Looking unto Jesus. Being an earnest exhortation and most excellent perswasive to fly to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, in order to obtain eternal life through him. / By Mr. John Willison, Minister of the Gospel at Dundee in Scotland. ; [Two lines from Isaiah]

Looking unto Jesus. Being an earnest exhortation and most excellent perswasive to fly to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, in order to obtain eternal life through him. / By Mr. John Willison, Minister of the Gospel at Dundee in Scotland. ; [Two lines from Isaiah]

Table of contents

Title page

Looking to Jesus Christ by Faith, and embracing him as he is offered to you in the Gospel.

Looking unto Jesus. An Hymn by another Hand.

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Looking unto Jesus.

BEING AN Earnest Exhortation AND MOST Excellent Perswasive To Fly to the Lord Jesus Christ by Faith, in Order to obtain Eternal Life through him.

By Mr. JOHN WILLISON, Minister of the Gospel at Dundee in Scotland.

Isai. xlv. 22. Look unto me, and be ye saved all the Ends of the Earth.

BOSTON, Printed for Benjamin Gray, No. 2 at the Head of the Town-Town, 1731.

Looking to Jesus Christ by Faith, and embracing him as he is offered to you in the Gospel.

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NONE have Right to Christ, but those who come first to him in the Way of Faith.

Concerning the Multitude and Heinousness of your Sins, for which you ought to be humbled and mourn, may [...]ve to shew your great Need of Christ to deliver you from them▪ Think no [...] not that your Repentance, Confessions, or Tears for Sin, can any ways satisfie the Justice of God for it, or merit Accep [...]ance or Pardon for you. This were to put these Things in Christ's Room, that are only Means to lead you to him; and to take up with a Righteousness of your own, instead of his that can atone the Justice of God for Sinners. O then! see that ye look beyond all to Christ alone for Atonement, Righteousness, Pardon and Salvation, but count all Things but Dung and Loss in Respect of him.

[Page] Now, since the Gospel offers Christ to all that hear it, and the Call and Command to receive and embrace Christ as a Saviour, is given to all and every one, even to the vilest of Sinners; you have a full Warrant to lay hold on him for Pardon, and flee to him for Mercy, and you heinously sin against God and your own Soul, if you neglect to do it. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation, and slight so great a Saviour.

I shall therefore make use of some Motives to press poor perishing Sinners, to flee from Sin and Wrath, to Jesus Christ the only Saviour, and to receive and rest upon him for Life and Salvation.

I. Take a View of the Misery of a Natural and Christless Condition, and O that God would open your Eyes to let yo [...] see it, and convince you, that while thou art in this State, thou art a Rebel to thy God, a Prodigal to thy Father, a Slave to thy Lusts, and an Alien to the Commonwealth of Israel. If thou comest not to Christ with thy Burdens, the whole Burden of unpardoned Sin lies upon thy own Back; and this is a Burden that will sink thee lower than the Grave; nay, it will press thee to the lowest Hell, and keep thee eternally sinking there. Consider also, how vile and loathsome thou and all thy Actions, whether Natural, Civil, or Religious, are in the Sight of a holy God [Page]while thou art out of Christ: Thy Soul is naked, and swarms with the Vermin of filthy Lusts, and thou hast neither a Garment to cover thee, nor a Fountain to wash thee: The Leprosie of Sin spreads over all, so that from the Crown of the Head, to the Sole of the Foot, there is nothing but Bruises and putrefying Sores: So that there is no Mire so unclean, no Vomit so loathsome, no Carrion so offensive, no Pestilence so noisome, as thou art in thy Christless State, in the Eyes of a holy God, who cannot look upon Iniquity, but with Abhorrence. Again, Consider thou art a Slave to Satan the worst of Tyrants, he rules and works in your Hearts, as a Workman doth in his Shop, Eph. ii. 2. He uses your Powers, Faculties, Senses and Members, according to his Pleasure. He says, Go, and you go, Do this, and you do it. Your Bondage is worse than the Israelites under Pheraoh, for they groaned under theirs, but you, alas! are not sensible of yours, neither will you believe it: The Devil knows, that if you perceived your Slavery, you would seek to make your Escape from him; therefore, to make sure Work, he deals with you as the 'Philistines did with Samson, puts out your Eyes that you may not see your Chains, nor look to Christ for Liberty: O that God would open them, and cause you to groan under your Fetters, and look to Christ for Relief.

[Page] Moreover, while thou art in thy Christless State, God's Wrath is still burning against thee, the flaming Sword of Justice is always over thy Neck, Psal. vii. 11. God is angry with the wicked every Day, every Day of the Week, and every Hour of the Day; when thou goest out and comest in, rise it up, or lyest down, God is still angry with thee; yea, He hath bent his Bow, and made ready his Arrows, which are steeled with Wrath, and headed with Vengeance; nay, his Bow is drawn, and his Arrows are at the Flight; and, O Christless Soul, thou art only the Butt thereof, and if he let them fly, they will pierce thee to the very Soul, and who will heal that Wound? What a dangerous State is this?

And further, All the Curses of the Law are levelled against thee, and a just God is engaged by his Oath to ruin thee, if thou abidest in this State, Heb. iii. 18. To whom sware he, that they should not enter into his Rest, but to them that believed not. Should not the Thoughts of this make thee tremble? Were it but the Oath of a Man or a Company of Men to procure thy Death as of these forty Men that bound themselves with an Oath, they would neither Eat nor Drink till they killed Paul, it would bereave thee of thy Nights rest and quiet till they were made Friends with thee; And will the Oath of the great God have no Effect upon thee, nor move [Page]thee to flee to Christ for Protection and Reconciliation? Who can help thee or deal for thee, if Christ be neglected? With what Face canst thou look to him, or cry for Mercy from him, when he comes to judge thee at the last Day. If thou remain Christless now, thou wilt be Speechless, Helpless and Hopeless then. O think, what pale Faces, quivering Lips, fainting Hearts & trembling Consciences will be among Christless Sinners chen? How will their Heads hang down, and Knees knock together, and cry, alas for the Day! They can look no where for Comfort, for the Judge frowns on them, the Saints deride them, their own Friends upbraid them, the Angels mock them, the Devils scoff at them, the Heavens thunder against them, the Earth flames about them, and Hell groans for them, and down they will go roaring and howling for ever.

O Christless Soul, how can'st thou think to ly in that dark Dungeon for ever, where there is nothing but weeping and guashing of Teeth to be heard, and utter Darkness to be seen, but never the least Sight of the Light of God's Favour to all Eternity? How wilt thou live in that Pit where there is no Water? Not a Drop of Comfort or Refreshment to the thir [...]ty scorched Prisoners, no, not so much as one Drop to cool their Tongue, the Torments there are both Endless and Easeless. O poor Christless Soul, thou art, as it were▪ [Page] apprehended by Justice for thy Debt, and brought the length of this Prison Door, and there are Hundreds of Diseases and Devils waiting for a Warrant to open the Door to let you in, and wilt thou not employ a Surety, nor seek for a Ransom, when justice is waiting a while to see if thou wilt do it; and Christ is earnestly offering himself to be thy Cautioner, and his Blood to ransom thee from this Pit, and to be sure no other Thing will do it, see Zech. ix. 11.

II. As it is God's Command that you should receive & believe on his Son Jesus Christ; so he declares that it is a Work above all others, most pleasing to him, Joh. vi. 29. It is emphatically called his Commandment, I John iii. 23. being a Command he values more than all other Commands in the Bible: And so upon the other hand, there is no Sin so provoking to God, as Unbelief & rejecting of Christ; yea he is more offended with it, than with the breaking of all his other Commands. see Heb. x. 28, 29. Put all your other Sins in one Scale, and Unbelief in another, and you will find that Unbelief weighs down all the Rest, for it is a slighting of the whole Work of Redemption, which is the Masterpiece of all God's Works, being that which hi [...] Heart is most set upon, and he hath been at most Pains about, I John iv. 9. O be persuaded then to do the Work that is [Page]most acceptable to God, & obey his great Command of believing upon the Name of his Son. The whole Creation obeys his Commands; he commands the Sun to run its daily Course, and it obeys him; he commands the Sea to Ebb and Flow twice a Day, and it obeys to a Minute; he commands the Angels and all the Hosts of Heaven, and they punctually obey him; and will you only be disobedient to him; and that to his beloved Command, when yet he hath done more for you than for the whole Creation?

III. Consider what an unspeakable Mercy and Happiness it is to you, to enjoy the free Offers of Jesus Christ, and to have God commanding you to receive him. How would the fallen Angels value such a Mercy, if they had it? They would not be loth to leave their Dungeon and accept of a Saviour as you are: But their State is eternally hopeless and desperate, there is no Remedy for their Misery; O do not put your selves in the same Case with them by slighting the offered Remedy. How would damned Souls prize such an Offer? The least News, and remotest Hopes of it would make them leap in their Chains, and sing in the Flames. O how glad would they be to lift up their flaming Hands to take hold of the Cords of Love and Mercy if they could be let down to them in that dark Dungeon? [Page]Why then should ye wilfully put your selves into the same hopeless Condition with them by your Unbelief? Nay, your neglecting so many Offers, will sink you far deeper in that scalding Lake of Fire and Brimstone, and increase your Flames to more Vehemency than these of others who have not been so privileged. O how will Devils, Turks, Jesus and Pagans upbraid you there, for your inexcuseable Folly in slighting your Mercy, and destroying your Souls? Be wise then in Time. prize your Privilege, and consider the Things that belong to your Peace, before they be hid from your Eyes.

IV. Consider what an excellent & suitable Help Christ is for fallen Sinners; he is well furnished and qualified for your Case, he hath Gold for your Poverty, Eyesalve for your Blindness, Balm for your Wounds, Physick for your Diseases, Bread for your Hunger, White Raiment for your Nakedness, a Fountain for your Pollution, and a Ransom for your Debt and Bondage. In a Word, he hath a broad Plaister for your broad Sore, a deep Fountain for your deep Guilt; he is the chief of Saviours for the chief of Sinners. Behold how one Deep calls to another, the Depth of thy Misery, for the Depth of his Mercy. Are your Sins and Miseries very extensive, then view the large Dimensions of his Mercy, Who can fathom the Height, the Depth, the Breadth or Length of it? As [Page]for its Height, it is high as Heaven, and surmounts the highest Mountains of Guilt: It is so deep that it can bury the greatest of your Sins: It is as broad as the East is from the West: And for its Length, it is from Everlasting to Everlasting, so that it fully answers all your Wants and Miseries. In Christ there is all you need or can desire; there is both. Food and Physick, Cloathing, Strength, and Cordials; O Sinner, here is Blood to justify thee, and Water to cleanse; here the Water of Life, O Believer, that will restore thy Soul again, renew thy Youth as the Eagles, cure all thy Diseases, and heal all thy Pains. In a word, you have in Christ all that can make you Good, all that can make you Great, and all that can make you Happy.

V. Consider how near you are to Christ and Mercy, the Remedy is prepared, and Salvation is brought to your very Door, so that you need not say, who will ascend to Heaven, to bring me down the Water of Life; for it is brought to Earth to thy Hand: You need not say, Who will roll me away the Stone from the Well Mouth? for Christ hath done it for thee, and it is now a Fountain opened, and running by your Door. O it would be sad to be so near Christ, and yet eternally miss him, to perish like the Thief on the Cross with a Saviour at your Side, to be within a Step of him, and yet never touch him, yea to sink into Hell [Page] betwixt the outstretched Arms of his Mercy, and w [...]h his sweet Calls sounding in your Ears: What a Heart-stinging Consideration will this be to you in that Place of Torment for ever. O then, stir up your selves to take hold of Christ, when he is so near and in your Offer: Strive earnestly, while there is an Ark prepared, and a Window opened in the Side of it, & the Hand of Mercy put forth to pull in shelterless Doves that can find no Rest elsewhere: I say, strive to come near by th [...] Wings of Faith, make your nest (at least, beside the Hole's Mouth: be not found hovering without, lest the Flood wash you off from the Sides of the Ark, and ye perish miserably. If you be so foolish, you will [...]ish eternally, that ye had never heard of Christ, or that ye had been born among the wild Indians or Mahometans, that never heard a Sermon.

VI. Consider how importunate Christ is in his Offers, and how much he presseth you to receive him: Wisdom crieth in the Streets, Prov. i. Christ makes loud and open Proclamation of himself, and ost rerepeats his Calls, Isai. lv. 1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the Waters, and he that hath no Money, come ye, buy and eat yea come, &c. Behold, how earnest he is with Sinners, that he bids them come to him three Times in one Verse, Come, Come, Come. What alluring Methods hath he [Page] taken to gain your Hearts? How tenderly and affectionately doth he call and court backward Souls, Isai▪ li. 4. Hearken unto [...], my People, give ear unto me, O my Nation. What melting Expressions are these? My People My Nation.

But, if [...]alls do not prevail, he comes himself [...] [...]eek and [...]ave that which was lost. He came personally in the Days of his Flesh, and now he comes by his Spirit in his Word and Ordinances. The three wise Men came from the East a long Journey to seek Christ, but now Christ hath come from Heaven to Earth, a long Journey; yea, come to every one of your Congregations to seek you: And, are ye not willing to be found of him.

Nay, he is content to follow you, when we run away from him, and pursue you with his gracious Offers: As the Rock followed the Israelites in the Wilderness with its running Streams of Water, so Christ our spiritual Rock follows you now with the Streams of his Mercy and Blood, to wash and save you. O Sinner, if you will not hear the Words of his Mouth, hearken to the Call of his Wounds, which are opened as so many Mouths to plead with you. He hath suffered his blessed Side to be opened, that ye might look into his bleeding Heart and see it panting with Love, and also hear the sounding of his Bowels towards you; Will not this prevail? Then [Page] behold him by Faith with a heavy Cros [...] on his Back weighed down with your Sins, and the Curses of a broken Law following you, & calling after you. Hear him knocking with his nailed Hands at the Door of your Hearts, saying, Open to me poor perishing Sinner, give me Harbour in thy Heart, behold what I have suffered from Heaven, Earth and Hell for [...], look what Justice hath done, look what the Devil, the Romans, the sews and my own Disciples have done. View my Head, my Side, my Hands and my Feet, my wounded Body and my bruised Soul. O canst thou find in thy Heart to keep Christ at the Door, when thus wounded, bleeding and mangled for thee? Wilt thou let him stand all the Day long, when he hath put on his dyed Garments and red Apparel, to court thy backward Heart, and when he [...] saying, O Sinner, if thou wilt not believe, Reach hither thy Hand and feel the Print of the Nails, yea thrust it into my pierced Side, and seel my warm bleeding Heart, and see if I love you not? Wilt thou deny him Access, who has done so much for thee?

Will not this prevail? Then behold him displaying his glorious Beauty & Excellency before thine Eyes in a preached Gospel, to win thy Heart: Will not Ministers Commendations of him move thee Then, hear how he commends himself, [...] am the Rose of Sharon, and the Lilly of the [Page]Valleys, I am the true Vine; [...] good Shepherd &c. And will you not believe [...] own Report who cannot Lie? Surely [...] is in good Earnest with you when he [...]kes this Course.

Will not this do, then hearken how mournfully he complains, when he wants Success, and passionately regrates your Folly in rejecting him. He sighs when he mentions it, Psal. lxxxi. 13. O that my People had hearkned unto me! He bitterly laments it, Mat. xxiii. 37. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy Children together, and ye would not! He doubles the Name to shew his tender Affection, as David when he regrates his Son Absalom, O my Son Absalom, my Son, my Son, &c. How often would I have gathered you under my Wings? How many an affectionate Sermon, Call and Invitation have I given you, but all to no Purpose? Shall I go through a Sea of Wrath and Blood to save you, and will ye not accept of me when I have done it? Shall I shed my Blood in vain? Shall I bear the Wrath of God, the Scorns of Men, the Terror of Death and the Curse of the Law to no Effect? Will ye still prefer your Sins before me, and hear Satan's Knocks sooner than mine.

Hear that compassionate Complaint, Joh. v. 40. Ye will not come to me, that ye might have Life: As if he had said, ‘Why run [Page] ye so fast from your Saviour? Why co [...] ye not to me, who am come from He [...] ven to seek and save you? It is not a Enemy, but a Friend ye run from: Th [...] worst Turn I could do you, is to sa [...] your Lives: Ye will go without much pressing to the Devil, to get Death an [...] eternal Damnation, but ye will not come to me to get Life and eternal Salvation O! what inexpressible Madness are y [...] guilty of?’

Behold how he weep'd for Self destroying Jerusalem, rejecting his Offers, Luk [...] xix. 41. When he sate down to conside [...] their Case, his Bowels yerned with Pity his Tongue broke forth in Lamentation and his Eyes gush'd out with Tears: So that his Weeping even interrupted his Voice and made him utter short and abrupt Expressions, If thou had'st known, even thou at least in this thy Day, &c. where he seem to pause at every other Word, and drop first a Word, and then a Tear. What a moving Sight was this, to see the Son o [...] God in such a Pang of Grief, and Flood o [...] Tears for lost Sinners? Had he been enquired at, as he did Mary, John xx. 15.8 Bles [...] Lord, what seekest thou? why weepest thou His Answer readily would have been, ‘I seek not my self, I weep not for my self for I shall be glorious in the Eyes of the Lord, tho' Sinners be not gathered: Bu [...] I weep to see Sinners so mad as to reject [Page]their Saviour and Salvation, rather than part with their Lusts, that have Damnation following them at the Heels: It is my Grief to see them content rather to cast themselves Head-long into the Devil's Arms, than throw themselves into my Arms of Mercy, or embrace me in the Arms of their Faith. O! did Christs weep for you, poor Sinners, and will ye not weep for your selves? Did his Heart melt with Pity for you, and will not yours melt with Desires towards him?’

Can he do more to win your Hearts than this? Yea, if this do not, he is pleased to expostulate the Matter with you, and lay your Danger before you. Turnye, turn ye, (saith he) for why will ye die? Yea, he condescends to reason the Matter with you in a familiar Way, Come (says he) let us reason together, Isai. i. O my People, what have I done unto thee? Mic. vi. 3. What Iniquity have ye found in me? What Want or Unsuitableness have ye seen in me? Have I been a barren Wilderness to you? Are not my Ways equal? Thus he seeks to draw you with the Cords [...] a Man, & with the Bands of Love, Hos xi 4. And if there arise Objections in your Heart against coming to Christ, and receiving him for your Saviour, see how carefully he lays out himself in his Word, to answer them all, for he well foresaw every one of them; Produce your Cause, saith th [...] [Page]Lord) bring forth your strong Reasons, I am ready to hear and answer all your Scruples.

O! saith some poor humbled Soul, I have no Right to come to Christ, for I am a great Sinner. O saith Christ, I same not to call the Righteous, but Sinners to Repentance.

Objection, But I am the Chief of Sinners, my Sins are red as Crimson. O! saith Christ, I can make thee white as Wool, Nay, it was my Errand into the World, to save such as thou art, 1 Tim. i. 15.

Objection. But I am sick and wounded, what hath Christ to do with me? O! saith Christ, it is my proper Employment to be taken up with you, for, the Whole needeth not a Physician, but they that are sick, Mat. ix. Am not I the good Samaritan, who am come to pour Oil into thy Sores, and tenderly bind up thy Wounds, Psalm cxlvii. 3.

Objection, But I have no Ground to hope, for I am a lost Wretch. O! saith Christ, I came for this very Errand, to seek and save that which was lost, Luke xix. 10. And many a lost Sheep have I sought and found.

Objection, But I am past Cure, for I am quite dead and rotten in the Grave of [...] O saith Christ, I am the Resurrection and the Life, be that believes in me, tho' he were dead, yet shall [...] live, Joh. xi. 25. And [...] be saith, Eph. v. 14. Awake thou that [Page]sleepest, and arise from the Dead, & Christ shall give thee Light.

Objection, But I am a Slave to Sin [...] Satan, and a Prisoner to Justice. O! saith Christ, I am come to proclaim Liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the Pris [...] to them that are bound, Isa. lxi. 1. Yea, I have the Key of David, that opens and none can shut, I have the Blood of the Covenant that brings Prisoners out of the Pit. Turn ye to the strong Hold ye Prisoners of Hope, Zech. ix. 11, 12.

Objection, But I have heavy Burdens that weigh me down. O! saith Christ, Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you Rest.

Objection, But my Hand is withered, I cannot receive Christ, or any Thing, from him. Then do as the Man who had the withered Hand, obey Christ's Call, and he will enable thee to stretch out thy Hand.

Objection, But I am Lame, and cannot walk in Christ's Ways. O! saith Christ, I will put my Spirit within you, and [...] you to walk in my Statutes, Ezek. xxxvi.

Objection, But what if Christ withdraw his Spirit and Grace from me again. No saith Christ, I will never leave thee, nor for sake thee, Heb. xiii.

Objection, But may not I, not withstand ing leave him, and make Apost [...] saith Christ, the Covenant runs [...] [Page]Jer. iii. 19. Thou shalt call me, My Father, and shalt not turn away from me. Christ is the Surety for thy Perseverance.

Objection, But I shall be overcome by strong Temptations. No. saith Christ, My Grace shall be sufficient for thee.

Objection, But (saith some poor sensible Sinner) alas! my Case is not yet touched, for it is singular; my Sins are beineus and peculiar, they are against Light, Love, Conscience, Vows, and a thousand Obligations: There is none that knows what a Sinner I have been, but God, and my own Conscience: Will Christ ever accept of such a Wretch as me?

Answer, Art thou worse than a devilish Manasseh, or a persecuting Paul, whom Christ pitied and saved? Art thou worse than Mary Magdalen, who was a most notorious vile Wretch, yet seven Devils and an Army of Lusts could not keep Christ out of her Heart? Nay, though thy Heart were as foul and black as Hell, and thy Life did swarm with the most abominable Sins; yet Christ is both able and willing to save thee, if thou come to him. Are you worse than those in that black Catalogue? 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. Read and see what a sad Roll is there; and yet the Apostle saith to the believing Corinthians, Verse 11. Such were some of you, yet ye are [...]shed, &c. The Blood of Christ is a pow [...]ul Fountain, and is able to wash away [Page]the greatest Sins that ever were com [...] ted, be they never so black or bloody: God gave full Proof of this, by the first Sin we read of, that was cleansed by this Blood, after it was shed, even the Murder of the Son of God, Acts ii. 36, 38. This was the most prodigious Wickedness that ever the Sun saw; (yea, the Sun fainted at the Sight, as afraid to look on it) for suppose a Man were able to pull Heaven and Earth to Pieces, destroy the Angels, and murder all Mankind, he would not contract so monstrous a Guilt, as those did in crucifying the Son of God, whose Person was infinitely Superior to the whole Creation: Yet Thousands that were Actors in this black Tragedy, were washed by this Blood, to give us a convincing Experiment of its infinite Value and Virtue, and that no Sin or Guilt whatsoever was too strong for it; The Blood of Christ (saith John, 1 John i. 7.) cleansoth us from all Sin.

Objection, But tho' Christ's Blood be sufficient, yet I have no Right to i [...].

Answer, Be what you will, you have a full and sufficient Warrant from the Gospel Call to flee to it. See what Christ enjoins his Apostles, to do, Mark xvi. 15. Go into all the World, and preach the Gospel to every Creature, q. d. ‘Make Offer of my Blood to all without Distinction, even to the worst of Sinners, every Creature, be they never so wicked; yea, tho' they [Page]have sinned themselves into the Likeness of Beasts or Devils, yet, if they be Creatures, offer my Blood, my Mercy, and Meri [...] to them: Invite and press them to come unto me, and him that cometh, I will in no wise cast out.’ O Sinner! accept of the Gospel-Offer, and whatever you have been, you shall find there is Mercy enough in God's Bowels to pity you, Merit enough in Christ's Blood to purchase a Pardon for you, and Prevalency enough in his Intercession to procure and apply it to you.

Objection, But I have often slighted the Gospel Offer, and trampled on this precious Blood, with what Confidence can I claim it?

Answer, Since Christ doth not exclude you, you ought not to exclude your self; but should reckon that you have the greater Need to hasten to this Blood, the more heinous that your Sins be; yea, you have a peculiar Ground to plead upon for Pardon by it. See how David pleads it, Psa. xxv. 11. Pardon mine Iniquity; Why? for it is great; This would be a strange Argument with Men, Pardon my Crime, for it is great; but it is a strong Argument with God, Lord, it is great, and so I have the more Need of Pardon: It is great, and so thou wilt have the greater Honour in pardoning me, even as a Physician hath in curing a desperate Disease. The sinning against Christ's Blood, or slighting it, is [...] [Page]yea, saved some at the last Hour, particularly the Thief on the Cross, whom the Devil thought he was sure of, having drawn him the Length of the Mouth of Hell, just ready to cast him in; yet even then, upon his looking to Christ, did the Arms of Mercy catch hold of him.

What more can'st thou object, O Sinner? Hath not Christ provided Answers to all thou can'st say, either against thy self or him? Hath he not given unanswerable Demonstrations of his Ability, Fulness, Fitness and Willingness to be thy Saviour? Hath he not given full Proof of his earnest Desire to save thee, by the many Methods he takes to prevail with Sinners to accept of him? Will not all the Pains he hath hitherto taken prevail with thy obstinate Heart? What more would you have Christ to do with unwilling Sinners? There is yet one Step further he makes, and that is a very low one; he even, as it were, turns a humble Supplicant to thee, and upon his bare Knees beseeches thee to be reconciled to him: Read 2 Cor. v. 20. We are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's Stead, be ye reconciled to God. O wonderful Condescension! Behold Divine Mercy kneeling down to a Sinner in the humblest Polture, with wringed Hands and watry Cheeks, importuning the Sinner to [...]ceive his Saviour, accept of his Pardon, [Page]save his Soul, and be reconciled to God in Christ. Be astonisht O Heavens! Shall the Sovereign Creator turn Supplicant to the vile Traitor, and follow him with his Remission? Or, the loving Father to the prodigal Child, and follow him with Intreaties? And, O Sinner! will thy stubborn Heart be able to refuse Peace, or slight the blessed Peace maker Jesus Christ, after all this Pains? If all his Arguments prevail nothing, yet one would think, that the humble Intreaties of the Great GOD will certainly do it: How can you resist these?

Objection, I have no Strength to come to Christ, I cannot believe of my self, I have a dead and hard Heart, and I cannot help it.

Answ. 1. Can'st thou say in good Earnest, that thou art willing and desirous to embrace a Saviour, if thou wert able? Alas! it is here that it sticks; whatever you pretend, you are not truly willing: It is our Unwillingness that ruins us: It is not so much for Want of Power (tho' indeed we want it) as Want of Will, that Sinners want Christ: Were you once willing, Strength would not be wanting. O to get the Will conquered and made to surrender to Christ, then the Day were won! O for one Pull more from Omnipotent Grace, to make you a willing People in the Day of God's Power.

2. Labour for a deep Sense of thy own [Page]Impotency, take your dead Heart and lay it before God, and lie groaning in Christ's Way, and plead for Pity: It is true, God is not bound in strict Justice, to hear an Unbeliever's Prayer, but if you be earnest with him, you may expect he will do it out of his great Goodness and Mercy: He hears the Ravens when they cry; O then! Cry to him to your utmost Ability, in a deep Sense of Want: Be as earnest seeking Faith, as your daily Bread: Cry as fervently for the Life of your Souls, as ye would do for the Life of your Bodies, if ready to be executed: If ye would do so, God would not deny you. More particularly plead these Things.

1. Take your Bible, kneel down, and cast up that gracious free Promise, Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27. Read it, and plead it, put thy Finger to it, and put the Maker of it to his Word; lay thy dead Heart before it, and look up and cry, Lord, make good this Word to me, is it not a free Promise? There is no Condition required of me for getting it fulfilled, but to inquire of the [...] for doing it, Verse 37. Now Lord, I am come to enquire and request thee to do it.

2. Humbly plead thy own Impotency, and the Insufficiency of all others to help the [...] in this State. This was the impotent Man's Plea with Christ at the Pool of Bethesda, Job. v. 6, 7. It had good Success with him, and so may it have with you: Say, ‘[Page] Lord I have lien many Years with this dead plagued Heart, beside the open Fountain of thy Blood, that has saved many in my Condition, I am impotent and unable to move to it of my self, and have none to put me in: I have tryed others, but I find it altogether in vain, Ordinances cannot do it, Sacraments cannot do it, Ministers cannot do it, the loudest Knock or Call will not do it: Thou, Lord, must put to thy helping Hand, or it cannot be done, for it is a Work peculiar to thy Almighty Arm: I have been looking to all others for Help, but, Lord, there is none in Heaven or Earth but Thee alone: Every one of the Creatures, Means and Ordinances say, it is not in me: Every one of the Saints and Angels say, as the King of Israel did to that poor starving Woman, 2 Kings vi 27. If the Lord do not help thee, w [...]en [...]e shall I help thee? So, if thou Lord help me not, I must perish.’

3. In a deep Sense of your own Impotency, flee to God's Power and plead it: Do you feel the Ammon, Moah and Mount Seir of your own Corruptions swelling within you, say with Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. xx. 1 [...]. We have no Might against this great Company, neither know we what to do, but our Eyes are upon thee. If you could come this Length, then were there good Ground of Hope, for when we see that we are [Page]wholly helpless and shiftless in our selves, then God's Help is nearest; When I am weak (saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. xii. 10.) then am I strong. Renounce then all Help in the Creature, and look to the Creator, say, Lord, tho' it be impossible with Man, yet thou hast told me, Mar. 10. 27. That with thee all things are possible: Tho' I may despair of all Help in my selt and others, yet thou hast forbid me to despair of Help in thee, therefore I flee to thee alone. Lord, give what thou commandest, and then command what thou wilt.

4. Plead thy extream Need of Christ, and of Faith to give thee an Interest in him. The World cannot tell thee, O Sinner, how great thy Need is, there is not a starving Man that needs Meat, a wounded Man that needs a Physician, a Ship-wrack'd Man that needs a Plank, a dying Man with the Dive-ratling in his Thicat, that needs Breath so much as thou need'st Christ. What wilt thou do on a Death-bed, or at a Tribunal, without an Interest in him? And, what will become of thee to all Eternity? Go to him then, and leek Faith in Christ, as a Malefactor going to die would do his Life, fall down at his Feet, and cry, ‘Give me Faith and Strength to carry me to Christ's [...], or else I die: I may live without Friends, Wealth, Honours and Pleasures, but I cannot live without Faith: I am lost, undone, a dead [Page]Man, and I perish for ever without it. Lord, deny me what thou wilt, but deny me not Faith. It had been better for me never to have been born, than to live without Christ and an Interest in him: If I come not to the Fountain of Christ's Blood, I shall sink eternally in that scalding Lake of Fire and Brimstone: If I go to Christ's Table without Faith, I shall shed his Blood, and eat and drink my own Damnation.’

5. Plead with God, how easy it is for him to help thee; cry with the Psalmist, Psal, lxxx. 1. O thou that dwellest between the Cherubims, shine forth. It will cost thee no more Pains to work Faith in me, and do all that I desire, than it doth the Sun to shine forth: Yea, thou can it more easily put forth thy Power and Grace, than the Sun can dart out its Beams It is no Trouble nor Loss to the Sun to shine forth; so neither will it be to thee to thew thy Power and Mercy: A Look or Touch from thee would do it, a little Thing will save a drowning Man: Lord suffer me not to perish, when it is so easy for thee to prevent it. Were it any Loss or Trouble for God to help us, we might well doubt of it; but since it is none, we may cry with Hope, Lord grant such an hungry Beggar an Alms out of the Ocean of thy Bounty, for thou wilt never miss it. As the Sun, the more it shines, displays its Glory the [Page]more; so thou wilt gain Glory, by putting forth thy Power to help such a Helpless Creature as I am.

Objection, But I have often looked and cried to him for Help, but alas, I am such a grievous Sinner he doth not answer me, unless it be with a Frown.

Answ. 1. It may be there is some Idol or Sin still harboured, that thou art not willing to part with. This may be the Achan in the Camp that causeth the Lord to hide his Face, search for it, and cast out the accursed Thing, let not thine Eye pity it, neither do thou spare it. If thou canst not find it, go humbly to God and cry, Shew me, Lord, wherefore thou contendest with me.

2. It may be thou art not fervent enough, God keeps the Door bolted that you may be provoked to knock the harder, Matth. vii. 7. Ask and it shall be given, seek, &c. In that one Verse you have three Calls to Fervency, not only Ask but Seek, not only Seek but Knock ▪ The Woman of Canaan readily took up the Meaning of Christ's refusing to answer her, she turns the more Fervent and Importunate, and so gets all her Will.

3. Resolve whatever Discouragement you meet with, you will never quit the Throne of Grace, but you will always lay your self in Christ's Way, and never look to another for Help; yea that you [Page]will die waiting on him: Remember the Psalmist's Experience, Psal. xl. 1. I waited patiently for the Lord, and at length he inclined his Ear, and heard my Cry: There was never any yet that waited on him, had cause to be ashamed. You may meet with many Discouragements and Temptations, and be put to very sad Thoughts, but you must be resolute in looking to Christ for Help, come what will; and in Imitation of the four Lepers at the Seige of Samaria, reason with your self, if I live at a Distance from Christ, I shall infallibly perish, there is no Hope for me; if Christ pity me not when I am waiting on him, I shall but perish, but yet there is Hope he will have Pity at length; therefore if I perish, I'll perish at Christ's Footstool, looking up to him, where never one yet perish'd, and I hope he will not let me be the first.

4. Make use of Arguments in pleading with him.

1. Plead the Freeness of his Mercy; it needs no Motive, and expects no Worth, but whosoever will, let him come and take the Water of Life freely, it runs freely, so that Mountains cannot stop the current of it, more than Rocks can stop the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea. ‘Indeed, Lord, if Sin and Unworthiness could stop Mercy, I might despair, for I am as unworthy a Creature as ever the Sun shined [Page]upon, but blessed be God, Grace is free.’

2. Plead Christ's Commission, Isai. lxi. 1. He was sent to proclaim Liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the Prison Doors to them that are bound: Lord, here a poor Prisoner, a frozen, locked, bound up Heart: Here is Employment for [...], Loose me, Knock off my Fetters, and lying my Soul out of Prison. Thou hast all Fulne [...] dwelling in thee, and thou hast it given thee to bestow on such miserable Objects as I am; Lord here a naked Back for thee to cover, an empty Stomach for thee to fill, a wounded Soul for thee to [...]. Lord thou camest to seek and save that which was lost, and wilt thou not be found of a lost Sinner that is seeking thee.

3. Plead the Communicativeness of his Mercy to others: He had Compassion upon Men's Bodies while he was on Earth, even the Bodies of wicked Men, such as the unthankful Lepers, he let none of them go without healing that came to him; say, Lord did thou shew so much Compassion to diseased Bodies, and w [...]t thou not have some Pity on my dying Soul that is far more Precious than C [...]cases of Clay.—Plead his Compassion that he hath shewed to the worst of Sinners, such as Manassch, Mary Magdalen, Paul, and those who murdered him.—Plead his Compassion towards the finally Obstinate, [Page]and Impenitent, such as Jerusalem, over which he wept, Luke xix. Lord, did thy Heart melt with Pity to such, and wilt thou not pity a humbled Sinner, that confesseth Sin and would fain be reconciled to God: Is not Mercy the Work thou delightes [...] in? Mic. vii. 18.

Lastly, Labour for a Sense of the Misery of a Christless State, of your great Need of Christ, and of the Happiness of being found in him, and in a Sense thereof, look to Christ and make a trial to take hold of him, stir up your self to it, and rest your Soul on him as you can, and God will help you and communicate Strength. He will not fail to notice and encourage an honest Attempt, Jer. xxx. 21. Who is this that engageth his Heart to approach to me? He will pity and help such. If you cannot apply Christ to your selves and say, He is mine, yet apply your self to Christ and say, I would fain be thine, yea I am resolved to be thine. Go forth to Christ with all the Faith you can arrive at, say with the poor Man, Lord I believe, help thou my Unbelief. You must not sit still and do nothing, but use all Means in your Power, for it is in the Use of these that God works Faith; hoise up the Sails and wait for the Gales.

THE END.

Looking unto Jesus.
An Hymn by another Hand.

[Page]

COME here Believer, come and see,

Profoundly bend your Heart & Knee

Unto your lovely dying Christ,

And give him Praise within [...] [...]igh'st.

[...] his precious Body [...]

[...] with Fists the most forlorn;

[...] Head fill'd full of Thorns,

[...] Person full of Scorns.

[...] Wretches how they chuse,

[...] and Christ refuse.

[...] with their wicked Voices cry,

[...] release, but Christ let die.

[...]staken Wretches, who can tell

The Force & Pow'r which came from [...]

Which made you your sweet Lord refuse

And bloody Barabbas to chuse?

O had you seen his lovely Face,

So full of Mercy, Love and Grace,

You'd sure have bow'd your Heart & Knee

To his most bright Divinity.

O how he look'd, O how he shone,

Beyond the Scepters and the Crowns,

That ever Israel's Kings have wore,

In his majestick Look and Power.

[Page] [...] the Tomb where Lazarus lies▪

Attend his Sisters Moans and Cries,

Behold the great Redeemer come,

And raise and send him to his Home▪

Go see the Hal [...], the Lame and Blind,

According to his blessed Mind,

All heal'd restor'd and sent away▪

The Glories of his Love display.

Mistaken Wretches where's your Ey [...],

Who would not such a Saviour prize,

Who came to save you from your Guilt▪

And for whose sake's his Blood hath spilt,

Could you not see his sacred Face,

So full of Majesty and Grace,

His loving tender Heart so free,

To give himself to die for thee.

O could I but tell all his Worth.

The Universe can't set it [...]ort [...],

[...] this I Know, he's King of King [...]

[...]d brings Salvation in his Wings.

[...] Father, Son and Holy Ghost,

[...]he great Eternal God of Hosts,

[...] Praise from all in Earth and Heav'n,

[...]th their most joyful Voices giv'n.

FINIS.

Information about this book

Title statement

Looking unto Jesus. Being an earnest exhortation and most excellent perswasive to fly to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, in order to obtain eternal life through him. / By Mr. John Willison, Minister of the Gospel at Dundee in Scotland. ; [Two lines from Isaiah]

Willison, John, 1680-1750.

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI :

Date

2009-04.

ID [DLPS]

N30104

ID [TCP]

N30104

ID [STC]

Shipton 39983

ID [NOTIS]

APX3202

ID [IMAGE-SET]

39983

ID [EVANS-CITATION]

99019968

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This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 39983.

Notes

(Evans-TCP ; no. N30104)

Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 39983)

Images scanned from Readex microprint and microform: (Early American imprints. First series ; no. 39983)

Source

— Looking unto Jesus. Being an earnest exhortation and most excellent perswasive to fly to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, in order to obtain eternal life through him. / By Mr. John Willison, Minister of the Gospel at Dundee in Scotland. ; [Two lines from Isaiah], Willison, John, 1680-1750..

Extent

[2], 34 p. ; 14 cm. (12mo)

Printed for Benjamin Gray, no. 2 at the head of the Town-Town [i.e., Town-Dock].,. Boston, :: 1731.. ("Looking unto Jesus. An hymn by another hand."--p. [33]-34.)

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