approach to God with confidence and hope. This our Saviour suggests in the words immediately preceding the text. "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." Again he says, "Every man that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me." That is, those who have learned their guilt and danger, and submitted to the sovereignty of God, have learned their need of a Saviour, and are in that respect prepared to come to Christ. But coming to Christ implies a just view of him as a Mediator between God and man, or as the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. Christ took upon him human nature, and appeared in the form of a servant to his Father, in order to make an atonement for sin, by his death on the cross. He died, the just for the unjust, that God might be just and the justifier of those who believe. Those who are weary and heavy laden, do not desire to be saved, unless it be consistent with the justice of God to save them. And they cannot see how it can be consistent with the justice of God to save them, without seeing Christ in his mediatorial character, as the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that believeth. But when they have just views of Christ as mediator, then they see the way open for God to become reconciled to the penitent and believing sinner. Christ appears to them able to save to the uttermost the weary and heavy laden. He He appears just such a Saviour as they stand in perishing need of. Such a view of Christ is implied in coming to him.

2. This implies loving Christ in his mediatorial character. He is infinitely amiable for loving righteousness and hating iniquity, and condemning sin in flesh, by laying down his life on the cross. It is love to God, to righteousness, and to sinners, constitutes his peculiar amiableness as Mediator and

Redeemer. And coming to Christ implies being reunited to him in affection. The weary and heavy aden, when the mediatorial character of Christ is >pened to them, are perfectly pleased with it, and hey immediately become united to him as the branches are united to the vine. He appears to them precious, and the chiefest among ten thousands. In this sense, the penitent malefactor on the cross came to Christ, when his heart moved towards him, and he approved of the way of salvation by him. Weary and heavy laden sinners, when they come to Christ, love him as a Saviour, and approve of what he has done and suffered to open the way for them to return to God, and find pardon and acceptance with him. They become united with Christ in his views and feelings, and approve of that atonement which he has made for the remission of sins. They cordially come into the gospel scheme of salvation, and are willing to be saved through the atonement of Christ, and in no other way. They become one with Christ in affection, as he is one with the Father. Besides,

3. Coming to Christ implies trusting in him, or depending upon him for salvation. To trust in Christ is something more than having just views of his mediatorial character and really loving that character: it is depending upon what he has done for pardon and eternal life. Such a trust in Christ it was foretold the Gentiles should place in him. Thus we read in the next chapter to our text, "And in his name shall the Gentiles trust." And the apostle Paul tells the Ephesians, that he and they had trusted in Christ. "That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation." Trusting in Christ is renouncing all selfrighteousness and selfdependence, and relying alone upon the atonement of Christ for salvation; which is the very essence of that precious faith, which works by love, or flows from it. When weary and heavy laden sinners discover the.

true character of Christ, and really love him, this love leads them to renounce all selfdependence, and Paul trust in Christ alone for pardon and salvation. tells the Philippians that he thus trusted in Christ. His account of himself is very instructive and striking. "If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof to trust in the flesh, I more; circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the Church; touching the righteousness which is of the law, blameless. But what things were Yea, gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Thus coming to Christ implies trusting in him, as well as loving him in his true mediatorial character.

It now remains to show,

III. What is implied in that rest, which the weary and heavy laden find by coming to Christ. Rest is what is promised. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” This promise shall certainly be fulfilled, both in this life and in that which is to come. There is an infallible connection between coming to Christ, and finding rest. But we are now to inquire, what is implied in that rest, which those weary and heavy laden sinners find, who come to Christ? Here I would observe,

1. They find rest from the divine displeasure. -Before they came to Christ, they felt the weight of God's wrath. They expected to lie forever under the weight of his displeasure. But when they come to Christ, they see that God can forgive all their

transgressions, and become reconciled to them. And though they still deserve his wrath, yet he can consistently, love them freely and receive them graciously. This gives them joy and peace in believring. Hence says the apostle, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." As soon as the weary and heavy laden trust in Christ, the fear of God's wrath vanishes; that heavy burden is removed. Hope succeeds to fear, joy to sorrow. All those perfections in God which struck terror, afford joy and satisfaction. Thus the three thousand, who had been pricked in the heart, and thrown into anguish and distress under the weight of God's displeasure, as soon as they believed, were filled with joy and gladness, of heart. The Eunuch, after discovering and believing in Christ, went on his way rejoicing. And the Jailor, who had been weary and heavy laden, found joy and peace in believing. By coming to Christ, the weary and heavy laden find the burdens they had felt removed; and this is properly rest; and rest equal to the burdens removed. But,

2. The weary and heavy laden, who come to Christ, not only find all their pains and distresses taken away, but they find positive happiness in the enjoyment of God. It is one thing, not to suffer the terrors of the Almighty; it is another thing, to have the terrors. of the Almighty removed; and it is still another thing, to enjoy the favor of God, which is life, and his loving kindness, which is better than life. It is through Christ, that believers come to the positive enjoyment of God. So says the apostle. "For through him we both have access by one spirit to the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." When the way of salvation by Christ opens to the weary andheavy laden; when their hearts become united to him by love, and when they renounce all selfdependence, and rely upon him alone for salvation; they

then find the enjoyment of God, and enter into com munion with all the friends and followers of Christ. They enjoy a happiness superior to all that they had ever before enjoyed in the course of their lives. They can appeal to God and say "whom have we in heaven but thee, and there is none on earth that we desire besides thee." This is the earnest of their heavenly inheritance, and the beginning of that rest which remains for the people of God in a future state. They find it is good for them to draw near to God; and that the nearer God draws to them, the more their love, their faith, their joy, and their hope is increased. They are at rest, and their former inquiry, who will show us any good,' is at an end. Their only desire is that God would lift upon them the light of his countenance, and this will give them all the happiness they wish for. And though such rest in God is greater or less, in those who come to Christ, at different times; yet it is a lasting rest. They enjoy it, in a higher or lower degree, through life. But the more they become acquainted with Christ, the more they imbibe his spirit; and the more they renounce all confidence in themselves, the more they may expect that rest and peace, which the world cannot give, and which the world cannot take away. These are the consoling words of Christ," He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him; and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." And the apostle John says, "Truly our Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." Such rest in God, and such rest from the burdens of sin and guilt; all weary and heavy laden sinners find by coming to Christ.

HEADS OF IMPROVEMENT.

1. It appears from what has been said concerning weary and heavy laden sinners, that merely awakened and convinced sinners are not of this character. Many, who are under the terrors of the