Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest

But though the law may require hard things, & impossible things yet it may remit in some other things. Wherefore.

2. In the second place: this is the yoke and bondage of the Law: that in every thing that it doth command, it doth require absolute perfection; accepts of nothing but absolute perfection in every thing that it doth Command; it doth not only command hard things; but whatsoever the law requires, it doth require an absolute perfection in it, or otherwise casts the Soul if there be but a failing on any particular in any degree of that which the Law requires, the Law casts the Soul by it. It requires not only that the thing should be done, but that it should be done, in a right manner; that it should be done out of a right principle, that it should be done in the perfection of degrees, to the uttermost that is required: that there should not only be a direction of our lives according to the rule, but that we come up fully to the Rule, this the law requires: Now what a miserable yoke and burden is this, for a poor soul to look upon the Law as requiring, first things that I cannot do. And secondly absolute perfection admitting of no imperfection at all: this is a heavy yoke: this neither we nor our fathers could bear: and those that come to be sensible of this, must needs be under a grievous burden, and so see a need of Jesus Christ, Christ calls those that do understand this. It is true if it were thus, and people were left without any help, and remedy, it were a sad condition; truly if christ had not come into the world to put himself under the law, we had been left thus; and all those that do not understand the Gospel, that have not had Christ preached unto them they are all thus, they are all in this Condition; they are under a law that they cannot perform, that law which doth require absolute and perfect obedience in every thing or else casts them.

2. In the second place: this is the yoke and bondage of the Law: that in every thing that it doth command, it doth require absolute perfection; accepts of nothing but absolute perfection in every thing that it doth Comand; it doth not onely comand hard things; but whatsoever the law requires, it doth require an absolute perfection in it, or otherwise casts the Soul if there be but a failing on any particular in any degree of that which the Law requires, the Law casts the Soul by it. It requires not only that the thing should be done, but that it should be done, in a right manner; that it should be done out of a right principle, that it should be done in the perfection of degrees, to the uttermost that is required: that there should not onely be a direction of our lives according to the rule, but that we come up fully to the Rule, this the law requires: Now what a miserable yoke and burden is this, for a poor soul to look upon the Law as requiring, first things that I cannot do. And secondly absolute perfection admitting of no imperfection at al: this is a heavy yoke: this neither we nor our fathers could beare: and those that come to be sensible of this, must needs be under a greivous burden, and so se a need of Jesus Christ, Christ cals those that do understand this. It is true if it were thus, and people were left without any help, and remedy, it were a sad condition; truly if christ had not come into the world to put himself under the law, we had been left thus; and al those that do not understand the Gospel, that have not had Christ preached unto them they are al thus, they are al in this Condition; they are under a law that they cannot performe, that law which doth require absolute and perfect obedience in every thing or else casts them.