BOOK 5. THE MESSAGE.
CHAPTER 3.
5.3.4. Of Christ's easy Yoke and light Burden.
Of Christ's easy Yoke and light Burden.
For the easiness of Christ's yoke, and the lightness of Christ's burden, Christ delivers it in these words. Matt. xi. 29, 30. "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, -- for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." See the actings of Christ this year, in reference to our souls health. 5.3.2. He commissions his apostles to call sinners in. 5.3.3. He stands ready to receive them, if they will but come in. And here, 5.3.4, He sweetens the way of Christianity to them when they are come in. Many fears and jealousies are in the hearts of men, of the difficulty, austerity and severity of Christ's institutions; and therefore, to remove that objection, he tells them plainly, there is no such thing, but rather clean contrary, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
"My yoke, (i.e.)" my commandments: so the apostle John gives the interpretation, 1 John v. 3. "His commandments are not grievous." My yoke is easy, (i.e.) My commandments are without any inconveniency: the trouble of a yoke is not the weight, but the uneasiness of it, and Christ speaks suitably, "My yoke is easy, and my burden," (i.e.) my institutions: the word primarily, signifies the freight or ballast of a ship, which cuts through the waves, as if it had no burden; and without which burden there is no safety in a ship, (Phortion para to pheresthei), a ferendo, a burden, which is laid upon the shoulder, or rather which is put into a ship, that it may go steadily and safely. My burden is light: the yoke of the law was hard, and the burden of the Pharisees was heavy, but Christ's yoke is easy, and his burden is light, every way sweet and pleasant.
Christian religion, and the practice of it, are full of sweetness, easiness and pleasantness; my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. The prophets prophesying of this, say thus, Isa. xl. 4. "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be laid low, the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain." The meaning is, that the ways of Christianity should be levelled and made even; and that all lets and impediments should be removed out of the way, that so we might have a more easy and convenient passage unto heaven: to the same purpose is that other prophecy. "And an high way (or causeway) shall be there; and a way, a causeway, and a way;" (that is, a way cast up,) Isa. xxxiv. 8. "And it shall be called the way of holiness (or a way for the saints of God, and not for the wicked. Matt. vii. 14.) "The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for those;" (Or, he shall be with them, or be a guide unto them by his word and Spirit, Isa. xxx. 21.) "The wayfaring men, though fools shall not err therein." Christ's way is so easy, that the simplest so conducted by his word and Spirit, shall not miss it, Psal. xxv. 9. "The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way."
The apostles are yet more clear, 1 John v. 3. "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous," Rom. viii. 2. "And the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death," Rom. vii. 6. "And now are we delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should serve in the newness of spirit, and not of the oldness of the latter." Christ Jesus came to break off from our necks those two great yokes; the one of sin, by which we were kept in fetters and prisons: the other of Moses' law by which we were kept in pupilage and minority: and now Christ having taken off these two, he hath put on a third; he quits us of our burden, but not of our duty; he hath changed the yoke of sin, and the yoke of the law strictly taken, into the sweetness of his fatherly regimen whose very precepts carry part of their reward in hand, and assurance of glory afterwards.
The reasons of the sweetness, easiness, and pleasantness of Christian religion, and the practice of it, I shall reduce into these heads.
1. Christian religion is most rational. If we should look into the best laws that the wisest men in the world ever agreed upon, we shall find that Christ adopted the quintessence of them all into this one law: the highest pitch of reason is but as a spark, a taper, a lesser light, which is involved and swallowed up in the body of this great light, that is made up by the Sun of righteousness. Some observe, that Christ's discipline is the breviary of all the wisdom of the best men, and a fair copy and transcript of his Father's wisdom. There is nothing in the laws of Christian religion, but what is perfective of our spirits; rare expedient of obeying God, and of doing duty and benefit to all capacities and orders of men. Indeed the Greeks, whom the world admired for their human wisdom, accounted the preaching of the gospel foolishness, and thereupon God blasted their wisdom, as it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent," 1 Cor, i. 19. The gospel may be as foolishness unto some, but "unto them which are called -- Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God," 1 Cor. i. 24.
2. Christian religion hath less trouble, and slavery in it than sin, or anything that is contrary to it; as for instance, he that propounds to himself, to live a low, a pious, an humble and retired life, his main employment is nothing but sitting religiously quiet, and undisturbed with variety of impertinent affairs, but he that loves the world entertains a thousand businesses, and every business hath a world of employments: how easy a thing is it to restore a pledge? But if a man means to defeat, or to cozen him that trusts him; what a world of arts must he use to make pretences? As first to delay, then to excuse, then to object, then to intricate the business, then to quarrel; and all the way to palliate the crime, and to represent himself an honest man: the ways of sin are crooked, desert, rocky, and uneven ways, the apocryphal book of Solomon brings in such men, as if in hell they were speaking this language, Wisd. v. 7. "We wearied ourselves in the way of wickedness, yea, we have gone through deserts, where there lay no way; but as for the way of the Lord we have not known it." Wicked men are in thraldom, but "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom," 2 Cor. iii. 17. O the pains, troubles, expenses that men are at to serve their sensuality! see how the ambitious man riseth early, and goes to bed late; see how he flatters, dissembles, solicits to obtain nothing but a little wind, a puff, a breath of vain men's mouths! see how the covetous man toils, as if he were tied in a galley by the leg, within a chain to serve by rowing forever! so I have heard that Turks use some Christians; but this is a thousand times worse servitude; for such a one is in servitude to a more base creature than a Turk; and he lies bound not only by the feet, but also by the hands, ears, eyes, heart, and all. Only the Christian is at liberty: only Christian religion, and the practice of it, sets men at liberty, John viii. 31, 32. "If ye continue in my word, (saith Christ) then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
3. Christian religion is also composed of peace, "Her ways are the ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace," Prov. iii. 17. Christ framed all his laws in compliance of this design of peace, peace within, and peace at home, and peace abroad:
(a). It holds forth a certain heavenly peace, and tranquillity within, Psal. cxix. 165. "Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them." But on the contrary, "The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt; there is no peace, saith my God to the wicked," Isa. lvii. 20, 21. Their passions were never yet mortified; and such passions usually range in wicked men, as the most contrary, and demand contrary things: the desire of honour cries, spend here: but the passion of avarice cries, hold thy hands; lust cries, venture here; but saith pride, no such thing, it may turn to thy dishonour; anger cries, revenge thyself here; but ambition says, it is better to dissemble. And here is fulfilled that of the Psalmist, "I have seen violence and strife in the city," Psal. lv 9. The vulgar renders it, "I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the self same city." First, iniquity, for all the demands of these passions are unjust. And,
(b). Contradiction, for one passion cries out against another. But now, "Great peace have they that love thy law;" for by the aid of Christ and his grace, their passions are in some sort subdued; and they pass on their life most sweetly and calmly, without any perturbations much troubling their spirits: they have that "peace Which passeth all understanding: which the world can neither give, nor taste of," as Christ affirmeth, John xiv. 27.
(c). It holds forth peace at home: the laws of Jesus teach us how to bear with the infirmities of our relatives; and indeed whosoever obeys the laws of Jesus Christ, he seeks with sweetness to remedy all differences; he throws water upon a spark; he lives sweetly with his wife, affectionately with his children, discreetly with his servants; and they all look upon him as their guardian, friend, and patron; but look upon an angry man not subject to these Christian laws, and when he enters upon his threshold, it gives an alarm to his house: every little accident is the matter of a quarrel; discomposes the peace of the house, and sets it on fire, and no man can tell how far it may burn. O the sweetness, easiness, pleasantness of Christian religion! where that is embraced and followed, the man is peaceable, and charitable, and just, and loving, and forbearing, and forgiving; and how should there be but content in this blessed family?
(d). It holds out peace abroad; it commands all offices of kindness, gentleness, love, meekness, humility, lowliness of mind towards others; and such sweet dispositions are usually received with fondness, and all the endearments of the neighbourhood: it prescribes an austere, and yet a sweet deportment: it commands all those labours of love, as to relieve the stranger, to visit the sick, to wash the feet of the poor: it sends us upon charitable embassies, to unclean prisons, nasty dungeons, and in the cause of Christ, to lay down our lives one for another: it teacheth us how to return good for evil, kindness for injuries, a soft answer for the rough words of an enemy: oh! when I think of this, I cannot but think of him who said, that "either this was not the Christian religion, or we are not Christians." For my part, I am easily persuaded, that if we would but live according to the discipline of Christian religion, one of those great plagues that vexeth the world (I mean the plague of war) would be no more: certainly this was one of the designs of Christianity, That there should be no wars, no jars, no discontents amongst men: and if all men that are called Christians, were indeed charitable, peaceable, just, loving, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, what sweet peace should we have? How would this world be an image of heaven, and of that society of saints and angels above in glory?
4. Christian religion affords to us all assistances, both outward and inward, in some respect: I know the duties of Christianity are hard and heavy, but whatsoever Christ hath imposed as heavy and hard, he hath made it light in aids. I shall show the helps in these particulars. As: --
(a). The holy scriptures be our helps: this was the very scope and aim for which the sacred volume was sent from heaven, viz. That we might decline from evil, and do good; that we might die to old Adam, and live to Christ; that we might crucify sin, and follow virtue: what are the scriptures but the registers of God's will, the letters of Cod's love, to invite us to grace, and to dehort us from vice! O the persuasion, directions, and commands of God that we might become holy? and, O the dissuasions, diversions, threatenings, and terrifying of God, that we might dee profaneness!
(b). The ministers of Christ be our helps; thou hast the scriptures, but it may be thou canst not read, or thou canst not understand the sense and meaning thereof: Christ therefore, for thy help, hath set up a ministry, "for the edifying of the body of Christ," Eph. iv. 12. These are the watchmen over the house of Israel, to cry like trumpets, and to blazon the sins of the house of Israel, these are the suitors of God and Christ, to speak out his good will in thine ears; they call, they cry, they wait, they woo, "they pray you in Christ's stead, that you will be reconciled unto God," 2 Cor. v. 20.
(c). The lives of saints be our helps: we have not only teachers in word, but the saints in all ages as so many stars have given us light how to walk in the darkness of this life. The examples of the godly are very drawing, and much for our imitation; and therefore the Psalmist bids us, Psal. xxxvii. 37. "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace." O! it is a blessed help to a Christian life to read over, much more to mark, and observe the holy and godly lives of the saints of God: how doth their zeal condemn our coldness, their diligence, our negligence, their watching and prayer, our sluggishness and indevotion? And how are they as spurs to quicken us forward in our spiritual voyage towards heaven?
(d). Christ's ordinances be our helpers: as the word, and sacraments, and prayer, and meditation, and conference, etc. What are they but fountains of grace, conduits and conveyances of the blood of Christ? To what end were they instituted, but for the watering of our souls, to the increase of grace, and to supplanting of sin and vice, and all manner of evil.
(e). The encouragements of reward be our helps. Now, in the practice of Christian religion, there is a double reward:
(i). The reward of duty, Psal. xix. 11. "In the keeping of thy commandments there is great reward:" he saith not, "For keeping them, but in keeping them there is great reward:" there is a grace, a beauty, an excellency in every gracious acting.
(ii). The reward according to the duty; to this exercise of religion Christ hath annexed many sweet and gracious promises both for this life, and that to come; and these promises may be used as helps: Heb. xi. 26. "He had a respect unto the recompense of reward." To this purpose are the glorious things of heaven set open before us that we may have an eye to them, and be encouraged by them, "So run. that ye may obtain," 1 Cor. ix. 24.
(f). The openings and discoveries of the pains of hell are as helps to restrain us from sin, and to keep us in the way of Christ, this some call legal, but Christ in the gospel tells us of this; in the gospel we find a description of hell pains, set out by "weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth: by a worm never dying, and a fire never going out," Matt. viii. 12. and Mark ix. 44. Oh! when I think of these unquenchable flames, those remediless torments, without hope or recovery, remission or mitigation; when I think of that privation and loss of the sight of God's face, prepared only for those that serve him in holiness, how should I but look about me, and prepare for my reckoning! Nay, how easy should I think any pains in comparison? Some persons in affrightment have been seen to carry burdens, and leap ditches, and to climb walls, which their natural power could never have done: and if we understood the sadness of a cursed eternity, from which we are commanded to fly, and yet knew how near we are to it, and likely to fall into it, if we continue in sin, it would be able to create fears greater than a sudden fire, or a midnight alarm.
(g). A principle of love (wheresoever it is planted) is our help: be the yoke never so uneasy, yet love will make it light: Solomon compares the state of the church to a chariot, and it is described to have "pillars of silver, and a bottom of gold, and a covering of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love," Cant. iii. 10. A strange expression that the midst of a chariot should be paved with love, but it is plain, the chariot wherein Christ carries his people up and down in the world, and brings them to himself, is such a chariot as the midst thereof is paved with love: in this case, if there were neither heaven, nor hell, yet a soul would be in the duties of Christianity. I remember how Ivo, bishop of Chartres, meeting a grave matron on the way, with fire in one hand, and water in the other, he asked her, what those symbols meant? and what she meant to do with her fire and water? She answered, "My purpose is, with the fire to burn paradise, and with the water to quench the flames of hell, that men may serve God (said she) without the incentives of hope and fear and purely for the love of God, and Jesus Christ." Surely it was an high expression; for my part, I dare not separate those things which God hath joined together; only this I say, that where true love is, there is an excellent help in our way heaven-wards.
(h). The angels be our helps: "They are ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation" Heb. i. 14. And the kind of their administration is excellently set forth by the Psalmist, "They shall keep thee in all thy ways, they shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone" Psal. xci. 11, 12. In this place the angels are compared to nurses that have a charge over weak children, to keep them and guard them; so the angels do all the offices of a nurse, or mother: they keep us, guard us, instruct us, admonish us, correct us, comfort us, preserve us from evil, and provoke us to good.
(i). The motions, inspirations, blessed influence of the Spirit of Christ be our helps: many a time the spirit cries, and calls on our hearts, saying, "This is the way, walk therein" Isa. xxx. 21. As the evil spirit, or devil in wicked men is continually moving, and inclining them to all evil thoughts, affections and desires, so the good Spirit of God in good men doth incline and move them to good thoughts, good affections, good actions; and hence they are said "to be led by the Spirit," Rom. viii. 14. There are indeed several acts of the Spirit; as sometimes, there is a breathing or stirring: sometimes a quickening or enlivening: sometimes a powerful effectual inclining, or bending of our hearts unto good things: now, in some of these works the Spirit is most what, for in the progress of sanctification, we need a continual help and influence from God's holy Spirit, and when we obey these conducts, we are said to "walk in the Spirit," Gal. v. 24. And as all these are helps in the ways of Christianity, so by these helps and assistances of Christ's holy Spirit, Christianity is made very easy unto us.
(j). The grace of God is our help: many feeling the strength of corruption, cry out, with Paul, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? O I find a law in my members warring against the law of my mind," Rom. vii. 23, and 24. But they consider not the comfortable saying of Christ to Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 9. "My grace is sufficient for thee;" by the assistance of grace, Paul could do anything: "I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me," Phil. iv. 13. Yea, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us," Rom. viii. 37. The Psalmist hath a notable expression to this purpose. "I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart" Psal. cxix. 32. This enlargement of heart was by the grace of God: grace is compared to oil; as a dry purse is softened and enlarged by anointing it with oil, so the heart drawn together by sin, is opened and enlarged, by the pouring of grace into it: and if grace be present, then, saith David, "I will run the way of thy commandments," not walk but run: it is an allusion to a cart wheel, which crieth and complaineth under a small burden, being dry, but when a little oil is put into it, it runs merrily, and without noise; and if David could say thus in his time, how much more should we that live in these gospel times, when grace in greater measure is effused, and poured out? "By the grace of Christ (should we say) we will walk, and run, and fly in the way of his Commandments."
Use 1.
Well then, is Christian religion and the practice of it, full of sweetness, easiness, and pleasantness? In the first place for conviction, this may take away the cavils of some men: what is said in the way of objection, I shall reduce to these particulars.
1. They object, that Christ himself confessed it to be the yoke, and a burden; but to that we answer, with Christ, "His yoke is easy, and his burden is light." Certainly there are burdens which grieve not the bearers at all, as the burden of feathers upon a bird's back; it is nothing grievous to her, but rather bears her up; and a burden of gold and jewels upon a man's back (supposing it the reward of his portage, and the hire of his labour) it is nothing grievous to him, but rather cheers him up. Men, brethren, and fathers, if we will but come and close with Christ, the Spirit is given to enable us, and heaven is promised to encourage us; the one gives power, and the other stirs up our affections, and how then should we complain of pressure? O it is a sweet burden? sweetened by his grace, and sweetened by his Spirit, and sweetened by a principle of love, Psal. cxix. 97, 174. "O how love I thy law?" and sweetened by a principle of delight, "Thy law is my delight;" and sweetened with a promise of reward, Psal. xix. 11 . "In keeping of thy commandments there is great reward."
2. They object, We feel no such thing; you tell us of sweetness, easiness, pleasantness; but if we must speak out our own experiences, Mal. i. 13. "O what a weariness is it?" Amos viii. 5. "When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? And the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat?" We feel a sweetness in these present enjoyments of the world; but as for holiness, grace, religion, the discipline of Christ, we wonder where the sweetness is: we can find no such secret golden mines, in these spiritual diggings.
I answer,
(a). This indeed is the speech of carnal and profane men; they feel no sweetness, easiness, pleasantness in God's ways, 1 Cor. ii. 14, 15. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned; but he that is spiritual judgeth or discerneth all things." Poor souls! till God speak to your hearts, you cannot understand this hidden manna: it is observed that God never sent the pleasant manna unto Israel so long as their flour and bread of Egypt lasted, so never will you taste how good the Lord is, so long as you dote on sin and vanity.
(b). Though you feel not these things for the present, yet in time you may do; yea, certainly if you belong to God, in time you will do; O but when? You will say. When? I answer, the first taste of this sw r eetness, is usually at the first taking of Christ's yoke upon us; as merchants desirous to sell their wares, are content in the first place, to let you see, and handle, and taste, thereby to induce you to buy: so Jesus Christ willing (as it were) to part with heaven, he is content in the first place, to impart a certain taste before hand, and to sweeten the ways of godliness unto us, Hos. ii 14. "Behold I will allure her (saith God) and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her." What is it that God means by alluring of his people? I answer. It contains these things. As, --
(i). A discovery of the beauty of holiness; when God first effectually calls the soul home to himself, he sets open the beauty of his service; naturally the heart is possessed with much prejudice against the ways of religion. Oh! what a strict rule is this to carnal men, to pull out their right eyes, and to cut off their right hands, to hate father, and mother, and wife, and lands, and life for the name of Christ, to cross their own desires, to deny their own selves, to mortify their earthly members, to follow the Lamb through evil report and good report, through afflictions, and persecutions, and manifold temptations whithersoever he goeth; to war with principalities, and powers, and spiritual wickednesses in high places? And hence it is, that the Lord is forced to set forth the ways of Christ as beautiful, even under crosses and afflictions; thus when the watchmen smote the church, and wounded her, and took away her veil, yet she still acknowledged Christ (for whose sake she suffered) to be white and ruddy, the fairest of ten thousands, Cant. v. 7 , 10. Christ sets forth himself and his ways in all the grace, and goodness, and beauty, and sweetness, and loveliness and that possibly may be, q.d. by these I will allure them that belong unto me.
(ii). An out-bidding of all the temptations of other lovers; before Christ came, souls go a whoring from Christ, their hearts are allured by other lovers; the world, the flesh, and devil comes in, and they proffer souls such and such contentments; but when Christ comes, he deals with souls in a more powerful way, and he out-bids all their former lovers, q.d. Did their lovers proffer them comfort? I will bid more comfort. Did their lovers proffer gain? I will bid more gain. Did their lovers proffer honour and respect? I will out-bid them in that also. And indeed then hath the gospel a true, and full, and gracious work upon the heart, when it yields to the proffers of the gospel, as finding that all that the world can bid is now out-bidden. You know, when one comes to offer so much for a commodity, and another out-bids him, he carries it away; so when the world, and lust, and sin proffers to the soul such and such contents, then comes Christ and outbids all, and so the bargain is made up, and Christ carries the heart away: sinners! it may be as yet you feel none of these things, but in time you may do, and in the mean time you see here is a word for it, "Behold, I will allure her," etc.
(iii). They object. The saints themselves feel no such things for ought appears to the world; whose spirits are more heavy and sad; as it is said of Christ himself, that he never laughed; and as David said of himself, Psal. xlii. 5. "Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me!" So it may be said of some Christians, if they are strict, that they are seldom merry, or pleasant.
But I answer, --
- Christians that keep indeed close to the rule, are for the most part serious, and the world may suppose them as sad.
- It may be, they are not in their element but in the acts of religion, and therefore they cannot express their spiritual cheerfulness; a fish cannot delight itself on earth, but when it is in the water; a bird doth not sing on the ground, but when it is got up into the air, God's people cannot rejoice in sin, as drunkards and revellers do, but when their hearts are in religious exercises, and in communion with God, they are merry and pleasant.
- It may be they are in such company as may make them sad, the men of the world object against saints, that they are heavy, and sour, and melancholy men, but, in the mean time, they consider not that their scaring, revelling, and dishonouring of God hath made them so pensive. Why, sinners! Your carriage grieves the very Spirit of God, "You grieve God at the heart," as it is expressed, Gen. vi. 6. And therefore, no wonder if the godly cannot rejoice in your sinful society; you are the cause of their sadness; but admit them once into the company and fellowship of the saints, and they know how to be joyful.
- If it be so, that usually they are pensive and sad, it is not because of religion; but because they are not more religious; because they find so much want of godliness in their own hearts; this was the cause of Paul's heaviness, Rom. vii. 24. "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" And yet know, that all these sadnesses are true preparatives of joy: and therefore in the very next words, the apostle breaks out into that sweet doxology, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Never was true sorrow for sin, but it ended in rejoicings and praises, and thanksgiving God.
Why then be convinced, ah, deceived souls; say not that God is an hard master, reaping where he sowed not, and gathering where he strawed not; say not that his ways are tedious, and irksome, and uncomfortable ways! But rather taste, and see and try how good the Lord is; experience the truth of these words, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light;" what is lighter than that burden, which, instead of burdening, cheers up the party on which it is laid? Just like those burdens of cinnamon that refresh those that carry them through the deep sands of Arabia. A holy divine, once endeavouring to convince men of the sweetness and pleasantness of God's ways by his own experiences, "I call heaven and earth to record (saith he) that these things are truths of God; they are not notions or conceits, but certain realities:" another flies somewhat higher, "If men would, in earnest (saith he) abandon the devil's service, and give up their names to Christ in truth, and try, I dare assure them, in the word of life and truth, they would not exchange the saddest hour of all their life afterward with the prime and flower of all their former sensual pleasures, might they have ten thousand worlds to boot;" "her ways are ways of pleasure," saith Solomon, Prov. iii. 17.
Use 2.
You that are convinced, I beseech you carry on the work of God sweetly, comfortably, and with delight: the Psalmist says, Psal. i. 1, 2. "Blessed is the man that delights in the law of the Lord," And Psal. cxix. 1. "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk cheerfully in the law of the Lord. And blessed is the man that delighteth greatly in his law," And it was written upon the heart of Christ, Psal. xl. 8. "I delight to do thy will, O my God, yea, thy law is within my heart;" as God loves a cheerful giver, so a cheerful server, "Come take my yoke upon you, (saith Christ) for my yoke is easy; it is not an iron yoke of bondage, but a chain of heavenly pearls to adorn your souls.
Question 1. Oh, but how should we carry on the work, the yoke, the duty, the practice of piety, and of religion pleasantly? I answer; --
Answer.
1. Be sure to keep the heart right and upright within; let all we do be in sincerity, and let all we are, in respect of the inner man, be at peace within; sense and reason can tell us, that according to the temper within, so there is the relishing of things without: he that acts in sincerity, and hath peace within, can easily go through the duties that are required without, with joy and comfort.
2. Exercise faith in the work and office of the Holy Ghost; I mean that work and office to which the Holy Ghost is designed by the Father and the Son; both to help his people, and to be the comforter of his people.
(a). The Holy Ghost is designed to help his people, Rom. viii. 26. "Likewise the Spirit helpeth our infirmities; the word in the original, (sunantilambanetai) doth properly imply such an help, as when another man of strength and ability steppeth in, to sustain the burden that lieth upon weak shoulders; why, this makes Christ's burden light: we do not bear all the weight, for the Holy Ghost puts under his shoulder.
(b). The Holy Ghost is designed to comfort his people, Christ calls him "the Spirit, the Comforter," John xiv. 26 . and xv. 26. because he brings in a kind of spiritual joy and spiritual comfort. Mark, it is not a natural, but a spiritual joy: Oh! what a vast difference is there betwixt the comforts of a carnal heart, and the comforts of the godly? The one comes from a little meat, or drink, or creature-vanity; but the other comes from the exercise of faith, about the office of the Holy Ghost, who is designed to this work. Surely here is the way to carry on duty sweetly and comfortably, and with delight, (i.e.) to be in the exercise of faith on the work and office of the Holy Ghost, as he is our helper and comforter.
(c). Understand what is in Christian religion, and in the practice of it to cause delight. As; --
- In every duty and gracious acting of it there is more of the glory of God than in the whole frame of heaven and earth besides; "Herein is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit" John xv. 8, Oh, if we but thus looked at the profession and practice of Christian religion, we could not but take pleasure in it.
- In every duty and gracious acting of it, there is the seed of glory and eternal life; sometimes there breaks out in the very exercise of duty, a joy in the Holy Ghost, a foretaste of glory; but howsoever there is the seed of glory; and though the seed of glory be not seen, but lie, as it were, under ground dead and unseen, yet in time it will spring up unto eternal life: Why, thus look at the practice of religion, and it will be sweeter to us than honey, and the honeycomb; it will be more precious than gold, yea than much fine gold.
Question 2. But how should we know the difference betwixt the natural pleasantness, and this spiritual pleasantness in religion? I know Christians may put a lustre upon the ways of God by their natural pleasantness and cheerfulness of spirit; but because we speak of a spiritual joy and comfort, and not of a natural, wherein lies the difference? I answer; --
Answer.
1. If it be a spiritual pleasantness, it will be serious, Eccl. ii. 2. "I have said of laughter, it is mad, and of mirth, what doth it?" There is much lightness and vanity in such breakings out of natural pleasantness; but, in pleasantness spiritual, all is grave, and sober, and exceeding serious.
2. If it be a spiritual pleasantness, it can stand with repentance and humiliation, and the fear of God, Psal. ii. 11. "Rejoice with trembling," saith the Psalmist: spiritual rejoicing may consist with trembling: and "Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments," Psal. cxii. 1. The fear of God may consist with these spiritual delights in the commandments of God.
3. If it be spiritual pleasantness, it is our strength, Neh. viii. 10. "The joy of the Lord is our strength," saith Nehemiah: nothing animates souls more in duties than joy doth; it carries on the soul more fully: it is as oil, that causeth the wheels of Christian practice to go on more freely: we may be naturally pleasant, and then coming to spiritual duties our hearts are dead, but if our pleasantness be spiritual, our hearts will be strengthened in the ways of God.
4. If it be a spiritual pleasantness, it will bear up the heart in want of all outward pleasantness, Hab. iii. 17, 18. "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flocks shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." When all is dark abroad in the world, the soul in this frame will rejoice in God alone; on the contrary, the soul that hath only a natural pleasantness of spirit, when affliction comes, it is all amort and down. I appeal to you that have the most delightful spirits, when you have friends and means, and all you like, you are jocund and merry, but when affliction comes, how quickly are your spirits down? Surely your pleasantness is not spiritual, for, if so, it would bear up your hearts joyful in affliction.
And now again "the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh," John vi. 4. Our English annotations on these words, can tell us, That this seems ff to be the third passover after Christ's baptism." (So Aretius, and others,) And therefore here I conclude the third year of Christ's ministry; there is but one year more before Christ's death, to which now I come, and to some passages therein, most observable, in reference to our souls salvation.