The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1914-05-15
Paper read by Miss Lilly Boatnet
before the Methodist Sunday School
last Sunday:

At the close of another week
would bring to you message of
Gods rest message that may not
only abide with you, but may help
you in meeting the responsibilities
of another week that is soon to be-
gin.
Throughout almost every page Of
Gods word, underlying almost every
duty that is demanded of US, lies the
story of the reward of rest. And
though we might turn to many pages
to find its declaration, | would ask
you to read one particular text as
found in the 28th and goth verses of
the 18th chapter of the gospel ac-
cording to Mathew.
Come unto me all ye that labor
and are heavy laden and / will give
you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me; for l am meek and lowly in
heart and We shall find rest for your
souls"
To We who have passed through
the physical Iabors OF your difficult
week rest means the end Of tolls
and burdens
TO you who have met The raspousj-
bnities of your daily living, passing
through the strain of mental pro-
blcms there is no word like that Of
rest when your mind can relax ana
you know that success comes with
realization.
To those of you who have passed
through The sorrow OF a sunless
time, with the heartaches and fail
ures the anguish of misunderstood
purposes and unrequited eudeavors
there is no thought so sweet, SO
peaceful as that OF laying down your
regrets, your unhappiness in rest.
The desire, the longing for the
peacefulness that immortal wish
which ever clings to man, is sought
after through all the surcease of la
bor-even when the heart longs for
something which it cannot tell
So as we go along toward the moor
of life, or you who are older and h2"a
set your faces toward the radiance of
the setting sun, we, each, look to-
ward a light that shall point the way
to the rest of endless years. So
would speak to you of Gods rest.
The life of 33 years that Christ
spent upon this earth knew little
rest. From the child preparing its
physical life at his fathers work
bench, for the agony of the mental
and spiritual that was to follow af-
terward, until the last torture Oh
Golgotha's cross there was little
rest. Even the last moments in
Gethsemane brought not even the
silence of peace. The prayer that
the last drop of the cup should pass
was never answered until the angels
of Paradise again welcomed their re-
turning Lord
We here often learn of conditions
by only knowing the opposite. The
Oasis could never be appreciated if
we had not passed through the de-
sert first. There could never be
rest if there had not been Labor,
there is no peace where there has
been no unrest There are duties
that must be, SO we can know the
JOY of success. or of having tried and
at last come into the sweet happiness
of having done our best.
Yet, realizing what life held for
him, knowing even of the nails that
should be driven through his hands
Christ stood and said:
Come unto me all we that labor
and are heavy laden and | will give
you rest"
The invitations of Christ have al
ways been so simple that the scant
words have brought a conviction of
their earnestness that cannot be
overcome.
In the last day-that great day
Of the feast, Jesus stood and cried,
saying IF any man thirst, let him
come unto me and drink"
Years afterward, John, the evan
gelist, living in the unrest of Pat
mos Isle, declared, and the spirit
and the Bride say come; and let him
that heareth say come; and let him
that is athirst come And whose
ever will let him take of the waters
of life freely"
There is no limitation to church
invitation. Beyond the confines of
human verdict stretches the limit
less realms of Gods declaration.
If we will analyze the two verses
that constitute the text, there are the
three points that stand out clearly
viz: Cd The Invitation. GU The