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that is but coming, in that he is eased of his burden. For he that is but coming, is not eased of his burden. Matt. xi. 28. He that is come, has cast his burden upon the Lord: by faith he hath seen himself released thereof; but he that is but coming, hath it yet as to sense and feeling, upon his own shoulders. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden," implies, that their burden, though they are coming, is yet upon them, and so will be till indeed they are come to him.

3. He that is come to Christ, has the advantage of him that is but coming, in this also, namely, he hath drunk of the sweet and soul-refreshing waters of life; but he that is but coming hath not. "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink." Mark, he must come to him before he drinks; according to that of the prophet, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.' He drinketh not as he cometh, but when he is come to the water. John vii. 37; Isa. lv. 1.

4. He that is come to Christ hath the advantage of him that as yet is but coming, in this also, namely, he is not terrified with the noise, and as I may call it, hue and cry, which the avenger of blood makes at the heels of him that yet is but coming to him. When the slayer was on his flight to the city of his refuge, he had the noise or fear of the avenger of blood at his heels; but when he was come to the city, and was entered therein, the noise ceased. Even so it is with him that is coming to Jesus Christ: he heareth many a dreadful sound in his ear; sounds of death and damnation, which he that is come, is at present freed from. Therefore he saith, "Come and I will give you rest." And so Paul saith again, "We that have believed, do enter into rest." Heb. iv.

5. He therefore that is come to Christ, is not so subject to those dejections, and castings down, by reason of the rage and assaults of the evil one, as is the man that is but com

ing to Jesus Christ (though he has temptations too). “And while he was yet coming, the devil threw him down and tare him." Luke ix. 42. For he has (though Satan still roareth upon him) those experimental comforts and refreshments, in his treasury, to present himself with, in times of temptation and conflict; which he that is but coming has

not.

6. He that is come to Christ, has the advantage of him that is but coming to him, in this also, namely, he hath upon him the wedding-garment; but he that is coming has not. The prodigal, when coming home to his father, was clothed with nothing but rags, and was tormented with an empty stomach; but when he was come, the best robe is brought out, also the gold ring, and the shoes, yea, they are put upon him, to his great rejoicing. The fatted calf was killed for him; the music was struck up to make him merry; and thus also the Father himself sang of him: "This my son was dead, and is alive again; was lost, and is found." Luke xv. 18, 19, &c.

7. In a word, he that is come to Christ, his groans and tears, his doubts and fears, are turned into songs and praises; for that he hath now received the atonement, and the earnest of his inheritance. But he that is but yet a coming, hath not those praises nor songs of deliverance with him; nor has he as yet received the atonement, and the earnest of his inheritance, which is the sealing testimony of the Holy Ghost, through the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon his conscience; for he is not come. Rom. v. 11; Eph. i. xiii.; Heb. xii. 22-24.

There is further to be gathered from this word "cometh," these following particulars.

1. That Jesus Christ hath his eye upon, and takes notice of the first moving of the heart of a sinner after him. Coming sinner, thou canst not move with desires after Christ, but he sees the working of those desires in thy heart. "All my

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desire," said David, "is before thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee." Psalm. xxxviii. 9. This he spake, as he was coming (after he had backslidden) to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is said of the prodigal, that while he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, had his eye upon him, and had the going out of his heart after him. Luke xv. 20.

When Nathanael was come to Jesus Christ, the Lord said to them that stood before him, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile." But Nathanael answered him, "Whence knowest thou me?" Jesus answered, “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee." There, I suppose, Nathanael was pouring out his soul to God for mercy, or that he would give him good understanding about the Messiah to come; and Jesus saw all the workings of his honest heart at this time. John i. 47, 48.

Zaccheus also had some secret movings of heart, such as they were, towards Jesus Christ when he ran before, and climbed up the tree to see him; and the Lord Jesus Christ had his eye upon him. Therefore, when he was come to the place, he looks up to him, and bids him come down. "For to-day," said he, "I must abide at thy house," that is, in order to the further completing the work of grace in his soul. Luke xix. 1-9. Remember this, coming sinner.

2. As Jesus Christ hath his eye upon, so he hath his heart open to receive the coming sinner. This is verified by the text: "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." This is also discovered by his preparing the way, in his making it easy (as it may be) to the coming sinner; which preparation is manifested by these blessed words, "I will in no wise cast out," of which more when we come to the place. "And while he was yet a great way off, his Father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." Luke xv. 20. All these expressions do strongly prove, that the heart of Christ is open to receive the coming sinner.

3. As Jesus Christ has his eye upon, and his heart open to receive; so he hath resolved already, that nothing shall alienate his heart from receiving the coming sinner. No sins of the coming sinner, nor the length of the time that he hath abode in them, shall by any means prevail with Jesus Christ to reject him. Coming sinner, thou art coming to a loving Lord Jesus.

4. These words therefore dropped from his blessed mouth, on purpose that the coming sinner might take encouragement to continue on his journey, until he be come indeed to Jesus Christ. It was doubtless a great encouragement to blind Bartimeus, that Jesus Christ stood still and called him, when he was crying, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me." Therefore it is said he cast away his garment, rose up, and came to Jesus. Mark x. 46, &c. Now, if a call to come hath such encouragement in it, what is a promise of receiving such, but an encouragement much more? And observe it, though he had a call to come, yet not having a promise, his faith was forced to work upon a mere consequence, saying, He calls me; and surely since he calls me, he will grant me my desire. Ah! but coming sinner, thou hast no need (in this matter) to go so far about, as to draw consequences, because thou hast plain promises; "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Here is full, plain promise, yea, what encouragement one can desire.

For, suppose thou wert admitted to make a promise thyself, and Christ should attest that he would fulfil it upon the sinner that cometh to him, couldst thou make a better promise? Couldst thou invent a more full, free, or larger promise? a promise that looks at the first moving of the heart after Jesus Christ! a promise that declares, yea, that engageth Christ Jesus to open his heart to receive the coming sinner! yea, farther, a promise that demonstrates that the Lord Jesus is resolved freely to receive, and will in no wise cast out, nor means to reject the soul of the coming sinner!

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For all this lieth fully in this promise, and doth naturally flow therefrom. Here thou needst not make use of farfetched consequences nor strain thy wits, to force encouraging arguments from the text. Coming sinners, the words are plain: "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."