fection. The word is much undervalued in the
opinions of many, but it is as little cared for in the practice of most.
There is certainly little of God there where this is not magnified and
honoured. There must be darkness in that way, where this candle, which was
a lamp to David's feet, shines not. Some promise to us liberty, but they
themselves are the servants of corruption, it is no liberty to be above
all law and rule. It was innocent Adam's liberty to be conformed to a holy
and just command, nay, this was his beauty. This Spirit indeed gives
liberty where he is, but this liberty is from our sins and corruptions,
not to them. It looses the chains of a man's own corrupt lusts off him, to
walk at freedom in the way of his commandments. The Spirit enlargeth the
prisoner's heart, and then he runs, but not at random, but the way of his
commands, Psalm cxix. 32. It was our bondage to be as wild asses,
traversing our ways,--to be gadding abroad, to change our way. Now, here is
the Spirit's liberty to bring us into the way and that way is one. Let us
then learn this one principle,--the word must be the rule of your walking
both common and religious. Alas! it is not spiritual walking to confine
religion to some solemn duties. Remember, it is a walk, a continued thing,
without interruption, therefore your whole conversation ought to be as so
many steps progressive to hearer. Your motion should not be to begin only
when you come to pray, or read, or hear, as many men do. They are in a
quite different way and element when they step out of their civil callings
into religious ordinances. But Christians, your motion should be continued
in your eating and drinking, and sleeping, and acting in your callings,
that when you come to pray or read, you may be but stepping forward in the
way, out of one darker, obscurer path, into a more beaten way. Remember,
this word can make us perfect to salvation. It is a principle in the
hearts of folks, which is vented now by many, that the word doth not reach
their particular carriages and conversations in civil matters. These are
apprehended to be without the sphere and compass of the word, while it is
commonly cast up to ministers--meddle with the word and spiritual things
and not with our matters.(168) Truly I think, if we separate these from
the word, we may quickly separate all religion from such actions, and if
such actings and businesses be without the court of the word, they are
also without