There are two rests spoken of here-the rest of salvation, and the rest of communion. The second rest cannot be known without the first: the first is the introduction to the second. Let us look at them both. And first,
THE REST OF SALVATION
Nothing can be more simple than the way in which salvation is here presented in the aspect of rest. Blessed word! What is rest? It is a ceasing from labor. Those who need rest, those by whom rest is welcomed, are those who labor; and, accordingly, such are they to whom Jesus Himself speaks of rest. And how―oh, how does He present the thought to the already wearied one? Does He speak of work in another field? Does He change the sphere of the working one’s toil, but still direct him to work in another way? Does He speak to the worn and jaded heart of one single effort in another direction? No; not one, not one.
Oh, laboring soul, listen to His words ― not mine, not man’s ― but His: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Hast thou ever heard anything so sweet, so suited to thy case as this? Yes, toiler for salvation, worker for eternal life, poor heavy-laden soul, this word is for thee! Jesus GIVES ― I beg you mark that word ― GIVES rest! And what a rest! A rest as perfect as the One who gives it, and a rest which, therefore, leaves nothing further to be provided, and nothing more to be desired. “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him, a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4: 13, 14); “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:3535And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)). It is a, rest which the word of, Jesus is pledged to give. And mark, beloved reader it is a present rest; for it is linked with coming ― that is, the one who comes will not ba kept waiting, but will get rest the moment He comes.
There was one who, under the power of His gracious words, began to long for rest, and came in spirit to Him, ere she knew to Whom she had come; but she was not kept waiting, for His “I that speak unto thee am He” rolls away the burden from that sin-stricken heart, and sets the accusing conscience at rest forever (Heb. 10:22For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. (Hebrews 10:2)), and so fills the heart with His own joy, that self is lost sight of altogether, and nothing is before her heart but the One who has told her “all things that ever she did,” and the precious souls around her who are strangers as yet to that rest which her own heart so fully knows (John 4).
There was another who, in the midst of a lucrative calling, found his conscience accusing, and his heart unsatisfied, and the desire of his soul that which the world could not give; and he ran and climbed a sycamore-tree to get a sight of Jesus. He was not kept waiting; for what “I that speak unto thee am he” had been to the woman of Samaria, “Zacchæus, make haste and come down, for today I must abide at thy house,” was to Zacchæus; and Zacchæus was at rest.
Beloved reader, let me ask you the question ere I proceed further, “Is this, first rest yours, or are you still seeking rest, but finding none?” Listen again to His “Come unto ME.” Mark that He does not say to this or that so-called “place of worship,” or to this or that ordinance, or to this or that man, but “unto ME.” And let me, for your encouragement, give you His own words, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)).
And now let us turn for a little moment to the second rest.
THE REST OF COMMUNION.
This is the rest which the believer finds in learning the Lord’s mind so as to be able to work for Him with the assurance that He has set us to work, that we are therefore doing that which is according to His mind in the way which is according to His mind ― that is, really, that we have no mind or will of our own in service, but that He is working in us. This is the blessed rest which Mary had in Luke 10: she “sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His word.” Martha was “cumbered” and “careful;” Mary had “chosen that good part.” Do not suppose, dear reader, that Martha ought to have been doing at the same time just the same thing as Mary―that is, sitting “at Jesus’ feet” ― for these bodies of ours must be cared for; but that, had she learned the heart of Jesus as Mary had, she would have been doing her work “as unto the Lord,” (Col. 3:2323And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; (Colossians 3:23)), and in grace rejoicing in her sister’s blessed leisure.
The first rest, then, is found in knowing Jesus as the Savior; the second, in learning Him as the pattern. The mistake which many thousands of really earnest souls are making is, that they are trying to learn the second rest before they have experienced the first ― trying to learn Jesus as the Model before they have learned Him as the Savior. This can never be: and for the simple reason that till Christ is known as the Savior there is no life to God (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36); Eph. 2; 1 John 5:1212He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (1 John 5:12)); and hence no power to walk, no power to act for God at all. And hence, such souls not only get no peace, but, endeavoring to be holy while strangers to the power of holiness (2 Cor. 5:14, 1514For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14‑15)), they get, in spirit, under the law which was given by Moses (John 1:1717For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)), and instead of getting peace, they get far more wretched and miserable than they were before. And no wonder; for the testimony of the law is, that the man who keeps God’s judgments and statutes shall live by them (Lev. 18:55Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 18:5); Ezek. 20:1111And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. (Ezekiel 20:11)). But the poor, laboring soul under law soon finds how utterly incapable he is of keeping it according to God’s standard (Deut. 6:55And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deuteronomy 6:5); Mark 12:28-3128And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:28‑31); Luke 10: 25-28; Matt. 5:2828But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Matthew 5:28); 1 John 3:1515Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. (1 John 3:15); James 2:1010For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. (James 2:10)).
Moreover, to aggravate his sorrow, and fill up his cup of wretchedness to the brim, he finds that not only is he no nearer God than he was at the first, but that he is CURSED; for it is written, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them” (Gal. 3:1010For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (Galatians 3:10)). Such is the result of trying to learn that which is alone the effect of the second rest: true service to God, without the knowledge of the first. The “terror of the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:1111Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. (2 Corinthians 5:11)) is all that is learned, and an unsatisfied and accusing conscience the result. I repeat, the first rest is the gate through which the second is entered. There cannot be true rest of soul except in the reception of this first rest into the heart; and this rest, in one word, is Christ.
I may here apply a word morally, for the sake of illustration, which is found in another connection in Heb. 4:1010For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:10): “He that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” So I may say, dear reader, that the one who has entered into this blessed rest of which we are speaking, salvation, is the one who has ceased from all his own works, doings, for salvation, and has learned that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.”
“Till to Jesu’s work you cling,
DOING is a deadly thing―
By a simple faith,
Doing ends in death.”
“Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that BELIEVE: for there is no difference: for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness; that he might be JUST, and the JUSTIFIER of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:20-2620Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:20‑26)).
Come now to Jesus! Take Him, trust Him, appropriate Him by faith in His finished work for you (John 19:3030When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30)), and your heart shall know, the moment you believe, the full joy and blessedness of the first rest, and through grace, shall be enabled to prove the practical power which the second gives to walk to His glory.
R. H. G.