[1.] They are strict and spiritual precepts, which require the subjec- tion of the whole man to Christ ; thoughts, desires, inclinations, as well as actions ; ' The law is spiritual, but I am carnal,' saith the apostle, Kom. vii. 14 ; that is, it requireth inward purity as well as external conformity. Kow men will rather endure any external burdens, how heavy and hard soever, than Christ's spiritual yoke. Take for an in- stance the Pharisaical institutions and Christ's law. For the one, it is said, Mat. xxiii. 4, ' They bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders.' They had little compassion on the people, and therefore imposed rigorous and severe ordinances upon them. But, Mat. xi. 30, Christ saith, ' My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.' Yet at that time there were more proselyted to the sect of the pharisees than embraced the doctrine of Christ. Men will part with anything sooner than their lusts, Micah vi. 6, 7 ; perform costly sacrifices, deny many of the feelings of nature, and all that they may keep their beloved sins. The sensual nature of man is such that it is loath to be crossed, which produceth profaneness and dissoluteness, and men engulph themselves in all manner of sensualities, because they are loath to deny their natural appetites and desires, and to row against the stream of flesh and blood. So the young man is said to walk in the ways of his own heart and the sight of his eyes, Eccles. xi. 9. But if nature be to be crossed a little, it is done by some only for a while, and in some slight manner, and this produceth hypocrisy: Isa. lyiii. 5, ' To bow down the head for a day like a bulrush.' If this will not quiet conscience, we are apt to exceed in outward observances and rigorous impositions, or macerating the body by some by-laws of our own, and this produceth superstition: Col. ii. 21, ' Touch not, taste not, handle not.' We place our religion in abstinence from such meats, or in such penances and exterior mortifications, and so lie bound in chains of our own making. Thus these three great . evils, profaneness, hypocrisy, and superstition, grow upon the same stem and root. But when Christ requireth us to serve God in the spirit, to subdue the heart to him, this we cannot endure. Therefore in all these ways of religion wherein men walk who would not have Christ to reign over them, you may still observe they check at his spiritual laws.
[2.] Christ by his laws requireth self-denial : Mat. xvi. 24, ' If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.' We are to deny our own wit and our own will. Our own wit or wisdom, so far as it is contrary to Christianity : 1 Cor. iii. 18, ' Let no man deceive himself : if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him be a fool that he may be wise.' To condemn our own former life wherein we so much pleased ourselves, our own will ; for none are longer to be at their own dispose : 1 Cor. vi. 19, ' What ! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own ? ' Now men are so averse from this, that it is a kind of a miracle that any are brought to deny themselves, and subject all their thoughts and desires to Christ.
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112 SERMON UPON LUKE XIX. 14.
1. It showetli US whence all the contentions arise which are raised about religion in the world. Some may ignorantly mistake things, and some proud wits may oppose Christ's prophetical office, contradict the mysteries of our most holy faith; some may lessen the merit of his sacrifice, but the most general error is, men will not have him to reign over them. All the corrupt part of the world oppose his kingly office. Many that are right in doctrine are yet carnal as to practice. They acknowledge the redemption of Christ, and justification by faith, but will not make straight steps to their feet, and live by Christ's laws. I am sure this is the great damning sin in the orthodox. And as to doctrine in the reformed part of the world, alas ! what will it avail you to cry up his merits, while you cannot endure his strict spiritual precepts ? This is to set the saviour against the lawgiver, the priest against the king.
2. It informeth us how much they disserve Christianity that will hear of no injunctions of duty, or mention of the law of faith, or of the new covenant as a law. Besides that they take part with the carnal world, who cannot endure Christ's reign and government, they blot out all religion with one dash. If there be no law, there is no government, nor governor, no duty, no sin, no punishment nor reward ; for these things necessarily infer one another. A governor inferreth a govern- ment, and all regular government is by law ; how shall the subjects else know what is sin and duty ? for Verum est index sui et ohliqiii. The law that stateth duty doth give us the knowledge of sin, and with- out a sanction of penalties and rewards all is but an arbitrary direction, which we may observe or neglect at our pleasure, and no harm or good come of it. Now these are horrid and uncouth notions, that stab religion at the very heart.