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. VIII. Of calling on Jesus in that respect.

1. WE must call on Jesus, or on God the Father in and through Jesus in reference to this gracious Covenant: Now this calling on God containes Prayer and Praise.

1. We must pray: we must use Arguments of Faith challenging 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 Pro∣mises, and what is Prayer but Promises turned into Petitions? Thus prayed the Pro∣phet Jeremy, Do not abhor us for thy Names sake, do not disgrace the Throne of thy Glory, remember, break not thy Covenant with us.—VVhy? Art not thou he the Lord our God? And thus prayed the Prophet Isaiah, Be not wroth very sore, neither remember iniquity for ever, behold we beseech thee; and why so? we ar•• all thy Poople: q. d. Every one doth for its own: the Prince for his People, the Father for his Children, and the Shepherd for his Sheep: and will not God do for his own in covenant with him? Be thy soul in the saddest desertion, yet come and spread the Covenant before God: A Soul in the great∣est depth, swimming on this Covenant of Grace, it keeps it from sinking; whence Christ in his blackest, saddest hour, prayed thus, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Be thy Soul in trouble for sin and prevailing corruption: yet go to God, and plead his Promise and Covenant: say as Johoshaphat, Lord, I am so born down by the power of my sin, that I know not what to do, only mine eyes are unto thee; O do thou subdue mine ini∣quities. Be thy soul troubled for want of strength to do this or that duty; yet go to God and Christ in the Covenant of Grace, and say, Lord thou knowest I have no strength of my self, I am a barren Wilderness, but thou hast entred into a Covenant of Grace with me, that thou wilt put thy Law into my inward parts, thou wilt cause me to keep thy judgments, and do them. Ezek. 36.27. As sometimes thou saidst to Gideon; I have sent thee, there∣fore I will be with thee, Judg. 6.16. Many are apt to set upon their duties in their own strength; but Oh my soul, look thou to the promise of Grace, and of the Spirit, and put them in suit, and alledge them unto Christ. Many are apt to work out their sanctifica∣tions by their VVatchfulness, Resolutions, Vows, Promises made unto God; but alas, were there not more help in Gods Promises which he makes to us, than in our Promises which we make to him, we might lie in our pollutions for ever. O here's the way; in every want, or strait, or necessity, fly to God and Christ, saying, Thou art our Father, and we are thy People, O break not thy Covenant with us. I confess strong expressions and af∣fections are good in Prayer, but surely strength of Faith in the Covenant of God is the greatest strength of our Prayer.

Here it may be some Soul will object, O if I were assured that I were in Covenant with God, thus would I pray: but alas, I am a Stranger, an Alien, and so have been to this very day, I have no part in the Covenant.

I Answer, If thou art not actually in Covenant, yet thou may'st be in Covenant in re∣spect of Gods purpose and gracious intention. Howsoever, to encourage all to seek un∣to God, consider these Particulars.—

1. The Freeness of the Promise in this Covenant of Grace; Come and buy Wine with∣out Money or Money-worth, come, and drink of the Waters of Life freely.

2. The extent of the Promise in this Covenant of Grace: I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; hence the Gospel is compared to a Feast, and God invites universally: As many as you find, bid to the Marriage. As persons are in estate, so they invite, and so they feast: now Christ is a great King over all the Earth; he hath one House that will hold all; he hath one Table that will hold all: yea, he hath one Dish that will serve all; and answerably he invites all: Ho every one that thirsteth.

3. The forwardness of Christ, that gives to every one that asketh, according to his Promise. Hadst thou but asked (said Christ to the Samaritan VVoman) I would have gi∣ven

thee living water. Mark here the occasion of Christ's, words; Christ being weary and thirsty by reason of his Journey, he asked of the Woman a Cup of water to drink; no great matter; he asks but a Cup of water, and the Woman stands at the Well-side where was water enough; yet she gives not, but stands wondering that he being a Jew should ask water of her that was a Samaritan; well, saith Christ, thou deniest me a Cup of cold water, being weary and thirsty, but hadst thou asked of me, I would have given thee water of Life. Wonderful! Christ is more ready to give water of Life, the very Spirit of God, to a poor sinnner, than we are to give a cup of common water to a thirsty Soul. Go then, thou that hast denied the least mercy and kindness to Christ in any of his Mem∣bers, yet seek Grace from him, O look up unto Jesus! ask his Spirit, intreat him to make thy heart new within thee; plead the promise of his Covenant, and wait in hope.

2 We must praise: 1. If we would have the blessing, let us seek it with the same mind that God offers it (i.e.) with a purpose and desire to have Grace exalted; thus Mo∣ses sought pardon to this very end, that his mercy might appear; If thou wilt pardon their sin, thy mercy shall appear] and we shall be thankful unto thee for it; so the words are made out by expositros, which in the text are either passionately or modestly sus∣pended. These are prevailing requests with God, when we plead for the Glorifying of his own Grace. Father, Glorifie thy Name, said Christ; and presently there comes a voice out of the Cloud, I have Glorified it, and I will Glorifie it again. 2. If we have the blessing already, then be sure to ascribe the Glory unto him, that hath made good his promise unto us: who is a God like unto thee, who passest by the transgressions of the rem∣nant of thy Heritage? We should make the praise of his grace to ring through the world, that Heaven and Earth might take notice of it, and wonder at the grace that hath been shewed us. I will mention the loving kindness of the Lord, and the Praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness towards the House of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them, according to his Mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving Kindnesses. See how the Prophet mentions the kindnesses, the loving kindnesses, the multitude of his loving kindnesses; 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; But of this more anon.

Notes

• Jer. 31.16.
• Jer. 14.21, 22.
• Isa. 64.9.
• Ezek. 36.27.
• Judg. 6.16.
• Object.
• Answ.
• Isa. 55.2. Rev. 22.17.
• Mat. 22.9.
• John 4.10.
• Exod. 32.32.
• John. 12.28.
• Micah. 7, 18.
• Isa. 63.7.
• Psal. 103.1.