9. SERM. IX. The Sixth Sermon on the Excellency of Christ.
SERM. IX. The Sixth Sermon on the Excellency of Christ.
A nd his Name shall be called Wonderful. – Isa. 9:6.
Now we come to the Application of all, which is the work of this exercise.
First, Certainly Jesus Christ is little known in the world, if this be he, this great wonder of the world: Oh how little is Christ known! Christ is but a mere Notion and Imagination to most people in the world; you heard the very sound of this name, and how Christ came into the world to save sinners; but I appeal unto your consciences, when were your hearts taken with the admiration of the glory of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ?
Hath Christ been made the greatest wonder in the world unto you? Some of you have seen many wondrous works of God, some of you perhaps in the Seas, or abroad in other Countries, or if not there, yet you have seen the Heavens, and the Earth, at which you many times wonder; but when did
God dart light into your spirits, to cause you to see so much of Jesus Christ, as made him to be the great wonder of all his works? Certainly that soul knows not God nor Christ savingly, that knows him not as the wonder of the
world; it is impossible that such a poor creature as man is should come to understand such great mysteries of godliness as are in Christ in any measure, but must needs admire at the glory of that great work, and say with acclamation, Oh the height, and depth, and breadth, and length of the glory of God, his Wisdom, and Mercy, and Truth, and Power!
Many Notes of Trial there may be of Faith, but I know not any one more familiar than this is (at least negatively, it must needs be a true Note) that is, that there cannot be Faith without it, namely, if the heart hath not been taken up with the wonder of Christ, so as all the wonders in the world have been darkened in the soul in comparison of Jesus Christ.
Secondly, If Christ be so great a wonder, then O how vile a thing is it for the hearts of men to prefer any base filthy lusts before Jesus Christ? When
God hath manifested him in that wonderful way unto the children of men, and so much of his glory in him, yet that their hearts should be taken off from him, and every base lust to be preferred before him, Oh how just must the condemnation of such be forever! We may take up that complaint that there was in Psal. 106:7. Our Fathers understood not thy wonders, saith the Psalmist: So the truth is, as our Fathers did not, so few there are that understand the wonders of the Lord in Jesus Christ; and therefore everything is preferred before him; with what infinite indignation must God needs look upon that wretched soul, that shall prefer every base lust before Jesus Christ? I remember a speech of Chrysostom, speaking of that Text,
That our vile bodies shall be made like unto the glorious body of Christ, saith he, were all the world turned into tears, yet they were not sufficient to lament the misery of that soul that forsakes Jesus Christ: his heart was so much taken with the excellency of Jesus Christ, that he thought it impossible to lament the misery of the creature that should forsake him: and
so St. Paul having his heart filled with the glorious Mystery of Christ, he breaks forth with this dreadful curse, He that loveth not the Lord Jesus
Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha, as if St. Paul should say (having his spirit filled with the glory of Christ) Oh what shall God manifest so much of his glory in his Son, and shall base wretched vile creatures prefer their lusts before him, and have their hearts taken up with other vain things, and not love the Lord Jesus Christ? Let that soul be cursed with a bitter curse, saith Paul; such a soul doth deserve indeed to be cursed with a bitter and an eternal curse, that shall hear so much of Jesus Christ, and how God hath revealed himself in that wonderful way in his Son, and yet that soul shall not be willing to forsake a base lust for all the good there is in Jesus
Christ; let that soul be cursed with a bitter curse: It deserves above all creatures to have the most bitter curse to be upon it to all eternity: certainly the more glory there is in Christ, the more dreadful will the condemnation of wicked men be, This is (the) condemnation, that such glorious light is come into the world, and men chose darkness rather than light. How many hear of Christ, and mind little, but only have a noise, they hear some strange things of Christ, and let them pass by, and think there is little reality in what they hear, but the only real comfort is in satisfying of the flesh in the lusts of it. In Act. 13:41, we have an excellent Scripture for the reproof of such that hear the Gospel, and mind it not; Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the Prophets, Behold ye despisers, and wonder, and perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you: It is spoken concerning Christ, as appears in the verse before, And by him all that believe are justified from all things, by which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses: Now then it follows, Beware therefore lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in
the Prophets, Behold ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; as if he should say, you hear the Gospel about the glorious way that God hath to reconcile sinners to himself, to justify sinners, but in the meantime your hearts do close with your own Conceits, and your own ways, with the Law of Moses, and think by your own good meanings, and your own good works, that you shall do well enough, and shall stand before God; but saith the Apostle,
Beware lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the Prophets, Behold ye despisers, and wonder: you perhaps, when you hear such things declared unto you, you account it strange doctrine, and you stand and wonder what the meaning of those things should be; but as you wonder, so you do despise; you condemn it as a strange thing that you were not wont to hear heretofore, and as a thing you cannot understand the reason of; this is the usual guise of carnal hearts, when they hear any doctrine, though there be never so much of God in it, and of the Mystery of the Gospel that is revealed in it, yet if they understand not the reason of it, if it appear to them as a new thing, they wonder indeed, but they despise withal, and condemn it, and slight it, and pass it over, as they did St. Paul's Doctrine, What will this babbler say? He brings us news of a strange God, and the like: so these are things that people are not acquainted withal, and so they cast them off, and despise: but mark, saith the Text, Take heed, beware lest this come upon you, that you shall behold and wonder, and despise and perish too, for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you: there shall be the great Counsels of God revealed in your days, and in your Congregations, there shall be revealed those Counsels of God, whereby God intends to save many souls; and here and there God will make known these things to save poor souls, but you in the meantime being conceited of your own understandings, or your own
Civil Righteousness, that you are not so bad as others, and that you are in a good case, and in a good condition all this while, and upon a conceit, you hear, and wonder, and despise, but you shall perish, and shall never come to believe those great things that God in your days shall reveal for the salvation of the souls of others; and this is a most dreadful curse that is upon the hearts of many men and women that hear the great things of the Gospel; as it is said in the second of the Acts, that they spake the wonderful things of God, and yet there was some that did but mock; this is the condition of some, that their spirits secretly despise and contemn those things that they should adore; such things as upon the hearing they should even fall down upon their faces, and adore God in the beholding of them, and yet I say, slighting of them, and resting to their own ways, and conceits, here is the curse of God upon their hearts, that though they hear them, yet they shall not believe them, I work a work in your days, a work that you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you, saith the Holy
Ghost, this Scripture is very much fulfilled in Congregations where the Gospel comes to be preached.
Thirdly, But further, in the third place; If Jesus Christ be so great a wonder, certainly then the misery of mankind is very great, it follows from hence; if there be such need of so wonderful a Redeemer, Oh the dreadful breach that sin hath made between God and man, that required such a wonderful work of God to make it up! This is that that God would have you have a right understanding of, and have serious thoughts about it; God would not have sinful wretched man to think the breach between God and him is a light matter, a little thing: No, when the Lord hath sent his Son into the world, and hath declared him to be thus wonderful: when the Lord shows what a wonderful glorious work of his there is in his Son for the
saving of mankind, he thereby doth declare unto you, and would have you know it, that the breach that your sin hath made between God and your own souls, it is a wonderful breach; certainly were the Misery of man no other but such as the power of Angels, as the power of any mere creature could help out of, Jesus Christ had never come into the world, there had never been such a wonderful work of God to redeem man; But now when you hear that the way of God to redeem man is so wonderful, you have cause to lay your hands upon your hearts, and say, Oh the depth of misery that my soul is fallen into! Oh the desperate disease of my soul, that must have such a wonderful cure! Oh that ever the great and infinite God should work so wonderfully for the salvation of such a poor wretched creature as sinful man is! My Brethren, we do not sanctify the Name of God in the great thing that God would be sanctified in, except we have right apprehensions of the dreadful breach our sin hath made between the Lord and our own souls, that so we might have right apprehensions of this wonderful work that God hath done for the salvation of man-kind; this is the reason why God so many times doth bring sinful creatures into so great straights, into the very gulf of despair oftentimes before he reveals the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ unto them: It is, I say, because the Lord would have his name sanctified in this wonderful work of redemption by Jesus Christ, that the sinner might be prepared to stand and admire at the wonderful glory of God in Jesus Christ;
And there is nothing in the world that God looks so much for as this, to be sanctified in these wonderful things that he hath done for man-kind in Christ; and if we have but slight thoughts of the breach that our sin hath made, certainly we cannot but have slight thoughts likewise of the work that God hath done to deliver us from our sin: Thou thinkest thy sin to be a light matter, but know, that when thou hast sinned against God, there must be the
most wonderful work of God to reconcile thee to himself, that ever God did from all eternity, or will do to all eternity; this is the greatest wonder, his sending of Jesus Christ into the world; know therefore the depth of thy misery by this; if God should have devised as it were from all eternity how to have manifested the wonderful misery of man-kind, no greater could be found than this wonderful work of his in the redemption of man-kind. This is a third.
And then Fourthly, Is Jesus Christ the great wonder of the world? Hence then all Believers have exceeding cause of rejoicing in the hearing of what
Christ is, what a wonderful Savior they have, Let the children of Zion rejoice in their King: Rejoice in this, First, That God hath so honored you, as that he hath wrought so wonderfully for your salvation; certainly, as thy redemption is, so art thou; that is, there is some reflection of the glory of thy Redeemer upon thee; how hath God honored thee before his Angels? And how honorable shalt thou be hereafter, when it shall appear to all the world, that the Infinite God did so gloriously work for the saving of thy soul? God looks upon all the Kings of the Earth as worms, Yea all the Nations of the earth as the drop of the bucket, and the dust of the balance, as nothing, less than nothing: You see how meanly God values all the Nations of the Earth: But when he speaks of his Son, that is thy Redeemer, His Name shall be called wonderful, saith he, he is wonderful in the eyes of God the Father; thou that hast such a wonderful Redeemer as this is, certainly thy condition must needs be comfortable.
But Secondly, The main comfort that Believers may have from this glory of Christ, as hath been opened to you, is this, that hereby they may see
Jesus Christ as a full object for their souls to rest upon, whatever their
condition be; thou hast an All-sufficient Savior, thou hast an object that thou mayest venture thy soul, thy eternal estate upon, for he is a wonderful
Redeemer; conceive thy misery to the uttermost that possibly can be, suppose thou seest the guilt of all thy sins before thee, and apprehendest thy soul bound over to eternal death for thy sin; suppose thou seest the justice of God coming out against thee, to require satisfaction for thy sin; the curse of the Law, that likewise brings thee under it, and thou seest the bottomless pit even ready open for thee, and the horrible vile iniquities that thou hast been guilty of, presenting themselves unto thee with all the aggravations of them; suppose all this, And thou standest now before the great God, ready to receive the sentence of thy eternal estate. Now these things may make thy heart to shake, and indeed they will where they are seen really; But in the midst of such a sight, if God do but give thee a sight of thy Redeemer that is so wonderful, here is enough to draw forth Faith, yea to beget Faith in the soul; let this be but presented, whatsoever thy misery be, yet know, here is a wonderful Redeemer, who cannot only cure ordinary diseases, and deliver in ordinary troubles, but can wonderfully deliver, and no cure can be too hard for him; Oh therefore thou troubled soul! That dost apprehend the evil of thy sin, and the dreadful danger that thou art in: Oh that thou couldest but see this wonderful Redeemer before thee! Thou wouldest see him to be an object for the most vile wretchedest sinner that ever lived upon the face of the earth to rest upon; And because God the Father accounts wonderfully of his Son; therefore it is that he would not have us only to believe in his Son in ordinary cases, but in extraordinary cases; you that are believers, and hope you have any part in Christ, know, that God expects that you should sanctify his Son as a wonderful Redeemer; now, if you can only believe in Christ in an ordinary way, when your condition is ordinary, and
your straights not very great, this is not to sanctify Christ as a wonderful Savior. Now let this be but laid to thy heart when temptations are strong, and when thy heart is ready to sink in any extremity; It may be temptation comes and tells thee thy condition is extraordinary, who was ever so left of God as thou art, then do but lay these truths upon thy heart, that have been revealed in the opening of the wonderfulness of Christ, and even say thus to thy soul, well, but oh my soul! Thou hast heretofore believed in God, but hast thou sanctified the Name of Christ, as wonderful? Hast thou believed in Jesus Christ, as in him whose Name by God himself is called wonderful?
Thou hast, thou thinkest, believed in him as a Savior, as a Redeemer, but hast thou believed in him as thus wonderful in his Natures, in his Person, in his Offices, in his endowments, and in all the great things that he hath done, in the glory of the Father that shines in him? Hast thou sanctified his Name in all those particulars wherein Christ hath been made known to be wonderful? Certainly Believers do not sanctify this Name of Christ, except there be some kind of proportion between their Faith, and all these glorious things that are revealed of Jesus Christ: It is he that is a full object for thy soul to rest upon in all straights whatsoever, when the men of the world shall be at their wits end, they having their ordinary help fail them, yet thou that art a Believer, and knowest what Jesus Christ is, and the glory of God that appears in him, thou needest not be at thy wits end, for thou hast him whose Name is wonderful, to be the object of thy Faith.
Thirdly, The consolation to Believers from this title of Christ, is in this; That certainly, if there be such a wonderful Redeemer, that God himself doth glory so much in, and account him so wonderful, then it must needs follow, that God doth intend wonderful things for the Saints; no wise man that hath abilities, will in a wonderful manner busy himself about a trifle:
certainly if the Lord doth thus work for man-kind in his Son, if the Lord provide such a wonderful Savior for the children of men, we may fully conclude, that God hath wonderful thoughts to do great things for mankind; the thoughts of God for the good of man-kind are very great, and very glorious, they are some high things, some glorious things that God doth aim at for man-kind. Oh raise up therefore your thoughts! Let all that are but men raise up their thoughts, and think, surely there is some great happiness for the children of men; God hath revealed it from Heaven, when he hath told us that there is such a wonderful Redeemer come into the Earth: But Oh you Believers! Do you in a special manner raise up your hearts, and expect glorious things? And though you have but little from God for the present, yet conclude, that God hath wonderful thoughts about you that are the members of Jesus Christ; and there must come a time, that there must be wonderful things bestowed upon you, or otherwise God should lose the honor of all the wonderful things he hath done in Christ, and that he will never do: God will at length bring every believer to such a height of glory, as before Men and Angels it shall be declared by the glory of your souls, that Jesus Christ was a wonderful Redeemer; such glory thou mayest have, we cannot tell the particulars; If we should go to open the happiness of the Saints, what it should be in Heaven, we should quickly be swallowed up; but one would think that this one thing should be enough to fill the heart of the Believer with joy, I shall have so much happiness from God one day, as must declare before Men and Angels, that Jesus Christ was a wonderful
Savior, such glory as God himself will glory in.
Oh look here! Look upon this poor wretch, that a while was such a vile wicked creature, and a child of wrath, and of perdition in its self, and look now what a height of glory this soul is raised up to, and now give your
testimony whether my Son be not a wonderful Redeemer; this will be the condition of every poor believer that lives, and comfort yourselves in exercising your Faith in this.
Whatever I am now for the present, though but a lump of clay and filth, yet I being a Believer, Christ being mine, my condition must be such one day as God the Father will say before men and Angels, behold the wonderfulness of my Son, in what I have done for this soul; and that may be enough to satisfy the soul for the present, that God will show himself wonderful in thy good, and thy salvation; so that it may be said of every particular believer, thy estate shall be such one day, as if there were no other saved in all the world but thyself, yet Jesus Christ will manifest himself wonderful in thy salvation; for indeed that is that that he aims at, to be wonderful in the salvation of his Saints, in bringing them unto glory, and that is the comfort of all Believers from this title of Christ's being wonderful. But now then as thy comforts art great from this title, so thy duties should be some way proportionable too; thou shouldest therefore honor God the Father of Christ, as a wonderful Savior: — Labor therefore first to search into this deep mystery of the Gospel:
Oh what a shame is it that those that do profess themselves Christians, should understand so little of Jesus Christ! This is that that God expects: I say, that we should study the Gospel, search into the Gospel, that we may see more of Christ; the more we see, the more still we shall wonder, for Christ is an infinite depth, and the more we search into him, the more we shall see cause to wonder: In the first of the Ephesians, mark what a prayer
Paul makes for the Ephesians, in the 17th and 18th verses, he told them before, that he did not cease to give thanks for them, making mention of them in his prayers: to what end? That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the
Father of Glory, may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of him.
He doth not only pray, that they might have some knowledge of him, but that they might have a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Christ; and this from the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, and from the Father of Glory.
Mark what titles he gives to God when he prays for them, that they might have the knowledge of Jesus Christ; it must be the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ that must do it, and the Father of Glory.
God doth never show himself to be the Father of Glory so much, as when he gives the knowledge of Jesus Christ to a soul, then God doth make himself to appear indeed to be the Father of Glory.
And further, The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe. And in the third of the Ephesians, from the 14th verse to the 20th. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole Family of Heaven and Earth is named, that he would grant you according to the riches of his Glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the Inner-man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith, that ye being rooted and grounded in love,
(All this now is but a preparation to what he would desire further, and that is this) That so you may be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God: This is a most admirable Scripture, surely the Spirit of Christ filled the heart of Saint Paul; and such kind of Scriptures as these, are mighty strong
Arguments to evince the Scripture to be the Word of God: when we read such passages as these, that have a spirit in them, beyond the spirit of any man; certainly it was beyond the spirit of any man to express himself in such a manner, That he bowed his knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that they might comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth, length, depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that they might be filled with all the fullness of God; and that is that which I would especially observe, that Christians should not content themselves with a little knowledge of Christ, but they should labor to comprehend what is the length, breadth, depth, and height, they should labor to dive into the Mysteries of the Gospel, as it is said of Moses, when he saw that wonderful work in the wilderness, saith he, I will now turn aside and see this great sight; you have it recorded in the seventh of the Acts, and 31st ver. There appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sina, an Angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush: When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight, and as he drew near to behold it, &c. He had a sight of it at a distance, and yet so much, as he wondered at it, and then he drew near, and the Lord spake to him: So it should be with us, we have some sight of Christ, but is it not at a distance? We hear a Minister speaking of Christ to us (the great wonder of the world) and it may be at the hearing we are ready to think, there is somewhat in Christ beyond what we have apprehended heretofore; I but I beseech you Brethren, let it not pass away so; those things that have been spoken concerning Christ, God will require an account of; and know, it is a dangerous thing to have the glory of Jesus
Christ to pass by any soul, and to do it no good: If we had been preaching to you of Moral Virtues, or any deep discourse about any point, save about Jesus Christ, there had not been so much danger of letting it pass without
profit; but when God sets before you the glory of his Son, know, there is a great deal of danger upon the hearing of such things without profit; therefore you had need say upon the hearing of such things, as Moses said,
That you will draw near, you will go and pray over these again; and beseech the Lord that he would reveal these things unto you: Pray with David, O
Lord, open mine eyes, that I may see the wonderful things of thy Law: By Law there is meant those things that were revealed in the Word of God; and surely upon our hearing what God hath revealed in his Word, we have cause to pray with more earnestness, Lord open our eyes that we may see the wonderful things of thy Gospel; but mark, When Moses drew near, Then
God spake to him, and revealed himself further to him: If Moses had stood wondering at this sight, and went no further, it may be he had not had God revealing himself so clearly to him; but when he draws near, then God speaks to him: So if your hearts be taken with what you hear of this wonderful Savior, and then you draw near, and take pains in your closets by meditation and prayer, to see what is the meaning of this wonder: Why Lord shall I hear of such things, and not understand them? They are things that do nearly concern me, and shall I not understand them? If you labor to draw near, God will speak and reveal further of his mind to you: But further, of this Text in the Ephesians, We must labor to comprehend the heights and depths, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge.
You will say, these are too wonderful things for us to know.
Nay, The Apostle prays that they may know that which passeth knowledge: Though the fullness of the glory of it passeth all knowledge, yet still there may be so much of the knowledge of these things, as may help you to sanctify God's Name, and make your hearts spiritual; for saith the Text, That ye may know the love of God which passeth knowledge, that ye
might be filled with all the fullness of God: It is a very strange phrase (for the creature to be filled with God) and had we it not in Scripture, we should not have dared to have used such an expression: But here it is to be filled with all the fullness of God: This phrase is a great deal higher; but how comes this to pass? By comprehending the height, and depth, and length, and breadth; that is, by understanding Jesus Christ, and the Glory of God in him, by this means doth the soul come to be filled with all the fullness of God.
What is the reason that Christians are so empty in their spirits, in their conversations? But because they know so little of the Mystery of the Gospel: If thou didst but understand the Mystery of the Gospel, but how the Lord makes known himself in the face of Jesus Christ, this would fill thy heart with all the fullness of God; those Christians are the Christians filled with excellency indeed, that do comprehend the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of this wonderful work of God in Christ: There is nothing sanctifies the heart so much, as the knowledge of Christ in a right way.
Seneca hath such an expression concerning the Heavens: Oh the Heavens are a wonderful spectacle, and a spectacle fit for a reasonable creature to be employed about! Though we should get little benefit by knowing the Motions of the Heavens, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, yet the beauty and excellency that is there, and the wonderful work of God in the Heavens, it cannot but take a rational creature: Now, if the wonderful work of God in the Heavens be such, as it must needs take a rational creature: Oh what is the wonderful work of God in Jesus Christ! Therefore let us make it the chief of our study, to study the Lord Jesus.
Luther hath an expression to the same purpose, O saith he, I vehemently, I extremely am displeased with myself, and displease myself, yea (saith he) I hate myself, because I cannot get that great benefit, that great work that there is in man's Redemption, because I cannot get it to be transfused into my very bones and marrow; I would fain get it in there. Saint Paul, in Gal.
1:15,16, said, he was separated from his Mother's womb, and called by Grace, and had Christ revealed in him. O blessed is that soul that the Lord hath separated for himself, that Jesus Christ might be revealed in it, that is a blessed soul: — You know how Paul accounted the knowledge of Christ,
The excellent knowledge, the excellency of knowledge, and accounted all things dung and dross in comparison; and so David, in Psal. 119:27. Make me to understand the way of thy Precepts, so shall I talk of thy wondrous works: When you come together, you can be talking of this News, and the other News, but were your hearts filled with the knowledge of Jesus Christ, you could not but talk of the wonderful things that God hath done for your souls in Jesus Christ.
And as we are to labor to search that we may know more, so to give God the praise of this his wonder that he hath done; In Psal. 107:8. Oh that men would praise the Lord for the wonderful things that he hath done for the children of men: It is meant there I confess of the wonderful works of God's providence; but surely if God be to be praised and magnified for his wonderful works of providence, much more for the wonderful works that he hath done for the soul in Jesus Christ. And so in Psal. 86:9,10. You have an expression there to the same purpose: All Nations whom thou hast made, shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy Name, for thou art great, and dost wondrous things: Oh that this Scripture were fulfilled, that all Nations might come and worship the Lord, and glorify
God upon this ground, because God is great, and doth wonderful things; The wonderful things of God in his works of Creation and Providence, are nothing so much regarded of God himself, as the wonderful things he hath done in Christ; and therefore the Lord expects that the Saints should glorify him more for that, than for anything else: And the truth is, God rejects all the glory that he hath from his creatures, except he hath it, because of the wonders that he hath done in his Son.
And as we should study Christ, and praise and bless God, and have our hearts enlarged for Jesus Christ: So this is the duty of believers, to whom
God hath revealed Christ as wonderful, that in their conversations they should hold out the wonderful Glory of Jesus Christ; thou shouldest so walk before men, as to manifest to all the world that thy Savior is a wonderful
Savior.
And thou shouldest manifest it by thy wonderful change; that soul that hath part in Christ, whose Name is wonderful, honors Christ in this, If he doth manifest that since he came to know Jesus Christ, there is a wonderful change made in him; what a change is there made in this youth, or child, young-man, or neighbor, or friend! Not long since what an ignorant sot was he? But since he went to hear the Word, Oh the understanding in a little time that such a one hath got in the Mysteries of the Gospel! Such a one was not able to go into God's presence to express himself in prayer any otherwise but upon a book, but now, Oh what a spirit of prayer hath God given to such a poor wretch, that was so ignorant the other day! Now, O how can he pour out his soul before the Lord! Such a one that not long since was a profane and loose liver, and sensual and base in his life and conversation, now oh how holy, how heavenly, how spiritual, and would not commit the lest known sin, if he might gain a thousand worlds for it! Such a
one that was false in his service before, now how trusty! One may trust one's life, and all that one hath with him now; such a one that heretofore was a swearer, oh how doth he reverence the Name of God! Such a one that was a froward passionate spirited man or woman, now how meek and gentle are they! What a mighty change is there in the spirit of such a servant, or wife, or husband, or neighbor! And such a one that was altogether for himself, and proud, and haughty, but now, oh how humble, and submissive! Now he can deny himself of anything: As we read of Christ, that when he commanded the winds and the waves, the Text saith, all people wondered at him: So when the winds of thy passion are up, if thou canst but bid them be still, all would wonder at it: Oh how comes there so great a change! Such a one that was impatient before in any suffering, now whatever he suffers, how like a Lamb is he, and opens not his mouth!
Now in the midst of afflictions, and pains, and troubles, he can lie rejoicing and praising God; And such a one, though he hath never such strong temptations to draw him on the other side, yet now he can resist the strongest temptations; before, if a companion did but hold up his finger, he must go, but now I say he can resist strong temptations, and oh how he accounts it his glory and happiness to suffer for Jesus Christ: Now this doth manifest Christ a wonderful Savior. As it was the speech of a Heathen, seeing the Christians suffer with so great patience, he cries out, Of a truth, the God of the Christians is a great God, that doth enable them to do such great things: So thou must so walk in thy life, that thou must manifest that Jesus Christ is a wonderful Savior.
And be ashamed to complain of any difficulty in any duties that thou art set about; thou art set about such a duty, and oh thou complainest they are hard, and difficult, and tedious! Is it for thy Savior that thou doest it? Thou
shouldest be willing to go thorough fire and water; and in this one thing the wonderfulness of the change of a soul doth appear as much as in anything,
That those things that before were accounted burdens, now the soul accounts them as a privilege, and the joy of its heart; others cannot do so:
Now the Gospel makes such a change, and in this change of thy heart, and of thy life, Jesus Christ is held forth in the world to be a wonderful Savior; but now, if thou canst do no more than those that are strangers to Jesus
Christ, what honor hath Christ in thy life and conversation? One passage or two more.
If Christ be a wonderful Savior, hence then everyone that hears of Christ, should think it to be a dreadful thing to miss of Jesus Christ: Oh then let all souls to whom Christ is made known, make after him! Oh thou wretched soul, that hast not yet understood the way of God towards man-kind, now labor to know it! If the Lord hath wonderful thoughts for the saving of mankind, then let thy thoughts be such: And after all this shall my soul perish eternally? Shall I be cast away, notwithstanding God hath wrought in such a glorious and wonderful way for the salvation of souls? Must I perish at last for all this? Thy heart should make towards God, and be encouraged in this, because the way of salvation is so wonderful: why, may not thy soul come in likewise and be saved? There is not the worst of you all, but here is help in this wonderful Savior to help you, and redeem you; had you but hearts now to come in and to fall down before the Lord when you get alone in your closets, and say, Lord, I have heard that there is a wonderful Savior come into the world, and hath done wonderfully for the redeeming of mankind; Oh that he might be wonderful in my salvation also! That I may be among the number of those that may to all eternity be admiring at thy glory in Jesus Christ; many of you rejoice in this, that God hath wrought
wonderfully to preserve you sometimes out of dangers, I but what are all the wonderful works of God towards you, except you have your part in him whose Name is called wonderful?
And last of all, Let us long for that time when Jesus Christ shall appear in all his glory; he doth appear now to the souls of his Saints very wonderful, as he is set out in the Word; but there is a time when Christ shall come and appear in all his glory in another manner than we are able to set him out:
After the blowing of the seventh Trumpet that you read of in the book of the Revelations, then is the Mystery finished, and what is the finishing of it? In chap. 11, then is the voice heard, saying, The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever: Then shall the Lord Jesus Christ come and appear in all his wonderful works to the children of men, and to be admired in the Saints; then shall be fulfilled the Scripture we have in Joh. 14:20,21. Mark what
Christ promises there to his Disciples, At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you: he that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. —
At that day you shall know it: It seems his Disciples understood but little of this Mystery before, but saith Christ, there is a day that you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you: And be of good comfort, all believers, there is a time coming that you will see Christ more wonderful than now you do; you do now see Christ to be wonderful, and your hearts are taken in some measure, taken off from all the Creatures, to admire at Jesus Christ; in Act. 3:11,12, when the people wondered at the cure that the Apostles wrought upon the lame man; mark at the 12th ver. When Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or
why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our Fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus, &c. As if they should say, Why do you wonder at us? Know, that the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, hath glorified his Son Jesus; it is he that you are to wonder at: The Saints have their hearts taken off from Creatures, from men, from instruments, and they look upon him, that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob hath glorified, even Jesus Christ; and he is the matter of their wonder. But dost thou wonder at Jesus Christ now? Know, Christ will come ere long in another manner to be admired at by his Saints in all his glory;
Christ was wonderful when he came with sin, and when he comes without sin he shall be more wonderful; he shall come in all his glory with his holy
Angels, to make good all that he hath promised, and to bring with him all that he hath purchased, and then we shall see him as he is. — Now we see
Jesus Christ but thorough a glass, and yet our hearts are taken with him; and we wonder at him now, but oh how shall we wonder when we come to see him as he is! When we shall behold his face in glory; we see now the Lord
Christ in his Ordinances, but as in a picture; As at the first, when there are treaties between one Prince and another about a march, the first sight that they have of one another, it is but by a picture, and if they be delighted with but seeing the picture one of another, much more will they be delighted and enamored with the person, when they come to see it its self: so it is with the Saints, here all that the Saints can see of Jesus Christ, that makes them so wonder at him, and to account him to be the chiefest of ten thousand, all is but by seeing of him by a picture; Jesus Christ is in Heaven, and he sends us his picture in his Ordinances; so St. Paul saith, in Gal. 3, concerning the Ministry of the Word, that Jesus Christ had been evidently set forth
crucified among them. Now are your hearts taken with the sight of Christ, when you see him as it were in a picture? Know, as Christ said to Nathanael, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the Fig tree, believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these. So thou shalt ere long see
Jesus Christ as he is; We are now the Sons of God, but it appears not what we shall be, for when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
And thou shalt not only see him, but so see him, as he shall never go out of thy sight; thou hast but a little glimpse of him now for the present, and thy soul rejoices in that, the time is coming when thou shalt see him, and thy eyes shall feed upon him forever; the Lord Christ shall go up and down the Heavens as the wonder of the Angels, and all the Saints shall be following, wondering at him to all eternity; The luster of the deity shall be shining thorough the humanity of Christ, and men and Angels shall stand gazing and wondering at the glory of Jesus Christ to all eternity: Oh let us comfort one another with these sayings, and in the expectation of the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ. And those that shall long for the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ, upon the seeing of him here, have a good evidence that they do belong to Jesus Christ, and shall be partakers of the wonderful things that Jesus Christ hath wrought and purchased with his own blood.
And thus we have opened to you and applied this glorious wonder of Jesus Christ; His Name shall be called Wonderful; he is wonderful in the Word, Oh that he may be wonderful in your hearts, and in your lives.
PT. III. The Excellency of the Soul.
Monergism Books