We consider, in the next place, the Persons to whom he speaks. And who are these? Who are the Persons, to whom the compassionate Friend of Sinners should speak, but the miserable and the distressed; but those, who claim his pity and stand in need of his advice? Such were the persons whom He came from heaven to save; and to such He speaks in the text, "All ye that labour and are heavy-laden." Here are two words employed to describe their state; both of which convey the same description of it. They agree in representing it to be hard, and painful, and afflicting. The Persons spoken of are described as labouring, toiling hard, spending their strength, and wasting their spirits. They are also said to be heavy-laden, groaning under a burden, which they can with difficulty bear, encumbered with a load, which they can scarcely drag along. Such are the Persons, to whom the Saviour speaks. He speaks to all who answer this description; to sufferers of every kind; to all, whatever the cause, whatever the nature of their toil may be, "who labour and are heavy-laden." May they attend to the point which is now to be considered, namely,

II. The Words addressed to them.

It was foretold of Christ, that one part of His work would be, to "comfort all that mourn." We here find Him tenderly ful

filling this gracious office. He not only looks on the unhappy sufferer, and has compassion on him; but, like the Good Samaritan, binds up his wounds," pouring in oil and wine." While he pities all who "labour and are heavy-laden," He shows them where to go for comfort and relief. "Come unto Me and I will give you rest.” Words contain a Direction and a Promise.

These

Come unto me." This is the Direction. When Christ directs the objects of His pity, where to go for help, He does not send them to others; He invites them to Himself, "Come unto Me." Let us see what is meant by this expression. When Christ first gave the invitation, He was on earth; and persons might have literally complied with it. They might have come into His presence. But now they cannot come to Him in this way. He is now in heaven, and no man can literally come to Him, into His presence. Nor if they could, would they comply with the meaning of the invitation. By coming to Him is meant, not merely the coming into His presence, even when it could have been literally done, but the coming to Him with right views, dispositions, and desires. Those who would have come to Jesus when on earth, in the real meaning and spirit of the invitation, would have come to Him with a disposition to receive and fol

low His instructions, with a heart prepared to submit to His authority, and to comply with His commands. In other words, they would have come to Him in faith, hoping for a blessing at His hands, and desirous and disposed to seek it in any way in which He might direct them to seek it. Thus they would then have come to Him, had they come, as He intended they should.

And thus then we may still come to Him. We may still come to Him in faith, with these dispositions and desires: for though He be not now on earth, personally present with us; yet He is still present with us by His Spirit. He reveals himself to us in His word: there we may seek and come to Him. He meets His people in His Ordinances : there we may find and come to Him. By faith and prayer we may still approach Him. In relying on His promises, in obeying His commands, we may still comply with His invitation, Renouncing all other lords and masters, and choosing Him for our Saviour and our King, we still may come to Him.

Let us advert next to the Promise which is added: "I will give you rest." Rest is the blessing promised. And what blessing is so suitable as rest to those who labour and are heavy-laden? It is the very blessing, of which they stand most in need, and which, when once attained, they will most sensibly

The

value and enjoy. This blessing then Christ will give to them. He will freely confer it on them. It is a blessing to which they have antecedently no claim; and of which they are wholly undeserving. They can do nothing to merit it. They have no right to expect it. But as a free and a gracious gift, it is offered unto them, and shall be bestowed upon them. The Faithfulness and Power of Christ are pledged to bestow this gift. He hath said, "I will give you rest." direction and the promise are closely and inseparably joined together. If the persons addressed will but follow the direction, they shall experience the promise. If they will but comply with the invitation, they shall taste the blessing. Let them with their heart believe on Jesus as their Saviour, and submit to Him as their King; and His word shall be fulfilled unto them. They shall no longer labour and be heavy-laden. They They "shall find rest unto their souls." Such is the meaning of the Promise.

Having thus led you to consider the Per son here speaking, and the Persons spoken to, together with the gracious Words addressed to them, I now purpose to make a more close application of the subject.

It may more particularly be asked, whom did our Lord mean by those who labour and are heavy-laden? He meant us all. There

are none whom the description would not suit. Every man, in some way or other, labours and is heavy-laden. He is groaning under a burden, from which none but Christ can set him free. He may not, indeed, be sensible of his state. But this insensibility only increases his real misery. For till he feel his burden, he will never seriously come to Christ for rest. When, therefore, the minister of the Gospel looks round on any congregation, and considers how many persons there may possibly be present who thus labour, and are heavy-laden, who might find rest unto their souls; but who, from ignorance of their state, and from an insensibility of their burden, are kept from coming to Jesus Christ; he cannot but be touched with a tender compassion for their condition; he cannot but be stirred up with an anxious desire of being profitable to them, and if possible of leading them where only they can find true peace and lasting happiness. Happiness, my brethren, is the object of your search. You are all wishing to be happy. You are seeking it in a variety of ways. But, so long as you are not seeking it in Jesus Christ, you "are walking in a vain shadow, and are disquieting yourselves in vain." You are following an object, which you can never overtake. You are seeking for happiness, where it never can be