Christ Inviting Sinners to Come to Him for Rest, Treatise · Chapter 36
CHAP. XXXVI.
Sheweth the Reſt, from the remainder of Corruption to be Sanctification, and that to be a great Reſt, Laid open in ſix particulars. 1. It is the right temper of the heart. 2. In it the ſoul doth in great part attain its end. 3. In it the Soul lives the life of God. 4. It raiſeth the ſoul above the region of al troubles. 5. It turnes every thing to good. 6. It is the beginning of Glory.
YOu may remember when we handled the point of the load that was upon ſinners, we ſhewed, that the remainder of corruption was a great burden, it was ſo great a load, that it made the Apoſtle cry out, Oh! wretched man that I am, who ſhal deliver me from this body of death. How that was a load hath been already opened.
That which we have now to do is to ſhew what reſt is to be had in Chriſt againſt this fourth burden. Come to me (ſaith Chriſt) al you who are ſenſible of the corruption of your heart, and find the remainder of ſin that is in your heart to be a burden, come to me, & I wil give you reſt againſt that. We are not now to ſpeak of the reſt in deliverance from the trouble of ſoul in the ſenſe of the guilt of ſin, that was before ſpoke of, but now we are to ſpeak of the reſt, in giving power againſt the remainder of corruption that there is in the heart. This reſt is the reſt of Sanctification that here we are to ſpeak of, I wil give you reſt. And in this point there are a great many of uſeful and ſweet things, that might require very large handling, but I ſhal endeavor as much as I can to contract al within a few things for this reſt of Sanctification.
There are in it theſe five things to be followed, that ye may ſee cleerly the method that I ſhal proceed in, and ſo go along with me.
Firſt, I ſhal ſhew you, that Sanctification is a great reſt to the ſoul, or deliverance from corruption, is a great reſt to the heart of a beleever, there is much reſt in Sanctification.
Secondly, That this reſt it is in Chriſt, al our Sanctification and helping againſt corruption is in Chriſt.
Thirdly, How Chriſt comes to be this reſt unto the Soul.
Fourthly, Some conſequences that wil follow from this conſideration of Chriſts being the reſt of Sanctification unto the heart.
Fiftly, Conclude with exhortation to come unto Chriſt for this reſt.
Sanctification the Reſt from Corruption.
I. Sanctification is great reſt unto the ſoul of a beleever, the truth is, there is nothing troubles the heart of a ſtrong beleever, but only the want of his Sanctification, nothing in the world I ſay troubles the heart of a ſtrong beleever but that. It is time, a weak beleever is troubled for want of the apprehenſion of the pardon of his ſin, a weak beleever hath trouble of ſpirit ſtil in the ſenſe of the guilt of ſin, but a ſtrong beleever gets over that. A weak beleever hath trouble by the Law ſtil, becauſe through the weakneſs of his faith, he is not able to make uſe of the Covenant of grace that God hath brought him into, ſo as to deliver himſelf from trouble that way, a ſtrong beleever gets over that. A weak beleever performes duties, but there is a great deale of legality in his performance of them, that many times they are troubleſom to him, but a ſtrong beleever gets over that burden, but now the remaining corruption that is in the heart, none in this world gets over this. Indeed in great part the ſtrong beleever hath got power there alſo, a great deale more then the weak one hath done, but the cheife burden that lies upon a ſtrong beleever in this world is the remainder of corruption that is yet in him. And ſo for the next burden of affliction, the ſtrong beleever gets wel over that too, but this is one cheife burden of the ſtrongeſt beleevers that the world hath, that yet there is much remaining corruption in them. As it was in Paul, though a ſtrong beleever, ſaith he. Oh wretched man that I am who ſhal deliver me from this body of death, as you heard it formerly opened to you, ſo that ſanctification is a ſpecial reſt that beleevers have, it is a reſt.
1 In this regard, becauſe it is the right temper of the heart. As corruption was a burden, becauſe it was the diſtemper of the heart, as ſickneſs is a burden, ſo ſanctification it is the right frame and temper of the ſoul, and ſo brings eaſe and reſt unto the ſoul. If your bodies be diſtempered with ſickneſs, you are a burden to your ſelves by it, you know not what to do, a ſick body firſt lies down in one place, and then in another, and wil change roomes, and change beds, & change poſtures, becauſe he is a burden to himſelf. Let the diſtemper be gone, let the body be put into a right temper, and now he hath reſt, now he can ſleep quietly, now he hath eaſe in his body, his pain is over. Now ſanctification is the health of the ſoul, then the ſoul comes to be healthy when it comes to be holy, holineſs is the due temper of the heart and therefore it is reſt.
2. Sanctification is the reſt of the heart, becauſe in that the ſoul doth in great part attain its end, now what is it that the ſoul reſts in, ſo much as in its end; every thing reſts when it comes to its end, the end is as the proper place in which every creature reſts, now by ſanctification the ſoul doth attain its end in great part, as.
Firſt, it attains the end that God intended in the making of it a man or woman, now they attain in great part the end for which they are born, thou art born to that end that thou mighteſt be holy, that thou mighteſt live here in this world unto God, which by ſanctification thou doſt that is the end God aymed at, the end why thou art borne, why thou cameſt into the world.
Secondly, It is the end of al Gods wayes towards thee, a ſpecial end of al the paſſages of Gods providence to thee, of al the workings of God towards thee in this world, of al the wayes of his providence to thee, that thou mighteſt be godly, that thou mighteſt live to him to his praiſe.
Thirdly, It is the great end of Chriſts coming into the world, Chriſt came into the world, that he might purchaſe a peculiar people, Zealous of good works, and that he might ſanctifie them unto himſelfe.
Fourthly, It is the end of al Gods ordinances towards thee, why doſt thou enjoy any ordinance, but that they might ſanctifie thy heart.
Fifthly, It is the end, if thou beeſt one that is in any meaſure Gods already, it is the end of thy deſires, what are the deſires of a gracious heart, but that he might be holy to God, and be freed from the body of death.
Sixthly, It is the end of thy Labor, what doſt thou endeavor after? what doſt thou labor after, if thou beeſt Godly, but that thou mayeſt be more Godly, that thou mayeſt be more ſanctified, ſurely that which is the end of our comming into the world, that is the end of al Gods wayes towards thee, that which is the end of al Gods ordinances, which is the end of thy deſires, and the end of thy Labor, that muſt needs be reſt, in attaining that thou muſt needs attain Reſt.
3. Sanctification is reſt unto the ſoul, in that the ſoul lives even the life of God, the ſoul doth not only live to God but lives in God, and therefore muſt needs live in Reſt. You have a notable expreſſion for that in 1. John. 2.24. Let that therefore abide in you, which we heard from the beginning, if that which ye heard from the beginning ſhal remain in you, ye alſo ſhal continue in the ſon and in the father. You ſhal continue in the ſon and in the father. When the truths of the Goſpel working on the heart unto holineſs, abides in the heart, ſuch a ſoul doth abide in the ſon and in the father, lives in God, and therefore muſt needs have reſt, muſt needs have reſt there where it lives in God. Its true, the Saints they live in the world, but as they live in the world ſo they live in God, even in God here.
4. Sanctification it muſt needs be reſt unto the heart becauſe that is a principle that raiſeth the ſoul, above the region of al kind of trouble and moleſtation. As the Philoſophers tel us, that here, in the inferior region, there are ſtormes, tempeſts, changes, and alterations, but in the region on high, the third region, that is above ſtormes, tempeſts, winds and bluſterings, there is nothing but quiet, nothing but peace there. It is true, while the heart of a man or woman is grovelling here below in the world as al are til God raiſeth them by Grace, their ſpirits are ful of trouble, vexation and moleſtation. There is no peace to the wicked, ſaith my God, but he is like the troubled ſea which caſts forth mire and dirt. As you heard in the opening of that ſcripture. But now when God gives grace, and ſanctifies the heart, the Lord raiſeth the heart above theſe regions of trouble, raiſeth it on high, gets it up in the higheſt region, there is nothing but quiet, calme peace, eaſe, and reſt unto the ſoul.
5. Sanctification is reſt unto the ſoul, becauſe it is ſuch a principle, as turns every thing to Good, and that muſt needs bring reſt when God ſanctifies the heart, works grace in the ſoul, it is of that excellency, that it hath a virtue and efficacie in it to turne every thing to good. Now that were indeed a precious ſtone, that could turne every thing into gold that it toucheth. A great deal of labor there is about the Philoſophers ſtone, that they ſay turneth other mettals into gold, now grace in the heart turnes every thing into gold, as it were, ever thing into good, it hath that excellency in it, that whatſoever befals ſuch a man or woman, grace can turne it to the good of them. Al the workes of Gods providence, al things that ſeem to goe never ſo contrary unto the good of a man or woman that hath grace, if ſuch a one do but act his grace, or her grace, this wil turne things that ſeem to be moſt contrary, to the good of them, it wil turne it unto good; Thoſe things that others vex at, and fret at, and, think themſelves undone by, a gracious heart, one that hath grace can turne them to advantage, and get good by them, ſuch a one that is in ſuch a condition, they have got ſuch a virtue from God, God hath given them ſuch a principle within, as whatſoever befals them, he can by the acting of that principle turne it to Good. What need then ſuch a man or woman have any trouble in this world? no trouble, wil you ſay, do not ſuch and ſuch things fal croſs to them, ſuch and ſuch afflictions fal as croſs to ſuch men as any others? That is true, things may fall as croſs to them as any, I but, they have a principle within them, that turnes al thoſe croſſes and afflictions to good, that we ſhal ſpeake more unto in anſwering to the fifth burden of outward afflictions, but only to ſhew it now, in the reſt that the ſoul hath in ſanctification, becauſe it turnes al things to good.
Sixthly and Laſtly, Sanctification is a reſt to the ſoul, becauſe indeed it is the beginning of glory, it is but the beginning of heaven, and we are in heaven, there is nothing but reſt, there is peace and reſt in heaven, ſanctification is glorification begun, and therefore reſt unto the ſoul. This now is the firſt particular, I wil give you reſt, that is, come to me, you ſhal have power over your corruptions, you ſhal have grace and holineſs, that ſhal be reſt unto your ſouls.