Christ Inviting Sinners to Come to Him for Rest, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Containing a Deſcription of them whom Chriſt invites to come unto him, which is laid down in this doctrine. That they whom Chriſt cals to come unto him, are ſuch as Labor, and are heavy Laden. Whether, 1. Ʋnder the burden of the righteouſneſs of the Law. Or, 2. Ʋnder the weight of their ſins. Or, 3. Ʋnder the power of any corruption. Or, 4. Ʋnder any outward trouble, or Affliction.
YOu that Labor and are Heavy Laden. So that then the point is, DOCT. That thoſe that Labor, and are Heavy Laden, are called to Chriſt. Such as Chriſt calls are Such as Labor and are Heavy Laden.
1. Such as Labor and are Heavy Laden, under the burden of the righteouſneſs of the Law. So Chriſoſtom carries the text. Thoſe that heretofore have ſought righteouſneſs by the Law, and find it very burdenſom to them; they that are toyling, and laboring, to get peace and reſt unto their ſouls by the works of the Law, but find themſelves tyred, find that peace and reſt doth not come that way, are even toyled and tyred and do (as it were) ſtick in the mire but yet find no peace nor reſt that way. Now ſaith Chriſt unto them, come unto me; as if he ſhould ſay; This is not the right way to get true peace and reſt to your ſouls, to think to bring it about by the works of the Law; you may toyl, labor, performe duties, and not dare to do any thing againſt your conſciences; be very ſtrict in your lives, be ſtriving to do more and more; And yet this wil not bring true reſt and peace unto your ſouls; you wil never have peace and reſt through the righteouſneſs of the Law; you muſt have it by me. There are many whoſe conſciences God hath begun to enlighten, to ſee that there is an evil in Sin, that ſin wil bring death, that it doth endanger their ſouls of damnation eternally, they are convinced of this; and that they might have peace with God, is the thing their ſouls doth much deſire. O! that they might have the pardon of ſin, and peace with God. O! that they might have their conſciences quieted; God doth awaken the conſciences of many men and women, who yet have no ſaving grace; and they ſpend a great deal of time in laboring, and taking much pains to get their Conſciences quiet; there is many that have been divers years laboring, and taking paines to get their conſciences to be quiet, and cannot, but their conſciences ever and anon wil be flying in their faces, & troubling of them, and yet they are ſuch people, as dare not commit any known ſin; dare not neglect any known duty, are conſtant in prayer in ſecret, attend upon the word. And whenſoever they heare of a duty that they ſhould perform, they labor to ſet upon it withal their might: but alas! they feel little ſweetneſs and comfort in their duty; only conſcience hales them to it, and tells them, that they muſt do it, and if they do neglect it conſcience flyes in their Faces, and tells them they muſt periſh eternally, and they ſeek therefore to pacify their Conſciences only by the performance of Duties, and by their obedience to the Law, and ſo ſeek it by the righteouſneſs of the Law; that's the only way that they do take to pacifie their Conſciences, and get reſt and peace unto their ſouls. Alas, al this while they are laboring and toyling, but cannot do it; for while men ſeek Righteouſneſs by the Law, it muſt needs be a toyling labor that will not give reſt.
The Firſt Burden of the Law.
Firſt: The Law gives no ſtrength at all to enable me to perform duties: and therefore the Children of it muſt needs be under bondage; as Pharaoh's Task-maſters commanded ſo much Brick to be made, but would afford them no ſtraw, no means to do it. So ſome ſet forth the bondage and ſervitude of the Law, commanding ſuch things as it gives no ſtrength at al to perform.
Queſt. But you will ſay, Is this the Law of God? is God ſo hard to his Creature as to command that which he gives no ability to perform?
Anſw. We muſt know, that God did once give ſtrength to perform Duties: but certainly now the Law of God commands Duties, but gives no ſtrength to perform them: there is no ſtrength enabling us to perform duties, until the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt doth come into the Soul; we may perform the outward part of them, but not perform duties in ſuch a ſpiritual manner, that they ſhould be ſuitable to our hearts, ſo as to bring eaſe and quiet unto our ſouls; and though the ſoul do ſeek to get reſt, and eaſe to it ſelf, yet it wil not come that way.
The Second Burden of the Law.
Secondly: The Law requires perfect obedience in every thing, and denounceth a Curſe againſt him that doth not continue in every thing that is written in the Law to do it. Now when men and women are ſeeking to get reſt to their ſouls by the works of the Law, they cannot perform duties as they ought; and therefore they have no reſt, but they ſee the Law to condemn them becauſe they do not perform duties in a perfect manner; and yet they think they muſt go on, and do as wel as they can: I, but ſtill Conſcience hath matter to accuſe them of; you have not done enough, you ſtill come ſhort, and though you do ſome duties, you neglect other duties: ſo that Conſcience hath them at advantage every day, and they are continually under the bondage of an accuſing and condemning Conſcience, that they can have no reſt to their ſouls; they perform duties, but queſtion with themſelves, how can I know that the infinite, holy God wil accept of what I do? and although they may get quiet for a little while, yet Conſcience comes upon them again, and diſquiets them, and caſts fears and doubts …to their ſouls; inſomuch that many poor Creatures have gone ſeven, or perhaps twice ſeven years under trouble of Conſcience, and never had any reſt or peace; and yet ſtill have gone on making Conſcience of their waies, but withal ful of fears and doubts, leſt al ſhould not be wel with them at laſt.
The Third Burden of the Law.
And beſides, Whiles the ſoul goes on to ſeek quiet and reſt by the works of the Law, there is an unſuitableneſs between the duties that are performed, and the heart of ſuch a man or woman; ſo that the very works that they do, and duties they perform, are grievous and tedious unto them. I, but now ſaith Chriſt, O! Come to me, ſuch as theſe are; Is there any of you that have had your conſciences troubled, and have deſired, O! that there might be peace between God and my ſoul, that I might have aſſurance of Gods Love? what courſe have you taken to get it? have you not ſought to bring it about by the works of the Law, and have thought to get reſt and peace to your ſouls that way? Indeed, it is better to go on that way, than in the waies of ſin; but to think to have reſt and peace that way, hath a great deal more evil in it than you are aware of; if men ſhal think to quiet themſelves that way, and thereby put off the Righteouſneſs that comes by Faith, they may come to be hardened before they be aware. But is there any of you that are ſeeking reſt and peace unto your ſouls in ſuch a way by the righteouſneſs of the Law? ſaith Chriſt, know, That this is not the way for you to have reſt to your ſouls; it's true, you muſt abſtain from ſin, and perform duties; O! but if you would have reſt to your ſouls, you muſt come to me, it is by the ſouls rowling of it ſelf upon the perfect righteouſneſs that there is in Jeſus Chriſt, that only can bring true reſt unto the ſoul. Many a poor ſinner that hath been ſeeking reſt many years, hath not got it; but when the Lord hath been pleaſed to come in with one promiſe of the Goſpel, ſetting it home upon their ſouls, they have got more reſt and quiet to their ſouls in one day, yea, in one hour, than they did before in many years; there is a great deal of art and skil to get reſt and quiet to the ſoul that is troubled. The Goſpel is a myſtery in this thing; and when God acquaints the ſoul with the myſtery of the Goſpel in this thing, then reſt comes on in a ſweet and gracious manner. It's true, it is the hardeſt thing in the world for to cloſe with Chriſt, and to get true eaſe and reſt to the ſoul, it is hard in it ſelf til God make known the myſtery of Faith to the ſoul, but when that is done, then the ſoul finds abundance of eaſe and reſt, and that in a little while. As it is with a man that thinks by main ſtrength to do ſome work that indeed can only be done by Skil and Art; he may be toyling, laboring, and tiring himſelf; but yet cannot do it; whereas another man that underſtands the miſtery of it, he comes in, and in a little time by his skil and art can do that with eaſe, that the other man was toyling and laboring about, a long while and yet could not do it. As you know in al Trades that have a miſtery in them. You that are Navigators that underſtand the miſtery of that Art; if any unskilful man ſhould come, and think to do ſome of your work by his main ſtrength; he may labor and toyl even his Heart out, and not do that work that you can do eaſily in a little time. So many poor Souls are laboring, and toyling that theſe troubled Souls of theirs might be but quiet; they are laboring, and they wil perform duties, and faſt, and pray ſo many times in a day, and ſo go on in a tireſome way, whereas after the Soul comes to be acquainted with the miſtery of the Goſpel, that it hears the voice behind him as it were ſaying come to me. And the Soul being inabled to anſwer to the cal, and to come to Chriſt; it doth now perform duties as much as it did before, and makes conſcience of them as much as it did before, but now they come to do them in another manner than they did before, and they come to be eaſie to them over that they were before, and they come to have reſt to their Souls notwithſtanding their imperfections in duties. When you went to prayer; indeed ſomtimes when your Hearts were much inlarged in Prayer, and your thoughts were taken up wholly with the duties that you were performing; then you thought you had ſome comfort, but when you had any wandring thoughts and diſtractions in Prayer, then you roſe up with a mighty troubled Spirit, and could have no reſt al the day long. Now when you come to be acquainted with the miſtery of God in Chriſt, though there be many imperfections in your duties, yet then you ſhal find reſt unto your Souls, notwithſtanding all your imperfections. But that wil come to be more clearly opened when we come to that [and I wil give you reſt] Thoſe that have labored under the righteouſneſs of the Law, and find it toylſome and exceeding burdenſom to them; Chriſt calls them to come to him that they may have reſt.
The Burden under Sin.
Secondly, Thoſe that labor and are heavy laden under the weight and burden of their Sins; The trouble of Conſcience that is upon them for their Sins, this is another thing, beſides the righteouſneſs of the Law. The other labor was from under duties, but this labor is from the ſenſe of the weight, and burden of Sin; and we are to know that this is a great labor, and burden. Oh! when the Soul comes to be under the burden of ſin, it works to purpoſe; it labors then indeed. The thoughts they gather together, and conſcience being awakened makes a great diſturbance, and cauſeth fears and tremblings in the Soul, the heart of a man or woman that was before ſlugiſh, dull, heavy, and dead; when God comes to make it to be ſenſible of the evil of Sin, then it is quickned, enlivened, and working. You that Labor and are heavy laden; you that feel the weight of Sin upon your Souls, and know not what in the world to do; Come you to me (ſaith Chriſt) and I will give you Reſt.
The Burden of Corruption.
Thirdly, You that labor under the power of any Corruption; Not only under the Guilt of your Sins, but under the power of Corruption, that feel your Sins ſtrong in you; and you would fain get the maſtery of them. You that carry about with you ſuch a weight as makes you to cry out with St. Paul, Oh! Wretched man, or Woman that I am, who ſhal deliver me from this Body of Death? You that would fain overcome thoſe ſtrong Corruptions that are in you, and it is the great burden of your Souls that you cannot overcome them. Come to me (ſaith Chriſt) and I wil give you reſt, from them alſo. Firſt, you that labor under the burden of duties and find them toyleſome. Secondly, you that labor under the guilt of Sin, and find your Souls perplexed by it. Thirdly, You that labor under the power of any corruption and cannot overcome it. Come to me and I wil give you Reſt. And then.
The Burden of Affliction.
Fourthly, You that labor under any outward trouble or Affliction in this world. All you that are in any ſad condition, that have any burdens upon you outwardly; if you come to Chriſt he wil eaſe you of them; though perhaps he will not take them from you, though you may be under the affliction as before, yet you ſhal have reſt and eaſe in them. Have you any burden of poverty? Have you any Burden in your Children? Have you any burden in your Yoke fellows? Or burden by reaſon of weakneſs in Body? if you will have reſt, you muſt go for it to Chirſt. Many when they are under any outward affliction, they go no futher then the creature for reſt. Oh! if I had but good friends, I ſhould be happy; or if I had but an Eſtate I ſhould be wel. But if thy poverty did work upon thy heart kindly, it would drive thee to Chiſt, and make thee to ſay, true I am poor in this world; but there is enough in Chriſt to make me Rich; there is mercy enough in Chriſt to make my life comfortable, to make me who am for the preſent in a miſerable Condition, happy for ever. Thoſe that are poor outwardly, they ſhould go to Chriſt, if their poverty did drive them to Chriſt it were a good ſigne that the Lord did Sanctifie their poverty unto them.
Now becauſe al theſe Burdens, if they were handled diſtinctly. The Burden of the righteouſneſs of the Law; The burden of the ſenſe of the guilt of ſin; the burden of the power of ſin; And the Burden of outward afflictions in this world. To open theſe fully, and to ſhew how Chriſt cals thoſe that are under theſe to himſelf, would take up much time; therefore I wil pitch upon the Second at preſent and handle that more throughly; and that is the laboring under the burden of the guilt of Sin.
You that Labor under the burden of the Guilt of Sin, Come to me and I wil give you Reſt ▪ I wil not here ſtand to open unto you, what the burden of the Guilt of Sin is; then I ſhould ſoon ſlip into an argument, that I have at large heretofore opened to you,See my Treatiſe of the Evil of Sin. out of the Evil of ſin; only thus much let us know, that of al burdens in the world, the burden of Sin, it is the greateſt; it is that that is a burden to the very ſpirit of God. God complaines that he is preſſed under it as a Cart is preſſed that is ful of ſheaves; it was that which preſſed down the Angels to Hel to be reſerved in Chains of darkneſs; it was that which preſſed down Chriſt, and made him ſweat drops of Blood. And it is that that hath been a great weight and burden upon many thouſands of Gods Saints; it is that that the damned in Hel lies under now, and muſt do ſo eternally, Curſing, Blaſpheming of God. It is that that makes the whole creation to groan and travel in pain. However many people think …lightly and meanly of it, yet when the Lord doth lay it upon any Soul, ſuch a Soul doth find it to be a burden indeed.