such, Christ is revealed as "the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." He gives rest to the soul, by pardoning the sins which so weigh it down; by removing the curse which we so justly deserve, and by imparting new life to the fainting spirit; and when our sins are forgiven, and the penalty of death removed, and the spirit of Christ infused into us, then, of course, there will be such a sense of relief and comfort as the traveller experiences who comes, after long hours of travel over a burning sandy waste, to "the shadow of a great rock," and in its refreshing coolness finds the desired rest. Such is the gracious aspect in which Christ manifests himself to his believing people. A refuge from the wind of adversity, a covert from the storm of divine anger, a source of unfailing refreshment to the hungry and thirsting pilgrim, and a secure and blessed rest to the sin-weary and guilt-laden soul. Sadly, then, are they deceiving themselves who refuse the offered grace of Jesus Christ. And why do they refuse? because they dare not rise above the fear of man, and, in face of the taunts and jeers of so-called friends, go to Jesus; because they are so pleased with their own garments of self-righteousness that they will not put on the proffered robe of Christ's righteousness; or because the pride of their heart is so great that they will not humble themselves upon their knees and confess that they are great and hell-deserving sinners in the sight of God, and are willing to receive salvation as the free gift of sovereign grace, "without money and without price." And will you for these reasons reject the Saviour? lose heaven? ruin your soul? Look at them! will they bear examination? Hold them up in the light of eternity and with the fearful realities of the future unfolded before you; how do they look there? Utter them at the bar of God, and tell him who "sitteth on the great white throne," surrounded by angels, and with the book of judgment open before him; tell him, and tell it out so loud that all the universe can hear : "I rejected thec, O Christ, as my 'refuge,' I refused thee as 'a covert,' I turned away from thee as rivers of water,' I sought thee not as the 'shadow of a great rock in that weary land,' because I feared what man should do unto me, because I could not brook the ridicule ridicule of my fellows, because I was so engrossed in buying and selling and getting gain, because I was so delighted with my own morality, because I was too proud to bend the knee to thee, O Christ." How will such excuses sound at the Judgment Seat of Christ? Yet at that Judgment Seat you must stand; before that rejected Saviour you must bow: and as you cannot stand acquitted there except through faith in him, as you cannot meet him in peace except through the salvation of his own providing, so let me urge you, pilgrim to eternity, traveller through this weary and stormy land, to seek this only "hiding place from the wind;" to flee to this only "covert from the storm" of wrath; to drink at these only "rivers of water" in the dry places of earth, and to sit down beneath this only "shadow of a great rock" in this weary land of earth, yielding with a glad mind and heart to the invitation of Jesus, "Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Yes, "rest;" rest to your souls, rest on earth, rest in heaven, a rest that will never end. CAUSES |