Having thus laid before you fome of the obligations which we are under to receive the yoke of Chrift, arifing from our nature and conftitution, from the regard due to the authority of God, and from our own explicit or implied engagements, let me endeavour to confirm the sense of these obligations by feveral motives; and this may be confidered as a continuation, in fome measure, of my former fubject: for, to a reasonable creature, a just motive is a proper ground for action, and lays him under an obligation to act accordingly. In the first place, my brethren, the service to which you are bound, by fubmitting to this yoke, is both reasonable and easy. As Christians, we are not loaded with the yoke of rites, ceremonies, and external obfervances, which was fo heavy upon the Jews, that neither thofe in the days of our Saviour, nor their fathers, were able to bear it'. The dominion of Chrift, tends to free us from the flavery of fin, from the power of Satan, from the tyrannic fway of our own lufts, and to make us obey the best principles of our na ture, 1 Acts xv. 10. ture, and yield to their dictates. The religion of the Lord Jefus is, therefore, called the perfect law of liberty". By engaging in his fervice, we are faid to be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the fons of God": and Christians are exhorted to stand faft in the liberty wherewith Chrift hath made them free. Our Saviour also declares immediately after the text, that his yoke is eafy, and his burden light. The objection which arifes to this from the weakness and depravity of our natures, I shall take occafion to obviate afterwards. At prefent, I proceed to perfuade you to comply with the advice in the text, from a review of the character of that Master, into whose service you are here called. I fhall chiefly confine myself to the confideration of thofe circumstances in his character, which are marked in the text. We are there told, that he is meek and lowly in heart; and how perfectly his actions correfpond to this character, let his whole life teftify. Can my foul ever forget his condefcenfion to his difciples, his forbearance to his enemies, his patience under ■ James i. 25. n Rom, viii. 21. • Gal. v. I. der his afflictions, and the numberlefs good offices, by which he alleviated or removed the miseries of men? To display him fully in this character, need I bring to your remembrance, that night in which he rose from fupper, and, having laid afide his garments, girded himself with a towel, and washed his dif ciples feet? Need I recall to your minds the compaffionate manner in which he spoke to the daughters of Jerufalem, and defired them to reserve their tears for their own miferies, when they were pouring them out for his? What finner did this meek and merciful Master ever reject, if he came with a penitent heart? It was foretold to be his character, and he ftill retains it, that he will not break the bruifed reed, nor quench the fmoaking flax. How striking and how beautiful is the prediction concerning him, and how fully did he accomplish it! He shall feed bis flock like a shepherd, he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bofom, and gently lead thofe that are with young'. When you confider your weaknesses, your irrefolution, your follies, and your vices, are you P John xiii. 4, 5. 9 Ifa. xlii. 3. Matt, xii. 20. * Ifa. xl. 2. you not fenfible that it would be impossible for you ever to please an auftere mafter? or could any other be a fit Lord for you, but he who has a fellow-feeling of your infirmities ? Your meek and lowly Mafter imposes upon you no taiks which he himfelf did not fubmit to. He is not like the pharifaical doctors who faid, and did not, who bound heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and laid them on other men's fhoulders, but would not touch them with one of their fingers. In the severeft inftances of our duty, he left us an example, that we fhould follow his fteps. In what school can we learn, where the inftructor would be fo ready to bear our frowardness, to pardon our neglects, and forgive our faults? If you refufe this Saviour, where will you find one like him? For there is no encouragement that he refufes, no affiftance that he denies. This leads me to confider, as another motive to induce you to take his yoke upon you, which will likewife obviate every objection from the depravity of our nature, the gracious aids of his holy Spirit, which he will vouchfafe fafe to all who fincerely ask them, and rely upon them. Our Saviour did not leave this world, till he had promifed that the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, should come to teach and affift his followers. Whatever difficulties, therefore, we may meet with in our Chriftian course, by the aid of the divine Spirit we may be rendered fuperior to them. If the combat in which we engage, in order to fubdue our irregular appetites, be fevere, from the Spirit we may derive that strength which fhall render us victorious. Do we labour under any difeafe whatever of the mind? By the help of that Physician who formed the heart, and knows its maladies, furely it may be cured. And, Christians, though we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against fpiritual wickedness in high places", yet, by his Spirit who conquered the powers of darkness, and who overcame the world, all these may be refifted by us; and with fuch divine affistance, his yoke may be termed an eafy one, and his burden light.. Finally, Eph, vi. 12. |