Christ Inviting Sinners to Come to Him for Rest, Treatise · Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII.
Of the Reſt that a Beleever hath by Chriſt from the Guilt of Sin, laid out in ten Particulars. 1. Chriſt takes upon himſelf al the ſin of them that come to him, and ſtands charged with them before his Father. 2. He Satisfieth for Sin. 3. The wrath of God is appeaſed. 4. He is continually at the right hand of his Father to intercede for Sinners that come to him. 5. Their Souls are ſprinkled with the Blood of Chriſt. 6. The Soul at the firſt coming to Chriſt, is made perfectly righteous before God. 7. Chriſt not only undertakes for all the Sins paſt, but alſo for Sins to come. 8. Guilt ſhall never return, when it is once taken off. 9. The Soul at its firſt coming to Chriſt is cloathed with the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt. 10. Such are ſure that the day of judgment ſhal be the Solemnity of their abſolution.
NOw we are but beginning the great point of all, the Reſt of the Soul in Chriſt what it is, and in this I ſhal take the Method that I followed in the opening of the Burdens of Laden Sinners, that were heavy Laden. I ſpake of five loades that were upon ſinners that Chriſt cals to him, that they might come to him for Reſt; now anſwerable to thoſe five ſhal we ſpeak of the Reſt that is to be had in Chriſt.
The firſt Load was the ſence of the guilt of ſin, that was the firſt Load that was upon ſinners that Chriſt cals to come unto him that they might have Reſt.
Now concerning the Reſt that the ſoul hath by Chriſt in the deliverance of it from the woful trouble of conſcience in reſpect of the guilt of ſin, I ſhal not ſhew here what thoſe troubles are, for that was done in the former point, about thoſe that were weary and heavy Laden. Now if there be any that find their ſouls Laden under the burden of the guilt of their ſins, and that apprehend nothing but the wrath of God that is following and purſuing of them, that if you ſhould ſpeak to them and ſay, Chriſtian, what ſee you? Oh, I ſee an angry God above, and I ſee within me a guilty conſcience, and round about me I ſee nothing but the wrath of God ready to ſeize upon me, and underneath I ſee nothing but the bottomleſs Gulf ready to receive me; now to ſuch Chriſt ſaith, Come unto me, and I will give you eaſe and Reſt from al theſe fears, from al theſe troubles, and I will give you eaſe from all thoſe throws of your conſcience, from al thoſe grievous achings of your Soul, Come to me.
Now, What eaſe is it to a beleever, to be freed from the throbs of Conſcience, and the trouble of Heart that ariſeth from the guilt of ſin? Now this will be the firſt thing, this wil be eaſe to every beleever that comes to Chriſt, to conſider.
I.
Firſt, That the Lord Jeſus Chriſt takes all the ſins of thoſe that come to him, and is willing to ſtand charged with them before the Lord, is willing that they ſhould al be ſet upon his Score, and laid to his charge; and therefore the Scripture tels us, that Chriſt was made ſin, in 2 Cor. 5.21. He hath made him to be Sin for us. Upon which Luther takes the boldneſs to ſay, that Chriſt was the greateſt ſinner in the world, not that he had ſin that he committed himſelf, but that he had all the ſins of all beleevers upon him, there is a tranſaction of all the ſins of thoſe that come to Chriſt upon Jeſus Chriſt, and this is preſently upon thy coming to Chriſt, I ſay at the firſt inſtant of thy coming to Chriſt, al thy ſins are tranſacted upon Chriſt, and he ſtands charged with them to God. As it is with a poor Woman, that is in great debt, that is afraid of Sergeants attending upon her, ſhe is a widow, and ſhe marries a Rich man, Oh! What eaſe hath ſhe, Why? For now all her debt is charged upon her Husband; Yet this may cauſe trouble too, if he do not know it before, but if ſhe tel him before, and he ſaies, well, this ſhal not hinder the match, I am content to pay all; but yet here is trouble ſtil, til the day of marriage, but when that is come, Oh! What eaſe is this to her! Now al the debt is charged upon her Husband, and ſhe knows her Husband is able to pay and diſcharge all. So ſaith Chriſt, I know all your fears, and ſorrows, and all your guilt, and what it is my father hath to charge upon you, I know it al, and it is not that that hinders me from being willing to be matched with you, Nay, the truth is, it is that that makes me willing, and it is that that makes me cal you, Come to me, Come to me, and the firſt moment you come to me, there ſhal be a diſcharge of al; you ſhal not ſtand charged, but I will ſtand charged with all. Here now is eaſe and Reſt, here is other manner of eaſe and Reſt, than to Eate and Drink, and injoy the pleaſures and contentment that this world affords.
II.
Yea, Secondly, Chriſt is Reſt from the guilt of Sin, by actual Satisfaction, the Lord Chriſt doth ſatisfie the juſtice of his Father, and this is applied to every beleever at the firſt moment that he comes to Chriſt, there is a ful ſatisfaction made, ſo that a beleever now hath made ſatisfaction. When we come to Chriſt, our ſins are not ſo pardoned, as if God had no Satisfaction, but the Lord though he pardons us, and it is free Grace to us, yet notwithſtanding our ſurety gives ſatisfaction, the Lord Chriſt tenders up his Blood and merit unto his Father, as a ful ſatisfaction for all ou… debts, for al our ſins, the truth is, he hath paid it already, and upon your coming to him it is accounted yours, for Jeſus Chriſt hath ſatisfied the juſtice of God the Father, that thy Soul doth ſo much fear. What doſt thou fear in regard of thy ſins? Oh! My ſins make me liable to the juſtice of God; ſaith Chriſt, I have given ſatisfaction unto the juſtice of my Father to the very ful, and it was for thy ſins in Particular, Oh! The Reſt and eaſe that comes to the Soul by this, when the Soul can ſee, that all his ſins are done away, if we had but ſtrong Faith upon our firſt coming to Jeſus Chriſt, we might actually ſee all our ſins charged upon Jeſus Chriſt.
III.
Thirdly, Upon this the wrath of God is come now to be appeaſed and ſatisfied, the Lord did look with an angry countenance upon thee before, but now upon thy coming to Jeſus Chriſt, the Lord imbraceth thy Soul, and wellcomes thee, and looks upon thee as a friend, as a Child, and this doth eaſe the Soul from the trouble it hath by the guilt of ſin.
IV.
Fourthly, Beſides all this, Chriſt taking our ſins upon him, ſatisfying divine juſtice and divine wrath, Jeſus Chriſt is continually at the right hand of the Father to be thy advocate, that if the Devil or any ſhal accuſe thee for any thing thou haſt done before, Nay in caſe thou feareſt any of thy ſins ſhould come up in the preſence of of God to accuſe thee, Jeſus Chriſt ſtands at the right hand of his Father to be thine advocate, what is the office of an advocate? But if there be any accuſation brought againſt ſuch a man, the advocate ſtands to anſwer to the accuſation; Jeſus Chriſt, he ſtands at the right hand of his father thus to do. In John, 2. and the firſt verſe, My little Children, theſe things I write unto you, that ye ſin not, and if any man ſin we have an advocate with the father Jeſus Chriſt the righteous. A comfort it is to have one ſtand to plead at the right hand of the father, to be thine advocate, Chriſt is as real an advocate at the right hand of God for al beleevers, as ever any had any advocate in this world. I find often in ſcripture this, if you read in the 4. chapter of the Epiſtle to the Hebrews, you ſhal find there, that the holy Ghoſt ſpeakes of a reſt of God, the reſt of the ſaints of God, Gods people; and mark what is the firſt incouragment he gives, and what ground he makes of the reſt they have; in two or three places he ſpeakes of the reſt of Gods people, now the foundation of it is, For we have not an high Prieſt that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in al things tempted like as we are, yet without ſin, let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need, for we have a high Prieſt, that is the ground of the reſt of the ſaints of God.
V.
Fifthly, Come to me, ſaith Chriſt, and I wil give you reſt from al the trouble that you have by the guilt of ſin; thus, I wil ſprinkle your conſciences by my blood, that you ſhal be able to give an anſwer to al temptations that can come to you, not onelyonly, I wil ſtand before my father, but you ſhal have your conſciences ſprinkled with my blood, that you ſhal be able to give an anſwer to what accuſation ſhal be made by Satan, to diſturb your reſt, to diſquiet your ſoules.
In Heb. 10.22. Let us draw near with a pure heart in ful aſſurance of faith, having our hearts ſprinkled from an evil conſcience, and our bodies waſhed with pure water. Having your hearts ſprinkled from an evil conſcience; whereas before you came to me, you had an evil conſcience, that was ready to fly in your face, and that did fear you, vex you, and trouble you, I appeale unto you that underſtand what God is, and what it is for the creature to have to do with God, have not your conſciences kept you from ſleeping a nights, an evil conſcience that hath layen grating within you, you have layen upon your beds and could not ſleep, when your wife was aſleep by you; now to ſuch is this ſaid, Let us draw neer upon this ground, here is the ground, Let us draw neer with a pure heart in ful aſſurance of faith, having our hearts ſprinkled from an evil conſcience, that is, the blood of Chriſt comes now to be ſprinkled upon our ſoules and conſciences, and that is it that takes away the worme of our conſcience, perhaps other things may trouble conſcience for a while, but now the blood of Chriſt can waſh you from that, now when you come to Chriſt, the conſcience comes then to be able to anſwer what ſhal be laid to its Charge. Perhaps thoſe who are beleevers and are come to Chriſt, the devil wil be ready to object and labor to diſturb them, uſually after they firſt come to Chriſt, there is as great a diſturbance in the heart of a ſinner as before. But mark that text you have in the firſt of Peter the 3. and the 21. The like figure whereunto even baptiſme doth alſo now ſave us, not the putting away of the filth of the fleſh, but the anſwer of a good conſcience towards God, by the reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt. Through Chriſts Reſurrection a beleever comes to have a good conſcience, having been ſprinkled by his blood before & through this reſurection he is able to anſwer the conſcience, that is whatſoever accuſation the Devil ſhal lay againſt the ſoul, the ſoul that is ſprinkled with the blood of Chriſt is able to anſwer it, and this is the comfort that ſuch have, that we find our conſcience ſatisfied in the blood of Jeſus Chriſt, perhaps at the firſt coming thou doeſt not feel it, but at the firſt coming thou beginneſt to be able to do it.
VI.
Sixthly, the reſt that is to be had againſt the trouble of the guilt of ſin is this, That upon the firſt coming of the ſoul to Chriſt, it is made as perfectly juſt before God, as ever Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, as al the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apoſtles, Martyrs; thou comeſt off as cleerly from the guilt of thy ſin, as ever Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob did: Its true, thou haſt not at thy firſt coming to Chriſt thy ſanctification made perfect, but this I dare avouch, that at thy firſt coming to Jeſus Chriſt thou haſt thy Juſtification made as perfect, as ever the Juſtification of Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob was, and what a mighty eaſe and reſt is this? what! I a vile creature, ſo defiled, I that have had ſuch a dreadfulneſs upon my Spirit, now to be able to ſee my ſelf ſtand as clear before the Throne of God, as Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob did, and as the Apoſtles and Prophets did, Oh! this is a comfort! We ought to labor to come to be equal with Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob in ſanctification, as we are equal with them in Juſtification, this is the eaſe that the ſoul finds that comes to Chriſt.
VII.
Seventhly, The reſt that is to be had in Chriſt in point of Juſtification, in freedome from the trouble that ariſeth from the guilt of ſin, it is, that Chriſt undertakes not only for that thou haſt done, but for whatever thou ſhalt commit al thy life, O! that none but thoſe that are believers might heare me, did I ſay ſo. But this is a certain truth.
You wil ſay, though I by coming to him might ſtand Juſtified before my father, yet I am a poor creature, I ſhal ſin again and again, and bring guilt upon my conſcience. Yet come to Chriſt, here is free Grace in Chriſt, and know, that Chriſt laies in pardon for thee againſt whatſoever guilt thou ſhalt again contract unto thy Soul. There is mercy with thee that thou maieſt be feared, with thee there is forgiveneſs: Chriſt laies in for the Guilt of ſin, that thou ſhalt afterwards contract to thy Soul, ſo as thou ſhalt never be condemned. Perhaps thou ſhalt deſerve condemnation a hundred times, over and over again, but Chriſt will take care that thou ſhalt never enter into condemnation, thou ſhalt never be in the ſtate of Condemnation, Oh the Reſt that here is.
VIII.
Eightly, When the Soul comes to Chriſt, there is no returne of any guilt, if Chriſt doth undertake for them that come to him, though Chriſt doth undertake for what is paſt, and what is to come, yet as it is with a malefactor though perhaps he hath his pardon and be received into Favor, yet he may think there is ſome alteration again, but now the guilt that was upon thee ſhall never return upon thee again. Though a man hath a pardon, if he do not carry himſelf wel, the former Guilt returnes again; but when once the Soul is pardoned, the former Guilt never returnes again, the Lord wil blot out all their ſinnes, and remember them no more. As when you caſt a thing out of your Ship into the bottom of the Sea, you never look for it again, ſo it is with God, all your ſins ſhall be caſt into the bottom of the Sea, and ſhal be ſo far from you, as the Guilt of them ſhall never come more to you when once you are come to Chriſt.
IX.
Ninthly, There is not only deliverance from guiltineſs, our juſtification is not only privative, but it is a clothing of the Soul with the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, we have a perfect Righteouſneſs, that is the great Mediator of the new covenant, here is a righteouſneſs that I am not only pardoned, but I have a perfect Righteouſneſs to ſtand before the great God withal.
X.
Yea, Tenthly, and Laſtly, The Reſt we have in Chriſt is this, that we are ſure upon our coming to him, that the great work of the day of judgment ſhal be the ſolemnity of our abſolution, the ſolemnity of thy pardon. One of the great works that God intends to do at the great day of judgment, it is certainly this, to make thy pardon to be ſolemnized by men and Angels, thou haſt now thy pardon, but the great work of God at that day ſhall be the ſolemnity of the abſolution and pardon of the Saints, then ſhal their ſins be put away anew, as the Scripture ſpeakes, and in the time of refreſhment then ſhal your ſins be done away, they are done away before, but then they ſhall be done away before men and Angels, thou ſhalt not fear at the day of Judgment, that God ſhal come and upbraid thee with thy ſins, al the while thou wenteſt under the guilt of ſin, what was more terrible to thy Soul than the thoughts of the day of Judgment, Oh how can I ſtand before the Holy God at the great day, and have all theſe ſins charged upon me? No, come to me ſaith Chriſt, and you ſhal never need to fear that great day of judgment any more, for the great work of that day ſhal be, to make your pardon to be ſolemnized, ſo that you need not to fear any longer the day of Judgment, but to long for that day, and if the great day of judgment be not terrible, yet the Particular day of Judgment may be terrible, the Lord hath a Particular day of Judgment for every Soul, in which God doth caſt every man one way or other, but then there ſhal be a great day of Judgment wherein all the world ſhal ſolemnly be judged. Now then lay al theſe together, Chriſt undertakes, Chriſt ſatisfies the juſtice of his Father, Chriſt ſatisfies the wrath of his Father, Chriſt is an advocate at the Right hand of his Father Chriſt ſprinkles thy Conſcience with his own blood, and thou ſtandeſt as perfect in the point of juſtification as Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, and the Guilt of thy ſins ſhal never return again. And Chriſt undertakes for thee, that thou ſhalt not come into Condemnation. And thou haſt a perfect Righteouſneſs, beſides thy freedom from Death, Chriſt clothes thee with his righteouſneſs, and ſo God the Father looks upon thee, and Chriſt doth aſſure thee, that the great work of the day of judgment ſhal be to ſolemnize thy pardon. Thus ſaith Chriſt, come to me, all you that lie under the ſence of the Guilt of your ſins, come to me, and you ſhall have reſt, here I make all this good to you, and all this reſt is in thy coming to Jeſus Chriſt, all the reſt in the world is worth nothing to this, O therefore let us be willing to indure any trouble, it is no great matter what trouble we indure in this World, ſo we may come to Chriſt, and this is but one branch, this is but the eaſing of the Soul from the firſt Burden, and yet even this to the Soul of a beleever will God make good, if God give thee but a heart to make al theſe things real to thy Soul thou maieſt depart in peace and go away, and bleſs God, and even ſay with the Pſalmiſt, in Pſalm, 116. And now my Soul return unto thy Reſt, The words are in the original Reſts, and now my Soul return unto thy reſts. Oh, here are reſts, ten ſeveral reſts for a Laden Soul that is under the guilt of ſin, do not think it much, that we that are the Miniſters of the Goſpel ſhould ſpeak to you about the Reſtleſs cond…on that you are in by reaſon of ſin, be willing that we ſhould trouble you in a ſinful way, being we have ſo much reſt to bring you to. Do not think the Miniſter troubles you, do not complain of the word that troubles mens conſciences. I appeal to you, if there be any thing in Gods word to trouble mens Souls, is there not again as much in Gods word to eaſe mens Souls, and give Reſt unto them? Now this is Gods reſt that is purchaſed by the blood of Chriſt, our deſire is, that you might not cry Peace Peace unto your Souls, when there is no peace, and now when you hear but the beginning of the excellency that there is for the Soul in Chriſt. Now you ſhould even upon this cry to God, Lord, O that I might be partaker of this reſt, and ſtill to deſire to hear further and further of this bleſſed Reſt, that is to be had in Jeſus Chriſt. And thus much for the Reſt that is to be had in Jeſus Chriſt from the Burden of the guilt of ſin.