chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it." The rest, therefore, of God is in his own everlasting love toward us in Christ Jesus, and in the power of his grace in our salvation. And to this it is that the prophet points the rebellious Israelites. "To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear."

And it is plain that every soul that God the Father takes in hand to discipline and teach out of the law, it is intended to make them feel their need of this rest which he has provided, as it may be seen in the following passage: "Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law; that thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked." This law-teaching discovers our sins, and the wrath and bondage of the law make sin an intolerable burden; and the dread of hell torments fills our souls with anguish; and this sets us to labour with all our might; and the more we struggle, the tighter we are bound. And it is to souls, who are under the teaching of the law as a schoolmaster, that Jesus Christ calls: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and

Here

my burden is light," Matt. xi. 28-30. rest is promised freely, "I will give you rest;" and the invitation is to the burdened sinner, who is labouring under his burden against the rising corruptions of his heart, in order to subdue them, and at keeping the commandments in order to appease the displeasure of God, and to obtain a righteousness which he hopes will recommend him to God's favour, and to work himself up into a holy frame of heart, which he imagines to obtain by striving, and by which he expects to be made meet for the blessed inheritance. But this is not acting like a pauper upon the throne of grace, nor is it receiving rest as the gift of Christ, which is tendered to us in the above kind invitation. This rest is obtained by believing. Israel of old came short of it through unbelief; while Moses obtained it by faith, though he entered not into the promised land. “Moses,” says God, “is faithful in all my house; and "My presence," says God to him, “shall "shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." And so it is now; this rest is obtained by believing. "For we which have believed, do enter into rest; as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest,” Heb. iv. 3. But it may be asked what we rest from.

The soul finds rest from the intolerable burden of sin in the dying love and in the atoning blood of Christ. We find rest from the galling yoke of precepts, from the irritating power of the law, and

from its dreadful sentence, in the righteousness of Christ. We find rest from the accusations of Satan and conscience in the witness of faith; and we rest from slavish fear, perplexing doubts, and legal bondage, in the love of God in Christ; and we rest from open war, rebellion, and all hostilities against God, by the enjoyment of peace and friendship with God through Christ. We rest secure in the purpose of God, and in his decree of election, which was made in Christ; and we rest satisfied, contented, and well pleased, with the eternal salvation of Christ. This is the saint's everlasting rest; nor can they find it any where else. And all letter preachers, who labour against these plain things, do but spoil these resting-places. which God has appointed and provided for his poor children. Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting-place: for a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief." And sure I am that all who deny the godhead of our dear Lord, and those who set light by his great atonement, and those who deny the imputation of his everlasting righteousness, and those who enforce final apostacy from the grace of God, do all that in them lies to spoil the resting-place of the just. For they may fall into decays of spiritual life, and from their own stedfastness, and from their first love, and into extreme poverty, and into sins, through weakness, as Peter did, and into deep troubles; as it is written, "And they that understand

among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now, when they shall fall they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries,” · Dan. xi. 33, 34. And this little help promised will support them, and lift them up again too; and they will then get back again into their rest, as others have done who have fallen sadly and foully, but not finally. It is one thing to fall down, and another thing to fall away. "The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling."

Many who feel their need of this rest seem to come short of it, or rest in legal attainments, outward reformation, or in an empty profession, being set down at ease by the ministry of the letter, in the hands of men unskilful in the word of righteousness. This stifles their convictions, benumbs their souls, and they rest in head notions, and in their moral conduct, and in the judgment and witness of men who pretend to feed them. "For we dare not," says Paul, "make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." And I may say of such a rest as the prophet of old did, "Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest; because

it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction," Micah ii. 10. Hope or expectation the Lord often gives to the seeking sinner, to encourage him to diligent attention and watchfulness, and to exercise his patience; yet sure I am that there is no real and solid rest short of the remission of sins, and in a spiritual birth. And there is a glory in this rest. Every attribute of God harmonizes, conspires, and shines together to the honour and glory of God, when the soul comes to rest in the bosom of the chief Shepherd, and to take up its sweet repose in his dying love, which will never end, but be glorious to eternity. "And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious."

Thus have I showed my reader that unbelief, wherever it prevails, is a continual erring in the heart. I have also endeavoured to point out the ways of God, and the rest which the believer finds in those ways. And the very oath of God is against them who harden their hearts in unbelief against these things. "To-day, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years, therefore, I was grieved with that generation, and, said It is a people that do alway err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: so I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest."