Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

IS inward, experimental looking unto Jesus a choice, or an high Gospel Ordinance? why then some directions how we are to perform this Duty. Practice is the end of all sound doctrine, and duty is the end of all right faith; now that you may do what you have heard in some good measure, I shall prescribe the directions in the next part prescribed.

IS inward, experimental looking unto Jesus a choice, or an high Gospel Ordinance? why then some directions how we are to perform this Duty. Practice is the end of all sound doctrin, and duty is the end of all right faith; now that you may do what you have heard in some good measure, I shall prescribe the directions in the next part prescribed.

But first in the work observe those two parts of the Text, the act, and object; the act is looking unto; and the Object is Jesus. 1. By looking unto, we mean (as you have heard) an inward experimental knowing, desiring, hoping, believing, loving, calling on Jesus, and conforming to Jesus: it is not a bare swimming knowledge of Christ, it is not a bare thinking of Christ; as Christ hath various excellencies in himself, so hath he formed the soul with a power of diverse ways apprehending, that so we might be capable of enjoying those divers excellencies that are in Christ; even as the creatures having their several uses, God hath accordingly given us several senses, that so we might enjoy the delights of them all: what the better had we been for pleasant odoriferous Flowers, or sweet perfumes, if we had not possest the sense of smelling? or what good would language, or music have done us, if God had not given us the sense of hearing? or, what delight should we have found in meats, or drinks, or sweetest things, if we had been deprived of the sense of tasting? so what pleasure should we have had even in the goodness and perfection of God and Christ, if we had been without the faculty and power of knowing, desiring, hoping, believing, loving, joying, and enjoying? as the senses are to the body, so are these spiritual senses, powers, affections to the soul the very way by which we must receive sweetness and strength from the Lord Jesus.

But first in the work observe those two parts of the Text, the act, and object; the act is looking unto; and the Object is Jesus. 1. By looking unto, we mean (as you have heard) an inward experimental knowing, desiring, hoping, believing, loving, calling on Jesus, and conforming to Jesus: it is not a bare swiming knowledge of Christ, it is not a bare thinking of Christ; as Christ hath various excellencies in himself, so hath he formed the soul with a power of diverse wayes apprehending, that so we might be capable of enjoying those divers excellencies that are in Christ; even as the creatures having their several uses, God hath accordingly given us several senses, that so we might enjoy the delights of them all: what the better had we been for pleasant odoriferous Flowers, or sweet perfumes, if we had not possest the sense of smelling? or what good would language, or musick have done us, if God had not given us the sense of hearing? or, what delight should we have found in meats, or drinks, or sweetest things, if we had been deprived of the sense of tasting? so what pleasure should we have had even in the goodness and perfection of God and Christ, if we had been without the faculty and power of knowing, desiring, hoping, believing, loving, joying, and enjoying? as the senses are to the body, so are these spiritual senses, powers, affections to the soul the very way by which we must receive sweetness and strength from the Lord Jesus.