NOAH, _Rest_ or _Consolation_.—This only is to be found in Christ; hence David said, upon the reflection of his sad troubles, _Return unto thy rest_, _O my soul_!—the learned say in the original it is _Noah_, perhaps in allusion to the Dove, who was sent out of the Ark, but could find no rest for the soul of its foot, till it returned. So we find it, experimentally, in all seasons of worldly-mindedness, carnality, and backsliding; we are truly miserable, we are out of our element; we can get no consolation, no rest, till we have a sweet, cordial reception from our dear Lord again—the Spirit has engaged to glorify Jesus, and he does it in presenting him in his beauty and glory to the mind, by bringing us to enjoy him, to prize him, and keep near him; hence the command, _Abide in me_. So the blessed Spirit carrying on the Work of Faith in our minds, by exercising it on the Person, Work, and Love of Jesus, here we find rest; _we which believe do enter into rest_; Christ is our rest—here we cease from legal striving, and find a Sabath rest in Christ alone:—hence he is called _the consolation of Israel_, and we want him, as such, all the way to glory.—Considering the sins, the trials, the crosses, losses, and disappointments of God’s children, no doubt sent on purpose to keep us near the Saviour, and that we might make up all our happiness in him; hence he says, _Cease ye from man_, _whose breath is in his nostrils_. We must learn to cease from the best of men—God often tries his people with his people; perhaps this made the Prophet exclaim, _the best of them is a briar_, _the most upright it sharper than a thorn edge_. How wisely has our English poet expressed it— I can not on earth; ’twill pierce thee to the heart! A broken reed at best, but oft a spear; On its sharp point Peace bleeds and Hope expires!