in case thou fearest any of thy sins should come up in the presence of of God to accuse thee Jesus Christ stands at the right hand of his Father to be thine advocate what is the office of an advocate But if there be any accusation brought against such a man the advocate stands to answer to the accusation Jesus Christ he stands at the right hand of his father thus to do In John 2. and the first verse My little Children these things I write unto you that ye sin not and if any man sin we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous A comfort it is to have one stand to plead at the right hand of the father to be thine advocate Christ is as real an advocate at the right hand of God for al beleevers as ever any had any advocate in this world I find often in scripture this if you read in the 4. chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews you shal find there that the holy Ghost speakes of a rest of God the rest of the saints of God Gods people and mark what is the first incouragment he gives and what ground he makes of the rest they have in two or three places he speakes of the rest of Gods people now the foundation of it is For we have not an high Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in al things tempted like as we are yet without sin let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need for we have a high Priest that is the ground of the rest of the saints of God V. Fifthly Come to me saith Christ and I wil give you rest from al the trouble that you have by the guilt of sin thus I wil sprinkle your consciences by my blood that you shal be able to give an answer to al temptations that can come to you not onely I wil stand before my father but you shal have your consciences sprinkled with my blood that you shal be able to give an answer to what accusation shal be made by Satan to disturb your rest to disquiet your soules In Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a pure heart in ful assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Having your hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience whereas before you came to me you had an evil conscience that was ready to fly in your face and that did fear you vex you and trouble you I appeale unto you that understand what God is and what it is for the creature to have to do with God have not your consciences kept you from sleeping a nights an evil conscience that hath layen grating within you you have layen upon your beds and could not sleep when your wife was asleep by you now to such is this said Let us draw neer upon this ground here is the ground Let us draw neer with a pure heart in ful assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience that is the blood of Christ comes now to be sprinkled upon our soules and consciences and that is it that takes away the worme of our conscience perhaps other things may trouble conscience for a while but now the blood of Christ can wash you from that now when you come to Christ the conscience comes then to be able to answer what shal be laid to its Charge Perhaps those who are beleevers and are come to Christ the devil wil be ready to object and labor to disturb them usually after they first come to Christ there is as great a disturbance in the heart of a sinner as before But mark that text you have in the first of Peter the 3. and the 21. The like figure whereunto even baptisme doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ Through Christs Resurrection a beleever comes to have a good conscience having been sprinkled by his blood before through this resurection he is able to answer the conscience that is whatsoever accusation the Devil shal lay against the soul the soul that is sprinkled with the blood of Christ is able to answer it and this is the comfort that such have that we find our conscience satisfied in the blood of Jesus Christ perhaps at the first coming thou doest not feel it but at the first coming thou beginnest to be able to do it VI. Sixthly the rest that is to be had against the trouble of the guilt of sin is this That upon the first coming of the soul to Christ it is made as perfectly just before God as ever Abraham Isaac and Jacob as al the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs thou comest off as cleerly from the guilt of thy sin as ever Abraham Isaac and Jacob did It s true thou hast not at thy first coming to Christ thy sanctification made perfect but this I dare avouch that at thy first coming to Jesus Christ thou hast thy Justification made as perfect as ever the Justification of Abraham Isaac and Jacob was and what a mighty ease and rest is this what I a vile creature so defiled I that have had such a dreadfulness upon my Spirit now to be able to see my self stand as clear before the Throne of God as Abraham Isaac and Jacob did and as the Apostles and Prophets did Oh! this is a comfort We ought to labor to come to be equal with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in sanctification as we are equal with them in Justification this is the ease that the soul finds that comes to Christ VII Seventhly The rest that is to be had in Christ in point of Justification in freedome from the trouble that ariseth from the guilt of sin it is that Christ undertakes not only for that thou hast done but for whatever thou shalt commit al thy life O! that none but those that are believers might heare me did I say so But this is a certain truth You wil say though I by coming to him might stand Justified before my father yet I am a poor creature I shal sin again and again and bring guilt upon my conscience Yet come to Christ here is free Grace in Christ and know that Christ laies in pardon for thee against whatsoever guilt thou shalt again contract unto thy Soul There is mercy with thee that thou maiest be feared with thee there is forgiveness Christ laies in for the Guilt of sin that thou shalt afterwards contract to thy Soul so as thou shalt never be condemned Perhaps thou shalt deserve condemnation a hundred times over and over again but Christ will take care that thou shalt never enter into condemnation thou shalt never be in the state of Condemnation Oh the Rest that here is VIII Eightly When the Soul comes to
but few that Receive Christ 11 Three sorts that come not to Christ 1 Such as Receive him not as he is 2 Such as delay their coming to him 3 Such as give not that place to Christ in their hearts that is fitting for him In the Treatise of Covetousness is shewed 1 It is the Duty of all as they would obtaine eternal Life to beware of covetousness 2 The Reasons of the Doctrine 1 Its a spiritual Sin 2 It over spreads the whole man 3 It s opposite to the Nature of Godliness and Religion 4 It s the Womb and seed of all Sin 5 It s a base Sin 3 The Dangerousness of covetousness· 1 It is hardly avoided 2 It s difficultly cured 4 You shal have all things needful for this life if you wil look after Grace 5 Your Life lies in Grace not in Riches 6 There is more to be feared than to be desired in Riches 7 We should Mortifie our desires after Riches In Book 1 Of Unbelief or the want of Readiness c. is shewed 1 What Vnbelief it is that is here spoken of 2 The best way to deal with Vnbelief 3 That Vnbelief is a sin against al the Attributes of God 4 That Christ will not bear with this Sin of Vnbeleif 5 That we should be quick and reâ—yd to beleeve 6 Motives to indeavor for readiness to beleeve 7 Helps to attain readiness in Beleeving In Book 2 Of Not going to Christ c. is shewed 1 That unbelief is a great Sin and exceeding provoking unto God 2 Several arguments provoking us to beleeve the greatness of the Sin of unbelief 3 Many Objections answered 4 Several sorts of this Sin of unbeliefe 5 Means to convince us that unbelief is so great a Sin 6 Though the Sin of unbelief be very great yet it 's pardonable 7 God hath pardoned unbelief and wil pardon it A Congregational Church is a Catholick Visible Church By Samuel Stone in New-England A Treatise of Politick Powers wherein seven Questions are answered 1 Whereof Power is made and for what ordained 2 Whether Kings and Governors have an Absolute Power over the People 3 Whether Kings and Governors be subject to the Laws of God or the Laws of their Country 4. How far the People are to obey their Governors Dr. Sibbs on the Philippians Vox Pacifica or a Perswasive to Peace Dr. Prestons Saints submission and Satans Overthrow Pious Mans Practice in Parliament time Barriffs Military Discipline The Immortality of Mans Soul The Anatomist Anatomized The Bishop of Canterbury's Speech Woodwards Sacred Ballance Dr. Owen against Mr. Baxter Mr. Hookers New Books in three Volums One in Octavo and two in Quarto These Eleven New Books of Mr. Thomas Hooker made in New-England Are attested in an Epistle by Mr. Thomas Goodwin and Mr. Philip Nye To be written with the Authors Own hand None being written by himself before One Volum being a Comment upon Christ's last Prayer in the Seventeenth of John wherein is opened The Union beleevers have with God and Christ and the glorious Priviledges thereof Besides many other Gospel Truths there you have shewed 1 That the end why the Saints receive al glorious Grace is That they may be one as the Father and Christ are one 2 That God the Father loveth the Faithful as he loveth Jesus Christ 3 That our Savior desireth to have the Faithful in Heaven with himself 4 That the happiness of our being in Heaven is to see Christs Glory 5 That there is much wanting in the knowledg of Gods Love in the most able Saints 6 That the Lord Christ lends dayly direction according to the dayly need of his Servants 7 That it is the desire and endeavor of our Savior that the dearest of Gods Love which was bestowed on himself should be given to his faithful Servants 8 That our Vnion and Communion with God in Christ is the top of our happiness in Heaven The first eight Books of the Application of Redemption By the effectual Work of the Word and Spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost Sinners to God In which besides many other seasonable and Soul-searching Truths there is also largely shewed 1 Christ hath purchased al spiritual good for HIS 2 Christ puts al HIS into possession of al that good that he hath purchased 3 The Soul must be fitted for Christ before it can receive him And a powerful Ministry is the ordinary means to prepare the heart for Christ 4 The work of God is free And the day of Salvation is while this Life lasts and the Gospel continues 5 God cals his Elect at any Age but the most before old Age. 6 The Soul is naturally setled in a sinful security 7 The heart of a Natural man is wholly unwilling to submit to the word that would sever him from his sins 8 God the Father by a holy kind of violence plucks His out of their corruptions and draws them to beleeve in Christ The Ninth and Tenth Books of the Application of Redemption by the Effectual Work of the Word and spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost sinners to God Besides many other seasonable and Soul-searching Truths there is also largely shewed 1 The heart must be humble and contrite before the Lord wil dwel in it 2 Stubborn and bloody sinners may be made broken-hearted 3 There must be true sight of sin before the heart can be broken for it 4 Application of special sins by the Ministry is a means to bring men to â—ight of and sorrow for them 5 Meditation of sin a special means to break the heart 6 The same word is profitable to some not to another 7 The Lord somtimes makes the word prevaile most when its most opposed 8 Sins unrepented of makes way for piercing Terrors 9 The Truth terrible to a guilty conscience 10 Gross and scandalous sinners God usually exerciseth with heavy breakings of heart before they be brought to Christ 11 Sorrow for sin rightly set on pierceth the hearâ— of the sinner throughly 12 They whose hearts are pierced by the Word are carried with love and respect to the Ministers of it And are busie to enquire and ready to submit to the mind of God 13 Sinners in distress of conscience are ignorant what they should do 14 A contrite sinner sees a necessity of coming out of his sinful condition 15 There is a secret hope wherewith the Lord supports the hearts of contrite sinners 16 They who are truly pierced for their sins do prize and covet deliverance from their sins 17 True contrition is accompanied with confession of sin when God cals thereunto 18 The Soul that is pierced for sin is carried with a restless dislike against it Six Books more of Mr. Hookers in two Volums in Quarto are printing Twenty one several Books of Mr. William Bridge Collected into two Volumns Viz. 1 Scripture Light the most sure Light compared with 1. Revelations Visions 2. Natural Supernatual Dreams 3
in Christ 4 There is abundance of present good in affliction Page 360 Chap. 46. Containeth the conclusion of the last doctrine in the two former Chapters shewing how unbeseeming a thing it is for a beleever to be troubled in affliction Page 366 Chap. 47. Sheweth that beleevers are often under inward affliction and spiritual desertions Page 368 Chap. 48. Containeth Seven Directions how a beleever may get Rest from Christ in spiritual Desertions First Look upon Christ as once in the same condition Secondly Look to Christ as ful of Grace and Goodness Thirdly Look to Christ as an advocate at the right hand of God Fourthly Look to Christ for fulfilling the promise of sending the comforter Fifthly Go to Christ as at first in thy Conversion Sixthly Keep good thoughts of God Seventhly Resolve never to take Rest in any thing else beside Christ Page 371 Chap. 49. Sheweth that beleevers have not only Rest in but Rest also from afflictions Page 379 Chap. 50. Five markes of true rest in Christ I It is not but upon discovery of glorious things the soul knew not before II. It comes upon the soul ceasing from its own work III. It makes the beleever active for God IIII. Rest in those things wherein Christ rested V. True Rest wil abide the trial of the word Page 382 Chap. 51. Eight means to get and keep Rest in Christ 1 Beware of secret Sins 2 Be thankful for what good God hath given thee 3 Judg not thy self in time of temptation 4 In trouble wait upon God in the use of means 5 Meditate much upon the promises 6 Proportion humiliation to thy comfort 7 Be throughly grounded that thou art in Christ 8 Improve the Rest thou hast to God by doing much work to him Page 388 CHRIST INVITING SINNERS TO COME TO HIM MATTH 11.28 Come unto me al ye that Labor and are heavy laden and I will give you Rest CHAP. 1. Wherein There 's 1. The Dependance of this verse upon the former with the Scope of the Holy Ghost herein 2. The Meaning of the words 3. The Division thereof into three parts HAving opened unto you that great Doctrine of Reconciliation with God in Christ and of the willingness of God and Christ to be Reconciled to Sinners sending his Messengers to invite intreate and beseech in his Name though there was something else followed in the Chapter that I could willingly have handled yet because I would press on what hath been delivered about our Reconciliation with God in Christ and urge it further with a suitable argument I have pitched upon this text wherein we have set forth the willingness of Christ to be Reconciled to Sinners and a most gracious invitation of Jesus Christ to poor Sinners to come in unto him that they might have Rest for their Souls A Text that breatheth forth nothing but mercy and goodness to Sinners a Heart melting invitation In Jer. 31.12 we have a prophesie that Sinners shal come and flow together to the goodness Or to the bountifullness of the Lord as some of your books have it surely if there be any Scripture that holds forth the goodness and bountifulness of the Lord to Sinners so as to melt their hearts that they may flow unto it it is this in the Text. This invitation of Christ Come unto me ye that are Weary and heavy laden and I will give you Rest is that which hath been the Comfort of many a wounded Conscience of many a troubled Sinner having fastned upon it their Souls have been staied and they have been kept from sinking into the bottomless Gulf of dispaire thereby A Text that hath been of as great use unto afflicted Consciences as any in al the Book of God If ever there were a Heart breaking Scripture certainly here it is Come unto me ye that are weary and heavy Laden c. It is in it self an intire sentence if we take the 28. verse and no more it is ful of abundance of sweetness and filled up to the top with the Grace and goodness of the Lord. But â—ow if you observe the dependence of these words on the former the words that go before then you wil see that there is indeed a soul satisfying fulness of Mercy and goodness in the Lord held forth from this text and though many of you I question not have heard this Text often quoted Come unto me ye that are weary and heavy laden and I wil give you Rest yet perhaps few of you have observed how these words come in and have a sweet dependance upon the former If you compare these words with those that go before you shal see that they are very heart breaking expressions What did Christ say in the very verse before I 'll go no further Al things saith he are delivered unto me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son wil reveal him and then follows Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I wil give you Rest The Text seems to be so ful of sweetness alone that it is seldom observed how this comes in after it But now we should look upon them thus and consider that they are the words of Christ Who after he had said Al things are delivered to me of my Fathet and no man knoweth the Son but the Father c. Immediately saies Oh! Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy Laden and I will give you Rest We may observe in this dependance of the words on the former these two things 1. Christ saith That al things are delivered to him of the Father and therefore come to me this depends upon the beginning of the 27. verse All things are delivered to me of my Father as if Christ should say Be it known unto you poor troubled afflicted Sinners that mourne under the weight and burden of your Sins I have all things delivered by the Father to me that is al the mercy al the Riches of Grace all the treasures al the goodness and Grace that is in the Father is given to me to dispence to you and al power is given to me of the Father to do good to poor troubled Sinners And therefore come to me Oh! come to me ye poor troubled and afflicted Sinners 2. No man knows the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him that 's the second thing observable in the dependance of these words on the former saith Christ there is a most infinite communion between me and my Father and I know fully whatsoever is in the mind of God the Father what his Heart is towards sinners I know what his thoughts have been from al eternity about doing good unto poor Sinners there is a most neer conjunction between me and my Father and I alone can reveal the Father to poor sinners that are
their duty only conscience hales them to it and tells them that they must do it and if they do neglect it conscience flyes in their Faces and tells them they must perish eternally and they seek therefore to pacify their Consciences only by the performance of Duties and by their obedience to the Law and so seek it by the righteousness of the Law that 's the only way that they do take to pacifie their Consciences and get rest and peace unto their souls Alas al this while they are laboring and toyling but cannot do it for while men seek Righteousness by the Law it must needs be a toyling labor that will not give rest The First Burden of the Law First The Law gives no strength at all to enable me to perform duties and therefore the Children of it must needs be under bondage as Pharaoh's Task-masters commanded so much Brick to be made but would afford them no straw no means to do it So some set forth the bondage and servitude of the Law commanding such things as it gives no strength at al to perform Quest But you will say Is this the Law of God is God so hard to his Creature as to command that which he gives no ability to perform Answ We must know that God did once give strength to perform Duties but certainly now the Law of God commands Duties but gives no strength to perform them there is no strength enabling us to perform duties until the Spirit of Jesus Christ doth come into the Soul we may perform the outward part of them but not perform duties in such a spiritual manner that they should be suitable to our hearts so as to bring ease and quiet unto our souls and though the soul do seek to get rest and ease to it self yet it wil not come that way The Second Burden of the Law Secondly The Law requires perfect obedience in every thing and denounceth a Curse against him that doth not continue in every thing that is written in the Law to do it Now when men and women are seeking to get rest to their souls by the works of the Law they cannot perform duties as they ought and therefore they have no rest but they see the Law to condemn them because they do not perform duties in a perfect manner and yet they think they must go on and do as wel as they can I but still Conscience hath matter to accuse them of you have not done enough you still come short and though you do some duties you neglect other duties so that Conscience hath them at advantage every day and they are continually under the bondage of an accusing and condemning Conscience that they can have no rest to their souls they perform duties but question with themselves how can I know that the infinite holy God wil accept of what I do and although they may get quiet for a little while yet Conscience comes upon them again and disquiets them and casts fears and doubts â—to their souls insomuch that many poor Creatures have gone seven or perhaps twice seven years under trouble of Conscience and never had any rest or peace and yet still have gone on making Conscience of their waies but withal ful of fears and doubts lest al should not be wel with them at last The Third Burden of the Law And besides Whiles the soul goes on to seek quiet and rest by the works of the Law there is an unsuitableness between the duties that are performed and the heart of such a man or woman so that the very works that they do and duties they perform are grievous and tedious unto them I but now saith Christ O! Come to me such as these are Is there any of you that have had your consciences troubled and have desired O! that there might be peace between God and my soul that I might have assurance of Gods Love what course have you taken to get it have you not sought to bring it about by the works of the Law and have thought to get rest and peace to your souls that way Indeed it is better to go on that way than in the waies of sin but to think to have rest and peace that way hath a great deal more evil in it than you are aware of if men shal think to quiet themselves that way and thereby put off the Righteousness that comes by Faith they may come to be hardened before they be aware But is there any of you that are seeking rest and peace unto your souls in such a way by the righteousness of the Law saith Christ know That this is not the way for you to have rest to your souls it 's true you must abstain from sin and perform duties O! but if you would have rest to your souls you must come to me it is by the souls rowling of it self upon the perfect righteousness that there is in Jesus Christ that only can bring true rest unto the soul Many a poor sinner that hath been seeking rest many years hath not got it but when the Lord hath been pleased to come in with one promise of the Gospel setting it home upon their souls they have got more rest and quiet to their souls in one day yea in one hour than they did before in many years there is a great deal of art and skil to get rest and quiet to the soul that is troubled The Gospel is a mystery in this thing and when God acquaints the soul with the mystery of the Gospel in this thing then rest comes on in a sweet and gracious manner It 's true it is the hardest thing in the world for to close with Christ and to get true ease and rest to the soul it is hard in it self til God make known the mystery of Faith to the soul but when that is done then the soul finds abundance of ease and rest and that in a little while As it is with a man that thinks by main strength to do some work that indeed can only be done by Skil and Art he may be toyling laboring and tiring himself but yet cannot do it whereas another man that understands the mistery of it he comes in and in a little time by his skil and art can do that with ease that the other man was toyling and laboring about a long while and yet could not do it As you know in al Trades that have a mistery in them You that are Navigators that understand the mistery of that Art if any unskilful man should come and think to do some of your work by his main strength he may labor and toyl even his Heart out and not do that work that you can do easily in a little time So many poor Souls are laboring and toyling that these troubled Souls of theirs might be but quiet they are laboring and they wil perform duties and fast and pray so many times in a day and so go on in a tiresome way whereas after the
the world sin is very light Well know That as Christ himself felt sin to be a heavy burden so one way or other they must feel it either here or hereafter but blessed is that man or woman that feels the weight of sin while he may be delivered from it that he be not hereafter prest under the weight of it We read of Pharoah when the people of Israel came for ease he bids them go to their burdens that that he did unjustly Christ might do to many righteously hereafter when you upon your sick beds or death beds hereafter shal cry for mercy Christ may say to you go to your burdens when any thing of the Word came to press sin upon your souls you cast it off O! 't is a dangerous Condition when men and women cannot only sin enough but now when any truth of God should lay sin upon their hearts they cast it out and they think hardly of those Truths of God that would come and â—ind their sins to their Consciences and so burden them with their sins but it should be otherwise with us If those that be thus laden with their sins be those that Christ doth call to him we should not think so hardly of those Truths of God that doth reveal the evil of sin unto us but rather let us joyn with those Truths of God and labor to burden our own hearts for you see that those that are burdened Christ cals them to him that they might have rest there is no other burdens that we are to bring upon our selves but rather seek to avoid them but as for the burden of sin we are to burden our hearts with that and to labor to lay our sins to our hearts and to press them there and to charge them upon our own Spirits with all the aggravations we can and to joyn with the work of Gods Spirit when the Spirit of God comes to lay sin upon the soul to joyn with it and to say Lord I begin to be more sensible of my sins than I was before Lord humble me through it let me be under thy hand as long as thou pleasest only work thy good work upon me Object But you wil say We may sink under the burden of Sin Answ O no those that cast off the burden of sin they are most like to sink under it now can you think that the Lord wil Suffer such a soul to sink under the burden that doth burden it self that God might have glory But those that are unwilling and are forced to be burdened that never are sensible of the burden of sin til al the props and Comforts of the creature are taken away Upon their sick beds and death beds then men are burdened with Sin and why because the props are taken away before they had comforts and estates and such things which are as so many props but now God comes and takes the props and down they fâ—l upon us That is the reason that many upon their death beds lie Roâ—ring and Crying out so bitterly for their sins and why because the Lord hath cut asunder the props and now it lies heavy upon their hearts Now Christ cals come to me you that are weary and heavy laden come to me saith Christ Know that you are in a faâ— better condition than you were when you went on with delight in sin you are now in the way that God doth use to bring them in that he hath a purpose to do good unto I remember in the Gospel where the poor blind man cryed to Christ O Son of David have mercy upon me and stil cryed at length Christ heard the cry of the blind man and asked what it was Now those that were by him they go to the poor blind man and say to him be of good comfort he calls he might say I but my eyes be not opened I but be of good comfort he calls So I say to al burdened Sinners be of good comfort troubled soul Christ calls thee he saith come to me al ye that are weary and heavy laden he doth not say thou that art so much laden Christ cals thee to him Object I but thou wilt say I have no ease if I were sure that my sins were pardoned I should be saved then I should have ease and comfort Answ I but poor soul be of good comfort thou art called he doth not say thou art a wretched wicked creature and depart from me thou cursed as he wil say to sinners hereafter that might have been thy condition but thou didst not heare the voice from Christ this day depart from me but thou doest heare this voice this day from Christ Come to me al you that are weary and heavy laden Christ is neer to you the Lord is neer to the broken heart he is neere to the contrite spirit And know this the longer thou art under the burden of thy sin there wil come the more comfort hereafter Now there is a burden of sin upon thee and there wil be a weight of glory hereafter So the Scripture speakes of a weight of glory as wel as of a weight of Sin be willing to beare the weight of sin quietly say with the Prophet I wil be willing to beare the indignation of the lord because I have sinned against him So say thou 't is fit my soul should beare a burden be content to wait now do you the same thing that Christ did when he was under his burden mark what he did in Heb. 5.7 See how the heart of Christ was affected when he felt the weight of our sins upon him In the dayes of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications with strong Cryes and teares unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he Feared Goe thy way O Soul and get into the presence of God and tel God of thy burdens that thou feelest make thy moan unto him and let it be with praiers and supplications and strong Cryes and tel him Lord I fear least my soul should be prest down to eternal death under this burden tel him of thy feares this way and it is very probable that thy soul shal be heard and according to this invitation here surely there is rest for thee as wel as for any while thou art crying out under thy burden for ought thou knowest or any Angel in heaven the pardon of thy sins may be sealling in heaven and therefore do not make any desperate Conclusion against thy own Soul for thy pardon may be a sealing and then the Lord wil send a messenger to tel thee of this Nay do I tel thee that theâ—e wil a messenger come Behold here in this text the Lord Jesus Christ comes the Angel of the Covenant cryes to thee Come O Come come freely though thou hast no good at al in thee there is enough in me to give rest unto that soul that doth most labor under the greatest burden of sin that ever
first opening of the text is the interpretation of Chrisostom upon this text You that are weary and heavy Laden that is you that are laden with the burden of seeking righteousness under the Law Come unto me and I wil give you Rest First I wil shew unto you what I mean by the burden of Legal Performances Secondly What a great burden this is and how much evil there is in it and so apply my self to those that are under this burden to shew to them how Christ cals them here in this text to come to him that they might have Rest First that which I mean by the burden of Legal Performances is this the performing of duties that are required by the Law meerly out of conscience because conscience puts men and Women upon those duties and doing them in the strength that they have of their own and looking upon what they do as the Righteousness which they must tender up to God as Righteousness for life now this is a Legal performance to perform duties in a Legal way is this to do what the Law requires meerly out of conscience because conscience tels me I must do it and to work in mine own strength though it be that that God gives yet but a natural strength and to make account of this to be as my Righteousness and to tender it up unto God for Righteousness unto life here is a Legal performance and this is to performe duties in a meer Legal way and those that do thus wil find that this will be a very great burden to their spirits it is a burden unto the Spirits of those that do thus unto the spirits of such as are conscientious indeed for we look not now upon men and Women as performing Duties out of Hypocrisie to be seen of men to make a show of what they have not in their Hearts we do not speak of such but we speak of those that have got into a higher form beyond such kind of Hypocrites such as perform duties out of conscience and yet rise no higher then looking at the Law that binds them to those duties and so tender them up to God as their Righteousness and do them for life making account that this is the thing that must bring them to life such as do this and are not acquainted any further with the mystery of the Gospel they do go under a most grievous burden all the daies of their lives I do not say that it is a burden to perform Duties that conscience requires when we do them to the Honor of God in the strength of Christ as a work of the sanctification of this spirit and as a fruit of our thankfulness for the Grace and mercy of God in Christ to us that is not a burden that is no burden at al but to do them meerly as being forced to them by conscience and as our Righteousness for life this is the burden and though there be no other principles that men and Women have but this yet they may be very conscientious so as not to dare to commit any known sin in secret they may make conscience of secret duties yea they may be aboundant in duties that is do perform many duties In the 6. of Micah and the 7. what shal we do say they Shal we give Rivers of Oyl and thousands of Rams and the fruit of our bodies for the sin of our souls there you have the expressions of those that are Legal they would know what they should do professing that they would be willing to do any thing for to save their souls offer thousands of rams and Rivers of Oyl for a sacrifice so one that is meerly Legal may perform many Duties yea he may be conscientious of every Duty that he knoweth there may be a kind of universal obedience in him to obey in al so far as he knows for the outward action he may make conscience of every thing that he knows to be the mind of God and yet do al this in a legal way and his performance may be rather a burden then that which shal do him good in the conclusion and bring him to life and except he doth come to know furher then yet he doth to know the evangelical performance of duties he cannot have true rest in his soul Now this as the other is a poynt of great consequence to many it may be divers that read this book may not so cleerely understand what this is they may not feel any such thing in their one experience but I suppose I shal speake to some even to their hearts and open their conditions to them whereby they shal say that they have not taken a right course to procure rest to their souls and to this end I speake that they may hearken to the blessed invitation of the gospel to come unto Christ that they might have rest as thus you perceive a little what I meane by legal performances now then we are to come to shew the burden of legal performances that they are very burdensome to those that are acquainted with nothing but to performe duties meerly from the law The first Burden of Legal Performances 1. Because now they are put upon duties that they have no principle to do to be put upon a work where there is no inward principle to do the work that must needs be burdensome conscience puts me upon the duty and that is right but I have no principle to do it yet I must do it conscience saith so whether I have a principle or no and though it is true I have no principle to do it so as the Law requires yet I may doe some outward performances now for me to goe about such a work to endeavour and strive to do al the work that the Law requires not onely the outward part but the wole worke and to be put upon to strugle and strive to do that which I have no inward principle to do that must needs be burdensome Al motions of nature that are from an external principle are violent and so tedious heavy and troublesome so this motion to duty that comes not from an inward principle of heart but is meerly legal conscience stands to put the soul upon duty but doth not put any principle into the soul to do it this is a violent motion and those that have the experience of this find it tedious heavy and troublesome Now here lieth the burden for it is not according to those vain conceits of men that the duty ought not to be done because they have no inward principle to do it but here is the burden that conscience binds you to do it you must do it though you have no principle in you to do it The second burden of Legal performances 2. Legal performances have a great burden in them because there is in al men that are but under the law before they come to be true beleevers sanctified by the spirit of Christ a contrary principle a principle
quite against those duties opposite unto them there is a contrary streame in them they go against wind and tide you know what a burdensome thing it is for the boatman to go against wind and tyde he must put to a great deale of strength so it is heere til the soul come to beleeve in Christ and to have the spirit of Christ having onely conviction of conscience and being put upon duties there are such corruptions in the heart and such evil principles in al men naturally that are as wind and tide against those duties and yet saith concience you must do them though you find your inclinations to be never so strong another way yet conscience tels you you must do them and when God is pleased to put strength into conscience it wil make a man or a woman to go on in duty though it be never so cross to their own nature you wil say if it be cross to their owne natures why do they not leave it off No they dare not notwithstanding so it is true we shal show you afterwards that even godly men and beleivers are burdened with corruptions they have contrary principles to the duty too I but they are not so prevailing as with unbeleevers that are only legal It is a tedious thing you know to cast a stone upward not onely to cause a stone to move any way that is some trouble because you keep it from its center but to put it upon a motion that is quite contrary to the principle that is burdensome because al heavy things have principles in them that work downwards therfore to put them upon those things that are quite contrary to their natural principles it is a motion that wil cause burden and that because you keep them from their owne center so conscience may keep a man and woman from their own center from those wicked courses that their natures are inclined unto and al the while they are kept from the course that their natures do so strongly incline them unto it must needs be burdensome to them until God come and sanctifie their hearts they may be a great while without any sanctification many whose consciences are convinced may goe on in duties without sanctification in them The third Burden of Legal Performances 3. One that goes on in the performance of duties in a legal way meerly is weary and tired with what he doth and yet can find no strength comming in unto him no further ability to perform what conscience puts him upon then he had at first nay rather less ability Now this must needs be burdensome As suppose a man be put upon a work and if he have no mind to it that is tedious but if it be against the haire quite opposite to his disposition that is more tedious yet he must go on and he toyls and wearies himself and yet the more he works the more grievous it is unto him for he finds no strength comming but strength wearying rather his strength wears a way and no strength comes in to assist him and yet his work is as strong as it was that work must needs be burdensome so those that are meerly legal they go on stil in duty and the work is stil as strong but they are weaker many a man when he first sets upon a work is cold and benummed bur when he continues in the work he gets warmth and then it is not so burdensom unto him but if he continues in the work and is colder and colder this is very tedious to those that performe duties in a meer legal way conscience puts them upon it at first and they go to duty with some vigour but the truth is they grow more weary and the work is more tedious and yet conscience puts them upon asmuch work as at first when a man hath been at work and growes weary and desires ease and a cruel task-master shal come and tel him there must be no decrease of your work nor no increase of your strength this must needs be tedious thus those that performe duties in a legal way conscience puts upon them as much worke when they are weary and tired as at first here is the difference between the works of sanctification legal performances though they seem to be hard at first yet while the soul sets upon them there comes in strength and the more work the more strength they do not spend their strength and throw it away and grow more weary afterwards then at first but the more they have experience of the ways the more strength they have they grow warm at their work and being warm they get further and further strength and it grows easie unto them but it is not so with one that performes duties in a meere legal way some have been seven yeares in a profesion of religion and made conscience of their duties yet after seven yeares spent their hearts no more mortified then at first and they have got no more strength then at first their lusts are less mortified and their strength is less then at first and therefore their work must needs be grievous unto them The 4. Burden of Legal Performances 4. Those that performe duties in a legal way meerely while they are striving to do their duty they are contracting stil further guilt upon their souls they strive to do that that the law requires and in their very striving they are breaking of the law You wil say so godly men while they are striving to do their duty they sin also there is imperfection in the best I but yet their sin is done away in Christ their sin is not layed to their Charge but those that are meerly legal while they are striving they sin and contract Guiltiness upon their spirits and it lies upon them and they stand charged with it But then it may be said it were better that they did not strive no not so neither conscience must have them strive it would be a greater guiltiness if they should not strive though when they strive they stand charged with further evil then before now this is a greivous burden as now if a man were rowling a stone up a hil and as soone as he had rolled it up the stone should come down upon him again it would be a mighty tiresome work it is so with those that are meerly legal while they are in duty in working stil corruption brings them down againe and they contract continually guiltiness upon their soules The 5. Burden of Legal Performances 5. Those that performe duties in a meere legal way what they do they do meerly out of feare they are put upon it in a forcible and rigorous way they are put upon al their duties in a rigorous way meerly by force and constraint if you put a man to do a thing meerly by force it is very tedious to him and especialy when your forcing of him is with rigor as those that are slaves they are not only exhorted to
minds I must spend so much time in praier saith conscience you cannot do too much for God and why should you not spend so much time for God now by this means they are hurried on to do the duty though by the doing of it at that time they shal hinder themselvs in the performance of many other duties afterwards and I have known by experience many that have been greivously burdened this way what they presently apprehend to have any good in it that they think they must do although they by that be hindred in the performance of many other duties afterwards whereas now if we were acquainted with the liberty we have in Christ we would be able to satisfie our selves this way though I am weake now yet I can appeale to God that my heart is upright and though I do forbeare the doing of such a thing that in its owne nature is good yet my conscience tels me it is not through a wilful neglect of what may glorifie God nor because I would neglect any duty that God would have me do but because I know through my weakness the doing of this at this time wil hinder me in the Service of God otherwaies therefore I beleeve that God wil accept of me in Christ and pardon my infirmities thus the Soul can do that is in Christ but those that are Legal conscience puts them upon Duties without regarding their strength and so puts them upon strong Duties when they are in the weakest Capacity when they are weakest conscience wil put them upon the strongest Duty now this is for the want of the knowledg of their liberty in Jesus Christ for they have this liberty in Christ that Christ accepts of them according to what they are able to do the Gospel holds forth this acceptance that let them go on to do what they are commanded in uprightness and though they cannot do such Duties because they are weak yet God accepts of them for Christ sake which one that is Legal cannot do but conscience hurries him on to do rhe Duty when he is most weak and so he doth less for God then otherwise he would or should do The 11. Burden of Legal Performances 11. Those that perform Duties in a meer Legal way go on toyling but stil they do not know whether they shal hold out or no I go on and do my Duty but what wil become of me God knows I do not know whether I shal hold out or no I am afraid that when I have done al labored and toyled what I can that I shal prove an apostate a backslider at last thus they have many such jealousies of themselves as they are ful of jealousies of God so of themselves they are afraid of themselves wel if troubles and afflictions come I shal fal off and turn and manifest that I was but an Hypocrite and alwaies unsound now these very thoughts makes their lives and Duties burdensome unto them whenas one that hath the benefit of the freedome of the Gospel one that is in Christ he can go on wel though I am but weak yet I have an everlasting principle that wil hold for I do it by the strength that is everlasting though I be weak yet I am fastened to that that is everlasting I am carryed on by such a principle that wil hold on to everlasting life and Oh! what a rest is this here is rest indeed for the soul to know that though I am weak yet I shal hold on to everlasting life whenas one that is Legal he is ever jealous and he thinks what do I this for I shal fal off at last and so goes on heavily and is troubled in his thoughts and this makes both his Duties and his life burdensome stil I say Christ cals upon al these to come unto him stil there is a rest in Jesus Christ it is impossible we should speak of all these things at once but now I would only find out those that Christ cals you that find it thus that are ready to say just as it is said in the word I find it in my heart I only speak to you to raise up your Hearts to attend to what is further to be said afterwards only remember that of the poor blind man when Christ called him they comforted him with this be of good comfort he called thee so I say to you that Labor under this burden and long to know the true liberty of spirit that the Saints have in Christ Christ cals to you and saith Come unto me al ye that are weary and heavy Laden and I wil give you Rest The 12. Burden of Legal Performances 12. Those that are thus Legal their consciences put them upon performances of Duties but their Humiliation and trouble for not doing of what they ought to do doth hinder them from doing what God requires and this is a sad condition that when I have not done my Duty and am troubled for not doing my Duty that doth hinder me from doing my Duty whereas those that have Evangelical Humiliation it makes them more fit to do duty the other it makes them more unfit their hearts are more sullen fretful and untoward and this is a sad condition that not only they fail in other Duties but when they are troubled for this they fail moâ—e first they fail of their Duties and their hearts are hardned a great while and then they Complaine that their Hearts are hardened and that they cannot be Humbled for their sin after this complaint they begin to be troubled for their sin and then on the other side when they are troubled after such away as they grow sullen and discontented vexing and fretting of themselves and by this they come to be hindered as much in the performance of their Duty as by the hardness of their hearts before some are hindred by their hardness of heart from performing of Duty and others by their humility now this is a very great burden you may some of you find it in your own experience that the trouble of your Heart hath rather hindered you then furthered you in Duty as in Exodus when Moses came to the Children of Israel the text saith they did not harken unto him because of the anguish of their hearts so there is many people that have such Legal trouble in their Hearts and that for their sins as it doth hinder them from harkening unto the blessed sound of the Gospel it makes them more unfit to harken to the invitation of Christ to come unto him yea such kind of trouble they have for their sin that makes them as it were reason away the blessed comfort in the Gospel to their Soul CHAP. X. The Sad condition of such as are under the Burden of Legal Performances set forth in Six Particulars 1. That which should be accounted their happiness is their Misery 2. It is a means to cause hard thoughts of God 3. It causeth great discouragement 4. They bring an
and in their Duties but meerly according to the stirring of conscience if conscience be awakened stirred then they are careful to perform duties but if conscience do not stir them they are careless again therefore those that do perform Duties in this manner you shal not observe an evenness in their waies but somtimes they are very strict and dare not for their Lives omit any Duty but at other times they are loose again for it is according to the beating of their consciences they do not work according to the new Nature for that which works according to a new Nature works in an even way wherein is a proportion between one Duty and another and this may be an argument of tryal whether that that you do be from the change of Nature or from other principles if there be a proportion between one duty and another you be not very forward in somthing and backward in another that is a sign it is done from a new Nature but if you make conscience of some thing and at other times in other things take more liberty this is a sign that what you do is but Legally done and this must needs be burdensome as it is a burden to a man to go upon uneven ground one Leg up and another down so for a man to perform Duties up and down forward and backward here is a Great deal of burden in that way whereas those that come to perform Duties by the spirit of God in them their way is made even for them not but that Gods people may somtimes be better then they are at other times yet there is generally an evenness and proportion between their actions The Sixt Misery Sixtly there is this evil in the burden of Legal performances that if so be that by these Duties their consciences come to be quieted then they are kept of from Jesus Christ there are no people more kept of from Jesus Christ then those that perform Duties in a Legal manner and have quiet of Conscience that way yeâ— not only kept from Christ but further they set up their Duties in the place of Christ and make them to be their very justification what is it that many people would present before the Lord for their Righteousness and Hope of Heaven but performance of such and such Duties that the Law requires now here 's a mighty mistake though we are bound to obey Gods Law yet for us to come and make this our Righteousness before God and set it up before the Lord to be our interest for eternal life this is to put Jesus Christ out of his office and make our own Duties to be our Saviors this now is exceeding dangerous and yet how many people are there that do thus and therefore I have been willing to be the Larger in this Point because it is not an argument that we do every day meet withal and also because I would have many whose Consciences begin to be inlightned and much troubled to know where they are what is the ground of their trouble and where the bottom of their trouble lies there are many people that are so far to be beloved that they are very conscientious of Duty and abstein from those sins that others live in and perform Duties that others neglect but they go on very heavily and sadly for many years together and the truth is they know not the ground of their trouble from whence their trouble comes now by that that I have opened to you in this Point you may come to know whence al your trouble comes whence it comes to pass that you have gone on in that sadness and heaviness as you have done you have done your duties in a Legal way you have not been acquainted with the way of the Gospel You wil say what is that way how shal we be eased of this burden when I come to that there I shal shew in some measure the Rest that we have in Christ from al those burdens that I have opened Christ wil not have us omit duties every a whit the more but in Christ we shal see how they are performed with a great deal more ease then before not more easie to the flesh but in the spirit and whosoever you are that are under this Burden of Legal performances if your hearts tel you this is my condition the Lord knows it is my condition I have indeed made conscience of my waies a great while but I have gone on just in this Legal way as hath been shewed in this Point if this be your condition so far be comfort to you and know that Jesus Christ cals you it is true your condition is for the present sad yet there is help Hope and Remedy in Christ come to him and he hath promised to give you Rest and teach you to honor God that shal be more comfort to your Souls than this way you are in the way of the Gospel is a safe way and a speedy way for comfort and it is as holy a way too therefore the way of the Gospel doth not cal to you to make less conscience of your Duties than you did No but it is as holy a way and a more safer and speedier way than that now you are in Christ cals you Quest But you wil say Doth Christ cal to these to come to him for Rest as if he did approve of their condition and as if it were a thing that ought to be that people ought to be burdened by these Legal performances Answ There are some of the burdens here that it is true ought to be and Christ approves of them that is to be sensible of the guilt of our sins and the remaining part of corruption c. and Christ cals these as approving of them so far as they are good though not truly good but there are other burdens that are upon sinners that Christ cals to come to him to be eased of not as they are approved of by Christ but Christ pities them and hath compassion upon those that are under those burdens as being under a great misery as now when a man shal make Conscience of his waies when Christ shall see a poor soul to make Conscience of his waies to have the fear of God and his eternal estate upon him to Labor and do what he can and al this while not in the right way but thinking by this to make up his Righteousness with God and eternal life Christ sees that al his labor wil come to nothing if he go on in this way he wil loose all his Duties and notwithstanding all the conscience he makes of holy Duties he wil perish at last except he comes to understand the way of the Gospel of justifying sinners before his tribunal fear notwithstanding al the Duties he performs except he come to understand this he will perish now in pity and tender compassion to such a Soul that hath done so much and gone so far the Lord Christ doth
that God aymes at the execution of his just judgment upon them thereby 7. God doth it for this reason that the Saints may long more after heaven therefore it is that the Lord in the ordering of his providence workes so that they should be kept under the burden of Corruption in this world that they might long to be in heaven with their father and that when they come to heaven they might know the difference between heaven and earth between their state there in heaven and their state here on earth Thus though corruption may be a great burden to us while we live here in this world yet the Lord hath many great ends and purposes to suffer thee a poor creature to be under remaining corruption and therefore thou canst not draw any such argument God loves me not for if he loved me he would deliver me from this corruption I have been praying a longtime to be delivered and yet I am not delivered do not gather any such arguments from it you know Paul prayed once and again and al the answer he had was my grace shal be sufficient for thee so though thou prayest under the burden of corruption again and again yet if once God say thus to thy soul my grace shal be sufficient for thee thy corruption shal not crush thee and undo thee but I wil sstrengthen thee this wil be sufficient Now from al this that hath been said you may by way of consequence see First a great deal of difference between the sins of the Godly and the sins of the Wicked the wicked they sin and the godly sin too we use to say we are al sinners but it is to the one a burden to the other a delight Secondly You may see from hence also one reason why the Saints of God go on sometimes so sadly in their wayes thou dost not know what burdens they are under But you wil say we are better we do not feele it No they have not so much sin as thou hast they have got some grace thou hast none they have in some degrees mortified their sins thou hast not yea they have their sins pardoned thou hast not but yet though they have some assurance that the guilt of their Sin is removed yet the very remaining of the Corruptions of their hearts is their burden Object You wil say Why should it be so burdensome if they know the guilt of their Sin to be forgiven Answ I beseech you observe it there is a deale of difference between a carnal heart and a Godly heart one that hath a carnal heart if he can be eased from the burden of conscience he is no more troubled but now a gracious heart though he be first burdened with the apprehension of the guilt of sin that burden be removed yet there remaining a body of death there is another burden stil upon him so that the very remaining of some corruption is a greater burden unto him then al thy corruption that is in the ful strength of it and together with thy corruption al the guilt that is upon thee only thou art dead in sin and dost not feel it if a whole building fal down those that are buried in the grave they would not feel it but al you that are alive if it should fal down would feele it so the wicked have the burden of their corruption in the ful strength of it in the guilt of it upon them and they feel it not for they are dead but the Godly though they have the guilt of Sin removed yet the very least sin remaining in them is a burden though they have mortified their sin and do it every day yet the remaining of sin is a great burden to them And hence you may see the reason of the watchfulness of the Saints over their spirits why they spend so much time and rise so early to heare the word what is the reason you wil say they know that if they do not Labor under the burden of their Corruptions to a void sin it wil be a greater burden to Labor under the burden of sin afterwards Now you do not watch over sin because you do not know what a grievous burden sin is when they Labor under it but such a one as feels the Burden of Sin the Lord be merciful to me I had thought saith he my Back would have broke under the Burden of sin And therefore David Praies for the healing of the bones that were broken and that is the Reason of the watchfulness and carefulness of the Saints under this burden Now the maine thing that hath been intended in al that I have said about this Burden is this That I might point out those whom Christ cals to himself that you might be prepared to hearken to the invitation of Christ to come to him for Rest though we are not come to that yet take notice that there is Rest in Christ for all these from under all these Burdens And so much for the Burden of the remaining part of Corruption in the Hearts of the Saints CHAP. XVIII Of the burden of outward afflictions and the grievousness thereof laid open in three Particulars 1. In themselves they are a part of the curse of the Law 2. They hinder much in doing Service to God 3. They often help forward many strong Temptations Why God wil have his Saints to be under this Burden Namely 1. Because he wil have his Servants to honor and obey him meerly out of Love 2. Because he knoweth that thus their Corruptions may be best mortified 3. To be a Stumbling-block to the wicked THe next Burden is The Burden of affliction the Burden of outward afflictions Poverty disgrace sickness or any kind of trouble in this world you shal find these things to be very Burdensom to you Now Christ cals such as Labor under this Burden to come to him and promiseth to give them Rest Christ hath a tender affection towards poor Creatures under outward burdens towards all those that the Father hath given to him especially when they are Burdened with outward affliction and the Gospel hath in it abundance of refreshments to help and ease sinners that feel the Burden of afflictions in this world no such way of ease and Rest unto them as by the Grace of God in Christ as we shal open more fully when we come to the promise Now the burden of affliction is very grievous to many the Burden of poverty disgrace sickness or the like those whom God lets prosper in their waies little think what burdens are upon their Brethren how many in these daies are there of our Brethren that groan under these Burdens though we do not feel them We know not how soon we may be brought under them and therefore it wil be very seasonable to shew the Rest that we have in Christ even from under these Burdens I have spent some time in opening the grievousness of other Burdens now this burden of
for the principle of life out of my self This is the second thing that is here noted Come to me that is first behold me see and beleeve that I am the great mediator that is come into the world to save your souls and then secondly let there be an unsetling of your hearts a taking your hearts off from whatsoever you were setled upon heretofore that so you may be removed from thence and that you may take another course for your life in Christ and happiness in him Thirdly Come unto me that is let there be a working and a stirring of your hearts after me Christ calls for the heart of sinners after he comes to be revealled to them they should be in a working stiring disposition making after the Lord Jesus Christ for union with him to the utmost that possibly they can the thoughts should be working and the conscience working and the wil opening it self to receive in the grace of God and the affection should he stirring and the whole soul should be in a working disposition after him Incline your eare and come as if Christ should say though you are under great burdens yet do not you sink under them in a discouraging way and lie down in a dul and a heavy way No but let your hearts be stirring working and acting after me continually have a care of this to keep your hearts in a stirring and working way after Christ and the grace that is offered to you in Christ this is that which young beginners should observe in a special manner if God be beginning to work upon your hearts you should have a great care to keep your hearts in a stir-working acting frame and disposition after Christ and above al things in the world take heed of a dul heavy dead spirit at this time when God cals you to come to Christ as the Apostle saith of himself in Phil. 3.14 I press hard after the mark so it should be with every poor soul that God is drawing after Christ it should be alwaies in a comming disposition and they should press hard toward the mark of the high prize of the calling that is set before them Christ is set before thee God sets his son before thee with the treasure of grace and thou shouldest press and follow hard after God as it is the expression of David in one of the Psalmes 63 8. a hard following stirring and working of the soul after the Lord as David said to his son Solomon in 1. Chron. 22.16 Vp and be doing and the Lord wil be with thee so I say to al unto whom the grace of God is offered they must not be dul and sullen but up and be doing As the Apostle speakes in 1. Phil. 20. According to the earnest expectation the word that is translated earnest expectation in the original signifies to stretch out the neck to look after some good that I would fain have come that is the propriety of the word in the original text so this should be comming to Christ that is when Christ is propouned in the gospel there should be the stretching out of the soul in looking after the Lord Jesus and a working of the soul after Jesus Christ keeping the soul working and stirring after Christ Many poor souls whom God is beginning to work his grace upon loose abundance of time and comfort for want of this of keeping their hearts in a working and stirring frame after Christ they spend their time in the afflicting of their soules but they do not keep their hearts working towards Jesus Christ As Jacob said to his sons when they wanted bread in Cannaan saith he We have heard that there is corn in Egipt and why do we stand looking one upon an other saith Jacob to his sons had you gon saith he you might have been come back again and brought us bread by this time so I say to many burdened souls hast thou not heard that there is grace and mercy in Jesus Christ had thy soul bin working stirring and kept in an acting frame after Jesus Christ thou mightest have bin returnig and have gotten rest to thy soul by this time thou standest looking unto this thing and the other thing and poring upon thy corruptions hadst thou kept thy heart continually stirring in a working frame after Christ the work might have been done by this time Fourthly Come to me that is saith Christ come and lay al your burdens upon mee come and role your hearts upon mee whatever burden it is either of your soules or afflictions outwardly what ever your feares and troubles are yet come and do you cast al your burdens upon me I am content to beare them al. That is a special work of faith for the soul to role it self upon Jesus Christ to cast it self with al its burdens upon the infinite rich free grace of God in Jesus Christ as if Christ should say is it the burden of sin I have borne the burden of sin already Is it the wrath of God that is a burden to you come and cast this burden upon me I have born the wrath of God Or is it the burden of the Law I have borne that burden for you I was made an offering for you I was made under the law to deliver you from under the law Is it the burden of any affliction That was upon me It is true the burden of corruption was not upon him but Christ wil deliver us from that too Come to me and whatever burden is upon your souls cast it upon me role your souls al your burdens upon me saith Christ and I wil give you rest Fifthly and lastly Come to me that is come and leave your soules with me and commit them to me for life for salvation for peace for whatsoever good you would have be willing to betrust me with your souls be willing to betrust me with al your comforts be willing to betrust me both with your present and with your eternal estate in al your transanctions with God and dealing with God trust me withal that is comming to Christ When Christ bids us come to him it is as much as if he should say come to me and leave your souls leave al your care and commit to me al that you have and whatsoever you are commit your selves wholly to me to be disposed of by me for al good whatsoever and I wil take charge of you I wil ingage my self and al my faithfulness to have a care of you and suply you in al your wants and strengthen you under al your burdens and carry you through al difficulties and bring you at length to life and salvation and perfect rest together with my Father and my self that is the meaning of Christ when he saith Come to me So the Apostle in 1. Tim. 2.12 I know in whom I have beleeved and that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him That which I have committed to him what is that
it not the word of the Lord hast thou not now a gracious offer Is it not a mercy that thou art out of hel this day and is it not a mercy that thou art not drowned in the sea that thou art brought to land to heare one more offer to come to Christ Wilt thou yet go on in thy sins Wilt thou yet prize thy lusts before al that infinite good that is in Jesus Christ dost thou think this wil be peace in the end How wilt thou be able to look God in the face another day It s mercy thou needest and Mercy thou must have or else thou art for ever miserable and wilt thou reject this mercy Oh! that the Lord would cal in your consciences to help on this work There hath been I hope by al that hath been said some Illumination about Christ yea and some cords of Mercy have been fastened upon your hearts Now if God would but stir up conscience give a command to conscience and say never suffer this man or this woman to be at quiet til they come to my son til their hearts be taken off from al things that hinder them from coming to my son let them never be at quiet til then it were a happy thing if God would give this command to conscience that so many might answer to this invitation of Christ that when Christ saith come to me ye that are laden the soul answers Lord I come Quest I but you wil say Suppose God hath been calling me and I have rejected him I have been in some forwardness to come to Christ and my lusts have drawn my heart back again for you tel us that the Lord useth to be quick with sinners when they have rejected his grace now have you any word of comfort for such if these shal come that have abused Gods grace and mercy and turned back upon him have you any comfort for such Ans I wil onely give you one scripture for those and that is in Jeremiah 3. and the 22. verse and Oh! that the Lord would fasten this scripture upon your hearts Returne ye back-sliding children and I wil heale your back-slidings Mark here is the answer Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God This scripture in the name of God do I present to you that have drawn back from the grace of God that once were in a good frame and now are back-sliders once more in the name of God do I cal to you Oh! returne thou back-slider the Lord Jesus Christ is ready now to healthy back-slidings now then secretly say Lord I come and when thou comest into thy closet in a more solemn manner and art al alone resigne up thy soul to Jesus Christ and say Lord thou hast invited me this day to come to Christ now Lord I give up my self and all that I have and am to thee my estate my Body my honor and all that I have to come to thee and then not only those good things shall be made good but the promise likewise then Christ shall give you Rest These times are times of distress and therefore seasonable to hear of Rest whatever troubles fal out yet if thou come to Christ thou shalt be safe thy self Christ doth ingage himself to give Rest unto thy Soul And so much for the Invitation it self CHAP. XXIII The Doctrine arising from the dependance of the promise upon the Invitation That God will have us when we are coming to Christ to have respect to our selves NOw the next thing that follows is the promise that Christ makes to poor Laden sinners that do come unto him He will give them Rest And I will give you Rest It is too much for any creature to say thus Yea it were too much boldness and presumption for all the Angels in Heaven to make these words as their own for them all to say thus Come unto us all ye that Labor and are heavy Laden and we will give you Rest Yet here in this text there is not only one that is greater than Solomon but one that is greater than all the Angels in Heaven and men that ever lived upon the Earth that saith Come unto me all ye that Labor and are heavy Laden and I will give you Rest They are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father that is equal with the Father God blessed for ever He saith Come unto me ye that Labor and are heavy Laden and I will give you Rest This is that that now we are come unto The gracious promise that Christ makes to draw Souls unto himself he will give them Rest And I will give you Rest And what more fit Argument and seasonable can there be at this time this time we know is a time of trouble a time of disturbance there is much perplexity and distress in our Nation and what will be more acceptable unto us than this to hear of Rest this is that that Christ doth promise to al them that come to him that beleeve in him he saith he will give them Rest Before I come to open this gracious promise which is exceeding ful of marrow and fatness as we shall find when we come to the opening of it I shall first give you one note briefly from the connexion of these words with the former Come to me ye that Labor and I will give you Rest You see Christ that he might draw sinners to himself makes a gracious promise of that that he knows will do good to sinners at the Heart he will give them Rest From hence the note is this in the general That God would have us even when we are coming to Christ have some respect to our selves and Christ encourageth us in coming to him even to have some aime at our own good That is the note cleerly from the Connexion of the words Before we open the promise I will give you Rest saith he if you come to me in that Christ doth propound that which he knows will take the Hearts of sinners as a great good unto them to draw them to himself hence I say the note it cleer That in our coming to Jesus Christ it is lawful for us to have some aime at our own good Yea not only lawful for us but we ought so to do for we are to look upon Christ so as Christ propounds himself unto us not only lawful I say to look upon Christ so as he propounds himself to us but it is our duty so to look upon him Now when Christ propounds himself unto us as an object to draw our Hearts to him he doth propound himself as one wherein our souls shal gaine abundance of good one that we shall get much by Now though it is true we should Labor to be above our selves as much as may be we should Labor to deny our selves in some sence yet not so but that we are to look at our own good even in our coming unto Jesus Christ
thou hast goods laid up for many Years A Christians Rest is this Come saith Christ to me and I will give you Rest the Rest of a Christian it is in the Son of God it is in the Mediator of the second Covenant it is in him that brings the Soul unto the Father and brings all the treasure and Riches of the Grace of the Father unto the soul it is in him that a Christian finds rest and a worldling only in meat and drink and other things as we shall see more afterwards Thus in general what the meaning is Now in this promise of Christ there are two things to be handled the First implyed the Second exprest That which is implyed is this That there is no rest in the Souls of the Children of men out of Jesus Christ that is plainly implied Come to me and I will give you rest So that here is plainly implied That there is no rest for an immortal Soul out of Jesus Christ it can have no rest out of Christ And then that that is exprest is this That in Jesus Christ as soon as the Soul comes to have union with Jesus Christ it shall have true rest indeed there is ful rest to be had in Christ Now for the first That out of Jesus Christ there can be no rest unto the soul As we read of the Dove that Noah sent forth when his Ark was floating up and down on the Water he sent forth a Dove and you find in the story of Noah there in Genesis 8.89 That when the Dove was sent forth she flew up and down but she had not whereon to rest the Sole of her Foot and therefore she comes flying to the Arke again so it is with a soul that is not in Christ for the Arke was a type of Christ it may floate up and down in the world here but certainly there is nothing for the soul to rest it self upon out of Christ Indeed we read that when Noah sent forth a Raven out of the arke the Raven came no more but the dove came again and the difference between the Dove and the Raven doth elegantly express the difference between those souls that God hath an intent to do good unto in Christ and those that are left by God and have no other portion appointed for them than the things of this world men of this world whom the Lord intends no higher good than the things of this world they are like the Raven they flutter up and down in the world but never come to the arke never come to Christ the other that the Lord hath an intent to do good unto although they may for a while be floating up and down here in this world yet so wil God order things that their soules shal never have any rest and quiet til they come to Jesus Christ nothing in this world shal satisfie them but the Lord wil make them seek to be sensible of any emptiness that they have not that good that their soules were made for no rest to be had out of Christ There is a Scripture or two that is very observable I might Name multitudes But I shal content my self with one or two That place in Isa will be sufficient if I Name no more it is in the 57. Chapter of the prophecy of Isa and the two last verses There you shal see al men that are out of Christ described in this of having no rest the 20. verse But the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up myre and dirt there is no peace saith my God to the wicked or there is no rest saith my God to the wicked yee that are mariners know what a troubled sea doth meane a sea that is troubled casts forth myre and dirt and just thus is a wicked mans heart it is like the troubled sea it casts forth mire and dirt And as when the sea is most troubled it casts forth most dirt so it is with wicked men when wicked men are most troubled then they cast forth most wickedness So somtimes it may be you find it when you are in a storme at sea some kind of men instead of seeking God and praying unto God they fal a cursing and swearing and railing and so their hearts are more troubled than the troubled sea and thereby cast out more filth and dirt out of their hearts than is cast out by the troubled sea Or if not at sea yet when they are here at land as men that have no rest and peace with God every thing troubles them having not rest in Christ they are troubled in their family and with their neighbors they do cast forth nothing but mire and dirt oaths swearing and blaspheming Oh! how do they come forth of wicked men when they are crost at any time when you see at any time the husband or the wife to be crost and troubled when you see them in a distemper and hear them swearing cursing railing blaspheming speaking wicked speeches in their passion remember this text of the 57 of Isa the 20. verse That a wicked man is like the troubled sea that casts forth mire and dirt Oh! that you would remember it and apply it to your own hearts is it thus with my heart I fear that there are many whose consciences tel them that this text doth lively set forth their hearts their consciences tel them that when they are troubled they cast forth mire and dirt Oh! what mire and dirt hath been cast forth by many when they have been in trouble now that the Lord would settle this text upon your hearts for the Lord saies it is the wicked man and woman when they are troubled that do cast forth this mire and dirt But the special thing I aime at is in the next verse There is no peace saith my God to the wicked no peace no rest this is a truth that doth belong unto al men and women that are out of Jesus Christ there is no peace no rest unto their soules and as he doth deny al kind of rest that such a one can have so you may observe what a confirmation there is Saith my God It is God that saith it as if the prophet should say I am now preaching unto you about the restless condition that you are in remaining in your natural estate as unconverted to God while I am preaching of this it wil be a sad thing to you it is a sad argument you wil say the prophet tels us there is no rest no peace but as if the prophet should say it is not I that saith it it is my God that saith it God doth pronounce this upon every ungodly man and woman that there is no peace no rest unto such let the world have never so much rest and peace though there should be no war abroad in the world yet there is no peace unto wicked men no rest unto their soules I shal demonstrate this more cleerly
afterwards that there is no rest nor peace to any wicked men in the world though they seem to others to live in never so much ease rest and peace Further there is no peace to the wicked saith my God it is not I saith the prophet but God that saith it wherby he would teach us this note That when any ministers of God preacheth that which is hard to us we should consider that it is not their words but Gods that speakes to them that God that wil make al good that he speakes by them which is according to his word according to what he saith in his word there is no peace saith my God Further there is no peace saith my God it may be that many would flatter you and say there is peace and these ministers do but trouble people trouble consciences and what needs so much stir what needs so much a doe no question the prophet did aime at these false prophets as there were many that we reade of in Isaiah and Jeremiah that cryed peace peace when there was no peace There was many false Prophets that lived in those times that said the prophet Isaiah preacheth to you things that are too hard God is merciful and have we not al infirmities and therefore it is but trusting in Gods mercy and do we not do as others do and we hope it shall be with us as with others at the last and it is but repenting at last now in opposition to al these saith the prophet Isaiah there is no peace saith my God let all the fals prophets plead what they will let them say what they please yet my God saith to every wicked and ungodly man and Woman there is no peace to their Souls Further It may be there are some that their own Hearts would say peace peace as many men and Women that when they hear out of the word those things that are very dreadful and do come very near to their Consciences their Consciences tel them this word of God neerly concernes them yet they will be ready to bless themselves in their own thoughts and say notwithstanding it shall be peace to them just as we read in 29. of Deut. 19 and 20. verses saith the Lord It shal come to pass that if any man when he heares the words of this curse shall bless himself in his Heart and say I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine own Heart the Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his Jealousie shal Smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in this Book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his Name from under Heaven How dreadful doth God speak and to whom To that Soul that shall hear out of Gods word that there is no peace no Rest unto them in that condition in the way that he is now in yet it may be saith the Lord when you shall hear pronounced this day in my word against them you shal have many in your auditory shall say I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my own Heart Now we do not find such a dreadful expression in all the Book of God against any as we do against those that shall say they shall have peace though they walk in the imagination of their own Heart Now hear saith the prophet may be some of you will say in your own Hearts I shall have Rest I shal have Peace but saith the Prophet there is no Peace to the wicked saith my God though your own Hearts say you shall have Peace and what need we trouble our selves with the Ministers words but my God saith there is no peace to the wicked methinks here we have a place that speakes of wicked men directly in opposition to that which the Church speaks of her self in Lamen 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore wil I hope in him Now let us observe at this time when the Church speakes this and saith the Lord is her portion she was in a very afflicted estate and condition and it may be that her enemies would say that the Lord had forsaken her and neglected her I but against al the enemies in the world her faith prevailes and sayes Let al the devils in hel say what they wil let al the world say what they wil yet my soul shal say the Lord is my portion that is that faith that Gods spirit hath wrought in my soul shal inable me to say that the Lord is my portion So on the contrary when wicked men are in prosperity and feel not the hand of God upon them perhaps friends may flatter them false prophets wil flatter them may be their own hearts wil flatter themselves but now to answer al saith the prophet there is no peace to the wicked saith my God my God saith it Further there is no peace saith my God no rest to any out of Christ this is to note from whence it comes that wicked men can have no peace why they can have no rest it is from God it is God that wil not give it God is against them There are many wicked men and women whose consciences are begun to be inlightened and they many times have trouble of spirit and when they awake in the night they are troubled and when they go about their business in the day they are troubled and when they come home they are troubled and so troubled as they scarce know what it is that troubles them Now perhaps you have not known what it is that troubles you but this text in Isa 57 and the last verse tels you what it is that troubles you it is the Lord that is out with you it s the anger the displeasure of the almighty that is upon you in those wayes that you have walked in and therefore it is that the prophet brings the name of God to shew whence it is that wicked men can have no peace Further It is observable that he adds it is My God he doth not say there is no peace that God saith though that had been enough but my God that is thus as if the Prophet should say through the mercy of God the Lord hath revealed this mercy to me and my Soul hath some interest in this God and since I knew God in Jesus Christ my soul hath found peace and Rest in him and he is my God and hath revealed himself to me he whose mind my soul is in some measure acquainted with my God saith there is no Peace to the wicked And though however others may think it is a strange thing to tel ungodly men that they are in a condition wherein they can have no peace when they hear of the dreadful wrath of God against all ungodlyness to be revealed out of the word yet those who are acquainted with the waies of God those who know the holiness and justice of God those who understand the mind
most in the world do live and die and perrish in blindness and in woful disperate hardness of Heart for where almost is the Man and Woman that is convinced of this Restless condition That ever were in this Restless condition This I dare undertake to aver concerning every one that you were once in such a condition as I have now spake of how you have got out of it that you must look to and what argument you have that you can be able to rest your Souls upon for your deliverance out of this condition do you examine but this condition every one is in naturally Abraham Isaac and Jacab was in this condition once and therefore every one must look unto it now while this Rest is opening unto you and here indeed is the Reason of the tumultuousness of spirit that is in most people What is the Reason that people hurry up and down in seeking after the things of this world That they are in a Restless condition Their Souls have not union with God in Jesus Christ and therefore they are hurried up and down here in this world to seek after comfort this way and that way but the truth is as with the unclean spirit in the Gospel they seek for Rest but find none as I tould you before the Dove sought up and down for Rest but she found none til she came to the Arke and so the Reason of the disturbance of the Spirits of Men and Women is from hence that they are not acquainted with the true Rest that there is in Christ but we let this pass Only one thing more in this point before we shal come unto the next and that is to shew the insufficiency that there is in al things in the world to give Rest unto the Soul til we come to Christ Al men out of Christ are in a Restless condition There is an insufficiency in al things in the world to give Rest til we come to Christ And for that I shall give two or three Reasons I. First Because the Rest of an immortal Soul must needs be in the reference it hath to God Now al the Transactions between God and us are only in the hand of Christ it is not committed unto any creature to transact any thing between God and us for any good but through Christ now then if al our Rest must needs be in our reference unto God and al the Transactions between God and us must be in the hand of Christ the Mediator then certainly there is an insufficiency in al things in the world to give Rest unto our souls II. Secondly There is an insufficiency in all things in the world to give Rest unto the Soul because the misery that we are in is so deep and the happiness that our Souls are capable of is so high that it is impossible that any creature can reach the one or the other either to deliver from the one or to raise up unto the other only Jesus Christ in whom we have Rest can do it because that there was never any thing that came to that depth of humiliation nor hath that height of Glory put both together Christ hath subjected himself to the lowest degree of humiliation that ever creature could subject it self unto and Christ is in the highest degree of Glory that it is possible for any creature to be in above al creatures his subjection unto sorrow and trouble was such as no creature can subject unto and his glory is higher than any creature is capable of therefore he and only he is able to deliver from the depth of misery in which the Children of men are and raise them to the true happiness and Glory that their Natures are capable of III. Thirdly There is an insufficiency in all creatures to give Rest unto the Soul because all ceatures here in this world that we have to do withal except the Angels in Heaven are under the curse and the Angels are only ministring spirits to attend upon Christ and to be sent upon Christs errand they do nothing but in order to Christ now all other creatures are under the curse and being under the curse through mans sin it is impossible that those creatures that are under the curse should give Rest unto our Souls and I do not know any argument in the world of greater strength to take off the Hearts of men from resting in creature comforts than this to understand cleerly that al creatures here in this world are under the curse through our sins the whole world that is under the curse by our sins cannot make us happy and therefore there is an insufficiency in al things in the world to give Rest unto our Souls Do but consider then what are the things that most people Rest in Particularly and then we shal see the vanity of men in seeking for Rest out of Christ CHAP. XXVII The insufficiency of every thing besides Christ to give Rest to the Soul is further enlarged with several Choice Considerations FIrst There are some that are so vile as the cheifest Rest and comfort of their Souls is in the pleasure of sin in the delight that they do take in satisfying of their sinful lusts that is the comfort and Rest of their Souls if they be troubled at home Wife Children or Servants do but trouble them what do they do to ease themselves they go abroad among company and there drink and play and swear and perhaps be unclean And others when they are crossed how do they ease themselves by venting their passion and the truth is it is a most holy truth I am speaking of Oh! That ever it should enter into the Heart of a creature to make it to be the greatest quiet ease and Rest of his Soul to satisfie himself in sinning against the blessed God and yet I appeal unto you do not your consciences tel you some of you that this is your condition And do you not know Men that the greatest comfort ease quiet and Rest of heart that they have in this world is in the satisfying of their sinful lusts How far is this from seeking out Rest in Christ in the Son of God in the great Mediator of the Covenant yet this is the condition of most people take away the satisfaction of their Souls in their sinful lusts and they have nothing to quiet their Hearts with but when they are there now they are safe now they are quiet Do but consider of this one thing that now I am speaking of That to have Rest and quiet in any way of sin it is no other but just as if a man had a burning Feaver and he cals for a pot of Water gets it to his mouth and drinks it up every drop now in the very time he is pouring this down his Throat he hath some Rest some ease he finds some ease from the fit of the feaver while he is drinking down the pot of Water but do you think this wil be Rest
thee but know this that it is the priviledg of a beleever it is not the priviledg of every one there is a generation of men that are under the Law whose desires shall not be accepted as I shewed in opening of the burden of the Law But the man that doth these things shall live by them So runs the Tenure of the Law but here is ease for thy Soul if thou doest understand how the Law runs thy Heart cannot but sink within thee but this is that that gives ease to the Soul I am now come under another condition I being in Christ Christ gives Rest and ease unto the Souls of those that come to him that their desires and endeavors shal he accepted of God as performances now this is a blessed estate Fifthly The Rest of the Soul in Christ as it hath reference to deliverance from the burden of the Law consists in this That now al the Duties that God requires at thy hand are required in a sweet and a gentle way the services that God requires are required of thee in a gentle and a loving way God indeed comes and requires the same things that the Law requires of thee I but he comes to draw thy Soul with the Cords of Love We beseech you saith the Apostle by the mercies of God Rom. 12.1 That you give up your selves a living sacrifice Holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service We beseech you by the mercies of God Now the bond-slaves that are under the Law they have not Duties required of them by such cords and bonds of Love but if thou dost these things thou shalt live if not thou shalt die do and live sin and die so the Law requires duties at your hands that are under the bondage of the Law but now beleevers in Christ their duties are required by the mercies of God We as Embassadors beseech saith the Apostle And if there be any Love any Consolation Such kind of arguments are used to them and were it that we preached only to beleevers these kind of arguments were only necessary and it becomes those that are drawn by the Gospel to be drawn by such arguments and it is a good argument that your Souls are drawn by the power of the Gospel and are come to Christ if you find the Lord doth draw your Hearts that way and that those Duties of obedience that formerly you were put upon in a rigorous way meerly by the terror of your consciences your consciences flashing Hell fire in your Faces if you did not perform them if now you find that the Grace of God in the Gospel draws your Hearts more powerfully It is true every way you should give to God obedience upon any tearms but now when you find that God draws your Souls this way it is an argument that you come to have Rest in Christ We read in the History of the Ceremonial Law a type of these things that I am now speaking of that the Book of the Law was laid under the mercy seate you shal find in the story that the Book of the Law was laid under the mercy seate between the Cherubins under the mercy seate there the Book of the Law was laid that was the place that God appointed for it to shew that even thus doth the Law of God come now upon the Hearts of beleevers it comes upon them as it were under the mercy seat in the mercy seat beleevers look upon the Book of the Law lying at the mercy seat that is every Commandement comes unto them in a gracious alluring way together with abundance of mercy to draw their Hearts unto the obedience of it Sixthly Coming to Christ you have rest from the Law in this that the Grace of God in Christ doth much melt the Heart and when it hath melted the Heart to milk out the flagons of it then this melting of Heart is accepted exceedingly by God is very precious in the Eyes of God now this comes from the Grace of God that we have in Christ and it is a mighty Rest of Soul to know this As I told you before It is not enough for any of you to say it is true we are all sinners but God knows I mourn for my sins I am troubled for my sins that is not enough for thee friend but art thou one that art delivered from thy natural condition From being under the Covenant of works Art thou one that is come to Christ and brought to Christ Art thou one that is in the state of beleevers being a member of Christ Then thy repentance and mourning is acccepted As now it is in many Cases between Men and Men some men are in such a Capacity that if they do such a thing it is accepted but if another man that is not in the same Capacity do the same thing he will not be accepted so it is here those men that are in this Capacity in Christ and have together with the sorrowes for their sins the sorrows of Christ presented to the Father Canst thou when thou art sorrowing for thy sins present the sorrows of Jesus Christ by Faith unto the Father Then thou art accepted but know this that no sorrow for sin is accepted but such as is joyned with the presentation of the sorrows of Christ unto the Father Now what an ease is this to the Soul That now the Heart hath a means to melt it for the Heart was hardened before the sorrow for sin is such that the Heart remains hardned it is no other sorrow but this as it is with Marble-stones the Marble-stone is hard but yet in wet wether it will give and be very moist but stil it is as hard as it was it is a stone stil So it is with many that are troubled for their sins being only the trouble that comes from the Law they are troubled but yet there remaines much hardness in their Heart much peevishness and frowardness against God and against men You shall find in many people who have trouble of conscience yet there is much peevishness and frowardness in them against God and against man now when you see this in the Hearts of people manifested in their expressions waies and conversations remember the stones that you see upon pavements in wet wether they give and may be water trickles down from them and yet they remain hard still But now when the Gospel comes it doth not only cause some sorrow but the Heart melts and this is accepted as very precious before God and that is the Reason that we have in Scripture so many expressions of Gods high esteem of broken Hearts and contrite Spirits and how God looks at them He that dwels on high yet looks to him that is of an Humble and contrite Spirit and that trembles at his word and let me speak this one word for the ease of them that are troubled and are come to Christ those tears that come from thy melted Heart through the
have been at liberty so as they have been as conscientious in performing of duty as before but now their duty is made the joy and delight of their souls they have gone to them with rejoycing and made the Commandements of God to be their inheritance and the joy of their hearts and their duties are as sweet to them as the hony and the hony comb Now this is the argument that we are upon that in Christ there is rest from this burden Christ gives ability unto beleevers those that are his members to performe duties with freedom of spirit and indeed evangelical duties are duties performed with freedom that is the difference between legal performances and evangelical one is done as a burden and the other is done with freedom of spirit Now I shal shew unto you how Christ gives this freedom Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty you know the scripture I suppose now this freedom of spirit in the performance of duty comes by Christ these waies First when the soul is come to Christ it hath rest because Christ renders God unto the soul in a gracious way Christ takes off the terror that was before of God takes off that from the heart The reason why duties are performed as a burden to those that are legal is this because they tender them up to God but so as they look upon God as a terrible judg they must do what God requires I but when they come into his presence they come into his presence as a judg being very terrible Now when the soul comes to Christ Christ renders God very amiable and loâ—ely unto the soul of a Christian renders God the father as his father or her father For so Christ saies I go to my father and your father to look upon God not only as a father but our father as being the father of our Lord Jesus Christ So beleevers in the performance of duties look upon God as a father in a double relation He is my father he hath begotten me a new to himself and so he is my father he is my father he hath adopted me to be his child but he is the father of our Lord Jesus Christ too and Christ is mine two so that I have an interest in the fatherhood as I may so speak as the father of Christ I go to my father and your father So when beleevers come to tender up any service to God as a duty they come to God as their father and as to the father of their redeemer too now this brings a mighty deale of ease unto the heart of a beleever in the performance of duty a great deal of difference there is between a fathers calling the child to him and a rigid severe master or judge calling of one to him When the child heares that his father cals him he runs and loves to be in the presence of his father but when one saith to a servant your master calls you he knows not whether he be called to be beaten with stripes or no. This is the difference between legal performances and evangelical those that are in Christ when Christ calls them to duty you must go into the presence of your father and of the father of your blessed redeemer you must go to duty in him Come go to prayer saith Conscience to one they cannot but go indeed but when they go to prayer their heart is struck with feare terror and discouragement in prayer but Conscience saith to one that is a beleever come you must go to prayer what is that but come you must go before your father and injoy communion with your father the father of your redeemer cals you to have communion with him how doth your heart spring to come into the presence of such a father So that Christ renders them lovely to his father and so delivers them from the burden that they are under in legal performances Secondly In Christ beleevers when they performed â—uties they do not tender them up unto God as satisfactory for any thing that is past but meerly to be testimonies of their love and thankfulness for what they have received now duties are a great deal more easily done this way then another It is true they wil gather arguments from their former neglect to stir them up to do the more I but now they are not called upon to their duties to make God amends and satisfy for what is past for that would be a burden for such as performe duties in a legal way and are not acquainted with the doctrine of the Gospel they know not how to satisfy God but only by doing so much the more by how much the more they have neglected heretofore I have neglected God al the time of my youth and now conscience begins to be awakned and tels me I must serve God and perform duties and I had need be more diligent now that I may make up and satisfy for what I have neglected before Now when we perform duties in this way they are very burdensom As suppose a man hath run in debt and he is set up in a trade I but whatsoever he gets it must be to satisfy what debts he is run out in before this must make him go on in much heaviness he thinks that whatsoever he gets must go to satisfy what he hath run into before But now take another man that hath run into arrerages and hath a freind a kinsman that coms and layes down al the debts that he owed and gives him a stock sayes now you are a Freeman once again go on whatever you get shal be for your self this man goes on a great dealemore livelier then the other just thus it is between the consciences of those that performe duties in a legal way and the consciences of that perform duties in an evangelical way One that is legal conscience tels him of such arrerages that he hath run into with God and whatever he can do for time to come is too little to satisfy for what he hath neglected before now conscience puts him upon it do he must serve he must obey he must I but he doth it with no heart at al I work and I obey I do but whether this wil make up the arrerages for what is past I do not know Now a beleever performes obedience but it is upon other termes Christ comes and layes down a price and discharges him of al former arrerages and puts a stock of grace into the heart and says unto him now live and imploy this your stock in the service of God and trade with it get more comfort and more grace with it and you shal have the benefit and the good of every holy duty that you performe the good and benefit shal come to your souls Now such a soul goes unto duties in a cheerful way and they are no burdens at al to it because he performes them not for satisfaction of any arrerages behind
but now he trades for himself and every day he gets and gets and gets for himself that is another way how Christ gives rest unto the soul in regard of performance of duties that they are not burdensom unto the soul as heretofore they have been Thirdly another way of delivering beleevers in the performance of duties as a burden is this When in the duty that such a one performes Christ goes along with them unto the father and he himself tenders them up unto God the father and thus they come to be easy unto the hearts of beleevers whereas those that perform duties in a legal way they go alone unto Gods presence without any to go with them And again when they are there they must tender up al they do themselves to God and the truth is they can have little heart to this knowing what God is and how they have offended God and provoked him As thus suppose a malefactor that hath wronged the king he must go into his presence and petition but he hath no body to go with him and no body to joyne with him to tender up his petition but he must go himself now he goes with no heart in the world with no encouragement indeed he must go there is no other way to save his life he must die else but going so alone and having none to help him he goes very heavily But now suppose another that is to go into the presence of a King and the Kings deare and only Son Shal take him by the hand and say come I wil go with thee and what hast thou here a petition come give it me and I wil present it to my father and I wil get it granted O! how merrily and cheerfully doth he go into the presence of the King Just so it is between a legal performer of duties and an evangelical performer of duties those that performe duties in a legal way and go into the presence of God in a legal way they go alone they have no body to go with them to help them and this must needs make them to go very heavily But a beleever needs never go into Gods presence alone it may be you are at prayer alone in your closets but you are not in Gods presence alone Christ takes you by the hand and carries you into the presence of your father and those poor petitions and broken prayers that you present Christ takes them in his hand and presents them to the father and this the soul may see by faith and O! how comfortable is this when duties are performed in such a manner as this I go to a duty but Christ stands by mee takes al that I have to tender up to the father and he tenders it up for me Fourthly Another way is this That now al duties that are performed by a beleever they are performed from the Law that is written in his heart he is made a Law unto himself there is the spirit of Christ put into him that now he doth not performe duty because he must do it but because it is suitable unto the divine nature that is put into him for so the scripture saith we are partakers of the divine nature there is the very spirit of Christ put into a beleever and the Law of Christ written in his heart so that there is no duty that God requires of him but the Law of that duty is written in his heart to do it and according to his measure he can say as Christ did It is written in my heart to do thy wil O! Lord what doth the Lord require such and such duties to be performed and doth my conscience tel me in the name of God that such duties are to be done Lord this is even written in my heart and therefore Lord I come the Lord would have me do this and it is no other but what is written in my heart to do Conscience tells me I must do it and it is no sooner told me by my conscience but my heart tels me I am ready to do it Now what a rest is this in performing of duty when there is a disposition in the heart of a man or woman to do the duty that God requires of them they are a Law unto themselves there is no duty that God requires from them but if there were neither heaven nor hel yet they would do it naturally it is as natural to them to do the wil of God as for a fish to drink in water It is said of wicked ones that they drink in iniquity as the fish doth water sin is natural unto the wicked and grace is likewise natural though not altogether so natural for there is nothing in the heart but makes sin natural But it is true when one is a beleever there is somthing in the heart opposite to good I but there is a principle in the heart that makes it natural for the soul to drink in the Commandements of God as a fish drinks in water and therefore beleevers so soon as ever they have any touch of Christ how readily do their hearts come off to duty As for instance in Zacheus you know how Christ came to look upon him there was a touch of Christ upon his heart and presently he comes off and though before he was a covetous man and there was covetousness in his heart and he had got much by forged cavillation yet presently he saith Behold the half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation I restore him fourfold Now what duty is harder then restitution when a man hath got much by wrong to restore it again as often you have heard you can have no comfort al your sorrows wil do no good til you have made restitution and the ground is plain because til you make restitution you continue in the wrong you have done wrong to such a man such a time in his estate wel you do him wrong to day and to morrow and the next day til you restore I say you continue in your sin til you restore if you be able to restore Now you cannot say a man repents of his sin if he continue in his sin and you continue in your sin though God doth not require you to go and make your self known to them yet though your persons be not known to them the wrong must be made known to them Just so is the difference between one that is only under the terror of the Law and one that hath got rest in Christ the difference is as in a Ship a Ship that hath one part of it sticking in the mud and sands and the water beating it up and down and ready to burst it in peeces but now if the tide come and fetch it off And it is got upon the streame then you may by the touch of a little finger thrust it this way and that way with ease when it is once upon the
water So it is with a heart before it comes to Christ when it hath only conviction of conscience though it have some illumination that is as the water that beats the heart up and down and it cannot be at quiet but is ready to be burst in peeces I but it sticks in the mud stil and therefore duties are very hard and Conscience doth but only tire the heart and beate it and trouble it I but now when it is come to Christ it ls like the Ship a float upon the water and now upon any touch of Christ it is ready to be put upon this duty and the other duty and the motion of the soul now is without any danger or trouble it moves up and down with ease when the heart is got off from it self and the world and the creature it moves in the waies of God with aboundance of ease set such a one upon the hardest duties you wil and he goes on with a great deal of ease and quiet and Rest of spirit he doth not think the Commandements of God hard doth not look upon the commandements of God now as hard commandements whereas one that is legal in performing of duty though he do the duty he looks upon the comand of God as a hard commandement You have an excellent scripture for that in the first of John 5. and the 3. Speaking of beleevers that when once they come unto Christ the commandements of God are not greivous unto them This is the Love of God that we keep his commandements and his commandements are not grievous But one that is in Christ a beleever upon any commandement though it be never so greivous and hard to flesh and blood before they come to Christ as in the commandement of Restitution I wil mention that I might mention others as to pray in your families to be constant in prayer morning and evening and to keep your heart constant in praier to God ' it s perhaps grievous to those that perform duties in a legal way but when once the heart comes to God then the commandement of God is not grievous I do not say but corruption may now and then prevail and then they are burdensome but when the heart hath got grace the commandements of God are not burdensome at al but they are easie to the soul for so Christ saith in a few words after my text My yoake is easie and my burden is Light Many people complain of the way of God Oh! the way of God is so hard and duty so strict to live so exactly who is able to do this I confess in the way you are in it is tedious and hard but if you had the spirit of Christ and were come to Christ those duties that you account now hard would be easie you would never have more comfort more ease and quiet then when you are performing of duty You wil think this a riddle to say that the soul should never have more ease rest quiet and comfort then when a man walks more strictly and exactly and keeps to the rule Now saith a carnal heart this is a miserable bondage that ministers cal for strictness what a bondage and weariness is this as they in Malachy say now you think this so Why because you are but legal al this while and if you did performe duties stil in that way they would be a burden to you but you mistake in this you think there is no way to keep Gods Commandements but in a Legal way I but know this there is an evangelical way to keep Gods Commandements Gods Law and that makes every duty to be easie and light unâ—o the Soul· You think there is no such quiet and content of heart as to be at liberty and to satisfie the flesh and have your minds fully pleased but were you acquainted with the mistery of Godliness you would find that those things that now are so easie and give you so much quiet and comfort would be the most troublesome things in the world the strictness of Gods wayes that you think so burdensome you would find to be the most easie and comfortable things in the world And therefore let not the Devil steal you away from the strictness of Gods wayes by this delusion certainly he doth but delude you O! that ye had but the spirit of the Lord Jesus in you and that you were come to Christ you would find then ease in the most strict and difficult duties in the world you would find your souls to be at ease in the performance of them Fifthly Duties are not burdensome unto those that are come to Christ because that in Christ al duties have joyned together with them the promises when duties are performed in an evangelical way when the soul is come to Christ then it looks upon evey duty that God requires as having some promise annexed unto the duty to inable the soul to do what God would have it do and by this it hath now Rest in performance of it Doth God require such and such things of me then the soul doth not only look upon the commandement but how a promise goes along with the commandement As how I might â—ance in divers scriptures how promises go along with commandements I wil give you but the comparing of one scripture for the present Compare the 10. of Deuter. with the 30. of Deuter. In Duter 10.12 there you shal find it thus And now O Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare the Lord thy God to walk in al his waies and to Love him and to serve the Lord thy God with al thy heart and with all thy soul to keep the commandements of the Lord thy God and his statutes which I command thee this day for thy good Then at the 16. verse Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart and be no more stifnecked Here you see what God requires they are great things that God requires that we should feare the Lord and walk in his wayes and love him and serve him with al our heart and keep his commandements and statutes and circumcise our hearts and the like these are hard duties being performed in a legal way But now when the soul is in Christ see what a promise the soul finds together with these commandements In the 30. of Deu. and the 6. The Lord thy God wil circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with al thy heart and with al thy soul that thou mayest live Here God requires them to circumcise their hearts that they might love him and feare him and keep his commandements but that is the Law were there no more it would be a very heavy burden for a poor soul to have this ly upon it that I must love the Lord with al my heart and with al my might the Lord knows what distractions I have in my soul and in my heart God requires me to cercumcise my
keep from the acting of sin so much as to find that the death of Christ is applied to him And hence you never read of any such thing as mortification in any Heathen Author in the World the mortification of corruption is a Riddle to all Heathen Writers in the World The mortifying of corruption and the mortifying of their own hearts this is a peculiar expression of the Gospel and indeed it is peculiar to Beleevers Many men through good Education are so restrained that they are very fair in their course others as they come to more understanding the vanity of their youth being overcome there is not that prophaneness committed by them as heretofore I but what is this to mortification of the body of death that is in their hearts this is only peculiar to a Christian and it is from the application of the death of Christ the application of a Christ dying of a Christ crucifying of a Christ shedding his blood for sin this hath a virtue to mortifie sin There is a great deal of difference between a mortified lust and a restrained lust a mortified sin and a restrained sin The difference lies in this one thing for I must not go out to handle the Point but only this one thing take it by the way When a lust is mortified there is not only a ceasing from the act of it but there is now an unsuitableness between the heart and the sin whereas there may be much restraint of sin and yet stil there may remain a suitableness between the disposition of the heart and the sin only they dare not commit it but when sin is mortified the heart is so changed that there is an unsuitableness wrought between the heart and corruption now and this mortification of the body of sin is by the death of Christ Fourthly Christ is our sanctification and he only because it is by him that the spiritual curse that is upon every mans heart naturally is taken away it is Christ only that doth deliver the soul from the spiritual curse that is upon every mans heart naturally You know this is the condition of man by nature he is under the curse of the Law Cursed is the man that abideth not in al things that is written in the Law to do it But now we apprehend ordinarily this curse to be either in outward misery or else in hel fire cursed eternally but we are to know that one branch of this curse is that that is upon the souls of men here There is a spiritual curse that is upon the souls of men by the fal of Adam and that is God giving them up unto themselves unto the lusts of their own heart unto their own counsel and wayes Now I confess as it is in the curse of outward afflictions in this world it is in some degree upon some and in a further degree upon others but al are under it naturally so this spiritual death is executed in some degrees upon some and in more degrees upon others but every soule is in some measure in some degree or other given up to the lust of its owne heart there is a final degree of giving the soul up to the lusts of its own heart somtime but there is in every one a measure a degree of this and the reason of the prevailing of the corruption of mens hearts may appear in some measure by this It is strange to see that notwithstanding al the convictions of conscience telling men of the dangerousness of their wayes that it wil never be peace in the end that they wil rue it at the last and their consciences give them many a secret nip yet they goe on stil notwithstanding the terror in the Law many times nay notwithstanding the hand of God hath bin strong upon them and they have cryed out against their sins and promised against them and notwithstanding that they find that their sins do destroy the very health of their bodies waste their Estates take away their good names and thereby loose al their friends yet they are not able to overcome it As the Scripture speakes of some that have eyes ful of adultery they cannot cease to sin Now sometimes they plead this as an excuse for their sin and say they would fain leave it but they cannot and they think this is a sufficient excuse for their sin an excuse no this their cannot may be from the spiritual curse that is upon their souls because the curse of God is in a high degre upon their hearts giving them up in just judgment unto the lusts of their own hearts And this I take in some part to be the meaning of that place in 1. Cor. 15.56 verse The strength of sin is the Law Now spiritually the meaning of it is this that al the strength that sin hath to condemn one to kil one to bring death it is by the Law that I take to be the special scope of those words But there is included likewise in that expression thus much that the law of God giues a strength to sin How you wil say doth the Law of God give a strength to sin Thus there is the justice of God in his Law by virtue of the Law of God and the justice of God in it man is given up unto his sin and so his sin comes to have a power and strength over him the strength of sin it is the Law the Law requires this the justice of God in the Law requires this That those that do forsake God should be forsaken of him that those that give their hearts up to satisfie themselves in any way of sin that they should be given up to that sin So the strength of sin is the Law the Law makes sin to be so much the stronger that way Now therefore how should the soul come to be deliuered from the strength of sin the Law must be satisfied the Law must be taken off the strength of the Law must be taken away and none can take that away but Christ Christ takes away the strength of the Law but the Law is not executed upon Christ so as he was to be given up but the text saith he was made sin he came to take our sin upon him it was as neere as might be though he was not capable of having the execution of the Law upon him but the scripture saith he was â—ade sin for us that indeed is a very great meaning of this place though acknowledging of sin and suffering for sin be the cheif meaning of the place yet it hath besides very much of this in it Fifthly Christ is our sanctification by being the head of the second Covenant and so through our mistical union with him there is a virtue of holiness conveyed from him by being the head of the second Covenant and we being members of him as the head we come to have the virtue of holiness to be drawn from him As it was in Adam how come we
heart I am not able to do it but now mark how the Gospel runs in the Deu. 30.6 And the Lord thy God wil circumcise thy heart the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with al thy heart and with al thy soul that thou maist live· The Lord wil do it the Lord commands me to do it and yet withal the Lord saith that he wil do it I might instance in a great many other particulars that the Lord requires first what we should do and if we be left here now it is hard indeed but then if we can find a promise where God promises that he wil do it for us this wil be easier to us And indeed this is the diffierence between the Law and the Gospel the Law commands us what to do and gives no strength but the Gospel never commands us to do any duty but there is a promise that engageth the Lord to help the soul in the performance of that duty And now is not here rest for the soul when the soul shal look upon the large extent of the duty that the Law of God requires of it The Law requires of me to love the Lord with al my heart and with al my soul and with al my might and to keep his commandements and statutes and to circumcise my heart Lord what shal I do in this Now then when the soul can look upon Christ the covenant of grace consider that that runs thus that the Lord wil circumcise my heart that I may love the lord with al my heart with al my soul that I may keep his commandements his statutes that God doth as wel ingage himself to inable me to do the duty as he doth require me to do the duty now here is rest unto the soule I wil conclude this particular with this one similitude as it is with the body Physitians observe that together with every veine where the blood runs there runs likewise an artery together with the veine now the artery is the vehiculum of the spirits that are in the body of a man that puts liveliness and quickness into the body So for al the world thus it is in regard of the commandements of the Law and the Promises of the Gospel I compare the Commandements of the Law unto the veines they are these duties required of thee in the whol course of thy life but if thou hast veines of blood and hast no arteries no spirit thou wilt be but dul though the blood be ful in the veins yet there wil be little strength But now there is the spirit that goes along in the arteries that gives life to the veines So now they that are under the Law they know many duties that they ought to do I but except they have the promises of the Gospel to goe along with them they have little life little activity to do the duty Therefore Christians when you heare any duty out of Gods word that you ought to performe consider here is the duty here is the veine I but where is the artery there is a promise in the word that goes along with the duty to inable me to performe the duty Now if I take both together I may go on in the way of Godliness with a great deal of ease and quiet and no duty needs to be troublesom to me The want of the knowledg of this one thing makes the lives of many people to be very disconsolate and makes them go on deadly and dully in the performance of duty whereas if they would make use of this one thing when they are put upon any duty to search and find out in the word the promise wherein God inables us to do the duty and plead the promise and say Lord thou requirest the performance of this duty but thou hast promised to inable me to do it I say if thou wouldst do thus thou wouldest find that thy duties would not be burdensom to thee but thou wouldest say wel I see my soul hath rest in Christ in the performance of al those services that heretofore have been very greivous and burdensom to me Object I But you wil say We have many promises in the Gospel to inable us but the promises are conditional and I may forfeit the promise by not performing the condition Answ To that I answer We have in the Gospel absolute promises as wel as conditional promises there is some promises that depend upon no condition at al but only beleeving as that promise where the Lord saith I wil take away the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh what condition is there does God say that if you first repent and performe such and such duties that I require of you then I wil take away your heart of stone No that is an absolute promise And so likewise that promise I wil put my feare into your heart that you shal not depart from me God doth not make this promise with condition You wil say Why then hath not al their stony hearts been taken from them because the promise is absolute I answer it is absolute from any precedent condition but yet God would have us come to the promise and close with the promises and cast our souls upon it he does not promise to do such and such things upon condition that if you wil do such and such things before then I wil do this and that for you no but only this do you cast your soul upon the promise and depend upon it and when thy soul is at a loss in regard of conditional promises when thy heart misgives thee and tells thee that thou hast not performed the condition of such such promises that therfore they do not belong to thee and thou canst not for the present have comfort in the conditional promises then make use of absolute promises and cast thy soul upon them and they wil bring in the conditional promises and know this that al conditional promises depend upon absolute promises in the Gospel and as when thou canst not make use of conditional promises thou maist go to absolute promises so when thou makest use of absolute promises thou shalt be inabled to do what is required of thee in conditional promises And here is the difference between the Law and the Gospel the Law requires and doth not give strength to inable to do what it requires but the Gospel requires and gives strength to performe what it requires Sixtly There is rest unto those that come to Christ in this because when they performe duties in Christ they do not performe them that they might have life or that they might have pardon that they might get life by them or that they might obtain pardon by their duties but they performe them now as the fruit of their life and as a fruit of their pardon and this is a great deale of rest and ease to the heart in the performance of duties There are many
poor troubled souls whose consciences pul them on to duty but why do they performe them because conscience accuseth them for their sins and they know what need they have of Gods mercy they stand guilty before God and therefore they perform duties that they might get a pardon and they know that they were made for eternity and therefore they make conscience of duties that they might get eternal life by them as I when I opened shewed the burden that there was in legal performances But now when the soul comes to Christ it hath rest in this for the very first thing that is done in Christ is that al thy sins are discharged the pardon is granted and thou art put into an estate safe for thy eternal life and al the hazard of eternal life is now over Now then that that is required of thee is only as the fruit of the pardon of thy sin and as a fruit of thy safe condition that thou art put into for thine eternal life and here is a great deal of difference between performing of duties that I might have pardon that I might get eternal life by it and performing of duties as a fruit of my pardon and as a fruit of the assurance of my wel being to al eternity As for instance a man that is in danger of his life stands before the judg and there is no way for pardon for him but he hath his book given to him as you know the way is to have the benefit of the Clergy as we use to cal it now when he knows if he reads he shal have his life but life lies upon it and the judg is strict and sets one by him that the ordinary shal not prompt him and he wil have him read out and his life lyes upon it I suppose you have heard of some that were able schollers and able to reade wel enough at other times yet at such a time were not able to read one word for a world But suppose this man now have his pardon and you then put him to read then he can read with delight he hath freedom enough now to read his eyes that were bound before are loosned Now suppose he were to read a Psalm of mercy before he had his pardon and when he had his pardon there is a Psalm of thankfulness for his life given him to read he could read it then with delight just thus it is with those that performe duties in a legal way they stand before God as their judg and look upon what they performe as that which their souls depends upon that if I do not do such and such things that is commanded me my soul lyes upon it alas this straitens the heart and it is put into a condition of feare But now when the soul is come to Christ and the Lord hath granted pardon to it and hath quieted it by the blood of his son now sayes God read performe duties and let al the duties you performe be in way of blessing my name and praising of me for giving of you your lives And indeed this is the principal ground of al that God requires of such as are come to Christ meerly that thou shouldest go out before the Lord in way of thankfulness for pardoning thy sins and accepting of thee in his Son And so likewise if so be a man were amongst his enemies and should be set to do some work and business and is set so to it that if he do not do it he is a dead man they wil have his life if he doe not do it alas he goes about it with a great deal of dread and fear But now if this man should come home to his fathers house and his father sets him about a work and he doth it so that though he would not do the work yet he should not loose his life he should go about it with a great deal more freedom of spirit Thus it is with beleevers when they come to Christ they come to their fathers house and their father sets them about workes but so as he wil not lay their lives upon it their soul doth not ly upon their duties thy eternal estate doth not lie upon duties as heretofore you have heard in being freed from the Law so now make use of it in deliverance from legal performances That the Lord though he wil be strict to mark what is done in every duty he wil not be strict to take advantage of thee It is true it is said that the Lord spared not his owne son but he wil spare thee In Malachy 3.17 The Lord wil spare them as a man spareth his own son hat serveth him And so in the Romans it is said God did not spare his own son and yet in Malachy that he wil spare thee as a man spareth his only son that serveth him What should be the meaning of this That God should not spare his only begotten son the Lord Jesus Christ he wil not spare him but thee This is the reason he did not spare him that he might Spare thee here is the reason why God wil so spare thee in the performance of thy duties because he would not spare his son he was so exact to him that he might not be so exact to thee Indeed when Christ came to performe duties the life of al the world lay upon that that if Christ had failed in one thing the life of al the world lay upon it yet so they lay upon him that they were not grievous to him because he was most able to perform it But thou must make use of Christs performances in way of obedience so as to give thee rest ease in performance of thy duties think thus I come now to performe duties and thankes be to God my life my eternal estate lyes not upon it but Christ what he performed my soul and al the world lay uyon what he did and the weight that Christ was willing to take upon him in his obedience is that which makes any obedience so easie and comfortable to me I remember we read in the Law that in peace offerings a female was accepted in other cases ordinarily God required the male but in peace offerings the female now peace offerings was for thanksgiving and indeed the whole life of a Christian is nothing else but a peace-offering his whol conversation al the duties that God requires of any christian it is nothing else but a peace offering to offer an offering of thanks-giving for the mercy he hath received from Christ in this peace offering the Lord accepts of a female though it be but weake And this is the sixth thing wherein the rest of the soul in the performance of holy duties when it is once come to Christ doth consist Seventhly As the soul doth not performe duties that it might get life thereby it is not in that way now so the performance of duties when the soul is come to Christ is a part of