Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2748
“Ask for the old path, where the good way is, and walk in it, and you shall find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16.
A VERY short time ago, I gave you, in print, [See The Swordand the Trowel, March, 1879, “Incidents of Travel Clustering Round a Text”—contact Pilgrim Publications, Pasadena, TX, www.pilgrimpublications.com for availability and prices.] a sermon upon this text which, I daresay many of you well remember. I am not now going to pursue the same line of thought as I then followed. I have taken this text again, not to preach from all its words so much as from one single Truth of God which is clear in it, namely, that you may judge which is the old path and which is the good way in which you ought to walk, by this test—if you are in the old path, the good way—you find rest for your soul. You may, therefore, judge of your position at the present moment and test the quality of your religion—for there are many false faiths, erroneous creeds, man-made religions and evil spirits that have gone out into the world. But you may try them all by this test if you are, indeed, in the old path, the good way—in God’s own way—you find rest for your soul!
I need not have taken the same text again, for this Truth is clearly taught in many other passages of Scripture. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in that memorable soul-saving invitation of His, says, “Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls.” From these words it is clear that if I have really come to Christ, He has given me rest. And if I have, in very deed, taken His yoke upon me and learned of Him, I have found a still further rest. But if I neither have rest given to me, nor have a rest which I find, I am led to the conclusion that I have not come to Christ and am not wearing His easy yoke. Is not that clear reasoning and should we not thus judge ourselves by what is so manifestly true?
Moreover, we have not only the words of Christ to support us in this reasoning, but we know that it is the distinguishing feature of His Gospel that it does give this rest of heart. The types and sacrifices under the Law never gave any permanent rest, for, although he who brought a sin-offering found peace for the moment, by-and-by he had to bring another sacrifice. The great Day of Atonement, when it was duly observed with all its holy pomp and ceremony, brought a blessing on the people, but there had to be another Day of Atonement the next year. Now, if the consciences of those who presented the various victims had been cleansed from dead works, there would have been no need that there should be a further remembrance made of sin. But none of these things could make the comers thereunto perfect—rest of conscience was not possible under the shadows—it is only to be found in the Substance. Every morning had its bleeding lamb and every evening had another bleeding lamb—blood was perpetually being shed—
“Fresh blood as constant as the day, Was on their altar spilt”—
but our Lord Jesus Christ has this testimony for His Glory alone, “this Man, after He had offered one Sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God,” for all His sacrificial work was done!
In the Atonement of Christ, there is a real and effectual expiation which there was not in all the types of the Law of God—and the man who has once received that expiation is forever absolved before the Judgment Seat of God from all his sin. Having believed in Jesus, he sees in his Savior’s Sacrifice a full Atonement for the whole of his guiltiness and realizes that he is delivered from it! And, therefore, he has peace and rest of heart, for Jesus makes us perfect in the things that
appertain to the conscience. Walking in the Light of God as He is in the Light, His blood cleanses us from all sin and we understand what Paul meant when he wrote, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
If you have not found rest of heart, dear Friend, you have missed that blessing which is peculiar to the Gospel dispensation. If you have not found in Christ perfect quiet for your soul, you put Him on a level with Moses and you seem to make out that you will need either another sacrifice, or another something to make you clear of guilt in the sight of God. This would be casting Christ down from His priestly throne and robbing Him of the brightest jewel in His crown—and this we must never do! So, if we have found the right way and are walking in it, we must have rest for our soul, for this is the peculiar mark of it.