Looking Unto Jesus, Book 10 · Chapter 2 · Section 9
SECT. IX. Of conforming to Jeſus in that reſpect.
9. LET us conform to Jeſus, as coming again to judge the World. Looking to Jeſus contains this; when the Apoſtle would perſwade Chriſtians to patience under the croſs, he lays down firſt the cloud of witneſſes, all the Martyrs of the Church of Chriſt; and ſecondly Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, as of more vertue and power than all the reſt; the Martyrs ſuffered much, but Chriſt endured more than they all; and therefore ſaith the Apoſtle,Heb. 12.2. look unto Jeſus; ſurely he is the beſt exemplar, the chief pattern to whom in all his tranſactions, we may in ſome way or other conform.
But how ſhould we conform to Chriſt in this reſpect? I Anſwer—
1. Chriſt will in his time prepare for judgment; Oh let us at all times prepare for his judging of us; doth it not concern us to prepare for him, as well as it concerns him to prepare for us? if Chriſt come, and find us careleſs, negligent, unprepared, what will become of us? the very thought of Chriſt's ſudden coming to judgment might well put us into a waiting, watching poſture, that we might be ſtill in readineſs; it cannot be long, and alas, what is a little time when it is gone; how quickly ſhall we be in another World, and our ſouls receive their particular judgments; and ſo wait till our bodies be raiſed, and judged to the ſame condition, or ſalvation? it is not an hundred years in all likelyhood, till every ſoul of us ſhall be in heaven or hell; it may be within a year, or two, or ten, or thereabouts, the greateſt part of this congregation will be in Heaven or Hell; and I beſeech you what is a year, or two, or ten? what is an hundred, or a thouſand years to the dayes of eternity? how ſpeedily is this gone? and how endleſs is that time, or eternity that is come? is it not high time then to prepare our lamps, to trim our ſouls, to watch, and faſt, and pray, and meditate, and to remember that for all our deeds, good or evill, God will bring us to Judgment? herein is our Conformity to Chriſt's coming; before he comes he prepares for us, oh let us againſt his coming prepare for him.
2. Chriſt at his coming will ſummon all his Saints to ariſe, to aſcend, and to come to him in the clouds; O let us ſummon our ſouls to ariſe, to aſcend, and to go to Chriſt in the Heavens. What Chriſt will do really at that day, let us do ſpiritually on this day. It was the prodigal's ſaying, I will ariſe, and go to my Father, and ſay unto him. Luk. 15.18.We are naturally ſluggiſh, we lye in a bed of ſin, and ſecurity; and we are loath to ariſe, to aſcend, and to go to God. Oh then let us call upon our own ſouls! Awake, awake Deborah! why art thou ſo heavy O my ſoul? let us ſtir up our ſpirits, conſciences, wills, affections every day; let us wind them up, as a man doth his Watch, that it may be in a continual motion. Alas! alas! we had need to be continually ſtirring up the gifts and graces that are in us; it is the Lords pleaſure that we ſhould daily come to him, he would have us on the wing of Prayer, and on the wing of Meditation, and on the wing of Faith; he would have us to be ſtill ariſing, aſcending and mounting up in divine contemplation to his Majeſty. And is it not our duty, and the Saints diſpoſition to be thus? Whetherſoever the dead carcaſs is, thither will the Eagles reſort: Matth. 24.28.if Chriſt be in Heaven, where ſhould we be but in Heaven with him? For where your Treaſure is, there will your hearts be alſo. Oh that every morning, and every evening, at leaſt, our hearts would ariſe, aſcend, and go to Chriſt in the Heavens.
3. Chriſt will at laſt judge all our ſouls, and judge all the wicked to eternal flames; oh let us judge our ſelves, that we may not be judged of the Lord in that ſad Judgment. If we would judge our ſelves (ſaith the Apoſtle) we ſhould not be judged. 1 Cor. 11.31.Good reaſon we have to conform to Chriſt in this point, or otherwiſe how ſhould we eſcape the judgment of Chriſt at the laſt day? but in what manner ſhould we judge our ſelves? I anſwer— 1. We muſt ſearch out our ſins. 2. We muſt confeſs them before the Lord. 3. We muſt condemn our ſelves, or paſs a ſentence againſt our own ſouls. 4. We muſt plead pardon, and cry mightily to God in Chriſt for the remiſſion of all thoſe ſins whereof we have judged our ſelves, and condemned our ſelves.
1. We muſt ſearch out our ſins. Winnow your ſelves O people, not worthy to be beloved. Zeph. 2.1.There ſhould be a ſtrict ſcrutiny to find out all the prophaneſs of our hearts and lives, all our ſins againſt light, and love, and checks, and vows; winnow your ſelves. If you will not, I pronounce to you from the eternal God, that ere long the Lord will come in the Clouds, and then will he open the black Book wherein all your ſins are written; he will ſearch Jeruſalem with candles, he will come with a Sword in his hand to ſearch out all ſecure ſinners every where, and then will all your ſins be diſcovered to all the World. O that we would prevent this by our ſearch and ſcrutining a forehand.
2. We muſt confeſs our ſins before the Lord; we muſt ſpread them before the Lord as Hezekiah did his letter; onelyonly in our confeſſions obſerve theſe rules; As—
1. Our confeſſion muſt be full of ſorrow,Pſal. 38.18. I will declare my iniquity (ſaith David) I will be ſorry for my ſin. His confeſſions were dolorous confeſſions; he felt ſin, and it wrought upon him as an heavy burthen, They were two heavy for me. Ver. 4.There's nothing in the World can make an heart more heavy, than when it feels the weight and heavineſs of ſin.
2. Our confeſſion muſt be a full confeſſion, we muſt pour it out. Thus David ſtiles one of his Pſalms, A prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed, Pſalm 102. Preface.and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. We muſt pour out our complaints, as a man poureth water out of a Veſſel. Ariſe, cry out in the night, in the beginning of the watches, pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord. Water runs all out of a Veſſel,Lam. 2.19. when you turn the mouth downward, never a ſpoon-ful will then ſtay behind; ſo ſhould we pour out our hearts before God, (and if it were poſſible) leave not a ſin unconfeſſed, at leaſt for the kinds, if not for the particular ſins.
3. Our confeſſion muſt be with full aggravation; we ſhould aggravate our ſins by all the circumſtances, that may ſhew them odious. Thus Peter when he had denyed Chriſt, it is ſaid that he thought thereon, and he wept. He thought thereon,Matth. 14 72. or he caſt in his thoughts one thing upon another; q. d. Jeſus Chriſt was my Maſter and yet I denyed him, he told me of this before-hand, that I might take heed of it, and yet I denyed him; I profeſſed to him that I would never do it, I would never forſake him, and yet I denyed him; yea, this very night, and no longer ſince, I ſaid it again and again that I would not deny him, and yet I denyed him; yea, I fail'd, Although others deny thee, yet will not I; and yet worſe than all others, I denyed him with a witneſs, for I affirmed deſperately that I knew not the man; nay, I ſware deſperately that I knew not the man; nay more than ſo, I ſware, and I curſed too, If I knew the man, let Gods curſe fall upon me; and all this I did within a few ſtrides of my Lord; at that very time when I ſhould have ſtood for my Lord, in that all the World forſook him; why, theſe were the circumſtances of Peters ſin, and meditating on them, He went out and wept bitterly. And thus we ſhould aggravate our ſins in our confeſſions; O my ſins were out of meaſure ſinful. O they were ſins againſt knowledg, and light, againſt many mercies received, againſt many judgments threatned, againſt many checks of conſcience, againſt many vows and promiſes; thus oft, and in this place, and at that time, and in that manner, I committed theſe and theſe ſins; but of all the aggravations, let us be ſure to remember how we ſinned againſt the goodneſs, and patience, and love, and mercy of God; ſurely theſe circumſtances will make our ſins out of meaſure ſinful. The Angel that reproved the Children of Iſrael at Bochim, after the repetition of his mercies towards them,Judges. 2.2. and of their ſins againſt him, he queſtions them in theſe words, Oh why have ye done this? q. d. The Lord hath done thus and thus mercifully unto you, oh why have ye done thus unthankfully towards him? why was his mercy abuſed, his goodneſs ſlighted, his patience deſpiſed? do ye thus requite the Lord O fooliſh people and unwiſe? in like manner ſhould we confeſs and aggravate our ſins, O my God, thou art my Father; was I ever in want, and thou didſt not relieve me? was I ever in weakneſs, and thou didſt not ſtrengthen me? was I ever in ſtraits, and thou didſt not deliver me? was I ever in ſickneſs, and thou didſt not cure me? was I ever in miſery, and thou didſt not ſuccor me? haſt thou not been a gracious God to me? all my bones can ſay, who is like unto thee; Lord, who is like unto thee? and ſhall I thus and thus reward the Lord for all his mercies towards me? hear O Heavens, and hearken O Earth; Sun ſtand thou ſtill, and thou Moon be thou amazed at this! hear Angels, and hear Devils; hear Heaven, and hear Hell, and be you avenged on ſuch a ſin as this is! O the ſinfulneſs of my ſin in regard of theſe many circumſtances.
3. We muſt condemn our ſelves, or paſs ſentence againſt our own ſouls; Lord, the worſt place in Hell is too good for me; Lord here is my ſoul, thou mayſt if thou pleaſeſt ſend Satan for it, and give me a portion among the damned. This ſelf-judging, or ſelf-condemning is exemplified to this life in Ezra; for—
Ezra. 9.5.1. He fell on his knees, he did not bow down his knees, but like a man aſtoniſhed he fell on his knees; he had before rent his garment, and mantle, and pluckt off the hair of his head and off his beard, and ſate down aſtoniſhed; and now at the evening ſacrifice he falls on his knees, and on the ground in great amazement.
Ver. 5.2. He ſpread out his hands unto the Lord; q. d. here is my breaſt, and here is my heart-blood, I ſpread my arms, and lay all open, that thou mayſt ſet the naked point of thy ſword of juſtice at my very heart.
Ver. 10.3. He is dum, and ſpeechleſs (as it were) before the Lord; And now our God, what ſhall we ſay after all this? for we have forſaken thy commandments; q. d. ſhall I excuſe the matter? alas! it is inexcuſable? what ſhall we ſay after all this? ſhall we call for thy patience? we have had it, but how did we abuſe it? ſhould we call for mercy? indeed we had it, but our ſtubborn hearts would never come down: O our God what ſhall we ſay? I know not what to ſay, for we have ſinned againſt thee.
4. He layes down his ſoul, and all the Peoples ſouls at God's feet, q. d. here we are,Ver. 15. thou mayeſt damn us if thou wilt, Behold we are all here before thee in our treſpaſſes, for we cannot ſtand before thee, becauſe of this. Behold here we are, rebels we are; here are our heads and throats before the naked point of thy vengeance, if now thou ſhouldſt take us from our knees, and throw us into Hell, if we muſt go from our prayers to damnation, we cannot but ſay that thou art juſt and righteous; Oh its mercy, its mercy indeed that we have been ſpared, its juſt and righteous with God that we ſhould be damned.
In this more eſpecially lyes ſelf-condemnation; it makes a man to trample upon his own ſelf, it makes a man freely to accept of damnation;Levit. 26.41, 42. They ſhall accept of the puniſhment of their iniquity, and then will I remember my covenant with Jacob; they ſave God (as it were) a labour, judging themſelves, that they may not be judged.
4. We muſt plead pardon, and cry mightily to God in Chriſt, for the remiſſion of all our ſins. This is the way of judging our ſelves, we ſee nothing but Hell and damnation in our ſelves, but then we fling down our ſelves at God's gate of mercy; we deſpair not in God, though in our ſelves; God in Chriſt is gracious and merciful, forgiving iniquity, tranſgreſſion, and ſin; and hence we make bold to intreat the Lord for Chriſt's ſake to be merciful to us; ſurely herein lies the difference betwixt nature and grace; the natural man may ſee his ſins, and confeſs his ſins, and judge himſelf for his ſins; thus Saul did, and thus Judas did, but then they deſpaired in God, and were damned indeed; now the gracious man hath a conſcience within, that repreſents to him his damned eſtate, but withal, it repreſents to him the free grace of God in Jeſus Chriſt, and ſo he onelyonly deſpairs in himſelf, and not in his God; now thus far good: come Chriſtians! do we deſpair in our ſelves? do we fling off all our own hopes, and our own dependencies, hangings, holdings on duties, purpoſes, graces, performances? and do we go to God in Chriſt, and tell him, We hang upon nothing but the mere mercy, the free grace of God in Chriſt; and therefore Lord pardon, Lord forgive for thy Names ſake, promiſe ſake, mercies ſake, and for the Lord Jeſus ſake: O let free grace have his work; Lord glorifie thy Name, and glorifie the riches of thy grace in ſaving us: Why, this is the beſt hold in the World, though the World cannot abide it; ſurely if we thus judge our ſelves, we ſhould not be judged.
4. Chriſt at his coming will be glorified in his Saints; not onelyonly in himſelf, but in his Saints alſo; whoſe glory as it comes from him, ſo it will redound to him: Oh let him now be glorified in us, let us now in ſome high way conform to the image of his glory, let us look on Chriſt till we are like Chriſt, not onelyonly in grace, but in glory; and this glory as it comes from him, ſo let it redound to him. I will not ſay, that the Kingdom of Heaven and glory is in this life, I leave this opinion to the dreamers of this time, I mean to the Familiſts, Quakers, and ſuch like; but this I ſay, that even in this life the Saints of God enjoy a begun and imperfect conformity to Chriſt's glory; and this is that I would now preſs upon us; let us ſo behold the glory of the Lord in the glaſs of the Goſpel, 2 Cor. 3.18.as that we may be changed into the ſame image from glory to glory; from a leſſer meaſure to an higher meaſure of glory. The day is a coming that Chriſt will be glorified in himſelf, and he will be glorified in his Saints, O the glories that will then be accumulated and heaped upon Jeſus Chriſt! come now, let us behold this glory of Chriſt till we are changed in ſome high meaſure into the ſame glory with Chriſt; Chriſt's glory rightly viewed is a changing glory: And herein the views of Chriſt ſurpaſs all creature-views, if we behold the Sun, we cannot poſſibly be changed into another Sun, but if with the eye of knowledge and faith we behold Jeſus Chriſt, we ſhall be changed into the glorious image of Jeſus Chriſt; if the Sun of righteouſneſs caſt forth his golden beams upon us, and we enjoy this light; why then,Cant. 6.10. Who is ſhe that looketh forth as the morning (as Aurora, the firſt birth of the day) fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun.
I know this glorious change is but a growing change by degrees, from glory to glory; and yet who can deny but there is ſome conformity to Chriſt's glory, even in this life? do not theſe very Texts ſpeak the ſelf ſame thing? Theſe things have I ſpoken to you, John 15.11. 1 John 1.4. John 16.24. Iſa. 66.10, 11.that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. And theſe things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. And ask, and ye ſhall receive, that your joy may be full. And rejoyce with Jeruſalem, and be glad with her all ye that love her,—that ye may ſuck and be ſatisfied with the breſts of her conſolations, that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. Rom. 5.13.And the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing. Surely all joy, and peace, are ſynechdochically put for all other inchoations of glorification. But how is a Saint in this life filled with all joy? I anſwer, 1. In regard of the obiect, God and Chriſt. 2. In regard of the degrees; though not abſolutely, yet ſo far forth, as the meaſure of ioy is in this life attainable; I might inſtance in the joy of Mr. Peacock, Mrs Brettergh, and of ſome Martyrs, who ſung in the fires. 3. In regard of duration, rejoyce always, Phil. 4.4.not onelyonly in the calm of peace, but in the ſtorm of violent oppoſition. A Saint may have his troubles, but theſe troubles can never totally or finally extinguiſh his joy,John 16.22. your joy no man taketh from you. He rejoyceth always.
O that ſomething of the glory of Chriſt might reſt upon us! oh that having this glory of Chriſt in our thoughts, we could now feel a change from glory to glory! Is it ſo that the Lord Jeſus will be glorified in all his Saints? and ſhall we have in-glorious ſouls; baſe and unworthy affections and converſations? or ſhall we content our ſelves with a little meaſure of grace? O be we holy, even as he is holy; let our converſations be heavenly, let us purifie our ſelves even as he is pure; let us reſemble him in ſome high meaſure of grace. And laſtly, let us glorifie him in bodies and ſpirits; all our glory is from him; and therefore let all our glory redound to him; let us now begin that Goſpel-tune of the eternal ſong of free grace, which one day we ſhall more perfectly chant in glory; Allelujah! and again Allelujah! and Amen Allelujah! ſalvation, and glory, and power, and praiſe, and thanksgiving, and obedience, be unto him that ſits on the throne, the Lamb bleſſed for ever and ever, Amen.