The Absolute Necessity of Spiritual Husbandry, Discourse 1 · Doctrine 1
Doctrine 1. The Perſecuted People of God ſhall have Reſt at the Revelation of Chriſt. Iſaiah 14.3. The Lord ſhall give thee Rest from thy Sorrow, from thy Fear, and from the hard Bondage wherein thou wast made to ſerve.
Saints ſhall have a Reſt, 1. From their Enemies; they ſhall no more tread on their Necks, or ride over their Backs, Pſal. 66.12. Iſaiah 51.23. Enemies have proudly ſaid, Bow down, that we may go over, and the Bodies of Saints have been laid as the Ground, and as the Street, to them that went over. The way that Enemies have choſen is over the Necks and Backs of the Saints; but it is ſaid to the People of God, The Lord hath taken away thy Judgments, he hath caſt out thine Enemy; thou ſhalt not ſee evil any more; the Plowers ſhall not always Plow on the Backs of the Righteous; the Rod of the Wicked ſhall not reſt on their Lot, Pſal. 125.3. they ſhall not always reach out the Cup of their Fury to Saints, becauſe they will not ſtain their Garments, defile and inſlave their Conſciences to their Luſts.
Two things evidence that Saints ſhall have Reſt from their Enemies and Sufferings:
1. That Enemies ſhall be Conquered and totally Subdued: Thoſe that fear God's Name ſhall go forth and tread down the wicked, they ſhall be as Aſhes under the Soles of their Feet, Mal. 4.2, 3. And the God of Peace will bruiſe Satan under the Feet of Believers, Rom. 16.20. ſo that Satan, and wicked Men, ſhall be totally vanquiſhed and diſabled from hurting and offending the Saints, they ſhall be ſhut up in the Priſons, and burn in the Furnace. The 92 Pſalm hath this Title, A Pſalm for the Sabbath day; in it the Pſalmiſt affirms, That the wicked ſhall be deſtroyed; and that the Enemies of God ſhall periſh, Pſal. 92. 7, 9. This is a proper Meditation for the Sabbath day; God, and Saints too, will not have a faithful, perfect, and delightful Sabbath, till all the Workers of Iniquity are Conquered and Deſtroyed.
2. The Saints will be perfected in Holineſs, and in the Life of God; ſo that they will not need afflictions any more. Where there is no Droſs, there needs no Refining Fire: Where there is no Folly, there is no Rod of Correction neceſſary; they do not need the Flail, nor the Fan, who are perfectly winnowed from their Chaff. They that are fully freed from Sin, ſhall be no more liable to Death, Pain, Sorrow, or Crying, Rev. 21.4. the corrupt Root that bears all theſe Evils is withered and dead.
2. Saints ſhall Reſt from their Labour, Rev. 14.13. Though the Son of Man give the Spiritual Bread, Joh. 6.27. yet we are bid to Labour for it. It is hard to perſwade our ſelves of the Excellency and Neceſſity of this Bread, and that the Son of Man can, and will, give it to Creatures ſo vile, unworthy, and provoking, is a very difficult, hard, laborious thing; we need to wreſtle with God, and cry out, Lord, help our unbelief, Mark 9.24. evidence Spiritual, Inviſible Things to us.
3. Saints ſhall Reſt from their Spiritual Journies and Travels. Jacob's Sons took long Journies into Egypt to buy Corn, to procure Bread, but when Jacob and his Family removed into Egypt, they ceaſed from ſuch Journies; they were then at the very Granaries of Corn. Joſeph there nouriſhed his Father, his Brethren, and their Houſholds, with Bread, without Travelling, or Payment for it; ſo Saints ſhall have acceſs to, and ſatisfaction, by eating of the Fruits of the Tree of Life, that ſhall ſtill be ripe, and ready to be enjoyed, Rev. 22.22.
2. As Saints ſhall have Reſt by their Freedom from all Evils, Sufferings, Enemies, Labours and Travels, ſo they ſhall reſt in the enjoyment of the higheſt, and beſt Good.
1. They ſhall reſt by the Fountain of Life, where they may be ſatisfied, and drink their fill as Caravans, or great Companies of Merchants do, Travel through dry Deſerts and Wilderneſſes, till they come to a Spring, and then, and there, they pitch their Tents, and refreſh themſelves by drinking of the Spring; ſo we muſt paſs on through Creatures dry and barren, till we come to God the Fountain of Life. Here we muſt ſtop and delight our ſelves in him, and with him. Pſal. 36.9. With thee is the Fountain of Life, in thy Light we ſhall ſee Light; that is, the Light of Joy and Conſolation. The Lamb ſhall lead his Sheep to living Fountains of Water, Rev. 7.17 as if every Saint had a Fountain to himſelf, and did enjoy God as fully, as if he did ſolely, and only enjoy him: How ſweet is it to reſt by the Fountain of Life for ever?
2. Saints ſhall reſt in the Houſe of a Father, and a Husband; in the Houſe of a Father, Chriſt ſaith, In my Fathers Houſe are many Manſions; I go to prepare a place for you, John 14.2. and ſo they that reſt in the Houſe of their Heavenly Husband. Naomi did pray her Daughters-in-Law might find reſt, each of them in the Houſe of her Husband, Ruth 1.9.
3. Saints ſhall reſt at the Table of Chriſt, they ſhall ſit, eat, and drink with him, at his Table, Luke 22.29, 30. in his Kingdom. There is no Good abſent at this Feaſt, to cauſe a wandring of deſire; no Evil preſent to cauſe ſighs and ſorrow under it: Here Saints may eat, and be ſatisfied for ever.
4. This will be a moſt Honorable Reſt; Saints that ſit in the Throne with Chriſt, Rev. 3.21. and reign in life for evermore. As all Tears ſhall be wiped from their Eyes, ſo Crowns ſhall be ſet on their Heads, a Crown of Life and Righteouſneſs, Rom. 5.17. This is the higheſt Honour that Creatures can aſpire to, and therefore may be fully ſatisfied with, and reſt in it. This Honour ſhall never be forfeited, neither ſhall this Feaſt be diſturbed and interrupted.
5. The Saints, that now are troubled, ſhall reſt with the beſt Company, they ſhall be where Chriſt is, Joh. 17.24. and they ſhall ſit down with Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of God, Matth. 8.11. As they have been Companions with other Suffering Saints, in the Kingdom, and patience of Chriſt, Rev. 1.9. ſo they ſhall enter into the ſame Joy, poſſeſs the ſame Inheritance, and partake of the ſame Feaſt with them. If Servants ſhall be where their Lord is, John 12.26. much more may they be aſſured of reſt and refreſhment with their Fellow Servants. Though they be more eminent than they, for Gifts, Graces, and Services, yet they ſhall reſt in the ſame Boſom of Love, and ſit in the ſame Throne of Glory. What harmonious Melody, what ſweet Comfort will there be, when all Suffering Saints ſhall be gathered together, to ſing the Praiſes of their Father, to celebrate the Honour of the their Redeemer, and be ſwallowed up for ever in the love of the Father, Son, and Spirit?
USE of the Doctrine. If Troubled Saints ſhall have reſt, then be not afraid of, do not ſtart or recoil from the Croſs of Chriſt, it will end, and iſſue in a Crown of Glory. Your Sufferings are light, your Glory will be weighty; your Afflictions and Sorrows will be momentary, but your Joys will be everlaſting, 2 Cor. 4.17. Do not buy the Worlds Peace with the Trouble and Terror of your Conſciences: Some Apoſtate Proteſtants in France had ſuch burdened Conſciences, ſuch wounded Spirits, grew ſo weary of Life, that they came and offered themſelves to their Antichriſtian Enemies, and deſired that they would kill them. Do not ſlaviſhly dread Sufferings for Chriſt, did not your Lord endure greater Troubles for you? John 12.27, 28. Now, ſaith Chriſt, is my Soul troubled; he made his Soul an Offering for Sin, he poured out his Soul to the death, Iſ. 53.10, 12. You are but in ſhallow waters of afflictions, but Jeſus Chriſt was in a deep Sea of Sorrows: You have but ſome ſmall drops that ſprinkle you, but he had a dreadful Storm that fell on him. You have but ſome ſparks that fly on you, but the Lamb of God was roaſted by the Fire of his Fathers Anger. Do not think it ſtrange if ſiery Trials ſhould be kindled againſt you, and break out on you, 1 Pet. 4.12. Do not think to be Priviledged from Troubles, and to be Exempted from Hardſhips on Earth, and yet be ſecured from Pains and Torments in another World. Satan will roar, and wicked Men will rage againſt you. In the World you ſhall have Tribulation, but in Chriſt you ſhall have peace, John 16.33. Though wicked Men do ſcorch your Bodies, yet your Souls do ſit under Chriſts cold ſhadow, Cant. 2.3. And you ſhall have times of refreſhing from the preſence of the Lord, Acts 3.19. Though you are appointed to Afflictions, 1 Theſ. 3.3. yet God hath not appointed you to wrath, but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Theſ. 5.9. You are now clouded with Sorrows and Reproaches, but you ſhall ſhine out in the Kingdom of your Father, Matth. 13.43. Your ſmoaking Furnace will iſſue in a burning Lamp, Gen. 15.17. your ſighs will be ſucceeded by Songs, your darkneſs and ſhadow of Death will end in a bright and glorious Morning. Perſecutors will be caſt into Priſon, and the Perſecuted taken into the Palace. Enemies ſhall ſeel cruel Bondage, and Saints be Tranſlated into glorious Liberty. Wicked Men now Revile and Reproach the People of God, but the Time is at hand when Chriſt will laugh at their Calamity, and mock when their Fear cometh, Prov. 1.26. but Saints ſhall have praiſe from Chriſt, enter into the joy of their Lord, and enjoy a reſt that will abundantly recompence all their Troubles.
2. When ſhall this reſt be enjoyed? It is ſaid, when the Lord Jeſus ſhall be Revealed; Two things are here affirmed, 1. That the Lord Jeſus ſhall be Revealed. 2. That he ſhall be Revealed from Heaven. The words give this Doctrine.