Rest for the Restless

“COME UNTO ME, ALL YE THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST.

“TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU, AND LEARN OF ME; FOR I AM MEEK

AND LOWLY IN HEART J AND YE SHALL FIND REST UNTO YOUR SOULS. “FOR MY YOKE IS EASY, AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT.” — MattkeiC

xi. 28-30.

JESUS had first taught the solemn truth of human responsibility (verses 20-24), and afterwards he had joyfully proclaimed in prayer the doctrine of election: now he turns to give a free and full invitation to those who are needing rest. These three things are quite consistent, and should be found in all Christian preaching.

Remember who he is who thus invites men to come to him.

The Son of the Highest, the revealer of God then and now; he bids men draw near to himself without fear, and rest in such nearness.

The Saviour ever living, having once died, is waiting to receive and save all who will come to him; and such he will bless with rest.

In our Lord’s gracious invitation you note —

I. A CHARACTER WHICH DESCRIBES YOU.

1. Laboring, “all ye that labor,” in whatever form, (64)

In the service of formal religion, in the attempt to keep the law, or in any other way of self-justification.

In the service of self to get gain, honor, ease, etc.

In the service of the world to discover, invent, legislate, etc.

In the service of Satan, lust, drink, infidelity,

etc. 2. Laden. All who are “heavy laden,” are called.

Laden heavily because weary, vexed, disappointed, despairing.

Laden with sin, guilt, dread, remorse, fear of death.

Laden with care, anxiety, greed, ambition, etc.

Laden with sorrow, poverty, oppression, slander, etc.

Laden with doubt, temptation, conflict, inner faintriess, etc.

II. A BLESSING WHICH INVITES YOU.

1. Rest to be given. “I will give you rest.”

To the conscience, by atonement and pardon - To the mind, by infallible instruction and establishment. To the heart a rest for love. Jesus fills and

contents the heart. To the energies, by giving an object worth

attaining. To the apprehensions, assuring that all things

work for good.

2. Rest to be found. “Ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

This is rest upon rest, deepening, settling.

This is rest which comes of conquered passion, desire, etc.

This is rest which comes of being fully consecrated to the Lord.

How such rest would cheer you, strengthen you, save you!

How it would counteract the labors and the loads I

III. A DIRECTION TO GUIDE YOU.

1. “Come unto me.”

Come to a person, to Jesus, the living Sa viour and Example.

Come at once, Jesus is ready now. Are you?

Come all who labor and are loaded. None
will be refused.

Come laden, with your burdens on your hearts, and “I will give you rest.” Come as you are. Come by faith.

2. “Take my yoke upon you.”

Be obedient to my command.

Be willing to be conformed to me in service

and burden-bearing. Be submissive to the afflictions which I may

lay upon you.
8. “Learn of me.”

You do not know; but must be content to

learn. You must not cavil; but have a mind to learn.

You must learn by heart, and copy my meekness and lowliness.

IV. AN ARGUMENT TO PERSUADE YOU.

You wish to be like your Lord in restfulness and service; then come and learn of him, and remember that he is —

1. A lowly Teacher: bearing with failure, repeating his lessons, assisting the disciple, restoring the fallen.

2. Laying 110 heavy burden. “My yoke is easy,”

etc.

3. Giving rest by the burden which he causes you

to bear: “Take my yoke .... and ye shall find rest.”

MAGNETS.

The immediate occasion of the invitation, with its deep earnestness of pity and sympathy, was found, I doubt not, in the outward appearance of the crowd actually surrounding Jesus. Probably by this time it was about sunset. After a day of exhausting toil for our Saviour himself; the workman from the field, the busy trader, the fisher with his nets, the slave with his burden, the rich man with his heavier burden of care, the gray-haired sinner stooping under the weight of years, and inly burdened with remorse and fear; — these, and such as these, met the Saviour’s eye, which read their hearts; but in them he saw represented our toiling, suffering world, and uttered a voice of invitation meant to reach, and destined yet to reach, all mankind. “/ will give you rest.” Kest for the burdened conscience, in pardon; for the unquiet intellect, in truth; for the aching, thirsty heart, in divine love; for the care-fretted spirit, in God’s providence and promises; for the weary with sorrow and suffering, in the present foretaste, and shortly in the actual enjoyment of “his rest.” — E. R. Conder.

u Come,” saith Christ, “and I will give you rest.” I will not show you rest, nor barely tell you of rest, but I will give you rest. 1 am faithfulness itself, and cannot lie, I will give you rest. I that have the greatest power to give it, the greatest will to give it, the greatest right to give it, come, laden sinners, and /will give you rest. Best is the most desirable good, the most suitable good, and to you the greatest good. Come, saith Christ, that is, believe in me, and I will give you rest; I will give you peace with God, and peace with conscience: I will turn your storm into an everlasting calm; I will give you such rest, that the world can neither give to you nor take from you. — Thomas Brooks.

Lord, thou madest us for thyself, and we can find no rest till we find rest in thee! — Augustine.

A poor English girl, in Miss Leigh’s home in Pa~ ris, ill in body and hopeless in spirit, was greatly affected by hearing some children singing “I heard the voice of Jesus say.” When they came to the words, “weary, and worn, and sad,” she moaned, 4 That’s me! That’s me I What did he do? Fill it up, fill it up! She never rested until she had heard the whole of the hymn which tells how Jesus gives rest to such. By-and-by she asked, t; Is that true? “On being answered, u Yes,” she asked, “Have you come to Jesus? Has he given you rest?” “He has.” Raising herself, she asked, “Do you mind my coming very close to you? May be it would be easier to go to Jesus with one who has been before than to go to him alone.” So saying, she nestled her head on the shoulder of her who watched, and clutching her as one in the agony of death, she murmured, “Now, try arid take me with you to Je sus.” — The Sunday at Home.

There are many heads resting on Christ’s bosom, but there’s room for yours there. — Samud Rutherford.

For variety we add another outline on a portion of the same text. CXL.

“COME UNTO ME, ALL YE THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST.” — Matthew xi. 28.

THIS text is often preached from, but never too often, since the sorrows with which it deals always abound, and the remedy is always effective.

This time we purpose to view it from our Lord’s side.

He entreats the weary to come to him. He beseeches them to learn of him. He not only receives those who come, but begs them to come.

What is this desire which burns in his bosom? And whence comes it?

Let us carefully consider —

I. WHO is HE?

1. One who has been rejected, yet he cries,

“Come unto me.”

2. One whose rejection involves us in fearful guilt,

yet he is ready to forgive, and to bestow rest upon us if we come.

3. One who knows his Father’s purpose, but fears

not to give a pressing invitation to all
who labor and are heavy laden.
(70)

4. One who has all power to receive such as come,

and to give rest to them all. This is no vain invitation, saying more than it means.

5. One who as the Son of God is infinitely blessed,

and yet finds new joy in giving rest to poor restless men.

II. WHOM DOES HE CALL, AND WHY?

1. Laborers, with more than they can do: disquieted, unhappy.

These he calls to himself that he may give

them rest, and cause them to find rest.

2. Heavy laden ones, with more than they can

bear: oppressed, sorrowful, ready to die.

3. The poor and illiterate who need to be taught.

4. The spiritually burdened, who much need a

helping hand, and can only find it in him.

III. WHAT CAUSES HIS DESIRE FOR THEM?

Not his own need of them.

Not their personal worthiness.

Nor aught that they are or can ever be. But —

1. He has a love to our race. “My delights were

with the sons of men:” Prov. viii. 31. He would have these resting with himself.

2. He is himself a man, and knows the needs of

men.

3. He has done so much to buy us rest that he

would fain give it to us.

4. He delights to do more and more for us: it is

his joy to give good things to men.

5. He knows what our ruin will be unless we find

rest in him.

6. He knows what our bliss will be if we come

unto him.

IV. How THEN SHALL WE TREAT THIS CALL?

1. It is very earnest, let us heed it.

2. It is very simple, let the poorest seize upon it.

3. It exactly suits us. Does it not suit you?

4. It is very gracious, let us accept it.

ECHOES.

The most condescending affections that ever he discovered, the most gracious invitations that ever he made, were at those times when he had a sense of his glory in a particular manner, to show his intention in his possessing it. When he spake of all things delivered to him by his Father, an invitation to men to come unto him is the use he makes of it. Matt. xi. 27, 28. If this be the use he makes of his glory, to invite us, it should be the use we should make of the thoughts of it, to accept his proffer. A nation should run to him because he is glorified.

Stephen Gharnock.

“Come unto me,” is the invitation of this Blessed One, so intensely human, though so gloriously divine. “Unto me,” in whose arms little children were embraced, on whose bosom a frail mortal lay: “un to me,” who hungered, thirsted, fainted, sorrowed, wept, and yet whose love, and grief, and pains, and tears, wore the expression of emotions felt in the mighty heart of God. — Caird.

Lord, I have invited all,

And I shall

Still invite, still call to thee:
For it seems but just and right

In my sight,
Where is all, there all should be.

George Herbert.

It runs thus — you to me, and I to you. Here is a double communion set up. This is all to our advantage, and to the display of our Lord’s great graciousness. We come, and therein he obtains the company of a beggar, a leper, a patient, a repulsive rebel: this is no gain to anything in him except his pity, But surely he expects something of us to reward him for receiving us? By no means. We are to come to him, not that we may give him something, but that he may give everything to us. What a Lord is this!