IN the 27th Verse our Saviour tells us, All things are given to him of the Father; neither knoweth any Man the Father, save the Son, and he to whom the Son shall reveal him. Thus by first asserting his Ability to receive them, that is, to govern and teach them, he encourageth weary and heavy laden Sinners to accept of his gracious Invi­tation, which he makes in the following Verse; Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Having before told them his Ability to make good this Promise, he now gives them the Promise, to encourage them to come unto him. And in the 29th Verse, he asserts his Willingness; For I am meek and lowly in Heart; therefore very apt to sympathize with you, and consequently as willing as I am able to give you rest to your Souls.

My Text assures them of the Truth of this Promise, thus repeated in the 29th Verse, from the Goodness of his Doctrine and Government, the means of giving them this Rest; My Yoke is easy, and my Burden light.

That these two Metaphors, Yoke and Burden, are used in the Scriptures, as well as other Authors, to signify Doctrine, or Law, or Government, I shall (for Bre­vities sake) prove only by one or two places, Acts 15.10. The Law or Doctrine of Circumcision is said to be a Yoke which neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear: And Gal. 5.1. The Ceremonial Law of the Jews a Yoke of Bondage. Zach. 9.1. The Word of God is called the Burden of the Word of the Lord: and so Mal. 1.1. The Burden of the Word of the Lord to Israel by Malachy. So the Christian Religion is here to be understood. For our better Understanding the sense of the Text, I shall,

• I. Shew in what sense the Christian Religion may be said to be a Yoke or a Burden.
• II. Demonstrate, that this Yoke is easy, and this Bur­den light.
• III. Make some seasonable Reflections for our Pra­ctice at this time.

I. In what sense the Christian Religion may be said to be a Yoke or Burden. Which will be evident,

If we consider, the natural Frame and Constitution of Man. And here, both Scripture and Reason, and our own Experience concur to inform us, that Man con­sists of two parts, very different from one another: One Heavenly, and from God more immediately, spi­ritual or intellectual; the other from the Earth of which it is made, called often in Scripture, carnal or sensual, Gen. 2.7. We have also the same Assurances, that the Rectitude and Prefection of Mans Nature con­sists in the Prefection and Subjection of this Earthly and Sensual Principle to that which is Heavenly and Spiritual.

The State of Innocency was nothing else but this Consent and Conformity of the inferiour Faculties to the superiour.

But in this honourable and healthful state, Gen. 3. Man did not long continue; but in a little time became like the Beast that perisheth: The Serpent working upon his Curiosity and Sensuality, perswades him to remit the Government of himself to his inferiour Faculties: They sensible of their strength, run away with the Reines: and meeting daily with these following Ad­vantages or Provocations (notwithstanding the Spirit lusteth against the Flesh, as well as the Flesh against the Spirit, Gal. 5.17.) have gotten such Head, that they bid fair for an unaccountable Soveraignty and Domi­nion.

1. The Temptations of this World so applied by that old Serpent, which first tempted them with Success, that he prevailed upon them, to take their Liberty; that they are not only kept waking, and on their guard, but daily excited and exasperated. These are innumerable, provoke us continually, and are in our way where-ever we go, we are surrounded with them in all places, whilst we inhabit these Bodies, and dwell in this World.

Heb. 12.1. We read of Sin that doth so easily beset us, [...], Sin well circumstanced; that is, the Temptations are near us, present to us, of that likeness of Nature, that our Bodies presently close with them, sympathize with them, and so they more effectually entice us, and work upon our Senses and Affections, than spiritual Objects can do upon our Un­derstandings. Heaven and the Felicities of the other World are at a distance, and Men cannot tell when they shall come there: And our Apprehensions of that [Page 6]state are indistinct and obscure; Neither Eye hath seen, nor Ear heard, nor can it enter into the Heart of Man to conceive the Blessedness of this state.

Therefore these Objects work upon us only by Faith, Devotion and Meditation, which suppose great pains and care in our superiour Faculties, and Restraint and Severities upon the Inclinations, and our outward Man.

But in the other case, we may sit still; those Objects are contiguous, and they work extempore, and conti­nually and spontaneously, like natural Agents, so that every sensual Object is a Basilisk, and looks us dead, if we are not aware of it, and do not consider the poi­sonous Influence of its Countenance, before it looks upon us; and the innocent [...] of Nature, given us at first for our Nourishment and Diversion, prove mortal to us, unless we live under the daily caution of Touch not, Taste not, Handle not.

2. Examples, which every-where attend us, and greatly encourage, and enforce this Disorder and Re­bellion of our inferiour Faculties. These surprize us in our Infancy, conduct, and manage us in our Youth and Age, so that before we are Men, many times we are Beasts; and young Devils before we are old Men.

We are naturally apt to go quo itur non quo eundum est, as Seneca observes; therefore these more powerful­ly affect us than Laws or Precepts, or the most rational or eloquent Lectures of our Duty.

Thus provoked by Temptations, and animated by Examples, this Rebellion is habitual; for every Act strengthens the Habit, and our Sins thus become ex­ceeding sinful. Jerem. 13.23. Can the Leopard change his Spots, or the Black-moor his Skin? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. Here Custom or [Page 7]Habit is represented as intractable as Nature it self; according to the Proverb, Custom is a second Nature.

Thus Man is fallen, and so degenerated from the Rectitude and Integrity of his Original Frame and Con­stitution; that had not God so loved the World, as to send his Son into it to restore it, and pass a new Crea­tion upon it, Man must have been for ever lost and buried in his own Ruins.

The doing of this is called Mortification, Regene­ration, and when 'tis done, the new Man or new Creature.

These all signify Regret and Reluctancy to a great Degree, unless a Man hath been so happy as to have born the Yoke in his Youth.

Now the Son of God doing this for us by his Reli­gion, from the Uneasiness of it at first, it may well be exprest by these Metaphors in the Text, of a Yoke or Burden.

II. But though it be so, and there is such a plain Reason for it, yet I shall evidently demonstrate that this Yoke is easy, and this Burden light. [...] is the Original, which signifies gracious, profitable, fit, and therefore must be easy; and not only so, but something a Man would not be without, esteeming it his Orna­men rather than his Yoke.

So also the Word which in the Text is translated Light, [...], signifies also Light, that a Man may not only walk, but run with it upon his Shoulders; according to the Etymology of the Word. And if there be any weight in it, 'tis only to poise us, keep us steady; our Security rather than our Encombrance.

Thus the Words in the Text naturally import. I now come to demonstrate the Truth of the Proposi­tion; [Page 8]Though Christianity is a Yoke, yet 'tis an easy Yoke; and though it is a Burden, yet it is a light Burden.

For our more distinct Understanding what I shall say upon this Subject, we are to remember that the Christian Religion is usually divided into two parts:

1st. The Credenda, or Articles to be believed.

2dly. The Agenda, or Duties to be done.

1st. The Credenda or Articles of Faith, contained in the Christian Religion, and these are so few, and so plainly revealed, that these can hardly be in any sense called a Yoke or Burden to any one that believes the Being of God, and that he is a Being infinitely perfect. The Apostles Creed is a summary of these, and they are principally matters of Fact concerning the Nature or Person of our Saviour, in opposition to Judaism and Heathenism; so plainly related in the Holy Scrip­tures, that they are understood as soon as read: And where-ever the Scripture it self does impress a Cha­racter of Necessity, either for Faith or Practice, we cannot speak plainer to one another, than that doth to us.

And if any thing be revealed which we cannot com­prehend; as for instance, the Article of the Trinity; yet the Revelation is plain: And in all matters of Re­velation, we are to believe no more than is revealed, and no otherwise of it than as it is revealed; and thus to believe is no difficult thing; nay 'tis so easy, that 'tis impossible for any Man that acknowledgeth the Being of God, not thus to believe; because the very Notion of God, necessarily implies an Impossi­bility of saying any thing to his Creatures which is not true.

And the difficulty of comprehending the nature of the thing revealed doth not make our Religion uneasy, because we are not bound to understand, that is, to comprehnd it; which also is no Objection to its Cre­dibility, because an Infinite Nature, and all those Per­fections which belong to it, cannot be supposed to be comprehensible, we cannot comprehend Eternity, nor our own Souls by our finite Understandings.

But the Agenda, the Matters of our Practice, Duties to be done, these are the Difficulties of our Religion, and signified by these Metaphors in the Text of Yoke and Burden.

That this Yoke is easy and Burden light, I demon­strate from these following Topicks.

1. It is most agreeable to our Natures: whatsoever is natural is easy and pleasant, because, Amor fecit Mun­dum, the Creation is the Effect of God's Goodness as well as of his Power, and he made nothing to be an Affliction, or Torment to it self; and the Goodness of every thing is to be fitted for its End, and the Per­fection of every thing is to be in Conjunction with it.

That the Christian Religion is thus suitable to our Natures, will appear, if we consider Man,

• 1. In his Private;
• 2. In his Publick Capacity.

I. In his Private Capacity: Here we are to re­spect, 1. His Soul; 2. His Body.

1. His Soul: By this a Man is a busy active Being, his Thoughts are restless, his Desires are craving and stretching till they meet with that for which they were created; which is the Contemplation of Truth in this World, and the Enjoyment of God in this and that which is to come. Here we feel his gracious Influences to our Support and Comfort; hereafter we contem­plate [Page 10]and enjoy him to our Everalasting Happiness and Satisfaction. Of these two, briefly.

1. The Contemplation of Truth. That this is na­tural to our Souls, the great and indefatigable Pains and Hardships many have undergone for it, the Exta­sies of Joy and perfect Satisfaction they have felt when they have found it, the great Honours they have been courted with whilst they liv'd, and even ador'd with after their Death, when they have published the Fruits of their Industry, the Truths they have discovered to the World, abundantly demonstrate; I cannot parti­cularize these things at this time.

Silence and Solitude, Recess and Separation from the World and Sense, are the Opportunities for God and Truth; and nothing so prevents the discoveries of Truth, as the clamorous importunities of Riches and Honour, or the gross and foul Suffusions of Sensuality: The first anticipate our Time which is absolutely necessary (for Truth the Philosopher rightly tells us, lies in the bot­tom of a deep Well): The second thicken and obstruct the Mind, and indispose it, as foggy Steems and Mists our bodily Organs, that the pure Light and Spirit of Truth cannot be sensible to us: [...], that pious Man, that exquisite Philosopher.

Therefore the Philosophers tell us, Vertue is absolute­ly necessary for the acquiring of Truth, because that regulates all the inferiour Faculties and Inclinations, quiets and retrenches all the Exorbitancy of the Passi­ons and Affections [...], said Antoninus; the Soul is tinctured and dy'd with the Objects it most converseth with.

Now how doth our Religion dispose us for this? the Apostle tells us, 1 Thess. 5.22. Abstain from all appearance of Evil: How doth it caution us against it, [Page 11]1 Cor. 7.31. [...], species forma, the Shew, or Form, or Beauty of this World passeth away; as if the World were nothing but a great piece of Pa­geantry, or a Dream, or a Fancy of something that is not, or an Apparition without any Substance, passing by us, and seen no more. Many places more to this purpose I might produce.

And for Sensuality, 1 Pet. 2.11. Fleshly Lusts are said to war against the Soul; therefore the Apostle be­seeches the Christians as Strangers and Pilgrims, to ab­stain from them. And how many severe Threatnings do we read of in the Scriptures against all that do not crucify the Flesh with the Lusts of it, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Ephes. 5.3. to ver. 8. and many other, to keep our Minds even and pure, and then they are fit and ready both for the search after, and Contemplation of Truth.

The second thing I mention'd for which our Souls are created, was the Enjoyment of God in this World, and that which is to come.

Omnis intellectus tendit in Deum, saith the Philoso­pher, and it cannot be otherwise; for all this World is too little for their Satisfaction, as infinite Experience demonstrates. The Eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the Ear with hearing.

Men run from one thing to another, and never pleased, always mistaken, knock at the wrong door for Happiness; as drunken Men mistake another Man's House for their own. Antoninus, one of the greatest and happiest Emperors, not only that Rome, but the World ever enjoyed, thus expresseth the In­sufficiency of this World for our Happiness, [...]. What do I care to live in a World void of God and void of Providence: Yet no Man ever enjoyed more of the World's Glory [Page 12]and Happiness than he did; which demonstrates that only God is the natural Felicity of our Souls.

How carefully then is our Nature restor'd and per­fected by our Religion? The two great Obstacles to our Enjoyment of God, it endeavours to set at the greatest distance from us imaginable: These are love of the World, and excess of bodily Pleasures: James 4.4. Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses, know ye not that the Friendship of this World is Enmity with God? who­soever therefore will be a Friend of the World is the Ene­my of God. How smartly doth the Apostle assert the great Inconsistency of God and the World together in our Hearts? and repeats it twice in the same Verse; and when he speaks never so mildly he still tells us the same thing, 1 Joh. 2.15.

And for Sensuality: The very Character of a Chri­stian is to crucify the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts of it, Gal. 5.24. And Purity of Heart is made abso­lutely necessary to our seeing of God by our Saviour, Mat. 5.8. Very many places more out of the Scrip­tures might be produced to this purpose: All which demonstrate our Religion must be natural to our Souls, because if we would observe it, it would make our Souls free and open to receive the comfortable Emanations of the Divine Goodness, as a clear Air the Light and Influences of the Sun: and so, in this re­spect, our Saviour's Yoke must be easy, and his Burden light.

Besides, what admirable matter of our Contempla­tion doth it afford us? 2 Cor. 4.6. The Light of the Knowledg of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; and when by the exceeding great and precious Promises of the Gospel we apprehend what Interest we may have in this Glory, Heaven it self is anticipated, [Page 13]our Souls are in Conjunction with their Center, our Consciences are easy and chearful, and we are filled with all Joy in believing: For it doth not yet appear what we shall be, 1 Joh. 3.2. But we know when he shall ap­pear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Thus in respect of our Souls the Text is demon­strated, because our Religion fits us for the Enjoyment of God here and hereafter, the Complement and Per­fection of our Natures.

2. In respect of our Bodies: Intemperance is the worst Disease we are capable of: The most searching Pains and accutest Torments are the Effects of it, it is a Womb, a Mine of all the Diseases of the Body; so that to indulge our Lusts makes them their own Ex­ecutioners as well as ours; for when Nature is over­born, all Pleasure and Delight is extinguish'd.

Now our Religion gives us the plainest Precepts imaginable for Sobriety and Temperance and Purity. I should be too tedious to name the places, they are al­most every-where in the New Testament, and written with the Beams of the Sun of Righteousness: Those I mention'd under the last two Heads are sufficient, where it utterly excludes from the Kingdom of Hea­ven, all irregular and intemperate Prosecutions of the Lusts of the Flesh, the Lusts of the Eye, and the Pride of Life, as St. John tells us, 1 Joh. 2.15, 16. And by doing thus, our Bodies have no more reason to com­plain than our Souls, as if our Religion denied or en­vied them their proper Diversions or Satisfactions; for all this is nothing but the restoring of us to our natural Health and Strength; for it requires of us only to recover and maintain our Original Frame and Consti­tution; the Consent and Harmony of our Carnal and Inferiour Faculties and Inclinations to those with­in [Page 14]us which are more Noble and Spiritual. And be­ing of this Nature, and for these Ends, even in this case also, this Yoke must be easy, and this Burden light.

Thus we have seen that if we consider Man in his private Capacity, our Saviour's Yoke is easy and his Burden light. In the second place,

II. I now come to consider him in his Politick or Publick Capacity; and here at first sight 'tis most easy, because agreeable to the Nature of Society.

In this respect our Saviour hath given us an Epitome of all he requires of us in very few words, To do as we would be done unto, Matth. 7.12. This is the Law and the Prophets which he came to fulfil and perfect, Mat. 5.17. So Mat. 22.39. Thou shalt love thy Neigh­bour as thy self. How safe and easy must every Man be in all his Concerns and Interests, by Observation of these Rules. We should never offend one another; but if it should so happen, to forgive and forget, is the next thing we would do; for that certainly every Man would have done to himself were he the Offender.

The Apostle St. Paul gives us all our Duty to one another in this one word, Love, and proves it to be so, Rom. 13.8, 9. There is no Fear or Jealousy one of another in Love, but perfect Love casteth out such tor­menting Passions as these are, and makes Men confident in one another, and that is the great Security and Per­fection of Society. In a word.

There are but two things which make Men uneasy to one another; Aptness to provoke, and to be pro­voked. How effectually our Religion hath provided against these, we read in 1 Cor. 13. It makes Charity the Root or Spring of all our Religious Actions, so necessary, that without it we are nothing, neither can we do any thing in Religion, ver. 1, 2, 3. and [Page 15]then tells us how it secures the World against both these troublesome Humours.

Verse the 4th; Charity suffereth long, and is kind, therefore is not easily provoked, envies not, vaunteth not it self, therefore is not apt to provoke: ver. 5. doth not behave it self unseemly, [...] rudely or disob­ligingly; seeketh not her own, therefore does not provoke; is not apt to be exasperated, so is the Origi­nal [...] thinketh no Evil, but candidly inter­preteth: but if the Evil be evident, it rejoiceth not in it, ver. 6. but in the Truth or Goodness of any Bo­dy; therefore not easily provoked.

Verse 7. Beareth all things, because it believeth all things may be well meant, at least hopeth so of all things: but if the Evil or Malice be apparent and in­disputable; then Charity endureth all things, as long as pleaseth God; so that Charity can never fail to make Men easy to themselves, and one another, and fits Men for a happy Enjoyment of one another here, as well as the blessed Enjoyment of God altogether hereafter.

Thus I think it is clearly demonstrated that Christ's Yoke is easy, and his Burden light, because 'tis agrea­ble to our Natures, considered either in our private or publick Capacity, either in our selves, both in respect of our Souls and Bodies, or in our mutual Relation to one another. And as an indisputable Confirmation of all I have said from this Topick, be pleased often to read and consider, Tit. 2.11, 12. where the Apostle tells us, that the great Lesson the Gospel teacheth us, is to deny all Ʋngodliness and Worldly Lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present World: These three Words, soberly, righteously and godly, mean all that I have said upon this Subject; and thus [Page 16]used as they are here, are an undeniable Confirma­tion of it.

Object. But it may be objected; Doth not our Savi­our himself say we must pluck out our right Eye, and cut off our right Hand, in order to eternal Life, if they happen to stand in our way to it, which supposeth they may do so? And doth he not, Luke 14.26, 27. tell us we must hate our dearest Relations, and our own Lives for his sake, and take up our Cross and come after him, or else we cannot be his Disciples? Are not these hard Sayings, very uneasy and difficult to be born, if not immoral and sinful? and also that the Gate is narrow, and many shall seek to enter, and not be able?

Answ. Because the time will not give me leave to make a nice and distinct Explication of the words; I shall only tell you, that by hating Father and Mo­ther, &c. and our own Life, is not hating in a proper and strict sense, but loving of them less than our Savi­our, or his Religion, which he valued above his own Life. And so it is expressed, Matth. 10.37. He that loveth Father and Mother more than me, &c. And so Gen. 29.30, 31. Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah: in ver. 30, 31. 'tis said, and when the Lord saw that Leah was hated. I now proceed to my Answer.

1. Though the Words thus taken import nothing that is sinful or immoral, but what is very rational; be­cause our Saviour loved us, so as to dye for us, and his Religion for our sakes, so as to seal it with his Blood; yet they do signify something that is not easy, and do seem to put upon us a Burden too heavy for us to bear.

1. But then consider in the first place; When a Man is sick mortally, and his Physicians tell him if he will take such a Medicine, it will certainly, or at least very pro­bably cure him, and no other will: If he believes his Physicians, will he not readily suffer this Medicine to be applied to him? will not the bitterest Potion in this case be tollerable, if not pleasant? And will not a Man in his Wits, chuse it rather than a more pleasant or more gustful draught? And what we have reason to make matter of our choice, may in a just sense be called easy or light to us. This case if we apply it, our Religion is our own; our Soules are mortally sick and wounded by our Sins; our Religion the only Medi­cine that can help us, restores us to our Health; and that certainly will do it if we apply it. Now though this requires of us to live no longer to this World, or our selves, but to him that died for us; is it not a plain case, what we are in Reason to do? and doth not the Plainness of the case make our Duty, if not easy, yet not intollerable? But the following Reasons make it easy.

2. The great strength it affords us: that may be to a Man but a Diversion, which to a Child is insupportable; no Man ever had more Difficulties put upon him than St. Paul. The utmost sense of the Objection was his frequent Exercise. How many times did he venture his Life for the Gospel of Christ? yet he made it easy; 2 Cor. 11.23, to 28. as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, 2 Cor 6.10. and he gives a very good reason for it, in Phil. 4.13. [...], I can do all things easily, so the Word imports, through Christ which strengtheneth me. And this strength wherewith Christ assisted him, was no less than the Power of his Resurrection, chap. 3.10. that is, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, [Page 18]made him do all things easily; for this was an ex­perimental Knowledg as the whole Verse demon­strates.

That this is our case as well as St. Paul's, is evident by many places of Scripture; I shall name two or three; 2 Cor. 3.6. The Gospel is called the Ministra­tion of the Spirit, in opposition to the Law, which was but the Ministration of the Letter, which signi­fies, that by the Law of Moses there was no inward Assistance of the Spirit of God, for our Assistance in Religion, as there is under the Gospel, for the Perfor­mance of all the Duties it requires of us; and that eve­ry Christian as well as St. Paul, is to know experimen­tally the Power of our Saviour's Resurrection, or is assisted with that Power which raised Christ from the dead. He himself tells us in Rom. 8.9, 11. where he makes it an essential Character of our Christianity, to have the Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead in us. And Col. 2.12. he attributes our being buried with him in Baptism, and raised again to Newness of Life, which contains all that the Gospel requires of us, to the Faith of the Operation of God, who raised our Saviour from the dead. Philosophy tells us, that Sublunary Bodies are influenced by the Heavens as Ce­lestial Bodies; Is it not as reasonable to believe that our Souls are influenced and enlivened by God? Can­not the Father of Spirits as easily and naturally assist our Spirits, as the Celestial Bodies these below? If so, then what Yoke can possibly be uneasy to us, or what Burden heavy or troublesome, I do not say insupporta­ble, when in all our religious Actions, we act in Con­junction with our Creator?

3. The Greatness of the Reward, proposed in the most emphatical, but intelligible Expressions of Feli­city, [Page 19] As Crowns of Glory, Inheritances incorruptible, and that fade not away, Immortality, Eternal Life, and for these light Afflictions which last but for a Moment, a far more exceeding and Eternal weight of Glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. And whatever we lose here, we are promised for it an hundred fold hereafter.

If we venture and lose into the bargain our Lives, in the dispute for our Saviour and his Religion, we lose but crasy, heavy, painful Bodies, for Bodies spiritual, healthful and incorruptible; Sin and Sickness and Pu­trifaction, for Holiness and Health and Incorruption; these Tabernacles of Clay daily declining and dissolving into the Earth, of which they were at first made; and subject to be broken by many accidental Violences and Knocks they are like to meet with, in the hurry of this World, for a Building of God, a House not made with Hands, Eternal in the Heavens, 2 Cor. 4.1. Who would not chuse to be thus unclothed to be clothed upon with those everlasting Robes of Light and Glory? A full Perswasion of this Reward hath made Fire and Faggot, Swords, and wild Beasts, and all the cruellest Instru­ments of Death, not only eligible, Heb. 11.35. but easy to many hundreds of Christians, that they might obtain a bet­ter Resurrection: And we have reason to believe it from common Experience of humane Affairs, for we daily see that neither Seas nor Rocks, nor Storms nor Tempests, will discourage Men from making very de­sperate Adventures, when they have but probable Expectations of a great Reward; but here is all the Assurance God that cannot lye can give us. And whilest we are here, in the consciencious and sin­cere Practice of our Religion, we have that Peace of God which passeth all Understanding, and is able to make every Yoke easy, and every Burden light our [Page 20]Saviour hath any where in his Religion layed up­on us.

4. It affords us the most powerful Examples, God himself: Matth. 5.45, to the end, where our Saviour commands us to love our Enemies, &c. that we may be the Children of our Heavenly Father: and in the last verse, perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. Now who would stick at any thing that may advance him not only to the Similitude, but Perfection of God him­self? The Duty is something difficult, but the Exam­ple is a sufficient Reward, to make any labour or pains delightful and easy to us. The Son of God took upon him our Nature, to be an Example to us; and here we have an Example of our own Nature, in the Practice of the hardest Duties, in the midst of Opposition, and the worst of times, and of more than he requires of us, namely laying down his Life for his Enemies, and all for our sakes, that we might be encouraged in our Duty.

Complanatur itur vestigiis Domini, said Tertullian: To this Example the Author of the Epistle to the He­brews directs us, chap. 12. ver. 2, 3, 4. lest we be weary, and faint in our Minds.

In chap. 11. he proposes the Examples of very great and wise Men, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and divers others, and both what great things they did and suffered; and in chap. 12. ver. 1. he doth as it were sum up the Evi­dence, that this so great a Cloud of Witnesses, in storms of Persecution assist us with, to make it easy, to lay aside the Sin that so easily besets us; and then rein­forceth the whole Argument, with the Example of our Saviour in the following verses, before mentioned: In chap. 6.12. Be not slothful (saith the same Apostle) but Followers of them who through Faith and Patience in­herit [Page 21]the Promises. He is certainly strangely degene­rated, and sunk into the Ground of which he was at first made, that finds it an uneasy thing not to be sloth­ful. And the Apostle plainly here tells us that any body else will follow those great Examples our Religi­on affords us, and by Faith and Patience inherit the Promises.

Examples all Men acknowledg, and all Experience demonstrates, are a most effectual way of perswading; and in these Examples we have all the advantage the Reverence of Persons, or the Reason of the Thing can assist us with.

5. It supplies us with the most pregnant, and effica­cious Principle of doing or suffering any thing it requires of us. This the serious Consideration of our Religion must necessarily beget in us, if we really believe the Truth of it; for it is nothing else but God's so loving the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who­soever believeth in him should not perish, but have Ever­lasting Life; Joh. 3.16. And this his only begotten Son so loving it, as to be crucified for it. These two Articles contain the substance of the Revelation given us in the Gospel of our Religion. Now if Love be­gets Love, can we believe and think of this Religion without being constrain'd to live no longer to our selves, but to him that dy'd for us? to live to him and die for him when he requires it of us? And the Con­straints of Love are the Extasies and Triumphs of it, which make every thing easy and delightful. Thus our Christianity without us impresseth its own Cha­racters within us, and becomes the Gospel of Christ written in our Hearts, and our Faith removeth Moun­tains, and makes all ways plain, and overcometh the World, and crucifieth the Flesh with its Affections [Page 22]and Lusts; working by the Love of Christ shed abroad and rooted and grounded in our Hearts. This one Ar­ticle of Christ crucified thus digested in Succum & San­guinem, into the Temper and Nourishment of our Souls, producing the most pleasing Acts (as all the Acts of Love are) upon the most perfect and Satis­factory Object. God thus manifested in the Flesh, must needs give Power to the faint, and to them that have no Might increase Strength. So that they shall mount up with Wings like Eagles, and run the Ways of our Savi­our's Commandments, and not be weary, and walk con­tinually in them and not faint, as the Prophet Isaiah speaks in another case.

This is a great Demonstration that our Saviour's Yoke is easy and Burden light; because when we see our Saviour's Love to us stronger than the bitterest Death in him; our Love to him must needs be as strong as any Death can be in us.

6. And lastly, From the kind Acceptance of our Heavenly Father, he requireth not Perfection, but Sin­cerity: He knows our Frame, and remembers we are but Dust, Psal. 103.14. remembers how he at first framed Man of the Dust of the Ground. And ver. 13. As a Father pityeth his Children, so the Lord pitieth those that fear him. The Apostle saith the same thing in other words, 2 Cor. 8.12. If there be first a willing Mind, it is accepted, according to that a Man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

Now no Man can pretend difficulty in Sincerity; our Wills are more our own than any thing else we call ours, our inward Thoughts and Inclinations the only [...] that belong to us, the Philosopher will tell us. Lying and Dissimulation plainly are a force upon us, and we feel it so when ever we are guilty: [Page 23]Hypocrisy is stoutness against God, and Cowardise to Man, (as my Lord Bacon tells us) and is not this the most unnatural and uneasy thing in the World? Our own Experience will assure us, that 'tis much easier to act our selves than the Person of another; we act our selves often to our disadvantage, because we do it extempore, before we are aware: but to act another, Men learn and try Practice before-hand, some time before they will venture to do it in publick. This also de­monstrates (being so acceptable to God) that our Sa­viour's Yoke is easy, and his Burden light.

Thus I have finish'd what I proposed in the second place, which was to demonstrate, That although the Christian Religion be a Yoke and a Burden, yet this Yoke is easy and this Burden light.

I shall apply it as briefly and seasonably as I can.

Then let us not make it more uneasy to one ano­ther than our Saviour hath made it.

1. In respect of our common or ordinary Conversa­tion, there is an old Proverb too true, [...], Men are Devils to one another, to tempt one another to Sin. Hab. 2.15. Wo unto him that giveth his Neighbour Drink, that puttest thy Bottle to him, and makest him drunk also, that thou mayst look on his Naked­ness: Where the Prophet plainly threatens that sort of Men that make a Mock of Sin, especially of that beastly Sin of Drunkenness, and for their Sport and Diversion tempt one another to it, and vie one with another for the Victory in the commission of it; not­withstanding the Prophet Isaiah's Woe which he pro­nounceth against those who are mighty to drink Wine, and Men of strength to mingle strong Drink; Isa. 5.22. [Page 24]There is the same Reason against our tempting one another to any Sin; for by so doing we make the Yoke of Christ much more sharp and uneasy, and the Bur­den of Christ much heavier to one another than other­wise it would be; that is, our Conversion and Rege­neration. Heb. 10.24. the Apostle tells us we are to con­sider one another to provoke unto Love and to Good Works. Thus we shall bear one anothers Burdens, Gal. 6.2. and so help one another to fulfil the Law of Christ, to make his Yoke easy, and his Burden light.

2. Upon the Account of our Religion, which at first I said was the Yoke and Burden mention'd in the Text.

We make this uneasier than Christ hath made it to one another.

1. When we impose as necessary Articles of our Faith, either what it is certain our Saviour and his Apostles never imposed, or uncertain whether they did or no.

Articles of Faith necessary to Salvation can derive Authority from none but God; he only can tell us what will be acceptable to himself: so that the Scrip­tures only of the Old and New Testament (by all Protestants) being the Revelation that God hath given of his Will in this case to us: Whatsoever is made ne­cessary that is not here, must be a very uneasy Yoke, and heavy Burden: for 'tis not in a Man's power to believe as Men would have him; we cannot believe beyond our Evidence, and our Evidence must be as we can understand it: So that what is necessary must be supposed to be intelligibly reveal'd to all concern'd in the belief of it.

This hath often made me think that we should be easier to one another were the Articles of our Faith given us in the very words of the Scripture; I am [Page 25]sure that both the Orthodox and the Arrians in the Council of Nice concurred in this; that all the Mis­chiefs of the Church of God were caused by bringing in words into the Creeds of the Church, which were not in the Scriptures; Consequences indeed are as sure as the express Terms of the Scriptures, but Infallibi­lity in these Consequences seems to be necessary for Articles of Faith; because infallible Authority only can create them. Certainty may satisfy a Man's Con­science for his own Sense and Compliance, but for Terms of Communion that may not be sufficient, be­cause that is so according to Mens different Capacities and Apprehensions: And 'tis Humility and Piety to consent with Antiquity, but still this will recur; we cannot be sure of our Revelation, because nothing is infallible but the Word of God. And upon this account the Papists objecting to us the uncertainty or insecu­rity of our Faith, would be to their purpose, did not we attribute the same infallible Authority to the Word of God, which they do to the Determinations of their Church. And did not the Word of God declare what is nececessary to be believed, as intelligibly as their Church ever did or can express it self. But this ne­cessarily follows that we are to believe no more than the Word of God declares to us, and also as it de­clares it; and if we desire more of one another, we make Christ's Yoke more uneasy, and his Burden hea­vier than he hath made it: I cannot see how this Consequence can be avoided. But I speak all this with Submission.

This sufficiently confutes and condemns the Tyranny of the Church of Rome, in making the grand [...], or Character of her Communion, the belief of innu­merable Contradictions in that one Article of Transub­stantiation, [Page 26]stantiation, by her voluntary misinterpretation of one of the plainest places in the New Testament, Mat. 26.27, 28. where our Saviour useth the plainest way of speaking, namely Metaphorical, and the most in­telligible Metaphors of Bread and Wine, to signify to us by our very Senses, the great Benefits of his Passion. This must be very uneasy; for our Souls feel a Con­tradiction as our Senses discern their proper Objects; else we could never know the Reason of any thing we enquire after.

But this justifies the Moderation of the Church of England, which in her publick Catechism makes the Articles of the Apostles Creed, made up of nothing but Scripture, only necessary to Salvation: Where we do not put our Sense to God's Words, and then Curse, and Burn, and Damn one another for dissenting, as Mr. Chil­lingworth observes: But 'tis most evident they do in ve­ry many Articles of their Faith, and then stamp the Character of Necessity upon them, which undeniably makes the Yoke of Christ far more uneasy, and his Burden much heavier than he hath made it.

2. Thus also the same Church of Rome hath made our Saviour's Yoke much straiter, and his Burden heavier than he hath made it, in imposing innumerable Rites, and external Observances in the Practice of Religion and the Worship of God.

That the Worship of God under the Gospel is to differ from that under the Law (called Heb. 9.10. Car­nal Ordinances; and there said to be imposed until the time of Reformation, that is, the Gospel) in its Purity and Spirituality, is clearly asserted by our Saviour, Jo. 4.21, 24. and proved from the Spirituality of God's Na­ture; God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in Spirit and in Truth: not only in the Sin­cerity [Page 27]of our Hearts, but with a sort of Worship as near as may be in its Nature and Constitution, suitable to the Purity and Spirituality of the Nature of God; which we apprehend as well as we can in this imperfect State we are in, when we abstract from him all the Im­perfections of Body or Matter, and retain no other Con­ception of him, but of a Being infinitely Perfect; and one great End of Divine Worship is, to impress and preserve this Notion of God sensibly and distinctly in our Minds, by the gracious Influences of his particular Attributes and Perfections (his infinite Mercy, Righ­teousness, Purity, &c.) in our attendance upon him, until we were changed into the same Image, 2 Cor. 3.18. as we are capable.

Now though the publick Conduct of Divine Wor­ship be left to the Governours of the Church, yet at their Peril they are obliged not to institute any thing to the Preiudice of this blessed Effect of God's Worship and Service upon the Souls of Men.

Corporeal Images and many bodily Rites or Ceremo­nies are great and manifest Inconveniences in this case; for they are so contrary to the Spirituality and Purity of the Divine Nature, that like a thick and condensed Cloud they so eclipse the Light of the Sun of Righte­ousness, the Light of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; that to worship God who is a Spirit, in Spirit and in Truth by these, must be a very uneasy Yoke, and a Burden, at least to the generality of Men, insupportable. The Church of Rome is greatly con­cern'd to take notice of this; for such Tricks she plays in the Worship of God, both with her Images, and innumerable Ceremonies; such Pageant Shews she sets off her Publick Devotions with; that 'tis rea­sonable to fear the far greatest part of her Communion, [Page 28]instead of edifying their Minds with Divine Service, with the gracious Influences of the Divine Attributes, only divert and entertain their Senses; and when they go to Church, either worship nothing at all, or they know not what, or commit the grossest Ido­latry in worshipping Pictures and Images, Stocks and Stones guilded and printed. And though they re­nounce the Names of Judaism or Heathenism in their Religious Worship, yet they would oblige the World to an Equivolent in too strict a Sense to all the Su­perstitions of the Jews, and the Idolatries of the Gen­tiles, and so impose upon Mankind a Yoke far more uneasy, and a much heavier Burden than our Saviour doth.

But we must not rest here: For the Spirituality of God's Worship under the Gospel being a necessary Qualification of it; some Men may possibly scruple without any Malice or ill Design, some Rites or U­sages in the Worship of God, as being contrary to its Spirituality. Nothing but Order and Decency may be design'd by them, or some external Orna­ments for the Service of God; and by a fair and rati­onal Interpretation they may be so used, without be­ing any Impediments to the Purity or Spirituality of Divine Worship. Yet seeing all Men cannot have the same Sense of these things, and seeing what a Man scruples he can never be edified by it, we are to consider the Infirmities of our Brethren; for Order and Decency here is best, when they are in Subservi­ency to Edification.

Men are not made for Laws, but Laws are made for Men. Our Ecclesiastical History is a Demonstration, and many other Histories too, that the World must be govern'd as it can, and not as we will; and it is [Page 29]to be considered, the narrower the Fence is, the more are excluded to attack it; and what is often attack'd in this World, we see by constant Experience, tumbles down one time or other. Unity only doth not create strength; there must be a Conjunction of Unity and Number together.

But then as wise Builders consider what the matter will bear, they are to make use of; so must also the Buil­ders or Edifiers of the Church, and accordingly ap­ply themselves to it; or else before we are aware, we impose a more uneasy Yoke, and a heavier Burden upon one another than our Saviour hath.

Dr. Hammond out of Rabbi Joshua interprets the hea­vy Burdens of the Pharisees, Superfluities of Worship, and troublesome Rites introduced under-hand into the Jewish Religion. And Maimonides (he observes) calls the Addittaments by which they made the Law heavy, Plagas, Severities. Thus they made God's Yoke more uneasy to one another, and his Burden heavier, than God had made them. It is our Duty not to imitate the Scribes and Pharises, but our Saviour in the Text, whose Yoke is easy, and Burden light.

3. Let us not make it more uneasy to our selves, then our Saviour hath made it.

1. In our private Capacities, Let us not by evil Company, or Customs, habituate our selves to Sin, and make it natural to us; If ever our Religion doth us good, it must reform us; for Faith and Repentance are nothing less than Regeneration.

The longer we wear the Yoke of our Sins, and carry the Burden of our Lusts about us, the more uneasy will it be to put on our Saviour's, though in themselves never so much easier or lighter than they: Isa. 28.7, 8, 9, 10. The Priest and the Prophets, erred through Wine, they were swallowed up of it, they had swallowed it down so fast: What was the Consequence? Whom shall he teach Knowledg, and make to understand Doctrine? them that are weaned from the Milk, and drawn from the Breasts; for Precept must be upon Precept, Precept upon Precept, &c. The Sense is, they had by their Sensuality ren­dred themselves as uncapable of understanding spiri­tual things as little Children, and must be so instruct­ed as they use to be. How unfit then for the beati­fick Vision hereafter? Flesh and Blood thus qualified, (to be sure) cannot enter into the Kingdom of Hea­ven: Fugite enervatas delicias per quas permadescunt animi. Senec.

Those feeble Pleasures whereby Mens Minds are weakened, and being thus steep'd and soak'd in Sensu­ality; and put down by this Burden of the Flesh, thus bound upon them by their Lusts, are utterly senseless of higher or more noble Felicities than the Earth affords them.

2. In our religious Relation to one another, Phil. 2.14. The Apostle commands us to do all things with­out Murmurings and Disputings. Nothing more in its proper place, than Unity and Obedience in Religion. The Golden Rule our Saviour hath given us of doing as we would be done unto, can never be more usefully applyed, than in this case; we are to use our Gover­nours, [Page 31]as we would be used our selves, were we in their Circumstances; and when they are coming to meet us, let us not start back or turn away from them: let us con­cerning them, believe all things, hope all things; that is, put the most charitable and candid Interpretation upon their Commands.

The Church of England is not superstitious in im­posing her Ceremonies, because she declares the Na­ture of them, and pretends only to humane Authority for their immediate Appointment or Obligation.

But Superstition may easily get in at the other Door, because God is here immediately pretended: for no­thing can excuse our Disobedience, but some Law or Command of God; now if there be none, and yet the Fear and Authority of God is pretended, we are soberly to consider where the Superstition in this case must be applied: for Superstition is not so much in the matter a Man is about, as in his Mind; innocent things may be superstitiously used, yea the best and holiest Institutions. And there is a negative as well as posi­tive Superstition; a Man may be as superstitious in be­ing against the use of some things in Religion, as any Man can be, in being for them; because the Super­stition lies in fearing God where no Fear is, where God hath been pleased not at all to concern himself. And thus we may easily make our Saviour's Yoke more un­easy to our selves, and his Burden more heavy than he hath made them.

4. Lastly, Let us all consider, how earnestly St. Paul beseeches us; Eph. 4.1, to the 7th. by the peculiar Graces of our Religion, ver. 2. To keep the Ʋnity of the [Page 32]Spirit in the bond of Peace, ver 3. He tells us, ver. 1. that it is to walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith we are called; that is, otherwise we are unworthy of the Name of Christians; and proves it, ver. 4. because we are called into one Body, and therefore must be acted by one Spirit: which he further proves, ver. 5, 6. be­cause there is but one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all. How passionately he beseecheth us to do it, Phil. 2.1, to 9. adding to all his other Arguments the Example of our Saviour's voluntary Passion, and Death upon the Cross for us.

Let us all seriously read Gal. 5.20, 22. Are the matters we differ about, and produce so many of the Fruits of the Flesh amongst us, mentioned in ver. 20. of such Consequence as that we should hazard the sweet and blessed Fruits of the Spirit mentioned, ver. 22. Love, Joy, Peace, &c. either in the Vindication of them, or opposition to them? And are not these excellent Fruits of the Spirit, too often check'd and in dan­ger to be blasted both by our Zeal for them and against them?

Let the very Heathen provoke us to Love, and good Works towards one another. St. Austin tells us that the Philosophers had almost as many Opinions about the chief Good as there were Sects amongst them; which (from Varro) he saith were above 200. Yet Tertullian observes they all agreed about the Necessity of Pati­ence, which may be a Reason why they did not perse­cute one another as we do. And certainly the Article about the chief Good is an essential Article in every Religion; and that they wanted not Zeal to preserve [Page 33]their Religion, the poor Christians felt very often to their cost.

Let us fear lest whilst the Protestant Princes are confe­derate, and spending their Blood and Treasure, for their own and our Preservation, we by our bitter Zeal about uncertain and little things should make it impracticable; for if we bite and devour one another, we shall be con­sumed one of another. And what account can we give of our selves in the other World: for certainly as the planting Christianity at first was the best Cause God ever had in this World, so the Reformation of it must be the next best; and as that was first planted and secured very much by the Love and Unity of its Professors, so must also the Reformation of it be.

Let us remember what we would have done in the day of our Distress ('tis not so long since but we may do it) for this Unity I am speaking of, when we plainly saw for want of it, we were but threshing Instruments in the Hands of our Enemies to break in pieces one ano­ther; and they are as malicious and industrious still as ever they were, and also as confident they shall do it.

Lastly, Let us consider that no return for our mira­culous Deliverance, can be more grateful than this to the Divine Majesty; for God is Love, and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God, and God in him, 1 John 4.16. And also that the Love that was in our Savi­our's Passion, made it an Offering and Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling Savour. The Providence of God hath given us a greater Opportunity than any Age ever saw, to heal our Divisions, that I know of; every [Page 34]Opportunity to do good is an Obligation, but a special Providence is the Voice of Heaven, calling upon us upon that occasion to do our Duty.

Thus I have, as briefly as I could, laid open the Ea­siness and Difficulty of our Religion, and prov'd, that though we have made it difficult, our Saviour hath made it easy; and that to wear our Saviour's Yoke, and bear his Burden, and imitate him in the Text, is the only infallible means of Ease and Happiness here, both in our selves, and one another; and everlasting Happiness, in the Enjoyment of God together here­after; to which blessed Temper here, and happy State hereafter, the God of Peace and Love bring us all: And the Peace of God which passeth all Ʋnder­standing, keep our Hearts and Minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.