Four Books on Matthew 11, Book 4 · Chapter 142
CHAP. CXLII.
What the things are that makes the waies of Chriſt eaſie (which is the fourth point in Chap. 139.) opened in five particulars. 1. They are ſuch as a gracious Soul wil impoſe upon himſelf. 2. He comes freely off to them. 3. The waies of Chriſt are even, and not contrary one to another. 4. They bring Strength with them. 5. In them all there is good Succeſs. 6. In them a gracious heart is alwaies receiving his wages. 7. He hath all the paſſages of Gods providence to help him. 8. They bring eaſe to the Conſcience. 9. They free the Soul from cares. 10. They make all other things eaſie.
BUt now we are to proceed to a further thing to ſhew you what there is in the way of Chriſt that makes it eaſie, which wil be a further manifeſtation of the eaſe that there is in the waies of Chriſt that it is ſo, that hath been ſhewed you before!: but now that it muſt needs be ſo, and how it comes to be ſo, how it comes to paſs that the waies of Chriſt ſhould have ſuch eaſe to a gracious heart, Certainly, there is a great many Grounds for it.
Firſt: They are ſuch waies as have much in them, that if a gracious heart were put to it freely, that he may either impoſe them upon himſelf or not, he would rather impoſe them upon himſelf than otherwiſe, ſuppoſing him to be himſelf; that is, his mind enlightened and his heart in a good frame, he would take them upon himſelf, and certainly this is no hard thing, that if a man were left to his liberty he will take it upon himſelf rather than not. Let any Chriſtian lay this to his heart and conſider what way of Jeſus Chriſt he would be without, every gracious heart is a Law to himſelf, that Law is not a very hard Law that a man would make to himſelf, ſo the Scripture ſaith of the Godly that they are a Law to themſelves, a Godly heart chooſeth the waies of Chriſt, not as one chooſeth the leſs evil of the two, ſo you may ſay he may chuſe them as the leſs evil, for he may be put to chuſe, … but I ſay, if he were left free & not put to it of neceſſity, if there were neither Hel nor Heaven, I do not know any thing in the waies of Jeſus Chriſt and dare challenge any one to tel me, that if there were no Hel o… Heaven that any thing is in the waies of Chriſt but he would chooſe them: What is there that Chriſt requires of any Soul, but without any ſuch conſideration ſuch a heart would chuſe? Would not he go rather according to the rules of equity and righteouſneſs than iniquity and injuſtice? Is it not better to walk according to the rules of right reaſon, than to walk in irrational waies? But then a Beleever one that hath Faith, acts from a Principle above Reaſon, a Principle that is ſupernatural, and look as one that is a rational creature, would chuſe thoſe things that have the moſt agreement with the rules of right reaſon, ſo one that hath a higher principle a divine Principle, he would chuſe that that is according to the Principles of Divinity, according to the Divinity (as I may ſo ſay) that he hath in his heart; Yea, Afflictions, when we bring our hearts to Gods will, have no great burden in them, but are eaſie, but they are not ſo eaſie as Gods waies are for Afflictions, though they come to be eaſie, yet they are ſuch, as if a Godly heart were put to it, he would, and he ought rather to chooſe to be without them. Here is the difference between Afflictions and Duties, that if God would ſet a gracious heart free, he ſhould chooſe rather to be without afflictions though it is true, in regard of the good that God brings about in them, ſo they are good, but in themſelves they are evil, and ſo a Godly man ſhould rather deſire to be without them but now, for the duties of religion & Godlineſs, there we are not to deſire & wiſh to be without them, or that they were otherwiſe then they are, A gracious heart is not to wiſh any command of Jeſus Chriſt to be otherwiſe then it is, and when at any time you find ſuch a riſing in your hearts, as to wiſh that ſuch a thing were not a duty, know, that now temptation comes and corruption ſtirrs. You may not do it perhaps, but you may have a corruption ſtir ſo farr, as to wiſh it were otherwiſe, certainly, this is a great temptation, when the heart is in a right frame, it would not wiſh any thing in the waies of Chriſt otherwiſe then they are, if he were left to himſelf, he would himſelf chooſe them. That is the firſt.
Secondly When he hath choſe them, this makes them eaſy becauſe they are ſuch waies as himſelf comes freely on unto, what a man comes freely on unto that is eaſy, and all the people of God are a willing people in Pſal. 110. Now when he comes freely on, perhaps, you will ſay, a man may come freely on to a thing, yet when he is come on, he may find more difficulty then he thought of. Therefore in the ſecond place they are eaſy in this reſpect, becauſe they are ſuitable unto the temper and diſpoſition of a gracious heart, ſuch a one finds the waies of Chriſt very ſuitable and agreeable to him. Now Similis Simili gaudet, every like thing doth rejoyce in that which is like, a Godly heart finds the counterpane (as I may ſo ſpeak) of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt written in his own heart, that as it was in the firſt creation, there the Law of God, the Morral Law, it was written in the heart of man fully, and that that we have written in ſcripture, it is but as it were an extract and counterpaine of what was written in the heart of man in the firſt creation, now by ſin a great part of it is blotted out, but now when the ſoul comes to Jeſus Chriſt, then Chriſt writes again the Law of God in the heart of the ſiner, writes it faire out againe, & writes the Law as it comes to be Evangelical, in an evangelical way, for ſo it is, the Goſpel comprehends all that holyneſs that was in the Law before, the ſame holyneſs that was in the Law, the Goſpel that takes it in, and makes it more compleat, and raiſeth it up higher, and makes it more ſpiritual, and hath more of God in it, and doth ſhew us how to enjoy God in a higher, better, and fuller way, that the Law of the Goſpel is written in the heart of beleevers as the Morrall Law was in the heart of Adam at firſt was, when he was made, and the Law of the Goſpel takes in the holineſs of Gods Law, and adds a further ſpiritualneſs, and ſhews a higher way of enjoyment of God then before was, when man at firſt was created, now therefore it muſt needs be eaſy in that reſpect It is eaſy for a fiſh to ſwim in the water, and it is eaſy for a bird to fly in the aire, for it is their own element, ſo the waies of the Goſpel are the proper element of a true godly, & gracious heart And as we ſay, nullum corpus grave in ſuo loco▪ no element is heavy in his own proper place. It is true, the waies of Godlyneſs is a heavy burden to a carnal heart, Why? becauſe he is not in his element, when he is in holy duties, and ſanctifying the Sabboth, he is not in his element, when he is in wicked company, drinking, and Swearing, then he is in his element, but now that which is your elements is but ſand to a Godly heart, and that is the reaſon that you think that ſuch Godly people are dumpiſh, and heavy, and Melancholy, becauſe they are not merry as you are, it is becauſe of your company, they are not in their element, when they are amongſt company that they can converſe withall, and talk of Godlyneſs, and ſhewing and diſcovering one anothers hearts, and telling the experiences of Gods working in their hearts one to another, and ſo breathing graces one upon another, and praying one with another, then they can be as merry, and be as delightful in ſuch things as you can be amongſt your companions, ſwearing, rioting, and the like, you think it is impoſſible they ſhould be ſo, but it is ſo, that is their proper element, as the other is your element, and therefore it is as eaſy for a Saint to go on in the waies of religion, as for a fiſh to ſwim in the water, ſo farr as the regenerate part prevails, all Satisfaction flows from a ſuitableneſs between the faculty and the object, now the waies of God are the moſt ſuitable things to a gracious heart that can be, therefore there is a great deal of eaſe in them, there is nothing required in them but he finds it in his heart before it is required. It is ſaid in Prov. 18. 2. Of a fool, that he doth not receive the way of Wiſdom, the inſtruction of Wiſdom, it is in your books, a fool hath not delight in underſtanding, but that his heart may diſcover it ſelf, but I find it tranſlated in the old vulgar Latin, that a fool receives not underſtanding, receives not what you ſay to him, except thoſe things that are in his heart be ſpoken, except you ſpeak to him ſuch things as are in his heart, ſo they turn it, and ſo it is true in this, ſpeak to any man any thing, if there be not a principle in his heart, to cloſe with the thing that you ſpeak, he will not eaſily receive it, therefore a fool will not receive that which you ſpeak to him of, becauſe it is not ſuitable to his heart. But now a Godly man, when you ſpeak to him the things of God, and what the waies of Chriſt are, ſuch a man receives them, becauſe you ſpeak to him that that is in his heart, it is in his heart before, you ſpeak to his heart, and he finds ſomwhat in his heart that comes preſently to cloſe with it, which makes it eaſy, there is in his heart ſuch a principle, as upon mentioning any thing of the waies of Chriſt, he cloſeth with it, and takes hold upon it, there being the ſame thing in his heart, for though there be an object ſeen, except there be ſomething in the eye ſuitable to the object to cloſe with it, there would be no ſight, ſo the heart of a Chriſtian makes the waies of God eaſy, and readily imbraceth them, becauſe there is ſomthing in the heart that is like to Gods waies, and therefore it is ready to receive and cloſe with them. As now if you bring fire to a ſtick that hath ſome fire in it, as ſoon as ever you bring the fire, the fire that was in the ſtick before, will come out to the other fire that you bring neare to it, and will joyne together and ſo grow into a flame. If you bring a candle that hath ſome fire remaining upon it unto a fire, it lights preſently, ſo it is with the heart of a Godly man, a gracious heart ſets before him the excellency of the waies of God, now there is a holy principle, a principle of holineſs in the heart that comes out unto what is ſaid in the word of the waies of God, and ſo cloſeth with them: I, theſe are the things that I find in my heart; now theſe things muſt needs be eaſy, becauſe they are the very element of a gracious heart, and they are ſuitable to his heart, there is a freeneſs to chuſe, That is the Second.
Thirdly, Another thing that makes them eaſy is this, The waies of Chriſt, there is an evenneſs in them, there is a proportion in all the waies of Jeſus Chriſt, there is not one thing contrary unto another, but every thing helps one another, and ſo they come to be eaſy. You know in other things, when you are going in any path where there lyes things, to interrupt you, there lyes a great deal of Difficulty in your going, but when the way is ſo laid, as that there is no one thing in it but helps to another, if you take one ſtep that helps you to another, and that ſtep helps you to another, and ſo there is ſuch an evenneſs and proportion as one helps to another If you be drawing a thing that one link helps another, and one lets into another, this makes it eaſy, when every action of a mans work is ſuch, as the firſt makes the ſecond eaſy, and the ſecond the third, and the third the fourth, that work muſt needs be eaſy; ſo in all the waies of Jeſus Chriſt, one duty lets in another; and this is the difference between one that is truly acquainted with the waies of religion, and an Hypocrite, the one, when he ſets upon one duty, that one duty ſo tires him, that he hath no mind to another, but now a godly heart, one duty doth but let him in another, by performing one duty, he is fitted to another duty, and this is a ſign you performe duty in a right way, when it is thus with you, it is true, the outward man may be tired, but yet the heart is in a better frame to performe duty the next time, one duty is an in let into another, and helps on the other, that is a Third.
Fourthly, The waies of Chriſt they are eaſy, becauſe they bring ſtrength with them, and encreaſeth ſtrength, certainly, that work muſt needs be an eaſy work that a man gets ſtrength by his work, and the more he works the more ſtrength he gets. It is true, great works come to be difficult, becauſe you do not only not get ſtrength, but you ſpend ſtrength, but now the waies of religion, the more you work, the more ſtrength you have, and the more work you do, the more ſtrength comes in. It is true, the natural ſtrength may be ſpent, I but there is inward ſtrength comes in & encreaſeth, and is ſupplied by Jeſus Chriſt: the Body that carries the Soul, I but the Soul is no burden to the Body, the Soul ſupports the Body, and enables the body to move and makes it lighter, if the Soul were gone, the body would be a heavy lump, heavier than when the ſoul lives in it, ſo ſuch a kind of burden is the waies of Religion to a gracious ſoul, no other burden than the ſoul is to the body, when the ſoul is there, it is no burden, but it rather helps the Body, it makes the Body lighter and ſo when any work of Grace is added more than before, the burden comes to be lighter, and eaſier. In Prov. 10. 29. The way of the Lord is ſtrength to the upright, their very way is ſtrength, ſurely then their way is eaſie, that which is ſtrength, cannot be a hard way, now the way of the Lord is ſtrength to the upright, an Hypocrite indeed, if he wil meddle with the way of God, he is tired, as thoſe in Malachi, What a wearineſs is the waies of God to them? I but it is to an Hypocrite, but the way of the Lord is ſtrength to the upright. A man that hath a carnal heart, he is tired preſently, you that complain for want of ſtrength, and you have no heart to ſet about Duties of Religion, becauſe you ſay you are weak, the more ye ſet about theſe Duties, the more ſtrength you ſhall have. There is many a Man and Woman, that praies away their ſtrength in prayer, and ſtrengthens their ſin in prayer, and I ſhewed you, how to carnal hearts their very duties may be eaſie to their ſins, but now a gracious heart doth not pray away his ſtrength, but he ſhal have more ſtrength in his Soul for the preſent, and he ſhall ſee it afterwards. You wil ſay, How ſhall I know that? for my body is weary and tired, if you get but a litle time to refreſh your body with ſleep, or the like, when you come to prayer again, you wil have more ſtrength to the Duty, there was more ſtrength in your Spirit then when you were in the Duty, only your natural ſtrength did fail, and therefore do as much as you can in holy Duties, do not fear tireſomneſs in them, you will do more than you did before. That is the fourth thing that makes them to be eaſie, becauſe they beget ſtrength.
Fifthly: They muſt needs be eaſie, becauſe that in all the waies of Religion there is ever more good fucceſs, a gracious heart evermore finds ſucceſs in the waies of Godlineſs, now that way that a man alwaies hath ſucceſs in, is very eaſie to him, you count that work very eaſie work that alwaies thrives in your hand, and that you may certainly, know that it wil ſucceed before you go about it. If a man go about a work, and he is uncertain in the ſucceſs, and he thinks; I may take a great deal of pains, but I know not how I ſhall ſpeed, Oh, that is tedious, I but now, when he goes out to the work of the Lord, where he knows he ſhal never fail of ſucceſs, this work is very eaſie to him, In the firſt Pſalm it is ſaid, that a Godly man proſpers in every thing that be doth, whatever he doth ſhall proſper, it is true, we may ſet upon outward things and not have ſucceſs, but there was never any gracious action ſince the beginning of the world but had ſucceſs, here is the difference between your outward imployment, and your gracious imployment, your earthly and your ſpiritual imployment in one, though we work never ſo well according to the Rules of our Art, yet there wil not be ſucceſs in what we do alwaies, but now let us perform any holy Duty, we ſhal never loſe any action, though we may not ſee it, yet we ſhal certainly proſper in it; and therefore there is a great deal of eaſe.
Sixthly: A great deal of eaſe muſt needs be in Gods waies, becauſe that a gracious heart▪ is continually receiving his wages in all his work: Now that is a very eaſie work, ye ſhal not need be working all the day and receive no wages at night, but a Godly man is receiving his wages continually while he is working. In 1 Pet. 9. Receiving the end of your Faith, the Salvation of your Souls, Receiving the end of your Faith, he doth not ſay, that ye ſhal hereafter receive the end of your Faith, but ye are now receiving, every moment in every Duty ye perform, you are receiving the end of your Faith, there is no holy action but there is ſomwhat of the Glory of Heaven in it, and the Soul doth receive ſomwhat of the Glory of Heaven in every holy action, ſo that he ſhall not need to ſtay for Heaven hereafter, that indeed were enough one would think to make any of the waies of God eaſie, the beleeving the Glory we ſhal hereafter have in Heaven, it were enough to make any journey eaſie, that we ſhal have a Crown at the end of it, but it is not ſo with the Saints, they have not eaſe becauſe they know that they ſhal have Glory hereafter, but they have a Heaven while they are doing their holy Duties, therefore are eaſie in regard of their end, as many things may be eaſie in regard of that that comes afterwards, and ſo may be good in regard of the good which is to come, but the actions of Religion are part of the happineſs, and of the Glory of the Soul, and if we were well principled in this, it would be a great means to help us to go on with a great deal of eaſe in the duties of Religion: That it is the happineſs and Glory of our Souls, and the perfection of holineſs is our higheſt end, the Angels have no higher end than the perfection of Holineſs. In Hoſea 10. ver. 11. Ephraim is a Heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the Corn, Eph…aim counted that an eaſy worke to tread out the corne, the meaning is this, the Cattel in thoſe times, ſome were uſed to plow the ground, and others to tread out the corn, Now thoſe that were plowing, they were abroad in the fields, and indured the ſtormes, and all the while eate nothing til they come home, and then they eate, But now thoſe cattel that were treading out the corne, all the while they were treading out the corne, and working, they were feeding upon the corn, now ſaith God, Ephraim is a tender delicate thing, he doth not love to go all the day to his work, and receive his wages at night, but he loves to tread out the corn, he loves to receive his wages continually in his work. Thus it is with a Godly heart he is upon the receiving hand continually and his work is but as the treading out of the corn, rather then plowing. That is the Sixth.
Seventhly, The waies of God muſt needs be eaſ… becauſe let a man ſet upon the waies of Godlineſs, and every thing in the world ſhall help him, no paſſage of Gods providence but ſhall help him, no creature but ſhall help him, no ordinance but ſhall help him, nay thoſe things that ſeem to go quite contrary they Shal help him; now it is eaſy to go when all things help one, when wind and Tide help you. I but you will ſay, may be we may meet with a contrary wind, I but when that contrary wind ſhal help you, as I have ſeen ſome that have made uſe of a contray wind, So it is with Godly people, all all good things help and encourage them, and ill things are turned by God to be helpful to them, and to be good to them, Yea, many have found help in the waies of God, by the ſtrongeſt temptation that they have met withall in their very faces, Yea, ſomtimes that God turnes their ſins, their ſtepping out of the way to be helps unto them, their very falls, as a man when …e ſtumbles in his way, it makes him go the ſofter, you wil put your Horſe out upon his ſtumbling, and make him go the faſter, God turnes the worſt things of al to the People of God to help them in their way, ſo that by Grace now, we do not only help our ſelves ſo, as to keep off the hinderances to other things, we do not overcome the world (as ſometimes I have ſaid) thus to keep our ſelves from being hurt by it, but to make all things uſefull and ſerviceable to our graces, and that is the excellency of a Chriſtian, that he can by grace make all things in the world ſerviceable to his grace, that is the glory of grace, it ſhews that grace is of a royall breed indeed, that it can bring all things to be ſerviceable to its end, therefore the waies of God are eaſie, becauſe all things are helpfull to the incouragement of a Child of God in thoſe waies.
And further, If a man were going in a way, and there were many ſtones lay in the way, it would be rough going, and uneaſie, but were they laid in that faſhion that they ſhould be laid in a ſlough, in ſuch a place that it ſhould help me to ſtep over ſuch a ſlough then it would be more eaſie: Now here is the difference between wicked and Godly men, God in his juſt judgment laies ſtumbling blocks in the plaineſt waies of Godlineſs, ſo as to hinder wicked men in waies that are good, to the wicked I ſay, wicked men, they meet with ſtumbling blocks in plain waies, in waies that are the beſt waies; but now God is plealed to lay ſtumbling blocks in the waies of ſin to the Godly, to hinder them from going on in the waies of ſin, he takes all the ſtumbling blocks that were before in the waies of ſin, and laies them in their way to Heaven. As now if there be divers paths to go to a place, thoſe that would give marks to others that they might not go out of the way, they dig a ditch or lay ſomwhat in the way, perhaps ſome boughs of Trees or the like, to keep them off that they may go in the right way, So when the Lord ſees any thing that lies in the waies of his people that may occaſion ſtumbling to them, he takes them away, and laies them in ſuch a place that may keep them from going out of their way, and if there be any ſlough, he takes the ſtones, and laies them to help them over the ſlough, and therefore the waies of God muſt needs be eaſie.
Eighthly, They muſt needs be eaſie, becauſe they bring ſo much eaſe to the Conſcience, they bring abundance of eaſe to the Conſcience of a man or woman; When hath any man or woman eaſe to their conſciences, but when they have gone in the waies of Religion? though before they had throbs of conſcience, and terrors of conſcience, an angry conſcience. Thou couldeſt never lie down to ſleep, but thy conſicence was as it were a hard ſtone to thy head, and as pricks in thy ſide, but now when thou art got into the waies of Religion, thou canſt lie down in the boſome of a reconciled Father in peace, and thy conſcience very eaſie, and thy ſoul eaſie, thou feeleſt no more of the throbs of conſcience that thou waſt wont to feel▪ the waies of God bring eaſe to thy conſcience. Many of you love your eſtates, becauſe you can have means coming in when you are old, and you can ſit in a Chair, and can have maintenance brought in unto you, Oh, but if that be good, what is it to have quiet and eaſe in your conſciences, which only the yoke of Jeſus Chriſt brings in? and therefore the waies of Jeſus Chriſt are eaſie.
Ninthly: The waies of Chriſt are eaſie, becauſe they bring eaſe and freedome from al cares, al your troubles and cares, all your carking cares you have hereby eaſe from under them, come once under the yoke of Chriſt, and then you have nothing to do but to make known your requeſts to God, you need not care what ſhal become of you, either for the preſent or for erernity, if you be once got into the yoke of Chriſt. Do not miſtake me, to think that if once you come to profeſs religion you need take care for nothing, No, But I ſay, from al carking cares, and troubleſome cares, you may be delivered from them aſſoon as ever you come into the waies of Chriſt; many Chriſtians have it at the firſt, and if not at firſt, yet if you continue in them, you may come to have ſo much ſatisfaction in them, that any carking care that may cauſe trouble to your ſouls, in regard of your outward or inward, your preſent or eternal eſtate, all will be gone, for whatever you would take care for to help you, it is taken care for you there. Luther hath ſuch an expreſſion I remember, A Chriſtian may keep a perpetual Sabbath all his life, and all the week long, any thing that you would have to help you otherwiſe, God himſelf wil take care for you that you ſhal have it in himſelf, you ſhal have all in himſelf. We have a place in Iſaiah for the encouragement of the people of God, in Iſa. 30. 7. For the Egyptians ſhall help in vain, and to no purpoſe, therefore have I cryed concerning this▪ their ſtrength is to ſit ſtill. Here they did depend much up…n the Egyptians for help, I but ſaith God, you need not trouble your ſelves about this, the Egyptians to help▪ Their ſtrength is to ſit ſtill. The word Strength here in the Original is Egypt, their Egypt is to ſit ſtill▪ as in another place, in Iſaiah 51. 9. Awake, Awake, put on ſtrangth, O Arm of the Lord, awake as in the ancient daies, in the Generations of old, Art thou not it that cut Rahab, and wounded the Dragon, Rahab, that by moſt Interpreters is uſed as a word that comes of Egypt, and ſo in ſome other Scriptures the word Rahab comes of Egypt, and ſo in this place too, The Egyptians ſhal help in vain, and to no purpoſe, therefore have I cried concerning this, their Rahab, or their Egypt is to ſit ſtill, that is, look what help others would have from Egypt, you need not care how Egypt ſhal come to help you, you ſhal ſit ſtil, you ſhal have help in me in your ſitting ſtil, you ſhal have an Egypt, all the ſtrength you ſhould have in Egypt you ſhal have in me, Be quiet and ſit ſtil, and whatever ſtrength you think may be otherwaies, I will ſupply in my ſelf, O! the holy ſecurity that there is in the waies of God, and if there be a holy ſecurity in thoſe waies, there muſt needs be abundance of eaſe in them.
Tenthly: There is abundance of eaſe in the waies of Chriſt in this reſpect, becauſe they make other things eaſie, that which will make other things eaſie, that muſt needs be eaſie, as thus, The waies of Chriſt wil make hard things eaſie, afflictions eaſie, for afflictions come to let out thy ſin, and thy corruption: And is there not a great deal of eaſe in that? When a man hath a ſore and there is a great deal of corruption in that ſore, if one come and prick the ſore▪ and the corruption comes out, there is a great deal of eaſe: So here, afflictions to Gods people, they are but as that which comes to prick their corruptions, and to let out their ſins, and their corruptions, and that gives eaſe to the ſoul, A mans cal…ing is eaſie to him if he have grace, the going on in ones calling in a gracious m…nner is eaſie, and the going about any thing that a man ſets himſelf about it is eaſie, O! with what abundance of ſweetneſs doth Godly Men and Women go about their buſineſs more then thoſe that have corrupt hearts? You ſhall have many that have wicked and corrupt hearts, go about their buſineſs with ſuch fretting and vexing, if any thing fall amiſs they are ſo vexed: I but now, one that is Godly ſets about his buſineſs in obedience to God, and commits all to God, and leaves the ſucceſs to God, and ſo he is at eaſe. A Servant now, if he have not grace in his or her heart, if the Maſter or Miſtreſs do not pleaſe them, they go about their works, and fret and vex themſelves. But now thoſe that have grace, and know that they are in the way that Chriſt would have them, and that they obey Chriſt, and ſerve Chriſt in that way, they can find abundance of eaſe, for I am ſerving Chriſt in this work, though the work is a low work, a poor work, yet I am about Chriſts work, I am ſerving Jeſus Chriſt, and ſo they go about it with eaſe. And thus the waies of Religion make every thing eaſie, our lives eaſie, and our death eaſie, our paſſage out of this world wil be eaſie too.
But there are two or three things more to be added; the yoke of Chriſt is eaſie in regard of the yoke of the Law, therefore ſaith Chriſt in the Text, Take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is eaſie, the yoke and bondage you were under in reſpect of the Law, that was a burden, but my yoke is eaſie. And it is eaſie in reſpect of Antichriſt, that was ſpoken prophetically indeed, but now we may open the yoke of Chriſt in reſpect to that. But then compare it with the yoke of ſin, then it is eaſie too, the yoke of Chriſt not only in regard of all the former yokes, but if you compare it with the yoke of the Law, the yoke of ſin, and the yoke of Antichriſt, their yokes are far harder than the yokes of Jeſus Chriſt. I con…eſs I need not ſpend much time upon thoſe two of the yoke of the Law, and the yoke of ſin, ſomwhat I would ſpeak of either of them, to open the difference between the yokes in them, and the yoke of Chriſt, though there hath been a great deal ſaid in opening of the Text, Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you reſt, there we ſpake of the reſt from the Law, and the reſt from the burden of ſin, only I ſhal in this but a little compare the difference betwen the burden that there is in the yoke of the Law, and the yoke of Chriſt, and ſee which is eaſieſt, and ſo compare the yoke of ſin with the yoke of Chriſt, and then you ſhal ſee when I have ſet them both together, that one is a great deal eaſier than the other.