THERE IS REST FOR THE WEARY.
By L. E. Millne
"Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Ye weary, sorrowing ones, hear the cheering words of our blessed Saviour, who in all our afflictions is afflicted with us, and knows how to comfort his weary children. O, hear the sweet invitation, Come unto me; come with all your griefs and cares. Though you feel ever so unworthy, Jesus' arms are stretched out waiting to receive you. O, think of the great love manifested to us poor sinners. Jesus left the realms of glory, came down to earth and freely shed his precious blood to save to the uttermost all that will come unto God30through him. Come then to the great Physician of souls, who has a balm for every wounded heart. Does earth look dark and drear? Have loved ones been torn from our fond embrace? Have fondly-cherished hopes been suddenly blasted by the stormy wind and tempest? Hear the blessed promise, "Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted." Come to Jesus and he will comfort your mourning heart. He can give "the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." He will enable us to rejoice even in the midst of affliction, and to bless God for trials; for we shall be made perfect through suffering. Our blessed Saviour while here upon earth was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and had not where to lay his head; and shall the servant be above his Master? Come to the dear Saviour and he will give you rest. O, bless the Lord, there is rest, blessed rest, for the weary. What a cheering thought as we journey through this vale of tears, that there remaineth a rest for the people of God, and that even here while tabernacling in the flesh, we may have a foretaste of that heavenly rest. Let not unbelief hinder us from coming to Jesus the fountain of life and true happiness. Let us say as did the psalmist, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance, and my God." Ye lonely, sorrowing ones, lean on the strong arm of the Lord. Cast all your cares and burdens upon him and he will sustain. He will give you grace according to your day. He has promised to be a present help in every time of trouble, yea, the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. "Breast the wave, Christian, when it is strongest,
Watch for day, Christian, when the night's longest,
Onward and upward still be thine endeavor,
The rest that remaineth will be forever." Let us be encouraged by the many precious promises in his holy word, and sorrow not as those without hope; for our dead loved ones shall come again from the land of the enemy. Jesus will burst the bands of death, and his saints shall come forth in newness of life. "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am ye may be also." Let us go forward, ever remembering that only a little while longer shall we "these many woes endure." Jesus will come and will not tarry. Let us gird up the loins of our mind, and press forward toward the prize. The glories of that better land will richly repay us for all we are called to suffer here, though we come up out of great tribulation. O, let us keep the glorious prize in view, and we shall never be discouraged in the narrow pathway that leads to glory, honor, and immortality. Although Satan is working with great power in these last days because his time is short, and endeavoring to make our trials appear very great, so as to enshroud our minds in darkness, yet if we look to the Lord continually for help, he will drive back the power of darkness. He will cause light from the heavenly sanctuary to shine into our minds, and enable us to rejoice and be exceeding glad that we are counted worthy to suffer with him that we may also reign with him in glory. O, to be an heir of heaven, a joint-heir with Christ to that purchased possession, that glorious inheritance! The thoughts of such amazing bliss should stimulate us to great zeal and activity in the cause of Christ. Let us not linger to weep and mourn over the fading and transitory joys of this poor world. We should take joyfully the spoiling of our treasures here, and count it gain if we but win Christ. O, there will be no more sorrow and sighing, no more grief and tears, no more bleeding, broken hearts, no more Rachels weeping for their children, and the inhabitants of the land shall no more say, I am sick. These vile bodies shall be changed into his most glorious image. O, happy change to leave this dark earth to enter into that glorious "city which hath no need of the sun, for the glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." We shall drink of that river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of our God, and we shall partake of the fruits of life's fair tree, and dwell with the King in his beauty forever. "Pilgrims, on! there's rest in heaven,
Rest from every anxious care,
Rest in Jesus' smiles, forgiven,
Peaceful and eternal there.
O, 'twere sweet to toil in sadness,
O, 'twere well the cross to bear,
If at last in joy and gladness
We may rest forever there."
L. E. Millne.
Chesaning, Mich.