BOOK 5. THE MESSAGE.
CHAPTER 5.
5.5.5. Of Believing in Jesus in that Respect.
Of Believing in Jesus in that Respect.
Let us believe in Jesus, carrying on the great work of our salvation in his life.
Many souls stand aloof, not daring to make a particular application of Christ, and his life to themselves: but herein is the property of faith, it brings all home, and makes use of whatsoever Christ is or does for itself. To ponder Christ's actions during his life, and the influence of his actions to all that are his, what is this to me, unless I believe my own part in all this? "Oh I dare not believe," (cries many a poor soul,) "Is it credible, that Jesus Christ the Son of God, the brightness of his Father's glory, the express image of his Father's person, should he incarnate for me, and lead such a life upon earth for my soul? What, to be baptised, to be tempted, to manifest himself in the form of man, to whip the buyers and sellers out of his temple, to preach up and down the gospel of the kingdom, to work miracles among men, to send abroad his apostles with a commission to preach, to invite sinners, to ease the burden of duties, and, in a word, to publish the righteousness of his nature and life; and all this, and a thousand times more than all this for my soul? O what am I, or what is my father's house? If God should let me live one year in heaven, it were infinite mercy: but that the God of heaven should live so many years on earth, and that all that while he should empty himself in watching, fasting, praying, preaching, for my sake: Oh, the depth! Oh, the depth! I cannot believe."
Sweet soul, be not faithless but believing; I know it is an hard and difficult thing, but to help on a trembling soul, I shall first direct, and then encourage.
First, For direction, let souls be acquainted how to act their faith on Christ in respect of his life. The manner of his proceedings, I suppose is thus.
1. Faith must directly go to Christ. Many poor souls humbled for sin, and taken off from their own bottom, they run immediately to the promise of pardon, and close with it, and rest on it, not seeking for, or closing with Christ in the promise: this is a common error among thousands: but we should observe, that the first promise that was given, was not a bare word, simply promising pardon, peace, or any other benefit, which God would bestow, but it was a promise of Christ's person, as overcoming Satan, and purchasing those benefits, Gen. iii. 15, "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." So, when the promise was renewed to Abraham, it was not a bare promise of blessedness and forgiveness, but of "that seed," that is "Christ," Gal. iii. 6. in whom that blessedness was conveyed, Gen. xxii. 18. "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." So that Abraham's faith first closed with Christ in the promise, and therefore he is said to see Christ's day, and to rejoice in embracing him. Christ, in the first place, and more immediately, is every where made the thing which faith embraceth to salvation, and whom it looks unto, and respects, as it makes us righteous, in the sight of God, John iii. 16. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," John xi. 25, "I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live," Acts xiii. 39. "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses," Acts xvi. 31. And, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," Acts x. 43. And "to him gave all the prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins." And hence it is, that faith is called "the faith of Christ," Gal. ii. 16, Phil. iii. 19. Because Christ is it whom faith apprehends immediately, and as for the other promises, they depend all on this, John iii. 36. "Whosoever believeth on him shall receive the remission of sins; and he that believeth on the Son of God shall have life everlasting: verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life," John vi. 47. O remember this in the first place, faith must go unto Christ; and yet I mean not to Christ, as abstractedly and nakedly considered, but to Christ as compassed with all his promises, privileges, benefits.
2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh. Some make this the difference of faith's acting betwixt believer's of the Old and New Testament: under the Old Testament, when Christ was but in the promise, and not as then come in the flesh, their faith had a more usual recourse unto God himself; as for Christ (God-man, Man-God) they had not so distinct, but only a confused knowledge of him, and therefore we read not so frequently, and usually of their recourse unto him, but only unto God, 2 Chron. xx. 12. "O our God, wilt thou not judge them? we know not what to do, but our eyes are upon thee," And, Ver. 20. "hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established." Psal. lxxviii. 21, 22. And, "the Lord heard this, and was wroth, because they believe not in God, and trusted not in his salvation;" but now, under the New Testament, because Christ as Mediator, who was promised, is come, our faith more usually and immediately addresseth itself unto Christ as God in the flesh. God dwelling in our nature is made more familiar to our faith, than the person of the Father, who is merely God: God in the flesh is more distinctly set forth in the New Testament, and so he is more distinctly to be apprehended by the faith of all believers: "Ye believe in God," (saith Christ to his disciples, whose faith and opinion of the Messiah, was till Christ's resurrection of the same elevation with that of the Old Testament believers)," John xiv. 1. "Ye believe in God" but he rests not there, "Believe also in me;" make me the object of your trust and salvation as well as the Father, "Believe also in me;" not only so, but believe in the first place on me. One sweetly observes, that when faith and repentance came more narrowly to be distinguished by their more immediate objects, it is laid down thus. Acts xx. 21. Repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, not but that God and Christ are the objects of both, but that Christ is more immediately the object of faith, and God is more immediately the object of repentance, so that we believe in God through believing in Christ first, and we turn to Christ by turning to God first. O remember this! let your faith, in the more direct and immediate exercise of it, be pitched upon Christ as God in the flesh.
3. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh, made under the law: and hence it is that the apostle joins these together. Gal. iv. 4. "God sent his Son made of a woman, made under the law;" if Christ had been out of the compass of the law, his being incarnate, and made of a woman had done us no good. Suppose one in debt and danger of the law to have a brother of the same flesh and blood, of the same father and mother, what will this avail, if that same brother will not come under the law, (i.e.) become his surety, and undertake for him! it is our case; we are debtors to God, and there is "an hand writing against us, and contrary to us," Col. ii. 14. Here is a bond of the law which we have forfeited: now, what would Christ avail, if he had not come under the law! If he had not been our surety, and undertook for us? Our faith therefore must go to Christ, as made under the law, not only taking our nature upon him, but our debt also, our nature as men, and our debt as sinful men; "He hath made himself to become sin for us who knew no sin," 2 Cor. v. 21. (i.e.) He made him to be handled as a sinner for us under the law; though he knew no sin on his part, but continued in all things written in the book of the law to do them. If faith be inquisitive, when was Christ made under the law? I answer. Even then when he was circumcised: thus Paul protests, Gal. v. 3. "I testify to every man that he that is circumcised, is a debtor to do the whole law." Christ at his circumcision entered into bond with us, and undertook for us; and therefore then, and not till then, he had his name given him, Luke ii. 21. "Jesus a Saviour;" and from that time he was a debtor "to do the whole law;" not only to suffer, but also to do, for he both satisfied the curse, and fulfilled the commandments. O remember this! as Christ, and as Christ in the flesh, so Christ in the flesh made under the law, is principally to be in the eye of our faith: if we put all together, our first view of faith is, to "look on Christ, God in the flesh made under the law."
4. Faith going to Christ as God in the flesh, and as made under the law, it is principally to look to the end and meaning of Christ, as being God in the flesh, and as fulfilling the law.
Now, if we would know the meaning of Christ in all this, the apostle tells us of a remote, and of a more immediate end.
(a). Of a remote end. Gal. iv. 4, 5. "God sent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons:" this was Christ's meaning, or the remote end of Christ, Alas! we were strangers from the adoption, and we lay under the law as men whom sentence had passed on: now from this latter we are redeemed; he was under the law, that we might be redeemed from under the law: nor is that all, but as we are redeemed, so are we adopted the children of God: and this end I rather attribute to the life of Christ, "that we might receive the adoption," (i.e.) from the estate of prisoners condemned, that we might be translated into the estate of children adopted. O the mercy of God! who ever heard of a condemned man to be afterwards adopted! Would not a condemned prisoner think himself happy to escape with life! But the zeal of the Lord of hosts hath performed this: we are in Christ both pardoned and adopted; and by this means the joy and glory of God's heavenly inheritance is estated upon us; O let our faith look mainly to this design and plot of Christ! he was made under the law, yea, and under the directive part of the law; by his life he fulfilled every jot and title of the law, by his active obedience that we might be entitled to glory, that we might be adopted to the inheritance of the saints in glory.
(b). For the more immediate end of Christ, the apostle tells us that Christ, was made under the law, or fulfilled all righteousness, Rom. viii. 4. "That the law might be fulfilled in us." In Christ's life were we represented, and so this fulfilling of all righteousness is accounted ours, "That the law might be fulfilled in us." O my soul look to this! herein lies the pith and the marrow of thy justification; of thyself, thou canst do nothing that is good, but Christ fulfilled the law in thy stead, and if now thou wilt but act and exercise thy faith, thou mayest thereby find, and feel the virtue and efficacy of Christ's righteousness, and actual obedience, flowing into thy own soul. But here is the question, how should I manage my faith? Or how should I act it to feel Christ's righteousness my righteousness? I answer,
- Thy way is to discover and discern this righteousness of Christ; this holy and perfect life of the Lord Jesus Christ in the whole, and in all the parts of it, as it is laid down in the written word: much hath been said of it in those four years of Christ's ministry, but especially in the last year; I shall say more anon in our conformity to Christ, whether thou mayest have recourse.
- Thy way is to believe, and to receive this discovery, as sacred and unquestionable, in reference to thy own soul, as intended for thee, for thy use and benefit.
- Thy way is to apprehend, apply, and improve this discovery, according to that judgment and proposal, to those uses, ends and benefits, to which thou believest they were designed.
Yea, but here lies the question, how may that be done? I answer,
- Setting before thee that discovery (that perfect life of Christ in the whole, and all the parts of it) thou must first endeavour to be deeply humbled for thy great inconformity thereto, in whole and in part.
- Still keeping thy spirit intent on the pattern, thou must quicken, provoke, and increase thy sluggish and drowsy soul, with renewed redoubled vigilancy and industry to come up higher towards it, and (if it were possible) completely to it.
- Yet having the same discovery, rule, and copy before thee, thou must exercise faith thereupon, as that which was performed, and is accepted on thy behalf.
And so go to God, and there represent, offer, and tender Christ's holy life, and active obedience unto him. And that first to fill up the defects of thy utmost endeavour. Secondly, To put a righteousness, price, value, and worth, upon what thou dost, and attainest to. Thirdly, To make Christ's righteousness, thy own, that thou mayest say with the Psalmist, in way of assurance, "O God, my righteousness." O my soul, if thou wouldest thus live by faith, or thus act thy faith on Christ's life, Christ's righteousness, Christ's active obedience, what a blessed life wouldst thou live? Then mightest thou find and feel Christ's righteousness thy righteousness; I say thy righteousness, in respect of its efficacy, but not in respect of its formality; for so sinners would be their own mediators. But of some of these particulars I shall speak more largely in our conformity to Christ's holy life.
Secondly, For encouragements to bring on souls thus to believe on Christ, consider,
1. The fulness of this object; Christ's life is full, it is very comprehensive; it contains holiness and happiness, sanctification and justification: if Christ's garments were healing, how much more so main and essential a part of Christ, even the half of Christ, as it were, for so is Christ's life: it is vehemently to be suspected, that the true reason why so much is said of his death, and so little in comparison of his life, it is either because we understand not the fulness of his life, or because we are carnal and selfish, affecting freedom from hell, more than holiness on earth, some benefit from Christ more than conformity to Christ. O come! See the fulness of Christ's life in reference to our sanctification; was it not a most exact model of perfection! A most curious exemplification of God's whole word! An express idea, image, representation of the whole mind of God! A full precedent for all others to walk by, to work by, to live by? And in reference to justification, is not Christ's life the object of faith and justifying? Nay, is not Christ's life the object of justifying faith, as well as Christ's death, resurrection, ascension, intercession? The assertors of Christ's active and passive obedience for us, can tell us of two things in the law intended, one principal, viz. Obedience; and another secondary, viz. Malediction, supposition of disobedience; so that sin being once committed, there must be a double act to justification, the suffering of the curse, and the fulfilling of righteousness anew; the one is satisfaction for the injury we have done unto God as our judge, and the other is a performance of a service which we owe unto God as our Maker. O then how large, and full, and comprehensive is this life of Christ.
2. Consider the excellency, the glory of this object: Christ's life is glorious, and hence it is that the righteousness of Christ, is the most glorious garment that ever the saints of God did wear. It is Marlorat's saying, "That the church which puts on Christ and his righteousness, is more illustrious than the air is by the sun." John thus sets her out in his vision, Rev. xxii. 1. "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet." I take this to be a lofty poetical description of Christ's imputed righteousness. Imagine a garment were cut out of the sun, and put upon us, how glorious would we be? O but the righteousness of Christ, is much more glorious; no wonder if the church clothed with the sun "tread the moon under her feet," i.e. if she trample on all sublunary things, which are uncertain and chargeable as the moon, Phil. iii. 8, 9. "I count all things but dung (saith Paul) that I may win Christ; and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." When Paul compares Christ's righteousness with the glory of the world, then is the World but dung. O the glory? O the excellency of the righteousness of Christ!
3. Consider the suitableness of this object; Christ's life, and the virtue of it is most suitable to our condition: thus I might apply Christ to every condition, if thou art sick, he is a physician: if thou fearest death, he is the "way, the truth, and the life:" if thou art hungry, he is the bread of life: if thou art thirsty, he is the water of life. But not to insist on these words, it is the daily complaint of the best saints, "O my sins! I had thought these sins had been wholly subdued, but now I feel they return upon me again; now I feel the springs in the bottom fill up my soul again; Oh I am weary of myself, and weary of my life! Oh! What will become of me?" In this case now Christ's life is most suitable; his righteousness is a continual righteousness; it is not a cistern, but "a fountain open for thee to wash in," Zech. xiii. 1. As sin abounds, so grace in this gift of righteousness, abounds much more. Christ's life in this respect is compared to "changes of garments," Zech. iii. 4. Thou criest "O what shall become of me? Oh I feel new sins, and old sins committed afresh;" Why, but these "changes of garments," will hide all thy sins: if thou art but clothed with the robes of Christ's righteousness, there shall never enter into the Lord's heart one hard thought towards thee of casting thee off, or of taking revenge upon any new occasion or fall into sin. Why, here is the blessedness of all those that believe. Oh, then believe; say not, "Would Christ be incarnate for me; would he lead such a life for my soul?" Why? Yes, for thy soul; never speak of thy sins as if they should be any hinderance of thy faith: if the wicked that apply this righteousness presumptuously can say, "Let us sin that grace may abound," and so they make no other use of grace but to run in debt, and to sin with licence; how much rather mayest thou say on good grounds, "Oh, let me believe! Oh, let me own my portion in this righteousness of Christ! that as my sins have abounded, so my love may abound; that as my sins have been exceeding great, so the Lord may be exceeding sweet; that as my sins continue and increase, so my thankfulness to Christ, and glory in God, and triumph over sin, death and the grave, may also increase." Why, thus be encouraged to believe thy part in the Lord Jesus Christ.