Christ Inviting Sinners to Come to Him for Rest, Treatise · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
The Reaſons of the former Doctrine. 1. Chriſt hath all mercy in him. 2. The end why he came into the world, was to give reſt to burdened ſouls. 3. Chriſt himſelf was once under ſome kind of this burden. 4. He is to have the glory of all the eaſe which is given to ſinners.
THe Third thing is, Reaſons why Jeſus Chriſt doth deſire and invite ſouls to come to him.
REASON I.
Firſt: Becauſe that all is given to Chriſt; Chriſt hath all the mercy of the Father in him; for the fulneſs of the Godhead dwels in him, and therefore he muſt needs pitty ſuch a ſoul. There is a Law in Deuteronomy, That if a Beaſt be under a burden, and ready to periſh, God requires that you ſhould not withdraw your ſelf from the Beaſt, though it be the Beaſt of your Enemy, but to help it. Now if God would have us to be ſo merciful (who have but drops of mercy in us) when we ſee a beaſt, and that of our Enemies, under a Burden, Then ſurely the Lord Chriſt that hath the fulneſs of the mercy of the infinite God in him; when he ſhall ſee an immortal ſoul under ſuch a burden, and ready to periſh, and it cries to him for Help, certainly Chriſt will eaſe and help that ſoul.
REASON II.
Secondly, We know that Chriſt came into the world on purpoſe, Chriſt was anointed and ſent for that end to bind up the broken hearted and give them eaſe; Chriſt is deſigned by God the Father for this very work, and therefore he wil do it; he is appointed by God the Father for to eaſe burdened Souls, it is his work; therefore when Chriſt ſees any poor ſoul burdened under ſin, ſaith Chriſt, here is work for me; He came not to cal the Righteous, but ſinners to Repentance, Here is that that I came from Heaven for, it is the very buſineſs that I was ſent from my Father to do; it is the work my Father ſent me into the world for.
REASON III.
Thirdly, Chriſt himſelf once felt ſome burden of this kind, and he knows what it is to be burdened with Sin, He was made ſin for us, So the Scripture ſaith in the 2 Cor. 5.21. He was made Sin; Chriſt had the weight of al the Sins of the Elect upon him, and did feel what the weight of ſin was. Chriſt hath experience what it is to be burdened with ſin, and with the wrath of God the Father for ſin. Certainly when Chriſt lay groveling with his Face upon the ground and ſweated drops of blood then he was under a great burden. Chriſt had the great burden of mans ſin upon him, and of the wrath of God that was due to mans ſin, and he had it upon him til he ſweat under it; Now Chriſt himſelf having been under it; certainly he cannot but pitty poor burdened Sinners.
REASON IV.
Fourthly, It is Chriſt that is to have the Glory of the eaſe of ſin, and thoſe ſouls that are burdened for ſin, if ever they have eaſe; they wil give the Lord Jeſus al the Glory. Now firſt Chriſt having al the Mercy of God the Father, and being ſent into the world to bind up al broken hearts, and having experience of the burden of ſin. And fourthly knowing that he ſhal have al the Glory, in delivering and eaſing of Souls; certainly Chriſt doth account it worth al his ſufferings, that he might have the Glory in eaſing of troubled Souls, as many Chyrurgions account it to be their Glory, to have the Honor of curing deſperate cures; the Lord Jeſus wil Glory in this to al eternity. When al the poor burdened Souls that ever he did eaſe ſhal be brought before him, and ſhal be acknowledged before God and his Angels. Oh! here are thoſe, many thouſand Souls that were under their burdens, and were ready to periſh and I have eaſed them, and here they ſhal reſt from al their labors for ever; Chriſt cals Sinners upon theſe gro…ds.