would not sit still, but flee and wander abroad to their old
house of bondage, and therefore, says the Lord, you shall flee. Now, may
not this represent the folly and madness of souls that are under the fear
of wrath and sense of sin, and be as it were a type of it? Our rest is in
resting on a Saviour, our peace is in quiet confidence in him, it is not
far off, it is in our mouth. "The word is near" (says Paul), it is neither
in heaven above, nor in the depth below. We need not go abroad and search
for that happiness we want. It is nigh at hand in the gospel, but while we
refuse this, and give ourselves to restless agitation and perplexity about
it, sometimes we apprehend that we are eased in our travels and
endeavours, but it shall prove to us no better than Egypt a house of
bondage. Wheresoever we seek shelter out of Christ, we will find it a
broken reed, that not only will fail under us, but in the rent will split
our hand, and pierce us through with many sorrows. To conclude then this
head, coming to Christ with our burdens is a motion towards rest. For he
adds, "I will give you rest." But moreover, there is a kind of rest in
this motion. It is an easier, plainer, and pleasanter motion, than these
troubled and laborious windings and wanderings of our hearts after vanity.
He persuades you to walk in this path of pleasantness and peace, and you
shall find a great rest at the end of it, "receiving (says Peter) the end
of your faith the eternal salvation of your souls."

Now the next thing in the text is, having come to Jesus, and found rest
and happiness in him, we must take his yoke upon us. And this is the other
integral part of the gospel, of which I desire you to consider these few
particulars, that occur in the words,--The order in which it is to be taken
on,--The nature of this yoke,--And the most ready and expeditious way of
bearing it.

The method and order in which Christ's yoke is to be taken upon us, is
first, To come unto our Saviour, and give over the yoke of our
transgressions to him, and then to take up the yoke of his commandments
from him, to believe in his promises, and rest our souls on them, and to
take up the yoke of his precepts, and proceed to motion, and walking in
that rest. Now this method hath a double advantage in it, for the real
receiving and carrying of Christ's yoke. It gives vacancy and room for it,
and it gives strength and furniture(444) for it. It expels that which
would totally dis