March 27
"Yoked with Christ"
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” Matthew
11: 30.
Paul must go from place to place to preach, though he knew beforehand he was to be afflicted there (Acts 20: 23). God may sometimes say to you as he said to his servant Moses, “Take the serpent by the tail” or as the Lord Jesus said to Peter, “Walk upon the sea” (Exodus 4: 3-4). These are hard things but have not been rejected when God hath called to do them. O how willingly would our flesh and blood escape the cross of Christ! The comforts of the gospel, the sweetness of the promise, how pleasing is it to us! God will . . . [lay] upon their fair neck and yoke them with Christ’s yoke; for there they have a work to do, even a work of self-denial.
Let your heart be more affected with what concerns the honor of God and the profit and glory of the gospel than with what are your concernments as a man [is] with all earthly advantages. This will make you refuse things that are lawful if they appear to be inexpedient. Yes, this will make you, like the apostles of old, prefer another man’s peace and edification before your own profit. And to take more pleasure in the increase of the power of godliness in any than in the increase of your corn and wine.
Reckon with your own heart every day before you lie down to sleep. And cast up both what you have received from God, done for him, and where you have also been wanting [lacking]. This will beget praise and humility and put you [to] redeeming the day that is past. Whereby you wilt be able, through the continual supplies of grace in some good measure to drive your work before you.