The Way of Life, Treatises 1 · Treatise 2
ZACH. 12.10.
And I will poure upon the house of David, &c.
WE come now to a second Effect, which the Spirit of Grace works wheresoever it is bestowed, and that is a looking upon Christ, They shall look upon me, &c.
Doct. The Spirit of Grace, and of Prayer, wheresoever it is, it doth open our eyes, and lift them up to look upon Christ, as our sin, and as our Saviour.
As if before their eyes were blinded, and they saw him not; or if they saw him, they looked at other matters, rather then at him; but now they begin to have their eyes opened, and setled upon him in some measure of wist beholding of him, as their sinne: They shall look upon me whom they have pierced; They shall look upon their piercing and crucifying of him; They shall see me as the greatest sin as ever they committed; Their eyes will more be set upon that, then upon all their other sins, or any object that ever they beheld.
As their Saviour: For Christ pierced is, as the sin, so the salvation of all the people of God. The piercing of him made way for the issuing out of that blood, by which we are justifyed and sanctifyed, Ioh. 19.30, 32, 37. that so the Scripture might be fulfilled.
For opening of this point, First see what it is for men thus to look upon Christ: Secondly, why the spirit of Grace works this in us: And thirdly, make Application.
For the first, this looking upon Christ, which is here said to spring from the spirit of Grace, and of Prayer. The first looking upon him is with an eye of knowledge, as discerning that we are they that have crucified him, to know and consider that it is we that have pierced him, and that in so doing we have sinned, and that grievously. This was fulfilled in the Jews by the ministry of Peter in the first Sermon that he made to the Christian Church, Act. 2.36. when he had convinced them of the truth of what he had said, he concludes his Sermon thus: Let therefore the whole house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, even this Iesus whom ye have crucified. When they understood this, then were they pricked in their hearts, ver. 37. They discerned plainly by Peters Sermon that it was they that had pierced the Messiah, that was the first work it wrought in them, and therein did they see their sinne: For in that it is said their hearts are pricked, it argues they saw their sinfulnesse in that work.
Secondly, this looking at Christ is to behold him with an eye of faith; not onelyonly to look at him as pierced by our sinnes, but also at this as our salvation, in which our salvation is laid up, if at all we come to be saved. This is an act of faith, to look at Christ with assurance, as our Saviour, that this salvation is in him; therefore we must look up to him for salvation: As they that by faith looked upon the brazen Serpent, Num. 21.8, 9. Which Scripture being expounded in Iohn 3.14, 15. it is expressed, that whosoever looks up unto Christ with an eye of faith for salvation, shall be saved.
Now this kind of faith of looking upon Christ, hath in it sundry acts in sundry Christians, in some more, in some lesse, as God is pleased to lead them an-end in the way of his Grace.
First, sometimes they look upon Christ by an eye of faith, as one that is highly to be prized (if they could obtaine him) above all the blessings of this world, as one in whom such excellent and heavenly salvation is: That might they but find salvation in him, they would think it their happinesse; and in the meane time they look at the want thereof as their misery. So the Spouse looks at Christ as white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand, Cant. 5.10. The purity and holinesse of Christ is white, his death is ruddy, both which make him glorious and beautifull; and he would be more welcome to her then a thousand other things. In respect of both which, if she could but finde him, she would account it her happinesse that she might obtaine him.
Secondly, this looking at him by faith, enables us to see a possibility of salvation, and redemption by him. There is mercy, or pardon with thee, Psal. 130.4. The soule looks up to Christ for pardon. 1. There is much to be had in Christ, ver. 7. In him is plenteous redemption. They look up to him for it, though they doe not as yet find themselves sprinkled therewith. Esay 17.7. Then shall a man look unto his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the holy one of Israel.
Thirdly, Faith casts a longing and desiring look after salvation in him. Esay 45.22. Look unto me all ye ends of the earth, and be saved; which is expounded, Phil. 2.9, 10. that looking is opposed to the looking to their Idols; instead of looking to them, look unto me, and be ye saved: So that when a man looks not for salvation from Idols, but so looks up to Christ, as that he prayes to him, and desires salvation from him, this is to look at him as our Saviour.
Fourthly, this faith helps us to look at Christ as indeed made unto us of God, our wisdome, righteousnesse, sanctification, and redemption. He hath given his Son for me, in whom he hath loved me, and given me of his Spirit, so as that now I know in whom I have beleeved, Gal. 2.20. 2 Tim. 1.2. Thus you see the spirit of Grace where ever it is poured forth, doth open our eyes, and lift them up to Christ.
But thirdly, this phrase of looking up to Christ, expresseth an act of hope, as well as either an act of knowledge, or of faith. Esay 8.17. I will looke unto him that hides his face from the house of Israel, and I will wait for him. Suppose that God gives us an heart to see that we have crucified Christ, and yet to see there is salvation, even in that wicked act, and that there is plenteous redemption in him, if yet God doth delay us, and doe not reveale the Lord Jesus to be ours, then the soule looks up to Christ with an eye of hope, and waits till the Lord shew merciemercy. Suppose the Lord hides his face, and I see not my salvation yet dispensed to me, yet I will wait for it, Psal. 123.1, 2. Micah 7.7. I will wait upon the Lord, and look up unto the God of my salvation; the time will come when he will heare me: but in the meane time I will beare the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, ver.9.
Fourthly, this act of looking doth also expresse an act of love, Cant. 4.9. Thou hast ravished mine heart with one of thine eyes; it expresseth a single looking at Christ, such a cast of the eye, as that it ravisheth the heart of a Christian. I dislike not their judgements that apply it to the state of the Church. Act. 15.11. when some would put upon them certaine ceremonies to look at Christ by, they say, We beleeve that through the grace of the Lord Iesus we shall be saved, &c. As if they should say, We are out of love with ourselves, and our owne good parts, &c. and we have singly set our eyes upon Christ to be saved by him. The chaine of thy neck. Such parabolicall speeches doe fitly expresse those golden wholsome lawes which are made in the Church and Common-wealth, whereby a man is not fettered, and snared, and captivated; but they are as ornaments unto him, such as by which we glorifie God, and edifie our selves; and such are the laws they there make, that they should not lay upon the Gentiles the yoke of Moses Ceremonies, onelyonly that they be carefull to avoid the offending their brethren, &c. And there was a royall law of love amongst them, such precious ornaments there was as did much affect the Church at that time. Such a single looke at Christ, was that which Paul expresseth of himselfe, Phil. 3.6, 7, 8, 9. he had many excellent priviledges, yet all losse for the knowledge of Christ; here was a single eye, he rests not in covenant of Parents, nor his owne good parts, but singly at the grace of Christ.
Reas. 1 Taken from the blindnesse of nature. By nature we are blinde, and have not an eye open to looke at Christ, much lesse fastened upon him. It is grace alone by which wee see sinnes against Christ. By nature a man never rises higher then this; You may convince him of some sinnes against man, and of some sinnes against God: As the transgression of his Law, either that wrought in our hearts by nature, or given by primitive Institution, as you may convince of swearing, Sabbath breaking, &c. And a mans heart may sometimes be affected, and afflicted with such sinnes, but to be afflicted for sinnes against Christ, and the grace of God revealed in Christ, this can we never doe till the spirit of grace lift us up to behold Christ: Luke 23.24. Father forgive them, they know not what they doe, and yet they had crucified Christ, and had reproached him, they put all despight upon him, but had any of them such good nature, as to thinke this was a villanous usage of a man? They sought many false witnesses against him, but found none; They could say, he had done all things well, and when he came to Jerusalem to suffer, they could sing Hosanna; Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord: and now of a sodaine fall into such a bitter rage against him, and yet by nature, they could not discerne any sin in it, they know not what they doe. Take a man by nature, and you may convince him of any sin against man, or against the morall Law of God: but go about to convince him of sins against the grace of Chirst, by which Gods people would be saved, and he no more understands it, then a blind man sees. I know that through ignorance you did it, Acts 3.17. In such a case, a man is not sensible of any sin he commits against such things wherein Christ is conveyed; if any man come to it, the spirit of grace hath opened his eyes to see it, if any man come to see he hath wronged Christ in his person, or his members, or ordinances, there hath beene the holy Ghost, and hath opened the eyes of that man, Iohn 16.2.3. But I say further, opened, and lift up a mans eyes; a man may have a spirit of bondage, and so comes to see his sinnes, therefore to make the doctrine more plaine: It is the worke of the spirit of grace, not onelyonly to open our eyes, but to lift them up to Christ, and to fasten them upon him. Iudas had his eyes opened, and said, I have sinned in betraying the innocent blood, Matth. 27.3, 4, 5. he saw now his sinne against Christ, but it was by a spirit of bondage, and he saw Christ was his sinne, but was this a saving sight of Christ springing from a spirit of grace? No, his eyes were not lift up to see Christ his Saviour, he did not looke at a possibility of salvation in Christ for him, he never fastened his heart upon him, he did not wait on Christ for salvation, he had neither an eye of faith, nor hope, nor love, towards Christ, but goes away and hanges himselfe; he lookes downe to the horrour of his sinne, and to the anguish of his conscience, downe to the bottomelesse pit of despaire; and though he mourned, yet it was not a saving mourning, springing from any spirit of grace, but a hopelesse and desperate mourning: so that it is onelyonly the spirit of grace, that makes one to looke for salvation no where, but in, by, and from Christ. Nature can goe no higher, then sinnes against nature; he lookes at it as an horrible murder to betray so innocent a master, but hee never sees it as a sinne against grace, as against him in whom salvation was, at least not looking for salvation by him.
Reas. 2 Taken from the power of the life of the spirit of grace: where ever it is, the spirit of grace is a spirit of life, and life loves to preserve it selfe, and use all the meanes to save it selfe, and to nourish it selfe, specially when it is imperfect, as all our life of grace is; and hence it is, that this spirit of grace being a spirit of life, it lookes forthwith at Christ, in whom all our life is; in him is all our life of iustification, and sanctification, and redemption: now by the spirit of the Lord, we cease not looking at Christ, till we be changed from grace, to grace, 1. Cor. 3.18. it lookes at him, that we may be the more established in him, and grow up in him from one degree of grace to another, and that makes us looke to him for more enlargement, and establishment in grace, as the childe new borne, of the same matter of which it is begotten, of the same it is preserved, and lookes in every ordinance of Christ for establishment. 1. Pet. 2.2.
Reas. 3 Taken from the sense which any hath, in whom a spirit of prayer dwells, of his owne unworthinesse, that any of his prayers should be accepted for his owne sake. There is none that hath a spirit of prayer, but hath his spirit sometimes straitned, that unlesse Christ put life into his prayer, it is but lost labour; and if Christ put life into him, yet still he needs that Christ should accept him. Dan. 9.17 He prayes that God would forgive him, though he had beene large in that prayer, when his heart is most inlarged in prayer, yet O Lord, forgive and shew mercy for the Lord Iesus sake; when you speake of two Lords, one of them is alwayes Christ. It was a proud distemper in Vzziah, that he himselfe went into the Temple of the Lord, to burne incense upon the Altar of incense, 2. Chro. 26.16. why? ought not Kings and Princes to pray as well as Priests? true, but God would have no Christian, not he that is best able to pray, to burne incense himselfe, but to bring it to the Priest, who stood in the place of Christ: Therefore bring all your prayers to Christ, that in him they might be accepted, and by him presented to the Father. Vzziah for the contrary was strucke with Leprosie: when we thinke God hath heard our prayers, because we were inlarged, is the next meanes to be struck with some strong temptation; therefore when you are most enlarged, say, Alas, what am I? If God should mark this Prayer, there are so many wants in it, that unlesse Christ sprinkle them with his bloud, they will be turned out of doors: intreat Christ to accept, even when you are most and best inlarged.
Vse 1 An evident signe of tryall of our own estates, whether yet we have received the spirit of Grace and Prayer, yea or no. If God have poured the spirit of Grace and Prayer into thy heart, then thou beginnest to see that thou hast crucified the Lord Jesus, thou seest thy sinnes against Christ and his Grace, against his Ordinances, and the motions of his Spirit, these are the sinnes upon which thine eyes are most set, and these your hearts are most troubled with; and where this is not, there is no spirit of Grace; if it were, thy heart would be more exercised about sins against Grace, then any else. I say more especially, for a man also will be sensible of his ungraciousnesse to Parents, and any other disorderly courses, and we say true, for want of grace we committed such and such sins against the morall Law. So as though Christ had never been revealed, these were sins of Gentiles as well as of Christians; but a man may know all these to be sinne, and yet be far off from grace; and he may have some trouble for these, and yet have no grace. But if ever God give a man a spirit of grace, these are not the things that he looks most at, but this above all the rest, that he hath sinned against Gods grace, against the ordinances of his grace, against Christ that hath been revealed for his salvation, and these draw his eyes to look most upon Christ, these most wound his soule. 1 Sam. 12.19. In this we have sinned above all our other sins: And so saith every soule that hath a spirit of Grace in him. He is more troubled that God should wait so long for him, and he still should reject all those motions which the Word of God hath propounded to him; many a time the Spirit stirred him to pray, and he had no mind to it; the sense of this so wounds his heart, that all other sinnes seeme nothing in comparison thereof. If a man be troubled for other sinnes, as for stubbornnesse against Governors, &c. yet this most afflicts him, his heart most ponders upon this. Oh the wretchednesse of his heart to neglect and despise the blessed means of grace conveyed to him, what for sleighting grace before he received it, and what for waxing wanton with it: This more vexeth a good heart, that he should be still doubting of Gods grace and favour to him; to look at all the gracious favours of God towards him, as counterfeit delusions, when he hath so many evident signes of his favour, this vexes him above all his other sins.
And againe, take a child of God, when he is in a comfortable estate of grace, and consider how many wayes he grows more loose and unprofitable, notwithstanding all the goodnesse of God towards him, this makes his heart smart more then any other sin he hath committed besides: therefore do but consider what sins you are most troubled for; It is good to be troubled for any sinne, but there may be much unsoundnesse in trouble for sin; But what is it thou most complainest of? If of thy profane conversation, it is well; but this may be done without any jot of the spirit of grace: the spirit of bondage can help a man to doe this: And therefore say not, (when you hear men complaining of these things) they will now reforme and grow wiser; I tell you they are yet never a whit the neerer repentance: for without a spirit of Grace a man may doe all this. But dost thou see a man complaine of this, as his greatest sinne, not that he hath committed murder, and adultery, &c. but that he hath stood out against God so long, despised his ordinances, neglected Prayer, refusing the grace of Christ? such a man as this in all likelyhood will doe well, nothing here will hurt, unlesse we draw back our eyes when we have begun to see it. Dost thou then look at Christ for salvation, and thou waitest upon God for it, and now all thine owne gifts and parts are no comfort to thee? then there is a spirit of Grace in thine heart, the injuries thou hast done to him and his children most pierces thy heart, and this sinne is ever before thee, Psal. 51.3. This spirit of Grace within thee will never leave till it hath brought thee to an estate of Glory. Iudas for want of this fell into utter despaire. But if of all thy sins thou lookest least at this, the despising and sleighting of Gods servants thou accountest but a little sinne, we think it but a small sinne to come to Church and goe home no better then we came; though we never pray, nor meditate after hearing, it troubles us not; it troubles us that we have made such an hard bargaine, that we have been drunke, or committed Adultery; but if thou lookest at sinnes against Grace as a light matter, and thy other as thy chiefest sins, then thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
Vse 2 To every soule, as he desires to find any comfort in ill houres, so look at sins against Grace, as the greatest evils that ever you committed; for in them you have sinned above all your other sins. Lay this down as a Principle, Though your other sins be bad enough, yet fasten your eyes most upon sins against Grace. What are all the sins that we have committed, when as one look at Christ washes them all away? and to neglect to look up to Christ is a more horrible sinne then all the sins of Sodome, Mat. 11.20. therefore look at sinnes against Grace as the greatest. If when you come to Church, your hearts ake to think how you have sinned against God, and you cannot rest till you have promised to turne to God, but yet when you are gone home, you forget all these good motions, and this never troubles you, make account if you have been drunk, you but abuse drink; if you have been uncleane, you have but abused a creature like your selfe; but to abuse Christ, nothing is comparable to this. If you shall sleight Christ when he is offered to you, make account it is your chiefest sinne. Consider therefore what sins you have committed against God, how he hath proffered himselfe to you, and wooed you, and still you have sleighted and neglected the blood of Christ, and despised the spirit of grace: Looke at these as the greatest evills as ever you committed, and so all your doubting after grace received, and all your unprofitable walkings under grace, set these ever before you, and they will helpe you much.
Vse 3 To reprove the Papists, that say they dare not looke immediately at Christ in their prayers, but first at Saints, and Angels: What a poore piece of worke is this? I tell you, if God give you not grace to looke at Christ, you want grace; all your devotion to Saints, and Angels, is a testimony, that your hearts are not endued with grace. Grace goes directly to Christ, as a childe new borne goes to the mothers breast, and never leaves crying till it be laid there.
Vse 4 To teach such Christians as are given to pray, to be sure you looke to Christ in your prayers; looke at him, and they are accepted; looke not at them, nor the comforts you take in them, for so may you fall short of acceptance; but looke at Christ in all, and then you shall not be strucke with Leprosie: it is a spirit of grace that lookes at Christ, and by so doing, we shall still draw upon our selves, more grace in every dutie.
Vse 5 Of comfort to all those poore soules, as finde themselves looking up to Christ; they complaine they see little grace in themselves; it may be none at all as they thinke, yet they see they have often despised grace, and dishonoured grace, their lives have beene a shame to religion, and now they complaine there is no grace in them. Well, you want grace, & you want praier, & you want Christ, you want all that which others comfortably attain unto, you want power to expresse your selves in company: Well, if your eyes be set upon Christ, & upon your failings in grace, and yet in Christ you see there is salvation, and you wait upon him for it, and all your owne parts are empty things in comparison of Christ; it is an evident signe God hath given you grace, you could never have looked after Christ, had not he first looked after you, and he having once looked after us, he will nurse us up unto the day of the Lord Jesus.