which He hath procured for us. But, blessed be His Name for it, if we do but come unto Him, He is both able and willing to do, not only this, but whatsoever else we can desire of Him.

For He will not only free us from the strength, but likewise from the guilt of these sins we labour under. He will take care that all our bonds and obligations to punishment be cancelled, and made void by virtue of that infinite satisfaction which He Himself hath made to Divine justice for them. For He being both God and man in one and the same person, whatsoever He suffered as man could not but be of infinite value and merit; because, though the nature in which He suffered was but finite, yet the person which suffered in that nature was infinite. Hence, therefore, this Divine Person suffering in our human nature, not only stripes, agonies, reproaches, but even death itself, that death which was due to the whole nature of man, being undergone by it in the Divine Person, was more than if all the human persons in the world had suffered eternal death; and, by consequence, as much as justice itself could require. And therefore it is said that He was made "a Propitiation for the sins 1 John 2.2. of the whole world;" that is, in the words of our Church, "He, by His one oblation of Himself once offered, hath made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world," or of all mankind. Insomuch, that if any one man's sins be not pardoned by them, it is not for want of sufficiency in Christ's sufferings, but by reason of his own obstinacy or negligence in not performing the conditions required for the applying the sufferings of the human nature in Christ unto his own particular person. For, seeing that that death, which was threatened to all mankind in the first Adam, was undergone by the whole nature of man in the Second; hence all particular persons, comprehended under that general nature, are capable of receiving the benefit of those sufferings, if they will but apply them rightly to themselves. And all that is required for the application of them is only to perform the duty enjoined in my text, even to come to Christ in the sense which I have now explained: for if we do that, Christ Himself hath here told us, that He will give us rest.

SERM.

CXVI.

Having thus explained these words unto you, I might now use some arguments whereby to prevail upon you to go to Christ, that so you may find rest to your souls: but that I hope will be altogether needless and in vain. For, needs a shipwrecked seaman be courted to come to shore, or a weary traveller to a place of rest? Needs a man in want be desired to receive relief, or one in pain to accept of ease? How then can we, who know how many and great our sins have been, how strong and prevalent our lusts still are, how can we need arguments to persuade us to go to Christ, Who alone can save us? However, I humbly crave leave in His Name, to speak a few words unto you.

Although you be here at present, the time you know will come when you will all be in another world; either in a world of happiness, or else in a world of misery, that is, either in Heaven or in Hell, there to live for evermore. And, from your presence here at this time, I cannot but conclude that you all desire and hope when you die to go to Heaven, the only place of real and eternal happiness. But Heaven, you know, is a place where none but Saints can come; and, therefore, unless you be, not such as call themselves Saints in our days, but really and truly so, you can never expect to come thither. But, blessed be God for it, you are all as yet capable of attaining such a degree of sanctity as to fit and qualify you for Heaven and eternal glory for Christ is ready to confer it upon you if you will but come to Him, so as to put your whole trust and confidence only in Him for it. Indeed a steadfast hope and dependence upon God is a certain way to accomplish any good and lawful enterprise we undertake: for God never yet did, nor ever will fail them that put their trust in Him. How much more when we trust on Him for the assistance of His Own Grace and Spirit, to serve Himself with a perfect heart and willing mind, according to His promises declared unto mankind in Jesus Christ our Lord!

Wherefore, in the Name of Him that made you, that preserves you, and hath redeemed you with His Own blood; in His Name I humbly pray and beseech you all to hearken to your Saviour's call, and resolve, without any more ado, to

go unto Him. In order whereunto, I would advise you to observe these few necessary rules.

First; be sure to continue firm and steadfast to Christ's Holy Catholic Church, and particularly to that part of it which is established among you; and suffer not yourselves to be seduced either into Popery or Schism upon any pretence whatsoever. For if you either separate yourselves, or be justly separated from the Church, which is Christ's body, ye will be thereby deprived of all communion with Him that is the Head of it.

But, in the next place, think it not enough that ye are outward and visible members of Christ's Church; but live up to the rules and orders of it, constantly using the several means of grace and Salvation, which are thereby administered to you, prescribed by Christ Himself as the way whereby to go unto Him; such as fasting and praying, and praising God, and hearing His Holy Word publicly read and expounded to you, and especially, receiving the Sacraments of Christ's mystical body and blood, ordained on purpose for our more intimate access unto Him, and communion with Him, that we may partake of the influences of His Holy Spirit, and of the merits of that death which He suffered for us. And, therefore, they who really mind the concerns of another life, cannot but look upon it as a great happiness to live in a place where this Holy Sacrament is so duly and frequently administered as it is here. And they who either totally omit, or frequently neglect it, will one day wish they had not but then it will be too late.

Lastly; content not yourselves with the mere outward performance of these and the like duties, but perform them heartily and sincerely, with your whole souls as well as bodies; still believing and trusting on Christ to make them effectual to the purposes for which He hath appointed them.

Do this, and then I dare assure you, in His Name, that He will soon make good His word and fulfil His promise to you. For He, by His Holy Spirit, accompanying the means, will so enlighten your minds, rectify your wills, and regulate all your passions, as to sanctify your whole souls and reduce them to a right temper and constitution, and then He will soon discharge and absolve you from all your sins, and

SERM. give rest to your souls, not only from all evil here, but in God Himself, the chiefest of all goods, hereafter.

CXVI.

And that ye may neither fear to come unto Him, nor doubt of receiving such great blessings from Him; hark, He Himself here calls you with His Own mouth, saying, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Oh, blessed invitation! God, of His infinite mercy, grant that we may all with thankfulness accept of it, in and through Him Who hath made it to us, even our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; to Whom with the Father and Holy Spirit, be all honour, praise, and glory, from this time forth, and for evermore. Amen."

SERMON CXVII.

THE EASINESS OF CHRIST'S YOKE.

MATT. xi. 30.

For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

OUR great Lord and Master, Christ, in the foregoing verses, calls upon all such as "labour and are heavy laden,' and bids them come to Him, and to "take His yoke upon them;" that is, to become His Disciples, believe His doctrine, submit to His discipline, and give up themselves wholly to be ruled and governed by Him; assuring them, for their encouragement, that if they do this, howsoever uneasy, restless, and weary they were before, they should soon find rest to their souls. But lest they should doubt or wonder how that could be, considering it is a yoke that He would have them take upon them, which might be as heavy and troublesome as that which they laboured under, and were heavy laden with before; to prevent all such doubts and fears, He acquaints them with the easiness of that yoke, and the lightness of that burden which He would put upon them. "For My yoke," saith He, " is easy, and My burden is light;" where the word xgnaròs, which we translate' easy,' signifies also good, and gracious, and pleasant, and useful; and therefore the meaning of our Lord in general is, that whatsoever He requires us either to do or to suffer for Him, may be both done and suffered with ease and pleasure; that He doth not invite us to a sour, melancholy, and disconsolate course of life, nor impose any thing upon us, that will make