Four Books on Matthew 11, Book 4 · Chapter 136
CHAP. CXXXVI.
The Second Particular mentioned, Chap. 13. Is opened in two differences between a Carnal heart, and a Gracious Soul, in the waies of God. 1 The Hypocrite finds eaſe in the waies of God and Sin both. 2. The Hypocrite hath ſome eaſe, becauſe he miſtaks the Yoke of Chriſt, contenting himſelf with the outward forme of Godlineſs, but theb eleevers eaſe comes from the power of it.
BUt now many carnal hearts, they think it eaſie: Gracious hearts may think this point at firſt hearing very ſtrange, but carnal hearts they think, I, we like this point wel enough, for men keep ſuch a do, and make the waies of God ſo difficult, to go on in a faire way, that is eaſy, but to be put to ſo much trouble and pains, there muſt be Such praying, and humbling, and ſuch ſtrict keeping of the Sabbaths, this is that diſturbs, now becauſe civil men, they find eaſe as well as carnal hearts, that will be the next thing, for Indeed, I was loth to ſpeak ſo much of the eaſineſs of the waies of Chriſt without ſhewing the difference between the reſt, and eaſe of a carnal heart or an Hipocrite, and a true Gracious heart, an Hipocrite and a carnal heart ſhal find no eaſe and reſt at al though a gracious heart ſhal
Wherfore the differences between that eaſe which a carnal heart finds, and that which a gracious heart finds in Gods ways they are many.
Firſt of al, a carnal heart finds eaſe in Chriſts yoke and eaſe in the yoke of ſin both, they find eaſe in both yokes, when they have a temptation to ſin, that is comfortable to them, when it is ſuitable to their own ends to their own waies, when they come to performe duty and come to the Church, and ſomtimes pray, and receive Sacraments, and the like, they think they find a great deal of eaſe there, they are content with both, now it is quite otherwiſe with a gracious heart, a gracious heart finds eaſe in the yoke of Chriſt, but there is nothing more burdenſom to a gracious heart then the yoke of ſin, the yoke of Chriſt is ſuch an eaſe as cannot ſtand: with eaſe under the yoke of any ſin, but the yoke of ſin it is burdenſome and intollerable unto the heart that hath true eaſe in the yoke of Jeſus Chriſt. Yea, and the more eaſe any gracious heart hath in bearing the yoke of Chriſt, the more intolerable is the burden that ſuch a heart hath when it is under the yoke of ſin; if at any time ſin doth prevail with one that is come under ſubjection to Jeſus Chriſt, O! how greivous is that ſin, and therefore greivous, becauſe ſuch a foul knows what the difference is between the yoke of Chriſt, and the yoke of ſin, therefore it is grievous, It is not only greivous, becauſe it brings terror to the ſoul through fear of judgment and fear of hell, but it is grievous, becauſe the ſoul knows a difference between the yoke of Chriſt and the yoke of ſin. As now, if a man hath been acquainted with a ſervice to ſome Noble man or Prince, and hath a great deale of Honor and reſpect, and gained very much, and afterwards this man ſhould come to be a ſlave in the Gallies, Oh, how burdenſom would this be to him upon this ground, becauſe he once knew a better ſervice, he knew what it was to ſerve ſuch a Prince, that was a gracious Prince, and loved him and delighted in him, and required nothing of him but that that was very ſuitable to him, now if ſuch a one comes to the Gally, it will be very greivous. Truly thus it is, a true Gracious heart, that hath been acquainted with the yoke of Chriſt, if at any time he is overcome with any corruption, with any ſin▪ he is like one in the Gally, Oh, this ſoul conſiders, I am in a different way from what I was wont to be, I was wont to be in the ſervice of Jeſus Chriſt, and my heart had ſoul ſatisfying contentments while I was there, but O what a difference is there in this work? here is a baſe drudgery in compariſon of what I was wont to have, Oh, the ſweet communion I had with Jeſus Chriſt while my heart kept cloſe to him, but now, now I am raking in kennells, and rowing in Gallies, Oh! wretched man that I am, who ſhal deliver me from this burden? now this is a wide, a broad difference, between the eaſineſs of the yoke of Chriſt to one and to the other, one finds a great deal of eaſe in the yoke, but the other finds all one, if he goes amongſt company that are vaine, and ſleight, and prophane, and when he comes to hear the word to read or receive the Sacrament, almoſt all one; and indeed, if there be any difference, his greateſt eaſe is in that of ſin; he hath eaſe in the duties of religion, in performing duties, but his greateſt eaſe is in the other way; I but now, the eaſe of a Saint is ſuch as cannot ſtand with the eaſe of ſin, a child of God can beare the yoke of Chriſt with eaſe, but he cannot beare the yoke of ſin, it is death to him to beare the yoke of ſin, that is the Firſt
Secondly, Another difference is this, a carnall heart may have ſome eaſe in duties of religion, in the yoke of Chriſt, but it is becauſe he miſtakes the yoke of Chriſt, it is becauſe he doth not know the yoke of Chriſt, he thinks that the yoke of Chriſt is only ſome external duties that Chriſt requires, or to keep from ſome groſſe ſins, and now and then to ſay his prayers, and now and then to read a chapter, and come to Church, and to receive Sacraments, he thinks this is all that Chriſt requires of him, what needs any more to do then this? May not I go to Heaven as well with this, as with keeping ſo much a do as others do? and he thinks here is the yoke of Chriſt, and this is fine and eaſy indeed. If this were the way that would bring to Heaven, it were a very eaſy matter to go to Heaven, that is, for a man to keep from a groſs foul ſin, that would make him odious in the place where he lives, and for him only to come from his houſe, and ſit an hour or two and heare a Sermon, and come at Eaſter and other times and receive the Sacrament, this is the eaſieſt thing in the world, who would not go to Heaven if this were all: But now, if thou wert acquainted with the ſpiritualneſs of holy duties that Jeſus Chriſt requires, with the power of Godlineſs that there is in holy duties that Chriſt requires in the word, mortification of thy Luſt, and the keeping of thy thoughts, and of thy heart holy and ſpiritual▪ he requires that thou ſhouldeſt ſerve the Lord thy God withal thy heart and all thy might, if thou kneweſt (I ſay) the ſpiritualneſs of holy duties, and the power of Godlineſs that is in holy duties, then it would be an intolerable burden to thee, it would be very grievous to a carnall heart to put it ſelf under the ſpirituall acts of Religion; to put it ſelf under the outward acts of Religion that is eaſie, but to put it ſelf upon the inward acts of Religion, they would find that to be ſomwhat indeed. For one that hath learned a Prayer, to go and ſay it over, and read it in a Book: What an eaſie matter is that part of Religion? for a man in the morning and evening, to go and turn over two or three Leaves, and ſhake himſelf and go away, and then there is Religion for all that day. But now if you would ſet your ſelves to the power of Godlineſs in Prayer, that is, when you come to Prayer, to meditate what an Infinite, and Glorious, and eternall God you have to deal withall in Prayer, I am now coming to tender up that high reſpect that I owe to the infinite God, that which the Creature ows to an infinite Creator, now I am coming to open my Soul to God, to ſearch out all the corruptions of my heart, and I am now coming to bewail them in the preſence of the infinite God, and to ſet my ſelf before the Lord, as in my ſelf a condemned Creature before an infinite Judg, I am coming now to plead with God for my life, for my Soul, for my eternall eſtate, I am now coming to engage my Soul to God, that as ever I expect mercy in the day of Chriſt, ſo I am willing to give up my ſelf to God, here is ſome power of Godlineſs in this, now I would have you put your ſelves to this divine eaſe, the more a Gracious heart doth this, the more eaſe he hath in Prayer, as I will appeal to you; Take a carnall heart, ſuch a one thinks he muſt pray, and ſo he comes in the morning, and ſpeaks a few words, ſuch words as he was wont to do, and ſuch words as may be he hath heard other men ſpeak when he joyns with others in prayer, and he hears ſome expreſſions in prayer from them, and he gets them, and comes in the morning and ſpeaks them, and perhaps gets into his Cloſet, and barely ſpeaks them over, now if it be one that hath true Grace, alas, he is in a troubleſome condition all the day after, if he find not the power of Godlineſs in it, ſuch a one hath no quiet in his Spirit al the day after, Why? becauſe there hath not been the power of Godlineſs in his Duty, and therefore he is troubled all the day long. But now, let ſuch a one come to Prayer to purpoſe in the morning, and ſtir up the life and power of Godlineſs in Prayer, worſhipping God as a God, Oh! the eaſe and quiet that ſuch a one hath all the day, he can go on in his work, and can ſing at his work: So that the eaſe of a Gracious heart, comes from the power of Godlineſs in a Duty, and from the ſpiritualneſs that is in a Duty: but the eaſe of a carnall heart comes from the formality of a Duty, as becauſe the Duty is formall, and he thinks that it is the Yoke of Chriſt and this is pretty wel, it is eaſie indeed, to have no other Yoke than this, to worſhip God in a few words, and not to have the power of Godlineſs in the Duty. And ſo we might inſtance in the hearing of the word, you come to the word barely, you riſe out of your bed, and come and ſit here an hour, that is eaſie enough, but now if you come to the word with preparation, and think now I am going into the preſence of God, to hear what God hath to ſay to my Soul this morning, Oh, my Soul, what is it that is in thee amiſs? What is it that thou wouldeſt fain have the word come cloſe unto, to help thee againſt? What is the ſpeciall corruption thou wouldeſt have the word to mortifie in thee? If now you ſet your ſelves before you come to the word, to examin your hearts, and when you are there, to attend to the word as that which is your life, upon which your eternall eſtate depends, and ſo to ſanctifie the name of God in his word, and not to dare to caſt off any truth, knowing that your Soul may lie upon that very truth, and to drink in the word of God in every thing that is revealed according to Gods mind, this will be a very hard thing, you will complain of almoſt an intolerable Burden. But now a gracious heart finds more eaſe, when it Sanctifies God in the power of Godlineſs in hearing the word, than in a formall Duty. Alas! when ſuch a one comes in a formall way, and goes away and gets nothing, ſuch a one is troubled at ſuch a Sermon, it brings more Burden and grief to ſuch a heart, to come to the word and not find profit by the word, than any other thing can do, almoſt nothing can be more difficult than this. You find no difference, you come to the word and you get nothing, and you go away with as much comfort as at other times, it is as eaſie to you; but now a Gracious heart cannot find eaſe except he finds Chriſt in the Duty, but you can find eaſe in holy Duties though you never find Jeſus Chriſt in holy Duties; I appeal to you, if this thing God would be pleaſed to ſettle upon the hearts of Men and Women, it might be a very great ſettlement to their hearts, you perform holy Duties, What is the eaſe in holy Duties? meerly the performance of the Duty, but now if your eaſe were that which is the eaſe of a true Gracious heart, it comes from the meeting with Jeſus Chriſt in holy Duties.
And ſo for the Sabboth, how eaſie is it to keep the Sabboth, to do as the moſt, it is eaſie, Why? Becauſe you do not now work in your calling as other daies you do, and you put on your beſt Cloaths, and come and meet with your Neighbors, and ſo you come to Church and home again, and have better fare at your Tables than other daies, and ſomtimes walk up and down the Fields, this is eaſie: But now the Saints find the eaſe of the Sabboth to be this, that whereas upon the week day I am buſied about other things, and ſo have not that immediate Communion with Jeſus Chriſt as at other times, now upon the Sabboth my Soul comes to enjoy more immediate communion with Jeſus Chriſt, when I awake I am put upon it more to mind ſpirituall things, to prepare my heart for him, And now this whol day is dedicated for my converſe with Jeſus Chriſt, and it is no more to me but the very Type and forerunner of that eternall Sabboth that I hope to enjoy in the higheſt Heavens hereafter, and ſo it is eaſie to me. Now methinks, whatever trouble I have in the week time in my buſineſs in my calling, the Sabboth day that refreſheth me again and makes me fit for my calling, and my heart that was ſo perplexed with outward croſſes, and with the troubles of the world, that did ſo dead and dul my Spirit, the Sabboth quickens me again and adds new ſtrength again, for I have found Chriſt refreſhing my Soul? Now is there not a wide difference between the eaſe of a carnall heart and a Gracious heart in holy Duties? The one meerly miſtakes the Yoke of Chriſt.
And ſo for the Sacrament, It is an eaſie thing for a man to come in his beſt Cloaths, and take a piece of Bread and a cup of Wine, but he knows not what is the power of Godlineſs in ſuch a holy Duty, he thinks that the outward coming to the Sacrament makes amends for all, though he hath been a wicked carnall wretch the week before, now if he comes to the Sacrament, the meer performing the Duty, that makes amends, though there be no preparation before, no ſpiritualneſs in the Sacrament, no diſcerning of the Body of Jeſus Chriſt, and the Myſteries of Jeſus Chriſt, no cloſing of his heart with Jeſus Chriſt in the Sacrament, no engaging his Soul to God, no renewing his Covenant with God as he comes to receive the Seal of Gods Covenant with him, no ſuch things. But now a Gracious heart cannot find eaſe in taking the Sacrament, except it find Chriſt, the eaſe it hath in the Sacrament, it is in preparing the Soul for communion with Jeſus Chriſt, it is in the exerciſe of Faith and repentance, the more Faith is exerciſed and the more Repentance exerciſed, the more the heart is broken in the Sacrament, the more eaſe a man hath, and the more he gets his heart engaged to God in the Sacrament, and the more he hath renewed his Covenant, the more eaſe he hath, I, when a man can go to the Sacrament and do this▪ O! this is a good day indeed. And indeed this I am ſpeaking upon, is as great a point of Religion for the helping of you to know the frame & diſpoſition of your hearts, & how things ſtand between God and your Souls, as any thing I know; What it is in holy Duties that brings moſt eaſe to your Souls, whether it be the bare externall performance of them, or the ſpirituall performance of them, is the power of Godlineſs in them? that holy Duties for the matter of them cannot ſatisfie your heart, except you find your hearts ſanctified by them, and Gods name ſanctified …n them, that is the ſecond note of difference, between the eaſe a carnall heart finds in the waies of God, and the eaſe a gracious heart finds.