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will unite their utmost force to obftruct us in our courfe. Yet if we will be his difciples, it must be our refolution, amidst every difcouragement and imperfection, to make it our aim thus to follow Chrift.

We

And now having confidered the feveral duties enjoined in the text, and the difficulties both real and imaginary which attend them; let me afk, What man who duly weighs these things, and by the grace of God enters into the spirit of them, can have any objection to the becoming a difciple of Jefus? His fervice is most reasonable advantageous and honourable. have every imaginable confideration to engage us to enter upon it, and to animate us in it. His yoke is eafy, and his burden is light. Nay more than this; his ways are ways of pleasantness, and all his paths peace'. But I fhall not enter on these things at present they will be the fubjects of the following discourses.

In the mean while let us examine ourselves, whether we are the disciples of Christ. Is it our concern, in the sense our Saviour is to be understood, to deny or please our felves? to take up the cross or to fhun it? to follow Chrift or the world? These are interefting questions.

Matth. xi. 30.

i Prov. iii. 17.

It will be happy if we can make a favourable reply. Be the answer however what it may, God grant that henceforth we may be perfuaded, by the alluring influence of divine grace, to make his fervice the object of our main attention, and most chearful pursuit !

DISCOURSE

**

DISCOURSE VI.

The Difficulties of Religion
furmounted.

PART I.

MATTH. xi. 30.

For my yoke is eafy, and my burden is light.

XO fpake the bleffed Jefus in the days of his flesh, when he conde

S

fcended himself, with his own kind lips, to publish the glad tidings

of falvation.

His miniftry, it seems, had met with very ungrateful treatment, from

thofe

thofe very cities wherein most of his mighty works were done. Chorazin Bethfaida and Capernaum had not repented of their fins, but obftinately perfifted in unbelief. He rejoices however that there were those, even among the mean and illiterate, upon whom the bleffings of religion were bestowed: and acknowledging the diftinguishing goodness of God herein, he adds, Even fo Father, for fo it feemed good in thy fight. Upon which he takes occafion very explicitly to assert his own character, and the important ends of his miffion; that all things were delivered unto him of his Father, and that he was authorized to reveal him and his grace to whomfoever he would'. Agreeable therefore to the commiffion he had received, he applies himself immediately to the duties of his prophetic character, earnestly intreating all who labour and are heavy laden, to come to him, to take his yoke upon them, and to fubmit to his inftruction; affuring them at the fame time that they fhall find reft unto their fouls". For, fays he in the text, My goke is eafy, and my burden is light.

Some think our Saviour here refers to the ceremonial law; and that as he is speaking more immediately to Jews, he intends the

* Ver. 26.

1 Ver. 27.

. Ver. 28, 29.

advantage

advantage of an exemption from that law, which they would obtain by becoming his difciples. And certain it is, that the observation of those rites was a yoke, which neither they nor their fathers were able to bear, and from which Chrift did at the proper time release his followers: wherefore he might be justly faid on this account to have given them reft. And fince the new difpenfation he established in the room of it, is plain and familiar, and the inftitutions of it few and easy to be performed; his yoke might with good reafon be ftiled an easy yoke. It is certain likewife that the Pharifees and teachers of the law did, by their vain traditions, unwarrantably add weight to the burden which Mofes had laid upon the people. As therefore our Lord on all occafions, very freely expofed and condemned these iniquitous encroachments of ecclefiaftical power, he might be properly faid in this respect also, to have given them reft. While at the fame time, the burden he impofed on his difciples was light in comparifon with theirs; fince what he required was in itself most fit and reasonable, however a compliance with it might expose them to fome few temporary inconveniencies.

But

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