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 IX. Of Conforming to Jesus in that respect.

9 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 several perticulars:

1. God in Christ offers his Covenant to us; so we through Christ should embrace his Offer.

2. God in Christ keeps Covenant with us; so we through Christ should be careful to keep Covenant with him.

3. God in Christ hath highly honoured us as we are his People: so we through Christ should highly honour him as he is our God.

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 A∣dam. 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 Covenant, I will be thy God: q. d. Come Soul, if thou wilt but have me, I am thine, here I offer my self, my son, my spirit, Ju∣stification, Sanctification, Adoption, Salvation: whatsoever I am, or whatsoever I have, all is thine, if thou wilt but accept of me: Look over all this wide, wide world, and if there be any thing in it that can please thy soul; and when thou hast gone through all the world, then come and take a view of me, and see me in my glory, beauty and excellency; view me in my Attributes, and see if thou findest not enough in me worthy of thy acceptance: all this, and more than this, nay more than eye can see, or ear can hear, or heart can conceive I offer to thee, if thou wilt but have me; Loe, I will he thy God. So Christians! God is

first with us, he is the first mover, he begins with us before we begin with him: I will bring them (saith God) into the bond of the Covenant. Now in this let us conform; doth he offer? O let us embrace the offer! doth he lead the way? O let us follow him step by step in that very way as he goes before us! Let us not prescribe unto God, let not us presume to appoint the Conditions of the Covenant; let us not seek to wind about the Promise of Grace to our own Mind and Will: let us not say, We will have it thus, thus and thus it shall be or else we will admit of no conditions of peace: But, O come, take God and Christ upon his own Terms; submit to that way of the Covenant, and to those conditions of peace which the Lord prescribeth; why? this is to conform to his gracious offers. There is much of this offer of Christ and conforming to Christ, and there∣fore give me leave to enlarge. As in the offer God usually scatters some little seeds of Faith in the hearts of those that he will bring to himself; so it is worth the while to ob∣serve the work of Faith in receiving and accepting of this gracious offer; only I shall not herein limit the Lord; but I will shew what some conceive the most usual and ordinary course of Faiths working, and of the souls conforming to Jesus Christ in its closing with Christ. As thus—

1. Faith hearing the great things proposed in the Covenant of Grace, it stirs up in the heart a serious consideration of their blessed condition, that are in covenant with God; Blessed art thou O Israel, a People saved by the Lord—What Nation in the Earth is like thy People, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a People unto himself? Time was, (saith the Soul) that I counted the proud blessed, and the rich blessed, and the honoura∣ble blessed; time was when I placed my blessedness in other things, as in Riches, Pre∣ferments, Favour, Credit with men; but now these are become vile, and things of no value; Faith makes us change our voice, and to speak as the Psalmist, Blessed are the People whose God is the Lord.

2. Faith stirs in the heart a longing desire after this condition; good being believed, cannot but be desired and longed for; Desire naturally springs from the apprehension of any good being made known; hence Faith (we say) is both in the understanding and in the will; as it is in the understanding, it opens the eye to see, and clearly to discern the Blessing of the Covenant; as it is in the will, it pursues and desires the attaining of the Grace revealed; nor are these desires faint desires, but very earnest, eager, violent; sometimes it is called a thirsting after God; and sometimes a panting after God; and sometimes a gasping after God: it is such a desire as cannot be satisfied by any thing with∣out God himself.

3. Faith stirs in the heart some hope to enjoy this condition; I say some hope; for Faith being as yet in the Bud, or in the Seed, though its desire be strong, yet hope of obtaining is but feeble and weak; hence Faith is taken up with many thoughts: fain would the Soul be joyned to Christ, but being as yet dismayed with the sense of Sin, it stands like the Publican, afar off; as yet Faith can scarce speak a word to God, only with Jonah, it can look towards his holy Temple. As a poor weak babe who lies in the Cradle sick, and weak, and speechless, only it can look towards the Mother for help; the cast of the eye expresseth in some sort what it would say; thus Faith being weak, it would speak to God, but it cannot, or dares not; only it hath its eye to∣wards Heaven; as Jehoshaphat sometimes said, Our eyes are towards thee. It feels a need, and fain would have; but sense of unworthyness, and the sense of the Law strikes such a fear into the heart, that it dares not come near. Consider Israels Case, and we shall find it parallel to this: God proclaims on the Mount, I am the Lord thy God: what was this, but Gods offer to be in Covenant with Israel? and yet the terrour of the Thunder was so great, that Israel durst not come near: a poor Soul hearing the Lord to offer himself to be in Covenant in him, Come soul, I am the Lord thy God. Why alas it dares not come near: What am I the Lord? or what is my Fathers House, that I should enter into a Covenant with the most high God? The Soul is unquiet within it self, it is hurried to and fro, and finds no rest; it hears of Peace with God, but feels it not; there is much ado with the Soul to sustain its hope; only Faith sets the mind again and a∣gain to consider the promises, invitati••••••, and all other incouragements which God hath given in his Word.

4. Faith stirs in the heart some resolves to go to Gods Throne, and to sue for Grace; Faith speaks within as they did, Who can tell whether the Lord will return? And, it may be the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. So, Who can tell? saith the Soul; It may be the Lord will, saith the Soul: and this begets some resolves

as those Lepers in Samaria knew they were sure to perish, if they sate still; therefore they resolved to try whether the Aramites would save them: Or as Esther, knowing all was undone if she would not stir, she would try whether the King would hold out his Golden Scepter: So the poor Soul, knowing there is no way but perishing, if it continue in its Na∣tural State, therefore it resolves to go to God: Doth the Lord say, Seek my Face? Why, thy Face Lord will I seek.—Doth the Lord say, Come unto Me? Why, Behold Lord, I come unto Thee; for Thou art the Lord our God. And now, the Soul betakes it self unto God, it sends up Complaints of it self, it laments its own sinful Rebellions, it puts out a whole Vol∣ley of Sighs, Groans, and strong Cryes towards Heaven; it confesseth with Grief and bitter Mourning, all its former Iniquities; it smites, with Repenting Ephraim, upon its Thigh; it lyes down at God's Foot-stool, it puts its Mouth in the Dust; it acknowledgeth God's Righteousness if He should condemn, and cast off for ever; and yet withal, it pleads for Grace, that it may be accepted as one of His: It sayes unto God; Lord, I have nothing to plead, why Thou may'st not Condemn me; but if Thou wilt receive me, Thy Mercy shall appear in me: O let Thy Mercy appear, take away all Iniquity, and receive me graciously. Thus the Soul lyes at God's Throne, and pleads for Grace.

5. As Faith is thus earnest in suing to God for Grace, so it is no less vigilant and watch∣ful in observing what Answer comes from the Lord; even as the Prisoner at the Bar, not only cries for Mercy, but he marks every Word which falls from the Judges Mouth, if any thing may give him Hope; or as Benhadad's Servants lay at catch with the King of Israel, to see if they could take occasion by any thing which fell from him, to plead for the Life of Benhadad: So the poor Soul that is now pleading for Life and Grace, it watch∣eth narrowly, to see if any thing may come from God, any Intimation of Favour, any Word of Comfort, that may tend to Peace. O let me hear Joy and Gladness.—I will hear what the Lord will say; for He will speak Peace unto His People.

6. As Faith waits for an Answer, so accordingly it demeans it self.

1. Sometimes God answers not, and Faith takes on, and follows God still, and cryes after Him with more Strength; as resolving never to give over, till the Lord either save or destroy: Nay, if the Lord will destroy, Faith chuseth to die at God's Feet; as when Joab was bidden to come forth from the Horns of the Altar, and to take his Death in another Place; Nay, (saith Joab) but I will dye here: Or, as when Christ saw no Delive∣rance come in His Agony, He Prayed more earnestly: So a poor Soul, in the Time of its Agony, when it is striving as for Life and Death, if Help come not at first Call, it prayes again, and that more earnestly. Faith is very urgent with God; and the more slack the Lord seems in answering, the more earnest is Faith in plying God with its Prayers: It will wrestle with God, as Jacob with the Angel; it will take no Denyal, but will crave still: Bless me, even me also; O send me not away without a Blessing!

2. Sometimes God answers in part; He speaks as it were out of a Dark Cloud; He gives some little Ease, but He speaks not full Peace: In this manner He speaks to the Wo∣man; Go thy way, and sin no more: He doth not say; Go in Peace, thy Sin is forgiven thee; No, no; but, Go thy way, and sin no more. Hereby Faith usually gets a little Strength, and looks after the Lord with more Hope; It begins to plead with God, as Moses did; O Lord, Thou hast begun to shew Grace unto Thy Servant; go on, Lord, to manifest unto me all Thy Goodness. Here Faith takes a little hold on the Covenant of Grace: It may be the Hand of Faith is feeble, shaking and trembling; yet it takes a little Hold, it receives some En∣couragement, it finds that its former Seeking is not in vain.

3. Sometimes God answers more fully and satisfactorily; He applyes some Promise of Grace to the Conscience by His Spirit; He lets the Soul feel & taste the Comforts of him∣self, or of such and such a Promise, more effectually than ever before: Fear not, (saith God) for I am thy God. Here Faith waxeth bold, and with a glad Heart entertains the Promise brought Home unto it. The Apostle calls this the Embracing of the Promises: Now, Embracing implies an Affectionate Receiving with both Arms opened: So the Soul em∣braceth the Promise, and the Lord Jesus in the Promise; and having Him, like Simeon, in his Arms, it layes Him in the Bosom, it brings Him into the Chamber of the Heart, there to rest and abide for ever. And now is the Covenant struck betwixt God, and the Soul: Now the Soul possesseth God in Christ, as her own; it rests in Him, and is satisfyed with Him, it praiseth God for his Mercy, as Simeon did, when he had Christ in his Arms; it commits it self wholly, and for ever to that Goodness and Mercy, which hath been revea∣led to it.

O my Soul, Hast thou come thus by little and little, to touch the Top of Christ's Golden

Scepter? Why then, Is thy Hand given to God? Then art thou entred into a Covenant of Peace? Christ's Offering, and thy Receiving the Covenant of Grace, bears a sweet A∣greement, an harmonious Conformity.

2. God in Christ keeps Covenant with us; so we through Christ should be careful and diligent to keep Covenant with God: In the Things of this Life, a strict Eye is had to the Covenants we make. Now, it is not enough for us to enter into Covenant with God; but we must keep it: The Lord never will, never hath broken Covenants on His Part; but Alas! we on our Parts have broken the first Covenant of Works: 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.

There is much also in this keeping of the Covenant; and therefore, give me leave a little to enlarge. Sundry Acts of Faith are required to this keeping of the Covenant: As thus,—

1. Faith in keeping the Covenant, hath alwayes an Eye to the Rule and Command of God: As in Things to be believed, Faith looks on the Promise; so in Things to be practi∣sed, Faith looks upon 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 in 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, & for Him: For none of us liveth to himself, and no Man dieth to himself; for whether we live, we live unto the Lord; & whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's. Again, He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them. This God claims as His right and due: Thou shalt glorifie Me, saith God: Yes, saith Faith, I will glorifie thee for ever.

3. Faith in keeping the Covenant, shields the Soul against all Hinderances that it meets withal: As for instance, Sometimes we are tempted on the Right Hand 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 overcomes the World, by setting afore us better Things than these: Sometimes we are tempted on the Left Hand, by Crosses, Afflictions, Persecutions, and Sufferings for the Name of Christ; but then Faith helps us to overcome, and makes us Conquerours through Christ that loved us, by setting before us the End of our Faith and Patience. It is said of Jesus, That for the Joy that was set before Him, He endured the Cross and despised the Shame.

4. Faith encourageth the Soul, that the Lord will have a Gracious Respect unto its keeping Covenant: In every Nation he that feareth Him, and worketh Righteousness, is ac∣cepted with Him. Surely this is no small Encouragement to well-doing: What would not a Servant do, if he knew his Lord will 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 spo∣ken or done to the Glory of God, but God takes notice of it, and accepts it in good part. Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkned, and heard it; and a Book of Remembrance was written before Him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His Name.

5. Faith furnisheth the Soul with Strength and Ability to keep the Covenant: By Faith we get a Power and Strength of Grace. As thus: —

1. By Faith we look at Christ, as having all Fulness of Grace in Himself; It pleased the Father, that in Him should all Fulness dwell: All others have but their Measures, some more, some less, according to the Measure of the Gift of Christ; but Christ hath received the Spirit, not by Measure, but in the Fulness of it.

2. By Faith we know, that whatever Fulness of Grace is in Christ, He had it not for Him∣self only, but for us: He received Gifts for Men, said the Psalmist; not for Himself meer∣ly, but for Men: Of His Fulness we receive Grace for Grace, saith John: His Wisdom to make us wise, His Meekness to make us meek, and His Patience to make us patient.

3. By Faith we look at Christ, as Faithful to distribute such Grace unto us, as He recei∣ved for us: He is Faithful in all the House of God; He is Faithful in dispensing all the Trea∣sures of Grace committed unto Him, for His Churches Good: He keeps nothing back: His Faithfulness will not suffer Him to keep that to Himself, which He hath received for us. Hence as the Psalmist saith, He received Gifts for Men; so the Apostle renders

it, He gave Gifts unto Men: As he receives, so he gives; being faithful in all that is com∣mitted to Him.

4. By Faith we seek God, and beg Performance of his Promises according to our need: Do we want Wisdom, Meekness, Patience, or any other Grace? Faith carries us by Prayer unto the Fountain, and in this way waits and expects to receive the Grace we want. As the Child by sucking the Breast, draws forth Milk for its own Nourishment, and thereby it grows in Strength; so do we by the Prayer of Faith, suck from Christ, and from the Promise of Grace, and by that means derive Strength to our inner Man, to fulfil the Covenant which we have made with God.

6. As Faith strengthens us; so if at any times, by occasion or temptation, we fail in our Covenant-keeping, Faith recovers us, and restores us again to our former Estate: I do not say, the Covenant can be broken betwixt God and Us; we may offend God, and fail in the Service of God; but till we refuse God, and leave God, and chuse another Ma∣ster, Lord, and Husband besides God, there is no Dissolution of the Covenant of Grace. Now, this a true Believer cannot do; He may fall, and fall often; yet he doth not fall, but he rises again: he may turn aside, but yet he returns again into the way of the Cove∣nant. What a sweet Point is this? Christians, We may, and sometimes we do walk weakly, in keeping of Covenants; our feet slip, and we step aside out of God's Path; yet Faith brings us back again to God: It casts Shame on our Faces, that after all the Grace shewed us, we should so ill requite God: It reminds us of those Promises, Re∣turn unto Me, and I will return unto you. —Ye have done all this Wickedness, yet turn not aside from following the Lord: — For the Lord will not forsake his People, for his Great Names sake, because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his People. In the minding of these, and such other Promises, Faith doth encourage us to return unto God, to take words unto our selves, and to plead the Covenant of his Grace towards us: This VVork of Faith brought Peter back to Christ; whereas Judas wanting this Faith, lies down in de∣sperate Sorrow, never able to rise up, or to recover himself.

O my Soul! Art thou acquainted with these Acts of Faith, enabling thee in some good measure to keep Covenant with God? Then is there a sweet Conformity betwixt Thee, and Jesus.

3. God in Christ hath highly honoured us, as we are his People; so we through Christ should honour Him highly, as He is our God: This is the main End of the Covenant; and I shall end with this: O 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; O then hum∣ble thy self to advance Him; endeavour every way to exalt his Name.

We are willing to be in Covenant with God, that we may set up our selves, that we may sit upon Thrones, and possess a Kingdom: But we must think especially of set∣ting 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 will not? The World knows Him not; The Wicked will not seek after God, — God is not in all his Thoughts. And, Shall God have no Honour? Shall He that stretched out the Heavens, and laid the Foundations of the Earth, and formed Man upon it, have no Glory? O yes! The Lord Himself answers; This People have I formed for My Self, they shall shew forth My Praise: Surely, God will have Praise from his own People, whom he hath taken unto Himself: He will be glorifyed in all those that come near Him.

But, How should we honour God? I answer: —

1. We must set Him up as chief and highest in our Esteem: Kings acount not them∣selves honoured, if they be not set above other Men: And hence God's People have used such Expressions concerning God, as do single Him forth beyond the Comparison of all Creatures. Thus Moses; Who is like unto Thee amongst the Gods? Who is like unto Thee, glorious in Holyness▪ fearful in Praises, doing Wonders? Thus David; Thou art Great, O Lord God, for there is none like Thee, neither is there any God besides Thee, according to all that we have heard with our Ears. Thus Solomon; Lord God of Israel, there is no God like unto Thee in Heaven above, or in the Earth beneath; who keepest Covenant and Mercy with Thy Servants? Thus Micah; Who is a God like unto Thee, which passest by the Trans∣gressions of the Remnant of thine Heritage? And thus should we rise up in our Thoughts and Apprehensions of God, until we come to an Holy Extasie and Admirati∣on of God.

2. We must count it our Blessedness, and highest Dignity, to be a People in Covenant with God: Are we Honourable? Yet esteem this as our greatest Honour, that God is our God: Are we low and despised in the World? Yet count this Honour enough, that God hath lifted us up to be his People. Christians, if when we are counted as things of nought, we can quiet our selves in this, that God is our God; if when we are persecuted, imprisoned, distressed, we can say with Jacob, I have enough, because the Lord hath Mer∣cy on me, and hath taken me into Covenant with Him: surely then we do bear Witness of God before Heaven and Earth, that He is better to us than Corn, or Wine, or Oyl, or whatsoever this World affords.

3. We must lie under the Authority of every Word of God, and we must conform our selves to the Examples of God; that is, we must labour to become 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 Godly Example: we cannot honour God more, than when we are Humbled at his Feet to receive his Word, than when we renounce the Manners of the world, to become his Followers as dear Children. O think of this! for when we conform indeed, then are we Holy as he is Holy, and Pure as he is Pure; and then, How should this but tend to the Honour and Glory of our Good God?

Thus far we have Looked on Jesus, as our Jesus, in that dark Time, before His Coming in the Flesh: Our next Work is to Look on Jesus, carrying on the Great VVork of Man's Salvation, in His First Coming or Incarnation.

Notes

• 2 Cor. 3.18.
• Deut. 33.29. 2 Sam. 7.2.3.
• Psal. 144.15.
• 2 Chr. 20.12.
• Jonah. 3.9. Amos. 5.15.
• Jer. 3.22.
• Luke 22.44.
• John 8.11.
• Isa. 41.10.
• Heb. 11.13.
• Psal. 103.17, 18.
• Rom. 14.7, 8. 2 Cor. 5.15. Psal. 50.15. Psal. 86.12.
• Heb. 12.2.
• Acts 10.33.
• Mal. 3.16.
• Col. 1.19.
• John 3.34.
• Psal. 68.18. John 1.16.
• Heb. 4.2.
• Psal. 68.18.
• Ephes. 4.8.
• Zech. 1.3. 1 Sam. 12.20, 22.
• Deut. 32.3.
• Psal. 10.4,
• Isa. 43.21.
• Lev. 10.3.
• Exod. 15.11. 2 Sam. 7.22.
• 1 King. 8.22.
• Micah 7.18.
• Deut. 31.3. Ephes. 5.1.