him alfo, and reftore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, faith the Lord; and I will heal him." The foul finds this reft in the wounds of Chrift, for, "by his ftripes we are healed," Ifa. liii. 5. The blood of Jefus Chrift, God's own Son, cleanfes from all fin. The foul dipped in this fountain is washed from this poifon, and is delivered fromthis fting of guilt.There is reft,

(2.) From the reigning power of fin: Rom. vi.

He

14. For fin fhall not have dominion over you." Sin on the throne makes a confufed reftleis foul, like the raging fea, continually cafting out mire and dirt. Chrift, by his Spirit's efficacy, turns fin off the throne, and rftores reft to the foul. cafts down thefe Egyptian tafk-mafters, and thus the foul enters into his reft: Heb. iv. 10. "For he that is entered into his reft, he also hath ceafed from his own works, as God did from his." In the day of the foul's coming to Chrift, he acts like a King, fetting all in order in the kingdom, that was a mere heap of confufion before his acceffion to the throne.-There is in Chrift,

2. Reft from the law; not that he makes them lawless, but that he takes off from them the infupportable yoke of the law, and gives them ease. He does fo,

(1.) From the burden of law-duties, which are exacted in all perfection, under the pain of the curfe, while no ftrength is furnished wherewith to fulfil them: Rom. vii. 4. "Wherefore, my brethren, ye alfo are become dead to the law by the body of Chrift." This is the yoke on all men's necks naturally; Chrift put his neck in this yoke, and bare it, fatisfying the law's demands. completely, and fo frees all that come to him from

Ef 2

this

this fervice. Chrift carries his people without the dominions of the law.--He does fo,

(2.) From the curfe of the law: Gal. iii. 13. "Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, having been made a curse for us." Rom. viii. I. "There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them that are in Chrift Jefus." These that come to him, he takes from off them that curfe which they are under, and gives them his bleffing, which he hath merited; carries them from mount Sinai to mount Zion, where they hear the blood of Jefus fpeaking pcace, filencing the demands of vengeance, and affording a refuge for the oppreffed.-There is in Christ,

3. Reft from that weary labour in which perfons are engaged when in queft of happiness, leading the foul to the enjoyment of God: Pfal.cxvi.7. "Return unto thy reft, O my foul! for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee." The foul, reftlefs in feeking happiness among the creatures, he leads to God, the fountain of all perfection, opening their eyes, as he did Hagar's, to fee the well, and bringing them into the enjoyment of all good in him, uniting the foul with himself; where,

(1.) The foul finds a reft of fatisfaction from Chrift, which it can find in no other quarter whatever, for the foul finds a reft of fatisfaction from him, when by faith it is fet on the breasts of his confolations. In these there is an object adequate to all the defires of the foul, anfwering all its needs; thus, Prov. xiv. 14. "A good man fhall be fatisfied from himself." There is the triumph of faith in the enjoyment of God: Phil. iv. 18. "But I have all and abound."--The foul finds,

(2.) A rest in him of settled abode, infomuch,

that

that the foul goes not abroad, as it was wont, among the creatures for fatisfaction: John, iv. 14. "But whofoever drinketh of the water that I fhall give him, fhall never thirst; but the water that I fhall give him, fhall be in him a well of water fpringing up to everlafting life." Chrift becomes precious to the foul. Like the released lady, that did not fo much as look on or take notice of Cyrus, notwithstanding of the noble part he acted, but on him (her husband) who faid, he would redeem her with his own life. "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field, the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof, goeth and felleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."--There is in Chrift, 4. Reft in refpect of troubles. Chrift gives

reft,

(1.) From troubles in the world, now and then, when he fees meet: Pfal. xxxiv. "C 19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord dclivereth them out of them all." Zion's God reigneth, be on the throne who will; and when he fpeaks peace, neither devils nor men can create his people trouble; for, Lam. iii. 37. "Who is he that faith, and it cometh to pafs, when the Lord commandeth it not ?" There is no fuch fecurity from trouble as the godly have, but that is from heaven, and not from earth. Therefore,

(2.) Chrift gives reft in trouble: John, xvi. 33. "Thefe things I have fpoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye fhall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." You may, nay, you fhall meet with troubles, but he can make you get sweet reft in your fouls; even when you are on a bed of thorns as to the outward man, he can give bis

people a fweet reft even in troubles. How can these things be? may some say.-In answer,

[1.] Chrift gives his people in trouble an inward reft, that is, an inward tranquillity of mind in midft of trouble: Pfal. iii. 1.-5. "Lord! how are they increafed that trouble me? many are they that rife against me. Many there be which fay of my foul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. I laid me down and flept; I awaked, for the Lord fuftained me." Chrift can make the believer as a veffel of water toffed here and there, yet not jumbled. There was a greater calm with the three children in the furnace, than with the king in the palace, Dan. iii. 24. Fear may be on every fide when there is none in the centre, because Chrift makes a bleffed calm in their hearts.-Chrift gives in trouble,

[2.] A rest of contentment: "I have learned, (fays Paul, Phil. iv. 11.), in whatfoever ftate I am, therewith to be content." This is not only the duty, but the privilege of believers. If the lot of the godly be not brought up to their spirit, Christ will bring their spirit down to their lot; and there must needs be reft there, where the fpirit of the man and his lot meet in one: 'Pfal. xxxvii. 19. "They fhall not be athamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they fhall be fatisfied."Then follows,

[3.] A reft of fatisfaction in the enjoyment of better things. What though the world hath a bitter taste in their mouths? Chrift can hold a cup of confolation to them in that very inftant, the fweetness of which will mafter the bitterness of the other: "Your forrow (fays he, John, xvi. 20.)

fhall

fhall be turned into joy." "Our rejoicing (fays Paul, 2 Cor. i. 12.) is this, the teftimony of our confcience, that in fimplicity and godly fincerity, not with fleshly wifdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our converfation in the world." They are not indeed ftocks, to be unmoved with troubles, but their forrow is fo drowned in spiritual joy, that it is but as forrow, 2 Cor. vi. 10. " As forrowful, yet alway rejoicing;" even as the joy of the wicked is but as joy. Troubles may raise a mutiny of lufts within, but the peace of God quells them: "It keeps their hearts and minds through Jefus Chrift."-Chrift gives,

[4] A reft in confidence of a bleffed iffue: 2 Tim. i. 12. "For the which caufe I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am perfuaded, that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." The foul in Christ has the promise to reft on; and however dark a fide the cloud may have, faith will fee through it; though they may fink deep, they will never drown, who have a promife to bear them up. Thus, you fee, they reft in Chrift in trouble; and this reft is a moft fecure reft, where people may reft confidently: Ifa. xxvi. 3. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is ftayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." The wicked may have reft, but not with God's good will; therefore the more reft, the more dangerous is their cafe: 1 Theff. v. 3. "For when they shall fay, Peace and fafety, then fudden deftruction cometh upon them, as a woman in travail, and they fhall not efcape." But there is perfect fecurity in Chrift, and that in the worst of times, Song, iii. 7. 8. Again, it is a reft that is fo rooted, that the foul can never be deprived of it: Ifa.