own martyrology affords, that of Mr. Bainham, who fuffered in the reign of Queen Mary. When he was in the fire, he addreffed himself to his perfecutors, to this effect: "You call for miracles in proof of our doctrine, now behold one; I feel no more pain from thefe flames, than if I was laid upon a bed of rofes." But in ordinary cafes, and in all cafes, they who taste how good the Lord is to them that feek him, how he cheers them with the light of his countenance, and what fupports he affords them in the hour of need, can, without regret, part with the poor, perishing pleasures of fin, and encounter all the difficulties they meet with in the path of duty. Whatever their profeffion of his name, and their attachment to his caufe, may have cost them, they will acknowledge that it has made them ample amends. Come therefore unto him, venture upon his gracious word, and you shall find reft for your fouls! Can the world out-bid this gracious offer? Can the world promise to give you reft, when you are burdened with trouble? When your cifterns fail, and your gourds wither? Or when you are terrified with the approach of death, when your pulfe intermits, when you are about to take a final farewel of all you ever faw with your eyes, and an awful, unknown, untried, unchangeable eternity is opening upon your view. Such a moment most certainly awaits you; and when it arrives, if you die in your fenfes, and are not judicially given up to hardness and blindness of heart, you will affuredly tremble, if you never trembled before. Oh! be Oh! be perfuaded; may the Lord himself perfuade you to be timely wife, to feek him now, while he may be found, to call upon him while he is yet near. Left that dreadful threatening should be your portion: Because I have called, and ye refufed, I have ftretched out my hand and no man regarded; I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh*. *Prov. i. 24, 26. SER SERMON XV. MESSIAH'S EASY YOKE. MATT. xi. 29, 30. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find reft to your fouls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. HOUGH the influence of education Tand example, may difpofe us, to ac knowledge the gospel to be a revelation from God; it can only be rightly understood, or duly prized, by those persons, who feel themfelves in the circumftances of distress, which it is defigned to relieve. No Ifraelite would think of fleeing to a city of refuge*, till, by having unwittingly flain a man, he was expofed to the refentment of the next of kin, * Jofhua xx. 2, 3, T VOL. I. the the legal avenger of blood; but then, a fenfe of his danger, would induce him, readily to avail himself of the appointed method of fafety. The skill of a phyfician may be acknowledged, in general terms, by many; but he is applied to, only by the fick *. Thus our Saviour's gracious invitation to come to him for reft, will be little regarded, till we really feel ourselves weary and heavy laden. This is a principal reason why the gospel is heard with fo much indifference. For though fin be a grievous illness, and a hard bondage, yet one effect of it is, a strange stupidity and infatuation, which renders us (like a perfon in a delirium) infenfible of our true state. It is a happy time, when the Holy Spirit, by his convincing power, removes that ftupor, which, while it prevents us from fully perceiving our mifery, renders us likewife indifferent to the only mean of deliverance. Such a conviction of the guilt, and defert of fin, is the first hopeful fymptom in a finner's cafe; but it is neceffarily painful and diftreffing. It is not pleasant to be weary and heavy laden; but it awakens our attention to him who fays, Come * Matt. ix. 12. unte |