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obedience : it is expressed by a constant course of work and labour : 1 Cor. XV. 58, ' Be ye steadfast and unmovalile, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your Uibour is not in vain in the Lord.' Keligion is a constant exercise ; there are no loiterers in heaven. Grod's work must not be followed with a faint wish and a slack hand. Men mistake religion if they think it a broad and easy way where men may live at large. Xo ; the gate is narrow and the path is strait, and few there be that find it ; it is a work, not a sport and play ; and men had as good lay all thoughts of God and Christ aside as to resolve upon an easy course, and flatter themselves with an expectation that they shall go to heaven with a lazy wish, and fancy such a short cut and passage to heaven as will cost no pains.
[2.] It is better to take pains than to suffer pains, and to be bound with the cords of duty than with the chains oi darkness. The bonds of duty are not gyves, but ornaments, for duty is the greatest freedom : Ps. cxix, 45, ' I will walk at liberty, for I seek thy precepts.' You will never be more free than when you once make experience of God's service. How sad is it to see men prejudiced against such pains as yield freedom and comfort for the present and glory for the future, and take pains for that for which they shall suffer eternal pains ! Isa. v. 18, ■ Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with cart ropes.' They moil and toil in the work of Satan as a horse in a mill, and labour for their own destruction. Consider the devil's work is drudgery and his reward is death ; yet such is the wretchedness of man, that he accounteth nothing toilsome but God's work, and nothing pleasant but the accomplishment of his own lusts, to be lust's vassal and pride's slave, and to be at the command of every covetous and unclean desire. How do men toil in the world, go to bed late, rise early, eat the bread of sorrows, exhaust and waste their strength and spirits, and yet there is sin in the work, and hell in the wages ! Oh ! consider, if it seem difficult, which is better, to labour for A season, or sufter for ever ? which is the end of them that live in the constant neglect of a known duty.
[3.] There is nothing so hard in God's service but he hath manifested love enough to sweeten it. We begrudo:e a few thoughts of God, and God had thoughts of us before all worlds : Ps. xl. 5, ' Many, 0 Lord my God, are the wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us- ward ; they cannot be reckoned up in number unto thee : if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered ; ' Ps. cix. 13, ' How precious also are thy thoughts unto me 0 God ! How great is the sum of them ! ' Who can tell what a condescension it was for infiniteness to think of poor worms, and that he should before all worlds plot and design our salvation ? And when the plot came out, there was a great deal of love to sweeten duty. The Lord Jesus Christ thought no danger too great, no suffer- ing or extremity too hard, no work too difficult for our sakes, what a mercy is this ! God hath not only required obedience, but discovered a love that may sweeten the difficulties of it.
[4.] There is no difficulty in religion wholly insuperable and too hard for an active and industrious spirit. Those that follow on after Ood do at length find him to their comfort. A faint pursuit is the
284 SERMONS UPON GENESIS XXIV. 63.
cause of discouragement. When a flint doth not strike fire at the first, we strike again : Pro v. x. 4, ' He becoraeth poor that dealeth with a slack hand, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.' It is a rule in grace as well as nature ; let us therefore follow on till we have overcome the difficulty that is before us.
[5.] A lazy backward heart must be urged forward with the greater importunity. When David was shy of God's presence, he lays a command upon himself : Ps. xxxii. 5, ' I said I will confess my trans- gressions unto the Lord ; ' he maketh reason to issue out a decree and positive conclusion. So Ps. xxxix. 1, 'I said I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue.' So by just analogy we may gather that the soul should in this case determine, I will go and try, and see what may be done ; I will keep off from God no longer, but will go to him.
2. Another let and hindrance is love of pleasures. Men that would pass their time in mirth are unwilling to be so solemn and serious. When children's minds are set to play, it is irksome to hear of school or of their books ; so when the heart is set for pleasure, it is a hard matter to bring the soul to religious performances.