his Father, and acts in the most perfect conformity to the commiffion he received from him; of which we have a fair copy. Ifaiah Ixi.

At the beginning: "The fpirit of the Lord God “is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed-me "to preach good tidings to the meek, he hath "fent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the open"ing of the prifon to them that are bound.". From this paffage it plainly appears, that humble convinced fouls are his peculiar charge: he is the phyfician, not of the whole, but of the fick; not of thofe that justify themfelves, but of those who are perifhing in their own apprehenfion, who feel their need of him, and know fomething of the worth of that falvation which he brings.

Let every humble finner, then, take comfort from thefe confiderations. God knoweth the penitent relentings of your hearts: Behold, he ftands, like the father in the parable, ftretching forth his arms to every prodigal fon! he registers all your groans, "he putteth your tears into his "bottle," and, ere long," he will give you the "oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of "praife for your prefent fpirit of heavinefs." In the mean time, let me recommend to you the following directions, with which I fhall conclude.

Beware of fmothering or quenching your convictions. I admit they are bitter, but they are alfo medicinal; and, by the bleffing of God, shall iffue in that repentance unto falvation, which is not to be repented of: whereas, if you ftifle them at prefent, your hearts may contract a hard

nefs

ness and infenfibility, which, if ever it be cured at all, fhall coft you more pain and anguish than you presently feel, or indeed can eafily imagine.

At the fame time, beware of drawing defperate conclufions against yourselves from the dif coveries you have got of your guilt and danger. I may juftly fay to you, what the Apostle faid in another cafe," Mourn not like those who have "no hope." Your cafe, bad as it may seem, is certainly better than once it was. Formerly you were out of the way of mercy, now you have got into that very path where mercy meets the elect of God: It was then your fin to prefume beyond any promife; beware now of defpairing, against many commands; but amidst all your fears and anxieties, ftill endeavour to keep hope alive in your hearts.

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Efpecially, haften to the Saviour, who alone can give you reft. This is the great errand upon which convictions are fent; for, as I have already obferved, the law is our fchoolmaster to bring us to Chrift," who is the end of the law for " righteousness to every one that believeth." Doth the Lord Jefus appear precious to your fouls? do you fee your abfolute need of him, and his perfect fuitableness to your circumftances? then, fpeedily have recourfe to him, and receive bim thankfully as the "unfpeakable gift of God to men!" Embrace him cordially in all the important characters he fuftains, as the Prophet, the Prieft, and the King, of his church; and then ofhall you find, to your prefent comfort, and your everlafting joy, that he is both" able and willing "to fave to the uttermoft, all who come unto God by him." Amen.

VOL. I.

I

SERMON

SERMON VII.

MATTHEW xi. 28.

Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft.

T was prophefied of our Lord long before his manifeftation in the flefh, that he fhould " pro"claim liberty to the captives, and the opening "of the prifon to them that are bound:" And lo! here he doth it in the kindeft and most endearing manner, offering reft, or fpiritual relief, to every labouring and heavy laden finner.-Come unto me, all that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft.

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In difcourfing from which words, I propose, in dependence upon divine aid,

Firft, To open the character of those to whom the invitation is addreffed :

Secondly, To explain the invitation itself, and fhew what is included in coming to Chrift: After which I fhall endeavour, in the

Third place, To illuftrate the gracious condefcending promife with which our Lord enforces the call: I will give you reft.

I begin with the character of those to whom the invitation is addreffed. They are fuch, you fee, as labour and are heavy laden; that is, who feel the unfupportable load of guilt, and the galling fetters of corrupt affections, and earnestly

long

long to be delivered from both; for these were the perfons whom our Saviour always regarded as the peculiar objects of his attention and care. -By our fatal apoftacy, we forfeited at once our innocence and our happinefs; we become doubly miserable, liable to the juftice of God, and flaves to Satan and our own corruptions. But few, comparatively speaking, are fenfible of this mifery! The bulk of mankind are so hot in the pursuit of perishing trifles, that they can find no leifure ferioufly to examine their fpiritual condition. These indeed have a load upon them, of weight more than fufficient to fink them into perdition; but they are not heavy laden in the fenfe of my text. Our Saviour plainly speaks to thofe who feel their burden, and are groaning under it; otherwise the promise of reft, or deliverance, could be no inducement to bring them to him. And the call is particularly addreffed to fuch, for two obvious reafons:

First, Becaufe our Lord knew well that none elfe would comply with it.. "The full fou! "loaths the honey-comb." Such is the pride of our hearts, that each of us would wish to be a faviour to himself, and to purchase heaven by his own perfonal merit. This was the "rock of "offence" upon which the Jews ftumbled and fell they could not bear the thought of being indebted to the righteoufnefs of another for pardon and acceptance with God; for fo the Apof tle teftifies concerning them, (Rom. x. 3.)." Being ignorant of God's righteoufnefs, they went "about to establish their own righteousness, and "did not fubmit themselves unto the righteouf

"nefs of God." And ftill this method of juftifying finners is oppofed and rejected by every "natural man." He feels not his difeafe, and therefore treats the phyfician with contempt and fcorn: whereas the foul that is enlightened by the Spirit of God, and awakened to a fenfe of its guilt and pollution, lies proftrate before the mercy-feat, crying out with Paul when struck to the ground, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to "do?" It was therefore with peculiar fignifi. cancy, that our Lord introduced his fermon upon the mount by adjudging the kingdom of heaven to the poor in fpirit," placing humility in the front of all the other graces, as being the entrance into a religious temper, the beginning of the divine life, the firft ftep of the foul in its return to -God.

2dly, The labouring and heavy laden are particularly diftinguifhed, becaufe otherwife, perfons in that fituation, hopeless of relief, might be in danger of excluding themselves from the offer of mercy. If there was only a general call to come to the Saviour, the humble convinced feul, preffed down with a fenfe of its guilt and depravity, might be ready to object, furely it cannot be fuch a worthlefs and wicked creature as I am, to whom the Lord directs his invitation. And therefore, he "who will not break the bruifed "reed, nor quench the fmoaking flax," doth kindly encourage them by this fpecial addrefs, -that the very thing which to themselves would appear the greateft obftacle in the way of mercy, might become the means of affuring them, that they are the very perfons for whom mercy is prepared.

L

Let