Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/205

 Rh but take it grievously: but many times I have played fast and loose in the presence of the all-seeing God, pretending his service, when I have done mine own will; offering him the body, when the soule hath been let loose after vanity. I have too long wandered and gone astray like a lost sheep, but now I will keep the testimonies of my God: For the Commandement is a lamp, and the Law is light, and reproofes of instruction are the way of life. The Commandements leade directly to that life, which deserves the name of life, eternall life. The Traveller takes the next way to his Journeyes end: No wise man will willingly step one foot out of the way to Heaven. If our limmes be crooked, we omit nothing that Art or Exercise can doe to set them strait: and shall not I take care to rectifie my soul, and bring it into right order? Deceit and falshood is the Image of Satan, who abode not in the truth, most unmeet to be borne by him that is by adoption the sonne of God. The charge of God is, Be ye holy, for I am holy; be ye perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect: and hereby may we assure our hearts that we are the children of God, if we be true, as he is true. Truth is the Image of God stamped upon their hearts whom the Lord hath called to be his peculiar people. What soundnesse is to the body, that is sincerity to the soule: a grace of singular excellency, and excellent use, pleasing to God, and profitable to man. Wise men delight in sound and faithfull friends: the Lord takes pleasure in them that be true hearted to his glory. A sound body is fit for labour: a true heart is ready prepared for any service that God requires. The way is not tedious to men, they halt not in it, but through weaknesse and imperfection: O my soule, the way of life would be most pleasant and delightfull, crosses easie to be borne, the comforts of grace most sweet and admirable, were it not that corrupt humours causing distempers, did still breed in thee. Earthly desires, vain delights, unruly lusts are great impediments to the quicke and easie dispatch of the Christian Pilgrimage. Sincerity is the girdle of the mind to trusse up these, strengthen our loynes, and tie the heart to the work commanded. We buy girdles for the body, and if costly ones we keepe them charily: I will seek to Heaven for this girdle of grace, for it is woven there, no shop can serve me with it but that only. O Lord, thou that delightest in the simple and true hearted that cleave unfainedly unto thy testimonies, create in me a true heart