SERM.

And let me add, that I would not permit MyVIII. felf to recommend fuch Thoughts as Thefe, in this Audience, If I were not fully perfuaded that they are Thoughts, which will blunt and foften the Thorns and Cares of Power; will throw Comfort into the Retirements of the Great and High; and scatter Innocence and Honour through the whole System of their Actions: Which will moft fafely conduct them through the Troubles, and Allurements, of their present Situations; will animate them to be like God himself, in the exerting all their Capacities for the Happiness of the World around them; and give them an Ambition to excel in every thing praife-worthy here, in order to their obtaining a Seat in that State of future Bliss, which is represented in the New Testament, as a Kingdom unfhaken in the Heavens, far out of the Reach of all fuch Commotions and Disorders, as are feen in the Kingdoms of this World; and as a continuing City, the Seat of Established Happiness for

ever.

Chrift's

Chrift's YOKE, Eafy; and
BURTHEN, Light.

SERMON

IX.

Preached before the KING, Febr. 27,

1736-7.

For

I

MATTHEW xi. 30.

my Yoke is Eafy, and my Burthen is Light.

IX.

T is not improbable that our Blessed Lord, SER M. when he spake thefe and the foregoing Words, was looking upon Crowds of Travellers, coming up to Jerufalem, upon fome great Feaft-Day; many of them loaded with Burthens, and all tired and weary with their Journey and that, according to his ufual Custom in other Cafes, He took Occafion from hence to speak to Them, who now wanted Reft of Body, concerning another Sort of Reft, of far greater Confequence; the true

SER M. Reft and Happiness of reasonable Creatures: calling their Minds from the low Concerns of w their Bodies, to the higher ones of their immor

IX.

tal Souls; and from the Bustle and Hurry of this World, to the Calm and Quiet of true Religion.

But, whatever the immediate Occafion of
this Difcourfe might be; the Intent of it is fo
important, and fo general, that every Man, in
every Age, is equally concerned in it, who
feels in his Breaft any Degree of Reason and
Reflexion. For it is very evident that, in
this and the two foregoing Verfes, our Lord
is inviting Men to take upon them this Religion,
and to imitate his Example, as the happiest
Course they can chuse.
At the 28th Verfe;
Come unto Me, all ye that Labour, and are bea-
vy laden, and I will give you Reft. Come unto
me all ye who are wishing for Happiness and

Reft, but are still in a State of Uneafinefs and
Disquiet, by purfuing it in wrong Methods;
and I will fhew you the only way to that Reft,
which is worthy of your Searches. Verse the
29th; Take my Yoke upon you, and learn of Me;
for I am meek and lowly in Heart: and ye shall
find Reft unto your Souls. Enter upon the Prac-
tice of my Moral Rules; or, in other Words,
imitate
my Example, in the Practice of every
Virtue, and particularly of Meekness

and Hu

mility,

mility, which are in their nature Rest and Quiet s E R M. themselves; and you will quickly find your

selves in that State of Happiness you are feek-
ing. Then follow the Words of the Text,
verfe 30;
For my Yoke is Eafy, and my Burthen
is Light. For that Syftem of moral Duties
and Obligations, which I am come to inforce
and lay upon you, is of fuch a Nature, as to
be much more agreeable, and easy, to fuch a
Creature as Man is; and much more condu-
cive to the Quiet and Happiness of fuch a Be-
ing; than a Freedom from it, or an En-
gagement in any Course of a contrary Nature,
can be.

Thus far thefe Words of our Bleffed Lord
may, justly and naturally, be extended. For
He plainly appears to speak to Such as are in
a reftlefs and unquiet Condition wanting and
wishing for Happiness; from his
shew them the only way to it.

offering to

He plainly

intends what He says of his Yoke, to be underftood of the Moral Rules and Obligations of his Religion, because He himself inftances in two of them; viz. Meekness, and Humility. He plainly appears to comprehend, in what He fays, his whole Syftem of Virtue, from his calling it by the Name of his Yoke and his Burthen; which must mean his Whole Moral Law. And He certainly intends what he fays of the

Eafinefs

IX.

IX.

SERM. Eafinefs of his Yoke, and the Lightness of his Burthen, to be understood in Comparison of any other, fet in Oppofition to it; because he ftill calls it a Yoke and a Burthen: Words, which fuppofe it not to be void of all present Difficulty, and Uneafinefs. And the Whole is plainly meant, in Comparison of the Yoke and Burthen of Sin, or Immorality; because He inftances, exprefsly, in the Practice of the moral Virtues mentioned, as the Way to Happiness.

I may, therefore, very reafonably, take Occafion from thefe Words, to confider how truly and juftly it is faid, that the Yoke here fpoken of fits easier, upon fuch a Creature as Man; and the Burthen of practical Religion lighter; than any of a contrary Sort: or, in other Words, to fhew that the Practice, implied in This, is a much furer way to his Happiness, than That of Vice and Immorality. In order to this,

I. The first neceffary Step is, to confider what a Sort of Being Man truly is.

II. The fecond will be, to enquire what Circumstances are neceffarily required to the making any Courfe of Action ealy and happy to fuch a Creature.

III. And the third will be, To fhew that an uniform Course of Virtue, or practical Religi

on,