Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest

Two other ways whereby the former point is cleared, with some consequences from the same and the use of the whole. The First way is, that whilst the soul is performing duty, the strength of it is continually renewed. Secondly, The soul hath the love of God shed abroad into the heart. The first Consequence is happiness of a Christian here. Secondly, Hence cometh the perseverance of believers. The use of all is to exercise much faith in Christ.

Two other wayes whereby the former point is cleered, with some consequences from the same and the use of the whol. The First way is, that whilst the soul is performing duty, the strength of it is continually renewed. Secondly, The soul hath the love of God shed abroad into the heart. The first Consequence is happiness of a Christian here. Secondly, Hence cometh the perseverance of beleevers. The use of al is to exercise much faith in Christ.

Ninthly, The Rest that the soul hath in Christ, that is to go on in duties with freedom of spirit, without making them burdensome to it is this; when the soul comes to Christ, it hath not only strength to do the duty, but whilst it is performing of duty it hath this strength renewed, and it receives in sweetness, and good, and strength from Christ, while it is in action, while it is in the performance of duty, and his duty is very easy, sweet, and comfortable unto him. As thus, if a man be doing a work that is hard, suppose he lays on upon a knotty piece of timber, and there is nothing comes of his work, and it doth not go on before him, and he spends his strength and gets nothing for the present by his work, he quickly grows weary. But now if a man be doing a work that the more strength he spends, the more he gets, the more his strength is enlarged, the more renewed, and never gets more strength, then when he is spending of strength, and that when he is at work he receives in sweetness ⟨p. 286⟩by it, surely this man will go on in the work, he may work singing, when all the while he is working, he spends not so much strength as he gets, and he doth not only work to receive wages, but there is comings in, sweetness coming in the very time of his work, this man works with a great deal of ease. Thus it is in Evangelical obedience; when a soul comes to perform duties in this way, now his strength is renewed day by day, the more service thou dost for Christ, the more strength comes in. As now a man that is benumbed with cold, perhaps you that are mariners, when you come to handle your cables, or any thing in the ship, you can scarce feel any strength by reason of cold, but when you are at work, and you begin to be warm, your strength comes in. So it is with a Christian, when he begins to perform duties, it may be he is dull, dead, and the like, but let him go on in the duties, and then strength will come in.