Christ Inviting Sinners to Come to Him for Rest, Treatise · Chapter 35
CHAP. XXXV.
Two other wayes whereby the former point is cleered, with ſome conſequences from the ſame and the uſe of the whol. The Firſt way is, that whilſt the ſoul is performing duty, the ſtrength of it is continually renewed. Secondly, The ſoul hath the love of God ſhed abroad into the heart. The firſt Conſequence is happineſs of a Chriſtian here. Secondly, Hence cometh the perſeverance of beleevers. The uſe of al is to exerciſe much faith in Chriſt.
Ninthly, The Reſt that the ſoul hath in Chriſt, that is to goe on in duties with freedom of ſpirit, without making them burdenſome to it is this; when the ſoul comes to Chriſt, it hath not only ſtrength to do the duty, but whilſt it is performing of duty it hath this ſtrength renewed, and it receives in ſweetneſs, and good, and ſtrength from Chriſt, while it is in action, while it is in the performance of duty, and his duty is very eaſy, ſweet, and comfortable unto him. As thus, if a man be doing a work that is hard, ſuppoſe he layes on upon a knotty piece of timber, and there is nothing comes of his work, and it doth not go on before him, and he ſpends his ſtrength and gets nothing for the preſent by his worke, he quickly grows weary. But now if a man be doing a work that the more ſtrength he ſpends, the more he gets, the more his ſtrength is inlarged, the more renewed, and never gets more ſtrength, then when he is ſpending of ſtrength, and that when he is at work he receives in ſweetneſs by it, ſurely this man wil go on in the work, he may work ſinging, when al the while he is working, he ſpends not ſo much ſtrength as he gets, and he doth not only work to receive wages, but there is commings in, ſweetneſs comming in the very time of his work, this man works with a great deale of eaſe. Thus it is in Evangelical obedience; when a ſoul comes to performe duties in this way, now his ſtrength is renewed day by day, the more ſervice thou doſt for Chriſt, the more ſtrength comes in. As now a man that is benummed with cold, perhaps you that are marriners, when you come to handle your cables, or any thing in the ſhip, you can ſcarce feel any ſtrength by reaſon of cold, but when you are at work, and you begin to be warme, your ſtrength comes in. So it is with a Chriſtian, when he begins to perform duties, it may be he is dul, dead, and the like, but let him go on in the duties, and then ſtrength wil come in. I appeale to many of you that have performed duties, you have gone to do a duty, and you have been dul, and unfit for it, and you have been ready to let it alone thereupon, wel but conſcience puts you upon it, and you muſt do it, now when you were in the duty, hath not Chriſt come in and hath not the ſtrength of Chriſt come in to inable you to do the duty that you never could imagine it, which for ever might be an incouragement to you to go on in the duty, and to avoid that temptation, never to neglect the duty from any unfitneſs to the duty, for when you are at the duty, then comes in ſtrength from Chriſt to performe the duty, for you cannot expect ſtrength to come in before you come to the duty, but up and be doing, and then ſtrength wil come in. Yea, and the more duty you do, the more ſtrength wil come in; and hence it is, that a Godly man, though he may be weary in duty, yet he can never be weary in doing of duty, he may ſee a difference between himſelf and carnal men. Take a Godly man, though he may be weary in duty, yet he can never be weary of duty, whereas it is otherwiſe with thoſe that performe duties in the ſtrength of a natural conſcience, thoſe that perform duties in the ſtrength of a natural conſcience, are weary in working, As ſome tools you know wil weare in the uſing, but others the more you uſe them the more brighter and better they wil grow: So it is with thoſe that perform duties in the ſtrength of a natural conſcience, they wil wear away, and that is the reaſon that they leave them off, but one that performes duties in an Evangelical way, the more he doth the more he ſhal be able to do, and therefore Chriſtians, let that be an incouragement to you, the more you do, the more you ſhal be inabled to do, he that had five talents and uſed thoſe five talents he had more talents given him, and he that had but one, and ſate down ſullen and uſed it not, it was taken from him; and as ſtrength comes in ſo thou ſhalt ſuck in a great deal of ſweetneſs into thy heart. In the keeping of thy commandements (ſaith David) there is great reward not only for the keeping of them, but in the keeping of thy commandements. Now when a man is working, if ſo be he had his wages comming in every houre when he is a working, it would incourage him, but if he thinks he muſt ſtay for his wages that is more greivous, the work that is done with preſent ſweetneſs comming in, that work is an eaſy work, and that is the reaſon of that expreſſion In Hoſea, 10. verſ. 11. Ephraim is as a heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corne, but I paſſed upon her faire neck, I wil make Ephraim to ride, Judah ſhal plow, and Jacob ſhal break his clods. The text ſeemes to be hard at the firſt reading, but there is much in it, ſuitable to what I am ſpeaking of Ephraim is as a heifer that is taught and loveth to tread out the corne, but ſaith God, I wil make Ephraim to ride, Judah ſhal plow, and Jacob ſhal break his clods. I wil make Ephraim not only to tread out the corne, but to plow. The meaning was this, you know that was the law, you muſt not muzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corne. whereas we threſh the corne, they had their oxen to tread out the corne, and it was the law, that al the while he was treading out the corne, his mouth muſt not be muzled, but he might feed al the while he was treading out the corne, now this was eaſier then when the beaſt was ſent to plow, and had no corn to eate the while. Now ſaith God, Ephraim loves only eaſy work, if he may have the work that is ſweet for the preſent, Ephraim is content with that work, but Ephraim doth not love the work that is difficult at firſt and ſweet afterwards, So this ſhewes that one that is of a lazy diſpoſition, he loves the work that hath ſweetneſs at the preſent. Now truly, there is no other work that the Goſpel requires at our hands, the Goſpel doth not require ſo much plowing, as the work of treading out the corne Al the work that the Goſpel requires of beleevers, is ſuch as the heifer had while he was treading out the corne, that is, al the while thou art working, thou maiſt be eating, thou maiſt have the bleſſed ſheaues of the Goſpel to feed upon, for there doth come a conſtant ſweetneſs into the hearts of the faithful in doing the work of the Lord, go on in doing the work of the Lord, and thou ſhalt find reſt and ſweetneſs in thy ſoul comming in upon thee.
And that is the reaſon that Schollars can ſtudy ſo hard, many houres together, which would be tedious unto others, I put it to you that are imployed in other things▪ that think the work of a ſchollar ſo eaſy a work, get up in a morning, and ſhut your ſelves into your cloſet, and read, meditate, and write for two or three houres together, and then come forth and go to it again, and ſpend half a day, or a whole day together in ſtudying, meditating, & writing, and ſee if you do not find it more tedious and tireſome to the fleſh, then any other work. But now Schollars though it is tireſome to the fleſh, they can go on and make it eaſy to them, why? becauſe they find ſweetneſs in their work, it is not with them as with … ther men, other men work that they may have wages afterwards, but al the while they are about their work, they have truths come in, and heavenly notions comes in to them, while they are about it, and ſo makes the work eaſy unto them, this is happineſs of a Chriſtian that the while he is in his work, the ſun of righteouſneſs ſhines upon him, and there is ſweetneſs comming in unto him, and herein is reſt and eaſe in the performance of duty.
Tenthly and laſtly, When the ſoul comes to Chriſt, it finds abundance of reſt in holy duties, becauſe now it hath the love of God ſhed abroad in its heart, and that makes every thing delightful to it, the love of God is ſhed abroad in the heart, you know Jacob, becauſe he loved Rachel, though he was abroad in froſty nights, he accounted it nothing, becauſe he loved Rachel: Oh! when the love of God is ſhed abroad in the heart of a Chriſtian, then there is nothing that he doth but is delightful to him it makes every thing eaſy. For that is a certain rule, that love is aſhamed to mention any difficulty, you never hear love to complain of any thing to be heard, and thoſe that complain of holy duties to be heard, certainly they want the love of God. Now you have heard in theſe ten particulars, wherein the eaſe and reſt of ſpirit in performance of holy duties doth appeare, there is much more to be ſaid in the latter end of the Chapter, when it is ſaid that Chriſts yoke is eaſy, and his burden light, which if God give opportunity we ſhal come unto.
APPLIC. I.
Now from al this, firſt, here you may ſee the happineſs of a Chriſtian, you do not think that a Criſtian is happy here, but he ſhal not have only heaven hereafter, but his way to happineſs is heaven here, Oh how good is the way of the Goſpel, that gives us reſt in our way to heaven, ſuch reſt that al the malice in the world and of …, cannot diſturbe the peace and reſt of a Chriſtian.
II. Hence we ſee the reaſon, why true beleevers do perſevere, you hear oftentimes ſpeaking of the doctrine of perſeverance, & you are ready to thinke, I but is it certain the ſoul that once comes to have true Grace ſhal certainly perſevere? yes, certainly, one that is once come to Chriſt, wil not go from him again, why? becauſe there is ſo much reſt in holy duties. It is true, thoſe that are drawn to holy duties they wil not abide, as it is ſaid, The ſon abides in the houſe but a ſervant abides not alwaies in the houſe. So, ſuch as perform duties in a legal way, they wil be gone, they wil not abide, but now one that is come into Chriſt and hath a ſon-like diſpoſition, he continues. As we ſay in phyloſophy, no violent thing or motion is perpetual, and indeed, thoſe that performe duties in a legal way, a hundred to one, but they wil prove Apoſtates at laſt, but one that performes duties in an Evangelical way, wil continue and hold out unto the end.
III The maine uſe of al is to ſtirr up the hearts of thoſe that are Godly to know what the Goſpel means, to exerciſe much faith in Chriſt that they might have much comfort in performance of duties. Do not content thy ſelf that thou doeſt duty, but think with thy ſelf, Oh I have heard of ſuch a way, that Chriſtians in performance of duty find a great deale of reſt and eaſe, why ſhould not I get that way. Thou heareſt of it, Oh! that thy ſoul might be unquiet til thou comeſt to underſtand the way, then your duties would be more ſound, more ſpiritual, more ſupernatural, more acceptable then they are. The Lord loves a cheerful giver and ſo he loves a cheerful ſerver, you love to heare your ſervants ſing at their work, but if you ſet your child or ſervant about a work, and he goes heavily and dully about is, grumbling and pineing, and think you to be a hard maſter, then he doth but a little work, ſo they that perform duties in a legal way, the truth is, they perform little duty, and that is not acceptable, but when a ſoul comes to find reſt in duty, it makes it more ſpirituall more plentiful, and more acceptable, and thoſe duties are very pleaſing unto the Lord.