Looking Unto Jesus, Book 3 · Chapter 2 · Section 9
SECT IX. Of Conforming to Jeſus in that reſpect.
9 WE muſt conform to Jeſus, in reference to this Covenant of Grace: We are changed by beholding, into the ſame Image. 2 Cor. 3.18.If we look unto Jeſus in this reſpect, this Look will have ſuch an influence upon us, that we ſhall conform to Jeſus. But wherein conſiſts this Conformity? I anſwer, in theſe ſeveral perticulars:
1. God in Chriſt offers his Covenant to us; ſo we through Chriſt ſhould embrace his Offer.
2. God in Chriſt keeps Covenant with us; ſo we through Chriſt ſhould be careful to keep Covenant with him.
3. God in Chriſt hath highly honoured us as we are his People: ſo we through Chriſt ſhould highly honour him as he is our God.
1. God in Chriſt offers a Covenant of Grace to us; ſo we through Chriſt ſhould embrace this gracious Offer. His Offers have appeared from firſt to laſt: as, 1. To Adam. 2. To Abraham. 3. To Moſes. 4. To David. 5. To Iſrael, and to Judah. Take notice of it in that great promiſe of the Covenant, I will be thy God: q. d. Come Soul, if thou wilt but have me, I am thine, here I offer my ſelf, my ſon, my ſpirit, Juſtification, Sanctification, Adoption, Salvation: whatſoever I am, or whatſoever I have, all is thine, if thou wilt but accept of me: Look over all this wide, wide world, and if there be any thing in it that can pleaſe thy ſoul; and when thou haſt gone through all the world, then come and take a view of me, and ſee me in my glory, beauty and excellency; view me in my Attributes, and ſee if thou findeſt not enough in me worthy of thy acceptance: all this, and more than this, nay more than eye can ſee, or ear can hear, or heart can conceive I offer to thee, if thou wilt but have me; Loe, I will he thy God. So Chriſtians! God is firſt with us, he is the firſt mover, he begins with us before we begin with him: I will bring them (ſaith God) into the bond of the Covenant. Now in this let us conform; doth he offer? O let us embrace the offer! doth he lead the way? O let us follow him ſtep by ſtep in that very way as he goes before us! Let us not preſcribe unto God, let not us preſume to appoint the Conditions of the Covenant; let us not ſeek to wind about the Promiſe of Grace to our own Mind and Will: let us not ſay, We will have it thus, thus and thus it ſhall be or elſe we will admit of no conditions of peace: But, O come, take God and Chriſt upon his own Terms; ſubmit to that way of the Covenant, and to thoſe conditions of peace which the Lord preſcribeth; why? this is to conform to his gracious offers. There is much of this offer of Chriſt and conforming to Chriſt, and therefore give me leave to enlarge. As in the offer God uſually ſcatters ſome little ſeeds of Faith in the hearts of thoſe that he will bring to himſelf; ſo it is worth the while to obſerve the work of Faith in receiving and accepting of this gracious offer; only I ſhall not herein limit the Lord; but I will ſhew what ſome conceive the moſt uſual and ordinary courſe of Faiths working, and of the ſouls conforming to Jeſus Chriſt in its cloſing with Chriſt. As thus—
1. Faith hearing the great things propoſed in the Covenant of Grace, it ſtirs up in the heart a ſerious conſideration of their bleſſed condition, that are in covenant with God; Bleſſed art thou O Iſrael, a People ſaved by the Lord—What Nation in the Earth is like thy People, Deut. 33.29. 2 Sam. 7.2.3.even like Iſrael, whom God went to redeem for a People unto himſelf? Time was, (ſaith the Soul) that I counted the proud bleſſed, and the rich bleſſed, and the honourable bleſſed; time was when I placed my bleſſedneſs in other things, as in Riches, Preferments, Favour, Credit with men; but now theſe are become vile, and things of no value; Faith makes us change our voice, and to ſpeak as the Pſalmiſt, Bleſſed are the People whoſe God is the Lord.Pſal. 144.15.
2. Faith ſtirs in the heart a longing deſire after this condition; good being believed, cannot but be deſired and longed for; Deſire naturally ſprings from the apprehenſion of any good being made known; hence Faith (we ſay) is both in the underſtanding and in the will; as it is in the underſtanding, it opens the eye to ſee, and clearly to diſcern the Bleſſing of the Covenant; as it is in the will, it purſues and deſires the attaining of the Grace revealed; nor are theſe deſires faint deſires, but very earneſt, eager, violent; ſometimes it is called a thirſting after God; and ſometimes a panting after God; and ſometimes a gaſping after God: it is ſuch a deſire as cannot be ſatisfied by any thing without God himſelf.
3. Faith ſtirs in the heart ſome hope to enjoy this condition; I ſay ſome hope; for Faith being as yet in the Bud, or in the Seed, though its deſire be ſtrong, yet hope of obtaining is but feeble and weak; hence Faith is taken up with many thoughts: fain would the Soul be joyned to Chriſt, but being as yet diſmayed with the ſenſe of Sin, it ſtands like the Publican, afar off; as yet Faith can ſcarce ſpeak a word to God, only with Jonah, it can look towards his holy Temple. As a poor weak babe who lies in the Cradle ſick, and weak, and ſpeechleſs, only it can look towards the Mother for help; the caſt of the eye expreſſeth in ſome ſort what it would ſay; thus Faith being weak, it would ſpeak to God, but it cannot, or dares not; only it hath its eye towards Heaven;2 Chr. 20.12. as Jehoſhaphat ſometimes ſaid, Our eyes are towards thee. It feels a need, and fain would have; but ſenſe of unworthyneſs, and the ſenſe of the Law ſtrikes ſuch a fear into the heart, that it dares not come near. Conſider Iſraels Caſe, and we ſhall find it parallel to this: God proclaims on the Mount, I am the Lord thy God: what was this, but Gods offer to be in Covenant with Iſrael? and yet the terrour of the Thunder was ſo great, that Iſrael durſt not come near: a poor Soul hearing the Lord to offer himſelf to be in Covenant in him, Come ſoul, I am the Lord thy God. Why alas it dares not come near: What am I the Lord? or what is my Fathers Houſe, that I ſhould enter into a Covenant with the moſt high God? The Soul is unquiet within it ſelf, it is hurried to and fro, and finds no reſt; it hears of Peace with God, but feels it not; there is much ado with the Soul to ſuſtain its hope; only Faith ſets the mind again and again to conſider the promiſes, invitati…, and all other incouragements which God hath given in his Word.
4. Faith ſtirs in the heart ſome reſolves to go to Gods Throne, and to ſue for Grace; Faith ſpeaks within as they did,Jonah. 3.9. Amos. 5.15. Who can tell whether the Lord will return? And, it may be the Lord God of Hoſts will be gracious to the remnant of Joſeph. So, Who can tell? ſaith the Soul; It may be the Lord will, ſaith the Soul: and this begets ſome reſolves as thoſe Lepers in Samaria knew they were ſure to periſh, if they ſate ſtill; therefore they reſolved to try whether the Aramites would ſave them: Or as Eſther, knowing all was undone if ſhe would not ſtir, ſhe would try whether the King would hold out his Golden Scepter: So the poor Soul, knowing there is no way but periſhing, if it continue in its Natural State, therefore it reſolves to go to God: Doth the Lord ſay, Seek my Face? Why, Jer. 3.22.thy Face Lord will I ſeek.—Doth the Lord ſay, Come unto Me? Why, Behold Lord, I come unto Thee; for Thou art the Lord our God. And now, the Soul betakes it ſelf unto God, it ſends up Complaints of it ſelf, it laments its own ſinful Rebellions, it puts out a whole Volley of Sighs, Groans, and ſtrong Cryes towards Heaven; it confeſſeth with Grief and bitter Mourning, all its former Iniquities; it ſmites, with Repenting Ephraim, upon its Thigh; it lyes down at God's Foot-ſtool, it puts its Mouth in the Duſt; it acknowledgeth God's Righteouſneſs if He ſhould condemn, and caſt off for ever; and yet withal, it pleads for Grace, that it may be accepted as one of His: It ſayes unto God; Lord, I have nothing to plead, why Thou may'ſt not Condemn me; but if Thou wilt receive me, Thy Mercy ſhall appear in me: O let Thy Mercy appear, take away all Iniquity, and receive me graciouſly. Thus the Soul lyes at God's Throne, and pleads for Grace.
5. As Faith is thus earneſt in ſuing to God for Grace, ſo it is no leſs vigilant and watchful in obſerving what Anſwer comes from the Lord; even as the Priſoner at the Bar, not only cries for Mercy, but he marks every Word which falls from the Judges Mouth, if any thing may give him Hope; or as Benhadad's Servants lay at catch with the King of Iſrael, to ſee if they could take occaſion by any thing which fell from him, to plead for the Life of Benhadad: So the poor Soul that is now pleading for Life and Grace, it watcheth narrowly, to ſee if any thing may come from God, any Intimation of Favour, any Word of Comfort, that may tend to Peace. O let me hear Joy and Gladneſs.—I will hear what the Lord will ſay; for He will ſpeak Peace unto His People.
6. As Faith waits for an Anſwer, ſo accordingly it demeans it ſelf.
1. Sometimes God anſwers not, and Faith takes on, and follows God ſtill, and cryes after Him with more Strength; as reſolving never to give over, till the Lord either ſave or deſtroy: Nay, if the Lord will deſtroy, Faith chuſeth to die at God's Feet; as when Joab was bidden to come forth from the Horns of the Altar, and to take his Death in another Place; Nay, (ſaith Joab) but I will dye here: Or, as when Chriſt ſaw no Deliverance come in His Agony, He Prayed more earneſtly: So a poor Soul,Luke 22.44. in the Time of its Agony, when it is ſtriving as for Life and Death, if Help come not at firſt Call, it prayes again, and that more earneſtly. Faith is very urgent with God; and the more ſlack the Lord ſeems in anſwering, the more earneſt is Faith in plying God with its Prayers: It will wreſtle with God, as Jacob with the Angel; it will take no Denyal, but will crave ſtill: Bleſs me, even me alſo; O ſend me not away without a Bleſſing!
2. Sometimes God anſwers in part; He ſpeaks as it were out of a Dark Cloud; He gives ſome little Eaſe, but He ſpeaks not full Peace: In this manner He ſpeaks to the Woman; Go thy way, and ſin no more: He doth not ſay; Go in Peace, thy Sin is forgiven thee; John 8.11.No, no; but, Go thy way, and ſin no more. Hereby Faith uſually gets a little Strength, and looks after the Lord with more Hope; It begins to plead with God, as Moſes did; O Lord, Thou haſt begun to ſhew Grace unto Thy Servant; go on, Lord, to manifeſt unto me all Thy Goodneſs. Here Faith takes a little hold on the Covenant of Grace: It may be the Hand of Faith is feeble, ſhaking and trembling; yet it takes a little Hold, it receives ſome Encouragement, it finds that its former Seeking is not in vain.
3. Sometimes God anſwers more fully and ſatisfactorily; He applyes ſome Promiſe of Grace to the Conſcience by His Spirit; He lets the Soul feel & taſte the Comforts of himſelf, or of ſuch and ſuch a Promiſe, more effectually than ever before: Fear not, Iſa. 41.10.(ſaith God) for I am thy God. Here Faith waxeth bold, and with a glad Heart entertains the Promiſe brought Home unto it. The Apoſtle calls this the Embracing of the Promiſes: Now,Heb. 11.13. Embracing implies an Affectionate Receiving with both Arms opened: So the Soul embraceth the Promiſe, and the Lord Jeſus in the Promiſe; and having Him, like Simeon, in his Arms, it layes Him in the Boſom, it brings Him into the Chamber of the Heart, there to reſt and abide for ever. And now is the Covenant ſtruck betwixt God, and the Soul: Now the Soul poſſeſſeth God in Chriſt, as her own; it reſts in Him, and is ſatisfyed with Him, it praiſeth God for his Mercy, as Simeon did, when he had Chriſt in his Arms; it commits it ſelf wholly, and for ever to that Goodneſs and Mercy, which hath been revealed to it.
O my Soul, Haſt thou come thus by little and little, to touch the Top of Chriſt's Golden Scepter? Why then, Is thy Hand given to God? Then art thou entred into a Covenant of Peace? Chriſt's Offering, and thy Receiving the Covenant of Grace, bears a ſweet Agreement, an harmonious Conformity.
2. God in Chriſt keeps Covenant with us; ſo we through Chriſt ſhould be careful and diligent to keep Covenant with God: In the Things of this Life, a ſtrict Eye is had to the Covenants we make. Now, it is not enough for us to enter into Covenant with God; but we muſt keep it: The Lord never will, never hath broken Covenants on His Part; but Alas! we on our Parts have broken the firſt Covenant of Works: Take heed we break not the ſecond; for then there remains not any more place for any more Covenants. As the Lord keeps Covenant with us; ſo let us keep Covenant with Him: and therein is the Bleſſing;Pſal. 103.17, 18. The Mercy of the Lord is from Everlaſting to Everlaſting,—to ſuch as keep his Covenant.
There is much alſo in this keeping of the Covenant; and therefore, give me leave a little to enlarge. Sundry Acts of Faith are required to this keeping of the Covenant: As thus,—
1. Faith in keeping the Covenant, hath alwayes an Eye to the Rule and Command of God: As in Things to be believed, Faith looks on the Promiſe; ſo in Things to be practiſed, Faith looks upon the Command. Faith will preſent no ſtrange Fire before the Lord; it knows that God will accept of nothing, but what is according to His own Will.
2. As Faith takes Direction from the Rule; ſo in keeping of the Covenant, it directs us to the right End, that is, to the Glory of God. We are of Him, and live in Him; and by Faith we muſt live to Him,Rom. 14.7, 8. 2 Cor. 5.15. Pſal. 50.15. Pſal. 86.12. & for Him: For none of us liveth to himſelf, and no Man dieth to himſelf; for whether we live, we live unto the Lord; & whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's. Again, He died for all, that they which live ſhould not henceforth live unto themſelves, but unto Him which died for them. This God claims as His right and due: Thou ſhalt glorifie Me, ſaith God: Yes, ſaith Faith, I will glorifie thee for ever.
3. Faith in keeping the Covenant, ſhields the Soul againſt all Hinderances that it meets withal: As for inſtance, Sometimes we are tempted on the Right Hand by the Baits and Allurements of the World; All theſe will I give thee, ſaith the World, if thou wilt be mine; but then Faith overcomes the World, by ſetting afore us better Things than theſe: Sometimes we are tempted on the Left Hand, by Croſſes, Afflictions, Perſecutions, and Sufferings for the Name of Chriſt; but then Faith helps us to overcome, and makes us Conquerours through Chriſt that loved us, by ſetting before us the End of our Faith and Patience.Heb. 12.2. It is ſaid of Jeſus, That for the Joy that was ſet before Him, He endured the Croſs and deſpiſed the Shame.
4. Faith encourageth the Soul, that the Lord will have a Gracious Reſpect unto its keeping Covenant:Acts 10.33. In every Nation he that feareth Him, and worketh Righteouſneſs, is accepted with Him. Surely this is no ſmall Encouragement to well-doing: What would not a Servant do, if he knew his Lord will take it in good part? Now, Faith aſſures the Soul, there is not one Prayer, one Holy Deſire, or one Good Thought, or Word which is ſpoken or done to the Glory of God, but God takes notice of it, and accepts it in good part. Then they that feared the Lord,Mal. 3.16. ſpake often one to another; and the Lord hearkned, and heard it; and a Book of Remembrance was written before Him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His Name.
5. Faith furniſheth the Soul with Strength and Ability to keep the Covenant: By Faith we get a Power and Strength of Grace. As thus: —
1. By Faith we look at Chriſt, as having all Fulneſs of Grace in Himſelf; It pleaſed the Father, Col. 1.19.that in Him ſhould all Fulneſs dwell: All others have but their Meaſures, ſome more, ſome leſs, according to the Meaſure of the Gift of Chriſt; but Chriſt hath received the Spirit, John 3.34.not by Meaſure, but in the Fulneſs of it.
2. By Faith we know, that whatever Fulneſs of Grace is in Chriſt, He had it not for Himſelf only,Pſal. 68.18. John 1.16. but for us: He received Gifts for Men, ſaid the Pſalmiſt; not for Himſelf meerly, but for Men: Of His Fulneſs we receive Grace for Grace, ſaith John: His Wiſdom to make us wiſe, His Meekneſs to make us meek, and His Patience to make us patient.
3. By Faith we look at Chriſt, as Faithful to diſtribute ſuch Grace unto us, as He received for us:Heb. 4.2. He is Faithful in all the Houſe of God; He is Faithful in diſpenſing all the Treaſures of Grace committed unto Him, for His Churches Good: He keeps nothing back: His Faithfulneſs will not ſuffer Him to keep that to Himſelf, which He hath received for us.Pſal. 68.18. Hence as the Pſalmiſt ſaith, He received Gifts for Men; ſo the Apoſtle renders it, He gave Gifts unto Men: As he receives, ſo he gives;Epheſ. 4.8. being faithful in all that is committed to Him.
4. By Faith we ſeek God, and beg Performance of his Promiſes according to our need: Do we want Wiſdom, Meekneſs, Patience, or any other Grace? Faith carries us by Prayer unto the Fountain, and in this way waits and expects to receive the Grace we want. As the Child by ſucking the Breaſt, draws forth Milk for its own Nouriſhment, and thereby it grows in Strength; ſo do we by the Prayer of Faith, ſuck from Chriſt, and from the Promiſe of Grace, and by that means derive Strength to our inner Man, to fulfil the Covenant which we have made with God.
6. As Faith ſtrengthens us; ſo if at any times, by occaſion or temptation, we fail in our Covenant-keeping, Faith recovers us, and reſtores us again to our former Eſtate: I do not ſay, the Covenant can be broken betwixt God and Us; we may offend God, and fail in the Service of God; but till we refuſe God, and leave God, and chuſe another Maſter, Lord, and Husband beſides God, there is no Diſſolution of the Covenant of Grace. Now, this a true Believer cannot do; He may fall, and fall often; yet he doth not fall, but he riſes again: he may turn aſide, but yet he returns again into the way of the Covenant. What a ſweet Point is this? Chriſtians, We may, and ſometimes we do walk weakly, in keeping of Covenants; our feet ſlip, and we ſtep aſide out of God's Path; yet Faith brings us back again to God: It caſts Shame on our Faces, that after all the Grace ſhewed us, we ſhould ſo ill requite God: It reminds us of thoſe Promiſes, Return unto Me, and I will return unto you. —Ye have done all this Wickedneſs, Zech. 1.3. 1 Sam. 12.20, 22.yet turn not aſide from following the Lord: — For the Lord will not forſake his People, for his Great Names ſake, becauſe it hath pleaſed the Lord to make you his People. In the minding of theſe, and ſuch other Promiſes, Faith doth encourage us to return unto God, to take words unto our ſelves, and to plead the Covenant of his Grace towards us: This VVork of Faith brought Peter back to Chriſt; whereas Judas wanting this Faith, lies down in deſperate Sorrow, never able to riſe up, or to recover himſelf.
O my Soul! Art thou acquainted with theſe Acts of Faith, enabling thee in ſome good meaſure to keep Covenant with God? Then is there a ſweet Conformity betwixt Thee, and Jeſus.
3. God in Chriſt hath highly honoured us, as we are his People; ſo we through Chriſt ſhould honour Him highly, as He is our God: This is the main End of the Covenant; and I ſhall end with this: O my Soul, be like to God, bear the Image and Reſemblance of God thy Father, in this Reſpect: He hath humbled Himſelf to advance thee; O then humble thy ſelf to advance Him; endeavour every way to exalt his Name.
We are willing to be in Covenant with God, that we may ſet up our ſelves, that we may ſit upon Thrones, and poſſeſs a Kingdom: But we muſt think eſpecially of ſetting up the Lord upon his Throne: Aſcribe Greatneſs to our God, ſaith Moſes; Deut. 32.3.make it a Name, and a Praiſe unto Him, that he hath vouchſafed to make us his People, and to take us into Covenant with Himſelf: Honour Him as he is God; but honour Him more abundantly, as he is our God: Who ſhould Honour Him, if his People will not? The World knows Him not; The Wicked will not ſeek after God, Pſal. 10.4,— God is not in all his Thoughts. And, Shall God have no Honour? Shall He that ſtretched out the Heavens, and laid the Foundations of the Earth, and formed Man upon it, have no Glory? O yes! The Lord Himſelf anſwers; This People have I formed for My Self, Iſa. 43.21.they ſhall ſhew forth My Praiſe: Surely, God will have Praiſe from his own People, whom he hath taken unto Himſelf: He will be glorifyed in all thoſe that come near Him.Lev. 10.3.
But, How ſhould we honour God? I anſwer: —
1. We muſt ſet Him up as chief and higheſt in our Eſteem: Kings acount not themſelves honoured, if they be not ſet above other Men: And hence God's People have uſed ſuch Expreſſions concerning God, as do ſingle Him forth beyond the Compariſon of all Creatures. Thus Moſes; Who is like unto Thee amongſt the Gods? Who is like unto Thee, Exod. 15.11. 2 Sam. 7.22.glorious in Holyneſs▪ fearful in Praiſes, doing Wonders? Thus David; Thou art Great, O Lord God, for there is none like Thee, neither is there any God beſides Thee, according to all that we have heard with our Ears. Thus Solomon; Lord God of Iſrael,1 King. 8.22. there is no God like unto Thee in Heaven above, or in the Earth beneath; who keepeſt Covenant and Mercy with Thy Servants? Thus Micah; Who is a God like unto Thee, Micah 7.18.which paſſeſt by the Tranſgreſſions of the Remnant of thine Heritage? And thus ſhould we riſe up in our Thoughts and Apprehenſions of God, until we come to an Holy Extaſie and Admiration of God.
2. We muſt count it our Bleſſedneſs, and higheſt Dignity, to be a People in Covenant with God: Are we Honourable? Yet eſteem this as our greateſt Honour, that God is our God: Are we low and deſpiſed in the World? Yet count this Honour enough, that God hath lifted us up to be his People. Chriſtians, if when we are counted as things of nought, we can quiet our ſelves in this, that God is our God; if when we are perſecuted, impriſoned, diſtreſſed, we can ſay with Jacob, I have enough, becauſe the Lord hath Mercy on me, and hath taken me into Covenant with Him: ſurely then we do bear Witneſs of God before Heaven and Earth, that He is better to us than Corn, or Wine, or Oyl, or whatſoever this World affords.
3. We muſt lie under the Authority of every Word of God, and we muſt conform our ſelves to the Examples of God; that is, we muſt labour to become Followers of God, and imitate his Virtues. It is a part of that Honour which Children owe to their Parents, to obey their Commands, and to imitate their Godly Example: we cannot honour God more, than when we are Humbled at his Feet to receive his Word, than when we renounce the Manners of the world, Deut. 31.3. Epheſ. 5.1.to become his Followers as dear Children. O think of this! for when we conform indeed, then are we Holy as he is Holy, and Pure as he is Pure; and then, How ſhould this but tend to the Honour and Glory of our Good God?
Thus far we have Looked on Jeſus, as our Jeſus, in that dark Time, before His Coming in the Fleſh: Our next Work is to Look on Jeſus, carrying on the Great VVork of Man's Salvation, in His Firſt Coming or Incarnation.