life and godliness; outward strictnesses and severities of their own choosing and devising; and who persuade themselves that this is the strait gate and narrow way of Christ, which leadeth unto life. Whereas, these are indeed nothing else but some particular paths, and narrow slices, cut out of the broad way. For, though they have an outward and seeming narrowness, yet they are so broad within that camels with their burdens may easily pass through them. These, instead of taking up Christ's cross upon them, make to themselves certain crosses of their own; and laying them upon their shoulders, and carrying them, please themselves, with the conceit that they bear the cross of Christ; while in truth and reality they are frequently too much strangers to that cross, by which the world should be crucified to them and they unto the world. Some place all their religion in endless scrupulosities about indifferent things, neglecting in the mean time the more weighty matters, both of law and gospel; straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel; that is, not being so scrupulous as they ought to be about the substantials of religion and a good life. For, as we ought not to place the chief of our religion in the mere observance of outward rites and ceremonies, whilst, in the mean time, we hypocritically neglect the morals and substantials, which may deservedly be branded with the

name of superstition; so, we ought to know that it is equal superstition to have such an abhorrence of indifferent things as to make it the main of our religion to abstain from them. Both of these argue equal ignorance of the nature of God, as if he were some morose, humorous, and captious being; and of that righteousness in which the kingdom of God consists; as if these outward and indifferent things could either hallow or defile our souls, or as if salvation and damnation depended upon the mere using or not using of them. The Apostle himself instructs us, that the kingdom of God consists no more in uncircumcision than in circumcision; that is, no more in not using outward ceremonies and indifferent things than in using them.

Wherefore, the negative superstition is equal to the positive. And both of them alike call off men's attention from the main objects of religion, by engaging them overmuch in small and little things. But the sober Christian, who neither places all his religion in external observances, nor yet is superstitiously anti-ceremonial, as he will think himself obliged to have a due regard to the commands of lawful authority in adiaphorous things, and to prefer the peace and unity of the Christian Church, and the observation of the royal law of charity, before the satisfaction of any private humor or interest, so he will be aware

of that extreme, into which many run, of banishing away, quite out of the world, all the solemnity of external worship, the observance of the Lord's day, and the participation of the Christian sacraments, under the notion of useless ceremonies.

To conclude: unless there be a due and timely regard had to the commands of lawful authority, in indifferent things, and to order, peace, and unity in the Church, it may easily be foreseen, that the reformed part of Christendom will be brought to confusion, and at length to utter ruin, by crumbling into infinite sects and divisions.

Wherefore, laying aside these, and similar childish mistakes and things which are little to the purpose, let us seriously apply ourselves to the main work of our religion; that is, to mortify and vanquish our sinful natures, by the assistance of God's Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ; that so, being dead to sin here, we may live with God eternally hereafter.

THE FIFTH STORMY SUNDAY.

THE CHILDREN.

"Lo, to Thy kingdom here below
We little children bring,

For to that kingdom such we know
The meetest offering.

Let naught allure them from Thy word,
Or tempt their spirits frail;

Keep thou their steps, O blessed Lord!
Nor let our loved ones fail."