Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest

So it is with a heart before it comes to Christ, when it hath only conviction of conscience, though it have some illumination, that is as the water that beats the heart up and down, and it cannot be at quiet, but is ready to be burst in pieces, I but it sticks in the mud still, and therefore duties are very hard, and Conscience doth but only tire the heart, and beat it, and trouble it, I but now when it is come to Christ, it ls like the Ship a float upon the water, and now upon any touch of Christ it is ready to be put upon this duty, and the other duty, and the motion of the soul now is without any danger or trouble, it moves up and down with ease, when the heart is got off from it self, and the world, and the creature it moves in the ways of God with abundance of ease, ⟨p. 270⟩set such a one upon the hardest duties you will, and he goes on with a great deal of ease, and quiet and Rest of spirit, he doth not think the Commandments of God hard, doth not look upon the commandments of God now as hard commandments, whereas one that is legal in performing of duty, though he do the duty, he looks upon the command of God as a hard commandment You have an excellent scripture for that in the first of John 5. and the 3. Speaking of believers that when once they come unto Christ, the commandments of God are not grievous unto them. This is the Love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous. But one that is in Christ, a believer, upon any commandment, though it be never so grievous and hard to flesh and blood before they come to Christ, as in the commandment of Restitution, I will mention that, I might mention others as to pray in your families, to be constant in prayer morning and evening, and to keep your heart constant in prayer to God, 'its perhaps grievous to those that perform duties in a legal way, but when once the heart comes to God, then the commandment of God is not grievous. I do not say, but corruption may now and then prevail and then they are burdensome, but when the heart hath got grace, the commandments of God are not burdensome at all, but they are easy to the soul, for so Christ saith in a few words after my text, My yoke is easy and my burden is Light. Many people complain of the way of God, Oh! the way of God is so hard, and duty so strict, to live so exactly, who is able to do this?

So it is with a heart before it comes to Christ, when it hath only conviction of conscience, though it have some illumination, that is as the water that beats the heart up and down, and it cannot be at quiet, but is ready to be burst in peeces, I but it sticks in the mud stil, and therefore duties are very hard, and Conscience doth but only tire the heart, and beate it, and trouble it, I but now when it is come to Christ, it ls like the Ship a float upon the water, and now upon any touch of Christ it is ready to be put upon this duty, and the other duty, and the motion of the soul now is without any danger or trouble, it moves up and down with ease, when the heart is got off from it self, and the world, and the creature it moves in the waies of God with aboundance of ease,