CHRIST INVITING SINNERS TO COME TO HIM. › Chapter 18, Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest by Jeremiah Burroughs (1659) | AskReformation

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:541p. 116–117

NOW then we come to the Invitation it self, Come to me, saith Christ, Come to me; that is, Believe in me: For among many other expressions of believing in Christ, or of accepting of the Condition of the Covenant of Grace; the Holy Ghost doth express this believing and acceptation of the Covenant of Grace, by coming to Christ. Believing in Christ is expressed very often by coming to Christ: In John 5.40. You will not come to me that ye might have life. They did come to Christ in his outward presence, Christ conferred with them, and they with him; but yet saith Christ, ye will not come to me that ye might have life. And so in John 6.37. Those that the Father hath given to me, come to me, and I will in no wise cast them out. All that the Father hath from Eternity given me to redeem, they come to me, that is, they believe in me. And in verse 44. None can come to me except God the Father draw him: That is, none believes in me except my Father draw them: and so, He that hath heard and learned of the Father comes to me: That is, believes in me. And that is the meaning of the 55. of Isai. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters, buy wine and milk without money, and without price: that is, believe in me, that is the meaning. ⟨p. 117⟩All you that labour under all these several Burdens, come to me, believe in me, and I will give you rest.

NOW then we come to the Invitation it self, Come to me, saith Christ, Come to me; that is, Beleeve in me: For among many other expressions of beleeving in Christ, or of accepting of the Condition of the Covenant of Grace; the Holy Ghost doth express this beleeving and acceptation of the Covenant of Grace, by coming to Christ. Beleeving in Christ is exprest very often by coming to Christ: In John 5.40. You will not come to me that ye might have life. They did come to Christ in his outward presence, Christ conferred with them, and they with him; but yet saith Christ, ye will not come to me that ye might have life. And so in John 6.37. Those that the Father hath given to me, come to me, and I will in no wise cast them out. All that the Father hath from Eternity given me to redeem, they come to me, that is, they beleeve in me. And in verse 44. None can come to me except God the Father draw him: That is, none beleeves in me except my Father draw them: and so, He that hath heard and learned of the Father comes to me: That is, beleeves in me. And that is the meaning of the 55. of Isai. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters, buy wine and milk without money, and without price: that is, beleeve in me, that is the meaning. ⟨p. 117⟩All you that labor under al these several Burdens, come to me, beleeve in me, and I wil give you rest.

:550p. 117–118

First: It implies a beholding, a looking unto Jesus Christ, as being the All-sufficient Saviour, to save our souls from all the evils that are upon us, and to supply unto us all good we stand in need of: As if Christ should say, when he saith, Come to me; That is, O! poor, troubled sinners; that are under these burdens, Do you behold me to be the great Mediator that is come into the world, to stand between all the wrath of my Father, and your souls, and to bring life and salvation to you, that ⟨p. 118⟩is employed, when I would go, I must know whither I must go, to whom I must go, so saith Christ, I am the great redeemer sent into the world by my father to that very end, that I may ease poor souls of their burdens, and such souls as you are, look unto Christ therefore, as the great reconciler of God and man, the great mediator between God and man, having the fullness of all mercy and goodness in him, the great means of conveyance of all the grace and riches of God the father to sinful souls, that is the first work of believing in Christ, for to look unto him to be such a one as God the Father hath tendered unto us; that is employed, but yet the soul comes not.

First: It implies a beholding, a looking unto Jesus Christ, as being the All-sufficient Savior, to save our souls from al the evils that are upon us, and to supply unto us al good we stand in need of: As if Christ should say, when he saith, Come to me; That is, O! poor, troubled sinners; that are under these burdens, Do you behold me to be the great Mediator that is come into the world, to stand between all the wrath of my Father, and your souls, and to bring life and salvation to you, that ⟨p. 118⟩is imployed, when I would go, I must know whither I must go, to whom I must go, so saith Christ, I am the grea• redeemer sent into the world by my father to that very end, that I may ease poor soules of their burdens, and such soules as you are, look unto Christ therefore, as the great reconciler of God and man, the great mediator between God and man, having the fulness of al mercy and goodness in him, the great meanes of conveyance of al the grace and riches of God the father to sinful souls, that is the first work of beleeving in Christ, for to look unto him to be such a one as God the Father hath tendred unto us; that is imployed, but yet the soul comes not.