The last I saw of him he was loaded down with old musty bread, gotten from the Gibeonites. Too many take this route and fail. The direct route to Jesus, starts from low down in the valley,—the place called self-abasement. It is true, that way down here, there seems to be clouds and vapor, mixed with mist, while the eye is turned inward, and especially while under the direct rays of the Holy Ghost we see our unlikeness to God,—our infirmities—our ignorance—our sins—our short comings, heart wanderings, and alienations from him; and as we confess these to God and our brethren, we grow less in our own estimation. And as we go down in this way—confessing to the very bottom, suddenly, and as by magic, the clouds disperse, shadows fly—the invisible appears to mortal eye—glory to God!
Would you see Jesus? come down into the valley of blessing so sweet! “He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” “If we seek to save our lives we shall lose them.” God has opened up a new and living way; that is the route of repentance—and confession—and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We need not be deceived in regard to our whereabouts. This route is paved all the way through with blood divine.
Then, too, the cross that kills is here; and this is always visible; and upon its beams are written: “He that would be my disciple, let him take up his cross daily, and come after me.” The direct route to Jesus is covered completely by the cross! Would you find it? Come down from your high perch! get off from your stilts, limber up; be child-like; leave off your affectation; talk natural, be just what you are; let God have you—and as quick as light from the smitten steel, you will find yourself in the direct route to glory; high above the storm and vapor—winging your way to the land that hath no storms.
XIV.
Rest, But Not Loiter.
There is a bridge crossing the river Thames, at London, and at one end of this bridge, there is a seat prepared for the weary pilgrim to rest himself; and just above this seat hangs a sign, with these words, “Rest, but not loiter.”
In the great plan of salvation, God has provided a mercy-seat, where all may find rest; rest to the weary soul; rest from the commission of sin, rest from the inbeing of sin, rest from all moral defilement;—rest from slavish fear, rest from the fear of evil tidings, rest from the fear of man; rest from the fear of what the people will say; rest from the fear of want; rest in prosperity, when all goes well, and in adversity when all goes ill, rest in the fire, rest out of the fire; rest in sickness, rest in persecution, in necessities, in cruel mockings, in stripes, in imprisonments; rest under all the ills which flesh is heir to; and, O! what a blessed prospect of rest in death—in the resurrection morn; rest, rest forever in the paradise of God.
How few have found this rest. The multitude are loitering about Christ, as in bygone days, for the loaves and fishes. You find them thronging holy places, and in fact, their names are on the church record—they call themselves Christians,—but, O! how destitute of soul-rest. They talk of rest, but how easily is their rest turned into unrest, their humility into vain pomp and show; their love into downright anger; their benevolence, into God-dishonoring covetousness; their separation from the world into commingling with those that hate God and trample his law under their feet. The lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, sits enthroned in their hearts. Many thronged the Saviour when he was on earth, but how few got near enough to touch the hem of his garment. On one occasion, a poor woman pressed her way into the crowd, touched the Saviour and found rest; yes, glory be to God, she found rest for soul and body. Hallelujah! We may rest, and not loiter.
“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Thank God! there is a place of rest. You need not be fretful, peevish, impatient, cross, proud, vain, fierce, heady, high-minded, jealous, full of deceit—evil speaking—tale-bearing, covetous, filthy, fearful, unbelieving. No! there is power in Jesus’ blood to wash these all away, and give perfect rest to the soul. “For we which have believed do enter into rest.”
How refreshing to the weary pilgrim, after the toils of the day are o’er, the sun sinking in the west, the shades of night coming on, to have a place of rest,—a place where the cares of life are for the time-being forgotten, and the mind is at liberty to roam the vast fields of thought, and revel in all the delights of fancy. How blessed it will be, after the toils and conflicts of life are o’er, to have an eternity of rest—to be forever shut in with God, “Where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest.”
Rest, but not loiter.