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 Pi.Loliih.ed  Iry  Henrj^  Tisjier,  Caztoiu  LanioiL.  1523. 
 
WORKS 
 
 OF 
 
 ISAAC  AMBROSE, 
 
 SOMETIME  MINISTER 
 
 OP 
 
 GARSTANG,  IN  LANCASHIRE; 
 
 NAMELY, 
 
 THE  PRACTICE  OF  SANCTIFICATION, 
 EXEMPLIFIED  IN  THE  BELIEVERS  PRIVILEGES  AND  DUTIES. 
 
 iloofemjj  unto  S^sus; 
 
 OR, 
 
 THE  SOUL'S  EYEING  OF  JESUS  AS  CARRYING  ON  THE  GREAT  WORK 
 
 OF 
 
 MANS  SALVATION^ 
 
 AND,  THE 
 
 MINISTRATION  OF,  AND  COMMUNION  WITH, 
 
 ANGELS, 
 
 WITH  A  SHORT  MEMOIR  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED  BY  HENRY  PISHEK,  AT  THE  CAXTON  PRES3, 
 
 (  Printer  to  His  Majesty  J 
 
 PUBLISHED  AT  38,  NEWGATE  STREET  3  AND  SOLD  BY  ALL  BOOKSEI  LERS. 
 
BRIEF  MEMOIR 
 
 OP  THE 
 
 /2^F.  IS^^C  AMBROSE,  B.  A. 
 
 -ii' 
 
 >•(  The  subject  of  this  Memoir,  a  native  of  Lancashire,  was  a 
 descendant  of  an  ancient  and  respectable  family  of  Ambrose 
 Hail  in  that  County.  His  father  was  a  clergyman ;  but  of  his 
 personal  history  little  is  known.  His  situation  in  life,  however, 
 enabled  him  to  favour  his  son  with  a  liberal  education,  every 
 way  suited  for  the  ministerial  functions  which  he  was  trained  up 
 to  discharge. 
 
 Having  obtained  a  competent  degree  of  learning  from  local 
 seminaries,  Isaac  was  sent  to  the  University  of  Oxford,  and  in 
 1621  was  admitted  into  Brazen  Nose  College,  where  he  took  a 
 degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 
 
 In  Mr.  Rees*  Cyclopedia  it  is  asserted,  ^^  that  in  1641  he  left 
 the  Established  Church,  joined  the  Presbyterian  Party,  took  the 
 covenant,  and  preached  first  at  Garstang,  and  afterwards  at  Pi*es- 
 ton,  in  his  native  county  ;  and  that  his  zeal  against  the  established 
 Clergy,  recommended  him  to  the  office  of  assistant  to  the  com- 
 missioners, for  ejecting  such  as  were  called  scandalous  and  ig- 
 norant ministers,  and  schoolmasters." 
 
 Of  these  particulars,  which,  although  they  compliment  his 
 piety  and  zeal,  indirectly  charge  him  with  being  influenced  by 
 the  fanatical  spirit  of  the  times.  Dr.  Calamy,  in  his  account  of 
 the  Ejected  Ministers,  takes  no  notice,  with  the  exception  of  his 
 preaching  at  the  two  places  above  mentioned ;  but  even  of  these, 
 the  order  is  inverted.  In  the  Nonconformist  Memorial,  we  are 
 informed,  that  he  was  for  some  time  minister  of  Preston,  that 
 from  thence  he  removed  to  Garstang,  where  the  act  of  Uniformity 
 found  him  in  1662. 
 
 It  appears,  that  soon  after  the  Restoration  of  Charles  II. 
 when  the  clouds  began  to  gather  round  the  Church,  which  led 
 to  the  tempest,  from  the  awful  effects  of  which  she  has  not  yet 
 recovered,  a  meeting  was  held  at  Bolton  by  about  twenty  minis- 
 ters, of  which  number  Mr.  Ambrose  was  one,  to  consult  what 
 course  they  should  take  in  the  present  alarming  crisis.  At  this 
 meeting  Mr.  Ambrose  and  Mr.  Cole  of  Preston  declared,  in  the 
 presence  of  their  brethren,  that  they  would  read  the  Common 
 
MEMOIR   OF   THE   REV.  JSAAC    AMBROSE. 
 
 Prayer^  and  should  do  it,  the  state  of  their  respective  places 
 requiring  it ;  and  that  otherwise  their  services  among  their  con- 
 gregation would  necessarily  be  at  an  end.  The  ministers  present, 
 considering  the  circumstances  of  their  case,  approved  of  this 
 decision.  But  Mr.  Cole,  afterwards  Dr.  Cole,  declaring  that  he 
 could  not  thus  far  comply,  was  turned  out  from  Preston,  He, 
 however,  found  some  stronger  motive  in  Essex  than  operated  in 
 Preston,  since  he  finally  conformed,  and  became  a  lecturer  at 
 Dedham  in  that  county.   -  o. :  ,  ^ 
 
 With  respect  to  Mr.  Ambrose,  notwithstanding  the  preceding 
 declaration,  it  is  well  known  that  he  lived  and  died  a  Noncon- 
 formist ;  but  of  the  particular  circumstances  which  led  to  the 
 steps  in  which  his  character  became  decided,  we  have  no  account. 
 We  are,  however,  in  possession  of  facts  that  are  of  much  more 
 importance ;  namely,  that  he  was  a  man  of  substantial  worth, 
 of  eminent  piety,  and  that,  for  his  exemplary  life,  he  was  highly 
 respected  both  as  a  private  Christian,  and  an  approved  minister 
 of  God.  It  is  to  be  lamented,  that  his  contemporaries  had  not 
 collected  and  preserved  a  narrative  of  the  various  incidents  which 
 marked  his  life,  of  his  unwearied  assiduity  in  composing  his  va- 
 rious publications,  of  his  manner  of  living,  of  his  family,  and  as- 
 sociates, and  of  the  superintending  providence  of  God  over  him, 
 when  for  conscience  sake  he  abandoned  his  prospects  of  aggran- 
 disement, and  even  surrendered  his  livelihood. 
 
 In  his  manner  of  life,  there  is  one  particular  circumstance  that 
 deserves  to  be  recorded.  It  was  his  custom,  once  in  every  year, 
 to  withdraw  from  all  human  society  for  about  a  month,  which 
 time  he  spent  in  a  small  hut  that  w\as  erected  in  a  wood  not  far 
 from  his  dwelling,  giving  himself  up  to  meditation,  prayer,  and 
 divine  contemplation.  Much  of  this  spirit,  which  may  be  sup- 
 posed to  be  cherished  by  a  holy  man  in  solitude,  appears  in  his 
 writings;  and  no  doubt,  by  this  means  he  became  better  quali- 
 fied for  the  discharge  of  his  ministerial  duties  throughout  the 
 rest  of  the  year. 
 
 The  latter  part  of  his  life  was  spent  at  Preston,  in  warning 
 and  exhorting  those  around  him,  to  make  preparation  for  their 
 approaching  dissolution,  enforcing,  by  his  pious  example,  the 
 precepts  which  he  taught.  As  his  end  drew  near,  he  appears 
 to  have  had  a  strong  presentiment  of  the  solemn  event.  Though 
 in  perfect  health,  on  paying  a  visit  to  his  distant  friends,  he  took 
 his  leave  of  them  under  a  serious  conviction  that  he  should  see 
 them  no  more  ;  and  on  his  returning  to  his  home,  he  proceeded 
 to  set  every  thing  m  order  against  the  termination  of  his  mortal 
 career. 
 
 The  intelligence  of  this  awful  presentiment  reaching  his 
 absent  friends,  many,  particularly  from  among  his  hearers  at 
 Garstang,  came  to  visit  him.  These  he  received  with  his  usual 
 cheerfulness  j  and  after  giving  them  pious  counsel,  and  converging 
 
MEMOIR   OF    THE    REV.    ISAAC    AMBROSE. 
 
 freely  on  the  things  of  God,  he  informed  them  that  he  was  now 
 ready  to  depart  whenever  his  Lord  should  think  fit  to  summons 
 him  to  appear  before  his  fLice,  as  he  had  finished  all  that  he 
 ever  intended  to  write,  and  on  the  preceding  evening  had  sent 
 away  his -Discourse  concerning  Angels  to  the  press.  When  his 
 friends  were  about  to  take  their  leave,  he  accompanied  them  to 
 the  door,  and  waited  until  they  had  mounted  their  horses  j  and 
 having  taken  his  leave,  he  came  back,  shutting  himself  in  his 
 parlour,  the  place  of  his  soUloquy,  meditation,  and  prayer.  Being 
 thought  to  tarry  longer  than  usual,  the  door  was  opened,  and  he 
 was  found  just  expirmg.  The  state  in  which  he  was  discovered 
 rendered  all  assistance  unavailing,  his  mortal  course  being  brouo-ht 
 to  an  end.  This  took  place  in  the  year  1664,  in  the  72d  year  of 
 his  age. 
 
 His  character  may  be  comprised  in  a  few  expressions  : — He 
 was  holy  in  life,  happy  in  his  death,  honoured  of  God,  and  held 
 in  high  estimation  by  all  good  men. 
 
 His  works,  which  are  numerous,  are  still  read  with  much 
 respect  and  profit,  and  no  doubt  they  will  long  continue  in  re- 
 quest, among  the  pious  of  all  denominations.  Of  these  works 
 tlie  following  are  the  titles  :  Prima,  Media,  et  Ultima;  or  Re- 
 generation, Sanctitication,  and  Meditations  on  Man's  Misery  and 
 God's  Mercy. — Looking  unto  Jesus. — ^War  with  devils. — Minis- 
 tration of,  and  communion  with,  Angels,  &c. — ^These  works, 
 though  they  had  previously  appeared,  were  all  collected  and 
 printed  together  in  folio  in  the  year  1689.  Since  that  time  seve- 
 ral of  them  have  repeatedly  been  published  in  various  forms,  and 
 in  some  few  instances,  from  the  liberty  which  has  been  taken 
 with  them,  they  have  been  made  to  speak  a  language  which  their 
 author  never  intended.  To  this  edition,  these  charges  cannot 
 apply. 
 
 On  the  amiable  spirit  which  these  writings  breathe,  the  im- 
 portant doctrines  which  they  inculcate,  and  the  practical  godli- 
 ness which  they  invariably  enforce,  but  one  opinion  can  be  enter- 
 tained. Like  the  writings  of  Baxter,  they  have  a  vigorous  pulse 
 beating  in  every  page ;  and  it  will  be  difficult  to  select  a  para- 
 graph in  which  the  author  does  not  appear  in  earnest  for  the 
 salvation  of  his  readers.  It  is  this  sacred  principle,  rather  than 
 the  learning  (though  even  of  this  they  are  by  no  means  destitute) 
 which  they  display,  that  has  brought  them  downward  on  the 
 stream  of  time  to  the  present  hour ;  while  many  that  could  boast 
 of  more  splendid  diction  and  outward  decorations,  have  sunk  to 
 rise  no  more. 
 
 In  his  treatise  on  Communion  with  Angels,  he  has  collected 
 together  a  mass  of  evidence  in  fav'^our  of  his  positions,  much 
 stronger  than  might  have  been  expected.  His  conclusions  he 
 has  also  attempted  to  fortify  by  making  an  appeal  to  recorded 
 incidents.     Many  of  these,  however,  being  taken  from  the  dark 
 
MEMOIR    OF    THE    KEV.    ISAAC    AMBROSE. 
 
 ages^  and  others  being  of  doubtful  authority,  it  is  very  probable, 
 that  in  the  eyes  of  several  judicious  readers,  he  will  appear  to 
 have  injured  the  cause  he  intended  to  promote.  This  work  dis- 
 plays strong  powers  of  mind,  an  acuteness  of  mvestigation,  and 
 much  learning ;  but  notwithstanding  its  numerous  excellencies, 
 it  must  be  acknowledged,  that  fancy  appears  predominant  in 
 jnany  parts  5  and,  in  its  wild  exuberances,  attributes  to  super- 
 natural agency,  various  phenomena  which  might  be  traced  to 
 natural/causes.  Many  of  the  incidents  which  he  has  recorded 
 are,  of  a  very  remarkable  character,  but  by  no  means  improbable. 
 But  there  are  others  which  are  of  such  a  nature,  as  to  stagger 
 eyen  credulity  itself. 
 
 These  blemishes  are  however,  of  little  moment,  when  com- 
 pared with  the  life  and  power  that  he  has  infused  into  the  various 
 subjects  of  which  he  treats.  These  are  so  strong  and  so  influ- 
 ential, that  the  most  insensible  can  scarcely  read  without  catching 
 something  of  his  pious  spirit,  and  admiring  that  devotional  feeling 
 which  ammates  every  sentence. 
 
 Mr.  Ambrose  was  one  of  those  excellent  divines,  by  which  the 
 turbulent  age  in  which  he  lived  was  distinguished.  These,  in 
 their  combined  effulgence,  irradiated  the  gloom  of  moral  darkness 
 which  then  prevailed,  and  it  is  to  their  indefatigable  exertions 
 that  we  are  indebted  for  many  blessings  which  we  now  enjoy. 
 He  was  a  star  of  no  common  magnitude,  in  that  bright  constella- 
 tion of  worthies,  who  have  enriched  the  world  by  their  writings, 
 and  bequeathed  their  example  to  posterity. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 The  Doct?ine  of  Regeneration, 
 
 The  occasion  and  method  of  this  Treatise,/?,  28. — First  means 
 to  get  into  the  new  birth,  ib. — Second  means,  34, — ^Tliird 
 means,  35. — Means  to  be  delivered  out  of  the  pangs  of  the 
 new  birth,  37. 
 
 Directions  to  a  Man  iri  the  Act  of  the  New  Birth, 
 
 The  Soul's  preparation,  40. — General  circumstances  of  prepara-' 
 tion  on  God's  part,  41. — Substantial  parts  of  preparation  on 
 God's  part,  44. — Substantial  parts  of  preparation  on  Man's 
 part,  50.— -Call  on  God's  part  for  the  soul  to  close  with,  and 
 to  rely  on,  Christ,  61 . — Answer  on  Man's  part  for  the  soul 
 to  close  with,  and  to  rely  on  Christ,  62. — Growing  of  the 
 soul  with  Christ,  73. 
 
 The  Practice  of  Sanctification, 
 
 The  Believer's  privileges,  7^- — Gf  duties  in  general,  7^- — ^The 
 equity  of  duties,  ih, — Insufficiency  of  duties,  t'A. — Healing 
 of  duties,  80. — No  resting  in  duties,  81. — Use  and  end  (J 
 duties,  83.- — Essential  requisites  in  duties,  85. 
 
 Of  Self  Denial, 
 
 The  nature  of  self-denial,  87- — Denial  of  sinful  self,  %b. — Denial 
 of  our  external  relations,  89. — ^Denial  of  our  special  gifts, 
 92. — Denial  of  our  worldly  profits,  94. — Denial  of  our 
 worldly  pleasures,  97. — -Denial  of  our  honour,  praise,  and 
 good  name  among  men,  49. — ^Denial  of  our  life  for  Jesus 
 Christ,  101. — Self-denial  even  with  regard  to  the  graces  of 
 God,  103. 
 
 Of  the  Life  of  Faith, 
 
 The  nature  of  the  life  of  faith,  107.— Manner  of  tliis  life  of  faith 
 in  particular,  as  in  temporal  evils,  109. — Manner  of  this  life 
 of  faith  in  temporal  blessings.  Ml. — Manner  of  this  life  of 
 faith  in  spiritual  evils,  IH.-^Manner  of  this  life  of  faith  in 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 spiritual  blessings,  as  derived  to  us  from  God  in  Christ,  and 
 the  spirit  of  Christ,  1 15. — Manner  of  tliis  life  of  faith  in 
 spiritual  graces,  118. — Manner  of  this  life  of  faith  in  spi- 
 ritual duties,  120. — Manner  of  this  life  of  faith  in  things 
 eternal,  121.*— Manner  of  this  life  of  faith  in  regard  of 
 others,  122. 
 
 Of  Family  D-uties, 
 
 The  nature  of  family  duties,  124. — Preparatives  to  family  duties, 
 125. — Duties  of  governors  in  general,  ih, — ^Duties  of  parents 
 to  their  children,  127. — Duties  of  masters  to  servants,  129. — • 
 Duties  of  the  husband  and  wife,  130. — Duties  of  children  to 
 parents,  134. — Duties  of  servants  to  their  masters,  135. 
 
 Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 Address  to  the  Reader,      ----------  1 37 
 
 Book  I.  Looking  unto  Jesus,  the  beginner  and  finisher  ~>  ,., 
 
 of  our  faith  ------------j 
 
 Book  II.  Looking  unto  Jesus  from  the  Creation  until  hisi  ,  -. . 
 
 first  coming     ----.------     J 
 
 Book  111.  Looking  unto    Jesus   in  his  Birth,       -     -     -  205 
 
 Book  IV.  Looking  unto  Jesus  in  his  Life,     -----  249 
 
 Book  V.  Looking  unto  Jesus  in  his  Death,  -----  299 
 
 Book  VI.  Looking  unto  Jesus  in  his  ResuiTCction,       -     -  348 
 
 Book  Vll.  Looking  unto  Jesus  in  his  Ascension,  Session -»  001 
 
 and  Mission  of  his  Spirit,     -------     / 
 
 Book  Vlll.  Looking  unto  Jesus  in  his  Intercession,    -     -  413 
 
 Book  IX.  Looking  unto  Jesus  in  his  second  coming,  -     -  441 
 
 The  Ministration  of  and  Communion  with  Angels, 
 
 The  coherence  and  division  of  the  text,  Heb.  i.  14. 473. — Scrip- 
 tures for  Angels'  Ministration,  480. — Reasons  for  Angels' 
 ministration,  482. — The  time  when  Angels  first  begin  their 
 ministration,  495. — Ministration  of  Angels  in  our  Infancy 
 and  Childhood,  500. — Ministration  of  Angels  in  our  riper 
 years,  509. — Ministration  of  Angels  at  @ur  Death,  538. — 
 Ministration  of  Angels  at  our  Resurrection,  535. 
 
WORKS 
 
 OF 
 
 mAA(B  AieieiE®^!!. 
 
 ^larf^wiRJYop 
 
 •      DOCTRINE        '^^-  '^"V '««' 
 
 REGENERATION.C^^^^ 
 
 Except  a  man  be  horn  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God. 
 
 John  iii.  3. 
 
 In  the  prosecution  of  these  words,  we  shall  follow  the  order 
 set  down  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  where  is, 
 
 1.  The  necessity  of  it. 
 
 2.  The  generality  of  it. 
 
 3.  The  manner  of  it. 
 
 4.  The  issue  of  it. 
 
 First,  the  necessity  of  it :  Except  a  man  be  new  born,  he  can 
 never  be  saved.  It  is  our  Saviour's  speech,  and  he  avers  it 
 with  a  double  asseveration.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee. 
 
 Again,  God  the  Father  thus  counsels,  not  only  Nicodemus, 
 but  all  the  Jews  of  the  old  church,  saying.  Make  you  a  new 
 heart  and  a  neio  spirit,  for  why  will  you  die,  O  house  of  Israel  ? 
 Ezek.  xviii.  31.  Notwithstanding  all  their  privileges,  yet 
 here  is  one  thing  necessary,  that  must  crown  all  the  rest ; 
 they  must  have  a  new  heart,  and  a  new  spirit,  that  is,  they 
 must  be  new  born,  or  there  is  no  way  but  death. 
 
 Nor  is  this  doctrine  without  reason  or  ground.  For,  man  is 
 first  unholy,  and  therefore  most  unfit  to  enter  into  heaven ; 
 Without  holiness  no  man  shall  see  God,  Heb.  xii.  14.  And  what  is 
 man  before  he  is  new  born?  If  we  look  upon  his  soul,  we  may 
 see  it  deformed  with  sin,  defiled  with  hist,  outraged  with  pas- 
 sions ;  and  thus  is  that  image  of  God  transformed  to  the  ugly 
 shape  of  the  devil.  Should  we  take  a  more  particular  view, 
 every  faculty  of  the  soul  is  full  of  iniquity;  the  understanding 
 understands  nothing  of  the  things  of  God,  1  Cor.  ii.  14.  the  will 
 
 1.  B 
 
10  The  Doctrine  of  Regeyieration. 
 
 wills  nothings  that  is  good,  Rom.  vi.  20.  the  affections  affect 
 nothing  of  the  Spirit,  Gal.  v.  17.  In  a  word,  the  understanding 
 is  darkened,  the  will  enthralled,  the  affections  disordered, 
 the  memory  defiled,  the  conscience  benumbed,  all  the  inner 
 man  is  full  of  sin,  and  here  is  no  part  that  is  good,  no  not 
 one.  How  needful  now  is  a  new  birth  to  a  man  in  this  case! 
 Can  he  enter  into  heaven,  that  savours  all  of  earth?  Will 
 those  precious  gates  of  gold  and  pearls  open  to  a  sinner?  No, 
 he  must  be  new  moulded,  and  sanctified. 
 
 Secondly,  Without  this,  man  is  God's  enemy :  no  greater 
 opposition  than  betwixt  God  and  a  sinner ;  his  name  and  na- 
 ture is  altogether  opposite  to  sin  and  sinners.  View  we  those 
 attributes  of  God,  his  justice,  truth,  patience,  holiness,  anger, 
 power;  his  justice  in  punishing  the  impenitent  according  to  his 
 deserts,  his  truth  effecting  those  plagues  which  he  hath  spoken 
 in  his  word,  his  patience  forbearing  sinners*  destruction  till 
 they  are  grown  full  ripe,  his  holiness  abhorring  all  impurities, 
 his  anger  stirring  up  revenge  against  all  offered  injuries,  his 
 power  mustering  up  his  forces,  yea,  all  his  creatures,  against 
 his  enemies ;  and  what  can  we  say,  but,  if  all  these  attributes 
 are  at  enmity  with  sinful  man,  woe  to  man  because  of  offences ! 
 Better  he  had  never  been  born,  than  not  to  be  new  born. 
 
 Thirdly,  Except  by  a  new  birth,  man  is  without  Christ;  for 
 if  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature :  and  if  he  be 
 not  in  Christ,  what  hopes  of  that  man?  It  is  only  Christ  that 
 opens  heaven,  it  is  only  Christ  that  is  the  way  to  heaven;  be- 
 sides him,  there  is  no  way,  no  truth,  no  life. 
 
 Fourthly,  Except  a  man  be  born  again,  he  is  a  very  limb  of 
 Satan,  a  child  of  drakness,  and  one  of  the  family  of  hell.  Con- 
 sider this,  ye  that  are  out  of  the  state  of  grace,  in  what  misera- 
 ble thraldom  are  your  souls !  Should  any  call  you  servants,  you 
 would  take  it  highly  in  disdain;  but  take  it  as  you  please,  if 
 you  are  not  regenerate,  you  are  in  no  better  case.  Paul  appeals 
 to  your  own  knowledge.  Know  you  not  that  to  lohomsoever  you 
 give  yourselves  servants  to  obey,  his  servants  ye  are  to  whom  you 
 oheyl  Rom.  vi.  16, 23.  If  then  ye  obey  the  devil's  suggestions, 
 what  are  you  but  the  devil's  servants?  And  if  he  be  your 
 master,  what  is  your  wages  ?  The  wages  of  sin  is  death :  death 
 of  the  body,  and  death  of  the  soul;  death  here,  and  death 
 hereafter  in  hell-fire.  Alas,  that  Satan  should  have  this  power 
 on  man !  that  he  who  is  the  enemy,  and  means  nothing  to  a 
 sinner  but  death  and  damnation,  should  be  his  lord,  and  tyran- 
 nize it  over  him  at  his  own  will  and  pleasure !  Would  any  man 
 be  hired  to  serve  lions  and  tigers?  And  is  not  the  devil  a  roar- 
 ing lion, walking  about,  and  seeking  whom  he  may  devour?  To 
 serve  him  that  would  devour  his  servant,  is  a  most  miserable 
 bondage;  and  what  pay  can  one  expect  from  devils,  but  roar- 
 ing and  devouring,  and  tearing  souls? 
 
The  Ihctnne  of  Regemration.  1 1 
 
 So  that  whether  we  consider  man  in  regard  of  himself,  or  of 
 Ood,  or  of  Christ,  or  of  Satan,  he  is  (except  he  be  new-born) 
 unholy,  God's  enemy,  out  of  Christ,  in  Satan. 
 
 And  if  the  new  birth  be  thus  necessary,  how  should  we 
 labour  to  be  born  again?  Now  then,  as  you  tender  your  souls, 
 and  desire  heaven  at  your  ends,  endeavour  to  attain  this  one 
 thing  necessary;  lift  up  your  hearts  unto  God,  that  you  may 
 be  washed,  justified,  sanctified,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
 and  that  by  the  Spirit  of  God  you  may  walk  in  new  ways,  talk 
 with  new  tongues,  as  being  new  creatures,  created  unto  good 
 works.  Thus  would  you  wait  on  God  in  his  way,  I  trust  the 
 Lord  in  mercy  would  remember  you,  and  his  Spirit  would 
 blow  upon  you,  and  then  you  would  find  and  feel  such  a 
 change  within  you,  as  that  you  would  bless  God  for  ever, 
 that  you  were  thus  born  again. 
 
 Such  is  the  necessity  of  being  born  again.  And  as  to  the 
 generality  of  it,  all  men  (or  all  mankind)  must  be  regenerated 
 before  they  be  saved ;  not  one  of  all  the  sons  of  Adam  shall 
 ever  go  to  heaven,  except  he  be  born  again:  let  your  contem- 
 plations (guided  by  God's  word)  go  into  the  paradise  above ; 
 all  the  saints  that  now  walk  in  the  light  of  it,  were  first  purged 
 by  the  Lamb,  and  sanctified  by  the  Spirit ;  first  they  were 
 regenerated,  and  so  they  were  saved. 
 
 Secondly,  (as  all  men,  so  all  man)  all  the  members  of  his 
 body,  all  the  faculties  of  his  soul.  Sanctification,  if  saving, 
 must  be  perfect  and  entire,  though  not  in  respect  to  degrees, 
 yet  in  respect  of  part^;  every  part  and  power  of  body  and 
 soul  must  have  its  part  of  sanctification. 
 
 And  should  we  consider  man  in  his  parts,  every  part  must 
 bear  a  part  in  this  birth ;  his  body  must  be  regenerated,  his 
 soul  must  be  renewed :  he  is  moulded  anew,  and  all  the  mem- 
 bers of  his  body  are  conformed  to  the  sovereignty  and  rule  of 
 grace;  yea,  his  body  is  preserved  blameless,  holy,  and  accept- 
 able unto  God ;  it  is  a  member  of  Christ,  the  temple  of  the 
 Holy  Ghost :  happy  man  that  is  blest  with  this  body  !  Sure  a 
 man  thus  born  again,  shall  see  the  kingdom  of  God. 
 
 Thirdly,  as  the  body,  so  the  soul  of  this  man  is  to  be  renewed 
 by  grace ;  Therefore  glorify  God  in  your  body  and  your  spirit, 
 1  Cor.  vi.  20.  The  body  and  the  spirit  must  both  glorify  God  ; 
 and  as  all  the  parts  of  the  body,  so  all  the  powers  of  the  soul. 
 
 First,  the  understanding,  that  in  the  old  man  is  blind  and 
 ignorant  about  heavenly  things,  or  if  it  know  many  things,  yet 
 never  can  attain  to  saving  knowledge;  in  the  new  man  must 
 be  anointed  with  the  eye-salve  of  the  Spirit,  inspired  with  the 
 knowledge  of  divine  truths,  especially  with  those  sacred  and 
 saving  mysteries  which  concern  the  kingdom  of  God.  Again, 
 the  will  that  in  the  old  man  affects  nothing  but  vile  and  vain 
 things,  is  froward  and  perverse  in  the  ways  of  godliness;  in 
 
12  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration. 
 
 the  new  man  must  prove  what  is  the  good,  and  acceptable, 
 and  perfect  will  of  God ;  yea,  it  must  attend  and  be  subordi- 
 nate to  the  grace  of  God,  since  God  indeed,  and  God  only, 
 works  in  us  both  the  will  and  the  deed,  Phil.  ii.  13.  Again,  the 
 memory  that  in  the  old  is  slippery  in  the  things  of  God,  or  if 
 naturally  good,  yet  not  spiritually  useful  5  in  the  new  man  must 
 be  sanctified  to  good  performances,  and  although  it  cannot 
 increase  to  a  great  natural  perfection,  (for  grace  doth  not  this,) 
 yet  the  perfections  it  hath  must  be  straight,  and  right,  and 
 guided  to  Godward :  Remember  the  Lord  thy  God,  saith  Moses, 
 Deut.  viii.  18.  Again,  the  conscience  that  in  the  old  man 
 sleeps  and  slumbers,  or  if  it  be  awake,  tears  and  roars,  as  if  a 
 legion  of  devils  possessed  it;  in  the  new  man  must  be  calm 
 and  quiet,  and  yet  not  sleep  or  slumber,  but  rather  in  a  friendly 
 loving  manner  check  and  control  wheresoever  sin  is,  yea,  never 
 be  quiet,  till  with  kind  and  earnest  expostulations  it  draws  the 
 sinner  before  God,  to  confess  his  fault,  and  to  seek  pardon 
 for  it.  Again,  the  affections  that  in  the  old  man  are  sensual, 
 inordinate,  bewitched,  and  set  on  wrong  objects;  in  the  new 
 man  must  be  turned  another  way.  To  sum  up  all ;  all  must  be  re- 
 newed, the  understanding,  will,  memory,  conscience,  affections. 
 First,  I  say,  in  the  new  man  the  understanding  must  be  re- 
 renewed  ;  so  the  apostle.  The  new  man  is  renewed  in  knowledge, 
 Col.iii.  10.  and  this  knowledge  implies  two  'h?Jb\i'^,iuisdomand 
 prudence,  Col.  i.  9.  First,  wisdom;  that  is  speculative:  second- 
 ly, prudence ;  and  that  is  practical.  By  the  one,  the  child  of 
 God,  having  the  eyes  of  his  mind  opened  and  enlightened, 
 doth  see  the  mysteries  of  salvation,  the  secrets  of  the  kingdom, 
 the  whole  counsel,  and  the  wonders  of  the  law  of  God ;  by  the 
 other  he  is  enabled,  with  a  judicious  sincerity,  to  determine  in 
 cases  of  conscience,  in  the  practice  of  piety,  and  the  experi- 
 mental passages  of  a  christian  man.  If  we  consider  the  first, 
 wisdom ;  how  is  it  possible  that  a  man  unregenerate  should 
 know  the  mysteries  of  salvation?  He  may  go  as  far  as  the 
 power  of  natural  discourse,  and  light  of  reason,  can  bear  sway, 
 he  may  be  furnished  with  store  of  rare  and  excellent  learning, 
 and  yet  for  all  this  want  the  true  spiritual  wisdom.  The  man 
 regenerate  hath  the  saving  knowledge ;  he  only  knows  God 
 with  a  stedfast  apprehension,  he  only  knows  himself  a  mean, 
 base,  and  contemptible  thing;  his  new  birth  hath  learned  him 
 how  wicked  a  creature  he  naturally  is,  and  therefore  in  that 
 respect  is  he  odious  to  himself,  and  loathsome  in  his  own 
 eyes  :  or  if  we  consider  the  second,  prudence;  how  is  it  pos- 
 sible that  a  man  unregenerate  should  experimentally  know  the 
 practice  of  piety?  Should  we  instance  in  this  mystery  of  rege- 
 neration :  here  is  a  ruler  of  the  Jews,  and  a  teacher  "of  Israel; 
 yet,  as  learned  as  he  was,  if  he  confer  with  Christ  about  the 
 salvation  of  his  soul,  he  is  strangely  childish,  and  a  mere  infant  j 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration.  13 
 
 tell  him  of  the  new  birth,  and  he  thinks  it  as  impossible  as  for 
 an  old  man  to  return  into  his  mother's  womb,  and  be  born :  the 
 natural  man  cannot  discern  the  operations  of  grace,  he  knows 
 not  that  dark  and  fearful  passage,  which  leads  from  the  state  of 
 nature,  into  the  rich  and  glorious  happiness  of  the  kingdom  of 
 Christ;  and  hence  it  is  that  many  a  silly  man  or  woman,  whom 
 the  woxldly-wise  pass  by  with  scorn,  are  in  spiritual  affairs 
 more  wise  and  learned  than  the  learnedst  doctors. 
 
 Secondly,  the  will  must  be  renewed;  and  this  will  of  the  re- 
 generate contains  two  things,  righteousness  and  readiness :  it 
 is  first  rectified,  conformed  to  the  will  of  God;  secondly,  it  is 
 so  inflamed  wdth  the  love  of  goodness,  that  he  pursues  it  with 
 alacrity  of  spirit.  If  we  consider  the  first,  the  rectitude  of  the 
 will,  we  see  by  experience  the  will  of  the  unregenerate  is  all  out 
 of  course,  he-wills  nothing  but  that  which  is  evil:  how  should 
 he,  considering  his  want  of  God's  image,  his  blindness  of 
 heart,  his  proneness  to  evil,  together  with  the  vehemency  of 
 his  affections,  which  draw  the  will  after  them?  but  in  the  man 
 that  is  regenerate,  the  will  being  moved,  it  afterwards  moves 
 itself;  God's  grace  that  concurs  with  it,  quickens  it,  and  re- 
 vives it;  so  that  now  his  will  is  nothing  but  God's  will:  or  if 
 w^e  consider  the  second,  the  readiness  of  the  will  to  good, 
 alas !  the  will  of  the  unregenerate  hath  no  pleasure  in  good- 
 ness, he  understands  not  the  sweetness  of  it,  and  therefore 
 nothing  is  more  irksome  to  him  than  the  ways  of  godliness ; 
 whereas  the  will  of  the  regenerate  is  willing,  and  this  willing- 
 ness indeed  is  the  perfection  of  his  will. 
 
 Thirdly,  the  memory  must  be  renewed ;  and  this  memory 
 
 reflects  occasionally  on  a  double  object,  on  God,  and  the  things 
 
 of  God.  First,  on  God,  by  remembrance  of  his  presence  every 
 
 where.  Secondly,  on  the   things  of  God,  by  calling  them  to 
 
 mind  at  useful  times.     If  we  consider  the  first  object,  God  ; 
 
 the  unregenerate  hath  no  mind  on  God,  God  is  not  in  all  his 
 
 thoughts :  like  the  hood-winked  fool,  that  seeing  no  body, 
 
 thinks  no  body  sees  him;  so  hath  he  said  in  his  heart,  Hoio 
 
 doth  God  knoic  ?  Can  he  judge  through  the  dark  cloud  ?    Thick 
 
 clouds  are  a  covering  to  him  that  he  secth  not,  and  he  ivalketh  in 
 
 the  circuit  of  heaven.     But,  contrary wdse,  the  regenerate  man 
 
 remembers  his  Creator  in  the  days  of  his  youth.  And  though 
 
 God,  as  being  a  spirit,  is  absent  from  his  senses,  yet  by  virtue 
 
 of  his  sanctified  memory,  (that  makes  things  absent  as  present,) 
 
 his  eye  is  on  God,  and  he  considers  God  as  an  eye-witness  of 
 
 all  his  thoughts,  and  words,  and  doings.     Or,  if  we  consider 
 
 ihe  second  object,  (the  word  of  God,)  the  unregenerate  never 
 
 burdens  his  memory  with  it ;  if  sometimes  he  falls  upon  it,  it 
 
 is  either  by  constraint  or  by  accident,  never  with  any  settled 
 
 resolution  to  follow  it;  but  the  soul  that  is  regenerate,  with 
 
 Mary,  keeps  all  these  things  in  his  heart :  whatsoever  lessons 
 
14  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration. 
 
 he  learns,  like  so  many  jewels  in  a  casket,  he  lays  them  up  safe 
 and,  as  need  serveth,  makes  all  the  good  use  of  them  he  may. 
 
 Fourthly,  tlie  conscience  must  be  renewed,  and  that  two 
 ways,  either  by  drawing  the  soul  to  good,  or  from  evil :  first, 
 to  good,  by  restraining  and  bridling.  If  we  consider  its  first 
 office,  (in  that  it  draws  and  leads  the  soul  to  good,)  the  unre- 
 generate  hath  not  that  conscience ;  for  the  most  part  his  con- 
 science lies  dead  in  his  bosom,  or,  if  it  stir  sometimes,  he 
 labours  all  he  can  to  smother  it.  It  is  otherwise  with  the 
 regenerate,  his  conscience  excites  him  to  good,  and  he  doth 
 good  out  of  conscience ;  he  stands  not  upon  terms  of  pleasure 
 or  profit,  but  his  conscience  being  guided  by  the  rule  of  God's 
 holy  truth,  he  submits  to  it  merely  oift  of  his  obedience  to 
 God:  hence  it  is,  that  come  what  will  come,  his  eye  is  fixed 
 on  God;  and  if  man  oppose  where  God  commands,  he  is 
 quickly  resolved.  Or  if  Ave  consider  the  second  office  of  con- 
 science, in  drawing  the  soul  from  evil,  the  unregenerate  either 
 hears  not,  or  heeds  not,  his  reclaiming  conscience :  if  it  speak, 
 he  first  goes  about  to  lull  it  asleep  again;  or  if  it  cry  out,  and 
 will  not  peace,  then,  in  spite  of  goodness,  he  runs  out  of  one 
 sin  into  another,  and  usually  from  presumption  to  despair.  On 
 the  other  side,  the  regenerate  hath  a  conscience  that  draws 
 him  from,  and  keeps  him  out  of,  evil :  it  is  known  especially 
 by  these  two  properties,  remorse  and  tenderness ;  remorse  hath 
 an  eye  on  all  sins  past,  and  tenderness  hath  an  eye  on  all  sins 
 to  come :  by  remorse  is  bred  sorrow  for  sin,  ^nd  loathing  of 
 sin;  no  sooner  he  considers  how  by  his  manifold  sins  he  hath 
 offended  God,  crucified  Christ,  grieved  the  Holy  Spirit,  but 
 his  heart  bleeds  and  breaks  that  he  hath  done  so  wickedly 
 against  so  gracious  a  God :  this  sorrow  for  sin  brings  with  it 
 a  loathing  of  sin;  he  hates  the  very  thought  of  it;  every  look 
 back  is  a  new  addition  of  detestation,  and  every  meditation 
 makes  the  wound  of  his  remorse  to  bleed  again :  by  tenderness 
 of  conscience  is  bred  a  care  and  watchfulness  to  avoid  sin  to 
 come;  for  no  sooner  is  sin  presented  to  his  conscience,  but  he 
 startles  at  its  sight,  and  meditates  on  that  strict  account  he  must 
 one  day  make  for  it ;  which  thoughts  and  sin  put  together  in 
 the  balance,  he  dares  not  do  wickedly  for  a  world  of  gain : 
 and  you  may  observe  it,  this  tenderness,  or  easiness  to  bleed 
 at  the  apprehension  of  sin,  is  peculiar  to  that  conscience  that 
 is  enlightened,  and  sanctified,  and  purged  by  Christ. 
 
 Fifthly,  the  affections  must  be  renewed,  and  that  is  done  by 
 setting  them  upon  right  objects;  I  shall  instance  in  some  of 
 them,  as  love,  hatred,  hope,  fear,  joy,  sorrow.  Love  I  place 
 first,  which  in  the  unregenerate  man  is  fastened  inordinately 
 upon  the  creature ;  and  as  one  sin  begets  another,  so  on  what- 
 soever object  it  falls,  it  gets  some  sin;  thus  the  love  of  riches 
 breeds  covetousness,  love  of  beauty  breeds  sensuality :  whatso- 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration,  15 
 
 ever  he  loves,  the  object  being  earthly,  it  brings  with  it  some 
 sin ;  and  thereby,  the  worst  of  all,  he  wickedly  prefers  earth  to 
 heaven,  a  dunghill  to  paradise.  But  the  regenerate  man  settles 
 his  love  upon  other  objects :  as  he  that  is  carnal,  minds  things 
 carnal,  so  he  that  is  spiritual,  loves  things  spiritual ;  no  sooner 
 is  he  turned,  by  a  sound  and  universal  change  of  the  whole 
 man,  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan 
 unto  God,  but  he  presently  begins  to  settle  with  some  sweet 
 contentment,  upon  the  flowers  of  paradise,  saving  graces,  and 
 his  infinite  love  runs  higher  and  higher,  till  it  embrace  him 
 that  dwells  in  the  highest,  God  Almighty:  and  how  sweet  is 
 that  love  that  casts  itself  wholly  into  the  bosom  of  his  Maker! 
 How  blessed  is  that  man,  that  yearns,  and  melts,  and  cleaves, 
 and  sticks  unto  his  gracious  God  above  all ! 
 
 The  second  affection  is  Hatred,  which  in  the  unregenerate  is 
 so  inordinate,  that  he  is  an  hater  of  God,  Rom.  i.  30.  not  that 
 he  hates  God  in  himself,  but  in  some  particular  respect,  be- 
 cause he  restrains  him  from  his  pleasure,  or  punisheth  him 
 for  his  sin,  or  crosseth  his  appetites  by  his  holy  commands. 
 As  he  hates  God,  so  likewise  his  brother.  Hence  arise  those 
 envies,  emulations,  jars,  contentions,  among  those  that  profess 
 themselves  Christians ;  but  of  all  brethren  he  hates  them  most, 
 of  whom  our  Saviour  is  the  first-born.  God's  faithful  ones  ever 
 were  and  ever  will  be  signs  and  wonders,  and  monsters,  unto 
 many;  a  scorn,  reproach,  and  derision,  to  them  that  are  round 
 about  them  :  but  he  that  is  regenerate  hates  sin  in  whomsoever 
 it  rules ;  in  others,  and  in  himself,  when  after  the  commission 
 of  any  evil  he  begins  to  repent,  and  to  abhor  himself ,  as  Job 
 did,  in  dust  and  ashes,  Job  xlii.  6. 
 
 The  third  affection  is  Hope.  Now  this  hope  in  the  unrege- 
 nerate is  fastened  on  this  world,  and  the  things  of  this  world ; 
 he  hopes  for  preferment,  riches,  or  the  like ;  as  for  his  hope  of 
 heaven,  it  is  but  a  waking  man's  dream:  a  dream?  said  I.  Yes, 
 as  dreams  in  the  night  fill  us  with  illusions,  (you  know  a  beggar 
 may  dream  he  is  a  king,)  so  hope,  abusing  the  imagination  of 
 the  unregenerate,  fills  their  souls  many  a  time  with  vain  or 
 empty  contentments:  but  the  hope  of  the  regenerate  both 
 enjoys  the  right  object,  and  right  means;  his  eye  is  fixed  on 
 future  good ;  and  he  endeavours  to  pursue  it,  till  he  get  the 
 possession.  If  in  the  pursuit  he  meets  with  crosses,  griefs, 
 disgraces,  sicknesses,  or  any  other  calamities,  his  hope  is  able 
 to  sweeten  the  bitterest  misery  that  can  possibly  befall  him; 
 the  afflictions  of  this  life  bid  him  look  for  a  better,  a  cross 
 here  minds  him  of  the  glory  above. 
 
 The  fourth  affection  is  Fear,  which  in  the  unregenerate  is 
 either  worldly  or  servile:  if  it  fasten  on  the  world,  then  he 
 fears  the  loss  of  his  credit  or  of  his  profit,  and  because  he  and 
 the  world  must  part  at  last,  he  fears  this  separation  above  all 
 
16  The  Doctrine  of  Regemratioii. 
 
 fears :  O  death,  saith  the  wise  man,  how  bitter  is  the  remem- 
 brance  of  thee  to  a  man  that  liveth  at  rest  in  his  possessions, 
 unto  the  man  that  hath  nothing  to  vex  him,  and  that  hath  pros- 
 perity in  all  things !  Or  if  his  fear  reflect  on  God,  then  it  is  a 
 servile  fear;  for  as  the  servant  or  hireling  works  not  for  love 
 of  his  master,  but  only  for  fear  of  punishment;  so  he  fears  God, 
 for  fear  of  punishment  due  to  him  from  God :  it  is  otherwise 
 with  the  man  that  is  born  again ;  his  fear  is  either  initial  or 
 filial :  in  pangs  of  the  new  birth,  or  in  the  new-born  babe,  it  is 
 called  initial ;  because  then  he  casts  away  sin  both  out  of  God's 
 love,  to  which  he  hath  partly  attained,  and  out  of  the  woeful 
 effects  of  sin,  which  he  hath  thoroughly  considered;  with  the 
 right  eye  he  beholds  God,  and  with  the  left  eye  he  beholds 
 punishment;  so  that  this  fear  is  a  middle,  as  it  were,  betwixt 
 servile  and  filial  fear ;  and  as  the  needle  draweth  in  the  thread, 
 so  this  fear  draweth  in  charity,  and  makes  way  for  filial  fear ; 
 to  which,  if  by  growth  in  grace  he  be  fully  ripened,  then  he 
 fears  God  out  of  love  to  God,  as  the  prophet  Isaiah  proclaimeth. 
 The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  his  treasure,  Is.  xxxiii.  6.  Never  was 
 treasure  more  dear  to  the  wordlings,  than  is  God's  fear  to  him: 
 his  love  of  God,  his  desire  to  please  God,  and  his  fear  of  being- 
 separated  from  God,  keep  him  in  such  awe,  that  thoug^i  no 
 punishment,  no  death,  no  hell,  were  at  all ;  yet  he  woula  not 
 sin  for  a  world  of  treasures. 
 
 The  fifth  affection  is  Joy,  which  in  the  unregenerate  is  sensual 
 and  brutish;  it  hath  no  better  objects  than  gold,  greatness, 
 honours,  or  the  like :  and  what  are  all  these  but  a  shadow,  a 
 ship,  a  bird,  an  arrow,  a  post  that  passeth  by?  or  rather,  as 
 crackling  of  thorns  under  a  pot,  as  flashes  of  lightning  before 
 everlasting  fire?  But  the  joy  of  the  regenerate  is  a  spiritual  joy, 
 and  the  matter  of  it  is  the  light  of  God's  countenance,  right- 
 eousness, or  the  promises  of  God's  word ;  or,  above  all,  God 
 Almighty,  blessed  evermore :  Thus  David,  Whom  have  I  in 
 heaven  but  thee?  and  there  is  none  upon  earth  that  I  desire  besides 
 thee,  Psal.  Ixxiii.  25.  This  is  that  joy  which  no  man  can  con- 
 ceive, but  he  that  enjoys  it;  this  is  that  white  stone,  Rev.  ii.  17. 
 whose  splendour  shines  only  upon  heavenly  hearts ;  this  is  that 
 glimpse  of  heaven's  glory,  which  springing  up  in  a  sanctified 
 heart,  out  of  the  wells  of  salvation,  and  carried  along  with  addi- 
 tion of  fresh  comforts  (from  the  word  and  sacraments)  through 
 a  fruitful  current  and  course  of  man's  life,  at  last  falls  into  the 
 boundless  and  bottomless  ocean  of  the  joys  of  heaven. 
 
 The  sixth  affection  is  Sorrow,  which  in  the  unregenerate  is  a 
 worldly  sorrow,  and  the  effects  of  it  are  death  ;  so  the  apostle. 
 The  sorrow  of  the  world  worheth  death,  2  Cor.  vii.  10.  In  this 
 kind,  how  endless  are  the  sorrows  of  men  for  their  losses  or 
 crosses  that  may  befal  them ;  and  howsoever  some  may  endea- 
 vour to  comfort  them  in  Christ,  nothing  can  relish  with  thera 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration,  17 
 
 that  concerns  heaven  or  salvation.  But  in  the  regenerate,  the 
 beholding  of  sin  breeds  sorrow,  and  this  the  apostle  calls  godly 
 sorrow,  working  repentance  to  salvation  not  to  be  repented  of. 
 
 Examine  then  yourselves,  you  that  desire  heaven  at  your 
 ends.  Would  you  inlierit  the  kingdom?  Would  you  live  with 
 angels?  Would  you  save  your  souls?  Examine  and  try  whe- 
 ther your  bodies  and  souls  be  sanctified;  and  if  you  have  no 
 sense  or  feeling  of  the  nev/  birth,  then  never  look  to  see  in 
 that  state,  the  kingdom  of  God ;  but  if  you  perceive  the  work- 
 ing of  saying  grace  effectually  in  you,  (and  you  cannot  but 
 perceive  it  if  you  have  it,)  if  you  feel  the  power  of  godliness 
 first  seizing  the  heart,  and  after  dispersing  itself  over  all  the 
 parts  and  powers  of  body  and  soul ;  if  your  hearts  be  softened 
 by  the  Spirit,  if  your  eyes  wait  upon  God,  if  your  ears  listen  to 
 his  word,  if  your  tongues  shew  forth  his  praise,  if  your  under- 
 standings attain  to  saving  knowledge,  if  your  wills  conform  to 
 the  will  of  God,  if  your  memories  be  stored  with  heavenly  doc- 
 trine, if  your  consciences  be  tender  and  sensible  of  the  least 
 sin,  if  you  love  that  which  is  good,  if  you  hate  that  which  is  evil, 
 if  you  hope  for  the  blessings  above,  if  you  fear  him  that  can 
 destroy  both  body  and  soul;  in  a  word,  if  you  joy  in  goodness, 
 if  you  sorrow  for  sin,  then  are  you  born  again.  Happy  man  in 
 this  case  that  ever  he  was  born !  and  thus  every  man  must  be, 
 or  he  cannot  be  happy.  Except  a  man  (every  man,  every  part 
 of  man)  he  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God. 
 
 We  come  now  to  speak  of  the  manner  of  it. 
 
 Except  a  man  be  regenerated,  or  begotten,  saith  Valla,  as 
 man  that  is  born  of  a  woman  is  begotten  of  a  man,  so  he  that 
 is  born  again  must  have  a  begetting  too.  If  you  ask  of  whom 
 is  the  new  man  begotten,  St.  James  tells  you,  (Jam.  i.  18.)  Of 
 his  oxen  will  begat  he  us  with  the  word  of  truth :  the  former  words 
 note  the  impulsive  cause,  the  latter  the  instrument;  it  was 
 God  that  begat  us,  and  with  the  seed  of  the  word. 
 
 It  was  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  but  in  respect  of 
 the  last  act,  it  is  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  not  of  the  Father  or 
 the  Son;  and  thus  our  Saviour  concludes,  John  iii.  6,  8.  That 
 which  is  born  of  the  Spirit,  is  spirit;  and  so  is  every  one  that  is 
 born  of  the  Spirit. 
 
 Secondly,  as  God's  spirit  is  the  principal,  so  God's  word  is 
 the  instrumental,  cause  of  our  regeneration.  Ye  are  born  again^ 
 not  of  corruptible  seed,  but  incorruptible,  by  the  word  of  God, 
 which  liveth  and  abideth  for  ever,  1  Pet.  i.  23.  And  this  word, 
 saith  the  author  of  the  Hebrews,  is  quick  and  powerful,  and 
 sharper  than  any  two-edffed  sword,  S^c.  arid  is  a  discerner  of  the 
 thoughts  and  intents  oj  the  heart,  Heb.  iv.  12.  They  that  are 
 born  again,  cannot  but  remember  how  quick,  and  powerful, 
 and  sharp,  God's  word  was  at  their  regeneration:  first,  like 
 an  hammer  it  beat  on  their  hearts  till  it  broke  them  all  to 
 1  c 
 
1 8  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration, 
 
 pieces ;  and  then  like  a  sword,  by  a  terrible  cutting,  piercing 
 power,  it  struck  a  shaking  and  trembling  into  the  very  centre 
 of  their  souls;  last  of  all,  like  oil  it  began  to  supple  their 
 wounds,  and  to  heal  their  bruises,  and  to  refresh  the  weak  and 
 tender  heart  with  all  the  promises  of  God  revealed  in  Christ. 
 And  thus  a  man  being  begotten  of  the  Spirit  with  the  word  of 
 truth,  he  comes  at  last  to  the  birth ;  to  be  born  again,  to  be 
 Dorn  after  the  spirit;  and  this  is  that  second  birth:  a  man  is 
 first  born  of  the  flesh,  and  he  must  be  again  born  of  the  Spirit. 
 
 Hence  appears  the  difference  of  the  first  and  second  birth — 
 the  first  birth  is  of  the  earth,  earthly,  the  second  birth  is  of 
 the  Lord  from  heaven;  the  first  birth  is  of  nature,  full  of  sin; 
 the  second  is  of  grace,  full  of  sanctity ;  the  first  birth  is  ori- 
 ginally of  flesh  and  blood,  the  second  birth  is  originally  of 
 the  Spirit  and  water:  in  a  word,  the  first  birth  kills,  the 
 second  gives  life  ;  generation  lost  us,  it  must  be  regeneration 
 that  recovers  us.  O  blessed  birth,  without  which  no  birth  is 
 happy;  in  comparison  of  which,  though  it  were  to  be  born 
 heir  of  the  whole  world,  all  is  but  misery ! 
 
 As  to  the  new  birth  itself,  I  know  it  is  not  wrought  in  all 
 after  one  manner,  nor  is  the  manner  known  to  us,  but  only  so 
 far  as  it  is  sensible  in  us,  and  therefore  we  must  consider  man 
 before  baptism,  in  baptism,  and  after  baptism. 
 
 In  some  is  the  new  birth  wrought  before  baptism,  as  in  the 
 eunuch  under  Candace,  queen  of  the  Ethiopians,  Acts  viii.  37. 
 and  in  Cornelius,  together  with  his  kinsmen  and  near  friends. 
 Acts  X.  47.  and  so  our  charity  tells  us,  that  every  infant  dying 
 before  baptism,  is  renewed  by  the  Spirit;  but  the  manner  of 
 this  working  we  know  not,  for  it  is  the  secret  of  the  Spirit  of 
 God.  In  others  is  the  new  birth  wrought  in  baptism,  which 
 indeed  is  the  sacrament  of  the  new  birth,  and  seal  of  regene- 
 ration; but  howsoever  we  see  the  outward  seal,  yet  we  see  not 
 the  manner  of  the  inward  working;  for  this  also  is  the  secret 
 of  the  Spirit  of  God.  In  others  is  the  new  birth  wrought  after 
 baptism;  for  whensoever  men  receive  Christ  by  faith,  then  do 
 they  feel  the  power  of  God  regenerate  them,  and  work  all 
 things  in  them  which  he  offered  in  baptism :  now  the  manner  ol 
 this  feeling,  or  of  God's  Spirit  working,  proceeds  usually  thus . 
 
 There  are  certain  steps  by  which  it  passeth  ;  and  howsoevei 
 in  those  whom  God  hath  blessed  with  great  favour  of  holy  edu- 
 cation (the  Spirit  of  God  dropping  grace  into  their  hearts  be- 
 times) these  steps  or  degrees  are  not  so  easily  perceived;  yet 
 in  those  men  who  have  lived  long  in  sin,  no  sooner  come  they 
 to  a  new  birth,  but  they  can  feel  grace  work  in  them  step  after 
 step,  and  these  steps  we  shall  reckon  to  the  number  of  eight. 
 
 The  first  is  a  sight  of  sin,  and  this  our  Saviour  reckons  the 
 first  work  of  the  Spirit:  When  he  is  come,  he  will  reprove  the 
 world  of  sin,  John  xvi.  8.  Of  sin,  how?  Why  thus:  no  «ooner 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regetieratioj?,  '  19 
 
 begins  this  blessed  change  from  nature  to  grace,  but  the  con- 
 science, wrought  upon  by  God's  word,  opens  its  book,  and 
 presents  the  soul  a  roll  of  those  many,  mighty,  heinous  sins, 
 committed  against  God  ai>d  man :  there  he  may  read  in  bloody 
 burning  lines  the  abominations  of  his  youth,  the  sins  of  all  his 
 life;  and  to  bring  them  into  method,  the  commandments  of 
 God  stand  as  a  remembrancer  before  his  eyes :  the  first  tells 
 him  of  his  loving  somewhat  above  God;  the  second,  of  his 
 worshipping  a  false  god,  or  a  true  God  after  a  false  manner; 
 the  third,  of  his  dishonouring  the  great  and  mighty  name  of 
 God;  the  fourth,  of  his  breaking  the  Lord's  day,  either  in 
 doing  the  works  of  the  flesh,  or  leaving  undone  the  works  of 
 the  Spirit :  nor  is  this  all ;  as  against  God,  so  against  his  neigh- 
 bour hath  he  sinned ;  the  fifth  tells  him  of  his  stubbornness 
 and  disobedience;  the  sixth,  of  his  passions,  and  desires  of 
 revenge;  the  seventh,  of  his  lewdness;  the  eighth,  of  his 
 covetous  thefts;  the  ninth,  of  his  lies  and  slanders,  backbit- 
 ings,  and  rash  judgments ;  the  tenth,  of  his  covetous  thoughts, 
 and  motions  of  the  heart  to  all  manner  of  evil.  Good  Lord! 
 what  a  number  of  evils,  yea,  what  innumerable  swarms  of  law- 
 less thoughts,  and  words,  and  actions,  doth  he  read  in  his 
 conscience?  But  above  all,  his  beloved  sin  is  writ  in  greatest 
 characters ;  this  he  finds  to  have  bewitched  him  most,  and  to 
 have  domineered  above  all  the  rest  in  his  wasted  conscience ; 
 where,  that  he  may  read  it,  together  with  his  other  sins,  the 
 Spirit  of  God  now  opens  the  eyes  of  his  mind,  and  lets  him 
 see  the  very  mud  and  filth  of  his  soul,  that  lay  at  the  bottom 
 before  unseen  and  undiscerned.  This  is  the  first  working  of 
 the  new  life,  to  wit,  a  feeling  of  the  old  death  of  his  soul  in 
 sins  and  trespasses :  and  here  the  axiom  is  true,  no  genera- 
 tion without  corruption ;  a  man  must  first  feel  this  death, 
 before  he  is  born  again. 
 
 The  second  step  is  a  sense  of  divine  wrath,  begetting  in  him 
 fear.  No  sooner  hath  the  man  a  sight  and  feeling  of  his  sin, 
 but  then  God's  spirit,  now  called  the  spirit  of  bondage,  pre- 
 sents to  him  the  armoury  of  God^s  flaming  wrath  and  fiery 
 indignation ;  this  makes  him  to  feel  as  if  he  were  pricked  with 
 the  stroke  of  an  arrow,  or  point  of  a  sword,  that  he  is  a  most 
 accursed  and  damnable  creature,  justly  deserving  ail  the  mise- 
 ries of  this  life,  and  all  the  torments  of  hell  in  that  life  to  come ; 
 yea,  this  makes  him  tremble,  and  stand,  and  look,  as  if  he  were 
 thoroughly  frighted  with  the  angry  countenance  of  God  Al- 
 mighty. "Would  you  view  him  in  this  case  ?  his  conscience 
 hath  now  awaked  him  out  of  his  dead  sleep,  by  the  trumpet 
 of  the  law ;  his  heart  is  now  scorched  with  the  secret  sense  of 
 God's  angry  face ;  his  soul  is  now  full  sorely  crushed  under  the 
 most  grievous  burden  of  innumerable  sins :  his  thoughts  are 
 now  full  of  fear  and  astonishment,  as  if  no  less  than  very  hell 
 
20  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration. 
 
 and  horror  were  ready  to  seize  upon  his  body  and  soul.  I  say 
 not  what  measure  of  this  wrath  is  poured  on  all  men,  for  I 
 suppose  some  feel  more  and  some  less ;  but  I  verily  believe, 
 some  there  are  that,  in  these  pangs  of  the  new  birth,  have  been 
 scorched,  as  it  were,  with  the  very  flames  of  hell.  And  no 
 wonder,  for  this  is  the  time  of  fear;  now  it  is  that  Satan  strives 
 busily  to  stifle  the  new  man  in  the  womb ;  and  therefore  he 
 that  before  diminished  his  sins,  and  made  them  appear  little  in 
 his  eyes,  when  he  once  sees  the  man  smitten  down  in  the  place 
 of  dragons,  and  covered  with  the  shadow  of  death,  then  he  puts 
 into  his  mind  his  innumerable  sins,  and,  that  which  immediate- 
 ly follows,  the  curse  of  the  law,  and  the  wrath  of  God,  which 
 he  yet  makes  more  grisly  and  fierce,  with  a  purpose  to  plunge 
 him  into  the  abyss  of  horror  and  despair.  By  this  means  he 
 persuaded  Cain  to  cry  out.  My  iniquity  is  greater  than  can  be 
 forgiven.  Thus  far  the  unregenerate  goes  with  the  man  born 
 again, — both  have  a  sight  of  sin,  and  sense  of  wrath, — but  here 
 they  part;  for  the  man  unregenerate  either  sinks  under  it,  or 
 labours  to  allay  it  with  worldly  comforts.  But  the  man  born 
 again,  seeks  the  right  way  to  cure  it,  and  at  last,  by  the  help 
 of  God's  spirit,  he  passeth  quite  through  it;  I  mean,  through 
 this  hell  upon  earth,  into  the  spiritual  pleasures  of  the  king- 
 dom of  grace,  which  is  to  be  born  again. 
 
 The  third  step  is,  sorrow  for  sin,  and  this  is  more  peculiar  to 
 God's  child;  his  heart  grieves,  his  eye  weeps;  the  way  to 
 God's  kingdom  is  to  cry  like  children  coming  into  the  world ; 
 the  way  to  be  new-born  is  to  feel  throes,  as  a  woman  in  travail ; 
 and  so  is  Christ  formed  in  us.  Can  a  man  be  born  again  with- 
 out bitterness  of  soul?  No,  if  ever  he  come  to  a  sight  of  sin, 
 and  that  God's  sanctifying  Spirit  work  in  him  sorrow  for  sin, 
 his  soul  will  mourn.  True  it  is,  some  infants  are  born  with  more 
 pain,  and  some  with  less :  but  more  or  less,  it  cannot  be  so 
 little,  but  the  man  that  labours  in  these  pangs  shall  mourn. 
 
 The  fourth  step  is,  seeking  rightly  for  comfort.  He  runs  not 
 to  the  world,  or  flesh,  or  devil,  miserable  comforters  all ;  but 
 to  scripture,  to  prayer,  or  to  the  ministry  of  God's  word ;  if  he 
 finds  comfort  in  scriptures,  he  meets  with  it  in  the  gospel:  and 
 if  it  please  God  that  the  man,  now  labouring  in  his  pangs  of 
 the  new  birth,  do  but  rightly  settle  his  thoughts  on  the  gospel 
 of  Christ,  no  doubt  but  thence  he  may  suck  the  sweetest  com- 
 forts that  ever  were  revealed  to  man.  Or  if  he  find  comfort  in 
 prayer,  to  which  he  ever  and  anon  repairs  in  every  step,  then 
 is  it  by  Christ,  in  whose  name  he  only  approacheth  to  that 
 throne  of  grace :  no  sooner  had  the  king  of  Nineveh  humbled 
 himself,  but  his  proclamation  runs.  Let  man  and  beast  be  covered 
 with  sackcloth,  and  cry  mightily  unto  God.  Who  can  tell  if  God 
 will  turn  and  repent,  and  turn  away  from  his  fierce  anger?  And 
 thus  the  man,  now  wrestling  witn  grievous  terrors  of  con- 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration.  21 
 
 science ; — who  can  tell,  saith  he,  if  God  will  turn  away  his 
 fierce  anger?  Let  me  then  cry  mightily  unto  the  Lord  of 
 heaven;  let  me  cry,  and  continue  crying,  until  the  Lord  of 
 mercy  look  upon  me :  and  if  for  all  this  God  give  him  a  repulse, 
 for  reasons  best  known  to  himself;  if  at  the  first,  second,  third, 
 fourth,  or  at  many  more  times,  he  seem  to  have  cried  in  vain, 
 at  last  he  flies  to  the  ministry  of  the  word,  and  if  he  may  have 
 his  will,  he  would  hit  upon  the  most  soul-searching  man 
 amongst  God's  messengers.  At  last  he  comes  to  God's  minis- 
 ter, with  a  what  shall  I  do?  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved?  Alas! 
 now  I  feel  the  wounded  conscience,  the  broken  heart,  the 
 spiritual  blindness,  the  captivity  and  poverty,  of  which  often 
 you  have  told  me :  if  then  there  be  any  instruction,  direction, 
 or  duty,  which  may  tend  to  my  good,  now  direct  me  in  God's 
 fear,  and  I  will  willingly  follow  it  with  my  utmost  endeavours. 
 
 And  now,  and  not  till  now,  hath  God's  minister  a  strong 
 and  seasonal)le  call  to  magnify  the  sufficiency  of  Christ's 
 death  and  passion:  were  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  promise  of 
 salvation,  proffered  to  an  unwounded  conscience,  what  were 
 it,  but  like  the  pouring  of  a  most  sovereign  balsam  upon  a 
 sound  member  of  man?  It  is  the  only,  right,  everlasting 
 method,  first  to  wound  by  the  law,  and  then  to  heal  by  the 
 gospel;  and  therefore  when  the  heart  is  broken,  then  hath  the 
 man  of  God  his  warrant  to  bind  it  up  again,  then  may  he 
 magnify  God's  mercy,  then  may  he  set  out  to  the  height  the 
 beauty  of  Christ's  passion  and  person,  and  thus  by  his  high 
 and  holy  art  of  comforting  the  afflicted,  at  last  the  child  of 
 God,  prepared  for  his  birth,  is  born  again. 
 
 The  fifth  step,  is  a  clear,  I  say  not  a  general  sight,  which  he 
 had  before,  but  the  clear  sight  of  Christ  laid  open  to  the  eye 
 of  faith :  no  sooner  is  the  poor  wounded  soul  informed  tho- 
 roughly in  the  mystery  and  mercy  of  the  gospel,  but  he  then 
 looks  on  his  Saviour  as  the  Jews  on  the  brazen  serpent,  and 
 seeing  him  lifted  up  on  the  cross,  he  cannot  but  see  in  him 
 an  infinite  treasury  of  mercy  and  love,  a  boundless  and  bot- 
 tomless sea  of  tender-heartedness  and  pity,  a  whole  heaven 
 of  sweetness,  happiness,  peace,  and  pleasures.  After  the 
 spirit  of  bondage,  enters  the  spirit  of  adoption ;  the  terrors  of 
 the  law  lead  him  to  the  comforts  of  the  gospel;  his  sorrow 
 for  sin  brings  him  to  the  clear  light  of  his  Saviour;  and  then 
 as  a  man  in  death-pangs,  that  lifts  up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  so 
 he  in  birth-pangs  lifts  up  his  eyes  to  Christ,  who  must  either 
 help  him,  or  he  sinks  under  his  sin  to  the  bottom  of  hell. 
 And  this  sight  of  Christ  Jesus  to  an  humbled  sinner,  together 
 with  those  glorious  privileges  which  he  brings  with  him,  is  a 
 most  pleasant,  ravishing,  heavenly  sight.  Not  all  the  curious 
 sights  on  earth,  nor  all  those  glittering  spangles  in  heaven, 
 can  possibly  afford  such  pleasure  to  the  eye  of  man,  as  doth 
 
22  The  Doctiine  of  Regeneration^ 
 
 this  one  object,  Christ  bleeding  on  the  cross,  to  the  soul  of 
 a  sinner.  Imagine  you  saw  some  malefactor  led  to  the  place 
 of  execution;  if  this  man  should  suddenly  see  his  king  run- 
 ning towards  him  with  his  pardon  in  his  hand,  what  a  sight 
 would  this  be!  Thus  it  is  with  the  man  sorrowing  for  sin; 
 whilst  he  is  weeping  his  case,  and  confessing  what  a  little 
 step  there  is  between  him  and  damnation,  in  amaze  he  looks 
 upon  Christ,  whom  he  sees  with  a  spear  in  his  side,  with 
 thorns  on  his  head,  with  nails  in  his  feet,  with  a  pardon  in 
 his  hands,  offering  it  to  all  men,  that  will  but  receive  it  by 
 faith.  Oh !  here  is  a  sight  indeed,  able  to  revive  the  wickedest 
 man  upon  earth,  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins.  And  now  there 
 is  hopes  of  the  birtii.  We  may  call  this  the  stirrings  of  God's 
 child,  or  the  first  feelings  of  life,  before  he  is  born  again. 
 
 The  sixth  step  is,  an  hungering  desire  after  Christ  and  his 
 merits.  O  here  is  a  thirst  above  all  thirsts!  It  breeds  ardent 
 desires,  vehement  longings,  unutterable  groans,*  mighty  gasp- 
 ings,  just  like  the  dry  and  thirsty  ground,  that  gasps  and 
 cleaves  and  opens  for  drops  of  rain.  This  is  that  violent 
 affection  that  God  puts  into  the  hearts  of  those  who  seek  him 
 in  sincerity  and  truth:  never  was  Ahab  more  sick  for  a  vine- 
 yard, nor  Sisera  for  milk,  nor  Samson  for  water,  than  is  a  truly 
 humbled  soul  after  Christ;  ever  thirsting  and  longing  that  he 
 may  hide  himself  in  that  blood  which  his  Saviour  shed  for 
 him.  I  have  read  of  a  gracious  woman,  who  labouring  in 
 these  pangs,  and  longing  after  Christ  Jesus,  cried  out,  "  I 
 have  borne  nine  children  with  as  great  pains  as  other  women, 
 and  yet  I  would  with  all  my  heart  bear  them  all  over  again, 
 yea,  bear  them  all  the  days  of  my  life,  to  be  assured  of  my 
 part  in  Christ  Jesus."  One  replying,  **  Doth  not  your  heart 
 desire  and  long  after  him?" — **  Oh,  (said  she,)  I  have  an  hus- 
 band and  children,  and  many  other  comforts;  I  would  give 
 them  all,  and  all  the  good  I  shall  ever  see  in  this  world,  or  in 
 the  world  to  come,  to  have  my  poor  thirsty  soul  refreshed  with 
 that  precious  blood  of  my  Saviour."  So  eager  and  earnest  is 
 the  heart  of  each  man,  parched  with  the  angry  countenance 
 of  God,  after  this  blood  of  his:  I  thirst,  I  faint,  I  languish,  I 
 long,  saith  he,  for  one  drop  of  mercy;  my  spirit  is  melted  in 
 me  into  tears  of  blood ;  my  heart,  because  of  sin,  is  so  s?liaken 
 and  shivered, — my  soul,  because  of  sorrow,  is  so  wasted  and 
 parched, — that  my  thirst  is  insatiable,  my  bowels  are  hot 
 within  me,  after  Christ.  Stay;  all  these  expressions  are  far 
 short  of  those  longings  :  no  man  knoweth  them,  save  he  that 
 receives  them,  save  he  that  is  born  again. 
 
 The  seventh  step  is,  a  relying  on  Christ :  a  man  no  sooner 
 considers  those  invitations  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour ;  If  any 
 man  thirsty  let  him  come  unto  me:  Ho!  every  one  that  thirsteth, 
 come  ye  to  the  waters :  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  are  rveary  and 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration,  23 
 
 V 
 
 heavy  laden;  but,  resting  himself  on  these  blessed  promises, 
 he  throws  himself  into  the  merciful  arms  of  his  crucified 
 Lord.  Come  life,  come  death,  come  heaven,  come  hell,  come 
 what  M^ll,  here  will  he  stick  for  ever :  Who,  saith  Paul,  shall 
 sepctrctte  vsfrom  the  love  of  Christ  1  shall  tribulation ,  or  distress, 
 of  persecution,  or  famine,  or  nakedness,  or  peril,  or  sword?  No, 
 I  am  persuaded,  (not  these,  nor  more  than  these,)  neither 
 death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  ?ior  powers,  nor 
 things  present,  nor  things  to  come,  ^c.  shall  be  able  to  separate 
 US  from  the  love  of  God,  ivhich  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  T,ord,  Rom. 
 viii.  35,  38,  39.  Thus  it  is  with  the  man  labouring  in  this 
 birth:  What!  saith  he,  doth  Christ  call  the  heavy-laden? 
 Why,  Lord,  I  am  heavy  laden  with  a  weight,  a  mass  of  sin; 
 and  if  he  may  come  that  is  called.  Lord,  1  come,  I  come,  and 
 now  I  come  ;  with  thee  will  I  build  my  tabernacle,  with  thee 
 will  1  rest  for  ever.  This  affiance,  dependence,  reliance,  or 
 whatsoever  else  we  call  it,  upon  the  merits  of  Christ,  is  the 
 right  justifying  faith,  whither  if  a  man  once  come,  there  is 
 but  one  degree  more,  and  he  is  then  born  again. 
 
 The  last  and  highest  step  is,  universal  obedience  to  Christ. 
 No  sooner  hath  he  cast  himself  upon  him,  but  he  takes  him, 
 not  only  as  a  Saviour  to  redeem  him  from  the  miseries  of  sin, 
 but  as  an  husband,  a  lord,  a  king,  to  serve  him,  love  him, 
 honour  him,  and  obey  him:  now  will  he  take  his  yoke  upon 
 him;  now  will  he  bear  his  cross,  and  follow  him;  now  will  he 
 walk  in  the  holy  path;  now  will  he  associate  himself  to 
 that  sect  that  is  every  where  spoken  against ;  now  will  he 
 oppose  himself  against  all  sin  whatsoever;  now  will  he  shake 
 off  his  old  companions,  brethren  in  iniquity;  now  will  he 
 keep  peace  and  a  good  conscience  towards  God  and  man; 
 now  will  he  watch  over  his  secret  sins,  occasions  of  evil;  now 
 will  he  direct  his  words  to  the  glorifying  of  God,  and  to  give 
 grace  to  the  hearers ;  now  will  he  conform  all  his  actions  to 
 the  sovereignty  of  grace;  now  will  he  delight  in  the  word, 
 the  ways,  the  saints,  the  services,  of  God;  will  sell  all,  all 
 that  he  hath,  even  all  his  sins,  to  the  last  filthy  rag  of  his 
 beloved  bosom  sin.  And  now  old  things  are  passed  awaj/, 
 behold  all  things  are  become  new,  2  Cor.  v.  17.  His  heart,  his 
 eye,  his  ear,  his  tongue,  his  understanding,  his  will,  his  me- 
 mory, his  conscience,  his  love,  his  hatred,  his  hope,  his  fei\r, 
 his  joy,  his  sorrow,  (will  you  any  more?)  his  thoughts,  his 
 words,  his  actions,  his  affections — are  all  new;  this  conver- 
 sion is  universal,  this  change  is  a  thorough  change;  now  is 
 Christ  formed  in  him,  now  is  he  transformed  into  a  new  crea- 
 ture, he  is  made  new;  God  the  Father  accepts  him  for  his  son, 
 God  the  son  stamps  upon  him  the  image  of  his  Father,  but 
 more  immediately  God  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  thus  moulded 
 and  fashioned  him,  as  I  have  let  you  see  him,  and  now  he  is 
 
24  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration, 
 
 born  again,  which  except  a  man  be, — he  (shall  not)  cannot 
 see  the  kingdom  of  God. 
 
 Lo  here  those  steps  that  raise  up  a  man  to  the  state  of 
 regeneration; — a  sight  of  sin,  sense  of  misery,  sorrow  for 
 sin,  seeking  for  comfort,  a  sight  for  Christ,  desire  after 
 Christ,  relying  on  Christ,  obedience  to  Christ.  One 
 word  more  before  we  have  done. 
 
 You  see  how  God  brings  along  the  man  whom  he  purposeth 
 to  make  his ;  and  yet  let  no  truly  humbled  sinner  be  dis- 
 couraged if  he  observe  not  so  distinctly  the  order  of  these 
 steps,  and  especially  in  that  degree  as  we  have  related ;  for 
 if  in  substance  and  effect  they  have  been  wrought,  if  he  have 
 them  in  truth,  though  perhaps  not  in  this  degree,  I  dare  pro- 
 nounce, that  he  is  surely  born  again.  It  is  one  of  our 
 worthies  has  said,  "  In  our  humiliations,  and  other  prepara- 
 tive dispositions,  we  do  not  prescribe  precisely  just  such  a 
 measure  and  quantity,  we  do  not  determine  peremptorily  upon 
 such  or  such  a  degree  and  height,  we  leave  that  to  the  wis- 
 dom of  our  great  Master  in  heaven.  But  sure  we  are,  a  man 
 must  have  so  much,  and  in  that  measure,  as  thoroughly  to 
 humble  him,  and  then  to  bring  him  to  his  Saviour;  he  must 
 be  weary  of  all  his  sins,  and  of  Satan's  bondage  wholly,  will- 
 ing to  pluck  out  his  right  eye,  and  cut  off  his  right  hand  ;  I 
 mean,  to  part  with  his  beloved  bosom-lusts,  to  sell  all,  and 
 not  to  leave  so  much  as  an  hoof  behind:  he  must  see  his 
 danger,  and  so  haste  to  the  city  of  refuge  ;  he  must  be  sen- 
 sible of  his  spiritual  misery,  that  he  may  heartily  thirst  for 
 mercy;  he  must  find  himself  lost,  that  Christ  may  be  all  in 
 all  unto  him ;  and  after  must  follow  an  hatred  of  all  false  and 
 evil  ways  for  the  time  to  come,  a  thorough  change  of  former 
 courses,  company,  conversation,  and  setting  himself  in  the 
 practice  of  sobriety,  honesty,  and  holiness."  And  another 
 speaks,  "  That  the  discovery  of  the  remedy  as  soon  as  the 
 misery,  must  needs  prevent  a  great  part  of  the  trouble,  and 
 make  the  distinct  effects  on  the  soul  to  be  with  much  more 
 difficulty  discerned :  nay,  the  actings  of  the  soul  are  so  quick, 
 and  oft  so  confused,  that  the  distinct  orders  of  these  work- 
 ings may  not  be  apprehended,  or  remembered.  And  per- 
 haps the  joyful  apprehension  of  mercy  may  make  the  sense 
 of  misery  sooner  forgotten.'^  The  sum  is — of  every  soul 
 is  required  thus  mucli:  first,  a  truly  penitent  sight,  sense, 
 and  hatred,  of  all  sin.  Secondly,  a  sincere  and  insatiable 
 thirst  after  Christ,  and  his  righteousness,  both  imputed  and 
 inherent.  Thirdly,  an  unfeigned  and  unreserved  resolution 
 of  an  universal  new  obedience  for  the  time  to  come.  If  any 
 man  hath  had  the  experience  of  these  affections  and  effects  in 
 
The  Doctr'me  of  Regeneration,  25 
 
 his  own  soul,  whatsoever  the  order,  or  whatsoever  the  mea- 
 sure be,  he  may  go  on  comfortably  in  the  holy  faith* 
 
 Now  then  let  me  advise  thee,  whosoever  thou  art  that  read- 
 est,  to  enter  into  thine  own  soul,  and  examine  thine  own  state, 
 whether  or  no  thou  art  yet  born  again?  Search  and  see,  whe- 
 ther as  yet  the  spirit  of  bondage  hath  wrought  its  effects  in 
 thee;  whether  thou  hast  been  enlightened,  convinced,  and 
 terrified  with  a  sensible  apprehension,  and  particular  acknow- 
 ledgment, of  thf  wretched  estate?  Search  and  see,  whether  as 
 yet  the  Spirit  of  adoption  hath  sealed  thee  for  his  own;  whe- 
 ther, after  thy  heart  being  broken,  thy  spirit  bruised,  thy 
 soul  humbled,  thy  conscience  wounded  and  awakened,  thou 
 hast  had  a  sight  of  Christ,  and  hast  thirsted  after  him,  and 
 hast  followed  his  ways  and  commandments  by  an  universal 
 obedience  :  If  upon  search  thou  canst  say,without  self-deceit, 
 that  so  it  is  with  thee,  then  mayest  thou  bless  God  that  ever 
 thou  wast  born;  certainly,  I  dare  say  it,  thou  art  born  again. 
 But  if  not,  if  all  I  have  spoken  are  very  mysteries  to  thee, 
 what  shaU  I  say?  If  ever  thou  meanest  to  see  the  kingdom 
 of  God,  strive,  endeavour  with  all  thy  might,  to  become  truly 
 regenerate.  Thou  mayest  say,  perhaps,  it  is  not  in  thy  power; 
 who  can  command  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  that  bloweth  where 
 he  listeth?  I  answer,  it  is  indeed  the  Spirit,  and  not  man, 
 that  regenerates  or  sanctifies ;  but  I  answer  withal,  the  doc- 
 trine of  the  gospel  is  the  ministration  of  the  Spirit,  and 
 wheresoever  that  is  preached,  as  I  preach  it  now  to  thee, 
 there  is  the  Holy  Ghost  present,  and  thither  he  comes  to  re- 
 generate. If  then  as  yet  thou  feelest  not  this  mighty  work 
 of  God  in  thee,  and  yet  fain  wouldst  feel  it;  I  shall  lend  thee 
 two  wings  to  bear  thee,  two  hands  to  lead  thee,  to  the  foot  of 
 the  ladder,  where  if  thou  ascend  these  steps  aforesaid,  I  dare 
 certainly  pronounce  of  thee,  thou  art  born  again. 
 
 The  first  wing  is  prayer,  which  first  brings  thee  to  God's 
 throne,  and  then  to  the  new  birth;  Hos.  xiv.  2.  Take  with  you 
 words,  and  turn  to  the  Lord;  sat/  unto  him,  Take  away  all  ini- 
 
 fuity,  and  receive  us  graciously ; — and  then  it  follows,  /  will 
 eal  their  backsliding,  I  will  love  them  freely. — The  soul  may 
 object,  I  may  say  thus,  and  be  no  better.  But  I  answer.  Say 
 it,  though  you  be  no  better,  because  God  bids  you  say  it:  Say 
 it,  and  say  it  again ;  it  may  be  he  will  come  in  when  you  say 
 it. — The  soul  may  object  again.  How  can  I  pray,  and  have 
 not  faith?  I  answer^  Put  thyself  upon  prayer,  and  who^knows 
 but  blessing  and  faith  may  come  ?  it  is  the  Lord  that  con- 
 verts, and  heals,  and  saves ;  and  prayer  is  the  means  to  pro- 
 duce this  effect:  when  we  are  required  to  pray,  to  repent, 
 and  believe,  we  are  not  to  seek  strength  in  ourselves,  but  to 
 search  into  the  covenant,  and  turn  the  promise  into  prayer. 
 Therefore  bow  thy  kn^es,  and  humbly,  heartily,  frequently, 
 I.  D 
 
26  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration. 
 
 fervently,  implore  the  influence  of  God's  blessed  Spirit. 
 Wouldst  thou  ask,  and  continue  asking,  wouldst  thou  cry,  and 
 continue  crying,  then  could  I  assure  thee  of  the  promise  which 
 God  hath  made,  and  cannot  deny;  He  that  asketh  receivethf 
 and  he  that  seeketh  Jindeth,  and  to  him  that  knocketh  (by  conti- 
 nuance and  perseverance)  it  shall  be  opened,  Matt.  vii.  8. 
 
 The  second  wing  that  bears  thee  to  these  steps  of  the  new 
 birth,  is,  constant  hearing  of  the  word :  thou  must  attend  the 
 gates  of  wisdom,  and  wait  on  her  posts :  thou  must  come  to 
 God's  house,  and  hearken  to  the  ministry  of  the  word;  and 
 thou  shalt  see  at  one  time  or  other  God  will  remember  thee 
 in  mercy :  it  is  true  I  know  not  when,  and  therefore  I  wish 
 thee  miss  no  day  to  repair  to  God's  house,  lest  the  day  of  thy 
 neglect  might  have  been  the  day  of  thy  conversion.  Certain 
 it  is,  no  man  should  expect  God's  blessing  without  his  ordi- 
 nances, no  eating  of  bread  without  ploughing  and  sowing,  no 
 recovering  of  health  without  eating  and  drinking;  so  no 
 blessing,  no  grace,  no  regeneration,  without  waiting  upon 
 God  in  his  ways,  and  in  his  ordinances.  Now  then,  as  thou 
 desirest  heaven,  or  the  way  to  heaven,  to  be  born  again,  I 
 beseech  thee  make  high  account  of  this  ordinance  of  God.  In 
 preaching  of  the  gospel,  light,  motion,  and  power,  go  out  to 
 all,  which  men  resist;  and  some  are  destroyed,  not  because 
 they  could  not  believe,  but  because  they  resist,  and  will  not 
 obey,  and  so  die.  Acts  vii.  51.  Luke  xiii.  34.  Ezek.  xxxiii.  11 
 Hos.  xiii.  9.  and  yet  I  wish  thee  not  only  to  hear  it,  but  after 
 thou  hast  heard,  consider  of  it,  ponder  on  it ;  and  lay  the 
 threats  and  reproofs,  the  precepts  and  promises,  unto  thine 
 own  soul:  thus  if  thou  hearest  and  meditatest,  I  doubt  not 
 but  God's  word  will  be  a  word  of  power  to  thee,  and,  toge- 
 ther with  prayer,  bring  thee  towards  the  new  birth. 
 
 To  see,  is  all  one  as  to  enjoy;  yet  a  man  may  see  that  which 
 he  doth  not  enjoy :  but  without  regeneration  there  is  no  sight, 
 much  less  possession,  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 
 
 If  by  the  kingdom  of  God,  is  meant  the  kingdom  of  grace, 
 whereof  our  Saviour  speaketh.  The  kingdom  of'  God  is  within 
 you,  Luke  xvii.  21.  see  to  what  a  privilege  the  new  man  hath 
 attained;  all  the  graces  of  God,  all  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit, 
 are  now  poured  into  him.  If  you  ask,  what  graces?  what 
 fruits?  Paul  tells  you.  Gal.  v.  22.  Love,  joy,  peace,  long-snf- 
 Jering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temperance;  or, 
 would  you  have  us  to  contract  them?  Paul  doth  it  elsewhere. 
 The  kingdom  of  God  is, — righteousness,  peace,  and  joy  in  the 
 Holy  Ghost,  Rom.  xiv.  17. 
 
 First,  Righteousness.  No  sooner  is  a  man  born  again,  but 
 he  enters  into  the  holy  path,  he  declines  all  evil,  and  stands 
 at  the  sword's  point  with  his  beloved  sin;  or  if  ever  any  sin, 
 through  the  violence  of  temptation,  seize  on  him  again,  he 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration.  27 
 
 is  presently  put  again  into  the  pangs  of  the  new  birth,  and  so 
 renewing  his  sorrow,  and  repairing  repentance,  he  becomes 
 more  resolute  and  watchful  over  all  his  ways.  And  as  he 
 abhors  evil,  so  he  cleaves  to  that  which  is  good:  his  faith, 
 like  the  sun,  sets  all  those  heavenly  stars  on  shining, — hope, 
 and  love,  and  zeal,  and  humility,  and  patience;  in  a  word, 
 universal  obedience,  and  fraitfulness  in  all  good  works:  not 
 one,  but  all  good  duties,  of  the  first  and  second  table,  begin 
 to  be  natural  and  familiar  to  him. 
 
 Secondly,  no  sooner  is  a  man  righteous,  but  he  is  at  peace 
 with  man,  at  peace  with  God,  at  peace  with  himself.  He  is 
 at  peace  with  man ;  The  wolf  shall  dicell  with  the  lamb,  and 
 the  leopard  with  the  kid,  saith  the  prophet  Isaiah,  chap.  xi.  6. 
 The  meaning  is,  that  in  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  when  a  man  is 
 called  into  the  state  of  grace,  howsoever  by  nature  he  is  a 
 wolf,  or  a  leopard,  or  a  lion,  or  a  bear,  yet  he  shall  then  lay 
 aside  his  cruelty,  and  live  peaceably  with  all  men.  He  is  at 
 peace  with  God,  he  hath  humbled  himself,  and  confessed  his 
 fault,  and  cried  for  mercy,  and  cast  himself  upon  Christ;  so 
 that  now  God,  by  his  word,  hath  spoke  peace  to  his  soul ;  by 
 the  mediation  of  Christ  it  is  obtained,  and  by  the  testimony 
 of  the  Spirit  he  feels  it  within  him.  This  is  that  peace  which 
 passeth  all  understanding.  He  is  at  peace  with  himself,  I 
 mean  his  own  conscience ;  that  which  before  stirred  up  the 
 fire,  that  brought  him  to  a  sight  of  sin  and  sense  of  divine 
 wrath,  that  filled  him  with  fearful  terrors,  remorse  and  sor- 
 row, is  now  quiet.  Solomon  calls  it  a  continual  feast,  Prov. 
 XV.  15.  Who  are  the  attendants,  but  the  holy  angels?  What 
 is  the  cheer,  but  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost?  Who  is  the  feast- 
 maker,  but  God  himself,  and  his  good  Spirit  dwelling  in  him? 
 Nor  is  this  feast  without  music;  God's  word  and  his  actions 
 make  a  blessed  harmony,  and  he  endeavours  to  continue  it  by 
 keeping  peace  and  a  good  conscience  towards  God  and  man. 
 
 Thirdly,  from  this  peace  issueth  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost:  no 
 sooner  is  a  man  at  peace  with  man,  with  God,  with  himself, 
 but  he  is  filled  with  joy  that  no  man  can  take  from  him:  this 
 joy  I  take  to  be  those  blessed  stirrings  of  the  heart,  when  the 
 seal  of  remission  of  sins  is  first  set  unto  the  soul  by  the  Spirit 
 of  adoption.  For  thus  it  is,  the  soul  having  newly  passed 
 the  pangs  of  the  new  birth,  it  is  presently  bathed  in  the  blood 
 of  Christ,  lulled  in  the  bosom  of  God's  mercies,  secured  by 
 the  spirit  of  its  inheritance,  and  so  ordinarily  follows  a  sea  of 
 comfort,  a  sensible  taste  of  everlasting  pleasures. 
 
 If  by  the  kingdom  of  God,  is  meant  the  kingdom  of  glory, 
 see  then  what  a  privilege  waits  on  the  new  man ;  no  sooner 
 shall  his  breath  and  body  be  divorced,  but  his  soul,  mounted 
 on  the  wings  of  angels,  shall  straight  be  carried  above  the 
 starry  firmament,  there  to  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God,  truly 
 
28  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration. 
 
 called  so,  for  'tis  a  kingdom  of  God's  own  making,  beautifying, 
 and  blessing;  a  kingdom  beseeming  the  glorious  residence  of 
 the  King  of  kings.  But  here  my  discourse  must  give  way  to 
 your  meditations.  In  this  fountain  of  pleasure,  let  the  new- 
 born Christian  bathe  his  soul ;  for  his  it  is,  and  he  it  is  only 
 that  shall  see  it,  enjoy  it:  Except  a  man  be  horn  again,  no  man 
 shall  ever  see  the  kingdom  of  God. 
 
 Thus  far  of  the  privileges  of  the  new  birth :  there  waits  on  it 
 faith,  and  righteousness,  and  peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost; 
 in  a  word,  the  kingdom  of  grace  and  the  kingdom  of  glory. 
 
 THE 
 
 DOCTRINE  OF  REGENERATION, 
 
 FURTHER  EXPLAINED. 
 CHAP.  I. 
 
 THE    OCCASION    AND    METHOD    OF   THIS   TREATISE. 
 
 Some  there  are,  who,  hearing  the  new  birth  to  be  so  neces- 
 sary to  salvation,  but  never  feeling  in  themselves  any  such 
 change,  have  desired  further  helps.  I  advised  them  in  the 
 former  treatise  to  be  frequent  in  prayer,  and  hearing  of  the 
 word :  But  so  we  have  done,  say  they,  and  yet  we  feel  no  con- 
 version. It  may  be  so,  for  not  always  the  doing  of  them,  but 
 perseverance  in  them,  through  Christ,  obtains  the  blessing.  I 
 shall  for  their  further  satisfaction,  give  them  a  more  particu- 
 lar method. 
 
 Two  things  necessary  for  them  that  would  have  part  in  the 
 new  birth,  are,  1.  To  get  into  it.     2.  To  be  delivered  of  it. 
 
 1.  The  means  to  get  into  it,  are,  1.  Examination  of  them- 
 selves. 2.  Confession  of  their  sins.  3.  Hearty  prayer  for  the 
 softening  of  their  hearts.  By  which  are  obtained  the  three 
 first  steps;  sight  of  sin,  sense  of  divine  wrath,  sorrow  ibr  sin. 
 
 2.  The  means  to  be  delivered  of  it,  is,  by  application  of  the 
 promises';  and  these  produce  their  several  effects;  as,  a  sight 
 of  Christ,  a  desire  after  Christ,  a  relying  on  Christ;  and  obe- 
 dience to  Christ. 
 
 CHAP.  II. 
 
 The  first  Means  to  get  into  the  Neio  Birth* 
 
 1.  The  means  to  get  into  the  new  birth,  is,  first,  examina- 
 tion ;  and  the  way  to  examine,  is  to  set  before  men  that  crys- 
 tal-glass of  the  law  for  their  light  and  rule :  to  this  purpose  I 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration,  29 
 
 have  here  annexed  a  catalogue  \  not  that  I  can  possibly  enu- 
 merate all  sins,  but  only  the  kinds ;  and  if  herein  I  come  short, 
 yet  conscience  may  hereby  bring  into  their  thoughts  those 
 others  not  mentioned. 
 
 Now  then,  whosoever  thou  art  that  beginnest  this  blessed 
 work,  examine  thyself  by  this  catalogue,  but  do  it  warily,  and 
 truly;  and  where  thou  findest  thyself  guilty,  either  note  it  in 
 this  book,  or  transcribe  it  into  some  paper,  that  so  they  may 
 be  ready  for  thine  eye  when  thou  comest  to  confession. 
 
 £1.       SINS    AGAINST    THE    FIRST    COMMANDMENT. 
 
 In  every  commandment  we  must  observe  both  the  duties 
 required,  and  sins  forbidden,  for  both  these  are  implied  in 
 every  one  of  the  commandments ;  if  in  the  first  thou  art  guilty, 
 thou  must  answer  negatively ;  if  in  the  second,  thou  must 
 answer  affirmatively. 
 
 Now  then  to  proceed : 
 
 "  Thou  shalt  have  no  other  Gods  hut  me/* 
 
 For  the  Duties  required. — Say,  first.  Hast  thou  ever 
 took  the  true  God  in  Christ  to  be  thy  God?  2ndly,  Hast  thou 
 abounded  in  those  graces  by  which  thou  shouldst  cleave  unto 
 God,  as  in  knowledge,  and  love,  and  fear,  and  joy,  and  trust- 
 ing in  God?  3dly,  Hast  thou  observed  God's  mercies,  and  pro- 
 mises, and  works,  and  judgments  upon  thee,  and,  by  a  parti- 
 cular application,  took  special  notice  thereof?  4thly,  Hast 
 thou  communicated  with  the  godly,  and  joined  thyself  to 
 God's  people,  and  delighted  chiefly  in  them? 
 
 For  the  Sins  forbidden. — Say,  first.  Hast  thou  not 
 sometimes  been  guilty  of  blasphemy,  or  idolatry,  or  witchcraft, 
 or  atheism?  2ndly,  Hast  thou  not  been  guilty  of  pride,  a  sin 
 flatly  opposing  God,  and  first  committed  by  devils?  3dly,  Hast 
 thou  not  inward  reasonings  that  there  is  no  God,  or  that  he 
 seeth  not,  or  knoweth  not,  or  that  there  is  no  profit  in  his  ser- 
 vice? 5thly,  Hast  thou  not  trusted  in  man,  or  feared  man,  or 
 loved  the  world,  and  thereby  alienated  thy  heart  from  God? 
 6thly,  Hast  thou  not  resorted  to  witches,  or  in  the  first  place 
 to  physicians,  and  not  to  the  living  God?  7thly,  Hast  thou  not 
 tempted  God,  and  in  the  matters  of  God  been  either  cold,  or 
 lukewarm,  or  preposterously  zealous?  8thly,  Hast  thou  not 
 been  careless  to  perform  the  inward  duties  of  God's  worship 
 in  sincerity  and  truth?  If  in  those  thou  hast  transgressed, 
 then  hast  thou  broken  this  commandment. 
 
 III.     sins  againt  the  second  commandment. 
 
 "  Thou  shalt  not  make  to  thyself  any  graven  imaged 
 
 For  the  Duties  required. — Say,  first.  Hast  thou  ever 
 worshipped  the  true  God  purely  according  to  his  will?  2ndly, 
 
30  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration. 
 
 Hast  thou  observed  all  those  outward  duties  of  his  worship, 
 as  prayer,  and  vows,  and  fasting,  and  meditating,  and  the 
 rest?  3dly,  Hast  thou  repaired  to  God's  house,  observed  family 
 duties,  received  the  preachers  of  the  gospel? 
 
 For  the  Sins  forbidden. — Say,  first.  Hast  thou  not 
 sometimes  walked  after  the  imaginations  of  thy  own  heart, 
 serving  God  out  of  custom?  2ndly,  Hast  thou  not  committed 
 idol-worship,  conceiving  of  God  in  thy  mind  in  the  likeness 
 of  a  creature?  3dly,  Hast  thou  not  made  an  image  to  liken 
 God  to  it,  or  used  any  gesture  of  love  and  reverence  to  any 
 such  images?  Hast  thou  not  been  careless  to  worship  God,  to 
 call  upon  the  Lord,  to  receive  God's  ministers,  or  to  perform 
 any  other  of  the  outward  duties  of  God's  worship?  If  in  any 
 of  these  thou  hast  transgressed,  then  hast  thou  broken  this 
 commandment. 
 
 IV.     SINS    AGAINST    THE    THIRD    COMMANDMENT. 
 
 "  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain" 
 
 For  THE  Duties  required. — Say,  first.  Hast  thou  been 
 a  constant  learner,  hearer,  and  doer,  of  God's  word  and  will? 
 2ndly,  Hast  thou  prayed  with  perseverance,  understanding,  and 
 power  of  the  spirit,  without  doubting  or  wavering?  3dly, 
 Hast  thou  come  preparedly  to  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
 supper,  and  being  come,  hast  thou  discerned  the  Lord's  body? 
 4thly,  Hast  thou  used  all  the  titles,  and  properties,  and  works, 
 and  ordinances,  of  the  Lord  with  knowledge,  faith,  reverence, 
 joy,  and  sincerity. 
 
 For  the  Sins  forbidden. — Say,  first.  Hast  thou  not 
 sometimes,  in  thy  talk,  dishonoured  the  titles,  attributes,  reli- 
 gion, word,  people,  of  God,  or  any  thing  that  hath  in  it  the 
 print  of  his  holiness?  2ndly,  Hast  thou  not  caused  the  name 
 of  religion,  or  people  of  God,  to  be  ill  thought  of  by  thy  ill 
 course  of  life?  3rdly,  Hast  thou  not  rashly,  or  unpreparedly, 
 or  heedlessly,  read  the  word,  heard  sermons,  received  the 
 sacraments,  or  performed  any  other  part  of  the  worship  of 
 God?  4thly,  Hast  thou  not  thought  or  spoken  blasphemously, 
 01  contemptuously,  of  God,  or  of  any  thing  whatsoever  per- 
 taining to  God?  If  in  any  of  these  thou  hast  transgressed, 
 then  hast  thou  broken  this  commandment. 
 
 V.     sins  against  the  fourth  commandment. 
 
 "  Remember  thou  keep  holy  the  Sahhath-day ." 
 For  the  Duties  required. — Say,  first.  Hast  thou,  accord- 
 ing to  the  equity  of  this  commandment,  ever  observed  the 
 Lord's  day,  and  other  days  and  times  set  apart  for  God's  service  ? 
 2ndly,  Hast  thou  always  prepared  thy  heart,  before  thou  wentest 
 into  the  house  of  the  Lord,  by  meditation  of  God's  word  and 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration,  31 
 
 works,  by  examination  and  reformation  of  thy  ways,  by  prayer, 
 thanksgiving,  and  holy  resolution  to  carry  thyself  as  in  God's 
 presence,  and  to  hear  and  obey  whatsoever  thou  shouldst  learn 
 out  of  the  pure  word  of  God?  Hast  thou  repaired  to  God's 
 house  in  due  time,  and  stayed  the  whole  time  of  prayer,  read- 
 ing, preaching  of  the  word,  singing  of  psalms,  receiving  of  the 
 sacraments?  Hast  thou  performed  private  religious  offices  upon 
 the  Lord's  day ;  in  private  prayer  and  thanksgiving,  in  acknow- 
 ledging thy  offences  to  God,  in  reconciling  thyself  to  those 
 thou  hast  offended,  or  with  whom  thou  art  at  variance;  in 
 visiting  the  sick,  comforting  the  afflicted,  contributing  to  the 
 necessity  of  the  poor,  instructing  thy  children  and  servants, 
 and  the  rest  of  thy  family,  in  the  fear  and  nurture  of  the  Lord  ? 
 For  the  Sins  forbidden. — Say,  first.  Hast  thou  not 
 sometimes  spent  the  Lord's  day  in  idleness,  or  in  worldly  busi- 
 ness, in  vanities,  or  in  sin?  2ndly,  Hast  thou  not  omitted  pub- 
 lic duties,  or  camest  in  too  late,  or  wentest  out  too  soon? 
 3dly,  Hast  thou  not  employed  thy  cattle,  or  servants,  or  chil- 
 dren, or  any  other,  though  thou  workedst  not  thyself?  Hast 
 thou  not  profaned  the  Lord's  day,  by  needless  works,  words, 
 or  thoughts,  about  thy  calling,  or  about  thy  recreation?  Hath 
 not  the  strict  observance  of  the  duties  of  that  day  been 
 tedious  unto  thee,  saying  in  thine  heart.  When  will  the  day  be 
 gone?  If  in  any  of  these  thou  hast  transgressed,  then  hast 
 thou  broken  this  commandment* 
 
 VI.       SINS    AGAINST    THE    FIFTH    COMMANDMENT 
 
 "  Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother.^* 
 
 For  the  Duties  here  required:  they  are  either  in 
 the  family,  commonwealth,  or  church. 
 
 First,  for  the  family:  Say,  if  thou  art  an  husband:  \.  Hast 
 thou  loved  thy  wife,  and  dealt  with  her  according  to  know- 
 ledge, giving  honour  to  her  as  to  the  weaker  vessel,  and  as 
 being  heirs  together  of  the  grace  of  life?  Hthou  art  a  wife  : 
 2.  Hast  thou  submitted  to  thine  own  husband,  as  unto  the 
 Lord,  in  every  thing?  3.  Hast  thou  put  on  the  ornament  of  a 
 meek  and  quiet  spirit?  If  thou  art  a  parent:  4.  Hast  thou 
 brought  up  thy  children  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the 
 Lord?  5.  Hast  thou  corrected  them,  yet  not  provoked  them 
 by  immoderate  correction?  6.  Hast  thou  provided  for  them  in 
 their  callings,  or  outward  estates?  If  thou  art  a  child :  7.  Hast 
 thou  obeyed  thy  parents,  and  received  correction  with  submis- 
 sion and  reverence?  8.  Hast  thou  relieved  them  in  their  wants? 
 9.  Hast  thou  observed  their  instructions,  and  covered  their 
 infirmities?  If  thou  art  a  master:  10.  Hast  thou  entertained 
 God's  servants,  and  given  unto  thy  servant  that  which  is  just 
 and  equal?    If  thou  art  a  servant:  11.  Hast  thou  been  obe- 
 
32  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration. 
 
 dient  to  thy  master  according  to  the  flesh,  with  fear  and  trem* 
 bling,  in  singleness  of  heart,  as  unto  Christ;  not  answering 
 again,  not  purloining,  but  shewing  all  good  fidelity? 
 
 Secondly,  for  the  commonweath ;  if  thou  art  a  magistrate: 
 12.  Hast  thou  executed  just  laws?  13.  Hast  thou  reformed 
 others'  abuses,  according  to  the  power  that  is  in  thee?  If  thou 
 art  a  subject:  14.  Hast  thou  obeyed  the  higher  powers  in  all 
 just  commands?  15.  Hast  thou  been  subject  unto  them,  not 
 only  for  wrath,  but  also  for  conscience  sake? 
 
 Thirdly,  for  the  church;  if  thou  art  a  minister:  16.  Hast 
 thou  taught  in  season,  and  out  of  season?  17.  Hath  thy  light 
 shined  before  men,  that  they  might  see  thy  good  works  ?  If 
 thou  art  an  hearer:  18.  Hast  thou  communicated  to  them  that 
 teach  thee  in  all  good  things?  19.  Hast  thou  obeyed  them, 
 and  prayed  for  them,  and  loved  them,  and  followed  them^ 
 considering  the  end  of  their  conversation? 
 
 For  the  Sins  forbidden. — And  first,  for  the  family;  say, 
 if  thou  art  an  husband:  1.  Hast  thou  not  sometimes  abused 
 thy  wife,  or  injured  her  in  thought,  word,  or  deed?  If  thou 
 art  a  wife :  2.  Hast  thou  not  been  wasteful,  or  froward,  or  idle  ? 
 If  thou  art  a  parent:  3.  Hast  thou  not  been  careless,  especially 
 of  thy  children's  souls?  If  thou  art  a  child:  4.  Hast  thou  not 
 despised  thy  father's  or  mother's  instructions?  5.  Hast  thou 
 not  mocked  them,  or  shamed  them,  or  grieved  them?  If  thou 
 art  a  master :  6.  Hast  thou  not  governed  thy  family  negli- 
 gently? 7.  Hast  thou  not  withheld  that  which  is  just  and 
 equal  in  diet,  wages,  encouragement?  If  thou  art  a  servant: 
 8.  Hast  thou  not  been  idle  and  slothful?  9.  Hast  thou  not 
 served  grudgingly,  and  not  from  the  heart? 
 
 Secondly,  for  the  commonwealth;  if  thou  art  a  magistrate: 
 10.  Hast  thou  not  been  as  a  lion,  or  a  bear,  roaring  and  raging 
 over  the  poor?  11.  Hast  thou  not  decreed  unrighteous  decrees, 
 respecting  the  persons  of  the  poor,  or  honouring  the  persons 
 of  the  mighty?  If  thou  art  a  subject:  12.  Hast  thou  not  reviled 
 the  gods,  or  cursed  the  rulers  of  thy  people?  13.  Hast  thou 
 not  disobeyed  the  higher  powers,  or  denied  tribute,  or  cus- 
 tom, or  honour,  or  fear,  to  whom  they  are  due? 
 
 Thirdly,  for  the  church;  if  thou  art  a  minister:  14.  Hast 
 thou  not  been  profane  in  thy  life  and  conversation?  15.  Hast 
 thou  not  run  before  thou  wast  sent?  or  being  sent,  hast  thou 
 not  been  negligent  in  the  gift  that  is  in  thee?  16.  Hast  thou 
 not  caused  God's  people  to  err?  17.  Hast  thou  not  committed 
 simony,  or  sought  indirectly  for  the  fleece,  not  regarding  the 
 flock?  18.  Hast  thou  no  tstrengthened  the  hands  of  evil-doers, 
 in  preaching  peace  to  wicked  men?  19.  Hast  thou  not  given 
 heed  to  fables,  or  to  some  unprofitable  matter,  rather  than 
 godly  edifying?  If  thou  art  an  hearer:  20.  Hast  thou  not 
 resisted  the  minister,  and  the  word  preached  by  him?  What- 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration.  33 
 
 soever  thou  art,  husband,  or  wife,  or  parent,  or  chila,  or 
 master,  or  servant,  or  magistrate,  or  subject,  or  minister,  or 
 hearer,  if  in  any  of  these  thou  hast  transgressed,  then  thou 
 hast  broken  this  commandment. 
 
 VII.       SINS    AGAINST    THE    SIXTH    COMMANDMENT. 
 
 "  Thou  shah  do  no  murder.'* 
 
 The  Duties  required. — Say,  Hast  thou  ever  desired 
 and  studied,  by  all  lawful  means  to  preserve  thine  own  person, 
 and  the  person  of  thy  neighbour? 
 
 For  the  Sins  forbidden. — Say,  first.  Hast  thou  not 
 sometimes  envied  others?  2ndly,  Hast  thou  not  offended  others 
 in  words,  by  censuring,  or  reviling,  or  rendering  evil  for  evil, 
 or  railing  for  railing  ?  3dly,  Hast  thou  not  offended  others  in 
 deeds,  plotting  against  the  just,  or  doing  evil  to  any  man? 
 4thly,  Hast  thou  not  been  angry  with  thy  brother  without 
 cause,  or  continued  long  in  anger?  5thly,  Hast  thou  not  re- 
 joiced at  others'  fall?  or  wished  a  curse  to  their  souls?  6thly, 
 Hast  thou  not  done  evil  to  thyself,  by  inordinate  fretting,  or 
 
 frieving,  or  drinking,  or  saying  in  thy  passions,  would  to  God 
 were  dead?  7thly,  Hast  thou  not  been  a  sower  of  discord,  or 
 some  way  or  other  an  occasion  of  the  discomfort,  or  the  death, 
 of  thy  neighbour  ?  If  in  any  of  these  thou  hast  transgressed, 
 thou  hast  then  broken  this  commandment. 
 
 viii.     sins  against  the  seventh  commandment. 
 *'  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery." 
 
 For  the  Duties  required. — Say,  Hast  thou  ever  kept 
 thyself  pure  in  soul  and  body,  both  towards  thyself  and  others? 
 
 For  the  Sins  forbidden. — Say, first.  Hast  thou  not  some- 
 times been  defiled  with  whoredom,  adultery,  polygamy,  or  self-* 
 pollution?  2ndly,  Hast  thou  not  offended  in  the  occasions  of 
 uncleanness,  as  in  idleness,  gluttony,  drunkenness,  wanton 
 company,  or  gay  attire  ?  3dly,  Hast  thou  not  sinned  in  thy 
 senses,  or  gestures,  or  words?  4thly,  Hast  thou  not  harboured 
 in  thy  heart  impure  thoughts, inordinate  affections?  5thly,Hast 
 thou  not  behaved  thyself  immodestly,  using  some  manner  of 
 dalliance  and  wantonness?  If  in  any  of  these  thou  hast  trans- 
 gressed, then  hast  thou  broken  this  commandment. 
 
 IX.     sins  against  the  eighth  commandment. 
 
 "  Thou  shalt  not  steal:' 
 
 For  the  Duties  required. — Say,  Hast  thou,  by  all  good 
 means,  furthered  the  outward  estate  of  thyself  and  of  thy 
 neighbour? 
 
 For  the  Sins  forridden. — Say,  first.  Hast  thou  not 
 sometimes  got  thy  living:  by  an  unlawful  calling?  2ndly,  Hast 
 2.  E 
 
34  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration. 
 
 thou  not  impoverished  thyself  by  idleness,  or  unnecessary  ex- 
 penses? 3dly,  Hast  thou  not  withheld  from  thyself,  or  others, 
 that  which  should  have  been  expended?  4thly,  Hast  thou  not 
 gotten  or  kept  thy  neighbour's  goods  by  falsehood  or  force, 
 and  made  no  restitution?  5thly,  Hast  thou  not  stolen  by 
 usury,  or  oppression,  or  fraud  in  buying  or  selling?  6thly, 
 Hast  thou  not  robbed  God  of  his  tithes  and  offerings?  7thly, 
 Hast  thou  not  some  way  or  other  impaired  thy  neighbour's 
 estate?  If  in  any  of  these  thou  hast  transgressed,  then  hast 
 thou  broken  this  commandment. 
 
 X.       SINS    AGAINST    THE    NINTH    COMMANDMENT. 
 
 "  Thou  shalt  not  hear  false  witness.'^ 
 
 For  the  Duties  required. — Say,  Hast  thou  ever  by  all 
 means  sought  to  maintain  thy  own  and  thy  neighbour's  good 
 name,  according  to  truth  and  a  good  conscience? 
 
 For  the  Sins  forbidden. — Say,  first.  Hast  thou  not 
 sometimes  loved,  or  made,  a  lie?  2ndly,  Hast  thou  not  raised 
 a  false  report?  3dly,  Hast  thou  not  censured  or  judged  others? 
 4thly,  Hast  thou  not  flattered  thyself  and  others,  saying  unto 
 the  wicked,  thou  art  righteous?  5thly,  Hast  thou  not  con- 
 demned some  without  witness,  or  forborne  to  witness  for 
 others  when  thou  knewest  the  truth?  6thly,  Hast  thou  not 
 been  uncharitably  suspicious,  or  a  despiser  of  thy  neighbour? 
 7thly,  Hast  thou  not  told  a  lie,  whether  jestingly,  or  officiously, 
 or  perniciously?  If  in  any  of  these  thou  hast  transgressed, 
 then  hast  thou  broken  this  commandment. 
 
 XI.     sins  against  the  last  commandment. 
 "  Thou  shalt  not  covet.'* 
 
 For  the  Duties  required. — Say,  first.  Hast  thou  ever 
 been  truly  contented  with  thy  own  outward  condition? 
 2ndly,  Hast  thou  rejoiced  at  others'  good,  and  loved  thy  neigh- 
 bour as  thyself? 
 
 For  the  Sins  forbidden. — Say,  first,  Hast  thou  not 
 sometimes  conceived  evil  thoughts  in  thy  heart?  2ndly,  Hast 
 thou  not  been  discontented  with  thy  own  condition?  Hast 
 thou  not  coveted  after  something  or  other  that  was  thy  neigh- 
 bour's? If  in  any  of  these  thou  hast  transgressed,  then  hast 
 thou  broken  this  commandment. 
 
 CHAP.  III. 
 
 The  second  Means  to  get  into  the  New  Birth. 
 
 After  examination,  which  may  serve  thee  for  one  day's 
 work  or  two,  the  next  duty  is,  confession.  Take  a  catalogue  of 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration.  35 
 
 those  sins  which  thou  hast  noted,  and  spread  thy  catalogae 
 before  the  Lord ;  there  read  thou  seriously,  and  particularly, 
 saying,  O  Lord,  I  confess  I  have  committed  this  sin,  and  the 
 other  sin,  (as  they  are  before  thee  in  order,)  of  all  these  sins 
 I  am  guilty,  especially  of  those  sins  wherein  I  delighted,  my 
 darlings,  my  bosom-sins,  (take  notice  of  them,  and  confess 
 them  again,)  of  all  these  sins  I  am  guilty;  and  now,  O  Lord, 
 standing,  as  it  were,  at  the  bar  of  thy  tribunal,  I  arraign  my- 
 self, and  accuse  myself,  and  judge  myself  worthy  of  the  utmost 
 of  thy  wrath  and  indignation  :  for  one  sin  thou  castedst  Adam 
 out  of  paradise,  for  one  sin  thou  castedst  the  angels  out  of 
 heaven,  and  what  then  shall  become  of  me,  that  have  com- 
 mitted a  world  of  sins? — (Here  pause  a  while,  and  meditate 
 on  thy  unworthiness.) — O  that  I  should  be  so  foolish,  so 
 brutish,  so  mad,  to  commit  these  sins,  these  manifold  sins!  O 
 that  by  these  sins  I  should  break  so  holy  a  law,  provoke  so 
 good  and  great  a  majesty?  What  should  1  do,  but,  remember- 
 ing my  evil  ways,  even  loathe  myself  in  my  own  sight,  yea 
 abhor  myself  in  dust  and  ashes,  for  my  iniquities  and  my 
 abominations?  For  conclusion,  thou  mayest  imitate  the  pub- 
 lican, who,  not  daring  to  lift  up  his  eyes,  smote  his  breast:  So 
 do  thou,  and  say  with  him,  God  he  merciful  to  me  a  sinner. 
 
 CHAP.  IV. 
 
 The  third  Means  to  ^et  into  the  New  Birth. 
 
 After  confession,  which  may  well  serve  thee  for  another 
 day's  work,  seek  for  true  sorrow  and  mourning  for  thy  sins : 
 seek  thou  must,  and  never  leave  seeking,  till  thou  feel  thy 
 heart  melt  within  thee.  To  this  purpose  read  some  tracts  of 
 death,  of  judgment,  of  hell,  of  Christ's  passion,  of  the  joys  of 
 heaven;  last  of  all,  and  I  take  it  best  of  all,  resolve  to  set 
 every  day  some  time  apart  to  beg  it  of  the  Lord :  and  at  the 
 time  appointed  fall  down  on  thy  knees,  spread  thy  catalogue, 
 confess,  accuse,  judge,  condemn  thyself  again;  which  done, 
 beg  of  the  Lord  to  give  thee  that  soft  heart  he  promised,  Ezek. 
 xxxvi.  26.  A  new  heart  will  I  give  you,  and  a  neiv  spirit  will  I 
 put  within  you,  and  I  will  take  away  the  stony  heart  out  of  your 
 Jlesh,  and  t  will  give  you  an  heart  of  fesh.  Say  then  to  thy- 
 self, is  this  the  Lord's  promise?  O  Lord,  perform  it  to  my 
 heart;  take  away  my  stony  heart,  and  give  me  a  heart  of  flesh, 
 a  new  heart,  a  new  spirit,  8cc. — (Here  make  thine  own  prayer: 
 be  not  careful  of  words,  only  let  the  words  be  the  true  voice 
 of  thy  heart.) — Pray,  and  call,  and  cry,  with  vehemency  and 
 fervency  not  to  be  uttered.  When  thou  hast  done,  if  the  Lord 
 Uo   not  yet  hear  thee,  pray  again   the  next  day,  and  the 
 
36  The  Doctrine  of  Regoieration. 
 
 next  day,  yea,  put  on  this  resolution,  that  thou  wilt  never 
 leave  praying  till  the  Lord  hear  thee  in  mercy,  till  he  make 
 thee  to  feel  thy  heart  melt  within  thee,  yea,  if  it  may  be.  Hit 
 thou  seest  thy  tears  trickling  down  thy  cheeks,  because  of 
 thy  oifences.  The  Lord  will,  perhaps,  hear  thee  at  the  first  time, 
 or  at  the  second  time,  or,  if  he  do  not,  be  not  discouraged,  God 
 hath  his  times ;  God  speaketh  once  and  twice,  and  man  per- 
 ceiveth  not;  happy  he  who  relenteth  at  last;  give  i't  not  over, 
 persist  thou,  thy  suit  is  just,  and  importunity  will  prevail. 
 
 2.  The  Jirst  Reason  for  this  Sorrow. — This  must  be  done; 
 first,  because  "  without  pangs  no  birth :  the  pangs  of  a  peni- 
 tent man  are  as  the  pangs  of  a  woman.  Now  as  there  can  be 
 no  birth  without  pains  of  travail  going  before,  so  neither  true 
 repentance  without  some  terrors  of  the  law,  and  straits  of 
 conscience.  Ye  have  not  received  the  spirit  of  bondage  again  to 
 fear,  saith  the  apostle  to  the  Romans ;  to  shew  us  they  once 
 did  receive  it.  When?  but  in  the  very  first  preparation  to  con- 
 version: then  it  was  that  the  Spirit  of  God  in  the  law  did  so 
 bear  witness  unto  them  of  their  bondage,  that  it  made  them 
 to  fear.  And  certainly  thus  it  is  with  every  man  in  his  first 
 conversion ;  his  contrition  must  be  vehement,  bruising,  break- 
 ing, rending  the  heart,  and  feeling  the  throes,  as  a  woman 
 labouring  of  child,  before  there  can  be  a  new  birth. 
 
 3.  The  second  Reasofifor  this  Sorrow. — Again,  without  con- 
 trition, no  Christ;  "  therefore  it  was  that  John  Baptist,"  saith 
 Chrysostom,  "  first  thoroughly  frighted  the  minds  of  his 
 hearers  with  the  terror  of  judgment,  and  expectation  of  tor- 
 ment, and  when  he  had  thus  taken  down  the  stubbornness, 
 then,  at  length,  he  makes  mention  of  Christ.'^  Certainly,  the 
 first  thing  that  draws  to  Christ,  is  to  consider  our  miserable 
 state  without  him;  no  man  will  come  to  Christ,  except  he  be 
 hungry;  no  man  will  take  Christ's  yoke  upon  him,  till  he 
 come  to  know  the  weight  of  Satan's  yoke:  to  this  end,  there- 
 fore, must  every  man  be  broken  with  lashes  of  conscience, 
 that  so  despairing  of  himself,  he  may  fly  unto  Christ. 
 
 4.  'The  third  Reason  for  this  Sorrow. — Again,  without  hearty 
 sorrow,  no  spiritual  comfort.  We  must  first  be  humbled  be- 
 fore the  Lord,  and  then  he  will  lift  us  up.  God  pours  not  the 
 oil  of  his  mercy,  save  into  a  broken  vessel;  God  never  com- 
 forts thoroughly,  save  where  he  finds  humiliation  and  repent- 
 ance for  sin.  ""  The  word  of  God,"  saith  one,  "  hath  three 
 degrees  of  operation  in  the  hearts  of  his  chosen ;  first,  it  fall- 
 eth  to  men's  ears  as  the  sound  of  many  waters,  a  mighty,  a 
 great  and  confused  sound,  and  which  commonly  bringeth  nei- 
 ther terror  nor  joy,  but  a  wondering  and  acknowledgment  of 
 a  strange  force;  this  is  that  which  many  felt,  hearing  Christ, 
 when  they  were  astonished  at  his  doctrine.  The  next  effect  is, 
 the  voice  of  thunder,  ^yhirh  bringeth  not  only  wonder,  but 
 
Tht  Doctrine  of  Regeneration.  37 
 
 fear  also ;  not  only  filleth  the  ears  with  sound,  and  the  heart 
 with  astonishment,  but  moreover  shaketh  and  terrifieth  the 
 conscience.  The  third  effect  is,  the  sound  of  harping,  while 
 the  word  not  only  ravisheth  with  admiration,  and  striketh  the 
 conscience  with  terror,  but  also,  lastly,  filleth  it  with  sweet 
 peace  and  joy.  Now  albeit  the  two  first  degrees  may  be 
 without  the  last,  yet  none  feel  the  last,  who  have  not  in  some 
 degree  felt  both  the  first."  He  saith  true,  in  some  degree, 
 though  commonly  the  deeper  the  sense  of  misery,  the  sweeteip 
 is  the  sense  of  mercy. 
 
 CHAP.  V. 
 
 The  Means  to  be  delivered  out  of  the  Pangs  of  the  New  Birth. 
 
 1.  And  now,  if,  by  God's  blessing,  thou  feelest  this  sorrow 
 and  melting  of  heart,  the  next  thing  thou  must  do,  is  to  seek 
 for  the  remedy,  which  remedy  consists  of  these  ingredients : 
 first,  A  sight  of  Christ.  2ndly,  A  desire  after  Christ.  3dly, 
 A  relying  on  Christ.  4thly,  An  obedience  to  Christ.  Sthly^ 
 A  comfort  in  Christ,  sought  for  and  obtained.  Thou  wilt  say, 
 these  ingredients  are  pearls  indeed,  but  how  should  I  obtain 
 them?  I  answer,  by  application  of  the  promises;  and  since 
 every  ingredient  hath  its  particular  promises,  I  shall  let  thee 
 see  them  in  order,  only  do  thou  apply  them  thyself:  some  may 
 object,  I  dare  not  look  to  the  promise,  I  cannot  believe;  if  I 
 could  believe,  then  I  could  expect  good  from  the  promise. — 
 I  answer,  thou  shalt  never  believe  upon  these  terms;  thou 
 must  not  first  have  faith,  then  go  to  the  promise,  and  from 
 thence  receive  power  to  believe.  O  then  go  to  the  promise, 
 and  expect  faith  from  thence ;  this  is  the  rule,  "  I  must  not 
 bring  faith  to  the  promise,  but  to  receive  faith  from  it,  and 
 therefore  there  will  I  hang,  and  wait  till  the  Lord  please  to 
 work  it." 
 
 2.     The  Promises  procuring  a  Sight  of  Christ, 
 
 The  first  step  that  brings  comfort  to  thy  heavy  soul,  is  the 
 Bight  of  Christ :  and  to  procure  this  sight,  thou  hast  these 
 promises. 
 
 Matt.  i.  21.  "  Thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus,  for  he  shall 
 save  his  people  from  their  sins." 
 
 John  i.  29.  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away 
 the  sins  of  the  world." 
 
 John  iii.  16.  **  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his 
 only  begotten  Son,  to  the  end  that  all  that  believe  in  him 
 should  not  perish,  but  have  life  everlasting." 
 
 lioin.  iii.  25.  "  God  hath   set  forth  Christ  Jesus,  to  be 
 reconciliation  through  faith  in  his  blood." 
 
38  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration, 
 
 1  Cor.  i.  30.  "  Christ  Jesus,  of  God  is  made  unto  us  wisdom, 
 and  righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and  redemption." 
 
 1  Tim.  i.  15.  "  This  is  a  true  saying,  and  by  all  men  worthy  to 
 be  received,  that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sin- 
 ners." 
 
 \John  ii.  1,  2.  "  If  any  sin,  we  have  an  advocate  with  the 
 Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous,  and  he  is  the  propitiation 
 for  our  sins,  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for  the  sins  of 
 the  whole  world." 
 
 All  these  tell  thee,  that  as  thou  art  a  sinner,  so  thou  hast  a 
 Saviour;  only  do  thou  apply  them,  and  certainly  they  will  help 
 thee  in  the  first  step  of  this  remedy,  to  wit,  the  sight  of  Christ. 
 
 3.     The  Promises  procuring  a  Desire  after  Christ. 
 
 Thou  mayest  say,  I  see  Christ,  and  I  see  that  his  person, 
 and  death,  and  blood-shed,  are  precious  and  saving;  but  how 
 may  I  make  him  mine  ?  how  may  I  know  that  he  is  my  Sa- 
 viour? I  answer,  Thou  must  hunger  and  thirst  after  him;  this 
 desire  is  the  second  step :  and  to  provoke  thee  to  this  duty, 
 consider  these  promises : 
 
 Isa.  Iv.  1.  '•'  Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the 
 waters ;  and  he  that  hath  no  money,  come  ye,  buy  and  eat;  yea, 
 come,  buy  wine  and  milk  without  money,  and  without  price." 
 
 John  vii.  37, 38.  "  In  the  last  day,  that  great  day  of  the  feast, 
 Jesus  stood  and  cried,  saying.  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come 
 unto  me  and  drink :  he  that  believeth  on  me,  as  the  scripture 
 hath  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water." 
 
 Rev.  xxii.  17.  "  Let  him  that  is  athirst  come;  and  whoso- 
 ever will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely." 
 
 These  may  provoke  thee  to  thirst  after  Christ,  that  sovereign 
 fountain,  opened  to  the  house  of  David,  and  to  the  inhabit- 
 ants of  Jerusalem,  for  sin  and  for  uncleanness. 
 
 4.    The  Promises  procuring  a  Relying  on  Christ. 
 
 Yet  thou  mayest  say,  I  thirst  indeed,  but  I  dare  not  drink ; 
 I  desire,  but  I  dare  not  come  near,  to  lay  hold  on  Christ ;  I  am 
 a  most  vile,  unworthy  wretch,  and  my  sins  are  of  a  scarlet  dye. 
 True ;  for  thee  to  pretend  part  in  Christ,  wallowing  yet  in  thy 
 sins!  for  thee  to  believe  that  Christ  is  thy  righteousness,  pur- 
 posing to  go  on  in  any  one  known  sin,  were  a  most  cursed, 
 horrible  presumption  indeed !  But  where  all  is  a  burden,  there 
 a  man  may  be  bold.  A  man  may?  Yes,  he  must:  if  thou 
 groanest  under  sin,  if  thou  longest  after  Christ,  apply  these 
 promises,  and  they  will  force  thee  to  lay  hold  upon  the  Rock, 
 to  take  Christ  for  thine  own,  to  throw  thy  sinful  soul  upon 
 his  bleeding  wounds,  and  to  cast  thyself  with  confidence  into 
 the  bosom  of  his  love  : — 
 
 Matt.  xi.  28.  "  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labour  and  are 
 heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.*' 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration,  39 
 
 Isa.  Iv.  1,  "  Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come'  ye  to  the 
 waters,  and  he  that  hath  no  money,  come  ye,  buy  and  eat,  yea 
 come,  buy  wine  and  milk  without  money,  and  without  price." 
 And  lest  thou  say,  I  am  so  far  from  bringing  any  thing  in  my 
 hand,  that  I  bring  a  world  of  wickedness  in  my  heart,  and 
 my  sins,  I  fear,  will  hinder  my  acceptation ;  No,  saith  he : — 
 
 Isa.  Iv.  7.  "  Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way,  and  the  un- 
 righteous man  his  thoughts,  [and  this  is  thy  desire,  thy  case] 
 and  let  him  return  unto  the  Lord,  and  he  will  have  mercy  upon 
 him,  "  &c.  If  all  this  will  not  do  without  a  more  solemn 
 invitation,  see  how  the  Lord  of  heaven  sends  forth  his  ambas- 
 sadors to  entreat  thee  to  come  in : — 
 
 2  Cot,  v.  20.  "  Now  then  we  are  ambassadors  for  Christ,  as 
 though  God  did  beseech  you  by  us :  we  pray  you  in  Christ's 
 stead  be  ye  reconciled  unto  God."  Or  if  he  cannot  woo  thee, 
 lo,  he  commands  thee : — 
 
 1  Jo/m  iii.  23.  "  And  this  is  the  commandment,  that  we 
 should  believe  on  the  name  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ."  Or  yet  to 
 drive  thee  to  Christ,  he  not  only  commands,  but  threatens: — 
 
 Heh.  iii.  18.  "  And  to  whom  sware  he  that  they  should  not 
 enter  into  his  rest,  but  to  them  that  believed  not?" 
 
 How  is  it  possible,  but  that  all,  or  some  of  these,  should  bring 
 in  every  broken  heart  to  believe,  and  every  one  that  is  weary 
 of  his  sins,  to  rely  upon  the  Lord  of  life  for  everlasting  welfare? 
 
 5.  The  Promises  procuring  Obedience  to  Christ. 
 
 And  yet  thou  mayest  say,  I  have  cast  myself  on  Christ;  is 
 this  all  I  must  do?  No,  there  is  yet  another  step ;  he  is  not  only 
 to  be  thy  Saviour,  but  thy  husband;  thou  must  love  him,  and 
 serve  him,  and  honour  him,  and  obey  him;  thou  must  endea- 
 vour not  only  for  pardon  of  sin,  and  salvation  from  hell,  but  for 
 purity,  obedience,  ability  to  do  or  suffer  any  thing  for  Christ. 
 And  to  provoke  thee  to  this  duty,  consider  these  texts : — 
 
 Jer.  xxxi.  33.  "  This  shall  be  the  covenant  that  I  will  make 
 with  the  house  of  Israel:  After  those  days,  saith  the  Lord,  I 
 will  put  my  law  into  their  inward  parts,  and  write  it  in  their 
 hearts,  and  I  will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people." 
 
 Matt.  vii.  21.  "  Not  every  one  that  saith.  Lord,  Lord,  shall 
 enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  he  that  doeth  the  will 
 of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven," 
 
 Matt.  xi.  29.  **  Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of  me, 
 for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart,  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto 
 your  souls." 
 
 Matt.  xvi.  24.  "  If  any  man  will  follow  me,  let  him  take  up 
 his  cross  and  follow  me." 
 
 2  Cor.  V.  15.  "  He  died  for  all,  that  they  which  live,  should 
 not  henceforth  live  unto  themselves,  but  unto  him  which  died 
 for  them." 
 
40  The  Doctrlm  of  Regetieration, 
 
 1  John  i.  6,  7.  "  If  we  say  we  have  fellowship  with  him,  and 
 walk  in  darkness,  we  lie,  and  do  not  the  truth.  But  if  we  walk 
 in  the  light,  as  he  is  in  the  light,  we  have  fellowship  one  with 
 another ;  and  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son  cleanseth  us 
 from  all  sin." 
 
 .  1  John  ii.  5, 6.  "  He  that  keepeth  liis  word,  in  him  verily  is 
 .the  love  of  God  perfected:  hereby  know  we  that  we  are  in 
 him.  He  that  saith,  he  abideth  in  him,  ought  himself  also  to 
 walk,  even  as  he  walked." 
 
 1  John  iii.  6,  9.  "  Whosoever  abideth  in  him,  sinneth  not. — 
 Whosoever  is  born  of  God,  doth  not  commit  sin,  for  his  seed  re- 
 maineth  in  him,  and  he  cannot  sin,  because  he  is  born  of  God." 
 
 All  these  may  invite  thee  to  enter  into  the  holy  path,  and 
 to  fight  under  Christ's  banner,  against  the  world,  the  flesh, 
 and  the  devil,  unto  thy  life's  end. 
 
 DIRECTIONS  TO  A  MAN  IN  THE  ACT  OF 
 THE  NEW  BIRTH. 
 
 THE    OCCASION    OF    THIS    TREATISE. 
 
 'Hitherto  I  have  given  the  doctrine  of  the  new  birth;  yet 
 one  thing  is  wanting,  to  wit,  the  practice  of  some  saint  in  this 
 one  necessary  thing :  and  what  man  hath  writ  more  on  this 
 subject,  than  T.  Hooker?  Therefore  I  thought  fit,  not  only  to 
 contract  his  books  in  this  appendix;  but  also,  to  set  before 
 you  those  pathetic  expressions  of  his  soul-pangs  in  the  new- 
 birth,  as  matter  for  your  im.itation. 
 
 CHAP.  1. 
 
 The  SouVs  Preparation. 
 
 Before  the  soul  can  share  in  Christ's  merits,  (to  speak  in 
 the  author's  language,  without  any  alteration,)  two  things  are 
 required  : 
 
 1.  A  preparation  to  receive  Christ. 
 
 2.  An  implantation  of  the  soul  into  Christ. 
 
 That  there  must  be  a  preparation,  is  the  first  ground  we  lay; 
 and  herein  observe  we,  the  matter,  the  manner,  and  the  means, 
 of  this  preparation. 
 
 1 .  For  matter :  the  soul  of  a  sinner  must  be  prepared  for 
 Christ,  before  he  can  entertain  him.  When  kings  go  to  any 
 place,  they  send,  to  make  readiness,  their  harbingers  before 
 them :  if  Christ,  the  King  of  saints,  come  into  a  soul,  there 
 must  be  a  preparation  before  he  enter;  and  good  reason,  for  he 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration,  %\ 
 
 .is  not  a  mere  man,  an  ordinary  person,  but  a  King,  a  King  of 
 glory. 
 
 2.  The  manner  of  this  preparation  consists  in  these  three 
 passages;  1st,  the  soul  breaks  that  league  which  formerly  it 
 had  with  corruptions :  2ndly,  the  soul  is  willing  to  give  way 
 to  Christ  Jesus,  and  to  let  him  overthrow  whatsoever  shall 
 oppose  him:  3dly,  the  soul  is  content  that  God  should  rule 
 all,  not  only  the  eye,  or  hand,  or  tongue,  or  heart,  but  the 
 whole  man;  it  opens  all  the  gates,  and  desires  Christ  to  come 
 and  take  all  the  keys  of  the  house  upon  him. 
 
 3.  The  means  of  this  preparation  is  the  powerful  ministry, 
 which  God  hath  appointed  for  this  work ;  and  it  is  discovered 
 in  three  particulars :  1st,  in  -a  particular  application  of  the  truth 
 to  the  souls  of  men.  2ndly,  in  a  confirmation  of  the  truth  by 
 soundness  of  argument,  and  plain  evidence  of  scriptures.  3dly, 
 in  a  kind  of  spiritual  heat  in  the  heart  and  affections  of  the  mi- 
 nister, answerable  to  that  which  he  communicates  to  the  people 
 
 If  any  soul  that  hath  enjoyed  these  means  any  while,  is  not 
 yet  fitted  and  prepared,  it  is  a  fearful  sign;  the  state  of  that 
 soul  is  extremely  dangerous.  Go  home,  t'hen,  if  there  be  any 
 such,  and  plead,  saying,  **  Lord,  why  am  I  not  yet  humbled 
 and  prepared?  Will  exhortations  never  prevail  with  me?  Will 
 terrors  and  reproofs  never  break  my  heart  into  pieces?  I  have 
 heard  sermons  that  would  have  shaken  the  very  stones;  the 
 tire  of  hell  hath  flashed  in  my  face ;  and  if  any  thing  can  do 
 me  any  good,  why  not  these  exhortations,  admonitions,  and 
 "reproofs?"  The  Lord  turn  the  heart  of  such  a  poor  sinner, 
 that  he  may  lay  hold  on  mercy  in  due  time. 
 
 CHAP.  XL 
 
 I  he  general  Circumstances  of  Preparation  on  God's  part. 
 
 \.  In  this  preparation,  two  things  are  considerable;  the  ge- 
 neral circumstances,  and  the  substantial  parts. 
 
 The  general  circumstance^i  are,  some  on  God*s  part,  some 
 on  man's  part. 
 
 On  God's  part  there  are  these.  1.  The  offer  of  Christ  and 
 grace.  2.  The  condition  of  this  offer.  3.  The  easiness  of  this 
 condition. 
 
 On  man's  part,  two  things  are  considerable : — 1 .  That  cort 
 ruption  doth  oppose  this  grace.  2.  That  God  will  remove 
 this  corruption. 
 
 The  first  general  circumstance  of  the  soul's  preparation,  is 
 on  God's  part;  wherein  is  the  offer  of  Christ  Jesus,  the  condi- 
 tion of  this  offer,  and  the  easiness  of  this  offer.  We  may  have 
 ?tll  in  this  one  comparison:  As  with  a  malefactor  convicted  ol 
 2.  V 
 
42  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration^ 
 
 high  treason,  if,  after  the  discovery  of  all  passages,  the  king 
 make  a  proclamation,  that  upon  the  surceasing  of  his  enter- 
 prises, he  shall  be  pardoned ;  nay,  if  the  king  shall  send  mes- 
 sage after  message,  to  tell  him,  that  would  he  yet  lay  down 
 his  arms,  and  take  a  pardon,  he  shall  be  graciously  accepted : 
 if  this  traitor  now  should  rather  fling  away  his  pardon  than 
 his  weapons,  then  should  the  king  raise  an  army  and  over- 
 come him,  and  take  him,  and  execute  him  without  any  mercy ; 
 1  appeal  to  your  own  consciences,  is  he  not  justly  rewarded? 
 Why,  this  is  the  condition  of  every  poor  soul  under  heaven ; 
 we  are  all  rebels  and  traitors ;  and  yet,  after  all  our  pride  and 
 stubbornness,  the  Lord  is  pleased  to  proclaim  mercy  still  to 
 every  one  that  will  receive  it:  "  All  you  that  have  disho- 
 noured ray  name,  all  you  that  have  profaned  my  sabbaths, 
 and  contemned  my  ordinances,  all  ye  cursed  wretches,  come; 
 come  who  will,  and  take  pardon;"  therein  is  the  offer:  only 
 let  them  lay  aside  all  their  weapons ;  therein  is  the  condi- 
 tion: and  then  have  Christ  for  the  taking;  therein  is  the 
 easiness  of  the  condition. 
 
 Blessed  God,  may  every  soul  say,  if  I  will  not  do  this  for 
 Christ,  I  will  do  nothing:  had  the  Lord  required  a  greater 
 matter  of  me  to  have  attained  salvation ;  had  he  required  thou- 
 sands of  rams,  and  ten  thousand  rivers  of  oil;  had  he  required 
 the  first-born  of  my  body  for  the  sin  of  my  soul ;  one  drop  of 
 mercy  at  the  last  gasp  would  have  quit  all  this  cost:  but  what 
 goodness  is  this,  that  the  Lord  should  require  nothing  of  me, 
 but  to  lay  down  my  weapons,  and  to  receive  Christ  offered ! 
 
 Lo,  the  Lord  hath  this  day  sent  from  heaven,  and  offered 
 salvation  unto  you  sons  of  men;  the  Lord  Jesus  is  become  a- 
 suitor  to  you,  and  I  am  Christ's  spokesman.  Shall  the  Lord 
 and  his  messengers  thus  woo  and  entreat?  and  will  any  yet 
 stand  out  against  God,  and  say,  "  I  will  none  of  Christ,  1  will 
 try  it  out  to  the  last."  O  then,  if  the  great  God  of  heaven  and 
 earth  shall  come  with  ten  thousand  thousand  of  judgments, 
 and  execute  them  upon  that  man!  If  he  shall  bring  a  whole 
 legion  of  devils,  and  say,  "  Take  him,  devils,  and  torment 
 him  in  hell  for  ever,  because  he  would  not  have  mercy  when 
 it  was  offered,  he  shall  not  have  mercy."  If  God  should  thus 
 deal  with  that  man,  the  Lord  should  be  just  in  so  doing. 
 
 II.  The  general  circumstances  of  the  preparation  on  man's 
 part. — The  second  general  circumstance  of  the  soul's  prepa- 
 ration, is  on  man's  part;  and  herein  is  observable, 
 
 1.  That  corruption  opposeth  grace. 
 
 2.  That  God  will  remove  this  corruption. 
 
 The  first  is  clear,  I  Cor.  ii.  14.  "  The  natural  man  receiveth 
 not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  neither  can  he  know  them." 
 Give  us  a  man  in  the  state  of  nature — and  though  all  the  mi- 
 nisters under  h^^ien  should  i^reach  mercy  unto  him ;  though 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration,  43 
 
 all  the  angels  in  heaven  should  exhort  and  entreat  him ;  though 
 all  glory  and  happiness  were  laid  before  ^ m,  and  he  were 
 wished  only  to  believe  and  take  it,  and  it  Sould  be  his  for 
 ever;  yet  in  his  natural  condition  he  could  have  no  power  to 
 receive  so  blessed  an  offer ;  howsoever,  this  hinders  not  but 
 he  is  to  wait  upon  God  in  the  means.     And  then, 
 
 Secondly,  God  may  remove  this  corruption,  which  he  him- 
 self cannot  do:  herein  observe  we,  first,  the  author;  and 
 secondly,  the  time,  of  this  grace 
 
 First,  the  author  is  God;  I tvill  take  away  their  stony  heart, 
 saith  God,  and  give  them  an  heart  of  flesh.  The  taking  away 
 of  the  indisposition  of  the  soul  to  any  duty,  and  the  fitting 
 and  disposing  it  to  perform  any  spiritual  service,  is  the  alone 
 work  of  God. 
 
 Quiet  then  thy  soul:  thou  mayest  say,  "  I  have  an  hard 
 heart,  and  it  will  receive  no  good ;  the  word  prevails  not,  the 
 sacraments  have  no  power  over  me ;  all  the  means,  and  cost, 
 and  charges,  that  God  hath  bestowed  upon  me,  is  lost,  and  my 
 heart  is  not  yet  humbled,  my  corruptions  are  not  yet  weakened.*' 
 But  in  this  be  thou  comforted;  though  means  cannot  do  it, 
 yet  the  Lord  can  do  it,  there  is  nothing  difiicult  to  him. 
 
 Be  then  exhorted,  you  that  have  stony  hearts,  to  have  re- 
 course unto  this  great  God  of  heaven.  You  wives  that  have 
 husbands  with  stony  hearts,  and  you  parents  that  have  children 
 with  stony  hearts,  tell  them  you  have  heard  this  day  of  a  phy- 
 sician that  will  cure  them,  and  exhort  them  to  repair  unto  him. 
 
 Secondly,  the  time  of  this  grace,  is  either  in  regard  of  the 
 means,  or  the  men. 
 
 1.  In  regard  of  the  means;  and  that  is,  wnen  the  sons  of 
 men  have  the  gospel  shining  in  their  faces;  if  ever  God  work 
 upon  their  hearts,  it  will  be  then. 
 
 This  should  teach  us  how  thankful  we  ought  to  be  unto  the 
 Lord,  that  enjoy  these  liberties  in  the  land  of  the  living. 
 That  a  man  was  born  in  such  a  time,  in  such  a  place,  wherein 
 the  way  of  life  and  salvation  is  so  fully,  so  plainly,  and  so 
 powerfully  made  known,  that  the  sun  of  the  gospel  shines 
 full  in  his  face.     O  how  thankful  should  he  be! 
 
 And  for  those  that  neglect  the  means  of  their  salvation,  how 
 should  we  pity  them!  Methinks  I  see  a  poor  creature,  that 
 slighted  mercy  and  salvation  when  it  was  offered  him,  lying 
 upon  his  death-bed ;  light  is  departing  from  his  eyes,  and  his 
 soul  is  departing  from  his  body ;  methinks  I  hear  such  a  man 
 say  at  his  last  gasp,  '*  The  day  is  gone,  the  gate  is  shut,  and 
 now  it  is  too  late  to  enter:"  and  thus  the  soul  departs  from 
 his  body,  the  body  to  the  grave,  and  the  soul  to  hell.  Oh,  what 
 bitter  lamentations  will  that  soul  make  in  hell !  "  Oh,  the 
 golden  time  that  I  have  seen,  and  not  regarded!  Oh,  the  gra- 
 cious opportunities  of  salvation  that  my  eyes  have  beheld. 
 
44  The  Doctrine  of  Rcgejicrat'wn. 
 
 jand  yet  I  neglected!  Oh,  the  mercy  and  e^vace,  and  goodness 
 of  God,  that  have  been  ottered  unto  me !  All  these  1  huve  con- 
 temned, and  trampled  under  my  feet,  and  therefore  now  must 
 J  be  tormented  w  ith  the  devil  and  his  angels,  from  everlasting 
 to  everlasting."  Now  the  Lord  give  us  hearts  to  take  notice  of 
 these  things.  If  I  were  now  breathing  out  my  last  breath,  I 
 would  breathe  out  this  legacy  to  all  surviving  Christians, 
 This  is  the  accepted  time,  this  is  the  day  of  salvation. 
 
 2.  In  reoard  of  the  men,  on  whom  God  works ;  that  is  to  saV, 
 on  some  in  their  tender  age,  on  some  in  their  ripe  age,  on 
 some  in  their  old  age.  But  however  the  Lord  doth  at  seve- 
 ral times  convert  several  of  his  servants,  yet  most,  and  most 
 usually,  before  their  old  age. 
 
 O  let  this  provoke  us,  that  while  the  flower  is  in  prime,  ^e 
 Would  use  all  means  for  our  good;  let  us  nOw,  in  the  summer 
 of  our  days,  improve  ourselves  in  good  works,  so  that  when 
 the  harvest  comes,  we  may  be  gathered  into  God's  barn.  Oh ! 
 would  we  be  exhorted  to  take  the  best  time  and  opportunity 
 of  salvation,  then  might  we  receive  the  fruits  of  our  labours, 
 the  salvation  of  our  souls. 
 
 CHAP.  III. 
 
 The  Substantial  Parts  of  Preparation  on  God's  Part. 
 
 .Hitherto  of  the  general  circumstances  of  the  soul's  pre- 
 paring for  Christ.  The  substantial  parts  of  this  preparation 
 are  generally  two :  the  dispensation  of  God's  work  on  the 
 soul,  and  the  disposition  of  the  soul  by  God's  work. 
 
 The  dispensation  of  God's  work  discovers  itself  in  drawing 
 the  soul,  from  sin,  to  himself. 
 
 But  because  these  two  are  made  up  by  one  action  and  mo- 
 tion, we  shall  therefore  handle  them  together :  and  the  sum  is 
 this,  that  God  by  an  holy  kind  of  violence  (whch  is  called  draw- 
 ing, John  vi.  44.)  doth  pluck  the  soul  from  those  sins  that  harbour 
 in  it,  unto  himself:  wherein  we  may  consider  two  things ; 
 1.  What  the  nature  of  his  drawing  is. 
 2-  The  means  whereby  God  draws. 
 
 First,  For  the  nature  of  this  drawing;  it  is  of  a  double  kind : 
 
 1.  There  is  a  moral  drawing,  when  by  reasons  propounded, 
 and  good  things  offered,  to  the  understanding  and  will,  a  man 
 comes  to  have  his  mind  enlightened,  and  his  will  moved;  thus 
 was  it  with  Paul,  when  he  was  constrained  by  Lydia  to  abide  ai 
 her  house.  Acts  xvi.  15.  2.  There  is  a  phisical  drawing,  when 
 the  Lord  is  pleased  to  put  a  new  power  into  the  soul  of  a  sin- 
 ner, and  withal  to  carry  the  will  to  the  object  propounded; 
 when  the  Lord  not  only  offers  good  things  to  the  soul,  but 
 enables  the  soul  to  lay  hold  on  the  things  offered :  and  thus 
 th€  Lord  draws  a  sinner  ftom  sin  unto  himself. 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration,  45 
 
 Secondly,  For  the  means  whereby  he  draws;  they  are  these 
 four: 
 
 First,  the  Lord  lets  in  a  light  into  the  soul  of  a  poor  sinner, 
 and  discovers  unto  him  that  he  is  in  a  wrong  way :  this  the 
 soul  marvels  at,  because  usually  it  comes  on  a  sudden,  the 
 sinner  perceiving  nothing  less. 
 
 Secondly,  though  a  man  would  defeat  the  power  of  this  light, 
 yet  God  still  follows  it  with  forcible  arguments,  and  draws  with 
 the  cord  of  his  mercy;  I  taught  Ephraim  to  go,  saith  God,  tak- 
 ing him  by  the  arms ;  I  drew  them  by  the  cords  of  love,  and  with 
 the  bands  of  a  man.     This  love  is  made  up  of  four  cords  : 
 
 1.  The  Lord  reveals  himself  to  be  ready  to  receive,  and  will- 
 ing and  easy  to  entertain,  sinners  when  they  come  to  him:  Let 
 the  wicked  J  or  sake  his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts, 
 and  let  him  return  unto  the  Lord,  and  he  will  have  mercy  upon 
 him,  and  unto  our  God,  for  he  will  abundantly  pardon.  The 
 word  in  the  original  is,  he  will  multiply  pardons.  Hast  thou 
 multiplied  rebellions?  the  Lord  will  also  multiply  pardons ;  the 
 bowels  of  compassion  are  still  open,  and  the  arms  of  mercy 
 are  still  spread  abroad ;  his  pardons  are  multiplied ;  there  is 
 yet  mercy  for  thee  also,  and  for  a  thousand  thousand  more. 
 
 2.  The  Lord  is  not  only  ready  to  forgive  when  men  come  to 
 him,  but  that  they  may  come,  he  also  calls  and  commands  them. 
 **  O,  but  may  I,"  saith  a  poor  sinner,  "  shall  I,  dare  I,  go  unto 
 the  Lord  God  for  mercy?  May  I  be  so  bold  to  press  in  for  fa- 
 vour at  the  hands  of  the  Lord?  I  have  been  a  grievous  sinner^ 
 and  have  heaped  abomination  upon  abomination;  I  am  afraid, 
 therefore, to  approach  near  unto  the  Lord's  presence."  Is  it  so? 
 Hear  what  the  Lord  saith :  "  Come  unto  me,  ye  rebellious  peo- 
 ple, and  I  will  heal  your  rebellions.  You  that  never  prayed, 
 never  came  to  hear,  all  rebels,  come  unto  me."  And  then  the 
 people  answer.  Behold,  we  come  unto  thee,  for  thou  art  the  Lord 
 X)ur  God.  This  is  great  encouragement  to  a  poor  sinner;  he  be- 
 gins now  to  wonder,  and  say,  "  Lord,  shall  all  my  sins  be  par- 
 doned ?  Shall  all  my  abominations  be  forgiven  ?  I  that  slighted 
 ^o  many  mercies,  and  committed  so  many  follies,  shall  I  be 
 entertained?"  "Yes,"  saith  the  Lord,  "  Come  unto  me,  and 
 thou  shalt  be  forgiven.    Come;  I  command  you  come." 
 
 3.  The  Lord  doth  not  only  command  a  poor  sinner  to  come, 
 but  when  he  says,  **  There  is  mercy  with  God,  but  not  for  me ;" 
 the  Lord  followeth  him  still,  and  sends  another  cord  after  him, 
 that  if  it  be  possible,  he  may  win  him,  and  woo  him  to  receive 
 xnercy.  If  command  therefore  prevail  not,  he  entreats  and  be- 
 seeches him  to  come  and  receive  mercy;  and  this,  methinks, 
 (Should  move  the  hardest  heart  under  heaven.  We,  saith  the 
 apostle,  are  ambassadors  from  Christ,  as  though  God  did  beseech 
 ^ou  by  us;  we  pray  you  in  Christ's  Mead,  be  ye  reconciled  u/ilo 
 (jod.    Rather  than  you  should  go  away  ixom  Christ,  eren 
 
46  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration, 
 
 mercy  itself  will  come  and  kneel  down  before  you,  and  beseech 
 and  entreat  you,  "  for  the  Lord  Jesus's  sake,  to  pity  your  poor 
 souls,  and  receive  pardon  for  your  sins ;"  a  sinner  is  not  able 
 to  comprehend  this,  but  he  begins  to  be  at  a  stand: — *'  What, 
 that  the  Lord  should  beseech  him?  Oh,  that  thou  wouldst  re- 
 ceive pardon  for  thy  sins,  and  be  blessed  forever!  Good 
 Lord !"  saith  the  soul,  "  is  this  possible,  that  the  great  King 
 of  heaven  should  come  and  beseech  such  a  traitor,  such  a  rebel 
 as  I  am,  to  take  pardon  ?  That  a  king  on  earth  should  pro- 
 claim a  pardon  to  some  notorious  traitor,  this  were  much ;  but 
 that  the  King  of  heaven  should  lay  down  his  crown,  and  be- 
 seech me,  on  his  knees  as  it  were,  to  take  mercy;  this  is  a 
 thing  beyond  all  expectation.  What,  shall  heaven  stoop  to 
 earth?  Shall  majesty  stoop  to  misery?  Shall  the  great  God  of 
 heaven  and  earth,  that  might  have  condemned  my  soul,  and  if 
 I  had  perished  and  been  damned,  might  have  took  glory  by 
 my  destruction :  is  it  possible  that  this  God  should  not  only 
 entertain  me  when  I  come,  and  command  me  to  come,  but  en- 
 treat and  beseech  me  to  come,  and  receive  mercy  from  him ! 
 Oh,  the  depth  of  the  incomprehensible  love  of  God !"  Imagine 
 you  saw  God  the  Father  entreating  you,  and  God  the  Son  be- 
 seeching you,  as  he  doth  this  day,  *'  Come  now,  and  forsake 
 your  sins,  and  take  mercy,  which  is  prepared  for  you,  and  shall 
 be  bestowed  upon  you  ;"  would  not  this  make  a  soul  think  thus 
 with  itself,  *'  What,  for  a  rebel?  Not  only  to  have  mercy  offered, 
 but  to  be  entreated  to  receive  mercy,  it  were  pity,  if  I  will  not 
 take  it,  but  I  should  go  to  hell,  and  be  damned  for  ever."  The 
 Lord,  he  complains.  Why  iinll  ye  die?  As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord, 
 I  desire  not  the  death  of  a  sinner:  turn  ye,  turn  ye,  why  will  ye 
 diel  *'  Mercy  is  offered  ye,  the  Lord  reacheth  out  his  hand  to 
 you;"  fain  would  he  pluck  the  drunkard  out  of  the  alehouse, 
 and  the  adulterer  from  his  whore.  Oh!  if  you  break  this  cord. 
 I  know  not  what  to  say  to  you :  this  is  able  to  break  moun- 
 tains in  pieces; — Shake,  O mountains,  saith  the  prophet;  why? 
 because  God  hath  redeemed  Jacob:  the  redemption  of  Jacob 
 was  enough  to  break  a  mountain ;  let  his  mercy  break  our 
 hearts;  it  is  God  that  begs,  the  blessing  is  our  own. 
 
 4.  If  yet  this  prevail  nothing  at  all,  the  Lord  will  then  wait, 
 and  stay  in  long  patience  and  suffering,  to  see  if  at  any  time  a 
 sinner  will  turn  unto  him.  Our  Saviour  follows  poor  sinners 
 from  alehouse  to  alsehouse,  and  says,  "  I  beseech  you,  drunk- 
 ards, take  mercy,  and  have  your  sins  pardoned."  The  Lord,  as 
 we  may  say,  wearieth  himself  with  waiting,  one  day  after  an- 
 other, and  one  week  after  another :  "  It  may  be,"  saith  Christ, 
 "  this  week,  this  sabbath,  this  sermon,  a  sinner  will  turn  unto 
 me :  what,  will  it  never  be  ?"  Are  you  not  ashamed,  my  friends, 
 that  the  Lord  Jesus  should  thus  wait  your  leisure,  and  follow 
 you  from  place  to  place ;  nay,  that  Christ  should  every  morn- 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration.  47 
 
 ing  appear  to  your  understanding,  and  every  night  come  to  your 
 bedside,  saying,  "  Let  this  be  the  last  night  of  sinning,  and 
 the  next  day  the  first  day  of  repentance :  Oh !  when  will  you 
 be  humbled  ?  When  will  you  receive  mercy,  that  it  may  go  well 
 with  you,  and  with  your's  for  ever?'  If  none  of  the  other  will 
 move  you,  yet,  for  shame,  let  this  cord  draw  you  to  the  Lord  : 
 hear  his  pangs;  O  Jerusalem,  will  thou  not  be  made  clean?  Oh! 
 when  will  it  once  be?  A  woman  that  is  in  travail.  Oh,  how  she 
 expects  and  longs  for  her  delivery!  now  a  throb  comes,  and 
 then  she  cries ;  anon  comes  a  second  throb,  and  then  she  cries 
 again;  Oh!  when  comes  deliverance?  Thus  God  the  Father 
 takes  on  him  the  person  of  a  travailing  woman ;  he  travails  and 
 travails  until  he  bring  forth  a  son,  until  some  soul  be  converted, 
 and  brought  home  unto  him;  O  Jerusalem,  wilt  thou  not  be 
 made  clean?  When  will  it  once  be?  "I  have  waited;  one,  ten, 
 twenty,  thirty,  forty  years  long,  have  I  waited  on  this  genera- 
 tion; when  will  it  once  be?"  The  Lord  thus  travails  in  patience, 
 looking  when  we  will  receive  mercy.  Will  our  proud  hearts 
 never  be  humbled  ?  Will  our  stubborn  hearts  never  be  sof- 
 tened? Will  our  profane  hearts  never  be  sanctified?  When 
 will  it  once  be  ?  Christ  hath  waited  this  day,  this  week,  this 
 month,  this  quarter,  this  year,  these  ten,  twenty,  thirty,  forty 
 years,  on  us :  you  old  sinners,  that  are  grey-headed  in  your 
 wickedness,  how  long  hath  the  Lord  waited  on  you  ?  Oh !  for 
 shame,  let  him  wait  no  longer,  but  turn,  turn  ye  unto  him, 
 that  ye  may  receive  mercy  from  him. 
 
 Thirdly,  if  bonds  of  love  move  not,  the  Lord  hath  iron  cords, 
 that  will  pluck  in  pieces;  to  wit,  the  cords  of  conscience; 
 which  thus  disputes,  **  He  that  being  oftened  reproved,  doth 
 still  harden  his  hearts,  shall  perish  everlastingly."  But  thou, 
 being  often  reproved,  doth  still  harden  thy  heart;  therefore, 
 thou  shalt  perish  everlastingly. 
 
 In  the  first  proposition,  conscience  gives  the  sinner  a  moni- 
 tion, to  come  from  sin  upon  pain  of  the  heaviest  judgment  that 
 can  be  inflicted.  It  is  the  Lord  that  sends  the  conscience  on 
 this  errand,  "  Go  to  such  a  man,  and  tell  him.  You  have  spoken 
 against  God's  saints,  and  you  have  broken  God's  sabbaths,  and 
 you  have  contemned  God's  ordinances :" — "  Be  it  known  unto 
 thee,  saith  the  conscience,  that  I  have  a  command  from  heaven, 
 and  from  God;  I  charge  you,  as  you  will  answer  at  the  dreadful 
 day  of  judgment ;  take  heed  of  those  evils  that  heretofore  you 
 have  committed,  lest  you  damn  you  souls  for  ever."  Will  you 
 question  his  commission?  See  Prov.  xxix.  1.  He  that  being 
 iften  reproved,  hardeneth  his  neck,  shall  suddenly  be  destroyed.  If 
 you  are  often  reproved,  and  will  not  be  bettered,  then  the  Lord 
 says,  and  conscience  from  the  Lord  tells  you,  "  Be  it  at  your 
 own  peril,  ye  shall  suddenly  be  destroyed."  No  sooner  con- 
 science thus  speaks,  but  the  sinner  hangs  the  wing,  and  with- 
 
48  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration. 
 
 draws  himself  from  his  former  lewd  courses.  But  now  when 
 wicked  persons  see  their  companion  is  gone,  they  make  after 
 him  amain,  and  then  conscience  plucks  one  way,  and  they 
 pluck  another  way ;  at  last  by  carnal  company,  and  cursed  per- 
 suasions, the  soul  is  drawn  back  again  to  its  former  courses, 
 and  so  perhaps  this  twist  is  broken,  and  the  sinner  is  gone. 
 
 2.  If  so,  conscience,  that  was  a  monitor,  now  turns  accuser; 
 before  it  was  only  God's  herald,  to  forewarn  him,  but  it  is  be- 
 come a  sergeant  to  arrest  him  :  it  follows  him  to  the  alehouse, 
 and  pursues  him  home;  then  takes  him  in  his  bed,  and  arrests 
 him  in  his  sleep ;  there,  by  a  meditation,  it  hales  the  soul  before 
 the  tribunal  of  God,  saying,  *'  Lo,  Lord,  this  is  the  man,  this  is 
 the  drunkard,  the  adulterer,  blasphemer,  this  is  he.  Lord;  an 
 enemy  to  thy  servants,  an  hater  of  thy  truth,  a  despiser  of  thy 
 ordinances :  at  such  a  time,  in  such  a  place,  with  such  a  com- 
 pany, this  man  despised  thy  truth  ;  this  is  he.  Lord,  this  is  the 
 man.''  And  when  conscience  hath  thus  dragged  him  before 
 God,  and  accused  him,  then,  "  Take  him,  jailor;  take  him, 
 devil,"  saith  the  Lord,  **  and  imprison  him;  let  vexation,  and 
 horror,  and  trouble,  and  anguish,  lie  upon  his  soul,  until  he 
 confess  his  sins,  and  resolve  to  forsake  them." 
 
 In  this  case  was  David,  when  he  was  forced  to  say.  My  bones 
 waxed  old  through  my  roaring  all  the  day  long;  for  day  and  night 
 thy  hand  was  heavy  upon  me,  my  moisture  is  turned  into  the 
 drought  of  summer:  then,  said  David,  /  acknowledged  my  ain 
 unto  thee;  I  confessed  my  transgressions  unto  thee,  O  Lord,  and 
 so  thou  forgavest  the  iniquity  of  my  sin.  David  folded  up  his 
 gins  at  the  first,  and  therefore  his  bones  were  consumed,  and 
 he  roared  continually ;  and  when  the  Lord  had  him  on  the  rack, 
 he  made  him  roar  again,  and  v.ould  never  leave  tormenting, 
 till  David  came  to  confessing ;  but  Vv  hen  he  confessed  his  sin, 
 then  the  Lord  forgave  him  the  iniquity  of  it.  Thus  conscience 
 brings  the  soul  of  a  sinner  on  the  rack,  (as  traitors  are  used 
 that  will  not  confess  otherwise,)  and  makes  him  confess  his 
 sins ;  and  then  he  cries,  "  Oh !  the  abominations  I  have  com- 
 mitted, which  the  sun  never  saw;  in  such  a  place,  at  such  a 
 time."  Thus  conscience  receives  some  satisfaction,  and  begins 
 to  be  quiet;  and  now, having  got  some  quiet,  his  cursed  com- 
 panions set  upon  him  again,  he  listens  again,  and  then  he 
 begins  to  follow  his  old  sins,  perhaps  with  more  eageTness 
 than  ever,  and  now  is  another  twist  broken. 
 
 3.  If  so,  conscience,  that  was  a  monitor  and  accuser,  turns 
 executioner.  The  first  proposition  admonished,  the  second  ac-' 
 cused  ;  if  neither  of  these  prevail,  then  conscience  concludes. 
 Thou  must  to  execution,  thou  shalt  perish  everlastingly.  And 
 now  conscience  cries.  Monitions  or  accusations  could  not  pre- 
 vail with  this  man;  come,  ye  damned  ghosts,  and  take  away 
 this  drunkard,  this  blasphemer,  this  adulterer,  and  throw  him 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration.  49 
 
 headlong  into  the  pit  of  hell;  he  would  not  be  amended,  let 
 him  be  condemned ;  he  would  not  be  humbled,  therefore  let 
 him  be  damned."  The  man  hearing  this,  is  amazed,  and  thinks 
 himself  past  hope,  past  help,  past  cure  :  did  you  ever  see  or 
 hear  a  tormented  conscience  in  these  pangs?  He  cries,  "  Lo 
 there  devils  stand;  the  heavens  frown ;  God  is  incensed;  hell's 
 mouth  is  opened !"  and  now  a  minister  is  sent  for,  who  dis- 
 plays to  this  despairing  soul,  the  mercy  and  grace  of  God  in 
 Christ  Jesus :  "  Oh,"  replies  he,  '*  this  is  my  bane,  my  damna- 
 tion. If  I  had  never  heard  of  mercy,  if  I  had  never  lived 
 under  the  gospel  and  the  means  of  salvation,  then  had  I  been 
 an  happy  man;  alas  !  it  is  mercy  I  have  neglected,  it  is  sal- 
 vation I  have  contemned,  how  then  should  I  be  saved?  O  the 
 persuasions  of  the  Lord  that  I  have  had !  the  Lord  hath  even 
 wept  over  me,  as  he  did  over  Jerusalem,  Oh  that  thou  hadst 
 knoum  the  things  belonging  to  thy  peace!  yet  all  these  persua- 
 sions have  I  contemned,  and  therefore  certainly  to  hell  I  must 
 go."  The  minister  replies.  Truth  it  is,  you  have  done  thus, 
 but  would  you  do  so  still?  Is  it  good  now  to  be  drunk,  or  to 
 blaspheme,  or  to  rail  on  God's  saints,  or  contemn  God's  ordi- 
 nances? **  O,  no,  no,"  saith  he,  *'  I  now  find  what  the  end 
 of  these  wicked  courses  will  be ;  God's  word  could  not  pre- 
 vail with  me,  the  minister  could  not  persuade  me.  O  the 
 good  sermons  that  I  have  heard,  but  alas !  I  despised  the 
 word,  and  mocked  the  minister:  woe,  unto  me  for  ever!" 
 The  minister  replies  again.  The  truth  is  you  have  done  thus; 
 but  would  you  do  so  now?  Would  you  still  blaspheme,  and 
 curse,  and  be  drunk,  and  riotous ;  or  rather  vv  ould  you  not 
 now  part  with  these,  and  take  mercy  instead  of  them?  Then 
 the  poor  soul  cries  out,  "  Now  the  Lord  for  his  mercies'  sake 
 remove  these  sins  from  me :  O,  I  had  never  so  much  delight 
 in  my  sins  heretofore,  as  now  I  have  misery  for  them ;  but 
 alas!  it  is  not  in  my  power  to  help  my  soul;  if  the  Lord 
 would  do  this,  let  him  do  what  he  will  with  it."  What,  saith 
 the  minister,  you  are  then  willing  to  part  with  your  sins  :  "  O 
 yes,"  saith  the  soul,  "  I  would  rather  offend  all  the  world  than 
 God;  I  had  rather  go  to  hell  than  commit  a  sin;  if  it  would 
 please  God  to  help  me,  I  would  forsake  my  sins  with  all  my 
 heart."  Why,  now  the  poor  soul  is  coming  again,  and  God 
 is  drawing  him  again  from  his  corruptions. 
 
 Fourthly,  when  the  soul  is  thus  loosened,  the  Lord  then 
 fully  plucks  it  by  the  cord  of  his  Spirit;  with  an  almighty 
 hand  he  cuts  the  soul  off  from  sin,  and  takes  it  into  his  own 
 hand,  that  he  may  govern  him,  and  dispose  of  him,  according 
 to  his  own  good  pleasure.  Thus  much  of  preparation,  for  the 
 substance  of  it,  on  God's  part. 
 
 2. 
 
80  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneratmi. 
 
 CHAP.  IV 
 The  Substantial  Parts  of  Preparation,  on  Man^s  Part. 
 
 Now  are  we  to  observe  the  disposition  of  the  soul  on  man's 
 part,  which  God  works  on  the  heart.  It  is  known  in  two 
 works:  1.  Contrition,  whereby  the  soul  is  cut  off  from  sin.  2. 
 Humiliation,  whereby  the  soul  is  cut  off  from  itself. 
 
 For  so  it  is,  that  either  the  soul  seeth  no  need  to  depart  from 
 sin,  or  else  it  thinks  it  can  help  itself  out  of  sin.  The  first  is 
 called  security,  when  the  soul,  seeing  no  need  to  be  better, 
 desires  it  not:  against  this  the  Lord  sends  contrition,  causing 
 men  thereby  to  know  the  misery  of  sin,  and  to  see  need  of  a 
 change.  The  second  is  carnal  confidence,  when  a  sinner  be- 
 gins to  seek  succour,  and  to  scramble  for  his  own  comfort 
 in  his  self-sufficiency :  against  this  the  Lord  works  humiliation, 
 causing  the  soul  hereby  to  see  the  weakness  and  emptiness 
 of  its  duties,  and  that  there  is  enough  in  his  best  services  to 
 condemn  him  for  ever. 
 
 The  first  is  security;  when  the  soul  is  taken  up  with  a  se- 
 cure course,  and  therefore  never  seeth  any  need  of  a  change. 
 Now,  while  a  man  lives  thus,  and  blesses  himself  in  his  sin,  it 
 is  impossible  he  should  receive  faith,  or  by  faith  repair  unto 
 Christ:  the  Lord,  therefore,  to  remove  this  let,  burdens  the 
 soul,  and  says,  "  You  will  live  in  drunkenness,  in  covetous- 
 ness;  you  will  have  your  sins  :  then  take  your  sins,  and  get 
 ye  down  to  hell  with  them."  At  this  voice  the  sinner  begins 
 to  see  where  he  is:  "  Is  this  true?"  saith  he;  **  then  I  am  the 
 most  miserable  creature  under  heaven."  So  the  soul  comes 
 to  a  restless  dislike  of  itself;  and  saith,  **  I  must  be  other- 
 wise, or  I  am  a  damned  man  for  ever." 
 
 Secondly,  when  the  soul  seeth  his  wound  and  his  sin  ready 
 to  condemn  him,  it  thinks,  by  Duties,  or  some  such  like  mat- 
 ters, to  succour  itself;  and  it  begins  to  say,  **  My  hearing  and 
 my  prayer,  will  not  these  save  me?"  Thus  the  soul  in  conclu- 
 sion rests  on  duties  :  I  will  not  say  but  these  duties  are  all 
 good,  honourable,  and  comfortable;  yet  they  are  not  God,  but 
 the  ordinances  of  God.  It  is  the  nature  of  a  sinful  heart,  to 
 make  the  means  as  meritorious  to  salvation:  a  man  that  seeth 
 his  drunkenness,  and  his  base  contempt  of  God,  voweth  to  take 
 up  a  new  course,  and  cries,  "  No  more  drunkenness,  no  more 
 scoffing  at  those  that  go  to  hear  the  word;  and  then  he  thinks, 
 what  can  I  do  more?  to  heaven  I  must  s:o."  All  this  is  but  a 
 man's  self;  Christ,  who  is  the  substance  of  all,  is  forgotten; 
 and  therefore  the  poor  soul  famisheth  with  hunger.  Mistake 
 not,  I  pray  you ;  these  duties  must  be  used,  but  a  man  must 
 not,  stay  here :  prayer  saith,  there  is  no  salvation  in  me ;  and 
 the  sacraments  and  fasting  say,  there  is  no  salvation  in  us: 
 all  these  are  helps,  no  causes  of  salvation.  A  man  will  use  his 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regcneratio)i.  51 
 
 bucket,  but  he  expects  water  from  the  well ;  these  means  are 
 the  buckets,  but  all  our  life  and  grace  is  in  Christ.  If  you 
 say  your  bucket  shall  help  you,  you  may  starve  if  you  let  it 
 not  down  into  the  well :  so,  though  you  boast  of  praying,  and 
 hearing,  and  fasting,  and  of  your  alms ;  if  none  of  these  bring 
 you  to,  or  settle  you  on  Christ,  you  shall  die,  though  your 
 works  were  as  the  works  of  an  angel.  As  it  is  with  a  graft 
 therefore,  first  it  must  be  cut  off  from  the  old  stock ;  secondly, 
 it  must  be  pared,  and  made  fit  for  implantation  into  another : 
 so  the  soul  by  contrition  being  cut  off  from  sin,  then  humi- 
 liation pares  it  (pares  away  all  a  man's  privileges)  and  makes 
 it  fit  for  ingrafting  into  Christ.  Thus  much  of  the  lets ;  now 
 for  the  works  of  contrition  and  humiliation. 
 
 1.   A  Sight  of  Si?i. 
 
 For  a  further  discovery  of  these  two  necessary  things,  we 
 shall  enter  into  particulars,  and  begin  first  with  Contrition; 
 which  contains  these  steps:  A  sight  of  sin;  a  sense  of  divine 
 wrath;  and,  a  sorrow  for  sin. 
 
 The  first  step  is  a  sight  of  sin:  and  sin  must  be  seen  clearly 
 and  convictingly. 
 
 First,  clearly,  it  is  not  a  confused  sight  of  sin  that  will  serve 
 the  turn;  it  is  not  enough  to  say.  It  is  my  infirmity,  we  are  all 
 sinners:  no,  this  is  the  ground  why  we  mistake  our  evils,  and 
 reform  not  our  ways.  A  man  must  search  narrowly,  and  prove 
 his  ways,  as  the  goldsmith  doth  his  gold  in  the  fire :  I  consi- 
 dered my  ways,  saith  David,  and  turned  away  my  feet  unto 
 thy  testimonies;  in  the  original,  I  turned  my  sins  upside  down. 
 And  this  clear  sight  appears  in  two  particulars : 
 
 1.  A  man  must  see  his  sin  nakedly,  in  its  own  colours:  we 
 must  not  look  on  sin  through  the  mediums  of  profits  and  plea- 
 s\:fres;  but  the  soul  of  a  true  Christian,  that  would  see  sin  clearly, 
 must  strip  it  of  all  content  and  quiet  that  ever  the  heart  re- 
 ceived in  it;  as  the  adulterer  must  not  look  upon  sin  in  regard 
 of  the  sweetness  of  it,  nor  the  covetous  man  on  his  sin  in  regard 
 of  the  profit  of  it :  you  that  are  such,  the  time  will  co-me,  when 
 you  must  die,  and  then  consider  what  good  these  sinful  courses 
 will  do  you;  how  will  you  judge  of  sin  then,  when  it  shall 
 leave  a  blot  on  your  souls,  and  a  guilt  on  your  consciences? 
 
 2.  A  man  must  look  on  sin  in  the  venom  of  it :  and  that  you 
 may  do  partly,  if  you  compare  it  with  other  things ;  and  partly, 
 if  you  look  at  it  in  regard  of  itself.  1.  Compare  sin  with  those 
 things  that  are  most  fearful  and  horrible;  as  suppose  any  soul 
 here  present  were  to  behold  the  damned  in  hell,  then  propound 
 this  to  your  heart.  What  are  those  pains  which  the  damned  en- 
 dure? And  your  heart  shall  quake  at  it;  yet  the  least  sin  that 
 ever  you  did  commit,  is  a  greater  evil,  in  its  own  nature,  than 
 the  greatest  pains  of  the  damned  in  hell.  2.  Look  at  »in  simply 
 
52  The  Doctrine  of  Regency^ at lort. 
 
 as  it  is  in  itself,  what  is  it  but  a  profest  opposing  of  God  him- 
 self? A  sinful  creature  joins  side  with  the  devil,  and  comes 
 in  battle  array  against  the  Lord  God  of  hosts !  I  pray  you  in 
 cold  blood  consider  this,  and  say,  "  Good  Lord!  what  a  sinful 
 wretch  am  I?  that  a  poor  damned  wretch  of  the  earth,  should 
 stand  in  defiance  against  God :  that  I  should  submit  myself  to 
 the  devil,  and  oppose  the  Lord  God  of  hosts!" 
 
 Secondly,  convictingly,  that  sin  may  be  so  to  us,  as  it  is 
 in  itself;  and  that  discovers  itself  in  these  two  particulars : 
 
 L  When,  whatsoever  sin  is  in  general,  we  confess  it  the  same 
 in  our  own  souls :  it  is  the  cursed  distemper  of  our  hearts,  how- 
 soever we  hold  the  truth  in  gerieral,  yet  when  w^e  come  to  our 
 own  sins,  to  deny  the  particulars.  The  adulterer  confesseth 
 the  danger  and  hlthiness  of  that  sin  in  gross,  but  he  will  not 
 apply  it  to  himself:  the  rule  therefore  is,  *'  Arrest  thy  soul, 
 whosoever  thou  art,  of  those  sins  particularly  whereof  thou 
 standest  guilty :  to  this  purpose  say,  '*  Are  pride,  and  drunken- 
 ness, and  uncieanness,  svich  horrible  sins?  O  Lord,  it  was  my 
 heart  that  was  proud  and  vain;  it  w^as  my  eye  that  was  wan- 
 ton, and  my  heart  that  was  unclean;  Lord,  here  they  are." 
 Thus  bring  thy  heart  before  God. 
 
 2.  When  the  soul  sits  down  with  truth,  and  seeks  no  shift 
 ,  to  oppose  it.  The  minister  saith,  God  hates  such  and  such  a 
 sinner:  *'  And  the  Lord  hates  me  too,"  saith  the  soul,  *'  for  I 
 am  guilty  of  that  sin."  Thus  many  a  time,  when  a  sinner  comes 
 into  the  congregation,  if  the  Lord  please  to  work  on  him,  the 
 mind  is  enlightened,  and  the  minister  meets  with  his  corrup- 
 tions, as  if  he  were  in  his  bosom,  and  he  answers  all  his  cavils, 
 and  takes  away  all  his  objections:  with  tha,t  the  soul  begins 
 to  be  in  amaze,  and  saith,  "  If  this  be  so,  as  it  is  for  aught  I 
 know,  and  if  all  be  true  that  the  minister  saith,  then  the  Lord 
 be  merciful  unto  my  soul,  I  am  the  most  miserable  sinner 
 that  ever  was  born  ?" 
 
 You  that  know  not  your  sins,  that  you  may  see  them  convict- 
 ingly, get  you  home  to  the  law,  and  look  into  the  glass  thereof, 
 and  then  enumerate  all  your  sins  in  order  thus.  "  So  many  sins 
 against  God  himself  in  the  first  commandment,  against  his  wor- 
 ship in  the  second,  against  his  name  in  the  third,  against  his 
 sabbath  in  the  fourth :  nay,  all  our  thoughts,  words,  and  actions, 
 B.11  of  them  have  been  sins,  able  to  sink  our  souls  into  the  bot- 
 tom of  hell."  And,  secondly,  that  you  may  see  them  clearly, 
 consider  their  effect,  both  in  their  doom,  and  in  the  execution : 
 only  to  instance  in  their  doom  ;  methinks  I  see  the  Lord  of 
 heaven  and  earth,  and  the  attributes  of  God,  appearing  before 
 him,  "  the  mercy  of  God,  the  goodness  of  God,  the  wisdom  of 
 God,  the  power  of  God,  the  patience  and  long-suffering  of  God ;" 
 and  they  all  come  to  a  sinner,  and  say,  Mercy  hath  relieved  you, 
 goodness  hath  secured  you,  wisdom  hath  instructed  you,  power 
 
The  Doctr'uie  of  Regeneration,  '5*3 
 
 hath  defended  you,  patience  hath  borne  with  you,  long-suffer- 
 ing hath  endured  you :  now  all  these  bid  you  adieu,  "  Farewell, 
 damned  souls ;  you  must  go  hence  to  hell,  to  have  your  fellow- 
 ship with  damned  ghosts :  mercy  shall  never  more  relieve  you, 
 goodness  shall  never  more  succour  you,  wisdom  shall  never 
 more  instruct  you,  power  shall  never  more  defend  you,  pa- 
 tience shall  never  more  endure  you."  And  then  shall  you  to 
 endless,  easeless,  and  remediless  torments,  where  you  will  ever 
 remember  you  sins,  and  say,  "  My  covetousness  and  pride 
 was  the  cause  of  this ;  I  may  thank  my  sins  for  this."  Think 
 of  these  things,  I  beseech  you,  seriously,  and  see  your  sins 
 here,  to  prevent  this  sight  hereafter. 
 
 2.  A  Sense  of  Divine  Wrath. 
 
 The  sinner  by  this  time  having  his  eyes  so  far  opened,  that 
 he  beholds  his  sins,  begins  to  consider  that  God  hath  him  in 
 chase ;  and  this  sense  of  divine  wrath  discovers  itself  in  these 
 two  particulars : 
 
 1.  It  works  a  fear  of  some  evil  to  come. 
 
 2.  It  possesseth  the  soul  with  a  feeling  of  this  evil. 
 First,  the  soul  considers,  that  the  punishment  which  God  hath 
 
 threatened,  shall  be  executed  on  him  sooner  or  later:  he  cries, 
 therefore,  "  What  if  God  should  damn  me  ?  God  may  do  it :  and 
 what  if  God  should  execute  his  vengeance  upon  me  ?"  Thus 
 the  soul  fears,  that  the  evil  discovered  will  fall  upon  him.  It  is 
 with  a  soul  in  this  fear,  as  it  was  with  Belshazzar,  when  he  com- 
 manded the  cups  to  be  brought  out  of  the  house  of  the  Lord; 
 An  hand-writing  came  against  him  on  the  ivall,  and  when  he  saw 
 it,  his  thoughts  troubled  him,  and  his  knees  knocked  one  against 
 another:  so  it  is  with  this  fear;  he  that  r-ms  riot  in  the  way  of 
 wickedness,  there  comes  this  fear  and  hand-writing  against 
 him,  and  then  he  cries,  "  These  are  my  sins,  and  these  are  the 
 plagues  and  judgments  threatened  against  them :  therefore  why 
 may  not  I  be  damned?  why  may  not  I  be  plagued?" 
 
 Secondly,  the  Lord  pursues  the  soul,  and  discharges  that  evil 
 upon  him  which  was  formerly  feared ;  and  now  his  conscience  is 
 all  on  a  flame,  and  he  saith  to  himself,  "  Oh !  I  have  sinned,  and 
 offended  a  just  God,  and  therefore  I  must  be  damned,  and  to 
 hell  I  must  go."  Now  the  soul  shakes,  and  is  driven  beyond 
 itself,  and  would  utterly  faint,  but  that  the  Lord  upholds  it  with 
 one  hand,  as  he  beats  it  down  with  the  other;  he  thinks  every 
 thing  is  against  him,  he  thinks  the  fire  burns  to  consume  him, 
 and  that  the  air  will  poison  him,  and  that  hell's  mouth  gapes 
 under  him,  and  that  God's  wrath  hangs  over  him,  and  if  now  the 
 Lord  should  but  take  away  his  life,  that  he  should  tumble  head- 
 long into  the  bottomless  hell :  should  any  man,  or  minister,  per 
 suade  the  soul  in  this  case  to  go  to  heaven  for  mercy,  it  replies 
 in  this  manner;  *'  Shall  I  repair  to  God?  Oh,  that's  my  trouble 
 
54  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration. 
 
 is  not  he  that  great  God,  whose  justice  and  mercy,  and  patience, 
 I  have  abused?  And  is  not  he  the  great  God  of  heaven  and 
 earth,  that  hath  been  incensed  against  me?  Oh!  with  what  a 
 face  can  I  appear  before  him?  and  with  what  heart  can  I  look 
 for  any  mercy  from  him?  I  have  wronged  his  justice,  and  can 
 his  justice  pardon  me?  I  have  abused  his  mercy,  and  can  his 
 mercy  pity  me  ?  What,  such  a  wretch  as  I  am  ?  If  I  had  never 
 enjoyed  the  means  of  mercy,  I  might  have  had  some  plea  for 
 myself;  but  Oh !  I  have  refused  that  mercy,  and  have  trampled 
 the  blood  of  Christ  under  my  feet;  and  can  I  look  for  any 
 mercy?  No,  no,  I  see  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  incensed  against 
 me,  and  that's  all  I  look  for." 
 
 3.  Sorrow  for  Sin. 
 
 The  next  step  is,  sorrow  for  sin;  concerning  which  are  two 
 questions :  1.  Whether  it  be  a  work  of  saving  grace  ?  2.  Whe- 
 ther God  work  it  in  all  alike? 
 
 To  the  first. — There  is  a  double  sorrow;  one  in  preparation, 
 the  other  in  sanctification  : — they  differ  thus :  sorrow  in  prepa- 
 ration, is  when  the  word  of  God  leaves  an  impression  upon  the 
 heart  of  a  man,  so  that  the  heart  only  bears  the  blow  of  the  Spirit ; 
 and  hence  come  all  those  phrases  of  scripture,  as  wounded, 
 pierced,  pricked ;  so  that  this  sorrow  is  rather  a  sorrow  wrought 
 on  me,  than  any  work  coming  from  any  spiritual  abilility  in  me  ; 
 but  sorrow  in  sanctification,  flows  from  a  spiritual  principle  of 
 grace,  and  from  that  power  which  the  heart  hath  formerly  re- 
 ceived from  God's  Spirit ;  so  that  in  this  a  man  is  a  free  worker. 
 
 To  the  second,  I  answer :  Howsoever  this  work  is  the  same  in 
 all  for  substance,  yet  in  a  different  manner  is  it  wrought  in  most : 
 two  men  are  pricked,  the  one  with  a  pin,  the  other  with  a 
 spear;  so  the  Lord  deals  gently  with  one  soul,  and  roughly 
 with  another.  There  is  the  melting  of  a  thing,  and  the  break- 
 ing of  it  with  hammers ;  so  there  is  a  difference  in  persons. 
 For  instance,  if  the  person  be  a  scandalous  liver,  and  an  op- 
 poser  of  God  and  his  grace ;  if  a  man  have  continued  long  in 
 sin  ;  if  a  man  have  been  confident  in  a  formal,  civil  course ;  or, 
 if  God  purpose  by  some  man  to  do  some  extraordinary  work  : 
 in  these  four  cases  he  lays  a  heavy  blow  on  the  heart;  the 
 Lord  will  bruise  them,  and  make  them  seek  to  a  faithful  mi- 
 nister for  direction,  and  to  a  poor  Christian  for  counsel,  whom 
 before  they  despised.  But  if  the  soul  be  trained  up  among  godly 
 parents,  the  Lord  may  reform  this  man,  and  cut  him  off  from  his 
 corruptions  kindly.  But  give  me  a  Christian  that  God  doth  please 
 to  work  upon  in  this  extraordinary  manner,  and  to  break  his 
 heart  soundly,  and  to  throw  him  down  to  purpose,  though  it  cost 
 him  full  dear;  this  man  walks  usually  with  care  and  conscience, 
 hath  more  comfort  himself,  and  gives  more  glory  unto  God. 
 
 Is  it  so,  that  the  soul  of  a  man  is  thus  pierced  to  the  quick, 
 and  run  through  by  the  wrath  of  the  Almighty?  then  let  this 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration.  55 
 
 teach  all  how  to  carry  themselves  towards  such  as  God  hath 
 thus  dealt  with.  Are  th^y  pierced  men?  O  pity  them:  O  let 
 the  bowels  of  compassion  be  let  out  toward  them !  Let  us  never 
 cease  to  do  good  to  them !  O  pray,  and  pity  these  wounds  and 
 vexations  of  spirit,  which  no  man  finds  nor  feels,  but  he  that 
 hath  been  thus  wounded.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  soul  is  wholly 
 devoted  to  destruction,  that  hath  a  disdain  against  poor 
 wounded  creatures.  Is  it  possible  there  should  harbour  such 
 a  spirit  in  any  man?  If  the  devil  himself  were  incarnate,  I  can- 
 not conceive  what  he  could  do  worse. 
 
 2.  If  ever  thou  wouldest  be  comforted,  and  receive  mercy 
 from  God ;  never  be  quiet  till  thou  dost  bring  thy  heart  to  a 
 right  pitch  of  sorrow:  thou  hast  a  little  slight  sorrow;  but  oh! 
 labour  to  have  thy  heart  truly  touched,  that  at  last  it  may 
 break  in  regard  of  thy  many  distempers ;  remember,  the  longer 
 seed-time,  the  greater  harvest:  Blessed  are  they  that  mourn,  for 
 they  shall  be  comforted.  Matt.  v.  4. 
 
 4.   The  Extent  of  this  Sorrow. 
 
 Hitherto  of  this  Contrition ;  the  next  work  is  Humiliation, 
 which  differs  from  the  other,  not  in  substance,  but  circum- 
 stance :  for  humiliation  is  only  the  extent  of  sorrow  for  sin,  of 
 which  we  have  spoken;  and  it  contains  these  two  duties:  1. 
 Submission;  2.  Contentedness  to  be  at  the  Lord's  disposal. 
 
 The  first  part  of  humiliation,  is  Submission,  which  is  wrought 
 thus :  the  sinner  now  having  had  a  sight  of  his  si-ns^  and  a  sor- 
 row in  some  measure;  he  seeks  far  and  wide,  improves  all 
 means,  and  takes  up  all  duties,  that,  if  it  were  possible,  he  might 
 heal  his  wounded  soul :  thus  seeking,  but  finding  no  succour  in 
 what  he  hath,  or  doth,  he  is  forced  at  last  to  make  trial  of  the 
 Lord :  it  is  true,  for  the  present  he  apprehends  God  to  be  just, 
 and  to  be  incensed  against  him ;  yet  because  he  sees  he  cannoti 
 be  worse  than  he  is,  and  that  none  can  help  him  but  God, 
 therefore  he  falls  at  the  footstool  of  merce,  and  subits  himself 
 to  the  Lord,  to  do  with  him  as  it  seemeth  good  in  his  eyes. 
 
 He  saith,  "  This  I  know ;  all  the  means  in  the  world  cannot 
 save  me :  yet  who  can  tell  but  the  Lord  may  have  mercy  on 
 me,  and  cure  this  distressed  conscience,  and  heal  all  these 
 wounds  that  sin  hath  made  in  my  soul?'* 
 
 Or,  for  a  further  light,  this  subjection  discovers  itself  in; 
 four  particulars : 
 
 First,  he  seeth  and  confesseth  that  the  Lord  may,  and,  for 
 ought  he  knows,  will  proceed  injustice  against  him,  and  exe- 
 cute upon  him  those  plagues  that  God  hath  threatened,  and 
 his  sins  have  deserved. 
 
 Secondly,  he  conceives,  that  what  God  will  do,  he  cannot 
 avoid  it;  if  the  Lord  will  come,  and  require  the  glory  of  hia 
 justice  against  him,  there  is  no  way  to  avoid  it,  nor  to  bear  it. 
 
56  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration, 
 
 And  this  crusheth  the  heart,  and  makes  the  soul  to  be  beyond 
 all  evasions,  whereby  it  may  seem  to  avoid  the  dint  of  the 
 Lord's  supper. 
 
 Thirdly,  he  casts  away  his  weapons,  and  falls  down  before 
 the  Lord,  and  resigns  himself  to  the  sovereign  power  of  God. 
 Thus  David,  when  the  Lord  cast  him  out  of  his  kingdom,  said 
 to  Zadok,  "  Carry  back  the  ark  of  God  into  the  city;  if  I  shall 
 find  favour  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  he  will  bring  me  back 
 again,  and  shew  me  both  it,  and  his  habitation :  but  if  he  thus 
 say  to  me,  I  have  no  delight  in  thee ;  behold  here  I  am,  let 
 him  do  with  me  as  seemeth  good  in  his  eyes." 
 
 Fourthly,  the  soul  freely  acknowledgeth,  that  it  is  in  God's 
 power  to  dispose  of  him  as  he  will ;  and  therefore  he  lies  and 
 licks  the  dust,  and  cries,  Mercy,  mercy.  Lord!  he  thinks  not 
 to  purchase  mercy  at  the  Lord's  hands,  but  only  saith,  *'  It  is 
 in  God's  good  pleasure  to  do  with  him  as  he  will,  only  he  looks 
 for  favour,  and  cries,  Mercy,  Lord,  mercy  to  this  poor  dis- 
 tressed soul  of  mine !"  O,  replies  the  Lord,  dost  thou  need 
 mercy?  Cannot  thy  hearing,  and  praying,  and  fasting,  carry 
 thee  to  heaven?  gird  up  now  thy  loins,  and  make  thy  fervent- 
 est  prayers,  and  let  them  meet  my  justice,  and  see  if  they  can 
 bear  my  wrath,  or  purchase  mercy.  *'  INTo,  no,"  saith  the  sinner, 
 •*  I  know  it  by  lamentable  experience,  that  all  my  prayers  and 
 performances  will  never  procure  peace  to  my  soul,  nor  give 
 satisfaction  to  thy  justice;  I  only  pray  for  mercy,  and  I  desire 
 only  to  hear  some  news  of  mercy,  to  relieve  this  miserable 
 soul  of  mine;  it  is  only  mercy  that  must  help  me.  O  mercy, 
 if  it  be  possible,  to  this  poor  soul  of  mine !" 
 
 The  second  part  of  humiliation  is  Contentedness  to  be  at 
 the  Lord's  disposal;  and  this  point  is  of  an  higher  pitch  than 
 the  former.  This  contentedness  discovers  itself  in  these  three 
 particulars : 
 
 First,  the  soul  reflects  on  God's  mercy,  which  though  he 
 begged  when  he  submitted,  yet  now  he  seeth  so  much  cor- 
 ruption in  himself,  that  he  acknowledgeth  himself  unfit  for 
 it:  **  O  mercy,  mercy,  Lord!" — What,  saith  the  Lord,  can- 
 not your  own  duties  purchase  mercy? — "  O  no,"  saith  the 
 soul,  **  it  is  only  mercy  that  must  relieve  and  succour  me; 
 but  such  is  my  vileness,  that  I  am  not  fit  for  the  least  mercy; 
 and  such  is  the  wickedness  of  this  wretched  heart  of  mine, 
 that  whatsoever  are  the  greatest  plagues,  I  am  worthy  of 
 them  all,  though  never  so  insupportable  :  all  the  judgments 
 that  God  hath  threatened,  and  prepared  for  the  devil  and 
 his  angels,  they  are  all  due  to  my  wretched  soul.  Had 
 the  devils  had  such  hopes,  and  such  ofl:ers  of  mercy, 
 they  would,  for  aught  I  know,  have  given  entertainment  to 
 it?  And  what,  do  I  seek  for  mercy?  The  least  of  God's  mer- 
 cies are  too  good  for  me,  and  the  heaviest  of  God's  plagues 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration,  57 
 
 are  too  little  for  me !  I  only  for  one  sin  deserve  eternal  damna- 
 tion, for  the  wages  of  all  sin  is  death,  being  committed  against 
 divine  justice,  and  against  an  infinite  majesty;  and  then  what 
 do  all  my  sins  deserve,  committed  and  continued  in,  ao-ainst 
 all  checks  of  conscience,  and  corrections,  and  the  lio-ht  of 
 God's  word?  Hell  is  too  good,  and  ten  thousand  helfs  too 
 little,  to  torment  such  a  wretch  as  I  am.  What,  I  mercy?  I 
 am  ashamed  to  expect  it:  with  what  heart  can  I  beg  this 
 mercy,  which  I  have  trodden  under  my  feet?  The  Lord  hath 
 often  wooed  me,  and  when  his  wounds  were  bleeding,  his  side 
 gored,  and  his  cries  coming  into  mine  ears.  My  God,  my  God, 
 why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?  then,  even  then,  this  Christ  have  I 
 slighted,  and  made  nothing  of  his  blood ;  and  can  this  blood  of 
 Christ  do  me  any  service  ?  Indeed  I  crave  grace,  but  how  do  I 
 think  to  recei  ve  any?  It  is  more  than  I  can  expect,  I  am  not  worthy 
 .of  any;  oh!  no,  I  am  only  worthy  to  be  cast  out  for  ever." 
 
 Secondly,  the  soul  reflects  on  justice,  and  now  it  acknow- 
 ledgeth  the  equity  of  God's  dealings,  be  they  never  so  harsh ; 
 he  confesseth  that  he  is  as  clay  in  the  hands  of  the  potter, 
 and  the  Lord  may  deal  with  him  as  he  will!  Yea,  the  soul  is 
 driven  to  an  amazement  at  the  Lord's  patience,  and  that  he 
 hath  been  pleased  to  reprieve  him  so  long,  that  God  hath  not 
 cast  him  out  of  his  presence,  and  sent  him  down  to  hell  long 
 ago.  Hence  it  is  that  the  soul  will  not  maintain  any  kind  of 
 murmuring,  or  heart-rising,  against  the  Lord's  dealings  :  or  if 
 nature  will  be  striving  sometimes,  and  say,  "  Why  are  not 
 .my  prayers  answered?  I  see  such  a  soul  comforted,  and 
 why  not  I  as  well  as  he?"  Then  the  soul  stifles, and  crushes, 
 and  chokes  these  wretched  distempers,  and  doth  also  abase 
 itself  before  the  Lord,  saying,  **  What  if  God  will  not  hear 
 my  prayers;  what  if  God  will  not  pacify  my  conscience; 
 doth  the  Lord  do  me  any  wrong?  vile  hell-hound  that  I  am, 
 I  have  my  sin  and  my  shame;  wrath  is  my  portion,  and  hell  is 
 my  place,  thither  may  I  go  when  I  will ;  it  is  mercy  that  God 
 thus  deals  with  me."  And  now  the  soul  clears  God  in  his 
 justice,  and  saith,  "  It  is  just  with  God  that  all  the  prayers 
 which  come  from  this  filthy  heart  of  mine,  should  be  abhorred, 
 and  that  all  my  labours  in  holy  duties  should  never  be  blessed ; 
 it  is  I  that  have  sinned  against  checks  of  conscience,  against 
 knowledge,  against  heaven,  and  therefore  it  is  just  that  I 
 should  carry  this  horror  of  heart  with  me  to  the  grave;  it  is 
 1  that  have  abused  mercy,  and  therefore  it  is  just  that  I  should 
 go  with  a  tormenting  conscience  down  into  hell:  and  Oh! 
 that  if  I  be  in  hell,  I  might  have  a  spirit  to  justify  thy  name 
 there;  and  say.  Now  I  am  come  down  to  hell  amongst  you 
 damned  creatures,  but  the  Lord  is  righteous  in  all  his  doings, 
 and  I  am  justly  condemned." 
 
 Thirdly,  hence  the  soul  comes  to  be  quiet  under  the  heavy 
 2.     ■  H 
 
5S  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration, 
 
 liand  of  God  in  that  helpless  condition :  it  takes  the  blow,  and 
 lies  under  the  burden,  and  goes  away  quietly  and  patiently :  O 
 this  is  an  heart  worth  gold !  "  O,"  saith  he,  "  it  is  fit  that  God 
 fc;hould  glorify  himself,  though  I  be  damned  for  ever:  what- 
 soever 1  have,  it  is  the  reward  of  my  own  works,  and  the  end 
 of  my  ov/n  ways :  if  I  be  damned,  I  may  thank  my  pride,  and 
 lay  stubbornness,  and  my  peevishness  of  spirit:  what  shall  I 
 repine  against  the  Lord,  because  his  wrath  and  his  displeasure 
 lies  heavy  upon  me?  Oh  no,  let  me  repine  against  my  sin,  the 
 cause  of  all;  let  me  grudge  against  my  base  heart,  that  hath 
 jiourished  these  adders  in  my  bosom,  but  let  me  not  speak  one 
 Av  ord  against  him/'  Thus  you  see  what  is  the  behaviour  of 
 the  soul  in  this  contentedness  to  be  at  the  Lord's  disposal. 
 
 But  some  may  object,  Ought  the  soul  to  be  thus  content  to 
 be  left  in  this  damnable  condition? 
 
 I  answer.  This  contentedness  implies  two  things ;  first,  a  car- 
 nal security,  and  this  is  a  cursed  sin:  secondly,  a  calmness  of 
 soul,  not  murmuring  aginst  the  Lord's  dispensation  towards 
 him :  and  this  contentedness  (opposed  against  quarrelling  with 
 the  Almighty)  every  humbled  soul  doth  attain  to,  although  in 
 every  one  it  is  not  so  plainly  seen.  A  thief  taken  for  robbery, 
 on  whom  the  sentence  of  death  hath  passed,  should  not  neglect 
 the  means  to  get  a  pardon ;  yet  if  he  cannot  procure  it,  he  must 
 not  murmur  against  the  judge  for  condemning  him:  so  we 
 should  not  be  careless  in  using  all  means  for  our  good ;  but  still 
 seek  to  God  for  mercy :  yet  we  ought  to  be  contented  with 
 whatsoever  mercy  shall  deny,  because  we  are  not  worthy  of  any 
 favour.  The  soul,  in  a  depth  of  humiliation,  first  stoops  to  the 
 condition  that  the  Lord  will  appoint ;  he  dares  not  fly  away  from 
 God,  nor  repine  against  the  Lord,  but  lies  down  meekly.  2.  As 
 he  is  content  with  the  hardest  measure,  so  he  is  content  with  the 
 longest  time,  saying,  "  Although  the  Lord  hide  his  face,  and 
 turn  away  his  loving  countenance  from  me,  yet  I  will  look  to- 
 wards heaven,  so  long  as  I  have  an  eye  to  see,  and  an  hand  to 
 lift  up  ;  the  Lord  may  take  his  own  time :"  nay,  the  poor  broken 
 heart  resolves  thus;  **  If  I  lie  and  lick  the  dust  all  my  days, 
 and  cry  for  mercy  all  my  life  long;  if  my  last  words  might  be 
 Mercy,  mercy,  it  were  well."  3.  As  he  is  content  to  stay  the 
 longest  time,  so  he  is  content  with  the  least  pittance  of  mercy : 
 "  Let  my  condition  be  never  so  hard,"  saith  the  soul,  "  do. 
 Lord,  what  thou  wilt  with  me,  let  the  fire  of  thy  wrath  con- 
 sume me  here,  only  recover  me  hereafter;  if  I  find  mercy  at 
 the  last,  I  am  content;  and  whatsoever  thou  givest,  I  bless  thy 
 name  for  it."  He  quarrels  not,  saying,  *'  Why  are  not  my 
 graces  increased?  and  why  am  I  not  thus  and  thus  comforted?" 
 No,  he  looks  for  mercy,  and  if  he  have  but  a  crumb  of  mercy, 
 he  is  comforted  and  quieted  for  ever. 
 
 Hience  we  collect :   1 .  That  they  which  have  the  greatest  parts, 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration.  59 
 
 and  gifts,  and  honour,  are,  for  the  most  part,  hardly  brought 
 home  to  Christ;  they  that  are  most  hardly  humbled,  are  most 
 hardly  converted :  what  is  humiliation,  but  the  emptying  of 
 the  soul  from  whatsoever  makes  it  swell?  The  heart  must^not 
 joy  in  any  thing,  nor  rest  upon  any  thing,  but  only  yield  to  the 
 Lord,  to  be  at  his  disposing.  Now  these  parts,  and  abilities, 
 and  means,  are  great  props  for  the  heart  of  a  carnal  man  to 
 rest  upon;  whence  the  apostle.  Not  many  -wise  men  after  the 
 Jiesk,  not  many  mighty,  not  many  rioble,  are  called;  indeed, 
 blessed  be  God,  some  are,  but  not  many :  few,  that  have  so 
 i^uch  of  themselves,  are  brought  to  renounce  themselves. 
 
 2.  That  an  humble  heart  mades  all  a  man's  life  quiet,  and, 
 marvellously  sweeteneth  whatsoever  estate  he  is  in:  indeed 
 sometimes  he  may  be  tossed  and  troubled,  yet  he  is  not  dis- 
 tracted, because  he  is  contented ;  as  it  is  with  a  ship  on  the  sea, 
 when  the  billows  begin  to  roar,  and  the  waves  are  violent,  if 
 the  anchor  be  fastened  deep,  it  stays  the  ship  :  so  this  work  of 
 humiliation  is  the  anchor  of  the  soul ;  and  the  deeper  it  is 
 fastened,  the  more  quiet  is  the  heart.  When  Job,  in  his  ex- 
 tremity, gave  way  to  his  proud  heart,  he  quarrelled  with  the 
 Almighty,  his  friends,  and  all;  but  when  the  Lord  had  hum- 
 bled him,  then.  Behold  I  am  vile;  once  have  I  spoken,  yea  twice, 
 but  now  no  more.  And  this  humiliation  quiets  a  man  both  in 
 the  fiercest  temptations,  and  in  the  heaviest  oppositions. 
 
 L  In  the  fiercest  temptations :  when  Satan  begins  to  besiege 
 the  heart  of  a  poor  sinner,  and  lays  a  battery  against  him,  see 
 how  the  humbled  heart  runs  him  out  of  breath  at  his  own  wea- 
 pons !  Dost  thou  think,  says  Satan,  to  get  mercy  from  the 
 Lord?  God  will  not  respect  the  prayers  of  such  vile  sinners. 
 *'  True,''  saith  the  poor  soul,  "  I  have  often  denied  the  Lord 
 when  he  called  upon  me,  and  therefore  he  may  justly  deny  me 
 all  the  prayers  I  make ;  yet  thus  he  hath  commanded,  that 
 seek  to  him  for  mercy  I  must,  and  if  the  Lord  will  cast  me 
 away,  and  reject  my  prayers,  I  am  contented  therewith:  what 
 then,  Satan?"  What  then?  saith  the  devil;  I  thought  this 
 would  have  made  thee  to  despair ;  but  this  is  not  all,  for  God 
 will  give  thee  over,  and  leave  thee  to  thyself,  to  thy  lusts  and 
 corruptions,  and  thy  latter  end  shall  be  worse  than  thy  be- 
 ginning. To  this  answers  the  humbled  soul,  '*  If  the  Lord  will 
 give  me  up  to  my  base  lusts,  and  if  the  Lord  will  leave  me  to 
 my  sins,  because  I  have  left  his  gracious  commands ;  and  if  I 
 ^hall  fall  one  day,  and  be  disgraced  and  dishonoured,  yet  let 
 the  Lord  be  honoured,  and  let  not  God  lose  the  praise  of  his 
 power  and  justice,  and  I  am  contented  therewith:  what  then, 
 Satan?"  What  then?  saith  the  devil;  I  sure  thought  now  thou 
 wouldst  have  despaired :  but  this  is  not  all,  for  when  God  hath 
 left  thee  t.o  thy  sins,  then  will  he  break  out  in  vengeance  against 
 thee,  and  make  thee  an  example  of  his  heavy  vengeance  to 
 
60  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration. 
 
 all  ages ;  and  therefore  it  is  best  for  thee  to  prevent  this  timely 
 judgment  by  some  mitimely  death.  To  this  replies  the  soul, 
 *'  Whatsoever  God  can  or  will  do,  I  know  not,  yet  so  great  are 
 my  sins,  that  he  cannot,  or,  at  least,  will  not  do  so  much 
 against  me  as  I  have  justly  deserved :  come  what  will  come,  I 
 am  contented  still  to  be  at  the  Lord's  disposal :  what  then, 
 Satan?"     And  thus  he  runs  Satan  out  of  breath. 
 
 So  in  all  temptations  of  Satan,  lie  low,  and  be  contented  to 
 be  at  God's  disposing,  and  all  these  fiery  temptations  shall 
 not  be  able  to  hurt  you. 
 
 2.  In  the  heaviest  oppositions:  when  Satan  is  gone,  then 
 comes  troubles  and  oppositions  of  the  world,  in  all  which  hu- 
 miliation will  quiet  the  soul.  Cast  disgrace  upon  the  humble 
 heart,  and  he  cures  it  thus :  he  thinks  worse  of  himself  than 
 any  man  else  can  do,  and  if  they  would  make  him  vile  and 
 loathsome,  he  is  more  vile  in  his  own  eyes  than  they  can  make 
 him :  O  that  I  could  bring  your  hearts  to  be  in  love  with  this 
 blessed  grace  of  God ! 
 
 Is  there  any  soul  here  that  hath  been  vexed  with  the  temp- 
 tations of  Satan,  oppositions  of  men,  or  with  his  own  dis- 
 tempers? and  would  he  now  arm  himself,  that  nothing  should 
 disquiet  him,  but  in  all,  to  be  above  all,  and  to  rejoice  in  all? 
 Oh !  be  humbled,  and  then  be  above  all  the  devils  in  hell ; 
 certainly  they  shall  not  so  disquiet  you,  as  to  cause  you  to  be 
 misled,  or  uncomforted,  if  you  would  but  be  humbled. 
 
 What  remains  then?  Be  exhorted,  as  you  desire  mercy  and 
 favour  at  God's  hands,  to  this  humiliation.  And  for  motives, 
 consider  the  good  things  that  God  hath  promised,  and  which 
 he  will  bestow  upon  all  that  are  truly  humbled:  I  shall 
 reduce  all  to  these  three : 
 
 First,  by  humiliation  we  are  made  capable  of  all  those  trea- 
 sures of  wisdom,  grace,  and  mercy,  that  are  in  Christ. 
 
 Secondly,  humiliation  gives  a  man  the  comfort  of  all  that  is 
 good  in  Christ.  To  be  truly  humbled,  is  the  next  way  to  be 
 truly  comforted  ;  the  Lord  will  look  to  him  that  hath  an  humble 
 contrite  heart,  and  trembles  at  his  word.  The  Lord  will  give  him 
 such  a  gracious  look,  as  shall  make  his  heart  dance  in  his  breast. 
 Thou  poor  humble  soul,  the  Lord  will  give  thee  a  glimpse  of  his 
 favour,  when  thou  art  tired  in  thy  trouble;  when  thoulookest 
 up  to  heaven,  the  Lord  will  look  down  upon  thee,  and  will  re- 
 fresh thee  with  mercy  :  Oh !  be  humbled  then  every  one  of  you, 
 and  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  comes  with  healing  under  his  wings, 
 will  comfort  you,  and  you  shall  see  the  salvation  of  our  God. 
 
 Thirdly,  humiliation  ushers  glory :  Whosoever  humbles  him- 
 self as  a  little  child,  shall  be  greatest  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
 He  shall  be  in  the  highest  degree  of  grace  here,  and  of  glory 
 hereafter :  for  as  thy  humiliation,  so  shall  be  thy  faith  and 
 sanctification,  and  obedience,  and  glory. 
 
The  Doctrhic  of  Rcgeitcrat'wn.  61 
 
 Now  the  Lord  make  me,  and  tliee,  and  all  of  ns  humble,  that 
 we  may  have  this  mercy.  Who  would  not  have  the  Lord  Jesus 
 to  dwell  with  him?  Who  would  not  have  the  Lord  Christ,  by 
 the  glory  of  his  grace,  to  honour  and  refresh  him?  Methinks 
 your  hearts  should  yearn  for  it,  and  say,  O  Lord,  break  my 
 heart,  and  humble  me,  that  mercy  may  be  my  portion  for  ever: 
 then  might  you  say  with  comfort  on  your  death-beds,  "  Though 
 I  go  away,  and  leave  wife  and  children  behind  me,  poor  and 
 mean,  in  the  world,  yet  I  leave  Christ  with  them:"  when  you 
 are  gone,  this  will  be  better  for  them  than  all  the  gold  or  ho- 
 nours in  the  world.  What  can  I  say?  Since  the  Lord  offers  so 
 kindly,  now  kiss  the  Son,  be  humble,  yield  to  all  God's  com- 
 mands, take  home  all  truths,  and  be  at  God's  disposing;  let 
 all  the  evil  that  is  threatened,  and  all  the  good  that  is  offered, 
 prevail  with  your  hearts :  or  if  means  cannot,  yet  the  Lord 
 prevail  with  you;  the  Lord  empty  you,  that  Christ  may  fill 
 you;  the  Lord  humble  you,  that  you  may  enjoy  happiness 
 and  peace,  and  be  lifted  up  to  the  highest  glory,  there  to 
 reign  for  ever  and  ever. 
 
 CHAP.  V. 
 
 The  Call  on  God's  Part,  for  the  Soul  to  close  with,  and  to  rely 
 
 on  Christ. 
 
 Hitherto  of  our  first  general,  the  preparation  of  the  soul 
 for  Christ:  the  next  is,  the  implantation  of  the  soul  into 
 Christ;  and  that  hath  two  parts,  1.  The  putting  of  the  soul 
 into  Christ;  2.  The  growing  of  the  soul  with  Christ. 
 
 As  a  graft  is  first  put  into  the  stock,  and  then  it  grows  to- 
 gether with  the  stock :  these  two  things  are  answerable  in 
 the  soul,  and  when  it  is  brought  to  this,  then  a  sinner  comes 
 to  be  partaker  of  all  spiritual  benefits. 
 
 The  first  part  is,  the  putting  in  of  the  soul :  when  the  soul  is 
 brought  out  of  the  world  of  sin,  to  lie  upon,  and  to  close  with, 
 the  Lord  Jesus  Christ:  and  this  hath  two  particular  passages ; 
 the  call  on  God's  part,  and  the  answer  on  man's  part. 
 
 The  call  on  God's  part  is  this:  when  the  Lord  by  the  call  of 
 his  gospel,  and  the  work  of  his  Spirit,  doth  so  clearly  reveal 
 the  fulness  of  mercy,  that  the  soul,  humbled,  returns  answer. 
 
 In  which  observe  the  means,  and  the  cause  whereby  God 
 doth  call. 
 
 L  The  means  is  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel;  the  sum  thereof 
 is  this,  That  there  is  fulness  of  mercy,  and  grace,  and  salvation, 
 brouo-ht  unto  us  throuoh  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Hence  the 
 phrase  of  scripture  calls  this  gospel,  or  this  mercy,  A  treasury; 
 All  the  treasures  of  icisdom  and  holiness  are  in  Christ:  not  one 
 treasure,  but  all  treasures :  where  the  gospel  comes,  there  is  joy 
 
G2  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration, 
 
 for  the  sorrowful,  peace  for  the  troubled,  strength  for  the 
 weak,  relief  seasonable  and  suitable  to  all  wants,  miseries, 
 and  necessities,  both  present  and  future. 
 
 If  then  sorrow  assail  thee  when  thou  art  come  thus  far,  look 
 not  on  thy  sins,  to  pore  upon  them ;  neither  look  into  thy  own  suf- 
 ficiency, to  procure  any  good  there.  It  is  true,  thou  must  see 
 thy  sins  and  sorrow  for  them,  but  this  is  for  the  lower  form,  and 
 thou  must  get  this  lesson  before-hand;  and  when  thou  hast 
 gotten  this  lesson  of  contrition  and  humiliation,  look  then 
 only  to  God's  mercy,  and  the  riches  of  his  grace  in  Christ. 
 
 2.  For  the  cause :  the  Lord  doth  not  only  appoint  the  means, 
 but  by  the  work  of  the  Spirit,  he  doth  bring  all  the  riches  of 
 his  grace  into  the  soul  truly  humbled.  If  you  ask,  how  ?  First, 
 with  strength  of  evidence  the  Spirit  presents  to  the  broken- 
 hearted sinner,  the  freeness  of  God's  grace  to  the  soul :  and 
 secondly,  the  Spirit  by  an  over-piercing  work,  doth  leave  a 
 supernatural  and  spiritual  virtue  on  the  heart. 
 
 Now  the  word  of  the  gospel,  and  the  work  of  the  Spirit, 
 always  go  together;  not  that  God  is  tied  to  any  means,  but  that 
 he  tieth  himself  to  the  means :  hence  the  gospel  is  called,  the 
 power  of  God  to  salvation,  because  the  power  of  God  ordi- 
 narily, and  in  common  course,  appears  therein :  the  waters  of 
 life  and  salvation  run  only  in  the  channel  of  the  gospel ;  nay, 
 observe  this,  when  all  arguments  fail  to  persuade  the  heart  to 
 go  to  God,  one  text  of  scripture  will  stand  a  man  in  stead, 
 above  all  human  learning  and  inventions;  because  the  Spirit 
 goes  forth  in  this,  and  none  else. 
 
 CHAP.  VI. 
 
 The  Answer  on  Man's  Part,  for  the  Soul  to  close  with,  and  to 
 
 relij  on  Christ. 
 
 HiTHEUTO  of  the  call  on  God's  part;  now  we  are  come  to 
 the  answer  on  man's  part.  No  sooner  hath  the  gospel  and 
 God's  Spirit  clearly  revealed  the  fulness  of  God's  mercy  in 
 Christ,  but  the  soul  gives  answer  to  the  call  of  God.  Mercy  is 
 a  proper  object  of  the  mind  to  be  enlightened,  of  hope  to  be 
 sustained,  of  desire  to  be  supported,  of  love  to  be  cheered ; 
 nay,  there  is  a  full  sufficiency  of  all  good  in  Christ,  that  so  the 
 will  of  man  may  take  full  repose  and  rest  in  him;  therefore 
 the  Lord  saith.  Come  unto  me,  all  that  are  weary  and  heavy 
 laden;  come,  mind,  and  hope,  and  desire,  and  love,  and  will, 
 and  heart.  They  all  answer,  We  come  :  the  mind  saith,  let 
 me  know  this  mercy  above  all,  and  desire  to  know  nothing 
 but  Christ,  and  him  crucified :  let  me  expect  this  mercy,  saith 
 hope,  that  belongs  to  me,  and  will  befall  me :  desire  saith,  let 
 me  long  after  it;  oh!  saith  love,  let  me  embrace  and  welcome 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration,  63 
 
 it :  o'h !  sfeith  the  heart,  let  me  lay  hold  on  the  liandle  of  salva- 
 tion •  here  we  will  live,  and  here  we  will  die,  at  the  footstool 
 of  God's  mercy. 
 
 2.   A  Sight  of  Christ,  or  of  Mercy  in  Christ^ 
 
 But  for  a  further  discovery  of  these  works  of  the  soul,  we 
 shall  enter  into  particulars:  and  for  their  order;  first,  the 
 Spirit  lets  in  a  light  into  his  heart,  and  discovers  unto  him, 
 that  God  will  deal  graciously  with  him.  It  is  with  a  sinner, 
 as  with  a  man  that  sits  in  darkness,  haply  he  seeth  a  lio-ht  in 
 the  street  out  of  a  window,  but  he  sits  still  in  darkness,  and 
 is  in  the  dungeon  all  the  while,  and  he  thinks,  "  How  good  were 
 it,  if  a  man  might  enjoy  that  light!"  So,  many  a  poor  sinner 
 seeth  God's  mercies  at  a  distance :  **  Ah !"  thinks  he,  "  I  am  in 
 darkness  still,  and  nevier  had  a  drop  of  mercy  vouchsafed  untb 
 me."  At  last  the  Lord  lets  a  li^ht  into  his  house,  and  puts 
 the  candle  into  his  own  hand,  and  makes  him  see  by  particu- 
 lar evidence,  thou  shalt  be  pardoned. 
 
 The  manner  how  the  Spirit  works  this,  is  discovered  m 
 three  passages: 
 
 First,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  meeting  with  an  humble,  broken 
 sinner,  (he  that  is  a  proud,  stout-hearted  wretch,  knows  nor- 
 thing of  this  matter,)  opens  the  eye,  and  now  he  begins  to  se6 
 some  glimmering,  that  he  can  look  into  the  things  of  God. 
 
 2.  Then  the  Lord  lays  before  him  all  the  riches  of  the  trea- 
 isure  of  his  grace ;  no  sooner  hath  he  given  him  an  eye,  but  he 
 lays  colours  before  him,  (the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ,) 
 that  he  may  look,  and  fall  in  love  with  those  sweet  treasures ; 
 and  then  saith  the  soul,  "  Oh,  that  mercy,  and  grace,  and  par^ 
 don,  were  mine !  Oh,  that  my  sins  were  done  away !"  The  Lord 
 saith,  "  I  will  refresh  them  that  are  heavy-laden."  Then  saith 
 the  soul,  *'  Oh,  that  I  had  that  refreshing!"  You  shall  have 
 rest,  saith  God.  **  Oh,  that  I  had  rest  too!"  saith  the  «oul: 
 and  now  the  soul  looks  after  mercy  and  compassion. 
 
 3.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  doth  witness  thoroughly  and  effec- 
 tually to  the  soul,  that  this  mercy  in  Christ  belongs  to  him : 
 observe,  none  in  heaven  or  in  earth,  but  only  God's  Spirit, 
 can  make  this  certificate;  when  it  is  night,  ail  the  candles  in 
 the  world  cannot  take  away  the  darknes-s :  so,  though  all  the 
 means  of  grace  and  salvation,  all  the  candle-light  of  the  mi- 
 nistry, are  good  helps,  yet  the  darkness  of  the  night  will  not 
 be  gone,  before  the  Sun  of  righteousness  arise  in  our  hearts. 
 Hence  it  is  that  it  proves  so  difiicult  a  matter  to  comfort  a 
 distressed  soul ;  "  I  shall  one  day  go  down  to  hell,"  saith  the 
 ^biil.  Let  all  the  ministers  under  heaven  cry,  "  Comfort  ye, 
 comfort  ye;"  still  he  replies,  "  Will  the  Lord  pardon  me?"  Let 
 me  speak  therefore  to  you  that  are  ministers :   You  do  well  to 
 
64  The  Doctmie  of  Regeneration. 
 
 labour  to  give  comfort  to  a  poor  fainting  soul;  but  always 
 say,  **  Comfort,  Lord :  O  Lord,  say  unto  this  poor  soul,  that 
 Thou  art  his  salvation." 
 
 3.  Hope  in  Christ 
 
 The  mind  being  enlightened,  the  Lord  calls  on  the  affec- 
 tions ;  come  desire,  come  love ;  but  the  first  voice  is  to  hope. 
 Now  this  aff'ection  is  set  out  to  meet  mercy  afar  off,  it  is  the 
 looking  out  of  the  soul:  **  Oh,  when  will  it  be.  Lord?  Thou 
 sayest  mercy  is  prepared,  thou  sayest  mercy  is  approaching; 
 Oh,  when  will  it  come.  Lord?" 
 
 The  manner  how  God's  Spirit  works  this,  is  discerned  in 
 three  particulars :  the  Lord  doth  sweetly  stay  the  heart,  and 
 fully  persuade  the  soul,  that  a  man's  sins  are  pardonable,  and 
 that  all  his  sins  may  be  pardoned,  and  that  all  the  good  things 
 he  wanteth  may  be  bestowed :  when  a  poor  sinner  seeth  no 
 rest  in  the  creature,  nor  in  himself,  though  all  means,  all  help, 
 all  men,  all  angels,  should  join  together;  then  the  Lord  lifteth 
 up  his  voice,  and  saith  from  heaven.  Thy  sins  are  pardonable 
 in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 2.  The  Lord  doth  sweetly  persuade  the  soul  that  all  his  sins 
 are  pardonable ;  the  Lord  persuades  his  heart  that  he  intendeth 
 mercy;  by  this  means  hope  comes  to  be  assured,  knowing  the 
 promise  shall  be  at  the  last  accomplished :  the  former  only  sus- 
 tained the  heart,  but  this  comforts  the  soul,  that  undoubtedly 
 it  shall  have  mercy:  the  Lord  Jesus  came  to  seek,  and  to  save, 
 that  which  was  lost:  now  saith  the  broken  and  humble  sin- 
 ner, God  saith.  Come  inito  me,  all  ye  that  are  weary  and  heavy 
 laden:  **  I  am  weary,  and  unless  the  Lord  intend  good  unto 
 me,  why  should  he  invite  me,  and  bid  me  come?  surely  he 
 means  to  shew  me  mercy,  nay,  he  promiseth  to  relieve  me 
 when  I  come,  therefore  he  will  do  good  unto  me." 
 
 3.  The  Lord  lets  in  some  taste  of  the  sweetness  of  his  love, 
 so  that  the  soul  is  deeply  affected  with  it ;  it  is  the  letting  in 
 the  riches  of  his  love,  that  turneth  the  expectation  of  the  soul 
 another  way,  yea,  it  turneth  the  whole  stream  of  the  soul 
 thitherward. 
 
 I  desire  you,  I  entreat  you,  if  you  have  any  hope  of  heaven, 
 if  you  have  any  treasure  in  Christ,  labour  to  quicken  this  affec- 
 tion above  all;  the  means  are  these:  1.  Labour  to  be  much 
 acquainted  with  the  precious  promises  of  God,  to  have  them 
 at  hand,  and  upon  all  occasions :  these  are  thy  comforts,  and 
 will  support  thy  soul. 
 
 2.  Maintain  in  thy  heart  a  deep  and  serious  acknowledgment 
 of  that  supreme  authority  of  the  Lord,  to  do  what  he  will,  and 
 how  he  will,  according  to  his  pleasure.  Alas !  we  think  too  often 
 to  bring  God  to  our  bow ;  "  We  have  hoped  thus  long,  and  God 
 hath  not  answered;  and  shall  we  wait  still?"  Wait!  ay,  wait. 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration,  65 
 
 and  bless  God  that  you  may  wait ;  if  you  may  lie  at  God's  feet, 
 and  put  your  mouths  in  the  dust,  and  at  the  end  of  your  days 
 have  one  crumb  of  mercy,  it  is  enough.  Therefore,  check  those 
 distempers.  '*  Shall  I  wait  still?"  It  is  a  strange  thing,  that  a 
 poor  worm,  worthy  of  hell,  should  take  state,  and  stand  upon 
 terms  with  God ;  "  he  will  not  wait  upon  God :"  Who  must  wait 
 then?  Must  God  wait,  or  man  wait?  It  was  the  apostles'  ques- 
 tion. Wilt  thou  no20  restore  the  kitigdom  to  Israel?  To  whom 
 our  Saviour  answered.  It  is  not  for  you  to  know  the  times  and 
 seasons;  as  who  should  say.  It  is  for  you  to  wait,  and  to  expect 
 mercy,  it  is  not  for  you  to  know.  *  If  you  begin  to  wrangle, 
 and  say,  '*  How  long.  Lord? — When,  Lord? — And  why  not 
 now.  Lord? — Why  not  I,  Lord?"  now  check  thy  own  heart, 
 and  say,  "  It  is  not  for  me  to  know,  it  is  for  me  to  be  humble, 
 and  abased,  and  wait  for  mercy." 
 
 4.  A  Desire  after  Christ. 
 
 When  the  soul  is  humbled,  and  the  eye  opened,  then  he  be- 
 gins thus  to  reason ;  "  Oh,  happy  I  that  see  mercy ;  but  misera- 
 ble I,  if  I  come  to  see  this,  and  never  have  a  share  in  it!  O 
 why  not  I,  Lord?  My  soul  now  thirsteth  after  thee,  as  a  thirsty 
 land;  my  affections  now  hunger  after  righteousness,  both  in- 
 fused and  imputed."    Now  this  desire  is  begotten  thus: 
 
 When  the  soul  is  come  so  far,  that  after  a  thorough  convic- 
 tion of  sin,  and  sound  humiliation  under  God's  mighty  hand,  it 
 hath  a  seasonable  revelation  of  the  glorious  mysteries  of  Christ, 
 of  his  excellencies,  invitations,  truth,  tender-heartedness,  of 
 the  heavenly  splendour  of  the  pearl  of  great  price ;  then  doth 
 the  soul  conceive,  by  the  help  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  this  desire 
 and  vehement  longing:  and  lest  any  cozen  themselves  by  any 
 misconceits  about  it ; — it  is  then  known  to  be  saving, 
 
 1 .  When  it  is  j  oined  with  an  hearty  willingness  and  unfeigned 
 resolution,  to  sell  all,  to  part  with  all  sin,  to  bid  adieu  for  ever  to 
 our  darling  delight.  If  thou  desirest  earnestly,  thou  wilt  work 
 accordingly;  for  as  the  desire  is,  so  will  thy  endeavour  be. 
 
 2.  When  it  is  earnest,  vehement,  extreme  thirsting  after 
 Christ,  as  the  parched  earth  for  refreshing  showers,  or  the  hunted 
 hart  for  the  water-brooks.  We  read  of  a  Scottish  penitent, 
 who,  a  little  before  his  confession,  freely  confessed  his  fault,  to 
 the  shame,  as  he  said,  of  himself,  and  of  the  devil,  but  to  the 
 glory  of  God :  he  acknowledged  it  to  be  so  heinous  and  horri- 
 ble, that  had  he  a  thousand  lives,  and  could  die  ten  thousand 
 deaths,  he  could  not  make  satisfaction.  "  Notwithstanding," 
 saith  he,  **  Lord,  thou  hast  left  me  this  comfort  in  thy  word, 
 that  thou  hast  said,  *  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  are  weary  and 
 heavy  laden,  and  I  will  refresh  you:'  Lord,  I  am  weary;  Lord, 
 I  am  heavy-laden  with  my  sins,  which  are  innumerable ;  I  am 
 ready  to  sink,  Lord,  even  into  hell,  unless  thou  in  thy  mercy 
 
 3  I 
 
66  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration. 
 
 put  to  thine  hand,  and  deliver  me:  Lord,  thou  hast  promised, 
 by  thine  own  word  out  of  thy  mouth,  that  thou  wilt  refresh  the 
 weary  soul/'  And  with  that  he  thrust  out  one  of  his  hands,  and, 
 reaching  as  high  as  he  could  towards  heaven,  he  with  a  louder 
 voice  cried,  "  I  challenge  thee.  Lord,  by  that  word,  and  by  that 
 promise  thou  hast  made,  that  thou  perform  and  make  it  good 
 to  me,  that  call  for  ease  and  mercy  at  thy  hands."  Proportion- 
 ably,  when  heavy-heartedness  for  sin  hath  so  dried  up  the 
 bones,  and  the  angry  countenance  of  God  so  parched  the  heart, 
 that  the  poor  soul  begins  now  to  gasp  for  grace,  as  thirsty  land 
 for  drops  of  rain;  then  the  poor  sinner,  though  dust  and  ashes, 
 with  an  holy  humility  thus  speaks  unto  Christ,  "  O  merciful 
 Lord  God,  thou  art  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the 
 end ;  thou  sayest  it  is  done,  of  things  that  are  yet  to  come,  so 
 faithful  and  true  are  thy  promises.  Thou  hast  promised  by 
 thine  own  word  out  of  thine  own  mouth,  that  unto  him  that  is 
 athirst,  thou  wilt  give  of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life  freely. 
 O  Lord,  I  thirst,  I  faint,  I  languish,  I  long  for  one  drop  of  mer- 
 cy: as  the  hart  panteth  for  the  water-brooks,  so  panteth  my 
 soul  after  thee,  O  God,  and  after  the  yearning  bowels  of  thy 
 compassions :  had  I  now  in  possession  the  glory,  the  wealth,  and 
 pleasures,  of  the  whole  world ;  nay,  had  I  ten  thousand  lives, 
 joyfully  would  I  lay  them  down,  to  have  this  poor  trembling 
 soul  received  into  the  bleeding  arms  of  my  blessed  Redeemer. 
 O  Lord,  my  spirit  within  me  is  melted  into  tears  of  blood,  my 
 heart  is  shivered  into  pieces ;  out  of  the  very  place  of  dragons, 
 and  shadow  of  death,  do  I  lift  up  my  thoughts  heavy  and  sad 
 before  thee.  The  remembrance  of  my  former  vanities  and  pol- 
 lutions, is  a  vomit  to  my  soul,  and  it  is  sorely  wounded  by  the 
 grievous  representation  thereof;  the  very  flames  of  hell.  Lord, 
 the  fury  of  thy  just  wrath,  the  scorchings  of  my  own  conscience, 
 have  so  wasted  and  parched  mine  heart,  that  my  thirst  is  in- 
 satiable, my  bowels  are  hot  within  me,  my  desire  after  Jesus 
 Christ,  pardon,  and  grace,  is  greedy  as  the  grave;  the  coals 
 thereof  are  coals  of  fire,  which  have  a  most  vehement  flame ; 
 and.  Lord,  in  thy  blessed  book  thou  callest  and  criest,  Ho, 
 every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters.  In  that  great  day 
 of  the  feast,  thou  stoodest,  and  criedst  with  thine  own  mouth. 
 If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink;  and  these 
 ^re  thine  own  words,  Those  who  hunger  and  thirst  after  righ- 
 teousness, shall  be  filed.  I  challenge  thee.  Lord,  in  this  my 
 extremest  thirst  after  thine  own  blessed  self,  and  spiritual 
 life  in  thee,  by  that  word  and  by  that  promise  which  thou 
 hast  made,  that  thou  make  it  good  to  me,  that  lies  grovelling 
 in  the  dust,  and  trembling , at  thy  feet:  Oh!  open  now  that 
 promised  well  of  life,  for  f  must  drink,  or  else  I  die." 
 
 The  means  to  obtain  this  desire,  are  these  three : 
 ,    1  Be  acquainted  thoroughly  with  thine  own  necessities,  with 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration.  67 
 
 that  emptiness  that  is  in  thyself.  A  groundless  presumption 
 makes  a  man  careless;  see  into  thine  own  necessities,  confess 
 the  want  of  this  desire  after  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 2.  Labour  to  spread  forth  the  excellency  of  all  the  beauty 
 and  glory  that  is  in  the  promises  of  God :  couldest  thou  but 
 view  them  in  their  proper  colours,  they  would  even  ravish 
 thee,  and  quicken  thy  desires. 
 
 3.  After  all  this,  know  it  is  not  in  thy  power  to  bring  thy 
 heart  to  desire  Christ;  thou  canst  not  hammer  out  a  desire 
 upon  thy  own  anvil,  hew  thy  own  rock  as  long  as  thou  wilt ; 
 nay,  let  all  the  angels  in  heaven,  and  all  the  ministers  on 
 earth,  provoke  thee,  yet  if  the  hand  of  the  Lord  be  wanting, 
 thou  shalt  not  lift  up  thine  heart,  nor  step  one  step  towards 
 heaven  :  then  go  to  him  who  is  able  to  work  this  desire  in  thy 
 soul.  Remember,  desires  grow  not  in  thy  garden,  they  spring 
 not  from  the  root  of  thy  abilities :  O  seek  unto  God,  and  con- 
 fess, "  In  truth.  Lord,  it  is  thou  from  whom  come  all  our  good 
 desires,  it  is  thou  must  work  them  in  us ;  and  therefore,  Lord, 
 quicken  thou  this  soul,  and  enlarge  this  heart  of  mine,  for  thou 
 
 ,only  art  the  God  of  desire."  Thus  hale  down  a  desire  from 
 the  Lord,  and  from  the  promise,  for  there  only  must  thou 
 have  it;  the  smoking  flax  God  will  not  quench.  Flax  will 
 not  smoke,  but  a  spark  must  come  into  it,  and  that  will  make 
 it  catch  fire  and  smoke.  Thus  lay  your  hearts  before  the 
 Lord,  and  say,  "  Good  Lord,  here  is  only  flax,  here  is  only  a 
 stubborn  heart,  but  strike  thou  by  the  promise  one  spark  from 
 heaven,  that  I  may  have  a  smoking  desire  after  Christ,  and 
 after  grace. 
 
 5.  A  Love  of  Christ. 
 
 We  have  run  through  two  affections,  Hope  and  Desire,  and 
 the  next  is  Love.  A  possible  good  stirs  up  hope;  a  necessary 
 excellency  in  that  good,  settleth  desire;  and  a  relish  in  that 
 good  settled,  kindles  love.  This  is  the  order  of  God's  work; 
 if  the  good  be  absent,  the  understanding  saith,  it  is  to  be  de- 
 sired, O  that  I  had  it!  Then  it  sends  out  hope,  and  that  waits 
 for  good,  and  stays  till  he  can  see  it;  and  yet  if  that  good 
 cannot  come,  then  desire  hath  another  work ;  it  goes  up  and 
 down- wandering,  and  seeketh  and  sueth  for  Christ  Jesus. 
 After  this,  if  the  Lord  Jesus  be  pleased  to  come  himself  into 
 the  view  of  the  heart  which  longeth  thus  after  him,  then  love 
 leads  him  into  the  soul,  and  tells  the  will  of  him,  saying,  Lo ! 
 here  is  Jesus  Christ  the  Messiah,  that  hath  ordered  these 
 great  things  for  his  saints  and  people. 
 
 The  ground  of  this  love  is  God's  Spirit  in  the  promise,  let- 
 ting in  some  intimation  of  God's  love  into  the  soul.  We  love 
 him,  because  he  loved  us  first:  the  burning  glass  must  receive 
 heat  of  the  beams  of  the  sun,  before  it  burn  any  thing;  so 
 there  must  be  a  beam  of  God's  love  to  fall  upon  the  soul,  be- 
 
68  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration, 
 
 fore  it  can  love  God  again ;  /  dreio  them  with  the  cords  of  a 
 man,  even  with  the  bands  of  love.  God  lets  in  the  cords  of  love 
 into  the  soul,  and  that  draws  love  again  to  God. 
 
 This  love  of  God  doth  beget  our  love  in  three  particulars: 
 First,  there  is  a  sweetness  and  a  relish  which  God's  love  lets 
 into  the  soul,  and  warms  the  heart  with.  A  fainting  sinner  is 
 cold  at  heart,  and  therefore  the  Lord  lets  in  a  drop  of  his 
 loving-kindness,  and  this  warms  the  heart,  and  the  soul  is 
 even  filled  with  the  happiness  of  the  mercy  of  God. 
 
 Secondly,  as  that  sweetness  warms  the  heart,  so  the  free- 
 ness  of  the  love  of  God  begins  to  kindle  this  love  in  the  soul, 
 that  it  sparkles  again:  God  setteth  out  his  love  towards  us, 
 seeing  that  while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us.  This 
 commends  the  love  of  God,  the  Lord  sends  to  poor  and  misera- 
 ble sinners,  and  saith,  Commend  my  mercy  to  such  a  one,  and 
 tell  him,  that  though  he  hath  been  an  enemy  to  me,  yet  I  am 
 a  friend  to  him;  and  though  he  hath  been. rebellious  against 
 me,  yet  I  am  a  God  and  a  Father  to  him.  When  a  poor  sinner 
 considers  this  with  himself,  he  saith,  "  Is  the  Lord  so  merciful 
 to  me?  I  that  loved  my  sins,  and  continued  in  them,  had  it 
 not  been  just  that  I  should  have  perished  in  them?  But  will 
 the  Lord  not  only  spare  his  enemy,  but  give  his  Son  for  him? 
 
 0  let  my  soul  for  ever  rejoice  in  this  unconceivable  goodness 
 of  God!"  Be  thy  heart  never  so  hard,  if  it  have  but  the  sense 
 of  this,  it  cannot  but  stir  thee  to  love. 
 
 Thirdly,  the  greatness  of  the  freeness  of  this  mercy  of  God, 
 being  settled  upon  the  heart,  inflames  it;  the  sweetness  warms 
 the  heart,  this  freeness  kindles  the  fire ;  and  when  the  greatness 
 of  the  sweetness  comes  to  be  valued,  this  sets  the  heart  all  on  a 
 flame.  This  will  make  the  soul  say.  What !  I  that  havedone  all 
 that  I  could  against  this  good  God !  O,  it  breaks  my  heart  to 
 think  of  it !  There  was  no  name  under  heaven  that  I  did  blas- 
 pheme more  than  this ;  no  command  under  heaven  I  so  much 
 despised,  as  the  command  of  God  and  of  Christ;  no  spirit  that 
 
 1  grieved  so  much  as  the  good  Spirit  of  God ;  and  therefore 
 had  the  Lord  only  given  me  a  look,  or  spoken  a  word  to  me,  it 
 had  been  an  infinite  mercy ;  but  to  send  his  Son  to  save  me,  it  is 
 incomparable  :  I  could  not  conceive  to  do  so  much  evil  against 
 him,  as  he  hath  done  good  to  me :  O  the  breadth  of  that  mercy 
 beyond  all  limits !  O  the  length  of  that  mercy  beyond  all  time ! 
 O  the  depth  of  that  mercy  below  a  man's  misery !  O  the 
 height  of  that  mercy  above  the  height  of  my  understanding! 
 If  my  hands  were  all  love,  that  I  could  work  nothing  but  love ; 
 and  if  mine  eyes  were  able  to  see  nothing  but  love ;  and  my 
 mmd  to  think  of  nothing  but  love  ;  and  if  I  had  a  thousand 
 bodies,  they  were  all  too  little  to  love  that  God,  that  hath 
 thus  unmeasurably  loved  me,  a  poor  sinful  hell-hound.  O 
 Lord,  my  strength,  O  how  should  I  but  love  thee  I 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneratian.  69 
 
 But  how  may  I  know  whether  my  love  be  a  true  love,  or  a 
 false  love?  How  may  I  know  that  my  love  is  of  the  right 
 stamp? 
 
 Let  every  man  put  his  love  upon  the  trial,  and  examine 
 thus,  whether  thou  dost  welcome  Christ  and  grace  according 
 to  the  worth  of  them?  If  thou  dost,  it  will  appear  in  these 
 particulars : 
 
 1.  Observe  the  root  from  whence  thy  love  came.  Canst 
 thou  say,  I  love  the  Lord,  because  he  hath  loved  me?  Tlien 
 thy  love  is  right.  God  cannot  but  like  that  love  which  came 
 from  himself.  Is  thy  soul  affected  and  enlarged  in  love  to  the 
 Lord  because  thou  hast  felt  the  sweetness  of  his  grace?  Canst 
 thou  say,  the  Lord  hath  let  in  a  glimpse  of  his  favour?  And 
 the  Lord  hath  said  in  his  truth,  he  looks  to  him  that  trembles 
 at  his  word;  the  minister  said  it,  and  the  Spirit  saith  it,  that 
 my  mercy  is  registered  in  heaven:  O  how  should  I  love 
 the  Lord !  My  sins  are  many,  which  I  have  bewailed ;  my  sighs 
 I  have  put  up  to  heaven,  and  at  the  last  the  Lord  hath  given 
 me  a  gracious  answer:  O  how  shall  I  love  the  Lord  my 
 strength?     If  it  be  thus  with  thee,  thy  love  is  sound. 
 
 2.  If  thou  entertain  thy  Saviour  as  it  beseems  him,  thou 
 must  entertain  him  as  a  king,  give  up  all  to  him,  and  entertain 
 none  with  him,  but  such  as  are  attendants  upon  him ;  love 
 all  in  Christ,  and  for  Christ,  but  express  thy  love  and  joy  to 
 Christ  above  all :  he  is  a  king,  and  all  the  rest  are  but  as  re- 
 tainers. He  that  loves  any  thing  equal  with  Christ,  doth  not 
 rightly  love  Christ. 
 
 3.  The  soul  that  rightly  entertains  Christ  is  marvellously 
 weary  and  watchful  that  he  may  not  sadden  that  good  Spirit 
 of  God,  to  grieve  him,  and  cause  him  to  go  away.  The  spouse 
 sought  long  for  her  beloved,  and  at  last  brought  him  home ; 
 and  v/hen  she  had  welcomed  him,  she  gives  a  charge  to  all  the 
 house  not  to  stir,  nor  awake  her  love.  When  a  prince  comes 
 into  the  house  of  a  great  man,  what  charge  is  there  given  to 
 make  no  noise  in  the  night!  The  soul,  when  it  hath  received 
 the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  doth  thus ;  he  gives  a  peremptory 
 charge  to  keep  watch  and  ward,  and  gives  a  charge  to  hope, 
 and  desire,  and  love,  and  joy,  and  the  mind,  and  all,  not  to 
 grieve  or  molest  the  good  Spirit  of  God ;  let  there  be  no  mo- 
 tion but  to  entertain  it,  no  advice  but  to  receive  it,  and  do 
 nothing  that  may  work  the  least  kind  of  dislike  unto  it. 
 
 And  now  let  me  prevail  with  your  hearts  to  this  duty ;  love 
 the  Lord,  all  ye  his  saints.  Whom  will  you  love,  if  you  love  not 
 him?  Oh !  you  poor  ones,  love  ye  the  Lord,  for  you  have  need ; 
 and  all  you  rich  ones,  love  ye  the  Lord,  for  you  have  cause ; 
 and  you  little  ones  too : — he  knocks  at  every  man's  heart,  and 
 persuades  every  man's  soul;  love  ye  the  Lord. 
 
 The  means  are  these:  1.  Give  attendance  daily  to  the  pro- 
 
70  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration, 
 
 mise  of  grace,  and  Christ;  drive  away  all  other  suitors  from 
 the  soul,  and  let  nothing  come  between  the  promise  and  it. 
 
 2.  Labour  to  be  thoroughly  acc[uainted  with  the  beauty  and 
 sweetness  of  Christ  in  the  promise. 
 
 Christ  is  worthy  in  himself:  if  we  had  a  thousand  hearts  to 
 bestow,  we  were  not  able  to  love  him  sufficiently.  What  would 
 you  love?  Wouldst  thou  have  beauty?  then  thy  Saviour  is 
 beautiful;  Thou  art  fairer  than  the  children  of  men,  Psal.  xlv.  2. 
 Wouldst  thou  have  strength?  then  thy  Saviour  is  strong; 
 Gird  thy  sicord  on  thy  thigh,  O  most  mighty,  Psal.  xlv.  3. 
 Wouldst  thou  have  riches  ?  thy  Saviour  is  more  rich,  if  it  be 
 possible,  than  he  is  strong;  He  is  heir  of  all  things,  Heb.  i.  1. 
 Wouldst  thou  have  wisdom?  then  thy  Saviour  is  wise,  yea, 
 wisdom  itself;  Li  him  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and 
 knowledge.  Col.  ii.  3.  Wouldst  thou  have  life  eternal?  Christ 
 is  the  author  of  life  and  happiness  to  all  that  have  him. 
 
 And  Christ  deserves  our  love,  in  regard  of  beneiits  to  us. 
 Be  man  never  so  worthy  in  himself,  yet  if  he  have  expressed 
 the  part  of  an  enemy,  a  woman  saith,  I  will  not  have  him 
 though  he  have  all  the  world.  This  takes  off  the  affection. 
 It  is  not  so  with  the  Lord  Jefsus :  as  he  is  worthy  of  all  love 
 in  himself,  so  he  hath  dealt  mercifully  with  you.  In  your 
 sickness,  who  helped  you?  in  wants,  who  supplied  you?  in 
 anguish  of  heart,  who  relieved  you?  It  was  Jesus  Christ.  Oh! 
 therefore  love  him ;  deal  with  him  as  he  deserves ;  enlarge 
 your  hearts  to  him  for  ever. 
 
 Yea,  Christ  seeks  our  love :  here  is  the  admiration  of  mercy, 
 that  our  Saviour,  who  hath  been  rejected  by  a  company  of  sin- 
 ful creatures,  should  seek  their  love !  For  shame,  refuse  him 
 not,  but  let  him  have  love  ere  he  go.  Had  the  Lord  received 
 us  when  we  had  come  to  him  and  humbled  our  hearts  before 
 him,  had  he  heard  when  we  had  spent  our  days  and  all  our 
 strength  in  begging  and  craving,  it  had  been  an  infinite 
 mercy:  but  when  the  Lord  JesusChrist  shall  seek  to  us  by  his 
 messengers,  (it  is  all  the  work  we  have  to  do,  to  woo  you  for 
 the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,)  when  he  shall  come  and  wait  upon  us, 
 and  seek  our  love;  Oh,  this  is  the  wonder  of  mercies!  He 
 looks  for  no  portion,  he  will  take  thee  and  all  thy  wants. 
 Get  you  home  then ;  and  every  one,  in  secret,  labour  to  deal 
 truly  with  your  own  hearts;  make  up  a  match  in  this  manner, 
 and  say,  **  Is  it  possible  that  the  Lord  should  look  so  low?  that 
 a  prince  should  send  to  a  poor  peasant?  that  majesty  should 
 stoop  to  meanness?  heaven  to  earth?  God  to  man?  Hath  the 
 Lord  offered  mercy  to  me?  and  doth  he  require  nothing  of 
 me  but  to  love  him  again?"  Call  upon  your  hearts,  I  charge 
 you,  and  say  thus,  *'  Lord,  if  all  the  light  of  mine  eyes  were 
 love,  and  all  the  speeches  of  my  tongue  were  love,  it  were 
 all  too  little  to  love  thee:  Oh,  let  me  love  thee!" 
 
The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration.  71 
 
 6.  A  Itelying  on  Christ. 
 
 We  are  now  come  to  the  work  of  the  will,  which  is  the  great 
 wheel  of  the  soul.  The  former  affections  were  but  as  hand- 
 maids to  usher  in  Christ.  The  mind  saith,  "  I  have  seen  Christ ;" 
 Hope  saith,  *'  I  have  waited  :"  Desire  saith,  "  I  have  lono-ed:" 
 Love  saith,  "  I  am  kindled :"  Then  saith  the  will,  "  I  will  have 
 Christ,  it  shall  be  so :"  and  this  makes  up  the  match.  The 
 seeds  of  faith  went  before ;  now  faith  is  come  to  some  perfec- 
 tion; now  the  soul  reposes  itself  upon  the  Lord  Jesus. 
 
 And  this  reposing  or  resting  itself,  discovers  a  five-fold  act : 
 
 First,  it  implies  a  going  out  of  the  soul  to  Christ:  when  the 
 soul  seeth  this,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  is  his  aid,  and  must  ease 
 him,  and  pardon  his  sins,  then,  "  Let  us  go  to  that  Christ," 
 saith  he  ;  **  it  is  the  Lord's  call.  Come  to  mc,  all  ye  that  are 
 weary."  this  voice  coming  home  to  the  heart,  and  the  pre- 
 vailing sweetness  of  the  call  overpowering  the  heart,  the  soul 
 goes  put,  and  flings  itself  upon  the  riches  of  God's  grace. 
 
 Secondly,  it  lays  fast  hold  upon  Christ :  when  the  Lord  saith. 
 Come,  my  love,  come  my  dove,  O  come  away !  *'  Behold  I 
 come,"  saith  she ;  and  when  she  is  come,  she  fasteneth  upon 
 Christ,  saying,  *'  My  beloved  is  mine,  and  I  am  his :"  faith 
 lays  hold  on  the  Lord,  and  will  not  let  mercy  go,  but  cleaves 
 unto  it,  though  it  conflict  with  the  Lord ;  Should  he  slay  me, 
 saith  Job,  yet  ivill  I  trust  in  him. 
 
 Thirdly,  it  flings  the  weight  of  all  its  troubles,  guilt,  and 
 corruptions,  upon  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  As  when  a  man  can- 
 not go  of  himself,  he  lays  all  the  weight  of  his  body  upon  ano- 
 ther; so  the  soul  goes  to  Christ,  and  lays  all  the  weight  of  itself 
 upon  Christ,  and  saith,  "  I  have  no  comfort,  O  Lord ;  all  my 
 discomforts  I  lay  upon  Christ,  and  I  rely  on  the  Lord  for  com- 
 fort and  consolation:"  Viho  is  ^A^s,  saith  Solomon,  that  cometh 
 up  from  the  ivilderness,  leaning  on  her  beloved!  Cant.  viii.  5.  The 
 party  coming  is  the  church,  the  wilderness  is  the  troubles 
 and  vexations  the  church  meets  with,  and  the  beloved  is  the 
 Lord  Jesus  Christ;  now  the  church  leans  herself  all  upon  her 
 husband,  she  walks  along  with  him,  but  he  bears  all  the  bur- 
 den:  Cast  all  your  cares  upon  him,  saith  Peter,  ybr  he  careth 
 for  you,  1  Pet.  v.  7. 
 
 I^ourthly,  it  draws  virtue,  and  derives  power,  from  the  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ  for  succour  and  supplies ;  and  here  is  the  espe- 
 cial life  of  faith,  it  goes  for  mercy,  and  grace,  and  comfort  in 
 Christ;  he  knows  'tis  to  be  had  from  him,  and  therefore  he 
 fetched  all  from  him :  With  joy  shall  ye  draw  water  out  of  the 
 wells  of  salvation,  Isa.  xii.  3.  The  fountain  of  salvation  is 
 Christ,  and  all  the  waters  of  life,  of  grace  and  mercy,  are  in 
 Christ  Jesus :  now  it  is  not  enough  to  let  down  the  bucket 
 into  the  well,  but  it  must  be  drawn  out  also ;  it  is  not  enough 
 
72  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneration. 
 
 to  come  to  Christ,  but  we  must  draw  the  water  of  grace  from 
 Christ  to  ourselves. 
 
 Fifthly,  faith  leaves  the  soul  with  the  promise ;  yea,  not- 
 withstanding all  delays,  denials,  discouragements  from  God, 
 faith  brings  on  the  heart  still ;  it  will  be  sure  to  lie  at  the  gate, 
 and  keep  the  soul  with  the  promise,  whatever  befals  it.  The 
 faithful  soul  lays  hold  upon  the  Lord  for  mercy,  pardon,  power, 
 and  grace,  and  though  the  Lord  seem  to  give  him  up  to  the 
 torment  of  sin  and  corruption,  yet  the  soul  saith,  "  Though 
 my  soul  go  down  to  hell,  I  will  hold  here  for  mercy,  till  the 
 Lord  comfort  and  pardon,  and  subdue  graciously  these  cursed 
 corruptions,  which  I  am  not  able  to  master  myself." 
 
 Hast  thou  gotten!  faith?  then  labour  to  husband  this  grace 
 well.  It  is  a  shame  to  see  those  that  have  a  right  and  title  to 
 grace  and  Christ,  yet  live  at  such  an  under-rate :  I  would  have 
 you  to  live  above  the  world,  for  the  Lord  doth  not  grudge  his 
 people  comfort,  but  would  have  them  live  cheerfully,  and  have 
 strong  consolations,  and  mighty  assurance  of  God's  love.  Is 
 there  not  cause?  surely  there  is.  Why,  faith,  if  it  be  right,  will 
 make  the  life  of  a  Christian  most  easy,  most  comfortable. 
 Unfaithful  souls  sink  in  their  sorrows  upon  every  occasion,  but 
 faith  gives  ease  to  a  man  in  aH  his  conversation:  1.  Because 
 faith  hath  a  skill  to  put  over  all  cares  to  another.  We  take  up 
 the  cross,  but  faith  casts  all  the  care  on  Christ:  an  easy  matter 
 it  is  to  lie  under  the  burden,  when  another  bears  all  the  weight 
 of  it.  Look  how  it  is  with  two  ferry-men,  the  one  hales  his 
 boat  about  the  shore,  and  cannot  get  oiF,  but  tugs  and  pulls, 
 and  never  puts  her  forth  to  the  tide ;  the  other  puts  his  boat 
 upon  the  stream,  and  sets  up  his  sail,  and  then  he  may  sit  still, 
 and  the  wind  will  carry  him  whither  he  is  to  go : — just  thus  is  it 
 with  a  faithful  soul  and  an  unbeliever ;  all  the  care  of  the  first, 
 is  to  put  himself  upon  the  stream  of  God's  providence,  and  set 
 up  the  sail  of  faith,  and  take  the  gale  of  God's  mercy  ;  so  he  goes 
 cheerfully,  because  it  is  not  he  that  carries  himself,  but  the  Lord 
 Jesus  :  whereas  every  unfaithful  soul  tugs  and  pull  at  the  busi- 
 ness, and  can  find  neither  ease  nor  success.  2.  Because  faith 
 sweetens  all  afflictions :  howsoever  it  apprehends  all  troubles 
 and  afflictions,  yet  withal  it  apprehends  the  faithfulness  of  God, 
 ordering  all  for  our  good ;  and  that's  the  reason  why  all  our 
 troubles  are  digested  comfortably,  without  any  harshness  at  all. 
 
 You  will  say.  If  faith  brings  such  ease,  how  may  a  man  that 
 hath  faith,  improve  it,  to  have  such  comfort  by  it?  I  answer, 
 the  rules  are  four  : 
 
 1.  Labour  to  gain  some  evidence  to  thy  own  soul,  that  thou 
 hast  a  title  to  the  promise :  the  reason  why  poor  Christians 
 go  drooping,  and  are  overwhelmed  with  their  sins  and  miseries, 
 is  because  they  see  not  their  title  to  mercy,  nor  their  evidence 
 of  God's  love. 
 
71ie  Doctrine  of  Regeneration,  73 
 
 2.  Labour  to  set  an  high  price  on  the  promises  of  God : 
 one  promise,  and  the  sweetness  of  God's  mercy  in  Christ,  is 
 better  than  all  the  honours  or  riches  in  the  world ;  prize  these 
 at  this  rate,  and  thou  canst  not  choose  but  find  ease  and  be 
 contented. 
 
 3.  Labour  to  keep  the  promises  ever  at  hand.  What  is  it 
 to  me,  though  I  have  a  thing  in  the  house,  if  I  have  it  not  at 
 my  need?  Now,  for  the  Lord's  sake,  let  me  entreat  thee  be 
 wise  for  thy  poor  soul.  There  is  many  a  fainting-fit  comes 
 over  the  heart  of  many  a  poor  Christian,  persecutions  with- 
 out, and  sorrows  and  corruptions  within ;  therefore  keep  thy 
 cordials  about  thee,  and  be  sure  to  have  them  within  reach ; 
 take  one,  and  bring  another,  and  be  refreshed  by  another, 
 and  go  singing  to  the  grave,  and  to  heaven  for  ever. 
 
 CHAP.  VIL 
 
 The  groicing  of  the  Soul  icith  Christ. 
 
 Hitherto  of  the  first  part  of  the  soul's  implantation;  to 
 wit,  of  the  putting  the  soul  into  Christ.  We  are  now  come  to 
 the  second,  which  is,  the  growing  of  the  soul  with  Christ. 
 These  two  take  up  the  nature  of  ingrafting  a  sinner  into  the 
 stock,  Christ  Jesus.  Now  this  growing  is  accomplished  by 
 two  means : 
 
 1.  By  an  union  of  the  soul  with  Christ. 
 
 2.  By  a  conveyance  of  sap  or  sweetness  (all  the  treasures 
 of  grace  and  happiness)  that  is  in  Christ,  to  the  soul. 
 
 First:  Every  believer  is  joined  unto  Christ,  and  so  joined 
 and  knit,  that  he  becomes   one  spirit.     1.  He  is  joined,  as  a 
 friend  to  a  friend,  as  a  father  to   a  child,  as  a  husband  to  a 
 wife,  as  a  graft  to  a  tree,  as  a  soul  to  a  body.     So  is  Christ 
 to  a  believer;  **  I  live,  yet  not  I,  but  the  Lord  Jesus  liveth  in 
 me."     2.  So  joined,  that  the  believer  comes  to  be  one  spirit 
 with  Christ:  this  mystery  is  great,  and  beyond  the  reach  of 
 that  little   light  I  enjoy;  only  I  shall   communicate  what  I 
 conceive,  in  these  three  conclusions:   1.  That  the   Spirit  of 
 God,  the  third  person  in  the  Trinity,  doth  really  accompany 
 the  word,  but  more  especially  the  precious  promises  of  the 
 gospel.  2.  The  Spirit,  accompanying  the  promise  of  grace  and 
 salvation,  doth  thereby  leave  a  supernatural  power,  a  spiritual 
 and  overpowering  virtue,  upon  the  soul,  and  thereby  brings 
 it  unto  Christ:  it  is  not  so  much  any  thing  in  the  soul,  as  a 
 spiritual  assisting,  and  moving,  and  w^orking  upon  the  soul,  by 
 virtue  whereof  it  is  moved  and  carried  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
 3.  The  Spirit  of  grace  in  the  promise,  working  thus  upon  the 
 heart,  causeth  the   heart  to  close  with  the  promise,  and  with 
 itself  in  the  promise;  and  this  is  to  be  one  spirit. 
 3.  K 
 
74  The  Doctrine  of  Regeneratio?t. 
 
 This  may  shew  us  that  the  sins  of  the  faithful  are  grievous 
 to  the  blessed  Spirit;  not  only  because  of  mercies,  bonds, 
 and  engagements,  which  the  believer  hath  received,  but  be- 
 cause a  man  is  come  so  near  to  Christ  and  the  Spirit,  as  to  be 
 one  spirit  with  Christ.  What,  lodge  an  unclean  spirit  with  a 
 clean  spirit  of  the  Lord !  The  Holy  Ghost  cannot  endure  this : 
 Let  nojieshly  communication  come  out  of  your  mouth,  Ephes.  iv. 
 29.  Grieve  not  the  holy  Spirit  of  God,  because  by  it  you  are 
 sealed  unto  the  day  of  redemption :  the  good  Spirit  of  the 
 Lord  hath  sealed  you  unto  redemption,  and  knit  you  unto 
 himself;  and  will  you  rend  yourselves  from  him,  and  grieve 
 him?     O  grieve  not  the  holy  Spirit. 
 
 Secondly :  As  there  is  an  union  with  Christ,  so  there  is  a 
 conveyance  of  all  spiritual  grace  from  Christ,  to  all  those  that 
 believe  in  him:  1.  There  is  fully  enough  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ  for  every  faithful  soul.  2.  As  there  is  enough  in  Christ, 
 so  Christ  doth  supply  or  communicate  whatsoever  is  most  fit. 
 3.  As  the  Lord  doth  communicate  what  is  fit,  so  he  doth  pre- 
 serve what  he  doth  bestow  and  communicate.  4.  As  the  Lord 
 doth  preserve  what  he  communicates,  so  he  quickens  the  grace 
 that  he  now  doth  preserve  ;  and  in  the  end  he  crowns  it  all. 
 
 Hence  we  see  whither  the  saints  of  God  should  go,  to  fetch 
 supply  of  whatsoever  grace  they  want,  yea,  increase  and  per- 
 fection of  what  they  have  already.  Christ  is  made  all  in  all 
 to  his  servants :  why  then,  away  to  the  Lord  Jesus ;  he  calls 
 and  invites,  *'  I  counsel  thee  to  buy  of  me  eye-salve."  If  thou 
 be  an  accursed  man,  buy  of  Christ  justification;  if  thou  be  a 
 polluted  creature,  buy  of  Christ  sanctification :  With  thee  is 
 the  well-spring  of -life,  saith  David,  and  in  thy  light  we  shall 
 only  see  light.  It  is  not  with  us,  but  with  thee ;  it  is  not  in 
 our  heads,  or  hearts,  or  performances,  'tis  only  in  Christ  to  be 
 found,  only  from  Christ  to  be  fetched.  I  deny  not  but  we 
 should  improve  all  means,  and  use  all  helps ;  but  in  the  use 
 of  all,  seek  only  to  Christ;  with  him  is  the  well  of  life.  Away 
 to  Christ;  wisdom,  righteousness,  all  is  in  him,  and  there  we 
 must  have  them. 
 
 You  will  say,  What  are  the  means  to  obtain  these  graces 
 from  Christ?  I  answer:  First,  eye  the  promise  daily, and  keep 
 it  within  view.  Secondly,  yield  thyself,  and  give  way  to  the 
 stroke  of  the  promise,  and  to  the  power  of  the  Spirit.  For 
 instance,  imagine  thy  heart  begins  to  be  pestered  with  vain 
 thoughts,  or  with  a  proud  haughty  spirit;  you  must  not  be 
 discouraged;  no,  but  eye  the  promise,  and  hold  fast  thereon, 
 and  say.  Lord,  thou  hast  promised  all  grace  unto  thy  servants, 
 take  therefore  this  heart,  and  these  affections,  and  let  thy 
 Spirit  frame  them  aright  according  to  thy  own  good  will :  by 
 that  Spirit  of  wisdom.  Lord,  inform  me;  by  that  Spirit  of 
 eanctihcation.  Lord,  cleanse  me  from  all  my  corruptions ;  by 
 
The  Doctrme  of  Regetieratlo/h  75 
 
 that  Spirit  of  grace.  Lord,  quicken  and  enable  me  to  the  dis- 
 charge of  every  holy  service.  Thus  carry  thyself  by  the 
 power  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  and  thou  shalt  find  thy  heart 
 strengthened  upon  all  occasions. 
 
 For  conclusion,  to  dart  this  use  deeper  into  your  hearts :  If 
 every  believer  be  joined  with  Christ,  and  from  Christ  there  be 
 a  conveyance  of  all  spiritual  graces  unto  every  believer;  then 
 above  all  labour  for  Christ  in  all  things :  never  let  thy  heart 
 be  quieted,  never  let  thy  soul  be  contented,  until  thou  hast 
 obtained  Christ.  Grace  indeed  is  good,  and  duties  are  ^ood  : 
 seek  for  all,  we  should  do  so  ;  perform  all,  we  ought  ^o  do 
 so;  but  oh!  Christ  in  all,  above  all,  more  than  all.  Thus  I 
 have  shewed  you  the  way  to  the  Lord  Jesus ;  I  have  shewed 
 you  also  how  you  may  come  to  be  implanted  into  the  Lord 
 Jesus:  and  now  I  leave  you  in  the  hands  of  a  Saviour,  in 
 the  bowels  of  a  Redeemer;  and  1  think  I  cannot  leave  you 
 better. 
 
THE 
 
 PRACTICE 
 
 OF 
 
 SANCTIFICATION: 
 
 EXEMPLIFIED    IN 
 
 THE  BELIEVER'S  PRIVILEGES  AND  DUTIES. 
 
 THE  BELIEVER'S  PRIVILEGES. 
 
 THE    ENTRANCE. 
 
 You  have  heard  the  doctrine,  precepts,  and  the  pattern  of 
 a  man  in  his  second,  or  new  birth :  now  remains  what  follows 
 all  his  life ;  and  therein, 
 
 1.  His  privileges 2.  His  duties. 
 
 1.  His  privileges,  as  he  is  now  a  believer  in  Christ,  are — 
 Justification, — Sanctification, — Glorification, 
 
 The  first  privilege  which  immediately  follows  our  union 
 with  Christ,  is  justification. 
 
 A  man  may  be  said  to  be  justified  either  virtually,  or  ac- 
 tually ;  either  in  Christ,  or  in  himself. 
 
 1.  Virtually,  in  Christ:  and  this  is  from  the  day  of  Christ's 
 passion,  and  in  the  virtue  of  his  satisfaction ;  yet  this  in- 
 tendeth  no  more  but  that  satisfaction  is  made,  and  remission 
 purchased,  by  the  blood  of  Christ. 
 
 2.  Actually,  in  himself:  when  a  man  hath  the  possession  of 
 justification,  immediately  after  his  union  with  the  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ.  Now  this  justification,  considered  as  it  is  a  state  of 
 favour  with  God,  which  a  man  at  his  first  believing  is  put  into, 
 is  not  reiterated ;  yet  the  particular  acts  of  pardon,  and  im- 
 putations of  Christ's  righteousness,  are  continually  by  God 
 communicated  unto  the  believer.  In  this  respect  this  actual 
 justification,  or  particular  acts  of  pardon,  hath  its  degrees  of 
 progression :  the  beginning  thereof  is  laid  in  our  first  union 
 with  Christ;  the  consummation  of  it  is  not  till  the  Judge  at 
 the  last  day  hath  solemnly  pronounced  the  sentence  of  final 
 absolution.  Between  these,  there  is  a  progressive  work  of 
 justification,  by  the  constant  actings  of  the  Spirit  applying 
 the  blood  of  Christ  by  faith,  to  the  quiet  and  comfort  of  the 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctification.  77 
 
 soul;  the  first  we  may  term  initial  justification,  the  second 
 progressive,  the  last  perfective :  the  first  is  wrought  and  sealed 
 in  the  first  sacrament ;  the  second  is  wrought  and  sealed  in 
 the  second  sacrament ;  and  both  these  branches  of  sacramen- 
 tal justification  are  to  us  the  pre-assurance  of  that  perfect 
 justification. 
 
 It  hath  been  commonly  said  by  some  of  our  best  divines, 
 that  justification  is  transacted  in  our  first  incorporation  into 
 Christ;  at  which  time,  it  is  conceived  that  the  pardon  of  all 
 sin  is  sealed  to  the  believer  at  once.  But  I  fear  the  misunder- 
 standing of  this  point  hath  laid  the  ground,  upon  which  some 
 build  that  unhappy  structure,  which  turneth  the  grace  of  God 
 into  wantonness.  Who  knoweth  not  that  justification,  ac- 
 cording to  the  scripture,  is  the  act  of  a  judge  pronouncing  a 
 judicial  sentence,  wherein  he  absolveth  the  person  of  the  sin- 
 ner from  all  sin  and  punishment  due  to  him  for  sin,  and  that 
 for  the  alone  righteousness  of  the  surety,  Christ,  freely  im- 
 puted, and  by  faith  received  of  him?  And  according  to  this, 
 I  suppose  we  shall  not  err  if  we  say,  1.  That  a  work  of 
 justification  is  even  as  yet  to  us  future,  viz.  at  the  last  day, 
 when  we  shall  receive  a  final  discharge,  and  when  God  shall 
 wipe  away  all  tears  from  our  eyes:  and  yet,  2.  That  in  our 
 first  union  with  Christ  there  is  a  work  of  justification,  viz. 
 actual  imputation  of  Christ's  righteousness,  and  actual  remis- 
 sion of  all  sin,  or  of  what  sin  for  the  present  the  soul  stands 
 guilty  of,  at  once,  or  at  that  time  v.hen  it  is  first  united  to 
 Christ.  I  dare  not  say,  that  justification  is  one  individual 
 act;  or  that  all  sins,  past,  present,  and  to  come,  are  remitted 
 to  the  believer  at  once ;  but  this  I  say,  that  in  our  first  union, 
 all  our  sins,  past  and  present,  are  actually  pardoned;  and 
 this  favour  received,  is  a  pledge  of  assurance,  that  in  future 
 also,  by  applying  ourselves  to  Christ,  we  may  receive  the  for- 
 giveness of  our  daily  sins,  and  that  at  the  last  day  we  shall 
 at  once  be  absolved  from  all  accusations  laid  in  against  us, 
 and  that  justification,  besides  those  particular  acts  of  pardon, 
 and  imputation  of  Christ's  righteousness,  doth  note  a  state 
 of  grace,  and  reconciliation  with  God,  for  the  imputed  right- 
 eousness of  Christ. 
 
 And  being  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  with  God;  that  is, 
 Christ's  righteousness  being  imputed,  and  sins  pardoned,  we 
 have  peace  with  God ;  not,  only  peace  from  God  in  our  con- 
 sciences, but  peace  with  God  in  our  reconcilement  to  him, 
 and  in  his  favour  towards  us.  This  reconciliation  consists  in 
 two  things:  1.  In  our  peace  with  God,  whereby  the  Lord  lays 
 by  all  acts  of  hostility  against  us:  2.  In  the  love  and  favour 
 of  God;  he  now  loves  us,  not  only  with  a  love  of  good-will, 
 but  with  a  love  of  complacency  and  delight.  Oh !  consider 
 what  a  blessed  state  this  is  I 
 
78  The  Practice  of  Sanctlfication, 
 
 Adoption  follows  reconciliation;  whereby  the  Lord  ac- 
 counts us  sons :  Behold  icliat  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath 
 bestoiced  iipon  us,  that  we  should  be  called  the  sons  of  God.  The 
 Lord  accounts  us  just  in  our  justification,  friends  in  our  re- 
 conciliation, sons  in  our  adoption :  now  this  adoption  is 
 either  begun  in  this  life,  or  perfected  in  the  world  to  come, 
 when  we  shall  receive  all  the  privileges  of  sons. 
 
 Sanctification  follows  adoption:  no  sooner  are  we  sons, 
 but  we  receive  the  image  of  our  heavenly  Father  in  sanctifi- 
 cation ;  the  manner  of  it  is  thus : 
 
 1.  The  Spirit  works  in  us  a  principle  of  spiritual  life:  the 
 scripture  sometimes  calls  it  a  seed,  sometimes  a  spring  or  foun- 
 tain, sometimes  the  life  of  Christ,  because  it  is  conveyed  unto 
 us  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  by  means  of  our  union  with  Christ. 
 What  name  soever  we  give  it,  we  may  not  conceive  it  to  be  a 
 new  faculty  added  unto  those  which  are  in  men  by  nature,  but 
 an  improvement  of  those  abilities  to  work  spiritually,  as  they 
 did  naturally  before  regeneration;  hence  it  is  that  a  regene- 
 rate man  in  scripture  is  said  to  walk  after  the  Spirit, — to  be 
 led  by  the  Spirit, — to  walk  in  the  Spirit. 
 
 2.  From  this  fountain  spring  all  those  habits  of  spiritual 
 grace,  which  are  severally  distinguished  by  the  name  of  faith, 
 hope,  love.  Although,  to  speak  properly,  they  are  but  the 
 diversifications  of  that  spiritual  principle  within  us,  distin- 
 guished by  these  names. 
 
 3.  From  these  habits  of  grace  abiding;  in  us,  proceed  spiri- 
 tual motions  and  operations.  And  as  it  is  with  natural  habits, 
 so  it  is  with  spiritual ;  they  are  much  increased  and  strength- 
 ened by  the  use  and  exercise  of  them,  and  are  as  much  weak- 
 ened by  disuse  and  neglect  of  such  an  exercise. 
 
 The  excellency  of  this  privilege  appears  in  these  particulars : 
 
 1.  This  is  our  glory  and  beauty,  even  glorification  begun: 
 what  greater  glory  than  to  be  like  unto  God?  We  are  changed 
 into  the  same  image,  from  glory  to  glory:  every  degree  of  grace 
 is  glory ;  and  the  perfection  of  glory  in  heaven  consists  chiefly 
 in  the  perfection  of  grace. 
 
 2.  This  will  give  us  abundance  of  sweet  peace.  From  whence 
 come  troubles,  and  doubts  of  God's  favour  and  love?  Is  it  not 
 some  guilt  or  decay  here?  is  it  not  our  secret  dalliance  with 
 some  known  sin?  On  the  other  side,  what  was  Paul's  rejoicing? 
 Hezekiah's  peace?  The  one  cried,  that  in  all  sincerity  and  sim- 
 plicity he  had  his  conversation  among  men;  the  other.  Lord, 
 remember  I  have  walked  before  thee  uprightly :  not  that  this 
 was  the  ground  of  their  peace,  (for  that  only  is  free  grace  in 
 Christ)  but  the  means  of  their  peace :  that  is  a  cursed  peace, 
 that  is  kept  by  looking  to  Christ,  and  yet  loving  our  lusts> 
 
 3.  By  this  we  have  comfortable  evidence  of  our  justification : 
 nor  is  this  a  running  upon  the  covenant  of  works ; — is  not  sane- 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctification ,  79 
 
 iification,  the  writing  of  the  law  in  our  hearts,  a  privilege  of 
 the  covenant  of  grace,  as  well  as  justification?  and  can  the 
 evidencing  of  one  privilege  by  another,  be  a  running  upon  the 
 covenant  of  works  ?  Oh !  consider,  how  many  evangelical  pro- 
 mises are  made  to  persons  invested  with  such  and  such  o-races; 
 as  of  poverty,  mourning,  meekness.  And  to  what  end,  but  that 
 every  one  may  take,  and  be  assured  of,  his  portion  manifested 
 particularly  therein?  Surely  none  are  justified,  but  they  are 
 sanctified ;  or  if  not  sanctified,  they  are  not  justified. 
 
 Glorification  is  the  last  in  execution  of  God's  eternal  pur- 
 pose :  and  herein  we  are  made  partakers  of  those  endless  and 
 unutterable  joys,  which  neither  eye  hath  seen,  nor  ear  hath 
 heard,  nor  the  heart  of  any  man  conceived. 
 
 OF  DUTIES  IN  GENERAL. 
 
 SECT.  I. 
 
 Of  the  Equity  of  Duties. 
 
 No  sooner  is  the  soul  translated  into  the  state  of  grace,  and 
 crowned  with  those  glorious  privileges,  but  immediately  it 
 cries  out,  O  Lord,  what  shall  I  do  for  thee?  how  shall  I  live  to 
 thee?  Good  reason  the  soul  should  now  give  up  herself  to 
 Christ,  for  she  knows  she  is  not  her  own,  but  Christ's.  Can 
 there  be  such  a  heart  in  any  Christian,  as  to  continue  in  sin, 
 because  so  much  grace  hath  abounded?  Oh  no!  The  love  of 
 Christ  constrains  us,  saith  the  apostle,  because  ice  thus  judge, — • 
 that  he  died  for  all,  that  they  ivhich  live,  should  not  live  unto  them- 
 selves, hut  unto  hijti  ivhich  died  for  them,  and  rose  again.  There 
 is  a  principle  of  love  in  the  hearts  of  believers,  and  this  love 
 of  Christ  constrains  them  to  live  to  Christ :  Ye  are  a  chosen 
 generation,  a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy  nation,  a  peculiar  people ; 
 that  ye  should  shew  forth  the  praises  of  Christ,  who  hath  called 
 you  out  of  darkness  into  his  mafvellous  light. 
 
 SECT.  II. 
 
 Of  the  Insufficiency  of  Duties. 
 
 But,  alas!  what  are  these  duties  to  my  Lord?  Or  what  are 
 these  duties  in  themselves? 
 
 1.  All  the  duties  of  man  are  nothing  at  all  unto  God:  Cafi 
 a  man  he  prof  table  unto  God,  as  he  that  is  wise  can  be  prof  table 
 unto  himself?  Is  it  any  pleasure  to  the  Almighty,  that  thou  art 
 righteous?  or  is  it  a  gain  to  him,  that  thou  makest  thy  ways  per- 
 
80  The  Practice  of  SanctificatiofL 
 
 feet?  If  thou  be  righteous,  ichat  givest  thou  him?  or  ivhat  re- 
 ceiveth  he  from  thine  hand?  All  the  service  of  men  and  angels, 
 thouoh  they  run  parallel  with  the  longest  lines  of  eternity,  are 
 no  sufficient  recompense  for  my  soul's  deliverance ;  when  we 
 have  done  all,  still  we  must  say,  we  are  unprofitable  servants. 
 2.  All  the  duties  of  man,  are  in  some  respect  sinful :  '*  Chris- 
 tians may  distinguish  between  that  which  is  the  Spirit,  in 
 works  after  renovation,  and  the  whole  work  after  they  have 
 done  it:  now  althouo:h  the  motions  and  assistance  of  the 
 Spirit  be  pure,  holy,  and  without  skum,  in  the  spring,  (to  wit, 
 in  itself,)  yet  by  that  time  these  motions  and  assistances  have 
 passed  through  the  channels  of  their  hearts,  and  have  been 
 mixed  with  their  manifold  corruptions  in  doing,  even  the 
 whole  work  thereby  becomes  polluted.  If  this  be  so,  that 
 our  best  recompense  to  Christ  for  his  loves  be  unprofitable  to' 
 him,  eind  sinful  as  done  by  man ;  what  shall  I  say  ?  how  must 
 I  carry  myself  to  my  Redeemer? 
 
 SECT.  III. 
 
 Of  the  Healing  of  Duties. 
 
 I  DARE  not  but  obey;  though  all  the  duties  in  the  world  are 
 insufficient  to  recompense  those  bowels  of  God's  mercies  in 
 Christ,  I  must  not  therefore  cast  away  duties.  It  is  true,  I  can- 
 not but  sin  in  all  I  do,  my  best  duties  are  tainted  and  mingled 
 with  sin :  but  will  it  follow,  that  because  I  cannot  be  more 
 clean,  therefore  I  must  be  more  filthy  than  needs  ?  Nay,  O 
 my  soul,  if  thou  art  married  to  that  bridegroom,  Christ,  duties 
 and  all  things  else  are  clean  to  thee.  There  is  an  healing  of 
 duties,  if  we  be  in  Christ.  Certainly  that  fruit  which  cometh 
 from  a  root  of  faith,  must  needs  be  good  fruit.  I  believe,  there- 
 fore  I  speak,  saith  the  Psalmist :  O  my  soul,  canst  thou  say, 
 I  believe,  therefore  I  pray ;  I  believe,  therefore  I  sanctify  the 
 Lord's  day;  I  believe,  therefore  I  do  all  duties  of  obedience. 
 Thy  obedience  then  is  the  fruit  of  paradise,  for  it  grows  on 
 the  very  tree  of  life.  Christ  is  the  sun  of  righteousness,  that 
 ariseth  with  healing  in  his  wings :  Christ  is  that  sun,  that  by 
 his  heat  of  love  extracts  all  the  sin  out  of  thy  duties,  and 
 so  thy  duties  are  healed ;  the  spiritual  part  of  them  being  pre- 
 sented by  the  intercession  of  Christ,  and  the  defects  covered 
 by  the  righteousness  of  Christ. 
 
 2.  But  how  should  I  knov/  that  Christ  thus  takes  my  duties 
 and  heals  them,  and  mingles  them  with  his  own  incense,  and 
 carries  them  in  unto  God  the  Father? 
 
 Didst  thou  never  find  a  spiritual  fire  come  down,  as  it  were, 
 upon  thy  heart,  in  duty,  or  after  duty?  In  the  times  of  the  Old 
 Testament,  if  they  offered  up  a  sacrifice,  and  a  material  fire 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctlfication.  81 
 
 came  down  from  heaven,  and  burnt  up  the  sacrifice,  it  was  a 
 certain  testimony  that  the  sacrifice  was  accepted :  now,  in 
 the  times  of  the  gospel,  we  must  not  expect  material  fire  to 
 come  down  upon  our  duties;  but  hath  the  Lord  at  any  time 
 caused  an  inward  and  spiritual  fire  to  fall  down  upon  thy 
 heart,  warming  the  spirit  in  duty?  there  the  Lord  speaks  thus 
 much  to  thee,  that  thy  sacrifice  is  turned  into  ashes,  and  it  is 
 accepted  by  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 This  fire  issues  from  the  blood  and  intercessions  of  Christ, 
 our  great  High-Priest ;  it  is  the  efticacy  of  his  blood,  and  power 
 of  his  glorious  intercession,  that,  when  thou  feelest  any  good 
 in  duties,  doth  at  that  very  instant  prevail  with  God  the  Father 
 for  what  thou  feelest:  say  then.  Do  I  now  in  this  ordinance, 
 or  in  this  duty,  feel  my  heart  warmed,  or  savingly  affected  ? 
 Oh!  I  see  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  sits  in  glory  at  the  right  hand 
 of  God,  now  remembers  me  a  poor  worm  on  earth;  now  I  feel 
 the  fruit  of  his  Spirit,  power,  grace,  comfort,  presence,  sweet- 
 ness; now  I  taste,  I  drink,  I  enjoy,  and  am  abundantly  satis- 
 fied with,  his  rivers  of  pleasures;  and  if  this  presence  of 
 Christ  be  so  sweet,  what  is  himself  then?  O  my  soul,  if  ever 
 thou  dost  relish  the  blood  and  Spirit  of  Christ  upon  thy  spirit 
 iu  duties,  go  thy  way,  and  give  glory  to  God, 
 
 —^^.^.^ — 
 SECT.  IV.  .  ' 
 
 No  Resting  i)i  Duties. 
 
 And  yet  be  wary,  O  my  soul !  It  was  Luther^s  saying,  '*  Take 
 heed,  not  only  of  thy  sins,  but  also  of  thy  duties."  Couldst  thou 
 desire  and  pray  till  heaven  and  earth  shook,  till  thou  hadst 
 worn  thy  tongue  to  the  stumps;  couldst  thou  fast  till  thy  skin 
 and  bone  cleave  together;  couldst  thou  purpose  with  resolu- 
 tion to  be  better;  couldst  thou  reform  thy  heart,  head,  life, 
 tongue,  some,  nay  all  sins;  couldst  thou  live  like  an  angel, 
 shine  like  a  sun,  walk  up  and  down  the  world  like  a  distressed 
 pilgrim;  couldst  thou  die  ten  thousand  deaths;  lie  in  hell  so 
 many  millions  of  years,  as  there  are  piles  of  grass  on  the  earth, 
 or  sands  on  the  sea-shore.  Or  stars  in  heaven ;  I  tell  thee,  not 
 one  spark  of  God's  wrath  against  thy  sins  can  be  quenched 
 by  all  these  duties,  nor  by  any  of  these  sorrows  or  tears. 
 
 It  was  Austin's  saying,  though  it  sounds  harsh,  "  That  re- 
 pentance damns  more  than  sin;"  meaning,  thousands  did 
 perish  by  resting  therein. 
 
 But  how  shall  any  man  know  that  he  rests  in  his  duties? 
 
 By  these  signs  following: 
 
 1.  It  is  a  sign  that  a  man  rests  in  his  duties,  if  he  never  found 
 it  a  hard  matter  to  come  out  of  his  duties  :  if  thou  canst  not  tell 
 the  time  when  thou  didst  rest  in  duties,  and  didst  groan  to  be 
 3.  L 
 
82  The  Practice  of  Sanctification. 
 
 delivered  from  these  entanglements,  thou  hast  just  cause  to 
 fear.  \  ,  ^ 
 
 2.  ti  is  h!  sign  that  a  man  rests  in  duties,  if  he  exceedingly 
 prize  the  bare  performance  of  duties :  those  duties  that  carry 
 thee  out  of  thyself  unto  Christ,  make  thee  to  prize  Christ. 
 Now  tell  me,  dost  thou  glory  in  thyself?  Dost  thou  say,  I 
 was  before  ignorant,  hard-hearted;  but  now  I  understand 
 better,  now  I  can  sorrow  for  my  sins,  I  can  pray  with  some 
 life?  Alas,  poor  soul!  these  things  do  argue  only  the  Spirit 
 of  God  breathing  on  thee,  not  dwelling  in  thee.  If  thou 
 restest  here,  if  thou  thus  enhancest  the  price  of  duties,  then 
 do  I  pronounce  from  God,  that  thou  dost  rest  in  duties :  Those 
 things,  saith.  Paul,  /  accounted  gain,  i.  e.  before  his  conver- 
 sion, ^wf  710W  I  account  them  loss.  This  is  the  reason  why  a 
 child  of  God,  commonly  after  his  prayers,  doubts  much  of 
 God's  love  towards  him;  whereas  another  man,  that  falls 
 short  of  him,  never  so  much  as  questions  his  estate :  the  first 
 seetn  much  vileness  in  his  best  duties,  and  so  judgeth  meanly 
 of  himself;  but  the  other  is  ignorant  of  any  such  vileness^ 
 and  therefore  esteems  highly  of  them.  :  J 
 
 3.  It  is  a  sign  that  a  man  rests  in  his  duties,  if  he  never 
 came  to  be  sensible  of  their  poverty,  and  utter  emptiness  of 
 any  good  in  them.  Didst  thou  never  feel  thyself  in  this  man- 
 ner? Oh!  I  am  ignorant  as  any  beast,  as  vile  as  any  devil; 
 what  a  nest  of  sin  and  rebellion  works  in  my  heart?  I  once 
 thought,  at  least  my  heart  and  desires  were  good ;  but  now  I 
 feel  no  spiritual  life.  O  dead  heart !  I  am  the  poorest,  basest, 
 and  blindest  creature,  that  ever  lived !  If  thou  ever  feelest 
 thyself  thus,  thou  never  earnest  out  of  thy  duties. 
 
 4.  It  is  a  sign  that  a  man  rests  in  his  duties,  if  he  gain  no 
 evangelical  righteousness  by  duties,  i.  e.  if  he  prize  not,  desire 
 not,  delight  not  in  union  with,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Hence  a 
 6hild  of  God  asks  himself  after  sermon,  after  prayer,  after  sacra- 
 iaeht,  What  have  I  gained  of  Christ?  Have  I  got  more  know- 
 ledg-e  of  Christ?  more  admiring  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ?  Have 
 mv  affections  been  raised,  my  graces  acted,  my  soul  refreshed 
 •ivith  the  delights  of  Christ?  On  the  contrary,  a  carnal  heart, 
 that  rests  in  his  duties,  asketh  only,  what  have  I  done?  I  thank 
 God,  saith  the  Pharisee,  /  am  not  as  other  men  are,  &c. — so,  I 
 pray,  and  hear,  and  reform,  and  sorrow  for  sin,  therefore  I  shall 
 be  saved.  No  such  matter:  let  a  man  have  a  bucket  of  gold, 
 doth  he  think  to  get  water  because  he  hath  a  bucket?  No,  no, 
 he  must  let  it  down  into  the  well,  and  draw  up  water  with  it: 
 so  must  thou  let  down  all  thy  duties  into  the  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ,  and  draw  life,  and  light,  and  grace,  from  his  fulness, 
 otherwise  thou  shalt  perish  without  Christ.  Oh  !  that  the  mi- 
 nisters of  Christ  would  become  sons  of  thunder  in  this  matter! 
 Many  hav^had  experience  of  Christ's  enlarging  the  common 
 
The  Practice  of  SanctyiQation.  83 
 
 gifts  of  his  Spirit ;  but  what  have  they  felt  of  Christ's  renew- 
 ing, sanctifying,  and  healing  their  lusts?  Oh!  it  is  far  more 
 comfortable,  to  find  Christ's  power  melting  thy  heart  for  sii^, 
 mortifying  thy  lusts,  quickening  thee  to  holiness,  than  to  find 
 ten  thousand  enlargements  in  holy  performances. 
 
 SECT.  V. 
 
 Of  the  Use  and  Ends  of  Duties, 
 
 And  canst  thou  not,  O  my  soul,  be  saved  by  thy  duties?  To 
 what  end  then  shouldest  thou  pray,  or  hear,  or  sorrow,  or  re- 
 pent, or  meditate,  or  examine  ?     I  answer, 
 
 1.  That  hereby  you  may  express  obedience  to  God's  will :  Me- 
 joice  evermore, pray  without  ceasing,  in  every  thing  give  thanks; 
 for  this  is  the  luill  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  concerning  i/ou. 
 
 2.  That  God,  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  may  be 
 honoured  by  the  performance  of  these  duties:  Herein  is  my 
 Father  glorified,  that  you  bear  much  fruit.  Abraham  believed, 
 and  gave  God  glory.  So  we  should  pray,  and  meditate,  and 
 hear,  and  all  should  tend  to  the  glory  of  God. 
 
 3.  That  duties  may  be  as  evidences  of  God's  love  to  them 
 who  are  in  Christ  Jesus :  they  cannot  save,  but  they  let  the 
 soul  in  to  Christ,  and  follow  and  accompany  such  a  man  as 
 shall  be  saved.  Duties  bring  you  in  to  Christ,  and  are  evi^ 
 dences  when  you  are  in  Christ,  that  the  Lord  and  mercy  is 
 yours ;  even  as  at  the  sacrament,  the  elements  of  bread  and 
 w^ine  are  outward  signs  to  bring  Christ  and  the  heart  together. 
 Indeed,  the  heart  must  not  rest  in  these  signs ;  but  when  the 
 soul  is  let  in  to  Christ,  then  faith  must  let  go  the  outward  ele- 
 ments, and  treat  immediately  with  the  Lord  Jesus.  So  grace 
 and  duties  are  inward  signs ;  and  while  men  make  use  of  them 
 only  as  signs  and  means  to  let  them  come  in  unto  Christ,  and 
 their  rejoicing  is  not  in  them,  but  in  Christ,  their  confidence 
 is  not  pitched  upon  them,  but  upon  Christ,  there  will  be  no 
 danger  at  all  in  making  such  use  of  signs;  neither  is  it  more 
 derogatory  to  free  grace,  or  to  Christ's  honour,  for  God  to 
 make  such  effects  signs  of  our  union  with  him,  than  it  was  to 
 make  outward  signs  of  his  presence :  it's  true,  these  are  not 
 full  testimonies,  without  the  Spirit  of  Christ. 
 
 4.  That  they  that  exercise  duties  may  obtain  the  promises : 
 Godliness  is  profitable  unto  all  things,  saith  the  apostle,  having 
 the  promise  of  the  life  that  noio  is,  and  of  that  ivhich  is  to  come. 
 There  are  many  promises  scattered  up  and  down  in  the  word ; 
 and  hereby  if  God  be  not  a  debtor  unto  thee,  yet  he  is  to  him- 
 self, and  to  his  own  faithfulness. — Thou,  Lord,  payest  debts, 
 and  owest  none :  it  was  free  for  thee,  before  thou  hadst  pro- 
 
84  The  Practice  of  Sanctificatlon. 
 
 mised,  whether  to  give  me  heaven,  or  no ;  but  now  the  word  is 
 out  of  thy  mouth,  I  use  duties  as  means,  though  I  adhere  only 
 to  thee,  and  to  thy  faithfulness,  who  hast  promised."  Duties 
 are  considered,  first,  as  services,  in  respect  of  the  command; 
 and  secondly,  as  means  to  obtain  blessing's  at  God^s  hands, 
 in  relation  to  his  promise :  now  most  in  the  world  perform 
 duties  as  acts  of  obedience  only,  and  so  rest  in  the  present 
 performance ;  but  if  we  do  them  in  faith,  we  should  have  an 
 eye  to  the  promise,  and  look  on  duties  as  means  to  obtain 
 some  mercy,  yea,  salvation  itself,  at  God's  hands,  Phil.  ii.  12. 
 Kom.  X.  10.  2  Cor.  vii.  10.  1  Pet.  i.  9. 
 V    But  is  not  this  to  be  saved  by  duties? 
 
 •*  No :  for  herein  we  speak  not  of  duties  originally,  but  instru- 
 mentally,  and  with  relation  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  not  as 
 meritorious  causes,  but  as  subordinate  means  of  our  salvation 
 in  the  name  of  Christ:  the  best  of  duties,  in  their  own  natures, 
 are  but  mere  empty  pits,  and  dry  channels,  though  never  so 
 curiously  cut  out;  but  Christ  fills  them. 
 
 5.  That  these  duties  may  turn  to  our  comforts.  Not  so  as  to 
 put  confidence  in  them,  to  take  comfort  from  them,  as  causes; 
 that  cannot  be,  for  who  can  look  upon  any  thing  he  doth  with 
 that  boldness?  but  as  the  testimony  of  God's  love  to  us,  and 
 as  the  means  of  consolation.  Thus  Hezekiah,  not  as  a  proud 
 Pharisee,  but  as  a  thankful  acknowledger  of  what  was  in  him, 
 prayed,  /  beseech  thee,  O  Lord,  remember  me,  how  I  have  walked 
 before  thee  in  truth,  and  with  a  perfoct  heart,  and  have  done  that 
 which  is  good  in  thy  sight.  We  may  therefore  take  comfort 
 Irom  duties,  not  so  as  to  rest  in  them,  but  as  a  means,  and  so 
 as  to  praise  God  thereby. 
 
 6.  That  others  might  receive  good,  and  glorify  God.  These 
 things  are  good  and  profitable  mito  men,  saith  the  apostle ;  and. 
 Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see  your  good 
 works,  and  glorify  your  lather  ivhich  is  in  heaven.  Christ  doth 
 not  here  encourage  vain-glory,  but  he  propounds  the  true  ends 
 of  our  visible  holiness.  There  is  an  exhortation  to  wives,  so 
 to  walk  that  their  husbands  may  be  w  on  to  the  Lord :  sweet 
 soul,  it  may  be  thou  prayest  for  thy  husband  in  a  carnal  con- 
 dition ;  thou  desirest  him  to  ^o  to  hear  such  a  minister,  such 
 a  sermon:  go  on  in  these  duties,  adding  this  to  the  rest — see 
 that  thy  life  also  may  convert  him. 
 
 7.  That  duties  may  carry  us  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ:  he 
 alone  is  able  to  save  them  to  the  uttermost  that  come  unto  God 
 by  him,  i.  e.  in  the  use  of  the  means.  Hear  a  sermon,  to  carry 
 thee  to  the  Lord  Jesus;  fast  and  pray,  and  get  a  full  tide  of 
 affections  in  them,  to  carry  thee  to  Jesus  Christ,  i.  e.  to  get 
 more  love  of  him,  more  acquaintance  with  him,  more  union  in 
 him,  and  communion  with  him :  use  thy  duties  as  TVoah's  dove 
 did  her  wings,  carry  thee  to  the  ark  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctijication.  S5 
 
 where  only  there  is  rest:  if  she  had  never  used  her  wings,  she 
 had  fallen  into  the  waters ;  and  if  she  had  not  returned  to  the 
 ark,  she  had  found  no  rest.  So,  if  thou  shalt  use  no  duties, 
 but  cast  them  all  off,  thou  art  sure  to  perish ;  and  if  they  con- 
 vey thee  not  to  Christ,  thou  mayest  lie  down  in  sorrow. 
 
 8.  That  the  Lord  Christ  may  be  exalted,  and  advanced  by 
 duties.  The  main  end  of  duties,  is  the  glory  of  him  who  hath 
 redeemed  us  with  the  price  of  his  blood,  and  the  power  of  his 
 Spirit;  this  sets  the  crown  on  his  head.  How  many  perform 
 duties,  not  to  set  the  crown  on  Christ's  head !  But  this  is  the 
 main  end  of  ri^ht  obedience,  that  the  crown  may  be  set  on 
 Christ's  head,  that  he  who  is  King  of  saints,  may  have  the 
 honour  given  him  due  to  his  kingly  office.  O  my  soul,  in 
 respect  of  all  those  ends,  use  and  exercise  duties;  but  be  sure 
 of  Christ  in  all,  above  all,  more  than  all :  O  let  Christ  have 
 the  crown  set  on  his  head,  give  him  all  the  glory.  Cast  not 
 away  duties,  but  cast  them  down  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  Christ, 
 as  the  twenty-four  elders  cast  their  crowns,  saying.  Thou  art 
 worthy f  0  Lord,  to  receive  glori/,  and  honour,  and  power:  for 
 thou  hast  created  all  things,  (all  duties,)  and  for  thy  pleasure 
 they  are  and  were  created. 
 
 And  yet  let  me  warn  you  of  one  dangerous  snare :  some 
 think,  if  they  fetch  in  their  comfort  by  duties,  as  by  prayer, 
 meditation,  &c.  that  then  it  would  be  a  comfort  only  of  their 
 ow^n  hammering  out,  and  not  the  genuine  joy  of  the  Holy 
 Ghost.  A  desperate  mistake !  they  set  the  workings  of  God's 
 Spirit  and  their  ow^n  spirit  in  opposition;  when  their  spirits 
 must  stand  in  subordination  to  God's:  God's  Spirit  usually 
 works  our  comforts,  by  setting  our  own  spirits  awork  upon 
 the  promises,  and  by  raising  our  thoughts  to  the  objects  of 
 our  comforts.  And  yet  I  deny  not,  that  if  any  should  so  think 
 to  work  out  his  comforts  by  meditation,  prayer,  reading  the 
 word,  as  to  attempt  the  work  in  his  own  strength,  and  do  not 
 all  in  subordination  to  God,  and  the  Spirit's  assistance,  the 
 comfort  will  be  nothing  but  vanity,  a  comfort  indeed  of  their 
 own  hammerins:  out. 
 
 SECT.  VI. 
 
 Of  the  essential  Requisites  in  Duties. 
 
 But  what  are  they  we  call  duties?  or  what  are  those  essen- 
 tial requisites  in  duties?  Many  by  duties  intend  nothing  but 
 that  which  is  external,  as,  coming  to  the  church,  and  receiv- 
 ing of  sacraments. 
 
 I  answer,  these  are  like  clothes  upon  a  dead  man,  that  cannot 
 warm  him,  because  there  is  no  life  within.  The  soul  of  all  du- 
 ties is  that  which  is  internal;  in  which  respect  three  ingre- 
 
86  The  Practice  of  Sanctification. 
 
 dients  are  necessary,  viz.  1.  that  they  be  from  God,  2.  through 
 God,  and  3.  to  God. 
 
 1.  From  God :  it  is  of  the  very  essence  of  a  duty,  that  it  be 
 commanded  by  God.  Look  to  this  in  thy  duties;  know  the 
 Commands,  and  do  them  because  they  are  commanded;  if" 
 thou  dost  them,  and  yet  knowest  not  that  God  commands 
 tl^em,  this  is  no  true  obedience ;  or  if  thou  knowest  they  are 
 commanded,  but  yet  dost  them  not  because  they  are  com- 
 manded, neither  is  this  obedience  to  God.  In  all  duties, 
 rightly  performed,  there  must  be  a  knowledge  of,  and  an  eye 
 to,  the  will  of  God,  Kom.  xii.  2.  Eph.  v.  17. 
 
 2.  Through  God,  i.  e.  1.  Through  the  Spirit,  who  doth  spi- 
 ritualize them.  2.  Through  Christ,  who  presents  them,  and 
 makes  them  acceptable  to  God. 
 
 (1.)  Through  the  Spirit  of  God:  now  the  Spirit  works  on 
 our  spirits  to  the  performance  of  our  duties ;  and  therefore 
 look,  how  much  there  is  of  the  holy  Spirit  in  duty,  so  far  it  is 
 sanctified,  so  far  it  is  accepted,  and  no  further.  God  is  my 
 witnesSy  saith  Paul,  whom  I  serve  with  my  spirit  in  the  gospel  of 
 his  So7i.  In  every  service  we  perform,  our  spirit,  stirred  up  by 
 God's  Spirit,  must  needs  have  a  hand  in  it,  or  it  is  but  the 
 carcase  of  a  right  service  :  the  soul,  will,  and  affections,  must 
 go  together  with  our  duties,  (that  I  mean  by  our  spirit,)  or 
 the  vitals  are  wanting.  If  a  man  come  to  confess  his  sins, 
 and  yet  slights  them  inwardly  in  his  heart;  if  a  man  pray  for 
 reconciliation  with  God,  and  yet  have  no  longing  in  his  heart 
 after  it;  if  he  ask  grace,  or  the  spirit  of  mortification,  and 
 yet  his  heart  doth  not  inwardly  seek  it ; — he  prays  not  in  the 
 spirit,  and  therefore  God  will  not  accept  it. 
 
 (2.)  Through  Christ:  for  Christ  perfects,  perfumes,  and  pre- 
 sents our  duties  to  his  heavenly  Father :  As  duties  come  from, 
 us,  they  savour  of  flesh,  but  the  angel  of  the  covenant  mingleth 
 incense  with  them,  and  so  he  offers  them  upon  the  golden  altar 
 which  is  before  the  throne.    Here  is  sweet  comfort,  O  my  soul ! 
 what  though  thy  duties  are  weak,  and  cold,  and  confused ;  yet 
 through  Christ  they  are  enlivened  with  his  intercessory  Spirit;, 
 through  Christ  they  are  perfumed  with  the  precious  odours  of 
 his  fresh  bleeding  merits  and  blessed  mediation,  and  so  they 
 are  made  acceptable  to  God,  that  he  may  receive  them. 
 Observe  here  a  double  intercessor : 
 One  is  the  Spirit,  that  helps  our  infirmities : 
 The  other  is  Christ,  that  makes  them  acceptable  to  God. 
 *      3.  To  God  :  that  is,  to  set  forth  his  glory;  for  as  his  name 
 is  blasphemed  when  we  walk  in  wickedness,  so  it  is  glorified 
 in  doing  our  duties.    This  is  the  end  of  all  our  duties,  indeed 
 of  all  our  doings :  Whether  ye  eat  or  drink,  or  whatsoever  ye  do, 
 do  all  to  the  glory  of  God.    One  duty  sanctifying  Christ  in  the, 
 -  heart,  is  more  than  a  thousand.   Young  Christians,,  it  may  be^ 
 
The  Practice  of^Sanctification.  ^j^, 
 
 do  more  works,  but  not  in  works  oif  grace ;  the  more  evangeli- 
 cal our  works  are,  the  more  to  God,  the  better  they  are:  We 
 are  of  the  circumcision,  loho  rejoice  in  the  Lord  JesaSy  worship 
 God  in  the  Spirit y  and  have  no  confidence  in  thejievh. 
 
 OF  SELF-DENIAL. 
 
 LiiJOO  \   ,r 
 
 SECT.  I. 
 
 Of  the  Nature  of  Self-Denial. 
 
 •  Self-denial  is  a  total,  thorough,  utter  abnegation  ojT  a 
 man's  own  ends,  counsels,  affections,  and  a  whole  prostration 
 of  himself,  and  of  all  that  is  his,  under  Christ  Jesus.  And  thus 
 \ye  have  the  meaning  of  Christ,  If  any  man  icill  come  after  me, 
 let  him  deny  himself;  i.  e.  let  him  lay  aside  his  own  wisdom  as 
 an  empty  lamp,  his  own  will  as  an  evil  commander,  his  own 
 imaginations  as  a  false  rule,  his  own  affections  as  corrupt 
 counsellors,  and  his  own  ends  as  base  and  unworthy  marks  to 
 be  aimed  at.  Let  him  deny  himself,  whatsoever  is  of  himself, 
 within  himself,  or  belonging  to  himself,  as  a  corrupt  and  car- 
 nal man  ;  let  him  go  out  of  himself,  that  he  may  come  to  me  ; 
 let  him  empty  himself,  that  he  may  be  capable  of  me,  and  that 
 I  may  reign  and  rule  within  him.  As  in  Joseph's  dream,  the 
 sun,  moon,  and  the  eleven  stars,  did  obeifsance  to  him,  and  all 
 the  sheaves  in  the  field  to  his  sheaf;  so,  in  the  regenerate  man, 
 all  the  supernatural  gifts  and  graces,  all  the  moral  endowments 
 and  abilities,  all  the  natural  powers  and  faculties,  of  the  soul, 
 with  all  the  members  of  the  body,  and  all  the  labours  of  tlie 
 life,  and  whatsoever  else,  must  do  obeisance,  and  be  made 
 subject  unto  Jesus  Christ.    And  this  is  true  self-denial 
 
 SECT.  II. 
 
 Of  the  Denial  of  Sinful-self. 
 
 First,  we  must  deny  sinful-self,  and  this  we  are  to  deny 
 simply  and  absolutely,  whether  it  be  the  whole  body  of  cor- 
 ruption and  concupiscence,  or  those  personal  corruptions 
 which  we  in  our  particulars  are  more  notably  carried  unto. 
 
 1.  We  are  absolutely  to  deny  the  whole  body  of  corruption 
 and  concupiscence :  we  are  to  mortify  and  subdue,  to  crucify 
 and  to  revenge  the  blood  of  Christ  against  this  sin.  This  is 
 the  meaning  of  the  apostle  :  Mortifi/  your  7?iembers  which  are 
 upon  earth;  fornication,  uncleanness,  inordinate  affection ,  evil 
 
88  The  Practice  of  Sanctificatlou . 
 
 concupiscence. Now  for  the  denying  or  mortifying  of  this 
 
 concupiscence,  observe  these  directions: — 
 
 1.  Be  sensible  of  it,  cry  out,  O  lo  ret  died  man  that  I  am,  who 
 shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death  ? 
 
 2.  Endeavour  we  to  get  a  willing  heart  to  have  this  sin 
 mortified. 
 
 3.  Be  we  peremptory  in  denying  the  requests  of  concupis- 
 cence, bar  up  the  doors,  give  it  no  audience :  so  Christ  gave 
 Peter  a  peremptory  denial,  when  he  would  have  persuaded 
 him  from  his  passion,  saying.  Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan. 
 
 4.  Take  we  pains  to  mortify  this  sin.  /  rn?i  not  in  vain,  as  one 
 that  beats  the  air:  that  is,  I  take  pains,  but  not  in  vain ;  I  take 
 no  more  pains  than  I  must  needs ;  if  I  took  any  less,  I  could 
 not  come  to  that  I  aim  at:  the  less  pains  we  take  in  subduing 
 this  corruption,  the  more  will  it  increase ;  we  must  use  the 
 means  God  hath  appointed,  as  the  word,  and  praying,  and 
 fasting,  and  watching,  and  weeping,  and  mourning;  to  these 
 I  may  add  covenants  and  vows;  provided  that,  1.  they  be  of 
 things  lawful;  2.  that  we  esteem  them  not  as  duties  of  abso- 
 lute necessity;  and,  3.  that  we  bind  not  ourselves  perpetually, 
 lest  our  vows  become  burdens  to  us ;  and  if  we  will  vow,  let 
 us  but  vow  for  a  time,  that  when  the  time  is  expired,  we  may 
 either  renew  or  let  them  cease,  as  necessity  requires. 
 
 5.  Labour  we  to  get  the  assistance  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ. 
 The  wind  bloweth  ivhere  it  listeth;  i.  e.  the  Spirit  worketh  where 
 it  listeth ;  yet  this  hinders  not,  but  that  the  Spirit  may  list  to 
 blow  in  the  use  of  the  means. — Surely  there  are  means  to  get 
 the  Spirit,  and  to  hinder  the  Spirit;  the  Spirit  may  be  won 
 or  lost,  in  the  doing,  or  not  doing  these  things : — 
 
 1.  If  we  would  have  the  Spirit,  then  we  must  know  the 
 Spirit;  we  must  so  know  him,  as  to  give  him  the  glory  of  the 
 work  of  every  grace :  the  want  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ's 
 Spirit  is  the  very  reason  why  men  receive  not  the  Spirit.  The 
 first  means  to  have  the  Spirit,  is  to  know  the  Spirit,  that  we 
 may  give  him  the  glory  of  every  grace. 
 
 2.  If  we  would  have  the  Spirit,  take  heed  that  we  queiich 
 not  the  Spirit;  I  mean  not,  by  quenching  the  Spirit,  a  quite 
 putting  of  it  out:  but  1.  a  growing  careless  and  remiss  in  the 
 duties  of  religion:  2.  a  not  cherishing  every  good  motion  of 
 the  Spirit  in  our  hearts. 
 
 3.  If  we  would  have  the  Spirit,  take  heed  that  we  grieve  not 
 the  Spirit;  let  us  not  drive  him  by  our  sins  out  of  the  temples 
 of  our  souls,  disturb  him  not  in  his  gracious  and  comfortable 
 operations  there,  but  so  demean  ourselves  that  he  may  stay  in 
 our  spirits,  and  manifest,  without  any  eclipses  or  interrup- 
 tions, his  sweet  and  powerful  presence  within  us. 
 
 We  are  absolutely  to  deny  those  personal  corruptions  which 
 we  are  more  notably  carried  unto.     Now  for  the  denying  and 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctijication,  89 
 
 mortifying  of  this  sin,  whatsoever  it  may  be,  observe  these  di- 
 rections : — 
 
 1.  Labour  we  to  see  the  disease  :  no  man  will  seek  for  cure, 
 except  he  see  the  disease  ;  the  sight  of  the  disease  is  half  the 
 cure  of  it.     Endeavour  we  to  find  out  what  is  our  special  sin. 
 
 2.  Abstain  we  from  all  beginnings  and  occasions  of  this  sin  : 
 quench  it  at  first ;  if  we  cannot  put  out  a  spark,  how  should 
 we  put  out  a  flame  ?  If  we  get  not  the  mastery  over  the  first 
 motion  to  sin,  how  shall  we  overcome  it  when  it  is  brought  to 
 maturity  ? 
 
 3.  Turn  we  our  delights  to  God,  and  Christ,  and  heavenly 
 things  :  there  is  no  true  self-denial,  that  is  only  primitive  ;  a  man 
 cannot  leave  his  earthly  mindedness,  but  presently  he  must  be 
 heavenly-minded  :  as  a  man  cannot  empty  a  vessel  of  water  but 
 presently  air  ivill  come  in  its  place  ;  so  a  man  cannot  deny  sin- 
 ful-self, but  grace  will  immediately  enter,  and  take  possession  of 
 his  heart.  And  Oh  !  when  it  is  thus,  when  the  intentions  of  our 
 mind,  which  we  spent  upon  vanities,  are  now  drawn  into  prayer 
 and  meditations,  then  lusts  wither. 
 
 4.  Labour  after  further  discoveries  of  Christ.  Believe  more 
 and  depend  more  upon  Christ ;  yea,  let  us  trade  immediately 
 with  Christ,  for  Christ  is  the  only  agent  in  the  work  of  self- 
 denial.  Mistake  not ;  I  do  not  say  that  we  are  mere  passives 
 in  self-denial ;  in  our  progress  we  are  workers  together  with 
 Christ :  and  therefore  it  is  said,  that  we  purge  ourselves,  and 
 that  we  purify  ourselves,  and  that  we  by  the  Spirit  mortify  the 
 deeds  of  the  flesh,  because  Christ  still,  in  going  on  to  purge  us 
 and  mortify  our  lusts,  doth  it  by  stirring  up  our  graces,  and 
 useth  therein  acts  of  our  faith,  and  love,  and  many  motives  and 
 considerations,  to  do  it.  Let  us  therefore  use  all  means  required, 
 but  above  all  let  us  bring  our  hearts  to  be  more  and  more 
 acquainted  with  Christ. 
 
 SECT.  in. 
 Of  the  Denial  of  our  external  Relations, 
 
 Secondly,  we  must  deny  natural  self;  and  this  we  must  deny 
 only  conditionally,  and  upon  supposition  of  God's  call. 
 
 1.  We  are  conditionally  to  deny  our  external  relations;  to 
 this  purpose  saith  Christ,  If  any  inan  cometh  to  me,  and  hateth 
 not  father,  and  mother,  and  children,  and  brethren,  and  wife,  and 
 sisters — he  cannot  be  my  disciple.  Not  that  religion  teaches  or 
 endures  a  saint  to  break  the  ties  of  religion  or  nature  ;  you  see 
 it  puts  in  a  plea  against  such  unnaturalness.  Honour  thy  father 
 and  mother. 
 
 Relations  are  the  blessings  of  God  j  they  are  God's  gifts,  and 
 4  M 
 
90  The  Practice  of  Sanctification, 
 
 bestowed  on  the  saints  in  a  way  of  promise.  They  are  the  lov- 
 ing tokens  which  Christ  sends  to  our  souls^  that  so  he  might 
 draw  our  loves  to  him  again  ;  and  hence  it  is  lawful  and  com- 
 mendable to  rejoice  in  them  in  their  way,  and  especially  to  lift 
 up  our  souls  in  thanksgiving  to  God  for  them  ;  for  every  crea- 
 ture of  God  is  good_,  (much  more  the  children  of  our  loins,  and 
 wives  of  our  bosoms,)  if  received  with  thanksgiving. 
 Yet  we  must  deny  them  for  God  in  these  cases,— 
 
 1 .  If  they  retard  us  in  the  way  to  Christ,  if  they  entice  us  to 
 make  baitings  in  our  runnings  through  fire  and  through  water  to 
 the  Lord  Jesus.  If  our  dearest  relations  should  beckon  us  out 
 of  the  way,  or  retard  us  in  the  way,  to  Jesus  Christ,  we  must  not 
 respect  father  or  mother,  we  must  not  acknowledge  our  bre- 
 thren, nor  know  our  own  children.  And  Christ  gives  the  rea- 
 son :  He  that  loveth  father  or  mother  more  than  me^  is  not  wor- 
 thy of  me  ;  and  he  that  loveth  son  or  daughter  more  than  me,  is 
 not  worthy  of  me,  A  man  should  love  father  and  mother,  and  a 
 man  will  love  son  and  daughter,  for  love  descends  rather  than 
 ascends  ;  but  if  any  man  love  father,  or  mother,  or  son,  or  daugh- 
 ter, more  than  Christ,  he  is  not  fit  to  be  a  disciple  of  Christ. 
 
 2.  If  they  draw  contrary  ways  ;  Christ  drawing  one  way,  and 
 relations  drawing  another  way.  In  this  case,  as  Christ  said.  If 
 a  man  hate  not  father,  and  mother,  and  wife,  and  children,  and 
 brethren,  and  sisters,  yea,  and  his  own  life  also,  he  cannot  he  my 
 disciple.  If  any  man  hate  not,  ^.  e.  if  a  man  renounce  not  all 
 carnal  afi*ection,  if  a  man  be  not  disposed,  where  these  loves  are 
 not  compatible,  to  hate  father,  and  mother,  and  all,  for  the 
 love  of  Christ,  he  cannot  belong  to  Christ.  These  two  cases 
 may  be  summed  up  thus  :  if  our  relations  do  either  retard  our 
 way  to  Christ,  or  draw  us  from  Christ,  in  this  sense  they  ought 
 to  be  forgotten. 
 
 The  directions  of  self-denial,  in  respect  of  our  relations,  are 
 these : 
 
 I.  Let  us  have  them,  as  if  we  had  them  not ;  this  is  the  ex- 
 pression of  the  apostle  :  The  time  is  short ;  it  remains  that  both 
 they  that  have  ivives  be  as  though  they  had  none,  and  they  that 
 weep  as  they  that  ivept  not,  and  they  that  rejoice  as  if  they  that  re- 
 joiced not. — 1.  The  time  is  short :  the  apostle  here  alludes  to  sea- 
 faring men,  that  have  almost  done  their  voyage,  and  begin  to 
 strike  sail,  and  are  even  putting  into  the  harbour ;  so  it  is  with 
 us,  our  time  is  short,  as  soon  as  we  begin  our  voyage,  we  are 
 ready  to  strike  sail. — 2.  It  remains  that  both  they  that  have 
 wives,  be  as  though  they  had  none,  &c.  q.  d.  You  that  are  ready 
 to  cast  anchor,  trouble  not  yourselves  about  these  things,  but 
 rather  be  ye  stedfast,  gird  up  the  loins  of  your  minds,  let  your 
 care  be  the  greatest  for  heaven  ;  and  as  for  these  outward  rela- 
 tions, be  as  if  you  had  none,  or  think  as  soon  as  you  are  ashore 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctification,  %\ 
 
 you  shall  have  none ;  do  not  glut  yourselves,  but  moderate  your 
 hearts  in  all  such  comforts  as  these. 
 
 2.  Let  us  resign  up  all  to  God.  This  we  have  done,  and  this 
 we  must  do  still. — I.  This  we  have  done,  in  that  day  when  we 
 made  our  bargain  for  Christ.  Every  soul  that  comes  to  Christ, 
 parts  with  all  to  buy  that  pearl ;  and  in  selling  all,  he  sells  not 
 only  his  corruptions  and  lusts,  but  his  father,  mother,  wife, 
 children,  all  relations,  conditionally. — ^2.  This  we  must  do  still ; 
 we  must  give  up  all  to  God ;  we  and  they,  and  all,  must  be  at  the 
 command  of  Christ,  at  the  pleasure  of  God  and  Christ :  indeed 
 nothing  is  properly  called  our  own,  but  God  and  Christ ;  all  other 
 things  are  God's  gifts,  lent  of  God,  and  therefore,  as  occasion 
 is,  we  must  give  up  all  to  God  again. 
 
 3.  Let  us  imitate  them,  as  occasion  is,  who  for  Christ's  sake 
 have  actually  parted  with  their  dearest  relations. 
 
 Thus  did  Galeacius  Caracciolus,  the  noble  marquis  of  Vico. 
 Vico  was  one  of  the  paradises  of  Naples ;  and  Naples  was  the 
 paradise  of  Italy  ;  and  Italy  is  the  paradise  of  Europe ;  andEu 
 rope  the  paradise  of  all  the  earth.  Yet  this  marquis  being 
 brought  to  hear  a  sermon  of  Peter  Martyr's,  God  pleased  so  to 
 work  upon  his  spirit,  that  he  began  to  enter  into  serious  thoughts, 
 whether  his  way  of  popery,  wherein  he  was  trained,  was  right  or 
 not. — At  last,  having  further  light  let  into  his  soul,  his  resolu- 
 tions were  strong  to  leave  the  court,  and  his  honours,  together 
 with  his  father,  wife,  and  children,  and  whatsoever  was  dear  to 
 him.  Many  grievous  combats  he  had  betwixt  the  flesh  and  the 
 spirit  when  he  resolved  on  his  departure,  but  the  greatest  trou- 
 bles were  his  relations  :  for — 
 
 1 .  As  often  as  he  looked  on  his  father,  which  he  almost  did 
 every  hour,  so  often  he  was  stricken  at  the  heart  with  unspeak- 
 able grief ;  his  thoughts  ran  thus  ;  ^  What !  and  must  I  needs 
 forsake  my  dear  and  loving  father  ?  and  cannot  I  else  have  God 
 my  father  ?  Oh  !  unhappy  father  of  my  body,  which  may  stand 
 in  competition  with  the  Father  of  my  soul  ?' 
 
 2.  No  less  was  he  grieved  in  respect  of  his  wife ;  for,  having 
 no  hope  that  she  would  renounce  popery,  and  go  with  him,  he 
 resolved  also  for  Christ's  sake  to  leave  her,  and  to  follow  Christ ; 
 whereupon  his  thoughts  ran  thus  :  "  And  shall  I  forsake  my 
 wife,  the  only  joy  of  my  heart  in  this  world,  and  that  not 
 for  a  time,  but  for  ever  ! — How  many  doleful  days,  how  many 
 waking  nights,  will  she  pass  over  ? — " 
 
 3.  There  was  yet  a  third  care,  and  that  was  for  his  children  ; 
 which  were  six  in  all.  It  was  the  more  grief,  in  that  they  were 
 so  young,  as  that  they  could  not  conceive  what  it  was  to  want  a 
 father.  The  eldest  was  scarce  fifteen,  and  the  youngest  scarce 
 four  years  old  ;  towards  them  his  thoughts  ran  thus  :  "  Shall  I 
 within  these  few  days  utterly  forsake  these  sweet  babes,  and 
 leave  them  to  the  wide  and  wicked  world,  as  though  they  had 
 
92  The  Practice  of  Sanctification. 
 
 never  been  my  cliildren,  nor  I  their  father  ? — Poor  orphans  j 
 what  will  become  of  you  when  I  am  gone  ?  Your  hap  is  hard, 
 even  to  be  fatherless,  your  father  yet  living  ! — Yet  thus  must  I 
 leave  you  all,  weeping  and  wailing  one  with  another,  and  I,  in 
 the  mean  time,  weeping  and  wailing  for  you. 
 
 Thus  resolved,  he  left  his  family,  and  went  to  Geneva  ;  who 
 was  no  sooner  gone,  but  his  friends  and  family  were  so  aston- 
 ished, that  nothing  was  heard  or  seen  amongst  them  but  lamen- 
 tations. By  his  father's  commands,  and  his  wife's  entreaties,  he 
 was  persuaded  to  see  them  once,  and  take  his  journey  from  Ge- 
 neva to  Vico  :  having  stayed  a  while,  and  now  ready  to  return 
 to  Geneva,  his  father,  at  his  farewell,  gave  him  many  an  heavy 
 and  bitter  curse ;  his  wife  embraced  him,  and  took  him  about 
 the  neck,  beseeching  him  in  a  most  loving  and  pitiful  manner, 
 that  he  would  have  care  of  himself,  of  his  dear  wife  and  chil- 
 dren, and  not  so  willingly  cast  them  all  away  :  his  young  children, 
 all  upon  their  knees,  with  arms  stretched  out,  and  hands  holden 
 up,  and  faces  swoln  with  tears,  cried  out  unto  him  to  have 
 pity  on  them,  his  own  bowels,  and  not  to  make  them  fatherless 
 before  the  time :  his  friends,  with  heavy  countenances  and 
 watery  eyes  looked  on  him,  and  though  for  grief  they  could 
 not  speak,  yet  every  look,  and  every  countenance,  and  every 
 gesture,  was  a  loud  cry  and  a  strong  entreaty  that  he  would 
 stay,  and  not  leave  so  ancient  and  noble  a  house  in  such  a  deso- 
 late case.  But  above  all,  there  was  one  most  lamentable  sight : 
 — ^Among  his  children  he  had  one  daughter  of  twelve  years  old, 
 who  crying  out  amain,  and  wallowing  in  tears,  fell  down,  and 
 catching  fast  hold  about  his  knees,  held  him  so  hard  that  he 
 could  by  no  means  shake  her  off;  and  the  affection  of  a  father 
 wrought  so  with  him,  as  he  could  not  oifer  with  violence  to 
 hurt  her  :  he  laboured  to  be  loose,  but  she  held  faster  5  he 
 went  away,  but  she  trailed  after ;  crying  to  him,  not  to  be  so 
 cruel  to  her  his  own  child,  who  came  into  the  world  by  him.  This 
 so  wonderfully  wrought  with  his  nature,  that  he  thought,  as 
 he  often  reported,  that  all  his  bowels  rolled  about  within  him, 
 and  that  his  heart  would  have  burst  presently,  and  he  should 
 instantly  have  died.  But  notwithstanding  all  this,  being  armed 
 with  a  supernatural  fortitude,  he  broke  through  all  those  temp- 
 tations, and  for  Christ's  sake  denied  all,  and  so  returned  to 
 Geneva. — A  glorious  self-denial,  or  a  glorious  denier  of  his 
 natural-self ! 
 
 SECT.  IV. 
 
 Of  the  Denial  of  our  Special  Gifts. 
 
 We  are  conditionally  to  deny  our  special  gifts  and  endow- 
 ments ;  as  learning,  wisdom,  power,  or  any  other  abilities  of 
 mind  and  body. 
 
The  Practice  of  Sttnctification.  93 
 
 lndeed_,  learning,  wisdom,  abilities,  are  in  themselves  excellent 
 things.  iEneas  Silvius  said,  "  That  if  the  face  even  of  human 
 learning  could  but  be  seen,  it  is  more  beautiful  than  the  morning 
 star."  How  much  more  may  be  said  in  respect  of  divine  learning, 
 whose  subject  is  God,  artd  Christ,  and  the  things  of  God  ?  In 
 this  respect  therefore  we  must  not  deny  them. 
 
 Yet  we  must  deny  them  in  these  cases, — 
 
 1.  In  respect  of  any  high  thoughts  of  our  own  excel- 
 lencies :  Me  not  wise  in  your  own  conceit,  saith  the  apostle  j 
 to  which  agrees  that  of  Solomon,  Lean  not  thine  own  under- 
 standing. 
 
 2.  In  respect  of  any  use  of  them  according  to  the  world.  Of 
 this  God  speaketh  when  he  saith,  /  will  destroy  the  ivisdom  of 
 the  wise,  and  will  bring  to  nothi?ig  the  understanding  of  the  pru- 
 dent. Thus  the  apostle  trhmiphed,  saying,  JVhere  is  the  wise  f 
 where  is  the  scribe  ?  tvhere  is  the  disputer  of  this  world "? 
 Hath  not  God  made  foolish  the  tvisdom  of  this  ivorld?  Worldly 
 wisdom  usually  scorns  the  great  mysteries  of  godliness,  foolish- 
 ness of  preaching,  simplicity  of  the  saints  ;  but  this  wisdom  de- 
 scendeth  not  from  above,  saith  the  apostle,  this  wisdom  is  but 
 earthly,  sensual,  devilish. — I.  Earthly;  it  minds  only  earthly 
 things. — 2.  Sensual ;  it  prefers  the  pleasures  of  sense,  and  pleasing 
 the  appetite,  before  the  peace  of  conscience  and  sense  of  God's 
 favour.— 3.  Devilish  ;  for  it  imitates  the  devil  in  contriving  tlie 
 mischief  and  i-uin  against  the  glory  of  God,  the  plantation  of  his 
 grace  in  the  hearts  of  men  :  or  it  is  devilish,  because  the  devil 
 usually  sets  those  on  work  that  have  a  little  more  wit  to  do  him 
 service  ;  he  knows  they  are  more  able  and  active  to  quarrel,  rad, 
 slander,  disgrace  the  truth  of  God,  or  ministry  of  Christ. — O 
 poor  souls  !  how  do  you  bark  and  snatch  at  those  hurtless  hands, 
 which  would  heal  and  bind  up  your  bleeding  souls  !  O  poor 
 idiots  !  what  wisdom  is  it  for  you  to  endeavour  their  extirpation, 
 who  are  as  stars  in  the  right-hand  of  Christ !  They  that  would 
 do  Christ's  ministers  any  deadly  harm,  they  must  pluck  them 
 thence. 
 
 The  directions  of  self-denial  in  respect  of  our  special  gifts, 
 are  these : — 
 
 1 .  Think  we  soberly  of  ourselves,  according  as  God  hath  dealt 
 to  every  man  the  measure  of  faith.  We  are  not  sober,  in  the 
 apostle's  phrase,  if  either  we  take  that  upon  us  which  we  have 
 or  brag  of  that  which  we  have. 
 
 2.  Mind  the  true  ends  of  learning,  wisdom,  abilities.     What 
 are  those   ends  ?     1.  To  do  God  more  excellent  and  more  glo 
 rious  service.     2.  To  furnish  the  soid  for  an  higher  degree,  and 
 a  greater  measure,  of  sanctification. 
 
 3.«Endeavour  to  walk  before  God  in  lowliness  of  mind.  What ! 
 are  thy  gifts  more  eminent  than  others  ?  It  is  the  Lord  that 
 makes  thee  differ;  and  as  God  hath  been  favourable  to  thee,  so 
 
94  The  Practice  of  Sanctificatioii. 
 
 should  his  favours  be   as   obhgations  to  obedience,   humility, 
 meekness. 
 
 4.  Remember,  it  is  not  the  greatness,  but  the  well-using  of  the 
 gift,  that  is  the  glory  of  the  receiver.  It  is  not  the  having  any 
 thing,  whether  much  or  little  ;  but  the  having  of  Christ  with  it, 
 that  makes  it  full  and  satisfactory. 
 
 5.  Observe  and  weigh  well,  that  the  issue  of  all  depends  not 
 upon  the  abilities  of  man,  but  upon  the  all-disposing  hand  of 
 God.  The  race  is  not  to  the  sivift,  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong  ; 
 neither  yet  bread  to  the  ivise,  nor  riches  to  ineti  of  understanding. 
 All  our  abilities  are  under  God's  providence,  who  puts  an  efficacy 
 into  man's  abilities,  even  as  he  pleaseth. 
 
 6.  Esteem  we  ail  abilities,  gifts,  knowledge,  as  dung  and 
 dross,  in  comparison  of  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of 
 Christ  Jesus,  our  Lord.  All  knowledge,  art,  learning,  is  no- 
 thing to  Christ ',  there  is  no  excellency  in  that  man's  knowledge 
 that  knows  not  Christ.  If  we  know  not  Christ,  it  is  nothing,  if 
 we  know  never  so  much.  If  we  know  Christ,  it  is  enough,  though 
 we  know  nothing  more ;  enough  indeed,  for  in  knowing  him  we 
 have  all  knowledge.  In  Christ  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom 
 and  knowledge.  Among  wise  men,  he  is  the  choicest  that  knows 
 most  of  Christ ;  it  is  Christ  that  puts  a  fulness  into  our  know- 
 ledge, as  the  shining  of  the  sun  in  the  air  puts  a  fulness  of  light 
 into  the  eyes  ;  hence  Paul  made  Christ  crucified,  the  centre  and 
 circumference  of  his  knowledge,  the  breadth,  and  length,  and 
 depth,  and  height,  of  his  knowledge ;  this  was  the  full  latitude 
 of  his  knowledge,  to  know  Jesus  Christ :  and  this  is  excellent 
 knowledge,  excellent  for  the  author,  matter,  subject,  fruits,  and 
 effects  of  it;  this  is  saving  knowledge,  this  is  life  eternal,  to  know 
 thee,  and  him  whom  thou  hast  sent.  Oh !  never  speak  of  learn- 
 ing wisdom,  gifts,  abilities,  in  comparison  of  Christ.  Bernard 
 could  say,  "  If  thou  Avritest,  it  doth  not  relish  with  me,  unless  I 
 read  Jesus  there  ;  if  thou  disputest  or  conferrest,  it  doth  not  relish 
 with  me,  unless  Jesus  sound  there.'"  All  learning  is  but  igno- 
 rance in  comparison  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 
 Come  then,  and  down  with  all  knowledge  in  this  respect ;  come, 
 and  submit  to  that  true,  spiritual,  experimental  knowledge  of 
 Jesus  Christ. 
 
 SECT.  V. 
 
 Of  the  Denial  of  our  Worldly  Profits. 
 
 We  are  conditionally  to  deny  our  common  ends,  which  natu- 
 rally men  pursue  and  seek  after,  as  profit,  pleasure,  and  honour. 
 I  shall  begin  with  the  first. 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctijication.  95 
 
 It  must  be  granted  that  worldly  profits^  such  as  liouses,  lands, 
 possessions,  are  a  blessing  of  God,  because  they  serve  for  the 
 refreshing,  comforting,  supporting,  of  our  frail  weak  bodies, 
 while  we  live  in  this  world. 
 
 Yet  we  must  deny  them  in  these  cases  : — 
 
 1.  As  temptations  and  snares  ;  when  they  are  either  baits  unto 
 sin  ;  or  when  they  are  the  fruits  and  wages  of  sin.  Thus  Zac- 
 cheus  denies  himself  in  all  his  unjust  gain  which  he  had  gotten. 
 Restitution,  as  it  is  a  most  necessary,  so  it  is  one  of  the  hardest 
 parts  of  self-denial.  Unjust  gain  is  like  a  barbed  arrow,  it 
 kills  if  it  stay  within  the  body,  and  pulls  the  flesh  away  if  it  be 
 drawn  out. 
 
 2.  x\s  oblations  and  sacrifices  ;  when  Christ  calls  us  to  dedicate 
 them  unto  him,  then  we  must  deny  them.  Thus  when  Abraham 
 was  called  from  his  country  into  a  land  which  he  knew  not ;  and 
 when  Daniel  was  called  from  a  king's  court  to  a  den  of  lions  ; 
 when  Moses  was  called  from  the  honours  of  Egypt,  to  the  afflic- 
 tions of  God's  people  ;  immediately  they  consulted  not  with  flesh 
 and  blood,  but  willingly  left  their  own  comforts  to  obey  God's 
 commands.  All  we  are,  or  have,  we  have  it  on  this  condition,  to 
 use  it,  to  leave  it,  to  lay  it  out,  to  lay  it  down,  unto  the  honour 
 of  our  Master,  from  whose  bounty  we  received  it. 
 
 The  directions  of  self-denial  in  respect  of  our  worldly  profits, 
 are  these : — 
 
 1.  Look  we  on  worldly  profits  as  vanity,  nothing.  Wilt  thou 
 set  thine  eyes  upon  that  which  is  not,  says  Solomon  ;  for  riches 
 certainly  make  themselves  icings ^  they  jiy  away  as  an  eagle. — 
 Observe  first,  that  riches  are  not,  they  are  nothing ;  those  things 
 that  make  men  great  in  the  eye  of  the  world,  are  nothing  in  the 
 eyes  of  God. — 2.  Observe,  the  Holy  Ghost  would  not  have  us 
 so  much  as  set  our  eyes  upon  riches,  they  are  not  objects  worth 
 the  looking  on. — 3.  Observe  with  what  indignation  he  speaks 
 against  those  that  will  set  their  eyes  upon  them  :  wilt  thou  set 
 thine  eyes  upon  that  which  is  not  ?  As  if  he  had  said,  what  a 
 vain,  unreasonable,  senseless  thing  is  this? — 4.  Observe,  that 
 he  says,  their  parting  from  us  is  by  way  of  flight,  that  is,  a 
 sudden,  swift,  and  irrecoverable  motion. — 5.  Observe,  that  this 
 flight  is  by  the  wings  of  an  eagle,  which  of  all  birds  hath  the 
 most  sudden,  the  most  swift,  and  the  most  irrecoverable  motion. — 
 6.  Observe,  that  none  needs  to  put  wings  upon  them  to  fly  away, 
 for  they  make  themselves  wings  5  there  is  matter  enough  in  them- 
 selves to  put  them  into  a  flight.  Oh  that  the  glory  of  the  world 
 were  darkened  in  our  eyes,  as  one  day  it  shall  be,  that  it  might 
 not  be  so  dear  unto  us  as  it  is  ! 
 
 2.  Consider  them  as  instabilities,  uncertainties.  All  worldly 
 things  are  like  the  sea,  ebbing  and  flowing  ;  or  like  the  moon, 
 always  increasing  or  decreasing  ;  or  like  a  wheel,  always  turning 
 up  and  down     Such  a  story  we  have  of  Sesostris,  king  of  Egypt, 
 
^6  The  Practice  of  Scmctificatton. 
 
 who  would  have  his  chariot  drawn  with  four  kings,  and  one  of 
 them  had  his  eyes  continually  on  the  wheel ;  whereupon  Sesostris 
 asked,  what  he  meant  by  it  ?  He  answered,  It  put  him  in  mind 
 of  the  mutability  of  all  earthly  things,  "  For  I  see,"  said  he, 
 ^•^  that  part  of  the  wheel,  which  is  now  up  on  high,  is  presently 
 down  beneath  ;  and  that  part  which  is  now  below,  is  presently  up 
 on  high  :"  whereupon  Sesostris  being  moved,  considering  what 
 might  be  his  own  estate,  would  never  have  his  chariot  drawn 
 after  that  manner  any  more. 
 
 3.  Consider  them  as  snares  and  thorns.  To  this  purpose  cried 
 Solomon,  Allis  vanity  andvexdtion  of  spirit. — Worldlings  !  do  you 
 not  feel  this  true  ?  Mark  but  how  your  worldly  cares  do  rush  upon 
 you  in  the  morning  as  soon  as  you  awake ;  mark  but  how  they 
 accompany  you  in  the  day ;  mark  but  how  they  follow  you  to  your 
 beds  at  night ;  mark  but  how  they  hinder  your  sleeps,  and  afflict 
 you  in  your  dreams  :  Oh  !  what  fears  !  what  suspicions  !  what  un- 
 dermining one  another  !  what  disappointments  !  what  vexations  ! 
 what  a  clutter  of  businesses  crossing  one  the  other !  what  snares 
 and  temptations  lie  in  your  way  at  every  hand  1  You  walk  all 
 the  day  long  upon  snares  ;  upon  dangerous  snares,  that  bring 
 much  sin  and  guilt,  and  will  bring  much  sorrow  and  misery. 
 
 4.  Consider  them  as  fading  in  regard  of  use,  which  yet  prove 
 eternal  in  regard  of  punishment.  Oh  !  what  a  dreadful  noise  is 
 that  in  hell ! — we  have  lost  eternity,  for  setting  our  hearts  upon 
 things  that  were  but  momentary.  What  will  be  thy  thoughts  at 
 the  hour  of  death  ?  It  may  be  these  :  Now  are  all  my  hopes  at 
 an  end,  now  I  must  bid  farewell  to  all  my  comforts,  I  shall  never 
 have  mirth  any  more  ;  the  sun  is  set,  the  season  is  at  an  end  for 
 all  my  comforts  ;  now  I  see  before  me  a  vast  ocean  of  eternity, 
 and  of  necessity  I  must  launch  into  it :  O  Lord,  what  provision 
 have  I  for  it  ?  Oh,  there  is  a  thought  that  will  rend  the  heart  in 
 pieces  !  Oh,  what  a  dreadful  shriek  will  that  soul  give,  that  sees 
 before  it  that  infinite  ocean  of  eternity,  and  sees  no  provision 
 made  for  it  1  What  will  it  think,  but  here  is  an  ocean  of  hot 
 scalding  lead,  and  I  must  launch  into  it,  and  I  must  swim  naked 
 in  it  for  ever  and  ever  ?  I  know  not  how  this  word  may  work, 
 but  if  it  be  trampled  under  foot,  it  may  be  within  this  year  or 
 two,  it  will  be  said  of  thee.  Such  an  one  was  at  such  a  sermon, 
 or  read  such  a  book,  and  learned  that  worldly  profits  were  but 
 momentary ;  but  now  he  is  gone  :  Or  it  may  be  thou  wilt  say  on 
 thy  death-bed.  Such  a  book  I  read,  that  all  worldly  profits  were 
 but  momentary,  and  that  I  had  not  only  a  river  to  swim  over,  but 
 an  infinite  ocean  to  launch  into,  and  yet  I  would  not  be  warned ; 
 and  now  my  season  is  gone,  and  I  am  launching  into  eternity,  the 
 Lord  knows  what  will  become  of  me. 
 
 5.  Appear  for  God  and  his  cause,  his  truth  and  people,  though 
 the  issue  may  seem  dangerous.  Thus  Esther  did  with  that  brave 
 resolution  of  her's.  If  I  perish^  I  perish.     Oh  !  let  not  a  good 
 
J'he  Practice  of  Sancttfication.  97 
 
 cause  be  dashed  and  blasted,  and  none  have  a  heart  to  appear  for 
 it,  for  fear  of  worldly  profit. 
 
 6.  Let  all  go,  rather  than  commit  any  sin  :  it  is  better  to  want 
 all  the  profits  that  earth  can  aftbrd,  than  to  lose  the  delights  that  a 
 good  conscience  will  bring  in.  Oh !  let  the  bird  in  the  breast  be 
 always  kept  singing,  whatsoever  we  suff'er  for  it ;  it  is  better  we 
 lose  all  we  have,  than  to  make  shipwreck  of  a  good  conscience  ; 
 in  this  case  we  must  be  willing  to  lose  all,  or  else  we  are  lost  in 
 the  enjoyment  of  all. 
 
 SECT.  VL 
 
 Of  the  Denial  of  our  Worldly  Pleasures. 
 
 The  next  common  end  which  men  naturally  pursue,  and  which 
 we  must  deny,  is  pleasure. 
 
 ^Tis  true,  some  pleasures  are  lawful,  and,  in  a  sober,  moderate, 
 seasonable  use  of  them,  serve  for  the  refreshing,  comforthig,  and 
 supporting  of  our  frail  bodies.  Yet  we  must  deny  them  in 
 these  cases. 
 
 1.  When  they  are  baits  to  draw  us  into  sin. 
 
 2.  When  they  are  sin,  or  the  concomitants  of  sin,  or  the  fruits 
 and  wages  of  sin. 
 
 The  directions  of  self-denial,  in  respect  of  worldly  pleasures, 
 are  these  : — 
 
 1 .  Look  on  pleasures,  not  only  as  vain,  but  as  vanishing  :  they 
 are  soon  gone  from  us,  or  we  are  soon  gone  from  them.  1 .  They 
 arc  soon  gone  from  us,  the  fashion  of  this  ivorld  passeth  away : 
 all  pleasures  are  but  like  a  mountain  of  snow,  that  melts  away 
 presently.  2.  We  are  soon  gone  from  them  ;  it  is  but  a  while, 
 and  then  we  and  all  our  pleasures  must  together  vanish  ;  if  death 
 draw  the  curtain,  and  look  in  upon  us,  then  we  must  bid  a  fare- 
 well to  them  all,  never  laugh  more,  never  have  merry-meeting 
 more  ;  never  be  in  jollity  any  more.  Oh  !  when  we  are  called  to 
 eternity,  then  all  our  delights  will  leave  us,  and  bid  us  adieu  for 
 ever  ;  and  how  doleful  will  this  be  to  all  the  sons  and  daughters 
 of  pleasure  !  your  season  is  done,  you  have  had  your  time,  it  is 
 gone,  it  is  past,  and  cannot  be  recalled. 
 
 2.  Consider,  this  is  not  the  season  that  should  be  for  pleasure. 
 The  apostle  James  lays  it  as  a  great  charge  upon  those  in  his 
 time,  that  they  lived  in  pleasure  upon  earth.  This  is  a  time  to 
 do  the  great  business  for  which  we  were  bom.  Oh  !  did  we  think 
 that  eternity  depended  upon  this  little  uncertain  time  of  our  lives, 
 we  would  not  say  that  sensual  pleasures  were  now  in  season. 
 Surely  this  time  should  be  spent  in  seeking  to  make  our  peace 
 with  God;  this  is  a  time  of  suing  out  our  pardon,  of  mourning,  and 
 sorrow  and  trouble  of  spirit,  and  no  time  for  jollity,  and  fleshly 
 
 4.  N 
 
1>S  The  Practice  of  Sanctificatlon. 
 
 delights.  If  a  condemned  man  had  two  or  three  days  granted  him 
 that  he  might  sue  out  his  pardon,  were  that  a  time  for  pleasure 
 and  sports  ?  Thus  it  is  with  us  ;  the  sentence  of  death  is  upon 
 us,  only  a  little  uncertain  time  is  granted  us,  to  sue  out  a  par- 
 don 5  let  us  know  then  what  is  our  work,  and  let  us  apply  our- 
 selves to  it. 
 
 3.  Ponder  the  carriage  of  the  saints  before  us.  You  know 
 the  mean  provision  that  John  the  Baptist,  the  forerunner  of 
 Christ,  had ;  his  fare  was  locusts  and  wild  honey,  and  yet  there 
 was  not  a  greater  born  of  woman  before.  Timothy,  although  he 
 was  sickly,  yet  would  not  take  liberty  to  drink  a  little  wine,  but 
 only  water,  till  Paul  wrote  to  him  ;  and  in  that  liberty  there  was 
 but  little  granted,  and  that  for  his  stomach's  sake,  and  his  often 
 infirmities.  Basil,  in  an  epistle  to  Julian,  mentions  the  mean 
 fare  he  and  others  with  him  lived  on  ;  they  had  no  need  of  cooks, 
 all  their  provision  was  the  leaves  of  plants,  and  a  little  bread  :  and 
 Hieroni  reports  of  Hilarion,  that  he  never  ate  any  thing  before 
 the  sun  went  down,  and  that  which  at  any  time  he  ate  was  very 
 mean :  and  Hierom  himself  lived  so  abstemiously,  that  he  had 
 uothing  daily  but  a  few  dried  figs  with  cold  water. 
 
 4.  Do  we  for  Christ,  as  Christ  hath  done  for  us.  What  !  was 
 he  content  to  part  with  the  pleasures  of  heaven,  the  bosom  of  his 
 Father,  to  redeem  poor  man  ?  and  shall  not  we  part  with  the 
 pleasure  of  a  little  meat  or  drink  for  him  ?  Is  not  all  his  glory, 
 revealed  in  his  word  and  work,  sufficient  to  shew  him  worthy  of 
 our  loves,  and  to  make  us  willing  to  part  with  such  empty,  poor, 
 slight  things,  as  sensual  pleasures  ?  Surely  the  daughters  of 
 pleasure  must  undress,  if  ever  they  will  be  beautiful  in  Christ's 
 eyes ;  their  ornament  must  not  be  the  outward  adorning  of  plaiting 
 the  hair,  and  of  wearing  of  gold,  and  putting  on  of  apparel,  but 
 the  hidden  man  of  the  heart,  the  ornament  of  a  meek  and  quiet 
 spirit,  which  is  in  the  sight  of  God  of  great  price. 
 
 5.  Meditate  on  those  pleasures  above,  and  say,  (you  that  have 
 the  experience  of  the  pleasantness  of  God's  ways,)  If  the  nether 
 springs  be  so  sweet,  what  will  the  upper  be  ?  If  the  lower  Jeru- 
 salem be  paved  with  gold,  surely  that  upper  Jerusalem  is  paved 
 with  pearls  !  It  is  an  excellent  speech  of  Bernard,  "^  Good  art 
 thou,  O  Lord,  to  the  soul  that  seeks  thee  ;  what  art  thou  to  the 
 soul  that  finds  thee  ?  If  grace  be  pleasant,  how  pleasant  is 
 glory  ?"  Therefore  the  saints  die  so  pleasantly,  because  there  is 
 a  meeting  of  grace  and  glory :  grace  is  delightful,  glory  more 
 delightful;  but  when  both  these  meet  together,  what  delight 
 wiU  there  then  be  ! 
 
The  Practice  of  Saiictification,  91) 
 
 SECT.  VII. 
 
 Of  the  Denial  of  our  Honour,  Praise,  good  Name,  among  Men. 
 
 The  next  end  which  naturally  men  pursue,  and  which  we  must 
 deny,  is  honour,  praise,  good  name. 
 
 We  grant,  honour,  praise,  good  name,  are  the  gifts  and 
 blessings  of  God.  David  speaketh  expressly.  Both  riches  and 
 honour  come  of  thee,  and  thou  reignest  over  all. 
 
 Yet  we  must  deny  them  for  God,  in  these  cases  : — 
 
 1.  When  they  are  as  snares  and  baits  unto  sin.  And  in  all 
 those,  honour,  praise,  good  name,  there  are  dangerous  snares  ; 
 how  prone  do  they  make  a  man  to  those  sins  of  vain-glory,  self- 
 admiration,  self-estimation  !  Surely  it  is  a  great  mercy  of  God 
 if  any  man  be  preserved  from  these  sins,  that  enjoys  those 
 blessings  ! 
 
 2.  When  we  are  called  by  God  to  dedicate  them  to  God. 
 The  Lord  never  gave  us  these  things,  honour,  praise,  good  name, 
 upon  any  other  terms,  but  that  we  should  be  willing  to  part  with 
 them  for  the  honour  of  his  name  ;  God  never  made  us  owners, 
 but  stewards  of  them  for  his  service,  and  if  ever  we  were  brought 
 to  Christ,  into  covenant  with  God  in  him,  we  then  resigned  up 
 all  to  him,  we  professed  to  part  with  all  for  him.  And  good 
 reason,  for  whatsoever  honour  or  excellency  we  have,  it  is  he 
 that  gives  it : — the  rainbow  is  but  a  common  vapour,  it  is  the  sun 
 that  gilds  it,  that  enamels  it  with  so  many  colours  :  the  best  of 
 us  are  but  a  vapour ;  and  if  any  of  us  be  more  glorious,  more 
 honourable,  than  others,  it  is  the  Lord  that  hath  shined  upon  us, 
 and  hath  put  more  beauty,  more  lustre  upon  us,  than  upon  other 
 vapours. 
 
 The  directions  of  self-denial  in  respect  of  our  honour,  favour, 
 grace,  good  name,  among  men,  are  these  : — 
 
 1.  Look  on  honour,  praise,  favour,  applause,  as  vanity,  no- 
 thing. Vanity  of  vanities,  saiththe  preacher;  vanity  of  vani- 
 ties, all  is  vanity.  Observe  his  expression ;  \.  Vanity,  not  orAy 
 vain,  but  vanity  itself.  2.  Excessive  vanity,  for  it  is  vanity  of 
 vanities.  3.  An  heap  of  vanities,  for  it  is  in  the  plural  number, 
 vanity  of  vanities.  4.  All  is  vanity,  not  only  profit,  and  plea- 
 sure, but  honour  too  ;  Solomon  had  experience  of  them  all,  and 
 all  is  vanity.  There  is  no  reality  in  honour,  praise,  favour, 
 applause  of  men,  which  are  so  much  admired  and  magnified ; 
 honour  is  but  a  shadow,  a  fancy,  a  wind,  a  breath  ;  there  is  no 
 internal  excellency  in  it. 
 
 2.  Beware  of  those  attendants,  or  companions  of  honours  ; 
 vain-glory,  self-love,  self-admiration.  Let  us  not  be  desirous  of 
 vain-glory  :  let  us  not  exalt  ourselves  above  others  :  let  us  not 
 study  to  be  magnified  by  others  :  let  us  not  please  ourselves  in 
 the  applause  of  others.     It  is  not  human  applause,  but  God's 
 
100  The  Practice  of  Sancttficahvn. 
 
 approbation,  which  ministers  matter  of  true  honour  to  a  Christian. 
 We  should  rejoice  to  see  God  honoured,  but  fear  to  hear  our- 
 selves applauded,  lest  either  we  be  idolized,  or  God's  honour 
 obscured. 
 
 3.  Be  convinced,  that  of  all  vices,  vain-glory,  self-admiration, 
 hunting  after  men's  praise,  are  the  most  invincible.  The  roots 
 thereof  are  so  deep  and  strong,  and  so  largely  spread  in  the 
 heart  of  man,  that  there  is  no  disease  in  the  soul  so  hardly  cured, 
 no  weed  in  the  garden  of  man's  heart  so  hardly  plucked  up. 
 
 4.  Let  us  herein  conform  ourselves  to  Christ.  He  came  from 
 the  bosom  of  his  Father,  and  from  that  infinite  gloiy  he  had  with 
 him  before  the  world  was.  He  left  the  honour  which  he  might 
 have  had  from  all  the  angels,  and  all  to  save  poor  wretched  sin- 
 ful creatures  :  he  that  was  equal  with  God,  so  emptied  himself 
 that  he  became  man  ;  nay,  he  was  made  a  scorn  of  men,  he  made 
 himself  of  no  reputation,  he  came  in  the  form  of  a  servant,  he 
 was  made  a  curse,  as  if  he  had  been  the  vilest  of  men  living  ; 
 and  yet  this  was  the  honour  of  Christ  himself,  because  it  was  all 
 for  God.  Oh  !  then,  who  is  he  that  knows  any  thing  of  Jesus 
 Christ,  that  can  think  it  much  to  lay  down  all  his  honour  for  him  ? 
 What  can  be  more  unworthy,  what  more  detestable,  than  that 
 a  man  should  magnify  himself  after  he  had  seen  God  humbled. 
 It  is  intolerable  impudence,  that  where  majesty  hath  emptied 
 himself,  a  worm  should  be  puffed  up. 
 
 5.  Let  us  submit  to  the  meanest  service  of  our  God,  though 
 it  darken  our  honours,  never  so  much  in  the  eyes  of  the  world. 
 Thus  Hierom  writ  to  Panachius  a  young  nobleman,  that  he  would 
 have  him  to  be  eyes  to  the  blind,  feet  to  the  lame,  hands  to  the 
 weak,  yea,  if  need  were,  to  carry  water,  and  cut  wood,  and 
 make  fires ;  for  what  are  all  these,  saith  he,  to  bonds,  buffetings, 
 spittings,  whippings,  death  ? 
 
 6.  Let  us  willingly  join  with  those  of  lower  degree  in  any  way 
 of  honouring  God.  Mind  not  hig/i  things,  saith  the  apostle, 
 hut  condescend  to  men  of  low  estate.  Who  knows  but  that  the 
 poorest  creature  may  be  far  more  honourable  m  the  eyes  of  God 
 and  of  his  saints,  than  we  ?  Where  greater  graces  sit  below  us, 
 let  us  acknowledge  their  inward  dignity. 
 
 7.  We  must  bear  our  reproaches  wisely.  Though  we  should 
 not  be  insensible,  yet  we  should  not  take  too  much  notice  oi 
 every  reproach.  But  how  then  should  we  stop  their  mouths  ?  I 
 answer  :  1.  Let  us  walk  innocently ;  innocency  will  overcome  all 
 in  time.  2.  Let  us  labour  to  be  eminent  in  that  which  is  quite 
 contrary  to  that  we  are  reproached  for.  Perhaps  you  are  re- 
 proached for  a  dissembler,  labour  for  the  greatest  eminency  of 
 plainness  and  sincerity  :  perhaps  you  are  reproached  for  covet- 
 ousness,  labour  to  be  eminent  in  liberality,  in  heavenly  minded 
 ness,  in  doing  good, 
 
 8.  We  must  bear  reproaches  patiently.     What  are  we  ?    or 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctification.  101 
 
 what  is  our  names,  that  we  should  think  much  to  bear  repit)ach  ? 
 Consider,  have  not  other  of  God's  servants,  far  holier  than  we 
 are,  been  under  exceeding  reproach  ?  Nay,  how  is  God  and 
 Christ  reproached  ?  how  is  the  name  of  God  slighted  ?  how  is 
 the  majesty,  and  sovereignty,  and  authority  of  God  contemned 
 in  this  world  ?  what  reproaches  endured  Christ  in  his  own  per- 
 son, in  his  preaching  ?  how  was  he  contemned  when  he  preached 
 against  covetousness  ?  The  Pharisees  scorned  him  :  the  word 
 signifies  they  blew  their  noses  at  him.  He  was  called  a  devil,  a 
 Samaritan,  a  wine-bibber,  a  friend  of  publicans  and  sinners ;  wliat 
 worse  can  be  imagined  than  was  cast  upon  Christ  ?  they  spat 
 on  his  face,  that  blessed  face  of  his,  that  the  waves  of  the  sea 
 were  afraid  of,  and  that  the  sun  withdrew  his  light  from,  as  not 
 being  fit  to  behold  it ;  they  put  thorns  on  his  head,  and  bowed 
 to  him  in  reproach.  This  argument  should,  methinks,  move  us 
 to  bear  reproaches  patiently. 
 
 9.  Make  we  our  moans  to  God,  and  lay  our  case  before  him, 
 as  Hezekiah  (when  Rabshakeh  came  and  reviled  God  and  the 
 people  of  God)  went  and  spread  the  letter  before  God ;  if  we 
 can  but  do  likewise,  we  shall  find  unsj^eakable  refreshments  to 
 our  souls,  and  that  will  be  a  great  argument  of  our  innocency. 
 My  friends  scorn  me,  saith  Job,  but  mine  eye  poureth  out  tears 
 unto  God. — The  mouth  of  the  wicked,  saith  David,  and  the 
 mouth  of  the  deceitful,  ai'e  opened  ugainst  me  ;  but  I  give  my- 
 self unto  prayer, 
 
 10.  We  must  bear  reproaches  fruitfully.  Christians  should 
 not  think  it  enough  to  free  themselves  from  reproach,  but  they 
 must  improve  it  for  good  ',  and  to  that  end — 
 
 1 .  Consider  what  ends  God  aims  at  by  it,  and  labour  to  work 
 them  upon  ourselves. 
 
 2.  Draw  what  good  instiTictions  we  can  from  the  reproaches 
 of  others,  as  thus  :  when  I  hear  men  reproach  and  revile, — Oh 
 what  a  deal  of  evil  is  there  secretly  in  the  heart  of  man,  that  is 
 not  discovered  till  it  have  occasion  !  Again,  do  I  see  another  so 
 vigilant  over  me,  to  find  out  any  thing  in  me  to  reproach  me, — > 
 How  vigilant  should  I  be  ovei-  myself,  to  find  out  what  is  in  ma 
 to  humble  me ! 
 
 SECT.  VIII. 
 
 Of  the  Denial  of  our  Life  for  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 I  HAVE  done  with  the  denial  of  natural  self  in  regard  of  well 
 being,  I  now  consider  the  denial  of  natural  self  in  regard  of  very 
 being,  and  so   it  imports   our  life,  together  with  the  faculties 
 and  powers    of    nature,    our    understanding,  will,    affections, 
 senses,   fleshly  members  ;  all  within  us   must  be  captivated  to 
 
102  The  Practice  of  Sanctijication, 
 
 Christ,  and  all  without  us  must  endure  to  suffer  for  the  name  of 
 Christ. 
 
 1.  The  understanding  must  be  captivated,  as  it  hinders  from 
 Christ.  Suppose  the  word  of  Christ  be  contradicted  or  checked 
 by  reason.  In  this  case  I  must  deny  my  reason,  and  believe 
 Christ ;  I  must  captivate  my  understanding  to  the  obedience  of 
 faith. 
 
 2.  The  will  must  be  renounced  in  reference  to  Christ.  Ser- 
 vants must  not  follow  their  own  will,  but  their  master's  directions ; 
 how  much  more  ought  we,  who  always  may  justly  suspect  our- 
 selves, and  can  never  suspect  the  will  of  Christ.  It  is  meet  that 
 Hagar  should  stoop  to  Sarah,  our  will  to  Christ's  will. 
 
 3.  Our  affections  and  senses  must  be  denied,  as  they  are  che- 
 rishers  of  evil,  or  opposers  of  good.  This  latter  is  that  crucify- 
 ing of  the  flesh,  with  the  lusts  and  affections,  which  the  apostle 
 mentions.  But  all  these  being  within  the  compass  of  natural 
 life,  I  shall  only  insist  on  that. 
 
 Life,  as  it  is  the  gift,  so  it  is  the  blessing,  of  God ;  hence  the 
 promise  of  life,  and  of  long  life,  is  made  to  obedient  children  j 
 and  this,  tm*ned  into  prayer  by  the  believing  parents,  is  usually 
 called  by  the  name  of  blessing. 
 
 Yet  we  must  deny  it  for  God,  in  these  cases  : — 
 
 1.  As  a  saxirifice.  If  God  vrill  rather  be  honoured  by  death 
 than  life,  by  the  sufferings  than  by  the  services,  of  his  saints, 
 in  this  case  we  should  be  willing  to  submit  to  God.  Thus  many 
 of  the  martyrs  who  had  opportunity  of  flight,  yet  tarried  to  wit- 
 ness the  truth,  and  gave  their  lives  to  the  flames. 
 
 2.  As  temptation.  Thus,  rather  than  sin,  the  primitive  Chris- 
 tians, when  apprehended,  chose  willingly  to  die.  And  if  it  be 
 on  this  condition  that  we  may  avoid  sin,  that  by  losing  life  we 
 may  go  to  Christ,  in  whom  we  shall  find,  with  an  infinite  over- 
 plus, whatsoever  we  can  lose  for  his  sake ;  then  we  must  deny 
 life  itself. 
 
 The  directions  of  self-denial  in  respect  of  our  natural  being, 
 or  life,  are  these  : — 
 
 1.  Apprehend  God's  love  to  our  souls  in  his  Son  :  he  thought 
 nothing  too  good  for  us,  God  so  loved  the  luorld  that  he  gave  his 
 oyily  begotten  Son;  and  this  he  did  for  us,  when  we  were 
 enemies ;  nay,  God  hath  not  only  given  us  his  Son  for  a  Saviour, 
 but  he  hath  given  us  himself  for  an  husband ;  let  us  often  by 
 sad  and  solemn  meditation  renew  the  sense  of  his  love  to  us 
 in  Christ,  and  we  cannot  but  give  up  all  we  have,  and  all  we 
 are,  to  God. 
 
 2.  Maintain  a  godly  jealousy  of  our  own  hearts  ;  for  want  of 
 this,  all  the  disciples  fainted,  especially  Peter,  and  shamefully 
 denied  Christ.  Memorable  is  that  story  of  Pendleton  and  San- 
 ders :  Sanders,  as  fearful  he  should  not  endure  the  fire  ;  Pendle- 
 ton seemed  resohite,  ^^  Be  not  fearful,*   saith  he  to  Sanders,  '^  for 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanchfication.  1(>3 
 
 thou  shalt  see  me,  and  this  fat  flesh  of  mine,  fry  in  the  fire  be- 
 fore I  will  yield."  Yet  he  that  was  so  strong  in  his  own  strength, 
 fell  away ;  and  the  other,  so  fearful,  was  enabled  by  God  to  burn 
 for  his  truth. 
 
 3.  Be  acquainted  with  the  promises  of  self-denial ;  have 
 always  a  word  at  hand  to  reheve  ourselves  in  the  worst  of  suf- 
 ferings.     Now    these    promises    are   of   several    sorts. 1.  Of 
 
 assistance,— 2.  of  acceptance, — 3.  of  reward.  And  agahi,  the 
 promises  of  reward  are,— 1.  of  this  life  ;  He  that  forsakes  all 
 for  Christ,  shall  receive  an  hundred  fold ;  the  joy,  the  peace  he 
 shall  have  shall  be  an  hundred  times  better  than  the  comfort  of 
 these  outward  things.  '  Oh  !  but,'  may  some  say,  '  what  will 
 become  of  my  children  ?  1  shall  leave  them  fatherless  and  help- 
 less.* To  this,  by  way  of  answer,  God  often  styles  himself  the 
 Father  of  the  fatherless,  and  if  of  any  fatherless,  then  surely  of 
 those  whose  parents  have  lost  their  lives  for  Jesus  Christ.  Leave 
 thy  fatherless  children,  saith  the  Lord,  I  will  preserve  them  alive, 
 and  let  thy  widows  trust  in  me. — 2.  Of  eternal  life ;  such  shall 
 inherit  eternal  life.  ''  Be  of  good  comfort,"  says  Bradford  to  his 
 fellow  martyr,  "  we  shall  have  a  merry  supper  with  the  Lord 
 this  night." — Christians  !  what  would  we  have  ?  The  soul  indeed 
 is  of  a  large  capacity,  all  things  here  below  can  never  satisfy  it ; 
 but  eternal  life,  the  inheritance  above,  will  fill  the  understanding 
 with  knowledge,  and  the  will  with  joy;  and  that  in  so  great  a 
 measure,  that  the  expectation  of  the  saints  shall  be  exceeded ; 
 for  he  shall  be  admired  of  them  that  believe. 
 
 4.  Mind  the  principle  that  must  carry  us  through  death,  and 
 make  death  itself  honourable.  We  read,  Heb.  xi. — thdt  by  faith 
 some  quenched  the  violence  of  fire. — Others  ivere  tortured.--^ 
 They  were  stoyied,  they  were  sawn  asunder,  they  were  tempted, 
 they  were  slain  by  the  siuord ;  and  all  this  by  faith. — Faith  is 
 the  grace  that  enables  us  to  deny  ourselves,  yea,  life  itself; 
 other  graces  may  do  much,  but  faith  hath  the  principal  work 
 in  this.  By  faith  ye  stand,  said  the  apostle  to  his  Corinthians  : 
 it  is  faith  that  makes  a  man  stand  in  his  greatest  trials ;  and 
 therefore  when  Christ  saw  how  Peter  should  be  tempted,  he  tells 
 him,  that  he  had  prayed  that  his  faith  should  not  fail ;  noting, 
 that  while  his  faith  held,  all  would  be  sure. 
 
 SECT.  IX. 
 Of  Self-denial,  even  with  regard  to  the  Graces  of  God. 
 
 Notwithstanding  these  are  God's  special  gifts,  yet  we 
 must  deny  them  comparatively,  and  in  some  respects  : — 
 
 1.  In  point  of  justification.  It  is  a  dangerous  thing  to  hang 
 the  weight  of  a  soul  upon  any  thing  which  hath  any  mixture  of 
 
104  The  Practice  of  Sanctification, 
 
 w.eakness,  imperfection,  or  corruption  in  it,  as  the  purest  and 
 best  of  all  our  duties  hav^e  ;  it  is  a  dangerous  thing  to  teach  that 
 faith,  or  any  other  evangelical  grace,  as  it  is  a  work  done  by  us, 
 doth  justify  us  :  there  is  nothing  to  be  called  our  righteousness, 
 but  the  Lord  our  Righteousness.  Faith  itself  doth  not  justify 
 habitually,  as  a  thing  fixed  in  us,  but  instrumentally,  as  that 
 which  receives  the  righteousness  of  Christ  shining  through  it 
 upon  us  ;  as  the  window  enlightens  by  the  sun-beams  which  it 
 lets  in,  or  as  the  cup  feeds  by  the  wine  which  it  conveys.  So 
 then,  in  point  of  justification,  we  are  to  renounce  all  our  duties 
 and  graces. 
 
 2.  In  point  of  sanctification  :  for  we  are  to  attribute  the  glory 
 of  all  our  graces  and  duties  unto  Jesus  Christ,  and  nothing  to 
 ourselves.  And  yet  understand  we  aright,  though  every  be- 
 liever is  thus  to  deny  himself  in  spiritual  things,  even  in  the  point 
 of  sanctification,  yet  he  is  not  to  speak  evil  of  the  grace  of  God 
 within  himself :  he  may  not  miscall  his  duties  and  graces,  saying, 
 these  are  nothing  but  the  fruits  of  hypocrisy,  for  then  he  should 
 speak  evil  of  the  Spirit,  whose  works  they  are  ;  neither  is  he  to 
 trample  on  those  graces  of  God.  For  a  man  to  say,  all  this  is 
 nothing  but  hypocrisy,  that  is  not  self-denial ;  properly,  self- 
 denial  in  spiritual  things,  as  to  the  matter  of  justification,  is,  to 
 renounce  all ;  and  as  to  the  matter  of  sanctification,  it  is  to 
 attribiite  the  strength  and  the  glory  of  all  unto  Jesus  Christ, 
 and  nothing  to  one's  self. 
 
 The  directions  of  self-denial  in  this  respect,  are  these  : — 
 
 1 .  Let  us  be  sensible  of,  and  humbled  for,  our  pride  in  spiri- 
 tual things.  There  is  nothing  that  a  Christian  is  more  apt  to  be 
 proud  of  than  spiritual  things.  It  was  Mr.  Fox's  speech  :  "  As 
 I  get  good  by  my  sins,  so  1  get  hurt  by  my  graces."  It  is  a 
 dangerous  thing  to  be  proud  of  man's  duties  and  spiritual  gifts  ; 
 we  had  better  be  proud  of  clothes,  or  friends,  or  honours  ;  for 
 this  pride  of  spiritual  things  is  directly  opposite  to  a  man's  justi- 
 fication. The  first  step  to  humility  is,  to  see  one's  pride ;  the 
 first  step  to  self-denial  is,  to  be  convinced  of  one's  desire  after 
 self-exalting,  self-admiring,  self  advancing. — O  what  a  proud 
 heart  have  I !  What  a  self-advancing  heart  have  I ! — There  is 
 no  believer,  till  he  is  fully  renewed,  but  what  hath  something  of 
 self.  We  had  need  therefore  to  be  jealous  of  ourselves  ;  and  if 
 at  any  time  self  break  out,  if  at  any  time  the  soul  begins  to  be  ad- 
 vanced in  regard  of  duty  or  spiritual  things,  let  us  fall  down 
 before  God,  and  humble  ourselves  for — the  pride  of  our  hearts. 
 
 2.  Have  Christ  in  your  eye. — ^The  more  we  see  an  humble 
 Christ,  a  self-denying  Christ,  the  more  shall  we  learn  humility 
 and  self-denial.  Christ  was  the  most  eminent  example  of  selr- 
 denial  that  ever  was.  He  thought  it  no  robbery  to  he  equal  with 
 God  ;  and  he  humbled  himself,  and  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a 
 servant.  Was  there  ever  such  a  self-denial  as  this  ? — Christians ! 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctification .  '     105 
 
 consider  your  Christ,  and  the  more  will  you  learn  even  in  spi- 
 ritual things. 
 
 3.  Rest  not  on  any  tiling  below  Jesus  Christ.  Neither  grace, 
 nor  duties,  nor  holiness,  are  to  be  trusted  in.  We  must  hold 
 them  fast  in  point  of  practice  and  obedience ;  but  it  is  our  sin 
 and  danger  to  hold  them  fast  in  reliance  and  confidence. — I  de- 
 sire to  be  rightly  understood  in  this  truth:  Some,  beca\ise 
 they  need  not  rely  on  duties,  let  go  their  duties ;  they  let  prayer, 
 and  repentance,  and  sorrow  for  sin,  go ;  they  say,  it  is  no  matter 
 for  duties,  they  need  not  to  trouble  themselves,  Christ  hath  done 
 all.  This  is  to  turn  the  grace  of  God  into  wantonness :  we  must 
 let  go  both  our  graces  and  duties  in  point  of  justification,  but 
 hold  them  we  must  as  our  lives.  Prayer,  hearing,  fasting, 
 repenting,  must  not  die  whilst  we  live ;  do  them  we  must,  but 
 glory  in  them  we  must  not:  we  must  not  rest  in  any  thing 
 whatsoever  below  Jesus  Christ. — I  shall  instance  in  these  par- 
 ticulars : 
 
 1.  We  must  not  rest  upon  our  own  preparations  for  duties. 
 It  is  a  commendable  thing  to  prepare  our  hearts ;  we  must  pray 
 that  we  may  pray;  we  must  have  secret  communion  with  our 
 God,  before  we  come  to  seek  communion  with  him  in  a  sermon : 
 but  we  must  not  rest  upon  our  own  preparation  when  we  have 
 prepared;  if  we  advance  that  into  the  throne  of  Jesus  Christ, 
 and  rest  upon  that  when  we  should  only  rest  upon  him,  it  is  the 
 way  to  make  all  our  preparations  miscarry. 
 
 2.  We  must  not  rest  upon  our  enlargements  in  duties. — It 
 may  be  we  have  a  spring-tide  of  assistance  comes  in ;  a  minister 
 preaches  with  great  presence  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  a  saint 
 prays  (as  we  find  it)  in  the  Holy  Ghost :  i.  e.  he  finds  the  holy 
 Spirit  of  God  sending  him  from  petition  to  petition,  melting  with 
 brokenness  when  he  is  confessing  sin,  filling  him  with  rejoicing 
 when  he  is  remembering  mercy,  raising  him  with  an  high  wing, 
 as  it  were,  of  importunity,  when  he  is  begging  of  favour;  and 
 now  as  soon  as  the  duty  is  done,  it  may  be,  he  goes  away,  and 
 strokes  himself, — ^  O  what  an  admirable  prayer  was  here  !  surely 
 I  shall  do  well  this  day!' — This  is  the  very  way  to  miscarry, 
 thousands  have  found  it ;  so  that  when  he  comes  to  pray  again, 
 it  may  be,  he  prays  most  dully  and  flatly ;  the  Spirit  is  grie\ed 
 and  gone,  and  he  can  say  little  or  nothing. 
 
 3.  We  must  not  rest  upon  the  comforts  we  have  in  duty,  or  after 
 duty.  It  may  be,  when  we  have  been  at  duty,  and  have 
 had  some  ravishments ;  Oh  !  now  we  think  oiu'  nest  is  built  \cvy 
 high,  and  our  rock  is  firm,  and  we  shall  go  on  vigorously.  Chry- 
 sostomhath  a  saying  to  this  purpose,  "  Methinks,"  saithhe,  "a 
 saint,  when  he  comes  from  a  sacrament,  should  be  able  to  fly  iu 
 the  face  of  a  devil ;  and  though  he  walk  in  the  midst  of  snares, 
 yet  he  should  be  able  to  encounter  with  them  all."  Comforts  are 
 very  sweet  things,  and  indeed  strengthening  things :   The  Joy  of 
 
 4.  o 
 
106  The  Practice  of  Sanctification. 
 
 the  Lord  is  our  sh^ength,  saith  Nehemiah.  Nothing  more  ani- 
 mates the  soul  than  joy;  only  here  is  the  danger^  if  we  rest  on 
 these  joys  and  comforts;  the  Spirit  of  God  is  a  most  choice  and 
 tender  thing,  it  dwells  in  none  but  a  clean,  pure  temple. 
 
 4.  We  must  not  rest  upon  graces.  This  was  Peter's  fault;  he 
 had  grace,  and  he  rested  on  it.  Lord,  though  all  forsake  thee, 
 yet  will  not  I;  yet  soon  after  Peter  did  forsake  and  deny  his 
 Master:  and  we  do  not  find  Peter  so  confident  afterwards. 
 When  Christ  said  to  him,  Simon  Peter,  lovest  thou  me  more 
 than  these?  no  comparative  words  now;  no  more  than.  Lord, 
 thou  knowest  I  love  thee. 
 
 5.  Be  often  putting  forth  new  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  Self- 
 denial  in  spiritual  things  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  law,  but  in  the 
 gospel :  the  law,  though  it  hath  its  use,  and  we  dare  not  but  use 
 it,  yet  it  will  not  make  a  man  deny  himself,  but  rather  seek  him- 
 selt^  in  spiritual  things :  '  Obey  and  live,'  saith  the  law,  '  but 
 if  thou  failest  in  any  one  point,  thou  art  lost  for  ever.'  In  this 
 case,  if  there  were  no  other  ^^'ay,  who  would  deny  his  own  righ- 
 teousness  ?  Nay,  who  would  not  seek  to  save  himself  by  his  own 
 righteousness?  ^  But  now,'  saith  the  gospel,  ^by  works  thou 
 canst  not  live ;  but  if  thou  wilt  throw  down  all  thy  own  righteous- 
 ness at  the  feet  of  Christ,  and  believe  on  him,  and  rest  only  on 
 him,  thou  shalt  be  saved.'  This  will  make  a  man  deny  his  own 
 righteousness,  and  deny  himself  in  spiritual  things.  Go  we 
 therefore  to  Christ,  let  us  maintain  believing  apprehensions  of 
 the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  alone  is  the  humble,  self-denying 
 person,  that  seeks  justification,  not  by  works,  but  by  faith  only. 
 
 6.  Let  it  be  the  joy  of  our  souls  to  exalt  and  set  up  Christ 
 within  our  souls.  Though  in  order  to  justification  we  must  deny 
 our  graces,  eye  Christ  without  us ;  yet  in  order  to  sanctification 
 we  must  have  a  care  to  see  and  feel  Christ's  kingdom  within  us, 
 to  set  up  Christ  in  our  hearts,  and  to  discern  him  ruling  and  com- 
 manding there,  as  a  king  in  his  throne.  And  there  is  true  self- 
 denial  in  this,  for  wherever  Christ  reigns,  there  sin  goes  down. 
 As  the  people  would  have  all  men  put  to  death,  which  would 
 not  have  Saul  to  reign  over  them ;  so  doth  a  true  believing  soul 
 mortify  whatsoever  opposeth  Christ's  kingdom:  he  removeth 
 whatsoever  may  hinder  Christ's  spiritual  dominion,  he  makes  all 
 stoop  for  Christ's  exaltation  witliin  him.  O  then  let  Christ 
 reign  over  all  within  us :  in  our  understandings,  as  a  prophet 
 enlightening  us ;  in  our  wills,  as  a  king  commanding  us ;  in  our 
 affections,  as  a  priest  mortifying  us ;  in  our  loves,  as  a  husband 
 marrying  us;  let  the  whole  man  be  subject  unto  the  whole 
 Christ.  This  is  the  character  of  a  true  self-denier;  Christ  rules 
 within  him,  he  every  way  subjects  himself  to  Christ : — in  his 
 understanding,  to  know  Christ;  in  his  will,  to  choose  Christ;  in 
 his  thoughts,  to  meditate  upon  Christ;  in  his  fear,  to  serve  and 
 honour  Christ;    in  his  faith,  to  trust  and  depend  upon  Christ; 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctification,  1G7 
 
 in  his  love,  to  affect  Christ;  in  his  joy,  to  delight  in  Christ;  in 
 his  desire,  to  long  after  Christ;  in  his  endeavours,  to  exalt 
 Christ ;  in  all  his  duties,  graces,  gifts,  abilities,  to  make  them 
 serviceable  unto  Christ :  this  is  to  attribute  the  glory  of  all  our 
 duties  and  graces  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  nothing  to  ourselves. 
 Now  is  Christ  all  in  all;  now  we  truly  deny  ourselves. 
 
 OF  THE  LIFE  OF  FAITH. 
 
 SECT.  I. 
 
 Of  the  Nature  of  the  Life  of  Faith. 
 
 To  live  by  faith,  is,  by  faith  in  Christ,  to  possess  the  whole 
 word  of  God  as  our  own  in  all  states  and  conditions,  resting 
 quietly  upon  his  gracious  and  faithful  promise,  and  yielding 
 ourselves  unto  his  good  pleasure,  in  sincere,  universal,  and  con- 
 stant obedience :  or,  to  live  by  faith,  is  to  feed  upon  the  several 
 promises  of  God  made  in  his  word,  and  to  apply  them  to  our 
 ownselves,  according  to  our  needs ;  and  so  to  uphold,  comfort, 
 and  encourage  ourselves  against  all  temptations,  and  unto  every 
 good  duty.  This  life  of  faith  is  a  very  heaven  upon  earth,  a 
 sweet  sanctuary  to  any  hunted  soul;  hereby  our  hearts  will  be 
 cheered,  our  life  will  be  sweet  to  us,  God  will  be  glorified,  and 
 the  glory  of  his  truth  advanced.     O  blessed  duty ! 
 
 That  we  may  live  by  faith,  we  must  endeavour  two  things, 
 
 1.  TPo  get  matter  for  our  faith  to  work  upon. 
 
 2.  That  we  may  provide  matter  for  our  faith  to  work  upon, 
 we  must  observe  three  things  :  1 .  That  we  store  up  all  the  good 
 promises  of  God,  and  our  own  experiences. 
 
 2.  That  we  laj-^  in  promises  of  all  kinds.  We  had  better  leave 
 than  lack  :  it  is  the  wisdom  of  a  man,  that  he  may  not  live  feebly 
 and  poorly,  but  to  have  somewhat  to  spare. 
 
 3.  That  we  so  lay  them  up,  that  we  may  have  them  at  hand. 
 It  is  a  folly  to  say,  ''  I  have  as  good  provision  as  can  be,  but  I 
 have  it  not  here.""  Let  the  word  of  God  dwelt  in  you  plenteously 
 and  richly  in  all  ivisdom. 
 
 That  we  order  our  faith  aright  in  the  work,  observe  these 
 directions : 
 
 1 .  Take  possession  of  the  promises,  and  value  fhem  as  our 
 own.  There  is  no  godly  man  or  woman  but  is  a  great  heir. 
 Whensoever  they  look  in  God's  book,  and  find  there  any  pro- 
 mise, they  make  it  their  own ;  just  as  an  heir  that  rides  over  divers 
 fields  and  meadows,  saith,  *  This  meadow  is  my  heritage,  and 
 this  corn-field  is  my  heritage.'  And  then  he  sees  a  fair  house, 
 and  saith,  *  This  fair  house  is  my  heritage.'     And  he  looks  upon 
 
108  The  Practice  of  Sanctijication. 
 
 them  with  another  manner  of  eye  than  a  stranger  that  rides  over 
 those  fields.  A  carnal  heart  reads  those  promises,  but  merely  as 
 stories,  not  as  having  any  interest  in  them ;  but  a  godly  man, 
 every  time  he  reads  the  scriptures,  (remember  this  when  you  are 
 reading  the  scriptures,)  and  there  meets  with  a  promise,  ought 
 to  lay  his  hand  upon  it,  and  say,  ^  This  is  a  part  of  my  heritage ; 
 it  is  mine,  and  I  am  to  live  vipon  it/ 
 
 2.  Expect  nothing  from  the  promise,  but  that  which  is  suit- 
 able to  the  nature  of  it.  Some  promises  are  absolute,  which 
 God  hath  simply  determined  to  accomplish;  as  the  promise  of 
 the  Messiah,  Isa.  vii.  14.  and  of  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles,  Rom. 
 xi.  26.  Some  promises  are  conditional,  which  God  will  accom- 
 plish in  his  own  time,  and  in  his  own  manner  and  measure ;  they 
 are  no  fiirther  promised,  than  God  seeth  to  be  most  meet  for  liis 
 glory  and  our  good;  as  all  temporal  blessings,  less  principal 
 graces,  and  the  measure  of  ail  sanctifying  graces :  now  in  all 
 these  expect  nothing  from  them,  but  that  which  is  suitable  to 
 the  nature  thereof. 
 
 3.  Eye  that  particular  good  in  the  promise  which  we  stand  in 
 need  of,  and  set  God's  power,  and  faithfulness,  and  wisdom 
 awork,  to  bring  it  about :  for  instance,  thou  art  in  persecution, 
 and  either  thou  wouldst  have  deliverance  out  of  it,  or  comfort 
 and  refreshment  in  it ;  in  this  case  see  all  this  in  the  promise, 
 (referring  the  order,  and  time,  and  manner,  to  God,)  and  then 
 set  God's  power  and  faithfulness  awork  that  can  do  it,  and  his 
 wisdom  awork  to  contrive  it  which  way  he  knows  best :  this  is 
 the  meaning  of  that  text,  Commit  thy  luays  tmto  the  Lord, 
 trust  in  him,  and  he  shall  bring  it  to  pass. 
 
 4.  By  faith  wait  upon  God,  in  that  way  he  hath  appointed.  It 
 is  true,  God  will  work  that  good  for  us,  yet  we  must  use  the 
 means,  and  meet  God  in  the  course  of  his  promise,  otherwise 
 we  live  not  by  faith,  but  tempt  God,  and  throw  away  his  pro- 
 mises and  all. 
 
 5.  Set  it  down,  that  God  will  do  whatsoever  he  hath  promised, 
 and  we  shall  receive  it  in  the  ways  of  his  providence :  this  is 
 the  very  work  of  faith  itself;  thus  it  draws  sap  and  virtue  from 
 the  promise,  when  it  concludes,  that  according  to  the  good  in 
 the  promise,  it  is  sure  to  be  done. 
 
 6.  But  imagine  the  Lord  doth  not  suddenly  accomplish,  then 
 must  faith  take  up  its  stand,  and  stay  till  it  come :  he  that  be- 
 lieveth,  maketh  not  haste,  the  vision  is  for  an  appointed  time, 
 and  therefore  wait  for  it.  So  the  Psalmist,  ^s  the  eyes  of  a  ser- 
 vant look  to  the  hand^  of  his  master,  and  the  eyes  of  a  juaiden  to 
 her  mistress,  so  our  eyes  wait  upon  the  Lord  our  God,  until  he 
 have  mercy  upon  us:  not  until  we  will,  or  until  we  see  fit,  but 
 until  he  will  have  mercy  upon  us. 
 
 .,.  7-  Imagine  the  Lord  not  only  delays,  but  seems  t-o  frown,  and 
 to  say.  He  will  not  hear.      In  this  case,  with  an  holy  hunii- 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctification,  109 
 
 lity  contend  with  God,  for  the  Lord  loves  to  be  overcome  thus. 
 When  Jacob  wrestled  with  God,  Let  me  go,  saith  the  Lord:  / 
 ivill  not  let  thee  go,  saith  Jacob.  So  do  we  catch  the  Lord  Je- 
 sus, and  strive. with  him,  and  leave  him  not,  till  we  have  those 
 comforts  he  hath  promised.  Surely  this  is  the  glory,  and  victory, 
 and  triumph  of  faith,  when  the  Lord  is,  as  it  were,  fain  to  lay 
 down  his  weapons,  and  to  yield  himself  as  conquered:  Thy  name 
 shall  he  no  more  called  Jacob,  hut  Israel;  hecause  thou  hast 
 prevailed  with  God. 
 
 SECT.  IL 
 
 Of  the  maimer  of  this  Life  of  Faith  in  particular,  as  in  tern- 
 
 poral  Evils. 
 
 In  particular,  that  we  may  live  by  faith,  observe  we — 
 L  The  promises. 
 
 2.  The  exercise  of  faith  concerning  the  promises. 
 We  begin  with  temporal  evils;   and,  concerning  them,  first 
 give  you  the  promises ;   and  secondly,  the  exercise  of  faith  in 
 the  respect  of  those  promises. 
 
 1 .  The  promises  to  prevent  afflictions,  you  may  read  in  the 
 word,  and  they  are  these,  and  the  like :  Psal.  xci.  10.  Psal. 
 cxxi.  7*  Job  V.  19.  Zech.  ii.  5.  where  the  Lord  promiseth,  to  be 
 a  wall  of  fire  to  his  people;  (not  of  stone  or  brass,  saith  Theo- 
 doret,)  that  it  may  both  fray  afar  off,  and  keep  off  at  hand ;  pro- 
 tect them,  and  destroy  their  enemies. 
 
 2.  The  promises  to  qualify  evils,  are  these,  and  the  like : 
 Psal.  ciii.  13,  14.  Isa.  xlix.  13,  14,  15.  Hos.  xi.  8,  9.  In  this 
 last  promise,  God  imitates  parents,  says  Theodoret,  when  any 
 misery  is  upon  their  child,  their  bowels  yearn  more;  never  sits 
 the  child  so  much  on  the  mother's  lap,  never  lies  so  much  in  her 
 bosom,  as  when  he  is  sick.  Is  there,  or  can  there  be,  any  richer 
 or  fuller  expression  of  Tully,  than  there  is  in  the  apostle's  Greek, 
 where  there  is  both  an  elegant  antithesis,  and  double  hyper])ole, 
 beyond  Englishing: — for  affliction,  glory;  for  light  affliction, 
 heavy,  massy,  substantial  glory,  a  weight  of  glory ;  for  momen- 
 tary affliction,  eternal  glory :  nay,  the  apostle  adds  degrees  of 
 comparison,  yea,  goes  beyond  all  degrees,  calling  it  more  excel- 
 lent,  far  more  excellent,  exceeding,  excessive,  eternal  weight  of 
 glory,  2  Cor.  iv.  17. 
 
 3.  The  promises  to  bear  them,  or  in  due  time  to  remove  them, 
 are  these  and  the  like:  Ps.  xxxvii.  24.  Jer.  xxix.  11.  Mic. 
 vii.  8,  9.  Ps.  xcvii.  11. — As  sure  as  harvest  follows  seeding,  so 
 to  the  righteous,  comfort  follows  mourning.  Job  xvi.  20.  1  Cor. 
 X.  13. 
 
 1.  For  sickness :  the  promises  to  prevent  it  are  these  and  the 
 like,  Exod.  xv.  26.     Dcut.  vii.  15.     Ps.  xci.  10. 
 
110  The  Practice  of  Sanctijication, 
 
 2.  Promises  to  qualify  sickness,  are  these,  and  the  like,  Ps. 
 xli.  3.     Heb.  xii,  6,  7,  8. 
 
 3.  Promises  to  remove  sickness,  are  these,  and  the  like, 
 Exod.  xxiii.  25.     Dent.  vii.  15.     Isa.  xi.  31. 
 
 2.  For  poverty,  we  may  store  up  these  promises,  Psal.  xxiii. 
 throughout.  Ps.  xxxiv.  9,  10.  xxxvii.  25.  Heb.  xiii.  15. — 
 The  wicked  indeed  may  have  more  abundance  than  the  Christian, 
 but  here  is  the  difference,  the  wicked  hath  all  by  a  providence, 
 the  Christian  hath  all  by  a  promise :  and  this  distinction  the  poor 
 Christian  would  not  part  with  for  a  world  of  gold. 
 
 3.  For  famine,  we  mav  store  up  these  promises.  Job.  v.  19, 20. 
 Ps.  xxxiii.  18,  19.  ProV.  x.  2,  3.  Ps.  xxxvii.  18,  19.  Isa. 
 xli.  Y] ^  18. — Some  martyrs  being  cast  into  prison,  and  denied 
 necessary  food,  they  had  faith  to  return  this  answer,  ^'  If  men 
 will  give  us  no  meat,  we  believe  God  will  give  us  no  stomach.* 
 
 4.  For  war,  we  may  gather  up  these  promises,  and  the  like. 
 Job  V.  20.     Prov.  iii.  24,  25,  26.     Jer.  xxxix.  17,  18. 
 
 5.  For  captivity,  gather  in  these  promises,  and  the  like,  Deut. 
 XXX.  3,  4.  which  very  promise  Nehemiah  sueth  out,  Neh.  i.  9. 
 Ps.  cvi.  46.     Ezek.  xi.  16. 
 
 6.  For  oppression,  we  have  these  promises,  Ps.  xii.  5.  Ixviii. 
 5.  cxlvi.7,8,  9. 
 
 2.  For  the  exercise  of  faith,  concerning  these  promises,  that 
 we  may  live  by  them,  use  meditation  and  prayer. 
 1 .  For  meditation,  consider, 
 
 1.  That  all  affliction  comes  from  God: — Shall  there  he  evil 
 in  a  city,  and  the  Lord  hath  not  done  it? — I  form  the  light,  and 
 I  create  darkness:  I  make  peace,  and  create  evil:  I  the  Lord 
 do  all  these  things. 
 
 2.  That  as  God  sends  it,  so  none  can  deliver  us  out  of  it,  but 
 God : — O  our  God,  wilt  thou  not  judge  them  f  We  have  no  might 
 against  this  great  company  that  cometh  against  us,  neither  know 
 we  what  to  do,  hut  our  eyes  are  upon  thee.  This  meditation 
 draws  the  heart  from  repose  in  means  or  friends ;  it  expels  vexa- 
 tion and  distracting  cares,  and  estrangeth  from  the  use  of  unlaw 
 ful  means  of  deliverance :  7%e  horse  is  prepared  against  the  day 
 of  battle,  but  safety  is  of  the  Lord. 
 
 3.  The  cause  of  all  miseries  and  sorrow  is  sin,  and  therefore 
 it  is  time  to  examine  our  ways,  to  humble  ourselves,  and  to  set 
 upon  reformation. 
 
 4.  That  now  God  trieth  our  faith,  patience,  and  meekness. 
 He  hath  said  unto  crosses.  Go  ye  to  such  a  man,  not  to  weaken 
 his  faith,  or  to  waste  any  grace  of  the  Spirit,  but  to  purge  him, 
 refine  him,  try  him,  exercise  him,  to  breed  the  quiet  fruits  of 
 righteousness.  This  meditation  makes  the  heart  willingly,  freely, 
 and  constantly,  to  resign  itself  to  the  good  pleasure  of  God  in  all 
 things, 
 
 5.  That  'tis  God's  will  we  should  use  all  lawful  means  of  help 
 
The  Practice  of  S^anttiJicatUm.  \  \  \ 
 
 which  God  in  his  providence  affords ;  but  in  point  of  dependence, 
 that  we  solely  rest  on  God's  promises.  Faith  coupleth  the  means 
 and  the  end,  but  looketh  to  the  promiser,  (whose  truth,  and  wis- 
 dom, and  power,  and  mercy,  never  fails,)  and  not  to  the  probability 
 of  the  thing  promised. 
 
 2.  For  prayer,  observe  this  method : 
 
 1.  Lay  open  our  sorrow  before  the  Lord,  pour  out  our  com- 
 plaints into  his  bosom. 
 
 2.  Confess  our  sins  with  hatred  and  godly  sorrow ;  for  want  of 
 this  God  threatened  the  Israelites :  /  will  go  and  return  to  my 
 place,  till  they  acknoivledge  their  offences. 
 
 3.  Direct  we  our  supplications  to  our  God :  Lord,  how  long 
 wilt  thou  look  on? — O  rescue  my  soul  from  their  destruction, 
 my  darling  from  the  lions. 
 
 4.  Then  press  we  the  Lord  with  his  promises :  Lord,  thou 
 hast  said.  The  rod  of  the  wicked  shall  not  rest  upon  the  lot  of  the 
 righteous:  thou  hast  said.  Yet  a  little  while,  and  the  indignation 
 shall  cease.  These  are  thy  promises ;  Lord,  make  them  effectual 
 to  my  poor  soul. 
 
 5.  For  conclusion,  tell  we  the  Lord,  whatever  becomes  of  us 
 we  will  trust  in  him :  Though  thou  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in 
 thee. 
 
 These  are  the  acts  of  faith  by  which  it  puts  forth,  and  exer- 
 ciseth  itself,  in  time  of  affliction. 
 
 SECT.  in. 
 
 Of  the  Manner  of  this  Life  of  Faith  in  Temporal  Blessiiigs. 
 
 CoNCERNrNG  temporal  blessings,  the  general  promises  are 
 these,  and  the  like,  I  Tim.  iv.  8.  Ps.  xxxiv.  8,  9.  Ixxxiv.  11. 
 Phil.  iv.  19.  1  Cor.  iii.  21. — All  things  are  your's;  we  are  heirs 
 of  all  the  world. 
 
 The  special  promises  have  a  relation,  some  to  our  name,  some 
 to  our  bodies,  some  to  our  estates,  some  to  our  callings. 
 
 1 .  Those  promises  that  have  a  relation  to  our  good  name,  are 
 such  as  these,  I  Sam.  ii.  30.  Prov.  iii.  16.  iv.  8.  xiv.  19.  Isa. 
 Ivi.  3,  4,  5. 
 
 2.  Those  promises  that  have  a  relation  to  our  bodies,  are  either 
 for  long  life,  concerning  which,  Deut.  v.  16,  33.  Prov.  iii.  1,2. — 
 or  for  health,  concerning  which,  Prov.  iii.  8.  Ps.  ciii.  3,  4,  5. — 
 or  for  safety,  concerning  which,  Prov.  i.  33.  Job  xi.  8.  Hos. 
 ii.  18.  Job  V.  23. — or  for  peace,  concerning  which.  Lev.  xxvi. 
 6.  Ps.  xxix.  11.  xxxvii.  11.  Prov.  xvi.  16. — or  for  sleep, 
 concerning  which.  Job  xi.  19.  Prov.  iii.  24. — or  for  food,  con- 
 cerning which,  Ps.  xxxvii,  3.  cxi.  5.      Joel  ii.  26. — or  for  rai- 
 
112  The  Practice  of  Sanctification. 
 
 ment,  concerning  which,  Deut.  x.  18.  Matt.  vi.  25,  30,  32. — • 
 or  for  posterity,  the  fruit  of  the  body,  concerning  which,  Deut. 
 viii.  12,  13,  14. 
 
 3.  Those  promises  that  have  relation  to  our  estates,  are  tliese, 
 ob  xxii.  24,  25.     Prov.  viii.  18,  19.     Ps.  xxxvii.  5. 
 
 4.  Those  promises  that  have  a  relation  to  our  calling,  are 
 either  for  plenty,  concerning  which,  Prov.  x.  4.  xii.  11.  xiii.  4. 
 xxxviii.  19. — or  for  protection,  concerning  which,  Ps.  xci.  11. 
 or  for  promotion,  concerning  which,  Prov.  xii.  24.  xxii.  29. — 
 or  for  good  success,  concerning  which,  Prov.  xii.  14.  Isa.  Ixv. 
 21,  23. — I  deny  not  but  the  wicked  may  enjoy  all  these  temporal 
 blessings  by  a  general  providence,  but  only  the  just  have  a  spi- 
 ritual right  to  them ;  they  only  have  them  as  encouragements  of 
 their  righteousness,  as  testimonies  of  God's  love  and  care  over 
 them,  and  by  virtue  of  a  promise. 
 
 2.  For  the  exercise  of  faith  concerning  these  promises,  ob- 
 serve that  we  may  live  by  them,  either  in  the  want,  or  in  the 
 enjoyment  of  these  temporal  mercies.  In  the  want  of  them  go 
 we  to  meditation  and  prayer. 
 
 1.  For  meditation;  consider,  if  thou  return  to  the  Almighty 
 thou  shalt  be  built  up,  thou  shalt  put  iniquity  far  from  thy  taber- 
 nacles :  then  shalt  thou  lay  up  gold  as  dust,  and  the  gold  of 
 Ophir  as  the  stones  of  the  brooks.  This  advice  faith  digests,  and 
 labours  the  reformation  of  what  is  amiss,  and  whatsoever  hinders 
 the  promises. 
 
 2.  That  faith  is  painful,  provident,  and  frugal;  it  shakes  off 
 idleness,  takes  the  opportunity,  husbands  thriftility,  and  observes 
 God's  providence  in  all  affairs ;  otherwise  we  live  not  by  faith,  but 
 tempt  God,  and  throw  aw^ay  his  promises. 
 
 3.  That  faith  preserves  from  the  use  of  all  unlawful  means. 
 The  believer  consults  ever  what  is  truly  just ;  not  what  is  gainful, 
 or  what  may  be  compassed  by  honest  courses,  not  what  may  be 
 gained  by  fraud,  deceit,  or  the  like  carnal  dealings :  Better  is  a 
 little  with  righteous7iess,  than  great  revenues  without  right. 
 
 4.  That  faith  leans  upon  the  providence  of  God,  who  will  keep 
 back  nothing  from  us,  but  what  is  hurtful  and  pernicious.  Here's 
 a  sweet  act  of  faith,  it  submits  to  God's  wisdom,  and  rests  on  his 
 providence,  after  the  use  of  all  lawful  means ;  and  this  maintains 
 a  Christian  in  true  contentment. 
 
 2.  For  prayer,  observe  this  method : 
 
 1 .  Confess  our  sins,  especially  those  sins  which  upon  search  we 
 are  persuaded  hinders  prosperity. 
 
 2.  Importune  the  Lord  for  his  temporal  blessings,  so  far  as  he 
 seeth  them  to  be  for  our  good,  and  for  the  glory  of  his  great 
 name, 
 
 3.  Then  press  the  Lord  with  his  promises,  as  with  so  many  argu- 
 ments : — Lord,  thou  hast  said.  Godliness  hath  the  jjromise  of  the 
 life  that  now  is,  as  well  as  that  ivhich  is  to  come: — -thou  hast  said. 
 
Tlie  Practice  of  Sanctijication.,  113 
 
 Fear  the  Lord,  ye  his  mints,  for  there  is  710  want  to  them  tJiat 
 fear  him.  These  are  thy  promises  ;  make  them  good  to  us,  as  it 
 stands  best  with  thy  wisdom. 
 
 2.  In  the  enjoyment  of  these  temporal  blessings,  go  we  to 
 meditation  and  prayer. 
 
 1.  For  meditation,  consider, 
 
 1.  Faith,  in  prosperity,  keeps  the  heart  in  a  lioly  temper,  in 
 humility,  meekness,  tenderness  and  compassion  towards  others ; 
 in  thankfulness,  obedience,  and  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord.  Satan 
 himself  could  reply  to  the  Lord,  Doth  Job  fear  God  for  nou^^htf 
 Hast  thou  not  made  a  hedge  about  him  f  In  this  case  faith  will 
 remind  man  of  his  duty,  and  persuade  him  to  be  so  much  more 
 serviceable,  as  God's  mercies  are  plentiful  upon  him. 
 
 2.  That  faith  makes  a  man  heavenly-minded  in  the  possession 
 of  a  prosperous  estate  ;  as  it  receives  all  earthly  blessings  from 
 God,  so  it  pulls  up  the  soul  to  God  again  :  faith  considers  these 
 things  as  pledges  of  God's  love,  as  parts  of  our  child's  portion, 
 and  so  it  makes  us  look  at  the  better  part,  those  never-fading 
 riches  which  God  hath  reserved  in  heaven  for  all  that  fear  him. 
 
 3.  That  faith  breeds  a  godly  jealousy,  lest  the  heart  should  be 
 dra\vn  away  with  the  pleasing  delights  of  things  transitory  3  for 
 by  grace  it  is  that  we  are  conscious  of  our  own  weakness,  and  of 
 the  snare  that  is  in  every  creature  to  entangle  us  :  prosperity  is 
 pleasing,  but  dangerous  ;  as  man  may  quickly  surfeit  of  sweet- 
 meats. This  makes  the  waking  believer  circumspect,  watchful, 
 and  jealous  ;  and  suspicious  of  his  own  heart,  lest  he  miscarry  in 
 prosperity,  considering  there  is  a  snare  in  it. 
 
 4.  That  faith  minds  a  change  even  when  our  mountains  seem 
 
 strongest 
 
 2.  For  prayer  observe  this  method  : 
 
 1.  Acknowledge  God's  mercy  both  in  his  promises  and  per- 
 formances ;  say.  Lord,  thou  hast  promised,  that  no  good  thing 
 wilt  thou  withhold  from  them  that  walk  uprightly ;  and  surely 
 thou  art  true  in  thy  sayings.  I  believe  by  virtue  of  thy  promise 
 I  enjoy  this  land,  and  those  goods.  I  have  nothing.  Lord,  but 
 merely  of  free  grace,  and  by  virtue  of  a  promise » 
 
 2.  Importune  the  Lord  for  sanctification  of  prosperity,  and  for 
 God's  blessing  upon  the  means :  the  more  we  prosper,  the  more 
 earnest  should  the  prayers  of  faith  be;  for  of  ourselves  we  have  no 
 power  to  wield  a  good  estate  well,  no  ability  to  preserve  or  keep 
 it :  in  greatest  wealth  we  lie  open  to  many  temptations,  and  if 
 we  pray  not  earnestly  that  God  may  sanctify  all  his  temporal 
 blessings  to  us,  we  shall  cool  in  grace. 
 
 3.  Praise  God  for  his  mercies,  and  devote  ourselves  unto  him 
 from  whom  we  have  received  alJ . 
 
 4. 
 
114  The  Practice  of  Sanctlficatlon. 
 
 SECT.  IV. 
 
 Of  the  manner  of  this  Life  of  Faith  in  Spiritual  EviU. 
 
 Evils  spiritual  arise  either  from  the  devil^  or  the  flesh,  or  the 
 world,  or  from  man,  or  God,  or  from  our  own  selves. 
 
 1 .  Those  evils  that  arise  from  the  devil,  are  temptations  of 
 several  sorts  ;  and  the  man  whose  heart  is  upright,  shall  find 
 strength  enough  against  every  temptation :  to  that  purpose, 
 consider  these  promises.  Matt.  xvi.  18.  1  Cor.  x.  13.  1  John 
 V.  18. 
 
 2.  Those  evils  that  arise  from  the  flesh,  are  lusts  or  tempta- 
 tions of  uncleanliness  ;  and  for  strength  and  ability  against  such  a 
 temptation,  consider  these  promises,  Prov.  ii.  10,  11,  16.  Eccl. 
 vii.  26.  1  Thess.  v.  23,  24. 
 
 3.  Those  evils  that  arise  from  the  world,  are  covetousness, 
 cares,  evil  company;  and  for  strength  against  such,  consider 
 these  promises,  2  Cor.  vi.  14,  17,  18.  Gal.  i.  4.  1  John  v.  4. 
 Heb.  xiii.  5.  There  are  five  negatives  together  in  the  original, 
 that  strongly  affirm ;  as  if  he  had  said,  I  tell  thee,  I  will  never, 
 never,  never,  never,  never,  forsake  thee. 
 
 4.  Those  evils  that  arise  from  men,  are  either  oppositions 
 against  truth ;  concerning  which.  Matt.  x.  19.  Acts  xviii.  9, 
 10. — or  oppositions  against  goodness.  Matt.  v.  10.  1  Pet.  iii. 
 14. — or  oppositions  against  both,  and  so  they  fall  either  on  our 
 good  name,  concerning  which,  Ps.  xxxvii,  6.  where,  howsoever 
 thy  innocency  be  at  some  times  covered  with  a  thick  and  dark 
 mist  of  slander  and  oppression,  yet  the  Lord  will  in  his  good  time 
 scatter  and  dissolve  the  mist,  and  so  make  thy  innocency  appa- 
 rent to  the  world  ;  yea,  he  will  make  thy  righteousness  as  evi- 
 dent as  the  sun  when  it  ariseth  ;  yea,  as  noon-day,  when  it  is  at 
 highest,  and   shines   brightest,    Ps.  Ixviii.  13.  Matt.  v.  11,  12. 
 
 1  Pet.  iv.  14,  &c. — or  they  may  fall  on  us  in  respect  of  our  liber- 
 ty, concerning  which,  Ps.  Ixix.  32,  33.  cii.  19,  20.  Rev.  ii. 
 10. — or  they  may   deprive  us  of  our  goods,    concerning   which, 
 
 2  Chron.  xxv.  9.  Matt.  xix.  29.  Hab.  iii.  \7,  18.-— or  they 
 may  take  away  life,  concerning  which.  Matt.  x.  39.  John  xii. 
 25.     Rev.  xiv.  13. 
 
 5.  Those  evils  which  arise  from  God,  are  desertions  ;  and  for 
 comforts  against  them,  consider  these  promises,  Isa.  xlix.  14, 
 15,  16.  liv.  7,  8,  and  1.  10. 
 
 6.  Those  evils  that  arise  from  ourselves,  are  sins  and  infirmi- 
 ties ;  and  they  are  either  spiritual  blindness,  concerning  which, 
 Uuke  iv.  18.  1  John  ii.27.  Isa.  xxxv.  4,  5. — or  spiritual  lame- 
 ness, concerning  which,  Isa.  xxxv.  6.  and  xl.  31  — or  heaviness 
 of  mind,  concerning  which,  Isa.  xxxv.  1,  2.  Jer.  xxx.  15,  16, 
 17. — or  weakness  of  memory,  concerning  which,  John  xiv.  26.— 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctifieation.  H5 
 
 or  Mrs  of  losing  God's  love,  concerning  which,  Isa.  Ixix.  15 
 
 and  liv.  10.  Jer.  xxxiii.  20.  Psalm  Ixxxix.  33,  34,  35.  John 
 xiii.  1.    Rom.  xi.  29. — or  indisposition,  distraction,  defects  in 
 
 our  best  performances,  concerning  which.  Numb,  xxiii.  21. 
 
 Cant.  ii.  14.— or  particular  falls,  daily  frailties,  and  infirmities, 
 concerning  which,  Isa.  Iv.  7.  Jer.  iii.  1 .  Ps.  xxxvii.  24.  cxlv. 
 14.    Hosea  xiv.  4.  1  John  i.  9. 
 
 2.  For  the  exercising  of  faith  ;  concerning  these  promises  that 
 we  may  live  by  them,  go  we  to  meditation  and  prayer. 
 
 1.  For  meditation,  consider, 
 
 1.  That  of  om-selves  we  cannot  resist  these  spiritual  evils ;  all 
 our  comfort  is,  that  neither  the  devil,  nor  the  world,  nor  the  flesh, 
 nor  sin^  can  oppose  any  farther  than  God  will  give  them  leave ;  not 
 the  devil  himself  can  tempt  who  he  will,  nor  how  long  he  will, 
 but  in  all  these  he  is  confined  by  the  providence  of  God. 
 
 2.  That  faith  fortifies  the  soul  against  all  oppositions  ;  the 
 more  they  rage,  the  more  faith  heartens  the  soul  to  believe,  and 
 to  keep  close  under  the  shadow  of  the  Lord's  wings  :  as  the  child 
 affrighted  clings  faster  to  the  mother,  so  the  poor  soul  pursued 
 by  the  devil,  or  the  world,  or  flesh,  or  man,  or  God,  or  our  own 
 corruptions,  runs  to  Christ,  and  in  his  name  resists  all  these  evils, 
 and  in  his  name  gets  the  victory. 
 
 2.  For  prayer,  observe  this  method. 
 
 1 .  Confess  our  sins  of  former  ignorance,  vanity  of  mind,  self- 
 confidence,  misinterpreting  of  the  Lord's  doings,  &c.  which  set 
 open  the  soul  to  all  other  spiritual  evils. 
 
 2.  Importune  the  Lord  for  pardon  of  sin,  and  for  help  against 
 all  oppositions. 
 
 3.  Then  press  the  Lord  with  his  promises,  as  with  so  many 
 arguments  :  Lord,  thou  hast  said,  that  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not 
 prevail  against  us ;  that  whoso  pleaseth  God,  shall  escape  the 
 strange  woman ;  that  whosoever  is  born  of  God  overcometh  the 
 world ;  that  if  we  suffer  for  righteousness'  sake,  happy  are  we ; 
 that,  in  a  little  wrath  I  hid  7ny  face  from  thee  for  a  moment,  hut 
 with  everlasting  kindness  ivill  1  have  mercy  upon  thee.  These  are 
 precious  promises  !  Now,  Lord,  make  them  good  to  my  soul  ]  let 
 me  draw  the  virtue  from  every  of  these  promises  ;  let  not  a  word 
 of  these  promises  fall  to  the  ground  ;  let  me  have  a  share,  and 
 part,  and  portion,  in  these  comfortable  promises,  through  the 
 Lord  Jesus. 
 
 SECT.  V. 
 
 Of  the  manner  of  this  Life  of  Faith  in  spimtual  Blessings,  as 
 derived  to  us  from  God  and  Christ,  and  the  Spirit  of  Christ. 
 
 1.  From  God  proceeds  his  Love  of  us—Presence  with  us— 
 Frovidehce  over  us. 
 
116  The  Practice  of  Sanctificatton, 
 
 1 .  Concerning  his  love  of  us,  we  have  these  promises,  Deut. 
 vii.  7^  H^  13.  Isa.  liv.  8.  Jer.  xxxi.  3.  Hosea  ii.  19.  xiv.  4. 
 John  iii.  16.  Eph.  ii.  4.  1  John  iv.  19. 
 
 2.  Concerning  his  presence  with  us,  we  have  these  promises. 
 Gen.  xxvi.24.  xxviii.  15.  Exod.  iii.  12.  Josh.  i.  5.  Jer.  i.  8. 
 1  Chron.  xxviii.  20.  Isa.  xli.  10.  Matt,  xxviii.  20.  Rev.  ii.  1. 
 
 3.  Concerning  his  providence  over  us,  we  have  these  promises, 
 Ps.  xxxiv.  7.  xci.  11,  12.  Job.  xxxvi.  7.  Zech.  ii.  8. 
 
 2d.  From  Christ  we  have  promises, — 1.  Of  the  person  of 
 Christ.     2.  Of  the  benefits  that  flow  from  Christ. 
 
 1.  Of  the  person  of  Christ,  in  Genesis  iii.  15.  where  was  the 
 first  promise,  and  the  foundation  of  all  other  promises,  because 
 God  intended  to  make  good  every  promise  in  Christ. 
 
 2.  Of  the  benefits  that  flow  from  Christ : 
 
 1.  Concerning  redemption,  we  have  these  promises.  Tit.  ii.  14. 
 Eph.  i.  7.  Gal.  iii.  13.  Heb.  ix.  12. 
 
 2.  Concerning  vocation,  we  have  these  promises.  Acts  ii.  39. 
 Rom.  viii.  30. 
 
 3.  Concerning  justification,  we  have  these  promises,  Iriaiah 
 liii.  11.    Acts  xiii.  39.    Rom.  viii.  33. 
 
 4.  Concerning  reconciliation,  we  have  these  promises,  2  Cor. 
 V.  18,  19.    Eph.  ii.  14,  16.  Col.  i.  21,  22. 
 
 5.  Concerning  adoption,  we  have  these  promises.  Gal.  iii.  26. 
 John  i.  12.  Rom.  ix.  26.  Gal.  iv.  4,  5,  7. 
 
 3d.  From  the  Spirit  of  Christ  we  have  promises, — 1 .  Of  the 
 Spirit  himself.     2.  Of  the  operation  of  the  Spirit. 
 
 1.  Of  the  Spirit  himself,  in  Joel  ii.  28,  29.  Acts  ii.  17,  18. 
 John  xiv.  16,  17-  Eph.  i.  13.  Gal.  iii.  14. 
 
 2.  Of  the  operation  of  the  Spirit,  and  that — 1.  In  general, 
 as  sanctification.  2.  In  special,  as  spiritual  graces,  and  spiritual 
 duties. 
 
 2.  Concerning  sanctification,  we  have  these  promises,  Micah 
 vii.  19.  Jer.  xxxi.  33,  34.  Heb.  viii.  10.  and  x.  16.  1  Thess.  v. 
 23.  1  John  i.  7-  Rev.  i.  5. 
 
 Concerning  graces  and  duties,  we  shall  handle  them  anon. 
 
 2.  For  the  exercise  of  faith  concerning  the  promises,  that  we 
 may  live  by  them,  go  we  t^  meditation  and  prayer. 
 1 .  For  meditation,  consider  these  things  : 
 
 1 .  That  faith  (considering  the  privileges  of  God's  children,) 
 admires  and  adores  :  OA,  how  great  is  thy  goodness  which  thou 
 hast  laid  up  for  them  that  fear  thee^  which  thou  hast  wrought  for 
 them  that  trust  in  thee,  before  the  sons  of  men. 
 
 2.  That  faith,  on  this  account,  rests  upon  God,  and  Christ, 
 and  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  to  receive  whatsoever  may  be  good  and 
 profitable  to  the  soul :  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd,  I  shall  7iot  want. 
 What  can  they  want,  who  have  God  for  their  Father,  Christ  for 
 their  Saviour,  the  Spirit  for  their  sanctifier  ? 
 
 3.  That  faith  hereupon  sets  an  high  price  upon  Christ,  upon 
 
The  Practice  of  Sancttfication,  Hjr 
 
 God  in  Christ,  upon  the  Spirit  of  Christ.  These  promises  are 
 more  worth  than  kingdoms,  empires,  the  whole  worid.  Plea- 
 sures, profits,  honours,  all  are  vain  and  empty,  and  nothing  is 
 to  be  rested  on,  but  Jesus  Christ ;  yea,  there  is  a  full  content  in 
 Jesus  Christ. 
 
 4.  Faith  in  these  promises  doth  greatly  enlarge  the  heart  to- 
 wards God,  and  stirreth  up  to  earnest  study  of  holiness  -,  if  a 
 Christian  be  much  in  the  meditation  of  God's  singular  goodness 
 in  Christ,  it  will  even  constrain  him  to  yield  up  himself  wholly 
 to  God,  in  all  manner  of  godly  conversation. 
 
 5.  Faith  ever  runs  to  these  promises  in  all  straits,  and  here  it 
 finds  comfort.  Where  can  it  take  up  a  surer  and  safer  refuge 
 than  with  God  and  Christ,  and  the  Spirit  of  Christ  ?  Indeed 
 God  it  dares  not  look  at,  but  in  Christ ;  and  the  Spirit  pro- 
 ceeds not  but  from  Christ :  to  Christ  therefore  it  runs  immedi- 
 ately ;  it  is  Christ,  ivho  of  God  is  made  unto  us  wisdom,  and 
 righteousness,  and  sanctijication,  and  redemption.  '  Come,* 
 saith  faith,  ^  let  us  go  to  Christ,  and  if  he  receive  us  not  pre- 
 sently, let  us  stay  a  little  -,  he  is  full  of  bowels  and  tenderness 
 towards  poor  sinners  ;  he  keeps  open  house  for  all  comers  ;  he 
 invites  all,  entertains  all,  old  sinners,  young  sinners,  great  sin- 
 ners, less  sinners  ;  his  promise  is  sure  too  :  Him  that  cometh  unto 
 me,  I  will  in  no  ivise  cast  out. 
 
 2.   For  prayer,  observe  this  method ; 
 
 1.  Confess  and  acknowledge  God's  mercies  both  in  his  pro- 
 mises and  performances. 
 
 2.  Pray  for  this  increase  of  faith,  and  for  a  farther  and  far- 
 ther sight  of  this  belief;  *  Give  me,  gracious  Father,  to  believe 
 as  thou  hast  promised  ;  create  in  me  the  hand  of  faith,  and  make 
 it  stronger  and  stronger,  that  I  may  eff'ectually  receive  what  in 
 mercy  thou  reachest  forth  ',  and  then  give  me  the  spirit  of  reve- 
 lation, that  I  may  discern  truly  what  thou  ?iast  given  me,  that 
 my  lips  may  sing  of  thy  praise  all  the  day  long.' 
 
 3.  Praise  God  for  his  mercies,  and  quietly  rest  in  the  pro- 
 mises :  ^  O  Lord,  thou  hast  freely  loved,  and  redeemed,  and 
 sanctified,  my  soul ;  O  how  should  I  praise  thee  ?  Lord,  thou 
 hast  given  Christ  for  my  wisdom  and  sanctification,  as  well  as 
 for  righteousness  and  redemption  :  Lord^  thou  hast  appointed 
 Christ  to  be  the  beginner  and  finisher  of  my  holiness,  and  surely 
 he  will  not  leave  the  work  imperfect,  whereunto  he  is  ordained 
 of  the  Father.  Were  the  progress  of  this  building  committed  to 
 my  care  and  oversight,  there  might  be  cause  of  fear ;  but  since 
 thou  hast  laid  all  upon  Christ,  my  only  and  all-sufficient  Re- 
 deemer, Lord,  increase  my  faith,  that  I  may  hold  him  fast  and 
 be  safe,  and  so  at  last  may  sing  hallelujahs  to  thee  in  heaven  for 
 ever  and  ever. 
 
1 18  The  Practice  of  Sanctificettion^ 
 
 SECT.  VI. 
 Of  the  Manner  of  this  Life  of  Faith  in  spiritual  Graces, 
 
 The  operation  of  the  Spirit  appears  in  spiritual  graces,  and 
 spiritual  duties. 
 
 1.  The  kinds  of  graces  are  these  ;  faith,  hope,  joy,  love,  fear, 
 obedience,  repentance,  humility,  meekness,  patience,  zeal,  and 
 perseverance  :  concerning  which  the  Lord  hath  made  gracious 
 promises,  to  give  them,  and  to  reward   them. 
 
 The  first  grace  is  faith  j  and  we  find  promises,  1.  Of  it,  Eph. 
 ii.  8.  Job.  vi.  37.  Observe  here  these  promises  of  assurance, 
 the  highest  measure  of  faith,  Psal,  1.  23.  Ezek.  xxxiv.  30.  Isa. 
 Ix.  16.  Psal.  xcvii.  11. — 2.  To  it,  2  Chron.  xi.  20.  Prov.  xxix. 
 25.  Isa.  xxvi.  3.  Acts  x.  43.  Rom.  xviii.  4.  Acts  xiii.  39.  John 
 i.  12.  vii.  38.  iu.  16,  36,  v.  24.  and  vi.  4/. 
 
 The  second  is  hope ;  and  we  find  promises,  1.  Of  it,  Psal.  Ixv. 
 4.  Prov.  xiv.  32.  Job.  xiii.  15. — 2.  To  it,  Psal.  xl.  4.  Rom.  iv„ 
 18,  22.  and  viii.24. 
 
 The  third  is  joy ;  and  we  find  promises,  1 .  Of  it,  Psal.  xxxvi. 
 8,  9.  Ixiv.  10.  Ixviii.  3.  xcvii.  11.  cxviii.  15.  Isa.  xii.  2,  3.  xxxv. 
 throughout,  Ivi.  7.  Ixvi.  13,  14.  John  xvi.  22.  Rom.  xiv.  17^ — 
 2.  To  it,  Psal.  Ixxxix.  15,  16. 
 
 The  fourth  is  love  ;  especially  of  God,  and  we  ma}?"  find  pro- 
 mises, 1.  Of  it.  Cant.  i.  4,  Deut.  xxx.  6. — 2.  To  it,  Psal.  xci.  14. 
 cxlv.20.  Prov.  viii.  21.  Deut.  vii.  9.  1  Cor.  viii.  3.  ii.  9,  10. 
 James  i.  12.  ii.  5. 
 
 The  fifth  is  fear  ;  and  we  find  promises,  1 .  of  it,  Jer.  xxxii. 
 39,40.  Hos.  iii.v.— 2.To  it,  Psal.  ciii.  11.  xxxi.  19.  cxlvii.  11. 
 Mai.  iii.  16,  17. 
 
 The  sixth  is  obedience;  and  we  find  promises,  1.  Of  it,  Ezek. 
 xi.  19,  20.  xxxvi.  25,  27.— -2.  To  it,  Deut.  xxviii.  1,2,  to  14. 
 
 The  seventh  is  repentance;  and  we  find  promises,  1.  Of  it, 
 Acts  V.  30,  31.  Ezek,  xi.  19.  xx.  43.  xxxvi.  31.— 2.  To  it,  Mai. 
 iii.  7.  Isa.  Iv.  7.  2  Chron.  vii.  14.  Isa.  i.  16,  17, 18.  Job  iii.  27, 
 28.  Jer.  iv.  14. 
 
 The  eighth  is  humility  ;  and  we  find  some  promises,  1 .  Of  it,  2 
 Cor.  x.  4,  5.  Gal.  v.  22. — 2.  To  it,  Prov.  xv.  33.  xxii.  4.  James 
 Iv.  6.  1  Peter  V.  5.  Isa.  Ivii.  15.  Matt.  v.  3. 
 
 The  ninth  is  meekness;  and  we  find  promises,  1.  Of  it,  Isa.  xi. 
 6,  7,  8.  Gal.  v.  22,  23.-2.  To  it,  Psal.  xxxvii.  11.  cxlvii.  6. 
 Isa.  xxix,  9.  Psal.  xxv.  9.  Zeph.  ii  3.  Matt.  v.  5.  and  xi.  29. 
 Psal.  cxlix.  4. 
 
 The  tenth  is  patience ;  and  we  find  promises,  1 .  Of  it,  James 
 i,  5. — 2.  To  it,  Heb.  x.  36.  James  v.  11. 
 
 The  eleventh  is  zeal;  and  we  find  some  promises,  1.  Of  it, 
 Jer.  XX.  9.  2  Cor.  vii.  II.— 2.  To  it.  Numb.  xxv.  12,  13.  Rev. 
 iii.  19, 20. 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctification,  119 
 
 The  twelfth  is  perseverance  ;  and  we  find  some  promises,  1 . 
 Of  it,  Psal.  Ixxxix.  28.  Prov.  xii.  3.  Isa.  xlvi.  4.-2.  To  it.  Matt! 
 X.  22.  Rev.  ii.  26. 
 
 The  degrees  of  graces  follow;  and  we  find  some  promises,  1. 
 Thereof,  Isa.  xliv.  3,  4.  Mai.  iv.  2.  Psal.  Ixxxiv.  7.  Prov.  iv. 
 18.— 2.  Thereto,  Rom.  xiii.  11.  2  Pet.  1,  8. 
 
 2.  For  the  exercise  of  faith  concerning  these  promises,  that 
 we  may  live  by  them,  go  we  to  meditation  and  prayer. 
 
 1.  For  meditation,  consider. 
 
 1 .  That  of  ourselves  we  have  no  ability  to  attain  any  of  these 
 graces  :  every  one  can  say,  I  purpose  well ;  but  the  question  is, 
 whether  they  build  not  on  their  own  strength  ?  Many  a  man 
 (especially  in  time  of  his  sickness,  danger,  disgrace)  will  make 
 fair  promises  of  amendment ;  but  when  the  rod  is  removed,  all  is 
 forgotten  :  what  may  be  the  reason  ?  He  stands  on  his  own  feet, 
 he  presumes  to  go  of  himself,  and  then  no  marvel  if  he  falls.  If 
 we  will  have  any  of  these  graces,  then  deny  we  ourselves  :  /  will 
 keep  thy  statutes,  said  David  :  but  immediately  he  cries,  O  for- 
 sake me  not  utterly  !  Purposes  thus  grounded,  bring  forth  holy 
 performances  ;  but  of  ourselves  we  can  expect  nothing. 
 
 2.  That  God's  Spirit  will  infuse  these  graces,  and  the  increase 
 of  these  graces,  into  them  that  believe  :  many  would  fain  have 
 hope  and  joy,  but  they  exercise  not  their  faith  to  believe  God 
 and  his  promises  :  1  knew  a  man  in  Christ,  off  and  on,  unstayed, 
 dismayed  at  his  manifold  slips,  strong  corruptions,  little  pre- 
 vailings  againgst  them,  and,  when  all  came  to  all,  he  could  find 
 no  help  till  he  went  to  a  promise,  and  believed  that  God  would 
 do  the.  whole  work  for  him.  It  is  good  to  believe  that,  accord- 
 ing to  his  promise,  God  will  sanctify  our  natures,  enable  us  to 
 holiness,  and  bestow  all  his  graces  upon  us. 
 
 3.  That  for  the  degrees  of  these  graces,  it  is  necessary  to  im- 
 prove them.  God  ever  bestows  the  greatest  measure,  where  he 
 finds  a  care  to  put  them  forth  to  advantage  :  Whosoever  hath,  to 
 him  shall  he  given,  and  he  shall  have  more  abundance.  As  men 
 increase  their  substance  by  labour,  and  learning  by  diligence ; 
 so  he  that  improves  graces,  shall  more  and  more  abound  hi 
 them. 
 
 2.  For  prayer,  observe  this  method  : 
 
 1 .  Acknowledge  your  inability  :  '  O  Lord,  I  have  no  grace  by 
 nature,  I  have  no  power  to  cleanse  my  own  heart :  O  Lord,  I 
 have  defaced  thine  image,  but  I  cannot  repair  it ;  I  may  say 
 with  the  apostle,  When  Iwoulddoivell,  evil  is  present  with  me, 
 but  I  find  no  means  to  perfect  what  I  desire  :  Oh  !  when  shall  I 
 be  set  at  liberty,  that  I  might  do  the  ^vork  of  God,  and  run  the 
 race  of  his  commandments  3  Oh  1  that  I  had  faith,  and  hope,  and 
 jqy,  and  love  I* 
 
 2.  Look  we  up  to  the  power,  and  grace,  and  truth  of  God, 
 a^d  press  him  therewith :  '  Loid,  I  have  heard  of  thy  power. 
 
120  The  Practice  of  Sanctification , 
 
 thou  callest  the  things  that  are  not,  as  if  they  were  ;  thou  canst, 
 if  thou  wilt,  work  in  me  these  graces,  as  thou  didst  gloriously 
 create  them  in  Adam  :  Lord,  I  have  heard  also  of  thy  grace  and 
 truth ;  thou  art  as  faithful  to  keep,  as  free  to  make,  these  pre- 
 cious promises.  Thy  grace  is  unsearchable,  thy  word  purer  than 
 silver  seven  times  refined.  O  make  good  thy  promises  !  I  press 
 thee  witL  thy  power,  grace,  and  truth;  O  replenish  me  with 
 thy  graces  !' 
 
 '3.  Look  we  on  the  promises,  and  pray  by  them,  or  turn  them 
 into  prayer.  Faith  hearkeneth  what  the  Lord  speaketh,  and 
 speaketh  back  again  in  fervent  groans  and  desires  to  whatsoever 
 it  heareth  :  hence  we  can  make  no  prayer  in  boldness,  faith,  or 
 comfort,  but  for  things  promised,  and  in  that  manner  as  they  are 
 promised.  Thus  Jacob  (Gen.  xxxii.  9.)  and  David  (2  Sam.  vii. 
 27j  28,  29.)  prayed  by  a  promise,  and  thus  should  we  pray  by  a 
 promise,  and  then  we  may  be  sure  we  pray  according  to  his 
 will. 
 
 SECT.  VIL 
 Of  the  Manner  of  his  Life  of  Faith  in  spiritual  Duties. 
 
 The  first  duty  is  prayer  ;  to  which  are  affixed  these  promises, 
 Psal.  V.  3.  X.  17.  Ixv.  2.  Prov.  xv.  29.  Psal.  1.  15.  xii.  17,  18, 
 19,  20.  Zech.  xiii.  8,  9.  Rom.  viii.  13.  James  v.  15. 
 
 The  second  is  praise ;  to  which  are  affixed  these  promises,  1 
 Sam.  ii.  30.  Psal.  1.  23.  andlxviii.  5,  6. 
 
 The  third  is  preaching ;  to  which  Matt,  xxviii.  20.  John  v.  25. 
 
 The  fourth  is  reading  the  word ;  to  which  Psal.  xix.  8.  Prov.  i.  4. 
 
 The  fifth  is  fasting ;  to  which  James  iv.  9,  10.  Matt.  vi.  18. 
 
 The  sixth  is  meditation ;  to  which  Psal.  i.  2.  Prov.  xiv,  22. 
 Phil.  iv.  8,  9. 
 
 The  seventh  is  examination;  to  which  1  Cor.  xi.'31.  Gal.  vi.  4. 
 
 The  eighth  is  sanctification  of  the  Lord's  day ;  to  which  Isa. 
 Iviii.  13,  14.  Ivi.  2.  Jer.  xvii.  26. 
 
 The  ninth  is  reproof;  to  which  Prov.  xxlv.  25.  xxviii.  23. 
 
 The  tenth  is  almsgiving ;  to  which  Psal.  xii.  1,  2,  3.  Luke  xiv. 
 13,  14. 
 
 The  eleventh  is  waiting  on  God ;  to  which  Isa.  xl.  31.  Lxiv.  4. 
 xlix.  23. 
 
 2.  For  the  exercise  of  faith  concerning  these  promises,  that 
 we  may  live  by  them,  go  we  to  meditation  and  prayer. 
 
 For  meditation,  consider  : — 
 
 1.  That  God  deals  graciously  with  his  people.  He  might,  out 
 of  his  absolute  sovereignty,  command  only,  and  we  were  boimd 
 to  obey  in  every  of  these  duties  ;  but  he  is  pleased,  the  better  to 
 quicken  us  to  obedience,  to  annex  these  gracious  promises. 
 
 2.  That  aa  he  is  gracious  to  us;  so  we  should  be  cheerful  i» 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctif  cation.  121 
 
 our  duties  to  him :  this  cheerfulness  of  service  is  the  very  l^cst 
 fruit  of  faith;  by  faith  Ahel  brought  of  the  firstlings  of  hisjlock, 
 and  of  the  fat  thereof ,  an  offering  to  the  Lord.  By  faith  David 
 went  with  the  multitude  unto  the  house  of  God,  ivitli  the  voice  of 
 joy  and  praise.  It  is  the  voice  of  faith, — I  will  sing  and  give 
 praise  w^ith  the  best  member  I  have. 
 
 2.  For  prayer,  observe  this  method : 
 
 1 .  Acknowledge  the  goodness  and  free-grace  of  God  in  tliesc 
 promises :  ^  O  Lord,  why  shouldst  thou  allure  me  to  that  which 
 I  am  every  way  bound  to  ?  If  I  had  none  of  these  promises,  I 
 have  already  in  hand  a  world  of  mercies,  which  infinitely  bind 
 me  to  duty ;  and  wilt  thou  yet  add  this  and  that  promise,  to  this 
 and  that  duty  ?  O  the  miracle  of  mercies  1  O  the  goodness  of 
 Godr 
 
 2.  Bewail  your  own  dulness  and  sloth  to  the  duty :  ^  And  yet, 
 
 0  Lord,  how  dull,  and  remiss,  and  slight,  am  I  in  the  practice  of 
 this  or  that  duty  ?  Thou  hast  said.  Cursed  is  the  7na?i  that  doth 
 the  work  of  the  Lord  negligently :  Oh !  then  what  is  my  portion  ? 
 No  marvel  if  I  feel  no  power,  no  sweet,  in  the  ordinances,  whilst 
 
 1  deal  partially,  hear  perfunctorily,  pray  coldly,  labour  not  to 
 feed  on  the  promise.  O  Lord,  thou  lovest  a  cheerful  giver; 
 but  my  services  are  maimed,  corrupt,  dead,  superficial,  and  very 
 uncheerful.' 
 
 3.  Importune  the  Lord  to  quicken  your  dead  hearts  to  the 
 duty;  so  prays  David,  Teach  me  to  do  thy  ivill;  thy  Spirit  is 
 good,  lead  7ne  in  the  land  of  ujwightness :  so  prays  the  church, 
 '^  Draw  me,  and  we  will  run  after  thee ;''  and  so  let  us  pray, 
 ^  Give  me  a  cheerful  heart  in  thy  service,  enliven  my  heart  by  thy 
 blessed  Spirit,  give  me  to  do  what  thou  requirest,  inchne  my 
 heart  to  thy  statutes.' 
 
 4.  Implore  the  assistance  of  God's  Spirit  to  every  good  duty ; 
 beg  acceptance  of  your  persons  and  performances  in  the  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ ;  press  him  with  his  promises,  to  set  on  duties,  and 
 to  reward  duties ;  and  whatever  duty  you  do,  press  him  with 
 that  especial  promise  belonging  unto  it.  Thus  if  we  meditate  and 
 pray,  and  pray  and  meditate,  we  may  live  by  faith  in  reference 
 to  spiritual  duties. 
 
 SECT.  VIII. 
 
 Of  the  Manner  of  the  Life  of  Faith  in  Things  eternal. 
 
 1.  Concerning  damnation,  or  eternal  confusion,  we  have 
 these  promises  against  it,  Isa.  xlv.  17-     Rom.  viii.  1. 
 
 2.  Concerning  salvation,  we  have  these  promises  for  it,  Rom. 
 vi.  23.  1  Thess.  iv.  IJ.  God  hath  promised  us  a  kingdom.  Matt. 
 XXV.  34.  an  heavenly  kingdom,  Matt.  vii.  21.  an  eternal  king- 
 
 5  Q, 
 
122       '        The  Practice  of  Sanctification, 
 
 dom,  2  Pet.  i,'!!.  a  croiun  of  life,  James  i.  12.  a  erotvn  of 
 righteousness,  2  Tim.  iv.  8.  an  immarcessihle  croiun  of  glory, 
 1  Pet.  V.  4. 
 
 4.  For  the  exercise  of  faith  concerning  these  promises^  that  we 
 may  live  by  them,  go  we  to  meditation  and  prayer. 
 
 1.  For  meditation,  consider, 
 
 1 .  That  faith  in  the  precions  promises  of  eternal  life,  quiets 
 and  cheers  the  heart  in  the  midst  of  discouragements. 
 
 2.  That  fulness  of  glory  is  reserved  for  the  life  to  come ;  but 
 the  beginnings  of  glory,  as  peace,  joy,  sanctification,  are  vouch- 
 safed here.  Grace  is  the  beginning  of  glory;  and  now  as  grace 
 grows,  so  we  enter  upon  the  possession  of  our  inheritance. 
 
 3.  Faith  earnestly  desires  and  longs  after  full  glory.  Our- 
 selves also,  which  have  the  first-fruits  of  the  Spirit,  even  ive  our- 
 selves groan  luithin  ourselves,  ivaiting  for  the  adoj^tion,  to  wit, 
 tlie  redemption  of  the  body. 
 
 2.  For  prayer,  observe  this  method : — • 
 
 1 .  Confess  we  our  former  carelessness  to  enter  upon  this  in- 
 heritance :  '  O  Lord,  I  have  slighted  thy  promises,  I  have  neg- 
 lected the  motions  of  thy  holy  Spirit,  I  have  not  carefully 
 improved  the  gifts  received,  I  have  not  laboured  more  and 
 more  to  be  sealed  with  the  promised  Spirit : — Ah,  Lord !  what  a 
 dwarf  am  I  in  holiness  !  By  reason  of  my  sloth,  the  powers  of 
 grace  are  so  enfeebled,  that  I  can  scarce  breathe  or  sigh  in  the 
 way  to  heaven,' 
 
 2.  Pray  that  the  Lord  would  increase  our  faith,  seal  us  by  his 
 Spirit,  lead  us  in  the  way  of  peace,  cause  us  to  grow  up  in  holi- 
 ness, make  us  wise  to  prize  and  value^  to  taste  and  relish,  the 
 very  joys  of  heaven :  and  above  all,  that  he  would  assure  our 
 consciences  of  our  right  and  title  thereto. 
 
 3.  Praise  God  for  his  promises  of  eternal  life :  '  O  Lord,  thou 
 hast  looked  on  my  base  estate,  and  visited  me  with  mercy  from 
 on  high ;  of  a  stranger  and  a  foreigner,  thou  hast  made  me  a  free 
 denizen  of  the  new  Jerusalem :  now  I  see,  I  read  it  in  thy  precious 
 promises,  that  my  name  is  registered  in  heaven;  an  eternal 
 Aveight  of  glory  is  reserved  for  me ;  heaven  is  my  home,  my 
 hope,  my  inheritance :  Oh !  where  shall  my  heart  be,  but  where 
 my  treasure  is  ! — Oh  !  the  incomprehensible  love  and  favour  of 
 my  dear  Lord !  What  a  mercy  is  this  !  what  promises  are  these  ! 
 — My  soul  rejoicetfi  in  thee  my  God,  my  spirit  shall  bless  ttiy 
 name  for  ever  and  ever. 
 
 SECT,  IX. 
 
 Of  the  Manner  of  this  Life  of  Faith  in  regard  of  Others, 
 
 We  have  done  with  the  promises  that  concei'u  oiu'selves  :  now 
 follow  SMch  special  promises  as  we  find  in  holy  writ  concerning 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctijication.  123 
 
 others ;  and  they  have  reference^  either  to  our  own  family^  to 
 godly  society  farther  enlarged,  or  to  the  church  of  Christ. 
 
 1st.  The  members  of  our  family  are,  husband  and  wife,  parent 
 and  child,  master  and  servant. 
 
 1 .  For  the  husband  and  wife ;  they  have  promises  from  the 
 Lord,  Ps.  cxxxviii.    Prov.  xxxi.  28.  and  xi.  16.     Job  v.  25. 
 
 2.  For  parent  and  child ;  God  hath  made  a  gracious  covenant 
 with  them.  Gen.  xvii.  7,  9.  Acts  ii.  39.  Jer.  xxxii.  39.  Prov.  xx. 
 7.  Good  parents,  though  poor,  leave  their  children  a  good  patri- 
 mony, for  they  have  laid  up  many  prayers  for  them  in  heaven, 
 and  they  leave  God's  favour  for  their  possession,  and  his  pro- 
 mises for  a  sure  inheritance,  Psal.  xxxvii.  25,  26.  Prov.  xi.  21. 
 Psal.  cxii.  2.  and  xxv.  13.  and  xxxvii.  29.  Prov.  xiii.  22.  Isa. 
 xliv.  3,  4.  and  liv.  13. — And  children  obeying  their  parents  have 
 these  promises,  Exod.  xx.  12.  Eph.  vi.  2.  Jer.  xxxv.  18,  19. 
 Prov.  i.  8,  9.  and  vi.  20. 
 
 3.  For  master  and  servant :  they  have  sweet  promises,  Prov. 
 iii.  33.  Job  viii.  16.  Prov.  xiv.  1 1 . — especially  the  servant  that 
 is  truly  obedient.  Col.  iii.  23,  24.     1  Pet.  ii.  19. 
 
 Here  consider  magistrates,  Deut.  xvii.  19,  20.  Ps.  cxxxii.  18. 
 — and  ministers,  Psal.  cv.  15.     Rev.  ii.  1 .     Isa.  xlix.  4. 
 
 2d.  Godly  society,  out  of  our  own  families,  hath  precious  pro- 
 mises, as  Prov.  xiii.  20.     Mai.  iii.  16,  17-     Matt,  xviii.  20. 
 
 3d.  The  church  of  Christ,  whether  particular,  (as  public  assem- 
 blies,) hath  blessed  promises,  Isa.  xxxiii.  20,  21.  lix.  21.  Matt, 
 xviii.  20.  1  Cor.  v.  4.  Rev.  ii.  1.  Psal.  xxvi.  8.  and  cxxxiii.  3. 
 Mic.  iv.  4^  11,  12. — or  whether  general  and  universal,  it  hath 
 glorious  promises,  as  Matt.  xvi.  8.  Isa.  xxvii.  3.  Psal.  cxiiv.  2. 
 Zech.  ix.  16.  Here  come  in  all  the  promises :  first,  of  calling 
 the  Jews,  as  Isa.  lix.  20.  Rom.  xi.  23,  26.  Hos.  xiii.  14.  and 
 xiv.  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7^  8.;  secondly,  of  bringing  in  the  Gentiles, 
 as  Isa.  xlix.  22,  23.  Rev.  xxi.  24.  John  x.  16.  Isa.  Ix.  3,  5,  8. 
 Acts  X.  14.  Eph.  ii.  12,  19.;  thirdly,  of  the  destruction  of  An- 
 tichrist, as  2  Thess.  ii.  8.  Rev.  xvii.  16.  and  xviii.  21.  where 
 each  word  hath  almost  a  gradation,  in  that  an  angel,  a  mighty 
 angel,  taketh  a  stone,  a  great  stone,  even  a  millstone,  which  he 
 letteth  not  barely  fall,  but  casteth  into  the  sea,  whence  nothing 
 ordinarily  is  recovered,  much  less  a  millstone,  thrust  from  such 
 a  hand,  and  with  such  force. 
 
 Now  for  the  exercising  of  faith  concerning  these  promises, 
 that  we  may  live  by  them,  go  we  to  meditation  and  prayer. 
 
 For  meditation,  consider, 
 
 1.  That  we  have  had  the  performance  of  many  of  these  pro- 
 mises f  and  this  may  persuade  us  that  the  residue  (especially  of 
 the  church's  flourishing,  and  of  Antichrist's  downfall)  is  as  sure 
 as  that  part  already  accomplished;  experience  should  strengthen 
 faith,  and  breed  an  assured  hope  in  God's  people,  of  the  Lord's 
 most  glorious  appearing. 
 
124  The  Practice  of  Sajictification, 
 
 2.  That  the  time  is  now  for  the  church's  restoring,  and  for 
 bringing  in  more  kingdoms  from  Antichrist  to  Christ.  What 
 else  mean  all  tlie  shakings  in  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  ? 
 Therefore  study  we  this  time  of  God,  and,  in  our  places  and  call- 
 ings, work  with  providence,  now  we  have  a  season,  to  help  up 
 the  church,  God's  holy  mountain. 
 
 For  prayer,  observe  this  method : 
 
 r.  Confess  our  former  neglect  in  our  several  relations :  ^  O 
 Lord,  I  have  not  done  my  duty  in  my  own  family,  among  Chris- 
 tians, in  the  churches  of  Christ ;  I  have  not  performed  my  vows, 
 served  my  generation,  helped  onward  the  building  of  Zion. 
 And  now.  Lord,  what  shall  I  say,  but  confess  it  to  thy  glory,  and 
 my  own  shame?' 
 
 2.  Pray  for  a  blessing  on  others,  as  on  our  ownselves ;  forget 
 not  our  relations  to  others  in  our  best  prayers ;  be  importunate 
 with  God,  more  especially  for  Zion. — O  look  upon  ZioUy  the 
 city  of  our  solemnities;  let  thine  eyes  see  Jerusalem  a  quiet  habi- 
 tation, a  tabernacle  that  shall  not  be  taken  down;  let  not  one  of 
 the  stakes  thereof  be  7'emoved,  nor  any  of  the  cords  be  broken, 
 
 3.  Press  we  the  Lord  with  all  his  precious  promises,  either  to 
 our  families,  or  Christian  societies,  or  the  churches  of  Christ. 
 We  have  a  promise,  that  the  Lord  ivill  create  upon  every  dwell- 
 ing-j^lace  of  mount  Zion,  and  upon  the  assemblies,  a  cloud  anxl 
 smoke  by  day,  and  the  shining  of  a  flaming  fire  by  night,  for 
 upon  ail  the  glory  shall  be  a  defence:  '  Now,  Lord,  make  good 
 thy  word.' 
 
 Conclude  with,  I  believe,  that  whatsoever  God  hath  said  in 
 any  of  these  respects,  he  will  fulfil  it  in  his  own  time :  Heaven 
 and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  not  one  jot,  one  tittle,  of  God's 
 tcord  shall  fail.  It  may  be  for  the  present  things  seem  con- 
 trary, yet  God  hath  said  it,  and  that  is  enough  for  me :  if  I  can 
 but  really  acknowledge  and  believe  that  God  is  able  to  do  it,  he 
 will  then  speak  from  heaven,  as  he  did  once  on  earth, — Accord- 
 mg  to  your  faith  be  it  unto  you. 
 
 OF  FA  MIL  Y  D  UTIES. 
 
 SECT.  L 
 Of  the  Nature  of  Family  Duties. 
 
 Hitherto  of  the  duties  which  concern  every  man,  in  his  own 
 particular;  next  to  them  succeed  family  duties,  which  ought  to 
 be  jointly  or  respectively  observed  by  the  families  and  houses  of 
 the  people  of  God.  This  is  implied  by  that  threat.  Pour  out  thy 
 fury  upon  the  heathen  that  know  thee  not,  and  upon  the  families 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctification.  \  25 
 
 that  call  not  upon  thy  name;  and  by  that  example  of  Joshua,  But 
 as  for  me  and  my  house,  ive  luill  serve  the  Lord;  and  by  that  pro- 
 mise of  God,  At  the  same  time,  saith  the  Lord,  will  I  be  the  God 
 of  all  the  families  of  Israel^  and  they  shall  be  my  peo'ple. 
 
 SECT.  II. , 
 
 ^  Of  the  T reparatives  to  Family  Duties. 
 
 Now  that  we  may  comfortably  carry  on  these  family  duties, 
 observe  we — 
 
 1 .  Our  entrance  into  them. 
 
 2.  Our  proceedings  in  them. 
 
 For  entrance,  we  must  lay  a  good  foundation  in  those  that 
 belong  to  this  family : 
 
 1st.  In  the  governor,  whose  duty  it  is, 
 
 1 .  To  endeavour  in  a  special  manner  for  knowledge  in  God's 
 word,  and  for  holiness  of  conversation ;  this  would  tend  much  to 
 the  preservation  of  his  authority,  who  otherwise  will  be  slighted 
 and  disregarded. 
 
 2.  To  marry  in  the  Lord,  and  then  to  live  chastely  in  wedlock, 
 that  there  may  be  an  holy  seed. 
 
 3.  To  beware  whom  he  admits  to  dwell  with  him.  See  David's 
 resolution  herein.  Mine  eyes  shall  be  upon  the  faithful  of  the  land, 
 that  they  may  diuell  ivith  me :  he  that  ivalketh  in  a  perfect  way 
 shall  serve  me;  he  that  ivorketh  deceit  shall  not  dwell  within  my 
 house;  he  that  telleth  lies  shall  not  tarry  in  my  sight. 
 
 2d.  In  the  governed,  whose  duty  it  is  both  to  join  together  in 
 the  performance  of  family  duties  with  their  governor,  and  to  sub- 
 mit to  his  government: — 3fy  son,  hear  the  instmction  of  thy  fa- 
 ther, and  forsake  not  the  law  of  thy  mother ;  for  they  shall  be  an 
 ornament  of  grace  unto  thy  head,  and  chains  about  thy  neck. 
 
 SECT.  III. 
 
 Of  the  Duties  of  Governors  in  general. 
 
 In  the  proceedings  of  these  family  duties,  we  are  to  consider 
 the  duties,  1.  Of  the  governors ;  2.  Of  the  governed. 
 
 I.  The  governors,  if  (as  it  is  in  marriage)  there  be  more 
 than  one,  as  first,  the  chief  governor,  to  wit,  the  husband ;  se- 
 condly, the  helper,  to  wit,  the  wife :  both  these  owe  duties  to 
 their  families,  and  duties  to  one  another. 
 
 The  duties  they  owe  to  their  families,  are, — In  general,  to  the 
 whole :  in  particular^,  according  to  their  several  relations. 
 
126  The  Practice  oj  Sanctijicat'ion, 
 
 That  which  in  general  they  owe  to  the  whole  family,  is  both 
 to  their  bodies  and  souls. 
 
 1 .  To  their  bodies ;  concerning  which,  saith  the  apostle.  He 
 that  provideth  not  for  his  own,  and  especially  for  those  of  his 
 own  house,  hath  deiiied  the  faith,  and  is  ivorse  than  an  infidel. 
 
 2.  To  their  souls ;  concerning  which,  some  duties  they  are  to 
 perform  to  the  family,  and  some  to  require  of  the  family. 
 
 1st.  The  duties  they  must  perform  to  them,  are — 
 
 1 .  To  provide  that  they  may  live  under  the  public  ministry ; 
 for  otherwise  how  should  they  be  brought  into  the  sheepfold  of 
 Christ,  if  they  hear  not  the  voice  of  the  Chief  Shepherd  speaking 
 unto  them  by  those  whom  he  hath  sent. 
 
 2.  To  oversee  the  ways  of  their  families,  that  they  serve  God ; 
 and  as  in  all  other  duties,  so  especially  in  sanctifying  the  Sab- 
 bath :  to  this  the  very  words  in  the  fourth  commandment  bind 
 all  masters  of  families;  Remember  thou,  and  thy  son,  and  thy 
 daughter,  and  thy  man-servant,  and  thy  maid: — where  the  Lord 
 speaks  by  name  to  the  governors,  as  if  he  would  make  them 
 overseers  of  this  work  of  sanctifying  of  his  Sabbaths. 
 
 3.  To  offer  prayers  and  praises  to  the  Lord,  morning  and 
 evening.  This  was  David's  practice ;  Evening,  and  morning, 
 and  at  noon,  will  I  pray,  and  cry  aloud,  and  he  shall  hear  my 
 voice. 
 
 4.  To  instruct  their  families  privately  in  matters  of  religion, 
 that  they  may  not  only  profess,  but  feel  the  power  of  religion. 
 This  duty  implies, — 
 
 1.  A  familiar  catechizing  of  them  in  the  principles  of  religion. 
 Thus  were  parents  commanded  of  old.  Thou  shalt  teach  these 
 words  diligently  unto  thy  children,  and  shall  talk  of  them  ivhen 
 thou  sittest  in  thine  house,  and  luhen  thou  ivalkest  by  the  ivay, 
 and  when  thou  liest  down,  and  when  thou  risest  up. 
 
 2.  A  daily  reading  of  scriptures  in  their  hearing,  directing  them 
 to  mark  and  to  make  use  of  them :  so  Timothy  was  trained  up  by 
 his  parents,  and  that  from  his  childhood. 
 
 3.  A  careful  endeavouring  that  they  profit  by  the  public  mi- 
 nistry:  to  this  end,  they  must  prepare  them  to  hear  the  word,  by 
 considering  God's  ordinances,  promises,  and  their  own  necessi- 
 ties. 2.  They  must  remind  them  to  look  into  the  word  for 
 Christ,  and  for  communion  with  Christ.  3.  They  must  examine 
 them  after  the  ordinance,  what  they  have  learned,  and  what  use 
 they  can  make  of  it. 
 
 2d.  The  duties  they  are  to  require  of  the  family,  are  both  care- 
 fully to  frequent  the  public  ministry,  and  diligently  to  be  conver- 
 sant in  the  private  worship  of  God,  and  constantly  to  practice  all 
 holy  and  christian  duties ',  and  they  are  to  require  these  things, 
 not  only  by  telling  them,  calling  on  them,  catechizing  them, 
 admonishing  them;  but  if  they  be  negligent,  by  correcting 
 them. 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctificatwn,  127 
 
 Now  this  correction  must  be  ministered  in  wisdom  and 
 patience. 
 
 1 .  In  wisdom,  whose  property  it  is  to  find  out  the  right  party 
 that  committed  the  fault,  to  consider  of  what  sort  the  fault  is,  to 
 weigh  circumstances  of  age,  discretion,  and  occasions ;  and  to 
 look  to  the  mind  of  the  doer,  whether  negligence  or  mere  sim- 
 plicity brought  him  to  it. 
 
 2.  In  patience,  whose  property  it  is  to  make  the  faidt  manifest 
 to  the  offender,  that  his  conscience  may  be  touched  therewith ; 
 to  hear  what  the  offender  can  say  in  his  own  defence,  and  accord- 
 ingly to  allow  or  disallow;  to  avoid  bitterness,  which  sooner 
 will  harden  the  heart,  than  reform  the  manners  of  the  offender. 
 These  rules  being  observed,  and  the  heart  lifted  up  in  prayer  to 
 God  for  direction  and  blessing,  this  correction  is  necessary,  as 
 is  evident  in  Gen.  xxx.  2.     Prov.  xiii.  24.    xix.  18. 
 
 These  are  the  duties  that  governors  owe  to  families  in  respect 
 of  their  souls ;  to  correct  them,  catechize  them,  admonish  them, 
 call  on  them,  read  to  them,  pray  for  them. 
 
 SECT.  IV. 
 
 Of  the  Duties  of  Parents  to  their  Children. 
 
 The  duties  in  particular  which  governors  owe  to  the  family, 
 according  to  their  relations,  are,  as  parents  to  their  children,  or  iis 
 masters  to  their  servants. 
 
 1st.  The  duties  of  parents  to  the  bodies  of  their  children,  are 
 in  many  particulars,  but  may  be  all  comprised  under  this  one 
 head,  a  provident  care  for  their  temporal  good. 
 
 1.  The  first  age  of  a  child  is  his  infancy,  and  the  first  part  of 
 his  infancy,  is  while  it  remaineth  in  the  mother's  womb :  here 
 the  duty  lies  principally  upon  the  mother,  to  have  a  special  care 
 of  it,  that  it  may  be  safely  brought  forth. 
 
 The  next  degree  of  a  child's  infancy,  is  while  it  is  in  the  swad- 
 ling-band,  and  remains  a  sucking  child :  in  this  also  the  care 
 more  especially  lies  on  the  mother,  whose  duty  it  is  to  take  all 
 pahis  she  possibly  may,  for  the  education  of  her  child. 
 
 2.  The  second  age  of  a  child  is  its  youth,  from  the  time  it  be- 
 gins to  be  of  any  discretion,  till  it  be  fit  to  be  placed  forth :  now 
 the  duty  of  parents  at  this  time  is,  1.  To  nourish,  and  2.  To 
 nurture  their  children. 
 
 Under  nourishment,  are  comprised  food,  apparel,  means  for 
 recovery  of  health  when  they  are  sick  3  in  which  if  parents  pro- 
 vide not  for  their  children,  they  are  worse  than  infidels:  and 
 under  nurture  are  comprised  good  manners,  a  good  calling,  fre- 
 quent admonition,   reprehension,    correction,  the  last  remedy^ 
 
128  The  Practice  of  Sanctification, 
 
 which  may  do  i^ood  when  nothing  else  can.  Pro  v.  xix.  18.  xxiii. 
 13,  14.  xxix.  17. 
 
 2d.  The  duty  of  parents  to  the  souls  of  their  children  extends 
 itself  also  to  all  times ;  as,  1.  To  their  infancy,  2.  To  their  youth, 
 3.  To  the  time  of  the  parents'  departure  out  of  this  world. 
 
 1.  The  first  age  of  a  child  is  his  infancy,  and  the  first  part  of 
 its  infancy  is  while  it  remaineth  in  the  mother's  womb.  Now 
 the  duty  of  parents  at  that  time  are  these :  1 .  That  they  pray  for 
 their  children:  thus  did  Rebekah,  while  the  children  were 
 quick  in  her  womb.  Those  parents  that  neglect  this  duty 
 to  their  children,  consider  not  rightly  that  they  are  conceived 
 in  sin. 
 
 2.  That  they  make  sure,  so  much  as  in  them  lies,  that  their 
 children  be  born  under  the  promise,  or  under  the  covenant,  in 
 respect  of  the  spiritual  part  of  it :  how  ?  By  making  sure  that 
 they  be  under  the  promise  or  covenant  themselves.  If  God  in 
 Christ  be  their  God,  they  may  have  a  comfortable  hope  that  God 
 will  be  the  God  of  their  seed,  according  to  the  promise,  /  ivill  he 
 thy  God,  and  the  God  of  thy  seed. 
 
 The  next  degree  of  a  child's  infancy  is,  when  it  is  born;  and 
 the  duty  of  parents  then  is,  to  give  up  their  children  unto  God, 
 casting  them  into  the  hands  of  his  providence,  into  the  arms  of  his 
 mercy,  begging  for  them  a  gracious  acceptation  with  God ;  and 
 to  tender  them  to  the  ordinance,  the  sacrament  of  baptism,  to 
 get  the  seal  of  tlie  covenant  set  upon  them. 
 
 2.  The  second  age  of  a  child  is  its  youth :  now  the  duty  of  pa- 
 rents to  their  children  at  this  time  is,  to  train  them  up  in  true 
 piety,  to  bring  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 
 To  this  end, 
 
 1 .  When  children  begin  to  read,  let  them  read  the  holy  Scrip- 
 tures :  so  was  Timothy  trained  up  from  a  child. 
 
 2.  Let  children  be  catechized  constantly  from  day  to  day :  only 
 with  this  caveat,  that  parents  deal  with  their  children  as  skilful 
 nurses  and  mothers  do  in  feeding  their  children,  i.  e.  not  to 
 give  them  too  much  at  once ;  overmuch  dulls  a  child's  understand- 
 ing, and  breeds  wearisomeness  to  it.  It  is  most  suitable  to  give 
 \h^i\\  jJTecept  upoji  precept,  precept  upon  precept,  line  iqmn  line, 
 line  upon  line,  here  a  liUle,  and  there  a  little :  thus  shall  they 
 learn  with  ease  and  delight,  and  in  time  a  great  measure  of  know- 
 ledge will  be  gained  thereby. 
 
 3.  Let  parents  declare  to  their  children,  the  admirable  works 
 that  God  in  former  times  hath  done  for  his  church,  especially  such 
 works  as  he  hath  done  in  their  time.  Outward  sensible  things 
 do  best  work  upon  children,  and  therefore  this  direction  was 
 given  under  the  law.  Josh.  iv.  6,  21. 
 
 4.  Let  parents  be  to  their  children  a  good  pattern,  leading  them 
 to  Christ  by  their  examples :  this  will  take  place  with  children, 
 more  than  all  precepts. 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctification,  129 
 
 5.  Let  parents  reprove  and  correct  their  children  for  sin;  and 
 that  the  Lord  may  sanctify  this  correction  unto  them,  consider 
 this,  O  ye  parents  !  Do  you  observe  such  and  such  sins  in  your 
 children  ?  Enter  into  your  own  hearts,  examine  yourselves,  whe- 
 ther they  come  not  from  you:  consider  how  justly  the  hand  of 
 God  may  be  upon  you ;  and  when  you  are  angry  with  your  chil- 
 dren, have  an  holy  anger  with  your  ownselves,  and  use  this  or  the 
 like  meditation  with  your  own  souls :  Lord,  shall  I  thus  punish 
 my  own  sin  in  my  child  ?  How  then  mayest  thou  be  displeased 
 with  me  for  the  too  carnal  conception  of  my  child :  it  may  be,  I 
 then  lay  in  some  sin,  or  I  asked  it  not  of  thee  by  prayer :  be 
 merciful  to  me,  O  Lord,  and  in  thy  good  time  shew  thou  pity  on 
 me  and  my  child ! 
 
 6.  As  children  grow  in  years,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  Christ, 
 and  of  justification  by  Christ,  let  parents  train  them  up  in  the 
 exercise  of  all  duties ;  as  prayer,  meditation,  self-examination, 
 watchfulness,  and  all  means,  public  and  private :  if  this  be  done, 
 the  world  to  come  may  reap  the  benefit  of  their  education.  Such 
 children  as  you  bring  up,  such  parents  will  they  be  (when  you 
 are  gone)  to  their  children. 
 
 3d. 'The  last  time  to  which  the  duty  of  parents  extends  itself, 
 is  the  time  of  their  departure  out  of  the  world ;  and  then  they  owe 
 to  their  children  good  direction,  and  faithful  prayer. 
 
 \.  For  direction:  when  parents  observe  their  time  to  draw 
 near,  it  is  their  duty  then  especially  to  connnend  some  wise  and 
 wholesome  precepts  unto  their  children,  the  better  to  direct  them 
 in  their  Christian  course.  The  words  of  a  dying  parent  are  espe- 
 cially regarded,  and  make  a  deeper  impression. 
 
 2.  For  prayer :  then  is  the  most  proper  time  for  parents  to  pray 
 for,  and  bless  all  their  children.  As  they  commend  their  own  souls 
 unto  God's  hands,  so  let  them  commend  their  children  unto  God's 
 grace.  God's  providence  and  promises  are  the  best  inheritance 
 in  the  world ;  and  if  parents,  in  their  prayers,  leave  these  to  their 
 children,  they  can  never  want  any  thing  that  is  good.  Oh  1  the 
 faithful  prayers  of  parents  for  their  children  (especially  when  they 
 are  leaving  their  children  and  going  to  God)  must  needs,  in,  for, 
 
 d  throuffh  Christ,  prevail  mightUy  with  God. 
 
 -»n 
 
 SECT.  V. 
 
 uj  the  Duties  of  Masters  to  Servants. 
 
 The  duty  of  masters  to  their  servants,  is  either  to  their  bodies 
 or  to  their  souls. 
 
 1.  The  duty  of  masters  to  the  bodies  of  their  servants,  consists 
 in  these  particulars,  viz.  in  a  due  provision  of  food  for  them, 
 Prov.  xxxi.  5L  and  xxvii.  27. — in  a  wise  care  for  their  clothing, 
 5,  R 
 
130  The  Practice  of  Sanctification, 
 
 Prov.  xxxi.  21. — in  a  well-ordering  of  their  labour,  so  as  they 
 may  be  able  to  undergo  it :  in  their  ease,  rest,  and  intermission 
 from  labour  at  seasonable  times :  in  paying  them  sufficient  wages, 
 Deut.  xxiv.  14,  15. — in  a  careful  preserving  of  their  health,  and 
 using  means  for  their  recovery  in  case  of  sickness.  Mat.  viii.  6. 
 and  that  not  of  the  servant's  wages,  but  of  the  master's  own 
 charge,  otherwise  they  undo  not  the  heavy  burden,  but  rather  lay 
 burden  upon  burden. 
 
 2.  The  duty  of  masters  to  the  souls  of  their  servants  consists 
 in  these  particulars,  viz.  In  teaching  them  the  principles  of  re- 
 ligion, and  all  duties  of  piety; — in  causing  them  to  go  to  the 
 public  ministry  of  the  word  and  worship  of  God; — in  taking 
 account  of  their  profiting  by  the  public  and  private  means  of 
 edification ; — in  praying  for  them,  and,  as  they  observe  any  grace 
 wi'ought  in  them^  in  praising  God  for  it,  and  praying  for  the 
 increase  of  it. 
 
 SECT.  VI. 
 
 Of  the  Duties  of  the  Husband  and  Wife* 
 
 The  duties  which  the  chief  governor  and  his  helper  owe  to 
 one  another,  are  either  common  and  mutual,  or  peculiar  to  each. 
 
 1 .  The  common  mutual  duties  betwixt  man  and  wife,  are  ma- 
 trimonial unity,  and  matrimonial  chastity;  loving  aifection  of  one 
 another :  and  provident  care  of  one  for  another. 
 
 The  former  duties  presupposed ;  there  ought  to  be-— 
 
 1 .  A  loving  and  tender-hearted  pouring  out  of  their  hearts, 
 with  much  affectionate  dearness,  into  each  other's  bosom.  This 
 mutual  melting-heartedness,  being  preserved  fresh  and  fruitful, 
 will  infiuilely  sweeten  and  beautify  the  marriage  state. — Now  for 
 the  preservation  of  this  love,  let  them  consider, 
 
 1 .  The  compassionate  and  melting  compellations  which  Christ 
 and  his  spouse  exchange  in  the  Canticles :  My  fair  one,  my  love, 
 my  dove,  my  undefiled^my  well-beloved ,  the  chief  of  ten  thousand. 
 Such  a  fervent  and  chaste  love  as  this,  all  married  couples  should 
 imitate. 
 
 2.  The  command  of  God;  Husbands,  love  your  wives,  Eph. 
 V.  25.  and.  Wives  (or  young  women)  love  your  husbands,  Tit. 
 ii.  4.  Methinks  this  charge,  oft  remembered,  should  ever  beat 
 back  all  heart-rising  and  bitterness,  all  wicked  wishes  that  they 
 had  never  met  together.  When  the  knot  is  tied,  every  man 
 should  think  his  wife  the  fittest  for  him,  and  every  wife  should 
 think  her  husband  the  fittest  for  her,  of  any  other  in  the  world. 
 
 2d.  A  provident  care  of  one  for  another ;  which  extends  to  the 
 body :  No  man  hateth  his  own  flesh,  but  nourisheth  aiid  cherish- 
 eth  it :  but  especially  to  the  soul ;  in  praying  together,  for,  and 
 with  one  another;  in  taking  notice  of  the  beguming  and  least 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctification.  131 
 
 measure  of  grace,  and  approving  the  same ;  in  conferring  about 
 such  things  as  concern  the  same,  mutually  propounding  ques- 
 tions, and  giving  answers,  one  to  another;  in  maintaining  holy 
 and  religious  exercises  in  the  family,  and  betwixt  their  own- 
 selves,  in  stirring  up  one  another  to  hear  the  word,  to  receive 
 the  sacraments,  and  to  perform  all  the  parts  of  God's  public 
 worship.  In  case  the  one  prove  unconverted,  let  the  other  wait 
 and  pray,  and  expect  God's  good  time :  or  in  case  the  one  be  a 
 habe  in  Christ,  let  the  other  deal  lovingly,  meekly,  and  let  our 
 Lord  Jesus,  in  his  tender-heartedness  to  spiritual  younglings, 
 teach  us  mercy  this  way,  who  is  said  to  gather  the  lambs  ivith 
 his  arms,  and  to  carry  them  in  his  bosom,  and  gently  to  lead 
 those  that  are  with  young. 
 
 2.  The  peculiar  duties  of  each  are : — 
 
 1 .  Of  the  husband,  whose  duty  it  is — 1 .  that  he  dearly  love 
 his  wife; — 2.  that  he  wisely  maintain  and  manage  his  authority 
 over  her. 
 
 1 .  No  question  the  wife  is  to  love  her  husband,  and  a  brother 
 to  love  his  brother,  and  a  friend  to  love  his  friend,  but  more 
 especially  is  the  husband  to  love  his  wife.  To  this  purpose  she 
 is  called,  the  wife  of  his  bosom,  to  shew  that  she  ought  to  be  as 
 his  heart  in  his  bosom.  He  must  love  her  at  all  times,  he  must 
 love  her  in  all  things ;  love  must  season  and  sweeten  his  speech, 
 carriage,  actions,  towards  her;  love  must  shew  itself  in  his 
 commands,  reproofs,  admonitions,  instructions,  authority,  fami- 
 liarity with  her :  the  rise  of  which  love  must  not  be  from  her 
 beauty  or  nobility,  but  especially  because  she  is  his  sister  in  the 
 Christian  religion,  and  an  inheritor  with  him  of  the  kingdom  of 
 heaven;  because  of  her  graces  and  virtues,  because  she  bears 
 him  children,  the  heirs  of  his  name  and  substance,  and  because 
 of  the  union  and  conjunction  of  marriage.  Love,  growing  on 
 beauty,  riches,  lust,  or  any  other  slight  grounds,  soon  vanisheth ; 
 but  if  grounded  on  these  considerations,  and  especially  on  this 
 union  of  marriage,  it  is  lasting  and  true :  the  want  hereof  is  the 
 fountain  of  strife,  quarrelling,  and  debate,  which  converts  the 
 paradise  of  marriage  into  an  hell. 
 
 For  the  manner  of  this  love,  the  apostle  gives  it  thus,  Hus- 
 bands, love  your  own  wives,  even  as  Christ  also  loved  the  church. 
 Now  the  love  of  Christ  to  his  church,  is  commended  to  us  in 
 these  particulars : — 
 
 1.  His  love  was  every  way  free :  so  should  husbands  love  their 
 wives,  though  there  be  nothing  in  wives  to  move  them,  but 
 merely  because  they  are  their  wives. 
 
 2.  Christ  began  it  to  the  church,  before  the  church  could  love 
 him;  so  should  husbands  begin  to  love  their  own  wives.  I  know 
 some  wives  prevent  their  husbands  therein,  but  the  greater  is 
 their  glory.  This  pattern  of  Christ  should  rather  stir  up  their 
 husbands  to  go  before  them. 
 
132  The  Practice  of  Sanctification. 
 
 3.  Tlie  truth  of  Christ's  love  was  manifested  by  the  fruit& 
 thereof  to  his  church ;  he  gave  himself  for  it,  that  he  might  sanc- 
 tify and  cleanse  it,  and  'present  it  to  himself  a  glorious  church, 
 not  having  spot  or  wrinkle:  so  must  husbands  love  their  wives 
 in  truths  by  guiding  them  in  the  way  of  life  -,  for  this  is  the  true 
 character  of  a  sincere  love. 
 
 4.  Christ's  love  is  an  holy^  pure^  and  chaste  love;  as  he  him- 
 self is_,  so  is  his  love :  such  must  be  the  love  of  husbands,  an  holy, 
 pure,  and  chaste  love.  Away  with  all  intemperate,  excessive, 
 or  any  ways  exorbitant,  pollutions  of  the  marriage  bed;  from 
 which,  if  the  fear  of  God,  imitation  of  Christ,  love  of  purity, 
 awfulness  of  God's  all-seeing  eye,  cannot  draw ;  yet  that  horror, 
 lest  God  should  punish  such  a  couple  with  no  children,  or  mis- 
 shapen children,  or  with  idiots,  or  wicked  children,  or  with 
 some  other  heavy  cross,  one  would  think  should  be  able  to 
 affright  them. 
 
 5.  Christ  having  loved  his  own,  loved  them  unto  the  end.  Such 
 must  be  the  love  of  husbands,  a  firm  love,  an  inviolable  love  :  the 
 ground  of  it  must  be  God's  ordinance,  and  the  support  of  it 
 must  be  an  inviolable  resolution,  that  no  provocation  shall  ever 
 change  it.  Husbands  must  pass  by  all  infirmities,  endeavouring 
 in  love  tt)  redress  them,  if  possibly  they  can,  or,  if  not,  to  bear 
 with  them. 
 
 The  second  duty  of  a  husband,  is,  wisely  to  maintain  and 
 manage  his  authority :  now  the  management  of  it  consists  in 
 two  things  : — 
 
 1 .  That  he  tenderly  respect  her. 
 
 2.  That  he  carefully  provide  for  her. 
 
 1st.  He  must  tenderly  respect  her,  as  his  wife,  companion, 
 yoke-fellow,  as  his  delight,  and  the  desire  of  his  eyes,  and  never 
 be  bitter  against  her.  This  bitterness  ordinarily  turneth  the 
 edge  of  his  authority ;  if  therefore  any  matter  of  unkindness  arise, 
 as  sometimes  certainly  it  will,  then  must  he  carefully,  with  all  gen- 
 tleness and  patience,  quiet  all ;  and  never  suffer  himself  nor  his 
 wife  to  sleep  in  displeasm'C.  Let  not  the  sun  go  down  upon  your . 
 rvroth  :  or  if  he  shall  have  occasion  to  reprove  her,  he  must  keep 
 his  words  until  a  convenient  time,  not  in  presence  of  others, 
 and  then  in  the  spirit  of  meekness  and  love.  Surely,  if  she  be 
 not  corrected  by  a  word  of  wisdom,  she  will  never  amend  by 
 threats  or  rigorous  carriage  ;  and  if  she  once  begin  to  lose  her 
 shamefacedness  in  the  presence  of  her  husband,  it  is  likely  there 
 will  be  often  quarrels  betwixt  them,  and  the  house  will  be  full 
 of  disquietness  :  it  is  best  therefore  to  deal  wisely  with  her,  to 
 admonish  her  often,  to  reprehend  her  seldom,  never  to  lay  violent 
 hands  on  her ;  if  she  be  dutiful,  to  cherish  her,  that  she  may 
 so  continue  ;  if  wayward,  mildly  to  suffer  her,  that  she  wax  not 
 worse. 
 
 2d.  He  must  carefully  provide  for  her;  to  this  purpose  he  is 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanclification,  13S 
 
 called  her  head,  as  Christ  is  head  of  the  clmrch.  The  head,  you 
 know,  is  the  fountain  of  motion,  quickening,  life,  to  the  body ; 
 so  should  the  husband  be  as  the  well-spring  of  liveliness,  light- 
 someness,  light-heartedness,  to  his  wife :  she  hath  forsook  all  for 
 him,  and  therefore  she  should  receive  from  him  a  continual  in- 
 fluence of  cheerful  walking,  and  comfortable  enjoying  herself. 
 2.  The  duties  proper  to  the  wife,  are  these : — 
 
 1.  That  she  be  in  submission  to  her  husband. 
 
 2.  That  she  be  an  helper  to  him  all  her  days. 
 
 1st.  Wives  must  be  in  subjection  to  their  oivn  husbands. 
 Sarah  obeyed  Abraham,  and  called  him  lord.  But  here  is  a  case 
 of  conscience : 
 
 1.  What  if  her  husband  be  a  son  of  Belial,  and  an  enemy  to 
 Christ,  must  she  then  yield  subjection?  Yes,  because  in  his 
 office  her  husband  is  as  in  Christ's  stead.  The  church  is  com- 
 pared to  a  lily  among  thorns,  she  remains  lily-like,  white,  soft, 
 pleasant  and  amiable,  though  she  be  joined  with  thorns,  which 
 are  prickly  and  sharp :  so  a  wife  must  be  meek,  mild,  gentle, 
 obedient,  though  she  be  matched  with  a  crooked,  perverse,  and 
 wicked  husband :  she  must,  in  this  case,  remove  her  eyes  from 
 the  disposition  of  her  husband's  person  to  the  condition  of  his 
 place,  and  by  virtue  thereof,  seeing  he  beareth  Christ's  image, 
 be  subject  unto  him  as  unto  Christ. 
 
 2.  What  if  her  husband  command  things  contrary  to  Christ, 
 must  she  therein  be  subject?  No,  submit  as  unto  the  Lord:  if 
 she  submits  to  things  contrary  to  Christ,  she  submits  not  as  to 
 the  Lord.  Conscientious  wives  must  remember  they  have  an 
 husband  in  heaven,  as  well  as  on  earth,  betwixt  whom  there  is  a 
 greater  difference  than  betwixt  heaven  and  earthy  and  therefore 
 in  case  they  bid  contrary  things,  they  must  prefer  God  before 
 man,  Christ  before  all  men. 
 
 2d.  Wives  must  be  helpers  to  their  husbands.  Now  this  help  - 
 fulness  consists  in  these  things : 
 
 1 .  That  she  be  careful  to  preserve  his  person,  in  sickness  or 
 health,  in  adversity  or  prosperity,  in  youth  or  old  age. 
 
 2.  That  she  learn  and  labour  to  forecast,  contrive  and  man- 
 age household  affairs ;  for  which  see  a  glorious  pattern  in  Prov 
 xxxi. 
 
 3.  That  she  may  help  her  husband,  in  erecting  and  establish- 
 ing Christ's  glorious  kingdom  in  their  house,  and  especially  in 
 their  own  hearts.  This  is  that  one  necessary  thing,  \\ith(nit 
 which  their  family  is  but  Satan's  seminary,  and  a  nursery  for 
 hell.  This  will  marvellously  sweeten  all  reproaches  cast  upon 
 them  by  envenomed  tongues ;  this  will  sweetly  seal  unto  them 
 their  assurance  of  meeting  together  in  heaven. 
 
 Thus  much  of  the  duties  of  governors,  mc  now  come  to  the 
 governed. 
 
134  The  Practice  of  Sanct'ification. 
 
 SECT.  VII. 
 
 Of  Duties  of  Children  to  Parents. 
 
 1.  The  inward  duties  which  children  owe  to  their  parents,  are 
 love  and  fear :  love,  like  sugar,  sweetens  fear;  and  fear,  like  salt, 
 seasons  love.  There  must  be  a  loving  fear,  and  a  fearing  love. 
 Hence  the  fear  of  a  child  is  opposed  to  the  fear  of  a  slave :  for  a 
 child's  fear  bemg  mixed  with  love,  hath  respect  to  the  offence 
 which  a  parent  may  take;  but  a  slave's  fear,  which  is  ordinarily- 
 mixed  with  hatred,  hath  respect  to  nothing  but  the  punishment 
 which  his  master  may  inflict  upon  him.  This  love-like  fear 
 is  so  proper  to  children,  that  the  awful  respect  which  the 
 saints  bear  to  God,  is  called  a  filial  fear.  Children  have  re- 
 ceived their  substance  from  the  very  substance  of  their  parents, 
 and  therefore  they  are  to  perform  this  duty  of  love  and  fear  to 
 them. 
 
 2.  The  outward  duties,  or  the  manifestation  of  this  love  and 
 fear  in  children,  appears, 
 
 1.  In  their  reverence,  in  speech  and  carriage.  They  must 
 give  to  their  parents  reverend  and  holy  titles,  meek  and  humble 
 speeches,  obeisance  as  becomes  their  age  and  sex.  Thus  Jo- 
 seph and  Solomon  bowed,  the  one  to  his  father,  and  the  other  to 
 his  mother.  Contrary  thereto  is  mocking  and  despising  father 
 and  mother ;  of  which  said  Solomon,  The  eye  that  mocketh  at 
 his  father,  arid  despiseth  to  obey  his  mother,  the  ravens  of  the 
 valley  shall  pick  it  out.  A  phrase  that  sets  forth  the  end  of  a 
 notorious  malefactor,  that  is  hanged  in  the  air  till  the  ravens  pick 
 out  his  eyes. 
 
 2.  In  their  obedience  to  the  commands,  instructions,  reproofs, 
 and  corrections,  of  their  parents,  Eph.  vi.  1.  Prov.  i.  8,  9.  The 
 reason  is,  because  of  God,  whom  the  father  represents :  chil- 
 dren must  remember,  that  whatsoever  they  do  to  their  parents, 
 they  do  it  to  God ;  when  they  disobey  them,  they  disobey  God ; 
 when  they  please  them,  they  please  God;  when  their  parents 
 are  justly  angry  with  them,  God  is  angry  with  them,  nor  can 
 they  recover  God's  favour,  though  all  the  saints  of  heaven  should 
 entreat  for  them,  till  they  have  submitted  themselves  to  their 
 parents,  only  with  this  limitation,  that  they  submit  o)'  obey  them 
 in  the  Lord,  Eph.  vi.  1. 
 
 3.  In  their  recompense.  This  is  a  duty  whereby  children  en- 
 deavour, as  much  as  in  them  lies,  to  repay  what  they  can  for 
 their  parents'  kindness,  care,  and  cost  towards  them,  in  way  of 
 thankfulness.  In  sickness,  they  must  visit  them;  in  want,  they 
 must  provide  for  them ;  in  time  of  danger,  they  must  endeavour 
 their  protection. 
 
The  Practice  of  Sanctification,  135 
 
 SECT.  vm. 
 
 Of  the  Duties  of  Servants  to  their  Masters. 
 
 Duties  of  servants  to  their  masters,  are  either  inward,  as  fear; 
 or  outward,  as  reverence  and  obedience. 
 
 1 .  The  inward  duty  is  fear :  Servants,  he  subject  to  your  mas- 
 ters with  all  fear,  ojtid  account  them  ivorthy  of  all  honour.  So 
 proper  is  this  fear  to  a  servant,  that  where  it  is  wanting,  there  is 
 a  plain  denial  of  his  master's  place  and  power.  If  I  he  a  master, 
 where  is  my  fear?  said  God.  I  mean  not  slavish  fear,  as  when 
 a  servant  fears  nothing  but  the  revenging  power  of  his  master ; 
 but  an  awful  fear  of  provoking  his  master,  so  that  it  makes  him 
 consider  every  way  how  he  may  please  him ;  and  such  a  fear 
 draws  him  on  cheerfully  to  perform  his  duty. 
 
 2.  Outward  duties  which  issue  from  this  fear,  are  reverence 
 and  obedience. 
 
 1.  Reverence,  which  is  manifested  in  speech  and  carriage. 
 Thus  servants  must  give  reverend  titles  to  their  masters,  as 
 father,  lord,  and  master,  &c.  They  must  yield  obeisance  to 
 them ;  as  the  children  of  the  prophets,  when  they  saw  that  the 
 spirit  of  Eflijah  rested  on  Elisha,  came  to  meet  him,  and  bowed 
 themselves  to  the  ground  before  him. 
 
 2.  Obedience,  which  hath  respect  to  the  commands,  instruc- 
 tions, reproofs,  and  corrections,  of  their  masters,  1  Pet.  ii.  18, 
 19,  20.     But  here  is  a  case  or  two  of  conscience. 
 
 1.  How  far  they  must  obey;  or  what  is  the  extent  of  ser- 
 vants' obedience  to  masters.  The  apostle  answers.  Servants, 
 obey  in  all  things  your  masters  according  to  the  flesh.  It  is  not 
 sufficient  that  servants  perform  well  their  duties  in  some  things ; 
 they  must  do  it  in  all  things ;  yea,  in  things  that  may  be  against 
 their  own  liking,  if  their  masters  will  have  it  so.  Like  as  Peter, 
 when  Christ  bid  him  launch  out  into  the  deep,  and  let  down  his 
 net  for  a  draught,  he  answered.  Master,  we  have  toiled  all  the 
 flight,  and  have  taken  nothing ;  nevertheless,  at  thy  word  I  will 
 let  down  the  net.  So  must  servants  say,  when  they  have  a 
 peremptory  command,  though  contrary  to  their  own  judgments, 
 '  This  or  that,  in  all  humility,  I  suppose ;  nevertheless,  at  your 
 word  I  will  let  down  the  net,  I  will  do  as  you  please.* 
 
 2.  But  what  if  God  and  a  master  should  command  contrary 
 things  ?  In  such  a  case,  the  apostle  sets  down  an  excellent  Ihnita- 
 tion  in  these  four  phrases,  1.  As  unto  Christ.  2.  As  the  servants 
 of  Christ.  3.  Doing  the  will  of  God.  4.  As  to  the  Lord.  All 
 these  imply,  that  if  masters  command  their  servants  any  thing 
 contrary  to  Christ,  they  may  not  yield  to  it :  upon  this  ground 
 the  midwives  of  the  Hebrew  women  would  not  kill  the  Hebrew 
 children;  they  feared  God,  saith  the  text,  and  did  not  as  tlie 
 king  commanded  them.      In  this  case,  Joseph  is  commended  in 
 
136  The  Practice  of  Sanctification. 
 
 not  hearkening  to  his  mistress;  and  the  servants  of  Saul  are 
 commended  for  refusing  to  slay  the  Lord's  priests  at  their  mas- 
 ter's command.  When  masters  command  or  forbid  any  thing 
 against  God  and  Christy  they  go  beyond  their  commission^  and 
 their  authority  ceaseth ;  so  that  ser\"ants  may  say.  We  ought  to 
 obey  God  rather  than  man. 
 
 I  have  now  run  through  the  family,  and  informed  you  of  the 
 duties,  both  of  governors  and  governed. — Christians  !  look  within 
 you,  look  about  you ;  that  man  is  not  a  good  man,  that  is  not 
 good  in  all  his  relations.  The  same  God  that  requires  us  to 
 serve  him  as  private  persons,  requires  us  to  serve  him  in  our 
 relations;  and  therefore  though  you  be  never  so  careful  of  your 
 duty  in  the  former  respect,  yet  you  may  go  to  hell  for  neglecting 
 your  duties  as  masters,  servants,  husbands,  wives,  parents,  or 
 children.  Though  if  you  should  be  good  in  one  relation,  yet  if 
 you  endeavour  not  to  be  good  in  every  relation,  you  shall 
 never  go  to  heaven ;  for  the  same  God  that  commands  you  to 
 serve  him  as  a  master,  commands  you  to  serve  him  as  a  father, 
 as  an  husband.  And  he  that  keeps  the  whole  laiv^  and  offends 
 in  one  pointy  is  guilty  of  alL 
 
LOOKING  UNTO  JESUS; 
 
 OR^  THE 
 
 SOUL'S  EYEING  OF  JESUS, 
 
 AS    CARRYING   ON 
 
 THE  GREAT  WORK  OF  MAN'S  SALVATION. 
 
 TO  THE  READER 
 
 A  MONGST  all  the  duties  I  formerly  mentioned^  I  omitted  one, 
 -^-^  that  I  look  upon  as  chief  and  choice  of  all  the  rest :  this  is  the 
 duty  I  call  Looking  unto  Jesus,  and  if  I  must  discover  the  occa- 
 sion of  my  falling  on  it,  I  shall  do  it  truly  and  plainly.  In  the 
 Spring,  1653,  I  was  visited  with  a  sore  sickness,  and  as  the  Lord 
 began  to  restore  my  health,  it  came  into  my  thoughts  what  Jesus 
 had  done  for  my  soul,  and  what  he  was  doing,  and  what  he  would 
 do  for  it,  till  he  saved  it  to  the  uttermost.  In  my  conceptions  of 
 these  things,  I  could  find  no  beginning  of  his  actings,  but  in  that 
 eternity  before  the  world  was  made ;  nor  could  I  find  any  end  of 
 his  actings,  but  in  that  eternity  after  the  world  should  be  unmade ; 
 only  betwixt  these  two  extremities  I  apprehended  various  trans- 
 actions of  Jesus  Christ,  both  past,  and  present,  and  to  come. 
 In  the  multitude  of  these  thoughts  within  me,  my  soul  exceed- 
 ingly delighted  itself,  and  that  delight  stirring  up  in  me  other 
 affections,  I  began  to  consider  those  texts  in  scripture,  which 
 seemed  to  impose  the  working  of  my  affections  on  so  blessed  an 
 object,  as  a  gospel-duty.  Then  I  resolved  if  the  Lord  Jesus 
 5.  s 
 
138  -To  the  Reader. 
 
 would  but  restore  my  health,  and  prolong  my  life,  I  would  en  ^ 
 deavour  to  discover  more  of  this  gospel-duty,  than  ever  yet  I 
 knew.  And  that  my  pains  herein  might  not  hinder  my  other 
 necessary  labours,  my  purpose  was  to  fall  on  this  subject  in  my 
 ordinary  preaching,  wherein  I  might  have  occasion  both  to  search 
 into  Scripture,  several  authors,  and  my  own  heart. 
 
 In  process  of  time  I  began  this  work,  begging  of  God  that  he 
 would  help  me  to  finish,  as  he  inclined  me  to  begin,  and  that  all 
 might  tend  to  his  glory,  and  the  church's  good.  In  the  progress 
 of  my  labours  I  found  a  world  of  spiritual  comfort,  both  in  respect 
 to  the  object  that  I  handled,  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  respect  of  the 
 act,  wherein  consisted  my  duty  to  him,  in  looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 1.  For  the  object,  it  was  the  very  subject  whereon  more 
 especially  I  was  bound  to  preach :  Christ  in  you  the  hope  of 
 glory,  said  Paul  to  his  Colossians ;  and  he  immediately  adds, 
 whom  ive  preach,  Col.  i.  27,  28.  and.  Unto  me,  ivho  am  less  than 
 the  least  of  all  the  saints,  is  this  grace  given  :  what  grace  ?  that 
 I  should  preach  among  the  gentiles  the  unsearchable  riches  of 
 Christ,  Eph.  iii.  8.  Ministers  ought  in  duty  more  abundiintly 
 to  preach  Jesus  Christ.  And  I  may  feelingly  say,  it  is  the  sweet- 
 est subject  that  ever  was  preached  on.  Is  it  not  as  an  oint- 
 ment j^oured  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,  and  excellency,  whether  of 
 things  in  heaven,  or  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  yet 
 Buch  is  the  mystery,  that  we  are  all  but  as  yet  at  the  first  side  of 
 the  catechism  of  Jesus  Christ.  Solomon  was  but  at  What  is  his 
 name  f  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.  As  some  great  point  doth  require 
 the  abilities  of  many  scholars  (and  all  little  enough  when  joined 
 together)  to  make  a  discovery  thereof;  such  is  this  high  point, 
 this  holy,  glorious  mystery,  worthy  of  the  pains  of  all  the  learned ; 
 and  if  they  v/ould  all  bring  their  notes  together,  and  add  all  their 
 studies  together,  they  should  find  still  but  a  little  of  this  mystery 
 known,  in  comparison  of  what  remtiins  unknown. 
 
 2.  For  the  act  of  looking  unto  Jesus,  as  it  is  comprehensive 
 of  knowing,  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  re- 
 sembling the  duty  uf  the  saints  in  heaven,  I  dare  say,  it  is  this, 
 Mr.  Rutherford  writeth  thus,  "  An  act  of  living  in  Christ,  and 
 on  Christ,  in  the  acts  of  seeing,  enjoying,  embracing,  loving. 
 
To  thef  Reader,  I39 
 
 resting  on  him,  is  that  noon-day  divinity,  and  theology  of  beati- 
 fical vision.  There  is  a  general  assembly  of  immediately  illumi- 
 nated divines  romid  about  the  throne,  who  study,  lecture,  preach, 
 praise,  Christ  night  and  day. — Oh  !  what  rays,  what  dartings  of 
 intellectual  fruition,  beholdhig,  enjoying,  and  living  in  him,  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  reflec- 
 tions, and  reachings  forth  of  intellectual  vision,  embracing,  loving, 
 
 wondering,  are  returning  back  to  him  in  a  circle  of  glory  f" Now 
 
 if  this  be  the  saints's  duty,  who  are  perfect  in  glory,  do  we  not 
 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  who- 
 ever thou  art  that  readest,  I  beseech  thee,  come,  warm  thy  heart 
 at  this  blessed  fire  !  Oh,  come,  and  smell  the  precious  ointments 
 of  Jesus  Christ  !  Oh,  come,  and  sit  down  under  his  shadow  with 
 great  delight !  Oh,  that  all  men  (especially  those  into  whose 
 hands  this  book  shall  come,)  would  presently  fall  upon  the  prac- 
 tice 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  virtue  may  go  out  of  him,  and  fill 
 their  souls. 
 
 Reader,  one  thing  more  I  have  to  say  to  thee  :  If  thou  wouldst 
 know  how  to  carry  on  this  duty  constantly,  as  thou  dost  thy  morn- 
 ing 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  are  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  iii.  11.  If  then  but  once  a 
 day  thou  wouldst  make  this  Jesus  Christ  thy  subject  to  know, 
 con-sider,  desire,  hope,  believe,  joy  in,  call  upon,  and  conform 
 unto,  in  his  several  respects  of  performing  any  redemption  into 
 his  birth,  life,  death,  resurrection,  ascension,  session,  inter- 
 cession, and  coming  again,  and  that  one  of  these  particidars 
 might  be  thy  one  day's  exercise,  and  so  every  day  thou  wouldst 
 proceed  from  first  to  last,  in  thus  looking  unto  Jesus,  I  suppose 
 thou  wouldst  never  tire  thyself :  and  why  so  ?  there  is  variety  in 
 this  matter  to  be  looked  unto,  and  their  is  variety  in  the  maimer 
 of  looking  on  it.  For  instance  :  one  day  thou  mightest  act  thy 
 knowing  of  Jesus  ;  the  next  day  thou  mightest  consider  Jesus  in 
 that  respect;  and  the  next  day  thou  mightest  desire  after  Jesus 
 
140  To  the  Reader. 
 
 in  that  respect ;  and  the  next  day  thou  mightest  hope  in  Jesus  in 
 that  respect ;  and  so  on,  till  thou  coraest  to  the  last  day  of  the 
 work.  Now  would  not  this  variety  delight  ?  It  is  the  observation 
 of  Mr.  Lockyer,  on  Col.  i.  16.  that,  "  An  holy  soul  cannot  tire 
 itself  in  the  contemplation  of  Jesus  :'*  how  much  less  can  it  tire 
 itself  in  loolving  unto  Jesus,  which  is  far  more  comprehensive 
 than  contemplating  of  Jesus  !  Come,  try  this  duty,  and  be 
 constant  in  it  at  least  one  year,  and  so  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  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  taken  these  pains  for  Christ's 
 honour,  and  thy  soul's  good. — So  rests 
 
 Thy  servant  in  Christ  Jesus, 
 
 I.  A. 
 
LOOKING   UNTO  JESUS. 
 
 BOOK  I. 
 
 Looking  unto  Jesus,  the  beginner  and Jinis  her  of  our  faith. 
 
 Heb.  XII.  2. 
 
 CHAP.  I. 
 
 TJie  Division  and  Opening  of  the  TFords. 
 
 The  most  excellent  subject  to  discourse  or  write  of^  is  Jesus 
 Christ.  Augustin  having  read  Cicero's  works,  commended  them 
 for  their  eloquence^  but  he  passed  this  sentence  upon  them, 
 '^  They  are  not  sweety  because  the  name  of  Jesus  is  not  in  them." 
 Indeed  all  we  say  is  but  unsavoury,  if  it  be  not  seasoned  with 
 this  salt.  I  determined  not  to  know  any  thing  among  you,  saith 
 Paul,  save  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified.  He  resolved  with 
 Iiimself,  before  he  preached  among  the  Corinthians,  that  this 
 should  be  the  only  point  of  knowledge  that  he  would  profess  him- 
 self to  have  skill  in,  and  that  in  the  course  of  his  ministry  he 
 would  labour  to  bring  them  to.  This  he  made  the  breadth,  and 
 length,  and  depth,  and  height,  of  his  knowledge.  Yea,  doubt- 
 less, saith  he,  ayid  I  count  all  things  but  loss,  for  the  excelle)icy 
 of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord.  In  this  knowledge 
 of  Christ  there  is  an  excellency  above  all  other  knowledge  in  the 
 world.  There  is  nothing  more  pleasing  and  comfortable,  more 
 animating  and  enlivening.  Christ  is  the  sun  and  centre  of  all 
 divine  and  revealed  truths  :  we  can  preach  nothing  else  as  the 
 object  of  our  faith,  which  doth  not  some  way  or  other  either  meet 
 in  Christ,  or  refer  to  Christ.  Only  Christ  is  the  whole  of  man's 
 happiness  ;  the  sun  to  enlighten  him,  the  physician  to  heal  him, 
 the  wall  of  fire  to  defend  him,  the  friend  to  comfort  him,  the 
 pearl  to  enrich  him,  the  ark  to  support  him,  the  rock  to  sustain 
 him  under  the  heaviest  pressures  ;  As  an  hiding-place  from  the 
 ivind,  arid  a  covert  from  the  te?npest,  as  rivers  of  waters  in  a 
 dry  place,  and  as  the  shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a  weary  land. 
 Only  Christ  is  that  ladder  between  earth  and  heaven,  the  Me- 
 diator betwixt  God  and  man;  a  mystery  which  the  angels  of 
 heaven  desire  to  pry  into.  Here  is  a  blessed  sul^jcct  indeed: 
 who  would  not  be  glad  to  be  acquainted  with  it  ?  This  is  life 
 eternal,  to  know  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  he  hath  sent. 
 Come  then  !  let  us  look  on  this  Sim  of  righteousness  ;  we  cannot 
 
142  Looking  unto  Jesus » 
 
 receive  harm,  but  good,  by  such  a  look.  Indeed,  by  looking  long 
 on  the  natural  sun  we  may  have  our  eyes  dazzled,  and  our  faces 
 blackened ;  but  by  looking  unto  Jesus,  we  shall  have  our  eyes 
 clearer,  and  our  faces  fairer.  If  the  light  of  the  eye  rejoice  the 
 heart,  how  much  more  when  we  have  such  a  blessed  object  to 
 look  upon !  As  Christ  is  more  excellent  than  all  the  world,  so 
 this  sight  transcends  all  other  sights.  Looking  unto  Jesus,  is  the 
 epitome  of  a  Christian's  happiness,  the  quintessence  of  evangeli- 
 cal duties. 
 
 In  the  text  we  have  the  act  and  object.  The  act  in  the  origi- 
 nal is  very  emphatical,  but  the  EngHsh  doth  not  fully  express 
 it;  it  signifies  a  drawing  of  the  eye  from  one  object  to  another  : 
 there  are  two  expressions  ;  the  one  signifies  a  turning  of  the  eye 
 from  all  other  objects  ;  the  other,  a  fast  fixing  of  the  eye  upon 
 such  an  object,  and  only  upon  such.  So  is  it  both  a  looking  off, 
 and  a  looking  on.  On  what  ?  That  is  the  object,  a  looking  unto 
 Jesus  :  a  title  that  denotes  his  mercy,  as  Clirist  denotes  his  office. 
 My  meaning  is  not  to  insist  on  this  name,  in  contradiction  to  any 
 other  names  of  Christ.  He  is  often  called  Christ,  and  Lord, 
 and  Mediator,  and  Son  of  God,  and  Emmanuel  :  but  Jesus  is 
 all  these ;  Jesus  is  Christ,  as  he  is  the  Anointed  of  God  ;  and 
 Jesus  is  Lord,  as  he  hath  dominion  over  all  the  world ;  and  Jesus 
 is  mediator,  as  he  is  the  reconciler  of  God  and  man  ;  and  Jesus 
 is  the  Son  of  God,  as  he  was  eternally  begotten  before  all  worlds ; 
 and  Jesus  is  Emmanuel,  as  he  was  incarnate,  and  so  God  with 
 us.  Only  because  Jesus  signifies  Saviour,  and  this  name  was 
 given  him  upon  that  very  account ;  for  he  shall  save  his  people 
 from  their  sins :  I  shall  make  this  my  design  to  look  at  Jesus 
 more  especially,  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  salvation 
 from  first  to  last.  This  indeed  is  the  glad  tidings,  the  gospel, 
 the  gospel  privilege,  and  our  gospel  duty — looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 W%'«'«A/V«V%'«-^>VWW 
 
 CHAP.  II. 
 
 The  Duty  of  looking  off' all  other  Things,  confirmed  and  cleared. 
 
 But  first  we  must  look  off  all  other  things.  We  must  take 
 off  our  minds  from  every  thing,  which  might  divert  us  in  our 
 Christian  race  from  looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 But  what  things  are  they  we  must  look  off  in  this  respect  ?  I  an- 
 swer ;   1.  Good  things.     2.  Evil  things. 
 
 1 .  Good  things.  The  apostle  tells  us  of  a  cloud  of  witnesses^ 
 in  the  former  verse,  which  no  question  in  their  season  we  are  to 
 look  unto.  But  when  this  second  object  comes  in  sight,  he  , 
 scatters  the  cloud  quite,  and  sets  up  Jesus  himself :  now  the 
 apostle  willethus  to  turn  our  eyes  from  them,  and  to  turn 
 hither  to  Jesus  Christ  \  as  if  he  had  said.  If  you  will  indeed  see 
 
Looking  unto  t/esus,  143 
 
 a  sight  once  for  all,  look  to  him.  The  saints,  though  they  be 
 guides  to  us,  yet  are  they  but  followers  to  him  ;  he  is  the  leader 
 of  them,  and  of  us  all ;  look  on  him.  There  is  a  time,  when 
 James  may  say.  Take,  my  hrethren,  the  2^rophets,  who  have 
 spoken  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  for  an  example ;  but  when 
 Jesus  comes  forth,  that  saith,  /  have  given  you  an  example, 
 an  example  above  all  examples,  then  be  silent  all  flesh  before 
 the  Lord.  Let  all  saints  and  seraphim  then  cover  their  faces 
 with  their  wings,  that  we  may  look  on  Jesus,  and  let  all  other 
 sights  go. 
 
 2.  Evil  things.  We  must  look  off  all  that  is  in  the  world  ; 
 and  that  the  apostle  compriseth  under  these  three  heads,  the 
 lusts  of  the  eyes,  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  the  pride  of  life ;  or, 
 pleasures,  profits,  and  honours. 
 
 1.  We  must  look  off  this  world  in  respect  of  its  sinful  plea- 
 sures. Jude  tells  us,  such  as  are  sensual  have  not  the  Spirit, 
 We  cannot  fixedly  look  on  pleasures,  and  look  on  Jesus,  at  once. 
 
 2.  We  must  look  off  this  world  in  respect  of  its  sinful  profits. 
 A  look  on  this  keeps  off  our  looking  unto  Jesus.  H^hosoever 
 loveth  the  world,  the  love  of  the  Father  is  not  in  him.  Just  so 
 much  as  the  world  prevails  in  us,  so  much  is  God's  love  abated 
 both  in  us  and  towards  us.  Ye  adulterers  and  adulteresses,  saith 
 St.  James,  know  ye  not  that  the  friendship  of  the  world  is 
 enmity  with  God  f  When  we  have  enough  of  God  and  Christ, 
 and  yet  desire  to  make  up  our  happiness  in  the  creature,  this  is 
 plain  spiritual  whoredom. 
 
 3.  We  must  look  off  the  world  in  respect  of  its  honours. 
 What  is  this  desire  to  be  well  thought  of,  or  well  spoken  of  ? 
 As  if  a  man  should  run  up  and  down  after  a  feather  flying  in  the 
 air.  It  is  a  question  whether  ever  he  get  it ;  but  if  he  do,  it  is 
 but  a  feather  :  such  is  honour  ;  it  is  hard  to  obtain  it,  but,  if  ob- 
 tained, it  is  but  the  breath  of  a  few  men's  mouths  5  but  what  is 
 worst  of  all,  it  hinders  our  sight  of  Christ.  Not  many  wise  men 
 after  the  flesh,  not  many  rnighty,  not  many  noble,  are  called. 
 Worldly  honour  keeps  many  back  from  Christ. 
 
 But  why  must  we  look  off  every  thing  that  diverts  our  look- 
 ing unto  Jesus  ? 
 
 1 .  Because  we  cannot  look  fixedly  on  Christ,  and  such  things, 
 at  once.  The  eye  cannot  look  upwards  and  downwards  at  once  ; 
 we  cannot  seriously  mind  heaven  and  earth  in  one  thought.  No 
 man  can  serve  two  masters;  especially  such  as  jar,  and  have 
 contrary  emplojnnents,  as  Christ  and  Mammon  have. 
 
 2.  Because  whilst  we  look  on  these  things,  we  cannot  see  the 
 beauty  that  is  in  Christ.  Our  wishing  looks  on  other  things, 
 makes  Christ  but  mean  and  contemptible  in  our  eyes. 
 
 3.  Because  all  other  things,  in  comparison  of  Christ,  are  not 
 worthy  a  look ;  they  are  but  poor,  low,  mean,  base  things,  in 
 comparison  of  Christ :  /  count  all  things  but  loss,  saith  St.  Paul, 
 
144  Looking  unto  *Iesus. 
 
 for  the  excellency  of  the  knmvledge  of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord, — 
 /  count  them  hut  dwig  that  I  may  win  Christ.  Some  translate 
 it,  from  the  original,  chaff,  others  dog's  meat,  others  excre- 
 ments, dung :  all  agree,  it  is  such  a  thing  as  men  usually  cast 
 away  from  them  with  indignation. 
 
 4.  Because  it  is  according  to  the  very  law  of  marriage  :  There- 
 fore shall  a  man  leave  father  and  mother,  and  cleave  unto  his 
 ivife.  The  Lord  Christ  marries  himself  to  the  souls  of  his 
 saints  ;  and  for  this  cause  the  soul  must  forsake  all,  and  cleave 
 unto  Christ. 
 
 5.  Because  Christ  is  a  jealous  God.  Now  jealousy  is  a  pas- 
 sion i(i  the  soul,  that  will  not  endure  any  sharing  in  the  object 
 beloved.  And  so  Christ  caiinot  endure  that  we  should  look  on 
 an}?-  other  things,  so  as  to  lust  after  them. 
 
 6.  Because  all  other  things  can  never  satisf}'  the  eye.  All 
 things  are  full  of  labour,  saith  Solomon,  man  cannot  utter  it ; 
 the  eye  is  not  satisfied  with  seeing :  it  is  but  wearied  with  looking 
 on  divers  objects,  and  yet  still  desires  new  ones ;  but  once 
 admit  it  to  that  glorious  sight  of  Christ,  and  then  it  rests  fully 
 satisfied. 
 
 CHAP.  III. 
 
 Sect.  I. — An  Explanation  of  the  Act  and  Object  of  Looking. 
 
 An  experimental  looking  on  Jesus,  is  that  my  text  aims  at : 
 it  is  not  a  swimming  knowledge  of  Christ,  but  an  hearty  feeling 
 of  Christ's  inward  workings ;  it  is  not  notions  of  Christ,  but 
 hearty  motions  towards  Chnst,  that  are  implied  in  this  inward 
 looking. 
 
 2.  For  the  object ;  you  must  look  on  Jesus.  It  is  the  bless- 
 edest  object  that  the  eye  of  the  mind  can  possibly  fix  upon. 
 Of  all  objects  under  heaven,  Jesus  hath  the  pre-eminence  in 
 perfection,  and  he  should  have  the  pre-eminence  in  our  medi- 
 tation. It  is  he  that  will  make  us  most  happy  when  we  posses 
 him,  and  we  cannot  but  be  joj^ful  to  look  upon  him,  especially 
 when  looking  is  a  degree  of  possessing.  Jesus  signifies  Saviour, 
 it  is  an  Hebrew  name  ;  the  Greeks  borrowed  it  from  the  He- 
 brews, the  Latins  from  the  Greeks,  and  all  other  languages 
 from  the  Latins.  It  conies  from  the  Hebrew  word  Jehoshua,  or 
 Joshua,  which  in  the  books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  (written  after 
 the  Babylonian  captivity)  is  Jeshua ;  and  so  is  our  Saviour's 
 name  always  written  in  the  Syriac  translation  of  the  New  Testa- 
 ment. This  name,  Jesus,  was  given  to  Christ  the  Son  of  God, 
 by  his  Father,  and  brought  from  heaven  by  an  angel ,  first  to 
 Mary,  and  then  to  Joseph ;  and  on  the  day  Avhen  he  was  cir- 
 cumcised, as  the  manner  was,  this  name  was  given  him  by  his 
 parents,  as  it  was  commanded  from  the  Lord,  by  the  angel  Ga- 
 briel.    It  includes  both  his  office,  and  his  natures.     He  is  the 
 
Looking  iinto  Jesus'.  I45 
 
 alone  Saviour  of  man  ;  for  there  is  iione  other  name  under  hea- 
 ven given  among  tnen,  whereby  ive  nmst  he  $aved.     And  he  is  a 
 perfect  and  absolute  Saviour ;  he  is  able  to  save  them  to  the  ut- 
 termost, that  come  unto  God  by  him ;  seeing  he  ever  liveth  to 
 make  intercession  for  them.     I  will  not  deny,  but  that  the  work 
 of  salvation  is   common  to  all  the  three  Persons  in  the  Trinity  : 
 it  is  a  known  rule,  "  All  outward   actions    are  equally  common 
 to  the  three  Persons."     For  as  they  are   all  one  in  nature  and 
 will,  so  must  they  be  also  one  in  operation  ;  the  Father  saveth 
 the  Son  saveth,  and  the   Holy  Ghost  saveth;  yet  we  must  dis- 
 tinguish them  in  the  manner  of  saving :  the  Father  saveth  by 
 the  Son  ;  the  Son  saveth  by  paying  the  ransom  and  price  of  our 
 salvation  5  the   Holy  Ghost  saveth  by  a  particular  applying  of 
 that  ransom  unto  men.     Now  whereas  the  Son  pays  the  price  of 
 our  redemption,  and  not  the  Father,  nor  the  Holy  Ghost ;  there- 
 fore, in  this  special  respect,  he  is  called  our  Saviour,  our  Jesus. 
 Herein  is  set  forth  the  offices   of  Christ,  the  two  natures  of 
 Christ,  the  qualities  of  Christ,  the  excellencies  of  Christ.     Oh ! 
 what  variety  of  sweet  matter  is  in  Jesus  !  he  hath  in  him  all  the 
 powders  of  the  merchants.     An  holy  soul  cannot  tire  itself  in 
 viewing  Jesus.     We  know  one  thing  tires  quicklj^^  unless  that 
 one  be  all :  Christ  is  so,  and  none  else  ;  he  is  all,  and  in  all ;  all 
 belonging  to  being,  and  all  belonging  to  well-being.     In  things 
 below  Jesus,  some  have  this  excellency,  and  some  have  that, 
 but  none  have  all.     Oh  !  what  variety  is  in  Jesus  !  variety  of 
 time,  he  is  Alj^ha  and  Omega ;  variety  of  beauty,  he  is  white 
 and  ruddy ;  variety  of  quality,  he  is  a  lion  and  lamb,  a  servant 
 and   a   son ;  variety  of  excellency,  he  is  man  and  God.     Oh  ! 
 where  shall  we  begin  in  this  view  of  Jesus  ?   JVho  shall  declare 
 his  generation  V  All  the  evangelists  exhibit  unto  us  the  Saviour, 
 but  every  one  of  them  in  his  particular  method.    Mark  describes 
 not  all  the  genealogy  of  Jesus,  but  begins  his  history  at  his  bap- 
 tism.    Matthew  searcheth  out  his  original  from  Abraham.     Luke 
 follows  it  backwards  as  far  as  Adam.     John  passeth  further  up- 
 wards, even  to  the  eternal   generation  of  this  TVord  that  teas 
 made  jlesh.     So  they  lead  us  to  Jesus,  mounting  up  four  several 
 steps  :  in  the  one,  we  see  him  only  among  the  men  of  his  own 
 time ;  in  the  second,  he  is  seen  in  the  tent  of  Abraham  ;  in  the 
 third,  he   is  yet   higher,  to  ^vit,  in   Adam ;  and  finally,  having 
 traversed  all  ages,  through  so  many  generations,  we  come  to 
 contemplate  him  in  the  beginning,  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father, 
 in  that  eternity  in  which  he   was  with  God   before  all  worlds. 
 And   there  let  us  begin,  still  looking  unto  Jesus,  as  he  carries 
 on  the  great  work  of  our  salvation  from  first  to  last,  from  ever- 
 lasting to  everlasting. 
 
 6. 
 
146  Looking  unto  Jesus,    ^ 
 
 Sect.  11. — The  main  Doctrine  and  Confirmation  of  it. 
 
 But  for  the  foundation  of  our  building,  take  this  note — 
 Inward    expermiental   looking  unto  Jesus^    such  as  stirs  up 
 affections  in  the  heart,  and  the  effects  thereof  in  our  life,  is 
 an  ordinance  of  Christ,  a  choice,  an  high  gospel  ordinance. 
 Or  thus  :  inward  experimental  knowing,  considering,  desiring, 
 hoping,  believing,    loving,  joying,    calling    on  Jesus,  and 
 conforming   to  Jesus,  is  the  most   precious    ordinance    of 
 Jesus  Christ. 
 Ix)oking  unto   Jesus,    is   that  great  ordinance  appointed  by 
 God  for  our  most  especial  good.     How  many  souls  have  blessed 
 themselves  in  the  use  of  other  means,  and  though  in  them  Christ 
 hath  communicated  some  virtue  to  them,  yet  because  they  did 
 not  trade  more  with  them,  they  had  little  in  comparison  ?  Such 
 a  one  as  deals  immediately  with  Christ,  will  do  more  in  a  day 
 than  another  in  a  year ;  and  therefore  I  call  it  a  choice,  a  com- 
 plete, an  high  gospel-ordinance. 
 
 1.  Jesus  is  the  object ;  and  Jesus,  as  Jesus,  as  he  is  our  Sa- 
 viour, as  he  hath  negociated,  or  shall  yet  negociate,  the  great 
 business  of  our  salyation.  Looking  unto,  is  the  act ;  but  such 
 as  includes  all  these  acts,  knowing,  considering,  desiring,  hoping, 
 believing,  loving,  jo^dng,  enjoying  of  Jesus,  and  conforming  to 
 Jesus.  It  is  such  a  look  as  stirs  up  affections  in  the  heart,  and 
 the  effects  thereof  in  our  life ;  it  is  such  a  look  as  leaves  a  quick- 
 ening upon  the  spirit ;  it  is  such  a  look  as  works  us  into  a  warm 
 affection,  raised  resolution,  an  holy  and  upright  conversation  : 
 briefly,  it  is  an  inward,  experimental  looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 This  was  the  Lord's  charge  to  the  Gentiles  of  old  ;  Look  unto 
 me,  and  he  ye  saved^  all  the  ends  of  the  earth. — ytind  I  said,  be- 
 hold me  !  behold  ine  !  unto  a  nation  that  teas  not  called  by  my 
 name.  And  according  to  this  command  was  their  practice ; 
 Mine  eyes  are  ever  towards  the  Lord,  saith  David.  They  looked 
 nnto  him,  and  were  lightened,  and  their  faces  ivere  not  ashamed. 
 And  according  to  this  command  is  the  practice  of  gospel  be- 
 lievers ;  iVe  all,  with  open  face  beholding  as  in  a  glass  the  glory 
 of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the  sa?ne  image,  fro7n  glory  to 
 glo7y,  evoi  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.  Instead  of  the  vail  of 
 Mosaical  figures,  God  hath  now  given  to  his  church  the  clear 
 glass  of  the  gospel :  and  hence  all  believers  under  the  gospel  do, 
 by  contemplative  faith,  behoM  Christ,  together  with  the  glo- 
 rious light  of  his  mercy,  truth,  and  the  rest  of  his  divine  attri- 
 butes ;  and  by  means  thereof,  they  are  made  like  unto  him  in 
 the  glory  of  holiness,  and  in  newness  of  life. 
 
 Sect.  III. —  Use  of  Reproof . 
 
 Well  then  !  is   inward  experimental  looking  unto  Jesus  a 
 choice,  an  high  gospel- ordinance  ?  How  may  this  reprove  thou- 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus^  147 
 
 sands  ?  how  many  are  there  that  mind  not  this  duty  ?  The  truth 
 is,  that  as  the  whole  world  lies  in  wickedness,  so  the  eyes  of  the 
 whole  world  are  misplaced.  There  are  few  that  have  a  care  of 
 this  choice,  of  this  high  gospel-ordinance.  1  shall  therefore 
 reprove  both  the  ungodly  and  godly. 
 
 i.  For  the  ungodly;  not  Christ,  nor  God,  is  in  all  their 
 thoughts.  Alas  !  they  cannot  tell  what  it  means,  to  look  unto 
 Jesus.  Nor  speak  I  only  of  poor  Indians,  and  other  savages, 
 who  came  into  the  world,  not  knowing  wherefore ;  and  go  out  of 
 the  world,  not  knowing  whither ;  but  of  such  as  live  within  the 
 Christian  church,  that  have  nothing  to  distinguish  them  from 
 those  Indian  miscreants,  but  outward  formalities,  the  charity 
 of  others,  and  their  own  slight  imaginations.  Why,  alas  !  these 
 are  they  that  the  Lord  complains  of,  that  they  have  eyes,  and  see 
 not.     My  people  have  forgotten  me  days  without  number. 
 
 You  will  say.  Is  there  any  such  here  ?  Can  I  tax  any  of  you, 
 that  you  do  not  look  up  to  Jesus  ?  are  not  your  eyes  towards 
 Christ  in  your  prayers,  praise,  public  and  private  duties  ?  nay, 
 are  not  you  now  in  the  duty,  whilst  I  am  speaking,  and  you 
 hearing  ?  I  answer.  However  you  may  deem  that  you  do  this  or 
 that,  yet  God  reckons  it  as  a  thing  not  done  in  these  respects  > — 
 
 1.  When  it  is  not  done  to  purpose:  as,  if  ovir  looking  to 
 Christ  makes  us  not  like  Christ ;  if  there  be  no  effectual  impres- 
 sion upon  the  heart,  Christ  takes  it  as  if  we  had  never  looked 
 towards  him  at  all. 
 
 2.  When  it  is  done  unwillingly.  Let  no  man  deceive  him- 
 self ;  though  he  cast  his  eyes  towards  heaven  all  the  day  long, 
 if  he  love  not  his  work,  he  doth  nothing ;  he  looks  not  at  Jesus. 
 
 3.  When  a  man  makes  it  not  his  course  to  look  unto  Jesus. 
 A  man  may  come  unto  a  carpenter's  house,  and  take  up  his  tools, 
 and  do  something  at  his  w^ork,  but  this  makes  him  not  a  car- 
 penter, because  it  is  not  his  trade.  So,  ungodly  men  may  look 
 and  think  of  Christ ;  but  because  this  is  not  their  course  and 
 trade,  they  make  it  not  their  work  to  look  to  Christ ;  they  are 
 therefore  said,  not  to  look  to  him. 
 
 Consider,  you  that  plead  that  you  are  Christians,  and  that  you 
 mind  Christ  at  this  very  instant,  that  you  are  in  the  duty,  even 
 whilst  I  am  speaking  of  it,  and  yet  you  neither  do  it  to  purpose,  nor 
 •willingly ;  is  it  not  with  you  as  it  is  with  them  of  whomChrist  spake. 
 Many  will  say  to  me  at  that  day,  Lord,  Lord,  have  we  not  pro- 
 phesied in  thy  name,  and  in  thy  name,  have  cast  out  devils  ?  and  in 
 in  thy  name  have  done  many  wonderful  works  ?  They  will  plead 
 at  the  last  day,  as  you  plead  now ;  but  for  all  that,  you  know  the 
 answer,  I  never  knew  you;  depart  from  me  ye  workers  of  iniquity. 
 
 2.  For  the  godly,  are  not  they  careless  of  this  duty  ?  I  know 
 lot  whether  through  want  of  skill,  or  through  want  of  will  ;  but 
 ?ure  I  am,  this  duty  lies  neglected  of  most  of  the  people  of  God  : 
 their  faults  I  may  express  in  these  respects  : 
 
148  Looking  imto  Jesus. 
 
 1.  In  not  i>oin ting  their  minds  towards  Jesus  ;  I  write  unto 
 you,  saith  the  apostle^  to  stir  up  your  minds,  by  way  of  reWiem- 
 brance  :  it  is  in  the  original,  to  awaken  your  pure  minds  ;  and  it 
 was  but  need.  Awaking,  is  a  word  that  imports  rousing,  as  birds 
 that  provoke  their  young  ones  by  flight  to  make  use  of  their 
 wings  :  now  how  few  are  there  who  thus  call  upon  themselves  ! 
 It  was  the  prophet's  complaint,  ]Vo  mail  stirs  up  himself  to  take 
 hold  of  God ; — O  what  a  shame  is  this  !  Is  it  fit  that  our  under- 
 standings, which  God  hath  entrusted  us  with,  should  be  no  more 
 improved  ?  Is  it  fit  that  our  minds  (those  golden  cabinets  which 
 God  hath  given  us,  to  be  filled  with  heavenly  treasure)  should 
 either  be  empty,  or  stuffed  with  vanity,  nothing,  worse  than 
 nothing  ?  Oh  !  that  such  glorious  things  as  our  immortal  spirits, 
 should  run  after  vanity,  which,  if  rightly  improved,  should  walk 
 with  angels,  shouid  lodge  themselves  in  the  bosom  of  the  glo- 
 rious God  !  Do*we  not  see  how  Christ  is  sending  out  to  us  con- 
 tinually ?  The" thoughts  of  his  heart  are  love,  eternal  love.  And 
 shall  not  we  send  out  our  thoughts  towards  him  ?  shall  not  we 
 let  our  minds  run  out  towards  him  ? 
 
 3.  In  not  bending  of  their  minds  to  this  work.  It  maybe 
 the  mind  looks  up,  but  it  is  so  feeble,  that,  like  an  arrow  shot 
 from  a  bow  weakly  bent,  it  reacheth  not  the  mark.  It  is  the 
 Wiseman's  counsel.  Whatsoever  thy  hand  Jindeth  to  do,  do  it 
 luith  all  thy  might.  Oh  !  that  God's  people  should  be  so  lazy, 
 dull,  sluggish,  slothful,  in  this  spiritual  work  !  As  Jesus  said  to 
 the  multitudes  concerning  John,  What  went  ye  out  into  the  luil- 
 derness  to  see  f  so  may  I  ask  believers,  in  their  looking  unto  Jesus. 
 What  went  ye  out  to  see  ?  When  you  crawl,  and  move,  as  if  you 
 had  no  hearts  nor  spirits  within  you,  whom  go  ye  forth  to  see  ? 
 Him  that  is  the  Lord  of  glory?  him  that  is  the  brightness  of  his 
 Father  s  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his2^erson  f  What !  are 
 such  heavy  and  lazy  aspects  fit  to  take  in  such  a  glory  as  this  is  ? 
 You  see  in  what  large  streams  your  thoughts  fly  forth  to  other 
 things ;  and  are  you  only  languishing,  weak,  and  feeble,  in 
 things  of  so  great  concernment  ?  Oh  !  that  Christians  should  be 
 cold  in  spirituals,  and  hot  in  the  pursuit  of  temporal  things  ! 
 
 3.  In  not  binding  of  their  minds  to  this  object,  in  not  staying 
 the  eye  on  Jesus  Christ.  Some  may  give  a  glance  at  Christ, 
 but  they  are  presently  wheeled  off  again.  But  why  doth  not  the 
 eye  abide  there  ?  Is  not  Christ  worthy,  on  whom  our  souls  should 
 dwell  ?  Certainly  if  we  love  our  Jesus,  that  love  will  hold  us  :  as 
 the  load-stone,  having  drawn  the  iron,  keeps  it  fast  to  the  object 
 loved.  Is  Christ  so  tender  in  his  love  towards  us  that  he  ever 
 minds  us  ;  and  shall  our  minds  be  so  loose  to  him  ?  shall  there  be 
 no  more  care  to  bind  ourselves  in  cords  of  love  to  him  who  hath 
 bound  himself  in  such  cords  of  love  to  us  ? 
 
 4.  In  not  daily  exercising  this  blessed  duty.  It  may  be  now 
 and  then  they  are  awakened,  and  they  get  up  into  heaven  to  see 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  149 
 
 their  Jesus ;  but  it  is  not  daily.  Oh  !  consider,  is  this  now  and 
 then  going  to  heaven  within  the  veil,  to  live  the  life  of  friends  ? 
 is  this  to  carry  ourselves  as  children  ?  What !  to  be  so  strange  at 
 home  ?  there  to  be  seldom,  where  we  should  always  be  ?  Is  Jesus 
 Christ  such  a  mean  thing,  that  a  visit  now  and  then  should  serve 
 the  turn  ?  The  queen  of  Sheba,  hearing  Solomon's  wisdom, 
 said.  Blessed  are  those  thy  servants,  that  always  stand  before 
 thee,  and  hear  tky  ivisdom  :  if  she  was  so  taken  with  Solomon, 
 remember  that  a  greater  than  Solomon  is  here.  And  shall  we 
 deprive  ourselves  of  that  blessedness,  which  we  might  enjoy  by 
 standing  always  in  the  presence  of  Christ,  to  hear  his  wisdom, 
 and  to  behold  his  glory  ? 
 
 O  my  brethren,  let  us  take  shame  to  ourselves,  that  to  this 
 day  we  have  been  so  careless  in  sending,  bending,  and  binding 
 our  minds  to  this  blessed  object,  Jesus  Christ ;  yea,  let  us  blush 
 that  we  have  not  made  it  our  daily  business.  David  describes 
 the  blessed  man  by  his  delighting  in  the  law  of  the  Lord,  and  by 
 his  meditating  thereon  day  and  night ;  how  then  is  he  to  be  re- 
 proved, that  neither  meditates  on  the  law  of  the  Lord,  nor  on 
 the  Lord,  the  law-maker,  day  and  night  ? 
 
 Sect.  IV. —  Use  of  Exhortation, 
 
 Is  inward,  experimental  looking  unto  Jesus,  a  choice  and 
 high  gospel-ordinance  ?  then  I  beseech  you  by  the  meekness  and 
 gentleness  of  Christ ;  I  beseech  you  brethren,  for  the  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ's  sake,  and  for  the  love  of  the  Spirit,  to  look  unto 
 Jesus  ;  or,  if  my  beseeching  will  not  prevail,  yet  look  on  me  as 
 an  ambassador  of  Christ ;  consider  as  though  God  did  beseech 
 you  by  rae.  I  beseech,  I  pray  you,  in  Christ's  stead  ;  it  is  a  mes- 
 sage that  I  have  from  God  to  your  souls,  to  look  unto  Jesus  ;  and 
 therefore  set  your  hearts  to  all  the  words  that  I  testify  to  you  this 
 day,  for  it  is  not  a  vain  thing,  but  it  is  for  your  lives. 
 
 Oh  !  that  I  should  need  thus  to  persuade  your  hearts  to  look 
 unto  Jesus  !  What,  is  not  your  Jesus  worthy  of  this  ?  why  then 
 are  your  thoughts  no  more  upon  him  ?  why  are  not  your  hearts 
 continually  with  him  ?  why  are  not  your  strongest  desires,  and 
 daily  delights,  in,  and  after,  the  Lord  Jesus  ?  What  is  the  mat- 
 ter ?  will  not  God  give  you  leave  to  approach  this  light  ?  will  he 
 not  suffer  your  souls  to  taste  and  see  ?  why  then  are  these  words 
 in  the  text  ?  why  then  doth  he  cry,  and  double  his  cry.  Behold 
 me  !  behold  me  !  Ah  !  vile  hearts  1  how  delightfully  and  unwea- 
 riedly  can  we  think  of  vanity  !  how  freely,  and  how  frequently, 
 can  we  think  of  our  pleasures,  friends,  yea,  of  our  miseries, 
 wrongs,  sufferings,  and  fears  !  And  what  !  is  not  Christ  in  all 
 our  thoughts  ?  Christians,  humble  and  cast  down  your  sensual 
 hearts,  that  have  in  them  no  more  of  Christ.  O  chide  them  for 
 their  wilful  or  weak  strangeness  to  Christ !  O  turn  yo\ir  thoughts 
 
150  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 from  off  all  earthly  vanities,  and  bend  your  souls  to  study 
 Christ ;  habituate  yourselves  to  such  contemplations,  and  let  not 
 those  thoughts  be  seldom  or  cursory,  but  settle  upon  them, 
 dwell  there,  bathe  yom*  souls  in  those  delights,  drench  your  affec- 
 tions in  those  rivers  of  pleasures,  or  rather  in  the  sea  of  conso- 
 lation. Have  your  eyes  continually  set  on  Christ.  Say  not  you 
 are  not  unable  to  do  thus ;  this  must  be  God's  w^ork  only,  and 
 therefore  all  our  exhortations  are  in  vain.  A  learned  divine  can 
 tell  you,  though  God  be  the  chief  disposer  of  your  hearts,  yet 
 next  under  him  you  have  the  greatest  command  of  them  your- 
 selves. Though  vrithout  Christ  you  can  do  nothing,  yet  under 
 him  you  may  do  much  ;  or  else  it  will  be  undone,  and  you  undone 
 through  your  neglect.  Do  your  own  parts,  and  you  have  no 
 cause  to  distrust  whether  Christ  will  do  his.  It  is  not  usual  with 
 Christ  to  forsake  his  own  people  in  that  very  work  he  sets  them 
 on.  If  your  souls  were  sound  and  right,  they  would  perceive 
 incomparably  more  delight  in  knowing,  thinking,  believing, 
 loving,  and  rejoicmg  in  Jesus  Christ,  than  the  soundest  stomach 
 finds  in  his  food,  or  the  strongest  senses  in  the  enjopnent  of  their 
 objects.  Now,  for  shame  never  say,  you  cannot  reach  it :  I  can 
 do  all  things,  saith  Paul,  through  Christ  that  strengtheiieth  me. 
 It  is  our  sloth,  our  security,  our  carnal  mind,  which  is  enmity 
 to  God  and  Christ,  that  keeps  us  off. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Motives  from  our  Wants  in  case  of  Neglect, 
 
 To  quicken  us  to  this  duty,  I  shall  propound  some  moving 
 considerations  :  ponder  them  with  an  impartial  judgment ;  who 
 knows  but  through  the  assistance  of  Christ  they  may  prove  effec- 
 tual ^vith  your  hearts,  and  make  you  resolve  upon  this  excellent 
 duty  of  looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 Consider,  1 .  our  wants  in  case  of  neglect.  If  Christ  be  not 
 in  view,  there  is  nothing  but  wants. 
 
 Suppose  first  a  Christiess  soul,  a  poor  creature  -  without  any 
 ray  of  this  Sun  of  righteousness,  and  what  a  sad  condition  is  he 
 in  1  I  may  say  of  such  a  one — 
 
 1.  He  is  without  light :  there  is  no  oil  of  saving  knowledge,  no 
 star  of  spiritual  light  arising  in  his  soul.  Ye  tuere  once  darkness, 
 saith  the  apostle  to  his  Ephesians  :  not  only  dark,  but  darkness 
 itself ;  they  were  wholly  dark,  universally  dark,  having  no  mix- 
 ture nor  glimpse  (whilst  without  Christ)  of  spiritual  light  in  them. 
 
 2.  Such  a  one  is  without  grace,  without  holiness.  Christ  is  our 
 sanctification,  as  well  as  righteousness  and  redemption.  Where 
 Christ  is  not,  there  is  no  inclination  to  the  ways  and  works  of 
 sanctification. 
 
 3.  Such  a  one  is  without  content.  The  soul  in  this  case  finds 
 nothing  but  emptiness  and  vanity  in  the  greatest  abundance. 
 Let  a  man  have  what  the  world  can  give,  yet  if  he  have  not 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  151 
 
 Christ,  he  is  nothing  worth.  Christ  is  the  marrow  and  fatness, 
 the  fuhiess  and  sweetness,  of  all  our  endowments  ;  separate  Christ 
 from  them,  and  they  are  bitter,  and  do  not  please  us ;  empty, 
 and  do  not  fill  us.  Joram  asking  Jehu,  Is  it  peace  ?  was  answered, 
 fF7iat  hast  thou  to  do  with  peace,  so  long  as  the  whoredoms  of  thy 
 mother  Jezebel,  and  her  witchcrafts,  are  so  many  ?  A  Christless 
 man  asking.  Is  it  peace,  O  messenger  of  God  ?  can  look  for  no 
 other  but  Jehu's  answer,  TVhat  hast  thou  to  do  ivith  peace,  so 
 long  as  thy  lusts  are  so  strong  within  thee,  and  thy  estrangements 
 from  the  Prince  of  peace  so  great  ?  The  soul  that  is  without 
 Jesus  Christ,  is  an  enemy  to  the  God  of  peace,  an  alien  to  the 
 way  of  peace.     There  is  no  peace  to  the  wicked,  saith  my  God. 
 
 4.  Such  a  one  is  without  life.  He  that  hath  not  the  Son,  hath 
 not  life,  saith  John  ;  Christ  lives  not  in  that  soul,  it  is  a  dead 
 soul,  dead  in  sin  and  trespasses.  As  the  dead  see  nothing  of  all 
 that  sweet  and  glorious  light  which  the  sun  casts  forth  upon  them, 
 so  the  dead  in  sin  have  no  comfortable  apprehension  of  Christ, 
 though  he  shine  in  the  gospel  more  gloriously  than  the  sun  at  noon. 
 And  as  the  dead  know  not  any  thing,  so  the  dead  in  sin  know 
 nothing  of  the  wisdom  of  Christ  guiding  them,  or  of  the  holiness 
 of  Christ  sanctifying  them,  or  of  the  fulness  of  Christ  satisfying 
 them,  or  of  the  death  of  Christ  mortifying  their  lusts  :  yea,  sup- 
 pose those  that  have  known  Christ,  but  do  not  now  look  unto 
 Jesus,  how  great  is  the  sin  and  sadness  of  those  souls  !  Oh,  the 
 wants  attending  such  poor  creatures  ! 
 
 1.  They  have  not  that  wisdom,  knowledge,  discerning  of  Christ, 
 as  they  might  have.  By  looking,  and  serious  observing  of  Christ, 
 we  gain  more  and  more  knowledge  of  Christ ;  but  if  we  will  not 
 look,  how  should  we  understand  those  great  mysteries  of  grace  ? 
 Without  looking  on  Christ,  we  cannot  expect  that  virtue  should 
 go  out  of  Christ 
 
 2.  They  do  not  so  taste  the  goodness  of  Christ,  as  they  might ; 
 Christ  is  no  other  unto  them,  but  as  an  eclipsed  star  :  Christ  is 
 not  sweet  to  them  in  his  ordinances,  they  find  not  in  them  that 
 delight  and  refreshment,  which  they  usually  minister. — They  are 
 in  the  case  of  Barzillai,  luho  could  not  taste  what  he  did  eat,  or 
 what  he  did  drink  ;  nor  could  hear  any  more  the  voice  of  singing 
 men  or  of  singing  women :  so  they  cannot  taste  the  things  of  God, 
 nor  hear  the  spiritual  melody  which  Christ  makes  to  the  souls  of 
 them  that  look  unto  him. 
 
 3.  They  have  not  that  sense  of  Christ's  love,  which  those  that 
 exercise  his  duty  have.  Whilst  the  soul  neglects  Christ,  it  cannot 
 possibly  discern  the  love  of  Christ ;  it  perceives  not  Christ  apply- 
 ing the  doctrines  of  his  love  to  the  conscience  :  Christ  appears 
 not  in  his  banqueting-house,  he  enables  not  the  soul  to  pray  with 
 confidence,  he  makes  it  not  jo^^ul  in  the  house  of  prayer.  And 
 hence  it  is,  that  such  souls  move  so  slowly  in  God's  service  ;  they 
 are  just  like  Pharaoh's  chariotsy  without  wheels  ;  they  perceive 
 
152  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 not  the  love  of  Christ,  either  in  the  clear  revelation  of  his  secrets, 
 or  in  the  free  community  of  his  graces,  or  in  the  sanctifying  and 
 sweetening  of  their  trials,  or  in  sealing  the  pardon  of  their  sins. 
 Oh,  the  want  !  Oh,  the  misery  of  this  want  ! 
 
 Thus  far  of  their  wants,  that  neglect  this  duty  of  looking  unto 
 Jesus. 
 
 Sect.  VI. — Motives  from  our  Riches,  in  case  tve  are  lively  in 
 
 this  Duty. 
 
 2.  For  our  riches,  in  case  we  are  lively  in  this  duty  !  Oh,  the 
 blessed  incomes  to  such  souls  !  we  may  reckon  up  here  those  very 
 particulars  which  the  other  wanted  : 
 
 1.  That  Christ  gives  light  unto  them.  As  the  receiving  of  the 
 sun  gives  light  to  the  body,  so  the  receiving  of  the  Sim  of  righte- 
 ousness gives  spiritual,  heavenly,  comfortable  light  to  their  souls. 
 
 2.  That  Christ  gives  grace  and  holmess  unto  them.  Of  his 
 fulness  we  receive  grace  for  grace.  As  the  print  upon  the  wax 
 answers  to  the  seal,  or  as  the  characters  upon  the  Son  answers 
 to  the  Father ;  so  there  are  certain  stamps  of  the  grace  of  Christ 
 upon  the  saints,  that  what  good  they  do,  it  springs  not  from  ex- 
 ternal motives  only,  but  from  Christ  working  in  them. 
 
 3.  .That  Christ  gives  content  or  satisfaction  unto  them.  As 
 the  pearl  satisfied  the  merchant  in  the  parable,  so  Christ  satis- 
 fieth  the  soul  with  understanding,  with  the  sense  of  his  love  in 
 the  heart,  with  sure  and  blessed  peace  in  the  conscience.  They 
 that  rightly  look  unto  Jesus,  may  say  as  Jacob  did,  I  have 
 enough. 
 
 4.  That  Christ  gives  life  unto  them.  He  that  hath  the  Son, 
 hath  life.  He  that  hath  Christ  in  his  heart,  as  a  root  of  life 
 living  in  him,  or  as  a  king  setting  up  his  throne  within  him,  or 
 as  a  bridegroom  betrothing  himself  in  loving  kindness  to  him,  he 
 hath  life,  the  hfe  of  grace,  and  the  earnest  of  the  life  of  glory. 
 
 5.  That  Christ  gives  a  taste  of  his  goodness  unto  them.  They 
 cannot  look  unto  hhn,  but  he  makes  them  joyful  with  the  feeling 
 of  himself  and  Spirit :  and  hence  it  is  that  many  times  they  break 
 out  into  psalms  and  hymns,  and  spiritual  songs,  and  make  melody 
 in  their  hearts  unto  the  Lord.  Here  is  a  goodness  of  illumina- 
 tion, regeneration,  sanctification,  and  spiritual  freedom,  flowing 
 from  Christ  to  the  souls  of  his  saints,  which  to  carnal  men  is  a 
 sealed  well,  whose  waters  their  palates  never  tasted. 
 
 6.  That  Christ  gives  the  sense  of  his  love  to  them.  They 
 cannot  look  on  Christ,  but  they  see  him  loving  and  embracing 
 their  humble  souls  ;  they  see  him  binding  up  their  broken  hearts ; 
 they  behold  him  gathering  to  himself,  and  bearing  in  the  bosom 
 of  his  love,  and  comforting  with  the  promises  of  his  word,  their 
 wounded  spirits ;  they  behold  him,  like  Jacob,  serving  in  the  heat 
 and  in  the  cold  for  Rachel,  serving  in  manifold  afflictions  from 
 his  cradle  to  his  cross,  to  make  a  spouse  unto  himself. 
 
Cooking  unto  Jesus,  "      155 
 
 7.  That  Christ  gives  the  sense  of  his  own  worth  and  excellency 
 unto  them.  They  see  now  in  Christ  is  wisdom  sm-passing  the 
 brightness  of  the  sun^  even  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  5  in  Christ 
 is  power  excelling  the  strength  of  rocks,  he  is  not  only  strong, 
 but  strength  itself;  in  Christ  is  honour  transcending  all  the  kings 
 of  the  earth,  for  he  is  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords;  in 
 Christ  is  beauty  excelling  the  rose  of  Sharon,  and  lily  of  the 
 vallies;  he  is  fairer  than  all  the  flowers  of  the  field,  than  all  the 
 precious  stones  of  the  earth,  than  all  the  lights  in  the  firmament, 
 than  all  the  saints  and  angels  in  the  highest  heavens. 
 
 8.  That  Christ  gives  all  things  unto  them.  All  things  are 
 yours,  saith  the  apostle,  whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or  Cephas^ 
 or  the  world,  or  life,  or  death,  or  things  present,  or  things  to 
 come,  all  are  yours,  and  you  are  Christ's,  and  Christ  is  God's, 
 All  things  are  yours :  first,  all  the  ministers  of  Christ  from  the 
 highest  to  the  lowest,  whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or  Cephas ; 
 they  are  your  servants,  they  are  men  that  watch  over  you  for 
 j'^our  salvation.  Secondly,  the  world  is  yours :  indeed  the  world 
 stands  but  for  your  sakes ;  if  your  number  were  but  once  com- 
 pleted, quickly  would  the  world  be  set  on  fire.  Thirdly,  life  is 
 yours:  it  is  a  fitting  you  for  a  better  life,  even  for  eternit}^ 
 Fourthly,  death  is  yours :  for  you  shall  die  just  then  when  it  is 
 best  for  you.  Death  shall  serve  but  as  a  servant  to  your  advan- 
 tage. Fifthly,  things  present,  and  things  to  come,  are  yours. 
 Godliness  hath  the  promise  of  this  life,  and  of  that  tvhich  is  to 
 come.  Sixthly,  the  Lord  himself  is  yours :  take  God,  and  look 
 on  him  in  his  greatness,  in  his  mighty  power,  even  this  great 
 God,  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  is  yours ;  he  is  yours,  and  all 
 that  he  hath  is  yours,  and  all  that  he  doth  is  yours,  and  all  that 
 he  can  do  is  yours.  /  ivill  be  thine,  saith  God  to  Abraham,  / 
 tvill  be  to  thee  an  exceeding  great  reward.  Here  is  a  catalogue, 
 an  inventory,  of  a  Christian's  riches :  have  Christ,  and  have  all. 
 When  an  heathen  was  but  asked,  where  all  his  treasure  was,  he 
 answered,  '^  Where  Cyrus  my  friend  is :"  and  if  any  asked  you, 
 where  all  your  treasure  is,  you  may  answer.  Where  Christ  your 
 friend  is :  in  this  respect  you  may  truly  say,  there  is  no  end  of 
 your  riches ;  they  are  called  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ. 
 Paul  could  find  no  bottom  of  these  riches.  Oh !  who  would  not 
 look  unto  Jesus  ?  If  Christ  be  yours,  God  is  yours,  the  Father 
 is  yours,  the  Spirit  is  yours,  all  the  promises  are  yours ;  for  in 
 Christ  they  are  all  made,  and  for  him  they  shall  be  performed. 
 Come,  let  the  proud  man  boast  in  his  honour,  and  the  mighty 
 man  in  his  valour,  and  the  rich  man  in  his  wealth ;  but  let  the 
 Christian  pronounce  himself  happy,  only  happy,  truly  happy, 
 fully  happy,  in  beholding  Christ,  enjoying  Christ,  having  Christ, 
 — in  looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 6.  u 
 
154  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 LOOKING  UNTO  JESUS, 
 
 FROM    THE    CREATION    UNTIL    HIS    FIRST    COMING. 
 
 BOOK  II. 
 
 CHAP.  I. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  Christ  promised  by  Degrees. 
 
 In  this  period  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  man's  salvation 
 in  that  dark  time  before  his  coming  in  the  flesh. 
 
 No  sooner  is  the  world  made,  and  the  things  therein,  but  man 
 was  created.  And  now  it  was  that  God's  eternal  purpose  was  to 
 come  into  execution.  Indeed,  at  the  first  there  was  no  need  of 
 Christ ;  for  man  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  short  standing,  for  it  was  not  long  before 
 Adam  by  his  sin  deprived  himself,  and  all  his  posterity,  of  the 
 image  of  God.  All  mankind  was  in  his  loins,  so  by  the  appoint- 
 ment of  God  all  mankind  partake  with  him  in  the  guilt  of 
 his  sins. 
 
 In  this  sad  hour  of  temptation,  God  stept  in.  He  will  not 
 leave  man  without  hope :  he  tells  the  devil,  who  begun  this  mis- 
 chief, I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  luoman,  and  between 
 thy  seed  and  her  seed :  it  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt 
 bruise  his  heel.  At  the  very  instant,  when  God  was  pronouncing 
 judgment  upon  the  several  delinquents,  nay,  before  judgment 
 was  pronounced  on  the  persons  tempted,  Jesus  is  hinted,  the 
 covenant  of  grace  is  proclaimed.  Oh !  the  infinite  riches  of  the 
 mercy  of  God  in  Christ. 
 
 But  you  will  say,  how  comes  Jesus  in  ?  How  carried  he  on 
 the  great  work  of  our  salvation  in  this  dark  time  ? 
 
 I  answer,  1.  By  assuming  the  shape  of  man,  and  so  dis- 
 charging some  special  offices.  We  read  often  of  Christ's  appa- 
 rition before  his  incarnation,  and  then  especially  when  he  had  to 
 do  with  man's  eternal  happiness.  After  man  had  sinned,  Christ 
 appeared  to  Adam,  then  to  Abraham,  then  to  Isaac,  then  to 
 Jacob,  then  to  Moses.  First,  he  appeared  to  Adam  in  the 
 garden :  And  they  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord  God,  walking  in 
 the  garden  in  the  cool  of  the  day,  God,  as  he  is  God,  hath 
 neither  voice  to  speak,  nor  feet  to  walk,  but  assuming  the 
 form  of  a  man,  he  exercised  both ;  and  so  he  was  the  first  that 
 
Looking  unto  *Iesus,  155 
 
 published  that  first  promise  to  the  worlds  It  shall  bruise  thy 
 head. — 2.  He  appeared  to  Abraham  in  the  plain  of  Mamre, 
 where  the  Lord  talked  with  Abraham ;  and  Abraham  calls  him 
 the  Judge  of  all  the  earth,  which  can  be  ascribed  to  none  but 
 Christ  the  judge  of  quick  and  dead. — 3.  He  appeared  to  Isaac, 
 Gen.  xxvi.  2. — and  to  Jacob,  Gen.  xxxii.  24,  30. — and  to 
 Moses,  Exod.  xx.  1,  2,  3. — and  to  many  others:  and  these 
 apparitions  of  Christ  were  as  preludiums  of  his  incarnation. 
 
 2.  Christ  carried  on  the  great  work  of  our  salvation  in  the 
 dark  time,  not  by  himself  exhibited  (as  when  he  was  incarnate) 
 but  only  promised.  The  great  King  would  first  have  his 
 harbingers  to  lead  the  way,  before  he  would  come  in  person. 
 
 To  this  purpose  we  read,  that  as  Christ,  so  the  covenant  of 
 grace  (which  applies  Christ  to  us)  was  first  promised,  and  then 
 promulgated.  The  covenant  of  promise  was  that  covenant  which 
 God  made  with  Adam,  Abraham,  Moses,  and  David,  and  all 
 Israel,  in  Jesus  Christ;  to  be  incarnate,  crucified,  and  to  rise 
 from  the  dead ;  and  it  was  meet  that  the  promise  should  go  be- 
 fore the  gospel,  and  be  fulfilled  in  the  gospel,  that  so  great  a 
 good  might  earnestly  be  desired,  before  it  was  bestowed.  In  a 
 time  of  darkness,  men  desire  liglit.  As  the  morning  watch 
 watcheth  and  longeth  for  the  morning,  so  the  obscure  revelation 
 of  Christ  in  a  promise  raised  the  hearts  of  the  patriarchs  to  an 
 earijest  desire  of  Christ's  coming  in  the  flesh.  But  in  this 
 obscurity  we  may  observe  some  degrees :  before  the  law  given  by 
 Moses,  the  promise  was  more  obscure ;  the  law  being  given,  even 
 to  the  time  of  the  prophets,  the  promise  was  a  little  more  clear: 
 in  the  time  of  the  prophets,  even  to  John  the  Baptist,  it  was  clearer 
 yet ;  as  the  coming  of  the  Messias  did  approach  nearer  and  nearer, 
 so  was  the  promise  clearer  and  clearer  still.  Just  as  the  approach 
 of  the  sun  is  nearer  or  further  ofi^,  so  is  the  light  that  goes  be- 
 fore it  greater  or  lesser :  in  like  manner  was  the  revelation  that 
 went  before  Christ  more  dim  or  clear,  as  the  rising  of  the  Sim  of 
 righteousness  was  more  remote,  or  nigh  at  hand.  My  present 
 business  is  to  set  forth  Jesus  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  as  pro- 
 mised ;  and  because  the  promise  receives  distinction  of  degrees 
 according  to  the  several  breakings  out  of  it  to  the  dark  world, 
 we  will  consider  it  as  it  was  manifested, 
 
 1.  From  Adam  until  Abraham. 
 
 2.  From  Abraham  until  Moses. 
 
 3.  From  Moses  until  David. 
 
 4.  From  David  until  the  Babylonish  captivity. 
 
 5.  From  the  Captivity  until  Christ. 
 
 In  every  of  these  periods  will  appear  further  and  further  dis- 
 coveries of  God's  mercy  in  Christ;  of  our  Jesus  carrying  on  the 
 great  work  of  man's  salvation  in  that  dark  time. 
 
15<5  JLookinff  unto  t/esus. 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  the  Covenant  of  Pi'omise,  as  manifest  in  Adam, 
 
 The  covenant  of  grace  is  a  compact  made  betwixt  God  and 
 man,  touching  reconciliation,  and  life  eternal,  by  Christ.  This 
 gracious  covenant  was,  immediately  after  the  fall,  expressed  in 
 these  words ;  Iivillput  enmity  betiveen  thee  and  the  woman,  and 
 hetiveen  thy  seed  and  her  seed;  it  shall  bruise  thy  head^  and  thou 
 shall  bruise  his  heel. 
 
 This  promise  contains  good  news  of  the  overthrow  of  Satan's 
 kingdom,  and  of  man's  freedom  by  the  death  of  Christ. 
 
 For  the  sense  of  the  words  we  shall  open  these  terms,  1 .  Who 
 is  the  serpent?  2.  Who  is  the  woman?  3.  What  is  the  seed 
 of  the  -serpent?  What  is  the  seed  of  the  woman  ?  5.  What  is 
 that  hu  (in  our  bible  translated  it?)  6.  What  is  the  serpent's 
 head,  and  the  bruising  of  it  ?  7«  What  is  the  heel  of  the  seed 
 of  the  woman,  and  the  bruising  of  it  ?  8.  Amongst  whom  was 
 the  enmity,  or  rather  enmities?  (for  in  the  text  we  find  many;) 
 /  luill  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  woman,  and  betiveen  thy 
 seed  and  her  seed. 
 
 1.  Who  is  tlie  serpent?  It  xvas  both  Satan  and  the  serpent; 
 the  serpent  possessed  of  the  devil.  Satan  could  not  provoke 
 our  first  parents  to  sin  by  any  inward  temptation,  nor  could  he 
 enter  into  their  bodies  or  minds;  and  therefore  he  presumed  to 
 take  a  beast  of  the  earth,  and  by  disposing  of  his  tongue,  he 
 speaks  within  him. 
 
 Such  was  God's  love  to  man,  that  he  condemns  both  the 
 author  and  instrument  of  that  evil :  as  one  that  in  anger  breaks 
 the  sword  wherewith  his  son  or  his  friend  was  wounded.  The 
 serpent  is  punished  according  to  the  letter  of  the  text,  and  Satan 
 in  the  spiritual  meaning. 
 
 2.  The  woman,  wheresoever  mentioned  in  this  text,  is  Eve, 
 and  none  but  Eve ;  she  it  was  whom  the  tempter  had  seduced, 
 and,  in  just  judgment  for  her  familiarity  with  the  tempter,  God 
 meets  with  her,  saying  to  the  serpent,  I  will  put  enmity  between 
 thee  and  the  woman. 
 
 3.  The  seed  of  the  serpent  is  taken  collectively,  for  all  the 
 families  of  devils,  for  the  devil  and  his  angels,  as  Christ  calls 
 them;  and  for  all  the  sons  of  the  devil,  i.  e.  for  all  reprobate 
 men,  whose  father  and  prince  is  the  devil ;  as  Christ  told  the 
 Jews,  Ye  are  of  your  father  the  devil,  and  the  lusts  of  your 
 father  ye  ivill  do :  and  as  John  tells  us.  He  that  commit teth  si)i 
 is  of  the  devil.  In  this  the  children  of  God  are  manifest,  and 
 the  children  of  the  devil. 
 
 4.  The  seed  of  the  woman  is  that  posterity  of  the  woman 
 which  do  not  degenerate  into  the  seed  of  the  serpent.  Hence 
 all  that  will  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus  shall  suffer  persecution, 
 saith  the  apostle :  And  I  will  put  enmity,  saith  God,  hettveen 
 
Looking  unto  J^esus.  157 
 
 thee  and  the  woman;  also  between  thy  seed  and  her  seed.  And 
 who  can  deny  but  these  enmities  have  been  ever  since  betwixt 
 Satan's  brood  and  the  saints  ? 
 
 5.  What  is  that  hu,  (in  our  bible  translated,  W^)  It  shall 
 h'uise  thy  head.  He,  or  it,  or  that  same  seed,  i.  e.  one  person 
 of  that  same  seed,  even  Jesus,  the  Son  of  the  living  God.  Here 
 is  the  first  hint  of  Jesus  that  ever  was  read  or  heard  of  in  this 
 world.  This  was  the  first  gospel  that  ever  was  published  after 
 the  creation.  Oh,  blessed  news,  fit  for  God's  mouth  to  speak, 
 and  to  break  first  to  the  world  now  fallen !  As  David  alone  of 
 all  the  host  of  Israel  goes  forth  to  fight  with  Goliath,  and  over- 
 comes him ;  so  Christ  alone,  of  all  the  seed  of  the  woman,  was 
 to  fight  with  the  serpent,  to  overcome  him,  and  to  bruise  his 
 head. 
 
 (2.)  The  bruising  of  the  head  doth  plainly  discover  this  it,  or 
 he,  is  Jesus  Christ ;  for  none  can  bruise  the  serpent's  head  but 
 only  God.  The  God  of  peace,  saith  the  apostle,  shall  hruise 
 Satan  under  your  feet  shortly.  Now  there  was  none  of  the  seed 
 of  the  woman,  that  was  ever  God,  but  only  Christ,  God-man, 
 blessed  for  ever;  and  therefore  it  must  needs  be  Christ,  and  only 
 Christ,  that  can  bruise  this  serpent's  head. 
 
 (3.)  God  himself  in  other  places  of  scripture  doth  expressly 
 declare  that  this  seed  here  promised  is  Christ.  Mark  but  where 
 this  promise  is  repeated  to  the  patriarchs,  as  when  the  Lord  said 
 to  Abraham,  In  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  he 
 blessed:  and  when  the  Lord  said  to  David,  /  ivill  raise  up  thy 
 seed  after  thee,  which  shall  be  of  thy  sons,  and  I  will  establish 
 his  kingdom;  and  you  may  see  it  clear  that  this  seed  is  Christ, 
 and  only  Christ :  that  promise  to  Abraham,  the  apostle  so  inter- 
 prets. Now  to  Abraham  and  his  seed  were  the  p7'o?mses  made; 
 he  saith  not,  and  to  seeds,  as  of  many,  but  as  of  one,  and  to  thy 
 seed,  which  is  Christ:  and  that  promise  to  David,  the  prophet  so 
 interprets.  He  shall  sit  upon  the  throne  of  David,  and  upon  his 
 kingdom,  to  order  it,  and  to  establish  it. — Who  is  that  ?  In  the 
 former  verse,  his  name  is  TV^onderful,  Counsellor,  the  mighty 
 God,  the  everlastiiig  Father,  the  Pnnce  of  peace. 
 
 Yet  I  will  not  deny,  but  by  way  of  participation  this  promise 
 may  pertain  to  the  whole  body  of  Christ :  Through  him  that 
 loved  us,  ive  are  more  than  conquerors,  saith  the  apostle.  We 
 may  conquer  Satan,  though  not  in  our  own  strength;  and  so  in 
 a  secondary  sense,  by  way  of  communication  with  Christ,  under 
 this  seed  all  the  faithful  may  be  contained :  1 .  Because  the  head 
 and  members  are  all  one  body.  Both  he  that  sanctifieth,  and 
 they  who  are  sanctified,  are  all  one.  2.  Because  the  faithful  are 
 called  the  seed  of  Christ.  When  thou  shall  make  thy  soul  an 
 offering  for  sin,  he  shall  see  his  seed.  3.  Because  Satan's  over- 
 throw by  Christ  our  head  is  diffused  to  all  the  members.  In  this 
 sense  many  extend  this  seed  to  the  whole  body  of  Christ;  but 
 
158  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 primarily  and  properly  it  belongs  to  none  but  the  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 6.  What  is  the  serpent's  head,  and  the  bruismg  of  it?  1.  For 
 the  serpent's  head,  it  is  the  power,  rage,  reign,  and  kingdom  of 
 Satan.  It  is  observed,  that  in  the  head  of  a  serpent  lies  the 
 strength,  power,  and  life  of  a  serpent ;  so  by  a  phrase  of  speech 
 fitted  to  the  condition  of  this  serpent  that  was  Satan's  instru- 
 ment, God  tells  the  devil  of  the  danger  of  his  head,  i.  e.  of  his 
 power  and  kingdom.  Now  this  power  and  kingdom  of  Satan 
 consists  more  especially  in  sin  and  death;  for  the  stiiig  of  death 
 is  sin,  and  the  power  of  death  is  in  Satan.  2.  For  the  bruising 
 of  this  head,  it  is  the  overthrowing  of  Satan's  power.  He  shall 
 bruise  thy  head,  i.  e.  Christ  shall  break  thy  power,  Christ  shall 
 destroy  sin  and  death,  and  him  that  hath  the  power  of  death, 
 that  is,  the  devil.  I  say  Christ  shall  do  it,  though,  as  I  have  said, 
 in  a  secondary  sense  the  faithful  shall  do  it.  Christ  overcomes 
 by  his  own  power,  and  the  faithful  overcome  by  the  power  of 
 Christ.  The  serpent's  head  is  bruised,  i.  e.  the  devil,  and  sin, 
 and  death,  and  hell,  are  overthrown;  not  only  the  devil  in  his 
 person,  but  the  works  of  the  devil,  which  by  the  fall  he  had 
 planted  in  our  natures;  as,  pride,  vam-glory,  ignorance,  lust; 
 not  only  Satan's  works,  but  the  fruits  and  effects  of  his  works, 
 as  death  and  hell;  so  that  all  the  faithful  may  sing  with  Paul, 
 O  death,  where  is  thy  sting  ?  O  grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ? 
 Thanks  be  to  God  which  giveth  us  the  victory  through  Jesus 
 Christ  our  Lord? 
 
 7.  What  is  the  heel  of  the  seed  of  the  woman,  and  the  bruising 
 of  it  ?  1.  The  heel  is  the  humanity  of  Christ.  2.  The  bruising 
 of  his  heel,  is  the  miseries,  mockings,  woundings,  death  and 
 burial,  of  Christ,  all  which  he  endured  in  his  heel,  ^.  e,  in  his 
 humanity;  or,  it  extends  further,  to  all  the' hurts,  reproaches, 
 afflictions,  persecutions,  of  the  faithful,  by  the  devil  and  his 
 agents. 
 
 8.  Amongst  whom  was  the  enmity,  or  this  hostile  war  ?  We 
 find  in  the  text  three  hosts,  and  three  battles : 
 
 1.  Betwixt  Satan  and  the  woman :  I  will  put  enmity  bettveen 
 thee  and  the  woman :  i.  e.  betwixt  thee,  the  seducer,  and  her 
 whom  thou  hast  seduced.  This  enmity  is  opposed  to  the  amity 
 which  had  been  between  the  woman  and  the  serpent;  not  but 
 that  enmity  must  be  betwixt  the  devil  and  man,  as  well  as  be- 
 twixt the  devil  and  the  woman :  but  because  the  woman  had 
 more  tampered  with  Satan,  and,  being  deceived  by  Satan,  was 
 first  in  the  transgression,  therefore  she  only  is  named ;  I  will  put 
 enmity  bettveen  thee  and  the  woman, 
 
 2.  Betwixt  Satan's  seed,  and  the  seed  of  the  woman.  /  will 
 put  enmity,  not  only  between  thee  and  the  woman,  but  also 
 between  thy  seed  and  her  seed;  as  if  he  had  said.  This  enmity 
 shall  not  cease  with  the  death  of  the  woman,  but  it  shall  continue 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  159 
 
 to  her  seed,  and  to  her  seed's  seed,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
 We  see  to  this  day  how  the  serpent  and  serpent's  seed  are  war- 
 rmg  agamst  the  church;  and  a  wonder  it  is,  considering  the 
 malice  of  the  enemy,  that  there  is  a  church  upon  earth,  but  only, 
 that  we  have  Christ's  promise.  The  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
 agamst  it:  and,  Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  to  the  end  of 
 the  ivorld. 
 
 3.  Betwixt  Christ  and  the  serpent.  This  is  a  bloody  conflict 
 on  both  sides.  He  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shall  bruise 
 his  heel,  1.  He  shall  bruise  thy  head;  Christ  shall  break  thy 
 power.  He  fights  not  so  much  with  the  seed,  as  with  the  ser- 
 pent :  if  Satan  be  overthrown,  his  seed  cannot  stand.  2.  Thou 
 shall  bruise  his  heel;  thou  shalt  afflict  him  and  his,  thou  shalt 
 cast  out  of  thy  mouth  a  flood  of  persecutions ;  thou  shalt  make 
 war  with  him,  and  all  them  which  keep  the  commandments  of 
 God,  and  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 We  learn  hence,  1 .  That  a  Saviour  was  promised  from  the 
 beginning  of  the  world.  2.  That  this  Saviour  should  free  all  his 
 saints  from  sin,  death,  and  hell ;  the  head  and  the  power  of  the 
 devil.  3.  That  to  this  end  this  Saviour  should  be  a  Mediator; 
 for  God  would  not  grant  an  immediate  pardon,  but  the  promised 
 seed  must  first  intervene.  4.  That  this  Mediator  should  be  of  the 
 seed  of  the  woman,  that  is,  a  man,  and  yet  stronger  than  the 
 devil,  endued  with  a  divine  power,  and  so  he  is  God.  5.  That 
 this  Man-God  should,  according  to  his  priestly  office,  be  a  sa- 
 crifice for  sin,  the  serpent  should  bruise  his  heel;  he  should  suf- 
 fer and  die  for  the  people,  and  yet,  according  to  his  kinglj'^  office, 
 he  should  overcome  Satan ;  for  he  should  bruise  his  head,  over- 
 throw his  kingdom,  and  make  us  more  than  conquerors,  6. 
 That  this  promise  of  Christ,  and  of  our  justification,  is  free ;  God, 
 of  mere  mercy  and  free  grace,  brings  forth  this  promise.  There 
 could  be  now  after  the  fall  no  merit  in  man ;  and  even  now  he 
 promiseth  remission  of  sins  and  life  eternal,  in,  for,  and  through, 
 the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  No  question  but  in  belief  of  this  pro- 
 mise, the  patriarchs  and  fathers  of  old  obtained  life,  and  glory, 
 and  immortality.  By  faith,  the  elders  obtained  a  good  report, 
 By  faith,  Abel  obtained  witness  that  he  was  righteous.  By  faith, 
 Enoch  was  translated,  that  he  should  not  see  death.  By  faith, 
 Noah  became  heir  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  And  how 
 should  it  but  revive  us  in  these  last  times,  to  hear  that  the  first 
 thing  that  ever  God  did  after  the  world  was  fallen,  was  this  act 
 of  mercy,  to  make  a  promise  of  Christ,  and  to  reconcile  lost  man 
 to  himself  through  the  same  Jesus  Christ  ?  Surely  he  began  to 
 do  that  soon,  which  he  meant  to  be  always  doing,  even  to  the 
 end  of  the  world.  Thus  far  of  the  promise,  as  it  was  manifested 
 from  Adam  to  Abraham. 
 
160  Looking  unto  %/esus. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  the  Covenant  of  Promise^  as  manifested  to 
 
 Abraham. 
 
 The  second  breaking  forth  of  this  gracious  covenant  was  to 
 Abraham :  and  now  it  shines  in  a  more  glorious  light  than  it  did 
 before.  At  first  it  was  propounded  in  dark  terms ;  but  in  this 
 second  manifestation,  we  have  it  laid  down  in  plainer  terms :  / 
 will  establish  my  covenant  between  me  and  thee,  and  thy  seed 
 after  thee,  in  their  generation,  for  an  everlasting  covenant,  to  be 
 a  God  to  thee,  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee.  For  the  right  under- 
 standing of  this,  we  shall  examine  these  particulars : — 
 
 1 .  What  a  covenant  is  ? 
 
 2.  What  is  the  establishing  of  this  covenant  ? 
 
 3.  Betwixt  whom  is  the  covenant  to  be  established  ? 
 
 4.  For  what  time  is  the  established  covenant  to  endure ) 
 
 5.  What  are  the  privileges  of  this  covenant? 
 
 6.  What  is  the  condition  of  this  covenant  ? 
 
 7.  Who  is  the  head,  both  as  the  undertaker,  purchaser,  and 
 treasurer,  upon  whom  this  covenant  is  established  ? 
 
 1 .  What  is  a  covenant  ?  It  is  a  contract  of  mutual  peace  and 
 good-will,  obliging  parties  on  both  hands  to  the  performance  of 
 mutual  offices.  Thus  was  the  covenant  betwixt  God  and  Abra- 
 ham :  there  was  a  mutual  stipulation  in  it  on  God's  part,  to  per- 
 form his  promises  of  temporal,  spiritual,  and  eternal  grace  5  and 
 on  Abraham's  part,  to  receive  this  grace  by  faith,  and  to  per- 
 form due  obedience  to  God.  Hence  a  little  nearer,  we  say  the 
 covenant  is  a  mutual  compact  betwixt  God  and  man,  whereby 
 God  promised  all  good  things,  especially  eternal  happiness,  unto 
 man  5  and  man  doth  promise  to  walk  before  God  in  all  accept- 
 able, free,  and  willing  obedience ;  expecting  all  good  from  God, 
 and  happiness  in  God,  according  to  his  promise,  for  the  praise 
 and  glory  of  his  grace.  Others  describe  the  covenant  of  grace 
 thus :  "  The  covenant  of  grace  is  a  free  and  gracious  compact, 
 which  God,  of  his  mere  mercy  in  Jesus  Christ,  hath  made  with 
 sinful  man,  promising  unto  him  pardon  of  sins,  and  eternal 
 happiness,  if  he  will  but  repent  of  sin,  and  embrace  mercy  reach- 
 ing forth  by  faith  unfeigned,  and  walk  before  God  in  willing, 
 faithful,  and  sincere  obedience."  In  this  description  many 
 things  are  considered ;  as  1 .  That  the  author  of  this  covenant  is 
 God ;  not  as  our  Creator,  but  as  our  merciful  God  and  Father  in 
 Christ  Jesus.  2.  That  the  cause  of  this  covenant  is  not  any 
 worth,  or  dignity,  or  merit  in  man,  but  the  mere  mercy,  love, 
 and  favour  of  God.  3.  That  the  foundation  of  this  covenant  is 
 Jesus  Christ,  in  and  through  whom  we  are  reconciled  unto  God ; 
 for  since  God  and  man  were  separated  by  sin,  no  covenant  can 
 pass  betwixt  them,  no  reconciliation  can  be  expected,  nor  par- 
 don obtained,  but  in  and  through  a  Mediator.  4.  That  the  party 
 covenanted  with  is  sinful  man  5  the  fall  of  our  first  parents  was 
 
Looking  2into  t/esus.  161 
 
 the  occasion  of  this  covenant ;  and  God  was  pleased  to  permit 
 the  fall,  that  he  might  manifest  the  riches  of  his  mercy  in  man's 
 recover)-.  5.  That  the  form  of  this  covenant  stands^  on  God's 
 part,  in  gracious  and  free  promises  of  forgiveness,  holiness,  and 
 happiness  ;  and  on  man's  part,  in  a  restipulation  of  such  duties 
 as  will  stand  with  the  free  grace  and  mercy  of  God  in  Christ. 
 6.  That  the  stipulation,  on  man's  part  required,  is  repentance 
 from  sin,  belief  in  the  promises,  and  a  yielding  of  fear,  reve- 
 rence, worship,  and  obedience,  to  God,  according  to  his  word. 
 
 2.  What  is  the  establishing  of  this  covenant  ?  The  Lord  had 
 before  made  a  covenant  with  Abraham,  Gen.  xv.  4,  5.  And 
 now  he  doth  not  abolish  the  former  and  make  another,  but  ra- 
 ther confirms  and  establisheth  the  former.  It  may  be  there  was 
 some  doubting  in  Abraham, but  nowGod  would  assure  him  infallibly 
 of  his  will ;  so  he  adds  the  seal  of  circumcision.  Ye  shall  circumcise 
 the  flesh  of  your  foreskin,  saith  God,  (md  it  shall  be  a  token  of  the 
 covenant  hetivixt  meandyou.  But  what  is  circumcision  to  the  cove- 
 nant ?  Much  every  way.  Circumcision  was  not  without  shedding 
 of  blood,  because  the  covenant  was  not  yet  established  in  the 
 blood  of  the  Messiah  :  sure  there  was  much  in  this,  however  the 
 right  of  itself  was  nothing ;  yet  as  it  led  the  faithful  patriarchs  to 
 the  blood  of  Christ,  and  as  it  assured  the  purging  awav  of  sin  by 
 the  blood  of  Christ,  and  as  it  signed  the  circumcision  of  the  heart 
 by  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  so  it  found  acceptance  with  God. 
 
 3.  Betwixt  whom  is  the  covenant  to  be  established  ?  Betwixt 
 me  and  thee,  saith  God,  and  thy  seed  after  thee.  The  two  heads 
 of  this  covenant  are  God  and  Abraham  5  on  God's  part  are,  the 
 whole  Trinity  of  persons,  the  blessed  angels,  and  all  the  host  of 
 heaven ;  on  Abraham's  jD^rt  are  all  his  seed,  i.  e.  the  spiritual 
 seed  of  Abraham.  Now,  under  the  seed,  1.  all  believing  Jews, 
 and  2.  all  Gentiles,  are  comprehended.  All  may  be  called  the 
 spiritual  seed  of  Abraham,  that  walk  in  the  steps  of  the  faith  of 
 Abraham  ;  and  indeed  thus  runs  the  promise  :  Li  thee  shall  all 
 the  families  of  the  earth  he  blessed,  Gen.  xii.  3.  And  in  thee  shall 
 all  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed.  Gen.  xviii.  18.  Christians  I 
 here  is  your  happiness  ;  the  covenant  was  not  written  for  Abra- 
 ham's sake  alone,  but  for  us  also,  if  we  believe  on  him  that  raised 
 up  Jesus  our  Lord  from  the  dead.  You  may  think  all  this  while 
 we  are  only  discovering  the  privileges  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
 Jacobi  and  of  the  Jews  ;  no,  blessed  be  God,  heaven  is  no  freer  to 
 a  Jew  than  to  a  Gentile.  There  is  neither  Jew  nor  Greek,  there  is 
 7ieitlier  bond  nor  free,  male  nor  female  ; — Met  if  ye  be  Christ's,  then 
 are  ye  Abraham's  seed,  and  heirs  according  to  the  jjromise. 
 
 4.  For  what  time  is  the  established  covenant  to  endure  ?  It  Is 
 not  for  a  few  days,  or  months,  or  years,  but  for  ever  and  ever  : 
 it  is  an  everlasting  covenant ;  and  indeed,  the  word  established 
 sounds  this  way  ;  /  will  establish  my  cavenant,  I  will  have  it 
 stand  and  continue  for  ever, 
 
 6  X 
 
162  Lookinsi'  unto  Jesus. 
 
 C5 
 
 5.  What  ai'e  the  privileges  of  the  covenant  ?  I  answer,  As  they 
 are  great  things,  and  great  blessings,  which  our  great  God  pro- 
 miseth,  so  they  are  very  many  and  numerous.  The  covenant  is 
 full  of  blessings,  it  is  a  rich  store -house,  replenished  with  all 
 manner  of  blessings  ;  it  is  not  dry,  nor  barren,  but  like  the  fat 
 olive  or  fruitful  vine  ;  it  is  a  well  of  salvation,  a  fountain  of  good 
 things,  a  treasure  full  of  goods  or  unsearchable  riches,  which 
 can  never  be  emptied.  Hence  it  is  that  our  narrow  capacities 
 can  never  apprehend  the  infinite  grace  that  this  covenant  con- 
 tains ;  yet  as  we  may  see  things  darkly  in  a  map,  so  let  us  en- 
 deavour, as  we  are  able,  to  view  them  in  some  map  ;  that  by  the 
 little  we  see,  we  may  be  raised  up  to  the  consideration  of  things 
 not  seen,  which  shall  be  revealed  in  due  time.  '  • 
 
 The  privileges  of  the  covenant  are  folded  up  in  the  promises 
 of  it :  every  promise  contains  a  privilege,  but  the  time  of  unfold- 
 ing every  promise  is  not  yet  come.  Then  only  shall  all  the  pro- 
 mises of  ail  sorts  be  unfolded,  when  the  heavens  as  a  vesture 
 shall  be  folded  up.  I  shall,  for  the  present,  confine  myself 
 to  those  promises  and  privileges  which  were  manifested  to  Abra- 
 ham.    And  they  were, 
 
 1st.  Of  things  temporal.  Thus  we  read  God  promiseth  Abra- 
 ham, Itvill  make  of  thee  a  great  nation^  and  I  ivill  bless  thee,  and 
 make  thy  name  great,  and  thou  shalt  he  a  blessing  ;  and  I  will 
 bless  them  that  bless  thee,  and  curse  him  that  curselh  thee,  and 
 
 unto  thy  seed  will  I  give  this  land. By  myself  have  I  sworn, 
 
 saith  the  Lord,  that  in  blessing  I  luill  bless  thee,  and  in  multi- 
 plying I  will  multiply  thy  seed  as  the  stars  of  the  heaven,  and  as 
 the  sand  upon  the  sea-shore  ;  and  thy  seed  shall  possess  the  gate 
 of  his  enemies. 
 
 ( 1 .)  /  ivill  make  of  thee  a  great  nation.  It  seemed  a  thing  in- 
 credible, because  Abraham  was  old,  and  Sarah  was  barren  and 
 old ;  yet  for  all  this,  God  is  all-sufficient :  Abraham  shall  have  his 
 desire,  he  shall  be  a  father,  not  only  of  a  few  children,  but  of  a 
 numerous  nation,  yea,  of  many  nations. 
 
 (2  )  I  will  bless  thee,  saith  God  :  and  this  blessing  had  relation 
 to  his  wealth  :  Abraham  was  very  rich  in  cattle,  in  silver  and  in 
 gold.  No  question  those  riches  came  from  this  blessing  :  The 
 blessing  of  the  Lord,  it  maketh  rich. 
 
 (3.)  /  will  make  thy  name  great,  saith  God.  No  monarch  was 
 ever  so  famous  in  conquering  nations,  as  Abraham  for  his  faith 
 and  obedience.  God  hath  magnified  his  name  amongst  the  He- 
 brews, who  for  these  three  thousand  years  and  upwards  have 
 acknowledged  none,  except  Moses,  greater  than  Abraham  :  and 
 God  hath  so  magnified  his  name  amongst  Christians,  that  all  be- 
 lievers look  upon  it  as  a  glory  to  be  called  children  of  Abraham, 
 
 (4.)  Unto  thy  seed  ivill  I  give  this  land,  saith  God,  as  an  ever- 
 lasting possession.  Gen.  xvii.  8.  The  answer  is,  that  the  word 
 translated  everlasting,  doth  not  ever  signify  that  which  shall  have 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  163 
 
 no  end,  but  an  age,  a  term,  or  continuance  5  as  it  was  said  of 
 Samuel,  He  shall  appear  before  the  Lord,  and  there  abide  for 
 ever :  i.  e.  as  long  as  he  lived.  And  the  desolations  of  the  cap- 
 tivity were  called  perpetual  desolations,  i.  e.  long  desolations, 
 even  for  seventy  years. 
 
 (2d.)  Of  things  spiritual  thus  we  read.  Fear  not,  Abraham,  I 
 am  thy  shield,  and  thy  exceeding  great  reivard  ;  I  am  God  all- 
 sufficient  or  omnipotent,  the  Almighty  God,  and  I  will  be  a  God 
 unto  thee,  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee.  Oh,  what  precious  pro- 
 mises are  these  ! — 1.  I  am  thy  shield,  to  keep  thee  from  all  evil, 
 such  a  shield  that  no  creature  can  pry  through,  such  a  shield  as 
 shall  cover  thee  over  ;  nay,  such  a  shield  as  shall  cover  thee  about. 
 2.  /  am  thy  exceeding  great  reward :  I  am  the  Almighty  God :  I 
 will  be  a  Godun<-o  thee.  This  is  the  veiy  soul  of  the  covenant,  and 
 of  all  the  promises  of  God.  All  I  am  is  thine,  myself,  my  goods, 
 my  grace,  my  glory,  whatsoever  is  in  me,  all  that  I  have,  and 
 all  my  attributes,  are  thine.  My  power,  my  wisdom,  my  good- 
 ness, my  riches,  whatsoever  is  mine  in  the  whole  world,  I  will 
 give  it  thee  for  thy  portion  ;  I  and  all  that  I  have  are  thine,  for 
 thy  use.  Christians  !  was  not  this  an  exceeding  great  reward  ? 
 Who  can  understand  the  height  and  depth,  and  length  and 
 breadth,  of  this  reward  ? — Surely  happy  is  the  people  that  is  in 
 such  a  case  ;  yea,  happy  is  that  people  whose  God  is  the  Lord. 
 
 6.  What  is  the  condition  of  this  covenant  ?  I  answer,  the 
 condition  of  the  covenant  of  grace  is  faith,  and  only  faitli ;  to 
 this  purpose  it  was  said  of  Abraham,  He  believed  i?i  the  Lord, 
 and  he  counted  it  to  him  for  righteousness.  And  that  act  of 
 faith,  whereby  Abraham  believed  that  he  should  have  a  son,  and 
 that  his  children  shoidd  possess  the  land  of  Canaan,  was  a  sha- 
 dow, a  pledge,  of  that  main  act  of  faith,  whereby  he  believed  the 
 promised  seed,  in  whom  himself  and  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
 should  be  blessed.  But  let  this  be  remembered,  that  Abraham 
 did  not  only  believe  the  temporal  promises,  but  every  promise ; 
 as,  /  will  be  thy  shield,  and  thy  exceeding  great  reward  :  Now 
 who  is  our  shield,  but  Christ  ?  and  who  is  our  reward,  but  Christ  ? 
 Especially  he  believed  the  promise  of  the  seed  ;  and  who  is  the 
 head  of  the  seed,  but  Christ  ?  Yea,  he  believed  in  that  promised 
 seed,  in  whom  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  should  be  blessed ;  and 
 who  was  that,  but  Christ  ?  Your  Father  Abraham,  saith  Christ, 
 rejoiced  to  see  my  day  ;  and  he  saw  it,  and  was  glad.  He  saw 
 it  !  how  could  he  see  it  ?  Thou  art  not  yet  fifty  years  old,  said 
 the  Jews,  and  hast  thou  seen  Abraham  f  or  could  Abraham  see 
 thee,  or  thy  day  ?  Yes,  even  then  he  saw  it  when  he  beUeved 
 in  Christ,  he  could  see  it  no  other  ways  but  by  faith  ;  and  there- 
 fore no  question  he  believed  in  Christ,  and  that  ivas  counted  to 
 him  for  righteousness. 
 
 7.  Who  is  the  head,  both  as  undertaker,  and  purchaser,  and 
 ^treasurer,  upon  whom  this  covenant  is  established  ?  I  answer, 
 
164  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 Christ :  All  the  promises  of  God  hi  Iiim  are  yea  and  amen,  unto 
 the  glory  of  God  by  us.  This  was  darkly  set  forth  in  the  first 
 manifestation  of  the  covenant  to  Adam,  but  in  this  second,  it  is 
 fully  expressed  and  often  repeated ;  thus,  Gen.  xii.  3.  In  thee 
 shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  he  blessed  ;  and.  Gen.  xviii.  18. 
 All  the  nations  of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed  in  Abraham,  and 
 Gen.  xxii.  18.  In  thy  seed  shall  all  the  7iations  of  the  earth  he 
 blessed.  In  comparing  these  texts,  we  have  a  clear  understand- 
 ing thereof :  in  thee,  in  Abraham,  shall  all  the  families  and  nations 
 of  the  earth  be  blessed  ;  but  lest  Abraham  himself  should  be 
 thought  author  of  this  universal  blessing,  therefore  is  the  expli- 
 cation, in  thee,  i.  e.  in  thy  seed;  which,  saith  the  Apostle  ex- 
 pressly, is  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 Thus  far  of  the  covenant  of  promise,  as  it  was  manifested 
 from  Abraham  to  Moses. 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  the     Covoiant    of   Promise   as   maiiifested  to 
 
 Moses. 
 
 The  next  breaking  forth  of  this  gracious  covenant  was  to 
 Moses.  The  revenging  justice  of  God  had  now  seized  on  man- 
 kind for  many  generations,  so  that  now  it  was  high  time  for  God 
 in  the  midst  of  wrath  to  remember  mercy,  and  to  break  out  into 
 a  clearer  expression  of  the  promise.  To  this  purpose  the  Lord 
 calls  up  Moses  to  mount  Sinai,  and  there  of  his  infinite  love  and 
 undeserved  mercy,  he  makes  and  renews  his  covenant  with  him 
 and  the  children  of  Israel.  /  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  which 
 brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of  Lgypt,  out  of  the  house  of  bon- 
 dage :  Thou  shall  have  no  other  gods  before  me. 
 
 For  the  right  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  ^vith  us  in  a  covenant- way, 
 rather  than  a  mere  absolute  supreme  way  ? 
 
 5.  What  are  the  good  things  promised  in  this  expression  of 
 the  covenant  ? 
 
 6.  What  is  the  condition  of  this  covenant  on  our  part  ? 
 
 7.  Who  was  the  mediator  of  this  covenant  ? 
 
 8*  What  of  Christ,  and  his  death,  do  we  find  in  this  mani- 
 festation of  the  covenant  ? 
 
 For  the  first.  Whether  the  law  was  delivered  in  a  covenant 
 way  ? — It  is  affirmed  on  these  grounds  : 
 
 1st.  In  that  it  hath  the  name  of  a  covenant.  2d.  In  that  it  hath 
 the  real  properties  of  a  covenant. — (1).  The  name  of  a  covenant, 
 afii  it  appears  in  these  texts  : — Jlnd  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses, 
 
Looking  U7ito  Jesus.  165 
 
 Write  these  tvords  ;  foi^  after  the  tenor  of  these  tvords,  t  have 
 made  a  covenant  with  thee,  andivith  Israel,  And  he  wrote  upon 
 the  tables  the  ivords  of  the  covenant,  the  ten  commandments. — 
 A7id  he  declaimed  unto  you  his  covenant,  which  he  commanded  you 
 to  perform,  even  the  ten  commandments^  and  heivrote  them  upon 
 two  tables  of  stone. 
 
 (2.)  The  law  hath  the  real  properties  of  a  covenant^  which  arc 
 the  mutual  consent  and  stipulation  on  both  sides.  You  may  see 
 a  full  relation  of  this  in  Exod.  xxiv.  3 — 8.  And  Moses  came  and 
 told  all  the  luords  of  the  Lord,  and  all  the  judgments  :  and  all 
 the  people  answered  with  one  voice.  All  the  words  which  the  Lord 
 liath  said  luill  lue  do.  And  Moses  wrote  all  the  words  of  the 
 Lord,  and  rose  up  early  in  the  morning, — and  he  took  the  book 
 of  the  covenant,  and  read  iii  the  audience  of  the  people  ;  and  they 
 said.  All  that  the  Lord  hath  said  will  we  do,  and  he  obedient. 
 And  Moses  took  the  blood,  and  sprinkled  it  on  the  peoyle,  and 
 said.  Behold  the  blood  of  the  covenant,  tuhich  the  Lord  hath 
 made  with  you  concerning  all  these  words.  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. 
 2.  That  the  people  on  their  part  give  their  full  consent  and 
 roady  willingness  to  be  his  servants. 
 
 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 ;  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,  Is  it  not  writteti  in  you  law,  I  said  ye  are  gods  f  3. 
 Sometimes,  it  signifies  the  whole  economy,  and  peculiar  dispen- 
 sation, of  God's  worship  unto  the  Jews  ;  in  which  sense  it  is  said 
 to  continue  until  John,  The  law  and  the  prophets  were  until 
 John.  4.  Sometimes  it  is  taken  for  some  acts  of  the  law  only. 
 Against  such  there  is  no  law.  5.  Sometimes  it  is  taken  only  for 
 the  ceremonial  law.  The  law  having  a  shadmv  of  good  tJiijigs  to 
 come.  6.  Sometimes  it  is  taken  for  that  part  of  the  moral  law 
 which  is  merely  perceptive,  without  any  promise  at  all.  7-  Some- 
 times 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. 
 
 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,  for  all  the  earth  is  mine  ;  and 
 ye  shall  be  unto  me  a  kingdom  of  priests,  and  an  holy  7iation. 
 Whereunto  the  prophet  Jeremiah  hath  refcrejice,  saying,  Obey 
 my  voice^  and  do  according  to  all  which  I  command  you,  so  shall 
 
166  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 you  he  my  people,  and  Iivillheyour  God,  Both  these  scriptures 
 speak  of  the  moral  law,  or  ten  commandments,  contaming  the 
 preface  and  promises  ;  and  how  should  that  law  be  any  other  but 
 a  covenant  of  grace,  which  runs  in  this  tenor, — I  will  be  your 
 God,  and  you  shall  be  my  people  ;  my  peculiar  treasure  ;  a  king- 
 dom of  priests,  an  holy  nation,  if  yovi  will  hear  and  obey  my 
 commandments.  Surely  these  privileges  could  never  have  been 
 obtained  by  a  covenant  of  works.  What  !  To  be  a  kingdom  of 
 priests,  an  holy  nation,  a  peculiar  treasure  to  the  Lord  ?  What ! 
 To  be  beloved  of  God  as  a  desirable  treasure  (for  so  it  is  in  the 
 original,)  which  a  king  delivers  not  into  the  hands  of  any  of  his 
 officers,  but  keepeth  it  to  himself  ?  This  cannot  be  of  works ; 
 no,  no,  these  are  privileges  vouchsafed  of  mere  grace  in  Jesus 
 Christ ;  and  therefore  Peter  applies  this  very  promise  to  the 
 people  of  God  under  the  gospel,  1  Pet.  ii.  9. 
 
 (2.)  It  appears  by  that  contract  betwixt  God  and  Israel  in  the 
 promulgation  of  the  law ;  then  it  was  that  God  proclaimed  him- 
 self to  be  the  God  of  Israel,  saying,  /  am  the  Lord  thy  God, 
 tvhich  brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of  EgyjJt,  out  of  the  house  of 
 bondage.  This  is  a  preface  to  the  whole  law,  prefixed  as  a  reason 
 to  persuade  obedience  to  every  commandment.  But  all  acknow- 
 ledge that  is  a  free  covenant,  which  promiseth  pardon  of  sin, 
 and  requireth  faith  in  the  Messiah.  When  God  saith  to  Israel — 
 I  am  the  Lord  thy  God  which  brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of 
 Egypt — doth  he  not  propomid  himself  as  their  King,  Judge,  Sa- 
 viour, and  Redeemer ;  yea,  and  spiritual  Redeemer,  from  their 
 bondage  of  sin  and  Satan,  whereof  that  temporal  deliverance 
 from  Egypt  was  a  type  ? 
 
 4.  Why  should  God  in  the  law  deal  with  us  in  a  covenant-way 
 rather  than  in  a  mere  absolute  supreme  way  ?  I  answer,  (I .)  In  re- 
 spect of  God :  it  was  his  pleasure  in  giving  the  law  not  only  to  ma- 
 nifest his  wisdom,  and  power,  and  sovereignty,  but  his  faithfulness, 
 and  truth,  and  love,  and  the  glory  of  his  grace.  If  he  had  given 
 the  precept  without  any  promise,  he  might  fully  have  discovered 
 his  supreme  power,  but  his  dear  love  and  faithfulness  could  not 
 have  been  known.  Now  therefore  let  the  world  take  notice  of 
 his  singular  love  and  faithfulness  ;  as  Moses  said  to  Israel,  Be- 
 cause the  Lord  loved  you,  and  because  he  would  keep  the  oath 
 which  he  hadsivorn  unto  your  fathers,  hath  the  Lord  brought 
 you  out  with  a  mighty  hand,  and  redeemed  you  out  of  the  hands 
 of  bo7idmen,  from  the  hand  of  Pharaoh,  king  of  Egypt.  Know 
 therefore  that  the  Lord  thy  God,  he  is  God,  the  faithful  God, 
 which  keepeth  covenant  and  mercy  ivith  them  that  love  him,  and 
 keep  his  commandments,  to  a  thousand  generations. 
 
 (2.)  In  respect  of  us,  God  would  rather  deal  with  us  in  a 
 covenant- way,  than  in  a  mere  absolute  supreme  way,  upon  these 
 grounds: — 1.  That  he  might  bind  us  the  faster  to  himself.  A 
 covenant  binds  on  both  parts.     The  Lord  doth  not  bind  himself 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  16/ 
 
 to  us,  and  leave  us  free ;  no,  /  will  bring  you,  saith  God,  into 
 the  bond  of  the  covenant.  You  may  say  a  command  binds  as  well 
 as  a  covenant.  It  is  true ;  but  a  covenant  doth,  as  it  were, 
 twist  the  cords  of  the  law,  and  double  the  precept  upon  the  soul. 
 When  it  is  only  a  precept,  then  God  alone  commands  it ;  but 
 when  I  have  made  a  promise  to  it,  then  I  command  it  and  bind 
 it  upon  m^^self. 
 
 (3.)  That  our  obedience  might  be  more  willing  and  free.  An 
 absolute  law  might  seem  to  extort  obedience,  but  a  covenant 
 and  agreement  makes  it  clearly  to  appear  more  free  and  willing. 
 This  is  the  nature  of  the  covenant  of  grace  :  First,  God  pro- 
 misetii  mercy,  to  be  our  exceeding  great  reward;  and  then  we 
 promise  obedience,  to  be  his  free,  willing  people  :  and  thus  we 
 become  God's,  not  only  by  a  property  founded  in  his  sovereign 
 power  and  love,  but  by  a  property  growing  out  of  our  own 
 voluntary  consents.  We  are  not  only  his  people,  but  his  willing 
 people. 
 
 (4.)  That  our  consolations  might  be  stronger ;  that  in  all  our 
 difficulties  and  distresses  we  might  ever  have  recourse  to  the 
 faithfulness  and  love  of  God.  This  indeed  was  the  prime  end 
 why  God  delivered  his  law  in  way  of  a  covenant,  that  he  might 
 endear  himself  to  us,  and  so  draw  us  to  him  with  cords  of  love. 
 Had  God  so  pleased,  he  might  have  required  all  obedience  from 
 us,  and  when  he  had  done  all,  he  might  have  reduced  us  into 
 nothing,  or  at  least  not  have  given  us  heaven  for  an  inheritance, 
 or  himself  for  a  portion  ;  but  his  love  is  such,  that  he  will  not 
 only  command  but  he  will  covenant,  that  he  might  further  ex- 
 press and  communicate  his  love.  How  then  should  this  encou- 
 rage us  to  go  to  God  in  ail  distresses  ? — Oh  !  what  thankful  loving 
 thoughts  should  we  have  of  God  that  would  thus  infinitely  con- 
 descend to  covenant  with  us  ! 
 
 5.  What  are  the  good  things  promised  in  his  expression  of 
 the  covenant  ?  Not  to  reckon  up  the  temporal  promises,  the 
 great  mercies  of  God  are  expressed  in  these  terms  :  /  am  the 
 Lord  thy  God,  ivJiich  brought  thee  out  of  t  e  land  of  Egypt, 
 out  of  the  house  of  bondage.  This  is  the  great  promise  of  the 
 covenant,  it  is  as  great  as  God  himself.  That  we  may  better 
 see  it  and  know  it,  I  shall  take  it  in  pieces  :  the  gold  is  so  pure, 
 that  it  is  pity  the  least  filing  should  be  lost.  Here  God  describes 
 himself  by  these  notes  : — 1.  By  his  only  eternal  and  perfect 
 essence,  /  am  the  Lord.  2.  By  the  plurality  of  persons  in  that 
 one  essence,  /  am  the  Lord  God,  Jehovah  Elohim.  3.  By  the 
 propriety  his  people  have  in  Jehovah  Elohim,  I  am  the  Lord  thy 
 God.  4.  By  the  fruit  of  that  propriety  in  reference  to  Israel, 
 fVhich  brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  out  of  the  house 
 of  bo7idage. 
 
 (I.)  I  am  Jehovah.  This  name  denotes  both  his  being,  and 
 his  performance  of  his  promise.     Thus  he  was  not  known  to  the 
 
168  Looking  unto  %/esiis» 
 
 patriarchs  :  they  only  were  sustained  by  faith  in  God's  almighty 
 power,  without  receiving  the  thing  promised;  but  when  the 
 Israelites  came  to  receive  the  promise,  and  to  have  full  know- 
 ledge and  experience  of  his  power  and  goodness,  then  they  knew 
 the  efficacy  of  his  name  Jehovah. 
 
 (2.)  /  a?n  Jehovah  Elohim,  '  This  denotes  the  plurality  of 
 persons.  God,  in  delivering  of  the  law,  doth  not  only  shew  his 
 l3eing,  but  the  manner  of  his  being,  or  the  trinity  of  persons  in 
 the  unity  of  essence.  The  word  signifies  strong,  potent,  mighty  ; 
 or  if  we  express  it  plurally,  it  signifies  the  almighties,  or  the 
 almighty  powers.  Hence  the  scriptures  apply  the  general  name, 
 God,  to  the  persons  severally,  the  Father  is  God,  Heb.  i.  1.2. 
 The  Son  is  God,  Acts  xx.  28.  And  the  Holy  Ghost  is  God, 
 Acts  V.  3,  4. 
 
 (3.)  lam  the  Lord  thy  God,  Herein  is  the  propriety,  and 
 indeed  here  is  the  mercy,  that  God  speaks  thus  to  every  faithful 
 soul,  lam  thy  God.  By  this  appropriation  God  gives  us  a  right 
 in  him,  yea,  a  possession  of  him.  1 .  A  right  in  him  :  as  the 
 woman  may  say  of  him  to  whom  she  is  married,  this  man  is  my 
 husband,  so  may  every  faithful  soul  say  of  the  Lord,  he  is  my 
 God.  2.  A  possession  of  him  :  God  doth  not  only  shew  himself 
 unto  us,  but  he  doth  communicate  himself  unto  us  in  his  holiness, 
 mercy,  truth,  grace,  and  goodness ;  hence  it  is  said.  We  have 
 fellowship  with  the  Father,  and  ivith  his  Son  Jesus  Christ, 
 Herein  God  gives  himself  to  be  wholly  ours,  consider  God  essen- 
 tially or  personally.  Consider  Jehovah  Elohim,  all  is  ours.  God, 
 in  his  essence  and  glorious  attributes,  communicates  himself  to  us 
 for  good  ;  and  God,  personally  considered,  as  Father,  Son,  and 
 Holy  Ghost,  they  all  enter  into  covenant  with  us. 
 
 [1.]  The  Father  enters  into  covenant  with  us.  He  promiseth 
 to  be  a  Father  to  us  :  hence  saith  the  Lord,  Israel  is  my  Son, 
 my  first-horn. 
 
 [2.]  The  Son  is  in  covenant  with  us,  and  speaks  to  us  in  this 
 language  ;  Thou  art  mine  ;  I  have  redeemed  thee,  I  have  called 
 thee  by  thy  name,  and  therefore  thou  art  mine.  This  is  Christ's 
 covenant  with  us  ;  he  brings  us  back  to  his  Father,  from  whose 
 presence  we  were  banished,  and  sets  us  before  his  face  for  ever. 
 He  promiseth  to  restore  us  to  the  adoption  of  sons  ;  and  not  only 
 to  the  title,  but  to  the  inheritance  of  sons,  that  we  might  be 
 where  he  is. 
 
 [3.]  The  Holy  Ghost  makes  a  covenant  with  us.  By  one  offer- 
 ing he  hath  perfected  for  ever  them  that  are  sanctified ;  ivhereof 
 the  Holy  Ghost  also  is  a  zvitness.  This  is  the  cove?ia?it  that  I 
 will  make  luith  them  ;  Iivillput  my  law  into  their  hearts,  and  in 
 their  minds  ivill  I  turite  them.  I  know  the  Father  is  implied  in 
 this,  yet  here  is  the  proper  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  What  the 
 Father  hath  purposed,  and  the  Son  hath  purchased  for  us,  that 
 the  Holy  Ghost  effects  in  us.     He  applies  the  blood  of  Christ  foi? 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  169 
 
 the  remission  of  sins ;  he  writes  the  law  in  our  hearts ;  he  comforts 
 us  in  our  sadness ;  he  supports  us  in  our  faintings^  and  guides  us 
 in  our  wanderings.  Now  in  that  he  effects  these  things  for  us, 
 and  in  our  behalf,  he  is  said  to  make  a  covenant  with  us.  Thus 
 Elohim,  God  personally  considered.  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
 Ghost,  are  in  covenant  with  us.  i 
 
 (4.)  Let  us  see  the  fruit  of  this  in  reference  to  Israel : — ^which 
 brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  out  of  the  house  of  bon- 
 dage. This  was  God's  promise  long  before  to  Abraham :  Know 
 of  a  surety,  that  thy  seed  shall  be  a  stranger  iti  a  land  that  is 
 not  their  s,  and  shall  serve  them,  and  they  shall  afflict  them  four 
 hundred  years :  And  also  that  nation  whom  they  shall  serve,  will 
 I  judge;  and  afterwards  they  shall  come  out  with  great  sub- 
 stance. See  here,  Israel  must  be  strangers  in  the  land  of  Egypt, 
 and  serve  the  Egyptians  four  hundred  years ;  but  then  he  will 
 bring  them  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  out  of  their  servile  bon- 
 dage. Why,  this  argues  that  God  is  Jehovah.  Now  he  has  per- 
 formed what  he  had  foretold  5  and  this  argues  that  God  in  Christ  is 
 our  Redeemer ;  for  what  was  this  redemption  from  Egypt,  but  a 
 type  of  our  freedom  from  sin,  death,  and  hell  ? 
 
 6.  What  is  the  condition  of  this  covenant  on  our  part  ?  The 
 condition  of  this  covenant  is  faith  in  Jesus,  which  is  implied  in 
 the  promise,  I  will  be  thy  God,  or  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God;  and 
 commanded  in  the  precept  built  upon  it ;  thou  shalt  have  me  to 
 be  thy  God,  or,  thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me.  But 
 Avhere  is  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  mentioned,  either  in  promise  or 
 precept?  I  answer.  If  it  be  not  expressed,  it  is  very  plainly 
 intended.  God  is  not  the  God  of  Israel,  but  in  and  through  the 
 Mediator ;  neither  can  Israel  take  God  to  be  their  God,  but  by 
 faith  in  the  Messiah.  But  to  go  further ;  What  is  the  meaning  of 
 this  first  commandment  in  the  affirmative  part,  but  to  have  one 
 God  in  Christ  to  be  our  God  by  faith  ?  It  is  true  there  is  no 
 mention  made  of  Christy  or  faith ;  but  that  is  nothing.  There  is 
 no  mention  of  love,  and  yet  our  Saviour  discovers  it  there ;  when 
 the  lawyer  tempted  Christ, — Master,  ivhich  is  the  great  com- 
 mandment in  the  law  ?  You  know  Christ's  answer.  Thou  shalt 
 love  the  Lord  thy  God  tvith  all  thy  heart,  with  all  thy  soul,  and 
 with  all  thy  mind;  this  is  the  Jirst  ojiid  great  commandment, 
 Matt.  xxii.  36,  37,  38.  Now  as  our  Saviour  discovers  love 
 there ;  so  in  like  manner  is  faith  and  Christ  there,  the  necessary 
 consequents. 
 
 But  you  may  object.  What  say  we  to  obedience?  Is  not  that 
 rather  the  condition  of  this  covenant  in  the  law  ?  The  law  is 
 considered  either  more  strictly,  as  it  is  a  rule  of  righteousness, 
 setting  forth  Hfe  upon  no  other  terms  but  perfect  obedience,  or 
 more  largely,  as  that  whole  doctrine  delivered  on  mount  Sinai, 
 with  the  preface  and  promises  adjoined:  in  the  former  sense  it  is 
 a  covenant  of  works,  but  in  the  latter  it  is  a  covenant  of  grace, 
 6.  Y 
 
170  Lookms;  unto  Jesus, 
 
 And  yet  I  dare  not  say,  that  as  the  law  is  a  covenant  of  grace,  it 
 doth  exclude  obedience.  In  some  sort,  obedience,  as  well  as 
 faith,  may  be  said  to  be  a  condition  of  the  covenant  of  grace.  I 
 shall  give  you  my  thoughts  in  this  distinction :  obedience  to  all 
 God's  commands,  is  either  considered  as  a  cause  of  life,  or  as  a 
 qualification.  In  the  former  sense,  it  cannot  be  a  condition  of 
 the  covenant  of  grace ;  but  in  the  latter,  it  may.  If  by  condi- 
 tion we  understand  whatsoever  is  required  on  our  part,  as  pre- 
 cedent, concomitant,  or  subsequent,  to  the  covenant  of  grace,  re- 
 pentance, faith,  and  obedience  are  all  conditions:  but  if  by 
 condition  we  understand  whatsoever  is  required  on  our  part  as 
 the  cause  of  the  good  promised,  though  only  instrumental,  why 
 then  faith  is  the  only  condition.  Faith  and  obedience  are  op- 
 posed in  the  matter  of  justification  and  salvation;  not  that  they 
 cannot  stand  together,  (for  they  are  inseparably  united,)  but 
 because  they  camiot  meet  together  in  one  court,  as  the  cause  of 
 justification  or  salvation.  Now,  when  we  speak  of  the  condition 
 of  the  covenant  of  grace,  we  intend  such  a  condition  as  is  among 
 the  number  of  true  causes.  Indeed,  in  the  covenant  of  works 
 obedience  is  required  as  the  cause  of  life ;  but  in  the  covenant 
 of  grace,  though  obedience  must  accompany  faith,  yet  only  faith 
 is'  the  cause  of  life  contained  in  the  covenant. 
 
 7.  Of  this  covenant,  Moses  was  a  typical,  but  Christ  the  spi- 
 ritual. Mediator.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  difference  betwixt 
 Moses  and  Christ,  as,  1.  Moses  only  received  the  law,  and 
 delivered  it  to  the  people ;  but  Christ,  our  true  Moses,  fulfilled  it. 
 2.  Moses  broke  the  tables,  to  shew  how  we  in  our  nature  had 
 broken  the  law;  but  Christ,  our  true  Moses,  repairs  it.  3.  Mo- 
 ses had  the  law  only  writ  in  tables  of  stone  ;  but  Christ  writes  it 
 in  the  tables  of  our  hearts.  4.  Moses  was  mere  man ;  but  Christ 
 is  God  as  well  as  man.  5.  Moses  wiis  only  a  servant  in  God's 
 house;  but  Christ  is  a  son,  yea,  Christ  is  Lord  of  his  own  house, 
 the  church.  6.  Moses's  meditation  was  of  this  use,  to  shew 
 what  WTcS  the  true  manner  of  worshipping  God;  but  he  did  not 
 inspire  power  to  follow  it :  he  could  not  reconcile  men  to  God, 
 as  of  himself;  and  therefore  it  appeared  that  there  was  need  of 
 another  reconciler,  viz,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 8.  What  do  we  find  of  Christ,  and  of  his  death,  in  this  mani- 
 festation of  the  covenant?  I  answer,  (1.)  In  delivering  the  law, 
 we  find  something  of  Christ.  Some  of  the  learned  are  of  opi- 
 nion, that  Christ  the  Son  of  God  did?  in  the  shape  of  a  man, 
 deliver  the  law. 
 
 (2.)  In  the  law  itself,  as  it  is  a  covenant  of  grace,  we  find 
 something  of  Christ:  in  the  preface  he  proclaims  himself  to  be 
 our  God ;  and  in  the  first  commandment  we  are  bound  to  take 
 this  God  to  be  our  God ;  and  in  the  second,  he  gives  us  a  double 
 motive  to  obey ;  For  I  the  Lord  thy  God  am  a  jealous  God;  I 
 sheiv  mercy  unto  thousands  of  them  that  love  me^  and  keep  my 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  171 
 
 commandments.  And  in  the  fifth  commandment  he  gives  a  pro- 
 mise of  long  life  in  Canaan,  which  is  either  to  be  looked  at  as  a 
 type  of  heaven,  or  literally,  for  a  prosperous  condition  here  on 
 earth; -but,  howsoever,  it  is  by  virtue  of  the  covenant,  and  as  a 
 testimony  of  God's  love.  Now  all  these  promises  are  made  in 
 Christ.  God  is  not  our  God,  but  in  and  through  Jesus  Christ. 
 God  will  not  shew  mercy  unto  thousands,  nor  unto  one  of  all  the 
 thousands  of  his  saints,  but  as  they  are  in  Jesus  Christ.  God 
 will  not  give  us  long  life  here,  or  eternity  hereafter,  but  in,  for, 
 and  through,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  What  if  Moses  writ  not 
 down  the  word  Christ,  yet  certainly  Moses  writ  of  Christ :  his 
 words  imply  Christ,  as  Christ  himself  told  the  Jews,  Had  ye 
 believed  Moses,  ye  would  have  believed  me  ;  for  Moses  wrote  of 
 me.  Surely  Christ  was,  if  not  the  only  subject,  yet  the  only 
 scope,  of  all  the  writings  of  Moses ;  and  therefore  in  the  law 
 itself,  you  see,  we  find  something  of  Christ. 
 
 (3.)  In  the  exposition  of  the  law,  as  Moses  gives  it  here  and 
 there,  we  find  something  of  Christ.  Yea,  if  we  observe  it,  Moses 
 brought  something  more  to  the  expression  of  Christ,  and  of  the 
 covenant  of  grace,  than  ever  was  before.  In  the  first  promise  it 
 was  revealed,  that  Christ  should  be  the  seed  of  the  woman;  in 
 the  second  manifestation  of  the  promise,  it  was  revealed  that 
 Christ  should  be  of  the  seed  of  Abraham;  but  in  Moses's 
 writings,  and  Moses's  time,  we  learn  more  expressly  that  Christ 
 was  to  be  incarnate,  and  to  have  his  conversation  amongst  men. 
 The  promise  runs  thus :  And  I  will  dwell  among  the  children  of 
 Israel,  and  ivill  he  their  God;  and  they  shall  know  that  I  am 
 the  Lord  their  God,  that  brought  them  forth  out  of  the  land  of 
 Egypt,  that  I  may  dwell  amongst  them  ;  I  am  the  Lord  their 
 God.  Again,  Moses,  writing  of  Christ,  The  Lord  thy  God, 
 saith  he,  will  raise  up  unto  thee  a  prophet  from  tlie  midst  oftliee, 
 of  thy  brethren,  like  unto  me;  unto  liim  shall  ye  hearken.  Was 
 not  this  a  plain  expression :  Peter,  in  his  sermon  to  the  Jews, 
 preached  Jesus  Christ;  and  he  tells  the  Jews,  that  this  Jesus 
 Christ  was  preached  unto  them  before.  When  before  ?  Even  in 
 Moses's  time;  and  for  proof  he  cites  this  very  text.  For  Moses 
 truly  said  unto  the  fat  Jeers,  xi  pirophet  shall  the  Lord  your  God 
 raise  up  unto  you,  of  your  brethren,  like  unto  7ne;  him  shall  ye 
 hear  in  all  things,  whatsoever  he  shall  say  unto  you. 
 
 (4.)  In  the  confirmation  of  the  law,  we  find  something  of  Christ. 
 It  was  confirmed  by  seals  and  sacrifices.  What  were  all  these 
 but  a  type  of  Christ  ?  In  the  former  expression  of  the  covenant 
 we  found  the  seal  of  circumcision,  but  now  it  pleased  God  to 
 add  unto  the  former  another  seal  for  confirmation  of  their  faith, 
 namely,  the  passover.  And  was  not  this  a  type  of  Christ,  the 
 immaculate  Lamb  of  God,  whicli  taketti  away  the  sins  of  the 
 world?  Again,  in  this  manifestation  Moses  brought  in  the 
 priesthood  as  a  settled  ordinance,  to  offer  sacrifices  for  the  peo- 
 
172  Looking  unto  *7esus. 
 
 pie  I  and  was  not  this  a  type  of  Christy  our  true  and  unchange- 
 able high  priest  ?  No  question,  the  death  and  resurrection  of 
 Christ,  the  priesthood  and  kingdom  of  Christ,  were  prefigured 
 by  the  sacrifices,  the  brazen  serpent,  the  priesthood  of  Aaron, 
 and  the  kingdom  of  Israel.  And  I  cannot  but  think  that  the 
 godly  spiritual  Jews  understood  this  very  well ;  and  that  these 
 did  not  rest  in  sacrifices  or  sacraments,  but  that  by  faith  they  did 
 really  enjoy  Christ  in  them. 
 
 (5.)  In  the  intention  of  God's  giving  the  law,  we  find  some- 
 thing of  Christ.  The  very  end  of  God  in  promulging  the  law, 
 was,  that  upon  the  sense  of  our  impossibility  to  keep  it,  and  of 
 our  danger  to  break  it,  we  should  desire  earnestly,  and  seek  out 
 diligently  for  Jesus  Christ.  To  this  purpose,  saith  the  apostle, 
 Tlie  law  is  our  schoolmaster,  to  britig  us  to  Christ,  that  ive  might 
 he  justijied  by  faith.  A  schoolmaster,  you  know,  doth  not  only 
 correct,  but  also  teach :  so  the  law  doth  not  only  curse  if  the 
 work  be  not  done,  but  it  shews  where  pow.er  and  help  is  to  be 
 had,  that  is,  from  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  If  this  be  so,  how 
 much  to  blame  are  they  that,  under  pretence  of  free  grace  and 
 Christ,  cry  down  the  law  ?  Rather  let  us  cry  it  up  ;  and  this  is 
 the  way  to  set  up  free  grace  and  Christ.  Surely,  he  that  dis- 
 covers his  defects  by  the  perfect  rule  of  the  law,  and  whose  soul 
 is  humbled  because  of  those  defects,  must  needs  prize  Christ, 
 desire  Christ,  advance  Christ  in  his  thoughts,  above  all  the  men 
 in  the  world. 
 
 And  thus  far  of  the  covenant  of  promise,  as  it  was  manifested 
 from  Moses  to  David. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Of  the  Covenant  of  Promise,  as  manifested  to  David. 
 
 The  next  breaking  forth  of  this  gracious  covenant  was  to 
 David ;  and  in  this  manifestation,  appears  yet  more  of  Christ. 
 The  expression  of  it  is  chiefly  in  these  words  :  Although  my 
 house  he  not  so  with  God,  yet  he  hath  made  with  me  an  everlast- 
 ing covenant,  ordered  in  all  things,  and  sure. 
 
 For  the  right  understanding  of  this,  we  shall  examine  these 
 particulars  : — 
 
 1 .  Who  is  the  author  of  this  covenant  ? 
 
 2.  To  whom  is  the  covenant  made  ? 
 
 3.  What  is  this,  that  the  covenant  is  said  to  be  made  ? 
 
 4.  How  is  the  covenant  ordered  ? 
 
 5.  Wherein  is  the  covenant  sure? 
 
 6.  Whether  is  Christ  more  clearly  manifested  in  this  breaking 
 forth  of  the  covenant,  than  in  any  of  the  former  ? 
 
 1 .  Who  is  the  author  of  this  covenant  ?  David  says.  He  hath 
 made  it:  He,  i.  e.  God;  The  rock  of  Isimel,  the  everlasting 
 rock  ;  the  rock  of  their  salvation,  Psal.  viii.  2.  2'he  rock  of 
 their  refuge,  Psal,  xciv,  22.      Their  rock,  and  their  Redeemer, 
 
Lookifig  unto  f/esus,  17S 
 
 Psal.  xix.  14.  The  Psalmist  is  frequent  in  this  style^  to  shew 
 that  God  is  the  mighty,  stable,  and  immutable  defence  of  all  the 
 faithful,  who  fly  unto  him,  and  will  trust  in  him.  He  is  such  a 
 rock  as  will  not  fail  his  creatures.  Man  is  unstable;  but  he  is 
 God,  and  not  man,  who  is  the  author  of  this  covenant. 
 
 2.  To  whom  is  the  covenant  made  ?  Why,  saith  David,  He 
 hath  made  with  me  an  everlasting  covenant;  i.  e.  either  with 
 Christ  the  antitype,  or  else  with  David  himself,  the  type  of 
 Christ.  Some  are  wholly  for  a  covenant  betwixt  God  and 
 Christ,  and  they  deny  any  such  thing  as  a  covenant  betwixt 
 God  and  man :  but  are  not  the  testimonies  express  ?  Take  heed 
 to  yourselves,  lest  you  forget  the  covenant  which  the  Lord  hath 
 made  ivith  you.  And,  I  ivill  make  a  neiu  covenant  luith  the 
 house  of  Israel,  and  with  the  house  of  Judah.  Oh  !  take  heed  of 
 such  doctrines  as  tend  unto  licentiousness ;  the  covenant  God 
 makes  with  us  binds  us  faster  to  God,  and  if  there  be  no  cove- 
 nant betwixt  God  and  us,  it  opens  a  gap  to  the  looseness  of  our 
 spirits ;  for  how  should  we  be  charged  with  unfaithfulness  unto 
 God,  if  we  have  not  all  entered  into  a  covenant  with  God  ? 
 
 3.  What  is  this,  that  the  covenant  is  said  to  be  made  ?  This 
 exhibits  to  us  the  freeness  of  God's  entering  into  covenant  with 
 us.  When  God  makes  a  covenant,  then  he  gives  grace  unto  all 
 that  he  takes  into  covenant  with  him.  The  Lord  set  his  love 
 upon  you,  said  Moses  to  Israel,  to  take  you  iiito  covenant  with 
 him  ;  not  because  ye  ivere  more  in  number  than  other  people ,  but 
 because  he  loved  you,  and  chose  your  fathers, 
 
 4.  How  is  the  covenant  said  to  be  ordered?  The  word 
 ordered  sets  out  to  us  a  marshalling,  and  fit  laying  of  things 
 together,  in  ojjposition  to  disorder  and  confusion.  As  we  see  in 
 an  army,  every  one  is  set  in  rank  and  file ;  so  every  thing  in  this 
 covenant  is  so  ranked,  disposed,  and  ordered,  that  it  stands  at 
 best  advantage  to  receive  and  repel  the  enemy. 
 
 (1.)  It  is  well  ordered  in  respect  of  the  root  out  of  which  it 
 grew.  This  was  the  infinite  wisdom  and  mercy  of  God.  1.  It 
 was  founded  in  wisdom.  The  covenant  of  grace  was  a  result  of 
 council ;  it  was  no  rash  act,  but  a  deliberate  act  with  infinite 
 wisdom.  God  being  the  sovereign  of  all  his  creatures,  and 
 seeing  mankind  in  a  perishing  condition,  determined  within  him- 
 self deliberately  to  make  such  a  covenant  of  peace.  2.  It  was 
 founded  in  mercy;  i.  e.  in  the  goodness  of  God  flowing  out  to 
 one  in  misery. 
 
 (2.)  It  is  well  ordered,  in  respect  of  the  method.  First,  God 
 begins  ;  then  we  come  on : — First,  God  on  his  part  gives  grace ; 
 and  then  we,  on  our  parts,  act  faith  and  obedience.  God  hath 
 ever  the  first  work :  as,  first,  /  ivill  be  your  God,  and  then  yc 
 shall  be  my  people :  first,  /  will  take  away  the  stony  heart,  and 
 give  an  heart  of  flesh;  and  then  ?/om  shall  loathe  yourselves  for 
 your  ifiiqtiities,  and  for  your  abominations :  first,  I  ivill  sprinkle 
 
174  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 water  upon  you,  and  then  ye  shall  be  clean  from  all  your  Jilthi- 
 ness:  first,  I  will  put  my  Spirit  into  you,  and  cause  you  to  walk 
 in  my  statutes :  and  then  ye  shall  keep  my  judgrnents,  and  do 
 them:  first,  I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit  of  grace  and  supplication 
 upon  you,  and  then  you  shall  mourn  as  a  iinan  mourneth  for  his 
 only  son:  first,  /  will  do  all,  and  then  ye  shall  do  something. 
 A  troubled  spirit  is  apt  to  cry  out,  Alas !  I  can  do  nothing :  I 
 can  as  well  dissolve  a  rock,  as  make  my  heart  of  stone  a  heart  of 
 flesh !  Mark  how  the  covenant  stands  well  ordered  like  an 
 army :  /  will  do  all,  saith  God,  and  then  thou  shalt  do  some- 
 thing :  /  ivill  strengthen  and  quicken  you,  and  then  ye  shall 
 serve  me,  saith  the  Lord. 
 
 (3.)  It  is  well  ordered,  in  respect  of  the  end  and  aim,  to  which 
 all  the  parts  of  the  covenant  are  referred.  The  end  of  the  cove- 
 nant is  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace :  the  parts  of  the 
 covenant  are  the  promise  and  the  stipulation;  the  promise  is 
 either  principal,  and  that  is  God  and  Christ;  or  secondary,  and 
 that  is  justification,  sanctification,  and  glorification:  and  the 
 stipulation  on  our  parts  are  faith  and  obedience ;  we  must  be- 
 lieve in  him  that  justifies  the  ungodly,  and  walk  before  him  in  all 
 well-pleasing.  Observe  now  the  main  design  of  the  covenant, 
 and  see  but  how  all  the  streams  run  towards  that  ocean  .  God 
 gives  himself  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace.  God  gives 
 Christ  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace.  God  gives  par- 
 don, sanctification^  and  salvation,  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of 
 his  grace  ;  and  we  believe,  we  obey,  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of 
 his  grace ;  and  good  reason,  for  all  is  of  grace,  and  therefore  all 
 must  tend  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace.  It  is  of  grace 
 that  God  hath  given  himself,  Christ,  pardon,  sanctification,  and 
 salvation,  to  any  soul.  It  is  of  grace  that  we  believe ;  by  grace 
 ye  are  saved  through  faith,  not  of  yourselves,  it  is  the  gift  of 
 God.  Oh  !  the  sweet  and  comely  order  of  this  covenant !  All 
 is  of  grace,  and  all  tends  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace  ; 
 and  therefore  it  is  called  the  covenant  of  grace.  Many  a  soul  is 
 forced  to  cry,  I  cannot  believe  ;  I  may  as  well  reach  heaven  with 
 a  finger,  as  lay  hold  on  Christ  by  the  hand  of  faith  :  but  mark 
 how  the  covenant  stands,  like  a  well-marshalled  army,  to  repel 
 tliis  doubt ;  if  thou  canst  not  believe,  God  will  enable  thee  to 
 believe.  To  you  it  is  given  to  believe.  God  will  not  only  pro- 
 mise good  things,  but  helps  us  by  his  Spirit  to  perform  the  con- 
 ditions. He  works  our  hearts  to  believe  in  God,  and  to  believe 
 in  Christ.  All  is  of  grace,  that  all  may  tend  to  the  praise  of  the 
 glory  of  his  grace. 
 
 5.  Wherein  is  the  covenant  sure  ?  I  answer.  It  is  sure  in  the 
 performance  and  accomplishment  of  it.  Hence  the  promises  of 
 the  covenant  are  called  the  sure  mercies  of  David  ;  not  because 
 they  are  sure  unto  David  alone,  but  because  they  are  sure  unto  all 
 the  seed  of  David,  that  are  in  covenant  with  God,  as  David 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  175 
 
 was.  Tlie  promises  of  God's  covenant  are  not  yea  and  nay, 
 various  and  uncertain ;  but  they  are  yea  and  amen,  sure  to  be 
 fulfilled.  Hence  the  stability  of  God's  covenant  is  compared  to 
 the  firmness  and  immoveableness  of  the  mighty  mountains  ;  nay. 
 Mountains  may  depart,  and  the  hills  he  removed,  by  a  miracle  ; 
 hut  yny  kindness  shall  not  depart  from  thee,  neither  shall  the 
 covenant  of  my  peace  he  removed,  saith  the  Lord,  that  hath  mercy 
 on  thee.  Sooner  shall  the  rocks  be  removed^  the  fire  cease  to 
 burn,  the  sun  be  turned  into  darkness,  and  the  very  heavens  be 
 confounded  with  the  earth,  than  the  promise  of  God  shall  fail. 
 
 6.  Christ  is  more  clearly  manifested  in  this  breaking  forth  of 
 the  covenant,  than  in  any  or  the  former.     For  here  we  see, 
 
 (1.)  That  he  was  God  and  man,  in  one  person;  David's  son, 
 and  yet  David's  Lord.  The  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord,  Sit  thou 
 on  my  right-hand,  until  I  make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool. 
 
 (2.)  That  he  suffered  for  us  :  and  in  his  sufferings  how  many 
 particulars  are  discovered  !  As,  first,  his  cry,  My  God!  my 
 God  !  ivhy  hast  thou  forsaken  me  f  Secondly,  the  Jews'  taunts. 
 He  trusted  on  the  Lord,  that  he  would  deliver  him,  let  kirn  deli- 
 ver him,  if  he  delight  in  him.  Thirdly,  the  very  manner  of  his  deajh. 
 They  pierced  my  hands  and  my  feet.  I  may  tell  all  my  hones  ; 
 they  look  and  stare  upon  me :  they  part  my  garments  among 
 them,  and  cast  lots  ii])07i  my  vesture. 
 
 (3.)  That  he  rose  again  for  us.  Thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul 
 in  hell;  iieither  wilt  thou  suffer  thine  Holy  One  to  see  corruption. 
 
 (4.)  That  he  ascended  up  into  heaven.  Thou  hast  ascended 
 up  on  high  ;  thou  hast  led  captivity  captive  ;  thou  hast  received 
 gifts  for  men. 
 
 (5.)  That  he  must  be  King  over  us,  and  over  his  enemies. 
 2Vie  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord,  Sit  thou  at  my  right-hand,  until 
 I  make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool.  The  Lord  shall  seiid  the 
 rod  of  thy  strength  out  of  Zion;  rule  thou  in  the  midst  of  thine 
 enemies. 
 
 (6.)  That  he  must  be  Priest,  as  well  as  King;  and  Sacrifice, 
 as  well  as  Priest.  The  Lord  hath  sworn,  and  will  not  repent  : 
 Thou  art  a  Priest  for  ever,  after  the  order  of  Melchisedech. 
 Thou  lovest  righteousness,  and  hatest  ivickedness ;  therefore 
 God,  thy  God,  hath  anointed  thee  with  the  oil  of  gladness  above 
 thy  felSnus:  (i.  e.  above  all  Christians,  who  are  thy  fellows,  con- 
 S(^)rts,  and  partners,  in  the  anointing :)  sacrifice  and  burnt-offer- 
 ing thou  wouldst  not  have  ;  but  mine  ear  hast  thou  bored:  bunit- 
 offering  and  sin-offhnng  hast  thou  not  required.  Then  said  I, 
 Lo,  I  come :  in  the  volume  of  the  book  it  is  ivritten  of  me,  that  I 
 should  do  thy  ivill,  O  God.  Mine  ears  hast  thou  bored,  or 
 digged  open.  The  Septuagint,  to  make  the  sense  plainer,  say, 
 But  a  body  hast  thou  fitted  me,  or  prepared  for  me:  meaning, 
 that  his  body  was  ordained  and  fitted  to  be  a  sacrifice  for  the 
 sins  of  the  world,  when  other  legal  sacrifices  were  received  as 
 
176  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 unprofitable.     See  how  clearly  Christ  is  revealed.     It  was  never 
 thus  before. 
 
 And  thus  far  of  the  covenant  of  promise^  as  it  was  manifested 
 from  David  till  the  Captivity. 
 
 Sect.  VI. — Of  the  Covenant  of  Promise,  as  manifested  to  Israel 
 about  the  time  of  the  Captivity, 
 
 The  great  breaking  forth  of  this  gracious  covenant  was  to 
 Israel  about  the  time  of  their  captivity.  By  reason  of  that  cap- 
 tivity of  Babylon^  Israel  was  almost  clean  destroyed;  and^  there- 
 fore, then  it  was  high  time  that  the  Lord  should  appear  like  a 
 sun  after  a  stormy  rain,  and  give  them  some  clearer  light  of 
 Christ.  He  doth  so,  especially  in  these  words :  Behold,  the  days 
 come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  I  will  make  a  new  covenant  with  the 
 house  of  Israel,  and  luith  the  house  of  Judah;  not  according  to 
 the  covenant  ivhich  I  made  with  their  fathers,  in  the  day  that  I 
 took  them  hy  the  hand  to  bring  thein  out  of  the  land  of  Lgypt; 
 which  my  covenant  they  brake,  although  I  was  an  husband  unto 
 them,  saith  the  Lord.  But  this  shall  be  the  covenant  that  I  will 
 make  with  the  house  of  Israel:  After  those  days,  saith  the  Lord, 
 I  will  put  my  law  in  their  inward  parts,  and  write  it  in  their 
 hearts;  and  I  ivill  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people  ; 
 and  they  shall  teach  no  more  every  man  his  neighbour,  and  every 
 man  his  brother,  saying,  Know  the  Lord;  for  they  shall  all  know 
 me,  from  the  least  of  them  to  the  greatest  of  them,  saith  the 
 Lord;  for  I  ivill  forgive  their  iniquity,  and  remember  their  sin 
 no  more.  In  this  expression  of  the  covenant,  we  shall  examine 
 these  particulars : 
 
 1 .  Why  it  is  called  a  new  covenant  ? 
 
 2.  Wherein  the  expression  of  this  covenant  doth  excel  the 
 
 former,  which  God  made  with  their  fathers  ? 
 
 3.  How  doth  God  put  the  law  into  our  inward  parts  ? 
 
 4.  What  is  it  to  have  the  law  written  in  our  hearts  ? 
 
 5.  How  are  we  taught  of  God,  so  as  not  to  need  (compara- 
 
 tively) any  other  kind  of  teaching  ? 
 
 6.  What  is  the  universality  of  this  knowledge,  in  that  all  shall 
 
 know  me,  saith  the  Lord  f 
 1 .  Why  is  it  called  a  new  covenant  ?  I  answer,  it  is  called 
 new,  in  contradiction  to  the  covenant  of  promise  before  Christ 
 came.  The  very  same  words  are  repeated  in  the  Epistle  to  the 
 Hebrews :  Behold,  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  when  I  will 
 make  a  new  covenant  with  the  house  of  Israel,  and  the  house  of 
 Judah.  In  that  he  saith  a  new  covenant,  he  hath  made  the  first 
 old;  noiv  that  which  decay eth,  a?id  waxeth  old,  is  ready  to 
 vanish  away.  The,  new  covenant  is  usually  understood  in  the 
 latter  sense ;  it  is  new,  because  diverse  from  that  which  God 
 made  with  the  fathers  before  Christ ;  it  hath  a  new  worship. 
 
Looking  unto  Jfesus.  177 
 
 new  adoration,  a  new  form  of  the  church,  new  witnesses,  new 
 tables,  new  ordinances  :  and  these  never  to  be  disannulled,  never 
 to  wax  old,  as  the  apostle  speaks. 
 
 2.  Wherein  doth  this  covenant  excel  the  former,  which  God 
 made  with  their  fathers  ?     I  answer, — 
 
 (1.)  It  excels  in  the  benefits  and  graces  of  the  Spirit.  We 
 find,  that  under  tins  covenant  they  were  more  plentifully  be- 
 stowed upon  the  church  than  formerly. 
 
 (2.)  It  excels  in  the  discovery  of  the  Mediator,  in  and  through 
 whom  this  covenant  was  made.  In  the  former  expression  we 
 discovered  much,  yet  in  none  of  them  was  so  plainly  revealed 
 the  time  of  his  coming,  the  place  of  his  birth,  his  name,  the  pas- 
 sages of  his  nativity,  his  humiliation  and  kingdom,  as  we  find  in 
 this.— 
 
 [1.]  Concerning  the  time  of  his  coming. — ^Seventy  weeks 
 shall  be  determined  upon  thy  people,  and  upon  thy  holy  city,  to 
 finish  the  transgression,  and  to  make  an  end  of  sin,  and  to  makf 
 reconciliation  for  iniquity,  and  to  bring  in  everlasting  righteous- 
 ness, and  to  seal  up  the  vision  and  prophecy,  and  to  anoint  the 
 most  holy.' 
 
 [2.]  Concerning  the  place  of  his  birth. — ^  But  thou  Bethlehem 
 Ephrata,  though  thou  be  little  among  the  thousands  of  Judah, 
 yet  out  of  thee  shall  he  come  forth  unto  me,  that  is  to  be  ruler 
 in  Israel,  whose  goings  forth  have  been  from  of  old,  from 
 everlasting.' 
 
 [3.]  Concerning  his  name. — ^  Unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us 
 a  Son  is  given,  and  the  government  shall  be  upon  his  shoulders ; 
 and  his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the  Mighty 
 God,  the  everlasting  Father,  the  Prince  of  peace. — In  his  days 
 Judah  shall  be  saved,  and  Israel  shall  dwell  safely ;  and  this  is 
 his  name  whereby  he  shall  be  called.  The  Lord  our  Righte- 
 ousness.— Behold,  a  virgin  shall  conceive,  and  bear  a  Son,  and 
 thou,  O  virgin,  shalt  call  his  name  Immanuel.' 
 
 [4.]  Concerning  the  passages  of  his  nativity. — That  he  should 
 be  born  of  a  virgin,  Isa.  vii.  14.  That  at  his  birth  all  the  infants 
 round  about  Bethlehem  should  be  slain,  Jcr,  xxxi.  15.  That 
 John  the  Baptist  should  be  his  forerunner,  to  prepare  his  way, 
 Mai.  iii.  1.  That  he  should  flee  into  Egypt,  and  be  recalled 
 thence  again,  Hos,  xi.  1 .  I  might  add  many  particulars  of  this  , 
 kind. 
 
 [5.]  Concerning  his  humiliation. — '^  Surely,  he  hath  borne 
 our  griefs,  and  carried  our  sorrows;  yet  we  did  esteem  him 
 stricken,  smitten  of  God,  and  afflicted:  but  he  was  wounded 
 for  our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities, 
 the  chastisement  of  our  p^ace  was  upon  him,  and  with  his 
 stripes  we  are  healed. — He  was  oppressed,  and  he  was 
 afflicted,  yet  he  opened  not  his  mouth. — He  was  taken  from 
 prison  and  from  judgment,  and  who  shall  declare   his  gene- 
 
 r.  z 
 
1/8  Looking  unto  J^esus. 
 
 ration  ?  for  he  was  cut  off  out  of  the  land  of  the  living :  for  the 
 transgression  of  my  people  was  he  stricken. — It  pleased  the  Lord 
 to  bruise  him^  he  hath  put  him  to  grief. — ^Therefore  will  I  divide 
 him  a  portion  with  the  great,  and  he  shall  divide  the  spoil  with 
 the  strong,  because  he  hath  poured  out  his  soul  unto  death^  and 
 he  was  numbered  with  the  transgressors,  and  he  bare  the  sin  of 
 many,  and  made  intercession  for  the  transgressors.'  One  would 
 think  this  were  rather  a  history  than  a  prophecy  of  Christ's 
 sufferings. 
 
 [6.]  Concerning  his  kingdom. — '  Rejoice  greatly,  O  daughter 
 of  Zion;  shout,  O  daughter  of  Jerusalem,  behold  thy  King 
 cometh  unto  thee:  he  is  just^  and  having  salvation^  lowly,  and 
 riding  upon  an  ass,  and  upon  a  colt  the  foal  of  an  ass."  Behold 
 a  King,  behold  thy  King;  behold  thy  King  cometh^  and  he 
 cometh  unto  thee. — 1.  He  is  a  King,  and  therefore  able.  2.  He 
 is  thy  King,  and  therefore  willing.  Wonderful  love,  that  he 
 would  come  \  but  more  wonderful  was  the  manner  of  his  coming : 
 he  that  before  made  man  a  soul  after  the  image  of  God,  then 
 made  himself  a  body  after  the  image  of  man.  And  thus  we 
 see  how  this  covenant  excels  the  former  in  every  of  these 
 respects. 
 
 3.  How  doth  God  put  the  law  in  our  inward  parts  ?  I  an- 
 swer, God  puts  the  law  into  our  inward  parts,  by  enlivening  a 
 man  with  the  graces  of  his  holy  Spirit,  suitable  to  his  command- 
 ment. First,  There  is  the  law  of  God  without  us,  as  we  see  it 
 or  read  it  in  scriptures ;  but  when  it  is  put  within  us,  then  God 
 hath  wrought  an  inward  disposition  in  our  minds,  that  answers  to 
 that  law  without  us  :  For  example ;  This  is  the  law  without. 
 Thou  slialt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  hearty  and  with 
 all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  strength.  To  answer  which  there 
 is  a  promise,  /  ivill  circumcise  thy  heart,  and  the  heart  of  thy 
 seed,  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all 
 thy  soul.  Now,  when  this  promise  is  fulfilled,  when  God  hath  put 
 love  in  our  hearts,  then  is  the  law  put  into  our  inward  parts. 
 
 4.  What  is  it  to  have  the  law  written  in  our  hearts?  This 
 writing  contains  the  former,  and  is  something  more.  It  is  said 
 to  be  written,  that  there  might  be  something  within  answerable 
 to  the  law  without ;  it  was  written  without,  and  so  it  was  written 
 within.  This  writing  is  the  very  same  with  copying  or  tran- 
 scribing. The  writing  within  is  every  way  answerable  to  the 
 writing  without.  Oh !  what  a  mercy  is  this,  that  the  same  God 
 who  writ  the  law  with  his  own  finger  in  the  tables  of  stone, 
 should  also  write  the  same  law  with  the  finger  of  his  Spirit  in  the 
 tables  of  our  hearts !  As  you  see  in  a  seal,  when  you  have  put 
 the  seal  on  the  wax,  and  you  take  it  oft'  again,  you  find  on  the 
 wax  the  same  impression  that  was  on  the  seal :  so  it  is  in  the 
 hearts  of  the  faithful;  when  the  Spirit  hath  once  softened  them, 
 then  he  writes  the  law,  i.  e.   he  stamps  an  inward  aptness,  and 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  1/9 
 
 and  inward  disposition,  on  the  heart,  answering  te  every  parti- 
 cular of  the  law. 
 
 5.  How  are  we  taught  of  God,  so  as  not  to  need  comparatively 
 any  other  kind  of  teaching  ?     I  answer — 
 
 (1.)  God  teacheth  inwardly. — In  the  hidden  part  thou  hast 
 made  me  to  know  wisdom,  saith  David :  and  again,  /  thank  the 
 Lord  that  gave  me  counsel,  my  reins  also  instruct  me  in  the 
 night  season.  The  reins  are  the  most  inward  part  of  the  body,  and 
 the  night-season  the  most  private  time :  both  express  the  intimacy 
 of  Divine  teaching.  God,  who  commanded  light  to  shine  out 
 of  darkness,  hath  shined  into  our  hearts.  Man's  light  may  shine 
 into  the  head,  but  God's  light  alone  doth  shine  into  the  h'eart. 
 
 (1.)  God  teacheth  clearly.  Elihu  offering  himself  instead  of 
 God  to  reason  with  Job,  he  tells  him.  My  words  shall  be  of  the 
 uprightness  of  my  heart,  and  my  lips  shall  utter  knowledge 
 clearly.  If  ever  the  word  come  home  to  an  heart,  it  comes 
 with  a  convincing  clearness.  So  the  apostle,  Our  gospel  came 
 unto  you,  not  in  word  only,  hut  in  power,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost, 
 and  in  much  full  assurance.  The  word  hath  a  treble  emphasis — 
 assurance,  full  assurance,  and  much  full  assurance:  Here  is 
 clear  work. 
 
 (3.)  God  teacheth  sweetly  and  comfortably. — Thou  hast  taught 
 me,  saith  David;  and  then  it  follows,  how  sweet  are  thy  tvords 
 unto  my  taste!  yea,  siveeter  than  honey  to  my  mouth.  Luther 
 said,  "  He  would  not  live  in  paradise,  if  he  must  live  without 
 the  word;  but  with  the  word,''  said  he,  "  I  could  live  in  hell.'' 
 When  Christ  put  his  hand  in  by  the  hole  of  the  door  to  teach  the 
 heart,  her  bowels  were  moved,  and  then  her  fingers  dropt  upon 
 the  handles  of  the  lock  sweet-smelling  myrrh.  Cant.  v.  5.  The 
 teachings  of  Christ  left  such  a  blessing  upon  the  first  motions  of 
 the  spouse's  heart,  that  with  the  very  touch  of  them  she  is  re- 
 freshed ;  her  fingers  drop  myrrh,  and  her  bowels  are  moved,  as 
 the  monuments  of  his  gracious  teachings. 
 
 Christians,  these  are  the  teachings  of  God !  and  in  reference 
 to  this,  we  shall  no  more  teach  every  man  his  neighbour,  and 
 every  man  his  brother,  saying.  Know  the  Lord.  God's  teaching 
 is  another  kind  of  teaching  than  we  can  have  from  the  hands  of 
 men ;  there  is  no  man  in  the  world  can  teach  us :  and  there- 
 fore, they  whom  God  teacheth,  need  not  any  other  kind  of 
 teaching,  respectively  or  comparatively. 
 
 6.  What  is  the  universality  of  this  knowledge  ? — They  shall 
 all  know  me  from  the  least  of  them  to  the  greatest  of  them, 
 saith  the  Lord.  The  meaning  is,  that  all  that  are  in  the  cove- 
 nant of  grace  shall  be  so  taught  of  God,  that  they  shall  every 
 one  know  God  inwardly,  clearly,  experimentally,  sweetly,  and 
 savingly. 
 
 1  have  now  propounded  the  object  we  are  to  look  unto;  that 
 is,  Jesus,  as  held  forth  in  a  way  of  promise  or  covenant ;  in  that 
 
ISO  LooJcin^'  unto  Jesus. 
 
 ,b 
 
 dark  timCj  from  the  creation  till  his  first  coming  in  the  llesh :  our 
 next  business  is  to  direct  you  in  the  mystery  of  grace^  ho\y  you 
 are  to  look  to  him  in  this  respect. 
 
 CHAP.  II. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  Knoiving  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  the  great  Work 
 of  our  Salvation  from  the  Creation  until  his  F'irst  Cojnlug. 
 
 Looking  comprehends  knowing,  considering,  desiring,  hop- 
 ing, believing,  loving,  joying,  calling  on,  conforming  to^  as  you. 
 have  heard;  and  accordingly,  that  we  may  practise,  1.  We 
 must  know  Jesus  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  salvation  in 
 the  beginning,  and  from  the  beginning,  of  the  world.  Come, 
 let  us  learn  what  he  did  for  us  in  the  morning  of  this  world :  he 
 made  it  for  us,  and  he  made  us  more  especially  for  his  own  glory; 
 but  presently  after  we  were  made,  we  sinned  and  marred  the 
 image  wherein  God  made  us.  This  was  the  saddest  act  that 
 ever  was ;  it  was  the  undoing  of  man,  and,  without  the  mercy 
 of  God,  the  damning  of  all  souls  to  all  eternity.  And,  O  my 
 soul,  know  this  for  thyself,  thou  wast  in  the  loins  of  Adam  at 
 that  same  time,  so  that  what  he  did,  thou  didst ;  thou  wast  par- 
 taker of  his  sins,  and  thou  wast  to  partake  with  him  in  his 
 punishment :  but  well  mayest  thou  say,  Blessed  be  God  for  Jesus 
 Christ !  at  the  very  instant  when  all  should  have  been  damned, 
 Christ  intervened ;  a  covenant  of  grace  is  made  with  man,  and 
 Christ  is  the  foundation,  in  and  through  whom  we  must  be  re- 
 conciled unto  God.  Come,  soul,  and  study  this  covenant  of 
 grace  in  reference  to  thyself.  Had  not  this  been,  Avhere  hadst 
 thou  been,  nay,  w^here  had  all  the  world  been,  at  this  day  ? 
 Surely  it  concerns  thee  to  take  notice  of  this  great  transaction. 
 After  man  had  fallen  by  sin,  Christ  is  promised ;  and  that 
 all  the  saints  might  partake  of  Christ,  a  covenant  of  grace  is 
 entered;  this,  at  the  beginning  of  the  world,  was  more  dim; 
 but  the  nearer  to  Christ's  coming  in  the  flesh,  the  more  clearly 
 it  appeared.  Howsoever,  dimly  or  clearly,  thus  it  pleased  God 
 in  Christ  to  carry  on  the  great  work  of  our  salvation  at  that 
 time ;  viz.  by  a  promise  of  Christ,  and  by  a  covenant  in  Christ. 
 And  for  thy  better  knowledge  of  it,  study  the  promise  made  to 
 Adam,  Abraham,  Moses,  David,  and  Israel.  Study  these  se- 
 veral breakings  out  of  the  covenant  of  grace.  It  is  worth  thy 
 pains ;  it  is  a  mystery  which  hath  been  hid  from  ages  and  from 
 crenerations,  but  now  is  made  manifest  to  the  saints.  Here  lies 
 the  firm  foundation  of  a  Christian's  comfort;  it  thou  canst  but 
 assure  thyself  of  thy  part  in  this,  thou  art  blessed  for  ever.  Oh  ! 
 hov/  satisfying  is  it  to  know  the  faithful  engagements  of  the 
 Almighty  God  through  that  Son  of  his  love,  in  a  covenant  of 
 grace ! 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  181 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  Considering  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 We  must  consider  Jesus  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  in  that  dark  time.  It  is  not  enough  to  study  it  and 
 know  it,  but  we  must  seriously  meditate,  ponder,  and  consider 
 of  it,  till  we  bring  it  to  some  profitable  issue.  This  is  the  con- 
 sideration I  mean,  when  we  hold  our  thoughts  to  this  or  that 
 spiritual  subject,  till  we  perceive  success,  and  the  work  prosper 
 in  our  hands.     Now,  to  help  us  in  this, — 
 
 I.  Consider  Jesus  in  the  first  promise  made  to  man.  It  shall 
 bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel.  When  all  men 
 were  under  the  guilt  of  sin,  and  in  the  power  of  Satan,  and  when 
 thou,  my  soul,  wert  in  as  bad  a  case  as  any  other;  then  to  hear 
 the  sound  of  these  glad  tidings,  then  to  hear  of  Jesus,  a  Saviour 
 and  Redeemer,  sure  this  was  welcome  news.  Come,  draw  the 
 case  nearer  to  thyself:  thou  wast  in  Adam's  loins;  suppose  thou 
 hadstbeen  in  Adam's  stead;  suppose  thou  hadst  heard  the  voice 
 of  the  Lord  walking  in  the  garden,  suppose  thou  hadst  heard  him 
 call,  Adam,  where  art  thou  ^  Peter,  Andrew,  Thomas,  where  art 
 thou  ?  What  1  hast  thou  eaten  of  the  tree  whereof  I  commanded 
 thee  that  thou  shouldest  not  eat  ?  Appear,  and  come  to  judg- 
 ment; the  law  is  irrevocable.  In  the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof 
 thou  shalt  surely  die.  There  is  nothing  to  be  looked  for  but 
 death  temporal,  death  spiritual,  and  death  eternal.  Oh !  what 
 a  fearful  condition  is  this,  no  sooner  to  come  into  the  world,  but 
 presently  to  be  turned  over  into  hell !  for  one  day  to  be  a  mo- 
 narch of  the  world,  and  the  very  next  to  be  a  slave  of  Satan,  and 
 bound  hand  and  foot  in  a  darksome  dungeon !  for  a  few  hours 
 to  live  in  Eden,  to  enjoy  every  tree  in  the  garden,  pleasant 
 to  the  sight,  and  good  for  food,  and  then  to  enter  into  the  con- 
 fines of  eternity,  and  ever  to  be  tormented*  with  the  devil  and 
 his  angels  !  It  is  no  wonder  if  Adam  hid  himself  from  the  presence 
 of  the  Lord  God  amongst  the  trees  of  the  garden.  O  my  soul, 
 in  that  case  thou  wouldst  have  cried  to  the  rocks  and  to  the 
 mountains.  Fall  on  me,  and  hide  me  from  the  face  of  him  that  sitteth 
 on  the  throne.  If  God  be  angry,  who  may  abide  it  ?  When  the 
 great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come,  who  shall  be  able  to  stand  ?  And 
 yet  despair  not,  O  my  soul ;  for  in  the  midst  of  wrath  God  is  pleased 
 to  remember  mercy.  Even  now,  when  all  the  world  should  have 
 been  damned,  Jesus  is  proclaimed  and  promised;  and  he  it  is 
 that  must  die,  according  to  the  commination,  for  he  is  our  surety, 
 and  he  it  is  that  by  death  must  overcome  death  and  the  devil.  It 
 shall  bruise  thy  head,  saith  God  to  Satan ;  as  if  he  had  said.  Come, 
 Satan,  thou  hast  taken  captive  ten  thousands  of  souls :  Adam  and 
 Eve  are  now  ei-isnared,  and  in  their  loins  all  the  men  and  women 
 that  ever  shall  be :  now  is  thy  day  of  triumph,  but  thou  shalt  not 
 carry  it  thus.  Out  of  the  seed  of  the  woman  shall  spring  a  branch, 
 and  he  shall  bruise  thy  head;  he  shall  break  thy  power,  he  shall 
 
182  Loohins:  unto  Jesus. 
 
 & 
 
 tread  thy  dominion  under  foot,  he  shall  lead  thy  captivity  captive, 
 he  shall  take  away  sin,  he  shall  point  ovit  to  men  and  angels  the 
 glory  of  heaven,  and  a  new  world  of  free  grace.  In  this  pro- 
 mise, O  my  soul,  is  wrapped  up  thy  hope,  thy  heaven,  thy  sal- 
 vation ;  and  therefore  consider  it,  look  on  all  sides  of  it,  view  it 
 over  and  over ;  it  is  a  field  that  contains  in  the  bowels  of  it  a 
 precious  treasure ;  there  is  in  it  a  Saviour,  a  Redeemer,  a  De- 
 liverer from  sin,  death,  and  hell. 
 
 2.  Consider  Jesus  in  that  promise  made  to  Abraham :   /  will 
 establish  my  covenant  between  me  and  thee,  and  thy  seed  after 
 thee,  in  their  generations,  for  an  everlasting  covenant,  to  be  a 
 God  to  thee,  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee.      In  respect  of  this 
 covenant,  Abraham  is  called  the  father  of  the  faithful :   and  they 
 which  are  of  the  faith,  are  called  the  children  of  Abraham.     And, 
 O  my  soul!  thou  dost  by  faith  draw  it  through  Abraham,  to 
 whom  this  promise  was  made  ;  for  if  ye  be  Christ's,  then  are  ye 
 Abraham's  seed,  and  heirs  according  to  the  promise.      Consider 
 what  a  mercy  this  is,  that  God  should  enter  into  a  covenant  with 
 thee  in  the  loins  of  Abraham.    God  made  a  promise  of  Christ,  and 
 inclusively  a  covenant  of  grace,  in  his  comforting  Adam;  but 
 he  makes  a  covenant  expressly  under  the  name  of  covenant,  with 
 Abraham  and  his  seed.     Be  amazed!    What!    that  the  great 
 and  glorious  God  of  heaven  and  earth  should  make  himself  a 
 debtor  to  us  !     O  my  soul,  think  of  it  seriously  :  He  is  in  heaven, 
 and  thou  art  on  earth ;  he  is  the  Creator,  and  thou  art  his  crea- 
 ture.    Ah !  what  art  thou,  or  what  is  thy  father's  house,  that  thou 
 shouldest  be  raised  up  hitherto !     The  very  covenant  is  a  wonder, 
 as  it  relates  to  God  and  us.      What  is  it  but  a  compact,  a  bind- 
 ing of  God  and  us.      When  Jehosaphat  and  Ahab   were   in 
 covenant,   see  how  Jehosaphat  expresseth   himself,  I  am  as 
 thou  art,  my  people  as  thy  people,  my  horses  as  thy  horses  ;  so 
 it  is  betwixt  God  and  us.     If  once  he  gives  us  the  covenant, 
 then  his  strength  is  our  strength,  his  power  is  our  power,  his 
 armies  are  our  armies,  his  attributes  are  our  attributes,  we  have 
 interest  in  all.      There  is  an  offensive  and  defensive  league,  as  I 
 may  say,  betwixt  God  and  us ;  and  if  we  put  him  in  mind  of  it 
 in  all  our  straits,  he  cannot  deny  us.     Thus  runs  the  tenor  of 
 his  covenant :    /  will  be  a  God  to  thee,  and  to  thy  seed  after 
 thee.     This  is  the  general  promise ;  I  may  call  it  the  mother- 
 promise,  that  carries  all  other  promises  in  its  womb.     Consider, 
 that  it  is  God  in  Christ  that  is  propounded  to  us  in  this  phrase, 
 I  will  be  a  God  to  thee.      Here  is  the  greatest  promise  that  ever 
 was  made.     Christ,  God,  is  more  than  grace,  pardon,  holiness, 
 heaven;  as  the  husband  is  more  excellent  than  the  marriage- 
 robe,  bracelets,  rings.     The  well  and  fountain  of  life  is  of  more 
 excellency  than  the  streams.     Christ  Jesus  is  far  above  a  created 
 beatitude  which  issueth  from  him,     O  my  soul,  is  not  this  worthy 
 of  thy  inmost  consideration  ? 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  183 
 
 3.  Consider  Jesus  in  that  promise  made  to  Moses  and  the 
 Israelites,  /  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  who  brought  thee  out  of  the 
 land  of  Egypt,  out  of  the  house  of  bondage,  Muph  hath  been 
 said  to  this  promise  ;  but  to  contradict  it,  consider  in  the  promise 
 the  sufficiency  and  propriety.  First,  here  is  sufficiency.  It  is 
 a  promise  of  infinite  worth,  an  hid  treasure,  a  rich  possession, 
 an  overflowing  blessing,  which  none  can  rightly  value ;  it  is  no 
 less  than  the  great  and  mighty,  and  infinite  God.  If  we  had  a 
 promise  of  a  hundred  worlds,  or  of  ten  heavens,  this  is  more 
 than  all:  heaven  indeed  is  beautiful,  but  God  is  more  beautiful; 
 for  he  is  the  God  of  heaven :  and  hence  it  is  that  the  saints  in 
 heaven  are  not  satisfied  without  their  God.  It  is  a  sweet  ex- 
 pression of  Bernard,  "  As  whatsoever  we  give  unto  thee.  Lord, 
 unless  we  give  ourselves,  cannot  satisfy  thee ;  so  whatsoever 
 thou  givest  ujito  us.  Lord,  unless  thou  givest  thyself,  it  cannot 
 satisfy  us."  J\nd  hence  it  is,  that  as  God  doth  make  the  saints 
 his  portion,  so  God  is  the  portion  and  inheritance  of  his  saints. 
 Consider  the  greatness,  the  goodness,  the  all- sufficiency  of  this 
 promise,  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God!  No  question  but  Moses  had 
 many  other  rich  promises  from  God,  but  he  could  not  be  satis- 
 fied without  God  himself:  If  thy  presence  he  not  with  us,  bring 
 us  not  hence.  And  no  wonder;  for  without  God  all  things  are 
 nothing ;  but  in  the  want  of  all  other  things,  God  himself  is  in- 
 stead of  all:  it  is  God's  sole  prerogative  to  be  an  universal 
 good.  The  things  of  this  world  can  but  help  in  this  or  that  par- 
 ticular thing;  as  bread  against  hunger,  drink  against  thirst, 
 clothes  against  cold  and  nakedness,  house  against  wind  and 
 weather,  riches  against  poverty,  physic  against  sickness;  but 
 God  is  an  all-sufficient  good :  he  is  all  in  all  both  to  the  inner 
 and  outward  man.  Are  we  guilty  of  sin  ?  there  is  mercy  in  God 
 to  pardon  us.  Are  we  full  of  infirmities  ?  there  is  grace  in  God 
 to  heal  us.  Are  we  strong  in  corruptions  ?  there  is  power  in 
 God  to  subdue  them  in  us.  Are  we  disquieted  in  conscience  ? 
 there  is  that  Spirit  in  God,  that  is  the  Comforter,  that  can  fill  us 
 with  joy  unspeakable  and  glorious.  And  for  our  outward  man, 
 all  our  welfare  is  laid  up  in  God  :  He  is  the  God  of  our  life, 
 Psal.  xlii.  1.  He  is  the  strength  of  our  life,  Psal.  xxvii.  I.  He 
 is  a  quickening  Spirit,  1  Cor.  xv.  45.  Which  though  it  be  in 
 regard  of  the  inner  man,  yet  there  it  is  spoken  of  the  outward 
 man,  which  the  Lord  shall  quicken  after  death,  and  doth  now 
 keep  alive  by  his  mighty  power ;  for  in  him  we  live,  and  move, 
 and  have  our  being. 
 
 O  my  soul,  that  thou  wouldst  but  meditate  and  consider  this 
 promise  in  all  thy  wants.  When  means  fail,  and  the  streams  run 
 no  more.  Oh  !  that  thou  wouldest  then  go  to  the  fountain,  where 
 the  waters  run  sweeter,  and  more  sure  !  For  as  Joseph  said  to 
 Pliaraoh, — It  is  not  in  me,  God  shall  give  Pharaoh  an  answer 
 of  peace :   so  may  silver  and  gold,  and  such  things,  say  to  thee. 
 
184  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 It  is  not  in  us ;  God  shall  give  enough  out  of  himself.  Have 
 God,  and  have  ail :  want  God,  and  there  is  no  content  in  the 
 enjoyment  of  all.  It  was  the  apostle's  case  ;  as  having  nothingy 
 yet  possessing  all  things.  Surely  he  lived  to  God,  and  enjoyed 
 God,  and  he  was  an  ail-sufficient  good  unto  him.  God  may  be 
 enjoyed  in  any  condition ;  in  the  meanest,  as  well  as  the  greatest; 
 in  the  poorest,  as  well  as  the  richest.  God  will  go  into  a  wilder- 
 ness, into  a  prison,  with  his  people,  and  there  he  will  make  up 
 all  that  they  are  cut  short  of.  Thy  discontents  therefore  arise 
 not  from  want  of  inward  means,  but  from  want  of  inward 
 fellowship  witli  God :  and  if  thou  dost  not  find  a  sufficiency,  it 
 is  because  thou  dost  not  enjoy  him,  who  is  thy  all-sufficient  good. 
 Oh  1  stir  up  faith,  and  consider  the  covenant ;  think  seriously 
 on  this  promise — /  am  God  all-sufficient ;  I  am  the  Lord  thy 
 God. 
 
 Here  is  the  propriety  of  saints — the  Lord  thy  God.     What  is 
 
 this,  that  God  is  thy  God  ?     Heaven  and  earth,  angels  and  men, 
 
 may  stand  astonished  at  it.      What !    that  the  great  and  mighty 
 
 God,  God  almighty,  and  God  all-sufficient,    should  be  called 
 
 thy  God !     It  is  observable  what  the  apostle  speaks,  God  is  not 
 
 ashamed  to  he  called  their  God.     Would  not  a  prince  be  ashamed 
 
 to  take  a  beggar,  a  base  and  adulterous  woman,  to  be  his  wife  ? 
 
 But  we  are  worse  than  so,  and  God  is  better  than  so ;  sin  hath 
 
 made  us  worse  than  the  worst  of  women ;  and  God  is  better, 
 
 holier,  higher,  than  the  best  of  princes;   and  yet  God  is  not 
 
 ashamed  to  own  us,  nor  ashamed  that  we  own  him  as  our  own — 
 
 /  am  thy  God.     It  is  as  if  the  Lord  should  say.  Use  me,  and  all 
 
 my  power,  grace,  mercy,  kindness,  as  thine  own.     Go  through 
 
 all  my  attributes;    consider  my  almighty  power,  consider  my 
 
 wisdom,  understanding,  goodness,  truth,  faithfulness;  consider 
 
 my  patience,  long-suffering,  forbearance,  all  these  are  thine :  as 
 
 thus, — my  power  is  thine,  to  work  all  thy  works  for  thee,  and  in 
 
 thee,  to  make  a  passage  for  thee  in  all  thy  straits,  to  deliver 
 
 thee  out  of  six  troubles,  and  out  of  seven  :  my  wisdom  is  thine, 
 
 to  counsel  thee  in  any  difficult  cases,  to  instruct  thee  in  things 
 
 that  be  obscure,  to  reveal  to  thee  the  mysteries  of  grace,  and 
 
 the  wonderful  things  contained  in  my  law :    my  justice  is  thine, 
 
 to  deliver  thee  v/hen  thou  art  oppressed,  to  defend  thee  in  thy 
 
 innocence,  and  to  vindicate  thee  from  the  injuries  of  men.  What 
 
 needs  more  ?     O  my  soul,  think  of  these,  and  all  other  God's 
 
 attributes ;  say  in  thyself,  All  these  are  mine :  nay  more ;  think 
 
 of  God  in  Christ,   (for  otherwise  what  hast  thou  to  do  with  God 
 
 in  a  covenant  of  grace  ?)  and  say  in  thy  heart,  Jesus  Christ  is 
 
 mine,  my  Saviour,  my  Redeemer,  my  Head,  my  elder  Brother. 
 
 His  doings  are  mine,  and  his  sufferings  are  mine ;  his  life  and 
 
 death,  his  resurrection  and  ascension,  his  session  and  intercession, 
 
 all  are  mine  :  nay  more ;  If  Christ  be  mine,  why  then  all  good 
 
 things  are  mine  in  Clirist ;  I  say,  in  Christ,  for  they  come  not 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  18a 
 
 immediately,  but  through  the  hands  of  a  Redeemer ;  and  though 
 he  be  a  man  who  redeemed  us,  yet  because  he  is  God  as  well  as 
 man,  there  is  more  of  God,  and  heaven,  and  free-love,  in  all  our 
 good  things,  than  if  we  received  them  immediately  from  God. 
 Ravens  have  their  food,  and  devils  have  their  being,  from  God  by 
 creature-right ;  but  we  have  all  we  have,  from  God  in  Christ,  by 
 covenant-right.  This,  surely  this  very  promise,  is  the  principal 
 promise  of  the  covenant ;  it  is  the  very  substance,  soul,  and  life  of 
 all.  Oh  then !  how  careful  shouldst  thou  be  to  improve  the  strength 
 of  thy  mind,  thoughts,  and  affections,  on  this  only  subject  ! 
 
 4.  Consider  Jesus  in  that  promise  made  to  David,  He  hath  made 
 with  me  an  everlasting  covenant,  ordvved  in  ail  things,  and  sure, 
 
 (1.)  An  everlasting  covenant. — Christ  hath  built  and  prepared 
 a  kingdom,  that  shall  never  fade  5  a  spiritual  and  a  heavenly 
 kingdom,  which  shall  never  cease.  And  as  he  hath  prepared  it, 
 so  if  thou  believest,  he  hath  entered  into  a  covenant  with  thy 
 soul  to  bestow  it  on  thee  ;  it  is  an  everlasting  covenant,  and  he 
 will  give  thee  everlasting  life. 
 
 (2.)  It  is  ordered  in  all  things. — The  covenant  of  -grace  is  so 
 marshalled  and  ordered,  that  it  stands  at  best  advantage  to 
 receive  and  repel  all  thy  objections.  Many  an  objection  hast  thou 
 raised :  how  often  have  such  thoughts  been  in  thee  ;  Oh  !  I 
 am  miserable,  I  shall  not  live,  but  die  ;  my  sins  will  damn  me  ; 
 I  am  lost  for  ever  !  And  again.  If  God  hath  made  with  me  a 
 covenant,  why  then  I  have  something  to  do  on  my  part ;  (for 
 this  is  the  nature  of  the  covenant,  to  bind  on  both  parts  ;)  but, 
 alas  !  I  have  failed,  I  can  do  nothing ;  I  can  as  well  dissolve  a 
 rock,  as  make  my  heart  of  stone  a  heart  of  flesh  ;  I  can  as  well 
 reach  heaven  with  a  finger,  as  lay  hold  on  Christ  by  the  hand  of 
 faith  !  Have  not  such  arguings  as  these  been  many  a  time  in 
 thy  heart  ?  Consider  how  the  covenant  is  ordered  in  respect  of 
 the  author  of  it,  of  the  person's  interest  in  it,  of  the  parts  of 
 which  it  consists,  and  of  the  end  and  aim  to  which  it  refers  :  and 
 in  some  of  these,  if  not  in  all  of  these,  thou  wilt  find  thy  objec- 
 tions answered. 
 
 (3.)  It  is  sure. — God  is  not  fast  and  loose  in  his  covenant. 
 Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,  before  one  jot  or  tittle  of  his 
 word  shall  fail.  Consider,  Omy  soul,  he  both  can  and  will  perform 
 his  word  :  his  power,  his  love,  his  faithfulness,  all  stand  engaged. 
 What  sweet  matter  is  here  for  a  soul  to  dwell  upon  !  What  needs 
 it  go  out  toother  objects,  whilst  it  may  find  enough  here?  but. 
 especially,  what  needs  it  to  bestow  itself  upon  vain  things  ?  Oh  ! 
 that  so  much  precious  sand  of  our  thoughts  should  run  out  after 
 sin,  and  so  little  after  grace,  or  after  this  covenant  of  grace  ! 
 
 5.  Consider  Jesus  in  that  promise  which  God  made  with 
 Israel  and  Judah  :  I  will  put  my  law  in  their  iiiward  jmrts,  and 
 ivrite  it  in  their  hearts,  and  I  will  he  their  God,  and  they  shall 
 he  my  people  :  and  they  shall  teach  no  more  every  man  his  7ieigh- 
 
 7.  ■  2  a 
 
186  Lookins^  unto  Jesus, 
 
 i5 
 
 hour,  and  every  man  his  brother,  saying,  Know  the  Lord  ;  for 
 they  shall  all  know  me,  from  the  least  of  them  to  the  greatest  of 
 them,  saith  the  Lord :  for  I  will  forgive  their  iniquity,  and  I 
 will  remember  their  sins  no  more.  Oh,  what  an  error  is  it,  that 
 there  is  no  inherent  righteousness  in  the  saints,  hnt  only  in 
 Christ  !  Is  not  this  the  ordinary  scripture-phrase — /  will  put 
 my  Sjnrit  within  you:  and,  the  luater  that  I  shall  give  you,  shall 
 he  in  you  a  luell  of  water  springing  up  into  everlasting  life :  and, 
 the  anointing  which  you  have  received  of  him,  abideth  in  you  : 
 and,  Christ  in  you  the  hope  of  glory.  Observe  how  the  spirit 
 of  the  living  creatures  was  in  the  wheels  ;  so  that  when  the  spirit 
 went,  they  went ;  and  when  the  spirit  was  lifted  up,  they  were 
 lifted  up  :  even  so  is  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  acting,  guiding, 
 framing,  and  disposing  them  to  move  and  walk  according  to  his 
 laws  :  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  witliin  you,  saith  Christ.  And  I 
 delight  to  do  thy  will,  O  God,  saith  David,  yea,  thy  laiu  is  within 
 my  heart.  O  my  soul,  if  thou  art  in  covenant  with  God,  besides 
 the  indwelling  of  the  Spirit,  there  is  a  spiritual  principle  of  grace, 
 which  Christ  by  his  Spirit  hath  put  into  thy  heart,  enabling  thee 
 to  move  thyself  towards  God.  Oh  !  consider  this  inward  princi- 
 ple ;  it  is  an  excellent  subject,  worthy  of  thy  consideration  ! 
 
 (1.)  I  will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people. — Con- 
 sider God  essentially,  and  personally — God  the  Father,  God  the 
 Son,  and  God  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  God  in  himself,  and  God  in  his 
 creatures.  This  very  promise  turns  over  heaven,  earth,  sea, 
 land,  bread,  clothes,  sleep,  the  world,  life  and  death,  into  free 
 grace.  No  wonder  if  God  set  this  promise  in  the  midst  of  the 
 covenant,  as  the  heart  in  the  midst  of  the  body,  to  communicate 
 life  to  all  the  rest.  This  promise  hath  an  influence  into  all  other 
 promises  ;  it  is  the  great  promise  of  the  new  covenant ;  it  is  as 
 great  as  God  is  :  though  the  heavens,  and  heaven  of  heavens,  be 
 not  able  to  contain  him,  yet  this  promise  contains  him ;  God  shuts 
 up  himself,  as  it  were,  in  it :  Iiuill  be  their  God. 
 
 (2.)  They  shall  be  my  people, — i.  e.  they  shall  be  to  me  a  pe- 
 culiar people.  Tit.  ii.  14.  The  word  hath  this  emphasis  in  it, 
 that  God  looks  upon  all  other  things  as  accidents  in  comparison, 
 and  his  substance  is  his  people  ;  they  are  his  very  portion  :  for 
 tlie  Lord' s  portion  is  hisjjeople,  Jacob  is  the  lot  of  his  inheritance. 
 They  are  his  treasure,  his  peculiar  treasure,  above  all  people. 
 If  ye  will  obey  my  voice  indeed,  and  keep  my  covenant,  then  shall 
 ye  be  a  peculiar  treasure  imto  me,  and  above  all  people :  for  all 
 the  earth  is  mine.  Observe,  O  my  soul,  all  the  earth  is  mine, 
 that  is,  all  people  is  my  people  ;  but  I  have  a  special  interest  in 
 my  covenanted  people,  they  only  are  my  portion,  my  peculiar  trea- 
 sure. The  saints  are  those  that  God  hath  set  his  heart  upon  ; 
 they  are  children  of  the  high  God  ;  they  are  the  spouse  that  are 
 married  to  the  lamb  ;  they  are  nearer  God  in  some  respects  than 
 the  very  angels  themselves,  for  the  angels  are  not  in  a  mystical 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus »  1:87 
 
 anion  so  manied  to  Christ  as  God*s  people  are.     Oh,  the  happi- 
 ness of  saints  !  I  will  he  their  God,  and  they  shall  he  my  people^ 
 
 (3.)  They  shall  teach  no  more  every  man  his  neighbour,  and 
 every  man  his  brother,  saying,  Know  the  Lord  ;  for  they  shall 
 all  knov7  me,  from  the  least  to  the  greatest,  saith  the  Lord. — 
 Consider  this,  O  poor  soul  !  Thou  complainest  of  thy  weakness, 
 thou  knowest  little  or  nothing  :  why,  see  here  a  glorious  pro- 
 mise ;  if  thou  art  but  in  covenant  with  God,  thou  shall  be  taught 
 of  God,  and  then  thou  shalt  know  God  far  more  clearly  than  the 
 Jews  of  old ;  he  will  open  to  thee  all  his  treasures  of  wisdom 
 and  knowledge  ;  he  will  bestow  on  thee  a  greater  measure  of  his 
 Spirit,  so  that  out  of  thy  helly  shall  Jioiv  rivers  of  living  water. 
 We  say,  a  good  tutor  may  teach  more  in  a  day  than  another  in  a 
 month.  Now  the  promise  runs  thus,  that  all  thy  children  shall 
 be  taught  of  God.  Not  that  private  instruction,  or  public  mi- 
 nistry, must  be  excluded,  we  know  these  are  appointed  mider  the 
 new  testament,  and  are  subordinate  to  the  Spirit's  teaching; 
 but  that  the  teachings  of  God  far  surpass  the  teachings  of  men, 
 and  therefore  the  knowledge  of  God  under  the  new  testament 
 shall  far  surpass  that  under  the  old.  Herein  appears  the  excel- 
 lency of  Christ's  prophetical  office, — he  is  such  a  prophet  as 
 enlightens  eveiy  man  within  that  comes  into  the  world ;  he  is 
 such  a  prophet  as  baptizes  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  fire  ; 
 he  is  such  a  prophet  as  makes  men's  hearts  to  burn  within  them 
 when  he  speaks  unto  them ;  he  is  such  a  prophet  as  bids  his 
 ministers.  Go,  teach  all  nations,  and  I  will  he  tuith  you; 
 and  I  will  make  you  able  ministers,  not  of  the  letter,  but  of  the 
 Spirit ; — he  is  such  a  prophet  as  teacheth  inwardly,  clearly, 
 experunentally,  and  sweetly  :  no  man  in  the  world  can  say 
 this,  or  do  this,  but  Jesus  Christ,  the  great  prophet  of  the 
 church,  whom  God  hath  raised  up,  like  unto  Moses,  yet  far 
 above  Moses.  O  my  soul,  consider  if  thou  art  thus  taught  of 
 God! 
 
 (4.)  I  will  forgive  their  iniquity,  and  I  will  remember  their 
 sins  no  more. — Consider  of  this  !  Blessed  are  they  whose  ini- 
 quities are  forgiven,  and  whose  sins  are  covered.  Consider,  O 
 my  soul ;  suppose  thy  condition  thus  :  As  thou  livest  under  the 
 laws  of  men,  so  for  the  transgression  of  those  laws  thou  art 
 called  to  account  :  the  judge  weighs,  and  gives  just  judgment, 
 he  dooms  thee  to  the  axe,  or  rack,  or  wheel ;  and  because  of  the 
 aggravation  of  thy  crime,  he  commands  thee  to  be  tortured  lei- 
 surely, that  bones,  sinews,  joints,  might  be  pained  for  twenty, 
 thirty,  forty,  fifty  years  ;  that  so  much  of  thy  flesh  should  be 
 cut  off  every  day  ;  that  such  and  such  a  bone  should  be  broken, 
 such  and  such  a  day ;  and  that  by  art  the  flesh  should  be  re- 
 stored, and  the  bone  cured  again,  that  for  so  many  years  thou 
 mightest  be  kept  every  day  dying,  and  yet  never  die  ;  that  all 
 this  while  thou  must  have  no   sleep,  nor  ease,  nor  food,  nor 
 
188  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 clothing :  that  whips  of  iron,  scourges  of  scorpions,  that  racks, 
 wheels,  caldrons  full  of  melted  lead,  should  be  prepared,  instru- 
 ments of  thy  continual  torments  ;  in  this  case,  suppose  a  mighty 
 prince,  by  an  act  of  free  and  special  grace,  should  deliver  thee 
 from  this  pain  and  torture,  and  not  only  so,  but  should  give  thee 
 a  life  in  perfect  health,  should  put  thee  into  a  paradise  of  plea- 
 sures, where  all  the  honour,  love,  and  service,  of  a  world  of  men 
 and  angels,  should  await  thee,  and  where  thou  shouldst  be  ele- 
 vated to  the  top  of  all  imaginable  happiness,  above  Solomon  in 
 the  highest  royalty,  or  Adam  in  his  first  innocence;  were  not 
 this  mercy  ?  Wouldst  thou  not  think  it  the  highest  act  of  grace 
 and  love  that  any  creature  could  extend  to  his  fellow-creatm-e  ? 
 And  yet  all  this  is  nothing  but  a  shadow  of  grace,  in  comparison 
 of  the  love  and  rich  grace  of  God  in  the  justification  of  a  sinner. 
 If  thou  hast  a  right  to  this  promise.  I  luill  forgive  thy  iniquity^ 
 and  remember  thy  sin  no  more,  thou  art  delivered  from  eternal 
 death,  and  thou  art  entitled  to  an  eternal  kingdom.  Oh  !  know 
 thy  "blessedness  aright ;  consider  how  infinitely  thou  art  engaged 
 to  God,  and  Christ,  and  mercy,  and  free-grace  1  This  promise 
 sounds  forth  nothing  but  grace  and  blessing ;  grace  from  God, 
 and  blessing  on  us  :  it  is  grace,  because  nothing  but  grace  and 
 mercy  can  forgive ;  it  is  grace,  because  God,  if  he  will,  hath 
 power  in  his  hand  to  revenge  ;  he  doth  not  pass  by  sin  as  men  do 
 offences,  when  they  dissemble  forgiveness  ;  they  may  forgive, 
 because  they  have  not  power  to  avenge :  it  is  otherwise  with 
 God — To  me  belongs  vengeance,  saith  God :  he  is  able  to  de- 
 stroy, and  yet  he  chuseth  to  forgive.  This  is  his  name, — strong, 
 and  gracious. 
 
 O  my  soul,  thou  art  apt  to  say.  Will  the  Lord  forgive  my 
 sins  ?  what  reason  hath  God  to  look  on  me,  to  pardon  me,  to 
 pluck  me  as  a  firebrand  out  of  the  fire  of  hell  ?  why  should  (^od 
 forgive  me  ?  But  now  consider,  if  thy  heart  be  humbled,  the 
 Lord  will  do  it. 
 
 (1.)  Because  he  delighteth  in  mercy  :  it  is  a  pleasure  to  God 
 to  forgive  sins.  Never  did  we  take  more  pleasure,  nor  so  much 
 pleasure,  in  committing  sin,  as  he  doth  in  pardoning  sin.  He 
 is  the  Father  of  mercies  ;  he  delights  in  mercy,  as  a  father  in  his 
 children  ;  it  doth  him  good  to  see  the  fruits  of  his  own  mercy,  in 
 taking  away  the  sins  of  his  own  people. 
 
 (2.)  Because  it  is  his  nature  and  inclination  to  pardon  sin. 
 This  appears, 
 
 [1.]  In  the  proclaiming  of  his  name  :  The  Lord,  the  Lord, 
 merciful  and  gracious,  long-suffering,  abundant  in  goodness  arid 
 truth,  keeping  mercy  for  thousands,  forgiving  iniquity,  and 
 transgression,  and  sin, 
 
 [2.]  In  his  gracious  invitations  :  Come  unto  7ne,  saith  Christ : 
 if  sin  burden  you,  I  will  ease  you. 
 
 [3.]  In  his  patience,  and  waiting  for  repentance.     He  waits 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  189 
 
 to  this  very  end,  that  he  might  be  gracious,  and  that  he  may  have 
 mercy, 
 
 [4.]  Because  it  is  his  promise  to  pardon  sin  :  /,  even  I,  am  he 
 that  blotteth  out  thy  tra?isgresswns  for  my  own  sake,  and  will 
 7iot  remember  thy  sins.  This  promise  of  pardon  is  one  of  the 
 great  blessings  of  the  covenant  of  grace.  You  hear  the  words, 
 /  will  forgive  their  iniquity,  and  I  will  remember  their  sins 
 no  more. 
 
 Now  come,  consider,  O  my  soul,  of  every  particular  in  this 
 gracious  covenant,  and  be  serious  in  thy  consideratio  n  !  Surely 
 there  is  too  much  expense  hi  thy  spirit  upon  vain,  and  transitory, 
 and  worldly  things.  Alas !  thou  hast  but  a  short  time  to  live ;  and 
 the  strength  of  thy  mind  is  the  most  precious  thing  thou  hast.  O 
 then  let  thy  inmost  thoughts  and  deep  affections  be  acted  and 
 exercised  on  this  subject.  If  God  and  Jesus,  and  all  thy  good,  be 
 included  here,  why  should  not  thy  whole  soul  be  intent  on  this  ? 
 why  shouldst  thou  spend  it  on  the  creature  ?  why  shouldst  thou 
 be  so  subject  to  carnal  griefs  and  fears  ?  Surely  all  these  are  fitter 
 to  be  fixed  on  God  in  Christ,  on  Jesus  in  a  covenant  of  grace. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  Desiring  Jesus  in  that  resjject. 
 
 We  must  desire  Jesus,  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  man's 
 salvation  before  his  coming  in  the  flesh.  It  is  not  enough  to 
 know  and  consider,  but  we  must  desire.  This  is  the  order  of 
 God's  work  :  no  sooner  hath  his  Spirit  clearly  revealed  the  good- 
 ness of  the  promise  that  we  come  to  know,  but  the  soul  considers 
 of  it,  views  it  in  all  its  excellencies,  weighs  it  in  the  balance  of 
 its  best  and  deepest  meditation.  This  done,  the  affections  begin 
 to  stu',  and  the  soul  begins  thus  to  reason  :  *  Oh  !  happy  I,  that 
 I  see  the  goodness  of  this  gracious  promise  ;  but  miserable  I,  if 
 I  come  to  see  this,  and  never  have  a  share  in  it !  O  !  why  not 
 J,  Lord  ?  why  not  my  sins  pardoned  ?  why  not  my  corruptions 
 subdued  ?  why  not  the  law  written  in  my  heart,  and  put  into  my 
 inward  parts  ?  why  may  not  I  say.  My  Lord,  my  God !  Or,  / 
 am  my  Beloved's,  and  my  Beloved  is  mine  f  Why  not  this  cove- 
 nant established  between  God  and  me  ?  Now,  my  soul  thirsts 
 after  this  as  a  thirsty  land,  my  affections  hunger  after  Jesus. 
 Oh  !  I  would  fain  be  in  covenant  with  God  ;  for  this  is  all  my 
 salvation,  and  all  my  desire  !  2  Sam.  xxiii.  5. 
 
 Come  then,  my  soul,  and  whet  thy  desires  in  every  one  of 
 these  respects  :  as,  1 .  desire  thy  interest  in  the  covenant :  2.  de- 
 sire thy  improvement  of  the  covenant :  3.  desire  the  continuance 
 of  thy  covenant  state  :  4.  desire  Jesus,  the  great  business,  or  the 
 all  in  all,  in  a  covenant  of  grace. 
 
 1 .  Desire  thy  interest  in  the  covenant.  Say  in  thyself  :  ^  Is 
 the  world  willing  to  receive  me  to  his  grace  ?  Was  that  his  voice 
 in  the  streets,  Hoiv  long,  ye  simple  ones,  luill  ye  loi'e  simplicity  ? 
 
190  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 Turn  ye  at  my  reproof,  behold,  I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit  upon 
 you.  Was  that  his  proclamation.  Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth, 
 come  ye  to  the  waters, — incline  your  ear  and  to  come  unto  me, — 
 and  i  will  make  an  everlasting  covenant  with  you,  even  the  sure 
 mercies  of  David  ?  And  are  these  the  promises  offered  in  the 
 covenant,  I  will  put  my  law  into  their  imvard  parts,  a7id  I  will 
 ivrite  it  in  your  hearts;  and  I  will  he  your  God,  and  ye  shall  be 
 my  people  f  Oh,  the  blessed  condition  of  those  people  that  are 
 in  covenant  vrith  God  !  Blessed  art  thou,  O  Israel,  who  is  like 
 unto  thee  a  people  saved  of  the  Lord!  Happy  is  the  people 
 that  are  in  such  a  case,  yea,  happy  is  that  people  whose  God  is 
 the  Lord. — But  ah,  what  can  I  say  !  No  sin  Hke  unto  my  sin,  no 
 misery  like  Tinto  my  misery.  Alas,  I  die  for  hunger,  whilst 
 those  that  are  in  my  Father's  house  have  bread  enough.  Oh, 
 that  I  were  in  their  condition  1  Never  did  David  long  more  for 
 the  waters  of  the  well  of  Bethlehem,  than  my  soul,  now  touched 
 with  the  sense  of  sin,  doth  desire  to  be  at  peace  ^vith  God,  and 
 in  covenant  with  him.  Oh  !  I  thirst,  I  pant,  I  gasp  after  him, 
 I  long  for  communion  and  peace  with  him ;  with  my  soul  do  I 
 desire  thee  in  the  night,  yea,  with  my  spirit  within  me  do  I  seek 
 thee  early.' 
 
 2.  Desire  the  improvement  of  the  covenant :  It  may  be,  God 
 hath  given  thee  an  interest  in  it ;  but,  alas  !  thy  hold  is  so  weak 
 that  thou  scarce  knowest  the  meaning  of  it ;  the  Lord  may  an- 
 swer, but  yet  he  speaks  darkly,  as  some  time  he  spake  to  the 
 woman,  Go  thy  way,  and  sin  no  more.  It  is  a  middle  kind  of 
 expression,  neither  assuring  her  that  her  sin  was  pardoned,  nor 
 yet  putting  her  out  of  hope  that  it  might  be  pardoned.  So  it  may 
 be,  God  hath  given  thee  some  little  ease,  but  he  hatji  not  spoken 
 full  peace.  Go  on  then,  and  desire  more  confirmation  ;  say  in 
 thine  heart,  ^  O  Lord,  thou  hast  begun  to  shew  grace  unto  thy 
 servant ;  but  oh  !  manifest  to  me  all  thy  goodness  :  thou  hast 
 given  me  a  drop,  and  I  feel  it  so  sweet  that  now  I  thirst,  and  long 
 to  enjoy  the  fountain  :  thou  hast  given  me  a  taste,  but  my  desire 
 is  not  thereby  diminished,  but  enlarged ;  and  good  reason,  for 
 what  are  these  drops,  and  tastes,  but  only  the  first-fruits  and 
 earnests  of  the  Spirit.  Oh !  then,  what  are  those  harvests  of 
 joy  ?  What  are  those  treasures  of  \^isdom  and  free  grace  hid 
 in  God  ?  I  have  indeed  beheld  a  feast  of  fat  things,  of  fat 
 things  full  of  marroiv ,  of  wines  on  the  lees,  of  wines  on  the  lees 
 well  refined :  but  oh  !  what  a  famine  is  yet  in  my  spirit ! — OLord, 
 I  have  longed  for  thy  salvation.  Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly!' 
 
 3.  Desire  after  continuance  of  the  covenant- state.  Many  a 
 soul  cannot  deny  but  that  the  Lord  hath  shewed  mercy  on  him, 
 but  he  fears  that  he  shall  not  hold  out.  He  feels  within  such  a 
 power  of  conniption,  such  strong  temptations,  that  now  he 
 doubts,  O  what  will  become  of  my  poor  soul  ?  what  will  be  the 
 issue  of    this  ?    Come  now,   and  desire  perseverance.     When 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  191 
 
 Peter  was  ravished  on  the  mount.  It  is  good  being  here,  says  he, 
 ieftis  build  three  tabernacles:  his  desire  was  to  have  continued 
 there  for  ever.  O  come  with  these  pantings  and  breathings  after 
 God  ;  put  forth  thy  desires  in  these  or  the  Hive  expressions :  ^  O 
 Lord,  thou  hast  said,  I  will  betroth  thee  unto  me  for  ever  :  then. 
 Lord,  I  desire  the  accomplishment.  O  fulfil  what  thou  hast  said  I 
 It  would  break  my  heart  if  ever  the  covenant  should  be  broken 
 betwixt  me  and  thee.  My  desire  is  towards  thee  ;  and  the  more 
 I  enjoy  thee,  the  more  I  desire  and  pant  after  thee.  My  desires 
 are  like  thyself,  infinite,  eternal,  everlasting  desires. 
 
 4.  Desire  Jesus,  the  great  business,  or  the  all  in  all,  in  a 
 covenant  of  grace.  The  most  proper  object  of  desire,  especially 
 to  fallen  man,  is  Jesus  Christ.  Hence  it  is  that  a  poor  sinner, 
 under  the  sense  of  sin,  cries  out  with  the  vehemency  of  desire, 
 '  Christ  and  none  but  Christ ;  give  me  Christ,  or  I  die,  I  am 
 undone,  I  am  lost  for  ever.'  But  what  is  Christ,  or  Jesus,  to  a 
 covenant  of  grace  ?  I  answer,  he  is  the  great  business,  he  is 
 the  all  in  all. 
 
 (1.)  Christ  is  the  messenger  of  tliis  covenant :  The  Lord  whom 
 ye  seek  shall  suddenly  come  to  his  temple,  even  the  messenger  of 
 the  covenant,  whom  ye  delight  in.  Christ  travels  with  tidings 
 between  parties  of  the  covenant : 
 
 [1 .]  He  reports  of  God  to  us,  he  commends  his  Father  unto 
 us.  Ministers  cannot  speak  of  Christ,  and  of  his  Father,  as  he 
 can  do  himself.  O  my  soul,  to  excite  thy  desires,  come  and  hear 
 Christ  speak  of  Christ,  and  of  his  Father,  and  of  heaven  j  for  he 
 saw  all. 
 
 [2.1  He  reports  of  us  to  God ;  he  commends  us  to  his  Father. 
 O  righteous  Father,  the  world  hath  not  known  thee,  but  I  have 
 known  thee,  and  these  have  known  that  thou  hast  sent  me.  Happy 
 souls,-  of  whom  Christ  is  telling  good  tidings  in  heaven ;  for  he 
 is  the  Angel  of  the  covenant. 
 
 (2.)  He  is  the  witness  of  the  covenant ;  he  saw  and  heard 
 all.  Behold  I  have  given  him  for  a  witness  to  the  people;  and  he 
 is  called.  The  faithful  Witness ;  the  Amen  ;  the  faithful  and 
 true  JVitness.  The  covenant  saith,  The  Son  of  man  came  to 
 seek  and  save  that  which  was  lost :  Amen  ;  saith  Christ,  /  can 
 zuitness  that  to  be  true.  The  covenant  saith,  Christ  died,  and 
 rose  again  for  sinners :  Amen,  saith  Christ,  /  was  dead,  and 
 behold  I  live  for  ever  more.  Amen.  There  is  not  any  thing  said 
 in  the  covenant,  but  Christ  is  a  witness  to  it ;  and  therefore  we 
 read  in  the  very  end  of  the  Bible,  this  subscription,  as  I  may 
 call  it,  in  relation  to  Christ,  He  which  testifieth  of  these  thiiigs 
 saith  :  Surely  I  come  quickly;  Amen. 
 
 (3.)  Christ  is  the  surety  of  the  covenant.  Inasmuch  as  not 
 ivithout  an  ooih  he  was  made  a  priest,  by  so  much  luas  Jesus  made 
 a  surety  of  a  better  testament.  The  covenant  of  works  had  a 
 promise ;  but  because  it  was  to  be  broken,  and  done  away,  it 
 
19^  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 had  no  oath  of  God,  as  this  hath.  O  doubting  soul,  thou  that 
 sayest  thy  salvation  is  not  sure,  think  on  this  scripture  ;  thou 
 hast  the  oath  of  God  for  it  5  it  is  a  sworn  article  of  the  covenant, 
 Relieve  in  the  Lord  Jesus ^  and  thou  shalt  he  saved.  And  to  this 
 end  Christ  is  a  surety. 
 
 [1.]  Surety  for  God :  he  undertakes  that  God  shall  fulfil  his  part 
 of  the  covenant ;  Fear  not,  little  flock,  for  it  is  your  Father  s 
 good  pleasure  to  give  you  the  kingdom.  And  him  that  cometh 
 unto  me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out. 
 
 [2.]  Surety  for  us :  and  to  this  purpose  he  hath  paid  a  ransom 
 for  us,  and  giveth  a  new  heart  to  us. 
 
 (4.)  Christ  is  the  mediator  of  the  covenant.  The  apostle  calls 
 him,  Jesus  the  Mediator  of  the  7iew  covenant.  He  hath  some- 
 thing of  God,  as  being  true  God,  and  something  of  man,  as 
 sharing  with  us  of  the  nature  of  man  :  hence  he  is  mediator  by 
 office,  and  layeth  his  hands  on  both  parties,  as  a  days-man  doth ; 
 and  in  this  respect  he  is  a  friend,  a  reconciler,  and  a  servant.  1 . 
 A  friend  to  both  parties  :  he  hath  God's  heart  for  man,  to  be 
 gracious ;  and  he  hath  man's  heart  for  God,  to  satisfy  justice. 
 2.  A  reconciler  of  both  parties  :  he  brings  down  God  to  a  treaty 
 of  peace,  and  he  brings  up  man  by  a  ransom  paid  ;  so  that  he 
 may  say  unto  both,  '  Father,  come  down  to  my  brethren,  my 
 kindred  and  flesh ;  and,  thou  my  sister  and  spouse,  come  up  to 
 my  Father,  and  thy  Father,  to  my  God  and  thy  God.'  3.  He  is 
 a  servant  to  both  parties  :  Behold  my  servant,  saith  God,  my 
 righteous  servant :  yea,  and  our  servant.  He  came  not  to  be 
 served,  hut  to  serve,  and  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for  many. 
 
 (5.)  Christ  is  the  testator  of  the  covenant.  He  died  to  this 
 very  end,  that  he  might  confiiin  the  covenant.  Where  a  testa- 
 ment is,  there  must  also  of  necessity  he  the  death  of  the  testator: 
 for  a  testament  is  of  force  after  men  are  dead,  otherwise  it  is  of 
 no  strength  at  all  whilst  the  testator  liveth.  Christ  then  must 
 die,  and  Christ's  blood  must  be  shed,  to  seal  the  covenant  of 
 grace.  It  is  not  every  blood,  but  Christ's  blood,  that  must  seal 
 the  everlasting  covenant,  Heb.  xiii.  20,  and  his  blood  being  shed, 
 he  is  then  rightly  called  the  testator  of  the  covenant. 
 
 O  what  fuel  is  here  to  set  our  desires  on  flame  !  Come,  soul, 
 and  bend  thy  desires  towards  Christ,  as  the  sunflower  towards 
 the  sun,  the  iron  to  the  loadstone  ;  yea,  the  nearer  thou  drawest 
 towards  Christ,  the  more  do  thou  desire  Christ.  "  He  that  thirsts, 
 let  him  thirst  more,"  saith  Bernard,  "and  he  that  desires,  let 
 him  desire  yet  more  abundantly."  Is  there  not  cause  ?  O  what 
 excellencies  hast  thou  found  in  Christ  !  Poor  soul  !  thou  hast 
 undone  thyself  by  sin,  there's  but  a  step  betwixt  thee  and  dam- 
 nation ;  but,  to  save  thy  soul,  Christ  comes  leaping  on  the  moun- 
 tains, and  skipping  on  the  hills  :  he  enters  into  a  covenant  with 
 God ;  he  is  the  messenger  of  the  covenant,  the  witness  of  the 
 covenant,  the  surety  of  the  covenant,  the  mediator  of  the  cove- 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  193 
 
 nant,  the  testator  of  the  covenant,  the  great  business,  the  all 
 in  all.  If  David  could  say,  My  soul  breaks  for  the  longing  that 
 it  hath  to  thy  judgments  at  all  times;  how  mayest  thou  say, 
 '  My  soul  breaks  for  the  longings  that  it  hath  to  thy  mercies,  (and 
 my  Jesus,)  at  all  times/  Oh  !  I  gasp  for  grace,  as  the  thirsty 
 land  for  drops  of  rain.  I  thirst,  I  faint,  I  hmguish,  I  long  for,  an 
 hearty  draught  of  the  fountain  opened  to  the  house  of  David, 
 and  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem.  Oh  !  that  I  could  see 
 Jesus  flying  through  the  midst  of  heaven,  with  the  covenant  in 
 his  hand.  Oh!  I  long  for  that  angel  of  the  covenant;  I  long 
 to  see  such  another  vision  as  John  did,  when  he  said,  And  I  saw 
 another  angel  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  having  the  everlasting 
 gospel  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell  upoti  the  earth.  What !  is 
 that  covenant  in  the  hand  of  Christ  ?  And  is  my  name  written 
 in  that  roll  ?  Say,  Lord,  is  my  name  written  on  the  heart  of 
 Clu*ist  ?  Oh !  if  1  had  the  glory  of  all  the  world ;  if  1  had  ten 
 thousand  worlds,  and  ten  thousand  lives ;  I  would  lay  them  all 
 down,  to  have  this  poor  trembling  soul  of  mine  assured  of  this. 
 Oh !  my  thirst  is  insatiable,  my  bowels  are  hot  within  me ;  my 
 desire  after  Jesus  is  greedy  as  the  grave,  the  coals  thereof  are  as 
 coals  of  fire,  which  hath  a  most  vehement  flame. 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  Hoping  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Hope  is  a  certain  confidence  that  the  desired  good  will  come. 
 All  the  question  is,  whether  those  promises  contained  in  the 
 covenant  of  grace  belong  unto  me  ?  and  what  are  the  grounds 
 on  which  my  hope  is  built  ?  If  the  grounds  be  weak,  then  hope 
 is  doubtful,  or  presumptuous ;  but  if  the  grounds  be  right,  then 
 hope  is  right,  and  I  may  cast  anchor,  and  build  upon  it. 
 
 In  the  disquisition  of  these  grounds,  we  shall  only  search  into 
 those  qualifications  which  the  scripture  tells  us  they  are  quali- 
 fied with,  with  whom  the  Lord  enters  into  a  covenant  of  grace : 
 and  these  we  shall  reduce — I.  To  the  condition  of  the  covenant. 
 2.  To  the  promise  of  the  covenant. 
 
 I .  If  thou  art  in  a  covenant  with  God,  then  hath  God  wrought 
 in  thee  that  condition  of  the  covenant,  a  true  and  lively  faith. 
 Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved.  The  pro- 
 mise of  life  contained  in  the  covenant  is  made  only  to  believers. 
 This  is  §0  sure  a  way  of  trial,  that  the  apostle  himself  directs  us 
 thereunto :  Examine  yourselves  whether  ye  he  in  the  faith.  But 
 how  shall  I  examine  ?     Why,  thus : 
 
 (1.)  True  faith  mil  carry  thee  out  of  thyself  unto  Christ :  / 
 live,  yet  not  /,  hut  Christ  liveth  in  me.  A  faithful  man  hath 
 not  his  life  in  himself,  but  in  Christ  Jesus ;  he  hath  his  spiritual 
 being  in  the  Father,  and  in  his  Son  Jesus  Christ ;  he  is  joined 
 to  the  Lord,  and  is  one  spirit ;  he  seeth  the  Father  in  the  Son, 
 7.  2  b 
 
194  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 and  the  Son  within  himself,  and  also  the  Father  within  himself 
 through  the  Son.  Know  ye  not  that  Christ  Jesus  is  in  yott, 
 except  ye  be  reprohatesf  Ye  shall  know  me,  saith  Christ,  that  I 
 am  i?i  the  Father,  and  you  in  me,  and  I  in  you. 
 
 (2.)  True  faith  will  carry  thee  beyond  the  world.  A  believer 
 looks  on  Christ  overcoming  the  world  through  him : — this  is  the 
 victory  that  overcometh  the  world,  even  your  faith. 
 
 (3.)  True  faith  is  ever  accompanied  with  true  love.  If  once 
 by  faith  thou  apprehendest  Christ's  love  to  thee,  thou  canst  not 
 but  love  Christ,  who  loved  thee,  and  gave  himself  for  thee : — We 
 love  him,  because  he  first  loved  us. 
 
 (4.)  True  faith  purifies  the  heart,  and  purgeth  out  sin.  When 
 God  discovers  this,  that  he  will  heal  backsliding,  and  love  freely, 
 and  turn  away  his  anger,  then  Ephraim  shall  say.  What  have  I 
 any  more  to  do  with  idols  f  If  ever  Christ  reveal  himself  as 
 the  justification,  he  will  be  sure  to  present  himself  as  the  pattern 
 of  our  sanctification.  The  knowledge  of  God's  goodness  will 
 make  us  in  love  with  holiness. 
 
 (5.)  Above  all,  observe  the  rise.  True  faith  is  ever  bottomed 
 upon  the  sense  and  pain  of  a  lost  condition.  This  is  faith's 
 method — be  condemned,  to  be  saved;  be  sick,  and  be  healed. 
 Faith  is  a  flower  of  Christ's  own  planting,  but  it  grows  in  no 
 soul,  but  only  on  the  margin  of  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone  ; 
 in  regard  there's  none  so  fit  for  Christ  and  heaven,  as  those  who 
 are  self-sick,  and  self- condemned  to  hell.  They  that  be  whole, 
 need  not  a  physician,  saith  Christ,  but  they  that  are  sick.  I 
 know  Satan  argues  thus :  Thou  art  not  worthy  of  Christ,  and 
 therefore  what  hast  thou  to  do  with  Christ  ?  But  faith  con- 
 cludes otherwise  :  I  am  not  worthy  of  Christ,  I  am  out  of  measure 
 sinful,  I  tremble  at  it,  and  I  am  sensible  of  it,  and  therefore 
 ought  I,  and  therefore  must  I,  come  to  Christ  ?  This  arguing 
 is  gospel-logic,  and  the  right  method  of  a  true  and  saving  faith  ; 
 for  what  is  faith,  but  the  act  of  a  sinner  humbled,  weary,  laden, 
 poor,  and  self-condemned  ?  Oh  !  take  heed  of  their  doctrine,  who 
 make  faith  the  act  of  some  vile  person  never  humbled,  but  apply- 
 ing, with  an  immediate  touch,  his  hot,  boiling,  and  smoking 
 lusts,  to  the  bleeding,  blessed  wounds  and  death  of  Jesus 
 Christ ! 
 
 2.  If  thou  art  in  covenant  v/ith  Grod,  then  hath  God  fulfilled 
 in  some  part  the  promises  of  this  covenant  to  thy  soul. 
 
 (1.)  Then  hath  God  put  the  law  into  thy  inward  parts,  and 
 writ  it  in  thy  heart.  Look,  as  face  in  the  glass  answers  face,  so 
 does  the  conformity  of  thy  heart  to  the  law  of  God :  thou  obeyest 
 God's  will,  and  delightest  in  that  obedience ;  thou  sayest  with 
 David,  I  delight  to  do  thy  will,  O  God;  yea,  thy  law  is  within 
 my  heart. 
 
 (2.)  Thou  art  by  covenant  as  one  of  the  people  of  God. 
 Christ  hath  thy  soul,  thy  body,  thy  affections  5  thou  art  Christ's 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  195 
 
 by  marriage ;  thou  hast  passed  thyself  over  unto  him  to  be  his 
 spouse,  his  crown,  his  servant,  his  child,  for  ever. 
 
 Are  these,  O  my  soul,  the  grounds  of  thy  hopes;  a  lively 
 faith  in  Jesus  ?  an  accomplishment  in  some  measure  of  the  pro- 
 mises of  the  covenant?  Why,  these  are  the  fuel  of  hope.  If 
 this  be  thy  case,  act  thy  hope  strongly  on  Christ,  and  on  the 
 covenant  of  grace.  Oh!  hope  in  Jesus.  Draw  on  thy  hope 
 yet  more  and  more.  Be  not  content  only  with  an  hope  of  ex- 
 pectation, but  bring  it  on  to  an  hope  of  confidence,  or  assurance  • 
 thou  canst  not  fail,  if  thou  hangest  thy  hope  on  Jesus. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Of  Believing  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 We  must  believe  in  Jesus  carrying  on  this  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  in  a  way  of  covenant.  Consider,  O  thou  soul,  to  this 
 end,  these  following  passages : 
 
 1.  Consider  the  gracious  nature  of  God.  That  which  undoes 
 broken  hearts,  and  trembling  souls,  is  misconceivings  of  God. 
 We  have  many  times  low  thoughts  of  God's  goodness,  but  we 
 have  large  thoughts  of  his  power  and  wrath.  Now,  to  rectify 
 these  misapprehensions,  consider  his  name,  and  therein  his 
 nature :  The  Lord,  the  Lord  God,  merciful  and  gracious,  long- 
 siiffering,  and  abundant  in  goodness  and  truth,  keeping  mercy 
 for  thousands,  forgiving  iniquity,  transgressions,  and  sins. 
 
 2.  Consider  the  gracious  nature  of  Jesus  Christ.   Our  thoughts 
 of  God  are  necessarily  more  strange  than  of  Jesus  Christ,  be- 
 cause of  our  infinite  distance  from  the  Godhead ;  but  in  Christ, 
 God  is  come  down  into  our  nature,  and  so  infinite  goodness  and 
 mercy  is  incarnate.     Art  thou  afraid,  O  my  soul,  at  his  name 
 Jah,  and  Jehovah?     Oh  !  remember  his  name  is  Emmanuel ;  the 
 lion  is  here  disrobed  of  his  garment  of  terror :  see  thy  God  dis- 
 robed of  his  terrible  majesty;    see  thy  God  is  a  man,  and  thy 
 Judge  is  a  brother.      Oh,  that  name  Jesus  !    that  name  that 
 sounds  healing  for  every  wound,  settlement  for  every  distrac- 
 tion, comfort  for  every  sorrow.      But  here's  the  misery;  souls 
 in  distress  had  rather  be  poring  on  hell  than  heaven.     O  my 
 soul,  how  canst  thou  more  contradict  the  nature  of  Christ,  than 
 to  think  him  a  destroyer  of  men  ?      But  wherein  appears  the 
 gracious  nature  of  Christ  ?     I  answer,   1 .  In  his  being  incarnate. 
 How  could  Jesus  have  manifested  more  willingness  to  save, 
 than  that  the  Godhead  should  condescend  to  assume  our  nature  ? 
 2.  In  his  tender  dealing  with  all  sorts  of  sinners.     He  professed 
 that  he  came  into  the  world  not  to  condemn  the  world,  but  that 
 the  world  through  him  might  be  saved.      He  wept  over  Jeru- 
 salem, saying,  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  how  oft  woidd  I  have 
 gathered  thee  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings  ? 
 but  ye  would  not.     And  when  his  disciples  would  have  had  fire 
 come  down  from  heaven  to  consume  those  that  refused  him,  he 
 
196  I^ooking  unto  tfesus, 
 
 reproved  them,  and  told  them,  they  knew  not  of  what  spirits 
 they  were.  3.  In  his  care  of  his  own;  not  caring  what  he  suf- 
 fered, so  they  might  be  saved.  Alas,  alas;  that  the  Lord 
 Jesus  should  pass  through  a  life  of  misery,  to  a  death  more  miser- 
 able, to  manifest  ojfenly  to  the  world  the  abundance  of  his  love, 
 and  yet  that  my  soul  should  suspect  him  of  cruelty,  or  unwilling- 
 ness to  shew  mercy!  Ah,  my  soul,  believe;  never  cry  out, 
 my  sins,  my  sins!  there  is  a  gracious  nature  in  Jesus  Christ  to 
 pardon  all. 
 
 3.  Consider  of  those  tenders  and  offers  of  Christ,  those  en- 
 treaties and  beseechings  to  accept  of  Christ,  which  are  made  in 
 the  gospel.  What  is  the  gospel?  or  what  is  the  sum  of  all  the 
 gospel,  but  this !  O  take  Christ,  and  life  in  Christ,  that  thou 
 mayst  be  saved.  What  mean  these  free  offers  ?  Ho  every  one 
 that  thirsteth,  come  to  the  waters;  and  whosoever  luill,  let  hini 
 take  of  the  luaters  of  life  freely ;  and,  God  so  loved  the  world, 
 that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  helieveth  on 
 him  should  not  j^erish,  hut  have  everlasting  life.  God  is  the 
 first  suitor  and  solicitor ;  he  first  prays  the  soul  to  take  Christ. 
 Hark  at  the  door  !  who  is  it  that  knocks  there  ?  who  is  it  that 
 calls  now,  even  now  ?  Open  unto  me,  my  sister,  my  love,  my 
 dove,  my  undefiled;  for  my  head  is  Jilted  with  dew,  and  my  locks 
 with  the  drops  of  the  night.  See  him  through  the  \vindows. 
 This  can  be  none  but  Christ ;  his  sweet  language  of  sister,  love, 
 and  dove,  bespeaks  him  Christ ;  his  suffering  language,  that  his 
 head  is  filled  with  dew,  and  his  locks  with  drops  of  the  night, 
 bespeaks  him  Christ.  But  hearken  the  motion  he  makes  to  thy 
 soul :  Soul !  consider  what  price  I  have  given  to  save  thee.  This 
 my  body  was  crucified,  my  hands  and  feet  nailed,  my  heart 
 pierced,  and  through  anguish  I  was  forced  to  cry,  my  soul  is 
 heavy,  heavy  unto  death  !  and  now  what  remains  for  thee  but 
 only  to  believe  ?  See  all  things  ready  on  my  part,  justification, 
 sanctification,  salvation.  I  will  be  thy  God,  and  thou  shalt  be 
 of  the  number  of  my  people.  I  offer  now  myself  and  merits, 
 and  benefits  flowing  therefrom,  and  I  entreat  thee  to  accept  of 
 this  offer.  Oh !  take  Christ,  and  life  and  salvation  in  Christ. 
 What,  is  this  the  voice  of  my  Beloved  ?  are  these  the  entreaties 
 of  Jesus  ?  and,  O  my  soul,  wilt  thou  not  believe  ?  wilt  thou  not 
 accept  of  this  gracious  offer  of  Christ !  Oh  !  consider  who  it  is 
 that  proclaimeth,  inviteth,  beseecheth.  If  a  poor  man  should 
 offer  thee  mountains  of  gold,  thou  mightest  doubt  of  perform 
 ance,  because  he  is  not  of  that  power ;  if  a  covetous  rich  man 
 should  offer  thee  thousands  of  silver,  thou  mightest  doubt  of  per- 
 formance, because  it  is  contrary  to  his  nature  :  but  Christ  is 
 neither  poor,  nor  covetous ;  as  he  is  able,  so  his  name  is  gra- 
 cious, and  his  nature  is  to  be  faithful  in  performance,  his  cove- 
 nant is  sealed  with  his  blood,  and  confirmed  by  his  oath,  that 
 all  shall  have  pardon  that  vrill  but  come  in,  and  believe.     Oh ! 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  197 
 
 then  let  these  words  of  Christ,  whose  lips  are  dropping  down 
 myrrh,  prevail  with  my  soul.  Say  amen  to  his  offer;  I  believe. 
 Lord  help  my  unbelief. 
 
 4.  Consider  those  commands  of  Christ,  which,  notwithstand- 
 ing all  thy  excuses  or  pretences,  he  fastens  on  thee  to  believe. 
 And  this  is  his  commandment,  that  tve  should  believe  on  the  name 
 of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  Surely  this  command  should  entirely 
 outweigh  all  countermands  of  flesh  and  blood,  of  Satan,  nature, 
 reason,  sense,  and  all  the  world.  Why,  this  command  is  thy 
 very  ground  and  warrant,  against  which  the  very  gates  of  hell 
 can  never  prevail.  When  Abraham  had  a  command  to  kill  his 
 only  son  with  his  own  hand,  though  it  was  matter  of  as  great 
 grief  as  could  possibly  pierce  his  heart,  yet  he  would  readily 
 submit  to  it ;  how  much  more  shouldst  thou  obey,  when  God 
 commands  no  more,  but  that  thou  shouldst  believe  on  the  name 
 of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ  ?  There  is  no  evil  in  this  command ;  no, 
 it  comprehends  in  it  all  good  imaginable.  Have  Christ,  and 
 thou  hast  with  him  the  excellency  and  variety  of  all  blessings 
 both  of  heaven  and  earth;  have  Christ,  and  thou  hast  with  him 
 a  discharge  of  all  those  endless  and  easeless  torments  of  hell ; 
 have  Christ,  and  thou  hast  with  him  the  glorious  Deity  itself,  to 
 be  enjoyed  through  him  to  all  eternity.  O  then,  believe  in  Jesus  1 
 Suffer  not  the  devil's  cavils,  and  the  groundless  exceptions  of 
 thine  own  heart,  to  prevail  with  thee  against  the  direct  com- 
 mandment of  Almighty  God. 
 
 5.  Consider  the  messages  of  Christ,  which  he  daily  sends  by 
 the  hands  of  his  gospel  ministers.  /^Te  are  ambassadors  for 
 Christ,  as  though  God  did  beseech  you  by  us;  we  pray  you,  in 
 Christ's  stead,  be  ye  reconciled  unto  God.  What  a  wonder  is 
 here !  would  not  an  earthly  prince  disdain  to  send  to  his  rebel- 
 lious slaves  for  reconcilement?  It  is  otherwise  with  Christ;  he 
 is  content  to  put  up  at  our  hands  all  indignities  and  affronts ;  he 
 is  glad  to  sue  to  us  first,  and  to  send  his  ambassadors  day  after 
 day,  beseeching  us  to  be  reconciled  unto  him.  O  uicompre- 
 hensible  depth  of  unspeakable  mercy  and  encouragement  to  come 
 to  Christ !  Wilt  thou  take  Christ  to  thy  bridegroom,  and  for- 
 sake all  others  ?  This  is  the  message  which  God  hath  bid  me 
 to  deliver  to  thee :  the  Lord  Jesus  expects  an  answer  from  thee ; 
 and  I  should  be  glad  to  return  a  fit  answer  to  him  that  sent  me. 
 Say  then,  wilt  thou  have  Christ  for  thy  husband  ?  wilt  thou  enter 
 into  covenant  with  him  ?  wilt  thou  surrender  up  thy  soul  to  thy 
 God?  wilt  thou  rely  on  Christ,  and  apply  Christ's  merits  par- 
 ticularly to  thyself?  wilt  thou  believe?  for  that  is  it  I  mean  by 
 taking,  receiving,  and  marrying  of  Christ.  O  happy  if  I  could 
 but  join  Christ  and  thy  soul  together  this  day !  O  happy  thou, 
 if  thou  wouldst  this  day  be  persuaded  by  a  poor  ambassador  of 
 Christ !  Blame  me  not,  if  I  am  an  importmiate  messenger.  If 
 ever  I  hear  from  thee,  let  me  hear  some  good  news,  that  I 
 
198  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 may  return  it  to  heaven,  and  give  God  the  glory.  Come,  say 
 on;  art  thou  willing  to  have  Christ?  wouldst  thou  have  thy 
 name  enrolled  in  the  covenant  of  grace  ?  shall  God  be  thy  God, 
 and  Christ  thy  Christ  ?  wilt  thou  have  the  person  of  Christ,  and 
 all  those  privileges  flowing  from  the  blood  of  Christ  ?  sure  thou 
 art  willing,  art  thou  not  ?  Stay  then ;  thou  must  take  Christ  on 
 these  terms  ;  thou  must  believe  on  him ;  thou  must  take  him  as 
 thy  Saviour  and  Lord ;  thou  must  take  him,  and  forsake  all 
 others  for  him.  This  is  the  true  faith,  the  condition  of  the  cove- 
 nant. Oh !  believe  in  Jesus,  and  the  covenant  is  established, 
 and  all  doubts  removed. 
 
 Sect.  VI. — Of  Loving  Jesus  in  that  respect, 
 
 6.  We  must  love  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  this  great  work  of  our 
 salvation.  Go  on  then,  O  my  soul,  put  fire  to  the  earth,  blow 
 thy  little  spark,  set  before  thee  God's  love,  and  thou  canst  not 
 but  love. 
 
 In  God's  love  consider,  1.  The  time.  2.  The  properties. 
 3.  The  effects  of  it. 
 
 1.  For  the  time. — 1.  He  loved  thee  before  the  world  was  made. 
 Hast  thou  not  heard,  and  wilt  thou  ever  forget  it — were  not 
 those  ancient  loves  from  all  eternity? — 2.  He  loved  thee  in 
 the  very  beginning  of  the  world.  Was  not  the  promise  ex- 
 pressed to  Adam  intended  for  thee  ?  As  thou  sinnedst  in  his 
 loins,  so  didst  thou  in  his  loins  receive  the  promise.  It  shall 
 bruise  thy  head.  And  not  long  after,  when  God  established  his 
 covenant  with  Abraham  and  his  seed,  wast  thou  not  one  of  that 
 seed  of  Abraham  ?  3.  He  loves  thee  now  more  especially,  not 
 only  with  a  love  of  benevolence,  as  before,  but  with  a  love  of 
 complacency:  not  only  hath  he  struck  covenant  with  Christ, 
 with  Adam,  with  Abraham,  in  thy  behalf,  but  particularly  and 
 personally  with  thyself.  And  Oh  !  what  love  is  this  ?  If  a 
 woman  lately  conceiving,  love  her  future  fruit ;  how  much  more 
 doth  she  love  it  when  it  is  born  and  embraced  in  her  arms  ?  So, 
 if  God  loved  thee  before  thou  hadst  a  being,  yea,  before  the 
 world,  or  any  creature  in  it,  had  a  being ;  how  much  more  now  ? 
 Oh  the  height,  and  depth,  and  length,  and  breadth,  of  this  im- 
 measurable love !  O  my  soul,  I  cannot  express  the  love  of 
 God  in  Christ  to  thee.  I  do  but  draw  the  picture  of  the  sun 
 with  a  coal,  when  I  endeavour  to  express  God's  love  m  Christ. 
 
 2.  For  the  properties  of  this  love. — 1.  God's  love  to  thee  is  a 
 free  love.  I  will  love  them  freely,  saith  God.  And,  The  Lord 
 did  not  set  his  love  upon  you,  and  chuse  you,  because  ye  were 
 more  in  number  than  any  people, — but  because  the  Lord  loved 
 you.  There  can  be  no  other  reason  why  the  Lord  loved  thee, 
 but  because  he  loved  thee.  2.  God's  love  to  thee  is  the  love  of 
 all  relations.    Look,  what  a  friend's  love  is  to  a  friend,  or 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  1 99 
 
 what  a  father's  love  is  towards  a  child,  or  what  an  husband's 
 love  is  towards  a  wife,  such  is  God's  love  to  thee :  thou 
 art  his  friend,  his  son,  his  daughter,  his  spouse  5  and  God  is  thy 
 all  in  all. 
 
 3.  For  the  effects  of  his  love. — 1.  God  so  loves  thee,  as  that 
 he  hath  entered  a  covenant  with  thee.  Oh,  what  a  love  is  this ! 
 Tell  me,  O  my  soul,  is  there  not  an  infinite  disparity  betwixt 
 God  and  thee  ?  He  is  God  above,  and  thou  art  a  worm  below : 
 he  is  the  high  and  lofty  One  that  inhabiteth  eternity,  whose  name 
 is  holy,  and  thon  art  less  than  the  least  of  all  the  mercies  of 
 God.  O  wonder  at  such  a  condescension !  that  such  a  potter, 
 and  such  a  former  of  things,  should  come  on  terms  of  bargaining 
 with  such  clay  as  is  guilty  before  him !  Had  we  the  tongues  of 
 men  and  angels,  we  could  never  express  it. 
 
 God  so  loves  thee,  as  that  in  the  covenant  he  gives  thee  all  his 
 promises.  Indeed,  what  is  the  covenant  but  a  heap  t^i  pro- 
 mises ?  As  a  cluster  of  stars  makes  a  constellation,  so  a  mass 
 of  promises  concurreth  in  the  covenant  of  grace.  Wherever 
 Christ  is,  clusters  of  divine  promises  grow  out  of  him,  as  the 
 rays  and  beams  are  from  the  sun.  As  God  hath  given  thee  his 
 Son,  so  he  hath  given  thee  himself,  and  in  that  God  hath  given 
 thee  his  Son  and  himself;  this  is  a  greater  degree  of  love. 
 Christians !  stand  amazed.  Oh,  what  love  is  this  to  the  chil- 
 dren of  men !  Oh,  that  we  should  live  to  have  our  ears  filled 
 with  this  sound  from  heaven !  I  will  be  a  God  to  thee  and  to 
 thy  seed  after  thee;  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  I  will  he  their 
 God,  and  they  shall  he  my  people,  O  my  soul,  where  hast 
 thou  been  ?  Rouse  up,  and  set  before  thee  all  these  passages  of 
 God's  love  in  Christ:  are  not  these  strong  attractives  to  gain 
 thy  love  ?  Canst  thou  chuse  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God?  Shall 
 not  all  this  love  of  God  in  Christ  to  thee  constrain  thy  love  ? 
 God  in  Christ  is  the  very  element  of  love.  Every  element  will 
 to  its  proper  place.  Now  God  is  love,  and  whither  should  thy 
 love  be  carried,  but  to  this  ocean  or  sea  of  love  ?  Come,  my  he- 
 loved,  said  the  spouse  to  Christ,  let  us  go  up  early  to  the  vine 
 yards,  let  us  see  if  the  vines  flourish,  whether  the  tender  grapes 
 appear  ;  there  ivill  I  give  thee  my  loves.  The  flourishing  of  the 
 vine,  and  the  appearing  of  the  tender  grapes,  are  the  fruits  of 
 the  graces  of  God  in  the  assemblies  of  his  saints.  When  thou 
 comest  to  the  word,  prayer,  meditation,  be  sure  of  this,  to  give 
 Christ  thy  love. 
 
 Sect.  VII. — Of  Joying  in  Jesus  in  that  respect, 
 
 1.  We  must  joy  in  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of 
 our  salvation.  I  know  our  joy  here  is  but  in  part;  such  is  the 
 excellency  of  spiritual  joy,  that  it  is  reserved  for  heaven.  God 
 will  not  permit  it  to  be  pure  and  perfect  here  below ;   and  yet 
 
200  Looking  unto  t/esus. 
 
 such  as  it  is^  though  mingled  with  cares  and  pains,  it  is  a  blessed 
 duty ;  it  is  the  light  of  our  souls ;  and  were  it  quite  taken  away, 
 our  lives  would  be  nothing  but  horror  and  confusion. 
 
 O  my  soul,  exercise  this  joy.  Is  there  not  cause  ?  Come,  see 
 and  own  thy  blessedness.  Take  notice  of  the  great  things  the 
 Lord  hath  done  for  thee. — 1.  He  hath  made  a  covenant  with 
 thee  of  temporal  mercies.  Thou  hast  all  thou  hast  by  freehold- 
 ing  of  covenant-grace.  Thy  bread  is  by  covenant,  thy  sleep  is 
 by  covenant,  thy  safety  from  sword  is  by  the  covenant,  the  very 
 tilling  of  thy  land  is  by  a  covenant  of  gi'ace,  Ezek.  xxxvi.  34. 
 O  how  sweet  is  this  !  Every  crumb  is  from  Christ,  and  by  virtue 
 of  a  covenant  of  grace. 
 
 2.  He  hath  made  a  covenant  with  thee  of  spiritual  mercies  ; 
 even  a  covenant  of  peace,  and  grace,  and  blessing,  and  life  for 
 evermore.  God  is  become  thy  God.  He  is  all  things  to  thee  ; 
 he  hath  forgiven  thy  sins,  he  hath  given  thee  his  Spirit,  to  lead 
 thee,  to  sanctify  thee,  to  uphold  thee  in  that  state  wherein  thou 
 standest ;  and  at  last  he  will  bring  thee  to  a  full  enjoyment  of 
 himself  in  glory.  Oh  !  lift  up  thy  head,  strengthen  the  weak 
 hands  and  the  feeble  knees  ;  serve  the  Lord  with  gladness,  con- 
 sidering the  day  of  thy  salvation  draweth  nigh.  Write  it  in 
 letters  of  gold,  that  thy  God  is  in  covenant  with  thee,  to  love 
 thee,  to  bless  thee,  and  to  save  thee.  Yet  a  little  while,  and 
 he  that  shall  come  will  come,  and  receive  thee  to  himself,  and 
 then  thou  shalt  fully  know  what  it  is  to  have  a  God  to  be  thy 
 God.  If  a  man  in  covenant  with  God  looks  on  him,  he  saith. 
 This  is  my  Father ;  if  on  Christ,  This  is  my  elder  Brother ;  if 
 on  angels.  These  are  my  keepers;  if  on  heaven.  This  is  my 
 house ;  if  on  the  signs  of  heaven,  fire,  meteors,  thunder.  These 
 are  but  the  effects  of  my  Father's  power  ;  if  on  prosperity,  God 
 hath  yet  better  things  for  me  in  store ;  if  on  adversity,  Jesus 
 Christ  hath  suffered  much  more  for  me  than  this  ;  if  on  the  devil, 
 death,  and  hell,  O  death  !  where  is  thy  sting  f  O  grave  !  where 
 is  thy  victory  f  Come,  poor  soul,  is  it  not  thus  with  thee  ? 
 What !  art  thou  in  covenant  with  God,  or  art  thou  not  ?  If  yet 
 thou  doubtest,  review  thy  grounds  of  hope,  and  leave  not  there, 
 until  thou  comest  up  ta  assurance.  But  if  thou  art  persuaded 
 of  thy  interest.  Oh  !  then  rejoice  therein.  Is  it  not  a  gospel- 
 duty  to  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  and  again  to  rejoice !  The  Lord 
 is  delighted  in  thy  dehghts ;  he  would  fain  have  it  thy  constant 
 frame  and  daily  business  to  live  in  joy,  and  to  be  always  de- 
 hghting  thyself  in  him.  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  saith  David, 
 and  all  that  is  ivithin  me,  bless  his  holy  name.  So,  rejoice  in  the 
 Lord,  O  my  soul;  and  all  that  is  mthin  me,  rejoice  in  the  name 
 of  God.  This  is  true  joy,  when  the  soul  unites  itself  to  the 
 good  possessed  in  all  its  parts.  And  was  there  ever  such  an 
 object  of  true  joy  as  this?  Hearken,  as  if  heaven  opened,  and 
 the  voice  came  from  God  in  heaven :  /  ivill  be  a  God  to  thee^ 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus ^  201 
 
 ami  to  thy  seed  aftm^  thee,  lam  the  Lord  thy  God;  and^  / 
 tvill  he  thy  God,  What !  doth  not  thine  heart  leap  in  thy  bosom 
 at  this  sound  ?  John  the  Baptist  leaped  in  his  mother's  womb 
 for  joy,  at  the  sound  of  Mary's  voice ;  and  doth  not  thy  soul 
 spring  within  thee  at  this  voice  of  God  ?  O  wonder !  some  can 
 delight  themselves  in  sin  ;  and  is  not  God  better  than  sin  ?  If 
 there  be  in  thee  any  rejoicing  faculty^  now  awake,  and  stir  it  up. 
 It  is  the  Lord  thy  God  whom  thou  art  to  rejoice  in  ;  it  is  he  who 
 is  the  top  of  heaven's  jo}^,  their  exceeding  joy :  and  it  is  he 
 who  is  thy  God,  as  well  as  their  God.  Enough,  enough  !  or  if 
 this  be  not  enough,  hear  thy  duty,  as  the  Lord  commands  thee  : 
 Rejoice  in  the  Lord,  Phil.  iii.  1 .  Be  g tad,  ye  children  of  Zion, 
 and  rejoice  in  the  Lord  your  God,  Joel  ii.  23.  Bejoice  in  the 
 Lord,  all  ye  righteous,  for  praise  is  comely  for  the  tipright. 
 Psalm  xxxiii.  1.  Rejoice  in  the  Lord,  ye  righteous;  and  give 
 thanks  at  the  remembrance  of  his  holiness,  Psal.  xcvii.  12.  Let 
 all  those  that  put  their  trust  in  thee  rejoice  ;  let  them  shout  for 
 joy,  because  thou  defendest  them :  let  them  also  that  love  thy 
 name,  be  joyful  in  thee,  Psalm  v.  11 . 
 
 Sect.  VIIL — Of  Calling  on  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 We  must  call  on  Jestis,  or  on  God  the  Father  in  and  througli 
 Jesus,  in  reference  to  this  gracious  covenant.  Now  this  calling 
 on  God  contains  j^rayer  and  praise. 
 
 1.  We  must  pray.  We  must  use  arguments  of  faitli,  chal- 
 lenging God, — turn  thou  me,  and  I  shall  be  turned.  Why  ? 
 For  thou  art  the  Lord  my  God,  This  covenant  is  the  ground 
 on  which  all  prayers  must  be  bottomed.  The  covenant,  we  know, 
 contains  all  the  promises ;  and  what  is  prayer  but  promises 
 turned  into  petitions  ?  Thus  prayed  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  Do 
 not  abhor  us,  for  thy  name's  sake  ;  do  not  disgrace  the  throne  of 
 thy  gloi-y.  Remember,  break  not  thy  covenant  with  us.  Why  ? 
 ^rt  not  thou  the  Lord  our  God  ?  And  thus  prayed  the  prophet 
 Isaiah  ;  Be  not  wroth  very  sore,  neither  remember  iniciuity  for 
 ever.  Behold,  we  beseech  thee !  And  vvhy  so  ?  TFe  are  thy 
 people.  Be  thy  soul  in  trouble  for  sin  and  corruption ;  yet  go  to 
 God,  and  plead  his  promise  and  covenant :  say,  as  Jehoshaphat, 
 Lord,  I  know  not  what  to  do,  only  mine  eyes  are  unto  thee; 
 Oh!  do  thou  subdue  mine  iinquities.  Be  thy  soul  troubled  for 
 want  of  strength  to  do  this  or  that  duty ;  yet  go  to  God  and 
 Christ,  and  say,  '  Lord,  thou  knowest  I  have  no  strength  in 
 myself ;  I  am  a  barren  wilderness ;  but  thou  hast  entered  into  a 
 covenant  with  me,  that  thou  wilt  put  thy  law  into  my  inward 
 parts,  thou  wilt  cause  me  to  keep  thy  judgments,  and  do  them,' 
 Ezek.  xxxvi.  27-  Here  is  the  way ;  in  every  want,  or  strait,  or 
 necessity,  fly  to  God  and  Christ,  saying,  '  Thou  art  my  Father, 
 and  we  are  thy  people  ;  O  break  nOt  thy  covenant  with  us.' 
 8.  2e 
 
^02  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 2.  We  must  praise. — (1.)  If  we  would  have  the  blessmg,  let 
 us  seek  it  with  a  purpose  to  have  grace  exalted :  thus  Moses 
 sought  pardon  to  this  very  end,  that  God's  mercy  might  appear. 
 If  thou  wilt  pardon  their  sin,  thy  mercy  shall  appear,  and  we 
 shall  he  thankful  unto  thee  for  it ;  so  the  words  are  made  out 
 by  expositors,  which  in  the  text  are  either  passionately  or  mo- 
 destly suspended.  These  are  prevailing  requests  with  God,  when 
 we  plead  for  the  glorifying  of  his  own  grace.  Father,  glorify  thy 
 name,  said  Christ ;  and  presently  there  comes  a  voice  out  of  the 
 cloud,  I  have  glorified  it,  and  will  glorify  it  again. 
 
 (3.)  If  we  have  the  blessing  already,  then  be  sure  to  ascribe 
 glory  unto  him  that  hath  made  good  his  promise  -unto  us.  TVho 
 is  a  God  like  unto  thee,  who  passeth  by  the  transgressions  of  the 
 remnant  of  his  heritage  f  Who  shall  make  the  praise  of  his  grace 
 to  ring  through  the  world,  that  heaven  and  earth  may  wonder 
 at  the  grace  that  hath  been  shewed  us.  /  will  mention  the 
 loving -kindness  of  the  Lord,  and  the  praises  of  the  Lord,  accord- 
 ing to  all  that  the  Lord  hath  bestowed  on  us,  and  the  g^eat 
 goodness  towards  the  house  of  Israel,  which  he  hath  bestoiued  on 
 them  according  to  his  mercies,  and  accordiiig  to  the  multitude  of 
 his  loving-kindnesses.  See  how  the  prophet  mentions  the  kind- 
 nesses, the  loving-kindnesses,  the  multitude  of  his  loving-kind- 
 nesses, the  goodness,  and  the  great  goodness,  of  God  :  he  could 
 hardly  get  off  it ;  he  would  have  God  and  grace  to  have  all  the 
 glory.  O,  my  soul !  hath  God  entered  thee  into  a  covenant  of 
 grace  ?  Why,  then,  bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul ;  and  all  that  is 
 within  me,  bless  his  holy  name. 
 
 Sect.  IX. — Of  Conforming  to  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 We  must  conform  to  Jesus  in  reference  to  this  covenant  of 
 grace.  We  are  changed,  by  beholding,  into  the  same  image. 
 If  we  look  unto  Jesus  in  this  respect,  this  look  will  have  such 
 an  influence  upon  us,  that  we  shall  conform  to  Jesus.  But 
 wherein  consists  this  conformity  ?  I  answer,  in  these  parti- 
 culars : 
 
 1 ,  God  in  Christ  offers  a  covenant  of  grace  to  us :  so  we, 
 through  Christ,  should  embrace  this  gracious  offer.  His  offers 
 have  appeared  from  first  to  last;  as,  1.  To  Adam.  2.  To 
 Abraham.  3.  To  Moses.  4.  To  David.  5.  To  Israel,  and  to 
 Judah.  Take  notice  of  it  in  that  great  promise  of  the  cove- 
 nant, I  will  he  thy  God.  So  God  is  first  with  us,  he  is  the  first 
 mover,  he  begins  with  us  before  we  begin  with  him :  /  will 
 bring  them,  saith  God,  into  the  bond  of  the  covenant.  Now  in 
 this  let  us  conform.  Doth  he  offer  ?  let  us  embrace  the  offer. 
 Doth  he  lead  the  way  ?  let  us  follow  him  step  by  step  in  that 
 very  way.  Let  us  not  prescribe  unto  God,  let  us  not  presume 
 to  appoint  the  conditions  of  the  covenant.    But  come,  take  God 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  203 
 
 and  Christ  upon  his  own  terms  ;  submit  to  that  way  of  the  cove- 
 nant, and  to  those  conditions  of  peace,  which  the  Lord  pre- 
 scribe th. 
 
 2.  God  in  Christ  keeps  covenant  -with  us ;  so  we,  through 
 Christ,  should  be  careful  to  keep  covenant  wjth  God.  But  we 
 must  keep  it.  The  Lord  never  will,  never  hath,  broken  cove- 
 nant on  his  part :  but,  alas  !  we,  on  our  parts,  have  broken  the 
 first  covenant  of  works.  Let  us  take  heed  we  break  not  the 
 second  :  for  then  there  remains  not  any  more  place  for  any  more 
 covenants.  As  the  Lord  keeps  covenant  with  us  ;  so  let  us  keep 
 covenant  with  him  ;  and  therein  is  the  blessing.  The  mercy  of 
 the  Lord  is  from  everlasting  to  everlasting, — to  such  as  keep  his 
 covenant. 
 
 Sundry  acts  of  faith  are  required  to  this  keeping  of  co- 
 venant : 
 
 (L)  Faith  in  keeping  the  covenant,  hath  always  an  eye  to  the 
 rule  and  command  of  God.  As  in  things  to  be  beUeved,  faith 
 looks  on  the  promise ;  so  in  things  to  be  practised,  faith  looks 
 on  the  command.  Faith  will  present  no  strange  fire  before  the 
 Lord,  it  knows  that  God  will  accept  of  nothing  but  what  is 
 according  to  his  own  will. 
 
 (2.)  As  faith  takes  direction  from  the  rule  ;  so  m  keeping  of 
 the  covenant,  it  directs  us  to  the  right  end,  that  is,  to  the  glory 
 of  God.  We  are  of  him,  and  live  in  him ;  and  by  faith  we 
 must  live  to  him  and  for  him.  For  none  of  us  liveth  to  himself 
 and  no  m,an  dieth  to  himself :  for  whether  we  live,  we  live  unto 
 the  Lord ;  and  whether  we  die,  ive  die  unto  the  Lord ;  whether 
 we  live  therefore  or  die,  ive  are  the  Lord's, 
 
 (3.)  Faith  in  keeping  the  covenant  shields  the  soul  against  all 
 hinderances  that  it  meets  with.  Sometimes  we  are  tempted  by 
 the  baits  and  allurements  of  the  world.  All  these  will  I  give 
 thee,  saith  the  world,  if  thou  wilt  be  mine  ;  but  then  faith  over- 
 comes the  world,  by  setting  before  us  better  things  than  these. 
 Sometimes  we  are  tempted  by  crosses,  afflictions,  persecutions, 
 and  sufferings  for  the  name  of  Christ ;  but  then  faith  makes  us 
 conquerors  through  Christ  that  loved  us,  by  setting  before  us 
 the  end  of  our  faith  and  patience. 
 
 (4.)  Faith  encoiu'ageth  the  soul,  that  the  Lord  will  have  a 
 gi'acious  respect  unto  its  keeping  covenant.  In  every  nation 
 he  that  fear eth  him,  and  worketh  righteousness,  is  accepted  of 
 him.  Surely  this  is  no  small  encovn-agement  to  well-doing.  What 
 would  not  a  servant  do,  if  he  knew  his  lord  would  take  it  in 
 good  part  ?  Now  faith  assures  the  soul,  there  is  not  one  prayer, 
 one  holy  desire,  or  one  good  thought,  or  word  which  is  spoken 
 or  done  to  the  glory  of  God,  but  God  takes  notice  of  it,  and 
 accepts  it  in  good  part. 
 
 Oh  my  soul !  art  thou  acquainted  with  these  acts  of  faith, 
 enabling  thee  in  some    good    measure  to  keep  covenant  with. 
 
204  Looking  unto  J^e^us. 
 
 God  ?    Then  is  there  a   sweet  conformity   betwixt  thee  and 
 
 Jesus. 
 
 3.  God  in  Christ  hath  highly  honoured  us,  as  we  are  his  peo- 
 ple ;  so  we  through  Christ  should  honour  him  highly,  as  he  is 
 our  God.  This  is  the  main  end  of  the  covenant.  Oh  my  soul ! 
 be  like  to  God,  bear  the  image  and  resemblance  of  God  thy 
 Father,  in  this  respect :  he  hath  humbled  himself  to  advance 
 thee  ;  then  humble  thyself  to  advance  him,  and  endeavour  eveiy 
 way  to  exalt  his  name. 
 
 We  are  willing  to  be  in  covenant  with  God,  that  we  may 
 set  up  ourselves,  that  we  may  sit  upon  thrones,  and  possess  a 
 kingdom  !  but  we  must  think  especially  of  setting  up  the  Lord 
 upon  his  throne.  Ascribe  greatness  to  our  God,  saith  Moses, 
 make  it  a  name  and  a  praise  unto  him,  that  he  hath  vouchsafed 
 to  make  us  his  people,  and  to  take  us  into  covenant  with  himself. 
 Honour  him^  as  he  is  God ;  but  honour  him  more  abundantly, 
 as  he  is  our  God.  Who  should  honour  him,  if  his  people  da 
 not  ?  The  world  knows  him  not ;  the  world  will  not  seek  after 
 God  ; — God  is  not  in  all  their  thoughts.  And  shall  God  have  no 
 honour  ?  shall  he  that  stretched  out  the  heavens,  and  laid  the 
 fomidations  of  the  earth,  and  formed  man  upon  it,  have  no 
 glory  ?  Oh  yes  !  The  Lord  himself  answers,  21iis  people  have 
 I  formed  for  myself ,  they  shall  shew  forth  my  j^^'ctise.  Surely, 
 God  will  have  praise  from  his  own  people,  whom  he  hath  taken 
 unto  himself.     He  will  be  glorified  in  all  that  come  near  him. 
 
 But,  how  should  we  honour  God  ?  I  answer, — We  must  lie 
 under  the  authority  of  every  word  of  God,  and  conform  our- 
 selves to  the  examples  of  God  ;  that  is,  we  must  labour  to  be- 
 come followers  of  God,  and  imitate  his  virtues.  It  is  a  part  of 
 that  honour  which  children  owe  to  their  parents,  to  obey  their 
 commands,  and  to  imitate  their  example.  We  cannot  honour 
 God  more,  than  when  we  are  humbled  at  his  feet  to  receive  his 
 v/ord,  than  when  we  renounce  the  manners  of  the  world,  to 
 become  his  followers  as  dear  children.  Oh  !  think  of  this ;  for 
 w^hen  we  conform  indeed,  then  we  are  holy  as  he  is  holy,  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  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  man's  salvation  in  his 
 first  coming  or  incarnation. 
 
 »%■>  i#m»  v»*  ^*»»t 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  205 
 
 LOOKING    UNTO  JESUS, 
 
 IN    HIS    BIRTH. 
 
 BOOK  III. 
 
 GHAP.  1. 
 
 Sect.  I.— 0/  the  2'idings  of  Christ. 
 
 JN  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  be- 
 cause 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,  cessk)n  at  God's  right 
 hand,  and  mission  of  his  Holy  Spirit.  6.  In  his  intercession  for 
 his  saints  ;  in  which  business  he  will  be  employed  till  his  second 
 coming  to  judgment. 
 
 1.  First,  For  the  transactions  of  Jesus  in  his  birth.  Some 
 things  w^e  must  propound  before,  and  some  things  after  his  Ijirth ; 
 so  that  we  shall  continue  this  period  till  the  time  of  John's  bap- 
 tism, 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  dupli- 
 city of  natures  in  Christ.  4.  The  wonderful  union,  notwithstand- 
 ing that  distinction.  5.  The  birth  of  Christ.  6.  Some  conse- 
 quents after  his  birth,  whilst  yet  a  child  of  twelve  years  old. 
 
 The  first  passage  in  relation  to  his  birth,  is,  the  tidings  of 
 Christ :  this  appears,  Luke  i.  26,  27,  28,  &c.  And  in  the  sixth 
 month  the  angel  Gabriel  ivas  sent  from  God,  &c.  I  shall  a  little 
 insist  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. 
 
206  Looking  unto  tiesus, 
 
 2.  Tliis  angel  salutes  the  Virgin  ;  Hail,  thou  that  art  highly 
 favoured,  the  Lord  is  with  thee  ;  blessed  art  thou  among  women. 
 Many  men  and  women  have  been^  and  are,  the  spiritual  temples 
 of  God;  but  never  vras  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  3  her  bearing  was  more  mira- 
 culous, but  her  believing  was  more  beneficial  to  her  soul. 
 
 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  stronglj^,  the  doors  being  probably 
 shut ;  she  had  cause  to  be  troubled  :  how  much  more,  when  the 
 glory  of  the  angel  heightened  the  astonishment  ?  2.  Her  sex 
 was  more  subject  to  fear  :  if  Zachary  was  amazed  with  the  sight 
 of  this  angel,  how  much  more  the  Virgin  !  But  the  angel  com- 
 forts her;  Fear  not,  Mary,  for  thou  hast  found  favour  with  God. 
 
 4.  Here  is  the  foundation  of  her  comfort,  and  our  happiness  ; 
 Behold,  thou  shalt  conceive  in  thy  womb,  and  bring  forth  a  son, 
 a7id  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus.  Never  was  mortal  creature  thus 
 honoured,  that  her  womb  should  yield  that  flesh,  which  was  per- 
 sonally united  to  the  godhead ;  that  she  should  bear  him  that 
 upholds  the  world.  There  is  one  wonder  in  the  conception, 
 another  in  the  fruit ;  both  are  marvellous,  but  the  latter  is  more 
 mysterious,  and  fuller  of  admiration  :  the  fruit  of  the  womb  is 
 Jesus,  a  Saviour,  the  Son  of  the  Highest,  a  King ;  God  shall 
 give  him  a  throne,  and  he  shall  reign  for  ever ;  for  of  his  king- 
 dom there  shall  be  no  end.  Here  was  a  Son,  and  such  a  Son  as 
 the  world  never  had  before ;  and  here  was  the  ground  of  Mary's 
 joy:  how  could  she  but  rejoice,  to  hear  what  her  Son  should  be 
 before  he  was  ?  Surely,  never  was  any  mother  so  glad  of  her 
 son  born,  as  this  virgin  was  of  her  son  before  he  was  con- 
 ceived. 
 
 The  ground  of  this  joy  lay  more  especially  in  that  name  of 
 Jesus.  Here,  Christians,  is  the  object  that  you  are  to  look 
 unto.  The  first  title  that  the  angel  gives  our  Saviour,  is, 
 Jesus  Saviour.  Oh  come  !  let  us  dwell  a  little  here.  Without 
 Jesus  we  had  never  known  God  our  friend  !  and  without  Jesus, 
 God  had  never  known  us  for  any  other  than  his  enemies.  This 
 name  Jesus  is  better  to  us  than  all  the  titles  of  God.  Indeed, 
 there  is  goodness  and  greatness  in  the  name  Jehovah  ;  but 
 we  merited  so  little  good,  and  demerited  so  much  evil,  that 
 in  it  alone  there  had  been  small  comfort  for  us  ;  but  in  the  name 
 of  Jesus  there  is  comfort,  and  with  the  name  of  Jesus  there  is 
 comfort  in  the  name  of  God.  In  old  times,  God  was  known 
 by  his  names  of  power,  and  of  majesty  ;  but  his  name  of  mercy 
 was  reserved  till  now,  when  God  did  purpose  to  pour  out  the 
 whole  treasure  of  his  mercy,  by  the  mediation  of  his  vSon.     And 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  207 
 
 as  this  name  is  exalted  above  all  names ;  so  are  we  to  exalt  his 
 mercy  above  all  his  works.  Oh,  it  is  an  useful  name !  In  all 
 depths,  distresses,  miseries,  perplexities,  we  beseech  God  by 
 the  name  of  Jesus,  to  make  good  his  own  name, — not  to  bear  it 
 for  nought ;  but  as  he  is  a  Saviour,  to  save  us  :  and  this  is  our 
 comfort,  that  God  will  never  so  remember  our  sins,  as  to  forget 
 his  own  blessed  name  ;  and  especially  this  name  Jesus.  It  is  the 
 highest,  the  dearest,  the  sweetest  name  to  us  of  all  the  names 
 of  God. 
 
 The  reason  of  this  name  was  given  by  the  angel  to  Joseph  : 
 Thou  shall  call  his  name  Jesus,  for  he  shall  save  his  people  from 
 their  sins.  But  why  from  their  sins  ?  We  seem  rather  willing 
 to  be  saved  from  poverty,  ignominy,  prison,  death,  hell.  Sin 
 is  a  thing  that  troubles  but  few  :  alas  !  sin,  if  we  understand  it,  is 
 the  very  worst  of  evils  ;  there  is  no  poverty  but  sin,  there  is  no 
 shame  but  sin ;  there  is  no  prison,  but  that  prison  is  a  paradise 
 without  sin ;  there  is  no  death  that  has  any  sting  in  it,  but  for  sin ; 
 the  sting  of  death  is  sin  ;  take  out  the  sting,  and  you  may  put 
 the  serpent  in  your  bosom  ;  nay,  I'll  say  more,  there  would  be 
 no  hell,  were  it  not  for  sin  :  sin  first  kindled  the  fire  of  hell,  sin 
 fuels  it ;  take  away  sin,  and  that  tormenting  flame  goes  out. 
 Had  it  not  been  for  sin,  the  devil  had  no  business  in  the  world ; 
 were  it  not  for  sin,  he  could  never  hurt  a  soul. 
 
 What  abundance  of  benefits  are  here  in  one  word.  He  shall 
 save  his  people  from  their  sins !  There  is  no  evil  incident  to 
 man,  but  it  ceaseth  to  be  evil  when  sin  is  gone.  If  Jesus  takes 
 away  sin,  he  doth  bless  our  very  blessings,  and  sanctify  our 
 afflictions  :  he  fetcheth  peace  out  of  trouble,  riches  out  of  po- 
 verty, honour  out  of  contempt,  liberty  out  of  bondage  :  he  pulls 
 out  the  sting  of  death,  puts  out  the  fire  of  hell :  as  all  evils  are 
 wrapt  up  in  sin ;  so  he  that  saves  us  fi-om  sin,  saves  us  from  all 
 evils  whatsoever. 
 
 This  is  that  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God's  love,  the  author  of 
 our  salvation,  in  whom  alone  God  is  well  pleased  ;  and  whom  the 
 angel  published  before  he  was  conceived  :  Thoit  shall  conceive, 
 and  bring  forth  a  Son,  and  shall  call  his  iiame  Jesus. 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  the  Conception  of  Christ, 
 
 The  conception  of  Christ,  was  the  conclusion  of  the  angel's 
 message.  No  sooner  had  the  Virgin  said,  Be  it  to  me  according 
 to  thy  word ;  but  according  to  that  word  it  was  :  immediately 
 the  Holy  Ghost  overshadowed  her,  and  forms  our  Saviour  in  her 
 womb.  Now  !  brethren,  now  was  the  time  of  life.  Well  may 
 we  say,  Now  was  it  that  the  day  brake  up,  that  the  sun  arose, 
 that  darkness  vanished,  that  wrath  gave  place  to  favour  and 
 salvation  :  now  was  it,  that  free  grace  came  down  from  heaven, 
 thousands  of  angels  waiting  on  her  5  the  very  clouds  part,  as  it 
 
208  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 d 
 
 were,  to  give  her  way;  the  earth  springs  to  welcome  her;  the 
 floods  clap  their  hands  for  joy  ;  the  heavenly  hosts  sing  as  she 
 goes  along.  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  peace  upon  earth,  good 
 will  towards  yuan  :  truth  and  righteousness  go  before  her,  peace 
 and  prosperity  follow  after  her,  pity  and  mercy  wait  on  either 
 hand  ;  and  when  she  first  sets  her  foot  on  the  earth,  she  cries, 
 ^  A  Jesus  !  a  Saviour  ! — Hear,  ye  sons  of  men  ! — The  Lord  hath 
 sent  me  down  to  bring  you  news  of  Jesus  ! — Grace  and  peace  be 
 unto  you  :  I  will  live  with  you  in  this  world,  and  you  shall  live 
 with  me  in  the  world  to  come."  Here  was  blessed  news  :  this 
 is  gospel,  pure  gospel ;  this  is  glad  tidings  :  free  grace  proclaims 
 Jesus  ;  and  Jesus  is  made  up  as  it  were  all  of  free  grace.  What 
 eternal  thanks  do  we  owe  to  the  eternal  God  !  How  may  we  say 
 with  the  angels.  Glory  to  God  for  Jesus  Christ ! 
 
 But  in  this  conception  of  Christ  are  so  many  wonders,  that 
 ere  we  begin  to  speak  them,  we  may  stand  amazed :  TVithout 
 controversy,  great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness :  God  manifest  in 
 the  flesh.  Say,  is  it  not  a  wonder,  a  mystery,  a  great  mystery, 
 that  the  Son  of  God  should  be  made  of  a  woman,  even  made  of 
 that  woman  which  was  made  by  himself  ?  Is  it  not  a  wonder, 
 that  her  womb  then,  and  that  the  heavens  now,  should  contain 
 him,  ivhom  the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain  ! — Concerning 
 this  conception  of  Christ,  I  shall  speak  but  a  little  :  what  man 
 can  conceive  much  of  this  ?  Our  greatest  light  we  borrow  from 
 the  angel,  who  describes  it  thus  :  The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come 
 tipo7i  thee,  and  the  power  of  the  highest  shall  overshadow  thee. 
 
 Out  of  these  words,  observe,  1 .  The  agent.     2.  The  effect. 
 
 1.  The  agent  or  efficient  cause  of  Christ's  conception,  is  the 
 Holy  Ghost.  This  agrees  with  that  speech  of  the  angel  to 
 Joseph:  That  luhlchis  concebwd  in  her,  is  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
 This  conception  of  Christ  was  by  the  operation,  or  virtue  of  the 
 Holy  Ghost ;  or  by  the  energetical  command  and  ordination  of  the 
 Holy  Ghost,  whereby  that  part  of  the  Virgin's  blood,  or  seed 
 whereof  the  body  of  Christ  was  to  be  framed,  was  so  cleansed 
 and  sanctified,  that  in  it  there  should  be  neither  spot  nor  stain 
 of  original  pollution. 
 
 2.  llie  effect  was  the  framing  of  Christ's  manhood,  in  which 
 we  may  observe  the  matter  and  manner.  1 .  For  the  matter  : 
 observe  we  the  matter  of  the  body,  and  of  the  soul,  of  Christ. 
 (1.)  The  matter  of  the  body  of  Christ  was  the  very  flesh  and 
 blood  of  the  Virgin  :  he  ivas  made  of  a  woman,  saith  the  apostle, 
 i,  e.  of  the  flesh  and  blood,  and  substance  of  the  woman  ;  and, 
 he  was  made  of  the  seed  of  David,  saith  the  apostle,  according  to 
 
 flesh;  otherwise  he  could  not  have  been  the  Son  of  David 
 according  to  the  flesh.  (2.)  The  soul  of  Christ  was  not  derived 
 from  the  soul  of  the  Virgin,  but  it  was  made  as  the  souls  of  other 
 men  be,  i.  e.  of  nothing,  by  the  power  of  God ;  and  so  infused 
 into  the  body  by  the  hand  of  God. 
 
Looking  unto  J^esus.  209 
 
 2.  For  the  manner  of  forming  Christ's  hmnan  nature,  it  was 
 miraculous.  The  angel  ascribes  two  actions  to  the  Holy  Ghost 
 in  this  great  work  :  the  one,  to  come  upon  the  Virgin ;  the  other, 
 to  overshadow  her:  by  the  first  is  signified  the  extraordinary 
 work  _  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  fashioning  the  human  nature  of 
 Christ. 
 
 The  second  action  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  is,  oversha- 
 dowing of  the  Virgin :  this  teacheth  us  that  we  should  not  search 
 overmuch  into  this  great  mystery.  Alas !  it  is  too  high  for  us  ; 
 if  the  course  of  ordinary  generation  be  a  secret,  how  past  all 
 comprehension  is  tlris  extraordinary  operation !  ^^  I  know  the 
 Word  was  made  flesh,"  saith  Chrysostom;  "but  how  he  was 
 made,  I  know  not." 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  the  jyuplieity  of  Natures  in  Christ, 
 
 The  duplicity  of  natures  in  Christ  appears,  in  that  he  was 
 truly  God  and  truly  man.  To  tis  a  child  is  born^  saith  the  pro- 
 phet ;  there  is  a  nature  human  :  mid  he  sftall  he  called  the  mighty 
 God ;  there  is  a  nature  divine.  God  sent  his  Son,  saith  the 
 apostle,  therefore  truly  God ;  and  that  Son  made  of  a  woman, 
 therefore  truly  man. 
 
 That  Christ  is  true  God,  both  apparent  scriptures,  and  unan- 
 swerable reasons  drawn  from  scriptures,  evince. 
 
 1.  The  scriptures  call  him  God.  In  the  beginning  was  the 
 ivord,  and  the  word  was  with  God,  and  the  word  was  God. — 
 Jtnd  unto  the  Son  he  saith.  Thy  throne,  O  God,  is  for  ever. — 
 ^nd  Thomas  ansivered  and  said  unto  him,  My  Lord,  and  my 
 God! — Take  heed  to  yourselves,  and  to  all  the  flock,  to  feed 
 the  church  of  God,  ivhich  he  hath  ^mrchased  with  his  own  blood, 
 — And  hereby  i^erceive  we  the  love  of  God,  because  he  laid  down 
 his  life  for  us. — Jlnd  we  know  that  the  Son  of  God  is  come. 
 This  is  the  true  God,  and  eternal  life. — And  without  contro- 
 versy, great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness,  God  luas  manifested  in 
 the  flesh. 
 
 2.  Unanswerable  reasons  drawn  from  scriptures,  prove  him 
 God  :  tlms  it  appears — 
 
 (1.)  From  those  incommunicable  properties  of  the  Deity  whicli 
 are  ascribed  unto  him:  He  is  eternal  as  God,  Rev.  i.  IJ.  He 
 is  infinite  as  God,  Matt,  xxviii.  20.  He  is  omniscient  as  God, 
 Matt.  ix.  4.  He  is  omnipotent  as  God;  He  that  cometh  from 
 above  is  above  all — He  is  able  to  subdue  all  things  unto  himself 
 — H<i  hath  the  keys  of  hell  and  death. 
 
 (2.)   From  thdse  acts  ascribed  to  him,  which  are  only  agreeable 
 
 to  the  dinne  nature  ;   as,  to  hear  the  prayers  of  the  people,  Jobn 
 
 xiv.  14.     To  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead,    John  v.  22.      And 
 
 thus  he  creates  as  God,  John  i.  4.     He  commands  as  God,  Matt* 
 
 8.  2d 
 
210  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 viii.  26.      He  forgives  as  God,   Matt.  ix.  6.      He  sanctifies  as 
 Godj  John  i.  12.     He  glorifies  as  God,  Jolm  x.  21. 
 
 (3.)  From  all  those  acknowledgments  given  to  him  by  the 
 saints,  which  are  only  proper  unto  God;  and  thus  he  is  be- 
 lieved on  as  God,  John  iii.  18.  He  is  loved  as  God,  1  Cor. 
 xvi.  22.  He  is  obeyed  as  God,  Matt,  xvii,  5.  He  is  prayed  to 
 as  God,  Acts  vii.  59.  He  is  praised  as  God,  Rev.  v.  13.  He 
 is  adored  as  God,  Heb.  i.  6.  Phil.  ii.  10.  Surely  all  these  are 
 strong  demonstrations,  that  Christ  Jesus  is  God.  But  why  was 
 it  requisite  that  our  Saviour  should  be  God  ?     I  answer, 
 
 1 .  Because  none  can  save  souls,  nor  satisfy  for  sin,  but  God 
 alone.  There  is  7ione,  saith  the  Psalmist,  that  can  hy  any  means 
 redeem  his  brother,  or  give  a  ransom  for  him, — But  God  will  re- 
 deem  my  soul  from  the  jiower  of  hell.  2.  Because  the  satisfaction 
 which  is  made  for  sin,  must  be  infinitely  meritorious :  and  infinite 
 wrath  cannot  be  appeased,  but  by  an  infinite  merit ;  and  hence 
 our  Saviour  must  needs  be  God,  to  the  end  that  his  obedience 
 and  sufferings  might  be  of  infinite  worth.  3.  Because  the  burden 
 of  God's  wrath  cannot  be  endured  by  a  finite  creature :  Christ 
 therefore  must  be  God,  that  he  might  abide  the  burden  by 
 his  divine  power.  4.  Because  the  enemies  of  our  salvation 
 were  too  strong  for  us  :  how  could  any  creature  overcome  Satan, 
 death,  hell,  damnation  ?  Ah  !  this  required  the  power  of  God ; 
 there's  none  but  God  that  could  destroy  him  that  had  the  power 
 of  death,  that  is,  the  devil. 
 
 2.  As  Christ  is  God,  so  he  is  true  man.  He  was  born  as  man, 
 and  bred  as  man,  and  fed  as  man,  and  slept  as  man,  and  wept 
 as  man,  and  sorrowed  as  man^  and  suffered  as  man,  and  died  as 
 man. 
 
 But  more  particularly.  (1 ,)  Christ  had  a  human  body  :  Where- 
 fore when  he  came  into  the  world  he  said,  Sacrifice  and  offering 
 thou  wouldst  not,  hut  a  body  hast  thou  prepared. 
 
 (2.)  Christ  had  an  human  reasonable  soul :  My  soul  is  heavy 
 unto  death,  saith  Christ ;  and  again.  Father,  into  thy  hands  I 
 commit  my  spirit.  "  Surely,' '  saith  Nazianzen,  ''  either  he  had 
 a  soul,  or  he  will  never  save  a  soul.'' 
 
 (3.)  Christ  had  all  the  properties  that  belong  either  to  the  soul 
 or  body  of  a  man  :  nay,  more  than  so,  Christ  had  all  the  infirmi- 
 ties of  our  nature,  sin  only  excepted :  I  say  the  infirmities  of 
 our  nature,  as  cold,  and  heat,  and  hunger,  and  thirst,  and  weari- 
 ness, and  weakness,  and  pain. 
 
 But  why  was  it  requisite  that  our  Saviour  should  be  man  ?  I 
 jtnswer,  1 .  Because  our  Saviour  must  suffer  and  die  for  our  sins, 
 which  the  godhead  could  not  do.  2.  Because  our  Saviour  must 
 perform  obedience  to  the  law.  3.  Because  our  Saviour  must 
 satisfy  the  justice  of  God  in  the  same  nature  wherein  it  was 
 offended.  4.  Because  hy  this  means  we  might  have  free  access 
 to  the  throne  of  grace,  and  might  find  help  in  our  necessities^ 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  211 
 
 having  such  an  High-priest  as  luas  in  all  things  tempted  like 
 unto  us,  Heb.  iv.  15. 
 
 A  real  distinction  of  these  two  natures  is  evident :  1 .  In  re- 
 gard of  essence  ;  the  godhead  cannot  be  the  manhood,  nor  can  the 
 manhood  be  the  godhead.  2.  In  regard  of  properties,  the  god- 
 head is  most  wise,  just,  omnipotent,  yea,  wisdom,  justice,  omni- 
 potence itself;  and  so  is  not  the  manhood,  neither  can  it  be. 
 3.  Tliey  have  distinct  wills  :  Not  my  willy  hut  thy  will  be  done, 
 O  Father  f  plainly  differencing  the  will  of  a  creature  from  the 
 will  of  a  Creator.  4.  The  very  actions  in  the  work  of  redemp- 
 tion are  inseparable,  and  yet  distinguishable:  /  lay  down  my 
 life,  and  take  it  up  again.  To  lay  it  down  was  the  action  of 
 man,  not  of  God ;  and  to  take  it  up,  was  the  action  of  God,  not 
 of  man :  in  these  respects  we  say  each  nature  remains  in  itself 
 entire,  without  any  conversion,  commixtion,  or  confusion :  there 
 is  no  conversion  of  one  into  the  other,  as  when  he  changed  the 
 water  into  wine ;  no  composition  of  both,  no  abolition  of  either, 
 no  confusion  at  all. — It  is  easy  to  observe  this  real  distinction 
 of  his  two  natures  from  first  to  last :  as,  1 .  he  was  conceived  as 
 others,  and  so  he  was  man ;  but  he  was  conceived  by  the  Holy 
 Ghost,  as  never  man  was,  and  so  he  is  God. 
 
 2.  He  was  born  as  others,  and  so  he  was  man ;  but  he  was 
 born  of  a  virgin,  as  never  man  was,  and  this  speaks  him  as  God. 
 3.  He  was  crucified,  died,  and  was  buried,  and  so  he  was  man; 
 but  he  rose  again  from  the  dead,  ascended  into  heaven,  and 
 from  thence  shall  come  at  last  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead, 
 and  so  he  is  God. 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  the  Union  of  the  tivo  Natures  of  Christ  in  one 
 
 and  the  same  Person. 
 
 The  union  of  two  natures  of  Christ,  in  one  and  the  self-same 
 person,  is  that  great  wonder,  which  now  we  must  speak  of  as  we 
 are  able.  But,  alas  !  how  should  we  speak  of  this  union,  and 
 not  be  confounded  in  ourselves  ?  It  is  a  great  mystery,  a  secret, 
 a  wonder.  Many  wonders  have  been  since  the  beginning  of  the 
 world;  but  all  the  wonders  that  ever  were  must  give  place  to 
 this.  Neither  the  creation  of  all  things  out  of  nothing,  nor  the 
 restoration  of  all  things  into  their  perfect  being;  I  mean,  neither 
 the  first  work,  nor  the  last  work,  of  God  in  this  world  (though 
 most  admirable)  may  be  compared  with  this.  This  union  of  the 
 two  natures  of  Christ  in  one  person,  is  the  highest  pitch  of  God's 
 wisdom,  goodness,  power,  and  glory. 
 
 In  the  explication  of  this  union,  that  which  I  shall  insist  on, 
 as  the  most  necessary  for  our  understanding,  is,  I.  The  union 
 itself.     II.  The  effects  or  benefits  of  it. 
 
 I.  For  the  union  itself  we  shall  discuss,  1 .  Wherein  this  union 
 consists.    2.  The  scriptural  texts  that  confirm  this  union.    3.  The 
 
212  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 person  assuming;  and  the  nature  assumed:  and  of  these  as 
 briefly  as  I  may. 
 
 This  union  consists  in  that  dependence  of  the  human  nature 
 on  the  Word,  and  in  that  communicating  of  the  person  or  sub- 
 stance of  the  Word,  with  the  human  nature  that  is  assumed ;  so 
 that  it  is  such  an  union  that  both  natures  make  one  person  of 
 Christ. 
 
 2.  For  the  scriptural  texts  that  confirm  this  union:  among 
 many  I  shall  only  cite  these : 
 
 When  Christ  asked  his  apostles,  Who  do  men  say  that  I  the  Son 
 of  man  am  ? — Si?non  Peter  ansiuered,  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the 
 Son  of  the  living  God.  Now  if  but  one  Christ,  then  surely  but 
 one  person :  and  if  the  Son  of  man  be  the  Son  of  the  living  God, 
 then  surely  there  are  two  natures  in  that  one  person.  Observe 
 how  the  Son  of  man  and  the  Son  of  God,  very  man  and  very 
 God,  concentre  in  Christ;  as  the  soul  and  the  body  make  but 
 one  man,  so  the  Son  of  man  and  the  Son  of  God  made  but  one 
 Christ :  thou  art  Christ,  saith  Peter,  the  Son  of  the  living  God. 
 
 So  Paul,  speaking  of  Jesus  the  Son  of  God,  tells  us,  that  he 
 was  made  of  the  seed  of  David,  according  to  the  flesh;  and 
 declared  to  bt  the  Son  of  God,  according  to  the  spirit.  First, 
 made  of  the  seed  of  David;  of  the  substance  of  the  Virgin,  who 
 was  David's  posterity.  Secondly,  declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God: 
 the  word  in  the  original  signifies  a  declaration  by  a  solemn  sen- 
 tence or  definitive  judgment.  /  will  declare  the  decree  :  the 
 Lord  hath  said  unto  me,  thou  art  my  Son.  That  which  I  point 
 at :  he  is  the  son  of  David,  in  respect  of  his  manhood ;  and  he  is 
 the  Son  of  God,  in  respect  of  his  godhead ;  here  be  the  two 
 natures ;  but  in  the  words  before,  these  two  natures  make  but 
 one  Son,  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord :  and  in  the  very  words  them- 
 selves he  is  declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God ;  he  doth  not  say 
 Sons,  as  of  two  ;  but  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  first  before,  and  then 
 after ;  to  shew  unto  us,  that  as  before  his  making,  so  after  his 
 making,  he  is  still  but  one  Son,  or  one  person  of  the  two  distinct 
 natures  subsisting. 
 
 To  the  same  purpose  is  that  text ;  In  him  dwelleth  all  the 
 fulness  of  the  godhead  bodily  ;  by  the  union  of  the  divine  nature 
 with  the  human  in  the  unity  of  his  person,  the  godhead  dwelleth 
 in  Christ  as  the  soul  in  the  body  :  it  dwelleth  in  him  bodily  ;  not 
 seemingly,  but  really ;  not  figuratively,  and  in  a  shadow,  as  he 
 dwelleth  in  the  temple  ;  not  by  power  and  efficacy,  as  he  dwells 
 in  all  the  creatures  ;  not  by  grace,  as  in  his  people  ;  nor  by  glory, 
 ?.s  in  the  saints  above  ;  but  essentially,  substantially,  personally, 
 the  human  nature  being  assumed  into  union  with  the  person  of 
 the  Word.  Observe  the  passages  :  he  in  whom  that  fulness 
 dwells  is  the  person  ;  that  fulness,  which  doth  so  dwell  in  him, 
 is  the  nature  :  now  there  dwells  in  him  not  only  the  fulness  of 
 the  godhead,  but  the  fulness  of  the  manhood  also  3  for  we  believe 
 
Looking  ujito  Jesus,  213 
 
 him  to  be  botli  perfect  God,  begotten  of  the  substance  of  his 
 Father  before  all  worlds ;  and  perfect  man,  made  of  the  substance 
 of  his  mother  in  this  world:  only  he,  in  whom  the  fulness  of  the 
 godhead  dwelleth,  is  one ;  and  he  in  whom  the  fulness  of  the 
 manhood  dwelleth,  is  another ;  but  he  in  whom  the  fulness  of  both 
 these  natures  dwelleth,  is  one  and  the  same  Immanuel,  and  con- 
 sequently one  and  the  same  person;  in  him,  i.  e.  in  his  person, 
 dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  godhead,  and  all  the  fulness  of 
 the  manhood :  In  him  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  godhead 
 bodily. 
 
 3.  For  the  person  assuming,  and  the  nature  assumed:  (1.) 
 The  person  assuming,  was  a  divine  person :  it  was  not  the  divine 
 nature  that  assumed  an  human  person,  but  the  divine  person 
 that  assumed  an  human  nature ;  and  of  the  three  divine  persons, 
 it  was  neither  the  first  nor  the  third,  neither  the  Father  nor  the 
 Holy  Ghost,  that  did  assume  this  nature ;  but  it  was  the  Son,  the 
 middle  person. 
 
 (2.)  The  nature  assumed  was  the  seed  of  Abraham ;  For  verily 
 he  took  not  07i  him  the  nature  of  angels,  hut  he  took  on  him  the 
 seed  of  Abraham.  Elsewhere  the  apostle  calls  it  the  seed  of 
 David;  he  is  made  the  seed  of  David  according  to  the  flesh : 
 and,  elsewhere,  he  is  called  the  seed  of  the  woman  :  /  ivill  put 
 enmity  between  thy  seed  and  her  seed;  and  when  the  fulness  of 
 the  time  was  come,  God  sent  forth  his  Son,  made  of  a  ruoman : 
 No  question  she  was  the  material  principle  of  which  that  pre- 
 cious flesh  was  made,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  agent  and  effi- 
 cient; that  blessed  womb  of  her's  was  the  bridechamber,  wherein 
 the  Holy  Ghost  did  knit  that  indissohible  knot  betwixt  our 
 human  nature  and  his  deity :  the  Son  of  God  assuming  into  the 
 unity  of  his  person,  that  which  before  he  was  not,  even  our 
 human  nature.  Oh  !  with  what  astonishment  may  we  behold 
 our  dust  and  ashes  assumed  into  the  unity  of  God's  own 
 person ! 
 
 These  are  the  deep  things  of  God,  and  indeed  so  exceed- 
 ingly mystical,  that  they  can  never  be  perfectly  declared  by  any 
 man.  Bernard  compares  this  ineffEible  mystery  of  the  union  of 
 the  two  natures,  with  that  incomprehensible  mystery  of  the 
 trinity  in  unity.  In  the  Trinity  are  three  persons  and  one  nature ; 
 in  Christ  are  two  natures  and  one  person ;  that  of  the  Trinity  is 
 indeed  the  greatest,  and  this  of  the  incarnation  is  like  unto  it; 
 they  both  far  exceed  man's  capacity;  for  his  ways  is  in  the  sea, 
 and  his  path  in  the  great  waters,  arid  his  footsteps  are  not 
 know7i. 
 
 II.  For  the  eff'ects  and  benefits  of  this  union ;  they  are  either 
 in  respect  of  Christ,  or  in  respect  of  Christians. 
 
 1st.  Those  in  respect  of  Christ,  are,  1.  An  exemption  of  all 
 sin,  2.  A  collation  of  all  graces.  3.  A  comnmnication  of  all 
 the  properties. 
 
214  Looking  unto  Jfesus. 
 
 1.  We  find  that  although  Christ  appeared  as  a  sinner,  and 
 that  he  was  numbered  among  the  wicked,  or  with  the  trans- 
 gressors, Isa.  liii.  12.  yet  in  truth  he  did  no  sin,  neither  was 
 any  guile  found  in  his  mouth,  1  Pet.  ii.  22.  The  apostle  tells  us, 
 he  was  holy,  harmless,  undeliled,  and  separate  from  sinners  :  he 
 assumed  the  nature  of  man,  yet  by  reason  of  this  pure  concep- 
 tion, and  of  this  union,  he  was  conceived,  and  born,  and  lived 
 without  sin ;  he  took  upon  him  the  seed  of  man,  but  not  the  sin 
 of  man,  save  only  by  imputation. 
 
 2.  The  graces  collated  unto  the  humanity  of  Christ  by  reason 
 of  his  union,  are  very  many :  I  shall  instance  in  some : 
 
 (1.)  That  the  manhood  is  a  peculiar  temple  for  the  deity  of 
 Christ  to  dwell  in  :  it  is  the  place  wherein  the  godhead  shews 
 itself  more  manifestly  and  more  gloriously  than  in  any  other 
 creature  :  it  is  true,  that  by  his  providence  he  shews  himself  in 
 all  his  creatures,  and  by  his  grace  in  his  saints ;  but  he  is  most 
 gloriously,  eternally,  according  to  the  fulness  of  his  deity,  in  the 
 humanity  of  Jesus  Christ :  in  him  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the 
 godhead  bodily.  Some  are  of  opinion,  that  as  now  in  this  life, 
 no  man  cometh  unto  God  but  by  Christ :  so  hereafter,  in  the  next 
 life,  no  man  shall  see  God,  but  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 (2.)  That  the  manhood  of  Christ,  according  ..to  its  measure,  is 
 a  partner  with  the  godhead  in  the  work  of  redemption  and 
 mediation :  as  he  is  Immanuel  in  respect  of  his  person,  so  he  is 
 Immanuel  in  respect  of  his  office.  He  must  needs  be  man  as 
 well  as  God,  that  he  might  be  able  to  send  this  comfortable 
 message  to  the  sons  of  men  ;  Go  to  my  brethren,  and  say  unto 
 them,  I  ascend  unto  my  Father  and  your  Father,  and  to  my 
 God  and  your  God. 
 
 (3.)  That  the  manhood  of  Christ,  together  with  the  godhead, 
 is  adored  and  worshipped  with  divine  honour  :  not  that  we  wor- 
 ship the  manhood  alone,  as  merely  a  creature  ;  but  that  we  adore 
 the  person  of  Christ,  which  consisteth  of  the  manhood  and  of 
 the  godhead. 
 
 (4.)  That  the  manhood  hath  an  extraordinary  measure  of  ha- 
 bitual graces  poured  into  it.  In  this  he  excels  the  very  angels, 
 for  to  them  was  given  grace  only  by  measure ;  but  to  the  huma- 
 nity of  Christ  was  given  grace  without  measure ;  even  so  much 
 as  a  creature  is  any  ways  capable  of.  Never  was  there  any  but 
 Christ,  whose  graces  were  no  way  stinted,  and  was  absolutely 
 full  of  grace.  Divines  tell  us  of  a  double  grace  in  Christ;  the 
 one  of  union,  and  that  is  infinite ;  the  other  of  unction,  (which  is 
 all  one  with  grace  habitual,)  and  that  is  in  a  sort  infinite ;  for 
 howsoever  it  be  but  a  finite  and  created  thing,  yet  in  the  nature 
 of  grace,  it  hath  no  limitation,  no  bounds,  but  includeth  in  itself 
 whatsoever  any  way  pertains  to  grace.  The  reason  of  this 
 illimited  grace  bestowed  on  the  nature  of  man  in  Christ,  was, 
 for  that  grace  was  given  to  it  as  to  the  universal  cause,  whence 
 
Looking  unto  Jfesus.  215 
 
 it  was  derived  unto  all  others.     He  is  the  fountain  of  grace,  and 
 of  his  fulness  we  receive  grace  for  grace. 
 
 3.  For  the  communication  of  the  properties.  It  is  a  kind  of 
 speech  peculiar  to  the  scriptures,  when  the  properties  of  either 
 nature  of  Christ  considered  singly  are  attributed  to  the  person 
 of  Christ,  Thus  we  may  say,  that  God  was  born  of  a  virgin, 
 and  that  God  suffered,  and  God  was  crucified;  not  simply  in 
 respect  of  his  godhead,  but  in  respect  of  his  person,  or  in  respect 
 of  the  human  nature  which  God  united  to  himself.  And  thus  we 
 may  say,  that  the  man  Christ  is  almighty,  omniscient,  omnipre- 
 sent, yet  not  in  respect  of  his  manhood,  but  in  respect  of  the 
 person  which  is  God  and  man ;  or  in  respect  of  the  divine  nature ' 
 of  the  man  Christ  Jesus :  for  here,  man  signifies  the  whole  per- 
 son of  Christ,  and  not  the  human  nature :  but  on  the  contrary, 
 we  may  not  say,  that  the  godhead  of  Christ  was  born  of  a  virgin, 
 or  sufl:ered,  or  was  crucified ;  nor  may  we  say,  that  the  manhood 
 of  Christ  is  almighty,  omniscient,  omnipresent;  because  the 
 godher.d  and  manhood  are  such  words,  as  note  to  us  the  two 
 natures  of  Christ,  the  one  divine,  and  the  other  human,  and  not 
 the  person  of  Christ. 
 
 2d.  The  eflfects  or  benefits  of  this  hypostatical  union,  in  re- 
 spect of  Christians,  are  their  spiritual  union  and  communion  with 
 God  and  Christ. 
 
 1 .  There  is  a  spiritual  union  of  Christians  vA\h  God  in  Christ. 
 Oh,  the  wonder  of  these  two  blessed  unions  !  first,  of  the  per- 
 sonal union ;  secondly,  of  the  spiritual  or  mystical  union.  In 
 the  personal  union,  it  pleased  God  to  assume  and  unite  our  hu- 
 man nature  to  the  deity;  in  this  spiritual  union,  it  pleased  God 
 to  unite  the  person  of  every  believer  to  the  person  of  the  Son  of 
 God.  This  union  is  mystical,  and  yet  our  very  persons,  natures, 
 bodies,  souls,  are  in  a  spiritual  way  conjoined  to  the  body  and 
 soul  of  Christ ;  so  that  we  are  members  of  the  body  of  Christ, 
 and  of  the  flesh  of  Christ,  and  of  the  bones  of  Christ;  and  as  this 
 conjunction  is  immediately  made  with  his  human  nature,  so  there- 
 by we  are  also  united  to  the  divine  nature ;  yea,  the  person  of  the 
 believer  is  united  to  the  glorious  person  of  the  Son  of  God. 
 
 Now,  concerning  this  union,  for  our  better  understanding, 
 observe  these  three  things. 
 
 (1.)  It  is  a  most  real  union  :  it  is  not  a  mere  notional  union, 
 that  consists  oxAy  in  the  understanding;  it  is  not  an  imaginary 
 thing,  that  hath  no  other  being  but  only  in  the  brain;  no,  it  is  a 
 true,  real  union.  In  natural  unions,  I  confess,  there  may  be 
 more  evidence,  but  there  cannot  be  more  truth. 
 
 (2.)  It  is  a  very  near  union.  You  will  say,  how  near  ?  If  an 
 angel  were  to  speak  to  you,  he  cannot  satisfy  you  in  this ;  only 
 as  far  as  our  understanding  can  reach  it,  and  the  creatures  can 
 serve  to  illustrate  these  things,  take  it  thus:  whatsoever  by 
 way  of  comparison  can  be  alleged  concerning  the  combination 
 
216  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 of  am^  one  thing  with  another,  that,  and  much  more,  may  be 
 said  of  our  union  with  Jesus  Christ.  See  how  near  the  father 
 and  the  child  are,  how  near  the  husband  and  the  wife  are ;  see 
 what  union  is  between  the  branches  and  the  vine,  the  members 
 and  the  head ;  nay,  one  thing  more,  see  what  the  soul  is  to  the 
 body :  such  is  Christ  and  so  near  is  Christ,  and  nearer,  to  the 
 person  of  every  true  believer.  /  live^  yet  not  I,  saith  Paul,  but 
 Christ  liveth  in  me.  As  if  he  had  said,  As  the  soul  is  to  the  body 
 of  a  natural  man,  so  is  Jesus  Christ  to  my  sovd  and  body. 
 
 (3.)  It  is  a  total  union  ;  that  is,  v/hole  Christ  is  united  to  the 
 whole  believer,  soul  and  body.  If  thou  art  united  to  Christ, 
 thou  hast  all  Christ ;  thou  art  one  with  him  in  his  nature,  in  his 
 name ;  thou  hast  the  same  image,  grace,  and  spirit  in  thee,  as 
 he  hath ;  the  same  j^recious  promises,  the  same  access  to  God 
 by  prayer  as  he ;  thou  hast  the  same  love  of  the  Father ;  all  that 
 he  did  or  suffered,  thou  hast  a  share  in  it ;  thou  hast  his  life  and 
 death ;  all  is  thine.  So,  on  thy  part,  he  hath  thee  wholly,  thy 
 nature,  thy  sins,  the  punishment  of  thy  sins,  thy  wrath,  thy 
 curse,  thy  shame ;  yea,  thy  wit,  and  wealth,  and  strength,  all 
 that  thou  art,  or  hast,  or  canst  do  possibly  for  him.  It  is  a  total 
 union  :  My  beloved  is  mine,  and  I  am  his :  whole  Christ  is  mine, 
 and  all  that  I  am,  have,  or  can  do,  is  his. 
 
 2.  There  is  a  spiritual  communion  with  God  in  Christ.  Both 
 these  are  the  effects  of  Christ's  personal  union  :  first,  union  to 
 his  person,  and  then  communion  with  his  benefits.  Union,  in 
 proper  speaking,  is  not  unto  any  of  the  benefits  flowing  to  us 
 from  Christ;  we  are  not  united  to  forgiveness  of  sin,  holiness, 
 peace  of  conscience,  but  unto  the  person  of  the  Son  of  God 
 himself:  and  then,  secondly,  comes  this  communication  of  all  the 
 benefits  arising  from  this  union  to  the  Lord  Jesus — ^that  as  Christ 
 was  priest,  prophet,  and  king;  so  we  also  by  him  are,  after  a 
 sort,  priests,  prophets,  and  kings ;  for  being  made  one  with  him, 
 we  are  thereby  possessed  of  all  things  that  are  his. 
 
 Sect.  V .—Of  the  Birth  of  Christ. 
 
 The  birth  of  Christ  now  follows.  A  thing  so  wonderful,  that 
 it  was  given  for  a  sign  unto  believers  seven  hundred  and  forty 
 years  before  it  was  accomplished :  Therefore  the  Lord  himself 
 shall  give  a  sign  ;  behold  a  virgin  shall  conceive  and  hear  a  son. 
 But  come  a  little  nearer ;  let  us  go  to  Bethlehem,  as  the  shep- 
 herds said,  and  see  this  thing  which  is  come  to  pass  !  If  we  step 
 but  one  step  into  his  lodging,  heaven's  wonder  is  before  our 
 eyes  :  now  look  upon  Jesus  !  look  on  him  as  in  fulness  of  time 
 he  carried  on  the  great  work  of  our  salvation.  Here  you  may 
 read  the  meaning  of  Adam's  covenant,  Abraham's  promise, 
 Moses's  revelation,  David's  succession;  these  were  but  veils, 
 but  now  shall  we  draw  aside  the  curtains.     Come,  take  a  view 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  217 
 
 of  the  truth  itself.  What  a  strange  birth  is  this !  Look  on  the 
 babe,  there  is  no  cradle  to  rock  him,  no  nurse  to  lull  him,  no 
 linens  to  swaddle  him,  scarce  a  little  food  to  nourish  him.  Look 
 on  the  mother;  there's  no  midwives'  help,  no  downy  pillows,  no 
 Jinen  hangings,  scarce  a  little  straw  where  she  is  brought  a-bed. 
 Look  on  Joseph,  his  supposed  father;  he  rather  begs  than  gives 
 a  blessing  ;  poor  carpenter !  that  makes  them  a  chamber  of  an 
 ox-stall.  Mary  must  bear  a  Son;  an  angel  tells  her,  the  Holy 
 Ghost  overshadows  her;  the  days  are  accomplished,  and  she  is 
 delivered. 
 
 No  sooner  was  Christ  born,  but  righteousness  looked  down 
 from  heaven;  she  cast  her  eye  upon  earth,  and  seeing  truth 
 freshly  sprimg  there,  she  looked  and  looked  again  :  certainly  it 
 was  a  sight  to  draw  all  the  eyes  of  heaven  to  it.  It  is  said  of 
 the  angels,  that  they  desired  to  look  into  these  things.  They 
 looked  wishfully  at  them,  as  if  they  would  look  through  them. 
 No  question  but  righteousness  looked  as  narrowly  and  piercingly 
 as  the  angels.  Some  observe,  that  the  Hebrev/  word,  she  looked 
 down,  signifies,  that  she  beat  out  a  window,  so  desirous  was 
 righteousness  to  behold  the  sight  of  Christ  born,  that  she  beats 
 out  a  window  in  heaven.  Before  this  time,  she  would  not  so 
 much  as  look  down  towards  the  earth:  righteousness  had  no 
 prospect,  no  window  open,  this  way.  But  now  the  case  is  alter- 
 ed:  no  sooner  doth  our  vine  bud  upon  the  earth,  but  she  is  will- 
 ing to  condescend,  and  so  willing,  that  she  breaks  a  window 
 through  the  walls  of  heaven  to  look  down  :  and  no  marvel ;  for 
 what  could  righteousness  desire  to  see  and  satisfy  herself  in,  that 
 was  not  to  be  seen  in  Jesus  Christ  ?  He  was  all-righteous, 
 there  was  not  the  least  spot  of  sin  in  him :  his  birth  was  clean, 
 his  life  was  holy,  and  his  death  was  innocent.  Both  his  soul  and 
 body  were  without  all  sin ;  both  his  spirit  and  his  mouth  were 
 without  all  guile :  whatsoever  satisfaction  righteousness  would 
 have,  she  might  have  it  in  him.  Lay  judgment  to  the  line,  and 
 righteons7iess  to  the  balance,  and  there  is  nothing  in  Jesus  but 
 straightness  for  the  line,  and  full  weight  for  the  balance. 
 
 For  the  meeting  and  agreement  of  all  God's  attributes  as  the 
 effect  of  this,  the  verse  before  tells  us,  that  mercy  and  truth  are 
 Tuet  together,  righteousness  and  peace  have  kissed  each  other. — 
 Many  means  were  made  before  Christ's  time  for  this  blessed 
 meeting ;  but  it  would  not  be :  Sacrifice  and  burnt-offering  thou 
 tvouldest  not;  these  means  were  not  prevalent  enough  to  cause 
 it.  Where  stuck  it  ?  you  will  say :  surely  it  was  not  long  of 
 mercy,  she  was  easy  to  be  entreated :  she  looked  up  to  heaven, 
 but  righteousness  would  not  look  down;  and  indeed  here  was 
 the  business:  righteousness  must  and  will  have  satisfaction; 
 either  some  satisfaction  for  sin  must  be  given  to  God,  or  she 
 will  never  meet  more ;  better  that  all  the  men  in  the  world  were 
 damned,  than  that  the  righteousness  of  God  should  be  un- 
 Q  2e 
 
218  Loolihig  unto  Jesus, 
 
 righteous.  But  our  Saviour  is  born;  and  this  birth  occasions  a 
 gracious  meeting  of  the  attributes:  such  an  attractive  is  this 
 birth,  that  all  meet  there ;  indeed  they  cannot  but  meet  in  him, 
 Christ  is  mercy,  and  Christ  is  truth,  and  Christ  is  righteousness, 
 and  Christ  is  peace. 
 
 1.  Christ  is  mercy.  Thus  Zacharias  prophesied ;  that  through 
 the  tender  mercy  of  our  God  the  day-spring  (or  branch)  from  on 
 high  hath  visited  us  :  and  God,  the  Father  of  Christ,  is  called  the 
 Father  of  mercies ;  as  if  mercy  were  his  Son,  who  had  no  other 
 Son  but  his  dearly  beloved  Son,  in  whom  he  is  well  pleased. 
 
 2.  Christ  is  truth.  /  am  the  ivay^  and  the  truth,  and  the  life; 
 that  truth,  in  whom  is  accomplished  whatsoever  was  prefigured 
 of  the  Messiah.  And  this  is  his  name.  The  Lord,  The  Lord 
 God,  abundant  m  goodness  and  truth. — He  is  a  God  of  truth, 
 said  Moses  ; — plenteous  in  mercy  and  truth,  said  David ; — full 
 of  grace  and  truth,  said  John.  He  is  truth  by  name,  and  truth 
 by  nature,  and  truth  by  office. 
 
 3.  Christ  is  righteousness.  This  is  his  name  luherehy  he  shall 
 he  called.  The  Lord  our  righteousness, 
 
 4.  Christ  is  peace.  This  is  his  name  tvhereby  he  is  called; 
 Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the  mighty  God,  the  everlasting  Father, 
 the  Prince  of  Peace,  And  according  to  his  type,  Melchisedech, 
 as  he  was  King  of  righteousness,  so  also  he  was  King  of  Salem, 
 which  is  King  of  peace.  Thus  Christ  is  mercy,  and  Christ  is 
 truth,  and  Christ  is  righteousness,  and  Christ  is  peace.  Now 
 where  should  all  these  meet,  but  in  him  who  is  them  all  ?  Surely 
 there  they  meet,  and  at  the  meeting  they  all  ran  first  and  kissed 
 the  Son ;  and  that  done,  truth  ran  to  mercy,  and  embraced  her ; 
 and  righteousness  to  peace,  and  kissed  her :  they  that  had  so 
 long  been  parted,  now  they  meet,  and  are  made  friends  again. 
 O  the  blessed  effects  of  this  birth  of  Christ !  It  is  Christ  that 
 reconciled  them,  and  reconciled  us  to  them.  He  reconciled  all 
 things,  saith  the  apostle,  whether  they  be  things  in  earth,  or 
 things  in  heaven.  Now  is  heaven  at  peace  with  itself,  and  heaven 
 and  earth  at  peace  one  with  another ;  and  that  which  glues  all, 
 and  makes  the  peace,  is  this  birth  of  Christ. 
 
 Sect.  VI. — Of  some  Consequents  of  Christ's  Birth, 
 
 Some  consequents  of  the  birth  of  Christ  may  be  touched,  till 
 he  was  a  child  of  twelve  years  old. 
 
 I .  When  he  was  but  eight  days  old,  he  was  circumcised,  and 
 named  Jesus.  In  this  early  humiliation  he  plainly  discovered 
 the  riches  of  Jbis  grace :  now  he  sheds  his  blood  in  drops,  and 
 thereby  gives  an  earnest  of  those  rivers  which  he  afterwards 
 poured  out  for  the  cleansing  of  our  nature,  and  extinguishing 
 the  wrath  of  God ;  and  for  a  further  discovery  of  his  grace,  at 
 this  time  his  name  is  given  him,  which  was  Jesus.    This  is  the 
 
Looking  unto  t/esus.  219 
 
 nanie  which  we  should  engrave  on  our  hearts^  rest  our  faith  on, 
 and  place  our  help  in,  and  love  with  the  overflowings  of  charity, 
 joy,  and  adoration ;  above  all  things,  we  had  need  of  Jesus,  a 
 Saviour  for  our  souls,  both  from  our  sins,  and  from  tlie  ever- 
 lasting destruction  which  sin  will  otherwise  bring  upon  our  souls. 
 Hence  this  name  Jesus,  and  this  sign  circumcision,  are  joined 
 together ;  for  by  the  effusion  of  his  blood  he  was  to  be  our  Jesus, 
 our  Saviour :  fVithoiit  shedding  of  blood  is  no  remission^  no  sal- 
 vation. Circumcision  was  the  seal,  and  now  was  it  that  c^ 
 Jesus  was  under  God's  great  seal  to  take  his  office :  Him  hath 
 God  the  Father  sealed,  John  vi.  27.  It  is  his  office  and  his  very 
 profession  to  save,  that  all  may  repair  unto  him  to  that  end : 
 Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  are  weary  ;  and  him  that  cometh  unto 
 me,  I  will  ill  no  zvise  cast  out, 
 
 2.  When  he  was  forty  days  old,  he  was  brought  to  Jeru- 
 salem, and  presented  to  the  Lord;  as  it  is  written  in  the 
 law  of  the  Lord,  Every  male  that  openeth  the  tvomb  shall 
 be  called  holy  to  the  Lord,  O  wonder!  there  was  no  im- 
 purity in  the  Son  of  God,  and  yet  he  is  first  circumcised  3  and 
 then  he  is  brought,  and  offered  to  the  Lord.  He  that  came  to 
 be  sin  for  us,  would  in  our  persons  be  legally  unclean,  that  by 
 satisfying  the  law,  he  might  take  away  our  uncleanness.  He 
 that  was  above  the  law,  would  come  under  the  law,  that  he 
 might  free  us  from  the  law.  We  are  all  born  sinners ;  but  O  the 
 unspeakable  mercies  of  our  Jesus,  that  provides  a  remedy  as 
 early  as  our  sin  :  first,  he  is  conceived ;  and  then  he  is  born,  to 
 sanctify  our  conceptions  and  our  births  :  and  after  his  birth,  he 
 is  first  circumcised,  and  then  he  is  presented  to  the  Lord ;  that 
 by  two  holy  acts,  that  which  was  naturally  unholy  might  be  hal- 
 lowed unto  God.  Christ  hath  not  left  our  very  infancy  without 
 redress,  but  by  himself  thus  offered  he  cleanseth  us  presently 
 from  our  filthiness.  Now  is  Christ  brought  in  his  mother's  arms 
 to  his  own  house,  the  temple ;  and  as  man,  he  is  presented  to 
 himself  as  God.  You  will  say.  What  is  this  to  me,  or  to  my 
 soul  ?  O  yes  !  Jerusalem  is  now  every  where ;  there  is  no  church- 
 assembly,  no  christian  heart,  which  is  not  a  temple  of  the  living 
 God ;  and  there  is  no  temple  of  God,  wherein  Christ  is  not  pre- 
 sented to  his  Father.  Thus  we  have  the  benefit  of  Christ's  ful- 
 filling the  law  of  righteousness  :  God  sent  his  Son,  made  of  a 
 ivoman,  made  under  the  law,  that  he  might  redeem  them  that 
 were  under  the  law,  that  ive  might  receive  the  adoption  of  sons. 
 
 3.  When  he  was  yet  under  one  year  old,  as  some,  or  about 
 two,  as  others,  he  fled  into  Egypt.  As  there  was  no  room  for 
 him  in  Bethlehem,  so  now  there  is  no  room  for  him  in  all  Judea. 
 No  sooner  he  came  to  his  o^\^l,  but  he  must  fly  from  them :  what 
 a  wonder  is  this!  Could  not  Christ  have  quit  himself  fr^m 
 Herod  a  thousand  ways  ?  What  could  an  arm  of  flesh  have  done 
 against  the  God  of  spirits  ?    but  hereby  he  taught  us  to  bear  the 
 
220  Looking  U7ito  *Jesus, 
 
 yoke  even  In  our  youth :  thus  would  he  suffer^  that  he  might 
 sanctify  to  us  our  earthly  afflictions.  What  a  change  is  here  ! 
 Israel^  the  first-born  of  God,  flies  out  of  Egypt  into  Judea  \  and 
 Christ,  the  first-born  of  all  creatures,  flies  out  of  Judea  into 
 Egypt.  Now  is  Egypt  become  the  sanctuary,  and  Judea  the 
 inquisition-house,  of  the  Son  of  God.  Surely  he  that  is  every 
 where  the  same,  knows  how  to  make  all  places  alike  to  his. 
 He  knows  how  to  preserve  Daniel  in  the  lion's  den,  the  three 
 children  in  the  fiery  furnace,  Jonah  in  the  whale's  belly,  and 
 Christ  in  the  midst  of  Egypt. 
 
 4.  When  he  was  now  five  years  old,  say  some,  an  angel  ap- 
 pears again  in  a  dream  to  Joseph,  saying,  Arise,  and  take  the 
 young  child  and  his  mother,  and  return  again  into  the  land  of 
 Israel,  for  they  are  dead  ivhich  sought  the  young  child's  life, 
 Herod,  that  took  away  the  lives  of  all  the  infants  in  or  about 
 Bethlehem,  is  now  himself  dead,  and  gone  to  his  own  place.  O 
 the  wonderful  dispensation  of  Christ  in  concealing  himself  from 
 men  !  All  this  while  he  carries  himself  as  an  infant ;  take  the 
 young  child  and  his  mother.  He  suppressed  the  manifestation 
 and  exercise  of  that  godhead  whereto  the  infant  nature  was  con- 
 joined: as  the  birth  of  Christ,  so  the  infancy  of  Christ  was 
 exceedingly  humble.  O  how  should  we  magnify  him,  or  deject 
 ourselves  for  him,  who  himself  became  thus  humble  for  our  sakes ! 
 
 5.  When  he  was  twelve  years  old,  he,  with  his  parents,  goes 
 up  to  Jerusalem,  after  the  custom  of  the  feast.  This  pious  act 
 of  his  younger  years  intends  to  lead  our  first  years  into  timely 
 devotion:  but  I  shall  not  insist  on  that;  I  would  rather  observe 
 him  sitting  in  the  midst  of  the  temple,  both  hearing  them  and 
 asking  them  questions.  He  who,  as  God,  gave  them  all  the  wis- 
 dom they  had,  doth  now,  as  the  Son  of  man,  hearken  to  the  wis- 
 dom he  had  given  them ;  and  when  he  had  heard,  then  he  asks  ; 
 and  after  that,  no  doubt  he  answers :  his  very  questions  were 
 instructions  ;  for  I  cannot  think  that  he  meant  so  much  to  learn, 
 as  to  teacli  those  doctors  of  Israel.  Surely  these  rabbins  had 
 never  heard  the  voice  of  such  a  tutor ;  they  could  not  but  see 
 the  very  wisdom  of  God  in  this  child ;  and  therefore  saith  the 
 text,  they  all  2vo?ider,  or  they  were  all  astonished  at  his  under- 
 standing and  answers :  their  eyes  saw  nothing  but  a  child,  but 
 their  ears  heard  the  wonderful  things  of  God's  law.  But  why 
 did  ye  not,  O  ye  Jewish  teachers,  remember  now  the  star  and 
 the  sages,  the  angels  and  the  shepherds  ?  why  did  ye  not  now 
 bethink  yourselves  of  Herod,  and  of  his  inquiry,  and  of  your 
 answer,  that  in  Bethlehem  of  Judea  Christ  should  be  born?  You 
 cited  the  prophets,  and  why  did  you  not  mind  that  prophecy 
 now,  that  unto  us  a  child  is  horn,  and  unto  us  a  Son  is  given , 
 and  his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the  mighty 
 God,  the  €verlasti)ig  Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace?  Fruit- 
 less iy   the  wonder  that   endelh   not   in   faith.       No  light   is 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  221 
 
 sufficient,  where  the  eyes  are  held  through  unbelief  and  pre- 
 judice. 
 
 6.  After  this,  from  the  twelfth  to  the  thirtieth  year  of  his  age, 
 we  read  nothing  of  the  acts  of  Christ,  but  that  he  went  down 
 with  his  parents  unto  Nazareth,  and  was  subject  to  them.  As 
 he  went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  worship  God,  so  he  goes  down  to 
 Nazareth  to  attend  his  particular  calling.  This  is  the  meaning 
 of  those  words,  mid  he  was  subject  to  them.  Christ's  subjection 
 to  his  parents  extends  to  the  profession  and  exercise  of  his  life. 
 Certainly  Christ  was  not  all  that  time,  from  twelve  to  thirty 
 years,  idle :  as  he  was  educated  by  his  parents,  so  of  his  reputed 
 father  he  learnt  to  be  a  carpenter  3  this,  I  take  it,  is  plain  in 
 these  words.  Is  not  this  tlie  carpenter ,  the  Son  of  Mary  f 
 
 Oh,  the  poverty,  humility,  severity,  of  Jesus  !  It  appears  at 
 this  time  especially,  in  his  labouring,  working,  hewing  of  wood, 
 or  the  like.  Here's  a  sharp  rej^roof  to  all  those  who  spend  their 
 time  in  idleness,  or  without  a  particidar  calling.  What !  are 
 they  wiser  than  Christ  ?  Our  Jesus  would  not  by  any  means 
 thus  spend  his  time. 
 
 But  concerning  this  time  of  his  youth,  because  in  scripture 
 there  is  so  deep  a  silence,  I  shall  therefore  pass  it  by. 
 
 Thus  far  have  I  propounded  the  object  we  are  to  look  unto;  it 
 is  Jesus,  in  his  first  coming,  or  incarnation,  whilst  yet  a  child  of 
 twelve  years  old.  Our  next  work  is  to  direct  you  in  the  art  or 
 mystery,  how  we  are  to  look  unto  him  in  this  respect. 
 
 CHAP.  II. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  Knoiving  Jesus  as  carrying  on  the  great  Work  of 
 our  Salvation  in  /lis  Birth, 
 
 What  looking  comprehends,  you  have  heard  before :  and  that 
 we  may  have  an  inward  experimental  look  on  him  whom  our 
 souls  pant  after,  let  us  practise  all  these  particulars. 
 
 1 .  Let  us  know  Jesus  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  sal- 
 vation in  his  incarnation.  Let  us  learn  what  he  did  for  us  when 
 he  came  amongst  us.  There  is  not  one  passage  in  his  first  ap- 
 pearing, but  it  is  of  mighty  concernment  unto  us.  Is  it  pos- 
 sible that  the  great  God  of  heaven  and  earth  shoidd  so  infinitely 
 condescend,  but  on  some  great  design  ?  And  what  design  could 
 there  be  but  only  his  glory  and  the  creatures'  good  ?  O  my  soul ! 
 if  thou  hast  any  interest  in  Christ,  all  this  concerns  thee :  the 
 Lord  Jesus,  in  these  very  transactions,  had  an  eye  to  thee;  he 
 was  incarnate  for  thee,  he  was  conceived  and  born  for  thee. 
 Ivook  not  on  the  bare  history  of  things,  for  that  is  unprofitable ; 
 the  main  duty  is  <^'ycing  the  end,  the  meaning  of  Christ,  and 
 
222  Looking  unto  Jtsus, 
 
 especially  as  it  relates  to  thyself.  Alas !  what  comfort  were  it 
 to  a  poor  prisoner,  if  he  should  hear  that  the  king,  of  his  mere 
 grace,  visited  all  the  prisoners  in  this  or  that  dungeon,  and  that 
 he  made  a  gaol-delivery,  and  set  all  free,  but  never  came  near 
 the  place  where  he  lies  bound  in  irons  ?  or  suppose  he  gives  a 
 visit  to  that  very  man,  and  offers  him  grace  and  pardon,  if  he 
 will  but  accept  of  it  3  and,  because  of  his  waywardness,  per- 
 suades, entreats,  commands  him  to  come  out  and  take  his  liber- 
 ty ;  and  yet  if  he  will  not  regard  or  apply  it  to  himself,  what  com- 
 fort can  he  have  ?  what  benefit  can  he  receive  ?  Dear  soul,  this 
 is  thy  case,  if  thou  art  not  in  Christ ;  if  thou  hast  not  heard  the 
 offer,  and  embraced  and  closed  with  it,  then  what  is  Christ's 
 incarnation,  conception,  nativity,  unto  thee  ?  Come,  learn,  not 
 merely  as  a  scholar,  to  gain  some  notional  knowledge ;  but  as  a 
 Christian,  as  one  that  feels  virtue  coming  out  of  Christ  in  every 
 of  these  respects.  Study  closely  this  great  transaction  in  refer- 
 ence to  thyself.  I  know  not  how  it  happens ;  this  subject  either 
 savours  not  with  some  Christians,  or  it  is  seldom  thought  of  by 
 the  most.  O  God  forbid  we  should  throw  out  of  doors  such  a 
 blessed  necessary  truth !  If  rightly  applied,  it  is  a  Christian's 
 joy :  Behold,  I  bring  you  glad  tidings  of  great  joy,  that  shall  he 
 to  all  people;  for  unto  you  is  born  in  the  city  of  David,  a 
 Saviour,  which  is  Christ  the  Lord,  Sure  the  birth  of  Christ  is 
 of  mighty  concernment  unto  thee  3  unto  us  a  child  is  bori^r,  unto 
 us  a  Son  is  given.  There  is  not  any  piece  of  this  transaction 
 but  it  is  of  special  use.  How  many  break  their  brains,  and 
 waste  their  spirits,  in  studying  arts  and  sciences,  things  in  com- 
 parison of  no  value  ?  Whereas  Paul  determined  not  to  know  any 
 thing  but  Jesus  Christ.  To  know  Jesus  Christ  in  every  point, 
 whether  in  birth,  or  life,  or  death,  is  saving  knowledge.  O 
 stand  not  upon  cost,  whether  pains  or  study,  tears  or  prayers, 
 peace  or  wealth,  goods  or  name,  life  or  liberty;  sell  all  for  this 
 pearl.  Christ  is  of  that  worth  that  thou  canst  never  over-buy 
 him,  though  thou  gavest  thyself  and  all  the  world  for  him.  The 
 study  of  Christ  is  the  study  of  studies ;  the  knowledge  of  Christ 
 is  the  knowledge  of  every  thing  that  is  necessary,  either  for  this 
 world,  or  for  the  world  to  come.  O  study  Christ  iii  every  of  the 
 aforesaid  respects. 
 
 Sect.  II. — Considering  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  consider  Jesus  carrying  on  this  great  work  of  our 
 salvation,  at  his  first  coming  or  incarnation.  It  is  not  enough  to 
 study  and  know  these  great  mysteries ;  but,  according  to  the 
 measure  of  knowledge  we  have,  we  must  muse,  meditate,  pon- 
 der, and  consider  them.  This  consideration  brings  Christ  closer 
 to  the  soul.  Consideration  fastens  Christ  more  strongly  to  the 
 soul,  and,  as  it  were,  rivets  the  soul  to  Jesus  Christ.     A  soul 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  223 
 
 that  truly  considers  and  meditates  of  Christ,  thinks  and  talks  of 
 nothing  else  but  Christ :  it  takes  hold,  and  will  not  let  him  go. 
 I  will  keep  to  thee  (saith  the  soul  in  meditation)  for  thou  art  my 
 life.  Thus,  O  my  soul,  consider  thou  of  Christ,  and  of  what  he 
 did  for  thee  when  he  was  incarnate !  and  that  thou  mayest 
 not  confound  thyself  in  thy  meditations,  consider  apart  these 
 particulars. 
 
 1 .  Consider  Jesus  in  his  forerunner,  and  the  blessed  tidings 
 of  his  coming  in  the  flesh.  Now  the  long-looked  for  time  drew 
 near,  a  glorious  angel  is  sent  from  heaven,  and  he  comes  with 
 an  olive-branch  of  peace ;  first  he  presents  himself  to  Zachary, 
 and  then  to  Mary;  to  her  he  imparts  the  message  on  which 
 God  sent  him  into  this  world :  Behold^  thou  shalt  conceive  in  tfiy 
 womb,  and  bring  forth  a  Son,  and  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus. 
 Till  now,  human  nature  was  less  than  that  of  angels ;  but  by  the 
 incarnation  of  the  Word,  it  was  to  be  exalted  above  the  cheru- 
 bim. What  blessed  tidings  was  this  message !  The  decree  of 
 old  must  now  be  accomplished,  and  an  angel  proclaims  it  upon 
 earth.  ^  Hear,  O  ye  sons  of  Adam,  this  concerns  you  as  much 
 as  the  Virgin :  were  ye  not  all  undone  in  the  loins  of  your  first 
 father  ?  was  not  my  soul  and  thy  soul  in  danger  of  hell-fire  ?  was 
 not  this  our  condition,  that  after  a  little  life  upon  earth,  we  should 
 have  been  thrown  into  eternal  torments,  where  had  been  nothing 
 but  weeping,  wailing,  and  gnashing  of  teeth  ?  And  now  that  God 
 and  Christ  should  bid  an  angel  tell  the  news — Ye  shall  not  die: 
 Lo,  a  virgin  shall  conceive  and  bear  a  Son,  and  he  shall  be  your 
 Jesus :  he  shall  save  you  fi'om  this  hell,  and  death,  and  sin ;  he 
 shall  deliver  your  souls,  he  shall  save  to  the  utmost :  his  name  is 
 Jesus,  and  he  shall  not  bear  his  name  for  nought :  believe  in 
 him,  and  ye  shall  live  with  him  in  gloiy.'  O  blessed  news ! 
 Men  may  talk  what  they  will  of  this  and  that  news,  but  none  is 
 so  welcome  to  one  ready  to  perish,  as  to  hear  of  a  Saviour.  Tell 
 a  man  in  his  sickness  of  one  that  will  make  him  well  again ;  tell 
 a  man  in  captivity,  of  one  that  will  set  him  free ;  tell  a  man  in 
 prison,  condemned  to  die,  of  one  with  a  pardon  that  will  save  his 
 life ;  and  every  one  of  these  will  say,  this  is  the  best  news  that 
 ever  was  heard.  Oh !  then,  if  it  be  good  tidings  to  hear  of  a 
 saviour,  where  it  is  only  a  matter  of  loss  of  life,  or  of  this  earth ; 
 how  much  more  when  it  comes  to  the  loss  of  heaven,  to  the 
 danger  of  hell ;  when  our  souls  are  at  stake,  and  likely  to  be 
 damned  for  ever !  what  glad  tidings  would  that  be,  to  hear  of 
 one  that  could  save  our  souls  from  that  destroyer !  Is  not  such 
 a  Saviour  worth  the  hearkening  after  ?  were  not  the  birth  of  such 
 a  one  good  news  ?  O  my  soul,  ponder  on  these  words,  as  if  an 
 angel,  seeing  thee  stand  on  the  brim  of  hell,  should  speak  to 
 thee,  even  to  thy  soul. 
 
 2.  Consider  Jesus  in  his  conception.  No  sooner  is  the  news 
 heard,  but  Christ  is  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  Virgin's 
 
224  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 womb:  this  conception  i«  worthy  our  consideration.  Wlmt! 
 that  the  great  God  of  heaven  should  condescend  so  far  as  to 
 take  our  nature  upon  him,  and  to  take  it  in  the  same  way,  and 
 after  the  same  manner,  as  we  do  ?  We  must  not  be  too  curious, 
 to  inquire  after  the  manner  of  the  Holy  Ghost's  operation.  This 
 is  work  for  our  hearts,  and  not  merely  for  our  heads.  Humble 
 faith,  and  not  curious  inquisition,  shall  find  the  sweetness  of 
 this  mystery.  It  was  David's  complaint.  Behold  Itvas  shcqyen 
 171  iniquity,  and  in  sin  did  my  mother  conceive  me.  O  my  soul, 
 this  was  thy  case  in  thy  very  first  being,  and  hadst  thou  died  in 
 that  condition,  the  word  is  express,  that  nothing  undejiled  nor 
 unclean  should  enter  i?ito  the  kingdo7n  of  glory.  But  here's  the 
 remedy,  thy  sinful  conception  is  sanctified  by  Christ's  holy  con- 
 ception :  the  holiness  of  thy  Jesus  serves  to  hide  thy  original 
 pollutions  from  the  eye  of  God.  Oh  !  consider  this  conception 
 thus,  till  thou  bringest  it  near  and  close  to  thy  soul,  till  thou 
 feelest  some  sweetness  and  power  coming  and  flowing  from  Jesus 
 in  the  womb. 
 
 3.  Consider  the  duplicity  of  natures  in  Jesus  Christ :  the 
 Word  made  flesh.  No  sooner  was  he  conceived,  than  he  was 
 God-man ;  he  was  perfectly  framed,  and  instantly  united  to  the 
 eternal  Word :  God  sent  his  Son,  there  is  the  nature  divine ; 
 made  of  a  luoman,  there  is  the  nature  human.  Certainly  great 
 is  this  mystery,  that  the  Word  is  made  flesh ;  that  the  Son  of 
 God  is  made  of  a  woman ;  that  a  star  gives  light  to  the  sun ; 
 that  a  branch  doth  bear  the  vine ;  that  a  creature  gives  being  to 
 the  Creator ! 
 
 Admire,  O  my  soul,  at  this  !  but  withal  consider,  that  all  this 
 was  for  us  and  our  salvation  :  he  was  man,  that  he  might  die  for 
 us ;  and  he  was  God,  that  his  death  might  be  sufficient  to  save 
 us.  Had  he  been  man  alone,  not  God,  he  might  have  suftered, 
 but  he  could  never  have  satisfied  for  sin  ;  he  could  not  have  been 
 Jesus,  a  Saviour  of  souls  :  had  he  been  God  alone,  not  man,  he 
 had  not  been  akin  to  our  nature  offending ;  and  so  he  could  not 
 have  satisfied  the  justice  of  God  in  the  same  nature  wherein  it 
 was  offended;  neither  could  he,  as  God  alone,  have  died  for 
 sin ;  and  the  decree  was,  that  our  Redeemer  must  die  for  sin  ; 
 for  without  shedding  of  blood,  thtre  is  no  remission ;  and  no 
 shedding  of  blood  could  possibly  befall  the  godhead  of  Christ. 
 O  my  soul,  consider  this  in  relation  to  thyself:  he  is  God-man, 
 that  he  might  suffer  and  satisfy  for  thy  sins ;  he  is  God-man,  that 
 he  might  be  able  and  fit  to  finish  the  work  of  thy  salvation.  As 
 God  he  is  able,  aixl  as  man  he  is  fit,  to  discharge  the  office  of 
 Mediator :  as  God,  he  is  able  to  bear  the  punishment  of  sin  ; 
 and  as  man,  he  is  fit  to  suffer  for  sin.  Oh  the  wisdom  of  God  in 
 this  1  man's  nature  can  suffer  death,  but  not  overcome  it ;  the 
 divine  nature  can  overcome  death  and  all  things,  but  he  can- 
 not sufter  it :    and  hence  there  is   a  duplicity  of  natures  in 
 
♦  Lookmg  unto  Jesus,  225 
 
 Jesus  Christ.     O  muse  on  this  \  it  is  worthy  thy  serious  conside- 
 ration. 
 
 4.  Consider  the  real  distinction  of  these  two  natures  in  Christ. 
 As  the  unapproachable  light  of  the  godhead  was  put  into  human 
 flesh,  so  these  two  natures  remained  entire,  without  any  con- 
 version or  confusion.  They  were  not  as  wine  and  water,  that 
 become  one  by  mixing ;  there  is  no  such  blending  the  divine  and 
 human  nature :  they  were  not  as  snow  and  water,  that  become 
 one  by  dissolving  of  the  snow  into  water;  there  is  no  such 
 changing  of  the  human  nature  into  the  divine,  or  of  the  divine 
 into  the  human.  Look,  as  at  the  first  moment  of  his  conception 
 he  was  God  and  man,  so  these  two  natures  continued  distinct  in 
 substance,  properties,  and  actions.  Consider  this,  O  my  soul, 
 in  reference  to  thyself:  by  this  means  thou  hast  free  access  unto 
 the  throne  of  grace ;  and  as  thou  hast  free  access,  so  thou  mayest 
 boldly  draw  near.  His  deity  indeed  confounds,  but  his  huma- 
 nity comforts  feeble  souls :  his  divine  nature  amazeth,  but  his 
 human  nature  encourage th  us  to  come  unto  him.  Even  after  his 
 resurrection,  he  was  pleased  to  send  this  comfortable  message 
 to  the  sons  of  men ;  Go  to  my  brethren,  and  sat/  unto  them,  I 
 ascend  to  my  Father  and  your  Father,  and  to  my  God  and  your 
 God.  Now,  as  long  as  he  is  not  ashamed  to  call  us  brethren, 
 God  is  not  ashamed  to  be  called  our  God.  Oh,  the  sweet  fruit 
 that  we  may  gather  off  this  tree,  the  real  distinctions  of  two  na- 
 tures in  Christ !  As  long  as  Christ  is  man  as  well  as  God,  we 
 have  a  motive  strong  enough  to  appease  his  Father,  and  to  turn 
 his  favourable  countenance  towards  us.  Here  is  our  happiness, 
 that  there  is  one  Mediator  between  God  and  man,  the  man 
 Christ  Jesus. 
 
 5.  Consider  the  union  of  the  two  natures  of  Christ  in  one  and 
 the  same  person.  As  he  was  the  branch  of  the  Lord,  and  the 
 fruit  of  the  earth,  so  these  two  natures  were  tied  with  such  a 
 knot  as  sin,  hell,  and  the  grave  were  never  able  to  disunite  : 
 5^ea,  though  in  the  death  of  Christ  there  was  a  separation  of  the 
 soul  from  the  body,  yet  in  that  separation  the  hypostatical  union 
 remained  unshaken.  Li  this  meditation  thou  hast  great  cause, 
 O  my  soul,  to  admire  and  adore  !  Wonderful  things  are  spoken 
 of  thee,  O  Christ !  He  is  God,  so  as  neither  the  Father  nor  the 
 Holy  Ghost  were  made  flesh ;  and  he  is  man,  in  the  nature  of 
 man.  This  is  a  mystery  that  no  angel  is  able  to  comprehend. 
 We  have  not  another  example  of  such  an  union.  If  thou  wilt  con- 
 sider this  great  mystery  of  godliness  any  further,  review  what 
 hath  been  said  in  the  object  propounded,  where  this  union  is  set 
 forth  more  largely  and  particularly :  but  especially  consider  the 
 blessed  effects  of  this  union  in  reference  to  thyself.  As  our 
 nature  in  the  person  of  Christ  is  vmited  to  the  godhead,  so  our 
 persons  in  and  by  this  union  of  Christ  are  brought  nigh  to  God. 
 Hence  it  is  that  God  doth  set  his  sanctuary  and  tabernacle 
 
 8.  2f 
 
226  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 among  us^  and  that  he  dwells  with  us ;  and,  which  is  more,  that 
 he  makes  us  houses  and  habitations,  wherein  he  himself  is 
 pleased  to  dwell  by  his  holy  Spirit.  By  reason  of  this  hypo- 
 statical  union  of  Christ,  the  Spirit  of  Christ  is  given  to  us  in  the 
 very  moment  of  our  regeneration.  And  because  ye  are  sons^ 
 God  hath  sent  forth  the  Spirit  of  his  Son  into  your  hearts, 
 crying,  Abba,  Father :  and  hereby  we  know  that  ive  dwell  in  him, 
 and  lie  in  us,  because  he  hath  given  us  of  his  Sp  rit.  As  the 
 members  of  the  body,  howsoever  distinct  amongst  themselves, 
 and  all  differing  from  the  head,  yet  by  reason  of  one  soul  in- 
 forming both  the  head  and  members,  all  make  one  man ;  so  all 
 believers  in  Christ,  howsoever  distinct  persons  amongst  them- 
 selves, and  all  distinct  from  the  person  of  Christ,  and  especially 
 from  the  godhead,  which  is  incommunicable,  yet  by  one  and  the 
 same  Spirit  abiding  in  Christ  and  in  all  his  members,  they  be- 
 come one.  There  is  one  body,  and  one  Spirit : — he  that  is  joined 
 to  the  Lord  is  one  spirit.  O  my  soul,  consider  this ;  and  in 
 considering,  believe  thy  part  in  this;  and  the  rather  because  the 
 means  of  this  union  on  thy  part  is  a  true  and  lively  faith.  Faith 
 is  the  first  effect  and  instrument  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  dis- 
 posing and  enabling  thy  soul  to  cleave  unto  Christ;  and  for  this 
 cause  I  bow  my  knees  unto  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ — 
 that  Christ  may  divell  in  your  hearts  by  faith, 
 
 6.  Consider  the  birth  of  Christ,  who  in  his  divine  generation  was 
 the  Son  of  God ;  in  his  human  generation  was  born  in  a  stable,  for 
 the  saving  of  the  children  of  men.  Suppose  the  Holy  Ghost  came 
 upon  thee,  to  form  and  fashion  thee  in  Jesus  Christ,  (thus  Paul 
 bespeaks  the  Galatians;  3fy  little  children,  of  whom  I  travel  in 
 birth  again  until  Christ  be  formed  in  you,)  would  not  this  affect  ? 
 would  not  the  whole  soul  be  taken  up  mth  this  ?  Come,  receive 
 Christ  into  thy  soul ;  or  if  that  work  be  done,  if  Christ  be  formed 
 in  thee,  O  cherish  him  !  (I  speak  of  the  spiritual  birth,)  O  keep 
 him  in  thy  heart !  Let  him  there  bud,  and  blossom,  and  bear 
 fruit ;  let  him  fill  thy  soul  with  his  divine  graces :  O  that  thou 
 couldst  say  it  feelingly,  /  live,  yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me, 
 O  that  this  were  the  issue  of  thy  meditation  on  Christ's  birth ! 
 even  whilst  thou  art  going  with  the  shepherds  to  Bethlehem,  and 
 there  findest  thy  Saviour  lying  in  a  cratch,  that  thou  wouldst 
 bring  him  thence,  and  make  thy  heart  to  be  his  cradle !  I  would 
 not  give  a  farthing  for  a  meditation  merely  on  the  history  of 
 Christ's  birth :  either  draw  virtue  from  him  within,  or  thy  medi- 
 tation will  be  fruitless. 
 
 7.  Consider  those  few  consequents  after  Christ's  birth ;  every 
 action  of  Christ  is  our  instruction.  Here  are  many  particulars, 
 but  none  in  vain.  Christ  is  considered  under  much  variety  of 
 notions,  but  he  is  still  sweet  under  all.  Is  it  possible,  O  my 
 soul,  that  thou  shouldst  tire  thyself  in  the  contemplation  of 
 Jesus  Christ  ?     If  one  flower  yield  thee  not  pleasure  or  delight. 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  227 
 
 go  to  a  second,  a  third.  For  a  while  observe  the  circumcision 
 of  Jesus  Christ,  and  gather  some  honey  out  of  that  flower. 
 Christ  had  never  been  circumcised,  but  that  the  same  might  be 
 done  to  our  souls  that  was  done  to  his  body.  O  that  the  same 
 Christ  would  do  that  in  us  that  was  done  to  him  for  us ! 
 
 Again,  observe  Christ's  presentation  in  the  temple.  This 
 was  the  law  of  those  that  first  opened  the  womb.  Now  Christ 
 was  the  first-born  of  Mary,  and  indeed  the  first-born  of  all 
 creatures;  and  he  was  consecrated  unto  God,  that  by  him  we 
 might  be  consecrated  and  made  holy,  and  that  by  him  we  might 
 be  accepted  when  we  are  oft'ered  unto  the  Lord. 
 
 Again,  observe  Christ's  flight  into  Egypt :  though  the  infancy 
 is  usually  most  quiet,  yet  here  life  and  toil  began  together ;  and 
 see  how  speedily  this  comes  after  Christ's  dedication  vmto  God. 
 Alas  !  we  are  no  sooner  born  again,  than  we  are  persecuted.  If 
 the  church  travel,  and  bring  forth  a  male,  she  is  in  danger  of  the 
 dragon's  streams. 
 
 Again,  observe  Christ's  return  into  Judea;  he  was  not  serit 
 but  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel;  with  them  alone 
 he  was  personally  to  converse  in  his  ministry,  in  which  respect 
 he  was  called  a  minister  of  the  circumcision.  And  where  should 
 he  be  trained,  and  shew  himself,  but  amongst  them  to  whom 
 God  had  sent  him  ?  The  gospel  first  began  there,  and,  as  a 
 preparation  to  it,  Christ  now  ia  his  childhood  returns  thither. 
 
 Again,  observe  Christ  disputing  with  the  doctors  in  the  tem- 
 ple. See  how  early  his  divine  graces  put  forth  themselves;  In 
 him  were  hid,  saith  the  apostle,  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and 
 knowledge:  all  the  treasures  were  hid  in  him,  and  yet  some  of 
 those  treasures  appeared  very  early;  his  wisdom  in  his  very  in- 
 fancy is  admired  at,  nor  is  it  without  our  profit,  for  of  God  he  is 
 made  wisdom  unto  us. 
 
 Again,  observe  how  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  youth.  In 
 all  his  examples  he  meant  our  instruction;  he  went  down  luitk 
 his  parents,  and  luas  subject  to  them :  he  was  not  idle  bred,  but 
 serves  his  generation  in  the  poor  way  of  a  carpenter.  It  i^ 
 every  way  good  for  a  man  to  bear  God's  yoke,  even  from  his  in- 
 fancy. Christ  is  inured  betimes  to  the  hardships  of  life,  and  the 
 strict  observation  of  the  law,  both  of  God  and  nature. 
 
 See,  O  my  soul,  what  a  world  of  matter  is  before  thee  :  here 
 is  the  annunciation  of  Jesus,  the  conception  of  Jesus,  the  dupli- 
 city of  natures  in  Jesus,  the  real  distinction,  the  w^onderful 
 union,  the  nativity  of  Jesus,  together  with  some  consequents 
 after  it.  Go  over  these  with  frequent  thoughts  ;  give  not  over 
 till  thou  feelest  thy  heart  warm.  True  meditation  is  as  the 
 bellows  of  the  soul,  that  doth  kindle  and  inflame  holy  aflfections ; 
 and  by  renewed  thoughts,  as  by  renewed  and  stronger  blasts,  it 
 doth  renew  and  increase  the  flame. 
 
228  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  Desiring  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  desire  Jesus^  carrying  on  the  gi-eat  work  of  our  salva- 
 tion at  his  first  coming  or  incarnation.  It  is  not  enough  to 
 know  and  consider,  but  we  must  desire.  Now,  what  is  desire, 
 but  a  certain  motion  of  the  appetite,  by  which  the  soul  darts 
 itself  towards  the  absent  good,  purposely  to  draw  near,  and  to 
 unite  itself  thereunto?  The  incarnation  of  Christ,  according 
 to  the  letter,  was  the  desire  of  all  nations.  O  how  they  that 
 lived  before  Christ,  desired  this  coming  of  Christ !  Abraham 
 desired  to  see  that  day,  two  thousand  years  and  more  before  it 
 came.  It  was  the  expectation  of  all  the  patriarchs :  O  when 
 will  that  day  come  1  And  surely  the  incarnation  of  Christ  in  the 
 fruit  or  application,  is,  or  should  be,  the  desire  of  all  Christians. 
 There  is  virtue  in  Jesus  Christ,  in  every  passage  of  Christ,  in 
 his  conception,  incarnation,  in  his  birth,  and  in  those  conse- 
 quents after  his  birth.  Now,  to  make  these  our's,  that  we  may 
 have  our  share  and  interest  in  them,  we  must  here  begin.  O 
 my  soul,  do  thou  desire,  do  thou  seek  to  possess  thyself  of  Christ ! 
 Set  thy  desire  (as  the  needle  point)  aright,  and  all  the  rest  will 
 follow :  never  will  union  be  with  the  absent  good,  but  the  soul, 
 by  desire,  must  first  dart  itself  towards  it.  True  it  is,  millions 
 of  souls  stand  at  a  distance  from  Christ ;  and  why  ?  they  have  no 
 desire  towards  him :  but,  O  that  my  soul,  and  thy  soul,  who- 
 soever thou  art  that  readest,  would  desire !  O  that  we  could 
 desire  and  long  after  him  until  we  languish,  and  be  com- 
 pelled to  cry  out  with  the  spouse.  Comfort  me,  for  I  tun  sick  of 
 love. 
 
 Is  there  not  good  reason  for  it  ?  what  is  there  in  Christ  that  is 
 not  desirable?  View  over  all  those  excellencies  of  his  con- 
 ception ;  of  his  two  natures  really  distinguished,  and  yet  won- 
 derfully united 5  of  his  birth;  of  those  few  consequents  after  his 
 birth :  but  above  all,  see  the  fruit  of  all ;  he  was  conceived,  that 
 our  conceptions  might  be  sanctified ;  he  was  the  Son  of  man, 
 that  he  might  suff'er  for  us ;  and  the  Son  of  God,  that  he  might 
 satisfy  divine  justice;  he  was  God  and  man  in  one  person,  that 
 we  might  be  one  with  him,  members  of  his  body,  of  his  fleshy 
 and  of  his  bones.  He  was  born  of  the  Virgin,  that  there  might 
 be  a  spiritual  birth  of  Christ  in  our  virgin -hearts.  Are  not  these 
 desirable  things  ?  Never  tell  me  of  thy  present  enjoyments ;  for 
 never  was  Christ  so  enjoyed  in  this  life,  but  thou  hast  cause  to 
 desire  more  of  Christ.  It  is  worth  thy  observation^  that  spiri- 
 tual desires  after  Christ  do  neither  load  nor  cloy  the  heart,  but 
 rather  open  and  enlarge  it  for  more  and  more.  Who  was  better 
 acquainted  with  God  than  Moses  ?  and  yet  who  was  more 
 importunate  to  know  him  better  ?  /  beseech  tJiee,  shew  me  thy 
 glory.     And  who  was  more  acquainted  mth  Christ  than  Paul  ? 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  229 
 
 and  yet  who  was  more  importunate  to  be  with  him  nearer?  / 
 desire  to  be  dissolved,  and  to  be  with  Christ.  Further  and  fur- 
 tlier,  union  with  Christy  and  communion  with  Christy  are  most 
 desirable  things,  and  are  not  these  the  fruits  of  his  incarnation, 
 the  effects  of  his  personal  union  ?  More  and  more  peace,  and 
 love,  and  reconciliation,  betwixt  God  and  us,  are  desirable 
 things :  and  are  not  these  the  fruits  of  Christ's  birth  ?  was  it 
 not  then  that  7^ighteousness  looked  down  from  heaven  ?  that  mercy 
 and  truth  met  together,  and  righteousness  and  peace  kissed  each 
 other?  An  higher  degree  of  holiness,  likeness  to  God  and 
 Christ,  are  desirable  things :  and  are  not  these  the  fruits  of  cir- 
 cumcision, and  presentation  to  the  Lord,  the  effects  of  all  those 
 consequents  that  follow  after  his  birth  ?  Come,  stir  up  thy  de- 
 sires: true  desires  are  not  wavering,  but  resolute  and  full  of 
 quickness.  Observe  how  the  nature  of  true  desire  in  scripture, 
 is  set  forth  by  the  most  strong  similitudes  of  hunger  and  thirst ; 
 and  those  not  common  neither,  but  by  the  panting  of  a  tired 
 hart  after  the  rivers  of  water,  and  by  the  gaping  of  dry  ground 
 after  seasonable  showers.  O  then !  how  is  it  that  the  passages 
 of  thy  desires  are  so  narrow,  and  almost  shut  up  ?  Nay,  how  is 
 it  that  thy  vessels  are  so  full  of  contrary  qualities,  that  there  is 
 scarce  any  room  in  thy  soul  for  Christ  ?  Will  not  the  desires  of 
 the  patriarchs  witness  against  thee  ?  how  cried  they  after  Christ's 
 coming  in  the  flesh  ?  Bow  the  heavens,  O  Lord,  and  come  down, 
 Psal.  cxliv.  5.  Oh,  that  thou  wouldest  rend  the  heavens,  that 
 thou  wouldest  come  down,  Isa.  xliv.  1.  Droj)  down,  ye  heavens, 
 from  above,  and  let  the  skies  pour  down  righteousness ;  let  the 
 earth  open,  and  bring  forth  salvation,  Isa.  xlv.  8.  Is  it  possible 
 that  their  desires  should  be  more  vehement  after  Christ  than 
 our's  ?  They  lived  on  the  dark  side  of  the  cloud,  but  we  on  the 
 bright  side ;  the  veil  was  upon  their  hearts,  which  veil  is  done 
 away  in  Christ.  They  saw  Christ  afar  off,  and  their  sight  was 
 very  dim  ;  but  we  all  with  open  face,  as  in  a  glass,  behold  the 
 gloiy  of  tJie  Lord.  One  would  think,  the  less  any  thing  is 
 known,  the  less  it  should  be  desired.  O  my  soul,  either  thou 
 art  more  ignorant  of  Christ  than  the  patriarchs  of  old,  or  thy 
 heart  is  more  out  of  frame  than  theirs  :  suspect  the  latter,  and 
 blame  thy  heart,  it  may  be  thy  sluggish  nature  hath  laid  thy  de- 
 sires asleep.  If  an  hungry  man  will  sleep,  his  hunger  will  sleep 
 with  him :  but,  oh !  stir  up  and  awake  thy  desires.  Present  be- 
 fore them  that  glorious  object,  the  incarnation  of  Jesus  Christ :  it 
 is  an  object  which  the  very  angels  desire  to  look  into  ;  and  art  not 
 thou  more  concerned  in  it  than  the  angels  ?  Is  not  the  fruit  of  the 
 incarnation  thine,  more  especially  thine  ?  Come  then,  stir  up  those 
 motions  of  thy  appetite,  by  which  the  soul  darts  itself  towards 
 the  absent  good.  Draw  nearer  and  nearer,  till  thou  comest  to 
 union  and  enjoyment ;  cry  after  Christ,  TFhy  is  his  chariot  so 
 long  in  coming  f  why  tarry  the  wheels  of  his  chariots  ? 
 
230  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  Hoping  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  hope  in  Jesus^  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  at  his  first  coming.  Only  here  remember,  I  speak  not 
 of  every  hope,  but  only  of  such  an  hope  as  is  grounded  on  some 
 certainty  and  knowledge.  This  is  the  main  question,  whether 
 Christ's  incarnation  belongs  unto  me  ?  The  prophet  tells  us, 
 that  unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us  a  son  is  given.  But  how 
 may  I  hope  that  this  child  is  born  to  me  ?  and  that  this  Son  is 
 given  to  me  ?  what  ground  for  that  ?  Out  of  these  words  of 
 the  prophet  I  shall  draw  a  double  evidence,  which  may  be  in- 
 stead of  all :  our  first  evidence  from  the  former  ^^'ords,  unto  us 
 a  child  is  born;  our  second  evidence  from  the  latter  words,  u7ito 
 us  a  Son  is  given, 
 
 1 .  From  the  former  words,  I  lay  down  this  position,  imto  us  a 
 child  is  born,  if  we  are  new-born.  The  surest  way  to  know 
 our  interest  in  the  birth  of  Christ,  is  to  know  Christ  born  in  us, 
 or  formed  in  us,  as  the  apostle  speaks.  The  new-birth  is  the 
 eflect  of  Christ's  birth,  and  a  sure  sign  that  Christ  is  born  in  us. 
 Say  then,  O  my  soul,  art  thou  born  anew  ?  is  there  in  thee  a 
 new  nature,  a  new  principle  ?  is  the  image  of  God  and  of  Christ 
 in  thy  soul  ?  so  the  apostle  styles  it,  the  bearing  of  the  image  of 
 the  heavenly ;  then  was  Christ  incarnate  for  thee.  Come  then, 
 look  to  it,  my  soul ;  what  is  thy  principle  within  ?  Consider 
 not  so  much  the  outward  actions,  the  outward  duties,  of  religion, 
 as  that  root  from  whence  they  grow,  that  principle  from  whence 
 they  come  :  are  they  fixed  ones,  settled  ones,  by  way  of  life,  in 
 thee  ?  Clocks  have  their  motions,  but  they  are  not  motions  of 
 life,  because  they  have  no  principles  of  life  within.  Is  there  life 
 within  ?  Then  art  thou  born  again,  yea,  even  unto  thee  a  child  is 
 bom.     This  is  one  evidence. 
 
 2.  From  the  latter  words  I  lay  down  this  position,  unto  us  a 
 Son  is  given,  if  we  are  God's  sons.  The  best  way  to  know  our 
 interest  in  the  Son  of  God,  is  to  know  ourselves  to  be  God's 
 sons  by  grace,  as  Christ  was  God's  Son  by  nature. — Christians, 
 to  whom  Christ  is  given,  are  co-heirs  with  Christ ;  only  Christ  is 
 the  first-born,  and  hath  the  pre-eminence  in  all  things.  Our 
 sonship  is  an  eifect  of  Christ's  Sonship,  and  a  sure  sign  that  unto 
 us  a  son  is  given.  Say  then,  O  my  soul,  art  thou  a  son  of  God  ? 
 dost  thou  resemble  God  according  to '  thy  capacity,  being  holy, 
 even  as  he  is  holy  f  Why  then,  Christ  was  incarnate  for  thee,  he 
 was  given  to  thee.  If  thy  sonship  be  not  clear  enough,  thou  by 
 these  following  rules  mayest  try  it  further : — 
 
 (1.)  The  sons  of  God  fear  God:  If  I  be  a  Father,  where  is 
 mine  honour  f  saith  God ;  if  I  be  a  master,  where  is  my  fear  ? 
 If  1  be  a  son  of  God,  there  will  be  an  holy  fear  and  trembling 
 upon  me  in  all  my  approaches  unto  God.     I  know  there  is  a 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  231 
 
 servile  fear,  and  that  is  unworthy  and  unbeseeming  a  son  of 
 God ;  but  there  is  a  filial  fear,  and  that  is  an  excellent  check 
 and  bridle  to  all  our  wantonness.  What  son  will  not  fear  the 
 frowns  of  his  loving  father?  I  dare  not  do  this,  (he  will  say^)  my 
 father  will  be  offended.  Agreeable  to  this  is  the  apostle's 
 advice,  If  ye  call  on  the  Father,  pass  your  sojourning  here  in 
 fear. 
 
 (2.)  The  sons  of  God  love  God,  and  obey  God  out  of  a  prin- 
 ciple of  love.  Suppose  there  were  no  heaven  to  bestow  upon  a 
 regenerate  person,  yet  would  he  obey  God  out  of  a  principle 
 of  love  ?  Not  that  it  is  unlawful  for  the  child  of  God  to  have  an 
 eye  unto  the  recompense  of  reward :  Moses's  reason  of  esteem- 
 ing the  reproach  of  Christ  greater  riches  than  the  treasures  of 
 Egypt,  was^  for  that  he  had  respect  unto  the  recompense  of 
 reward.  He  had  respect;  in  the  original,  he  had  a  fixed  intent 
 eye :  there  was  in  him  a  love  of  the  reward,  and  yet  withal  a 
 love  of  God ;  and  therefore  his  love  of  the  reward  was  not  mer- 
 cenary :  but  this,  I  say,  though  there  were  no  reward  at  all,  a 
 child  of  God  hath  such  a  principle  of  love  within  him,  that  for 
 love's  sake  he  would  obey  his  God.  He  is  led  by  the  Spirit, 
 and  therefore  he  obeys :  now  the  Spirit  that  leads  him  is  a  spirit 
 of  love,  and  as  many  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God  are  the  sons 
 of  God. 
 
 (3.)  The  sons  of  God  imitate  God  in  his  love  and  goodness  to 
 all  men.  Our  Saviour  amplifies  this  excellent  property  of  God  : 
 he  causeth  his  sun  to  shine  on  the  good  and  the  had.  And  thence 
 he  concludeth,  be  ye  perfect  as  your  heavenly  Father  is  perfect. 
 Goodness  to  bad  men,  is  as  it  were  the  perfection  of  all.  Oh ! 
 my  soul,  canst  thou  imitate  God  in  this  ?  Consider  how  thy  Fa- 
 ther bears  it,  though  the  wicked  provoke  him  day  by  day,  yet  for 
 all  that  he  doth  not  quickly  revenge.  God  seeth  all ;  and  for  all 
 that,  he  doth  not  make  the  earth  presently  to  gape  and  devour 
 us :  he  puts  not  out  the  glorious  light  of  the  sun,  he  doth  not 
 dissolve  the  work  of  creation,  he  doth  not  for  man's  sin  pre- 
 sently blast  every  thing  into  dust :  what  an  excellent  pattern  is 
 this  for  thee  to  write  after  1  Canst  thou  forgive  thy  enemies  ?  do 
 well  to  them  that  do  evil  to  thee  ?  This  is  a  sure  sign  of  grace 
 and  sonship.  It  is  storied  of  some  heathens,  who  beating  a 
 Christian  almost  to  death,  asked  him,  '  What  great  matter  did 
 Christ  ever  do  for  him  ?'  ''  Even  this/'  said  the  Christian,  "^  that 
 I  can  forgive  you,  though  you  use  me  thus."  Here  was  a  child  of 
 God  indeed  !  It  is  a  sweet  resemblance  of  our  Father,  and  of 
 our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  to  love  our  enemies,  to  bless  them  that 
 curse  us,  to  do  good  unto  them  that  hate  us,  to  pray  for  them 
 that  despitefuUy  use  us,  and  persecute  us.  Oh  !  my  soul,  look 
 to  this,  consult  this  ground  of  hope ;  if  this  law  be  written  in 
 thy  heart,  write  it  down  amongst  the  evidences  that  thou  art 
 God's  son,  yea,  that  even  unto  thee  a  Son  is  given. 
 
232  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 To  review  the  grounds  : — What !  is  a  child  born  to  me  ?  and  a 
 Son  given  to  me  ?  What !  am  I  new  born  ?  am  I  indeed  God's 
 son  or  daughter  ?  Do  I  upon  search  find  in  my  soul  new  desires, 
 new  comforts,  new  contentments  ?  Are  my  words,  my  works,  and 
 affections,  and  conversation,  new  ?  Is  there  in  me  a  new  nature, 
 a  new  principle  ?  Hath  the  Spirit  given  me  a  new  power,  a  seed 
 of  spiritual  life,  which  I  had  not  before  ?  Do  I  upon  search  find 
 that  I  fear  God,  and  love  God,  and  imitate  God  in  his  love  and 
 goodness  towards  all  men  ?  Can  I  really  forgive  an  enemy, 
 and  according  to  my  ability  do  good  unto  them  that  do  evil  unto 
 me  ?  Why  should  I  not  then  confidently  and  comfortably  hope, 
 that  1  have  my  interest  in  the  birth  of  Christ,  in  the  blessed  in- 
 carnation and  conception  of  Jesus  Christ?  Away,  all  despair 
 and  dejection.  If  these  be  my  grounds  of  hope,  it  is  mine  to 
 hold  up  my  head,  and  heart,  and  hands,  and  all  with  cheerfulness 
 and  confidence,  and  to  say  with  the  spouse,  /  am  my  beloved's, 
 and  my  beloved  is  mine. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Of  Believing  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  believe  in  Jesus,  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 great  salvation  at  his  first  coming  or  incarnation.  I  know  many 
 staggerings  are  oft  in  Christians,  ^  What !  is  it  likely  that  Christ 
 should  be  incarnate  for  me  ?  that  God  should  do  such  a  thing, 
 for  such  a  sinful  abominable  wretch  as  I  am  ?'  Ah  !  poor  soul, 
 put  thy  property  in  Christ's  incarnation  out  of  dispute,  that  thou 
 mayest  be  able  to  say,  '  As  God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh,  and 
 I  may  not  doubt  it ;  so  God  is  manifest  in  me,  and  I  dare  not 
 deny  it.' 
 
 To  help  the  soul  in  this,  I  shall,  1 .  propose  the  hinderances  of 
 faith.  2.  The  helps  of  faith  in  this  respect.  3.  The  manner 
 how  to  act  our  faith.  4.  The  encouragements  to  bring  on  the 
 soul  to  believe  its  part  in  the  blessed  incarnation  of  Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 For  the  first,  there  are  but  three  things  that  can  hinder  faith  ; 
 
 (1 .)  The  exceeding  unworthiness  of  the  soul ;  and  to  this  pur- 
 pose are  those  complaints,  ^  What !  Christ  incarnate  for  me  ? 
 for  such  a  dead  dog  as  I  am  ?  I  am  less  than  the  least  of  all 
 God's  mercies ;  I  am  fitter  for  hell  and  devils,  than  for  union 
 and  communion  with  God  and  Christ;  I  dare  not,  I  cannot 
 believe. 
 
 2.  The  infinite  exactness  of  divine  justice,  which  must  be 
 satisfied.  A  soul  deeply  considering  of  this,  startles,  and  cries. 
 Oh !  what  will  become  of  my  soul  ?  One  of  the  least  sins  that  I 
 stand  guilty  of,  deserves  death,  and  eternal  wrath :  the  wages  of 
 sin  is  death;  and  I  cannot  satisfy.  Though  I  have  trespassed 
 many  millions  of  talents,  I  have  not  one  mite  to  pay.  Oh !  then 
 how  should  I  believe  ?     What  thoughts  can  I  entertain  of  God's 
 
Lookins^  %mto  Jesus.  233 
 
 "<b 
 
 mercy  and  love  to  me  \  God's  law  condemns  me,  my  own  con- 
 science accuseth  me,  and  justice  will  have  its  due. 
 
 (3.)  The  want  of  a  mediator,  or  some  suitable  person  which 
 may  stand  between  the  sinner  and  God.  If  on  my  part  there 
 be  unworthiness,  and  on  God's  part  severe  justice  ;  and  withal  I 
 see  no  mediator,  which  I  may  go  unto,  before  I  deal  with  the 
 infinite  glory  of  God  himself;  how  should  I  but  despair,  and  cry 
 out.  Oh  wretched  man  that  I  am  !  Oh  that  I  never  had  been  ! 
 I  cannot  believe ;  there  is  no  room  for  faith  in  this  case. 
 
 2.  The  helps  of  faith,  in  this  sad  condition,  are  these  : 
 
 (L)  A  consideration  that  God  is  pleased  to  overlook  the  un- 
 worthiness of  his  poor  creatures.  This  we  see  plain  in  the  very 
 act  of  his  incarnation ;  himself  disdains  not  to  be  as  his  poor 
 creatures,  to  wear  their  flesh,  to  take  upon  him  human  nature  ; 
 and  in  all  things  to  become  like  unto  man,  sin  only  excepted. 
 
 (2.)  A  consideration  that  God  satisfies  justice,  by  setting  up 
 Christ,  who  is  justice  itself.  Now  was  it  that  mercy  and  truth 
 met  together,  and  righteousness  and  peace  kissed  each  other  ; 
 now  was  it  that  free  grace  and  merit,  that  fulness  and  notliing- 
 ness,  were  made  one  ;  now  was  it  that  truth  ran  to  mercy,  and 
 embraced  her  ;  and  righteousness  to  peace,  and  kissed  her  ;  in 
 Christ  they  met,  yea,  in  him  was  the  infinite  exactness  of  God's 
 justice  satisfied. 
 
 (3.)  A  consideration  that  God  hath  set  up  Christ  as  a  Media- 
 tor ;  that  he  was  incarnate  in  order  to  reconciliation,  and  sal- 
 vation of  souls  ;  and  but  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  design, 
 Christ  had  never  been  incarnate.  The  very  end  of  his  uniting 
 fleeh  unto  him,  was  in  order  to  the  reconciliation  of  us  poor  souls. 
 Alas  !  we  had  sinned,  and  by  sin  deserved  everlasting  damna- 
 tion ;  but  to  save  us,  and  to  satisfy  himself,  God  takes  our  nature 
 and  joins  it  to  his  Son,  and  calls  that  Christ  a  Saviour.  This  is 
 the  gospel  notion  of  Christ ;  for  what  is  Christ  but  God  himself 
 in  our  nature,  transacting  our  peace  ?  In  this  Christ  is  fulness, 
 and  righteousness,  and  love,  and  bowels  to  receive  the  first  acts 
 of  our  faith  ;  and  to  have  immediate  union  and  communion  with 
 us.  Indeed  we  pitch  our  faith  immediately  on  God  himself;  yet 
 at  last  we  come  to  him,  and  our  faith  lives  in  God,  as  one  faith, 
 before  it  is  aware,  through  the  intervention  of  that  person,  which 
 is  God  himself,  only  called  by  another  name — the  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ :  and  these  are  the  helps  of  faith,  in  reference  to  our  un- 
 worthiness, God's  justice,  and  the  want  of  a  Mediator  betwixt 
 God  and  us. 
 
 3.  The  manner  how  to  act  our  faith  on  Christ  incarnate, 
 is  this  : 
 
 (1.)  Faith  must  directly  go  to   Christ.     We  find  indeed  some 
 
 particular  promises  of  this  and  that  grace  ;  but  the  promises  are 
 
 not  given  without  Christ :  no,  first  Christ,  and  then  all  other 
 
 things.     Incline  your  ears,  and  come    unto   me :  Come   unto 
 
 9.  2g  • 
 
234  Loohins:  unto  Jesus, 
 
 Christ,  and  then  /  will  make  an  everlasting  covenant,  (which 
 contains  all  the  promises)  even  the  sure  mercies  of  David.  As 
 in  marriage,  the  woman  first  consents  to  have  the  man,  and  then 
 all  the  benefits  that  follow ;  so  the  soul  by  faith  first  pitcheth 
 upon  Christ,  and  then  on  the  privileges  that  flow  from  Christ. 
 Say,  dost  thou  want  any  temporal  blessing ;  suppose  it  be  the 
 payment  of  debts,  thy  daily  bread,  health ;  look  through  the 
 scripture  for  promises  of  these  things,  and  let  thy  faith  act  thus, 
 '  If  God  hath  given  me  Christ,  the  greatest  blessing,  then  cer- 
 tainly he  will  give  me  all  these  things,  so  far  as  they  may  be  for 
 mv  good.  In  the  twenty-third  psalm  we  find  a  bundle  of  pro- 
 mises ;  but  he  begins.  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd,  therefore  I 
 shall  not  ii*!xnt.  The  believing  patriarchs  through  faith  subdued 
 kingdoms,  wrought  righteousness,  obtained  promises,  stopped 
 the  mouths  of  lions,  did  wonders  in  the  world ;  but  what  did  they 
 chiefly  look  to  in  this  their  faith  ?  Surely  to  the  promise  to  come, 
 and  to  that  better  thing,  Christ  himself  :  and  therefore  the  apos- 
 tle concludes,  having  such  a  cloud  of  witnesses,  that  thus  lived 
 and  died  by  faith,  let  us  look  unto  Jesus,  the  author  and  finisher 
 of  our  faith. 
 
 (2.)  Faith  must  directly  go  to  Christ  as  God  in  our  flesh. 
 Some  think  it  a  carnal  apprehension  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  know 
 him  as  in  flesh :  I  confess,  to  know  him  only  so  ;  to  consider 
 Jesus  no  other  way  but  as  having  flesh,  is  no  better  than  a  carnal 
 apprehension ;  but  to  consider  Christ  as  God  in  flesh,  and  to 
 .consider  that  flesh  as  acted  by  God,  and  filled  with  God,  is  a 
 true  and  spiritual  apprehension  of  Jesus  Christ ;  and  hither  is 
 faith  to  be  directed  immediately.  Suppose  a  case  of  danger  by 
 some  enemies,  and  I  find  a  promise  of  protection  from  my  ene- 
 mies ;  I  look  on  that :  but  in  the  first  place  thus  I  argue.  If  the 
 Lord  hath  given  me  Christ,  (God  in  the  flesh)  to  save  me  from, 
 hell,  then  much  more  will  he  save  me  from  these  fleshly  enemies. 
 
 (3.)  Faith  must  go  and  lie  at  the  feet  of  Christ ;  faith  must 
 fasten  itself  on  this  God  in  our  flesh.  Some  go  to  Christ,  and 
 look  on  Jesus  with  loose  and  transient  glances,  they  have  but 
 coarse  and  common  apprehensions  of  Jesus  Christ.  Oh  !  but 
 we  should  come  to  Christ  with  solemn  and  serious  spirits  ;  we 
 should  look  on  Jesus  piercingly,  till  we  see  him  as  God  is  in  him, 
 and  as  such  a  person  thus  and  thus  qualified  from  heaven  ;  we 
 should  labour  to  apprehend  what  is  the  riches  of  this  glorious 
 mystery  of  Christ's  incarnation  ;  we  should  dive  into  the  depths 
 of  his  glorious  actings  ;  we  should  study  this  mystery  above  all 
 other  studies.  Nothing  is  more  pleasant,  and  nothing  is  more 
 deep.  That  one  person  should  be  God  and  man  ;  that  blessed- 
 ness should  be  made  a  curse  ;  that  heaven  should  be  let  down 
 into  hell ;  that  the  God  of  the  world  should  shut  himself  up,  as 
 it  were,  in  a  body  5  that  the  invisible  God  should  be  made  visible 
 to  sense  5  that  God  should  make  our  nature,  which  had  sinned 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  235 
 
 against  him,  to  be  the  great  ordinance  of  reconciling  us  unto 
 himself ;  that  God  should  take  our  flesh,  and  dwell  in  it  with  all 
 his  fulness,  and  make  that  flesh  more  glorious  than  the  angels, 
 and  advance  that  flesh  into  oneness  with  himself,  and  through 
 that  flesh  open  all  his  rich  discoveries  of  love  and  free  grace 
 untt)  the  sons  of  men  ;  that  this  God-man  should  be  our  Saviour, 
 Redeemer,  Reconciler,  Father,  Friend  ;  Oh  what  mysteries  are 
 these  !  No  wonder  if  when  Christ  was  born,  the  apostles  cry. 
 We  saw  his  glory ,  as  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God  ;  noting, 
 that  at  the  first  sight  of  him,  so  much  glory  sparkled  from  him 
 as  could  appear  from  none,  but  a  God  walking  up  and  down  the 
 world.  Oh  !  my  soul,  let  not  such  a  treasury  be  unlooked  into. 
 Set  faith  on  work  with  a  redoubled  strength.  Surely  we  live 
 not  like  men  under  this  great  design,  if  our  eye  of  faith  be  not 
 firmly  and  stedfastly  set  on  this.  Oh,  that  we  were  but  ac- 
 quainted with  these  lively  discoveries  !  how  blessedly  might  we 
 live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  us,  and  gave  him- 
 self for  us. 
 
 (4.)  Faith  must  look  principally  to  the  end  of  Christ,  as  God 
 coming  in  the  flesh.  Now  what  was  the  design  of  Christ  in  this  ? 
 The  apostle  answers,  Rom.  viii.  3.  God  sent  his  Son  in  tlie 
 likeness  of  sinful  jieshy  to  condemn  sin  in  t/iejlesh,  i.  e.  God  the 
 Father  sent  into  the  world  his  only  begotten  Son,  to  abolish  in 
 the  first  place  original  sin.  Mark  these  two  words  :  he  co?i- 
 demned  sin  in  the  flesh.  The  first  word  condemned^  is,  by  a  me- 
 tonymy, put  for  that  which  follows  condemnation,  namely,  for  the 
 abolishing  of  sin  ;  as  condemned  persons  use  to  be  cut  off  and 
 to  be  taken  out  of  the  world,  that  they  may  be  no  more ;  so 
 Christ  hath  condemned  or  abolished  this  sin.  By  the  second 
 word,  in  the  flesh,  is  meant  the  human  nature  which  Christ 
 assumed.  He  abolished  sin  altogether  in  his  own  nature  :  and 
 that  flesh  of  his  being  perfectly  holy,  and  the  holiness  of  it  being 
 imputed  unto  us,  it  takes  away  our  guilt  in  respect  of  the  im- 
 pureness  of  our  nature  also.  Christ  had  not  the  least  spot  of 
 original  sin  ;  and  if  we  are  Christ's,  then  is  the  sin  in  some  mea- 
 sure taken  out  of  their  hearts.  But  howsoever  the  filth  of  this 
 sin  may  remain  in  part,  yet  the  guilt  is  removed  :  in  this  respect 
 the  purity  of  Christ's  human  nature  is  no  less  reckoned  to  us  for 
 the  curing  of  our  defiled  nature,  than  the  sufTerings  of  Christ 
 are  to  us,  for  the  remission  of  our  actual  sins.  O  my  soul,  look 
 to  this  end  of  Christ  as  God  in  the  flesh.  If  thou  consider  him 
 as  made  of  flesh  and  blood,  think  withal,  that  his  meaning  was 
 to  condemn  sin  in  our  flesh.  There  flows  from  the  holiness  of 
 Christ's  nature  such  a  power  as  countermands  the  power  of  our 
 original  sin,  and  acquits  and  discharges  from  the  condemna- 
 tion of  the  same  shi.  Not  only  the  death  and  life,  but  also 
 the  conception  and  birth,  of  Christ,  hath  its  influence  in  our 
 justification. 
 
236  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 4.  The  encouragements  to  bring  our  souls  to  believe  on  Christ 
 incarnate,  we  may  draw — 
 
 (1.)  From  the  excellency  of  this  object.  This  incarnation  of 
 Christ  is  the  foundation  of  all  other  actings  of  God  for  us ;  it  is 
 the  very  hinge  on  which  all  turn  ;  it  is  the  cabinet  wherein  all  the 
 designs  of  God  do  lie,  redemption,  justification,  glorification^ 
 all  are  wrapt  up  in  it ;  it  is  the  highest  pitch  of  the  declaration  of 
 God's  wisdom,  goodness,  power,  and  glory.  Oh,  what  a  sweet 
 object  of  faith  is  this  !  I  know  there  are  some  other  things  in 
 Christ,  which  are  most  proper  for  some  acts  of  faith  ;  as,  Christ 
 dying  is  most  proper  for  the  pardon  of  actual  sin  ;  and  Christ 
 rising  from  the  dead,  is  most  proper  for  the  evidencing  of  our 
 justification  ;  but  the  strongest  and  purest  acts  of  faith  are 
 those  which  take  in  Christ  as  such  a  person,  laid  out  in  all  this 
 glory.  Christ's  incarnation  is  more  general  than  Christ's  passion 
 or  Christ's  resurrection,  and,  as  some  would  have  it,  includes  all. 
 Christ's  incarnation  holds  forth  Christ  in  his  fidness,  and  so  is 
 the  complete  subject  of  our  faith. 
 
 Come,  poor  soul,  thy  eyes  are  running  to  and  fro  the  world, 
 to  find  comfort  and  happiness  on  earth  :  O  cast  thy  eyes  back, 
 and  see  heaven  and  earth  in  one  object !  Look  fixedly  on 
 Christ  incarnate  !  There  is  more  in  this  than  in  all  the  variety 
 of  this  world,  or  of  that  world  to  come.  Here  is  an  object 
 of  faith,  and  love,  and  joy,  and  delight ;  here  is  a  compendium 
 of  all  glories. 
 
 (2.)  From  the  suitableness  of  this  object.  Christ  incarnate  is 
 most  suitable  for  our  faith  to  act  upon.  We  are  indeed  to  be- 
 lieve on  God,  but  we  cannot  come  to  God  but  in  and  through 
 Christ.  Alas  !  God  is  offended,  and  therefore  we  cannot  find 
 ground  immediately  to  go  to  God.  Hence  you  heard,  that  faith 
 must  directly  go  to  Christ  as  God  in  our  flesh.  O  the  infinite 
 condescension  of  God  in  Christ !  God  takes  up  our  nature,  and 
 joins  it  to  himself  as  one  person,  and  lays  that  before  our  faith ; 
 so  that  here  is  God,  and  God  suited  to  the  particular  state  of 
 the  sinner.  Now  with  what  boldness  may  our  souls  draw  nigh 
 to  God  !  Why  art  thou  strange,  poor  soul  ?  Why  standest  thou 
 afar  off,  as  if  it  were  death  to  draw  nigh  ?  Of  whom  art  thou 
 afraid  ?  Is  God  come  down  amongst  men,  and  canst  thou  not  see 
 him,  lest  thou  die  and  perish  ?  Oh,  look  once  more,  and  be  not 
 discouraged  1  See,  God  is  not  come  down  in  fire.  God  is  not 
 descended  in  the  armour  of  justice  and  everlasting  burnings;  no, 
 he  is  clothed  with  the  garments  of  flesh,  he  desires  to  converse 
 with  thee  after  thy  own  form,  he  is  come  down  to  beseech  thee 
 to  see  with  thine  own  eyes  thy  eternal  happiness.  Oh,  the  won- 
 der of  heaven  !  It  is  the  cry  of  some  poor  souls,  O  that  I  might 
 see  God  !  Lo  here  God  is  come  down  in  ihe  likeness  of  man, 
 he  walks  in  our  own  shape  amongst  us.  It  is  the  cry  of  others,  O 
 that  I  might  have  my  heart  united  to  God  !   Why,  he  is  come. 
 
f  Looking  unto  Jesus,  237 
 
 down  on  this  very  purpose,  and  hath  united  our  nature  unto 
 himself.  Surely  God  hath  left  all  the  world  without  excuse  :  O 
 that  ever  there  should  be  an  heart  of  unbelief,  after  these  sen- 
 sible demonstrations  of  divine  glory  and  love  !  Why  wilt  thou 
 now  stand  off  ?  Tell  me,  what  wouldst  thou  have  God  do  more  ? 
 Can  he  manifest  himself  in  a  more  suitable  way  to  thy  condi- 
 tion ?  Is  there  any  thing  below  flesh,  wherein  the  great  God  can 
 humble  himself  for  thy  good  ?  Come,  think  of  another  and  a 
 better  way,  or  else  for  ever  believe.  Methinks  it  is  sad  to  see 
 believers  shy  in  their  approaches  to  God,  or  doubtful  of  their 
 acceptance  with  God,  when  God  himself  stoops  first,  and  is  so 
 in  love  with  our  acquaintance,  that  he  will  be  of  the  same  nature 
 that  we  are.  Oh  !  let  not  such  a  rock  of  strength  be  slighted, 
 but  every  day  entertain  precious  thoughts  of  Christ  being  incar- 
 nate :  inure  thy  heart  to  believing  on  this  Jesus,  as  he  carries  on 
 the  great  work  of  thy  salvation  at  his  first  coming. 
 
 (3.)  From  the  offers  of  this  blessed  object  to  our  souls.  As 
 Christ  is  come  in  our  nature  to  satisfy,  so  he  comes  in  the  gos- 
 pel freely  and  fully  to  offer  the  terms  of  love  ;  therein  are  set  out 
 the  most  alluring  expressions  that  possibly  can  be ;  therein  is  set 
 out,  that  this  incarnation  of  Christ  was  God's  own  acting,  out  of 
 his  own  love,  and  grace,  and  glory ;  therein  is  set  out  the  birth, 
 and  life,  and  death  of  Christ ;  and  this  he  could  not  do  but  he 
 must  be  incarnate  :  God  takes  our  flesh,  and  he  useth  that  as  an 
 instrument  whereby  to  act ;  he  was  flesh  to  suffer,  as  he  was 
 spirit  to  satisfy,  for  our  sins.  Methinks  I  might  challenge  un- 
 belief, and  bid  it  come  forth ;  let  it  appear,  if  it  dare,  before 
 this  consideration  :  what,  is  not  God  incarnate,  enough  to  satisfy 
 thy  conscience  ?  Come  nigh,  hear  the  voice  of  Christ  inviting  : 
 Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  are  weary  and  heavy  laden  with  sin. 
 And,  Oh !  let  these  rich  and  glorious  openings  of  the  heart  of  Christ 
 overcome  thy  heart.  What  if  God  should  have  done  no  more 
 than  this  !  Had  he  only  looked  down  from  heaven,  and  hearing 
 sinners  cry  out,  O  wo,  wo  unto  us  for  ever !  we  have  broken  God's 
 law,  incurred  the  penalty,  damned  our  own  souls ;  O  who  should 
 deliver  us  ?  Who  will  save  us  from  the  wrath  to  come  ?  In  this 
 case,  if  God  hearing  sinners  thus  crying  out ;  had  he,  I  say, 
 only  looked  down  and  told  them,  I  will  pardon  your  sins  ;  I  made 
 the  law,  and  will  dispense  with  it ;  fear  not,  I  have  the  keys  of 
 life  and  death  :  what  soul  would  not  have  been  raised  up,  even 
 from  the  bottom  of  hell  at  this  very  voice  ?  I  know  a  poor  soul 
 would  have  scrupled  at  this,  and  have  said.  What  then  should 
 become  of  infinite  justice  ?  But,  to  remove  all  controversies, 
 God  hath  not  only  spoken  from  heaven,  but  he  himself  is  come 
 down  from  heaven  to  speak  unto  us.  O  see  this  miracle  of 
 mercy  !  God  is  come  down  in  flesh,  he  is  come  down  as  a 
 price  j  he  himself  will  pay  himself  according  to  all  the  demands 
 
238  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 of   his  justice  ;  and  all  this  done,  now  he  offers  and  tenders 
 himself  to  thy  soul. 
 
 O  my  soul,  why  shouldst  thou  fear  to  cast  thyself  upoii  thy 
 God  ?  I  know  thy  objection  of  vileness  :  notwithstanding  all 
 thy  vileness,  God  himself  offers  himself  to  lead  thee  by  the  hand, 
 and  to  remove  all  doubts ;  God  himself  hath  put  a  price  sufficient 
 in  the  hands  of  justice  ;  or  if  yet  thou  fearest  to  come  to  God, 
 why  come  then  to  thy  own  flesh ;  go  to  Christ,  as  having  thy 
 own  nature  ;  it  is  he  that  calls  thee.  What  can  be  said  more  to 
 draw  on  thy  trembling  heart !  If  God  himself,  and  God  so  fit- 
 ted and  qualified,  as  I  may  say,  will  not  allure,  must  not  men 
 die  and  perish  in  unbelief  ?  What !  O  my  soul,  is  God  come 
 down  so  low  to  thee  ?  and  dost  thou  now  stand  qxiestioning  whe- 
 ther thou  shouldst  go  or  come  to  him  ?  What  i^  this  but  to  say. 
 All  that  God  is,  or  does,  or  says,  is  too  little  to  persuade  me  to 
 faith  ?  I  cannot  tell ;  but  one  would  think  that  unbelief  should 
 be  strangled,  quite  slain,  upon  this  consideration.  All  this,  O 
 my  soul,  thou  hearest  in  the  gospel  :  there  is  Christ  incarnate 
 set  forth  to  the  life ;  there  is  Christ  suing  thy  love,  and  oflfering 
 himself  as  thy  beloved  in  thy  own  nature ;  there  it  is  written, 
 that  God  is  come  down  in  flesh,  with  an  olive  branch  of  eternal 
 peace  in  his  hand,  and  bids  you  all  be  witness  he  is  not  come  to 
 destroy,  but  to  save.  Oh  that  this  encouragement  might  be  of 
 force  to  improve  Christ's  glorious  design  to  the  supplying  of  all 
 thy  wants,  and  to  the  making  up  of  all  thy  losses  !  Believe,  Oh, 
 believe  thy  part  in  Christ  incarnate. 
 
 Sect.  VI. — Of  Loving  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  love  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  at  his  first  coming  or  incarnation.  O  my  soul,  canst 
 thou  possibly  light  on  any  object  more  attractive  than  the  incar- 
 nation of  Jesus  Christ  ?  If  love  be  the  loadstone  of  love,  what 
 an  attractive  is  this  before  thee  !  Methinks  the  very  sight  of 
 Christ  incarnate  is  enough  to  ravish  thee  with  the  apprehension 
 of  his  infinite  goodness.  See  how  he  calls  out,  or,  as  it  were, 
 draws  out  the  soul  to  union,  vision,  and  participation  of  his 
 glory  !  O  come  and  yield  thyself  up  unto  him  :  give  him 
 thyself,  and  conform  all  thy  affections  and  actions  to  his  will. 
 O  love  him,  not  with  a  divided,  but  with  all  thy  heart. 
 
 But  to  excite  this  love,  I  shall  only  propound  the  object, 
 which  will  be  argument  enough.  Love  causeth  love  :  now  as 
 God's  first  love  to  man  was  in  making  man  like  himself,  so  his 
 second  great  love  was  in  making  himself  like  to  man.  Stay  then 
 a  while  upon  this  love  ;  for  I  take  it,  this  is  the  greater  love  of 
 the  two.  The  evangelist  expresseth  it  thus,  God  so  loved  the 
 world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son ;  he  gave  him  to  be 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  239 
 
 incarnate,  to  be  made  flesh,  and  to  suffer  death  5  but  the  ex- 
 tension of  his  love  Hes  in  that  expression,  he  so  loved.  So  ! 
 how  ?  why,  so  fully,  so  freely,  as  no  tongue  can  tell,  no  heart 
 can  think. 
 
 It  is  usually  said,  that  it  is  a  greater  love  of  God  to  save  a 
 soul,  than  to  make  a  world ;  and  I  think  it  was  a  greater  love  of 
 God  to  take  our  nature,  than  simply  to  save  our  souls  :  for  a 
 king  to  dispense  with  the  law,  and  by  his  own  prerogative  to 
 save  a  murderer  from  the  gallows,  is  not  such  an  act  of  love  and 
 mercy  as  to  take  the  murderer's  clothes,  and  to  wear  them  as 
 his  richest  livery  ?  Why,  God  in  taking  our  nature,  hath  done 
 thus,  and  more  than  thus  :  he  would  not  save  us  by  his  mere 
 prerogative,  but  he  takes  our  clothes,  our  flesh,  and  in  that  flesh 
 he  personates  us,  and  in  that  flesh  he  will  die  for  us,  that  we 
 might  not  die,  but  live  through  him  for  evermore.  Surely  this 
 was  love,  that  God  will  be  no  more  God,  as  it  were,  simply,  but 
 he  will  take  up  another  nature,  rather  than  the  brightness  of  his 
 glory  shall  undo  our  souls. 
 
 It  will  not  be  amiss  (whilst  I  am  endeavouring  to  draw  a  line 
 of  God's  love  in  Christ  from  first  to  last  in  saving  souls)  that 
 here  we  look  back  a  little,  and  summarily  contract  the  passages 
 of  love  from  that  eternity  before  all  worlds  unto  this  present. 
 
 1 .  God  had  an  eternal  design  to  discover  his  infinite  love  to 
 some  besides  himself.  Oh,  the  wonder  of  this  !  Was  there  any 
 necessity  of  such  a  discovery  ?  Though  God  was  one,  and  in 
 that  respect  alone,  yet  God  was  not  solitary ;  in  that  eternity 
 within  his  own  essence  there  were  three  divine  Persons,  and 
 betwixt  them  there  was  a  blessed  communication  of  love.  Though 
 in  that  eternity  their  was  no  creature  to  whom  these  three  per- 
 sons could  communicate  their  love ;  yet  was  there  a  glorious 
 communication  and  breaking  out  of  love  from  one  to  another. 
 Before  there  was  a  world,  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost  did 
 infinitely  glorify  themselves,  t/oh7i  xvii.  5.  What  need  then  was 
 there  of  the  discovery  of  God's  love  to  any  one  besides  himself  ? 
 only  thus  was  the  pleasure  of  God  ;  JEven  so,  Father,  for  so  it 
 seemed  good  in  thy  sight.  Such  was  the  love  of  God,  that  it 
 would  not  contain  itself  within  that  infinite  ocean  of  himself,  but 
 it  would  needs  have  rivers  and  channels,  into  which  it  might  run 
 and  overflow. 
 
 2.  God,  in  prosecution  of  his  design,  creates  a  world  of  crea- 
 tures ;  some  rational,  and  only  capable  of  love  ;  others  irrational, 
 and  serviceable  to  that  one  creature,  which  he  makes  the  top  of 
 the  whole  creation  ;  then  it  was  that  he  set  one  man,  Adam,  as 
 a  common  person,  to  represent  the  rest ;  to  him  he  gives  a])un- 
 dance  of  glorious  qualifications,  and  him  he  sets  over  all  the 
 work  of  his  hands.  If  we  should  view  the  excellency  of  this 
 creature,  either  in  the  outward  or  inner  man,  who  would  not 
 wonder  ?     His  body  had  its  excellency,  which  made  the  psalmist 
 
240  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 say,  /  will  praise  thee,  for  I  am  fearfully  aiid  ivonderfully 
 7nade,  and  curioiisly  wrought  in  the  lowest  parts  of  the  earth, 
 Psalm  cxxxix.  14.  It  is  a  speech  borrowed  from  those  who 
 work  arras-work  :  the  body  of  man  is  a  piece  of  curious  tapestry, 
 consisting  of  skin,  bones,  muscles,  sinews,  and  the  like.  What 
 a  goodly  thing  the  body  of  man  was  before  the  fall,  may  be 
 guessed  from  the  excellent  gifts  found  in  the  bodies  of  some  men 
 since  the  fall.  If  all  these  were  but  joined  in  one,  as  certainly 
 they  were  in  Adam,  what  a  rare  body  would  such  a  one  be  ?  But 
 what  was  this  body  in  comparison  of  that  soul  ?  The  soul  was  it 
 that  was  especially  made  after  the  image  of  God  :  the  soul  was  it 
 that  was  tempered  in  the  same  mortar  with  the  heavenly  spirits  : 
 the  soul  was  God's  sparkle,  a  beam  of  his  divine  glory,  a  ray  or 
 emanation  of  God  himself :  as  man  was  the  principal  part  of  the 
 creation,  so  the  soul  was  the  principal  part  of  man.  Here  Avas  it 
 that  God's  love  and  glory  were  centred.  Here  was  it  that 
 God's  love  fixed  itself  in  a  special  manner,  whence  flowed  that 
 communion  of  God  with  Adam,  and  that  familiarity  of  Adam 
 with  God. 
 
 3.  Within  a  while,  this  man,  the  object  of  God's  love,  fell 
 away  from  God,  and  as  he  fell,  so  all  that  were  in  him,  even  the 
 whole  world,  fell  together  with  him  ;  and  hereupon  God's  face 
 was  hid.  Not  a  sight  of  him  but  in  flaming  fire,  ready  to  seize 
 on  the  sons  of  men.  And  yet  God's  love  would  not  thus  leave 
 the  object :  he  had  yet  a  further  reach  of  love,  and  out  of  this 
 dark  cloud  he  lets  fall  some  glimpses  of  another  discovery  :  these 
 glimpses  were  sweet ;  but,  alas  !  they  were  so  dark  that  very  few 
 could  make  any  comfortable  application  of  them ;  but  by  degrees 
 God  hints  it  out  more,  he  points  it  out  by  types  and  shadows, 
 he  makes  some  model  of  it  by  outward  ceremonies,  and  yet  so 
 dark,  that  in  four  thousand  years  men  were  but  guessing  and 
 hoping  through  promises  for  a  manifestation  of  God's  love.  This 
 is  the  meaning  of  the  apostle,  who  tells  us  of  the  mystery  that 
 was  hid  from  ages  and  from  getierations,  hut  now  is  inade  mani- 
 fest to  his  saints.  This  love  of  God  was  hid  in  the  breast  of 
 God  from  the  sons  of  men  for  an  age,  so  that  they  knew  'not 
 what  to  make  of  this  great  design  :  I  speak  of  the  generality  of 
 men ;  for  in  respect  of  some  particulars,  the  Lord  made  his  love 
 clear  to  them ;  and  still  the  nearer  to  Christ,  the  clearer  and 
 clearer  was  the  covenant  of  grace. 
 
 4.  At  last,  God  fully  opens  himself ;  in  the  fulness  of  time, 
 God  takes  the  flesh  of  those  poor  sinners  which  he  had  so  loved, 
 and  joins  it  to  himself,  "and  calls  it  Christ,  a  Saviour.  Now  was 
 it  that  God  descended,  and  lay  in  the  womb  of  a  virgin  ;  now 
 was  it  that  he  is  born  as  we  are  born ;  now  was  it  that  he  joined 
 our  flesh  so  nigh  to  himself,  as  that  there  is  a  communication  of 
 properties  betwixt  them  both;  that  being  attributed  to  God 
 which  is  proper  to  flesh,  as  to  be  born,  to  suft'er )  and  that  being 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  241 
 
 attributed  to  flesh  which  is  proper  to  God^  as  to  create^  to  re- 
 deem. Who  can  choose  but  wonder^  that  God  should  be  made 
 flesh,  and  dwell  amongst  us  ?  that  flesh  should  infinitely  pro- 
 voke God,  and  yet  God,  in  the  same  flesh,  should  be  infinitely 
 pleased  ?  that  God  should  veil  himself,  and  darken  his  glory 
 with  our  flesh,  and  yet  unveil  at  the  same  time  the  deepest  and 
 darkest  of  his  designs  in  a  comfortable  way  to  our  souls  ?  O  my 
 soul!  how  shouldsl  thou  contain  thyself  within  thyself?  how 
 shouldst  thou  but  leap  out  of  thyself,  if  I  may  so  speak,  as  one 
 that  is  lost  in  the  admiration  of  this  love  ?  Surely  God  never 
 manifested  himself  in  such  a  strain  of  love  as  tiiis  before. 
 
 Well,  hitherto  we  have  followed  the  passages  of  his  love,  and 
 now  we  see  it  at  full-sea.  If  any  thing  will  beget  our  love  to 
 God,  surely  Christ  incarnate  will  do  it.  Come  then,  O  my  soul, 
 I  cannot  but  call  on  thee  to  love  thy  Jesus ;  and  to  provoke  thy 
 love,  fix  thy  eye  on  this  lovely  object.  Draw  yet  a  little  nearer ; 
 consider  what  an  heart  of  love  is  in  this  design  i  God  is  in  thy 
 own  nature,  to  take  upon  him  all  the  miseries  of  thy  nature. 
 
 Oh  !  my  heart,  art  thou  yet  cold  in  thy  love  to  Jesus  Christ  ? 
 Canst  thou  love  him  but  a  little,  who  hath  loved  thee  so  much  ? 
 How  should  I  then  but  complain  of  thee  to  Christ !  and  for 
 thy  sake  beg  hard  of  God :  O  thou  sweet  Jesus,  that  clothest 
 thyself  with  the  clouds  as  with  a  garment,  and  now  clothest 
 thyself  with  the  nature  of  a  man ;  Oh  !  that  nothing  but  thy- 
 self might  be  dear  unto  me,  because  it  so  pleased  thee  to  vilify 
 thyself  for  my  sake. 
 
 Sect.  VII. — Of  Joying  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  joy  in  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  for  us  at  his  incarnation.  If  it  be  so,  that  by  our  de- 
 sire, and  hope,  and  faith,  and  love,  we  have  reached  the  object 
 which  our  souls  pant  after,  how  should  we  but  joy  and  delight 
 therein  ?  The  end  of  our  motion  is  to  attain  quiet  and  rest ;  now 
 what  is  joy,  but  a  sweet  and  delightful  tranquillity  of  mind, 
 resting  in  the  fruition  of  good  ?  What !  hast  thou  in  some  mea- 
 sure attained  the  fi-uition  of  Christ,  as  God  incarnate,  in  thy 
 soul  ?  It  is  then  time  to  joy  in  Jesus  ;  it  is  then  time  to  keep  a 
 sabbath  of  tliy  thoughts,  and  to  be  quiet  and  calm  in  thy  spirit. 
 But  you  will  say,  how  should  this  be  before  we  come  to  heaven  ? 
 I  answer,  there  is  not  indeed  perfection  of  joy  whilst  we  are 
 here,  because  there  is  no  perfection  of  union  on  this  side  heaven  ; 
 but  so  far  as  union  is,  our  joy  must  be.  Examine  the  grounds 
 of  thy  hope,  and  the  actings  of  thy  faith,  and  if  thou  art  but 
 satisfied  in  them,  then  lead  up  thy  joy  3  here  is  matter  for  it  to 
 work  upon :  if  thou  canst  rejoice  in  any  thing,  rejoice  in  the 
 Lord ;  and  again  I  say,  rejoice. 
 9.  2  H 
 
242  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 Is  there  not  cause  ?  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  gospel  of 
 Christ  ?  What  is  gospel,  hut  good  spell,  or  good  tidings  ?  And 
 wherein  lies  the  good  tidings,  according  to  its  eminency  ?  Is  it 
 not  in  the  glorious  incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God  ?  '  Behold,  I 
 bring  you  a  gospel,'  so  it  is  in  the  original ;  or,  behold^  I  bring 
 you  good  tidings  of  great  joy ,  which  shall  be  to  all  people  ;  for 
 unto  you  is  born  this  day  in  the  city  of  David,  a  Saviour,  which 
 is  Christ  the  Lord.  The  birth  of  Christ  is  the  comfort  of  com- 
 forts, and  the  sweetest  balm  that  ever  was.  O  my  soul,  what 
 ails  thee  ?  Why  art  thou  cast  down  and  disquieted  within  me  ? 
 Is  it  because  thou  art  a  sinner  ?  Why,  unto  thee  is  born  a 
 Saviour;  his  name  is  Saviour,  and  therefore  Saviour,  because 
 he  will  save  his  people  from  their  sins.  Come  then,  and  bring 
 out  thy  sins,  and  weigh  them  to  the  utmost  aggravation,  and  take 
 in  every  circumstance  both  of  law  and  gospel,  and  set  but 
 this  in  the  other  scale,  that  unto  thee  is  born  a  Saviour ;  surely 
 all  thy  iniquities  will  seem  lighter  than  vanity,  yea,  they  will  be 
 as  nothing  in  comparison  thereof :  3Iy  soul  doth  magnify  the 
 Lord,  said  Mary,  and  my  sj)irit  rejoiceth  in  God  my  Saviour. 
 Her  soul  and  her  spirit  within  her  rejoiced  at  this  birth  of  Christ. 
 There  is  cause  that  every  soul  and  every  spirit  should  rejoice, 
 that  hath  any  interest  in  this  birth  of  Christ.  O  my  soul,  how 
 shouldst  thou  but  rejoice,  if  thou  wilt  consider  these  parti- 
 culars : 
 
 1.  God  himself  is  come  down  into  the  world.  Because  it  was 
 impossible  for  thee  to  come  to  liini,  he  is  come  to  thee.  This 
 consideration  made  the  prophet  cry  out.  Rejoice  greatly,  O  thou 
 daughter  of  Zion,  shout,  O  daughter  of  Jerusalem;  behold  thy 
 King  comet h  unto  thee:  he  is  called  a  King,  and  therefore  he  is 
 able;  and  he  is  thy  King,  and  therefore  he  is  willing:  but  in 
 that  thy  King  cometh  unto  thee,  here  is  the  marvellous  love  of 
 God  in  Christ.  Kings  do  not  usually  come  to  wait  upon  their 
 subjects;  it  is  well  if  poor  subjects  may  come  to  them.  Oh! 
 but  see  the  great  King  of  heaven  and  earth,  the  King  of  kings, 
 and  Lord  of  lords,  stooping,  and  bowing  the  heavens,  come  down 
 to  thee  !  Surely  this  is  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  and  therefore  ^ 
 rejoice  greatly,  O  daughter  of  Zion  ! 
 
 2.  God  is  come  down  in  flesh.  He  hath  laid  aside,  as  it  were, 
 his  own  glory,  whilst  he  converseth  vvdth  thee.  When  God  ma- 
 nifested himself  on  mount  Sinai,  he  came  down  in  thunder  and 
 lightning ;  and  if  now  he  had  appeared  in  thunder  and  lightning, 
 if  now  he  had  been  guarded  with  an  innumerable  company  of 
 angels,  all  having  their  swords  of  justice  drawn,  well  might  poor 
 souls  have  trembled,  and  have  run  into  corners ;  for  who  could 
 ever  be  able  to  endure  his  coming  in  this  way?  But  God  is 
 come  down  in  flesh,  he  hath  made  his  appearance  as  a  man,  as 
 one  of  us,  and  there  is  not  in  this  regard  the  least  distance  be- 
 twixt him  and  us;  surely  this  is  fuel  for  joy  to  feed  upon.     O 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  243 
 
 why  should  God  come  down  so  suitably^,  so  lowly^  as  in  our 
 nature,  if  he  would  have  thy  poor  soul  to  be  afraid  of  him? 
 Doth  not  tliis  very  design  intend  consolation  to  thy  soul  ?  O 
 gather  up  thy  spirit,  anoint  thy  heart  with  the  oil  of  gladness. 
 See,  God  himself  is  come  down  in  flesh  to  live  amongst  us  !  he 
 j^rofesseth  he  will  have  no  other  life  but  amongst  the  sons  of 
 men.  See  what  a  sweet  way  of  famiharity  and  intercourse  is 
 made  betwixt  God  and  us. 
 
 3.  God  hath  taken  on  him  our  nature,  that  his  godhead  may 
 flow  out  in  all  manner  of  sweetness  upon  our  hearts.  If  God 
 had  come  down  in  flesh,  only  to  have  been  seen  of  us,  it  had 
 been  a  wonderfid  condescension :  If  I  have  found  favour  in  thy 
 eyes,  said  Moses,  shew  me  the  way  that  I  may  knoiv  thee :  but 
 to  come  down  in  flesh,  not  only  to  be  seen,  but  to  dispatch  the 
 great  business  of  our  soul's  salvation,  here  is  comfort  indeed: 
 with  what  joy  should  we  draw  water  out  of  this  well  of  sal- 
 vation. 
 
 O  my  soul,  thou  art  daily  busy  in  eyeing  this  and  that ;  but 
 above  all  know,  that  the  fulness  of  God  lies  in  Christ  incarnate, 
 to  be  emptied  upon  thee.  This  was  the  meaning  of  Christ's 
 taking  upon  him  flesh,  that  through  his  flesh  he  might  convey  to 
 thee  whatsoever  is  in  himself  as  God.  As  for  instance,  God  in 
 himself  is  good,  and  gracious,  and  powerful,  and  all-sufficient, 
 and  merciful,  and  what  not  ?  Now  by  his  being  in  flesh,  he  con- 
 veys all  this  to  thee.  Observe  this  for  thy  eternal  comfort;  God 
 in  and  through  the  flesh  makes  all  his  attributes  and  glory  ser- 
 viceable to  thy  soul. 
 
 4.  This  discovering  Christ  incarnate  is  the  first  opening  of  all 
 God's  heart  and  glory  unto  the  sons  of  men:  and  from  this  we 
 may  raise  a  world  of  comfort ;  for  if  God  begins  so  gloriously, 
 how  will  he  end  ?  If  God  be  so  full  of  love,  as  to  come  down 
 in  flesh  now  in  this  world,  Oh  what  matter  of  hope  is  laid  up 
 before  us,  of  what  God  will  be  to  us  in  that  world  to  come  ?  If 
 the  glory  of  God  be  let  out  to  our  souls  so  fully  at  first,  what 
 glorious  openings  of  all  the  glory  of  God  will  be  let  out  to  our 
 souls  at  last  ?  Christians  1  what  do  you  think  will  God  do  with 
 us,  or  bring  us  unto,  when  we  shall  be  with  him  in  heaven !  You 
 see  now  he  is  manifested  in  flesh,  and  he  hath  laid  out  a  world 
 of  glory  in  that :  but  the  apostle  tells  us  of  another  manifesta- 
 tion, for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is;  he  shall  at  last  be  manifest 
 in  himself:  Naw  we  see  through  a  glass  darkly,  but  then  face 
 to  face;  noiu  we  know  in  part,  but  then  we  shall  know  eveii  as 
 we  are  known. 
 
 O  my  soul,  weigh  all  these  passages,  and  make  an  applica- 
 tron  of  them  to  thyself;  and  then  tell  me  if  yet  tliou  hist  not 
 matter  enough  to  raise  up  thy  heart,  and  fill  it  with  joy  urfspeak- 
 able  and  full  of  glory.  When  the  wise  men  saw  but  the  star  of 
 Christ,  they  rejoiced  with  an  exceeding  great  joy;  how  much 
 
244  Lookins:  tinto  Jesus. 
 
 '^ 
 
 more  when  they  saw  Christ  himself  ?  Your  father  Abraham, 
 said  Christ  to  the  Jews^  rejoiced  to  see  my  day,  and  he  saiv  it, 
 and  ivas  glad.  He  saw  it  indeed  but  afar  off^  with  the  eyes  of 
 faith  5  they  before  Christ  had  the  promise^  but  we  see  the  per- 
 formance :  how  then  should  we  rejoice  !  How  glad  shouldst  thou 
 be^  O  my  soul^  at  the  sight  of  Christ's  incarnation  ?  If  the  angels 
 of  God^  3  ea,  if  the  multitudes  of  angels,  could  sing  for  joy  at  his 
 birth.  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace  and  good 
 luill  toivards  men  ;  how  much  more  shouldst  thou,  whom  it  con- 
 cerns more  than  the  angels,  join  with  them  in  concert,  and  sing 
 for  joy  this  joyful  song,  of  good  will  towards  men?  Awake, 
 awake,  O  my  soul,  awake,  awake,  utter  a  song !  tell  over  these 
 passages,  that  God  is  come  down  into  the  world;  that  God  is 
 come  down  in  flesh;  in  order  to  thy  reconciliation;  that 
 God  is  come  down  in  the  likeness  of  man,  that  he  may  bring 
 thee  up  into  the  likeness  of  God;  and  that  all  these  are  but 
 the  first  openings  of  the  grace,  and  goodness,  and  glory, 
 of  God  in  Christ  unto  thy  soul:  and  Oh,  what  work  will 
 these  make  in  thy  soul,  if  the  Spirit  come  in,  who  is  the 
 Comforter ! 
 
 Sect.   VIII. —  Of  Calling  on  Jesus  as  carrying  on  the  great 
 TFork  of  our  Salvation  in  his  Birth. 
 
 Let  us  call  on  Jesus,  or  on  God  the  Father  in  and  through 
 Jesus.  Now  this  calling  on  Jesus  contains  prayer  and  praise. 
 I .  We  must  pray  that  all  these  transactions  of  Jesus  at  his  first 
 coming  may  be  our's;  and  is  not  here  encouragement  for  our 
 prayers?  This  very  point  of  Christ's  incarnation  opens  a  door 
 of  rich  entrance  into  the  presence  of  God:  we  may  call  it  a 
 blessed  portal  into  heaven.  This  is  that  new  and  living  way 
 which  he  hath  consecrated  for  lis  through  the  veil,  that  is  to  say, 
 his  flesh.  With  what  boldness  may  we  now  enter  into  the  holiest, 
 and  draw  near  unto  the  throne  of  grace  !  Why,  Christ  is  incar- 
 nate, God  is  come  down  in  the  flesh ;  though  his  deity  may  con- 
 found us,  if  we  should  immediately  and  solely  apply  ovirselves 
 unto  it,  yet  his  humanity  comforts  our  faint  and  feeble  souls. 
 God  in  his  humility  animates  our  souls  to  come  unto  him,  and  to 
 seek  of  him  whatsoever  is  needful  for  us.  Go  then  to  Christ; 
 away,  away,  O  my  soul,  to  Jesus,  or  to  God  the  Father  in  and 
 through  Jesus,  and  .desire  that  the  fruit,  the  benefit,  of  his  con- 
 ception, birth,  and  of  the  wonderful  union  of  the  two  natures  of 
 Christ,  may  be  all  thine.  What !  dost  thou  hope  in  Jesus,  and 
 believe  thy  part  in  this  incarnation  of  Christ  ?  Why  then,  pray 
 in  hop'e,  and  pray  in  faith.  What  is  prayer  but  the  stream  and 
 river  of  faith,  an  issue  of  the  desire  of  that  which  I  joyfully 
 beheve?     Thou,  O  Lord  God  of  hosts,    God  of  Israel,  hast 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  245 
 
 revealed  to  thy  servant,  saying,  I  will  build  thee  an  house, 
 therefore  hath  thy  servant  found  in  his  heart  to  pray  this  prayer 
 unto  thee. 
 
 2.  We  must  praise.  This  was  the  special  duty  practised  by 
 all  saints  and  angels  at  Christ's  birth ;  Blessed  he  the  Lord  God 
 of  Israel,  said  Zachary,  for  he  hath  visited  and  redeemed  his 
 jieojjle. — And,  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  said  the  heavenly 
 host :  only  one  angel  had  before  brought  the  news.  Unto  you  is 
 born  this  day  in  the  city  of  David,  a  Saviour,  which  is  Christ 
 the  Lord;  but  immediately  after  there  were  many  to  sing  praises; 
 not  only  six  cherubims,  as  Isaiah  saw ;  not  only  four  and  twenty 
 elders,  as  John  saw ;  but  a  multitude  of  angels,  like  armies, 
 that  by  their  hallelujahs  gave  glory  to  God.  O  my  soul,  do 
 thou  keep  concert  with  those  angels  :  O  sing  praises  !  sing 
 praises.  Never  was  the  like  case  since  the  first  creation  ;  never 
 was  the  wisdom,  truth,  justice,  mercy,  and  goodness  of  God  so 
 manifest  before.  I  shall  never  forget  that  last  speech  of  a  dying 
 saint,  "  Blessed  be  God  for  Jesus  Christ!"  O  my  soul,  living 
 and  dying,  let  this  be  thought  on ;  What !  Christ  incarnate  for 
 me  ?  Why  bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul  j  and  ail  that  is  within 
 me,  bless  his  holy  name 
 
 Sect.  IX. — Of  Conforming  to  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  conform  to  Jesus,  in  reference  to  this  great  transaction 
 of  his  incarnation.  Looking  to  Jesus  is  the  cause  of  this  ;  the 
 sight  of  God  will  make  us  like  to  God,  and  the  sight  of  Chrtet 
 will  make  us  like  to  Christ ;  for  as  a  looking-glass  cannot  be  ex- 
 pqsed  to  the  sun,  but  it  will  shine  like  the  same,  so  God  receives 
 none  to  contemplate  his  face,  but  he  transforms  them  into  his  own 
 likeness ;  and  Christ  hath  none  that  dive  into  these  depths  of  his 
 glorious  incarnation,  but  they  carry  along  with  them  sweet  im- 
 pressions of  an  abiding  and  transforming  nature.  Come  then, 
 let  us  once  more  look  on  Jesus  in  his  incarnation,  that  we  may 
 conform  to  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 But  wherein  lies  this  conformity  to  Jesus  ?  I  answer,  in  these 
 and  the  like  particidars : 
 
 1 .  Christ  was  conceived  in  Mary  by  the  Holy  Ghost  -,  so  must 
 Christ  be  conceived  in  us  by  the  same  Holy  Ghost.  To  this 
 purpose  is  the  seed  of  the  word  cast  in,  and  principles  of  grace 
 are  by  the  Holy  Ghost  infused;  he  hath  begotten  us  by  the 
 word,  saith  the  apostle,  James  i.  18.  God  hath  appointed 
 no  other  means  to  convey  supernatural  life,  but  after  this 
 manner.  Where  no  preaching  is,  there  is  a  worse  judgment 
 than  that  of  Egypt,  where  there  was  one  dead  in  every  family. 
 By  the  word  and  spirit  the  seeds  of  all  grace  are  sown  in 
 the  heart,  and  the  heart  closing  with  it,  Christ  is  conceived  in 
 the  heart. 
 
246  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 2.  Christ  was  sanctified  in  the  Virgin's  womb ;  so  must  we  be 
 sanctified  in  om'selves:  Be  ye  holy  as  I  am  holy.  Souls  rege- 
 nerate must  be  sanctified:  Everyman,  saith  the  apostle,  that 
 hath  this  hope  in  kirn,  purifieth  himself,  even  as  he  is  pure,  I 
 know  our  hearts  are,  as  it  were,  seas  of  corruptions,  yet  we 
 must  daily  cleanse  them.  Christ  coidd  not  have  been  a  Saviour 
 for  us,  unless  first  he  had  been  sanctified ;  neither  can  we  be  fit 
 members  unto  him,  unless  we  be  purged  from  our  sins,  and 
 sanctified  by  his  Spirit.  To  this  purpose  is  that  of  the  apostle  ; 
 I  beseech  you,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye  present 
 your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God.  In  the 
 Old  Testament  they  did  kill  beasts,  presenting  them  unto  the  Lord ; 
 now  we  are  to  mortify  the  flesh  with  the  affections  and  lusts;  all 
 our  inordinate  passions,  all  our  evil  affections  of  anger,  love,  joy, 
 hatred,  are  to  be  crucified,  and  all  that  is  our's  must  be  given 
 up  to  God :  there  must  be  no  love  in  us  but  of  God,  and  in  re- 
 ference to  God;  no  joy  in  us,  but  in  God,  and  in  reference  to 
 God  ;  no  fear  in  us,  but  of  God,  and  in  reference  to  God  ;  and 
 thus  of  all  other  the  like  passions.  O  that  we  would  look  to 
 Jesus,  and  be  like  unto  Jesus  in  this  thing !  if  there  be  any  ho- 
 nour, any  happiness,  it  is  in  this :  we  are  not  fit  for  any  holy  duty, 
 or  any  rehgious  approach  unto  God,  without  sanctification ;  This 
 is  the  will  of  God,  saith  the  apostle,  even  your  sanctification. 
 All  the  commands  of  God  tend  to  this ;  and  for  the  comfort  of  us 
 Christians,  we  have,  under  the  gospel,  promises  of  sanctification 
 to  be  in  a  larger  measure  made  out  unto  us  :  In  that  day  there 
 shall  be  upon  the  bells  of  the  horses,  Holiness  unto  the  Lord; — 
 yea,  every  pot  in  Jerusalem  and  Judah  shall  be  holiness  unto  the 
 Lord.  Every  vessel  under  Christ  and  the  gospel  must  have 
 written  upon  it  Holiness  to  the  Lord:  thus  our  spiritual  ser- 
 vices, figured  by  the  ancient  ceremonial  services  of  the  Jewish 
 dispensation,  are  set  out  by  a  larger  measure  of  holiness  than 
 Avas  in  former  times. 
 
 3.  Christ  the  Son  of  man,  is  by  nature  the  son  of  God  ;  so 
 we,  poor  sons  of  men,  must,  by  grace,  become  the  sons  of  God, 
 even  of  the  same  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  : 
 For  this  end  God  sent  his  own  Son,  made  of  a  woman,  that  we 
 might  receive  the  adoption  of  sons. — Wherefore  thoua  rt  no  more 
 a  servant,  but  a  son;  and  if  a  son,  then  an  heir  of  God  through 
 Christ.  This  intimates,  that  what  relation  Christ  hath  unto 
 the  Father  by  nature,  we  should  have  the  same  by  grace :  by 
 nature,  he  is  the  only  begotten  Son  of  the  Father  ; — and' as 
 many  as  received  him,  saith  the  apostle  John,  to  them  gave  he 
 pmver  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on 
 his  name. 
 
 4.  Christ  the  Son  of  God  was  yet  the  son  of  man  :  there  was 
 in  him  a  duplicity  of  natures  really  distinguished  ;  and  in  this 
 respect  the  greatest  majesty,  and  the  gi-eatest  humility,  that  ever 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  247 
 
 was,  are  found  in  Christ:  so  we,  though  sons  of  God,  must 
 remember  ourselves  to  be  but  sons  of  men  :  and  our  privileges 
 are  not  so  high,  but  our  poor  conditions,  frailties,  infirmities, 
 sins,  may  make  us  low.  Who  was  higher  than  the  son  of  God  ? 
 and  who  was  lower  than  the  son  of  man  ?  As  he  is  God,  he  is 
 in  the  bosom  of  his  Father  ;  as  he  is  man,  he  is  in  the  womb  of 
 his  mother  :  as  he  is  God,  his  throne  is  in  heaven,  and  he  fills 
 all  things  by  his  immensity;  as  he  is  man,  he  is  circumcised  in  a 
 manger.  Well,  let  this  mind  he  in  you,  ivhich  luas  also  in  Christ 
 Jesus  ;  ivho  heing  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it  7io  robbery  to 
 he  equal  with  God  ;  but  made  himself  of  no  reputatio7i,  took 
 upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  ivas  made  in  the  likeness  of 
 men;  and  being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself: 
 he  that  thought  it  no  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God,  humbled  him- 
 self to  become  man.  We  should  have  found  it  no  robbery  to  be 
 equal  with  devils,  and  are  we  too  proud  to  learn  of  God  ?  What 
 an  intolerable  disproportion  is  this,  to  behold  an  humbled  God, 
 and  a  proud  man  !  Shall  the  son  of  God  be  thus  humbled  for 
 us,  and  shall  not  we  be  humbled  for  ourselves  ?  I  say,  for  our- 
 selves, that  deserve  to  be  cast  down  among  the  lowest  worms. 
 What  are  we  in  our  best  condition  on  earth  ?  Had  we  the  best 
 natures,  purest  conversations,  happiest  endowments,  pride  over- 
 throws all ;  it  thrust  Nebuchadnezzar  out  of  Babel,  proud  Saul 
 out  of  his  kingdom,  proud  Lucifer  out  of  heaven.  Poor  man  ! 
 how  ill  it  becomes  thee  to  be  proud,  when  God  himself  is 
 become  thus  humble  !  Learn  of  me,  saith  Christ,  for  I  am 
 7neek  and  lowly  in  spirit,  and  you  shall  find  rest  unto  your 
 souls. 
 
 5.  The  two  natures  of  Christ,  though  really  distinguished,  yet 
 were  inseparably  joined  ;  so  must  our  natures,  tbough  at  great 
 distance  from  God,  be  inseparably  joined  to  Christ,  and  thereby 
 to  God.  I  pray,  saith  Christ,  that  they  all  may  be  one,  as  thou, 
 leather,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  that  they  also  may  be  one  hi 
 us.  That  union  of  Christ's  two  natures,  we  call  an  hypostatical 
 union  -,  and  this  union  of  Christ  with  us,  we  call  a  mystical  and 
 spiritual  union ;  yet  though  it  be  mystical  and  spiritual,  this  hin- 
 ders not  but  that  it  is  a  true,  real  union,  whereby  the  believer  is 
 united  to  the  Son  of  God.  O  what  a  privilege  is  this  ;  a  poor 
 believer,  be  he  never  so  mean  a  man  or  miserable  in  the  eye  of 
 the  world,  yet  is  one  with  Christ,  as  Christ  is  one  with  the  Fa- 
 ther. Our  felloiv ship  is  luith  the  Father,  and  ivith  his  Son  Jesus 
 Christ.  Every  saint  is  Christ's  fellow  ;  there  is  a  kind  of  pro- 
 portion between  Christ  and  his  saints  in  every  thing  ;  if  we  take 
 a  view  of  all  Christ,  what  he  is  in  his  person,  in  his  glory,  in 
 his  spirit,  in  his  graces,  in  his  Father's  love,  and  in  the  access 
 he  hath  to  the  Father,  in  all  these  we  are,  in  a  sort,  fellows  with 
 Christ ;  only  with  this  difference,  that  Christ  hath  the  pre-emi- 
 nence in  all  things  :  all  comes  from  the  Father,  first  to  Christ  j 
 
248  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 Christ  by  his  union  hath  all  good  things  without  measure,  but 
 we  by  our  union  have  them  only  in  measure,  as  it  pleaseth  him 
 to  distribute.  But  herein  if  we  resemble  Christ,  whether  in  his 
 union  with  the  Father,  or  in  his  union  of  the  two  natures  in  one 
 person  of  a  Mediator,  if  by  looking  on  Christ,  we  come  to  this 
 likeness,  to  be  one  with  Christ,  O  what  a  privilege  is  this ! 
 Had  we  not  good  warrant  for  so  high  a  challenge,  it  could  be  no 
 less  than  a  blasphemous  arrogance  to  lay  claim  to  the  royal  blood 
 of  heaven  ;  but  the  Lord  is  pleased  to  dignify  a  poor  worm,  that 
 every  believer  may  truly  say,  I  am  one  with  Jesus  Christ,  and 
 Jesus  Christ  is  one  with  me. 
 
 Nay,  yet  more,  my  sufferings  are  Christ's,  Col.  i.  24.  and 
 Christ's  sufferings  are  mine,  Rom.  viii.  V] .  I  am  in  Christ  an 
 heir  of  glory,  Rom.  viii.  V] .  O  my  Christ,  my  Ufe,  what  am  I, 
 or  what  is  my  father's  house,  that  thou  shoiddst  come  down  into 
 me  ?  that  thou  shouldst  be  conceived  in  my  poor  sinful  heart, 
 that  thou  shouldst  give  my  soul  a  new,  a  spiritual  life,  a  life  be- 
 gun in  grace,  and  ending  in  eternal  glory  !  I  shall  not  reckon 
 up  any  more  privileges  of  this  union.  Methinks  I  should  not 
 need.  If  I  tell  you  of  grace  and  glory,  what  can  I  more  ? 
 Glory  is  the  highest  pitch,  and  Christ  tells  you  concerning  it. 
 The  glory  which  thou  gavest  me,  I  have  given  them,  that  they 
 may  he  one,  even  as  we  are  one.  Ah,  my  brethren,  to  be  so  like 
 Christ,  as  to  be  one  with  Christ,  it  is  near  indeed  !  O  let  us 
 conform  to  Christ  in  this :  he  is  one  with  our  nature  in  an  hypo- 
 statical,  personal  union  ;  let  us  be  one  with  him  in  a  spiritual, 
 holy,  and  mystical  union.  If  God  be  not  in  our  persons  as  truly, 
 though  not  as  fully  as  in  our  nature,  we  have  no  particular  com- 
 fort from  this  design  of  his  personal,  hypostatical,  and  wonder- 
 ful union. 
 
 6.  When  Christ  was  born,  all  Jerusalem  was  troubled ;  so 
 when  this  new  birth  is,  we  must  look  that  much  commotion  and 
 much  division  of  heart  will  be.     The  devil  could  not  be  cast  out 
 of  the  possessed  person,  but  he  would  tear  and  torment  him. 
 We  cannot  expect  that  Christ  should  expel  Satan  from  the  do- 
 minion he  hath  over  us,  but  he  will  be  sure  to  put  us  to  great 
 fear  and  terror.     Besides,  not  only  the  evil  spirit,  but  God's 
 Spirit  is  for  a  while  a  spirit  of  bondage.     There  are  many  pre- 
 tenders to  the  grace  of  God  in  Christ,  but  they  cannot  abide  to 
 hear  of  any  pains  in  this  new  birth.     Oh,  this  is  legal  !     But  I 
 pray  thee  tell  me,  dost  thou  know  any  woman  bring  forth  in  her 
 sleep,  or  in  a  dream,  without  feeling  any  pain  ?     And  how  then 
 should  the  heart  of  man  be  thus  changed  and  moulded  without 
 several  pangs  and  troubles  ;  ^?^  sorrow  shall  thou  bring  forth 
 children  :  so  it  is,  and  must  be,  in  our  spiritual  birth ;  there  is 
 usually  (I  will  not  gay  always,  to  such  or  such  a  degree)  many 
 pangs  and  troubles,  there  is  many  a  throb,  and  many  a  heart- 
 ache, ere  Christ  can  be  formed  in  us. 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  249 
 
 7.  Christ  after  his  birth  did  and  suffered  many  things  in  his 
 childhood;  so  should  we  learn  to  bear  God's  yoke  in  our  youth. 
 O  ye  parents,  do  your  duties,  and  in  that  respect  imitate  Joseph 
 and  Mary  in  their  care  of  the  holy  child  Jesus:  and  O  ye 
 children,  do  your  duties,  and  imitate  Jesus,  the  blessedest  pat- 
 tern that  ever  was,  that  as  you  grow  in  stature,  you  also  might 
 i^row  in  favour  with  God  and  man. 
 
 Thus  far  we  have  looked  on  Jesus,  as  our  Jesus  in  his  incar- 
 nation. Our  next  work  is  to  look  on  Jesus  carrying  on  the  great 
 work  of  man's  salvation  duringiiis  life,  from  John's  baptism  until 
 his  dying  on  the  cross. 
 
 LOOKING    UNTO  JESUS, 
 
 IN    HIS    LIFE. 
 
 BOOK  IV, 
 
 1  John  i.  2. 
 
 For  the  life  was  manifested,  and  we  have  seen  it. 
 
 CHAP.  I. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  the  Beginnmg  of  the  Gosjjel. 
 
 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  man's  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  a  half  of  his  ministerial  office. 
 
 For  the  first  year,  the  evangelist  Mark  begins  thus :  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  begin- 
 ning of  the  completion  of  that  gospel,  which,  in  respect  of  the 
 promise,  was  from  the  beginning  of  the  world. 
 
 That  now  was  the  beginning  of  the  gospel,  appears,  in  that 
 baptism  (which  was  only  used  among  the  Jews,  for  the  admission 
 of  heathens  to  their  church,)  is  now  proposed  to  the  Jews  them- 
 selves ;  shewing,  that  now  they  were  to  be  transplanted  into  a 
 9.  2  I 
 
250  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 new  profession ;  tliat  the  Gentiles  and  they  were  now  to  be  knit 
 into  one  church  and  body.  Indeed  the  doctrine  of  John  was  of 
 a  different  strain  from  the  literal  doctrine  of  the  law,  in  the 
 sense  of  the  Jews ;  for  that  called  all  for  works,  do  this  and  live : 
 but  John  called  for  repentance,  and  for  the  renewing  of  the 
 mind,  and  for  belief  in  him  that  was  coming  after,  disclaiming 
 all  righteousness  by  the  works  of  the  law. 
 
 Hence  one  observes  that  the  evangelist  Luke  points  out  this 
 year  in  a  special  manner;  it  was  the  "fifteenth  year  of  Tiberius 
 Caesar;  at  which  time,"  said  he^  "  Pilate  was  governor  of  Judea, 
 Herod  was  tetrarch  of  Galilee,  Philip  was  tetrarch  of  Iturea, 
 Lysanias  was  tetrarch  of  Abilene,  and  Annas  and  Caiaphas  were 
 high-priests.  And  then,  even  then,  the  word  of  God  came  unto 
 John  the  son  of  Zacharias,  in  the  wilderness."  See  how  exact 
 the  evangelist  is,  that  so  remarkable  a  year  of  the  beginning  of 
 the  gospel  might  be  made  known  to  all  the  world.  I  shall 
 begin  the  first  year  of  Christ's  life  with  the  beginning  of 
 John's  preaching,  which  was  six  months  current  before  the 
 ministry  of  Christ. 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  the  Preaching  of  John  Baptist. 
 
 Now  was  it  that  the  gospel  began  to  dawn ;  and  John,  like 
 the  morning  star  springing  from  the  windows  of  the  east,  fore- 
 tells the  approach  of  the  Sun  of  righteousness :  now  was  it  that 
 he  laid  the  first  rough  stone  of  the  building  in  mortification,  self- 
 denial,  and  doing  violence  to  our  natural  affections.  I  read  not 
 that  ever  John  wrought  a  miracle,  but  good  works  convince 
 more  than  miracles  themselves.  To  this  purpose,  I  suppose, 
 John  the  Baptist  spent  his  time  in  prayer,  meditation,  and  collo- 
 quies with  God,  eating  flies  arjd  wild  honey  in  the  wilderness, 
 that  he  might  be  made  a  fit  instrument  of  preparation  of  the 
 gospel  of  Christ. 
 
 John's  sermons  were  to  those  of  Jesus  as  a  preface  to  a 
 discourse : — 
 
 His  usual  note  was  repentance,  the  axe  to  the  root,  the  fan 
 to  the  floor,  the  chaff  to  the  fire.  As  his  raiment  was  rough,  so 
 was  his  tongue ;  and  thus  must  the  way  be  made  for  Christ,  in 
 obstinate  hearts.  Plausibility,  or  pleasing  of  the  flesh,  is  no  fit 
 preface  to  regeneration.  If  the  heart  of  man  had  continued 
 upright,  Christ  might  have  been  entertained  without  contra- 
 diction ;  but  now  violence  must  be  offered  to  our  corruptions, 
 ej-e  we  can  make  room  for  gi'ace.  If  the  great  way-maker  do 
 not  cast  down  hills  and  raise  up  valleys  in  the  bosoms  of  men, 
 there  is  po  passage  for  Christ ;  never  mil  Christ  come  into  that 
 soul,  where  the  herald  of  repentance,  either  in  one  motive  or 
 other,  hath  not  been  before  him. 
 
 Shall  we  hear  that  sermon  that  John  preached,  in  his  own 
 
Looking  u7ito  t/esus.  251 
 
 words  ?  Repent  ye,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand.  These 
 are  the  words  when  he  first  begun  to  preach  the  gospel  of  Christ ; 
 and  mdeed  we  find  Christ  himself  doth  preach  the  same  doctrine, 
 in  the  same  words :  Jesus  began  to  preacli,  and  to  say,  Repent  ; 
 for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand, 
 
 O  how  seasonable  is  this  sermon  to  Christians  !  Hath  not  the 
 kingdom  of  heaven  approached  unto  us  ?  Take  the  kingdom  of 
 heaven  for  the  kingdom  of  glory,  are  we  not  near  to  the  door  of 
 glory,  to  the  confines  of  eternity  ?  What  is  our  life,  but  a  vapour 
 that  appeareth  for  a  little  time,  and  after  it  vanisheth  away? 
 We  know  not  but  ere  the  sun  have  run  one  round,  our  souls  may 
 be  in  that  world  of  souls,  and  so  either  in  heaven  or  hell. — Or 
 take  the  kingdom  of  heaven  for  the  church  of  Christ,  and  what 
 expectation  have  we  now  of  the  flourishing  state  of  Christ's 
 church  here  upon  earth  ?  Then  shall  the  children  of  Israel  and 
 of  Judah  he  gathered  together,  for  great  shall  he  the  day  of 
 Jezreel,  Hos.  i.  11.  A  time  is  at  hand,  that  Israel  and  Judah 
 shall  be  called  together,  that  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  shall 
 come  in;  and  what  is  this  but  the  great  day  of  Jezreel?  Then 
 what  manner  of  persons  ought  we  to  be ;  how  spiritual,  how 
 heavenly-minded !  Arise,  arise,  shake  off  thy  dust,  for  thy  light 
 is  coming,  and  the  glory  of  the  liOrd  is  rising  upon  thee. — But 
 I  will  not  dwell  on  this;  my  design  is  to  consider  of  Jesus,  and 
 of  the  transactions  of  Jesus  in  reference  to  our  souls'  health : 
 now,  John's  sermons  were  only  a  preparative  to  the  manifesta- 
 tion of  Jesus. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  the  Baptism  of  Jesus, 
 
 He  that  formerly  was  circumcised,  would  now  be  baptized; 
 he  was  circumcised  to  sanctify  his  church  that  was,  and  he  was 
 baptized  to  sanctify  his  church  that  should  be ;  we  find  him  in 
 both  testaments  opening  a  way  into  heaven.  This  was  the  first 
 appearing  of  Christ  in  reference  to  his  ministerial  office ;  he  that 
 lay  hid  in  the  counsel  of  God  from  all  eternity,  and  he  that  lay 
 hid  in  the  womb  of  his  mother  for  the  space  of  forty  weeks,  and 
 he  that  lay  hid  in  Nazareth  for  the  space  of  thirty  years,  now 
 at  last  begins  to  shew  himself  to  the  world:  he  comes  from 
 Galilee  to  Jordan,  to  John,  to  be  baptized  of  him.  Now  was 
 the  full  time  come  that  Jesus  took  leave  of  his  mother  and  his 
 trade,  to  begin  his  Father's  work,  in  order  to  the  redemption  of 
 the  world. — For  the  clearer  understanding  of  Christ's  baptism, 
 we  shall  examine  these  particulars : 
 
 1 ..  What  reason  had  Christ  to  be  baptized  ? 
 
 2.  How  was  it  that  John  knew  him  to  be  Christ  ? 
 
 3.  Why  was  it  that  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  on  Jesus? 
 
 I .  What  reason  had  Christ  to  be  baptized  ?  We  find  John 
 himself  wondering  at  this ;    /  have  need  to  he  baptized  of  thee, 
 
252  Looking  unto  tiesus. 
 
 and  earnest  thou  to  nief  Many  reasons  are  given  for  Christ's 
 baptism:  (1.)  That  he  might  bear  witness  to  the  preaching  and 
 baptism  of  John^  and  might  reciprocally  receive  a  testimony 
 from  John.  (2.)  That  by  his  own  baptism,  he  might  sanctify  the 
 Avater  of  baptism  to  his  own  chiirch.  (3.)  That  he  might  fulfil  all 
 righteousness  \  not  only  the  moral,  but  the  figurative,  ceremonial, 
 and  typical.  Some  think,  that  the  ceremony  which  our  Saviour 
 looked  at  in  these  words,  was  their  washing  of  the  priests  in 
 water,  when  they  entered  into  their  function :  And  Aaron  and 
 his  sons  thou  shalt  bring  to  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
 congregation^  and  shalt  ivash  them  ivith  luater.  And  surely  this 
 was  the  main  reason  of  Christ's  being  baptized,  that  by  this  bap- 
 tism he  might  be  installed  into  his  ministerial  office. 
 
 2.  How  did  John  know  him  to  be  Christ  ?  the  Baptist  speaks 
 expressly,  I  knew  him  not,  but  he  that  sent  me  to  baptize  with 
 water,  the  same  said  unto  me,  On  whomsoever  thou  shalt  see  the 
 Spirit  descending,  and  abiding  on  him,  the  same  is  he  that  bap- 
 tizeth  luifh  the^  Holy  Ghost.  Now,  this  descent  of  the  Holy 
 Ghost  was  not  till  after  baptism ;  how  then  did  he  know  him  to 
 be  Christ? 
 
 It  is  not  unlikely  but  John  knew  Christ  at  his  first  arrival  by 
 revelation.  Thus  Samuel  knew  Saul;  and  thus  John  might 
 know  Christ.  That  knowledge  he  had  after  baptism,  was  a  fur- 
 ther confirmation  of  that  knowledge  that  he  had  before  baptism, 
 and  that  not  so  much  for  his  own  sake,  as  for  the  people's ;  / 
 saw,  a7id  bare  record,  that  this  is  tlie  Son  of  God. 
 
 3.  Why  was  it  that  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  on  Jesus  ?  I 
 answer,  For  these  reasons,  1.  That  John  the  Baptist  might  be 
 satisfied ;  for  this  token  was  given  John,  when  he  first  began  to 
 preach,  That  upon  whom  he  should  see  the  Spirit  descending 
 and  remaining  on  him,  the  same  is  he  which  baptizeth  with  the 
 Holy  Ghost.  (2.)  That  Christ  himself  might  be  anointed  or  in- 
 stalled to  his  function :  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me, 
 because  the  Lord  hath  anointed  me  to  preach  good  tidi?igs  unto 
 the  meek*  As  Aaron  and  his  sons  were  anointed  with  material 
 oil,  when  they  entered  into  their  offices ;  so  Christ  was  by  the 
 Spirit  (as  it  were)  anointed,  that  so  he  might  receive  this  con- 
 secration and  institution  for  the  office  that  he  was  to  enter  on, 
 viz.  the  preaching  and  ministry  of  the  gospel. 
 
 4.  Why  in  the  form  of  a  dove,  rather  than  some  other  form  ? 
 — Perhaps, 
 
 (1.)  To  shew  Christ's  innocency,  purity,  and  love.  (2.)  To 
 answer  the  figure  in  Noah's  flood;  for  as  a  dove  at  that  time 
 brought  tidings  of  the  abating  of  the  waters,  so  now  it  brings 
 tidings  of  the  abating  of  God's  wrath,-  upon  the  preaching  of  the 
 gospel. 
 
 Observe,  the  baptisra  we  use,  and  the  baptism  of  John,  arc  in 
 nature  and  substance  one  and  the  same.     1.  John  preached  the 
 
Looking  unto  */esus.  253 
 
 baptism  of  repentance,  for  the  remission  of  sins.  They  have 
 therefore  the  same  doctrine,  and  the  same  promise.  2.  The  bap- 
 tism ministered  by  John  pertained  to  the  fulfiUing  of  all  righte- 
 ousness. And  Luke  testifies,  that  the  publicans  and  people 
 being  baptized  of  John,  they  justified  God.  But  the  Pharisees 
 despised  the  counsel  of  God  against  themselves,  and  were  not 
 baptized.  Only  herein  lies  the  difference,  that  John  baptized  in 
 Christ  that  should  die  and  rise  again;  but  we  baptize  in  the 
 name  of  Christ  that  is  dead,  and  risen  again.  It  is  a  difference 
 in  respect  of  circumstance,  but  not  of  the  substance :  Oh,  take 
 heed  of  throwing  away  the  baptism  of  water,  upon  the  pretence 
 of  baptism  only  with  fire !  Christ,  we  see,  hath  joined  them 
 together,  and  let  no  man  separate  them  asunder:  Christ  him- 
 self was  baptized  with  fire ;  and  ^et  Christ  himself  was  bap- 
 tized with  water. 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  the  Fasting  and  Temptatio7i  of  Christ. 
 
 No  sooner  is  Christ  come  out  of  the  water  of  baptism,  but  he 
 enters  into  the  fire  of  temptation.  No  sooner  is  the  Holy  Spirit 
 descended  upon  his  head,  but  he  is  led  by  the  same  Holy  Spirit 
 to  be  tempted  in  the  wilderness.  No  sooner  doth  (lod  say, 
 2Vds  is  my  Son;  but  Satan  puts  it  to  the  question,  If  thou  be 
 the  Son  of  God?  All  these  are  but  Christ's  preparatives  to  his 
 prophetical  office.  In  the  former,  Christ  was  prepared  by  a 
 solemn  consecration;  now  he  is  further  prepared  by  Satan's 
 temptation.  In  the  same  method  as  the  evangelist  lays  it  down. 
 Matt.  iv.  1 — 12.  I  shall  proceed.  Then  was  Jesus  ledupofthe 
 Sjririt  into  the  wilderness,  to  be  tempted  of  the  devil.  In  the 
 whole,  we  may  observe  these  several  branches :  First,  the  place 
 where  the  temptation  was,  the  wilderness ;  Secondly,  the  cause 
 of  Christ's  going  into  the  wilderness,  the  Spirit's  leading;  Thirdly, 
 the  end  of  the  Spirit's  leading  Christ  into  the  vrilderness,  to  be 
 tempted  of  the  devil;  Fourthly,  the  time  and  occasion  of  the 
 devil's  onset,  at  the  end  of  forty  days^  fast,  and  when  he  was  an 
 hungered ;  Fifthly,  the  temptations  themselves,  which  are  in 
 number,  three ;  to  which  are  added  as  many  victories,  which 
 Christ  had  over  the  tempter;  who  therefore  left  him,  and  so  the 
 angels  came  and  ministered  unto  him. — I  shall  begin  first  with 
 the  place  where  the  temptation  was ;  to  wit,  in  the  wilderness. 
 
 This  wilderness  was  not  that  same  wilderness,  or  not  that 
 same  place  of  the  wilderness,  wherein  John  Baptist  lived.  Matt. 
 iii.  1.  for  that  wherein  John  Baptist  lived,  was  a  place  inhabited. 
 There  was  in  that  place  cities  and  towns,  and  a  number  of 
 people  to  whom  John  preached ;  but  this  wilderness  was  devoid 
 of  men,  full  of  wild  beasts.  So  saith  Mark — He  was  tempted  of 
 Satan,  and  was  with  the  wild  beasts.  As  Adam,  in  his  inno- 
 cency,  lived  with  wild  beasts,  and  they  hurt  hbn  not ;  so  Christ, 
 
254  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 the  second  Adam^  lives  here  in  a  wilderness  with  wild  bea^jts, 
 and  has  no  hurt  at  all.  He  is  Adam-like  in  his  safety  and  secu- 
 rity; above  Adam  in  the  resisting  of  temptation.  Probably, 
 during  his  forty  days'  abode,  Christ  was  continually  exercised  in 
 prayer  and  fasting :  but  he  knew  he  had  the  great  work  of  re- 
 demption to  promote;  and  therefore  his  conversation  for  this 
 interval  must  be  preparatory  to  it;  in  this  respect,  I  know  not 
 but  the  wilderness  might  be  an  advantage  to  Christ's  design :  in 
 this  solitary  place  he  could  not  but  breathe  out  more  pure  inspi- 
 ration. Heaven  usually  is  more  open,  and  God  usually  is  more 
 familiar  in  his  visits,  to  such  places. 
 
 2.  The  cause  of  Christ's  going  into  the  wilderness,  was,  the 
 Spirit's  leading:  Then  iv as  Jesus  led  of  the  Spirit  into  theivil- 
 derness.  Christ  was  led  by  the  good  Spirit,  to  be  tempted  by 
 the  evil  spirit :  O  wonder !  that  same  Spirit  which  was  one  with 
 the  Father  and  the  Son,  that  same  Spirit  w^hereby  Christ  was 
 conceived,  now  drives  him  or  leads  him  into  the  wilderness,  to 
 be  tempted  of  the  devil.  Christ  himself  would  not  go  into  tlie 
 combat  uncalled,  unwarranted ;  how  then  should  we  poor  weak- 
 lings presume  upon  any  abilities  of  our  own !  Who  dares 
 grapple  with  the  devil  in  his  ovv'n  strength  ?  Oh,  take  heed ! 
 If  we  are  to  pray  not  to  be  led  into  temptation,  much  more  are 
 we  to  pray  not  to  run  into  temptation  before  we  are  led:  and 
 yet  for  the  comfort  of  God's  people,  if  it  be  so  that  we  are  led — 
 if  by  divine  permission,  or  by  an  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
 we  are  engaged  in  an  action,  or  in  a  course  of  life,  that  is  full  of 
 temptations — let  us  look  upon  it  as  an  issue  of  divine  providence, 
 in  which  we  must  glorify  God. 
 
 3.  The  end  of  the  Spirit's  leading  Christ  into  the  wilderness, 
 was  either  immediate,  or  remote.  1.  The  immediate  end  was, 
 to  be  tempted  of  the  devil :  to  this  purpose  was  Christ  brought 
 thither,  that  Satan  might  tempt  him.  One  would  think  it  a  very 
 strange  design,  that  the  Son  of  God  should  be  brought  into  a 
 wilderness  to  be  set  on  by  all  the  devils  in  hell ;  but  in  this  also, 
 God  had  another  remote  end,  i.  e.  his  own  glory  and  our  good. 
 1.  His  own  glory  appeared  in  this;  had  not  Satan  tempted 
 Christ,  how  should  Christ  have  overcome  Satan?  Herein  was 
 the  power  of  Christ  exceedingly  manifested :  the  devil  having  the 
 chain  let  loose,  lets  fly  at  Christ  with  all  his  might;  and  Christ 
 both  overcomes  him,  and  triumphs  over  him.  And  herein  were 
 the  graces  of  Christ  exceedingly  manifested :  how  was  the  faith, 
 patience,  humility,  zeal,  and  valour  of  Christ  set  forth;  which 
 they  could  not  have  been,  if  he  had  always  lain  quietly  in  garri- 
 son, and  never  had  come  into  the  skirmish?  (2.)  As  it  was  for 
 his  glory,  so  also  for  our  good.  Now  we  see  what  manner  of 
 adversary  we  have,  how  he  fights,  and  how  he  is  resisted,  and 
 how  overcome ;  now  we  see,  the  dearer  we  are  to  God,  the  more 
 obnoxious  we  are  to  temptation;  now  we  see  that  the  best  of 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  255 
 
 saints  may  be  tempted  or  allured  to  the  worst  of  evils^  since 
 Christ  himself  is  solicited  to  infidelity,  covetousness,  and  idolatry : 
 now  we  see  that  we  have  not  an  High-priest  that  cannot  be 
 touched  with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities,  but  such  a  one  as  was 
 in  all  things  tempted  in  like  sort,  yet  without  sin ;  and  therefore 
 we  may  go  boldly  to  the  throne  of  grace,  that  we  may  receive 
 mercy,  and  find  grace  in  time  of  need. 
 
 4.  The  time  and  occasion  of  the  devil's  onset;  it  was  at  the 
 end  of  forty  days'  fast,  and  ivhen  he  luas  an  hungered.  Moses 
 fasted  forty  days  at  the  delivery  of  the  law;  and  Elias  fasted 
 forty  days  at  the  restitution  of  the  law ;  and  to  fulfil  the  time  of 
 both  these  types,  Christ  thinks  it  fit  to  fast  forty  days  at  the 
 accomplishment  of  the  law,  and  the  promulgation  of  the  gospel. 
 In  fasting  so  long,  Christ  manifests  his  almighty  power ;  and  in 
 fasting  no  longer^  Christ  manifests  the  truth  of  his  manhood,  and 
 of  his  weakness :  to  shew  that  he  was  man  as  well  as  Ood,  and 
 so  a  lit  Mediator  betwixt  God  and  man,  he  would  both  feed  and 
 fast;  make  use  of  the  creature,  and  withal  fulfil  hunger. — And 
 now  our  Saviour  is  an  hungered.  This  gives  occasion  to  Satan 
 to  set  upon  him  with  his  fierce  temptations.  He  knows  well 
 what  baits  to  fish  withal,  and  when  and  how  to  lay  them.  He 
 considers  the  temper  and  constitution  of  the  person  he  is  to 
 tempt.  And  he  observes  all  exterior  accidents,  occasions,  and 
 opportunities. 
 
 5.  The  temptations  themselves  are  in  number  three;  whereof 
 the  first  w^as  this :  If  thou  he  the  Son  of  God,  command  that 
 these  stones  be  made  bread.  What  an  horrible  entrance  is  this : 
 If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God!  No  question,  Satan  had  heard  the 
 glad  tidings  of  the  angel;  he  saw  the  star,  and  the  journey  and 
 the  offerings  of  the  sages ;  he  could  not  but  take  notice  of 
 the  gratulations  of  Zachary,  Simeon,  and  Anna.  And  of  late,  he 
 saw  the  heavens  open,  and  heard  the  voice  that  came  down  from 
 heaven:  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased. 
 And  yet,  now  that  he  saw  Christ  fainting  with  hunger,  as  not 
 comprehending  how  infirmities  could  consist  with  a  godhead,  he 
 puts  it  to  the  question.  If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God.  Here  is  a 
 point  in  which  lies  all  our  happiness :  how  miserable  were  we,  if 
 Christ  were  not  indeed  the  Son  of  God?  Satan  strikes  at  the 
 root,  in  this  supposition :  surely,  all  the  work  of  our  redemp- 
 tion, and  all  the  work  of  our  salvation,  depends  upon  this,  that 
 Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God.  If  Christ  had  not  been  the  Son 
 of  God,  how  should  he  have  ransomed  the  world  ?  How  should 
 he  have  done,  or  how  should  he  have  suffered,  that  which  was 
 satisfactory  to  his  Father's  wrath  ?  If  Christ  be  not  the  Son 
 of  God,  we  are  all  gone;  we  are  lost,  we  are  undone,  we  are 
 damned  for  ever.  Farewell  glory,  farewell  happiness,  farewell 
 heaven.  If  Christ  be  not  the  Son  of  God,  we  must  never  come 
 there.      Well,  Satan,  thou  beginnest  thy  assault  like  a   devil 
 
256  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 indeed :  If  thou  he  the  Sojt  of  God;  but  what  then  ?  Command 
 tliat  these  stoties  be  made  bread.  He  knew  Jesus  was  hungry ; 
 and  therefore^  he  invites  him  to  eat  bread  only  of  his  own 
 providing,  that  so  he  might  refresh  his  humanity,  and  prove  his 
 divinity.  There  is  nothing  more  ordinary  with  our  spiritual 
 enemy,  than,  by  occasion  of  want,  to  move  us  to  unwaiTantable 
 courses :  if  thou  art  poor,  then  steal ;  if  thou  canst  not  rise  by 
 honest  means,  then  use  indirect  means.  I  know  Christ  might 
 as  lawfully  have  turned  stones  into  bread,  as  he  turned  water 
 into  wine;  but  to  do  this  in  a  distrust  of  his  Father's  providence, 
 to  work  a  miracle  of  Satan's  choice,  and  at  Satan's  bidding,  it 
 could  not  be  agreeable  with  the  Son  of  God.  And  hence  Jesus 
 refuseth  to  be  relieved ;  he  would  rather  deny  to  manifest  the 
 divinity  of  his  person,  than  he  would  do  any  act  which  had  in  it 
 the  intimation  of  a  different  spirit.  O  Christians!  it  is  a  sinful 
 care  to  take  evil  courses  to  provide  for  our  necessities.  Come, 
 it  may  be  thou  hast  found  a  way  to  thrive,  which  thou  couldst  not 
 do  before.  O  take  heed;  was  it  not  of  the  devil's  prompting, 
 to  change  stones  into  bread?  sadness,  into  sensual  comforts? 
 If  so,  then  Satan  hath  prevailed:  alas,  he  cannot  endure  thou 
 shouldst  live  a  life  of  austerity,  or  self-denial,  or  mortification ;  if 
 he  can  but  get  thee  to  satisfy  thy  senses,  and  to  please  thy  na- 
 tural desires,  he  then  hath  a  fair  field  for  the  battle.  It  were  a 
 thousand  times  better  for  us  to  make  stones  our  meat,  and  tears 
 our  drink,  than  to  swim  in  our  ill-gotten  goods,  and  in  the  ful- 
 ness of  voluptuousness. 
 
 But  what  was  Christ's  answer  ?  It  is  written,  Man  shall  not 
 live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the 
 mouth  of  God. 
 
 1 .  It  is  written.  He  easily  could  have  confounded  Satan  by 
 the  power  of  his  godhead ;  but  he  rather  chuses  to  vanquish  him 
 by  the  sword  of  the  Spirit.  Surely  this  was  for  our  instruction. 
 By  this  means  he  teacheth  us  how  to  resist,  and  to  overcome. 
 Nothing  in  heaven  or  earth  can  beat  the  forces  of  hell,  if  the 
 word  of  God  cannot  do  it :  O  then,  how  should  we  pray  with 
 David,  Teach  me,  O  Lord,  the  way  of  thy  statutes — and  take 
 not  from  me  the  words  of  truth;  let  them  be  my  songs  in  the 
 house  of  my  pilgrimage — so  shall  I  make  answer  to  my  blas- 
 phemers. 
 
 2.  Man  shall  not  live  by  bread.  Wliilst  we  are  in  God's  work, 
 God  hath  made  us  a  promise  of  the  supply  of  all  provisions 
 necessary  for  us.  Jesus  was  now  in  his  Father's  work,  there- 
 fore he  was  sure  to  be  provided  for, ^  according  to  God's  word. 
 Christians  !  are  we  in  God's  service  ?  God  will  certainly  give  us 
 bread;  and  till  he  does,  we  can  live  by  the  breath  of  his  mouth, 
 by  the  light  of  his  countenance,  by  the  refreshment  of  his  pro- 
 mises, by  every  word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God. 
 Every  word  of  God's  mouth  can  create  a  grace,  and  every  grace 
 
hooking  unto  Jestis.  2^7 
 
 can  supply  two  necessities,  both  of  the  body,  and  of  the  spirit. 
 I  remember  one  kept  straitly  in  prison,  and  sorely  threatened 
 with  famine :  he  replied,  "  That  if  he  must  have  no  bread,  God 
 would  so  provide  that  he  should  have  no  stomach/'  If  our 
 stock  be  spent,  God  can  lessen  our  necessities :  if  a  tyrant  w  ill 
 take  away  our  meat,  God  our  Father  knows  how  to  alter  our  feint, 
 and  feeble,  and  hungry  appetites. 
 
 The-second  temptation  is  not  so  sensual;  the  devil  sees  that 
 was  too  low  for  Christ,  and  therefore  he  comes  again  with  a 
 temptation  something  more  spiritual :  He  sets  him  on  a  jnnnacle 
 of  the  temple,  and  saith  unto  him,  If  thou  he  the  Son  of  God, 
 cast  thyself  down;  for  it  is  loritten,  he  shall  give  his  angels  charge 
 concerning  thee.  He  that  was  content  to  be  led  from  Jordan 
 into  the  wilderness,  yields  to  be  led  from  the  wilderness  to  Jeru- 
 salem. The  wilderness  was  fit  for  a  temptation  arising  from  want, 
 and  Jerusalem  for  a  temptation  arising  from  vain-glory. 
 
 Methinks  it  is  a  sweet  contemplation  of  an  holy  divine;  he 
 supposed  as  if  he  had  seen  Christ  on  the  highest  battlements  of 
 the  temple,  and  Satan  standing  by  him  with  this  speech  in  his 
 mouth:  '  Well  then,  since  in  the  matter  of  nourishment  thou 
 wilt  needs  depend  upon  thy  Father's  providence ;  take  now  a 
 further  trial  of  that  providence,  in  thy  miraculous  preservation  : 
 cast  thyself  from  this  height;  and  if  thou  be  God,  now  the  eyes 
 of  all  men  are  fixed  upon  thee,  there  cannot  be  devised  a  mure 
 ready  way  to  spread  thy  gloiy,  and  to  proclaim  thy  deity :  and 
 for  danger,  if  thou  art  the  Son  of  God,  there  can  be  none; 
 what  can  hurt  him  that  is  the  Son  of  God?'  Come,  cast  thy- 
 self down,  saith  Satan :  but  why  did  not  Satan  cast  him  down  ? 
 He  carried  him  up  thither;  and  was  it  not  more  easy  to  throvv^ 
 him  down  thence?  O  no,  the  devil  may  persuade  us  to  a  fail, 
 but  he  cannot  precipitate  us  without  our  own  act;  his  malice  i.s 
 infinite,  but  his  power  is  limited :  he  cannot  do  us  any  harm, 
 but  by  persuading  us  to  do  it  ourselves ;  and  therefore  saith  lie 
 to  Christ,  Cast  thyself  doivn. 
 
 To  this  Christ  answers,  Thou,  shall  not  tempt  the  Lord  thy 
 God.  Though  it  is  true,  that  God  must  be  trusted  in,  yet  he 
 must  not  be  tempted;  if  means  be  allowed,  we  must  not  throw 
 them  away  upon  a  pretence  of  God's  protection.  Christ  kne\v 
 well  enough  that  there  were  ordinary  descents  by  stairs  from  the 
 top  of  the  temple,  and  therefore  he  would  not  so  tempt  God  a* 
 to  throw  himself  headlong.  All  the  devils  in  hell  could  not  so 
 tempt  Christ,  as  to  make  him  tempt  his  Cxod. 
 
 The  third  temptation  is  yet  more  horrid;  the  temple  \<^as  not 
 high  enough,  so  that  Satan  takes  him  up  to  the  top  of  an  ex- 
 ceeding high  mountain,  and  shews  him  all  ihe  kingdoms  of  the 
 world,  and  the  glory  of  them,  saying,  All  these  will  I gif)e  thee, 
 if  thou  wilt  fall  doivn  and  worship  me.  In  this  temptation  the 
 devil  united  all  his  power;  by  an  angelical  power  he  drew  into 
 10.  2  K 
 
2»38  Looking'  unto  Jesus. 
 
 o 
 
 one  centre  ail  the  kingdoms  and  glories  of  the  worlds  and  made 
 an  admirable  map  of  beauties,  '^.\\(X  represented  them  to  the  eyes 
 of  Jesus :  he  thought  ambition  more  likely  to  ruin  him,  because 
 he  knew  it  was  that  which  prevailed  upon  himself;  therefore.  Come, 
 saith  Satan,  all  these  ivill  I  give  thee,  if  thou  ivilt  fall  doivn  and 
 worship  nie.  How !  God  worship  the  devil  ?  Was  ever  the  like 
 blasphemy  since  the  creation  ?  The  Lamb  of  God,  that  heard 
 all  the  former  with  patience,  could  by  no  means  endure  this :  he 
 commands  him  aAvay,  and  tells  him.  It  is  lur'itteii,  Thou  shall 
 worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  andhim  only  shall  thou  serve.  Now 
 was  the  devil  put  to  flight,  and,  in  his  stead,  the  angels  came 
 and  ministered  unto  Jesus ;  i.  e.  after  his  fast  they  minister  such 
 things  as  his  necessities  required. 
 
 O  Christians !  what  shall  we  say  to  this  ?  If  Christ  was  thus 
 tempted  by  Satan,  what  may  we  look  for  ?  Sometimes  it  cheers 
 my  heart  to  think  that  Christ  was  tempted,  because  thereby  he 
 knows  how  to  succour  those  that  are  tempted;  and  sometimes  it 
 affrights  my  soul  to  think  that  Satan  durst  be  so  bold  with  Jesus 
 Christ.  Oh  what  may  he  do  with  me  !  how  easily  may  he  pre- 
 vail against  my  soul !  When  he  came  to  tempt  Christ,  he  found 
 nothing  in  him  to  join  with  him  in  the  temptation;  but  in  my 
 heart  is  a  world  of  corruptions,  and,  unless  the  Lord  prevent,  I 
 am  quickly  gone. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Of  the  First  Manifestation  of  Christ, 
 
 To  manifest  Christ  were  many  witnesses.  As,  L  From  heaven 
 the  Father  is  witness :  For  see,  saith  Christ,  the  Father  that  sent 
 me,  hearetli  ivitness  of  me :  and  the  Son  is  witness ;  for  so  saith 
 Christ,  /  am  one  that  hear  witness  of  myself ;  and  though  I  bear 
 record  of  myself,  yet  my  record  is  true,  for  I  know  whence  I 
 came,  and  whither  I  go:  and  the  Holy  Ghost  is  witness;  so 
 saith  Paul,  2%e  Holy  Ghost  also  is  a  ivitness  to  us;  and 
 to  that  purpose  he  descended  like  a  dove,  and  lighted  upon 
 him.  2.  On  earth,  John  the  Baptist  is  witness;  for  so  saith 
 Christ:  Ye  setit  unto  John,  and  he  hare  ivitness  unto  the  truth; 
 he  came  for  a  ivitness,  to  hear  witness  of  the  light,  that  all  men 
 through  Christ  might  believe.  No  sooner  was  John  confirmed 
 by  a  sign  from  heaven  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ,  but  he  imme- 
 diately manifests  it  to  the  Jews,  and  first  to  the  priests  and  Le- 
 vites  sent  from  the  Sanhedrim;  and  secondly:,  to  all  the  people 
 he  professeth,  wheresoever  he  saw  Jesus  Christ,  This  is  he;  yea, 
 he  pohits  him  out  with  his  finger.  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  that 
 take^.  away  the  sins  of  the  ivorld.  Then  he  shev/s  him  to  Andrew, 
 Simon  Peter's  brother,  and  then  to  another  disciple  with  him, 
 ivho  both  followed  Jesus,  and  abode  with  him  all  tiiglit.  Andrew 
 brings  his  brother  Simon  with  him.  Then  Jesus  himself  finds 
 out  Philip  of  Bethsaida,  and  bade  him  follow  him ;    and  Philip 
 
hooking  nnto  tlesus.  259 
 
 finds  out  Nathanael,  and  bids  him  come  and  see,  for  the  Messiah 
 was  found.  Thus  we  see  no  less  than  five  disciples  found  out  at 
 first,  which  must  be  so  many  witnesses  of  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 And  yet  we  find  more  witnesses :  The  works,  saith  Christ,  that 
 I  do  in  my  Father's  name,  they  bear  witness  of  me.  These 
 works  or  miracles  of  Christ  were  many;  but  because  we  are 
 speaking  of  his  first  manifestation,  I  shall  instance  only  in  his 
 first  work,  which  was  at  a  marriage  in  Cana  of  Galilee.  The 
 power  of  miracles  had  now  ceased  since  their  return  out  of  cap- 
 tivity; the  last  miracle  that  was  done  by  man  until  this  very 
 time,  was  Daniel  tying  up  the  mouths  of  the  lions;  and  now 
 Christ  begins.  He  that  made  the  first  marriage  in  paradise, 
 bestows  his  first  miracle  upon  a  marriage-feast.  O  happy  feast 
 where  Christ  is  a  guest !  I  believe  this  was  no  rich  or  sumptuous 
 bridal :  who  ever  found  Christ  at  the  magnificent  feasts  or  tri- 
 umphs of  the  great  ?  The  poor  bridegroom  wants  drink  for  his 
 guests;  and  as  soon  as  the  holy  virgin  hath  notice  of  it,  she 
 complains  to  her  son : — whether  we  want  bread  or  wine,  necessa- 
 ries or  comforts,  whither  should  we  go  but  to  Christ?  But 
 Jesus  answered  her,  Woman,  what  have  I  to  do  with  thee?  3Iine 
 hour  is  not  yet  come.  This  shews,  that  the  work  he  was  to  do 
 must  not  be  done  to  satisfy  her  importunity,  but  to  prosecute  the 
 great  work.  In  works  spiritual  and  religious,  all  outward  re- 
 lation ceaseth :  matters  of  miracle  concerned  the  godhead  only ; 
 and  in  this  case,  O  woman,  what  have  I  to  do  with  thee  f  We 
 must  not  deny  love  and  duty  to  relations ;  but  in  the  things  of 
 God,  natural  endearments  must  pass  into  spiritual;  and  like 
 stars  in  the  presence  of  the  sun,  must  not  appear.  Paul  could 
 say,  Henceforth  knouj  ice  no  man  after  the  Jlcsh ;  yea,  though 
 we  have  known  Christ  after  the  flesh,  yet  noiv  henceforth  know 
 we  him  no  more. 
 
 At  the  command  of  Jesus,  the  water-pots  were  filled  with 
 water,  and  the  water  by  his  divine  power  is  turned  into  wine; 
 where  the  different  dispensation  of  God  and  the  world  is  highly 
 observable:  Every  man  sets  forth  good  wine  at  Jirst,  and  then 
 the  worse:  but  Christ  not  only  turns  water  into  wine,  but  into 
 such  wine  that  at  the  last  draught  is  most  pleasant.  These  were 
 the  first  manifestations  of  Jesus;  you  see  he  had  several  wit- 
 nesses to  set  him  forth ;  some  from  heaven,  and  some  on  earth : 
 the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost  witness  from  heaven;  the 
 Baptist,  disciples,  and  his  works,  witness  on  earth ;  and  there's 
 no  disagreement  hi  their  witness,  but  all  bring  in  this  testimony 
 of  Jesus,  that  he  is  the  Messiah ;  that  is,  being  interpreted, 
 the  Christ. 
 
 But  what  are  those  manifestations  to  us  ?  or  to  that  great  de- 
 sign of  Christ  in  carrying  on  our  souls'  salvation  ?  Much  every 
 way.  For  either  nmst  Christ  be  manifested  to  us  even  by  these 
 witnesses,  in  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  and  manifested  in  us 
 
260  Lookiitg  unto  Jesus. 
 
 by  that  one  witness,  his  Holy  Spirit,  or  we   are   undone  for 
 ever. 
 
 1.  Christ  must  be  manifested  to  us  in  the  preaching  of  the 
 gospel.  This  mercy  we  have  this  day;  nay,  you  see  every  sab- 
 bath-day all  the  witnesses  speak  in  us.  What  do  w^e,  but  in 
 God's  stead,  in  the  Baptist's  steady  in  the  disciples'  stead,  mani- 
 fest Christ  to  you  in  every  sermon  !  It  is  the  commission  w^hi(-h 
 Christ  hath  given  us  of  the  ministry;  Ga^.  preach  the  gospel  to 
 everi/  erenture. 
 
 2.  Christ  must  be  manifested  in  us  by  his  IJoly  Spirit. 
 Christians !  look  to  your  hearts ;  what  manifestations  of  Christ 
 are  there?  When  Paul  speaks  of  the  gospel  in  general,  he 
 adds  in  particular,  that  it  pleased  God  to  reveal  Christ  in  me. 
 And  when  Peter  speaks  of  the  word  of  God,  he  adds.  That  we 
 take  heed  thereunto — until  the  day  dawn,  and  the  day-star  (that 
 is,  Christ,  Rev.  xxii.  16.)  arise  in  your  hearts:  until  then, 
 thougii  we  be  circled  with  gospel-discoveries,  our  hearts  will  be 
 full  of  darkness ;  but  when  Christ,  (whom  the  prophet  calls,  IVie 
 Sun  of  Righteousness,  and  Peter,  The  Day -star,)  shall  arise 
 vvithin  us,  we  shall  be  full  of  light. 
 
 'Sect.  Y I. --^0/  Christ's  JVhipping  the  Buyers  and  Sellers  out 
 
 of  the  Temple. 
 
 Concerning  Christ's  whipping  the  buyers  and  sellers  out  of 
 the  temple,  we  read  in  the  gospel,  that  the  Jews'  passover  being 
 at  hand,  Jesus  went  up  to  Jerusalem:  thither,  if  we  follow  him, 
 the  first  place  that  we  find  him  in,  is  the  temple;  where,  by  the 
 occasion  of  the  national  assembly,  was  an  opportune  scene  for 
 Christ's  transactions,  in  that  temple  Christ  first  espies  a  mart ; 
 there  w^ere  divers  merchants  and  exchangers  of  money,  that 
 brought  beasts  thither  to  be  sold  for  sacrifice  against  that  great 
 solemnity;  at  the  sight  of  which  Jesus  being  moved  with  indig- 
 nation, makes  a  whip  of  cords,  and  drives  them  all  out  of  the 
 temple,  overthrows  the  accounting  tables,  and  commands  them 
 that  sold  the  doves,  to  take  them  from  thence. 
 
 Sometimes  I  wonder  at  the  irreverent  carriage  of  some  hear- 
 ers; laughing,  talking,  prating,  sleeping,  in  our  congregations: 
 what !  is  this  a  demeanour  beseeming  the  presence  of  Christ  ? 
 Wouldst  thou  carry  thyself  thus  in  the  presence  of  a  prince,  or  of 
 some  earthly  majesty  ;  "  If  thou  goest  but  into  a  king's  palace," 
 as  Chrysostom  speaks,  '*^  thou  composest  thyself  to  a  comeliness 
 in  tiiy  habit,  look,  gait,  and  all  thy  guise  ;  and  dost  thou  laugh  ?" 
 I  may  add,  dost  thou  any  way  carry  thyself  undecently  in 
 God's  presence?  Some  there  are,  that  in  the  very  midst  or 
 oruiuaiices  the  devil  usually  rocks  them  asleep  :  but  O  !  dost 
 thou  not  fear  that  thy  damnation  sleeps  not  ?  How  justly  migit 
 Christ  come  against  thee  in  his  wrath,  and  whip  thee  out  of  the 
 
Looking  unto  tlesus.  261 
 
 temple  into  hell  ?  Surely  we  should  do  well  to  behave  ourselv^es 
 in  such  a  presence  with  the  thoughts  of  heaven  about  us  ;  our 
 business  here  is  an  errand  of  religion,  and  God  himself  is  the 
 object  of  our  worship:  how  then  should  our  actions  bear  at  least 
 some  degrees  of  proportion  to  God  and  Christ  ? 
 
 And  now  was  the  first  passover  after  Christ's  baptism.- — This 
 was  Jthe  first  year  of  Christ's  ministry  :  whereof  the  one  half  was 
 carried  on  by  his  forerunner,  John  the  Baptist ;  and  the  other 
 half  (betwixt  his  baptism  and  this  first  passover)  was  carried  on 
 by  himself.  And  now  hath  Christ  three  years  to  his  death.  I 
 shall  come  on  to  the  second  year,  and  to  his  actings  therein  in 
 reference  to  our  salvation. 
 
 CHAP.  II. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  the  Second  Year  of  Christ's  3Iitiistri/. 
 
 Now  was  it  that  the  office  of  the  Baptist  was  expired ;  and 
 Christ  beginning  his  prophetical  office,  he  appears  like  the  sun 
 in  succession  of  the  morning-star ;  he  preacheth  the  sum  of  the 
 gospel,  faith  and  repentance  :  Repent  ye,  and  believe  the  gospeL 
 Mark  i.  15.  Now,  what  this  gospel  was,  the  sum  and  series  of 
 all  his  following  sermons  expressed. 
 
 By  this^  time  Jesus  saw  it  convenient  to  chuse  more  dis- 
 ciples :  with  this  family  he  goes  up  and  down  Galilee, 
 preaching  the  gospel  of  the  kiiigdom,  healing  ail  manner  of 
 diseases. 
 
 It  is  not  my  purpose  to  enlarge  on  all  the  sermons,  miracles, 
 or  colloquies  of  Christ  with  men :  in  this  year,  therefore,  I  shall 
 limjit  myself  to  the  consiideration  of  Christ  in  these  two  parti- 
 culars : — 1.  His  preaching.  2.  His  miracles:  both  these  relate 
 to  the  exercise  of  his  prophetical  office. 
 
 ^      Sect.  II. — Of  Christ's  Sermons  this   Year  • 
 
 1.  His  preaching  this  year  was  frequent;  and,  amongst  others,  ' 
 now  it  was  that  he  delivered  his  first  sermon.  Repent,  for  the 
 kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  ha?id. 
 
 2.  Now  was  it  that  he  delivered  that  spiritual  and  mystical 
 sermon  of  regeneration,  at  which  Nicodemus  wonders;  How 
 can  a  man  he  born  when  he  is  old?  Can  he  enter  a  second  time 
 i?ito  his  mother's  womb,  and  be  bom  f  But  Jesus  takes  off  the 
 wonder,  in  telling  him,  this  was  not  a  work  of  flesh  and  blood, 
 but  of  the  Spirit  of  God ;  for  the  Spirit  bloweth  where  it  listeth, 
 aud  is  as  the  wind,  certain  and  notorious  in  the  effects,  but  secret 
 in  the  prijiciple  and  manner  of  production . 
 
262  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 3.  Now  was  it  that  the  throng  of  auditors  forced  Christ  to 
 leave  the  shore.  Whilst  he  was  upon  land,  he  healed  the  sick 
 bodies  by  his  touch ;  and  now  he  w^as  upon  sea^  he  cured  the 
 sick  souls  by  his  doctrine:  he  that  made  both  sea  and  land, 
 causeth  both  to  conspire  to  the  doing  good  to  the  souls  and 
 bodies  of  men. 
 
 4.  Now  it  was  that  he  preached  that  blessed  sermon  on  that 
 text.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me,  because  he  hath  anointed 
 vie  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor.  No  question  but  he  preached 
 both  to  poor  and  rich,  Christ  preached  to  all ;  but  for  the  power 
 and  fruit  of  his  preaching,  it  was  only  received  by  the  poor  in 
 spirit.  In  the  following  particulars,  his  office  is  set  out  still 
 in  an  higher  tenor :  To  heal  the  broken-hearted,  to  preach  deli- 
 verance to  the  captives,  and  recove^nng  of  sight  to  the  blind;  or, 
 as  it  is  in  Isaiah,  Ixi.  1.  the  openijig  of  the  prison  to  them  that 
 are  bound.  A  sad  thing  to  be  in  captivity,  but  sadder  to  be 
 bound  in  chains,  or  locked  up  in  a  prison  there;  but  'tis  most 
 sad  of  all  to  be  imprisoned,  having  one's  eyes  put  out,  as 
 was  the  case  of  Samson  and  Zedekiah.  Now  the  evangelist, 
 iviUing  to  render  the  prophet  to  the  highest  sense  that  might  be, 
 useth  an  expression  that  meets  with  the  highest  mystery;  that 
 is,  when  a  man  is  not  only  shut  up  in  a  prison,  but  himself 
 also  hath  his  eyes  put  out:  to  such  Christ  should  preach,  not 
 only  deliverance  to  the  captives,  but  also  recovering  of  sight  to 
 blinded  persons. 
 
 5.  Now  it  w^as  that  he  delivered  the  admirable  sermon,  called. 
 The  serm.on  on  the  mount.  It  is  a  breviary  of  all  those  precepts 
 which  are  truly  called  christian ;  it  contains  in  it  all  the  moral 
 precepts  given  by  Moses,  and  a  more  severe  exposition  than  the 
 Scribes  and  Pharisees  had  given ;  it  holds  forth  the  doctrines  of 
 meekness,  poverty  of  spirit,  christian  mourning,  desire  of  holy 
 things,  mercy  and  purity,  peace  and  patience,  and  suffering  of 
 injuries;  he  teacheth  us  how  to  pray,  how  to  fast,  how  to  give 
 alms,  how  to  contemn  the  world,  and  how  to  seek  the  kingdom 
 of  God  and  its  appendant  righteousness. 
 
 And  thus  Christ  being  entered  upon  his  prophetical  office ;  in 
 these  and  the  rest  of  his  sermons  he  gives  a  clear  testimony,  tliat 
 he  was  not  only  an  interpreter  of  the  law,  but  a  law-giver ;  and 
 that  this  law  of  Christ  might  retain  some  proportion  at  least  with 
 the  law  of  Moses,  Christ,  in  his  last  sermon,  went  up  into 
 a  mountain,  and  from  thence  gave  the  oracle.  I  cannot  stand 
 to  paraphrase  on  this,  or  any  otner  of  his  sermons ;  but  seeing 
 now  we  find  Christ  in  the  exercise  of  his  prophetical  office,  let  us 
 observe,  first,  his  titles  in  this  respect.,  2.  The  reasons  of  his 
 being  a  prophet.  3.  The  excellency  of  Christ  above  all  other 
 prophets. 
 
Lookinsi'  unto  Jesus.  263 
 
 '<b 
 
 Sect.   III. — Of  Christ's  Prophetical  Office. 
 
 1.  The  titles  of  Christ  in  respect  of  his  prophetical  office, 
 were  these ;  1.  Sometimes  he  is  called  Doctor^  or  Master :  Be 
 ye  not  called  masters,  for  one  is  your  Master,  even  Christ.  The 
 word  in  the  original  signifies  a  doctor,  moderator,  teaching- 
 master,  a  guide  of  the  way.  2.  Sometimes  he  is  called  a  Law- 
 giver :  There  is  one  Lawgiver,  who  is  able  to  save  and  destroy. 
 The  apostle  speaks  of  the  internal  government  of  the  conscience, 
 in  which  case  the  Lord  is  our  judge.  3.  Sometimes  he  is  called 
 a  Counsellor;  and  his  name  shall  be  called  JFo)iderful,  Coun- 
 sellor:— Counsel  is  mine,  and  sound  wisdoui,  saith  Christ;  Iain 
 understanding,  and  I  have  strength.  4.  Sometimes  he  is  called 
 the  Apostle  of  our  profession :  Wherefore,  holy  brethren,  par- 
 takers  of  the  heavenly  calling,  consider  the  Apostle  and  High- 
 priest  of  our  profession,  Christ  Jesus.  God  sent  him  as  an  am- 
 bassador, to  make  known  his  will;  he  came  not  unsent :  the  very 
 word  imports  a  mission,  a  sending;  How  shall  they  preach, 
 except  they  be  sentf  5.  Sometimes  he  is  called  the  Angel  of 
 the  covenant :  even  the  Angel  of  the  covenant,  ivhom  ye  delight 
 in.  Christ  was  the  publisher  of  the  gospel  covenant;  and  in 
 this  respect  he  is  called  a  Prophet,  Acts  iii.  22.  whose  office  it 
 was  to  impart  God's  will  unto  the  sons  of  men,  according  unto 
 the  name,  angel.  6.  Sometimes  he  is  called  the  Mediator  of  the 
 new  covenant:  For  this  cause  he  is  the  Mediator  of  the 
 new  testament,  saith  the  apostle.  Now,  a  mediator  is  such  a 
 one  as  goes  betwixt  two  parties  at  variance,  imparting  the 
 mind  of  the  one  to  the  othery  so  as  to  breed  a  right  understand- 
 ing, and  thereby  to  work  a  compliance  betwixt  both :  and  thus 
 Christ  is  a  Mediator  betwixt  God  and  us,  an  Interpreter,  an 
 inter-messenger  betwixt  God  and  his  people. 
 
 2.  The  reasons  of  Christ's  being  a  Prophet,  were  these: — L 
 That  he  might  reveal  to  his  people  the  will  of  his  Father.  2.  That 
 he  might  open  and  expound  the  same,  being  once  delivered. 
 3.  That  he  might  make  saints  understand  and  believe  the 
 same. 
 
 (L)  As  a  Prophet,  he  delivers  to  the  people  his  Father's  will, 
 both  in  his  own  person,  and  by  his  servants  the  ministers :  in  his 
 own  person,  when  he  was  upon  earth,  as  a  minister  of  the  cir- 
 cumcision ;  and  by  his  servants  the  ministers,  from  the  beginning 
 of  their  mission  until  the  end  of  the  world. 
 
 (2.)  As  a  Prophet,  he  opens  and  expounds  the  gospel.  Thus, 
 being  in  th©  synagogue  on  the  sabbath-day,  he  opened  the  book, 
 and  found  the  place  wiiere  it  was  written.  The  Spirit  of  the 
 Jjord  is  upon  me,  because  he  hath  anointed  me  to  preach  the  gos- 
 pel to  the  poor,  &^c.  and  then  he  closed  the  book,  and  said.  This 
 day  is  this  scripture  fulfilled  in  your  ears.     The  gracious  purpose 
 
*264  Looking  unto  J^esiis/ 
 
 of  God  towards  lost  mankind^  was  a  secret  locked  up  in  the 
 breast  of  the  Father ;  and  so  it  had  been  even  to  this  day,  had 
 not  Christ,  who  was  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  revealed  it  unto 
 us:  hence  Christ  is  called  the  interpreter  of  God:  no  man 
 knoweth  the  Father  save  the  Son,  and  he  to  whomsoever  the  Son 
 will  reveal  him,  by  his  interpretation. 
 
 (3.)  As  a  Prophet,  he  gives  us  to  understand  and  to  believe  the 
 gospel.  Then  opened  he  their  understanding,  that  they  might 
 understand  the  scriptures;  and  thus  was  the  case  of  Lydia, 
 whose  heart  the  Lord  opened.  He  that  first  opens  scriptures, 
 at  last  opens  hearts;  he  is  that  true  light  which  enUghteneth 
 every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world.  He  enlightens  every 
 man  that  cometh  into  the  world.  He  enlightens  every  believer, 
 not  only  with  a  common  natural  light,  but  with  a  special  super- 
 natural hght,  of  saving,  spiritual,  and  effectual  knowledge. 
 Now  there  is  no  prophet  can  do  this,  save  only  Jesus  Christ ; 
 he  only  is  able  to  cause  our  hearts  to  believe  and  to  understand 
 the  matter  Vv'hich  he  doth  teach  and  reveal :  other  prophets  may 
 plant  and  water;  Paul  may  plant ^  and  Apollos  may  water y  but 
 he,  and  he  only,  can  give  the  increase. 
 
 3.  The  excellencies  of  Christ,  above  all  other  prophets,  are  in 
 these  respects : 
 
 (1.)  Other  prophets  were  but  types  and  shadows  of  this  great 
 Prophet;  even  Moses  himself  was  but  a  figure  of  him:  A 
 Prophet  shall  the  Lord  God  raise  up  unto  yon  of  your  brethren^ 
 like  unto  me,  saith  Moses.  These  words,  like  unto  me,  plainly 
 shew  that  Moses  was  but  an  image  and  shadow  of  Christ.  Now 
 as  substances  far  excel  shadows,  so  doth  Christ  far  excel  all 
 the  prophets. 
 
 (2.)  Other  prophets  revealed  but  some  part?  of  God's  will,  and 
 only  at  some  times.  God,  saith  the  apostle,  at  sundry  times, 
 and  in  divers  maniiers,  spake  hi  time  past  unto  t tie  fathers  by  the 
 prophets;  i.  e.  he  let  out  his  light  by  little  and  little,  till  the 
 Day-star  and  Sun  of  righteousness  arose ;  but  in  these  last  days 
 he  tiath  spoken  by  his  Son,  i.  e.  he  hath  spoken  more  fully  and 
 plainly ;  in  this  respect,  saith  the  apostle,  the  heirs  of  life  and 
 salvation  were  but  children  before  Christ's  incarnation. — As 
 now  we  see  but  through  a  glass  darkly,  towards  what  we  shall 
 do  in  the  life  to  come ;  so  did  they  of  old  in  comparison  of  us ; 
 their  light,  in  comparison  of  ours,  was  but  an  obscure  and  glim- 
 mering light. 
 
 (3.)  Other  prophets  speak  only  to  the  ears  of  men,  but  Christ 
 spake,  and  still  speaks,  to  the  heart :  He  hath  the  keys  of  David, 
 tliat  openeth  and  no  man  shuttetli,  tliat  shutteth,-mnAl  no  man 
 openeth;  it  is  a  similitude  taken  from  them  that  keep  the  keys 
 of  a  city  or  castle,  without  whom  none  can  open  or  shut; 
 no  more  can  any  man  open  the  heart,  or  break  in  upon  the 
 spirit,   but  Christ;    he   only  is  able  to  open  the   eyes  of  the 
 
Ltooking  ujito  %/esus.  265 
 
 mind  by  the  secret,  kindly,  and  powerful  working  of  his  own 
 Spirit. 
 
 (4.)  Other  prophets  had  their  commission  and  authority  from 
 him :  The  ivords  of  the  wise  are  as  goads,  and  as  nails  fastened 
 by  the  masters  of  the  assemblies,  ivhich  are  given  from  one  shep" 
 herd;  i.  e.  The  words  of  the  wise  are  divine  and  heavenly  in- 
 structions ;  the  masters  of  assemblies  are  gospel-ministers  j  and 
 Christ  is  that  one  shepherd,  from  whom  these  words  are  given, 
 and  from  whom  these  masters  have  their  authority. 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  Christ's  Miracles. 
 
 1.  The  miracles  of  Christ  this  year  were  many:  now  what 
 were  these  miracles  but  a  pursuance  of  the  doctrines  delivered 
 in  Christ's  sermons  ?  One  calls  them,  ^^  a  verification  of  Christ's 
 doctrine,  a  signal  of  Christ's  sermons.^'  If  we  observe,  we  shall 
 find  him  to  work  most  of  his  miracles  in  actions  of  mercy :  indeed 
 once  he  turned  water  into  wine,  and  sometimes  he  walked  upon 
 the  waters;  but  all  the  rest  were  actions  of  relief,  according  to 
 the  design  of  God,  who  would  have  him  manifest  his  power  in 
 shewing  mercy  to  men. 
 
 (1.)  Amongst  all  his  miracles  done  this  year,  now  was  that 
 at  Cana,  where  he  wrought  the  first  miracle.  He  does  a  second*. 
 A  certain  nohlonan,  or  courtier,  came  to  Jesus,  and  besought 
 him  to  come  down  to  his  house,  and  to  heal  his  son,  ivho  luas  at 
 the  point  of  death.  We  do  not  find  Christ  often  attended  with 
 nobility;  but  here  he  is.  This  noble  ruler  listens  after  Chrisi;  in 
 his  necessity :  happy  was  it  for  him  that  his  son  was  sick,  for  else 
 he  had  not  been  so  well  acquainted  with  his  Saviour.  The  first 
 answer  Christ  gives,  is  a  word  of  reproof;  Except  ye  see  signs 
 and  wonders,  ye  will  not  believe.  Incredulity  was  the  common 
 disease  of  the  Jews,  which  no  receipt  could  cure  but  wonders  : 
 A  wicked  and  adulterous  generation  seeketh  after  a  sign.  The 
 doctrine  of  Christ,  and  ail  the  words  that  he  spake,  must  be  made 
 up  with  miracles,  or  they  will  not  believe.  O  what  a  sin  is  this  ! 
 Christ's  next  answer  is  a  word  of  comfort :  go  thy  ivay,  thy  so9i 
 liveth.  O  the  meekness  and  mercy  of  Jesus  Christ !  When  we 
 would  have  looked  that  he  should  have  punished  this  suitor  for 
 not  believing,  he  condescends  to  him  ihat  he  may  believe :  go  thy 
 way,  thy  son  liveth.  With  one  word  doth  Christ  hettl  two 
 patients,  the  son  and  the  father;  the  son's  fever,  and  the  father's 
 unbelief.  We  cannot  but  observe  here  the  steps  of  faith,  he 
 that  believed  somewhat  ere  he  came,  and  more  when  he  went, 
 grew  to  more  faith  in  the  way,  and  when  he  came  home  he  en- 
 larged his  faith  to  all  the  skirts  of  his  family.  And  the  man  be- 
 lieved the  word  that  Jesus  had  spoken  unto  him,  and  he  went  his 
 way;  and  in  the  way  one  meets  him  and  tells  him,  thy  son 
 liveth;  which  recovery  he  understands  to  be  at  the  same  time 
 10.  2l 
 
266  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 & 
 
 that  Christ  had  spoken  those  healing  words,  mid  himself  believed, 
 and  his  ivhole  house. 
 
 (2.)  Now  was  it  that  a  centurion  came  unto  Christ,  beseeching 
 him,  and  saying.  My  servant  lieth  at  home,  sick  of  the  palsy, 
 grievously  tormented.  Many  suitors  come  to  Christ,  one  for  a 
 son,  another  for  a  daughter,  a  third  for  himself,  but  I  see  none 
 come  for  his  servant  but  this  one  centurion ;  and  if  we  observe 
 Christ's  answers  to  his  suit,  we  see  how  well  pleased  Christ  is 
 with  his  request :  ^nd  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  Iivill  come  atul  heal 
 him.  He  is  no  respecter  of  persons,  but  he  that  feareth  him 
 and  worketh  righteousness,  is  accepted  of  him.  It  may  be  this 
 servant  had  more  grace,  or  he  had  more  need,  and  therefore 
 Christ  will  go  down  to  visit  this  poor  sick  servant.  Nay, 
 says  the  centurion,  /  am  not  2vorthy,  Lord,  that  thou  shouldest 
 come  under  my  roof:  q.  d.  Alas,  Lord,  I  am  a  Gentile,  an  alien, 
 a  man  of  blood,  but  thou  art  holy,  thou  art  omnipotent ;  and 
 therefore  only  say  the  ivord,  and  my  servant  shall  be  whole.  The 
 centurion  knew  this  by  the  command  he  had  ov^r  his  own  ser- 
 vants :  I  say  to  this  man,  go,  and  he  goes;  and  to  another,  come, 
 and  he  comes;  and  to  a  third,  do  this,  and  he  doth  it.  Oh  that 
 I  were  such  a  servant  to  my  heavenly  Master !  Alas !  every  of 
 his  commands  says,  do  this,  and  I  do  it  not :  every  of  his  hihi- 
 bitions  say,  do  it  not,  and  I  do  it.  He  says.  Go  from  the  world, 
 and  I  run  to  it.  He  saj^s,  Come  to  me,  and  I  run  from  him. 
 Wo  is  me  !  this  is  not  service,  but  enmity :  Oh  that  I  could  come 
 up  to  the  faith  and  obedience  of  this  exemplar,  that  I  could  serve 
 my  Christ  as  these  soldiers  did  their  master !  Jesus  marvels  at 
 the  centurion's  faith.  We  never  find  Christ  wondering  at  gold, 
 or  silver,  or  costly  and  curious  works ;  but  when  he  sees  the 
 acts  of  faith,  he  so  approves  of  them  that  he  is  ravished  with 
 wonder.  And  he  that  both  wrought  this  faith,  and  wondered  at 
 it,  doth  now  reward  it :  Go  thy  ivay,  and  as  thou  hast  believed, 
 so  be  it  unto  thee ;  and  his  servant  was  healed  in  the  self -same 
 hour. 
 
 (3.)  Now  it  was,  even  the  day  after,  that  Jesus  goes  into  the 
 city  of  Nain.  The  fruitful  clouds  are  not  ordained  to  fall  all  in 
 one  field ;  Nain  must  partake  of  the  bounty  of  Christ,  as  well  as 
 Cana  or  Capernaum.  He  no  sooner  enters  the  gate,  but  he  meets 
 a  funeral ;  a  poor  widow,  with  her  weejiing  friends,  is  following 
 her  only  son  to  the  grave;  Jesus  observing  her  sad  condition,  he 
 pities  her,  comforts  her,  and  at  last  relieves  her:  here  was  no 
 solicitor  but  his  own  compassion.  In  his  former  miracles  he 
 was  sued  to :  but  now  Christ  offers  a  cure,  to  give  us  a  lesson, 
 that  "  whilst  we  have  to  do  with  the  Father  of  mercies,  our  mi- 
 series and  afflictions  are  the  most  powerful  suitors."  Christ  sees 
 and  observes  the  widow's  sadness,  and  presently  speaks  com- 
 fortably to  her.  TVeep  not:  and  he  said.  Young  man,  I  say 
 unto  thee,  arise.      .See  Iiow  the  Lord  of  life  speaks  with  com- 
 
LooJxing  unto  Jefnis.  267 
 
 mand ;  the  same  voice  speaks  to  him,  that  shall  one  day  speak  to 
 us,  and  raise  us  out  of  the  dust  of  the  earth.  So  at  the  sound 
 of  the  last  trumpet,  by  the  power  of  the  same  voice,  we  shall  arise 
 out  of  the  dust,  and  stand  up  gloriously :  This  mortal  shall  put 
 on  immortaliti/ ,  and  this  corruptible  shall  put  on  incorrup- 
 tion.  Antl  lest  our  weak  faith  should  stagger  at  so  great  a 
 difficulty,  by  this  he  hath  done,  Christ  gives  us  a  taste  of  what 
 he  will  do;  the  same  power  that  can  raise  one  man,  can  raise 
 a  world. 
 
 (4.)  Now  it  was  that  in  the  synagogue  he  finds  a  man  tliat  had 
 a  spirit  of  an  unclean  devil.  This,  I  take  it,  is  the  first  man 
 that  we  read  of  as  possessed  with  a  devil :  Artd  he  cried,  Let  us 
 alone;  luhat  lutve  ive  to  do  ivith  theef  Sfc.  In  these  words  the 
 devil  dictates,  the  man  speaks ;  and  whereas  the  words  are 
 plural,  let  us  alone,  it  is  probable  he  speaks  of  himself,  and  the 
 rest  of  the  men  in  the  synagogue  with  him.  So  high  and  dread- 
 ful things  are  spoken  concerning  the  coming  of  Christ,  (Mai. 
 iii.  2.  IFho  may  abide  the  day  of  his  coming  f  and  who  shall 
 stand  IV hen  he  appeareth?)  tliat  the  devil  by  this  takes  oppor- 
 tunity to  affright  the  men  of  the  synagogue  with  the  presence 
 of  Christ;  he  would  dissuade  them  from  receiving  Christ  by  the 
 terrors  of  Christ,  as  if  Christ  had  come  only  to  destroy  them : 
 Thou^  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  art  thou  come  to  destroy  us?  I  know 
 thee  who  thou  art,  the  Holy  One  of  God.  And  Jesus  rebuked 
 him,  saying,  Hold  thy  peace,  and  come  out  of  him.  The  word, 
 hold  thy  peace,  is,  in  the  original,  he  muzzled;  it  was  not  a  bare 
 command  of  silence,  but  there  was  such  power  in  it,  that  it  cast 
 a  muzzle  upon  the  mouth  of  Satan,  that  he  could  speak  no  more : 
 and  ivhen  the  unclean  spirit  had  torn  him,  not  with  any  gashes 
 in  his  flesh,  or  dismembering  of  his  body,  for  he  hurt  liim  not, 
 but  with  some  convulsion-fits,  as  it  is  supposed,  then  he  threw 
 hi)n  in  the  midst,  and  made  an  horrid  cr}-,  and  so  came  out. 
 
 They  all  take  notice  of  the  doctrine  attested  by  so  great  a 
 miracle.  What  a  word  is  this  !  Surely  this  was  the  great  design 
 of  all  the  miracles  of  Christ,  to  prove  his  mission  from  God,  to 
 demonstrate  his  power  unto  men,  to  confirm  his  gospel,  to  en- 
 dear his  precepts,  to  work  in  us  faith  to  lielp  us  heavenward : 
 These  signs  are  written  that  we  migiit  believe, — and  that  be- 
 lieving, we  might  have  life  through  his  name. 
 
 I  have  given  you  several  instances  of  the  miracles  of  Christ 
 in  this  second  year  of  his  ministry;  only  a  few  words  on  thi:» 
 doctrine  of  miracles  for  our  information  :  as — 
 
 1 .  What  they  are  ? 
 
 2.  Why  they  are? 
 
 3.  Whether  they  are  continued  in  this  great  transaction  of  our 
 salvation  ? 
 
 For  the  first.  What  they  are  r  Miracles  are  unusual  events, 
 wrought  above  the  course  or  possibility  of  nature :    uuch  were 
 
268  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 the  miracles  of  Christ,  and  such  were  the  miracles  of  the  pro- 
 phets and  of  the  apostles  of  Christ;  for  what  they  did  was  above 
 nature;  and  all  the  difference  betwixt  their  miracles  and  the 
 miracles  of  Christ,  was  only  in  this,  viz.  they  wrought  them  not 
 in  their  own  name  and  power,  as  Jesus  Christ  did. 
 
 For  the  second,  Why  they  are  ?  many  reasons  are  given,  but 
 this  is  the  main :  "  miracles  are  wrought  for  the  grounding  or 
 confirming  of  some  divine  truth  or  doctrine  at  its  first  settling." 
 To  this  purpose,  miracles  were  as  the  trumpets  or  heralds  by 
 which  the  gospel  was  first  commended  mito  us ;  as  the  law  of 
 Moses  was  first  authorized  by  manifold  miracles  wrought  in 
 Sinai,  and  in  the  desert,  which  afterwards  ceased  when  they  were 
 settled  in  the  promised  lands ;  so  the  gospel  of  Christ  was  first 
 authorized  by  manifold  miracles,  but  the  sound  thereof  having 
 now  gone  through  all  the  world,  these  miracles  cease. 
 
 For  the  third.  Whether  they  are  continued  in  this  great  trans- 
 action of  our  salvation?  I  answer,  yea;  in  this  respect  miracles 
 cease  not;  'tis  without  controversy  that  Jesus  Christ,  in  carry- 
 ing on  our  salvation,  is  adding  miracle  to  miracle :  there  is  a 
 chain  of  miracles  in  the  matter  of  our  salvation  from  first  to 
 last:  as — 
 
 1 .  It  was  a  miracle,  that  God,  before  we  had  a  being,  should 
 have  once  tiiought  of  us ;  especially  that  the  blessed  Trinity  should 
 contrive  that  astonishing  plot  of  the  salvation  of  our  souls :  Oh 
 what  a  miracle  was  this  ! 
 
 2.  it  was  a  miracle  that  God  for  our  sakes  should  create  the 
 world,  and,  after  our  fall  in  Adam,  should  preserve  the  world, 
 especially  considering  that  our  sin  had  unpinned  the  whole  frame 
 of  tiiC  creation ;  and  that  God,  even  then  sitting  on  his  throne  of 
 judgment,  ready  to  pass  the  doom  of  death  for  our  first  trans^ 
 gression,  should  give  a  promise  of  a  Saviour,  when  justly  he 
 might  have  given  us  to  the  devil,  and  to  hell,  according  to  his 
 own  law :  In  the  day  that  thou  eat  est  thereof,  thou  shalt  die. 
 
 3.  It  was  a  miracle  that  God's  Son  should  take  upon  him  our 
 nature,  and  that  in  our  nature  he  should  transact  our  peace; 
 tliat  he  should  preach  salvation  to  us  all,  if  we  would  believe; 
 and  to  the  end  that  we  might  believe,  that  he  would  work  so 
 many  signs  and  miracles  in  the  presence  of  his  disciples,  and  of 
 a  world  of  men. 
 
 4.  It  was  a  miracle  that  God  should  look  upon  us  in  our  blood : 
 O  mu'acle  of  mercies !  If  creation  cannot  be  without  a  miracle, 
 surely  the  new  creature  is  a  miracle  indeed.     So  contrary  are  our 
 
 Eerverse  natures  to  all  possibilities  of  salvation,  that  if  salvation 
 ad  not  marched  to  us  all  the  way  in  a  miracle,  we  should  have 
 perished  in  the  ruins  of  a  sad  eternity.  Indeed  every  man  living 
 in  the  state  of  grace,  is  a  perpetual  miracle ;  in  such  a  one  his 
 reason  is  turned  into  faith,  his  soul  into  spirit,  his  body  into  a 
 temple,  his  earth  into  heaven,  his  water  into  wine,  his  aversations 
 
Looking  unto  t/esus.  269 
 
 from  Christ  into  intimate  union  with  Christ.  O  what  a  chain  of 
 miracles  is  this  !  Why,  Lord,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me 
 clean.  Say  thus,  you  that  are  yet  in  your  blood ;  Lord,  I  believe, 
 kelp  thou  my  unbelief. 
 
 CHAP.  in. 
 
 Sect.  L — Of  the  third  Year  of  Christ's  Minis Iri/. 
 
 Hitherto  all  was  quiet:  neither  the  Jews  nor  the  Sama- 
 ritans, nor  Galileans,  did  as  yet  malign  the  doctrine  or  person 
 of  Jesus  Christ ;  but  he  preached  with  much  peace  on  ail  hands, 
 till  the  beginning  of  this  year.  I  shall  not  yet  speak  of  his 
 sufferings,  neither  shall  I  speak  much  of  his  doings ;  only  such 
 things  as  refer  more  principally  to  the  main  business  of  our  sal- 
 vation, I  shall  touch  in  these  particulars : — as,  1 .  The  ordina- 
 tion of  the  apostles.  2.  His  reception  of  sinners.  3.  The 
 easiness  of  his  yoke^  and  the  lightness  of  his  burden. 
 
 Sect.  IL — Of  Christ's  Ordination  of  his  Apostles, 
 
 In  the  ordination  of  his  apostles,  are  many  considerable 
 things.  The  evangelist  Luke  lays  it  down  thus :  And  it  came 
 to  pass  in  those  days,  that  he  went  out  into  a  mountain  to  pray, 
 and  continued  all  flight  in  prayer  to  God.  And  when  it  ivas 
 day,  he  called  unto  fiim  his  discijjles.  and  of  them  lie  chose  twelve, 
 whom  also  he  named  apostles.  Till  novv^  Christ  taught  alone ; 
 but  because  after  his  ascension  he  must  needs  have  a  ministry, 
 until  the  end  of  the  world — in  the  hrst  place,  he  chooseth  out 
 some,  whom  he  would  have  on  purpose  to  wait  upon  him  all  the 
 time  of  his  ministr)^,  till  he  was  taken  up  into  heaven.  In  this 
 election,  or  ordination,  here  is  the  first  person  by  whom  they 
 are  chosen,  Jesufe  Christ.  2.  The  place  where  they  are  chosen, 
 in  a  mountain.  3.  The  time  when  they  were  chosen,  after  his 
 watching  and  praying  all  night.  4.  The  company  out  of  whom 
 they  were  chosen,  they  were  his  disciples.  5.  The  number  of 
 them  that  were  chosen,  they  were  twelve.  6.  The  end  to  which 
 they  were  chosen,  it  was  an  apostleship ;  he  chose  twelve,  whom 
 he  also  named  apostles. 
 
 1 .  The  person  by  whom  they  are  chosen  is  Jesus  Christ.  They 
 chose  not  themselves,  but  were  chosen  of  Christy  this  call  wa& 
 immediate,  and  therefore  most  excellent. 
 
 2.  The  place  where  they  were  chosen,  it  was  on  a  mountain. 
 Mountains  are  open  and  in  view,  which  shews  their  ministry  must 
 be  public;  again,  mountains  are  subject  to  winds  and  tempests, 
 which 'shews  their  callings  must  me^t  with  many  oppositions. 
 
270  Looking  unto  %Tesus. 
 
 3.  The  time  when  they  are  chosen ;  after  he  had  continued  all 
 night  in  prayer  to  God :  he  goes  not  to  election^  but  first  he 
 watches  and  prays  all  the  night  before.  This  shews  the  singular 
 care  that  Christ  had  in  this  great  employment :  what !  to  set 
 men  apart  to  witness  his  name,  and  to  publish  to  the  world 
 the  gospel  of  Christ?  This  he  would  not  do  without  much 
 prayer. 
 
 4.  The  company  out  of  whom  they  are  chosen,  He  called  unto 
 him  his  disciples,  and  out  of  them  he  chose  twelve.  A  disciple 
 of  Christ  is  one  thing,  and  an  apostle  of  Christ  is  another  thing. 
 Those  were  Christ's  disciples,  that  embraced  Christ's  doctrine 
 of  faith  and  repentance.  It  was  not  material  to  the  constituting 
 of  a  disciple  of  Christ,  whether  they  followed  Christ,  as  many 
 did,  or  returned  to  their  own  homes,  as  others  did.  The  man 
 out  of  whom  the  legion  of  devils  were  cast,  besought  Christ  thiit 
 he  might  be  with  him ;  but  Jesus  sent  him  away,  saying.  Return 
 to  thine  own  house,  and  shew  how  great  things  God  hath  done  to 
 thee.  I  make  no  question  but  Christ  at  the  election  of  his  apos- 
 tles had  many  disciples  both  waiting  on  him,  and  absent  from 
 him;  and  out  of  them  that  waited  on  him,  his  apostles  were 
 chosen :  Christ's  ministers  should  be  first  disciples.  O  how  unfit 
 are  any  to  take  upon  them  the  ministry  of  Christ,  that  were 
 never  yet  the  disciples  of  Christ !  First,  the  grace  of  God  must 
 be  within  us,  and  then  must  that  grace  of  God  be  discovered 
 by  us. 
 
 -5.  The  number  of  them  that  were  chosen,  they  were  twelve. 
 Very  probably  the  number  was  figured  out  to  us  in  twelve 
 tribes  of  Israel. 
 
 6.  The  end  to  which  they  were  chosen,  it  was  to  an  apostle- 
 ship;  i.  e.  that  they  might  be  Christ's  legates  to  the  sons  of 
 men,  that  they  might  be  sent  up  and  down  the  world  to  per- 
 suade men  to  salvation. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  Christ's  Reception  of  Shiners. 
 
 I  CANNOT  limit  this  only  to  one  year  of  Christ's  ministry,  but 
 I  shall  only  mention  it  this  year.  Now  this  will  appear^ — 1.  In 
 the  doctrine  of  Christ;  2.  In  the  practice  of  Christ. 
 
 1.  In  his  doctrine;  Christ  lays  it  down  expressly:  Come  unto 
 me^  all  ye  that  labour  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you 
 rest.  It  is  no  more  but,  come,  and  welcome.  The  gospel  shuts 
 none  out  of  heaven,  but  those  that  by  unbelief  lock  the  door 
 against  their  own  souls.  Christ  is  so  willing  to  receive  sinners, 
 as  that  he  sets  all  his  doors  open,  and  he  casts  out  none  that  will 
 but  come  in.  And  why  so?  For  I  came  down  from  heaven, 
 not  to  do  mine  own  will,  but  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me.  1. 
 I  came  down  from  heaven.  It  was  a  great  journey  from  heaven 
 lo  earth ;  and  this  great  journey  I  undertook  for  no  other  pur- 
 
Lookins;  unto  %/esus.  2/1 
 
 pose  but  to  save  sinners.  "  Great  actions/'  as  one  says  well, 
 "  must  needs  have  great  ends."  Now  this  was  the  greatest  thing 
 that  ever  was  done,  that  the  Son  of  God  should  come  down  from 
 heaven.  And,  what  was  the  end,  but  the  reception  and  salva- 
 tion of  sinners  ?  For  the  Son  of  man  is  come  to  seek  and  to 
 save  that  which  was  lost.  Had  not  Christ  come  down,  sinners 
 could  not  have  gone  up  into  heaven ;  and  therefore  that  they 
 might  ascend,  he  descends.  2.  I  came  down  from  heaven,  not 
 to  do  mine  own  will,  but  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me.  His 
 Father  had  sent  him  on  purpose  to  receive  and  to  save  sinners  j 
 and,  to  this  purpose  he  is  called  the  apostle  of  our  profession, — 
 who  w^as  faithful  to  him  that  appointed  him,  as  also  Moses  was 
 faithful  in  all  his  house.  His  Father  could  not  send  him  on  any 
 errand,  but  he  was  sure  to  do  it.  His  Father's  mission  was  a 
 strong  demonstration  that  Christ  was  willing  to  receive  those 
 sinners  that  would  come  to  him. 
 
 Again,  Jesus  stood  and  cried,  saying.  If  any  man  thirst,  let 
 him  come  unto  me,  and  drink.  The  very  pith,  heart,  and  marrow 
 of  the  gospel  is  contained  in  these  words :  the  occasion  of  them 
 was  thus ;  on  that  last  day  of  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  the  Jews 
 were  wont,  Avith  great  solemnity,  to  draw  water  out  of  the 
 fountain  of  Siloam,  at  the  foot  of  mount  Sion,  and  to  bring  it 
 to  the  altar,  singing  out  of  Isaiah,  TFithjoy  shall  ye  draw  water 
 out  of  the  ivells  of  salvation.  Now  Christ  takes  them  at  this 
 custom,  and  recals  them  from  earthly  to  heavenly  waters ;  allud- 
 ing to  that  of  Isaiah,  "  Ho !  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye 
 to  the  waters. — Incline  your  ears,  and  com.e  unto  me,  and  your 
 souls  shall  live.  The  Father  saith.  Come;  the  Son  saith.  Come; 
 the  Spirit  saith.  Come ;  yea,  the  Spirit  and  the  bride  say.  Come; 
 let  him  that  heareth  say.  Come;  and  let  him  that  is  at  hirst  come; 
 and  whosoever  tvill,  let  him  chink  of  the  water  of  life  freely. 
 All  the  time  of  Christ's  ministry,  we  see  him  tiring  himself,  in 
 going  about  from  place  to  place,  upon  no  other  errand  than  this, 
 to  cry  at  the  markets,  '  Ho!  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye 
 to  the  w^aters  !  If  any  sinners  love  life,  if  any  will  go  to  heaven, 
 let  them  come  to  me,  and  I  will  shew  them  the  way  to  my  Fa- 
 ther's bosom,  and  endear  them  to  my  Father's  heart.' 
 
 2.  Christ's  reception  of  sinners  appears  yet  more  in  his 
 practice.  How  welcome  were  all  sorts  of  sinners  unto  him! 
 He  cast  out  none  that  acknowledged  him  for  the  Messiah;  he 
 turned  none  away  that  gave  up  their  souls  to  be  saved  by 
 him  in  his  own  way.  This  he  manifests — 1.  Parabolically ;  2. 
 Really. 
 
 (1.)  Parabolically,  especially  in  those  three  parables,  of  the 
 lost  goat,  and  of  the  lost  sheep,  and  of  the  lost  son ;  I  shall 
 instance  in  this  last,  whicJi  may  serve  for  all  the  rest. — When 
 the  prodigal  was  yet  afar  off,  his  father  saw  him,  and  had  com- 
 passiofi  on  him,  jukI  r;m,  and  fell  on  his  neck,  and  kisiscd  hitn. 
 
272  Looking  unto  J^es^us, 
 
 In  these  words,  observe^,  1.  His  father  sees  him,  before  he  sees 
 his  father;  no  sooner  a  sinner  thinks  of  heaven,  but  the  Lord 
 spies  him,  and  takes  notice  of  him.  2^  The  Lord  sees  him  while 
 he  was  yet  a  great  way  off;  he  was  but  in  the  beginning  of  his 
 way :  his  father  might  have  let  him  alone  until  he  hail  come  quite 
 home  to  his  house,  and  it  had  been  a  singular  mercy  to  have  bid 
 him  welcome  then ;  but  he  takes  notice  of  him  yet  a  great  way 
 off.  Sinners  may  be  far  off  from  God  in  their  own  apprehensions, 
 and  yet  the  Lord  even  then  draws  near;  whilst  thus  they  appre- 
 hend. 3.  His  father  had  pity  or  compassion  on  him;  the  Lord's 
 bowels  yearn  within  him,  at  the  sight  of  his  returning  prodigals.' 
 4.  His  father  ran;  there  is  much  in  this :  as,  (1.)  It  had  been 
 mercy  though  his  father  had  stood  still  until  his  son  had  come. 
 (2.)  What  a  mercy  is  this,  that  his  father  will  go,  and  give  his 
 son  the  meeting !  (3.)  But,  above  all,  O  what  abundant  mercy 
 call  we  this,  that  the  father  will  not  go,  but  run  1  If  he  would 
 needs  meet  his  son,  might  he  not  have  walked  towards  him  in 
 a  soft  slow  pace  ?  O  no,  if  a  sinner  will  but  come,  or  <;reep  to- 
 wards Christ,  mercy  will  not  go  a  foot-pace,  but  run  to  meet 
 him :  bowels  full  of  mercy,  out-pace  bowels  pinched  with  hunger ; ' 
 God's  mercy  is  over  all  his  works,  and  so  it  is  over  all  our  needs, 
 and  over  all  our  sins.  5.  He  ran,  and  fell  on  his  neck;  i.  e. 
 he  hugged  and  embraced  him ;  O  wonder !  who  would  not  have 
 been  loth  to  have  touched  him  ?  was  he  not  in  his  loathsome,  • 
 stinking  rags  ?  we  see  mercy  is  not  nice :  When  I  passed  by, 
 said  God,  I  saw  thee  polluted  in  thy  oivn  hlood,  and  I  said  unto 
 thee  when  thou  ivast  in  thy  bloody  Live;  yea,  I  said  unto  thee 
 luhen  thou  wast  in  thy  blood,  Live:  that  very  time  of  her  blood, 
 was  the  time  of  love.  6.  He  ran,  and  fell  on  his  neck,  and 
 kissed  him :  there  is  a  passage  somewhat  like  this,  ^4nd  Msau 
 ran  to  meet  Jacob,  and  he  embraced  him,  and  fell  on  his  neck^ 
 and  kissed  him  ;  before,  he  had  thought  to  have  killed  him,  but 
 now  he  kissed  him :  it  is  not  to  tell  how  dear  the  father  was  to 
 his  prodigal  son,  when  he  ran,  and  fell  on  his  neck,  and  em- 
 braced, and  kissed  him.  The  scope  of  the  parable  is  this, 
 that  Christ  is  willing  and  glad  to  receive  sinners.  Turn  ye,  ^ 
 turn  ye,  from  your  evil  vv^ays ;  for  ivhy  will  ye  die,  O  house  of 
 Israel  f 
 
 Christ  manifests  this  willingness  in  his  practice  really;  amongst 
 many  instances  I  shall  insist  only  on  one,  a  notable  instance  of 
 this  year :  one  of  the  Pharisees,  named  Simon,  invited  Christ  to 
 eat  with  him,  into  whose  house  when  he  had  entered,  a  certam 
 woman,  that  was  a  sinner,  abiding  there  in  the  city,  heard  of  it : 
 she  came  to  Jesus  in  the  Pharisee's  house,  and  no  sooner  come, 
 but  she  lays  her  burden  at  Jesus'  feet,  and  presents  him  with  a 
 broken  heart  and  weeping  eye,  and  an  alabaster  box  of  oint- 
 ment :  She  stood  at  his  feet  behind  him,  tveeping,  and  began 
 to  tvask  his  feet  tvith  her  tears,  and  to  ivipe  them  with  the  hairs 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  273 
 
 of  her  head;  arid  she  kissed  his  feet,  and  anointed  them  with 
 ointment.  1.  She  stands  at  his  feet^  a  sign  of  her  humility.  O 
 what  a  change  !  She  that  was  before  a  noble  personage,  a  native 
 of  the  town  and  castle  of  Magdal,  from  whence  she  had  her 
 name  of  Magdalen — and  therefore  took  her  liberty  of  pride  and 
 lust — ^comes  in  remorse  and  regret  for  her  sins ;  and  throwing 
 away  her  former  pride,  stoops,  and  waits,  and  humbly  stands  at 
 Jesus's  feet.  2.  She  stood  at  his  feet  behind  him;  it  compre- 
 hends a  tacit  confession  of  her  sins,  she  knew  herself  unworthy 
 of  Christ's  presence:  she  durst  not  look  him  in  the  face;  but, 
 she  waits  behind  him ;  her  shame  speaks  her  repentance.  3.  She 
 stood  at  his  feet  behind  him  weeping,  her  grief  burst  out  in 
 tears;  she  heeds  not  the  feast,  or  feaster,  but,  falling  down, 
 weeps  bitterly  for  her  sins.  4.  ^\iQ  began  to  wash  his  feet  with 
 tears ;  she  wept  a  shower  of  tears,  great  enough  to  wash  the 
 feet  of  her  blessed  Jesus.  This  was  the  manner  of  the  Jews, 
 to  eat  their  meat  lying  down,  and  leaning  on  their  elbows  ;  and 
 in  this  posture,  Jesus  sitting  or  lying  at  meat,  Mary  had  the  con- 
 venience to  weep  on  his  feet.  6.  She  wipes  his  feet  with  the 
 hairs  of  her  head ;  her  hair  being  added  to  her  beauty,  she  made 
 it  a  snare  for  men ;  but  now  she  consecrates  it  to  her  Lord ; 
 worthy  fruit  of  serious  repentance.  6.  She  kissed  his  feet,  in 
 token  of  her  new  choice,  and  new  affection  ;  her  kisses  had  for- 
 merly been  to  wantons,  but  now  she  bestows  them  on  the  feet  of 
 Christ.  7-  She  anointed  them  with  ointment;  which  expression 
 was  so  great  an  ecstacy  of  love  and  sorrow,  that  to  anoint  the 
 feet  of  the  greatest  monarch  was  long  unknown,  and  in  all  the 
 pomps  of  Roman  prodigality,  it  was  never  used  until  Otho 
 taught  it  Nero.  When  Simon  observed  this  sinner  so  busy,  he 
 thought  within  himself,  that  Christ  was  no  prophet,  that  he  did 
 not  know  her  to  be  a  sinner ;  for  although  the  Jews'  religion  did 
 permit  harlots  to  live,  yet  the  Pharisees  would  not  admit  them 
 to  the  benefits  of  ordinary  society:  and  hence  Simon  made  an 
 objection  within  himself,  which  Jesus  knowing,  (for  he  under- 
 stood his  thoughts  as  well  as  words,)  first  makes  her  apology, 
 and  then  his  own ;  the  scope  gives  us  to  understand,  that  Christ 
 was  not  of  the  same  superciliousness  with  the  Pharisees ;  but 
 that  repenting  sinners  should  be  welcome  unto  him ;  and  this 
 welcome  he  publisheth  first  to  Simon,  Her  sins  which  are  many, 
 are  forgiven  ;  and  then  to  the  woman.  Thy  sins  are  forgiven 
 thee,  thy  faith  hath  saved  thee,  go  in  peace. 
 
 What !  is  Christ  most  willing  to  receive  sinners  ?  O  then  ! 
 who  would  not  come  to  Jesus  Christ  ?  Methinks  now  all  sin- 
 ners, of  all  sorts,  should  say,  though  I  have  been  a  drunkard,  a 
 swearer,  an  unclean  person,  yet  now  I  hear  Christ  is  willing  to 
 receive  sinners,  and  therefore  I  will  go  to  Jesus  Christ.  This 
 is  my  exhortation,  O  come  unto  Christ,  come  unto  Christ ;  be- 
 hold here  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  I  stand,  and  make  invitation 
 10.  2  M 
 
274  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 to  poor  sinners ;  O  will  you  not  come  ?  How  will  ye  answer  it 
 at  the  great  day,  when  it  shall  be  said.  The  Lord  Jesus  made  a 
 tender  of  mercy  to  you,  and  you  would  not  accept  of  it  ?  O  come 
 to  Christ,  and  believe  on  Christ;  as  Christ  is  willing  to  receive 
 you,  so  be  you  willing  to  give  up  your  souls  to  him. 
 
 Sect.   IV. — Of  Christ's  easy   Yoke  and  light  Burden. 
 
 For  the  easiness  of  Christ's  yoke,  and  the  lightness  of  Christ's 
 burden,  Christ  delivers  it  in  these  words :  Take  my  yoke  upon 
 you,  and  learn  of  me, — for  my  yoke  is  easy,  and  my  hurdeii  is 
 'light. 
 
 My  yoke,  i.  e.  my  commandments,  so  the  apostle  John  gives 
 the  interpretation,  Flis  commandments  are  not  grievous.  My 
 yoke  is  easy,  i.  e.  My  commandments  are  without  any  incon- 
 venience :  the  trouble  of  a  yoke,  is  not  the  weight,  but  the  un- 
 easiness of  it,  and  Christ  speaks  suitably.  My  yoke  is  easy,  and 
 my  burden,  i.e.  my  institutions :  the  v/ord  primarily  signifies 
 the  freight  or  ballast  of  a  ship,  which  cuts  through  the  waves, 
 as  if  it  had  no  burden ;  and  without  which  burden  there  were  no 
 safety  in  the  ship. 
 
 The  christian  religion,  and  the  practice  of  it,  is  full  of  sweet- 
 ness, easiness,  and  pleasantness. 
 
 The  reasons  of  the  sweetness,  easiness,  and  pleasantness  of  the 
 christian  religion,  and  the  practice  of  it,  I  shall  reduce  to  these 
 heads : 
 
 1.  The  christian  religion  is  most  rational.  If  we  should  look 
 into  the  best  laws  that  the  wisest  men  in  the  world  ever  agreed 
 upon,  we  shall  find  that  Christ  adopted  the  quintessence  of  them 
 all  into  his  ov/n  law.  The  highest  pitch  of  reason  is  but  as  a 
 spark,  a  taper,  which  is  involved  and  swallowed  up  in  the  body 
 of  this  great  light,  that  is  made  up  by  the  Sun  of  righteousness. 
 Some  observe,  that  Christ's  discipline  is  the  breviary  of  all  the 
 wisdom  of  the  best  men,  and  a  fair  copy  and  transcript  of  his 
 Father's  v/isdom ;  there  is  nothing  in  the  laws  of  the  christian 
 religion,  but  what  is  perfective  of  our  spirits.  Indeed  the 
 Greeks,  whom  the  world  admired  for  their  wisdom,  accounted 
 the  preachmg  of  the  gospel  foolishness,  and  therefore  God 
 blasted  their  wisdom,  as  it  is  written,  I  luill  destroy  the  luisdom 
 of  the  ivise,  and  bring  to  nothing  the  understanding  of  the  pru- 
 dent, 1  Cor.  i.  19.  The  gospel  may  be  as  foolishness  unto  some, 
 hut  unto  them  which  are  called, — Clirist  the  power  of  God,  and 
 the  wisdom  of  God. 
 
 The  christian  rehgion  is  all  composed  of  peace ;  her  luays  are 
 the  ivays  of  pleasantness,  and  all  her  paths  are  peace,  Prov. 
 xvii.  3.  Christ  framed  all  his  laws  in  compliance  of  his  design 
 of  peace;  peace  within,  and  peace  at  home,  and  peace  abroad. 
 1.    It   holds   forth  a    certain  heavenly  peace  and  tranquillity 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  ■  275 
 
 within :  Gi^eat  peace  have  they  which  love  thy  law,  and  nothing 
 shall  offeyid  them.  But  on  the  contrary :  the  wicked  are  like  the 
 troubled  sea,  ivhen  it  cannot  rest;  luhose  waters  cast  up  mire 
 and  dirt : — there  is  no  peace,  saith  my  God  to  the  ivicked.  Their 
 passions  were  never  yet  mortified;  and  such  passions  usually 
 rage  in  wicked  men  as  are  most  contrary,  and  demand  contrary 
 things :  the  desire  of  honour  cries,  spend  here ;  but  the  passion 
 of  avarice  cries,  hold  thy  hands :  lust  cries,  venture  here ;  but 
 pride  saith,  no  such  thing,  it  may  turn  to  thy  dishonour :  anger 
 cries,  revenge  thyself  here ;  but  ambition  says,  it  is  better  to  dis- 
 semb)e:  and  here  is  fulfilled  that  of  the  psalmist,  I  have  seen 
 violence  and  strife  in  the  city.  The  vulgar  renders  it, '  I  have 
 seen  iniquity  and  contradiction  in  the  self-same  city.'  First,  Ini- 
 quity, for  all  the  demands  of  these  passions  are  unjust.  And, 
 2.  Contradiction,  for  one  passion  cries  out  against  another.  But. 
 now,  great  peace  have  they  that  love  thy  lav/;  for  by  the  aid  of 
 Christ  and  his  grace,  their  passions  are  subdued,  and  they  pass 
 on  their  life  sweetly  and  calmly,  without  any  perturbations  much 
 troubling  their  spirits;  they  h^ive  ihsit peace  tchich  jjasseth  all 
 understanding,  which  the  world  can  neither  give  nor  taste  of. 
 
 2.  It  holds  forth  peace  at  home :  the  laws  of  Jesus  teach  us 
 how  to  bear  with  the  infirmities  of  our  relatives ;  and,  indeed, 
 whosoever  obeys  the  laws  of  Jesus  Christ,  he  seeks  with  sweet- 
 ness to  remedy  all  differences,  he  throws  water  upon  a  spark,  he 
 lives  sweetly  with  his  wife,  afi'ectionately  with  his  childreH, 
 discreetly  with  his  servants ;  and  they  all  look  upon  him  as  their 
 guardian,  friend,  and  patron:  but,  look  upon  an  angry  man, 
 not  subject  to  these  christian  laws,  and  when  he  enters  upon  his 
 threshold,  it  gives  an  alarm  to  his  house,  every  little  accident  is 
 the  matter  of  a  quarrel,  and  every  quarrel  discomposes  the 
 peace  of  the  house,  and  sets  it  on  fire,  and  no  man  can  tell  how 
 far  it  may  burn.  O  the  sweetness,  easiness,  and  pleasantness  of 
 the  christian  religion !  Where  that  is  embraced  and  followed, 
 the  man  is  peaceable,  and  charitable,  and  just,  and  loving,  and 
 forbearing,  and  forgiving;  and  how  should  there  be  but  content 
 in  this  blessed  family  ? 
 
 3.  It  holds  out  peace  abroad ;  it  commands  all  offices  of  kind- 
 ness, gentleness,  love,  meekness,  humility;  it  prescribes  an  aus- 
 tere, and  yet  a  sweet  deportment ;  it  commands  all  those  labours 
 of  love,  to  relieve  the  stranger,  to  visit  the  sick,  to  wash  the 
 feet  of  the  poor ;  it  sends  upon  charitable  embassies,  to  unclean 
 prisons,  nasty  dungeons,  and,  in  the  cause  of  Christ,  to  lay 
 down  our  lives  one  for  another :  it  teacheth  us  how  to  return 
 good  for  evil,  kindness  for  injuries,  a  soft  answer  for  the  rough 
 words  of  an  enemy.  Ol  when  I  think  of  this,  I  cannot  but 
 think  of  him  who  said,  "  That  either  this  was  not  the  christian 
 religion,  or  we  v/ere  nc/t  Christians."  For  my  part,  I  am  easily 
 persuaded,  that  if  we  would  but  live  according  to  the  christian 
 
276  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 religion,  one  of  those  great  plagues  that  vex  the  world  (I  mean 
 the  plague  of  war)  would  be  no  more.  Certainly  this  was  one  of 
 the  designs  of  Christianity,  that  there  should  be  no  wars,  no  jars, 
 no  discontents  amongst  men.  And  if  all  men  that  are  called 
 Christians,  were  indeed  charitable,  peaceable,  just,  loving,  for- 
 bearing one  another,  and  forgiving  one  another,  what  sweet 
 peace  should  we  have  ?  How  would  this  world  be  an  image 
 of  heaven,  and  of  the  society  of  saints  and  angels  in  glory  ? 
 
 Thus  far  I  have  held  forth  Jesus  in  his  life,  or  during  the  time 
 of  his  ministry :  and  now  was  it  that  Jesus  knew  his  hour  was 
 come,  and  that  he  should  depart  out  of  this  world  unto  the 
 leather :  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  this  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  sal- 
 vation 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 :  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 :  these  should  be  read  over  and  over ;  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  is  but 
 the  least  part  of  what  thou  art  ignorant  of.  JVe  know  but  in 
 part,  saith  Paul  of  himself  and  others.  The  highest  knowledge 
 which  the  most  illuminate  saints  have  of  Jesus  Christ  is  but  im- 
 perfect. Come  then,  and  follow  on  to  know  the  Lord :  still  in- 
 quire after  him ;  imitate  the  angels,  who  ever  desire  to  stoop  down 
 and  to  pry  into  the  actings  of  Christ  for  our  salvation.  And  for  thy 
 better  knowledge,  (1.)  Study  over  those  passages  in  the  first 
 year  of  Christ's  ministry:  as,  the  preaching  of  John,  the  baptism 
 of  Christ,  his  fasting  and  temptation  in  the  wilderness,  his  first 
 manifestation  by  his  several  witnesses,  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  fruitful  are  they  of  spiritual  instructions !      (3.)  Study 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  277 
 
 over  those  passages  in  the  third  year  of  Christ*s  ministry;  as^  his 
 commissioning  his  apostles  to  call  sinners,  his  readiness  to  re- 
 ceive them  that  would  come  in,  and  his  sweetening  the  ways  of 
 Christianity  to  them  that  are  come ;  for  his  yoke  is  easy,  and  his 
 burden  is  light. 
 
 O  what  rare  matter  is  here  for  christian  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  thou- 
 sand six  hundred  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  to  that  blessed 
 subject,  that  will  make  thee  wise  unto  salvation.  Paul  account- 
 ed all  things  but  dung  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge 
 of  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.  If  thou  didst  truly  understand  the 
 excellency  of  this  knowledge,  thou  couldst  not  but  account  all 
 things  loss  in  comparison  of  it. 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  Considering  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  consider  Jesus  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  sal- 
 vation during  his  life.  It  is  not  enough  to  study  and  know,  but 
 we  must  muse  and  meditate,  and  consider  it,  till  we  bring  it  to 
 some  profitable  issue.  By  meditating  on  Christ,  we  may  feel  a 
 kind  of  insensible  change;  as  those  that  stand  in  the  sun  for 
 other  purposes,  they  find  themselves  lightened  and  heated; 
 therefore,  look  further,  O  my  soul,  have  strong  apprehensions  of 
 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.  He  had 
 an  excellent  zeal,  and  a  vehement  spirit  in  preaching,  and  the 
 commentary  upon  all  his  sermons  was  his  life ;  he  was  clothed  in 
 camels'  hair,  his  meat  was  locusts  and  wild  honey.  He  contemn- 
 ed the  world,  resisted  temptations,  despised  honours,  and  in  all 
 passages  was  a  rare  example  of  self-denial  and  mortification: 
 and  by  this  means  made  an  excellent  preparation  for  the  Lord's 
 coming.  O  my  soul,  sit  a  while  under  this  preacher.  See,  what 
 efiect  doth  it  work  on  thy  heart  and  life  ?  Dost  thou  feel  in  thee 
 a  spirit  of  mortification  ?  Dost  thou  with  the  Baptist  die  to  the 
 world?  Dost  thou  deny  thy  will?  Dost  thou  abstain  from 
 pleasures,  and  sensual  complacencies,  that  the  flesh  being  sub- 
 dued to  the  spirit,  both  may  join  in  the  service  of  God?  O,  n.y 
 soul,  so  consider  the  preaching  of  this  forerunner  of  Christ, 
 till  thou  feelest  this  consideration  to  have  some  warmth  in  thy 
 heart,  and  influence  on  thy  life,  in  order  to  holiness,  self-denial, 
 and  mortification. 
 
 2.  Consider  the  baptism  of  Christ.  He  was  baptized,  that  in 
 the  symbol  he  might  purify  our  nature,  whose  stains  and  guilt 
 
278  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 he  had  undertaken.  S«rely  every  soul  that  lives  the  life  of  grace, 
 is  born  of  water  and  the  Spirit ;  and  to  this  purpose,  Christ,  who 
 is  our  life,  went  down  into  the  waters  of  baptism,  that  we,  who 
 descend  after  him,  might  find  the  effects  of  it,  pardon  of  sin,  and 
 holiness  of  life.  Had  not  Christ  been  baptized,  what  virtue  had 
 there  been  in  our  baptism  ?  As  it  became  him  to  fuiiil  all  righte- 
 ousness, and  therefore  he  must  needs  be  baptized,  so  he  fulfilled 
 it  not  for  himself,  but  for  us.  Christ's  obedience  in  fulfilling  the 
 law  is  imputed  to  all  that  believe  unto  righteousness,  as  if  them- 
 selves had  fulfilled ;  so  that  he  was  baptized  for  us,  and  the  virtue 
 of  his  baptism  is  derived  unto  us ;  therefore,  if  thou  art  in  Christ, 
 thou  art  baptized  into  his  death,  and  baptized  unto  his  baptism ; 
 thou  partake st  of  the  fruit  and  efficacy  both  of  his  death,  and  life, 
 and  baptism,  and  all. 
 
 3.  Consider  the  fasting  and  temptation  of  Christ  in  the  wil- 
 derness. Now  we  see  what  manner  of  adversary  we  have,  how 
 he  fights,  how  he  is  resiiited,  how  overcome.  In  one  assault, 
 Satan  moves  Christ  to  doubt  of  his  Father's  providence ;  in  an- 
 other, to  presume  on  his  Father's  protection ;  and  v/hen  neither 
 diffidence  nor  presumption  can  fasten  upon  Christ,  he  shall  be 
 tried  with  honour :  and  thus  he  deals  with  us ;  if  he  cannot 
 drive  us  to  despair,  he  labours  to  lift  us  up  to  presumption ;  and 
 if  neither  of  these  prevail,  then  he  brings  out  pleasures,  profits, 
 honours,  which  are  indeed  most  dangerous.  O,  my  soul,  whilst 
 thou  art  in  this  warfare,  here  is  thy  condition;  temptiil ions, 
 like  waves,  break  one  in  the  neck  of  another :  if  the  devil  was  so 
 busy  with  Christ,  how  shouldst  thou  hope  to  be  free?  How 
 mayst  thou  account  that  the  repulse  of  one  temptation  will  ])ut 
 invite  to  another  ?  But  here  is  thy  comfort,  thou  hast  such  a 
 Saviour  as  was  in  all  things  tempted  in  like  sort,  yet  without  sin. 
 How  boldly  therefore  mayst  thou  go  to  the  throne  of  grace  to 
 receive  mercy,  and  to  find  grace  to  help  in  time  of  need !  Christ 
 was  tempted,  that  he  might  succour  them  that  are  tempted. 
 Never  art  thou  tempted,  O  my  soul,  but  Christ  is  with  thee 
 in  the  temptation.  He  hath  sent  his  Spirit  into  thy  heart,  to 
 make  intercession  for  thee  there ;  and  he  himself  is  in  heaven, 
 making  intercession,  and  praying  for  thee  there ;  yea,  his  own 
 experience  of  temptations  hath  so  wrought  it  in  his  heart,  that 
 his  love  and  mercy  is  most  of  all  at  work  when  thou  art  tempted 
 most.  As  dear  parents  are  ever  tender  of  their  children,  but 
 then  especially  when  they  are  sick  and  weak :  so,  though  Christ 
 be  always  tender  of  his  people,  yet  then  especially  when  their 
 souls  are  sick,  and  under  temptation ;  then  his  bowels  yearn  over 
 them  indeed. 
 
 4.  Consider  Christ's  first  manifestations  by  his  several  wit- 
 nesses. We  have  heard  of  his  witnesses  from  heaven,  the  Father, 
 Son,  and  Holy  Ghost ;  and  of  his  witnesses  on  earth,  the  Bap- 
 tist, his  disciples,  and  the  v/orks  that  he  did  in  his  Father's  name ; 
 
LooMns^  unto  Jesus.  279 
 
 ^b 
 
 and  all  these  witnesses  being  lively  held  forth  in  the  preaching 
 of  the  gospel^  they  are  witnesses  to  us;  even  to  this  day  is 
 Christ  manifested  to  us ;  yea,  and  if  we  are  Christ's^  even  unto 
 this  day  is  Christ  manifested  within  us.  O  my  soul,  consider 
 this  above  all !  It  is  this  manifestation  within  that  concerns 
 thee  most; — because  ye  are  sons,  God  hath  sent  forth  the  Spirit 
 of  his  Son  into  your  hearts.  If  Christ  be  not  manifested  in  thy 
 heart  by  his  blessed  Spirit,  thou  art  no  son  of  God ;  and  there- 
 fore the  apostle  puts  thee  seriously  on  this  trial :  Examine  your- 
 selves, whether  ye  he  in  the  faith,  prove  yourselves  ;  know  ye 
 not  your  oivn  selves,  how  that  Jesus  Christ  is  in  you,  except  ye 
 be  reprobates  f  Is  Christ  manifested  in  thee  ?  Surely  this  is 
 more  than  Christ  manifested  to  thee.  The  bare  history  is  a 
 manifestation  of  Christ  unto  thee,  but  there  is  a  mystery  in  the 
 inward  manifestation.  The  apostle  speaking  of  the  saints,  adds. 
 To  whom  God  would  make  known  what  is  the  riches  of  the  glory 
 of  this  mystery  among  the  Gentiles,  ivhich  is  Christ  in  you,  the 
 hope  of  glory.  O  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  this  mysteiy !  God 
 might  have  shut  thee  up  in  blindness  with  the  world;  but  hath 
 he  revealed  Christ  in  thee  ?  Hath  he  let  thee  see  into  the  won  - 
 ders  of  his  glory  ?  Hath  he  given  thee  the  light  of  his  glory 
 within  ?     This  only  the  experimental  Christian  feels. 
 
 5.  Consider  the  preaching  of  Christ.  O  the  admirable  ser  • 
 mon&  of  this  great  prophet !  Read  and  peruse  those  he  hath 
 left  on  record.  How  spiritual  was  that  sermon  of  Christ !  Ex- 
 cept a  man  he  bom  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God, 
 It  may  be  thou  art  a  doctor,  a  master  of  Israel,  thou  art  a  learned 
 scholar,  thou  art  a  man  of  parts  and  abilities  in  other  things ;  it 
 may  be  thou  hast  read  so  long  in  the  Bible,  thou  hast  heard 
 so  many  and  so  many  sermons ;  but,  ah !  miserable  sovd,  it  may 
 be  ail  the  work  is  to  do  still  within.  Come,  say  this  sermon  of 
 Christ  to  thine  own  soul :  '  Unless  I  be  born  again,  I  cannot 
 enter  into  heaven.  Born  again !  O  Lord,  what  is  that  ?  Was 
 ever  such  a  thing  done  upon  me  ?  Was  I  ever  cast  into  the 
 pangs  of  a  new  birth  ?  and  continued  I  in  those  pangs  until 
 Christ  Jesus  was  formed  in  jne  ?  Are  all  things  done  away,  and 
 all  things  now  become  new  ?  Is  the  old  man,  the  old  lusts,  the 
 old  conversation,  quite  abandoned  and  left  ?  Are  my  principles 
 new?  my  aims  and  ends  new ?  my  life  and  conversation  new?' 
 Thus  might  I  paraphrase  on  all  the  sermons;  but  I  intend  bre- 
 vity. Only  consider,  O  my  soul,  as  if  this  sermon,  and  all  the 
 rest,  had  been  preached  to  thee ;  realize  Christ  standing  by  thee, 
 and  opening  his  mouth,  and  teaching  thee  thus  and  thus.  Surely 
 there  is  a  speaking  of  Christ  from  heaven :  See  that  ye  refuse  7iot 
 him  (saith  the  apostle)  that  speaketh  from  heaven.  And  besides, 
 he  hath  his  ministers  here  on  earth,  and  they  are  daily  preaching 
 over  these  sermons  of  Christ ;  they  preach  such  things  as  were 
 first    spoken    by   the    Lord  himself:     they  beseech  and  pray 
 
280  Looking  U7ito  *Jesus. 
 
 thee  in  Christ's  stead.  O  then,  meditate  on  these  things,  and 
 give  thyself  wholly  to  them,  that  thy  profiting  may  appear 
 to  all. 
 
 6.  Consider  the  miracles  of  Christ  in  pursuance  of  the  doc- 
 trine delivered  in  his  blessed  sermons.  Here  is  a  world  of  mat- 
 ter to  run  over;  such  miracles  as  never  man  did  before.  O  my 
 soul,  consider  of  these  miracles,  and  believe  that  doctrine  which 
 was  ratified  with  arguments  from  above.  How  shouldst  thou 
 but  assent  to  all  those  mysterious  truths  which  are  so  strongly 
 confirmed  by  an  almighty  hand. 
 
 7.  Consider  Christ's  ordination  of  his  apostles:  He  chose 
 twelve,  whom  he  named  apostles.  And  what  was  the  office  of 
 these  apostles,  but  to  go  and  teach  all  nations  ?  The  gospel 
 was  first  preached  in  Jewry,  but  afterwards  the  sound  of  it 
 came  unto  us.  O  the  goodness  of  God  in  Christ!  What! 
 that  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  should  be  preached  in 
 his  name,  beginning  at  Jerusalem,  and  afterwards  among  all 
 nations !  Of  what  near  concernment,  O  my  soul,  is  this  to  thee ! 
 What  art  thou  but  a  sinner  of  the  Gentiles  ?  Understand  that 
 term:  when  the  apostles  would  express  the  greatest  sinners 
 that  the  world  had,  he  calls  them  sinners  of  the  Gentiles.  Why  ? 
 The  Gentiles  knew  not  God,  the  Gentiles  were  unacquainted 
 with  Christ,  the  Gentiles  walked  in  nothing  but  sin.  O  then 
 what  a  love  is  this,  that  God  should  ever  have  thought  of  good- 
 will towards  thee  ?  How  shouldst  thou  be  ravished  in  this  one 
 meditation  1  What !  that  the  sun  of  his  gospel,  now  in  these 
 latter  times,  when  the  sun  is  set  in  Zion  where  it  first  arose,  should 
 make  a  noon  with  us,  and  shine  more  brightly  here,  for  ought  I 
 know,  or  can  yet  learn,  than  in  any  other  nation,  country,  king- 
 dom, throughout  all  the  world !  O  the  depth  of  the  riches,  both 
 of  the  wisdom  and  counsel  of  God !  How  unsearchable  are  his 
 judgments,  and  his  ways  past  finding  out! 
 
 8.  Consider  Christ's  reception  of  sinners.  He  sent  forth  his 
 apostles  to  call  them  in ;  and  if  they  would  but  come,  how  ready 
 was  he  to  receive  them !  This  was  Christ's  errand  from  heaven : 
 Ah,  poor  soul  1  why  shouldst  thou  despair  because  of  sin  ?  Look 
 on  Christ  as  spreading  out  his  arms  to  receive  thee.  Look  on 
 the  gracious  nature  that  is  in  Christ:  look  on  the  office  of 
 Christ ;  'tis  an  office  of  saving,  and  shewing  mercy,  that  Christ 
 hath  undertaken ;  'tis  an  office  to  receive  sinners  \  yea,  to  seek 
 and  to  save  that  which  was  lost ;  to  bring  home  straying  souls  to 
 God;  to  be  the  great  Peace-maker  between  God  and  man. 
 
 Certainly  the  devil  strangely  wrongeth  many  a  poor  troubled 
 soul,  that  he  can  bring  them  to  have  hard  thoughts  of  Jesus 
 Christ :  how  can  they  more  contradict  the  office  of  Christ  ?  How 
 can  they  more  contradict  the  gospel-description  of  Christ,  than 
 to  think  him  a  destroyer  of  his  creatures,  and  one  that  hath  more 
 mind  to  hurt  than  help  them  ?     Resolve,  O  my  sOul,  to  throw 
 
Looldng  unto  Jesus »  281 
 
 thyself  on  him  for  hfe  and  for  salvation :  why,  if  thou  wilt  but 
 come,  he  hath  promised  freely  to  make  thee  welcome :  all  the 
 day  long  he  stretcheth  out  his  arms,  and  would  fain  gather  thee 
 and  all  others  into  his  embraces., 
 
 9.  Consider  the  easiness  of  his  yoke,  and  the  lightness  of  his 
 burden.  Many  a  one  is  willing  to  take  Jesus  as  their  Saviour, 
 but  they  are  un\villing  to  take  him  on  his  own  terms ;  they  ima- 
 gine it  an  hard  task,  and  a  heavy  burden :  it  is  otherwise  with 
 Christians ;  for  his  commandments  are  not  grievous.  O  mj^  soul, 
 if  thou  canst  but  taste,  thou  wilt  find  a  world  of  sweetness  in 
 Christ's  ways :  there  is  sweetness  in  the  word,  Hoio  sweet  are 
 thy  words  to  my  taste,  yea,  sweeter  than  honey  to  my  7nouth! 
 There  is  sweetness  in  prayer;  hast  thou  not  known  the  time  that 
 thou  hast  tasted  the  joys  of  heaven  in  prayer?  There  is  sweet- 
 ness in  meditation :  now,  O,  my  soul,  thou  art  in  the  exercise  of 
 this  duty,  now  thou  art  in  the  meditation  of  the  easiness  of 
 Christ's  burden,  tell  me,  is  there  nothing  of  heaven  in  this 
 meditation  ?       O  if  men  did  but  know  what  ravishiny;  sweetness^ 
 
 'to 
 
 were  in  the  ways  of  God,  they  could  not  but  embrace  them,  and 
 esteem  one  day's  society  with  Jesus  Christ  better  than  all  tlie 
 gold  in  the  world ! 
 
 10.  Consider  the  holiness  of  Christ's  nature,  and  the  holiness 
 of  his  life. 
 
 (1.)  For  the  holiness  of  his  nature;  if  thou  couldst  but  clearly 
 see  it,  what  work  would  it  make  in  thy  breast  1  Christ's  inward 
 beauty  would  ravish  love  out  of  the  devils,  if  they  had  but  grace 
 to  see  his  beauty.  This  loveliness  of  Christ  ravishes  tlie  souls 
 of  the  glorified.  How  is  it,  O  my  soul,  that  thou  art  not  taken 
 with  this  meditation  ?     But, — 
 
 (2.)  Go  from  the  holiness  of  his  nature  to  the  holiness  of  his 
 life,  it  may  be  that  will  make  deep  impressions  on  thy  spirit. 
 Consider  his  charity,  his  self-denial,  his  contempt  of  the  world, 
 his  mercy,  his  bounty,  his  meekness,  his  pity,  his  humility,  his 
 obedience  to  his  Father.  A  fruitful  meditation  on  these  par- 
 ticulars cannot  but  make  thee  like  Ciu'ist.  O  the  vv'dnder  that 
 any  should  disclaim  the  active  obedience  of  Christ,  as  to  his  own 
 justification !  Away,  away  with  these  cavils,  and  consider  the 
 obedience  of  Christ  in  relation  to  thyself.  "  God  sent  forth  his 
 Son,  made  of  a  woman,  made  under  the  law,  to  redeem  them 
 that  were  under  the  law,  that  we  might  receive  the  adoption 
 of  sons."  That  is,  under  the  whole  law :  the  one  half  of  the  law, 
 which  is  the  directive  part,  he  was  made  under  that,  and  satisfied 
 it  by  the  innocency  of  his  life,  without  breaking  one  jot  or  tittle 
 of  the  law,  and  so  he  answers  that  part,  as  it  might  be  the  prin- 
 cipal; the  other  half  of  the  law,  which  is  the  penalty,  he  was 
 under  that  also,  and  satisfied  it  by  suffering  a  wrongful  death, 
 no  way  deserved  or  due  by  him,  and  so  he  answered  that  part,  as 
 it  might  be  the  forfeiture.  But  if  we  come  now  to  ask.  For 
 10.  •  2  N 
 
282  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 whom  is  all  this  ?  It  is  only  for  us,  that  we  might  be  redeemed 
 and  adopted ;  redeemed  from  all  evil,  and  adopted  or  interested 
 into  all  good.  If  this  be  so,  O  who  would,  for  a  world  of  gold, 
 lose  the  influence  and  the  benefit  of  Christ's  active  obedience ! 
 Consider  of  this,  O  my  soul,  until  thou  feelest  some  virtue  to 
 come  out  of  Christ's  life  into  thyself. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  Desiring  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  desire  Jesus,  carrying  on  the  work  of  salvation  in  his 
 life:  it  is  not  enough  to  know  and  consider,  but  we  must  desire; 
 our  meditation  of  Christ  should  draw  forth  our  affections  to 
 Christ ;  and  amongst  all  aftections  I  place  this  first  of  all,  a  de- 
 sire after  Christ. 
 
 But  what  is  it  in  Christ's  life  that  is  so  desirable  ?  I  answer, 
 eveiy  passage,  every  thing  of  Christ,  is  desirable.  Ail  that 
 concerns  Christ  in  any  kind  whatsoever  is  very  precious,  and 
 excellent,  and  necessary,  and  profitable,  and  comfortable,  and 
 therefore  desirable :  but  to  put  them  in  order, — 
 
 1.  The  meanest  things  of  Christ  are  desirable  things.  The 
 very  filings  of  the  gold,  the  dust  of  precious  stones,  are  of  real 
 value.  Hence  we  read,^  that  one  poor  woman  sought  no  more 
 but  to  wash  Christ's  feet,  and  to  kiss  them :  another  breathes  out 
 these  desires ;  If  I  may  but  touch  the  hem  of  his  garment,  I 
 shall  be  whole.  John  the  Baptist  thinks  it  an  honour  to  unloose 
 the  latchets  of  his  shoes ;  David,  to  be  a  doorkeeper  of  the  house 
 of  God.  Yea,  he  puts  a  happiness  on  the  sparrow  and  the 
 swallow,  that  may  build  their  nests  beside  the  Lord's  altar. 
 
 2.  The  more  considerable  actions  of  Christ  are  especially 
 desirable.  O  my  soul,  run  through  his  life,  and  consider  some 
 of  his  more  eminent  actions.  (1.)  To  his  friends,  he  was  sweet 
 and  indulgent :  where  there  was  any  beginning  of  grace,  he  did 
 encourage  it;  so  was  the  prophecy,  A  bruised  reed  shall  he  not 
 break,  atid  smoaking  flax  shall  he  not  quench.  And  so  the 
 people  that  fainted,  that  were  scattered  abroad  as  sheep  having 
 no  shepherd;  he  was  moved  with  compassion  on  them;  he 
 was  bowelled  in  heart,  his  very  bowels  were  moved  within  him. 
 (2.)  To  his  enemies  he  was  kind  and  merciful :  many  a  time  he 
 discovers  himself  most  of  all  unto  sinners ;  he  was  never  more 
 familiar  with  any  at  first  acquaintance,  than  with  the  woman  of 
 Samaria,  that  was  an  adulteress:  and  Mary,  that  had  been  a 
 sinner,  how  sweetly  did  he  appear  to  her  at  the  very  first  view  1 
 How  ready  was  he  to  receive  sinners  !  How  ready  to  pardon 
 sinners!  How  gracious  to  sinners  after  pardon  1  See  it  in 
 Peter :  he  never  upbraided  hiui ;  only  he  looks  upon  him,  and 
 afterwards,  Love^st  thou  me?  Often  he  was  wronged  by  men; 
 but  what  then  ?  Did  he  call  for  fire  down  from  heaven  ?  indeed, 
 bis  disciples  would  fain  have  had  it  so  -,   but  he  sweetly  replies. 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  283 
 
 You  know  not  what  spirits  you  are  of;  the  Son  of  man  is  not 
 come  to  destroy  men's  live^,  but  to  save  them.  Sometimes  we 
 find  him  shedding  tears  for  those  very  persons  that  shed  his 
 blood :  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem, — if  thou  hadst  known,  even 
 thou,  at  least  in  this  thy  day,  the  things  belonging  to  thy  peace. 
 Well  might  they  sing  in  that  day  in  the  land  of  Judah^ — In  the 
 way  of  thy  judgments,  O  Lord,  have  lue  waited  for  thee;  the 
 desire  of  our  soul  is  to  thy  name,  and  to  the  remembrance  of 
 thee. 
 
 3.  The  ever-blessed  and  holy  person  of  Christ  is  desirable 
 above  all.  My  beloved  is  the  chief  est  of  ten  thousand;  yea, 
 he  is  altogether  lovely,  or  desirable^  so  Vatablus  renders  it, 
 "  Christus  est  totus  desideria,"  Christ  is  all  desires.  If  the 
 actions  of  Christ  be  desirable,  what  must  himself  be  ?  he  is  the 
 express  image  of  the  person  of  his  Father;  as  the  print  of  the 
 seal  on  the  wax  is  the  express  image  of  the  seal  itself,  so  is 
 Christ  the  highest  representation  of  God.  And  hence  it  is  that 
 Christ  is  called  the  Standard-bearer  of  ten  thousands :  all  ex- 
 cellencies are  gathered  in  Christ,  as  beams  in  the  sun.  Come, 
 poor  soul !  thy  eyes  run  to  and  fro  in  the  world  to  find  comfort 
 and  happiness ;  cast  thy  eyes  back,  and  see  heaven  and  earth  in 
 one ;  look  if  thou  wilt,  at  what  thy  vast  thoughts  can  fancy,  not 
 only  in  this  world,  but  in  the  world  to  come ;  see  that,  and  infi- 
 nitely more,  shining  forth  from  the  pefson  of  Jesus  Christ :  no 
 wonder  if  the  saints  adore  him,  no  wonder  if  the  angels  stand 
 amazed  at  him,  no  wonder  if  all  creatures  vail  all  their  glory 
 to  him. 
 
 O,  what  are  things  in  the  world  to  Jesus  Christ !  Paul  com- 
 pares them  together,  with  this  one  thing :  And  I  account  all 
 things  but  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ. 
 And  I  account  all  things  :  surely  all  things  is  the  greatest  ac- 
 count that  can  be  cast  up;  for  it  includeth  all  prices,  all  sums; 
 it  takes  in  earth  and  heaven,  and  all  therein;  what  are  they  in 
 comparison  of  Christ,  but  as  feathers,  dung,  shadows,  nothing  ? 
 If  there  be  any  thing  worthy  a  v,  ish,  it  is  eminently,  transcend- 
 ently  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ:  there  is  no  honour,  no  felicity, 
 like  that  which  Christ  hath ;  some  are  sons,  Christ  is  an  only 
 Son ;  some  are  kings,  but  Christ  is  King  of  kings ;  some  are 
 honourable,  none  above  angels ;  Christ  is  above  angels  and  arch- 
 angels :  To  which  of  the  anqels  said  he  at  any  time,  2Viou  art  my 
 son,  this  day  have  I  begotten  thee  ?  Some  are  wealthy,  Christ 
 hath  all  the  sheep  on  a  thousand  hills  ;  the  very  uttermost  parts 
 of  the  earth  are  his  :  some  are  beautiful,  Christ  is  the  fairest  of 
 all  the  children  of  men !  he  is  spiritually  fair,  he  is  all  glorious 
 within.  If  the  beauty  of  the  angels  (which  I  beheve  are  the 
 beautifullest  creatures  the  world  has)  should  be  compared  with 
 the  beauty  of  Christ,  they  would  be  but  as  lumps  of  darkness :  the 
 brightest  cherub  is  forced  to  screen  his  face  from  the  dazzling 
 
284  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 bri'^htness  of  Christ.  Alas!  the  cherubim  and  seraphim  are 
 but  as  stars  in  the  canopy  of  heaven;  but  Christ  is  the 
 Sun  of  righteousness,  that  at  once  illuminates  and  drowns 
 them  all. 
 
 Come  then,  breathe,  G  my  soul,  after  the  enjoyment  of  this 
 Christ ;  ^  O  that  this  Christ  was  mine  !  O  that  the  actions  of 
 Christ  and  the  person  of  Christ,  were  mine  !  O  that  all  he  said, 
 and  all  he  did,  and  all  he  were,  were  mine !  O  that  1  had  the 
 silver  v/ings  of  a  dove,  that  in  all  my  wants  I  might  fly  into  the 
 bosom  of  Christ;  If  I  must  not  sit  at  table,  O  that  I  might  but 
 gather  up  the  crumbs !  Surely  there  is  bread  enough  in  my 
 Father's  house ;  Christ  is  the  bread  of  life ;  Christ  is  enough  for 
 all  the  saints  in  heaven  and  earth  to  feed  on ;  and  what,  must  I 
 pine  away,  and  perish  with  hunger  ?  Thousands  of  histructions 
 dropped  from  him  while  he  was  on  earth ;  O  that  some  of  that 
 food  might  be  my  nourishment !  O  that  my  ways  were  directed 
 according  to  his  statutes  !  Many  a  stream,  and  wave,  and  line, 
 and  precept,  flowed  from  this  fountain,  Christ;  O  that  I  might 
 drink  freely  of  this  water  of  life  !  He  hath  proclaimed  it  in  my 
 ears:  If  ciiu/  man  thirsty  let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink.  O 
 that  I  might  come  and  find  welcome !  Sure  I  thirst,  I  feel  in 
 me  such  a  burning  drought,  that  either  I  must  drink  or  die; 
 either  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  the  holiness  of  Christ,  the 
 holiness  of  his  nature,  and  the  holiness  of  his  life,  must  be  im- 
 puted unto  me,  or  farewell  happiness  in  another  world.  Coniv", 
 Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly ;  I  long  to  see  the  beauty  of  thy  face  1 
 Such  is  thy  beauty,  that  it  steals  away  my  heart  after  thee,  and 
 I  cannot  be  satisfied  until,  with  Absalom,  I  see  the  King's  face. 
 Come,  Christ !  or  if  thou  wilt  not  come,  /  charge  yon^  O 
 daughters  of  Jerusalem,  if  ye  Jiyid  my  beloved,  that  ye  tell  him 
 I  am  sick  of  love.' 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  Hojmig  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  hope  in  Jesus,  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  salva- 
 tion in  his  life.  By  this  hope,  I  mean  an  hope  well  grounded. 
 The  main  question  is,  whether  Christ's  life  be  mine  ?  whether 
 all  those  passages  of  his  life  laid  open,  belong  unto  me  ?  whe- 
 ther the  habitual  righteousness,  and  actual  holiness,  of  Christ  be 
 imputed  to  my  justification  ?  and  what  are  the  grounds  and 
 foundations  on  which  my  hope  is  built  ?  The  apostle  tells  us, 
 that  God  gives  good  hopes  through  grace ;  if  hope  be  right  and 
 good,  it  will  manifest  itself  by  operation  of  saving  grace;  O 
 look  into  thy  soul !  what  gracious  effects  of  the  life  of  Christ 
 are  there?  Certainly  his  life  is  not  without  some  influence 
 on  our  spirits,  if  we  be  his  members,  and  he  be  our  head.  O 
 the  glorious  effects  flowing  out  of  Christ's  life,  into  a  believer's 
 soul ! 
 
Lookmiy  unto  Jesus.  285 
 
 '<b 
 
 1.  If  Christ's  life  be  mine,  then  am  I  freed  from  the  law  of 
 sin;  this  was  the  apostle's  evidence : — for  the  law  of  the  spirit  of 
 life  in  Christ  Jesus,  hath  made  me  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and 
 death.  Christ's  life  is  called  the  spirit  of  life,  because  of  its 
 perfection ;  and  this  spirit  of  life  hath  such  a  power  in  it,  here 
 termed  a  law,  that  it  works  out,  in  believers,  a  freedom  from  the 
 law  or  power  of  sin.  Look  to  this  !  Doth  the  power  of  Christ's 
 life  throw  out  of  thy  heart  and  life  the  power  of  sin  ?  Here  is 
 one  ground  of  hope. 
 
 2.  If  Christ's  life  be  mine,  then  I  live,  yet  not  I,  but  Christ 
 liveth  in  me.  Paul  speaks  out  this  evidence;  I  am  crucified 
 with  Christ,  ?ievertheless  I  live,  Sfc.  He  conjoins  the  death  of 
 Christ,  and  the  life  of  Christ,  in  one  and  the  same  soul :  as  if  he 
 had  said,  No  man  krft)ws  the  benefit  of  Christ's  death,  but  he 
 that  feels  the  virtue  of  Christ's  life;  there  is  no  assurance  of 
 Christ's  dying  for  us,  but  as  we  feel  Christ  living  in  us ;  if  the 
 power  of  Christ's  death  mortify  my  lusts,  then  the  virtue  of 
 Christ's  life  will  quicken  my  soul :  /  live,  yet  not  I,  hut  Christ 
 liveth  in  me:  I  live  to  God,  and  not  unto  myself;  I  live  to 
 Christ,  and  ix>t  unto  the  world ;  I  live  according  to  the  will  of 
 God,  and  not  after  my  own  lust  and  fancy.  O  my  soul !  question 
 thyself  in  these  few  particulars  ;  dost  thou  live  to  God,  and  not 
 thyself  ?  Dost  thou  live  to  Christ,  and  not  to  the  world  ?  Dost 
 thou  derive  thy  life  from  Christ  ?  And  hath  that  life  of  Christ 
 a  special  influence  in  thy  soul?  Dost  thou  feel  Christ  living 
 in  thy  understanding  and  will,  in  thy  imagination  and  affections, 
 in  thy  duties  and  services  ?  1 .  In  thy  understanding,  by  prizing 
 the  knowledge  of  Christ,  by  determining  to  know  nothing  in 
 comparison  of  Christ.  2.  In  thy  will,  by  making  thy  will  free 
 to  choose  and  embrace  Christ;  and  by  making  his  will  to  rule  in 
 thy  will.  3.  In  thy  imagination,  by  thinking  upon  him  with  more 
 frequency  and  delight ;  by  having  more  high,  and  honourable, 
 and  sweet  apprehensions  of  Christ  than  of  all  the  creatures. 
 4.  In  thy  affections,  by  fearing  Christ  above  all  earthly  powers, 
 and  by  loving  Christ  above  all  earthly  persons.  5.  In  thy  duty 
 and  services,  by  doing  all  thou  doest  in  his  name,  by  his  assist- 
 ance, and  for  his  glory.  Why  then,  here  is  another  ground  of 
 thy  hope  ;  surely  thou  hast  thy  part  in  Christ's  life. 
 
 Away,  away  with  all  doubts  and  perplexing  fears !  If  thou 
 findest  the  power  of  sin  dying  in  thee ;  if  thou  livest,  and  livest 
 not,  but  in  truth  it  is  Christ  that  lives  in  thee ;  then  thou  may- 
 est  assure  thyself  that  Christ's  habitual  righteousness,  and  actual 
 holiness,  is  imputed  to  thy  justification  ;  thou  mayest  confidently 
 resolve  that  every  passage  of  Christ's  Hfe  belongs  to  thee.  Would 
 Christ  have  ever  lived  in  thee,  have  been  the  soul  of  thy  soul, 
 the  all  of  thy  understanding  and  will,  imaginations  and  affections, 
 duties  and  services,  if  he  had  not  purposed  to  have  saved  thee 
 by  his  life  ?     Surely  it  is  good  that  I  both  hope,  and  quietly  wait 
 
286  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 fpr  the  salvation  of  God.     I  cannot  hope  in  vain^  if  these  be  the 
 grounds  of  my  hope. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Of  Believing  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  believe  in  Jesus  cariying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  in  his  life.  Many  souls  stand  aloof,  not  daring  to  make 
 a  particular  application  of  Christ  and  his  life  to  themselves ;  but, 
 herein  is  the  property  of  faith,  it  brings  all  home,  and  makes  use 
 of  whatsoever  Christ  is,  or  does,  for  himself. 
 
 1.  In  order  to  this,  faith  must  directly  go  to  Christ.  Many 
 poor  souls,  humbled  for  sin,  run  immediately  to  the  promise  of 
 pardon,  and  rest  on  it,  not  seeking  for,  or  closing  with  Christ  in 
 the  promise ;  this  is  a  common  error,  but  we  should  observe,  that 
 the  first  promise  that  was  given,  was  not  a  bare  word,  simply 
 promising  pardon,  peace,  or  any  other  benefit;  but,  it  was  a  pro- 
 mise of  Christ's  person,  as  overcoming  Satan,  and  purchasing 
 those  benefits :  JVie  seed  of  the  womun  shall  bruise  the  serpeiifs 
 head.  So,  when  the  promise  was  renewed  to  Abraham,  it  was 
 not  a  bare  promise  of  blessedness  and  forgiveness,  but  of  that 
 seed,  that  is,  Christ,  (Gal.  iii.  6.)  in  whom  that  blessedness  was 
 conveyed :  Iri  thee  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  he  blessed. 
 So  that  Abraham's  faith  first  closed  with  Christ  in  the  promise, 
 and  therefore  he  is  said  to  see  Christ's  day,  and  rejoice.  Christ, 
 in  the  first  place,  is  every  where  made  the  thing  which  faith  em- 
 braced to  salvation,  and  whom  it  looks  unto  and  respects,  as  it 
 makes  us  righteous  in  the  sight  of  God.  God  so  loved  the  world, 
 that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  helieveth  in 
 him,  should  not  pe7'ish,  but  have  everlasting  life.  And  hence  it 
 is  called  the  faith  of  Christ,  Gal.  ii.  16.  Phil.  iii.  9.  Because 
 Christ  is  it  whom  faith  apprehends  immediately;  and,  as  for  the 
 other  promises,  they  depend  all  on  this, — Whosoever  helieveth  on 
 him,  shall  receive  remission  of  sins;  and,  he  that  helieveth  on  the 
 Son  of  God  shall  have  life  everlasting.  O  remember  this,  in  the 
 first  place,  faith  must  go  unto  Christ;  and  yet  I  mean  not  to 
 Christ,  as  nakedly  considered,  but  to  Christ  as  compassed  with 
 all  his  promises,  privileges,  benefits. 
 
 2.  Faith  must  go  to  Christ,  as  God  in  the  flesh.  But  now 
 under  the  New  Testament,  our  faith  more  usually  and  immedi- 
 ately addresseth  itself  unto  Christ,  as  God  dwelUng  in  our 
 nature,  than  to  the  Father,  who  is  merely  God.  God  in  the 
 flesh  is  more  distinctly  set  forth  in  the  New  Testament,  and  so  he 
 is  more  distinctly  to  be  apprehended  by  the  faith  of  all  believers. 
 Remember  this;  let  our  faith,  m  the  more  direct  and  imme- 
 diate exercise  of  it,  be  pitched  upon  Christ,  as  God  in  the 
 flesh. 
 
 3.  Faith  must  go  to  Christ,  as  God  in  the  flesh,  made  under 
 the  law.     And  hence  it  is,  that  the  apostle  joins  these  together ; 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  287 
 
 God  sent  his  Son,  made  of  a  woman,  made  under  the  law :  if 
 Christ  had  been  out  of  the  compass  of  the  law,  his  being  incar- 
 nate, and  made  of  a  woman,  had  done  us  no  good.  Suppose 
 one  in  debt,  and  danger  of  the  law,  to  have  a  brother  of  the 
 same  ilesh  and  blood,  of  the  same  father  and  mother;  what  will 
 this  avail,  if  that  same  brother  will  not  come  under  the  law,  that 
 is,  become  his  surety,  and  undertake  for  him  ?  This  is  our  case, 
 — we  are  debtors  to  God,  and  there  is  an  hand-writing  agamst 
 us.  Here  is  a  bond  of  the  law,  which  we  have  forfeited;  now, 
 what  will  Christ  avail,  if  he  had  not  come  under  the  law,  if  he 
 had  not  been  our  surety,  and  undertook  for  us?  Our  faith, 
 therefore,  must  go  to  Christ,  as  made  under  the  law,  not  only 
 taking  our  nature  upon  him,  but  our  debt  also ;  our  nature  as 
 men,  and  our  debt  as  sinful  men :  "  he  hath  made  himself  sin  for 
 us,  who  knew  no  sin ;''  that  is,  he  made  him  to  be  handled  as  a 
 sinner  for  us  under  the  law,  though  he  knew  no  sin  on  his  part, 
 but  continued  in  all  things  \mtten  in  the  book  of  the  law,  to  do 
 them.  He  both  satisfied  the  curse,  and  fulfilled  the  command- 
 ments !  O  remember  this  :  as  Christy,  and  as  Christ  in  the  flesh, 
 so  Christ  in  the  flesh  made  under  the  law,  is  principally  to  be  in 
 the  eye  of  our  faith.  If  we  put  all  together,  our  first  view  of 
 faith  is  to  look  on  Christ,  God  in  the  flesh,  made  under  the 
 law. 
 
 4.  Faith  going  to  Christ  as  God  in  the  flesh,  and  as^  made 
 under  the  law,  is  principally  to  look  to  the  end  of  Christ,  as 
 being  God  in  the  flesh,  and  as  fulfilling  the  law. 
 
 The  apostle  tells  us  of  a  remote,  and  of  a  more  immediate  end. 
 
 (1 .)  Of  a  remote  end.  "  God  sent  forth  his  Son,  made  of  a  wo- 
 man, made  under  the  law,  to  redeem  them  that  were  under  the 
 law,  that  we  might  receive  the  adoption  of  sons.''  This  was  the 
 remote  end  of  Christ.  Alas !  we  were  strangers  from  the  adop- 
 tion, and  lay  under  the  law,  as  men  whom  sentence  had  passed 
 on.  Now,  from  this  latter  we  are  redeemed ;  he  was  under  the 
 law,  that  we  might  be  redeemed  from  vmder  the  law;  nor  is  that 
 all,  but  as  we  are  redeemed,  so  are  we  adopted  the  children  of 
 God :  and,  this  end  I  rather  attribute  to  the  life  of  Christ,  that 
 we  might  receive  the  adoption;  that  is,  from  the  estate  of 
 prisoners  Condemned,  that  we  might  be  translated  into  the  estate 
 of  children  adopted.  O  the  mercy  of  God !  who  ever  heard  of 
 a  condemned  man  to  be  afterwards  adopted  ?  Would  not  a  con- 
 demned prisoner  think  himself  happy  to  escape  with  life  ?  But 
 the  zeal  of  the  Lord  of  hosts  hath  performed  this;  we  are  in 
 Christ  both  pardoned  and  adopted;  and,  by  this  means,  God's 
 heavenly  inheritance  is  estated  upon  us.  O  let  our  faith  look 
 mainly  to  this  design  of  Christ !  He  was  made  under  the  law, 
 yea,  and  under  the  directive  part  of  the  law,  by  his  life ;  he  ful- 
 filled every  tittle  of  the  law  by  his  obedience,  that  we  might  be 
 entitled  to  glory. 
 
288  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 (2.)  For  the  more  immediate  end  of  Christ :  the  apostle  tells 
 us  Christ  was  made  mider  the  law,  or  fulfilled  all  righteousness, 
 that  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  us.  O  my  soul,  look  to  this  I 
 Herein  lies  the  pith  and  the  marrow  of  thy  justification.  Of 
 thyself  thou  canst  do  nothing  good ;  but  Christ  fulfilleth  the  law 
 in  thy  stead;  and  if  now  thou  wilt  but  exercise  thy  faith,  thou 
 mayest  feel  the  virtue  and  efficacy  of  Christ's  righteousness 
 flowing  into  thy  own  soul.  But  here  is  the  question,  How  should 
 I  manage  my  faith^  to  feel  Christ's  righteousness  my  rigliteous- 
 ness?  I  answer,  i.  Thy  way  is  to  discern  this  righteousness  of 
 Christ,  this  holy  and  perfect  life  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  in  the  whole, 
 and  in  all  the  parts  of  it,  as  it  is  laid  down  in  the  written  word. 
 2.  Thy  way  is  to  believe  and  to  receive  this  as  sacred  and  un- 
 questionable in  reference  to  thy  own  soul.  3.  Thy  vvay  is  to 
 apply  and  improve  this  discovery  according  to  those  ends,  to 
 which  thou  beUevest  they  were  designed.  Yea,  but  there  lies 
 the  question,  how  may  that  be  done  ?     I  answer, — 
 
 [1.]  Setting  before  thee  that  discovery,  (that  perfect  life  of 
 Christ,)  first  endeavour  to  be  deeply  humbled  for  thy  great  incon- 
 formity  thereto  in  whole  and  in  part. 
 
 [2.]  Still  keeping  thy  spirit  intent  on  the  pattern,  quicken, 
 provoke,  and  increase  thy  sluggish  soul,  with  renewed,  redoubled 
 vigilancy  and  industry,  to  come  up  higher  towards  it,  and  (if  it 
 were  possible)  completely  to  it. 
 
 [3.]  Yet  having  the  same  copy  before  thee,  exercise  faith 
 thereupon,  as  that  which  was  performed,  and  is  accepted  on  thy 
 behalf.  And  so  go  to  God,  and  offer  Christ's  holy  life  and  active 
 obedience  unto  him.  And  that,  first  to  fill  up  the  defects  of 
 thy  utmost  endeavour.  Secondly,  to  put  a  value  and  worth 
 upon  what  thou  doest,  and  attainest  to.  Thirdly,  to  make 
 Christ's  righteousness  thy  own,  that  thou  mayest  say  with  the 
 psalmist,  in  way  of  assurance :   O  God  my  righteousness. 
 
 Sect.  VI. — Of  Loving  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  love  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  sal- 
 vation, during  his  life.  O  what  a  lovely  object  is  the  life  of 
 Christ  ?  Who  can  read  over  his  life,  who  can  think  over  his 
 worthiness^  both  in  his  person,  relations,  actions,  and  several 
 administrations,  and  not  love  him  with  a  singular  love  ? 
 
 O  my  soul,  much  has  been  said  to  persuade  thee  to  faith; 
 and  if  now  thou  believest  thy  part  in  those  several  actings  of 
 Christ,  let  thy  faith  take  thee  by  the  hand,  and  lead  thee  from 
 one  step  to  another ;  from  his  b^iptism  to  his  temptations ;  from 
 his  temptations  to  his  manifestations;  and  so  on.  Is  not  here 
 fuel  enough  for  love  ?  Canst  thou  read  the  history  of  love,  (for 
 such  is  the  history  of  Christ's  life),  and  not  be  all  on  a  flame  ? 
 
Looking  unto  ^Tesus.  289 
 
 Come,  read  again !  There  is  nothing  in  Christ  but  what  is  lovely, 
 winning,  and  drawing. 
 
 1.  When  he  saw  thee  full  of  filth,  he  goes  down  into  the 
 waters  of  baptism,  that  he  might  prepare  a  way  for  the  cleansing 
 of  thy  polluted  soul. 
 
 2.  When  he  saw  the  devil  ready  to  swallow  thee  up,  he  him- 
 self enters  in  the  list,  and  overcomes  him,  that  thou  mightest 
 overcome,  and  triumph  with  Christ  in  his  glory. 
 
 3.  When  he  saw  thee  in  danger  of  death  through  thy  unbelief, 
 he  condescends  so  far  to  succour  thy  weakness,  as  to  manifest 
 himself  by  several  witnesses.  Tliree  in  heaven,  and  three  on 
 earth;  yea,  he  multiplies  his  three  on  earth  to  thousands  of 
 thousands :  so  many  were  the  signs  witnessing  Christ,  that  the 
 disciples  which  testified  of  them,  could  say.  If  they  should  be 
 written  every  one)  the  world  could  not  contain  the  books  that 
 should  be  written. 
 
 4.  When  he  saw  thee  like  the  horse  and  mule,  not  having 
 understanding,  he  came  with  his  instructions,  adding  line  unto 
 line,  and  precept  on  precept,  teaching  and  preaching  the  gos- 
 pel of  the  kingdom;  and  sealing  his  truths  with  many  miracles, 
 that  thou  mayest  believe,  and  in  believing  mightest  have  life 
 through  his  name. 
 
 5.  When  he  saw  thee  a  sinner  of  the  Gentiles,  stranger  from 
 the  commonwealth  of  Israel,  and  without  God  in  the  v/orld,  he 
 sent  his  apostles  and  messengers  abroad,  and  bade  them  preach 
 the  gospel  to  thee :  '  Go  to  such  a  one  in  the  dark  corner  of  the 
 world,  an  isle  at  such  a  distance,  and  set  up  my  throne  amongst 
 that  people,  open  the  most  precious  cabinet  of  my  love  there ; 
 and  amongst  that  people,  tell  such  a  soul  that  Jesus  Christ  came 
 into  the  world  to  save  sinners,  of  whom  he  is  one. 
 
 6.  When  he  saw  thee  cast  down,  and  refusing  thy  own  mercy, 
 crying  and  saying,  ^  What !  is  it  possible  that  Jesus  Christ  should 
 send  a  message  to  such  a  dead  dog  as  I  am  ?'  He  then  appeared, 
 and  even  then  spread  his  arms  vride  to  receive  thy  soul:  he 
 cried,  '  Come  unto  me,  thou  that  art  wxary  and  heavy  laden 
 with  sin,  and  1  will  give  thee  rest.' 
 
 7.  When  he  saw  thee  in  suspense,  and  heard  thy  complaint, 
 ^  Oh  it  is  a  hard  passage,  and  a  high  ascent  up  to  heaven ! — 
 Oh,  what  shall  become  of  my  poor  soul  T  He  told  thee  that 
 all  his  ways  were  ways  of  pleasantness,  and  all  his  paths  peace ; 
 — that  thou  shouldst  find  by  experience  his  yoke  was  easy,  and 
 his  burden  light. 
 
 8.  When  he  savr  the  wretchedness  of  thy  nature,  and  original 
 pollution,  he  took  upon  him  thy  nature,  and  by  this  means  took 
 away  thy  original  sin.  Here  is  the  lovely  object!  What  is  it 
 but  the  absolute  holiness  of  the  nature  of  Christ  ?  This  is  the 
 fairest  beauty  that  ever  eye  beheld :  this  is  that  compendium  of 
 all  £(lories.      Now  if  love  be  a  motion  and  union  of  the  appetite 
 
 ^  11.  2o 
 
290  Looking  unto  Jeaus, 
 
 to  what  is  lovely,  how  shouldst  thou  flame  forth  in  love  upon  the 
 Lord  Jesus  Christ ! — See,  O  my  soul,  here  is  the  sum  of  all  the 
 particulars  thou  hast  heard, — Christ  loves  thee,  and  Christ  is 
 lovely ;  his  heart  is  set  upon  thee,  who  is  a  thousand  times  fairer 
 than  ail  the  children  of  men.  Doth  not  this  double  consideration, 
 like  a  mighty  loadstone,  snatch  thy  heart  unto  it !  ^  It  pleased 
 thee,  my  Lord,  to  say  to  thy  poor  church.  Turn  away  thine  eyes 
 from  me,  for  they  have  overcome  me : — But  O  let  me  say  to  thee, 
 Turn  thine  eyes  to  me,  that  they  may  overcome  me :  my  Lord, 
 I  would  be  thus  ravished,  I  would  be  overcome;  I  would  be  thus 
 out  of  myself,  that  I  might  be  all  in  thee. — How  chill  and  cold 
 art  thou  in  thy  converses  with  Jesus  Christ !  Surely,  had  Christ's 
 love  been  like  this  faint  and  feeble  love  of  mine,  I  had  been  a 
 damned  wretch  without  all  hope.  O  Christ,  I  am  ashamed  that 
 1  love  thee  so  little;  I  perceive  that  loves  are  great,  by  all  those 
 actings  in  thy  life :  come,  blow  upon  my  garden,  persuade  me 
 by  the  Spirit,  that  I  may  love  thee ;  many  sins  are  forgiven  me, 
 O  that  I  may  love  thee  much !' 
 
 Sect.  VIL — Of  Joying  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  joy  in  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  during  his  life, 
 
 1 .  In  order  to  this,  let  us  contemplate  this  life  of  Christ,  let 
 us  spend  our  frequent  thoughts  upon  this  blessed  object;  the 
 reason  we  miss  of  our  joys,  is,  because  we  are  so  little  in  con- 
 templations of  our  Christ.  It  is  said,  '  that  he  pities  us  in  our 
 sorrows;  but  he  delights  in  us,  when  we  delight  in  him.'  Cer- 
 tainly he  would  have  us  to  delight  in  him;  and  to  that  purpose  he 
 way-lays  our  thoughts,  that  wheresoever  w^e  look,  we  shall  still 
 think  on  him :  O  my  soul,  cast  thine  eyes  which  way  thou  wilt, 
 and  thou  shalt  hardly  look  on  any  thing,  but  Christ  Jesus  hath 
 taken  the  name  of  that  very  thing  upon  himself.  What !  is  it 
 day,  and  dost  thou  behold  the  sun  ? — he  is  called  the  Sun  of 
 righteousness.  Or  is  it  night,  and  dost  thou  behold  the  stars  ? 
 — he  is  called  a  star;  there  shall  come  a  Star  out  of  Jacob.  Or 
 is  it  morning,  and  dost  thou  behold  the  morning  star? — he  is 
 called,  the  bright  morning  Star.  Or  is  it  noon,  and  dost  thou 
 behold  clear  light  all  the  world  over? — he  is  that  light  that 
 lighteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world.  Come  a  little 
 nearer :  If  thou  lookest  on  the  earth,  and  takest  a  view  of  the 
 creatures  about  thee ;  seest  thou  the  sheep  ? — as  a  sheep  before 
 her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  he  openeth  not  his  mouth.  Or,  seest 
 thou  a  lamb  ? — behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  ivhich  taketh  away  the 
 sins  of  the  world.  Seest  thou  a  shepherd  watching  over  his 
 flock : — /  am  the  good  Shepherd,  and  know  my  sheep,  and  am 
 known  of  mine.  Or  seest  thou  a  fountain,  rivers,  waters  ? — he  is 
 called  a  fountain :  Jn  that  day  there  shall  be  a  Fountain  opened 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  291 
 
 t<M  the  house  of  David.  Or  seest  thou  a  tree,  good  for  food,  or 
 pleasant  to  the  eye? — he  is  called  the  Tree  of  life:  and,  as  the 
 apple-tree  among  the  trees  of  the  wood,  so  is  my  beloved  aynong 
 the  S071S.  Seest  thou  a  rose,  a  lily,  any  fair  flower  in  a  garden  ? 
 — he  is  called  a  Rose,  a  Lily:  lam  the  Rose  of  Sharon,  and  the 
 Lily  of  the  valleys.  To  come  a  little  nearer  yet;  art  thou 
 adorning  thyself,  and  takest  a  view  of  thy  garments  ? — he  is  a 
 garment :  put  ye  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Art  thou  eating 
 meat,  and  takest  a  view  of  what  is  on  thy  table  ? — he  is  the  Bread 
 of  God,  true  Bread  from  heaven,  the  Bread  of  life.  Thus  Christ 
 way-lays  our  thoughts,  that  wheresoever  we  look,  we  should 
 ever  think  of  Christ.  Now,  I  cannot  think  of  Christ,  or  the  life 
 of  Christ,  of  Christ  preaching,  or  of  Christ  preached,  but  I  must 
 rejoice  in  Christ;  as  sometimes  the  apostle  said,  Christ  is 
 preached,  I  therein  rejoice,  yea,  and  will  rejoice. 
 
 2.  Let  us  upon  good  grounds  hope  our  share  in  the  life  of 
 Christ.  Hope  and  joy  go  together:  if  1  have  but  assured  hope 
 that  Christ's  life  is  mine,  I  cannot  but  rejoice  therein.  Look  to 
 this,  O  my  soul :  peruse  again  and  again  thy  grounds  of  hope : 
 do  not  slightly  run  them  over;  thou  canst  not  be  too  sure  of 
 Christ.  When  Zaccheus  in  the  sycamore  tree  heard  but  Christ's 
 voice,  Zaccheus,  make  haste,  and  come  down,  for  to-day  I  must 
 abide  in  thy  house;  O  what  haste  made  Zaccheus  to  receive 
 Christ !  He  came  down  hastily,  and  received  him  joyfully. 
 This  offer  of  Christ  to  Zaccheus  is  thine  as  well  as  his,  if  thy 
 hope  be  right : — Come  down,  poor  soul,  saith  Christ,  This  day 
 7nust  I  abide  in  thy  house.  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  rejoiceth  greatly  because  of 
 the  bridegroom's  voice.  How  much  more  may  the  bride  herself 
 rejoice ! 
 
 3.  Let  us  come  up  to  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:  (1.) 
 A  propriety  unto  Christ ;  for,  as  a  sick  man  doth  not  feel  the 
 joy  of  a  sound  man's  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  ?  (2.)  A  possession  of  Christ. 
 This  exceedingly  enlargeth  our  joy.  O  how  sweet  was  Christ 
 to  the  spouse,  when  she  could  say,  /  am  my  beloved's,  and  my 
 Beloved  is  mine.  Many  are  taken  up  with  the  joy  and  comfort 
 of  outward  possessions,  but  Christ  is  better  than  all :  in  one 
 Christ,  is  comprised  every  scattered  comfort  here  below.  Christ 
 mine,  (saith  the  soul)  and  all  mine.  O  the  usefulness  of  Christ 
 to  all  believing  souls  ?  The  scriptures  are  fidl  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  hus- 
 
292  Lookins;  unto  Jesus. 
 
 band,  our  king,  our  priest,  our  prophet:  he  is  our  justification, 
 our  sanctification,  our  wisdom,  our  redemption :  he  is  our  peace, 
 our  mediation,  our  atonement,  our  reconciliation,  our  all  in  all. 
 Alas  !  I  look  on  myself,  and  I  see  I  am  nothing ;  I  have  nothing 
 without  Jesus  Christ.  Here  is  a  temptation,  I  cannot  resist  it ; 
 here  is  a  corruption  I  cannot  overcome ;  here  is  a  persecution,  I 
 cannot  down  with  it :  well,  but  Christ  is  mine,  1  have  interest 
 in  Christ,  and  I  have  possession  of  Christ,  and  I  find  enough  in 
 Christ  to  supply  all  my  wants. 
 
 Those  that  lived  with  him,  all  rejoiced  for  the  glorious  things 
 that  were  do7ie  by  him.  And  doth  not  thy  heart  leap  within 
 thee,  O  my  soul  ?  I  cannot  but  check  thee  for  thy  deadness :  it  is 
 said,  that  when  Christ  was  at  the  descent  of  the  mount  of  olives, 
 the  whole  multitude  of  the  disciples  hegan  to  rejoke,  and  praise 
 God  with  a  loud  voice,  for  all  the  mighty  works  that  they  had 
 seen.  What !  a  multitude  of  disciples  rejoicing  in  Christ's  acts  ? 
 And  art  thou  not  one  amongst  the  multitude  ?  If  thou  art  a  dis- 
 ciple, rejoice  thou:  surely  it  concerns  thee  as  much  as  them; 
 and  therefore  rejoice,  lift  up  thy  voice  in  harmony  with  the  rest, 
 rejoice,  and  again  rejoice.  . 
 
 Sect.  VIII. — Of  Calling  07i  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 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  for  prayer  in  God's  book:  My  prayer 
 will  I  direct  to  thee,  saith  David,  and  will  look  up.  Faith  in 
 prayer,  will  often  come  out  at  the  eye.  Thus  Stephen  looked  up 
 to  heaven ;  let  us  look  up  to  Jesus  by  calling  on  him :  now  this 
 calling  on  him  contains  prayer  and  praise. 
 
 1 .  We  must  pray  that  all  these  transactions  of  Jesus  during 
 his  life,  or  during  his  ministry  upon  earth,  may  be  ours :  we  hope 
 it  so,  and  we  believe  it  to  be  so ;  but  for  all  that,  we  must  pray 
 that  it  may  be  so.  There  is  no  contradiction  betwixt  hope,  and 
 faith,  and* prayer;  Lord,  I  believe,  yet  help  my  unbelief;  be  it 
 to  me  according  to  my  faith,  how  weak  soever. 
 
 2.  We  must  praise  God  for  all  those  passages  in  Christ's  life. 
 Thus  did  the  multitude :  They  praised  God  with  a  loud  voice, 
 saying,  Blessed  be  the  King  that  comes  in  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
 peace  in  heaven,  and  glory  in  the  highest!  What,  my  soul,  hath 
 Christ  done  this  for  thee  ?  Was  he  made  under  the  law  to  re- 
 deem thy  soul,  and  adopt  thee  for  his  son,  to  the  inheritance  of 
 heaven  ?  Came  he  down  from  heaven,  and  travelled  so  many 
 miles  on  earth,  to  woo  and  win  thy  heart  ?  Spent  he  so  many 
 sermons,  and  so  many  miracles  to  work  thee  into  faith  ?  O  how 
 shouldst  thou  bless,  and  praise,  and  magnify  his  name !  How 
 shouldst  th^ou  break  out  into  that  blessed  hymn ;  To  him  that 
 loved  us,  and  hath  made  us  kings  a7id  priests  imfo  God,  and 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  293 
 
 his  Father,  to  him  be  glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever. 
 Amen, 
 
 Sect.  IX. — Of  Conforming  to  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  lis  conform  to  Jesus,  as  he  acted  for  us  in  his  life. 
 Looking  to  Jesus,  intends  this  especially:  we  must  look  as  one 
 looks  to  his  pattern ;  as  mariners  at  sea,  that  they  may  run  a  right ' 
 course,  keep  an  eye  on  that  ship  that  bears  the  light :  so  in  the 
 race  that  is  set  before  us,  we  must  have  our  eye  on  Jesus,  our 
 blessed  pattern.  This  must  be  our  constant  query,  '  Is  this  the 
 course  that  Jesus  steered?' 
 
 In  this  particular  I  shall  examine  these  three  queries:  1. 
 Wherein  we  must  conform?  2.  Why  we  must  conform?  3. 
 How  we  must  conform  to  this  life  of  Jesus  ? 
 
 For  the  first,  I  answer, — 
 
 We  must  not,  cannot,  conform  to  Christ  in  those  works  proper 
 to  his  godhead;  as  in  working  miracles. — Nor  need  we  to  con- 
 form to  Christ  in  some  other  particulars :  as,  in  his  voluntary 
 poverty,  and  ceremonial  performances. 
 
 But  we  must  conform  to  Christ's  life. 
 
 1.  In  respect  of  his  judgment,  will,  affections;  look  we  at  his 
 Spirit,  observe  what  mind  was  in  Jesus  Christ,  Let  the  same 
 7nind  he  in  you  which  was  in  Christ,  Phil.  ii.  5.     1  Cor.  ii.  16. 
 
 2.  In  respect  of  his  virtues,  graces,  holiness.  Learn  of  me, 
 saith  Christ,  for  lam  meek  and  lowly  in  heart.  I  might  instance 
 in  all  other  graces ;  for  he  had  them  all  in  fulness :  And  of  his 
 fulness  have  we  all  received,  grace  for  grace. 
 
 3.  In  respect  of  his  words.  The  very  officers  of  the  priest 
 could  say,  Never  man  spake  like  this  man :  and  sometimes  they 
 all  wondered  at  the  gracious  ivoi'ds  which  proceeded  out  of  his 
 mouth;  who,  when  he  was  reviled,  reviled  not  again. 
 
 4.  In  respect  of  his  carriage,  conversation,  close  walking  with 
 God.  The  apostle  sets  forth  Christ  as  an  high  priest,  who  was 
 holy,  harmless,  undefiled,  and  separate  from  sinners:  and  in 
 like  manner  saith  Peter;  Ye  are  a  chosen  generation,  a  royal 
 priesthood,  cm  holy  nation,  a  peculiar  people,  that  ye  should 
 sheiv  forth  the  virtues  of  him  who  hath  called  you  out  of  dark- 
 ness into  his  marvellous  light; — that  ye  should  in  your  lives  and 
 conversations  express  those  graces  and  virtues  which  were  so 
 eminent  in  Jesus  Christ;  that  you  should,  not  only  have  them, 
 but  that  you  should  hold  them  forth.  The  word  signifies 
 properly,  to  preach :  so  clearly  should  we  express  the  virtues  of 
 Christ.  As  if  our  lives  were  so  many  sermons  of  the  life  of 
 Christ. 
 
 As  for  all  other  saints,  though  they  are  imitable,  yet  with 
 limitation,  only  so  far  as  they  express  his  life  in  their  conversa- 
 tion ;  Be  ye  followers  of  me,  even  as  I  am  of  Christ. 
 
294  Looking  unto  >Je^us. 
 
 For  the  second ; — Why  must  we  conform  ?  upon  what  motives  ? 
 I  answer;  1.  Because  Christ  hath  done  and  suffered  much  to 
 that  end.  If  it  had  not  been  for  thy  imitation,  I  cannot  think 
 that  Christ  would  have  Hved  on  earth  so  many  years,  to  have 
 done  so  many  glorious  and  meritorious  works. 
 
 2.  Because  Christ  is  the  best  and  highest  exemplar  of  holi- 
 ness that  ever  the  world  had :  hence  we  must  needs  conform  to 
 Christ.  Christ  is  the  head  of  the  body,  the  heginnin^,  thefir&t- 
 bomfrom  the  dead,  in  all  things  lie  hath  the  pre-eminence :  and 
 the  rule  is  general,  that,  that  \A'hich  is  first  and  best  in  any 
 kind,  is  the  rule  and  measure  of  all  the  rest.  Why,  such  is 
 Christ;  O  then  let  him  be  the  guide  of  our  life,  and  of  our 
 manners. 
 
 3.  Because  Christ  doth  not  only  give  us  an  example,  but  he 
 doth  succour  and  assist  us  by  its  easiness.  Some  sweetly  ob- 
 serve, that  Christ's  piety  (which  we  must  imitate)  was  even, 
 constant,  unblameable,  complying  with  civil  society,  without  any 
 prodigious  instances  of  actions  greater  than  the  imitation  of 
 men.  We  are  not  commanded  to  imitate  a  life,  whose  story  tells 
 us  of  ecstasies  in  prayer,  of  abstractions  of  senses, — no;  but  a 
 life  of  justice,  piety,  and  devotion:  and  it  is  very  remarkable, 
 that  besides  the  easiness  of  this  imitation,  there  is  a  virtue  and 
 efficacy  hi  the  life  of  Christ :  it  may  be,  we  think  our  way  to 
 heaven  is  troublesome,  obscure,  and  full  of  objection:  ^  Weil,' 
 saith  Christ,  '  but  mark  my  footsteps ;  come  on,  and  tread  where 
 1  have  stood,  and  you  shall  find  the  virtue  of  my  example  will 
 make  all  smooth  and  easy;  you  shall  find  the  comforts  of  my 
 company,  you  shall  feel  the  virtue  and  influence  of  a  perpetual 
 guide.* 
 
 4.  Because  Christ  in  his  word  hath  commanded  us  to  follow 
 his  steps :  Learn  of  me,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart. — 
 And  ye  call  me  blaster  and  Lord,  and  ye  say  well,  for  so  I  am  ; 
 if  I  then,  your  Lord  and  3Iaster,  have  washed  your  feet,  ye 
 also  ought  to  wash  one  another's  feet,  for  I  have  given  you  an 
 example,  that  ye  should  do  as  I  have  done  to  you. — And  as  he 
 which  hath  called  you  is  holy,  so  be  ye  holy  in  all  ina^iner  of  con- 
 versation; because  it  is  written.  Be  ye  holy,  for  lam  holy.  We 
 must  be  holy  as  Christ  is  holy,  yet  still  we  must  look  at  the  holi- 
 ness of  Christ,  as  the  sun,  and  root,  and  fountain;  and  that  our 
 holiness  is  but  as  a  beam  of  that  sun,  but  as  a  branch  of  that 
 root,  but  as  a  stream  of  that  fountain. 
 
 For  the  third,  How  must  we  conform  to  this  life  ?  I  an- 
 swer : — 
 
 1 .  Let  us  be  humbled  for  our  great  unconformity  to  this  copy. 
 What  an  excellent  pattern  is  here  before  us ;  and  how  far,  how 
 infinitely,  do  we  come  short !  Alas  !  if  Christ  will  not  own  me, 
 unless  he  see  his  image  written  upon  me,  what  will  become  of 
 ray  poor  soul  ?     Why,  Christ  was  meek,  and  humble,  and  lowly 
 
Looking  unto  Jesua,  295 
 
 in  spirit ;  Christ  even  went  about  doing  good :  and  now,  when  I 
 come  to  examine  my  own  heart  according  to  this  original,  I  am 
 as  opposite  to  Christ  as  hell  to  heaven.  O  wo  is  me !  what  a 
 vast  disproportion  there  is  betwixt  Christ's  Mfe  and  mine ! 
 Thus,  O  my  soul,  shouldst  thou  humble  thyself;  each  morning, 
 each  prayer,  each  meditation,  each  self-examination,  shouldst 
 thou  fetch  new,  fresh,  clear,  particular  occasions  of  humiliation : 
 as  thus,  lo  there  the  evenness,  gravity,  holiness,  heavenliness,  of 
 Jesus  Christ;  lo  there  the  dear  love,  tender  pity,  constant  in- 
 dustry, unwearied  pains,  self-denial,  contempt  of  the  world,  in 
 Jesus  Christ ;  lo  there  those  continual  devout  breathings  of  soul 
 after  God  his  Father's  glory,  after  the  immortal  good  of  precious 
 souls.  O  the  sweet  expressions,  gracious  conversation?  O 
 the  blessed  lustre  of  his  divine  soul!  O  the  sweet  counte- 
 nance, sacred  discourse,  ravishing  demeanour,  winning  deport- 
 ment, of  Jesus  Christ !  and  now  reflect  I  upon  myself;  O  the 
 wide  disproportion  of  mine  therefrom  !  I  should  punctually  an- 
 swer, perfectly  resemble,  accurately  imitate,  exactly  conform  to, 
 this  life  of  Christ :  but,  ah  !  my  unevenness,  lightness,  vanity  ! 
 ah,  my  deformity,  slightness,  execrableness !  ah  my  sensuality, 
 brutishness,  devilishness  !  how  clearly  are  these,  and  all  my  other 
 enormities,  discovered  by  the  blessed  life  of  Jesus  ! 
 
 2.  Let  us  quicken  our  sluggish  souls  to  conform  to  Christ.  If 
 this  was  one  of  the  ends  of  Christ's  coming,  to  destroy  the  works 
 of  the  devil,  to  deface  all  Satan's  works,  especially  his  work  in 
 me,  and  to  set  his  own  stamp  on  my  soul;  how  then  should 
 I  but  endeavour  to  conform !  I  read  but  of  two  ends  of  Christ's 
 coming  into  the  world  in  relation  to  us ;  whereof  the  first  was 
 to  redeem  his  people,  and  the  other  was  to  purify  his  people  : 
 He  gave  himself  for  us,  that  he  might  redeem  its  from  all  ini- 
 quity,  and  purify  unto  himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good 
 works.  The  one  is  the  work  of  his  merit,  which  goeth  up- 
 wards to  the  sanctification  of  his  Father ;  the  other  is  the  work 
 of  his  gi*ace,  which  goeth  downwards  to  the  sanctification  of  his 
 church :  in  the  one  he  bestoweth  his  righteousness  on  us  by  im- 
 putation, in  the  other  he  fashioneth  his  image  in  us  by  renova- 
 tion ;  and  what,  O  my  soul,  w^ouldst  thou  destroy  the  end  of 
 Christ's  coming  in  the  flesh  ?  Thus  let  us  provoke  our  souls  to 
 this  conformity ;  let  us  excite  our  faint,  drooping,  languishing 
 affections,  desires,  endeavours.  Let  us  with  enlarged  industry  en- 
 gage and  encourage  our  backward  spirits  to  fall  upon  this  duty ; 
 let  us  come  up  higher  towards  it,  or  if  possibly  we  may,  completely 
 to  it ;  that  the  same  mind,  and  mouth,  and  life,  may  be  in  us  that 
 was  in  Jesus  Christ,  that  we  may  be  found  to  walk  after  Christ, 
 that  we  may  tread  in  the  very  prints  of  the  feet  of  Christ,  that 
 we  may  climb  up  after  him  into  the  same  heavenly  kingdom  ;  that 
 we  may  aspire  continually  towards  him,  and  grow  up  to  him, 
 even  to  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ. 
 
296  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 3.  Let  us  regulate  ourselves  by  the  life  of  Christ ;  whatsoever 
 action  we  go  about,  jet  us  do  it  by  this  rule, — would  Christ  have 
 done  this  ?  It  is  true,  some  things  are  expedient  and  lawful  with 
 us,  which  are  not  suitable  to  the  person  of  Christ :  Marriage  is 
 honourable  with  all  men,  and  the  bed  undejiled,  but  it  did  not 
 benefit  his  person.  Writing  of  books  is  commendable  with  men, 
 because,  like  Abel,  being  dead,  they  may  still  speak;  but  it 
 would  have  been  derogatory  to  the  person  and  office  of  Christ : 
 for  it  is  his  prerogative  to  be  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden 
 candlesticks,  to  be  present  to  all  his  members;  to  teach  by 
 power,  and  not  by  ministry ;  to  write  his  law  in  the  hearts  of  his 
 people,  and  to  make  them  his  epistle.  In  these  things  we  must 
 only  respect  the  allowance  of  Christ,  but  in  other  things  we  must 
 reflect  upon  the  example  of  Christ,  as,  1 .  In  sinful  acts  eschewed 
 by  Christ.     2.  In  moral  duties  that  were  done  by  him. 
 
 (1.)  In  sinful  acts  eschewed  by  Christ,  as  when  I  am  tempted 
 to  sin,  then  am  I  to  reason  thus  with  myself:  would  my  blessed 
 Saviour,  if  he  were  upon  earth,  do  thus  and  thus  ?  If  he  were 
 to  live  again,  would  he  live  after  this  manner  ?  Would  this  be 
 his  language?  would  such  speech  as  this  drop  from  his  lips? 
 
 (2.)  In  case  of  moral  obedience,  concerning  which  we  have 
 both  his  pattern  and  precept.  I  look  upon  Christ  as  my  rule ; 
 and  I  question  thus.  Did  Christ  frequently  pray  with  his  disciples, 
 and ^ alone?  And  shall  I  never  in  my  family,  or  in  my  closet, 
 think  upon  God  ?  Did  Christ  shew  mercy  to  his  very  enemies  ? 
 And  shall  I  be  cruel  to  Christ's  members  ?  O  my  soul,  look  in 
 all  thy  sins,  and  in  all  thy  duties,  to  thy  original,  and  measure 
 them  by  the  holiness  of  Christ !  Whether  in  avoiding  sin,  or  in 
 doing  duty,  think — what  would  my  blessed  Saviour  do  in  this 
 case,  or  what  did  he  in  the  like  case,  when  he  was  upon  earth  ? 
 If  we  had  these  thoughts  every  day,  if  Christ  were  continually 
 before  our  eyes,  if  in  all  we  do  or  speak  we  should  still  muse  on 
 this — what  would  Jesus  Christ  say,  if  he  were  here  ?  it  would  be 
 a  blessed  means  of  living  in  comfort,  and  spiritual  conformity  to 
 the  commands  of  God. 
 
 Let  us  look  fixedly  on  Jesus  Christ;  let  us  keep  our  spiritual 
 eyes  still  on  the  pattern,  until  we  feel  ourselves  conforming 
 to  it ;  let  us  set  the  copy  of  Christ's  life  in  our  view,  and  let 
 us  look  upon  it  with  the  eye  of  reason,  and  with  the  eye  of 
 faith. 
 
 But  how  should  we  keep  the  eye  of  our  faith  on  this  blessed 
 object,  until  we  feel  this  conformity  in  us  ?     I  answer, — 
 
 1 .  Let  us  set  apart  some  times  on  purpose  :  the  day  begins  to 
 close ;  if  together  with  our  closet  prayer  we  would  fall  on  this 
 duty  of  looking  unto  Jesus  by  lively  faith,  how  blessed  a  season 
 might  this  be  ? 
 
 2.  Let  us  remove  hinderances  :  Satan  labours  to  hinder  the 
 soul  from  beholding  Christ  with  the  dust  of  the  world.    The 
 
Loohing  unto  Jesus,  297 
 
 god  of  this  world  blinds  the  eyes  of  men :  O  take  heed  of  fix- 
 ing our  eyes  on  this  world !  Our  own  corruptions  are  also  great 
 hinderances  to  this  view  of  Christ :  away  with  all  carnal  passions, 
 sinful  desires ;  unless  the  soul  be  spiritual,  it  can  never  behold 
 spiritual  things. 
 
 3.  Let  us  fix  our  eyes  only  on  this  blessed  object;  amoving 
 eye  sees  nothing  clearly :  when  the  angels  are  said  to  look  into 
 these  things,  the  word  signifies,  that  they  look  into  them  nar- 
 rowly ;  as  they  who  bowing  or  stooping  down  look  into  a  thing, 
 so  should  we  look  narrowly  into  the  life  of  Christ ;  our  eye  of 
 faith  should  be  set  upon  it  in  a  steady  manner,  as  if  we  for- 
 got all  the  things  behind,  and  had  no  other  business  in  the 
 world. 
 
 4.  Let  us  look  on  Christ  with  a  craving  eye,  with  an  humble  ex- 
 pectation to  receive  a  supply  of  grace.  Lord,  thou  art  not  only 
 anointed  with  the  oil  of  gladness  above  thy  fellows,  but  for  thy  fel- 
 lows ;  I  am  earthly-minded,  but  thou  art  heavenly ;  I  am  full  of  lusts, 
 but  the  image  of  God  is  perfect  in  thee ;  thou  art  the  fountain  of 
 all  grace,  an  head  of  all  influence,  as  well  as  of  eminence ;  thou 
 art  not  only  above  me,  but  thou  hast  all  grace  for  me :  O  give  me 
 some  portion  of  thy  meekness,  lowliness,  heavenly-mindedness, 
 and  of  all  the  other  graces  of  thy  Spirit.  Surely  thou  art  an 
 heaven  of  grace,  full  of  bright  shining  stars  :  O  that  of  that  ful- 
 ness thou  wouldst  give  me  to  receive  grace  for  grace. 
 
 5.  Be  ye  assured  that  our  prayer  (if  it  be  in  faith)  is  even  now 
 heard ;  never  any  came  to  Christ  with  strong  expectations  to 
 receive  grace,  or  any  benefit  prayed  for,  that  was  turned  empty 
 away ;  besides,  Christ  hath  engaged  himself  by  promise,  to  make 
 us  like  himself :  as  he  which  hath  called  us  is  hoh/,  so  should  (yea, 
 and  so  shall)  ive  he  holy  in  all  inanner  of  conversation.  O  let  us 
 build  on  his  gracious  promise  :  heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away 
 before  one  tittle  of  his  word  shall  fail ;  only  understand  we  that 
 our  conformity  must  be  gradual :  Tfe  all  ivith  open  face,  he- 
 holding  as  in  a  glass,  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into 
 the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  i.  e.  from  grace  to  grace  ; 
 or  from  glory  inchoate  in  obedience,  to  glory  consummate  in 
 heaven. 
 
 6.  If,  notwithstanding  all  this,  we  feel  not  for  the  present  this 
 conformity  in  us,  at  least  in  such  a  degree  ;  let  us  act  over  the 
 same  particulars  again  :  the  gifts  of  grace  arc  therefore  com- 
 municated by  degrees,  that  we  might  be  taken  off  from  living 
 upon  a  received  stock  of  grace,  and  that  we  might  still  be  run- 
 ning to  the  spring ;  we  have  continual  need  of  Christ's  letting 
 out  grace  into  our  hearts,  and  therefore  we  must  wait  at  the 
 well-head,  Christ ;  we  must  look  on  Christ  as  app6inted  on  pur- 
 pose by  his  Father  to  be  the  beginner  and  finisher  of  our  holi- 
 ness ;  and  we  must  believe  that  he  will  never  leave  that  work 
 imperfect,  whereunto  he  is  ordained  of  the  Father.     O  then 
 
 11.  2  p 
 
298  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 be  not  weary  of  this  work^  until  he  accomplish  the  desires  of 
 thy  soul. 
 
 I  have  now  done  with  this  subject;  only^  before  1  finish^  one 
 word  more.  I  deny  not  other  helps ;  but  amongst  them  all^  if  I 
 would  make  choice  which  to  call  upon,  that  I  may  become  more 
 and  more  holy,  I  would  set  before  me  this  glass ;  i,  e.  Christ's 
 holy  life,  the  great  exemplar  of  holine&s ;  and  this  image  we  lost 
 through  our  sin,  and  to  this  image  we  should  endeavour  to  be 
 restored  by  imitation ;  and  how  should  this  be  done  but  by  look- 
 ing on  Christ  as  our  pattern  ?  In  this  respect  I  charge  thee,  O 
 my  soul  (for  to  what  purpose  should  I  charge  others,  if  I  begin 
 not  at  home?)  that  thou  make  conscience  of  this  evangelical 
 duty :  O  be  much  in  the  exercise  of  it ;  not  only  in  the  day,  but 
 when  night  comes,  and  thou  liest  down  on  thy  bed,  let  thy 
 pillow  be  as  Christ's  bosom,  in  which  John  the  beloved  disciple 
 was  said  to  lean ;  there  lean  thou  with  John ;  thus  mayest  thou 
 lie  down  in  peace,  and  the  Lord  only  will  make  thee  to  dwell  in 
 safety;  and  when  day  returns  again,  have  this  in  mind,  yea,  in 
 all  thy  thoughts,  words,  and  deeds,  even  look  unto  Jesus  as  thy 
 holy  exemplar :  say  to  thyself.  If  Christ  my  Saviour  were  now 
 upon  earth,  would  these  be  his  thoughts,  words,  and  deeds? 
 would  he  be  thus  disposed  as  I  now  feel  myself?  would  he 
 speak  these  words  that  I  am  now  uttering?  would  he  do  this 
 that  I  am  now  putting  my  hand  unto  ?  O  let  me  not  yield  my- 
 self to  any  thought,  word,  or  action,  which  Jesus  would  be 
 ashamed  to  own :  yea,  if  it  were  possible,  going  and  standing, 
 sitting  and  l>nng,  eating  and  drinking,  speaking  and  holding  thy 
 peace,  by  thyself  or  in  company,  cast  an  eye  upon  Jesus,  for  by 
 this  means  thou  canst  not  chuse  but  love  him  more,  and  joy  in 
 him  more,  and  trust  in  him  more,  and  be  more  and  more  familiar 
 with  him,  and  draw  more  and  more  grace,  and  virtue,  and  sweet- 
 ness, from  him :  O  let  this  be  thy  wisdom,  to  think  much  of 
 Christ,  so  as  to  provoke  thee  to  imitation ;  then  shalt  thou  learn 
 to  contemn  the  world,  to  do  good  to  all,  to  injure  no  man,  to  suf- 
 fer wrong  patiently,  yea,  to  pray  for  those  that  despitefully  use 
 thee,  and  persecute  thee;  then  shalt  thou  learn  to  '^  bear  about 
 in  thy  body  the  dying  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  the  life  of 
 Jesus  may  be  made  manifest  in  thy  body."  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  comitry,  that  kingdom  of  glory.  • 
 
Lookifig  unlo  Jesus.  299 
 
 LOOKING    UNTO  JESUS, 
 
 IN    HIS    DEATfi 
 
 BOOK  V 
 
 CHAP.  I. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  the  Day  of  Christ's  Sufferings,  divided  into  Parts 
 
 and  Hours. 
 
 1  H  E  Sun  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  man's  salvation 
 during  the  time  of  his  sufferings ;  we  shall  observe  them,  as  they 
 were  carried  on  successively  in  those  few  hours  of  his  passion 
 and  death. 
 
 The  whole  time  of  these  last  sufferings  of  Christ,  I  shall  re- 
 duce to  somewhat  less  than  one  natural  day;  day  before  us, 
 consisting  of  twenty-four  hours ;  and  begin  with  the  evening, 
 according  to  the  beginning  of  natural  days  from  the  creation,  (as 
 it  is  said,  The  evening  and  the  morniiig  made  the  first  day.)  In 
 this  revolution  of  time,  I  shall  observe  these  several  passages. — 
 
 1.  About  six  in  the  evening,  Christ  celebrated  and  eat  the 
 Passover  with  his  disciples,  at  which  time  he  instituted  the  sa- 
 crament of  the  Lord's  supper,  and  this  continued  till  the  eighth 
 hour. 
 
 2.  About  eight  in  the  evening,  he  washed  the  disciples'  feet, 
 and  then  leaning  on  the  table,  pointed  out  Judas  that  should  be- 
 tray him ;  and  this  continued  until  the  ninth  hour. 
 
 3.  About  nine  in  the  evening,  (the  second  watch  in  the  night,) 
 Judas  went  from  the  disciples ;  and  in  the  mean  time,  Christ 
 made  that  spiritual  sermon,  and  afterwards  that  spiritual  prayer, 
 recited  by  John,  chap.  xiv.  xv.  xvi.  xvii.  and  this  (together 
 with  a  psalm  they  sung)  continued  at  least  until  the  tenth 
 hour.  That  which  concerns  his  passion,  follows  immediately 
 upon  this ;  and  that  only  I  shall  take  notice  in  my  follomng 
 discourse. 
 
 This  passion  of  Christ  I  shall  divide  between  the  night  and 
 day.  1,  For  the  night,  and  his  sufferings  therein,  we  may  ob- 
 serve these  periods : 
 
300  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 1.  From  ten  to  twelve,  he  goes  over  the  brook  Cedron,  to  ti. 
 garden  of  Gethsemane,  where  he  prayed  earnestly,  and  sweat 
 blood. 
 
 2.  From  twelve  to  three,  he  is  betrayed,  bound,  brought  to 
 Jerusalem,  and  carried  into  the  house  of  Annas,  the  chief 
 priest. 
 
 3.  From  three  till  six,  they  led  him  from  Annas  to  Caiaphas, 
 when  he  and  all  the  priests  of  Jerusalem  set  upon  Jesus  Christ; 
 and  there  it  was  that  Peter  denied  Christ,  and  at  last  the  whole 
 Sanhedrim  gave  their  consent  to  Christ's  condemnation. 
 
 4.  At  six  in  the  morning,  about  sun-rising,  our  Saviour  was 
 brought  unto  Pilate,  and  Judas  Iscariot  hanged  himself. — About 
 seven,  Christ  is  carried  to  Herod,  who  the  year  before  had  put 
 John  the  Baptist  to  death. — At  eight,  our  Saviour  is  returned  to 
 Pilate,  who  propounded  to  the  Jews,  whether  they  would  have 
 Jesus  or  Barnabas  loosed. — About  the  ninth,  (vvhich  the  Jews 
 call  the  third  hour  of  the  day,)  Christ  was  whipped  and  crov/ned 
 with  thorns. — About  ten,  Pontius  Pilate  brought  forth  Jesus  out 
 of  the  common-hall,  saying.  Behold  the  man  f  and  then,  in  the 
 place  called  Gabbatha,  publi(;ly  condemned  him  to  be  crucified. 
 — About  eleven,  our  Saviour  carried  his  cross,  and  was  brought 
 to  the  place  called  Golgotha,  where  he  was  fastened  on  the 
 cross,  and  lifted  up,  as  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilder- 
 7iess. — About  twelve,  (which  the  Jews  call  the  sixth  hour,)  that 
 supernatural  eclipse  of  the  sun  happened. — And  about  three  in 
 the  afternoon,  which  the  Jews  call  the  ninth  hour,)  the  sun  now 
 beginning  to  receive  his  light,  Christ  cried.  It  isjimshed!  and 
 commending  his  Spirit  into  his  Father's  hands,  gave  up  the 
 Ghost. — I  shall  add  to  these;  that  about  four  in  the  afternoon, 
 our  blessed  Saviour  was  jjierced  with  a  spear, — iVnd  about  five, 
 (which  the  Jews  call  the  eleventh,  and  the  last  hour  of  the  day,) 
 he  was  buried  by  Joseph  of  Arimathea  andNicodemus. — So  that 
 in  this  round  of  our  natural  day,  you  see  the  wonderful  trans- 
 action of  Christ's  sufferings. 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  the  Brook  over  which  Christ  passed. 
 
 The  first  passage  of  that  night,  was  Christ's  going  over  the 
 brook  Cedron,  to  the  t>arden  of  Getbscmane.  TFhoi  Jesus  had 
 spoken  these  ivords,  he  luent  forth  ivith  his  disciples  over  the 
 hrook  Cedron,  ivhere  ivas  a  garden,  into  which  he  entered,  and 
 his  disciples. 
 
 In  this  passage  observe  we  these  particulars.  1 .  The  river 
 over  which  they  passed.  2.  The  garden  into  which  they  entered. 
 3.  The  prayer  he  made.     4.  The  agonies  he  suffered. 
 
 1 .  He  and  his  disciples  went  over  the  brook  Cedron.  So  it 
 was  called,  say  some,  from  the  cedars  that  grew  along  the  banks ; 
 or,  say  others,  from  the  darkness  of  the  valley,  so  kader  signifies 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  301 
 
 darkness ;  find  this  was  done  to  fulfil  a  prophecy :  He  shall  drink 
 of  the  brook  in  the  ivay.  By  the  hrook,  we  may  understand 
 mystically  the  wrath  of  God,  and  rage  of  men,  the  afflictions 
 which  befell  Jesus  Christ;  and  by  his  drinking  of  the  brook, 
 Christ's  enduring  afflictions. 
 
 2.  In  the  way,  he  hath  a  serious  conference  with  his  disciples : 
 so  the  evangelist;  And  when  they  lutd  simg  an  hymn,  they  went 
 out  towards  the  mount  of  Olives,  and  then  saith  Jesus  unto 
 them,.  All  ye  shall  he  offended,  because  of  me  this  ?ifght;  for  it  is 
 written,  Iivill  smite  the  Shepherd,  and  the  sheep  ofthejiock  shall 
 be  scattered  abroad.  Christ  now  begins  the  story  of  his  passion, 
 the  Shepherd  shall  be  smitten;  and  he  proves  it  from  the  pro- 
 phecy of  the  prophet  Zechariah,  xiii.  7«  Aiuake,  O  sword, 
 against  my  Shepherd,  and  against  the  man  that  is  my  fellow. — 
 Smite  the  Shepherd,  and  the  sheep  shall  be  scattered  abroad. 
 God  the  Father  is  here  brought  in,  as  drawing  and  whetting  his 
 sword,  and  calling  upon  it  to  do  execution  against  Jesus  Christ. 
 Christ's  sufferings  were  long  since  resolved  on  in  the  councils  of 
 heaven ;  and  now  in  the  way,  the  only-begotten  Son,  which  lay 
 in  the  bosom  of  his  Father,  reveals  this  story ;  he  tells  his  dis- 
 ciples. It  is  ivritten,  I  will  smite  the  Shepherd,  and  ilie  sheep  of 
 the  jiock  shall  be  scattered. 
 
 3.  The  disciples  hearing  this,  are  amazed ;  Peter,  vv  ho  seems 
 boldest,  speaks  tirst :  Though  all  men  should  be  offended  because 
 of  thee,  yet  ivill  I  never  be  offended.  O  rash  presumption  !  it 
 appears  in  these  particulars: — 1.  Peter  prefers  himself  before 
 the  rest,  as  if  ail  other  disciples  had  been  v/eak,  and  he  only 
 strong :  Thovgh  all  should  lie  offended,  yet  will  not  I.  2.  Peter 
 contradicts  Christ,  with  a  few  bragging  words;  as  if  he  had  said, 
 'What,  though  Zechary  hata  said  it,  yet  I  will  never  do  it; 
 Though  I  should  die  ivith  thee,  I  will  not  deny  thee.'  3.  Peter 
 never  mentions  God's  assistance;  whereas  the  apostle's  rule  is. 
 Ye  ought  to  say,  If  the  Lord  will,  we  shall  live,  and  do  this  and 
 tliat:  so  Peter  should  have  said,  '  By  God's  assistance  I  will  not 
 be  offended,  by  the  Lord's  help  I  will  not  deny  thee.' 
 
 4.  Ah,  my  brethren !  let  us  remember  we  are  pilgrims  and 
 strangers  upon  earth,  and  our  way  lies  over  the  brook  Cedron ; 
 we  cannot  expect  to  enter  with  Christ  into  glory,  but  we  must 
 fiv^t  drink  of  t lie  brook  in  the  way;  that  is,  we  must  endure 
 many  afflictions,  variety  of  afflictions.  You  will  say.  Tins  is  an 
 hard  saying,  who  can  liear  itf  ^.Vhen  Jesus  told  his  disciples 
 of  his  sufferings  to  be  accomplished  at  Jerusalem,  Peter  takes 
 the  boldness  to  dehort  his  Master,  Be  it  far  from  thee.  Lord, 
 this  sliall  7iot  be  unto  thee:  Jesus  thereupon  calls  him  Satan, 
 meaning  that  no  greater  contradictions  can  be  offered  to  the 
 designs  of  God,  than  to  dissuade  us  from  sufferings.  There  is 
 too  much  of  Peter's  humour  amongst  us ;  O,  this  doctrine  of 
 afflictions  will  not  down  with  Antinomians ;  and  hence  we  believe 
 
302  Looking  unto  Jesiis. 
 
 we  have  our  congregations  so  thin^  in  comparison  of  some  of 
 tiieirs;  they  that  can  break  off  the  yoke  of  obedience,  and  present 
 heaven  in  the  midst  of  flowers,  and  offer  great  liberty  of  living 
 nnder  sin,  shall  have  their  schools  filled  with  disciples;  but  they 
 that  preach  the  cross,  and  sufferings,  and  afflictions,  and  strict- 
 ness of  an  holy  life,  shall  have  the  lot  of  their  blessed  Lord;  that 
 is,  they  shall  be  ill  thought  of,  and  deserted,  and  railed  against. 
 Well,  but  if  this  be  the  way  that  Christ  hath  led  us,  let  us 
 follow  him  over  the  brook. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  the  Garden  into  which  Christ  entered, 
 
 Matthew  relates  it  thus :  IVien  cometh  Jesus  with  them  unto 
 a  place  called  Gethsemane  ;  that  is,  a  valley  of  fatness ;  certainly, 
 it  was  a  most  fruitful  and  pleasant  place,  seated  at  the  foot  of 
 the  mount  of  Olives ;  accordingly  John  relates  it  thus :  Jesus 
 went  forth  tvith  his  disciples  over  the  brook  Cedron^  where  was  a 
 gai'den.  I  believe  it  is  not  without  reason,  that  our  Saviour  goes 
 into  a  garden.  1 .  Because  gardens  are  solitary  places,  fit  for  me- 
 ditation and  prayer;  to  this  end,  we  find  Christ  sometimes  on  a 
 mountain,  and  sometimes  in  a  garden.  2.  Because  gardens 
 are  places  fit  for  repose  and  rest,  when  Christ  was  weary  with 
 preaching,  working  of  miracles,  and  doing  acts  of  grace  in  Jeru- 
 salem, then  he  retires  into  this  garden.  3.  Because  a  garden 
 was  the  place  wherein  we  fell,  and  therefore  Christ  made  choice 
 of  a  garden,  to  begin  the  work  of  our  redemption.  4.  Christ 
 goes  into  this  garden,  that  his  enemies  might  the  more  easily 
 find  him  out;  the  evangelist  tells  us,  Judas,  which  betrayed  him, 
 knew  the  place,  for  Jesus  oftentimes  resorted  thither  ivith  his 
 disciples:  sure  then  he  went  not  thither  to  hide  himself;  but 
 rather  to  expose  himself,  to  appear  first  in  the  field,  and  to  ex- 
 pect his  enemies.  Thus  it  appears  to  all  the  world,  that  Christ's 
 death  was  voluntary.  He  poureth  forth  his  soul  unto  death, 
 saith  the  prophet ;  He  gave  himself  for  our  sins,  saith  the  apos- 
 tle ;  nay,  himself  tells  us,  Therefore  doth  my  Father  love  rne, 
 because  I  lay  down  my  life :  no  man  taketh  it  from  me,  but  I  lay 
 it  down  of  myself;  I  have  power  to  lay  it  doivn,  and  I  have 
 power  to  take  it  up  again. 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  the  Prayer  that  Christ  there  made, 
 
 Jesus  entering  the  garden,  left  his  disciples  at  the  entrance 
 of  it,  calling  with  him  Peter,  James,  and  John ;  they  only  saw 
 his  transfiguration,  the  earnest  of  his  future  glory,  and  there- 
 fore his  pleasure  was,  that  they  only  should  see  of  how  great 
 glory  he  would  disrobe  himself,  for  our  sakes. — 
 
 He  betakes  himself  to  his  great  antidote,  which  himself  pre- 
 scribed to  all  the  world:    he  prays  his  heavenly  Father;  he 
 
 ) 
 
Looking  unto  Je^us,  303 
 
 kneels  down;  and  not  only  so,  but  falls  flat  upon  the  ground; 
 he  prays  with  an  intension  great  as  his  sorrow,  and  yet  with  a 
 submission  so  ready,  as  if  the  cup  had  been  the  most  indifferent 
 thing  in  the  world.  The  form  of  his  prayer  ran  thus,  O  yny 
 Father,  if  it  he  possible,  let  this  cup  jyassfroni  me  ;  nevertheless, 
 not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt.  In  his  prayer  observe  we 
 these  particulars :  1 .  The  person  to  whom  he  prays,  O  my  Fa- 
 ther. 2.  The  matter  for  which  he  prays  ;  let  this  cup  jmssfrom 
 me.  3.  Tlie  limitation  of  this  prayer;  if  it  be  possible,  and  if  it 
 be  thy  ivill. 
 
 1 .  For  the  person  to  whom  he  prays ;  it  is  his  Father.  As 
 Christ  prayed  not  in  his  godhead,  but  according  to  his  manhood ; 
 so  neither  prayed  he  to  himself  as  God,  but  to  the  Father,  the 
 first  person  of  the  godhead. 
 
 2.  For  the  matter  of  his  prayer.  Let  this  cup  pass  from  me, 
 some  interpret  thus :  "  Let  this  cup  pass  from  me ;  though  I  must 
 taste  it,  yet  O  that  I  may  not  be  too  long!"  That  which  leads 
 unto  this  last  interpretation,  is  that  of  the  apostle:  Christ,  in  the 
 days  of  his  jiesh,  offered  up  prayers  and  supplications  ivith 
 strong  cries  and  tears,  unto  him  that  was  able  to  save  him  from 
 death;  and  he  was  heard  in  that  which  he  feared,  Heb.  v.  7' 
 How  was  he  heard  ?  not  in  the  removal  of  the  cup,  for  he  drank 
 it  all  up ;  but  in  respect  of  the  tedious  annoyance ;  for  though 
 it  made  him  sweat  drops  of  blood,  though  it  laid  him  dead  in 
 his  grave,  yet  presently,  within  the  space  of  forty  hours,  he 
 revived,  and  awaked,  as  a  giant  refreshed  with  wine :  and  so  it 
 passed  from  him,  as  he  prayed,  in  a  very  short  time ;  and  by  that 
 short  death,  he  purchased  to  his  people  everlasting  life. 
 
 3.  For  the  limitation  of  his  prayer ;  If  it  be  possible,  if  it  be 
 thy  ivill.  He  knows  what  is  his  Father's  will,  and  he  prays 
 accordingly,  and  is  willing  to  submit  unto  it ;  if  the  passing  of  the 
 cup  be  according  to  the  last  interpretation,  we  shall  need  none  of 
 those  many  distinctions  to  reconcile  the  will  of  God  and  Christ. 
 If  it  be  possible,  signifies  the  earnestness  of  the  prayer;  and. 
 If  it  be  thy  will,  the  submission  of  Christ  unto  his  Father :  the 
 prayer  is  short,  but  sweet.  How  many  things  needful  to  a 
 prayer  do  we  find  concentred  in  this  !  Here  is  humiUty  of  spirit, 
 lowliness  of  deportment,  importunity  of  desire,  a  fervent  heart,  a 
 lawful  matter,  and  a  resignation  to  the  will  of  God.  Some 
 think  this  the  most  fervent  prayer  that  ever  Christ  made  on 
 earth:  If  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  me.  And,  I 
 think  it  was  the  greatest  submission  to  the  will  of  God,  that  ever 
 was  found  upon  the  earth ;  for  whether  the  cup  might  pass  or 
 not  pass,  he  leaves  it  to  his  Father;  nevertheless  not  as  I  will, 
 but  as  thou  wilt:  as  if  he  had  said,  'Though  in  this  cup  are 
 many  ingredients,  it  is  full  red,  and  hath  in  it  many  dregs,  and  I 
 know  I  must  drink,  and  suck  out  the  very  utmost  dreg;  yet, 
 w  hether  it  shall  pass  from  me  hi  that  short  time,  or  continue  with 
 
304  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 me  a  long  time,  I  leave  to  thy  will ;  I  see,  in  respect  of  my  huma- 
 nity, there  is  in  me  flesh  and  blood ;  I  cannot  but  fear  the  wrath 
 of  God;  and  therefore  I  pray  thus  earnestly  unto  my  God  :  O 
 my  Father,  if  it  he  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  me;  never- 
 tJieless  not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt. 
 
 But  what  was  there  in  the  cup,  that  made  Christ  pray  thus 
 earnestly  that  it  might  pass  from  him  ?     I  answer — 
 
 1.  The  great  pain  that  he  must  endure;  the  buffetings, 
 whippings,  bleedings,  crucifyings ;  all  the  torments  from  first  to 
 last,  throughout  all  his  body ;  all  these  now  came  into  his  mind, 
 and  all  these  were  put  into  the  cup  of  which  he  must  drink. 
 
 2.  The  great  shame  that  he  must  undergo.  Now  came  into 
 his  thoughts,  his  apprehending,  binding,  judging,  scorning,  re- 
 viling, condemning;  and,  O,  what  a  bloody  blush  comes  into  the 
 face  of  Christ,  whilst  in  the  cup  he  sees  these  ingredients  ! 
 
 3.  The  neglect  of  men,  notwithstanding  both  his  pain  and 
 shame.  I  look  upon  this  as  a  greater  cut  to  the  heart  of  Christ, 
 than  both  the  former;  when  he  considered,  that  after  all  his 
 sufferings  and  reproaches,  few  would  regard.  This  was  a  bitter 
 ingredient !  Naturally  men  desire,  if  they  cannot  be  delivered, 
 yet  to  be  pitied ;  but  when  it  comes  to  this,  that  a  poor  wretch  is 
 under  many  sufferings,  and  finds  none  to  regard,  it  is  an  heavy 
 case;  hence  was  Christ's  complaint:  Have  ye  no  regard,  O  all 
 ye  that  pass  by  the  way  ?  Consider^  and  behold  if  ever  there 
 were  sorrow  like  unto  my  sorrow!  Christ  complains  not  of  the 
 sharp  pains  he  endured,  but  of  this.  Have  ye  7io  regard?  He 
 cries  not  out,  '^  O  deliver  me,  and  save  me;'  but,  '  O  consider 
 and  regard  me :'  as  if  he  had  said,  '  All  that  I  suffer,  I  am  con- 
 tented with,  I  regard  it  not;  only  this  troubles  me,  that  you  will 
 not  regard :  it  is  for  you  that  I  endure  all  this ;  and  do  you  so 
 look  upon  it,  as  if  it  nothing  at  all  concerned  you  ?  Christ  is 
 willing  to  redeem  us  with  his  own  precious  blood ;  but  he  saw 
 many  to  pass  by  mthout  any  regard,  yea,  ready  to  trample  his 
 precious  blood  under  their  feet,  and  to  account  the  blood  of  the 
 covenant  cm  unholy  thing:  this  was  another  spear  in  the  heart 
 of  Christ,  a  bitter  ingredient  in  this  cup. 
 
 4.  The  guilt  of  sin  which  he  was  nov/  to  undergo;  upon  him 
 was  laid  the  iniquity  of  us  all.  All  the  sins  of  all  the  world, 
 from  the  first  creation  to  the  last  judgment,  were  laid  on  him: 
 O  what  a  weight  was  this !  Surely  one  sin  is  like  a  talent  of 
 lead :  O,  then,  what  were  so  many  thousands  of  millions  !  The 
 very  earth  itself  groans  under  the  weight  of  sin  until  this  day. 
 David  cried  out,  that  his  iniquities  were  ^  a  burden  too  heavy 
 for  him  to  bear.*  Nay,  God  himself  complains,  Behold,  I  am 
 pressed  under  you,  as  a  cart  is  pressed  that  is  full  of  sheaves. 
 Then  no  wonder  if  Christ,  bearing  all  the  sins  of  Jews  and  gen- 
 tiles, bond  and  free,  cry  out.  My  soul  is  heavy ;  for  sin  was  heavy 
 on  his  soul : — Christ,  his  own  self,  bare  our  sins  in  his  oion  body 
 
Looking  unto  tfesus.  305 
 
 on  the  tree.  How  bare  our  sins  on  the  tree,  but  by  his  sufferings  ? 
 — And  he  hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all.  How  laid  on 
 him,  but  by  imputation  ? — A?id  he  hath  made  him  to  be  sin  for  us, 
 who  knew  no  sin.  How  made  sin  for  us  ?  Surely  there  was  in 
 Christ  no  fundamental  guilt ;  no,  but  he  was  made  sin  by  impu- 
 tation :  he  was  our  surety,  and  so  our  sins  were  laid  on  him,  in 
 order  to  punishment :  as  if  now  in  the  garden,  he  had  said  to 
 his  Father,  '  Thou  hast  given  me  a  body ;  as  I  have  taken  the 
 debts  and  sins  of  all  the  world  upon  me,  come  now,  and  arrest 
 me  as  the  only  paymaster.  Lo  here  I  am,  to  do  and  suffer  for 
 their  sins  whatsoever  thou  pleasest,'  Psal.  xl.  6,  7?  8.  Heb.  x. 
 4 — ^9.  Now  this  was  no  small  matter ;  little  do  we  know  or  con- 
 sider, what  is  the  weight  and  guilt  of  sin.  And  this  was  another 
 ingredient  in  Christ's  cup. 
 
 5.  The  power  and  malice  of  Satan :  the  devil  had  full  leave ;  not 
 as  it  was  witli  Job,  Do  ivhat  thou  ivilt,  but  save  his  life.  No,  he 
 had  a  commission  without  any  such  limitation ;  the  whole  power 
 of  darkness  was  let  loose  to  afflict  him,  as  far  as  possibly  he  could; 
 and  this  our  Saviour  intimates,  when  he  saith,  that  the  prince  of 
 this  world  comet h.  Now  was  it  that  the  word  must  be  accomplish- 
 ed. Thou  shall  bruise  his  heel.  If  we  look  on  the  devil  in  respect 
 of  his  evil  nature,  he  is  compared  to  a  roaring  lio7i :  not  only  is 
 he  a  lion,  but  a  roaring  lion ;  his  disposition  to  do  mischief,  is 
 ahvays  wound  up  to  the  height ;  and  if  we  look  on  the  devil  in 
 respect  of  his  power,  there  is  no  part  of  our  souls  or  bodies  that 
 he  cannot  reach;  the  apostle  describing  his  power,  gives  him 
 names  above  the  highest  comparisons ;  as  principalities,  poivers, 
 7'ulers  of  the  darkness  of  this  world,  spiritual  wickedness  above. 
 Devils  are  not  only  called  princes,  but  principalities;  not  only 
 mighty,  but  poivers;  not  only  rulers  of  a  part,  but  of  all  the 
 darkness  of  all  this  ivorld;  not  only  wicked  spirits,  but  spiritual 
 wickedness;  not  only  about  us,  but  aAoi;e  ?«5;  they  hang  over  our 
 heads  continually :  you  know  what  a  disadvantage  it  is  to  have 
 your  enemy  get  the  upper  ground ;  and  this  they  have  naturally, 
 and  always.  O  then,  what  a  combat  must  this  be,  when  ali  the 
 power,  and  all  the  malice,  of  all  the  devils  in  hell,  should,  by  the 
 permission  of  God,  arm  themselves  against  the  Son  of  God. 
 Surely  this  was  a  bitter  ingredient  in  Christ's  cup. 
 
 6.  The  wrath  of  God  himself:  this,  above  all,  was  the  most 
 bitter  dreg;  it  lay  in  the  bottom,  and  Christ  must  drink  it  also. 
 The  Lord  hath  afflicted  me  in  the  day  of  his  fierce  angei".  God 
 afflicts  some  in  his  mercy  and  some  in  anger;  this  was  in  his 
 anger :  and  yet  in  his  anger  God  is  not  alike  to  all ;  some  he 
 afflicts  in  his  more  gentle  and  mild,  others  in  his  fierce  anger; 
 this  was  in  the  very  fierceness  of  his  anger.  Christ  saw  himself 
 bearing  the  sins  of  all,  and  standing  before  the  judgment-seat  of 
 God ;  to  this  end,  are  those  words,  Nmv  is  the  Judgment  of  this 
 world,  and  the  prince  of  this  world  shall  be  cast  out.    Now  is 
 
 11.  2q 
 
306  Looking  unto  J^esus, 
 
 the  judgment  of  this  world;  as  if  he  had  said,  ^  Now  I  see  God 
 sitting  in  judgment  upon  the  world ;  and  as  a  right  representa- 
 tive of  all  the  world,  here  I  stand  before  his  tribunal,  ready  to 
 undergo  all  the  punishment  due  to  them  for  their  sins :  there  is 
 no  other  way  to  save  their  souls,  and  to  satisfy  justice,  but  that 
 the  fire  of  thy  indignation  should  kindle  against  me  ;  as  if  he  had 
 said,  '  I  know  it  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
 living  God :  I  know  God  is  a  consuming  Jire  ;  ivho  can  stand  he- 
 fcyre  his  indignation  ?  and  who  can  abide  in  the  fierceness  of  his 
 anger  ?  his  fury  is  poured  out  like  Jire,  and  the  rocks  are  thrown 
 doivn  by  him.  But  for  this  end  came  I  into  the  world.  O  my 
 Father,  I  will  drink  this  cup.  Lo  here  an  open  breast ;  come, 
 prepare  the  armoury  of  thy  wrath,  and  herein  shoot  all  the  arrows 
 of  revenge. — And  yet,  O  my  Father,  let  me  not  be  swallowed  up 
 by  thy  wrath  ;  there  is  in  me  flesh  and  blood,  in  respect  of  my 
 humanity,  and  my  flesh  trembleth  for  fear  of  thee  ;  I  am  afraid 
 of  thy  judgments ;  O  !  if  it  be  possible,  if  it  be  possible^  let  this 
 cup  pass  from  me,* 
 
 Sect.  V. — Of  the  Agonies  that  Christ  suffered, 
 
 Christ's  passion  in  the  garden,  was  either  before,  or  at,  his 
 apprehension ;  his  passion  before  is  declared,  1 .  By  his  sorrow. 
 2.  By  his  sweat. 
 
 1.  For  his  sorrow.  The  evangelists  diversly  relate  it:  He 
 began  to  be  sorrowful  and  very  heavy,  said  Matthew :  He  began 
 to  be  sore  amazed,  and  to  be  very  heavy,  saith  Mark :  And  being 
 in  an  agony,  he  prayed  more  earnestly,  saith  Luke :  Now  is  my 
 soul  troubled,  and  luhat  shall  I  say  f  Father,  save  me  from  this 
 hour;  but  for  this  cause  came  I  unto  this  hour,  saith  John.  All 
 avow  this  sorrow  to  be  great,  and  so  it  is  confessed  by  Christ 
 himself:  Then  saith  he  unto  them,  My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrow- 
 ful,  even  unto  death.  Ah,  Christians !  who  can  speak  out  this 
 sorrow  ?  The  SpiiHt  of  a  7nan  will  sustain  his  inflrmity,  but  a 
 wounded  spirit  who  can  bear?  Christ's  soul  is  sorrowful;  or,  if 
 that  be  too  flat,  his  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful;  or,  if  that  lan- 
 guage be  too  low,  his  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto 
 death;  such,  and  so  great,  as  that  which  is  used  to  be  at  the 
 very  point  of  death ;  and  such  as  were  able  to  bring  death  itself, 
 had  not  Christ  been  reserved  to  an  heavier  punishment.  Many 
 a  sorrowful  soul  have  been  in  the  world ;  but  the  like  sorrow  to 
 this,  was  never  since  the  creation.  Surely  the  bodily  torments 
 df  the  cross,  were  inferior  to  this  agony  of  his  soul :  it  was  a 
 sorrow  unspeakable. 
 
 2.  And  his  sweat  was  us  it  were  great  drops  of  blood  falling 
 down  to  the  ground.  1.  His  sweat  was  as  it  were  blood.  Here 
 is  the  first  step ;  his  sweat  was  a  wonderful  sweat,  not  a  sweat  of 
 water,  but  of  red  gore-blood. 
 
Looking  unto  Jesits.  307 
 
 3.  Great  drops  of  blood,  Opofi^oi  aifiaro^.  This  bloody  sweat  of 
 Christ,  came  not  from  him  in  small  dews,  but  in  great  drops; 
 they  were  drops,  and  great  drops  of  bloody  thick  drops ;  and 
 hence  it  is  concluded  as  preternatural :  for  though  in  faint  bodies, 
 a  subtile  thin  blood,  like  sweat,  may  pass  through  the  pores  of 
 the  skin;  tliat  through  the  same  pores,  thick  and  great  drops  of 
 blood  should  issue  out,  could  not  be  without  a  miracle. 
 
 4.  They  were  great  drops  of  blood  falling  doivn  to  the  ground: 
 great  drops,  and  those  so  many,  that  they  went  through  his 
 apparel,  streaming  down  to  the  ground.  Now  was  it,  that  his 
 garments  were  dyed  with  crimson.  That  of  the  prophet,  though 
 spoken  in  another  sense,  yet  in  some  respect  may  be  applied  to 
 this :  Wherefore  art  thou  red  in  thine  apparel,  and  thy  garments 
 like  him  that  treadeth  the  ivine-fat?  O  what  a  sight  was  here  ! 
 His  head  and  members  are  all  on  a  bloody  sweat,  his  sweat 
 trickles  down  to  the  ground.  O  happy  garden,  watered  with 
 such  tears  of  blood!  how  much  better  are  these  rivers  than 
 Abana  and  Pharpar,  rivers  of  Damascus;  yea,  than  all  the 
 waters  of  Israel ;  yea,  than  all  those  rivers  that  water  the  garden 
 of  Eden  !— 
 
 Thus  far  of  Christ's  passion  before  his  apprehension.  And 
 now  we  may  suppose  it  about  midnight,  the  very  time  which 
 Christ  called  the  hour  and  power  of  darkness.  What  followed 
 from  twelve  till  three  at  night,  we  shall  discover  in  the  next 
 section. 
 
 Sect.  VI. — Of  Judas' s  Treason,  Christ's  Apprehension,  Bind- 
 ing,  and  Leading  unto  Annas, 
 
 By  this  time,  the  traitor  Judas  was  arrived  at  Gethsemane, 
 and  being  near  the  garden  door,  Jesus  goes  to  his  disciples,  and 
 calls  them  from  their  sleep :  by  an  irony  (as  some  think)  he  bids 
 them  'Sleep  on  now,  and  take  their  rest;'  meaning,  if  they 
 could ;  but  withal  adds.  Behold  the  hour  is  at  hand,  and  the  Son 
 of  man  is  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  sinners;  arise,  let  us  be 
 going,  behold  he  is  at  hand  that  doth  betray  me.  That  it  might 
 appear  he  undertook  his  sufferings  with  choice,  he  not  only  re 
 fused  to  fly,  but  calls  his  apostles  to  rise,  that  they  might  meet 
 his  murderers.  And  now  they  come  luith  swords  and  staves ;  or, 
 as  John  adds,  tvith  lanterns  and  torches,  and  (Judas  going  be- 
 fore them,  and  drawiiig  near  unto  Jesus  to  kiss  him)  they 
 took  him,  and  bound  him,  ayid  led  him  away  to  Annas  Jirst, 
 
 In  this  period,  I  shall  observe;  1.  Judas's  treason.  2. 
 Christ's  apprehension.  3.  Christ's  binding.  4.  Christ's  leading 
 to  Annas. 
 
 1.  Judas's  treason:  And  while  he  yet  spake,  behold  a  multi 
 tude,  and  he  that  was  called  Judas,  one  of  the  twelve,  went  be- 
 fore them,  and  drew  near  unto  Jesus  to  kiss  him.    This  traitor  is 
 not  a  disciple  only,  but  an  apostle ;  not  one  of  the  seventy,  but  one 
 
308  JLookin^  unto  ties  us. 
 
 £> 
 
 of  the  twelve.  Augustine  speaks  of  many  offices  of  love,  that 
 Christ  had  done  to  Judas  in  an  especial  manner ;  he  had  called 
 him  to  be  an  apostle,  made  him  his  friend,  his  familiar,  caused 
 him  to  eat  of  his  bread,  and  sit  at  his  table.  And  that  now 
 Judas  should  betray  Christ ;  how  doth  this  add  to  the  sufferings 
 of  Christ !  Behold  a  multitude,  and  Judas  in  the  front.  The 
 evangelist  gives  the  reason  of  this,  that  he  might  have  the  better 
 opportunity  to  kiss  him ;  this  was  the  sign  he  gave  the  rout : 
 JVhomsoever  I  shall  kiss,  that  is  he,  lay  hold  on  him.  He  begins 
 war  with  a  kiss,  and  breaks  the  peace  of  his  Lord  by  a  symbol 
 of  kindness.  Jesus  takes  this  ill ;  What,  Judas,  hetrayest  thon 
 the  Son  of  man  with  a  kiss  ?  as  if  he  had  said,  ^  What !  dost 
 thou  make  the  seal  of  love,  the  sign  of  treachery  ?  What  a 
 friendly  reproof  is  here ! 
 
 2.  For  Christ's  apprehension:  Then  came  they  aiid  laid 
 hands  on  Jesus,  and  took  him.  Before  they  took  him,  he 
 himself  begins  the  inquiry,  and  leads  them  into  theu-  errand ; 
 he  tells  them,  that  he  was  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  whom  they 
 sought :  this  was  but  a  breath,  a  meek  and  gentle  word ;  yet 
 had  it  greater  strength  in  it  than  the  voice  of  thunder ;  for  God 
 was  in  that  still  voice,  and  it  struck  them  to  the  ground.  And 
 yet  he  suffers  them  to  rise  again,  and  they  still  persist  in  their 
 inquiry  after  him  :  he  tells  them  once  more^  /  am  he  ;  he  offers 
 himself  to  be  sacrificed ;  only  he  sets  them  their  bounds,  and 
 therefore  he  secures  his  apostles  to  be  witnesses  of  his  sufferings. 
 In  this  work  of  redemption,  no  man  must  have  an  active  share 
 besides  himself;  he  alone  was  to  tread  the  wine-press :  If  there- 
 
 fore  ye  seek  me,  saith  Christ,  let  these  go  their  tvay.  Thus  he 
 permits  himself  to  be  taken,  but  not  his  disciples. 
 
 3.  For  Christ's  binding.  The  evangelist  tells  us,  that  the 
 band,  and  the  captain,  and  the  queers  of  the  Jews,  took  Jesus, 
 and  hound  him,  ebr^rrav,  they  bound  his  hands  with  cords;  cer- 
 tainly they  wanted  no  malice,  and  now  they  wanted  no  power, 
 for  the  Lord  had  given  himself  into  their  hands.  Binding  ar- 
 gues baseness  :  fools  and  slaves  were  accustomed  to  be  bound, 
 and  so  were  thieves ;  but  is  our  Saviour  numbered  amongst  any 
 of  these  ?  O  yes  !  In  that  same  hour  said  Jesus  to  the  multi- 
 tude. Are  ye  come  out  as  against  a  thief,  with  sivords  and  staves? 
 O  wonderful  condescension  of  Christ !  He  that  was  eminently 
 just,  is  reputed  a  thief;  he  that  was  equal  with  God,  is  become 
 a  servant;  he  that  was  stronger  than  Samson,  is  bound  with 
 cords,  and,  as  a  lamb,  continues  bound  for  the  slaughter;  and 
 thus  began  our  liberty  from  sin  and  death.  Christ  was  faster 
 bound  with  his  cords  of  love,  than  with  iron  fetters ;  his  love 
 was  strong  as  death ;  it  overcame  him  who  is  invincible,  and 
 bound  him  who  is  omnipotent:  the  Jews'  cords  were  but  the 
 symbols  and  figures ;  but  the  dear  love,  the  tender  bowels  of 
 Jesus  Christ,  were  the  things  signified. 
 
Looking  unto  ^esus.  309 
 
 ■  4.  For  his  leading  to  Annas.  John  records,  that  they  led  him 
 to  Annas  first,  for  he  ivas  father-in-law  to  Caiaphas,  who  tvas 
 the  high-priest  that  same  year.  1 .  They  led  him  away ;  ainj^ar^ov, 
 they  snatched,  haled  him  from  the  garden  back  again  to  Jeru- 
 salem, over  the  brook  Cedron. — 2.  They  led  him  first  to  Annas; 
 he  was  chief  of  the  Sanhedrim,  father-in-law  to  Caiaphas,  and 
 high-priest  the  next  year  following. 
 
 Come,  Christians,  let  us  lay  our  hands  upon  our  hearts,  and 
 cry,  '  O  my  pride  !  O  my  covetousness  !  (3  my  malice  and  re- 
 venge !  O  my  unbelief !  O  my  unthankfulness  !  O  my  uncharit- 
 ableness  to  the  needy  members  of  Christ !  These  were  the  rout, 
 these  were  they  that  led,  and  dragged,  and  drew  Jesus  (as  it 
 were)  by  the  hair  of  his  head ;  these  were  they  that  pulled  him 
 forwards,  and  shewed  him  in  triumph  to  that  bloody  Annas  -,  nay, 
 these  were  the  Judas,  Jews,  Annas,  and  all.  O  that  ever  I 
 should  lodge  within  me  such  sins^  such  betrayers,  such  murderers 
 of  Jesus  Christ!' 
 
 We  may  now  suppose  it  about  the  third  hour,  or  the  last 
 watch.  In  the  gospel  it  is  called  the  fourth  watch  of  the  night, 
 the  morning  watch,  which  continueth  until  the  morning. 
 
 Sect.  VII. — Of  Christ's  Examination  and  Condemnatioii, 
 
 Now  it  was  that  they  led  him  from  Annas  to  Caiaphas ;  and 
 presently  a  council  is  called  of  the  high  priests,  scribes,  and 
 elders ;  these  were  the  greatest,  gravest,  learnedst,  wisest  men 
 amongst  them,  and  they  all  conspire  to  judge  him,  who  is  the 
 great  Judge  both  of  quick  and  dead.  In  their  proceedings  we 
 may  observe,  I.  The  examination  of  the  high-priest.  2.  The 
 smiting  of  one  of  the  servants.  3.  The  accusations  of  the  wit- 
 nesses. 4.  The  sentence  of  the  judges.  5.  The  denial  of  Peter. 
 6.  The  abuses  of  the  attendants. 
 
 1 .  For  the  examination  of  the  high-priest :  TJie  high-priest 
 then  asked  Jesus  of  his  disciples,  and  of  his  doctrine.  (1.)  Of 
 his  disciples.  What  the  questions  were,  is  not  expressed;  and 
 to  them  he  ansivered  nothing. 
 
 (2.)  He  asked  him  of  his  doctrine. — And  to  this  question  our 
 Saviour  answers;  (O  how  wisely!)  I  spoke  openly  to  the  world; 
 I  ever  taught  in  the  synagogue,  and  in  the  temple,  whither  the 
 Jeivs  ahvays  resort ;  and  in  secret  have  I  said  nothing :  why  ask- 
 est  thou  me?  ask  them  ivhich  heard  me,  what  I  have  said  unto 
 them;  behold,  they  knoiv  what  I  said.  As  if  he  had  said,  I  appeal 
 to  the  testimony  of  the  enemies  themselves.  I  tell  the  truth;  I 
 spake  nothing  in  secret ;  that  is,  nothing  in  the  least  manner  tend- 
 ing to  sedition.  Ask  these  mine  enemies,  these  wlio  have  appre- 
 hended, and  bound,  and  brought  me  hither :  they  know  what  I 
 have  said;  let  tb^m  speak,  if  they  can,  wherein  I  have  trans- 
 gressed the  law 
 
310  Looking  unto  J^esus* 
 
 2.  For  the  stroke  given  Christ.  One  of  the  officers  which  stood 
 hy,  struck  Jesus  with  the  palm  of  his  hand,  saying,  Answerest 
 thou  the  high-priest  so  f  That  holy  face,  which  was  designed  to 
 be  the  object  of  heaven,  was  now  smitten  in  the  presence  of  a 
 judge;  and  howsoever  the  assembly  was  full,  yet  not  one  amongst 
 them  all  reproved  the  fact,  or  spake  a  word  for  Christ. 
 
 If  a  subject  should  but  hft  up  his  hand  against  the  son  of  an 
 earthly  sovereign,  would  he  not  be  accounted  worthy  of  punish- 
 ment ?  How  much  more  in  this  case,  when  the  hand  is  lifted  up 
 against  the  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords ! 
 
 Come,  look  upon  this  lively  and  lovely  picture  of  patience ;  he 
 was  struck  on  the  face,  but  he  was  never  moved  in  his  heart. 
 Notwithstanding  the  abuse,  he  shewed  all  mildness  and  gentle- 
 ness towards  his  enemies.  O  what  art  thou  that  canst  not 
 bear  a  distasteful  speech,  that  canst  not  put  up  with  the  smallest 
 offence !  Come,  learn  of  Christ,  If  ever  we  mean  to  have  a 
 share  in  his  sufferings,  let  us  conform  to  him  in  meekness  and 
 patience. 
 
 3.  For  the  accusation  of  the  witnesses.  He  is  falsely  charged 
 with  the  things  that  he  never  knew.  In  his  accusation  I  observe 
 these  things :  1 .  That  they  sought  false  witnesses ;  for  true  wit- 
 nesses they  could  have  none :  Now  the  chief  priests  and  elders, 
 and  all  the  council,  sought  false  witnesses  against  Jesus  to  put 
 him  to  death.  They  were  resolved  in  a  former  council  that  he 
 should  not  live  ;  and  now  palliating  their  design,  they  seek  out 
 for  witnesses.  2.  Though  many  false  witnesses  came  in  to  tes- 
 tify against  him,  yet  they  found  no7ie,  because  their  witnesses 
 did  not  agree  together.  The  judges  seek  out  for  witnesses,  the 
 witnesses  for  proof,  those  proofs  for  unity  and  consent,  and  no- 
 thing was  ready  for  their  purpose.  3.  At  last,  after  many 
 attempts,  came  two  false  witnesses,  and  said.  This  fellow  said,  I 
 am  able  to  destroy  the  temple  of  God,  and  to  build  it  in  three 
 days.  They  accuse  him  for  a  figurative  speech,  which  they 
 could  not  understand. 
 
 Observe  their  false  report  of  the  words  he  had  spoken  :  he  said 
 not,  I  am  able  to  destroy  this  temple  of  God,  and  to  build  it  in 
 three  days;  but,  destroy  ye  this  temple,  and  in  three  days  I  will 
 raise  it  up.  The  allegation  differs  from  the  truth  in  these 
 particulars:  (1.)  I  am  able  to  destroy,  say  they;  destroy  ye, 
 saith  Christ.  (2.)  /  am  able  to  destroy  this  temple  of  God,  say 
 they;  but,  destroy  ye  this  temple,  saith  Christ;  ^m\^\y  this  tem- 
 ple, without  addition,  (3.)  /  am  able  to  destroy  this  temj^le  of 
 God,  a7id  to  build  it  in  three  days,  say  they ;  destroy  ye  this 
 temple,  and  in  three  days  I  will  raise  it  up,  saith  Christ.  He 
 spoke  not  of  building  an  external  temple,  but  of  raising  up  his 
 own  body.  These  were  the  accusations  of  the  false  witnesses, 
 to  all  which  Jesus  answered  nothing.  But,  (4.)  Another  accu- 
 sation is  brought  in.      Caiaphas  had  a  reserve,  which  he  knew 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  311 
 
 i^houUl  do  the  business  in  that  assembly.  I  adjure  thee,  says  he, 
 by  the  living  God,  that  thou  tell  us  luhether  thou  be  the  Christ, 
 the  Son  of  God.  The  holy  Jesus  being  adjured  by  so  sacred  a 
 name,  would  not  now  refuse  an  answer,  but  confessed  himself  to 
 be  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  And  this  the  high- 
 priest  was  pleased  (as  the  design  was  laid)  to  call  hlasphemij ; 
 and  in  token  thereof  he  rends  his  clothes,  prophetically  signify- 
 ing, that  the  priesthood  should  be  rent  from  himself. 
 
 4.  For  the  sentence  of  these  judges:  Caiaphas,  prejudging  all 
 the  Sanhedrim,  in  declaring  Jesus  to  have  spoken  blasphemy,  and 
 the  fact  to  be  notorious,  he  then  asked  their  votes.  What  think 
 yef  And  they  answered  and  said,  He  is  guilty  of  death.  They 
 durst  not  deny  what  Caiaphas  had  said ;  they  knew  his  faction 
 was  very  potent,  and  his  malice  great,  and  his  heart  was  set  upon 
 the  business,  and  therefore  they  all  say,  as  he  would  have  them. 
 He  is  guilty  of  death.  But  they  had  no  power  at  that  time  to 
 inflict  death,  they  only  declared  him  worthy  of  death. 
 
 5.  For  Peter's  denial.  While  these  things  were  thus  acting,  a 
 damsel  comes  to  him,  and  tells  him.  Thou  wast  luith  Jesus  of 
 Galilee',  and  then  another  maid  tells  the  bystanders.  This  fellow 
 teas  also  with  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  And  after  a  while,  they  that 
 stood  by  spake  themselves.  Surely  thou  art  one  of  them,  for  thy 
 speech  hetrayeth  thee  •  as  if  he  had  said.  Thy  very  idiom  de- 
 clares thee  to  be  a  Galilean.  Peter  thus  surprised,  shamefully 
 denies  his  Lord ;  and,  1 .  He  doth  it  with  a  kind  of  subterfuge, 
 1  know  not  what  thou  sayest.  He  seems  to  elude  the  accusation 
 with  this  evasion — I  know  not  thy  meaning.  2.  At  the  next 
 turn,  he  goes  on  denying  Christ  with  an  oath:  I  know  not  the 
 man.  And,  lastly,  he  aggravates  his  sin  so  far,  that  he  denies 
 his  Lord  with  cursing  a7id  swearing,  I  know  not  the  man.  Here's 
 a  lie,  an  oath,  and  a  curse.  O  Peter,  is  the  man  so  vile,  that 
 thou  wilt  not  own  him?  Hadst  thou  not  before  confessed  him  to 
 be  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God?  and  dost  thou  not 
 know  him  to  be  man,  as  well  as  God  ?  Is  not  this  the  God- 
 man,  that  called  thee  and  thy  brother  Andrew  at  the  sea  ot 
 Galilee,  saying,  Follotu  me,  and  I  will  make  you  fishers  of  men  f 
 Is  not  this  he  whom  thou  sawest  on  mount  Tabor,  shining  more 
 gloriously  than  the  sun  ?  Is  not  this  he  whom  thou  sawest  walk- 
 ing on  the  water,  and  to  whom  thou  saidst.  Lord,  if  it  he  thou, 
 bid  me  come  unto  thee  on  the  water?  How  is  it  then  that  thou 
 sayst,  /  know  not  the  man?  Surely  here's  a  sad  example  of 
 human  infirmity;  and  vdthal,  a  blessed  example  of  repentance. 
 No  sooner  the  cock  crew,  and  Christ  gave  a  look  on  Peter,  but 
 he  goes  out,  and  weeps  bitterly. 
 
 Let  us  learn  hence  to  think  modestly  and  soberly  of  ourselves : 
 Let  him  that  standeth  take  heed  lest  he  fall.  If  Peter  could 
 first  dissemble,  and  then  lie,  and  then  forswear,  and  then  blas- 
 pheme and  curse;    O  let  us  not  be  high-minded,  but  fear.— 
 
312  Looking  unto  J^esus, 
 
 And  in  case  we  fall  indeed^  as  Peter  did^  yet  let  us  not  despair, 
 as  Judas  didj  but  still,  upon  our  repentance,  let  us  trust  in 
 God. 
 
 6.  For  the  abuses  the  base  attendants  offered  to  Christ;  the 
 evangelist  tells  us.  Then  did  they  spit  in  his  face,  and  huffeted 
 him,  and  others  smote  him  with  the  palms  of  their  hands,  saying. 
 Prophesy  unto  us,  thou  Christ,  who  is  he  that  smote  thee?  And, 
 as  Luke  adds.  Many  other  things  blasphemously  spake  they 
 against  him. 
 
 (1.)  They  spit  in  his  face.  This  was  accounted  among  the 
 Jews  a  matter  of  great  infamy  and  reproach. 
 
 (2.)  They  buffet  him.  We  heard  before,  that  one  of  the 
 officers  struck  Jesus  with  the  palm  of  his  hand ;  but  now  they 
 buffet  him. 
 
 (3.)  They  covered  his  face,  Mark  xiv.  65.  Several  reasons 
 are  rendered  for  it;  that  they  might  smite  him  more  boldly,  and 
 without  shame. 
 
 (4.)  They  smote  him  with  the  palms  of  their  hands,  saying, 
 Prophesy  unto  us,  thou  Christ,  who  is  he  that  smote  thee?  Some 
 reckon  these  taunts  among  the  bitterest  passages  of  his  passion. 
 Nothing  is  more  miserable,  even  to  the  greatest  misery,  than  to 
 see  itself  scorned  of  enemies. 
 
 Consider,  Christians,  whether  we  had  not  a  hand  in  these 
 abuses.  (1 .)  They  spit  in  the  face  of  Christ,  who  defile  his  image 
 in  their  souls.  (2.)  They  buffet  him,  who  persecute  Christ  in  his 
 members :  Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me  ?  (3.)  They  mock 
 and  scoff  at  Christ,  who  scorn  his  messengers.  He  that  despiseth 
 you,  desjnseth  me,  saith  Christ.  O  that  we  would  lay  these  things 
 to  our  hearts,  and  observe  wherein  we  stand  guilty  of  these  sins, 
 that  we  may  repent.  You  that  take  your  name  from  Christ, 
 how  should  you  admire  the  immensity  of  this  love  of  Christ ! 
 Was  it  a  small  thing  that  the  wisdom  cjf  God  should  become  the 
 foolishness  of  men,  and  scorn  of  men,  and  contempt  of  the 
 world,  for  your  sin's  sake  ?     O  think  of  this  ! 
 
 And  now  the  dismal  night  is  done,  what  remains  but  that  we 
 follow  Christ,  and  observe  him  in  his  sufferings  the  next  day. 
 The  psalmist  tells  us,  Sorrow  may  endure  for  a  flight,  but  joy 
 cometh  in  them^orning:  only  Christ  can  find  none  of  this  joy  nei- 
 ther morning  nor  evening ;  for  after  a  dismal  night,  he  meets 
 yAth.  as  dark  a  day. 
 
 CHAP.  II. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  Christ's  Indictment,  and  Judas' s  fearful  £!nd. 
 
 About  six  in  the  morning,  Jesus  was  brought  unto  Pilate's 
 house.     The7i  led  they  Jesus  from  Caiaphas  unto  the  judgment^ 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  313 
 
 hall,  mid  it  ivas  early. — When  the  morning  was  come,  all  the 
 chief  priests  and  elders  of  the  j)eople  took  counsel  against  Jesus 
 to  put  him  to  death :  and  when  they  had  hound  him,  and  led  him 
 away,  and  delivered  him  to  Pontius  Pilate  the  governor;  then 
 Judas  which  had  betrayed  him,  hanged  himself.  O  the  readiness 
 of  our  nature  to  evil !  When  the  Israelites  would  sacrifice  to 
 the  golden  calf,  they  rose  up  early  in  the  morning.  If  God 
 leave  us  to  ourselves,  we  are  as  ready  to  practise  mischief  as  the 
 fire  is  to  burn.  The  tj-ansactions  of  this  hour  I  shall  consider 
 in  these  two  passages, — Christ's  indictment,  and  Judas's  fear- 
 ful end. 
 
 In  Christ's  indictment,  we  may  observe,  1.  His  accusation. 
 2.  His  examination. 
 
 In  his  accusation  we  may  observe,  1.  Who  are  his  accusers. 
 2.  Where  he  was  accused.  3.  What  was  the  matter  of  which 
 they  accuse  him. 
 
 (1.)  His  accusers  were  the  chief  priests  ayid  elders  of  the 
 people.  The  very  same  that  before  had  judged  him  guilty  of 
 death,  are  now  his  accusers  before  the  temporal  judge :  but  why 
 must  our  Saviour  be  twice  judged  ?  Was  not  the  Sanhedrim, 
 or  ecclesiastical  court,  sufficient  to  condemn  him  ?  I  answer, 
 he  is  twice  judged,   I.  That  his  innocency  might  more  appear. 
 
 2.  Because,  said  the  Jews,  It  is  not  lawful  for  us  to  put  any  man 
 to  death.  The  Romans  had  come  and  restrained  the  Jews  from 
 the  execution  of  their  laws. 
 
 (2.)  Tiie  place  of  the  accusation  was  at  the  door  of  the  house. 
 They  ivould  not  go  into  the  judgment -hall,  lest  they  should  be  de- 
 filed, but  that  they  might  eat  the  passover.  They  are  curious  of 
 a  ceremony,  but  make  no  strain  to  shed  innocent  blood :  they  are 
 precise  about  matters  of  the  law;  but  mercy,  judgment,  fide- 
 lity, and  the  love  of  God,  they  let  them  pass. 
 
 (3.)  The  matter  of  which  they  accuse  him.  1.  That  he  sedu- 
 ced the  people.      2.  That  he  forbad  to  pay  tribute  to  Caesar. 
 
 3.  That  he  said  he  was  a  king.  How  great,  but  withal  how 
 fiilse,  were  these  accusaticfns ! 
 
 2.  For  his  examination.  Pilate  was  nothing  moved  with  any 
 of  the  accu^?^.tions,  saving  the  third ;  and  therefore  letting  all 
 the  rest  pass,  he  asked  him  onl}^.  Art  thou  the  king  of  the  Jews? 
 To  whom  Jesus  answered.  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world.  By 
 which  Pilate  knew  well  that  Christ  was  no  enemy  to  Caesar. 
 Christ's  kingdom  is  spiritual,  his  government  is  in  the  hearts  of 
 men,  and  what  is  this  to  Caesar  ? 
 
 How  many  lessons  may  we  learn  from  hence?  1 .  Christ  was 
 accused ;  who  can  be  free  ?  The  chief  priests  and  elders  of  the 
 Jews  accused  Christ.  No  wonder  if  those  that  are  chief  and 
 great  among  us  accuse  poor  Christians :  there's  a  perpetual  enmi- 
 ty between  the  seed  of  the  woman,  and  the  seed  of  the  serpent  j 
 an  everlastmg,  irreconcileable,  implacable  enmity. 
 
314  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 (2.)  Christ  is  examined  only  of  his  usurpation :  Art  thou  the 
 king  of  the  Jews?  The  men  of  this  world  mind  only  worldly 
 things.  Pilate  regards  not  Christ's  doctrine;  but  he  is  afraid 
 lest  he  should  aspire  to  the  kingdom :  and  concerning  this  our 
 Saviour  puts  him  out  of  doubt^  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world. 
 O  eternity!  to  be  for  ever  in  heaven  with  God  and  Christ,  how 
 shall  this  swallow  up  all  other  thoughts  and  aims  ! 
 
 2d.  Then  Judas  ivhich  betrayed  him,  when  he  saiu  that  he  was 
 condemned,  repented  Jiimself.  There  is  a  repentance  that  comes 
 too  late.  In  hell  men  shall  repent  to  all  eternity,  and  such  a 
 repentance  was  this  of  Judas.  About  midnight  he  had  received 
 his  money  in  the  house  of  Annas,  and  now  betimes  in  the  morn- 
 ing he  repents  his  bargain,  and  throws  his  money  back  again. 
 The  end  of  this  tragedy  was,  that  J  udas  died  a  miserable  death ; 
 he  perished  by  his  own  hands.  He  went  and  lianged  himself. 
 And  he  fell  lieadlong,  and  burst  asunder  in  the  midst,  and  all 
 his  bowels  gus/ied  out. 
 
 Who  would  die  such  a  death  for  the  pleasure  of  a  little  sin ! 
 The  Lord  keep  our  so^ls  from  betraying  Christ,  and  from  de- 
 spairing in  God's  mercy  through  Christ.     Amen,  Amen. 
 
 Sect.   II. —  Of  Christ's  mission  to  Herod. 
 
 About  seven  in  the  morning,  Jesus  was  sent  to  Herod,  who 
 himself  was  also  at  Jerusalem  at  that  time.  The  reason  of  this  was, 
 because  Pilate  had  heard  that  Christ  was  a  Galilean ;  and  Herod 
 being  tetrarch  of  Galilee,  he  concludes  that  Christ  must  be  under 
 his  jurisdiction :  Herod  was  glad;  for  lie  teas  desirous  to  see 
 Clirist  of  a  long  seaso?i,  because  tie  had  lieard  many  tilings  of 
 him,  and  tie  Jioped  to  have  seen  some  miracle  done  by  liim.  That 
 which  I  shall  observe  in  this  passage  is, 
 
 1.  Herod's  questioning  of  Jesus  Christ.  2.  Christ's  silence  to 
 all  his  questions.  3.  Herod's  derisioa;  and  Christ's  dismission 
 back  again  to  Pilate. 
 
 1.  Herod  questioned  with  him  in  many  words.  Herod  could 
 not  abide  to  hear  his  word,  but  he  was  well  content  to  see  the 
 miracles  of  Christ. 
 
 2.  Whatever  his  questions  were,  he  ansivered  liim  nothing. 
 Herod  had  been  sottishly  careless  of  Jesus  Christ;  he  lived  in 
 in  the  place  where  Jesus  more  especially  had  conversed,  yet 
 never  had  seen  his  person,  or  heard  his  sermons.  It  gives  us  to 
 learn  thus  much,  that  if  we  refuse  to  hear  the  voice  of  Christ  in 
 the  time  of  mercy,  Christ  may  refuse  to  speak  to  us  in  our  time 
 of  need. 
 
 3.  This  silence  they  interpret  for  simplicity;  and  so,  He- 
 rod  with  tiis  men  of  luar  set  him  at  nought,  and  mocked  hiniy 
 and  arrayed  him  in  a  gorgeous  rohe^  and  sent  him  again  to 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  315 
 
 Pilate,  They  arrayed  him  with  a  white,  glittering,  gorgeous 
 raiment :  the  meaning  of  Herod  was  not  so  much  to  declare  his 
 innocence  as  his  folly.  In  this  posture  they  sent  him  away  again 
 to  Pilate  5  to  all  their  former  derisions  they  added  this,  that  now 
 he  was  exposed  in  scorn  to  the  boys  of  the  streets. 
 
 Was  the  uncreated  Wisdom  of  the  Father  reputed  a  fool  ?  No 
 wonder  if  we  suffer  thousands  of  reproaches.  We  are  made  a 
 spectacle  unto  the  world,  and  to  angels,  and  to  men;  we  are 
 fools  for  Christ's  sake.  W^e  are  made  as  the  filth  of  the  world, 
 and  are  the  off- scouring  of  all  things  unto  this  day.  Christians 
 must  wear  the  badge  and  livery  of  Jesus  Christ :  we  cannot  ex- 
 pect to  fare  better  than  _Dur  Master.  I  never  knew  Christians 
 in  better  temper  than  when  they  are  styled  by  the  name  of  Puri- 
 tans, hypocrites,  formalists,  or  the  like. 
 
 Let  Us  not  judge  of  men  by  their  outside  garments.  Wisdom 
 is  often  clad  in  the  coat  of  a  fool. 
 
 Let  us  admire  at  the  condescension  of  Christ,  who  came  down 
 from  heaven  to  teach  us  wisdom.  Wisdom  itself  was  content  to 
 be  counted  a  fool,  that  those  who  are  accounted  the  foolish 
 things  of  the  ivorld,  might  be  wise  unto  salvation. 
 
 Do  not  we  set  Christ  at  nought?  Do  not  we  mock  him,  and 
 array  him  in  a  gorgeous  robe  ?  Whatsoever  we  do  to  one  of  the 
 least  of  his  saints,  he  tells  us  that  we  do  it  to  himself.  Matt, 
 XXV.  40,  45.  and  have  we  not  dealt  thus  with  his  saints?  Have 
 we  not  dealt  thus  with  his  ministers?  When  Elisha  was  going 
 up  to  Bethel,  there  came  little  children  out  of  the  city  and  mocked 
 /dm,  and  said  tinto  him,  Go  up,  thou  bald  head,  Go  up,  thou 
 hald  head.  A  reproach  of  bald  head,  round  head,  given  to  a 
 faithful  Elisha,  or  a  minister  of  Christ,  proclaims  you  as  bad  as 
 those  little  children,  yea,  as  bad  as  Herod,  and  his  men  of  war. 
 Such  Herods  were  a  little  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 
 Some  there  were  then  that  mocked  the  messengers  of  God,  and 
 despised  his  luords,  aiul  misused  his  prophets,  until  the  wrath  of 
 the  Lord  arose  against  his  people,  till  there  was  no  remedy. 
 
 Sect.  IIL — Of  Christ  and  Barahhas  compared;   and  of  the 
 Question  debated  betiuixt  Pilate  and  the  Jews. 
 
 About  eight  in  the  morning  Christ  is  returned  to  Pilate,  who 
 propounded  to  the  Jews,  whether  they  would  have  Jesus  or 
 Barabbas  loosed  unto  them.  Ye  have  a  custom,  said  he,  that  I 
 should  release  unto  you  one  at  the  passover;  will  ye  therefore 
 that  I  release  unto  you  the  King  of  the  Jews?  Then  cried  they 
 all  again,  saying.  Not  this  man,  but  Barabbas.  Now  Barabbas 
 tuas  a  robber.  It  is  supposed,  that  in  this  passage  Pilate  endea- 
 voured Christ's  liberty;  he  knew  that  for  envy  they  had  delivered 
 liim,  and  he  saw  that  Herod  had  sent  him  back  uncondemned ; 
 and  therefore  now  he  propounds  this  medium  to  rescue  him: 
 
-316  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 WTiom  willi/e  that  Ii^elease  unto  you^  Barahhas,  or  Jesus  Wu 
 is  called  Christ?  In  prosecution  of  this  passage,  I  shall  observe, 
 1.  Who  this  Barabbas  was.  2.  What  is  the  difference  betwixt 
 him  and  Christ.  3.  How  they  vote.  4.  Pilate's  query  upon  the 
 vote.  5.  Their  answer  to  his  query.  6.  His  reply  unto  their 
 answer.     7«  Their  reduplication  upon  his  reply. 
 
 For  the  first.  What  was  this  Barabbas  ?  One  that  had  made 
 insurrection,  and  committed  murder  in  the  insurrection,  Mark 
 XV.  7-  Oi^e  that  was  the  greatest  malefactor  of  his  time;  and 
 must  he  be  taken,  and  Jesus  cast ! 
 
 2.  What  is  the  difference  betwixt  him  and  Christ.  Let 
 us  weigh  them  in  the  balance,  and  we  may  find,  1 .  Barabbas 
 was  a  thief,  and  by  violence  took  away  the  bread  of  the  needy ; 
 but  Christ  was  a  feeder  and  supplier  of  their  needs.  2.  Barabbas 
 was  a  murderer,  and  had  slain  the  living ;  but  Christ  was  the 
 Saviour,  restoring  life  unto  the  dead.  3.  Barabbas  was  a  man 
 of  blood;  but  Christ  was  a  meek  and  quiet  spirit.  Here's  a  com- 
 petition indeed !  the  author  of  sedition  with  the  Prince  of  peace ; 
 a  murderous  mutineer,  w^th  a  merciful  Mediator;  a  son  of  Belial, 
 with  the  Son  of  God. 
 
 3.  For  their  votes,  they  give  them  in  thus :  Not  this  man, 
 but  Barahhas.  A  strange  vote,  to  desire  the  wolf  before 
 the  lamb,  the  noxious  and  violent  before  the  righteous  and 
 innocent. 
 
 4.  For  Pilate's  query  upon  the  vote.  What  shall  I  do  then  with 
 Jesus  luhich  is  called  Christ?  There  is  more  pity  in  Pilate  than 
 in  all  the  Jews.  In  some  things  Pilate  did  justly:  as,  first^  he 
 would  not  condemn  him  before  his  accusations  were  brought  in ; 
 nor  then  neither,  before  he  was  convicted  of  some  capital  crime : 
 and  because  he  perceives  that  it  was  envy  that  drove  on  their 
 design,  he  endeavours  to  save  his  life  by  balancing  him  with  Ba- 
 rabbas ;  and  now  he  sees  that  they  prefer  Barabbas  before  Jesus, 
 he  puts  forth  the  question.  What  shall  I  do  then  with  Jesus, 
 which  is  called  Christ?  As  if  he  had  said,  I  know  not  what  to 
 do  with  him ;  it  is  against  my  light  to  condemn  him  to  death,  who 
 is  of  innocent  life. 
 
 5.  And  they  all  said  unto  him.  Let  him  he  ^rucijied.  This 
 was  the  first  time  that  they  speak  openly  their  design.  It  had 
 long  lurked  within  them,  that  he  must  die  a  cursed  death,  and 
 now  their  envy  breaks  out.  The  cross  was  a  gradual  and  slow 
 death,  it  spun  out  pain  into  a  long  thread,  and  therefore  they 
 make  choice  of  it,  as  they  made  choice  of  Jesus;  let  him  die  ra- 
 ther than  Barabbas,  and  let  him  die  the  death  of  the  cross  rather 
 than  any  speedy  death. 
 
 6.  For  Pilate's  reply  unto  this  answer.  Why,  what  evil  hath 
 he  done?  Sometimes  the  Jews  themselves  could  say, '  He  hath 
 done  all  things  well ;  he  maketh  both  the  deaf  to  hear,  jind  the 
 dumb  to  speak.'     Surely  he  hath  done  all  things  well :  he  stilled 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  317 
 
 the  winds^  and  calmed  the  seas ;  he  raised  the  dead ;  he  gave 
 grace^  and  he  forgave  sins ;  and  by  his  death  he  merited  for  his 
 saints  everlasting  life :  why  then  should  he  die,  that  hath  done 
 all  things  well?  No  wonder  if  l^ilate  object  against  these  ma- 
 licious ones.  What  evil  hath  he  done? 
 
 7.  But  they  cried  out  the  more,  saying,  let  him  be  crucified. 
 Instead  of  proving  some  evil  against  him,  they  cried  out  the 
 more ;  they  were  instant  with  loud  voices ;  they  made  such  a 
 clamour,  that  the  earth  rang  with  it.  And  now  is  Pilate  threat- 
 ened into  another  opinion,  they  require  his  judgment;  and  the 
 voices  of  them,  and  of  the  chief-priest,  prevailed :  so  it  follows, 
 And  ivhen  he  saiu  lie  could  prevail  nothing,  hut  that  rather  a 
 tumult  ivas  made^  then  Barabhas  is  released  unto  them,  and  Jesus 
 is  delivered  to  be  scourged. 
 
 (1.)  Give  me  leave  to  look  amongst  ourselves :  Is  there  not  some 
 or  other  amongst  us  that  prefer  Barabbas  before  Jesus  ?  O,  yes  ! 
 those  that  listen  to  that  old  mutiuous  murderer  in  his  seditious 
 temptations;  those  that  reject  the  blessed  motions  of  God's  own 
 spirit  in  his  tenders  and  offers  of  graces  those  that  embrace  the 
 world,  wdth  its  pleasures  and  profits,  and  make  them  their  por- 
 tion; all  these  chuse  Barabbas,  and  reject  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 (2.)  Give  me  leave  to  look  on  the  love  and  mercy  of  God  in 
 Christ.  Our  Jesus  was  not  only  content  to  take  our  nature  upon 
 him,  but  to  be  compared  with  the  greatest  malefactor  of  those 
 times ;  and  by  public  sentence  to  be  pronounced  more  worthy  of 
 death  than  Barabbas.  O  the  love  of  Christ!  He  died,  that  we 
 might  live :  it  was  the  voice  of  God,  as  well  as  men.  Release 
 Barabbas,  every  believing  Barabbas,  and  crucify  Jesus. 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Christ  tvhipped,  clothed  luith  Purple,  and  crowned 
 
 with  Thorns, 
 
 About  nine  (which  the  Jews  call  the  third  hour  of  the  day) 
 was  Christ  whipped,  clothed  with  purple,  and  crowned  with 
 thorns. 
 
 1.  When  Pilate  saw  the  Jews  ^\'ere  set  upon  his  death,  he 
 consented.  Then  the  soldiers  of  the  governor  look  Jesus  into  the 
 common  hall,  ajul gathered  unto  him  the  whole  band  of  soldiers ; 
 ami  they  stripjied  him.  They  pulled  off  his  clothes,  and  made 
 him  stand  naked  before  them  all.  He  that  adorns  the  heaven 
 with  stars,  and  the  earth  with  tiowers,  is  now  himself  stripped 
 naked. 
 
 2.  Pilate  gave  him  to  be  scourged.  This  some  tliink  he  did 
 upon  no  other  account,  but  that  the  Jews  might  rest  satisfied, 
 and  so  desist  from  taking  away  his  life.  That  Pilate  might  give 
 him  to  be  scourged  on  that  account,  is  very  probable;  because, 
 after  the  scourging^  he  brings  him  out  to  the  Jews,  proclaiming, 
 I  find  no  fault  in  him. ''  And  before  his  scourging,  he  speaks  it 
 
318  Looking  unto  J^esus, 
 
 more  expressly;  He  hath  done  nothing  tvorthy  of  death,  I  will 
 therefore  chastise  him,  and  release  him. 
 
 We  may  read  here  a  lecture  of  the  immense  love  of  God  in 
 Christ  to  us  poor  Gentiles.  Was  there  ever  love  like  unto  this 
 love  ?  Had  he  not  been  God  as  well  as  man^  he  could  never 
 have  had  in  his  heart  such  a  love  as  this.  It  was  a  divine  love ; 
 a  love  far  surpassing  either  the  love  of  men^  or  women,  or 
 angpls. 
 
 3,  They  put  upon  him  a  purple  robe,  or  a  scarlet  robe.  John 
 calls  it  purple,  and  Matthew  scarlet.  Howsoever  some  differ- 
 ence may  be,  yet  because  of  their  likeness  they  are  put  some- 
 times one  for  another.  It  is  in  the  original,  a  scarlet  cloak.  It 
 was  a  loose  short  garment,  at  first  used  only  by  kings  or  empe- 
 rors, and  the  colour  of  it  was  suitable  to  Christ's  condition,  for 
 he  was  now  purple  all  over :  his  body  and  his  garment  were  both 
 of  a  deep-dyed  sanguine  colour.  What  is  his  scarlet  garment, 
 but  the  emblem  of  his  wounded  body  ?  that,  as  he  spake  of  the 
 woman,  she  anointed  him  before-hand  unto  his  burial;  so  Pilate, 
 in  the  mystery,  clothes  l^m  aforehand  unto  his  bloody  death. 
 
 4.  They  platted  a  crown  of  thorns,  and  put  it  upon  his  head. 
 A  goodly  crown  for  the  King  of  kings  !  We  read  of  many  sorts 
 of  crowns,  as  of  the  triumphal,  laurel,  naval,  mural,  but  never 
 till  this  did  we  read  of  a  crown  of  thorns.  A  crown  it  was  to 
 deride  him,  and  a  crown  of  thorns  to  torment  him.  In  this  we 
 may  read  both  his  pain  and  shame.  After  they  had  put  it  upon 
 his  head,  they  took  a  reed,  and  smote  him  on  the  head:  that  is, 
 they  smote  him  on  the  head  to  fasten  the  crown  of  thorns  upon 
 him  surer,  and  to  imprhit  it  deeper. 
 
 How  many  lessons  might  we  draw  from  hence !  They  put 
 upon  his  head  a  crown  of  shame,  of  death,  of  torture;  who 
 came  to  give  us  a  crown  of  victory,  of  life,  of  glory.  O  what  a 
 shame  is  it  for  any  of  us  to  crown  our  heads  with  rosebuds,  to 
 spend  our  time  in  vanity,  folly,  sin,  when  Christ  our  Lord  had 
 such  a  grove  of  thorns  growing  on  his  sacred  head !  The  disciple 
 is  not  above  his  master,  nor  the  servant  above  his  lord ;  It  is 
 enough  for  the  disciple  that  he  he  as  his  master,  and  the  servant 
 as  his  lord.  If  our  Lord  and  Master  was.  crowned  with  thorns, 
 surely  the  members  of  Christ  should  not  be  soft,  delicate,  effe- 
 minate, sensual,  or  given  up  to  pleasures. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Of  Christ  brought  forth,  and  sentenced. 
 
 About  ten,  Christ  was  brought  forth,  and  sentenced.  1.  For 
 his  bringing  forth,  I  shall  therein  observe  these  particulars ;  as, 
 (1.)  We  find  Pilate  bringing  forth  Jesus  out  of  the  common-hall, 
 and  shewing  this  sad  spectacle  to  the  people.  2'hen  came  Jesus 
 forth,  wearing  the  crown  of  thorns  and  the  purple  robe;  and 
 Pilate  saith  unto  them.  Behold,  the  man  !     He  thought  the  very 
 
Lookins:  unto  Jesus^^  319 
 
 '<b 
 
 sight  of  Christ  would  have  moved  them  with  compassion :  they 
 had  lashed  him  almost  unto  death,  they  had  clothed  him  with 
 purple,  crowned  him  with  thorns;  and  now  they  bring  him  out, 
 and  expose  him  to  public  view;  Pilate  crying,  Behold  the  maul 
 As  if  he  had  said,  '  Behold  a  poor,  miserable,  distressed  man. 
 Behold  how  he  stands  disfigured  with  wounds,  behold  him 
 weltering  in  his  own  blood ;  and  let  this  sufficient,  yea,  more  than 
 sufficient  punishment,  suffice  to  satisfy  your  rage.' 
 
 2.  We  find  the  Jews  more  enraged  against  Jesus ;  When  the 
 chief  priests  and  officers  saiv  him,  they  cried  out,  saying.  Crucify 
 him!  crucify  him!  O  ye  Jews,  children  of  Israel,  seed  of  Abra- 
 ham, is  not  this  he,  concerning  whom  your  fathers  cried,  O  that 
 thou  wouldest  rend  the  heavens,  ttiat  thou  luouldest  co)ne  down, 
 that  the  mountains  might  Jiow  doivn  at  thy  presence!  How  is  it 
 that  you  should  despise  him  present,  whom  they  desired  absent  ? 
 How  is  it  that  your  cry  and  theirs  should  be  so  contrary  ? 
 
 3.  We  find  Pilate  and  the  Jews  yet  debating  the  business; 
 Pilate  is  loth  to  pronounce  the  sentence,  and  the  chief  of  the 
 Jews  provoke  him  to  it  with  a  threefold  argument :  as — 
 
 (1.)  '  They  had  a  law,  and  by  their  law  he  ought  to  die,  be- 
 cause he  made  himself  the  Son  of  God :'  the  text  tells  us,  that 
 Pilate  hearing  the  argument,  was  the  more  afraid.  "  Pilate," 
 saith  Cyril,  "  was  a  heathen  idolater,  and  so,  worshipping  many 
 gods,  he  could  not  tell  but  that  Christ  might  be  one  of  them." 
 This  was  the  meaning  of  Pilate's  question,  Whence  art  thou  ^  of 
 what  progenitors  art  thou  sprung  ?  And  from  thenceforth  Pilate 
 sought  to  release  him. 
 
 (2.)  The  Jews  came  with  another  argument;  they  threatened 
 Pilate,  If  thou  let  this  man  go,  thou  art  not  Ccesars  friend: 
 a  forcible  reason,  as  the  case  then  stood.  It  was  no  small  matter 
 to  be  accused  of  high  treason  against  Caesar,  and  therefore  under 
 this  obligation,  Pilate  seems  to  bend :  whom  the  fear  of  Christ's 
 divinity  had  restrained,  him  the  fear  of  Caesar's  frown  provoked 
 to  go  on.  And  yet  before  he  gives  sentence,  he  takes  water,  and 
 washeth  his  hands  before  the  multitude,  saying,  lam  innocent  of 
 the  hlood  of  this  just  person,  see  ye  to  it. 
 
 (3.)  In  reference  to  this,  they  engaged  themselves  for  him, 
 which  was  their  last  argument.  His  blood  be  upon  us,  and  upon 
 our  children.     Thus  far  of  the  first  general. 
 
 (4.)  For  the  sentence  itself:  When  Pilate  heard  that, — he  sat 
 doivn  in  the  judgment-seat,  in  a  place  that  is  called  the  Pave- 
 ment, (because  erected  of  stones;)  but  in  the  Hebrew,  Gabbatha. 
 This  word  signifies  an  high-place,  and  raised  above;  it  was  so, 
 on  purpose  that  the  judges  might  be  seen  when  they  pro- 
 nounced sentence.  And  here  Pilate  sitting  down,  gave  sentence 
 that  it  should  be  as  they  required;  and  then,  he  delivered  Jesus 
 to  their  will. 
 
 From  this  sight  of  Christ,  as  he  was  presented  by  Pilate  to 
 
320  Lookbis^  unto  Jesus, 
 
 d 
 
 the  people,  we  may  learn  remorse ;  not  any  of  us  who  have  cru- 
 cified Christ  by  our  sins,  but  we  are  called  on  at  this  time  to 
 behold  the  man.  Suppose  we  saw  him  with  our  bodily  eyes; 
 suppose  we  had  the  same  view  of  Christ  as  the  Jews  had,  when 
 he  was  thus  presented ;  suppose  we  saw  him  in  the  midst  of  us, 
 wearing  the  crown  of  thorns,  and  the  purple  robe,  and  the  reed 
 held  in  his  right  hand :  suppose  we  heard  the  voice  of  Pilate 
 speaking  to  us,  as  he  did  to  the  Jews,  Behold  the  man;  suppose 
 we  saw  the  purple  robe  lifted  up,  that  we  might  see  all  under, 
 how  his  body  was  torn;  and  that  same  voice  from  heaven  should 
 come  to  us,  saying,  ^  This  same  is  he  v»'hom  ye  have  butfeted, 
 scourged,  crowned,  crucified  with  your  sins.'  Were  not  this 
 enough  to  prick  us  in  our  hearts,  and  to  make  us  cry.  Men  and 
 brethren^  what  shall ive  do?  We  look  on  Pilate,  on  the  soldiers, 
 on  the  Jews ;  but  we  look  not  on  our  sins,  saying,  Could  we  but 
 realize  our  sins  as  the  principal  of  these  sufferings  of  Christ, 
 methinks  our  hearts  should  break.  Consider,  yesterday  so  many 
 lies  were  told,  and  so  many  oaths  were  sworn ;  little  did  we 
 think,  that  all  this  while  we  had  been  stripping  Christ  naked, 
 whipping  Christ  with  rods,  clothing  Christ  with  a  purple -scarlet 
 rol)e,  platting  a  crown  of  thorns,  and  putting  it  on  his  head, 
 sceptering  him  with  a  reed,  and  saluting  him  with  scorn.  Hail, 
 Kiugof  the  Jews!  Men,  brethren,  and  fathers,  be  not  deceived, 
 Christ  is  mocked,  scorned,  and  thus  abused  by  you  when  you 
 sin ;  your  sins  thus  dealt  with  Christ,  and  in  God's  acceptation 
 your  sins  thus  deal  with  Christ  even  unto  this  day.  Never  say, 
 it  was  long  since  Christ  was  crucified,  and  he  is  now  in  heaven, 
 for  by  your  sins  you  crucify  again  the  Lord  of  glory,  you  put  him 
 again  to  open  shame.  O  look  on  him  whom  you  have  pierced ! 
 Pilate  thought  that  if  the  Jews  would  but  behold  the  man,  their 
 hearts  would  have  mollified ;  and  shall  not  I  think  as  well  of  you  ? 
 It  is  a  blessed  means  to  make  sin  bitter,  and  to  breed  in  our  hearts 
 remorse  for  sin,  if  we  will  but  hearken  to  this  voice  of  Pilate^ 
 Behold  the  man. 
 
 Sect.  VI. — Of  Christ  Crucifying, 
 
 About  eleven,  they  prepare  with  all  speed  for  the  execution. 
 In  this  hour  we  may  observe  these  several  passages.  1.  Their 
 taking  off  the  robe,  and  clothing  him  again  with  his  own  raiment. 
 2.  Their  leading  him  away  from  Gabbatha  to  Golgotha;  bearing 
 the  cross,  with  Simon's  help.  3.  His  comforting  the  women 
 who  followed  weeping.  4.  Their  giving  him  vinegar  to  drink, 
 mingled  with  gall.  5.  Their  crucifying,  or  fastening  him  on  the 
 cross. 
 
 1.  The  evangelist  tells  us.  They  took  the  robe  off  from  him, 
 and  they  'put  his  own  raiment  07i  him.  Origen  observes,  "  They 
 took  oft' his  robes,  but  they  took  not  off  his  crown  of  thorns."    It 
 
Loohing  unto  Jesus.  321 
 
 is  supposed  this  small  business  could  not  be  done  without  great 
 pain ;  after  his  sore  whipping,  his  blood  congealed,  and  by  that 
 means  stuck  to  his  scarlet  mantle ;  so  that  in  pulling  off  the  robe, 
 and  putting  on  his  raiment,  there  could  not  be  but  a  renewing  of 
 his  wounds. 
 
 2.  They  led  him  aivay^  hearing  his  cross.  Tliey  had  scarce 
 left  him  so  much  blood  or  strength,  as  to  carry  himself,  and  must 
 he  now  bear  his  heavy  cross !  Yes,  till  he  faint  and  sink,  so 
 long  he  must  bear  it,  and  longer  too,  did  they  not  fear  that  he 
 should  die  with  less  shame  and  smart  than  they  intended  him; 
 which  to  prevent,  they  constrained  one  Simon,  a  Cyrenian,  to 
 hear  his  cross  after  fiim.  The  cross  was  a  Roman  death,  and  so 
 one  of  their  abominations;  hence  they  themselves  would  not 
 touch  the  tree  of  infamy,  lest  they  should  have  been  deliled;  but 
 to  touch  the  Lord's  anointed,  to  crucify  the  Lord  of  glory,  they 
 make  no  scruple  at  all. 
 
 3.  He  comforted  the  women  who  followed  weeping.  Jlnd 
 there  followed  him  a  great  company  of  people,  and  of  women, 
 zvhich  also  beivailed  and  lamented  him  ;  but  Jesus  turning  to  tfiem, 
 said,  Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep  not  for  me,  hut  weep  for 
 yourselves,  and  for  your  children.  In  the  midst  of  his  misery, 
 he  forgets  not  mercy ;  in  the  midst  of  all  their  tortures  and  scorn, 
 he  can  hear  his  following  friends  weeping  behind  him,  and  neg- 
 lect all  his  own  sufferings  to  comfort  them.  He  hath  more 
 compassion  on  the  women  that  follow  him  weeping,  than  of  his 
 own  mangled  self,  fainting  and  bleedhig  unto  death :  he  feels 
 more  the  tears  that  drop  from  their  eyes,  than  all  the  blood  that 
 flows  from  his  own  veins.  We  heard  before,  that  he  would  not 
 vouchsafe  a  word  to  Pilate  that  threatened  him,  nor  to  Herod 
 that  entreated  him;  and  yet,  unasked,  how  graciously  doth  he 
 turn  about  his  bleeding  face  to  these  weeping  women,  affording 
 them  looks  and  words  too,  both  of  compassion  and  of  consolation. 
 Daughters  of  Jerusalem  xueep  not  for  me,  but  fn-  yourselves. — 
 And  yet  observe,  he  did  not  turn  his  face  to  them,  until  he  heard 
 them  weep ;  nor  may  we  think  to  see  his  face  in  glory,  unless  we 
 first  bathe  our  eyes  in  sorrow.  It  is  a  wonder  to  me  that  any 
 in  our  age  should  ever  decry  tears,  remorse,  contrition,  com- 
 punction. How  many  saints  do  we  find,  both  in  the  Old  and 
 New  Testament,  confuting  by  tlieir  practices  those  gross  opi- 
 nions. The  promise  tells  us,  They  that  sow  in  tears  shall  reap 
 in  Joy ;  he  that  follows  Christ,  or  goeth  forth  weeping,  bearing 
 precious  seed,  shall  doubtless  come  again  with  rejoicing,  bringing 
 his  sheaves  luith  hi??!. 
 
 But  what's  the  meaning  of  this,  ff^eep  not  for  me?  May  we 
 not  weep  for  the  death  of  Christ?  Do  we  not  find  in  scri[)ture 
 that  all  the  people  wept  at  the  death  of  Moses  ?  tliat  all  the 
 church  wept  at  the  death  of  Stephen  ?  that  the  women  lament- 
 ed the  death  of  Dorcas  ?  And,  did  not  Clirist  himself  weep  for 
 12.  2  s 
 
322  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 Lazarus,  and  Jerusalem  ?  Nay,  is  he  not  here  weeping  showers 
 of  blood,  all  along  the  way  ?  O,  what's  the  meaning  of  this, 
 JVeep  not  for  me,  hut  weep  for  yourselves? 
 
 I  answer,  the  words  are  not  absolute,  but  comparative.  Christ 
 doth  not  simply  forbid  us  to  weep  for  our  friends,  but  rather  to 
 turn  our  worldly  grief  into  godly  sorrow  for  sin. 
 
 Christ  pointed  the  women  to  the  true  cause  of  all  their  sorrow, 
 which  was  their  sins ;  and  thus  we  have  cause  to  weep  indeed. 
 Our  sins  were  the  cause  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ;  and  in  that 
 respect,  O  that  our  heads  were  fountains,  and  our  eyes  rivers  of 
 tears !  O  that  the  Lord  would  strike  these  rocky  hearts  of 
 ours  with  the  rod  of  true  remorse,  that  water  might  gush  out ! 
 O  that  we  could  thus  mourn  over  Jesus,  whom  we  have  pierced 
 and  be  in  bitterness  for  him,  as  one  that  is  in  bitterness  for  his 
 Jirst-born, 
 
 4.  No  sooner  was  he  come  to  the  place  of  execution,  but 
 they  gave  him  vinegar  to  drink,  mingled  with  gall :  this  was  a 
 custom  amongst  Jews  and  Romans,  that  to  the  condemned 
 they  ever  gave  wine  to  drink.  But  in  that  they  gave  him  vine- 
 gar mingled  with  gall,  it  was  an  argument  of  their  cruelty  and 
 envy. 
 
 5.  They  crucified  him,  that  is,  they  fastened  him  to  the  cross; 
 and  then  lift  him  up.  That  I  mean  to  observe  of  this  crucifying 
 of  Christ,  I  shall  reduce  to  these  two  heads,  viz,  the  shame  and 
 pain. 
 
 (L)  For  the  shame,  it  was  a  cursed  death;  Cursed  is  every 
 one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree.  When  it  was  in  use,  it  was  chiefly 
 inflicted  upon  slaves,  that  either  falsely  accused,  or  treacherously 
 conspired  their  master's  death ;  but  on  whomsoever  it  was  inflict- 
 ed, this  death,  in  all  ages  among  the  Jews,  hath  been  branded 
 with  a  special  kind  of  ignominy;  and  so  the  apostle  signifies 
 when  he  saith,  He  abased  himself  to  the  death,  even  to  the  death 
 of  the  cross. 
 
 (2.)  For  the  pain,  it  was  a  painful  death ;  as  appears  several 
 ways.  L  His  legs  and  hands  were  violently  racked,  and  pulled 
 out  to  the  places  fitted  for  his  fastening,  and  then  pierced 
 through  with  nails.  2.  By  this  means  he  wanted  the  use  both  of 
 his  hands  and  feet,  and  so  was  forced  to  hang  immoveably  upon 
 the  cross,  as  being  unable  to  turn  any  way  for  his  ease.  3.  The 
 longer  he  lived,  the  more  he  endured ;  for  by  the  weight  of  his 
 body,  his  wounds  were  opened  and  enlarged,  his  nerves  and  veins 
 were  rent  and  torn  asunder,  and  his  blood  gushed  out  more  and 
 more.  4.  He  died  by  inch-meal,  as  I  may  say,  and  not  at 
 once :  the  cross  kept  him  a  great  while  upon  the  rack.  It  was 
 full  three  hours  betwixt  Christ's  affixion  and  expiration;  and 
 it  would  have  been  longer,  if  he  had  not  freely  and  willingly  given 
 up  the  ghost:  it  is  reported  that  Andrew  the  apostle  was  two 
 whole  days  upon  the  cross  before  he  died ;    and  so  long  might 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  323 
 
 Christ  have  been,  if  God  had  not  heightened  it  to  greater  de- 
 grees of  torment. 
 
 I  may  add  to  this,  as  above  all  this,  the  pains  of  his  soul  while 
 he  hanged  on  the  cross ;  for  there  also  Christ  had  his  agonies  and 
 conflicts,  these  were  those  wSii^e^  Oavc'nH,  those  pains,  or  pains  of 
 death,  from  which  Peter  tells  us  Christ  was  loosed.  The  word 
 wtiii^e?,  properly  signifies  the  pain  of  a  woman  in  travail ;  such  were 
 the  pains  of  Jesus  Christ  in  death :  the  prophet  calls  it  t/ie  travail 
 of  his  soul;  and  the  psalmist  calls  it  the  pains  of  liell:  The  sor- 
 roivs  of  death  coinpassed  me,  and  thepaiiis  of  tie  1 1  gat  hold  upon 
 me.  The  sorrows  or  cords  of  death  compassed  his  body,  and  the 
 pains  of  hell  gat  hold  upon  his  soul :  and  these  were  they  that 
 extorted  from  him  that  passionate  expostulation,  Mi/  God,  my 
 God,  IV hy  ha^.t  thou  forsaken  me  ?  He  complains  of  that  which 
 was  more  grievous  to  him  than  ten  thousand  deaths.  '  My  God, 
 my  God,  why  hast  thou  withdrawn  thy  wonted  presence,  and  left 
 my  soul  (as  it  were)  in  hell  ? ' 
 
 And  now  we  reflect  on  the  shame  and  pain :  O  the  curse  and 
 bitterness  that  our  sins  have  brought  on  Jesus  Christ !  When  I 
 but  think  on  these  bleeding  veins,  scourged  sides,  furrowed  back, 
 harrowed  temples,  digged  hands  and  feet,  and  then  consider  that 
 my  sins  were  the  cause  of  all;  methinks  I  should  need  no  more 
 arguments  for  self-abhorring.  Christians,  would  not  your  hearts 
 rise  against  him  that  should  kill  your  father,  mother,  brother, 
 wife,  husband  ?  O  then,  how  should  your  hearts  and  souls  rise 
 against  sin  1  Surely  your  sin  it  was  that  murdered  Christ,  that 
 killed  him  who  is  instead  of  all  relations,  who  is  a  thousand  times 
 dearer  to  you  than  father;  mother,  husband,  child.  One  thought 
 of  this  should,  methinks,  be  enough  to  make  you  say,  as  Job  did, 
 /  abhor  myself  in  dust  and  ashes.  O,  what's  that  cross  on  the 
 back  of  Christ  ?  My  sins.  O,  what's  that  crown  on  the  head 
 of  Christ  ?  My  sins.  O,  what's  that  nail  in  the  right-hand,  and 
 that  other  in  the  left-hand,  of  Christ  ?  My  sins.  O,  what's  that 
 spear  in  the  side  of  Christ?  My  sins.  O,  what  are  those  nails 
 and  wounds  in  the  feet  of  Christ?  My  sins.  With  a  spiritual 
 eye  I  see  no  other  engine  tormenting  Christ;  no  other  Pilate, 
 Herod,  Annas,  Caiaphas,  condemning  Christ;  no  other  soldiers, 
 officers,  Jews,  or  Gentiles,  doing  execution  on  Christ, — but  only 
 sin.     O  my  sins,  my  sins  ! 
 
 Comfort  we  ourselves  in  the  end  of  this  death  of  Christ: 
 As  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  so  must  the 
 Son  of  man  be  lifted  up;  that  ivhosoever  believe/ h  in  him  should 
 not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life.  Without  this  consideration, 
 the  contemplation  of  Christ's  death  would  be  altogether  unpro- 
 fitable. Now  what  was  the  end?  Surely  this,  Christ  lifted  up, 
 that  he  might  draw  all  men  unto  him :  Christ  hanged  on  a  tree, 
 that  he  might  bear  our  sins  on  the  tree.  This  was  the  plot  which 
 God  aimed  at  in  the  crucifying  of  Christ ;  and  thus  our  faith  must 
 
324  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 take  it  up :  indeed  our  faith  hangs  on  this.  The  design  of  Christ 
 in  his  sutferings  is  that  welcome  news,  (O  remember  this,)  Christ 
 is  crucified !  And  why  so  ?  That  ivhosoever  helievetJi  in  him 
 should  not  perish^  but  have  everlasting  life. 
 
 Sect.  VII. — Of  the  Consequents  after  Chrisfs  Crucifying, 
 
 1.  About  twelve,  when  the  sun  is  usually  brightest,  it  began 
 now  to  darken.  This  darkness  was  so  great,  that  it  spread  over 
 all  the  land  of  Jewry:  some  think,  over  all  the  world;  so  we 
 translate  it  in  Luke,  And  there  ivas  darkness  over  all  the  earth: 
 and  many  Gentiles,  besides  Jews,  observed  the  same  as  a  gi'eat 
 miracle. 
 
 The  cause  of  this  darkness  is  diversely  rendered  by  several 
 authors.  Some  think  that  the  sun,  by  divine  power,  withdrew, 
 and  held  back  its  beams.  Whatsoever  was  the  cause,  it  con- 
 tinued for  the  space  of  three  hours  as  dark  as  the  darkest  winter's 
 night. 
 
 2.  About  three,  which  the  Jews  call  the  ninth  hour,  the  sun 
 now  beginning  to  receive  his  light,  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud  voice, 
 Eli,  Eli,  lama  sabacthani?  My  God,  my  God,  ivhy  hast  thou 
 forsaken  me? — And  then,  that  the  scripture  might  he  fulfilled, 
 he  said,  I  thirst. — A7id  wheii  he  had  received  the  vinegar,  he  said. 
 It  is  finished. — And,  at  last,  crying  tuith  a  loud  voice,  he  said, 
 Father,  iiito  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit:  and  havi?ig  said 
 thus,  he  gave  up  the  ghost.  I  cannot  stay  on  these  seven  words 
 of  Christ  which  he  uttered  on  the  cross :  his  words  were  ever 
 gracious,  but  never  more  gracious  than  at  this  time.  We  can- 
 not find,  in  all  the  books  of  men,  in  all  the  records  of  time,  either 
 such  sutferings  or  such  sayings,  as  were  these  last  sayings  and 
 sufl:erings  of  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 3.  About  four  in  the  afternoon  he  was  pierced  with  a  spear, 
 and  there  issued  out  of  his  side  both  blood  and  water.  A7id  one 
 of  the  soldiers  with  a  sjjear  j)i6rced  his  side,  and  forthwith  came 
 thereout  blood  and  water.  This  was  a  fountain  of  both  sacra- 
 ments, the  fountain  of  all  our  happiness,  the  fountain  opened  to 
 the  house  of  David,  a7id  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  for  sin 
 and  for  uncleanness.  There  are  three  that  bear  witness  on  earth, 
 saith  John,  the  Spirit,  the  water,  and  the  blood.  Out  of  the  side 
 of  Christ,  being  now  dead,  there  issues  water  and  blood;  signi- 
 fying that  he  is  both  our  justification  and  sanctification. 
 
 4.  About  five  (which  the  Jews  call  the  eleventh,  and  the  last 
 hour  of  the  day)  Christ  was  taken  down,  and  buried  by  Joseph 
 and  Nicodemus. 
 
 Thus  far  we  have  propounded  the  blessed  object  of  Christ's 
 suffering  and  dying  for  us.  Our  next  work  is  to  direct  you  how 
 to  look  unto  him  in  this  respect. 
 
Lookws:  unto  t/estis.  325 
 
 CHAP.  III. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  Knowhig  Jesus  as  carrying  on  the  great  ivork  of 
 our  Salvation  in  his  death. 
 
 1 .  Let  us  know  Jesus  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  during  his  sufferings  and  death.  This  is  the  high  point 
 •which  Paul  was  ever  studying :  preaching,  /  determined  not  to 
 knotv  any  tiling  among  you^  saveJes^is  Clirist,  and  Inm  crucified. 
 Christ  crucified,  is  the  rarest  piece  of  knowledge  in  the  world. 
 The  person  of  Christ  is  a  matter  of  high  speculation ;  but  Christ 
 farther  considered,  as  clothed  with  his  garments  of  blood,  is  that 
 knowledge  which  especially  Paul  pursues :  he  esteems  not,  de- 
 termines not,  to  make  any  profession  of  any  other  science  or 
 doctrine.  O  my  soul,  how  many  days,  and  months,  and  years, 
 hast  thou  spent  to  attain  some  little  measure  of  knowledge  in 
 the  arts,  and  tongues,  and  sciences  ?  And  yet  what  a  poor  skill 
 hast  thou  attained  in  respect  of  the  many  thousands  of  them  that 
 knew  nothing  at  all  of  Jesus  Christ !  And  what  if  thou  hadst 
 reached  a  greater  proficiency  ?  Couldst  thou  have  dived  into  the 
 secrets  of  nature  ?  Couldst  thou  have  excelled  "  the  wisdom  of 
 all  the  children  of  the  east  country,  and  all  the  wisdom  of  Egjpt, 
 and  the  wisdom  of  Solomon,  who  spake  of  beasts,  of  fowls,  of 
 iishes,  of  all  trees,  from  the  cedar  tree  that  is  in  Lebanon,  even 
 to  the  hyssop  that  springeth  out  of  the  wall,"  yet  without  the 
 saving  knowledge  of  Christ  crucified,  (Christ  suffering,  bleeding, 
 and  dying,)  all  this  had  been  nething,  see  Eccl.  i.  18.  and  above 
 all,  that  is  the  rarest  which  shews  him  suffering  for  us,  and  so 
 freeing  us  from  hell-sufferings.  Come  then,  and  spend  thy  time 
 for  the  future  more  fruitfully  in  reading,  learning,  knowing,  this 
 one  necessary  thing.  Study  it  therefore,  but  be  sure  thy  study 
 and  knowledge  be  rather  practical  than  speculative.  Do  not 
 merely  learn  the  history  of  Christ's  death,  but  the  efficacy,  virtue, 
 and  merit  of  it.  Know  what  thou  knowest  in  reference  to  thy- 
 self, as  if  Jesus  had  been  all  the  while  carrying  on  the  business 
 of  thy  soul's  salvation;  as  if  thou  hadst  stood  by,  and  Christ  had 
 spoke  to  thee,  as  to  the  woman,  '  Weep  not  for  me,  but  for 
 thyself;  thy  sins  caused  my  sufferings,  and  my  sufferings  were 
 for  the  abolition  of  thy  sins.' 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  Considering  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  consider  Jesus  carrying  on  this  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  during  his  sufferings  and  death.  They  shall  look  iquni 
 me  whom  they  liave  pierced,  saith  the  prophet ;  that  is,  tiiey  sliall 
 consider  me :  and  accordingly  the  apostle  was  looking  unto  Jesus, 
 or  considering  Jesus,  the  author  and  Jinishcr  of  our  faith,  ivlio 
 
326  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 for  the  joy  set  before  him,  endured  the  cross,  and  despised  the 
 shame.  It  is  good  in  all  respects^  and  under  all  considerations, 
 to  look  unto  Jesus  from  first  to  last;  but,  above  all,  this  text 
 relates  to  the  time  of  his  sufferings :  and  hence  it  is  that  Luke 
 calls  Christ's  passion  Oewplav,  a  theory  or  sight :  And  all  the  peo^ 
 pie  that  came  together  to  that  sight,  smote  their  breasts  and  re- 
 turned.  Not  but  that  every  passage  of  Christ  is  a  sight,  wor- 
 thy our  looking  on,  or  considering;  Christ  in  his  Father's  pur- 
 pose, Christ  in  the  promise,  Christ  in  performance,  Christ  in 
 his  birth,  and  Christ  in  his  life.  O  vrhat  blessed  objects  are 
 these  to  look  upon !  But,  above  all.  Consider  him,  saith  the 
 apostle,  that  endured  such  coiitradiction  of  sinners  against  him- 
 self.— Cotisider  him,  who,  for  the  joy  that  was  set  before  him, 
 e7idured  the  cross,  and  despised  the  shame.  Of  all  other  parts, 
 acts,  or  passages  of  Christ,  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  only  honoured 
 Christ's  passion  (his  sufferings  and  death)  with  this  name,  theory, 
 and  sight.    O  then  let  us  look  on  this,  consider  this. 
 
 1.  Consider  him  passing  over  the  brook  Cedron.  It  signifies 
 the  wrath  of  God,  and  rage  of  men.  Through  many  tribulations 
 must  they  go,  that  will  follow  after  him  to  the  kingdom  of  glory. 
 Consider  him  entering  into  the  garden  of  Gethsemane:  in  a 
 garden  Adam  sinned,  and  in  this  garden  Christ  must  suffer. 
 Into  this  garden  no  sooner  was  he  entered,  but  he  began  to  be 
 agonized :  all  his  powers  within  him  were  in  conflict.  Consider, 
 O  my  soul,  how  suddenly  he  is  struck  into  a  strange  fear.  Ne- 
 ver was  man  so  afraid  of  the  torments  of  hell,  as  Christ,  stand- 
 ing in  our  room,  is  of  his  Father's  wrath ;  nor  was  he  only  afraid, 
 but  very  heavy.  My  soul  is  exceeding  sorroivful,  even  unto 
 death.  His  sorrow  was  deadly,  it  melted  his  soul  as  wax  is 
 melted  with  heat ;  it  continued  with  him  till  his  last  gasp ;  his 
 heart  was  like  wax  burning  all  the  time  of  his  passion :  nor  was 
 he  only  afraid  and  heavy,  but  he  began  to  be  sore  amazed.  This 
 signifies  an  universal  cessation  of  all  the  faculties  of  the  soul 
 from  their  several  functions.  We  usually  call  it  a  consternation. 
 It  is  like  a  clock  stopped  for  the  while  from  going,  by  some  hand 
 or  other  laid  upon  it;  such  a  motion  of  the  mind  as  whereby  for 
 the  present  he  was  disabled  to  mind  any  thing  else,  but  the 
 dreadful  sense  of  the  wrath  of  God.  O  what  an  agony  was  this ! 
 what  a  struggling  passion  of  mixed  grief !  ^  O,  my  Father ' 
 Sinner,  thou  hast  bent  thy  bow,  lo  here  an  open  breast!  fix 
 herein  all  thy  shafts ;  better  I  suffer  for  a  while,  than  that  all 
 men  should  be  damned  for  ever :  thy  will  is  mine :  lo,  I  will  bear 
 the  burden  of  sin:  shoot  here  thy  arrows  of  revenge !'  And 
 thus,  as  he  prayed,  he  sweat,  ayid  his  sweat  was  as  it  were  great 
 drops  of  blood  falling  down  to  the  ground.  O  what  man  or 
 angel  can  conceive  the  agony,  the  fear,  the  sorrow,  the  amaze- 
 ment of  heart,  that,  without  all  outward  violence,  bled  through 
 the  flesh  and  skin ;  not  some  faint  dew,  but  solid  drops  of  blood ! 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  327 
 
 O  my  soul,  consider  this;   and  if  thou  wilt  bring  this  considera- 
 tion home,  say,  thy  sins  were  the  cause  of  this  bloody  sweat. 
 
 2.  Consider  his  apprehension.  Judas  is  now  at  hand,  with  a 
 troop  following  him.  See  how,  without  all  shame  he  set  himself 
 in  the  van,  and,  coming  to  his  Lord  and  Master,  gives  him  a  most 
 traitorous  kiss:  TFhat,  Judas,  betray  est  thou  the  son  of  man 
 with  a  kiss?  Hast  thou  sold  the  Lord  of  life  to  such  cruel  mer- 
 chants as  covet  greedily  his  blood  ?  At  what  price  hast  thou 
 set  the  Lord  of  all  the  creatures  ?  At  thirty  pence  ?  What  a 
 slender  price  for  the  Lord  of  glory.  At  that  time  said  Christ, 
 Ye  be  come  as  against  a  thief,  with  swords  and  staves;  I  sat  daily 
 among  you  teachi?ig  iyi  the  temple,  and  ye  never  laid  hands  on 
 me;  but  this  is  your  hour,  and  the  power  of  darkness. 
 
 Now  the  prince  of  darkness  exercised  his  power;  now  the 
 ravenous  wolves  assaulted  the  most  innocent  lamb  in  the  world : 
 now  they  furiously  haled  him  this  way  and  that  way.  What 
 cries,  and  shouts,  and  clamours  made  they  over  him !  Now  they 
 lay  hold  on  his  holy  hands,  and  bind  them  hard  with  rough  and 
 knotty  cords.  Now  they  bring  him  back  again  over  Cedron. 
 Now  they  lead  him  openly  through  the  streets  of  Jerusalem,  and 
 carry  him  to  the  house  of  Annas  in  triumph.  O,  my  soul,  con- 
 sider these  several  passages  leisurely,  and  with  good  attention, 
 till  thou  feelest  some  motions  in  thy  affection.  He  that  is  fairer 
 than  all  the  children  of  men,  is  besmeared  with  weeping,  and 
 troubled  with  sorrow  of  heart.  Surely  there  is  something,  O 
 my  soul,  in  thee  that  caused  all  this :  hadst  not  thou  sinned,  the 
 Sun  of  righteousness  had  never  been  eclipsed. 
 
 3.  Consider  the  hurrying  of  Jesus  from  Annas  to  Caiaphas. 
 There  a  council  is  called,  and  Caiaphas  the  high-priest  adjures 
 our  Lord  to  tell  him,  if  he  was  Christ  the  Son  of  God  ?  No 
 sooner  he  affirms  it,  but  he  is  doomed  guilty  of  blasphemy. 
 Now  again  they  disgorge  all  their  malice  and  revenge ;  each  one 
 gives  him  buffets  and  strokes :  they  spit  upon  that  divine  face, 
 they  hoodwink  his  eyes,  and  strike  him  on  the  cheek,  scofhng, 
 and  jesting,  and  saying,  fVho  is  it  that  smote  thee?  O  my 
 soul,  why  dost  thou  not  humble  thyself  at  this  so  wonderful 
 example?  How  is  it  that  there  should  remain  in  the  world 
 any  token  of  pride  after  this  so  marvellous  example  of  humility ! 
 I  am  astonished  this  so  great  patience  overcomes  not  my  anger, 
 this  so  great  abasing  assuageth  not  my  pride,  these  so  violent 
 buffets  beat  not  down  my  presumption:  Jesus  Christ  by  these 
 means  should  overthrow  the  kingdom  of  pride,  and  yet  that  there 
 should  remain  in  me  the  relics  of  pride !  Consider  all  those 
 night- sufferings  of  Christ ;  now  was  the  season  that  all  creatures 
 should  take  their  rest.  AH  the  night  long  Christ  is  tormented 
 by  thy  sins.  Not  one  jot  of  rest  hath  Christ,  whom  thou  by  the 
 alarm  of  thy  sins  disquieted,  both  at  evening,  at  midnight,  and 
 at  the  cock-crow,  and  at  the  dawning. 
 
328  Lookins"  unto  Jesus, 
 
 & 
 
 4.  Consider  the  hurryings  of  Christ  from  Caiaphas  to  Pilate* 
 Now  he  stands  before  Pilate,  where  he  was  accused  of  sedition 
 and  usurpation.  Not  only  Jews,  but  Gentiles,  have  their  hands 
 imbrued  in  the  blood  of  Christ :  Pilate  was  delegated  from  Caesar^ 
 yet  not  without  a  prophecy :  Behold,  we  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  and 
 all  things  that  are  written  hy  the  prophets  concerning  the  Son  of 
 man  shall  he  accomplished;  for  he  shall  be  delivered  unto  the 
 Gentiles,  At  the  Gentile  tribunal,  being  questioned  of  his  kingdom, 
 he  answers  both  the  Jews  and  Gentiles,  that  they  need  not  fear 
 his  usurpation :  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  ivorld.  He  gives  king- 
 doms that  are  eternal ;  but  he  will  take  away  none  that  are  tem- 
 poral. Christ  came  not  into  the  world  to  be  Caesar's,  or  Pilate's, 
 or  Herod's  successor;  but,  if  they  had  believed,  to  have  been 
 their  Saviour.  O  that  I  could  but  contemn  the  world  as  Christ 
 did !  O  that  I  could  seek  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  righte- 
 ousness. O  my  soul,  I  feel  it,  unless  I  can  be  free  from  the 
 affection  of  all  creatures,  I  cannot  with  freedom  of  mind  aspire 
 unto  divine  things ;  unless  I  be  willing  with  Christ  to  be  despised 
 and  forsaken  of  all,  I  can  have  no  inward  peace,  nor  be  spiritually 
 enlightened,  nor  be  wholly  united  unto  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 5.  Consider  the  hurryings  of  Jesus  from  Pilate  to  Herod. 
 There  is  he  questioned  of  many  things,  but  justly  is  the  Lamb  of 
 God  dumb,  and  opened  not  his  mouth ;  upon  this  he  is  mocked, 
 and  arrayed  in  a  gorgeous  robe.  Wisdom  is  taken  for  folly, 
 and  the  justifier  of  sinners  for  a  sinner.  See  how  he  emptied 
 himself,  and  made  himself  of  no  reputation,  that  he  might  fill 
 thee  with  goodness,  and  make  thee  wise  unto  salvation. 
 
 6.  Consider  the  hurryings  of  Jesus  from  Herod  back  again  to 
 Pilate.  O  my  Saviour,  how  art  thou  now  abused !  New  accu- 
 sations are  forged ;  and  when  Pilate  sees  that  nothing  will  do, 
 but  Christ  must  die,  he  delivers  him  to  be  stripped,  whipped, 
 clothed  in  purple,  crowned  with  thorns,  and  sceptered  with  a 
 reed.  Who  can  number  the  stripes  wherewith .  they  tore  his 
 body,  one  wound  eating  into  another !  O  my  heart,  how  can  I 
 think  of  this  without  tears  of  blood !  O  joy  of  angels,  and  glory 
 of  saints,  who  hath  thus  defiled  thee  with  so  many  bloody  blows  ? 
 Certainly  they  were  not  thy  sins,  but  mine.  Love  was  the  cause 
 why  thou  didst  bestow  upon  me  all  thy  benefits,  and  mercy  moved 
 thee  to  take  upon  thee  all  my  miseries. 
 
 7.  Consider  that  sad  spectacle  of  Jesus,  when  he  came  forth 
 wearing  the  crown  of  thorns,  and  the  purple  robe,  and  Pilate 
 saying  unto  them.  Behold  the  man !  O  my  soul,  fix  thy  eyes  on 
 the  sad  object!  Suppose  thyself  in  the  case  of  Jesus;  what  if 
 in  so  sensible  and  tender  a  part  as  thy  head  is,  men  should  fasten 
 a  number  of  thorns !  Alas !  thou  canst  hardly  abide  the  prick 
 of  a  pin,  much  less  the  piercing  of  so  many  thorns :  O,  but  thy 
 Jesus  was  crowned  with  thorns,  and  sceptered  with  a  reed,  and 
 that  reed  was  taken  out  of  his  hands  to  beat  the  ci'own  of  thorns 
 
}Lookm£>'  unto  Jesus.  329 
 
 '<i) 
 
 into  his  head ;  thy  Jesus  was  whipped  with  cords  and  rods ;  and 
 being  in  this  plight^  thou  art  called  to  behold  the  man !  Canst 
 thou  consider  him  at  present,  as  if  thou  hadst  a  view  of  this  very 
 man  ?  Methinks  it  should  make  thee  break  out,  and  say,  '  O  the 
 brightness  of  thy  Father's  glory^  who  hath  thus  cruelly  dealt  with 
 thee?  O  unspotted  glass  of  the  majesty  of  God,  who  hath  thus 
 wholly  disfigured  thee  ?  O  river  that  flows  out  of  the  paradise 
 of  delights,  who  hath  thus  troubled  thee?  It  is  my  sins,  O 
 Lord,  that  have  so  troubled  thee :  my  sins  were  the  thorns  that 
 pricked  thee^  the  lashes  that  whipped  thee,  the  purple  that 
 clothed  thee :  it  is  I,  Lord^  that  am  thy  tormentor,  and  the  very 
 cause  of  these  thy  pains.' 
 
 8.  Consider  Pilate's  sentence,  that  Jesus  should  be  crucified 
 as  the  Jews  required.  Now  they  had  him  in  their  will,  and  they 
 did  to  him  what  seemed  them  good 4  Follow  him  from  Gabbatha 
 to  Golgotha.  See  how  they  lay  the  heavy  cross  upon  his  tender 
 shoulders,  that  were  so  rent  and  torn  with  whips.  Accompany 
 him  all  the  way  to  the  execution^  and  help  to  carry  his  cross  to 
 mount  Calvary;  and  there  see  him  lifted  up  on  that  engine  of 
 torture,  the  bloody  cross :  he  hangs  on  nails,  and  as  he  hangs, 
 his  own  weight  becomes  his  affliction.  O  see  how  his  arms  and 
 legs  were  racked  with  violent  pulls,  his  hands  and  feet  bored  with 
 nails,  his  whole  body  torn  with  stripes,  and  gored  with  blood. 
 And  now,  O  my  soul,  run  with  all  thy  might  into  his  arms,  held 
 out  at  their  full  length  to  receive  thee*  O  weigh  the  matter  1 
 Because  sin  entered  by  the  senses,  therefore  the  head,  in  which 
 the  senses  flourished,  is  crowned  with  searching  thorns ;  because 
 the  hands  and  feet  are  more  especially  the  instruments  of  sin, 
 therefore  his  hands  and  feet  are  nailed  to  the  cross  for  satisfac- 
 tion. Be  enlarged,  O  my  thoughts,  and  consider  it,  and  con- 
 sider it  again* 
 
 9.  Consider  the  darkness  that  spread  over  all  the  earth.  Now 
 was  the  sun  ashamed  to  shew  his  brightness,  considering  that  the 
 Father  of  lights  was  darkened  with  such  disgrace :  the  heavens 
 discoloured  their  beauty,  and  are  in  mourning  robes :  the  lamp 
 of  heaven  is  immantled  with  a  miraculous  eclipse.  The  sun  in 
 the  firmament  will  sympathize  with  the  Sun  of  righteousness.  It 
 will  not  appear  in  glory,  though  it  be  mid-day,  because  the  Lord 
 of  glory  is  thus  disgraced.  And  now  hear  the  voice  that  comes 
 from  the  Son  of  God,  My  God,  My  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken 
 me?  Christ,  in  the  garden,  tasted  the  bitter  cup  of  God's  fierce 
 wrath,  but  now  he  drunk  the  dregs  of  it.  O  but  what's  the  mean- 
 ing of  this;  My  God,  My  God,  luhy  hast  thou  forsaken  me? 
 Surely,  1 .  This  was  not  a  perpetual,  but  a  temporary  forsaking. 
 The  godhead  was  not  took  away  from  the  manhood,  but  the  union 
 remained  still,  even  now  when  the  manhood  was  forsaken.  2. 
 This  was  not  a  forsaking  on  Christ's  part,  but  only  on  the  Fa- 
 ther's part;  the  Father  forsook  Christ,  but  Christ  went  after  liini. 
 
 12.  2  I 
 
330  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 God  took  away  the  sense  of  his  love ;  but  the  Son  of  God  laid  hold 
 upon  hmi,  crying,  My  God,  My  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken 
 mef  3.  This  forsaking  was  not  in  respect  of  his  being,  but  in  re- 
 spect of  the  feeling  of  God's  favour,  love,  and  mercy.  Certainly 
 God  loved  him  still ;  but  his  sense  of  comfort  was  now  quite  gone, 
 so  as  it  never  was  before.  In  his  agony  there  was  now  and  then 
 some  little  flash  of  lightning  to  cheer  him ;  but  now  all  the  sense 
 and  feeling  of  God*s  love  was  gone.  Christ  now  took  the  place  of 
 sinners,  and  God  the  Father  shut  him  out,  as  it  were,  amongst 
 the  sinners ;  he  drew  his  mercy  out  of  sight,  and  therefore  he 
 cried  out  in  a  kind  of  wonder.  My  God,  My  God,  why  hast  thou 
 forsaken  me?  After  this  he  speaks  but  a  few  words  more,  and 
 gives  up  the  ghost.  He  die^,  that  we  might  live  -,  he  is  dissolved 
 himself,  that  we  might  be  united  to  his  Father.  O  my  soul,  see 
 him  now,  if  thou  canst  for  weeping ;  his  eyes  are  dun,  his  cheeks 
 are  wan,  his  face  is  pale,  his  head  is  bowing,  his  heart  is  pant- 
 ing, himself  is  dying.  Come,  and  die  with  him  by  mortifica- 
 tion. Look  pale,  like  him,  with  grief  and  sorrow,  and  trouble  for 
 thy  sins. 
 
 10.  Consider  the  piercing  of  his  side  with  a  spear,  whence 
 came  out  a  stream  of  blood  and  water.  O  fountain  of  everlasting 
 waters !  Methinks  I  see  the  blood  running  out  of  his  side  more 
 freshly  than  those  streams  which  ran  out  of  the  garden  of  Eden, 
 and  watered  the  whole  world.  Consider  the  taking  of  his  body 
 down  by  Joseph,  the  burying  of  it  by  Joseph  and  Nicodemus. 
 O  my  spirit,  go  with  me  a  little !  Christ  being  dead,  it  is  pity 
 but  he  should  have  a  funeral.  According  to  the  letter,  let 
 Joseph  and  Nicodemus  bear  his  corpse ;  let  the  blessed  Virgin 
 go  after  it  sighing  and  weeping,  and  at  every  other  place  look- 
 ing up  to  heaven ;  let  Mary  Magdalen  follow  after  with  precious 
 ointment,  and  with  her  hair  hanging,  ready,  if  need  were,  to 
 wipe  his  feet  again.  Now,  let  every  sinner,  according  to  the 
 nature  of  his  sin,  draw  something  from  the  passion  of  Christ  to 
 the  mortifying  of  his  sin ;  yea,  let  all  turn  mourners ;  let  all  bow 
 their  heads,  and  be  ready  to  give  up  the  ghost  for  the  name  of 
 Christ.  O  my  soul,  that  thou  wouldst  thus  meditate,  and  thus 
 imitate,  that  so  thy  meditation  might  be  fruitful,  and  thy  imita- 
 tion real ;  I  mean,  that  thy  life  and  death  might  be  conformable 
 to  the  life  and  death  of  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  Desiring  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  desire  Jesus,  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  sal- 
 vation in  his  death.  Indeed  nothing  doth  so  cool  and  refresh  a 
 parched  and  thirsty  soul,  as  the  blood  of  Jesus ;  which  made  the 
 'poor  woman  cry  out  so  earnestly,  "  I  have  an  husband,  and 
 children,  and  many  other  comforts,  but  I  would  give  them  all, 
 and  all  the  good  that  ever  I  shall  see  in  this  world,  or  in  the 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  331 
 
 world  to  come,  to  have  my  poor  thirsty  soul  refreshed  with  that 
 precious  blood  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 But  what  is  there  in  Christ*s  blood  or  death  that  is  so  desirable  ? 
 1  answer, 
 
 1.  There  is  in  it  the  person  of  Christ,  he  that  is  God-man, 
 the  brightness  of  his  Father  s  glory,  and  the  express  image  of 
 his  person.  It  is  he  that  died;  every  drop  of  his  blood  was 
 not  only  the  blood  of  an  innocent  man,  but  of  one  that  was  God 
 as  well  as  man.  God  with  his  own  blood  purchased  the  church. 
 Now  surely  every  thing  of  God  is  desirable. 
 
 2.  There  is  in  it  a  worth.  Christ  considered  under  the  notion 
 of  a  sacrifice,  is  of  infinite  worth.  No  wealth  in  heaven  or 
 earth  besides  this,  could  redeem  one  soul;  and  therefore  the 
 apostle  sets  this  against  all  corruptible  things,  as  silver  and  gold, 
 the  things  so  much  set  by  amongst  the  men  of  this  world :  Ye 
 were  not  redeemed  ivith  corrupfit)le  things,  such  as  silver  and 
 gold, — but  tvith  the  precious  blood  of  Christ,  as  of  a  lamb  with- 
 out  blernish,  and  without  spot. 
 
 3.  There  is  in  it  a  merit  and  satisfaction.  The  scripture  doth 
 not  expressly  use  these  words,  but  it  hath  the  sense  and  meaning 
 of  them;  as  in  that  text.  He  hath  made  ns  accepted  itt  the  Be- 
 loved, in  whom  we  have  redemption  through  his  blood.  The  very 
 words,  redeeming  and  buying,  plainly  demonstrate,  that  a  satis- 
 faction was  given  to  God  by  the  death  of  Jesus ;  He  gave  himself 
 for  us,  that  he  might  redeem,  us. —  Ye  are  bought  ivith  a  price. 
 And  what  price  was  that?  Why,  his  ovvn  blood;  Thou  ivast 
 slain,  and  hast  r^edeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood;  that  is,  by  thy 
 death  and  passion.  This  was  the  \vrpov,  that  ransom  which  Christ 
 gave :  The  So7i  of  man  came  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for  many  ; 
 or,  as  the  apostle,  He  gave  hbnself  a  ransom  for  all:  the  word  is 
 here  nvrlXvTpoi^,  which  signifies  an  adequate  price,  or  a  counter- 
 price  ;  as  when  one  doth  or  undergoeth  some  thing  in  the  room 
 of  another ;  as  when  one  yields  himself  a  captive  for  the  redeem- 
 ing of  another  out  of  captivity,  or  gives  up  his  own  life  for  the 
 saving  of  another  man's  Hfe;  so  Christ  gave  himself  nvTiXmpov,  a 
 ransom,  or  counter-price,  submitting  himself  to  the  like  punish- 
 ment, that  his  redeemed  ones  should  have  undergone. 
 
 4.  There  is  in  it  not  only  a  true,  but  a  copious  and  full  satis- 
 faction. Christ's  death  and  blood  is  superabundant  to  our 
 sins:  The  grace  of  our  Lord  was  exceeding  abundant,  1  Tim. 
 i.  14.  vTrcpe-n-Xeovaae,  it  was  over  full,  redundant,  more  than  enough. 
 Many  an  humble  soul  is  apt  to  complain,  H)  if  I  had  not  been 
 so  great  a  sinner,  there  might  have  been  hope.'  This  is  to  mi- 
 dervalue  Christ's  redemption,  this  is  to  think  there  is  more  in  sin 
 to  damn,  than  in  Christ's  sufferhigs  to  save :  whereas  all  thy  sins 
 to  Chiist,  are  but  as  a  little  cloud  to  the  glorious  svni ;  yea,  all 
 the  sins  of  all  the  men  in  the  world,  arc  but,  to  Christ's  merits,  as 
 a  drop  to  the  ocean. 
 
332  Looking  unto  %/e^us. 
 
 5.  There  is  in  it  remission  of  sins,  so  saith  Christ :  This  is 
 my  Mood  of  the  new  Testament,  which  is  shed  for  many  for  the 
 remission  of  sins.  Remission  of  sins  is  attributed  to  Christ's 
 death  as  a  cause;  it  is  not  thy  tears  or  prayers,  or  rending  of 
 heart,  that  could  pay  the  least  farthing :  Without  shedding  of 
 Mood,  saith  the  apostle,  there  is  no  remission.  God  will  have 
 tears,  and  blood  also,  though  not  for  the  same  purpose;  for  all 
 thy  tears,  thou  must  fly  to  Christ  only  as  the  cause :  it  is  true  thou 
 must  mourn,  and  pray,  and  humble  thyself,  but  it  is  Christ's  blood 
 only  that  can  wash  us  clean.  O  remember  this !  God  will  not 
 pardon  without  satisfaction  by  the  blood  of  Christ.  And  surely 
 this  makes  Christ's  death  so  desirable :  ^  O,  my  sins  afflict  me,' 
 cries  many  a  one ;  '  O  I  am  loathsome  in  my  own  eyes,  much 
 more  in  God's;  surely  God  is  offended  with  my  dulness,  sloth- 
 fulness,  and  my  thousand  im^^erfections ;  I  am  all  the  day  long 
 entangled  with  sin.'  But  let  this  contrite  spirit  look  on  Christ's 
 death,  and  therein  he  may  find  all  sin  is  pardoned.  See  here 
 what  an  argument  is  put  into  thy  mouth,  from  these  sufferings  of 
 Christ ;  well  mayest  thou  say,  '  O  Lord,  I  am  unworthy,  but  it  is 
 just  and  right  that  Christ  obtain  what  he  died  for;  O  pardon  my 
 sins  for  his  death's  sake,  and  for  his  precious  blood's  sake. 
 
 6.  There  is  in  it  reconciliation  and  peace  with  God.  In 
 Christ  Jesus,  ye  who  sometimes  were  afar  off,  are  made  nigh  by 
 the  Mood  of  Christ,  for  he  is  our  peace,  ivho  hath  7nade  both  one, 
 and  hath  broken  down  the  middle  wall  of  partition  between  us, — 
 JVhen  we  were  enemies,  ive  were  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death 
 of  his  Son. — This  certainly  should  support  the  drooping  soul;  it 
 may  be  thou  criest,  ^  My  sins  have  made  a  breach  betwixt  God 
 and  my  soul;  I  have  warred  against  heaven,  and  now  God  wars 
 against  me ;  and  O  what  odds  !  if  the  Lord  be  angry,  yea,  but  a 
 little,  what  will  become  of  my  poor  soul  ?  Is  stubble  able  to  con- 
 tend with  the  consuming  fire  ?  How  then  shall  I  contend  with 
 God?'  But  come  and  look  on  Christ's  death,  as  the  means  and 
 meritorious  cause  of  reconciliation ;  and  thou  canst  not  but  say, 
 *  O,  this  death  is  desirable !'  When  God  the  Father  looks  at  a 
 sinner  in  the  bloody  glass  of  Christ,  then  saith  God,  '  Fury  is 
 not  in  me,  I  have  no  more  controversy  with  this  soul :  seeing 
 Christ  hath  suffered,  it  is  enough,  I  have  as  much  as  my  justice 
 can  demand,  my  frowns  are  now  turned  into  smiles.'  Why,  this 
 is  it  that  makes  Christ's  death  and  blood  so  desirable  to  the  soul ; 
 what  shall  Jacob  so  rejoice  in  seeing  Esau's  face  altered  to  him  ? 
 shall  he  say  to  Esau,  I  have  seen  thy  face,  as  the  face  of  God? 
 How  much  rather  may  the  humble  and  believing  sinner  be  filled 
 with  gladness,  when  God,  through  Christ's  blood,  shall  be  thus 
 appeased  and  reconciled  with  him  1 
 
 There  is  in  it  a  blessed  virtue  to  open  heaven,  and  to  make 
 passage  thither  for  our  souls,  liberty  to  enter  into  the  holiest  by 
 the  blood  of  Jesus.      It  is  the  blood  of  Christ  that  rends  the  veil. 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  333 
 
 and  makes  a  way  into  the  holy  of  holies,  that  is,  into  the  king- 
 dom of  heaven.  Without  this  blood,  there  is  no  access  to  God. 
 It  is  only  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  that  heaven  is  open  to  our 
 prayers,  and  that  heaven  is  open  to  our  persons :  this  blood  is 
 that  key  that  unlocks  heaven,  and  lets  in  the  soids  of  his  re- 
 deemed ones.  And  Hooked^  saith  John,  and  behold  a  door  luas 
 open  in  heaven,  and  the  first  voice  I  heard  ivas  as  itiuere  of  a 
 trumpet  talking  with  me,  which  said,  Come  up  hither;  and  no 
 sooner  was  he  in  the  spirit,  and  entered  in,  but  he  heard  the 
 new  song :  Thou  art  wortJiy  to  take  the  book,  and  to  open  tlie 
 seals  thereof,  for  tliou  ivast  stain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God 
 by  thy  blood. 
 
 Come  now,  and  gather  in  all  these  particulars ;  there  is  in 
 Christ's  blood,  the  person  of  Christ,  the  price  of  souls,  a  merit 
 and  satisfaction,  a  copious  and  full  satisfaction,  remission  of  sins, 
 reconciliation  with  God,  a  passage  into  glory;  1  might  add  all 
 other  privileges,  benefits,  dignities  of  the  soul,  for  they  all  flow 
 from  the  blood  of  Jesus,  and  they  are  all  contained,  either  ex- 
 pressly or  virtually,  in  the  blood  of  Jesus ;  and  is  not  all  this 
 worth  the  looking  after?  O  my  soul,  where  is  thy  languor  and 
 fainting  towards  this  blessed  object?  When  David  desired 
 strongly  God's  law,  he  expressed  his  longings,  by  the  breaking 
 and  fainting  of  his  soul :  My  soul  breaketh  for  tlie  longing  that 
 it  hath  to  thy  judgments  at  all  times; — and  my  soul  faint  eth  for 
 thy  salvation.  O  where  be  these  breakings  and  faintings? 
 Strength  of  desire,  is  expressed  by  the  apostle,  by  groaning, 
 which  is  the  language  of  sickness.  O  where  be  these  groan ings 
 after  Christ's  death  ?  When  I  call  to  mind  that  Christ's  death 
 is  my  ransom,  that  Christ's  stripes  are  my  cures,  that  Christ's 
 blood  is  my  fountain  to  wash  in,  and  to  be  clean ;  how  should  I 
 but  pray  in  this  sense.  His  blood  be  upon  us,  and  on  our  children  ! 
 O,  I  am  undone,  except  I  have  a  share  in  tliis  blood !  It  is  only 
 this  fountain,  that  can  quench  my  thirst;  and  now  I  have  seen 
 the  fountain  opened,  how  should  I  but  thirst,  and  cry  out  with 
 the  woman  of  Samaria,  O  give  me  this  luater,  that  I  may  thirst 
 no  more!  But  alas,  I  say  it,  I  only  say  it.  O  that  I  could  feel 
 it !  O  my  Jesus,  that  thou  wouldst  breed  in  me  ardent  desires, 
 vehement  longings,  unutterable  groans,  mighty  gaspings.  When 
 my  spirit  is  in  right  frame,  I  feel  some  desires  after  Christ's  blood ; 
 but  how  short  are  these  desires,  how  unworthy  of  the  things 
 desired !  Come,  Lord,  kindle  in  me  hot,  burning  desires,  and 
 then  give  me  the  desirable  object. 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  Hoping  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  hope  in  Jesus,  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 salvation,  in  his  sufferings  and  death.  By  this  hope,  I  intend 
 only  that  which  the  apostle  calls  full  assurance  of  hope.     It  is 
 
334  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 not  every  hope  that  is  a  well-grounded  hope ;  that  we  may  dis- 
 cern that  the  grounds  of  our  hope  in  Christ's  death  are  not  false, 
 I  shall  lay  down  these  signs : — 
 
 1 .  If  Christ's  death  be  mine,  then  is  that  great  end  of  his  death 
 accomplished  in  me ;  viz.  3y  the  sacrifice  of  himself  he  hath 
 put  away  sin,  even  my  sin; — and,  in  him  I  have  redemption 
 through  his  blood,  even  the  forgiveness  of  sins.  As  on  this 
 account  he  suffered,  to  finish  the  transgression,  to  make  an  end 
 of  sins,  and  to  make  reconciliation  for  iniquity ;  so  if  his 
 death  be  mine,  I  may  assuredly  say.  My  sins  are  pardoned,  and 
 mine  iniquities  are  done  away.  Come  then,  and  try  by  this  sign, 
 canst  thou  assure  thyself  that  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee?  hast 
 thou  heard  the  whisper  of  God's  spirit,  '  Son,  or  daughter,  be 
 of  good  comfort,  thy  sins  are  remitted?'  there  is  no  question 
 then,  but  thou  art  redeemed  by  his  blood,  thou  hast  part  in  his 
 sufferings. 
 
 2.  If  Christ's  death  be  mine,  then  am  I  made  conformable  to 
 Christ  in  his  death.  The  same  that  was  done  to  Christ  in  a 
 natural  way,*  is  done  in  the  believer  in  a  spiritual  way;  that  is, 
 as  Christ  died,  so  the  believer  dies ;  as  Christ  died  for  sin,  so 
 the  believer  dies  to  sin :  In  that  he  died,  he  died  unto  sin, — Like- 
 luise  reckon  ye  yourselves  dead  unto  sin.  Observe  here  the  ana- 
 logy and  resemblance  betwixt  Christ  and  us ;  both  die  unto  sin ; 
 Christ  by  way  of  expiation,  for  the  sins  of  others ;  we  by  the 
 way  of  mortification,  and  crucifying  our  sins.  I  look  upon  this 
 sign  as  the  very  touchstone  of  a  Christian. 
 
 Two  questions  I  suppose  needful,  to  resolve  the  grounds  of  our 
 hope  concerning  our  interest  in  the  death  of  Christ. 
 
 1 .  Whether  in  truth  our  sins  are  mortified  ? 
 
 2.  Whether  we  grow  in  mortification  ? 
 
 For  the  first :  whether  in  truth  our  sins  are  mortified,  it  is  a 
 skill  worth  our  learning,  because  of  the  many  deceits  that  are 
 within  us ;  sin  may  seem  to  be  mortified  when  the  occasion  is 
 removed ;  or,  when  it  is  not  violent,  but  quiet ;  when  it  is  but 
 removed  from  one  sin  unto  another;  or,  when  the  sap  and 
 strength  of  sin  is  dead :  as  the  lamp  goes  out,  when  either  the 
 oil  is  not  supplied,  or  taken  away.  Now  that  in  this  scrutiny  we 
 may  search  to  the  bottom,  and  know  the  truth  of  our  mortifica- 
 tion, it  will  appear  by  these  rules : 
 
 1.  True  mortification  springs  from  a  root  of  faith.  If  we 
 can  make  out,  that  we  believe  in  Christ  for  life  and  salvation, 
 and  that  now  we  feel  in  us  the  decay  of  sin,  we  may  conclude 
 from  the  cause,  that  this  decay  of  sin  is  true  mortification :  it  is  a 
 blessed  effect  arising  from  a  right  cause. 
 
 2.  True  mortification  is  general ;  not  only  one  sin,  but  all  sins 
 are  mortified  in  a  true  believer.  As  death  is  unto  the  members  of 
 the  body,  so  is  mortification  unto  the  members  of  sin;  now 
 death  seizeth  upon  every  member,  it  leaves  not  life  in  any  one 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  335 
 
 member  of  the  body ;  so  neither  doth  mortification  leave  life  in  any- 
 one member  of  sin.  It  is  good  to  observe  the  degrees  of  morti- 
 fication :  The  first  is,  to  forbear  the  practice  of  gross  sins,  in- word 
 and  deed.  The  second  is,  to  deny  consent  and  will  to  all  frail- 
 ties and  infirmities.  The  third  is,  to  be  free  from  any  liking  of 
 any  evil  motion ;  not  only  to  deny  consent,  but  also  to  deny  the 
 very  thought  or  imagination.  If  when  these  motions  first  arise, 
 we  presently  quench,  reject,  detest,  and  cast  them  away  from 
 us;  therein  is  true  mortification. 
 
 2d.  Whether  we  grow  in  our  mortification?  True  mortifica- 
 tion is  that  which  grows.  Now  the  growth  of  our  mortification 
 will  appear  by  these  following  signs : — 
 
 1.  Growing  mortification  hath  its  chief  conflicts  in  spiritual 
 lusts.  At  first  we  mortify  grosser  evils;  but  when  we  grow  in 
 this  blessed  duty,  we  then  set  ourselves  against  spiritual  wicked- 
 ness ;  as  pride,  presumption,  self-confidence.  This  method  the 
 apostle  sets  down;  Let  us  cleanse  ourselves  from  all  Jilt  hiness  of 
 
 jiesh  and  spirit.      First,  from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  or  body, 
 and  then  from  all  filthiness  of  the  spirit. 
 
 2.  Growing  mortification  is  constant,  lasting,  durable.  Wheil 
 there  is  in  the  heart  a  sudden  flowing  and  reflowing,  it  comes 
 from  those  vast  seas  of  corruption  that  are  within  us :  in  this 
 case,  mortification  is  very  weak.  But  on  the  contrary,  if  we  find 
 our  standing  more  firm  and  sure,  if  for  the  main  we  walk  evenly, 
 and  keep  closely  to  the  Lord;  it  carries  with  it  an  evidence  that 
 our  mortification  grows. 
 
 3.  Growing  mortification  feels  lust  more  weak,  and  the  spirit 
 more  strong  in  its  ordinary  actings.  Suppose  it  be  a  lust  or 
 fancy,  it  cannot  boil  up  to  gross  fancies  as  it  was  wont;  or, 
 suppose  it  be  pride,  it  boils  not  up  to  such  a  spirit  of  pride 
 as  formerly;  instead  of  bringing  forth  fruit,  it  now  brings  forth 
 blossoms ;  or,  instead  of  bringing  forth  blossoms,  it  now  brings 
 forth  nothing  but  leaves :  this  is  a  sign  that  this  lust  is  withering 
 more  and  more;  when  the  waters  abate,  and  overflow  less 
 ground,  we  may  conclude,  that  mortification  grows. 
 
 4.  GroT\dng  mortification  hath  more  ability  to  abstain  from 
 the  very  occasions  and  beginnings  of  lust.  When  a  man  can- 
 not endure  to  come  where  such  a  one  is  that  he  loves  not,  when 
 he  cannot  endure  the  sight  of  him,  or  any  thing  that  puts 
 him  in  mind  of  him,  not  so  much  as  to  parley  or  speak  with 
 him;  this  is  a  sign  of  strong  hatred:  and  so  when  a  man 
 hates  the  very  garment  spotted  with  the  flesh,  here's  a  good 
 sign. 
 
 O  my  soul,  try  now  the  growth  of  thy  mortification  by  these 
 signs :  hast  thou  overcome  grosser  sins,  and  is  now  thy  chief 
 conflict  with  spiritual  wickednesses  ?  Is  thy  standing  and  walk- 
 ing with  God  more  close,  and  even,  and  constant,  than  sometimes 
 it  hath  been  ?     Is  thy  lust  more  weak,  and  thy  grace  more  strong, 
 
336  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 in  ordinary  actings  ?  Hast  thou  now  more  ability  to  quench  the 
 flame  of  sin  in  the  very  spark,  to  abstain  from  sin  in  its  first 
 motion  ?  Why,  then  is  the  promise  accomplished.  He  will  sub- 
 due our  iniquities :  surely  thou  art  a  growing  Christian ;  thou 
 hast  fellowship  with  Christ  in  his  sufferings ;  thy  ground  is  solid, 
 firm,  and  stable  5  thy  hope  hath  foundation,  and  thou  mayest  build 
 upon  it,  that  Christ's  death  and  sufferings  are  thine,  even 
 thine. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Of  Believing  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  believe  in  Jesus,  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  during  his  sufferings  and  death.  Every  one  looks 
 upon  this  as  an  easy  duty;  only  the  humble  soul  cries  out,  ^  O 
 what  a  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  thyself  by  unbelief.  It  may 
 be  thou  wouldst  not  die  for  an  enemy,  an  irreconcileable  enemy ; 
 but  are  not  the  mercies  of  God  above  all  the  mercies  of  men  ? 
 Look  on  Jesus  as  lifted  up,  and  then  look  at  the  end  and  mean- 
 ing; why  was  Jesus  thus  lifted  up? 
 
 L  One  design  of  Christ's  death,  was  to  redeem  us  from  the 
 slavery  of  death  and  hell.  We  were  carnal,  sold  under  sin; 
 whereupon  the  law  seized  on  us,  locked  us  up,  as  it  were,  in  a 
 dungeon;  yea,  the  sentence  passed,  and  we  but  waited  for 
 execution.  Now,  to  get  us  rid  from  this  dismal,  damnable  estate, 
 Christ  himself  is  made  under  the  law,  that  he  might  redeem  us : 
 not  by  way  of  entreaty;  that  would  not  serve  the  turn.  Sold  we 
 were,  and  bought  we  must  be,  it  was  a  matter  of  redemption  : 
 but  with  what  must  we  be  redeemed  ?  Ye  were  not  redeemed 
 with  corruptible  things,  as  silver  and  gold,  but  tvith  the  precious 
 blood  of  Christ.  His  precious  blood  was  the  price  we  stood  him 
 in ;  which  he  paid  when  he  gave  his  life  a  ransom  for  many. 
 The  case  stood  thus  betwixt  Christ  and  us  in  this  point  of  re- 
 demption ;  we  all,  like  a  company  of  malefactors,  were  ready  to 
 be  executed.  Now,  what  said  Christ  to  this  ?  ^  I  will  suffer 
 that  which  they  should  suffer ;  I  will  take  upon  me  their  execu- 
 tion, upon  condition  I  may  redeem  them.'  Now  this  he  did  at 
 his  death,  and  this  was  the  end  why  he  died,  that  by  his  death 
 we  might  be  redeemed  from  death  and  hell. 
 
 2.  Another  design  of  Christ's  death,  was  to  mortify  our  mem- 
 bers which  are  upon  the  earth.  Not  only  would  he  remit  sin, 
 but  he  would  destroy  it,  kill  it,  crucify  it;  he  would  not  have  it 
 reign  in  our  mortal  bodies,  that  we  should  obey  it  in  the  lusts 
 thereof.  "^This  design  the  apostle  sets  out  in  these  words.  He 
 bare  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree,  that  we  being  dead  unto 
 sin,  should  live  unto  righteousness,    Christ,  by  his  death,  had 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  337 
 
 not  only  a  design  to  deliver  us  from  the  guilt  of  sin,  but  also 
 from  the  power  of  sin.  God  forhid  that  I  should  glory,  save 
 in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  In/  whom  the  world  is  ctu- 
 cified  unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  luorld.  Paul  was  a  mortified  man, 
 dead  to  the  world,  and  dead  to  sin.  But  how  came  he  so  to  be  ? 
 Why,  this  he  attributes  to  the  cross,  the  death  of  Christ.  The 
 death  of  Jesus  was  the  cause  of  this  death  in  Paul:  How  muck 
 more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ — purge  our  consciences  froin  dead 
 luorks,  to  serve  the  living  God?  There  is  in  the  death  of  Christ, 
 first,  a  value,  and,  secondly,  a  virtue ;  the  former  is  available  to 
 our  justification,  the  latter  to  our  sanctification.  Now  sanctifi- 
 cation  hath  two  parts,  mortification  aiid  vivification:  Christ^s 
 death,  or  passive  obedience,  is  more  properly  conducible  to  the 
 one  ;  his  life,  or  active  obedience,  to  the  other. 
 
 0  my  soul,  look  to  this  :  herein  lies  the  pith  and  marrow  of 
 the  death  of  Christ ;  and  now  if  thou  wilt  but  exercise  thy  faith 
 in  this  respect,  how  mii^htest  thou  draw  the  virtue  of  his  death 
 into  thy  soul  ?  But  here's  a  question,  How  should  I  manage  my 
 faith,  to  draw  down  the  virtue  of  Christ's  death,  and  so  to  feel 
 the  virtue  of  Christ's  death  in  my  soul,  mortifying,  crucifying,  and 
 killing  sin  ? 
 
 1  answer,  1.  In  prayer,  n\editation,  self-examination,  and  re- 
 ceiving of  the  Lord's  supper.  I  must  propound  to  myself  the 
 Lord  Jesus  Christ,  as  having  undertaken  and  performed  that 
 painful  w^ork  of  suffering  even  unto  death,  yea,  that  of  the 
 cross.  2.  I  must  look  upon  those  grievous,  painful,  shameful 
 sufferings  of  Christ  as  very  strange  and  wonderful;  but  espe- 
 cially the  spiritual  part  of  his  sufferings,  viz.  the  sense  and 
 apprehension  of  God's  forsaking  and  afflicting  him  in  the  day  of 
 his  fierce  anger.  How  should  I  but  stand  aghast  at  these  so 
 wonderful  sufferings  of  Jesus  Christ!  3.  1  must  weigh  and 
 consider  what  it  was  that  caused  all  this,  viz.  sin,  yea,  my  sin  ; 
 yea,  this  and  that  sin  particularly.  This  comes  nearer  home, 
 and  from  this  I  must  now  gather  these  several  conclusions. 
 
 1.  It  was  the  design  of  Christ,  by  his  sufferings,  to  give  satis- 
 faction to  the  infinite  justice  of  God  for  shi.  2.  it  was  intended 
 to  give  the  world  a  most  eminent  demonstration  of  the  odiousness 
 and  execrableness  of  sin.  3.  It  holds  forth,  as  sin  is  horrid  in  itself, 
 so  it  cannot  but  be  exceeding  grievous  and  offensive  to  Christ ;  it 
 put  him  to  all  this  pain.  How  then  should  it  but  offend  him  above 
 any  thing  in  the  world!  4.  If  therefore  there  be  in  me  any 
 spark  of  love  towards  Christ,  or  any  likeness  to  Christ,  or  if  I 
 would  have  Christ  bear  any  love  unto  me,  it  will  absolutely  be- 
 hove me  by  all  means  to  loath  sin,  and  cast  it  away  from  me ;  to 
 root  it  up,  to  quit  my  hands,  and  to  rid  my  heart  of  it.  The 
 truth  is,  I  cannot  possibly  give  forth  a  more  pregnant  proof  of 
 ray  sincere  love  to  Christ,  than  by  offering  all  violence,  all  holy 
 severity,  against  sin  for  his  sake. 
 12.  2  u 
 
338  Lookmg  unto  Jesus, 
 
 Now  when  the  heart  is  thus  exercised,  God,  by  his  Spirit, 
 will  not  fail  to  meet  us ;  our  desire  and  endeavour  to  weaken  and 
 kill  sin  in  the  soul  is  not  without  its  reward ;  but  especially  when 
 sin  hath  in  this  way,  and  by  this  means,  lost  the  affection  of  the 
 soul,  and  is  brought  into  hatred  and  disesteem,  it  decays  and 
 dies  of  itself:  so  matters  going  thus  and  thus  in  the  heart,  the 
 influence  that  should  nourish  sin  is  cut  off,  and  it  withers  by 
 degrees  till  it  be  finally  destroyed. 
 
 Sect.  VI. — Of  Loving  Jesus  in  that  respect- 
 
 Let  us  love  Jesus  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  sal- 
 vation during  his  sufferings  and  death.  What !  did  he  suffer 
 and  die  ?  Greater  love  than  this  hath  no  man,  that  a  man  should 
 give  his  life  for  his  friends. — But  God  commendeth  his  love  to- 
 tvards  us,  in  that  while  we  were  yet  sinners  Christ  died  for  us. 
 Here's  an  argument  of  love  indeed ;  how  should  we  but  love  him 
 who  thus  loved  us  ?  In  prosecution  of  this,  I  have  no  more  to 
 do,  but  first  to  shew  Christ's  love  to  us,  and  to  exercise  our  love 
 to  him  again. 
 
 1 .  For  his  love  to  us :  it  is  worth  our  while  to  consider  it  in 
 an  holy  meditation. — Indeed,  with  what  less  than  ravishment  of 
 spirit  can  I  behold  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  from  everlasting  was 
 clothed  with  glory  and  majesty,  now  exposed  to  hunger,  thirst, 
 weariness,  danger,  contempt,  poverty,  revilings,  scourgings, 
 persecution !  But  let  them  pass :  into  what  ecstacies  may  I  be 
 cast,  to  see  the  Judge  of  all  the  world  accused,  judged,  con- 
 demned !  to  see  the  Lord  of  life  dying  upon  the  tree  of  shame 
 and  curse !  to  see  the  eternal  Son  of  God  struggling  with  his 
 Father's  wrath !  to  see  him  who  had  said,  /  and  my  Father 
 are  one,  sweating  drops  of  blood  in  his  agony,  and  crying.  My 
 God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  mef  O  whither  hath 
 his  love  to  mankind  carried  him  ?  Had  he  only  sent  his  creatures 
 to  serve  us,  had  he  only  sent  his  prophets  to  advise  us  in  the  way 
 to  heaven ;  had  he  only  sent  his  angels  from  his  chamber  of  pre- 
 sence to  attend  us,  and  to  minister  to  us,  it  had  been  a  great 
 deal  of  mercy :  or  if  it  must  be  so,  had  Christ  come  down  from 
 heaven  himself,  only  to  visit  us,  or  had  he  come  only  and  wept 
 over  us,  saying,  '  O  that  you  had  known,  even  in  this  your  day, 
 the  things  belonging  to  your  peace !  O  that  you  had  more  con- 
 sidered my  goodness !  O  that  you  had  never  sinned !'  this  would 
 have  been  such  a  mercy  as  that  all  the  world  would  have  won- 
 dered at  it :  but  that  Christ  himself  should  come,  and  lay  down  his 
 life  for  his  people ;  and  yet  I  am  not  at  the  lowest,  that  he  should 
 not  only  part  with  life,  but  part  with  the  sense  and  sweetness  of 
 God's  love,  which  is  a  thousand  times  better  than  life ;  that  he 
 should  be  content  to  be  accursed,  that  we  might  be  blessed; 
 that  he  should  be  content  to  be  forsaken,  that  we  might  not  be 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  339 
 
 forsaken ;  that  he  should  be  content  to  be  condemned,  that  we 
 might  be  acquitted :  O  what  raptures  of  spirit  can  be  sufficient 
 for  the  admiration  of  this  infinite  mercy !  Be  thou  swallow- 
 ed up,  O  my  soul,  in  this  depth  of  divine  love;  and  hate  to 
 spend  thy  thoughts  any  more  upon  the  base  objects  of  this 
 world. 
 
 Look  upon  him !  He  hangs  on  the  cross  all  naked,  torn,  and 
 bloody ;  betwixt  heaven  and  earth ;  he  hath  a  crown  indeed,  but 
 such  a  one  as  few  men  will  touch,  none  will  take  from  him :  his 
 hair  is  all  clotted  with  blood,  his  face  all  clouded  with  black  and 
 blue ;  he  is  all  over  pitifully  rent,  outwards,  inwards,  body  and 
 soul.  I  will  think  the  rest :  alas  !  had  I  the  tongues  of  men  and 
 angels,  I  could  not  express  it.  O  love  more  deep  than  hell !  O 
 love  more  high  than  heaven !  The  brightest  seraphims  that  burn 
 in  love,  are  but  as  sparkles  to  that  mighty  flame  of  love  in  the 
 heart  of  Jesus. 
 
 2.  If  this  be  Christ's  love  to  us,  what  is  that  love  we  owe  to 
 Christ !  O  now  for  a  heart  that  might  be  some  ways  answerable 
 to  these  mercies!  O  for  a  soul  sick  of  love,  yea,  sick  unto 
 death !  This  only  sickness  is  our  health,  this  death  our  life ;  and 
 not  to  be  thus  sick,  is  to  be  dead  in  sins  and  trespasses :  why, 
 surely  I  have  heard  enough,  for  which  to  love  Christ  for  ever. 
 The  depths  of  God's  grace  are  bottomless,  they  pass  our  under- 
 standing, yet  they  recreate  our  hearts ;  they  give  matter  of  ad- 
 miration, yet  they  are  not  devoid  of  consolation.  O  God,  raise 
 up  our  souls  to  thee ;  and  if  our  spirits  be  too  weak  to  know 
 thee,  make  our  affections  ardent  and  sincere  to  love  thee. 
 
 The  whole  gospel  is  no  other  thing  than  a  motive  to  draw  man 
 to  God  by  the  force  of  God's  love  to  man.  In  this  sense  the 
 holy  scriptures  may  be  called  the  Book  of  true  Love,  seeing 
 therein  God  both  unfolds  his  love  to  us,  and  also  binds  our  love 
 to  him ;  but  of  all  the  motives  we  may  draw  from  Christ,  and  of 
 all  the  arguments  we  may  find  in  the  gospel  of  Christ,  there  is 
 none  to  this,  the  death  of  Christ,  the  blood  of  Jesus.  Is  not  this 
 such  a  love-letter  as  never  was  the  like  ?  Read  the  words.  For 
 his  great  love  tvherewith  he  loved  us,  Eph.  ii.  4.  O  consider  it, 
 is  not  this  a  great  love  ?  Are  not  all  mercies  wrapt  up  in  the 
 blood  of  Christ?  It  may  be  thou  hast  riches,  honours,  friends, 
 means;  O  but  thank  the  blood  of  Christ  for  all  thou  hast.  It 
 may  be  thou  hast  grace,  and  that  is  better  than  corn,  or  wine,  or 
 oil !  For  this  thank  the  blood  of  Jesus ;  surely  it  was  the  blood 
 of  Christ  that  did  this  for  thee ;  thou  wast  a  rebellious  soul, 
 thou  hast  a  hard  and  filthy  heart,  but  Christ's  blood  was  the 
 fountain  opened,  and  it  took  away  all  sin  and  all  uncleanness. 
 Christ  is  in  all,  and  Christ  above  all,  and  wilt  thou  not  love  him  ? 
 O  that  all  our  words  were  words  of  love ;  and  all  our  labour, 
 labour  of  love ;  and  all  our  thoughts,  thoughts  of  love, — that 
 we   might   speak  of  love,   and   muse   of  love,   and  love  this 
 
340  Looking  unto  J^esus, 
 
 Christ,  who  hath  first  loved  us_,  with  all  our  heart_,  and  soul,  and 
 might ! 
 
 Sect.  VII. — Of  Joying  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  joy  in  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  in  his  sufferings  and  death.  What !  hath  Christ  suf- 
 fered for  us  ?  hath  he  drunk  off  all  the  cup  of  God's  wrath,  and 
 left  none  for  us  ?  how  should  we  but  be  cheered  !  Precious  souls, 
 why  are  you  afraid  ?  There  is  no  death,  no  hell,  no  condemna- 
 tion to  them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus.  There  is  no  divine 
 justice  for  them  to  undergo,  that  have  their  share  in  this  death 
 of  Christ.  O  the  grace  and  mercy  that  is  purchased  by  this 
 means  of  Christ !  O  the  waters  of  comfort  that  flow  from  the 
 sufferings  and  obedience  of  Christ !  Christ  was  amazed,  that 
 we  might  be  cheered ;  Christ  was  imprisoned,  that  we  might  be 
 delivered 3  Christ  was  accused,  that  we  might  be  acquitted; 
 Christ  was  condemned,  that  we  might  be  redeemed ;  Christ  suf- 
 fered his  Father's  wrath,  that  the  victory  might  be  ours,  and  that 
 in  the  end  we  might  see  him  face  to  face  in  glory.  Is  not  here 
 matter  of  joy  ?  It  may  be,  sin,  and  justice,  and  conscience,  and 
 death,  and  hell,  may  appear  as  enemies;  but  is  there  not  enough 
 in  the  blood  of  Christ  to  chase  them  away  ?  Give  me  leave  but 
 to  frame  the  objections  of  some  doubting  souls,  and  see  whether 
 Christ's  death  will  not  sufficiently  answer  them  all. 
 
 1 .  One  cries  thus,  ^  O !  I  know  not  what  will  become  of  me, 
 my  sins  are  ever  before  me:  Against  thee,  thee  only,  have  1  sin- 
 ned, and  done  this  evil  in  thy  sight,  I  have  sinned  against  a 
 most  dear,  and  gracious,  and  merciful  God  and  Father,  in  our 
 Lord  Jesus.  O  the  aggravations  of  my  sins !  Are  they  not  sins 
 above  measure  sinful?' 
 
 It  may  be  so,  but  the  blood  of  Christ  is  a  fountain  opened  for 
 sin  a7id  iincleanness. — And  now  once  i7i  the  end  of  the  world  hath 
 he  appeared,  to  put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself. — As 
 the  scape-goat  under  the  law  had  upon  his  head  all  the  iniquities 
 of  the  children  of  Israel,  and  so  was  sent  away  hy  the  hand  of 
 a  Jit  man  into  the  wilderness ;  so  the  Lord  Jesus  (of  whom  that 
 goat  was  a  type)  had  all  our  iniquities  laid  upon  him  by  God  his 
 Father,  and  bearing  them,  he  took  them  away;  Behold  the 
 Lamb  of  God,  tvho  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world!  He  went 
 away  with  them  into  the  wilderness,  or  into  the  land  of  forget- 
 fulness.     See  what  comfort  is  here. 
 
 2.  Another  cries  thus,  '  O !  I  know  not  what  will  become  of 
 me,  I  have  transgressed  the  law,  and  it  speaks  terribly :  Cursed 
 is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things  which  are  written  in 
 the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them. 
 
 Say  not  so ;  for  by  the  death  of  Christ,  though  the  law  be 
 broken,  yet  the  cursQ  is  removed.     Thp  apostle  is  clear;    Christ 
 
Looking  ujito  Jesus,  341 
 
 hath  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  laiv,  bei7ig  made  a  curse 
 for  us.  He  was  made  a  curse  for  us ;  that  is^  the  fruits  and 
 effects  of  God's  curse,  the  punishment  due  to  sinners,  the  penal 
 curse  which  justice  required,  was  laid  upon  Christ,  and  by  this 
 means  we  are  freed  from  the  curse  of  the  law.  There  is  no  con- 
 demnation to  them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus :  the  law  is  satisfied, 
 and  the  bond  is  cancelled.     O  what  comfort  is  this ! 
 
 3.  Another  cries  thus,  ^  O !  I  know  not  what  will  become  of 
 me,  I  have  offended  justice;  and  what,  shall  I  appeal  from  the 
 seat  of  justice  to  the  throne  of  grace  !  My  sins  are  gone  before, 
 and  they  are  knocking  at  heaven-gates,  and  crying.  Justice, 
 
 '  Lord,  on  this  sinner.' 
 
 By  this  death  of  Christ,  free  grace  and  justice  are  both  thy 
 friends.  Thou  needest  not  appeal  from  the  court  of  justice  to 
 the  mercy-seat.  In  this  mystery  of  godliness  there  may  be  as 
 much  comfort  in  standing  before  the  bar  of  justice,  as  at  the 
 mercy-seat.  And  yet  I  speak  not  against  relying  on  God's 
 mercy  for  pardon;  but  what  need  we  appeal  from  justice  to 
 mercy,  when  by  faith  we  may  tender  the  death  of  Christ,  and  so 
 find  acceptance  with  the  justice  of  God  itself?  Come,  and  let 
 me  tell  thee,  if  thou  hast  any  share  in  the  death  of  Christ,  thou 
 hast  two  tenures  to  hold  thy  pardon  by,  mercy  and  justice,  free 
 grace  and  righteousness;  mercy  in  respect  of  thee,  and  justice 
 in  respect  of  Christ.  Not  only  is  free  grace  ready  to  acquit 
 thee,  but  a  full  price  is  laid  down  to  discharge  thee  of  all  th)'^  sins : 
 so  that  now  when  the  prince  of  this  world  comes  against  thee, 
 thou  mayest  say,  ^  How  can  he  accuse  me,  seeing  Christ  is  my 
 surety;  seeing  the  bond  hath  been  sued,  and  Christ  Jesus  would 
 not  leave  one  farthing  unpaid  ?' 
 
 4.  Another  cries  thus,  ^  O !  I  know  not  what  will  become  of 
 me ;  I  see  death  standing  before  me :  O,  this  is  he  that  is  the 
 king  of  fears,  the  inlet  to  all  those  plagues  in  another  world, 
 and  die  I  must,  there  is  no  remedy :  O !  I  startle,  and  am  afraid 
 of  it.' 
 
 And  why  so  ?  It  is  Christ  that  died,  and  by  his  death  took 
 away  the  sting  of  death.  Come,  meditate  upon  the  death  of 
 Christ,  and  thou  shalt  find  matter  enough  in  his  death,  for  the 
 subduing  of  thy  fears  of  death,  both  in  the  mrrit  of  it,  in  the 
 effect  of  it,  and  in  the  end  of  it.  1.  In  the  merit  of  it;  Christ's 
 death  is  meritorious,  and,  in  that  respect,  the  writ  of  mortaHty  ia 
 but  to  the  saints  a  writ  of  ease,  a  passage  into  glory.  2.  In  the 
 effect  of  it,  Christ's  death  is  the  conquest  of  death;  Christ  went 
 down  into  the  grave,  that  the  grave,  which  was  before  a  prison, 
 might  now  be  a  thoroughfare,  so  that  all  his  saints  may  witli  ease 
 pass  through,  and  sing,  O  death,  where  is  thij  sting  f  3.  In  the 
 end  of  it,  Christ's  deatli,  amongst  other  ends,  aims  at  the  ruin 
 of  him  that  had  the  power  of  death,  that  is,  the  devil;  and  to 
 deliver  them  who,  through  fear  of  death,  were  all  their  life- 
 
342  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 time  in  bondage.  Christ  pursued  this  end  in  dying,  to  deliver 
 thee  from  the  fear  of  death ;  and  if  now  thou  fearest,  thy  fear- 
 ing is  a  kind  of  making  Christ's  death  of  none  effect.  O  come, 
 and  with  joy  draw  water  out  of  this  well  of  salvation ! 
 
 Come  then,  and  comfort  yourselves,  all  believers,  in  this  death 
 of  Christ ;  do  you  believe  ?  Why  then  do  you  sit  drooping  ? 
 What  manner  of  communications  are  these  that  you  have,  as  ye 
 walk  and  are  sad?  Away,  disquietness  of  spirit;  Christ  is  dead, 
 that  you  might  live ;  in  this  respect  every  thing  speaks  comfort ; 
 God  and  men,  heaven  and  earth,  angels  and  devils ;  the  very  jus- 
 tice of  God  is  now  your  friend,  and  bids  you  go  away  comforted, 
 for  it  is  satisfied  to  the  full ;  heaven  itself  waits  on  you,  and  keeps 
 the  doors  open,  that  your  souls  may  enter.  O  my  soul,  I  see 
 thou  art  poring  on  sin,  on  thy  crimson  sins,  but  I  would  have 
 thee  dwell  on  that  crimson  blood  of  Christ;  it  is  the  blood  of 
 sprinkling,  it  speaks  better  things  than  the  blood  of  Abel;  it 
 cries  for  mercy,  and  pardon,  and  refreshing,  and  salvation :  thy 
 sins  crj^.  Lord,  do  me  justice  against  such  a  soul:  but  the  blood 
 of  Christ  hath  another  cry;  I  am  abased,  I  have  answered  all. 
 Methinks  this  should  make  thy  heart  leap  for  joy;  it  is  the  spi- 
 ritual wine  that  makes  merry  the  heart  of  man ;  and  it  is  the 
 voice  of  Christ  to  all  his  guests,  ^  Eat,  O  friends ;  drink,  yea 
 drink  abundantly,  O  beloved.* 
 
 Sect.  VIII. — Of  Calling  on  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  call  on  Jesus,  or  on  God  the  Father,  in  and  through 
 Jesus. 
 
 1 .  We  must  pray  that  all  these  transactions  of  Christ  in  his 
 sufferings  and  death  may  be  ours;  if  we  direct  our  prayers  im- 
 mediately to  Jesus  Christ,  let  us  tell  him  what  pains  he  hath 
 suffered  for  our  sakes ;  and  let  us  complain  against  ourselves, 
 '  O  what  shall  we  do,  who  by  our  sins  have  so  tormented  our 
 dearest  Lord  ?  What  contrition  can  be  great  enough,  what  tears 
 sufficient,  what  hatred  and  detestation  equal  to  those  sad  and 
 heavy  sufferings  of  our  Jesus?'  And  then  let  us  pray,  that  he 
 would  pity  us,  and  forgive  us  those  sins  wherewith  we  crucified 
 him;  that  he  would  bestow  on  us  the  virtue  of  his  death,  that 
 his  wounds  might  heal  us,  his  death  might  quicken  us,  and  his 
 blood  might  cleanse  us  from  all  our  filth  of  sin;  and  lastly,  that 
 he  would  assure  us  that  his  death  is  ours ;  that  he  would  per- 
 suade us,  that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  aiigels,  nor  princi- 
 palities, nor  poivers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come,  nor 
 height,  nor  depth,  fior  any  creature,  should  be  able  to  separate 
 us  from  the  love  of  God,  ivhich  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 
 
 2.  We  must  praise  the  Lord  for  all  these  sufferings  of  Christ. 
 Hath  he  indeed  suffered  all  these  punishments  for  us  ?  Then, 
 what  shall  wc  render  unto  the  Lord  for  all  his  benefits  ?      What 
 
Looking  unto  t/esus.  343 
 
 "O 
 
 shall  we  do  for  him,  who  hath  done  and  suffered  all  these  things  ? 
 But  especially,  if  we  believe  our  part  in  the  death  of  Christ ;  in 
 all  the  virtues,  benefits,  victories,  purchases,  and  privileges  of 
 his  precious  death ;  then  what  manifold  cause  of  thankfulness  and 
 praise  is  here  ?  Be  enlarged,  O  my  soul ;  sound  forth  the  praises 
 of  thy  Christ,  tell  all  the  world  of  that  love  of  Christ,  which 
 flowed  with  his  blood  out  of  all  his  wounds  into  thy  spirit;  tune 
 thy  heart-strings  aright,  and  keep  concert  with  all  the  angels  of 
 heaven,  and  all  his  saints  on  earth ;  sing  that  psalm  of  John  the 
 divine :  Unto  him  that  loved  us,  and  iv ashed  us  from  our  sins  in 
 his  oiun  blood,  and  hath  made  us  kings  andjmests  unto  God;  to 
 him  be  glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 
 
 Sect.  IX. — Of  Conforming  to  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  conform  to  Jesus  in  respect  of  his  sufferings  and  death : 
 looking  unto  Jesus  is  effective  of  this.  Come  then,  and  let  us 
 look  on  Christ,  and  conform  to  Christ  in  this  respect. 
 
 In  this  particular,  I  shall  examine  these  queries ;  1 .  Wherein 
 we  must  conform  ?  2.  What  is  the  cause  of  this  conformity  ? 
 3.  What  are  the  means  of  this  conformity  ? 
 
 For  the  first.  Wherein  we  must  conform  ?  I  answer.  In  his 
 graces,  sufferings,  and  death. 
 
 1.  In  the  graces  that  most  eminently  shined  in  his  bitter 
 passion;  his  life  indeed  was  a  gracious  life,  but  his  graces 
 shined  most  clearly  at  his  death :  I  shall  instance  in  some  of 
 them. 
 
 (1.)  His  humility;  that  the  most  high  God  of  God,  should 
 vouchsafe  to  be  contemned,  and  less  esteemed  than  Barabbas  a 
 murderer ;  that  Christ  should  be  crucified  betwixt  two  thieves, 
 as  if  he  had  been  the  ringleader  of  all  malefactors;  O  what 
 humility  was  this ! 
 
 (2.)  His  patience;  Christ  also  suffered  for  us,  leaving  us  an 
 example,  that  we  should  follow  his  steps; — who  when  he  teas 
 reviled,  reviled  not  again  ;  when  he  suffered,  he  threatened  not, 
 but  committed  himself  to  him  that  Judge th  righteously.  O  the 
 patience  of  Christ ! 
 
 (3.)  His  love ;  Herein  is  love,  not  that  ive  loved  God,  but  that 
 he  loved  us,  and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our  si?is. 
 This  love  is  an  exemplar  of  all  love,  it  is  the  fire  that  should 
 kindle  all  our  sparks  :  Be  ye  followers  of  God,  saith  the  apostle, 
 as  dear  children  ;  and  walk  in  love,  as  Christ  also  hath  loved  us, 
 and  hath  giveyi  hhnself  for  us,  an  offering  and  sacrifice  to  God, 
 for  a  siveet-smelling  savour.  Some  observe,  that  in  the  temple 
 there  were  two  altars,  the  brazen  and  the  golden  ;  the  brazen  altar 
 was  for  bloody  sacrifices,  the  golden  altar  was  for  the  offering  of 
 incense :  now  the  former  was  a  type  of  Christ's  bloody  offering 
 upon  the  cross,  the  latter  of  Christ's  intercession  for  us  in  his 
 
344  Lookijig  unto  Jesus. 
 
 glory ;  in  regai*d  of  both,  the  apostle  tells  that  Christ  gave  him- 
 self both  for  an  offering  and  sacrifice  of  sweet-smelling  savour 
 unto  God.     O  what  love  was  this  ! 
 
 (4.)  His  meekness ;  in  all  his  passion,  he  shewed  not  the  least 
 anger;  he  suffered  himself  to  be  carried  like  a  sheep  to  the 
 butchery,  and  as  a  lamb  before  the  shearer  is  dumb,  so  he  opened 
 not  his  mouth:  he  was  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter:  a 
 lamb  goes  as  quietly  to  the  shambles,  as  if  it  were  going  to  the 
 fold :  and  so  went  Christ  to  his  cross.  O  the  meekness  of 
 Christ ! 
 
 (5.)  His  obedience :  He  became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the 
 death  of  the  cross, — He  sought  not  his  own  ivill,  but  the  will  of 
 him  that  sent  him.  There  was  a  command  that  the  Father  laid 
 on  Christ  from  all  eternity :  ^  O  my  Son,  my  only  begotten  Son, 
 thou  must  go  down,  and  leave  heaven,  and  empty  thyself,  and  die 
 the  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross,  and  go  and  bring  up  the 
 fallen  sons  of  Adam  out  of  hell.*  All  which  the  Lord  Jesus  did 
 in  time;  he  was  obedient  to  death,  even  to  the  death  of  the 
 cross. 
 
 Now  in  all  these  graces  we  must  conform  to  Christ.  Learn 
 of  me,  for  I  arn  meek  and  lowly, — And,  walk  in  love,  as  Christ 
 also  hath  loved  us.  It  is  as  if  Christ  had  said,  Mark  the  steps 
 where  I  have  trod,  and  follow  me  in  humility,  in  patience,  in 
 love,  in  meekness,  in  obedience  unto  death. 
 
 We  must  conform  to  Christ  in  his  sufferings,  if  he  calls  us  to 
 them;  this  was  the  apostle^s  prayer.  That  I  may  know  him  and 
 the  power  of  his  resurrection,  and  the  fellowship  of  his  sifferings: 
 it  was  his  desire  that  he  might  experimentally  know  what  exceed- 
 ing joy  and  comfort  it  was  to  suffer  for  Christ,  and  with  Christ. 
 Concerning  this,  the  other  apostle  speaks  also,  Christ  suffered 
 for  us,  leaving  us  an  example  that  we  should  follow  his  steps. 
 But  the  text  that  seems  so  pertinent,  and  yet  so  difficult,  is  that 
 of  Paul ;  /  now  rejoice  in  my  sifferings  for  you,  and  Jill  up  that 
 which  is  behind  of  the  afflictions  of  Christ  in  my  Jlesh,  for  his 
 body's  sake,  which  is  the  church.  One  would  wonder  how  Paul 
 should  fill  up  that  which  is  behind  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ : 
 were  Christ's  sufferings  imperfect,  and  must  Paul  add  to  them  ? 
 no  surely  ?  for  by  one  offering,  Christ  hath  perfected  for  ever 
 them  that  are  sanctified.  I  suppose  this  is  the  genuine  meaning 
 of  the  passage.  Now  rejoice  I  in  my  sufferings  for  you,  tv  hereby 
 I  fulfil  the  ineasure  of  these  tribulations,  luhich  remain  yet  to  be 
 endured  of  Christ  in  his  mystical  body,  which  I  do  for  the  body's 
 sake,  not  to  satisfy  for  it,  but  to  confirm  it,  to  strengthen  it,  by 
 my  example  in  the  gospel  of  Christ.  The  sufferings  of  Christ 
 are  either  personal  or  general ;  his  personal  sufferings  were  those 
 he  endured  in  his  own  body,  as  Mediator;  which  once  for  ever 
 he  finished.  His  general  sufferings  are  those  which  he  endures 
 in  his  mystical  body,  the  church ;  as  he  is  a  member  with  the 
 
Looking  unto  */t'sus.  345 
 
 rest ;  and  these  are  the  sufferings  Paul  speaks  of,  and  wliicli 
 Paul  lills  up. 
 
 But  wherem  is  the  conformity  betwixt  our  sufferings,  and  the 
 sufferings  of  Christ  ?  I  answer : 
 
 1.  Our  sufferings  have  no  conformity  with  Christ  in  these 
 two  things.  1.  Not  in  the  office  of  Christ's  sufferings;  for 
 his  were  meritorious  and  satisfactory,  our's  o!dy*for  edification. 
 
 2.  Not  in  tlie  weight  and  measure  of  Christ's  sufferings ;  for 
 his  were  such  as  would  have  pressed  any  other  creature  as  low 
 as  hell. 
 
 2.  Our  sufferings  must  have  conformity  with  Christ.  1 .  In 
 the  cause  of  them  :  Christ's  sufferings  were  instrumentally  from 
 Satan  and  ^vicked  men ;  we  must  look  to  suffer  by  the  enemies  of 
 Christ,  if  we  have  any  share  in  Christ.  2.  In  the  manner  of 
 imdergoing  them;  we  nmst  suffer  with  a  proportion  of  that 
 humility,  and  patience,  and  love,  and  meekness,  and  obedience, 
 w^liich  Christ  shewed  in  his  sufferings.  3.  In  respect  of  the 
 issue  of  them  ;  we  must  look  upon  Christ's  issue,  and  expect  it 
 to  be  our's.  Ought  7iot  Christ  to  have  suffered  these  things,  and 
 so  enter  into  glory  f — And,  If  so  he  that  ive  suffer  with  Christ, 
 we  shall  be  glorified  together  with  Christ, — If  tve  suffer  with 
 him,  ive  shall  also  reign  luith  him. 
 
 By  reason  of  this  conformity,  we  have  communion  with 
 Christ  in  all  these  particulars ;  as,  1 .  We  have  Christ's  strength 
 to   bear    sufferings.      2.  His   victories  to  overcome  sufferings. 
 
 3.  His  intercession  to  preserve  us  from  falling  away  in  suffer- 
 ings. 4.  His  compassion  to  proportion  our  sufferings  to  the 
 measure  of  strength  which  he  hath  given  us.  5.  His  Spirit  to 
 draw  in  the  same  yoke  with  us,  and  to  hold  us  under  all  suffer- 
 ings, that  ^yQ  sink  not.  6.  His  graces,  to  be  more  glorious  by 
 our  sufferings ;  as  a  torch,  when  it  is  shaken,  shines  the  brighter. 
 7.  His  crown  to  reward  our  sufferings,  when  we  shall  have 
 tasted  our  measure  of  them. 
 
 O  my  soLii !  study  this  conformity,  and  be  content  with  thy 
 portion  :  yea,  comfort  thyself  in,  this  condition  of  sufferings ; 
 must  we  not  drink  of  our  Saviour's  cup  ?  Never  wonder  that 
 thou  art  hated  or  persecuted  of  men  :  why,  I  tell  thee,  if  Christ 
 himself  were  now  amongst  us  in  the  form  of  a  servant,  in  tliat 
 very  condition  that  sometimes  he  was,  and  should  convince 
 men  of  their  wickedness,  as  search ingly  as  sometimes  he  did, 
 I  verily  think  he  would  be  the  most  hated  man  in  all  the 
 world. 
 
 3.  We  must  conform  to  Christ  in  his  deatli,  carrying  in  us  a 
 rejemblance  and  representation  of  his  death.  But  w  hat  death 
 is  this  ?  I  answer  in  a  word,  A  death  unto  sin  :  so  the  apc^stle, 
 /;/  tliat  he  died,  he  died  unto  ^in; — likewise  rechm  yeyaursdves 
 to  he  dead  indeed  unto  sin.  There  is  a  likeness  betwLxt  Christ's 
 death,  and  our  death,  in  this  respect  j  we  are  planted  together 
 
 13.  2x 
 
346  Loohins:  unto  Jesus. 
 
 t) 
 
 ill  the  likeness  of  his  death.     True  mortificatioii  carries  a  re- 
 semblance of  the  death  of  Christ.     As  for  instance, 
 
 1.  Christ's  death  was  a  voluntary  death.  /  lai/  dow7i  my 
 life  that  I  may  take  it  again ;  no  man  taketh  it  from  me,  bict  I 
 lay  it  dotvn  of  myself ;  I  have  power  to  lay  it  down,  and  I  have 
 power  to  take  it  again.  Not  all  men  on  earth,  nor  all  devils 
 h\  hell,  could  have  enforced  Christ's  death,  if  he  had  not  pleased: 
 his  death  was  a  spontaneous  act;  so  is  our  mortification.  T'hy 
 2)eople  shall  be  ivilling  in  the  day  of  thy  poiver  :  many  may 
 leave  their  sins  against  their  wills  ;  but  this  is  not  true  mortifi- 
 cation ;  it  bears  not  in  it  the  likeness  of  Christ's  death,  for  he 
 died,  willingly. 
 
 2.  Christ's  death  was  a  violent  death ;  he  died  not  naturally, 
 but  violently  ;  He  was  put  to  death  in  the  flesh;  hewashrought 
 as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter.  So  is  our  mortification,  it  is  volun- 
 tary in  respect  of  us,  but  violent  in« respect  of  sin  :  when  a  man 
 lays  violent  hands  on  his  sins  ;  when  he  cuts  them  off,  being 
 yet  in  their  strength  ;  when  he  pulls  up  those  weeds  before  they 
 wither  in  themselves,  this  is  true  mortification. 
 
 3.  What  is  the  cause  of  this  conformity  ?  I  answer.  The  death 
 of  Christ. 
 
 1.  It  is  a  meritorious  cause  ;  Christ's  death  was  of  so  great  a 
 price,  that  it  deserved  at  God's  hands  our  conformity  to  Christ : 
 Christ  loved  the  church,  and  gave  himself  for  it,  that  by  his 
 death  he  might  sanctify  it,  and  cleanse  it ; — and  present  it  to 
 liimself  a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot  or  wrinkle,  or  any 
 such  thing ;  but  that  it  should  be  holy  and  ivithout  blemish. 
 
 2.  It  is  an  examplary  cause ;  He  suffered  for  us,  leaving  us 
 an  example,  that  lue  should  follow  his  steps.  He  died  for  us, 
 leaving  us  an  example  that  we  should  die  to  sin,  as  he  died  for 
 sin. 
 
 3.  It  is  an  efficient  cause,  it  works  this  conformity  by  a  secret 
 virtue  issuing  from  it.  Thus  Christians  are  said  to  be  engrafted 
 with  Christ  in  the  likeness  of  his  death, 
 
 4.  It  is  an  impelling,  or  a  moving  cause,  as  all  objects  are  ;  for 
 objects  have  an  attractive  power.  Christ  crucified  doth  heal  sin, 
 beget  grace,  encourage  to  sufferings  by  being  looked  upon  with 
 the  eyes  of  faith ;  look  unto  Jesus,  and  the  very  sight  of  him 
 will  draw  you  after  him.  Christ  crucified  hath  an  attractive 
 power.     And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up,  will  draw  all  men  to  me. 
 
 5.  What  are  the  means  of  this  conformity  ?  I  answer  : 
 
 1.  Go  to  the  cross  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  not  all  our  resolu- 
 tions, promises,  vows,  endeavours,  without  this,  that  will  effect 
 our  conformity  to  Christ  in  his  death ;  no,  this  conformity  is  a 
 fruit  of  the  death  of  Christ,  and  therefore  whosoever  would  have 
 
 •  this  work  \yrought  in  him^  let  him  first  have  recourse  to  Christ's 
 cross. 
 
 2.  Look  up  tq  him  that  hangs  upon  it^  contemplate  the  death 
 
Looking  unto  J'esus,  347' 
 
 of  /esus  Christ ;  consider  seriously  his  bitter,  shameful,  painful 
 sufferings.  Much  hath  been  said,  only  here  draw  it  into  son>^ 
 epitome:  as,  1.  Consider  who  he  was.  2.  What  he  suffered. 
 3.  Why  he  suffered.  4.  For  whom  he  suffered.  5.  For  wliat 
 end  he  suffered.  6.  With  what  mind  he  suffered.  Every  one 
 of  these  will  make  some  discov^eries  eitlier  of  his  graces,  or  of 
 his  gracious  actings  in  our  behidf ;  and  who  can  tell  how  ibxthis 
 very  look  may  work  on  us  to  change  us,  and  transform  us  inty 
 the  image  of  Jesus  Christ  ? 
 
 3.  Let  us  humbly  bewail  our  defect  and  inconformity,  either 
 to  the  graces,  sufferings,  or  death  of  Christ.  As  thus  :  "  Lo  here 
 the  profound  humility,  wonderful  patience,  fervent  love,  admi- 
 rable meekness,  constant  obedience,  of  Jesus  Christ !  These 
 are  the  particulars  to  which  1  shall  conform.  But,  O  alas  !  what 
 a  wide  distance  is  there  betwixt  me  and  them  !  Christ  in  his 
 sufl'ierings  shined  with  graces,  his  graces  appeared  in  his  buffer- 
 ings, like  so  many  stars  in  a  bright  winter's  night ;  but  how  dim 
 are  the  graces  in  my  soul  1  His  sorrows  and  sufferings  were  so 
 great,  that  some  think  it  dangerous  to  define  them :  but  how  poor, 
 liow  little,  are  my  sufferings  for  Jesus  Christ !  1  have  not  yet  re- 
 sisted unto  blood,  and  if  I  had,  what  were  this  in  comparison  of 
 his  sufferings  !  Christ  in  his  sufferings  died ;  his  passive  obedience 
 was  unto  death,  even  to  the  death  of  the  cross  :  he  hung  on  the 
 cross  till  he  bowed  his  head  and  gave  up  the  ghost ;  he  died 
 unto  sin  once;  but,  alas  !  how  do  I  live  in  that  for  which  he  died? 
 To  this  day  my  sin  hath  not  given  up  the  ghost ;  to  this  day  the 
 death  of  Christ  is  not  the  death  of  my  sin ;  my  sin  is  not  yet 
 crucified  :  O  how  unanswerable  am  I  to  Christ  in  all  these 
 respects  !'^ 
 
 4.  Let  us  quicken,  provoke,  and  rouse  up  our  souls  to  this 
 conformity ;  let  us  set  before  them  exciting  arguments  :  ex.  gr. 
 The  greatest  glory  that  a  Christian  can  attain  to  in  this  world, 
 is  to  have  a  resemblance  to  Jesus  Christ.  Again,  the  more  like 
 we  are  to  Christ,  the  better  he  is  pleased  with  us.  Again,  A 
 likeness  to  Christ  in  his  death,  will  cause  a  likeness  to  Christ  in 
 his  glory  :  ifwc  have  been  phnited  together  i/i  the  lilieness  of  his 
 death,  ice  sfiall  he  also  in  tlie  likeness  of  /lis  resurrection.  Thus 
 let  us  quicken  and  provoke  our  souls  to  this  conformity. 
 
 5.  Let  us  pray  to  God  that  he  will  make  us  conformable  to 
 Jesus  Christ.  Is  it  grace  we  want  ?  Let  us  beg  of  him,  that  of 
 that  fulness  that  is  in  Christ,  we  may  in  our  me:isure  receive 
 grace  for  grace.  Is  it  patience,  or  joy  in  sutYerings,  that  we 
 Avant  ?  Let  us  beg  of  him,  that  as  he  hath  promised,  he  will  send 
 us  the  Comforter,  that  we  may  follow  Christ  cheerfully,  from 
 his  cross  to  his  crown,  from  earth  to  heaven.  Is  it  mortification 
 (mr  souls  pant  after  ?  This  indeed  makes  us  most  like  to  Christ 
 in  his  sufferings  and  death  3  why  then,  pray  we  for  this  morti- 
 fication. 
 
348  Looking  imto  Jesus, 
 
 6.  Let  us  frequently  return  to  our  looking  unto  Jesus  Christ,  to 
 our  believing  in  Christ,  as  he  was  lifted  up.  There  is  something 
 flowing  into  the  soul,  while  it  is  acting  faith  on  the  death  ol 
 Christ,  which,  for  the  rise,  or  the  manner  of  its  working,  is 
 beyond  what  tongue  can  speak,  or  pen  can  Avrite,  or  pencil  can 
 delineate.  Come  then,  if  we  would  have  grace,  endure  afflic- 
 tions, die  to  sin,  grow  in  mortification :  let  us  again  and  again 
 return  to  our  duty  of  looking  unto  Jesus,  or  believing  in  Jesus, 
 as  he  was  lifted  up. 
 
 LOOKING  UNTO  JESUS, 
 
 IN    HIS    RESURRECTION. 
 
 BOOK  VI. 
 
 CHAP.  I. 
 
 Sect.  I. —  Of  the  Time  mid  Reasons  of  Christ's  Resurrection, 
 
 The  sun,  that  went  down  in  a  ruddy  cloud,  is  risen  again  with 
 glorious  beams.  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  great  work  of  man's  sal- 
 vation in  his  resurrection,  and  during  the  time  of  his  abode  on 
 earth  after  his  resun-ection.  Now  in  all  the  transactions  of  this 
 time,  I  shall  only  take  notice  of  these  two  things  :  1 .  Of  his 
 resurrection.  2.  Of  his  apparitions.  First,  he  arose ;  and  se- 
 condly, he  shews  himself  that  he  was  risen. 
 
 The  scripture  tells  us,  that  he  rose  again  the  third  day.  In 
 this  point  1  shall  observe  these  particidars.  ] .  When  he  arose. 
 2.  Why  he  arose.     3.  How  he  arose. 
 
 1 .  When  he  arose  ;  it  was  the  third  day  after  his  crucifying. 
 Had  he  rose  sooner,  a  doubt  might  have  been  of  his  dying. 
 
 2.  Why  he  arose.     We  have  these  reasons  : 
 
 (1.)  That  he  might  powerfully  convince  or  confound  his  adver- 
 saries, notmthstanding  their  care,  their  watch,  their  seal,  their 
 making  all  as  sure  as  possibly  they  could ;  at  the  very  same  time 
 he  told  them  before,  he  broke  open  the  gates  of  death,  and  made 
 the  gates  of  brass  to  fly  asvmder. 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  349 
 
 (2.)  That  he  might  confirm  the  faith  of  all  his  followers.  IJ 
 Christ  he  not  risen  your  faith  is  vain,  saith  the  apostle.  Christ's 
 resurrection  both  confirms  our  faith,  as  to  his  person,  and  to  his 
 office :  for  his  person ;  this  speaks  him  to  be  the  eternal  Son  of 
 God,  by  the  resurrection  from  the  dead  :  and  as  for  his  office, 
 this  speaks  him  to  be  the  promised  Messiah,  tlie  King  and  Savi- 
 our of  his  churcli. 
 
 (3.)  That  it  might  appear  he  had  full}-  satisfied  the  justice  of 
 God  for  sin  :  so  it  was,  that  God  laid  tlie  forfeiture  of  the  bond 
 on  Christ ;  he  arrested  him,  brought  him  to  the  goal,  the  grave, 
 and  there  he  was  until  the  debt  M'as  paid  to  the  uttermost  far- 
 thing ;  and  then,  that  it  might  clearly  appear  the  bond  was  can- 
 celled, he  arose  again  from  the  dead. 
 
 (4.)  That  he  might  conquer  sin,  death,  and  the  devil  :  and 
 hence  the  apostle  cries  victory  upon  the  occasion  of  Clirist's  re- 
 surrection :  O  death,  ivhere  is  thy  sting  f  O  grave,  where  is  thy 
 victory?  Now  was  the  day  that  he  spoiled  principalities  and 
 powers,  that  he  trode  on  the  serpent's  head,  that  he  came  upon 
 him,  took  from  him  his  armour  wherein  he  trusted,  and  divided 
 his  spoils. 
 
 (5.)  That  he  might  become  the  first-fruits  of  them  that  slept. 
 Christ  is  called  the  first-fruits  in  a  double  respect.  1.  In  respect 
 of  the  day  whereon  he  rose  :  Paul  was  an  excellent  critic,  the 
 very  feast  carried  him  to  the  word,  as  the  day  of  his  passion  was 
 the  day  of  the  passover ;  and  the  apostle  thence  could  say, 
 Christ  is  our  passover,  1  Cor.  xv.  7-  ^o  the  day  of  Christ's 
 rising  was  the  day  of  the  first-fruits ;  and  the  apostle  thence 
 could  say,  Christ  is  our  first-fruits.  Concerning  this  feast  of 
 the  first-fruits,  we  read.  Lev.  xxii.  10,  11.  It  was  their  first 
 harvest  of  their  basest  grain,  barley;  the  full  harvest  of  their 
 best  grain  of  wheat,  was  not  until  pentecost.  Now,  upon  this 
 day,  the  morrow  after  the  sabbath,  the  beginning  of  their  first 
 harvest,  when  the  sheaf  of  their  first-fruits  was  brought  unto 
 the  priest,  and  waved  before  the  Lord,  Christ  arose  from  the 
 dead,  and  in  this  respect  Paul  calls  him  the  first-fruits  of  them 
 that  sleep,  of  all  the  saints.  He  arose  first  on  this  day  ;  for  the 
 full  harvest  is  not  till  the  general  resurrection-day.  2.  He  is 
 called  the  first-fruits  in  respect  of  them  whom  he  there  sanctified  : 
 for  as  an  handful  of  the  first-fruits  sanctified  the  whole  fiehl  of 
 corn  that  was  growing ;  so  Jesus  Christ,  the  first-fruits  of  the 
 dead,  sanctifies  all  those  who  are  lying  in  the  grave  to  rise  again 
 by  his  power,  even  when  they  are  in  the  dust  of  death.  Jf 
 Christ  be  not  riseii,  saith  the  apostle,  ye  are  yet  in  your  sins. — 
 J3ut  notv  is  Christ  rise?i  from  the  dead,  and  become  the  first- 
 fruits  of  them  that  sleep. 
 
 (6.)  That  being  formerly  abased  as  a  servant,  aiul  crucified  as 
 a  siimer,  he  might  thus  be  declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God,  and 
 exalted  to  be  a  Prince  and  Saviour;  and  so  his  name  might  be 
 
350  Looking  luito  Jesus, 
 
 glorified  of  all  the  world.  He  ivas  made  of  the  seed  of  David 
 according  to  the  flesh,  and  declared  to  he  the  Son  of  God  with 
 power,  according  to  the  Spirit  of  holiness,  by  the  resurrection 
 from  the  dead.  It  was  of  necessary  consequence^  that  he  that 
 was  so  humhled,  must  be  thus  exalted  :  therefore  luill  I  divide 
 him  a  portion  tuifh  the  great,  and  he  shall  divide  the  spoil  with 
 the  strong,  because  he  hath  poured  out  his  soul  unto  death.  Of 
 all  the  reasons  of  Christ's  resun-ection^  we  must  look  upon  this 
 as  the  main  ;  for  as  he  hath  made  all  things  for  his  own  glory,  so 
 Christ  was  raised  up  from  the  dead  by  the  glory  of  the  Father; 
 by  the  gfcry,  or  to  the  glory,  or  for  the  glory,  of  himself,  and  of 
 his  Father. 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  the  Manner  of  Christ's  Resurrection, 
 
 How  he  rose  ;  the  manner  of  his  resurrection  we  may  consi- 
 der in  these  particulars  : 
 
 1.  That  Christ  rose  again  as  a  common  person,  he  stood  in 
 our  stead  ;  Adam,  we  know,  was  reckoned  before  the  fall  as  a 
 common  person,  not  standing  singly  for  himself,  but  as  repre- 
 senting all  mankind  to  come  of  him ;  so  Jesus  Christ  is  reckoned 
 to  us,  both  before  his  death,  and  in  his  death,  and  after  his 
 death,  as  a  common  person  ;  not  living,  dying,  or  rising  again, 
 singly,  for  himself,  but  as  representing  all  the  believers  in  the 
 world.  As  amon^  all  the  sheaves  in  the  field,  there  was  some 
 one  sheaf,  that  in  the  name  of  all  the  rest  was  lift  up  and  waved 
 before  the  Lord ;  so  when  all  Avere  dead,  Christ  as  the  first-fruits 
 rose  again  from  the  dead.  .  Let  this  ever  be  remembered,  that 
 Christ  rose  again  as  the  first-fruits,  as  an  head,  as  a  commoa 
 person. 
 
 2.  That  Christ  rose  again  by  his  own  power :  this  he  meant 
 when  he  said.  Destroy  this  temple,  and  in  three  days  I  will  raise 
 it  up.  He  saith  not.  Destroy  you,  and  some  other  shall  raise  it 
 up ;  no  :  but  I,  even  I  myself,  will  do  it ;  yea,  and  by  my  own 
 power :  here  is  a  plain  argument  of  the  divine  nature  of  Christ, 
 tor  none  ever  did,  ever  could  do  that,  but  God  himself. 
 
 It  is  true  that  tlie  Father  raised  him,  and  yet  this  contradicts 
 not  but  that  he  raised  up  himself :  Whatsoever  the  Father  dothy 
 J  do,  saith  Christ.  Christ's  resurrection  is  the  invisible  work  of 
 the  blessed  Trinity;  it  is  a  work  common  to  all  the  three  persons : 
 there  is  but  one  power  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son ;  so  that 
 of  both  it  is  true,  the  Father  raised  him,  and  the  Son  raised 
 himself. 
 
 3.  That  Christ  rose  again  with  an  earthquake  :  And  behold 
 there  ivas  a  great  earthquake,  for  the  angel  of  the  Lord  descended 
 from  heaven.  The  earth  shook  at  his  death,  and  now  it  trembles 
 at  his  resurrection  ;  plainly  speaking  that  it  could  neither  endure 
 his  suffcrmg,  nor  hinder  his  rising. 
 
Looking  unto  Jcs//s.  351 
 
 4.  That  Christ  rose  again,  afigels  ministering  to  him.  An 
 ungel  came  and  rolled  hack  the  stone  from  the  door,  and  safe  upon 
 it.  Christ's  power  was  n-ot  hichided  in  the  grave,  but  extended 
 to  heaven,  and  to  the  hosts  therein :  however,  tlie  chief  priests 
 and  Pharises  conspired  together  to  close  him  in  the  earth  ;  they 
 sealed  the  stone,  and  set  a  watch;  yet,  the  angels  of  heaven  are 
 ready  to  w^ait  on  him  as  their  sovereign  Lord.  An  an<':el  de- 
 scended to  roll  away  the  stone :  not  th.'it  Christ  was  unable  to 
 do  it  hmiself;  he  shook  the  earth,  and  could  not  he  lift  a  stone? 
 
 0  yes  !  but  thus  he  would  manifest  his  power,  by  declaring  his 
 power  over  the  mighty  angels  -,  lie  need  but  to  say  unto  his  angel. 
 Do  this,  and  he  doth  it. 
 
 5.  That  Christ  rose  again  accompanied  with  others  :  And  the 
 graves  were o^jened,  and  many  bodies  of  saints  which  slept,  arose, 
 and  came  out  of  the  graves  after  his  resurrection,  and  icent 
 into  the  holy  city,  and  appeared  unto  many.  It  may  be  the 
 graves  were  opened  when  Christ  was  laid  down  in  his  grave, 
 yet  the  spirits  came  not  into  the  dead  bodies  till  Christ's  resur- 
 rection ;  the  text  is  plain,  that  they  came  not  out  of  their  graves 
 until  Christ  was  raised.  Christ  is  the  beginning,  saiih  the  apos- 
 tle, the  first-born  from  the  tlead,  both  in  time  and  efficacy. 
 1.  In  time;  he  rose  to  eternal  life  the  first  of  all  men.  2.  In 
 respect  of  efficacy ;  Christ  rose  first,  that  by  his  power  all  the 
 rest  might  rise.  It  is  a  question  what  became  of  those  bodies 
 which  riow  rose :  some  think  they  died  again ;  but  it  is  more 
 probable,  that  seeing  they  rose  to  manifest  the  quickening  \ir- 
 tue  of  Christ's  resurrection,  they  were  also  glorified  with  Christ : 
 and  as  they  rose  with  Christ  arising,  so  they  ascended  up  hito 
 heaven  with  Christ  ascending. 
 
 6.  That  Christ  rose  again  with  a  true,  perfect,  incorruptible, 
 powerful,  spiritual,  agile,  and  glorious  body. 
 
 1.  He  had  a  true  body,  consisting  of  flesh,  and  blood,  and 
 bone  ;  so  he  told  his  disciples  when  they  supposed  him  a  spirit: 
 Handle  me,  and  see,  said  he,  for  a  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and  bones, 
 as  ye  see  me  have.  I  know,  this  body,  after  his  resurrection, 
 was  comparatively  a  spiritual  bod)' ;  yet  for  all  that,  he  never 
 laid  aside  the  essential  properties  of  a  true  bodj'. 
 
 2.  He  had  a  perfect  body  :  however  he  was  cut  and  mangled 
 before  his  death,  yet  after  his  resurrection  all  was  perfect. 
 
 3.  He  had  an  incorruptible,  immortal  body.  The  apostle  is 
 express  :  Christ  being  raised  from  the  dead,  dieth  no  more  ; 
 death  hath  no  inorc  dominion  over  him.  Consonant  hereunto  is 
 that  of  Christ;  lam  he  thatlivcth,  and  tvas  dead  !  and,  behold, 
 
 1  am  alive  for  evermore.  Amen, 
 
 4.  He  had  a  powerful  body.  Luther  could  say  of  the  glorified 
 saints,  that  they  h'ad  a  power  so  great  as  to  toss  the  greatest 
 mountains  in  the  world  like  a  ball .  and  Anselm  hath  an  ex- 
 pression not  much  unlike,  "  They  have  such  a  power,  as  they 
 
352  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 are  able  to  shake  the  whole  earth  at  their  pleasure.'^    How  much 
 more  could  Christ  cause  that  great  earthquake  at  the  rising  of  his 
 
 body! 
 
 5.  He  had  a  spiritual  body  :  it  needed  not  meat,  drink,  or  re- 
 freshings, as  it  did  before  ;  it  is  true,  that  the  disciples  gave  him 
 a  piece  of  broiled  Jish,  and  of  an  honey  comb,  and  he  took  it, 
 and  did  eat  before  them;  but  this  he  did  only  to  confirm  their 
 faith  ;  he  ate  out  of  power,  and  not  out  of  necessity. 
 
 6.  He  had  an  agile  body :  it  was  in  his  pleasure  to  move  as 
 'well  upwards  as  downwards,  as  it  may  appear  by  the  ascension 
 of  his  body  into  heaven  ;  which  was  not  caused  by  constraint,  or 
 by  any  violent  motion,  but  a  property  agreeing  to  all  bodies  glo- 
 rified. Augustine  hath  an  expression  concerning  the  glorified 
 saints,  ^'That  they  shall  move  to  any  place  they  will,  and  as  soon 
 as  they  will;"  they  shall  move  up  and  down  like  a  thought ;  how 
 much  more  may  it  be  said  of  the  body  of  Christ ! 
 
 7.  He  had  a  glorious  body :  this  appeared  in  his  transfigura- 
 tion, when  his  face  did  shine  as  the  sun,  and  his  raiment  ivas 
 zuhite  as  light ;  but  especially  after  his  resurrection  and  ascen- 
 sion, ivhen  I  As  head  and  his  hairwert  ivhite  as  snow ,  and  his  eyes 
 were  as  ajlame  of  fire,  and  his  feet  like  unto  fine  brass,  as  if  they 
 burned  in  a  furnace.  It  is  true,  that  from  his  resurrection,  until 
 his  ascension,  his  body  appeared  not  thus  glorious  unto  them 
 that  saw  it :  but  whether  his  glory  was  delayed  during  his  forty 
 days'  abode  upon  earth,  or  whether  he  so  far  condescended  for 
 his  disciples'  sake,  as  to  keep  in  his  glory,  that  it  might  not  dazzle 
 them,  is  hard  to  determine.  I  am  apt  to  think,  that  in  some  sort 
 he  might  draw"  in  the  beams  of  his  glory,  and  jet  that  he  was  not 
 entered  into  that  fulness  of  glory,  as  after  his  ascension  ;  and  so 
 some  expound  those  words  of  Christ  to  Mary,  Touch  me  not,  for 
 I  am  not  yet  ascended  to  my  Father;  q.  d.  Fix  not  your  thoughts 
 so  nuich  upon  my  present  condition,  for  I  have  not  yet  attained 
 the  highest  pitch  of  my  exaltation,  nor  shall  I  until  I  ascend  unto 
 my  Father. 
 
 From  this  resurrection  of  Christ,  how  are  we  informed  that 
 Christ  is  the  Son  of  God  ?  Thus  Paul  speaks,  He  icas  declared 
 to  be  the  Soti  of  God  luith  power,  according  to  the  Spirit  of  holi- 
 7iess,  by  the  resurrection  from  the  dead. — And  how  are  we  in- 
 formed that  Christ  is  Lord  over  all  things  ?  For  to  this  end  Christ 
 both  died,  and  rose,  and  revived,  that  he  might  be  Lord  both  of 
 the  dead  and  living. — And  how  are  we  informed*that  Christ  rose 
 again  for  us  ?  But  now  is  Christ  risen  from  the  dead,  and  be- 
 come the  first-fruits  of  them  that  sleep. — And  how  are  we  in- 
 formed that  by  his  resurrection  we  are  justified  ?  Who  was 
 delivered  for  our  offences,  and  was  raised  again  for  our  justifi- 
 cation :  and  that  by  his  resurrection  at  the  last  day  we  shall  be 
 raised  ;  for  the  Spirit  of  him  that  raised  up  Jesus  from  the  dead 
 shall  also  quicken  our  mortal  bodies :  and  that  by  his  resurrection 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  ZhZ 
 
 finally  we  shall  be  saved;  for  after  we  are  raised,  we  shall  never 
 die  any  more,  hut  be  equal  unto  the  angels,  and  he  the  children 
 of  God,  being  the  children  of  the  resurrection. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  the  Arguments  of  Christ's  Resurrection. 
 
 Christ  after  his  passion  shewed  himself  alive  by  many  infalli- 
 ble proofs.  And  so  he  had  need,  to  persuade  men  into  the  faith 
 of  so  strange  a  truth ;  if  we  consult  with  primitive  times,  or  latter 
 times,  never  was  matter  carried  on  witli  more  scruple,  and  slowness 
 of  belief,  with  more  doubts  and  difhculties,  than  was  this  truth  of 
 Christ's  resurrection.  Mary  Magdalen  saw  it  first,  and  reported 
 it  3  hut  they  believed  her  not,  Mark  xvi.  10.  The  two  disciples 
 that  went  to  Emmaus,  they  saw  it  also,  and  reported  it,  but 
 they  believed  them  not,  Luke  xxiii.  37-  Divers  women  together 
 saw  him,  and  came  and  told  the  disciples;  but  their  words 
 seemed  to  them  as  idle  tales,  and  they  believed,  them  not,  Luke 
 xxiv.  11.  Ihey  all  saw  him,  and  even  seeing  him,  yet  they  be- 
 lieved not  for  joy,  but  wondered,  l^uke  xxiv.  41.  When  the 
 Avonder  was  over,  and  the  rest  told  it  but  to  one  that  liappened 
 to  be  absent,  you  know  how  peremptory  he  was :  not  he ;  except 
 he  saw  in  his  'hands  the  print  of  the  7iails,  and  put  his  fingers 
 into  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  thrust  his  hands  into  his  side,  he 
 would  not  believe,  John  xx.  25. — In  after-times  the  whole  world 
 stopt  their  ears  at  this  report  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  it  was 
 witii  tiie  Grecians  at  Athens  a  very  scorn;  ivhen  they  heard  of 
 the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  some  mocked.  Acts  xvii.  22.  It  was 
 with  Festus,  the  great  Roman,  a  plain  frenzy;  Festus  said  with 
 a  loud  voice.  Paid,  thou  art  besides  thyself,  much  le<irni)ig  doth 
 make  thee  mad.  Acts  xxvi.  24. — But 'come  we  to  our  own  times, 
 the  resurrection  of  Christ  is  to  this  day  as  much  opposed  by 
 Jews  and  Atheists,  as  any  one  article  of  our  creed.  And  surely 
 we  had  need  to  look  to  it;  for  if  Christ  he  not  risen,  (as  the 
 apostle  argues,)  then  is  our  preaching  vain,  and  your  faith  is 
 also  vain,  1  Cor.  xv.  14.  If  Christ  be  7iot  risen,  ye  are  yet  in 
 your  sins;  and  they  which  are  fallen  asleep  in  Chrst  arc  pe- 
 rished, 1  Cor.  XV.  17,  18.  Of  all  the  precious  truths  in  the 
 book  of  God,  we  had  need  to  be,  well  skilled  in  the  defending 
 this  of  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Chri>t. 
 
 I  mean  not  to  enter  into  controversies;  only  1  shall  declare 
 those  clear  demonstrations,  that  substantially  prove  Christ  to 
 have  risen  again;  namely,  the  several  apparitions  that  Christ 
 made  to  others  after  his  resurrection. 
 
 1.  He  appeared  to  Mary  Magdalen  apart.  As  a  woman  was 
 t]>e  in-at  instrument  of  death,  so  was  a  woman  the  fn-st  messen- 
 ger of  life. 
 
 2.  He  appeared  to  all  the  Marys  together,  as  they  returned 
 13.  2  V 
 
354  Looking  unto  Jesus 
 
 homewards   from  the   sepulchre :    never  any  truly  sought  for 
 
 Christy  but^  v/ith  these  women,  they  were  sure  to  find  Christ.^ 
 
 3.  He  appeared  to  Smion  Peter  alone;  he  first  went  mto 
 the  sepulchre,  and  he  first  saw  him  that  was  raised  thence. 
 
 4.  He  appeared  to  the  two  disciples  journeying  towards 
 Emmaus :  the  name  of  the  one  was  Cleopas ;  and  probable  it 
 is  the  other  was  Luke,  '^  who  out  of  modesty  concealed  his 
 own  name,"  saith  Theophilact. 
 
 5.  He  appeared  unto  the  ten  apostles,  when  the  doors 
 were  shut. 
 
 6.  He  appeared  to  all  his  disciples,  and  Thomas  \vas  with 
 them;  and  then  he  shewed  them  his  wounds,  to  strengthen 
 the  weak  faith  of  his  wavering  servants. 
 
 7.  He  appeared  to  Peter,  and  John,  and  James,  and  Na- 
 thaniel, and  Didymus,  and  two  other  disciples,  when  they  were 
 a-fishing  at  the  sea  of  Tiberias :  there  he  proved  the  verity  of 
 his  deity,  by  that  miracle  of  the  fishes;  and  the  verity  of  his 
 humanity,  by  eating  meat  with  them. 
 
 8.  He  appeared  unto  more  than  five  hundred  brethren  at  once ; 
 of  this  we  read  not  in  the  evangelists,  but  the  apostle  Paul  re- 
 cords it. 
 
 9.  He  appeared  unto  James  the  brother  of  the  Lord :  i.  e.  the 
 cousin-german  of  Christ  according  to  the  flesh ;  called  James  the 
 Just,  in  regard  of  his  upright  life. 
 
 10.  He  appeared  to  the  eleven  disciples,  on  mount  Tabor  in 
 Galilee.  And  this  Matthew  intimates,  when  Jesus  bade  the, 
 woman  tell  his  brethren  thiit  he  was  risen,  and  that  they  should 
 go  into  Galilee,  and  there  they  should  see  him ;  and  accordingly 
 in  that  mountain  where  Jesus  had  appointed  them,  they  saw  him, 
 and  worshipped  him. 
 
 11.  He  appeared  to  all  his  apostles  and  disciples  upon  mount 
 Olivet  by  Jerusalem,  when  in  the  presence  of  them  all  he  as- 
 cended up  into  heaven. 
 
 12.  He  appeared  unto  Paul  travelling  unto  Damascus. 
 
 My  meaning  is  not  to  speak  of  all  these  apparitions  in  order, 
 but  of  the  most  considerable. 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  Christ's  Apparition  to  Mary  Magdalen, 
 
 On  the  first  day  were  many  apparitions :  but  I  shall  speak 
 only  to  one  or  two,  as  related  by  the  evangelist  John. 
 
 1 .  Christ  appeared  to  Mary  Magdalen  apart :  The  first  day  of 
 •the  week  conieth  Mary  Magdalen^  early ^  ivhen  it  was  yet  darky 
 unto  the  sejmlchre,  and  seeth  the  stone  taken  away  from  the 
 sepulchre:  she  came  whilst  it  was  yet  dark;  she  departed  from 
 home  before  day,  and  by  that  time  she  came  to  the  sepulchre, 
 the  sun  was  about  to  rise ;  thither  come,  she  finds  the  stone  rolled 
 away,  and  the  body  of  Jesus  gone :  upon  tjjis  she  runs  to  Peter 
 
Looking  unto  *Tesus,  355 
 
 and  John,  and  tells  them,  They  have  taken  away  the  Lord  out  of 
 the  scpnlchrc^  and  we  know  not  wliere  tliey  iiave  laid  Inm.  Then 
 Peter  and  John  ran  to  see ;  they  looked  into  the  sepulchre,  and 
 not  finding  tiie  body  there,  they  presently  returned.  By  this 
 time  Mary  Magdalen  was  come  back,  and  howsoever  tiie  dis- 
 ciples would  not  stay,  yet  she  was  resolved  to  abide  by  it,  and  to 
 see  the  issue.  '     . 
 
 We  find  this  apparition,  for  our  farther  assurance,  compassed 
 and  set  about  with  each  ueedi'ul  circumstance :  here  is  the  time 
 when,  the  place  wliere,  the  persons  to  whom,  the  manner  how, 
 he  appeared;  together  with  the  consequents  after  his  appa- 
 rition. 
 
 1.  For  the  time  when  he  appeared :  No7v  upon  t lie  first  day  of 
 the  week,  very  early  in  tlie  morning.  It  was  the  first  day  of  the 
 week,  the  next  day  to  their  sabbath ;  and  it  was  very  early  in  the 
 morning :  the  apparition  was  early,  but  Mary's  seeking  Christ 
 was  so  early,  that  it  was  yet  dark :  she  sought  him  early  whom 
 she  loved  entirely ;  they  tlK:t  will  not  seek  Christ  until  they  have 
 given  over  seeking  other  things,  may  justly  fear  to  miss  Cln-ist. 
 
 2.  For  the  place  where  he  appeared :  it  was  in  the  garden, 
 where  Christ  was  buried. 
 
 3.  For  the  person  to  whom  he  appeared :  it  was  Maiy  Mag- 
 dalen ;  she  that  sometimes  lived  a  sinful  life,  that  was  no  better 
 than  a  common  courtezan,  now  is  first  up  to  seek  our  Saviour. 
 Let  never  any  despair  of  mercy.  Her  love  to  Christ  appears  at 
 this  time:  But  Mary  stood  ivithout  at  tJie  sepulchre,  7ceepinsr; 
 and  as  sJie  wept  site  stooped  down,  and  looked  into  the  sepulchre. 
 
 (1.)  Mary  stood  at  the  sepulchre;  she  stood  by  the  grave  of 
 Christ;  it  signifies  her  great  love :  Mary  chuseth  Christ's  tomb 
 for  her  best  home,  and  his  dead  corpse  for  her  chief  comfort ; 
 Iiaving  lost  that  light  of  the  Sun  of  righteousness,  she  desired  to 
 d\^  ell  in  darkness,  in  the  shadow  of  death. 
 
 (2.)  But  jMary  stood  at  tlie  sepulchre,  tveeping.  This  was 
 love  indeed ;  see  how  every  word  is  a  degree  of  love.  She  cannot 
 think  of  Jesus  as  lost,  but  she  weeps;  she  weeps  for  having  lost 
 him  whom  she  loved ;  at  first  she  mourned  for  the  departure  of 
 his  soul  out  of  his  body,  and  now  she  laments  the  taking  his  body 
 out  of  the  grave. 
 
 (3.)  And  as  she  wept,  she  stooped  down,  and  looked  into  the 
 sepulchre.  She  did  so  weep  as  she  did  seek  Mdthal ;  her  weep- 
 ing hindered  not  her  seeking:  she  sought,  to  what  jKirpose? 
 that  Christ  is  not  in  the  tomb,  her  own  eyes  have  seen,  the  dis- 
 ciples' hands  have  felt ;  and  yet  for  all  this  she  will  be  stooping 
 down,  and  looking  in;  she  would  rather  condemn  her  own  eyes 
 of  error,  she  would  rather  suspect  all  testimonies  for  untrue,  than 
 not  to  look  after  him  whom  she  had  lost. 
 
 4.  For  the  manner  how  he  appeared;  it  was  first  by  his 
 angels,  and  secondly  by  himself. 
 
356  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 (1.)  There  wat)  an  apparition  of  angels :  she  seeth /z<;o  an^e/.s* 
 in  white,  sitting,  the  one  at  the  head,  and  the  other  at  the  feet, 
 where  the  body  of  Jesus  had  lain.  The  apparition  of  angels 
 was  only  a  preparation  to  Christ's  apparition. 
 
 In  this  apparition  we  see  further^  a  question  and  answer :  the 
 angels  question  Mar}^,  JFoman,  why  weepest  thouf  She  saith 
 unto  them,  Because  they  have  taken  away  my  Lord,  and  I  know 
 not  where  they  have  laid  him.  Here  was  the  cause  of  Mary's 
 tears ;  she  knew  not  whither  to  go  to  find  any  comfort ;  her  Lord 
 is  gone,  his  life  is  gone,  his  soul  is  gone,  his  body  is  gone ;  yea, 
 gone,  and  carried  she  knows  not  whither. 
 
 (2.)  After  this,  Christ  himself  appears,  but  first  as  unknown, 
 and  then  as  known.  1.  As  unknown.  She  turned  herself  back, 
 and  saw  Jestis  standing,  and  knew  not  that  it  ivas  Jesus.  Jesus 
 saith  unto  her,  TFoman,  why  iveepest  thou?  whom  seekest  thou? 
 she  supposing  him  to  be  the  gardener,  &c.  In  this  apparition  of 
 Christ  unknown,  I  shall  only  take  notice  of  Christ's  question, 
 and  Mary's  inquisition ;  his  question  is  in  these  words :  PFoman, 
 why  weepest  thou  ?  ivhom  seekest  thou  ?  I .  TVhy  weepest  thou  f 
 As  if  he  had  said,  There  is  no  cause  of  weeping  now ;  lo,  I  am 
 risen  from  the  dead,  and  become  the  first-born  of  them  that 
 sleep ! 
 
 (3.)  Whom  seekest  thou  f  She  seeks  Christ,  and  Christ  asks 
 her,  TVoman,  whom  seekest  thouf  A  shower  of  tears  comes  be- 
 twixt her  and  him,  and  she  cannot  see  him,  or  it  may  be, 
 her  eyes  were  holden  that  she  should  not  know  him ;  or  it  may  be 
 he  appeared  in  some  other  shape,  such  as  resembled  the  gardener, 
 whom  she  took  him  for. 
 
 (4.)  For  Mary's  inquiry :  she, supposing  him  to  he  the gardoicr, 
 Sir,  if  thou  hast  borne  him  hence,  tell  me  where  thou  hast  laid  him, 
 and  I  will  take  him  away. 
 
 Her  words  to  Christ  are  not  much  unlike  the  answer  she  gave 
 the  angels ;  only  she  seems  to  speak  more  harsh  to  Christ,  than 
 she  did  to  the  angels :  to  them  she  complains  of  others ;  They 
 have  taken  away  my  Lord;  but  to  Christ  she  speaks  as  if  she 
 would  charge  him  with  the  fact.  But  pardon  love ;  as  it  fears 
 where  it  needs  not,  so  it  suspects  very  often  where  it  hath  no 
 cause  :  when  love  is  at  a  loss,  he,  or  any  that  comes  but  in  our 
 way,  hath  done  it,  hath  taken  him  away. 
 
 Something  she  spoke  now  to  Christ,  which  she  had  not  men- 
 tioned to  the  angels.  She  said  unto  them.  Tell  me  where  he  is, 
 and  I  will  take  him  away :  there  is  no  essay  too  hard  for  love  ; 
 she  speaks  without  fear,  she  promises  without  condition,  she 
 makes  no  exception,  as  if  nothing  were  impossible  that  love 
 suggesteth. 
 
 5.  Christ  appears  as  known :  Jesus  saith  unto  her,  Mary ; 
 she  turned  herself,  and  saith  unto  him,  Rabboni,  ivhich  is  to  say. 
 Master, — Sorrow  may  endure  for  a  night,  but  joy  comes  in  the 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  35/ 
 
 morning.  She  that  hitherto  had  sought  without  finding,  and 
 wept  without  comfort,  and  called  ^vithout  answer,  even  to  her 
 Christ  now  appears;  and  at  his  apparition  these  passages  are 
 betwixt  them :  first,  he  speaks  unto  her,  Jlari/;  and  then  she 
 replies  unto  him,  Rabboni,  ivkich  is  to  sai/,  Master. 
 
 1.  He  speaks  unto  her,  3I(ny!  it  was  but  a  word,  but  O  what 
 life !  what  spirit !  what  quickening  and  reviving  was  in  the  word ! 
 the  voice  of  Christ  is  powerful;  "If  the  Spirit  of  Christ  come 
 aJone  with  the  word,  it  will  rouse  hearts,  raise  spirits,  work  won- 
 ders." And  at  this  word  her  tears  are  dried  up;  no  more  tears 
 now,  unless  they  be  tears  for  joy.  Observe  the  way  how  you 
 may  know  the  voice  of  Jesus  Christ :  if  it  be  cll'ectuaf,  it  usually 
 singles  a  man  out ;  yea,  though  it  be  generally  spoken  by  a  mi'- 
 nister;  yet  the  voice  of  Christ  will  speak  particular!}'  to  the  very 
 heart  of  a  man,  with  a  marvellous  kind  of  majesty  and  glory 
 stampt  upon  it,  and  shining  in  it.  Take  a  broken,  drooping 
 spirit,  he  hears  the  free  offer  of  grace,  the  precious  promises  of 
 God  in  Christ;  but  he  casts  by  all  promises;  but  when  the 
 Lord  comes  in,  he  speaks  particularly  to  his  hecut,  he  meets 
 with  all  his  objections,  that  he  thinks, — this*isthe  Lord,  and  this 
 is  to  me. 
 
 2.  She  said  unto  him,  Rahboni,  ivhich  is  to  sai/,  blaster.  As 
 she  was  ravished  with  his  voice,  so,  impatient  of  delay,  she  takes 
 his  talk  out  of  his  mouth  ;  and  to  his  lirst  and  only  ^^•ord,  she  an- 
 swered but  one  other,  Rahbo7ii,  ivhich.  is  to  say,  Cluster.  A 
 wonder  that  in  this  verse  but  two  \i^ords  should  pass  betwixt 
 them  two  ;  but  some  give  this  reason,  that  a  sudden  joy  rousing 
 all  her  passions,  she  could  neither  proceed  in  her  own,  nor  give 
 him  leave  to  go  forv\^ard  in  his  speech. 
 
 3.  For  the  consequents  after  this  apparition,  Jesus  saith  unto 
 her,  Touch  me  not,  for  I  am  not  yet  ascended  to  my  Father ; 
 but  go  to  my  brethren,  and  say  unto  them,  I  ascend  unto  my 
 Fattier  and  to  your  Father,  and  to  my  God  and  your  God. 
 
 Touch  me  not.  Mary  is  not  satisfied  to  see  her  Lord,  nor  is 
 she  satisfied  to  hear  her  Lord,  but  she  must  touch  him,  embrace 
 his  feet ;  but  on  a  sudden  he  checks  her  ibrv/ardness  ;  as  if  he 
 had  said,  O  Mary,  fix  not  thy  thoughts  so  nmch  upon  my  pre- 
 sent condition,  inasmuch  as  this  is  not  the  highest  pitch  of  my 
 exaltation  ;  1  am  not  as  yet  attained  to  that,  nor  shall  I  attain  to 
 it  until  I  ascend ;  the  degrees  of  my  exaltation  {u*e,  1 .  M}'  re- 
 surrection. 2.  My  ascension.  3.  My  session  at  God's  right 
 hand ;  but  that  is  not  yet. 
 
 4.  But  go  to  mi/  h^^ethren,  and  say  unto  them,  I  asroul  unto 
 my  Father  and  your  Fattier,  and  to  my  God  and  your  God  : 
 this  was  the  command  of  Christ ;  instead  of  touciiing  Inin,  she 
 must  go  with  a  message  to  his  apostles,  and  thii  was  more  ix-n;'- 
 ficial  both  to  her  and  them. 
 
 But  what  means  he  to  speiik  of  the  ascension,  whvn  us  yet  wo 
 
358  Looking  2mto  Jesus, 
 
 are  but  upon  the  resurrection  ?  I  suppose  this  was  to  pre-vcnt 
 tJieir  mistake^  who  might  have  thought^  if  Christ  be  risen^  then 
 we  shall  have  his  company  again,  as  heretofore  :  No,  saith  Christ, 
 I  am  not  risen  to  make  any  abode  with  you ;  my  rising  is  in 
 reference  to  my  ascending. 
 
 But  whither  will  he  ascend  ?  7b  his  Father  and  our  Father  ; 
 to  his  God  and  our  God.  O  blessed  message  !  This  is  the 
 voice  of  a  fcither  to  his  son  ;  all  that  I  have  is  thine,  Novv^  if 
 this  Father  be  also  God,  and  if  all  that  is  God's  be  also  ours,  what 
 can  we  desire  more  ?  But  here's  the  question,  whether  his  Fa- 
 ther and  God,  be  also  ours  ?  That  he  is  Christ's  Father,  and 
 Christ's  God,  is  without  all  question  :  but  that  his  Father  should 
 be  our  Father,  and  that  his  God  should  be  our  God ;  this  were 
 a  gospel  indeed.  O  then  what  a  gospel  is  this  !  ^  Go  unto  my 
 bretliren,  and  say  unto  them,  that  our  relations  and  interests  are 
 ail  one  ;  the  same  Father  that  is  mine,  is  their's  ;  and  the  same 
 Giod  that  is  mine,  is  their's.' 
 
 Sect.  VI. — Of  Christ's  Apparition  to  his  ten  Disciples. 
 
 On  this  day  some  reckon  five  apparitions  ;  but  I  shall  now 
 only  take  notice  of  the  last.  Then  the  same  day  at  evening, 
 being  the  first  day  of  the  week,  when  the  doors  were  shut  where 
 the  disciples  ivere  assembled,  for  fear  of  the  Jews,  came  Jesus, 
 and  stood  in  the  midst,  and  saith  unto  them,  Peace  be  unto  you  ;^ 
 and  ivhen  he  had  so  said,  he  shelved  unto  them  his  hands  and  his 
 feet.  In  these  words  we  have  the  apparition  of  Christ,  with  all 
 its  circumstances. 
 
 As,  1 .  When  he  appeared. 
 
 2.  Where  he  appeared. 
 
 3.  To  whom  he  appeared. 
 
 4.  How  he  appeared. 
 
 So  necessary  was  it  to  confirm  this  point,  that  not  a  needful 
 circumstance  must  be  wanting.  ,  And  first  is  laid  down  the  time ; 
 Then  the  scone  day  at  evening,  being  thejirst  day  of  the  week. 
 
 1.  It  was  the  same  day,  that  is,  the  very  day  of  rising;  the 
 same  day  that  he  appeared  to  Peter,  to  the  two  disciples  going 
 to  Emmaus,  to  the  woman  coming  to  the  sepulchre,  and  to  Mary 
 Magdalen;  the  very  same  day  he  appears  to  the  ten. 
 
 2.  It  was  the  same  day  at  evening :  both  at  morn,  noon,  and 
 evening,  Christ  shewed  himself  alive  by  many  infallible  proofs. 
 Early  in  the  morning  he  appeared  to  Mary,  and  presently  after 
 to  the  three  Marys,  who  touched  his  feet,  and  worshipped  him. 
 About  noon  he  appeared  to  Simon  Peter :  in  the  afternoon  he 
 travelled  with  two  of  his  disciples  almost  eight  miles,  to  the 
 castle  of  Emmaus ;  and  in  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  he  re- 
 turned invisible  from  Emmaus  to  Jerusalem.  At  all  times  of  the 
 day,  Christ  is  prepared,  and  preparing  grace  for  his  people. 
 
Looklns:;  unto  Jesus.  359 
 
 3.  It  was  the  same  clay  at  evening,  heing  the  first  of  the  week. 
 When  Joseph  shewed  himself  unto  his  bretln-en,  he  would  not  do 
 
 .  it  at  first,  and  yet  he  dealt  very  kindly  with  them :  hut  Christ's 
 kindness  is  far  above  Joseph's ;  for  on  the  hrst  day  of  the  week,  the 
 very  same  day  that  he  rose  from  the  dead,  he  appears  unto  them. 
 
 4.  The  place  is  laid  down  in  this  passage,  wliere  the  disciples 
 were  assembled.  The  evangelist  Luke  speaks  expressly,  it  was 
 in  Jerusalem ;  but  in  what  house  in  Jerusalem,  it  is  unknown ; 
 only  some  conjecture,  that  it  was  in  the  house  of  some  disciple, 
 therein  was  an  upper  room ;  this  upper  room,  according  to  the 
 manner  of  their  buildings  at  that  time,  was  the  most  large  and 
 ca^^acious  of  any  other,  and  the  most  retired  and  free  from  dis- 
 turbance. Christ  came  in  when  the  doors  were  shut,  either 
 causing  the  doors  to  give  place,  the  disciples  not  knowing  how  5 
 or  else  altering  the  very  substance  of  the  doors,  that  his  body 
 might  pass  through  them  without  destruction.  I  know  not  but 
 he  that  thickens  the  waters  to  carry  his  body,  might  also  attc- 
 luiate  the  doors,  to  make  way  for  his  body. 
 
 5.  The  persons  to  whom  he  appeared,  were  his  disciples; 
 they  that  were  shut  up,  not  daring  to  step  out  of  doors,  for  fear 
 of  the  Jews.  It  is  Christ's  usual  course  to  appear  to  tliem  who 
 are  fall  of  fears  and  griefs,  and  most  in  dangers :  Wlien  tliou 
 2yassest.  through  the  ivaters,  I  will  he  with  tliee;  and  through  tlie 
 rivers,  they  shall  not  overjlow  thee. 
 
 6.  For  the  manner  how  he  appeared :  1 .  He  stood  in  the 
 midst.  2.  He  said,  Peace  be  unto  you.  3.  He  sfiewed  ttiem 
 his  hands  and  his  side. 
 
 (1.)  He  stood  in  the  midst.  O  what  comfort  is  here,  to  see 
 Jesus  Christ  stand  in  the  midst;  now  may  the  disciples  behold 
 him  as  their  blessed  peace-maker,  their  mediator,  as  one  that 
 hath  slain  the  enmity ;  not  only  that  enmity  betwixt  men  and 
 men,  Jews  and  Gentiles,  but  also  betwixt  God  and  men.  This 
 he  did  by  his  death,  and  now  he  declares  it  at  his  resurrection ; 
 having  slain  the  enmity  by  his  cross,  lie  came  a)id preac/ied peace  : 
 Jesus  came  and  stood  in  tfie  midst,  and  said  unto  them,  Peace  be 
 unto  you. 
 
 (2.)  He  said,  Peace  J)c  unto  you.  A  seasonable  salutation; 
 for  now  were  the  disciples  in  fear  and  trouble:  they  had  no 
 peace  with  God,  or  man,  or  with  their  own  consciences;  and 
 therefore  a  more  welcome  news  couhl  not  have  come. 
 
 [1 .]  It  speaks  their  peace  with  God.  .  Sin  was  it  that  brought 
 a  difference  betwixt  God  and  man :  now  this  ditVerence  Jesus 
 Christ  had  taken  away  by  his  death  :  Behold  the  Lamb  0/  God^ 
 tvhich  taheth  cnray  the  'sins  of  the  world.  This  was  tlic  great 
 design  of  Christ's  coming,  to  makepeace  betwixt  (iod  and  man; 
 his  Father  imposed  this  ofhce  upon  him,  and  Jesus  Christ  under- 
 took it,  and  discharged  it,  and  he  proclaims  it,  in  the  tirst  place, 
 to  his  disciples.  Peace  be  unto  you. 
 
360  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 [2.]  It  speaks  their  peace  with  man.  I  know  no  reason  why 
 we  should  exclude  civil  peace  out  of  Christ's  wish;  many  a  pro- 
 mise and  precept  we  have  in  the  word,  scattered  here  and  there^ 
 to  this  pm-pose:  And  I  will  give  peace  in  the  land,  and  ye  shall 
 lie  down,  and  none  shall  make  you  afraid. — Folloiv  peace,  and 
 holiness,  without  luhich  no  man  shall  see  God.  '  Orbem  paca 
 tern,'  was  ever  a  clause  in  the  piayers  of  the  primitive  church, 
 that  the  world  might  be  quiet;  I  am  sure  it  is  Christ's  command. 
 If  it  be  possible,  as  much  as  lieth  in  you,  live  peaceably  with 
 all  men. 
 
 [3.]  It  speaka  their  peace  among  themselves,  peace  one  with 
 another;  such  is,  or  should  be,  the  condition  of  the  church.  Je- 
 rusalem is  builded  as  a  city  that  is  at  unity  within  itself:  the 
 apostle  dwells  on  this  unity :  There  is  one  body,  and  one  spirit^ 
 and  one  liope,  and  one  Lord,  and  one  faith,  and  one  baptismy 
 and  one  God  and  Father  of  all,  who  is  above  all,  and  through 
 all,  and  in  you  all.  The  church  is  a  court,  whose  very  pillars  are 
 peace.  The  building,  or  Christianity,  knows  no  other  material 
 to  work  upon.  If  we  look  upon  the  church  itself,  there  is  one  body : 
 if  upon  the  very  soul  of  it,  there  is  one  spirit:  if  upon  the  endow- 
 ment of  it,  there  is  one  hope :  if  upon  the  head  of  it,  there  is  one 
 Lord:  if  upon  the  life  of  it,  there  is  one  faith :  if  upon  the  door 
 of  it,  there  is  one  baptism :  if  upon  the  father  of  it,  there  is  one 
 God  and  Father  of  all,  zvho  is  above  all,  and  through  all,  and 
 in  you  a' I.  It  was  sometimes  Christ's  command  unto  his  apos- 
 tles. Have  salt  in  yourselves,  and  have  peace  one  with  another. 
 And  as  a  blessed  elfect  of  this  salutation,  (for  1  look  upon  them 
 as  words  full  of  virtue,)  the  apostles  and  churches  of  Christ  kept 
 a  most  sweet  harmony :  the  multitude  of  them  that  believed  ivere 
 of  one  heart  and  of  one  soul. 
 
 [4.]  It  speaks  peace  within,  peace  of  conscience.  The  apos- 
 tles had  exceedingly  fallen  from  Christ ;  one  betrayed  him,  and 
 another  denied  him,  all  left  him  alone  in  the  midst  of  his  ene- 
 mies ;  and  yet  to  them  he  speaks,  Peaxe  he  wito  you.  I  know 
 not  a  better  ground  for  comfort  of  poor  humbled  sinners  than 
 this  is :  it  may  be  you  have  dealt  very  unkindly  with  Jesus  Christ, 
 you  have  forsaken  him,  denied  him,  forsworn  him ;  O  but  con- 
 sider, all  this  hindered  not  Christ's  apparition  to  his  apostles ;  he 
 comes  unexpected,  and  quiets  their  spirits :  he  stays  nut  till  they 
 had  sued  to  him  for  mercy,  but  of  his,  mere  lo^e  he  stills  the  waves, 
 and  calms  their  troubled  spirits,  working  in  them  according  to 
 his  word.  Peace  be  unto  you. 
 
 (3.)  He  shewed  unto  them  his  hands  and  his  side.  I  look 
 upon  this  as  a  true  and  real  manifestation  of  his  resurrection ; 
 Christ's  body  yet  remaining  on  earth  was  not  entered  into  that 
 fulness  of  glory ;  and  therefore  he  might  then  retain  some  scars 
 or  blemishes,  to  manifest  the  truth  of  his  resuiTCction  to  his  dis- 
 ciples.    O  the  wonderful  condescensions  of  Christ !  what  helps 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  361 
 
 doth  he  contmually  afford  to  beget  in  us  faith !  If  we  are  igno- 
 rant^ he  instructs  us ;  if  we  err,  he  rethiceth  us ;  if  we  sin,  he 
 corrects  us ;  if  we  stand  he  holtls  us  up ;  if  we  fall,  he  lifts  us 
 up  again;  if  we  go,  he  leads  us;  if  we  come  to  him,  he  is  ready 
 to  receive  us ;  there  is  not  a  passage  of  Christ  between  him  and 
 his,  but  is  an  argument  of  love,  and  a  means  either  of  begetting 
 or  increasing  faith. 
 
 CHAP.  II. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  knowing  Jesus  as  carrying  oii  the  great  Work  of 
 our  Salvation  in  Ms  Itesurrcction. 
 
 That  in  all  respects  we  may  look  on  Jesus, — 1.  Let  us  knov/ 
 Jesus  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  salvation  in  his  resurrec- 
 tion, and  during  the  time  of  his  abode  upon  the  eartli  after  his 
 resurrection.  This  is  worth  the  knowing:  on  it  depends  oui* 
 justification,  salvation;  for  if  Christ  he  not  risen,  we  are  yet  in 
 our  sins,  and  our  faith  is  in  vain,  and  our  hope  is  in  vain.  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  re- 
 spect of  the  time,  or  the  end,  or  the  manner,  or  the  certainty, 
 how  many  are  to  seek;  I  shall  appeal  to  thyself;  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  to  thine  own  good  ;  it  is  not  enough 
 to  know  Christ's  resurrection,  unless  thou  know  it  for  thyself. 
 Be  sure  thou  hast  this  mind,  that  Christ  rose  again;  but 
 what  is  that  to  me  ?  Saving  knowledge  is  ever  joined  \\ith  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  soid,  look 
 on  Christ ;  and  thus  search  into  every  particular  of  Christ's  re- 
 surrection :  come  study  when  he  rose ;  study  the  argiuuents  that 
 make  out  Christ's  resurrection  sure  and  certain ;  study  all  the 
 apparitions  of  Jesus  Clu-ist;  O  what  delightful  studies  are  these  ! 
 Hadst  thou  been  with  them  to  whom  Christ  appeared,  Mouhl  not 
 thy  heart  have  leaped  with  joy !  Come,  study  it  closely,  for  the 
 benefits  of  these  apparitions  extend  to  thee.  Know  this  for 
 thyself. 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  considering  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  consider  Jesus  carrying  on  this  work  of  our  salvation 
 in  his  resurrection. 
 
 1.  Consider  the  time  when  Christ  rose  again.  As  Christ  had 
 his  three  days,  and  no  more;  so  nuist  thou  have  the  same  three 
 13.  2  z 
 
362  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 days  like  unto  his :  the  first  day  was  called  the  day  of  prepara- 
 tion; the  second  was  the  sabbath-day;  and  the  third  day  was 
 the  resurrection  day :  so  thy  first  day  is  a  day  of  preparation,  a 
 day  of  passion,  wherein  thou  must  strive  against  sin  and  Satan, 
 wherein  thou  must  suffer  all  their  darts  until  thou  diest;  and  thy 
 second  day  is  a  day  of  rest,  wherein  thy  body  must  lie  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,  and  come  to  judgment;  and  thy  third  day  is  a  day  of 
 resurrection. 
 
 2.  Consider  the  reasons  why  Christ  arose ;  was  it  not  to  con- 
 found the  Jews  ?  They  could  not  endure  to  hear  of  Christ's 
 resurrection,  and  therefore  when  Peter  and  the  other  apostles 
 spoke  on  that  point,  they  were  cut  to  the  heart,  and  took  counsel 
 to  slay  them.  Again,  was  it  not  to  confirm  the  faith  of  Christ's 
 followers  ?  Until  he  was  risen,  their  faith  was  weak ;  but  after 
 he  had  shewed  himself  alive  by  many  infallible  proofs,  they  could 
 then  cry  out.  My  Lord  and  my  God !  Again,  was  it  not  to  evid- 
 ence that  he  had  fully  satisfied  all  our  debts  ?  The  apostle  tells 
 us,  that  Christ  was  our  surety ;  at  his  death  he  was  arrested,  and 
 cast  into  prison,  whence  he  could  not  come  till  all  was  paid; 
 and  therefore  to  hear  that  Christ  is  risen,  is  a  clear  evidence  that 
 God  is  satisfied.  Again,  was  it  not  to  conquer  sin,  death,  and 
 the  devil  ?  Now  he  took  from  death  his  sting,  and  from  hell  its 
 standard ;  now  he  seized  upon  the  hand- writing  that  was  against 
 us,  and  nailed  it  to  his  cross ;  now  he  spoiled  principalities  and 
 powers,  and  carried  away  the  keys  of  death  and  hell ;  now  he 
 came  out  of  the  grave  as  a  mighty  conqueror,  saying,  as  Deborah 
 did  in  her  song,  O  my  soul,  thou  hast  trodden  down  strength^ 
 thou  hast  marched  valiantly.  Again,  was  it  not  to  become  the 
 first-fruits  of  them  that  slept?  Christ  was  the  first  that  rose 
 again  to  die  no  more ;  and  by  virtue  of  his  resurrection  (as  being 
 the  first-fruits)  we  must  rise  again :  As  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so 
 in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive  ; — every  man  in  his  own  order, 
 Christ  the  first-fruits,  and  afterwards  they  that  are  Christ's  at 
 his  coming.  Again,  was  it  not  that  he  might  be  declared  to  be 
 the  Son  of  God?  Was  it  not  that  he  might  be  exalted  and  glo- 
 rified ?  This  is  the  main  reason  of  all ;  see  thou  to  this !  O  give 
 him  the  glory  of  his  resurrection  ;  so  meditate,  and  consider  on 
 this  transaction,  as  to  ascribe  to  his  name  all  honour  and  glory. 
 What,  is  he  risen  from  the  dead?  Hath  God  highly  exalted 
 him,  and  given  him  a  name  above  every  name  ?  O  then  let  every 
 tongue  confess,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the 
 Father. 
 
 3.  Consider  the  manner  of  Christ's  resurrection.  1 .  He  arose 
 as  a  common  person ;  in  which  respect  his  resurrection  concerns 
 us  no  less  than  himself.  We  must  not  think  that  when  Christ 
 was  raised,  it  was  uo  more  than  when  Lazarus  was  raised;  his 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  363 
 
 resurrection  was  the  resurrection  of  us  all ;  it  was  in  the  name  of 
 us  all,  and  had  in  it  a  seed-like  virtue,  to  work  the  resurrection 
 of  us  all. — 2.  He  rose  by  his  own  power;  and  so  did  none  but 
 Jesus  Christ  from  the  beginning  of  the  world.  O  my  soul,  he 
 was  able  to  raise  himself,  much  more  is  he  able  to  raise  thee  up, 
 3.  He  rose  with  an  earthquake  :  O  the  power  of  Christ!  What 
 ailed  thee,  O  earth,  to  skip  like  a  ram !  The  Lord  reigneth, 
 and  therefore  the  earth  is  moved.  O  what  a  rocky  heart  is  mine ! 
 How  much  harder  than  that  rock  that  moves  not,  melts  not,  at 
 the  presence  of  God,  the  presence  of  the  God  of  Jacob. 
 
 4.  An  angel  ministered  to  him  at  his  resurrection :  An  angel 
 came,  and  rolled  back  the  stone  from  the  door,  a)id  sat  npon  if. 
 Angels  were  the  first  ministers  of  the  gospel,  the  first  preachers 
 of  Christ's  resurrection ;  they  preached  more  of  Christ  than  all  the 
 prophets  did :  they  first  told  the  women  that  Christ  was  risen ; 
 and  they  did  the  first  service  to  Christ  at  his  resurrection,  in  roll- 
 ing the  stone  from  the  door's  mouth.  O  my  soul,  that  thou  weit 
 but  like  these  blessed  angels  !  How  is  it  that  they  are  so  forward 
 in  God's  service,  and  thou  art  so  backward  ?  One  day  thou  ex- 
 pectest  to  be  equal  with  the  angels,  and  art  thou  now  so  far  be- 
 hind them? — Many  of  the  bodies  of  the  saints  arose  out  of  their 
 graves  at  his  resurrection ;  as  the  angels  ministered,  so  the  saints 
 waited  on  him;  look  upon  them  as  the  fruit  of  Christ's  resurrec- 
 tion, and  as  an  earnest  of  thy  own. — Christ  rose  again  with  a 
 true  and  perfect  body,  with  an  incorruptible  and  powerful  body, 
 with  a  spiritual  and  agile  body,  with  a  glorious  body,  brighter 
 than  the  sun  in  his  utmost  glory;  and  he  shall  change  our  vile 
 bodies,  that  they  may  be  fashioned  like  unto  his  glorious  body.  O 
 consider  of  it,  until  thou  feelest  the  influence,  and  comest  to  the 
 assurance,  of  this  blessed  change. 
 
 1.  Consider  the  several  apparitions  of  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 2.  Muse  on  his  apparition  to  Mary  Magdalen :  O  the  grief 
 before  he  appeared !  and,  O  the  joys  when  he  appeared ! — 
 1.  Before,  slie  apprehended  nothing,  but  that  some  or  other  had 
 taken  away  her  Lord :  these  were  all  the  words  she  uttered ; 
 They  hare  taken  away  my  Lord,  atid  I  knoiu  not  where  they 
 have  laid  him. — 2.  After  lie  appeared,  she  was  filled  with  joy: 
 when  nothing  else  would  satisfy,  Jesus  himself  appears.  At 
 first  he  is  unknown,  she  takes  him  for  the  gardener;  but  within 
 a  while  he  utters  a  voice  that  opens  both  her  ears  and  eyes :  And 
 Jesus  saith  unto  her,  Mai^j.  It  was  the  sweetest  sound  that 
 ever  she  heard;  hereby  the  cloud  is  scattered,  and  the  Sun  of 
 righteousness  appears;  this  one  word  lightens  her  eyes,  and 
 cheers  her  heart. 
 
 I  know  not  in  all  the  book  of  God  a  soul  more  depressed  m  ith 
 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 
 lightsome  day. 
 
364  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 8.  Muse  on  his  apparition  to  the  ten  disciples.  When  the 
 doors  were  shut  for  fear  of  the  Jews^  then  came  Jesus^  and  stood 
 in  the  midst,  saying  to  them,  Peace  be  unto  you.  Before  his 
 apparitions^  sorrow  and  fear  had  possessed  all  their  spirits ;  some- 
 times they  walked  abroad,  and  were  sad ;  and  sometimes  they 
 kept  within,  and  shut  the  doors  upon  them,  as  being  exceedingly 
 afraid :  in  this  condition  Jesus  Christ  (that  knows  best  the  times 
 and  seasons  of  grace  and  comfort)  comes  and  stands  in  the  midst 
 of  their  assembly;  he  comes  in,  they  know  not  how;  and  no 
 sooner  is  he  in,  but  he  salutes  them,  Peace  he  unto  you. 
 
 Tliis  was  the  prime  of  all  his  wishes ;  no  sooner  is  he  risen, 
 but  he  wisheth  peace  to  all  his  apostles ;  no  sooner  meets  he  with 
 them,  but  the  very  opening  of  his  lips  was  with  these  words : 
 they  are  tiie  first  words,  at  the  first  meeting,  on  the  very  first 
 day.  A  sure  sign  that  peace  was  in  the  heart  of  Jesus  Christ ; 
 howsoever  it  is  with  us,  peace  or  war,  there  is  the  commonweal 
 Avhere  Christ  is  King,  and  there  is  nothing  but  peace.  Come, 
 examine :  art  thou,  O  my  soul,  a  member  of  this  body  ?  a  subject 
 of  this  commonweal?  Hath  the  influence  of  Christ's  peace 
 (wrought  and  declared  at  his  resurrection)  any  force  on  thee  ? 
 hast  thou  peace  with  God — and  peace  within — and  peace  with- 
 • /lit  ?  Dost  thou  feel  that  ointment  poured  upon  Aaron's  head, 
 .'\nd  running  down  the  skirts  of  his  garments  ?  Doth  the  spirit 
 iissure  thee,  that  Christ  the  Prince  of  peace  hath  made  peace 
 and  reconciliation  betwixt  God  and  thee  ?  O  hoiu  heaictiful  upon 
 the  ynountains  ivould  the  feet  of  him  he,  that  should  publish  peace, 
 that  should  bring  these  good  tidings,  that  thou  art  a  citizen  of 
 that  Jerusalemiuhere  God  is  King,  and  Christ  the  Prince  of j^eace  1 
 where  all  the  buildings  are  compact  together^  as  a  city  that  is  at 
 unity  within  itself. 
 
 Sect.  III.— 0/  desiring  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  desire  Jesus  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  salvation 
 in  his  resurrection. 
 
 But  what  is  there  in  Christ's  resurrection,  that  should  move 
 our  souls  to  desire  it  ? 
 
 I  answer,  1.  Something  in  itself.  2.  Something  in  reference 
 to  us. 
 
 1.  There  is  something  in  itself.  Had  we  but  a  view  of  the 
 glory,  dignity,  and  excellency  of  Christ,  as  raised  from  the  dead, 
 it  would  put  us  on  this  heavenly  motion ;  we  should  Jly  as  the 
 eagle  that  hasteth  to  eat.  The  more  excellent  and  glorious  any 
 good  is,  the  more  eager  should  our  desires  be :  now  Christ  raised 
 from  the  dead  is  an  excellent  object;  the  resurrection  of  Christ 
 is  the  glorifying  of  Christ ;  yea,  his  glorifying  took  its  beginning 
 at  his  blessed  resurrection ;  now  it  was  that  God  highly  exalted 
 him,  and  gave  him  a  name  above  every  name. 
 
Looking  tmto  Jesus.  365 
 
 2.  There  is  something  in  reference  unto  us ;  as^  1 .  He  rose 
 again  for  our  justification.  I  must  needs  grant,  that  Christ's 
 death,  and  not  his  resurrection,  is  the  meritorious  cause  of  our 
 justification ;  but  on  the  other  side,  Christ's  resurrection,  and 
 not  his  death,  is  for  the  applying  of  our  justification:  as  the 
 stamp  adds  no  virtue,  nor  matter  of  real  vahic,  to  a  piece  of  gold, 
 but  only  it  makes  that  value,  which  before  it  liad,  act  ually  appli- 
 cable and  current  unto  us ;  so  the  resurrection  of  Christ  was  no 
 part  of  the  price  or  satisfaction  which  Christ  made  to  God,  yet 
 is  it  that  which  applies  all  his  merits,  and  makes  them  of  force 
 unto  his  members.  If  Christ  he  not  risen  again,  ye  are  yet  in 
 your  si}is,  and  your  faith  is  in  vain.  Remission  of  sin  (which 
 is  a  part  of  our  justification)  though  purchased  by  Christ's  death, 
 yet  could  not  be  applied  to  us,  or  be  made  ours,  without  Christ's 
 resurrection ;  and  in  this  respect,  O  how  desirable  it  is  ! 
 
 3.  He  rose  again  for  our  sanctification.  So  the  apostle,  He 
 hath  quickened  ns  together  ivith  Christ,  and  hath  raised  us 
 np  together  ivith  Christ.  If  you  would  know  how  you  that  were 
 blind  in  heart,  uncircumcised  in  spirit,  utterly  unacquainted  with 
 the  life  of  God,  are  now  light  in  the  Lord,  afiecting  heavenly 
 things,  walking  in  righteousness ;  it  comes  from  this  l^lessed  resur- 
 rection of  Jesus  Christ :  we  are  quickened  with  Christ,  it  is  Clu'ist's 
 resurrection  that  raised  our  souls.  Whence  reckon  yourselves 
 to  be  dead  unto  sin,  but  alive  unto  God  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
 Lord.  Tliis  is  the  end  of  Christ's  resurrection,  that  we  should 
 be  new  creatures,  of  new  lives,  new  principles,  new  conversa- 
 tions ;  he  rose  again  for  our  sanctification. 
 
 4.  He  rose  again  for  our  resurrection  to  eternal  life :  Christ  is 
 the  pattern,  and  pledge,  and  cause  of  the  resurrection  of  our 
 bodies ;  for  since  by  nutn  came  death,  by  man  came  also  the 
 resurrection  of  the  dead.  There  is  a  virtue  flowing  from  Christ 
 to  his  saints,  by  which  they  shall  be  raised  up  at  the  latter  day : 
 not  but  that  all  the  wicked  shall  be  raised  again  l)y  the  power  of 
 Christ,  as  he  is  a  Judge;  for  alt  that  arc  in  their  graves  shall 
 hear  his  voice,  and  they  shall  come  forth  ;  yet  with  this  difiVrence, 
 they  that  have  done  good  unto  the  resurrection  of  life ;  and  they 
 that  have  done  evil  unto  the  resurrection  of  damnation. 
 
 5.  He  rose  again  for  the  assurance  of  our  justification,  sancti- 
 fication, and  salvation.  This  is  the  reason  why  the  apostle  useth 
 these  words  to  prove  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  /  tvill  give  you 
 the  sure  mercies  of  David:  none  of  God's  mercies  had  been  sure 
 to  us,  if  Christ  had  not  risen  again  from  the  dead.  But  now  all 
 is  made  sure ;  his  work  of  redemption  being  fully  finished,  the 
 mercy  w^hich  thereupon  depended,  was  now  made  certain,  (and 
 as  the  apostle  speaks)  sure  unto  all  the  seed. 
 
 Methinks  a  thougiit  of  this  object,  in  respect  of  itself,  and  in  re- 
 spect of  us,  should  put  our  souls  into  a  longing  frame.  Is  it  not  a 
 desirable  thing  to  see  the  King  in  his  beauty  ?    If  Christ  incarnate 
 
366  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 was  the  desire  of  nations^  how  much  more  is  Christ  in  gloi'j'^ !  If 
 it  was  Augustin's  great  wish  to  have  seen  Christ  in  the  flesh,  how 
 should  we  wish  to  see  Christ  risen  from  the  dead  ?  In  this  con- 
 sideration we  cannot  fathom  the  thousand  thousandth  part  of  the 
 worth  and  excellency  of  Jesus  Christ.  Or  if  Christ's  resurrection 
 in  itself  will  not  stir  up  our  desires,  is  it  not  desirable  in  reference 
 unto  us  ?  What,  that  he  should  rise  again  for  our  justification  ! 
 That  by  virtue  of  his  resurrection,  thy  soul  should  appear  righte- 
 ous before  the  judgment-seat  of  God !  O  my  soul,  that  thy  por- 
 tion may  be  with  theirs  who  have  right  and  title  to  this  blessed 
 resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ !  O  that  thou  wert  on  the  wing  in 
 thy  desires  after  Christ !  O  that  feelingly  thou  knewest  him, 
 and  the  power  of  his  resurrection  !  that  thou  wert  resolved  to  give 
 no  sleep  to  thine  eyes,  nor  slumber  to  thine  eye-lids,  until  thou 
 couldst  sav,  Christ's  resurrection  is  mine ! 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  hoping  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  hope  in  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  in  his  resurrection.  We  may  examine  the  firmness  of 
 our  hope  in  Christ's  resurrection  by  these  signs : 
 
 1.  If  Christ's  resurrection  be  mine,  then  is  Christ's  death 
 mine ;  the  fruits  or  effects  of  Christ's  death  and  resurrection  can- 
 not be  severed;  Ifivehave  been  planted  together  iii  the  likeness 
 of  his  death,  ive  shall  be  also  in  the  likeness  of  his  resurrection. 
 
 2.  If  Christ's  resurrection  be  mine,  then  is  Christ's  spirit  mine, 
 yea,  then  I  am  quickened  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ.  If  any  man 
 have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  his : — But  if  the 
 Spirit  of  him  that  raised  up  Jesus  from  the  dead  dwell  in  you, 
 then  he  that  raised  up  Christ  from  the  dead  shall  also  quicken 
 your  mortal  bodies,  (and  I  may  add,  ^^our  immortal  souls,)  by  his 
 Spirit  that  dwelleth  in  you.  Christ's  Spirit  (if  Christ's  resurrec- 
 tion be  ours)  will  have  the  same  effect  in  our  souls,  that  it  had  in 
 his  body ;  as  it  raised  up  the  one,  so  it  will  raise  up  the  other ;  as 
 it  quickened  the  one,  so  it  will  quicken  the  other :  but  how  shall 
 we  know  whether  we  have  received  this  quickening  Spirit? 
 Many  pretend  to  the  Spirit,  but  how  may  we  be  assured  that  the 
 Spirit  is  ours  ?     I  answer, 
 
 (1.)  The  Spirit  is  a  Spirit  of  illumination ;  here  is  the  begin- 
 ning of  his  work,  he  begins  in  light ;  as  in  the  first  creation,  the 
 first-born  of  God's  works  was  light.  And  God  said.  Let  there  be 
 light,  and  there  was  light;  so  in  this  new  creation,  the  first  work 
 is  light ;  God,  luho  commanded  the  light  to  shiiie  out  of  darkness, 
 hath  shined  into  our  hearts;  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge 
 of  the  glory  of  God  ill  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ.  There  is  a  light 
 in  the  mind,  and  a  light  in  the  heart,  of  those  who  have  the  Spirit 
 of  Christ ;  not  only  to  know  the  truth,  but  to  love  it,  believe  it, 
 embrace  it.     Consider  whether  any  of  this  new  light  of  Jesus 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  30/ 
 
 Christ  hath  shined  into  thy  heart ;  take  heed,  deceive  not  thy- 
 self, thou  mayest  have  a  great  deal  of  wit  and  knowledge,  and 
 yet  go  to  hell;  this  light  is  a  light  shining  into  thy  heart;  this 
 light  is  a  Christ-discovering  light;  this  light  is  a  sin-discovering 
 light;  this  light  will  cause  thee  to  find  thy  hypocrisy,  deadness, 
 dulness  in  spiritual  duties ;  if  thou  hast  not  this  light,  thou  art 
 near  to  eternal  burnings :  darkness  is  one  of  the  properties  of 
 hell,  and  without  this  light,  inward  darkness  will  lead  to  utter 
 darkness,  where  is  iueepi)ig,  andwaUing,  (uid  gnasliing  of  teeth. 
 
 (2.)  Thy  quickening  spirit  is  a  spirit  of  sanctification ;  such 
 was  the  Spirit  whereby  Christ  was  raised.  He  was  declared 
 mightiJi/  to  he  the  Son  of  God,  according  to  the  Spirit  of  sancti- 
 fication, hy  the  resurrection  from  the  dead.  Tluit  Spirit  mJucIi 
 raised  up  Jesus  Christ,  was  the  same  Spirit  which  sanctilied  his 
 human  nature :  and  such  is  that  quickening  Spirit  to  all  in  wliom 
 it  dwelleth ;  it  is  a  Spirit  of  holiness,  and  it  works  holiness, 
 changing  the  heart,  and  turning  the  bent  of  it  from  sin  to  holi- 
 ness. If  any  man  he  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature;  old  thi/tgs 
 are  passed  away,  behold  all  things  are  hecome  new.  O  my  soul, 
 try  thyself  by  this  sign;  dost  thou  find  such  an  inward  change 
 'wrought  in  thy  soul  ?  Dost  thou  find  the  law  of  God  a  law  of  holi- 
 ness written  on  thy  heart  ?  Dost  thou  find  a  law  within  thee  con- 
 trary to  the  law  of  sin,  commanding  with  authority  that  which  is 
 holy  and  good  ?  If  so,  surely  tiiis  is  no  other  hut  the  law  of 
 the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus;  or  the  law  of  this  quickening 
 Spirit,  communicated  from  Christ  unto  the  soul. 
 
 (3.)  If  Christ's  resurrection  be  mhie,  then  am  I  planted  to- 
 gether in  the  likeness  of  Christ's  resurrection ;  then  I  am  made 
 conformable  to  Christ  in  his  resurrection :  now  if  wq  would 
 know  wherein  that  resemblance  is,  the  apostle  tells  us,  That  like 
 as  Christ  was  raised  upfront  the  dead  hy  the  glory  of  the  Father, 
 even  so  ive  also  should  urn  Ik  in  /leunicss  of  life.  ()ur  mortifica- 
 tion is  a  resemblance  of  Christ's  death,  aiul  our  viAilication  is  a 
 resemblance  of  Christ's  resurrection.  In  this  ground  of  our  hope 
 concerning  our  interest  in  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  1  shall 
 propound  these  questions : 
 
 1.  Whether  our  souls  are  vivified? 
 
 2.  Whether  we  grow  in  our  vivification  ' 
 
 For  the  first,  the  truth  of  our  vivification  will  appear  by  these 
 rules : 
 
 (1.)  True  viv-ification  is  general,  both  in  respect  of  us,  and  in 
 respect  of  grace. 
 
 In  respect  of  us,  it  is  diffused  throughout  the  whole  man :  2'//^ 
 I'ery  God  of  peace  sanctify  you  ivholly,  saith  the  apostle.  And, 
 in  respect  of  grace,  it  is  in  every  grace.  Indeed,  some  Chris- 
 tians are  eminent  in  some  graces ;  and  some  in  others ;  some  have 
 more  love,  and  some  knowledge,  and  some  more  patience,  and 
 some  more  self-denial :  but  all  that  are  true  Christians  have  each 
 
368  LookiJig  unto  Jesus. 
 
 of  these  graces  in  some  measure :  if  vivification  be  true^  there  is 
 a  whole  work  of  grace  both  in  heart  and  life ;  as  the  light  in  the 
 air  runs  through  the  whole  hemisphere^  so  does  grace  run  through 
 the  whole  man. 
 
 (2.)  True  vivification  is  a  new  life  acting  upon  a  new  principle 
 of  faith.  The  lift  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh ,  I  live  hy  the 
 faith  of  the  Son  of  God.  Paul's  life  is  a  spiritual  life,  and  the 
 spring  of  his  life  is  the  Son  of  God.  Jesus  Christ  is  essentially, 
 fundamentally  life  itself;  and  by  his  incarnation,  passion,  resur- 
 rection, he  is  life  for  his  saints  5  they  live  by  him,  and  in  him,  and 
 for  him,  and  through  him;  he  is  the  heart  of  their  spiritual  life. 
 O  my  soul,  dost  thou  live  this  life  of  faith  on  the  Son  of  God  ? 
 canst  thou  make  use  of  Christ  in  every  condition  ?  dost  thou  look 
 up  to  Jesus,  and  desirest  no  more  good  name,  repute,  or  honour^ 
 than  Christ  will  afford  thee  ?  or,  in  case  of  death,  dost  thou, 
 like  Stephen,  resign  thy  soul  to  Christ  ?  dost  thou  see  death  con- 
 quered in  the  resurrection  of  Christ?  dost  thou  look  beyond 
 death  ?  dost  thou  over-eye  all  things  betwixt  thee  and  glory  ? 
 O  the  sweet  of  this  life  of  faith  on  the  Son  of  God !  If  thou 
 knowest  what  this  means,  then  mayest  thou  assure  thyself  of  thy 
 vivification. 
 
 (3.)  True  vivification  is  a  new  life  acting  upon  a  new  principle 
 of  hope  of  glory.  Blessed  he  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ,  which,  according  to  his  abundant  mercy,  hath  he- 
 gotten  us  agaifi  to  a  lively  hope,  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus 
 Christ  from  the  dead,  to  an  inheritance  incorruptible  and  unde-^ 
 fded,  that  fadeth  not  away,  reserved  in  heaven  for  you.  By 
 Christ's  resurrection  we  have  a  lively  hope  of  our  resurrection 
 unto  glory :  is  not  Christ  our  head  ?  and  if  he  be  risen  to  glory, 
 shall  not  his  members  follow  after  him  ?  Certainly  there  is  but 
 one  life,  one  Spirit,  one  glory  of  Christ  and  his  members  :  The 
 glrny  which  thou  gavest  yne,  I  have  given  unto  them,  said  Christ, 
 The  soul  that  is  vivified,  hath  a  lively  hope  of  glory  on  several 
 grounds.  As,  1.  Because  of  the  promises  of  glory  set  down  in 
 the  word ;  now  on  these  promises  hope  fastens  her  anchor ;  if 
 Christ  hath  promised,  how  should  I  but  maintain  a  lively  hope  ? 
 2.  Because  of  the  first-fruits  of  the  Spirit;  there  are  sometimes 
 foretastes  of  the  glory,  drops  of  heaven  poured  into  a  soul ;  whence 
 it  comfortably  concludes, — if  I  have  the  earnest  and  first-fi'uits, 
 surely  in  his  time  Jesus  Christ  will  give  the  harvest.  3.  Because 
 of  Christ's  resurrection  unto  glory:  now  he  arose  as  a  common 
 person,  and  he  went  up  into  heaven  as  a  common  person ;  whence 
 hope  is  hvely,  saying.  Why  should  I  doubt,  seeing  I  am  quick- 
 ened together  with  Christ,  and  raised  up  together  with  Christ, 
 and  am  made  to  sit  together  with  Christ  in  heavenly  places  ? 
 Try,  Q  my  soul,  by  this  sign :  art  thou  lively  in  the  hope  of 
 glory  ?  doth  thy  heart  leap  within  at  the  thought  of  thy  inhe- 
 ritance in  heaven?     In  a  lively  fountain  the  waters  will  leap 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  369 
 
 and  sparkle ;  so  if  thy  hope  be  lively,  thou  wilt  have  living 
 joys,  living  speeches,  living  delights  :  amidst  all  thy  afflictions 
 thou  wilt  say,  These  will  not  endure  for  ever ;  I  myself  shall 
 away  ere  long,  glory  will  come  at  last.  O  the  sweet  of  this  life 
 of  hope  !  If  thou  feelest  these  stirrings,  it  is  an  argument  of  thy 
 viv^ification. 
 
 (4.)  True  vivification  acts  all  its  duties  upon  a  x\^\\  principle  of 
 }ore  to  Christ ;  men  not  enlivened  by  Jesus  Christ  may  do  much, 
 iind  go  far  in  outward  service,  yea,  they  may  come  to*  sutfering ; 
 and  yet  without  love  to  Christ,  all  is  lost,  ail  comes  to  nothing. 
 Though  I  speak  with  the  tongues  of  men  and  angeh^ — though 
 I  have  the  gift  of  prophecy,  and  understand  all  mysteries,  and 
 all  knowledge, — though  I  bestow  all  my  goods  to  feed  the  poor, 
 and  though  I  give  my  body  to  be  burnt,  and  have  not  love, — it 
 ^irofiteth  me  nothing.  But  how  may  we  know  that  all  our  act- 
 ings are  out  of  love  to  Jesus  Christ?  I  answer, 
 
 1.  If  we  act  by  the  rule  of  Christ,  if  ye  love  me,  keep  my 
 commandmeyits. — He  that  hath  my  commandments,  and  hcepeth 
 them,  he  it  is  that  love.th  me. — If  any  man  love  me,  he  will  keep 
 my  commandments.  He  that  loves  Christ,  will  look  upon  every 
 act,  every  service,  every  performance,  whether  it  be  according  to 
 the  rule  of  Christ,  and  then  on  he  goes  with  it. 
 
 2.  If  we  act  to  the  honour  of  Christ.  We  may  pray,  and  hear, 
 and  preach,  and  act  for  ourselves,  more  than  ior  the  honour  of 
 Jesus  Christ :  while  Christ  shewed  miracles,  and  fed  his  follow- 
 ers to  the  full,  they  cried  up  Jesus,  and  none  like  Jesus  ;  but 
 when  he  pressed  sincerity  upon  them,,  and  preparation  for  suffer- 
 higSj/ro??!  that  time  many  of  his  disciples  ivent  back,  and  walked, 
 no  more  with  him.  It  is  no  news  for  men  to  fall  off  when  their 
 ends  fail ;  only  they  that  love  Christ,  look  not  at  these  outward 
 things :  and  hence  it  is  that  in  all  their  actings,  they  will  carry  on 
 the  design  of  the  Father,  in  advancing  the  honour  of  the  Son, 
 wliatever  it  cost  them.  O  my  soul,  apply  this  to  thyself;  if  thou 
 livest  the  life  of  love,  if  in  all  thy  actings,  duties,  services,  thou 
 art  carried  on  with  a  principle  of  love  to  Jesus  Christ,  it  is  a  sure 
 sign  of  thy  vivification. 
 
 For  the  second  question,  Whether  we  grow  in  our  vivification  ? 
 We  may  discover  it  thus  : 
 
 1.  We  grow,  when  we  are  led  on  to  the  exercise  of  new 
 graces;  this  the  apostle  calls  adding  one  grace  unto  anotlier: 
 Add  to  your  faith,  virtue;  and  Yo  rnrtue,  knowledge ;  and  to 
 kncnvledge,  temperance ;  and  to  temperaiire,  patience ;  and  fn 
 patience,  godliness;  and  to  godliness,  brotherly  kindness;  and 
 to  brotherly  kindness,  charity.  At  first  a  Christian  doth  not 
 exercise  all  graces ;  though  all  gi-aces  be  planted  in  him,  yet  the 
 exercise  of  them  is  not  all  at  once  :  but,  as  wicked  men  are  led 
 on  from  one  sin  unto  another,  and  so  grow  worse  and  worse  ;  so 
 good  men  are  led  from  cue  grace  to  another  ;  and  so  increase, 
 14.  3  a 
 
370  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 tribulation  working  patience,  and  patience  experience,  and  expe- 
 rience hope. 
 
 2.  We  grow  when  we  find  new  degrees  of  the  same  grace  \ 
 as,  when  love  grows  more  fervent,  when  knowledge  abounds, 
 and  hath  a  larger  apprehension  of  spiritual  things,  when  faith 
 goes  on  to  plerophory,  or  full  assurance  of  faith.  When  godly 
 sorrow  proceeds  from  mourning  for  sin,  as  contrary  to  God's 
 holiness,  to  mourn  for  it,  as  contrary  to  him  who  loves  us ;  when 
 obedience  enlargeth  its  bounds,  and  we  abound  more  and  more 
 in  the  work  of  the  Lord.  /  know  thy  works,  said  Christ  to  the 
 church  of  Thiatyra  ?  /  knoiv  thy  tvorks,  and  the  last  to  be  more 
 than  the  first. 
 
 3.  We  grow,  when  the  fruits  and  duties  we  perform  grow  more 
 ripe,  more  spiritual,  and  more  to  the  honour  of  Christ :  it  may 
 be  we  pray  not  more  nor  longer  than  sometimes  we  used;  it 
 may  be  our  prayers  have  not  more  wit,  or  memory,  than  some- 
 times they  had;  yet  they  are  more  savoury,  more  spiritual,  and 
 more  to  Christ's  honour,  than  sometimes  they  were.  Now  we 
 must  know,  that  one  short  prayer,  put  up  in  faith,  with  a  broken 
 heart,  and  aiming  at  the  honour  of  Christ,  argues  more  growth 
 in  grace,  than  prayers  of  a  day  long,  and  never  so  eloquent, 
 without  the  like  qualifications.  In  every  duty  we  should  look  at 
 their  ends  and  aims ;  for  if  we  debase  om'selves,  in  the  sense  of 
 our  own  vileness,  and  emptiness,  and  inability,  and  if  we  aim  at 
 God's  honour,  and  praise,  and  glory,  it  is  a  good  sign  of  growth : 
 we  call  this  the  spiritual  part  of  duty,  when  it  is  from  God,  and 
 tlirough  God,  and  to  God. 
 
 4.  v¥e  gi'ow,  when  we  are  more  rooted  in  Christ :  so  the  apos- 
 tle describes  it,  a  grmjuing  up  unto  him  in  all  things.  Growth 
 of  grace,  is  usually  expressed  by  the  growing  into  Christ :  grow 
 in  grace,  and  in  the  knoicledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
 Ciirist.  As  if  to  grow  in  grace  without  him,  were  nothing,  as 
 indeed  it  is  not.  Philosophers,  moral  men,  and  others,  may 
 grow  in  virtues,  but  not  in  Christ.  Come  then,  search  and  try 
 whether  we  are  more  rooted  in  Christ :  when  a  young  plant  is 
 new  set,  the  roots  are  a  small  depth  in  the  earth,  one  may  pull 
 them  up  with  his  hands  ;  but  as  the  tree  shooteth  up  in  height, 
 so  it  strike's  the  root  deeper  and  deeper :  so  it  is  with  us  ;  we 
 have  not  so  fii'm  and  near  a  conjunction  with  Christ,  at  our  first 
 union  ;  but  the  more  we  live  with  him,  like  good  trees,  bringing 
 forth  the  fruits  of  righteousness,  the  more  we  strike  root  down- 
 wards. 
 
 O  my  soul,  try  the  growth  of  vivificatipn  by  these  few  signs  : 
 Art  thou  led  on  to  the  exercises  of  new  graces,  adding  grace  to 
 grace  ?  dost  thou  find  new  degrees  of  the  same  grace  ?  is  thy 
 love  more  hot,  thy  faith  more  firm  ?  all  thy  boughs  more  laden 
 and  filled  with  the  fruits  of  righteousness  ?  are  all  thy  duties  more 
 spiritual  ?  arc  thy  ends  more  raised  to  §iim  at  God,  to  sanctify 
 
Looking  unto  *Tesus\  371 
 
 o 
 
 iiini,  and  to  debase  thyself?  art  thou  more  rooted  in  Christ  ?  in 
 all  thy  duties,  graces,  and  gracious  actings,  hast  thou  learnt 
 habitually  to  say,  I  live,  yet  not  I,  but  Christ  livcth  in  me  ?  dost 
 thou  interest  Christ  more  and  more  in  all  thou  dost  ?  dost  thou 
 know  and  aftect  Christ  more  and  more  ?  Come,  search,  try  :  it 
 may  be  little  winds  have  formerly  shaken  thee  ;  but  thy  root  is 
 struck  lower  into  Christ ;  and  now  thou  art  not  so  soon  shaken 
 with  every  wind ;  surely  thy  hope  is  well  grounded,  thou  hast  a 
 part  in  Christ's  resurrection. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Of  BeUcvins;  in  Jestfs  in  flint  respect. 
 
 Let  us  believe  in  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  in  his  resurrection. 
 
 Scrupulous  souls  !  throw  not  away  your  confidence ;  ought  not 
 Christ  to  have  suffered  these  things,  and  to  enter  into  his  glory  ? 
 Was  not  satisfaction  and  justification,  payment  of  debt,  and  dis- 
 charge of  bonds,  required  of  him,  and  of  necessity,  for  us  !  O 
 believe  !  and  that  I  may  persuade  to  purpose,  I  shall  lay  down, 
 as  before;  1.  Some  directions;  and,  2.  Some  encouragements 
 of  faith. 
 
 1.  For  directions  of  faith,  in  reference  to  Christ's  resurrection, 
 remember 
 
 ( I .)   Faith  must  directly  go  to  Christ. 
 
 (2.)   Faith  must  go  to  Christ,  as  God  in  the  flesh. 
 
 (;}.)  Faith  must  go  to  Christ,  as  God  in  the  flesh,  made  under 
 tlie  law. 
 
 (4.)  Faith  must  go  to  Christ,  not  only  as  made  under  the  di- 
 rective part  of  the  law  by  his  life,  but  under  the  penal  part  by 
 his  death. 
 
 (5.)  Faith  must  go  to  Christ  as  God  in  the  flesh,  made  under 
 the  directive  and  penal  part  of  the  law,  and  as  quickened  by  the 
 Spirit.  He  wa^  put  to  death  in  the  flesh,  saith  Peter,  and 
 quickened  by  the  Spirit.  And  accordingly  must  be  the  method 
 and  order  of  our  faith.  After  we  have  looked  on  Christ  as  dead  in 
 the  flesh,  we  must  go  on  to  see  him  as  quickened  by  the  Spirit :  If 
 Christ  was  not  7'aised,  or  quickened,  saith  the  apostle,  your  faith 
 were  in  vain  ;  as  if  he  had  said,  To  believe  in  Christ  as  only  in 
 respect  of  his  birth,  life,  death,  and  to  go  no  farther,  were  but 
 a  vain  faith ;  therefore  all  the  sermons  of  the  apostles  represented 
 Christ,  not  only  as  crucified,  but  as  raised.  This  was  the  wav 
 of  the  apostles'  preaching  ;  they  told  a  history  (I  speak  it  with 
 reverence)  of  one  Jesus  Christ,  that  was  the  Word  of  God,  and 
 that  was  become  man,  and  how  he  was  crucified  at  Jerusideni, 
 and  how  he  was  raiaed  from  the  dead ;  and  all  this  in  a  plain, 
 simple,  spiritual  manner :  and  while  they  were  telling  those 
 blessed  truths,  the  Spirit  fell  upon  the  people,  and  they  had 
 faith  wrought  in  theui.     Faith  is  not  wrought  eo  much  in  the  wajr 
 
3/2  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 of  ratiocinatioiij  as  by  the  Spirit  of  God  coming  upon  the  souls 
 of  the  people,  by  the  relation  or  representation  of  Jesus  Christ  to 
 the  aoul.  And  this  oiu*  Lord  himself  hints  :  As  Moses  lifted  up 
 the  sei^ent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so  must  the  Son  of  man  be 
 lifted  up,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  hut 
 have  everlasting  life.  Come  then,  set  we  before  us  Christ  raised ; 
 and  in  that  respect,  we  must  look  up  to  Jesus. 
 
 (6,)  Faith  in  going  to  Christ,  as  raised  from  the  dead,  is  piin- 
 cipally  and  mainly  to  look  to  the  end  of  Christ  in  his  resurrec- 
 tion ;  the  very  devils  may  believe  the  history  of  Christ^s  resur- 
 rection, they  believe  and  tremble  ;  but  the  people  of  God  are  to 
 look  at  the  meaning  of  Christ,  why  he  rose  from  the  dead.     1 . 
 The  supreme  end  was  God's  glory,  and  that  was  the  meaning  of 
 Christ's  prayer.  Father,  the  hour  is  come;  glorify  thy  Son,  that 
 thy  Son  also  may  glorify  thee ;  with  which  agrees  the  apostle, 
 He  rose  again  from  the  dead,  to  the  glory  of  the  Father,     2. 
 The  subordinate  ends  were  many:  as,  1.  That  he  might  tread 
 on  the  serpent's  hend.     2.  That  he  might  destroy  the  works  of 
 the  devil.  3.  That  he  might  be  the  first-fruits  of  them  that  sleep. 
 4.  That  he  might  assure  our  faith,  that  he  is  able  to  keep  that 
 which  we  have  committed  to  him  against  that  day.     5.  That  he 
 might  be  justified  in  the  Spirit ;  as  he  was  begotten  in  the  womb 
 by  the  Spirit;  led  up  and  down  in  the  Spirit,  offered  up  by  the 
 eternal  Spirit,  so  he  was  raised  from  the  dead  by  the  Spirit,  and 
 justified  in  his  spirit  at  his  resurrection.     Christ  v/as  under  the 
 greatest  attainder  that  ever  man  was,  he  stood  publicly  charged 
 with  the  guilt  of  a  world  of  sins ;  and  therefore  he  was  raised  up 
 from  the  power  of  death,  that  he  might  be  declared  a  righteous 
 person.     6.  That  he  might  justify  us :  As  by  the  offence  of  one, 
 judgment  came  upon  all  for  condemnation  ;  even  so  by  the  righ- 
 teousness of  one,  the  free  gift  came  on  all  men  unto  justification. 
 (70  That  he  might  beget  us  anew  by  his  resurrection :  Blessed 
 he  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  accord- 
 ing to  his  abundant  mercy  hath  begotten  UrS  again — by  the  resur- 
 rection of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead.     And  this  he  doth  two 
 v/ays  :   1 .  As  our  pattern  ;  Lfike  as  Christ  was  raised  from  tlie 
 dead, — even  so  ive  also  should  walk  in  newness  of  life:  and  like- 
 yjise  reckon  ye  yourselves  to  be  alive  unto  God,  through  Jesus 
 Christ  our  Lord.     2.  As  the  efficient  cause  thereof :  For  when 
 we  were  dead  in  sin,  he  hath  quickened  tis  together  with  Christ; 
 and  ye  are  risen  ivith  him,  through  the  faith  of  the  operation  of 
 God,  who  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead.  O  the  power  of  Christ's 
 resurrection  !     If   we    saw  a  man  raised  from  the  dead,  how 
 t'hould  we  admire  at  such  a  wondrous  power ;  but  the  raising  of 
 one  dead  soul,  is  a  greater  work,  than  to  raise  a  church-yard  of 
 dead  Dodies.  ■  i  "nr.  ■  ' 
 
 (8.)  That  he  might  sanctify  us,  which  immediately  follows  the 
 other :  But  yield  yourselves  unio  God,  as  those  that  are  alivs 
 
Lookuii>'  unto  Jtsus.  3/3 
 
 from  the  dead,  and  i/our  mtjnbers  as  iustrutnents  of  righteousness 
 unto  God.  In  our  regeneration  wc  are  risen  with  Christ,  it  is  the 
 apostle's  argument :  Ifi/e  then  be  risen  with  Christ,  seek  those 
 things  which  are  above; — set  your  affeetions  on  things  above,  and 
 not  on  things  on  the  earth.  As  the  death  of  Christ  hath  a  special 
 influence  upon  our  mortification,  so  the  resurrection  of  Christ 
 hath  a  special  influence  on  our  vivification :  He  hath  quickened  us 
 together  with  Christ,  and  hath  raised  us  up  together  with  Christ. 
 
 But  how  should  I  manage  my  faith,  to  draw  down  tlie  virtue 
 of  Christ's  resurrection  for  my  vivification  ?  I  answer  : — 
 
 Go  to  the  well-head;  look  into  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ. 
 This  one  act  contains  in  it  these  particulars  ;  As,  1 .  I'hat  I  must 
 go  out  of  myself,  to  something  else  ;  this  is  that  check  that  lies 
 upon  that  work  of  grace,  to  keep  out  pride,  that  faith  sees  the 
 whole  good  of  the  soul  in  a  principle  extraneous,  even  the  springs 
 of  Jesus.  2.  That  1  must  attribute  wholly,  freely,  joyfully,  all 
 that  I  am,  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  the  eff'ectual  working  of  his 
 grace.  2?v  the  grace  of  God  I  am  luhat  I  am;  and  I  laboured 
 more  abundantly  than  they  all,  yet  not  I,  but  the  grace  of  God 
 which  ivas  with  me.  The  life  of  grace  springs  only  from  the  life 
 and  resuiTection  of  Jesus  Christ ;  and  therefore,  as  I  must  deny 
 myself,  so  I  must  attribute  all  to  him  from  what  it  comes.  3.  1 
 must  lie  at  his  feet  with  an  humble  dependance  upon  him,  and 
 him  alone,  for  the  supplies  of  grace  ;  this  was  the  apostle's  prac- 
 tice :  O  that  I  may  be  found  in  him!  O  that  I  may  know  him^ 
 and  the  power  of  his  resurrection !  O  that  by  any  means  I  might 
 attain  unto  the  resurrection  of  the  dead!  Christ  is  the  fountain 
 of  life  ;  faith  is  the  means  of  life  ;  the  power  and  original  of  life 
 is  entirely  reserved  to  Jesus  Christ ;  but  faith  is  the  band^  oa 
 our  part,  whereby  we  are  tied  unto  Christ,  and  live  in  Christ; 
 and  thus  saith  Christ  himself,  /  am  the  res-urrection  and  the  life. 
 Is  that  all  ?  No,  He  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he  iverc  dead, 
 yet  shall  he  live.  And,  /  am  the  bread  of  life.  Is  that  all  ? 
 No ;  He  tfmt  cometh  to  me  shall  never  hunger,  and  he  that 
 believeth  in  me  shall  yiever  thirst. 
 
 •  Therefore  pray  for  an  increase  of  faith  ;  complain  to  Christ, 
 tell  him  that  thou  canst  not  believe  as  thou  wouldest,  thou  canst 
 not  get  in  so  much  of  Christ  into  thy  soul  as  thou  desirest. 
 
 And  act  thy  faith  vigorously  on  Christ's  resurrection,  for  a  far- 
 ther degree  of  quickening.  Christ  is  an  overflowing  fountain, 
 and  he  would  have  believers  to  partake  abundantly  of  what  is  in 
 him ;  he  cannot  abide  that  any  should  content  themselves  with  a 
 present  stock  of  grace :  Christ  is  not  as  a  stream  that  fails,  or  as  a 
 channel  that  runs  dry  ;  no,  Christ  is  the  fountain  of  life,  he  is  the 
 chief  ordinandi  of  life  that  ever  God  set  up.  I  know  there  are 
 other  means  of  Christ's  appointment;  but  if  thou  wilt  live  at  the 
 spring,  drink  in  there,  yea,  drink  abundantly,  according  to  the 
 overflo^'r'iDg  of  this  fountain. 
 
374  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 Thus  for  directions  :  now  for  the  encouragements  of  our  faith, 
 to  beheve  in  Christ's  resurrection. 
 
 1.  Consider  of  the  virtue  and  influence  of  this  object,  into  all 
 that  golden  chain  of  privileges  ;  If  Christ  he  not  raised,  you  are 
 yet  in  your  sins; — then  they  also  which  are  fallen  asleejJ  in  Christ 
 are  perished.  From  the  resurrection  of  Christ  flow  all  those 
 privileges,  even  from  justification  to  salvation.  TJie  first  is  clear, 
 and  therefore  all  the  rest. 
 
 2.  Consider  that  Christ's,  resurrection,  and  the  effects  of  it, 
 are  nothing  unto  us,  if  we  do,  not  believe.  It  is  faith  that  brings 
 down  the  particular  sweetness  and  comforts  of  Christ's  resur- 
 rection unto  our  souls  :  it  is  faith  that  puts  us  in  tlie  actuiil  pos- 
 session of  Christ's  resurrection ;  whatsoever  Christ  is  to  us  before 
 faith,  yet  really  we  have  no  benefit  by  it,  until  we  believe  it :  it 
 is  faith  that  takes  hold  of  all  that  Christ  have  done  for  us,  and 
 gives  us  the  actual  enjoyment  of  it ;  O  let  not  the  work  stick  in 
 us  !  ¥/hat !  is  Christ  risen  from  the  dead  ?  and  shall  we  not 
 eye  Christ,  and  take  him  home  to  ourselves  by  faith  ?  The  apos- 
 tle tells  us,  tliat  he  that  helieveth  not,  hath  made  God  a  liary 
 because  he  helieveth  not  the  record  that  God  hath  given  of  his 
 Son,  Unbelief  belies  God  in  all  that  he  hath  done  for  us.  O 
 take  heed  of  this ;  without  faith,  what  are  we  better  for  Christ's 
 resurrection  ? 
 
 3.  Or,  if  we  are  dazzled,  hear  his  voice,  Fear  not,  I  am  the 
 first  and  last ;  I  am  he  that  liveth,  and  teas  dead ;  and  heJiold  I 
 am  alive  for  evermore,  Amen.  As  if  he  had  said;  Come,  cast 
 your  souls  on  me ;  it  is  I  that  have  conquered  sin,  death,  and 
 hell,  for  you.  It  is  I  that  have  broke  the  serpent's  head,  that 
 have  taken  away  the  sting  of  death,  that  have  cancelled  tlie  bond 
 of  the  hand-writing  against  you,  tliat  have  in  my  hands  a  general 
 acquittance  of  your  sins.  Come,  take  it,  take  me,  and  take  all 
 with  me ;  only  believe  in  him  v/ho  is  risen  again  for  your  justi- 
 ii  cation. 
 
 Sect.  VI. — Of  loving  Jesus  in  that  i^espect. 
 
 Let  us  love  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  : 
 
 1.  In  his  apparition  t^  Mary,  Jesus  saith  unto  her,  JVoman 
 why  weepest  tliou?  whom  seekest  thou?  Were  not  these  kind 
 words  from  Jesus  Christ  ?  How  often  hath  thy  heart  sighed  out 
 
 /  charge  you, 
 
 ye  teli 
 
 in  the 
 
 mount  ?  was  not  thy  extremity  his  opportunity  ?  did  lie  not  be- 
 speak thy  comforts  with  these  words,  TFhy  lueepest  thou  f  whom 
 seekest  thouf  What  wouldest  thou  have,  that  I  can  give  thee  ? 
 And  what  dost  thou  want,  that  I  can  give  thee  ?  If  any  thing  in 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  37»> 
 
 heaven  or  earth  will  make  thee  happy,  it  is  all  thy  ()^vll ;  wouUlent 
 thou  have  pardon  ?  thou  shalt  have  it,  I  freely  forj^ive  thee  all 
 the  debt:  wouklest  thou  luw-'e  myself?  Behold  I  am  thine,  thy 
 friend^  thy  Lord,  thy  husband,  thy  head,  thy  CJod.  Were  not 
 these  -  thy  Lord's  reviving  words  ?  Were  not  these  healing, 
 quickening  passages  of  Christ's  love. 
 
 2.  In  his  apparition  to  the  ten.  Jesua  stood  in  tlie  midst,  a?id 
 saith  unto  t/iem,  Peace  he  unto  you.  Lo  here  more  words  of 
 love ;  in  the  midst  of  their  trouble  Christ  stands  in  the  midst, 
 speaking  peace  to  their  souls  ;  and  hath  not  Christ  done  the  like 
 to  thee  ?  Hast  thou  not  many  and  many  a  time  been  in  troubles, 
 that  thou  knowest  not  which  way  to  turn  thee  ?  A?ul  even  then, 
 hath  not  Christ  come  to  thy  spirit  with  an  olive  branch  of  peace? 
 hath  he  not  wrought  wonders  in  the  seii,  of  thy  restless  thoughts? 
 hath  he  not  made  a  calm  ?  and  more  than  so,  hath  he  not  tilled 
 thee  with  joy  and  peace  in  believing  ?  hath  he  not  sent  thee 
 away  from  thy  prayers  and  complaints,  with  a  piece  of  heaven 
 m  thy  soul  ? 
 
 I  might  thus  go  on  to  consider  other  passages,  in  other  appa- 
 ritions ;  but  are  not  these  enough  to  draw  thy  love  ?  O  what 
 love  w^as  this  !  O  what  humility  was  this  !  that  Christ  after  his 
 rcsuiTection  should  converse  \vith  men  forty  days  !  worthy  he  was, 
 after  so  many  sorrows,  sufferings,  reproaches,  after  so  cruel, 
 ignominious,  and  bitter  a  death,  immediately  to  have  gone  to 
 glory.  And  for  the  confirmation  of  his  disciples'  faith,  he  might 
 have  commanded  the  angels  to  have  preached  his  resurrection  ; 
 no,  he  himself  would  stay  in  person,  he  himself  would  make  it 
 out  by  many  infallible  proofs  ;  he  himself  would  by  his  own  ex- 
 ample learn  us  a  lesson  of  love,  of  meekness,  and  patience,  in 
 waiting  after  suffering  for  the  reward. 
 
 Methinks  a  few  of  these  passages  should  set  all  our  hearts  on 
 a  flame  of  love  ;  if  Christ  be  risen,  set  your  affections  on  things 
 above,  and  not  on  things  on  the  earth.  O  if  the  love  of  Christ 
 were  in  us,  it  would  make  us  wholly  to^  despise  this  world  ;  it 
 woiUd  make  us  to  forget  it,  as  worldly  love  makes  a  man  forget 
 God;  nay,  it  would  be  so  strong  and  ardent,  that  mc  should  not 
 be  able  freely  to  think  on  any  thing  else  but  Jesus  Christ;  we 
 should  not  then  fear  contempt,  or  care  for  disgrace,  uc  siiould 
 not  fear  death,  or  the  grave,  or  hell,  or  devils,  but  \/e  should 
 sing  in  triumph,  ()  death,  icliere  is  tiiy  sting?  O  graic,  where  is 
 thy  victory? — Tltanks  he  to  God,  2vhich  gave  us  tlie  victory 
 tliroKgh  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord, 
 
 Sect.  VII. — Of  Joying  in  Jesus  in  that  respa  t. 
 
 Lf.t  us  joy  in  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  tlic  gical  \u»rK  dI  uui 
 salvation  in  his  resurrection.  Tliis  i^^  1  he  great  gosjirl  (]\\\\  ;  we 
 should  rejoice  hi  the  Lord,  yen,  njoiee  evermore.     A  <  hri^tiau 
 
376  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 estate  should  be  a  joyful  and  comfortable  estate,  and  have  such 
 cause  of  joy  as  the  children  pf  Zion :  Singy  O  daughter  ofZion; 
 shout y  O  Jerusalem;  be  glad  and^rejoice  with  all  thy  hearty  O 
 daughter  of  Jerusalem.  A  thousand  reasons  might  be  rendered; 
 but  here  is  one,  Chi'ist  is  risen  from  th^  dead,  and  become  the 
 first-fruits  of  them  that  sleep.  A  commemoration  of  Christ's 
 'resurrection  hath  ever  been  a  means  of  rejoicing  in  God. 
 
 Vv  iiat  can  be  the  condition  of  thy  soul,  wherein  thou  mayest 
 not  draw  sweet  from  Christ's  resurrection  ? 
 
 1 .  Is  thy  conscience  in  trouble  for  sin  ?  The  apostle  tells  thee, 
 The  ansicer  of  a  good  conscie7ice  towards  God,  is  by  the  resurrec- 
 tion of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead. 
 
 2.  Art  thou  afraid  of  condemnation  ?  The  apostle  tells  thee, 
 He  was  delivered  for  our  offences,  ajid  tie  was  raised  again  for 
 our  justification . 
 
 3.  Dost  thou  question  thy  regeneration  ?  The  apostle  tells 
 thee.  He  hath  hegotteii  us  again  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus 
 Christ  from  the  dead, 
 
 4.  Art  thou  distressed,  persecuted,  troubled  on  every  side  ? 
 The  apostle  tells  thee  wherein  now  consists  thy  confidence,  com- 
 fort, courage  ;  to  wit,  in  the  life  of  Christ,  in  the  resurrection  of 
 Christ.  fVe  always  bear  about  in  the  body  the  dying  of  Jesus, 
 that  the  life  of  Jesus  inight  also  be  made  manifest  in  our  body ; 
 for  we  tvhich  live,  are  always  delivered  unto  death  for  Jesus'  sake, 
 that  the  life  also  of  Jesus  might  be  mcule  ma7iifest  iii  our  mortal 
 
 flesh. 
 
 5.  Art  thou  afraid  of  death,  hell,  and  the  power  of  the  gi'ave  ? 
 Why,  now  remember  that  Christ  is  risen  from  the  dead,  and  by 
 his  glorious  resurrection,  death  is  swallowed  up  in  victory.  Job 
 was  so  transported  with  this,  that  he  eminently  breaks  out,  O 
 that  my  ivords  were  now  written,  O  that  they  were  printed  in  a 
 book!  that  they  were  graven  with  an  iron  jy^u  and  lead,  in  the 
 rock,  for  ever!  For  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth,  and  that 
 he  shall  sta7id  at  the  latter  day  iipon  the  earth ;  and  though 
 after  my  skin,  worms  destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my  flesJi  shall  I 
 see  God;  ivhom  I  shall  see  for  my  self,  and  mine  eyes  shall  behold, 
 and  not  another,  though  my  i^eins  be  consiimed  within  me.  No 
 man  ever  since  Christ  did  speak  more  plainly  of  Christ's  re- 
 surrection and  his  own,  than  Job  did  here.  Observe  in  it,  O  my 
 soul.  Job's  wish,  and  the  matter  wished;  his  wish  was,  that 
 certain  words  which  had  been  cordial  to  him,  might  remahi  to 
 memory.  1.  I'hat  they  might  be  written.  2.  That  they  might 
 be  registered  in  a  book ;  enrolled  upon  records,  as  public  instru- 
 ments. 3.  That  they  might  be  engraven  in  stone,  and  in  the 
 hardest  stone,  the  rock  ;  records  might  last  long,  yet  time  might 
 injuf-e  them,  and  these  Avords  he  would  have  last  for  ever.  Moses 
 and  Job  are  said  to  have  lived  at  one  time  ;  now  Moses  writ 
 the  law  in  stone,  and  considering  that  these  words  m  ere  gospel. 
 
Lookins"  unto  Jesus,  377 
 
 'o 
 
 there  was  no  reason  that  the  law  should  be  in  tables  of  stone, 
 and  the  gospel  on  sheets  of  paper  5  no,  it  were  lit  that  this  should 
 be  as  firm  and  durable  as  that :  O  that  my  words  were  now 
 written,  O  that  they  were  printed  in  a  hook. 
 
 The  matter  wished,  or  the  words  he  would  have  written,  are 
 these ;  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth,  and  that  I  shall  live 
 agaiii.  Here  is,  first,  his  Redeemer  rising.  2.  His  own  rising, 
 and  his  seeing  God.  This  was  the  matter  of  his  joy,  his  Re- 
 deemer must  rise  again;  and  he  must  rise  too,  and  see  his  Re- 
 deemer. As  Christ  said  of  Abraham,  Your  father  Abraham  re- 
 joiced  to  see  my  day ;  and  he  saw  it,  and  ivas  glad.  So  it  ap- 
 pears of  his  servant  Job,  he  saw  Christ's  day,  both  his  first  day 
 and  his  latter  day,  and  he  rejoiced  and  was  glad. 
 
 Away,  all  doubtful  thoughts;  consider  what  joys  were  of  old, 
 at  the  foresight  of  Christ's  resurrection;  but,  especially,  what 
 joy  was  all  the  world  over,  when  he  rose  again  from  the  dead : 
 then  came  the  angels  from  heaven,  and  appeared  in  white ;  the 
 disciples  were  exceeding  glad  when  they  saw  the  Lord ;  all  the 
 primitive  saints  rejoiced  at  this  news,  and,  because  of  it,  loved 
 the  very  day  on  which  Christ  arose.  Certainly  the  Lord's  day 
 was  in  high  esteem  with  the  ancient  church ;  and  the  principal 
 motive  was,  because  of  Christ's  resurrection  from  the  dead.  O 
 that  on  these  days  we  could  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  and  again  re- 
 joice !  O  spend  more  of  this  day  in  spiritual  rejoicing,  especially 
 in  commemoration  of  Christ's  resurrection,  (yea,  and  of  the  whole 
 work  of  redemption,)  or  else  you  will  not  answer  the  institution 
 of  om*  Lord. 
 
 Sect.  VIIL — Of  calling  on  Jesus  in  that  res2)ect. 
 
 Let  us  call  on  Jesus : 
 
 L  Let  us  pray  that  Christ's  resurrection  may  be  ours,  and 
 that  we  may  be  more  and  more  assured  of  it.  Let  us  say  with 
 the  apostle,  O  that  I  may  know  him  and  the  power  of  his  resur- 
 rection. O  that  the.  Spirit  of  holiness,  which  quickened  Christ 
 from  the  dead,  would  by  the  same  glorious  power  beget  holiness, 
 and  faith,  and  love,  and  all  other  graces,  in  my  poor  soul.  O 
 that  Christ  would,  by  his  resurrection,  apply  his  active  and  pas- 
 sive obedience  to  me;  O  that  he  would  be  to  me  the  Lord  of  the 
 living,  and  the  Prince  of  life ;  that  he  would  overcome  in  me  the 
 death  of  sin,  and  that  he  would  regenerate,  quicken,  renew,  and 
 fashion  me,  by  the  power  of  godliness,  to  become  like  him- 
 self! 
 
 2.  Let  us  praise  God  for  Christ's  resurrection,  and  for  all  the 
 privileges  flowing  from  it  into  our  souls.  "  Clniht  is  risen ;  by  his 
 resurrection  he  hath  justified,  sanctified,  quickened,  saved  our 
 souls;  and  therefore,  (blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our 
 Lord  Jesus  Christ,)  surely  God  requires  a  thousand  hallelujahs, 
 14.  3  b 
 
378  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 and  that  we  should  bless  him  upon  a  thousand- stiinged  instru- 
 ment. Here  is  fuel  enough;  the  Lord  kindle  a  great  fire  in 
 every  one  of  our  hearts,  to  burn  out  all  our  lusts,  and  to  iniiame 
 ail  our  hearts  with  a  love  to  Jesus  Christ  1  Can  we  ever  too 
 much  praise  him  for  all  his  actings  in  our  behalf?  Are  not  all 
 God's  creatures  called  upon  to  rejoice  with  us,  and  to  bless  God 
 for  his  redeeming  of  us  ?  Sing,  O  ye  heavens,  for  the  Lord  hath 
 done  it;  shout,  ye  tower  iiarts  of  the  earth;  break  forth  into 
 singing,  ye  mountains,  O  forest,  and  every  tree  therein,  for  the 
 Lord  hath  redeemed  Jacob,  and  glorijied'  himsetfin  Israel.  This 
 is  the  duty  we  shall  do  in  heaven,  and  I  believe  we  are  never 
 more  in  heaven  (whilst  on  earth)  than  when  we  are  in  this  exer- 
 cise of  praising  God,  and  blessing  God  for  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 Sect.  IX. — Of  Conforming  to  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  conform  to  Jesus  in  respect  of  his  resurrection. 
 
 In  this  particular,  I  shall  examine  these  queries :  1 .  Wherein 
 we  must  conform?  2.  How  this  conformity  is  wrought? 
 3.  What  are  the  means  of  this  comformity? 
 
 For  the  first.  Wherein  we  must  conform?  I  ansAver  in  a 
 word.  In  vivification.  Christ's  resurrection  was  to  newness  of 
 life ;  it  was  a  new  life,  a  life  different  from  that  which  he  lived 
 bsfore:  and  so  is  our  vivification  a  new  life;  it  is  a  life  from  a 
 new  principle,  of  a  new  income,  and  of  a  new  kind. 
 
 1 .  It  is  a  life  from  a  new  principle :  before  vivification  our 
 principle  was  the  flesh ;  but  now  we  have  a  new  principle,  the 
 Spirit  of  God ;  even  as  the  soul  dwells  in  the  body,  so  doth  the 
 Holy  Ghost  dwell  in  the  soul  of  a  regenerate  person,  animating, 
 and  actuating,  and  enlivening  it. 
 
 2.  It  is  a  life  of  a  new  income ;  I  mean  of  grace,  power,  and 
 light.  Before  vivification  there  was  no  such  income :  a  man  be- 
 fore his  conversion  might  hear,  pray,  and  do  all  duties ;  but,  alas  ! 
 he  feels  no  power,  no  communication,  with  Christ.  But  after 
 this,  thou  wilt,  in  the  use  of  ordinances,  frequently  feel  the  saving 
 incomes  of  God.  In  prayer  thou  wilt  feel  the  Spirit  carrying 
 thy  soul  al)ove  itself:  in  hearing  the  v/ord,  thou  wilt  see  the 
 windows  of  heaven  set  open,  and  all  manner  of  spiritual  comforts 
 showered  dov/n  upon  thee.  In  meditation  of  the  promises,  or  of 
 divine  love,  thou  wilt  find  quickenings,  encouragings,  filling  thy 
 heart  with  gladness,  and  thy  mouth  with  praises  and  songs  of 
 rejoichig.  O  what  fountains  of  life  are  the  promises  to  a  living 
 man  !  What  food !  what  strength !  what  life  !  is  a  thought  of 
 Christ,  of  heaven,  and  of  God's  love  ?  Whereas  all  these  glorious 
 things  of  the  gospel  are,  to  the  natural  man,  but  as  a 
 withered  flower,  a  sealed  book,  a  dry  and  empty  cistern ;  he  hath 
 no  use  of  them. 
 
 3.  It  is  a  life  of  another  kind.      Before  vivification,  we  were 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  379 
 
 dead  in  sin  whilst  alive :  but  after  vivification  we  live  a  spiritual 
 life^  a  heavenly  life,  an  immortal  life.  If  Christ  be  in  you,  the 
 body  is  dead  because  of  sin,  bid  the  spirit  is  life  because  of  righte- 
 ousness: the  body  indeed  is  subject  to  corporal  death  through 
 the  remainders  of  sin;  but  the  spirit  is  life  here,  and  shall  be 
 hereafter,  even  for  ever.  I  shall  answer  only  to  the  vivification 
 usually  wrought :  First,  in  the  understanding.  Secondly,  in  the 
 will. 
 
 First,  the  understanding  lets  in  the  truth  of  what  the  gospel 
 hath  recorded;  and  thence  inferreth  as  to  a  man's  own  self,  that 
 by  the  assistance  of  the  Spirit  of  holiness,  who  raised  up  Jesus 
 fi'om  the  dead,  it  is  possible  for  him  to  attain  this  life. 
 
 Then  it  has  yet  some  brighter  believing  beams;  it  confidently 
 closeth  with  this  truth,  that  it  is  the  will  of  the  Lord  that  he 
 should  come,  and  live,  and  believe,  and  lay  hold  on  Christ ;  that 
 God  doth  particularly  call,  and  bid  him  come  to  Christ,  the  foun- 
 tain of  life. 
 
 2.  And  now  the  answer  to  this  call  is  wrought  in  the  will. 
 
 (1.)  The  will  summons  all  its  confidences,  and  calls  them  off 
 from  eveiy  other  bottom,  to  bestow  them  wholly  upon  Christ; 
 and  this  consists  in  our  voluntarily  renouncing  all  other  helps, 
 excepting  Jesus  Christ  alone ;  now  it  renounceth  its  own  righte- 
 ousness; it  calls  home  dependence  from  every  other  object. 
 
 (2.)  Hereupon  there  is  a  willing  and  cheerfid  receiving  of 
 Christ,  and  resignation  of  ourselves  to  his  actual  disposal,  to 
 quicken  us,  and  save  us  in  his  own  way. 
 
 (3.)  Upon  this  follows  the  soul's  confidence,  and  dependence 
 upon  Jesus  Christ  for  life  and  for  salvation ;  a  clear  beholding  or 
 God  in  Christ,  and  Christ  in  the  promises,  doth  present  such 
 variety  and  fulness  of  arguments,  to  bear  up  hope  and  affiance, 
 that  the  heart  is  resolved,  and  so  resolved  that  we  commit  our- 
 selves, and  give  our  souls  in  charge,  to  Christ :  /  know  ivhom  I 
 have  believed,  and  I  am  persuaded  he  is  able  to  keep  that  ivhich 
 I  have  committed  unto  him,  against  that  day. 
 
 That  union  which  thereby  comes  to  be  enjoyed  with  Christ,  is 
 such  a  union  as  is  fruitful  in  begetting  a  quickening  power  in. 
 the  heart.  Justification  and  sanctification  are  twins  of  a  birth ; 
 and  hence  it  is,  that  vivification  (which  is  one  part  of  sanctifica- 
 tion) is  wrought  in  the  soul  after  the  self-same  manner.  First, 
 the  understanding  is  enlightened.  2.  The  will  is  changed. 
 3.  All  the  affections  are  renewed.  4.  The  internals  being  quick- 
 ened, there  ensueth  the  renewing  of  the  outward  actions,  life, 
 and  conversation.  And  immediately  upon  this,  joy  is  made  in 
 heaven  by  the  angels,  God  himself  applauded  it :  for  this  my 
 son  ivas  dead,  and  is  alive;  he  luas  lost,  and  is  found. 
 
 For  the  third  question;  What  are  the  means  of  this  confonnity, 
 or  vivification,  on  our  parts  ? 
 
 1 .  Wait  upon  God  in  the  ministry  of  the  word ;  this  is  a  mp-^^c 
 
380  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 whereby  Christ  ordinarily  effecteth  this  vivification :  and  by  this 
 means  it  is  that  dead  souls  are  quickened ;  the  ministry  of  the 
 word  is  the  trumpet  of  Jesus  Christ;  when  that  sounds,  who 
 knows  but  he  may  quicken  the  dead !  Hearken  therefore  to  this 
 word  of  God. 
 
 2.  Exercise  faith  upon  the  Lord  Jesus,  as  to  justification. 
 As  is  the  clearness  of  our  souls  in  bottoming  ourselves  on  Christ 
 for  righteousness,  so  will  be  our  quickness,  and  successful  pro- 
 gress, in  the  work  of  holiness. 
 
 3.  Trace  every  ordinance  and  every  duty  for  the  appearings 
 of  the  Son  of  God.  Be  much  in  prayer,  hearing,  reading,  fel- 
 lowship with  saints,  the  sacraments;  be  much  in  secret  con- 
 versings  with  God,  in  meditation,  inquiries,  searchings;  and 
 (which  is  a  precious  work)  be  much  in  diligent  watching  of,  and 
 hearkening  to,  the  movings,  workings,  intimations,  of  the  Spirit 
 of  God ;  be  much  in  observing  the  methods  and  interpreting  the 
 meanings  and  language  of  God  in  all  his  secret  dispensations 
 with  the  soul.  Certainly  there  will  be  abundance  of  the  life  of 
 God  conveyed  to  him  that  walks  in  these  paths.  O  for  a  spirit 
 of  prayer  and  meditation;  O  for  a  spirit  swallowed  up  in  com- 
 munion with  God !  Thou  tneetest  hbn  that  ivorketh  righteous^ 
 ness,  and  those  tliat  remember  thee  in  thy  ways. 
 
 4.  Look  much  at  Christ  raised,  Christ  glorified;  Christ's  re- 
 surrection was  the  beginning  of  his  glory ;  and  therein  is  com- 
 prehended both  the  glory  that  draws  desires  towards  Christ,  and 
 the  grace  and  power  that  establisheth  faith  in  its  dependence. 
 Could  we  keep  our  hearts  in  a  more  constant  view  and  believing 
 meditation  of  the  glory  of  Christ,  our  faces  would  certainly  bring 
 some  beams  of  divinity  with  them  from  the  mount ;  the  very  be- 
 holding of  Christ  hath  a  mighty  virtue  to  leave  the  impressions  of 
 glory  upon  our  spirits. 
 
 5.  See  our  own  personal  vivification  bottomed  upon  the  resur- 
 rection of  Christ ;  v/hen  we  can  by  faith  get  a  sight  of  this,  it  is 
 not  to  speak  hov/  courageously  and  successfully  the  soul  will 
 grapple  in  the  controversies  of  the  Lord  against  the  devil  and  our 
 
 '  own  deceitful  hearts :  O  that  I  could  act  my  faith  more  frequently 
 on  Christ's  resurrection,  so  that  at  last  I  could  see  it  by  the  light 
 of  God  to  be  a  principle  of  my  vivification  in  particular !  What 
 a  blessed  means  would  this  be  ! 
 
 6.  Walk,  as  we  have  Christ  Jesus  for  an  example.  This  ex- 
 ample of  Christ  yields  much  to  our  vivification ;  who  can  deny, 
 but  that  acting  with  the  pattern  ever  in  one's  eye,  is  very  advan- 
 tageous ?  Come  then,  and  if  we  would  live  the  life  of  God,  let 
 us  live  as  Christ  lived  after  his  resurrection. 
 
Looking  unto  •Jesus.  381 
 
 LOOKING  UNTO  JESUS, 
 
 IN    HIS    ASCENSION,    SESSION,    AND    MISSION    OF    HIS    SPIRIT. 
 
 BOOK  VII. 
 
 CHAP.  I. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  Christ's  Ascension. 
 
 Thus  far  we  have  traced  Jesus  in  his  actings  for  us,  until  the 
 day  in  luhivh  he  ivas  taken  up.  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  threefold.  1.  He  ascended  into  heaven.  2.  fle 
 sat  down  at  God's  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: — 1.  That  he  ascended. 
 2.  How  he  ascended.  3.  Whither  he  ascended.  4.  Why  he 
 ascended. 
 
 (1.)  That  he  ascended.  [1.]  The  prophets  foresaw  it :/ .vaw 
 in  the  nighty  visions;  and  behold  one,  like  the  Son  of  man,  came 
 with  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and  came  to  the  Ancient  of  days,  and 
 they  brought  him  near  before  him;  and  there  was  given  him  do- 
 jiiinion,  glory,  and  a  kingdom.  [2.]  The  evangelists  relate  it: 
 He  was  received  up  into  heaven, — He  ivas  carried  up  into  heaven. 
 [3.]  The  eleven  witness  it :  For  rvhile  they  beheld,  he  ivas  taken 
 up,  and  a  cloud  received  him  Out  of  their  sight.  [4.]  The  holy 
 angels  speak  it :  For  ivhile  they  looked  stedfastly  toivards  heaven, 
 as  he  weiit  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, tchich  is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven, 
 shall  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into  heaven. 
 
 (2.)  How  he  ascended.  [1.]  He  ascended  blessing  his  apos- 
 tles: While  he  blessed  them,  he  ivas  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 
 
382  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 apostles^  and  all  the  faithful  ministers  of  Christ  unto  the  end  of 
 the  world. 
 
 [2.]  He  ascended  visihly  in  the  view  of  the  apostles :  While 
 they  beheld,  he  was  taken  up ;  he  was  not  suddenly  snatched 
 from  them,  as  Elijah  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. 
 
 [3.]  He  ascended  principally  by  the  mighty  power  of  his  god- 
 head :  thus  never  any  ascended  up  into  heaven  but  Jesus  Christ ; 
 for  though  Enoch  and  Elijah  were  assumed  into  heaven,  yet  not 
 by  their  power,  nor  by  themselves,  it  was  God's  power  by  which 
 they  ascended,  and  it  was  by  the  help  and  ministry  of  angels. 
 
 [4.]  He  ascended  in  a  cloud :  While  they  heheld,  he  was  taken 
 up,  and  a  cloud  received  him  out  of  their  sight.  Hereby  he 
 shews  that  he  is  Lord  of  all  the  creatures;  he  had  already 
 trampled  upon  the  earth,  walked  upon  the  sea,  vanquished  hell 
 or  the  grave,  and  now  the  clouds  receive  him,  and  the  heavens 
 are  opened  to  make  way  for  this  King  of  glory  to  enter  in. 
 
 2.  When  he  ascended  up  on  high,  he  led  captivity  captive,  and 
 gave  gifts  unto  men,  (1.)  He  led  them  captive,  who  had  capti- 
 vated us.  Death  was  led  captive  without  a  sting;  hell  was  led 
 captive  as  one  that  had  lost  her  victory;  the  serpent's  head  being 
 bruised,  was  led  before  him  in  triumph,  as  was  Goliath's  head  by 
 David,  returning  from  the  victory.  (2.)  He  gave  gifts  unto  men ; 
 this  was  as  the  shutting  up  Christ's  triumph,  in  his  ascension  up 
 to  heaven :  what  these  gifts  were,  we  shall  speak  in  the  mission 
 of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
 
 (3.)  Whither  he  ascended,  the  gospel  tells  us,  into  heaven; 
 only  Paul  saith,  that  he  ascended  far  above  all  heavQns,  But 
 the  meaning  is,  he  went  above  all  those  visible  heavens,  into 
 those  heavenly  mansions,  where  the  angels  and  the  spirits  of  the 
 just  have  their  abode. 
 
 (4.)  Why  he  ascended;  the  reasons  are,  1.  On  Christ's  part, 
 that  through  his  passion  he  might  pass  to  glory.  Ought  not 
 Christ  to  have  suffered  these  things,  and  so  to  enter  into  his 
 glory?— 
 
 2.  On  our  part : 
 
 1 .  That  in  our  stead  he  might  triumph  over  sin,  death,  and 
 hell.  In  his  resurrection  he  conquered,  but  in  his  ascension  he 
 led  sin,  death,  and  the  devil  in  triumph,  at  his  chariot  wheels. 
 And  the  meaning  of  the  psalmist,  and  of  the  apostle.  When  he 
 ascended  up  on  high,  he  led  captivity  captive;  is.  He  vanquished 
 and  triumphed  over  all  our  enemies ;  he  overcame  the  world,  he 
 bound  the  devil,  he  spoiled  hell,  he  weakened  sin,  he  destroyed 
 death,  and  now  he  makes  a  public  triumphal  show  of  them  in  his 
 own  person.  It  is  to  the  same  purpose  that  the  apostle  speaks 
 elsewhere.  Having  spoiled  p7'incij)alities  and  poivers,  he  made  a 
 shew  of  them  openly,  triumphing  over  them  in  himself;  it  is  * 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  383 
 
 manifest  allusion  to  the  manner  of  trimnphs,  after  victories, 
 amongst  the  Romans :  first,  they  spoiled  the  enemy  upon  the 
 place,  ere  they  stirred  off  the  field ;  and  this  was  done  by  Christ 
 on  the  cross :  and  then  they  made  a  public  triumphal  show ;  they 
 rode  through  the  streets  in  the  greatest  state,  and  had  all  their 
 spoils  carried  before  them ;  and  the  kings  and  nobles  whom  they 
 had  taken,  they  tied  to  their  chariots,  and  led  them  as  captives : 
 and  this  did  Christ  at  his  ascension ;  then  he  openly  triumphed 
 in  himself,  that  is,  in  his  own  power  and  strength. 
 
 2.  That  he  might  lead  us  the  way,  and  open  to  us  the  doors  of 
 glory. 
 
 3.  That  he  might  assure  us  that  now  he  had  run  through  all  those 
 offices  which  he  was  to  perform  here  on  earth  for  our  redemption. 
 First,  he  was  to  act  as  our  surety,  and  then  he  was  to  ascend  as 
 our  head,  our  advocate,  as  the  first-fruits,  the  captain,  the  prince 
 of  life,  the  author  of  salvation,  the  forerunner  of  his  people. 
 
 4.  That  he  might  thoroughly  convince  believers,  of  their  per- 
 fect righteousness.  The  Spirit,  when  he  comes,  saith  Christ,  shall 
 convince  the  world  of  sin,  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment : — 
 of  sin,  because  they  believe  not  on  me; — of  righteousness,  because 
 I  go  to  my  Father,  and  ye  see  me  no  more.  If  Christ  had  not 
 fulfilled  all  righteousness,  there  had  been  no  going  to  heaven  for 
 him,  nor  remaining  there;  but  his  ascension  to  heaven  pro- 
 claims openly — 1 .  That  he  hath  completely  finished  the  work  he 
 had  to  do  for  us  here.  2.  That  God  was  well  pleased  with  Jesus 
 Christ,  and  with  what  he  had  done  and  suffered  for  us.  3.  That 
 we  have  our  share  in  heaven  with  him;  he  went  not  up  as  a 
 single  person,  but  virtually,  or  mystically,  he  carried  up  all  be- 
 lievers with  him  into  glory.  4.  That  he  hath  a  new  design  to 
 be  acted  in  heaven  for  us :  he  is  taken  up  into  glory,  that  he  may 
 act  gloriously  the  second  part  of  our  righteousness ;  I  mean  that 
 he  might  apply  it,  and  send  down  his  Spirit  to  convince  us  of  it. 
 Three  great  things,  Christ  acts  for  us  now  in  glory.  First,  he 
 is  in  place  of  an  advocate  for  us,  he  liveth  to  intercede  for  us. 
 Secondly,  he  is  the  great  provider  for  us ;  he  is  laying  in  a  stock 
 of  glory  for  us  against  we  come  there :  In  my  Father's  house  are 
 many  mansions. — I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you.  Thirdly,  he 
 sends  down  his  Spirit  to  convince  us,  that  Christ's  righteousness 
 is  ours.  Indeed  the  means  of  procuring  this,  was  the  life  and 
 death  of  Christ ;  but  the  means  of  applying  this  righteousness,  are 
 those  following  acts  of  Christ's  resurrection,  ascension,  session, 
 intercession.  By  his  death  he  obtained  righteousness  for  us,  but 
 by  his  ascension  he  applies  righteousness  to  us. 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  God's  Right  Hand,  and  of  Christ's 
 Session  there. 
 
 For  the  session  of  Christ  at  God's  right  hand,  I  shall  examine, 
 —I.  What  is  God's  right  hand?     2.  What  is  it  to  sit  there? 
 
384  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 3.  According  to  what  nature  doth  Christ  sit  there?     4.  Why  is 
 it  that  he  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  God  ? 
 
 1 .  What  is  this  right  hand  of  God  ?  I  answer^  The  right  hand 
 of  God  is  the  majesty^  dignity,  dominion,  power,  and  glory  of 
 God.  The  right  hand  of  the  Lord  is  exalted;  the  right  hand  of 
 the  Lord  doeth  valiantly, — Thy  right  hand,  O  Lord,  is  become 
 glorious  in  power:  thy  right  handy  O  Lord,  hath  dashed  in 
 pieces  the  enemy. 
 
 2.  What  is  it  to  sit  at  the  right  hand  of  God  ?  I  answer,  it  is 
 not  any  corporal  session  at  God's  right  hand;  which  Stephen 
 contradicts,  saying,  I  see  the  heavens  opened,  and  the  Son  of  man 
 standing  on  the  right  hand  of  God.  The  words  sitting  or  stand- 
 ing, are  both  metaphorical,  and  borrowed  from  the  custom  of 
 kings,  who  place  those  they  honour,  and  to  whom  they  commit 
 tlie  power  of  government,  at  tlieir  right  hand ;  more  particular- 
 ly, this  sitting  at  God's  right  hand  implies  two  things:  1.  His 
 glorious  exaltation.  2.  The  actual  administration  of  his 
 kingdom. 
 
 (1.)  Christ  is  exalted:  therefore  God  also  hath  highly  ex- 
 alted him,  and  given  him  a  name  above  every  name,  that  at  the 
 name  of  Jesus  every  knee  shall  bow.  This  session  is  the  supreme 
 dignity  and  glory  given  by  the  Father  unto  Christ,  after  his  as- 
 cension ;  this  session  is  the  peerless  exaltation  of  the  Mediator 
 in  his  kingdom  of  glory.  But  how  was  Christ  exalted  ?  I  an- 
 swer :  1 .  In  the  regard  of  his  divine  nature ;  not  really,  or  in 
 itself.  Impossible  it  was  that  the  divine  nature  should  receive 
 any  intrinsical  glory,  because  all  fulness  of  glory  essentially  be- 
 longed unto  it ;  but  declaratory,  or  by  way  of  manifestation ;  so 
 it  was,  that  his  divinity,  during  the  time  of  his  humiliation,  lay 
 hidden  and  overshadowed :  but  now,  in  his  session,  that  divinity 
 and  glory  which  he  had  always  with  the  Father,  was  shewed  forth 
 and  declared :  He  luas  declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God  with  poiverf 
 both  at  his  resurrection  and  at  his  session.  2.  In  regard  of  his 
 human  nature ;  and  yet  that  must  be  understood  soberly,  for  1 
 cannot  think  that  Christ's  human  nature  was  at  all  exalted  in 
 regard  of  the  grace  of  personal  union,  or  in  regard  of  the 
 habitual  perfections  of  his  human  soul,  because  he  possessed  all 
 these  from  the  beginning;  but  in  regard  of  those  interceptions  of 
 the  beams  of  the  godhead  and  divine  glory,  and  in  respect  of 
 the  restraints  of  that  sense  and  sweetness,  and  feeling  operations 
 of  the  beatifical  vision,  during  his  humiliation :  in  these  respects 
 Christ  was  exalted  in  his  human  nature,  and  had  all  the  glory 
 from  the  Deity  communicated  to  it,  which  possibly  in  any  way 
 it  was  capable  of. 
 
 (2.)  Christ  reigns,  or  actually  administers  his  glorious  king- 
 dom ;  and  this  is  the  principal  part  of  Christ's  sitting  at  God's 
 right  hand.  So  the  psalmist :  The  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord,  Sit 
 thou  at  my  right  hand,  until  I  make  thine  e7iemies  thy  footstool: 
 
Look'ins:  unto  Jesus,  385 
 
 '05 
 
 the  Lord  shall  send  the  rod  of  thy  strength  out  of  Zion,  rule 
 thou  in  the  midst  of  thy  enemies.  The  apostle  is  yet  more  large  : 
 God  set  him  at  his  own  right  hand  in  the  heavenly  places,  far 
 above  all  jirincipality,  and  power,  and  might,  and  dominion,  and 
 every  name  that  is  named,  not  only  in  this  world,  hut  also  in  that 
 ivhichis  to  come;  and  hath  put  all  things  under  Ins  feet,  and 
 gave  hitn  to  he  the  head  over  all  things  to  the  church,  ivhich  is  his 
 body,  the  fulness  of  him  that  fillet h  all  in  all.  Some  describe 
 this  session  at  God's  right  hand,  to  be  all  one  with  his  reigning  in 
 equal  power  and  glory  Avith  the  Father;  but  the  Son  hath  always 
 so  reigned,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  always  so  reigned,  who  yet 
 is  not  said  in  scripture  to  sit  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father  :  1 
 believe  therefore  there  is  sometliing  in  this  session  or  reign  of 
 Christ,  which  doth  difference  it  from  that  reigning  power  and 
 glory  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son  as  only  God,  and  of  the 
 Holy  Ghost ;  and  if  we  would  know  what  that  is,  I  would  call  it 
 an  actual  admhiistration  of  his  kingdom,  or  an  immediate  exe- 
 cuting of  his  power  and  glory  over  every  creature  as  Mediator. 
 And  this  made  Christ  say.  The  Father  judgeth  no  man,  hut  hath 
 committed  all  judgment  unto  the  Son,  as  Mediator.  You  may 
 object,  Christ  was  Mediator  immediately  after  his  incarnation, 
 but  he  did  not  actually  administer  his  kingdom  then.  I  answer, 
 it  is  true ;  Christ  for  a  time  did  empty  himself,  and  laid  aside  the 
 actual  administration  of  his  kingdom  ;  but  immediately  after  his 
 ascension^  the  Father,  by  a  voluntary  dispensation,  resigned  it 
 to  the  Son  again  :  '  Come  now,'  saith  the  Father,  '  and  take  thou 
 power  over  every  creature,  till  the  time  that  all  things  shall  be 
 subdued  under  thee.'  This  right  the  one  relinquished  in  the  time 
 of  that  humiliation  of  himself,  and  this  right  the  other  conferred 
 at  the  time  of  the  exaltation  of  his  Son. 
 
 o.  According  to  what  natiu'e  is  Christ  said  to  sit  at  the  right 
 hand  of  God  ?  I  answer,  accordmg  to  both  natures  :  first,  he 
 sits  at  God's  right  hand  as  God ;  hereby  his  divinity  was  declared, 
 and  his  kingdom  is  such,  that  none  that  is  a  poor  creature  can 
 possibly  execute.  2.  He  sits  at  God's  right  hai^d  as  man  too ; 
 hereby  his  humanity  was  exalted,  and  a  power  is  given  to  Christ 
 as  man  :  He  hath  given  him  power  to  execute  judgment,  in  as 
 much  as  he  is  the  Son  of  man. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  the  Reas())is  wJn/  Christ  doth  sit  oil  God's 
 
 Right  Hand. 
 
 Why  doth  Christ  sit  at  the  right  hand  of  God  ?  I  answer : 
 1.  On  Christ's  part,  that  he  might  receive  power  and  dominion 
 over  all  the  creatures.  All  pcrwtr  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and 
 in  earth:  he  speaks  of  it  as  done,  because  it  was  immediately  to 
 be  performed ;  Christ  at  his  session  received  a  power  imperial 
 over  every  creature. 
 
 14.  3c 
 
386  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 2.  On  our  part,  many  reasons  might  be  given  ; 
 
 1 .  That  he  might  be  the  head  of  his  church ;  in  a  strict  sense, 
 as  the  head  is  conjoined  with  the  body  and  members,  so  is  Christ 
 the  head  of  his  church.  To  this  purpose  he  sits  at  God's  right 
 hand,  that  having  now  fuhiess  of  grace  and  glory  in  himself,  he 
 might  be  ready  to  communicate  the  same  to  his  church,  who  are 
 as  the  members  of  his  body,  that  he  might  give  them  grace  here, ' 
 and  glory  hereafter ;  when  he  shall  deliver  up  his  kingdom  to  his 
 Father,  and  be  all  in  all. 
 
 2.  That  he  might  be  the  object  of  divine  adoration;  then  espe- 
 cially it  was  said  and  accomplished.  Let  all  the  angels  of  God 
 worship  him :  and  let  all  men  honour  the  Son^  as  they  honour  the 
 Father.  After  Christ's  session,  Stephen  looked  up  into  heaven, 
 and  saw  the  glory  of  God,  and  Jesus  standing  on  the  right  hand 
 of  God,  and  then  he  worshipped  ;  and  called  upon  God,  saying, 
 Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit.  It  is  true,  the  ground  of  this  di- 
 rine  adoration,  is  the  union  of  the  two  natures  of  Christ,  and 
 therefore  the  Magi  worshipped  him  at  his  birth ;  and  as  soon  as 
 ever  he  came  into  the  world,  the  angels  of  God  worshipped  him  ; 
 but  because  by  his  session  at  God's  right  hand,  the  divine  nature 
 was  manifested,  and  the  human  nature  was  exalted  to  that  glory 
 which  it  never  had  before ;  therefore  now  especially,  and  from 
 this  time,  was  the  honour  and  dignity  of  worship  communicated 
 to  him  as  God  and  man.  God  highly  exalted  him,  and  gave  him 
 a  name  which  is  above  every  name,  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus 
 every  knee  shall  how,  of  things  in  heaven,  and  things  in  earth, 
 and  things  under  the  earth,  and  that  every  tongue  shall  confess 
 that  Jesus  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father. 
 
 3.  That  he  might  intercede  for  his  saints.  JVow  of  the  things 
 which  we  have  spoken,  this  is  the  sum :  JVe  have  such  an  High 
 Priest,  who  is  set  on  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of  the  Majesty 
 in  the  heavens;  a  minister  of  the  sanctuary,  and  of  the  true  taber- 
 nacle, which  the  Lord  pitched,  and  not  man.  He  is  set  on  the 
 right  hand  of  God,  as  an  high  priest  or  minister  to  intercede  for 
 us  :  for  as  Chnst  is  not  entered  into  the  holy  place  made  with 
 hands,  ivhich  are  the  figures  of  the  true ;  hut  into  heaven  itself, 
 noiu  to  appear  in  the  presence  of  Godfo^^  us. 
 
 4.  That  true  believers  may  assuredly  hope,  by  virtue  of  Christ's 
 session,  to  sit  themselves  in  the  kingdom  of  glory.  Christ  living 
 in  heaven  is  the  very  figure  of  us ;  Christ's  person  is  the  great 
 model  and  first  draught  of  all  that  shall  be  done  to  his  body,  the 
 saints  :  therefore  he  is  said  to  be  the  captain  of  our  salvation, 
 that  leads  us  on ;  he  is  said  to  be  our  forerunner  into  glory. 
 He  breaks  the  clouds  first,  he  appears  first  before  God,  he  sits 
 down  first,  and  is  glorified  first,  and  then  we  follow. 
 
 5.  That  he  might  defend  the  church  against  her  enemies;  and 
 at  last  destroy  all  the  enemies  of  the  church. 
 
 6.  That  he  might  send  down  the  Holy  Ghost :  to  this  purpose 
 
Looking  unto  %TesuS.  387 
 
 Christ  told  his  disciples  whilst  he  was  yet  on  earthy  that  he  must 
 ascend  into  heaven,  and  reign  there :  It  is  ejcpedient foi'  you  that 
 I  go  away,  for  if  I  go  not  aivay,  the  Comforter  will  not  come 
 unto  you;  hut  if  I  depart,  I  tuill  send  him  to  you,  Christ  is 
 now  in  heaven,  and  sits  at  God's  right  hand,  that  he  may  send  us 
 his  Spirit,  by  whose  forcible  working  we  seek  after  heaven,  and 
 heavenly  things,  where  now  Christ  sits. 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  the  Time  when,  and  the  Persons  to  whom,  the 
 
 Holy  Ghost  was  sent. 
 
 No  sooner  was  Christ  set  down  at  God's  right  hand,  but  he 
 sends  down  the  Holy  Ghost.  It  was  an  use  amongst  the  an- 
 cients, in  days  of  great  joy  and  solemnity,  to  give  gifts  and  to 
 send  presents  unto  men :  thus  Christ,  in  the  day  of  his  majesty 
 and  inauguration,  in  that  great  and  solemn  triumph,  when  he 
 ascended  up  on  high,  led  captivity  captive,  and  gave  gifts  unto 
 men. 
 
 And  when  the  day  of  the  Pentecost  was  fully  come,  they  ivere 
 all  with  one  accord  in  one  place;  and  suddenly  there  came  a 
 sound  from  heaven,  as  of  a  rushing  mighty  wind,  and  itjilled  all 
 the  house  where  they  were  sitting ;  and  there  appeared  unto  ihem 
 cloven  tongues  like  as  of  fire,  and  it  sat  upon  each  of  them  ;  and  they 
 tvere  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  began  to  speak  with  other 
 tongues,  as  the  spirit  gave  them  utterance.  Out  of  these  words 
 I  shall  observe  these  particulars  :  The  time  when — the  persons 
 to  whom — the  manner  how — the  measure  what — and  the  reasons 
 why,  the  Holy  Ghost  was  sent. 
 
 I .  For  the  time  when  the  Holy  Ghost  was  sent,  it  is  said.  When 
 the  day  of  Pentecost  was  fully  come.  This  was  a  feast  of  the  Jews, 
 called  TrevrrfKo^Trj ;  bccausc  it  was  ever  kept  on  the  fiftieth  day  after 
 the  second  of  the  passover.  Fifty  days  were  the  appointed  time 
 of  the  Jews'  harvest :  their  harvest  being  bounded,  as  it  were, 
 with  two  remarkable  days,  the  one  being  the  beginning,  and  the 
 other  the  end  thereof :  the  beginning  was  the  second  of  the  pass- 
 over;  the  end  was  the  fiftieth  after,  called  Pentecost;  upon  the 
 beginning  they  offered  a  sheaf  of  the  first-fruits  of  their  harvest. 
 Upon  the  Pentecost  they  offered  two  wave  loaves ;  the  sheaf 
 being  offered,  all  the  after-fruits  throughout  the  land  were  sanc- 
 tified ;  and  the  two  loaves  being  offered,  it  was  a  sign  of  the  har- 
 vest being  ended  ;  and  now  we  find,  that  as  there  were  fifty 
 days  betwixt  the  beginning  and  the  Pentecost,  so  there  were 
 fifty  days  betwixt  Christ's  resurrection,  and  the  coming  down  of 
 the  Holy  Ghost.  As  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  the  Israelites 
 came  to  mount  Sinai,  and  received  the  law ;  so  the  very  same 
 day  is  accomplished  that  prophecy,  Out  of  Zion  shall  go  forth 
 the  laiv,  and  the  ivord  of  the  Lord  from  Jerusalem :  now  was  the 
 promulgation  of  the  gospel,  called  by  James,  the  royal  law,  as 
 
388  ^Looking  unto  Jes^us. 
 
 o-iven  by  Christ  our  King,  and  written  in  the  hearts  of  his  ser- 
 vants by  this  Holy  Ghost ;  it  seems  to  shadow  out  the  great 
 difference  betwixt  the  law  and  the  gospel ;  the  law  is  given  with 
 ten-or,  in  hghtning  and  thunder ;  but  the  gospel  is  given  without 
 terror,  there  was  no  lightning  and  thunder  now  ;  no,  the  Holy 
 Ghost  slides  down  from  heaven,  and  with  joy  sits  on  the  heads, 
 and  in  the  hearts,  of  his  saints. 
 
 2.  For  the  persons  to  whom  the  Holy  Ghost  was  sent ;  it  is 
 said.  To  all  that  were  with  one  accord  in  one  place:  who  they 
 were,  it  is  not  here  expressed  5  yet  from  the  former  chapter  we 
 may  conjecture,  they  were  the  twelve  apostles,  together  with 
 Joseph,  called  Barsabas,  and  the  women,  and  Mary  the  mother 
 of  Jesus,  and  his  brethren ;  these  all  continued  with  one  accord 
 in  one  place,  for  so  was  Christ's  command,  that  they  should  not 
 depart  from  Jerusalem^  hut  wait  for  the  promise  of  the  Father, 
 ivhich,  saith  he,  ye  have  heard  of  me.  It  was  the  great  promise 
 of  the  Old  Testament,  that  Christ  should  partake  of  our  human 
 nature ;  and  it  was  the  great  promise  of  the  New  Testament, 
 that  we  should  partake  of  his  divine  nature  ;  he  was  clothed  with 
 our  flesh  according  to  the  former,  and  we  are  invested  with  his 
 Spirit  according  to  the  latter  promise.  For  this  promise  the 
 apostles  and  others  had  long  waited,  and  for  the  accomplishment 
 they  were  now  fitted  and  disposed.  1 .  They  had  waited  for  it 
 from  the  ascension  day,  till  the  feast  of  Pentecost ;  he  told  them 
 at  the  very  instant  of  his  ascension,  that  he  would  send  the  Holy 
 Ghost,  and  therefore  bid  them  stay  together  until  that  hour; 
 upon  which  command  they  continued  waiting  until  the  day  of 
 Pentecost  was  fully  come.  He  that  helieveth  shall  not  make 
 haste,  saith  Isaiah.  But,  2.  As  they  waited  for  the  Spirit, 
 so  they  were  rightly  disposed  to  receive  the  Spirit,  for  they 
 were  all  with  one  accord  in  one  place.  To  those  that  accord, 
 is  the  Spirit  given ;  where  is  discord,  jars,  divisions,  factions, 
 there  is  no  Spirit  of  God ;  for  the  Spirit  is  the  author  of  concord, 
 peace,  unity,  and  amity :  and  can  we  imagine  that  essential  unity 
 will  enter  but  where  there  is  unity  ?  Can  the  Spirit  of  unity  come, 
 or  remain,  but  where  there  is  unity  of  spirit  ?  Verily  there  is 
 not,  there  cannot  be,  a  more  certain  disposition  to  make  us  meet 
 for  the  Spirit,  than  that  quality  in  us  that  is  likest  to  his  nature  ; 
 and  that  is  unity,  love,  concord.  Do  we  marvel  that  the  Spirit 
 doth  scarcely  pant  in  us  ?  Alas,  we  are  not  all  of  one  accord ; 
 the  very  first  point  is  wanting  to  make  us  meet  for  the  coming  of 
 the  Holy  Ghost  upon  us. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Of  the  Manner  how  the  Holy  Ghost  was  sent. 
 
 For  the  manner  how  he  was  sent,  or  how  he  came  to  these 
 apostles  ;  v/e  may  obscr\  e  these  particidars  : — 
 
 He  came  suddenlv ;  which  cither  shews  the  majesty  of  the 
 
Looklnsr  unto  %Tcsus.  389 
 
 •& 
 
 miracle  that  is  gloriously  done,  which  is  suddenly  done ;  or  the 
 truth  of  the  miracle,  there  could  be  no  imposture  or  fraud  in  it, 
 "Nvhen  the  motion  of  it  was  so  sudden  ;  or  the  purpose  of  the  mi- 
 racle, which  was  to  awake  and  affect  them  to  whom  it  came ; 
 usually  sudden  things  startle  us,  and  make  us  look  up.  We 
 may  learn  to  receive  those  holy  motions  of  the  Spirit,  which 
 sometimes  come  suddenly,  and  we  know  not  how ;  I  am  per- 
 suaded tlie  man  breathes  not  amongst  us  Christians,  that  some- 
 times feels  not  the  stirrings,  movings,  breathings,  of  the  Spirit 
 of  God ;  O  that  men  would  take  the  wind  while  it  blows,  and  the 
 water  while  the  angel  moves  it ;  as  not  knowing  wheii  it  will,  or 
 whether  ever  it  will  blow  again. 
 
 2.  He  came  fi-om  heaven.  The  place  seems  here  to  commend 
 the  gift :  as  from  earth,  earthly  things  arise ;  so  fi-om  heaven, 
 heavenly,  spiritual,  eternal  things. 
 
 3.  He  comes  down  from  heaven  like  a  wind ;  the  comparison 
 is  most  apt.  Of  all  bodily  things,  the  wind  is  least  bodily ;  it  is 
 invisible,  and  comes  nearest  to  the  nature  of  a  spirit :  it  is  quick 
 and  active  as  the  spirit  is.  But  more  especially  the  Holy  Ghost 
 is  compared  to  a  wind  in  respect  of  its  irresistible  workings  ;  as 
 nothing  can  resist  the  whid,  so  nothing  can  resist  the  Spirit  of 
 God.  Again,  the  Holy  Ghost  is  compared  to  wind,  in  respect 
 of  its  free  actings  ;  the  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth,  and  so  the 
 Spirit  bloweth  where  it  listeth:  grace  makes  no  gain  of  man's 
 work ;  free-will  may  indeed  move  and  run,  but  if  it  be  too  good, 
 it  must  be  moved,  and  driven,  and  breathed  upon  by  God's  free 
 grace. 
 
 4.  He  came  like  a  rushing  mighty  wind :  as  the  wind  is  some- 
 times of  that  strength,  that  it  rends  in  sunder  mountains  and 
 rocks,  it  pulls  up  trees,  it  blows  down  buildings;  so  are  the 
 operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  it  takes  down  all  before  it,  it 
 made  a  conquest  of  the  world,  beginning  at  Jerusalem,  and 
 spreading  itself  over  all  the  earth. 
 
 5.  He  filled  all  the  house  where  they  were  sitting;  there  were 
 none  there  that  were  not  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost ;  all  the  men 
 and  women  (an  hundred  and  twentj^,)  in  this  room  were  visited  from 
 on  high,  for  the  Holy  Ghost  came  upon  them,  and  dwelt  in  them ; 
 it  filled  all  the  house  where  they  were  sitting,  to  signify  that  all 
 the  other  houses  of  Jerusalem  felt  none  of  this  mighty  rushing 
 wind  :  have  we  not  sometimes  ex])erience  of  this  in  our  very  con- 
 gregations ?  One  sound  is  heard,  one  breath  doth  blow,  and  it 
 may  be  one  or  two,  and  no  more  hears  the  sound,  or  feels  the 
 breath  inwardly,  saving ;  it  may  be  one  here,  and  another  there, 
 shall  feel  the  Spirit,  shall  be  touched  with  it  sensibly ;  but  twenty 
 on  this  side  them,  and  forty  on  that  side  them,  all  becalmed,  and 
 go  their  way  no  «iore  moved,  than  when  they  came  into  God's 
 presence.  O  that  this  Spirit  of  the  Lord  would  come  daily  and 
 constantly  into  our  congregations !  O  that  it  Moidd  blow  through 
 
,90  Looking  unto  Jfcsus. 
 
 them  and  through  !  O  that  it  would  fill  every  soul  in  the  assem- 
 bly^  with  the  breath  of  heaven  !  Come,  Holy  Spirit;  aivake,  O 
 north  wind,  and  come,  thou  south,  and  blow  upon  our  gardens, 
 that  the  spices  thereof  may  flow  out, 
 
 6.  He  came  down  in  the  form  of  tongues.  The  apostles  were 
 not  only  inspired  for  their  own  benefit,  but  they  had  gifts  be- 
 stowed on  them,  to  impart  the  benefit  to  more  than  themselves. 
 But  why  did  the  Holy  Ghost  appear  like  tongues  ?  I  answer, 
 the  tongue  is  the  sole  instrument  of  knowledge,  which  conveys 
 the  same  from  man  to  man :  though  the  soul  be  the  fountain  from 
 whence  all  wisdom  springs,  yet  the  tongue  is  that  channel  where- 
 by this  wisdom  and  knowledge  is  communicated.  In  the  like 
 manner  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  sole  teacher  of  all  truth ;  though 
 Christ  be  the  ^nsdom  of  God,  yet  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  teacher 
 of  this  wisdom  to  men ;  and  hence  it  is,  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
 appeared  in  the  form  of  tongues. 
 
 And  yet  not  merely  in  the  form  of  tongues,  but,  1 .  They  were 
 cloven  tongues,  to  signify  that  the  apostles  should  spertk  in  divers 
 languages  :  if  there  must  be  a  calling  of  the  Gentiles,  they  must 
 needs  have  the  tongues  of  the  Gentiles  wherewith  to  call  them  : 
 if  they  were  debtors  not  only  to  the  Jews  but  to  the  Grecians, 
 nor  only  to  the  Grecians  but  to  the  Barbarians  also,  then  must 
 they  have  the  tongues  not  only  of  the  Jews,  but  of  the  Grecians 
 and  Barbarians,  to  go  and  teach  all  nations.  2.  They  were  fiery 
 tongues ;  to  signify  that  there  should  be  an  efficacy  or  fervour 
 in  their  speaking ;  the  world  was  so  overwhelmed  with  ignorance 
 and  error,  that  the  apostles'  lips  had  need  to  be  touched  with  a 
 coal  from  the  altar :  tongues  of  flesh  would  not  serve  the  turn, 
 nor  words  of  air,  but  there  must  be  fire  put  into  the  tongue,  and 
 life  into  the  words  they  speak  :  O  that  we  of  the  ministry  had 
 these  fiery  tongues  !  O  that  the  Spirit  would  put  live  coal  into 
 our  speeches !  may  we  not  fear  that  the  Spirit  is  gone  while  the 
 people  are  dead,  and  we  are  no  more  lively  in  our  ministry  ?  It 
 is  said  of  Luther,  that  when  he  heard  one  preach  very  faintly, 
 *^  Cold,  cold,"  says  he,  "  this  is  cold  preaching,  here's  no  heat  at 
 all  to  be  gotten."  O,  when  the  Spirit  comes,  it  comes  with  a 
 tongue  of  fire ;  instead  of  words,  sparks  of  fire  will  fall  from  us 
 on  the  hearts  of  hearers. 
 
 3.  These  cloven  tongues  sat  upon  each  of  them,  to  signify 
 their  constancy  and  contiiuiance ;  they  abode  still,  they  continued 
 steady,  without  any  stirring  or  starting. 
 
 Sect.  VI. — Of  the  Measure  of  the  Holy  Ghost  now  given,  and 
 the  Reasons  why  he  was  sent. 
 
 For  the  measure,  what  or  how  much  of  the  Spirit  was  now 
 given  ?  This  question  is  necessary,  because  we  bring  in  the 
 Spirit's  mission  after  Christ's  ascension,  as  if  the  Holy  Ghost 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  39 1 
 
 had  not  been  given  before  his  time.  That  this  was  the  time  of 
 the  coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  very  plain ;  but  that  the  Holy 
 Ghost  was  not  given  before  this  time,  we  cannot  say;  certainly 
 the  prophets  spake  by  him,  and  the  apostles  had  him,  not  only 
 when  they  were  first  called,  but  more  fully  when  he  breathed  on 
 them,  and  said  unto  them,  receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost.  So  that 
 if  ye  study  the  reconciliation  of  these  things,  I  know  not  any 
 way  better,  than  to  put  it  on  the  measure  or  degrees  of  the 
 Spirit :  here  was  the  difference ;  before  this  the  Spirit  was  but 
 sprinkled,  as  it  were,  upon  them,  but  now  they  were  all  blown 
 upon  with  a  mighty  wind. 
 
 3.  At  first  he  was  sent  only  in  drops  and  dew,  but  now  he  was 
 poured  out  in  showers  and  abundance  :  The  Holy  Ghost,  saith 
 Paul,  was  shed  on  us  abundantly.  As  there  are  degrees  in  the 
 wind — a  breath,  or  a  blast,  or  a  stiff  gale  ;  we  cannot  deny  de- 
 grees in  the  Spirit, — the  apostles  at  Christ*s  resurrection  received 
 the  Spirit,  but  now  they  were  fiUed  with  the  Spuit  of  Christ. 
 
 4.  For  the  reasons  why  the  Holy  Ghost  was  sent,  they  are 
 several. 
 
 1 .  That  all  the  prophecies  concerning  this  mission  be  accom- 
 plished.    Isaiah  speaks  of  a  time  when  the   Sjnrit  should  be 
 poured  upon  us  from  on  high,  and  the  wilderness  should  be  a 
 fruitful  field.     And  Zachary  prophecies,  that  in  that  day  I  will 
 pour  upon  the  house  of  David,  and  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Jeru- 
 salem, the  spirit  of  grace  and  supplication.      And   Joel  pro- 
 phecies yet  more  expressly  :  It  shall  come  to  pass,  that  I  will 
 pour  out  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh,  and  your  sons  and  your  daugh- 
 ters shall  prophesy  ;  your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams,  your  young 
 men  shall  see  visions ;  and  also  upon  the  servants,  and  upon  the 
 handmaids,  in  those  days  I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit,  and  they 
 shall  prophesy .  But  of  all  the  prophecies  concerning  the  mission 
 of  the  Holy  Ghost,  our  Saviour  gives  the  clearest  and  most  par- 
 ticular :  /  ivill  pray  the  Father,  and  he  shall  give  you  another 
 Comforter,  that  he  may  abide  with  you  for  ever,  even  the  Spirit 
 of  truth.     Behold,  I  send  the  jwomise  of  my  Father  upon  you, 
 but  tarry  ye  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  until  ye  be  endued  luith 
 power  from  on  high.     It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away ; 
 for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you :  but 
 if  I  depart,  I  will  send  him  unto  you.     It  was  of  necessity  that 
 all  these  prophecies  and  promises  must  be  accomplished,  and 
 therefore  was  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  amongst  us. 
 
 2.  Tliat  the  holy  apostles  might  be  furnished  with  gifts  and 
 graces  suitable  to  theu'  estates,  conditions,  stations,  places.  To 
 this  purpose,  no  sooner  was  the  Spirit  sent,  but  they  were  filled 
 with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  began  to  speak  icith  other  tongues,  as 
 the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance.  They  were  filled  with  the  Holy 
 Ghost;  not  that  they  were  before  empty,  but  now  they  were 
 moi*e  full  of  the  Spirit  than  ever^  and  they  spake  ^vith  other 
 
392  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 tongues,  other  than  they  had  learned ;  probably  they  understood 
 no  tongue  but  the  Syriac^  till  this  time,  but  now  on  a  sudden 
 they  could  speak  Greek,  Latin,  Arabic,  Persian,  Parthian,  and 
 what  not !  the  wisdom  and  mercy  of  God  is  very  observable 
 herein,  that  the  same  means  of  divers  tongues,  which  was  the 
 destroying  of  Babel,  should  be  the  means  conferred  on  the  apos- 
 tles, to  work  the  building  of  Sion ;  that  confusion  of  tongues 
 bhould  be  united  to  God's  glory. 
 
 3.  That  he  might  fill  the  hearts  of  all  the  saints,  and  make 
 them  temples  for  the  Holy  Ghost :  Know  you  not  that  your  body 
 is  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost  which  is  in  you,  which  ye  have  of 
 God:  and  ye  are  not  your  own?  It  is  said,  that  after  the  mighty 
 rusliing  mnd  and  cloven  fiery  tongues,  they  were  all  filled  with 
 the  Holy  Ghost,  and  began  to  speak  luith  other  tongues.  First, 
 they  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  when  they  spake  with 
 other  tongues :  the  Holy  Ghost  begins  inward,  and  works  out- 
 ward :  it  first  alters  the  mind,  before  it  changes  the  speech  ;  it 
 first  works  on  the  spirit,  before  on  the  phrase  of  utterance  ;  this 
 was  the  first  ^^'ork  of  the  Spirit,  it  filled  them.  And  thus  for  the 
 daily  ministration,  such  must  be  appointed  as  were  full  of  the  Holy 
 Ghost.  And  Stephen  is  said  to  be  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and 
 Barnabas  is  called  a  good  man,  and  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
 The  Holy  Ghost  is  usually  said  to  fill  the  saints  :  only  whether  it 
 be  the  person  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  or  the  impressions  of  the  Holy 
 Ghost,  is  a  very  great  question  ;  for  my  part,  I  am  apt  to  incline 
 to  their  mind,  who  say,  not  only  the  impressions  of  the  Spirit, 
 tlie  qualities  of  holiness,  the  gifts  and  graces  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
 or  as  some  think  habitual ;  the  Holy  Ghost  himself  doth  fill,  and 
 dwell,  and  reign,  in  the  hearts  of  all  regenerate  men. 
 
 CHAP.  II. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  Knowing  Jesus  as  carrying  on  the  great  Work  of 
 our  Salvation  in  his  Ascension,  Session,  and  Mission  of  the 
 Spirit. 
 
 Let  us  know  Jesus,  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  salva- 
 tion in  his  ascension  into  heaven,  in  his  session  at  God's  right 
 hand,  and  in  his  mission  of  the  Holy  Ghost:  these  are  points 
 of  great  use  ;  if  these  transactions  had  not  been,  where  had  we 
 been  ?  Here  is  an  object  of  admiration  indeed  ;  the  very  angels 
 at  the  sight  of  it  stood  admiring  and  adoring ;  it  took  up  their 
 heart,  astonished  their  understanding.  Come  then,  and,  O  my 
 soul,  do  thou  take  a  view  of  that  which  they  admire,  the  design 
 concerns  thee  in  particular ;  and  therefore  study  close  this  argu- 
 ment, and  know  it  for  thyself.  Study  first  the  ascension  of  Christ. 
 
Lookino'  mito  Jesus.  393 
 
 o 
 
 how,  and  wliither,  and  why  he  ascended.  Secondly,  study  the 
 session  of  Christ  at  God's  right  hand:  O  the  riches  of  that  spiri- 
 tual, heavenly  knowledge ! 
 
 3.  Study  the  mission  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  not  a  circumstance 
 in  it,  but  deserves  thy  study :  what  endeavours  have  there  been 
 to  dive  into  the  secrets  of  nature !  what  vobmies  have  been 
 written  of  physic,  metaphysics,  mathematics !  and  is  not  tliis 
 subject  Christ?  Is  not  every  of  these  subjects,  Christ's  ascen- 
 sion, Christ's  mission  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  of  more  value  and 
 benefit  than  all  Jthose !  Come,  study  that  piece  of  the  Bible, 
 wherein  these  are  written ;  there  is  not  a  line  or  expression  of 
 Christ  in  the  Scripture,  but  'tis  matter  enough  for  a  v,  hole  age  to 
 comment  on;  thou  needest  not  to  leave  old  principles  for  new 
 discoveries,  for  in  these  very  particulars  thou  mightest  find  suc- 
 cessive sweetness  unto  all  eternity. 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  considermg  Jesus  in  that  i^espect. 
 
 Let  us  consider  Jesus,  carrying  on  this  work  of  oiu*  salvation 
 in  these  particulars : 
 
 And  to  take  them  in  order, — 
 
 1.  Consider  Christ's  ascension  into  heaven.  Whcit,  shall  he 
 ascend,  and  shall  we  not  in  our  contemplations  follow  after 
 him?  Gaze,  O  my  soul,  on  this  wonderful  object;  thou  needest 
 not  fear  any  check  from  God  or  angel,  so  that  thy  contemplation 
 be  spiritual  and  divine.  No  sooner  had  Christ  finished  his  work 
 of  redemption  here  on  earth,  but  on  the  mount  called  Olivet  he 
 assembles  with  his  disciples,  where  having  given  them  commands, 
 he  begins  to  mount ;  and  being  a  little  lifted  up  into  the  air,  pre- 
 sently a  cloud  receives  him  into  her  lap.  Herein  is  a  clear 
 demonstration  of  his  godhead;  clouds  are  usually  in  scripture 
 put  for  the  house,  or  temple,  or  receptacle  of  God  himself.  How 
 often  is  it  said,  that  the  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared  hi  the  cloud? 
 and  that  he  called  unto  Moses  out  of  the  nddst  of  the  cloud?  and 
 that  the  Lord  descended  in  the  cloud?  is  not  the  clouds  God's 
 own  chariot  ?  Behold,  the  Lord  rideth  on  a  s;ivift  cloud  !  And 
 O  my  Lord  my  God,  thou  art  very  great,  saith  David;  great 
 indeed,  and  he  proves  it  thus,  ivho  maketh  the  clouds  his  chariot. 
 Jesus  Christ  in  his  ascension  to  heaven  enters  by  the  way  into  a 
 cloud ;  tliis  was  his  chariot,  led  by  ten  thousands  of  his  angels. 
 The  chariots  of  God  are  twenty  thousand,  even  thousands  of 
 angels ;  the  Lord  is  among  them  in  Sinai  in  the  holy  place:  thou 
 hast  ascended  on  high,  thou  hast  led  captivity  captive,  thou  hast 
 received  gifts  for  men. 
 
 But  stay  not  thy  contemplation  in  the  cloud,  he  ascends  yet 
 
 higher,  through  the  air,  and  through  the  clouds^  and  through 
 
 that  heaven  of  fixed  stars,  nor  stood  he  still  till  lie  came  to  the 
 
 heaven  of  heavens.      In  all  this  triumphant  march,  some  tell  us 
 
 14.  3  i> 
 
394  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 of  an  heavenly  harmony  made  by  the  blessed  angels ;  and  that 
 this  is  the  meaning  cf  the  psalmist :  God  is  gmie  up  icith  a  shout, 
 the  Lord  with  the  sound  of  a  trumpet.  In  this  meditation  pass 
 not  over  thy  duty,  which  immediately  follows  :  Sing  praises  unto 
 God,  sing  praises;  sing  praises  unto  our  King,  sing  praises ; — - 
 sing  unto  God,  sing  praises  to  his  7iame,  extol  him  that  rideth 
 upon  the  heavens,  hy  his  name  J  AH,  and  rejoice  before  him.  Thou 
 hast  cause,  O  my  soul,  to  praise  him,  and  to  rejoice  before  him, 
 especially  if  thou  considerest  that  Christ  ascended  not  for  him- 
 self, but  for  thee;  it  is  God  in  our  nature  that  is  gone  up  to 
 heaven,  Christ  as  a  public  person  ascended  up  to  heaven;  thy 
 interest  is  in  this  very  ascension  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  therefore 
 dost  thou  consider  thy  head  as  soaring  up  ?  O  let  every  member 
 praise  his  name ! 
 
 And  yet  stay  not  by  the  way,  but  consider  further;  Christ 
 being  now  arrived  at  heaven  doors,  those  heavenly  spirits  that 
 accompanied  him  began  to  say.  Lift  up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates, 
 even  lift  up  yourselves,  ye  everlasting  doors,  and  the  King  of 
 glory  shall  come  in  I  To  whom  some  of  the  angels  that  were 
 within,  not  ignorant  of  his  person,  but  admiring  his  majesty  and 
 '  glory,  said  again,  ff^ho  is  the  King  of  glory  f  And  then  they 
 answered,  77ie  Lord  strong  and  mighty,  the  Lord  mighty  in 
 battle;  and  thereupon  those  twelve  gates  of  the  holy  city  of  New 
 Jerusalem  opened  of  their  own  accord,  and  Jesus  Christ  with 
 all  his  ministering  spirits  entered  in.  O  my  soul,  hov/  should 
 this  heighten  thy  joy,  and  enlarge  thy  comforts,  in  that  Christ  is 
 now  received  up  into  glory  1  every  sight  of  Christ  is  glorious, 
 and  in  every  sight  thou  shouldest  wait  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
 for  some  glorious  manifestations  of  himself.  Come,  live  up  to 
 the  i-ate  of  this  great  mystery ;  view  Christ  as  entering  into  glory, 
 and  thou  wilt  find  the  same  sparkles  of  glory  on  thy  heart. 
 
 2.  Consider  Christ's  session  at  God's  right  hand:  no  sooner 
 was  Christ  entered  into  heaven,  but  he  is  brought  before  his 
 heavenly  Father ;  and  a  dominion  was  given  him  above  all  crea- 
 tures, above  the  hierarchy  of  all  the  angels  :  O  the  glory  of  Christ 
 at  his  first  entrance  into  glory !  immediately  all  the  angels  fell 
 down  and  worshipped  him,  immediately  his  Father  welcomed 
 him  with  the  highest  grace  that  ever  was  shewn.  Come,  said  he, 
 sit  thou  at  my  right  hand,  until  I  make  thine  enemies  thy  foot- 
 stool. O  my  soul,  meditate  on  this  session  of,  Christ  at  God's 
 right  hand,  and  thence  draw  some  virtue  into  thyself:  what! 
 was  Christ  exalted  ?  had  he  a  name  given  him  above  every  name  ? 
 walk  then  as  becomes  those  that  have  so  glorious  ahead:  O 
 defile  not  that  nature  which  in  thy  Christ  was  so  highly 
 honoured ! 
 
 3.  Consider  the  mission  of  the  Holy  Ghost :  TFhen  he  ascended 
 on  high,  he  led  captivity  captive,  and  gave  gifts  unto  men.  He 
 ijave  gifts,  or  the  gift  of  gifts,  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost:    O 
 
Looking  unto  t/esus.  395 
 
 my  soul,  consider  this  princely  gift  of  Christ '  Such  a  gift  was 
 never  before,  but  when  God  gave  his  Son ;  God  so  loved  the 
 world,  that  he  gave  his  Son;  and  Christ  so  loved  the  world,  that 
 he  gave  his  Spirit.  But  consider  especially  to  whom  this  Spirit 
 was  given;  the  application  of  the  gift  is  the  very  soul  of  thy  me- 
 ditation: Unto  us  a  Son  is  given,  said  the  prophet;  and,  uiito 
 us  the  Holy  Ghost  is  given,  saith  the  apostle.  And  yet  above 
 all,  consider  the  reasons  of  this  gift  in  reference  to  thyself;  was 
 it  not  to  make  tliee  a  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  Stand  a  while 
 on  this  !  admire,  O  my  soul,  at  the  unspeakable  love  of  Christ  in 
 this  !  It  was  infinite  love  to  come  down  into  our  nature ;  but 
 this  is  more,  to  come  down  into  thy  heart  by  his  Holy  Spirit : 
 he  came  near  to  us  then,  but  he  comes  nearer  now,  for  now  he 
 unites  himself  unto  thy  person,  now  he  comes  and  dwells  in  thy 
 soul  by  his  Spirit;  come  !  here's  that  which  will  content  thy  vast 
 desires :  Christ  is  in  thee  hy  his  Spirit;  will  iiot  this  content  the 
 utmost  capacity  of  an  heart?  surely  he  is  too  covetous  whom 
 God  himself  cannot  suffice :  if  thou  hast  Christ,  thou  hast  all 
 things ;  ai\d  if  thou  hast  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  thou  hast  Christ 
 himself,  not  notionally,  but  really,  essentially,  substantially,  by 
 his  Spirit;  it  is  the  very  Spirit  of  Christ,  the  Spirit  itself,  the 
 Holy  Ghost  itself  in  his  own  person,  that  is  united  to  thee,  and 
 dwells  in  thee ;  nor  only  comes  he  in  person,  but  he  brings  along 
 with  him  all  his  train  :  hath  he  not  endowed  thee  with  gifts  ?  hath 
 he  not  divided  a  portion  to  thee  in  thy  place  and  calling  ?  ob- 
 serve it,  and  be  thankful,  if  thou  hast  a  gift  of  prayer,  of  pro- 
 phecy, of  wisdom,  of  knowledge,  it  flows  from  this  Holy  Spirit : 
 Unto  every  one  of  us  is  given  grace  according  to  the  measure  of 
 the  gift  of  Christ,  or  according  to  the  measure  of  the  Spirit,  who 
 is  the  gift  of  Christ.  And,  all  these  ivorketh  that  one  and  the 
 same  Spirit,  dividing  to  every  man  severally  as  he  will.  But 
 besides  a  gift,  hath  he  not  endowed  thee  with  his  grace  ?  hath 
 he  not  planted  in  thy  soul  the  power,  the  principle,  of 
 grace?  hast  thou  itot  felt  the  quickenings,  stirrings,  of  the 
 Spirit  of  God,  commanding  thy  faith,  love,  zeal,  and  other 
 graces  ?  hath  he  not  many  a  time,  at  some  mighty  streight, 
 at  some  prevailing  temptation,  when  thou  wast  even  ready 
 to  yield  to  Satan,  come  in  as  betwixt  the  bridge  and  water, 
 and  given  thee  grace  to  help  in  time  of  need?  O  the  sweet 
 incomes  of  the  Spirit  of  God!  as  he  is  a  holy  Spirit,  so  he 
 makes  holy  hearts ;  and  if  there  be  holiness  in  thy  heart,  what 
 is  it  but  an  emanation  of  the  Spirit  of  God  ?  hast  thou  not  some- 
 times felt  the  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory?  a  drop  of 
 heaven's  joy,  as  the  earnest  of  thy  inheritance  ?  why,  all  these  are 
 but  the  workings  of  the  promised  Comforter :  /  2vill  pray  the 
 Father,  and  he  shall  give  you  another  Comforter,  that  he  may 
 abide  with  you  for  ever.  Another  effect  is,  the  seal  of  the  Spirit 
 stamped  on  thee.     I  will  not  say  this  is  absolutely  necessary. 
 
396  '  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 but  hast  thou  not  sometime  been  assured  of  thy  salvation,  by  an 
 irradiation  of  the  Spirit  on  thy  graces  ?  Sometimes  the  vSpirit 
 is  pleased  to  shhie  with  its  bright,  and  glorious,  and  heavenly 
 beams  into  our  souls,  and  then  we  are  assured :  hence  the  apostle 
 prays  for  the  Ephesians,  that  they  might  have  the  Spirit  of 
 revelation.  If  the  Spirit  shhie  upon  our  graces,  then  it  seals : 
 O  consider  this  shining- sealing  work,  and  leave  not  till  the  Spirit 
 dart  in  a  spiritual  hght,  and  give  thee  a  revelation,  knowledge, 
 and  persuasion,  of  thy  effectual  calling. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  Desiring  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  desire  Jesus  carrjdng  on  the  great  w^ork  of  our  salva- 
 tion in  these  particulars :  who  seeing  Christ  ascending  into  heaven, 
 would  not  be  glad  to  ascend  up  with  him  ?  seeing  Christ,  to  sit 
 down  with  him  ?  Wlio  seeing  Christ  scatter  his  gifts  and  spin*", 
 amongst  his  saints,  would  not  cry,  ^  Come,  Holy  Spirit ;  O  Christ, 
 give  me  thy  Spirit ;  thou  that  givest  gifts  unto  men,  come,  and 
 bestow  these  gifts  on  me  !  even  upon  me  V  The  believing  soul 
 cannot  hear  of  Christ  in  any  true  discovery  of  his  grace  and  glory, 
 but  it  must  needs  send  out  many  breathings  after  him. — ^  O  that 
 Christ  were  mine  1  O  that  I  had  any -interest  in  this  transaction  1' 
 It  is  true,  these  transactions  are  past,  but  the  virtue  of  them 
 continues  still ;  and  accordingly  the  virtue,  power,  and  influence 
 of  these  transactions  must  be  the  object  of  our  desires ;  now  what 
 is  the  virtue  of  Christ's  ascension,  but  that  we  might  ascend? 
 And  what  the  virtue  of  Christ's  session,  but  that  we  might  sit 
 down  with  him  in  his  throne  ?  And  what  the  virtue  of  the  missipn 
 of  his  Spirit,  but  that  we  might  partake  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  O 
 let  these  be  the  objects  of  our  desires;  let  us  pant  and  breathe 
 after  these  things. 
 
 1 .  Let  us  see  Christ  ascending,  and  so  desire  to  ascend  -svith 
 him :  when  Christ  ascended,  it  Vv'as  not  merely  for  himself,  but 
 also  in  our  stead :  he  ascended  as  a  common  person ;  as  the  high 
 priest  ascending  into  the  holy  of  holies,  he  carried  all  the  names 
 of  the  twelve  tribes  on  his  breast;  so  Jesus  Christ  ascending 
 into  heaven,  carried  the  names  of  all  believers  in  the  world  on 
 his  breast,  thereby  shewing  that  they  were  likewise  to  come 
 after  him :  hi  this  case  how  should  we  long  after  him,  and  cry 
 after  him,  as  Elisha  after  Elijah  when  he  saw  him  ascending. 
 My  father  I  my  father  I  the  chariots  of  Israel^  and  the  horsemen 
 thereof!  How  should  we  cry  after  him,  '  O  my  Lord  and  my 
 God!  see  that  my  name  be  written  on  thy  breast!  O  that 
 virtually  I  may  ascend  with  thee,  and  that  really  and  bochly  I 
 may  at  last  ascend  after  thee!'  A  desire  after  Christ,  and  his 
 ascension  is  the  way  to  heaven;  if  thou  wilt  ascend  after. Christ, 
 set  thy  desires  upon  Christ ;  if  thou  wilt  arrive  at  true  glory, 
 breathe  after  Christ  ascending  up  into  his  glory.      O  when  will 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  397 
 
 it   once  be,  that  by  the   virtue  of  Christ's  ascension  I  shall 
 ascend ! 
 
 2.  Let  us  see  Christ  sitting  down  at  the  right  hand  of  God, 
 and  so  desire  to  sit  with  him ;  when  Christ  sat  down,  it  was  not 
 in  his  own  right  simply,  as  it  is  his  inheritance,  but  with  relation 
 to  his  members :  He  liatk  quickened  us  together  luith  Christ, 
 and  hath  raised  us  up  together,  and  made  us  sit  together  in 
 heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus.  He  sat  down  as  a  common 
 person,  thereby  shewing  that  we  were  to  sit  down  with  him  in 
 our  proportion :  Him  that  overcometh,  I  ivill  grant  to  sit  ivith 
 me  in  my  throne,  even  as  I  also  overcame,  and  am  set  doivn  with 
 my  Father  in  his  throne.  O  my  soul,  desire  this,  for  this  is 
 worthy  of  thy  desire :  this  is  a  great  thing,  an  high  exaltation, 
 another  manner  of  honour  than  any  this  world  affords ;  only  take 
 heed  of  apprehending  it  after  a  carnal  way.  This  very  exaltation 
 consists  in  the  image  of  God,  and  communion  with  God ;  what- 
 ever thou  givest  or  deniest.  Lord,  give  me  this,  and  I  have  enough 
 for  ever. 
 
 3.  Let  us  see  Christ's  mission  of  his  Holy  Spirit,  and  desire 
 a  share  in  that  gift.  We  cannot  expect  to  sit  with  Christ,  but  we 
 must  first  have  the  spirit  of  Christ.  Consider,  O  my  soul,  all  things 
 here  below  are  either  temporal  or  spiritual ;  and  of  things  spiri- 
 tual this  is  the  sum,  the  indwelling  of  the  Spirit.  O  Lord,  give 
 me  thyself,  and  that  contains  all  gifts ;  O  give  me  thy  Spirit,  and 
 thou  canst  not  but  with  him  give  me  all  things.  O  what  longings  1 
 O  what  pantings  and  gaspings  should  there  be  in  thy  spirit  after 
 this  Spirit !  come.  Holy  Spirit,  O  come  and  dwell  in  my  soul !  I 
 know  thou  wilt  make  the  place  of  thy  feet  glorious ;  if  I  have 
 but  thy  presence,  I  shall  be  all  glorious  within. 
 
 Sect,  IV. — Of  Hoping  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  hope  in  Jesus,  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  sal- 
 vation in  these  particulars;  this  w^as  the  apostle's  prayer:  Now 
 the  God  of  hope  Jill  you  ivith  all  joy  and  peace  in  helievi7ig  ;  that 
 ye  may  abound  in  hope,  through  the  poiuer  of  the  Holy  Ghost: 
 could  we  abound  in  hope  that  Christ's  ascension,  session,  and 
 mission  of  his  Spirit  did  belong  to  us,  we  should  never  be  ashamed : 
 O  then  let  us  look  to  our  hope,  and  be  sure  that  it  be  of  the  right 
 stamp !  which  in  reference  to  every  of  these  passages,  we  may 
 examine  thus : 
 
 L  If  Christ's  ascension  be  mine,  then  am  I  ascended  with 
 Christ:  for  we  may  ascend  into  heaven  by  faith  and  love, 
 though  for  the  present  we  are  on  earth :  If  ye  he  risen  ivith  Christ, 
 seek  those  things  which  are  above,  ivhere  Christ  sitteth  at  the 
 right  hand  of  God:  set  your  affections  on  things  above,  and  not 
 on  things  on  the  earth.  If  Christ  our  head  be  ascended,  then 
 we  that  are  his  members  must  follow  after  him  in  our  affections. 
 
398  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 Christ  tells  us,  luhere  our  treasure  is,  there  will  our  hearts  be 
 also.  If  Christ  oiir  treasure  be  ascended  into  heaven,  our  loves, 
 our  affections,  our  hearts,  will  follow  after  him ;  and  if  our  hearts 
 be  in  heaven,  no  question  but  we  ourselves,  both  souls  and  bodies, 
 shall  at  last  ascend.  ' 
 
 2.  If  Christ's  session  be  mine,  then  am  I  set  down  with  Christ 
 in  heavenly  places ;  I  mean  not  bodily,  but  by  faith,  which  faith 
 makes  it  as  sure  to  my  soul  as  if  I  had  a  foot  already  in  heaven : 
 Faith  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for,  and  the  evidence  of 
 things  not  seen.  By  faith  I  now  sit  in  heavenly  places,  in  that  I 
 verily  believe  I  shall  do  it  one  day;  my  hope  is  now  certain,  in 
 that  I  am  as  sure  of  that  I  look  for,  as  I  am  of  that  I  have  al- 
 ready received.  The  apostle  said  of  Christ,  TFe  see  not  yet  all 
 things  put  under  him;  but  he  presently  answers,  /Fe  see  Jesus, 
 luho  luas  made  a  little  lower  than  the  angels,  crowned  with  glory 
 and  honour:  and  so  we  may  be  sure  the  thing  is  as  good  as  done ; 
 for  if  he  be  above,  all  must  come  under ;  in  like  manner  we  see 
 not  ourselves  in  present  possession,  but  we  see  Christ  crowned, 
 and  ourselves  sitting  with  him  virtually ;  and  therefore  at  last  we 
 shall  see  ourselves  actually  crowned,  and  sitting  together  with 
 Christ  in  heavenly  places. 
 
 3.  If  Christ's  Spirit  be  mine,  and  sent  to  me,  then  have  I  both 
 the  person  and  train  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ.  It  is  the  having 
 the  Spirit,  and  the  working  of  the  Spirit  in  me,  that  is  my  evi- 
 dence of  the  Spirit's  mission :  I  look  upon  this  as  the  greatest 
 question,  and  the  weightiest  case  of  conscience,  that  can  be  pro- 
 pounded— whether  the  Spirit  of  Christ  doth  reside  in  us  ?  or 
 whether  we  have  a  well-grounded  hope  to  say  of  ourselves,  that 
 we  have  the  indwelling  of  the  Spirit  of  God  ?  Know  ye  not  that 
 ye  are  the  temple  of  God,  saith  the  apostle,  and  that  the  Spirit 
 of  God  dwelleth  in  you  ?  And  again.  Know  ye  not  that  your 
 bodies  are  the  temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost?  In  this  he  seems  to 
 put  it  out  of  question,  that  true  Christians  know  the  Spirit  of 
 God  dwells  in  them ;  if  we  know  not  this,  we  cannot  know  that 
 we  have  any  part  in  Christ,  because  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  prin- 
 cipal bond  of  our  union ;  if  we  know  not  this,  we  cannot  know 
 that  we  are  justified,  for  we  have  nothing  to  do  with  Christ's 
 righteousness,  by  which  we  are  justified,  until  by  our  spiritual 
 union  Christ  is  made  ours;  if  we  know  not  this,  we  cannot  know 
 that  we  are  the  adopted  children  of  God,  for  it  is  the  Spirit  of 
 adoption,  whereby  we  cry  in  our  hearts,  Abba,  Father:  if  we 
 know  not  this,  we  cannot  know  that  we  are  sanctified,  for  it  is 
 the  Spirit  which  is  the  beginner  and  perfecter  of  our  sanctifica- 
 tion :  if  we  know  not  this,  we  cannot  know  that  our  prayers  are 
 heard,  for  it  is  the  Spirit  that  helps  our  infirmities,  and  that 
 makes  intercession  for  us  with  groanings  which  cannot  be  uttered : 
 if  we  know  not  this,  we  cannot  know  whether  we  are  in  error  or 
 truth,  or  whether  our  religion  be  true  or  false,  for  it  is  the  Spirit 
 
Looking  unto  %Iesus.  399 
 
 who  enlightens,  and  leads  us  into  all  ti-uth :  if  we  know  not  this, 
 we  cannot  know  our  own  comforts,  for  he  is  the  only  true  com- 
 forter. Come  then,  and  put  we  ourselves  to  the  trial;  let  us 
 search  whether  we  have  the  Spirit  of  Christ ;  which  we  may  re- 
 solve, (if  we  will  not  deal  deceitfully  with  our  own  hearts,)  by 
 these  following  signs : — 
 
 1.  The  Spirit  of  Christ  is  the  spirit  of  illumination.  If  he 
 dwell  in  us,  he  will  enlighten  our  eyes,  reveal  to  us  those  saving 
 truths  of  God  as  they  are  in  Jesus :  But  the  Comforter,  which  is 
 the  Holy  Ghost,  ivhoiii  the  Father  will  send  in  my  name,  he  shall 
 teach  you  all  thhigs. — But  ye  have  an  unction  from  the  Holy 
 One,  and  ye  know  all  things. — But  the  anointing  which  ye  have 
 neceived  of  him  ahideth  in  you,  and  ye  need  not  that  any  men 
 teach  you,  hut  as  the  same  anointing  teacheth  you  all  things;  and 
 hence  it  is  that  this  Holy  Spirit  is  called  the  Spirit  of  luisdom 
 and  revelation  in  the  knowledge  of  God. 
 
 2.  The  Spirit  of  Christ  is  a  spirit  of  prayer.  /  ivill  pour  upori 
 the  house  of  David,  aiid  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  the 
 spirit  of  grace  and  of  supplication. — Likewise  the  Spirit  also 
 helpeth  our  injirmities ;  for  lue  know  not  what  ive  should  j^ray  for 
 as  ive  ought,  but  the  Spirit  itself  maketh  intercession  for  us  with 
 groanings  that  cannot  be  uttered.  It  is  not  said  that  the  Spirit 
 teaches  us  words,  and  fluent  phrases,  but  it  teaches  us  to  pray  in 
 the  heart  with  sighs  and  groans. 
 
 3.  The  Spirit  of  Christ  is  a  spirit  of  sanctification.  The  apos- 
 tle having  told  the  Corinthians  that  they  had  been  notorious  sin- 
 ners, saith  further,  that  they  ivere  ivashed  and  sanctified  by  the 
 Spirit  of  God.  Hence  the  Holy  Spirit  is  called  the  Spirit  of 
 holiness,  because  he  makes  us  holy.  If  we  have  this  Spirit,  it 
 inclines  our  hearts  to  things  above,  it  mortifies  our  lusts,  it  brings 
 us  nearer  to  God :  the  spirit  therefore  that  is  impure,  and  encou- 
 rages men  in  sin,  and  cries  up  carnal  liberty,  is  certainly  none 
 of"  the  Spirit  of  Christ ;  and  by  this  one  sign  many  carnal 
 pretenders  of  our  times  may  be  convicted. 
 
 4.  The  Spirit  of  Christ  is  a  spirit  of  love.  God  is  love;  and 
 he  that  dwelleth  in  love  diuelleth  in  God,  and  God  in  him :  as  the 
 Spirit  is  love,  so  it  begets  love  in  the  hearts  of  his  people :  The 
 fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  long -suffer  iiig,  gentleness, 
 goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temperance.  All  these  graces  are  the 
 fruits  of  the  Spirit,  but  the  first  grace  in  the  link  is  love :  by  his 
 Spirit  we  are  taught  to  love  God,  not  only  for  his  benefits,  but  in 
 respect  of  his  nature ;  for  his  goodness,  justice,  holiness ;  by  his 
 Spirit  we  are  taught  to  love  any  thing  that  hath  the  stamp  and 
 image  of  God  upon  it :  but  as  touching  brotherly  love,  ye  need 
 not  that  I  write  unto  you,  f of  ye  yourselves  are  taught  of  God  to 
 love  one  another. 
 
 5.  The  Spirit  of  Christ  is  a  witnessing  Spirit.  The  Spirit 
 itself  beareth  witness  with  our  spirit,  that  ive  are  the  children 
 
400  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 of  God:  and  everi/  one  that  helieveth  hath  the  witness  in  hint' 
 
 The  witnessing  of  the  Spirit  is  an  office  of  the  Spirit,  whereby 
 it  works  the  soul  into  a  knowledge,  persuasion,  or  conclusion  of 
 its  acceptance  with  God  in  Christ. 
 
 2.  How  doth  the  Spirit  thus  witness  ?  1  answer,  1.  Immedi-^ 
 ately.     2.  Mediately. 
 
 1 .  Concerning  the  immediate  testimony  of  the  Spirit  there  is 
 some  controversy :  Antinomians  would  have  no  other  testimony 
 but  this ;  all  other  evidences  (say  they)  are  deceiving  evidences ; 
 or  if  not  deceiving,  yet  to  make  use  of  them  were  but  to  light  a 
 candle  to  the  sun ;  for  what  ai'e  the  graces  of  the  Spirit  in  com- 
 parison of  the  Spirit's  own  testimony  ?  and  it  may  be  the  running 
 into  this  extreme  hath  caused  others  absolutely  to  deny  any  such 
 testimony,  or  at  least  to  say, — -for  these  enthusiasms  or  inspira- 
 tions, let  them  boast  of  them  that  have  them,  we  know  no  such 
 thing.  Methinks  a  middle  betwixt  these  is  most  consonant  to 
 truth,  for  neither  can  1  reject  the  graces  of  our  assurance,  neither 
 dare  I  deny  but  there  is  something  of  the  work  of  the  Spirit's 
 testimony  which  is  an  immediate  work. 
 
 Certainly  there  is  a  work,  wherein  the  Spirit  acts  as  in  illu- 
 mination ;  and  infusion  of  good  motions  into  us,  wherein  by  a 
 secret  influence  upon  the  heart,  he  quiets  and  calms  the  troubled 
 soul  concerning  its  condition  by  his  own  immediate  power,  with- 
 out any  grounds  from  scripture  without,  or  graces  within. 
 
 There  is  a  threefold  v/ork  of  the  Spirit,  saith  Mr.  Caryl: 
 
 1.  To  convey  and  plant  grace  in  the  soul.  2.  To  help  us  to 
 exercise  the  graces  which  are  planted  there.  3.  To  shine  upon 
 and  enlighten  those  graces :  this  last  work  the  Spirit  fulfils  two 
 ways ;  1 .  By  arguments  and  inferences,  which  is  a  mediate  work, 
 
 2.  By  presence  and  influence,- which  is  an  immediate  work;  this 
 the  apostle  calls,  witness-bearing;  there  are  three  that  bear  ivit- 
 ?iess  in  earth,  the  Spirit,  and  water,  and  blood:  the  Spirit  brings 
 in  the  witness  of  water  and  blood,  which  is  a  mediate  work :  but 
 besides  and  above  these,  he  gives  a  distinct  witness  of  his  own, 
 which  is  his  immediate  work,  and  is,  in  a  way  of  peculiarity  and 
 transcendency,  called  the  witness  of  the  Spirit.  As  it  is  with  the 
 motions  of  the  Spirit,  many  a  time  the  Spirit  excites  a  man  to 
 such  or  such  duties,  by  laying  his  hand  immediately  upon  the 
 heart,  and  thereby  inclining  it  to  obey  those  motions :  so  in  this 
 case,  when  a  poor  soul  sits  in  darkness,  and  sees  no  light,  some- 
 times it  is,  as  it  were,  taken  up  into  the  third  heaven ;  and  this 
 is  in  such  a  way,  that  though  the  spirit  of  a  man  is  immediately 
 calmed  by  it,  yet  it  cannot  tell  how  it  came  to  pass. 
 
 But  for  fear  of  mistakes,  in  this  case  observe  we  these  rules : 
 1 .  That  although  the  Spirit  may  immediately  testify  without 
 express  or  formal  application  of  a  word,  yet  he  never  testifies  but 
 according  to  the  word.     If  a  man  that  never  felt  sin  a  burden. 
 
JLookinij:  unto  J  a;  us.  401 
 
 'o 
 
 that  throws  away  all  duties  of  religion,  that  never  prays^  reads, 
 hears,  or  meditates,  shall  say,  that  he  is  filled  with  joy,  peace, 
 and  the  assurance  of  God's  Avord,  it  is  certain  the  holy  Spirit  is 
 not  the  author  of  this,  because  the  promise  of  peace  belongs  to 
 none  of  his  stamp  ;  see  Mat.  xi.  28.  haiah  ivii.  15.  Mai.  v.  3, 4, 
 
 5,  6,  7,  8.        .      . 
 
 2.  That  ordinarily  the  Spirit  brings  in  his  testimony  either  in 
 duty,  or  after  duty:  I  have  seen  his  lu  ays,  and  I  will  heal  Itiin;  I 
 icill  lead  hiin  also,  and  restore  coinforts  to  him  and  to  his  7/iourners  : 
 I  create  the  fruit  of  the  lips,  peace,  peace  to  him  that  is  far  ojf, 
 and  to  him  that  is  near,  saith  the  Lord,  and  I  ivill  heal  him.  I 
 kno\7  there  may  be  a  case  of  grievous  temptations,  and  at  such 
 time  the  Spirit  of  God  may  come  in  by  a  sudden  irradiation,  and 
 cheer  the  soul  wonderfully,  tliough  it  knows  not  how ;  yet 
 usually  the  Spirit  brings  in  his  testimony  either  in  duty,  or  not 
 long  after  duty. 
 
 3.  That  such  testimonies  of  the  Spirit  beget  only  an  actual 
 assurance  during  the  present  exigency,  or  in  order  to  some  pre- 
 sent design  that  God  is  workhig  thereby. 
 
 2.  The  Spirit  v/itnesseth  immediately ;  and  that  either  without, 
 or  with  argumentation, — but  both  from  the  word. 
 
 1 .  Without  argumentation ;  and  that  is  when  the  Spirit  applies 
 some  suitable  word  to  the  soul,  and  without  more  ado  enables  the 
 soul  to  close  with  that  word.  As  for  instance ;  thou  art  bur- 
 dened for  sin,  and  thou  hast  prayed  earnestly  for  pardon  of  sin, 
 and  even  then  a  secret  whisper  of  the  Spirit  casts  that  word  into 
 thy  heart,  Iw  ill  heal  thi/  hackslidings,  and-love  thee  freely  ;  or  such 
 a  voice  as  that,  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labour,  and  are  heavy 
 laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Now  this  is  a  direct  testimony ; 
 only  I  dare  not  leave  it  without  a  caution.  Some  can  relate  ex- 
 traordinary passages  of  providence  attending  the  coming  in  of 
 such  and  such  a  word  :  as,  that  they  did  not  know  there  was  any 
 such  scripture,  nor  did  they  know  where  it  was ;  and  yet  in  open- 
 ing the  book,  it  was  the  very  first  place  they  cast  their  eye  upon ; 
 or  they  wanted  a  book,  and  in  the  use  of  some  other  means  unex- 
 pectedly a  word  was  spoken,  or  remembered,  so  pat  to  the  case, 
 as  if  it  had  been  a  message  from  heaven  :  certainly  the  Spirit's 
 hinting  of  words  thus  is  veiy  observable ;  yet  a  bare  giving  in 
 of  a  word  is  no  warrant  that  it  comes  from  the  Spirit,  unless  the 
 soul  come  up  to  some  end  which  the  word  itself  pomteth  atj  for 
 the  ends  it  aimeth  at,  as  quickening,  comforting,  supporting, 
 acting  of  some  graces,  or  such  like ;  and  by  this  we  may  know 
 that  the  testimony  is  true,  and  proceeds  from  the  Spirit  of  God. 
 
 2.  With  argumentation ;  and  that  is,  when  the  Spirit  brings  iu 
 the  testimony  of  blood  and  water  :  I  may  call  it  a  testimony  of 
 graces,  written  in  our  hearts,  and  brought  out  by  the  Spirit  in 
 a  way  of  argument ;  as  thus — He  that  btlieveth  hath  everlasting 
 life :  but  I  believe,  therefore  I  have  everlastitig  life.  The  first  pro- 
 
 15.  3  E 
 
402        ,  Loohinfir  unto  Jesus. 
 
 position  is  the  gospel ;  and  in  this  way  it  is  the  first  work  of  the 
 Spirit  to  open  our  eyes  for  the  understanding  thereof.  The 
 second  proposition  is  thy  case^  or  my  case  ;  and  here  the  Spirit 
 enlisrhtens  the  soul  to  see  itself  under  that  condition.  But  I 
 believe — 
 
 In  all  cases^  the  assurance  that  the  Spirit  gives,  maintains  a 
 soul  in  a  way  of  reliance  and  dependence,  when  it  sees  no  reason 
 why  he  should  do  so  ;  or  it  may  be,  when  he  sees  reason  why  it 
 should  not  be  so :  as  it  is  said  of  Abraham  in  another  case,  that 
 he  believed  in  hope  against  hope;  faith  told  him  there  was  hope 
 that  he  should  be  the  father  of  many  nations,  when  reason  told 
 liim  there  was  none.  Again,  the  assurance  that  the  Spirit  gives, 
 is  attended  with  an  high  esteem  of  prayer,  duties,  ordinances  ; 
 and  in  the  issue  (which  is  the  most  sure  mark)  it  purifies  the 
 soul;  he  that  hath  this  hope  purijieth  himself,  even  as  he  is  pure  ; 
 he  is  ever  washing  himself  from  sin,  and  watching  against  sin, 
 and  taking  all  possible  care  to  keep  himself  pure  and  unspotted 
 in  this  world ;  it  keeps  the  soul  humble  and  lowly,  it  being  im- 
 possible that  such  a  testimony  of  the  Spirit,  and  so  intimate  a 
 converse  with  God,  and  the  light  of  his  countenance,  should  not 
 ^  reflect  low  thoughts  upon  a  man  concerning  himself;  such  a 
 man  cannot  but  say,  '  Lord,  what  am  I  that  thou  hast  brought 
 me  hitherto  ?  What,  for  such  a  peevish,  unbelieving,  impatient 
 soul  as  mine,  to  be  carried  in  thy  arms,  and  cheered  with  thy 
 smiles,  and  to  enjoy  the  comforts  of  thy  Spirit?  O  what  a  won- 
 derful, merciful,  gracious  God  have  I?* 
 
 O  my  soul,  try  now  the  hope  of  the  Spirit's  indwelling  by 
 these  several  signs  :  Art  thou  enlightened  savingly  in  the  know- 
 ledge of  God,  and  of  Christ  ?  Hast  thou  a  spirit  of  knowledge 
 and  supplication  ?  a  spirit  of  sanctification  ?  a  spirit  of  love  ? 
 Hast  thou  ever  had  the  immediate  testimony  of  the  Spirit  ? 
 Hast  thou  ever  had  the  mediate  testimony  of  the  Spirit  without 
 any  argumentation  ?  Hast  thou  unexpectedly  lighted  on  some 
 places  of  scripture  that  hath  satisfied  thy  soul  as  with  marrow 
 and  fatness  ?  Or  if  not  so  neither,  hast  thou  the  immediate 
 testimony  of  the  Spirit  with  argumentation  ?  Canst  thou  argue 
 thus ;  He  that  helieveth  shall  be  saved :  but  I  believe,  therefore  I 
 shall  be  saved.  Or  if  any  doubt  be  made  of  the  assumption  ; 
 canst  thou  prove  it  by  such  other  graces  as  accompany  faith,  and 
 are  the  fruits  of  faith  ?  Canst  thou  say,  by  the  help  and  shinhigs 
 of  the  Spirit,  that  these  and  these  graces  are  in  me,  I  love  God 
 and  Christ,  I  repent  of  my  sins  : — surely  then  thy  hope  is  well 
 grounded  ;  thou  hast  the  indwelling  of  the  Spirit ;  it  is  thine  ; 
 even  thine. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Of  Believing  in  Jesus  in  this  respect. 
 
 Lkt  us  believe  on  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 sidvation  inthes<?  p'uticulars.  Many  scruples  are  in  many  hearts: 
 
Looking  unto  t/esas.  403 
 
 *  What !  is  it  pofesible  that  I  should  have  any  share  in  Christ's 
 ascension^  Christ's  session,  Christ's  mission  of  his  Spirit!  Was 
 it  ever  in  God's  heart  that  I  should  partake  with  Christ  in  all 
 these  glories  ?  What  is  this,  that  earth  should  go  up  to  heaven, 
 that  men  should  ascend  to  God?  yea,  that  my  soul  with  Christ, 
 and  by  Christ,  should  ascend  to  God,  and  sit  down  with  God  in 
 heavenly  places  ?  that  my  soul  should  have  for  its  inmate  the 
 vcr}'  same  Spirit  that  Christ  himself  hath  ?  O,  1  cannot,  I  dare 
 not  believe.' 
 
 Scrupulous  souls,  be  not  faithless,  but  believing ;  there  is  none 
 of  these  particulars  for  which  we  have  not  a  warrant  out  of  the 
 word  of  Ciod  ;  and  therefore  believe:  I  shall  lay  down,  1.  Some 
 directions,  and  2.  Some  encouragements  of  faith. 
 
 1st.  For  directions  of  faith,  observe,  as  before,  these  particulars. 
 
 1 .  Faith  must  directly  go  to  Christ. 
 
 2.  Faith  must  go  to  Christ  as  God  in  the  flesh. 
 
 3.  Faith  must  go  to  Christ  as  God  in  the  flesh  made  under 
 the  law. 
 
 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. 
 
 5.  Faith  must  go  to  Christ,  not  only  as  put  to  death  in  the 
 flesh,  but  as  quickened  by  the  Spirit. 
 
 6.  Faith  must  noi  only  go  to  Christ  as   quickened  by   the 
 Spirit,  but  as  going  into  glory,  as  sitting  down  at  God's  right 
 hand,  and  as  sending  the  Holy  Ghost.     Faith  should  eye  Christ 
 as  far  as  he  goes :  if  he  be  ascended,  so  should  faith  ;  if  he  go 
 into  glory,  and  sit  down  there,  and  act  there  for  his  people,  so 
 should  faith  ;  and  so  should  we  in  a  way  of  believing  follow  after 
 him,  and  take  a  view  of  all  his  transactions  where  he  is :  we  have 
 heard  before  how  faith  should  go  to   Christ  as  dying,  and  as 
 rising  again  ;  but  yet  faith  is  low,  \vhile  it  doth  not  go  within 
 the  vail,  and  see  him  in  glory  ;  it  is  not  enough  to  have  only  a 
 faith  of  justification,  but  of  glorification.     O  come  let  us   see 
 Christ  in  heaven,  and  we  can  have  no  less  than  a  glorious  faith  1 
 how  many  are  there  that  never  yet  came  to  Christ  as  a  glorified 
 Christ !  We  are  still  in  the  lower  form ;  many  of  us  take  in  no 
 more  of  Christ  than  wiiat  was  done  on  the  cross,  we  seldom  fol- 
 low Christ  into  heaven,  to  see  what  he  is  doing  for  us.     O  my 
 soul !  O  my  faith  !  mount  up,  and  be  upon  the  Ming :  Christ  is 
 gone  up  to  heaven,   Christ  is  sat  down  at  God's  right  hand ; 
 Christ  hath  sent  down  his  holy  Spirit.     He  gave  the  gift  of  gifts, 
 even  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  himself.     What !  art  not  thou 
 a  partaker  of  this  gift  ?    O  then  look  up  unto  Jesus  in  reference 
 to  all  this,  set  him  before  thee :  Christ  in  all  these  particulars  is 
 a  right  object  for  thy  faith. 
 
 7.  Faith  in  going  to  Christ,  his  ascension,  session,  and  mission 
 of  the  holy  Spirit,  is  principally  to  look  to  the  design  of  Christ, 
 
404  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 in  each  of  these  particulars :  Christ  did  iiothiufi^,  but  he  had  art 
 end  in  it  for  our  good ;  iind  here  is  the  life  of  faith^  to  eye  the 
 meanin""  of  Christ  in  all  his  doings.  Now  the  ends  of  Christ's 
 ascension,  session,  and  mission  of  his  Spirit,  were  several;  I  shall 
 instance  only  in  these  few. 
 
 1.  Christ  ascended,  that  we  might  ascend.  Look,  whatever 
 God  acted  on  Christ's  person,  that  he  did  as  on  our  behalf,  and 
 he  means  to  act  the  same  on  us.  Was  Christ  crucified?  So  are 
 we.  Is  Christ  risen  again  ?  So  w^e  are  risen  v/ith  him.  Is  Christ 
 gone  up  into  glory  ?  So  are  we  :  heaven  is  now  opened  and 
 possessed  by  Jesus  Christ  for  us,  and  at  last  we  shall  ascend  even 
 as  he  ascended.  How  should  faith  pry  into  this  ?  As  we  must 
 go  through  all  ordinances  and  creatures  till  we  come  to  Christ, 
 so  through  all  conditions  of  Christ  until  we  come  to  glory. 
 
 2.  Christ  sat  down,  that  we  might  sit  with  him  in  heavenly 
 places  :  what  is  the  end  of  Christ's  session,  but  that  he  might 
 invest  all  his  saints  with  the  same  privilege  ?  In  this  height  of 
 glory,  Christ  is  the  pattern  of  what  we  shall  be  ;  surely  this  is 
 the  very  top  of  heaven ;  Christ  is  exalted  above  the  heavens,  that 
 we  might  in  our  measure  be  exalted  with  Christ :  it  was  Christ's 
 prayer,  that  his  Father,  and  he,  and  we,  might  be  one,  as  thou 
 Father  art  in  Me,  and  I  in  Thee,  that  they  also  may  he  one  iii  us, 
 O  how  should  faith  stand,  and  gaze  on  Christ  in  that  respect  ? 
 What !  is  he  on  God's  right  hand  ?  and  is  he  there  preparing 
 a  mansion  for  my  soul  ?  What,  shall  I  sit  at  the  right  hand  of 
 Christ  ?  Admire,  O  my  soul,  this  aim  of  Christ,  the  meaning  of 
 his  exaltmg  himself,  it  was  to  exalt  thee  ;  and  the  meaning  of  his 
 exalting  thee  on  this  manner,  is  to  manifest  to  all  the  world,  what 
 the  Son  of  God  is  able  to  do,  in  raising  so  poor  a  creature  to  so 
 rich  a  glory.- 
 
 3.  Christ  sent  down  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he  might  dwell  in 
 our  soids,  endow  us  with  gifts  and  graces  ;  that  he  might  com- 
 fort us,  seal  us  unto  the  day  of  redemption  ;  fit  us  for  glory. 
 Amongst  the  many  ends  for  which  Christ  sent  down  his  holy 
 Spirit,  I  shall  insist  only  on  these  two — 
 
 1.  That  he  might  hel])  us  to  cry,  Abba  Father ;  and  make  us 
 come  boldly  to  the  throne  of  grace,  as  children  to  a  father.  It  is 
 the  Spirit  that  takes  us  by  the  hand  and  leads  us  to  the  Father, 
 when  others  stand  at  a  distance,  and  cannot  come  near.  Though 
 others  are  kept  out,  yet  the  adopted  child,  who  hath  received  the 
 Spirit  of  adoption,  can  say,  Let  me  come  to  my  Father;  guards 
 are  appointed  to  keep  out  strangers,  but  not  sons. 
 
 2.  That  he  might  guide  us  into  all  truth ;  I  mean  into  all  ne- 
 '  cessary,  fundamental,  saving  truths  :  In  this  respect  we  have 
 
 need  of  the  Spirit.  He  it  is  that  dictates  to  us  which  is  the 
 true  religion ;  he  it  is  that  transcribes  upon  our  hearts  that  which 
 was  before  only  written  in  our  books ;  he  it  is  that  not  only 
 reveals  truth  from  without,  but  imprints  it  also  upon  the  soul. 
 
Loohln^  unto  Jesus ^  405 
 
 o 
 
 as  a  man  doth  a  seal  by  iinpressiiig  it  on  the  wax ;  as  the  written 
 word  is  the  testimony  without  us,  so  are  these  impressions  of  the 
 Spirit  the  testimony  witliin  us,  by  which  we  may  know  every 
 necessary  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  :  unbeUevers  have  a  testimony 
 without  them,  but  beUevers  have  a  double  testimony,  one  with- 
 out, and  one  within ;  and  this  witness  within  us  will  go  with  us 
 and  accompany  us  through  all  streights  and  difficulties.  Men 
 may  take  from  us  our  bibles,  teachers,  friends,  or  imprison  us 
 where  \^'e  cannot  enjoy  them;  but  they  cannot  take  from  us  the 
 Spirit  of  Christ ;  this  witness ;  O  what  an  excellent  help  is  here  to 
 a  poor  Christian,  beyond  all  the  fiu-niture  of  the  most  learned 
 men,  that  want  this  testimony  of  tlie  Spirit  of  Christ  !  surely 
 this  advantage  Avill  exceedingly  furnish  us  against  all  temptations 
 to  any  error,  that  is  plainly  contrary  to  the  essentials  of  religion. 
 2d.  For  the  encouragement  of  our  faith  to  believe  in  Christ  in 
 reference  to  his  ascension,  session,  and  mission  of  his  Spirit. 
 
 1.  Consider  the  excellency  of  this  object.  What  is  it  but 
 Christ?  Christ  in  his  ascendant,  regnant  power  ?  Christ  in  his 
 inarching,  conquering,  triumphing  postures  ?  in  his  free,  and 
 large,  and  magnificent  gifts  ?  When  he  ascended  on  high,  he  led 
 captivity  captive,  and  gave  gifts  unto  men.  O  the  glory,  O  the 
 excellency,  of  Christ  in  these  respects ;  I  believe  this  is  the  top 
 of  heaven's  glory,  to  see  and  wonder  at  the  virtues  of  him  that 
 sits  on  the  throne  at  the  right  hand  of  God ;  to  be  filled,  but 
 never  satiated,  with  the  glory  of  Christ. 
 
 2.  Consider  the  power,  virtue,  and  influence  of  this  object 
 unto  our  souls'  salvation.  O  what  a  stately  tower  have  we  here 
 erected  to  see  heaven  on  ?  Faith  may  stand,  as  it  were,  on  this 
 mount,  and  see  itself  in  glory ;  O  the  flowings,  the  rich  emana- 
 tions of  grace  and  glory  that  come  from  hence  !  O  why  do  we 
 toil  ourselves  in  gathering  sticks,  when  to-morrow  we  shall  be 
 out  of  this  world,  and  go  to  Christ. 
 
 3.  Consider  of  the  suitableness  of  these  objects  to  our  several 
 conditions  ;  Behold  he  comes  leapi?ig  upon  the  mountains,  and 
 skippi?ig  upo7i  the  hills,  Cant.  ii.  8.  Gregory,  that  measured  his 
 leaps,  thus  gives  them :  he  first  leaps  from  his  Father's  man- 
 sion to  his  mother's  womb;  from  her  womb  to  the  manger;  from 
 hib  manger  to  his  cross ;  from  his  cross  to  his  grave ;  from  his 
 grave  up  again  to  heaven  :  great  leaps  indeed,  that  shewed  both 
 his  readiness  to  love,  and  willingness  to  save.  O  believe  !  believe 
 thy  part  in  Christ's  ascension,  Christ's  session,  Christ's  mission 
 of  his  holy  Spirit,  and  thou  mayest  go  singing  to  thy  grave  !  a 
 lively  faith  in  such  particulars  would  set  a  soul  in  heaven,  even 
 whilst  on  earth. 
 
 Sect.  VI. — Of  Lovifig  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  love  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  salva- 
 tion in  these  particidars.    Much  has  been  said  already  of  Christ's 
 
4  06  Looking  unto  Jeaus, 
 
 conception,  birth,  life,  death,  resurrection  ;  such  arguments  of 
 love  as  are  enough  to  swallow  up  souls  in  love;  but  as  if  all  those 
 were  not  enough  for  God,  see  here  new  mines,  never  known  in 
 the  world  before,  opened  in  Jesus  Christ.  ^  See  !  Christ  for  us 
 and  for  our  salvation  is  gone  up  to  heaven,  is  set  down  at  God's 
 right  hand,  and  hath  sent  down  the  Holy  Ghost  into  our  hearts. 
 In  the  pouring  out  of  these  springs  of  heaven's  love,  how 
 should  our  souls  but  open  the  mouth  wide,  and  take  in  the 
 streams  of  Christ's  honey  and  milk  5  I  mean  his  precious  love- 
 breathings  ?  ' 
 
 Two  things  I  shall  instance  in,  which  may  be  as  the  load- 
 stones of  our  love  to  Christ ;  the  first  is  his  glory,  and  the  second 
 his  bounty. 
 
 1 .  For  his  glory  :  No  sooner  was  he  ascended,  and  sat  at 
 God's  right  hand,  but  John  the  divine  had  a  sight  of  him,  and 
 O  what  a  glorious  sight !  He  ivas  clothed  ivith  a  garment  down 
 to  the  feet,  and  girt  about  the  paps  ivith  a  golden  girdle  ;  his  head 
 and  his  hairs  ivere  white  like  wool,  as  ivhite  as  snow,  and  his  eyes 
 were  as  aflame  of  fire,  and  his  feet  like  unto  fine  brass,  as  if  they 
 burned  in  a  furnace,  a^ul  his  voice  as  the  sound  of  many  tvaters; 
 and  he  had  in  his  right-hand  seven  stars,  and  out  of  his  mouth  went 
 a  sharp  two-edged  sword,  and  his  countenance  was  as  the  sun  that 
 shineth  in  his  strength:  when  John  saw  him  thus,  he  swoons  at 
 his  feet.  But  Christ,  for  all  his  glory,  holds  his  head,  saying. 
 Fear  not;  I  am  the  first  and  the  last;  I  am  he  that  liveth,  and 
 was  dead,  and  behold  lam  alive  for  evermore,  amen,  and  have  the 
 keys  of  hell  and  death.  A  glorious  Christ  is  good  for  dying  sin- 
 ners :  would  sinners  but  draw  near  and  come  and  see  this  King 
 in  the  chariot  of  love,  and  come  and  see  his  beauty,  he  would 
 certainly  draw  their  souls  mito  him :  nay,  say  that  all  the  damned 
 in  hell  were  brought  up  with  their  fiery  chains  to  the  door  of 
 heaven  ;  could  we  let  them  look  in^  and  behold  the  throne,  and 
 the  Lamb,  and  the  troops  of  glorified  spirits  clothed  in  white, 
 with  crowns  of  gold  upon  their  heads,  and  palms  in  their  hands, 
 singing  the  eternal  praises  of  their  King  ;  O  how  woidd  they  be 
 sweetened  in  their  pain,  and  ravished  with  those  joys  that 
 are  in  Christ's  face  for  evermore  !  O  who  can  think  of 
 the  glory  that  is  in  this  delightful  one,  and  not  be  swallowed 
 up  in  love  ?  Who  can  think  of  Christ's  sitting  at  God's  right 
 hand,  and  sparkling  in  his  glory  round  about^  and  casting  out 
 beams  of  glory  through  east,  and  west,  and  north,  and  south, 
 through  heaven,  and  earth,  and  hell,  and  not  love  him  with  a  whole 
 heart?  I  remember  one  dying,  and  hearing  some  discourse  of 
 Jesus  Christ :  O  (said  she)  speak  more  of  this,  let  me  hear  more 
 of  this;  he  not  weary  of  telling  his  praise;  I  long  to  see  him,  how 
 should  I  hut  long  to  hear  of  him!  Surely  I  cannot  say  too  much 
 of  Jesus  Christ :  O  the  loveliness,  beauty,  and  glory  of  his  coun- 
 tenance !  can  I  speak  or  you  hear  of  such  a  Christ  ?  and  are 
 
ZfOo/cmg  unto  Jesus,  4 07 
 
 we  not  all  in  a  burning  love  ?  O  my  heart !  how  is  it  thou  art 
 not  love-sick  r  how  is  it  thou  dost  not  charge  the  daughters  of 
 Jerusalem  as  the  spouse  did ;  /  charge  ye,  O  daughters  ofJeru- 
 satem,  ifyejind  my  beloved,  tliat  ye  tell  him  I  am  sick  of  love? 
 2.  For  his  bounty  :  No  sooner  was  he  ascended,  and  sat  down 
 at  God's  right  hand,  but  he  gives  gifts  unto  men;  and  he  sends 
 down  the  Holy  Ghost.  I  shall  only  weigh  two  circumstances  in 
 this  gift,  either  whereof  both  dignifies,  and  casts  a  beam  of 
 bounty  from  the  giver,  into  the  heart  of  the  receiver,  to  move  him 
 to  love. 
 
 (1.)  One  circumstance  is,  the  greatness  of  the  giver :  O  my 
 soul,  how  shouldest  thou  but  love  Christ,  the  great  emperor  of 
 heaven  and  earth  :  It  was  he  that  gave  thee  his  Spirit,  it  was  he 
 that  took  of  the  Spirit  which  is  upon  him,  (so  is  the  expression 
 of  God  to  Moses,  and  put  it  upon  thee  ;  and  doth  not  the  person 
 of  Christ,  the  dignity  of  Christ,)  enhance  the  value  of  the  gift  ? 
 As  all  gifts  are  signs  of  love,  so  the  love  of  a  great  personage, 
 and  the  gifts  issuing  from  such  a  love,  ought  more  to  be 
 accounted  than  any  gifts  of  any  meaner  person  whatsoever. 
 
 (2.)  Another  circumstance  is,  the  greatness  of  the  gift:  this 
 argueth  the  greatness  of  the  good  will ;  and  consequently  deserv- 
 eth  a  correspondence  of  affection.  Now,  what  greater  gift  had 
 Christ  in  store,  than  to  give  his  own  Spirit  ?  The  Spirit  proceed- 
 eth  from  him,  and  is  the  same  essence  with  himself;  the  Spirit 
 is  the  third  Person  of  the  true  and  only  Godhead,  proceeding 
 from  the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  co-eternal,  co-equal,  and  con- 
 substantial  with  the  Father  and  the  Son  ;  this  appears  by  those 
 divine  attributes  and  properties  which  are  attributed  to  the  holy 
 Spirit :  as  1 .  Eternity ;  In  the  hegiiining  God  created  heaven  and 
 earth,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the  face  of  the  waters, 
 2.  Omnipotency ;  because  he,  together  with  the  Father  and  the 
 Son,  createth  and  preserveth  all  things :  By  tiis  Spirit  he  hath  gar- 
 n  ished  the  heavens  ;  the  Spirit  of  God  hath  made  me  ;  atidall  these 
 things  tvorketh  that  one  and  the  self -same  Spirit,  dividing  to  every 
 man  severally  as  he  will.  3.  Omnisciency,  or  the  knowledge  of 
 all  things;  For  the  Spirit  searcheth  all  things,  yea,  the  deep 
 things  of  God.  I  might  add  miracles,  and  the  institution  of  sacra- 
 ments, and  prophecies,  and  gifts,  and  graces,  as  the  eftects  of  his 
 divinity:  /  cast  out  devils  (saith  Christ)  by  the  Spirit  of  God; 
 and  baptize  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
 And  the  Spirit  speaketh  expressly,  that  in  the  latter  times  some 
 shall  depart  from  the  faith.  And  we  are  changed  into  the  same 
 image  yfrom  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.  See 
 now  how  the  holy  Spirit  is  God,  co-eternal,  co-equal,  consubstan- 
 tial  with  God  the  Father,  and  God  the  Son ;  is  not  this  a  great 
 gift  ?  Yea,  as  great  a  gift  as  possibly  can  be  given ;  what  can  he 
 do  more,  than  to  give  himself,  and  to  give  his  Spirit  ?  O  the 
 bonds  of  love  that  are  upon  man  towards  Christ  in  this  respect ! 
 
40S  Looking'  unto  Jesus 
 
 Come,  my  soiil^  and  take  a  viev/  of  tlie  glory  and  bounty  of 
 Jesus  Christ !  if  tiiy  heart  be  not  all  brass  and  iron,  how  shouldest 
 thou  but  chuse  to  love  ?  If  either  beauty  or  bounty,  if  either 
 majesty  or  magnificence,  can  draw  thy  affection,  Christ  will  have 
 it;  for  in  him  is  all :  O  let  him  be  thy  all !  surely  if  thou  hast  any 
 thing  besides  himself,  he  is  the  donor  of  all,  he  is  the  beauty  of 
 all,  the  sum  of  all,  the  perfection  of  all,  yea>  is  the  author, 
 preserver,  and  finisher  of  all. 
 
 S^CT.  VII. — Of  Joying  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  joy  in  Jesus  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  salva- 
 tion in  these  particulars ;  there  is  not  a  particular  under  con- 
 sideration, but  it  is  the  object  of  a  Christian's  joy. — 
 
 1.  How  should  it  heighten  my  joys,  and  enlarge  my  comforts, 
 when  I  consider  that  Christ  is  ascended  into  glory  !  By  this  it 
 is  clear  that  Christ  is  accepted  of  the  Father  for  me,  or  otherwise 
 he  should  never  have  been  received  into  heaven  :  O  what  joy  is 
 in  this  ! 
 
 2.  How  should  it  heighten  my  joys,  and  enlarge  my  comforts, 
 when  I  consider  that  Christ  is  set  down  at  God's  right  hand. 
 Now  he  hath  the  keys  of  heaven  delivered  into  his  hands  ;  All 
 power  is  given  unto  him  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  and  now  he  can 
 do  what  he  will :  God  the  Father  hath  given  away  (as  it  were) 
 all  his  prerogative  unto  Jesus  Christ :  All  judgment  is  committed 
 to  the  Son,  for  the  Father  judgeth  no  man.  Now  he  is  in  a 
 capacity  of  acting  all  his  love  to  me  in  the  most  glorious  way  5 
 he  is  highly  advanced,  and  thereby  he  hath  the  advantage  to 
 advance  me,  and  to  glorify  me  :  O  what  joy  may  enter  into  this 
 poor,  dark,  disconsolate  soul  of  mine^  whilst  I  think  over  these 
 glorious  passages  of  Christ  in  glory  ! 
 
 3.  How  should  it  heighten  my  joys,  when  I  consider  that 
 Christ  hath  sent  down  his  holy  Spirit  into  my  heart  !  O  what 
 comfort  is  this,  to  know  that  the  Spirit  of  Christ  is  my  inmate  ! 
 that  my  soul  is  the  temple,  the  house  and  dwelling,  of  the  Spirit 
 of  God  !  that  Christ  is  in  me  of  a  truth,  and  that  not  only  by 
 the  infusion  of  his  grace,  but  by  the  indwelling  of  his  Spirit  ! 
 Christ  in  his  bodily  presence  went  away,  but  Christ, in  his  Spirit 
 continues  still :  Lo,  lam  ivithyoualiv ays,  even  unto  the  endoffhe 
 world:  He  is  with  us,  and,  which  is  more,  he  is  in  us ;  Christ  in 
 you,  the  hope  of  glory.  Not  Christ  in  sermons  which  we  hear, 
 nor  Christ  in  chapters  which  we  read,  nor  Christ  in  sacraments 
 which  we  receive,  but  Christ  in  our  hearts  by  his  Spirit,  is  unto  us 
 the  hope  of  gloiy. 
 
 And  now,  O  my  soul,  spread  thyself  on  this  great  good, 
 Christ's  ascension,  Christ's  session,  and  Christ's  mission  of  his 
 holy  Spirit.  There  is  not  any  particular  here  before  thee,  but 
 it  is  ftiel  for  joy.     O  what  joy  was  in  heaven  when  Christ 
 
LooMns:  unto  Jeaus.  409 
 
 aBcendcd^  and  wlicu  Christ  sat  down  at  God*B  right-hand,  and 
 when  Christ  sent  down  the  Holy  Spirit !  Suppose  thyself  to  have 
 been  in  heaven,  when  he  first  entered  into  it,  and  when  he  first 
 sat  down  at  God's  right  hand,  and  sent  down  the  Comforter  to 
 his  saints;  was  not  heaven  full  of  joy?  Methinks  the  very 
 thought  of  Christ's  bright  face,  and  white  throne,  and  Christ's 
 harpers,  and  heavenly  troop,  surrounding  the  throne,  and  Christ's 
 welcome  to  his  Father,  both  for  himself  and  all  his  saints,  and 
 his  carrying  thy  name  upon  his  breast  before  his  Father,  should 
 fill  thy  soul  as  full  of  joy,  as  possibly  it  can  hold.  O  the  first- 
 fruits  of  Emmanuel's  land,  that  lies  beyond  time  and  death?  O 
 the  joys  that  were  in  heaven  at  Christ's  first  entrance  into  heaven  1 
 C)  my  soul,  why  dost  thou  not  check  thyself,  and  lay  aside  thy  sad 
 complaints,  and  forget  this  earth,  and  earthly  troubles !  Why 
 dost  thou  not  look  up  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  rejoice  in  him  who 
 hath  done  all  this  for  thy  salvation  ?  Either  the  Spirit  of  God  is 
 not  thy  comforter,  or  thou  canst  not  but  receive  comfort  in  these 
 passages. 
 
 Sect.  VIII. — Of  Calling  on  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  call  on  Jesus :  I  mean — 
 
 1.  Let  us  pray  that  we  may  have  our  part  in  these  trans- 
 actions; or  let  us  pray  for  more  and  more  assurance  thereof  unto 
 our  souls,  for  though  we  do  believe,  yet  may  we  not  be  without 
 our  doubts ;  and  in  case  of  doubts,  if  once  we  are  but  assured, 
 what  better  means  than  prayer  ? 
 
 2.  Praise  God  for  these  great  transactions  of  his  Son !  Are 
 they  not  mercies,  like  mountains,  lying  one  upon  another,  and 
 retching  up  to  the  very  heavens  ?  Did  not  love  break  out  first 
 in  I  direct  line,  and  as  it  went  along,  hath  it  not  wound  up  itself 
 in  such  a  variety  of  unthought  of  discoveries,  as  that  it  amazeth 
 men  and  angels  ?  What !  that  Jesus  Christ  should  not  only  act 
 for  IS  here  on  earth,  but  also  ascend  for  us  into  heaven,  and  sit 
 do\m  there  at  God's  right  hand,  above  the  heavens ;  that  all 
 this  should  be  done  for  us  and  our  salvation,  and  to  that  purpose 
 that  he  should  send  down  liis  Spirit  into  our  hearts,  to  prepare 
 us  for  his  glory  ?  Now  bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul;  and  all  that 
 is  u'ifliin  me,  hless  his  holy  name:  bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul, 
 and  forget  not  all  his  benefits. 
 
 Sect.  IX. — Of  Conforming  to  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  conform  to  Jesus  in  the  aforesaid  respect.  A  serious 
 beholding  of  Jesus  in  his  ascension,  session,  mission  of  his  Spirit, 
 is  enough  to  change  us  into  the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory. 
 It  was  the  sweet  saying  of  an  experienced  saint.  View  a  glorified 
 Christ, see  him  as  in  that  relation  and  condition,  and  you  will  soon 
 15.  3  F 
 
410  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 have  the  sparkles  of  the  same  glory  on  your  hearts,  Christ  is  now 
 exalted ',  he  is  now  in  glory  at  the  right-hand  of  God :  O  let  all 
 our  actions  be  glorious,  let  all  our  walking,  joys^  breathings,  be  as 
 in  glory.  I  shall  not  in  this  transaction  lay  out  many  particular 
 conformities  to  Christ,  but  gather  all  into  one,  which  is,  heavenly 
 conversation;  seek  things  above,  set  your  affection  on  things 
 above :  Christ  is  gone  up,  and  Christ  is  sat  down  at  God's  right- 
 hand;  and  herein  if  you  will  conform,  let  your  hearts  be  in 
 heaven,  let  your  affections  be  in  heaven,  let  your  conversations 
 be  in  heaven. 
 
 In  prosecution  of  this,  I  shall  examine, 
 
 1st.  What  do  we  mean  by  our  conversation  in  heaven? 
 
 2.  Why  must  our  conversation  be  in  heaven? 
 
 3.  By  what  means  must  we  come  up  to  this  conversation  in 
 heaven  ? 
 
 1 .  By  our  conversation  in  heaven,  I  mean  our  aim  at  heaven : 
 as  heaven  is  our  home,  so  our  eye  is  there ;  whatever  we  do,  our 
 end,  our  scope,  is  to  fit  us  for  heaven,  and  to  lay  in  heaven :  We 
 look  not  at  things  luhich  are  seen,  but  at  things  luhich  are  not 
 seen;  for  the  things  ivhich  are  seen  are  temporal ,  hut  the  things 
 ichirh  are  not  seen  are  eternal. 
 
 By  our  conversation  in  heaven,  I  mean,  our  communion  with 
 Christ  in  heaven:  Truly  our  fellowship  is  tvith  the  Father,  and 
 ivith  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  As  it  is  among  friends  that  converse 
 together,  they  act  mutually  for  the  comfort  one  of  another ;  there 
 is  a  communion,  or  a  mutual  acting  of  the  soul  upon  Christ,  and 
 of  Christ  upon  the  soul. 
 
 By  our  conversation  in  heaven,  I  mean,  oiu*  affections  on 
 heaven,  or  on  Christ  in  heaven :  Set  your  affections  on  things 
 above,  that  is,  set  your  desires,  loves,  hopes,  joys,  on  heavenly 
 things.  Our  affections  are  precious  things,  and  are  only  t)  be 
 set  on  precious  objects.  O  what  a  shame  is  it  to  set  our  affections 
 on  the  things  in  this  life !  Have  we  not  a  kingdom,  a  God,  a  Christ, 
 a  crown,  in  heaven,  to  set  our  affections  upon  ?  And  shall  -we  set 
 them  upon  dross,  and  dung?  Are  not  all  our  pleasures  and 
 vanities  base  in  comparison  of  Christ  ?  O  be  not  we  so  base  as  to 
 set  our  affections  on  earthly  things,  but  rather  on  God  and  Christ, 
 and  this  is  our  heavenly  conversation. 
 
 By  our  conversation  in  heaven,  I  mean,  we  caiTy  and  behave 
 ourselves  in  this  life  as  free  denizens  of  the  city  of  heaven :  our 
 city,  whereof  we  are  citizens,  and  whereunto  we  have  a  right,  is 
 in  heaven  above :  in  this  respect  we  trade  not  in  trifles,  as  other 
 men  do,  but  we  trade  for  great  things,  for  high  things ;  we  mer- 
 chandise for  goodly  pearls,  even  for  God,  and  for  Christ,  who 
 sitteth  at  the  right-hand  of  God.  We  see  now  what  is  meant  by 
 our  conversation  in  heaven. 
 
 2.  Why  is  the  conversation  of  the  saints  in  heaven  ? 
 
 ,1.  Because  they  know  that  the  original  of  their  souls  came 
 
Looking  unto  niesus,  411 
 
 from  God  in  heaven :  the  body  indeed  was  of  the  dust  of  the 
 ground,  but  the  soul  was  the  breath  of  God ;  so  it  is  said  of  the 
 first  man,  God  breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  hreath  of  life,  and 
 man  became  a  living  soul.  The  soul  had  a  more  heavenly- 
 original  than  any  of  the  other  creatures  that  are  in  the  world ;  and 
 when  God  works  grace  in  the  soul,  and  it  begins  to  know  itself, 
 it  looks  on  all  things  here  below  as  vile  and  contemptible ;  it  then 
 looks  upward,  and  begins  to  converse  with  things  suitable  to  its 
 original. 
 
 2.  Because  their  best  and  choice  things  are  already  in  heaven.- 
 As  their  Father  is  in  heaven,  and  their  Saviour  in  heaven,  their 
 husband  is  in  heaven,  their  elder  brother  is  in  heaven,  and  their 
 king  is  in  heaven,  their  treasure  is  in  heaven,  their  inheritance 
 is  in  heaven,  their  hope  is  in  heaven,  their  mansion  is  in  heaven, 
 their  chief  friends  are  in  heaven,  their  substance  is  in  heaven, 
 their  reward  is  in  heaven,  their  wages  are  in  heaven :  and  all 
 these  things  being  in  heaven,  no  m^arvel  their  conversations  be  in 
 heaven. 
 
 3.  Because  they  are  going  towards  heaven  evpn  whiles  yet 
 they  are  on  earth.  If  the  nobleman  do  once  know  his  condition, 
 and  begin  his  travel  homeward  towards  his  father's  court,  will 
 he  not,  every  morning  that  he  rises,  converse  with  them  that  come 
 from  his  father  to  conduct  him  home  ?  Doth  it  not  do  him  good 
 to  hear  any  man  speak  of  his  father's  country  ?  Is  it  not  in  his 
 thoughts,  in  his  talk,  in  his  eye,  at  every  step  ?  O  my  soul,  if 
 thou  art  indeed  travelling  towards  heaven,  how  shouldst  thou  but 
 have  it  in  thy  motions,  affections,  and  conversations  ? 
 
 3d.  By  what  means  should  we  come  to  have  our  conversation 
 in  heaven  ? 
 
 1.  Let  us  watch  opportunities  for  heavenly  exercises.  God 
 now  by  his  ministers  calls,  Come  ye  to  the  ivaters,  come  buy  and 
 eat;  come,  buy  wine  and  milk  without  money ;  come  to  me,  and 
 your  souls  shall  live.  Why,  7iow  is  the  accejited  time,  behold  now 
 is  the  day  of  salvatio7i :  whilst  ministers  call,  and  we  live  under 
 the  droppings  of  the  word ;  these  are  opportunities  from  hea- 
 ven :  O  then,  he  that  never  prayed,  let  him  pray ;  and  he  that 
 never  heard,  let  him  hear :  the  Lord  is  now  near  to  us,  Christ 
 Jesus  is  calling,  and  mercy  is  entreating,  and  love  is  beseeching, 
 and  wisdom  is  ciying  after  us ;  O  lay  hold  on  these  opportuni- 
 ties for  heavenly  exercises,  and  then  we  shall  come  to  heavenly 
 conversations. 
 
 2.  Take  heed  of  resting  in  the  formality  of  duties.  Many 
 souls  that  have  enlightenings  of  conscience,  dare  not  but  take 
 opportunities  for  heavenly  duties  3  but  then  comes  in  the  tempta- 
 tions of  the  devil,  and  corruptions  of  their  own  hearts,  and  then 
 they  say,  Noiu  the  duty  is  done,  and  what  needs  more  ?  Alas  I 
 It  is  not  what  have  zee  done?  but,  where  have  we  beeri  f  What, 
 have  om-  souls  been  in  heaven,  \vith  God  and  with  Christ  ?    Have 
 
412  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 we  had  communion  with  the  Father^  and  with  the  Son,  in  our 
 duties  ?  O  take  heed  of  formaUty ;  it  will  exceedingly  hinder  our 
 conversation  in  heaven !  O  keep  our  eye  still  upon  our  heart ! 
 ask  in  duty,  what  affections  have  been?  How  much  are  we  got 
 nearer  heaven  thereby  ?  And  by  this  means  we  shall  come  to  an 
 heavenly  conversation. 
 
 2.  Look  up  unto  Jesus  as  hanging  on  the  cross,  and  as  sitting 
 on  the  throne;  this  is  the  apostle's  rule:  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 the  author  and  Jinisher  of  our  faith,  2u  ho  for  the  joy  that  was  set 
 before  hbn,  endured  the  cross,  despising  the  shame,  and  is  set 
 doivn  at  the  right-hand  of  the  throne  of  God.  These  two  are  the 
 objects  of  a  Christian's  look,  who  studies  an  heavenly  conversa- 
 tion, viz.  Christ's  cross,  and  Christ's  session:  by  the  cross  he  is 
 author,  and  by  the  throne  he  is  the  linisher,  of  our  faith ;  in  the 
 first  is  set  down  his  love  to  us,  in  the  second  is  set  down  our  hope 
 of  him :  come  then,  and  settle  your  thoughts  and  looks  on  this 
 blessed  object;  a  sight  of  Christ's  cross,  but  especially  of 
 Christ's  throne,  is  a  blessed  means  to  wean  us  from  the  world, 
 and  to  raise  our  alTectlons  to  things  above,  yea,  to  form  our  con- 
 versation towards  heaven. 
 
 4.  Let  us  wait  for  the  appearing  of  Jesus  Christ :  Our  conver- 
 sation is  in  heaven  (saith  the  apostle)  from  ivhence  also  we  look 
 for  the  Saviour,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Where  his  expectations 
 are,  there  a  man's  conversation  will  be;  if  we  expect  ere  long 
 that  the  Lord  Jesus  will  appear  in  glor}^,  and  that  we  shall  see 
 him,  not  Avith  other,  but  with  the  same  eyes,  the  very  waiting  for 
 these  things  will  help  our  conversation  to  be  heavenward.  Cer- 
 tainly the  day  is  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 
 gloiy  of  the  sun,  and  moon,  and  stars ;  but  my  body  shall  not  be 
 darkened,  but  rather  it  shall  shine  like  the  glorious  body  of  Christ 
 Jesus, 
 
 5,  Let  us  observe  the  drawings  and  movings  of  the  Spirit,  and 
 follow  his  dictates :  to  this  purpose  Christ  ascended,  and  sat 
 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  our  souls  towards  salvation;  and  if  ever  our  souls  get 
 above  this  earth,  and  get  acquaintance  in  heaven,  it  is  the  Spirit 
 of  God  that  must  be  the  chariot  of  Elijah,  yea  the  very  living 
 principle,  by  which  we  must  move  and  ascend;  O  then  take 
 liced  of  quenching  its  motions,  or  resisting  its  workings.  Take 
 we  heed  of  grieving  our  guide,  or  of  knocking  off  the  chariot 
 wheels  of  his  Holy  Spirit.  We  little  think  how  much  the  life  of 
 grace,  and  the  happiness  of  souls,  doth  depend  upon  our  ready 
 and  cordial  obedience  to  the  Spirit  of  God :  when  he  forbids  us, 
 and  we  will  go  on,  ^vhen  he  telJs  us  which  is  the  Avay,  and  we  will 
 
Looking  unto  tTcsus*  413 
 
 not  regard ;  no  wonder  if  we  are  strangers  to  an  heavenly  con- 
 versation ;  if  we  will  not  follow  the  Spirit,  how  should  it  leatl  us 
 to  heaven,  or  bring  our  hearts  unto  the  presence  of  God  ?  O 
 learn  we  this  lesson,  and  let  not  only  the  motions  of  our  bodies, 
 but  the  very  thoughts  of  our  hearts,  be  at  the  Spirit's  beck !  if  we 
 cherish  these  motions,  and  hearken  to  the  Spirit,  O  what  a  help 
 should  we  find  to  this  heavenly  conversation  1 
 
 LOOKING  UNTO  JESUS, 
 
 IN    HIS    INTERCESSION. 
 
 BOOK  VIII. 
 
 CHAP.  I. 
 
 Sect.  I. — What  the  Intet'cessio7i  of  Christ  is. 
 
 We  have  spoken  of  Christ's  entrance  into  heaven,  and  of  his 
 immediate  actings  after  his  entrance  there  5  that  transaction  which 
 yet  remains,  and  will  remain  until  his  coming  again,  is,  his 
 intercession  for  the  saints.  In  these  actings  of  Christ  in 
 heaven,  if  we  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.  One  would  think  enough  had  been  said 
 already  of  the  glory  of  Christ,  and  our  glory  in  Christ ;  who 
 would  not  wilUngly  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.  O  what  a  blessed 
 thing  is  it  to  be  looking  up  to  Jesus  Christ !  Saints  might  do 
 nothing  else  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  dh'ect  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 
 jparticidars  y — 
 
414  Looking  imto  Jesus. 
 
 1 .  What  is  this  intercession  of  Christ  ? 
 
 2.  To  whom  is  Christ's  intercession  directed^  and  for  whom  ? 
 
 3.  What  agreement  betwixt  Christ's  intercession,  and  the 
 intercession  of  the  high  priests  of  old,  and  what  diiference  ? 
 
 4.  What  are  the  properties  of  this  intercession  ? 
 
 5.  Wherein  it  doth  more  especially  consist? 
 
 6.  How  powerful  Christ's  intercessions  are  with  God? 
 
 7.  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 
 Chinst  is  advocate,  and  entreater  of  God  the  Father,  for  the 
 faithful.  I  shall  give  it  thus :  Christ's  intercession  is  his  gracious 
 will,  fervently  and  i?n?noveably  desiring,  that  for  the  j^crpetual 
 virtue  of  his  sacrifice,  all  his  members  might,  both  for  their  per- 
 sons and  duties,  he  accepted  of  the  Father,  1.  I  call  the  inter- 
 cession of  Christ  his  own  gracious  will;  for  we  must  not  imagine 
 that  Christ,  in  his  intercession,  prostrates  himself  on  his  knees  be- 
 fore his  Father's  throne,  uttering  some  submissive  form  of  words ; 
 that  is  not  beseeming  the  majesty  of  him  that  sits  at  God's  right- 
 hand  :  when  he  was  but  yet  on  earth,  the  substance  of  his  request 
 for  his  saints  ran  thus.  Father,  I  will,  that  they  also  whom  thou 
 hast  given  me  be  ivith  me  where  lam;  and  much  more,  now  he  is 
 in  heaven,  is  this  the  form  of  his  intercession — Father,  I  will  this. 
 2.  The  foundation  of  Christ's  intercession,  is  the  death  of  Christ ; 
 and  hence  we  make  two  parts  of  Christ's  oblation;  the  one  ex- 
 piatory, when  Christ  suffered  upon  the  cross :  the  other  presenta- 
 tory,  when  he  doth  appear  in  heaven  before  God  for  us :  the  one 
 was  finished  on  earth,  when  Christ  suffered  within  the  gate ;  the 
 other  is  performed  in  heaven,  now  Christ  is  within  the  city;  the 
 one  was  a  sacrifice  indeed,  the  other  is  not  so  much  a  sacrifice 
 as  the  commemoration  of  a  sacrifice ;  the  first  was  an  act  of  humi- 
 liation, this  latter  is  an  act  of  glory :  the  first  was  performed  once  for 
 all,  this  latter  is  done  continually ;  the  first  was  for  the  obtaining 
 redemption,  and  this  latter  is  for  the  application  of  redemption. 
 
 ^  The  matter  interceded  for,  is,  that  all  the  saints  and  their  ser- 
 vice might  find  acceptance  with  God :  first,  Christ's  intercession 
 is  for  our  persons,  and  then  Christ's  intercession  is  for  our  works ; 
 by  Christ's  intercession  is  Christ's  satisfiiction  applied  to  our 
 persons,  and  by  coiuseqiience  the  defect  of  our  duties  is  covered 
 and  removed;  and  both  we  and  our  works  are  approved  and 
 accepted  of  God  the  Father. 
 
 Christ  intercedes,  according  to  both  natures.  1.  According 
 to  his  humanity ;  partly  by  appearing  before  his  Father  in  heaven, 
 and  partly  by  desiring  our  salvation.  Christ  is  entered  into  hea- 
 ven itself,  now  to  appear  in  the  presence  of  God  for  us : — And  I 
 say  not  unto  you  that  I  will  pray,  or  desu'e  the  Father  for  you, 
 for  the  Father  himself  loveth  you.    2.  According  to  his  Deity  j 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  415 
 
 partly  by  applying  the  merit  of  his  death,  and  partly  by  willing 
 the  salvation  of  his  saints ;  and  as  the  effect  thereof,  by  making 
 requests  in  the  hearts  of  the  saints  with  sighs  vmspeakable. 
 Elect,  through  sanctification  of  the  Spirit,  and  sprinkling  of  the 
 blood  of  Jesus  Christ ; — this  sprinkling  is  the  applying  of  the 
 blood  of  Jesus,  and  that  is  an  act  of  intercession.  Again,  Father, 
 I  will  that  they  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  be  with  me  where  I 
 ara :  he  desires  as  man,  but  he  wills  as  God ;  and  as  the  effect  of 
 this,  he  gives  the  Spirit.  The  Spirit  itself  makes  intercession  for 
 us,  with  groanings  which  cannot  be  uttered.  But  what  are  the 
 intercessions  of  the  Spirit,  to  the  intercessions  of  Christ?  ^  I 
 answer,  much  every  way;  the  Spirit's  intercessions  are  as  the 
 effect,  and  Christ's  intercessions  are  as  the  cause;  the  Spirit's 
 intercessions  are  as  the  echo,  and  Christ's  intercessions  are  as 
 the  first  voice;  the  Spirit  intercedes  for  men  in  and  by  them- 
 selves, but  Christ  intercedes  in  his  uwn  person ;  there  is  a  depend- 
 ence of  the  Spirit's  intercession  in  us,  upon  Christ's  intercession 
 in  himself.  First,  Christ  by  his  intercession  applies  his  satisfac- 
 tion made,  and  then  sends  down  his  holy  Spirit  into  our  hearts, 
 to  help  our  infirmities,  and  to  teach  us  what  to  pray,  and  how 
 to  pray  as  we  ought.  Now  this  he  doth  as  God,  for  who  shall 
 give  a  commission  to  the  Spirit  of  God,  but  God  himself  ? 
 
 Sect.  II. — To  zvhom  is  Christ's  Intercession  directed^  and 
 
 for  whom? 
 
 To  whom  is  Christ's  intercession  directed  ?  I  answer.  Imme- 
 diately to  God  the  Father;  If  any  man  sin,  we  have  an  advocate 
 ivith  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous.  In  the  work  of  inter- 
 cession, are  three  persons :  a  party  offended,  a  party  offending, 
 and  the  intercessor  distinct  from  them  both :  the  party  offended 
 is  God  the  Father ;  the  party  offending  is  sinful  man ;  and  the 
 intercessor,  distinct  from  them  both,  is  Jesus  Christ.  I  deny  not 
 but  Christ's  intercession  is  made  to  the  whole  Trinity,  but  yet 
 immediately  and  directly  to  the  first  person,  and  in  him  to  the 
 rest, — i.e.  three  persons,  and  hut  one  God. 
 
 This  intercession  is  made,  in  one  sense,  for  the  world:  so 
 Christ,  upon  the  cross,  prayed  for  the  bloody  Jews ;  Father,  for- 
 give them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do.  But  in  a  particular 
 manner  for  all  and  every  faithful  man.  As  the  high  priest  went  into 
 the  sanctuary  with  the  names  of  the  twelve  tribes  upon  his  breast, 
 so  Christ  entered  into  the  holiest  of  all,  with  the  names  of  aU 
 believers  upon  his  heart,  and  still  he  carries  them  upon  his 
 breast,  and  presents  his  will  and  desire  unto  his  Father  for 
 them ;  nor  doth  he  only  intercede  in  general,  but  whatever  thy 
 name  is,  John,  Peter,  Thomas,  Mary,  Martha,  if  thou  art  a 
 believer,    Christ  prays  for  thee:  it  is  our  common  practice  to 
 
416  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 desire  the  prayers  one  of  another ;  but  0_,  who  would  not  have  a 
 ^hare  hi  the  prayers  of  Jesus  Christ  ?  Why,  certainly,  if  thou 
 believest  in  Christ,  Christ  prays  for  thee. 
 
 Sect.  III. — What  Agreement  there  is  hetwixt  Chrisfs  Interces- 
 sions and  the  Intercessions  of  the  High-jyriests  of  old,  and 
 what  Difference, 
 
 What  agreement  is  there  betwixt  the  intercessions  of  Christ, 
 and  the  intercessions  of  the  high-priests  of  old  ?  Among  the 
 Jews,  in  the  times  of  the  old  Testament,  they  had  an  high-priest, 
 who  was  in  all  things  to  stand  betwixt  God  and  them.  Now  as 
 the  Jews  had  their  high-priest  to  intercede  for  them,  so  the  Lord 
 Jesus  was  to  be  the  high-priest  of  our  profession,  and  to  inter- 
 cede for  us ;  it  will  therefore  give  some  light  to  this  doctrine  of 
 intercession,  if  we  conipcire  these  two  -.  and  first,  consider  what 
 agreement  betwixt  Christ  and  the  high-priests  of  old ;  betwixt 
 Christ's  intercession,  and  the  high-priest's  intercessions  ? 
 
 1 .  Christ,  and  the  high-priests  of  old,  agreed  in  name ;  not 
 only  they,  but  Christ  himself  is  called  an  High-priest :  JVe  have 
 such  an  high-priest ^  who  is  set;  down  at  the  right-hand  of  the 
 majesty  on  high. 
 
 2.  They  agreed  in  office ;  that  consisted  of  two  parts,  oblation 
 and  presentation :  first,  they  offered  a  sacrifice ;  and  secondly, 
 they  presented  it  in  the  holy  of  holies,  with  prayer  and  inter- 
 cession, unto  God;  the  one  was  done  without,  the  other  within 
 the  holy  of  holies ;  and  in  answer  thereunto,  there  are  two  dis- 
 tinct parts  of  Christ's  priesthood.  (1.)  The  offering  of  himself  a 
 sacrifice  upon  the  cross.  (2.)  The  carrying  of  himself,  and  of  his 
 Idood,  into  the  holy  of  holies,  or  into  the  heaven  of  heavens ;  where 
 he  appears  and  prays  in  the  force  of  that  blood :  and  indeed  this 
 part  of  his  priesthood  is  of  the  two  the  more  eminent ;  and  there- 
 lore  it  is  held  forth  to  us  in  the  types  of  both  these  two  orders  of 
 priesthood  that  were  before  him,  and  figures  of  him,  both  that 
 of  Aaron  and  Melchisedech.  [1.]  This  was  typified  in  that 
 Levitical  priesthood  of  Aaron  and  his  fellows :  the  highest  ser- 
 vice of  that  office,  was  the  going  into  the  holy  of  holies,  and 
 making  an  atonement  there;  yea,  this  was  tlie  height  of  the 
 high-priest's  honour,  that  he  did  this  alone,  and  it  constituted 
 the  difference  betwixt  liim  as  he  was  high-priest,  and  other 
 priests ;  for  they  killed  and  offered  the  sacrifices  without,  as  well 
 as  he;  but  only  the  high-priest  was  to  approach  the  holy  of 
 hoUes  with  blood,  and  that  but  once  a  year.  [2.]  This  was 
 typified  by  Melchisedech's  priesthood,  which  the  apostle  argues 
 to  have  been  much  more  excellent  than  any  of  Aaron's,  in  as 
 much  as  Levi,  Aaron's  father,  paid  tithes  to  this  Melchisedecli 
 in  Abraham's  loins;    now  Melchisedech  was  his  type,  not  so 
 
Looking  unto  tTesus.  417 
 
 much  in  respect  of  his  oblation,  or  offering  sacrifice,  as  in  respect 
 of  his  continual  presentation  and  intercession  in  heaven;  and 
 therefore  the  same  clause,  for  ever,  still  comes  in  when  Mel- 
 chisedech  is  named ;  Thou  art  a  priest  for  ever,  after  the  order 
 of  Melchisedech,  Here  then  is  the  agreement  betwixt  Christ,  and 
 the  high -priests  of  old :  in  respect  of  name,  both  were  priests  3 
 and  in  respect  of  office,  both  had  their  oblations,  and  presenta- 
 tions, or  intercessions  with  God  in  glory. 
 
 3.  In  the  point  of  intercession,  they  agree  in  these  par- 
 ticulars : — • 
 
 1.  The  high-priests  of  old,  usually  once  a  year,  went  into  the 
 most  holy  place  within  the  veil;  and  so  is  Christ,  our  great  high- 
 priest,  passed  into  the  heavens  within  the  veil,  even  into  the  holy 
 of  holies. 
 
 2.  The  high-priests  of  old  had  a  plate  of  pure  gold  upon 
 their  foreheads,  which  was  to  hear  the  iniquity  of  the  holy  things, 
 that  they  might  be  accepted  before  the  Lord;  and  so  doth  Christ 
 bear  the  iniquity  of  our  holy  things.  Spiritual  Christians !  here 
 is  your  comfort,  you  are  not  able  to  perform  any  duty  to  God, 
 but  there  is  a  great  deal  of  sin  in  the  same ;  you  cannot  hear, 
 nor  pray,  nor  confer,  nor  meditate,  without  much  sin ;  but  Christ 
 bears  all  these  sins,  even  the  iniquity  of  your  holy  things,  and  he 
 presents  your  persons  and  prayers,  without  the  least  spot,  to  the 
 Father ;  he  is  the  angel  of  the  covenant,  that  stands  at  the  altar, 
 having  a  golden  censer  with  much  {license,  to  offer  it  ivith  the 
 prayers  of  his  saints,  and  so  they  are  acceptable  before  the  Lord. 
 
 3.  The  Jewish  high-priests  bore  the  names  of  the  children  of 
 Israel  on  a  breast-plate  upon  their  hearts,  for  a  memorial  before 
 the  Lord;  and  so  doth  Christ,  our  great  high-priest,  bear  the 
 names  of  his  people  upon  his  heart  before  the  Lord  continually. 
 
 1 .  In  presenting  them  to  his  Father  without  spot,  as  righte- 
 ous in  his  own  righteousness :  Christ  loved  the  church,  that  he 
 might  present  it  to  his  Father,  and,  in  him,  to  himself,  a  glorious 
 church,  Jiot  having  spot,  or  tvr inkle,  or  any  such  thing,  but  that 
 it  should  be  holy  and  without  blemish. 
 
 2.  In  remembering  them ;  The  righteous  shall  be  had  in  con- 
 tinual remembrance ;  this  is  the  soul's  comfort  in  a  time  of  deser- 
 tion, or  in  an  evil  day ;  if  any  cry  out,  as  sometimes  David  did. 
 How  long  wilt  thou  forget  me.  Lord?  for  ever?  How  long 
 wilt  thou  hide  thy  face  from  mef  Let  such  a  one  remember, 
 that  Christ's  redeemed  ones  are  upon  his  heart,  and  he  cannot  for- 
 get them.  But  Zion  said.  The  Lord  hath  forsaken  me,  and  my 
 Lord  hath  forgotten  me :  O  no !  Can  a  woman  forget  her  suck- 
 ing child,  that  she  should  not  have  compassion  on  the  son  of  her 
 womb  f     Y^a,  they  may  forget,  yet  I  luill  not  forget  thee. 
 
 3.  In  loving  them :  they  are  near  and  dear  unto  him,  he  hath 
 set  them  as  a  seal  upon  his  heart ;  so  was  the  prayer  of  the  spouse, 
 Set  me  as  a  seal  upon  thine  heart,  as  a  seal  upon  thine  arm;  and 
 
 15.  3  G 
 
418  Looking  unto  Jesus » 
 
 then  it  follo\vs,/(>r  love  is  strong  as  death,  Christ  hath  an  entire 
 love  to  his  saints,  he  died  for  them,  and  now  he  intercedes  for 
 them ;  he  keeps  them  close  to  his  heart,  and  there  is  none  shall 
 pluck  them  out  of  his  hand.  Thus  far  of  the  agreement  betwixt 
 Christ's  intercessions  and  the  high-priests,  of  old. 
 
 The  difference  betwixt  Christ  and  them,  and  betwixt  Christ's 
 intercessions  and  their  intercessions,  may  appear  in  these  par- 
 ticulars : — 
 
 1.  The  high-priests  then  were  but  for  a  time,  but  Christ  is  a 
 priest  for  ever,  after  the  order  of  Melchisedech,     Melchisedech 
 
 (saith  the  apostle)  was  without  father y  without  mother,  without 
 descent,  neither  havitig  beginning  of  days,  nor  end  of  life;  that 
 is,  as  far  as  it  is  known :  and  so  is  Christ  without  a  father  on  earth, 
 and  without  a  mother  in  heaven ;  without  beginning,  and  without 
 end;  he  abides  a  priest  perpetually,  even  to  the  end  of  the 
 world ;  yea,  and  the  virtue  of  his  priesthood  is  infinitely  beyond 
 all  time,  even  for  ever  and  ever. 
 
 2.  The  high-priest  then  entered  only  into  that  place  that  was 
 typically  holy,  but  Christ  is  entered  into  that  place  which  is 
 properly  holy;  he  is  entered  into  the  heavens. 
 
 3.  The  high-priests  then  did  always  intercede  for  the  people ; 
 only  once  a  year  the  high-priest  entered  into  the  holy  of  holies, 
 but  our  great  high-priest  is  ascended  into  the  holy  of  holies, 
 never  to  put  off  his  princely,  priestly  garments.  Nor  does  he 
 only  once  a  year  sprinkle  the  mercy-seat  with  his  sacrifice,  but 
 every  day ;  he  lives  for  ever  to  intercede.  O  what  comfort  is 
 this  to  a  poor  dejected  soul !  He  intercedeth  ever,  till  he  shall 
 finish  thy  salvation ;  the  smoke  of  his  incense  ascends  for  ever 
 without  intermission. 
 
 4.  The  high-priests  then  interceded  not  for  sins  of  presump- 
 tion :  If  a  man  sinned  ignorantly,  there  was  indeed  a  sacrifice 
 and  intercession  for  him,  but  if  a  man  sinned  presumptuously,  he 
 was  to  he  cut  off  from  among  his  people;  no  sacrifice,  no  inter- 
 cession, by  the  high-priest  then :  but  we  have  such  an  high- 
 priest  as  makes  intercession  for  all  sins ;  every  sin,  though  it 
 boil  up  to  blasphemy,  (so  it  be  not  against  the  Holy  Ghost,)  shall, 
 by  virtue  of  Christ's  intercession,  be  forgiven :  In  that  day  there 
 shall  he  a  fountain  opened  to  the  house  of  David,  and  to  the  in- 
 habitants of  Jerusalem,  for  sin  and  for  uncleanness,  (i.  e.)  for  sins 
 of  all  sorts :  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  all  sins  shall  be  forgiven  unto 
 the  sons  of  men  (i.  e.)  scarlet  sins,  or  crimson  sins ;  sins  of  the 
 deepest  dye,  shall  by  Christ's  intercession  be  done  away;  the  voice 
 of  his  blood  speaks  better  things  than  the  blood  of  Abel;  it 
 intercedes  for  the  abolition  of  bloody  sins. 
 
 5.  The  high-priests  then  interceded  not  without  all  these  ma- 
 terials, viz.  a  temple,  an  altar,  a  sacrifice,  a  censer  of  burning 
 coals  taken  off  the  altar,  a  putting  the  intense  upon  the  fire, 
 that  the  cloud  of  the  incense  .might  cover  the  mercy -seat,   a 
 
Looking  tmto  Jesus,  419 
 
 fiprinkling  the  mercy-eeat  with  the  blood  of  the  bullock  and  of 
 the  goat :  but  Jesus  Christ  in  his  intercessions  now  needs  none 
 of  these  materials ;  but  rather  he  himself,  and  his  own  merits, 
 are  instead  of  all :  as,  1.  He  is  the  temple;  Destroy  this  temple, 
 (saith  Christ)  and  I  will  build  it  again  in  three  days :  it  was  de- 
 stroyed ;  and  God  found  it  an  acceptable  sacrifice,  and  smelt  in 
 it  a  sweet  savour,  as  in  a  temple.  2.  He  is  the  aJtar,  according 
 to  his  Deity ;  for  as  the  altar  sanctifies  the  gift,  so  doth  the  God- 
 head sanctij^  the  manhood.  3.  He  is  the  sacrifice  properly, 
 according  to  the  manhood ;  for  although,  by  communication  of 
 properties,  the  blood  of  the  sacrifice  is  called  the  blcx^d  of  God, 
 yet  properly  the  human  soul  and  flesh  of  Christ,  was  the  whole 
 burnt-oftering  roasted  in  the  fire  of  his  Father's  wrath. 
 
 6.  His  merits  are  the  cloud  of  incense,  for  so  the  angel; 
 Christ  is  said  to  have  a  golden  censer,  and  much  incense,  that  he 
 should  offer  it  with  the  prayers  of  all  saints,  upon  the  golden 
 (jiltar  tvhich  was  before  the  throne;  and  the  smoke  of  the  incense 
 which  came  with  the  prayers  of  the  saints,  ascended  up  before 
 God,  out  of  the  angel's  hand:  the  merits  of  Christ  are  so  mingled 
 with  the  prayers  of  his  saints,  that  they  perfume  their  prayers, 
 and  so  they  find  acceptance  with  God  his  Father.  We  see  now 
 the  diflPerence  betwixt  Christ's  intercessions  and  the  intercessions 
 of  the  high-priests  of  old. 
 
 Sect.  IV, — What  the  Properties  of  this  Intercession  of  Christ 
 
 are? 
 
 What  are  the  properties  of  this  intercession  of  Jesus  Christ  ? 
 I  answer: — 1.  It  is  heavenly  and  glorious;  and  that  appears  in 
 these  particulars : — 
 
 1.  Christ  doth  not  fall  upon  his  knees  before  his  Father,  as  in 
 the  days  of  his  humiliation;  for  that  is  not  agreeable  to  that 
 glory  he  hath  received;  he  only  presents  his  pleasure  to  his 
 Father,  that  he  may  thereto  put  his  seal  and  consent.  2.  Christ 
 doth  not  pray  out  of  private  charity,  as  the  saints  pray  one  for  an- 
 other in  this  life,  but  out  of  public  ofl&ce  of  mediation :  There  is 
 one  God,  and  one  Mediator  between  God  and  inan,  the  man  Christ 
 Jesus,  3.  Christ  prays  not  out  of  humility,  but  out  of  authority, 
 which  is  the  desiring  of  a  thing,  so  as  withal  he  hath  a  right  of 
 bestowing  it,  as  well  as  desiring  it.  4.  Christ  prays  not  merely 
 a&  an  advocate,  but  as  a  propitiation  too;  Christ's  Spirit  is  an 
 advocate,  but  only  Christ  is  advocate  and  propitiation :  Christ's 
 Spirit  is  our  advocate  on  earth,  but  only  Christ  in  his  person 
 applies  his  merits  in  heaven,  and  furthers  the  cause  of  our  sal- 
 vation with  his  Father  in  heaven.  In  every  of  these  respects  we 
 may  see  Christ's  intercession  is  heavenly  and  glorious. 
 
 2.  It  is  ever  eff*ectual  and  prevailing :  as  he  hath  a  power  to 
 intercede  for  us,  so  he  hath  a  power  to  confer  that  upon  us  for 
 which  he  intercedes :  /  will  pray  the  Father,  and  he  shall  give 
 
420  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 you  another  Comforter.  If  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  will 
 not  come  unto  you;  but  if  I  depart,  I  will  send  him  unto  you. 
 If  Christ  prayed  on  earthy  he  was  ever  heard ;  but  if  Christ  prayed 
 in  heaven,  we  may  be  sure  the  Father  ever  heareth  and  answereth 
 there :  when  Christ  as  man  prayed  for  himself,  he  was  heard  in 
 that  which  he  feared;  but  now  Christ  as  mediator,  praying  for 
 us,  he  is  ever  heard  in  the  very  particular  which  he  desireth. 
 
 3.  It  is,  of  all  other  the  transactions  of  Christ  till  the  very  end 
 of  the  world,  the  most  perfect  and  consummate ;  without  it  all 
 the  other  parts  of  Christ's  mediatorship  would  have  been  to  little 
 purpose.  As  the  sacrifices  under  the  law  had  not  been  of  force, 
 had  not  the  bigh-priest  entered  into  the  holy  place  to  appear 
 there,  and  to  present  the  blood  there  unto  the  Lord ;  so  all  that 
 ever  Christ  did  or  suffered  upon  earth,  had  been  ineffectual  unto 
 us,  had  he  not  entered  into  heaven,  to  appear  there  in  the  pre- 
 sence of  God  far  us.  In  his  life  and  death  Christ  was  the  meri- 
 torious cause,  but  by  his  intercession  Christ  is  the  applying  cause, 
 of  our  souls'  salvation. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Wherein  the  Intercession  of  Christ  consists? 
 
 Wherein  more  especially  doth  the  intercession  of  Jesus  Christ 
 consist?     I  answer,  In  these  particulars : 
 
 1 .  Christ's  intercession  consists  in  the  presenting  of  his  person 
 for  us :  he  himself  went  up  to  heaven,  and  presented  himself; 
 the  apostle  calls  this,  an  appearing  for  us :  Christ  is  not  entered 
 into  the  holy  place  made  with  hands,  but  into  heaven,  now  to 
 appear  in  the  presence  of  God  for  ns.  I  believe  there  is  an 
 emphasis  in  the  word  appearing  for  us.  But  how  appears  he  for 
 us  ?  I  answer ;  1 .  In  a  public  manner :  whatsoever  he  did  in  this 
 kind,  he  did  it  openly  and  publicly;  he  appears  for  us  in  the 
 presence  of  God  the  Father;  he  appears  for  us  in  the  presence 
 of  his  saints  and  angels ;  heaven's  eyes  are  all  upon  him  in  his 
 appearing  for  us.  2.  He  appears  for  us  a  mediator,  he  stands  in 
 tlie  middle  betwixt  God  and  us ;  hence  it  is,  that  he  is  God-man, 
 that  he  might  be  a  mediator  betwixt  God  and  man.  3.  He  ap- 
 pears for  us  as  a  sponsor  and  a  pledge :  surely  it  is  a  comfort  for  a 
 man  to  have  a  friend  at  court,  that  may  own  him,  and  appear  for 
 him;  but  if  tliis  friend' be  both  a  mediator  and  surety,  a  mediator 
 to  request  for  him,  and  a  surety  to  engage  for  him,  O  what  corn^ 
 fort  is  this  !  thus  Christ  appeared  in  every  respect;  he  is  a  me- 
 diator to  request  for  us ;  and  he  is  a  surety  to  engage  for  us ;  as 
 Paul  was  lor  Onesimus,  a  mediator,  /  beseech  thee  for  my  son 
 Onesimus;  and  a  sponsor,  if  he  hath  wronged  thee,  or  oive  thee 
 ought,  put  that  on  my  account,  I  will  repay  it.  So  is  Jesus  Christ 
 for  his  saints :  he  is  the  mediator  of  a  better  covenant,  Heb.  viii.  6. 
 And  he  is  a  surety  of  a  better  testament,  Heb.  vii.  xii.  4.  He 
 appears  as  a  solicitor,  to  present  and  promote  the  desires  and 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  421 
 
 requests  of  his  saints,  in  such  a  way  as  that  they  may  find  accept- 
 ance with  his  Father. — 5.  He  appears  as  an  advocate :  If  any 
 man  sin,  we  have  an  advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the 
 righteous.  An  advocate  is  more  than  a  solicitor ;  an  advocate  is 
 one  that  is  of  council  with  another,  and  pleadeth  his  case  in 
 open  court;  and  such  an  advocate  is  Jesus  Christ  unto  his 
 people.  1 .  He  is  of  counsel  with  them ;  that  is  one  of  the  titles 
 given  him  by  the  prophet  Isaiah,  Wonderful  Counsellor;  he  coun- 
 sels them  by  his  word  and  Spirit.  2.  He  pleads  for  them,  and 
 this  he  doth  in  the  high  court  of  heaven,  at  the  bar  of  God's 
 own  justice;  there  he  pleads  their  case,  and  answereth  all  the 
 accusations  that  are  brought  in  by  Satan,  or  their  own  con- 
 sciences. But  of  this  anon. — 6.  He  appears  as  a  public  agent, 
 or  ambassador :  what  that  is,  some  tell  us  in  these  particulars ; 
 1.  His  work  is  to  continue  peace;  and  surely  this  is  Christ's 
 work.  He  is  our  peace,  (saith  the  apostle,)  that  is,  the  author  of 
 our  peace ;  he  purchased  our  peace,  and  he  maintains  our  peace 
 with  God;  to  this  purpose  he  sits  at  God's  right-hand,  to  inter- 
 cede for  us,  and  to  maintain  the  peace  and  union  betwixt  God 
 and  us ;  thereforebeing  justijiedhy  faith,  we  have  peace  with  God, 
 through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  2.  His  work  is  to  maintain  in- 
 tercourse and  correspondency;  and  surely  this  is  Christ's  work 
 also :  By  him  we  have  an  access  unto  the  Father,  In  him  we 
 have  boldness,  and  access  with  confidence.  The  word  access  doth 
 not  only  signify  coming  to  God  in  prayer,  but  all  that  resort  and 
 communion  which  we  have  with  God,  as  united  by  faith  to  Jesus 
 Christ;  according  to  that,  Christ  hath  once  suffered  for  sins,  the 
 Just  for  the  unjust,  that  he  might  bring  us  to  God.  This  benefit 
 have  all  believers,  in  and  by  Christ ;  they  come  to  God  by  him, 
 they  have  free  commerce  and  intercourse  in  heaven. — 3.  His 
 work  is  to  reconcile  and  take  up  differences;  and  this  is  Christ's 
 work  also :  he  maketh  intercession  for  the  transgressors  ;  he  takes 
 up  the  difterences  that  our  transgressions  make  betwixt  God  and 
 us. — 4.  His  work  is  to  procure  the  welfare  of  the  people  or  state 
 where  he  negociates;  and  this  is  no  less  Christ's  work,  for  he 
 seeks  the  welfare  of  his  people,  he  sits  at  God's  right-hand  to 
 intercede  for  them,  and,  commending  their  estate  to  his  Father, 
 he  makes  it  his  request,  that  his  members  may  have  a  continual 
 supply  of  the  Spii'it  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  they  may  be  strength- 
 ened in  temptations,  confirmed  in  tribulations,  delivered  from 
 every  evil  work,  enabled  to  every  good  duty,  and  finally  preserved 
 unto  his  heavenly  kuigdom. 
 
 2.  Christ's  intercession  consists  in  the  presenting  of  his 
 wounds,  death,  and  blood,  as  a  public  satisfaction  for  the  debt  of 
 sin,  and  as  a  public  price  for  the  purchase  of  our  glory. 
 
 We  read  in  the  law,  that  ivhe?i  the  high-priest  went  within  the 
 
 veil,  he  took  the  blood  of  the  bullock,  a)td  sprinkled  it  tvith  his 
 
 finger  upon  the  merry-seat  east-ward ;  and  before  the  mercy-seat, 
 
422  Lookins^  unto  *Iesus. 
 
 iy 
 
 he  sprinkled  the  blood  with  his  finger  seven  times.  Surely  these 
 were  patterns  of  things  to  be  done  in  the  heavens,  Christ,  that 
 was  slain  without  the  gate,  carried  his  own  blood  into  the  holy  of 
 holies^  or  into  the  heaven  of  heavens,  for,  bi/  his  otvn  blood,  he 
 entered  in  once  into  the  holy  place,  having  obtained  eternal  re- 
 demption for  us :  And  thither  come,  he  sprinkles  it,  as  it  were, 
 upon  the  mercy- seat,  (i,  e.)  he  applies  it,  and  obtains  mercy  by 
 it.  By  the  blood  of  Christ,  God's  mercy  and  justice  are  recon- 
 ciled in  themselves,  and  reconciled  unto  us.  Christ's  blood  was 
 shed  upon  earth,  but  Christ's  blood  is  sprinkled  now  he  is  in 
 heaven ;  heaven  is  all  besprinkled,  as  the  mercy- seat  in  the  holy 
 of  holies  was ;  the  earth  is  all  besprinkled,  as  the  altar  out  of  the 
 holy  of  holies  was.  Heaven  and  earth  are  all  besprinkled  with 
 the  blood  of  Jesus ;  so  that  the  saints,  and  the  people  of  God, 
 are  no  where,  but  thek  doors,  and  their  posts,  and  their  houses, 
 (I  mean  their  bodies  and  souls,)  are  all  besprinkled  with  the 
 blood  of  the  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world :  why, 
 this  is  that  blood  of  sprinkling  that  speaks  better  thitigs  than  that 
 of  Abel.  Mark  that :  Christ's  blood  hath  a  tongue ;  it  speaks, 
 it  cries,  it  prays,  it  intercedes; — Christ's  blood  crieth  out,  it 
 makes  a  loud  cry,  it  fills  heaven  and  earth  with  the  noise ;  yea, 
 the  Lord's  ears  are  so  filled  with  it,  that  it  drowns  all  other 
 sounds,  and  rings  continually  in  his  ears. 
 
 I  will  not  say,  that  the  very  blood  which  Christ  shed  on  the 
 cross,  is  now  in  heaven,  nor  that  it  speaks  in  heaven ;  these  cry- 
 ings  are  merely  metaphorical ;  yet  this  I  maintain  as  real  and  pro- 
 per, that  the  power,  merit,  and  virtue  of  Christ's  blood  is  pre- 
 sented by  our  Saviour  to  his  Father,  both  as  a  public  satisfaction 
 for  our  sins,  and  as  a  public  price  for  the  purchase  of  our  glory. 
 
 3.  Christ's  intercession  consists  in  the  presenting  of  his  will, 
 his  request,  for  us,  grounded  upon  the  virtue  of  his  glorious 
 merits:  Father,  I  will  that  they  also  whom  thou  hast  given  me, 
 be  with  me  where  I  am,  that  they  may  behold  my  glory  which 
 thou  hast  given  me.  This  was  a  piece  of  Christ's  prayer  while 
 yet  he  was  on  earth ;  and  it  is  a  summary  of  Christ's  intercession, 
 which  now  he  makes  for  us  in  his  glory ;  he  prayed  on  earth,  as 
 he  meant  to  pray  for  us  when  he  came  to  heaven ;  he  hints  at  this 
 in  the  beginning  of  his  prayer,  for  he  speaks  as  if  all  his  work 
 had  been  done  on  earth,  and  as  if  then  he  were  beginning  his 
 work  in  heaven :  /  have  glorified  thee  on  earth,  I  have  finished 
 the  work  which  thou  gavest  me  to  do;  and  now,  O  Father,  glorify 
 thou  me  with  thy  ownself,  with  the  glory  which  I  had  with  thee 
 before  the  world  was, 
 
 4.  Christ's  intercession  consists  in  the  presenting  our  persons, 
 in  his  own  person,  to  his  Father;  so  that  now  God  cannot  look 
 upon  the  Son,  but  he  must  behold  the  saints  in  his  Son ;  and 
 this  was  shadowed  out  by  that  act  of  the  high-priest,  who  went 
 into  the  holy  of  holies,  with  the  names  of  all  the  tribes  of  Israel 
 
Looking  unto  J'esus.  423 
 
 upo7i  his  shoulders,  and  upon  his  breasts;  and  this  the  apostle 
 speaks  yet  more  plahily;  bj/  him  we  have  an  access  unto  the 
 Father,  and  in  him  we  have  boldness  and  access  with  confidence. 
 We  find  in  the  law,  that  Aaron  ivas  to  put  two  stones  upon  the 
 shoulders  of  the  ephod,  for  stones  of  memorial  unto  the  children 
 of  Israel;  and  so  Aaron  was  to  bear  tlie  names  before  the  Lord 
 upon  his  two  shoulders,  for  a  memorial.  And  again ;  Aaron  was 
 to  bear  the  naynes  of  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  breastplate  of 
 Judgment  upon  his  heart,  whe?i  he  ivent  into  the  holy  place  for  a 
 memorial  before  the  Lord  continually.  Here  we  find  the  names 
 of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel  engraven  in  stones,  which  the  high- 
 priest  usually  took  with  him  into  tlie  holy  place,  when  he  ap- 
 peared before  the  Lord ;  a  lively  type  of  Christ's  intercession, 
 who  being  entered  into  the  heavens,  there  appears  in  our  behalf, 
 and  he  presents  our  persons  to  his  Father,  bearing  them  (as  it 
 were)  upon  his  shoulders,  and  upon  his  heart ;  thus  Christ  takes 
 our  persons  into  heaven,  and  represents  them  in  his  own  person 
 to  his  Father.  Secondly,  we  find  in  the  gospel  a  gracious  pro- 
 mise, that  by  Christ  we  have  access  unto  the  Father,  and  in  Christ 
 %ve  have  access  with  confidence.  Where  the  word  for  access,  signi- 
 fies properly  a  manuduction,  or  leading  by  the  hand  to  God ;  an 
 introduction,  or  bringing  into  God;  alluding  to  the  custom  in 
 princes'  courts,  where  none  may  come  into  the  presence  chamber, 
 unless  they  be  led,  or  brought  in,  by  some  favourite  or  courtier 
 there ;  thus  none  may  have  access  into  the  presence  of  God,  un- 
 less they  are  brought  in  by  this  favourite  of  heaven,  the  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ,  whose  very  office  it  is  to  bring  men  unto  Godj  he 
 takes  us  by  the  hand,  and  leads  us  to  the  Father. 
 
 5.  Christ's  intercession  consists  in  the  presenting  our  duties 
 unto  God.  Not  only  doth  he  take  our  persons,  and  leads  them 
 into  the  presence  of  God,  but  together  with  our  persons  he  presents 
 all  our  services  in  his  own  person.  Alas  !  all  our  righteousnesses 
 are  as  filthy  rags,  but  Christ  draws  out  the  evil  of  duty,  and  fail- 
 ings in  duty,  before  he  will  present  them  unto  God.  And  he  ob- 
 serves what  good  there  is  in  any  of  our  duties  or  performances, 
 and  with  that  he  mingles  his  own  prayers  and  intercessions,  and 
 presents  all  as  one  work  interwoven  or  mingled  together  to  God 
 the  Father.  It  is  Jesus,  and  only  Jesus,  that  presents  our  prayers, 
 and  sanctifies  our  prayers,  and  mingles  our  prayers,  with  his 
 merits,  and  so  makes  them  penetrate  sweetly  before  his  God. 
 
 6.  Christ's  intercession  consists  in  presenting  our  plea,  or 
 answer,  in  heaven,  to  all  those  accusations  that  are  brought  in 
 against  us.  And  this  I  take  to  be  the  meaning  of  the  challenge, 
 JVho  shall  lay  any  thing  to  the  charge  of  God's  elect  f  It  is  God 
 htat  justifies,  who  is  he  that  condemneth  f  It  is  Christ  that  died, 
 yea,  rather  that  is  risen  again,  ivho  is  even  at  the  right-hand  of 
 God,  who  atso  maketh  intercession  for  us.  Christ  intercedes ;  and 
 who  shall  condemn  ?      Christ  takes  off  all  accusations;  and  who 
 
424  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 shall  charge  ?  if  sin,  or  Satan,  shall  dare  to  accuse,  our  Jesus  13 
 ready,  at  God's  right-hand,  to  answer  all.  And  in  this  respect 
 he  is  truly  called  our  advocate :  If  any  man  sin,  lue  have  an  ad- 
 vocate luith  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous.  We  have  an 
 advocate  that  pleads  for  us,  that  answers  for  us ;  that  in  a  way  of 
 equity  (grounding  all  upon  his  own  merits)  calls  for  the  pardon 
 of  our  sins,  and  for  the  salvation  of  our  souls. 
 
 Sect.  VI, — Hoiv  powerful  Christ's  Intercessions  are  with  God? 
 
 How  powerful  are  Christ*s  intercessions  with  God  ?  This  will 
 appear,  if  we  consider : — 
 
 1.  That  Christ  is  our  great  high-priest  to  God;  We  have  such 
 an  high-priest,  ivho  is  set  down  at  the  right-hand  of  the  ynajesty 
 on  high :  now,  it  was  the  way  of  God  to  lend  his  ear  in  an  especial 
 manner  to  the  high-priests ;  Samuel  called  nnto  the  Lord,  and 
 the  Lord  sent  thunder  and  rain  that  day.  And  all  the  people  said 
 to  Samuel,  Pray  for  thy  servants  unto  the  Lord  thy  God.  And 
 Samuel  said  unto  the  people,  God  forbid  that  I  should  sin  against 
 the  Lord  in  ceasing  to  pray  for  you.  Now  such  an  high-priest  as 
 this,  (though  with  far  more  eminency,)  is  Christ  to  God ;  he  in- 
 tercedes for  his  people,  (God  forbid  that  he  should  ever  cease  to 
 pray  for  his  jjeople,)  and  he  hath  God's  ear  in  an  especial  man- 
 ner ;  if  ever  God  lend  his  ear  to  any  one,  it  must  needs  be  to 
 this  high-priest,  because  of  his  office  to  intercede  betwixt  God 
 and  his  people.  Christ  stands  next  to  God,  as  our  great  high- 
 priest;  and  therefore  he  must  needs  prevail  with  God  in  every 
 petition  he  puts  up  for  us. 
 
 2.  That  Christ  was  called  to  this  office  by  God,  his  Father: 
 Christ  glorified  not  himself,  to  be  inade  an  high-priest ;  no,  no: 
 but  he  was  called  of  God,  as  Aaron  ivas;  it  was  God  the  Father 
 that  designed  him  to  it,  and  that  furnished  him  for  it,  and  that 
 invested  him  in  it :  The  Lord  hath  sworn,  and  will  not  repent, 
 thou  art  a  priest  for  ever,  after  the  order  of  Melchisedech.  Now 
 to  what  puqiose  should  God  call  him  to  this  office,  but  especially 
 to  intercede  for  them,  to  whom  God  was  willing  to  communicate 
 salvation  ?  Surely  the  Father  is  engaged  to  hear  the  Son,  in  that 
 he  is  an  high-priest  to  God,  and  called  to  his  office  by  God. 
 
 3.  That  Christ  is  God's  Son;  and  that  is  more  than  God's 
 high-priest ;  he  is  his  beloved  Son,  his  Son  that  never  gave  him 
 the  least  offence ;  sure  then  when  he  comes  and  intercedes  for  a 
 man,  he  is  most  like  to  speed ;  if  a  child  do  but  cry,  3Iy  Father, 
 My  Father,  he  may  prevail  very  much,  especially  with  a  Father 
 who  is  tender-hearted :  Jesus  Christ  is  the  precious  Son  of  God 
 the  Father;  and  God  the  Father  is  a  dear  and  kind-hearted 
 Father;  how  then  should  the  intercessions  of  Christ  but  be  most 
 powerful  with  God  ?  All  the  relations  of  son  and  father  in  the 
 world,  are  but  a  shadow  of  this  relation  betwixt  God  and  Christ ; 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  425 
 
 it  is  so  near,  that  though  they  are  two,  yet  Christ  speaks  of  them 
 as  one,  /  and  my  Father  are  one;  if  then  the  Father  should 
 deny  him  any  thing,  he  should  deny  himself,  or  cease  to  be  one 
 with  his  Son;  which  can  never  be.  Christ  is  God's  Son,  his 
 natural  Son,  his  beloved  Son :  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  ivhom 
 I  am  tvell  pleased,  saitli  God.  O  then  how  prevalent  must 
 Christ's  intercession  be  with  God  ! 
 
 4.  That  Christ  is  God  himself :  how  powerful  in  this  respect, 
 must  his  intercessions  be  unto  the  Father :  it  is  true,  that  Christ 
 is  another  person,  but  one  and  the  same  God  with  the  Father ; 
 Christ  is  the  very  essential,  substantial  representation  of  God 
 himself ;  Christ  is  the  very  self  of  God,  both  God  sending  and 
 God  sent ;  Christ  is  the  fellow  of  God :  Awake,  O  siuord,  against 
 7ny  shepherd,  and  against  the  man  that  is  my  fellow  ;  na}^,  Christ 
 is  God,  and  not  another  God,  but  one  God ;  God  of  God,  light 
 of  light,  very  God  of  very  God;  hegotten,7iot  made,  being  of  one 
 substance  with  the  Father,  by  luhom  all  thiiigs  were  made.  Can 
 we  imagine  now  that  God  himself  should  be  denied  any  boon 
 of  God  himself  ?  If  God  sometimes  spoke  to  his  servants.  Ask 
 of  me,  command  ye  me^  concerning  all  the  work  of  mine  hands  ; 
 will  not  God  much  more  say  to  Christ,  Ask  of  me,  and  I  shall 
 give  thee  the  heat  hoi  for  thine  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts 
 of  the  earth  for  thy  possession  f  We  have  brought  it  now  so  near, 
 that  if  God  be  God;  and  God  be  omnipotent,  that  he  can  do, 
 and  can  have,  whatsoever  he  pleases;  then  Christ  being  one  God 
 with  his  Father,  he  must  needs  prevail. 
 
 Sect.  VII. — Of  the  Reason  of  Chrisfs  Intercession. 
 
 What  are  the  reasons  of  this  great  transaction  of  Christ's 
 intercession  for  his  people  ?  I  answer  : 
 
 1.  It  is  the  Father's  will  that  it  should  be  so;  he  called  Jesus 
 Christ  to  his  office,  the  command  of  God  is  upon  Jesus  Christ; 
 Ask  what  thou  ivilt  for  thy  redeemed  ones,  I  willingly  engage  my- 
 self to  grant,  only  it  is  my  pleasure  thou  shouldest  ask :  as  sometimes 
 he  said  to  the  house  of  Israel,  /  the  Lord  have  spoken,  and  I  will 
 do  it;  notiuithstanding,  I  will  yet  for  this  be  inquired  of  by  the 
 house  of  Israel,  to  do  it  for  them :  so  saith  God  to  Christ,  I  the 
 Lord  have  spoken,  and  will  do  it;  only,  my  Son,  I ivill be  inquired 
 of  by  thee.  I  look  upon  this  as  the  main  reason  of  Christ's  inter- 
 cession ;  Even  so.  Father,  for  so  it  seemeth  good  in  thy  sight. 
 
 2,  It  is  Christ's  own  inclination  to  do  this  office.  What  is 
 the  will  of  the  Father,  is  the  \vill  of  Christ ;  so  that  what  the 
 Father  would  have  Christ  own,  he  cannot  but  own ;  for  the  same 
 Spirit  is  in  Christ,  which  is  in  the  Father,  and  in  the  self-same 
 measure.  As  God  is  captivated  with  love  towards  all  captives, 
 so  am  I,  saith  Christ.  As  God  would  have  all  be  saved,  and  to 
 come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  so  would  I  too,  saith  Christ ', 
 
 16.  3h 
 
426  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 the  same  bottomless  sea  of  love  that  fluctuates  in  my  Father's 
 breast  is  in  my  breast ;  for  I  and  my  Father  are  one. 
 
 3.  It  is  Christ's  love  to  his  saints  ;  he  intercedes  for  them  for 
 ever.  They  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  satisfy  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 
 lieart,  that  he  shed  his  blood  for  them,  will  he  not  now  intercede 
 for  them  ?  O  yes  !  to  this  end  he  carries  them  on  his  breast  or 
 lieart,  as  near  as  may  be,  that  they  may  be  in  a  continual  remem- 
 brance before  the  Lord  for  ever ;  his  very  love  compels  him  to 
 intercede  for  them. 
 
 4.  It  is  Christ's  compassion  that  causeth  intercession :   Christ 
 is  such  an  high-priest,  (saith  the  apostle)  as  cannot  hut  he  touched 
 with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities.  He  was  in  all  points  tempted 
 like  as  ive  are,  yet  ivithout  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,  cannot  but  compassionate  us ;  and  hence 
 it  is  (his  very  compassion  is  moving)  that  he  intercedes  to  his 
 Father  in  our  behalf.     It  is  observed,  that  the  very  office  of  the 
 high-priest,  was  to  sympathize  with  the  people  of  God ;  only  in 
 the  case  of  the  death  of  his  kindred,  he  was  not,  as  others,  to 
 sympathize  or  mourn :  but  Jesus   Christ  goes   beyond  all  the 
 high-priests  that  ever  were  before  him ;  he  doth  fully  sympathize 
 with  us,  not  in  some,  but  in  all  conditions ;  In  all  our  ajfiict'ions 
 he  is  afflicted.     I  believe  Christ  hath  carried  a  man's  heart  up 
 with  him  to  heaven:  and  though  there  be  no  passions  in  hmi,  as 
 he  is  God ;  yet  the  flower,  the  excellency,  of  all  these  passions 
 are  infinitely  in  him,  as  he  is  God ;  he  striketh,  and  trieth,  and 
 yet  he  pitieth ;  when  Ephraim  bemoaneth  himself,  God  replies. 
 Is  Ephraim  my  dear  son  f    is  he  a  pleasant  child  ?    For  since  I 
 spake  against  him,  I  do  earnestly  remember  him  still,  therefore  my 
 bowels  are  trouhled  for  him.    Surely  there's  a  violence  of  heavenly 
 passioivin  Christ's  heart,  as  God-man,  which  makes  him  to  break 
 out  into  prayer  to  God,  and  into  compassions  towards  men.     O 
 that  tempted  souls  would  consider  this  !    It  may  be  Christ  is  giv- 
 ing you  a  cup  of  tears  and  blood  to  drink,  but  who  knows  what 
 bowels,  what  turning  of  heart,  what  motions  of  compassion,  are 
 in  Jesus  Christ  all  the  while  ?     Those  who  feel  the   fruit  of 
 
Lookin^s;  unto  Jesus,         ^  427 
 
 Christ's  intercession,  know  this  ;  and  cannot  but  subscribe  to 
 this  truth.  O  ye  of  little  faith,  why  do  ye  doubt  of  Christ's 
 bowels  ?  Is  he  not  our  compassionate  high-priest  ?  he  is  touched, 
 saith  the  apostle,  with  the  feeling  of  infirmities ;  it  is  an  allu- 
 sion to  the  rolled  and  moved  bowels  of  God,  in  Jeremiah  xxxi. 
 20.  Christ  in  heaven  is  burning  and  flaming  in  compassion  to- 
 wards his  weak  ones  ;  and  therefore  he  pleads,  intercedes,  and 
 prays  to  God  for  them. 
 
 CHAP.  II. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  Kiimving  Jesus  as  carrying  on  the  great  Work  of 
 our  Salvation,  in  his  Intercession. 
 
 Let  us  know  Jesus  carrying  on  this  great  work  of  our  salvar 
 tion,  in  his  intercession.  Ever  since  his  ascension  into  heaven, 
 he  hath  been  doing  this  work  3  it  is  a  work  already  of  above 
 sixteen  hundred  years  ;  and  summer  and  winter,  night  and  day, 
 Christ  hath  been  still  praying,  still  interceding;  Christ's  love 
 hath  no  vacation,  no  cessation  at  all ;  yea,  even  now  whilst  you 
 read  this,  Christ  is  acting  as  an  advocate  for  you,  Christ  hath 
 your  names  engraven,  as  a  seal  on  his  heart ;  and  standing  right 
 opposite  to  the  eye  of  his  Father,  the  first  opening  of  the  eyelids 
 of  God,  is  terminated  upon  the  breast  of  Jesiis  Christ ;  is  not 
 this  worth  the  knowledge?  O  my  soul,  leave  off* thy  vain  studies; 
 if  they  do  not  conduce  to  the  right  understanding  of  this,  they 
 are  not  worth  the  while ;  what  is  it  for  an  Aristotle  to  be  praised 
 where  he  is  not,  and  to  be  damned  where  he  is  ?  O  the  excel- 
 lency of  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ  !  Such  a  knowledge 
 (if  true)  is  no  less  than  saving.  Come,  study  his  intercession  in 
 all  the  former  particulars  ;  only  remember  this,  that  in  Christ's 
 intercession  are  many  secrets,  which  we  must  never  know  on  this 
 side  heaven :  O  take  heed  of  entering  into  this  labyrinth,  with- 
 out the  clew  of  the  word ;  above  all,  desire  the  guidance  of  the 
 Spirit  to  enlighten  thy  darkness^,  and  whatever  thou  knowest, 
 know  it  still  for  thyself  I 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  Considering  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 L^T  us  consider  Jesus  carrying  on  this  work  of  our  salvation, 
 in  his  intercession  ;  is  it  not  as  incense,  a  sweet  odour  with  God 
 himself  ?  And  shall  not  each  thought  of  it  be  sweet  to  us  ? 
 Come,  let  us  be  serious  in  this  duty  ;  and  that  we  may  do  it 
 thoroughly,  let  us  consider  it  in  these  particulars  : 
 
 I.  Consider  the  nature  of  Christ's  intercession:  what  is  it. 
 
428  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 but  the  o-racious  will  of  Christ,  fervently  dejsiring,  that  for  the 
 virtue  of ''his  death  and  sacrifice,  thy  person  and  performances 
 mio-ht  he  accepted  of  God  ?  As  Christ  on  earth  gave  himself  to 
 tht?  death,  even  to  the  death  of  the  cross,  for  the  abolition  of  sin ; 
 so  now  in  heaven  he  prays  the  Father,  hy  his  agony  and  bloody 
 sweat,  by  his  cross  a?id passion,  by  his  death  and  sacri/ice,  that  thy 
 sins  may  be  pardoned,  thy  service  accepted,  and  thy  soul  saved. 
 This  is  the  will  of  Christ,  even  thy  justification,  sanctitication, 
 and  salvation ;  accordingly  he  represents  his  will,  '  Father,  I  will 
 that  all  those  privileges  flowing  from  my  death,  may  be  conferred 
 on  such  a  person  ;  such  a  soul  is  now  considering  my  inter- 
 cession, and  my  ^nll  is,  that  his  meditation  may  find  acceptance 
 with  God/  O  what  workings  would  be  in  thy  heart  and  spirit, 
 if  thou  didst  but  consider  that  Christ  even  now  were  speaking 
 his  will,  that  thy  person  and  duty  may  both  find  acceptance,  and 
 be  well-pleasing  with  God ! 
 
 2.  Consider  the  person  that  intercedes  for  thee :  it  is  Christ 
 in  both  natures  ;  it  is  thy  mediator,  one  betwixt  God  and  man  : 
 in  this  respect  thou  mayest  consider  him  as  one  indiff'erent,  and 
 equally  inclining  to  either  party;  A  mediator  is  ?iot  of  oyie,  saith 
 the  apostle  :  Christ  indifferently  partook  of  both  natures,  god- 
 head and  manhood,  that  so  he  might  be  fit  to  stand  in  the  gap 
 between  his  Father  and  us. 
 
 3.  Consider  the  person  to  whom  Christ  intercedes  :  is  it  not 
 to  his  Father  ?  Thou  art  sm*e  to  speed  well,  O  my  soul,  for  God 
 is  the  Father  of  thy  intercessor.  If  I  had  a  suit  to  some  majesty, 
 and  the  prince  would  but  mediate,  I  might  hope  to  speed;  Christ 
 is  God's  prince  (as  I  may  call  him)  and  in  respect  of  us,  the  first 
 begotten  of  many  brethren;  and  herein  is  thy  rejoicing,  that  the 
 party  offended  is  Christ's  own  Father,  and  fathers  cannot  be  cniel 
 to  their  own  dear  children. 
 
 4.  Consider  the  persons  for  whom  Christ  intercedes  :  it  is  for 
 all  believers,  and  in  particular  for  thee.  O  that  ever  the  world, 
 or  flesh,  or  devU,  should  steal  this  meditation  out  of  my  heart ! 
 
 x)  that  ever  I  should  forget  that  Christ  is  gone  to  heaven,  that 
 he  is  entered  into  the  holy  of  holies,  and  that  he  carries  my  name 
 into  the  presence  of  God  the  Father  !  I  speak  the  same  to  thee 
 that  readest :  if  thou  art  a  believer,  there  is  no  doubt  but  Christ 
 is  speaking  to  his  Father  in  thy  behalf ;  he  can  no  more  forget 
 thee  in  his  intercessions,  than  a  mother  can  forget  her  sucking 
 child.  Look  up  to  Jesiis,  and  never  leave  looking,  till  thou  spiest 
 thy  own  name  writ  on  his  heart. 
 
 5.  Consider  the  agreement  and  difference  between  Christ's 
 intercessions,  and  the  intercessions  of  the  high-priests  of  old : 
 they  did  both  intercede,  but  Christ  is  more  faithful  than  ever 
 high-priest  was ;  Christ  is  more  compassionate  than  ever  high- 
 priest  was ;  and  hence  it  is  that  he  hath  the  title  of  7ro\va7fkar^x^°^> 
 One  of  many  commiserations :  all  is  mercy,  and  love,  and  sweet- 
 
Look'mg  unto  Jesus.  420 
 
 ness,  and  more  than  motherly  affection,  that  comes  from  Christ. 
 
 0  my  soul,  why  shouldest  thou  say  with  Israel,  My  way  is  hidden 
 from  the  Lord,  and  my  judgment  is  passed  over  by  my  Godf  as 
 if  Jesus  Christ  had  left  thee  out  of  the  count  of  his  people,  and 
 out  of  the  roll  of  those  whom  he  is  to  look  after.  No,  no;  he  is 
 a  faithful  and  merciful  priest ;  far  above  all  the  high-priests  of 
 the  old  testament ;  and  if  they  were  so  careful  not  to  leave  out 
 of  their  breast-plate  one  name  of  all  the  twelve  tribes,  how  much 
 more  careful  is  ('hrist  not  to  leave  out  thy  name  in  his  intercession  ? 
 
 6.  Consider  the  properties  of  Christ's  intercession :  is  it  not 
 heavenly  and  glorious,  effectual  and  prevailing  ?  O  give  me  the 
 intercession  of  Christ  above  all  the  intercessions  of  men  or  angels. 
 
 1  know  the  saints  on  earth  pray  mutually  one  for  another,  but 
 they  pray  not  in  their  own  names,  or  for  their  own  merits,  but  in 
 the  name  and  for  the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ :  and  as  for  the  saints 
 and  angels  in  heaven,  Cyprian  and  Jerome  seem  to  grant,  that 
 they  pray  for  the  state  of  the  church  militant ;  but  if  so,  they  do 
 it  only  out  of  charity,  as  brethren,  not  of  office,  as  mediators ;  such 
 an  intercession  as  this,  so  heavenly,  so  effectual,  is  proper  only 
 for  Christ.  I  would  be  glad  of  the  prayers  of  every  saint  upon 
 earth ;  but  above  ail  let  me  have  a  property  in  those  prayers  and 
 intercessions  that  are  proper  only  to  Christ,  such  as  are  heavenly, 
 glorious,  and  effectual. 
 
 7.  Consider  the  particulars  wherein  more  especially  Christ's 
 intercession  consists :  is  it  not  in  presenting  of  his  person,  blood, 
 prayers  ?  is  it  not  in  the  presenting  of  our  persons,  perform- 
 ances, pleas  or  answers  to  the  accusations  of  Satan  ?  Men  little 
 think  how  busy  our  mediator,  sponsor,  solicitor,  advocate,  is 
 now  in  heaven  for  us ;  men  little  think  that  Christ  is  appear- 
 ing, and  his  blood  is  crying,  and  his  prayers  are  ascendhig,  and 
 his  robe  of  righteousness  is  covering  us,  and  the  iniquity  of  our 
 holy  things  :  O  my  soul,  look  up,  consider  Jesus  thy  Saviour  in 
 these  respects  !  I  am  persuaded,  if  thou  didst  but  know,  if  thou 
 couldest  but  see,  what  a  deal  of  work  Christ  hath  in  hand,  and 
 how  he  carries  it  on  for  thy  salvation,  it  would  melt  thy  heart 
 into  tears  of  joy.  O  think  on  it,  that  Christ,  and  Christ's  blood, 
 and  Christ's  prayers,  are  all  at  work  !  that  Christ  pleads  thy 
 cause,  and  perfumes  thy  duties  in  this  incense ;  and  takes  thy 
 person  to  God  his  Father,  and  cries,  O  my  Father,  be  merciful  to 
 this  sinner,  jyardon  his  sins,  and  save  his  soul,  for  the  sake  oj 
 Jesus:  O  blessed  mediation  !  O  blessed  is  the  ma?i,  that  knows 
 how  to  meditate  on  this  day  and  night! 
 
 8.  Consider  the  power  of  Christ's  intercession  with  his  Father. 
 Is  he  not  to  this  purpose  a  priest  to  God,  and  called  thereto  by 
 God  ?  Is  he  not  the  Son  of  God,  yea,  God  himself  ?  Is  not  the 
 Father's  heart  as  much  towards  us,  as  to  our  salvation,  as  Christ's 
 own  heart  ?  As  sure  then  as  Christ  is  gone  into  heaven  with  thy 
 
430  Looking  imto  Jesus, 
 
 name  engraven  on  his  heart,  so  sure  slmlt  thou  follow  him,  and  be 
 with  him  where  he  is. 
 
 9.  Consider  the  reasons  of  Christ's  intercession  :  many  are 
 triven,  but  this  may  be  sufficient,  It  is  God's  own  ordinance;  the 
 verv  wisdom  of  God  found  out  this  way,  that  a  high-priest  should 
 be  appointed,  who  should  die  for  sinners,  and  afterward  present 
 his  death  to  his  Father  by  way  of  intercession  on  their  behalf. 
 Now  then,  if  God  himself  found  out  this  way,  and  hath  said, 
 Tids  is  my  pleasure,  that  Christ  my  Son  shall  he  ajjriesf,  and  that 
 he  shall  offer  himself,  and  present  himself,  and  his  offering,  andhis 
 prayer,  to  me  for  hispteople:  O  my  soid,  dispute  not,  but  rest  on 
 tliis,  admire  the  contrivance  of  God;  say,  O  the  depth!  question 
 no  farther,  only  meditate,  and  ponder,  and  consider  it,  till  thou 
 feelest  Christ's  intercession  darting  its  influence  and  efficacy  on 
 thy  sin-sick  soul. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  Desiring  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  desire  Jesus  carrying  on  this  great  work  in  his  inter- 
 cession. O  my  soul,  rouse  up,  and  set  this  blessed  object  before 
 thy  face  !  Take  a  full  view  of  it,  until  thy  affections  begin  to  be 
 warm,  and  thou  beginnest  to  cry,  O  for  my  part  in  Chrisf  s  inter- 
 cession !  O  I  would  not  he  left  out  of  Christ's  heavenly  prayers 
 for  ten  thousand  luorlds !  Come  and  be  serious  !  the  object  is 
 admirably  precious ;  long  for  it,  pant  after  it !  God  understands 
 the  rhetoric  of  thy  breathing,  as  well  as  of  thy  cry.  But  what 
 is  there  in  Christ's  mtercession  that  is  so  desirable  ?  I  answer — 
 
 1.  In  Christ's  intercession  Ues  the  present  transaction  of  our 
 soul's  salvation.  Such  passages  as  hitherto  we  have  spoken  of, 
 are  done  and  past ;  the  virtue  and  influence  of  all  these  transac- 
 tions continue,  and  will  continue  for  ever  and  ever;  but  the  several 
 actings  had  their  periods  ;  and  only  Christ's  session,  and  mission 
 of  his  Spirit,  and  his  blessed  intercession,  both  were,  and  now  are, 
 the  present  employment  of  Jesus  Christ.  Now  he  prays,  now 
 he  presents  his  person,  merits,  intercession.  This  is  the  present 
 transaction  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  therefore  most  desirable  :  me- 
 thinks  I  long  to  know  what  Christ  is  now  doing  in  heaven  for 
 my  soul ;  and  is  it  not  this,  is  not  all  his  time  spent  either  in 
 reading  pardons  for  his  redeemed  ones,  or  in  presenting  petitions 
 for  them,  and  pleading  for  them  ?  Surely  he  is  still  interceding 
 every  day,  it  is  his  present  work  for  our  souls,  O  desirable  work ! 
 
 2.  In  this  present  transaction  lies  the  application  of  all 
 Christ's  former  actings,  whether  of  his  habitual  righteousness, 
 or  of  his  active  and  passive  obedience.  All  these  passages  of 
 Christ's  incarnation,  conception,  birth,  life,  and  death,  which 
 more  especially  we  look  upon  as  the  meritorious  causes  of  our 
 salvation,  had  been  nothing  to  us,  if  they  had  not  been  applied 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  431 
 
 by  Christ :  Christ  purchased  salvation  by  those  acts,  but  he  pos- 
 sesseth  us  of  our  salvation  by  this  consummate  act  of  his  inter- 
 cession. But  if  Christ's  intercession  be  the  applying  cause,  if  it 
 bring  home  to  my  soul  all  the  former  transactions  of  Christ, 
 saying.  All  these  are  thine,  even  thine,  O  how  desirable  must  this 
 intercession  be  ! 
 
 3.  In  this  application  lies  that  communion  and  fellowship 
 which  we  have  with  the  Father  and  the  Son :  I  pray  for  these, 
 that  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  they  also  may  he 
 one  in  us.  Understand  this  soberly  :  we  cannot  think  that  there 
 should  be  that  oneness  in  equality  betwixt  God  and  us,  as  be  - 
 twixt  God  and  Christ ;  no,  but  there  is  oneness  in  similitude, 
 even  in  this  life  ;  by  virtue  of  Chr'ist's  intercession  we  have  one- 
 ness with  God  and  Christ,  not  only  in  comforts,  but  also  in 
 graces  ;  1  pray  you  mark  this ;  when  I  speak  of  communion  with 
 God  in  this  life,  I  mean  especially  the  communion  of  grace  be- 
 tween God  and  the  soul ;  on  God's  part  there  is  a  special  influence 
 of  grace  and  favour  to  man,  and  on  man's  part  there  is  a  special 
 return  of  grace  and  honour  to  God.  Some  trembling  souls  are 
 apt  to  think,  that  all  communion  with  God  and  Christ  consists 
 only  in  the  comfort  of  the  holy  Spirit;  whereas  Christians  may  as 
 really  have  communion  with  God  in  secret  conveyances  of  grace, 
 inward  supports,  in  the  hidden  drawings  of  the  soul  Godward^ 
 as  in  the  more  open  and  comfortable  manifestations  of  God  unto 
 the  soul :  communion  with  God  is  a  familiar  friendship,  (I  speak 
 it  in  an  holy,  humble  sense ;)  now  do  we  not  as  usually  go  to  a 
 friend  for  advice  as  for  comfort?  In  a  friend's  bosom  we  entrust 
 our  sorrows  as  well  as  our  joys.  Suppose  a  soul  even  overwhelmed, 
 and  ready  to  break,  betaking  itself  unto  God,  and  venting  itself 
 before  the  Lord  ;  if  after,  the  soul  hath  no  more  ease,  than  by  the 
 bare  lancing  of  the  sore,  if  God  pours  in  no  balm  at  all,  but  only 
 gives  support ;  shall  we  say  that  this  soul  in  this  case  hath  no 
 communion  with  God  ?  O  yes  !  that  soul  lives,  the  sun  shines, 
 though  a  cloud  interposeth ;  God  smiles,  though  the  soul  doth 
 not  perceive  it ;  thou  hast  his  strengthening  presence,  if  not  his 
 shining  :  now,  this  is  the  fruit  of  Christ's  blessed  intercession ; 
 and  this  is  the  subject  matter  of  Christ's  intercession,  O  my  Fa- 
 ther, that  these  may  he  one  in  us;  I  in  them,  and  thou  in  me;  I  in 
 thein  by  the  influence  andpoioer  of  my  Spirit,  and  thou  in  ine  hy 
 the  fulness  and  power  of  the  Godhead,  And  is  not  this  a  most 
 desirable  thing  ? 
 
 4.  In  this  communion  lies  the  fruition  of  Christ  in  glory, 
 grace  brings  to  glory :  if  communion  here,  we  shall  have  com- 
 munion hereafter  ;  and  this  also  is  a  part  of  Christ's  prayer  and 
 intercession.  Father,  Iivill  that  they  also  whom  thou  hast  given 
 me  he  luith  me  where  I  am,  that  they  may  behold  my  gloyy  which 
 thou  hast  given  me.    This  communion  mth  Christ  is  above  all 
 
432  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 desirable ;  the  communion  wliicli  the  saints  shall  have  with 
 Christy  never  will  wander  after  any  other  objects;  O  the  iuti- 
 mac}^  that  will  be  then  betwixt  Christ  and  Christians  !  O  what 
 comnmnication  of  glory  will  there  be  to  each  other  1  These  shall 
 walk  with  me,  (saith  Christ,)  for  they  are  ivorthy, 
 
 O  my  soul,  if  this  be  the  business  of  Christ's  intercession,  if 
 all  these  particulars  are  contained  in  the  bowels  of  this  one  trans- 
 action, how  is  it  that  thou  art  not  gasping,  groaning,  sick  unto 
 death,  with  the  vehement  thirst  after  thy  portion  hi  Christ's  in- 
 tercession ?  If  there  be  such  a  thing  as  desire  in  this  heart  of 
 mine,  O  that  now  it  would  break  out  !  O  that  it  would  vent 
 itself  with  mighty  longings,  and  infinite  aspirings  after  this 
 blessed  object  1  Lord,  1  desire,  but  help  thou  my  faint  desires  ; 
 blow  on  my  dpng  spark,  it  is  but  little;  and  if  I  know  any  thing 
 of  my  heart,  I  would  have  it  more;  O  that  my  spark  would 
 tlame"^ !  Lord,  I  desire  that  I  might  desire ;  O  breathe  it  into  me, 
 and  I  will  desire  thee. 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  Hoping  in  Jesus  in  this  respect. 
 
 Let  us  hope  in  Jesus  carrying  on  this  great  work  of  our  salva- 
 tion in  his  intercession.  O  my  soul,  hope  in  Jesus,  but  rest  not 
 till  thou  canst  give  a  reason  of  thy  hope,  till  thou  canst  prove 
 that  they  are  the  hopes  w^hich  grace,  and  not  only  nature,  hath 
 wrought;  that  they  are  grounded  upon  scripture  promises,  and 
 sound  evidences  ;  that  they  purify  the  heart;  that  the  more  thou 
 hopest,  the  less  thou  sinnest ;  that  they  depend  on  sure  and 
 infallible  causes,  as  on  the  truth,  power,  and  mercy  of  God;  on 
 the  merits,  mediation,  and  intercession  of  Jesus  Christ;  is  this 
 among  the  rest  the  spring  of  thy  hope  ?  Canst  thou  follow  the 
 stream,  till  it  brings  thee  to  this  fountain,  that  now  thou  canst 
 say,  O  this  intercession  is  mine  f  Come,  search  and  try,  it  is 
 worth  the  pains. 
 
 1.  If  Christ's  intercession  is  mine,  then  is  the  Spirit's  inter- 
 cession mine  :  in  this  case  we  need  not  ascend  up  into  heaven  to 
 learn  the  truth,  rather  let  us  descend  into  our  own  hearts,  and 
 look  whether  Christ  hath  given  us  of  his  Spirit,  which  makes  us 
 cry  unto  God  with  sighs  and  groans  which  cannot  be  uttered ;  O 
 come  and  let  us  ransack  our  own  consciences;  let  us  search 
 whether  we  feel  the  Spirit  of  Christ  crying  in  us,  Abha  Father  : 
 Certainly  these  two  are  as  the  cause  and  the  effect :  Christ's  in- 
 tercession in  heaven,  and  his  Spirit's  intercession,  are  as  twins  of 
 a  birth  !  Or  rather,  Christ's  intercession  in  heaven  breeds  another 
 intercession  in  the  hearts  of  his  saints.  It  is  the  same  Spirit 
 dwelling  in  Christ  and  in  all  his  members,  that  stirs  them  to  cry, 
 Abba  Father.  Here  then  is  my  argument ;  if  Christ  hath  put  his 
 Spirit  into  thy  heart,  and  if  the  Spirit  hath  set  thine  heart  on 
 
Looking  unto  t/esus.  433 
 
 work  to  make  incessant  intercessions  for  tliyseif^  then  is  Christ's 
 intercession  thine.  O  my  soul,  hath  God  sent  forth  the  Spirit  of 
 his  Son  into  thy  heart  ?  Hast  thou  the  indwelling  of  the  Spirit  3 
 and  now  by  the  help  of  the  Spirit  canst  thou  pray  witli  earnest- 
 ness, conhdence,  and  an  holy  importunity?  Canst  thou  cry, 
 uJbba,  Father  ?  Canst  thou  cry  with  earnestness,  with  confidence. 
 Father  ?  and  Abba,  Father^  (or  Father,  Father,)  with  an  holy 
 importunity?  These  are  the  signs  of  the  Spirit's  intercession. 
 O  that  thou  wouldst  deal  faithfully  with  thyself;  canst  thou  by 
 the  help  of  the  Spirit  go  to  thy  Father  in  the  name  of  Christ  ? 
 As  Christ  is  gone  before  into  the  holy  of  holies  to  intercede ;  so 
 canst  thou  with  boldness  follow  after,  and  enter  into  the  Jioliest 
 hi/  the  blood  of  Jesus?  Canst  thou  say,  God  h.ith  given  me  his 
 Spirit,  and  his  Spirit  hath  shewn  me  Christ  as  my  mediator  at 
 the  right-hand  of  God ;  and  now,  under  the  wing  of  such  a  me- 
 diator, I  can  with  the  Spirit's  assistance  go  with  boldness  to  speak 
 any  thing  in  the  ears  of  God  ?  Surely  this  is  the  fruit,  the  efiect, 
 of  Christ's  intercession,  and  therefore  thou  mayest  comfortably 
 conclude,  CJirisfs  i?itercession  is  tnine. 
 
 2.  If  I  feel  a  holy  disposition  to  pray  and  intercede  for  others, 
 especially  for  the  distresses  of  the  church  of  God,  then  is  Christ's 
 intercession  mine.  We  should,  as  near  as  we  may,  in  every  thing 
 conform  to  Christ ;  and  this  conformity  is  an  evidence  of  our  in- 
 terest in  Christ:  O  my  soul,  go  down  into  the  inmost  closet  of 
 thy  heart,  look  what  disposition  there  is  in  it  towards  the  mem- 
 bers of  Christ;  and  thou  mayest  conclude;  there  is  in  Christ's 
 heart  the  very  same  disposition  towards  thee.  Can  I  tliink  that 
 my  narrow,  straitened,  sinful  bowels,  are  larger  than  those  wide, 
 compassionate,  tender  bowels  of  Jesus  Christ?  As  a  drop  of 
 water  is  in  comparison  of  the  ocean,  and  as  a  gravel  stone 
 is  in  comparison  of  the  sand;  so  is  my  heart  to  Christ's, 
 and  my  love  to  Christ's,  and  my  bowels  to  Christ's.  Come  then, 
 and  try  by  this  sign :  HereJji/  lue  know  tliat  we  are  translated 
 from  deat/i  to  life,  if  we  love  tJie  bretJiren;  tie  t/iat  loveth  not  his 
 brotJier,  ahideth  in  death. — Hereby  perceive  we  tlie  love  of  God, 
 because  tie  laid  doivn  hi,s  life  for  tlie  bretfiren.  Is  not  this  plain? 
 if  I  love  the  brethren,  Christ  loveth  me ;  if  I  feel  in  my  heart  an 
 holy  disposition  to  go  to  God,  and  to  pray,  and  cry,  and  intercede 
 for  a  saint  hi  misery,  surely  the  Lord  Jesus  hath  as  much  bowels 
 towards  me,  to  go  and  intercede  for  me,  and  to  present  my 
 prayers  unto  God  the  Father;  his  intercession  is  mine. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Of  Believing  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  believe  in  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  this  great  work  of  our 
 
 salvation  in  his  intercession  :  silence,  unbelief!   be  not  tyrannical 
 
 to  thyself,  for  Christ  will  not,  sin  shall  do  thee  no  hurt,  nor 
 
 Satan,  no,  nor  God  himself,  for  Jesus  Christ  can  work  him  to  any 
 
 16.  3  I 
 
434  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 thing ;  if  he  but  open  his  wounds  in  heaven,  he  will  so  work  his 
 Father,  that  thy  wounds  on  earth  shall  close  up  presently. 
 
 Go  to  Christ  as  interceding  for  his  saints  \  this  act  of  Christ 
 is  for  the  application  of  all  the  former  acts  on  Christ's  part :  and 
 our  faith  closing  with  it,  is  for  the  application  of  this,  and  all 
 the  other  actings  of  Christ  on  our  part.  Now  is  our  faith  led  up 
 very  high;  it  may  at  once  see  earth  and  heaven;  it  may  see  all 
 that  Christ  hath  acted  for  it  here,  and  all  that  Christ  doth  act, 
 and  will  act  in  heaven  for  it  hereafter.  It  is  not  an  ordinary, 
 single,  particular  act  of  faith,  that  will  come  up  to  this  glorious 
 mystery ;  it  is  a  comprehensive  act,  it  is  such  an  act  as  puts  the 
 soul  into  a  condition  of  glorious  triumph ;  Andheing  made  per  feet  y 
 (saith  the  apostle,)  he  became  the  author  of  eternal  salvation  to  alt 
 them  that  obey  him :  now  therefore  lead  up  thy  faith  to  this  blessed 
 object,  and  thou  hast  under  consideration  the  whole  of  Christ's 
 actings  in  this  world  from  first  to  last ;  in  respect  of  mediatiouj 
 this  is  the  upshot,  the  period,  the  consummation,  the  perfection 
 ofaU. 
 
 In  going  to  Christ  as  interceding  for  us,  look  to  the  purpose, 
 end,  intent,  and  design  of  Christ's  intercession :  now  the  ends 
 of  Christ,  in  reference  to  us,  are  these : — 
 
 1 .  That  we  might  have  fellowship  wdth  the  Father,  and  the 
 Son ;  I  pray  for  these,  that  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in 
 thee,  they  also  may  be  one  in  lis, 
 
 2.  That  we  might  have  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  Iivillpray 
 the  Father,  and  he  shall  give  you  another  Comforter,  that  lie 
 may  abide  with  you  for  ever,  eveii  the  Spirit  of  truth. 
 
 3.  That  we  might  have  protection  against  all  evil;  I  pray 
 (saith  Christ)  that  thou  ivouldst  keep  them  from  evil. 
 
 4.  That  we  might  have  free  access  to  the  throne  of  grace;  so 
 the  apostle.  Seeing  then  lue  have  a  great  high-priest  that  is 
 passed  into  the  heavens,  Jesus  the  Son  of  God,  let  us  hold  fast 
 our  jjrofession,  and  come  boldly  to  the  throne  of  grace.  And 
 again.  Having  therefore  boldness  to  enter  into  the  holiest  by  the 
 blood  of  Jesus,  and  having  an  high-priest  over  the  house  of  God, 
 let  us  draw  near  ivith  a  true  heart,  in  full  assurance  of  faith. 
 
 5.  That  we  might  have  the  inward  intercession  of  the  Spirit, 
 which  is,  as  it  were,  the  echo  of  Christ's  intercession  in  our 
 heart;  The  Spirit  maketh  intercession  for  us  luith  groanings 
 which  caniiot  be  uttered.  It  is  the  same  Spirit  groans  in  us,  which 
 more  distinctly  in  Christ  prayeth  for  us.  These  things  I  spake 
 in  the  ivorld,  (saith  our  Saviour,)  that  they  might  have  my  joy 
 
 filled  in  themselves.  I  have  made  this  prayer  in  the  world,  and 
 left  a  record  and  pattern  of  it  in  the  church,  that  they  feeling  the 
 same  heavenly  desires  kindled  in  their  own  hearts,  may  be  com- 
 forted in  the  workings  of  that  Spirit  of  prayer  in  them,  which  testi- 
 fieth  to  their  souls  the  quality  of  that  intercession  which  I  made  for 
 them  in  the  heaven  of  heavens;  certainly  there  is  a  dependence 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  435 
 
 of  our  prayer  on  Christ's  prayer :  as  it  is  with  the  sun,  though 
 the  body  of  it  abide  in  the  heavens,  yet  the  beams  of  it  descend 
 to  us  here  on  earth ;  so  the  intercession  of  Christ,  though  it  is 
 made  in  heaven,  yet  the  groans  and  desires  of  the  touched  heart, 
 as  the  beams  thereof,  are  on  earth. 
 
 6.  That  we  might  have  the  sanctification  of  our  services ;  of 
 this  the  Levitical  priests  were  a  type,  For  they  hare  the  iniquity 
 of  the  holy  things  of  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  might  he 
 accepted;  and  lie  is  the  angel  of  the  covenant,  ivho  hath  a  golden 
 censer,  to  offer  up  the  prayers  of  the  saints.  Some  observe  a  three- 
 fold evil  in  man,  of  every  of  which  we  are  delivered  by  Christ : 
 First,  an  evil  condition  under  the  guilt  of  sin :  Secondly,  an  evil 
 nature  under  the  corruption  of  sin :  Thirdly,  an  evil  in  all  our 
 services  by  the  adherence  of  sin ;  for  that  which  toucheth  an  un- 
 clean thing,  is  made  unclean  thereby.  Now,  Christ  by  his  righ- 
 teousness and  merits  justifieth  our  persons  from  the  guilt  of  sin; 
 and  Christ  by  his  grace  and  Spirit  doth  purify  our  faculties  from 
 the  corruption  of  sin ;  and  Christ  by  his  incense  and  intercession 
 doth  cleanse  our  services  from  the  adherence  of  sin,  so  that  in 
 them  the  Lord  smells  a  sweet  savour,  and  both  we  and  our  ser 
 vices  find  acceptance  with  God. 
 
 7.  That  we  might  have  the  pardon  of  all  sin.  It  is  by  virtue 
 of  Christ's  intercession  that  a  believer  sinning  of  infirmity,  hath 
 a  pardon  of  course,  for  Christ  is  his  advocate  to  plead  his  case ; 
 or  if  he  sin  of  presumption,  and  the  Lord  give  repentance,  he 
 hath  a  pardon  at  the  hands  of  God  the  Father  by  virtue  of  this 
 intercession. 
 
 8.  That  we  might  have  the  salvation  of  our  souls  in  the  day  of 
 Jesus;  Father,  I  will  that  they  also  whom  thou  hast  given  me, 
 he  ivith  me  were  I  am,  that  they  may  behold  my  glory,  O  to 
 see  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  glorified,  must  be  a  glorious  thing ;  what 
 is  it  to  see  his  glory,  but  to  behold  the  lustre  of  his  divinity 
 through  his  humanity  ?  We  may  be  sure  God  shall  appear  through 
 the  humanity  of  Christ,  as  much  as  is  possible  for  the  divinity  to 
 appear  in  a  creature;  and  therefore  men  and  angels  will  be  con- 
 tinually viewing  of  Christ.  I  know  there  is  another  glory  of 
 Christ,  which  the  Father  will  put  upon  him ;  Because  he  humbled 
 himself,  therefore  God  ivill  exalt  him,  and  give  him  a  name 
 above  every  name;  and  we  shall  see  him  in  this  glory.  O  the 
 ravishing  sight  I  Christ  is  so  lovely,  that  the  saints  cannot  leave, 
 but  they  must  and  wWifolloiv  the  Lamb  ivheresoever  he  goes;  there 
 shall  be  no  moment  to  all  eternity,  wherein  Christ  shall  be  out  of 
 sight  to  so  many  thousand  thousands  of  saints.  Is  not  this  a 
 blessed  end  of  Christ's  intercession  ?  Hither  tend  all  the  rest ;  and 
 for  this  above  all  Christ  intercedes  to  his  Father,  Father,  I  would 
 have  my  saints  with  me.  O  that  all  the  daughters  of  Zion  may 
 behold  king  Soloinon^with  the  crown  ivherewith  thou  hast  crow?ied 
 
436  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 him  in  the  day  of  his  espousals,  and  in  the  day  of  the  gladness  of 
 
 his  heart. 
 
 Let  our  fiiith  then  act  dcpencleiitly  upon  the  intercession  of 
 Christ,  in  these  very  ends  -,  this  is  the  very  nature  of  faith,  it 
 rehes  upon  God  in  Christ,  and  upon  all  the  promises  of  Christ : 
 So  then,  is  there  a  desirable  end  in  Christ's  intercession  which 
 we  aim  at  ?  O  let  us  act  our  faith  dependently ;  let  us  rely,  stay, 
 or  lean  upon  Christ  to  that  same  end !  let  us  cast  ourselves  upon 
 the  very  intercession  of  Jesus  Christ :  saying,  O  Christ,  there  is 
 enough  in  thee,  and  in  this  intercession  of  thine,  and  therefore 
 there  will  I  stick,  and  abide  for  ever. 
 
 Faith  also  must  ever  and  anon  be  crying,  wrestling  with  God, 
 tiiat  virtue  may  go  out  of  Christ's  intercession  into  our  hearts. 
 /  have  heard,  Lord,  that  there  is  an  office  erected  in  heaven,  that 
 Christ,  as  jmest,  should  he  ever  praying  and  interceding  for  his 
 people :  O  that  I  may  feel  the  efficacy  of  Christ's  intercession  !  and 
 nmv  in  prayer,  O  that  I  could  feel  in  this  prayer,  the  warmth,  and 
 heat,  and  spiritual  fire,  ivhich  usually  falls  doiuti  from  Christ's 
 intercession  into  the  heart!  Lord,  warm  my  spirit  in  this  duty  ; 
 give  me  the  kisses  of  thy  mouth;  O  that  I  may  noiv  have  com- 
 munion with  thee,  thy  Spirit  upon  me,  thy  protection  over  me  I 
 O  that  my  pardon  may  he  sealed,  my  grace  confirmed,  my  soul 
 saved  in  the  day  of  Jesus! 
 
 Sect.  VI. —  Of  Loving  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  love  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  this  great  work  of  owx  sal- 
 \ation  in  his  intercession.  Now,  two  things  more  especially  will 
 ,  excite  our  love.  1.  Christ's  love  to  us.  2.  Our  propriety  in 
 Christ.  For  the  first,  many  acts  of  Christ's  love  have  appeared 
 before,  and  every  one  is  sufficient  to  draw  our  love  to  him 
 again. 
 
 1 .  Li  the  beginning  of  time  he  loved  man  above  all  creatures, 
 for  after  he  had  made  them  all,  he  then  spake  as  he  never  did 
 before  :  Let  us  make  man  after  our  own  image,  after  our  likeness, 
 and  let  him  have  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and  over  all 
 the  fowl  of  the  air,  and  over  the  cattle,  and  over  all  the  earth; 
 and  thougli  nnui  unmade  himself  by  sin,  Christ's  love  yet  was 
 not  broke  off,  but  held  forth  in  a  promise  till  the  day  of  perform- 
 ance, the  seed  of  the  ivoman  shall  bruise  the  serpent's  head. 
 
 2.  In  the  fuhiess  of  time  his  love  was  manifest;  the  seed  then 
 blossomed,  and  the  birth  then  came  out  in  an  high  expression  of 
 love ;  the  love  of  Christ  was  born,  and  saw  the  light :  After  that, 
 saith  the  apostle,  the  kindness  and  love  of  God  our  Saviour  to- 
 wards man  appeared.  I  shall  not  need  sure  to  instance  in  succeed- 
 ing passages ;  so  far  as  we  have  gone,  we  have  clearly  seen  Christ's 
 life  was  a  perfect  muTor  of  hislove :    as  there  is  no  beam  in  the 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  437 
 
 sun,  in  which  there  is  no  light ;  so  there  was  no  act  in  the  life  of 
 Christ,  but  to  a  spiritual  eye  it  shines  with  the  light  of  love. 
 
 3.  At  this  time  there  is  a  coal  of  burning  love  in  the  breast  of 
 Christ :  this  fire  was  indeed  from  everlasting,  but  the  flames  are 
 as  hot  this  day  as  ever ;  now  is  it  that  Christ  loves,  and  lives ; 
 and  wherefore  lives,  but  only  to  love  us,  and  to  intercede  for 
 us?  Christ  makes  our  salvation  his  constant  calling;  he  is  ever 
 at  work,  yesterday,  and  to-day,  and  for  ever ;  there  is  not  one 
 hour  in*  the  day,  nor  one  day  in  a  year,  nor  year  in  an  age, 
 wherein  Christ  is  not  busy  with  his  Father  in  this  heavenly  em- 
 ployment of  interceding  for  us.  He  loved  us  before  he  died  for 
 us,  his  lore  being  the  cause  why  he  died  for  us;  and  he  loves  us 
 still,  in  that  now  he  intercedes  for  us :  It  is  as  much  as  to  say, 
 Christ  hath  loved  us,  and  he  repents  not  of  his  love:  love  made 
 him  die  for  us,  and,  if  it  were  to  do  again,  he  would  die  over 
 again ;  O  the  love  of  Christ  towards  our  poor  souls !  how  many 
 thousands  of  particulars  might  I  draw  out  of  scripture,  express- 
 ing Christ's  love  to  us  in  this  respect. 
 
 2d.  Another  motive  of  our  love  to  Christ  is  our  propriety  in 
 Christ :  Ye  are  not  your  own,  said  the  apostle  of  us ;  and  he  is  not 
 his  oivn,  may  we  say  of  Christ :  if  any  ask  how  this  may  be ;  I 
 answer,  that  the  soul  in  loving  Christ  is  not  her  own,  and  in  re- 
 gard of  loving,  Christ  is  not  his  own;  every  one  makes  over 
 itself  to  another;  and  propriety  or  interest  to  itself  on  both  sides 
 ceaseth ;  3Iy  beloved  is  mine,  and  lam  his,  saith  the  spouse ;  not 
 as  if  Christ  should  leave  off  to  be  his  own,  or  to  be  a  free  God, 
 when  he  becomes  ours ;  no,  but  he  so  demeans  himself,  in  re- 
 spect of  love,  as  if  he  were  not  his  own ;  he  putteth  on  such 
 relations,  and  assumes  such  offices  of  engagement,  as  if  he  were 
 all  for  us,  and  nothing  for  himself;  thus  he  is  called  a  Saviour, 
 a  Redeemer,  a  King,  a  Priest,  a  Prophet,  a  Friend,  a  Guide,  a 
 Head,  a  Husband,  a  Leader,  Ransomer,  Intercessor;  and  what 
 not,  of  this  nature  ! 
 
 ()  my  soul,  come  hither ;  if  thou  hadst  as  many  hearts  in  one, 
 as  there  are  men  and  angels  in  heaven  and  earth,  all  these  would 
 be  too  little  for  Jesus  Christ :  only  go  as  far  as  thou  canst,  and 
 love  him  with  that  heart  thou  hast,  yea,  love  him  with  all  thy 
 heart,  and  all  thy  soul,  and  all  thy  might;  and  as  Christ,  in  lov- 
 ing thee,  is  not  his  own,  so  let  thy  soul  in  loving  Christ  be  not 
 her  own:  come,  love  thy  Christ,  and  not  thyself;  possess  thy 
 Christ,  and  not  thyself;  enjoy  thy  Christ,  and  not  thyself;  live 
 in  thy  Christ,  and  not  in  thyself;  solace  thyself  in  Jesus  Christ, 
 not  in  thyself;  say  with  the  apostle,  /  am  crucified  ivifh  Christ, 
 ')ieverthel€ss,  Hive,  yet  not  /,  hut  Christ  liveth  in  me.  Certainly, 
 if  ever  thou  comest  to  love  Christ  truly,  thou  canst  not  but  deny 
 thyself  and  all  created  lovers.  This  love  will  screw  up  thy  soul 
 so  high  above  the  world,  and  above  thy  flesh,  and  above  thy  life, 
 and  above  all  other  lovers,  that  nothhig*on  this  side  Christ,  whe- 
 
438  Looking  unto  */esiis. 
 
 ther  in  heaven  or  earth,  will  come  in  competition  with  him.  O 
 for  a  soul  filled  with  the  fulness  of  God  !  O  for  a  soul  stretched 
 out  to  its  widest  capacity  for  the  entertainment  of  God !  O  my 
 soul  that  thou  wert  but  aide  to  compreJiend  with  all  the  saints, 
 what  is  the  breadth,  and  length,  and  depth,  and  height,  and  to 
 know  the  love  of  Christ,  that  ^^asseth  knowledge! 
 
 Sect,  VII. — Of  Joying  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  joy  in  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  this  great  Avork  oi  our  sal- 
 vation in  his  intercession. 
 
 O  I  am  much  opposed  (says  one :)  Dogs  have  cornjjassed  me, 
 the  assembly  of  the  ivicked  have  enclosed  me;  they  persecute,  re- 
 proach, revile,  so  that  I  am  killed  all  the  day  long. — And  what 
 then  ?  What  matters  opposition  of  men,  so  long  as  Christ  doth 
 intercede  for  thee  in  heaven  ?  And  tell  me,  hast  thou  no  ex- 
 perience of  this  truth  ?  Doth  not  relief  come  in  strangely  now 
 and  then  ?  Why,  write  upon  the  forehead  of  such  favours,  I  have 
 a  merciful  and  compassionate  Mediator  in  heaven, 
 
 O  I  am  much  opposed  (says  another)  that  I  cannot  pray;  alas ! 
 my  prayers  are  dull,  weak,  and  dry,  and  without  spirit  and  life. 
 If  so,  be  humbled  for  it;  and  yet  know  this,  that  when  thou 
 canst  not  pray,  Christ  prays  for  thee,  and  he  prays  that  thou 
 mayst  pray :  and  tell  me,  hast  thou  no  experience  of  this  truth  ? 
 hath  not  sometimes  thy  spirit  been  enlarged  in  prayer?  hast 
 thou  not  sometimes  felt  thy  heart  warmed?  hast  thou  not 
 sometimes  in  prayer  been  lifted  up  above  thyself,  and  above  the 
 world  ?  Conclude  then,  my  intercessor  above  hath  sent  me  this 
 gift;  it  is  not  I,  but  Christ's  intercession,  that  by  a  secret  ope- 
 ration hath  given  me  the  Spirit  to  help  mine  infirmity ;  these  are 
 the  intercessions  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  and  they  are  the  very 
 echo  of  the  intercession  of  Christ  in  his  ovni  person. 
 
 Sect.  VIII. — Of  Praying  to,  and  Praising  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  pray,  and  praise  our  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 1.  Let  us  pray  or  sue  our  interest  in  this  intercession;  call  on 
 Jesus,  or  on  God  the  Father  in  and  through  Jesus,  that  Christ's 
 intercessions  may  be  ours,  and  that  he  would  make  it  out  to  us 
 in  a  way  of  assurance  every  day  more  and  more. 
 
 2.  Let  us  praise,  let  us  bless  God  and  Christ  for  every  trans- 
 action in  heaven  for  us.  Heaven  is  full  of  his  praises;  why 
 should  not  earth  ring  with  the  sound  thereof?  Praise  the  Lord, 
 O  my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me,  praise  his  holy  name. 
 
 Sect.  IX. — Of  Conforming  to  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  conform  to  Jesus  in  respect  of  his  intercession.  I  can- 
 not think  but  in  every  action  of  Christ  there  is  something  imi- 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  439 
 
 •o 
 
 table  of  us.     As  to  the  present,  I  shall  instance  only  in  these 
 particulars. 
 
 1.  Christ  appears  in  heaven  for  us;  let  us  appear  on  earth  for 
 him.  Is  there  not  equity,  as  well  as  conformity  to  this  duty  ? 
 O  my  soul,  consider  what  Christ  is  doing,  consider  wherein  the 
 intercession  of  Jesus  Christ  consists !  is  not  this  the  first  part  of 
 it?  He  appears  in  heaven  before  saints  and  angels,  and  before 
 God  and  his  Father  in  thy  behalf;  and  art  thou  afraid  of  worms, 
 mortals^  dust  and  ashes,  in  his  cause,  or  for  his  truth  ?  Shall 
 Jesus  Christ  own  thee  in  heaven,  and  wilt  thou  not  own  Jesus 
 Christ  here  in  this  world  ?  O  what  a  mighty  engagement  is  here 
 to  stand  to  Christ,  and  to  appear  for  Christ,  and  to  own  his  cause 
 in  these  backsliding  times ;  in  that  Christ,  who  sits  at  the  right 
 hand  of  God,  is  ready  to  appear  in  person  for  us,  both  as  a  me- 
 diator, sponsor,  solicitor,  advocate,  and  ambassador ! 
 
 2.  Christ  spends  all  his  time  for  us  and  our  salvation ;  let  us 
 spend  all  our  time  for  him,  and  in  his  service.     The  apostle  tells 
 us,  that  he  ever  lives  to  make  intercession  for  us;  it  is  not  for  a 
 day,  or  a  month,  or  a  year,  but  he  lives  for  ever  upon  this  ac- 
 count ;  for  ever  (i,  e.)  during  all  the  time  from  his  ascension, 
 mtil  the  end  of  the  world,  he  is  still  interceding ;  surely  people 
 
 do  not  think  what  Christ  is  doing  in  heaven  for  them.  If  you 
 would  but  seriously  consider,  that  Christ,  without  any  weariness 
 or  intermission,  is  ever  interceding;  how  would  this  engage  you 
 in  his  service  ?  Ah  Christians  !  if  you  should  continue  praying, 
 praising,  reading,  hearing,  all  this  day  without  any  intermission ; 
 how  would  you  say.  When  will  the  day  he  do7ie,  when  luill  the 
 Sabbath  be  at  an  end?  Well,  but  Christ  is  not  weary  of  serving 
 you :  when  you  have  done  your  duties,  he  takes  your  persons 
 and  duties,  and  presents  all  unto  his  Father ;  he  prays  over  your 
 prayers,  continues  praying,  and  saying,  Lord  accept  of  a  short, 
 poor,  imperfect  service  done  on  earth,  for  my  sake,  and  for  those 
 merits'  sake  luhich  I  am  continually  presenting  to  thee  m  heaven. 
 O  why  do  we  not  come  up  to  this  conformity  ?  O  why  are  we 
 so  uncomformable  to  the  actings  of  Christ?  We  cannot  but 
 judge  this  to  be  most  equal,  that  they  luho  live,  should  not  hence- 
 forth live  unto  themselves,  but  unto  him  luho  ever  lives  to  make 
 intercession  for  them. 
 
 3.  He  prays  for  us,  and  for  all  believers,  to  Ms  Father.  Let 
 us  pray  for  ourselves,  and  for  all  our  brethren,  and  for  all  sorts  of 
 men,  though  they  be  our  enemies,  for  we  were  no  better  to  Jesus 
 Christ.  Learn  of  me,  saith  Christ ;  and  so  far  as  he  is  imitable, 
 let  us  follow  him.  Doth  Christ  pray  ?  let  us  pray.  Doth  he 
 pray  for  us  and  others  ?  let  us  pray  for  ourselves,  and  then  let 
 us  pray  one  for  another. 
 
 4.  Christ  takes  our  prayers,  and  mingles  them  with  his  own 
 prayers,  intercessions,  incense,  and  so  presents  all  his  own 
 work  unto  God  the  Father.     O  let  this  be  om*  care,  to  put  up  all 
 
440  Looking  unto  J^esiis, 
 
 our  prayers  to  God  in  the  name  of  Christ ;  and  to  stay  ourselves 
 upon  the  intercessions  of  Christ :  When  all  is  done,  let  us  beg 
 the  acceptance  of  our  prayers,  not  for  our  sakes,  but  for  his  sake, 
 who  perfumes  our  prayers,  by  interweaving  them  with  his  prayers. 
 Many  a  poor  soul  is  afraid  to  pray  to  God;  for  want  of  the  due 
 consideration  of  this  conformity,  such  a  one  goes  to  prayer,  and 
 he  looks  upon  it  as  it  lies  upon  his  own  heart,  or  as  it  comes 
 from  himself,  and  then  he  cries,  O  ivhat  a  poor,  weak,  sinful, 
 prayer  is  this?  Well,  but  if  this  weak  prayer  of  thine ije  once 
 mingled  with  the  glorious  and  heavenly  prayer  of  Jesus  Christ, 
 the  weakness  will  soon  vanish,  and  thy  prayer  will  find  accept- 
 ance with  God.  O  conform  to  Christ  in  this  point ;  he  will  not 
 present  thy  prayers  to  God,  but  he  will  first  mingle  it  with  his 
 own  prayers ;  no  more  shouldst  thou  present  a  prayer  to  God, 
 but  in  Christ's  name,  considering  that  all  thy  prayers  find  accept- 
 ance in,  for,  and  through  the  intercession  of  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 5.  Christ  by  his  intercession,  saves  us  to  the  uttermost.  O  let 
 us  serve  him  to  the  uttermost ;  surely  all  we  can  do  is  too  little 
 to  answer  so  great  a  love  as  this.  O  Christians  !  why  should  it 
 be  esteemed  a  needless  thing  to  be  rigorously  and  exactly  cir- 
 cumspect? Christ  paid  our  debt  to  the  uttermost  farthing, 
 drank  every  drop  of  our  bitter  cup,  and  now  presents  all  unto  his 
 Father,  by  way  of  intercession,  and  saves  us  thoroughly  to  the 
 uttermost ;  why  should  not  we  labour  to  perform  his  service,  and 
 to  fulfil  every  one  of  his  commandments,  thoroughly  and  to  the 
 uttermost  also  ?  Certainly  there  is  a  duty  which  concerns  us,  to 
 be  hot  in  religioii.  Rev.  iii.  16.  to  be  zealous  of  good  works. 
 Tit.  ii.  14.  to  ivalk  circumspectly,  or  precisely,  as  the  word 
 carries  it,  Ephes.  v.  15.  to  be  fervent  i?i  Sjnrit,  Rom.  xii.  11. 
 to  strive  to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate,  Luke  xiii.  24.  to  contend 
 for  the  faith,  Jude  iii.  with  an  holy  kind  oi  violejice  to  lay  hold 
 upon  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Matt.  xi.  12.  O  that  ever  men 
 should  be  afraid  of  taking  God's  part  too  much,  or  fighting  too 
 valiantly  under  the  colours  of  Christ ;  of  being  too  busy  about 
 salvation ;  of  being  singular  (as  they  call  it)  in  the  duties  of  re- 
 ligion. 1  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  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 !  O  come  and 
 learn  this  lesson  of  Christ,  he  saves  us  to  the  uttennost;  let  us 
 serve  him  with  all  our  hearts,  and  with  all  our  souls,  and  with  all 
 our  might. 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  441 
 
 LOOKING  UNTO  JESUS, 
 
 IN    HIS    SECOND    COMING. 
 
 BOOK  IX. 
 
 CHAP.  I. 
 Sect.  L-— 0/  Christ's  preparing  for  Judgment. 
 
 And  is  not  all  done  yet  ?  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. 
 In  this  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  that  great  work  of  our  salva- 
 tion, 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  surrendering  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  bis  preparing  for  judgment.  When  once  the  number 
 of  his  elect  shall  be  completed,  and  the  work  of  his  intercession 
 shall  be  at  an  end,  then  immediately  will  follow  these  particulars : 
 
 (1.)  ^  great  voice  comes  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven,  saying,  It 
 is  done.  It  comes  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven,  that  we  may  un- 
 derstand it  to  be  the  voice  of  Christ.  And  if  this  speech  be  di- 
 rected unto  God,  it  is  as  if  Christ  had  bespoke  his  Father  thus  : 
 16.  3  k 
 
442  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 *  And  now,  O  my  Father,  I  have  done ;  that  office  of  the  priest- 
 hood wliich  we  erected,  is  at  an  end ;  I  have  sat  at  thy  right-hand, 
 intercedino-  for  my  samts  ever  smce  my  ascension ;  and  now  their 
 number  is  completed,  I  am  resolved  to  unpin  the  fabric  of  the 
 world,  and  take  it  down ;  it  stands  but  for  their  sakes,  and  there- 
 fore now  let  the  seventh  angel  blow  his  trumpet,  that  the  mys- 
 tery of  God  may  be  finished:  I  swear  hy  him  that  lives  for  ever, 
 that  time  shall  he  no  longer' 
 
 (2.)  No  sooner  is  this  said,  but  the  seventh  angel  sounds.  This 
 seventh  angel,  saith  Parens,  is  the   archangel   that   proclaims 
 Christ's  coming,  with  a  great  and  mighty  shout;  For  the  Lord 
 himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of 
 the  archangel,  and  ivith  the  trump  of  God.     The  Lord  shall 
 descend  with  a  shout '.    But  before  he  descends,  and  I  believe  upon 
 the  very  discovery  of  his  coming  down,  there  will  be  a  shout  in 
 heaven ;  for  so  it  follows.  And  the  seventh  angel  sounded,  and 
 there  were  great  voices  in  heaven ;  the  voices  of  blessed  souls,  and 
 Messed  saints,  and  blessed  angels  in  heaven:  no  sooner  Christ 
 bids  the  angel  sound,  that  is,  summon  all  souls,  and  all  angels, 
 and  bid  them  wait  on  me ;  now  I  resolve  to  go  down,  and  to  judge 
 the  world.     No  sooner,  I  say,  Christ  bids  the  angel  sound,  but 
 presently,  at  the  joy  of  his  command,  all  the  voices  in  heaven 
 give  a  shout:  this  is  the  long-looked-for  day,  the  day  of  perfect- 
 ing the  number  of  the  saints;  the  day  of  joining  the  souls  and 
 bodies  of  the  saints  together ;  the  day  of  convening  all  the  fa- 
 milies both  of  saints  and  angels;  the  day  of  bringing  up  the 
 bride  unto  the  Lamb,  and  of  completing  the  marriage  solemnity ; 
 and  therefore  no  wonder  if,  at  this  news,  great  voices  and  cries 
 (such  as  are  used  by  mariners,  or  gatherers  of  the  vintage)  were 
 made  in  heaven.      Now  they  shout,  and  sing  a  new  song.  The 
 kingdoms  of  this  world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  and 
 of  his  Christ,  and  he  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever. 
 
 (3.)  After  this  shout.  The  four  and  twenty  elders,  wtiich  sit 
 before  God  on  their  seats,  fall  upon  their  faces,  and'worshij)ped 
 God,  saying.  We  give  thee  thanks,  O  Lord  God  Almighty,  tvhich 
 art,  and  wast,  and  art  to  come ;  because  thou  hast  taken  to  thee 
 thy  great  power,  and  hast  reigned.  By  these  we  understand  all 
 God's  saints  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  comprehended  un- 
 der the  twelve  patriarchs,  and  twelve  apostles ;  first  they  praise, 
 and  then  they  pray.  1.  They  praise  God  for  taking  to  himself 
 his  own  power.     2.  They  pray  Christ  to  go  on  to  judgment. 
 
 (4.)  God  the  Father  is  well  pleased  with  Christ's  purpose  of 
 judging  the  world :  The  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord,  Sit  thou  at  my 
 rig  lit- hand  until  I  make  thine  enemies  thy  foot-stool.  I  know 
 these  words  were  spoke  to  Christ  at  his  ascension  into  heaven,  yet 
 that  hinders  not,  but  that  now  God  speaks  them  again  to  Christ ; 
 for  as  yet,  saith  the  apostle,  ive  see  not  all  things  put  under  him; 
 and  God's  purpose  was,  that  Christ  should  rule  until  he  had  put  all 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  443 
 
 things  in  subjection  under  his  feet.  There  is  a  difference  betwixt 
 Christ's  reign  before^  and  his  present  reign;  at  the  day  of  judg- 
 ment Christ  hath  a  double  throne,  wherein  he  sits  and  reigns : 
 To  him  that  overcomes  will  I  give  to  sit  with  me  on  my  throne^  as 
 I  also  overcame,  and  am  set  down  with  my  Father  in  his  throne. 
 That  kingly  rule  that  Christ  hath  from  his  ascension,  is  upon  his 
 Father's  throne ;  but  the  kingdom  that  Christ  shall  have  at  the 
 day  of  judgment,  and  ever  after,  is  the  joint  reign  of  him  with  the 
 Fatlier;  he  shall  have  a  throne  himself,  and  the  saints  shall  sit 
 with  him  in  his  own  throne.  And  now,  saith  the  Father,  Sit  thou 
 at  my  right-hand,  sit  on  thy  own  throne  by  me ;  go  on  to  judge 
 the  nations ;  I  will  not  judge  them,  but  only  in  thee,  and  by  thee ; 
 Lo,  I  have  committed  all  judgment  unto  the  Son;  and  do  thou 
 judge  them,  until  thou  hast  rewarded  thy  friends,  and  made  thine 
 enemies  thy  footstool. 
 
 Christians,  I  cannot  but  wonder  at  this  joy  in  heaven,  and  that 
 we  have  so  little  of  this  on  earth  5  we  say  with  cold  lips,  and  fro- 
 zen hearts.  Thy  kingdom  come,  thy  ivill  be  done  on  earth,  as  it  is 
 in  heaven;  but  if  our  prayers  were  real  and  fervent,  if  we  could 
 but  imitate  those  heavenly  citizens,  what  longings  would  be  in 
 our  hearts  after  Christ's  coming  ?  How  should  we  rejoice  at  the 
 very  thoughts  thereof?  Christ  comforting  his  disciples  in  re- 
 spect thereof,  speaks  these  words,  TVhen  these  things  begin  to 
 come  to  pass,  then  look  up,  and  lift  up  your  heads,  for  your  re- 
 demption draweth  nigh.  The  fulness  of  our  redemption  is  a 
 ground  of  consolation ;  all  the  spirits  above  are  sensible  of  this ; 
 God,  and  Christ,  and  the  angels  and  saints,  rejoice :  The  Spirit 
 and  the  bride  say.  Come;  and  Christ  himself  saith.  Surely  I  come 
 quickly ;  O  let  us  say  amen  to  it;  even  so  come,  Lord  Jesus^ 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  Christ  coining  to  Judgment, 
 
 No  sooner  is  Christ  prepared,  and  all  in  readiness,  but  he  de- 
 scends from  his  throne,  to  the  judgment-seat.  In  this  passage  I 
 shall  observe  these  particulars : 
 
 1.  He  descends  with  his  train.  He  comes  with  his  royal 
 attendants  out  of  heaven :  Behold,  the  Lord  comes  with  mighty 
 angels.  Behold,  the  Lord  comes  with  ten  thousands  of  his  saints,  to 
 execute  judgme) it  unto  all.  Certainly  a  numberless  number  shall 
 w^ait  upon  him.  Daniel  tells  us  of  a  thousand  thousand,  that 
 this  day  minister  unto  Christ;  A  thousand  thousayid  ministered 
 unto  him,  and  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  stood  before  liim: 
 Or,  if  heaven  have  more,  I  believe  heaven  will  empty  itself  of  all 
 the  saints,  and  all  the  angels ;  not  one  spirit  shall  stay  when 
 Christ  descends :  The  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  and 
 all  the  holy  a7igels  with  him.  O  what  a  glorious  day  will  this  be ; 
 If  one  sun  make  the  morning  sky  so  glorious,  \^'hat  a  glorious 
 morning  will  that  be,  when  so  many  thousaudis  of  suns  shall 
 
444  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 shine  over  our  heads,  the  glorious  body  of  Christ  surpassing 
 them  all  in  glory !  Here's  a  new  heaven  of  suns  and  stars,  such 
 as  this  nether  world  never  saw,  Xo,  the  Sun  of  Righteousness, 
 with  all  his  7nor?iing  stars  si?igi72g  and  shouting  for  joy.  Heaven 
 now  empties  itself  of  all  its  created  citizens,  and  cleaves  asunder 
 to  make  way  for  Christ  and  all  his  train. 
 
 2.  In  his  descent  through  the  heavens,  he  shakes  the  heavens. 
 And  the  poivers  of  heaven  shall  he  shaken.  The  whole  frame  of 
 heaven,  the  mighty  bodies  thereof,  most  mighty  in  their  sub- 
 stance, motion,  and  operation,  shall  be  shaken :  At  his  nod  the 
 pillars  of  heaven  tremble  and  are  astotiished.  As  yet  they  are 
 subject  to  vanity,  and  therefore  it  is  no  wonder,  if  at  the  coming 
 of  Christ  they  tremble.  In  this  shaking,  the  evangelist  adds, 
 that  the  glorious  lights  of  heaven  shall  be  altered :  lYie  sun  shall 
 be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her  light,  and  the  stains 
 shall  fall.  The  coming  of  Christ  shall  bring  with  him  such  a 
 light,  that  the  splendour  of  the  sun  and  moon  shall  be  obscured. 
 
 3.  As  he  passes  through  the  elementary  world,  a  fire  doth 
 usher  him :  Our  God  shall  come,  and  shall  not  keep  silence;  afire 
 shall  devour  before  him,  and  it  shall  be  very  tempestuous  round 
 about  him. — Behold  the  Lord  tvill  come  with  fire,  and  with  his 
 chariots  like  a  whirlwind. — And  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  revealed 
 from  heaven,  ivith  his  mighty  angels,  in  flaming  fire.  In  which 
 respect,  Daniel  saw  his  throne  like  the  fiery  fla^ne,  and  his  iv  heels 
 as  burning  fire;  a  fiery  stream  issued  and  came  forth  from  before 
 him.  And  at  last  this  fire  shall  have  that  effect,  that  the  very 
 elements  shall  melt  with  fervent  heat;  the  earth  also,  and  the 
 works  that  are  therein,  shall  be  burnt  up.  O  Christians  !  What 
 cause  have  we  to  make  the  apostle's  use  of  this  point, '  Seeing  all 
 these  things  shall  be  dissolved,  what  manner  of  persons  ought  we 
 to  be  in  all  holy  conversation  and  godliness  ?  Looking  for  and 
 hastening  vmto  the  coming  of  the  day  of  God,  wherein  the 
 heavens  being  on  fire,  shall  be  dissolved,  and  the  elements  shall 
 melt  with  fervent  heat.' 
 
 He  descends  lower  and  lower,  till  he  is  inwrapt  with  clouds : 
 Hereafter  shall  you  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting  on  the  right-hand 
 of])oiver,  and  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaveji.  When  he  went 
 up  into  heaven,  it  is  said  that  a  cloud  received  him  out  of  their 
 sight;  and  the  angels  then  said.  Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand  ye 
 gazing  up  into  heaven  f  This  same  Je&us,  luhich  is  taken  up  into 
 heaven,  shall  so  come,  in  like  mamiei'  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into 
 heaven.  He  went  up  in  clouds,  and  he  shall  come  down  in  clouds : 
 I  saw  in  the  night  visions, andbehold  one  like  the  Son  of  man  came 
 with  the  clouds  of  heaven.  Here  is  the  first  sight  of  Christ  to  men 
 on  tlie  earth ;  when  once  he  is  come  down  into  the  clouds,  then 
 shall  they  lift  up  their  eyes,  and  have  a  fiill  view  of  Jesus  Christ: 
 a  cloud  first  received  him  out  of  their  sight  3  and  a  cloud  now 
 diHcovcrs  him  to  their  sight;   Then  shall  appear  the  sign  of  the 
 
Looking  unto  %Iesus.  445 
 
 Son  of  man  in  heaven;  and  they  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  coming 
 in  the  clouds  of  heaven  ivith  poiver  and  great  glory.  Is  it  not 
 plaiii^  that  the  first  appearing  and  sight  of  Christ,  at  his  second 
 coming  from  heaven,  is  in  the  midst  of  clouds ;  Behold  he  Com- 
 eth with  clouds,  and  every  eye  shall  see  him,  and  they  also  7vhich 
 pierced  him.  Shall  not  we,  at  the  first  view  of  him  in  the  clouds, 
 cry  out,  O  yonder  is  he,  whose  blood  redeemed  us,  whose  Spirit 
 cleansed  us,  whose  prayers  prevail  for  us,  whose  law  did  govern 
 us :  yonder  comes  he  in  whom  we  trusted,  and  now  we  see  he 
 hath  not  deceived  our  trust;  yonder  is  he  for  whom  we  waited 
 long,  and  now  we  see  we  have  not  waited  in  vain. 
 
 I  verily  believe,  thus  it  will  be  with  us  one  day ;  we  shall  have 
 comfort  then.  O  let  us  comfort  ourselves  with  these  words;  and 
 ever  and  anon  ciy,  ^  Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly ! — make 
 haste,  my  beloved,  and  be  thou  like  a  roe,  or  a  young  hart,  upon 
 the  mountain  of  spices/ 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  Christ's  summoning  of  the  Elect  to  come  under 
 
 Judgment. 
 
 No  sooner  is  he  in  the  clouds,  but  he  sends  his  holy  angels  with 
 a  great  sound  of  a  trumpet,  and  they  shall  gather  together  his 
 elect  from  the  four  winds,  from  one  end  of  the  heaven  to  another. 
 
 1.  He  shall  send  his  angels.  This  was  their  office  from  their 
 first  creation ;  they  were  still  sent  of  God  this  way,  and  that  way ; 
 and  indeed  herein  is  one  diff'erence  betwixt  Christ  and  the  angels, 
 he  was  to  sit  at  God's  right-hand,  but  they  were  sent  abroad,  to 
 minister  to  the  saints  and  people  of  God. 
 
 2.  The  commission  given  the  angels,  immediately  to  sound  the 
 trumpet;  so  it  follows.  And  he  shall  send  his  angels  ivith  a  great 
 sound  of  a  trumpet:  some  would  have  it  to  be  a  material  trumpet, 
 others  more  probably  look  upon  this  as  a  metaphor;  or  a  sound 
 formed  in  the  air,  like  the  sound  of  a  trumpet.  A  voice  it  is, 
 without  all  controversy;  and,  metaphorically,  it  may  be  called  a 
 trumpet,  both  from  the  clearness  and  greatness  of  the  sound ;  so 
 loud  shall  it  be,  that  it  will  pierce  into  the  ears  of  the  dead  in 
 their  graves ;  it  ivill  shake  the  world,  rend  the  rocks,  break  the 
 mountcmis,  dissolve  the  bonds  of  death,  burst  down  the  gates  of 
 hell,  and  unite  all  spirits  to  their  own  bodies.  The  Lord  himself 
 shall  descend  from  heaven  ivith  a  shout,  ivith  the  voice  of  the  arch- 
 angel, and  with  the  trumjyet  of  God.  In  these  words  is  shewed 
 the  coming  of  Christ  in  three  particulars ;  with  a  shout,  with  a 
 voice,  and  with  a  trumpet.  It  is  agreed  by  most,  that  the  transac- 
 tions at  the  giving  of  the  law  on  mount  Sinai,  were  a  representation 
 of  the  proceedings  which  shall  be  at  the  great  day  of  judgment; 
 now  in  that  transaction  we  read  of  a  three-fold  voice,  ttie  voice 
 of  God,  the  voice  of  thunder,  and  the  voice  of  a  trumpet,  (Exod. 
 xix.  16.  compared  with  Exod.  xx.  1.)  and  accordingly  we  find 
 
446  Loohing  unto  Jesus. 
 
 the  apostle  speaking  of  a  three-fold  voice,  of  the  voice  of  Christy 
 of  the  voice  of  thunder,  and  of  the  voice  of  a  trumpet, 
 
 1 .  The  Lord  himself  shall  descend  ivith  a  shout,  Lyra  and 
 others  think  this  to  be  the  voice  of  Christ  himself,  saying,  with  a 
 loud  voice.  Arise,  ye  dead,  and  come  to  judgment.  Thus  Jesus 
 cried  with  a  loud  voice,  Lazarus,  come  forth;  and  with  such  a 
 voice  will  he  call  on  the  dead  at  the  last  day.  So  much  Christ 
 himself  hath  taught  us ;  The  hour  is  coming,  and  now  is,  when 
 the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  tlie  Son  of  God,  and  they  that 
 hear  sliall  live.  The  hour  is,  because  by  the  voice  he  raised  some 
 at  his  first  coming.  And  the  hour  is  coming,  because  in  the  like 
 manner  he  will  raise  up  all  men  at  the  last  day :  Marvel  not  at 
 this,  (saith  Christ,)  for  the  hour  is  coming  in  the  which  all  that 
 are  in  the  graves  sliall  hear  his  voice,  and  they^shall  come  foi^th. 
 As  at  the  creation  of  the  world  he  said.  Let  there  he  light,  and 
 there  was  light;  so  at  the  dissolution  of  the^vorld  he  will  say. 
 Let  the  dead  rise;  let  the  sea  give  up  the  dead  that  are  in  it,  and 
 death  and  hell  deliver  up  the  dead  which  are  in  them;  and  it  will 
 be  so. 
 
 2.  The  Lord  shall  descend,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel. 
 
 Some  argue  this  archangel  to  be  Gabriel,  others  Raphael, 
 others  Michael.  The  Jews  have  an  ancient  tradition,  that  there 
 are  seven  principal  angels  that  minister  before  the  throne  of  God, 
 and  therefore  called  archangels.  The  scriptures  seem  to  speak 
 much  that  way,  calling  them,  seven  lamps  of  fire  burning  before 
 the  throne;  and  seve7i  horns,  and  seven  eyes  of  the  Lamb;  and 
 t/ie  seven  Spirits  of  God  sent  forth  into  all  t/ie  earth;  and  seven 
 eyes  of  the  Lord,  luJiich  run  to  and  fro  througJi  tlie  ivhole  earth; 
 and  yet  more  plainly,  seveti  angels  that  stand  before  God,  Now, 
 which  of  these  seven  is  the  archangel  here  spoken  of,  is  hard  to 
 determine ;  only  probably  it  is,  that  all  the  archangels,  and  all  tl}e 
 angels,  are  hereby  understood,  as  comprehended  under  that 
 one. 
 
 But  what  is  this  voice  of  the  archangel?  I  conceive  that 
 thereby  we  are  to  understand  thunder.  Here  is  a  manifest  allu- 
 sion to  the  proceedings  at  the  giving  of  the  law;  now  the  voice 
 there  mentioned,  besides  the  voice  "of  God  and  the  voice  of  a 
 trumpet,  is  tlie  voice  of  thunder :  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the 
 third  day,  in  tlie  morning,  there  were  thunders, 
 
 2.  The  Lord  shall  descend,  with  the  trumpet  of  God,  Such  a 
 voice  was  used  also  at  the  giving  of  the  law ;  and  so  it  will  be  now, 
 when  men  are  called  to  account  for  the  keeping  or  breaking  of  it. 
 For  tlie  understanding  of  this,  our  last  translation  tells  us,  that 
 
 I      /j1»)t'/     fhnll    l<rtn\il     hin    <^^->.r^»/„ .'xZ.     j/.  *  1  f  •  «• 
 
 voice,  like  the  voice  of  a  trumpet. 
 
 But  why  is  this  sound  as  of  a  trumpet,  called  the  trumpet  of 
 
Looking  unto  tiesusc  447 
 
 God?  I  answer,  for  the  greatness  of  it;  for  it  is  usual  in  the 
 Hebrew  language,  for  the  setting  forth  of  the  greatness  of  a  thing, 
 to  add  the  name  of  God  to  the  word,  whereby  the  thing  is  signi- 
 fied: as,  6rew.  xxiii.  6.  A  prince  of  God,  that  is,  a  mighty 
 prince,  Gen.  xxx.  8. ;  luith  the  ivrestlings  of  God,  that  is,  with 
 great  wrestlings,  Psal.  xxxvi.  6. ;  mountains  of  God,  tliat  is,  great 
 mountains,  Psal.  Ixxx.  10. ;  cedars  of  God,  that  is,  very  high 
 cedars ;  so  here,  the  trump  of  God,  that  is,  a  very  great  sound, 
 like  the  sound  of  a  trumpet.  It  is  said  in  the  law,  there  were 
 thunders  and  lightnings,  and  a  thick  cloud  upon  the  mount;  and 
 the  voice  of  the  trumpet  exceeding  loud,  so  that  all  the  people  that 
 were  in  the  camp  trembled;  and  if  there  was  trembling  at  the 
 giving  of  the  law,  O  what  trembling  will  be  at  the  general  assize, 
 when  sinners  shall  be  condemned  for  breaking  of  it  ? 
 
 3.  No  sooner  is  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.  Something  like  death 
 shall  seize  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  hy  the  word  of  our  Lord,  that  we  which  are  alive,  and  remaiji 
 unto  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  shall  not  prevent  them  which  are 
 asleep;  for  the  Lord  himself  shall  desceyid  from  heaven  in  a  shout, 
 with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  luith  the  trump  of  God,  and 
 the  dead  iii  Christ  shall  rise  first;  then  lue  ivhich  are  alive,  and 
 remain,  shall  be  caught  up  together  with  him  in  the  clouds.  The 
 first  that  shall  be  called  are  the  saints  that  sleep,  and  then  the  saints 
 that  are  alive.  O  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  !  The  bodies  of  saints  were  sown  in  corruptio7i, 
 but  they  are  raised  in  incorruption  ;  they  were  soivn  in  dishonour, 
 but  raised  in  glory;  they  were  sown  in  weakness,  but  raised  in 
 power;  they  ivere  sow7i  natural  bodies,  but  raised  spiritual  bodies. 
 
 4.  No  sooner  are  the  saints  raised,  and  their  souls  and  bodies 
 re-united  with  excellent  majesty,  but  all  the  elect  of  God,  from 
 first  to  last,  are  gathered  together ;  from  the  most  hidden,  inward, 
 secret  bosom  of  the  earth,  all  shall  be  gathered ;  howsoever  their 
 dusts  may  be  scattered  into  a  thousand  thousand  parts,  yet  the 
 power  of  Christ  shall  restore  all  those  dusts,  and  bring  them 
 together  into  their  several  compacted  bodies. 
 
 The  elect  must  resort  to  Christ  wheresoever  he  is ;  and  the 
 apostle  is  express,  that  Christ  is  in  the  air,  and  in  the  clouds: 
 and  therefore  thither  must  the  elect  be  gathered ;  they  shall  be 
 caught  up  by  the  holy  angels  into  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in 
 the  air. 
 
 Is  it  possible  that  such  a  meditation  should  pass  without  some 
 tincture  on  our  spirits  ?  If  my  ears  shall  hear  that  sound,  and  if 
 my  eyes  shall  see  these  sights,  is  it  not  time  for  me  to  lay  these 
 things  to  heart,  that  I  may  be  found  faithfid  and  well-doing  ?     As 
 
448  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 sure  as  I  have  this  book  in  my  hand,  I  must  be  one  of  those  that 
 shall  hear  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  and  away  I  must  go  from  the 
 mouth  of  my  grave,  wherever  I  shall  be  buried,  to  the  cloud 
 where  Christ  doth  sit !  How  would  I  rise  ?  O  my  God !  set  this 
 home  on  my  soul !  O  where  is  my  lamp  ?  and  where  is  my  oil  ? 
 are  all  ready,  and  am  I  ready  and  prepared  to  meet  the  Lord  in 
 the  air? 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  Christ  and  the  Saints  meeting  at  the  Judgment 
 
 Day. 
 
 No  sooner  are  the  saints  lifted  up,  and  set  before  the  Judge, 
 but  these  things  follow : — 
 
 1.  They  admire  the  infinite  glory,  and  beauty,  and  dignity,  and 
 excellency,  that  is  in  Christ.  So  the  apostle,  TFhen  he  shall  come, 
 he  shall  be  glorified  in  his  saints,  and  shall  be  admired  in  all  them 
 that  believe.  All  that  believe  shall  break  out  into  admiration  of 
 Jesus  Christ ;  they  shall  at  the  first  sight  observe  such  an  excel- 
 lency in  Jesus  Christ,  as  they  shall  be  infinitely  taken  with  it : 
 here  we  speak  of  Christ,  and  in  speaking  we  admire;  but  how 
 will  they  admire,  when  they  shall  not  only  speak  or  hear,  but  see 
 and  behold  him,  who  is  the  express  image  of  God,  and  the  bright- 
 ness  of  his  Father  s  glory, 
 
 2.  They  adore  and  magnify  the  grace  and  glory  of  Jesus 
 Christ ',  as  it  is  said  of  the  twenty-four  elders,  that  they  fell  down 
 
 '  before  hi?)!  that  sat  on  the  throne,  and  worshipped  him  that  liveth 
 for  ever  and  ever,  and  cast  their  croiuns  before  the  throne,  sayiiig. 
 Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory,  and  honour,  and 
 power,  for  thou  hast  created  all  things,  and  for  thy  pleasure  they 
 are  and  ivere  created.  So  all  the  saints,  now  advanced  to  stand 
 before  the  throne,  fall  down  before  Christ,  and  worship  him  that 
 lives  for  ever,  shouting  and  singing  about  Jesus  Christ,  and  setting 
 out  his  glory,  grace,  and  goodness :  After  this  Ibeheld  (saith  John) 
 and  lo  a  great  multitude,  which  no  man  could  number,  of  all 
 'nations,  and  kindred,  and  people,  and  tongues,  stood  before  the 
 throne,  and  before  the  Lamb — and  cried  with  a  loud  voice.  Say- 
 ing, Salvation  to  our  God,ivhich  sittethuponthe  throne,  and  unto 
 the  Lamb  ;  and  all  the  angels  stood  round  about  the  throne,  and 
 about  the  elders,  and  the  four  beasts,  and  fell  before  the  throne  on 
 their  faces,  and  worshipped  God,  saying.  Amen;  blessing,  and 
 glory,  and  tvisdom,  and  thatiksgiving,  and  honour,  arid  power, 
 a)id  might,  be  unto  our  God,  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 
 
 3.  Christ  sets  them  on  his  right-hand;  Upon  thy  right-hand 
 doth  stand  the  queen  in  gold  of  Ophir.  When  he  himself  ascended 
 up  into  heaven,  then  said  the  Father  to  him.  Son  sit  thou  down 
 at  my  right-hand ;  and  no  sooner  the  saints  are  ascended  up  to 
 Christ,  but  he  speaks  the  same  to  them,  Sit  down  at  my  right- 
 hand:  Christ  entertahis  them,  as  God  the  Father  entertahied 
 him;  he  at  the  right-hand  of  God,  and  they  at  the  right-hand  of 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  449 
 
 Christ.  The  Lord  now  puts  upon  his  saints  heaven's  glory ;  he 
 adorns  them  with  all  his  ornaments  for  the  marriage  day,  and 
 indeed  here  is  the  beginning  of  the  solemnity  of  the  marriage  of 
 the  Lamb ;  not  but  that  the  contract  was  before,  but  the  solem- 
 nity was  reserved  for  this  day,  and  all  the  glory  of  this  day  is  for 
 nothing  else  but  to  set  out  the  solemnity  of  the  marriage. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Of  Christ's  Sentencing  his  Saints, 
 
 No  sooner  are  they  set  on  his  right-hand,  but  he  prepares  for 
 sentence. 
 
 L  The  book  must  be  opened.  And  Isaiv  the  dead,  small  and 
 great,  stand  before  God;  and  the  books  were  ope)ied,  and  another 
 was  opened  which  is  the  book  of  life.  It  is  spoken  after  the  man- 
 ner of  men,  in  whose  public  judgment  are  produced  all  the  \vrit- 
 ings  of  the  process,  informations,  depositions  of  witnesses,  to 
 shew  that  all  actions,  even  the  most  secret  ones,  shall  then  be  re- 
 hearsed and  made  manifest.  The  books  of  the  Old  and  New 
 Testament,  wherein  all  things  either  to  be  done,  or  omitted,  are 
 prescribed  by  God.  And  the  books  of  our  consciences,  which 
 now  are  shut  up  and  concealed  from  men,  but  then  shall  be 
 made  manifest  to  all  the  world.  Likewise  another  book,  which 
 is  the  book  of  life :  this  book  contains  in  it  the  names  of  all  that 
 are  saved,  from  first  to  last. 
 
 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 
 icritten  in  the  book.  It  appears  hence,  that  not  only  names,  but 
 things,  were  wTitten,  and  these  things  were  produced,  and  accord- 
 ingly they  were  judged. 
 
 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  ivorld.  Every  word  here  is  full  of  life 
 and  joy:  1.  Come.  This  is  the  King's  invitation  of  his  saints  to 
 his  court;  he  hath  summoned  them  before  to  his  presence,  and 
 now  they  are  about  him,  they  must  come  nearer  yet,  they  must  go 
 with  him  into  his  presence-chamber.  2.  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my 
 Father ;  Christ  blessed  them  when  he  went  up  to  heaven,  and 
 whilst  yet  on  earth  he  pronounced  them  blessed  many  a  time ;  but 
 now  he  calls  them  the  blessed  of  his  Father;  it  is  the  Father's  will, 
 as  well  as  Christ's,  that  they  should  be  blessed.  Ye  blessed  of  my 
 Father.  3.  Inherit  the  kingdom.  Christ  had  told  them  before. 
 It  is  your  Father  s  j)leasure  to  give  you  the  ki?igdom;  but  then 
 they  were  only  servants,  or  as  children  under  age,  now  they  are 
 heirs,  heirs  of  God,  joint -heirs  ivith  Christ;  and  therefore  they 
 must  have  the  inheritance  in  possession ;  they  must  all  be  kings. 
 This  word  is  the  anointing,  the  setting  of  the  crown  upon  the  heads 
 of  the  saints ;  Henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  ofrigh- 
 16.  '  3  1. 
 
450  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 teousness,  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  judge,  shall  give  me  at 
 that  day;  and  not  for  me  only,  hut  unto  them  also  that  love  his  ap- 
 pearing. 4.  Inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you.  In  the  begin- 
 ning God  created  heaven :  his  first  work  was  to  make  heaven  for 
 himself  and  his  saints  to  dwell  in ;  he  prepared  it  for  them,  and 
 then  he  prepared  them  for  it :  but  why  for  them  ?  Were  not  an- 
 gels the  first  creatures  that  possessed  it  ?  Nay,  were  they  not 
 created  in  it,  or  together  with  it  ?  Yes,  but  yet  the  angels  are 
 not  properly  the  heirs,  sons,  members,  spouse  of  God  and  Christ, 
 as  the  saints  are :  the  angels  are  but  ministering  spirits,  and  the 
 servants  of  the  bridegroom ;  but  the  saints  are  the  bride  himself, 
 heirs,  and  co-heirs  with  Christ,  as  the  saints  are.  5.  Prepared 
 for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world.  This  was  the  great 
 design  of  God  and  Christ  from  all  eternity. 
 
 Sect.  VI. — Of  Christ  and  his  Saints  judging  the  Rest  of  the 
 
 TForld. 
 
 No  sooner  shall  the  saints  be  acquitted,  anointed,  crowned, 
 but  presently  they  must  be  enthroned,  and  sit  with  Jesus  Christ 
 to  judge  the  world. 
 
 1.  As  Christ  is  on  a  throne,  so  must  the  elect  be  set  on 
 thrones;  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with  me  in 
 my  throne.  Thrones  are  for  kings  and  judges ;  and  in  that  Christi 
 hath  now  lifted  up  his  saints  to  this  condition,  he  will  have  them 
 sit  with  him  as  so  many  judges,  and  as  so  many  kings ;  or  if  it 
 be  more  honour  to  have  thrones  for  themselves,  than  to  sit  with 
 Christ  on  his  throne,  John  in  his  vision  saw  many  thrones  -,  And 
 I  saw  thrones,  a7id  they  sat  upon  them,  and  judgment  iv  as  given 
 unto  them. 
 
 2.  The  goats  on  the  left  hand  shall  then  be  called  to  receive 
 their  doom.  Now  shall  their  hearts  fail  them  for  fear ;  now  shall 
 they  seek  death  (O  how  gladly  would  they  die  again !)  but  shall 
 not  find  it ;  now  they  shall  cry  to  rocks  and  mountains.  Fall  on 
 us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  hitn  that  sitteth  on  the  throne, 
 and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb;  but  all  in  vain;  the  command 
 is  out,  angels  and  devils  will  force  them  to  the  bar,  for  the  Lord 
 hath  spoken  it;  Those  mine  eneinies  ivhich  ivould  not  that  J 
 should  reign  over  them,  bring  them  hither, 
 
 3.  They  shall  look  on  Christ,  and  his  saints,  now  sitting  on 
 their  thrones,  as  prisoners  that  stand  at  the  bar  in  the  face  of  the 
 judge ;  so  must  these  reprobates  look  the  Judge  and  all  his  asses- 
 sors in  the  face. 
 
 1 .  For  the  Judge,  they  shall  look  on  him.  Behold  he  comet k 
 with  clouds,  and  every  eye  shall  see  him,  and  they  also  which 
 pierced  him.  And  this  very  sight  will  be  as  convincing  as  if  they 
 heard  Christ  say, '  Thou  art  the  man  that  didst  murder  me,  thou 
 art  the  man  that  hast  pierced  me ;  this  wound,  this  scar,  and  this 
 
Looking  unto  J^esus.  451 
 
 print  of  the  nails  in  my  hands  and  feet,  were  thy  doings,  in  sin- 
 ning against  me.  I  am  he  whom  you  did  crucify  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/ 
 
 2.  For  the  saints,  they  shall  look  on  them.  In  the  Apocryphal 
 book  there  is  a  plain  description  of  this :  ^  Then  shall  the  righte- 
 ous 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 
 sometimes  in  a  derision,  and  a  proverb  of  reproach :  we  fools 
 accounted  his  life  madness,  and  his  end  to  be  without  honour ; 
 how  is  he  numbered  among  the  children  of  God,  and  his  lot  is 
 amongst  the  sahits  ? '  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  rich  man,  should  now  shine  like  a  star  near  the  Sun  of  righ- 
 teousness ;  that  they  who  were  reproached,  reviled,  massacred, 
 murdered  by  them,  should  now  be  their  judges,  joining  with 
 Jesus  Christ  to  sentence  them  to  hell. 
 
 4.  A  particular,  strict  account,  shall  be  then  required,  and 
 given, 
 
 1 .  Of  sins :  Come,  (will  Christ  say)  now  confess  all  your  sins 
 before  all  the  world;  time  was  that  you  concealed  your  sins,  but 
 now  every  sin  shall  be  laid  open  before  God,  angels,  and  men : 
 and  now  is  the  book  of  their  consciences  opened,  wherein  appear 
 all  their  sins,  original  and  actual,  of  omission  and  commission. 
 O  the  numberless  number  of  evil  thoughts,  words,  and  deeds,  that 
 are  now  laid  open.  In  the  book  are  not  only  written  all  sins 
 done,  but  all  such  sins  as  were  intended  to  be  done ;  all  the  pro- 
 jects of  the  heart,  though  never  acted,  those  very  thoughts, 
 secrets,  purposes,  and  projects,  shall  come  to  light;  or  if  there 
 be  any  thing  more  hidden  or  secret,  as  the  very  bent  and  frame 
 of  your  hearts,  the  very  inclinations  of  your  souls  to  this  or  that 
 evil,  shall  then  be  manifest  to  all  the  world.  Nay,  yet  more, 
 such  sins,  as  by  the  sinners  themselves  were  never  taken  notice 
 of,  either  before,  or  at,  or  after  the  commission  of  them,  shall 
 this  day  come  out.  Conscience  is  such  a  kind  of  notary,  that  it 
 keeps  records  of  all  acts  and  deeds,  whether  you  observe  them  or 
 no;  conscience  hath  the  pen  of  a  ready  writer,  and  takes  in 
 short-hand  from  your  mouths  as  fast  as  you  speak,  and  from 
 your  hearts  as  fast  as  you  can  contrive.  O  what  a  day  will  this 
 be,  when  not  a  sin  committed  by  any  reprobate  from  the  begin- 
 ning of  the  world,  but  now  it  shall  be  rehearsed  I 
 
452  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 2.  As  an  account  of  all  sins,  so  an  account  of  all  temporal 
 gifts  which  God  hath  imparted  to  reprobates  must  now  be  given. 
 Some  have  the  gifts  of  the  world,  as,  riches,  honours,  places  of 
 authority ;  others  have  the  gifts  of  the  body,  as  health,  strength, 
 beauty,  life ;  others  have  the  gifts  of  the  mind,  as  understanding, 
 wisdom,  learning;  now  of  all  these  gifts  they  must  give  an  ac- 
 count. Come,  you  that  are  rich,  (saith  Christ)  render  an  account 
 of  your  stewardship ;  how  have  you  spent  your  riches  ?  The  like 
 will  he  say  to  others  according  to  the  talents  bestowed  on  them  : 
 you  excelled  in  strength,  beauty,  health  of  body,  lei^th  of  days ; 
 and  now  tell  me,  and  publish  it  to  all  the  world,  how  were  these 
 improved  ?  I  believe  many  a  sad  answer  will  be  given  to  Christ 
 of  these  things. 
 
 3,  Christ  and  his  saints  proceed  to  sentence.  First,  Christ  the 
 chief  Judge  shall  pronounce  it.  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into 
 everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels.  Every 
 word  breathes  out  nothing  but  vengeance  and  woe :  to  depart  from 
 that  glorious  presence  of  Christ  were  hell  enough,  but  they  must 
 go  with  a  curse ;  not  only  so,  but  into  fire ',  and  that  must  be 
 everlasting;  and  therein  they  shall  have  no  other  company,  or 
 comforters,  but  devils,  and  they  insulting  over  them  with  hellish 
 spite,  and  stinging  exprobations. 
 
 2.  The  saints  shall  judge  the  very  self-same  judgment :  Do  ye 
 not  know  that  the  saints  shall  judge  the  ivorld?  That  they  as 
 well  as  Christ  shall  judge  the  world,  is  without  controversy :  Aiid 
 judgment  ivas  given  to  the  saints  of  the  most  High.  Ye  also 
 shall  sit  upon  twelve  thrones,  judging  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel. 
 Behold,  the  Lord  cometh  ivith  ten  thousand  of  his  sab  Us,  to 
 execute  judgment  upon  all.  Know  ye  not,  that  ye  shall  judge 
 the  angels  f  Nor  only  shall  we  judge  the  world,  but  the  god  of 
 the  world,  the  principalities  and  powers  that  captivate  wicked  men 
 at  their  pleasure ;  even  they  must  be  judged  by  those  whom  they 
 formerly  soiled;  so  chen  there  is  no  question  but  they  shall  judge. 
 
 Only  how  the  saints  shall  judge  together  with  Christ,  is  a  very 
 deep  question.  For  my  part,  I  am  apt  to  think  that  it  shall  not 
 be  directly  kno\v^l,  ere  it  be  seen  or  done. 
 
 O  what  terror  it  will  be  to  all  wicked  men !  When  not  only 
 Christ,  but  all  the  saints,  shall  say  of  them.  Away  with  them, 
 let  them  be  damned.  You  that  are  fathers,  it  may  be  that  your 
 children  will  thus  sentence  you.  I  remember  when  the  Jews  told 
 Christ,  that  lie  cast  out  devils  through  Beelzebub  the  prince  of 
 devils,  he  answered,  If  I  through  Beelzebub  cast  out  devils,  by 
 whom  do  your  children  cast  them  out  f  Therefore  they  shall  be 
 your  judges.  They  liked  well  enough  of  the  miracles  of  their 
 children,  but  they  could  not  endure  them  in  Christ ;  and  there- 
 fore he  tells  them,  that  their  children  whom  God  had  converted, 
 and  to  whom  he  had  given  power  to  do  the  same  works  as  he 
 did,  even  they  sliould  be  their  judges  to  condemn  them.     And 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus ^  453 
 
 BO  it  may  be  with  you,  if  any  of  your  children  be  converted  to 
 the  Lord,  and  you  remain  still  in  a  natural  estate,  your  very  chil- 
 dren shall  be  your  judges,  and  condemn  you  to  hell. 
 
 Sect.  VII. — Of  Christ  and  his  Saints  going  up  into  Heaven, 
 and  of  the  End  of  this  World, 
 
 No  sooner  are  the  reprobates  gone  to  their  place,  but  the 
 saints  ascend ;  now  Christ  ariseth  from  his  judgment-seat,  and 
 with  all  the  glorious  company  of  heaven,  marches  toward  the 
 heaven  of  heavens.  O  what  a  comely  march  is  this !  what  songs 
 of  triumph  are  sung !  Christ  leads  the  way,  the  cherubim  attend, 
 the  seraphim  wait  on,  angels,  archangels,  principalities,  powers, 
 patriarchs,  prophets,  priests,  evangelists,  martyrs,  and  confessors 
 of  God's  law  and  gospel,  following,  attend  the  Judge,  and  King 
 of  glory ;  singing  with  melody  as  never  ear  hath  heard,  shining 
 with  majesty  as  never  eye  hath  seen,  rejoicing  without  measure  as 
 never  heart  conceived.  O  goodly  troop  of  captains !  each  doth 
 bear  a  palm  of  victory  in  his  hand,  each  doth  wear  a  crown  of 
 glory  upon  his  head;  the  church  militant  is  now  triumphant; 
 with  a  final  overthrow  have  they  conquered  devils,  death,  and 
 hell;  and  now  must  they  enjoy  God,  life,  and  heaven. 
 
 No  sooner  Christ  and  his  company  are  in  heaven,  but  this 
 whole  world  is  set  on  fire. 
 
 The  heavens  shall  pass  away  with  a  noise,  and  the  elements 
 shall  melt  with  fervent  heat;  the  earth  also,  and  the  ivorks  that 
 are  therein,  shall  he  burnt  up. 
 
 Christians !  what  is  the  matter  that  we  are  so  busy  about  this 
 world?  Look  about  you,  not  one  of  these  visible  objects  shall 
 that  day  remain,  or  have  a  being;  that  glorious  heaven  whjch 
 rolls  over  our  heads,  shall  be  rolled  together  as  a  scroll,  and  all 
 the  host  shall  fall  down  as  a  leaf  falleth  from  the  vine,  and  as  a 
 falling  Jig  from  the  Jig-tree, — the  heaven  shall  vanish  away  like 
 smoke.  Alas  !  what  do  we  do  toihng  all  the  day  (it  may  be  all 
 our  life)  for  a  little  of  this  little,  almost  nothing — earth  ?  You 
 that  have  an  hundred,  or  two  hundred,  or  a  thousand  acres,  if 
 every  acre  were  a  kingdom,  all  will  be  at  last  burnt  up ;  so  that 
 none  shall  say  that  here  was  Preston,  or  here  was  London,  or 
 here  was  England,  or  here  was  Europe,  or  the  globe  of  the  earth 
 on  which  men  trod ;  let  others  boast  as  they  will  of  their  inherit- 
 ances, but.  Lord,  give  me  an  inheritance  above  all  these  visibles, 
 heaven  shall  remain  when  earth  shall  vanish.  Here  we  have  no 
 abiding  city,  but  O  let  us  seek  one  to  come,  even  that  which  will 
 abide  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen, 
 
454  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 SKcr.  VIII. — Of  Christ's  Delivering  up  the  Kingdom  to  God 
 
 even  the  Father, 
 
 No  sooner  is  he  in  heaven  but — 
 
 1 .  He  presents  tlie  elect  unto  his  Father ;  of  this  the  apostle 
 sj^eaks.  You  hath  he  reconciled  hi  the  body  of  his  flesh  through 
 death,  to  present  you  holy  and  unhlameahle  and  unreproveable 
 in  his  sight:  to  this  end  Christ  died,  that  he  might  wash  us  and 
 cleanse  us  by  his  blood,  and  then  present  us  without  spot  unto 
 his  Father. 
 
 2.  He  presents  all  his  commissions  to  his  Father.  So  now  he 
 comes  with  all  his  connnissions  in  his  hand,  and  he  delivers  them 
 all  up  to  his  Father  again.  In  this  case  it  is  with  Christ  as  it  is 
 with  some  general,  whom  the  king  sends  forth  with  regal  au- 
 thority to  the  war,  who  having  subdued  the  enemy,  returns  in 
 triumph,  and  all  being  finished,  makes  a  surrender  of  his  place ; 
 thus  Christ  having  discharged  all  his  offices  imposed  on  him, 
 now  the  work  is  finished,  leaves  his  function  by  delivering  up  his 
 commissions  to  his  Father. 
 
 Christ  is  said  to  deliver  up  the  kingdom. 
 
 1 .  Because  he  ceaseth  to  execute  that  authority,  which  never- 
 theless he  hath;  as  a  judge  that  goeth  from  the  bench  is  a  judge 
 still,  although  he  giveth  no  judgment,  but  employeth  his  time 
 about  other  occasions. 
 
 2.  Because  the  manner  of  his  kingdom  after  the  judgment- 
 day  shall  be  wholly  changed :  there  is  no  need  in  heaven  of  good 
 laws  to  keep  men  from  starting  into  wickedness;  the  orders  of 
 this  life  are  changed  into  a  new  kind  of  government,  and  in  that 
 respect  he  is  said  to  give  over  the  kingdom. 
 
 3.  He  presents  unto  his  Father  not  only  his  offices,  but  Christ 
 himself  is  presented,  and  subjected  unto  God.  Christ  is  con- 
 sidered cither  as  God,  or  as  man,  and  mediator  betwixt  God  and 
 man.  Christ,  as  God,  hath  us  subject  to  him,  and  is  subject  to 
 none;  but  Christ,  as  man  and  mediator,  is  subject  to  his  Father 
 together  with  us. 
 
 In  the  same  way  as  Christ  delivers  up  the  kingdom  to  the 
 Father,  is  Christ  also  to  be  subject  to  his  Father;  but  Christ  de- 
 livers up  his  kingdom  as  man,  and  as  mediator  betwixt  God  and 
 man ;  in  these  respects  Christ  (as  we  have  heard)  must  reign  no 
 more,  at  that  day  his  luediatorship  shall  cease,  and  by  consequence 
 in  respect  of  his  mediatorship,  or  in  respect  of  his  humanity,  he 
 shall  that  day  be  subject  to  his  Father.  Now  it  is  God  reigns 
 over  us,  but  only  by  Christ  as  mediator.  God's  immediate  reign 
 we  discern  not  so  clearly  for  the  present,  but  when  the  end  shall 
 come,  and  Christ  shall  surcease  his  office  of  mediatorship,  then 
 shall  the  glory  of  Christ's  divinity  appear  more  eminently,  not 
 only  above  all  creatures,  but  above  the  brightness  of  Christ's  hu- 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  455 
 
 manity  itself;  and  in  this  respect  Christ  shall  then  he  subject^  if 
 not  by  a  new  subjection,  so  as  he  never  was  before. 
 
 O  my  soul,  where  wilt  thou  stand  ?  or  what  wilt  thou  say, 
 when  Christ  shall  take  thee  by  the  hand,  and  bring  thee  into  the 
 presence  of  his  glorious  Father;  when  he  shall  present  thee,  and 
 present  all  his  commissions  which  he  received  for  thee,  and  pre- 
 sent himself  unto  his  Father  with  thee  and  all  saints,  saying,  O 
 my  Father,  here  we  are  all  before  thy  glorious  Godhead;  wel- 
 come me,  and  welcome  mine,  we  all  stand  here  before  thy  glorious 
 throne,  and  expect  every  way  as  high  an  entertainment  as  heaven, 
 or  the  God  of  heaven,  can  afford ! 
 
 Sect.  IX. — Of  Christ's  Subjection  to  the  Father^  that  God  may 
 
 be  all  in  all, 
 
 Christ  therefore  subjects  himself  unto  his  Father,  that  God 
 himself  might  be  all  in  all;  here  we  enjoy  God  by  means,  as,  in 
 the  use  of  the  word  and  sacraments,  but  when  that  kingdom 
 (where  these  administrations  are  made  use  of)  shall  be  delivered 
 up,  then  shall  God  himself  be  all  in  all,  without  means,  without 
 defect,  without  end. 
 
 In  prosecution  of  this,  I  shall  discuss;  1.  The  meaning,  what 
 it  is  for  God  to  be  all  in  all ;  2.  The  particulars,  wherein  more 
 especially  is  God  all  in  all. 
 
 1.  For  the  meaning ;  it  is  a  periphrasis  of  our  complete  enjoy- 
 ment of  God :  that  God  may  be  all  in  all,  is  as  much  as  to  say, 
 that  we  may  enjoy  God  alone  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  neither 
 wanting  nor  willing  any  thing  besides  himself;  thus  God  is  to 
 the  saints  in  glory,  he  is  their  exceeding  great  reward ;  they  had 
 need  nothing  besides  himself,  their  dmughts  of  happiness  are 
 taken  in  immediately  from  the  fountain,  and  they  have  as  much 
 of  the  fountain  as  their  souls  in  their  widest  capacity  can  pos- 
 sibly hold. 
 
 2.  For  the  particulars  wherein  more  especially  is  God  our  all 
 in  all  ?     I  answer ; 
 
 1.  In  our  enjoying  God  immediately;  here  we  enjoy  God  by 
 means;  either  he  communicates  himself  unto  us,  through  his 
 creatures  or  through  his  ordinances,  and  hence  it  is,  that  we 
 know  him  but  in  part,  we  see  him  but  in  a  glass  darkly;  but 
 when  he  shall  be  our  all  in  all,  we  shall  see  him  face  to  face ;  we 
 shall  then  see  God  as  he  is,  clearly  and  immediately. 
 
 2.  It  consists  in  our  enjoying  God  fully :  Noiu  I  know  in  part 
 (saitli  the  apostle)  but  then  shall  I  know,  eve7i  as  I  am  known : 
 our  enjoyment  of  God  is  but  here  in  its  infancy,  there  it  will  be 
 in  its  full  age ;  here  it  is  in  drops,  there  it  will  be  in  the  ocean ; 
 here  we  see  the  back  parts,  and  we  can  see  no  more,  but  there 
 we  shall  see  his  face,  not  his  second  face,  (as  some  distinguish) 
 
456  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 which  is  his  grace  and  favour  enjoyed  by  faith,  but  his  first  face, 
 which  is  his  divine  essence,  enjoyed  by  sight. 
 
 3.  It  consists  in  our  enjoying  God  solely.  Not  as  if  there 
 were  nothing  else  in  heaven  but  only  God;  but  that  God  in  hea- 
 ven shall  be  all  in  all,  and  instead  of  all :  it  is  God  in  heaven  that 
 makes  heaven  to  be  heaven;  the  saints*  blessedness,  and  God's 
 own  blessedness,  doth  consist  in  the  enjoyment  of  God  himself; 
 we  shall  not  properly  enjoy  any  thing  else  but  God;  and  indeed 
 what  can  we  imagine  to  be  in  heaven  which  is  not  eminently  in 
 God  himself:  If  it  be  greatness,  power,  glory,  victory,  or  majesty, 
 all  these  are  his;  if  it  be  joy,  love,  peace,  or  beauty,  or  anything 
 amiable  or  desirable,  all  these  are  in  him.  It  is  he  only  that  fills 
 the  whole  capacity  of  the  soul ;  it  is  he  that  so  fills  it  that  it  can 
 hold  no  more;  it  is  he  only  that  is  the  object  of  love,  and  there- 
 fore he  only  is  properly  enjoyed,  he  only  is  possessed  with  full 
 content,  as  portion  enough,  and  as  reward  enough,  for  the  soul  for 
 ever. 
 
 But  shall  not  the  saints  have  to  do  with  something  else  in 
 heaven  ?  O  yes !  I  believe  there  stall  be  in  heaven  a  commu- 
 nion of  the  blessed  spirits  in  God,  an  association  of  the  saints 
 and  angels  of  God.  Yet  this  shall  not  take  away  the  sole  enjoy- 
 ment of  God,  that  he  should  not  be  their  all  in  all :  for  they 
 shall  not  mind  themselves  or  their  own  good  and  created  things, 
 but  altogether  God ;  they  shall  not  love  them,  or  one  another,  as 
 for  themselves,  but  only  for  God :  here  we  love  God  for  himself, 
 and  it  is  gracious  love ;  but  there  we  shall  love  ourselves  for  God, 
 and  it  is  a  gracious  love ;  this  is  to  enjoy  God  solely,  and  in  this 
 respect  he  is  all  in  all; — whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  theef 
 
 Sect.  X. — Of  Christ's  (notivithstanding  this)  being  all  in  all  to 
 his  Redeemed^  to  all  Eternity, 
 
 Some  may  object.  If  God  be  all  in  all,  what  then  becomes  of 
 vChrist  ?  Is  not  this  derogatory  to  Jesus  Christ  ?  I  answer.  No, 
 in  no  wise;  for 
 
 1 .  It  is  not  the  Father  personally  and  only,  but  the  Deity  es- 
 sentially and  wholly,  that  is  our  all  in  all,  when  we  say  God  is  all 
 in  all,  we  do  not  exclude  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  for  the 
 whole  Godhead  is  all  in  all  to  all  the  saints,  as  well  as  the  first 
 person  in  the  Trinity :  the  Father  is  all,  the  Son  is  all,  the  Holy 
 Ghost  is  all ;  and  in  that  Christ  is  God,  and  the  Son  of  God,  we 
 may  say  of  Christ,  that  he  is  all  in  all ;  only  the  truth  of  this 
 position  is  not  from  the  human  nature,  but  from  the  divine  na- 
 ture, of  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 2.  It  is  not  derogatory  to  Christ,  but  rather  it  doth  exceed- 
 ingly advance  Christ  in  the  thoughts  of  all  his  saints ;  while  it 
 was  necessary,  Christ  veiled  his  Deity,  and  when  his  work  of 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  457 
 
 mediation  is  fully  finished^  Christ  then  shall  reveal  his  deity  to 
 his  saints  more  than  ever  before.  It  is  true,  that  God  only,  and 
 God  fully,  and  God  immediately,  is  all  in  all  5  but  doth  that  hinder 
 that  Jesus  Christ  is  not  also  onlj^,  fully,  and  immediately,  all  in 
 all  ?  See  how  the  scripture  joins  them  together :  I  saw  no  temple 
 in  the  city,  for  the  Lord  God  Almighty,  and  the  Lamb,  are  the 
 temple  of  it;  and  the  city  had  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the 
 moon,  to  shine  in  it,  for  the  glory  of  God  doth  lighten  it,  and  the 
 Lamb  is  the  light  thereof. 
 
 Now  then,  as  I  have  spoken  of  God,  so  that  I  may  speak  of 
 Christ,  and  conclude  all  with  Christ,  I  assert  this  doctrine,  that 
 the  glory  of  Christ,  which  the  saints  shall  behold  in  Christ  to  all 
 eternity,  is  their  all  in  all.  In  the  discussion  of  which,  I  shall 
 open  these  particulars : — -1 .  What  is  the  glory  of  Christ  ?  2.  How 
 the  saints  shall  behold  his  glory  ?  3.  W  herein  is  the  comprehend 
 siveness  of  this  expression,  that  the  beholding  of  Christ  is  our  all 
 in  all? 
 
 1st.  What  is  the  glory  of  Chiist?  I  answer,  that  the  glory  of 
 Christ  is  either  human  or  divine. 
 
 1 .  There  is  an  human  glory,  which  in  time  was  more  espe-. 
 cially  conferred  upon  his  manhood. 
 
 2.  There  is  an  essential  or  divine  glory,  which  before  time  and 
 after  time,  even  from  everlasting  to  everlasting,  issueth  from  the 
 Godhead;  I  shall  speak  to  both  these,  that  we  may  rather  take  a 
 view  of  Christ  in  those  glories  (as  we  are  able)  wherein  he  Mill 
 appear  to  his  saints  to  all  eternity. 
 
 1 .  For  his  human  glory,  that  is  either  in  regard  of  his  soul,  or 
 body;  for  his  soul,  Christ  was  from  the  first  instant  of  his 
 conception  full  of  glory,  because  even  then  he  received  grace 
 not  by  measure.  It  is  true,  that  by  the  special  dispensation  of 
 God,  the  fulness  of  glory  was  withheld  in  the  time  of  his  passion, 
 and  the  redundancy  of  glory  from  his  soul  unto  his  body  was 
 totally  deferred  until  the  exaltation  of  Christ;  but  Christ  was  no 
 sooner  exalted,  and  set  on  the  right-hand  of  God,  but  imme- 
 diately the  interruption  of  joy  in  his  soul,  and  the  interception  of 
 glory  from  his  soul  to  his  body,  was  altogether  removed.  Then 
 it  was  that  his  soul  was  filled  with  all  joy  which  could  possibly 
 flow  from  the  sight  of  an  object  so  infinitely  pleasing,  as  is  tlie 
 essence,  majesty,  and  glory  of  God.  And  then  it  was  that  his 
 body  was  replenished  with  as  much  glory  as  was  proportionable 
 unto  the  most  vast  capacity  of  any  creature.  Surely  Christ's 
 manhood  is  exalted  unto  an  higher  degree  of  glory  than  the  most 
 glorious  saint  or  angel  ever  was  or  shall  be;  principalities^ 
 powers,  mights,  and  dominions,  fall  short  of  his  glory,  ^ 
 
 2.  For  his  essential,  divine  glory,  it  is  that  gloiy  which  Christ 
 hath  as  God :  this  he  never  laid*  aside ;  but  as  the  sun  in  a  dark 
 gloomy  day  may  not  send  forth  his  beams,  so  Christ  the  Son  of 
 Righteousness,  in  the  tune  of  his  abode  upon  earth,  (except  ^ 
 
 17.  3  ivj 
 
458  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 little  fflimpse  only  in  his  transfiguration^)  tlid  not  send  forth  his 
 glorious  beams  \  but  hereafter  the  body  or  humanity  of  Christ 
 shall  not  hinder  the  breaking  forth  of  all  his  divhie  glory.  ^  But 
 what  is  the  essential  glory  of  Christ?  1  cannot  answer,  it  is  a 
 question  not  to  be  resolved  by  all  the  men  in  the  world ;  we 
 know  little  of  the  glory  of  saints^  how  should  we  know  any  thing 
 of  the  essential  glory  of  Christ  as  God? 
 
 2d.  How  shall  the  saints  behold  this  glory  ?  I  answer :  As 
 Christ  hath  a  twofold  glory,  so  there  is  a  twofold  manner  of 
 beholding  it,  that  is,  ocular  and  mental. 
 
 1.  There  is  an  ocular  vision,  a  sight  of  Christ  with  our  very 
 eyes ;  whom  I  shall  see  for  myself,  and  mine  eyes  shall  behold  him  ; 
 with  these  eyes  in  our  heads  we  shall  one  day  behold  the  human 
 glory  of  Christ :  I  doubt  not  we  shall  behold  the  beauty  of  heaven, 
 the  shining  bodies  of  the  saints,  but  above  all,  our  very  eyes  shall 
 delightfully  contemplate  Christ's  glorious  body  5  and  indeed  this 
 shall  drown  all  other  sights. 
 
 2.  There  is  a  mental  vision,  a  sight  of  Christ  by  the  eyes  of 
 our  understandings-;  and  surely  this  exceeds  the  former,  the  eye 
 of  the  body  is  only  on  the  body  of  Christ,  bat  the  eye  of  the  soul 
 is  on  the  body  and  soul,  on  the  humanity  and  deity,  of  Jesus 
 Christ.  This  is  the  very  top  of  heaven,  when  saints  shall  be 
 illightened  with  a  clear  and  glorious  sight  of  Christ  as  God; 
 divines  usually  call  it  the  beatifical  vision. 
 
 3d.  Wherein  is  the  comprehensiveness  of  this  expression,  that 
 the  beholding  of  Christ  is  our  all  in  all?     I  answer — 
 
 1.  It  comprehends  the  immediate  seeing  and  looking  upon  all 
 that  majesty  and  glory  which  Jesus  Christ  hath. 
 
 2.  It  comprehends  the  enjoyment  of  Christ  in  his  glory. 
 Surely  the  saints  shall  not  be  mere  idle  spectators  of  the  glory  of 
 Christ,  but  they  shall  enjoy  him,  and  be  taken  into  fellowship 
 with  him :  It  was  said  of  Moses,  that  he  did  see  the  land  of 
 Canaan,  but  he  was  not  admitted  into  it;  it  is  otherwise  with 
 the  saints,  they  shall  see  heaven,  and  they  shall  enter  into  heaven. 
 Come,  thou  faithful  servant,  and  enter  into  thy  master' s  Joy  ;  not 
 only  behold  it,  but  enter  into  it ;  they  must  behold  Christ,  and 
 take  possession  of  Christ,  and  enjoy  him  as  their  own.  In  this 
 respect  more  especially  is  Christ  our  all  in  all.  He  is  aU  in 
 himself,  and,  if  we  enjoy  him,  he  is  all  in  all  unto  us. 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  459 
 
 CHAP.  II. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  Knoiving  Jesus  as  carrying  on  the  great  Work  of 
 our  Salvation  in  his  Second  Coming. 
 
 Let  us  know  Jesus,  carrying  on  the  saints'  salvation  in  his 
 second  coming,  and  taking  them  to  heaven.  Many  excellent 
 things  are  in  this  transaction;  is  it  not  of  high  concernment 
 that  he  that  now  sits  at  God's  right-hand  interceding  for  us, 
 should  thence  come  again  to  judge  the  world,  and  after  judgment 
 take  up  the  saints  with  him  into  glory  ?  Cast  thyself  at  the  feet 
 of  Christ,  and  cry  out,  O  the  depth  of  glory,  and  majesty,  and 
 goodness,  and  grace,  in  thee!  O  the  riches  of  love,  that  thou 
 shouldst  let  out  thyself  in  these  admirable  dispensations  !  Come, 
 be  exact  in  this  study ;  gather  up  all  the  crumbs  and  filings  of 
 this  gold;  the  least  beams  of  the  glory  of  Christ  (especially  as  it 
 shines  and  glitters  at  his  second  coming)  having  so  much  light, 
 and  love,  and  splendour  in  them !  every  part  of  this  knowledge 
 will  be  of  special  use  and  worth,  yea,  the  low  and  imperfect  know- 
 ledge of  this  mystery,  of  infinitely  more  value  than  the  high  and 
 perfect  knowledge  often  thousand  things  besides. 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  Consideritig  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  consider  Jesus,  carrying  on  this  great  work  of  our  sal- 
 vation in  his  second  coming.  It  is  not  enough  to  know,  but  we 
 must  meditate  and  seriously  consider  of  it.  When  the  under- 
 standing works  seriously  and  spiritually,  it  will  fetch  thmgs  into 
 sight,  hold  them  there,  and  fasten  upon  them;  so  a  man  eyes 
 Christ,  till  he  have  more  of  Christ,  more  of  his  presence,  of  his 
 light,  of  his  favour,  and  of  his  image.  O  let  this  be  our  work; 
 let  us  consider  Jesus  in  reference  to  his  second  coming  to  judg- 
 ment.    And  that  we  may  do  it  in  order — 
 
 1.  Consider  Christ's  preparing  for  judgment;  realize  it  as  if 
 thou  sawest  or  heardest  the  same ;  no  sooner  the  time  determined 
 which  God  hath  appointed,  but  Christ  commands,  ^  Make  ready, 
 ye  angels,  souls  that  now  are  with  me ;  it  is  the  Father's  pleasure, 
 and  it  is  my  pleasure,  to  go  down  into  the  nether  world,  and  to 
 call  before  me  all  the  men  and  women  that  ever  lived  in  it ;  there 
 will  I  pass  my  doom  upon  all  flesh,  and  reward  every  one  ac- 
 cording to  his  works. ^  O  what  a  shout  may  I  imagine  in  heaven 
 at  this  news !  What  joy  is  in  the  souls  of  saints,  that  now  they 
 must  go  to  their  bodies,  and  enter  into  them,  that  both  their 
 souls  and  bodies,  which  sometime  lived  together,  may  now  dwell 
 
460  "     Lookmg  tmto  Jesus. 
 
 togetlier  with  Christ  in  glory,  and  never  part  more !  If  those 
 that  live  on  earth  are  commanded  by  Christ  to  lift  up  their  head.^ 
 because  their  redemption  draweth  nigh;  how  much  niore  shall 
 they  joy  in  heaven,  who  also  have  waited  for  the  adoption,  to  wit, 
 the  redemjjtion  of  their  bodies^  that  now  the  long-looked  for  day 
 is  come  !  It  is  come !  O  the  exultation  of  the  angels  at  these 
 tidings ' 
 
 2.  Consider  Christ's  coming  to  judgment;  all  now  in  rea- 
 diness; the  Son  of  God  comes  forth  v/ith  all  his  glorious  attend- 
 ants ;  For  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  forth  in  the  glory  of  his 
 Father,  with  his  angels,  and  with  the  souls  of  saints,  that  for  a 
 time  have  been  in  paradise.  O  what  a  goodly  sight  is  here !  In 
 this  meditation  I  may  see,  with  John,  the  Neiu  Jerusalem  coming 
 down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a  hnde  adorned  for  her 
 hushand.  Down  comes  Christ,  and  the  angels,  and  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  him- 
 self to  sit  on  1  Sure  it  will  be  a  glorious  cloud,  when  Christ  with 
 all  his  celestial  servants  shall  sit  upon  it. 
 
 3.  Consider  Christ  and  the  saints  judging  the  rest  of  the 
 world.  No  sooner  are  the  saints  sentenced,  but  Christ  turns  to 
 the  wicked,  and  bids  them^o  into  everlasting  fire  ;  in  which  sen- 
 tence the  saints  shall  join  with  Christ  himself.  Do  ye  not  know 
 that  the  saints  shall  judge  the  ivorldf  When  the  saints  appear, 
 it  is  not  only  by  a  summons,  but  with  commission ;  not  only  to 
 be  judged,  but  to  judge ;  not  only  shall  they  stand  at  Christ's 
 right-hand,  but  they  shall  sit  down  on  the  throne  of  the  Son  of 
 God,  to  judge  the  wicked  angels  and  the  world. 
 
 4.  Consider  Christ  and  his  saints  going  up  into  heaven.  No 
 sooner  hath  he  done  his  work  with  the  world  and  sent  them  away, 
 but  he  shall  go  with  all  his  troops  following  him  into  heaven. 
 Hath  not  Christ  said  tso  ?  If  I  go  away,  I  will  come  again,  and 
 receive  you  unto  myself,  that  where  lam,  there  you  may  be  also, 
 
 0  those  songs  of  joy,  and  shouts  of  praise,  that  will  fill  the  world 
 <it  that  day !  and  thus,  as  they  go  along,  heaven  opens  unto  them, 
 and  they  enter  in.  What  welcomes  they  have  here,  is  past  my 
 telling. 
 
 1.  It  is  the  day  of  adoption,  and  the  redemption  of  our  bodies. 
 It  is  the  day  of  our  sonship  and  deliverance ;  I  deny  not  but  that 
 the  saints  are  adopted  and  redeemed  before  this  day;  but  this 
 adoption  and  redemption  is  not  consummate  before  Christ  come 
 again  to  judgment ;  then  shall  Christ  say,  These  are  my  sons  whom 
 
 1  have  redeemed;  and  as  I  have  set  them  free,  so  now  shall  they 
 live  and  reign  with  me  for  ever  and  ever, 
 
 2.  It  is  the  day  of  Christ's  coming.  He  was  here  not  long 
 fcince^  travelling  about  the  earth,  and  about  our  business  3  which 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  461 
 
 done,  he  went  away  to  heaven,  upon  a  special  errand  for  his 
 saints ;  and  there  now  he  is  to  intercede  for  them,  to  be  their 
 advocate ;  and  withal  there,  now  he  is  to  prepare  tlieir  mansions 
 for  eternity.  And  no  sooner  shall  he  have  dispatched  his  busi- 
 ness there,  but  he  will  come  for  earth  again;  he  will  bow  the 
 heavens,  and  come  down  to  give  a  report  of  his  transactions  there ; 
 hath  he  not  left  us  a  letter  to  that  etfect,  /  will  come  again,  and 
 receive  you  to  myself,  that  where  I  am,  there  you  may  be  also  f 
 O  why  are  his  chariots  so  long  a- coming  ?  why  tarry  the  wheels 
 of  Ids  chariots  ? 
 
 3.  It  is  the  day  of  Christ's  bright  and  glorious  apj^earing. 
 When  he  was  upon  the  earth,  he  appeared  in  our  dress.  Many 
 then  saw  him,  v/ho  said,  TJiere  is  iCo  beauty  in  him  that  we  should 
 desire  him.  O !  it  v,  as  a  sad  sight  to  see  him  crowned  with 
 thorns,  and  scourged  with  whips,  and  nailed  to  the  cross.  But 
 in  his  next  appearing  we  shall  see  him  in  his  best  attire,  arrayed 
 in  white,  attended  with  the  retinue  of  glory,  riding  in  his  chariot 
 of  light,  and  smiling  upon  all  his  saints.  Now,  is  not  this  desir- 
 able ?  The  apostle  tells  us  of  the  saints'  looking  for  the  glorious 
 appearing  of  the  great  God,  and  of  our  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ; 
 therefore  surely  they  desire  it. 
 
 4.  It  is  the  marriage-day  of  the  Lamb,  The  saints  are  be- 
 trothed to  Christ,  when  iirst  they  believe  in  Christ;  this  is 
 Christ's  word,  /  will  betroth  thee  unto  me,  my  sister,  my  spouse, 
 not  my  wife :  thou  art  not  ye:  married,  only  contracted  here. 
 But  at  that  day  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  will  be  complete,  and 
 tiien  vrill  the  voice  be  heard.  Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and  give 
 honour  to  him,  for  the  marricge  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his 
 wife  hath  made  herself  reaily .  O  the  joy  that  Christ,  and  saints, 
 and  angels,  and  all  that  belong  to  heaven,  will  make  at  this 
 marriage  1  Blessed  are  they  thct  are  called  to  the  mamage  sup^ 
 per  of  the  Lamb  1 
 
 5.  It  is  the  day  of  Christ's  glory.  What  glorious  descriptions 
 have  we  in  scripture  of  Christ's  coming  to  judgment;  2Vie  Son 
 of  man  shall  come  from  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory  ;  and 
 the  work  no  sooner  done,  but  he  shall  return  again  into  heaven 
 with  power  and  great  glory.  Not  to  mention  the  essential  glory 
 of  Christ,  O  the  glory  of  Chris'  as  mediator ;  all  the  glory  that 
 AhasLierus  could  put  upon  his  favourites,  was  nothing  to  this 
 spiritual  and  heavenly  glory,  which  the  Father  will  put  upon  the 
 Son ;  it  is  a  glory  above  all  the  glories  that  ever  were,  or  ever 
 shall  be;  it  is  an  eternal  glory:  not  but  that  Christ  shall  at  last 
 give  up  his  kingdom  to  his  Father;  he  shall  no  more  discharge 
 the  acts  of  an  advocate  or  intercessor  for  us  in  heaven,  only  the 
 glory  of  this  shall  always  contiiue ;  it  shall  to  all  eternity  be  re- 
 corded that  he  was  the  mediator,  and  that  he  is  the  Saviour  that 
 hath  brought  us  to  life  and  immortality ;  and  upon  this  ground 
 the  tongues  of  all  the  saints  shall  be  employed  to  all  eternity,  to 
 
462  Looking  unto  Jesiis, 
 
 celebrate  this  glory.  This  \vill  be  their  everlasting  song :  Unto 
 him  that  loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood, 
 and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Fattier,  to 
 him  he  glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever,  Amen.  O  what 
 desire  should  the  Spirit  and  the  bride  have  to  hear  what  Christ 
 shall  say  to  his  angels,  Make  ready  for  the  journey,  let  us  go  dotvn 
 and  divide  the  skies,  and  bmv  the  heavens;  I  gat  tier  my  j)riso7iers 
 of  hope  unto  me,  behold  I  come  quickly  to  judge  the  nations!  I 
 conclude  this  with  the  conclusion  of  the  bible.  He  fhat  testifieth 
 these  things  saith,  Surely  I  come  quickly,  Amen.  Even  sO:  come 
 Lord  Jesus. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  Hoping  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  hope  in  Jesus  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  in  his  second  coming;  let  us  say,  on  certain  grounds, 
 TVe  hope  Christ  ivill  come  again,  and  receive  us  to  himself,  that 
 ivhere  he  is,  there  ive  may  be  also. 
 
 Such  an  hope  is  a  sure  anchor,  that  will  hold  the  ship  in  a 
 storm ;  only  because  our  souls  lie  upon  it,  we  had  need  to  look 
 to  it,  that  our  hopes  be  true ;  the  worst  can  say,  ^  They  hope  to 
 be  saved  as  well  as  the  best;'  but  the  hopes  of  many  will  be 
 lamentably  fiiistrated.  To  clear  this  point,  that  our  hopes  are 
 right,  and  not  counterfeit  hopes^  I  shall  lay  down  some  signs, 
 whereby  we  may  know  that  Christ's  coming  is  for  us,  and  for  our 
 good,  and  for  the  grace  that  is  to  be  given  us  at  the  revelation  of 
 Jesus  Christ. 
 
 1 .  If  we  are  born  again,  then  will  his  glorious  coming  be,  to 
 glorify  us :  Blessed  be  the  God  aid  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ,  ivho,  according  to  his  ahundatit  mercy,  hath  begotteyi  us 
 (xgain  unto  a  lively  hope,  to  a7i  inheritance  incorruptible.  Come 
 then,  you  that  hope  for  glory,  try  yourselves ;  is  there  a  change 
 in  your  hearts,  words,  and  lives  i  Is  there  a  mighty  work  of 
 gi'ace  upon  your  spirits  ?  Are  yoii  experienced  in  the  great  mys- 
 tery of  regeneration  ?  Why,  here  :s  your  evidence  that  your  hopes 
 ai'e  sound,  and  that  you  shall  sit  upon  thrones  to  judge  the  world. 
 
 2.  If  we  long  for  his  coming,  tien  will  he  come  to  satisfy  our 
 longings :  Blessed  are  they  that  hunger  and  thirst,  for  they  shall 
 be  satisfied;  how  satisfied,  but  in  being  saved?  Christ  ivas 
 offered  to  bear  the  sins  of  many  ;  and  unto  them  that  look  for  him, 
 shall  he  appear  the  second  time,  without  sin,  to  salvation:  unto 
 them  that  look  for  him,  or  long  for  him,  shall  he  appear  the  second 
 time  unto  salvation;  this  looking  for  Christ,  is  in  scripture  a  fre- 
 quent description  of  a  true  believer  in  Christ.  Who  are  sound 
 Christians,  but  such  as  live  in  a  perpetual  desire  and  hope  of  Christ's 
 blessed  coming  ?  They  are  ever  lookiiig  for,  and  hastening  unto, 
 the  coming  of  the  day  of  God.  Here  are  two  signs  in  one  verse, 
 looking  for,  and  hastening  unto;  true  believers  are  not  only  in  a 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus,  463 
 
 posture,  looking  for  the  coming  of  Jesus  Christ,  but  also,  as  it 
 were,  going  forth  to  meet  Jesus  Christ  with  burning  lamps. 
 Dost  thou  look  and  long  for  the  coming  of  Christ  in  the  clouds  ? 
 These  are  firm  grounds  of  an  assured  hope.  Content  not  thyself 
 with  an  hope  of  possibility,  or  probability;  but  reach  out  to  that 
 plerophory,  ov  full  assurance  of  hope.  The  hope  of  possibility  is 
 but  a  weak  hope,  the  hope  of  probability  is  but  a  fluctuating 
 hope,  but  the  hope  of  certainty  is  a  settled  hope.  Such  an  hope 
 sweetens  all  the  thoughts  of  God  and  Christ,  of  death  and  judg- 
 ment, of  heaven,  yea,  and  of  hell  too,  whilst  we  hope  that  we  are 
 saved  from  it.  And  are  not  the  scriptures  written  to  this  very 
 purpose,  that  we  might  have  this  hope?  We  are  justified  by  his 
 grace,  tliat  lue  might  be  heirs  in  hope,  heirs  accorditig  to  the  hope 
 of  eternal  life!  And  was  not  this  David's  confidence.  Lord,  I 
 have  hoped  for  thy  salvation  ?  Why  then  art  thou  cast  down, 
 O  my  soulf  and  ivhy  art  thou  disquieted  within  mef  Hope 
 thou  in  God;  for  I  shall  yet  praise  him,  who  is  the  health  of  my 
 countenance,  and  my  God, 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  Believing  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  believe  in  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our 
 salvation  in  his  second  coming. 
 
 Go  to  Christ,  as  coming  again  into  this  nether  world  to  judge 
 the  quick  and  the  dead.  This  is  the  last  act  of  faith,  in  refer- 
 ence to  Christ :  From  thence  he  shall  come  to  judge  the  quick  and 
 the  dead.  The  coming  of  Christ,  the  resurrection  of  the  dead, 
 the  change  of  the  living,  the  last  judgment,  and  the  glory  of 
 Christ  with  his  saints  to  all  eternity,  is  that  transaction  which 
 must  be  dispatched  at  the  end  of  the  world :  now  this  is  the 
 object  of  faith,  as  well  as  the  former;  Christ's  work  is  not  fully 
 perfected,  till  all  these  be  finished ;  nor  is  our  work  of  faith  fully 
 completed,  till  it  reach  to  the  very  last  act  of  Christ  in  savhig 
 souls. — O  what  an  excellent  worker  is  Jesus  Christ !  He  doth 
 all  his  works  thoroughly  and  perfectly.  The  greatest  work  that 
 ever  Christ  undertook,  was  the  work  of  redemption :  that  work 
 would  have  broken  men  and  angels,  and  yet  Jesus  Christ  will 
 carry  it  on  to  the  end ;  and  then  will  he  say,  not  only  prophe- 
 tically, but  expressly,  I  have  Jinished  the  work  which  thou  gavest 
 me  to  do. 
 
 1.  Faith  must  principally  and  mainly  look  to  the  design  and 
 end  of  Christ  in  his  second  coming.  Now  the  ends  are — 1 .  In 
 respect  of  the  wicked,  that  they  may  be  destroyed,  for  he  must 
 reign  till  he  hath  put  all  his  enemies  under  his  feet.  He  shall 
 come  with  flaming  tire,  and  then  he  will  take  vengeance  on  them 
 that  know  not  God,  and  that  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ ;  who  shall  bepunishedwitheverlasting  destruction  fromthe 
 vresence  of  the  Lwd,  and  from  the  glo^n  of  his  power.  O  the  fear- 
 
464  Looking  unlo  Jesus. 
 
 ■ "'  /,-, 
 ful  sounds  that  wall  then  be  heard  1  Sure  that  noise  must'needs 
 be  terrible,  when  millions  of  men  and  women  at  the  same  iiistant 
 sludl  fearfully  cry  out,  and  when  their  cries  shall  mingle  with  the 
 tluniders  of  the  dying  and  groaning  heavens,  and  with  the  crack 
 of  the  dissolving  worlds  when  the  whole  fabric  of  nature  shall 
 shcilvc  into  dissolution  and  eternal  ashes :  Now  consider  this,  ye 
 that  forget  God,  lest  he  tear  you  in  ineces,  and  there  he  none  to 
 deliver  you. 
 
 2.  In  respect  of  the  godly,  that  they  may  be  saved,  that  they 
 may  see  and  enjoy  Christ  to  all  eternity.  This  is  a  main  end  of 
 Christ's  coming :  I  will  come  again,  and  receive  you  unto  myself, 
 that  where  I  am,  there  ye  may  he  also. — i\nd.  Father,  I  will  that 
 those  luhom  thou  hast  given  me,  he  with  me  where  lam,  that  tJiey 
 may  hehold  the  glory  which  thou  hast  given  me, 
 
 3.  In  respect  of  Christ  himself,  that  he  may  be  glorified.  Now 
 in  two  things  more  especially  will  he  be  glorified  at  that  day : 
 1.  In  his  justice.     2.  In  his  mercy. 
 
 1.  His  justice  will  be  glorified,  especially,  in  punishing  the 
 wicked :  on  earth  little  justice  is  done  on  most  offenders ;  though 
 some  public  crimes  are  sometimes  punished,  yet  the  actions  of 
 the  closets  and  chambers,  the  designs  and  thoughts  of  men,  the 
 business  of  retirement,  and  of  the  night,  escape  the  hand  of  jus- 
 tice ;  and  therefore  God  hath  so  ordained  it,  that  there  shall  be  a 
 day,  wherein  all  that  are  let  alone  by  men,  shall  be  questioned  by 
 God;  then  all  thoughts  shall  be  examined,  and  secret  actions 
 viewed  on  each  side,  and  the  infinite  number  of  those  sins  which 
 escaped  here,  shall  be  blazoned  there.  O  how  will  God  glorify 
 his  justice  at  that  day!  Surely  his  justice  shall  shine,  and  be 
 eminently  glorious,  in  every  passage. 
 
 2.  His  mercy  will  be  glorified  in  rewarding  the  saints.  And 
 this  is  the  main,  the  supreme  end  of  his  coming  to  judgment. 
 He  shall  come  (saith  the  apostle,)  to  he  glorified  in  his  saints; 
 not  but  that  the  angels  shall  glorify  the  riches  of  his  grace,  as  well 
 as  saints,  but  because  the  angels  never  sinned,  (they  have  now 
 kept  their  rohes  of  innocency  ahovefive  thousand  years,  without 
 one  spark  of  dirt,  or  change  of  colour ;)  therefore  the  glory  of  his 
 grace  is  more  especially  fastened  on  saints,  that  sometime  were 
 sinners.  Is  not  this  their  everlasting  song,  which  they  begin  at 
 this  day,  Glory  to  the  Lamb,  and  glory  to  his  grace,  that  sitteth 
 on  the  throne  for  evermore'^ 
 
 Tims  for  directions ;  one  word  of  application,  or  a  few  motives 
 to  work  faith  in  you  in  this  respect. 
 
 1.  Christ  in  his  word  invites  you  to  believe;  these  are  his 
 letters  from  heaven :  Come  all  to  the  marriage  supper  of  the 
 Lamb  I  Ho  every  one  that  thirsts,  come  in  ;  heaven's  gate  is  open 
 to  all  that  knock,  but  fools,  foolish  virgins,  foolish  souls,  which 
 have  no  faith,  nor  will  have  any,  to  render  them  fit  for  heaven. 
 There  is  Rahab  the  harlot,  and  Manasseh  the  murderer,  and 
 
Looking  u7ito  t/esus.  4(55 
 
 Mary  that  had  so  many  devils.  A  man  that  hath  many  devils 
 may  come  where  there  is  not  one.  Ah  !  poor  soul,  why  dost  thou 
 make  exceptions,  where  God  makes  none  ?  Why  shouldest  thou 
 exclude  thyself  out  of  these  golden  gates,  when  God  doth  not  ? 
 Believe,  only  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  the  promise  is  sure, 
 and  without  all  controversy,  thou  shall  he  saved. 
 
 2.  Christ,  by  his  ministry,  entreats  you  to  believe.  Come,  say 
 they,  we  beseech  you  believe  in  your  judge  !  It  may  be  you 
 startle  at  this.  What  !  to  believe  in  him  who  is  a-coming  to  be 
 your  judge  ?  But  if  your  judge  be  Jesus,  if  the  same  person  who 
 died  for  you,  shall  come  to  judge  you,  why  should  you  fear  ?  In- 
 deed if  your  judge  were  your  enemy,  you  might  fear  ;  but  if  he, 
 who  is  your  Lord,  and  who  loves  your  souls,  shall  judge  you, 
 there  is  no  such  cause.  Will  a  man  fear  to  be  judged  by  his 
 dearest  fiiend  ?  a  brother  by  a  brother  ?  a  child  by  a  father  ?  or  a 
 wife  by  her  husband  ?  Consider  !  Is  not  he  your  judge,  who  came 
 down  from  heaven,  and  who  being  on  earth  was  judged,  con- 
 demned, and  executed,  in  your  stead  ?    And  yet  are  ye  fearful, 
 
 0  ye  of  little  faith . 
 
 3.  Christ  by  his  Spirit  moves,  excites,  and  provokes  you  to 
 believe.  Sometimes  in  reading,  and  sometimes  in  hearing,  and 
 sometimes  in  meditating,  you  may  feel  him  stir.  Have  j^^ou  felt 
 no  gale  of  the  Spirit  all  this  while  ?  It  is  the  Spirit  that  convinceth 
 the  world  of  sin,  especially  of  that  great  sin  of  unbelief  :  and  then 
 of  righteousness,  which  Christ  procured  by  going  to  his  Father. 
 Observe  here,  it  is  the  work  of  the  Spirit  thus  to  convince, 
 so  that  all  moral  philosophy,  and  the  wisest  directions  of  the 
 most  civil  men,  will  leave  you  in  a  wilderness ;  yea,  ten  thou- 
 sands of  sermons  may  be  preached  to  you  to  believe,  and  yet  you 
 never  shall,  till  you  are  overpowered  by  God's  Spirit.  It  is  the 
 Spirit  that  enlightens  and  directs  you,  as  occasion  is,  saying, 
 2Vds  is  the  way,  lualk  in  it.  It  is  the  Spirit  that  rouseth  and 
 awakeneth  you  by  his  effectual  motions,  Arise,  my  love,  my  fair 
 one,  and  come  away.  He  stands  at  the  door,  and  knocks  ;  if  while 
 
 1  press  you  to  believe  in  Jesus,  you  feel  the  Spirit  in  his  stirrings, 
 surely  it  concerns  you  to  believe,  it  concerns  you  to  yield,  it  con- 
 cerns you  to  co-operate  with  the  Spirit ;  say  with  him  in  the 
 gospel,  I  believe.  Lord,  help  my  unbelief :  I  believe  what  ?  '  I  be- 
 lieve, when  Jesus  comes  again,  he  will  receive  me  to  himself, 
 and  I  shall  be  for  ever  with  the  Lord.'     Amen,  Amen. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Of  Loving  Jesus  in  that  resjyect. 
 
 Let  us  love  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  salva- 
 tion in  his  second  coming.  In  prosecution  of  this,  I  must  first 
 set  down  Christ's  love  to  us,  and  then  our  love  to  Christ. 
 
 1 .  Christ  will  come.  Is  not  this  love  ?  As  his  departure  was  a 
 rich  testimony  of  Ixis  love,  It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away} 
 17.  3  N 
 
466  Looking  unto  Jesus. 
 
 so  is  his  returning,  I  will  not  leave  you  comfortless,  I  will  come 
 unto  you ;  O  how  can  we  think  of  Christ's  returning,  and  not 
 meditate  on  the  greatness  of  his  love  ?  Might  he  not  send  his 
 ano-cls,  but  he  must  come  himself  ?  O  the  love  of  Christ  in  this 
 one  act,  he  will  come  again  ;  he  i.^  but  gone  for  a  while,  but  he 
 will  come  again  in  his  own  person. 
 
 2.  Christ  will  welcome  all  his  saints  into  his  presence  ;  and  is 
 not  this  love  ?  After  he  is  come  down  from  heaven,  he  stays  for 
 them  a  while  in  the  clouds  5  and  commanding  his  angels  to  bring 
 them  thither,  anon  they  come  ;  and  O  how  his  heart  springs 
 within  him  at  their  coming  1 
 
 3.  Christ  will  sentence  his  saints  to  eternal  life  ;  here  is  love 
 indeed  !  every  word  of  the  sentence  is  full  of  love  ;  it  contains 
 the  reward  of  his  saints,  a  reward  beyond  their  work,  and  beyond 
 their  wages,  and  beyond  their  promise,  and  beyond  their  thoughts, 
 and  beyond  their  understanding  :  it  is  a  participation  of  the  joys 
 of  God,  and  of  the  inheritance  of  the  Judge  himself.  Never  was 
 more  love  expressed  in  words,  than  Christ  expresseth  in  this 
 sentence.  Come,  ye  blessed,  &c. 
 
 4.  Christ  will  take  up  all  his  saints  with  him  into  glory ;  where 
 he  will  present  them  to  his  Father,  and  then  be  their  all  in  all  to 
 all  eternity.  This  is  the  height  of  Christ's  love  ;  this  is  the  im- 
 mediate love  that  comes  out  from  the  precious  heart  and  bowels 
 of  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 5.  And  if  Christ  love  thus ;  how  should  we  love  again  for 
 such  a  love  ?  Can  we  love  as  high,  as  deep,  as  broad,  as  long,  as 
 love  itself,  or  as  Christ  himself  ?  No,  no  ;  all  we  can  do  is  but 
 to  love  a  little  ;  and  O  that,  in  the  consideration  of  his  love,  we 
 could  love  a  little  in  sincerity  !  O  that  we  were  but  able  feel- 
 ingly to  say,  Lord,  I  love  thee,  I  feel  I  love  thee,  even  as  I  feel  I 
 love  myfrieiid,  or  as  I  feel  Hove  myself,  O  thou  who  art  the  ele- 
 ment or  sun  of  love,  come  with  thy  poiver,  let  out  one  heam,  one 
 ray,  one  gleam  of  love  upon  my  soul ;  shine  hot  upon  my  heart ; 
 remember  thy  p7'omise  to  circumcise  my  heart,  that  I  may  love  the 
 Lord  my  God  with  all  my  heart,  and  with  all  my  soul ! 
 
 Sect.  VI. — Of  Joying  in  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  joy  in  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  the  great  work  of  our  sal- 
 vation in  his  second  coming.  Christ  delights  to  have  his  people 
 look  upon  him  with  delight ;  for  a  soul  to  be  always  under  the 
 spirit  of  bondage,  and  so  to  look  upon  Christ  as  a  judge,  a  lion, 
 or  an  offended  God,  it  doth  not  please  God.  The  Lord  Jesus  is 
 tender  of  the  joy  of  his  saints:  Rejoice,  a7id  he  exceedbig  glad, 
 saith  Christ ;  Rejoice  evermore, — Rejoice  in  the  Lord  aliuays  ;  and 
 again  I  say.  Rejoice.  Let  the  righteous  be  glad,  let  them  rejoice 
 before  God;  yea,  let  them  exceedingly  rejoice.  All  that  Christ  doth 
 to  hia  saints  tends  to  this  joy,  as  tiie  upshot  or  end  of  all :  if  he 
 
Looking  unto  Jesus.  467 
 
 cast  dowii^  it  is  but  to  raise  them  up  ;  if  he  humble,  it  is  but  to 
 exalt ;  if  he  kill,  it  is  but  to  make  alive;  in  every  dispensation, 
 still  he  hath  a  tender  care  to  preserve  their  joy.  If  you  find  it 
 an  hard  thing  to  joy  in  Jesus,  in  reference  to  his  second  coming, 
 think  of  these  motives, — 
 
 1.  Christ's  coming  is  the  Christian's  encouragement;  so 
 Christ  himself  lays  it  down  :  You  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  coming 
 in  a  cloud,  withpoiver  and  great  glory  ;  and  when  these  things  be- 
 gin to  come  to  pass,  then  look  up,  a7id  lift  up  your  heads,  for  your 
 redemption  draiveth  7iigh.  The  signs  of  his  coming,  are  the  liopes 
 of  your  approaching  glory ;  and  what  should  we  do  then,  but  pre- 
 pare for  it  with  exceeding  joy  ?  Many  evils  now  surround  you 
 every  where  ;  Satan  hath  his  snares,  and  the  world  its  baits,  and 
 your  own  hearts  are  apt  to  betray  you  into  your  enemies'  hands  ; 
 but  when  Christ  comes,  you  shall  have  full  deliverance,  and  per- 
 fect redemption  ;  and  therefore  look  up  and  lift  up  your  heads. 
 The  apostle  speaks  the  very  same  encouragement :  The  Lord 
 himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  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  ivith  them  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in 
 the  air, — wherefore  comfort  one  another  with  these  words. 
 
 2.  Christ  will  lead  us  into  glory.  As  the  bridegroom,  after 
 nuptials,  leads  his  bride  to  his  own  home,  that  there  they  may 
 live  together  :  so  Christ,  our  royal  bridegroom,  will  lead  us  into 
 the  palace  of  his  glory.  And  is  not  this  joy  of  our  Lord  enough 
 to  cause  our  joy  ?  O  what  welcomes  shall  we  have  in  this  city  ! 
 There  shall  we  see  Christ  in  his  garden,  there  shall  we  be  set  as 
 a  seal  on  Christ's  arm,  and  as  a  seal  upon  his  heart ;  there  shall 
 we  be  filled  with  his  love,  enlightened  with  his  light,  encircled 
 in  his  arms,  following  his  steps,  and  praising  his  name,  and  ad- 
 miring his  glory  !  there  shall  be  joy  indeed.  For  in  thy  presence 
 there  is  fulness  of  joy,  and  at  thy  right-hand  there  are  pleasures 
 evermore. 
 
 Sect.  VII. — Of  Calling  on  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  call  on  Jesus,  as  carrying  on  our  souls'  salvation  at  his 
 second  coming. 
 
 1 .  Let  us  pray  for  the  coming  of  Christ ;  this  was  the  constant 
 prayer  of  the  church,  Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly.  The  Spirit , 
 and  the  bride  say.  Come.  Well  knows  the  bride  that  the  day  of 
 Christ's  coming  is  her  wedding  day,  the  day  of  presenting  her 
 unto  his  Father,  and  therefore  no  wonder  if  she  pray  for  the 
 hastening  of  it :  Make  haste,  my  beloved,  and  be  thou  like  to  a 
 roe,  or  to  a  young  hart ; — thy  kingdom  come. 
 
 2.  Let  us  praise  him  for  his  coming.  Our  engagement  to 
 Christ  is  so  great,  that  we  can  never  enough  extol  his  name ;  at 
 
468  Looking  unto  Jesits. 
 
 that  day  the  books  shall  be  opened,  and  why  not  the  book  of  our 
 engagements  to  Jesus  Christ  ?  I  can  surely  tell  you  it  is  written 
 fulJ  ;^the  page  and  margin,  both  within  and  without.  O  then  let 
 our  hearts  be  full  of  praises  5  let  us  join  with  those  blessed  elders 
 that  fell  down  before  the  Lamb,  and  sung,  Worthy  is  the  Lamb 
 that  urns  slain,  to  receive  poicer,  arid  riches,  and  wisdom,  and 
 strength,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  blessing. 
 
 Sect.  VIII. — Of  Conforming  to  Jesus  in  that  respect. 
 
 Let  us  conform  to  Jesus,  as  coming  again  to  judge  the  world. 
 Looking  unto  Jesus,  contains  this.  When  the  apostle  would 
 persuade  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  is  of  more  virtue 
 than  all  the  rest. 
 
 But  how  should  we  conform  to  Christ  in  this  respect  ?  I 
 answer  : — 
 
 1.  Christ  will  prepare  for  judgment.  O!  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  !  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  evil,  God  will  bring  us  to  judgment?  O!  let  us  against  his 
 coming  prepare  for  him  ! 
 
 2.  Christ  at  his  coming  will  summon  all  his  saints  to  arise, 
 and  to  come  to  him  in  the  clouds.  Let  us  summon  our  souls  to 
 arise,  and  to  go  to  Christ  in  the  heavens.  What  Christ  will  do 
 really  at  that  day,  let  us  do  spiritually  on  this  daj^  Alas  !  we  had 
 need  to  be  continually  stirring  up  the  gifts  and  graces  that  are 
 in  us.  It  is  the  Lord's  pleasure  that  we  should  daily  come  to 
 him,  he  would  have  us  on  the  v/ing  of  prayer,  and  on  the  whig 
 of  meditation,  and  on  the  wing  of  faith  ;  he  would  have  us  to 
 be  still  arising,  mounting  up  in  divine  contemplation  to  his 
 majesty. 
 
 3.  Christ  will  at  the  last  judge  all  our  souls,  and  judge  all  the 
 wicked  to  eternal  flames  ;  O  let  us  judge  ourselves,  that  we  may 
 not  be  judged  of  the  Lord  :  but  in  what  manner  should  we  judge 
 ourselves  ?  I  answer  : — 
 
 (L)  VVc  must  search  out  our  sins.  Winnoiu  yourselves,  O 
 people,  not  worthy  to  be  beloved.  There  should  be  a  strict  scru- 
 tiny, to  find  out  all  the  profaneness  of  our  hearts  and  lives,  all 
 our  sins  against  light,  and  love,  and  checks,  and  vows  -,  Winnow 
 
Looking  unto  Jesui,,  469 
 
 yourselves.  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  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. 
 
 (2.)  We  must  confess  our  sins  before  the  Lord;  we  must 
 spread  them  before  the  Lord,  as  Hezekiah  did  his  letter  5  only  in 
 our  confessions,  observe  these  rules  ;  as, — 
 
 [1.]  Our  confession  must  be  full  of  sorrow,  I  will  declare  my 
 iniquity  (saith  David,)  I  ivill  he  sorry  for  my  sin, 
 
 [2.]  Our  confession  must  be  a  full  confession  ;  we  must  pour 
 it  out.  Thus  David  styles  one  of  his  psalms,  A  prayer  of  the 
 cifflicted,  IV hen  he  is  overwhelmed,  and  poureth  out  his  complaint 
 before  the  Lord,  We  must  pour  out  our  complaints,  as  a  man 
 poureth  water  out  of  a  vessel :  Arise,  cry  out  in  the  7iight,  in  the 
 beginning  of  the  ivatches;  pour  out  thine  heart,  like  water,  before 
 the  face  of  the  Lord.  Water  runs  all  out  of  a  vessel ;  when  you 
 turn  the  mouth  downward,  never  a  spoonful  will  stay  behind  : 
 so  should  we  pour  out  our  hearts  before  God,  and  (if  it  were 
 possible)  leave  not  a  sin  unconfessed,  at  least  for  the  kinds,  if  not 
 for  the  particular  sins. 
 
 [3.]  Our  confession  must  be  with  full  aggravation ;  we  should 
 aggravate  our  sins  by  all  the  circumstances,  that  they  may  shew 
 them  odious  : — O,  my  sins  were  out  of  measure  sinful;  they  were 
 sins  against  knowledge,  and  light,  against  many  mercies  received, 
 against  many  judgments  threatened,  against  many  checks  of  con- 
 science, against  many  vows  and  promises ;  thus  oft,  and  in  this 
 place,  and  at  that  time,  and  in  that  manner,  I  committed  these 
 and  these  sins  :  but  of  all  the  aggravations,  let  us  be  sure  to  re- 
 member how  we  sinned  against  the  goodness,  and  patience,  and 
 love,  and  mercy  of  God ;  surely  these  circumstances  will  make 
 our  sins  out  of  measure  sinful.  Say,  ^  O  my  God,  thou  art  my 
 Father ;  was  I  ever  in  want,  and  thou  didst  not  relieve  me  ?  Was 
 I  ever  in  weakness,  and  thou  didst  not  strengthen  me  ?  Was  I 
 ever  in  straits,  and  thou  didst  not  deliver  me  ?  Was  J  ever  in 
 sickness,  and  thou  didst  not  cure  me  ?  Was  I  ever  in  misery, 
 and  thou  didst  not  succour  me  ?  Hast  thou  not  been  a  gracious 
 God  to  me  ?  All  my  bones  can  say.  Who  is  like  unto  thee  ? 
 Lord,  who  is  like  unto  thee  ?  And  shall  1  thus  and  thus  reward 
 the  Lord  for  all  his  mercies  towards  me  ?  Hear,  O  heavens,  and 
 hearken,  O  earth  ;  sun,  stand  thou  still,  and,  thou  moon,  be  thou 
 amazed  at  this  !  hear  angels,  and  hear  devils ;  hear  heaven,  and 
 hear  hell ;  and  be  you  avenged  on  such  a  sin  as  this  is  ! ' 
 
 4.  We  must  condemn  ourselves,  or  pass  sentence  against  our 
 souls  ;  ^  Lord,  the  worst  place  in  hell  is  too  good  for  me  ;  Lord, 
 here  is  my  soul,  thou  mayest,  if  thou  pleasest,  send  Satan  for  it, 
 and  give  me  a  portion  among  the  damned.' 
 
470  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 5.  We  must  plead  pardon,  and  cry  mightily  to  God  in  Christ, 
 for  the  remission  of  all  our  sins.  This  is  the  way  of  judging 
 ourselves  ;  we  see  nothing  but  hell  and  damnation  in  ourselves, 
 but  then  we  fling  down  ourselves  at  God's  gate  of  mercy.  We 
 despair  not  in  God,  though  in  ourselves.  God  in  Christ  is 
 gracious  and  merciful,  forgiving  iniquitj^,  transgression  and  sin ; 
 and  hence  we  make  bold  to  entreat  the  Lord  for  Christ's  sake  to 
 be  merciful  to  us.  ^  Lord,  pardon.  Lord  forgive,  for  tliy  name's 
 sake,  promise  sake,  mercy's  sake,  and  for  the  Lord  Jesus'  sake  : 
 O  let  free  gi'ace  have  his  work ;  Lord,  glorify  thy  name,  and 
 glorify  the  riches  of  thy  grace  in  saving  us.' 
 
 6.  Christ  at  his  coming  will  be  glorified  in  his  saints;  not 
 only  in  himself,  but  in  his  saints  also  ;  whose  glory,  as  it  comes 
 from  him,  so  it  will  redound  to  him.  O  let  him  now  be  glorified 
 in  us,  let  us  now  in  some  high  way  conform  to  the  image  of  his 
 glory,  let  us  look  unto  Christ  till  we  are  like  Christ,  not  only  in 
 grace,  but  in  glory ;  and  this  glory,  as  it  comes  from  him,  so  let 
 it  redound  to  him.  Let  us  so  behold  the  glory  of  the  Lord  in  the 
 glass  of  the  gosjiel,  as  that  ive  may  be  changed  into  the  same  image 
 from  glo^^y  to  glory y  from  a  lesser  measure  to  an  higher  measure 
 of  glory. 
 
 O  that  something  of  the  glory  of  Christ  might  rest  upon  us  ! 
 O  that  having  this  glory  in  our  thoughts,  we  could  now  feel  a 
 change  from  glory  to  glory  !  Is  it  so,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  will  be 
 glorified  in  all  his  saints  ?  And  shall  we  have  inglorious  souls  ? 
 base  and  imworthy  affections  and  conversations  ?  Or  shall  we 
 content  ourselves  with  a  little  measure  of  grace  ?  O  be  we  holy, 
 even  as  he  is  holy  ;  let  our  conversation  be  heavenly,  let  us  purify 
 ourselves  even  as  he  is  pure ;  let  us  resemble  him  in  some  high 
 measure  of  grace.  And,  lastly,  let  us  glorify  him  in  "bodies  and 
 spirits  ;  all  our  glory  is  from  him;  and  therefore  let  all  our  gloiy 
 redound  to  him ;  let  us  now  begin  that  gospel  tune  of  the  eternal 
 song  of  free  grace,  which  one  day  we  shall  more  perfectly  chant 
 in  glory ;  Allehdah!  and  ^gdiwAlleluiah  !  and  A}nen,  Alleluiah! 
 salvation,  and  glory,  and  power,  and  praise,  and  thanksgivhig, 
 and  obedience  be  unto  him  that  sits  on  the  throne,  the  Lamb  blessed 
 for  ever  a?id  ever.     Amen, 
 
 Now  all  is  done,  shall  I  speak  a  word  for  Christ,  or  rather  for 
 ourselves  in  relation  to  Christ ;  if  I  had  but  one  word  more  to 
 speak  in  the  world,  it  should  be  this.  O  let  all  our  spirits  be 
 taken  up  with  Christ !  Surely  Christ  is  enough  to  fill  all  our 
 thoughts,  desires,  hopes,  loves,  joys,  or  whatever  is  within  us, 
 or  without  us.  Christ  alone  comprehends  all  the  circumference 
 of  all  our  happiness.  O  the  worth  of  Christ !  Compare  we  other 
 things  with  him,  and  they  will  bear  no  weight  at  all ;  cast  into 
 the  balance  with  him  angels,  they  are  wise,  but  he  is  wisdom ; 
 cast  into  the  balance  with  him  men,  they  are"  liars,  lighter  than 
 vanity,  but  Christ  is  the  amen,  the  faithful  witness  ^  cast  into  the 
 
Loohini^  unto  Jesus.  471 
 
 "(b 
 
 scales  kings,  and  all  kings,  and  all  their  glory ;  cast  in  two  worlds, 
 and  add  to  the  weight  millions  of  heavens  of  heavens,  and  the 
 balance  cannot  down,  the  scales  are  unequal ;  Christ  outweighs 
 all.     Shall  I  yet  come  nearer  home  ?   What  is  heaven,  but  to  be 
 w^ith  Christ  ?  What  is  life  eternal,  but  to  believe  in  God,  and  in 
 his  Son  Jesus  Christ  ?  Where  may  we  find  peace  with  God,  and 
 reconciliation  with  God,  but  only  in   Christ  ?  All  the  goodness 
 of  God  comes  out  of  God  through  this  golden  pipe,  the  Lord 
 »  Jesus  Christ.     It  is  true,  those  essential  attributes  of  love,  grace, 
 mercy,  and  goodness,  are  only  in  God,  and  they  abide  in  God,  yet 
 ^  the  mediatory  manifestation  of  love,  grace,  mercy,  and  goodness,  ^ 
 is  only  in  Christ.     Christ  alone  is  the  treasury,  storehouse,  maga- 
 zine, of  the  free  goodness  and  mercy  of  the  Godhead.     In  him 
 »   we  are  justified,  sanctified,  saved.     He  is  the  ivay,  the  truth,  and  •- 
 .  the  life  ;  he  is  honour,  riches,  beauty,  health,  peace,  and  salva-  » 
 tion  ;  all  the  spiritual  blessings  wherewith  we  are  enriched,  are 
 ♦  in  and  by  Christ :  God  hears  our  prayers  by  Christ ;  God  forgives  ^ 
 ^  our  iniquities  through  Christ ;  all  we  have,  and  all  we  expect  to  , 
 /  have,  hangs  only  on  Christ ;  he  is  the  golden  hinge,  upon  which  ^ 
 all  our  salvation  turns. 
 
 O  how  should  all'hearts  be  taken  with  this  Christ !  Christians, 
 
 turn  your  eyes  upon  the  Lord  ;  Look,  and  look  again  unto  Jesus. 
 
 Shall  I  speak  one  word  more  to  thee  that  believest  ?  Remember 
 
 how  he  came  out  of  his  Father's  bosom  for  thee,  wept  for  thee, 
 
 "  bled  for  thee,  poured  out  his  life  for  thee,  is  now  risen  for  thee,  v 
 
 gone  to  heaven  for  thee,  sits  at  God's  right-hand,  and  rules  all 
 ^  the  world  for  thee,  makes  intercession  for  thee,  and  at  the  end  of  v 
 H  the  world  will  come  again  for  thee,  and  receive  thee  to  himself,  ^ 
 ^  to  live  with  him  for  ever  and  ever.  Surely  if  thus  thou  believest,v 
 <  and  Uvest,  thy  life  is  comfortable,  and  thy  death  will  be  sweet  j* 
 ^if  there  be  any  heaven  upon  earth,  thou  wilt  find  it  in  the  practice  •- 
 and  exercise  of  this  gospel  duty,  in  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
 
 THB   BKD. 
 
THE 
 
 MINISTRATION  OF 
 
 AND 
 
 COMMUNION  WITH  ANGELS. 
 
 CHAP.  I. 
 
 r 
 
 Sect.  I. — Are  they  not  all  Ministering  Spirits,  sent  forth  to 
 minister  for  them,  ivho  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation,  Heb.  i.  14. 
 
 THE    COHERENCE   AND    DIVISION    OF    THE    WORDS, 
 
 X  HE  apostle  is  here  making  a  comparison  betwixt  Christ  and 
 the  angels.  As  the  world  is  wonderfully  inclined  to  superstition, 
 so  it  is  wont  many  times  to  darken  the  glory  of  Christ,  by  too 
 much  exalting  of  angels :  good  reason  it  is  therefore  that  they 
 should  be  put  in  their  place ;  the  angels  are  excellent,  but  Christ 
 more  excellent ;  the  angels  are  glorious,  but  Christ  more  glorious : 
 now  the  prelation  of  Christ  before  the  angels,  the  apostle  proves 
 by  several  arguments:  as,  1.  From  the  name  of  Christ :  he  is 
 called  God's  Son  ;  so  are  not  the  aiigels.  2.  From  the  rule  and 
 dominion  of  Christ :  he  is  the  head  and  prince ;  so  are  not  the 
 angels.  3.  From  the  office  and  place  of  Christ :  '  He  sits  at  God's 
 right-hand,'  (i.  e.)  he  hath  the  second  place  given  him  after  the 
 Father,  he  is  the  Father's  lieutenant,  or  his  chief  ambassador,  to 
 exercise  all  power  :  so  are  not  the  angels ;  and  therefore  it  fol- 
 lows that  Christ  is  more  excellent  and  glorious  than  them  all. 
 Indeed  they  are  spirits,  and  therein  they  have  a  title  of  great 
 excellency  given  them  ;  but  they  are  ministering  spirits,  and  that 
 takes  off,  and  holds  them  within  the  compass  of  their  degree ;  if 
 they  but  minister,  they  must  needs  be  inferior  to  Christ,  who  is 
 Lord  over  all:  and  though  it  may  be  objected,  that  Christ  is 
 sometimes  called  a  minister,  and  that  ^  he  came  to  minister;* 
 yet  that  is  not  in  regard  of  need,  but  of  good  will ;  the  angels  do 
 17.  3  o 
 
474  Communion  with  Angels. 
 
 it  of  necessity^  but  Christ  voluntarily :  it  is  natural  in  the  angels, 
 but  only  by  accident  in  Jesus  Christ;  and  therefore  in  all  things 
 Christ  hath  the  pre-eminence.  Yet  let  not  this  doctrine  pass 
 without  some  consolation  to  the  saints  and  people  of  God;  be  it 
 known  to  you^  that  as  angels  are  ministering  spirits,  so  they  are 
 Bent  forth  to  minister  for  you ;  '  Are  they  not  all  ministering 
 spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  for  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  sal- 
 vation ? ' 
 
 You  see  I  had  need  to  be  careful  what  I  say  of  the  angels  ;  lest 
 that  honour  which  should  be  given  to  God  and  Christ,  may  in 
 any  sort  redound  to  them.  This  hath  been  the  error  of  former 
 ages  j  and  of  all  errors  there  is  almost  none  more  ancient  than 
 this.  Paul  himself  had  much  to  do  with  some,  who  so  advanced 
 the  angels,  that  in  a  manner  they  would  have  brought  Christ 
 under  subjection  ;  Let  no  man  beguile  you  of  your  reward  (saith 
 he)  in  a  voluntary  humility,  and  worshipping  of  angels.  Indeed 
 there  shines  in  them  such  a  brightness  of  the  majesty  of  God, 
 that  there  is  nothing  whereunto  we  are  more  easily  drawn,  than 
 with  a  certain  admiration  to  fall  down  in  worshipping  of  them ; 
 this  very  thing  John  in  the  Revelation  confesseth  of  himself,  but 
 he  addeth  withal,  that  he  received  this  answer.  See  thou  do  it  not, 
 for  I  am  thy  fellow -servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  that  have  the 
 testimony  of  Jesus;  icorship  God — there  is  no  worshipping  of 
 angels :  and  yet  we  must  not  throw  away  the  comfortable  doctrine 
 of  angels ;  I  hope  before  I  have  done  to  convince  you  of  a  won- 
 derful pledge  of  Christ's  love  to  your  persons  in  the  administra- 
 tion of  angels, — Are  they  not  all  administering  spirits,  &;c. 
 
 In  this  text  is  a  description  of  angels;  w^herein,  I.  Of  their 
 nature,  Are  they  not  spirits?  2.  Of  their  office.  Are  they  not 
 ministering  spirits?  3.  Of  their  conjunction  in  this  office.  Are  they 
 not  all  ministering  spirits  ?  4.  Of  their  commission  and  execution 
 of  this  office  so  undertaken,  Are  they  not  all  ministering  spirits, 
 sent  forth  to  minister?  5.  Of  the  object  about  which  the  execution 
 of  their  office  is  most  conversant.  Are  they  not  all  ministering 
 spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  for  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  sal- 
 vation ? 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  the  several  Doctrines  deduced  from  the  words. 
 
 From  every  part  I  may  deduce  a  several  doctrine ;  as,  1 .  That 
 the  angels  are  spirits.  2.  That  the  office  of  the  angels  is  to  minis- 
 ter and  serve.  3.  That  the  highest  angel  is  not  exempted  from 
 this  office.  4.  That  they  have  their  commission  from  God  and 
 Christ  to  execute  their  office  of  ministration.  5.  That  the  minis- 
 tering office  of  the  angels  is  not  for  all,  but  only  for  heaven's 
 heirs.  On  the  four  first  1  shall  only  give  a  touch,  but  on  the  last 
 I  shall  insist,  and  (if  the  Lord  help)  enlarge  my  discourse  to  the 
 iuU  of  my  design. 
 
Communion  with  Angels,  475 
 
 CHAP.  II. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  the  First  Doctrme. 
 
 The  angels  are  spirits;  and  so  is  God,  and  so  are  the  souls  of 
 men,  but  with  this  difference,  God  is  a  spirit  most  simple,  with- 
 out any  composition  at  all :  the  souls  of  men  are  spirits  con- 
 joined with  flesh  and  blood;  thus  the  philosopher  describes  the 
 soul  to  be  the  act  of  the  body ;  now  betwixt  these  two  spirits  are 
 the  angels,  who  are  neither  without  all  composition,  as  God  is  ; 
 nor  are  they  covered  with  flesh  and  blood,  as  the  soul  of  man  is. 
 I  know  it  is  a  question,  whether  the  angels  have  bodies  ?     And, 
 
 1.  The  Peripatetics  and  school-men  are  for  the  negative; 
 '  The  angels,*  say  they  ^  are  altogether  incorporeal;'  and  for  this 
 opinion  are  brought  in  by  others  these  very  texts, '  Who  maketh 
 his  angels  spirits,' — and  '  Are  they  not  all  ministering  spirits?' 
 
 2.  The  Platonists  and  many  of  the  ancients  are  on  the  other 
 side:  ^The  angels  have  their  proper  bodies,'  saith  TertuUian, 
 and,  although  invisible  to  us,  yet  visible  to  God.  Augustine  is 
 of  the  same  mind :  and  herein,  saith  Lombard,  he  followed  many 
 famous  authors,  as  all  the  Platonics,  Origen,  Lactantius,  Basil, 
 
 •with  all  the  writers  almost  of  his  time :  and  some  more  modern 
 agree  with  them  herein;  All  spirits  have  their  bodies,  saith 
 Bernard,  as  need  is,  excepting  only  God  himself;  and  the  need 
 that  the  angels  have,  he  proves  from  his  text,  '  Are  they  not  all 
 ministering  spirits  ?  For  how  can  they  execute  their  ministry/ 
 saith  he,  '  without  a  body,  especially  amongst  them  that  are  in 
 the  body  ?  Besides,  they  could  not  discourse,  nor  move  from 
 place  to  place,  without  a  body.'  Nor  speaks  he  of  bodies 
 assumed,  but  of  bodies  proper  and  peculiar  to  themselves. 
 
 Methinks  a  middle  betwixt  both  these  comes  nearest  truth, 
 ^  That  in  comparison  of  God  they  are  bodies,  but  in  comparison 
 of  us  they  are  pure  and  mighty  spirits.'  Certainly  the  angels  are 
 not  simply  spirits,  as  God  is,  who  is  a  spirit  most  simple,  without 
 any  composition  at  all;  nor  are  they  infinite  or  immense,  as  God 
 is,  but  are  terminated  in  their  dimensions,  and  move  from  place 
 to  place  as  bodies  do.  Hence  Zanchy  approves  rather  of  the 
 ancients,  than  of  the  school-men,  ^  that  angels  are  not  simply 
 and  altogether  incoi-poreal ;  only  their  bodies,'  saith  he,  ^  are  not 
 earthly,  nor  airy,  nor  heavenly,  as  the  Stoics  would  have  them, 
 for  all  such  bodies  were  created  of  that  chaos,  Ge?i.  i.  I.  but 
 rather,  as  the  imperial  heaven  is  a  corporeal  substance  far  dif- 
 ferent from  these  nether  heavens  visible  to  us,  so  the  angels, 
 made  together  with  that  heaven,  are  corporeal  substances,  far 
 purer  and  more  subtile,  than  either  earth,  or  air,  or  fire,  or  the 
 matter  of  these  visible  heavens.'     I  will  not  say  they  are  of  the 
 
476  Communion  with  Angels  > 
 
 game  body,  but  they  may  have  like  bodies  to  that  glorious  body 
 of  the  highest  heaven,  or  seat  of  the  blessed;  and  so  in  respect 
 of  us,  or  of  our  gross  bodies,  they  may  be  called  pure  and  mighty 
 Spirits. 
 
 CHAP.  III. 
 
 Of  the  Second  Doctrine, 
 
 The  office  of  the  angels  is  to  minister  and  serve ;  it  is  time, 
 they  are  called  principalities,  powers,  mights,  thrones,  domi- 
 nions; so  the  apostle  speaks  of  Christ,  that  he  was  set  at  God's 
 right-hand  in  heavenly  places,  far  above  all  principalities,  and 
 powers,  and  might,  and  dominion.  And  by  him  iv ere  all  things 
 created  in  heaven,  ivhether  thrones,  or  dominions,  or  principali- 
 ties, or  powers:  by  all  which,  though  we  understand  not  divers 
 dignities  of  angels,  whereby  in  nature  they  excel  one  another, 
 yet  we  must  needs  understand  the  dignity,  excellency,  authority, 
 and  power,  of  every  one  of  the  angels. 
 
 And  yet  this  hinders  not,  but  that  these  mighty  powers  are 
 ministering  spirits;  and  therefore  in  other  places  of  scripture  we 
 find  other  titles  given  to  them;  as  sometimes  they  are  called 
 watchers,  I  saw  in  the  visions  of  my  head,  and  behold  a  watcher, 
 and  an  Holy  One  came  down  from  heaven.  And  sometimes  they 
 are  called  soldiers,  ^  And  suddenly  there  was  with  the  angel  a 
 multitude  of  heavenly  soldiers,  (or  of  the  heavenly  host)  praising 
 God.'  Most  frequently  they  are  called  angels,  which  is  not  a 
 name  of  their  nature,  but  of  their  office ;  the  word  signifies  a  mes- 
 senger, as  if  they  were  ever  running  errands  betwixt  heaven  and 
 earth :  So  ^  Jacob  dreamed  of  a  ladder  set  on  earth,  whose  top 
 reached  to  heaven,  and  behold  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and 
 descending  on  it."  Now  this  is  clear,  that  watchers,  soldiers,  and 
 messengers,  are  but  ministers  and  servants.  If  it  be  demanded 
 what  is  their  ministry,  or  service  ?  It  is  either  to  God,  or  to  men ; 
 in  respect  of  God,  they  are  said  to  do  his  commandments,  to 
 hearken  to  the  voice  of  his  woyxl,  to  behold  the  face  of  God,  to 
 celebrate  the  praises  of  God,  and  of  Jesus  Chinst ;  and  in  respect 
 of  men,  they  do  them  many  offices  of  love  and  service,  which  we 
 shall  discover  in  the  last  point,  for  are  they  not  all  ministering 
 spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  unto  them  (I  say,  unto  them)  who 
 shall  be  heirs  of  salvation. 
 
Communion  with  AngeU.  A77 
 
 CHAP.  IV. 
 
 Of  the  Third  Doctrine, 
 
 The  highest  angel  is  not  exempted  from  this  office.  Are  they 
 not  all  ministering  spirits  ?  It  is  not  one,  nor  ten,  nor  an  hun- 
 dred, nor  a  thousand,  but  all  angels  and  archangels,  principalities 
 and  powers,  thrones  and  dominions,  are  *  all  ministering  spirits.' 
 A  question  there  is,  1 .  Of  the  order  of  angels  5  and  if  that  be 
 admitted,  2.  Whether  the  chief  of  that  order  may  be  considered 
 as  ministering  spirits  ? 
 
 For  the  first,  Dionysius  (I  will  not  say  the  Areopagite)  tells 
 of  nine  orders,  because  of  nine  words  in  the  scripture  relating  to 
 the  angels,  as  seraphims,  cherubims,  thrones,  powers,  hosts, 
 dominions,  principalities,  archangels,  and  angels ;  and  at  large 
 he  describes  their  several  natures,  distinctions,  and  properties,  as, 
 that  the  first  three  orders  are  for  immediate  attendance  on  the 
 Almighty ;  and  the  next  three  orders^  for  the  general  government 
 of  the  creatures;  and  the  last  three  orders,  for  the  particular 
 good  of  God's  elect ;  that  the  archangels  surpass  the  beauty  of 
 angels  ten  times,  principalities  surpass  the  archangels  twenty 
 times,  powers  surpass  the  principalities  forty  times,  &c.  How 
 he,  or  any  other,  came  to  this  learning,  is  yet  unknown,  yet  hath 
 this  hierarchy,  in  these  several  orders,  passed  for  current  through 
 many  ages  of  the  church. 
 
 Learned  Mede,  in  his  Diatribae  of  the  Angels,  tells  of  seven 
 principal  angels,  which  minister  before  the  throne  of  God,  and 
 therefore  are  called  archangels,  some  of  whose  names  we  have  in 
 scripture,  as,  Michael,  Gabriel,  Raphael;  to  this  purpose  he 
 cites  several  texts :  As  I  am  Raphael,  one  of  the  seven  holy  angels, 
 which  stand  and  minister  before  the  glory  of  the  Holy  One.  And, 
 These  seve?i  are  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  which  run  to  and  fro  through 
 the  whole  earth.  And,  I  saw,  saith  John,  seven  lamps  before  the 
 throne,  which  are  the  seven  Spirits  of  God;  and  I  beheld,  andlo 
 in  the  midst  of  the  throne  stood  a  Lamb,  as  it  had  been  slain, 
 having  seven  horns,  and  seven  eyes,  ivhich  are  the  seven  Spirits 
 of  God,  sent  forth  into  all  the  earth.  And,  Isaiv  the  seven  angels 
 which  stood  before  God.  And  the  archangel  Gabriel  speaks  of 
 himself  to  Zacharias  in  the  very  same  language,  /  am  Gabriel, 
 that  stand  in  the  preseiice  of  God. 
 
 That  there  is  order  amongst  the  angels,  I  do  not  doubt;  God 
 is  the  God  of  order,  and  as  he  orders  all  things  below,  so  no 
 question  he  observeth  a  most  exact  order  in  the  court  of  heaven : 
 amongst  us,  some  are  superior  and  some  inferior,  some  greater 
 and  others  lesser;  equality  hath  no  place  either  on  earth,  ar  in 
 hell ;  and  in  this  visible  heaven,  one  star,  saith  the  apostle,  diners 
 
478  Communion  with  Angels. 
 
 from  another  in  glory :  how  then  should  we  imagine  any  disorder 
 or  confusion  to  be  in  heaven  ?  Certainly  there  is  a  most  beautiful 
 distinction  and  order  amongst  the  blessed  angels,  yet  I  am  apt  to 
 think  and  do  believe,  that  the  difference  of  those  glorious  spirits 
 in  heaven,  is  not  in  their  nature,  but  in  their  offices:  for  as 
 among  men  there  is  a  parity  and  equality  in  the  respect  of  nature, 
 and  the  excellency  of  one  above  another  is  but  by  accident ;  so  it 
 is  with  angels,  they  are  equally  spiritual  substances,  all  equally 
 created  good,  and  pure,  and  perfect,  and  their  imparity  is  because 
 of  the  divers  kinds  of  their  offices,  wherein  they  are  employed : 
 Hence,  ^  some  are  simply  called  angels,  some  archangels,  some 
 principalities,  some  dominions,'  &c. 
 
 But,  2.  admitting  this  order  and  distinction  of  angels,  whe- 
 ther are  not  the  highest  angels  ministering  spirits  ?  The  Plato- 
 nists  that  first  divided  them  into  three  orders,  as,  some  above  hea- 
 ven, called  supercelestes ;  others  in  heaven,  called  celestes ;  and 
 others  under  heaven,  called  subcelestes — do  suitably  give  them 
 several  offices ;  as,  1 .  They  above  heaven  (I  mean  this  visible 
 heaven)  continually  stand  before  God  (as  they  say)  praising,  and 
 lauding,  and  magnifying  his  name.  2.  They  in  heaven  are  there 
 seated,  to  move,  and  rule,  and  govern  the  stars.  3.  They  under 
 heaven,  are  some  to  rule  kingdoms,  others  provinces,  others 
 cities,  others  particular  men.  Many  Christians,  that  write  of  the 
 hierarchy  of  the  angels,  follow  these  opinions.  Now,  by  this  sur- 
 mise, the  highest  angels  do  not  minister  to  the  saints,  but  only 
 and  immediately  to  God  himself.  But  on  the  contrary,  did  not 
 '  Michael,'  one  of  the  seven,  ^  contend  with  Satan  about  the  body 
 of  Moses  ? '  And  was  not  Gabriel,  ^  who  stands  before  the 
 presence  of  God,'  sent  to  speak  to  Zacharias,  and  to  Mary,  and 
 to  shew  the  glad  tidings  of  the  gospel  ?  And  were  not  those 
 seven  archangels,  called,  seven  eyes,  and  the  seven  spirits  of  God, 
 sent  forth  into  all  the  earth  ?  Surely  then  neither  seraphims,  nor 
 cherubims,  nor  thrones,  nor  powers,  are  exempted  from  this 
 office,  they  are  all  ministering  spirits. 
 
 CHAP.  V. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  the  Fourth  Doctrine. 
 
 They  have  their  commission  from  God  and  Christ,  to  execute 
 their  office  of  ministration ;  they  will  not  go,  unless  sent  forth: 
 as  Christ  would  not  do  the  office  of  mediator  until  he  was  called, 
 Heb.  V.  4,  5.  so  neither  will  the  angels  execute  their  office  with-< 
 out  a  call :  in  this  respect,  the  angels  are  said  to  wait  on  Christ, 
 they  stand  behind  him,  and  receive  deputations  to  their  several 
 
Communion  with  Angels,  479 
 
 offices :  Isaiv  hy  night,  and  behold  a  man — and  behind  him  were 
 there  red  horses,  speckled  and  white,  (i.  e.)  ministering  spirits, 
 prepared  for  judgment  and  mercy.  When  Zachary  knew  not  who 
 they  were,  the  man  that  stood  among  the  myrtle  trees,  Christ 
 (the  captain  of  the  Lord's  host)  answered  and  said,  These  are 
 they  luhom  the  Lord  hath  sent  to  walk  to  and  fro  through  the 
 earth :  The  Lord  first  sends  them,  and  then,  as  agents  and  spies, 
 they  give  intelligence  of  all  things  done  in  the  world :  they  will 
 not  stir  without  a  commission ;  ]jut  if  he  sends  them,  they  run, 
 they  fly.  Isaiv  the  Lord  sitting  on  his  throne,  saith  Micaiah,  and 
 all  the  host  of  heaven  standing  by  him,  on  his  right-hand,  and  on 
 his  left ;  and  the  Lord  said.  Who  shall  persuade  Ahab,  that  he 
 may  go  up  and  fall  at  Bamoth-gilead  f  And  one  said  on  this 
 manner,  and  another  said  on  that  manner  ;  and  there  came  forth 
 a  spirit,  and  stood  before  the  Lord,  and  said,  I  ivill persuade  him. 
 And  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  Wherewith  f  And  he  said,  Iivill 
 go  forth,  and  Iivill  be  a  lying  spirit  in  the  mouth  of  all  his  pro- 
 phets. And  he  said.  Thou  shall  persuade  him,  a7id prevail  also; 
 go  forth,  and  do  so.  All  this  discourse  is  by  way  of  resemblance : 
 as  it  is  with  kings  and  princes,  so  it  is  said  of  God,  all  his  host 
 (good  and  bad  angels)  stand  about  him,  and  receive  their  com- 
 misions  from  him :  no  sooner  is  any  design  agreed  on,  but  he  gives 
 out  the  word  of  command,  go  forth,  and  do  so.  See  here  the  com- 
 mission, ^o/or^A,  said  God:  are  they  not  all  ministering  spirits 
 setif  forth,  said  the  apostle. 
 
 Sect.  IL — A  Transition  to  the  last  Point. 
 
 On  these  four  several  doctrines,  I  have  no  mind  to  insist,  and 
 the  rather,  because  they  are  so  very  speculative,  and  so  full  of 
 controversy :  for  my  part,  I  shall  never  forget  what  Graserus  said 
 he  had  found  in  his  visiting  the  sick,  and  in  his  own  preparations 
 for  well  dying, — that  most  of  the  controversies  in  divinity  were 
 utterly  useless,  and  did  entangle  the  consciences  of  the  simple, 
 just  as  the  human  inventions  in  popery  formerly  did;  and  there- 
 fore he  begun  with  full  bent  of  mind  to  shun  or  abhor  them,  and 
 in  his  public  preaching  to  propound  only  those  things  which 
 tended  to  the  kindling  of  true  faith  in  Christ,  and  to  the  exercise 
 of  true  godliness,  according  to  the  word  of  God,  and  to  the  pro- 
 curing of  true  consolation  both  in  life  and  death:  nor  shall  I 
 forget  what  is  writ  of  Abraham  Buchaltzer,  whose  care  in  his 
 public  ministry  was  to  avoid  those  questions  that  do  but  gender 
 unto  strife,  and  to  instruct  his  auditors  how  to  live  well  and  die 
 well.  Some  indeed  blamed  him  of  cowardice,  for  that  being 
 endowed  by  God  with  such  excellent  abilities,  yet  he  would  never 
 enter  into  the  lists  with  the  fanatic  adversaries  of  those  times ; 
 but  the  reason  was,  because  he  always  affected  peace,  having  no 
 delight  in  wrangling,  which  caused  him  to  say  to  a  friend,  Desii 
 
480  Communion  with  Angels, 
 
 disputofi'e,  C(jepi  suppntare,  quo7iium  illud  dlssipationem^  hoc  col- 
 lectionem  sigmficat.     Besides,  he  saw  that  the  greatest  antago- 
 nists to  the  church's  peace  had  not  so  much  as  one  spark  of  grace 
 in  them;  and  that  there  came  no  profit,  but  much  hurt,  to  the 
 church  of  Christ,  by  those  continual  quarrels  amongst  divines. 
 I  will  not  deny,  nay,  I  dare  not  but  acknowledge,  that  in  our 
 pulpits  we  may,  and  must  (as  occasion  is)  propound  such  a  sub- 
 ject as  this  of  the  angels,  and  no  question  but  out  of  it  we  may 
 draw  matter  for  faith,  and  life,  and  comfort :  but  as  to  these  parti- 
 culars of  the  angels,  that  they  are  spirits,  ministers  of  several 
 orders,  and  all  delegated  (as  the  Lord  pleaseth)  to  this  or  that 
 office,  they  are  very  abstruse  points,  wherein  we  may  vn-angle,  and 
 do  as  boys  in  sport,  who  strive  to  strike  most  sparks  out  of  their 
 flints,  but  never  intend  to  kindle  thereby  for  use ;  so  we  may  dis- 
 pute and  jangle  about  words,  or  strive  to  strike  out  the  most  sub- 
 tile and  finest-spun  notions  that  we  can  invent,  but,  alas,  they 
 will  not  profit  our  souls,  nor  tend  much  to  practice,  which  is  the 
 life  and  spirit  of  religion :  upon  this  1  verily  believe  it  is,  that  we 
 have  far  less  written  in  God's  word  of  the  nature  of  angels,  than 
 of  God  himself;  because  the  knowledge  of  God  is  far  more  prac- 
 tical, and  less  controversial,  and  more  necessary  to  salvation,  than 
 the  knowledge  of  angels  or  archangels ;  only  if  there  be  any  thing 
 of  angels  revealed  in  scripture,  and  most  worthy  of  our  knowledge, 
 (as  certainly  there  is,)  I  take  that  to  be  it,  which  the  school-men 
 in  aU  their  learning  took  the  least  notice  of,  and  that  is,  of  the 
 ministration  of  angels  in  reference  to  God's  people :    with  this 
 one  use,  saith  Zanchius,  could  the  apostle  content  himself,  as 
 knowing  that,  in  the  doctrine  of  angels,  this  was  the  most  prin- 
 cipal, and  indeed  most  practical;  and  therefore  on  this  point  1 
 mean  to  enlarge,  and  the  other  points  1  shall  leave  to  others. 
 
 CHAP.  VI. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  the  last  Doctrine. 
 
 The  chief  point  yet  remains,  viz.  that  this  tninistering  office 
 of  the  angels  is  not  for  all,  but  only  for  heaven^ s  heirs:  on  this 
 I  mean  to  insist,  and  to  enlarge  my  discourse ;  wherein  I  shall, 
 1.  Confirm,  2.  Apply.  1.  For  confirmation,  we  have  scripture 
 and  reason. 
 
 Sect.  II. — Scriptures  for  Angels'  Ministration, 
 
 He  shall  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee,  to  keep  thee  in  all  thy 
 ways;  they  shall  bear  thee  up  in  their  hands,  lest  thou  dash  thy 
 foot  against  a  stone. 
 
Communion  with  Angels.  481 
 
 In  this  scripture  we  may  observe  these  particulars, — 
 
 1.  That  the  elect  are  so  precious  with  God,  that  for  their  sakes 
 he  gives  out  commands. 
 
 2.  That  he  commands  the  angels  (his  choice  and  chief  ser** 
 vants)  for  the  good  of  his  chosen  :  he  shall  give  his  angels  charge 
 over  thee.  It  is  the  usual  way  of  his  providence,  to  command  the 
 strong  in  behalf  of  the  weak,  and  commend  the  weak  to  those 
 that  are  more  strong  ;  thus  it  is  between  children  and  parents, 
 wives  and  husbands,  the  sick  and  sound,  the  saints  and  angels  ; 
 he  commands  the  angels  over  saints,  or  he  commends  the  saints 
 unto  his  angels. 
 
 3.  That  the  end  or  meaning  of  the  command,  is  for  the  elect's 
 custody,  to  keep  thee  :  they  must  not  exercise  a  power  or  domi* 
 nion  over  them,  they  must  not  exact  adoration  or  worship  from 
 them,  as  the  evil  spirits  do  from  all  their  followers ;  but  the 
 command  is  to  preserve  them,  defend  them,  and  deliver  them, 
 keep  them. 
 
 4.  That  the  keeping  of  saints  is  limited  to  their  ways,  they 
 shall  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways:  i.  e.  in  all  thy  necessary  lawful 
 ways,  not  in  thy  sinful  devious  wanderings. 
 
 5.  That  the  obedience  of  the  angels  to  this  command,  is  pre^ 
 cise,  exact,  and  diligent,  they  shall  bear  thee  up  in  their  ha?idsy 
 i.  e.  they  shall  accompany  thee,  go  before  thee,  wait  upon  thee, 
 follow  thee,  as  the  shadow  follows  the  body,  compass  thee  round, 
 lead  thee,  observe  thee,  and  in  all  straits  or  necessities  lend  thee 
 an  hand. 
 
 6.  That  the  issue  of  this  obedience  is  safety  and  security ;  lest 
 thou  dash  thy  foot  agaiiist  a  stone.  By  this  one  danger  we  un- 
 derstand, by  a  synecdoche,  all  other  dangers  ;  q.  d.  not  any  hurt, 
 be  it  never  so  little,  shall  befall  the  elect :  so  far  shall  they  be 
 from  harm  in  the  head,  that  it  shall  not  reach  the  foot ;  indeed 
 neither  foot  nor  head,  nor  an  hair  of  their  head,  shall  perish  to 
 their  prejudice,  Luke  21.  28. 
 
 The  sum  of  all  this  is.  As  nurses  and  mothers  deal  with  their 
 children,  so  must  the  angels  deal  with  the  children  of  God,  that 
 is,  they  must  keep  them  in  their  ways,  they  must  bear  them  up 
 in  their  hands  :  children  often  stumble  and  fall,  unless  they  be 
 led  and  carried  in  hands  and  arms  ;  and  therefore  God  hath 
 given  his  angels  a  charge  over  his  children,  to  keep  them,  and 
 carry  them  as  in  arms,  lest  they  dash  their  feet  against  thp 
 stones. 
 
 The  angel  of  the  Lord  encampeth  round  ahout  them  that  fear 
 him,  and  delivereth  them :  they  that  sometimes  are  compared  to 
 nurses  and  mothers,  are  other  whiles  compared  to  soldiers  that 
 encamp  themselves  about  the  saints  ;  thus,  wlien  the  young  man 
 had  his  eyes  opened  at  Elisha's  praj^er,  he  saw,  and  behold  the 
 mountain  was  full  of  horses,  and  chariots  of  fire,  round  about 
 Elisha.    Many  military  services  are  they  ever  and  anon  per. 
 
482  Communion  with  Angels, 
 
 forming  for  the  saints ;  they  are  watchful  centinels,  giving  a 
 timely  alarm  to  prevent  the  enemy  :  Arise,  and  take  the  hahe  and 
 his  mother,  and  flee  into  Egypt,  and  he  their  until  I  bring  thee 
 luord,  for  Herod  luill  seek  the  babe  to  destroy  him.  They  are 
 faithful  life-guards,  preserving  the  saints  in  the  midst  of  dan- 
 gers :  There  shall  no  evil  hefal  thee,  neither  shall  any  plague 
 co}ne  nigh  thy  dwelling,  for  he  shall  give  his  angels  charge  over 
 thee.  They  are  safe  convoys,  bringing  the  saints  through  their 
 wilderness  to  their  heavenly  Canaan.  Jacob  had  experience 
 thereof :  And  Jacob  went  on  his  way,  and  the  angels  of  God  met 
 him  ;  and  when  Jacob  saw  them,  he  said,  This  is  God's  host ;  and 
 he  called  the  name  of  that  place  3Iahanaim,  i.e.  two  hosts  or 
 camps,  the  one  before  and  the  other  behind,  or  the  one  on  one 
 side,  and  the  other  on  the  other  side  ;  or  they  placed  themselves 
 in  such  sort,  as  to  give  Jacob  assurance  of  safety  every  way. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Reasons  for  Angels'  Ministration. 
 
 But  why  should  they  minister  for  the  saints?  The  reasons 
 are,  1.  In  respect  of  God.  2.  In  respect  of  them.  3.  In  respect 
 of  us. 
 
 1 .  There  are  some  reasons  in  respect  of  God  :  as, — 
 
 1.  It  is  his  will  and  pleasure  that  they  should  so  minister. 
 Thus  Nebuchadnezzar  could  acknowledge.  He  doth  according  to 
 his  ivill  in  the  army  of  heaven.  The  Lord's  will  is  the  rule  of  all 
 justice,  and  a  most  perfect  law,  whereby  he  governs  the  army  of 
 heaven,  that  is,  the  angels  :  hence  they  are  described  to  be  God's 
 ministers  that  do  his  pleasure ;  they  inquire  no  further  what  is  to 
 be  done,  or  why  it  should  be  done,  but  acquiesce  in  the  disco- 
 very of  his  will  and  pleasure.  Indeed  all  things  and  actions  are 
 resolved  into  tliis  first  principle,  the  good  pleasure  of  his  will  ; 
 He  worketh  all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  luill.  This  is  the 
 supreme  reason. 
 
 2.  It  is  his  command  that  they  should  so  minister ;  every 
 thing  that  God  wills,  he  doth  not  command ;  he  wills  sin  to  be 
 in  the  world,  but  he  doth  not  command  it,  for  then  he  would  be 
 the  author  of  sin ;  but  as  for  angel-ministration,  he  wills  and 
 commands  them  to  it :  Bless  the  Lord,  ye  his  angels,  that  excel 
 in  strength,  that  do  Ids  commandments,  hearkening  to  the  voice  of 
 his  word :  upon  this  ground  is  the  Lord  very  often  called,  the 
 Lord  of  hosts,  i.  e.  the  Lord  of  angels,  for  so  Jacob  called  the 
 two  armies  of  angels,  God's  host ;  and  the  multitude  of  angels 
 that  praised  God  at  Christ's  nativity,  are  called  a  multitude  of  the 
 heavenly  hosts.  Look,  as  commanders  say  to  their  soldiers,  go, 
 and  they  go  ;  so  saith  God  to  his  angels,  go,  and  they  go  ;  go  and 
 minister  to  my  saints,  and  presently  they  minister. 
 
 3.  It  is  goodness  that  they  should  so  minister.  Alas,  if  the 
 Lord  shofuld  deal  with  us  according  to  our  demerits^  rather  tigers 
 
Communion  with  Angels.  483 
 
 and  dragons  should  wait  upon  us,  than  the  angels  :  it  is  more 
 than  we  can  challenge,  that  any  creature  after  the  fall  should  be 
 serviceable  unto  us ;  but  that  all  the  hosts  of  heaven  should  be 
 abased  to  so  low  a  work,  as  to  be  sent  forth  to  minister  for  the 
 meanest  saint,  even  for  us  poor  sinful  wretches,  dust  and  ashes. 
 Oh  !  what  goodness  is  this  !  Upon  this  account,  of  the  love, 
 mercy,  and  goodness  of  God,  we  read  so  often  of  the  Lord's 
 sending  his  angels  to  attend  his  saints  :  thus  Abraham  told  his 
 servant.  The  Lord,  before  whom  I  walk,  will  send  his  angel  ivith 
 thee:  And  thus  God  told  Moses,  I  will  send  an  angel  before  thee: 
 And  thus  Daniel  told  the  king,  My  God  hath  sent  his  angel  and 
 hath  shut  the  lions'  mouths,  tliat  tliey  have  not  Jmrtrne.  So  gracious 
 is  that  King  of  heaven,  that  he  will  spare  his  own  courtiers  out 
 of  heaven,  and  send  them  on  errands  to  his  saints  for  their  pre- 
 servation ;  whence  David  reasons.  Oh  taste  and  see  that  the  Lord 
 is  good  !  Oh  the  goodness  of  God  ! 
 
 2.  There  are  other  reasons  in  respect  of  the  angels  :  as,— - 
 
 1 .  It  is  their  duty  ;  not  the  brightest  angel  but  is  subordinate 
 unto  God,  and  therefore  must  act  and  move  as  the  Lord  appoints  : 
 This  is  the  living  creature  that  Isaiv  under  the  God  of  Israel,  and 
 I  knew  t/iat  they  tvere  the  cherubims.  The  cherubims  are  glorious 
 angels,  of  great  wisdom,  strength,  and  agility,  and  yet  they  are 
 subservient  to  the  Lord,  and  therefore  are  said  to  be  under  the 
 God  of  Israel :  Surely  that  word  of  the  psalmist,  they  do  tiis 
 pleasure,  is  the  very  image  of  tine  obedience,  q,  d.  they  minister 
 not  at  their  own  pleasure,  but  at  God's  :  now  what  is  God's 
 pleasure,  but  the  saints'  welfare  ?  lie  hath  pleasure  in  the  pros- 
 perity of  his  servants.  The  angels,  that  know  this,  stand  not 
 upon  terms  with  God,  all  they  do  is  but  to  hearken  to  the  voice 
 of  his  word,  and  then  they  fly  :  theti  did  the  cherubims  lift  up 
 tlieir  ivings,  and  the  iv heels  beside  them.  It  is  a  note  of  a  divine 
 upon  these  words ;  '  All  things  are  under  the  God  of  Israel,  he 
 hath  the  pre-eminence,  he  is  above  wheels,  and  angels  are  under 
 him,  at  his  disposal :  if  he  give  out  the  word,  the  cherubims 
 move,  lift  up  their  mngs,  and  order  the  wheels  ;  if  he  say,  go  and 
 minister  to  yonder  saints,  presently  they  go,  as  it  is  their  duty.' 
 
 2.  It  is  their  delight  to  attend  the  saints  :  they  know  that  one 
 day  they  shall  live  together,  and  sing  together,  and  rejoice 
 together ;  they  know  that  the  saints  shall  supply  the  room  of 
 the  fallen  angels  ;  and  when  they  meet,  O  the  joy  that  will  be 
 betwixt  them  !  In  the  mean  time,  it  is  their  desire  and  delight 
 to  attend  their  partners  in  heaven's  joy,  for  they  are  acquainted 
 with  Gi)d's  design  and  purpose  to  save  them  ;  they  know  what 
 Christ  hath  done  and  suffered  for  them  ;  the  mystery  of  godliness 
 is  seen  of  angels  ;  it  is  so  seen,  that  they  take  great  delight  to 
 behold  it,  yea,  they  are  ra\dshed  in  the  very  beholding  of  it,  as  at 
 some  new  and  strange  object ;  they  look  into  it,  saith  Peter  their 
 whole  spirits  are  taken  up  with  it,  as  if  it  were  the  blessedest 
 
484  Communion  with  Angels, 
 
 sio-ht  that  ever  they  could  behold  ;  and  they  that  are  so  mvished 
 at^the  work  of  our  redemption,  how  should  they  but  with  delight 
 attend  the  redeemed  ones  of  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 3.  It  is  their  honour  to  wait  on  the  saints.  It  is  true^  in  some 
 respects  they  are  of  an  higher  form,  they  come  nearest  to  God  of 
 all  the  creatures  in  the  world,  and  they  have  kept  their  cloth  of 
 gold  unstained  six  thousand  years  :  O  the  purity,  agility,  beauty, 
 glory,  sanctity,  and  excellency  of  the  angels  !  Man  in  his  greatest 
 honour,  advanced  to  the  highest  pinnacle  of  happiness,  is  yet  in 
 many  things  below  the  angels.  Thou  hast  made  him  a  little  lower 
 than  the  angels  ;  and  yet  it  is  no  indignity  for  them  to  attend  the 
 saints,  for  herein  they  are  but  fellow- workers  with  God  and  Christy 
 My  Father  ivorketh  hitherto,  and  I  work.  My  Father  is  bene- 
 ficent in  preserving  saints  ;  and  I  work  by  the  same  power,  saith 
 Christ.  At  first  I  created,  and  still  I  preserve.  Now  if  God  and 
 Christ  thus  work  and  wait,  well  may  the  angels  co-work  with 
 them.  It  was  Paul's  honour  that  he  wrought  together  with  God  : 
 We  then,  as  luorkers  together  ivith  him,  beseech  you  also.  Ser- 
 vants of  God  (such  as  men  and  angels)  cannot  but  look  on  it  as 
 their  glory,  to  put  to  their  hands  in  the  same  work  with  their 
 sovereign  Lord,  the  King  of  glory  :  if  Christ  himself  came  not 
 to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister,  the  angels  may  well  think 
 it  an  honour  to  imitate  him,  and  to  minister  also. 
 
 3.  There  are  other  reasons  in  respect  of  saints:  as, — 
 
 1 .  It  is  for  their  consolation  :  a  mighty  comfort  it  is,  that 
 other  creatures  should  do  them  service,  that  heaven  and  earth, 
 and  all  herein,  should  be  made  for  them,  and  be  continued  and 
 preserved  for  their  sakes  ;  and  yet  as  if  all  this  were  not  enough, 
 except  the  angels  also  were  subservient,  that  creatures  of  the 
 highest  order,  of  the  finest  make,  of  the  noblest  spirits,  who 
 behold  the  face  of  God  himself,  and  are  taken  up  with  the  im- 
 mediate enjoyment  of  his  fulness,  that  they,  even  they  should 
 be  destined  by  Christ,  the  King  of  saints,  to  minister  to  his 
 Baints,  Oh  what  a  comfort  is  this  !  If  whatsoever  things  were 
 wHtten  aforetime,  were  written  for  our  learning,  that  we  through 
 patience  and  comfort  of  the  scriptures,  might  have  hope ;  surely 
 this  that  is  written  of  the  angels,  as  concerning  their  office  and 
 ministration,  must  be  full  of  comfort,  indeed  reprobates  and 
 Unbelievers  have  none  of  this  comfort ;  alas,  they  are  not  within 
 the  verge  of  this  blessed  text,  they  have  nothing  to  do  with  the 
 scripture  of  heaven's  heirs ;  it  is  for  them,  and  only  for  them, 
 who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation. 
 
 2.  It  is  for  their  benefit  both  of  body  and  soul :  some  observe, 
 that  were  it  not  for  the  angels,  the  devils,  that  are  ever  seeking 
 to  devom-,  would  quickly  tear  the  bodies  of  the  saints  into  atomvS. 
 We  read,  how,  afore  Christ's  death,  the  bodies  of  many  were  pos- 
 sessed of  devils,  and,  when  they  had  torn  them,  by  the  command 
 of  Christ  they  were  dispossessed ;  but   after  the  great  work  of 
 
Communion  with  Ann^eis,  485 
 
 iy 
 
 t)ur  redemption,  the  devils  were  more  restrained  in  their  power  *, 
 I^ow  shall  the  pHnce  of  this  ivorld  be  cast  out.  Christ  so  boimd 
 him  in  chains  by  his  holy  angels  since  that  time,  that  now  he 
 hath  not  his  liberty  as  before  to  hurt  the  saints  :  it  is  time,  that 
 he  is  still  in  the  world,  and  rules  in  the  air,  but  the  good  angels 
 so  defend  our  bodies  against  the  e\'il  angels,  that  they  cannot 
 touch  an  hair  to  our  hurt,  and,  as  for  our  souls,  they  are  in  their 
 special  care  ;  it  is  not  to  tell  how  many  are  the  benefits  they  ad- 
 minister that  way  ;  they  teach  us  truth  s,  they  open  God's  will, 
 they  reveal  the  secrets  and  mysteries  of  grace,  and  by  these 
 means  they  promote  the  salvation  of  souls  :  this  they  did  some- 
 times by  dreams  in  the  night,  and  sometimes  by  conference  in 
 the  day,  when  they  assumed  bodies  ;  but  now  still  they  admo- 
 nish our  minds,  and,  in  a  secret  unperceivable  way,  they  persuade 
 as  to  the  reading,  hearing,  and  obeying  of  God's  word.  But  of 
 these,  and  the  like  soul-services  of  the  angels,  we  shall  enlarge 
 another  time. 
 
 Sect.  IV. —  Use  of  Terror, 
 
 Well  then  ;  is  the  ministering  office  of  the  angels  not  for  all, 
 but  only  for  heaven's  heirs  ?  What  terror  is  this  to  the  wicked  ? 
 Alas,  they  have  no  angels  to  keep  them,  or  take  care  of  them,  they 
 are  devoid  of  the  presence  and  ministry  of  the  heavenly  angels  ; 
 or  if  they  have  any  inspection  of  them,  it  is  but  a  general  in- 
 spection, such  as  Hagar  and  Ishmael  had,  who  are  set  out  in 
 scripture  as  the  types  of  those  that  are  rejected  of  the  Lord. 
 And  this,  I  take  it,  is  the  reason  why  reprobates  live,  and  are  not 
 all  suddenly  struck  dead,  to  wit,  because  the  angels  have  some 
 general  charge  and  care  over  them,  that  they  may  be  preserved 
 to  their  condition,  but  they  are  not  properly  guardians  of  any 
 such  men  :  O  woe,  woe,  woe  to  the  wicked  world,  when  one  woe 
 K9  past,  behold  there  come  tiuo  more  woes  after.  As  it  was  with 
 Saul,  when  God  was  gone  from  him,  then  the  Philistines  made 
 war  against  him,  and  he  was  sore  wounded  of  the  archers,  and 
 at  last  he  fell  on  his  own  sword  and  died  :  so  where  the  angels 
 of  God  stand  aloof,  and  will  not  rescue,  one  woe  follows  after 
 another,  there  the  evil  spirits  keep  their  rendezvous,  the  devil 
 works  in  them  mightily,  they  are  hoodwinked,  and  besotted  and 
 blinded  by  the  god  of  this  world,  having  no  power  so  much  as 
 to  groan  or  to  wish  for  deliverance  ;  we  may  say  of  all  reprobates 
 as  it  was  said  of  Saul,  An  evil  spirit  is  upon  them,  and  God  is  not 
 with  them :  they  are  already  taken  in  the  snare  of  the  devil,  he 
 hath  them  in  a  string,  and  leads  them  captive  at  his  will :  and  no 
 wonder,  for  they  have  not  those  aids,  those  contrary  whisperings, 
 they  have  not  the  good  angels  to  conflict  with  the  bad,  they  have 
 not' the  spirit,  a  new  nature,  much  less  the  external  helps  and 
 guards,  of  holy  and  blessed  angels  ;  ah,  woe  to  these  men  ! 
 
486  Co7nmunion  with  Angels. 
 
 Sect.  V. —  Use  of  Encouragement. 
 
 What    encouragement    is    this  to  the  godly  ?    Though    the 
 Tvicked    have    not    such  guards,  yet  the  godly  are  the  proper 
 objects  of  the  angels'  ministry  :  Are  they  not  ministering  spirits, 
 sent   forth  to  minister  for  them  ?     It  is  a  question  that  puts  all 
 out  of  question  :  the  wicked  indeed  are  left  to  the  wide  world,  but 
 God  is  at  the  charge  of  giving  the  saints  tutors,  and  governors, 
 and  guardians  ;  here  is  a  mighty  encouragement  to  the  people  of 
 God  ;  I  know  not  the  condition  that  any  saint  in  the  world  may 
 be  in,  wherein  we  cannot  find  in  scripture  some  encouragement 
 or  other  drawn  from  an  angel:  Art  thou  in  a  journey?   so    was 
 Abraham's  servant  when  Abraham  told  him,  He  shall  send  his 
 oigel  before  thee,  and prosjjer  thy  ivay  :  Art  thou  in  battle,  or 
 ready  to  march  against  the   enemy  ?   so   was  Israel,  when  the 
 Lord  told  Moses,  For  mine  angel  shall  go  before  thee,  andbi'ing 
 thee  inunto  the  Amorites,  and  theUittites,  and  the Perrizzites,^c. 
 and  I  tuill  cut  them  off :  Art  thou   in  oppression,  under    the 
 tyranny  of  wicked  men  ?    so    Moses  told  Edom  the  Israelites 
 were.  Thou  knowest  of  all  the  travel  thai  hath  befallen  us,  hoiv 
 our  fathers  ivent  down  into  Egypt,  and  the  Egyptia^is  vexed  us 
 and  our  fathers  ;  and  when  we  criedunto  the  Lord,  he  heard  our 
 voice,  and  sent  an  angel,  and  hath  brought  us  forth  out  of  Ejgypt^ 
 Art  thou   in  persecution  for  religion,  and  forced  to  fly  for  thy 
 life  ?  so  was  Elijah,  when  he  requested  for  himself  that  he  might 
 die,  and  said.  It  is  enough  now,  O  Lord,  take  away  my  life,  for  I 
 am  not  better  than  my  fathers  ;  and  as  he  lay  and  slept  under  a 
 juniper-tree,  behold  an  angel  touched  him,andsaid  unto  him.  Arise, 
 and  eat.     Art  thou  traduced,  maligned,    censured,    imprisoned, 
 and  condemned  to  death  for  righteousness'  sake,  or  for  the  truth  ? 
 so  was  Daniel,  whom  God  yet  delivered  by  an  angel :  My  God 
 hath  sent  his  angel,  and  hath  shut  the  lions'  mouths,  that  they  have 
 not  hurt  me,  for  as  much  asbefore  him  innocency  was  fmmd  in  me. 
 And  so  it  was  with  Peter,  For  behold  the  angel  of  the  Lord  came 
 upon  him,  and  a  light  shined  in  the  prison, — and  when  Peter  was 
 come  to  himself,  he  said.  Now  I  know  of  a  surety  that  the  Lord 
 hath  sent  his  ayigel,  and  hath  delivered  me  out  of  the  hand  of 
 Herod.     Art  thou  amidst  a  people,  whom  God  for  sin  hath  de- 
 creed to  destruction  ?  so  was  Lot,  whom  the  angels  hastened  out 
 of  Sodom,  lest  he  should  be  consumed  in  the  iniquity  of  the  city. 
 But  I  am  saved  this   labour  of  searching  any  further  into  scrip- 
 ture ;  a  worthy  author  had  framed  us  the  variety  of  their  assist- 
 ance in  this  same  scheme  :  '  One  while  they  lead  us  in  our  way, 
 as  they  did  Israel ;  another  while  they  instruct  us,  as  they  did 
 Daniel :  one  Mobile  they  fight  for  us,  as  they  did  for  Joshua  ;  an- 
 other while  they  purvey  for  us,  as  they  did  for  Elijah  :  one  while 
 thi^y  fit  us  to  our  holy  vocation,  as  they  did  Isaiah  ;  another  while 
 
Communion  with  A7igeU'.  487 
 
 they  dispose  of  the  opportunities  of  our  calling  for  good,  as  they 
 did  of  Philips,  to  the  eunuch  :  one  while  they  foretel  our  danger, 
 as  to  Joseph  and  Mary  ;  another  while  they  comfort  us  in  our 
 afflictions,  as  they  did  Christ  and  his  apostles  :  one  while  they 
 resist  our  offensive  courses,  as  they  did  Moses  ;  another  while 
 they  encourage  us  in  our  devotions,  as  they  did  Paul :  one  while 
 they  deliver  us  from  durance,  as  tliey  did  Peter  ;  another  while 
 they  preserve  us  from  death,  as  the  three  children :  one  while 
 they  restrain  our  presumption,  as  the  cherub  before  the  gate  of 
 paradise  ;  another  while  they  excite  our  courage,  as  to  Joshua, 
 Gideon,  and  the  other  judges  :  one  while  they  cure  our  bodies, 
 as  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda  ;  another  while  they  cany  up  our 
 souls  to  heaven,  as  they  did  to  Lazarus.  It  were  endless  to 
 instance  in  all  the  gracious  offices  which  the  angels  perform.' — 
 And  is  not  here  great  encouragement  to  all  the  saints  ?  The 
 children  of  princes  are  not  without  their  guard,  no  more  are 
 God's  children  ;  as  they  have  an  heavenly  Father,  so  they  have 
 an  heavenly  guard  to  wait  upon  them,  and  to  minister  unto 
 them  :  O  mighty  encouragement ! 
 
 Sect.    VI . —  Use  of  Admiration . 
 
 How  may  this  angel-administration  cause  the  saints  to  admire  at 
 the  kindness  of  the  Lord  towards  them  ?  You  darlings  of  the 
 Almighty,  if  others  regard  not,  you  have  cause  to  wonder  at  this, 
 that  the  angels,  those  created  citizens  of  glory,  should  receive 
 you  in  your  straights,  march  after  you  in  your  ways,  counsel  you 
 in  your  doubts,  defend  you  in  your  dangers  ;  in  a  word,  that  God 
 should  charge  all  his  elect  angels  to  shew  love  and  respect  unto 
 you,  yea,  to  serve  and  to  minister  unto  you  :  stand  amazed  at 
 this,  O  ye  saints  !  The  angels  are  the  most  glorious  creatures 
 in  tlie  world,,  they  are  the  glittering  courtiers  of  heaven,  and  the 
 beautiful  companions  of  Jesus  Christ.  Job  calls  them  morning 
 stars,  in  that  being  newly  created,  they  gave  glory  to  the  Creator, 
 even  as  the  birds  in  spring  begin  their  notes,  and  sing  at  break 
 of  day  ;  and  he  calls  them  sons  of  God,  in  that  he  doth  use 
 them  as  children,  they  are  very  near  to  him,  they  do  always 
 attend  him,  and  continually  see  his  face,  they  have  the  privilege 
 of  sons  :  The  mornii^g  stars  sing  together,  and  the  sons  of  God 
 shout  for  joy .  Now,  that  such  creatures  should  wait  on  sinful 
 wretches,  dust  and  ashes,  worms  and  not  men,  it  is  enough  to 
 cast  any  man  in  the  world  into  an  amazement  or  astonishment. 
 A  w^onder  it  is,  that  any  creature,  though  inferior,  should  be 
 serviceable  to  man,  that  by  sin  hath  lost  his  dominion  over  the 
 creatures;  a  wonder  it  was,  that  the  ravens  should  minister  unto 
 Elijah ;  but  that  all  the  host  of  heaven  should  be  abased  (if  we 
 may  speak  after  the  manner  of  men)  to  so  low  a  work,  that  angels 
 should  perform  offices  of  respect  to  the  meanest  creatures  3  that 
 
438  Communion  with  Angels, 
 
 an  angel  clothed  with  light  and  glory  should  come  to  Zachary, 
 to  Mary,  and  to  the  shepherds  \  what,  angels  of  God  to  wait 
 upon  those  who  are  the  most  despised  and  rejected  of  men  ? 
 Stand  and  wonder  at  this  !  When  I  consider  the  heavens  (saith 
 Pa\dd)  the  work  of  thy  fingers^  the  moon  and  the  stars  which  thou 
 hast  ordained  ;  what  is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him,  and 
 the  Son  of  man,  that  thou  visitest  him,  f  for  thou  hast  made  him  a 
 little  lower  than  the  angels.  This  indeed  is  applied  to  Christ,  Heb. 
 2.  6,  7, 9,  11,  who  was  ^nade  a  little  lower  than  the  angels  by  the 
 suffering  of  death,  hut  now  is  crowned  with  glory  and  honour  ; 
 yet  (saith  the  apostle)  he  that  sanctifieth,  and  they  who  are  sancti^ 
 fied,  are  all  one,  for  which  cause  he  is  not  ashamed  to  call  them 
 brethren,  Christ  and  we  are  of  the  same  nature,  which  though 
 in  some  respects  it  be  lower,  yet  it  is  but  a  little  lower  than  the 
 angels  ;  nay,  in  some  respects  are  we  higher  than  the  angels,  for 
 the  angels  wait  on  the  saints,  and  the  angels  are  not  so  married 
 to  Jesus  Christ  in  a  mystical  union,  as  the  saints  and  people  of 
 God,  restored  to  his  image,  are.  Admire  at  this,  all  ye  saints  ! 
 verily  there  is  somewhat  in  holiness  more  than  the  world  seeth 
 or  knoweth,  there  is  some  worth,  or  excellency,  or  consanguinity, 
 in  the  saints  to  Christ,  or  I  cannot  think  that  Christ  would  set 
 such  a  guard  upon  them  as  his  own  courtiers.  The  angels  are 
 indeed  near  in  alliance  to  Christ,  but  the  saints  are  nearer  ;  the 
 angels  are  God's  progeny,  the  sons  of  God,  and  so  Christ  is  their 
 brother ;  but  man  is  allied  nearer  to  Chiist  than  so,  in  that  man 
 is  of  God's  lineage,  and  Christ  is  of  man's  lineage  :  and  hence  it 
 is,  that  the  angels  must  now  stoop,  and  bow,  and  wait,  and  serve, 
 and  minister  to  the  saints.  Are  they  not  nearer  allied  than 
 all  the  angels  ?  Unto  which  of  the  angels  said  he  at  any  time, 
 you  are  my  sons,  my  kinsmen,  brethren,  mother,  sister,  spouse  ? 
 An  angel  is  constantly  called  a  ministering  spirit,  but  is  no  where 
 read  a  friend  of  God,  the  Son  of  the  Father,  the  delight  of  the 
 Son  of  man,  the  temple  of  the  holy  Spirit,  wherein  the  thrice 
 glorious  Trinity  takes  up  his  mansion.  Christians,  admire,  here 
 is  enough  to  cast  you  into  an  ecstasy  :  come,  view  the  saint's 
 pedigree,  and  tell  me  what  you  think  o'f  it. 
 
 «W-%/K.«/V^/«^W* 
 
 The  Saints'  Pedigree, 
 
 Our  Lord,  1  Cor.  1.2. 
 Our  Friend,  Cant.  5.  16. 
 Our  Flesh  and  Blood,  Heb.  2.  14. 
 I  Our  Brother,  Heb.  2.  I7. 
 Our  Father,  Isa.  63.  16. 
 .Our  Husband,  Rom,  7. 4, 
 
Communion  with  Angels,  489 
 
 His  Servants,  Rom.  6.  22. 
 His  Priends,  Joliii  15.  14. 
 His  Kinsmen,  Mariv  3.  21. 
 His  Brethren,  Job  J.  3. 
 His  Sons,  Gal.  3.  2(5. 
 His  Spouse,  Sister,  Love,  Dove,  Sec. 
 Cant.  4.  9. 
 
 ^  ^  One  Vine,  John  15. 1. 
 
 One  Seed,  Gal.  3.  1(5. 
 
 One  Temple,  Ephes.  2.  15. 
 S  ^One  Body,  Rom.  12.  5. 
 ^  I  One  Spirit,  1  Cor.  6.  IJ. 
 ^  VOne  Christ,   1  Cor.  12.  12. 
 
 1^ 
 
 Upon  the  view  of  this  line,  genealogy,  pedigree,  (call  it  what 
 you  please,)  methinks,  my  brethren,  we  should  all  cry  out.  Lord, 
 what  is  man  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him  f  for  thou  hast  made 
 him  higher  than  the  angels ,  and  hast  croiuned  him  with  glory  and 
 honour ;  thou  hast  made  him  to  have  domiiiion  over  the  ivorks  of 
 thy  hands,  thou  hast  put  all  things  u?ider  his  feet: — O  Lord,  our 
 Lord,  how  excellent  is  thy  name  in  all  the  world! 
 
 Sect.  VII. —  Use  of  Magnanimity, 
 
 Do  angels  wait  on  heaven's  heirs  ?  Come  then,  ye  holy  ones, 
 and  take  an  holy  state  upon  you,  think  yourselves  too  good  to 
 abase  yom'selves  to  the  world,  or  to  sin,  or  to  be  slaves  of  men : 
 why,  5^ou  are  kings,  and  have  a  mighty  guard,  and  therefore  you 
 should  carry  yourselves  answerably.  Little  do  the  men  of  this 
 world  think  of  this,  or  believe  this  truth ;  if  they  see  a  man  to 
 have  at  his  heels  a  long  train  of  earthly  followers,  in  silks,  satins, 
 golden  chains,  and  such  like  braveries ;  Oh  how  such  sights  are 
 gazed  on !  and  how  are  such  men  usually  titled,  your  greatness, 
 highness,  excellency !  Alas,  alas !  all  is  but  beggary  to  the  glory 
 of  the  least  of  the  saints  of  God,  and  of  their  attendants.  I  see 
 indeed  a  great  deal  of  glitter  in  some  of  these  earthly  state  so- 
 lemnities, yet  in  all  their  pomps  they  had  need  of  a  fair  day,  and 
 clear  sun-shine,  or  else  half  their  show  will  be  lost :  but  angels, 
 (the  saints'  attendants)  enlighten  the  greatest  darkness,  Luke  2. 
 9.  Acts  12.  7.  /*■  not  their  countenance  as  lightning,  and  their 
 raiment  white  as  snow  ?  Matt.  28.  3.  Oh  then !  how  should  this 
 greaten  the  spirits  of  God's  people  !  Why,  think  of  it,  you  whom 
 it  most  concerns ;  it  was  an  high  favour  for  Mordecai,  a  poor 
 porter,  to  have  Haman,  the  great  pompous  peer  of  the  empire, 
 to  be  his  attendant,  his  lacquey,  or  his  footmen,  for  an  hour: 
 how  much  more  honour  is  it  for  you  poor  worms,  to  have  those 
 mighty  peers  of  heaven,  little  roys,  demigods,  to  wait  upon  you 
 continually !  King  Solomon  in  all  his  royalty,  in  the  midst  of  his 
 18.  3  Q 
 
490  Communion  with  Angels. 
 
 two  hundred  targets,  and  three  hundred  shields  of  beaten  gold, 
 was  not  like  one  of  the  lilies  of  the  field,  much  less  like  a  saint 
 environed  and  encompassed  with  a  wall  of  angels :  hence  was 
 that  saying  of  Christ,  Despise  not  one  of  these  little  ones ;  and 
 why  so  ?  because  in  heaven  their  angels  do  always  behold  the 
 face  of  my  Father.  The  brightest  angels  that  look  in  the  face 
 of  God,  despise  not  to  attend  on  the  meanest  saints ;  and  how 
 then  should  any  despise  them  whom  the  angels  honour?  How 
 should  any  think  them  unworthy  of  their  company  or  counte- 
 nance, whom  the  great  angels  think  most  worthy  of  their  service 
 and  attendance  ?  But,  especially,  how  should  any  presume  to 
 WTong  the  saints,  or  to  rush  into  God's  paradise,  such  as  every 
 true  Christian  is,  where  stand  the  angels  of  God  with  a  flaming 
 sword  which  turns  every  way  ?  It  is  enough,  one  would  think, 
 to  affright  all  the  men  in  the  world  from  offering  any  violence 
 to  any  of  God's  people ;  but  howsoever  they  carry,  let  Chris- 
 tians carry  as  heaven's  heirs,  let  them  w^alk  worthy  of  God,  who 
 hath  called  them  to  his  kingdom  and  glory :  let  them  consider 
 what  servitors  and  ministers  God  hath  appointed  to  w^ait  on 
 them,  and  in  the  name  of  God  let  them  carry  themselves  an- 
 swerably,  and  be  holily  magnanimous.  Plutarch  tells  of  The- 
 mistocles,  that  he  accounted  it  not  to  stand  with  his  state  to 
 stoop  down  to  take  up  the  spoils  of  the  enemy  Avhom  he  had 
 scattered  in  flight ;  but  says  to  one  of  his  followers,  you  may,  for 
 you  are  not  Themistocles.  If  others  mind  the  earth  and  earthly 
 things,  as  the  swane  that  follow  the  trough,  and  can  look  no 
 higher,  yet  let  the  saints  (w^hich  the  angels  wait  on)  walk  above 
 the  world,  and  above  all  things  that  are  here  below.  Citizens 
 of  Rome  might  not  accept  of  any  other  freedom  in  any  other 
 city;  they  accounted  it  a  dishonour  to  the  freedom  of  Rome, 
 to  take  freedom  any  where  in  the  world  besides :  you  that  are 
 free  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and  that  have  the  created  citizens 
 of  heaven  to  be  your  life-guards.  Oh  do  not  entangle  yourselves 
 with  the  things  of  earth,  seek  not  to  be  free  here,  as  if  you  had 
 no  better  portion :  surely  if  you  understand  your  own  privileges, 
 you  are  spiritual  kings  and  queens  of  an  otherwise  kingdom  than 
 this  world ;  you  have  the  privileges  of  a  council,  to  wit,  God's 
 testimonies,  Psa.  119.  24.  and  the  privileges  of  a  guard  full  of 
 state  and  strength,  to  wit,  God's  angels;  O  how  should  this 
 greaten  your  spirits :  Let  the  saints  be  joyful  in  glory,  let  them 
 sing  aloud  upon  their  beds,  let  the  high  praises  of  God  be  in  their 
 mouths,  and  a  two-edged  sword  in  their  hands,  to  execute  ven- 
 geance upon  the  heathen.     This  honour  have  all  his  saints. 
 
Coimnunion  with  Angels,  491 
 
 Sect.  Vlll. —  Use  of  Exhortation, 
 
 Is  the  ministering  office  of  the  angels  for  heaven's  heirs  ?  then 
 to  your  duties  of  connnunion  with  them.  Oil  improve  this 
 ordinance !  Why,  here  is  an  ordinance  of  Jesus  Christ  scarce 
 thought  on ;  the  angels  minister  to  saints,  and  the  saints  almost, 
 if  not  altogether,  forget  their  duties  which  they  owe  to  God  and 
 Christ  in  that  respect.  What,  my  brethren,  are  you  ignorant  of 
 such  an  ordinance  ?  or  do  you  know  it,  and  yet  are  you  negli- 
 gent ?  If  you  are  simple,  ignorant,  and  that  your  ignorance  is 
 of  pure  negation,  and  not  of  evil  disposition,  it  is  then  high  time 
 to  discover  this  mystery  of  godliness  to  you,  that  you  m;iy  be  in 
 the  exercise  of  such  duties  yet  unknown;  or  if  you  know  them, 
 and  are  negligent  of  them,  it  is  then  high  time  to  rouse  up  your 
 spirits,  and  to  ^  stir  up  your  pure  minds  by  way  of  remembrance, 
 — that  you  may  be  mindful  of  the  words  which  were  spoken  before 
 by  the  holy  prophets,  and  of  the  commandments  of  the  apostles, 
 of  our  Lord  and  Saviour.'  Howsoever  the  case  stands  with  you, 
 I  beseech  you  to  hear,  learn,  practise,  and  make  use  of,  this  present 
 book  and  work;  it  is  another  message  that  I  have  from  God, 
 another  ordinance  that  I  would  discover ;  therefore  '  set  your 
 hearts  to  all  the  words  that  I  testify  to  you  this  day,  for  it  is  not 
 a  vain  thing,  but  it  is  for  your  lives.' 
 
 The  motives  I  use,  shall  be  only  these, — 
 
 1 .  Angel -administration,  and  our  communion  with  them,  is  an 
 ordinance  of  Jesus  Christ;  it  is  an  institution  of  Christ,  which 
 hath  connected  to  it  some  kind  of  spiritual  efficacy  to  work  on 
 souls.  Amongst  other  intervening  mediums  (saith  one)  there  is 
 one  great  ordinance,  which  we  have  not  so  much  considered  of, 
 viz.  That  the  good  angels  (the  chariots  and  horses)  should  reUeve 
 us,  as  they  did  Elisha ;  nor  is  their  relief  only  as  to  outwards,  but 
 in  relation  to  our  religious  walking,  and  to  our  inward  man. 
 Were  it  not  sad  to  lose  an  ordinance  of  Jesus  Christ  ?  Or  if  it  be 
 not  lost  in  respect  of  the  living  instruments  on  their  parts,  yet  is 
 it  not  sad  that  we  should  make  no  use  of  them  ?  Ministers  are 
 an  ordinance  of  Christ,  they  are  messengers,  interpreters,  (even 
 as  the  angels,  and  therefore  are  called  angels.  Rev.  i.  20.)  their 
 office  is  to  declare  unto  man  his  righteousness ;  to  pray  men  in 
 Christ's  stead  to  be  reconciled  unto  God ;  to  gather  together  the 
 saints ;  to  be  Christ's  paranymphs ;  to  deal  about  the  getting  of  a 
 wife  for  the  Lamb ;  to  cater  for  heaven ;  to  bring  in  custom  for 
 the  kingdom  of  God.  Ministers  and  angels  are  m  the  very  same 
 employment.  Now  were  it  not  sad,  that  the  ministers  of  Christ 
 should  be  neglected  or  despised  ?  What  if  you  have  ministers ; 
 is  there  no  use  to  be  made  of  such  an  ordinance  ?  The  apostle 
 tells  you,  you  cannot  have  saving  knowledge,  regeneration,  or 
 faith,  ^v^thout  their  use:    I  do  not  speak   what  God  may  do 
 
492  Communion  with  Angels. 
 
 extraordinarily,  but  this  is  God's  ordinary  way :  How  can  they 
 helieve  on  him  of  whom  they  have  not  heard  f  and  how  can  they 
 hear  ivithout  a  preacher?  I  may  say  the  same  of  angels  in  their 
 way,  for  they  are  rational  and  living  instruments,  they  are  minis- 
 ters of  God,  and  they  administer  to  us  saving  truths :  an  angel 
 told  that  first  news  of  the  gospel.  Behold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings 
 of  great  joy,  ivhich  shall  be  to  all  people.  And  shall  this  ordi- 
 nance of  Christ  be  without  any  consideration  how  we  may  receive 
 good  from  it  ?     God  forbid. 
 
 2.  The  angels  are  an  ordinance  ever  present;  some  other 
 ordinances  may  be  taken  from  us :  men  may  take  from  us  our 
 bibles,  teachers,  pastors,  or  they  may  imprison  us  where  we  can- 
 not enjoy  them,  but  they  cannot  take  from  us  the  holy  angels: 
 JVhen  the  high  priest,  and  all  that  were  with  hiyn,  laid  hands  on 
 the  apostles,  and  put  them  in  the  common  prison,  then  the  angel 
 of  the  Lord  by  night  opened  the  2^rison  doors,  and  brought  them 
 forth,  and  said.  Go,  stand  and  speak  in  the  temple  to  the  people 
 all  the  words  of  this  life.  And  when  Peter  was  in  prison,  sleep- 
 ing between  two  soldiers,  hound  ivith  two  chains,  and  the  keepers 
 before  the  door  kept  the  prison,  behold  the  angel  of  the  Lord  came 
 upon  him,  and  a  light  shined  in  thej)rison;  and  he  smote  Peter 
 on  the  side,  and  raised  him  up,  saying.  Arise  up  quickly.  No 
 prison  is  so  close,  no  keepers  are  so  vigilant,  as  to  keep  out  angels : 
 though  we  want,  and  may  Avant  other  ordinances,  yet  we  have  the 
 angels  as  an  ordinance,  to  walk  up  and  down  with  us,  wheresoever 
 we  are,  or  whithersoever  we  go.  I  cannot  but  remember  that 
 speech  of  a  great  divine,  which  at  the  first  reading  exceedingly 
 struck  me :  '  The  good  Lord  forgive  me,  for  that,  amongst  my 
 other  offences,  I  have  suffered  mj^self  so  much  to  forget,  as  his 
 Divine  presence,  so  the  presence  of  his  holy  angels :  it  is,  I  con- 
 fess, my  great  sin  that  I  have  filled  my  eyes  with  other  objects, 
 and  have  been  slack  in  returning  praises  to  my  God  for  the  con- 
 tinual assistance  of  those  blessed  and  beneficent  spirits,  which 
 have  ever  gi-aciously  attended  me,  without  intermission,  from  the 
 first  hour  of  my  conception  to  this  present  moment,  neither  shall 
 ever,  I  hope,  absent  themselves  from  my  tutelage  and  protection 
 till  they  shall  have  presented  my  poor  soul  to  her  final  glory/  If 
 a  good  man,  of  an  holy  gracious  spirit,  was  so  forgetful  of  them, 
 that  he  was  fain  to  cry  Peccavi,  (I  confess  my  great  sin,  and,  the 
 good  Lord  forgive  me,)  methinks  it  should  be  a  prevailing  mo- 
 tive to  work  on  us,  so  to  converse  with  them,  and  to  perform 
 our  respective  duties  to  them,  as  being  ever  present,  without 
 intermission  they  may  wait  on  us  :  yet  how  is  it  that  days  without 
 number  we  should  forget  them,  and  their  ministration  ? 
 
 3.  The  angels  are  an  ordinance,  improving  other  ordinances  of 
 Jesus  Christ;  in  this  respect  there  is  no  fear  of  clashing  with 
 other  ordinances:  it  is  true  that  the  Lord  never  calls  any 
 assembly  to  two  divers  employments  at  one  and  the  same  time. 
 
Comimmion  with  Angels.  493 
 
 iiiilcj^s  they  be  subservient  the  one  to  the  other.  Hence  it  is 
 V\e  blame  them,  who,  coming  into  our  congregations  when  some 
 pubHc  ordinances  are  in  hand,  they  betake  themselves  to  their 
 private  devotions,  and  will  not  reverently  (without  more  ado) 
 compose  themselves  to  join  with  the  assembly  in  that  ordinance 
 of  God  which  is  in  hand :  we  would  not  have  ordinances  clash^ 
 only  angel-ministration  in  religious  affairs  will  not  hinder,  but 
 further  our  religious  services ;  and  angel-administration  in  civil 
 affairs  v/ill  not  hinder,  but  further  our  civil  business.  1.  In  reli- 
 gious services,  the  angels  are  assistants ;  it  is  said,  that  they  sug- 
 gest suitable,  seasonable,  and  pious  thoughts  at  such  a  time  : 
 when  Cornelius  was  praying,  he  saw  an  angel,  saying  unto  him, 
 thy  prayers  and  thy  alms  are  come  up  for  a  memorial  before 
 God :  and  while  Zacharias  was  executing  the  priest's  office  before 
 God,  there  appeared  unto  him  an  angel  of  the  Lord  on  the  right 
 side  of  the  altar  of  incense,  saying,  thy  prayer  is  heard.  2.  In 
 civil  affairs  the  angels  are  assistant; — they  shall  keep  thee  m  all 
 thy  ways ;  in  thy  vocation,  or  particular  calling.  Now,  herein  is 
 the  excellency  of  such  an  ordinance,  that  it  is  an  addition  and  im- 
 provement to  all  other  ordinances ;  an  argument  sufficient  to  bind 
 us  to  our  duties  in  reference  to  it. 
 
 4.  Angel-ministrations,  and  our  communion  with  them,  is  an 
 ordinance  in  opposition  to  Satan's  temptations,  and  our  com- 
 munion with  him :  it  were  enough  to  amaze  poor  souls  to  con- 
 sider the  powers  and  principalities  that  are  against  them ;  were 
 they  but  w^eak,  they  were  less  considerable ;  but  we  wrestle  not 
 against  flesh  and  blood,  (said  the  apostle,)  but  against  spirits,  yea, 
 against  spiritual  wickedness  in  heavenly  places.  And  yet  as  great 
 as  the  power  and  policy  of  devils  are,  they  are  less  in  power  than 
 the  holy  angels :  There  was  war  in  heaven,  Michael  and  his 
 angels  fought  against  the  dragon,  and  the  dragon  fought  and  his 
 angels,  and  prevailed  not. — And  I  saw  an  angel  come  down  from 
 heaven,  having  the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  a  great  chain 
 in  his  hand,  and  he  laid  hold  on  the  dragon,  that  old  serpent, 
 ivhich  is  the  Devil  and  Satan,  and  bound  him  a  thousand  years. 
 Now,  here  is  the  encouragement  to  our  duties ;  not  only  for  God 
 and  Christ,  who  is  the  author  and  finisher  of  our  faith,  but  even 
 spiritual  substances  of  good  angels,  proportionable  to  the  other 
 of  bad  angels,  contend  with  them,  and  stand  most  valiantly  on 
 our  side. 
 
 But  what  are  those  duties  of  communion  we  owe  the  angels  in 
 this  respect  ?     I  answer,  1 .  In  general.     2.  In  special. 
 
 1 .  In  general :  as  is  their  mmistration,  so  is  our  duty  of  com- 
 munion with  them.  Now  in  several  ways  do  they  administer  to 
 us,  and  so  in  several  respects  do  we  owe  duties  to  God  and  them. 
 There  is  a  proportion  (if  we  can  find  it  out)  betwixt  their  minis- 
 tration and  our  duty,  and  they  answer  one  another,  as,  in  the 
 glass,  face  answers  face:    if  they  serve  us,  certainly  there  is 
 
494  CoininuHion   luith  Angels. 
 
 something  of  service  that  we  owe  God  and  them :  as  the  Lord 
 could  say,  If  I  be  a  Father,  where  is  mine  honour  ?  Arid  if  I  be 
 a  master,  luhere  is  my  fear?  So  if  the  angels  stand  in  any  such 
 relation  towards  us,  it  cannot  be  but  proportionable  or  suitable 
 duties  are  to  be  performed  by  us. 
 
 2.  In  special:  as  the  kinds  of  their  ministration  differ  at 
 several  times,  so  are  we  to  observe  their  ministration  at  these 
 times,  and  to  return  suitable  duties.  At  the  first  they  minister 
 in  one  kind,  and  anon  they  minister  in  another  kind :  as  our 
 several  needs  are  at  several  times,  so  are  their  several  ministra- 
 tions at  those  times,  ^^t*.  gr.  When  I  was  in  my  mother's 
 womb,  they  ministered  thus ;  and  when  I  was  born,  and  yet  an 
 infant,  they  ministered  thus ;  and  when  I  was  grown,  and  come 
 to  riper  years,  they  ministered  thus;  and  when  I  die,  and  go 
 out  of  the  world,  they  will  minister  thus ;  and  when  I  shall  rise 
 again,  and  come  to  judgment,  they  will  minister  thus.  Now 
 here  is  my  duty :  1 .  To  consider  their  several  ministrations  at 
 those  several  times.  2.  To  return  suitable  duties  at  times  sea- 
 sonable, as  I  am^  in  their  season,  to  perform  all  other  duties. 
 
 Sect.  IX. —  Use  of  Direction, 
 
 And  this  is  that  special  use  which  I  aimed  at,  and  which  I 
 had  at  first  in  my  eye  when  I  begun  this  work ;  it  is  an  use  of 
 direction,  wherein  1  shall  first  lay  down  the  office  of  angels,  and 
 then  our  office.  First,  what  they  do  in  their  times,  and  then 
 what  we  must  do  in  our  times,  in  answer  to  them  and  their 
 ministrations.  And  O  that  the  Lord  would  bless  this  work  to 
 thee  that  readest !  O  that  he,  on  whose  errand  I  come,  would 
 speak  himself  to  thy  soul,  for  he  is  able  to  instruct;  yea,  when 
 he  teacheth,  all  are  scholars. 
 
Communio7i  tvith  Ans^eh.  495 
 
 <b 
 
 MINISTRATION  OF, 
 
 AND 
 
 COMMUNION  WITH  ANGELS. 
 
 CHAP.  I. 
 
 Sect.    I. — Of  the   Time  when   the  Angels  first  begin  their 
 
 Ministration, 
 
 1  HE  first  period  wherein  the  angels  minister  to  heaven's  heirs, 
 is,  from  their  quickening  in  the  womb,  till  their  birth.  Come 
 then,  and  first  see  the  ministration  of  angels  at  this  time ;  and, 
 secondly,  learn  and  practise  we  those  several  duties  that  espe- 
 cially concern  the  saints  in  that  respect. 
 
 1 .  For  the  ministration  of  angels  in  that  period,  most  probable 
 it  is  that  then  they  begin  their  ministration.     The  exact  begin- 
 ning is  indeed  questionable ;  some  would  have  it  begin  at  the 
 first  hour  of  conception:   They  have  ever  graciously  attended 
 me  (saith  one)  without  intermission,  from  the  first  hour  of  my 
 conception  to  this  present  moment.     Others,  at  the  first  infusion 
 of  the  soul :  Their  care  begins  (say  they)  as  soon  as  the  child  is 
 quickened  in  the  womb,  for  that  they  have  then  another  distinct 
 charge  to  look  after.     Others  at  the  birth  of  the  elect ;  God  re- 
 vealing to  the  angels  who  are  such,  by  requiring  their  attendance 
 on  them  then :  From  their  birth  to  the  end  of  their  life,  saith 
 Zanchius,   angels  are  assigned  of  God  to  wait  on  the   elect. 
 Others   at  the    baptism  of  infants :    Origen,   recounting  many 
 opinions,  doth  mention  this ;  ^vhich  is  very  improbable,  for  then 
 it  is  in  the  power  of  parents,  who  set  the  time  of  baptism,  to 
 say  when  the  angels  shall  begin  their  office  over  their  children : 
 but  the  elect  are  as  precious  and  dear  to  God  before,  as  after  the 
 ordinance  of  baptism.      Others  at  the  time  of  conversion.      Of 
 which  two  reasons  are  given : — 
 
 1.  Because  the  angels  know  not  the  decrees  before  that 
 election  be  declared  in  conversion :  but  this  we  deny. 
 
 2.  Because  in  the  state  of  nature  a  man  is  under  the  wrath  of 
 God,  and  is  vexed  with  evil  spirits,  that  hurry  him  to  sin,  and 
 rule  in  the  children  of  disobedience :  but  although  this  cannot  be 
 denied,  yet  God  is  resolved  that  all  his  elect  shall  have  invisible 
 supports  against  Satan,   to  preserve  them  charily,   as  chosen 
 
496  Communion  with  Angels. 
 
 vessels,  against  the  time  that  he  shall  manifest  himself  unto 
 them ;  and  it  is  sufficient  to  angels,  that  God  wills  their  attend- 
 ance, and  that  hereafter  they  shall  discern  some  fruit  of  their 
 attendance.  For  my  part,  amidst  all  these  differences,  I  close 
 only  with  them  who  say,  that  the  angels  begin  the  execution  of 
 their  charge  when  the  soul  is  infused:  and  the  reasons  are 
 solid — 
 
 1.  Because  the  child  hath  then  a  distinct  being  of  his  own. 
 
 2.  Because  then  it  is  a  person  consisting  of  soul  and  body. 
 
 2.  Because  God's  providence  over  soul  and  body  (of  which 
 the  angels  are  servants)  taketh  date  thence ;  Thou  hast  covered 
 one,  saith  David,  in  my  mother  s  womh :  The  Lord,  in  framing  our 
 bodies  and  creatmg  our  souls  in  our  mother's  womb,  did  then 
 cover  his  tender  work  with  his  mighty  power  from  all  incon- 
 veniences, as  with  a  shield ;  and  therefore  then  did  the  angels 
 begin  their  ministration. 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  the  Manner  of  Angel-ministration  at  that  Time, 
 
 But  how  do  the  angels  minister  at  such  a  time  ?  I  answer, 
 they  keep,  preserve,  defend,  deliver,  sustain,  and  strengthen  the 
 babes,  even  in  the  womb.  I  cannot  think  that  they  have  only 
 one  office  at  such  a  time,  but  that  sometimes  they  attend  them 
 for  good,  and  sometimes  they  deliver  them  from  evil.  The  case 
 stands  thus ;  in  the  creation  or  infusion  of  the  soul,  (which  is  all 
 one,  for  creando  infunditur  et  infundendo  creatur)  the  angels  re- 
 ceive their  commission ;  as  if  the  Lord  should  say,  come,  blessed 
 angels,  here  is  a  creature  that  shall  at  last  fill  up  the  room  of 
 some  fallen  angel,  and  then  it  shall  be  like  to  yourselves,  and 
 you  shall  love  it  as  yourselves,  but,  in  the  mean  time,  it  is  my 
 pleasure  that  you  should  minister  unto  it,  and  keep  it  safe; 
 which  is  no  sooner  said,  but  they  are  prompt  and  ready  to  do 
 God's  will. 
 
 We  may  wonder  at  this,  that  the  angels  should  thus  minister 
 to  man  after  his  fall,  which  they  never  did  before.  In  that  col- 
 lation betwixt  innocent  Adam,  second  Adam,  renewed  Adam, 
 and  old  Adam,  it  is  said,  that  the  angels  did  neither  minister 
 unto,  nor  keep  the  first  Adam,  before  the  fall,  because  he  was  in 
 no  danger,  only  they  loved  him :  the  angels  indeed  ministered 
 to  Christ,  the  second  Adam,  and  loved  him,  but  did  not  keep 
 him,  for  he  was  comprehensor  as  well  as  viator;  Christ  is  the 
 head  of  angels,  and  therefore  he  is  not  kept  by  them :  the  angels 
 now  minister  to  the  renewed  Adam,  yea,  they  love  him,  and  keep 
 him,  and  yet  this  argues  not  any  prerogative  that  the  saints  have 
 above  Christ,  but  rather  their  weakness  and  wants,  that  they  have 
 need  of  the  angels  to  preserve  them,  as  young  children  stand  in 
 need  of  nurses  to  wait  upon  them:  but  as  for  old  Adam,  or 
 wicked  reprobates,  the  angels  neither  minister  to  them,  nor  love 
 
Communion  with  Angels.  497 
 
 them,  nor  keep  them,  in  respect  of  any  special  and  particular 
 keeping :  it  may  be  the  angels  are  sometimes  ministers  of  out- 
 ward things  even  to  the  wicked,  as  the  angels  brought  down 
 manna  in  the  wilderness  to  the  bad  Israelites,  as  well  as  good; 
 but  they  have  not  that  particular  care  of  the  wicked,  as  they 
 have  of  the  elect  of  God;  they  come  not  up  and  down  the 
 ladder,  Christ,  to  minister  to  them,  as  they  do  to  the  elect. 
 Now  this  keeping  of  the  elect,  is  not  only  in  this  life,  but  all  the 
 while  that  they  are  in  then*  mother's  womb. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Experiences  of  this  Truth, 
 
 Of  this,  as  of  all  the  rest,  I  would  give  in  some  experiences 
 for  further  clearing : — 
 
 1 .  An  ancient  matron  having  many  children,  and  having  left 
 bearing  for  about  the  space  of  twelve  years,  the  Lord  then  un- 
 expectedly gave  her  to  conceive:  she  wondered,  and  appre- 
 hending nothing  but  ill  health,  purposed  on  such  a  day  to  take 
 physic ;  but  the  night  before  (if  I  mistake  not)  she  felt  the  child 
 stir  in  her  womb,  and  then  she  brake  out,  as  Sarah  did ;  "  What ! 
 after  I  am  waxed  old,  shall  I  bear  a  child,  my  lord  being  old 
 also?"  Hereupon  the  physic  was  removed,  the  child  preserved, 
 and  rightly  called  Isaac,  in  imitation  of  old  Abraham  and  Sarah, 
 who  laughed  at  the  news  of  the  angel,  that  they  should  have  a 
 son  in  their  old  age.  Gen.  17. 17*  and  18.  12. 
 
 2.  Three  godly  women,  in  the  island  of  Guernsey,  were  con- 
 demned to  be  burnt  for  their  religion;  and  though  one  of  them 
 was  great  with  child,  yet  found  she  no  favour :  as  they  were  all 
 three  in  the  fire,  the  belly  of  the  woman  breaking  with  the  vehe- 
 mency  of  the  flame,  the  infant  being  a  fair  man-child,  fell  into 
 the  fire ;  which  being  caught,  and  carried  to  the  bailiff,  he  com- 
 manded it  to  be  had  back,  and  thro^vn  into  the  fire;  whereby 
 after  it  was  born,  and  preserved  by  the  angels,  it  died  a  martyr. 
 Clarke, 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  the  Duties  that  concern  us  in  this  respect, 
 
 2.  The  duties  that  concern  us  in  this  respect,  are  either 
 parentKs'  duties,  or  children's : — 
 
 1st.  For  the  parents. 
 
 1.  Parents  may  rejoice  at  this,  that  the  holy  angels  attend 
 them,  and  those  little  pieces  and  pictures  of  themselves.  You 
 that  are  mothers  great  with  child,  are  you  not  sometimes  in 
 trouble,  fear,  and  peril?  Be  not  discouraged,  for  the  angels 
 attend  your  motions,  and  all  occurrences,  for  the  safety  and  pre- 
 servation both  of  you  and  your's.  It  is  observed,  that  when 
 Mary  saluted  Elizabeth,  the  babe  sprang  in  her  womb  for  joy, 
 and  EUzabeth  was  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  Some  think 
 18.  3  R 
 
498  Communion  with  Angels, 
 
 that  this  springing  of  the  babe  was  by  the  presence  of  an  angel 
 with  John,  otherwise  that  little  embryo  had  been  incapable  of 
 such  affections  and  motions^  according  to  the  course  of  nature ; 
 and  immediately  it  follows,  "  Elizabeth  was  filled  with  the  Holy 
 Ghost/'  A  serious  consideration  of  the  angels  ministering  to 
 such  embryos,  may  be  a  blessed  means  to  fill  you  with  the 
 comforts  of  God's  Spirit.  O  rejoice  in  this!  Nor  is  that  all: 
 for — 
 
 2.  Parents  ought  to  pray,  not  to  the  angels,  but  to  the  God  of 
 angels,  for  the  favour,  assistance,  and  protection  of  the  angels  to 
 their  infants.  I  know  such  prayers  are  not  usual;  but  is  not 
 that  a  neglect  of  duty  to  our  babes?  When  David  prayed 
 against  his  enemies,  he  could  say,  ^'  Let  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
 chase  them;  and  let  the  angel  of  the  Lord  persecute  them:'' 
 How  much  more  may  we  say  for  our  tender  infants  in  the 
 womb.  Let  the  angel  of  the  Lord  guard  them,  and  let  the  angel 
 of  the  Lord  keep  them.  Manoah  and  his  wife  were  very  care- 
 ful what  to  do  for  the  babe  which  must  be  born  to  deliver  Israel 
 out  of  the  Philistines'  hands;  and  therefore  after  the  angel  had 
 appeared  to  the  woman,  and  told  her,  then  Manoah  entreated  the 
 Lord,  and  said,  "  O  my  Lord,  let  the  man  of  God  (or  the 
 angel  of  God)  which  thou  didst  send,  come  again  unto  us,  and 
 teach  us  what  we  shall  do  unto  the  child  that  shall  be  born :  and 
 God  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  Manoah,  and  the  angel  of  God 
 came  again."  Indeed  when  he  came,  he  would  have  no  burnt- 
 offering  offered  unto  him,  but  gave  direction,  "  If  thou  wilt  offer 
 a  burnt-offering,  thou  must  offer  it  unto  the  Lord."  Angels 
 would  not  be  prayed  unto,  nor  worshipped.  Rev.  19.  10.  &  22.  9. 
 But  yet,  in  reference  to  the  angels,  we  find  Manoah  praying 
 and  offering  unto  the  Lord;  and  if  he  prayed  for  angel-direction, 
 how  much  more  may  we  turn  the  promises  into  prayers  for 
 angel-protection  and  ministration  to  these  poor  infants  yet 
 unborn ! 
 
 2d.  For  the  children  or  parties  themselves,  when  grown. 
 
 1 .  Let  them  know  and  be  acquainted  with  their  angel-keepers. 
 When  David  considered  how  he  was  made  in  secret,  and  curi- 
 ously wrought  in  the  lowest  parts  of  the  earth,  and  covered  in 
 his  mother's  womb,  he  cried  out,  «  Marvellous  are  thy  works, 
 and  that  my  soul  knoweth  right  well."  It  is  not  enough  to  have 
 angel-keepers  before  we  are  born,  but  in  time  we  should  endea- 
 vour to  know  them:  it  is  sad  to  be  ignorant  still  of  such  a  glo- 
 rious truth;  surely  God  would  have  us  acquainted  with  his 
 works,  and  to  bear  witness  of  what  we  know  for  his  glory. 
 
 2.  Let  them  praise  God  for  the  angels  ministering  to  them  in 
 the  womb.  "  Thou  art  he  (saith  David)  that  took  me  out  of  the 
 womb :"  and  thou  art  he  that  preserves  me  in  the  womb.  The 
 Lord  doth  many  things  for  us,  which,  at  the  time  when  he  doth 
 them,  we  cannot  observe;  it  is  our  duty  therefore  to  look  upon 
 
Communion  with  Angels,  499 
 
 them  afterwards,  that  they  may  furnish  us  with  matter  of  praise 
 to  God.  But  why  is  not  praise  rendered  to  the  angels,  as  well 
 as  to  God  ?  Because  God  will  not  give  his  glory  to  another : 
 angels  must  have  their  due,  but  they  must  not  rob  God  of  his 
 praise;  whatsoever  instruments  and  means  the  Lord  makes  use 
 of,  the  spiritual  eye  pierceth  through  them,  and  looks  on  God, 
 and  gives  him  all  the  glory.  You  that  hear  of  this  angel-minis- 
 tration in  the  womb,  O  praise  the  Lord !  It  is,  if  you  rightly  ap- 
 prehend it,  a  smothered  wonder,  and  so  glorious  a  work  of  God, 
 that  he  deserves  perpetual  praise  from  you  for  that  one  work. 
 ^^  Thou  art  he  that  preserved  me  in,  and  took  me  out  of,  my 
 mother's  bowels ;  my  praise  shall  be  continually  of  thee." 
 
 3.  Let  them  act  their  faith  and  trust  in  God,  even  because 
 of  this :  to  this  end  are  all  the  experiences  of  God's  love  to  his 
 saints,  that  they  might  store  up  their  faith,  and  trust  God  more. 
 O  then,  among  other  experiences  of  God's  dealings,  make  use  of 
 this,  for  strengthening  of  your  faith !  ^^  Thou  art  my  hope,  O 
 Lord  God ;  thou  art  my  trust  from  my  youth ;  by  thee  have  I 
 been  holden  up  from  the  womb."  As  Satan  makes  assault  after 
 assault  against  faith,  so  should  we  raise  bulwark  after  bulwark, 
 for  defence  thereof:  after  we  have  looked  upon  other  men's 
 experiences,  we  should  recount  our  own  experiences  of  God's 
 care  towards  us,  and  make  use  of  all  God's  dealings  for  our 
 strengthening.  ^  Thus,  Lord,  thou  didst  for  me  in  my  youth, 
 and  childhood,  and  infancy.  Thou  didst  make  me  hope  when  I 
 was  upon  my  mother's  breast;  I  was  cast  upon  thee  from  the 
 womb ;  thou  art  my  God  from  my  mother's  belly ;  yea,  in  the 
 womb,  before  I  was  born,  thou  did&t  cover  me,  and  guard  me 
 by  the  angels :  and,  therefore,  how  should  I  but  believe  ?  How 
 am  I  forced  to  acknowledge  that  the  Lord  never  leaves  me,  even 
 when  I  least  perceive  his  presence?'  Here  is  mighty  encou- 
 ragement for  faith. 
 
 4.  Let  them  love  God  and  his  angels,  for  this  early  ministra- 
 tion of  the  angels.  Ancient  love  is  a  loadstone  of  love;  were  it 
 but  a  little  love,  yet  long  love  might  beget  love  again.  Why,  God 
 hath  loved  us  from  everlasting,  and  the  angels  have  loved  us  from 
 our  first  beginning,  and  therefore  how  should  we  but  love  them 
 again?  David's  consideration  of  God's  mercy  towards  us  in  the 
 womb,  took  up  his  heart  and  ravished  his  spirit ;  yea,  he  was  so 
 exceedingly  taken  with  it,  that  he  could  not  off  it.  "  Thine  eye 
 did  see  my  substance  yet  being  unperfect,  and  in  thy  book  all 
 my  members  were  written,  which  in  continuance  were  fashioned, 
 when  as  yet  there  was  none  of  them. — How  precious  are  thy 
 thoughts  unto  me,  O  God;  how  great  is  the  sum  of  them  !  if  I 
 should  count  them,  they  are  more  in  number  than  the  sand: 
 when  I  awake,  I  am  still  with  thee."  Oh  that  our  souls  were 
 awaked,  and  oh  that  our  spiritual  senses  were  renewed,  that  upon 
 a  serious  consideration  of  God's  love,  and  of  the  angels'  love  to 
 
500  Communion  with  Angels, 
 
 us  in  the  womb,  we  might  love  again,  and  in  a  holy  pang  cry  out. 
 How  precious  are  thy  thoughts  unto  me,  O  God !  and  how  pre- 
 cious are  your  thoughts  unto  me,  O  ye  angels  of  God  ? 
 
 «W%«'V«<«V%'W%'«iV« 
 
 CHAP.  II. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  the  Ministration  of  Angels  in  our  Infancy  and 
 
 Cliildhood, 
 
 The  second  period  wherein  the  angels  minister  to  heaven's 
 heirs,  is,  from  their  birth  to  their  youth,  or  riper  years ;  this  lakes 
 up  the  time  of  infancy  and  childhood.  And  in  prosecution  of 
 this,  first  set  we  the  object  before  us  at  this  time ;  and,  secondly, 
 learn  and  practice  we  those  several  duties  that  will  naturally  flow 
 from  such  an  object. 
 
 I.   For  the  object,    viz.   The  ministration  of  angels  in  our 
 infancy  and  childliood.     Tlie  scriptures   are   express:    ^'Take 
 heed  that  ye  despise  not  one  of  these  little  ones ;  for  I  say  unto 
 you,  that  in  heaven  their  angels  do  always  behold  the  face  of  my 
 Father  which  is  in  heaven. '^     By  little  ones,  I  do  not  exclude  the 
 adult,  who  resemble  little  children  in  some  imitable  qualities ;  nor 
 would  I  exclude  little  children,  whom  our  Saviour  propounds  as 
 a  pattern  for  the  imitation  of  the  adult.  Matt,  xviii.  2,  3,  4,  5,  6. 
 But  I  would  rather  lake  all  In,  and  say,  that  by  little  ones  is  meant 
 either  those  who  are  little  in  stature,  as  the  child  set  in  the  midst 
 of  them ;   or,  little  in  grace,  parts,  esteem,  as  some  of  the  dis- 
 ciples were;  or  little  in  their  own  eyes,  as  all  the  elect  are  or 
 must  be :  all  these  have  their  angels,  and  therefore  none  of  these 
 must  be  despised.     When  Christ  was  but  a  babe,  ^^  the  angel  of 
 the  Lord  appeared  to  Joseph  in  a  dream,  saying.  Arise,  and  take 
 the  young  child  and  his  mother,  and  flee  into  Egypt,  and  be 
 thou  there  until  I  bring  thee  word.'*     And  when  Herod  was  dead, 
 ^'  the  angel  appeared  again  unto  Joseph,  in  Egypt,  saying.  Arise, 
 and  take  the  young  child  and  his  mother,  and  go  into  the  land  of 
 Israel."     Thus  was  Christ  provided  for  in  his  cradle  by  an  angel. 
 When  Hagar  had  not  wherewithal  to  feed  her  child,  "  she  cast 
 the  child  under  a  shrub ;  and  she  went  and  sat  her  down  over 
 against  him  a  good  way  off",  saying.  Let  me  not  see  the  death  of 
 the  child :  and  she  sat  over  against  him,  and  lift  up  her  voice, 
 and   wept.     And  God  heard  the   voice  of  the   lad;    and  the 
 angel  of  the  Lord  called  Hagar  out  of  heaven,  and  said  unto  her. 
 What  aileth  thee,  Hagar?  fear  not,  for  God  hath  heard  the  voice 
 of  the  lad  where  he  is ;  arise,  lift  up  the  lad,  and  hold  him  in 
 thine  hand,  for  I  will  make  him  a  great  nation  :  and  God  opened 
 
Communion  with  Angels,  501 
 
 her  eyes,  and  she  saw  a  well  of  water,  and  she  went  and  filled  her 
 bottle  with  water,  and  gave  the  lad  drink/*  Here  was  an  angel 
 calling,  comforting,  and  directing  Hagar  in  her  child's  behalf :  or 
 if  Hagar  and  Ishmael  were  not  elect,  when  Jacob  blessed  the 
 two  sons  of  Joseph,  he  said,  "  The  angel  which  redeemed  me 
 from  all  evil,  bless  (or  keep)  the  lads.'*  Many  think  this  was  the 
 great  Angel  of  the  covenant,  to  whom  Jacob  prayed  for  a  blessing 
 on  Joseph's  sons ;  and  the  rather  because  he  is  said  to  redeem 
 him  from  all  evil,  which  is  properly  peculiar  to  Jesus  Christ :  but 
 others  say,  that  this  form  of  prayer  was  only  an  interpretative 
 kind  of  imploration,  that  God  would  bless  or  keep  Joseph's  sons 
 by  his  angels :  and  for  that  of  redeeming,  if  this  was  spoken  of 
 eternal  redemption,  it  were  indeed  peculiar  to  Christ ;  but  Jacob 
 (saith  a  late  writer)  speaks  here  of  redemption  and  deliverance 
 from  temporal  evils,  which  is  confessed  to  be  a  main  office  of 
 angels.  And  Chrysostom,  Basil,  Rivius,  Mercerius  (as  he  cites 
 them)  quote  this  very  place  for  the  deputation  of  angels. 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  the  Manner  of  Aiigel  Ministration  at  that  Time. 
 
 But  how  do  the  angels  minister  to  us  in  our  childhood?  I 
 answer : — 
 
 1.  They  keep  us  from  evil.  Were  it  not  so,  into  how  many 
 dangers  should  we  fall  ?  Indeed,  a  wonder  it  is,  that  most  chil- 
 dren are  not  disfigured  and  lamed  with  bruises  and  fearful  mis- 
 carriages, with  cutting  and  burning  themselves,  as  hundreds  and 
 thousands  of  opportunities  are  offered,  but  that  angels  are  very 
 diligent  to  keep  them  out  of  harm's  way :  "^  When  father  and 
 mother  forsake  me  (saith  David)  then  will  the  Lord  take  me  up :" 
 when  parents  are  without  natural  affection,  when  nurses  are 
 careless,  and  children  are  of  restless,  stirring,  and  climbing  dis- 
 positions, then  doth  the  guardianship  of  angels  especially  appear. 
 
 ^To  this  purpose  is  Chemnitius  cited  by  the  aforesaid  author, 
 saying.  That  infants  are  obnoxious  to  such  and  so  many  dangers, 
 that  no  anxiety  of  parents,  or  diligence  of  servants,  can  secure 
 them,  without  the  tuition  of  angel's.  And  Gerson  observes  the 
 like :  ^  Whence  is  it  (saith  he)  that  little  children  are  conserved 
 from  so  many  perils  of  their  infancy,  as  fire,  water,  falls,  suffoca- 
 tion, but  by  the  agency  of  angels?' 
 
 2.  They  keep  us  in  health :  some  say,  that  much  physic  should 
 not  be  administered  to  infants,  it  is  not  safe  to  be  too  much 
 tampering  with  such  tender  things ;  and  I  suppose  there  is  less 
 need,  in  that  angels  themselves  are  instead  of  physicians  to  such 
 weak  patients.  It  is  Mr.  Dyke's  saying,  Angels  help  to  remove 
 diseases  and  evils,  as  the  devils  help  to  bring  them  on  us :  and 
 to  that  purpose  they  may  have  an  hand  in  the  use  of  such  means 
 as  are  for  our  bodily  health. — Angels  are  the  rockers  (saith  the 
 same  author)  of  babes  and  suckhngs  j  their  invisible  hands  are 
 
502  Cormnunion  tvith  Angels, 
 
 doing  for  them,  when  we  little  think  of  any  such  matter.  It  may 
 be  some  are  sick,  and  yet  recover,  and  we  attribute  it  to  this  or 
 that  means,  when  indeed  the  instrument  was  an  heavenly  angel. 
 ^  Certainly  (said  our  divine  Seneca)  there  are  many  thousand 
 events,  wherein  common  eyes  see  nothing  but  nature,  which  yet 
 are  effected  by  the  ministration  of  angels :  as  when  sudden  cures 
 were  wrought  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda,  it  might  perhaps  be 
 attributed  by  many  to  some  beneficial  constellation;  but  we 
 know,  out  of  the  evangelist,  that  an  angel  descended  and  moved 
 the  water,  and  made  it  sanative ;  where  we  find  a  probability  of 
 second  causes  in  nature,  we  are  apt  to  confine  our  thoughts  from 
 looking  higher,  yet  even  then  there  are  many  times  unseen  hands :' 
 How  much  more  when  the  work  is  above  the  power  of  any  se- 
 condaiy  cause !  this  carries  its  own  evidence,  without  dispute, 
 that  if  it  be  not  of  nature,  it  must  needs  be  of  an  higher  efficiency. 
 Ex.  gr.  Have  we  seen  a  poor  weak  child  raised  up  from  deadly 
 sickness,  when  all  natural  helps  have  given  him  up ;  then  have  the 
 angels  of  God  been  his  secret  physicians. 
 
 2.  They  teach  and  tutor  us.  Some  think,  that  angels  do  help 
 little  infants  to  speak  and  go ;  but,  howsoever,  they  are  as  tutors 
 and  schoolmasters  to  them.  Zanchy  compares  them  first  to 
 nurses,  and  then  to  schoolmasters,  that  they  may  instruct  them, 
 admonish  them,  correct  them,  comfort  them,  defend  them  from 
 all  evil,  and  provoke  them  to  all  good.  Amidst  all  their  offices 
 (which  are  almost  infinite)  this  I  believe  is  the  angels'  care  of  little 
 children,  that  they  be  brought  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition 
 of  the  Lord.  Heaven  is  the  place  whence  many  good  angels  are 
 fallen ;  and  the  good  angels  would  have  these  places  filled  up 
 again  with  saints.  Hence  they  take  care  especially  of  their  soul, 
 tacitly  revealing  to  them  the  mysteries  of  grace :  not  so  as  if  the 
 angels'  office  were  to  preach  the  word ;  that  ministry  is  not  com- 
 mitted to  them,  but  to  the  apostles,  and  others  called  to  it;  but 
 it  is  at  least  the  angels'  care  that  both  children  and  adults  should 
 be  taught  in  the  church  by  men  appointed  and  prepared  by  the 
 angels :  thus  the  angel  spake  to  Philip,  when  he  was  to  preach 
 the  gospel  to  the  eunuch,  saying,  ^^  Arise,  and  go  towards  the 
 south;"  and  another  angel  speaks  to  Cornelius,  saying,  ^^  Send 
 to  Joppa,  and  call  for  one  Simon  Peter,  who  shall  tell  thee  what 
 thou  oughtest  to  do."  If  the  angels  are  not  our  ordinary  preach- 
 ers, lest  they  dazzle  us,  their  brightness  being  unsuitable  to  our 
 weak  conditions;  yet  are  they  God's  instruments  to  provide 
 preachers  for  us,  that  by  them  we  may  be  instructed  in  the  law 
 of  God,  and  mysteries  of  the  gospel.  And  something  more  the 
 angels  do,  in  that  they  suggest  to  infants  pious  thoughts,  and 
 tacitly  provoke  them  to  a  pious  life,  and  draw  out  of  them  such 
 gracious  holy  words,  that  the  Psalmist's  saying  is  verified,  "  Out 
 of  the  mouths  of  babes  and  sucklings  hast  thou  ordained 
 strength.         Thus   when   the   children   cried   in   the    temple. 
 
Communion  with  Angels,  503 
 
 "  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David/'  and  therefore  the  priests  and 
 scribes  were  sore  displeased ;  Jesus  made  their  apology,  saying, 
 "  Have  ye  never  read,  Out  of  the  mouths  of  babes  and  sucklings 
 hast  thou  perfected  praise  ?'*  Certainly  those  Hosannas  of  the 
 children  were  above  nature,  or  acquired  parts,  or  parents*  educa- 
 tion ;  and  therefore  they  were  taught  them  by  the  angels. 
 
 Sect.  HI. — JEa;periences  of  this  Truth. 
 
 Experiences  : — 
 
 1.  For  keeping  us  from  evil. 
 
 An  infant  being  laid  in  his  bed  with  some  servants,  he  was 
 near  morning  found  out  of  the  bed  among  wooden  and  iron  tools, 
 enough  to  have  killed  him ;  he  was  taken  up  cold,  yet  without 
 any  harm,  and,  being  laid  in  the  warm  bed,  he  revived,  and  so 
 was  graciously  preserved. 
 
 A  child  fell  into  a  river  of  water,  and,  being  carried  down  the 
 stream,  was  at  last  taken  up  for  dead,  but  after  some  time  he 
 revived;  and  the  next  day  I  saw  him,  and  telling  him  that 
 God  had  given  him  a  new  fife,  the  child  wept :  I  desired  him  to 
 remember  it,  improve  it,  and  to  thank  God  for  that  mercy  all  his 
 days. 
 
 A  child  playing  by  the  side  of  a  pond,  fell  into  it,  where  it 
 was  like  to  perish ;  near  the  pond  was  an  house,  where  only  one 
 man  was  reading  in  a  book,  but  it  pleased  God  that  he  was  sud- 
 denly so  troubled,  though  he  knew  not  for  what,  that  he  could 
 read  no  longer :  whereupon  he  walked  up  and  down  the  room,  but 
 could  not  be  quiet ;  then  he  walked  forth,  and  espied  a  straw  hat 
 swimming  upon  the  water,  and,  looking  earnestly,  he  saw  the 
 child  rise  to  the  top  of  the  water ;  and  so  catching  hold  of  it, 
 drew  it  out,  and  saved  its  life. — TFJiite. 
 
 There  was  a  maid,  who  lived  with  her  mother  in  Bargamus, 
 and  was  in  one  and  the  same  night  by  a  strange  wonder  brought 
 into  the  city  of  Venice ;  they  in  the  family  where  she  arrived, 
 were  near  allied  to  her,  and,  coming  in  the  morning  into  the 
 chamber  where  she  wus,  and  finding  her  unexpectedly  stark 
 naked,  without  any  linen,  not  so  much  as  a  rag  to  cover  her, 
 gently  demanded  of  her  how  she  came  thither?  where  her 
 clothes  were?  and  what  was  the  cause  of  her  coming?  The 
 poor  girl  being  much  ashamed,  ttnd  mixing  her  blushes  with 
 many  tears,  made  answer  to  this  purpose :  '  This  very  night, 
 (said  she,)  when  I  lay  betwixt  asleep  and  awake  in  bed,  I  per- 
 ceived my  mother  steal  softly  from  my  side,  thinking  I  had 
 not  seen  her;  and  stri23ping  herself  from  all  her  linen,  she  took 
 from  her  closet  a  box  of  ointment,  which  opening,  she  anointed 
 herself  there^vith  under  the  arm-pits,  and  some  other  parts  of  the 
 body;  which  done,  she  took  a  staff,  which  stood  ready  in  a 
 corner,  M'hich  she  had  no  sooner  bestrid,  but  in  the  instant  she 
 
504  Coimmmion  with  Angels* 
 
 rid  (or  rather  flew)  out  of  the  wmdow,  and  I  saw  her  no  more ; 
 at  which  being  much  amazed,  and  the  candle  still  burning  by  me^ 
 I  thouo-ht  in  myself  to  try  a  childish  conclusion,  and  rising  from 
 mv  bed,  took  down  the  same  box,  and  anointing  myself,  as  I 
 had  before  observed  her,  and  making  use  of  a  bed-staif  in  the 
 like  manner,  I  was  suddenly  brought  hither  in  a  moment,  where 
 I  was  no  sooner  entered,  but  I  espied  my  mother  in  the  chamber 
 ^vith  a  knife  in  her  hand,  with  purpose,  as  1  thought,  to  kill  this 
 my  young  nephew,  (pointing  to  a  child  in  the  cradle,)  but  she  was 
 hindered  by  finding  me  here  \  who  no  sooner  saw  me,  but  she 
 began  grievously  to  threat  me,  and  came  near  to  strike  me,  in 
 which  fear  I  began  to  call  upon  God  to  help  me ;  whose  name 
 I  had  no  sooner  uttered,  but  she  instantly  vanished,  and  I  am 
 left  here,  even  as  you  found  me/  Whereupon  his  kinsman,  the 
 master  of  the  house,  writ  down  her  story ;  and,  keeping  the  maid 
 still  with  him,  sent  to  the  inquisitor  of  the  place,  where  the  mo- 
 ther of  the  girl,  his  kinswoman,  lived  in  good  reputation,  and  no 
 way  suspected .  before  whom  she  was  called  and  questioned,  and 
 (as  the  manner  of  that  country  is,  upon  the  like  probability  and 
 suspicion,)  put  to  the  mercy  of  the  tormentor,  and  at  length  she 
 confessed  every  particular  before  mentioned :  to  which  she  added, 
 that  she  had  no  less  than  fifty  sundry  times  been  transported  by 
 the  devil,  only  with  a  malicious  intent  to  kill  that  young  child; 
 but  she  found  him  always  at  her  arrival  so  guarded  [by  angels 
 and]  by  the  blessings  and  prayers  of  his  devout  and  religious 
 parents,  that  she  had  no  power  over  him. — Barthol,  Spinceus, 
 
 2.  For  preserving  of  health  and  life. 
 
 A  child  being  begotten  and  born  of  ancient,  sickly,  and  dis- 
 eased parents,  was  hereditarily  infirm,  and  so  oppressed  with 
 children's  maladies,  that  the  physician  concluded  he  could  not  be 
 long-lived;  whence  the  father,  drawing  nigh  to  his  death,  and 
 making  his  will,  gave  him  such  a  portion,  in  case  he  should  live 
 to  the  age  of  fourteen  years.  Weak  he  was,  and  many  sicknesses 
 he  had,  and  yet  still  the  Lord  raised  him  up,  and  unexpectedly 
 restored  him  to  health  and  strength,  that  he  passed  over  those 
 fourteen  years,  and  yet  lives.  Oh  that  it  may  be  to  God's  glory, 
 and  the  church's  edifying ! 
 
 At  the  taking  of  Bolton  by  prince  Rupert,  amongst  others 
 then  slain,  there  was  one  William  Isherwood  and  his  wife ;  and 
 Felice  her  daughter,  being  then  but  eleven  weeks  old,  lay  piti- 
 fully crying  at  the  breast  of  her  dead  mother :  but  it  so  pleased 
 God,  that  an  old  woman,  the  wife  of  one  Ralph  Heine,  of  the 
 same  town,  aged  above  seventy  years,  who  had  not  given  suck 
 above  twenty  years  before,  seeing  and  hearing  the  child,  com- 
 passioned  it,  and  took  it  up ;  and  having  neither  food  for  herself 
 nor  for  tlie  infant,  in  that  common  calamity,  to  still  the  child,  she 
 laid  it  to  her  breast ;  and  behold  the  goodness  of  God,  who  pro- 
 vides for  the  young  ravens  that  cry  I  the  child  sucking,  milk  came 
 
(hmmiinion  ivith  Angch.  505 
 
 into  her  breast,  wherewith  she  nourished  it,  to  the  admiration  and 
 astonishment  of  all  beholders. 
 
 Isenbard,  an  earl  in  Swevia,  had  to  wife  one  Jermentrudis, 
 who  grievously  accused  one  of  her  neighbours  for  adultery,  be- 
 cause she  had  been  delivered  of  six  children  at  a  birth  ;  but  it  so 
 fell  out  afterward,  that  herself  (her  husband  being  abroad  in  the 
 fields)  was  delivered  of  twelve  children,  all  males  :  she  fearing 
 the  like  infamous  punishment,  that  by  her  instigation  had  been 
 inflicted  on  the  former  woman,  commanded  her  nurse  to  kill 
 eleven  of  them  :  the  nurse  going  to  execute  the  will  of  her  lady, 
 was  met  by  her  lord,  then  returning  homewards  -,  he  demanded 
 what  she  carried  on  her  lap  ?  she  answered,  puppies  :  He  would 
 needs  see  them,  and  opening  her  apron,  found  the  infants  : 
 whereupon  he  examined  the  matter,  found  out  the  truth,  en- 
 joined the  nurse  to  be  secret,  and  to  put  the  children  to  some 
 nurse  abroad  ;  and  when  they  were  six  j^ears  old,  he  made  a  feast, 
 apparelled  the  young  boys  alike,  and  presented  them  to  their 
 mother  :  she  misdoubting  the  truth,  confessed  her  fault,  obtained 
 pardon,  and  owned  her  children. — Heylin. 
 
 A  minister,  in  the  late  rebellion  of  Ireland,  flying  for  his  life 
 to  Dublin,  his  wife  and  children  followed  after  him  :  in  their 
 journey,  being  very  weary,  they  all  agreed,  when  night  came,  to 
 sit  down  together  under  the  lee  of  an  Irish  mountain,  for  it  was 
 frost  and  snow.  The  minister's  wife  had  a  young  child,  called 
 John  Teate,  hanging  upon  her  breasts,  which  were  become  dry 
 through  her  manifold  griefs,  and  want  of  sleep  three  nights  toge- 
 ther ;  the  child  cried  and  groaned,  and,  for  want  of  nourishment, 
 was  ready  to  die,  in  such  sort,  that  the  sad  mother,  not  being- 
 able  any  longer  to  endure  the  groans  and  cries  of  her  babe,  arose 
 up  from  the  company,  (who  sat  all  together,  as  close  as  they  could, 
 with  children  in  their  laps,  to  keep  one  another  warm,)  purposing 
 to  leave  the  child  by  himself,  that  she  might  be  freed  from  those 
 heart-piercing  sobs  and  wailings.  And  here,  behold,  the  Lord, 
 who  hath  promised  to  be  seen  of  his  servants  in  time  of  need, 
 appeared  even  literally  in  this  mount ;  for  as  she  stooped  down 
 with  a  bleeding  heart,  and  eyes  full  of  tears,  there  to  leave  her 
 little  one  upon  the  ground,  she  spied,  or  rather  felt  upon  the 
 rock  (it  being  then  something  dark,  only  the  snow  cast  some 
 little  light)  a  sucking-bottle,  ^vhich  she  opening,  tasted  of  what 
 was  within  it,  and  found  it  to  be  full  of  good  milk,  which  the 
 Irish  call  bonny-clabber  ;  she  put  it  into  her  child's  mouth,  with 
 fear  lest  he,  never  having  sucked  before  out  of  any  bottle  besides 
 her  breast,  would  not  draw  it ;  but  he  readily  sucked  his  bellyful, 
 and  fell  asleep  :  the  mother  hereat  astonished,  returned  to  the 
 company,  and  shewed  them  what  she  had  found  :  who  much 
 admired  at  it,  how  or  whence  the  bottle  came  thither,  consi- 
 dering that  the  place  was  far  remote  from  any  habitation  at  all, 
 and  the  vessel  lav  upon  tlie  top  of  the  snow  lately  fallen  ;  but 
 18.  '  3  s 
 
506  Communion  with  Angeh, 
 
 some  of  tliem  called  to  mind  Hagar's  story,  and  related  it  to  the 
 rest,  how  that  ^^  when  she  was  wandering  in  the  wilderness  of 
 Beersheba,  the  water  was  spent  in  the  bottle ;  and  she  cast  her 
 child  under  one  of  the  shrubs,  and  went  and  sat  her  down  a  good 
 way  off,  for  she  said,  let  me  not  see  the  death  of  the  child  :  and  she 
 lift  up  her  voice  and  wept :  and  then  God  heard  the  voice  of  the 
 lad :  and  the  angel  of  God  called  to  Hagar  out  of  heaven,  and 
 God  opened  her  eyes,  and  she  saw  a  well  of  water,  whereat  she 
 filled  the  bottle,  and  gave  the  lad  drink/'  These  things,  com- 
 pared and  laid  together,  afforded  them  matter  of  thankfulness  to 
 God,  for  his  providence,  and  of  more  comfort  than  any  feast 
 could  h-ave  done  :  from  thence  they  concluded,  (as  if  the  angel 
 had  spoke  to  them  as  well  as  Hagar,)  that  they  should  not  fear, 
 and  that  God,  who  had  so  wonderfully  preserved  the  infant, 
 would  in  like  manner  preserve  them  all :  which  accordingly  came 
 to  pass  ;  for  the  next  day  they  came  to  Virginia,  where  they  all 
 found  free,  unexpected,  and  plentiful  refreshing,  even  a  table  in 
 the  wilderness  3  and  within  two  or  three  days  after,  they  came 
 safe  to  Dublin,  their  desired  harbour. — Dr.  Teate. 
 
 3.  For  teaching  or  tutoring  of  infants. 
 
 A  child  being  very  young,  much  affected  his  ancient  and  reve- 
 rend father  with  his  reading  of  the  bible,  and  with  his  questions 
 and  answers  :  which  drew  from  the  father  these  very  words,  that 
 if  the  child  but  lived,  he  verily  believed  he  would  suck  in  learn- 
 ing as  a  child  doth  milk.  This  reminds  me  of  what  was  said 
 of  Origen,  (in  whom  was  certainly  much  of  the  angel's  tutoring,) 
 that  his  father  brought  him  up  from  his  childhood  most  studi- 
 ously in  all  good  literature,  but  especially  in  the  reading  and 
 exercise  of  the  holy  scripture,  wherein  he  had  such  inward  and 
 mystical  speculation,  that  many  times  he  would  move  questions 
 to  .  his  father  of  the  meaning  of  this  place  or  that  place  in  scrip- 
 ture ;  insomuch,  that  his  father  divers  times  would  uncover  his 
 breast,  being  asleep,  and  kiss  it,  giving  thanks  to  God,  who  had 
 made  him  so  happy  a  father  of  such  an  happy  child.  This 
 Origen,  being  but  yet  a  child,  would  needs  have  suffered  mar- 
 tyrdom with  his  father  Leonides,  had  not  his  mother  privily  in 
 the  night-season  conveyed  away  his  clothes  and  his  shirt ;  where- 
 iipon  more  for  shame  to  be  seen,  than  for  fear  to  die,  he  was 
 constrained  to  remain  at  home ;  yet  then  he  wrote  a  letter  to  his 
 father  with  these  very  words ;  Cave  tibi,  ne  quid  propter  nos 
 aliud  quam  Martyrii  constanter  faciendi  propositum  cogites, 
 Eusebius,  1.  6.  c.  3. 
 
 In  the  primitive  persecutions,  we  read  of  one  Romanus,  who 
 first  being  scourged  with  whips,  with  knobs  of  lead  at  the  end, 
 instead  of  tears,  sighs,  and  groans,  he  sung  psalms  all  the  time 
 of  his  whipping ;  and  after,  his  face  being  buffeted,  his  eyelids 
 torn  Avith  nails,  his  cheeks  cut  with  knives,  and  his  teeth  struck 
 out,  that  his  pronunciation  at  least  might  be  impaired,  whilst  he 
 
Communion  with  Angeh,  507 
 
 preached  Christ ;  he  only  said,  I  thank  thee,  O  persecutor,  that 
 thou  hast  opened  to  me  many  mouths,  whereby  I  may  preach  my 
 Lord  and  Saviour  :  look  how  many  wounds  I  have,  so  many 
 mouths  I  have  to  praise  my  God.     But  being  reviled,  that  Christ, 
 his  God,  was  but  of  yesterday,  and  that  the  gods  of  the  Gentiles 
 were  of  great  antiquity ;  he  made  a  long  oration  of  the  eternity  of 
 Christ :  which  done,  he  said.  Give  me  a  child  but  of  seven  years 
 old,  which  age   is  free  from  malice  and  other  vices,  wherewith 
 riper  age  is  commonly  infected,  and  you  shall  hear  what  he  will 
 say.     His  request  was  granted,  a  pretty  boy  was  called  out  of  the. 
 multitude,    and  set  before   him :  Tell  me,  my  babe   (quoth  the 
 martyr)  whether  thou  think  it  reason  that  we  worship  one  Christ, 
 and  in  Christ  one  Father,  or  else  that  we  worship  infinite  gods  ? 
 Unto  whom  the  babe  answered.  That  certainly  whatsoever  it  be 
 that  men  affirm  to  be  God,  must  needs  be  one ;  which  with  one, 
 is  one  and  the  same  ;  and  insomuch  as  this  one  is  Christ,  of  ne- 
 cessity Christ  must  be  the  true  God,  for  that  there  be  many 
 Gods,  we  children  cannot  believe.     And  after  this  was  the  babe 
 martyred. — Fox's  Martyrology. 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  the  Duties  that  co7icern  us  in  this  respect, 
 
 2.  For  the  several  duties  that  concern  us  in  this  respect,  they 
 are  such  as  these  : — 
 
 1 .  Let  us  know  our  privileges,  which  God  in  Christ  gave  us 
 from  our  birth  :  The  angels  were  appointed  our  guardians  in  the 
 womb,  and  they  have  guarded,  preserved,  and  tutored  us  in  our 
 infancy  and  childhood  ;  many  a  time  were  we  in  great  danger  of 
 fire,  and  water,  and  falls,  and  suffocations  ;  many  a  time  have  we 
 been  in  the  extremity  of  sickness,  and  very  near  to  death  ;  many 
 a  lesson  have  we  had  taught  us,  and  many  a  motion  and  holy 
 thought  hath  been  suggested  to  us  : — and  is  not  all  this  worthy 
 our  notice,  knowledge,  and  understanding  ?  Did  we  but  see  little 
 children  of  poor  men  waited  on  by  a  guard  of  rich,  noble,  strong, 
 and  valiant  men ;  would  not  all  admire  ?  But  if  he  knew  this  to 
 be  our  own  condition,  that  when  we  were  babes  and  sucklings, 
 and  could  not  discern  between  our  right  hand  and  left,  that  we 
 had  then  a  guard  full  of  state  and  strength,  even  of  angels  them- 
 selves ;  would  not  this  fill  us  with  the  sense  of  the  goodness  of 
 God  ?  Certainly  it  concerns  us  to  know  thus  much,  that  we  may 
 better  know  the  goodness  of  our  God,  in  thus  providing  for  us  : 
 "  The  angel  of  the  Lord  encampeth  round  about  them  that  fear 
 him,^'  saith  David ;  and  then,  "  O  come,  and  taste  and  see  that 
 the  Lord  is  good.*'  God  would  not  have  his  favours  unregarded  ; 
 for  if  we  know  them  not,  never  shall  we  attain  to  conceive  of  God 
 himself,  especially  in  his  goodness,  love,  and  mercy  towards  us. 
 But  of  these  more  particiUarly  in  another  section. 
 
508  Commnmon  ivilh  Angels. 
 
 2.  Pause  a  while,  and  to  everj^  particular  ministration  in  our 
 infancy  set  we  a  Selah  :  this  was  the  manner  of  David  in  his 
 psalms  :  when  some  especial  thing  worthy  attention  or  observa- 
 tion was  delivered,  he  added,  Selah ;  that,  by  a  little  stop  or 
 pause  of  the  breath,  the  matter,  worth,  or  excellency  of  the  thing 
 might  be  considered.  Methinks  it  is  sad  that  the  angels  should 
 do  such  excellent  offices  for  us,  as  mothers,  nurses,  physicians, 
 tutors,  and  that  either  we  should  forget  them,  or  not  seriously 
 consider  and  pause  vipon  them  ;  in  other  things  of  lesser  conse- 
 quence, we  can  speak  with  delight, — oliin  meminisse  juvahit :  but 
 are  not  these  passages  of  God's  providence,  whereof  the  angels 
 are  especial  instruments  (as,  to  keep  us  from  evil,  to  preserve  us 
 in  health,  to  teach  us  God's  will  in  our  infancy  or  childhood,)  of 
 far  more  excellency,  profit,  and  delight  ?  O  then  let  us  set  a  star 
 at  the  margin  of  such  notes  ;  and  whilst  Ave  either  read  or  sing 
 them,  let  us  stop  awhile,  that  we  may  dwell  upon  them,  and  see 
 the  want  of  them  on  all  sides  ;  let  us  say  with  Jacob,  when  he 
 saw  the  ladder  on  which  angels  ascended  and  descended,  ''  Surely 
 the  Lord  (or  the  angel  of  the  Lord)  was  in  this  place,  (or  in  this 
 passage,)  and  1  knew  it  not." 
 
 3.  Bless  we  God  for  his  free  love  to  us  in  our  first  and  ignorant 
 times  :  whilst  we  were  infants,  we  could  neither  deserve  nor  de- 
 sire such  a  glorious  guard,  and  yet  even  then  had  the  angels  a 
 charge  to  keep  us  from  evil,  to  keep  us  in  health,  and  to  be  our 
 tutors  :  O  adorfi  wp  this  frep  grare  !  Say  we,  as  the  sweet  singer 
 of  Israel  ^^  O  Lord,  our  Lord,  how  excellent  is  thy  name  in  all 
 the  earth  !  who  hath  set  thy  glory  above  the  heavens  :  out  of  the 
 mouths  of  babes  and  sucklings  hast  thou  founded  praise.'^  Very 
 children  themselves  could  sing  Hosanna  to  Christ  by  the  help  of 
 angels,  which  occasioned  him  to  cite  this  text,  "  Out  of  the 
 mouths  of  babes  and  sucklings  has  thou  perfected  praise." 
 Most  rightly  it  is  said, ''  out  of  the  mouths,"  because  they  speak 
 not  from  their  own  understanding ;  but  by  his  virtue,  and  minis- 
 tration of  the  angels,  their  tender  tongues  were  led  to  speak  those 
 words  :  how  much  more  should  we  that  are  adult,  and  of  capa- 
 city to  understand  our  duty  ;  I  say,  how  much  more  should  we 
 praise  him,  by  the  help  of  angels,  for  the  help  and  ministration  of 
 his  angels  !  Come,  and  sing  we  an  Hosanna  to  him,  set  we  the 
 crown  upon  the  head  of  free  love,  free  grace  :  let  us  join  with 
 angels  to  bless  God  for  his  angels,  and  for  their  ministration  in 
 our  infancy  and  tender  years.  Is  there  not  cause,  in  regard  of  the 
 frceness  of  his  love  ?  It  was  bestowed  on  man  unmerited,  un- 
 dcsired,  and  placed  on  him  in  infancy,  yea,  even  in  the  dark 
 womb. 
 
 4.  Live  we  up  to  the  mercies  we  received  when  we  discerned 
 little  or  nothing  of  them.  If  any  friend  do  me  a  kindness 
 unknown  to  me,  I  shall  take  it  kindly,  and  exceeding  kindly, 
 when  I  know  it ;  and  if,  before,  I  was  unable  to  requite  it,  yet 
 
Communion  with  Angels,  «509 
 
 when  I  am  able^  I  should  think  myself  strongly  engaged  to 
 retaliate :  surely  thus  it  is  with  the  people  of  God ;  our  friends, 
 the  heavenly  angels,  waited  on  us  in  our  infancy  and  childhood, 
 but  we  neither  saw  them,  nor  had  them  in  our  thoughts,  notwith- 
 standing they  went  on  in  the  discharge  of  their  office,  and 
 sometimes  they  were  as  nurses,  otherwhiles  as  physicians,  and 
 otherwhiles  as  tutors  and  schoolmasters  to  us :  and  now  that  we 
 know  this,  now  that  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of 
 God,  and  of  his  angels,  shines  in  our  hearts,  oh  how  should  we 
 live  up  to  these  mercies  !  how  should  we  gratify  the  angels,  who 
 have  been  thus  to  us,  and  have  done  all  this  for  us !  The  angel 
 that  appeared  to  Gideon  under  an  oak,  was  for  the  present 
 vmknown ;  but  when  he  had  ^^  caused  fire  to  rise  up  out  of  the 
 rock,  and  to  consume  the  flesh,  and  the  unclean  cakes,  then 
 Gideon  perceived  that  he  was  an  angel,  and  said,  Alas,  O  Lord 
 God,  for  because  I  have  seen  an  angel  of  the  Lord  face  to  face  1'* 
 Upon  this,  God  was  pleased  to  encourage  him,  saying.  Peace  be 
 unto  thee,  fear  not,  thou  shalt  not  die.  And  then  Gideon  built 
 an  altar  there  unto  the  Lord,  and  threw  down  the  altar  of  Baal, 
 and  cut  down  the  grove  by  it;  and  afterwurds  became  a  judge  of 
 Israel  till  he  died.  Angels'  presence  and  encouragements,  once 
 discovered  and  made  known,  are  enough,  through  the  blessing  of 
 God,  to  work  in  us  a  fear  of  God,  and  obedience  to  his  laws. 
 
 ^-V^A-WV^  vw«  %  ^  v« 
 
 CHAP.  in. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  the  Ministration  of  Angels  in  our  riper  Years. 
 
 The  next  period  wherein  the  angels  minister  to  heaven's 
 heirs,  is,  from  their  riper  years  unto  their  death.  And  in  order 
 to  this,  we  shall  j&rst  observe  their  ministration;  and,  secondly, 
 our  duties. 
 
 I.  For  their  ministration,  I  shall  follow  the  same  method  as 
 before. 
 
 1.  That  it  is  so,  the  scriptures  abundantly  prove,  Psa.  34.  8. 
 Psa.  91.  11,  12.  Gen.  19.  15,  16.  2  Kings  6.  16,  17.  If  I  may 
 give  instances.  Lot  was  led  out  of  Sodom  by  an  angel ;  Daniel 
 was  taught  by  an  angel;  CorneUus  was  answered  by  an  angel; 
 an  angel  appeared  to  Joseph,  Mary,  Zachary,  Peter,  Paul,  on 
 several  errands.  Scarce  any  remarkable  thing  befell  the  people 
 of  God,  but  it  was  accomplished  by  the  ministry  of  angels.  But 
 what  needs  more  ?  *^  arc  they  not  all  mhiistering  spirits,  sent 
 forth  to  minister  for  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation?" 
 
510  Communion  with  Angeh, 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  the  Kinds  of  Angel-ministration  at  that  Time,  as 
 
 to  our  Bodies, 
 
 2.  For  the  kinds  of  their  ministration^  it  runs  in  several 
 streams :  as^  first,  to  our  bodies ;  secondly,  to  our  souls. 
 
 1st.  For  our  bodies. 
 
 1 .  They  keep  us  from  evil :  so  they  did  in  our  infancy ;  but 
 now  they  do  it  with  this  limitation,  "  they  keep  us  in  all  our 
 ways,^'  (i.  e.)  in  all  those  courses  appointed  us  by  God.  The 
 devil  left  out  that  clause  in  the  psalm,  when  he  set  Jesus  Christ 
 on  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  and  tempted  him  to  cast  himself 
 down ;  he  told  him  the  promise,  that  the  angels  should  keep 
 him ;  but  he  omitted  the  main  point,  ^^ in  all  his  ways.''  Certainly 
 there  is  some  special  treasure  enclosed  in  this,  or  the'devil  would 
 never  have  concealed  it  from  our  Saviour :  then  we  may  expect 
 angel-protection,  when  we  are  in  the  ways  God  hath  appointed 
 us ;  it  was  no  way  for  Christ  to  cast  himself  down  headlong  from 
 the  pinnacle,  for  the  way  lay  down  the  stairs :  if  we  keep  not  in 
 our  ways,  neither  will  the  angels  keep  us  from  external  evils : 
 the  prophet  that  went  out  of  his  way,  and  beyond  the  bounds 
 appointed  him  by  God,  "  a  lion  met  him  by  the  way,  and  slew 
 him.'' 
 
 But  do  not  many  external  evils  befall  God's  people,  even 
 walking  in  the  ways  and  courses  appointed  them  by  God?  1 
 answer, — 
 
 It  cannot  be  denied,  but  that  sometimes  such  things  do  befall 
 the  godly :  Mephibosheth,  a  cliild  of  five  years  old,  son  to  a  good 
 father,  and  afterwards  a  good  man  himself,  was  lamed  by  a  fall 
 from  his  flying  nurse.  Satan  was  permitted  by  God  to  destroy 
 the  goods,  children,  and  health  of  Job,  thougTi  by  the  Spirit  of 
 God  he  was  styled  '^  a  perfect  and  an  upright  man,  and  one  that 
 feared  God,  and  eschewed  evil,  and  that  there  was  none  like  him 
 in  the  earth."  '  The  Lord  (say  some)  can  countermand  angelical 
 protection,  and  give  instruction  to  those  powers  (in  some  cases,) 
 to  suspend  their  attendance  and  care  of  us,  yet  the  promise  is  not 
 null,  and  of  none  effect,  for, — 
 
 ^  1 .  Angelical  attendance  doth  mitigate  the  evil,  so  that  God's 
 people  do  not  utterly  miscarry;  they  may  be  "  troubled  on  every 
 side,  yet  not  distressed;  perplexed,  but  not  in  despair;  perse- 
 cuted, but  not  forsaken ;  cast  down,  but  not  destroyed."  Angels 
 are  not  always  to  keep  us  from,  but  sometimes  in  troubles ; 
 Christ  could  have  prayed  that  many  legions  of  angels  should 
 have  kept  him  from  suffering,  this  he  did  not,  yet  the  angels 
 ministered  unto  him  in  the  wilderness,  and  in  the  garden,  where 
 he  sweat  drops  of  blood. 
 
 ^  2.  The  promise  of  angel-protection  (as  all  temporal  promises) 
 runs  with  this  tacit  reservation  and  condition,  always  provided. 
 
Communion  with  Angels.  511 
 
 that  God  in  his  infinite  wisdom,  for  reasons  best  known  to  him- 
 self, do  not  judge  the  contrary  more  conducive  to  his  glorj",  and 
 our  inward  good :  we  know  Job  was  afflicted,  that  he  might  be 
 tried,  and  the  Lord  doth  sometimes  suspend  the  protection  of  his 
 angels,  that  we  may  the  more  depend  upon  himself;  as  the  nurse 
 gets  behind  the  screen,  that  the  infant  may  go  into  the  mother's 
 arms  without  crying ;  if  the  angels  do  not  help  us,  it  is  that  we 
 may  call  upon  God  for  aid.' 
 
 2.  They  keep  us  in  health ;  so  they  did  in  our  infancy,  but 
 the  promise  runs  without  limitation  to  every  age  of  our  life; 
 ^'  Surely  he  shall  deliver  thee  from  the  snare  of  the  fowler,  and 
 from  the  noisome  pestilence : — A  thousand  shall  fall  at  thy  side, 
 and  ten  thousand  at  thy  right-hand,  but  it  shall  not  come  nigh 
 thee :''  and  the  reason  follows,  '^  for  he  shall  give  his  angels 
 charge  over  thee."  And  the  conclusion  is  this,  "  With  long  life 
 will  I  satisfy  him,  and  shew  him  my  salvation."  It  is  the  opinion 
 of  good  divines,  that  good  angels  help  to  remove  diseases,  and 
 to  conserve  bodily  health ;  and,  on  the  contrary,  evil  angels  are 
 God's  instruments  of  inflicting  sore  and  grievous  maladies.  As 
 in  the  midst  of  his  agonies,  the  Lord  Jesus  (saith  one)  was  com- 
 forted and  refreshed  by  an  angel,  Luke  22.  43.  so  are  the  angels 
 with  the  faithful,  helping  and  easing  them  in  their  sickness. — For 
 my  own  part  (saith  another)  I  believe  that  God's  works  in  the 
 world  are  usually  by  instruments,  and  not  immediate ;  and  that 
 good  angels  are  his  instruments  in  conveying  his  mercies  both  to 
 soul  and  body,  and  that  evil  angels  are  instruments  of  inflicting 
 his  judgments  both  corporal  and  spiritual.  Hence  God  is  said 
 to  send  his  evil  angels  among  the  Israelites,  Psa.  78.  49.  Hence 
 Satan  did  execution  on  the  children,  cattle,  and  body  of  Job : 
 so  then  I  judge  that  Satan  is  the  instrument  in  our  ordinary 
 diseases,  &c.  And  I  may  add,  on  the  same  grounds,  that  the 
 angels  are  the  instruments  in  continuing  or  restoring  our  bodily 
 health. — The  ministry  of  angels  (saith  a  third)  is  for  the  pro- 
 moting of  our  health ;  I  mean  not  only  of  the  health  of  the  soul, 
 but  of  our  bodily  health :  no  question  but  the  devils,  who  are 
 our  enemies,  and  continually  stand  about  us,  would  quickly  rush 
 upon  our  bodies,  and  either  tear  them,  or  aff'ect  them  with  divers 
 maladies,  but  that  the  good  angels  do  defend  us  by  divine  com- 
 mand. I  cannot  deny,  but  that  sometimes  God  afflicts  men  by 
 the  ministry  of  his  holy  and  blessed  angels ;  for  Sodom  was  de- 
 stroyed by  the  angels ;  and  Sennacherib's  host  was  slain  by  the 
 angels ;  and  David  saw  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  having  a  drawn 
 sword  in  his  hand,  and  stretched  out  over  Jerusalem ;  and  an 
 angel  of  the  Lord  smote  Herod,  and  he  was  eaten  of  worms : 
 but  this  is  not  God's  ordinary  dispensation  towards  his  saints. 
 Surely  their  ordinary  employments,  and  wherein  they  delight,  is 
 according  to  the  promise,  "  He  shall  give  his  angels  charge  over 
 thee." 
 
512  Communion  with  Angels, 
 
 3.  They  carefully  furnish  us  with  all  other  necessaries  for  this 
 life.  Thus  when  the  Israelites  were  in  the  wilderness,  they  were 
 provided  for  by  the  angels :  '^  Man  did  eat  angels'  food,  he 
 '  sent  them  meat  to  the  full;"  or,  as  others  translate,  "  Man  did 
 eat  the  bread  of  the  mighties,  he  sent  them  meat  to  satiety ;"'  It 
 is  all  one;  for  what  is  the  bread  of  the  mighties,  but  the  bread 
 of  the  angels,  which  are  mighty  in  strength  ?  And  manna  is 
 called  their  bread,  either  because  it  came  from  heaven,  the  habi- 
 tation of  the  angels,  or  because  it  was  excellent,  so  as  the  angels 
 (if  they  needed  any  food)  might  eat  it ;  or  especially  (as  I  think) 
 because  God  sent  it  by  the  ministry  of-  angels,  they  were  the 
 purveyors  of  it  for  the  Israelites.  Thus  when  Elijah  went  into 
 the  wilderness,  and  lay  and  slept  under  a  juniper- tree,  ''  behold, 
 an  angel  touched  him,  and  said  unto  him.  Arise  and  eat :  and  he 
 looked,  and,  behold,  there  was  a  cake  baken  on  the  coals,  and  a 
 cruse  of  water  on  his  head ;  and  he  did  eat  and  drink,  and  laid 
 him  down  again.  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  came  again  the 
 second  time,  and  touched  him,  and  said.  Arise,  and  eat/'  The 
 same  God  that  provided  for  him  in  the  time  of  drought  by  the 
 ministry  of  ravens,  now  again  fed  him  by  the  ministry  of  angels. 
 I  know  these  provisions  were  miraculous ;  but  where  no  mira- 
 cles are,  the  angels  have  an  hand  even  in  ordinary  provisions. 
 ^^  The  angel  of  the  Lord  encampeth  round  about  them  that  fear 
 him :"  And  what  then  ?  ^'  O  fear  the  Lord,  ye  his  saints,  for  there 
 is  no  want  to  them  that  fear  hini;  the  young  lions  do  lack,  and 
 suffer  hunger,  but  they  that  seek  the  Lord  shall  not  want  any 
 good  thing/'  I  know  we  see  not  the  angels  providing  for  us; 
 but  what  then  ?  Abraham's  servants  saw  no  angel  going  along 
 with  him,  and  yet  Abraham  could  say,  "  The  Lord  God  of  hea- 
 ven, which  took  me  from  my  father's  house,  and  from  the  land 
 of  my  kindred,  he  shall  send  his  angel  before  thee:"  The 
 Israelites  saw  no  angel  going  along  with  them,  and  yet  the  Lord 
 could  say,  "  I  will  send  an  angel  before  thee,  and  I  will  drive 
 out  the  Canaanites,"  &c.  For  my  part,  I  see  no  angel  removing 
 me  from  place  to  place,  yet  I  am  fully  persuaded,  that  no  minis- 
 ter of  Christ  removes  his  station,  or  goes  to  a  people  as  their 
 pastor,  but  an  angel  of  God,  or  the  God  of  angels,  doth  so  order 
 it :  This  is  the  office  of  angels  (saith  Zanchy)  by  a  command  of 
 God,  to  send  the  doctors  of  the  church  to  such  or  such  a  people : 
 accordingly,  it  was  an  angel  that  appeared  to  Paul  in  a  vision  by 
 night,  saying,  "  Come  over  to  Macedonia,  and  help  us." 
 Eusebius  tells  us  a  like  story  of  Alexander  bishop  of  Jerusalem, 
 that  after  his  agonies,  and  constancy  of  confession,  shewed  in  the 
 persecution  of  Severus,  he  was  admonished  by  a  vision  in  the 
 night-season  to  take  his  journey  up  to  Jerusalem;  and  drawing 
 near  to  the  city,  a  vision,  with  plain  words,  was  given  to  certain 
 chief  heads  of  Jerusalem  to  go  out  of  the  gates  of  the  city,  and 
 there  to  receive  the  bishop  appointed  them  by  God:  And  though 
 
Cormhunion  with  Angels.  513 
 
 vision  or  i-evelation,  I  have  none,  yet  (as  the  most  revereiid  doc- 
 tor said)  since  I  am  convinced  that  the  unfelt  hands  of  the  angels 
 are  in  many  occurrences  of  my  life,  I  have  learned  so  much  wit 
 and  grace,  as  rather  to  yield  them  too  much,  than  too  little  stroke, 
 in  ordering  all  my  concernments  for  this  life.  It  is  true,  their 
 appearings  are  ceased,  but  not  their  workings  ;  their  converse  is 
 not  so  sensible,  yet  it  is  as  real  as  ever  it  was  before. 
 
 Sect.  III. — Of  the  Kinds  of  Angel-ministration  at  that  time ^ 
 
 as  to  our  Souls. 
 
 2.  For  our  souls  : — 
 
 1.  The  angels  declare  to  us  what  is  the  wiU  and  mind  of  God. 
 Thus  Daniel  being  troubled  with  the  visions  of  his  head,  he 
 went  near  unto  one  of  the  angels  which  stood  by,  and  asked  him 
 the  truth  and  meaning  of  them.  "  So  he  told  me,  (saith  Daniel,) 
 and  made  me  know  the  interpretation  of  the  things."  And  in 
 another  vision, when  Daniel  sought  the  meaning :  "Behold,  there 
 stood  before  me  (said  he)  as  the  appearance  of  a  man;  and  I 
 heard  a  man's  voice  between  the  banks  of  Ulai,  which  called, 
 and  said,  Gabriel,  make  this  man  to  understand  the  \dsion." — 
 And  he  said  unto  me,  Understand,  O  son  of  man.  And  at  anctlier 
 time,  the  man  Gabriel,  whom  he  had  seen  in  the  vision  at  the 
 beginning,  being  caused  to  fly  swiftly,  touched  him  about  the 
 time  of  the  evening  oblation,  and  informed  him,  and  talked  Avith 
 him,  and  said,  '^  O  Daniel,  I  am  now  come  forth  to  give  thee 
 skill  and  understanding."  Nothing  is  more  usual  in  God's  word, 
 than  for  angels  to  inform  the  saints  what  is  the  will  and  mind  of 
 God ;  the  conception  of  Christ,  and  the  birth  of  Christ,  and  the 
 death  of  Christ,  and  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  and  the  ascension 
 of  Christ,  and  his  return  to  judgment,  were  all  told  by  the  angels  ; 
 only  you  may  look  upon  these  as  extraordinaries,  and  that  appa- 
 ritions of  angels,  and  such  teachings  or  enlightenings  of  our 
 understanding,  in  these  days  you  cannot  expect.  All  this  I  grant, 
 and  yet  withal  I  add,  that  if  visibly  they  do  not  teach  us,  they 
 may  do  it  invisibly  ;  yea,  and  I  verily  believe  they  do  in  ordinary 
 though  invisibly,  teach  and  instiiict  all  the  people  of  God. 
 
 But  how  can  that  be,  when  they  do  neither  speak  to  us,  nor 
 reason  wiih  us,  after  the  manner  of  men  ? 
 
 I  answer ;  They  have  other  ways  of  speaking,  or  of  reasoning 
 with  us  :  as, — 
 
 1  St.  They  understand  us,  though  we  neither  speak  to  them,  nor 
 reason  with  them  :  One  of  our  light,  in  his  Child  of  Light 
 walking  in  Darkness,  tells  us,  that  evil  angels  know  much 
 within  us,  and  to  that  purpose  they  have  more  advantages  than 
 we  men  have  to  know  one  another  by  :  for, — 
 
 1 .  l^hose  spirits  can  discern  all  coqioreal  actions  ;  and  though 
 the  species,  in  them,  and  their  manner  of  knowing  corporeal 
 things,  differ  from  ours,  yet  they  are  analogical  with  ours. 
 19.  3t 
 
514  Communion  with  Angels, 
 
 2.  They  make  it  their  business  to  study  men,  it  is  their  trade 
 to  go  up  and  down,  and  consider  men ;  ^'  Hast  thou  not  con- 
 sidered (says  God  to  Satan)  my  servant  Job  ?  '' 
 
 3.  They  are  and  can  be  present  at  all  our  more  retired  actions ; 
 they  are  with  us  at  bed  and  board,  in  all  companies,  and  in  all 
 solitary  places. 
 
 4.  By  what  they  see  outwardly  of  our  actions,  they  may  guess 
 at  our  inwards,  which  are  as  the  principles  of  them. 
 
 5.  They  have  an  insight  into  the  fancy,  and  the  images 
 therein,  which  follow  and  imitate  the  inward  thoughts  of  the 
 mind,  as  the  shadow  doth  the  body :  in  this  respect  they  go  into 
 a  room  further  than  we  can  go,  yea,  into  a  room  next  to  the 
 privy  chamber,  which  yet  remains  fast  locked  up  unto  them. 
 This  last  goes  beyond  all  the  former ;  and  yet  (saith  my  author) 
 all  divines  grant,  that  the  devils  may  know  and  discern  our  phan- 
 tasms intuitively,  as  we  do  things  which  are  present  before  us. 
 
 6.  As  they  may  see  into  the  fancy,  so,  if  God  permit,  evil 
 aDgels  may  go  into  the  head,  and  see  those  very  images  and 
 species  in  the  fancy,  that  are  for  the  present  in  direct  conjunction 
 with  the  understanding,  and  which  it  is  then  thinking  and  musing 
 of.  Indeed  the  immediate  knowledge  of  our  thoughts,  and  hearts, 
 and  understandings,  is  proper  only  to  God;  '^I  the  Lord  search 
 the  heart,  I  try  the  reins ; "  yet  arguitive,  and  as  they  do  transpire, 
 and  appear  in  the  images  of  the  fancy,  and  so,  quasi  in  aliis,  and 
 mediately,  they  may  be  very  far  discerned  and  looked  into  by  evil 
 angels ;  and  so  by  discerning  those  very  phantasms  which  the 
 understanding  actually  at  present  vieweth,  and  maketh  use  of, 
 they  may  then  judge  what  it  is  that  the  mind  for  the  present  is 
 musing  on :  all  this  is  discussed  at  large  concerning  the  evil 
 angels. 
 
 And  if  the  evil  angels  may  know  thus  much  of  what  is  within 
 us,  do  not  the  good  angels  know  thus  much  ?  The  evil  angels 
 have  by  their  sin  lost  much  of  their  knowledge,  and  therefore  are 
 called  darkness,  and  the  power  of  darkness,  because  they  are 
 exceedingly  dark  in  themselves,  and  in  comparison  of  the  holy 
 angels ;  but  the  good  angels  never  sinned,  and  therefore  never 
 were  deprived  of  the  least  measure  of  knowledge  conferred  on 
 them.  I  must  therefore  conclude,  that,  without  speaking  to  them 
 or  reasoning  with  them  after  the  manner  of  men,  they  understand 
 as  well,  (or  wherein  they  do  not,  God  is  pleased  often  to  discover 
 it  to  them  by  an  especial  dispensation  of  favour  and  grace,)  as  to 
 the  angel  in  Daniel  was  revealed  the  mystery  of  the  seventy 
 weeks. 
 
 2d.  We  may  understand  them,  though  they  never  speak  to  us, 
 or  reason  with  us,  and  so  we  are  capable  of  their  teaching  3  you 
 will  say,  how  may  we  do  that  ?  I  answer, — 
 
 1 .  Observe  we  their  work  upon  our  fancies ;  there  they  are  busy 
 day  and  night,  to  set  together  the  images  for  our  understanding 
 
Communxon  with  Angels,  515 
 
 of  them :  Look,  as  a  coinpositor^  in  printing,  takes  his  letters 
 that  lie  confused  afore  him,  and  orders  and  sets  them  in  words 
 and  sentences,  to  represent  to  the  reader's  eye  what  he  would 
 have  read  by  him  ;  so  do  the  angels  set  and  compose  the  images 
 in  our  fancies,  to  represent  to  our  understanding  such  things  as 
 they  would  have  us  know  :  it  is  good  therefore  to  observe  their 
 work  day  and  night,  for  they  may  work  on  our  fancies  in  our 
 dreams. 
 
 2.  Set  we  ourselves  to  think  or  muse  upon  those  images  set 
 together  by  them.  Thus  when  the  angel  Gabriel  saluted  Mary, 
 it  is  said,  that  ^'  she  cast  in  her  mind  what  manner  of  salutation 
 this  should  be."  And  after  the  angels  had  appeared  to  shepherds, 
 and  that  all  wondered  at  those  things  which  the  shepherds  told 
 them,  it  is  said,  that  "  Mary  kept  all  those  things,  and  pondered 
 them  in  her  heart."  Certainly  it  is  our  duty,  when  angels  have 
 been  communicating  their  minds  to  us,  to  ponder,  and  muse,  and 
 meditate,  and  to  cast  in  our  mind  what  manner  of  communication 
 this  should  be. 
 
 3.  Try  we  their  work  upon  our  fancies,  whether  it  be  agreeable 
 to  the  word  of  God  :  It  were  sad,  if  we  should  take  that  for  the 
 speaking  of  angels,  which  is  the  very  voice  of  devils  ;  now  though 
 evil  spirits  can  transform  themselves  into  angels  of  light,  yet  they 
 may  be  discerned,  if  we  will  try  their  work  by  the  word.  The 
 good  angels  are  distinguished  from  the  bad,  either  by  their  appa- 
 ritions, or  by  their  actions ;  the  former  I  omit,  for  the  latter  poet 
 gives  them  in  thus ; 
 
 Who  so  will  sift  their  actions,  he  shall  find. 
 By  their  success,  if  well  or  ill  inclin'd. 
 The  one  fiom  other  j  for  the  blessed  still 
 Square  all  their  actions  to  th'  Almighty's  will. 
 
 And  to  man's  profit : 
 
 The  cacodaemons  labour  all  they  can 
 Against  God's  honour  and  the  good  of  man. 
 
 Indeed,  this  is  a  sure  and  indubitable  character;  the  good 
 angels  never  speak  any  thing  contrary  to  the  word,  or,  which  is 
 all  one,  the  good  angels  are  employed  in  nothing  save  the  honour 
 of  God,  and  the  profit  and  preservation  of  good  men;  but  evil 
 spirits  aim  all  their  enterprises  and  endeavours  to  derogate  from 
 God's  worship,  and  to  assume  it  to  themselves,  and  by  their 
 flattering  deceptions  and  oily  insinuations  with  man,  to  work  the 
 utter  subversion  both  of  body  and  soul.  It  is  good  therefore  to 
 try  their  works  upon  our  fancies,  and,  if  we  find  it  agreeable  to 
 God's  word,  or  if  it  aim  at  God's  honour  and  man's  profit,  we 
 may  conclude,  this  was  the  speaking  of  an  angel  of  God. 
 
 But  methinks  I  hear  some  object, — You  tell  us  of  a  work  of 
 angels  upon  our  fancies  day  and  night ;  and  indeed  in  the  night 
 we  can  more  easily  obberve  some  such  like  impressions  or  work 
 
516  Communion  with  Aiigds, 
 
 upon  us  in  our  dreams :  but  are  not  these  things  spoken  against  ? 
 wds  not  this  the  way  of  false  prophets,  to  observe  their  dreams, 
 and  by  them  to  delude  the  people,  saying,  "  I  have  dreamed,  I 
 have  dreamed?"  Jer.23.  25. 
 
 I  answer  —Such  dreams  as  tend  to  the  leading  of  men  from  the 
 holy  word  of  God,  to  wicked  doctrines  or  opinions,  which  are 
 painted  over  with  the  pretence  or  colour  of  revelations  and  divine 
 visions,  when  tiiey  are  indeed  the  mere  delusions  of  Satan, 
 transforming-  Ziimself  into  an  angel  of  light,  are  not  to  be  heeded, 
 but  rejected;  and  such  were  the  dreams  of  the  false  prophets, 
 tending  to  idolatry,  against  whom  God  spake  ;  "  If  there  arise 
 among  you  a  prophet,  or  a  dreamer  of  dreams,  and  giveth  thee 
 a  sign  or  a  wonder,  and  the  sign  or  wonder  come  to  pass, 
 whereof  he  spoke  unto  thee,  saying,  Let  us  go  after  other  gods, 
 (whom  thou  hast  not  known,)  and  let  us  serve  them ;  thou  shalt 
 not  hearken  to  the  words  of  that  prophet,  or  that  dreamer  of 
 di-eams,  for  the  Lord  your  God  proveth  you,  to  know  whether  you 
 love  the  Lord  your  God  with  all  your  heart,  and  with  all  your 
 sbul." 
 
 Yet  this  hinders  not,  but  such  dreams  as  come  into  us  by  God's 
 special  and  sometimes  extraordinary  work  of  providence,  must 
 needs  be  directed  unto  some  weighty  and  good  end,  as  we  must 
 conclude,  if  we  either  consider  the  hrst  mover,  which  is  God,  or 
 the  instruments,  which  are  his  holy  angels :  such  dreams  will 
 challenge  our  very  serious  consideration,  and  diligent  care  to  take 
 notice  of  what  they  offer  unto  us,  and  the  neglect  or  contempt 
 thereof  cannot  be  committed  without  great  impiety  ;  and  there- 
 fore we  have  not  only  a  warrant,  but  an  unavoidable  and  invio- 
 lable obligation  in  point  of  duty,  to  take  notice  of  such  dreams, 
 and  to  make  use  of  them  according  to  their  importance  and  pur- 
 pose :  "  \\\  a  dream,  in  a  vision  of  the  night,  when  deep  sleep 
 falleth  upon  men,  in  slumberings  upon  the  bed,  then  he  openeth 
 the  ears  of  men,  and  sealeth  their  instruction." 
 
 But  because  dreams  are  of  several  sorts,  some  proceeding  only 
 from  the  constitution  of  the  heavens,  or  from  the  disposition  of 
 tlie  air,  or  from  previous  cogitations,  or  from  the  temper  of  the 
 body,  or  from  the  affection  of  the  mind,  or  from  the  procuration 
 of  tlie  devil,  and  only  some  few  from  the  operation  of  good 
 angels ;  it  is  therefore  worthy  our  pains  to  know  some  such 
 marks  or  characters,  whereby  we  may  distinguish  these  last  from 
 all  others  of  the  former  dreams. 
 
 A  learned  writer,  in  his  book  of  the  Baptized  Turk,  hath  laid 
 down  these  marks  of  tliose  dreams  procured  by  angels : 
 
 1 .  When  they  move  unto  tliat  which  is  truly  and  eminently 
 good,  or  from  the  contrary  evil,  and  have  nothing  in  them  that 
 stands  opposite  to  the  tiiith  or  holiness  of  the  word  of  God,  or 
 sound  reason,  nor  that  addeth  any  thing  to  God's  words,  as  a  new 
 way  of  righteousness  or  salvation. 
 
Communion  with  Angels.  517 
 
 2.  When  they  are  of  a  wise,  sober^  just,  and  orderly  frame 
 and  composure,  without  any  tincture  of  lightness,  jingling,  or 
 vanity  in  them. 
 
 3.  When  they  come  unto  us,  bemg  in  an  holy  temper  and 
 disposition  of  spirit. 
 
 4.  When  they  leave  both  an  holy,  and  humble,  and  also  a  strong 
 and  certain  impression  upon  the  mind,  moving  it  not  upon  car- 
 nal, but  spritual  principles  and  motives ;  to  which  we  may  add, 
 an  holy  clearness  and  consolation  in  the  spirit,  an  increase  of 
 vigour  and  readiness  to  godly  obedience  and  hoUness. 
 
 5.  When  they  agree  with  some  work  that  God  hath  in  hand, 
 and  have  something  in  them  that  seems  to  be  above  human  in- 
 ventions, and  have  an  excellent  agreement  in  the  several  parts 
 thereof,  presenting  the  same  or  several  things. 
 
 6.  When  they  come  unsought  and  unexpected ;  for  if  any  man 
 doth  purposely  seek  divination  by  dreams,  composing  himself 
 thereunto  by  superstitious  rights  or  ceremonies,  this  were  ex- 
 pressly against  the  word :  '-'  For  thus  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts, 
 the  God  of  Israel,  Let  not  your  prophets  and  your  diviners,  that 
 be  in  the  midst  of  you,  deceive  you ;  neither  hearken  to  your 
 dreams,  which  ye  cause  to  be  dreamed." — But  enough  of  this 
 matter. 
 
 2.  The  angels  persuade  us  to  that  which  is  good ;  they  do  not 
 only  declare  to  us  what  is  God's  will,  but  they  advise  us  to  it. 
 This  is  the  ordinary  office  of  blessed  angels,  to  instil  good  mo- 
 tions, to  suggest  good  thoughts,  to  admonish  and  persuade  us 
 on  all  occasions  to  that  which  is  good.  As  Satan  is  ever  com- 
 passing the  earth,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour,  here  and  there 
 laying  his  snares  to  catch  poor  souls  in,  tempting  and  enticing 
 them  to  all  sorts  of  sin,  as  he  espies  occasion  and  opportunity 
 for  it ;.  so  are  the  good  angels  ever  and  anon  suggesting  good 
 and  pious  thoughts  ;  they  tacitly  admonish  our  minds,  and  pro- 
 voke us  to  good  duties  of  holiness  and  obedience  ;  this  makes 
 some  affirm,  that  whatsoever  the  evil  angels  can  do  in  evil,  the 
 elect  angels  can  do  in  good :  if  the  devils  can  suggest  sin,  surely 
 the  angels  of  God  are  stronger  and  wiser  than  devils. 
 
 But  how  do  the  good  angels  suggest  good  ? 
 
 I  answer,  \.  They  inspire,  inject,  or  cast  into  our  minds,  some 
 lioly  motions  :  seldom  passes  the  day  over  our  heads,  but  we 
 may  feel  these  injections — Come,  this  is  the  way,  walk  in  it; 
 Strive  to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate,  &c. 
 
 2.  They  provoke  and  stir  us  up  with  much  impunity  to  this 
 or  tliat  duty ;  "  Ho  every  one  that  tlilrsteth,  come  ye  to  the 
 waters,"  &c.  They  know  well  enough  our  sluggish,  dull,  and 
 heavy  dispositions,  our  spiritual  laziness,  and  therefore  they  add 
 stirring,  quickening,  soul-enlivening  expressions,  or  exclamations, 
 *'•  Ho,  come  ye  to  the  waters  ;  '  yea,  they  double  it,  or  treble  it, 
 ^^  Come  ye   to  the  waters  ; — Come  ye,  buy  and   cat  \ — Come 
 
518  Co7iwiunwn  with  Angels, 
 
 ye  buy  wine  and  milk  without  money  and  without  price  :  *'  ITiey 
 are  not  willing  to  give  over^  till  they  have  made  us  willing  to 
 yield  to  their  motions  for  our  own  salvation. 
 
 You  may  object^  Surely  this  is  the  genuine  work  of  the  Holy 
 Ghostj  thus  to  inspire  and  provoke  us  to  good.  Very  true,  and 
 yet  that  hinders  not  but  that  the  good  angels  may  be  instruments, 
 or  agents  :  We  say,  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  prime  Spirit,  and  yet 
 the  angels  are  as  ministering  spirits ;  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  foun- 
 tain, or  head  of  water,  but  the  angels  are  as  cisterns  and  channels 
 of  water ;  it  is  the  will  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  employ  the  angels, 
 and  to  communicate  himself  to  us  by  the  ministry  of  angels,  and 
 therefore  the  Holy  Ghost  and  angels  need  not  clash.  Indeed, 
 motions,  inspirations,  and  holy  suggestions,  are  ever  originally 
 and  primarily  for  the  Spirit  of  Christ ;  and  hence  it  is,  that 
 commonly  we  put  them  all  on  that  score,  we  give  them  all  to 
 Christ's  spirit ;  yet  I  cannot  forget  the  author's  opinion  I  cited 
 before,  that  God's  works  in  the  world  are  usually  by  instruments, 
 and  not  immediate  ;  and  that  good  angels  are  his  instruments, 
 in  conveying  his  mercies  both  to  soul  and  body.  Another  speaks 
 as  confidently  every  whit ;  For  my  part,  (with  the  good  leave  of 
 my  learned  and  religious  brethren,  be  it  spoken,)  I  doubt  not  but 
 good  angels  suggest  good  counsels,  tender  holy  motions,  offer 
 pious  thoughts,  yea,  refresh  the  often-parched  spirits  of  gracious 
 men  with  inward  joy.  Shall  the  devil  work  in  the  children  of 
 disobedience  ?  (Ephes.  2.  2.)  enormously  disquiet  the  affections, 
 (1  Sam.  16.  15.)  yea,  inject  wicked  thoughts  into  godly  men  with 
 success,  (1  Chron.  21.  1.)  and  shall  the  good  angels  be  excluded 
 from  all  actions  and  operations  upon  the  inward  senses  of 
 men  ? — I  can  never  believe  it. 
 
 3.  The  angels  repel  temptations,  or  prevent  occasions  of  sin. 
 This  was  the  meaning  of  Michael's  contending  with  the  devil 
 about  the  body  of  Moses.  It  was  the  devil's  design  to  dis- 
 cover Moses'  grave,  and  the  archangel  was  ready  to  resist 
 him  !  But  why  should  the  angel  resist  him  ?  To  what  end 
 was  the  dispute  about  the  body  of  Moses  ?  Why  might  not 
 the  body  and  burial-place  of  Moses  have  been  discovered  to  all  ? 
 Surely  the  angel  would  not  have  it  known,  lest  the  people  should 
 have  idolized  and  worshipped  it  in  after  times.  The  devil  loves 
 idolatry  ;  and  of  all  kinds  of  idolatry,  the  devil  abuseth  the  world 
 most  with  idolatrous  respects  to  the  bodies  and  relics  of  dead 
 saints.  Now,  the  archangel  knew  his  design,  and  therefore  he 
 would  by  no  means  have  those  burial-places  known.  Thus 
 Ainsworth  paraphraseth  on  that  text  of  Deuteronomy,  "  He 
 was  buried  in  the  valley  of  Moab,  over  against  Beth-peor ;  but 
 no  man  knoweth  of  his  sepulchre  unto  this  day.  The  angel 
 would  have  no  occasion  of  superstition  or  idolatry  thereby  :  Oh 
 what  ])lcssed  steps  have  we  for  preventing  of  sin  !  How  busy 
 arc  the  angels  in  our  behalf,  (wlien  we  little  think  of  it,)  to  repel 
 
Communion  with  Ans^els.  519 
 
 (b' 
 
 temptations,  and  to  prevent  occasions  of  evil  ?  As  our  good  en- 
 deavours are  often  hindered  by  Satan, — "  I  would  have  come  to 
 you,  even  I  Paul,  once  and  again,  but  Satan  hindered  us  ;  '^ — so 
 are  our  evil  actions  hindered  by  the  heavenly  angels,  else  were 
 not  our  protection  equal  to  our  danger.  A  good  angel  opposed 
 Balaam  in  an  evil  way ;  and  if  an  heavenly  spirit  obstruct  the 
 course  of  the  evil,  and  stand  in  the  way  of  a  sorcerer's  sin,  how 
 much  more  ready  are  those  spiritual  powers  to  stop  the  spiritual 
 miscarriages  of  God's  dearest  children. 
 
 4.  The  angels  quicken  our  dulness,  encourage  our  weakness, 
 
 and  comfort  us  in  our  sorrows  :  all  these  may  be  read  together 
 
 in  one  chapter  :  "  I  was  in  a  dead  sleep  (said  Daniel)  on  my  face, 
 
 and  my  face  towards  the  ground,  and  behold  an  hand  touched 
 
 me,  which  set  me  upon  my  knees,  and  upon  the  palms  of  my 
 
 hands ;  and  he  said  unto  me,  O  Daniel,  a  man  greatly  beloved, 
 
 understand  the  words  that  I  speak  unto  thee,  and  stand  upright, 
 
 for  unto  thee  am  I  now  sent :  and  when  he  had  spoken  this  word 
 
 unto  me,  I  stood  trembling  ;   then  said  he  unto  me.  Fear  not, 
 
 Daniel. — And  there  came  again,  and  touched  me  one  like  the 
 
 appearance  of  a  man ;  and  he  strengthened  me,  and  said,  O  man 
 
 greatly  beloved,  fear  not,  peace  be  unto  thee,  be  strong,  yea,  be 
 
 strong  ;  and  when  he  had  spoken  unto  me,  I  was  strengthened, 
 
 and  said,  Let  my  Lord  speak,  for  thou  hast  strengthened  me." 
 
 In  like  manner  we  find  an  angel  quickening,  encouraging,  and 
 
 strengthening  Elijah  to  his  work,  2  Kings  1.  3,  15.  and  Isaiah  to 
 
 his  work,  Isa.  6.  6,  'J ,  and  Paul  to  his  work.  Acts  27.  23,  24. 
 
 But  especially  in  the  sufferings  of  his  saints,  how  usual  was  it 
 
 with  God  to  send  down  his  angels  for  their  comforters  !     When 
 
 Christ  was  in  his  agony,  "  there  appeared  an  angel  unto  him 
 
 from  heaven,  strengthening  him."     When  Peter  was  in  prison, 
 
 "  behold  the  angel  of  the  Lord  came  upon  him,  and  a  light  shined 
 
 in  the  prison."      When  Paul  was  in  his   dangerous  voyage, 
 
 ^^  there  stood  by  him  that  night  the  angel  of  God,  whose  he  was, 
 
 and  whom  he  served,  saying.  Fear  not,  Paul,"    Acts  27.  23.    In 
 
 the  succeeding  times  of  the  church,  how  frequently  did  the  angels 
 
 appear  to  blessed  martyrs  for  their  comfort  and  encouragement ! 
 
 Thus  Theodorus  saw  and  felt  the  refreshing  hand  of  an  angel : 
 
 thus  Theophilah,   Agnes,  Lucia,  Cecilia,   and  others,   saw  the 
 
 good  angels  as  their  comforters,  and  protectors  of  their  chastity. 
 
 And  although  they  do  not  appear  to  us  now  in  bodily  shapes,  as 
 
 in  those  times,  yet  the   same  offices  are  performed  by  them  in 
 
 their  spiritual  and  mysterious  waj's  ;  now  they  quicken  our  dul- 
 
 ness,  encourage  our  weakness,  and  comfort  us  in  heaviness. 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Whether  the  Angels  contribute  any  thing  to  onr 
 
 Conversion. 
 
 Before  I  pass  this,  I  would  propound  a  question  or  two  : 
 as, — 
 
520  Communion  with  Angels. 
 
 1 .  Whether  the  angels  contribute  any  thing  to  our  conversion  ? 
 We  have  heard  at  large,  that  devils  do  what  they  can  to  hinder 
 our  conversion  :  and  are  the  angels  less  active  to  good,  than  they 
 are  to  evil  ?  I  cannot  think  it.  We  may  be  sure,  that  as  the  bad 
 angels  Ao  bad  offices,  so  the  good  angels  are  in  their  way  prompt 
 and  ready  to  do  all  the  good  offices  they  can,  as  to  our  good ; 
 and  my  reason  is,  their  will  is  conformed  to  the  -will  of  God, 
 "  They  do  his  commandtnents,  they  hearken  to  the  voice  of  his 
 word.''  Whatsoever  God  wills,  they  will:  now  God  wills  the 
 conversion  of  sinners ;  "  As  I  live,  1  desire  not  the  death  of  a 
 sinner,  but  rather  that  he  should  repent  and  live;"  and  therefore 
 they  will  it,  and,  as  they  will  it,  so  they  reduce  that  will  into 
 several  acts,  or  else  it  were  in  vain.  But  what  those  acts  are 
 may  be  another  question. 
 
 Sect.  V. — Wherein  do  the  Angels  contribute  to  07ir  Conversion., 
 
 The  several  acts  of  angels  as  to  our  conversion,  are  such  as 
 these: — 
 
 1.  They  inform  our  judgments :  we  have  heard  before,  how 
 they  invisi])ly  teach  us,  instruct  us,  enlighten  us,  and  herein  do 
 they  contribute  to  our  conversion :  for  Vv^hat  is  the  first  work  of 
 conversion,  but  illumination  ?  As  hi  the  f^rst  creation,  the  first- 
 born of  God's  works  was  light,  '^  God  said,  let  there  be  light, 
 and  there  was  light :"  so,  in  the  new  creation,  the  first  work  is 
 light;"  *^  God,  who  commanded  the  light  to  shine  out  of  dark- 
 ness, hath  shined  into  our  hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge 
 of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ."  Hence  the  state 
 of  nature  is  called  darkness,  and  the  state  of  grace  is  called  light; 
 "Ye  were  sometimes  darkness,  but  now  are  ye  light  in  the  Lord;" 
 and,  ^'He  hath  called  yoxx  out  of  darkness  into  his  marvellous 
 light."  Now,  if  in  this  w^ork  the  angels  are  assistant,  they  must 
 needs  contribute  to  our  conversion  in  the  first  work  of  it,  which 
 is  illumination. 
 
 2.  They  move  our  will :  This  is  that  we  said  before,  that  the 
 good  angels  persuade  us  to  that  which  is  good,  they  instil  good 
 motions,  they  suggest  good  thoughts,  they  provide  us  to  duties 
 of  holiness  and  obedience,  and  especially  to  this  main  work  of 
 conversion  and  regeneration  ;  well  they  know,  that  without  this, 
 all  is  nothing  ;  "  Except  a  man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the 
 kingdom  of  God."  And  their  desires  are  strong,  that  the  places 
 made  void  in  heaven  by  the  falling  angels,  should  be  supplied  by 
 men  and  women  ;  and  therefore  they  do  what  they  can  to  move 
 and  persuade  us  to  a  change.  I  know  they  cannot  efficiently 
 move  or  turn  the  will ;  we  leave  to  Christ  and  his  Spirit  tlie 
 efficacy  and  blessing  of  all;  they  only  move,  and  persuade,  and 
 make  use  of  arguments,  to  do  this  or  that,  but  the  holy  Spirit 
 makes  effectual,  and  gives  the  issue  to  what  they  move.     If  you 
 
Communion  with  Angels.  521 
 
 *ay.  What  needs  this  ministration^  for  Christ  can  move  or  per- 
 suade without  them  ?  I  may  as  well  ask,  What  need  ministers, 
 preaching,  sacraments  ?  It  is  enough  to  silence  and  stop  our 
 mouths,  when  we  hear  that  these  are  God's  ways  of  administra- 
 tion, these  are  God's  ordinances,  of  which  the  anp^els  are  a  great 
 part ;  and  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  God,  they  act,  and 
 stir,  and  move,  and  persuade  us  to  conversion. 
 
 3.  They  work  on  our  affections,  endeavouring  to  settle  them, 
 and  keep  them  on  right  ol)jects  :  It  is  true,  they  cannot  turn  the 
 stream  and  current  of  our  affections  back,  (God  only  can  turn  this 
 Jordan  back,)  but  they  can  drive  them  faster,  and  cause  them  to 
 swell  above  their  natural  channels  ;  it  is  the  spirit  of  bondage 
 which  worketh  fear,  but  when  fear  is  wrought,  they  can  blow  it 
 up,  and  intend  it  more,  as  the  Spirit's  instruments.  Sometimes 
 you  have  heard  how  evil  angels  could  work  further  and  deeper 
 fears  than  the  Holy  Ghost  by  himself  intended ;  and  cannot  the 
 good  angels  do  regularly,  what  the  evil  angels  can  do  irregularly? 
 If  the  evil  angels  cannot  only  propound  such  objects  as  shall 
 move  us  to  fear,  bvit  also  can  stir  up  such  humours  in  the  body, 
 which  such  a  passion  doth  act  and  stir  in  : — E.i\  gr.  If  they  can 
 electively  work  upon  melancholy,  so  as  to  put  a  man  into  a 
 timorous  and  trembhng  disposition ;  how  much  more  can  the 
 good  angels  propound  objects,  and  stir  up  humours,  and  so  work 
 on  the  affections,  whether  of  fear,  or  hope,  or  sorrow,  or  joy,  or 
 love,  or  hatred  ? 
 
 4.  They  repel  temptations.  You  have  heard  abundantly  how 
 the  soul  is  haunted  with  several  temptations  ;  when  the  work  of 
 conversion  is  passing  upon  it,  then  is  Satan  busy,  by  way  of 
 revenge,  for  the  soul's  revolt  from  him  ;  but  are  not  the  good 
 angels  as  busy  as  Satan  ?  and  if  they  resist  him,  what  can  all  the 
 troops  of  hell'hurt  us  ?  We  know  the  good  angels  have  as  much 
 advantage  of  their  strength  over  Satan,  as  they  have  of  their 
 station ;  how  then  should  that  evil  one  stand  in  the  encounter  ? 
 or  what  need  we  fear  in  so  mighty  and  sure  hands  ?  He  that 
 passeth  with  a  strong  convoy  through  a  wild  and  perilous  desert, 
 scorns  the  dangers  of  wild  beasts  or  robbers,  no  less  than  if  he 
 were  in  a  strong  tower  at  home;  so  may  we  the  onsets  of  the 
 powers  of  darkness,  whilst  we  are  guarded  by  the  angels,  who 
 both  defend  us,  and  resist  Satan  in  all  his  fiery  darts. 
 
 5.  The  joy  in  the  conversion  of  sinners,  so  that  heaven  rings 
 Mith  the  joy':  "  Likewise  I  say  unto  you,  (saith  Christ,)  there  is 
 joy  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  of  God  over  one  sinner  that 
 repenteth."  What  manner  of  joy  this  is,  is  unknown  to  us,  and 
 so  shall  be,  until  that  time,  that  time  shall  be  no  more  ;  only  this 
 we  believe  for  the  present,  that  the  conversion  of  sinners  is  the 
 jubilation  of  angels ;  and  this,  I  take  it,  is  the  plain  sense  or 
 meaning  of  Christ's  words,  that  when  they  see  the  ranks  and 
 files  of  lapsed  angels  filled  with  new  recruits,  men  and  womenj 
 
 1Q  ,^  r 
 
522  Communion  with  Angels. 
 
 penitent  for  their  sins,  this  is  matter  of  joy,  of  ecstatical  joy,  to 
 
 the  holy  angels  of  God. 
 
 Sect.  VI. Experiences  of  this  Truth,  as  to  our  outivardMan. 
 
 For  some  experience  of  this  blessed  truth,,  in  respect  of  our 
 bodies  : — 
 
 1 .  They  keep  us  from  evil. 
 
 One  going  seasonably  to  bed,  about  midnight  he  awoke,  and 
 could  not  sleep;  there  upon  he  awaked  his  wife,  and  talking  with 
 her,  suddenly  he  espied  a  light  in  his  chamber,  which  came 
 through  a  box-hole  ;  he  demanded  of  her  what  that  light  was  ; 
 she  opened  her  eyes,  but  could  not  tell ;  anon  she  arose  out  of 
 bed,  and  looking  through  the  box-hole,  (which  by  a  gracious 
 Providence  was  that  night  open,  though  usually  shut,)  she  espied 
 a  fire  kindled  on  some  wood  in  the  house,  which  quickly  would 
 have  set  all  in  a  flame,  that  no  way  they  could  have  escaped  with 
 life :  but  they  both  hastened  out  of  their  chamber,  and,  coming 
 into  the  house,  they  timously  quench  the  fire,  and  admiring  at 
 God's  providence  in  each  circumstance,  they  returned  in  safety 
 to  bed,  and  found  that  rest  and  sleep  after,  which  before  they 
 could  not  obtain. 
 
 The  same  person  riding  over  a  deep  water,  his  horse  in  the 
 midst  ot  the  stream  laid  him  down  under  him  :  thus  man  and 
 horse  both  plunged  in  ;  the  man  with  much  ado  having  recovered 
 himself,  and  getting  through,  he  rode  home  wet  and  cold,  which 
 cast  him  into  a  fever ;  yet  in  time  he  recovered,  and  blessed  that 
 God,  who,  by  the  ministry  of  his  angels,  delivered  him  from  the 
 danger  both  of  fire  and  water. 
 
 The  same  person  being  at  home,  a  daughter  came  to  visit  him, 
 who  one  evening  was  very  importunate  to  go  more  early  than 
 ordinarily  they  used  to  bed ;  her  importunity  so  far  prevailed, 
 that  presently  they  went  to  prayers,  and  commending  themselves 
 to  God  for  his  custody,  all  in  the  family  made  up  the  stairs  to 
 their  several  lodgings  :  no  sooner  were  they  dropped  asleep,  but 
 presently  a  noise,  like  thunder,  awaked  them  all  ;  he  wondered, 
 and  asked  his  wife  if  she  heard  the  thunder;  who  answered,  that 
 she  being  last  in  bed,  was  scarcely  asleep,  but  could  not  tell 
 whether  it  was  a  clap  of  thunder,  or  a  fall  of  some  part  of  the 
 house ;  and  rising  out  of  bed  to  go  to  the  chamber  were  their 
 daughter  and  a  servant  maid  lay  in  two  beds  ;  at  the  entrance  into 
 the  chamber,  the  daughter  cried.  Stay,  mother,  or  you  endanger 
 your  life,  for  I  believe  the  chamber  floor,  and  chamber  adjoining, 
 is  fallen  down.  By  that  caution  she  trembling  stayed  her  foot, 
 and  drew  back  to  tell  her  husband  the  news ;  lie  desired  her  to 
 go  down  stairs  into  the  house,  light  a  candle,  and  to  see  the 
 matter ;  but  endeavouring  to  open  the  door  below  into  the  house, 
 the  passage  was  stopped  with  the  floor  of  the  chambers  fallen 
 
Communion  with  Angels,  523 
 
 down  :  their  daughter,  that  lay  in  one  of  the  two  chambers,  seated 
 over  the  house,  cried,  that  her  bed  cracked,  and  she  was  afraid 
 to  he  in  it ;  thereupon  they  advised  her  to  hasten  out  of  it,  and 
 with  the  maid  to  creep  into  a  corner  of  the  chamber  which  was 
 more  secure.  In  the  mean  time,  a  cry  or  call  was  made  through 
 a  casement  for  some  neighbour's  help  ;  by  this  means  a  candle 
 was  brought,  but  no  passage  being  possible  through  the  doors, 
 the  stanchion  of  a  casement  was  cut,  and  one  came  in  at  the 
 window  with  his  Hght ;  then  it  was  seen  how  two  chambers  over 
 the  house  wTre  suddenly  fallen,  with  all  the  weight  of  wood,  and 
 clay,  and  furniture  above,  and  that  nothing  remained  unfallen, 
 but  a  little  room  of  one  chamber,  where  the  two  beds  stood, 
 wherein  the  two  women  lay.  At  first  view  they  all  stood  amazed, 
 but  recollecting  themselves,  the  two  women  were  by  a  ladder 
 safely  brought  down  from  the  corner  of  the  fallen  chamber,  and 
 being  brought  into  another  chamber,  they  took  their  rest  till  the 
 morning.  At  day-light  they  saw  their  wonderful  preservation  ; 
 and,  viemng  the  circumstances,  it  appeared  :  1.  If  that  night  all 
 had  not  gone  to  bed  before  their  ordinary  time,  they  had  been  all 
 sitting  in  the  house,  which  then  would  have  fallen  upon  them, 
 and  have  slain  them  all.  2.  If  his  wife  had  not  then  stayed  her 
 step,  wlien  the  daughter  cried,  Stay  mother,  she  had  fallen  down 
 into  the  nether  room  amongst  rubbish,  and  probably  had  lost  her 
 life.  3.  If  those  two  beds  had  not  stood,  wherein  the  two  women 
 lay,  when  all  besides  fell  with  one  crash,  they  had  both  perished, 
 especially  the  daughter,  who  was  in  the  first  stage  of  her  preg- 
 nancy. In  every  circumstance  appeared  the  finger  of  God,  and 
 the  promise  was  minded,  "  He  shall  give  his  angels  charge  over 
 tl.ee,  to  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways ;  they  shall  bear  thee  up  in 
 their  hands,  lest  thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone." 
 
 Simon  Grinseus,  a  learned  and  holy  man,  coming  from  Heidel- 
 burgh  to  Spires,  was  desirous  to  hear  a  certain  preacher  in  that 
 city,  who  in  his  sermon  did  then  let  fall  some  erroneous  propo- 
 sitions of  popish  doctrine ;  wherewith  Grinffius,  not  being  a  little 
 offended,  craved  speedy  conference  with  the  preacher,  and, 
 layhig  before  him  the  falsehood  and  danger  of  his  doctrines,  ex- 
 horted him  to  an  abandoning  and  retraction  of  those  misopinionsj 
 the  preacher  gave  good  words  and  fair  semblances  to  Grineeus, 
 desiring  farther  and  more  particular  conference  with  him,  and 
 each  imparted  to  other  their  names  and  lodgings  5  yet  inwardly, 
 as  being  stung  with  that  just  reproof,  he  resolved  a  revenge,  by 
 procuring  the  imprisonment,  and,  if  he  might,  the  death  of  so 
 sharp  a  censurer.  Grinaeus,  misdoubting  nothing,  upon  his 
 return  to  his  lodgings,  reports  the  passages  of  the  late  confer- 
 ence to  those  who  sat  at  the  table  \vith  him,  amongst  whom 
 Melancthon  being  one,  he  was  called  out  of  the  room  to  speak 
 with  a  stranger,  newly  come  into  the  house :  going  forth  accord- 
 ingly, he  finds  a  grave  old  man,  of  a  goodly  countenance,  seemly 
 
524  Co7)wiU7iion  with  Angels, 
 
 and  richly  attired,  who  in  a  friendly  and  grave  manner  tells  him, 
 
 that  AV'ithin   o\\^  hour  there  would    come  to  their  inn  certain 
 
 officers  as  from  the  king  of  the  Romans,  to  attach  Grinaeus,  and 
 
 so  carry  him  to  prison  ;  willing  him  to  charge  Grin^eus,  with  all 
 
 possihle  speed,  to  flee  out  of  Spires,  and  requiring  Melancthon 
 
 to  see  that  this  advantage  were  not  neglected  ;  which  said,  the 
 
 old  man  vanished  out  of  his  sight.  Instantly  Melancthon,  return- 
 
 iiio-  to  his  companions,  recounted  unto  them  the  words   of  this 
 
 stran"-e  monitor,  and  hastened  the  departure  of  Grinaeus  accord- 
 
 ino-lv,  who  had  no  sooner  hoated  himself  on  the  Rhine,  than  he 
 
 was'eao-erly  sought  for  at  his  said  lodgings.  Of  this,  Melancthon, 
 
 in  his  commentary  on  Daniel,  writes,  and  acknowledges  God's 
 
 fatherly  providence  in  sending  this  angel  of  his  for  the  rescue  of 
 
 his  faithful  servant. 
 
 John  Spangenberge,  pastor  of  Northense,  was  no  sooner  stept 
 out  of  his  house,  with  his  family,  to  go  to  the  bains,  but  the 
 house  fell  right  down  in  the  place. — Our  own  experience  at  home 
 is  able  to  furnish  us  with  divers  such  instances  :  If  a  man  by  some 
 strong  instinct  be  warned  to  change  that  lodging,  which  he  con- 
 stantly held  for  some  years,  and  finds  his  wonted  sleeping  place 
 that  night  crushed  with  the  unexpected  fall  of  an  unsuspected 
 contiguation  ;  to  what  cause  can  we  attribute  this,  but  to  our 
 iittending  angels  ? — Or,  have  we  been  preserved  from  mortal 
 dangers,  which  we  could  not  tell  how  by  our  providence  to  have 
 evaded  ?  Our  invisible  guardians  have  done  it. 
 
 In  the  true  portraiture  of  his  sacred  majesty  Charles  the 
 Second,  it  appears,  that  by  God  this  king  reigns,  in  that  he  hath 
 exercised  those  providences  over  him,  that  are  hardly  exercised 
 over  ten  thousands  of  us  ;  that  star  in  the  east,  at  his  highness's 
 l)ii-th,  speaks  much  this  way :  the  powers  in  heaven,  that  so 
 watchfully  guarded  him  through  those  sad  days,  wherein  thou- 
 sands fell  at  his  right-hand  and  ten  thousands  at  his  left,  aimed 
 at  some  great  prize  :  his  royal  life  (the  care  of  angels)  must  not 
 go  out  privately,  and  be  lost  unprofitably  in  a  corner.  Oh  how 
 the  angels  forbade  those  millions  of  profane  hands,  that  would 
 rudely  have  touched  the  Lord's  anointed!  His  escape  at  Wor- 
 cester was  almost  miraculous  :  he  sought  his  way  all  along  five 
 miles  from  Worcester ;  then  he  turned  to  the  less-frequented 
 ways  that  could  be,  until  he  came  to  the  borders  of  Staffordshire; 
 then  he  removed  to  an  adjoining  wood,  where  he,  and  one  only 
 with  him,  walked  securely  awhile,  until  they  found  an  oak  for 
 majest}',  in  tlic  hollow  of  which  he  lodged  himself  for  three  days 
 and  nights,  until  my  Lord  Wilmot  providing  for  his  majesty  a  safe 
 lodging,  and  then  seeking  him  in  the  wood,  with  much  ado  found 
 his  sacred  person  guarded,  and  (as  I  may  say)  fed  by  angels. 
 
 2.  They  keep  us  in,  or  restore  us  to  health. 
 
 One  going  to  London,  inned  and  lodged  all  night  at  the 
 Maiden-head  in  Cateaton- street^  where  the  same  night  died  a 
 
Communion  with  Angels.  525 
 
 young  ^vife  of  the  pestilence  ;  as  another  had  died  before^  the 
 sickness  and  death  of  the  pai'ties  bemg  concealed :  he  arose  in 
 the  morning,  and  took  some  repast,  and  went  about  his  occa- 
 sions ;  but  at  his  return  in  the  afternoon,  as  he  was  going  into 
 the  inn,  a  friend  called  him  back,  and  told  him  the  truth ;  in  the 
 midst  of  the  discourse,  he  saw  the  gates  shut  before  his  eyes,  and 
 presently  was  written  upon  them,  Ijord,  have  mercy  upon  us. 
 This  hath  minded  him  of  God's  providence  and  promise,  "Surely 
 he  shall  deliver  thee  from  the  noisome  pestilence,  for  he  shall 
 give  his  angels  charge  over  thee/' 
 
 John  Trelille,  a  poor  cripple  in  Cornwall,  that  for  sixteen  years 
 together  was  fain  to  walk  upon  his  hands,  by  reason  of  the  close 
 contraction  of  the  sinews  of  his  legs  ;  upon  three  monitions 
 in  his  dream,  to  wash  in  a  well  called  Maderness,  was  suddenly 
 so  restored  to  his  limbs,  that  I  saw  him  (saith  my  author)  able 
 both  to  walk,  and  to  get  his  own  maintenance. — Marcus  Aure- 
 lius  Antonius,  in  his  dream  received  the  prescript  of  a  remedy 
 of  his  disease,  which  the  physicians  could  not  cure  :  whence 
 came  this,  but  by  the  suggestion  of  angels?  Have  we  been 
 raised  up  from  deadly  sickness,  wlien  all  natural  helps  have 
 given  us  up?  God's  angels  have  been  our  secret  physicians. — 
 Bishop  Hall. 
 
 3.  They  furnish  us  with  all  necessaries  for  this  life. 
 Mr.  Samuel,  a  godly  minister  in  Queen  Mary's  days,  Avas  con- 
 vented  before  Bishop  Bonner,  who  committed  him  to  prison,  and 
 there  chained  him  up  to  a  post,  in  such  sort,  that  standing  on  tip- 
 toes he  w^as  fain  to  bear  up  all  the  weight  of  his  body  in  that 
 manner,  to  his  intolerable  pain ;  besides,  he  allowed  him  but 
 three  morsels  of  bread  tind  three  spoonfuls  of  vi^ater  a  daj-,  so 
 that  he  was  extremely  tormented  with  hunger  and  thirst,  and  had 
 his  body  so  miserably  dried  up,  that  he  would  fain  have  drunk 
 his  own  water,  but  he  could  not  make  one  drop.  But  after  he 
 had  continued  in  this  miserable  case  three  days,  he  fell  asleep, 
 and  one  clad  all  in  white  seemed  to  stand  before  him,  telling 
 him,  that  from  henceforth  he  should  neither  hunger  nor  thirst 
 any  more ;  which  also  came  to  pass,  though  he  was  not  burnt 
 till  many  days  after. — White's  Poiver  of  Godliness. 
 
 A  doctor  of  divinity,  of  singular  learning  and  piety,  sent  his 
 maid  to  the  market,  to  get  provision  for  the  following  week.  But 
 all  the  money  he  and  his  wife  could  make,  was  but  five  shillings; 
 his  wdfe  fell  a  weeping,  and  told  her  husband,  that  there  was  little 
 likelihood  they  could  live  together,  and  that  therefore  she  would 
 take  one  or  two  of  her  children  with  her,  and  live  among  her 
 friends,  if  he  could  provide  for  himself  and  the  rest  of  his  chil- 
 dren. Nay,  dear  wife,  said  he,  we  have  lived  thus  long  together, 
 let  us  not  now  part,  let  us  rely  on  God's  providence.  She  in  her 
 grief  and  haste  answered.  Well,  send  Providence  to  market,  and 
 see  what  it  will  bring  home.  It  was  so  that  day,  that  a  nobleman. 
 
5^^  Communion  with  Angels. 
 
 who  knew  this  doctor  very  well,  dining  with  divers  gentlemen  at 
 an  inn  looking  out  of  the  window,  saw  the  doctor's  maid,  whom^ 
 iDeino-  in  ancient  servant,  he  knew,  sent  for  her  up,  asking  her 
 howlier  master  did?  she  answered,  Very^vell,  and  fell  a  weep- 
 inff ;  he  inquiring  the  cause,  she  told  him  what  straits  they  were 
 brougiit  to  ;  he,  wondering,  and  being  troubled  at  it,  called  the 
 innkeeper,  and  wished  him  to  give  that  maid  ten  pounds,  and 
 e\'eiy  one  of  the  gentlemen  gave  twenty  shillings  apiece.  So  the 
 doctor,  sending  Providence  (of  which  the  angels  are  servants  and 
 instruments)  to  market,  it  brought  him  home  fifteen  pounds. 
 Doubtless  it  is  because  we  do  not  trust,  not  because  God  either 
 cannot  or  will  not  give,  that  makes  us  so  often  want  mercies  ; 
 and  such  providences  would  be  usual,  if  our  confidence  in  God 
 were  but  so. — Idem  ibidem. 
 
 There  was  a  certain  poor  family,  who  being  in  great  want,  and 
 having  little  or  nothing  for  the'  children  in  it ;  when  dinner 
 came,^they  put  them  off  with  playthings,  and  told  them  they 
 would  see  if  they  could  get  them  something  for  supper ;  and 
 when  supper  came,  they  would  give  some  small  piece  of  bread, 
 and  so  get  them  to  bed  :  and  thus  they  used  them  so  long,  while 
 at  last  the  children  would  not  go  to  bed,  but  cried  for  bread. 
 That  night  it  was  so,  that  the  Lord  Faulkland,  waking  before 
 midnight,  could  not  sleep  ;  and  then  it  came  into  his  mind  that 
 this  family  was  in  great  want,  insomuch  that  he  called  up  some 
 of  his  servants,  and  sent  them  with  a  great  loaf  and  a  cheese  to 
 the  house  ;  when  they  came,  they  found  the  children  crying  for 
 bread,  and  the  parents  weeping  by  tli  em,  who  with  a  great  deal 
 of  joy  and  eagerness  received  that  unexpected  provision.  Thus 
 the  Lord  ordered  it  by  his  providence,  that  they  were  not  only 
 then  reheved,  but  their  necessities  being  related  to  the  Lord 
 Faulkland,  he  took  care  of  them  for  the  future. — Idem  ibidem. 
 
 Luther  hath  this  story  :  A  certain  woman,  in  the  time  of  fa- 
 mine, having  nothing  at  all  for  her  children  and  herself  to  eat, 
 being  brought  to  very  gi'eat  extremity,  she  resolved  upon  this 
 course ;  she  made  herself  and  all  her  children  ready,  and  with  a 
 great  deal  of  comfort  and  confidence  she  walked  to  a  spring,  not 
 far  from  her  house  :  as  she  was  going,  one  met  her,  who  asked 
 lier  whither  was  she  going  with  her  children  ;  she  told  him,  that 
 all  her  provision  was  quite  spent,  and  she  was  going  with  her 
 children  to  such  a  fountain  close  by,  being  confident  that  God, 
 that  had  provided  drink  for  her  and  her  children,  would  there 
 provide  food  for  them  also  ;  and  he  that  heard  the  young  ravens, 
 and  provided  for  them,  would  much  more  take  care  of  her,  and 
 her  little  ones  :  he  that  met  her,  wished  her  to  return  home,  for 
 she  should  meet  with  provision  that  was  ready  for  her  there :  she 
 returned,  and  found  a  considerable  quantity  of  meal,  which  was 
 food  for  her  and  her  children ;  but  whence  this  provision  came, 
 bhe  knew  not,  nor  knew  the  man  who  told  her  of  it. 
 
Communion  with  Angels.  527 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Experiences  of  this  Truthy  as  to  our  Inward  Man, 
 
 3.  For  some  experiences  of  this  blessed  truth,  in  respect  of 
 our  souls  : — 
 
 1 .  They  declare  to  us  God's  will ;  of  old  they  did  so  to  Abra- 
 ham, Lot,  Moses,  Jacob,  Manoah,  Gideon,  David,  Elijah,  Elisha, 
 Isaiah,  Ezekiel,  Daniel,  Zachary :  and  in  the  New  Testament  they 
 did  so  to  Joseph,  Mary,  Zachariah,  the  shepherds,  Mary  Magda- 
 len, Peter,  Philip,  Cornelius,  Paul,  John  the  evangelist,  and  to  all 
 the  apostles.  At  this  time  they  do  not  invisibly  declare  God's 
 will,  nor  must  we  trust  to  visions  or  revelations  ;  yet  many  times 
 they  teach  us  by  dreams,  and  many  times  they  coin  impressions 
 on  our  fancy  and  imaginations  whilst  we  are  waking  :  they  can 
 make  rare  and  wonderful  compositions  of  what  they  find  in  us  : 
 so  that  to  me,  here  is  the  difference  between  the  converse  of  men 
 and  angels ;  men  can  speak  to  the  understanding  by  the  media- 
 tion of  our  external  senses,  but  the  angels  go  a  nearer  way  to 
 work,  and  speak  first  of  all  to  the  internal  senses,  making 
 such  compositions  there  as  the  understanding  presently  takes 
 off,  and  reads  what  is  written :  Do  we  not,  waking  and  sleeping, 
 see  impressions  in  our  fancy,  of  things  that  we  thought  we  had 
 forgotten  ?     This  is  done  by  the  angels. 
 
 One  being  a  long  while  trained  up  in  ceremonies,  notionals, 
 fables,  unprofitable  matter,  rather  than  sound  and  saving  know- 
 ledge, which  is  in  faith ;  at  last,  conversing  with  some  godly 
 men,  and  with  practical  books,  he  found  some  impressions  in  his- 
 fancy  of  another  kind  of  divinity,  and  so  inclined,  that  divinity 
 was  rather  practical  than  speculative ;  and  that  such  kind  of 
 preaching  as  was  usually  delivered  in  an  affected  spruceness  of 
 language,  and  vain-glorious  trimness  of  the  windy  and  dead  let- 
 ter, would  never  save  souls.  These  impressions  were  more  and 
 more  fixed  in  him,  and  at  last  he  was  satisfied,  that  many  poor 
 illiterate  souls,  that  felt  the  power  of  godliness  on  their  own 
 hearts,  had  more  true  knowledge  of  divinity,  than  many  learned 
 doctors  and  rabbles,  that  had  nothing  but  orthodoxy,  or  a  swim- 
 ming knowledge  of  truth ;  and  that  many  unlearned  snatched 
 heaven,  and  took  it  by  violence,  while  many  learned  with  their 
 learning  perished,  and  went  down  to  hell.  The  efficacy  of  this 
 light  he  gives  to  the  Spirit,  but  the  instrumentality  of  it,  as 
 working  upon  the  fancy  or  imagination,  he  ascribes  to  the  angels. 
 
 A  godly  woman,  falling  into  great  dissertions,  at  last  the  Lord 
 in  secret  prayer  came  in  with  abundance  of  light  and  comfort ; 
 but  within  a  month  after,  she  being  to  receive  the  Lord's  supper, 
 all  her  former  tears  and  troubles  returned  upon  her,  insomuch,  that 
 a  little  before  the  bread  was  administered  to  her,  though  she  could 
 not  say  that  the  devil  appeared  to  her  in  a  bodily  shape,  yet  he 
 seemed  to  her  as  if  he  did,  and  told  her,  that  she  should  not  eat ; 
 
528  Communion  with  Angels. 
 
 but  then  tlie  Lortl  was  pleased  to  bring  into  her  mind  that  pas- 
 saj,re  in  the  Canticles,  "  Eat,  O  my  friends  :  "  Notwithstanding, 
 SaUm  still  continued  terrifying  of  her,  and  when  she  had  eaten, 
 told  her,  she  should  not  drink  ;  but  the  Lord  brought  that  second 
 clause  of  tlie  verse  into  lier  mind,  "  Drink,  yea  drink  abundantly, 
 mv  beloved;"  and  so  she  drank  also^  and  presently  was  filled 
 wftli  such  unspeakable  joys,  that  she  knew  not  how  she  got 
 home  ;  which  soul-ravishing  joys  continued  for  a  fortnight  after, 
 and  filled  her  mouth  with  songs  of  praise,  so  that  she  could 
 neither  sleep,  nor  eat,  more  than  she  forced  herself  to  do  out  of 
 con.science  of  duty. — JVhiie. 
 
 2.  They  advise  us  to  that  which  is  good. 
 
 The  light  being  presented  to  one,  as  before,  many  blessed  mo- 
 tions came  in,  to  make  the  beginning  of  saving  practical  truth  ; 
 and  this  he  understood  was  the  doctrine  of  regeneration;  and 
 therefore,  if  ever  he  would  be  happy,  he  must  have  some  feeling 
 of  that.     Many  objections  were  raised,  that  the  wind  bloweth 
 Adhere  it  listeth  ;  and  we  are  not  sufficient  of  ourselves  to  think  ; 
 and  it  is  not  of  him  that  willeth_,  nor  of  him  that  runneth,  &c. 
 I'he  objections  are  not  formally  now  remembered  :  but  notwith- 
 standing them,  the  motions  to  fall  on  the  work  continued  fresh, 
 and  finding  them  daily  upon  his  spirit,    at  last  he  submitted 
 willingly  to  those  inspirations,  and  every  day  set  some  time  apart 
 to  be  in  the  duty ;  it  proved  tedious  and  difficult  at  first,  but 
 afterwards  sin  appeared  very  sinful,  and  the  Spirit  set  it  home  on 
 his  soul,  and  by  degrees  successively  he  was  led  from  a  sense  of 
 misery,  to  some  hope  of  mercy  in  Christ :  and  before  he  had 
 done,  (though  many  a  day  it  continued,)  the  holy  Spirit  infused 
 faith,  whereby  he  closed  with  Jesus  Christ,  as  Saviour,  and  as 
 Lord,  and  King,  and  Husband.   This  work,  begun  by  the  angels 
 by  instilling  good  motions,  was  the  joy  of  angels,  when  it  was 
 perfected:  "  There  is  joy  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  of  God 
 <3ver  one  sinner  that  repenteth.'' 
 
 One,  about  the  time  of  Reformation  of  religion,  desired  much 
 of  God  the  guidance  and  assistance  of  an  angel ;  and  from  the 
 thirty-seventh  year  of  his  age  he  had  sensible  manifestations  of  a 
 -spirit  that  assisted  him,  and  followed  him  till  his  death.  In  his 
 <3 reams  or  visions,  he  was  sometimes  admonished  of  this  or  that 
 vice,  and  sometimes  advertised  of  this  or  that  danger^  and  some- 
 times resolved  of  this  or  that  doubt,  and  sometimes  persuaded 
 to  this  or  that  duty  :  Once  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying, 
 *  1  will  save  thy  soul.'  Usually  in  the  morning,  about  the  fourth 
 hour,  the  angel  would  have  beat  at  his  door  to  have  awaked  him, 
 and  if  he  had  done  any  good  or  evil,  he  would  have  manifested 
 the  approval  or  disapproval  of  it  by  some  sign  :  if  hi  company 
 he  had  spoken  any  unwary  words,  he  was  sure  to  be  advertised 
 and  reproved  of  it  by  a  dream  in  the  night  following  :  if  he  ha,fl 
 read  any  book  that  was  not  good,  the  angel  would  have  struck 
 
Communiofi  with  Ant^els.  529 
 
 <b 
 
 Upon  the  book,  to  have  caused  him  to  have  left  it,  and  laid  it 
 aside  :  Often  would  the  angel  have  provoked  him  to  prayer,  and 
 alms-deeds,  and  other  duties.  Bodinus  asking  him,  whether  ever 
 he  had  seen  the  form  of  this  angel  ?  He  answered,  that  he  never 
 saw  any  thing,  but  only  a  bright  and  shining  light  in  a  round 
 orb  ;  and  once  after  prayer  upon  his  bed,  that  he  saw  a  sweet  boy, 
 in  v/hite  apparel,  of  admirable  beauty. — Bodinus  de  Magorum 
 demonomania. 
 
 3.  They  repeal  temptations,  or  prevent  occasions  of  sin. 
 One  having  many  temptations  offered  him,  especially  in  his 
 
 dreams  in  the  night,  he  observed,  that  at  the  same  times  such 
 thoughts  have  come  in,  that  in  those  very  dreams  he  confidently 
 cried — Avoid,  Satan ;  and  again.  Avoid,  Satan  ;  for  it  is  written, 
 "  Thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt 
 thou  serve  ; ''  which  he  believes  were  put  in  by  the  angels. 
 
 One  Natalius,  that  had  formerly  suffered  great  persecutions 
 for  the  cause  of  Christ,  was  seduced  by  Asclepiodotus  and 
 Theodorus,  two  sectaries,  to  be  the  bishop  of  their  sect,  pro- 
 mising to  pay  him  an  hundred  and  fifty  crowns  of  silver  every 
 month,  and  so  he  joined  himself  to  them;  but  the  Lord  in  mercy 
 not  intending  to  lose  him  that  had  suffered  so  much  for  his  sake, 
 admonished  him  by  a  vision,  to  adjoin  himself  to  the  true  church 
 again ;  which  the  good  man  for  the  present,  blinded  with  lucre 
 and  honour,  did  not  regard  as  he  ought  to  have  done.  The  night 
 after  he  was  scourged  by  angels,  whereupon,  in  the  morning, 
 putting  on  sackcloth,  with  much  weeping  and  lamentation,  he 
 went  to  the  Christian  congregation,  praying  them,  for  the 
 tender  mercies  of  Christ,  that  he  might  be  received  into  their 
 communion  again ;  which  request  was  accordingly  granted  unto 
 him. — Clarke's  General  Martyrology, 
 
 Cyprian  relates  a  story  of  one  of  his  fellow-ministers,  who  in 
 the  midst  of  his  torments  began  to  faint,  being  greatly  afraid  of 
 death,  and  desired  to  be  released ;  at  which  time  there  appeared 
 to  him  a  young  man  of  admirable  beauty,  and  so  bright,  that 
 man's  mortal  eye  could  scarce  endure  to  behold  him ;  who  angrily 
 said  to  him,Pa^t  timetis,exire  non  vultis,quidfaciamvobis?  ^To 
 suffer  you  dare  not,  to  go  out  you  will  not,  what  shall  Ida  with 
 you  f ' — Idem.  ibid. 
 
 4.  They  quicken,  encourage,  and  comfort  us, 
 
 A  certain  godly  woman  riding  behind  her  husband,  who  was  a 
 persecutor  of  Mr.  Bolton,  as  they  were  riding,  it  thundered  and 
 lightned  extraordinarily,  so  that  he  trembled  exceedingly  :  his 
 wife  with  a  cheerful  voice  said.  Husband,  what  ails  you  ?  why  do 
 you  tremble  thus  ?  He  answered.  Do  you  not  hear  how  terribly 
 it  thunders  ?  She  answered.  Yes,  I  hear  it.  And,  said  he,  do 
 you  not  tremble  also  ?  She  answered.  No,  she  was  not  at  all 
 afraid,  for  she  knew  it  was  but  the  voice  of  her  Father.  He  was 
 amazed  at  her  cheerfulness  and  answer,  and  began  to  think  with 
 10.  3x 
 
530  Communion  with  Angels, 
 
 himself,  Surely  the^e  Puritans  have  something  within  them,  that 
 thev  are  able  to  bear  up  in  such  storms ;  and  that  they  have 
 peace,  and  are  cheerful,  while  I  tremble.  And  being  not  far  off, 
 immediately  he  did  ride  to  Master  Bolton,  beseeching  pardon 
 that  he  had  persecuted  him,  and  desired  that  he  would  tell  him 
 what  he  should  do  to  be  saved. 
 
 Thomas  Ward,  of  Tiso,  in  Warwickshire,  was  all  his  younger 
 days  very  loose  and  dissolute,  an  enemy  to  goodness,  and  an 
 hater  of  good  men  ;  but  it  pleased  God  at  last  to  convert  him, 
 after  a  strange  and  wonderful  manner,  which  was  thus:  In  a 
 morning,  as  he  lay  in  his  bed,  plotting  and  contriving  how  to 
 molest  and  persecute  some  of  his  godly  neighbours,  there 
 appeared  a  vision  to  him,  of  a  city,  wherein  there  were  many  poor 
 ragged  lambs  in  the  streets,  and  a  man  driving  of  them  ;  and  he 
 heard  a  voice  saying  to  him.  What  are  these  ?  To  which  he 
 anwered,  Sheep.  Then  said  the  voice  again.  These  are  my 
 sheep  whom  thou  persecutest.  Presently  after  he  saw  another 
 vision,  of  a  pile  of  fagots,  and  heard  the  voice,  saying,  What 
 are  these  ?  He  answered.  Fagots  :  Then  said  the  voice.  As  these 
 are  bound  up  for  the  fire,  so  thou  deservest  to  be  bound  hand 
 and  foot,  and  cast  into  everlasting  iire.  He  answered.  Truth, 
 Lord  ;  yet  ^\ithal  he  cried  earnestly  to  the  Lord  for  mercy  :  and 
 presently  after  he  saw  in  another  vision  a  pillar  of  brass,  but  so 
 ])right  and  glorious,  that  he  was  not  able  to  look  upon  it :  then 
 said  the  voice.  Be  of  good  comfort,  for  thou  art  a  chosen  vessel, 
 which  shall  suffer  many  things  for  my  name's  sake.  To  which 
 he  said.  Lord,  if  it  be  thy  will,  let  it  be  now  :  and  presently  he 
 had  a  blow  given  him  on  his  side,  as  with  a  dagger,  the  mark 
 %vhereof  he  carried  with  him  to  his  grave.  After  this,  it  pleased 
 God  to  raise  him  up  with  comfort,  and  he  became  an  eminent 
 professor,  and  was  very  zealous  for  the  truth. — White, 
 
 A  little  before  the  eighth  persecution  began,  God  by  a  vision 
 revealed  it  to  Cyprian,  saying  to  him.  Be  quiet,  and  of  good 
 comfort,  for  peace  will  come,  albeit  a  little  stay  there  is  for  a 
 while,  for  that  some  remain  yet  to  be  proved  and  tried. — 
 Clarke, 
 
 Theodorus,  for  singing  a  psalm  at  the  removing  of  the  body 
 of  Babilas,  being  apprehended,  was  examined  Avith  exquisite 
 torments,  and  so  cruelly  excruciated  from  morning  till  almost 
 noon,  that  hardly  he  escaped  with  life ;  and  being  afterwards 
 itfeked  by  his  friends,  how  he  could  endure  such  extreme  tor- 
 inents,  said.  That  at  first  he  felt  some  pain,  but  afterwards  there 
 stood  by  him  a  young  man,  who  as  he  was  sweating  with  the 
 pain,  wiped  away  his  sweat,  and  oft-times  so  refreshed  him  with 
 cold  water,  wherewith  ho  Was  so  delighted,  than  when  he  was 
 let  down  from  the  engine,  it  grieved  him  more  than  before. — 
 Chirlit. 
 
 Whilst  Aiigtistine  Was  yet  a  Manichee,  his  mother  Monica  had 
 
Conimunion  with  Angela ,  531 
 
 a  dream,  that  she  was  standing  upon  a  wooden  rule,  and  being 
 very  sad,  saw  a  glorious  young  man  very  joyful,  and  of  a  cheerful 
 countenance  coming  unto  her,  and  that  he  asked  her  the  cause 
 of  her  sadness ;  and  when  she  had  declared  that  it  was  by  reason 
 of  sorrow  that  she  had  for  her  son,  who  was  then  in  the  way  of 
 destruction,  he  bid  her  be  of  good  cheer,  and  wished  her  to  mark 
 and  observe,  and  that  she  shoidd  see  her  son  to  be  with  her 
 where  she  was  ;  and  so  she  saw  her  son,  standing  with  her  upon 
 the  same  rule. — August.  Confess.  1 .  3. 
 
 Sect.  VIII. — Experiences  of  this  Truth,  as  to  Conversion. 
 
 For  some  experiences  of  the  angels  contributing  to  our  con- 
 version : 
 
 On  a  time,  Augustine  being  in  great  heaviness,  and  deep  con- 
 trition of  heart,  cried  out.  Oh  !  what  is  this  ?  what  suffer  I  under 
 the  tyranny  of  sin  ?  Unlearned  men  take  heaven  by  violence, 
 and  we,  with  all  our  learning,  lie  grovelling  in  flesh  and  blood. 
 After  this  he  had  a  great  conflict,  for  all  his  past  pleasures  repre- 
 sented themselves  before  his  eyes,  saying.  What,  wilt  thou  depart 
 from  us,  and  shall  we  be  no  more  with  thee  for  ever  ?  And  then 
 a  marvellous  tempest  of  weeping  came  upon  him,  so  that  he  cast 
 hmiself  on  the  ground  under  a  fig-tree,  and  gave  full  scope  to  his 
 eyes,  which  brought  forth  presently  whole  floods  of  tears  ;  and 
 then,  behold,  he  heard  a  voice,  as  if  it  had  been  of  a  boy  or  maid 
 singing,  and  saying,  Tolle  Sf  lege,  tolle  Sf  lege  ;  '  Take  up  and 
 read,  take  up  and  read ; '  Wherefore  repressing  the  force  of  l)\s 
 tears,  interpreting  that  this  voice  came  from  heaven,  and  was 
 spoken  by  angels,  he  took  up  the  book  of  Paul's  epistles  which 
 he  had  with  him,  with  a  purpose  to  read  the  first  chapter  that  h^ 
 should  find,  and  opening  it,  his  eye  fixed  on  these  words,  "  The 
 night  is  spent,  the  day  is  at  hand,  let  us  therefore  cast  off  the 
 works  of  darkness,  and  let  us  put  on  the  iu'mour  of  light ;  let  us 
 walk  honestly,  as  in  the  day,  not  in  rioting  and  drunkenness,  not 
 in  chambering  and  wantonness,  not  in  strife  and  envying,  but  put 
 ye  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  &c."  iVnd  by  this  means  he  was 
 converted. — Aug.  I.  8.  Co7if.  c.  12. 
 
 A  woman  telling  me  of  her  great  trouble  and  grief,  and  of  her 
 long  continuance  in  the  pangs  of  the  new  birth,  she  said,  that  she 
 heard  at  last  a  voice,  plainly  and  distinctly  saying  to  her,  as  she 
 was  bewailing  her  sins.  If  thou  wilt  forget,  I  will  forget ;  If  thou 
 wilt  forget,  I  will  forget. 
 
 A  man  labouring  in  the  pangs  of  liis  new  birth,  heg^n  to  4e- 
 spair  of  salvation,  ai>4  at  last  concluded  he  s1k)uV1  be  dai)H;edj 
 wliereupon  plotti^)g  and  coiitrivii^g  wl?i^t  >vi\s  biest  to  do,  he  I'/e- 
 t>Qlv.cd  to.iuail>e  ^\\Wyi>yith  l^^iu^fc^^^^^  u^ijl  not,.tf>  liic  any  Ippge-r; 
 for  these  reasons;  1 .  because >^'q^qiKTiv.e^,.,tlieJo^>ger  he  Jived.? 
 
o32  Coinnmnwn  with  ^^^ngcls. 
 
 the  more  and  greater  would  be  his  sin ;  and,  2.  the  more  would 
 God  by  his  sin  be  dishonoured ;  and;,  3.  the  more  and  greater 
 would  his  torment  proportionably  to  his  sin  be  in  the  fire  of  hell : 
 And  even  now  going  to  the  place  where  he  had  appointed  the 
 execution  and  self-murder,  there  suddenly  came  into  his  mind 
 (as  if  a  dart  of  light  had  been  injected)  this  very  word,  Who 
 knows  ?  on  which  pondering  and  ruminating,  he  asked  himself. 
 Who  knows  what  ?  and  presently  was  thrown  in  (as  he  conceived) 
 the  end  of  the  sentence.  Who  knows  what  is  God's  decree  or 
 mind  concerning  me  ?  neither  angels,  devils,  nor  men.  On 
 which  words  pausing  and  considering  awhile,  he  reasoned  thus 
 with  himself.  If  I  know  not  God's  mind,  it  may  be  1  shall  be 
 saved.  Upon  this  he  staid  his  purpose,  put  on  by  Satan,  and 
 probably  prevented  by  an  angel,  and  so  went  to  prayer ;  and 
 within  three  days  after  he  received  comfort. 
 
 Sect.  IX. — Of  the  Duties  that  concern  us  in  this  respect, 
 
 1 .  In  all  dangers  let  us  stir  up  faith,  and  exercise  it  on  the 
 promises  of  angel-protection  :  Art  thou  a  soldier  ?  do  violence 
 to  no  man,  neither  accuse  any  falsely,  and  be  content  with  thy 
 wages  ;  march,  charge,  retreat,  do  dut)^  according  to  command  ; 
 God  shall  cover  thy  head  in  the  day  of  battle,  for  thou  art  in  thy 
 ways  :  but  if  thou  invadest  the  ministerial  office,  presuming  to 
 preach,  who  never  was  sent ;  look  to  thyself,  thou  canst  not 
 without  usurpation  pretend  to  God's  keeping,  for  thou  art  out 
 of  all  thy  ways  :  Nor  do  I  fear  the  frowns  of  any  if  offended 
 hereat,  and  reproving  me  for  giving  this  just  reproof ;  I  am  sure 
 I  am  in  my  calling,  in  my  ways  ;  and  therefore  with  comfort  and 
 confidence  may  rely  on  God,  and  his  angels'  protection ;  only 
 that  we  abuse  not  the  promise  as  the  devil  did,  let  us  keep  in 
 our  ways,  that  we  may  be  kept  safe  by  the  angels  ;  then  only  is 
 angel-protection  to  be  expected,  when  we  are  in  the  ways  God 
 hath  appointed  ;  that  is  to  say,  within  the  compass  of  our  general 
 and  particular  callings  :  they  shall  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways,  or 
 in  all  thy  bounds,  or  in  all  thy  courses  appointed  thee  by'  God. 
 Surely  we  have  need  to  look  to  ourselves  in  all  our  actions,  as 
 in  eating,  drinking,  riding,  sporting,  for  even  in  these  God  hath 
 set  us  our  ways.  We  hear  of  many  sad  disasters  of  God's  dear- 
 est servants,  and  we  need  not  wonder,  if  we  but  consider  their 
 wanderings.  Alas,  they  keep  not  within  compass,  they  are  out 
 of  their  ways,  or  otherwise  they  might  walk  safely  without  any 
 danger.  If  Jacob  keep  but  in  his  ways,  he  may  safely  meet  with 
 his  brother  Esau  coming  against  him  with  four  hundred  men. 
 Mr.  Dodd  would  say,  he  cared  not  where  he  was,  if  he  could  but 
 answer  these  two  questions  well :  Who  am  I  ?  and  what  do  I 
 here  ?  Am  I  a  child  of  God  ?  and  am  I  in  my  way  ?— If  we  were 
 careful  of  these  things,  we  might  free  ourselves  from  all  other 
 cares  :  Oh  let  us  look  to  our  ways  ! 
 
ComiiMULon  luith  Angels.  533 
 
 2.  In  our  sicknesses,  sores,  dangers  of  plague  or  pestilence,  let 
 lis  eye  the  promise  of  angel-ministration ;  "  Surely  he  shall  de- 
 liver thee  from  the  noisome  pestilence : — ^Thou  shalt  not  be  afraid 
 for  the  terror  by  night,  nor  for  the  arrow  that  flieth  by  day,  nor 
 for  the  pestilence  that  walketh  in  darkness,  nor  for  the  destruc- 
 tion that  wasteth  at  noon-day ;  a  thousand  shall  fall  at  thy  side, 
 and  ten  thousand  at  thy  right-hand,  but  it  shall  not  come  nigh 
 thee  : — There  shall  no  evil  befall  thee,  neither  shall  any  plague 
 come  nigh  thy  dwelling ;  for  he  shall  give  his  angels  charge  over 
 thee."  Many  other  promises  we  have,  both  to  prevent  and  qua- 
 lify, and  to  remove  sicknesses,  as  Exod.  15.  26.  Dent.  /•  15. 
 Ps*a.  41.3.  Heb.  12.  6,  7,  8.  Isaiah  40.  31.  And  well  may  we 
 live  by  faith  on  such  promises  as  these.  But  why  should  the 
 promises  of  angel-ministration  be  out  of  use  ?  To  what  end  are 
 these  promises,  if  we  may  not  rest  or  roll  ourselves  upon  them 
 as  well  as  others  ?  Should  God  say  in  our  sicknesses.  Send  to 
 such  a  physician,  and  make  use  of  him,  and  you  shall  be  cured  ; 
 we  should  submit :  And  are  not  these  heavenly  physicians  of 
 more  value  ?  And  have  we  not  an  express  promise,  that  in 
 their  ministration  we  shall  have  health  ?  Oh  let  us  eye  these 
 promises  ! 
 
 3.  In  our  outward  wants,  let  us  have  some  thoughts  of  angel- 
 ministration,  as  to  supplies.  It  is  a  wonder  how  all  the  creation 
 is  serviceable  to  man  ;  the  very  plants  and  herbs  administer  to 
 his  food  ;  the  beasts  of  the  field,  and  the  fowls  of  the  air,  are  for 
 his  sustenance ;  the  sun  and  stars  contribute  to  his  being  and 
 preservation :  if  any  piece  of  the  creation  should  escape  his 
 ministry,  one  would  think  it  should  be  the  mighty  and  blessed 
 angels  ;  and  yet  behold  an  angel  provides  bread  for  Elijah,  and 
 water  for  Ishmael,  and  all  other  necessaries  for  God's  children. 
 The  world  is  yours,  saith  the  apostle  : — God  would  never  have 
 made  this  field  (the  world)  were  it  not  for  the  corn  (the  godly) 
 growing  in  it :  and  as  of  this  corn  the  angels  are  the  reapers,  so 
 they  have  the  care  of  it  for  its  nourishment  and  preservation  : 
 Art  thou  a  saint,  and  in  want  ?  Surely  it  concerns  thee  to  shake 
 off  idleness,  to  take  the  opportunity,  and  to  observe  God's  pro 
 vidence  in  all  affairs  ;  and  amidst  those  several  providences  of  his 
 ordering,  forget  not  the  ministration  of  the  angels  :  For  my  part 
 if  together  with  the  word,  my  own  experiences  may  be  any 
 encouragement ;  I  do  verily  think,  that  rather  than  thou  shouldst 
 die  for  thirst,  an  angel  will  open  thy  eye  to  see  a  fountain,  out 
 of  which  thou  mayest  fill  thy  bottle  with  water,  and  take  and 
 drink. 
 
 4.  In  learning  the  whole  counsel,  will,  and  mind  of  God,  let 
 us  turn  over  those  leaves  which  speak  of  angels  ;  these  are  the 
 invisible  attenders  of  the  blessed  Deity,  and  without  some  know- 
 ledge and  apprehension  of  them,  we  shall  never  attain  to  con- 
 ceive of  their  God  and  ours,  as  we  ought  to  do :  but  in  this 
 
^34  Cominuiiion  ivith  Angels. 
 
 knowlcdo-e  let  us  mind  especially  their  ministration  to  our  in- 
 ward man  ;  herein  are  many  depths,  yet  they  are  sweet,  deliglit- 
 ful   and  most  profitable  truths  :  they  come  to  our  phantasms, 
 (the  species  of  sounds,  of  shapes,  or  whatsoever  else,  as  they  are 
 kept  and  preserved  by  the  inward  senses,)  and  they  move  them 
 at  pleasure,  and  put  together  such  conceptions  or  apprehensions, 
 as  are  most  accommodate  and  fitted  for  the  knowledge  of  that 
 truth,  ^vhich  they  would  suggest  to  our  minds.     Is  not  this  wor- 
 thy our  knowledge  ?     Shall  the  angels  take  pains  to  speak  to 
 us,  and  to  acquaint  us  with  the  knowledge  of  saving  truths,  and 
 shall  not  we  willingly  hearken  to  them  ?     O  let  us  listen  to  what 
 they  say  ;  and  tiiat  they  may  have  matter  to  work  upon,  and  to 
 speak  to  us  about,  let  us  be  ever  ready  and  prompt  to  receive 
 good  images  and  impressions  of  things  into  our  fancy  ;  It  is  said, 
 that  the  ajigels  cannot  put  into  our  fancies  what  never  was  there 
 ])cfore,  as  they  cannot  make    a  man  born  blind  to  dream  of 
 colours  and  their  differences ;  but  they  can  make  many  compo- 
 sitions and  deductions  of  the  images  they  find  there,  to  the  say- 
 ino-  of  what  they  will ;  and  therefore  let  us  hear  all  the  good  wp 
 can,  and  take  heed  of  receiving  ill  impressions  by  our  ears,  or 
 eyes,  or  any  other  way.     If  any  one  tell  us  an  ill  story  once,  the 
 devil  will  tell  it  us  a  thousand  times  ;  it  is  a  great  happiness  to 
 this  purpose  not  to  know  ill :  And  on  the  other  side,  if  we  see 
 or  hear  good  objects,  and  that  our  memories  (which  are  as  trea- 
 sures of  all  we  see  or  hear)  be  stuffed  and  filled  with  many  such 
 «'-ood  things,  then  may  we  comfortably  hope,  that  the  angels  will 
 make  use  of  all  those  images  to  converse  with  us,  and  tell  us 
 over  and  over  what  is  the  will  and  mind  of  God. 
 
 5.  In  the  many  motions,  inspirations,  and  holy  suggestions  t/O 
 this  or  that  good,  let  us   stop   awhile,  and  seriously  consider 
 whence  these  come  ;  certainly  if  they  are  of  good,  and  tend  to 
 good,  they  come  eitlier  from  the  Spirit  of  God,  or  from  his  holy 
 and  blessed  angels.     I  confess  the  efficacious  power  on  the  heart 
 belongs  only  to  the  Spirit  of  God ;  it  is  the  Holy  Ghost  that 
 overrules,  and  melts,  and  new-moulds  us ;  that  so  persuades  us 
 to  charm,  and  turn,  and  captivate  our  souls  :  yet  the  angels  are 
 ordinances,  means  and  helps  of  God's  own  appointment ;  they 
 are  ministering  spirits,  sent  from  God  to  counsel  and  persuade 
 us  to  this  and  that  duty :  And  whether  the  good  motions  instilled 
 proceed  from  the  holy  Spirit,  or  from  these  ministering  spirits, 
 it  is  good  for  us  to  listen  and  hearken  to  these  movings,  work- 
 ings, hints,  intimations.     Methinks  we  should  hearken  to  the 
 advice  of  a  friend,  how  much  more  to  God  and  his  angels  1      O 
 how  sad  is  it  for  my  soul  by  sin  to  counterwork  the  actings  of 
 angels,  and  breathings  of  the  Spirit !    that  the  angels  should 
 knock  at  our  heart,  and  that  the  Spirit  should  put  in  the  hajixl 
 by  the  hole  of  the  door,  and  yet  that  neither  should  be  yieldeil 
 untO;  but  both  resisted  j  this  must  needs  grieve  the  Holy.Ghp&t, 
 
Communion  with  Angels,  535 
 
 and  grieve  the  holy  angels,  that  would  persuade  us,  and  seal  us 
 up  unto  the  day  of  redemption. 
 
 6.  In  the  occasions  of  evil,  or  temptations  to  this  or  that  sin, 
 observe  we  the  stops  and  lets  which  often  are  made  by  the  holy 
 and  blessed  angels ;  we  little  think  how  busy  the  angels  are  for 
 our  good !  the  devil,  we  know,  is  like  a  roaring  lion,  and  the  day 
 passeth  not  over  our  heads,  wherein  he  offers  not  this  or  that 
 temptation  to  ensnare  our  souls  :  And  are  not  the  good  angels  at 
 counter- work  ?  Do  not  they  as  often  puil  us  back  ?  Or  do  not 
 they  at  least  very  often  hedge  and  block  up  our  ways,  by  with- 
 standing the  occasions  of  many  a  sin  ?  O  then  say,  as  Jacob  did, 
 "  Surely  the  angels  of  the  Lord  were  in  the  preventing  of  this 
 temptation,  and  I  knew  it  not/'  It  were  enough  to  strike  us  iiito 
 a  dread,  and  to  break  forth  into  praises  of  God,  if  in  the  over- 
 coming of  any  temptation,  we  had  some  thoughts  of  the  protection 
 and  ministration  of  angels  :  Surely  (should  we  say)  the  Lord  and 
 his  angels  have  helped  and  relieved  us,  or  Satan  had  prevailed^ 
 and  we  had  been  quite  foiled. 
 
 7.  In  our  deadness,  fears,  sorrows,  afflictions,  let  us  remember 
 the  words  of  Elisha  to  his  servant,  "  Fear  not,  for  they  that  b<5 
 with  us  are  more  than  they  that  are  against  us."  Seldom  did  the 
 angels  appear  to  any,  but  this  was  their  language,  ^'  Fear  not ;  " 
 as,  ^^  Fear  not,  Daniel ; "  and,  "  Fear  not,  Zacharias ; "  and, 
 "  Fear  not,  Mary;"  and,  "  Fear  not.  Shepherds;"  and,  "Fear 
 not,  Paul : "  it  is  one  of  their  prime  offices,  "  to  strengthen  the 
 weak  hands,  to  confirm  the  feeble  knees,  and  to  say  to  them  that 
 are  of  a  fearful  heart.  Be  strong,  fear  not ;  behold  your  God  vrill 
 come  with  vengeance,  even  God  with  a  recompence  ;  he  vr^ 
 come  and  save  you.  When  David  said  to  Abiathar,  that  may  we 
 imagine  the  angels  to  say  to  us,  "  Fear  not,  ye  sons  and  daughters 
 of  the  Almighty,  we  are  your  protectors,  strciigtheners,  comfort- 
 ers ;  and  with  us,  and  by  us,  you  shall  be  in  safeguard."  O  the 
 many  quicken ings,  encouragings,  comfortings,  that  the  saints  have 
 by  the  ministration  of  angels  !  Next  to  my  God,  and  my  Saviour, 
 (saith  one,)  I  shall  ever  place  my  greatest  comfort  and  confidence 
 in  the  angels  of  God,  neither  hath  earth  nor  heaven  any  creature- 
 comforters  like  unto  these  ;  there  is  none  like  them,  or  to  be 
 compared  with  them. 
 
 8.  At  all  times  and  seasons,  let  us  think  and  carry  ourselves 
 as  in  the  presence  of  God,  and  the  sight  of  his  angels.  If  I  may 
 instance  in  some  times  :  As,  1 .  In  time  of  temptation,  let  us 
 think  of  it  then.  Seneca  gave  Lucilius  this  counsel,  Whatever  he 
 was  doing,  that  he  should  imagine  some  of  the  Roman  wortliies 
 did  behold  him,  and  then  he  would  do  nothing  dishonourable. 
 Surely,  if  the  eye  of  God,  and  of  his  angels,  were  ever ,  in  our 
 eye,  this  would  be  a  supersedeas  and  counter-poison  against  all 
 sin  :  Tell  me,  hoAv  dare  you  sin  in  their  presence,  or  do  that  in 
 their  view,  Ivttch  you  would  not  dare  to  do  in  the  sight  and  pre- 
 
536  Communion  ivith  Angels. 
 
 seiice  of  some  earthly  man  ?  *^  I  charge  you  before  God  and  our 
 Lord  Jesus  Christy  and  the  elect  angels/'  saith  Paul,  q,  d.  Con- 
 sider God's  presence,  and  Christ's  presence  ;  or  if  they  work  but 
 little  with  you,  consider  the  presence  of  the  elect  angels  :  surely, 
 the  nearer  things  come  to  the  manner  of  our  presence,  the  more 
 they  will  affect  us ;  and  therefore  consider,  that  the  angels  are 
 present  with  us,  in  the  very  room  where  we  are  acting  our  very 
 wickedness  :  I  blush  to  think  (said  the  author  above  cited)  how 
 often  I  have  done  that  whereof  the  angels  were  ashamed  for 
 me ;  I  abhor  myself  to  recount  their  just  dislikes,  and  do  wil- 
 lingly profess  how  unworthy  I  am  of  such  friends,  if  I  be  not 
 hereafter  jealous  of  their  just  offence.  2.  In  time  of  public  ser- 
 vice, and  public  duty,  think  on  it  then :  "  For  this  cause  (saith 
 the  apostle)  ought  the  women  to  have  power  over  her  head 
 (that  is  to  say,  to  be  modestly  veiled)  because  of  the  angels." 
 Elect  angels  are  exact  and  careful  observers,  and  eyewitnes- 
 ses, of  our  behaviour  and  deportment  in  the  public  ordinances. 
 To  this  end  were  the  curtains  of  the  tabernacle  pictured  full 
 of  cherubim b,  to  signify,  that  about  our  solemn  meetings, 
 whole  troops  of  angels  take  notice  of  our  carriage.  Surely, 
 if  this  were  considered,  we  should  be  very  serious  in  God's  wor- 
 ship ;  yea,  how  spiritual  and  heavenly  should  we  be,  if  om* 
 hearts  were  but  fixed  on  these  glorious  angels  !  O  ye  blessed 
 spirits  (said  a  saint)  ye  are  ever  by  me,  ever  with  me,  ever  about 
 me,  but  especially  in  God's  house  I  do  as  good  as  see  you,  for  I 
 know  you  to  be  there,  I  reverence  your  glorious  persons,  I 
 bless  God  for  you,  I  walk  awfully,  because  I  am  ever  in  your  eyes; 
 I  walk  confidently,  because  I  am  ever  in  your  hands.  My  bre- 
 thren, we  are  even  now,  at  this  time  of  public  meeting,  amidst 
 watchful  and  waking  overseers  ;  we  are  looked  and  looked 
 through  in  all  our  ways,  as  if  heaven  were  all  eyes  round  about 
 us  :  Oh  then  with  what  fear  and  trembling,  with  what  reverence 
 and  devotion,  should  we  stand  or  wait  here  before  God  and  his 
 holy  angels  ? 
 
 9.  In  reference  both  to  others  and  ourselves,  let  us  learn  to 
 imitate  the  angels  : — 
 
 1 .  For  others,  let  us  imitate  thus,  they  are  as  our  guardians, 
 physicians,  purveyors,  tutors,  instructors,  soldiers,  quickeners, 
 encouragers,  comforters ;  so  let  us  in  our  several  stations  and 
 places  iispire  to  angelical  work  ;  if  the  angels  guard  us,  let  us  be 
 as  guardians  of  one  another ;  if  they  study  our  health,  let  us  wish 
 health,  and  endeavour  it  as  we  may,  one  for  another ;  if  they 
 purvey  for  us,  let  us  relieve  the  necessity  of  the  saints ;  if  they 
 tutor  us,  let  us  acquaint  one  another  with  the  mysteries  of  grace ; 
 if  they  instruct  us,  and  persuade  us  to  our  duties,  let  us  consider 
 one  another,  to  provoke  unto  love  and  to  good  works  :  ^^  Exhort 
 one  another  daily,  while  it  is  called  to  day  : "  If  they  fight  for  us, 
 and  take  part  with  us  against  the  evil  angels,  let  us  take  part  with 
 
Coinmnmon  wiih  Angeh,  537 
 
 the  saints  against  the  oppressions  and  violence  of  all  wicked  men ; 
 if  they  quicken,  encourage,  and  comfort  us,  let  us  quicken  the 
 slothful,  confirm  the  weak,  and  comfort  the  feeble-minded. 
 Surely  the  way  to  have  angels'  reward,  or  to  see  the  face  of  God 
 is  to  do  the  work  of  angels.  Oh  let  us  improve  this  piece  of  the 
 creation  to  our  use,  as  well  as  all  the  rest ! 
 
 2.  For  ourselves,  let  us  imitate  thus  :  1 .  Reverence  the  ma  - 
 jesty  of  God  as  they  do,  Isaiah  6.  2.  2.  Stand  ready  prest  to 
 execute  the  will  of  God,  as  they  do,  Psa.  103.  20.  3.  Let  us 
 study  holiness,  as  they  do  5  they  are  of  a  most  holy  nature,  and 
 therefore  are  they  called  holy  angels.  So  be  we  holy,  even  as 
 they  are  holy.  It  is  but  equal,  that  we  who  expect  to  be  like 
 the  angels  in  glory,  should  be  like  them  in  grace  :  Many  would 
 strive  to  be  like  them  for  gifts  and  parts,  but  not  for  holiness, 
 which  yet  is  the  special  thing  propounded  to  our  imitation  ; 
 When  we  say,  "  Thy  will  be  done  in  earth,  as  it  is  in  heaven  :  " 
 no  question,  this  principally  is  intended,  that  we  should  lead  here 
 angelic  lives  ;  that  is,  in  heaven  they  are  ever  doing  God's  will, 
 there  is  no  sin  there,  so  we  should  keep  harmony  with  the  angels 
 of  heaven,  and  do  his  will  here. 
 
 10.  To  conclude  :  In  all  our  duties,  in  reference  to  the  angels, 
 let  us  "  look  unto  Jesus,  the  author  and  finisher  of  our  faith  :  " 
 they  are  as  the  means  and  instruments  of  our  good,  but  he  is  the 
 author  and  finisher,  and  all  the  efficacy  flows  from  him.  Hence 
 it  is  that  we  must  chiefly  apply  ourselves  to  him  :  "  Trust  not  in 
 man,  no,  nor  in  princes,"  saith  the  Psalmist ;  so  may  I  go  on. 
 Trust  not  in  princes,  no,  nor  in  angels,  nor  archangels  absolutely, 
 but  still  in  subordination  unto  Jesus  Christ.  This  use  the 
 Psalmist  teacheth  us  of  angel-protection  :  '^  The  angel  of  the 
 Lord  encampeth  round  about  them  that  fear  him  : "  and  what 
 then  ?  "  O  taste,  and  see  that  the  Lord  is  good  ;  blessed  is  the 
 man  that  trusteth  in  him  ;"  not  in  them,  but  in  him  :  our  chief 
 confidence  must  be  in  none  that  is  on  this  side  God.  When 
 God  promised  Moses  that  an  angel  should  go  before  Israel,  and 
 yet  withal  threatened  the  subduction  of  his  own  presence,  (^^  I 
 will  send  an  angel  before  thee,  but  I  will  not  go  up  in  the  midst 
 of  thee ;  ")  no  marvel  if  Moses  were  no  less  troubled,  than  if 
 they  had  been  left  destitute  and  without  a  guard  ;  and  that  he 
 ceased  not  his  importunity,  till  he  had  won  the  gracious  engage- 
 ment of  the  Almighty  for  his  presence  in  that  whole  expedition  ; 
 ^'  If  thy  presence  go  not  with  us,  carr}^^  us  not  up  hence."  For 
 what  is  the  greatest  angel  in  heaven  without  his  IVIaker  ?  O  then 
 let  us  e^'e  God,  and  eye  Jesus  Christ,  in  all,  above  all,  and  be- 
 yond all  angel-ministration.  It  was  a  sweet  saying  of  one  we 
 mentioned  before  :  Blessed  be  God  for  the  angels,  as  the  author 
 of  them  and  their  protection  ;  and  blessed  be  the  angels  under 
 God,  as  the  means  used  by  him,  for  our  protection,  and  other 
 blessings  :  Let  the  angels  have  their  due,  but  let  God  in  Christ 
 20  3y 
 
538*  Communion  ivith  Angels, 
 
 be  our  all  in  all  \  for  as  by  him  the  angels  were  created,  so  were 
 thev  created  for  hiin;  "  and  he  is  before  all  things^  and  by  hiiu 
 
 all  tliino:s  consist. 
 
 '» 
 
 CHAP.  IV. 
 
 Sect.  I. — Of  the  3Iinistratio7i  of  Angels  at  our  Deatlu 
 
 Thus  far  have  we  observed  the  angels'  ministration,  even  until 
 death  ;  and  yet  they  have  not  done,  for  no  sooner  death  seizeth 
 on  the  elect,  but  they  minister  to  them,  and  in  some  respects 
 continue  their  ministration  till  the  resurrection-day.  In  order  to 
 this,  we  shall  first  observe  their  ministration  ;  and  secondly,  our 
 duties. 
 
 1 .  For  their  ministration,  that  known  place  is  most  obvious  : 
 "  And  it  came  to  pass  that  the  beggar  died,  and  was  carried  by 
 the  ano-els  into  Abraham's  bosom."  And  we  read  of  Michael 
 the  archangel,  contending  with  the  devil  about  the  body  of  Moses. 
 Whence  some  observe,  that  angels  have  a  care  not  only  of  the 
 souls,  but  of  the  bodies ;  yea,  even  of  the  dead  bodies  of  the 
 saints. 
 
 Sect.  II. — Of  the  manner  of  Angel-raimstration  at  that  Time. 
 
 FoijL  the  manner  of  their  ministration,  it  relates  both  to  bodies 
 and  souls  : — 
 
 1st.  For  the  bodies  of  the  faithful : 
 
 1.  In  the  very  agony  of  death  they  help  and  ease  them  :  Thus 
 was  Christ  refreshed  in  the  midst  of  his  agony  by  an  angel.  In 
 like  manner  are  they  serviceable  to  the  saints  ;  for  if  ordinary 
 physicians  have  their  electuaries,  how  much  more  can  the  angels 
 minister  cordials  in  then*  way  ? 
 
 2.  After  death  they  guard  the  bodies  of  the  saints  :  The  devil 
 would  have  abused  the  dead  body  of  Moses,  but  Michael  the 
 archangel  contended  with  him,  and  rescued  the  body  out  of  his 
 hands  :  Satan's  malice  is  without  end,  and  therefore  hath  he 
 stirred  his  instruments  to  abuse  the  dead  bodies  of  many  martyrs ; 
 he  loves  not  that  dust  wherein  the  holy  Spirit  dwelleth,  but  the 
 angels  take  care  of  every  dust,  so  that  not  one  shall  be  lost  at  the 
 general  day  :  suppose  them  scattered  up  and  down  the  world,  yet 
 are  they  but  thrown  and  sown  in  the  earth,  that  they  may  spring 
 out  again  to  a  glorious  incorruption ;  and  in  the  mean  time  the 
 angels  are  a  guard,  and  liave  a  regard  to  them  in  their  sleep,  till 
 the  morning  of  their  resurrection  day. 
 
 2d.  For  the  souls  of  the  faithful :  — 
 
Communion  ivith  Angels.  539 
 
 1 .  The  angels^  in  the  very  article  and  point  of  death,  are  vi- 
 gilant over  them,  and  oft-times  inspire  the  parting  souls  with  a 
 spirit  of  divination,  or  consolation,  surpassing  all  human  know- 
 ledge. Thus  Gregory  could  say,  That  sometime  souls,  before 
 their  departure,  came  to  the  knowledge  of  things  by  revelation  ; 
 and  sometimes  by  heavenly  inspiration  they  penetrate  with  their 
 spiritual  eyes  the  very  secrets  of  heaven  itself.  Do  we  not  see  by 
 experience,  that  when  the  soul  is  drawing  into  a  separate  con- 
 dition, it  is  in  a  great  part  delivered  from  bodily  operations,  and 
 from  the  business  of  the  outward  senses,  and  from  the  com- 
 merce with  external  and  worldly  matters,  which  puts  it,  as  it 
 were,  into  a  kind  of  sabbath,  or  state  of  rest  ?  Now  the  more 
 quiet  the  soul  is,  and  the  more  sequestered  from  earthly  and 
 outward  things,  the  more  apt  it  is  to  enjoy  the  benefit  of  internal 
 light,  and  the  better  fitted  for  spiritual  commerce  with  God  him- 
 self, or  with  his  angels,  which  (saith  one)  may  also  lead  us  to 
 understand  something  towards  a  reason,  why  men  dra^^dng  near 
 their  departure,  are  observed  to  be  disposed  to  presage  and  pro- 
 phesy, to  be  full  of  comfort,  as  if  heaven  entered  into  them, 
 before  they  could  enter  into  heaven. 
 
 2.  The  angels  stand  ready  to  receive  souls  separate  from  their 
 bodies,  into  their  embraces.  Macarius,  a  learned  monk,  could 
 say,  that  immediately  after  death,  the  choirs  of  angels  received 
 the  souls  of  saints  into  their  own  side,  into  the  pure  world,  and 
 so  brought  them  unto  the  Lord :  Wicked  men,  when  they  die, 
 shall  have  a  black  guard  of  angels  to  receive  them,  and  to  haul 
 them  down  to  hell :  but  the  godly  shall  have  a  white  guard,  the 
 same  angels  that  were  said  before  to  bear  them  up  in  their  hands, 
 will  then  receive  them  into  their  arms,  and  fall  upon  them  with 
 hugs,  and  kisses,  and  embraces. 
 
 3.  Angels  convey  souls  in  their  hands,  or  on  their  wings, 
 through  the  air  and  middle  region,  up  into  heaven  :  we  cannot 
 go  from  eartli  to  heaven,  but  we  must  needs  pass  through  the 
 devil's  territories,  or  through  the  air,  (for  so  is  Satan  called, 
 *'  the  prince  of  the  power  of  the  air  ;  "  that  is  to  say,  of  the  airy 
 dominion  or  princedom,)  thither  were  devils,  with  Satan  their 
 prince,  exiled  from  heaven  :  whence  the  Jews  have  a  tradition, 
 that  all  the  space  betwixt  the  earth  and  the  firmament,  is  full  of 
 troops  of  evil  spirits.  As  it  is  the  opinion  of  all  doctors,  (saith 
 Hierome,)  that  devils  have  their  mansion  and  residence  in  that 
 space  between  the  heaven  and  the  earth.  And  although  some 
 against  this  allege  those  texts,  "  For  if  God  spared  not  the 
 angels  which  sinned,  but  cast  them  down  to  hell,  and  delivered 
 them  into  chains  of  darkness,  to  be  reiservcd  unto  judgnu^nt ;" — > 
 and,  "  The  angels  which  kept  not  their  first  .estate,  but  left  their 
 own  habitation,  he  hath  reserved  in  everlasting  chains,  unxler 
 darkness,  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day  : "  yet  learned  M<^de 
 hath  expounded  the  first  text  thus,  That  he  ciuit  them  down  to 
 
540  Com?jiU?iton  wit  It  An^^cU. 
 
 hellwarJ,  or  to  this  lower  orb,  there  to  be  reserved  for  chains  of 
 darkness  at  the  day  of  judgment; — and  the  hitter  text  thus,  That 
 the  evil  spirits  which  fell  into  this  lower  region,  were  there  to  be 
 reserved,  as  in  a  prison,  for  everlasting  chains  of  darkness,  at  the 
 judgment  day.  This  is  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  through 
 Avhich  the  souls  of  saints  are  to  go  to  heaven  ;  and  because  of  the 
 dangerous  voyage,  the  angels  scour  and  clear  the  passage  for 
 them ;  they  go  with  them,  and  light  for  them,  and  with  speed 
 and  triumph  at  last  convey  them  to  their  Father's  house.  Oh  in 
 what  pomp  and  triumph  did  Lazarus' s  soul  ride  on  the  wings  of 
 angels  !  Never  was  Dives  so  honoured  in  his  life,  as  was  Lazarus 
 at  his  death ;  he  might  ride  in  some  chariot  drawn  with  horses, 
 but  Lazarus  was,  and  the  souls  of  all  believers  shall  be,  drawn  at 
 their  deaths  in  fiery  chariots ;  they  shall  be  carried  and  conveyed 
 into  heaven  by  the  angels  of  God. 
 
 4.  The  angels  welcome  the  souls  of  saints,  in  this  heavenly 
 progress,  to  their  heavenly  Canaan  :  they  are  not  only  porters  to 
 carry  souls,  but  they  are  porters  also  to  receive  souls,  they  stand 
 ready  at  heaven's  gates,  to  set  open  the  doors,  and  to  bid  them 
 enter  into  their  Maker's  joy.  In  that  vision  which  John  had  of 
 tlie  great  city,  the  holy  Jerusalem,  he  saw  twelve  gates,  and  at 
 the  gates  twelve  angels  :  Our  English  annotations  say,  that  these 
 angels  are  as  porters  to  receive  men  into  heaven  :  howsoever 
 Adam  was  kept  out  of  paradise  by  cherubims,  yet  cherubims, 
 and  seraphims,  and  all  the  host  of  heaven,  are  ready  to  receive 
 the  saints  into  this  glorious  city.  O  what  a  joy  will  be  in  heaven 
 at  the  first  admission  of  these  souls  !  what  clasping,  closing, 
 kissing,  embracing,  will  be  at  this  entrance  betwixt  saints  and 
 angels  !  Welcome,  say  the  angels ;  and  welcome,  say  archangels; 
 yea  the  principalities  triumph^  and  powers  rejoice,  and  vutues 
 shine,  and  thrones  glitter,  and  cherubims  give  light,  and  sera- 
 phims burn  in  love  at  the  soul's  arrival  \  what  congratulations  are 
 those  amongst  the  angels,  that  now  the  worst  of  their  service  is 
 past,  that  now  the  poor  souls  they  had  in  charge,  are  by  their 
 good  help  escaped,  and  freed  from  all  the  miseries  of  the  world, 
 and  snares  of  the  devil,  and  pains  of  hell,  and  are  now  entered 
 through  the  gates  into  the  city,  where  they  and  their  charge  shall 
 live  together,  and  love  together,  and  sing  together,  Jehovah's 
 praise  !  Never  had  the  saints  such  welcome  in  this  world,  as  at 
 this  day  they  have,  or  shall  have,  by  the  angels  of  God,  into  the 
 kingdom  of  God. 
 
 5.  The  angels  present  the  souls  of  saints  before  Christ  in  his 
 tlirone,  and  there  immediately  they  receive  their  sentence.  This 
 must  needs  follow,  the  angels  cannot  leave  their  charge,  till  they 
 bring  them  to  him,  who  gave  them  the  charge  of  them ;  away 
 therefore  they  fly  to  the  Lamb  in  his  throne,  and  covering  their 
 faces  with  their  wings,  there  they  present  with  cheerfulness  of 
 spirit  his  redeemed  ones  \ — y.  (/.     ^  Glorious  King  of  saints. 
 
Cvininunlo?i  with  Angels.  541 
 
 hither  we  bring  these  souls  which  thou  gavest  us  in  charge  to 
 keep,  their  dusts  are  indeed  returned  to  earth  as  they  were,  hut 
 their  spirits  must  needs  return  to  God  who  gave  them ;  come 
 take  them  into  thy  bosom  and  glory,  they  are  spirits,  yea,  spirits 
 sublimated,  (as  being  born  again  of  water,  and  of  the  Spirit,)  and 
 therefore  assimilated  to  thyself;  they  are  pure  sparks,  now  freed 
 and  severed  from  their  dust  and  ashes,  and  therefore  they  fly  up, 
 or  they  come  up  hither  on  our  wings,  unto  thee  the  great  Spirit, 
 tliat  element  of  spirits ;  O  that  they  may  find  union  and  coali- 
 tion with  thee  !  O  that  they  may  be  with  thee  where  thou  art, 
 and  that  they  may  for  ever  behold  the  glory  which  thou  hast 
 given  them  !  To  whom  answer  is  given,  as  from  the  throne. 
 Welcome,  dear  souls,  into  this  glorious  kingdom  of  mine,  this  is 
 that  inheritance  I  prepared  for  you  before  the  foundation  of  the 
 world  :  Why,  you  are  they  whom  I  created  in  my  own  image, 
 after  my  own.  likeness ;  you  are  my  offspring,  created  imme- 
 diatel)^  by  my  hand,  and  in  my  image,  as  to  your  very  substance. 
 It  is  true,  I  made  all  the  world,  and  something  I  made  out  of 
 nothing,  as  the  chaos  was  made,  but  my  image  other  creatures 
 did  not  bear ;  you  only  are  spiritual  substances,  and  vital-light ; 
 you  only  have  those  luminous  substances,  or  substantial  lights, 
 from  the  gift  of  your  creation,  which  is  a  degree  above  the  angels, 
 for  they  have  not  any  light  genial  and  inherent  to  their  essence, 
 but  are  only  mirrors  of  the  increased  light :  And  though  a  taint 
 came  upon  you  by  reason  of  sin,  so  that  this  image  wherein  you 
 were  created,  was  exceedingly  marred,  yet  by  works  of  grace  1 
 renewed  this  image,  and  thereupon,  that  original  affinity  to  me, 
 the  God  of  Spirits,  is  not  only  restored,  but  endeared.'  And 
 now  this  is  my  sentence,  "  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  ser- 
 vants, you  have  been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  make  you 
 rulers  over  many  things  :  enter  you  into  the  joy  of  your  Lord." 
 
 6.  The  angels  now  begin  to  join  in  concert  with  the  souls  of 
 saints,  and  to  sing  those  halleluiahs  that  never  shall  have  end. 
 ''And  round  about  the  throne  were  four  beasts,  full  of  eyes 
 before  and  behind, — and  they  rest  not  day  and  night,  saying. 
 Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  was,  and  is,  and 
 is  to  come !  And  when  these  beasts  give  glory,  and  honour,  and 
 thanks,  to  him  who  sits  on  the  throne,  who  liveth  for  ever  and 
 ever,  the  four  and  twenty  elders  fall  down  before  him  that  sits 
 on  the  throne,  and  worship  him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  and 
 cast  their  crowns  before  the  throne,  saying.  Thou  art  worthy,  O 
 Lord,  to  receive  glory,  and  honour,  and  power,  for  thou  hast 
 created  all  things,  and  for  thy  sake  they  are  and  were  created. — 
 And  I  heard  the  voice  of  many  angels  round  about  the  throne, 
 and  the  beasts,  and  the  elders  ;  and  the  number  of  the  angels 
 was  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand,  and  thousands  of  thou- 
 sands, saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was 
 slain  to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength. 
 
542  Communion  with  A  niseis. 
 
 <b 
 
 and  honoiu-,  and  glory,  and  blessing. — After  this  I  beheld,  and 
 lo,  a  great  multitude,  which  no  man  could  number,  of  all  nations^ 
 and  kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues,  stood  before  the  throne' 
 and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms  in 
 their  hands,  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  Salvation  to  our 
 God  which  sitteth  upon  the  throne,   and  unto  the  Lamb  •  and 
 all  the  angels  stood  round  about  the  throne,  and  about  the  elders 
 and  the  four  beasts,  and  fell  before  the  throne  on  their  faces  and 
 worshipped  God,  saying.  Amen  ;  blessing,  and  glorj^,  and  wis- 
 dom, and  thanksgiving,  and  honour,   and   pov/er,    and   mio-ht 
 be  unto  our   God,  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen."     Lo,  here,^ali 
 God's  saints  of  the  Old  and  '^.^vf  Testament,  called  twenty-four 
 ciders,  comprehended  under  the  tvreive  patriarchs  ;  and  twelve 
 apostles,  and  all  the  ministers  of  Christy  called  four  beasts   or 
 living  weights,  comprehended  under  the  four  evangelists ;  and 
 
 all  the  angels  of  heaven,  an  innumerable  company  "of  ano-els 
 
 all  joining  in  one  concert:  Oh  vvhat  joys  are  here  !* what 
 hiirmonies  are  these  !  what  warbling  of  saints  and  ano-els  ! 
 If  Francis  (as  Bonaventure  stories  it)  hearing  but  one  angef  play 
 upon  an  harp,  ^vas  so  transported  with  the  melody,  that  he 
 thought  himself  in  another  world  ;  how  are  the  souls  of  saints 
 transported,  who  no  sooner  arrive  in  glory,  but  they  hear  more 
 than  twelve  legions  of  angels,  accompanied  with  a  numberless 
 number  of  glorious  saints,  ail  singing  at  once.  Halleluiah  ;  Holy 
 holy,  hoi)',  Lord  God  Almighty  T  praise,  and  honour,  and  o-bry 
 and  po^ver,  be  unto  God,  and  Christ,  and  the  Spint  of  Christ' 
 for  ever  and  ever  !  ^ 
 
 Sect.  IIL— 0/  the  Experiences  of  this  Truth, 
 
 < 
 
 I  SHALL  add  some  experiences  of  this  blessed  truth  :— 
 
 L  They  help  us  and  ease  us  in  the  pangs  of  death. 
 
 JVir.  Hawkes,  being  entreated  of  his  friends,  that  in  the  midst 
 of  the  flame,  wherein  he  must  die,  he  v/ould  shew  them  some 
 token,  if  he  could,  that  the  fire  was  not  so  intolerable,  but  a  man 
 nnght  therem  keep  his  mind  quiet  and  patient ;  this  he  assented 
 to,  and  pronnsed,  that  if  the  rage  of  the  pain  were  intolerable,  he 
 would  hit  up  his  hands  above  his  head,  before  he  ^ave  up  the 
 ghost.  ^  At  the  stake,  he  mildlv  and  patiently  addre'ssed  himself 
 to  the  fire,  and,  after  his  fervent  prayers  made  to  God,  fire  was 
 put  to  him  ;  in  it  he  continued  long  :  and  when  his  speech  was 
 taken  away  by  the  flame,  his  skin  drawn  ail  together,  and  his 
 nigers  consumed  with  the  fire,  so  that  all  men  thought  he  had 
 been  dead;  he  being  mindful  of  his  promise,  suddenly  hited  up 
 his  hands  burning  of  a  liglit  fire,  and  with  great  joy  clanped 
 them  tliree  times  together;  whereupon  there  was  suclislioutin- 
 amongst  the  people,  especially  by  those  who  knew  the  meariin^ 
 or  It,  as  the  like  had  scarce  been  heard ;  and  so  tlie  blessed  ma- 
 
Comnmnion  with  Angeh\  543 
 
 tyr,  preseiitl}^  sinking  down  into  the  lire,  gave  up  his  spirit  unto 
 God. — Fo.vs  Murti/r. 
 
 My.  James  Bainliani,  being  at  a  stake  to  be  burnt,  in  the  midst 
 of  the  flames,  which  had  half  consumed  his  arms  and  his  legs, 
 he  spake  these  words  :  O  ye  papists,  beliokl,  ye  look  for  miracles, 
 and  here  now  ye  may  see  a  miracle,  for  in  this  fire  I  feel  no  more 
 pain,  than  if  I  were  in  a  bed  of  down ;  yea,  it  is  to  me  as  a  bed 
 of  roses. — Idem,  ibid.  :    i 
 
 There  was  in  Mechlin  one  x\ndrew  Thissen,  who  had  three; 
 sons,  w^iom  he  carefully  brought  up  in  the  knowledge  of  the,' 
 truth  :  two  of  them  were  condemned  to  the  lire,  and  one  of  them : 
 feeling  the  violence  of  the  flame,  said,  O  what  a  Small  pain  is 
 this,  compared  to  the  glory  to  come !  and  so  qomiliitting  their 
 spirits  into  the  hands  of  god,  they  finished  their  race. 
 
 Henry  Voes  and  John  Esch,  being  brought  tp  the  stake,  for; 
 their  testimony  to  the  Protestant  religion,  when  the  fire  was 
 kindled  at  their  feet,pne  of  them  said,  Methiuks  you  do  strew  roses  - 
 under  my  feet ;  and  presently  lifter  they  quietly  slept  in  the  Lord. 
 
 William  Cow^per,  being  ready  to  die,  said,-  Now, .  my  soid,  be  •, 
 glad,  for  at  all  parts  of  this  prison  the  Lord  hath  set  to  his  pio- ) 
 neers  to  loose  thee  ;  head,  feet,  milt,  and  liver,  are.  fast  failing,  - 
 yea,  the  middle  strength  of  the  whole  body,  the  stomach,  is  \yeak- 
 ened  long  ago  ;  arise,  make  ready,  shake  oft*  thy  fetters,  mount » 
 up  from  the  body,  and  go  tli}''  way. 
 
 2.  They  inspire  our  souls  with  divination,  or  comfort. 
 
 A  child  of  a  christian  gentlewoman  'vvas  so  given  to  prayer 
 from  its  infancy,  that  before  it  could  well  speak,  it  would  use  to 
 get  alone,  and  go  to  prayer ;  and  as  it  grew,  it  was  more  fi*equent 
 in  prayer;  at  last,  when  the  child  w^as  but  five  years  old,  and, 
 whipping  of  his  top,  on  a  sudden  he  flung  away  his  scourge,,  • 
 stick,  and  top,  and  ran  to  his  mother,  and  with  great  joy  said-, 
 unto  her.  Mother,  I  go  to  God ;  will  you  go  with  me  ?     She . 
 answered.  My  dear  child,  how  dost  thou  know  thou  shalt  go  to 
 God  ?  He  answered,  God  hath  told  me  so ;   for  I  love  God,  and 
 God  loves  me  :   mother,  wall  you  go  with  me  ?    She  answered. 
 Dear  child,  I  must  go  when  God  pleaseth ;  but  why  wilt  thou 
 not  stay  with  me  ?     The  child  answered,  I  will  not  stay,  I  must 
 go  to  God.     And  the  child  did  live  about  a  month  after,  but' 
 never  cared  for  play  more,  and  then  fell  sick,  always   speaking, 
 that  he  must  go  to  God ;  and  died  m  that  sickness. — IVIiite. 
 
 Charles  Bridgcman  prophesied  his  departure  ;  and  how  strange 
 a  prophecy  !  not  only  that  he  must  die,  ])ut  foretelling  the  very 
 day.  On  the  Lord's  day  (said  he)  look  to  me  ;  neither  was  that 
 a  word  of  course,  which  appeared  by  his  often  repetition,  every 
 day  asking,  till  the  day  came  indeed.  What,  is  Sunday  come  ?  At 
 last  the  looked-for  day  came  on,  and  no  sooner  had  the  sun 
 beautified  that  morning,  but  he  fell  into  a  trance  :  What  (think 
 you)  meant  his  blessed  soul,  whilst  the  body  itself  used  such  au 
 
544  Comimmion  ivlth  Angels. 
 
 action  ?  his  eyes  were  fixed,  his  face  cheerful,  his  lips  smiling, 
 his  hands  and  arms  clasping  in  a  bow,  as  if  he  would  have 
 received  some  blessed  angel,  that  there  was  at  hand  to  receive 
 his  soul ;  but  he  comes  to  himself,  and  tells  them  about  him  ; 
 how  he  saw  the  sweetest  boy  that  ever  eyes  beheld,  and  bids 
 them  be  of  good  cheer,  for  he  must  presently  go  with  him  :  One 
 standing  near,  as  now  suspecting  the  time  of  his  dissolution,  bids 
 him  say,  Lord,  into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit.  Yes,  said  he, 
 Lord,  into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit,  which  is  thy  due  ;  for 
 why,  thou  hast  redeemed  it,  O  Lord  my  God  most  true.  And 
 presently  after  he  died. 
 
 If  a  man,  without  all  observation  of  physical  criticisms,  sliall 
 receive  and  give  intelligence,  many  days  before,  what  day  or  hour 
 shall  be  his  last,  to  what  cause  can  we  attribute  these  but  to  our 
 attending  angels. 
 
 A  good  gentlewoman,  laying  on  her  death-bed,  Mr-.  Dodd  was 
 sent  for  to  her,  who  spake  of  heaven ;  and  to  fit  her  for  that 
 glory,  she  told  him,  that  she  felt  the  comforts  of  God,  and  that 
 she  could  as  hardly  at  that  time  forbear  singing,  as  formerly  in 
 child-bearing  she  could  forbear  crying;  and  shortly  after  she  died. 
 — Clarke  Mart, 
 
 Mr.  Holland,  the  day  before  his  death,  calling  for  a  bible, 
 continued  his  meditations  and  expositions  on  the  eighth  to  the 
 Romans,  for  the  space  of  two  hours  ;  but  on  the  sudden  he  said, 
 
 0  stay  your  reading  !  what  brightness  is  this  I  see  ?  And  they 
 said.  It  is  the  sunshine.  Nay,  (saith  he)  it  is  my  Saviour's  shine: 
 now  farewell  world,  welcome  heaven,  the  day-star  from  on  high 
 hath  visited  my  heart ;  I  doubt  not  but  you  all  see  that  light,  but 
 
 1  feel  a  light  within  me,  that  none  of  you  all  can  know.  And  then 
 turning  himself  to  the  minister  who  preached  his  funeral  sermon, 
 he  said.  Sir,  I  desire  you  would  preach  my  funeral  sermon,  for 
 this  night  I  die,  and  speak  this  from  me,  that  God  deals  familiarly 
 with  man ;  I  feel  his  mercy,  I  see  his  majesty ;  whether  in  the 
 body  or  out  of  the  body,  I  cannot  tell,  God  knoweth,  but  I  see 
 things  that  are  unutterable.  And  being  thus  ravished  in  his 
 spirit,  he  roamed  towards  heaven  w^ith  a  cheerful  look,  and  soft 
 sweet  voice  ;  but  what  he  said  was  not  understood  :  at  last  rais- 
 ing himself  on  his  bed,  as  Jacob  did  upon  his  staff,  he  ended  his 
 blessed  life  with  these  blessed  words  ;  O  thou  fiery  chariot,  that 
 camest  down  to  fetch  up  Elijah,  carry  me  to  my  happy  hold; 
 and  all  you  blessed  angels,  that  attend  the  soul  of  Lazarus,  to 
 bring  it  to  heaven,  bear  me,  O  bear  me  into  the  bosom  of  my 
 best  beloved,  Amen.  Amen.  Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly ; 
 and  so  he  fell  asleep. — Leigh, 
 
 Mrs.  Drake,  a  woman  of  great  temptations  and  desertions,  at 
 last  growing  sickly,  and  free  from  her  desertions,  she  became 
 incessant  in  her  discourses  of  heaven,  and  of  the  things  of  God. 
 The  Lord's  day  before  her  death,  she  called  all  her  children 
 
Communion  with  Angels,  545 
 
 together,  and  with  many  admonitions,  and  zealous  instructions, 
 and  heavenly  discourses,  she  spent  much  time  that  day  with 
 them ;  the  Tuesday  following,  Mr.  Dodd  came,  and  spent  some 
 time  in  heavenly  discourses,  and  then  went  to  prayer ;  and  sud- 
 denly as  prayer  was  done,  she  brake  forth  in  a  wonderful  manner 
 in  these  expressions:  Oh,  ho,  ho,  what  is  this?  what  is  this? 
 what  is  this  ?  I  am  undone,  undone,  undone,  I  cannot  endure  it ; 
 O,  O,  O,  let  me  be  gone,  let  me  be  gone,  I  must  be  gone,  I  can- 
 not tarry  ?  Oh  what  shall  I  do  ?  Lo,  lo,  the  angels  are  come, 
 they  wait,  and  stay  for  me  :  O  dear  mother,  why  hold  you  me  ? 
 I  must  be  gone  :  Oh  he  is  come,  he  is  come,  he  is  come  ;  now 
 you  have  it,  you  have  it,  you  have  it,  (meaning  that  now  they  had 
 the  issue  and  fruits  of  all  their  prayers,)  why  hold  you  me  ?  let 
 me  be  gone,  my  work  is  done :  O  call,  call,  call !  where  is  my 
 crown,  fetch  me  my  crown,  bring  me  my  white  robes,  quickly, 
 quickly,  quickly ;  why  run  ye  out  ?  the  angels  stay.  O  it  over- 
 comes, overcomes,  overcomes  me  :  what  shall  I  do  ?  what  shall  I 
 do  ?  what  shall  I  do  ?  with  innumerable  such  swift  expressions  as 
 could  not  be  remembered ;  and  withal  she  heaved  up  still  all  the 
 time  with  fixed  eyes  towards  the  house-top,  as  though  she  had  seen 
 some  vision,  and  would  have  flown  away  from  them  all. — Idem, 
 
 Robert  Milner,  o\\  his  death-bed,  was  so  filled  with  joy  for  many 
 days  together,  that  he  could  not  hold,  but  proclaimed  the  sweet- 
 ness and  goodness  of  God  from  day  to  day  :  he  professed  his 
 joys  were  unutterable  ;  he  carried,  as  if  he  had  been  in  heaven 
 aforehand ;  only  once  talking  with  some  Christians  about  him, 
 he  cried  out.  Oh  I  have  lost  it !  But  presently  he  added.  Oh  I  have 
 it  again,  it  is  come,  it  is  come  !  At  last,  drawing  near  his  end, 
 he  sent  for  the  relator  as  formerly,  and  desired  his  prayers  ;  and 
 whilst  he  was  in  duty,  commending  his  soul  unto  God,  he  sud- 
 denly roused  and  stirred  up  his  body,  crying  and  saying  aloud 
 with  much  vehemency,  "The  Lord,  the  Lord,  merciful  and 
 gracious,  abundant  in  goodness  and  truth,  forgiving  iniquity, 
 transgressions  and  sin  :"  and  in  the  very  act  and  heat  of  his  pro- 
 claiming the  name,  and  goodness,  and  sweetness,  and  mercy  of 
 God,  he  bowed  his  head,  and  gave  up  the  ghost. 
 
 Lord  Henry  Otto,  being  sentenced  to  death  for  religion,  he 
 told  the  minister  waiting  on  him,  I  was  troubled,  but  now  I  feel 
 a  wonderful  refreshing  in  my  heart ;  adding,  with  his  hands  lifted 
 up  to  heaven,  I  give  thee  thanks,  O  mercifiil  Father,  who  hast 
 been  pleased  to  fill  me  with  so  much  comfort ;  O  now  I  fear 
 death  no  longer,  I  will  die  with  joy.  As  he  was  going  to  the 
 scaffold,  he  said  to  the  minister,  I  am  sure  that  Christ  Jesus 
 will  meet  my  soul  with  his  angels,  that  he  may  bring  it  to  an 
 everlasting  marriage,  where  I  shall  drink  of  a  new  cup,  a  cup  of 
 joy  for  ever.  Upon  the  scaffold,  lifting  up  his  eyes  to  heaven, 
 he  said.  Behold,  I  see  the  heavens  open  ;  pointing  with  his  hand 
 to  the  place,  where  others  also  observed  a  certain  brightness 
 20.  3  z 
 
546  Communion  with  Angels, 
 
 which  dazzled  their  eyes.— And  so  he  received  the  stroke  of  the 
 sword.  Clarke  s  Mart,  in  Bohemia. — In  Hke  manner^  Bandicon 
 being  on  the  scaffold  with  his  father,  fixing  his  eyes  upon  heaven, 
 said  to  his  father.  Behold,  I  see  the  heavens  open,  and  millions 
 of  an^^els  ready  to  receive  lis  ;  Father,  let  us  rejoice  and  be  glad, 
 for  the  joys  of  heaven  are  open  to  us. — Idem,  in  his  Persecution 
 of  the  Church  in  the  Low  Countries. 
 
 3.  They  stand  ready  to  receive  us  into  their  embraces,  and 
 convey  us  through  the  air  into  heaven. 
 
 Romula  being  trained  up  by  Redempta,  fell  into  a  palsy,  that 
 she  was  fain  to  keep  her  bed ;  but  the  sickness  of  her  body  being 
 sanctified,  and  tending  to  her  soul's  health,  on  a  certain  night 
 she  hastily  called  for"  Redempta,  saying.  Come  mother,  come 
 mother ;  who  straitways,  with  her  other  disciple,  rose  up  ;  aiid 
 as  they  were  about  midmight  by  her  bedside,  suddenly  there  earner 
 a  light  from  heaven  which  filled  all  the  room,  and  then  they  heard 
 a  noi^e,  as  if  it  were  of  many  that  came  in ;  the  door  being- 
 shaken,  and  thrust  open,  as  though  there  had  been  a  great  press 
 of  people  :  straight  after  that  light  followed  a  wonderful  pleasant 
 smell,  which  did  greatly  comfort  their  trembling  hearts.  Romida 
 perceiving  that  they  could  not  endure  that  abundance  of  light, 
 with  sweet  words  comforted  Redempta,  that  stood  trembhng  by 
 her  bedside,  saying.  Be  not  afraid,  mother,  for  I  shall  not  die  at 
 this  time.  And  when  she" had  often  repeated  those  words,  by 
 little  and  little  the  light  vanished  away,  but  yet  the  sweet  smell 
 remained  still.  Upon  the  fourth  night  after,  she  called  again  for 
 Redempta,  who  coming  in  with  her  other  disciple,  as  formerly, 
 suddenly  they  heard  two  choirs,  singing  before  the  door  without, 
 the  one  as  the  voices  of  men,  that  began  the  psalms,  and  the 
 other  of  women  that  answered  ;  and  while  those  heavenly  fune- 
 rals were  in  celebrating  before  the  door,  the  holy  soul  departed 
 this  life,  and  was  carried  in  that  manner  up  into  heaven;  and 
 the  higher  these  two  choirs  did  ascend,  the  less  did  they  hear 
 that  celestial  music,  until  at  length  they  heard  no  more.  And 
 then  also  that  sweet  and  odoriferous  smell  vanished  away — Greg, 
 Dialog.  1.  4. 
 
 Fructuosus,  bishop  of  Tarracona  in  Spain,  with  his  two 
 deacons,  Augurius  and  Eulogius,  suffered  martyrdom ;  the  cause 
 of  their  punishment  was,  for  professing  of  Christ's  mame  ;  their 
 judge  and  condemner  was  Emilianus ;  their  death  was  by  fire, 
 into  wliich  they  were  all  cast,  with  their  arms  bound  behind 
 them  ;  but  their  bands  and  manacles  being  loosed  by  the  fire, 
 they  lifted  up  their  hands  to  heaven,  praising  the  living  God,  to 
 the  great  admiration  of  them  that  stood  by ;  praying  also,  that 
 the  element  which  seemed  to  fly  fi-om  them,  might  work  his  full 
 force  upon  them,  and  speedily  dispatch  them,  which  was  after 
 their  request  obtained.  In  the  mean  space,  as  they  were  in  the 
 fire,  there  was  a  certain  soldier  in  the  house  of  Emilianus,  who 
 
Communion  with  Angels.  547 
 
 did  see  the  heavens  above  to  open,  and  these  aforesaid  martyrs 
 to  enter  into  the  same  ;  which  soldier  likewise  shewed  the  sight 
 the  same  time  unto  the  daughter  of  Emilianus  the  president  who 
 ^holding  the  same  sight  >v^th  the  soldier,  was  a  l>--iitwitness 
 of  the  btessedness  of  them  whom  her  cruel  father  had  con- 
 demned.—i'"o^  ^f'«  ««<' -''^""""""''*' '^"''- ^  •  .  ,•  1  n, 
 RiiUp  de  Mornay,  L.  of  Plessis  Marly  ymg  on  his  death- 
 bed, in  the  midst  of  his  prayers  was  heard  to  say,  I  fly,  I  %  to 
 hea;en ;  the  angels  of  he-wen  are  carrying  me  into  the  bosom  of 
 mvSs:^\iJW.— Clarke' s  Life  of  Fhilipde  Mornay. 
 
 Vrs  Stubbs,  on  her  death-bed,  speaking  to  them  that  were 
 bv  said  ;  '  Oh  would  to  God  you  saw  but  what  1  see  !  for  be- 
 hoi,r   s^e  infinite  millions  of  most  glorious  angels  stand  abmrt 
 
 ne  with  fiery  chariots  ready  to  defend  me  :  these  holy  angels, 
 
 X^e  mbis'iring  spirits,  ar^  =^I!P°-*'=Vu?°h  ^IdthX^^  feci 
 into  the  kin.'dom  of  heaven,  where  I  shaU  behold  the  l^oid  tace 
 to  fac^!  and  shall  see  him,  not  vvath  other,  but  with  these  same 
 eves.'— iiVV  and  Death  of  Mrs.  Katharine  Stuhbs 
 t  They  welcome  us  into  heaven,  and  present  us  before  Christ 
 
 "'  Helmonrin  his  Vision  of  the  Soul,  tells,  that  in  the  year  1610, 
 •ifter  aZ''wem-iness  of  contemplation,  that  he  might  acquire 
 some  .'^^^larknowledge  of  his  own  mind   fallen  by  chance  in  o 
 •1  calm  sleep,  and  rapt  beyond  the  Umits  of  reason,  he  seemed  to 
 be  in  a  haU  sufticiently  obscure ;  on  his  left  hand  was  a  fctble,  and 
 on  t  a  fa  r  la  "  viol,  wherein  was  a  small  quantity  of  liquor,  and 
 a  vocetni   fat  liquor  spake  unto  him,  Wilt  thou  honour  and, 
 richesV   Atthis  unwonted  voice  he  became  surprised  with  ex- 
 XrZ.  aiXment;  and  by  and  by,  on  h  s  ngh  hand,  appea  ed  a 
 1  •  i  it  tViP  will  through  which  a  light  invaded  lire  eyes  with  uu- 
 tntei  s  enctour;  t Wch  made  him  wholly  forgetful  of  the  liquor, 
 vo"fe   andformer  counsel.     Presently  he  awakened  but  his  an- 
 cknt 'iirtense  desire  of  knowing  the  nature  of  Ins  soul,  m  which  he 
 Wl  I  nt!d  incessantly  for  thirteen  years  together,  constantly  re- 
 had  P'";*"  ,  "S^'°X  lencrth,  amidst  the  anxious  afflictions  of  va- 
 ;"::::  fo^nswhef  yet  he  hojed  a  sabbath  of  tranquillity,  he  had 
 nTv  sk  n Tight  of  his  soul :  it  was  a  transcendant  hglit  in  the 
 fi".ure  of  amam  whose  whole  was  homogeneous,  actively  discern- 
 i4ra\nbs;anc;  spiritual,  crystaUine,  and  lucent  by  Its  ow^^^^^^ 
 
 slndom-.  And  then  it  was  revealed  to  him,  *a^^th.s Jrg  *  ^a^ 
 the  same  which  he  had  a  glimpse  of  before.  If  the  demand  De, 
 !^r.t  becomes  of  this  light  after  its  separation  from  the  body  ? 
 D  Ch  irleto- ,  who  translated  that  book  of  Hehnont,  gave  it  in 
 S  ;  poe  y  X«mm  de  Lwnine,  "  Light  ofhght,  ^nAUght  to 
 /rA/"Vhe  angels  of  Ught  take  these  luminous  substances,  or 
 substantial  lights',  and  prc'ent  them  before  that  uncreated  Ugh  , 
 the  Lord  of  ^lorv  Whit  the  estate  of  this  lite  is,  and  what  it  will 
 be  is  suns  bv  ftlr.  Moor,  in  his  Pre-existency  of  the  Soul: 
 
548  Communion  with  Angels, 
 
 Like  to  a  lights  fast  lock'd  in  lantern  dark. 
 
 Whereby  by  night  our  weary  steps  we  guide 
 
 In  slabby  streets,  and  dirty  channels  mark. 
 
 Some  weaker  rays  through  the  black  top  to  glide. 
 
 And  flusher  streams  perhaps  from  horny  side  : 
 
 But  when  we've  past  the  peril  of  the  way, 
 
 Arriv'd  at  home,  and  laid  that  case  aside. 
 
 The  naked  light  how  clearly  doth  it  ray. 
 
 And  spread  its  joyful  beams  as  bright  as  summer's  day. 
 
 Even  so  the  soul,  in  this  contracted  state, 
 
 Confin'd  to  these  straight  instruments  of  sense, 
 
 More  dull  and  narrowly  doth  operate ; 
 
 At  this  hole  hears,  the  sight  may  ray  from  thence, 
 
 Here  tastes,  there  smells  5  but  when  she's  gone  from  thence. 
 
 Like  naked  lamps,  she  is  one  shining  sphere. 
 
 And  round  about  has  perfect  cognizance  : 
 
 Whate'er  in  her  horizon  doth  appear. 
 
 She  is  one  orb  of  sense,  all  eye,  all  airy  ear. 
 
 So  nothing  now  in  death  is  to  be  dread. 
 
 Of  him  that  wakes  to  truth  and  righteousness. 
 
 The  corpse  lies  here,  the  soul  aloft  is  fled. 
 
 Unto  the  fount  of  perfect  happiness  ; 
 
 As  earth  returns  to  earth,  this  light  no  less 
 
 Returns  to  him  that  gave  it,  where  it  is 
 
 Presented  by  the  angels  with  excess 
 
 Of  strange  melodious  music,  joy,  and  bliss, 
 
 O  then  how  doth  that  Great  Light  this  light  greet  and  kiss  ! 
 
 5.  They  joy  in  sweet  harmony  of  praises  that  never  shall 
 have  an  end. 
 
 A  certain  man,  called  Servuius,  drawing  near  his  end,  called 
 for  all  such  strangers  as  lodged  in  his  house,  desiring  them  to 
 sing  hymns  with  him :  and  as  he  was  singing,  all  on  a  sudden  he 
 cried  out  aloud,  saying.  Do  you  not  hear  the  great  and  wonderful 
 music  which  is  in  heaven  ?  and  even  in  that  instant  his  soul  de- 
 parted this  mortal  life.  All  that  were  present  felt  a  most  plea- 
 sant and  fragrant  smell,  whereby  they  argued  the  verity  of  his 
 saying ;  and  that  he  and  angels  were  then  in  concert  singing  hal- 
 leluias  together  in  heaven. — Gregor,  Dialog,  1.  4. 
 
 Another,  called  Guthlake,  drawing  near  his  end,  told  Berterline 
 his  scholar :  The  time  is  come,  my  dear  son,  wherein  I  must  pass 
 to  Christ :  and  lifting  up  his  hands  and  eyes  to  heaven,  he  yielded 
 up  his  soul ;  when,  at  the  very  instant,  Berteline  saw  as  it  were 
 a  fiery  tower  reaching  from  heaven  down  to  the  earth,  the 
 brightness  whereof  was  so  wonderful,  that  the  pale  sun  might 
 envy  so  great  a  lustre,  whilst  the  angels  themselves  were  heard 
 to  sing  melodious  tunes  of  joy. — Felix, 
 
Cortvtnunion  with  Angels,  549 
 
 Sect.  IV. — Of  the  Duties  that  concern  us  in  this  respect, 
 
 2.  For  the  several  duties  that  concern  us  in  this  respect  :■ — 
 
 1 .  Weigh  not  the  pains  or  pangs  of  death,  as  if  they  were 
 intolerable ;  but  rather  pitch  we  the  anchor  of  our  hope  on  the 
 firm  ground  of  the  word  of  God,  who  hath  promised  "  in  our 
 weakness  to  perfect  his  strength, — and  not  to  suffer  us  to  be 
 tempted  above  that  we  are  able  to  bear, — and  to  give  his  angels 
 a  charge  to  bear  us  up  in  their  hands."  If  the  Lord  lay  one 
 hand  upon  us,  he  puts  another  hand  under  us  ;  yea,  he  chargeth 
 his  angels  to  bear  us  up  in  their  hands,  and  to  allay  our  pains ; 
 it  proves  so  to  many,  that  the  very  thoughts  of  death  more  pains 
 than  the  pangs  of  death  ;  howsoever,  it  may  comfort  us  that  the 
 angels  stand  by  us,  who  either  will  help  us  in,  or  help  us  through, 
 those  pangs  of  death,  that  we  be  not  swallowed  up  by  them. 
 
 2.  Take  we  no  care  of  our  bodies  after  death,  save  only  to  com- 
 mit them  to  the  earth.  Methinks  the  angels  might  take  off 
 that  carkmg  care  which  many  have  :  what  if  thy  body  be  used  as 
 the  Irish  papists  used  the  bodies  of  dead  Protestants,  who  cast 
 some  into  ditches,  and  left  others  to  be  devoured  of  ravenous 
 beasts ;  yea,  and  digged  up  others  that  have  been  formerly  buried, 
 and  then  left  them  as  dung  on  the  face  of  the  earth ;  yet  the 
 angels  see  and  take  care  that  every  part,  and  piece,  and  member 
 of  thy  body  shall  be  preserved  and  kept  safe  unto  that  day  of  our 
 Lord ;  the  earth  in  her  womb,  or  the  sea  in  her  gulfs,  or  beasts  in 
 their  bellies,  or  whatever  is  the  grave  of  the  bodies  of  saints,  they 
 are  but  as  God's  close  chests,  to  keep  in  them  a  part  of  the  Lord's 
 own  treasure ;  and  when  these  chests  shall  be  opened,  (as  they  shall 
 be  in  that  great  day  of  the  resuiTcction  of  saints,)  then  shall  those 
 bodies  be  brought  out  again  by  the  holy  angels ;  and  then  shall 
 they  be  as  good,  nay,  better  than  ever  they  were  before  ;  ^^  for 
 our  vile  body  shall  be  made  like  the  glorious  body  of  our  Lord 
 and  Saviour,  according  to  the  working  whereby  he  is  able  even 
 to  subdue  all  things  unto  himself." 
 
 3.  The  nearer  we  draw  to  our  end,  let  us  draw  nearer  to  God 
 and  his  holy  angels.  This  is  done  by  having  a  special  care  of 
 our  souls,  and  by  doing  those  duties  that  we  owe  both  to  God 
 and  his  angels.  I  list  not  to  enter  into  controversies;  I  deny 
 that  any  worship  is  to  be  given  them,  or  that  we  ought  to  pray 
 to  them;  yet  (as  the  contemplative  bishop  said)  this  devotion  we 
 do  gladly  profess  to  owe  to  good  angels,  that  though  we  do  not 
 pray  unto  them,  yet  we  do  pray  to  God  for  the  favour  of  their 
 assistance  and  protection,  and  we  do  praise  God  for  the  pro- 
 tection and  ministration  that  we  have  from  them.  And  yet 
 further,  wc  come  short  of  our  duties  to  these  blessed  spirits,  if 
 we  entertain  not  in  our  hearts  an  high  and  venerable  conceit  of 
 their   wonderful   majesty,    glory,  and  greatness,  and  an  awful 
 
550  Commu7iion  with  Angels, 
 
 ackiiowledo-ment,,  and  reverential  awe^  of  their  glorious  presence ; 
 an  holy  joyj  and  confident  assurance,  of  their  vigilant  care;  and 
 lastK',  a  fear  to  do  ought  that  might  cause  them  to  turn  away 
 their  faces  in  dislike  from  us.  All  these  dispositions  are  copu- 
 lative ;  for  certainly^  if  we  have  conceived  so  high  an  opinion  of 
 their  excellency  as  we  ought,  we  cannot  but  be  bold  upon  their 
 mutual  interest,  and  be  afraid  to  displease  them  by  our  heinous 
 and  abominable  sins.  The  man  that  is  going  out  of  the  world, 
 and  within  a  step  or  two  of  death,  should,  methinks,  be  very  fear- 
 iul  of  neglecting  the  angels,  or  of  grieving  the  angels  :  Why,  alas, 
 if  they  watch  not  over  him  now,  if  now  they  inspire  not  the  soul 
 with  blessed  motions  and  pious  thoughts ;  if  now  they  fail  of 
 their  office,  w^hen  there  is  more  need  of  it  than  ever  was  or  ever 
 will  be  5  oh  what  will  a  poor  soul  do  ?  Come,  think  we  of  this, 
 ere  it  be  too  late ;  yea,  the  nearer  we  draw  to  our  end,  the  more 
 tender  let  us  be  of  our  care,  and  to  respect  these  blessed  spirits  ; 
 and  who  can  tell,  but  as  in  the  very  agony  Christ  was  comforted 
 by  an  angel,  so  these  ministering  spirits  may  at  such  a  time  mi- 
 jiister  comfort  and  consolation  to  our  souls  ?  We  have  seen  an 
 lieaven  of  joy  entering  into  some,  before  they  entered  into  the 
 joy  of  heaven. 
 
 4.  Make  to  ourselves  friends  of  the  angels,  that  when  we  die,, 
 they  may  receive  us  into  everlasting  habitations.  Thus  Christ 
 advised  us  in  respect  of  riches  ; — make  use  of  them  by  your  bene- 
 ficence to  the  poor,  that  they  may  pray  for  you,  and  make  your 
 advantage  of  being  rewarded  by  God  :  this  is  the  meaning  of 
 "  make  to  yourselves  friends  of  the  mammon  of  unrighteousness." 
 And  if  worldly  riches,  that  either  in  getting,  using,  or  keeping,, 
 do  administer  matter  of  sin,  (and  therefore  are  called  unrighteous 
 mammon,)  may  be  so  improved,  how  much  more  may  we  im- 
 prove the  angels,  and  gain  by  the  angels,  if  we  make  them  our 
 friends  1  But  how  should  we  make  them  our  friends  ?  I  answer  r 
 1 .  Let  us  resemble  them  in  their  purity,  piety,  innocency.  Suit- 
 ableness of  spirit  and  life,  will  breed  friendship :  if  we  are  but  pure 
 in  our  measure  as  they  are  pure,  they  will  delight  to  befriend  us 
 here,  and  to  lay  a  foundation  for  a  far  more  familiar  acquaintance 
 in  heaven  hereafter.  2.  Let  us  apply  ourselves  to  them,  as  desir- 
 ous and  willing  of  their  friendship  :  let  us  converse  with  them  as 
 friends,  assenting  to  what  they  say,  and  making  up  holy  conclu- 
 sions with  them,  and  replies,  which  they  will  find  ways  to  un- 
 derstand. O  the  blessed  motions  that  they  make  continually  to 
 our  souls  !  Is  it  not  their  joy  to  gain  us,  and  to  win  upon  us  ? 
 and  to  that  purpose  are  they  not  suggesting  this  and  that  good 
 thought  to  save  our  souls  ?  O  then  let  us  answer  them  in  their 
 motions,  and  receive  whatever  they  administer  ! 
 
 5.  Though  we  go  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death, 
 let  us  fear  no  evil,  for  the  angels  will  be  with  us.  It  is  natural 
 for  us  to  fear  death  5  and  indeed,  as  it  is  the  destruction  of  the 
 
Communion  with  Angels,  551 
 
 creature,  and  parts  body  and  soul ;  as  it  leads  the  body  through 
 a  dark,  dirty  way,  the  grave  ;  and  as  it  leads  the  soul  through  the 
 devils  territories,  the  air, — it  is  no  wonder  if  nature  startle,  and 
 be  afraid  of  it.  But  the  Christian  hath  many  considerations  to 
 allay  his  fear,  and  to  cheer  up  his  spirit  :  as,  1 .  Death  is  but  the 
 separation  of  the  soul  and  body ;  it  is  not  the  annihilation  of  soul 
 and  body,  but  a  fair  shaking  hands  between  two  parting  friends  : 
 it  is  as  if  the  wife  should  take  leave  of  her  husband  to  go  see  her 
 father  ;  to  whom  the  husband  says,  that  he  will  follow  after  her, 
 and  be  with  her  in  the  morning  :  Farewell,  my  dear,  says  the  soul, 
 I  must  ^o  to  my  father ;  And  farewell,  my  dear,  says  the  body,  I 
 will  come  after  thee,  and  be  with  thee  in  the  morning  of  the  re- 
 surrection. It  is  true,  they  cannot  part  without  many  a  tear  and 
 kiss  ;  but  what  needs  fear  ?  the  morning  comes,  as  well  as  the 
 night.  2.  The  body's  passage  through  the  grave,  though  dark 
 and  dismal,  yet  is  safe  and  secure,  and  fit  for  rest  and  sleep  : 
 '*  He  shall  enter  into  peace,  they  shall  rest  in  their  beds."  When 
 a  righteous  man  dies,  or  his  body  is  buried,  he  is  but  gone  to 
 bed;  and  therefore  we  call  those  places  where  the  dead  are  laid 
 up  and  buried,  dormitories,  or  sleeping-places  ;  they  sleep  for  a 
 time ;  but  tliey  shall  awake,  and  rise  up  again  at  the  last  da5\ 
 3.  The  soul's  jDassage  through  the  air,  though  full  of  devils,  yet 
 it  is  accompanied  with  a  safe  convoy :  there  is  a  white  regiment 
 of  glorious  angels  that  will  bring  the  souls  of  saints  through  all 
 perils  *'  to  mount  Sion,  to  the  city  of  the  living  God,  to  the 
 heavenly  Jerusalem,  and  to  an  innumerable  company  of  angels, 
 to  the  general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first-born  which  are 
 written  in  heaven,  and  to  God  the  Judge  of  all,  and  to  the  spirits 
 of  just  men  made  perfect,  and  to  Jesus  the  Mediator  of  the  new 
 covenant."  Now,  can  the  wife  fear  an  enemy,  when  the  husband 
 hath  sent  a  puissant  army  to  convey  her  safely  to  himself  ?  How 
 then  should  we  fear  the  way,  or  fear  death,  or  devils,  when  the 
 angels  (who  are  stronger  than  all  enemies)  have  a  charge  to 
 conduct  us  to  the  Bridegroom  of  our  souls  ?  and  they  "vvill  not, 
 cannot  fail  of  what  they  have  in  charge  :  they  are  the  army  of 
 heaven,  the  saints'  own  guard,  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  tlie 
 Lord  of  hosts ;  and  therefore  they  will  be  sure  to  perform  their 
 trusts,  we  need  not  fear  it. 
 
 6.  Let  us  prepare  and  make  ready  for  that  glorious  welcome 
 which  the  angels  will  give  us  into  glory :  would  you  know  how  to 
 prepare?  L  Procure  their  joy  by  your  conversion?  "There  is 
 joy  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  of  God  over  one  sinner  that 
 repenteth.'"  The  conversion  of  a  sinner  is  the  gratulation  of 
 angels  ;  and  if  they  joy  at  your  repentance,  how  much  more  will 
 they  joy  to  see  you  in  heaven  with  them  !  2.  Procure  their  love 
 by  the  strictness  and  holiness  of  your  lives ;  live  like  angels ; 
 bring  soul  and  body,  as  near  as  may  be,  into  a  spiritual  frame  ; 
 
552  Communion  with  Angels, 
 
 this  is  the  way  of  friends  to  procure  welcomes  here  on  eurrii,  if 
 they  will  but  uuiiutain  a  familiarity,  and  sympathy,  and  nearness, 
 and*  likeness  to  one  another  in  mind  and  manners :  O  thus  do 
 you,  and  then  you  may  expect  angels'  welcome  into  that  city  of 
 
 glory. 
 
 7.  Wait  upon  God,  with  encouragement  that  one  day  the 
 ano-els  will  present  us  to  Christ  in  his  throne  without  spot  and 
 blameless.  It  is  now  our  complaint.  Oh  the  sin  whereof  we  are 
 fniilty  !  and  oh  wTctched  men  that  we  are,  who  shall  deliver  us 
 from  this  body  of  death  !  but  the  day  is  coming  when  we  shall 
 be  freed  from  these  complaints.  As  Christ's  ministers  have  a 
 charge,  and  when  they  have  done  their  work  they  will  present 
 to  us  Jesus  Christ,  2  Cor.  11.  2. ;  and  as  Christ  himself  hath  a 
 charge,  and  when  he  hath  done  his  work,  he  will  present  us  to 
 liimself,  Judg.  24.  and  to  his  Father,  Colos.  1.  22.;  so  the  holy 
 ano-els  have  a  charge  also,  and  when  they  have  done  their  work, 
 they  will  present  us  to  Jesus  Christ ;  how  ?  even  as  ministers 
 do,  "  that  I  may  present  you  as  a  chaste  virgin  to  Christ ;''  or  as 
 Christ  himself  cloth,  "^  that  he  might  present  us  to  himself  a 
 glorious  church,  not  having  spot,  nor  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing, 
 but  that  it  should  be  holy,  and  without  blemish  : "  so  will  the 
 angels  do,  ^^  even  present  us  faultless  before  the  presence  of  his 
 glory  with  exceeding  joy .*'  Let  us  press  on  to  perfection,  even 
 upon  these  hopes,  that  howsoever  it  is  with  us  now,  surely  we 
 shall  be  faultless,  we  shall  be  equal  unto  the  angels,  equal  in 
 grace,  and  equal  in  glory  ;  for  to  that  end  will  they  present  \is  to 
 Christ  in  his  throne,  and  accordingly  will  Christ  pronounce  his 
 sentence,  "  Enter  ye  into  the  joy  of  your  Lord." 
 
 8.  Praise  we  God  for  his  mercy  of  angel-ministration  from 
 first  to  last.  This  we  must  do  in  heaven,  only  begin  we  this 
 tune  and  ditty  while  we  are  upon  earth ;  and  if  we  cannot  do  it 
 as  we  would,  let  us  call  in  angels  to  join  with  us  in  blessing, 
 praising,  and  admiring  God  :  this  was  David's  practice ;  ^^ Praise 
 ye  the  Lord,  praise  ye  the  Lord  from  the  heavens,  praise  ye  him 
 in  the  heights  ;  praise  ye  him,  all  his  angels ;  praise  ye  him,  all 
 his  hosts."  The  angels  desire  no  better  employment  that  such 
 as  this ;  they  love  to  sing  the  tune  of  the  gospel  most ;  and  there- 
 fore stir  we  up  them,  and  stir  we  up  ourselves  with  them,  to  be 
 much  in  praises  of  our  God.  Surely  he  deserves  a  thousand 
 thousand  hallekiias,  and  that  we  should  bless  him  upon  a  thou- 
 sand stringed  Instruments.  Here  is  fuel  enough  ;  the  Lord 
 kindle  a  great  fire  in  erery  one  of  our  hearts,  to  inflame  them 
 with  the  love  of  such  a  God  as  this  is  !  It  was  the  last  speech  of 
 dying  Chrysostom ;  Glory  be  to  God  from  all  creatures  !  And  if 
 1  should  die  this  hour,  I  could  wish  my  soul  in  no  better  temper  : 
 ''  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul ;  and  all  that  is  within  me,  bless 
 liis  holy  name.     Bless  the  Lord,  ye  his  angels,  that  excel  in 
 
Communion  with  Angels.  553 
 
 strength,  that  do  his  commandments,  hearkening  unto  the  voice 
 of  his  word.  Bless  the  Lord,  all  ye  his  hosts  ;  ye  ministers  of 
 his,  that  do  his  pleasure.  Bless  the  Lord,  all  his  works,  in  all 
 places  of  his  dominion.     Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul." 
 
 CHAP.  V. 
 Sect.  L — Of  the  ^Finistration  of  Angels  at  our  Resurrectmi. 
 
 The  last  period  wherein  the  angels  minister  to  saints,  is,  from 
 the  resurrection  to  the  glorification  of  their  souls  and  bodies  in 
 heaven.  In  this  last,  as  in  all  the  former,  I  shall  observe, 
 1.  Their  ministration.     2.  Our  duties. 
 
 L  For  their  mmistration,  we  may  consult  these  texts  : — 
 
 ^^  And  he  shall  send  his  angels  with  the  great  sound  of  a 
 trumpet,  and  they  shall  gather  together  his  elect  fron^  the  four 
 winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other." 
 
 "  The  Lord  himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout, 
 with  the  voice  of  the  archangel  and  with  the  trump  of  God." 
 
 "  The  Son  of  man  shall  send  forth  his  angels,  and  they  shall 
 gather  out  of  his  kingdom  all  things  that  offend,  and  them  which 
 do  iniquity. — So  shall  it  be  at  the  end  of  the  world ;  the  aiigels 
 shall  come  forth,  and  sever  the  wicked  from  among  the  just." 
 
 ^^  Also  I  say  unto  you.  Whosoever  shall  confess  me  before 
 men,  him  shall  the  Son  of  man  also  confess  before  the  aiigels  of 
 God. — And  I  will  not  blot  his  name  out  of  the  book  of  life,  but'f 
 will  confess  his  name  before  my  Father,  and  befoi'e  his  angels.'^ 
 
 Sect.  IL — Of  the  Kinds  of  Angel-ministration  at  t/ris  Time. 
 
 For  the  kinds  of  their  ministration  at  this  time  : — 
 1.  The  angels  will  summon  all  the  saints  to  appear  before 
 Jesus  Christ,  in  his  judgment-seat.  This  is  done  by  the  sound 
 of  a  trumpet :  ^^  And  he  shall  send  his  angels  with  a  great  sound 
 of  a  trumpet. — ^The  Lord  himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with 
 a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the  trump  of 
 God."  What  this  trumpet  is,  I  have  discussed  elsewhere  ;  and  I 
 take  it  to  be  metaphorical,  viz.  a  sound  formed  in  the  air  like  the 
 sound  of  a  trumpet ;  and  for  the  archangel,  it  is  not  so  limited  to 
 one,  but  that  all  the  archangels,  and  all  the  angels  of  God,  are 
 thereby  miderstood.  O  the  day,  when  all  the  angels  shall  be  sent 
 of  Christ  to  bid  all  the  world  to  appear  before  him  !  lliis  is  that 
 voice  on  which  Jerome  so  often  meditated :  Whether  I  cat,  or 
 drink,  or  ^vhatsoever  I  do,  mcthinks  I  always  hear  that  voice 
 of  the  trumpet  sounding  in  mine  ears,  "  Arise,  ye  dead,  and  come 
 to  judgment."  This  is  that  voice,  of  which  Chiysostom  said,  O 
 the  terrible  trumi>et,  that  all  elements  shall  obey  !  it  shall  shake 
 the  world,  rend  the  rocks,  break  the  mountains,  dissolve  the  bonds 
 20.  4  A 
 
554  Communion  with  Angels, 
 
 of  death,  burst  down  the  gates  of  hell,  and  unite  all  spirits  to 
 their  own  bodies.  This  voice  shall  take  from  death  all  her  spoils, 
 and  cause  her  to  restore  again  all  that  she  hath  taken  away  from 
 the  world.  In  this  ministration  the  saints  may  rejoice ;  be  it 
 never  so  terrible  to  the  wicked,  it  is  nothing  to  them  but  an 
 awakenuig  out  of  a  sleep  ;  as  if  the  angels  should  shout  and  say. 
 Awake  and  sing,  ye  that  dwell  in  the  dust ;  for,  lo,  the  winter  is 
 past,  the  rain  is  over  and  gone,  the  time  of  the  singing  of  birds 
 is  come ;  arise,  arise,  ye  saints,  and  come  away. 
 
 2.  The  angels  will  gather  all  the  saints  together  to  the  judg- 
 ment-seat of  Christ.     In  this  are  involved  these  particulars  : 
 
 1.  That  the  angels  will  collect  the  dust  of  all  the  bodies  of  the 
 saints.  This  all  the  sclioolmen  hold.  The  collection  of  the  dusts 
 of  the  blessed  is  by  the  ministry  of  the  blessed  angels.  They  can 
 move  and  remove  bodies  as  they  please.  As  gross  and  inferior 
 bodies  are  in  order  governed  by  those  that  are  superior  and  more 
 subtle  ;  so  are  all  bodies  ruled  and  disposed  of  by  spirits  endoAved 
 with  life.  Augustine  goeth  further,  and  says,  that  irrational  spirits 
 are  governed  by  rational ;  and  rational  creatures  that  transgress, 
 are  governed  by  rational  creatures  that  are  just.  Gregory  joins 
 with  him,  saying,  invisible  creatures  do  give  motion  and  sense  to 
 carnal  bodies  which  are  visible ;  and  so  nothing  is  disposed  of  in 
 this  visible  world,  but  by  another  creature  which  is  invisible. 
 Hence  Aquinas  concludes,  that  in  all  things  which  are  corporally 
 done  of  God,  he  is  pleased  to  use  the  ministry  of  angels,  and  that 
 therefore  the  gathering  of  the  dust  and  the  reparation  of  the  bodies 
 of  all  the  samts,  is  only  by  the  ministry  of  the  angels  at  the 
 resurrection- day.  Come,  Christians  !  keep  faith  and  a  good  con- 
 science ;  though  men  prevail  over  our  bodies  to  kill  them,  and 
 so  scatter  the  ashes  of  them  all  the  world  over,  let  never  any  un- 
 comfortable damp  of  slavish  fear  vex  your  blessed  hearts  :  be  not 
 you  afraid  of  evil  tidings,  or  of  destruction  when  it  cometh  ;  for 
 the  angels  have  a  care  of  every  piece,  and  part,  and  particle,  of 
 your  bodies ;  not  one  hair  of  your  heads,  not  one  atom  of  the 
 substance  of  those  bodies  you  bear  about  you,  shall  be  left  in  the 
 grave,  or  in  any  part  of  the  world,  but  it  shall  be  gathered  by 
 angels,  and  brought  together  into  one  heap  or  lump. 
 
 2.  That  the  angels  will  form,  and  fashion,  and  organize,  those 
 dusts  so  brought  together,  into  perfect,  complete,  and  solid 
 bodies  5  this  also  is  affirmed  by  schoolmen  :  ^  Whatsoever  apper- 
 tains to  the  transmutation  of  bodies,  as  to  the  condensation  of 
 some  parts,  God  is  pleased  therein  to  use  the  ministry  of  angels.' 
 Indeed,  the  animation  or  enlivening  of  the  body  by  the  infusion 
 of  the  soul,  is  (as  they  say)  immediately  of  God,  without  any 
 operation  of  angels ;  for  as  the  soul  was  immediately  created  of 
 God,  so  must  the  soul  be  again  united  to  the  body  by  the  imme- 
 diute  hand  of  God  himself ;  yet  the  collection,  preparation,  and 
 reparation,  of  our  bodies,  are  done  by  angels.     O  the  power  of 
 
Communion  with  Angels.  555 
 
 angels  !  This  eye  shall  be  put  to  this  head,  and  this  hand  to  this 
 arm,  and  this  arm  to  this  body,  and  so  every  part  to  part,  and 
 member  to  member,  by  the  ministration  of  angels  :  What  need 
 we  care  if  all  these  be  eaten  of  worms,  or  serpents,  or  other  crea- 
 tures, yea,  of  cannibals,  or  savage  men  ?  Certainly  they  must  all  be 
 restored  again ;  I  shall  not  want  this  eye,  this  hand,  this  finger, 
 this  joint,  this  nail  on  my  finger's  end,  at  the  resurrection-day. 
 "  The  hand  of  the  Lord  was  upon  me,  (saith  Ezekiel,)  and  carried 
 me  out  in  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  and  set  me  down  in  the  midst 
 of  the  valley,  which  was  full  of  bones ;  and  he  caused  me  to  pass 
 by  them  round  about,  and  behold  there  were  very  many  in  the 
 open  valley,  and,  lo,  they  were  very  dry.  And  he  said  unto  me. 
 Son  of  man,  can  these  bones  live  ?  And  I  answered,  O  Lord  Grod, 
 thou  knowest.'* — ^Then  the  Lord  bade  him  prophecy,  and  as  he 
 prophesied  '^  there  was  a  noise,  and  behold  a  shaking,  and  the 
 bones  came  together,  bone  to  his  bone,  and  then  the  sinews  of 
 the  flesh  came  upon  them,  and  the  skin  covered  them  above,  but 
 there  was  no  breath  in  them ;  "  and  then  the  Lord  bade  him  pro- 
 phesy unto  the  wind,  ''  Come  from'  the  four  winds,  O  breath, 
 and  breathe  upon  these  slain,  that  they  may  live."  Why,  thus  will 
 it  be  at  the  resurrection-day  :  the  angels*  ministry  will  be  like  the 
 prophet's  prophecy;  they  will  give  a  shout,  and  collect  the  bones, 
 and  then  put  them  together,  bone  to  his  bone,  and  then  cover 
 them  with  sinews,  and  flesh,  and  skin ;  only  the  breath  or  soul 
 must  be  infused  immediately  by  God  himself,  and  then  shall  the 
 saints  live,  and  stand  upon  their  feet,  an  exceeding  great  army. 
 
 3.  lliat  the  angels  will  bring  the  saints,  thus  raised,  organized, 
 and  quickened,  to  Christ's  judgment-seat.  The  apostle  speaks 
 home  to  this,  "  The  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first ;  and  then  we 
 which  are  alive,  and  remain,  shall  be  caught  up  together  with 
 them  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air."  A  willing 
 welcome-force  is  here  upon  the  saints,  to  transfer  them,  or  carry 
 them  into  the  air,  where  Christ  is  in  his  throne  :  Now,  how  shall 
 this  be  done  ?  Why,  they  shall  be  caught  up,  saith  the  apostle. 
 By  whom  ?  Some  think  by  the  clouds,  as  if  the  clouds  should 
 first  descend,  and  then  enwrap  the  saints,  and  so  serve  as  chariots 
 to  carry  them  up  to  Christ  in  the  air ;  but  I  would  rather  think, 
 by  angels,  as  if  the  apostle  should  say.  All  the  saints  at  the  last 
 day,  both  those  raised  and  those  changed,  shall  be  caught  up  by 
 the  holy  angels  into  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air  : 
 And  is  not  this  agreeable  to  the  words  of  Christ,  that  angels 
 shall  gather  together  his  elect  ?  Whither  together,  but  to  the 
 clouds,  or  to  that  place  in  the  air  where  they  shall  meet  the  Lord  ? 
 O  the  blessed  ministry  of  endeared  angels  !  They  that  before 
 carried  up  Lazarus 's  soul  into  Abraham's  bosom,  must  now  carry 
 up  Lazarus's  soul  and  body,  yea,  all  the  souls  and  bodies  of  aU 
 the  saints,  into  the  air,  where  shall  be  the  blessedest  meeting  that 
 ever  was  ;  there  shall  Christ  meet  with  his  saints,  and  never  part 
 again  :  indeed,  here  sometimes  we  meet,  and  anon  we  part ;  now 
 
556  Communion  with  Angels. 
 
 he  comes,  and  gives  us  the  kisses  of  his  mouth,  but  ere  while  he 
 is  gone,  and  we  C17  after  him,  *^  O  where  is  he  whom  my  soul 
 lovetb  ?  I  charge  you,  O  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  if  you  find  my 
 beloved,  that  you  tell  him  that  I  am  sick  of  love :  but  when  the 
 ano-els  shall  bring  us  together  at  this  day,  we  shall  never  part 
 more  \  for  we  shall  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,  and  so  shall  we  be 
 for  ever  vdth  the  Lord." 
 
 4.  The  angels  will  separate  the  good  and  the  bad,  the  sheep 
 and  goats.  "  They  shall  gather  out  of  the  kingdom  all  things 
 that  offend,  and  them  which  do  iniquity. — They  shall  sever  the 
 wicked  from  amongst  the  just."  This  separation  is  sometimes 
 given  to  Christ,  '«^he  shall  separate  them  one  from  another,  as 
 a  shepherd  divideth  his  sheep  from  the  goats ;  and  he  shall  set 
 his  sheep  on  the  right-hand,  but  the  goats  on  the  left."  Christ 
 shall  do  it  originally,  but  the  angels  ministerially,  derivatively, 
 and  by  way  of  execution ;  Christ  commands  it,  and  the  angels 
 accomphsh  it.  O  the  joy,  and  O  the  horror,  of  this  particular  ! 
 •—horror  to  the  wicked,  but  O  what  joy  will  it  be  to  the  saints  to 
 meet  together,  and  to  see  all  the  wicked  in  the  world  thrust  out 
 of  their  society  !  they  were  before  thorns  in  their  sides,  and  pricks 
 in  their  eyes  5  many  a  tear  did  they  cost  the  saints  to  see  their 
 wickedness  ;  ''  Rivers  of  tears  run  down  mine  eyes,  because  man 
 keep  not  thy  laws  % "  many  a  heart-grieving  heart- vexmg  thought 
 hath  pierced  the  saints,  to  know  their  sinfulness ;  just  Lot  was 
 vexed  with  the  filthy  conversation  of  the  wicked.  Ah  poor  man, 
 it  was  an  hell  to  him,  to  dwell  with  Sodomites,  for  that  righteous 
 man  dwelling  among  them,  in  seeing  and  hearing,  vexed  his  righ- 
 teous soul  from  day  to  day  with  their  milawful  deeds.  Well, 
 but  now  they  shall  never  grieve  them,  trouble  them,  vex  them 
 any  more ;  the  angels  will  not  only  deliver  just  Lot  out  of  his  ill 
 neighbourhood  for  a  time,  but  they  will  free  all  the  righteous 
 from  all  the  unrighteous  in  the  world  for  ever  and  ever :  Not  one 
 ♦Sodomite,  nor  one  impenitent  sinner,  shall  stand  with  Christ's 
 sheep  on  his  blessed  right  hand ;  never  more  shall  the  saints  cry 
 out,  and  say,  *^  Woe  is  us,  that  we  are  constrained  to  dwell  with 
 Mesech,  and  to  have  our  habitations  amongst  the  tents  of  Kedar ;" 
 but  rather  shall  they  go  on  with  the  Psalmist,  and  say  as  in  the 
 next  verse,  "  Our  souls  have  long  dwelt  with  them  that  hate 
 peace  and  holhiess,  but  now  we  shall  never  dwell  with  them  any 
 more."  This  will  be  the  angels'  work  at  the  last  day,  they  will 
 gather  out  of  the  kingdom  all  things  that  offend,  all  scandalous 
 wretches,  and  vile  persons,  all  frov/ard  hearts,  and  privy  slan- 
 derers ;  all  that  have  high  looks,  and  proud  hearts,  all  that  David 
 said  he  would  throw  out  of  his  house,  and  from  the  city  of  the 
 Lord,  will  they  also  throw  out  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  of 
 Jesus  Christ,  that  they  molest  not  Christ's  sheep  any  longer. 
 
 4.  The  angels  wUl  be  spectators,  admirers,  witnesses,  ap- 
 provers, of  the  mystery  of  godliness,  in  the  sentence  of  Christ 
 on  his  saints.  This  piece  or  part  of  Christ's  meditation  in  absolv- 
 
Co7mnunio7i  with  Angels,  567 
 
 mg  saints,  is  amongst  the  rest  of  those  great  mysteries  of  god- 
 liness seen  of  angels.  Seen  ?  how  seen  ?  It  is  not  a  bare  sight, 
 but  such  a  sight  as  astonisheth  the  understanding,  and  takes  up 
 the  heart  of  blessed  angels,  "  which  things  the  angels  desire  to 
 look  unto ; "  their  whole  spirits  are  taken  up  with  it,  they  cannot 
 look  off  it,  but  stand,  and  view,  and  admire,  and  leap  for  joy  to 
 see  the  passages  ;  they  are  wrapt  up  above  themselves,  to  hear  the 
 blessed  sentence  coming  out  of  Ciirist's  moutli,  '^  Come,  ye 
 blessed  of  my  Father;"  nor  is  that  all,  but  as  they  see,  so  they 
 witness  and  approve  the  acts  and  passages  of  Christ  in  rewarding 
 saints,  ''  I  will  confess  them  (saith  Christ)  before  the  angels  of 
 God;"  that  is,  at  the  last  day  I  will  take  them  for  mine,  I  will 
 confess  them  to  belong  to  me,  I  will  pronounce  on  them  the  sen- 
 tence of  absolution,  I  will  do  to  them  as  if  a  king  should  come 
 in  company,  and  choose  out  one,  and  salute  him  familiarly,  and 
 call  him  by  his  name,  and  take  him  by  the  hand,  and  confess  him 
 before  all  to  be  his  friend ;  so  will  I  confess  the  saints  to  be  "  my 
 friends,  my  jewels,  my  peculiar  treasure,  my  temple,  and  taber- 
 nexcle,  where  I  place  my  name,  the  dearly  beloved  of  my  soul, 
 children  of  the  kingdom,  yea,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  itself; "  or, 
 if  more  honour  can  be  given  them,  I  will  confess  them  to  be 
 ^^  my  garden,  my  vineyard,  my  spouse,  my  second  self,  one  with 
 me,  as  I  and  my  Father  are  one  :"  And  be  ye  witnesses  of  this 
 my  sentence,  O  ye  angels  !  I  would  have  you  to  take  notice  of 
 it,  to  see  it,  behold  it,  hear  it,  admire  at  it,  and  to  witness  with 
 what  equity  and  proportion  I  deal  with  saints ;  they  confessed 
 me  before  men,  I  confess  them  before  angels  :  they  are  not 
 ashamed  of  me,  nor  of  my  name,  before  kings  and  princes,  and 
 therefore  now  I  am  not  ashamed  of  them,  nor  of  their  name  ;  so 
 far  am  I  from  blotting  their  name  out  of  the  book  of  life,  tliat 
 now  I  "  confess  their  name  before  my  Father,  and  before  his 
 angels  !"  Witness  it,  O  ye  angels,  yea,  and  approve  of  it,  consent 
 to  my  sentence,  acknowledge  my  goodness,  justice,  mercy,  in 
 saving  these  souls,  by  saying  Amen,  and  bidding  them  welcome 
 into  heaven,  and  then  you  have  done  with  your  ministration. 
 
 At  this  last  passage  the  angels  receive  that  augmentation  of 
 joy,  of  which  some  divines  have  written.  Hall  and  Andrews, 
 stars  of  great  magnitude  in  this  orb  of  the  English  church,  have 
 both  supposed,  that  angels  themselves  shall  receive  an  augmen- 
 tation of  happiness  at  the  day  of  the  last  judgment,  when  they 
 shall  be  freed  from  all  their  charge,  and  employments.  As  rest 
 is  the  end  of  all  motion,  so  the  perfection  of  l)lesscdness  consists 
 in  rest,  and  therefore  the  angels  being  now  discharged  of  that 
 charge  which  they  took  at  the  beginning,  they  have  no  more  to 
 do,  but  in  one  choir  to  join  with  tlie  saints,  and  everlastingly  to 
 sing  halleluiah,    and  again  halleluiah,  and  amen  halleluiah. 
 
 Sect.  III. — 0/  the  Duties  that  concern  us  in  this  respect, 
 
 II.  For  the  duties  that  concern  us  in  tliis  respect : — 
 
558  Communion  with  Angels, 
 
 1.  Meditate  as  if  you  heard  the  angels  sounding  their  trumpets, 
 and  sayings  Come  out  of  your  graves,  and  appear  before  Jesus 
 Christ  your  judge.     Surely  these  ministering  spirits,  these  espe- 
 cial messengers,  these  new-covenant  officers,  that  now  wait  on 
 us,  and  as  tender  nurses  will  ere  long  lay  us  asleep  in  the  bed  of 
 the  grave,  will  in  the  morning  of  the  resurrection  awake  us  out 
 of  sleep,  and  say  to  us,  as  the  angel  to  John,  Come  up  hither. 
 And  is  not  this  worthy  our  morning  thoughts,  or  evening  thoughts, 
 or  midnight  thoughts  ?     When  we  are  awake  in  the  night,  and 
 compassed  with  darkness,  and  all  is  quiet  and  still,  suppose  then 
 we  heard  the  sound  of  angels  shouting  in  the  air,  Now,  souls, 
 come  to  your  sentence,  either  of  eternal  weal,  or  eternal  woe. 
 Methinks  this  meditation  should  work  and  make  every  one  of  us  . 
 say.  Lord,  if  it  were  thus,  what  would  become  of  my  soul  ?     In 
 what  case  were  I  ?  In  what  condition  were  I,  if  the  angel  now 
 sounded  ?   Was  my  repentance  such  when  I  went  to  bed,  as  that 
 now  I  dare  look  the  Judge  in  the  face  ?  was  my  faith  so  active, 
 or  is  it  now  so  strong,  that  I  can  with  confidence  go  to  Christ, 
 and  say.  Speak,  Lord,  speak  out  the  doom  that  thou  intendest 
 to  pass  upon  my  soul,  for  I  trust  in  thee.  If  so,  it  is  well ;   the 
 Lord  keep  us  continually  in  such  a  prepared  frame :  but  if  it  be 
 otherwise,  O  let  us  think  of  it,  and  prepare  for  it ;  let  us  not  put  off 
 repentance  from  day  to  day,  but  let  the  instant  or  present  mo- 
 ment be  the  time  of  turning  from  all  sin  to  God,  and  let  us  be- 
 come now,  even  now,  as  we  would  wish  to  be  then,  "  when  the 
 Lord  himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the 
 voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the  trump  of  God.'^     It  were  a 
 blessed  meditation  that  would  work  us  into  such  a  frame ;  now 
 the  Lord  come  in,  and  both  set  us  at  it,  and  appear  to  us  in  it. 
 
 2.  Cheer  up,  ye  saints,  '^  Arise,  shine,  for  your  light  is  coming, 
 and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  will  rise  upon  you  : — who  are  these 
 that  fly  as  a  cloud,  and  as  the  doves  to  their  windows?"  No 
 sooner  is  the  summons  given,  but  all  the  saints  "  shall  be 
 gathered  together  from  the  four  winds,  from  the  one  end  of  hea- 
 ven to  another."  O  what  a  sight  will  it  be  to  see  the  eastern 
 saints,  and  western  saints,  and  nothern  saints,  and  southern 
 saints,  flying  on  the  wings  of  angels,  to  Christ  on  his  throne  ! 
 Why,  here  is  matter  of  joy:  if  our  evidences  are  but  clear,  if  we 
 are  but  assured  that  he  that  is  our  Judge,  hath  shed  his  blood  for 
 us,  and  given  himself  for  us,  I  wonder  that  we  are  not  more  spi- 
 ritually cheerful.  Come,  though  the  world  scatter  us,  pei'secute 
 us,  drive  us  to  hills  and  holes,  yet  we  shall  meet  together  at  the 
 great  marriage-supper  of  the  Lamb,  and  there  will  be  joy  indeed ; 
 the  very  four- thoughts  of  this  should,  methinks,  fill  our  hearts  with 
 joy  unspeakable,  and  full  of  glory;  ''Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice, 
 for  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his  wife  hath  made 
 herself  ready. — Write,  Blessed  are  they  which  are  called  unto  the 
 marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb ;  these  are  the  true  sayings  of  God." 
 Blessed  sayings  !  in  which,  if  we  open  the  eye  of  faith,  we  may 
 
Communion  with  Angels,  559 
 
 see  matter  of  truest  joy,  and  spiritual  ravishment :  we  are  all 
 invited,  if  we  are  but  saints,  to  the  marriage- supper  of  the  Lamb. 
 "  Come,  and  gather  yourselves  together  unto  the  supper  of  the 
 great  God  :  "  If  you  say,  how  should  we  come,  that  must  die, 
 and  lie  buried  in  graves,  till  we  rot,  and  return  to  our  first  prin- 
 ciples ?  I  answer,  these  remoras  will  not,  cannot  hinder  ;  for  our 
 very  dusts  shall  be  carefully  gathered  by  the  hands  of  angels ;  and 
 when  they  are  gathered  and  brought  together,  they  shall  be  put 
 into  form  and  fashion,  far  better  and  perfecter  than  now  they  are, 
 by  the  ministration  of  angels ;  and  when  they  are  formed,  and 
 fashioned,  and  revived,  and  spiritualized,  we  shall  be  caught  up 
 by  the  angels  into  the  clouds  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,  thus  far 
 will  the  angels  minister  to  us  ;  and  therefore,  what  should  hinder 
 but  that  we  must  all  meet  him,  and  feast  with  him  ?  And  if  so, 
 how  merry  should  we  be  in  the  mean  time,  who  are  admitted, 
 and  invited,  to  this  gracious  and  glorious  feast  !  Away,  away,  all 
 horrors  of  guiltiness,  false  fears,  slavish  terrors,  damps,  and 
 droopings  !  Christians  !  we  must  part,  and  for  a  time  lie  and 
 sleep  in  solitude  and  rottenness,  but  we  shall  meet  again  ;  there 
 will  be  such  a  congregation  of  saints  at  the  last  day,  as  never  was 
 since  the  world's  creation  ;  and  as  we  hope  to  be  a  part  of  that 
 general  assembly,  and  church  of  the  first-born  which  are  written 
 in  heaven,  let  us  now  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  and  again  rejoice. 
 
 3.  Comply  with  the  angels  in  separating  yourselves  from  the 
 society  of  the  wicked.  I  know  the  command,  "  Let  both  grow 
 together  until  the  harvest ; "  the  angels  do  not,  nor  must  they 
 separate  the  wheat  and  tares  before  the  last  day,  but  then  will 
 God  say  to  his  reapers,  "•  Gather  thee  together  first  the  tares,  and 
 bind  them  in  bundles  to  burn  them,  but  gather  the  wheat  into  my 
 barn.^'  Come  then,  and  do  you  know  on  your  part  that  which  the 
 angels  will  do  on  their  part  at  the  last  day.  You  w^ill  say.  What, 
 would  I  have  you  separatists  ?  I  answer,  not  in  opinions,  or 
 heterodox  doctrines,  but  in  conversation ;  my  meaning  is,  I  would 
 not  have  you  to  run  with  the  world  into  the  same  excess  of  riot ; 
 ''  If  any  man  that  is  called  a  brother  be  a  fornicator,  or  covetous, 
 or  an  idolater,  or  a  railer,  or  a  drunkard,  or  extortioner,  I  would 
 have  you  with  such  an  one  not  to  keep  company,  no,  not  to  eat. 
 And  yet  that  I  be  not  mistaken,  some  kind  of  society,  or  famili- 
 arity, I  allow  withal ;  there  is  a  society,  more  common,  and 
 cold,  and  general,  as  in  trading,  bargaining,  buying,  selling,  &c. 
 And  this.  Christians  must  needs  exercise  with  the  men  of  this 
 world,  except  they  will  go  out  of  the  world :  but  there  is  a  so- 
 ciety more  special,  dear,  and  intimate,  and  in  this  respect  "  I  have 
 written  to  you  (saith  the  apostle)  not  to  keep  company  with  for- 
 nicators," (?'.  e.)  not  to  have  any  ordinary,  voluntary,  friendly, 
 dear,  and  intimate  society  with  them.  Alas  !  who  in  his  right 
 wits  would  run  upon  a  man,  whom  he  sees  hath  the  plague-sore 
 running  upon  him  ?  And  what  Christian  in  his  right  mind  spi- 
 ritually, having  any  fear  of  God  iu  his  heart,  life  ui  his  soul,  or 
 
560  Commu7iion  with  Angels. 
 
 tenderness  in  his  conscience,  would  delightfully  thrust  himself 
 into  the  company  of  wicked  men  ?  It  was  writ  of  Jesus  Clirist, 
 that  he  was  "  holy,  harmless,  undefiled,  and  separate  from  sin- 
 ners." And  such  a  separatist  was  David,  "  I  have  not  sat  mth 
 vain  persons,  neither  will  I  go  in  with  dissemblers  ;  I  have  hated 
 the  congregation  of  evil  doers,  and  will  not  sit  with  the  wicked." 
 And  indeed  to  think  of  the  angels'  work  at  the  last  day,  it  were 
 enoui?h  to  make  us  comply,  and  to  prepare  for  such  a  work  all 
 the  days  of  our  life.  Oh 'what  should  we  do  with  them  m  our 
 hearts*  and  dearest  thoughts,  who  shall  have  no  better  compa- 
 nions hereafter  than  devils  and  the  damned  ! 
 
 4.  Confess  Christ  before  men,  that  he  may  confess  you  at  the 
 last  day  before  the  angels  of  God ;  you  may  think  you  are  in 
 prosperity,  and  flourish,  you  fear  not  martyrdom,  there  is  not  the 
 least  occasion  of  the  confession  of  Christ,  his  truth,  and  gospel, 
 unto  death,  or  danger,  as  the  word  imports  :  and  therefore  this 
 last  advice  is  not  seasonable.     But  I  answer,  1 .  We  see  the  bold- 
 ness of  our  common  adversaries  :  error  on  all  hands  grows  inso- 
 lent, and  proud,  and  daring ;  so  that  now  God  calls  to  us  from 
 heaven  '  AVho  is  on  my  side  ?  who  ? '  2.  We  know  not  how  soon 
 occasion  may  be  both  for  confession  and  martyrdom.      One  ob- 
 serves, that '  usually  before  any  great  persecution  befell  the  church, 
 the  holy  men  of  those  times  observed,  that  there  was  some  gi'eat 
 decay  of  zeal,  and  of  the  power  of  godliness,  or  some  mutual  con- 
 tentions and  quarrels  amongst  the  people  of  God,  or  some  such 
 sin  or  otiier  that  provoked  God  against  them ;  and  then,  as  the 
 shepherd  sets  his  dog  upon  the  sheep,  when  they  go  astray,  to 
 bring  them  in,  so  God  lets  loose  wicked  persecutors  upon  his 
 own  children,  to  bring  them  in  unto  himself.    And  he  applies  this 
 to  ourselves.     It  is  true  (saith  he)  through  God's  mercy,  we  yet 
 enjoy  the  gospel  of  peace,  and  the  peace  of  the  gospel;  but  how 
 short  a  time  it  may  continue,  no  man  knows — this  we  know, 
 that  schisms,  heresies,  and  blasphemies,  never  abounded  more  in 
 the  church  of  England  than  at  this  da}^,  that  the  spirit  of  division 
 never  raged  more,  that  profaneness  never  more  outfaced  the  glo- 
 rious sunshine  of  the  gospel,  than  at  this  day ;  and  surely  these 
 are  the  forerunners  of  judgment.'    O  then  let  us  learn  this  lesson, 
 as  we  would  have  comfort  at  the  last  day  !  Come  what  will  come, 
 let  us  confess  him  before  men  ;  let  no  creature  make  us  to  deny 
 the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  if  his  tmth  call  for  it,  let  us  stand  it  out 
 against  all  his  enemies,  yea,  even  against  the  gates  of  hell,  and 
 devil  and  all.     And  then  we  may  comfortably  hope,  that  when 
 Christ  shall  come  in  the  clouds  with  his  mighty  angels,  he  will 
 confess  us,  and  pronounce  a  blessed  sentence  upon  us,  before 
 God,  angels,  and  men.  Amen,  even  so  be  it.  Amen,  and  Amen. 
 
 Printed  by  Henry  Fisher,  at  the  Caxton  Press,  London. 
 
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