Four Books on Matthew 11, Book 4 · Chapter 144
CHAP. CXLIV.
The Yoke of Chriſt eaſier then the Yoke of Sin, and Antichriſt.
WEll, the next is the Yoke of Sin, the Yoke of Chriſt is farr eaſyer then that, ſin is the greateſt ſlavery in the World, it makes a man or woman a ſlave to the worſt of Creatures that ever was made; to the Devil himſelf, to be a ſlave to ſin it is to be a ſlave to the Devil, we have many bills ſent up to us, to pray for thoſe that are taken captives in Argire, it may be there are ſome of you here that have been taken ſlaves there, and you count that a miſerable Yoke, when you are made ſlaves to the Turke, you thought your freinds that were at home were happy that had their liberty to go up and down. Now Oh! you that ever felt that Yoke, or that have heard the doleful complaint of that Yoke by your freinds, that you would by that be ſenſible of the ſlavery to ſin, and to the Devil: is it no… better to be in ſlavery to any men in the world then to the Devil? When you go abroad you muſt nee…s go into the Alehouſes, to drink, and to be amon…ſt company, and abuſe your bodies to drunkenn…ſs, and uncleanneſs, and you have eyes ful of adul…ery that cannot ceaſe to ſin, and you will excuſe your ſelves, and ſay, you cannot do otherwiſe, …hen you are ſlaves, and are taken captive by the Devil to do according to his will, that Text you ha…e for it in 2 Tim. 2. And the laſt, That they may recover themſelves out of the Snare of the Devil, that are taken captive by him at his will. When a man is taken captive, he cannot do his own will, he cannot go whither he will, but he muſt go whither his maſter wil have him, and he cannot do what work he wil, but he muſt do what his Maſter will have him. So you cannot do what you would, but you muſt do what the Devil would have you to do, ſin is a ſlavery to the Devil. But now the obedience of the Goſpel, is that that brings the ſoul to be a ſubject to Jeſus Chriſt your King, ſo that here is the difference between the Devills ſervice, and Chriſts, that in the one, your work is a baſe ſlavery, and in the other, it is an honorable ſervice, Chriſt requires no baſe ſlavery of his ſubjects, it were better to do any ſlavery and drudgery to Jeſus Chriſt, then to do any work for the Devil, the Devil requires nothing but drudgery, and Chriſt requires nothing but honorable ſervice, and therefore the Yoke of Jeſus Chriſt is eaſyer then the Yoke of ſin; yea, the Yoke of ſin, hath a great deal of contradiction in it, there are croſs commands, they ſerve divers luſts, one luſt would have them do one thing, and another would have them do another: but now in the ſervice of Chriſt there is a bleſſed agreement between them, in the ſervice of ſin there is nothing but contradiction, but in the ſervice of Chriſt there is nothing but comly order, and therefore his ſervice is a great deal eaſier then the ſervice of ſin, and the truth is, if ſo be you did but know both of them you would ſay as much. We cannot compare two things together, to know which is heavier then the other, except we underſtand both of them, you that are beleevers, and are got under the Yoke of Chriſt, yet through temptation you are brought to ſome ſervice of ſin, now though ſin do reign over you, yet you are brought under the ſervice of ſin in a great meaſure, but now if you would compare when you keep cloſeſ… to Chriſt, and the waies of holineſs, whether you do not find more eaſe to your ſpirit, then when you have liberty to ſin. You think it is fine to go abroad, and be merry with your friends, and abuſe your ſelves, you think this is a fine thing, I but when you come home your hearts ake upon it, and your bodies are worſe two or three daies after, O! but when you walk with God in a holy manner, and walk with God in your calling, and pray morning and evening, and walk cloſe with God, and ever and anon have ejaculations to God, and have the face of God ſhining upon you, and ſo when you go to reſt, and lie down in the boſom of a reconciled Father, to have for your pillow the boſom of a reconciled Father, & eat your food as that which comes from the fruit of your labor, and the bleſſing of God, and ſitting with your yoke fellow bleſſing God for thoſe good things he grants unto you, and looking upon your children as the bleſſings of God unto you, and ſeeing the grace of God in them, and in all theſe things expecting, that after a while you ſhal be taken from the world, that you ſhall never ſin more, nor ſorrow more, nor never be troubled more, nor never tempted more, when you ſhall ſee the face of God, and enjoy his preſence everlaſtingly, Is not here a better life than to be under the bondage and drudgery of the Devil? to ſwear, and rail, and vex, and fret, and contend one with another, Is not here a great deal more eaſe? Certainly, if you will make triall, you ſhall find abundance of eaſe, and it is a good means to draw the heart of any one to repentance, when they hear, O! what a difference is there between my ſtate now, and that whenas I walked cloſe with God? What a deal of vexation and trouble have I now? whereas when I kept cloſe with God, how much better was it then with me then it is now? one day then was better then ten thouſand worlds now, If I ſhould live a thouſand years, to live …ne day as I did before when I walked cloſe with God, O! this is far better, and the thoughts of this makes them to returne to God, and ſay with them in Hoſe…, let me returne again, for then it was better with me then now, thus for the yoke of ſin.
And then to name one thing more, the yoke of Chriſt is eaſier then the yoke of Antichriſt, for ſo Chriſt ſpeaks not only for what is for the preſent, but what is afterwards, and this ſcripture is an exhortation to us now, aſwell as to the Diſciples in Chriſts Time, now, ſaith Chriſt, it is eaſyer then the yoke of Antichriſt, he ſaith ſo to you, now ſuppoſe Chriſt were here in this time among you, and ſhould ſay, take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is eaſy, and my burden light; you have heard ſomwhat of the yoke of Antichriſt, my yoke is eaſier, you will ſay, what is the yoke of Antichriſt? I opened it a little in Chriſts diſcipline, and you ſhall ſee it here in the yoke of Antichriſt.
Firſt. Take my yoke upon you, and I require you to be under no kind of government, but what you ſhal appoint your own officers, Antichriſt he will appoin… hi… officers; but Chriſt he allows you to chuſe your own officers.
And Secondly, No law that you ſhal be under for your ſpiritual eſtate, as a Church, that which is properly eccleſiaſtical and ſpiritual, no law but what I appoint in my word, I will not give liberty to men to make what laws they will make, no law enjoyned for your ſpiritual eſtate but what I appoint: if there be a company of men and women that meet in a congregation, and meet not only as Chriſtians, but as men and women, there is ſomwhat common to them as men and women, and there indeed the lawes of men may take hold of them, in thoſe actions that are but humane and civill, but now in thoſe things that are properly eccleſiaſtial and ſpiritual, that concerns the ſpiritual man, ſuch things as I muſt expect for ſpiritual efficacy upon my Soul, to work upon my heart, to draw me to God, or to bring God to me, in theſe things I am under no law but the law of Jeſus Chriſt, no men in the world have power, no not Church officers, nor civil officers, neither Magiſtrates, nor Miniſters, have any power to put any Law upon a church in regard of the ſpiritual eſtate of it, in regard of any ſpiritual ordinance, but ſuch as are in the word of God. Chriſt is the great Law-giver, and hath made them already, and and they are to look that thoſe Lawes be kept, but they are to make no new ones, there is no new act, no new Statute, for the ordering of men in their ſpiritual eſtate. Thoſe things that are properly ſpiritual, to work upon the inward man, that concernes the worſhip of God, to draw their hearts to Chriſt, or Chriſt to them, to work upon their hearts, there can be no new act, no new Law made by Magiſtrates, or any church officers in the world, but only ſuch as you find in the Scripture▪ now this is a great eaſe to a Chriſtian, to think, Lord thou tendereſt my Soul ſo much, that none can command any thing but what thou haſt ſet down in the word, and what thou haſt commanded: indeed Lawyers are to ſhew men the Lawes of the ſtate, and Miniſters are bound to ſhew the people if there be any Law, and to teach it the church, but there is no law that Miniſters are bound to open but only the commands of Jeſus Chriſt, they may be made uſe of as men, as publick men, and as opportunity ſerves be helpful in the civil State, but as Miniſters, they have nothing to do but to open the Laws of Jeſus Chriſt: and this is a great eaſe, whereas this is the bondage of Antichriſt, he will make laws to bind conſcience, and ſo though a man ſhould keep all Gods laws, yet he may be damned to eternity by breaking his laws, and therefore he makes it a bondage in this regard, that a man ſhould be not only in danger of eternal damnation by diſobedience to Chriſts laws, but a thouſand laws that he never knows. And that is the ſecond eaſe of the yoke of Chriſt, that there ſhall be no Laws to govern the Church but the laws of Jeſus Chriſt.
Thirdly: The difference between the yoke of Antichriſt, and the yoke of Chriſt is this: Antichriſt requires ſubmiſſion to his laws by violence & compulſion, and you muſt do them whether you underſtand them or not, you muſt underſtand them by a Priſon elſe, that which ſhal befal you is impriſonment, and baniſhment, by inflicting corporal puniſhment upon you, he wil force you that way to come to beleeve, if you cannot come to beleeve this to be a truth, that is the way to make you to beleeve it, impriſonment, and baniſhment, and mulcts upon your eſtate, and corporal puniſhments upon your bodies; but Chriſt takes no ſuch courſe, and gives no ſuch commiſſion, to inforce to beleeve things by ſuch a way as this, but his waies are gentle, & meek waies, ſaith he, come unto me, & learn of me, for I am meek & lowly, & take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is eaſie; and it is eaſie in this, that what I require of you to beleeve, I do not uſe violent and compulſive waies and means to bring you to beleeve, No, but the way that I would have my people uſe, it is inſtruction and information, it is the ſhewing of them the truth, and anſwering their Objections that they have againſt this way, it is gently to lead them, and not compelling of them to beleeve, that if a man cannot beleeve ſuch a truth they ſhall be compelled to it, certainly, to uſe violence and to compel ſuch a man, is not the way of Jeſus Chriſt. Indeed for ſome outward waies to be uſed to keep men from doing hurt to others, that is another thing, from doing that which may do miſchief to another man: But for a violent compelling of a man, meerly to alter his judgment, though he will keep it to himſelf, and live quietly, yet to compel him to ſubſcribe to ſuch Articles that he cannot ſub…it unto, certainly, Chriſt would not have any ſuch yoke, to have a compulſory way, to make men beleeve that which hey cannot ſee any reaſon for, but Chriſt would firſt have the ſoul be convinced of the thing before he beleeves it, and it is a mighty eaſe, if we did underſtand it, we would think it to be worth al the trouble we have been under ſince theſe wars began, to be delivered from what the Prelatical, Antichriſtian men did determin, that they would put upon all thoſe that ſhould have any office or exerciſe any Gift in the Church of God, they would force them, either to beleeve what they ſay to be true, or otherwiſe not to live among them, yea, all people were brought unto it, though they did not underſtand it. As thus, many people were brought under this bondage, Suppoſe any of you were complained of by a Parator in their Court, well, when you were once complained of, if you had not appeared, then preſently excommunicated if they had got any advantage over you, wel, if once they got you under the cenſure of their Court, you could not get off for your lives without taking an Oath, and in that Oath you muſt acknowledg ſuch things, as I dare ſay not one▪ in five hundred underſtood what it was, and yet you muſt acknowledg ſubjection to them; Now what an intolerable bondage was this? and if you did not, you were undone for your outward eſtates, they would force it by violence, ſaith Ch…iſt, my yoke is otherwiſe, Oh, what a bondage were we in, and yet not ſenſible of it? and did we underſtand it, we would not ſo murmur and complain of ſome trouble that we meet withal, and we would cry to God that we might never come under ſuch a bondage again, in ſuch a violent way, to be forced to ſuch an Oath, and to beleeve ſuch and ſuch things to be true, though otherwiſe we lived quietly and peaceably, yet not to be ſuffered ſo to live, except we would change our judgments, certainly, this is an intollerable burden. And would you know what is Antichriſtianiſm, and what not? It is in this, that herein the Yoke of Antichriſt is an Iron Yoke, that it will have a violent, Baſe, Forced beliefe, and forced alteration of a mans ju…gment, that if he were but meerly a man▪ he▪ muſt ſuffer all the torments …n the world rather then come to alter his judgment before he be convinced of it: Certainly, if a man have but reaſon▪ the Reaſon of a man, the ſpirit of a man, if one ſhould come and ſay, you muſt beleeve this to be t…ue, he would ſay, I but I muſt underſtand firſt that it is true, Certainly, he would be …orne in pieces with wild Horſes, rather then alter his judgment before he be convinced of i…, but for a man to come and ſ…y, you muſt beleeve this to be true, and he ſay, I but I do not beleeve it to be true, no, then you muſt be made to beleeve it by impriſonment, and Baniſhment, and confiſcation of your goods, and the like, Oh what a bondage is this? And this is the bondage of Antichriſt.
And then there is another thing in the yoke of Antichriſt, and that is not to accept of repentance, of any general repentance and mourning, except there be a reforming of the particular thing wherein they judg men to be amiſs, which is contrary to the yoke of Chriſt. Saith Chriſt, you muſt do what you are convinced of to be true, what you ſee to be my will, but now, becauſe of your weakneſs, you cannot perhaps underſtand it to be my will, this is your ſin, wel but I wil accept of a general repentance, that if I ſee your Heart upright, and ſincere▪ and you mourne, not only for your ſins of knowledg, but ſins of ignorance, although you ſhould die and reforme none of this all your life, I will pardon and accept you. But now mark how the yoke of Antichriſt is, Antichriſt requires ſuch things to be done, Well, but I cannot do them, I cannot ſee Reaſon why I ſhould do them, Well, he will never remit no puniſhment, he will inflict puniſhment, and never remit any til you revoke your judgment; you may ſay, well, though I cannot beleeve I will live quietly, and wait, and uſe all the means I can to convince me that this is the right way, and if I cannot, I will live quietly with you, that will not ſerve the turne, Nay, but if you do not ſee it, you muſt lie under this puniſhment til you come to revoke your Error, and profeſs and practice the contrary, Thus Antichriſt layes more weight upon his lawes, then Chriſt doth upon his, for Chriſt ſaith thus, there is ſuch a Law I require of you, it is true, if you do not do it, or underſtand it, it is your ſin, but becauſe of your weakneſs I wil accept of a general repentance, you repent of all the ſins you do know, there you repent in general for ſins of ignorance, and though you ſhould not reforme all your daies, I will accept of it, but now when you come to their Court, there would be no help for you, except you promiſe the contrary thing that you did before, you muſt come and reforme, and amend, and do the thing that before you did not do, or elſe never be abſolved by them, but Chriſt will abſolve you, though you ſhould never come to do the thing that he would have you to do, if there be a willingneſs of heart to inquire into his mind, and a willingneſs to do ſo farr as you know. Now what a deal of difference is here? Though you do not reforme the outward action, yet if your heart be upright, I will pardon your offences, come to me, ſaith Chriſt, for my Yoke is eaſier then the yoke of the Law, then the Yoke of ſin, and then the yoke of Antichriſt, Oh how juſt were it for us to be brought under the Yoke of Antichriſt indeed, that are not willing to be brought under the Yoke of Jeſus Chriſt, it is a great argument indeed, that we are under the Yoke of ſin, when we are not willing to be under the yoke of Chriſt. In Exodus, 12: 25: You ſhall read there of the Paſſover, which was to put them in mind of the bondage that they were in ſpiritually, it was to put them in mind to bleſs God for the deliverance from that bondage now, Saith the Lord there, It ſhal come to paſs, when ye be come to the Land which the Lord wil give you according as he hath promiſed, that he ſhal keep this Service. Now the word that is Tranſlated Service, it is the ſame word in the Original that is uſed when they were in Service under Pharoa…, in the firſt of Exodus, 14. They made their lives bitter in al manner of Service. Now when they were delivered, ſaith God you ſhall keep this Service▪ as if the Lord ſhould ſay. Oh, this is a great deal better Service, then the Service you were in under P…aroah, you ſhall keep this Service. Oh, if you did but think of the difference between the Service of Antichriſt, and the Service of Chriſt, it would be a very ſtrong motive to perſwade us to this Service rather then the former. And ſo the Scripture you ſhal find comparing the Service of ſin, and the Service of Chriſt together, it is ſaid of ſin, that the ſervice of ſin it is a hard ſervice, ſin hath a great deal of hardneſs in it. In Prov. 13. 15. The way of tranſgreſſors is hard, That you may annex to the former, about the way of Antichriſt, and yet it is ſtrange to think, how men had rather be under any yoke then the yoke of Jeſus Chriſt. Therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, in 2 Cor. 11. 20. Ye ſuffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devoure you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himſelf, if a man ſmite you on the Face, If the falſe teachers did any thing againſt you, whatever they did to you, you ſuffered it, though they would exalt themſelves over you, bring you to bondage, make themſelves Lords of your faith, you would ſuffer them, but you will not ſuffer me; and this is uſual with men, to ſuffer any kind of bondage from falſ teachers, rather then from the miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt, men will complain of any Service under Jeſus Chriſt, rather then they wil be under the yoke of Jeſus Chriſt. If you were under a great bondage in the Prelatical Courts you cannot but know that if a miniſter would be a ſlave to the Biſhop, he might inſlave all his parriſh: As now, any people in the country, if he would be gracious with the commiſſary, he would bring any gentleman into ſlavery to attend upon him as he pleaſed, and yet how willing are many rather to be under that bondage, then any other whatſoever, and men are loath for to come under this, though we ſhew it to be Canonical out of Scripture, this ſhewes the perverſneſs of mens ſpirits.