Christ the Way and the Truth and the Life, Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX. How should we make use of Christ, in going to the Father, in prayer and other pieces of worship?
IN short, for answering of this question, I shall lay down those particulars.
1. There would be a lively sense of the infinite distance, that is betwixt the great God, and us finite creaturs; and yet more betwixt the holy God and us sinful wreatches.
2. There would be an eyeing of Christ, as the great peacemaker through his death and merites, having satisfied justice, and reconciled sinners unto God; that so we may look on God now, no more as an enemie, but as reconciled in Jesus.
3. There would be, sometimes at least, a more formal, and explicite actual closeing with Christ as ours, when we are going about such duties: and alwayes an implicite and virtual imbraceing of Him as our mediator; or an habitual hanging upon Him, and leaning to Him as our mediator, and Peacemaker.
4. There would be an eyeing of Him as our great Highpriest, now living for ever to make intercession for us, and to keep the door of heaven open to us: upon which account the Apostle presseth the Hebreewes to come boldly to the throne of grace, Heb. 4: 14, 16. See also Heb. 7: 24, 25.
5. There would be a griping to Him, even in reference to that particular act of worship, and a laying hold upon Him, to speak so, as our Master usher, to bring us by the hand in to the Father, as conscious of our own unworthinesse.
6. There would be a confident leaning to Him, in our approching; and so we would approachin Him, without fear or diffidence. And that notwithstanding that we finde not our souls in such a good frame▪ as we would wish, yea and guilt looking us in the face.
7. Thus would we roll all the difficulties, that come in our way, and all the discouragements, which we meet with, on Him, that He may take away the one and the other, and helpe us over the one and the other.
8. As we would take an answer to all objections from Him alone, and put Him to remove all scruples, and difficulties, and strengthen ourselves against all impediments and discouragments, alone, in and through Him, so there would be the bringing of all our positive encouragements from Him alone, and all our hopes of coming speed with the Father should be grounded upon Him.
9. We would ex…pect all our welcome and acceptance with the Father, only in & through Christ, and expect nothing for any thing in ourselves, not for our graces, good frame, preparation, or any thing of that kinde. So we would not found our acceptance, nor our peace and satisfaction, on ourselves, nor on any thing we have, or do; nor would we conclude our exclusion or want of acceptance, because we do not apprehend our frame so good as it ought to be; so we should not found our acceptance on our right performance of duties, for that is not Christ.
10. We would quiet ourselves on Him alone, in all our approaches, whatever livelinesse we finde, or misse in the duty▪ we are too much tickled and faine, when duties go well with us, and troubled upon the other hand, when it is not so; and the ground of all this, is, because we leane too much to our own duties, and do not quiet ourselvs on Him alone: and hence itis, that we are oft quieted when we get the duty done and put by, though we have not met with Him there, nor goten use made of Him, as was necessary. All our comfort, peace and quiet would be founded on Him alone.
11. We would look to Him for the removal of all the discouragments, that Satan casts in our way, while we are about this or that piece of worship, to put us back, or to cause us advance slowly and faintingly: and, casting them all on Him, goe forward in our duty.
12. We would look for all our returns and answers only in and through Him, and lay all the weight of our hopes and exspectation of a good answer only on Him, … Iohn. 5: 13, 14, 15.
For Caution I would adde a word or two.
1. I do not think, that the beleever can explicitely and distinctly act all these things, when ever he is going to God; or can distinctly perceive all these several acts: nor have I specified them, and particularly mentioned then thus, for this end; but to shew at some length, how Christ is to be imployed in those acts of worship, which we are called to performe; and that because, we ofttimes think the simple nameing of Him, and asking of things for His sake, is sufficient, though our hearts leane more to some other thing, than to Him: and the conscientious christian will find his soul, when he is rightly going about the duties of worship, looking towards Christ thus, sometimes more distinctly and explicitely as to one particular, & sometimes more as to another.
2. Though the beleever cannot distinctly act saith on Christ, all these wayes, when he is going about commanded duties of worship; yet he would be sure to have his heart going out after Christ, as the only ground of his approaching to, and acceptance with, and of being heard by the Father; and to have his heart in such an habitual frame of resting on Christ, that really there may be a relying upon Him, all these wayes, though not distinctly discerned.
3. Sometimes the beleever will be called to be more distinct and explicite in looking to, and resting upon Christ, as to one particular, and sometimes more as to another: when Satan is disswading him to go to God, because He is an infinite holy one, and he himself is but a sinner: then he is called to act faith on Christ as the mediator, making reconciliation betwixt God and sinners: and when Satan is disswading from approaching to God, because of their want of an interest in God▪ then should they act faith on Christ, and imbrace him, according to the gospel, and rest there, and so approach. And when Satan casts up his unworthinesse and former sins, to keep him aback, or to discourage him, then he is called to lay hold on Christ, as the great Highpriest, and advocate; and, casting that discouragement on Him, to goe forward. So likewise when Satan is discourageing him in his duty, by bringing before him his sins, he should take this course. And when, because of his sinful way of worshiping God and calling upon him, and other things, he is made to feare, that all is in vaine, that neither God regairdeth him, nor his service, and that he shall not come speed, than should he cast all the burden of his acceptance, and of obtaining what he asketh and desireth, on Christ, and quiet himself there: and so as to the rest: and hence appeareth the usefulnesse of our branching-out of this matter.
4. In all this, there must be an acting in the strength of Jesus: a looking to Christ and resting upon Christ, according to the present case and necessity, in Christ; that is, by his strength and grace communicated to us by his Spirit. Then do we worshipe God in the Spirit, and in the newnesse of the Spirit, when all is done in the matter of worship; in and through Jesus.
FINIS.