SERMON XXXIV.

MATTHEW Xi, 30.

MY YOKE IS EASY, AND MY BURDEN LIGHT.

A

of its precepts.

MONG the objections to christianity, perhaps none have greater weight than the ftrictness None come fo near our feelings. We can reason fedately about a doctrine: but a precept demands inftant compliance; and the temptations of the world are fo ftrong, that people are often more inclined to feek for a pretence to evade, than for a rule to follow.

But now let us confider from whom these objections arife. Always from bad men. Depend upon it, you never heard a good man complain of the difficulties of religion. In fhort, you never

heard

heard any one complain of the difficulties of Chrift's yoke, who had, in earnest put it on. So that fuch objectors, you fee, are unqualified judges. They cannot poffibly know, whether Chrift's yoke is light, or heavy. They have never

tried it.

That Chrift's yoke, which reftrains our paffions, and appetites, fhould be irkfome to men, who have long run wild in the habits of fin, is matter of no furprize. The wonder would be, were it otherwife.

Obferve then-all the text means to affert, is, that they, who have put on Chrift's yoke, and have had the refolution to accuftom themfelves to it, will not only find it easier than the yoke of fin; but in itself alfo eafy and pleasant. And this, I hope, will appear from confidering, firft the precepts of the gospel as reasonable, and agreeable to the nature of man; and fecondly from fhewing that we are fufficiently enabled to practise them.

First, the precepts of the gospel are reasonable, and agreeable to our nature. God means the happinefs of all his creatures; and if we take a view of the principal parts of our duty-of that hard yoke, which Chrift lays upon us--it will eafily apH 3 pear,

pear, that he hath commanded us nothing, but what is reasonable, and tends to our happiness.

Now the principal parts of our duty are, that we should love, and obey God-that we fhould be juft, and charitable to our neighbour-and temperate with regard to ourfelves.

In the firft place, with regard to God, it is true we are, in general, much more inclined to love the world but if we think justly, we must think, it is much more reafonable, and tends more to our happiness, to love God. If indeed we do not believe in God, and a future ftate, it is another affair we have then nothing to do with any precepts of this kind: but only to make the most of this life, while we enjoy it; being persuaded, that when it is over, all is over.-But if we really do believe in God, that he made us-that he preferves us-that he gives us every thing we enjoy-that he redeemed us-that he will hereafter call us to account-and will either reward, or punifh us, as we have behaved well, or ill-if we believe all this, it is certainly more reasonable to place our affections on this great, and good being, than on any of the things we meet with in this world. The comparifon at once fhews it. Every thing in this world perishes; and can neither infure our happiness

here,

here, nor give us the leaft hopes of it hereafter. God does both.

Again, with regard to our neighbour, it is reafonable furely, that we fhould be just to him; because every kind of fraud deftroys all the bonds, by which mankind are held together. It is reafonable alfo to be charitable to our neighbour; because in every fociety, there must be many people, who from various circumftances, and misfortunes have not the means of fubfiftence without the aid of others. It may also be our own cafe.

Thus again, the feveral duties, we owe ourfelves, are reafonable. Temperance is reasonable, because it is neceffary to keep us in health. Induftry is reasonable, because it is our duty to maintain our families. Contentment is reasonable, because discontent only makes us unhappy, without doing us any good and fo of all other virtues. -Of the reasonablenefs therefore of these things, and of their tendency to our happiness, there cannot well be any doubt.-But the force of the objection, I prefume, goes farther. Strict juftice, common charity, and mere temperance, are not fufficient. Chriftianity enjoins us, to do to others, as we would have them do to us; which is more than ftrict juftice-to love our enemies, which is

more

more than common charity; and to mortify our members upon earth, which is more than mere tem

perance.

We allow all this: but now let us proceed a step farther; and fee whether these things also are not reafonable and tend to our happiness.

Suppofe fome friendly perfon fhould make you an offer of a large eftate, upon the performance of certain conditions; which conditions, at the same time, were abfolutely neceffary to qualify you for the enjoyment of this eftate-were in your own power and in all refpects beneficial to you; would it not, think you, be reafonable to perform thefe conditions, tho they might put you to fome. little inconvenience; and, in a degree, leffen your pleasures? And would not every body fay, if you did not perform them, that you were blind to your own intereft; and not governed by the common rules of reafon? In fhort, is there one

among you, who would not gladly perform fuch conditions, to obtain a plentiful provifion, even for the fhort time he lived in this world?

Now, if you really believe in God in the chriftian religion-in the redemption purchased for us by Chrift—and in a future ftate of rewards, and punishments, this is precifely the cafe. The christian