Christ Inviting Sinners to Come to Him for Rest, Treatise · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
Chriſts Invitation of Sinners, laid down in theſe words, Come unto me. Opened in five Particulars. 1 It is to look to Chriſt as an All-ſufficient Savior. 2 It implieth an unſetledneſs upon the Creature. 3 A ſtirring of the heart after Chriſt. 4 A laying of all our burdens upon Chriſt. 5 A leaving of the Soul with Chriſt for life.
NOW then we come to the Invitation it ſelf, Come to me, ſaith Chriſt, Come to me; that is, Beleeve in me: For among many other expreſſions of beleeving in Chriſt, or of accepting of the Condition of the Covenant of Grace; the Holy Ghoſt doth expreſs this beleeving and acceptation of the Covenant of Grace, by coming to Chriſt. Beleeving in Chriſt is expreſt very often by coming to Chriſt: In John 5.40. You will not come to me that ye might have life. They did come to Chriſt in his outward preſence, Chriſt conferred with them, and they with him; but yet ſaith Chriſt, ye will not come to me that ye might have life. And ſo in John 6.37. Thoſe that the Father hath given to me, come to me, and I will in no wiſe caſt them out. All that the Father hath from Eternity given me to redeem, they come to me, that is, they beleeve in me. And in verſe 44. None can come to me except God the Father draw him: That is, none beleeves in me except my Father draw them: and ſo, He that hath heard and learned of the Father comes to me: That is, beleeves in me. And that is the meaning of the 55. of Iſai. Ho, every one that thirſteth, come to the waters, buy wine and milk without money, and without price: that is, beleeve in me, that is the meaning. All you that labor under al theſe ſeveral Burdens, come to me, beleeve in me, and I wil give you reſt.
But this muſt be opened more largely: And in this Invitation, there are theſe Five things that I deſire to open unto you, and to work them upon you.
Firſt, What Chriſt would have us do more particularly, when he bids us Come to him.
Secondly, What kind of Invitation it is that Chriſt doth make to thoſe that the Father gives to him, that ſhal indeed come to be ſaved by him; what kind of invitation they have from Chriſt, how Chriſt calls them to him; for this is a calling, and an inviting.
Thirdly, That all that Chriſt requires as a Condition of the Covenant of Grace for reſt unto our ſouls, is to come to him, nothing elſe is the Condition of the Goſpel by which we come to have Chriſt to be ours, but this, to come to him, Come to me ſaith Chriſt: that is the great Condition of the Goſpel, only to come to Chriſt.
Fourthly, There are ſome Rules to be propounded and obſerved, for our Coming unto Chriſt.
Fiftly, The Laboring to draw your Souls unto Chriſt.
For the firſt, Come to me, what is that? what would Chriſt have you to do?
For the opening of that in particular, it is this, When Chriſt calls you to come to him, you are to know, this notes a motion from Chriſt, to come to him.
Firſt: It implies a beholding, a looking unto Jeſus Chriſt, as being the All-ſufficient Savior, to ſave our ſouls from al the evils that are upon us, and to ſupply unto us al good we ſtand in need of: As if Chriſt ſhould ſay, when he ſaith, Come to me; That is, O! poor, troubled ſinners; that are under theſe burdens, Do you behold me to be the great Mediator that is come into the world, to ſtand between all the wrath of my Father, and your ſouls, and to bring life and ſalvation to you, that is imployed, when I would go, I muſt know whither I muſt go, to whom I muſt go, ſo ſaith Chriſt, I am the grea… redeemer ſent into the world by my father to that very end, that I may eaſe poor ſoules of their burdens, and ſuch ſoules as you are, look unto Chriſt therefore, as the great reconciler of God and man, the great mediator between God and man, having the fulneſs of al mercy and goodneſs in him, the great meanes of conveyance of al the grace and riches of God the father to ſinful ſouls, that is the firſt work of beleeving in Chriſt, for to look unto him to be ſuch a one as God the Father hath tendred unto us; that is imployed, but yet the ſoul comes not.
Secondly: But then the ſecond is this, which goes further. To come to Chriſt, implies an unſetledneſs, when we come to a thing, there is the Terminus a quo, and the terminus ad quem, we come from ſomething, ſo ſaith Chriſt, you have ſetled your hearts upon creature comforts, and you have looked upon them heretofore, as thoſe things wherein your good and happineſs doth conſiſt, but now your hearts muſt be taken off from thoſe, you muſt come to me that is there muſt be a removing from that ſtation you were in, from that kind of ſettlement you were before in, I cannot go to another place, and ſtay in the place where I was too: and ſo the heart cannot come to Chriſt and ſtay in the ſtate it was in before, therefore that implies, that whereas you poor creatures, have ſettled your hearts upon creature comforts, and ſetled your hearts upon ſinful things heretofore, O! now, let your hearts be taken off from al thoſe things, know, that your good, your happineſs, your peace is not here, if you abide here, and ſettle here, you are loſt and undone creatures for ever. Let it not grieve your ſouls to part with the comforts that are here below in the creatures, for certainly, you miſtake, here doth not lie your good and happineſs, ſo that when the ſoul is beginning to ſtir after Chriſt, it is taken off from the creature, taken off from al creature comforts, looks upon every thing as vanity; O! Saith the ſoul I am cleerly convinced that my happineſs lies higher then the things here below; theſe are the reaſonings of the heart that is in motion to go to Chriſt. And not onelyonly to be unſetled from the creature, but I muſt be taken off from my ſelf too, from al my righteouſneſs and duties, I muſt not think to ſatisfie God by any thing that I can do, no, but I muſt be convinced, that there is a greater thing required to make up my ſatisfaction with God, then any thing that I can do; and therefore my heart muſt be taken off from theſe things, Heretofore, I reſted in duties, that I was not ſo bad as others, but now I ſee there is another manner of righteouſneſs that I muſt have in a mediator, theſe though they be good in themſelves, yet they are not the things that can ever ſave my ſoul, but if ever I have peace with God and ſtand before him at the great day, it muſt be through another meanes then ever yet I have had, if I had gon on, and had thought to make up my ſatisfaction with God by what I have done, I had been an undone creature; yea, my heart muſt be taken off from mine one bottome, not to reſt in any thing that is in my ſelf, but I muſt go out and deny my ſelf, and ſo look for the principle of life out of my ſelf. This is the ſecond thing that is here noted. Come to me, that is, firſt behold me, ſee and beleeve that I am the great mediator that is come into the world to ſave your ſouls: and then ſecondly, let there be an unſetling of your hearts, a taking your hearts off from whatſoever you were ſetled upon heretofore, that ſo you may be removed from thence, and that you may take another courſe for your life in Chriſt, and happineſs in him.
Thirdly, Come unto me, that is, let there be a working and a ſtirring of your hearts after me; Chriſt calls for the heart of ſinners, after he comes to be revealled to them, they ſhould be in a working, ſtiring, diſpoſition making after the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, for union with him to the utmoſt that poſſibly they can, the thoughts ſhould be working, and the conſcience working, and the wil opening it ſelf to receive in the grace of God, and the affection ſhould he ſtirring, and the whole ſoul ſhould be in a working diſpoſition after him. Incline your eare and come, as if Chriſt ſhould ſay though you are under great burdens, yet do not you ſink under them in a diſcouraging way, and lie down in a dul and a heavy way, No but let your hearts be ſtirring, working and acting after me continually, have a care of this, to keep your hearts in a ſtirring and working way after Chriſt, and the grace that is offered to you in Chriſt, this is that wch young beginners ſhould obſerve in a ſpecial manner, if God be beginning to work upon your hearts, you ſhould have a great care to keep your hearts in a ſtir-working, acting frame and diſpoſition after Chriſt; and above al things in the world, take heed of a dul, heavy dead ſpirit at this time when God cals you to come to Chriſt as the Apoſtle ſaith of himſelf, in Phil. 3.14. I preſs hard after the mark, ſo it ſhould be with every poor ſoul that God is drawing after Chriſt, it ſhould be alwaies in a comming diſpoſition and they ſhould preſs hard toward the mark of the high prize of the calling that is ſet before them, Chriſt is ſet before thee, God ſets his ſon before thee with the treaſure of grace, and thou ſhouldeſt preſs and follow hard after God (as it is the expreſſion of David in one of the Pſalmes 63, 8.) a hard following, ſtirring and working of the ſoul after the Lord as David ſaid to his ſon Solomon in 1. Chron. 22.16. Ʋp and be doing and the Lord wil be with thee, ſo I ſay to al unto whom the grace of God is offered, they muſt not be dul and ſullen, but up and be doing As the Apoſtle ſpeakes, in 1. Phil. 20. According to the earneſt expectation, the word that is tranſlated, earneſt expectation in the original, ſignifies to ſtretch out the neck, to look after ſome good that I would fain have come, that is the propriety of the word in the original text: ſo this ſhould be comming to Chriſt, that is, when Chriſt is propouned in the goſpel, there ſhould be the ſtretching out of the ſoul, in looking after the Lord Jeſus and a working of the ſoul after Jeſus Chriſt, keeping the ſoul working and ſtirring after Chriſt. Many poor ſouls, whom God is beginning to work his grace upon, looſe abundance of time and comfort, for want of this, of keeping their hearts in a working and ſtirring frame after Chriſt, they ſpend their time in the afflicting of their ſoules, but they do not keep their hearts working towards Jeſus Chriſt. As Jacob ſaid to his ſons, when they wanted bread in Cannaan, ſaith he, We have heard that there is corn in Egipt and why do we ſtand looking one upon an other? ſaith Jacob to his ſons, had you gon (ſaith he) you might have been come back again, and brought us bread by this time, ſo I ſay to many burdened ſouls, haſt thou not heard, that there is grace and mercy in Jeſus Chriſt, had thy ſoul bin working, ſtirring, and kept in an acting frame after Jeſus Chriſt, thou mighteſt have bin returnig, and have gotten reſt to thy ſoul by this time, thou ſtandeſt looking unto this thing, and the other thing, and poring upon thy corruptions, hadſt thou kept thy heart continually ſtirring in a working frame after Chriſt, the work might have been done by this time.
Fourthly, Come to me, that is, ſaith Chriſt, come and lay al your burdens upon mee, come and role your hearts upon mee whatever burden it is, either of your ſoules or afflictions outwardly, what ever your feares and troubles are, yet come, and do you caſt al your burdens upon me, I am content to beare them al. That is a ſpecial work of faith, for the ſoul to role it ſelf upon Jeſus Chriſt, to caſt it ſelf with al its burdens upon the infinite rich, free grace of God in Jeſus Chriſt, as if Chriſt ſhould ſay, is it the burden of ſin? I have borne the burden of ſin already, Is it the wrath of God that is a burden to you? come and caſt this burden upon me, I have born the wrath of God; Or is it the burden of the Law? I have borne that burden for you, I was made an offering for you. I was made under the law, to deliver you from under the law. Is it the burden of any affliction? That was upon me. It is true, the burden of corruption was not upon him, but Chriſt wil deliver us from that too. Come to me, and whatever burden is upon your ſouls, caſt it upon me, role your ſouls & al your burdens upon me (ſaith Chriſt) and I wil give you reſt.
Fifthly, and laſtly, Come to me, that is, come and leave your ſoules with me, and commit them to me for life, for ſalvation, for peace, for whatſoever good you would have, be willing to betruſt me with your ſouls, be willing to betruſt me with al your comforts, be willing to betruſt me both with your preſent and with your eternal eſtate, in al your tranſanctions with God and dealing with God, truſt me withal; that is comming to Chriſt. When Chriſt bids us come to him, it is as much as if he ſhould ſay, come to me, and leave your ſouls, leave al your care, and commit to me al that you have, and whatſoever you are commit your ſelves wholly to me, to be diſpoſed of by me for al good whatſoever, and I wil take charge of you, I wil ingage my ſelf and al my faithfulneſs to have a care of you, and ſuply you in al your wants, and ſtrengthen you under al your burdens, and carry you through al difficulties, and bring you at length to life and ſalvation and perfect reſt together with my Father and my ſelf, that is the meaning of Chriſt when he ſaith, Come to me. So the Apoſtle in 1. Tim. 2.12. I know in whom I have beleeved, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him. That which I have committed to him, what is that? that is, his very ſoul, his life, his peace, his comfort, al his happineſs, he had committed to him, and ſo left al with him. Now then, take al theſe together, and when Chriſt cals the ſinner to come to him, that is. O! Sinner firſt beleeve this, that I am the great redeemer that is come into the world, to ſtand between Gods wrath and your ſoules, and to make up peace between God and you, and let there be an unſettling of your hearts from whatſoever heretofore your Souls did Reſt in, Creature comforts, your own Righteouſneſs, Duties, ſelf reſpects and ends, whatſoever they are, let your hearts be taken off from them all, and let your hearts now be in a ſtirring, working diſpoſition towards me, let all your whole Souls be ſtretching forth to me, and come and caſt all your burdens upon me, and leave your Souls with me, and I will take care of them, thus come to me.
Now then, when any ſoul that is thus Laden, ſhall anſwer to this cal of Chriſt, and ſhal ſay, Lord, I come, here is the very voice and anſwer of Faith, when the Soul can ſay, Oh! Lord, I come, I ſee thee to be the bleſſed Mediator between God and my Soul, and for whatſoever my heart hath ſetled in heretofore, Oh! Lord, it ſhal be no more, and my heart begins to ſtir after thee, and I ſtretch forth my Soul to thee, O, Bleſſed redeemer, and here I caſt my burdens upon thee, none can eaſe me but thy ſelf, and I leave my ſelf with thee, I commit all to thee, and betruſt all that I have or can do, my eternal eſtate with thee, Lord, I come, here is the ſoul that comes to Chriſt. Then may the Soul be ſaid to come to Chriſt when there is an anſwer in theſe five Particulars. All this is contained in this word COME, though you cannot apprehend it, til it be unfoulded: as a piece of needle work, when it is foulded up, there is all the work indeed within, but we cannot ſee it, til it be laid open, and ſpread before us, then we can ſee all that is in it: So though there be many expreſſions in the Scripture that we underſtand not, yet there they be, but this is the work of the Miniſtry, to ſpread them, and to lay them before you, and lay them open to you, that you may ſee the Grace of God in another manner when they be unfolded, now thus doth Chriſt call thoſe that are Laden to come to him.