Page 644
Evidence 3
Thirdly: And the third Evidence is this, The Yoke of Christ is easie, and his Burden is light; for there is no gracious heart but would rather come under any Yoke, any Burden in the world, than willingly to cast off any Yoke and Burden of Jesus Christ, name what Yoke you will, what Bur∣den you will, rather than a gracious heart will be from under Christs Burden, and Christs Yoke, O! saith he, let me come under that Yoke, and that Burden.
Yea further, If God doth put any Yoke, any Burden of affliction upon one that is Gracious, if that Yoke and Burden of affliction may but bring his neck more under the Yoke of Christ than be∣fore, and bring him more under Christs Burden than before, a gracious heart doth think it well worth the bearing, thinks himself fully recompensed in the bearing of any Yoke if it may any way further him to come under the Yoke of Christ more; as thus, before I had a wanton Spirit, and I could not get my self to put my neck under the Yoke of Christ, to be quiet as I ought to have been; Well, but now the Lord Christ hath laid the Yoke of af∣fliction upon me, and that hath in some measure subdued my heart, so that I can come and put the Yoke of Christ upon me better, O! blessed be God that ever I had the Yoke of affliction upon me, that now brings me under the yoke of Christ more, Canst thou say so, blessed be God for this afflicti∣on? Surely then the Yoke of Christ is easie, that a heart is willing to bear any Yoke that may but further it to the bearing of the Yoke of Christ, that is the third.