Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of Jesus as carrying on the great work of mans salvation from first to last / by Isaac Ambrose ...

SECT. III. Ʋse of Reproof.

WEll then, is inward experimental looking unto Jesus a choice, an high Gospel-Ordinance? [Ʋse 1] how may this reprove thousands? 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's few that have a care of this choice, of this high Gospel-Ordinance: I shall therefore reprove both the ungodly, and godly.

1. For the ungodly, not God, nor Christ is in all their thoughts. Alas! they never heard of such a Duty as this; they cannot tell what it means, to Look unto Jesus. Nor speak I only of poor Indians, and other Savages of the unchristian world, whose souls are over cloud∣ed with the blackest mists of irreligion, that the Prince of darkness can possibly inwrap them in, who came into the world, not knowing wherefore; and go out of the world, not knowing whither, an heavie case, which cannot sufficiently be bewailed with tears of blood; But I speak of such as live with in the Paradise of the Christian Church, that have nothing to distinguish them from those Indian miscreants, but an outward conformity, 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 dayes without number, they have negligently suffered me to be out of their minds, and that for a long time. You will say, is there any such here? Can I tax any of you, that you should not Look up to Jesus? are not your eyes towards Christ in your prayers, praise, soliloquies, publick and private Duties? Nay, are not you now in the Duty, whilest 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's not done to purpose; as if our looking to Christ makes us not like Christ; a man may give a thousand glances every day towards Christ, yet if there be no effectual impression upon the heart, Christ takes it as if he had never looked towards him at all.

2. When it's done unwillingly. Sometimes men think of Christ, but they know not how to shun it; the Lord breaks in upon their spirits whether they will or no, whereas their own temper is to follow, & to pursue other objects: thus you drop into our assem∣blies out of custome, or fashion, or for some sinister end, and here is Christ lifted up upon the pole, he is discovered in his beauties, graces, sweetnesses, excellencies; but when you see him, you say, he hath no forme nor comliness; there is beauty that we should desire him. Let no man deceive himself; though he cast his eyes towards Heaven all the day long, if he love not this work, he doth nothing, he Looks not at Jesus.

3. When it's not done according to the rule; this is not to eat the Lords Supper, said Paul to his Corinthians; no question they did eat it, but because it was not done after its due manner, he saith, this is not to eat the Lords Supper. Many think of Christ, and Look up to Jesus, but because their thoughts are not holy, awful and subjecting to the Spirit, in no way proportionable to the goodness and glory of the Son of God, they look loosely, carelesly, and carnally upon him, he therefore reckons it as not done: this is not to Look unto Jesus.

4. When a man makes it not his course and trade to look unto Jesus. A man may come unto a Carpenters house, & take up his tools, & do somthing at his work, but this makes him not a Carpenter, because it is not his trade. The best Saints sin; yet because it is not their trade and course, they are said, not to sin: whosoever is born of God, sinneth not. And so ungodly men may look, and muse, and meditate, 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.

Why now consider, you that plead that you are Christians, & 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, nor according to rule, nor as it is your trade; is it not with you, as it is with them of whom Christ spake; many will say to me at that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in they name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and 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. Surely Christ will say to you one day, I know you not, I was a stranger to you upon earth; I could not have an eye from you, but when your lazie idle spirits pleased: and now out of my sight, I'le never own you, nor look upon you more.

2. For the godly, are not they careless of this Duty? O their excursions from God! sad dejections of spirit! inordinat affections of the world! and in the mean-while, O the neglect of this Gospel-ordinance, even amongst Saints themselves! I know not whether, through want of skill, or through want of will; but sure I am, this duty lies dormant, neglected of most of the people of God: their faults I may express in these respects. —

1. In not sending out their understandings, in not pointing their minds towards Jesus. I write unto you (said the Apostle) to stir up your pure minds, by way of remembrance; it is in the Original 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to awaken your pure minds; and it was but need. See how David calls upon himself, Awake my glory! and see how Deborah calls upon her self, Awake, awake Deborah, awake, awake, utter a song. Awaking is a word that imports rouzing, as birds that provoke their young ones by flight to make use of their wings; now, how few are there that thus call upon themselves? it was the Prophets complaint, no man stirs up himself, to take hold of God. O what a shame is this? is it fit that our understandings, which God hath entrusted us withal, 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 stuft with vanity, nothing, worse then nothing? O that such glorious creatures as our souls, should lacquey after every creature, which should be in attendance upon Christ, which should be like Angels, waiting and standing in the pre∣sence of our God! O that such glorious things as our immortal spirits, should run after vanity, and so become vain; which if rightly improved, should walk with Angels, should lodge themselves in the bosom of the glorious God! Do we not see how Christ is sending out to us continually? 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?

2. In not bending of their minds to this work. It may be the mind looks up, but it's so feeble, that like an arrow shot from a bow weakly bent, it reacheth not the mark. It is the wise mans counsel, Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all they might. O that Gods people should be so lazie, dull, sluggish, sloathfull in this spiritual work! As Jesus said to the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? So may I ask believers in their looking unto Jesus, What went ye out to see? when you crawle, & move, as if you had no hearts nor spirits within you, whom go ye forth to see? what, him that is the Lord of glory? what, him that is the brightness of his Fathers glory, and the express image of his person? what, are such heavy & 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. & are you only languishing, weak, and feeble, in things of so great concernment? Oh that Christians should be cold in spirituals, & hot in the pursuit of earthly 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, at least, till it come to some profitable issue? is not Christ worthy on whom our souls should dwell? Certainly if we love our Jesus, that love will hold us; Christ then will be in our thoughts, and minds, and we cannot off him: as the load-stone having drawn the iron, it keeps it fast to it self; so if love draw our hearts, it holds it fast to the object loved. Christ himself acknowledgeth such an operation of love upon himself, Turn away thine eyes, for they have overcome me;

thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse, with one of thine eyes: Christ was held in the galleries, and captivated with love to his people, so that his eyes was ever upon them; nay he could not get his eyes off them, Can a mother forget her child? no more can I forget you; and is Christ so tender in his love towards us, that he ever minds us, and shall our minds be so loose to him? so fluttering, and fleeting? shall there be no more care to bind our selves in cords of love to him, who hath bound himself in such cords of love to us?

4. In not dayly exercising this blessed Duty; it may be now and then they are a∣wakened, and they get up into heaven to see their Jesus, but it is not dayly. Oh con∣sider! Is this now and then going to heaven within the vail, to live the life of friends? is this to carry our selves as children? what, to be so strange at home? but now and then, once in a month, in a year, 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 Solomons wisdom, Oh said she, Blessed are those thy ser∣vants that always stand before thee, and hear thy wisdom; if she were so taken with Solomon, remember that a greater than Solomon is here; and shall we deprive our selves of that blessedness, which we might enjoy by standing always in the presence of Christ, to hear his Wisdom, and to behold his Glory?

Oh my Brethren, let us take shame to our selves, that to this day we have been so careless in sending, bending, 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 on that Law day and night; how then is he to be reproved, that neither meditates on the Law of the Lord, nor on the Lord, the Law-maker, day and night? O alas! we keep not a con∣stant course, we are not daily in the exercise of viewing Jesus; nay, I fear, we look upon this Duty of looking unto Jesus, as a questionable thing; it seems to many as a Duty unknown, unheard of, unthought of, it is not in their notice, and how should it be in their practice? But I leave this first Use.

Notes

• 1 John 5.19.
• Psal. 10.4.
• Jer. 2 32.
• Isa. 53.2. Isa. 52.3.
• 1 Cor. 11.20.
• 1 Iohn 5.18
• Matth 7.22
• Vers 23
• 2 Pet. 3.1 Psal. 57.8 Judg 7.12
• Isa. 64.7
• Eccl. 9.10
• Matt 11.7
• Heb. 1 3.
• Cant. 6.5.
• Isa. 49.14.
• 1 King 10.8.
• Psal. 1.2.