Chapter 48: Five Marks of True Rest in Christ
sin, no more sorrow, no more fear, no more doubt, no more trouble.
This is the rest that the soul shall have in Christ. I have no doubt that Christ means this among other things when He says, "Come to me."
However, to speak of this glorious rest is a vast subject, and elsewhere I have discussed in detail what the glory of the saints shall be in heaven, so I shall not elaborate further here.
Now then, considering all I have said concerning this rest, may we not conclude that this rest, indeed, deserves the epithet found in Isaiah 11:10: In that day, there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand as an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek, and His rest shall be glorious. Here it speaks of the rest of Christ—His rest shall be glorious. We may well apply this to the rest of the saints, for the saints shall have a glorious rest. I have shown you many particulars, wherein this rest has been opened to you, so that you may see it is indeed a glorious rest.
Chapter 48 Five Marks of True Rest in Christ.
I. It is only upon the discovery of glorious things the soul did not know before.
II. It comes when the soul ceases from its own work.
III. It makes the believer active for God.
IV. Rest in those things wherein Christ rested.
V. True rest will withstand the trial of the Word.
You may say, "Oh, that we only knew that this was our rest, that we did not presume, but were sure that the rest we have in Christ is a true rest." Now, I have already told you that there is a faith of adherence that might bring rest, even if there is not a faith of evidence. But you may say, if we could have both—a faith of evidence as well as a faith of adherence—it would add much to our rest.
Now I will help you with some notes by which you may examine whether the rest you have is the glorious rest spoken of here. And I shall do two things, for although many of God's servants in this world experience much trouble of spirit, even with this glorious rest, I shall give you further rules on how to make use of the rest that is to be found in Christ, and also some rules on how to keep the rest when the Lord Christ gives you rest.
First, the evidences to know whether your rest is indeed the right rest that is in Christ.
First, this rest in Christ can never occur without the great discovery of glorious things that the soul was not acquainted with before. Many people go on quietly in their way and think that their rest is Christ's rest. But how will it be shown that this is truly Christ's rest? It will appear that they have had weak foundations to stand upon, only relying on what they possess naturally. They live quietly among people, and the created world does not trouble them, and they avoid troubling themselves with their own thoughts. But now, I appeal to your soul—what discoveries have you had of the glorious things of the covenant of grace and the covenant of life, in the ways that God has used in His eternal counsels to reconcile God and your soul?
What discoveries of God's ways have you experienced that have drawn your heart to Christ? Your rest must come from these. These must be the means to bring your soul to rest. If your rest comes from
blindness, ignorance, and deadness of spirit, it is far from the true rest in Christ.
Secondly, the rest that the soul has in Christ is what the Apostle speaks of in Hebrews 4. It comes upon the soul ceasing from its own work, as God ceased from His (verse 10): For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. As God rested on the seventh day from all His works, this is the sign of the rest in Christ: There remains therefore a rest for the people of God, for he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. He compares the rest that the soul has in Christ to God's rest on the seventh day. Now, he says, as God ceased from His work that He completed on the sixth day and rested on the seventh, so whoever enters into this rest must cease from their own works. What does that mean? The works that a person does for themselves. In their natural state, every person does not work for God at all but works for themselves. Now, he says, just as God ceased from His work and rested, those who enter into this rest must cease from their own works, the works of sin they lived in and performed for their own ends while they were in their natural state.
So examine yourself: have you ceased from your own works? Do you no longer work for yourself in all your ways? Are you no longer living for yourself and all created things? Perhaps you do some work, but materially, it is nothing of God's. You may pray and profess religion, but it is still your own work. But if you have entered into this rest, you must cease from your own works, not only from those works that are sinful in themselves, but you must also not work for yourself in the best things. You must be taken away from yourself in the best things and work for God's purposes, being emptied of yourself. Then
your soul shall have rest. That is both an evidence that your rest is true and a means to bring rest to your soul.
Take heed that your work is not your own work when you are doing anything. Ask yourself, "Is this my own work or God's work?" It is true, there was a time when all the work I did was for myself, and if there was any reason or motivation for it, I could work. If the work promoted my own ends, I would do it. This is the way of people in their natural state. But now, when the soul has entered into the rest of Christ, it has ceased from its own works. Therefore, even if there are no strong reasons or ends to persuade me to do a work, it is enough that it is the work of God, and God shall receive praise through it. I can now work as earnestly and strongly in God's work as I ever did any work for myself.
Thirdly, another mark of the true rest of the soul in Christ is this: the more rest you have in Christ, the more active you are for God.
The false rest that the soul experiences makes it dull, secure, sluggish, and negligent. But the true rest in Christ makes the soul mightily active and energetic, causing it to do great things for God. It never had such an ability to work for God as it has now, after having found rest in Christ.
Many people are very active and energetic when their conscience is stirred; they will rise early in the morning, hear sermons, read the Bible, and pray fervently. But if they find any quiet and rest in their spirits, they grow lazy, dull, and secure, and are less active in the roles God has set them in than before. However, the soul that has true rest from Christ is more active and lively in God's work than it was before. As Archimedes said, "Give me a place to stand, and I will move the earth." So, when the soul once finds its footing in Christ and rests upon Him, it can do more for God than ever before.
I recall an example that illustrates this: while the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness and had no rest, God commanded
Moses to build an altar for sacrifices of a certain size. But when Solomon later built an altar for God, it was twice the size of the one
Moses built during the wilderness wanderings. I cannot recall the exact locations of these passages, but you will find that this is true:
Solomon's altar was twice as large as Moses'. Why? Because the Israelites were in a restless condition in the wilderness, moving about, but when they came into the land of Canaan, where they had rest, the altar was twice as large, symbolising that they were to offer twice as many sacrifices as before.
Similarly, your soul was once in the wilderness, wandering restlessly.
During that time, the altar of your sacrifices was small, but once God brings rest to your soul in Christ, your altar will be twice as large, and you will do much more for God than you did before.
Fourthly, another mark of true rest in Christ is this: if you have this rest, then the things that give Christ rest will also give you rest. If you have rest in Christ, whatever Christ finds rest in will also be your rest. What does Christ rest in? Christ finds rest particularly in three things: in His saints, in His ordinances, and in His Sabbaths. Now, if you have found true rest for your soul in Christ, then whatever gives rest to Christ will give rest to you.
First, consider the saints. Your soul will have rest in them and find contentment and peace in their company. In Zephaniah 3:17, the Holy Spirit says, The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Is the company of the saints a rest to you, or is it rather a burden? To many, the company of the saints is
a burden, but when they are with their own worldly companions, then they feel some rest.
Second, consider the ordinances. In Psalm 132:13-14, speaking of Zion, it says, For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest forever; here will I dwell, for I have desired it. In Zion, in ordinances, in duties, and in worship offered to God, there is rest. The Lord says, "Here is my rest forever, and here is my delight." Is your spirit most at rest when you are engaged in God's worship and ordinances? Even if you had peace and enjoyed your estate, could you find rest without God's ordinances? If your soul finds more rest in the ordinances than in anything else, then your rest is Christ's rest.
Third, consider the Sabbath. The Scripture tells us that the Sabbath is a day of rest, and for your soul, is the Sabbath a day of true rest?
Many people find the Sabbath troublesome, especially when they are required to engage in holy duties such as prayer, hearing the Word, and similar activities. Suppose you were to pray in your closet, then in your family, ask questions of your children and servants, attend public worship, and then return home to examine your family on what they have learned. Then you would prepare yourself again for the ordinances and spend the entire day in prayer, hearing, and exercise. Would this not be a weariness to many of you? Would you not, like those in Malachi, say, When will the Sabbath be over?
Many count the Sabbath a rest simply because they cease from working, put on fine clothes, and walk in the fields. They consider that rest. Surely, such people are not acquainted with the rest that is in Christ. But if your soul is acquainted with this rest, then the Sabbath is but a type of that rest which you will enjoy in the highest