Looking Unto Jesus, Book 5 · Chapter 5 · Section 3
SECT. III. Of deſiring after Jeſus in that reſpect.
3. LEt us deſire after Jeſus carrying on the work of our ſalvation in his Life: It is not enough to know and conſider, but we muſt deſire; our meditation of Chriſt, ſhould draw forth our affections to Chriſt; and amongſt all affections, I place this firſt of all, a deſire after Chriſt.
But what is it in Chriſt's Life that is ſo deſirable? I anſwer, every paſſage or particular named; yea, every thing of Chriſt is deſirable (named or un-named) all that concerns Chriſt in any kind whatſoever (if to the former particulars, I ſhould add a thouſand and a thouſand more) it is very precious, and excellent, and neceſſary, and profitable, and comfortable, and therefore deſirable: but to put them in order:
1. The meaneſt things of Chriſt are deſirable things; the very filings of Gold, the duſt or ſparkles of precious Stones are of real price and value, yea, of much worth; yea, the very Leaves of the Tree of Life are healing: the very Hem of Chriſt's garment, but even touched, ſends forth its vertue: the meaneſt and worſt things of Chriſt are incomparably to be deſired above all things; the duſt of Zion, the very ground that Chriſt's feet treadeth on, any thing that hath the pooreſt relation to Jeſus Chriſt, it is deſireable for him. Hence we read that one poor woman ſought no more of him but to waſh Chriſt's feet, and to kiſs them; another woman breaths out theſe deſires after Chriſt, If I may but touch the hem of his garment, I ſhall be whole. Mat. 9.21.Mary Magdalen ſought only to have her Arms filled with his dead body: Joſeph of Arimathea was of the ſame mind: O the bloody winding-ſheet, together with the dead and torn Body of Chriſt in his arms are moſt precious and ſweet. Chriſt's Clay is Silver, and his Braſs Gold: John the Baptiſt thinks it an honour to unlooſe the Latchets of his ſhoes: David, John 1.27.though he was a great Prophet, and appointed to be King over Iſrael, yet his ſoul pants thus, O that I might be ſo near the Lord, as to be a door-keeper in the houſe of my God. Yea,Pſal. 84.10. Ver. 3. he puts an happineſs on the Sparrow and the Swallow, that may build their Neſt beſides the Lords Altar.
2. The more conſiderable actions of Chriſt are eſpecially deſireable. Oh my ſoul, wouldſt thou but run through his Life, and conſider ſome of his more eminent actions, in relation to his Friends, or in relation to his Enemies, what deſires would theſe kindle in thine heart after Chriſt? 1. To his Friends, he was ſweet and indulgent; where there was any beginnings of Grace, he did encourage it: ſo was the Propheſie, A bruiſed reed ſhall he not break, and ſmoking flax ſhall he not quench: Nay,Mat. 12.20. where was but a repreſentation of Grace, he ſeemed to accept of it: Thus, when the young man came and ſaid, What good thing ſhall I do to inherit eternal life? he embraced him,Mar. 10.17, 21 and made much of him; then Jeſus beholding him, he loved him: And ſo the Scribe which asked him, which is the firſt Commandment of all? in the concluſion Chriſt told him,Mar. 12.28, 34 Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God: He laboured to pull him further, in telling him he was not far from Heaven and Glory.Mat. 9.36. And ſo the people that fainted for bread of Life, that were ſcattered abroad as ſheep having no ſhepherd—he was moved with compaſſion on them, foreign: he was bowelled in heart, his very bowels were moved within him. 2. To his enemies he was kind and merciful; many a time he diſcovers himſelf moſt of all unto ſinners; he was never more familiar with any at firſt acquaintance, than with the woman of Samaria that was an Adultreſs; and Mary, that had been a ſinner, how ſweetly did he appear to her at the very firſt view? how ready was he to receive ſinners? how ready to pardon and forgive ſinners? how gracious to ſinners after the pardon and forgiveneſs of ſin? See it in Peter, he never caſt him in the teeth with his Apoſtaſie, he never upbraided him with it, he never ſo much as tells him of it; only he looks upon him: and afterwards, Loveſt thou me? O Peter, loveſt thou me? why, Peter loveſt thou me? Often he was wronged and injured by men, but what then? was he all on a heat? did he call for fire down from heaven to deſtroy them? Indeed his Diſciples, being more fleſh than ſpirit, would fain have had it ſo; but he ſweetly replies, O, you know not what ſpirits you are of: Luke 9.55, 56.the Son of man is not come to deſtroy mens lives, but to ſave them. Sometimes we find him ſhedding tears for thoſe very perſons that ſhed his precious blood: Oh Jeruſalem, Jeruſalem, &c.—if thou hadſt known, even thou, at leaſt in this thy day, the things belonging to thy peace, &c. Why O my ſoul,Iſa. 26.1, 8. if thou wouldſt but run through ſuch paſſages as theſe, how deſireable are they? well might they ſing in that day in the Land of Judah,—In the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee, the deſire of our ſoul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Cant. 5.10, 16.3. The ever bleſſed and holy perſon of Chriſt is deſireable above all. My Beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefeſt of ten thouſands;—yea, he is altogether lovely, or deſireable; ſo Vatablus renders it, Chriſtus eſt totus deſideria, Chriſt is all deſir…s. If the actions of Chriſt be deſirable, what muſt himſelf be? If the parings of his bread be ſo ſweet, what muſt the great Loaf Chriſt himſelf be? Chriſt is admirable in action and perſon, but above all, his perſon is moſt admirable; no creature in the world yields the like repreſentation of God, as the perſon of Jeſus Chriſt; he is the expreſs Image of the perſon of his Father; Heb. 1.3.as the print of the Seal on the Wax is the expreſs image of the Seal it ſelf, ſo is Chriſt the higheſt repreſentation of God; he makes ſimilitude to him, who otherwiſe is without all ſimilitude. And hence it is that Chriſt is called the Standard-bearer of ten thouſands: Cant. 5.10.all excellencies are gathered up in Chriſt, as Beams in the Sun. Come, poor Soul! thy eyes run to and fro in the world to find Comfort and happineſs; thou deſireſt after worldly Honour, worldly Pleaſure, worldly Profits; caſt thy eyes back and ſee Heaven and Earth in one; look if thou wilt at what thy vaſt thoughts can fancy, not only in this world, but in the world to come; or if thou canſt imagine more variety; ſee that, and infinitely more, ſhining forth from the perſon of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: no wonder if the Saints adore him; no wonder if the Angels ſtand amazed at him, no wonder if all Cteatures vail all their glory to him. Oh what are all things in the world to Jeſus Chriſt? Paul compares them together,Phil. 3.8. foreign, all things with this one thing; And I account all things but loſs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chriſt. And I count all things] ſurely all things is the greateſt count that can be caſt up; for it includeth all prices, all ſums; it takes in, Earth, and Heaven, and all therein, that are but as created things; q. d. Nations, and all Nations; Gold, and all Gold; Jewels, and all Jewels; Angels, and all Angels; all theſe, and every all beſides all theſe; what are they in compariſon of Chriſt, but as feathers, dung, ſhadows, nothing? If there be any thing worthy a wiſh, it is eminently, tranſcendently, originally in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; there is no honour, no felicity like that which Chriſt hath; ſome are ſons, Chriſt is an only Son; ſome are Kings, but Chriſt is King of Kings; ſome are honourable, none above Angels, Chriſt is above Angels and Arch-angels: To which of the Angels ſaid he at any time, thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? Heb. 1.5.Some are wealthy, Chriſt hath all the ſheep on a thouſand hills; the very utmoſt parts of the earth are his; ſome are beautiful, Chriſt is the faireſt of all the children of men; he is ſpiritually fair, he is all glorious within; if the beauty of the Angels (which I believe are the beautifulleſt creatures the world has) ſhould be compared with the beauty of Chriſt, which conſiſts in the perfection of the divine nature, and in the perfection of his humane nature, and in the perfection of the graces of his Spirit, they would be but as lumps of darkneſs: The brighteſt Cherub is forc'd to skreen his face from the dazling and ſhining brightneſs of the glory of Chriſt. Alas! the Cherubims and Seraphims are but as ſpangles and twinkling ſtars in the canopy of Heaven, but Chriſt is the Sun of righteouſneſs, that at once illuminates and drowns them all.
Come then, caſt up thy deſires after Chriſt, breath, O my ſoul, after the enjoyments of this Chriſt; fling up to heaven ſome divine ejaculations, Oh that this Chriſt were mine! Oh that the actions of Chriſt, and the perſon of Chriſt were mine! Oh that all he ſaid, and all he did, and all he were from top to the were mine! Oh that I had the ſilver wings of a Dove, that in all my wants I might fly into the boſom of this Chriſt! Oh that I might be admitted to his person? or if that may not be, Oh that I may but touch the very hem of his Garment. If I muſt not ſit at Table, Oh that I might but gather up the Crumbs! Surely there's Bread enough in my Fathers Houſe; Chriſt is the Bread of Life; this one Loaf Chriſt is enough for all the Saints in heaven and earth to feed on; and what muſt I pine away, and periſh with hunger? Oh that I might have one Crum of Chriſt! Thouſands of Inſtructions dropped from him whiles he was on earth; Oh that ſome of that food might be my nouriſhment! Oh that my wayes were directed according to his Statutes! many a ſtream, and wave, Pſal. 119.15. John 7.37.and line, and precept flowed from this Fountain, Chriſt; Oh that I might drink freely of this water of life! He hath proclaimed it in my ears, if any man thirſt, let him come unto me and drink; Oh that I might come, and find welcome! why ſure I thirſt, I am extreamly a thirſt, I feel in me ſuch a burning drought, that either I muſt drink or die; either the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, the holineſs of Chriſt, the holineſs of his Nature, and the holineſs of his Life muſt be imputed unto me, or farewel happineſs in another World; why come, come Lord Jeſus, come quickly; Oh I long to ſee the beauty of thy face! thy glory is ſaid to be an enamouring glory; ſuch is thy beauty, that it ſteals away my heart after thee, and cannot be ſatisfied till with Abſolon, I ſee the Kings face; come Chriſt! or if thou wilt not come, I charge you, O Daughters of Jeruſalem, if ye find my beloved, Cant. 5.8.that ye tell him I am ſick of Love.