Looking Unto Jesus, Book 3 · Chapter 2 · Section 8
SECT. VIII. Of calling on Jeſus in that reſpect.
1. WE muſt call on Jeſus, or on God the Father in and through Jeſus in reference to this gracious Covenant: Now this calling on God containes Prayer and Praiſe.
Jer. 31.16.1. We muſt pray: we muſt uſe Arguments of Faith challenging God, Turn thou me, and I ſhall be turned: Why? for thou art the Lord my God. This Covenant is the ground on which all Prayers muſt be bottomed; the Covenant we know contains all the Promiſes, and what is Prayer but Promiſes turned into Petitions? Thus prayed the Prophet Jeremy, Jer. 14.21, 22.Do not abhor us for thy Names ſake, do not diſgrace the Throne of thy Glory, remember, break not thy Covenant with us.—VVhy? Art not thou he the Lord our God? And thus prayed the Prophet Iſaiah, Iſa. 64.9.Be not wroth very ſore, neither remember iniquity for ever, behold we beſeech thee; and why ſo? we ar… all thy Poople: q. d. Every one doth for its own: the Prince for his People, the Father for his Children, and the Shepherd for his Sheep: and will not God do for his own in covenant with him? Be thy ſoul in the ſaddeſt deſertion, yet come and ſpread the Covenant before God: A Soul in the greateſt depth, ſwimming on this Covenant of Grace, it keeps it from ſinking; whence Chriſt in his blackeſt, ſaddeſt hour, prayed thus, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? Be thy Soul in trouble for ſin and prevailing corruption: yet go to God, and plead his Promiſe and Covenant: ſay as Johoſhaphat, Lord, I am ſo born down by the power of my ſin, that I know not what to do, only mine eyes are unto thee; O do thou ſubdue mine iniquities. Be thy ſoul troubled for want of ſtrength to do this or that duty; yet go to God and Chriſt in the Covenant of Grace, and ſay, Lord thou knoweſt I have no ſtrength of my ſelf, I am a barren Wilderneſs, but thou haſt entred into a Covenant of Grace with me, that thou wilt put thy Law into my inward parts, thou wilt cauſe me to keep thy judgments, and do them. Ezek. 36.27.Ezek. 36.27. As ſometimes thou ſaidſt to Gideon; I have ſent thee, therefore I will be with thee, Judg. 6.16.Judg. 6.16. Many are apt to ſet upon their duties in their own ſtrength; but Oh my ſoul, look thou to the promiſe of Grace, and of the Spirit, and put them in ſuit, and alledge them unto Chriſt. Many are apt to work out their ſanctifications by their VVatchfulneſs, Reſolutions, Vows, Promiſes made unto God; but alas, were there not more help in Gods Promiſes which he makes to us, than in our Promiſes which we make to him, we might lie in our pollutions for ever. O here's the way; in every want, or ſtrait, or neceſſity, fly to God and Chriſt, ſaying, Thou art our Father, and we are thy People, O break not thy Covenant with us. I confeſs ſtrong expreſſions and affections are good in Prayer, but ſurely ſtrength of Faith in the Covenant of God is the greateſt ſtrength of our Prayer.
Here it may be ſome Soul will object,Object. O if I were aſſured that I were in Covenant with God, thus would I pray: but alas, I am a Stranger, an Alien, and ſo have been to this very day, I have no part in the Covenant.
I Anſwer,Anſw. If thou art not actually in Covenant, yet thou may'ſt be in Covenant in reſpect of Gods purpoſe and gracious intention. Howſoever, to encourage all to ſeek unto God, conſider theſe Particulars.—
1. The Freeneſs of the Promiſe in this Covenant of Grace; Come and buy Wine without Money or Money-worth, Iſa. 55.2. Rev. 22.17.come, and drink of the Waters of Life freely.
2. The extent of the Promiſe in this Covenant of Grace: I will pour out my Spirit upon all fleſh; hence the Goſpel is compared to a Feaſt, and God invites univerſally: As many as you find, Mat. 22.9.bid to the Marriage. As perſons are in eſtate, ſo they invite, and ſo they feaſt: now Chriſt is a great King over all the Earth; he hath one Houſe that will hold all; he hath one Table that will hold all: yea, he hath one Diſh that will ſerve all; and anſwerably he invites all: Ho every one that thirſteth.
3. The forwardneſs of Chriſt, that gives to every one that asketh, according to his Promiſe.John 4.10. Hadſt thou but asked (ſaid Chriſt to the Samaritan VVoman) I would have given thee living water. Mark here the occaſion of Chriſt's, words; Chriſt being weary and thirſty by reaſon of his Journey, he asked of the Woman a Cup of water to drink; no great matter; he asks but a Cup of water, and the Woman ſtands at the Well-ſide where was water enough; yet ſhe gives not, but ſtands wondering that he being a Jew ſhould ask water of her that was a Samaritan; well, ſaith Chriſt, thou denieſt me a Cup of cold water, being weary and thirſty, but hadſt thou asked of me, I would have given thee water of Life. Wonderful! Chriſt is more ready to give water of Life, the very Spirit of God, to a poor ſinnner, than we are to give a cup of common water to a thirſty Soul. Go then, thou that haſt denied the leaſt mercy and kindneſs to Chriſt in any of his Members, yet ſeek Grace from him, O look up unto Jeſus! ask his Spirit, intreat him to make thy heart new within thee; plead the promiſe of his Covenant, and wait in hope.
2 We muſt praiſe: 1. If we would have the bleſſing, let us ſeek it with the ſame mind that God offers it (i.e.) with a purpoſe and deſire to have Grace exalted; thus Moſes ſought pardon to this very end, that his mercy might appear; If thou wilt pardon their ſin, thy mercy ſhall appear] and we ſhall be thankful unto thee for it; Exod. 32.32.ſo the words are made out by expoſitros, which in the text are either paſſionately or modeſtly ſuſpended. Theſe are prevailing requeſts with God, when we plead for the Glorifying of his own Grace. Father, Glorifie thy Name, ſaid Chriſt; and preſently there comes a voice out of the Cloud, I have Glorified it, and I will Glorifie it again. John. 12.28.2. If we have the bleſſing already, then be ſure to aſcribe the Glory unto him, that hath made good his promiſe unto us: who is a God like unto thee, Micah. 7, 18.who paſſeſt by the tranſgreſſions of the remnant of thy Heritage? We ſhould make the praiſe of his grace to ring through the world, that Heaven and Earth might take notice of it, and wonder at the grace that hath been ſhewed us. I will mention the loving kindneſs of the Lord, Iſa. 63.7.and the Praiſes of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath beſtowed on us, and the great goodneſs towards the Houſe of Iſrael, which he hath beſtowed on them, according to his Mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving Kindneſſes. See how the Prophet mentions the kindneſſes, the loving kindneſſes, the multitude of his loving kindneſſes; the goodneſs, and the great goodneſs of God; he could hardly get off it; he would have God and Grace to have all the Glory: O my Soul, hath God entered thee into a Covenant of Grace? why then bleſs the Lord O my ſoul, and all that is within me, bleſs his holy Name; Pſal. 103.1.But of this more anon.