CHRIST INVITING SINNERS TO COME TO HIM. › Chapter 26, Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest by Jeremiah Burroughs (1659) | AskReformation

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:724p. 206¶1

1. For he is under the curse, he is under the curse of the law, and the curse of God, under the curse of the law of God, whatever befalls him in this world, whatever affliction, it is a part of the curse, and for ought he knows every sorrow, is but as the beginning of eternal sorrow to him, there is the venom of the wrath of God in every affliction to every unconverted man, he his in danger to have the execution of all temporal curses upon him, there is nothing but the patience of God to keep him from all this, and what rest then can he have? The saints of God, they have Gods covenant, and Gods promise, other men have nothing but Gods patience to keep them. A malefactor in prison is not executed many times, Why? Because the Judg may out of favour reprieve him for a while, I but, is this a condition to rest in? A man that is wise is never at rest with a reprieve, but will have his pardon before he can rest, there is no man hath any ground in their natural estate for their rest and quiet, but merely their reprieval: but the saints they see what a sad thing this is, and therefore nothing will give them rest till they have their pardon.

1. For he is under the curse, he is under the curse of the law, and the curse of God, under the curse of the law of God, whatever befalls him in this world, whatever affliction, it is a part of the curse, and for ought he knows every sorrow, is but as the beginning of eternal sorrow to him, there is the venom of the wrath of God in every affliction to every unconverted man, he his in danger to have the execution of al temporal curses upon him, there is nothing but the patience of God to keep him from al this, and what rest then can he have? The saints of God, they have Gods covenant, and Gods promise, other men have nothing but Gods patience to keep them. A mallefactor in prison is not executed many times, Why? Because the Judg may out of favor reprieve him for a while, I but, is this a condition to rest in? A man that is wise is never at rest with a repriev, but wil have his pardon before he can rest, there is no man hath any ground in their natural estate for their rest and quiet, but meerly their reprieval: but the saints they see what a sad thing this is, and therefore nothing wil give them rest til they have their pardon.

:727p. 207¶4

4. There is nothing that thou canst do can be accepted, all thy services, all thy performances out of Christ are cast off, all thy prayers till thou come to Christ, till God do reveal the mysteries of the Gospel to thee, all thy duties, prayers, exercises of religion, are all rejected, and yet thou must perform them upon pain of damnation, and yet not accepted, what a restless condition is this? for one to be in such a condition, I am bound to pray, to hear the word, and perform duties upon pain of damnation, and yet all my prayers, and duties, are cast as dung again into my face, this is the condition of all those that are in their natural estate: I speak this, that you may all see, what infinite need you have of Christ. Much might be said of the sinful condition of all out of Christ, for we must know, than in sin there is a jarring against God, against the infinite glorious God, there is no•hing but confusion, nothing but distemper in sin, and therefore a sinful condition can be no condition to rest in.

4. There is nothing that thou canst do can be accepted, al thy services, al thy performances out of Christ are cast off, al thy prayers til thou come to Christ, til God do reveal the mysteries of the Gospel to thee, al thy duties, prayers, exercises of religion, are al rejected, and yet thou must perform them upon pain of damnation, and yet not accepted, what a restless condition is this? for one to be in such a condition, I am bound to pray, to hear the word, and perform duties upon pain of damnation, and yet al my prayers, and duties, are cast as dung again into my face, this is the condition of al those that are in their natural estate: I speak this, that you may al see, what infinite need you have of Christ. Much might be said of the sinful condition of al out of Christ, for we must know, than in sin there is a jarring against God, against the infinite glorious God, there is no•hing but confusion, nothing but distemper in sin, and therefore a sinful condition can be no condition to rest in.

:729p. 207–208

Oh! then, the blindness, security, and hardness of heart that there is almost in all the world, if this […] the truth of God; and indeed this is the condition of all out of Christ, we may from hence conclude, that most in the world do live, and die and perish in blindness, and in ⟨p. 208⟩woeful desperate hardness of Heart, for where almost is the Man and Woman that is convinced of this Restless condition? That ever were in this Restless condition? This I dare undertake to aver, concerning every one, that you were once in such a condition as I have now spake of, how you have got out of it, that you must look to, and what argument you have that you can be able to rest your Souls upon for your deliverance out of this condition, do you examine, but this condition every one is in naturally; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was in this condition once, and therefore every one must look unto it now while this Rest is opening unto you, and here indeed is the Reason of the tumultuousness of spirit that is in most people. What is the Reason that people hurry up and down in seeking after the things of this world? That they are in a Restless condition? Their Souls have not union with God in Jesus Christ, and therefore they are hurried up and down here in this world to seek after comfort this way, and that way: but the truth is, as with the unclean spirit in the Gospel, they seek for Rest but find none: as I told you before, the Dove sought up and down for Rest, but she found none, till she came to the Ark; and so the Reason of the disturbance of the Spirits of Men and Women, is from hence, that they are not acquainted with the true Rest that there is in Christ, but we let this pass.

Oh! then, the blindness, security, and hardness of heart that there is almost in al the world, if this 〈…〉 the truth of God; and indeed this is the condition of al out of Christ, we may from hence conclude, that most in the world do live, and die and perrish in blindness, and in ⟨p. 208⟩woful disperate hardness of Heart, for where almost is the Man and Woman that is convinced of this Restless condition? That ever were in this Restless condition? This I dare undertake to aver, concerning every one, that you were once in such a condition as I have now spake of, how you have got out of it, that you must look to, and what argument you have that you can be able to rest your Souls upon for your deliverance out of this condition, do you examine, but this condition every one is in naturally; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacab, was in this condition once, and therefore every one must look unto it now while this Rest is opening unto you, and here indeed is the Reason of the tumultuousness of spirit that is in most people. What is the Reason that people hurry up and down in seeking after the things of this world? That they are in a Restless condition? Their Souls have not union with God in Jesus Christ, and therefore they are hurried up and down here in this world to seek after comfort this way, and that way: but the truth is, as with the unclean spirit in the Gospel, they seek for Rest but find none: as I tould you before, the Dove sought up and down for Rest, but she found none, til she came to the Arke; and so the Reason of the disturbance of the Spirits of Men and Women, is from hence, that they are not acquainted with the true Rest that there is in Christ, but we let this pass.

:733p. 209¶2

II. Secondly, There is an insufficiency in all things in the world to give Rest unto the Soul, because the misery that we are in is so deep, and the happiness that our Souls are capable of is so high, that it is impossible that any creature can reach the one or the other, either to deliver from the one, or to raise up unto the other, only Jesus Christ in whom we have Rest can do it, because that there was never any thing that came to that depth of humiliation, nor hath that height of Glory (put both together) Christ hath subjected himself to the lowest degree of humiliation that ever creature could subject it self unto, and Christ is in the highest degree of Glory that it is possible for any creature to be in, above all creatures: his subjection unto sorrow and trouble was such as no creature can subject unto, and his glory is higher than any creature is capable of, therefore he, and only he, is able to deliver from the depth of misery in which the Children of men are, and raise them to the true happiness and Glory that their Natures are capable of.

II. Secondly, There is an insufficiency in all things in the world to give Rest unto the Soul, because the misery that we are in is so deep, and the happiness that our Souls are capable of is so high, that it is impossible that any creature can reach the one or the other, either to deliver from the one, or to raise up unto the other, only Jesus Christ in whom we have Rest can do it, because that there was never any thing that came to that depth of humiliation, nor hath that height of Glory (put both together) Christ hath subjected himself to the lowest degree of humiliation that ever creature could subject it self unto, and Christ is in the highest degree of Glory that it is possible for any creature to be in, above al creatures: his subjection unto sorrow and trouble was such as no creature can subject unto, and his glory is higher than any creature is capable of, therefore he, and only he, is able to deliver from the depth of misery in which the Children of men are, and raise them to the true happiness and Glory that their Natures are capable of.

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III. Thirdly, There is an insufficiency in all creatures to give Rest unto the Soul, because all creatures here in this world that we have to do withal, except the Angels in Heaven, are under the curse, and the Angels are only ministering spirits to attend upon Christ, and to be sent upon Christs errand, they do nothing but in order to Christ; now all other creatures are under the curse, and being under the curse through mans sin, it is impossible ⟨p. 210⟩that those creatures that are under the curse should give Rest unto our Souls, and I do not know any argument in the world of greater strength to take off the Hearts of men from resting in creature comforts than this, to understand clearly, that all creatures here in this world, are under the curse through our sins, the whole world that is under the curse by our sins cannot make us happy, and therefore there is an insufficiency in all things in the world to give Rest unto our Souls. Do but consider then what are the things that most people Rest in Particularly, and then we shall see the vanity of men in seeking for Rest out of Christ.

III. Thirdly, There is an insufficiency in all creatures to give Rest unto the Soul, because all ceatures here in this world that we have to do withal, except the Angels in Heaven, are under the curse, and the Angels are only ministring spirits to attend upon Christ, and to be sent upon Christs errand, they do nothing but in order to Christ; now all other creatures are under the curse, and being under the curse through mans sin, it is impossible ⟨p. 210⟩that those creatures that are under the curse should give Rest unto our Souls, and I do not know any argument in the world of greater strength to take off the Hearts of men from resting in creature comforts than this, to understand cleerly, that al creatures here in this world, are under the curse through our sins, the whole world that is under the curse by our sins cannot make us happy, and therefore there is an insufficiency in al things in the world to give Rest unto our Souls. Do but consider then what are the things that most people Rest in Particularly, and then we shal see the vanity of men in seeking for Rest out of Christ.