Christ Inviting Sinners to Come to Him for Rest, Treatise · Chapter 49
CHAP. XLIX.
Sheweth that beleevers have not only Reſt in, but Reſt alſo from afflictions.
BUt now further, beſides all this Reſt you have heard of, there is a time when the Lord ſhal not only give the ſoul reſt IN Afflictions, but ſhal give the ſoul reſt FROM Affliction▪ yea, it may be in this world. He ſpeaks as if there were a reſt to the people of God to be delivered from affliction, not only in Affliction, but delivered from Affliction. That place that we have in Iſai. 54.11. O thou afflicted, toſſed with Tempeſt and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy Stones with fair colors, and lay thy Foundations with Saphires, and I will make thy windows of Agates, and thy gates of Carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleaſant Stones. Thou art now afflicted, Toſſed, Tempted, and not comforted, but it ſhal be otherwiſe with thee. It is true indeed, the Church ever ſince the beginning of the world hath been in an affl…cted condition, toſſed with tempeſt, and not comforted, not according to what is expreſſed, but here is a promiſe of a glorious time, when there ſhal be a ſure Foundation laid, and that Foundation of precious ſtones, and reſt there ſhal be. And if you compare this ſcripture with that in Revel. 21. You ſhall ſee it aims at a glorious time, when Chriſt ſhal give Reſt unto the Soul, at verſ. 4. And God ſhal wipe away all tears from their Eyes, and there ſhal be no more death, neither ſorrow, nor crying, neither ſhal there be any more pain, for the former things are paſſed away. And if you read after, you ſhal find, that he doth ſeem to allude unto this Iſai. 54. And there tels what thoſe precious ſtones ſhal be, that ſhal be the foundation of the happy eſtate of Gods Saints, and that it is not to be in Heaven, but here, before the great and generall day of judgment. It appeares plainly by this, that the Text ſaith, That the Kings of the Earth ſhal bring their glory and honor unto it, at the 24. verſe, The Nations of them which are ſaved ſhal walk in the light of it, and the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory and Honor unto it. It is ſuch a time of the Church, as the Kings of the Earth ſhal bring their glory and their Honor unto it, Now after the day of judgment in Heaven, the Kings of the Earth do not bring their glory and their Honor to the Saints in Heaven, but they ſhal bring their glory and their Honor to the Saints here. It is a propheſie of ſuch a happy condition that the Saints ſhal be in, that the Kings of the Earth ſhal bring their Glory and their honor to them, and therefore here it is upon this Earth, this promiſe is made of a glorious time that the Saints ſhall have, that all tears ſhal be wiped away from their Eyes here in this world, and it ſeems to be ſpoken of the ſame time that was ſpoken of in the Chapter before, in the 20. Chapter, of the firſt Reſurrection. Now after that time it appeares, that the Devil ſhal be looſned, and Gog and Magog ſhal gather themſelves together againſt Gods people after that time. But there is ſuch a world here for the people of God, a reſt to be had from all affliction, even here upon the Earth to be hoped for, when the ſaints of God ſhal be honored before all the world; and all wicked and ungodly men ſhal be ſubdued before them. But further, there is certainly a reſt of Glory in the world to come, and that is to be added to al the reſt, when the ſaints ſhal keep an eternal Sabboth before the Lord, and ſhal there be alwaies exerciſed in praiſing, Magnifying, and bleſſing of the great God.
Queſt. You will ſay, Shall that be ſuch a Reſt in performing of Holy Duties?
I, that ſhall be a reſt indeed, for there ſhal be no wearineſs of the fleſh but the Soul ſhal be in a ſpiritual condition, and the fleſh ſhal be ſubſervient to the ſoul, that there ſhal be no weariſomneſs to the fleſh, that it ſhal enjoy communion with God, and be in bleſſed viſions with God, and be in his Fathers Houſe above al enemies, above ſin, they ſhal neither ſin more, nor ſorrow more, nor fear more nor doubt more, nor be troubled more, this is the reſt that the ſoul ſhal have in Chriſt. And I make no queſtion but Chriſt means this among the reſt, when he ſaith, come to me. But to ſpeak of this glorious reſt is a large point, & elſwhere I have opened it at large, what the glory of the Saints ſhal be in Heaven, and therefore I ſhal ſpeak no more in this.
Now then put al together that I have ſaid, concerning the Reſt that I have ſpoken of, and may we not conclude of this reſt, and wel may it have that epithite which is ſpoken in Iſay 11.10. In that day, there ſhal be a root of Jeſſe, which ſhal ſtand for an enſigne of the people, to it ſhal the Gentiles ſeek, and his Reſt ſhal be glorious. Here it is ſpoke of the Reſt of Chriſt, his Reſt ſhal be glorious. We may wel apply it to the Reſt of the Saints, the ſaints ſhal have a glorious reſt, and it hath been ſhewed unto you in many particulars, wherein I have opened this reſt unto you, that you may ſee it is a glorious reſt.