Christ Inviting Sinners to Come to Him for Rest, Treatise · Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV.
Of the Reſt promiſed by Chriſt in general: And that there is no Reſt for a Soul out of Jeſus Chriſt.
BUt now for the promiſe it ſelf. We read in the 16. of Iſai. the firſt verſe, that Chriſt ſaies, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, becauſe the Lord hath anoynted me to Preach good tydings unto the meek, he hath ſent me to bind up the broken Hearted, to proclaim liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the priſon to thoſe that are bound, to proclaime the acceptable Year of the Lord, and the day of Vengeance of our God, to comfort all that Mourne, &c. Here we have a prophecy of Chriſt, and in this my Text, this prophecy of Chriſt is fulfilled, Chriſt is come here in the Text, to Preach good tidings to the meek, to bind up the broken Hearted, to proclaime liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the priſon to them that are bound, all this is contained in this promiſe, I wil give you Reſt. Reſt is that that all creatures in the world deſire, the end of all motion is Reſt, ſo the Philoſophers ſay, the end of motion is quietneſs, it is the end of all motion whatſoever, if the creature were where it would be, and had what it would have, then it had Reſt. But now in motion, what is the Reaſon that the fire aſcends upwards? but becauſe the proper place of the fire is above: and that the Earth, and all heavy things fal downward? But becauſe their proper place is below; but let them be where they would be, and have what they would have, and then they are at Reſt.
So it is with the rational creature, when the rational creature is in its proper place, that that is the proper place for an immortal Soul, and when an immortal ſoul comes to have the Capacity of it to be filled, when it comes to have what an immortal Soul is capable of, then it comes to have Reſt, and this is a Reſt that Chriſt doth promiſe here in the Text, and I will give you Reſt: that is thus, If you come to me, you ſhall firſt be delivered from all your burdens, from all miſery whatſoever. And Secondly, you ſhal be where you would be, and injoy what you would have; ſo that indeed, this promiſe containes the freedome from all evil, and the enjoyment of all good, there cannot be Reſt until there be a freedome from evil, and an injoyment of all good, that is the general here in this promiſe, I will give you Reſt. There is a great deal of difference between the Reſt that Chriſt here promiſeth to give, and that that men ſeek after in the world. We read of the Rich Glutton in Luke, 12. ſaith he, Soul take thine eaſe, Soul be at Reſt: for the word there in the Greek, it is of the ſame that here this word is in my Text, of Reſt, Soul take thine eaſe, or Soul be at Reſt, Why? For thou haſt goods laid up for many Years. Now mark the difference of the Reſt of the Soul of a worldling, and the reſt of the Soul of a Chriſtian: A worlding ſaies, Soul take thy Reſt, for thou haſt meat, and drink, and thou haſt goods laid up for many Years. A Chriſtians Reſt is this, Come (ſaith Chriſt) to me and I will give you Reſt; the Reſt of a Chriſtian, it is in the Son of God, it is in the Mediator of the ſecond Covenant, it is in him that brings the Soul unto the Father, and brings all the treaſure and Riches of the Grace of the Father unto the ſoul, it is in him that a Chriſtian finds reſt; and a worldling only, in meat, and drink, and other things, as we ſhall ſee more afterwards. Thus in general what the meaning is.
Now in this promiſe of Chriſt, there are two things to be handled; the Firſt implyed, the Second expreſt.
That which is implyed is this, That there is no reſt in the Souls of the Children of men out of Jeſus Chriſt, that is plainly implied, Come to me, and I will give you reſt. So that here is plainly implied; That there is no reſt for an immortal Soul out of Jeſus Chriſt, it can have no reſt out of Chriſt. And then that that is expreſt is this, That in Jeſus Chriſt, as ſoon as the Soul comes to have union with Jeſus Chriſt, it ſhall have true reſt indeed, there is ful reſt to be had in Chriſt.
Now for the firſt, That out of Jeſus Chriſt, there can be no reſt unto the ſoul: As we read of the Dove that Noah ſent forth; when his Ark was floating up and down on the Water, he ſent forth a Dove, and you find in the ſtory of Noah there, in Geneſis, 8.89. That when the Dove was ſent forth, ſhe flew up and down, but ſhe had not whereon to reſt the Sole of her Foot, and therefore ſhe comes flying to the Arke again: ſo it is with a ſoul that is not in Chriſt (for the Arke was a type of Chriſt) it may floate up and down in the world here, but certainly, there is nothing for the ſoul to reſt it ſelf upon out of Chriſt. Indeed, we read, that when Noah ſent forth a Raven out of the arke, the Raven came no more, but the dove came again, and the difference between the Dove and the Raven doth elegantly expreſs the difference between thoſe ſouls that God hath an intent to do good unto in Chriſt, and thoſe that are left by God, and have no other portion appointed for them than the things of this world: men of this world whom the Lord intends no higher good, than the things of this world, they are like the Raven, they flutter up and down in the world, but never come to the arke, never come to Chriſt; the other that the Lord hath an intent to do good unto, although they may for a while be floating up and down here in this world, yet ſo wil God order things, that their ſoules ſhal never have any reſt and quiet, til they come to Jeſus Chriſt, nothing in this world ſhal ſatisfie them, but the Lord wil make them ſeek to be ſenſible of any emptineſs, that they have not that good that their ſoules were made for, no reſt to be had out of Chriſt.
There is a Scripture or two that is very obſervable. I might Name multitudes, But I ſhal content my ſelf with one or two. That place in Iſa. will be ſufficient if I Name no more, it is in the 57. Chapter of the prophecy of Iſa. and the two laſt verſes. There you ſhal ſee al men that are out of Chriſt deſcribed in this, of having no reſt, the 20. verſe. But the wicked are like the troubled ſea when it cannot reſt, whoſe waters caſt up myre and dirt, there is no peace (ſaith my God) to the wicked, or there is no reſt, ſaith my God, to the wicked: yee that are mariners know what a troubled ſea doth meane, a ſea that is troubled caſts forth myre and dirt; and juſt thus is a wicked mans heart, it is like the troubled ſea, it caſts forth mire and dirt.
And as when the ſea is moſt troubled, it caſts forth moſt dirt, ſo it is with wicked men, when wicked men are moſt troubled, then they caſt forth moſt wickedneſs. So ſomtimes it may be, you find it, when you are in a ſtorme at ſea, ſome kind of men, inſtead of ſeeking God and praying unto God they fal a curſing, and ſwearing, and railing, and ſo their hearts are more troubled, than the troubled ſea, and thereby caſt out more filth and dirt out of their hearts, than is caſt out by the troubled ſea. Or if not at ſea, yet when they are here at land, as men that have no reſt and peace with God, every thing troubles them, having not reſt in Chriſt, they are troubled in their family, and with their neighbors, they do caſt forth nothing but mire and dirt, oaths, ſwearing, and blaſpheming, Oh! how do they come forth of wicked men when they are croſt at any time: when you ſee at any time the husband, or the wife to be croſt and troubled, when you ſee them in a diſtemper, and hear them ſwearing, curſing, railing, blaſpheming, ſpeaking wicked ſpeeches in their paſſion, remember this text, of the 57, of Iſa. the 20. verſe, That a wicked man is like the troubled ſea that caſts forth mire and dirt. Oh! that you would remember it, and apply it to your own hearts, is it thus with my heart. I fear that there are many, whoſe conſciences tel them, that this text doth lively ſet forth their hearts, their conſciences tel them, that when they are troubled they caſt forth mire and dirt, Oh! what mire and dirt hath been caſt forth by many, when they have been in trouble! now, that the Lord would ſettle this text upon your hearts, for the Lord ſaies it is the wicked man and woman, when they are troubled that do caſt forth this mire and dirt. But the ſpecial thing I aime at is in the next verſe, There is no peace (ſaith my God) to the wicked, no peace, no reſt, this is a truth that doth belong unto al men and women that are out of Jeſus Chriſt, there is no peace, no reſt unto their ſoules, and as he doth deny al kind of reſt that ſuch a one can have, ſo you may obſerve, what a confirmation there is, Saith my God. It is God that ſaith it, as if the prophet ſhould ſay, I am now preaching unto you about the reſtleſs condition that you are in, remaining in your natural eſtate, as unconverted to God, while I am preaching of this, it wil be a ſad thing to you, it is a ſad argument you wil ſay, the prophet tels us, there is no reſt, no peace; but as if the prophet ſhould ſay, it is not I that ſaith it, it is my God that ſaith it, God doth pronounce this upon every ungodly man and woman, that there is no peace, no reſt unto ſuch; let the world have never ſo much reſt and peace, though there ſhould be no war abroad in the world, yet there is no peace unto wicked men, no reſt unto their ſoules. I ſhal demonſtrate this more cleerly afterwards that there is no reſt nor peace to any wicked men in the world, though they ſeem to others to live in never ſo much eaſe, reſt and peace.
Further, there is no peace to the wicked, ſaith my God; it is not I ſaith the prophet, but God that ſaith it, wherby he would teach us this note, That when any miniſters of God preacheth that which is hard to us, we ſhould conſider that it is not their words, but Gods that ſpeakes to them, that God that wil make al good, that he ſpeakes by them, which is according to his word, according to what he ſaith in his word, there is no peace, ſaith my God.
Further, there is no peace, ſaith my God, it may be that many would flatter you, and ſay there is peace, and theſe miniſters do but trouble people, trouble conſciences, and what needs ſo much ſtir, what needs ſo much a doe, no queſtion the prophet did aime at theſe falſe prophets, as there were many that we reade of in Iſaiah and Jeremiah that cryed peace, peace, when there was no peace. There was many falſe Prophets that lived in thoſe times, that ſaid the prophet Iſaiah preacheth to you things that are too hard, God is merciful, and have we not al infirmities? and therefore it is but truſting in Gods mercy; and do we not do as others do? and we hope it ſhall be with us as with others at the laſt, and it is but repenting at laſt: now in oppoſition to al theſe, ſaith the prophet Iſaiah, there is no peace, ſaith my God, let all the falſ prophets plead what they will, let them ſay what they pleaſe, yet my God ſaith, to every wicked and ungodly man and Woman, there is no peace to their Souls.
Further, It may be there are ſome that their own Hearts would ſay, peace, peace, as many men and Women, that when they hear out of the word thoſe things that are very dreadful, and do come very near to their Conſciences, their Conſciences tel them this word of God neerly concernes them, yet they will be ready to bleſs themſelves in their own thoughts and ſay, notwithſtanding it ſhall be peace to them, juſt as we read in 29. of Deut. 19, and 20. verſes, ſaith the Lord, It ſhal come to paſs that if any man when he heares the words of this curſe, ſhall bleſs himſelf in his Heart and ſay, I ſhall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine own Heart; the Lord will not ſpare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his Jealouſie ſhal Smoake againſt that man, and all the curſes that are written in this Book ſhall lie upon him, and the Lord ſhall blot out his Name from under Heaven. How dreadful doth God ſpeak, and to whom? To that Soul, that ſhall hear out of Gods word, that there is no peace, no Reſt unto them in that condition, in the way that he is now in, yet it may be, ſaith the Lord, when you ſhall hear pronounced this day in my word againſt them, you ſhal have many in your auditory ſhall ſay, I ſhall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my own Heart. Now we do not find ſuch a dreadful expreſſion in all the Book of God againſt any, as we do againſt thoſe that ſhall ſay, they ſhall have peace, though they walk in the imagination of their own Heart. Now hear, ſaith the prophet, may be ſome of you will ſay in your own Hearts, I ſhall have Reſt, I ſhal have Peace, but ſaith the Prophet, there is no Peace to the wicked, ſaith my God, though your own Hearts ſay, you ſhall have Peace, and what need we trouble our ſelves with the Miniſters words, but my God ſaith, there is no peace to the wicked: methinks, here we have a place, that ſpeakes of wicked men directly in oppoſition to that which the Church ſpeaks of her ſelf, in Lamen. 3.24. The Lord is my portion, ſaith my ſoul, therefore wil I hope in him. Now let us obſerve, at this time when the Church ſpeakes this, and ſaith, the Lord is her portion, ſhe was in a very afflicted eſtate and condition, and it may be that her enemies would ſay, that the Lord had forſaken her, and neglected her, I but, againſt al the enemies in the world, her faith prevailes, and ſayes, Let al the devils in hel ſay what they wil, let al the world ſay what they wil, yet my ſoul ſhal ſay, the Lord is my portion, that is, that faith that Gods ſpirit hath wrought in my ſoul ſhal inable me to ſay that the Lord is my portion. So on the contrary, when wicked men are in proſperity, and feel not the hand of God upon them, perhaps friends may flatter them, falſe prophets wil flatter them; may be their own hearts wil flatter themſelves, but now to anſwer al, ſaith the prophet, there is no peace to the wicked, ſaith my God, my God ſaith it.
Further, there is no peace, ſaith my God, no reſt to any out of Chriſt, this is to note, from whence it comes that wicked men can have no peace, why they can have no reſt, it is from God, it is God that wil not give it, God is againſt them. There are many wicked men and women, whoſe conſciences are begun to be inlightened, and they many times have trouble of ſpirit, and when they awake in the night, they are troubled, and when they go about their buſineſs in the day, they are troubled, and when they come home, they are troubled, and ſo troubled as they ſcarce know what it is that troubles them. Now perhaps you have not known what it is that troubles you, but this text in Iſa. 57, and the laſt verſe, tels you what it is that troubles you, it is the Lord that is out with you, its the anger, the diſpleaſure of the almighty that is upon you in thoſe wayes that you have walked in, and therefore it is that the prophet brings the name of God, to ſhew whence it is that wicked men can have no peace.
Further, It is obſervable, that he adds, it is My God; he doth not ſay there is no peace, that God ſaith, though that had been enough, but my God, that is thus, as if the Prophet ſhould ſay through the mercy of God, the Lord hath revealed this mercy to me, and my Soul hath ſome intereſt in this God, and ſince I knew God in Jeſus Chriſt, my ſoul hath found peace and Reſt in him, and he is my God, and hath revealed himſelf to me, he whoſe mind my ſoul is in ſome meaſure acquainted with, my God ſaith, there is no Peace to the wicked. And though however others may think, it is a ſtrange thing to tel ungodly men, that they are in a condition wherein they can have no peace, when they hear of the dreadful wrath of God againſt all ungodlyneſs to be revealed out of the word, yet thoſe who are acquainted with the waies of God, thoſe who know the holineſs and juſtice of God, thoſe who underſtand the mind of God, thoſe who are acquainted with the ſecrets of the mind of God, thoſe men know, that there is a reality in what is declared againſt ſuch and ſuch wicked men, they can ſay, that to ſuch there is no Peace, they can wonder how it is poſſible that ſuch men can go on quietly in their way, they wonder how they can eat their meat in quiet, they wonder how they can ſleep in quiet, they that know what a breach ſin hath made between God and the Soul, and know what a wonderful work it is to make up the breach between God and the Soul that ſin hath made, thoſe men can underſtand this, and ſo wonder at their ſecurity. That is the meaning of the prophets words in Iſaiah, There is no peace to the wicked (ſaith my God) as he inſtanceth in thoſe words in the relation he hath to God, ſaith my God, becauſe he knew the way of God, he knew a wicked man could have no peace, others that know not the way of God, they think wicked men may have peace; as now, come to ſome men, and ſpeak of the natural mans Eſtate, and how we are all Children of wrath, and of ſin, and of the ſeverity of Gods juſtice, and holineſs; now a carnal heart, who knows not God, he thinks ſtrange of this, and thinks, people are troubled more than needs; but now come to another that underſtands what the way of God is, and knows what the way of God is in making peace between God and them, come to one to whom God hath made himſelfe known in Chriſt, ſuch a one wil preſently ſubſcribe to al that is revealed of the wrath of God, and of the holyneſs of God, and of the righteous judgment of God: thus the prophet doth, My God, that God, that hath revealed himſelf to me, he ſaith, there is no peace to the wicked.
Further, there is yet a further note, there is no peace to the wicked, ſaith my God, there is this note from it, That it is a ſad thing, when ſuch as are wiſe, Godly and gracious, that are acquainted with the wayes of God, ſhal think others conditions to be naught, when ſuch men ſhal be ſuſpicious of it, much more if they were able to ſay certainly what their eſtates are, but when ſuch as are wiſe, and holy, and walk cloſe with God, when they ſhal ſay to you, there is no peace, you had need look to it; is there any godly friend of yours, whom in your conſcience you beleeve is truly godly, that walks cloſe with God, and faithfully with him, and enjoyes communion with him? if ſuch a friend ſhal but think your condition to be naught it is a ſad thing: thus it is, when the prophet ſaith, there is no peace to ſuch and ſuch wicked men, ſaith my God, that is, through Gods mercy, I have an intereſt in him, and in his name pronounce this, that there is no peace to ſuch and ſuch wicked men.