Middletown transcript., 1899-01-07
CHRISTIAN ENpEAYoR.

l
Topic For the Week Beginning Jam.
s-Commeut BY Rev. $. b. Doyle.
ToPIo.-A precious invitation. MHth. ii,
! s5-30.-t Come unto me, all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and will give you rest. -.
Hath. H, rs.
This is the most precious Of all
Ohrist's invitations, but much of the
| richness Of it is lost because it is taken
apart from its surroundings. To proper
| ~ understand it we must have pic
ture et the entire chapter before u.s. Up
to this point, by the record of Matthew,
Ohrist's life has been fairly successful,
but now the tide turns. The doubt Of
| John, the unreasonablenesso of humani-
| ty, the unbelief of favored cities now
thrust themselves upon Him, but still
His heart is touched by their great
| need, their vain and unsatisfactory
efforts to save themselves, and in spite
of doubt, unreasonableness and unbe-
lief, He invites them to come to Him
for rest. Notice:
/. The Inviter. The one who gives
this great invitation, containing such q
precious promise, is Jesus Christ, the
Son Of God. "Come to Me. He says,
"and I will give You rest" We want
SWo characteristics in one who makes
us precious promise. ~ the ability to
| fulfill it and C2) the willingness to full
I'LL it. Either without the other makes
| the promise of no value. Christ possesses
both. As the Son Of God He has the
power, and, being divine, He must have
the willingness. Divinity could not be
faithless to promise. We can accept
this invitation therefore with confident
assurance, because of the character Of
the one who gives it, that the promise
it contains will be fulfilled.
2. The Invited. They are those who
"labor and are heavy laden. /" There are
three such classes in the world. 1.
Those who are physically weary and
heavy laden, worn out by the tolls and
burdens of life. Q. Those who are
mentally heavy laden; borne down
mentally by the failures, disappoint-
ments and Affections of life. 5. Those
who are spiritually weary and heavy
laden, who are not at peace with God;
whose consciences are i'll at ease, who
are seeking spiritual rest, but do not
find it. Christ addresses the third class
here. He speaks to those who, are bur-
dened with sin and wearied with false
conceptions of religion. Their religious
life is unsatisfactory. It does not bring
peace to their souls.
5. The Invitation. The promise con-
tanned in the invitation is "rest, not
physical or mental, but spiritual rest
aye shall find rest unto your souls. F" 1t
is soul rest that is promised, but soul
rest insures to a large extent physical
and mental rest. Sin is the cause of the
unrest of the world. Make the soul at
peace with God and physical and men
tai burdens largely lose their burden
Eomeness.
To have this promise fulfilled in us
we must take Christ as our religious
Leader and Guide. We must follow
Him and obey Him. We must take His
yoke upon us. but it is easy (whole-
some), and His burden is light because
it is labor of love- If weary and heavy
laden, let us accept this great and pre-
cious invitation.
Bible Readings. lisa. i. 1920; lv,
1-13; Jer. vi, 16; Math. xix, 1922;
xii, LA; XIV, 1916; Mark j, 1918;
K, 1929; Luke XIV, 11-24; John K, 10;
xiv, II; Acts vii, Ia; Gal. vi. 9; I
John Y, 8; Rev. xii, II.