BOOK 2. FROM ETERNITY.
CHAPTER 2.
2.2.9. Of Conforming to Jesus in that Respect.
Of Conforming to Jesus in that respect.
We must conform to Jesus; we must fix our eyes on Jesus for our imitation; that also is the meaning of this looking in the text, And, in respect of our predestination the apostle speaks so expressly, "He did predestinate us to be conformed to the image of his Son," Rom. viii. 29. This is one end of predestination, and this is one end of looking unto Jesus, nay it is included in it. A very look on Jesus hath a power in it to conform us to the image of Jesus. "We are changed by beholding," saith the apostle, 2 Cor. iii. 18. Oh when I see God's love in Christ to me even from all eternity, how should this but stir up my soul to be like Jesus Christ? Where there is a dependence, there is desire to be like even among men; how much more considering my dependence on God in Christ, should I desire to be like Christ in disposition! All the question is, What is this image of Christ, to which we must be conformed? I answer holiness, and happiness: but because the latter is our reward, and the former is our duty, therefore look to that.
But wherein consists that? I answer, in that resemblance, likeness, and conformity to Christ in all the passages fore-mentioned: and in every of these must we conform to Christ. As --
1. Christ is the Son of God; so must we be God's sons. "As many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God," John i. 12. O what lies upon us in this respect; "If I be your Father, where is mine honour?" Mal. i. 6. And, "if ye call on the Father, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear," 1 Pet. i. 17. God looks for more honour, fear, reverence, duty and obedience from a son than from the rabble of the world: if thou art God's son, thy sins, more offend God than the sins of all the reprobates in the world; why, alas, thy sins are not mere transgressions of the law, but committed against the mercy, bounty, and goodness of God, vouchsafed unto thee; thy sins have a world of unthankfulness joined with them, and therefore how should God but visit? "You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore will I visit you for all your iniquities." Amos iii. 2. O think of this, you that are God's sons, and conform to Christ, for he was an obedient Son.
2. Christ the Son of God delights in the Father, "and his delight is also with the sons of men so must we delight in the Father, and delight in his children. "Delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart," Psalm xxxvii. 4. "And the saints that are on the earth are they, in whom is all my delight," saith David, Psalm xvi. 3. It is storied of Dr. Taylor, That, being in prison, he could delight in God: and he rejoiced that ever he came into prison, because of his acquaintance with that angel of God, as he called Mr Bradford, O this is heaven upon earth! not only God, but the very saints of God, are sweet objects of delight. Mark them, and if they be saints indeed, they are savoury in their discourse, in their duties, in their carriages: their example is powerful, their society profitable, how should we but delight in them?
3. God and Christ laid this plot from all eternity. That all the world would do should be "to the praise of the glory of his grace:" so must we purpose this as the end of all our actions, "Whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, we must do all to the glory of God," 3 Cor. x. 31. But especially if from God we receive any spiritual good, then give all again to the glory of his grace. "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever," (saith Daniel ii. 20, 23) for wisdom and might are his; -- And I thank thee and praise thee, O God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might. An excellent spirit of wisdom and might wrought in Daniel, and he acknowledges all to the Giver: "wisdom and might are his." Christians, if you feel grace in your hearts, I beseech you acknowledge it to Christ. He does all; he subdues lusts, heals wounds, stays inward issues, sets broken bones, and makes them to rejoice; and therefore let him have the glory of all; do you acknowledge grace in its latitude to the God of all grace.
4. God and Christ counselled about our salvation; there was a great conflict in the attributes of God: justice and mercy could not be reconciled, till the wisdom of Gcd found out that glorious and wonderful expedient, "the Lord Jesus Christ:" so let us counsel about our salvation: the flesh and the spirit whereof we are compounded, draw several ways; the flesh draws hell-ward, and the spirit heaven-ward: Come then, call we in heavenly and spiritual wisdom to decide this controversy; you may hear its language in Job xxviii. 28. "Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding." If we would draw heaven-ward and save our souls? Come then, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man," Eccl. xii. 13 Keep his commandments in an evangelical sense, i.e. look at the expedient, Jesus Christ, who hath kept them for us, and in whom, and through whom our imperfect obedience is accepted with God.
5. God and Christ loved us with an everlasting love, so must we love him who hath first loved us; this is the nature of spiritual love, that it runs into its own ocean, "O love the Lord all ye his saints!" Psal. xxxi. 23. Who hath more cause to love him than you have? Who hath been loved so much? Or who hath so much come under the power of love as you have? Hath not Christ loved you, not only with a love of well wishing, which is from everlasting (some call it the love of election, the fountain of love, the well head of salvation) but also with a love of complacency? Hath not Christ shed abroad his love into your hearts, and shall lie lose by it? Will not these cords of love draw up your hearts to love him again? Sure it is but reason to love him, who hath first loved you, yea, and loved you when you were unlovely, and had nothing in you worthy of love. Christians! then it was that Christ loved you in rags, it is meet therefore that you should love him in robes.
6. God and Christ appointed, or purposed us unto salvation: his love was a sure, and settled, and firm, and constant love, "The purpose of God according to election must stand," Rom. ix. 11. So must we love him, and cleave unto him forever: "I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always even unto the end," Psalm cxix. 112. David's heart was much taken with the statutes of God, and therefore he gives this expression of the fulness of his heart, "always and even to the end," It is a kind of pleonasm, his resolutions were such, that he would never depart from his God.
7. God and Christ decreed, booked and sealed our salvation; and so must we put to our seal that God is true, i.e. we must believe on Christ; for when we believe we make Christ's word good. He that believes not, makes God a liar (as ye have heard) in that he frustrates, or endeavours to frustrate Christ's undertaking in his predestination.
8. God and Christ entered into covenant concerning our salvation: so must we enter into covenant with him; we must take him to be our God, and give up ourselves to be his people: -- Why thus we must in all particulars conform to Christ. The sum of all is this. We must be like Christ in grace, and gracious actings.
O my soul, see to this grace, see to this conformity to Jesus Christ in gracious actings, and this will enable thee to read thy name written in the book of life. O abhor and repel that devil's dart, "I am predestinate, and therefore I may live as I list." How contrary is this, to the apostle, "He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love?" Eph. i. 4. "And, as the elect of God, put on bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forgiving one another, even as Christ forgave you?" Col. iii. 12, 13. This conformity to Christ in grace is the very effect of our predestination: O look unto Jesus and be in grace like unto Jesus: why, Christ is full of grace, a vessel filled up to the lip, or very brim, "Thou art fairer than the children of men, and grace is poured into thy lips," Psal xlv. 2. Christ was as it were grace speaking, Luke iv. 22. Grace sighing, weeping, dying, Heb. ii. 9. Grace living again, and now dropping, or rather raining down floods of grace on his living members, Eph. iv. 11. Christ is the great apple tree, dropping down apples of life, Cant. ii. 3. And all that falls from this tree, as apples, leaves, shadows, smell, blossoms, are but pieces of grace fallen down from him, who is the fulness of all, and hath filled all things. Christ is the Rose of Sharon, Cant. ii. 1. and every leaf of this rose is an heaven, every white and red in it is grace and glory, every act of breathing out its smell from everlasting to everlasting, is spotless and unmixed grace: why then, my soul, if thou wilt conform to Christ, conform in this: "be holy as he is holy, of that fulness of grace that is in him, do thou receive, even grace for grace," John i. 16.
Christians! where are we? O that ever men should hear of so much grace, and of such acts of grace in that eternity before all worlds, and yet no impression of grace upon their hearts! O that God and Christ should both be in that business of eternity: that heaven, hell? justice, mercy, souls and deep wisdom should be all in that rare piece, and yet that men should think more of a farm, an ox, an house, a pin, a straw, or the bones of a crazy livelihood! O look up! look up! if thou art Christ's consider what he hath done for thy soul; why art thou "predestinate to be conformed to the image of Christ."
Thus far we have looked on Jesus, as our Jesus, in that eternity before all time until the creation: our next work is to look on Jesus, carrying on the great work of man's salvation in the creation, the beginning of time, until his first coming.