Four books on the eleventh of Matthew

Fourthly, The ways of Christ they are easy, because they bring strength with them, and increaseth strength, certainly, that work must needs be an easy work that a man gets strength by his work, and the more he works the more strength he gets. It is true, great works come to be difficult, because you do not only not get strength, but you spend strength, but now the ways of religion, the more you work, the more strength you have, and the more work you do, the more strength comes in. It ⟨p. 710⟩is true, the natural strength may be spent, I but there is inward strength comes in & increaseth, and is supplied by Jesus Christ: the Body that carries the Soul, I but the Soul is no burden to the Body, the Soul supports the Body, and enables the body to move and makes it lighter, if the Soul were gone, the body would be a heavy lump, heavier than when the soul lives in it, so such a kind of burden is the ways of Religion to a gracious soul, no other burden than the soul is to the body, when the soul is there, it is no burden, but it rather helps the Body, it makes the Body lighter and so when any work of Grace is added more than before, the burden comes to be lighter, and easier. In Prov. 10. 29. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright, their very way is strength, surely then their way is easy, that which is strength, cannot be a hard way, now the way of the Lord is strength to the upright, an Hypocrite indeed, if he will meddle with the way of God, he is tired, as those in Malachi, What a weariness is the ways of God to them? I but it is to an Hypocrite, but the way of the Lord is strength to the upright. A man that hath a carnal heart, he is tired presently, you that complain for want of strength, and you have no heart to set about Duties of Religion, because you say you are weak, the more ye set about these Duties, the more strength you shall have. There is many a Man and Woman, that prays away their strength in prayer, and strengthens their sin in prayer, and I showed you, how to carnal hearts their very duties may be easy to their sins, but now a gracious heart doth not pray away his strength, but he shall have more strength in his Soul for the present, and he shall see it afterwards. You will say, How shall I know that?

Fourthly, The waies of Christ they are easy, because they bring strength with them, and encreaseth strength, certainly, that work must needs be an easy work that a man gets strength by his work, and the more he works the more strength he gets. It is true, great works come to be difficult, because you do not only not get strength, but you spend strength, but now the waies of religion, the more you work, the more strength you have, and the more work you do, the more strength comes in. It