A Sermon by John Newton
Matthew 11:28. Come unto Me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
The gospel provision may be compared to the cities of refuge in Israel. It was a privilege, an honour to the nation in general, that they had such sanctuaries by God’s appointment; but the real value of them was known to few. Only those who found themselves in the situation for which they were provided – those who had killed someone inadvertently – could rightly prize them. Similarly, the gospel of Christ is the highest privilege of which a nation professing Christianity can boast; but it can be truly esteemed and understood by none but weary and heavy-laden souls, who have felt their misery by nature, are tired of the drudgery of sin, and have seen the curse of the broken law pursuing them, like the avenger of blood of old.
This is the only consideration that keeps them from despair: that God has provided a remedy by the gospel, and Jesus has said, “Come unto Me . . . and I will give you rest”. If they could receive the full comfort of these words, and heartily obey the call, their complaints would be at an end; but remaining ignorance, unbelief and Satan combine in various ways to keep them back. Some will say, “O that I could come! But, alas, I cannot.” Others will say, “I fear I do not come in a right way”. I have already observed2 that coming to Christ means the same as believing in Him. But, that we may understand it more clearly, let us ask: (1.) How, in all probability, did those to whom He personally spoke these words understand them? (2.) How far does their grasp of these words apply to us? (3.) As we have the same need, do we not have the same encouragement to come to Him, as those who knew Him on earth?
1. How did those to whom Christ spoke these words understand them?
It does not seem that those to whom the Lord spoke in person were as perplexed as many are now, to know what coming or believing should mean. He seems to have been understood both by friends and enemies. Many questioned His authority and right to require dependence on Himself, but they seemed to have no difficulty about His meaning. It certainly implied more than merely to come bodily into His presence. He was surrounded, and even followed, by multitudes who never came to Him in the sense of His invitation. To them, while they stood about Him, He complained, “Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life”. Therefore, if we consult what is
1Taken with editing from Newton’s Works, vol 2 (1985 edition).
2This was the second sermon on this text.
written of those who came to Jesus for relief and obtained it, we may conclude that coming to Him implies:
First. A persuasion of His power and of their own need of His help. They knew that they needed relief and conceived of Him as an extraordinary person able to succour them. This persuasion of Christ’s sufficiency and willingness was then, as it is now, granted in different degrees. The centurion spoke with full assurance: “Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed”. The leper spoke more doubtfully: “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean”. Another said, in still fainter language: “If Thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us”. The faith of this last was, as the man himself acknowledged, mixed with much unbelief and fear; yet Jesus did not despise the day of small things: He pardoned his suspicions, confirmed his fluctuating mind, granted him his request. And his case is recorded as an instance of how graciously Christ accepts and cherishes the feeblest efforts of true faith: “A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench”.
Second. An actual application. This evidenced their faith to be right. They did not sit content with having heard of Him, but they went to Him, told Him their cases, and implored His compassion. Their faith prevailed against all discouragements. In vain the multitude charged them to hold their peace; when they knew that only He was able to relieve them, they cried so much the more a great deal. Even when Jesus seemed to hold back, they still waited; they did not know how to depart without an answer. Nor could a sense of unworthiness, fear, or shame, keep them back when once they had a strong persuasion of His power to save.
Third. When He was sought to as a soul-physician, as was the case with many whose bodily diseases he healed, and with others who were not sick, those who came to Him continued with Him, and became His followers. They depended on Him for salvation, received Him as their Lord and Master, professed obedience to His precepts, accepted a share in His reproach, and renounced everything that was inconsistent with His will.
Some had a more express and open call to this; as Matthew, who was sitting at the receipt of custom regardless of Jesus, till he passed by and said, “Follow Me”. That word, accompanied with the power of His love, won his heart and diverted him from worldly pursuits in an instant. Others were more secretly drawn by His Spirit and providence, as Nathaniel and the weeping penitent (Lk 7:38) who silently washed his feet with her tears; and this was the design and effect of many bodily and family afflictions. The man who was brought to be healed of the palsy received the forgiveness of his sins; and the ruler, who first came to Jesus with no other view than to obtain the
life of his son, obtained much more than he asked or expected. The Lord granted such a sense of his power and goodness on that occasion that he believed, with all his house.
2. These things are applicable to us. Jesus is no longer visible on earth, but He has promised his spiritual presence to abide with his word, ordinances and people, to the end of time. Weary and heavy-laden souls have now no need to take a long journey to seek Him; for He is always near them – and in a spiritual manner where His gospel is preached. Poor and inconsiderable as we are in the judgement of the world, I trust we have a right to claim His promise, and to believe that He is even now in the midst of us. Therefore come to Him; that is:
First. Raise your hearts, and breathe forth your complaints to Him. Do you see your need of Him? Be persuaded and pray to Him to assure you more strongly of his power and goodness. He is just such a Saviour as your circumstances require, as you yourself could wish for; and he is able to convince you in a moment that he is so. If he is pleased to cause a ray of his glory to break in on your mind, your fears and doubts and griefs would instantly give place.
Second. Persevere in this application to him. Set a high value on public worship and attend it constantly. His eye is fixed on us; his powerful working is to be seen among us. I trust it is a time of his grace and that, every day we meet, he does something for one or another in the assembly. He has a fixed time for everyone whom he relieves. He knew how long the poor man had waited at the poolside; and when his hour came, he spoke and relieved him. So endeavour to be found in his way; and not only here, but in whatever he has made your duty. Read his word; be frequent in secret prayer. You will find many things arising from within and without to discourage and weary you in this course; but persist in it, and in good time you shall find rest for your souls. These are the means which the Lord has appointed you. Converse likewise at proper opportunities with his people; perhaps he may unexpectedly join you, as he did the two disciples when walking to Emmaus, and cause your hearts to burn within you.
Third. You are to follow him, to take up his cross, to make a profession of his name and gospel, to bear contentedly a share in the reproach and scorn which is the usual lot of those who will live godly in Christ Jesus, in the midst of an unbelieving and perverse generation. You are not only to trust in him as a Priest to atone for your sins, but to receive and obey him as your Teacher and your Lord. If you truly feel weary and heavy laden, you will be glad to do this and are crying to him to enable you. You are likewise willing to forsake everything that is inconsistent with his will and service.
If you desire to come to Christ, it is not grievous to you to think of parting with your sinful pleasures and vain companions. Rather these are a part of the burden from which you long to be freed.
Come in this way and you shall find rest for your souls. Are any of you thinking, O that I could! Surely if I had seen Him and heard Him, I should have ventured; but now unbelief and fear keep me back?
3. Therefore, as we have as much need of Jesus as those of old who saw and spoke with him, we have at least equal encouragement to come to him. This will, I think, appear if we consider that, on the one hand, the bodily presence of Christ, considered in itself, had no special or extraordinary influence on those who saw him, but all was wrought by the power of his Spirit; the same Spirit which is promised to abide with his Church for ever.
First. Multitudes who saw and heard him were unmoved and unconvinced by all the wonders of his love. Though he spoke as never man spoke and went about doing good, he was slighted, opposed and hated, even to death. Suppose Christ should appear again in the same circumstances of humiliation and use the same authoritative freedom in vindicating the commands of God from the vain figments, traditions and customs of men. Then those who know the heart of man, and believe that the carnal mind is enmity against God, will accept that it is highly probable he would meet with little better treatment than he did from the proud, self-righteous, unbelieving Jews. This would be so even in those countries which are called by his name. We may warrantably suppose there were many more lepers and blind, for example, in the places where he resorted than those who came to him to be healed.
Second. Many of his professed disciples, even after they had followed him for a while, turned back and forsook him. We have therefore the less reason to wonder when we see any give up the profession of the gospel and return to the world. It was thus from the beginning; and those who do so now would have done so if they had lived then. His looks, his voice, his gestures, and even his discourses and miracles, could not engage a single person to cleave to him with full purpose of heart, unless he was spiritually revealed to the eye of their faith, as the image of the invisible God, the brightness of the Father’s glory, full of grace and truth.
Third. Even Christ’s true disciples, who were constantly with him, to whom he had personally made the most definite and endearing promises, and who sometimes thought themselves assured beyond the power of a doubt, yet they could not maintain their confidence any longer than his Spirit upheld them. To them expressly, though not exclusively, Jesus said, “I go [to] prepare a place for you”, and I will come again to receive you to Myself, that “where I am, there ye may be also”.
When He had concluded that affectionate discourse, their doubts and fears were dissipated and they could confidently say, “Now we believe”, yet it was not long before they found His reply fulfilled: Jesus said to them, “Do you now believe? The hour cometh . . . that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone.” Will not this instance convince you of your mistake, when you think you could depend more on a voice from heaven than on the written Word? The Apostles had the strongest assurance imaginable, the word of the Lord Jesus Himself, face to face; and yet this would not support them, without renewed supplies of strength.
On the other hand, consider that the loss of His bodily presence is more than made up to us:
(1) by the fuller manifestation of the Holy Spirit than was afforded before his ascension. The Holy Ghost was not then given in that clear and abundant measure as afterwards, because Jesus was not yet glorified. While he was with them, he was their Comforter and Teacher, but he told them: “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter”, whose work and abode with you will be in many respects so much more advantageous that, on this account, it is expedient for you that I go away.
(2) by the greater number and variety of promises which we enjoy. We have not only the Scriptures of the Old Testament in common with them, but to us the ancient revelations of the will and love of God are enlarged, explained, applied and confirmed by the addition of the New.
(3) by the experience of multitudes, of all ages, people and languages who have gone before us, since their time. The cloud of witnesses to the truth and grace of God, the reality of eternal things, and the victorious power of faith, these are now increased by the concurrent evidence of thousands and millions who have overcome all opposition by the blood of the Lamb and the word of His testimony.
(4) by the proofs and living witnesses of His power and grace among ourselves. Are there not many, with whom you worship and converse from day to day, who can tell you they were dead in trespasses and sins, but He has given them life. They were once, as you are, labouring and heavy laden; they waited long for Him, had a share in such temptations and conflicts as you now feel, were often at a stand and upon the point of concluding that their case was desperate, as you may think yours is at present; but at length they were enabled to come to Him and they have found rest. Every such instance should encourage you to gird up the loins of your minds, to be patient and hope to the end. As they have known your troubles, so shall you partake of their consolations in due time.
What then should hinder you from coming to Jesus that you may find rest? what
exceptions can your unbelief devise against the invitations, motives and examples which the Lord sets before you by His preached gospel?
(1.) Is it a sense of your load which makes you say that you are not able? But consider that this is not a work, but a rest. Would a man plead, I am so heavy laden that I cannot consent to part with my burden, so weary that I am not able to stand still or lie down, but must force myself further? The greatness of your burden, so far from being an objection, is the very reason why you should instantly come to Christ, for He alone is able to release you.
(2.) But perhaps you think you do not come aright. I ask, How do you wish to come? If you can come as a helpless, unworthy sinner, without strength, without righteousness, without any hope but what arises from the worth, work and word of Christ, this is to come aright. There is no other way of being accepted. Would you refresh and strengthen yourself, wash away your sins, free yourself from your burden, and then come to Him to do these things for you? May the Lord help you to see the folly and unreasonableness of your unbelief.
I have observed already that coming to Christ signified more, when He was in this world, than merely to come into His presence; so likewise it means more now than to be found among His worshippers. Let none of you be deceived with a form of godliness. Examine your religious profession by this test: Have you laboured under a sense of your misery? Have you known the burden of sin? Has Jesus given you rest? Or are you earnestly seeking to Him for it? If you do not understand the meaning of these questions, you are not yet in that state to which the promises are made.
Why, are you not labouring and heavy laden? Are you not sinners? Has not the righteous God revealed a law? Has He not guarded this law with the sanction of a dreadful curse? Have you not transgressed this holy law in thought, word and deed, times without number? If you have not transgressed, why do you join in the public confession and call for mercy, when the commandments are repeated? If you have transgressed, how will you escape the penalty? How indeed, if you dare to neglect this great salvation? The law condemns you already; if you do not receive the gospel, you must perish without remedy, for there is no other name or means under heaven whereby men can be saved.
Once more you are warned of danger; once more the refuge is set before you. We preach Jesus, who came to seek and to save those who were lost. Jesus who was wounded with whips and thorns and nails, so that His enemies might be healed. Does this thought affect you? Will you slight His love, despise His blood, and crucify Him afresh? God forbid! Is there not some heart now relenting, beginning to feel impressions of fear, shame and grief? Happy
beginning! Obey the voice of God now opening in your conscience! Now is the time to pray. Before, you did not know what to pray for; but now you see you need the blood of Christ and the teaching of His Spirit. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find.” Take your warrant from my text; Jesus has said, “Come unto me . . . and I will give you rest”. Let your hearts answer, “Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously”; “Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God”; and “in Thee the fatherless, [the helpless, the comfortless,] findeth mercy.”