BOOK 5. THE MESSAGE.
CHAPTER 5.
5.5.3. Of Desiring after Jesus in that Respect.
Of Desiring after Jesus in that Respect.
Let us desire after Jesus, carrying on the work of our salvation in his life: it is not enough to know and consider, but we must desire; our meditation of Christ should draw forth our affections to Christ; and amongst all affections, I place this first of all, a desire after Christ.
But what is it in Christ's life that is so desirable? I answer. Every passage or particular named; yea, every thing of Christ is desirable (named or unnamed;) all that concerns Christ in any kind whatsoever (if to the former particulars, I should add a thousand and a thousand more) it is very precious, and excellent, and necessary, and profitable, and comfortable, and therefore desirable; but to put them in order.
1. The meanest things of Christ are desirable things; the very filings of gold; the dust or sparkles of precious stones are of real price and value, yea, of much worth: yea, the very leaves of the tree of life are healing; the very hem of Christ's garment, but even touched, sends forth its virtue; the meanest and worst things of Christ are incomparably to be desired above all things: the dust of Zion; the very ground that Christ's feet treadeth on; anything that hath the poorest relation to Jesus Christ, it is desirable for him. Hence we read, that one poor woman sought no more of him but to wash Christ's feet, and to kiss them; another woman breathes out these desires after Christ, Matth. ix. 21. "If I may but touch the hem of his garment, I shall be whole." Mary Magdalene sought only to have her arms filled with his dead body: Joseph of Arimathea was of the same mind. O the bloody winding-sheet, together with the dead and torn body of Christ in his arms are most precious and sweet. Christ's clay is silver: and his brass gold: John the Baptist thinks it an honour to "unloose the latchets of his shoes" John i. 27. David, though he was a great prophet, and appointed to be a king over Israel, yet his soul pants thus, Psal. lxxxiv. 10. "O that I might be so near the Lord, as to be a door-keeper in the house of my God." Yea, he puts an happiness on the sparrow, and the swallow, that may build their nests besides the Lord's altar. Psalm lxxxiv. 3.
2. The more considerable actions of Christ are especially desirable. Oh my soul, wouldst thou but run through his life, and consider some of his more eminent actions, in relation to his friends, or in relation to his enemies, what desires would these kindle in thine heart after Christ?
(a) To his friends, he was sweet and indulgent; where there was any beginnings of grace he did encourage it; so was the prophecy, Matth. xii. 20. "A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench:" nay, where there was but a representation of grace, he seemed to accept of it: thus, when the young man came and said, Mark x. 17. "What good thing shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He embraced him, and made much of him, verse 21. "Then Jesus beholding him, he loved him." And so the scribe, that asked him, "Which is the first commandment of all?" Mark xii. 28. In the conclusion Christ told him, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God," verse 34. He laboured to pull him further, in telling him, he was not far from heaven and glory. And so the people that fainted for the bread of life, that were "scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd," Matth. ix. 36. "He was moved with compassion on them," (esplagknisthe auton.) He was bowelled in heart; his very bowels were moved within him.
(b) To his enemies, he was kind and merciful; many a time he discovers himself most of all unto sinners; he was never more familiar with any at first acquaintance, than with the woman of Samaria that was an adlulteress: and Mary that had been a sinner, how sweetly did he appear to her at the first view? How ready was he to receive sinners? How ready to pardon and forgive sinners? How gracious to sinners after the pardon and forgiveness of sin? See it in Peter, he never cast him in the teeth with his apostacy. He never upbraided him with it; He never so much as tells him of it, only he looks upon him, and afterwards "Lovest thou me? O Peter, lovest thou me? Why Peter, lovest thou me?" Often he was wronged and injured by men, but what then? Was he all on a heat? Did he call for fire down from heaven to destroy them? Indeed his disciples, being more flesh than Spirit, would fain have had it so; but he sweetly replies, "O! You know not what spirits ye are of; the Son of man is not come to destroy mens' lives, but to save them," Luke ix. 55, 56. Sometimes we find him shedding tears for those very persons that shed his precious blood, "Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, etc. -- If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things belonging to thy peace," etc. Why, O my soul, if thou wouldst but run through such passages as these, how desirable are they? Well might "they sing in that day in the land of Judah," Isa xxvi. 1, 8. "In the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee, the desire of our soul is to thy name, and the remembrance of thee."
3. The ever blessed and holy person of Christ is desirable above all, Cant. v. 10, 16. "My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousands." -- Yea, he is altogether lovely or desirable: so Vatablus renders it, Christus est tota desideria Christ is all desires. If the actions of Christ be desirable, what must himself be? If the parings of his bread be so sweet, what must the great loaf, Christ himself be? Christ is admirable in action and person, but above all, his person is most admirable; no creature in the world yields the like representation of God, as the person of Jesus Christ; "He is the express image of the person of his Father," Heb. i. 3. As the print of the seal on the wax is the express image of the seal itself, so is Christ the highest representation of God he makes similitude to him, who otherwise is without all similitude. And hence is it that Christ is called the "standard bearer of ten thousands," Cant v. 10. All excellencies are gathered up in Christ, as beams in the sun. Come, poor soul! Thy eyes run to and fro in the world, to find comfort and happiness; thou desirest after worldly honour, worldly pleasure, worldly profits, cast thy eyes back and see heaven and earth in one; look, if thou wilt, at what thy vast thoughts can fancy, not only in this world, but in the world to come; or, if thou canst imagine more variety, see that, and infinitely more, shining forth from the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. No wonder if the saints adore him. No wonder if the angels stand amazed at him. No wonder if all creatures veil all their glory to him. Oh! What are all things in the world to, Jesus Christ? Paul compares them together, (ta panta,) all things with this one thing, Phil iii. 8. "And I account all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ." (And I account all things,) Surely all things is the greatest count that can be cast up, for it includeth all prices, all sums; it takes in earth, and heaven, and all therein, that are but created things, q.d. Nations, and all nations; gold, and all gold; jewels, and all jewels; angels, and all angels: all these, and every all besides all these; what are they in comparison of Christ, but as feathers, dung, shadows, nothing? If there be anything worthy a wish, it is eminently, transcendently, originally in the Lord Jesus Christ; there is no honour, no felicity, like that which Christ hath; some are sons, Christ is an only son; some are kings, but Christ is King of kings, some are honourable, none above angels, Christ is above angels and archangels, Heb. i. 5. "To which of the angels said he at any time. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?" Some are wealthy, Christ hath all the sheep on a thousand hills; the very utmost parts of the earth are his; some are beautiful, Christ is the fairest of all the children of men; he is spiritually fair, he is all glorious within: if the beauty of the angels (which I believe are the beautifulest creatures the world has) should be compared with the beauty of Christ, which consists in the perfection of the divine nature, and in the perfection of his human nature, and in the perfection of the graces of this Spirit, they would be but as lumps of darkness: the brightest cherub is forced to screen his face from the dazzling and shining brightness of the glory of Christ: alas! The cherubim and seraphim are but as spangles and twinkling stars in the canopy of heaven, but Christ is the Sun of righteousness, that at once illuminates and drowns them all.
Come then, cast up thy desires after Christ, breathe, O my soul, after the enjoyment of this Christ: fling up to heaven some divine ejaculations, "Oh that this Christ were mine! Oh that the actions of Christ, and the person of Christ were mine! Oh that all he said, and all he did, and all he were from top to toe were mine! Oh that I had the silver wings of a dove, that in all my wants I might fly into the bosom of this Christ! Oh, that I might be admitted to his person! Or, if that may not be, O, that I may but touch the very hem of his garment! If I must not sit at table. Oh, that I might but gather up the crumbs: surely there is bread enough in my Father's house: Christ is the bread of life! This one loaf, Christ, is enough for all the saints in heaven and earth to feed on: And what, must I pine away, and perish with hunger? Oh, that I might have one crumb of Christ! Thousands of instructions dropped from him while on earth: Oh, that some of that food might be my nourishment! "Oh, that my ways were directed according to his statues," Psal. cxix. 15. Many a stream, and wave, and line, and precept flowed from this fountain Christ: Oh, that I might drink freely of this water of life! He hath proclaimed it in mine ears, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink," John vii. 37. Oh, that I might come, and find welcome! Why, sure I thirst, I am extremely athirst, I feel in me such a burning drought, that either I must drink, or die; either the righteousness of Christ, the holiness of Christ, the holiness of his nature, and the holiness of his life must be imputed unto me, or farewell happiness in another world: Why, come, come. Lord Jesus, come quickly: Oh, I long to see the beauty of thy face! Thy glory is said to be an enamouring glory: Such is thy beauty, that it steals away my heart after thee: and cannot be satisfied, till with Absalom, I see the king's face. Come, Christ! Or if thou wilt not come, "I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, I am sick of love," Cant. v. 8.