Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, lay aside all private and earthly affections, and look upon this glory of Christ. As the daughters of Jerusalem sitting or remaining in their chambers, closets, houses, could not behold the glory of King Solomon passing by, and therefore they were willed to come forth of their doors: even so, if we will behold the great King, Jesus Christ in his most excellent glory (a sight able to satisfy the eye, and to ravish the heart) we must come out of our doors, we must come out of ourselves, otherwise we cannot see his glory. "Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and see King Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, the day of the gladness of his heart." Song of Solomon 3:11
Are not they careless of this duty, [that is, looking unto Jesus]. O their excursions from God! Sad dejections of Spirit! Inordinate affections of the world! And in the meanwhile, O the neglect of this gospel-ordinance even amongst saints themselves! I know not whether through lack of skill, or through lack of will, but sure I am this duty lies dormant, neglected of most of the people of God... "I write unto you," saith the apostle "to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance," (2 Peter 3:1). It is in the original Greek, "to awaken your pure minds," and it was but need. See how David calls upon himself, "Awake, my glory!" (Psalm 57:8). And see how Deborah calls upon herself, "Awake, awake, Deborah, awake, awake, utter a song," (Judges 5:12). Awaking, is a word that imparts rousing, as birds that provoke their young ones by flight, to make use of their wings. Now, how few are there, that thus call upon themselves? It was the prophet's complaint, "No man stirs up himself to take hold of God," (Isaiah 64:7). O what a shame is this! Is it fit that our understandings, which God has entrusted us with, should be no more improved? Is it fit, that our minds (those golden cabinets, which God has given us to be filled with heavenly treasure) should either be empty, or stuffed with vanity, nothing, worse than nothing? O! that such glorious creatures as our souls, should lacquey after every creature, which should be an attendant upon Christ, which should be like angels, waiting and standing in the presence of our God! O that such glorious things as our immortal spirits, should run after vanity, and so become vain; which if rightly improved, should wake with angels, should lodge themselves in the bosom of the glorious God! Do we not see, how Christ is sending out to us continually? The thoughts of his heart are love, eternal love; and shall not we send out our thoughts towards him? Shall not we let our minds run out towards him?
Just so much as the world prevails in us, so much is God's love abated both in us, and towards us. "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, (saith James) know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?” (James 4:4)
The most excellent subject to discourse or write of is Jesus Christ. Augustine, having read Cicero's works, commended them for their eloquence; but he passed this sentence upon them, “They are not sweet, because the name of Jesus is not in them.” … Indeed all we say is but unsavory, if it not be seasoned with this salt, “I determined not to know any thing among you, (saith Paul) save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” He resolved with himself, before he preached among the Corinthians, that this should be the only point of knowledge that he would profess himself to have skill in.
Oh how should all hearts be taken with this Christ? Christians, turn your eyes upon the Lord; Look, and look again unto Jesus: Why stand ye gazing on the toys of this world, when such a Christ is offered to you in the Gospel? Can the world die for you? Can the world reconcile you to the Father? Can the world advance you to the Kingdom of Heaven? As Christ is all in all, so let him be the full and complete subject of our desire, and hope, and faith, and love, and joy; let him be in your thoughts the first in the morning, and the last at night.
O when a soul comes to know what an eternal God is, and what an eternal Jesus is, and what an eternal crown is; when it knows that great design of Christ to save poor souls, and to communicate himself eternally to such poor creatures, this takes off the edge of its desires as to visible temporal things; what are they in comparison?
In this knowledge of Christ, there is an excellency above all other knowledge in the world; there is nothing more pleasing and comfortable, more animating and enlivening, more ravishing and soul contending; only Christ is the Sun and centre of all divine revealed truths, we can preach nothing else as the object of our faith, as the necessary element of your soul's salvation, which doth not some way or other, either meet in Christ, or refer to Christ; Only Christ is the whole of man's happiness, the Sun to enlighten him, the Physician to heal him, the Wall of fire to defend him, the Friend to comfort him, the Pearl to enrich him, the Ark to support him, the Rock to sustain him under the heaviest pressures... Only Christ is that ladder between earth and heaven, the Mediator between God and man, a mystery which the angels of heaven desire to pry, and peep and look into (1 Pet. 1:12). Here is a blessed subject indeed; who would not be glad to pry into it, to be acquainted with it? 'This is life eternal, to know God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent' John 17:8. Come then, let us look on this Sun of righteousness: we cannot receive harm but good by such a look; indeed by looking long on the natural sun, we may have our eyes dazzled, and our faces blackened; but by looking unto Jesus Christ, we shall have our eyes clearer, and our faces fairer... As Christ is more excellent than all the world, so this sight transcends all other sights; it is the epitome of a Christian's happiness, the quintessence of evangelical duties, Looking unto Jesus.
Some may give a glance at Christ, but they are presently wheeled off again: but why don't the eyes abide there, at least till it come to some profitable issue? Is not Christ worthy on whom our souls should dwell? Certainly, if we love our Jesus, that love will hold us: Christ then will be in our thoughts and minds, and we cannot be off him... Christ himself acknowledged such an operation of love upon himself, "Turn away thine eyes, for they have overcome me. Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse, with one of thine eyes," (Song of Songs 6:5, 4:9). Christ was held in the galleries, and captivated with love to His people, so that His eye was ever upon them. No, he could not get His eyes off them. "Can a mother forget her child? No more can I forget you", (Isaiah 49:15). And is Christ so tender in His love towards us that he ever minds us, and shall our minds be so loose to him? So fluttering, and fleeting? Shall there be no more care to bind ourselves in cords of love to him, who hath bound himself in such cords of love to us?
O turn your thoughts from off all earthly vanities, and bend your souls to study Christ. Habituate yourselves to such contemplations... and let not those thoughts be seldom or cursory, but settle upon them, dwell there, bathe your souls in those delights, drench your affections in those rivers of pleasures, or rather in the sea of consolation. O tie your souls in heavenly galleries, have your eyes continually set on Christ! Say not, "You are unable to do thus, this must be God's work only, and therefore all our exhortations are in vain..." Though God be the chief disposer of your hearts, yet next under him you have the greatest command of them yourselves. Though "without Christ ye can do nothing;" yet under him you may do much: or else it will be undone, and you undone through your neglect. If your souls were sound and right, they would perceive incomparably more delight and sweetness, in knowing, thinking, believing, loving and rejoicing in Jesus Christ, than the soundest stomach finds in his food, or the strongest senses in the enjoyments of their objects. Oh it is our sloth, our security, our carnal mind, which is enmity to God and Christ, that keeps us off. Be exhorted! Oh be exhorted in the fear of God.
Come, let the proud man boast in his honor, and the mighty man is his valor, and the rich man in his wealth, but let the Christian pronounce himself happy, only happy, truly happy, fully happy in beholding Christ, enjoying Christ, having Christ, in looking unto Jesus.
Be more and better acquainted with Jesus Christ: get nearer to him, be more in communion with him, get more tastes of Christ and heaven, and earth will relish the worse for them [the pleasures of the world]. Oh! when I look on Christ and consider. That he that was the Lord of heaven and earth, put himself into so poor and low a condition, merely for the redeeming of his elect, how should this but deaden my heart to the world? "I account all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; and account them but dung, that I may win Christ," (Philippians 3:8). If Christ be in view, all the world then is but dung and dross, and loss in comparison; the glory of Christ will darken all other things in the world.