Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest

Before we open the promise (I will give you Rest) saith he, if you come to me, in that Christ doth propound that which he knows will take the Hearts of sinners, as a great good unto them, to draw them to himself, ⟨p. 181⟩hence I say, the note it clear, That in our coming to Jesus Christ, it is lawful for us to have some aim at our own good, Yea, not only lawful for us, but we ought so to do, for we are to look upon Christ so as Christ propounds himself unto us, not only lawful, I say to look upon Christ so as he propounds himself to us, but it is our duty so to look upon him. Now when Christ propounds himself unto us as an object to draw our Hearts to him, he doth propound himself as one wherein our souls shall gain abundance of good, one that we shall get much by. Now though it is true, we should Labour to be above our selves as much as may be, we should Labour to deny our selves, in some sense, yet not so, but that we are to look at our own good, even in our coming unto Jesus Christ. Now this I might show you in abundance of Scriptures, in the very first commission that Jesus Christ gave unto his Apostles, after his Resurrection, to go and Preach throughout the world, he saith unto them, in Mark, 16.15. verse, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature, he that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved. This is clear, that Christ would have us in our first believing, to have an aim at our own good. And so we find such a kind of promise as this is in the Text, In Jer. 6.16. verse. Thus (saith the Lord) stand in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk therein, and ye shall find Rest for your Souls. Inquire after the good ways, and you shall find Rest for your Souls. So that you see, God propounds duties together with promises, the Lord knows what is best for us, and what will work most upon us, and therefore, for us to think, that we must have no aim at all of any good to our selves in coming to Christ, and that it is no grace, but self-love to come to Christ for our own good, this is a temptation.

Before we open the promise (I will give you Rest) saith he, if you come to me, in that Christ doth propound that which he knows will take the Hearts of sinners, as a great good unto them, to draw them to himself, ⟨p. 181⟩