The Best Interest, Chapter 3 · Section 4
Sect. 4 Obeying Chriſt even in the moſt difficult Precepts of the Goſpel, ſhould not make us refuſe cloſing with Chriſt.
A 4th. hinderance to our cloſing with Chriſt is unwillingneſs to come under his Government, and yield obedience to the commands of the Goſpel, eſpecially ſuch commands as are croſs to our intereſt, and contrary to our corrupt natures, and in ſuch commands as are like the pulling out of right eyes, and cutting off Right hands; In ſuch caſes, and in reference to ſuch commands; Many are ready to ſay, this is an hard ſaying, who can bear it? Joh. 6.60. And ſay in their hearts, We will not have this man to Reign over us. Luk. 19.15. Now to remove this ſtumbling block, I ſhall propoſe ſome arguments to perſwade us to be willing to receive Chriſt for our Lord, and to obey him in the moſt difficult duties that he requireth of us, even ſuch as are like the cutting off a right hand, and pulling out a right eye.
1. The Lord Jeſus commands us to do nothing, requireth nothing of us, but what is for our own good. Mich 6.8. He hath ſhewed thee O man what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do juſtly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. The Lord requireth of us that we do juſtly, that we love mercy, that we walk humbly with our God, and why? becauſe theſe things are good for us. Deut. 10.12, 13. And now Iſrael, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God— to keep the Commandements of the Lord, and his Statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good. Yea even ſuch commands of Chriſt as ſeem hardeſt to Fleſh and Blood, are greatly for our good. It ſeems a very hard matter to cut off our Right Hand or our Foot, or to pluck out a Right Eye, when any of theſe Members cauſe us to offend: yet it is really better for us to remove the impediments of our Salvation, though as dear as our Eyes, as uſefull and beneficial to us as our Hands and Feet, and to enter into Life, blind, and halt, and maimed, than to reſerve the occaſions of offence and ſtumbling, and to be caſt into Hell Fire. Mark 9.43. to the 48. ver.
2. If the work ſeem hard and difficult which Chriſt ſets us about, yet the wages he gives are exceeding great, which he gives to them that ſerve him and obey him; He gives no leſs Reward to all his Servants, than a Kingdom. Luk 12.32. Fear not little Flock, it is your Fathers good pleaſure to give you the Kingdom. He gives his Servants the ſame Glorious Kingdom which he himſelf hath. Joh. 12.26. If any man ſerve me, let him follow me, and where I am, there ſhall alſo my Servant be. He gives an Eternal Kingdom to them that obey his Commandements. Heb. 5.9. Joh. 12.50. I know that his Commandment is Life Everlaſting. This may reconcile our hearts to the Commandments of the Goſpel, there is no Commandment of Chriſt but it is in order to our obtaining Everlaſting Life. Now this conſideration that Chriſt will give us a Kingdom, an Everlaſting Kingdom that cannot be removed, ſhould make us willing to engage in any difficult ſervice for Chriſt, and deſirous to do him all the ſervice we can, and to ſerve him in a gracious and acceptable manner. Heb. 12.28. Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom that cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may ſerve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear.
3. You have a long time ſerved and obeyed the luſts of your own heart; And ſin is a moſt cruel Maſter, a Maſter that kills and murders all his Servants, that do not forſake his ſervice; The wages that ſin gives all his Servants is Death; Rom. 6.23. The wages of ſin is Death. And will you rather ſerve a Murderer, a cruel Maſter that will kill, than ſerve and obey Jeſus Chriſt who is the Lord of Life and Glory, who ſaves all his Servants from Eternal Miſery?
4. Though ſome duties of the Goſpel ſeem hard to Fleſh and Blood, yet they bring reſt to the Soul. Math. 11.29. Take my Yoak upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye ſhall find rest for your Souls. Reſt is a deſireable thing, eſpecially reſt for our Souls. Iſſachar underwent great burdens for the obtaining of reſt. Gen. 49.14, 15. Iſſachar is a ſtrong aſs, couching between two burdens, and he ſaw that reſt was good, and the Land that it was pleaſant, and bowed his ſhoulders to bear, and became a ſervant to tribute. But reſt for the Soul is much more deſireable than outward reſt, and therefore we ſhould be willing to ſubmit to any burden that our Lord Jeſus layeth upon us, ſeeing he will give us reſt for our Souls.
5. Though Chriſts Yoak may ſeem hard, and his burden heavy to Fleſh and Blood, yet in truth and reality it is eaſy and light. Mat. 11.29, 30. Take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is eaſy, und my burden is light. Now Chriſt's yoke is eaſy and his burden light in ſeveral reſpects.
(1.) Becauſe he requireth nothing of us, but what he by his Spirit will enable us to do. Ezek. 36.27. I will put my Spirit within you, and cauſe you to walk in my Statutes.
(2.) Becauſe he writes his laws in our hearts. and when the law is written in the heart, it makes the hardeſt ſervice eaſy and delightfull. Pſal. 40.8. I delight to do thy will O my God, yea thy Law is within my heart. This will, ſpoken of here, was God's will concerning Chriſt, that he ſhould offer up himſelf a Sacrifice for our ſins, as appears from Heb. 10.6, 7, 8, 9, 10. which though it was difficult ſervice, Chriſt did with delight, having the Law of God in his heart.
(3.) Love to Chriſt makes all difficulties eaſie, and his ſervice delightful. Joh. 5.3. This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments, and his Commandments are not grievous.
(4.) His Yoke is eaſie, becauſe it is ſweetned with the comforts of the Holy Ghoſt. Our Lord Jeſus ſends the Spirit, the Comforter into their hearts that keep his Commandments, that dwell, and abide with them for ever. John. 14, 15, 16, 17. If you love me, keep my Commandements, and I will pray the Father, and he ſhall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth; and by virtue of theſe comforts which they have from the Spirit of God, they can go on ſinging in the ways of the Lord. Pſ. 138.5. Yea they ſhall ſing in the ways of the Lord.
(5.) His Yoke is eaſie, and burden light, compared with the burden of the Law, and the burden of ſin. The Law was a Yoak which was very hard to be born. Act. 15.10. And the burden of ſin is heavier than the burden of the Law, it was ſuch as David complained was too heavy for him. Pſ. 38.4.