t want rest. We read of
the rich man that was going to pull down his barns and build larger,
saying to his soul, "Take thine ease, there is plenty laid up in
store, so now take thy rest." Merchants toil day and night to amass
money, in order that they may get rest. Men leave their families and
friends and go round the world to earn money, in the hope that they
may get rest. Sailors plough the sea, and are away from home for
months to get money, in order that it may bring them rest. In fact, if
rest could be bought in the market, there are many hundreds in London
who would be paying a very high price for it; but though money can't
buy it, nevertheless by believing the word of God you can get it
without money and without price. "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and
are heavy-laden, and _I will give you rest_." Now when _we_ say "we
will," it doesn't mean much very often. Perhaps we don't intend to
keep our word when we say we will do a thing; or if we do mean to keep
it, we very often fail for want of ability to make our promise good.
But bear in mind, God never breaks His promise; He never makes a
mistake; He never fails to fulfil His word. And the words I have read
may be relied on; for they are not the words of man, but of the Son of
God--"Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will
give you rest."
This tells us of the only place where we can find rest. There is no
other place where a man can by any possibility find rest for his soul.
Bear this in mind: it is not coming to some creed, it is not coming to
some particular church, or to some particular doctrine, but to Christ.
"Come unto _Me_." It is the coming to a personal Christ that alone
gives peace and rest to the soul.
PEACE.
Now, in John xiv. 27, there is a promise which is very precious to me.
Christ says, "Peace I leave with you"; I am going away, but I am not
going to take away My peace from you; that I leave behind Me. "My
peace I give unto you." Mark that little expression "My _peace_"--"My
peace I give unto you." A good many people look for their peace from
worldly sources, but when they do find it they don't get much out of
it, for the devil can play on men's feelings as men play on a harp,
and can delude them into almost anything. But if we go to Christ for
it, we do get what we want, we get rest for the soul, and until we do
go to Him we shall never get it.
There are a good many things which disturb our peace; but nothing can
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