BOOK 5. THE MESSAGE.
CHAPTER 5.
5.5.4. Of Hoping in Jesus in that Respect.
Of Hoping in Jesus in that Respect.
Let us hope in Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation in his life. By this hope I mean, not a fluctuating, wavering, doubtful hope, but an assured hope, and hope well grounded. The main soul question is, Whether Christ's life be mine? Whether all those passages of his life laid open, belong unto me? Whether the habitual righteousness, and actual holiness of Christ be imputed unto my justification? And what are the grounds and foundations on which my hope is built? The Apostle tells us, 2 Thess. ii. 16. "that God gives good hopes through grace:" if hope be right and good, it will manifest itself by operations of saving grace. O look into thy soul! What gracious effects of the life of Christ are there? Certainly his life is not without some influence on our spirits, if we are his members, and he be our head; the head, we say, communicates life, and sense, and motion to the members, and so doth Christ communicate a spiritual life, and sense and motion to his members: O the glorious effects flowing out of Christ's life into a believer's soul! I shall lay down these. As; --
1. If Christ's life be mine, then am I freed from the law of sin; this was the apostle's evidence, Rom. viii. 2. "For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin." Christ's life is called "the spirit of life," because of its perfection: and this Spirit of life hath such a power in it, here termed a law, that it works out in believers a freedom, from the law, or power in sin. I cannot think, notwithstanding the influence of Christ's life on me, but that sin still sticketh in me; I am still a sinner in respect of the inherency of sin, but I am freed from the power of sin, (i.e.) from the guilt of sin, as to its condemning power, and from the filth of sin, as to its ruling, reigning power, Rom. vi. 12. "Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof."
I grant there is some difference among divines in their expressions, concerning the sins of God's own people, though they mean one and the self same thing. Some call them only "the sins of infirmity;" and others grant the name of reigning sins, but with this limitation, That this is not a total reigning. Sin reigneth as a tyrant ever them, not as a king: at sometimes (as in David's case) the will and consent may run along with sin: no actual resistance, may be made against sin at all: and yet at the very same time, "The seed of God remained in them," 1 John iii. 9. though it seem dead, and in God's good time, that very seed will revive again, and throw out the tyrant: there is not, cannot be that antecedent, and consequent consent to sin in the godly as in the wicked: O my soul, consider this, if the virtue of Christ's life come in, it will take down that sovereign high reign of sin, which the wicked suffer, and will not strive against; the flesh indeed may sometimes lust against the Spirit, but it shall not totally prevail, or get the upper hand, Rom. vi. 14. "Sin shall not have dominion over you." Sin may tyrannize it in me for a time, but it shall not king it in me. Look to this! Doth the power and dominion of Christ's life throughout thy heart and life, that kingly power and dominion of my sin? Here is one ground and hope.
2. If Christ's life be mine, then shall I walk even as he walked. Such is the efficacy of Christ's life, that it will work suitableness, and make our life in some sort like his life. The apostle observes, that our communion with Christ works on our very conversations, 1 John ii. 6. "He that abideth in him, walks even as he walked," And to this purpose are those holy admonitions, Eph. v. 2. "Walk in love, as Christ also loved us." And, John xiii. 15. "I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done unto you." And, 1 Pet. i. 15. "As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation." Then is Christ's life mine, when my actions refer to him as my copy, when I transcribe the original of Christ's life (as it were) to the life. Alas! What am I better to observe in the life of Christ, his charity to his enemies, his reprehensions of tile Scribes and Pharisees, his subordination to his heavenly Father, his ingenuity towards all men, his effusion of love towards all the saints, if there be no likeliness of all this in my own actions? The life of Jesus is not described to be like a picture in a chamber of pleasure, only for beauty and entertainment of the eye, but like the Egyptian hieroglyphics, whose very feature is a precept, whose images converse with men by sense and signification of excellent discourses; to this purpose saith Paul, 2 Cor. iii. 18. "We all with open face, beholding, as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory." Christ is the image of his Father, and we are the images of Christ: Christ is God's master-piece, the most excellent device, and work, and frame of heaven that ever was, or ever shall be; now, Christ being the top excellency of all, he is most fit to be the pattern of all excellencies whatsoever; and therefore he is the image, the idea, the pattern, the platform of all our sanctification. Come then, O my soul, look unto Jesus, and look into thyself, yea, look and look, till thou art more transformed into his likeness: is it so that thou art changed into the same image with Christ? Look into his disposition as it is set forth in the gospel; look into his carriage, look into his conversation at home and abroad, and then reflecting on thyself, look there, and tell me, canst thou find in thyself, a disposition suitable to his disposition, a carriage suitable to his carriage, a conversation suitable to his conversation? Art thou every way like him in thy measure, in gospel allowance, in some sweet resemblance? Why then, here is another ground of hope; O rejoice in it, and bless God for it.
3. If Christ's life be mine, then shall I admire, adore, believe, and obey this Christ. All these were the effects of those several passages in Christ's life respectively.
(a). They admire at his doctrine and miracles; for his doctrine, "All bare him witness, and wondered at those gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth," Luke iv. 22. And for his miracles, "They wondered and they glorified the God of Israel" Matt. xv. 31. Yea, sometimes their admiration was so great, Mark vi. 51. "That they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered," Luke ix. 43. "They were amazed at the mighty power of God, and they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did."
(b). And as they admired, so they adored, Matt. viii. 5. "There came a leper and worshipped him, saying, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." And there came a ruler and worshipped him, saying, "My daughter is even now dead, come lay thine hand on her, and she shall live," Matth ix. 18. "And they that were in the ship, came and worshipped, saying, "Of a truth thou art the Son of God," Matth. xiv. 33. The very worshipping of Christ confesseth thus much, that he is "the Son of God."
(c). And as they adored, so they believed, Mark ix. 23, 24. "If thou canst believe," (said Christ to the Father of the possessed child,) "all things are possible to him that believeth: and straightway he cried out, and said with tears. Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief." And when many of his disciples fell away, then said Jesus to the twelve, Will ye also go away? Peter answers for the rest, "To whom shall we go!" -- Why, Lord, "We believe, and art sure thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," John vi. 66, 69. Not only worshipping of Christ, but believing in Christ, is a right acknowledgment that Christ is God.
(d). And as they believed, so they obeyed: "Ye have obeyed from the heart," (said Paul to his Romans,) "That form of doctrine which was delivered to you," Rom. vi. 17. No sooner Peter and Andrew heard the voice of Christ, "Follow me," but they left all and followed him: and no sooner James and John heard the same voice of Christ, "Follow me," but they left the ship and followed him. Matt, iv. 19, 20, 22. And no sooner Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom, heard that voice of Christ, "Follow me," but he rose and followed him, Matth. ix. 9. "Why then are ye my disciples indeed, (saith Christ to the believing Jews) if ye continue in my "word," John viii. 31. Come then, put thyself, O my soul, to the test: thou hast seen and heard the wonderful passages of Christ's life; the baptism of Christ, the fastings of Christ, the temptations of Christ, the manifestations of Christ, the doctrine of Christ, the miracles of Christ, the holiness of Christ, and is this the issue of all? Dost thou now begin to admire, and adore, and to believe, and to obey this Christ? Is thy heart warmed? Thy affections kindled? Forbs tells us, That the word of God hath three degrees of operations in the hearts of his chosen. First, It falleth to mens' ears like the sound of many waters, a mighty great and confused sound, and which commonly brings neither terror nor joy, but yet a wondering and acknowledgment of a strange force, and more than human power. That is that effect which many felt hearing Christ, when they were astonished at his doctrine, as teaching with authority, what manner of doctrine is this? Never man spake like this man, Mark i. 22. The next effect, is the voice of thunder, which bringeth not only wonder, but fear also, Luke iv. 32, Not only filleth the ears with sound, and the heart with astonishment, but moreover shaketh and terrifieth the conscience, John vii. 46. The third effect is the sound of harping, while the word not only ravisheth with admiration, and striketh the conscience with terror, but also, lastly, filleth it with sweet peace and joy. In the present case, give me leave to ask, O my soul, art thou struck into an amaze, at the mighty miracles and divine doctrine of Jesus Christ? Dost thou fall down and worship him as thy Lord and thy God? Dost thou believe in him, and rely on him for life and salvation? Dost thou obey him, and follow the Lamb which way soever he goes? Dost thou act from principles of grace, in newness of life, and holiness of conversation! Dost thou walk answerable to the commands of Jesus Christ, or, at least, is there in thee an earnest endeavour so to walk, and is it the sorrow of thy soul, when thou obeyest thy failings? And dost thou rejoice in spirit, when thou art led by the Spirit? Why, then here is another ground of hope, that virtue is gone out of Christ's life into thy soul.
4. If Christ's life be mine, then, "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me," Gal. ii. 20. Paul speaks on this evidence, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live," etc. He conjoins the death of Christ, and the life of Christ, in one and the same soul, q.d. No man knows the benefits of Christ's death, but he that feels the virtue of Christ's life; there is no assurance of Christ's dying for us, but as we feel Christ living in us; if the power of Christ's death mortify my lusts, then the virtue of Christ's life will quicken my soul: but what means he by this, "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me?" I live, It seems some paradox, "I live, yet not I;" but a right interpretation reconciles all; as this, I live to God, and not unto myself, I live to Christ, and not unto the world; I live according to the will of God, and not after my own lust and fancy, or, as some would have it, I live under grace, and not under the law, q.d. "Sometimes I lived wholly under the law, which made me a persecutor of the church of God, which wrought in me all manner of concupiscence, and slew me, and then I found myself to be dead in sin; but now I have embraced Christ, and I am no more the man I was: Now I feel Christ quickening, ruling, guiding, and strengthening me by his Spirit; now I live spiritually, and holy, not of myself but from another." The very whole of Christians is from Christ; Christ is both fountain-filling, and life-quickening, "I live, yet not not I, but Christ liveth in me," Christ's life hath an influence, infusion, transmission into ourselves in reference to spiritual life: look, as the heavens by an influence into the earth, do quicken and enliven the heart, make all the seeds and roots hidden in the earth to revive and put forth themselves, so there is an influence that goes forth from the Sun of righteousness into the souls of men, reviving and quickening them, and making them of dead to become living, and of barren to become fruitful. Mal. iv. 2. "To you shall the Sun of righteousness arise, with healing in his wings, and ye shall go forth and grow up as the calves in the stall." O my soul! question thyself in these few particulars; dost thou live to God and not to thyself; dost thou live to Christ and not to the world? dost thou derive thy life from Christ? and hath that life of Christ a special influence into thy soul? Dost thou feel Christ living in thy understanding and will, in thy imaginations and affections: in thy duties and services?
(a). In thy understanding, by prizing the knowledge of Christ, by determining to know nothing in comparison of Christ?
(b). In thy will, by making thy will free to choose and embrace Christ, and by making his will to rule in thy will?
(c). In thy imagination, by thinking upon him with more frequency and delight, by having more high and honourable, and sweet apprehensions of Christ, than of all the creatures?
(d). In thy affection, by fearing Christ above all earthly powers, and by hearing Christ above all earthly persons?
(e). In thy duties and services, by doing all thou dost in his name, by his assistance, and for his glory? Why then, here is another ground of thy hope, surely thou hast thy part in Christ's life.
Away, away, with all dejecting doubts and perplexing fears! While Christ was in Augustine's eye, he said, "I dare not despond, I know who hath said it, and I dare build upon it: this anchor of hope thus cast out; and fastening upon Christ, it would be admirably useful, when billows of temptations beat upon souls: this helmet of hope, thus used, would keep off many blows, whereby the comforts of distrustful spirits are many times sadly battered." O my soul, look to the grounds of thy hope, if thou findest the power of sin dying in thee, if thou walkest as Christ walked; if thou admirest, adorest, believest, and obeyest thy Christ; if thou livest, and livest not, but indeed and in truth, it is Christ that lives in thee: why, then, thou mayest comfortably hope and assure thyself, that Christ's habitual righteousness, and actual holiness is imputed to thy justification: thou mayest confidently resolve that every passage of Christ's life, (so far as legal or moral) belongs unto thee. What? would ever Christ have come with his power against the power of sin, if he had not meant to rescue thee? Would Christ ever have set thee a copy, and have held thy hand and thy heart, to have writ legibly after him, if he had not meant thee "for a scribe instructed into the kingdom of heaven?" Matt. xiii. 52. Would Christ in his several actings have set himself before thee, as the object of admiration, adoration, belief and obedience, if he had not meant to own thee, and to be owned by thee! Would Christ ever have come so near to thee, as to have lived in thee, to have been the soul of thy soul, and the life of thy life, the All of thy understanding and will, imaginations and affections, duties and services, if he had not purposed to have "saved thee by his life?" Rom. v. 10. Surely, "it is good, that I both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of God," Lam. iii. 26. I cannot hope in vain if these be the grounds of my hope.