Christ Inviting Sinners to Come to Him for Rest, Treatise · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI.
Containeth. I. A further conſideration of the reſtleſs condition of men out of Chriſt, from Prov. 23.34. II. Five Reaſons thereof. 1. They are under the curſe of God. 2. Al creatures are their enemies 3. Al the wayes of Gods providence are againſt them. 4. Al their beſt Services are rejected. 5. They have no refuge for comfort. III. Two concluſſions from the premiſes. 1. Moſt men live and periſh in blindneſs. 2. There is inſufficiency in al things out of Chriſt, to give reſt; with the Reaſons thereof
BUt I ſhal now go on a little further in this ſimilitude that I have been ſpeaking of; the holy Ghoſt hath another like this, in Prov. 23.34. He compares wicked men that are ſecure, unto a man that ſleeps upon the top of a maſt, he ſpeakes there of drunkards, and of the Whoremaſter, but it is true alſo of al unconverted ones, though the holy Ghoſt inſtanceth in thoſe two only, the words are thus, Yea, thou ſhalt be as he that lies down in the midſt of the Sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a Maſt. So that here you have both the ſimilitudes, you have the firſt that I ſpake of, as if a man had only a plank in the midſt of the Sea, and he lies down and ſeeks for reſt there, or the other upon the top of a maſt, and he lies down and ſleeps there: this is the reſtleſs condition of of ungodly men, I will Name breifly ſome few Reaſons and ſo proceed. Certainly, there is no Reſt unto them that are ou… Chriſt.
1. For he is under the curſe, he is under the curſe of the law, and the curſe of God, under the curſe of the law of God, whatever befalls him in this world, whatever affliction, it is a part of the curſe, and for ought he knows every ſorrow, is but as the beginning of eternal ſorrow to him, there is the venom of the wrath of God in every affliction to every unconverted man, he his in danger to have the execution of al temporal curſes upon him, there is nothing but the patience of God to keep him from al this, and what reſt then can he have? The ſaints of God, they have Gods covenant, and Gods promiſe, other men have nothing but Gods patience to keep them. A mallefactor in priſon is not executed many times, Why? Becauſe the Judg may out of favor reprieve him for a while, I but, is this a condition to reſt in? A man that is wiſe is never at reſt with a repriev, but wil have his pardon before he can reſt, there is no man hath any ground in their natural eſtate for their reſt and quiet, but meerly their reprieval: but the ſaints they ſee what a ſad thing this is, and therefore nothing wil give them reſt til they have their pardon.
2. There is no reſt out of Chriſt, becauſe al creatures are their enemies, thou ſleepeſt in the midſt of an army of enemies, to ſleep in the midſt of an army of enemies it would be a ſtrange thing, al ungodly men have no other reſt but as in the midſt of the armies of their enemies, for al the armies in the world, and al the creatures in the world, are their deadly enemies.
3. Yea, al the waies of Gods providence is againſt thee, thy proſperity workes towards thy miſery, towards thy ruine, and ſo whatſoever paſſage of providence there is though thou mayeſt rejoyce much in it, yet it works towards thy ruin. Prov. 4.32.
4. There is nothing that thou canſt do can be accepted, al thy ſervices, al thy performances out of Chriſt are caſt off, al thy prayers til thou come to Chriſt, til God do reveal the myſteries of the Goſpel to thee, al thy duties, prayers, exerciſes of religion, are al rejected, and yet thou muſt perform them upon pain of damnation, and yet not accepted, what a reſtleſs condition is this? for one to be in ſuch a condition, I am bound to pray, to hear the word, and perform duties upon pain of damnation, and yet al my prayers, and duties, are caſt as dung again into my face, this is the condition of al thoſe that are in their natural eſtate: I ſpeak this, that you may al ſee, what infinite need you have of Chriſt. Much might be ſaid of the ſinful condition of al out of Chriſt, for we muſt know, than in ſin there is a jarring againſt God, againſt the infinite glorious God, there is no…hing but confuſion, nothing but diſtemper in ſin, and therefore a ſinful condition can be no condition to reſt in.
5. In what affliction ſoever any one is in, that is out of Chriſt, he hath no where to go for comefort, for there can be no ſtay nor comfort to a ſoul out of Chriſt, he is like a man in the midſt of a wildernes, that hath nothing to protect him, no hedg no buſh, if the ſtorm comes never ſo dreadfully, he hath no where to go for protection, he is like a marriner in the ſea, that hath lolt his anchor when a ſtorm comes, and he is driven to the ſhore, and hath no anchor to pitch him upon. This and much more might be ſaid to ſhew the reſtleſs condition of al men out of Chriſt.
Oh! then, the blindneſs, ſecurity, and hardneſs of heart that there is almoſt in al the world, if this … the truth of God; and indeed this is the condition of al out of Chriſt, we may from hence conclude, that moſt in the world do live, and die and perriſh in blindneſs, and in woful diſperate hardneſs of Heart, for where almoſt is the Man and Woman that is convinced of this Reſtleſs condition? That ever were in this Reſtleſs condition? This I dare undertake to aver, concerning every one, that you were once in ſuch a condition as I have now ſpake of, how you have got out of it, that you muſt look to, and what argument you have that you can be able to reſt your Souls upon for your deliverance out of this condition, do you examine, but this condition every one is in naturally; Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacab, was in this condition once, and therefore every one muſt look unto it now while this Reſt is opening unto you, and here indeed is the Reaſon of the tumultuouſneſs of ſpirit that is in moſt people. What is the Reaſon that people hurry up and down in ſeeking after the things of this world? That they are in a Reſtleſs condition? Their Souls have not union with God in Jeſus Chriſt, and therefore they are hurried up and down here in this world to ſeek after comfort this way, and that way: but the truth is, as with the unclean ſpirit in the Goſpel, they ſeek for Reſt but find none: as I tould you before, the Dove ſought up and down for Reſt, but ſhe found none, til ſhe came to the Arke; and ſo the Reaſon of the diſturbance of the Spirits of Men and Women, is from hence, that they are not acquainted with the true Reſt that there is in Chriſt, but we let this paſs.
Only one thing more in this point, before we ſhal come unto the next, and that is, to ſhew the inſufficiency that there is in al things in the world to give Reſt unto the Soul til we come to Chriſt: Al men out of Chriſt are in a Reſtleſs condition: There is an inſufficiency in al things in the world to give Reſt til we come to Chriſt.
And for that I ſhall give two or three Reaſons.
I. Firſt, Becauſe the Reſt of an immortal Soul muſt needs be in the reference it hath to God; Now al the Tranſactions between God and us, are only in the hand of Chriſt, it is not committed unto any creature, to tranſact any thing between God and us for any good, but through Chriſt; now then, if al our Reſt muſt needs be in our reference unto God, and al the Tranſactions between God and us muſt be in the hand of Chriſt the Mediator, then certainly, there is an inſufficiency in al things in the world to give Reſt unto our ſouls.
II. Secondly, There is an inſufficiency in all things in the world to give Reſt unto the Soul, becauſe the miſery that we are in is ſo deep, and the happineſs that our Souls are capable of is ſo high, that it is impoſſible that any creature can reach the one or the other, either to deliver from the one, or to raiſe up unto the other, only Jeſus Chriſt in whom we have Reſt can do it, becauſe that there was never any thing that came to that depth of humiliation, nor hath that height of Glory (put both together) Chriſt hath ſubjected himſelf to the loweſt degree of humiliation that ever creature could ſubject it ſelf unto, and Chriſt is in the higheſt degree of Glory that it is poſſible for any creature to be in, above al creatures: his ſubjection unto ſorrow and trouble was ſuch as no creature can ſubject unto, and his glory is higher than any creature is capable of, therefore he, and only he, is able to deliver from the depth of miſery in which the Children of men are, and raiſe them to the true happineſs and Glory that their Natures are capable of.
III. Thirdly, There is an inſufficiency in all creatures to give Reſt unto the Soul, becauſe all ceatures here in this world that we have to do withal, except the Angels in Heaven, are under the curſe, and the Angels are only miniſtring ſpirits to attend upon Chriſt, and to be ſent upon Chriſts errand, they do nothing but in order to Chriſt; now all other creatures are under the curſe, and being under the curſe through mans ſin, it is impoſſible that thoſe creatures that are under the curſe ſhould give Reſt unto our Souls, and I do not know any argument in the world of greater ſtrength to take off the Hearts of men from reſting in creature comforts than this, to underſtand cleerly, that al creatures here in this world, are under the curſe through our ſins, the whole world that is under the curſe by our ſins cannot make us happy, and therefore there is an inſufficiency in al things in the world to give Reſt unto our Souls. Do but conſider then what are the things that moſt people Reſt in Particularly, and then we ſhal ſee the vanity of men in ſeeking for Reſt out of Chriſt.