July 9

I have broken the bands of your yoke. - Leviticus 26:13.

THIS is exemplified with regard to the Jews when he delivered them from the bondage of Egypt; he then took off the yoke from their necks, and this is what God in his goodness does still for his people. What yoke? The yoke of Judaism.

What a yoke were their carnal ordinances, their numberless observances, and their painful rites. The ritual of the Jew, when he came to the end of the year, had taken away one-third of his whole time. Three times a year, however remotely situated from the capital, had they to repair to Jerusalem, notwithstanding the badness of the roads or the weather, to appear before God. We know nothing of distinction of meats, further than a regard to our health, or our taste imposes; but how many were their directions and restrictions with regard to their food! and if they touched a dead body or a grave, they were shut up for days. What a number of feasts and festivals had they! What precepts had they for building, for travelling, for ploughing, for sowing; regulations for the material and make of their garments, and they could not even cut their hair without being subject to a divine ordinance! A Jew could hardly move without violating something belonging to his religion. Its rules were so numerous, so trying, and go oppressive, that well might Peter say it was “a yoke;” “a yoke,” says he, “which we nor our fathers were able to bear.” No wonder that our compassionate Saviour should wish to free the Jews from it, and therefore said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

What yoke? The yoke of Popery! Popery is called the “son of perdition,” because it is doomed to perish, and because it has occasioned the temporal and Spiritual destruction of millions. It is called the “man of sin,” as if it were wickedness personified; and who can be versed in the annals of Popery without seeing how it has abounded with every kind of abomination. Oh, how mysterious was the providence of God to suffer such a system as this to rise and to prevail so long, tyrannizing over and enslaving the nations of the earth! But at length came the Reformation, which broke the bands of this yoke from the neck of our forefathers, so that we are allowed to purchase, and possess, and read the Bible in our own language; so that we are at liberty to lay our hands upon the celestial volume, and to say with David, “I have taken thy testimonies as an heritage for ever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart.”

What yoke? The yoke of persecution. The Reformation did not destroy all this. They who had shaken off the tyranny of Rome have been too eager to impose burdens on the consciences of others. How many suffered and perished by it in England and in Scotland; and many fled from it to the wilds of America. We ought to look back and to remember the former times, and to be thankful for “the revolution” which broke from us the bands of this yoke.

What yoke? The yoke of bigotry. There will always be some difference of opinion with regard to many inferior subjects in religion; and the difference is often of little importance if it be not injurious to our Spirits, if it hinder not our religious co-operation, if it does not invade our religious fellowship and intercourse.

What yoke? The yoke of legality. “Many there are who,” the Apostle says, “being ignorant of God’s righteousness, are going about to establish their own righteousness, not submitting themselves to the righteousness of God.” From this yoke Christ has delivered his people; “for not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by his mercy he saved us.” The Gospel hath made us free indeed from this yoke. “We are not under the law, but under grace.” Let us, therefore, “stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be no more entangled with the yoke of bondage.”

What yoke? The yoke of ignorance. “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined into our hearts to give us the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Let us pray, therefore, that our knowledge of the gospel may be reduced to experience and practice, and that we may never be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.

What yoke? The yoke of sin. This is what the Apostle calls the bondage of corruption. “And the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the law of sin and death.” Let us fall in with the design of the Son of God in thus delivering us, and “serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life.”