Sheff's Meths at Rest

The main Methodist Church in Sheffield, which meets in rather grand premises at Victoria Hall, has a public display in one of its windows. The theme is ‘rest’. I find British Methodism to be generally disappointing when it comes to clear gospel preaching, yet the Lord Himself said:

Come unto me, all ye that are weary and laden, and I will ease you. Matthew 11:28, Geneva Bible

-Or ‘give you rest’, as the New King James puts it. In the following verse, He offers “rest for your souls”. Salvation is essentially about resting: resting from works-salvation, resting from pride, resting from idolatry, resting from weariness caused by sin, as well as resting in God's love and Christ's arms. False religion, on the other hand, is always burdensome. It keeps on demanding: more rituals, more good works, more door-knocking, more donations, more, more, more. The real Christian knows that the Lord Jesus has paid the price in full; nothing need he add, supplement, top-up or improve upon. He can rest, assured. I trust that the Meths of Sheffield understand this as well as their founders once preached it.

I hear the Saviour say,

"Thy strength indeed is small,

Child of weakness, watch and pray,

Find in Me thine all in all."

Jesus paid it all,

All to Him I owe;

Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I

Where-by Thy grace to claim;

I'll wash my garments white

In the blood of Calv'ry's Lamb.

-Elvina Hall, 1865