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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: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.

:551p. 118–119

Secondly: But then the second is this, which goes further. To come to Christ, implies an unsettledness, when we come to a thing, there is the Terminus a quo, and the terminus ad quem, we come from something, so saith Christ, you have settled your hearts upon creature comforts, and you have looked upon them heretofore, as those things wherein your good and happiness doth consist, but now your hearts must be taken off from those, you must come to me that is there must be a removing from that station you were in, from that kind of settlement you were before in, I cannot go to another place, and stay in the place where I was too: and so the heart cannot come to Christ and stay in the state it was in before, therefore that implies, that whereas you poor creatures, have settled your hearts upon creature comforts, and settled your hearts upon sinful things heretofore, O! now, let your hearts be taken off from all those things, know, that your good, your happiness, your peace is not here, if you abide here, and settle here, you are lost and undone creatures for ever. Let it not grieve your souls to part with the comforts that are here below in the creatures, for certainly, you mistake, here doth not lie your good and happiness, so that when the soul is beginning to stir after Christ, it is taken off from the creature, taken off from all creature comforts, looks upon ⟨p. 119⟩every thing as vanity; O! Saith the soul I am clearly convinced that my happiness lies higher then the things here below; these are the reasonings of the heart that is in motion to go to Christ. And not only to be unsettled from the creature, but I must be taken off from my self too, from all my righteousness and duties, I must not think to satisfy God by any thing that I can do, no, but I must be convinced, that there is a greater thing required to make up my satisfaction with God, then any thing that I can do;

Secondly: But then the second is this, which goes further. To come to Christ, implies an unsetledness, when we come to a thing, there is the Terminus a quo, and the terminus ad quem, we come from something, so saith Christ, you have setled your hearts upon creature comforts, and you have looked upon them heretofore, as those things wherein your good and happiness doth consist, but now your hearts must be taken off from those, you must come to me that is there must be a removing from that station you were in, from that kind of settlement you were before in, I cannot go to another place, and stay in the place where I was too: and so the heart cannot come to Christ and stay in the state it was in before, therefore that implies, that whereas you poor creatures, have settled your hearts upon creature comforts, and setled your hearts upon sinful things heretofore, O! now, let your hearts be taken off from al those things, know, that your good, your happiness, your peace is not here, if you abide here, and settle here, you are lost and undone creatures for ever. Let it not grieve your souls to part with the comforts that are here below in the creatures, for certainly, you mistake, here doth not lie your good and happiness, so that when the soul is beginning to stir after Christ, it is taken off from the creature, taken off from al creature comforts, looks upon ⟨p. 119⟩every thing as vanity; O! Saith the soul I am cleerly convinced that my happiness lies higher then the things here below; these are the reasonings of the heart that is in motion to go to Christ. And not onely to be unsetled from the creature, but I must be taken off from my self too, from al my righteousness and duties, I must not think to satisfie God by any thing that I can do, no, but I must be convinced, that there is a greater thing required to make up my satisfaction with God, then any thing that I can do;

:552p. 119

and therefore my heart must be taken off from these things, Heretofore, I rested in duties, that I was not so bad as others, but now I see there is another manner of righteousness that I must have in a mediator, these though they be good in themselves, yet they are not the things that can ever save my soul, but if ever I have peace with God and stand before him at the great day, it must be through another means then ever yet I have had, if I had gone on, and had thought to make up my satisfaction with God by what I have done, I had been an undone creature; yea, my heart must be taken off from mine one bottom, not to rest in any thing that is in my self, but I must go out and deny my self, and so look for the principle of life out of my self. This is the second thing that is here noted. Come to me, that is, first behold me, see and believe that I am the great mediator that is come into the world to save your souls: and then secondly, let there be an unsettling of your hearts, a taking your hearts off from whatsoever you were settled upon heretofore, that so you may be removed from thence, and that you may take another course for your life in Christ, and happiness in him.

and therefore my heart must be taken off from these things, Heretofore, I rested in duties, that I was not so bad as others, but now I see there is another manner of righteousness that I must have in a mediator, these though they be good in themselves, yet they are not the things that can ever save my soul, but if ever I have peace with God and stand before him at the great day, it must be through another meanes then ever yet I have had, if I had gon on, and had thought to make up my satisfaction with God by what I have done, I had been an undone creature; yea, my heart must be taken off from mine one bottome, not to rest in any thing that is in my self, but I must go out and deny my self, and so look for the principle of life out of my self. This is the second thing that is here noted. Come to me, that is, first behold me, see and beleeve that I am the great mediator that is come into the world to save your souls: and then secondly, let there be an unsetling of your hearts, a taking your hearts off from whatsoever you were setled upon heretofore, that so you may be removed from thence, and that you may take another course for your life in Christ, and happiness in him.

:553p. 119–120

Thirdly, Come unto me, that is, let there be a working and a stirring of your hearts after me; Christ calls for the heart of sinners, after he comes to be revealed to them, they should be in a working, stirring, disposition making after the Lord Jesus Christ, for union with him to the utmost that possibly ⟨p. 120⟩they can, the thoughts should be working, and the conscience working, and the will opening it self to receive in the grace of God, and the affection should he stirring, and the whole soul should be in a working disposition after him. Incline your ear and come, as if Christ should say though you are under great burdens, yet do not you sink under them in a discouraging way, and lie down in a dull and a heavy way, No but let your hearts be stirring, working and acting after me continually, have a care of this, to keep your hearts in a stirring and working way after Christ, and the grace that is offered to you in Christ, this is that wch young beginners should observe in a special manner, if God be beginning to work upon your hearts, you should have a great care to keep your hearts in a stir-working, acting frame and disposition after Christ; and above all things in the world, take heed of a dull, heavy dead spirit at this time when God calls you to come to Christ as the Apostle saith of himself, in Phil. 3.14. I press hard after the mark, so it should be with every poor soul that God is drawing after Christ, it should be always in a coming disposition and they should press hard toward the mark of the high prize of the calling that is set before them, Christ is set before thee, God sets his son before thee with the treasure of grace, and thou shouldest press and follow hard after God (as it is the expression of David in one of the Psalms 63, 8.) a hard following, stirring and working of the soul after the Lord as David said to his son Solomon in 1. Chron. 22.16. Up and be doing and the Lord will be with thee, so I say to all unto whom the grace of God is offered, they must not be dull and sullen, but up and be doing As the Apostle speaks, in 1. Phil. 20. According to the earnest expectation, the word that is translated, earnest expectation in the original, signifies to stretch out the neck, to look after some good that I would fain have come, that is the propriety of the word in the original text:

Thirdly, Come unto me, that is, let there be a working and a stirring of your hearts after me; Christ calls for the heart of sinners, after he comes to be revealled to them, they should be in a working, stiring, disposition making after the Lord Jesus Christ, for union with him to the utmost that possibly ⟨p. 120⟩they can, the thoughts should be working, and the conscience working, and the wil opening it self to receive in the grace of God, and the affection should he stirring, and the whole soul should be in a working disposition after him. Incline your eare and come, as if Christ should say though you are under great burdens, yet do not you sink under them in a discouraging way, and lie down in a dul and a heavy way, No but let your hearts be stirring, working and acting after me continually, have a care of this, to keep your hearts in a stirring and working way after Christ, and the grace that is offered to you in Christ, this is that wch young beginners should observe in a special manner, if God be beginning to work upon your hearts, you should have a great care to keep your hearts in a stir-working, acting frame and disposition after Christ; and above al things in the world, take heed of a dul, heavy dead spirit at this time when God cals you to come to Christ as the Apostle saith of himself, in Phil. 3.14. I press hard after the mark, so it should be with every poor soul that God is drawing after Christ, it should be alwaies in a comming disposition and they should press hard toward the mark of the high prize of the calling that is set before them, Christ is set before thee, God sets his son before thee with the treasure of grace, and thou shouldest press and follow hard after God (as it is the expression of David in one of the Psalmes 63, 8.) a hard following, stirring and working of the soul after the Lord as David said to his son Solomon in 1. Chron. 22.16. Ʋp and be doing and the Lord wil be with thee, so I say to al unto whom the grace of God is offered, they must not be dul and sullen, but up and be doing As the Apostle speakes, in 1. Phil. 20. According to the earnest expectation, the word that is translated, earnest expectation in the original, signifies to stretch out the neck, to look after some good that I would fain have come, that is the propriety of the word in the original text:

:554p. 120–121

so this should be coming to Christ, that is, when Christ is propounded ⟨p. 121⟩in the gospel, there should be the stretching out of the soul, in looking after the Lord Jesus and a working of the soul after Jesus Christ, keeping the soul working and stirring after Christ. Many poor souls, whom God is beginning to work his grace upon, loose abundance of time and comfort, for want of this, of keeping their hearts in a working and stirring frame after Christ, they spend their time in the afflicting of their souls, but they do not keep their hearts working towards Jesus Christ. As Jacob said to his sons, when they wanted bread in Canaan, saith he, We have heard that there is corn in Egypt and why do we stand looking one upon an other? saith Jacob to his sons, had you gone (saith he) you might have been come back again, and brought us bread by this time, so I say to many burdened souls, hast thou not heard, that there is grace and mercy in Jesus Christ, had thy soul bin working, stirring, and kept in an acting frame after Jesus Christ, thou mightest have bin returning, and have gotten rest to thy soul by this time, thou standest looking unto this thing, and the other thing, and poring upon thy corruptions, hadst thou kept thy heart continually stirring in a working frame after Christ, the work might have been done by this time.

so this should be comming to Christ, that is, when Christ is propouned ⟨p. 121⟩in the gospel, there should be the stretching out of the soul, in looking after the Lord Jesus and a working of the soul after Jesus Christ, keeping the soul working and stirring after Christ. Many poor souls, whom God is beginning to work his grace upon, loose abundance of time and comfort, for want of this, of keeping their hearts in a working and stirring frame after Christ, they spend their time in the afflicting of their soules, but they do not keep their hearts working towards Jesus Christ. As Jacob said to his sons, when they wanted bread in Cannaan, saith he, We have heard that there is corn in Egipt and why do we stand looking one upon an other? saith Jacob to his sons, had you gon (saith he) you might have been come back again, and brought us bread by this time, so I say to many burdened souls, hast thou not heard, that there is grace and mercy in Jesus Christ, had thy soul bin working, stirring, and kept in an acting frame after Jesus Christ, thou mightest have bin returnig, and have gotten rest to thy soul by this time, thou standest looking unto this thing, and the other thing, and poring upon thy corruptions, hadst thou kept thy heart continually stirring in a working frame after Christ, the work might have been done by this time.

:555p. 121–122

Fourthly, Come to me, that is, saith Christ, come and lay all your burdens upon me, come and role your hearts upon me whatever burden it is, either of your souls or afflictions outwardly, what ever your fears and troubles are, yet come, and do you cast all your burdens upon me, I am content to bear them all. That is a special work of faith, for the soul to role it self upon Jesus Christ, to cast it self with all its burdens upon the infinite rich, free grace of God in Jesus Christ, as if Christ should say, is it the burden of sin? I have borne the burden of sin already, Is it the wrath of God that is a burden to you? come and cast this burden upon me, I have born the wrath of God; Or is it the burden of the Law? I have borne that burden for you, I was made an offering for you. I was made ⟨p. 122⟩under the law, to deliver you from under the law. Is it the burden of any affliction? That was upon me. It is true, the burden of corruption was not upon him, but Christ will deliver us from that too. Come to me, and whatever burden is upon your souls, cast it upon me, role your souls & all your burdens upon me (saith Christ) and I will give you rest.

Fourthly, Come to me, that is, saith Christ, come and lay al your burdens upon mee, come and role your hearts upon mee whatever burden it is, either of your soules or afflictions outwardly, what ever your feares and troubles are, yet come, and do you cast al your burdens upon me, I am content to beare them al. That is a special work of faith, for the soul to role it self upon Jesus Christ, to cast it self with al its burdens upon the infinite rich, free grace of God in Jesus Christ, as if Christ should say, is it the burden of sin? I have borne the burden of sin already, Is it the wrath of God that is a burden to you? come and cast this burden upon me, I have born the wrath of God; Or is it the burden of the Law? I have borne that burden for you, I was made an offering for you. I was made ⟨p. 122⟩under the law, to deliver you from under the law. Is it the burden of any affliction? That was upon me. It is true, the burden of corruption was not upon him, but Christ wil deliver us from that too. Come to me, and whatever burden is upon your souls, cast it upon me, role your souls & al your burdens upon me (saith Christ) and I wil give you rest.

:556p. 122–123

Fifthly, and lastly, Come to me, that is, come and leave your souls with me, and commit them to me for life, for salvation, for peace, for whatsoever good you would have, be willing to betrust me with your souls, be willing to betrust me with all your comforts, be willing to betrust me both with your present and with your eternal estate, in all your transactions with God and dealing with God, trust me withal; that is coming to Christ. When Christ bids us come to him, it is as much as if he should say, come to me, and leave your souls, leave all your care, and commit to me all that you have, and whatsoever you are commit your selves wholly to me, to be disposed of by me for all good whatsoever, and I will take charge of you, I will engage my self and all my faithfulness to have a care of you, and supply you in all your wants, and strengthen you under all your burdens, and carry you through all difficulties, and bring you at length to life and salvation and perfect rest together with my Father and my self, that is the meaning of Christ when he saith, Come to me. So the Apostle in 1. Tim. 2.12. I know in whom I have believed, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him. That which I have committed to him, what is that? that is, his very soul, his life, his peace, his comfort, all his happiness, he had committed to him, and so left all with him. Now then, take all these together, and when Christ calls the sinner to come to him, that is. O! Sinner first believe this, that I am the great redeemer that is come into the world, to stand between Gods wrath and your souls, and to make up peace between God and you, and let there be an unsettling of your hearts from whatsoever ⟨p. 123⟩heretofore your Souls did Rest in, Creature comforts, your own Righteousness, Duties, self respects and ends, whatsoever they are, let your hearts be taken off from them all, and let your hearts now be in a stirring, working disposition towards me, let all your whole Souls be stretching forth to me, and come and cast all your burdens upon me, and leave your Souls with me, and I will take care of them, thus come to me.

Fifthly, and lastly, Come to me, that is, come and leave your soules with me, and commit them to me for life, for salvation, for peace, for whatsoever good you would have, be willing to betrust me with your souls, be willing to betrust me with al your comforts, be willing to betrust me both with your present and with your eternal estate, in al your transanctions with God and dealing with God, trust me withal; that is comming to Christ. When Christ bids us come to him, it is as much as if he should say, come to me, and leave your souls, leave al your care, and commit to me al that you have, and whatsoever you are commit your selves wholly to me, to be disposed of by me for al good whatsoever, and I wil take charge of you, I wil ingage my self and al my faithfulness to have a care of you, and suply you in al your wants, and strengthen you under al your burdens, and carry you through al difficulties, and bring you at length to life and salvation and perfect rest together with my Father and my self, that is the meaning of Christ when he saith, Come to me. So the Apostle in 1. Tim. 2.12. I know in whom I have beleeved, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him. That which I have committed to him, what is that? that is, his very soul, his life, his peace, his comfort, al his happiness, he had committed to him, and so left al with him. Now then, take al these together, and when Christ cals the sinner to come to him, that is. O! Sinner first beleeve this, that I am the great redeemer that is come into the world, to stand between Gods wrath and your soules, and to make up peace between God and you, and let there be an unsettling of your hearts from whatsoever ⟨p. 123⟩heretofore your Souls did Rest in, Creature comforts, your own Righteousness, Duties, self respects and ends, whatsoever they are, let your hearts be taken off from them all, and let your hearts now be in a stirring, working disposition towards me, let all your whole Souls be stretching forth to me, and come and cast all your burdens upon me, and leave your Souls with me, and I will take care of them, thus come to me.

:557p. 123

Now then, when any soul that is thus Laden, shall answer to this call of Christ, and shall say, Lord, I come, here is the very voice and answer of Faith, when the Soul can say, Oh! Lord, I come, I see thee to be the blessed Mediator between God and my Soul, and for whatsoever my heart hath settled in heretofore, Oh! Lord, it shall be no more, and my heart begins to stir after thee, and I stretch forth my Soul to thee, O, Blessed redeemer, and here I cast my burdens upon thee, none can ease me but thy self, and I leave my self with thee, I commit all to thee, and betrust all that I have or can do, my eternal estate with thee, Lord, I come, here is the soul that comes to Christ. Then may the Soul be said to come to Christ when there is an answer in these five Particulars. All this is contained in this word COME, though you cannot apprehend it, till it be unfolded: as a piece of needle work, when it is folded up, there is all the work indeed within, but we cannot see it, till it be laid open, and spread before us, then we can see all that is in it: So though there be many expressions in the Scripture that we understand not, yet there they be, but this is the work of the Ministry, to spread them, and to lay them before you, and lay them open to you, that you may see the Grace of God in another manner when they be unfolded, now thus doth Christ call those that are Laden to come to him.

Now then, when any soul that is thus Laden, shall answer to this cal of Christ, and shal say, Lord, I come, here is the very voice and answer of Faith, when the Soul can say, Oh! Lord, I come, I see thee to be the blessed Mediator between God and my Soul, and for whatsoever my heart hath setled in heretofore, Oh! Lord, it shal be no more, and my heart begins to stir after thee, and I stretch forth my Soul to thee, O, Blessed redeemer, and here I cast my burdens upon thee, none can ease me but thy self, and I leave my self with thee, I commit all to thee, and betrust all that I have or can do, my eternal estate with thee, Lord, I come, here is the soul that comes to Christ. Then may the Soul be said to come to Christ when there is an answer in these five Particulars. All this is contained in this word COME, though you cannot apprehend it, til it be unfoulded: as a piece of needle work, when it is foulded up, there is all the work indeed within, but we cannot see it, til it be laid open, and spread before us, then we can see all that is in it: So though there be many expressions in the Scripture that we understand not, yet there they be, but this is the work of the Ministry, to spread them, and to lay them before you, and lay them open to you, that you may see the Grace of God in another manner when they be unfolded, now thus doth Christ call those that are Laden to come to him.