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
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
man of any way of Redemption of any way of deliverance but meerely shews unto us our misery and so leaves us I do not mean the law that is in the book of the old testament for there is Gospel mingled I do not say that Moses doth not tel us of any way of Redemption but I mean the Law of the Covenant of works so far as that is revealed in Moses and that is revealed in the new Testament in a great pâ—rt of it that only shewes us our misery and there leaves us but grace and truth and mercy that comes in by Jesus Christ Tenthly A tenth particular wherein the greivous bondage under the law appeares is this That it is such a Law as there can be no appeal from it no nor no repealing of it though it be thus strict and thus severe yet I say there is no appeale from it nor no repealing of it there are many Laws that we may appeal from one to another or if that Law be hard it may be called in again we cannot appeale from the Authority of this law nor can it be repealed You wil say this excluds us from al help though there be many hard Laws made by men and as long as they stand in force people are in a very sad Condition yet there may be meanes to repeal them but as for this Law there can it seems be no appeale from it nor repealing of it May we not appeale from Gods justice to Gods mercy seat I have indeed spoken of such an expression but that expession must be warily understood for the truth is there is no proper appealing from the justice of God to his mercy when the sinner comes to Christ it hath the pardon sealed in the Court of justice as wel as in the Court of mercy there is no soule that is saved but Gods justice is as wel satisfied as his mercy is glorified nor no repeale of this law What must the law stand in force then yes the law shal stand in force and yet there shal be thousands of soules saved How is that you wil say This is the mistery of the Gospel that the law shal stand in force and yet men shal be saved there shal be a way to save men for al this Certainly if the Law went on in its course one would think that it would carry on al mankind to eternal destruction yea and so it would have done but onely for this great Saviour and redeemer Jesus Christ that cals Sinners to him that they might have rest He comes and puts himself under the Law and what the Law requires he doth and he Suffers so that here is al the alteration the Law goes on and hath its course onely whereas it might have required to have had the course of it upon our selves in person now God is content that it should have its course upon our security When a man oweth a debt the Law requires performance it s one thing to have the law repealed and an other to have the debter delivered if a sureâ—â— wil come and undertake the debt he is delivered though he hath not paid it yet the law hath its course for the surety dischargeth what the debter should have done so the way of salvation for any soul it is not either by appealing from the law or by the repealing of the law but we must look upon the Law to have its course only to have its course upon Christ our surety who hath fully satisfied the law and Christ looked thus upon is the true object of our faith and except we apprehend Christ thus as one made under the Law as the Scripture saith and one that did indure the law to have its course upon him and so to satisfie the law except we look upon Christ thus we look not upon him as the right object of our faith and Christ he thus cals upon you that are weary and heavy laden to come to him as if he should say poor Sinners that are under such a Covenant as this is you know that though it be not repealed I have come and put my self under this law it hath had its course upon me come to me and the law shal be sattisfied it shal have nothing to say against you but you shal have through rest in me come therefore to me Eleventhly The Eleventh thing in the Law is That it is so far from inabling us to perform that obedience which it requires that in regard of our own wretched condition that we are now in the more it comes to be revealed the more are our Corruptions stirred up it doth through our fault not from any fault in the Law stir up our Corruptions so much the more Luther compares it to Water cast upon Lime the Law coming into the heart being in its Natural Condition till God oovercomes it by the Grace of the Gospell is stirred up so much the more You have a notable expression for this in the example of Paul who felt it thus in himself in Rom. 7.5 For when we were in the Flesh the motions of sin which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death and again in ver 8. For sin taking occasion by the Commandment wrought in me all manner of Concupiscence It took occasion by the Commandment there are many people that are the worse by hearing the Law revealed unto them until God pleaseth to overcome their hearts by the grace of the Gospel Now put all these together and the soul that comes to be enlightened to understand these do you not think that such a soul wil be burdened Is it not a burden to be in this Condition Is it possible that the soul can have any rest in this Condition You will say these things are hard in themselves But first if you did but understand the infinite holiness there is in God and the infinite Justice of God with whom you have to deal And if you did but understand the perfect Condition that God did make man in at the first present before your souls the infinite Holiness and Justice of the great God with whom you have to do and then present before your souls that perfect state that God did make man in Innocency and then these things wil be clear unto you And if these things were only preached to you and nothing else they would seem to be hard but it is all in order to this Invitation of Christ CHAP. VIII Three Conclusions arising from the former doctrine concerning the Burden under the Law Namely 1. That man by Nature is in an evil case 2. That it is a mighty work to save a Soul 3. That those vain thoughts whereby men think to pacifie their Consciences will stand them in no stead NOw upon the hearing of these things we may truly draw such Conclusions as these First That certainly man is in an ill case by Nature It is observed of the people of Israel when
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
of the name of God there was a time that my soul was under these as wel as any but now the Lord hath delivered me and brought me under another Covenant brought me to his son to Christ and he hath undertaken to satisfie the Law for my soul and so the beleever stands upon the shoar and prayses God and this makes him love Christ so much the more prize Christ so much the more and bless the name of God that ever he heard the voice of the Gospel sounding in his eares and therefore it is not tedious and grievous to him to heare the dreadful threatnings of the Law he knowes how to make a holy use of them his heart is drawn neerer to God by it as wel as by the promises of the Gospel It is an ill signe when men and women cannot indure to heare the threatnings of the Law a dangerous signe that they are under those threatnings if they were not under them it would not be troublesome to them to heare them but they that are delivered from them they know how to make use of them Many men and women wil say when they hear of the terrors of the Law what doth this but harden us the hearing of the terrors of the Law doth more harden us but if thou wert acquainted with the Gospel thou wouldest be softened by hearing of the terrors of the Law because thou wouldest prize Christ more And therefore beleevers must not look upon them as things that no way concerne them though they be not under them to be cast by them yet they do concerne them nearly and therefore God would have those things revealed even to beleevers because of many gracious uses that beleevers are to make of those things The 2. Lesson Secondly from what hath been delivered both from the burden of the law and the rest in being delivered from it this Lesson may be learned Here we may see how beleevers are in the course of their lives to mix humility with confidence they may learne how to be humble and yet how to be confident how to rejoyce and yet how to tremble there is no such way to learne the mixture of humility with faith and confidence and the mixture of joy and trembling as this is know the Law and the bondage under it and then the rest that is to be had in Christ this wil teach thee to be sensible of thy own wretchedness and what a condition thou art in naturally and yet how to be confident in the grace of God in Christ This wil teach thee how to feare in regard of what thou art in thy self and yet to rejoyce in regard of what thou art in Jesus Christ in the rest thy soul hath Got in Jesus Christ Many people do not know how to mingle these two together if so be they be humbled for their sins then they are dejected in their spirits they cannot tel how to exercise humiliation for their sins and faith and confidence in Gods grace together they think the humiliation for sin wil hinder Gods grace and therfore they cannot indure to hear of such things as tend to beat them down to humble them for their sins but they say they must beleeve altogether in Gods grace aad the other wil bring them to despair Certainly thou art not acquainted with the mystery of Godliness if thou doest not understand how these two may stand together to be deeply humbled for thy sins and yet at the same instant of time the soul to be raised with the Mercy of God in Christ both together It is true vices are opposite one to another but graces are never opposite one to another those that understand the Mistery of Godlyness they know how to mingle these two together at one and the same time You know that the scripture saith that Godliness is a mistery Great is the mistery of Godlyness and indeed Godliness consists in the skil that a Christian comes to have to know at the same time how to be humbled and yet to be confident yet to be beleeving and one the other side to rejoyce and yeat to feare many cannot rejoyce but they grow loose and wanton with their joy and others cannot feare but their hears grow lumpish and dead if they do feare now the heart that understands what it is to be under the Law naturally and what rest Christ hath brought unto us in delivering us from the Law can tel how to rejoice in trembling and to beleeve in humiliation and there is no such way to make such a mixture of both as to understand what it is to be naturally under the Law and what the rest is that we have in Christ I confess these things wil not perhaps come so ful upon the hearts of those that do not in some measure remember what we have said hertofore both from the burden of the Law and the rest that we have in Christ those wil not be able to make so much use of this that I am speaking of I could wish these things would have come altogether but we cannot do al things at once The Third Lesson Thirdly A further thing that is to be learned from the deliverance we have in Christ from the Law it is this here appeares plainly that the way of Life and salvation is above nature it is supernatural for that that I have opened in the rest we have in Christ from the law teacheth you that beleevers are not to stand or fal for their eternal estates by any worke of the Law if they performe any worke of the Law this doth not bring them to eternal life if they breake the Law this doth not cast them down unto death therefore the way of life and salvation is supernatural for nature can teach a man no further then this that he must serve God if he do thâ— God wil bless him and love him and if he sin against God God wil afflict him and chastise him nature can tel of no way how a man should be saved but only by serving of God and by doing the workes of the Law nature teacheth a man nothing else but this together with the other that if he doth that that God forbids he must expect the wrath of God and to ly under Gods wrath and beyond this nature cannot go Now then for to heare of such a thing as this is that my soul shal not depend upon what I neglect nor my eternal life shal not depend upon what I do that is a high mystery that is infinitely above nature I do not say what the neglect of Gods wil doth deserve of eternal perishing yea even in beleevers but now they are under the Covenant in Christ they have the rest in Christ that their souls shal not be cast one way or other by what they do or what they leav undon though if they neglect his wil the Lord may make them to know it here while they live in this world And if upon this any
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
Treatise of the Rickets being A Disease common to Children wherein is shewed 1 The Essence 2 The Causes 3 The Signs 4 The Remedies of the Disease Published in Latin by Dr. Glisson Dr. Bates and Dr. Regemorter translated into English And corrected by N. Culpeper 33 Medicaments for the Poor Or Physick for the Common People 34 Health for the Rich and Poor by Dyet without Physick The London Dispensatory in Folio of a large Character in Latine The London Dispensatory in twelves a smal Pocket Book in Latine Six Sermons preached by Dr. Hill Viz. 1 The Beauty and Sweetness of an Olive Branch of Peace and Brotherly Accommodation budding 2 Truth and Love happily married in the Church of Christ 3 The Spring of strengthening Grace in the Rock of Ageâ— Christ Iesus 4 The strength of the Saints to make Iesus Christ their strength 5 The Best and Worst of Paul 6 Gods Eternal preparation for his Dying Saints A Commemoration of King Charls his Inauguration In a Sermon By William Laud then Bishop of Canterbury Abrahams Offer Gods Offering Being a Sermon by Mr. Heâ—le before the Lord Major of London Mr. Spurstows Sermon being a Pattern of Repentance Englands Deliverance from the Northern Presbitery compared with its Deliverance from the Roman Papacy In a Sermon on the 5 of Nov. 1651. before the Parliament By Peter Sterry The Way of God with his People in these Nations Opened in a Thanksgiving Sermon preached on the 5 of Novemb. 1656 before the Right Honorable the High Court of Parliament By Peter Sterry Mr. Sympsons Sermon at Westminster Mr. Feaks Sermon before the Lord Major The Best and Worst Magistrate By Obadiah Sedgwick A Sermon A Sacred Panegyrick By Stephen Marshal A Sermon The Craft and Cruelty of the Churches Adversaries By Matthew Newcomen A Sermon The Magistrates Support and Burden By Mr. John Cardel A Sermon Mr. Owens stedfastness of the Promises A Sermon Mr. Phillips Treatise of Hell of Christs Genealogy The Cause of our Divisions discovered and the Cure propounded King Charls his Case or an Appeal to al Rational men concerning his tryal A Relation of the Barbadoes A Relation of the Repentance and Conversion of the Indians in New-England by Mr. Eliot and Mr. Mayhew THE CONTENTS OF THE Treatise on Math. 11.28 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 Page 1 Chap. 2. Containing a Description of them whom Christ invites to come unto him which is laid down in this doctrine That they whom Christ calls 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 Page 6 Chap. 3. 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 where it is indeed heaviest 6. Feels the weight of Sin to be such as that no Creature is able to remove it 7 Had rather be under any burden then the burden of Sin 8 Doth notwithstanding the weight thereof justifie God 9. Doth not lie sullenly and despair under it but attend for direction from God how it may befreed there from Page 15 Chap. 4. Two Cautions touching the Burden of Sin 1. That 't is no condition of the Covenant of Gace 2. That it doth not interest the Soul in Christ nor gâ—ve it rest in him Whereunto certain Consequences are annexed Page 21 Chap. 5. The Reasons of the former Doctrine 1. Christ hath all mercy in him 2. The end why he came into the world was to give rest to burdened Souls 3. Christ himself was once under some kind of this burden 4 He is to have the glory of all the ease which is given to sinners Page 24 Chap. 6. The Application Exhorting Sinners to come unto Christ with Answers unto certain Objections Page 26 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 lays open a mans misery and there leaves him without shewing him any remedy 10. There is no appeal 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 Page 31 Chap. 8. Three Conclusions arising from the former Doctrine concerning the Burden under the Law Namely 1. That man by Nature is in an evil case 2. That it is a mighty work to save a Soul 3. That those vain thoughts wereby men think to pacifie their Consciences will stand them in no stead Page 47 Chap. 9. Of the Burden of Legal Performances What it is With the burdensomness thereof laid open in twelve Particulars 1. There is no inward principle of doing 2. In men that are only under the Law there 's a principle contrary to the performance thereof 3. Such are wearied with doing getting no supply of strength to perform duty 4. By their performances they stil contract more Guilt upon their Souls 5. What they do in Obedience unto the Law is only out of fear 6. And with much straitness of Spirit 7. Nothing comes of such Performances 8. They that perform Duty in a meer Legal way never attain their end which is peace with God 9. They know not whether God accepts of them or rejects them 10. They are forced unto Duties instantly presently and upon the sudden though to the hinderance of other Duties of greater concernment Which God requireth of them at the same time 11. Though they go on toyling yet know they not whether they shal hold out unto the end 12. Their Humiliation and trouble for not doing what they ought to do hinders them from doing what God requires Page 50 Chap. 10. The Sad condition of such as are under the Burden of Legal Performances set forth in Six Particulars 1. That which should be accounted their happiness is their Misery 2. It is a means to cause hard thoughts of God 3. It causeth great discouragement 4. They bring an evil
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
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
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
first opening of the text is the interpretation of Chrisostom upon this text You that are weary and heavy Laden that is you that are laden with the burden of seeking righteousness under the Law Come unto me and I wil give you Rest First I wil shew unto you what I mean by the burden of Legal Performances Secondly What a great burden this is and how much evil there is in it and so apply my self to those that are under this burden to shew to them how Christ cals them here in this text to come to him that they might have Rest First that which I mean by the burden of Legal Performances is this the performing of duties that are required by the Law meerly out of conscience because conscience puts men and Women upon those duties and doing them in the strength that they have of their own and looking upon what they do as the Righteousness which they must tender up to God as Righteousness for life now this is a Legal performance to perform duties in a Legal way is this to do what the Law requires meerly out of conscience because conscience tels me I must do it and to work in mine own strength though it be that that God gives yet but a natural strength and to make account of this to be as my Righteousness and to tender it up unto God for Righteousness unto life here is a Legal performance and this is to performe duties in a meer Legal way and those that do thus wil find that this will be a very great burden to their spirits it is a burden unto the Spirits of those that do thus unto the spirits of such as are conscientious indeed for we look not now upon men and Women as performing Duties out of Hypocrisie to be seen of men to make a show of what they have not in their Hearts we do not speak of such but we speak of those that have got into a higher form beyond such kind of Hypocrites such as perform duties out of conscience and yet rise no higher then looking at the Law that binds them to those duties and so tender them up to God as their Righteousness and do them for life making account that this is the thing that must bring them to life such as do this and are not acquainted any further with the mystery of the Gospel they do go under a most grievous burden all the daies of their lives I do not say that it is a burden to perform Duties that conscience requires when we do them to the Honor of God in the strength of Christ as a work of the sanctification of this spirit and as a fruit of our thankfulness for the Grace and mercy of God in Christ to us that is not a burden that is no burden at al but to do them meerly as being forced to them by conscience and as our Righteousness for life this is the burden and though there be no other principles that men and Women have but this yet they may be very conscientious so as not to dare to commit any known sin in secret they may make conscience of secret duties yea they may be aboundant in duties that is do perform many duties In the 6. of Micah and the 7. what shal we do say they Shal we give Rivers of Oyl and thousands of Rams and the fruit of our bodies for the sin of our souls there you have the expressions of those that are Legal they would know what they should do professing that they would be willing to do any thing for to save their souls offer thousands of rams and Rivers of Oyl for a sacrifice so one that is meerly Legal may perform many Duties yea he may be conscientious of every Duty that he knoweth there may be a kind of universal obedience in him to obey in al so far as he knows for the outward action he may make conscience of every thing that he knows to be the mind of God and yet do al this in a legal way and his performance may be rather a burden then that which shal do him good in the conclusion and bring him to life and except he doth come to know furher then yet he doth to know the evangelical performance of duties he cannot have true rest in his soul Now this as the other is a poynt of great consequence to many it may be divers that read this book may not so cleerely understand what this is they may not feel any such thing in their one experience but I suppose I shal speake to some even to their hearts and open their conditions to them whereby they shal say that they have not taken a right course to procure rest to their souls and to this end I speake that they may hearken to the blessed invitation of the gospel to come unto Christ that they might have rest as thus you perceive a little what I meane by legal performances now then we are to come to shew the burden of legal performances that they are very burdensome to those that are acquainted with nothing but to performe duties meerly from the law The first Burden of Legal Performances 1. Because now they are put upon duties that they have no principle to do to be put upon a work where there is no inward principle to do the work that must needs be burdensome conscience puts me upon the duty and that is right but I have no principle to do it yet I must do it conscience saith so whether I have a principle or no and though it is true I have no principle to do it so as the Law requires yet I may doe some outward performances now for me to goe about such a work to endeavour and strive to do al the work that the Law requires not onely the outward part but the wole worke and to be put upon to strugle and strive to do that which I have no inward principle to do that must needs be burdensome Al motions of nature that are from an external principle are violent and so tedious heavy and troublesome so this motion to duty that comes not from an inward principle of heart but is meerly legal conscience stands to put the soul upon duty but doth not put any principle into the soul to do it this is a violent motion and those that have the experience of this find it tedious heavy and troublesome Now here lieth the burden for it is not according to those vain conceits of men that the duty ought not to be done because they have no inward principle to do it but here is the burden that conscience binds you to do it you must do it though you have no principle in you to do it The second burden of Legal performances 2. Legal performances have a great burden in them because there is in al men that are but under the law before they come to be true beleevers sanctified by the spirit of Christ a contrary principle a principle
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
now this is a special thing to be spoke of in this point how beleevers should improve this and what it is that they should learn by this and how helpful this will be to them and somthing for the satisfaction of those that doubt that they are not beleevers but we cannot do all things at once this shall suffice for the present the meer presenting to your Souls what Rest there is in Christ from the load of the Burden of the Law from the load that many feel to be upon their Souls through the burden of the Law CHAP. XXXI Containeth divers Consequences from the Rest beleevers have from the Burden of the Law And Lessons they are taught from thence TO proceed now There are divers things that follow from hence from the rest that we have in Christ from the Burden and load of the Law I shall speak very breifly of them and so pass to what remaines in the next burden and rest to that From hence follows exceeding help unto beleevers against divers temptations that do exceedingly trouble the peace and Rest of their souls if they be delivered from the Law in those several respects as at large hath been opened to you 1. Then first from the Meditation of this their delivery they may have Rest and ease from this temptation that because of some imperfections weaknesses and distempers of Heart and sins that they are guilty of therefore they have no interest at al in Christ they have no interest to beleeve in Christ because of that The strength of this temptation cannot stand with the right knowledg of Christ as delivered from the Law if Christ delivers from the Law then an interest in Christ may stand though we be not able to keep the Law Yea And further we know this that it is usual with beleevers upon the breach of the Law in any thing to call their estates into question all into question Certainly if we know that we are to deal with God not by the Covenant of works not to be cast by the Law we would never be so ready to cal all into question upon any breach of the Law that our conscience tels us we have been guilty of 2. Further This would marvelously help against this temptation likewise That God accepts not of what we do because it is not perfect because it is not compleat when beleevers look upon their duties that they do perform and see so many imperfections in them they dare not tender them up to God God is an infinite Holy just God and they are ashamed of what they have done so as they dare not tender them up to God now the right knowledg of our deliverance from the Law would help us against this temptation likewise Remember O thou beleever that thou hast to deal with God in a Covenant of Grace thou hast to deal with him in Christ through a better Covenant then the Covenant of the Law 3. Further This would help against this temptation also that many times is in the Hearts of the Saints That because they hear of divers that have seemed to have more then they have that have had more ability then they have had have been able to do more for God than they have done yet for all this have fallen away and so it may be have perished for ever Now saith many a poor Christian if such Eminent men of such excellent abilities that were able to do such great things if they that go thus far fall away what shal become of such a poor creature as I am Now by the understanding of our deliverance that we have from the Law by Christ we come to have help against this temptation for let a man have never such abilities and be able to do never so much work yet this man may fall away when one that is a thousand times weaker in regard of abilities that hath the least dram of true Faith which brings him into the Covenant of Grace will stand such a one shall stand when the other fals If indeed thy standing did depend upon what strength thou hast in thy self then thou hadst cause to lear that seeing such as did stand fel away what shal become of thee But we are to know that we are to deal with God in a way of the Covenant of Grace our standing or falling doth not depend upon any thing in our selves but upon Christ that hath undertaken for al those that are his members Thou hast to deal with God in the Covenant of Grace and being once brought into the Covenant that will uphold thee though thou art weak when thousands of others that have a great deal of Natural abillity and common guifts of Gods Spirit yet being not brought under this Covenant may vanish Yea Had they the strength of an Angel yet if not brought under this Covenant of Grace made with beleevers in Christ they would fall and come to nothing Whenas the weakest beleever that hath to do with God through Christ and not through the Law such a one shal stand and not fal Now the being delivered from the Law in Christ will mightily help beleevers against these temptations and divers others I know nothing that doth help beleevers more then this in being delivered from the Law in that sence as hath been shewed before Likewise from hence there are a great many Lessons to be learned as The First Lesson First From this deliverance we are taught to entertain the hearing of the Threats of the Law I speak to beleevers though others may make an ill use in hearing the deliverance from the Law yet they must not miss their Portion I say beleevers are hereby taught how to receive the Threats of the Law you hear dreadful threates of the Law out of Gods word against sin Now how shouldest thou entertain these threates The way is this when thou hearest such threates know that God by this would have thee to consider what his mercy is in delivering of thee from what thou hast deserved God would have thee to consider what the evil of sin is in it self and to consider what Christ hath done God would have thee to be driven to Christ by this meanes to see thy need of Christ to bless his name for Christ and to prize Christ who hath delivered thee from these threatnings A beleever when he heares the threates of the Law is like a man that stands upon the shoare when there is a greivous tempest and storme he sees the waves rise high heares the winds blow and the waves roare but he stands safe upon the haven indeed he was in the storme and tempest but God hath brought him to the haven and there he stands and blesseth God It may be he sees other ships a great way off ready to be split upon the rocks or swallowed up but he is safe on the shoare so it should be with al beleevers when they heare the threatnings of the law they should entertain them with blessing
us so when we account our duties to be mercies that is an argument there is evangelical obedience in the heart and there wil be a constancy in the heart in performing of them Those that performe duties in an Evangelical way they look upon them as a golden chain about their necks for ornament and not as a chain about their necks as bonds and Fetters to tie them to them Here is the difference between one that performes duties in a legal way and one that performes duties in an Evangelical way One that performes duties in a Legal way he lookes upon duties as bonds about his neck he is bound to them as with a chain but the other that performes duties in an Evangelical way his duties are as ornaments as chains of Gold about his neck And the ground of this similitude I have in Prov. 3.22 My son keep sound wisdom and discretion so shal they be life unto thy soul and grace unto thy neck The wayes of wisdome that is the wayes of Godlyness they are life to the Godly and they are a grace to the neck that is they carry Gods commandments about with them not as a prisoner carries his chaines but as one that carries a chain about his neck and he glories in it That place is very observable likewise for this that you have in Deuter. 33. comparing ver 2. with the words that follow after Verse the second The Law of God is called a fiery Law From his right hand went a fiery Law for them But marke verse 4. Moses commanded us a Law even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob. From hence this note plainly results that let there be never so much seeming severity in any Law of God in any commandement that requires duty yet even this commandement of God is accounted an inheritance unto the soules of the Saints of God to be as the joy of their hearts they account their riches to be in Gods commandements not only to be in heaven but the very commandement they account their riches and their happiness Many men and women take upon them the commandements of God and the duties of obedience as necessary burdens they must do them I but the Saints those that come to Christ they take the commandement of God upon them as that wherein their riches their glory the joy of their heart doth consist and therefore how often do you heare of David saying that the commandements of God were sweeter to him then hony and the hony combe That they were more delightful to him then gold and riches And so in the Proverbs Better then Rubies and precious stones He doth not say the glory of heaven is better then al these but the way of Wisdom and the commandements of God are better then al these So that here is the life of a Christian he performes duties not onely as a way to heaven but as an injoying of heaven while he is serving of God and this is the seventh particular wherein the rest of the soul in Christ doth appear in the performance of holy duties Eighthly When a Christian is brought to Christ Christ gives him rest in the performance of holy duties because that Christ doth elevate and raise his spirit to be some way proportionable to whatsoever God requires of him ther 's an elevation of spirit a strengthening of the spirit in Christ to come to some kind of proportionableness to what the Law of God requires of them It is true set a poor weake man a sick man about any hard worke and Oh! how tedious is it unto him for a sick man to go and carry such a burden or to do such a hard work it is very irksome unto him but now when this man comes to be healthy and strong to have his veines ful of blood and his arteries ful of spirits now he goes along in his work and accounts it no burden at al because he hath got strength in him So the commandements of God they are hard to those that performe them in a natural way from a natural conscience notwithstanding al the strength that can come in by a natural conscience the commandements of God are very hard unto them but when once the spirit of Christ comes there is strength As it is said where the spirit of Christ is there is Liberty so where the spirit of Christ is there is strengâ—h As the holy Ghost speakes in Isa 11.2 The spirit of the Lord shal Rest upon him the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledg and of the fear of the Lord. The spirit of counsel and Might shal Rest upon Christ and so in the measure of it the spirit doth rest upon every member of Christ the spirit of Life of Might and of counsel And therfore the Apostle St. Paul saith in the 2. of Tim. the 1. and the 7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power of Love and of a sound minde This spirit of power is in those that are come to Christ there is a power of godlyness in them They are said in Coll. 1.11 To be strengthened with al might according to his glorious power The Apostle at least prayes for that to intimate thereby to us that there is that to be had in Christ there is a strengthening with al might according to his glorious power unto al patience and long-suffering with joyfulness giving thanks to the father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Though they be weake yet they have a union with one that is strong wherein they may come to be strengthened with al might not only according to Gods power but according to his glorious power unto al patience and long-suffering with joyfulness The duties of patience long-suffering are as hard duties as any hut in Christ there 's the glorious power of Christ let out to strengthen them to the duties of patience and al long suffering with joyfulness CHAP. XXXV Two other wayes whereby the former point is cleered with some consequences from the same and the use of the whol The First way is that whilst the soul is performing duty the strength of it is continually renewed Secondly The soul hath the love of God shed abroad into the heart The first Consequence is happiness of a Christian here Secondly Hence cometh the perseverance of beleevers The use of al is to exercise much faith in Christ Ninthly The Rest that the soul hath in Christ that is to goe on in duties with freedom of spirit without making them burdensome to it is this when the soul comes to Christ it hath not only strength to do the duty but whilst it is performing of duty it hath this strength renewed and it receives in sweetness and good and strength from Christ while it is in action while it is in the performance of duty and his duty is very easy sweet and comfortable
body they make some use of Christ some profession of Christ can speake of Christ what they heare spoken of Christ is somewhat serviceable and useful to them I but they have not life from Christ and hence they have not holiness from Christ they have not the true holiness that comes from the Law of the spirit of life that is in Christ Sixthly Another thing that is to be considered of in Christ how the rest of sanctification comes to the soul through him is this In Christ there are the greatest arguments for holiness that possibly can be imagined and Christ comes to be a rest of sanctification that way when the soul comes unto Christ and knowes Christ in the right way the soul sees in Christ enough against sin and for holiness if it never saw any thing else there is enough in Christ to help against sin and for the furtherance of of holiness that that is discovered in Christ hath a mighty power to help the soul against sin and to further it in the way of holiness as now to instance the mighty arguments that there are in Christ against sin and for holiness as CHAP. XXXIX Containing two strong Arguments in Christ for holiness First In him the soul sees the greatest breach between it and God by reason of Sin Secondly In him it sees the greatest Hatred of Sin in God FIrst in Christ there the foul sees the greatest breach that can be imagined that sin made between God and the creature it is true when we preach the Law to you and tel you of the curse of the Law that is due to sin this acquaints you with somewhat of the breach that sin made between God and you and this may terrifie you but the truth is the breach between God and a soul by sin is never throughly seen til you come to Christ the soul never throughly sees sin til then when it comes to Christ and sees Christ indeed sees Christ so as one that hath union with him then it understands the evil of sin after another manner then ever it did before And that is the reason that faith doth more purge the heart from sin then al the terrors of the Law possibly can do yea if God should let a crevis into hel and let you see into al the torment that is there they could not discover so much the evil of sin to you as when you come to have a real sight of Jesus Christ how sin made such a breach between God and us as can be made up no other way but the son of God must come and take upon him mans sin this is the greatest discovery of the evil of sin that possibly can be Object You wil say Others know this as wel as beleevers It is true they know it after a sort but none can know this throughly but those that through faith have the real sight of Christ and so have the real sight of the evil of sin in Christ Secondly another strong argument of the evil of sin in Christ is this the infinite hatred of sin in God that God should so infinitly hate sin that he would not spare his owne son this shewes the evil of sin We heare much of hell and of the terror of the Law now when I come to consider the fruit of Gods hatred of Sin in his son this shewes me a great deale more the evil of sin And therefore though the terror of the law may restrain men from sin I but when the soul comes to know the infinite wrath of God against sin that he would give his son to satisfie for sin this shewes the evil of sin and this shewes the infinite holiness of God that he would send his only son to purchase holiness And in this we see the infinite love of Christ to die for sin the infinite price of the soul to purchase it and the infinite difficulty in the deliverance from sin and nothing can prevail upon the heart more then the viewing of Christ There is so many things that I cannot speak of them that when the soul comes to Christ makes the soul hate sin and makes it in love with holiness The knowledg of Christ in any common way hath as much power to restrain sin as any thing but now the knowledg of Christ in a spiritual way in a saving way it hath an infinite efficacy in it And the truth is the special way for a soul to help it self against its own corruptions it is much to dive into the knowledg of the Gospel look into the Gospel pry into the mystery of the Gospel be much conversant in the mistery of the Gospel and there consider what argument thou maiest draw against thy sins They are poor low arguments that common people draw against their sins they have a temptation to sin and they think Oh! let me take heed I do not do it for my master and mistris wil know of it or such a one wil know of it or if I do it I shal be brought to punishment these are poor low arguments But saith a beleever Oh let me not commit sin Why It is that that brought the son of God down from heaven to be made a curse for man It is that that made the greatest stir in the world that ever was it is that that Gods soul infinitly hates and it is that that made such a breach between the soul and God as only can be made up by the son of God These are the arguments that a beleever hath against sin and a beleever being conversant â—n these arguments and often exercising faith in Christ they being made real to the soul They must needs have a mighty power to overcome any corruption whatsoever As we read in the Gospel when the husband man that let out the vineyard sent for fruit and they took the servant and beate him and killed another at length saith he I wil send my son surely they wil reverence him So may I say there is such and such arguments against thy sin to overcome thy Corruption and to put thee on to the way of holiness perhaps those arguments thy corruptions break and they are but like Sampsons cords thy corruption snaps them asunder like flax I but saith God I wil send my son and reveale the glorious misteries of the Gospel in my son I wil shew to their souls what my son hath done and what the deep counsels for the salvation of their soules in my son are and these shal prevail upon you And here is the reason of al their fearfulness of sin and strictness in walking with God when the Gospel hath convinced them you wonder why they wil be so strict and fearful to offend do you wonder at it Oh my brethren they have arguments perhaps that you know not of God hath revealed much of his son to them the wonderful misteries of Godliness revealed in his son and they are the arguments they go upon They do
they come unto us if out of Christ I say they are part of the curse Now the main trouble and burden of an affliction it is the curse the secret curse that is in them but now when thou art come to Christ though the outward bulk of affliction may be as big as it was before yet the curse shal be taken away the worm the trouble that did eat thy heart that shal be taken away and therefore there must be rest in that way Suppose there were a Snake that should wind about thine arm that would affright thee but if thou didst come to know certainly that the sting were taken out thou wouldest be quiet if thou wert a wise man though perhaps a child or a weak woman might be affrighted but a wise man that understands what he doth if he knew that the sting is out would not be affraid now know O thou beleever that upon thy comming to Christ the sting of al affliction is taken out there is nothing of the sting in it Affliction may make a noise as the Bee doth when the sting is out though there were never so many bees about your eares if you knew the stings were out you might be quiet The core of affliction is taken out as soon as thou art come to Christ As some soares in the body do put the body to a great deal of pain there is some core in a wound some malignant humor that runs in a wound that puts a man or woman to a great deal of pain But now if this core this malignant humor be taken out by the Chyrurgeon there wil be ease and rest So I say by thy coming to Christ the core the malignant humor of affliction is taken out the sting the curse is taken away and thou must exercise faith for the taking away of this and the way to exercise faith to take away the sting and core of every affliction is this to look upon Christ under al his afflictions as being made a curse for thee for that indeed may trouble those paines that were upon Christ that were in his body and the poverty that he endured and the dishonor that he suffered there was a curse in them and Christ he takes away the curse by bearing the curse As you know when a Bee stings many times it leaves its sting behind it so the curses of the Law the Law came to sting Christ as it were and left the curse behind it upon him so that now the curse is removed from beleevers It is a good observation that one hath about the burnt offering in the Law we read of the burnt offering that it was to continue burning al night So now beleevers in the night of their affliction they should exercise their faith upon Christ for burnt offering Oh consider though thou hast sad nights sad and very greivous nights and thou liest tossing and tumbling canst not sleep art in pain and trouble what shal give thee rest Now if thou couldst but exercise faith in Christ who typified out the burnt offering that was to burn al night I say this was typified that Christ is to be looked upon as burning under the wrath of God al the night of thy affliction to take away Gods wrath in thy afflictions and there 's no such rest as this Perhaps in the time of affliction sickness losse of estate and spoil of goods there comes one friend and another and saith you must be content and it is the hand of God and others are afflicted as wel as you and it is the portion of Gods children these are some things to quiet the heart I but these are but poor cold consolations to tel them they must be content and it must be so and they must endure it these can never give rest to the soul except you can put your friend upon exercising of faith in Jesus Christ here is the way to comfort your friends when you go to visit them in sickness loss of estate or spoiling of goods to put them upon this to exercise faith upon Christ that hath born affliction and by his death hath taken away the curse of al afflictions It is true there is a night of affliction now upon you I but there is Christ that is the burnt offering that burnes al night to take away the wrath of God in thy afflictions There is no such way to worm your affliction to take away the sting of affliction as to exercise faith upon Christ in whom the curse of affliction is taken away and when that is gone now there is rest to the soul A sick man that lies tossing and tambling and cannot Rest and is in such distemper in his flesh and hath such a Malignant humor in his body when the Chyruâ—geon comes and applies any salve to take away that malignant humor he sayes when the Chyrurgeon comes again Oh Sir now I can Rest And so saith a Christian when he hath been vexed with such and such afflictions and he hath gone and excercised faith in Jesus Christ for he sees he was under the curse of the Law and Christ hath taken away the curse of al afflictions when he hath thus acted faith upon Christ now he can be at rest and he can say now I see the sting taken away As I said in the rest of sanctification Christ was appointed as the Brasen serpent was the great ordinance of God for the healing of them that were stung by the fiery serpents that if they did but look upon it they were healed those that were stung with the fiery serpents the very looking upon the Brasen Serpent were healed it being the ordinante of God appointed for that end So I may apply it here those that are stung with affliction Christ is set up as the ordinance as the Brasen serpent to take away the venom of the sting of thy affliction No question but those that were stung with the fiery serpents they felt an intolerable pain and when they looked upon the brasen serpent they had rest and they could say now I have ease now I have rest So the curse of God in affliction is the venom and those that are ready to rave and are almost mad in affliction and are so extreamly discontented it is to be suspected concerning them that the curse of God is upon them But now another that is under as great an affliction as thou art can lie sweetly and contentfully and blessing God under any affliction thou wonderst at it that he can lie so joyfull blessing of God under so much affliction the Lord hath taught him a way to worm his affliction the Lord hath taught him a way to deliver his soul from the curse of the affliction the curse is gone and he by exercising faith upon Christ hath comfort in removing of the curse and this gives him Rest in time of affliction Thirdly Come to Christ and thou shalt have Rest in thy affliction because that then not only the