Looking Unto Jesus, Book 8 · Chapter 2 · 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 in theſe particulars; there is not a particular under conſideration, but 'tis the object of a Chriſtians joy. As,—
1. How ſhould it heighten my joys, and enlarge my comforts, when I do but conſider that Chriſt is aſcended into glory? by this it is clear and evident, that Chriſt is accepted of the Father for me, or otherwiſe he ſhould never have been received into Heaven; if any frown had been in the face of God, ſurely Chriſt coming ſo near God, he ſhould have had it; if any exception had been againſt his ſatisfaction, any flaw in our pardons, ſurely Chriſt ſhould have heard of it; yea, without queſtion he muſt have been turned out of Heaven, until he had made a full payment of our debts. I need not doubt of my acceptance at the Throne of Grace, when Jeſus Chriſt is accepted for me, and that I ſtand in ſuch a relation to Jeſus Chriſt. Oh what joy is in this!
2. How ſhould it heighten my joyes, and enlarge my comforts, when I do but conſider that Chriſt is ſet down at God's right hand. Why, now he hath the keys of Heaven delivered into his hands;Mat. 28.18. All power is given unto him in heaven and in earth, and now he can do what he will; God the Father hath given away (as it were) all his Prerogatives unto Jeſus Chriſt;John 5.22. All judgment is committed to the Son, for the Father judgeth no man. Now he is in a Capacity of acting out all his love, and the Father's deſire to me in the moſt glorious way; he is highly advanced, and thereby he hath the advantage to advance me, and to glorifie me; God hath given into his hands all the treaſures and riches of Heaven; in bidding him, ſit down at his right hand, he told him that he would have no more to do with the world, but that Chriſt ſhould have all, and that Chriſt ſhould beſtow all he had amongſt his Saints; and that this ſhould be the reward of his death; and when once his Saints were come about him, and ſate with him in his glory,1 Cor. 15.24. why then Chriſt ſhould reſign up again his place, And deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father. Oh what joy may enter into this poor dark dungeon, diſconſolate ſoul of mine, whiles I but think over theſe glorious paſſages of my Chriſt in glory?
3. How ſhould it heighten my joyes, and fill me with joy unſpeakable, and full of glory, when I do conſider that Chriſt, hath ſent down his holy Spirit into my heart? when ſorrow had filled the Apoſtles hearts,John 16.7. becauſe he had told them, I muſt go away; he comforts them with this, If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will ſend him unto you. The ſpirit is the Comforter, and where he comes, he fills ſouls with comforts; O what comfort is this, to know that the ſpirit of Chriſt is my Inmate? that my ſoul is the Temple, the Receptacle, the Houſe and dwelling of the ſpirit of God? that Chriſt is in me of a truth, and that not only by the infuſion of his grace, but by the in-dwelling of his ſpirit? ſurely it is ſome comfort to a ſickly man that he hath a Phyſitian alwayes in the houſe with him; and to a woman that is near her travail, that the Midwife is in the houſe with her; but what comfort is it to a poor ſoul that the ſpirit of Chriſt is alwayes in him?John 14.16. I will ſend you another Comforter (ſaid Chriſt) that he may abide with you for ever. Chriſt in his bodily preſence went away,Mat. 28.20. but Chriſt in his ſpirit continues ſtill; Lo I am with you alwayes, even unto the end of the world; he is with us, and which is more, he is in us for our comfort.Col. 1.27. Chriſt in you the hope of glory. Not Chriſt in Sermons which we hear, nor Chriſt in Chapters which we read, nor Chriſt in Sacraments which we receive; nor Chriſt in our heads by high notions, nor Chriſt in our mouths by frequent glorious expreſſions; but Chriſt in our hearts by his ſpirit, is unto us the hope of Glory. The grounds of our comforts in this reſpect, is,—
1. Chriſt's Preſence; it is ſaid of Paul, that after a ſad ſhipwrack, the ſight of ſome Chriſtian brethren ſo cheated him,Act. 28.15. that upon the ſight of them he thank…d God, and took courage; it is ſaid of Caeſar, that he cheared the drooping Mariners in a ſtorm, by minding them of his preſence, You carry Caeſar; how much more ſhould the in-being of Chriſt ſolace Saints? Lo I am with you. O my ſoul, was it not a cordial to the Diſciples in a ſtorm, that Chriſt was with them, whom the winds and waves obeyed? chear up now, for if the Spirit be in thee, Chriſt is with thee.
2. Chriſt's Complacency; if his Spirit dwell in us, how ſhould he but be well pleaſed with us? a man cannot properly be ſaid to dwell in a priſon, in which he taketh no delight;Pſal. 132.14. the Spirits in-dwelling imports a delight of Chriſt in ſuch a ſoul, Here will I dwell, for I have deſired it, or delighted in it, ſaith God of Zion, though many times drooping Chriſtians, viewing their own beggarlineſs and vileneſs, judge themſelves worthy to be deteſted and deſerted, and would relinquiſh themſelves if they poſſibly could, yet Chriſt looketh to the poor and contrite ſoul as a meet habitation for himſelf to dwell in,Iſa. 57.15. I dwell in the high and holy place, with him alſo that is of a contrite, and humble Spirit.
3. Chriſt's Communications; union is the ground of our communion with Chriſt; and the nearer our union, the greater is our communion; if Chriſt were only in a believer by the habit of grace, the union would not be ſo great, but if Chriſt be in us by his ſpirit, the union is nearer, and therefore the communion will be greater. O my ſoul remember this in all thy ſtraits; there can be no creature-want, or danger whatſoever wherein the improvement of this in-dwelling of the Spirit may not refreſh thee: art thou ſick? the Phyſitian both of ſoul and body is within thee; art thou ſad? the Comforter himſelf that ſupplies the ſtead and room of Chriſt, inhabits in thee; art thou in exile, in baniſhment, impriſonment at greateſt diſtance from thy deareſt Friends? ſee Paul's refreſhment when they were ready to pull him in pieces, and threw him into the Caſtle, even the night following the Lord ſtood by him, and ſaid, be of good chear Paul. Acts 23.11.Chriſt will ſtand by thee, nay, Chriſt by his Spirit dwelleth in thee, and will ſpeak to thee comfortable words in thy greateſt preſſures.
4. Chriſt's Witneſſings, if his Spirit dwell in us, we may then be aſſured of future glory, Chriſt in you the Hope of Glory. 'Tis a ſweet note of a Divine upon it,Col. 1 27. Mr. Aſh in his Sermon of Chriſt the riches of the Goſpel. Acts 8.13. Mat. 27.3. Heb. 12.17. Heb. 6.5, 6. Heb. 10.29. The exiſtency of Chriſt's Spirit in Believers, giveth exiſtence to their hopes of Glory. The Spirit in us is God's earneſt of Glory; the Spirit in us doth prepare us for participation in that Glory. I look upon this in-dwelling of the Spirit as that which no Hypocrite in the World can lay any claim unto; as for gifts, or graces, an Hypocrite may attain them, or ſomthing like them; it is ſaid of Simon Magus, that he believed; it is ſaid of Judas, that he repented; and of Eſau, that he ſought his birth-right with tears; it is ſaid of ſome, that they partook of the Heavenly Gift, and of the Powers of the World to come, and yet fell away; and it is ſaid of ſuch others, that they trampled upon the Blood of Chriſt wherewith they were ſanctified. Thus we find in Scripture-phraſe, that in an Hypocrite or wicked Man, there may be a kind of Faith and repentance; a taſte of Heaven, and of Sanctificatian; but where do we find in all the Bible, that Chriſt, or the Spirit of Chriſt, is ſaid to dwell in an Hypocrite, or wicked Man? this only is the great priviledge of a true believer, Chriſt in him the Hope of Glory.—O the comfort of this in-dwelling of Chriſt!Luke 19.6. If Zacheus hearing that Chriſt would abide in his Houſe, received him joyfully; how much greater cauſe of joy have they who have already lodged him in their hearts?John 15.11. Theſe things have I ſpoken to you, ſaid Chriſt, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
And now, O my ſoul, ſpread thy ſelf on this great good, Chriſt's Aſcenſion, Chriſt's Seſſion, and Chriſts Miſſion of his Holy Spirit. What is joy but an effuſion of the appetite, whereby the Soul ſpreads it ſelf on what is good, to poſſeſs it more perfectly? the object is ſweet, and large, and therefore the ſoul had need to ſpread it ſelf, that it may be more united to the Object, and touch the good in more of its parts, yea, if it were poſſible in every part. There is not any particular here before thee, but 'tis fewel for joy. O what joy was in Heaven, when Chriſt Aſcended, and when Chriſt ſate down at God's right hand, and when Chriſt ſent down the Holy Spirit? how ſtood the Angels wondring and admiring at theſe ſeveral paſſages? how did they ſtoop, and look with the bowing of the Head, and bending of the Neck, as the Word implies?1 Pet. 1.12. and is not thy intereſt in theſe tranſactions more than Angels? O rejoyce, and again rejoyce! ſuppoſe thy ſelf in Heaven, and that thou hadſt a viſion of Chriſt aſcended; ſay, is he not a pleaſant Object? In his face there is fulneſs of joy. Pſal. 16.11.Suppoſe thy ſelf to have been in Heaven when he firſt entred into it, and when he firſt ſate down at God's right hand, and ſent down the Comforter to his Saints, was not Heaven full of joy? methinks the very thought of Chriſt's bright Face, and Chriſt's white Throne, and Chriſt's Harpers, and Heavenly Troops ſurrounding the Throne, and Chriſt's welcome to his Father, both for himſelf and all his Saints; and Chriſt's carrying thy name upon his Breaſt before his Father, ſhould fill thy ſoul as full of joy, as poſſibly it can hold. O the firſt-fruits of Emanuel's land, that lyes beyond time and death! O the joyes that were in Heaven at Chriſt's firſt entrance into Heaven! O my ſoul, why doſt thou not check thy ſelf, and lay aſide thy ſad complaints, and forget this Earth, and Earthly troubles? why doſt thou not look up to Jeſus Chriſt, and rejoyce in him who hath done all this for thy Salvation? either the Spirit of God is not thy Comforter, or thou canſt not but receive comfort in theſe paſſages.
SECT. VIII. Of calling on Jeſus in that Reſpect.
8. LEt us call on Jeſus; I mean—
1. Let us pray that we may have our part in theſe tranſactions; or let us pray for more and more aſſurance thereof unto our ſouls; for though we do believe, yet we may not be without our doubts; and in caſe of doubts, what better means than Prayer? I believe, Lord help my unbelief; Lord ſtrengthen my Faith till I come to that plerophory, or full aſſurance of faith, that I may know my intereſt in the Aſcenſion of Chriſt, and Seſſion of Chriſt, and in the Miſſion of Chriſt's holy Spirit, and if once we are but aſſured, then—
2. Praiſe God for theſe great tranſactions of his Son: are they not mercies like mountains lying one upon another, and reaching up to the very Heavens? did not love break out at firſt in a direct line? and as it went along, hath it not wound up it ſelf, in ſuch a variety of unthought of diſcoveries, as that it amazeth Men and Angels? what? that Jeſus Chriſt ſhould not only act for us here on earth, but alſo aſcend for us into Heaven, and ſit down there at God's right hand above the Heavens? what? that all this ſhould be for us and our ſalvation, and to that purpoſe that he ſhould ſend down his Spirit into our hearts, to fit us, and prepare us for his glory? Now bleſs the Lord, O my ſoul, and all that is within me bleſs his holy Name, bleſs the Lord, O my ſoul, and forget not all his benefits. Pſal. 103.1, 2.—I will extol thee my God, O King, and I will bleſs thy Name for ever and ever, every day will I bleſs thee, and I will praiſe thy Name for ever and ever.—One generation ſhall praiſe thy works to another, Pſal. 145.1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 11, 12.and ſhall declare thy mighty acts, I will ſpeak of the glorious honour of thy Majeſty, and of thy wondrous works.—I will utter the memory of thy great goodneſs, and will ſing of thy righteouſneſs.—Thy Saints ſhall bleſs thee; they ſhall ſpeak of the glory of thy Kingdom, and talk of thy power, and make known unto the ſons of men thy mighty acts, and the glorious Majeſty of thy Kingdom —Thy glory is above the earth and heaven, Pſal. 148.13, 14.thou alſo exalteſt the horn of thy people, the praiſe of all thy Saints, and people near unto thy ſelf. O that my ſoul were but in David's temper, thus to breath out the praiſes of Jeſus, and to bleſs his Name.