Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden (Quality: Good)

[0:00] the words which I hope the Lord has given me will be found in the chapter we have already read the Gospel of Matthew chapter 11 verse 28 come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest the Gospel of Matthew chapter 11 verse 28 come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest a very familiar word to us often quoted may I ask the question dear friends what do we know about it experimentally there's nothing in the text for the world there's nothing in the text for the dead but our text is most interesting to the living the dead are those who are still in nature's darkness the living are those who have passed through the gate of regeneration we shall never quote the words of Christ too many times nor read them because they show us the way to heaven the words that Christ spake to

[1:53] Nicodemus of old ye not be born again to enter into the kingdom of God so if we are not born again we know nothing of this laboring nor to be heavy laden only from a natural viewpoint we certainly know nothing of the rest and the invitation given in the word come unto me will never enter as it were into our ears there'll be no response oh what a solemn thing to be in nature's darkness I'm quite aware we've all been there but I hope many of us have been given grace in other words a call a call from heaven as the apostle speaks of we are for holy brethren partakers of the heavenly call now that's the foundation of our text for if we have not life well as I said we know nothing experimentally of the text come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden no sooner we are called for that heavenly call no sooner than we pass through the gate of regeneration and being born of the spirit there will be a knowledge and brought into some experience of the labor and know what it is to be every day in our spirit or life and the burden will be less what is with them and that's our own soul perhaps it wouldn't be out of place to remind us but I desire to be reminded myself that I have a soul that must live for eternity and never and never die there will never be an end to death that is respecting our ourselves you might say well the scripture speaks of death it does and death of the wicked yes their souls will end and they will be punished for their sins through eternity that the living as I have mentioned no sooner we are brought to have spiritual life in the soul there will be a labor realizing that we have a soul that shall live forever and the weight of it and the burden of it will cause us to be every day may I ask the question have you passed this life may I give this word to our dear young friends you have a soul that must live for eternity and putting it into plain simple words and I've already quoted to you that we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God those who were not quickened and lead this world will have to be punished for eternity but each one that knows something of this favoring and being heavy maiden and grace

[5:54] in their heart their sins are born by life Jesus Christ how could it claim me oh the importance of it of being quickened into life one eternity the others will be in the words of their depths rest for eternity and that's what Jesus came for to make a way of deliverance and bear the sins of his dear people and to cast them behind his back for eternity which he has done on the day of his death at Calvary and your thoughts may be this well if the Lord Jesus has done this what need is there of labor and of these everyday well there's more than one reason

[6:58] I will mention one one of the reasons is this because the Lord will have his people to be kept low otherwise we shall dress further and further into sin that is within us that common nature and therefore the Lord lays heavy burdens he brings his dear people into trials and causes them to labor under the burden that we may be kept low and where at his feet and why that we should look to him it takes so to a natural viewpoint a parent likes to see the child their dear children boys and girls especially when young and years and also when they get older to come and get the parents at birth at birth

[8:01] I proved it of light though my children are now married and have families of their own but one came to me not long ago only a matter of a few weeks and asked me my advice over a certain thing and so the Lord he welcomes his dear people children yes man sheep never mind what I eat to come unto him and that is advice now if we knew nothing of being heavy laden well we should do these things in our own strength and our own ability now speak with all reverence we should make a message a group again and again so the Lord lays his heavy hand upon us that we should look unto him and go unto him and cry unto him and seek his advice in the things of this life and in the things that are spiritual we that labor and are heavy labor well again your thoughts may be what about those who do not profess any religion who are still in nature's darkness don't they know anything they do they have their crosses they have their trials they have their afflictions they have their losses we often see our fellow creatures that are in the world and see some of their troubles and providence but they have no place to go with those burdens they have no throne of grace they know no enemy of what we read in the previous verse of our text all things are delivered unto me of my father and no man knoweth the son but the father neither any man the father save the son and he to whom soever the son will reveal him again we are reminded of the prayer of the

[10:34] Lord Jesus Christ unto his father I thank thee O Lord God of heaven and above that thou hast hid these things from the wise and blued and revealed them unto banks so we can say that the poor worldling he has his troubles and trials and he labours under them at times but he has no way to take them to completely hate oh what a mercy dear friends if we can see as it were yonder the throne of grace the mercy see and by the help of the spirit to take these things unto the Lord that's one of the privileges of time and some of you know it you've been in it you've experienced it and you've proved the faithfulness of God and you've been delivered from these trials and they've been sanctified thousand for well let us speak a little more of this labor as I may be helped all ye that labor what we labor for it's right that we should labor for the brave that perish and the

[11:52] Lord has designed it so and given us shall I say strength to labor for the bread that perish. It is right.

[12:03] God honoring. But there's another word to be added to it. Search the first kingdom of heaven. To be diligent in search of eternal life.

[12:18] Now as we are brought, as I mentioned this morning, under and in the spirit of God, being born again, we shall realize two things.

[12:30] First of all, first is to be brought to some knowledge of ourselves, and we shall also see the holiness of God.

[12:41] That God is holy and just. The light, the light of the spirit, shines within the heart and reveals what's there, that we, what is hidden there.

[12:58] And it cannot come to life only by the spirit. Nor shall we have any knowledge of it. Take the poor worldling, going down the streets today. Why, he's got no knowledge of what is in his heart.

[13:12] He cannot say from experience, my heart is deceitful of all things, and desperately with him. But let the holy spirit shine within, then that will reveal.

[13:24] If it's only a light of a glow, it will reveal somewhat what is in our heart. And when that shines, we shall see the holiness of God, and the law.

[13:37] And the law, it says, dying. And therefore, there will be a laboring under this sense of the word, and under this experience, laboring, therefore the Lord, that he may deal with us in mercy, and not to punish us for our sins.

[13:59] You say, is this the beginning? This is the beginning, I believe, of spiritual life. The holiness of God. And therefore, sinner will repeat the words of the poet, feelingly, if my soul was sent to hell, thy righteous law approves it.

[14:17] Well, there's the laboring there, under the burden of sin. And this will continue until there's some difference.

[14:31] Until you are brought, shall I say, to a glimmer of hope in the gospel. And that may continue for some time. God is a sovereign. He takes some in his hand, and it's not long before they are dangled upon his knee in his loving box.

[14:51] Where another may have to labor, and labor, and labor, week in and week out. And even to years, God is a sovereign.

[15:03] There's a set time to favor Zion. There's a set time to favor the poor sinner whom he hath loved with an everlasting love. I may have told you before, he kept me in this experience of laboring and being heavy laden under my sin.

[15:24] And what I could see within my heart, and what I was by nature, and the holiness of God, it continued for many months, over twelve months, in that condition.

[15:36] And I gave up, shall I say, all help. The Lord said, die. I knew I'd broken it. I knew I couldn't fulfill it. I was a poor, perishing sinner.

[15:51] But it was under this experience of the laboring. I believe I was brought, as I mentioned, to that place, that I felt it was hopeless.

[16:03] And yet there's still the laboring. And what did that prove? There was life. Though I couldn't see it, nor realize it. There's life beneath it all. Spelage your life.

[16:14] Work a place within my heart. But I wasn't satisfied until I was brought to our home. come unto me, all ye that labor.

[16:30] So there's a laboring under the burden of sin. And when a poor soul, and some of you have got a little further than this, you have been so delivered.

[16:41] The Lord has been pleased to break him into thy poor heart, and by the like of the Spirit, has given you a good hope in his grace.

[16:54] And his grace you are whole. It has been a good hope. The poet speaks of it.

[17:06] Has been a good hope through grace, and it is. Perhaps he had broken into thy heart in a way when he was laboring under the burden.

[17:24] The Lord, as I've said, is a sorrow for you. Perhaps when you were laboring under that great trial of what you saw within your own heart, there may have been such a light shining within.

[17:40] Perhaps there's been a little nearness unto the Lord in prayer. As you've been carrying, as it were, the blade burn to the Lord. And there's been a little deliverance, as it were, in thy soul.

[17:54] Oh, what a wonderful thing that they brought to a hope. And then to a good hope. And perhaps some of you have received a promise and given from that God.

[18:06] A promise that's been given within thy soul. all ye that labor. Now, when the sweetness is gone, when the Lord withdraws, when he cannot trace his hand, nor appeal his blessings, it will bring you into the text, it will labor.

[18:27] I believe one of the heavy burdens of our poor child of God is this, to have tasted that the Lord is gracious and then he eyes his face.

[18:40] And you are left to walk for a season on your head. Why, you have tasted, as I've said, the Lord is gracious. and oh, how sweet it's been to you.

[18:52] Now he's withdrawn and you fear he will not come again and the devil will say he never will. And there's a labeling under this sense, under the trials of faith, under the burden and of the temptations of Satan and you have to labor before the Lord in death.

[19:23] Have you ever been thankful that the Lord has gone before and experienced it, even the temptations of the devil? As you know, he went through the rivers of the streams of Jordan, the Lord Jesus baptized by John the Baptist, one we have read of in the text, and then he went there into the wilderness, to be tempted of Satan, forty days and forty nights.

[19:55] Therefore, the Lord is God before his experience yet, and therefore he can sympathize with you who are in that experience today, it may be, under the sore temptations of Satan.

[20:10] And isn't it a laboring when you're in that experience before the Lord, that he might remove the devil and the temptations from you. As he said in his word, resist the devil and he will flee from thee.

[20:27] Oh, there's a laboring when the Lord hides his face and the Satan comes into your experience and maybe into your heart. Oh, he that laboring and the trials of faith.

[20:40] I'm sure poor Abraham, he was laboring when he went up to the mount with his son Isaac. Why, the Lord had given Abraham a promise respecting his son.

[21:02] Oh, what a trial it must have been for him. some of you who have had children. Has the Lord given you a promise?

[21:15] I believe he gave me one respecting one of my own children. But it was tried. It was tried. And perhaps your son, your daughter may be drifting further and further and further away from the proof.

[21:31] And where do you laboring before your heart? And so Abraham went up to the mat to offer up his son Isaac. And no day was in that experience of laboring before his God.

[21:46] And all his faith was dry. Isaac said to his father, father, here's the wood and fire and knife and everything you see it.

[21:57] But where's the learned happening? And the poor man's faith was dry to the very last moment. And I believe some of us know that experience in some measure that is in the trials of life.

[22:15] It's been at the last moment in the nick of time before the Lord has appeared and delivered us as he was pleased to deliver Isaac from death.

[22:26] Oh he hath labor. And as you come to the house of God dear friends as you come this morning as a dinner for laboring before the Lord in prayer I believe every child of God who has spiritual life will have a spiritual hunger and it will be for the bread of heaven.

[22:53] I speak with reverence it's not easily obtained it isn't I know some people why they say they're always picking up a little ear and a little there it's always seen to be on the mountain top well I believe there's many in the low valley I believe there's many down in the dark and laboring this bread of life is worth oh I speak with level and sheer glances it's worth laboring for one crumb what will it do for the poor sinner one crumb of his mercy dropped in the heart why it will be food food for the soul and the living will need food the living will need bread his blue body he laid the grass all he that made for the bread a crumb of mercy

[24:05] Lord I pray unworthy to be paid with days such as angels have or with the children bread but the living will need food we need natural food day by day to keep alive shall I say that within us and all how we need that spiritual food day by day that we might keep that inner man of divine grace alive and strengthened in the things of God a crumb of mercy will do it a crumb some of you may have been blessed if it dies with a meal perhaps the preaching of the word has come home with divine power the old sermon if it might be and you have had not only a few crumbs but you have received a meal isn't it worth labelling for the effect or he did labor and then again that poor sinner will need refreshing and there's nothing so refreshing as the grace the view of grace upon the spirit these are experimental things

[25:33] I know and we need them we do something must be known and found in a true religion and I believe with some of us that are laboring before the Lord that where souls may be refreshed or we fear at times there's going to be a famine and to be refreshed without heavenly do a wonderful thing the poor worldling knows nothing on it I've said at times that the poor worldling those who are in the streets knew the gospel I'm sure our causes would be poor but alas today they're nearly empty because they know nothing of the laboring and they're to be heavy laid all ye that labor thirsty souls they are coming they are coming to the ears of

[26:34] God thirsty souls desiring those living streams that may lead the city of God and then again you come laboring at times in prayer for our full assurance show me some token Lord for good some token of thy special love show me that I am born of God and that my treasure is above as a laboring for it the earth and the Lord would have it so as I have already mentioned that we may be kept loved at his feet looking unto Jesus laboring for our for our mass some of you can go back to those days when you knew this experience laboring before the

[27:37] Lord and the Lord has been pleased to give you some token you have laid the cramps for this fear not I have redeemed fear not for I am with thee be not dismay for I am thy God I will help thee I will strengthen thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness for ye that labor for that assurance and some of you may be laid before the Lord in prayer prepare me gracious God to stand before thy place thy spirit must the work of all for it is all of life if that glare has come from their hearts once in our life I'm sure heaven will be down but there's the enabling for the knowledge of it and enabling enabling before the

[28:47] Lord to be prepared why I feel at times to be designed to be prepared for death you know it may come along most unexpectedly we haven't got any guarantee that we're going to be here tomorrow have we many are taken very suddenly early night I know I haven't laid only 16 years of age afflicted and there's no hope no hope whatever we don't know the Lord may come suddenly say some perfection and we need to be removed all to be prepared prepared see nothing can come enter in heaven much defiant nothing at all everything in heaven is holy fuel when we feel to be so poor and wretched and sinful unclean defiant to earth we just send a cry as a labelling to be prepared

[30:11] I only said yesterday to one that was speaking to me about something or another scorn from my mind at the present moment but you know one destitute of grace should enter heaven it's impossible I know it's impossible for a worldly day to enter heaven I know that but if one should enter heaven wouldn't be a turn wouldn't be a turn why because not prepared you say well what is it to be prepared for heaven well yet to come to that experience if you have no deserve for weary above myself in sin dear

[31:15] Jesus set me free to my glory save me for there I long to be that poor sinner I believe is prepared for heaven I could from all things parted thee but never never dear Lord from me that poor sinner is prepared for heaven and your neighbouring at times and when we pray that prayer as I quoted prepare me gracious God you know the Lord answers that prayer sometimes and brings us in a difficult place solemn place that's the way the Lord haunts us prayer but it's for our goal our soul's prophet for his honour and for his glory you're labouring to be among the Lord's people labouring to be with them for he does labour and then again you labour for others do you not perhaps there's one that lays with weight on thy stage maybe in a family circle could be a child could be a wife could be a husband have you ever experienced this as one that not connected as it were with you or to do with perhaps our people and yet at times there's been a labouring let me put in the simple words of my own experience

[33:09] I will remember some years ago a young girl little girl came up to us on a few days holiday she was with my daughter they're both very much the same age and she came with us and I shall never forget how I had to labour for that child it was laid upon my spirit laid upon my spirit and I had to labour for her I couldn't remove that it laid with such weight upon me you say what's the outcome well dear friends I would like to know this young girl she is married she's gone abroad but I find at times my heart still labour and I hope that there may be grace that might be and yet

[34:17] I feel sure she is numbered with the lady there's been our labouring at that time I labour for three weeks until the Lord gave me this word that he takes one of a family and two of a city and bring them under Zion and she was brought up in a worldly manner but I believe she was one that was chosen from all in out as our neighbouring sometimes fortunately I see on each side that the Lord should bring that one into his heart all ye that labour labour and there's a labouring sometimes for the things in providence and rightly so and perhaps some of our young friends are labouring for the

[35:41] Lord in other words praying that they may be directed in some situation or another the steps of a good man steps of a good child ordered by the Lord you say well who's a good child who's a good man those who have the fear of God in their heart who fear to be the fatherless and mark the perfect man and behold the hot light for the end of that man is peace all ye that labour now just for a few moments I must look at this in another viewpoint all ye that labour did not the Lord Jesus labour he knew the text far deeper than we have ever known for ever will of labour them I have mentioned about labouring upon the sin and so did he

[36:41] I said for sinner neighbours when God withholds himself for a little dark season my God my God why hast thou forsaken me and did not the Lord Jesus labour in prayer did he not day by day as it were go to his father in prayer in the God of Gethsemane and also upon the mountains when his days work had finished when he laboured on walked miles seen poor sinners looked upon them in mercy preached to them healed some opened the eyes of the others and then at the close of the day instead of laying his head that sacred head that is upon the pillars we often do he went to the mountain to labour in prayer for his children for his family all I believe has touched my heart a time or two when there's been a little labouring in my heart for my children in thinking that the

[37:56] Lord did decide that he used to go and labour at the end of the day during the night season for this children it may be with some here one or another saying oh there is children well dear friend I'll put it into a simple as I can in a few words the Lord's people are those whom God the Father chose and loved from all eternity of them yes and placed in the hands of his dear son to redeem and his redeemed and blessed his holy life and it's a great multitude of forges that no man can love that's the church of God that's the family of God his sons and his daughters and by the grace of God they are brought in their attacks to labour he laboured for them and it wasn't in time wasn't in time no those prayers that the

[39:04] Lord Jesus offered up to his father was always in the spirit I pray not for the world but for those who ask him and it was always in the spirit the father received it and now this dear man who laboured here on earth now is in the realm of bliss to hear the poor child of his labouring in prayer most upon hour he's gone before he's shown the wife we little realize what is touched in that word as he spake to his disciples and all of his dear people follow me there's something very very deep in that difference all ye that labour and are everything as I mentioned there's many things that the

[40:05] Lord Jesus laboured in and under to bring forth salvation truly he was heavy maiden as he made his way to God and he laboured against those enemies of death what he endured no tongue can tell to save our souls from death and hell or what he had been so persecuted stripped nine road sped upon all that poor man went through how he laboured beneath it all for his people for you if you're among beasts his people for me he promised this way that we might be brought to life eternal life that we should be brought to heaven and the haven of eternal rest what he endured so the dear man laboured and was heavy laden from

[41:15] Beth to Beth the end to Jerusalem really and truly the offence from the manger to the cross that dear man suffered he never suffered in the way of affliction as we do because our natural afflictions come from sin there's no sin in him he was holy and pure in every way shape but he suffered in his death suffered I heard it said I don't believe it cannot believe that but I heard it said that Jesus never entered into suffering before he became a man and entered into the garden of the camp I feel sure my dear friends that Jesus suffered as a wife and as a boy a child he did you say why because holiness cannot be sin he was holy and pure in a world of sin and and therefore there must be a suffering in one sense of heart

[42:39] I'll put it in a few words which is spoken of in the eighth of Romans you know we have if we're born again at two nations can they agree they never have they never were and so that spirit that grace as it were in Christ as a child could not agree with the world they can too walk together unless they feel it and the Lord wasn't atone in this normal world he's atone in heaven and so would all his dear people there be atone in heaven home sweet home we say it respecting our home sometimes and how true it is in matters of heaven no place to night home sweet home and if you've tasted a little of this rest in the closing of our text well that would be your one desire to labor to come there at last by the grace of

[43:48] God and sleep with all this morning amen Gan to numéro so Hymn 723 to 667 Come ye sinners, poor and wretched, weak and wounded, sick and sore.

[44:35] Jesus ready stands to save you, full of pity, joined with power. He is able, he is willing, doubt no more.

[44:52] Hymn 723 Come ye sinners, poor and wretched, weak and wounded, sick and sore.

[45:34] Hymn 723 Come ye sinners, poor and wretched, sick and sore. Hymn 723 Come ye sinners, poor and wretched, sick and sore.

[45:48] Hymn 723 Come ye sinners, poor and wretched, sick and sore.

[46:02] Hymn 723 Come ye sinners, poor and wretched, sick and sore. Hymn 723 Hymn 723 Come ye sinners, poor and wretched, sick and sore.

[46:26] Hymn 723 Come ye sinners, poor and wretched, sick and sore. Hymn 723 Hymn 723 Hymn 723 M23 Hymn 723 T Lyft Hymn 723 T Lyft Chymn 723 T Lyft Hymn 823rap Hymn 723 Amen.

[47:32] Amen. Amen.

[48:32] Amen. Amen.

[49:32] Amen. Amen.