before he came home. Says he at verse 11, "I will arise, and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thy hired servants," Luke xv. 18-20. He rose and came to his father; his father saw him, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him, had compassion on him: ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and the son said to him, "Father," now see whether he makes good his words, that he said he would say when he came to his father, "I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son:" but his father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe :" he leaves out that, Make me as one of thy hired servants. One kiss from his father had filed off all the mercenary disposition. Oh, much, much of the legal work is to be taken away: in evangelical repentance there is much in little; in legal repentance there is little in much.

Again, It is one thing for grief, sorrow, repentance to be more in view, sense, and noise; and another thing to be more in spirit, and in profit. As now for example, the rain does sometime fall in a storm, and when it does so, it makes a great noise; the earth hath not time for to take it at the first into its bosom; it runs down the streets in great abundance, and it stands in some places, in great plashes of water: at another time the rain falls by small drops, and makes no such noise: but yet notwithstanding, it falls to the root of the corn, and profits more; for when the rain falls so in a storm, it lays the corn; the corn, I say, is laid by it. So now, sorrow and grief sometimes fall in a storm, as in legal repentance; and it is great in view, stands in great plashes of water; oh, but then it doth lay our duties, it lays our assurance, it lays our faith: evangelical repentance, that makes no such noise, but it falls to the root of the graces, and does not lay your comforts, it does not lay your assurance, it does not lay your duties. And so it is more in profit.

Lastly, this sorrow, grief, and repentance may take one's own heart much, or the heart of God much; one's own heart may be much affected, or the heart of God may be much affected: beloved, we are apt to love our first born:

and though legal repentance does not always go before the work of the gospel: for what legal work was there in Matthew before he did come to Christ, or what legal work was there in Zaccheus before he came to Christ? yet oftentimes it does; I say, yet oftentimes it does; and this being the first-born of our soul, we go to God with both our repentances, legal and evangelical: and we say, Lord, lay the hand, oh, lay the right hand of thy blessing upon my first-born, oh, let that inherit: but the Lord deals here as old Jacob did, when Joseph brought his two children before him to be blessed; Jacob crossed his hands, and for Joseph's sake he laid the blessing upon the younger. So now does God do; you would have me to lay my blessing, says God, upon your first-born, upon your elder, upon your legal repentance. No, says God, I have said, the elder shall serve the younger, and I will cross my hands; and for Joseph's sake, because there is more of Christ in this younger, therefore here will I lay the hand of my blessing. Beloved, the heart of a christian, a gracious man, is never more drawn out in grief than upon the apprehension of love injured: the greater love, and the greater injury is presented, the greater is the grief. When the kingdom of heaven comes unto a poor soul, there is the greatest love presented; sin against that is the greatest injury: when therefore a man is sensible of his sin under that notion, then is his heart most affected and drawn forth in godly sorrow. Surely therefore, the approaching and the drawing near of the kingdom of heaven, is the greatest motive, and argument unto heaven unto true repentance.

By way of application: if these things be so, what a sad condition are those in, whom the kingdom of heaven, the word of the kingdom, the doctrine of free remission hath come unto, and yet they are not stirred, nor moved for to turn to God, or to repent? It may be, here is some drunkard, some swearer, some notorious sabbath-breaker, some wanton that is gotten into the congregation: I will not say to thee, Friend, how camest thou in hither? Ah, poor soul, thou mayest hear that voice, and those words too soon another day but this I say, Friend, the greatest motive under heaven hath been used to move and turn thee; and yet thou art nothing moved and stirred therewith: oh, whereby shall thy

soul be brought unto repentance? "Go, (says our Saviour Christ unto his disciples) preach, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand: if they receive ye, your peace be upon them: if not, it shall be more easy for Sodom and Gomorrah, than for that city, than for that people, at that great day." Oh for the Lord's sake, take heed when ye hear the word of the kingdom, take heed that ye do not lose it: repent, and then turn to God.

But if these things be so, then here we see the reason, why our hearts are no more broken, are no more humbled, no more repentance, no more melting, heart no more softened because ye do not labour to bring the kingdom of heaven near unto your souls: I mean the gospel, and the word of the gospel; free remission of poor sinners: when the kingdom of heaven comes near unto a person, he runs away from it, from the promise: oh, it belongs not to me; I am not so and so qualified; I am not so and so broken; I am not so and so weary, and heavy laden: and therefore the promise belongs not to me. But the approaching of the kingdom of heaven, is the only means and motive to break thy heart, and wilt not thou therefore come to it, because thy heart is not broken?

Oh, but the promise does not belong to me; the promise is made unto those that are weary and heavy laden and I am

not so.

Mistake not, good people. The invitation is made to the weary and heavy-laden, but the promise is made to coming. There are two things in that speech," Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy-laden." Here is an invitation, and here is a promise. The invitation is made indeed to those that are weary and heavy-laden. Oh, but the promise is

made to coming, the promise is made to coming. But that is all one you will say, for then it seems I am not invited, it the invitation be made to such.

God does not speak every thing in every scripture; but, man or woman, art thou not invited by some other scripture? Pray what think ye of that in Prov. ix., "Wisdom hath built her an house;" that is, Christ, compared with the former chapter; "she hath killed her beasts, she hath mingled her wine, she hath furnished her table: she cries upon the high places of the city." What does she cry? read ver. 4, "Whoso

is simple, let him come in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding," ye read it; it is, "as for him that wanteth heart, come eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled." The invitation is made to simple ones: "Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither."

Oh, but I have such an heart as never any had; I want a heart unto all that is good. Mark, " As for him that wanteth heart," she saith to him, " Come eat of my bread." How think ye, is the invitation here made only to those that are weary and heavy-laden? And if ye consider that place in the gospel, which ye know, the invitation to the great supper; the servants are sent forth to call in those that were bidden, and they excuse themselves: but they were bidden, they were invited were they weary and heavy-laden, think ye? Well, he sent out again, and invites others. Look upon the text, were they weary and heavy-laden too? "Go, (says he) go, go to the highways, and go to the hedges, and compel them to come in ;" were they weary and heavy-laden too? And if ye look into Rev. iii., ye find there that our Saviour says at ver. 20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in, and sup with him, and he with me." Our Saviour Christ here stands knocking, and offers the greetest mercies that can be; fellowship and communion with a poor soul: “I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” What greater blessing or mercy can you desire than fellowship with Jesus Christ. Says Jesus Christ, "If any man will open, I will come in and sup with him, and he with me." Here is mutual fellowship; Christ stands and offers this; he stands knocking. But, I pray, what door does he knock at; whose door does he knock at? Oh, my beloved, it is a Laodicean door. Laodiceans, what are those? Lukewarm: "I would thou wert hot or cold; but seeing thou art lukewarm, I will vomit thee out of my mouth." Lukewarm person, worse than profane; and yet, behold, Jesus Christ stands at a lukewarm person's door: knocking and tendering mercy to a lukewarm Laodicean person.

Aye, but stay, may be they were weary and heavy-laden, first, before they were invited.

Read verse 17: "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest

not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked." Were these weary and heavy-laden, think ye? and yet at this door, behold, at this door the Lord Christ stands knocking. Oh, grace, oh, glorious, rich grace. Oh, you that have stood at a distance from the promise, and dared not draw near to the promise; said it did not belong to you, you were not invited to mercy; consider, do you consider what great enemies you are unto your own breakings and humblings that ye do so much desire! The approaching of the kingdom of heaven, and the doctrine of grace and of free remission unto a poor sinner, is the greatest means and motive in the world to break one's heart. Oh, therefore, as ever you desire to have your hearts broken, and to be humbled, look much to the kingdom of heaven, and the doctrines thereof, and never say it does not belong unto you.

But if these things be so, if there be a truth in this doctrine, what infinite cause have we all for to repent, to mend our lives, and to turn to God? "The kingdom of heaven hath approached." Beloved, hath not the kingdom of heaven approached unto our nation? Take the kingdom of heaven for the kingdom of glory, and in these dying times, how hath the kingdom of heaven approached in that sense? Take the kingdom of heaven for the state of the church, and how many church truths hath broken out in these days that were not known before? Take the kingdom of heaven for the gospel and the preaching of the gospel, how hath God gone up and down in these latter times, even in these times of trouble, preaching free grace to poor England? Witness all these victories ye have had notwithstanding all your sins. O England, England, now repent and turn unto the Lord. Surely, if ever, the kingdom of heaven is come to you. Yea, hath not the kingdom of heaven approached unto many of your souls in particular? Are there not some here, great sinners, that have been invited to mercy; are there not some here, great sinners, that have received mercy? Hath the kingdom of heaven approached unto you, and will not you repent, and will not you turn to God, and will not you amend your lives? You will say, This work is not now to do, we have repented already.

But pray give me leave, have ye, have ye repented upon gospel motives? have ye repented upon this ground, because