in darkness they can have God the Father made known to them by no means but by me there is no way for them to know what is in the Heart of God the Father towards them but by me and therefore Oh! Sinners come to me Here is the dependance of the words upon the former Likewise consider what followâ— If the poor should say Oh! blessed Saviour we are vild unworthy creatures we lie under the weight and burden of the guilt of our Sins and shal such as we come to thee Yea saith Christ notwithstanding that yet come to me The word in the Greek here hath an emphasis beyond that which you have in your Books it is not Venice that is usually translated come but adeste it is a word exhortation not a meer word commanding but a word of Exhortation as one friend calls to another in a familiar sweet way and saies come hither I come to thee Oh! blessed Saviour saith the poor Sinner thou art the Holy one of the Father thou art God blessed for ever and how should I be able to come to thee now saith Christ I am meek and I am lowly come to me and I wil lay no further burden upon you no other yoke upon you I am meek and lowly and I wil shew my self to be meek and gentle and loving to you I wil not upbraid you if you come I wil not say to you as Jeptha said to the Elders of Gilead you did hate me and cast me out and why are you come to me in your distress but if you come to me you shal find rest to your Soules and be sure that whatsoever yoke shal be layed upon you it shal be but an easie yoke and whatsoever burden shal be layed upon you it shal be but a light burden And thus you have the dependance of the words and the scope of them Now further for the meaning of them come to me ye that Labor The word translated here Labor is I think in some of your books Weary al ye that are weary And it signifies a cutting Labor it comes from a word that signifies to cut any kind of trouble or vexation that is upon ones spirit that is cutting a cutting trouble somtimes it is used for any kind of trouble in the world as in Revel 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their Labors from al their trouble and affliction Al you that Labor and are heavy Laden the word comes from a word that signifies the Lading of a Ship such a loade that would load a Ship heavy laden this is the meaning of the words You that are under such afflictions of spirit as you are even cut again you that Labor under the trouble anguish and sorrow of your hearts And then you that are under such a burden that even would lade a Ship that is ready to sink your souls down into the bottom of dispaire you that are in such a condition come to me you that can find no rest any where else come to me and I wil give you rest So that here in vers 28. You have these three things for the division of it 1. The discription of those whom Christ would invite to himself what kind of people they are or the condition of such as are invited and required to come to Christ the subject Such as Labor and are heavy Laden 2. The sweet and gracious invitation of Christ to such Come to me come to me you that do thus Labor and are thus heavy Laden And 3. A Gracious promise unto such as come unto Christ that Christ wil give rest unto their Souls These are the three things in vers 20. For the first I shall only speak of that at this time though the other two are the Chief that I do intend And I speake of the first only as making way unto the other two that follow For the reason why I chose this scripture was to draw the Soul unto Christ and to open the riches of this promise of rest to shew what rest the Soul shal have in Christ that doth come unto him CHAP. II. Containing a Description of them whom Christ invites to come unto him which is laid down in this doctrine That they whom Christ cals to come unto him are such as Labor and are heavy Laden Whether 1. Vnder the burden of the righteousness of the Law Or 2. Vnder the weight of their sins Or 3. Vnder the power of any corruption Or 4. Vnder any outward trouble or Affliction YOu that Labor and are Heavy Laden So that then the point is DOCT. That those that Labor and are Heavy Laden are called to Christ Such as Christ calls are Such as Labor and are Heavy Laden 1. Such as Labor and are Heavy Laden under the burden of the righteousness of the Law So Chrisostom carries the text Those that heretofore have sought righteousness by the Law and find it very burdensom to them they that are toyling and laboring to get peace and rest unto their souls by the works of the Law but find themselves tyred find that peace and rest doth not come that way are even toyled and tyred and do as it were stick in the mire but yet find no peace nor rest that way Now saith Christ unto them come unto me as if he should say This is not the right way to get true peace and rest to your souls to think to bring it about by the works of the Law you may toyl labor performe duties and not dare to do any thing against your consciences be very strict in your lives be striving to do more and more And yet this wil not bring true rest and peace unto your souls you wil never have peace and rest through the righteousness of the Law you must have it by me There are many whose consciences God hath begun to enlighten to see that there is an evil in Sin that sin wil bring death that it doth endanger their souls of damnation eternally they are convinced of this and that they might have peace with God is the thing their souls doth much desire O! that they might have the pardon of sin and peace with God O! that they might have their consciences quieted God doth awaken the consciences of many men and women who yet have no saving grace and they spend a great deal of time in laboring and taking much pains to get their Consciences quiet there is many that have been divers years laboring and taking paines to get their consciences to be quiet and cannot but their consciences ever and anon wil be flying in their faces troubling of them and yet they are such people as dare not commit any known sin dare not neglect any known duty are constant in prayer in secret attend upon the word And whensoever they heare of a duty that they should perform they labor to set upon it withal their might but alas they feel little sweetness and comfort in
fathers were able to beare and that it is not only meant Ceremonial but moral it appeares at the 11. verse We beleeve that through the grace of our lord Jesus Christ we shal be saved even as they Now the grace of our lord Jesus christ is not only opposite to the ceremonal law but to the moral Law when it is taught in way of Justification to life So that this law that is such a yoke is that that is opposite to the grace of Christ that brings salvation it is that law that reveales Sin it is that law which is the minister of death by which the mouths of al come to be stopped so that it is a heavy yoke those that are under this Law that is such as are under the first covenant the Covenant of works that seek for Justification by that they are under a greivous burden they are the children of the bond woman for the law requires that that is impossible for them to do Now when a soul comes to see and understand it self to bee under the law such a Law as requires things impossible to be done this burdens the soul so by this means it comes to see the need it hath of Christ and Christ cals to such to come to him as if he should Say So long as you continue unbeleivers in your natural condition you are under Such a covenant for life as requires that of you which you cannot possibly do and therefore there is no resting in that condition Come therefore to me take my yoke my easie yoke the other is a heavy yoke But I wil shew you a way for ease and rest to your soules That is the first But though the law may require hard things impossible things yet it may remit in some other things Wherefore 2. In the second place this is the yoke and bondage of the Law that in every thing that it doth command it doth require absolute perfection accepts of nothing but absolute perfection in every thing that it doth Comand it doth not onely comand hard things but whatsoever the law requires it doth require an absolute perfection in it or otherwise casts the Soul if there be but a failing on any particular in any degree of that which the Law requires the Law casts the Soul by it It requires not only that the thing should be done but that it should be done in a right manner that it should be done out of a right principle that it should be done in the perfection of degrees to the uttermost that is required that there should not onely be a direction of our lives according to the rule but that we come up fully to the Rule this the law requires Now what a miserable yoke and burden is this for a poor soul to look upon the Law as requiring first things that I cannot do And secondly absolute perfection admitting of no imperfection at al this is a heavy yoke this neither we nor our fathers could beare and those that come to be sensible of this must needs be under a greivous burden and so se a need of Jesus Christ Christ cals those that do understand this It is true if it were thus and people were left without any help and remedy it were a sad condition truly if christ had not come into the world to put himself under the law we had been left thus and al those that do not understand the Gospel that have not had Christ preached unto them they are al thus they are al in this Condition they are under a law that they cannot performe that law which doth require absolute and perfect obedience in every thing or else casts them Thirdly The Burden of the Law is this you may say though it doth require perfect obedience but wil it accept of no endeavours at al suppose we do endeauor to obey to the uttermost that we can There are many men wil require things that are hard and beyond strength I but when there are endeavours to do that that is required that wil be accepted wherefore we are to know this that the Law accepts of no endeavours though a man or woman should strive their hearts out to obey to come to the height of the perfection of the Law the Law doth not accept of those endeavors It is true when the Soul comes unto Christ in the Gospel when the Soul comes under the covenant of Grace endeavors are accepted therefore do not say that God wil not accept of our endeavors and why should we endeavor Yes if you come unto Christ your endeavors wil be accepted as we shal shew you when we come to discourse the rest that the Soul hath in Christ But now here is an argument to drive poor souls to Christ to consider that while you are out of Christ your endeavors are not accepted you are not in away of life for life and Salvation it is not to be had in the condition you are now in for the Law requires obedience it must have the work done you can be but either under the covenant of works or the covenant of grace so long as you are under the covenant of works there the work is called for and not meerly endeavors that wil not do therefore the Apostle saith in the Rom. 10.5 For Moses describeth the righteousness of the Law that he which doth those things shal live by them You must either be Righteous by the Righteousness of the Law or by the Righteousness of Christ now if you would be Righteous by the Righteousness of the Law hear what it is he that doth these things shal live by them If you do them Moses doth not say he that endeavors to do these things he that strives to do these things No but Moses saith he that doth them he that doth these things shal live by them it must be doing and not endeavoring that the Law accepteth and that is the third thing wherein the bondage of the Law consists Saith Christ come to me and you shal have rest it is by beleeving in Christ that you must have rest There can be no rest but a grievous burden upon the soul til it doth come to Christ if it doth understand things and if it doth not understand these things it is in so much the worse condition though perhaps it be not sensible of such a burden through ignorance as most people spend off al their daies and through ignorance do not come to be sensible of it but when the Soul comes to understand what tearms there are between God and it and how it must stand before God that it must either stand by vertue of a Covenant of Works or a Covenant of Grace and that al naturally are under a Covenant of Works and so long as I am in my natural Condition I am under such a Law that accepts of no endeavors this must needs be a great burden unto the Soul and make it to see an absolute necessity of going to
unto him As thus if a man be doing a work that is hard suppose he layes on upon a knotty piece of timber and there is nothing comes of his work and it doth not go on before him and he spends his strength and gets nothing for the present by his worke he quickly grows weary But now if a man be doing a work that the more strength he spends the more he gets the more his strength is inlarged the more renewed and never gets more strength then when he is spending of strength and that when he is at work he receives in sweetness by it surely this man wil go on in the work he may work singing when al the while he is working he spends not so much strength as he gets and he doth not only work to receive wages but there is commings in sweetness comming in the very time of his work this man works with a great deale of ease Thus it is in Evangelical obedience when a soul comes to performe duties in this way now his strength is renewed day by day the more service thou dost for Christ the more strength comes in As now a man that is benummed with cold perhaps you that are marriners when you come to handle your cables or any thing in the ship you can scarce feel any strength by reason of cold but when you are at work and you begin to be warme your strength comes in So it is with a Christian when he begins to perform duties it may be he is dul dead and the like but let him go on in the duties and then strength wil come in I appeale to many of you that have performed duties you have gone to do a duty and you have been dul and unfit for it and you have been ready to let it alone thereupon wel but conscience puts you upon it and you must do it now when you were in the duty hath not Christ come in and hath not the strength of Christ come in to inable you to do the duty that you never could imagine it which for ever might be an incouragement to you to go on in the duty and to avoid that temptation never to neglect the duty from any unfitness to the duty for when you are at the duty then comes in strength from Christ to performe the duty for you cannot expect strength to come in before you come to the duty but up and be doing and then strength wil come in Yea and the more duty you do the more strength wil come in and hence it is that a Godly man though he may be weary in duty yet he can never be weary in doing of duty he may see a difference between himself and carnal men Take a Godly man though he may be weary in duty yet he can never be weary of duty whereas it is otherwise with those that performe duties in the strength of a natural conscience those that perform duties in the strength of a natural conscience are weary in working As some tools you know wil weare in the using but others the more you use them the more brighter and better they wil grow So it is with those that perform duties in the strength of a natural conscience they wil wear away and that is the reason that they leave them off but one that performes duties in an Evangelical way the more he doth the more he shal be able to do and therefore Christians let that be an incouragement to you the more you do the more you shal be inabled to do he that had five talents and used those five talents he had more talents given him and he that had but one and sate down sullen and used it not it was taken from him and as strength comes in so thou shalt suck in a great deal of sweetness into thy heart In the keeping of thy commandements saith David there is great reward not only for the keeping of them but in the keeping of thy commandements Now when a man is working if so be he had his wages comming in every houre when he is a working it would incourage him but if he thinks he must stay for his wages that is more greivous the work that is done with present sweetness comming in that work is an easy work and that is the reason of that expression In Hosea 10. vers 11. Ephraim is as a heifer that is taught and loveth to tread out the corne but I passed upon her faire neck I wil make Ephraim to ride Judah shal plow and Jacob shal break his clods The text seemes to be hard at the first reading but there is much in it suitable to what I am speaking of Ephraim is as a heifer that is taught and loveth to tread out the corne but saith God I wil make Ephraim to ride Judah shal plow and Jacob shal break his clods I wil make Ephraim not only to tread out the corne but to plow The meaning was this you know that was the law you must not muzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corne whereas we thresh the corne they had their oxen to tread out the corne and it was the law that al the while he was treading out the corne his mouth must not be muzled but he might feed al the while he was treading out the corne now this was easier then when the beast was sent to plow and had no corn to eate the while Now saith God Ephraim loves only easy work if he may have the work that is sweet for the present Ephraim is content with that work but Ephraim doth not love the work that is difficult at first and sweet afterwards So this shewes that one that is of a lazy disposition he loves the work that hath sweetness at the present Now truly there is no other work that the Gospel requires at our hands the Gospel doth not require so much plowing as the work of treading out the corne Al the work that the Gospel requires of beleevers is such as the heifer had while he was treading out the corne that is al the while thou art working thou maist be eating thou maist have the blessed sheaues of the Gospel to feed upon for there doth come a constant sweetness into the hearts of the faithful in doing the work of the Lord go on in doing the work of the Lord and thou shalt find rest and sweetness in thy soul comming in upon thee And that is the reason that Schollars can study so hard many houres together which would be tedious unto others I put it to you that are imployed in other things that think the work of a schollar so easy a work get up in a morning and shut your selves into your closet and read meditate and write for two or three houres together and then come forth and go to it again and spend half a day or a whole day together in studying meditating writing and see if you do not find it more tedious and
tiresome to the flesh then any other work But now Schollars though it is tiresome to the flesh they can go on and make it easy to them why because they find sweetness in their work it is not with them as with â—ther men other men work that they may have wages afterwards but al the while they are about their work they have truths come in and heavenly notions comes in to them while they are about it and so makes the work easy unto them this is happiness of a Christian that the while he is in his work the sun of righteousness shines upon him and there is sweetness comming in unto him and herein is rest and ease in the performance of duty Tenthly and lastly When the soul comes to Christ it finds abundance of rest in holy duties because now it hath the love of God shed abroad in its heart and that makes every thing delightful to it the love of God is shed abroad in the heart you know Jacob because he loved Rachel though he was abroad in frosty nights he accounted it nothing because he loved Rachel Oh! when the love of God is shed abroad in the heart of a Christian then there is nothing that he doth but is delightful to him it makes every thing easy For that is a certain rule that love is ashamed to mention any difficulty you never hear love to complain of any thing to be heard and those that complain of holy duties to be heard certainly they want the love of God Now you have heard in these ten particulars wherein the ease and rest of spirit in performance of holy duties doth appeare there is much more to be said in the latter end of the Chapter when it is said that Christs yoke is easy and his burden light which if God give opportunity we shal come unto APPLIC I. Now from al this first here you may see the happiness of a Christian you do not think that a Cristian is happy here but he shal not have only heaven hereafter but his way to happiness is heaven here Oh how good is the way of the Gospel that gives us rest in our way to heaven such rest that al the malice in the world and of 〈◊〉 cannot disturbe the peace and rest of a Christian II. Hence we see the reason why true beleevers do persevere you hear oftentimes speaking of the doctrine of perseverance you are ready to thinke I but is it certain the soul that once comes to have true Grace shal certainly persevere yes certainly one that is once come to Christ wil not go from him again why because there is so much rest in holy duties It is true those that are drawn to holy duties they wil not abide as it is said The son abides in the house but a servant abides not alwaies in the house So such as perform duties in a legal way they wil be gone they wil not abide but now one that is come into Christ and hath a son-like disposition he continues As we say in phylosophy no violent thing or motion is perpetual and indeed those that performe duties in a legal way a hundred to one but they wil prove Apostates at last but one that performes duties in an Evangelical way wil continue and hold out unto the end III The maine use of al is to stirr up the hearts of those that are Godly to know what the Gospel means to exercise much faith in Christ that they might have much comfort in performance of duties Do not content thy self that thou doest duty but think with thy self Oh I have heard of such a way that Christians in performance of duty find a great deale of rest and ease why should not I get that way Thou hearest of it Oh! that thy soul might be unquiet til thou comest to understand the way then your duties would be more sound more spiritual more supernatural more acceptable then they are The Lord loves a cheerful giver and so he loves a cheerful server you love to heare your servants sing at their work but if you set your child or servant about a work and he goes heavily and dully about is grumbling and pineing and think you to be a hard master then he doth but a little work so they that perform duties in a legal way the truth is they perform little duty and that is not acceptable but when a soul comes to find rest in duty it makes it more spirituall more plentiful and more acceptable and those duties are very pleasing unto the Lord. CHAP. XXXVI Sheweth the Rest from the remainder of Corruption to be Sanctification and that to be a great Rest Laid open in six particulars 1. It is the right temper of the heart 2. In it the soul doth in great part attain its end 3. In it the Soul lives the life of God 4. It raiseth the soul above the region of al troubles 5. It turnes every thing to good 6. It is the beginning of Glory YOu may remember when we handled the point of the load that was upon sinners we shewed that the remainder of corruption was a great burden it was so great a load that it made the Apostle cry out Oh! wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from this body of death How that was a load hath been already opened That which we have now to do is to shew what rest is to be had in Christ against this fourth burden Come to me saith Christ al you who are sensible of the corruption of your heart and find the remainder of sin that is in your heart to be a burden come to me I wil give you rest against that We are not now to speak of the rest in deliverance from the trouble of soul in the sense of the guilt of sin that was before spoke of but now we are to speak of the rest in giving power against the remainder of corruption that there is in the heart This rest is the rest of Sanctification that here we are to speak of I wil give you rest And in this point there are a great many of useful and sweet things that might require very large handling but I shal endeavor as much as I can to contract al within a few things for this rest of Sanctification There are in it these five things to be followed that ye may see cleerly the method that I shal proceed in and so go along with me First I shal shew you that Sanctification is a great rest to the soul or deliverance from corruption is a great rest to the heart of a beleever there is much rest in Sanctification Secondly That this rest it is in Christ al our Sanctification and helping against corruption is in Christ Thirdly How Christ comes to be this rest unto the Soul Fourthly Some consequences that wil follow from this consideration of Christs being the rest of Sanctification unto the heart Fiftly Conclude with exhortation to come unto
Lord Christ gives you Rest First For the evidences to know whether your Rest be indeed the right Rest that is in Christ First This Rest in Christ it can never be but upon great discovery of glorious things that the soul was not acquainted with before many men go on and are quiet in their way and think that their rest is Christs rest how wil that appeare that it is Christs Rest It wil appeare that they have had poor weake grounds to stand upon only that which they have in a natural way they live quietly among men and the creatures doth not trouble them and in a prudential way they are loath to trouble themselves in their owne thoughts But now I appeal to thy soul what discoveries hast thou had of the glorious things of the covenant of Grace and the covenant of life in those waies that God hath had in his eternal counsels to reconcile God and thy soul What discoveries of Gods waies hast thou had to draw thy heart to Christ Thy Rest must come from these these must be the meanes to bring thy soul to rest if thy Rest come from blindness Ignorance and deadness of spirit it is far from the true Rest in Christ Secondly The Rest that the soul hath in Christ it is that that the Apostle speakes of in Heb. 14 It comes upon the soules ceasing from its owne worke as God ceased from his verse the 10. For he that is entred into his Rest he also hath ceased from his owne workes as God did from his As God did Rest the seventh day from al his workes he gives that note of the rest in Christ There remaines therefore a rest to the people of God for he that is entred into his rest he also hath ceased from his owne workes as God ceased from his He comepares the rest that the soul hath in Christ to Gods rest upon the seventh day Now saith he as God seased from his work that he wrougt upon the sixth day the seventh day he rested so whatsoever enters upon this rest he must cease from his owne workes what is that The work that a man workes for himself as in his natural estate every man in his natural estate doth not Gods work at al but works his owne work Now saith he look as God ceaseth from his owne work and then rests they that enter into this rest must cease from their owne workes those workes of sin that they lived in and wrought for themselves for their own endes while they were in their natural estates so that then examin this hast thou ceaâ—ed from thy own works dost not thou work for thy self in al thy waies Art thou taken off from thy self and al the creatures It may be thou dost some work but materially it is nothing of Gods thou prayest and makest profession of religion I but it is thy owne worke stil But if thou beest entered into this rest thou must cease from thine owne workes not only from those workes that are sinful in themselves but thou must not worke for thy self in the best things thou must be taken off from thy self in the best things thou must work the works of God and be emptied of thy self and then thy soul shal have rest That is both an evidence that thy rest is true and a meanes to bring rest unto thy soul Take heed that thy work be not thine owne work when thou dost any work I am about such and such a work I but is it my owne work or Gods work It is true there was a time that al the work I did was for my self and then if there were any argument whereby I could see that it was for my self I could work if it was for self ends if I had self to be promoted I could work this is the way of men in themselves But now when the soul hath entred into the rest of Christ he hath ceased from his owne workes and therefore now though there be not strong arguments and ends to perswade me to doe a work yet it is enough that it is the work of God and God shal have praise in it and I can work as earnestly and and strongly in the work as ever I did any worke for my self Thirdly Another note of the true rest of the soul in Christ is this The more rest thou hast in Christ the more active thou art for God the false rest that the soul hath makes it dul secure sluggish and negligent but now the true rest that is in Christ makes the soul mighty active and stirring maks it to do great things for God never had that ability to do for God as now when it hath had rest from Christ as now we know that many people are very active stirring when their conscience is stirred then they wil rise early in the morning and hear and read and pray and mightily stir when their conscience is stirred but if they have got any quiet and rest to their spirits they grow lazy dul and secure and are less active in the places God hath set them in then before but the soul that hath true rest from Christ is more active and lively in the work of God then before As Archimedes said give me a place where I could rest my self on and he thought then he could move the earth so let the soul get but once the foot stopt upon Christ so as he can have rest in Christ he can do more for God then ever he could before And therefore I remember and you may afterward by comparing find this note to be true that whereas God commanded Moses while they were going up and down in the wilderness and had no rest to make an altar for sacrifice of such a bigness so many foot in the story you shal find that when Solomon came to make an Altar to God he made it twice as big as Moses in the time of their being in the wilderness The two several places I cannot stand to look to but you shal find this note to be true that the altar of Solomon was as big again as the altar of Moses Why for they were then in a restless condition went up and down and were not at rest But now when they came to the Land of Canaan there they had rest and there the altar is as big again noting that they should offer as much sacrifice again as they did before in the time when they were in the wilderness in their restless condition So thy soul was once in the wilderness hurried up and down and then the altar for thy sacrifice was buâ— little but when once God brings rest to thy soul in Christ thy altar shal be as big again and thou shalt do as much more for God as thou didst before Fourthly Another note of the true rest in Christ is this if so be that thou hast this rest then that which is Christs rest is thine as thus If thou hast rest in Christ
CHRIST Inviting SINNERS To come to Him for REST. Wherein is shewed FIRST 1 The Burden of Sin 2 The Burden of the Law 3 The Burden of Legal performances with the Misery of those that are under them 4 The Burden of Corruption 5 The Burden of Outward Affliction SECONDLY Christ Greciously offers to them that come to him REST from al those Burdens Wherein is shewed 1 What it is to come to Christ 2 That Christ requires nothing but to come to him 3 Several Rules to be observed in in right coming to Christ 4 Means to draw Souls to Christ 5 That in coming to Christ God would have us have respect to our selves 6 That there is No REST for souls out of Christ And the Reasons therefore with some conclusions from it THIRDLY There is shewed 1 The Rest Believers have from sin 2 The deliverance from the Law by Christ is 1 Privatively 2 Positively 3 The Rest Believers have from the Burden of the Law by coming to Christ 4 How Christ gives Rest from the Burden of Legal performances 5 How Christ gives Rest from the Burden of Corruption wherein is shewed how Sanctification and Holiness comes from Christ only And encouragments to come to Christ for Holiness 6 How Christ gives Rest from outward Afflictions 7 Some Directions how to get Rest from Christ in Spiritual desertions By JEREMIAH BURROUGHS Preacher of the Gospel at Stepny and Cripple-Gate London London Printed by Peter Cole Printer and Book-seller and are to be Sold at the Sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhill near the Royall Exchange 1659. A Testimony to the Reader WHAT we have by way of Preface set before the several Books already published of this Reverend Author Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs may sufficiently serve for all that are come forth So that we only need now give Letters Testimonial to the World that these viz. The Sermons on Matthew the 11. Chapter 28 29 and 30. verses We avouch likewise to be the painfull and profitable Labors of the same Author and published by the best and most Authentick Copies Thomas Goodwin William Greenhil William Bridge Sydrach Sympson Philip Nye John Yates William Adderley Books Printed by Peter Cole Printer and Book seller of London at the Exchange Four New Books of Mr. Jer. Burroughs VIZ. THE FIRST BOOK Christs call to all those that are Weary and Heavy Laden to come to him for Rest Wherein is shewed First 1 The Burden of Sin 2 The Burden of the Law 3 Ths Burden of Legal performances with the Misery of those that are under them 4 The Burden of Corruption 5 The Burden of Outward Affliction Secondly Christ Graciously offers to them that come to him REST from all those Burdens Wherein is shewed 1 What it is to come to Christ 2. That Christ requires nothing but to come to him 3 Several Rules to be Observed in right coming to Christ 4 Meanes to Draw Soules to Christ 5 That in coming to Christ God would have us have respect to our selves 6. That there is No REST for souls out of Christ And the Reasons therefore with some conclusions from it Thirdly There is shewed 1 The Rest Beleevers have from sin 2 The deliverance from the Law by Christ is 1 Privatively 2 Positively 3 The Rest beleevers have from the Burden of the Law by coming to Christ 4 How Christ gives Rest from the Burden of Legal performances 6 How Christ gives Rest from the Burden of Corruption wherein is shewed how Sanctification and Holiness comes from Christ only And encouragments to come to Christ for holiness 6 How Christ gives Rest from outward Affliction 7 Some Directions how to get Rest from Christ in Spiritual desertions THE SECOND BOOK Christ the Great Teacher of Souls that come to him Wherein is shewed 1 What Christs Yoak is 2 That beleevers must take Christs Yoak on them 3 The more we are under the Yoak of Christ the more REST we have 4 Christ is the great Teacher of his Church and People 5 In what manner Christ Teacheth 1 He is a Meek Teacher 2 An Humble Teacher 6 The Learners of Christ must be MEEK 7 The Learners of Christ must be humble 8 Christ teacheth by his EXAMPLE 9 Wherein Christs EXAMPLE is to be followed 10 What kind of Pattern Christ is 11 We must not follow the Example of the World We must imitate Christ in MEEKNES 1 What Meekness is 2 Learn of Christ to be Meek towards God And the Reasons thereof 3 The Dreadful Evil of Anger and frowardness towards God 4 Meekness towards God Exemplified from scripture Examples 5 Meekness towards Men which consists in ordering Anger 1 To the right Object 2 To the right Time 3 To the reight measure 4 To the right end c. 6 The sad Effects of Anger 7 The Excellency of Meekness 8 Promises made to Meekness 9 Many Vaine Reasons and Pleas for Anger Answered 10 Exhortations to Meekness 11 Means to get and keep Meekness New Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs THE THIRD BOOK Christ the Humble Teacher of those that come to him Wherein is shewed 1 What Humility oâ— Lowliness is Not. 2 What that Lowliness of Heart is that Christ would have us to Learn of him 3 Arguments from the Lowliness of Christ to work Lowliness of spirit in Us. 4 The properties of an humble heart towards God 5 The Properties of an Humble and Lowly heart in respect of Our selves 6 The properties of humility in respect of others 1 It is fearful of giving or taking offence 2 It gives due honor to all 3 It is tender to others 4 It 's not needlesly singular from them 7 The Excellencies of Humility 8 Humility brings REST unto the Soul 9 Means to get Humility THE FOURTH BOOK The only Easie way to Heaven Whereâ—n is shewed 1 The way to Heaven that Iesus Christ Teacheth is an Easie way six Evidences thereof 2 The Difference between the EASE a Carnal heart hath and the EASE a gracious Soul hath in Religion 3 The Reason why some gracious Souls complaine of difficulty in Gods waies 4 What it is that Makes the waies of God so Easie 5 Consequences from the easiness of Gods waies 6 Directions how we may make the waies of God Easie New Books of Mr. Sydrach Simpsons viz. I Of Faith Or That beleeving is receiving Christ And receiving Christ is Believing II Of Covetousness In the First Book is shewed besides many other things 1 That Persons that are beleevers are Receivers 2 That to Receive is the Principal use of Faith 3 That nothing should hinder our Receiving 1 Not our Sins 2 Nor Gods delaies 3 Nor the smalness of our receipts 4 Nor the greatness of our Wants 4 How Faith Receives 5 That Faith Receives Christ 1 In the understanding 2 In the Will 6 The temper of a man that hath faith 7 The necessity of Faith 8 Though Faith be smal yet it makes us the Sons of God 9 The Nature of True Faith 10 There are
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
Soul comes to be acquainted with the mistery of the Gospel that it hears the voice behind him as it were saying come to me And the Soul being inabled to answer to the cal and to come to Christ it doth now perform duties as much as it did before and makes conscience of them as much as it did before but now they come to do them in another manner than they did before and they come to be easie to them over that they were before and they come to have rest to their Souls notwithstanding their imperfections in duties When you went to prayer indeed somtimes when your Hearts were much inlarged in Prayer and your thoughts were taken up wholly with the duties that you were performing then you thought you had some comfort but when you had any wandring thoughts and distractions in Prayer then you rose up with a mighty troubled Spirit and could have no rest al the day long Now when you come to be acquainted with the mistery of God in Christ though there be many imperfections in your duties yet then you shal find rest unto your Souls notwithstanding all your imperfections But that wil come to be more clearly opened when we come to that and I wil give you rest Those that have labored under the righteousness of the Law and find it toylsome and exceeding burdensom to them Christ calls them to come to him that they may have rest The Burden under Sin Secondly Those that labor and are heavy laden under the weight and burden of their Sins The trouble of Conscience that is upon them for their Sins this is another thing besides the righteousness of the Law The other labor was from under duties but this labor is from the sense of the weight and burden of Sin and we are to know that this is a great labor and burden Oh! when the Soul comes to be under the burden of sin it works to purpose it labors then indeed The thoughts they gather together and conscience being awakened makes a great disturbance and causeth fears and tremblings in the Soul the heart of a man or woman that was before slugish dull heavy and dead when God comes to make it to be sensible of the evil of Sin then it is quickned enlivened and working You that Labor and are heavy laden you that feel the weight of Sin upon your Souls and know not what in the world to do Come you to me saith Christ and I will give you Rest The Burden of Corruption Thirdly You that labor under the power of any Corruption Not only under the Guilt of your Sins but under the power of Corruption that feel your Sins strong in you and you would fain get the mastery of them You that carry about with you such a weight as makes you to cry out with St. Paul Oh! Wretched man or Woman that I am who shal deliver me from this Body of Death You that would fain overcome those strong Corruptions that are in you and it is the great burden of your Souls that you cannot overcome them Come to me saith Christ and I wil give you rest from them also First you that labor under the burden of duties and find them toylesome Secondly you that labor under the guilt of Sin and find your Souls perplexed by it Thirdly You that labor under the power of any corruption and cannot overcome it Come to me and I wil give you Rest And then The Burden of Affliction Fourthly You that labor under any outward trouble or Affliction in this world All you that are in any sad condition that have any burdens upon you outwardly if you come to Christ he wil ease you of them though perhaps he will not take them from you though you may be under the affliction as before yet you shal have rest and ease in them Have you any burden of poverty Have you any Burden in your Children Have you any burden in your Yoke fellows Or burden by reason of weakness in Body if you will have rest you must go for it to Chirst Many when they are under any outward affliction they go no futher then the creature for rest Oh! if I had but good friends I should be happy or if I had but an Estate I should be wel But if thy poverty did work upon thy heart kindly it would drive thee to Chist and make thee to say true I am poor in this world but there is enough in Christ to make me Rich there is mercy enough in Christ to make my life comfortable to make me who am for the present in a miserable Condition happy for ever Those that are poor outwardly they should go to Christ if their poverty did drive them to Christ it were a good signe that the Lord did Sanctifie their poverty unto them Now because al these Burdens if they were handled distinctly The Burden of the righteousness of the Law The burden of the sense of the guilt of sin the burden of the power of sin And the Burden of outward afflictions in this world To open these fully and to shew how Christ cals those that are under these to himself would take up much time therefore I wil pitch upon the Second at present and handle that more throughly and that is the laboring under the burden of the guilt of Sin You that Labor under the burden of the Guilt of Sin Come to me and I wil give you Rest I wil not here stand to open unto you what the burden of the Guilt of Sin is then I should soon slip into an argument that I have at large heretofore opened to you out of the Evil of sin only thus much let us know that of al burdens in the world the burden of Sin it is the greatest it is that that is a burden to the very spirit of God God complaines that he is pressed under it as a Cart is pressed that is ful of sheaves it was that which pressed down the Angels to Hel to be reserved in Chains of darkness it was that which pressed down Christ and made him sweat drops of Blood And it is that that hath been a great weight and burden upon many thousands of Gods Saints it is that that the damned in Hel lies under now and must do so eternally Cursing Blaspheming of God It is that that makes the whole creation to groan and travel in pain However many people think â—lightly and meanly of it yet when the Lord doth lay it upon any Soul such a Soul doth find it to be a burden indeed CHAP. III. The Burden under Sin laid open in nine Particulars 1. When the Soul not only apprehendeth but is sensible of the Evil of Sin in the reality of it 2. Finds all the comfort that did attend Sin before to vanish and come to nothing 3. Looks upon it self as loathsome and is in Some measure bowed to God 4. Trembles at the least thoughts and Temptations to Sin 5. Feel Sin heaviest
was I 'll now conclude with that that I began with al at the first O remember again the dependance of these words with the former that he that cals to thee to come to him for rest it is he that hath received al things of the father and what hath he received them of the Father for but for such poor Soules as these are CHAP. 7. The Burden under the law laid open in Eleven particulars 1. The Law Requireth of us such things which we are unable to perform 2. It Requireth absolute perfection 3. It Accepteth not of any of our Endeavours 4. Vpon any one breach of the law the Sinner looseth al ability for ever keeping any part of it afterward 5. Vpon any breach thereof it presently bindeth over the sinner to eternal death 6. It requireth constant obedience 7. Being once broken it cannot be satisfied with any after obedience 8. It accepts of no repentance 9. It only layes open a mans misery and there leaves him without shewing him any remedy 10. There is no appeale from it nor repealing of it 11. The more it cometh to be revealed the more are our corruptions Stirred up Where some Objections are answered or Doubts resolved HAving finished the burden of the guilt of Sin The next is the burden of the Law Come to me saith Christ you that are weary and heavy laden and I wil give you rest viz. You that labor under the burden of the Law and Legal performances I wil put those two together having a necessary dependance one upon the other though I intend to handle them distinctly First You who come to see the great bondage that you are in under the Law and feele the great burden that is upon you in seeking after justification by the law and have done so for a long time saith Christ know that you have been deceived in looking after your justification on that way you have labored and toyled in vain for it wil not be gotten that way Come to me and you shal have such rest to your soules as you never yet have felt nor never shal feel by that way This I take fully to be the Scope of Christ as wel aâ— the other Now for the burden of the Law That the Law compared to a burden wil appeare by that expression which you have in Rom. 6.14 For sin shal not have dominion over you for you are not under the law but under grace He Speakes to those that were delivered and faith they were not now under the Law there was a time indeed that they were under the law the Law lay upon them as a heavy burden but they came afterwards under grace they had a yoke there also even grace it self brings some kind of yoake but not such a yoake as the Law doth Christ himself saith take my yoak presently but the yoke is very easie in comparison of the yoke of the Law Now that I might open what the burden under the Law is which if a sinner comes to understand any soul once comes to understand it is impossible but it must be laden and burdened it wil be a load upon them a heavy load to those that understand it even the burden of the law Therefore for the understanding of it which I look upon as exceeding necessary or else you cannot understand Christ aright for it is not enough for us barely to understand Christ but we must understand Christ as one that is the great Saviour to deliver us from the Law one that comes to give rest and ease to us from the Law Now except we understand the yoke and burden of the Law we cannot understand the worth of Christ in comming to give us ease and rest from it 1. Then I shal endeavour to shew what the yoke and burden of the Law is And then what is the burdensom Condition of the Soul that seeks after Righteousness by Legal performances In the first place the Law requires of us such things that we are not able possibly to performe it requires things of us that we cannot do you wil say that is a greivous burden indeed to be put upon that that we cannot do now the Law doth so onely at the first that you may not think it hard it doth not put you upon any thing that God did never inable you to do for that you would say were hard and how could God justly do it but it puts you upon that which now you cannot do but you have brought this cannot upon your selves it would not have been any burden to Adam as God made man first in innocency there the Law could have bin no burden but now as we are fallen Consider what our Condition is now and it is a greivous burden for it puts us upon that which we cannot do al the strength that we have should it be put forth to the performance of the Law yet we could not do it but we must not think that because we have lost our power therefore Gods Law should not goe on the law hath its course whether we have power or no power because God gave it us and we have lost it this I take to be the meaning of that Scripture in Acts 15.10 Now therefore why tempt you God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to beare The law is such a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare Object I But it may be said this is meant of the ceremonial Law Answ To that I answer Certainely if the ceremonial Law were a yoke then take al together Ceremonial and moral and it was greater take meerly the performing of outward Ceremonies and it was not such an intolerable yoke but we must take the whole Law in the latitude of it that wil appear to be the meaning for the question was here not only about the ceremonial law but about Moses Law in general and about justification by it this was the Question that the Church of Antioch sent to the Church of Jerusalem to be informed about for this was al the Sinod that was here in Acts 15. there were Certain men came from Jerusalem to the City of Antioch and there taught that they must stil of necessity keep Moses Law for justification Now the Church of Antioch being troubled that some should come from Jerusalem and teach this doctrine amongst them they Sent certain Brethren to the Church of Jerusalem to be informed further about this question and you may see at the â— verse There arose certain of the sect of the Pharisees which beleived saying that it was needful to Circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses as to the matter of justification Now in the assembly of Jerusalem Peter riseth up and tels the rest that they should take heed what they do and not put such a yoke upon the disciples especially that of the law which neither we nor our
evil report upon the waies of God 5. They keep no proportion therein 6. They are kept off from Christ NOw that which remaines is to shew you the sad condition of men and women that are under this Legal Performance that are in this condition we shal find that the condition is very sad and insupportable to many and this text wil appear to be a text of wonderful mercy if we do set out before you the sadness and grievousness of those that are under this Burden The first Misery First Is not this a sad thing that that thing which should be the cheif joy of ones heart in this world which we should account our priuiledg happiness and the beginning of eternal life that we should account that a misery to us as thus the performance of Duty to do that which God cals for we should account it our priviledg happiness and the beginning of eternal life And indeed it is so if we do it in the way that God requires but now one that is under this burden doth the things in the meer outward act but doth them as necessary evils accounts them as evil things only he cannoâ— avoid them this man and womans condition is very sad that that which others accounte their happiness life and Glory he accounts as his Misery The Second Misery Secondly there is this evil also in the burden of Legal performances that this is a means to cause hard thoughts of God and if God go no further with them then this that they perform Duties in a Legal way this wil occasion many hard thoughts of God and of his waies and they may find that they have so many times when their hearts are pinched with this burden they have many hard thoughts of God and hard thougths of his Law and hard thoughts of his waies this is very greivous when the soul comes to find the commandements of God to be grievous and so to murmure and repine against God as many do that are in trouble of conscience they go on in Duties but because they get no peace nor comfort nor Mastery over their corruptions they begin to repine and murmure at God say they I have done thus and thus and I have performed Duties and nothing comes of them and there upon they begin to leave and hate them The Third Misery Thirdly there is this evil also in the burden of Legal performances that it causes a sinking discouragement their heart doth sink in exceeding discouragment after a while they go on in performance of Duties and find nothing comes of it and they sink under it in discouragment they think it is in vain to go any further and they are desirous to cast it off wholly and think it is the only way for their ease and rest hence follows that therefore there is a way open to temptation for the Devil to come and tempt them either to loosness or to dispair it is many times the end of such poor creatures except God be pleased to come in and reveal Christ unto them one of these two is the Conclusion either they cast off the Duties that before they made conscience of and so grow to be loose and prophane or otherwise if conscience pursues them more and more they grow to dispaire and somtimes upon their sick bed and death bed come into a raving and raging distemper as by experience we find that many after they have been a long time under a troubled conscience and gone on in a Legal way they have grown very prophane there was a time that they durst not neglect Duty in their family and closet but they come afterward to think that this was but Legal and now they cast them off and give themselves to loosness and then they have nothing to plead for themselves but this that they were under Legal performances and they leave them off and thus they go this way to Rest but Oh! woful this is to go to the Devil for Rest if you had come to Christ you might have had Rest but these give up their Souls to the Devils Rest and grow to loosness and are notoriously scandalous in in their lives I suppose if you wil observe it you need not go far to find examples in this kind but others that cannot get the Mastery of their consciences they grow to dispair when they come upon their sick beds their hearts are overwhelmed with dispair and so they die Now Oh! what pity it is to loose such Souls as have gone thus far in the way of Religion As thus First they do the same things that Gods people do for the outward act they do the same things the Saints do Secondly They are very Conscientious of what they do make conscience of their very thoughts and of their secret waies Nay Thirdly they know they have to do with God in every thing they have their hearts so wrought upon that they set themselves in the presence of God alwaies Nay Fourthly They have the fear of God the fear of eternity upon their hearts continually and yet perish at last and al for the want of knowledg of the Gospel it is true these men say right that if their were any such who did put them upon Duties and not open to them the Rest that is in the Gospel and in Christ if they did so they are rightly blamed for putting men upon Duties God forbid that any that take upon them to preach the mind of God unto people should rest here in meerly putting of men upon the performance of Duties for we know to be under the Law and to do Duties in a meer Legal way is a most fearful burden but now this is our work to invite you to come to Jesus Christ that you might have Rest if there be any that knows what it is to be burdened with Legal performances the maine thing I shal do is to invite them to come to Jesus Christ and we shal I Hope bring them to their Rest seeing Christ doth invite them so graciously to come unto him for their Rest The Fourth Misery Fourthly there is this evil in the burden of Legal performances that they who perform duties in a Legal way do bring an evil report upon the waies of God for they go alwaies heavily and dully on in Gods waies and so they bring an ill report upon the waies of God whereas when the Heart is sanctified and caryed on by a divine principle such a one makes the waies of God beautiful and lovely to those that they converse withal but they that perform Duties meerly in a Legal way they go on so Pensively sadly and dully that there is no beauty at al in their Conversation and they make others afraid of those waies that are so tedious and irksome to them The Fift Misery Fifthly There is this Evil in the burden of Legal performances that those that perform Duties meerly in a Legal manner they do not keep any proportion in the waies of God
to Christ thy comming to Christ doth give thee right to Jesus Christ If thy grace the grace of God doth make thee come that very act of thine in coming gives thee interest and right in him though thou hadst none before There needs no other right and challenge to Christ but Gods offering of Christ in the Gospel to thee and thy comming to him But now for it is pitty to let this pass it may be some may think wil not this tend to looseness to say it s nothing else but to Come to Christ I know it is extreamly abused many wayes many wil abuse it thus when we are preaching the Gospel that if at any time we preach the miserable condition of men to humble them they wil say it is a contradiction but I beseech you take heed of these vain Spirited men who seek not Jesus Christ in the way of the Gospel And though it may be through their weakness or the distemper of their hearts they wil not or do not see the way of the Gospel but they wil come to young people and weake Christians and say there 's contradiction in this for if this be true how can the other be true But these things that seem contradictory they are very agreeable one with another if you would seem to give judgment upon what we apprehend we shal make the Scripture to contradict it self But now those that are versed in Scripture and understand the mind of God in the Scripture can tel how to joyn these together though others think they contradict one another As that of Paul to the Romans That we are justified by faith without the works of the Law And that in James he saith we are Justified by workes A stranger would think these contradict one another but they that are acquainted with the way of the Scripture they can understand what this meanes So these men that would make contradiction in the preaching of Gods Ministers in the Gospel they are strangers to the way of God in the Gospel did they understand the way of God cleerly in the Gospel they would know how to make a sweet agreement of such things as they would make poor young ones and weak beleevers to beleeve there is a contradiction in them And therefore this I would hold and hope we shal for ever hold as a strong principle That the condition of the Gospel is only comming and that which the weight of our soules and eternal estates lies upon is not our humbling but it is the comming to Jesus Christ Do not say that this tends to loosness for that soul that sees Christ as the glorious mediator to come to save him this sight of Christ hath a great deale of power to sanctifie the heart for when I see this I see first that I have to doe with God and that there must be a mediator between God and me my sins have made such a breach between God and my soul this tends not to looseness And then as you were taught before comming notes a removing from one condition to another Then it notes secondly that my heart is taken off from the world from my lusts from my corruptions my comming implies this And thirdly when I consider the end of my comming what the soul aimes at when it comes thus I come to Christ to save me from the power of my sins as wel as the guilt of my sins I come to Christ as the fountain of al my happiness I come to him for life and grace and all good I come to him that I might live in him and that I might live to God by him Certainly to say that Christ requires only to come to him this doth not tend to loosness I come to Christ that I may commit my whole soul to him is not this a sanctifying grace Indeed to preach thus that you may come to Christ and no more this pleaseth Libertines but when we consider what is the way of the Gospel I must first know what it is to come and then I must know that it is to leave somewhat to know wherfore I come that I may have al my happiness in him I come to him for life for salvation for union with God the father that I may enjoy communion with him to everlasting here is no liberty to looseness in comming but a blessed maintaining of the condition of the Gospel in the way of the soules coming unto Christ 4. It followes from hence that the weakest and the least degree of Faith that is wil give us interest in Christ because that nothing but comming to him is required It is not run to me or come strongly to me if I can but get to him though it be crawling though it be never so poorly never so weakely that doth it by comming and closing with Christ If that be the condition to come to such a place for a pardon though they come creeping upon their hands and feet through weakeness yet if they be but there they shal have that that is promised so say I though the soul in coming to Christ creep as it were upon hand and feet come with much weakeness it is that that gives interest in Christ not such and such degrees of Faith and confidence as some have It may be some poore weake Christians are troubled at this that they have not such confidence and assurance as others have they are ful of doubts and feares We are to know that it is not the degree and strength of Faith that is required in coming but comming to Christ Come to me though it be with shaking with trembling though with mixture of much feare yet come to me and you shal have rest 5. It follows from hence That the work of faith and bringing true rest unto the soul is a supernatural work it is comming to him that is it s the looking forward by a righteousness that is beyond our own it is a leaving our own righteousness not resting upon that and confiding in what we have are or can be inabled to do by the power of God I say that the way of the souls getting rest in Christ by faith it is supernatural for it is by such a way wherein the soul comes to deny it self in whatever it hath whatever it doth whatever it can be inabled to do by the power of God It rests not upon any thing that is in it or done by it no nor in any thing that God himself by his grace and infinite power can do in it I do not say do for it for that is in Christ but do in it beyond what is in it self or Gods infinite power is able to inable it to do it is comming to Christ and therefore going out of our selves this is supernatural for there is nothing more natural to mankind then this to rest upon his own bottom to desire the staff in his own hand to leane upon some worthiness and some good in himself this though he wil
acknowledg that it is through grace that he hath but somewhat which God works through him that is the most natural to a rational creature to rest upon somewhat that he doth to make up his peace with God and to be his righteousness before God And it is a mighty work of God to beat off the heart from this especially The heart comes thus far to say it is true I can do nothing of my self but it is by the grace of God that I do al now for the heart not to rest upon this as its own righteousness this is the hardest thing in the world And although men may be convinced in their judgments that they should not rest in any such thing but go out of themselves to another principle yet it is the hardest thing in the world to come off from it and it is that makes the work of faith the most difficult thing in the world because it carries the soul out of it self from its own bottom from its own principles and the mistake of this thing is that that is the undoing of thousands of those that live under the sound of the gospel that when they have somewhat reformed their lives and think they are able to do thus and thus yet here they rest and go not out of themselves to look for rest out of themselves and do not come to Christ Quest You wil say What not rest upon what we do and are inabled to do upon Gods grace Faith it self is a resting upon Christ Ans No but this you must observe in your comming you must not rest upon your comming but upon Christ that you come unto for their may be a deceit in that too There be some that rest upon works of humiliation mourning for sin reforming their lives and they think that is their rest and peace Others go further and think they must beleeve in Christ but they wil rest upon their beleeving so they rest upon their comming and not upon the object that they come unto but we must be taken off from resting upon our comming upon our very beleeving and Christ must be all in all to have true rest in Therefore faith is a Supernatural grace because by that we are taken off from what we are in our selves and carryed on to somewhat else 6. Upon this follows likewise That faith is an humbling grace it is that that must needs humble the soul where it is for indeed it is the greatest self denial in the world for a creature to come to be willing to rely upon free grace for the soul to be so emptied of it self as to acknowledg there is no worthiness no good at al in it self and yet it is content to live eternally upon meere almes and to give God the glory of al. Is there any thing more hard to any of you then to live to be beggers al your daies to be beholding to others so as to live upon meer almes and nothing else al the dayes of your lives Now for the creature to be so emptied of it self as to live upon meere almes to al eternity upon nothing but meer free grace and upon a principle of life without our selves this is a mighty work of emptying of our selves and of self denyal And therefore in Rom. 10.3 It s spoken of the Jewes For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God This plainly shewes that the bringing the heart to rest upon the righteousness that is of God by faith for that is meant here requires a submission of the heart a laying down the heart and a humbling of the heart and indeed this is the very ground why the Lord doth so humble the spirits of men and women when he brings them to Christ because that the Lord knows that the very act the coming to Christ is an act of the greatest self denial in the world because the heart must be emptied of it self in that that is so much against the pride of mans heart to live eternally upon meer free grace and nothing else For there is nothing that man doth more desire then to have somewhat some stock of himself to live upon And indeed herein man comes to be more humble then Adam in innocency could be for Adam had a stock to live upon in his own hand to live upon in himself not but God was the principle of it but then God gave it him to live upon the stock of Grace he had in his owne hand But now in the second Adam the way of God towards us is otherwise the second Adam keepes the stock of life and grace upon which our soules must live eternally in his own hand I say they are in Christs hand not in our selves and therefore our life is a better and safer life then that was and thereby we cannot fal from God because we live by the principle of life that is in him It is a great mistery and almost impossible to unfould only some glimmering we have in the word that this is so 7. If there be nothing required but to come then another consequence wil follow from hence and that is this Hence then beleevers that come to Christ may learn this lesson to be willing to do and to suffer very much for Christ after they come because there was nothing required of them to the pardon of their sins but only to Come I strengthen the inference thus If God had said thus indeed I have sent a mediator to pacifie my wrath and to pardon your sins and before you come to Rest I require that you should suffer so many hundred yeares of torment in fire and that should be a preparation to come and then after you have suffered so much then you shal come and have rest suppose this had been the condition of the covenant now had it been so we had al had cause to have fallen upon our face and have blest his great name that we can have peace on any termes and we should have been not only willing to accept of these termes but to magnifie Gods grace that we can be thus saved at last But the Lord hath not required that first we should suffer such and such hard things and then Come to Christ but he calls upon us first to come and requires nothing before And therefore before we are able to do the Lord any service the Lord wil first accept of us and pardon us and heale us and interest us in himself and be our God and take us to be his Children and make us heirs of heaven and eternal life this at first before we shal ever be able to do him any service What an infinite grace of God is this how is he beforehand with us for he calleth to the greatest sinner that knowes what his sin is and is Laden saith God I require nothing before the receiving you to mercy but meerly to
Christ there is no returne of any guilt if Christ doth undertake for them that come to him though Christ doth undertake for what is past and what is to come yet as it is with a malefactor though perhaps he hath his pardon and be received into Favor yet he may think there is some alteration again but now the guilt that was upon thee shall never return upon thee again Though a man hath a pardon if he do not carry himself wel the former Guilt returnes again but when once the Soul is pardoned the former Guilt never returnes again the Lord wil blot out all their sinnes and remember them no more As when you cast a thing out of your Ship into the bottom of the Sea you never look for it again so it is with God all your sins shall be cast into the bottom of the Sea and shal be so far from you as the Guilt of them shall never come more to you when once you are come to Christ IX Ninthly There is not only deliverance from guiltiness our justification is not only privative but it is a clothing of the Soul with the Righteousness of Christ we have a perfect Righteousness that is the great Mediator of the new covenant here is a righteousness that I am not only pardoned but I have a perfect Righteousness to stand before the great God withal X. Yea Tenthly and Lastly The Rest we have in Christ is this that we are sure upon our coming to him that the great work of the day of judgment shal be the solemnity of our absolution the solemnity of thy pardon One of the great works that God intends to do at the great day of judgment it is certainly this to make thy pardon to be solemnized by men and Angels thou hast now thy pardon but the great work of God at that day shall be the solemnity of the absolution and pardon of the Saints then shal their sins be put away anew as the Scripture speakes and in the time of refreshment then shal your sins be done away they are done away before but then they shall be done away before men and Angels thou shalt not fear at the day of Judgment that God shal come and upbraid thee with thy sins al the while thou wentest under the guilt of sin what was more terrible to thy Soul than the thoughts of the day of Judgment Oh how can I stand before the Holy God at the great day and have all these sins charged upon me No come to me saith Christ and you shal never need to fear that great day of judgment any more for the great work of that day shal be to make your pardon to be solemnized so that you need not to fear any longer the day of Judgment but to long for that day and if the great day of judgment be not terrible yet the Particular day of Judgment may be terrible the Lord hath a Particular day of Judgment for every Soul in which God doth cast every man one way or other but then there shal be a great day of Judgment wherein all the world shal solemnly be judged Now then lay al these together Christ undertakes Christ satisfies the justice of his Father Christ satisfies the wrath of his Father Christ is an advocate at the Right hand of his Father Christ sprinkles thy Conscience with his own blood and thou standest as perfect in the point of justification as Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the Guilt of thy sins shal never return again And Christ undertakes for thee that thou shalt not come into Condemnation And thou hast a perfect Righteousness besides thy freedom from Death Christ clothes thee with his righteousness and so God the Father looks upon thee and Christ doth assure thee that the great work of the day of judgment shal be to solemnize thy pardon Thus saith Christ come to me all you that lie under the sence of the Guilt of your sins come to me and you shall have rest here I make all this good to you and all this rest is in thy coming to Jesus Christ all the rest in the world is worth nothing to this O therefore let us be willing to indure any trouble it is no great matter what trouble we indure in this World so we may come to Christ and this is but one branch this is but the easing of the Soul from the first Burden and yet even this to the Soul of a beleever will God make good if God give thee but a heart to make al these things real to thy Soul thou maiest depart in peace and go away and bless God and even say with the Psalmist in Psalm 116. And now my Soul return unto thy Rest The words are in the original Rests and now my Soul return unto thy rests Oh here are rests ten several rests for a Laden Soul that is under the guilt of sin do not think it much that we that are the Ministers of the Gospel should speak to you about the Restless condâ—on that you are in by reason of sin be willing that we should trouble you in a sinful way being we have so much rest to bring you to Do not think the Minister troubles you do not complain of the word that troubles mens consciences I appeal to you if there be any thing in Gods word to trouble mens Souls is there not again as much in Gods word to ease mens Souls and give Rest unto them Now this is Gods rest that is purchased by the blood of Christ our desire is that you might not cry Peace Peace unto your Souls when there is no peace and now when you hear but the beginning of the excellency that there is for the Soul in Christ Now you should even upon this cry to God Lord O that I might be partaker of this rest and still to desire to hear further and further of this blessed Rest that is to be had in Jesus Christ And thus much for the Rest that is to be had in Jesus Christ from the Burden of the guilt of sin CHAP. XXIX The deliverance from the Law by Christ set out 1. Privatively in five Particulars 2. Positively in five Points more THe next burden that was upon Laden sinners that Christ cals unto him it was the burden of the Law you that are under the burden of the Law come to me and I wil give you Rest I shewed in many Particulars wherein the burden of the Law consisted when I opened the former Point of the Load of sinners but now I am to come to shew how Christ doth deliver sinners from the burden of the law for so certainly he doth we are redeemed from the Law by Christ this is a great Point and the right understanding of this will help us exceeding much in the understanding of many truths in religion Wherefore first I shall shew you how far Christ hath not delivered us from the Law that is where it is where it is
shal say then what need we regard what we do if any shal say so we need go no further with this man but say unto him Thou hast no part nor portion in this thing thou hast no part in the deliverance from the Law by Christ shal we sin because grace abounds God forbid the Lord forbid that there should enter any such thought into any of our Hearts They that are godly have the Spirit of God in them and will not Reason after such a manner however this is certaine that in Christ we do not depend for life and Death upon the works of the Law and therefore the way of the Gospel is a high way a supernatural way it is a way beyond that that most people imagine most people upon Earth look no higher for a way of Salvation but meerly through the works of the Law and they will certainly miscary by what you have heard You see that the way of Salvation is a higher thing than Nature The Fourth Lesson Fourthly We may learn from hence that if Christ have given Rest to beleevers by delivering them from the rigour and severity of the Law that now they are not to be cast by it for their everlasting estates then they need to be so much the more faithful with God to do what possibly they can to serve the Lord in an evangelical way Thou wert in such a condition that thou wert under such a Law as if thou didst fail in any one point thou wert cast for ever but now thou art under such a Law as God accepts of thee in Christ hadst thou not need be more faithful and industrious in thy endeavors in that thou hast received so much mercy to be under such a Covenant The truth is the other might discourage thee to think that let me do what I can my Soul is cast for my everlasting estate but now if thou beest brought under the Covenant of the Gospel and the Lord Christ hath made thee to know that thy Rest is in him how careful shouldest thou be to walk with him in all well pleasing to give up the strength of thy Soul to walk in his waies I wil appeal to thee suppose thou wert in the condition again that the Lord looked upon thee with a strict Eye and required such absolute obedience that if thou failest in any thing nothing that ever before thou didst should be accepted poor soul if the Lord should say to thee what if thou shouldest be delivered from this Law and be brought under the Law of Christ First that thou shalt not depend for thy everlasting estate upon the Law And Secondly that whatsoever thou doest shal be accepted though with much imperfection how wouldest thou prize this and even Covenant with God and say Oh! Lord bring my soul under this Covenant and I hope I shal for ever endeavour to walk in al wel peasing before thee this shal not by any meanes in the world quench my endeavors and make me more sluggish but more strengthen my heart As suppose now one should be in such slavery under the Turke that let him do what he can he shal be beaten and a Prince shal come and ransome him and take him into his owne house and expect no more obedience from him then the obedience of a Child adopting him for his Child and al the obedience that he wil expect shal be a childlike obedience and he wil be his father Now were it not a vild and unnatural thing for such a one to be careless of giving contentment to this Prince that wil accept of him as a Child when he hath delivered him from such a slavery and bondage that he was under before Thus it was with beleevers thou wert under a dreadful bondage under the Law and thou art brought to Christ and he makes thee to be a child of God and be procures that thy obedience shal be accepted that is filial and Child-like shalt thou be more negligent now then before now thou servest God upon better termes then ever before and wilt thou be more sluggish The Fifth Lesson Fifthly from our being delivered from the Law we are to Learne this That we are not to judg our coming into Christ nor to judge our faith by the Law by our coming to Christ we are delivered from the Law therefore I say we are not to make up any judgment of our coming to Christ nor to judge our faith by the rules of the Law Though the propounding of this it may be is a little obscure at first yet you wil find it of marvellous use to help beleevers in their way some beleevers very ordinarily especially weak ones judg of their coming to Christ or their faith by the Law they make the law a rule of their faith which certainly should not be for if by faith we are delivered from the Law then it must needs follow that the Law cannot be a rule of our faith You wil say what is that to make the Law a rule of our faith That is thus Beleevers think that because their faith is weak and ful of doubts ful of imperfections and doubtings therefore they have none at al. Now what is this but to make faith it self a legal thing for indeed if faith were legal then it could not be accepted where there were any mixture of imperfection a legal faith could never be accepted with any mixture of doubting and with any imperfection But an evangelical faith can be accepted This I may meet with perhaps afterwards but for the present it follows more fully and immediately from what hath been delivered from our rest from the Law and I desire to suggest it now to beleevers as a marvellous help to them that they do not make their faith legal as thus Come to many beleevers that are ful of doubts and feares and why do they not beleeve It is true say they there is rest to be had in Christ and much to be had in this I but this is to beleevers and I am afraid I am not a beleever And why art thou afraid thou art not a beleever because of such and such sins and because I cannot do as I would Now what is this but to make faith legal now faith that delivers us from the Law of al graces that must be evangelical our mourning for sin is to be looked upon as evangelical and yet some beleevers look upon their mourning for sin as legal they think God wil not accept of their mourning Why Because they cannot mourne as much as they would That is true if thou wert under the Law then no mourning at al would be accepted as under the Law but now thou must look upon it as evangelical and thy obedience as evangelical It is an il thing that beleevers look upon their mourning for sin and obedience and the like as under the Law and not as evangelical this is a great hindrance to them but now much more is it to
look upon their faith as legal As thus because their faith doth not come up so fully to the perfection that they do desire yea to that perfection that the Law requires in any thing that we tender up to God For though the Law doth not mention any thing of our beleeving in Christ yet thus much the Law requires that what we do should be tendered up to God and what we tender up to God With perfection Now beleevers looking upon what they tender up to God as imperfect this makes them to make their faith Legal The Sixth Lesson Sixthly another Lesson that beleevers are to learn from the Rest that they have in Christ from the burden of the Law is this that if they find any way or meanes to be delivered from the terrors that come by the Law certainly then they need not be troubled with al the terror that possibly can come from any creature from any men If thy faith can deliver thee from the terror of the Law and give rest to thy soul notwithstanding al the terrible things in the Law threatned against thy sin then thy faith may deliver thee much more from the terror of men for take al the rage and power of al the men in the world and devils in hel they are not so terrible as the threates of the Law Now if God hath given thee such a grace into thy heart as thou by that comest to know a way to deliver thee from the terror of the threatning of the Law and to give Rest unto thy soul from that then thou needst not be afraid of al terrors from wicked men do but set that grace of thine a work set it in exercise upon such promises as have given thee Rest from the Law and this wil free thee from the terrors of wicked men in the world Truly if beleevers did understand the reality of this point there is nothing in the world could be terrible to them but they would have â—est in their souls in the midst of al the terrors in the world for they might reason thus through the grace of faith that God hath given to mee my soul hath rest when I heare the terrors of the Law dreadfully in my eares yet I have that within me that gives me rest from them and I am sure that al the terrors of al the men in the world and devils in hel cannot be more terrible than the threates of the Law therefore as thou hast made use of thy faith to believe in Christ to get Rest from those terrors in the like manner put forth thy faith when thou hearest the terrors of wicked men to deliver thy soul from them let there be never so much rumors in the world yet thou mayest say my soul returne unto thy Rest The seventh Lesson Seventhly Another Lesson that beleevers are to learn from their deliverance from the law which is of marvelous use to them in their life and conversation is this That certainly it is the most unbecoming thing in the world to see a beleever to be rigorous towards his brethren Christ hath delivered thee from rigor then wilt thou be rigorous Christ hath given thee Rest wilt not thou do what thou canst to give thy brother rest too If Christ hath delivered thee from great troubles burdens and bondage that thou wert under why shouldest thou not endeavor with al thy might to deliver thy brother from burdens troubles any thing that might grieve thy brother Oh! what an unworthy thing is it that a Christian that hath received so much rest from Christ yet should be a troublesome man or woman to his brother or sister Christ doth therefore give Rest to thee that thou mayest be of a quiet disposition towards others that thou mayest be pitiful towards others To see one that professes to have deliverance from the Law and to have Rest in Christ to be rigorous to those under him rigorous to his servants rigorous to his Children it is miserable remember what rigor Christ hath delivered thee from and remember to be quiet spirited to thy brother Hence it follows in the next words to my text Learn of mee for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shal find rest unto your soules I wil give rest to your soules that so you may be of a meeke and quiet disposition towards your brethren but of that when we come to those words that follow we shal then speake of the weakness and quietness of spirit that should be in Christians Now these things are necessarily the consequences that do follow upon the rest that we have in Christ from the Law many other things might be raised but because they are but consequences of what hath been delivered I resolved not to be large upon them CHAP. 33. Of the rest from Legal Performances and the several waies how this rest comes from Christ viz. duties are delightful to the soul because Christ renders God unto the soul in a gracious way 2. They are not performed as satisfactory but as testimonies of love and thankfulness 3 Christ himself offers up the duties to God 4. They are performed from the Law in the heart 5. They have the Promises joyned with them NOw to make some entrance into the next thing which hath great affinity to the other aad that is the rest that is in Christ from the trouble of spirit that there is in many in regard of Legal performances that you know I opened at large the great burden that there is in the spirits of many people who have convinced Consciences and there Consciences pul and hale them to duty and they dare not but performe duty but when they do their duty their very duties are a burden to them for they do them in a legal way There are many I know that are acquainted with this it is impossible to speak of such a subject but that there are divers that know what I meane though others know not to be under so much power of Conscience as not to dare to omit a duty though the duty be burdensom to them There be many that are not under so much command of Conscience but though conscience require them to do such a duty they dare omit the duty and they are not troubled at it but but there are others who have not felt the Grace of the Gospel to set their souls at liberty they are under so much command of conscience that they dare not but do what Conscience requires and yet the Lord knows the duties that they have performed have been girevous burdens them they have gone under the command of their Consciences as under a grievous burden Now to these Christ speaks come ro me and I wil give you rest in the beleeving in Christ in the exercising of faith in Christ there is deliverance from this burden and many poor souls that for many yeares have gone on under this burden whom the Lord hath opened to them the grace of Christ their hearts
offices between God and the soul and therefore let such as are in such a condition take heed of such temptations And these now are the helps to those that are under the burden of spiritual desertions there is enough in Christ to help them and these being observed they may come to have rest in Jesus Christ CHAP. XLIX Sheweth that beleevers have not only Rest in but Rest also from afflictions BUt now further besides all this Rest you have heard of there is a time when the Lord shal not only give the soul rest IN Afflictions but shal give the soul rest FROM Affliction yea it may be in this world He speaks as if there were a rest to the people of God to be delivered from affliction not only in Affliction but delivered from Affliction That place that we have in Isai 54.11 O thou afflicted tossed with Tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy Stones with fair colors and lay thy Foundations with Saphires and I will make thy windows of Agates and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant Stones Thou art now afflicted Tossed Tempted and not comforted but it shal be otherwise with thee It is true indeed the Church ever since the beginning of the world hath been in an afflâ—cted condition tossed with tempest and not comforted not according to what is expressed but here is a promise of a glorious time when there shal be a sure Foundation laid and that Foundation of precious stones and rest there shal be And if you compare this scripture with that in Revel 21. You shall see it aims at a glorious time when Christ shal give Rest unto the Soul at vers 4. And God shal wipe away all tears from their Eyes and there shal be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shal there be any more pain for the former things are passed away And if you read after you shal find that he doth seem to allude unto this Isai 54. And there tels what those precious stones shal be that shal be the foundation of the happy estate of Gods Saints and that it is not to be in Heaven but here before the great and generall day of judgment It appeares plainly by this that the Text saith That the Kings of the Earth shal bring their glory and honor unto it at the 24. verse The Nations of them which are saved shal walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory and Honor unto it It is such a time of the Church as the Kings of the Earth shal bring their glory and their Honor unto it Now after the day of judgment in Heaven the Kings of the Earth do not bring their glory and their Honor to the Saints in Heaven but they shal bring their glory and their Honor to the Saints here It is a prophesie of such a happy condition that the Saints shal be in that the Kings of the Earth shal bring their Glory and their honor to them and therefore here it is upon this Earth this promise is made of a glorious time that the Saints shall have that all tears shal be wiped away from their Eyes here in this world and it seems to be spoken of the same time that was spoken of in the Chapter before in the 20. Chapter of the first Resurrection Now after that time it appeares that the Devil shal be loosned and Gog and Magog shal gather themselves together against Gods people after that time But there is such a world here for the people of God a rest to be had from all affliction even here upon the Earth to be hoped for when the saints of God shal be honored before all the world and all wicked and ungodly men shal be subdued before them But further there is certainly a rest of Glory in the world to come and that is to be added to al the rest when the saints shal keep an eternal Sabboth before the Lord and shal there be alwaies exercised in praising Magnifying and blessing of the great God Quest You will say Shall that be such a Rest in performing of Holy Duties I that shall be a rest indeed for there shal be no weariness of the flesh but the Soul shal be in a spiritual condition and the flesh shal be subservient to the soul that there shal be no wearisomness to the flesh that it shal enjoy communion with God and be in blessed visions with God and be in his Fathers House above al enemies above sin they shal neither sin more nor sorrow more nor fear more nor doubt more nor be troubled more this is the rest that the soul shal have in Christ And I make no question but Christ means this among the rest when he saith come to me But to speak of this glorious rest is a large point elswhere I have opened it at large what the glory of the Saints shal be in Heaven and therefore I shal speak no more in this Now then put al together that I have said concerning the Rest that I have spoken of and may we not conclude of this rest and wel may it have that epithite which is spoken in Isay 11.10 In that day there shal be a root of Jesse which shal stand for an ensigne of the people to it shal the Gentiles seek and his Rest shal be glorious Here it is spoke of the Rest of Christ his Rest shal be glorious We may wel apply it to the Rest of the Saints the saints shal have a glorious rest and it hath been shewed unto you in many particulars wherein I have opened this rest unto you that you may see it is a glorious rest CHAP. L. 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 owne worke 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 YOU Wil say Oh that we did but know that this was our rest that we did not presume but that we were sure that the rest that we have in Christ was a true rest Now I told you before that there was a faith of adherence that might bring rest though there were not a faith of evidence But now you wil say if we might have both a faith of evidence as wel as a faith of adherence it would ad much to our Rest Now I wil help you to some notes whereby you may come to examin whether the Rest you have is the glorious Rest here spoken of and two things I shal doe because notwithstanding al this glorious Rest many of Gods servants here in this world are under much trouble of spirit I shal give further rules how to make use of the rest that is to be had in Christ and some rules likewise how to keep the rest when the
thou findest thy self at that time As now if so be a man when he hath been long in a Quartan Feaver or one that hath layen long in the Disease of the Pox if he shal at last look upon his visage and judg of the constitution of his body according to his countenance this would discourage him but he must judg of his constitution at that time when the distemper is not upon him So many poor Christians they judg of their condition then when they are under the greatest temptation No you should rather judg of your estates as you are when you injoy your selves most when God and your souls are together and most free from temptation If a man would weigh Gold perhaps the Gold hath one grain more then the weight yet if you come to weigh it and hold it in the wind the wind may toss up the scale and make the Gold seem to be too light and you wil say the Gold is not weight Why Because the wind tosseth up the scale the other way But now if you would see whether the Gold be weight indeed hold it steady where the wind comes not So if you would weigh your condition aright do it at that time when your spirit is most setled and staied and do not do it when temptation tosseth you up and down Fourthly Another help to beleevers to prevent another hinderance of their rest is this That their spirits because they have not what rest they would have many times grow impatient and trouble themselves more then God would have them Now this is a Rule labor to quiet your hearts by waiting upon God in the want of comfort and Labor in the use of what means God shal give you for a waiting frame That Text is very notable for that purpose in Isai 30.7 For the Egyptians shal help in Vain and to no purpose therefore have I cryed concerning this their strength is to â—it stil And than at verse 15. Thus saith the Lord God the Holy one of Israel in returning and Rest shal ye be saved in quietness and confidence shal be your strength but ye would not And so in Isaiah 52.12 For ye shal not go out with hast nor go by flight for the Lord will go before you and the God of Israel wil be your rereward There shal not be a tumultuous hurrying hasty Spirit You wil say can a man make too much hast to get assurance of Gods Love in Christ The truth is you make the best speed when you can in the quiet and calme of your spirits waite upon God while he wil please to speak to your Souls when we can go on in the use of means til God seal up by his spirit of assurance to your Souls Many Reasons might be given to put on the Soul to waite upon God but I pass on Fiftly Another Rule is this be much in Meditation upon the promises swallow down promises do not let them role upon your Tongues Wicked men they role the promises upon their Tongues but they do not take them down But now as when we take bitter Pils the way is to swallow them down whole when we take sweet things the way is to chew them if a man should chew his Pills he would suddenly throw them out of his Mouth So a Godly man should not chew the Pills that is by Meditating upon the threatnings of the Law this is not the way rather swallow down the Pills by Meditating upon the Gospel and the Covenant of Grace and so thy soul may come to find rest in Christ this way And when thou hast done al that thou canst yet stil the only way is for thee to depend upon God in his ordinances and to pray for the spirit no evidence that can be given can quiet the Heart till that comes to pass But now if so be the soul hath gained this what a thing is it for the soul to loose it again In Isaiah 26. â—0 Come my people enter thou into thy Chambers and shut the doores about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast What is it to come and enter into our Chamber To get into Christ our hiding place and then shut the dores that is take heed of parlying with temptation As thus now when as the Lord hath given thee rest and thy rest comes in by the word by applying the word to thy soul now shut the dore against temptation there wil arise some fears and Jealousies at that time now therefore shut the dore against al surmises â—eaâ—es and Jealousies and call for the word let the word be the rule for thy fear as wel as for thy comfort and rather depend on one Scripture for thy comfort then upon a thousand Jealousies for thy fear And this is now to shut the dore against temptation resolve here will I venture here is the word of God which is sure and certain and for temptation the Devil will trouble me with the Rapping and knocking at the dore but let him Knock as long as he will I have got a promise here and I will venture my Soul upon this promise And for want of this though thou hast gotten the promise yet upon every temptation thou openest the dore You know in time of danger when any come and rap at the dore wil you open the dore presently No you bid your Servant ask who it is and they must give a good account what they would have and from whence they come before you wil open the dore So when any temptation raps at thy soul inquire what it would have and whence it comes doth it come from God or no or from the Devil Many people they think the word to be a rule for their Faith but they think the word is not a rule for their fear you must have as good a warrant for refusing any comfort that is tendred to you as wel as for the taking of any comfort and if you would observe that rule that you wil never refuse comfort but you wil have a word to warrant you If the Lord come to you and say why did you refuse such comforts and you say I was in fear and Jealousies I but if God should say what word have you for it What were you able to answer Oh This is that that God wil require of you for it is a dishonor to the truth of God that whenas there is a word to ground thy Faith upon and nothing but Jealousies to ground thy fears yet thou wilt make thy Jealousies and thy fears to weigh down the word Sixthly Again according to the degrees of thy inlargment so let thy Humiliation be as thou findest thy Heart inlarged with joy at the same time let thy Grace work downward in way of Humiliation observe a proportion betwen thy joy and Humiliation many people are inlarged upon the joy they have in Christ but they are not humbled and therefore they vanish Seventhly Again Be not satisfied meerly that thou art in Christ and a beleever but labor to be throughly grounded that thou art in Christ for who knows what troubles and desertions thou maist meet with al labor to roote thy soul be established in Christ grounded in Christ to be a grounded Christian aâ—d therefore not to live upon sence but to live by Faith when thou hast sence Eightly Lastly Improve thy rest for God be sure to do much work when the Lord gives thee Rest as we use to say of outward peace it brings plenty so the truth is the peace thaâ— God gives in our consciences and the rest that we have in Christ should make us plentiful in all good works And by these rules if thou dost keep the dore shut against temptation if according to the degrees of thy inlargment thy Humiliation is If thou art not satisfied meerly that thou art in Christ and a beleever but laborest to be throughly grounded that thou art in Christ if thou dost roote thy soul in Christ and if thou dost improve thy rest to God to do much work for God when he gives thee Rest Thus doing thou shalt have rest an abiding rest unto thy soul thus thou shalt be in thy Chamber of Rest with the door shut while the indignation is overpast thus thou shalt have rest in the time of evil and all the troubles in the world shal be but as the rattling of the Rain upon the Tiles while thou art in the House Yea and the rest thou hast in Christ is but the forerunner of the glory that thou shalt have with Christ which thou oughtest to long for when thou hast fears and troubles thou oughtest to pray O Lord Jesus Christ fulfil the things thou hast promised to thy Servants and give Rest and Peace unto my Soul FINIS * See my Treatise on 2 Cor. 5.19 20. See my Treatise of the Evil of Sin See the treatise of the evil of sin
Christ for ease and Rest Fourthly the burden of the law is exceeding great in this respect That upon any one breach of the law the soul comes to be broken so as to lose ability to be able to keep any part of the Law for ever I said there is this in the Law more then in the Gospel that upon any one breach of the Law in the Covenant of works the soul comes to be so broken as to loose all the abilities of ever keeping any part of the Law again as thus I shewed you in Adam Adam was the Head of the first Covenant of works of the Law now Adam he breaks it in one particular failed in one Particular of what God required of him and in breaking of it in that one thing he and al his posterity was so broken that they lost all their abilities of keeping of the Law for ever except God come and create any ability they have lost what ability was given at first in their Creation so then this is a very great mistery that one by doing a thing that is evil should weaken the contrary habit that by doing a thing that is evil we should quite loose the Habit that is quite loose the habit by one act and not only loose the habit that is contrary to the particular evil that we do but loose al habits of al good whatsoever and that by one act now this is a thing above Nature this is only by vertue of the covenant of works God makes such a covenant it runs upon such tearms as if Adam did but sin in one thing he must die that is his Soul as wel as his body must die a spiritual death and so loose al habits of al Grace And this is the Reason why we are by Nature dead in sin Further such is the condition of the Law that suppose God should restore us al to be as perfect as ever Adam was in the state of innocency void of al sin and having the Image of God perfect and then God should come and put us upon the covenant of works again I say if we then should but fail in any one thing it would break us so as we should loose al our abilities to perform any duty ever after this is the condition of the law But it is not so with the Gospel though we sin against the Gospel we do not presently loose al our habits of Grace But the Reason of the difference That though Adam when he sinned against the Law he lost al his habits to do any good after and that though we sin against the Gospel yet we do not loose those habits That I shal shew afterwards when I shal come to shew that the yoke of the Gospel is easier then that of the Law And that is the fourth thing in the burden of the Law Fiftly The first thing is this That the Law upon every breach it doth take advantage against the soul presently I say takes advantage against the soul presently and binds it over to death to eternal death presently binds it over Yea and doth actually put it under a curse upon every breach instantly it doth it its true the law it may be is not presently executed as soon as a sinner hath broken it but this is certain that though God doth not come upon you as soon as you have broken the Law yet know that there are these three things come upon every one that is out of Chirst as soon as any one sin is committed there are these three things come upon him presently First He is bound over by Gods Justice by such abond as hath more strength in it then al the power of Heaven and Earth is able to break as a man that hath done that that is evil it may be the Law hath not present execution upon him I but he is bound over presently And not only so but in the Second place the Law passeth sentence the binding over that is the guilt but the Law passes sentence upon the sinner and condemns it the Soul is presently under the sentence of condemnation Thirdly The Law puts the sinner under a curse for so it is in the latter end of the 27. of Deu. Cursed is every one that abides not in every thing that is written in the Book of the Law to do it Mark every one that abides not in every thing he is pronounced accursed and that is a fift perticular Sixtly And in the Sixt place This Law requires constant Obedience also and such is the rigour of it that if you should obey it never so much for a great part of your lives If you should conceive you could obey it perfectly for a great while yet if at last you should offend in any one particular you are cast for al and al that you have done before is utterly rejected it wil take advantage against you for any one particular If it were possible that all your life time you should keep it and at the last houre of your life break it in any one particular certainly you would be condemned by it this is the condition of the Law for so it is in those words that are named though you do it if you do not abide to do every thing If there be but any one thing whereby it can take advantage it will certainly condemn you for it This is the condition of al that are under the covenant of works and is not this a load Would not this burden the Soul If so be the soul comes to understand it and whether it understands it or not yet certainly it is the truth of God Seventhly A seventh Burden of the Law is this that when once the sinner hath broke it the Law cannot be satisfied with any obedience which may make amends afterwards by any thing that the sinner can do suppose a man should be never so angry and offended he that hath offended him may make amends again a Servant thinks though I have offended my Master and done so many faults Yet I wil make amends for al. So many people think though we have broken the Law of God and lived a great while in sin and done that which is evil yet we wil make amends again and we wil give almes and come to Church and the like These are the Reasonings of many poor Ignorant hearts that do not understand upon what tearms they stand with God al the Children of men stand before God either under a Covenant of works or under the Covenant of Grace one of the two now those kind of men that Reason after this manner surely they are not acquainted with the Covenant of Grace they are under the Covenant of Works and now let them know that the covenant of Works admits of no such amends as they speak of but when once you have broken the Law all that ever you can do If you could live a thousand years never so strictly or be willing to suffer never so much for God