Christ Inviting Sinners to Come to Him for Rest, Treatise · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Nine Rules to be obſerved in right coming to Chriſt. 1. Reſt not in outward means that lead to Chriſt, before Chriſt himſelf be enjoyed. 2. Pitch rather upon Chriſt himſelf, than upon the good things of Chriſt. 3. Come with the whole Soul. 4. Keep Chriſt continually in thine Eye. 5. Be convinced that whatſoever keeps thee from Chriſt, comes not from God. 6. Take heed and beware of al diſcouragements, and hinderances. 7. Keep the Heart ſtil tending to Chriſt. 8. Give up thy ſelf to Gods Spirit. 9. Often renew the act of coming, come often to Chriſt.
NOw there is only two things remaine, and that is, ſome Rules to be propounded about our coming to Chriſt, And then ſome means to draw the Hearts of ſinners to come to Chriſt.
Firſt, For the Rules, that we may obſerve them aright in coming to Chriſt, and come to Chriſt in a right way, I ſpeak to thoſe whoſe Hearts are about coming to Jeſus Chriſt, their hearts are ſtirring after Chriſt, and they are ſetting upon all the means to come to him.
RULE I.
Firſt, Though God requires that thou ſhouldeſt ſeek Chriſt in all his ordinances, in the performance of all Duties, yet it muſt be thy great care not to reſt in the means that lead to Chriſt, before thou comeſt to enjoy Chriſt himſelf. This is the great miſtake in the world, that thoſe things that are the means to lead to Chriſt, they reſt in, though indeed they have not Chriſt. As now for inſtance: to come to hear the word, I ſuppoſe if I aske you, why you come, you will ſay, you come that you might find Chriſt there, yet how many people reſt in this meerly, that they do hear the word, they hear Sermons, and ſcarce ever cal this into queſtion, have I met with Jeſus Chriſt in the word to day, have I found Jeſus Chriſt there, this their Hearts are not ſo much troubled about, but they come meerly to hear the word, it's a good thing, But now they Reſt in the means, that lead to Chriſt before they are got thither. As if a man were a going a journey to ſuch a place about ſuch buſineſs, and he ſatisfies himſelf in this, I am going on my way, but have I got the thing I go for? We are to know that Prayer, the word, the Sacraments are all but as means to bring us to Chriſt, now what a fooliſh thing is this, to ſatisfie our ſelves, that we are in the way, going to the thing, but have we the thing that we journey for? Jeſus Chriſt is the thing that we ſeek for, have we him? The wiſe Merchant had the Field, I but he ſaw that there was a Pearl in the field, and then he went and ſold all that he might have the Pearl. The field is the Preaching of the word, and other ordinances, in theſe ordinances is the Pearl, now that which we ſhould look for in the ordinances is the pearl, and ſo uſe the field but only for the Pearls ſake. So that this is the way that we ſhould take to come to Chriſt, that is, in the uſe of all duties, and all ordinances, to look at Chriſt, that we would have by them, and be ſure to paſs through the ordinances til we get hold on him whom our Soul loveth: moſt people in the world, they ſtick in the ordinances themſelves, and have got no hold on Chriſt, but meerly ſpend all in duties and ordinances, that they wil do. God requires of them to pray, and they wil pray, and God requires of them to hear the word, and they will hear the word, I but, they do not conſider, that there is ſomthing beyond Prayer, and beyond the word. Have I got to Jeſus Chriſt in Prayer, have I got to Jeſus Chriſt in the word. And that is a good ſigne when the hearts of ſinners are ſatisfied with nothing, with no ordinances except they find Jeſus Chriſt in thoſe ordinances, be ſure to go through the ordinances unto Chriſt.
RULE. II.
Secondly, In your ſeeking after Chriſt, be ſure that you rather pitch your eye and your heart, upon the perſon of Chriſt himſelf, then upon the good things that come from Chriſt, that is the way to pitch your eye and your heart upon Chriſt himſelf, rather then upon the good things that come from Chriſt, for coming to Chriſt, and being in him, is only as being married to him. Now the party that marries, he looks more upon the perſon then upon the portion, he looks upon the excellency of the perſon; ſo ſhould the Soul in coming to Chriſt, look upon him as the only great mediatour of the Covenant, as the only reconciler of God and man, as the only perſon in whom all our good, happineſs, and glory lies. Labor to ſee an excellency in Chriſt himſelf, as wel as to come to Chriſt. There are many ſouls that would come to Chriſt, why? becauſe they think there is no mercy but in Chriſt, and they would be loath to go to Hel, and therefore they cry to God for mercy in Chriſt, I but, they ſee not any excellency in Chriſt, but thou muſt look upon the excellencies of Chriſt, and look through the ordinances unto union with Chriſt, look after union with the perſon of Chriſt himſelf, and ſee an excellency and beauty in the very perſon of Jeſus Chriſt, to be able to ſay, I ſee the glory of the Father in him, and my Soul makes after him to have union with him.
RULE. III.
Thirdly, In thy coming, be ſure of this, to come with thy whole ſoule; that is, do not come to Chriſt only as one meanes of help for you, and thinking it is Good to make uſe of al means we can, and Chriſt I ſee to be as likely a means as any other. No, but come to Chriſt as the only means, ſo as to caſt thy whole ſoul upon him, not to hang upon any thing elſe, and ſo to give out, as it were, an arme to him, and yet to have ſomewhat elſe to reſt upon if that fail. As we come to a friend ſometimes, and deſire ſomewhat of him, but how? ſo as we would make a friend other where, that if that fail we may have two ſtrings to our bow: but we muſt come to Chriſt and lay the ful weight upon him alone, the ful ſoul upon him. We muſt come to Chriſt, not as if we were over ſome deep pit, and here is one thing to reſt upon that is ſtrong enough, that if we would lay weight upon that is alone we might be ſafe. Wel, but there is another thing, that is a rotten thing, now we are loth to venture upon the ſtrong, the ſound, not knowing it to be ſo, but we lay a part upon the rotten, and part upon the ſound, by this perhaps we may come to fal and periſh, becauſe the ful weight was not laid upon that that was ſound. So here, the Lord propounds his ſon as an alſufficient redeemer for us, in whom there is righteouſneſs and ſalvation, and requires of thoſe that come to his Son, that they ſhal come with their whol ſouls, and lay the whol weight of their ſoules upon him for life and ſalvation, and al their good and happineſs. Now if they think to have two ſtrings to their bow, they would have Chriſt, but they would have the world too, and their own wayes too, upon this a Thouſand to one but they miſcarry. It was an excellent ſpeech of Joſeph, ſending for his father Jacob in Geneſis 45.20. Joſeph ſent to have his father Jacob brought to him, now there was many things that Jacob had regard to before, but now, ſaith he, regard not the ſtuff, for the good of all the Land of Egypt is yours. So when the Lord doth cal any poor ſinner to come to him, the Lord ſaith to it, regard not the ſtuff, let your Heart be wholly taken off from all Creature comforts that are moſt dear unto you it is all but ſtuff, here is Heaven, here is the Riches of Heaven, the Riches of Chriſt is yours, and then doth the Soul come to Chriſt indeed, when it laies all upon Chriſt, and is ſatisfied with him alone.
RULE. IV.
Fourthly, When thy Soul is making towards Chriſt, labor to keep him continually in thine Eye and look upon him in his excellency, Glory, and beauty, keep the object before thee all the while thou art coming towards him. As it is in any journey, if I am going to a place, and I can ſee the journeys end, it is in mine eye, I can ſee the ſteeple before me of the place that I am going unto; when the Marriner can ſee the harbour that he is going unto, this is comfortable. So the Soul that comes to Chriſt muſt reſolve and ſay, I muſt keep him in mine Eye, in his luſtre, Beauty, and Glory, that ſo I may ſee a greater good in Jeſus Chriſt than in all things elſe, that the goodneſs that is in him, doth out-bid all good whatſoever. Now this is a great help to come to Chriſt: for one of the greateſt hinderances of the Soul in coming to Chriſt, is this, that it looſeth the ſight of Chriſt in coming, and the Devil propounds other ſpectacles before its Eyes in coming, and ſo it lookes into the deep pit of its own Heart, and ſees no other matter but diſcouragement, whereas it ſhould keep up its Eyes upon Chriſt the Son of God, who is opening his Arms ready to imbrace it. And there is a ſecret power and influence that comes from Chriſt unto the Soul to draw the Soul to him. So long as the Soul keeps Chriſt in his Eye, as the poor Woman ſaid, If I can but touch the hem of his Garment; Nay; you may go further then ſo, and have a degree of Faith, Nay, If I may have but a ſight of Chriſt, I ſay, there is that in the ſight of Chriſt that will draw the Heart unto Jeſus Chriſt. As they ſay of ſome kind of creatures, the very ſight of them will kil a Man, that if they do but ſee you, or you them, there will come poyſon from them that wil kill you, ſay the Naturaliſts. But I am ſure it is true of this, that if you can keep Chriſt in your Eye, the very ſight of the excellency of Chriſt, wil be of excellent vertue to draw the Soul to Chriſt. And therefore you that are coming to Chriſt, obſerve this, ſome that are coming to Chriſt it fares with them, as with the Children of Iſrael when they were going to Canaan; they had gone a pretty way, and made ſome progreſs, but then they fel into diſcontent when they found a little diſcouragement, and upon that they were brought back again, and wandred forty Years up and down in the Wilderneſs, and this was the puniſhment of their murmuring and diſcontent; So it is with many that are going out of their natural State unto Jeſus Chriſt, they are come very near to him many times, and then fal into fits of diſcontent, pining, fretting, and diſcouragement, and ſo are brought back again and made to wander in the Wilderneſs of diſcouragement for many Years together.
RULE. V.
Fifthly, Labor throughly to convince thy Soul of this thing, that whatſoever ſorrow for ſin, whatſoever humiliation, whatſoever trouble of ſpirit keeps thy Heart from Jeſus Chriſt, it is not of God, but rather from thine own corruption; it is not of God in thee, except you will ſay, it's of God as an affliction, it is not of God, but ſuffering the Devil to try thee, but whatever ſorrow it be for thine own wretchedneſs, or unworthineſs, if this keep thee off from Chriſt, and diſcourage thee from coming to Chriſt, convince thy Soul of this, that it is not the gracious work of God in thee, but the troubling of the Devil in thee. The truth is, many poor ſinners, when they are once troubled for their ſins, they take a kind of Satisfaction in this, they think this is a good thing, and they are glad of it. I grant you, trouble for ſin is a good thing, and you are to be glad of it, but if your trouble for ſin hinder you from coming to Chriſt, and makes you think, becauſe you are ſo unworthy you may not come to him, this trouble is not mixt with godly ſorrow, be convinced of this.
RULE. VI.
Sixthly, Take heed of all kind of diſcouragements and hinderances in your coming to Chriſt, but then take heed eſpecially of all determinations, take heed of inſnaring your Souls by determining againſt your ſelves, as ſaying, ſurely the Lord will never ſhew mercy to me, the time is paſt, the Lord hath forſaken me, I have uſed ſo much meanes ſo long time, and God is not yet come to me, No, The Lord never intends good to me, Oh! Take heed of theſe determinations, for they are ſinful, wherever they are, there can be no juſt cauſe in thy Heart, be it as vile as it will, for ſuch determinations as theſe are: and know, when thou giveſt way to ſuch determinations as theſe, thou doſt but inſnare and fetter thy Legs by this, and then thou ſayeſt, thou canſt not come to Chriſt; Chriſt calls to thee, and thou art infettered with thy own thoughts, for ſo, one may lay fetters upon ones own Legs, by ones own thoughts, to hinder this ſpiritual coming to Chriſt. As if a man ſhould tie fetters about his Legs, and ſay, when he is called to come to ſuch a place, I cannot come. Do not ſit down and ſay, I ſhall never have Mercy, and I am one that belongs not to the election of Grace, and I ſhall never come to Chriſt, take off ſuch thoughts when thou art about coming to Jeſus Chriſt.
RULE. VII.
Seventhly, At thoſe times when thou canſt not feel thy Heart active as thou deſireſt to go after Chriſt, yet keep thy Heart ſtil towards Chriſt, keep it tending that way. Why cannot I go to Chriſt? Chriſt calls me to go to him. Oh! I have a dead Heart, and a heavy dull Heart, yet I know I am neerer Chriſt there, than if I ſhould neglect his Ordinances, I wil preſent my Soul where Jeſus Chriſt is, and may be he may caſt in ſome Vertue into my Heart to make it more ſtirring after him, but however I am reſolved upon this, I will not turne away from Chriſt, I will keep my Heart where I am howſoever, If I can go no further, and here I will ſtand, and here I wil look, and I will cry to him, and cry to God as the Church doth, Draw me and I will run after thee; and though I cannot beleeve, yet here I will ſtand, and ſigh and cry, and cal, and if I periſh I will periſh crying to God, that God would draw my Heart, Oh draw, draw our Hearts, and we will run after thee. Bleſſed Redeemer, doſt thou cal us? ſend forth ſomwhat of thy ſpirit, that may draw our Hearts, and then we will run after thee. Keep thy Heart in ſuch a frame, for this is a great diſcouragement about coming to Chriſt in the Hearts of many. Chriſt calls, and we have many ſweet incouragements in the word to come, I, but it is to them that have their Hearts ſtirring and working towards Chriſt, to go to him. But I have a dead, and dull Heart, and cannot work towards him. I but if thou canſt not ſtir and work after him, yet ſet thy Soul in ſight of Chriſt, and look towards him, and waite til Gods time come, when he will let ſome influence into thy Heart, this will be a mighty help this way.
And take heed of liſtening to any temptation that may draw away thy heart from coming to Chriſt. It is a notable Scripture that you have in 1. Sam. 12.20. it is of Samuel Speaking to the people of Iſrael that had ſinned againſt the Lord, and were troubled for their ſin, and Samuel ſaid unto the people. Fear not, you have done this wickedneſs, yet turn not aſide from following the Lord, but feare the Lord with al your hearts and turne ye not aſide, for then ſhould ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain. You have ſinned againſt the Lord, and you are troubled, what ſhal we do? Saith Samuel, though you have thus ſinned, yet do not turne aſide to vanity. So do I ſay, you have ſinned againſt the Lord, and Chriſt cals you to come to him, and you complain you have a dead and dul heart, I but then, do not turne from Chriſt to vanity, ſet your ſelves ſtil in the ſight of God, and attend upon him in thoſe Ordinances, that he uſeth to preſent himſelf in.
RULE. VIII.
Eighthly, When thy heart begins to come to Chriſt, give up thy ſelf to the ſtream of Gods ſpirit, for the ſpirit of God wil be ſtirring ever and anon, though not at al times alike. Thou art attending upon the Ordinances, and waiting when the ſpirit of God ſhould come to draw thy heart to Chriſt, wait upon this ſtirring, and if thou feel the Spirit beginning to draw thy heart to Chriſt in any meaſure, Oh! then joyn with the work of the ſpirit of God, and give up thy ſoul to the ſtream of Gods ſpirit; do not thou draw back; it may be Gods ſpirit is drawing thy heart to Chriſt, and thou preſently draweſt back with diſcouraging thoughts, upon conſideration of thy Vileneſs, and that thou art not humbled: now when thou feeleſt Gods ſpirit ſtirring in thee, give up thy ſoul to the ſtrength of Gods ſpirit. As when a man goes to learne to ſwim, he is not to lay down himſelf, and keep a padling with his hands and feet, but there muſt be a giving up of himſelf to the water, Sometimes a man keeps ten times more ſtir to keep himſelf from drowning, then another that can ſwim; one that hath got the art of ſwimming, while the other ſinkes to the bottom, the water helpes him, and he keeps himſelf above water. Juſt thus is the difference, between ſome that are troubled in their conſciences for their ſins. and others, between ſome that are coming to Chriſt and others. Some that are coming to Chriſt, and have not the right art of giving up themſelves to Chriſt, they are ſinking, and in mighty confuſion of ſpirit, and keep ſuch a do with their own hearts, and ſtrange confuſed thoughts they have, and horror of ſpirit, and al becauſe they fear they ſhal ſink down to the bottom of deſtruction. Now there are others that are afraid of ſinking and drowning as wel as they, but coming to underſtand what the way of Chriſt is, and what it is to come to Chriſt, though they have nothing in themſelves to keep them from ſinking, yet they come to learn how to give up their ſouls to the ſtream of Gods ſpirit that carries them on to Jeſus Chriſt in a more ſolid way, and with a great deal leſs trouble they come to Jeſus Chriſt, and there they get into the arke and ſo are ſafe for ever. Whereas others they skrabble on the outſide of the arke, as if a poor man ſhould be skrabbling upon the ſhip, no body lookes after him, he fals down and is drowned at laſt. So thoſe that skrabble and do not give up themſelves unto the arke, they fal down again and at the laſt periſh You have a ſcripture for this in 1. Kings. 20.33. The Servants of Benhadad, they diligently obſerved whether any thing would come from the King of Iſrael, and they ſay, thy brother Benhadad, this is the thing, they go in a way of ſeeking to the King of Iſrael for his brother Benhadad, and this is the way, they watch for any word that might paſs from the King of Iſrael, whereby they might have any hope, and at laſt he ſaid, my brother Benhadad, and they take hold of this preſently. So it ſhould be with a ſinner that is ſeeking after Chriſt, he ſhould diligently watch what may come from the Spirit of Chriſt, that may give any incouragement; doth the Spirit move in thee, and begin to work in thee to draw thee to Jeſus Chriſt? Oh! thou mighteſt have got a great way thither, it may be thou mighteſt have been in his boſom, and in his armes by this time if thou hadſt taken this courſe.
RULE IX.
Ninthly, The ſoul that is about coming to Chriſt, that doth not yet know whether it is truly got to Chriſt, it ſhould often renew the act of coming, for certainly there are many that are at Chriſt, but do not know it. It may be ſome ſoule may ſay, I had thought I had got to Chriſt before, but I ſee my Corruptions prevail, and I am afraid I am not come to Chriſt; wil not theſe ſoules think that they muſt not come to Chriſt til they have overcome their Corruptions? wheras the beſt way to overcome thy corruption is to come to Chriſt, to renew the act of thy coming to Chriſt, and the longer thou ſtaieſt from renewing this act of thy coming to Chriſt, the more ſtrong thy corruptions grow in thee. Certainly do thou ly down as long as thou wilt in any ſullen mood, and ſay, my Corruption is thus and thus, and I am afraid I never went to Chriſt, thy corruptions would grow ſtronger in thee, thou muſt not ſtay til thy corruptions be ſubdued before thou goeſt to Chriſt, but renew the act of coming to Chriſt again, ſay I wil try it again, may be I did not do it aright at firſt, and if I miſs it the ſecond time, I wil try it again and again, and the hundredth time. Do not ſay if I had overcome ſin thus and thus, I would come to Chriſt, it is as much as to ſay, if I were firſt ſanctified by Chriſt, then I would come to Chriſt for juſtification, and is this the right order? No, thou muſt come firſt to Chriſt, that thou mayeſt have thy corruptions ſubdued. It would ſeem a ſtrange thing that if a king ſhould come to a woman and tel her he would be married to her, and ſhe ſhould ſay, no, if I were a Queene I would take him, but ſhe muſt firſt be married to him, and that makes her to be a Queen. So here, the ſoul muſt not firſt ſay, if I were firſt ſanctified and had overcome ſuch and ſuch corruptions, I would come to Chriſt no, but by coming to Chriſt & renewing thy act of coming to Chriſt, that ſanctifies thee. That is a rule that I would leave with al young beginners, ſpend more time and more ſtrength, in renewing the very act of beleeving, of rolling thy ſoul upon the grace of God in Chriſt, and caſting thy burden upon him, then in any other worke what ſoever, there is no other thing that thou canſt ſpend thy time & thy ſtrength more profitably in, then the renewing the act of coming to Chriſt. Come ſaith Chriſt; ſaith the ſoul, I had thought I had come, but I was deceived; ſaith Chriſt, yet come again, and come again and again, this is the onelyonly way to overcome any corruption in thy heart. So that when Chriſt cals thee to come, remember theſe rules, Oh! that you would lay them up to make uſe of them at al times. When you heare ſuch things out of Gods word, remember what hath bin ſaid in this text what is implyed in the coming, what way you would come, and O! that the Lord would help poor ſoules thus to come to him, and know for your incouragement, that if God give you a heart to anſwer to his cal, to come to his Son, this is an evident ſigne of your predeſtination, for whom he cals he hath elected, yea, do but think thus with your ſelves, what an infinite mercy is it to me, that I am in ſuch a condition, as that, God calls me to come, I might have had my eares filled with this, depart from me ye curſed. Thus many are caſt off from God, and God bids them depart from me ye curſed, thou art as great a ſinner may be as they are, now whereas God might have ſaid depart from me thou vild ſoul, thou paſſionate ſoul, thou filthy unclean ſoul, I ſay, this ſound might have been in thin eares, but inſtead of that ſound there is the ſpirit of Jeſus Chriſt in the miniſtry of this word calling to thee, come to me, yea, he doth not onelyonly cal thee, but he hath given thee many rules, how thou ſhouldeſt come to him. If a Prince ſhal firſt make a proclamation for a rebel to come to him for pardon, and ſhal ſend to him, and make out many rules how he ſhal come, and direct him to ſuch a place, what a mighty incouragement would this be to ſuch an one to come in. Now this the Lord Chriſt hath done to thee, he hath not only proclaimed that he is mediator between God and thee, but he hath ſent his ſpirit to cal thee, and he hath ſent his meſſenger to give thee rules how to order thee, that thou ſhouldeſt take heed of ſuch a by way and ſuch a turning, and obſerve theſe and theſe things for thy help, thus Chriſt hath done for thee. If the Lord doth give thee a heart to anſwer to Chriſts cal, know, that this calling to thee by Chriſt in his word, wil be no other but a forerunner of that cal that Chriſt ſhal make to thee another day, There's a cal, come to me al ye that are weary and heavy Laden, and I wil give you reſt, Inherit the kingdome prepared for you. This is worth ten thouſand worlds, and when the ſoul anſwers to his cal, ſuch a ſoul may go away, and be comforted that Chriſt wil cal you after another manner. He cals the poor laden ſoul to give you now reſt, but he wil cal you afterwards before men and Angels to receive the inheritance, Come not to reſt only, but come to an inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you before the beginning of the world.