Four Books on Matthew 11, Book 4 · Chapter 145
CHAP. CXLV.
E…ght Conſequences from the former Doctrin, 1. The world is miſtaken about the ſervice of Chriſt, 2. A great ſin to reject Chriſt. 3. Bleſs God for this eaſie Yoke, 4. Bring not an evil report upon the waies of Chriſt, 5. Chriſt wil expect much Service, it being ſo eaſie. 6. Make not the Yoke of Chriſt hard. 7. We ſhould give up our Selves to Chriſt. 8. It is an accurſed thing to be an apoſtat.
COme we now to the Firſt, for I have two things yet to do, having opened in what reſpects the yoke of Chriſt is eaſie, there is, Firſt, The Conſequences and Corollaries to be drawn from all this that hath been ſaid by way of Uſe. And Secondly, To ſhew how you may make the yoke of Jeſus Chriſt eaſie to you, what it is that facilitates it.
Conſequence, 1.
For the Conſequences hence. Firſt, Certainly, That miſtake of the world about the ſervice of Jeſus Chriſt is rotten, how many men will rather venture all the hardſhip of eternal miſery, of Hell fire, then come under the yoke of Chriſt for the preſent in this world: Certainly, This is a dreadful thing, for a man to have hard thoughts, not only without Reaſon, but ſuch hard thoughts, as when both are laid together, either thou muſt come under the yoke of Jeſus Chriſt, or periſh eternally, and endure al the hardſhip of eternal fire hereafter in hell; Well, ſaith a carnal heart, rather then I wil endure the croſſing of my ſin, I wil venture the other, I hope the other will not be, but I will venture it, now what a dreadful thing is this, that you will venture this. I will grant, you are not convinced of it, but you hear this ou… of the word often threatned; and you cannot but acknowledg it is a great venture, that you venture all the wrath of God, and the curſe of the Law, and all that that God threatens in the word, that will purſue thoſe that do periſh, Now this is a hard venture, now you venture all this rather then you will come under the yoke of Jeſus Chriſt. Oh, what a miſtake is this? What excuſe can ye have for your ſelves that run upon ſuch a miſtake as this is? That that hath been delivered to you ſhews the great aggravation of th…s ſin.
Conſequence, 2.
And that may be a Second Particular, a great aggravation of the wickedneſ… of mens hearts, and of their lives, ſaith the Lord in his word▪ … have ſent my Son into the World, to bring my mercy and goodneſs and love unto you, and he is come for to deliver you from a heavy yoke, and to lay an eaſie yoke upon you, and to bring you to Heaven that way, but now you refuſe and reject him▪ and will rather endure more hardſhip in your refuſing of him, and in damning your Souls then in ſubjecting to him, and ſaving your Souls eternally. Oh it will be a dreadful aggravation of mens ſins at the great day, what a diſhonor do men …ut upon Jeſus Chriſt, whenas they by their actions do as much as if they ſhould ſay, Oh, the yoke that Chriſt wil put upon mens Necks is into lerable, we cannot bear it, I will rather be under the yoke of ſin, and under the yoke of the Devil, and under the yoke of Antichriſt, then under the Yoke of Jeſus Chriſt, whereas the truth is, Jeſus Chriſt is come into the world to bring ſuch a way of Sweetneſs, and Love, and Mercy, and Eaſe unto us, as if all the Angels in Heaven, and men in the world, had ſet all their Wiſdomes on work from the beginning of the world, to find out a way to bring us to Heaven, they could not have found out ſuch a way as this, and yet this way to be refuſed, Oh the aggravation of men at that day! And the truth is, that which I have delivered to you out of this Text, if you ſhall yet continue under the yoke of your ſins, and be bond-ſlaves to the Devil in your wicked courſes, theſe things ſhall another day riſe up in Judgment to ſtop your Mouths, when this ſhal be brought againſt you, did not you live in ſuch a Town? And ſuch a place; And where you heard ſuch a Text opened to you, that if you would come to Jeſus Chriſt his yoke was eaſie, and his burden was light, and that the way of Jeſus Chriſt brought ſuch ſweetneſs, and love, and mercy? And yet you refuſed it, and you would chuſe rather to be a bondſlaves to my enemy the Devil, then come under the yoke of my ſon, Oh, How will this aggravate your ſin another day! I beſeech you, let not what we ſpeak unto you, be an aggravation of your ſin, the Reaſon why I have been ſo long upon this Text was, to take away the ſtumbling blocks that men laid in the waies of Chriſt, and to draw your hearts to the Love of the waies of Jeſus Chriſt, But now, if you ſhould reject the waies of Chriſt, and continue under the yoke and bondage of ſin after all, this will be the fruit of the Sermons that they will be called over again at the day of judgment, to make your yoke and burden heavier when you are under the wrath of God to all eternity. And that may be a ſecond uſe of this Point.
Conſequence, 3.
Thirdly, If the Yoke of Chriſt be thus eaſie, and his Burden light, then you that are the people of God, that are come under this yoke, and have felt the eaſineſs of this yoke, bleſs the Lord for it, and bleſs your ſelves for what eaſe you find in the waies of Jeſus Chriſt. Think but thus with your ſelfe, there are others indeed, they have a ſtrange conceit of the waies of Jeſus Chriſt, and think them hard, and indeed, if their natures be not changed, they wil be hard unto them, but bleſſed be God I find them otherwiſe, when I began to turn my face to Jeſus Chriſt, my Father or Mother called me Fool, and ſaid, you will have no comfort, and my Uncle and kindred, they told me that my comfort would all be gone, but bleſſed be God I did not harken to them, but I find them otherwiſe, I do not find that theſe things bring me into any ſuch bondage, but bleſſed be God I never had that comfort that now I have, Nay, I have that ſweetneſs eaſe, and comfort, that I cannot but think, that if al the men in the world did ſeek now and feel that comfort that I feel, they would be in Love with the waies of God. I hope there are many that can think with themſelves, did but all my kindred, and my friends, Yea, did but all the world feel that ſweetneſs▪ eaſe, and comfort, that I feel in the waies of Chriſt, they would be in love with them. If you can ſpeak ſo, Oh▪ bleſſed be God for this eaſie yoke of Chriſt. There might have been required a hard yoke, if Chriſt ſhould ſay, Well, I endured a hard yoke for you, I came from the Boſome of my Father, and came under the curſe of the Law for you, and if you will be delivered, you muſt have a heavy yoke upon you too, if Chriſt ſhould have required, that we ſhould have been tied unto a Stake, and endured the fire and have been held unto it, and ſaved at laſt, yet we had cauſe to fal down and bleſs God for ever for this: but Chriſt requires no ſuch thing, Chriſt reveals not only Salvation at laſt, but he reveals a fair way, he paves our way with Gold, ſo that we go through Canaan unto Canaan, not through the wilderneſs. It is true, before we came under the yoke of Chriſt fully, there was ſome trouble▪ but take it in reſpect of the inward man▪ I ſay, their way to a Heavenly Canaan is through Canaan, here in this world they have a Canaan that flows with Milk and Honey. It is true, the Jews were in a ſervile way, and God would not bring them into Canaan but through the Wilderneſs, and it is true, in outward view there is a great deal of trouble to come to you but in regard of the inward man, there is a ſpiritual Canaan to bring us to the Heavenly Canaan, and the Saints they may ſuck Milk and Honey continually, if they do not hinder themſelves all the way they are going to the Land of Canaan; the Lord hath appointed them to ſuck ſweetneſs and honey out of the Promiſe of the Goſpel all the way they go: while the wicked have nothing but Swill and Dogs meat, …o ſuck▪ and to feed upon. And here is the difference between a Godly man, and a wicked man, an ungodly man or woman is appointed for execution, and he lives upon the basket, in the mean time, he hath nothing to maintain him, as a Priſoner he lives upon the basket, this is his life in compariſon of a Godly mans life, he is going on to execution even in this world: now between the greateſt Prince that is, and what the Saints have in this world, there is this difference, the one is appointed to execution, and lives upon the basket to maintain him till the day of execution, and the other is going to immortality, to receive a Kingdom, to live upon the greateſt dainties that Jeſus Chriſt brought from the boſom of his Father, from the Riches and Glory of his Father, here in this world he hath that that ſweetens his life▪ and hath his food, in ſome reſpects better than the food of the Angels, he feeds upon Manna that comes from Heaven, though he be in the Wilderneſs of this world. Oh, bleſs God and Jeſus Chriſt that hath made ſuch a way for thee to Heaven, and love theſe waies of Chriſt, and ſpeak well of them, and labor to promote them and all that ever you can, and live ſo, as you may not bring an …ill report upon the waies of Chriſt, that others may not be deterred from the waies of Jeſus Chriſt by your lives.
Conſequence 4.
And that may be another Uſe, if the waies of Chriſt be ſo eaſie, then do not bring an ill report upon them, Do not lead ſuch diſcontented, ſullen, dejected lives, eſpecially you that have carnal Huſbands, carnal Wives, carnal Parents, carnal Maſters, and Miſtreſſes, they look upon you, what you do now, and if they ſee that ſince you began to go to Sermons, and to make more profeſſion of Religion, that your lives are more filled with diſcomfort, and vexing and fretting▪ and diſcouragement than before, What will they ſay? What waies are theſe? Who would come into theſe waies? they make the… mad, and make them fools, and unfit them for any buſineſs, Oh, this is a ſhame to he waies of Chriſt, though it is true, now thou ſeeſt more cauſe of humiliation than before, but for all this know, that this is not legal humiliation, but evangelical humiliation, and there is ſweetneſs in that bitter of ſin if thou underſtandeſt it in an evangelical way, and though thou ſhouldeſt mourn for thy ſin, yet thou ſhouldeſt carry thy ſelf with that gentleneſs, and humility, and meekneſs in thy ſpirit, thou ſhouldſt diſcover that ſweetneſs of heart, and cheerfulneſs, and activeneſs in your callings, going about your buſineſs better than ever before, that they may ſay, ſurely, the way of Chriſt is eaſie, and ſo others may be in love with them; but if others ſhal ſee you to be more high, and lofty in your ſpirits, more proud, more diſdaining, more neglective in your callings, and more croſs in your carriage than before, then they will be kept off from thoſe waies.
Conſequence 5.
Again if the waies of Chriſt be ſo eaſie, certainly, Jeſus Chriſt will expect a great deal of ſervice from you becauſe he gives you much eaſe, a man that walkes at liberty, he may walk apace, a Porter that hath a great burden upon him, whilſt that that burden is upon him he cannot go ſo faſt, if one ſhould come and ſay to him Why do not you go faſter? he would anſwer, if you had ſuch a burden upon you as … have; you would go as ſoftly as I do. A cart that hath a great load upon it, cannot go apace, ſo here hath Jeſus Chriſt laid no weight upon you in his waies, then let us run the waies of Gods commandments. Beleevers in the time of the Law, they had Shackles, they had a weight, a burden upon them, and therefore no marvel we do not read of ſo much holineſs, and ſpiritualneſs, in the waies of the Godly in the times of the Law generally, becauſe, I ſay their yoke was heavy, and therefore they did drive very ſlowly on, but now, when Jeſus Chriſt is come into the world, and hath taken our yoke from us, certainly, Chriſt expects that we ſhould now go on freely in his waies, and abound in the work of the Lord, and do more than they did in the times of the Law. Read the Book of the Pſalmes, and ſee the ſweetneſs of Davids ſpirit, had David had the Epiſtles of Paul, and had known all of Chriſt, and heard ſo much of the Goſpel opened to him, How would he have ſaid, O! how ſweet is thy Law? and if his heart was enlarged, he could run the waies of Gods commandments, I but David, he was under the burden of the ceremoniall Law, for it is not that which is revealed in the Goſpel, certainly, he had not the knowledg of the Goſpel, the things revealed there, though he had a more then ordinary meaſure of knowledg, and if he walked ſo freely, and cheerfully in the waies of Chriſt, certainly, we ſhould do much more Service for the Lord, now the yoke is taken from us, as the ceremonial Law in reſpect of charge, we are freed from a great deal of charge that they were at, therefore we ſhould be more free when God requires it of us. And they ſpent ſo much time in outward things, in meer outward things, then ſhall we grudge god our time in ſpiritual communion or grudg God time in our Families, a quarter of an hour to Worſhip God in our▪ Families morning and evening? In the Lavv, they ſpent abundance of time in the Service of God, it may be you think it much to riſe and come to hear the Word, they vvere fain to go long journies to Worſhip at Jeruſalem, vvherever they lived in the country, to go to Jeruſalem to worſhip, and yet their worſhip was but an external thing, and in the greater part but bodily labor, when they went thus to worſhip, they had not the Myſteries of the Goſpel opened to them as you have to recompence your labor, therefore I ſay, be more abundant in the ſervice of God. We have a notable Scripture for this, in Acts 9. 31. of the ſtate of the Church, when once they had eaſe and reſt, marke what came of it: Then had the Churches reſt throughout all Judea and Gal…lee and Samaria, and were edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghoſt we…e multiplied. Here is the fruit of their reſt. The eaſe of a ſecure heart, is that that makes it more barren in Gods waies, but now the Church had reſt through all Judea, What then? then they walked in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghoſt, and were multiplied; and doth God give reſt unto your Soul, and peace to you? then walk in the fear of the Lord, and be edified, and built up more and more, and multiply the ſervice of God more and more, there is a promiſe, that the people of God ſhould be fat and well-liking in the times of the Goſpel, and flouriſh in the Courts of the Lord. There is two things that cauſeth Fatneſs, the one is much Feeding, the other is a great deal of reſt and eaſe, when men feed much, and then have a great deal of eaſe, this cauſeth fatneſs, if there be either want of food, or if there be never ſo much food, yet if a great deal of labor, it keeps them from fatneſs; but when there is eaſe, and food, that cauſeth bodily fatneſs. Now Chriſt expects in the times of the Goſpel, that all Chriſtians ſhould be fat, and well liking, that they ſhould not be lean in their ſouls, Why? for, 1. They have as plentifull food as ever was ſince the world began, never had they better diet and more ful diet, and wholſome diet than now. And 2. He hath revealed likewiſe the bleſſed eaſe of the Goſpel, there was never a time wherein the Myſtery of the Goſpel was ſo much revealed to make the waies of Chriſt ſo eaſie as now; there is a revealing indeed of the waies of the Goſpel to be eaſie ſenſually▪ and looſe, but wo to thoſe that are thus at eaſe, but I ſay, there is a revealing of the Goſpel and the waies of Chriſt to be eaſie ſpiritually. Certainly, formerly many went to Heaven more hardlier than we, not only in reſpect of ſuffering, but in reſpect of horror of ſin, the ſpirit of bondage, there were ſcarce any brought to Jeſus Chriſt, but were brought with abundance of horror, and had much of the ſpirit of bondage upon them, and God did recompence them afterwards abundantly, and we find this, that it is true, that many true Chriſtians, never knew ſo much horror of conſcience, and are very holy and ſpiritual, and have eaſe in their coming to, and living with Chriſt, but we find many very looſe and vain that never had the bondage of ſin, if God would humble them for their ſins more, and make them ſenſible of ſin, they would not be ſo frothy and carnal as they are. Wel, but though ſome do abuſe the free Grace of God in Chriſt, yet others do not, now you that have ſo much eaſe in the waies of Chriſt, and alſo have ſo much food, ſurely Chriſt expects you ſhould be fat and wel-liking, and that you ſhould do much ſervice for him.
Conſequence 6.
And another Uſe is this. If Chriſt accounts his waies eaſie, let not men make them hard, take heed how you make the waies of Chriſt harder than Chriſt makes them, though it is true, you cannot make them hard, I but, you do what you can to make them hard, as thus; you have an Apprentice, or a Child, or a Friend, or a Kinſman, that is looking after the waies of Chriſt, Do not you do what you can to make the waies Chriſt hard to them? you ſcorn at them, and ſcoff at them, and rail at them. and ſmite them, and take all advantage you can againſt them, you do what you can to vex their ſpirits, and to make Chriſts waies hard to them. Saith Chriſt, I came into the world to that end to bring ſouls to me, to carry them on comfortably to Heaven, but here is a Wretch, ſo ſoon as any one looks towards Heaven, he doth what he can to make his life uncomfortable, a child that you reſpected before, and lived ſweetly with you before, now you do what you can to make them live worſe lives than formerly they lived, and ſo the Wife of your boſom, or your Huſband, and the like; and thus you do what you can to draw them off from the waies of Chriſt, and if they would come off from thoſe waies, then you would do what you can to make their lives more comfortable, O! Wrerch, Wretch that thou art to croſs the waies of Chriſt, thou doſt in this thing but act the part of the Devil, for what doth the Devil? the Devil will make his waies as eaſie as he can, and the waies of Chriſt to be as hard as he can, and that is the reaſon that many young Chriſtians are troubled with more temptations now than before, becauſe the Devil ſees they are getting away from him, and he doth what he can to make their getting away to be as troubleſom as can be. As a Jaylor, when the Jaylor hath a Priſoner, if he be in Priſon he takes no notice, but if he be a plotting how …o get out of the Priſon, then he comes and laies fetters upon him; So when men are in the Dungeon of the Devil, and the Devil hath them faſt, then he is at quiet with them, but when they come to enquire after the waies of Heaven, and labor to get out of their bondage, then the Devil comes with Darts, and Suggeſtions, to make their lives uncomfortable, and as the Devil doth, ſo do wicked men.
Conſequence, 7.
But then another uſe from hence is this, To exhort people to come in to the waies of God, labor to get over the Stumbling Stone, the Devil and the world hath deluded thee, but now ſay, God forbid that I ſhould any longer ſtand it out, Oh! now I come, now I will put my neck under the yoke of Jeſus Chriſt, I will come and be the ſervant of Chriſt, you that are ſervants, you have been commended to live in ſuch a ſervice, with ſuch a maſter or miſtris, but there hath come another ſervant and told you, that they are very hard, and you will never live comfortably there. But now if you have another that comes and tells you, that it is meer envy, that the other puts you off out of ill will, and that certainly if you can be but one in ſuch a family you will live a happy life, you will find ſo much peace, love, and kindneſs, and as fair dealing as ever any ſervant had in any family in the world; Now upon this, if you ſhould be taken off, would it not grieve you? truly, it is thus in the waies of Chriſt, you have had (perhaps) good thoughts of the waies of Chriſt, I but ſome, it may be, hath put it into your head, that you will live but a melancholy and dumpiſh life in them, but now, you have heard out of the word, that you ſhall live the moſt comfortable life in the world, and therefore, O! now reſolve to give up your names to God before this night, go into the preſence of God, and there profeſs your ſelves that you wil be his ſervants for ever, and bind your ſelves unto him, ſay, Lord, reveale what thou haſt to enjoyne …e, and here I am profeſſing to be thine.
Conſequence. 8.
And again, If the waies of Chriſt be ſo eaſy, then we may ſee from hence what a curſed thing it is to be an Appoſtate, for one to begin to put on inro the waies of Jeſus Chriſt, and then break off again, O! thou bringeſt a diſgrace and diſhonor upon the waies of Jeſus Chriſt, as though they were ſuch hard waies. You ſhal have many ſay, well, I was a puritan once, and I was wont to be praying and faſting with them, but it was ſuch a burden to me, that it was impoſſible for me to bear it, Oh! thou hadſt a baſe carnal heart, and doſt thou leave the waies of Chriſt upon ſuch grounds? know, that a time ſhal come, that thou ſhalt be caſt off with eternal abhorring, and thoſe that thou ſeekeſt to put off from the waies of God, ſhall riſe up in judgment againſt thee; it is the uſual manner of Apoſtates to put off others from the waies of God, becauſe they leave the waies of Chriſt themſelves, therefore they labor that others may leave them two. As a wicked ſervant, that hath behaved himſelf wickedly in a family, and the Maſter and Miſtris put him off, then he railes, and brings up an ill report all he can, upon the Maſter and Miſtris, ſaying, there is no living with them, and if they heare of any inclining to live in the family, they cry out againſt them why? becauſe they are put off? ſo here Apoſtates behave themſelves wickedly, and Chriſt caſts them off as unſavory Salt and Filth, and when they are once out, then they find their ſpirits filld with guilt in their conſciences, and then they raile againſt the waies of Chriſt, what is the reaſon that the Devil doth ſo much labor to bring off men from God? becauſe he is caſt off himſelf, he was once an Angel, and he being caſt off from God himſelf, it troubles him that any ſhould be brought on to the waies of God, but if there be any ſuch here, Oh, that this text might convince them that they ſhould returne againe and ſay, I will returne unto the waies of Chriſt againe, for then it was better with me then it is now.
And then the Laſt thing is to ſpeak eſpecially to young ones, thoſe that complain of hardneſs in the waies of Chriſt for the preſent, and feel their work very difficult, that ſay, Oh, that I could find what you ſay is in the waies of Jeſus Chriſt, that I could find them ſo, what a happy life ſhould I live? Now be convinced there is ſuch a way, what ſhould be done to facilitate and make eaſy this way. Now what rules we ſhould obſerve to make the waies of Chriſt eaſy, that we may go on with eaſe, ſweetneſs, and comfort in them, is the next thing I ſhal come unto.