Looking Unto Jesus by Isaac Ambrose: A View of the Everlasting Gospel.
Section 4.2.9. - Of Conforming to Jesus in that Respect.

BOOK 4. THE INCARNATION.

CHAPTER 2.

4.2.9. Of Conforming to Jesus in that Respect.

Of Conforming to Jesus in that Respect.

Let us conform to Jesus in reference to this great transaction of his incarnation. Looking to Jesus contains this, and is the cause of this; the sight of God will make us like to God; and the sight of Christ will make us like to Christ; for as a looking-glass cannot be exposed to the sun, but it will shine like the same; so God receives none t.o contemplate his face, but he transforms them into his own likeness by the irradiation of his own light; and Christ hath none that dive into these depths of his glorious and blessed incarnation, but they carry along with them sweet impressions of an abiding and transforming nature. Come, then, let us once more look to Jesus in his incarnation, that we may conform and be like to Jesus in that respect.

But wherein lies this conformity or likeness? I answer, in these and the like particulars.

1. Christ was conceived in Mary by the Holy Ghost, so must Christ be conceived in us by the same Holy Ghost. To this purpose is the seed of the word cast in, and principles of grace are by the Holy Ghost infused; "he hath begotten us by the word," saith the apostle, James i. 18. How mean, contemptible or impotent men may esteem it; yet God hath appointed no other means to convey supernatural life but after this manner: "Where no vision is, the people perish:" where no preaching is, there is a worse judgment than that of Egypt, when there was one dead in every family. By the word and Spirit the seeds of all grace are sown in the heart at once, and the heart closing with it, immediately Christ is conceived in the heart.

Concerning this spiritual conception or reception of Christ in us there is a great question, whether it be possible for any man to discern how it is wrought? But for the negative are these texts, "Our life is hid with Christ in God," Col. iii. 3. And "the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, or whither it goeth," John iii. 8. It is a wonderful secret and hidden conception. The Holy Ghost sets out that state of unregeneracy, in which Christ finds us by the name of death, Eph. ii. 1. So that it must needs be as impossible for us to discover how it is wrought, as it is impossible for one to know how he receives his own life. Some say the first act of infusing or receiving Christ, or grace, (they are all one) is wrought in an instant, and not by degrees, and therefore it is impossible to discern the manner: And yet we grant, That we may discern both the preparations to grace, and the first operations of grace.

(a). The preparations to grace are discernable; such are those terrors, and spiritual agonies, which are often before the work of regeneration; they may be resembled to the heating of metals before they melt, and are cast into the mould to be fashioned: now by the help of natural reason one may discern these.

(b). Much more may the first motions and operations of grace be discerned by one truly regenerate, because that in them his spirit works together with the Spirit of Christ; such are sorrow for sin, as sin, and seeking rightly for comfort, an hungering desire after Christ and his merits; neither do I think it impossible for a regenerate man to feel the first illapse of the Spirit into the soul, for it may bring that sense with itself, as to be easily discerned; although it did not always see, nor perhaps usually see; it is true that the giving of spiritual life, and the giving of the sense of it, are two distinct acts of the Spirit; yet who can deny but that both these acts may go together, though always they do not go together? Howsoever it is, yet even in such persons, as in the instant of regeneration may feel themselves in a regenerate estate, this conclusion stands firm, viz. "They may know what is wrought in them, but how it is wrought they cannot know nor understand." We feel the wind, and perceive it in the motions and operations thereof, but the originals of it we are not able exactly to describe; some think the beginnings of winds is from the flux of the air, others from the exhalations of the earth, but there is no certainty; so it is in the manner of this conception, or passive reception of Christ, and grace into our hearts; we know not how it is wrought, but it nearly concerns us to know that it is wrought; look we to this conformity, that as Christ was conceived in Mary by the Holy Ghost, so that Christ be conceived in us, in a spiritual sense by the same Holy Ghost.

2. Christ was sanctified in the virgin's womb, so must we be sanctified in ourselves, following the commandment of God, "Be ye holy, as I am holy;" souls regenerate must be sanctified. Every man (saith the apostle) "that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure," 1 John iii. 3. I know our hearts are (as it were) seas of corruptions, yet we must daily cleanse ourselves of them by little and little: Christ could not have been a fit Saviour for us, unless first he had been sanctified, neither can we be fit members unto him, unless we be in some measure purged from our sins, and sanctified by his Spirit. To this purpose is that of the apostle, "I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God," Rom. xii. 1. In the Old Testament, they did after a corporal manner, slay and kill beasts, presenting them, and offering them unto the Lord; but now we are in a spiritual manner to crucify and mortify the flesh, with the affections and lusts, all our inordinate passions, and our evil affections of anger, love, joy, hatred, are to be crucified: and all that is ours must be given up unto God; there must be no love in us but of God, and in reference to God; no joy in us but in God, and in reference to God; no fear in us but of God, and in reference to God; and thus of all other the like passions. O that we would look to Jesus, and be like unto Jesus in this thing! If there be any honour, any happiness, any excellency, it is in this, even in this, we are not fit for any holy duty, or any religious approach unto God without sanctification, "this is the will of God, (saith the apostle) even your sanctification," 1 Thess. iv. 3. All the commands of God tend to this, and for the comfort of us Christians, we have under the gospel promises of sanctification to be in a larger measure made out unto us, "In that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses, holiness unto the Lord -- Yea, every pot in Jerusalem, and in Judah, shall be holiness unto the Lord," Zech. xiv. 20, 21. Every vessel under Christ and the gospel must have written upon it, holiness to the Lord; thus our spiritual services, figured by the ancient ceremonial services are set out by a larger measure of holiness than was in old times; it is a sweet resemblance of Christ to be holy, for he is still the holy child Jesus, Acts iv. 27 . He was sanctified from the womb, and sanctified in the womb, for our imitation: "For their sakes I sanctify myself, (saith Christ) that they also might be sanctified," John xvii. 19.

3. Christ the Son of man is by nature the Son of God; so we poor sons of men must by grace become the sons of God, even of the same God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. "For this very end? God sent his own Son made of a woman, that we might receive the adoption of sons -- Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ," Gal. iv. 4, 5, 7. This intimates, that what relation Christ hath unto the Father by nature, we should have the same by grace; by nature, "He is the only begotten Son of the Father, and as many as received him, (saith John i. 12, 14.) to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." It is true, Christ reserves to himself the pre-eminence: he is in a peculiar manner, "the first born among many brethren," Rom. viii. 2 6. Yet in him, and for him all the rest of the brethren are accounted as first born: so God bids Moses say unto Pharaoh, "Israel is my son, even my first born; and I say unto thee. Let my son go, that he may serve me, and if thou refuse to let him go, behold I will slay thy son, even thy first born," Exod. iv. 22, 23. And the whole church of God consisting of Jew and Gentile, is in the same sort described by the apostle to be, "The general assembly and church of the first born enrolled in heaven," Heb. xii. 23. By the same reason that we are sons, we are first borns; "If we are children, then are we heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ," Rom. viii. 17 . O who would not endeavour after this privilege? Who would not conform to Christ in this respect?

4. Christ the Son of God was yet the Son of man; there was in him a duplicity of natures really distinguished, and in this respect, the greatest majesty, and the greatest humility that ever was, are found in Christ; so we though sons of God: must remember ourselves to be but sons of men, our privileges are not so high but our poor conditions, frailties, infirmities, sins may make us as low: Who was higher than the Son of God? And who was lower than the son of man; As he is God, he is in the bosom of his Father; as he is man, he is in the womb of his mother; as he is God, his throne is in heaven, and he fills all things by his immensity; as he is man, he is circumscribed in a cradle, I mean a manger, a most uneasy cradle sure; as he is God, he is clothed in a robe of glory; as he is man, he is wrapped in a few coarse swaddling bands; as he is God, he is encircled with millions of bright angels; as he is man, he is in company with Joseph, and Mary, and the beasts; as he is God, he is the eternal word of the Father, All-sufficient, and without need; as he is man, he submits himself to a condition imperfect, inglorious, indigent and necessitous: well, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God, but he made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself," Phil. ii. 5, 6, 7, 8. He that thought it no robbery to be equal with God, humbled himself to become man: we should have found it no robbery to be equal with devils, and are we too proud to learn of God! What an intolerable disproportion is this, to behold an humble God, and a proud man? Who can endure to see a prince on foot, and his vassal mounted? Shall the Son of God be thus humble for us, and shall not we be humble for ourselves? I say, for ourselves that deserves to be cast down amongst the lowest worms, the damnedest creatures? What are we in our best condition here upon earth? Had we the best natures, purest conversations, happiest endowments that accompany the saints, pride overthrows all; it thrust proud Nebuchadnezzar out of Babel, proud Haman out of the court, proud Saul out of his kingdom, proud Lucifer out of heaven. Poor man; how ill it becomes thee to be proud, when God himself is become thus humble? "O learn of me (saith Christ) for I am meek, and humble, and lowly in Spirit, and you shall find rest unto your souls," Matth. xi. 29.

5. The two natures of Christ, though really distinguished, yet were they inseparably joined, and made not two, but one person; so must our natures and persons, though at greatest distance from God, be inseparably joined and united to Christ, and thereby also to God. "I pray (saith Christ) that they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us," John xvii. 21. That union of Christ's two natures we call, a personal hypostatical union; and this union of Christ with us, we call a mystical and spiritual union; yet though it be mystical and spiritual, this hinders not but that it is a true, real, essential, substantial union, whereby the person of the believer is indissolubly united to the glorious person of the Son of God. For our better understanding we may consider (if you please) of a threefold unity, either of persons in one nature, or of natures in one person, or of natures and persons in one Spirit; in the first is one God; in the second is one Christ; in the third is one church with Christ; our union unto Christ is the last of these, whereby he and we are all spiritually united to the making of one mystical body: O what a privilege is this! a poor believer, be he never so mean, or miserable in the eye of the world, yet he is one with Christ, as Christ is one with the Father; "Our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ," 1 John i. 3. Every saint is Christ's fellow, there is a kind of analogical proportion between Christ and his saints in every thing: if we take a view of all Christ, what he is in his person, in his glory, in his Spirit, in his graces, in his Father's love, and the access he hath to the Father, in all these we are in a sort fellows with Christ; only with this difference. That Christ hath the pre-eminence in all things; all comes from the Father to Christ, and all we have is by marriage with Jesus Christ: Christ by his union hath all good things without measure, but we by our union have them only in measure, as it pleaseth him to distribute. But herein if we resemble Christ, whether in his union with the Father, or in his union of the two natures in one person of a Mediator: if by looking on Christ, we come to this likeness, to be one with Jesus Christ: O what a privilege is this! had we not good warrant for so high a challenge, it could be no less than a blasphemous arrogance to lay claim to the royal blood of heaven: but the Lord is pleased so to dignify a poor worm, that every believer may truly say, "I am one with Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is one with me."

To sweeten this union to our thoughts, I shall acquaint you with the privileges flowing from it, and let the same stir you up to conform.

Hence it is that Christ lives in us, and that Christ both gives life, and is our life. "When Christ which is our life shall appear; Christ is to me to live: and I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me," Col. iii. 4. Phil. i. 21. Gal. ii. 20. There is a spiritual and a natural life: for the natural life what is it but a bubble, a vapour, a shadow, a dream, a nothing? But this spiritual life is an excellent life, it is wrought in us by the Spirit of Christ: there is a world of difference betwixt the natural and the spiritual life, and that makes the difference betwixt what I do as a man, and what I do as a Christian: as a man I have eyes, ears, motions, affections, understanding, naturally as my own: but as a Christian I have all these from him with whom I am spiritually one, the Lord Jesus Christ; as a man I have bodily eyes, and I behold bodily and material things, but as a Christian I have spiritual eyes, and see invisible and eternal things, as it is said of Moses, That "he endured as seeing him who is invisible," Heb. xi. 27. As a man I have outward ears, and I hear outwardly sounds of all sorts, whether articulate or inarticulate: but as a Christian I have inward ears, and so I hear the voice of Christ, and of God's Spirit, speaking to my soul: as a man I have bodily feet, and by them I move in my own secular ways, but as a Christian I have spiritual feet, and on them I walk with God in all the ways of his commandments; as a man I have natural affections, and so I love beauty, and fear pain, and hate an enemy, and I rejoice in outward prosperity or the like; but as a Christian I have renewed affections, and so I love goodness, and hate nothing but sin, and I fear above all the displeasure of my God, and I rejoice in God's favour, which is better than life. Surely this is a blessed life: and as soon as ever I am united to Christ, why then "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me," first, Christ is conceived, and then Christ is formed, and then Christ is born, and then Christ grows in me to a blessed fulness: "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you," Gal. iv. 19. Formation follows conception, and travail implies birth; then after this we are "babes in Christ," 1 Cor. iii. 1. Or Christ is as a babe in us, from thence we grow up to strength of youth, "I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong," 1 John ii. 14. And at last we come to gospel perfection, even towards the "measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ," Eph. iv. 13. Is this all? Nay, if my union be firm, and Christ live in me, Why then I go on, and in this condition "I am dead with Christ; and I am buried with Christ: and I am alive again unto God through Christ; and I am risen with Christ; and I am glorified with Christ," Rom. vi. 8. and vi. 4, 11. Col. iii. 1. Rom. viii. 17. Nay, yet more, my sufferings are Christ's, Col. i. 24. And Christ's sufferings are mine; I am in Christ an heir of glory, Rom. viii. 17. And Christ is in me the hope of glory. Col. i. 27. O my Christ, my life, what am I, or what is my Father's house, that thou shouldst come down into me, that thou shouldst be conceived in the womb of my poor sinful heart, that thou shouldst give my soul a new and spiritual life, a life begun in grace, and ending in eternal glory? I shall not reckon up any more privileges of this union, methinks I should not need; if I tell you of grace and glory, what can I more? Glory is the highest pitch, and Christ tells you concerning it, "The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one," John xvii. 22. Ah, my brethren! to be so like Christ as to be one with Christ, it is near indeed; O let us conform to Christ in this; he is one with our nature in and hypostatical, personal union; let us be one with him in a spiritual, holy and mystical union; if God be not in our persons as truly, though not as fully as in our nature, we have no particular comfort from this design of his personal, hypostatical and wonderful union.

6. Christ was born, so must we be new-born; to this I have spoken when I laid it down as an evidence. That "unto us a child is born, and unto us a Son is given," only one word more; we must be newborn; as once born by nature, so new-born by grace; there must be some resemblances in us of Christ born amongst us. As,

(a). Christ born had a Father in heaven, and a mother on earth; so in our new birth we must look on God as our Father in heaven, and on the church as our mother on earth; it was usually said, "Out of the church no salvation," and to this the apostle alludes, "Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all," Gal. iv. 26. Indeed out of the church there is no means of salvation, no word to teach, no sacraments to confirm, nothing at all to hold forth Christ to a soul, and without Christ how should there be the salvation of souls? so that we must look on the church as our mother, and on God as our Father; not that we deny some to be as spiritual fathers unto others, Paul tells the Corinthians, that he was their father, "Though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel," 1 Cor. iv. 15. But alas! such fathers are but ministerial fathers, and therefore Paul seems to correct himself, "Who is Paul? And who is Apollos? But ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?" 1 Cor. iii. 5. It is God only is our Father principally, originally, supremely: God only puts grace and virtue into the womb of the soul: it is not possible that any creature should be a creator of the new creature. O then let us look up unto heaven and say, "O Lord, new-make me, new-create me, O be thou my Father."

(b). When Christ was born, all Jerusalem was troubled; so when this new birth is, we must look for it. That much commotion, and much division of heart will be, the devil could not be cast out of the possessed person; but he would exceedingly tear and torment the possessed person: the truth is we cannot expect that Christ should expel Satan from those holds and dominions he hath over us, but he will be sure to put us to great fear and terror in heart. Besides not only the evil Spirit, but God's Spirit is for a while a Spirit of bondage, to make every thing as a mighty burden unto us: there are many pretenders to the grace of God in Christ, but they cannot abide to hear of any pains or pangs in this new birth; O this is legal? but I pray thee tell me, dost thou ever know any woman bring forth in her sleep or in a dream, without feeling any pain? And how then should the heart of man be thus new changed and moulded without several pangs? Look, as it is in the natural birth, there are many pangs and troubles, "In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children." so it is, and must be in our spiritual birth, there is usually (I will not say always, to such or such a degree) many pangs and troubles, there is many a throb, and many an heart ache, ere Christ can be formed in us.

(c). When Christ was born, there was discovery of many of the glorious attributes of God; then, "Mercy and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each other;" then especially was a discovery of the goodness, and power, and wisdom, and holiness of God. So when this new birth is, we must look upon it as a glorious discovery of those lovely attributes. As,

(i). Of his mercy, goodness, love; how often is this called his grace, and the riches of his grace? Christian! you that know what the new birth means, do not you say. The goodness of God appears in this. Surely it was God's goodness to make a world, but this is the riches of his goodness to create a new heart in you, when man by sin was fallen, he might have been thrown away as refuse, fit fuel for everlasting flames; it might have been with mankind as it was with devils, in their deluge God did not provide an ark to save so many as eight persons, not one angel that fell was the object of God's grace; and that God should pass by all those angels, and many thousands of the sons of men, and yet that he should look upon you in your blood, and bid you live, O the goodness of God!

(ii). As of the goodness, so in this new birth there is a discovery of God's power; and hence it is called, "A new creature," Gal. vi. 15. The very same power that framed the world, is the framer of this new creature; the work of conversion is set forth by the work of creation; God only creates man, and God only converts man; in the creation God said, "Let there be light, and there was light:" in our conversion, God saith, "Let there be light," and presently the same God shines in our hearts: nay, this power of conversion, in some sense far passeth the creation, "To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed," Isa. liii. 1. The Lord puts to his arm his power, his strength indeed in conversion of souls: when he made the world, he met with nothing to resist him, he only spake the word, and it was done; but, in the conversion of a sinner, God meets with the whole frame of all creatures opposing and resisting him, the devil and the world without, and sin and corruption within; here then must needs be a power against all power.

(iii). As of the power and goodness of God, so in this new birth there is a discovery of the wisdom of God, I might instance in many particulars; as,

(d). As of the goodness, power, and wisdom of God, so in this new birth there is a discovery of the holiness of God. If a clod of earth, or piece of muck should be made a glorious star in heaven, it is not more wonderful than for a sinner to be made like an angel, doing the will of God: it argues the holiness of God, and his love of holiness, to make man holy; he tells us, That "without holiness none shall see God;" and therefore first he will make us holy, and then he will bring us to himself. O here is a blessed conformity! as Christ was born let us be new-born.

7. Christ, after his birth, did and suffered many things in his childhood (I should be too large to speak to every particular) so should we learn to « bear God's yoke even in our youth," Lam. iii. 29. It is good to imitate Christ even betimes, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them," Eccl. xii. 1. Do we not see by experience, what a blessed thing a gracious and an holy education is? "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it," Prov. xxii. 6. O ye parents, that ye would do your duties, and in that respect imitate Joseph and Mary, in their care and nurture of the holy child Jesus; and O ye children, that ye would do your duties, and imitate Jesus the blessedest pattern that ever was, that as you grow in stature, you also might "grow in favour with God and man," Luke ii. 52. Observe him in the temple, when he was but twelve years old, see him in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions; children while little (if but capable of instruction) should with their parents wait on God in the midst of our assemblies; Moses told Pharaoh, they must have their young ones with them to the solemn worship, Exod. x. 9. And when Joshua read the law of God to the children of Israel, they had their little ones with them in that solemn assembly, Joshua viii. 35. Observe Christ also in Nazareth, where, during his minority, he was ever subject to his parents; so, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right," Eph. vi. 1, 2. Not only the law of God, but the gospel of Christ makes mention of this, "Honour thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise;" I know the subjection of Christ extends to his particular calling, and this also is for your imitation; in obedience to his supposed father the holy child would have a particular employment; something must be done for the support of that holy family wherein Jesus lived, and to that purpose he puts to his own hands, and works in the trade of a carpenter; such as will live idle, and without a calling, that serve for no other use but to devour God's creatures, and to make a dearth, O how unlike are they to Christ Jesus? It is noted for a grievous sin, and a chief part of the corruption of our nature, to be unprofitable to the generation with whom we live; "They are altogether become unprofitable, there is none that doth good," Rom. iiL 12. Religion and grace wherever it prevaileth, makes men profitable, and, in this respect the poorest servant and drudge may have more comfort in his estate, than the greatest gentleman that hath nothing to do but to eat, and drink, and play.

Thus far we have looked on Jesus as our Jesus in his incarnation, or his first coming in the flesh. Our next work is to look on Jesus carrying on the great work of man's salvation, during his life, from John's baptism, until his suffering and dying on the cross.