Looking Unto Jesus, Book 7 · Chapter 2 · Section 7
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 in his reſurrection. This is the great Goſpel-duty, we ſhould rejoyce in the Lord, and again rejoyce; Phil. 4.4.yea, rejoyce evermore. A Chriſtian eſtate ſhould be a joyful and comfortable eſtate, none have ſuch cauſe of joy as the Children of Zion, ſing O daughter of Zion, 1 Theſ. 5.16.ſhout O Jeruſalem, be glad and rejoyce with all thy heart O daughter of Jeruſalem. Zach. 3.14.And why ſo? a thouſand reaſons might be rendred; but here is one; a prime one, Chriſt is riſen from the dead, and become the firſt-fruits of them that ſleep. A commemoration of Chriſt's reſurrection hath ever been a means of rejoycing in God.1 Cor. 15.20.
Some may object, what is Chriſt's reſurrection to me? indeed if thou haſt no part in Chriſt, the reſurrection of Chriſt is nothing at all to thee; but if Chriſt be thine, then art thou riſen with him, and in him; then all he did was in thy name, and for thy ſake.
Others may object, ſuppoſing Chriſt's reſurrection mine, what am I better? how? do not all the priviledges of Chriſt flow from the power and vertue of his reſurrection, as well as death? tell me what is thy ſtate? what poſſibly can be the condition of thy ſoul, wherein thou mayſt not draw ſweet from Chriſt's reſurrection? As—
1 Pet. 3.21.1. Is thy conſcience in trouble for ſin? the Apoſtle tells thee, the anſwer of a good conſcience towards God, is by the reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt from the dead.
Rom. 4.25.2. Art thou afraid of condemnation? the Apoſtle tells thee he was delivered for our offences, and he was raiſed again for our juſtification.
1 Pet. 1.3.3. Doſt thou queſtion thy regeneration? the Apoſtle tells thee he hath begotten us again by the reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt from the dead.
4. Art thou diſtreſſed, perſecuted, troubled on every ſide? the Apoſtle tells thee wherein now conſiſts thy confidence, comfort, courage; to wit, in the life of Chriſt, in the reſurrection of Chriſt.2 Cor. 4.10, 11. We alwayes bear about in the body the dying of the Lord Jeſus, that the life of Jeſus might alſo be made manifeſt in our body; for we which live are alwayes delivered unto death for Jeſus ſake, that the life alſo of Jeſus might be made manifeſt in our mortal fleſh. And thus Beza interprets thoſe following words, knowing that he which raiſed up the Lord Jeſus ſhall raiſe us up alſo by Jeſus? 14.(i.e.) unto a civil reſurrection from our troubles; Paul was impriſoned, and in part martyred, but by the vertue of Chriſt's reſurrection he foreſaw his enlargement. And this interpretation Beza grounds on the word following, and foregoing, wherein Paul compares his perſecutions to a death, and his preſervation from them to a life; as he had done before alſo, chap. 1. v. 9, 10.
5. Art thou afraid of falling off, or of falling away? why, remember, that the immutable force and perpetuity of the new covenant is ſecured by the reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt.Iſa. 55.3. I will make an everlaſting covenant with you, even the ſure mercies of David; this the Apoſtle applies to the reſurrection of Chriſt; as the bottoming of that ſure covenant, and as concerning that he raiſed him up from the dead, he ſaid on this wiſe, I will give you the ſure mercies of David.
Act. 13.34.6. Art thou afraid of death, hell and the power of the grave? why, now remember that Chriſt is riſen from the dead, and by his reſurrection death is ſwallowed up in victory;1 Cor. 15.55, 57. ſo that now thou mayſt ſing, O death where is thy ſting? O grave where is thy victory? now thanks be to God which hath given us victory through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. It is the voyce of Chriſt, thy dead men ſhall live together, with my dead body ſhall they ariſe; Iſa. 26.19.awake and ſing ye that dwell in the duſt, for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth ſhall caſt out the dead: David was ſo lifted up with this reſurrection,Pſal. 16.9, 10. that he crys it out, therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoyceth, my fleſh alſo ſhall reſt in hope; for thou wilt not leave my ſoul in hell, neither wilt thou ſuffer thy holy one to ſee corruption. Job 19.23, 24, 25, 26, 27.But eſpecially Job was ſo exceedingly tranſported with this, that he breaks out into theſe extaſies, O that my words were now written, O that they were printed in a book! that they were graven with an iron pen and lead, in the rock for ever! for I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he ſhall ſtand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms ſhall deſtroy this body, yet in my fleſh ſhall I ſee God, whom I ſhall ſee for my ſelf, and mine eyes ſhall behold, and not another, though my reins be conſumed within me. No man ever ſince Chriſt did ſpeak more clearly of Chriſt's reſurrection and his own, than Job did here before Chriſt. Obſerve in it, O my ſoul, Job's wiſh, and the matter wiſhed: his wiſh was, that certain words which had been cordial to him, might remain to memory; and this wiſh hath three wiſhes in one. 1. That they might be written. 2. That they might be regiſtred in a book, enrolled upon record, as publick inſtruments, judicial proceedings, or whatſoever is moſt authentical. 3. That they might be engraven in ſtone, and in the hardeſt ſtone, the rock; records might laſt long, yet time might injure them, and theſe words he would have laſt for ever; O that they were graven in the rock for ever! Moſes and Job are ſaid to have lived at one time; now Moſes writ the Law in ſtone, and conſidering that theſe words were Goſpel, there was no reaſon the Law ſhould be in tables of ſtone, and the Goſpel in ſheets of paper; no, no; it were fit that this ſhould be as firm and durable as that; Oh that my words were written, Oh that they were printed in a book, &c.
2. The matter wiſhed, or the words he would have written, are theſe, I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that I ſhall live again. Here's firſt his Redeemer and his riſing. 2. His own riſing and his ſeeing God. O this was the matter of his joy, his Redeemer muſt riſe again; and he muſt riſe too, and ſee his Redeemer; it was a point that exceedingly raviſhed and revived Job, and therefore he iterates the ſame thing over and over, I ſhall ſee God, and I ſhall ſee him for my ſelf, and I ſhall ſee him with my eyes, Job. 8.56.and not with others. As Chriſt ſaid of Abraham, Your father Abraham rejoyced to ſee my day, and he ſaw it and was glad. So it appears of his Servant Job, he ſaw Chriſt's day; both his firſt day, and his latter day, and he rejoyced and was glad.
Away, away all ſcrupulous doubtfull, dumpiſh thoughts! conſider what joyes were of old, at the foreſight of Chriſts reſurrection; but eſpecially what joy was all the World over when he roſe again from the dead;Greg. hom. in. paſca. Job 20.20. Luke 24.41. Apoſtoli die dominico exhilirati, non ſolum ipſum feſtiviſſimam eſſe voluerunt, verum etiam per omnes hebdomadas frequentandum eſſe duxerunt. Juno cent. 1 Epiſt. ad Decent 11. 4. then came the Angels from heaven, and appeared in white; then the Sun danced for joy, (ſo it is ſtoryed) or ſhone ſooner, and brighter than ever it did before, then I am ſure the Diciples were exceeding glad, when they ſaw the Lord; yea ſo glad that they believed not for joy; it is worthy our obſerving, to ſee how all the primitive Saints were affected with this news; and becauſe of it, with the very day on which Chriſt aroſe, ſome call it, The firſt day of joy and gladneſs; and becauſe of the joy occaſioned on this day, the Apoſtles (ſay they) devoted the firſt day of the week to the honour and ſervice of Jeſus Chriſt. Auguſtine applyes the words of the Pſalm unto this day, This is the day which the Lord hath made, let us be glad, and rejoyce in it, Pſal. 118.24. Ignatus who lived in the Apoſtles age, and was John's Diſciple, calls it the Queen, the Princeſs, the Lady Paramount among the other weekly dayes. Chryſoſtom calls it a Royal day, and Gregory Nazianzen orat. 42. ſaith, it is higher than the higheſt, and, with admiration, wonderfull above other dayes. Certainly the Lord's day was in high eſteem with the antient Church, and the principle motive was becauſe of Chriſts reſurrection from the dead. O that on theſe dayes we could rejoyce in the Lord, and again rejoyce; it is obſerved, that, Many Chriſtians look upon broken-heartedneſs, and much grieving and weeping for ſin, as if it were the great thing that God delighteth in, and requireth of them; Baxters method for a ſetled Peace.and therefore they bend all their endeavours that way, they are still striving with their hearts to break them more, and they think no Sermon, no Prayer, no Meditation, ſpeed ſo well with them as that which can help them to grieve or weep; but O Chriſtians underſtand, and conſider, (ſaith my Authour) that all your ſorrows are but preparatives for your joyes, and that it is an higher and ſweeter work that God calls you to, and would have you ſpend your time and ſtrength in. Delight thy ſelf in the Lord, pſal. 37.4.and he ſhall give thee the deſires of thine heart. —Never take your hearts to be right, till they be delighting themſelves in their God: when you kneel down in Prayer, labour ſo to conceive of God, and beſpeak him, that he may be your delight? do ſo in hearing, and reading, and meditating, and in your feasting on the fleſh and blood of Jeſus Chriſt at his Supper. Eſpecially improve the happy opportunity of the Lords day, wherein you may wholly devote your ſelves unto this work. O ſpend more of this day in ſpiritual rejoycing, eſpecially in commemoration of Chriſt's reſurrection (yea and of the whole work of redemption) or elſe you will not anſwer the inſtitution of the Lord.