constant in it at least for eighty one days in one year so for eighty one days in every year during thy life and then for thy meditations on any other subject I shall not take thee quite off but leave the remainder of the year which is above three parts more to thy own choice If thou art so resolved I shall say no more but the Lord be with thee and if sooner or later thou findest any benefit by this work give God the glory and remember him in thy prayers who hath took this pains for Christ's honour and thy souls good So rests Thy Servant in Christ Jesus I. A. The CONTENTS of This BOOK BOOK I. Chap. 1. THe Proem Division and Opening of the Words Page 1 Chap. 2. Sect. 1. The Duty of Looking off all other Things Confirmed and Cleared Page 2 Sect. 2. An Exhortation to Look off all other Things Page 5 Sect. 3. Directions how to Look off all other Things Page 7 Chap. 3. Sect. 1. An Explanation of the Act and Object Page 8 Sect. 2. The main Doctrine and Confirmation of it Page 10 Sect. 3. Vse of Reproof Page 11 Sect. 4. Vse of Exhortation Page 13 Sect. 5. Motives from our Wants in case of Neglect Page 14 Sect. 6. Motives from our Riches in case we are lively in this Duty Page 16 Sect. 7. More Motives to Encourage us in this Work Page 18 Sect. 8. Vse of Direction Page 21 BOOK II. Chap. 1. Sect. 1. Of the Eternal Generation of our Jesus Page 23 Sect. 2. Of our Election in Christ before all Worlds Page 26 Sect. 3. Of that great Treaty in Eternity betwixt God and Christ to save Souls Page 27 Sect. 4. The Project Page 28 Sect. 5. The Counsel ibid. Sect. 6. The Foreknowledge Page 31 Sect. 7. The Purpose Page 33 Sect. 8. The Decree Page 34 Sect. 9. The Covenant Page 35 Chap. 2. Sect. 1. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the Great Work of our Salvation in that Eternity Page 38 Sect. 2. Of Considering Jesus in that Respect ibid. Sect. 3. Of Desiring after Jesus in that respect Page 45 Sect. 4. Of Hoping in Jesus in that respect Page 47 Sect. 5. Of Believing in Jesus in that respect Page 49 Sect. 6. Of Loving Jesus in that respect Page 51 Sect. 7. Of Joying in Jesus in that respect Page 53 Sect. 8. Of Calling on Jesus in that respect Page 54 Sect. 9. Of Conforming to Jesus in that respect ibid. BOOK III. Chap. 1. Sect. 1. Of Christ promised by Degrees Page 57 Sect. 2. Of the Covenant of Promise as manifested to Adam Page 59 Sect. 3. Of the Covenant of Promise as manifested to Abraham Page 64 Sect. 4. Of the Covenant of Promise as manifested to Moses Page 69 Sect. 5. Of the Covenant of Promise as manifested to David Page 77 Sect. 6. Of the Covenant of Promise as manifested to Israel about the Time of the Captivity Page 81 Chap. 2. Sect. 1. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the Great Work of our Salvation from the Creation until His First Coming Page 90 Sect. 2. Of Considering Jesus in that respect ibid. Sect. 3. Of Desiring Jesus in that respect Page 96 Sect. 4. Of Hoping in Jesus in that respect Page 100 Sect. 5. Of Believing in Jesus in that respect Page 102 Sect. 6. Of Loving Jesus in that respect Page 105 Sect. 7. Of Joying in Jesus in that respect Page 108 Sect. 8. Of Calling on Jesus in that respect Page 110 Sect. 9. Of Conforming to Jesus in that respect Page 111 BOOK IV. PART I. Chap. 1. Sect. 1. Of the Tydings of Christ Page 117 Sect. 2. Of the Conception of Christ Page 119 Sect. 3. Of the Duplicity of Natures in Christ Page 122 Sect. 4. Of the Distinction of the Two Natures in Christ Page 124 Sect. 5. Of the Vnion of the Two Natures of Christ in one and the same Person Page 125 Sect. 6. Of the Birth of Christ Page 133 Sect. 7. Of some Consequents after Christ's Birth Page 139 Chap. 2. Sect. 1. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the Great Work of our Salvation in His Birth Page 141 Sect. 2. Of Considering Jesus in that respect Page 142 Sect. 3. Of Desiring after Jesus in that respect Page 146 Sect. 4. Of Hoping in Jesus in that respect Page 147 Sect. 5. Of Believing in Jesus in that respect Page 150 Sect. 6. Of Loving Jesus in that respect Page 155 Sect. 7. Of Joying in Jesus in that respect Page 157 Sect. 8. Of Calling on Jesus in that respect Page 160 Sect. 9. Of Conforming to Jesus in that respect ibid. BOOK V. PART II. Chap. 1. Sect. 1. Of the First Year of Christ's Ministry And therein of the Beginning of the Gospel Page 167 Sect. 2. Of the Preaching of John Baptist Page 168 Sect. 3. Of the Baptism of Jesus Page 170 Sect. 4. Of the Fasting and Temptation of Christ Page 174 Sect. 5. Of the First Manifestations of Christ Page 180 Sect. 6. Of Christ's Whipping the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple Page 182 Chap. 2. Sect. 1. Of the Second Year of Christ's Ministry and of His Acts in general for that Year Page 175 Sect. 2. Of Christ's Sermons this Year Page 176 Sect. 3. Of Christ's Prophetical Office Page 177 Sect. 4. Of Christ's Miracles Page 179 Chap. 3. Sect. 1. Of the Third Year of Christ's Ministry and generally of his Actings in that Year Page 184 Sect. 2. Of Christ's Ordination of His Apostles ibid. Sect. 3. Of Christ's Reception of Sinners Page 187 Sect. 4. Of Christ's easie Yoke and light Burthen Page 192 Chap. 4. Sect. 1. Of the Fourth Year of Christ's Ministry and generally of His Actings in that Year Page 200 Sect. 2. Of the Distinction or several Divisions of Christ's Righteousness ibid. Sect. 3. Of the Holiness of Christ's Nature Page 201 Sect. 4. Of the Holiness of Christ's Life Page 202 Sect. 5. Of the great Controversie Whether we are not Justifyed by the Passive Righteousness of Christ only without any Consideration had to the Righteousness of Christ either Inherent in Him or Performed by Him Page 204 Chap. 5. Sect. 1. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the Great Work of our Salvation in His Life Page 207 Sect. 2. Of Considering Jesus in that respect Page 208 Sect. 3. Of Desiring after Jesus in that respect Page 315 Sect. 4. Of Hoping in Jesus in that respect Page 317 Sect. 5. Of Believing in Jesus in that respect Page 320 Sect. 6. Of Loving Jesus in that respect Page 324 Sect. 7. Of Joying in Jesus in that respect Page 326 Sect. 8. Of Calling on Jesus in that respect Page 328 Sect. 9. Of Conforming to Jesus in that respect Page 329 BOOK VI. PART III. Chap. 1. Sect. 1. Of the Day of Christ's Sufferings divided into Parts Hours Page 339 Sect. 2. Of the Brook over which Christ passed Page 341 Sect. 3. Of the Garden into which Christ ontred Page 344 Sect. 4. Of the Prayer that Christ there
made Page 345 Sect. 5. Of the Dolours and Agonies that Christ there suffered Page 348 Sect. 6. Of Judas Treason Christ's Apprehension Binding Leading unto Annas Page 350 Sect. 7. Of Christ's Examination and Condemnation with their Appendices Page 354 Chap. 2. Sect. 1. Of Christ's Indictment and Judas fearful End Page 359 Sect. 2. Of Christ's Mission to Herod and the Transactions there Page 362 Sect. 3. Of Christ and Barabbas compared and of the Question debated betwixt Pilate and the Jews Page 364 Sect. 4. Of Christ stripped whipped cloathed with Purple crowned with Thorns Page 367 Sect. 5. Of Christ brought forth and sentenced Page 370 Sect. 6. Of Christ's Crucifying with its Appendices Page 373 Sect. 7. Of the Consequents after Christ's Crucifying Page 376 Chap. 3. Sect. 1. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the Great Work of our Salvation in His Death Page 378 Sect. 2. Of Considering Jesus in that respect ibid. Sect. 3. Of Desiring Jesus in that respect Page 383 Sect. 4. Of Hoping in Jesus in that respect Page 386 Sect. 5. Of Believing in Jesus in that respect Page 391 Sect. 6. Of Loving Jesus in that respect Page 397 Sect. 7. Of Joying in Jesus in that respect Page 399 Sect. 8. Of Calling on Jesus in that respect Page 401 Sect. 9. Of Conforming to Jesus in that respect Page 402 BOOK VII PART IV. Chap. 1. Sect. 1. Of the Time of Christ's Resurrection Page 411 Sect. 2. Of the Reasons of Christ's Resurrection Page 413 Sect. 3. Of the Manner of Christ's Resurrection Page 415 Sect. 4. Of the Arguments of Christ's Resurrection Page 419 Sect. 5. Of Christ's Apparition to Mary Magdalen Page 421 Sect. 6. Of Christ's Apparition to His Ten Disciples Page 431 Sect. 7. Of Christ's Apparition to all His Apostles Page 436 Sect. 8. Of Christ's Apparition to all the Apostles at the Sea of Tiberias Page 442 Chap. 2. Sect. 1. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the Great Work of our Salvation in His Resurrection Page 443 Sect. 2. Of Considering Jesus in that Respect Page 444 Sect. 3. Of Desiring after Jesus in that respect Page 449 Sect. 4. Of Hoping in Jesus in that respect Page 452 Sect. 5. Of Believing in Jesus in that respect Page 458 Sect. 6. Of Loving Jesus in that respect Page 462 Sect. 7. Of Joying in Jesus in that respect Page 464 Sect. 8. Of Calling on Jesus in that respect Page 466 Sect. 9. Of Conforming to Jesus in that respect Page 467 BOOK VIII PART V. Chap. 1. Sect. 1. Of Christ's Ascension and of the Manner how Page 475 Sect. 2. Of the Place where He Ascended Page 477 Sect. 3. Of the Reasons why He Ascended ibid. Sect. 4. Of God's Right Hand and of Christ's Session There Page 480 Sect. 5. Of the Two Natures wherein Christ sits at God's Right Hand Page 482 Sect. 6. Of the Reasons why Christ doth sit at God's Right Hand ibid. Sect. 7. Of the Time when the Holy-Ghost was sent Page 485 Sect. 8. Of the Persons to whom the Holy-Ghost was sent Page 486 Sect. 9. Of the Manner how the Holy-Ghost was sent Page 487 Sect. 10. Of the Measure of the Holy-Ghost now given p. 490. Sect. 11. Of the Reasons why the Holy-Ghost was sent Page 491 Chap. 2. Sect. 1. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the Great Work of our Salvation in His Ascension Session and Mission of the Spirit Page 499 Sect. 2. Of Considering Jesus in that respect Page 500 Sect. 3. Of Desiring after Jesus in that respect Page 503 Sect. 4. Of Hoping in Jesus in that respect Page 505 Sect. 5. Of Believing in Jesus in that respect Page 511 Sect. 6. Of Loving Jesus in that respect Page 517 Sect. 7. Of Joying in Jesus in that respect Page 519 Sect. 8. Of Calling on Jesus in that respect Page 521 Sect. 9. Of Conforming to Jesus in that respect Page 522 BOOK IX PART VI. Chap. 1. Sect. 1. What the Intercession of Christ is Page 527 Sect. 2. According to what Nature Christ doth Intercede Page 528 Sect. 3. To whom Christ's Intercession is directed Page 529 Sect. 4. For whom this Intercession is made Page 530 Sect. 5. What Agreement there is betwixt Christ's Intercessions and the Intercessions of the High-Priests of Old ibid. Sect. 6. What the Difference is betwixt Christ's Intercessions and the Intercessions of the High-Priests of Old Page 538 Sect. 7. What the Properties of this Intercession of Christ are Page 539 Sect. 8. Wherein the Intercession of Christ consists Page 540 Sect. 9. How powerful and prevailing Christ's Intercession are with His Father Page 546 Sect. 10. Of the Reasons of Christ's Intercession Page 549 Chap. 2. Sect. 1. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the Great Work of our Salvation in His Intercession Page 552 Sect. 2. Of Considering Jesus in that respect ibid. Sect. 3. Of Desiring after Jesus in that respect Page 555 Sect. 4. Of Hoping in Jesus in that respect Page 557 Sect. 5. Of Believing in Jesus in that respect Page 500 Sect. 6. Of Loving Jesus in that respect Page 564 Sect. 7. Of Joying in Jesus in that respect Page 566 Sect. 8. Of Praying to and Praising of Jesus in that respect Page 568 Sect. 9. Of Conforming to Jesus in that respect Page 569 BOOK X. Chap. 1. Sect. 1. Of Christ's Preparing for Judgment Page 573 Sect. 2. Of Christ's Coming to Judgment Page 576 Sect. 3. Of Christ's Summoning the Elect to come under Judgment Page 578 Sect. 4. Of Christ and the Saints Meeting at the Judgment-Day Page 583 Sect. 5. Of Christ's Sentencing or Judging the Saints for Eternal Glory Page 586 Sect. 6. Of Christ and the Saints judging the rest of the World Page 589 Sect. 7. Of Christ and His Saints going up into Heaven when shall be the End of the World Page 600. Sect. 8. Of Christ's surrendring and delivering up the Kingdom to God even the Father Page 603 Sect. 9. Of Christ's Subjection to the Father that God may be All in All Page 606 Sect. 10. Of Christ's being All in All to His Redeemed Saints to all Eternity Page 609 Chap. 2. Sect. 1. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on Man's Salvation in His Second Coming to Judgment Page 616 Sect. 2. Of Considering Jesus in that respect ibid Sect. 3. Of Desiring after Jesus in that respect Page 620 Sect. 4. Of Hoping in Jesus in that respect Page 623 Sect. 5. Of Believing in Jesus in that respect Page 628 Sect. 6. Of Loving Jesus in that respect Page 634 Sect. 7. Of Joying in Jesus in that respect Page 636 Sect. 8. Of Praying to and Praising of Jesus in that respect Page 638 Sect. 9. Of Conforming to Jesus in that respect ibid. LOOKING UNTO JESUS The first Book HEBR. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the beginner and finisher of our Faith CHAP. I. The Proem Division and opening of the Words THE most excellent subject to discourse or write of is Jesus Christ Augustine having read Cicero's works Dulces non
but they were not able to draw for the multitude of the fishes 2. Hereupon Christ is known Therefore that Disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter ver 7. it is the Lord the alarm given now all the Disciples bestir themselves 1. Peter he casts himself into the sea 2. The other Disciples they come in a little ship to the land and there they dine and commune with Jesus which is the end of the history and so ends this Book of our Evangelist John Thus far we have propounded the object our next work is how to direct you to look unto Jesus in this respect CHAP. II. SECT I. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation in his Resurrection THAT in all respects we may look on Jesus 1. Let us know Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his resurrection and during the time of his abode upon earth after his Resurrection This is worth the knowing on it depends our justification sanctification salvation For if Christ be not risen we are yet in our sins and our faith is in vain and our hope is in vain little hope have we either of Heaven or of Resurrection if Christ be not risen of all men we are most miserable that believe in Christ if he whom we believe in be not risen again O my soul study this point many take it up in gross they can run over this Article of their Creed The third day he rose again from the dead but for a particular understanding of it in respect of the time or the end or the manner or the certainty how many are to seek I shall appeal to thy self are not many discoveries already made which before thou never tookest notice of and if thou wouldst but study this point how much more might yet appear especially how much more might yet appear as to thine own good it is not enough to know Christ's resurrection unless thou know it for thy self Be sure thou hast this in mind That Christ rose again but what 's that to me saving knowledge is ever joyned with a particular application if Christ be my Head then he could not rise but I rose with him and in him and thus O my soul look on Christ and thus search into every particular of Christ's resurrection come study when he rose study the Arguments that make out Christ's resurrection sure and certain study all the Apparitions of Jesus Christ O what delightful studies are these hadst thou been with them to whom Christ appeared would not thy heart have leaped with joy come study it close for the benefit of these Apparitions extend to thee the fruit of Christ's resurrection is thine Job 5.27 even thine as well as theirs Know this for thy self SECT II. Of considering Jesus in that respect 2. LEt us consider Jesus carrying on this work of our salvation for us in his resurrection It is not enough to know a saving necessary truth but it is required further that we digest truths and that we draw forth their strength for the nourishment and refreshing of our poor souls As a man may in half an hour chew and take into his stomack that meat which he must have seven or eight hours at least to digest so a man may take into his understanding more truths in an hour than he is able well to digest in many what good those men are like to get by Sermon 's or Providences who are unaccustomed to this work of meditation I cannot imagine it is observed by some that this is the reason why so much preaching is lost amongst us why Professors that run from Sermon to Sermon and are never weary of hearing or reading have notwithstanding such languish starved souls because they will not meditate And therefore God commanded Joshua not only to read the Law but to consider of it Josh 1.8 and dwell upon it This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night why this is the duty that I am now pressing to if thou knowest these things consider â—uminate meditate ponder on them again and again And because this work requires enlargedness of heart and spirit therefore take it into parts and consider of each of them apart by it self As 1. Consider of the time when Christ rose again As Christ had his three dayes and no more so must thou have the same three dayes like unto his the first day was called the day of preparation the second was the Sabbath-day and the third was the resurrection day so thy first day is a day of preparation a day of passion wherein thou must strive and struggle against sin and Satan wherein thou must suffer all their bitter darts till thou dyest and give up the Ghost And thy second day is a day of rest wherein thy body must lye in the grave and thy flesh rest in hope wherein thou shalt enter into peace and rest in thy bed until the trumpet sound and bid thee arise Isa 52.7 and come to judgment And thy third day is a day of resurrection unto glory It is the first day of the week or the first beginning of a never ending world Thus consider the time of Christ's resurrection and thence mayst thou draw down some use for thy souls nourishment 2. Consider of the reasons why Christ arose was it not to confound the Jews they could not endure to hear of Christ's resurrection and therefore when Peter and the other Apostles preached that point Acts 9.33 They were cut to the heart and took councel to slay them It is the case of them to say We will not have that man to reign over us they that by their sins crucifie Christ every day cannot without horror think of his exaltation it cuts them to the heart that Christ is risen to be their Judge Again was it not to confirm the faith of Christ's followers till he was risen their faith was but a weak faith weak in knowledge weak in assent weak in confidence weak in assurance much ado had Christ with them many a time had he chid them Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith but after he had shewed uimself alive by many infallible proofs they could then cry it out My Lord and my God Again was it not to evidence that he had fully satisfied all our debts the Apostle tells us that Christ was our Surety Heb. 7.22 at his death he was arrested and cast into Prison whence he could not come till all was payed and therefore to hear that Christ is risen and that he hath brokens the bolts and fetters of the grave it is a clear evidence that God is satisfied and that Christ is discharged by God himself Oh what breasts of consolation are here Again was it not to conquer sin death and devil now he took from death his sting and from hell his standard now he seized upon the hand-writing
Cant. 8.14 Many prayers are in the bowels of this as that Christ when he comes may bid us welcome and give us a place on his Throne on his right hand and pronounce us blessed and take us to himself to live with himself in eternal glory c. But I mention onely this general and let each soul expatiate on the rest 2. Let us praise him for his coming and for all his actings at his coming Our engagement to Christ even for this transaction is so great that we can never enough extol his Name at that day the books shall be opened and why not the book of our engagements to Jesus Christ if it must be opened I can surely tell you it is written full the page and margent both within and without is written full it 's an huge book of many volumes O then let our hearts be full of praises let us joyn with those blessed Elders that fell down before the Lamb and sung Worthy it the Lamb that was slain to receive power Rev. 5.12 and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing Yea let us joyn with all those creatures in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the Sea whom John heard saying Blessing Honour Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth on the throne Ver. 13. and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Amen SECT IX Of conforming to Jesus in that respect 9. LET us conform to Jesus as coming again to judge the World Looking to Jesus contains this when the Apostle would perswade Christians to patience under the cross he lays down first the cloud of witnesses all the Martyrs of the Church of Christ and secondly Jesus Christ himself as of more vertue and power than all the rest the Martyrs suffered much but Christ endured more than they all and therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 12.2 look unto Jesus surely he is the best exemplar the chief pattern to whom in all his transactions we may in some way or other conform But how should we conform to Christ in this respect I Answer 1. Christ will in his time prepare for judgment Oh let us at all times prepare for his judging of us doth it not concern us to prepare for him as well as it concerns him to prepare for us if Christ come and find us careless negligent unprepared what will become of us the very thought of Christ's sudden coming to judgment might well put us into a waiting watching posture that we might be still in readiness it cannot be long and alas what is a little time when it is gone how quickly shall we be in another World and our souls receive their particular judgments and so wait till our bodies be raised and judged to the same condition or salvation it is not an hundred years in all likelyhood till every soul of us shall be in heaven or hell it may be within a year or two or ten or thereabouts the greatest part of this congregation will be in Heaven or Hell and I beseech you what is a year or two or ten what is an hundred or a thousand years to the dayes of eternity how speedily is this gone and how endless is that time or eternity that is come is it not high time then to prepare our lamps to trim our souls to watch and fast and pray and meditate and to remember that for all our deeds good or evill God will bring us to Judgment herein is our Conformity to Christ's coming before he comes he prepares for us oh let us against his coming prepare for him 2. Christ at his coming will summon all his Saints to arise to ascend and to come to him in the clouds O let us summon our souls to arise to ascend and to go to Christ in the Heavens What Christ will do really at that day let us do spiritually on this day It was the prodigal's saying I will arise and go to my Father and say unto him Luk. 15.18 We are naturally sluggish we lye in a bed of sin and security and we are loath to arise to ascend and to go to God Oh then let us call upon our own souls Awake awake Deborah why art thou so heavy O my soul let us stir up our spirits consciences wills affections every day let us wind them up as a man doth his Watch that it may be in a continual motion Alas alas we had need to be continually stirring up the gifts and graces that are in us it is the Lords pleasure that we should daily come to him he would have us on the wing of Prayer and on the wing of Meditation and on the wing of Faith he would have us to be still arising ascending and mounting up in divine contemplation to his Majesty And is it not our duty and the Saints disposition to be thus Whethersoever the dead carcass is thither will the Eagles resort Matth. 24.28 if Christ be in Heaven where should we be but in Heaven with him For where your Treasure is there will your hearts be also Oh that every morning and every evening at least our hearts would arise ascend and go to Christ in the Heavens 3. Christ will at last judge all our souls and judge all the wicked to eternal flames oh let us judge our selves that we may not be judged of the Lord in that sad Judgment If we would judge our selves saith the Apostle we should not be judged 1 Cor. 11.31 Good reason we have to conform to Christ in this point or otherwise how should we escape the judgment of Christ at the last day but in what manner should we judge our selves I answer 1. We must search out our sins 2. We must confess them before the Lord. 3. We must condemn our selves or pass a sentence against our own souls 4. We must plead pardon and cry mightily to God in Christ for the remission of all those sins whereof we have judged our selves and condemned our selves 1. We must search out our sins Winnow your selves O people not worthy to be beloved Zeph. 2.1 There should be a strict scrutiny to find out all the prophaness of our hearts and lives all our sins against light and love and checks and vows winnow your selves If you will not I pronounce to you from the eternal God that ere long the Lord will come in the Clouds and then will he open the black Book wherein all your sins are written he will search Jerusalem with candles he will come with a Sword in his hand to search out all secure sinners every where and then will all your sins be discovered to all the World O that we would prevent this by our search and scrutining a forehand 2. We must confess our sins before the Lord we must spread them before the Lord as Hezekiah did his letter onely in our confessions observe these rules As 1. Our confession must be full of sorrow Psal 38.18 I
Jesus Christ Doctor Sibbs is clear that the special office of the ministry of Christ is to lay open Christ to hold up the tapistry to unfold the hidden misteries of Christ and therefore he exhorts that we should labour to be alwayes speaking somewhat about Christ or tending that way when we speak of the law let it drive us to Christ when of moral duties let them teach us to walk worthy of Christ Christ or some what tending to Christ should be our theme and mark to aime at Sibbs Cantic p. 428. And I may feelingly say it is the sweetest subject that ever was Preached on is it not as an ointment poured forth whose smell is so fragrant and whose savour is so sweet that therefore all the Virgins love him is it not comprehensive of all glory beauty excellency whether of things in Heaven or of things on Earth is it not a mystery sweet and deep surely Volumes are written of Jesus Christ there is line upon line Sermon upon Sermon Book upon Book and Tome upon Tome and yet such is the mystery as one speaks plainly that we are all but as yet at the first side of the single Catechism of Jesus Christ yea Solomon was but at What is his Name and I fear many of us know neither Name nor thing It is a worthy study to make further and further discoveries of this blessed Mystery and it were to be wished that all the Ministers of Christ would spend themselves in the spelling and reading and understanding of it Look as some great point doth require the abilities of many Scholars and all little enough when joyned together to make a good discovery thereof such is this high point this holy sacred glorious Mystery worthy of the pains of all the Learned and if they would all bring their notes together and add all their studies together which I have in some measure endeavoured in the following Treatise they should find still but a little of this Mystery known in comparison of what remains and is unknown only this they should know Quod difficily intellectu dilectabile inquisitu as Bernad said That which is hard to understand is delightful to be dived into and so I found it 2. For the act of looking unto Jesus as it is comprehensive of knowing desiring hoping believing loving so also of joying how then should I but be filled with joy unspeakable and glorious whilst I was studying writing and especially acting my Soul in the exercise of this Looking If there be any Duty on Earth resembling the Duty of the Saints in Heaven I dare say this is it Mr. Rutherford in his Epistle to Christ dying writeth thus An act of living in Christ and on Christ in the acts of seeing enjoying embracing loving resting on him is that noon-day Divinity and Theology of Beatifical Vision there is a general assembly of immediately illuminated Divines round about the Throne who study lecture preach praise Christ night and day Oh what rays what irradiations and dartings of intellectual fruition beholding enjoying living in him and fervour of loving come from that face that God-visage of the Lord God Almighty and of the Lamb that is in the midst of them And Oh what reflections and reachings forth of intellectual Vision embracing loving wondering are returning back to him again in a circle of Glory Now if this be the Saints Duty who are perfect in glory do not we imitate them and feel something of Heaven in our imitation in our looking also unto Jesus I write what in some measure I have felt and of which I hope to feel yet more and therefore whoever thou art that readest I beseech thee come warm thy heart at this blessed fire O come and smell the precious ointments of Jesus Christ O come and sit down under his shadow with great delight Oh that all men especially into whose hands this Book shall come would presently fall upon the practice of this Gospel-art of looking unto Jesus if herein they find nothing of Heaven my skill will fail me only let them pray that as they look to him so vertue may go out of him and fill their souls Reader One thing more I have to say to thee if thou wouldest know how to carry on this Duty constantly as thou dost thy morning and thy evening prayer it were not amiss if every day either morning or evening thou wouldst take some part of it at one time and some part of it at another time at least for some space of time together I know some that in a constant daily course carry on in secret those two necessary duties of meditation and prayer what the subject matter of their meditation is I am not very certain only our experience can tell us that be it heaven or be it hell be it sin or be it grace or be it what it will if we be in exercise of the self-same subject either constantly or frequently we are apt to grow remiss or cold or formal and the reason is one thing tires quickly unless that one be all now that is Christ for He is All Col. 3.11 if then but once a day thou wouldst make this Jesus Christ thy subject to know consider desire hope believe joy in call upon and conform unto in his several respects of plotting promising performing thy redemption in his Birth Life Death Resurrection Ascension Session Intercession and coming again and that one of these particulars might be thy one dayes exercise and so every day thou wouldest proceed from first to last in thus looking unto Jesus I suppose thou wouldst never tire thy self and why so O there is variety in this matter to be looked unto and there is variety in the manner of looking on it Ex. gr one day thou mightst act thy knowing of Jesus in carrying on the great work of thy salvation in his Eternity the next day thou mightest consider Jesus in that respect and the next day thou mightst desire after Jesus in that respect and the next day thou mightst hope in Jesus in that respect and so on till thou comest to the last day of the work which besides * I suppose the Reader will at least once read over the whole book and then for this constant dayly exercise during eighty one dayes in a year I leave the object in every period to be read or not read as he pleaseth unless it may in whole or in part conduce any thing to that one act of knowing Jesus in such or such a respect the object handled at large in every period in these very actings upon the object would in all amount to the number of eighty one dayes Now would not this variety delight It is the observation of Mr. Lockyer on Col. 1.16 that an holy soul cannot tire it self in the contemplation of Jesus how much less can it tire it self in Looking unto Jesus which is far more Comprehensive than contemplating of Jesus come try this Duty and be
stands in competition with Jesus we have discussed before Many other Motives might be given but let this suffice I have done with the exhortation In the next place I shall lay open to you the particular way of this Duty which all this while I have been perswading to SECT VIII Vse of Direction Vse 3 IS inward experimental looking unto Jesus a choice or an high Gospel Ordinance why then some directions how we are to perform this Duty Practice is the end of all sound doctrin and duty is the end of all right faith now that you may do what you have heard in some good measure I shall prescribe the directions in the next part prescribed But first in the work observe those two parts of the Text the act and object the act is looking unto and the Object is Jesus 1. By looking unto we mean as you have heard an inward experimental knowing desiring hoping believing loving calling on Jesus and conforming to Jesus it is not a bare swiming knowledge of Christ it is not a bare thinking of Christ as Christ hath various excellencies in himself so hath he formed the soul with a power of diverse wayes apprehending that so we might be capable of enjoying those divers excellencies that are in Christ even as the creatures having their several uses God hath accordingly given us several senses that so we might enjoy the delights of them all what the better had we been for pleasant odoriferous Flowers or sweet perfumes if we had not possest the sense of smelling or what good would language or musick have done us if God had not given us the sense of hearing or what delight should we have found in meats or drinks or sweetest things if we had been deprived of the sense of tasting so what pleasure should we have had even in the goodness and perfection of God and Christ if we had been without the faculty and power of knowing desiring hoping believing loving joying and enjoying as the senses are to the body so are these spiritual senses powers affections to the soul the very way by which we must receive sweetness and strength from the Lord Jesus 2. By Jesus who is the Object of this Act we mean a Saviour carrying on the great work of mans salvation from first to last hence we shall follow this method to look on this Jesus as our Jesus in these several periods 1. In that Eternity before all time until the Creation 2. In the Creation the beginning of time until his coming 3. In his first coming the fulness of time until his coming again 4. In his coming again the very end of time to all Eternity In every of these Periods Oh what a blessed Object is before us Oh what wonders of love have we to look upon Before I direct you how to look on him in these respects I must in the first place propound the Object still we must lay the colours of this admirable beauty before your eyes and then tell you the art how you are to look upon them You may object the Apostle in this Text refers this look only to the passion and session of Christ Bp. Arde. But a worthy Interpreter tells you out of these words That Christ our blessed Saviour is to be looked on at all times and in all acts though indeed then in those Acts more especially Besides we are to look unto Jesus as the Author and finisher of our Faith and why as the Author and finisher of our Faith but to hint out to us that we are to stand still and to behold as with a stedfast eye what he is from first to last You have called us hither say they in Canticles to see your Shulamite What shall we sâ—e in him What saith the Spouse but as the company of two Armies that is many legions of good sights an Ocean of bottomless depths of manifold high perfections Or if these words be understood of the Spouse and not of Christ yet how many words do we find in Canticles expressing in him many goodly sights Myrrhe Aloes Cinamon all the Trees of Frankincense all the Powders of the Merchants are in him he is altogether lovely he is all every whit of him desirable he is not one single Star but a constellation there is in him a confluence a bundle an army of glorious sights all in one cluster meeting and growing upon one stalk There 's many glorious sights in Jesus I I shall not therefore limit my self to those two especial ones but take all those before me I have now propounded And now if ever stir up your hearts Say to all worldly business and thoughts as Christ to the Disciples Matth 2â— 36 Sit you here while I go pray yonder Or as Abraham when he went to sacrifice Isaac left his Servants and Asse below the Mount saying Stay you here and I and the Lad will go yonder and Worship and come again to you so say to all worldly thoughts Abide you below while I go up to Christ and then I will return to you again Christians your selves may be welcom but such followers may not LOOKING UNTO JESUS The Second Book Revel 1.8 11. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last and what thou seest write in a book and send it to the seven Churches CHAP. I. SECT I. Of the eternal Generation of our Jesus WE must Look unto Jesus the beginner and finisher of our faith we must behold Jesus as with a stedfast eye from first to last As he is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending the first and the last so accordingly we must Look unto him 1. He is Alpha the beginner so it is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginner the inceptor the first wheel of our faith Heb. 12.2 and of the end of our faith the salvation of our souls 2 Thes 2.13 2 Tim. 1.9 Tit. 1.2 Now Christ may be called a beginner in respect of the Decree or execution I shall begin with the Decree wherein he begun before the beginning of time to design our happiness for the praise of the glory of his Grace Ephes 1.6 Many depths are in this passage To this purpose we told you that Jesus is Gods Son and our Jesus eternally begotten before all worlds In this first period we shall look on him 1. In relation to God 2. In relation to us 1. In his relation to God who shall declare his generation Isa 53.8 He is Gods Son having his subsistence from the Father alone of which Father by communication of his essence he is begotten from all eternity For the opening of this eternal generation of our Jesus we shall consider 1. The thing begotten 2. The time 3. The manner of begetting 4. The mutual kindness and love of him that begets and of him
that is begotten which brings forth a third person or subsistence which we call the Holy Ghost 1. For the thing it self it is Jesus Christ who must be considered two ways as he is a Son and as he is a God Now as he is a Son he is the thing begotten but not as he is a God As he is God he is of himself neither begotten nor proceeding the God-head of the Father and the God-head of the Son is but one and the same thing and therefore * Esientia filiis est a seipsa hac ratione dici potest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essentia tamen siliis non est a seipso ideo sic non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son as he is God he is God of himself without beginning even as the Father but as he is a Son he is not of himself but the Son of the Father begotten of him and hereupon it follows that the Son is begotten of the Father as he is a Son but not as he is a God 2. For the time of this generation it hath neither beginning middle nor end and therefore it is eternal before all worlds this is one of the wonders of our Jesus that the Father begetting and the Son begotten are coeternal Wisdom in the book of Proverbs which with one consent of all Divines is said to be Christ affirmeth thus Prov 8.24.25 2â— 2â— When there was no depths I was brought forth When there were no fountains abounding with water before the Mountains were setled before the hills was I was brought forth while as yet he had not made the earth nor the fields nor the highest part of the dust of the world when he prepared the heavens I was there when he set a compass upon the face of the depth I was there And a little before â—rov 8.22 23 the Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the world was that is to say from eternity for before the world was made there was nothing but eternity It may be alleaged to the contrary that the saying of God the Father thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Psa 2.7 Acts 13.32 33 is expounded by Paul of the time of Christs resurrection And we declare unto you glad tydings saith Paul how that the promise which was made unto the fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm thou art my Son this â—ay have I begotten thee But we distinguish betwixt generation it self and the manifestation or declaration of it Jesus the Son of God from all eternity was begotten but when he was incarnate and especially when he was raised again from the dead then was he mightily declared to be Gods Son by nature And of this declaration or manifestation of his eternal generation is that of the Apostle understood 3. For the manner of this generation of Jesus the Son of God understand there be two manners of begetting the one is carnal and outward and this is subject to corruption alteration and time the other is spiritual and inward and such was the beginning of the Son of God of whose generation there is neither corruption alteration nor time Isa 53.8 Rom. 11.33 But alas how should we declare his generation O my soul here thou mayest admire and adore with Paul and David and cry out O the depths of the riches both â—f the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways pâ—â—â— finding out There is no searching for us into the secret counsels of God which he never revealed in his Word but so far as he hath revealed himself we shall in sobriety according to the light of the Scriptures endeavour a discovery of the manner of this spiritual generation of the Son of God as thus We must consider in God two things 1. That in God there is an understanding 2. That in God this understanding everlastingly acts or works For the first that God hath a most excellent understanding or that he is understanding it self in the highest degree is very clear for he that gives understanding to all his intelligible creatures must needs have it and be it most eminently in himself if fire be the cause of heat in other things it must needs be that fire is the hottest of any thing * Propter quod unum quodque tale illud est magis talâ— Job 12 13 Prov. 8.14 the axiome is common but the Scripture verifies it with God is wisdom and strength he hath counsel and understanding Nay that this understanding is his very being is very plain Counsel is mine and sound wisdom I am understanding and I am strength For the second that this understanding in God everlastingly acts or works is very clear for that understanding which is the nature essence and being of God is a meer act or the first act it is all one with the life of God now as all life is active in it self so the chief life such as in the highest degree is to be attributed to God must needs be active what is the life of God but an essential property whereby the Divine nature is in perpetual action living and moving in it self and hereof is that speech in Scripture so often used Jer. 4.2 Jer. 38.16 Numb 14.21 Rom. 14.21 the Lord liveth hereof likewise is that asseveration or oath so often used by God as the Lord liveth and As I Live saith the Lord well then the understanding of God being active or working from all eternity it must needs have some eternal object on which it acts or works every action requires a sutable object about which it must act or be exercised so then if Gods understanding act eternally it must have some eternal object and if Gods understanding act most perfectly it must have some most perfect object to act upon and what is that but onely God himself that Gods understanding should act out of himself would argue his understanding to act upon that which is finite and imperfect Certainly nothing is infinite eternal and perfect but onely himself and therefore if his understanding will act upon any sutable object he must act upon nothing but himself And now we come to the manner of this high mystical spiritual generation of Jesus the Son of God As the understanding of God doth act and reflect upon it self from all eternity so it works this effect that it understands and conceives it self it apprehends in the understanding an image of that Object which it looks upon and this very image is the Son of God This we shall lay out by some similitudes A mans soul we know doth sometimes muse and meditate on other things as it thinks of Heaven or it thinks of earth this we call a right or direct or emanant
greatest part of thy Salvation already done to thy hand nay I 'le tell thee more poor soul then thus even Christ himself from all Eternity hath engaged for thee that thou shalt believe O then put not Christ to be challenged of his engagement by refusing the Gospel surely when thou believest thou makest Christs word good he that believeth not makes God a liar though in another sense and for ought he knoweth even in this that he frustrates Christs undertakings in the Covenant And therefore believe yea and cry Lord I believe help thou my unbelief increase my Faith till I come to full assurance of Faith Faith in this sense is the very Eye of the Soul reading is Name Written in the Book of Life it is an apprehension of our particular Election O believe till thou comest up to this fullness of perswasion of Gods Love in Christ SECT VI. Of loving Jesus in that respect 6. WE must love Jesus as carrying on that great work of our Salvation in that Eternity And this is the fruit or effect of Faith if once we believe that all those designs and transactions were for us even for us O then how should we but love that God and love that Christ who thus firstly and freely loved us God loved us before we loved him for he loved us in that Eternity before all Worlds surely then we are bound to love him First and above all things As the Diamond formeth and fashioneth the Diamond so love formeth and fashioneth Love or as fire converteth Fewel into Fire so this antient love of God and Christ may well cause our love again O Christ didst not thou love us who doubts it that but reads over the project councel foreknowledge purpose decree and covenant of God and Christ who doubts it that but reads the eternal designe of God that Christ should go out of himself and suffer an extasie through the vehemency of his love that Christ should so far abase his Majesty as to dye for us that we might not dye but live with him O then how should this but kindle in our hearts a most ardent love towards God and Christ what more effectuall motive to work mans love then to be prevented by the love bounty of another That this fruit doth spring from the sense of our Election Bernard observes who is righteous but he that requiteth the love of God with love again Bern. Epi. 107. which is never done except the holy Ghost reveale unto a man by faith Gods eternal purpose concerning his future salvation And hence it is that the heart is most in frame when it is a considering the eternal love of God in Christ 2 â—am 1.26 As David said of Jonathan thou hast been very pleasant to me thy love to me was wonderful so a poor soul gathering up all the goodness of God in that Eternity and feeding upon it and the variety of it it breaths out in that expression thou hast been very pleasant to me O God thy love to me hath been wonderfull O my soul that thou couldest so live by faith on these eternal passages as that thou mightest attain to the highest fruits of faith not onely to love God and Christ but to love them with a burning love with a mighty love such a love as lyes in the most vigorous prosecution after Jesus Christ and in the most faithful resignation of thy self to God such a love as works the most delightful aspect of God and Christ as makes a man to behold God and Christ with all cheerfulness such a love as works a man to extoll the praises of God O in these things lyes the strength of love But alas this is or at least this should be thy grief that thou canst not love so well and so warmly as thou art beloved Christ comes towards thee Skipping like the Hart or Roe on the Mountaines of spices Cant 8 14. but thy love towards Christ is creeping like the worme in the unwholsome valley Indeed the best affections have their fits of swooning it may be for the present thy love is cold O but come up to this fire consider how God and Christ loved thee in every of these 1. His project to save they soul sprung out of his love love was the first wheele that set all the eternall works of God a going what was that great designe of God but onely an expression of his love it was his pleasure to communicate himself and the rise of that communication was his love 2. The Counsels of God were all in love had not love been as President of the Counsel where hadst thou been when all the attributes of God were at a stand it was the love of God in Christ that resolved the question for thy salvation 3. The foreknowledge of God was a foreknowledge of love and approbation in his eternal love he embraced thee as his own he foreknew thee i. of his free love he set thee apart to life and to salvation God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the World Ephes 1.4 he chose us in Christ but not for Christ nothing at all moved him to Elect thee but his own good pleasure and free love 4. The purpose of God was a resolution of love it speaks his love to be a constant setled abiding love John 13.1 no unkindness shall alter it for having loved his own he loves them unto the end nay he loves them without end from everlasting to everlasting 5. The decree of God was an order as I may call it or an act of love to give in time that grace unto his elect which before all time he decreed should be an effectual means to bring them unto glory 6. The covenant betwixt God and Christ was an agreement of love God and Christ struck hands to save our souls 2 Tim. 1 9. grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began Grace was given us that is the gracious love and favour of God in Christ was given us before all secular times This was Gods meaning from everlasting this was the designe yea the greatest designe that ever God had to set out the infinite glory and the riches of his love in Jesus Christ No question but he had other great designes in doing such great things as he hath done but above all the designes that ever God had in all his works this is the chiefe to honour his mercy to glorify the riches of his love and grace had it not been for this he would never have made the World and therefore in that World to come it will be the delight of God to shew his Saints and Angels what he is able to do for a creature yea he will to all Eternity declare to them to what an height of excellency and glory his love and mercy is able to raise poor souls so that the very Saints and Angels shall admire adore and magnifie the name of God
everlastingly for it O my soul canst thou ponder on this and not love him dearly who has thus loved thee Come stir up the gift that is in thee if thou art a Christian thou hast some sparks though now it may be under the ashes come rub chase and warm thy affections at this fire love like a watch must be wound up or else it will fall downwards what dost thou why stand'st thou idle in the heat of the Day Christ hath fire in his hand 't is but looking up and reaching out thy hand to take it from him O take it with both thy hands and be thankful for it Prayer ejaculation contemplation judicious observation of the Spirits season are thy best instruments to kindle this fire of love in thee And methinks thy heart should begin now to melt methinks it should receive more easie impressions from the object before it methinks these eternal works and acts of God and Christ towards thy poor soul should begin to overcome thee Cant. 6.5 Cant 8.6 and to burne thy heart as with coales of Juniper Why Lord is it thus was I Elected from all Eternity in Christ was I ordained to a glorious inheritance before there was a World was this business to make me happy one of the cheef deep counsels of God was this one of the works of his wisdome that he was exercised about before the World began was this the great designe of God in making the World and in making Heaven the place of glory to glorifie himselfe and to glorifie such a poor wretch as I am O then how should this but mightily inflame my heart with the love God and love of Christ how should I choose but say as the Martyr did Oh that I had as many lives as I have haires on my head to lay them down for Christ Ah what flames of Divine affection what raptures of zeal what ravishments of delight what extasies of obedience can be enough for my blessed God and dearest Redeemer SECT VII Of joying in Jesus in that respect 7. WE must joy in Jesus as carrying on that great work of our salvation in that Eternity This joy is a passion arising from the sweetness of the Object that we enjoy O my soul dost thou believe and art thou now cast into a pang of love how then should thy joy but come on As Christ said to the 70. In this rejoyce not Luk. 10.20 that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven so rejoyce not thou in this that the world is thine that riches are thine that thou hast subdued men and devils but herein rejoyce that thy name is written in the Book of life O what a comfortable point is this that the Father and Christ should transact a bargaine from Eternity concerning thee by name that the Father and the Son should commune together concerning thy heaven as if their language had been thus Father what shall be given to thy justice to ransome such a one Abraham Isaac Jacob Matthew Mark Luke John Mary Martha Hannah c. why no more but this thou shalt dye my Son and whosoever believeth in thee shall live for ever Why then saith Christ I will engage for such and such a one I will enter into Bond for such and such a person Abraham shall believe in time See I have writ down his name in the Book of life And who art thou that readest art thou a believer dost thou believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Christ said the same of thee and entered into a bond for thee and entered they name in the Book of life See the certainty of this in Phil. 4.3 Phil. 4 3. Thou Thomas Andrew Peter Christ knows thee by name and thy name is written in the Book of life O go thy way and rejoyce and take strong consolation is there not cause why I tell thee thy name is in the Book of Heaven and if this may adde to thy joy know there is none in Heaven or Earth shall ever be able to blot it out again No no poor soul Rom. 8.1 there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus God hath decreed thy salvation and Gods decree shall stand let Men and Devils say what they will to the contrary Psal 33.11 The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever the thoughts of his heart to all generations it is as possible for God to deny himself as it is possible for thee a believer to perish 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept saith the Apostle by the power of God through faith to salvation and therefore rejoyce and againe rejoyce yea raise up thy joy to that pitch of triumph which is joy elevated and elevated so high that it comes to victoriousness and magnanimous conquest of heart over all things say with the Apostle what my name written in the Book of life Rom. 8 3â— 35 38 39. who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect who then shall separate me from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword nay I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord. SECT VIII Of calling on Jesus in that respect 8. VVE must call on Jesus or on God the Father in and through Jesus This also is included in looking as David while Praying unto thee do I lift up mine Eyes Psa 123.1 O thou that dwellest in the Heavens Now this calling on God or looking to God contains Prayer and Praise 1. We must pray that all these transactions betwixt God and Christ may be assuredly ours and that God would clear up our Titles more and more yea and seeing all good things tending to Salvation were from all Eternity prepared for us we are therefore to pray that by prayer we may draw them down from Heaven for what though our Evidences be clear Yet this must not cast out means God doth not use to bestow his saving Graces on lazy sluggards those therefore who from the certainty of Predestination do pretend that the duty of Prayer is superfluous do plainly shew that they have no certainty at all Aquinas Aquinas part c q. art 8. was Orthodox in this the Predestinate must Pray because by these effects of Predestination the Salvation of Souls is best ascertained The same Spirit which Witnesseth to our Spirit that we are his Chosen is also the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication and therefore he that believes that he is one of Gods Elect he cannot but pray for those things which he believeth that God hath prepared for him before the foundation of the World 2. We must praise God what that God should look on us and Predestinate us to Life
have who hath been loved so much or who hath so much come under the power of love as you have Ps 31.23 hath not Christ loved you not only with a love of well-wishing which is from everlasting some call it the love of Election the fountain-love the well-head of salvation but also with a love of complacency hath not Christ shed abroad his love into your hearts and shall he lose by it will not these cords of love draw up your hearts to love him again sure it 's but reason to love him who hath first loved you yea and loved you when you were unlovely and had nothing in you worthy of love Christians then it was that Christ loved you in rags it is meet therefore that you should love him in Robes 6. God and Christ appointed or purposed us unto salvation his love was a sure and setled and firme and constant love the purpose of God according to Election must stand Rom. 9.11 Ps 119 112. So must we love him and cleave unto him for ever I have enclined my heart to perform thy Statutes alwayes even to the end Davids heart was much taken with the Statutes of God and therefore he gives this expression of the fulness of his heart alway and even to the end it is a kind of pleonasme his resolutions were such that he would never depart from his God 7. God and Christ decreed booked and sealed our salvation and so must we put to our seal that God is true i. we must believe in Christ for when we believe we make Christs word good He that believes not makes God a lyar as you have heard in that he frustrates or endeavors to frustrate Christs undertaking in his predestination 8. God and Christ entered into Covenant concerning our salvation So must we enter into Covenant with him we must take him to be our God and give up our selves to be his people Why thus we must in all particulars conform to Christ The sum of all is this we must be like Christ in grace and gracious actings O my soul see to this grace see to this conformity to Jesus Christ in gracious actings and this will enable thee to read thy name written in the Book of Life O abhor repel that Devils dart I am predestinated and therefore I may live as I list how contrary is this to the Apostle Eph. 1.4 he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love and as the Elect of God put on bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forgiving one another Even as Christ forgave you this conformity to Christ in grace is the very effect of our predestination Colos 3 12 13. Ps 45 21 O look unto Jesus and be in grace like unto Jesus why Christ is full of grace a vessel filled up to the lip or very brim thou art fairer than the children of men and grace is poured into thy lips Christ was as it were grace speaking Luk 4.22 Grace sighing weeping dying Heb. 2.9 Grace living again and now dropping or rather raining down floods of grace on his living members Ephes 4.11 Christ is the great Apple-tree dropping down Apples of Life Cant. 2.3 and all that falls from this tree as apples leaves shadows smell blossomes are but pieces of grace fallen down from him who is the fulness of all Cant. 2.1 and hath filled all things Christ is the rose of Sharon and every leaf of this rose is an Heaven every white and red in it is grace and glory every act of breathing out it's smell from everlasting to everlasting is Spotless and unmixed grace why then my soul if thou wilt conform to Christ conform in this Be holy as he is holy John 1.16 of that fulness of grace that is in him do thou receive even grace for grace Christians where are we O that ever men should hear of so much grace and of such acts of grace in that eternity before all worlds and yet no impression of grace upon their hearts O that God and Christ should both be in that business of Eternity that heaven hell justice mercy souls and deep wisdome should be all in that rare piece and yet that men should think more of a Farme an Ox an house a pin a straw or of the bones of a crazy livelihood O look up look up if thou art Christs Consider what he hath done for thy soul why thou art predestinate to be conformed to the Image of Christ Thus far we have Looked on Jesus as our Jesus in that Eternity before all time untill the creation Our next work is to Look on Jesus carrying on the great work of mans salvation in the Creation the beginning of time untill his first coming LOOKING UNTO JESUS From the Creation until his first coming The Third Book Revel 1.8 11. The Lord will give thee for a Covenant of the People Hear ye deaf and look ye blind that ye may see CHAP. I. SECT I. Of Christ Promised by degrees IN this period as in the former we shall first lay down the Object and then direct you how to look upon it The Object is Jesus carrying on the work of mans salvation in that dark time before his coming in the flesh No sooner is the world made the things therein but man was created that way might be made for God to shew his grace in the salvation of his Elect. And now was it that Gods eternal project and counsel fore-knowledge and purpose and decree and Covenant with Christ was to come into execution Indeed at the first there was no need of Christ for man at first was made in holiness the image of God and to bear rule over the rest of the visible creatures though this his state was but of a little standing It was the received opinion in in former times that our first parents fell the very same day in which they were created Augustine amongst the rest writes that they stood but six hours but though we cannot describe the certain time very probable it is that it was but short This we finde that Moses having set down the creation of man without the interposition of any thing else he comes immediatly to the fall and the Devil no doubt took the first occasion he possibly could to bring man to the same damnation with himself Well then long it was not but Adam by his sin deprived himself and all his posterity of the image of God All mankind was in his loynes so by the order and appointment of God all mankind partake with him in the guilt of his sins Hence is the daily continual cry not only of Adam Abraham David Paul but of every Saint O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death But sweet souls stay your complaints here 's Gospel-news In this sad hour of temptation God
understanding of this we shall examine these particulars 1. whether the Law was delivered in a Covenant-way 2. In what sense is the Law a Covenant of grace 3. How may it appear that the Law in any sense is a Covenant of grace 4. Why should God in the Law deal with us in a Covenant-way rather then a meer absolute supream way 5. What are the good things promised in this expressure of the Covenant 6. What is the condition of this Covenant on our part as we may gather it hence 7. Who was the Mediator of this Covenant 8. What of Christ and his death do we find in this manifestation of the Covenant For the first whether the Law was delivered in a Covenant-way it is affirmed on these grounds 1. In that it hath the name of a Covenant 2. In that it hath the real properties of a Covenant 1. The name of a Covenant as it appears in these Texts And the Lord said unto Moses â—d 34.23 write these words for after the tenor of these words I have made a Covenant with thee and with Israel and he was there with the Lord forty dayes and forty nights he did neither eat bread nor drink water and he wrote upon the tables the words of the Covenant â—t 4 13 the ten Commandments And he declared unto you his Covenant which he Commanded you to perform even the ten Commandments and he wrote them upon two tables of stone â—ut 9 9 When I was gone sayes Moses up into the Mount to receive the two tables of stone even the tables of the Covenant which the Lord made with you then I abode in the Mount forty dayes and forty nights â— 11. I neither did eat bread nor drink water And it came to pass at the end of forty dayes and forty nights that the Lord gave me the two tables of stone â— 15. even the tables of the Covenant So I turned and came down from the Mount and the mount burned with fire and the two tables of the Covenant were in my two hands It appears plainly and expresly in these Texts that the Law is a Covenant 2. The Law hath the real properties of a Covenant which are the mutual consent and stipulation on both sides You may see a full relation of this in Exod. 24.3 4 5 6 7 8. â—â—od 24 3 4 6 7 8. And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments and all the people answered with one voice all the words which the Lord hath said will we do and Moses wrote all the words of the Lord and rose up early in the morning and builded an altar under the hill and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel and he sent young men of the Children of Israel which offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen unto the Lord and Moses took half of the blood and put it in basons and half of the blood be sprinkled on the Altar and he took the book of the Covenant and read in the audience of the people and they said all that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient and Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words This very passage is related in the Epistle to the Hebrews â—eb 9.19 20 when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the Law he took the blood of calves and goates with water and scarlet-wooll and hissop and sprinkled both the book and all the people saying this is the blood of the Testament or Covenant which God hath enjoyned unto you In the words you may observe these properties of a Covenant 1. That God on his part expresseth his consent and willingness to be their God this will appear in the preface of the Law of which hereafter 2. That the people on their part give their full consents and ready willingness to be his servants Both these appear in that 1. Moses writes down the Covenant Covenant-wise 2. He Confirms the Covenant by outward signs as by the blood of Calves and Goats whereof one half he puts in basons to sprinkle it on the people and the other half of the blood he sprinkles on the Altar that sprinkling on the people signified their voluntary Covenanting with God and the blood sprinkled on the Altar signified Gods entering into Covenant with the people Thus we have reall Covenanting when the Law is given 2. In what sense is the Law a Covenant of Grace I answer The Law may be considered in several senses as 1. Sometimes it signifies largely any heavenly doctrine whether it be promise or precept â—om 3 27 and in this sense the Apostle tells us of the Law of works and of the Law of faith 2. Sometimes it signifies any part of the old Testament in which sense Jesus answered the Jews â—h 12 34 â—al 82 6 Is it not written in your Law I said ye are gods Now where was that written but in the book of the Psalms 3. Sometimes it signifies the whole oeconomy and peculiar dispensation of Gods worship unto the Jews according to the moral ceremonial â—k 16.16 â—al 5.23 and Judicial Law in which sense it is said to continue until John the Law and the Prophets were until John but since that time the Kingdom of God is preached 4. Sometimes it is taken synechdochically for some acts of the Law onely against such there is no Law â—eb 10.1 5. Sometimes it is taken only for the Ceremonial Law the Law having a shadow of good things to come 6. Sometimes it is used in the sense of the Jews as sufficient to save without Christ and thus the Apostle generally takes it in his Epistle to the Romans and Galathians 7. Sometimes it is taken for that part of the Moral Law which is meerly mandative and preceptive without any promise at all 8. Sometimes it is taken for the whole moral Law with the preface and promises added to it and in this last sense we take it when we say it is a Covenant of grace â—xod 19 5 6 3. How may it appear that the Law in this sense is a Covenant of grace it appears 1. By that contract betwixt God and Israel before the promulgation of the Law If ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people â—er 11.4 for all the earth is mine and ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests and an holy nation Whereunto the Prophet Jermy hath reference saying obey my voice and do them according to all which I command you so shall you be my people and I will be your God Both these Scriptures speak of the moral Law or ten Commandments containing the preface and promises and how should that Law be any other but
to obey their Commands and to imitate their Godly Example we cannot honour God more than when we are Humbled at his Feet to receive his Word than when we renounce the Manners of the world Deut. 31.3 Ephes 5.1 to become his Followers as dear Children O think of this for when we conform indeed then are we Holy as he is Holy and Pure as he is Pure and then How should this but tend to the Honour and Glory of our Good God Thus far we have Looked on Jesus as our Jesus in that dark Time before His Coming in the Flesh Our next Work is to Look on Jesus carrying on the Great VVork of Man's Salvation in His First Coming or Incarnation LOOKING UNTO JESUS In His Birth The Fourth Book CHAP. I. Luke 2.15 Let us now go even to Bethlehem and see this Thing SECT I. Of the Tidings of Christ IN this Period as in the former we shall first lay down the Object and secondly direct you how to Look unto it The Object is Jesus carrying on the Work of Man's Salvation in His first Coming in the Flesh until His Coming again But because in this long Period we have many Transactions which we cannot with Conveniency dispatch together we shall therefore break it into smaller pieces and present this Object Jesus Christ 1. In his Birth 2. In his Life 3. In his Death 4. In his Resurrection 5. In his Ascension Session at God's Right Hand and Mission of his Holy Spirit 6. In his Intercession for his Saints in which Business he now is and will be employed till his Second Coming to Judgment 1. First For the Transactions of Jesus in His Birth Some things we must propound before and some things after his Birth so that we shall continue this Period till the Time of John's Baptism or the Exercise of his Ministry upon Earth Now in all the Transactions of this Time we shall especially handle these 1. The Tidings of Christ 2. The Conception of Christ 3. The Duplicity of Natures in Christ 4. The real Distinction in that Duty 5. The wonderful Union notwithstanding that Distinction 6. The Birth of Christ 7. Some Consequents after his Birth whil'st yet a Child of Twelve Years old The First Passage in Relation to his Birth is The Tidings of Christ This appears Luk. 1.26 27 28 c. And in the Sixth Month the Angel Gabriel wat sent from God c. Luk. 1.26 31. I shall a little insâ—st on some of these Words 1. The Messenger is an Angel Man was too mean to carry the News of the Conception of God Never any Business was Conceived in Heaven that did so much concern the Earth as the Conception of the God of Heaven in a Womb of Earth no less therefore than an Angel was worthy to bear these Tidings and never Angel received a greater Honour than of this Embassage Angels have been sent to divers as to Gideon Manoah David Daniel Eliah Zechariah c. And then the Angel honoured the Message but here 's a Message that doth honour the Angel he was highly glorious before but this added to his glory Indeed the Incarnation of God could have no less a Reporter than the Angel of God When God intended to begin his Gospel he would first visit the World wirh his Angel before he would visit the World with his Son His Angel must come in the Form of Man before his Son must come in the Nature of Man This Angel salutes the Virgin Hail thou that art highly favoured the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among Women Luke 1.28 Many Men and Women have been and are the Spiritual Temples of God but never was any the material Temple of God but only Mary and therefore Blessed art thou amongst Women and yet we cannot say that she was so Blessed in Bearing Christ as she was in Believing in Christ her Bearing indeed was more Miraculous but her Believing was more Beneficial to her Soul that was her Priviledge but this was her Happiness Christians If we believe in Christ and if we obey the Word of Christ we are the Mothers of Christ Whosoever doth the Will of My Father which is in Hâ—aven Mat. 12.50 Luke 11.27 he is my Brother and Sister and Mother Every renewed Heart is another Mary a spiritual Sanctuary of the Lord Jesus It was the Woman's Acclamation Blessed is the Womb that bare thee and the Paps that gave thee suck True said Christ but that Blessing extends only to one I will tell you how many are Blessed and rather Blessed yea Vers 28. rather Blessed are they that hear God's Word and keep it Blessed are they that so incarnate the written Word by doing it as the Blessed Virgin gave Flesh to the Eternal Word by bearing it those that hear and keep God's Word are they that Travel in Birth again until Christ be formed in them Gal. 41.9 Hearing they Receive the Immortal Seed of the Word by a firm Purpose of doing they conceive by a longing Desire they quicken by an earnest Endeavourr they travel and when the Work is wrought then have they incarnate the Word and Christ is formed in them In this Respect was Mary â—lessed and I make no question but in this Respect also the Angel calls her Blessed and Elizabeth calls her Blessed and Simeon calls her Blessed and She calls her self Blessed and all Generations call her Blessed and God Himself calls and makes her Blessed yea as Paul said Cometh this Blessedness on the Circumcision only so cometh this Blessedness on the Virgin only No Rom. 4.9 Mat. 5.3 4 5. Psal 32.2 even Blessed are the Poor in Spirit Blessed are they that mourn Blessed are the Meek and Blessed are they whose Sins are not imputed Even these hath God blessed with Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Places and these shall Christ entertain with a Come ye Blessed of My Father Luke 1.29 3. This Virgin is Troubled at this Salute She might well be troubled For 1. If it had been but a Man that had come in so suddenly when she expected none or so secretly when she had no other Company or so strangely the Doors being probably shut she had cause to be troubled How much more when the shining Glory of the Angel so heightned the Astonishment 2. Her Sex was more subject to fear If Zachary were amazed with the sight of this Angel How much more the Virgin We flatter our selves how well we could endure such Visions but there is a difference betwixt our Faith and our Senses to apprehend here the Presence of God by Faith this goes down sweetly But should a Glorious Angel appear among us it would amaze us all But for this the Angel comforts her Vers 30. Fear not Mary for thou hast found Favour with God The Troubles of Holy Minds ever end in Peace or Comfort Joy was the Errand of the Angel and not Terrour and therefore suddenly he revives her
Holiness of God and his love of Holiness to make man holy He tells us that without Holiness none shall see God and therefore fiâ—st he will make us holy and then he will bring us to himself O here 's a blessed Conformity as Christ was Born let us be New Born 7. Christ after his Birth did and suffered many things in his Childhood I should be too large to speaâ— to every particular so should we learn to bear Gods Yoak even in our Youth It is good to imitate Christ even betimes Lam. 3.27 Eccles 12.1 Remembâ—r now thy Creator in the dayes of thy Youth while the evil dayes come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them Do ye not see by experience what a blessed thing a gracious and an holy education is Train up a Child in the way he should go Prov. 22.6 and when he is old he will not depart from it O ye Parents that ye should do your duties and in that respect imitate Joseph and Mary in their care and nature of the Holy Child Jesus and O ye Children that you would do your duties and imitate Jesus the Blessedst pattern that ever was that as you grow in Stature Luke 2.52 you also might grow in favour with God and Man Observe him in the Temple when he was but twelve years Old see Him in the midst of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them Questions Children whiles little if but capable of instruction should with their Parents wait on God in the midst of our assemblies Exod. 10.9 Mosâ—s told Pharoah they must have their young ones with them to the solemn Worship and when Joshua read the Law of God to the Congregation of Israel Josh 8.35 they had their little ones with them in that solemn assembly Observe Christ also in Nazareth where during his minority he was ever subject to his Parents so Children obey your Parents in the Lord Eph. 6.1 2. for this is right not only the Law of God but the Gospel of Christ makes mention of this Honour thy father and Mother which is the first Commandment with Promise I know the subjection of Christs extends to his particular calling and this also is for your imitaion in obedience to his supposed Father the Holy Child would have a particular employment something must be done for the support of that holy Family wherein Jesus lived and to that purpose he puts to his own hands and works in the trade of a Carpenter such as will live idle and without a calling that serve for no other use but to devour Gods Creatures and to make a dearth O how unlike are they to Jesus Christ It is noted for a grievous sin and a chief part of the corruption of our nature to be unprofitable to the Generation with whom we live They are altogether become unprofitable Rom. 3.12 there is none that doth good Religion and Grace where ever it prevaileth makes Men profitable and in this respect the poorest Servant and drudge may have more comfort in his estate than the greatest Gentleman that hath nothing to do but to Eat and Drink and Play Thus far we have looked on Jesus as our Jesus in his Incarnation or his first coming in the Flesh Our next work is to look on Jesus carrying on the great work of Mans Salvation during his life from John's Baptism until his suffering and dying on the Cross LOOKING UNTO JESUS In His Life The Fifth Book PART II. CHAP. I. 1 John 1.2 For the Life was manifested and we have seen it SECT I. Of the Beginning of the Gospel IN this piece as in the former we must first lay down the Object and then direct you how to look to it The Object is Jesus carrying on the work of Mans Salvation during the time of his Life Now in all the transactions of this time we shall observe them as they were carried on successively in those three years and an half of his ministerial Office or if you will in those four compleat Years before his Passion and Death For the first Year and his actings therein the Evangelist Mark begins thus Mark 1.1 The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God q. d. the beginning of that age of the World which the Prophets pointed out for the time of good things to come or the beginning of the exhibition and completion of that Gospel which in respect of the promise figures and signification was from the beginning of the World This beginning of the Gospel the Prophets sometimes expressed by the term of the last dayes Isa 2.2 and it shall come to pass in the last dayes sometimes by the term of the acceptable year of the Lord the Spirit of the Lord is upon me to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord Mica 4.1 sometimes by the term of the Kingdom of God And in the dayes of these Kings Isa 61.1 2. Dan. 2.44 Isa 65.17 shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed Sometimes by the term of a New Heaven and a New Earth behold I create New Heavens and a New Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come in mind Howsoever it is called this is concluded that the beginning of the Gospel is not to be reckoned from the birth of Christ but from the beginning of the Ministry and Preaching of John the Baptist Mat. 11.12 15. from the dayes of John the Baptist untill now said Christ the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence for all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John and when the Apostles were ready in the Room of Judas to choose a new Apostle it is said Act. 11.21 22. that of those men which companied with them all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out amongst them beginning from the baptism of John unto the day that he was taken up must one be ordained to be a witness And Peter Preaching to Cornelius and his friends Acts 10.37 he tells them that the Word or Gospel was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the Baptism which John preached Mark 1.1 2. and see but how immediately these words follow The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God as it is written in the Prophets behold I send my Messenger before thy face which shall prepare the way before thee I know that Johns Ministry was six months before Christ's and yet that now was the beginning of the Gospel it appears 1. In that Baptism which was only used amongst the Jews for the admission of Proselites or Heathens to their Church is now published and proposed to the Jews themselves shewing 1. That now they were to be entred and transplanted into a new Profession and 2. That the Gentiles and they were now to be knit into one Church and Body And 2. It appears in that the Doctrine
but that to Christ's habitual and actual righteousness is sometimes attributed freedom from Sin and Hell as in Rom. 8.2 Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death and on the contrary side to Chrst's passive obedience is sometimes attributed a right unto Heaven as in Heb. 9.15 Heb. 9.15 That by means of his death they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance but such places as these are to be understood by a Synechdoche which puts only one part of Christ's obedience for the whole obedience of Christ But I must recal my self my design in this work was not for controversies I leave that to others See Downham Burges Norton c. for my part I am sure I have before me a more edifying work which is to take a view of this Jesus not only for intellection but for devotion and for the stirring up of our affections Thus far I have held forth Jesus in his life or during the time of his Ministry till the last Passover John 13.1 and now was it that Jesus knew his hour was come and that he should depart out of this World unto the Father but of that hereafter our next business is to direct you in the Art or Mystery how we are to look unto Jesus in respect of his Life CHAP. V. SECT I. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation in his Life FRom the Object considered that we may pass to the Act. 1. Let us know Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation during his life We have many Books of the lives of men of the lives of heathens of the lives of Christians and by this we come to know the Generations of old Oh but above all read over the Life of Jesus for that is worth thy knowing To this purpose we have four Evangelists who in Blessed harmony set forth his life and to this purpose we have the Book of the generation of Jesus Christ Now these should be read over and over Mat. 1.1 Hos 6.3 Then shall we know saith the Prophet if we follow on to know the Lord. Ah my soul that which thou knowest of Christ already it is but the least part of what thou art ignorant of We know but in part saith Paul of himself and others the highest knowledg 1 Cor 13 9. which the most illuminate Saints have of Jesus Christ is but defective and imperfect Come then and follow on to know the Lord still inquire after him imitate the Angels who ever desire to stoop down and to pry into the actings of Christ for us men 1 Pet. 1.12 and for our Salvation it is their study yea it is their delight and recreation Paul seemed to imitate them when he said I determine not to know any thing among you but Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 2.2 if there be any thing in the world worth the knowing this it is And for thy better knowledg that it may not be confused but distinct 1. Study over those passages in the first year of Christs ministry as the preaching of John the Baptisme of Christ his fasting and temptation in the Wilderness his first manifestation by his several Witnessâ—s his whipping of the buyers and sellers out of the Temple 2. Study over those passages in the second year of Christ's Ministry as those several Sermons that he Preached and because his Miracles were as signals of his Sermons study the several Miracles that he wrought thou hast but a few Instances in comparison of all his Miracles and yet how fruit-are they of spiritual instructions 3. Study over those passages in the third year of Christs Ministry as his commissionating his Apostles to call sinners in his readiness to receive them that would but come in and his sweetning the wayes of Christianity to them that are come in For his yoak is easie and his burthen is light 4. Study over those passages in the last year of his Ministry as the holiness of his nature and the holiness of his Life which appeared especially in the exercises of his Graces of Charity and self-denial and mercy and bounty and meekness and pity and humility and obedience O what rare matter is here for a Christians study Some have took such pains in the study of these things that they have writ large volumes men have been writing and preaching a thousand six hundreth years of the Life of Christ and they are writing and preaching still O my soul if thou dost not write yet study what is written come with fixed thoughts and beat thy brains on that blessed subject that will make thee wise unto Salvation Paul accounted all things but dung or dogs meat Phil. 3.8 for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Jesus our Lord if thou didst truly understand the excellency of this knowledg thou couldst not but account all things loss in comparison of this one necessary thing SECT II. Of Considering Jesus in that Respect 2. LEt us consider Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation during his Life It is not enough to study and know but we must muse and meditate and consider of it till we bring it to some profitable issue By meditating on Christ we may feel or find a kind of insensible change we know not how as those that stand in the sun for other purposes they find themselves lightned and heated so in holy meditation our souls may be altered and changed in a secret insencible way there is a vertue goes along with a serious meditation a changing transforming vertue and therefore look further O my soul have strong apprehensions of all those several passages of the Life of Christ 1. Consider the Preaching of John Baptist we talk of strictness but shew me among all the Ministers or Saints of this Age such a pattern of sanctity and singular austerity the sum of his sermons was repentance and dereliction of Sin and bringeth forth fruits worthy of amendment of life In the promoting of which Doctrine he was a severe reprehender of the Pharisees and Saduces and Publicans and Souldiers and indeed of all men but especially of those that remained in their impenitency for against them he denounced judgment and fire unquenchable Oh he had an excellent zeal and a vehement Spirit in Preaching and the Commentary upon all his Sermons was his own life he was cloathed in Camels hair his meat was locusts and wild honey he contemned the world resisted temptations despised to assume false honours to himself and in all passages was a rare example of self-denial and mortification and by this means he made an excellent and apt preparation for the Lord 's coming O my Soul that thou wouldst but sit a while under this Preacher or that thou wouldst but ruminate and chew the cud think over his Sermons of repentance and righteousness and temperance and of the
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
from him O let this be thy wisdom to think much of Christ so as to provoke thee to the imitation of Christ then shalt thou learn to contemn the world to do good to all to injure no man to suffer wrong patiently yea to pray for all those that despightfully use thee and persecute thee then shalt thou learn to condescend to the weak to condole sinners cases to embrace the penitent to obey Superiours to minister to all then shalt thou learn to avoid all boasting bragging scandal immoderate eating and drinking in a word all sin Then shalt thou learn to bear about in thy body the dying of our Lord Jesus Christ that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in thy body So the Apostle 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 2 Corinth 4.10 11. Why this is to follow Christ's steps he descended from heaven to earth for thy sake do thou trample on earthly things Seek after the Kingdom of God and his righteousness for thy own sake though the world be sweet yet Christ is sweeter though the world prove bitter yet Christ sustained the bitterness of it for thee and now he speaks to thee as he did to Peter Andrew James and John Come follow me O do not faint in the way lest thou lose thy place in thy Country that Kingdom of glory Thus far we have looked on Jesus as our Jesus in his life during the whole time of his Ministry our next work is to look on Jesus carrying on the great work of man's salvation during the time of his suffering and dying on the cross until his resurrection from the dead LOOKING UNTO JESUS In His Death The Sixth Book PART III. CHAP. I. Lam. 1.12 Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by behold and see Heb. 12.3 Consider him who hath endured such contradiction of sinners against him SECT I. Of the day of Christ's Sufferings divided into parts and hours THe Son of Righteousness that arose with healing we shall now see go down in a ruddy Cloud And in this Piece as in the former we must first lay down the Object and then direct you to look upon it The Object is Jesus carrying on the work of mans Salvation during the time of his Sufferings now in all the transactions of this life we shall observe them as they were carried on successively in those few hours of his Passion and death As this work of mans salvation was great so we cannot but observe how every piece of it was carried on in its due time even from eternity to eternity The very time of Christ's passage depended not on the will of man for his enemies sought many a time before to slay him as Herod in his Infancy Matth. 2.16 The Jews in his riper age when sometimes they took up stones to stone him John 8.59 and sometimes they would have broke his neck from an hill Luke 4.29 but his time was not then come We read of the Paschal Lamb that it was to be slain on the fourteenth day of the first Moneth called Abib or Nisan Exod. 12.2 â— at the full of the Moon in the evening or between the evenings some think this Moneth answers to our March others to our April I shall not be too curious in the Inquisition for I think it not worth the while only this I cannot but observe that the same day that the Lamb must be slain must our Paschal Lamb begin his sufferings and as then it was full Moon so it notes unto us the fulness of time which now was come and as it was in such a Month as when light prevails against darkness and every thing revives and springs so Christ by his sufferings was to chase away our darkness and death and to bring in light and life and a blessed spring of Grace and Glory and as it was to be slain in the evening or between the evening so must Christ the true Paschal Lamb be sacrificed about the very same hour that the Mystical Lamb was slain to understand which we must know that the Jews distinguished their Artificial day into four parts from six to nine from nine to twelve from twelve to three from three to eight this last part was counted the Evening of the Day and the next three hours the Evening of the Night now in this last part of the Day used the Paschal Lamb to be slain and after it was slain some time was taken up to dress it whole for Supper so Christ at the fourth part of the day at their nineth hour that is at our three of the Clock in the afternoon between the Evenings Mat. 27.50 with a loud voice yielded up the Ghost For the whole time of these last and extream sufferings of Christ I shall reduce them to somewhat less than one natural day or if we may take the whole day before us consisting of twenty four hours and begin with the Evening according to the beginning of natural dayes from the Creation as it is said Gen. 1.5 the evening and the morning made the first day In this revolution of time I shall observe these several passages As. 1. About six in the Evening Christ celebrated and eat the Passover with his Disciples at which time he instituted the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and this continued till the eighth hour 2. About Eight in the Evening he washed his Disciples feet and then leaning on the Table he pointed out Judas that should betray him and this continued until the nineth hour 3. About Nine in the Evening the second Watch in the night Judas that Traytor went from the Disciples and in the mean time Christ made that spiritual Sermon and afterwards that spiritual Prayer recited only by John John 14 15 16 17 chapt and this together with a Psalm they sung continued at least until the tenth hour Thus far we proceeded before we had done with the Life of Christ That which concerns his Passion follows immediately upon this and upon that only I shall take notice in my following Discourse This Passion of Christ I shall divide between the night and day 1. For the night and his sufferings therein we may observe these periods or thereabouts As 1. From ten to twelve he goes over the Brook Cedron to the Garden of Gethsemani where he prayed earnestly and sweat water and blood 2. From twelve till three he is betrayed and by the souldiers and other Officers he is bound and brought to Jerusalem and carried into the house of Annas who was one of the chief Priests 3. From three till six they led him from Annas to Caiaphas when he and all the Priests of Jerusalem sate upon Jesus Christ and there it was that Peter denied Christ and at last the whole Sanhedrim of the Jews gave their consent to Christ's Condemnation 2. The Night thus dispatcht at six
that Respect 5. LEt us believe in Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation for us during his Sufferings and Death Every one looks upon this as an easie duty only the humble Soul the scrupulous Conscience cries out What! Is it possible that Christ should die suffer shed his blood for me His incarnation was wonderful his life on earth was to astonishment but that the Son of God should become man live amongst men and die such a death even the death of the Cross for such a one as I am I cannot believe it it is an abys◠past fadoming the more I consider it the more I am amazed at it suppose I had an enemy in my power man or Devil one that provokes me every day 1 Sam. 24.19 one that hunts my soul to take it away should I not say with Saul if a man find his enemy will he let him go well away It may be an ingenuous spirit such as David would do thus much but would David or any breathing soul not only spare his enemy but spill himself to save his enemy would a man become a Devil to save Devils would a man endure hell pains to free all the Devils in hell from their eternal pains and yet what were this in comparison of what Christ hath done or suffered for us It is not so much for us to suffer for Devils for we are fellow-creatures as it is for Christ God-man man-God to suffer for us Oh what an hard thing is it considering my enmity against Christ to believe that Christ died for me that he gave himself to the death even to the death of the Cross for my soul Trembling soul throw not away thy self in a way of unbelief It may thou wouldst not die for an enemy an irreconcileable enemy but are not the mercies of God above all the mercies of men O believe And that I may perswade effectually I shall say down first some Directions and secondly some Encouragements of Faith 1. For the Directions of Faith in reference to Christ's death observe these particulars 2. Faith must directly go to Christ not first to the promise and then to Christ but first to Christ and then to the promise the Person ever goes before the Prerogative 2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh this was the difference betwixt the New-Testament and old-Testament-Believers their Faith directs only to God but our Faith looks more immediately to Jesus Christ Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved 3. Faith must directly go to Christ as God in the flesh made under the Law He continued in all things written in the book of the Law to do them and so our Faith must look upon him But of these before I shall say nothing more to these particulars 4. Faith must go to Christ not only as made under the directive part of the Law by his life but under the penal part of the Law by his death in both these respects Christ was made under the law The one half of the Law he satisfied by the holiness of his life he fulfilled the law in every jot and every tittle the other half of the Law he satisfied by his enduring the death even the death of the Cross he paid both the Principal and the Forfeiture and though men do not so yet Christ did so that the whole Law might be satisfied fully by his being under both these parts of the Law pay and penalty Come then and look upon Christ as dying it was the Serpent as lifted up and so looked at that healed the Israelites of their fiery stings Alas we are diseased in a spiritual sense as they were and Christ Jesus was lifted up as a remedy to us as the Serpent was unto them it remains therefore that as they looked up to the Brazen Serpent so we look up to Jesus believe in Jesus as lifted up for life and for salvation As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness John 14.15 so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life Indeed some difference there is betwixt the Serpent and Christ As 1. The Brazen Serpent had not power in if self to cure as Christ hath 2. The Serpent cured the Israelites but for a time John 11.26 to die again but whomsoever Jesus cures in a Spiritual sense he cures for ever they shall never die 3. The serpent also had its time of curing it did not alwayes retain its virtue but during the time they were in the Wilderness only Iesus Christ our Brazen Serpent doth ever retain his power and virtue to the end of the world and hence it is that in the Ministry Christ is still held forth as lifted up that all that will but look on him by faith may live 4. The Serpent sometimes a remedy against poyson was after turned even to poyson the Israelites which made Hezekiah to crush it and brake it and stamp it to powder but Jesus Christ ever remains the sovereign and healing God he is the same yesterday to day and for ever He is unchangeable in his goodness as he is in holy and divine nature he can never be defaced nor destroyed but he abideth the saviour of sinners to all eternity why then let us rather look unto Christ and believe in Christ as lifted up i.e. as he was crucified and died on the Cross In this respect he is made a fit object for a sinner's faith to trust upon and rest upon Christ as crucified as made sin and a curse for us it the object of our pardon O this is it that makes Christ's death so desirable why therein is virtually and meritoriously pardon of sin Justification redemption reconciliation and what not Oh! cries a sinner where may I set my foot how should I regain my God my sin hath undone me which way should I cast for pardon why now remember that in seeking pardon Rom. 8.34 Christ was crucified Christ as dying is principally to be eyed and looked at Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed Rom. 8.34 No Question Christs active Obedience during his Life was most exact and perfect and meritorious yet that was not the expiation of sin only his passive obedience Christ only in his sufferings took away sin the guilt of sin and punishment for sin We have redemption through the blood of Christ Eph. 1.7 even the forgiveness of sins If any humble soul would have recourse to that Christ who is now in heaven let him first in the actings of his Faith consider him as crucified as lifted up as made sin for us as through whom under that consideration he is to receive pardon of sin Justification redemption reconciliation sanctification salvation 5. Faith in going to Christ as lifted up it is principally and mainly to look unto the 〈◊〉 meaning intent and design of Christ in his sufferings as he was lifted up we
there is a conveyance of an healing strengthning quickning vertue flowing into the Soul in the time of its viewing eying contemplating reflecting upon Christ crucified Christ lifted up and this comes from the secret presence of God blessing this our looking upon Christ as the Ordinance by which he hath appointed to make an effectual impression upon the heart It is not for us curiously to enquire how this should be Principles we say are not to be proved save only God hath said it and experience hath found it out that when Faith is occasioned to act on any sutable sacred object God by his Spirit doth not fail to answer in such a case he fills the Soul with comfort blessing vertue he returns upon the Soul by from and through the actings of Faith whatsoever by it is looked for Indeed none knoweth this but he that feels it and none feels this that knoweth how to express it as there is somewhat in the fire heat warmth and light which no Painter can express and as there is somewhat in the face heat warmth and life which no Limner can set forth so there is somewhat flowing into the soul while it is acting faith on the Death of Christ which for the rise or way or manner of its working is beyond what tongue can speak or pen can write or pencil can delineate Come then if we would have grace endure afflictions die to sin grow in our mortification let us again and again return to our duty of looking unto Jesus or believing in Jesus as he was lifted up And yet when all is done let us not think that sin will die or cease in us altogether for that is an higher perfection than this life will bear only in the use of the means and through God's blessing we may expect thus far that sin shall not reign it shall not wear a Crown it shall not sit in the Throne it shall hold no Parliaments it shall give no laws within us we shall not serve it but we shall die to the dominion of it by vertue of this Death of Jesus Christ And this He grant who died for us Amen Amen Thus far we have looked on Jesus as our Jesus in his sufferings and death Our next work is to look on Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation during the time of his Resurrection and abode upon earth until his Ascension or taking up to Heaven LOOKING UNTO JESUS In his Resurrection The Seventh Book PART VII CHAP. I. Matth. 28.6 He is risen Come see the place where the Lord lay 2 Tim. 2.8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead SECT 1. Of the Time of Christ 's Resurrection THe Sun that went down in a ruddy cloud is risen again with glorious beams of light In this piece as in the former we shall first lay down the Object and then give directions how to look upon it The Object is Jesus carrying on the work of man's salvation in his Resurrection and during the time of his abode on earth after his Resurrection Now in all the transactions of this time I shall only take notice of these two things 1. Of this Resurrection 2. Of his Apparitions for first he rose and secondly he shews himself that he was risen in the first is the Position in the second is the Proof 1. For the Position the Scripture tells us that he rose again the third day In this point I shall observe these particulars 1. When he arose 2. Why he arose 3. How he arose 1. When he arose it was the third day after his crucifying Mat. 12.40 As Jonas was three dayes and three nights in the whales belly so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth This was the time he had appointed and this was the time appropriated to Christ and marked out for him in the Kalender of the Prophets of all those whom God raised from death to life there is not one that was raised on the third day but Jesus Christ some rose afore and some rose after the Son of the Shunamite the son of the widow of Sarephtah the daughter of Jairus he of Naim and some others rose afore Lazarus and the Saints that rose again from the dust when Christ rose staid longer in the grave but Christ takes the day which discovers him to be the Messiah Luke 24.46 Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day Had he rose sooner a doubt might have been of his dying and had he lain longer a doubt might have been of his rising he would rise no sooner because in some diseases as in the Apoplexy or such like examples are given of such as seeming to be dead have indeed revived and he would lie no longer in his grave because in all dead carcasses and especially in a wounded body putrefaction and corruption begins the third day this may be gathered by the Story of Lazarus in the Gospel where Jesus commanding the stone to be rolled from his grave John 11.39 Psal 16.10 Martha his Sister answered Lord by this time he stinketh for he hath been dead four dayes Now the body of Christ as it was prophesied must not corrupt for thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption Mark this Text All men shall rise again but their bodies must first see corruption only the Messiah was to rise again before he saw corruption and therefore he would not delay his resurrection after the third day Hosea 6.2 Some think this and that of Hosea after two days he will revive us and in the third day he will raise us up to be the main Texts to which Christ refers when he said Luke 24.46 Thus it is written And to which the Apostle refers when he said that Christ rose again the third day according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15.4 I dare not be too curious in giving reasons for this set time and the rather because Christ is a free worker of his own affairs he doth what he pleaseth and when he pleaseth times and actions are in his own power and he needs not to give us any account of them and yet so far as Scripture discovers we may go along and amongst many others I shall lay down these following Reasons 1. Because the Types had so prefigured we see it in Isaac Jonah and Hezekiah a Patriarch a Prophet and a King 1. For Isaac from the time that God commanded Isaac to be offered for a burnt offering Isaac was a dead man but the third day he was released from death this the Text tells us expresly that it was the third day when Abraham came to Mount Moriah Gen. 22.4 Heb. 11.19 and had his Son as it were restored to him again Gen. 22.4 And Paul discovers that this was in a figure
soul-ravishing Subject to think upon and the rather if we consider that Conformity which we believe Phil. 3.20 21. We look for a Saviour saith the Apostle the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile Bodies that they may be fashioned unto His Glorious Body O my Soul that this Clay of thine should be a Partaker of such Glory That this Body of Dust and Earth should shine in Heaven like those Glorious Spangles of the Firmament that this Body that shall rot in Dust and fall more vile than a Carrion should rise and shine like the Glorious Body of our Saviour on Mount Tabor Surely thou owest much to Christ's Resurrection O consider of it till thou feellest the Influence and comest to the Assurance of this Blessed Change 4. Consider of the several Apparitions of Jesus Christ especially of those written by the Evangelist John As 1. Muse on His Apparition to Mary Magdalen Oh the Grief before He appeared And Oh the Joyes when He appeared 1. Before she apprehended nothing but that some or other had took away her Lord these were all the words she uttered before he appeared They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid Him so she told Peter and John And when Two Angels appeared in White asking her Woman Why weepest thou she gives the same Answer to them They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid Him A Soul in desertion knows not what to do but to weep and cry Oh my Lord is gone I have lost my Lord my God my Jesus my King In this Meditation consider O my Soul as if thou hadst been in Maries Case Was it not a sad Case when the Angels of Heaven knew not how to comfort her Suppose any Son of Consolation had stood by and had such a one perswaded O Mary suppress thy Sadness refresh thy Heart with this Blessed Vision thou didst seek but One and thou hast found Two a dead Body was thy Errand and thou hast light on Two alive Thy Weeping was for a Man and thy Tears have obtained Angels Observe them narrowly the Angels invite thee to a Parley it may be they had some happy News to tell thee of thy Lord Remember what they are and where they sit and whence they come and to whom they speak they are Angels of Peace neither sent without Cause nor seen but of Favour they sit on the Tomb to shew they are no Strangers to thy Loss They come from Heaven from whence all happy News descendeth they speak to thy self as if they had some special Embassage to deliver unto thee No no these Cordials are in vain neither Man nor Angel can do her good or comfort her drooping Soul Either Christ Himself must come in Presence or she cryes Miserable Comforters are ye all Alas small is the Light that a Star can yield when the Sun is down A sorry Exchange it is to go gather Crumbs after the Loss of the Bread of Life Oh What can these Angels do They cannot perswade me that my Master is not lost for my own Eyes will disprove them They can less tell me where He may be found for they themselves would wait upon Him if they knew but where I am apt to think they know not where He is and therefore they are come to the Place where He last was making the Tomb their Heaven and the Remembrance of His Presence the Fewel of their Joy Alas What do Angels here I neither came to see them nor desire to hear them I came not to see Angels but the Creator of Angels to whom I owe more than both to Men and Angels 2. After He appeared she was filled with Joy for so it was that when nothing else would satisfie or comfort this poor Creature Jesus Himself appears At first He is unknown she takes him for the Gardiner of the place but within a while he utters a voice that opens both her ears and eyes And Jesus saith unto her Mary It was the sweetest sound that ever she heard many a time had she been called by that name but never heard she a voice so effectual powerful inward feeling as at this time hereby the cloud is scattered and the Sun of Righteousness appears this one word Mary lightens her eyes dryes up her tears chears her heart revives her spirits that were as good as dead One word of Christ wrought so strange an alteration in her as if she had been wholly made new when she was only named And hence it is that being ravished with his voice and impatient of delayes she takes his talk out of his mouth and to his first and only word Mary she answers Rabboni which is to say Master q. d. Master is it thou with many a salt tear have I sought thee and art thou unexpectedly so near at hand thy absence was hell and thy presence is no less than heaven to me Oh how is my heart ravished at thy sound if the babe leaped in the womb of Elizabeth when she but heard the salutation of Mary how should my heart but leap at thy salutation I feel I am exceedingly transported beyond my self Instead of my heavy heart and troubled spirit I feel now a sweet and delightful Tranquility of mind thou art my solace and souls delight whom have I in heaven but thee and whom desire I upon earth in comparison of thee and yet I am not satisfied not only fruition of thee but union with thee is that which my soul longs after not only thy presence but thy embraces or my embraces of thee can give content come then and give me leave my Lord my God to run to the haunt of my chief delights to fall at thy sacred feet and to bathe them with my tears of joy O my Jesus I must needs deal with thee as the Spouse dealt with thee Now I have found thee whom my soul loves dearly I will hold thee Cant. 3.4 and I will not let thee go I know not in all the Book of God a soul more depressed with sorrow and lifted up with joy O meditate on this if Christ be absent all is night but if Christ appear he turns all again into a lightsome day there is no sorrow like that which apprehends Christ's loss and therefore in hell it is looked upon as the greatest pain of the two say Divines it is a greater torment to lose God and to lose Jesus Christ than to endure all those flaming whips unquenchable fires intollerable cold abominable stench and on the other side there is no joy in heaven like to that which apprehends Christ's presence In thy presence there is fulness of joy Psal 16.11 and at thy right hand there are pleasures evermore I had rather be in hell with Christ said one than in heaven without Christ This is the very top of heavens joy the quintessence of glory the highest happiness of the Saints O my soul seek with
in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our life surely this is the end for which we are delivered out of the hands of our enemies sin death and hell Eph. 5.8 Ye were sometimes da â—nâ—ss during your abode in the grave of sin but now being risen ye are light in the Lord walk therefore as children of light Walk i.e. bestir your selves in the works of God Arise shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee When God doth let the Sun of Righteousness arise Isa 60.1 it is fit we should be about the business of our souls We see that the night is dedicated to rest and therefore God that doth order all things sweetly he draws a curtain of darkness about us as which is friendly to rest like a Nurse that when she will have her little one sleep she casts a cloath over the face and hides the light every way but when this natural Sun ariseth then men go out to their work so must we though in the darkness of the night we shorted in sin yet now we must bestir our selves seeing the Sun of the spiritual world is risen over us And yet when all is done let us not think that our vivification in this life will be wholly perfect as it is with our mortification in the best it is but an imperfect work so it is with our vivification it is only gradual and never perfected till grace be swallowed up of glory Only let us ever be in the use of the means and let us endeavour a further renovation of the new man adding one grace to another To faith vertue to vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance to temperance patience 2 Pet. 1 5 6. Rom. 7.1 to patience godliness c. till we perfect holiness in the fear of God till we shine with those Saints in glory at perfect day Thus far we have Looked on Jesus as our Jesus in his resurrection and during the time of his abode on earth Our next work is to Look on Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation in his ascension into Heaven and in his session at God's right hand and in his mission of the holy Spirit LOOKING UNTO JESUS In his Ascension Session and Mission of his Spirit The Eight Book PART VIII CHAP. I. Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus who is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God SECT I. Of Christ's Ascension and of the manner how THUS far we have traced Jesus in his actings for us untill the day in which he was taken up Acts 1.2 That which immediately follows is his Ascension Session at God's right hand and Mission of his holy Spirit in prosecution of which as in the former I shall first lay down the object and secondly direct you how to look upon it The object is threefold 1. He ascended into Heaven 2. He sate down at Gods right hand 3. He sent down the holy Ghost 1. For the Ascension of Christ this was a glorious design and contains in it a great part of the salvation of our souls In prosecution of this I shall shew first that he ascended 2. How he ascended 3. Whither he ascended 4. Why he ascended 1. That he ascended 1. The types prefigure it Then said the Lord to me Ezek. 44.2 3. this gate shall be shut it shall not be opened it is for the Prince the Prince he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate and shall go out by the way of the same As the gate of the Holy of Holies was shut against every man but the High Priest so was that gate of Heaven shut against all so that none could enter in by their own vertue and efficacy but only our Prince and great high Priest the Lord Jesus Christ indeed he hath opened it for us and entred into it in our place and stead Whither the fore-runner is for us entred even Jesus made an high Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech 2. The Prophets forsaw it Heb. 6.20 Dan. 7.13 14. I saw in the night visions and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the ancient of dayes Mark 16.19 Luke 24.31 and they brought him near before him and there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdom 3. The Evangelists relate it He was received up into heaven He was carried up into heaven 4. The eleven witness it For while they beheld he was taken up Acts 1.9 Acts 1.10 11. and a cloud received him out of their sight 5. The holy Angels speak it For while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparel which also said ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven Eph. 4.8 10. 1 Pet. 3.22 6. The blessed Apostles in their several Epistles ratifie and confirm it When he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens Who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him 2. How he ascended The manner of his Ascension is discovered in these particulars 1. Luke 24.51 He ascended blessing his Apostles While he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into heaven It is some comfort to Christ's Ministers that though the world hate them Christ doth bless them yea he parted with them in a way of blessing as Jacob leaving the world blessed his Sons so Christ leaving the world blessed his Apostles and all the faithful Ministers of Christ unto the end of the world Some add that in these Apostles not only Ministers but all the elect to the end of the world are blessed The Apostles were then considered as common persons receiving this blessing for all us and so those words uttered at the same time are usually interpreted Mat. 28.20 Lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world This was the last thing that Christ did on earth to shew that by his death he had redâ—emed us from the curse of the Law Eph. 1.3 and that now going to heaven he is able to bless us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places Acts 1.19 2. He ascended visibly in the view of the Apostles while they beheld he was taken up he was not suddenly snatched from them as Elija was nor secretly and privily taken away as Enoch was but in the presence of them all both his Apostles and Disciples he ascended up into Heaven but why not in the view of all the Jews that so they might know that he was risen again and
for these things will help our conversation to be heaven-ward Certainly the day is a coming when Jesus Christ shall come with his Angels in his glory and then shall the bodies of the Saints shine gloriously before the Face of God and Jesus Christ O the wonder of this day the glory of Christ shall then darken the glory of the Sun and Moon and Stars but my body shall not be darkned but rather it shall shine like the glorious body of Christ Jesus if a candle should be raised to have so much lustre and beauty as if you should put it into the midst of the Sun yet it would shine you would think it a strange kind of light surely it shall be so with the bodies of Saints for though they are put into the midst of the glory of God and of his Son Jesus Christ yet their bodies shall shine in beauty and lustre there now did we believe this and wait for it every day How would it change us how would it work us to an heavenly conversation I have a diseased and lumpish body and my body hinders me in every duty of God's worship but within a while Christ will come in his glory and then he will make my body like unto his glorious body so that I shall be able to look upon the face of God and to be exercised in holy duties to all eternity without weariness without intermission I have many things here that trouble my mind and spirit and that hinder me in my converse with Heaven and heavenly things but within a while Christ will appear with his mighty Angels to be admitted of his Saints and then shall I sit as an assessor on the Throne with Jesus Christ to judge the world and then shall I live for ever with him to be where he is and enjoy all he has yea all that he hath purchased for me by his blood oh let me wait for this let me look for it every day God hath but a little work for me here on Earth and when that is done this shall be my condition Christians if but every day we would work these things on our souls it would be a mighty help to make our conversations heavenly conversations 5. Let us observe the drawings and movings and mindings of the Spirit and follow his dictates to this purpose Christ ascended and sate down at God's right hand and sent down the holy Spirit that the Holy Ghost being come down he might do his office in bringing on our souls towards salvation and if ever our souls get above this earth and get acquainted with this living in Heaven it is the Spirit of God that must be at the chariot of Elijah yea the very living principle by which we must move and ascend O then take heed of quenching its motions or resisting its workings take we heed of grieving our guide or of knocking off the chariot-wheels of this holy Spirit We little think how much the life of graces and the happiness of our souls doth depend upon our ready and cordial obedience to the Spirit of God when he forbids us our own known transgressions and we will go on when he tells us which is the way and which is not and we will not regard no wonder if we are strangers to an heavenly conversation if we will not follow the Spirit while it would draw us to Christ how should it lead us to Heaven or bring our hearts into the presence of God O learn we this lesson and let not only the motions of our bodies but also the very thoughts of our hearts be at the Spirits beck do we not sometimes feel a strong impulsion to retire from the world and to draw near to God O let us not despise or disobey but take we the offer and hoise up our sail while we may have this blessed gale if we cherish these motions and hearken to the Spirit O what a supernatural help should we find to this heavenly mindedness or heavenly conversation Thus far we have looked on Jesus as our Jesus in his Ascension Session and Mission of his holy Spirit our next work is to look on Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his Intercession which he makes and will make to his Father on our behalf till his second coming to judgment LOOKING UNTO JESUS In his Intercession Book IX Part VI. CHAP. I. Heb. 3.1 Rom. 8.34 Consider the Apostle and High-Priest of our profession Christ Jesus who also maketh intercession for us SECT I. What the Intercession of Christ is WE have spoken of Christ's entrance into Heaven and of his immediate actings after his entrance there that transaction which yet remains and will remain untill his coming again it is his Intercession for the Saints In these actings of Christ in Heaven if we will follow him we must go from glory to glory no sooner come we out of one room of glory but presently we step into another as glorious as that before one would think enough had been said already of the glory of Christ and of our glory in Christ who would not willingly sit down under the shadow of this happiness and go no further but yet this is not all so thick and fast doth the glory of Christ break in upon us that no sooner out of one but presently we are led into the bosom of another Oh what a blessed thing is it to be viewing Christ and to be looking up to Jesus Christ Saints might do nothing else if they pleased but ravish their hearts with the diversity of heavenly light and comfort which breaks forth from the bosom of Jesus Christ Here is now another mystery as great and amazing as the former which springs out before our eyes in this transaction of Christ's Intercession And in prosecution of this as in the former I shall first lay down the object and secondly direct you how to look upon it The object is Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation in his Intercession in ordering of which I shall examine these particulars 1. What is this intercession of Christ 2. According to what nature doth Christ intercede 3. To whom is Christ's intercession directed 4. For whom is the intercession made 5. What agreement betwixt Christ's intercessions and the intercessions of the High-Priests of old 6. Wâ—â—t is the difference betwixt Christ's intercession and the intercessions of those High-Priests 7. What are the properties of this intercession of Jesus Christ 8. Wherein more especially doth the intercessions of Christ consist 9. How powerful and prevailing are Christ's intercessions with God his Father 10. What are the reasons of this great transaction of Christ's intercession for his people 1. What is the intercession of Christ some define it thus Christ's intercession is that part of his Priestly office whereby Christ is Advocate and intreater of God the Father for the faithful I shall give it thus Christ's intercession is his gracious will fervently
continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood and the work of his Priesthood is interpreted ver 25. To make intercession for ever The meaning of this is that God would not have him continue to be a Priest in title only or in respect onely of a service past and so to have only the honour of Priesthood perpetuated to him out of the remembrance of what he once had done But God would have him to enjoy as the renown of the old to a perpetual spring of honour by this new work of intercession and so to preserve the verdure of his glory ever fresh and green and the sum of the Apostles reasoning is this that seeing himself was to be for ever so his work of Priesthood should be for ever that so his honour might be preserved and continued for ever also 5. It is Christ's love to his Saints his heart is so inamoured with his Saints that therefore he intercedes for them for ever Love is as strong as death it is never weary of doing good for the party beloved now Christ's Saints are Christ's love My sister my love Cant. 5.2 Mal. 3.17 John 15.19 Isa 43.20 my dove the Saints in Christ's books are so many jewels And they shall be mine saith the Lord of hoasts in that day when I make up my jewels the Saints are Christ's only choyce the very flower of the Earth You have I chosen out of the world and ye are my people my chosen All the World is Christ's refuge and Kings are but morter to him onely the Saints are Christ's chosen they are they whom the Lord in his eternal councels hath set a part for himself But know saith the Psalmist that the Lord hath set apart him that is Godly psalm 4.3 The Saints are Christ's image i.e. the resemblance of Christ in all that which is his chief excellency I mean in his righteousness and holiness as if I would take the picture of a man I would not draw it to resemble his back-parts but as near as I could I would draw it to life the very face and countenance so are the Saints the very picture the image the draught of God in his top excellency The Saints are in covenant with Jesus Christ and therefore in nearer relation than any others hence it is that they are called the portion of God the treasure of God the peculiar people of God those that God and Christ satisfie themselves in those that God and Christ have set their hearts on the children of God the Father the very Spouse and bride of God the Son in some respect nearer than the Angels themselves for the Angels are not so married to Christ in a mystical union as God's people are now is it any wonder that those who are so very dear to Christ should be in the prayers of Christ if they were so much in his heart that sometimes be shed his blood for them will he not now intercede for O yes to this end he carries them on his breast or heart as near as near may be that they may be in a continual remembrace before the Lord for ever his very love compels him to this office to intercede for them 6. It is Christ's delight to intercede for his Saints before the world was Prov. 8.31 Psalm 40 7 8. His delights were with the sons of men and when the fulness of time came then said he Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me I delight to do thy Will O my God and what was that but to be with the sons of men he knew that was his Fathers pleasure and in respect of himself he had a delight to live with them and to dye for them and no sooner he entred into Heaven but there he delights to officiate still in behalf of the sons of men he carries their names on his heart there and though some of their persons be on earth and he in his bodily presence is in Heaven yet distance of place cannot deaden his delights in the remembrance of them he is ever minding his Father of his people in the neather world he tells him that they are his all in all upon the earth all his joy and all his delight and all his portion as men use to give portions to their children so God having but one Son by eternal generation he hath given the Elect unto him as his portion and hence he makes it his great business in Heaven to provide mansions for his portion to take up God's heart for his portion to beg favour and love for his portion Here 't is the joy of Christ in Heaven in going to his Father and telling him Why Father I have a small portion yet on earth and because they are on earth they are still sinning against thy Majesty but I have suffered and satisfied for their sins and hither am I come to mind Thee of it and contiunally to get out fresh pardons for new sins come look on my old satisfaction didst Thou not promise Isa 53.11 12. is it not in the Articles of agreement betwixt Thee and me that I should see of the travel of my soul and should be satisfied didst Thou not say that because I poured out my soul therefore Thou wouldst divide me a portion with the great and the spoyle with the strong O my Father now I make intercession for the transgressors give me out pardons for an hundred thousand millions of sins Thou hast said and sworn that Thou hast no pleasure in the death of sinners and it is my pleasure my joy my infinite delight to save sinners these are my seed my portion my redeemed ones and therefore let them be saved Thus Christ intercedes and his delight in his Saints as knowing it to be his Fathers mind draws him on to this intercession indeed this reason hangs upon that primary and first reason it is God's will that Christ should intercede as it is Christ's delight to do the will of his Father in Heaven I delight to do thy Will O my God 7. It is Christs compassion that causeth intercession Christ is such an high Priest Heb. 4.15 saith the Apostle as cannot but be touched with the feeling of our infirmities He was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin When he was on earth he felt our infirmities frailties miseries and as a man that hath felt the Stone or Gout or Fever or especially that hath felt soul-troubles cannot but compassionate those that are in the like condition so Christ having had the experience of our outward and inward sufferings he cannot but compassionate us and hence it is his very compassion's moving that he intercedes to his Father in our behalf It is observed that the very office or work of the High-Priest was to sympathize with the people of God onely in the case of the death of his kindred he was not as others to sympathize or mourn but Jesus Christ goes beyond all
men nor the best Ministers under Heaven escape them Are they not all say they †I lately received a paper wherein the Quakers gave the Ministers of Christ these following names Conjurers Thieves Robbers Antichrists Witches Blind guides Devils Lyars Baal's Priests Sir-Simonds Dissemblers Vpholders of the seven headed and ten-horned beasts a Viperous and Serpentine generation bloody Herodians Blasphemers Scarlet-coloured beasts Babylons Merchants Busie-bodies Whited Walls Painted Sepulchres Ravening Wolves Persecutors Tyrants Greedy dogs Pharisees Wolves Dogs Hirelings Priests of Baal Covetous Carnal Damned and what not Are they not all say they as the Devil said of Joshua cloathed with filthy garments defiled totally utterly defiled with the pollutions of Babylon Christian when you hear this language learn you to conform to Christ go you first to God with the Lords own plea Now the Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee Zach. 3.2 And then go on in vindication of their persons and their cause are they not precious gracious holy able shining and burning lights it may be some of their persons have been faulty but say of such Is not this a brand newly pluck'd out of the fire failings and humane frailties have been in the best yea in most of the Prophets and Apostles but shall we therefore condemn to hell the generation of God's dear Children or howsoever it may be with their persons yet is not their cause and office of Christ's own institution in this respect he that despiseth you despiseth me saith Christ and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10.16 Are not the Ministers of Christ as stars in the right hand of Christ they that would do them any deadly harm must pluck them thence Christians conform you to Christ in this point you see how Satan stands at the right hand of our Joshua's to resist them now then plead you their cause and answer the Adversaries accusations 6. Christ by his intercession saves us to the uttermost Heb. 7.25 O let us serve him to the uttermost surely all we can do is too little to answer so great a love as this Oh Christians why should it be esteemed a needless thing to be most rigorously conscionable and exactly circumspect Christ payed our debt to the uttermost farthing drunk every drop of our bitter cup and now presents all unto his Father by way of intercession and saves us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 throughly to the uttermost why should not we labour to perform his service and to fulfil every one of his commandments throughly and to the uttermost also certainly there is a duty which concerns us Christians as to be hot in Religion Rev. 3.16 to be zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 to walk circumspectly or precisely as the word carries it Eph. 5.15 to be fervent in spirit Rom. 12.11 to strive to enter in at the strait gate Luke 13.24 to contend for the faith Jude 3. with an holy kind of violence to lay hold upon the Kingdom of heaven Mat. 11.12 Oh what ever men should be afraid of taking God's part too much or fighting too valiantly under the Colours of Christ of being too busie about the salvation of their own souls of being singular as they call it in the duties of Religion I observe men are content to be singular in any thing save in the service of God you desire and labour to be singularly rich and singularly wise and singularly valorous and singularly proud but you can by no means endure singularity or eminency in zeal and the Lord's service in matters of Religion you are resolved to do as the most do though in so doing you damn your own souls Mat. 7.13 O come and learn this lesson of Christ he saves us to the uttermost and let us serve him to the uttermost with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our might Thus far we have looked on Jesus in his intercession our next work is our last work which is to look on Jesus as carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his coming again the very end of time to all eternity he hath no more now to do but to judge the Saints and to lead them into glory and to deliver up his Kingdom to his Father and so to live with his redeemed ones for ever and ever and ever LOOKING UNTO JESUS In his Second Coming Book X. Part VII CHAP. I. Job 19.25 27. I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another SECT I. Of Christ's preparing for Judgment AND is not yet all done O the unwearied patience love mercy free grace of Christ in carrying on this mighty work he begun it before the beginning of the world since then he hath been labouring in it about six thousand years and now the time of restoring being come he will perfect what he hath begun and bring on the other end of the Golden chain Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called Rom. 8.30 and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified In this piece also as in the former we shall first lay down the object and then give directions how to look upon it The Object is Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation in his coming again to earth and taking up with him all his Saints into Heaven In this work I shall set before you these particulars 1. Christ's preparing for judgment 2. Christ's coming to judgment 3. Christ's summons of the Elect to come under judgment 4. Christ and the Saints meeting at the judgment day 5. Christ's sentencing or judging the Saints for eternal glory 6. Christ and the Saints judging the rest of the world 7. Christ and his Saints going up into Heaven when shall be the end of this world 8. Christ surrendring and delivering up the Kingdom to God even the Father 9. Christ's subjection to the Father that God may be all in all 10. Christ notwithstanding this being all in all to his blessed saved redeemed Saints to all eternity 1. For his preparing for judgment When once the number of all his Elect shall be compleated and the work of his intercession shall be at an end then immediately will follow these particulars As Rev. 16.17 1. A great voice comes out of the Temple of Heaven saying it is done It comes out of the Temple of Heaven that we may understand it to be the voice of Christ And if this speech be directed unto God it is as if Christ had bespoke his Father thus And now John 17.12 O my Father I have done that office of the Priest-hood which by agreement we erected is now at an end here I have sate at thy right hand interceding for my Saints ever since my ascension and of all that thou hast given me by
so he shall descend with the voice of the Archangel or he shall scend his Angels with a great sound Matth 24.3 That there are seven principal Angels Master Mede affirms and that there is one which yet eminently is called the Archangel some others affirm as among Devils there is one chief Devil Mat. 25.41 called the Prince of Devils and therefore the fire is said to be prepared for the Devil and his Angels so from this Text of 1 Thess 4.16 and of Dan. 10.13 and of Jude v. 9. Some probably conclude that the good Angels have a Prince even Michael whom Jude calls the Archangel But of this no more the Lord keep me from intruding into those things which I have not seen Collos 2.18 The day it self will discover it and so I leave it as having said enough to satisfie the sober minded For the second what is this voice of the Archangel I conceive that thereby we are to understand thunder here is as we have said a manifest allusion to the proceedings at the giving of the Law now the voice there mentioned besides the voice of God Exod. 19.16 20.18 Heb. 2.2 and the voice of a trumpet is the voice of Thunder And it came to pass on the third day in the morning there were thunders In this sense some expound these words of the Apostle where the Law is said to be spoken by Angels because the Angels did raise up those extraordinary thunders which happily were the matters of the articulate voice in which the Lord spake to Israel or if the Law was spoken by Christ as I have delivered my opinion elsewhere he being the Angel of the Covenant Book 3. ch 1. Sect. 4. Mal. 3 1 And the Angel of his presence Isa 63.9 Yet this hinders not but that created Angels might speak the Law too if not in respect of the articulate voyce yet in respect of the voyce of thunders which attended on it thus thunder is often called the voyce of God and the voyce of his excellency Job 37.4 5. Psalm 29.3 4 5 6 7 8 9. 3. The Lord shall descend with the trumpet of God Such a voyce was used also at the giving of the Law Exod. 19.16 and Exod. 20.18 and so it will be now when men are called to account for the keeping or breaking of it For the understanding of this our last translation tells us Mat. 24.31 that Christ shall send his Angels with the great sound of a trumpet but in four Greek copies as Beza confesseth as also in the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew and in the Vulgar and in the margent of our last translation it is read that Christ shall send his Angels with a trumpet and a great voyce And so the latter words are exegetical q. d. with a trumpet that is with a great voyce like the voice of a trumpet so that this reading very provably proves that the last trumpet is to be taken metaphorically For the more full confirmation whereof I argue thus when any thing is ascribed to the Angels which is not suitable to their spiritual nature and which they have no need of for the work they are about is it to be taken metaphorically unless the context or some other Scripture force us to a proper acceptation but a material trumpet of Silver Brass or the like metal is not suitable to the spiritual nature of the Angels neither have they need of such a trumpet for producing a great sound in the Air it is evident that without a trumpet they can make a great sound like the noise of a trumpet and there is nothing at all in the Scriptures that will force us or probably lead us to a proper acceptation of the word add yet to what hath been said that sometimes a great voice is set out by the similitude of a Trumpet I heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet Rev. 1.10 and the first voyce which I heard was as it were of a trumpet Rev. 4.1 But why is this sound as of a trumpet called the trumpet of God I answer for the greatness of it for its usual in the Hebrew Language for the setting forth of greatness excellency or superlativeness of a thing to add the Name of God to the word whereby the thing is signified as Gen. 23.6 A Prince of God i.e. a Mighty Prince Gen. 30.8 With the wrestlings of God i.e. with great wrestlings Psal 36.6 Mountains of God i.e. Great mountains Psal 80.10 Cedars of God i.e. very high Cedars So here the trump of God i.e. A very great sound like the sound of a trumpet It is said in the Law there were thunders and lightnings Exod. 19.16 and a thick cloud upon the mount and the voyce of the trumpet exceeding loud so that all the people that was in the camp trembled and if there was trembling at the giving of the Law oh what trembling will be at the general Assize when sinners shall be condemned for breaking of it 3. No sooner the shout made but the Saints arise it is true the Saints that are alive need no resurrection but upon them will this trumpet have its effect Somthing like death shall ceaze upon them and they shall be changed The order of this is given in by the Apostle from the Lord This we say unto you by the Word of our Lord 1 Thes 4.15.16 17. that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep for the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them into the clouds The first that shall be called are the Saints that sleep and then the Saints that are alive shall be immediatly changed Oh what a day will this be what a strange sight to see all the dead ever since the beginning of the World rise out of their graves for the wicked I believe they shall rise like Toads from their holes in a black swarthy ugly colour A question is amongst the Schools whether Reprobates shall rise again with all their deformities which they had in this life as some of them being blind halt lame maimed deaf dum c. Whether now they shall rise in the self-same condition for my part I conceive that whereas God the author of nature will at that day restore humane nature that therefore there shall be no defects of natural parts certainly nothing shall be wanting in the damned which may impede the sense of torment in any part now a defect of any member would hinder these universal torments that must ceaze on every part of the bodies of the damned in Hell their bodies therefore shall be whole onely the bodies of such shall be foul ugly heavy lumpish bodies as opposed to the glorious qualities of the bodies of
as Rev. 20.12 1. The Book must be opened And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of life It is spoken after the manner of men in whose publick Judgments are produced all the writings of the process informations depositions of witnesses to shew that all actions Aug. l. 20. de civitate Dei cap. 14. even the most secret ones shall then be rehearsed and made manifest Augustine thinks these Books to be the Books of the Old and New Testament wherein all things either to be done or omitted are prescribed by God and then shall these Books be opened Rom. 2.16 Orig. Com. ad Rom. 14. because according to them shall sentence be given In that day God shall Judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Origen and all most all with him think these Books to be the Books of our consciences which now are shut up and concealed from men but then shall be made manifest to all the world whatever these Books are we find here one Book opened which is proper to the Saints called the Book of Life This Book contains in it the names of all that are elected from first to last Thou John and thou Joseph and thou Judeth and thou Mary and thou Elizabeth c. you are all Book'd down there is the particularity and there is the certainty Your names are written in Heaven rejoyce in it Oh what is the joy of Saints when once they see this book opened and their names inrolled engraven there in letters of glory This very Book clears it to me that God from all eternity made choice of a particular and determinate number of Persons to save them and that none other can be saved but those who were so elected and whosoever are so elected Rev. 13.8 17.8 they shall not fall away All that worship the Beast their names are not written in the Book of life of the Lamb from the foundation of the world On the other side Rev. 3.5 He that overcometh the same shall be written in the Book of life and I will not blot out his name but I will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels This is the day when that book of life shall be opened and Christ shall read the names of every elect person before God and Angels not that Christ needs a book or indeed reads a name but that his Election stands so firm that he knows every predestinated Saint as well as we know their names whom for our memories we commit unto our books and then he will so honour his Saints that he will publish their names to all the world 2. All the actions demeanours graces duties and it may be sins of Saints shall be produced and laid open the holy Ghost tells us that the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books It appears hence that not onely names but things were written and these things were produced and accordingly they were judged 1. As to evil things unfruitful works of darkness It is a question and I dare not be too positive in it viz. Whether the sins of God's People shall be manifest at the day of Judgment Some are for the negative because God in his promises speaks so expresly Isa 43.25 44.22.38.17 John 5.24 Of forgiving iniquities of remembring them no more of blotting them out of throwing them into the bottom of the Sea of casting them behind his back in which respect say they the Godly are said not to come into Judgement I suppose this last Text is ill urged for by Judgment is not meant discussion but condemnation and in our best Translations so it is rendred others are for the affirmative upon these grounds 1. Because many of the Godly and wicked men's sins are mingled together and there cannot be a Judgment of discussion preceding that of condemnation unless Godly men's sins are also produced 2. Because it is spoken generally in respect of all sorts that the Books were opened By which Books most understand the consciences of men and by the opening of those Books they understand the manifesting clearing and discovering of consciences at that general day 3. Because the Scriptures are express for the affirmative not but that those Texts are truths that sins are forgiven blotted out thrown away to be remembred no more i.e. as to condemnation but as for exploration or discussion the Lord speaks universally that of every idle word that men speak Mat. 12.36 they shall give an account thereof at the day of Judgment If the ballance weigh down on this side for my part I am not peremptory but shall easily submit to the spirits of the Prophets yet this manifestation shall not be for the shame grief trouble ignominy or confusion of the godly but only for the setting up of God's justice and that the goodness and free grace of God in Christ may be made more illustrious how will Christ then be exalted when all the world shall see his righteousness and goodness his truth and mercy now again meeting together and kissing each other it was so at his first coming and it will be so at his second coming then shall his justice and mercy his righteousness and goodness be manifested to all in that by his own merits notwithstanding their sins he will bring all his Saints to his heavenly glory 2. As for good things whether good works duties or graces there is no question but all these will be that day produced and laid open 1. We see Christ enumerating the good works of them on his right hand for I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked Mat. 25.35 26. and ye cloathed me sick and ye visited me in prison and ye came unto me It is true in this catalogue we find nothing of faith but all of works but certainly faith is included as the life of the Tree is included in the fruit not only nor principally are works here mentioned for the goodness of the work considered in it self but as these works did express our faith and love to Jesus Christ in that by saith we could see Christ in a poor beggar or prisoner and could love Jesus Christ in these poor better than all our worldly goods or liberties I do not wonder that Paul adviseth his Corinthians See that ye abound in this grace of contribution to the Saints 2 Cor. 8.7 Phil. 1.9 1 Thes 1.12 and that he prayeth his Philipians And this I pray that your love may abound yet more And that he prayeth for his Thessalonians now the Lord make you to increase and to abound in love one towards another and towards all men and that he praiseth God in their behalf We are bound to thank God always for you brethren as it is
meet 2 Thes 1.3 because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth Christians if we did but consider that every duty done to God or Man that every penny given to a poor naked Saint that every cup of cold water given to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet should not lose his reward but this day should be reckoned up or drawn as it were into a full Inventory Imprimis For this piece of silver given such a day to such a one Item For this piece of bread such a day given to such a one c. Oh who would not abound in faith and love oh who would think any thing too much too good too dear to give to the needy members of Jesus Christ there is a charge laid upon Ministers to preach this Doctrine I beseech you give me leave to discharge my duty and to lay it and leave it at your doors where beggars usually stand 1 Tim. 6.17 18 19. Charge them that are rich in this world that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to destribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life You to whom God hath given the riches of this world as you would meet Christ with comfort learn this lessen consider whether of these too reckonings will be more comfortable at that day Item So much given to such and such a religious use or so much given towards such a Feast and for the entertainment of such brave gallants so much to promote the Gospel or so much at Dice Cards Horse-races if one should tell you that either you must feed Christ in the poor or you must starve in Hell you must either cloath naked Christ in the poor or you must be laid naked to the fiery indignation of the Lord for ever oh what strictness would you call this but I recollect my self if Christ set you at his right hand he will then recount all your charities and all your labours of love to the Saints you that are poor and had nothing to give he will tell you of your good works if it was no more but at such a time you cast a mite into his Treasury and at such a time you carried a Letter for the Lord Jesus he will produce and commend these pittances of your poor charities to all the world 2. Nor only good works to man but all the Saints duties to God shall come in remembrance Oh then it will be known who served the Lord in spirit and truth and who did not then Men and Angels shall know such a day this poor Saints performed such a spiritual service every prayer in publick or private every tear shed for sin every sob or sigh every spiritual meditation or self-examination every glance ejaculation or looking unto Jesus shall be recounted by Jesus It was said of Cornelius Act. 10.4 that as well his prayers to God as his alms to men came up for a memorial before God certainly every duty in reference to the first table is booked in Heaven and at this day the book being opened it will appear that such a prayer thou madest such a morning and such an evening in thy closet Mat. 6.6 and now will Christ say Did not I tell thee that if thou wouldst pray to thy Father in secret then he that saw thee in secret should reward thee openly why now shalt thou have thy reward in a full view I will divulge here all thy secret duties to Men and Angels all the world shall know it thy wandrings I told them Psal 56.8 and thy tears I bottled them lo here are they not all written in my Book 3. Nor onely duties but graces shall now be rehearsed thy Knowledge Faith Hope Love spiritual Joy thy Fear Obedience Repentance Humility Meekness Patience Zeal Perseverance shall be fully discovered time was that in the incense of such a Prayer many sweet spices were burned together therein was Faith working by Love therein was Humility therein was Patience in submiting to God's will and pleasure therein was Hope of a gracious answer in God's due time therein was Holiness brokenness of Heart Cant. 5.1 and love to others c. Time was saith Christ that I gathered my myrr with my spices that I eat my honey-comb with my honey that I both accepted and delighted my self in thy heavenly graces I shall never forget how thou didst ravish my heart my sister my spouse how thou dost ravish my heart with one of thine eyes and with one chain of thy neck Why thus shall the Lord set forth and tell all the world what gracious children he had then will appear indeed the Meekness of Moses the Faith of Abraham the Patience of Job the Zeal of Phineas the Love of Magdalen and according to the measure of grace conferred upon thee Christ will set thee out We commend the graces of such and such Saints at their death but oh let Christ blazon me and his graces in me at the resurrection-day Thus far for the Exploration or trial before sentence Mat. 25.24 2. For the sentence it self then shall the King say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Every word here is full of life and joy 1. Come this is the King's invitation of his Saints to his Court he had summoned them before to his presence and now they are about him he will not part with them they must come a little nearer yet they must go with him into his presence chamber the mansions are ready the Supper of the Lamb is ready and now he begins the solemn invitation to his bride Come 2. Come ye blessed of my Father Christ blessed them when he went up to Heaven Luke 6.20 21. and whiles yet on earth he pronounced them blessed many a time Blessed be ye poor Blessed are ye that hunger Blessâ—d are ye that weep but now he calls them the blessed of his Father not onely Christ but God the Father hath ever looked upon them as his children it is the Father's will as well as Christ's that they should be blessed Ye blessed of my Father Luke 12 32. Rom. 8.17 3. Inherit the Kingdom Christ had told them before It is your Father's pleasure to give you the Kingdom but then they were only as servants or as children under age but now they are heirs Eph. 4.13 Heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ and now they are come to full age To the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ and therefore they must have the inheritance in possession they must all be Kings this very word speaks them Kings and makes them Kings it is the solemn coronation of the Saints It is the anointing the setting of the Crown upon
Thorns now with Majesty then judged by one man now judging all men then as a Lamb now as a Lyon oh horror to conceive how will the sight of this Judge amaze the wicked and the rather because they shall see him whom they have pierced Is not this the aggravation of their terror conceive the guilty man-slayer coming to his tryal will not the red robes of his Judge make his heart bleed for his blood-shed doth not that crimson cloath present a monstrous hew before his eyes O then what sight is this when the man slain sits in the Judgment-seat the rosy wounds of our Saviour still bleeding at it were in the prisoners presence well my they hang their heads but they shall not shut their eyes They shall see him saith the Text yea they also which pierced him shall see him This very sight will be as convincing as if they heard Christ say Thou art the man that didst murther me thou art the man hast pierced me this wound this skar and this print of the nails in my hands and feet were thy very doings in thy sinning against me And who can tell but Christ may speak in some such manner as this Come all you on the left hand prepare you for the sentence I am them an whom you did crucifie afresh I am he whose person you despised whose Commands you disobeyed whose Ministers you abused whose Servants you hated whose Offers you rejected and of whom you said There is no beauty in him that we should desire him Whatsoever he shall say this I believe that Christ's sweet face will be most terrible to the wicked at that day Oh it will cut them to see him in the judgment-seat whom they basely shut out of doors preferring a lust before his presence then will they begin with extreamest grief and bitterness of spirit to sigh and say Oh he that I look upon and must look upon and cannot choose but look upon he whom I now see sitting on yonder flaming white and glorious Throne is Jesus Christ the Mighty God the Prince of Peace that true Messiah whose precious blood was poured out as water upon the earth to save his people from their sins it is he yea the self same he that many a time whiles I lived on earth invited and wooed me by his faithful Ministers that besought and entreated me with tears of dearest love to leave my lusts and to bid the Devil adieu that knocked again and again at the door of my heart for entrance offering himself to be my al-sufficient and everlasting husband telling me that if I would but have embraced him at this time should have been the solemnity of the marriage and now he would have set an immortal crown of bliss and glory upon my head with his own Almighty hand but I alas like a wilful desperate wretch forsook my own mercy judged my self unworthy of everlasting life and wretchedly and cruelly against my own soul persecuted all the means which should have sanctified me and all the Ministers which should have saved me as instruments in the hands of Christ and now happy I if I were an hundred thousand millions of miles distant from this sight of Jesus Christ oh that these eyes in my head were holes again as they were but even now when I was rotting or rotten in the grave oh that I could turn any way aside from this glorious sight oh that I were a Stone or Tree or Air or any other thing that wanted eyes oh that I had no eye within nor understanding faculty to conceive of Christ or to know Christ Jesus as my Judge now ready to bid me go to Hell certainly these will be the woful wishes of the wicked when they shall look on Christ as sitting on his Throne of Judgement 2. For the Saints they shall look on them Indeed they sit so near their Saviour that they cannot look on him but they must look on them the Saints are on their Thrones either in the Throne or about the Throne of Jesus Christ and the reprobates stand in a direct opposite line to the Saints so that their eyes cannot be off them It is said in the parable that the rich man being in Hell He lift up his eyes Luke 16.23 and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom but the distance being so great as Heaven and Hell that cannot be litterally understood but onely parabolically it is otherwise here for howsoever the separation be already made yet neither is the sentence nor execution past upon the reprobates and indeed as yet both the Saints and reprobates are in the Air the one on the right hand and the other on the left hand of Jesus Christ and therefore they cannot but have a full view of each other In the Apocriphal book there is a plain description of this view Wisd 5.1 2 3 4 5. Then shall the righteous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him and made no account of his Labours and when they see it they shall be troubled with terrible fear and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his salvation so far beyond all that they looked for and they repenting and groaning for anguish of Spirit shall say within themselves this is he whom we had somtimes in a derision and a proverb of reproach we fools accounted his life madness and his end to be without honour how is he numbred among the children of God and his lot is amongst the Saints Here is a sight that will trouble and amaze the wicked that those who sometimes were their footstools should now be on Thrones that poor Lazarus who lay at the gates of that certain rich man should now shine like a Star near the Sun of Righteousness that they who were reproached reviled massacred murthered by them should now be their Judges joyning with Jesus Christ to sentence them to Hell Oh who can conceive the terrible thoughts of these men's hearts now the world cannot help them their old companions cannot help them the Saints neither can nor will onely the Lord Jesus can but Oh! there is the soul-killing misery he will not Ye Men and Devils saith Christ joint-heirs of Hell fit fuel for eternal fire look on us in our Thrones time was we could not have a look from you Christ and Christians were an abhorrency of spirit unto you you troad us under foot but now we are got above you oh see the vast difference betwixt us and you look on us look on me and my Saints see us on our Thrones see us glittering in glory and be confounded and amazed for ever 4. A particular strict account shall be then required and given Of what you will say I Answer 1. Of sins Come will Christ say Now confess all your sins before all the world time was that you consealed your sins but now every sin shall be laid open before God Angels and Men and now is the black Book
Paradise Oh what a goodly sight is here In this meditation I may see with John Rev. 21.2 The new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband Down comes Christ and down come the Angels and down come the spirits of the just made perfect and as they come along see how they shake the Heavens and dim and dark the very lights of Heaven see what a flood of fire goes before them see how they pass into the cloud where Christ makes a stand and erects a Throne for himself to sit on Sure 't will be a guilded glorious cloud when Christ with all his celestial servants shall sit upon it a mornings cloud guilded with the beams of the Sun is admirably fair and shining but what a shining cloud is that where the Sun of righteousness with all his morning stars do sit and shine here 's enough to dazzle my eyes and to take up my thoughts O my soul think on it 3. Consider Christ's summons of the Elect to come under judgment no sooner in the cloud but He shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet Mat. 24.31 and they shall gather together his Elect from the four winds from the one end of heaven to another Will not this be a strange sight to see Christ a coming with Trumpets sounding before him causing all the dead to awaken out of their sleeps of death the very sound of this Trumpet was ever in Jerom's ears Arise ye dead and come to Judgment and no question but thy ears shall be filled with the blast thereof the Trumpet shall found that shall bp heard over all the World and then shall the dead arise out of their graves and every Saints soul shall re-enter into his own body by vertue of the resurrection of Christ their Head Can I pass this meditation without some reflection on my self O my soul how joyfully wilt thou greet thy body when thou shalt enliven it again how wilt thou say O my dear Sister whom I left behind me in the dust when I went to Heaven how sweet is thy carcass how comely is thy countenance how do I enter into thee and animate thee and I will never more leave thee thou wast my yoke-fellow in the Lords Labours and my companion in persecution and wrong now shall we enter together into our Masters joy see lift up thy head behold Jesus Christ yonder sitting in the cloud and lo here the Angels waiting on us and coming to take us with the rest of the Saints into the Air to meet our Redeemer there Could I but realize this summons this resurrection this meeting of the soul and body and going with the Angels into the judgment-seat oh how would it work and what work would it make within 4. Consider Christ and the Saints meeting at the judgment day oh how shall the Saints look and stare and gaze at the beauty of Jesus Christ oh how will they break out into admiration at the first view of those glories which never before appeared on this side Heaven is not this he will they say of whom we read so often that he was fairer than the sons of men that he was white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousands that his countenance was as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars glorious as when the Sun shineth in his strength but was ever the half told us of what now we see and behold O the super-excellent transcendent beauty of this Son of righteousness O the treasures of loveliness in this Jesus Christ never seen before And thus as they admire so they adore now they begin those Hallelujahs that never never shall have end they fall at the feet of Christ and the Lord Christ takes them up with his hands and folds them in his arms oh what mutual reciprocal salutations are these betwixt Christ and his members oh my head and oh my body oh my husband and oh my spouse oh my dear and oh my darling never two lovers met with such heat of love as Christ and his Saints come saith Christ and sit you down here at my right hand and let the world be on my left hand it was otherwise with you in your life-time my gold and my jewels were then cast in the dust you were then cloathed with infamy and the vilest of men were then guilded with honour but now I will set all right now the dust shall be swept away and the jewels of my Kingdom shall be gathered up now the Goats shall be driven into the desart and you who are the Sheep shall be brought into my fold Oh my soul what a meeting is this what a sight will this be to behold the Saints in this condition and thy self amongst them couldst thou but realize this one very passage it were enough to quench thy lust and to kindle a flame of pure love in thy heart to Jesus Christ it is a quickning rouzing rising rejoycing consideration 5. Consider Christ sentencing the Saints for eternal glory then shall the books be opened and all the good works of the Saints shall be revealed and made known and then shall the Judg from his Throne of Majesty in the sight and hearing of all the world pronounce that sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world Mat. 25.34 q. d. Come my Saints come with me into glory come now from labour to rest from disgrace to glory from the jaws of death to the joys of eternal life for my sake ye have been railed on reviled and cursed but now it shall appear to all those cursed Esaus that you are the true Jacobs that shall receive the blessing and blessed shall you be come now and possess with me the inheritance of Heaven where you shall be for love Sons for birth-right heirs for dignity Kings for holiness Priests come you may boldly enter in for my Father hath prepared and kept it for you ever since the first foundation of the World was laid O my soul dost thou not remember when sometimes thou hast been at the feet of Christ in the beauty of holyness and there tookest in those droppings of his spirit which were better to thee than the feasts of Kings dost thou not remember when sometimes thou hast had the very beams of light darted from the face of Jesus Christ when he whispered to thy soul the forgiveness of thy sins saying Fear not thy sins shall not hurt thee I am thy salvation oh what joy was then what meltings movings stirrings leapings of heart were then in thy bosom but was that joy any thing to this or to be compared with this that was a drop but here 's an Ocean here 's fulness of joy oh what leapings of heart what ravishments will be within when thou shalt see thy self in the arms of Christ and shalt receive words of life from the mouth of Christ in the face of