Looking Unto Jesus, Book 5 · Chapter 5 · Section 7 – Section 8
SECT. VII. Of Joying in Jeſus in that reſpect.
7. LEt us joy in Jeſus, as carrying on the great work of our Salvation for us, during his Life. But what is there in Chriſt's life, or in all the paſſages of his Life to ſtir up Joy? I anſwer, all his life, and all the paſſages of his life, if rightly applied, are excellent matter for the ſtirring up of this Affection: indeed the main of the work is in the application of Chriſt's life; if ever we rejoyce ſpiritually in Chriſt, we muſt bring together the object and the faculty; and this Union of the object and the faculty, is uſually wrought by contemplation, or by confidence, or by fruition; I ſhall but a while inſiſt on theſe, that we may come up at laſt to rejoyce in Chriſt, yea, if it were poſſible to rejoyce, and again rejoyce.
1. Let us contemplate on this life of Chriſt, let us think of it in our minds; there is a kind of delight in knowing ſome things ſpeculatively, which we would abhor to know experimentally; and therefore the Devil's firſt temptation was drawn from the knowledge of evil, as well as good; he knew that the mind of man would receive content in the underſtanding of that, which in its own nature had no perfection at all; now if there be a delight in the contemplation of evil, how much more in the contemplation of that which is good? And is not the life of Chriſt, the Graces, the Virtues, the holy Actions, the dear Affections of Jeſus Chriſt to us-ward, good, and very good? Come then, ſtir up our memories, let us be ſetled men; let us ſpend our frequent thoughts upon this bleſſed Object; the reaſon we miſs of our joyes, is, becauſe we are ſo little in comtemplations of our Chriſt. It is ſaid that he pities us in our ſorrows, but he delights in us, when we delight in him. Certainly he would have us to delight in him, and to that purpoſe he way-layes our thoughts, that whereſoever we look, we ſhall ſtill think on him: O my ſoul, caſt thine eyes which way thou wilt, and thou ſhalt hardly look on any thing, but Chriſt Jeſus hath taken the name of that very thing upon himſelf. What, is it day? and doſt thou behold the Sun? He is called the Sun of righteouſneſs: Mal. 4.2. Num. 24.17, 19.Or, is it night? and doſt thou behold the Stars? He is called a Star: There ſhall come a Star out of Jacob—out of Jacob ſhall he come that ſhall have dominion. Or, is it Morning? and doſt thou behold the morning-ſtar? He is called the bright morning-ſtar. Rev. 22.16.Or, is it Noon? and doſt thou behold clear light all the world over in thy Hemiſphere? He is called the Light, and that Light, and that Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. John 1.7, 8, 9.Or, to come a little nearer; if thou lookeſt on the earth, and takeſt a view of the Creatures about thee, ſeeſt thou the ſilly ſheep? He is called a ſheep;Iſa. 53.7. as a ſheep before her ſhearer is dumb, ſo he openeth not his mouth: or ſeeſt thou a Lamb bleating after the harmleſs ſheep?John 1.29. He is called a Lamb; Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the ſins of the world: Seeſt thou a Shepherd watching over his flock, by day or night? He is called a Shepherd: I am the good Shepherd, and know my ſheep, and am known of mine: John 10.14.Or ſeeſt thou a Fountain, Rivers, Waters? He is called a Fountain: In that day there ſhall be a Fountain opened to the Houſe of David, and to the inhabitants of Jeruſalem, Zach. 13.1.for ſin and for uncleanneſs: Or ſeeſt thou a Tree good for Food,Prov. 3.18. Cant. 2.3. or pleaſant to the eye? He is called the Tree of Life: and, as the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood, ſo is my Beloved among the Sons. Seeſt thou a Roſe, a Lilly, any fair Flower in a Garden?Cant. 2.1. He is called a Roſe, a Lilly: I am the Roſe of Sharon, and the Lilly of the Valleys: or to come a little nearer yet; art thou within doors? I am the door, by me if any man enter in he ſhall be ſaved, John 10.9.and ſhall go in and out, and ſhall find paſture. Art thou adorning thy ſelf, and takeſt a view of thy Garments? He is called a Garment:Rom. 13.14. Put ye on the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Art thou eating meat, and takeſt a view on what is on thy Table? He is called Bread: The bread of God, true bread from Heaven, the bread of life, John 6.32, 35, 51.the living bread which came down from heaven. Why thus Chriſt way-layes our thoughts, that whereſoever we look, we ſhould ever think of Chriſt—Now theſe thoughts or contemplations of Chriſt, are they that bring together the object and the faculty of joy: I cannot think of Chriſt, or the life of Chriſt, of Chriſt preaching, or of Chriſt preached, but I muſt rejoyce in Chriſt; as ſometimes the Apoſtle ſaid; Chriſt is preached; whether in pretence or truth, I matter not, but that he is preached, I therein do rejoyce, Phil. 1.18.yea and will rejoyce.
2. Let us conſider in Chriſt, let us upon good grounds hope our ſhare and intereſt in the Life of Chriſt: O this would ſtrengthen our joy, yea fill us with joy unſpeakable and glorious; where true joy is, there is firſt a thinking of the good in our mind; and ſecondly, an expecting of it in our heart; hence it is that whatſoever doth encourage our hope, the ſame doth enlarge our delight; the Apoſtle joines both theſe together: Rejoyce in hope: Hope and Joy go both together; if I have but aſſured hope that Chriſt's life is mine, I cannot but rejoyce therein: on the contrary,Rom. 12.12. if my hope fluctuate, if I am but uncertain, if I look on the influence and benefits of Chriſt's life as only poſſibly mine, and no further; then is my comfort but unſtable and weak: ſometimes we find Chriſt compared to a rich Store-houſe: In him (ſaith the Apoſtle) are hid all the treaſures of w…ſdom and knowledge; but alas, what am I richer for all his treaſures,Col. 2.3. if I have no claim thereto, or intereſt therein? or what can I joy in another's riches, when I my ſelf am wretched, and miſerable, and poor, and blind, and naked? Look to this, O my ſoul; peruſe again and again thy grounds of hope as afore laid down; do not ſlightly run them over; thou canſt not be too ſure of Chriſt: thou readeſt in the Goſpel this and that paſſage of thy Jeſus, canſt thou lay thine hand on every Line, and ſay this paſſage is mine? this Sermon was preached, and this miracle was wrought for me, that I might believe, and that in believing I might have life through his Name? O then how ſhouldſt thou but rejoyce? When Zacheus in the Sycamore Tree heard but Chriſt's voice, Zacheus make haſte, and come down; for to day I muſt abide in thy houſe. Luke 19.5, 6.O what haſte made Zacheus to receive Chriſt! he came down haſtily, and received him joyfully. This offer of Chriſt to Zacheus is thine as well as his, if thy hope be right; Come down, poor Soul (ſaith Chriſt) this day muſt I abide in thy houſe. O then what joy ſhould there be in thy heart when Chriſt comes in, or when thou feeleſt Chriſt come in! The friend of the Bridegroom rejoyceth greatly becauſe of the Bridegroom's voice; John 3.29.how much more may the Bride her ſelf rejoyce.
3. Let us come up to more and more and more fruition of Chriſt; all other things work our delight but as they look towards this; now in this fruition of Chriſt are contained theſe things: firſt a propriety unto Chriſt; for as a ſick man doth not feel the joy of a ſound mans health, ſo neither doth a ſtranger to Chriſt feel the joy of a Believer in Chriſt; how ſhould he joy in Chriſt that can make no claim to him in the leaſt degree? But to that we have ſpoken. Secondly, a poſſeſſion of Chriſt; this exceedingly enlargeth our joy. O how ſweet was Chriſt to the Spouſe, when ſhe could ſay,Cant. 6.3. I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine; he feedeth among the Lillies, q. d. we have took poſſeſſion of each other; he is mine through faith, and I am his through love; we are both ſo knit by an inſeparable union, that nothing ſhall be able to ſeparate us two; he feedeth among the Lillies; he refreſheth himſelf and his Saints, by his union and communion with them; many are taken up with the joy and comfort of outward poſſeſſions, but Chriſt is better than all; in one Chriſt is comprized every ſcattered comfort here below: Chriſt mine (ſaith the ſoul) and all mine. 3. An accommodation of Chriſt to the ſoul; and this is it that compleats our joy; It is not bare poſſeſſion of Chriſt which bringeth real delight; but an applying of Chriſt unto that end and purpoſe for which he was appointed: it is not the having of Chriſt, but the uſing of Chriſt, which makes him beneficial. O the uſefulneſs of Chriſt to all believing Souls! The Scriptures are full of this; as appears by all his Titles in Scripture; he is our life, our light, our bread, our water, our milk, our wine; his fleſh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed: he is our father, our brother, our friend, our husband, our King, our Prieſt, our Prophet: he is our juſtification, our ſanctification, our wiſdom, our redemption; he is our peace, our mediation, our attonement, our reconciliation, our all in all. Alas! I look on my ſelf, and I ſee I am nothing, I have nothing without Jeſus Chriſt, here's a temptation, I cannot reſiſt it; here's a corruption, I cannot overcome it; here's a perſecution, I cannot down with it: well, but Chriſt is mine, I have intereſt in Chriſt, and I have poſſeſſion of Chriſt, and I find enough in Chriſt to ſupply all my wants; he was ſet up on purpoſe to give me grace, and to renew my ſtrength, ſo that if I make my application to Chriſt, I can do all things, Phil. 4.13. I can ſuffer the loſs of all things, Phil. 3.8. I can conquer all things, nay, in all things be more than a conquerour through him that loves me, Rom. 8.37. Oh the joy now that this accommodation brings to my ſoul! I ſee it is nothing but Chriſt, and therefore I cannot but rejoyce in this Chriſt,Phil. 3.3. or I muſt rejoyce in nothing at all: Surely we are the Circumciſion which rejoyce in Chriſt Jeſus, and have no confidence in the fleſh.
O my ſoul! where is thy faculty of joy? come bring it to this bleſſed object, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: If thou know'ſt not how, firſt contemplate on Chriſt; think on thoſe ſeveral paſſages in his life; thoſe that lived with him, and ſtood by to ſee them, it is ſaid of them,Luke 13.17. that they all rejoyced for the glorious things that were done by him. Or if thy heart be ſo dull and heavy, that this will not raiſe it up, then look to thy grounds of hope and confidence in Chriſt: ſo long as thou doubteſt of him, or of thy intereſt in him, how ſhouldſt thou rejoyce or be cheerful in thy ſpirit? The poor man could not ſpeak it without tears,Mark 9.24. Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief; a believing unbelief, a wavering, ſtaggering, trembling faith cannot be without ſome wounds in ſpirit: O be confident, and this will make thee chearful; or if yet thou feeleſt not this affection to ſtir, aſpire to fruition, yea to more and more fruition of Chriſt, and union with Chriſt; and to that purpoſe conſider thy propriety to Chriſt, thy poſſeſſion of Chriſt, and the accommodation or uſefulneſs of Chriſt to thy condition, whatſoever it is. What? will not theſe things move thy ſpiritual delight? canſt thou not hear Chriſt ſay; All I am is thine, and all I have done is thine, for thy uſe, and for thy benefit. And doth not thy heart leap within thee at each word? O my ſoul, I cannot check thee for thy deadneſs: it is ſaid,Luke 19.37. that when Chriſt was at the deſcent of the Mount of Olives, that the whole multitude of the Diſciples began to rejoyce, and praiſe God with a loud voice, for all the mighty works that they had ſeen. What? a multitude of diſciples rejoycing in Chriſt's acts? and art not thou one amongſt the multitude? If thou art a Diſciple, rejoyce thou: ſurely it concerns thee as much as them; and therefore rejoyce, lift up thy voice in harmony with the reſt, rejoyce, and again rejoyce.
SECT. VIII. Of calling on Jeſus in that reſpect.
8. LEt us call on Jeſus, or on God the Father in and through Jeſus. Thus we read that looking up to Jeſus, or lifting up the eyes to Jeſus, goes alſo for Prayer in Gods Book:Pſal. 5.3. My prayer will I direct to thee (ſaith David) and will look up, and mine eyes fail with looking upwards. Pſal. 69.3.Faith in prayer will often come out at the eye in lieu of another door; our affections will often break out at the window, when the door is cloſed. Thus Stephen look'd up to Heaven; he ſent a Poſt, a greedy, pitiful and hungry look up to Jeſus Chriſt out at the window,Acts 7.55. at the neareſt paſſage, to tell him that a poor friend was coming to him: why thus let us look up to Jeſus by calling on him; now this calling on him contains Prayer and Praiſe.
1. We muſt pray that all theſe tranſactions of Jeſus during his Life, or during his Miniſtry upon earth, may be ours; we hope it is ſo, and we believe it to be ſo; but for all that, we muſt pray that it may be ſo. There is no contradiction betwixt Hope, and Faith, and Prayer, but rather a concatenation: Lord, I believe, yet help my unbelief; or,Mark 9.24. be it to me according to my Faith, how weak ſoever; it will bear that ſenſe.
2. We muſt praiſe God for all thoſe paſſages in Chriſt's life. Thus did the multitude; they praiſed God with a loud voice, Luke 19.37, 38for all the mighty works that they had ſeen; ſaying, bleſſed be the King that comes in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven, and glory in the higheſt! What (my Soul) hath Chriſt done all this for thee? was he made under the Law, to redeem thy ſoul, and adopt thee for his Son, to the inheritance of Heaven? came he down from heaven, and travelled he ſo many miles on earth, to woo and win thy heart? ſpent he ſo many Sermons, and ſo many Miracles to work thee into Faith? O how ſhouldeſt thou bleſs, and prize, and magnifie his Name? how ſhouldeſt thou break out into that bleſſed Hymn, To him that loved us, Rev. 1.5, 6.and hath made us Kings and Prieſts unto God, and his Father, to him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever, Amen.