for an occupation; and those that place the business of it in notions, and idle speculations, in forms, gestures, and external observances, may think, and call it so: but such as devote themselves unto it, and make Religion their business, will find it no easie work to exercise themselves to godliness. Many there are, that affect the reputation and sweet of it, who cannot endure the labour, and sweat of it. If men might be indulged to divide their hearts betwixt God and the World, or to cull out the cheap and easie duties of it, and neglect the more difficult and costly ones, it were an easie thing to be a Christian: but surely to have respect to all God's commandments, to live the life, as well as speak, the language of a Christian: to be holy in all manner of conversation, is not so easie. This will be evident, by comparing the life of a Christian, with the life of a Husbandman, in these five particulars: Wherein it will appear that the work of a Christian, is by much the hardest work of the two.