Looking Unto Jesus, Book 3 · Chapter 2 · Section 3
SECT. III. Of Deſiring Jeſus in that reſpect.
3. WE muſt deſire after Jeſus, carrying on the great work of our Salvation in a way of Covenant before his coming in the fleſh. It is not enough to know and conſider, but we muſt deſire. Thus is the order of Gods work, no ſooner hath his Spirit clearly revealed the goodneſs of the Promiſe that we come to know, but the ſoul conſiders of it, turns it upſide down, views it in all its Excellencies, weighs it in the Ballance of its beſt and deepeſt meditation. This done, the Affections begins to ſtir, and the ſoul begins thus to reaſon; O happy I, that I ſee the goodneſs of this gracious Promiſe; but miſerable I, if I come to ſee this, and never have a ſhare in it. O why not I Lord? Why not my Sins Pardoned? VVhy not my Corruptions Subdued? VVhy not the Law Written in my Heart, and put into my inward parts? Why may not I ſay, my Lord and my God? or I am my Beloveds, and my Beloved is mine? VVhy not this Covenant eſtabliſhed between God and me? Now my Soul thirſts after this as a thirſty Land, my affections hunger after Jeſus in a Covenant of Grace: Oh, I would fain be in Covenant with God; for this is all my Salvation and all my deſire, 2 Sam. 23.5. — But here is an Objection. —
The ObjectObject. of this deſire is apprehended as abſent and diſtant; we do not covet thoſe things that we do enjoy; if they are preſent, we rather reſt in them, than move towards them, or deſire after them; how then ſhould David or any ſoul already in a Covenant of grace deſire after the Covenant; What is this? He hath made with me an everlaſting Covenant, 2 Sam. 23.5.ordered in all things, and ſure, for this is all my Salvation and all my Deſire.
Anſw.It is true, the Object of deſire qua tale, is ſomething abſent, yet not alwayes abſent in the whole, but in the parts and degrees of it; the very preſence of a good thing, doth in ſome ſort quicken the deſires towards the ſame thing, ſo far forth as it is capable of improvements or augmentation: As we ſee in external Riches of the Body, none deſire them more eagerly than thoſe that poſſeſs them; and the more gracious the Soul is, the more is the heart enlarged in the appetition of a greater meaſure of Grace; as the putting in of ſome water into a Pump, doth draw forth more: no man is ſo importunate in praying, Lord help my unbelief, as he that can ſay, Lord, I believe: things may be deſired in order to improvement and further degrees of them. Again, things preſent may be the Object of our deſires unto continuance; as he that delighteth in a good thing that he hath, he deſireth the continuance of that delight; ſo the ſoul of a man having a reach as far as immortality, it may juſtly deſire as well the perpetuity, as the preſence of thoſe good things it enjoyeth. —
Come then, O my ſoul, and whet on thy deſires in every of theſe reſpects; as, 1. Deſire after thy intereſt in the Covenant. 2. Deſire after thy improvement of the Covenant. 3. Deſire after the continuance of thy Covenant-ſtate. 4. Deſire after Jeſus the great buſineſs, or the all in all in a Covenant of Grace.
1. Deſire after thy intereſt in the Covenant; O ſay in thy ſelf, is it thus? prov. 1.22, 23is the Lord willing to receive me to his Grace? was that his voice in the ſtreets, how long ye ſimple ones will ye love ſimplicity? turn ye at my reproof, Iſa. 55.1, 3.behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you? was that his Proclamation, Ho, every one that thirſteth, come ye to the waters, encline your ear and come unto me,— and I will make an everlaſting Covenant with you, even the ſure mercies of David? and are theſe the promiſes offered in the Covenant, I will put my Law into their inward parts, Jer. 31.33.and I will write it in your hearts, and I will be your God, and ye ſhall be my People? Deut. 33.29, pſal. 144.15.Oh the Bleſſed condition of thoſe People that are in Covenant with God! Bleſſed art thou O Iſrael, who is like unto thee, a People ſaved by the Lord; Oh happy is the People that be in ſuch a caſe, yea, happy is that People whoſe God is the Lord. But ah! what can I ſay? no ſin like unto my ſin, no miſery like unto my miſery; alas, I am an alien to God, I am ſeparated from his People, I am out of the Covenant; like a poor Prodigal, I dye for hunger, whilſt thoſe that are in my Fathers houſe have bread enough: Oh that I were in their condition! never did David long more for the waters of the well of Bethlehem, than my Soul now touched with the ſenſe of Sin, doth deſire to be at peace with God, and in Covenant with God; O I thirſt, I pant, I gaſp after him, I long for Communion, and Peace with him; Jſa. 26, 9,with my ſoul do I deſire thee in the night, yea, with my Spirit within me do I ſeek thee early.
2. Deſire after the Improvement of the Covenant; it may be God hath given thee an intereſt in it, but alas thy hold is ſo weak that thou ſcarce knoweſt the meaning of it; the Lord may anſwer, but yet he ſpeaks darkly, as ſometimes he ſpake to the woman, go thy way and Sin no more; it is a middle kind of expreſſion,John. 8.11. neither aſſuring that her Sin was pardoned, nor yet putting her out of hope but it might be pardoned; ſo it may be God hath given thee ſome little eaſe, but he hath not ſpoken full peace; go on then and deſire more and more after confirmation: ſay in thine heart, O Lord thou haſt begun to ſhew grace unto thy Servant, but oh manifeſt to me all thy goodneſs; thou haſt given me a drop, and I feel it ſo ſweet, that now I thirſt, and long to enjoy the Fountain; thou haſt given me a kiſs of thy mouth, and now I pant to be united to thee in a more perfect and conſummate marriage; thou haſt given me a taſte, Rom. 8.23.but my appetite and deſire is not thereby diminiſhed, but enlarged; and good reaſon, for what are theſe drops, and taſtes, but only the firſt fruits of the ſpirit? and earneſts of the ſpirit? Epheſ. 1.14.oh then what are thoſe harveſts of Joy? what are thoſe treaſures of wiſdom, and free grace hid in God? I have indeed beheld a feaſt of fat things, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees, of wines on the lees well refined; but O what a Famine is yet in my ſpirit! O Lord I have longed for thy Salvation, I am ready to ſwoon for further union, and clearer manifeſtation of my ſhare and intereſt in this Covenant of grace, come Lord Jeſus come quickly.
3. Deſire after continuance of the Covenant-ſtate: many a ſweet ſoul cannot deny but that the Lord hath ſhewed mercy on him, but he fears that he ſhall not hold out: he feels within ſuch a Power of corruption, ſuch ſtrong temptations, ſo many luſts, that now he doubts, O what will become of my poor Soul? what will be the iſſue of this woful work? why come now and deſire after perſeverance: when Peter was raviſhed on the mount, it is good being here (ſayes he) let us build three Tabernacles; Mat. 17.4.his deſire was to have continued there for ever; and it was the prayer of Chriſt in Peters behalf,Luk. 22.3 I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not; what was this Prayer but Chriſt's vehement deſire of Peters continuing in the faith? ſhall Chriſt deſire, and will not thou deſire after thy own perfection? O come with theſe Pantings, and Breathings after God; put forth thy deſires in theſe or the like expreſſions, O Lord thou haſt ſaid I will betroth thee unto me for ever; Hoſea. 2.19and what means this but that the conjugal love of Chriſt with a gracious ſoul ſhall never be broken? what means this but that the bond of union in a believer to Chriſt is faſtened upon God, and the ſpirit of God holds the other end of it, and ſo it can never be broken? 2. O Lord thou haſt diſcovered in thy Word, that th s union is in the Father, who hath laid a ſure foundation, 2 Tim 2.19the foundation of God ſtandeth ſure, having this ſeal, the Lord knoweth them that are his: John. 13.1.and that this union is in the Son, who loves his to the end: and that this union is in the ſpirit who abides in the elect for ever. 3. Thou haſt diſcovered, that the mountains ſhall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindneſs ſhall not depart from thee, Iſa. 54.10.neither ſhall the covenant of my peace be removed, ſaith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee. 4. Thou haſt ſaid that the Saints ſhall be kept by the Power of God. q. d. The ſpecial Power I mean to put forth in this world, 1 pet. 1.5.it is to uphold the ſpirits of my ſaints; the ſpecial work I have in the world to exerciſe my power about, it is to keep Chriſt and the ſaints together; it is through the power of God that heaven and earth is kept up, but if God muſt withdraw his Power from the one of theſe, ſooner ſhould heaven and earth fall in pieces, than God would not uphold one gracious ſoul that hath Ʋnion with his Son Jeſus Chriſt. And if th…ſe be thy ſayings, why then Lord I deſire the accompliſhment; O fulfil what thou haſt ſaid; it would break my heart if ever the Covenant ſhould be broken betwixt me and thee: my deſire is towards thee, and the more I enjoy thee, the more and more I deſire and pant after thee; my deſires are like thy ſelf, infinite, eternal, everlaſting deſires.
4. Deſire after Jeſus, the great buſineſs, or the all in all in a Covenant of Grace: the moſt proper object of deſire, eſpecia…ly to man fallen, is Jeſus Chriſt: hence it is that a poor ſinner under the ſenſe of ſin, cryes out with the vehemency of deſire, Chriſt, and none but Chriſt; give me Chriſt or I dye, I am undone, I am loſt for ever. But what is Chriſt or Jeſus to a Covenant of grace?Ru…kers tryal of Faith I anſwer, he is the great buſineſs, he is the all in all. Chriſt hath at leaſt a Six-fold relation to the Covenant of grace. 1. As he is more than a creature, he is the Covenant himſelf. 2. As he deals betwixt parties, he is the meſſenger of the covenant. 3. As he ſaw, and heard, and teſtifieth all, he is the witneſs of the covenant. 4. As he undertaketh for the parties at variance, he is the ſurety of the covenant. 5. As he ſtandeth between the contrary parties, he is the Mediator of the covenant. 6. As he ſignifieth the covenant, and cloſeth all the Articles, he is the Teſtator of the covenant. Oh here is abundance of fuel for thy deſire to work upon. 1. Conſider the fuel, and then ſet on the flame thy deſire,
Iſa. 42.6. Iſa. 41.9.1. Chriſt is the covenant it ſelf. I gave thee for a covenant of the People, for a light of the gentiles. And I will preſerve thee, and give thee for a Covenant of the People. Chriſt, God and Man, is all the Covenant: 1. Fundamentally, he is the original of the Covenant; the Covenant of grace takes i…s being and beginning from Chriſt; he is the covenant-maker, undertaker, manager, diſpatcher, he doth every thing in the covenant; 2. Materially, the very ſubſtance of the covenant ſtands in this, I will be their God, and they ſhall be my People; now Chriſt he is both theſe in himſelf; he is God unto his People, and he is the People repreſentatively unto God, and before God. 3. Equivalently; many branches or fruits of the Covenant are to be fulfilled to believers in their ſeaſon, but as ſoon as ever they are Juſtified, Chriſt is ſaid to be the Covenant, as a preſent pawn or earneſt delivered into the hands of a man at the very inſtant of his juſtification; and this pawn is of equal value and worth with the whole Covenant when it is fulfilled to the uttermoſt. Thus Chriſt in every of theſe reſpects is the Covenant it ſelf; he is very peace, and reconciliation it ſelf, and this man ſhall be the Peace when the Aſſyrian ſhall come into our Land. As fire is hot for it ſelf, and all other things hot for it,Micah. 5: 5. as they participate of it; ſo Chriſt is the Covenant it ſelf, and all we are ſo far in Covenant to Chriſt, as we have any thing of Chriſt; want Chriſt, and want peace, and want the Covenant of grace.
2. Chriſt is the meſſenger of this Covenant. The Lord whom ye ſeek ſhall ſuddainly come to his Temple, Mal. 3.1.even the meſſenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in. Chriſt travels with tydings between parties of the Covenant. 1. He reports of God to us, he commends his Father unto us,Joh. 15.1. Joh. 6.29. Joh. 6.48. Joh. 8.12 Joh. 10.9 11. Prov. 1.20. Prov. 9.5. my Father is the husband man; and this is the Fathers will which hath ſent me, that of all which he hath given me, I ſhall loſe nothing; and he commends himſelf to us, it became the Lord Jeſus to commend himſelf, I am the bread of Life, I am the Light of the world, I am the Door, I am the good Shepherd. It is a wonderful thing how Chriſt is a broker, (as I may ſay) for Chriſt; wiſdom cryeth out, ſhe uttereth her voice in the ſtreets; come, eat of my bread, and drink of my wine which I have mingled: Miniſters cannot ſpeak of Chriſt, and of his Father, as he can do himſelf. O my Soul to excite thy deſires, come, and hear Chriſt, ſpeak of Chriſt, and of his Father, and of Heaven, for he ſaw all.Joh. 17.25. 2. He reports of us to God; he commends us to his Father; O righteous Father the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and theſe have known that thou haſt ſent me. Chriſt gives a good report of the Saints in Heaven; the Father and the Son are ſpeaking of him (as I may ſay) behind back, and ſurely a good report in heaven is of high eſteem; Chriſt tells over Ephraim's prayers behind his back, I have ſurely heard Ephraim bemoaning himſelf thus, Jer. 31.18, 20Thou haſt chaſtiſed me, and I was chaſtiſed, as a Bullock unacuſtomed to the yoke, turn thou me and I ſhall be turned, thou art the Lord my God: and thereupon God reſolves, Is Ephraim my dear Son? Is he a pleaſant Child? for ſince I ſpake againſt him, I do earneſtly remember him ſtill, therefore my bowels are troubled for him, I will ſurely have mercy upon him, ſaith the Lord. Happy ſouls of whom Chriſt is telling good Tidings in heaven; for he is the Angel of the Covenant.
3. He is the witneſs of the covenant; he ſaw, and heard all,Iſa. 55.4. Rev. 1.5. Rev. 3.14. Luke 19.10. Behold I have given him for a witneſs to the people. And he is called the faithful witneſs. The Amen: The faithful and true witneſs. The covenant ſaith, The Son of man came to ſeek, and to ſave that which was loſt; Amen, ſaith Chriſt, I can witneſs that to be true; the covenant ſaith, Chriſt dyed, and roſe again for ſinners; Amen ſaith Chriſt, I was dead, and behold I live for evermore; Amen. Rev. 1.18.There's not any thing ſaid in the covenant, but Chriſt is a witneſs to it; and therefore we read in the very end of the Bible, this Subſcription (as I may call it) in relation to Chriſt: He which teſtifieth theſe things, ſaith, ſurely I come quickly. Amen.Rev. 22.20.
4. Chriſt is the Surety of the covenant.Heb. 7.20, 22. In as much as not without an oath he was made a Prieſt, — by ſo much was Jeſus made a ſurety of a better Teſtament. The covenant of works had a promiſe, but becauſe it was to be broken, and done away, it had no oath of God, as this hath; O doubting ſoul, thou ſayeſt thy ſalvation is not ſure, think on this Scripture, thou haſt the oath of God for it; it is a ſworn article of the covenant, Believe in the Lord Jeſus, and thou ſhalt be Saved; and to this end is Chriſt a Surety. 1. Surety for God, he undertakes that God ſhall fulfil his part of the covenant, Fear not little flock, Luke 12.32.for it is your Fathers good pleaſure to give you the Kingdom. And all that the Father giveth me, John 6.37.ſhall come to me, and him that cometh unto me, I will in no wiſe caſt out. 2. Surety for us; and to this purpoſe he hath paid a ranſome for us; and giveth a new heart to us; and he is ingaged to loſe none of us. Thoſe that thou gaveſt me I have kept, and none of them is loſt.John 17.12. Heb. 12.24.
5. Chriſt is the Mediator of the covenant: the Apoſtle calls him Jeſus, the Mediator of the new covenant: He hath ſomething of God, as being true God; and ſomething of man, as ſharing with us of the nature of man; hence he is Mediator by office,Job 9.33. and layeth his hands on both parties, as a dayes-man doth; and in this reſpect he is a friend, a reconciler, and a ſervant. 1. A friend to both parties, he hath Gods heart for man, to be gracious, and he hath mans heart for God to ſatisfie juſtice. 2. A reconciler of both parties; he brings down God to a treaty of peace, and he brings up man by a ranſome paid, ſo that he may ſay unto both, Father come down to my brethren, my kindred and fleſh; and thou my Siſter and Spouſe come up to my Father, and my Father, to my God, and thy God. 3. He is a ſervant to both parties, Behold my ſervant, ſaith God,Iſa. 24.1. Iſa. 53.11. Mat. 20.28. my righteous ſervant. Yea, and our ſervant, He came not to be ſerved, but to ſerve, and to give his life a ranſome for many.
6. Chriſt is the Teſtator of the covenant: He dyed to this very end, that he might confirm the covenant, Where a Teſtament is, Heb. 9.16, 17.there muſt alſo of neceſſity be the death of the Teſtator, for a Teſtament is of force, after men are dead, otherwiſe it is of no ſtrength at all, whiles the Teſtator liveth. Chriſt then muſt dye, and Chriſts blood muſt be ſhed, to ſeal the covenant of grace; it is not every blood, but Chriſts blood that muſt ſeal the everlaſting covenant, Heb. 13.20. And his blood being ſhed, he is then rightly called the Teſtator of the covenant.
O what fewel is here to ſet our deſires on flame? come ſoul, and bend thy deſires towards Chriſt, as the Sun-flower towards the Sun, the Iron to the Loadſtone, and the Loadſtone to the Pole-ſtar; yea, the nearer thou draweſt towards Chriſt, the more and more do thou deſire after Chriſt; true deſires never determine or expire:Bern. delect. evang. ſerm. He that thirſts let him thirſt more (ſaith Bernard) and he that deſires let him deſire, yet more abundantly. Is there not cauſe? O what excellencies haſt thou found in Chriſt? Poor ſoul, thou haſt undone thy ſelf by ſin, there's but a ſtep betwixt thee and damnation; but to ſave thy ſoul, Chriſt comes leaping on the Mountains, and skipping on the Hills; he enters into a covenant with God; he is the covenant, the Meſſenger of the covenant, the Witneſs of the covenant, the Surety of the covenant, the Mediator of the covenant, the Teſtator of the covenant, the great buſineſs, the all in all in a covenant of grace; If David could ſay,Pſal. 119.20. My ſoul breaks for the longings that it hath to thy judgements at all times, how mayſt thou ſay, My ſoul breaks for the longings that it hath to thy mercies, and my Jeſus at all times? Oh I gaſpe for grace, as the thirſty land for drops of rain; I thirſt, I faint, I languiſh, I long for an hearty draught of the Fountain opened to the houſe of David, and to the inhabitants of Jeruſalem. Oh that I could ſee Jeſus flying through the midſt of heaven, with the Covenant in his hand! Oh I long for that Angel of the Covenant; I long to ſee ſuch another viſion as John did, when he ſaid, And I ſaw another Angel flie in the midſt of Heaven, having the everlaſting Goſpel to Preach unto them that dwell upon the Earth. What? Is that Covenant in the hand of Chriſt? and is my name written in that roll? Say Lord; Is my name written on the Heart of Chriſt? Oh! if I had the glory and poſſeſſion of all the world, if I had ten thouſand worlds, and ten thouſand lives, I would lay them all down, to have this poor trembling ſoul of mine aſſured of this: Oh my thirſt is inſatiable, my bowels are hot within me, my deſire after Jeſus in reference to the Covenant is greedy as the grave, the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a moſt vehement flame.