text are a most folemn and ample invitation which Chrift gives to finners. In them I fhall confider,

I. THE Connection. For which look to verfes 25. and 26. compare Luke x. 21. " Jefus rejoiced in Spirit." It was a joyful time to him when he made this invitation. He rejoiced in the account of the good news, the fuccefs with which the meffage of the difciples was attended; and in the wife and fovereign difpenfation of grace by the Father, which he here celebrates, as alfo upon the view of his own power; where he shows, That all power was lodged in him. The keys of the Father's treasures of grace were in his hand, yea, and whatsoever is the Father's. He also fhews, That none could know the Father, but by him, for that is given to him only. He, as it were, opens the treafure-door to finners in the text.-From the connection of this verse, as just now stated, I would obferve, that the folemnity of this invitation is moft obfervable. There feems fomething to be about it more than ordinary. As,

1. It was given in the day of Chrift s gladness. He was a man of forrows, all made up of forrows. Sorrow, fighing, weeping, groaning, were his ordinary fare. Önce indeed we read of his being glad, John, xi. 15.; and once of his rejoicing, Luke, x.21. And, again, on this occafion, here that thread of forrow was interrupted, the fun of joy broke out for a little from under the cloud. His heart was touched, and, as it were, leaped for joy, as the word fignifies; compare Matth. v. 12. with Luke, vi. 23. In the Greek," he was exceeding joyful." At this extraordinary time and frame, he gives the invitation in the text. Hence infer,

ft, That Chrift invites finners with an enlarged heart. Joy enlarges it. His heart is open to you,

his arms are ftretched wide.

You often fee him with forrow and anger in his face, and this works with you that you will not come. Behold him fmiling and inviting you now to himself, fending love-looks to loft finners, from a joyful heart within! Infer,

2dly, May I fay, the Mediator's joy is not complete, till you come and take a fhare? The fcriptures will warrant the expreffion, Ifa. liii. 11. "He fhall fee of the travail of his foul, and shall be fatisfied." He rejoiceth, but refteth not; but invites finners to a share, as if all could not fatisfy while he goes childlefs, as to fome he has yet an eye upon. Infer,

3dly, That nothing can make Christ forget poor finners, or be unconcerned for them. Sorrow could not do it, joy could not do it; either of thefe will drive a narrow-fpirited man fo into himfelf, as to forget all others. But never was his heart fo filled either with forrow or joy, but there was always room for poor finners there. When he was entering the ocean of wrath, he remembered them, John xvii.; and as our forerunner, he went into the ocean of joy, Heb. vi. 20. Like Aaron, he carried our names on his heart, when he went in to appear before the Lord in heaven, Exod. xxviii. 29.

2. The invitation was given at a time when there was a great breach made in the devil's kingdom, compare Luke x. 17. 18. Chrift was now beginning to fet up a new kingdom, and he fends out feventy difciples, which was the number of the Sanhedrim at firft. He was to bring his people out of the spiritual Egypt, compare Gen. xlvi. 27. The fuccefs of the difciples was a fair pledge of the devil's kingdom coming down, and the delivery of finners. And when the news of it comes, his heart rejoices, and his tongue breaks out in this invitation

invitation to the devil's captives, to come away upon this glorious fignal. As he had begun to perform this part of the covenant, the Father had begun to perform his, which made his heart leap for joy, and fets him on to cry, that they would all come away, as difciples, vigorously to pursue the advantage which was got, Pfal. cx. 7. "He fhall drink of the brook in the way, therefore fhall he lift up the head. Hence infer,

ift, That Chrift's heart is set upon the work of finners falvation. Ye fee no undue hafte, but he would have no delays. He holds hands to the work, calling, Come unto me. He preferred it to the eating of his bread; and what elfe is the meaning of all the ordinances and providences ye meet with? Infer,

2dly, That Chrift would have you to come, taking encouragement from the example of others that have come before you. There is a gap made in the devil's prifon; fome have made their efcape by it already, O! will not ye follow? The Lord has fet examples for us, both of judgement and of mercy. In the beginnings of the Jewish church, there was an example of God's fovereignty, in the deftruction of Nadab and Abihu, Lev. X. 1. 2.; and of the Christian church, in the death of Ananias and Sapphira, Acts, v.; of mercy, in the Jewish church, Rahab the harlot, befides Abraham, the father of them all, an idolater, Josh. xxix. 15. compare Ifa. li. 2. Then in the Chriftian church, Paul, the blafphemous perfecutor, 1 Tim. i. 16. Infer,

3dly, That however full Chrift's houfe be, there is always room for more; he wearies not of welcoming finners; the more that come the better. Christ's harvest is not all cut down at once, nor his house built in a day; if the laft ftone were laid in the

building,

building, the scaffolding of ordinances would be taken down, and the world be at an end. But none of these has hitherto taken place; therefore yet there is room: Joel, iii. 21. "For I will cleanse their blood that I have not yet cleansed, for the Lord dwelleth in Zion."

3. This invitation is given on a folemn review of that fulness, of that all which the Father hath lodged in the hand of the Mediator, and that folely. The Father, as it were, no fooner leads him into these treafures, but he fays, This and this is for you, finners; here is a treasure of mercies and bleffings for you; pardon, life, peace, &c. all is for you. Come, therefore, unto me, the Father has delivered them into my hand, I long to deliver them over to you. Come, therefore, to me, and hence I fhall draw my fulņefs out to you.' Chrift had got a kingdom from the Father; it was as yet thinly peopled, and fo he calls you to come to him, that ye may be happy in him. He has no will to enjoy these things alone, but because he has them, he would have you to take a fhare.-I would thence draw this

DOCTRINE, That as the fulness lodged in the Mediator hath a free vent in his heart, so it seeks to diffuse itself into the fouls of needy finners.

JESUS CHRIST longs to make finners the better of that all-fulness that is lodged in him by the Father. Chrift fpeaks here to us as the true Jofeph, Gen. xlv. 9.-11. As Jofeph invited his brethren to come and dwell with him, fc Jefus cordially invites us, and promises us a fhare of the fulness which he himfelf poffeffes.In illuftrating the above propofition, I shall only,

I. Affign

I. Affign fome reasons.

II. Make fome practical improvement.

I. I AM to give fome reafons of this doctrine, or fhew, why Christ is so kind and liberal to finners. He is fo,

1. Because the Father hath given him for that end: Ifa. lv. 4. "Behold, I have given him for a Witness unto the people, a Leader and Commander unto the people." The Father had thoughts of love to man; his love defigned to diftribute a treasure of mercy, pardon, and grace, to loft finners; but juftice would not allow his giving them immediately out of his own hand; therefore he gives them to the Mediator to diftribute. An abfolute God being a confuming fire, guilty creatures, as ftubble, could not endure his heat, but they would have been burnt up by it; therefore he fets his own Son, in man's nature, as a cryftal-wall betwixt him and them; he gives him the Spirit without measure, not only a fulness of fufficiency, but abundance of bleffings, is laid up in him; for it hath pleased the Father, that in him fhould all fulness dwell.-He is fo,

2. Because he received a fulness of treafure for that very end: John, xvii. 19. "For their fakes I fanctify myself, that they alfo might be fanctified through the truth." The firft Adam got mankind's ftock; he foon loft all. Chrift takes the elect's ftock in his hand for their fecurity, and fo he is given for a covenant of the people; he takes the burden upon him for them, and takes the adminiftration of the fecond covenant, that it might, with them, be a better covenant than the first. He is fo,

3. Because he bought these treasures at the price of his blood for their behoof: Phil. ii. 8. 9. "He

humbled