THE CONCLUSION.
The Conclusion.
And now, my brethren, I have done the errand which Christ sent me on, I verily believe, I have now delivered this work of the everlasting gospel, or of Christ's carrying on the great work of man's salvation, and it hath been somewhat long in speaking, but, Oh! how long in acting? May I give you a short view of what I have said, and of what hath been acted from eternity; and will yet be acted to eternity; you may remember, that God, in his eternity, laid a plot or design to glorify the riches of his grace in saving sinners; and to that purpose;
1. He decreed a Christ.
2. Presently after the fall, he promised the Christ he had decreed.
3. In fulness of time he exhibited the Christ that he had promised; then it was, that the same Christ took upon him our nature, and joined it to his Godhead to be one person; and, in that person, he was born, and lived, and died, and rose again, and ascended into heaven: there now he hath been sitting, sending down the Holy Ghost, and interceding for his saints, for above one thousand six hundred years; and, in this last work, he will continue till the end of the world, and then he will come again to judge the world, and to receive his saints to himself, that where he is they may be with him, to see and enjoy him to all eternity.
This is the epitome of all I have said, only in every particular I have set down Christ's actings towards us, and our actings towards Christ; in various forms, and outgoings of his love he hath acted towards us; and in various forms, and outgoings of our souls we have been taught fitly and suitably to act towards him.
Now, in all these actings how doth the free grace of God in Christ appear? "Ye are saved by grace, saith the apostle," Eph. ii. 5. The decree, the means, the end of our salvation is grace, and only grace. The decree is grace, and therefore it is called, "The election of grace," Rom. i. 5. The means are of grace, and therefore "we are called according to his grace," 2 Tim. i. 9. And, "we are justified freely by his grace," Rom. iii. 24. And the end is of grace for, "eternal life is the gift of God," Rom. vi. 25. Both beginning, and progress, and execution is all of grace, "This is the riches of his grace," Eph. i. 7, "the exceeding, the hyperbolical riches of his grace," Eph. ii. 7. The conclusion of all, is this, God's free grace, which was first designed, will at last be manifested, and eternally praised by saints and angels; the same free grace, which from the beginning of the age of God, from everlasting, drove on the saving plot and sweet design of our salvation, will at last be glorified to purpose: when heaven's inhabitants will be ever digging into this golden mine, ever rolling this soul-delighting and precious stone, ever beholding, viewing, enquiring, and searching into the excellency of this same Christ, and this free grace. Now all is done, shall I speak a word for Christ, or rather for ourselves in relation to Christ, and so an end? If I had but one word more to speak in the world, it should be this; Oh! let all our spirits be taken up with Christ, let us not busy ourselves too much with toys, or trifles, with ordinary and low things, but look unto Jesus. 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 cur happiness; Christ is the pearl hid in the large field of God's word; Christ is the scope of all the scripture; all things and persons in the old world were types of him; all the prophets foretold him, all God's love runs through him, all the gifts and graces of the Spirit flow from him, the whole eye of God is upon him, and all his designs both in heaven and earth meet in him; the great design of God is this, That "he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him," Eph. i. 10.
All things are summed up in this one Jesus Christ, if we look on the creation, the whole world was made by Christ, if we look on providences, all things subsist in Christ, they have their being, and their well-being in him. Where may we find God but in Christ? Where may we see God but in this essential and eternal glass? Christ is "the face of God," 2 Cor. iv. 6. "The brightness of his glory, the express image of his Father's person," Heb. i. 3. The Father is (as it were) all sun, and all pearl; and Jesus Christ is the substantial rays, the eternal and essential irradiation of this sun of glory: Christ outs God as the seal doth the stamp: Christ reveals God, as the face of a man doth reveal the man, so Christ to Philip, "He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father," John xiv. 9. q.d. I am as like the Father as God is like himself: there is a perfect indivisible unity between the Father and me, "I and the Father are one;" one very God, he the begetter, and I the begotten: Christ is the substantial rose that grew out of the Father from eternity: Christ is the essential wisdom of God; Christ is the substantial word of God, the intellectual birth of the Lord's infinite understanding: Oh the worth of Christ! compare we other things with Christ, 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 scales kings, and all kings, and all their glory, why, he is King of kings; cast into the scale millions of talents weight of 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 with 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? "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself," 2 Cor. v. 19. Where may we find compassion, mercy, and gentleness to sinners, but only in Christ? It is Christ that takes off infinite wrath, and satisfies justice, and so God is a most lovely, compassionate, desirable God in Jesus: 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 treasury, store-house, and magazine of the free goodness and mercy of the Godhead. In him we are elected, adopted, redeemed, justified, sanctified and saved; he is the ladder, and every step of it betwixt heaven and earth; he is the way, the truth and the life, he is honour, riches, beauty, health, peace and salvation; he is a suitable and rich portion to every man's soul: that which some of the Jews observe of the manna, that it was in taste according to every man's palate, it is really true of Christ, he is to the soul, whatsoever the soul would have him to be. All the spiritual blessings wherewith we are enriched, are in and by Christ: God hears our prayers by Christ: God forgives us 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.
Oh! how should all hearts be taken with this Christ? Christians! turn your eyes upon the Lord: "Look, and look again unto Jesus," Why stand ye gazing on the toys of this world, when such a Christ is offered to you in the gospel? Can the world die for you? Can the world reconcile you to the Father? Can the world advance you to the kingdom of heaven? As Christ is all in all, so let him be the full and complete subject of our desire, and hope, and faith, and love, and joy; let him be in your thoughts the first in the morning, and the last at night. Shall I speak one word more to thee that believest? Oh! apply in particular all the transactions of Jesus Christ to thy very self; 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, 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 the world will come again for thee, and receive thee to himself, to live with him forever and ever. Surely if thus thou believest and livest, thy life is comfortable, and thy death will be sweet. If there be any heaven upon earth, thou wilt find it in the practice and exercise of this gospel duty, in "Looking unto Jesus."