Post by Admin on Feb 28, 2024 9:22:39 GMT -5
Christ to be Found in the Ordinances, with the Import and Happy Effects of Finding Him
For whoso finds me, finds life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord. PROVERBS 8:35,
THIS chapter represents to us Wisdom speaking openly and most earnestly to her hearers.
The discourse begins, ver. 4, and goes on to the end of the chapter. It may here he enquired,
1. Who or what is this wisdom that speaks?I answer, Jesus Christ, the personal Wisdom of God; Luke 11:49; 1 Cor. 1:24, in both which passages Christ is expressly called "the Wisdom of God." This appears from the personal properties ascribed to this Wisdom, as,
(1.) Subsistence, ver. 30, "Then I was by him, as one brought up with him; and I was daily his delight." Compare John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
(2.) The manner of subsistence, namely, eternal generation: ver. 22–24, "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there was no depths, I was brought forth; when there was no fountains abounding with water."
(3.) Personal attributes and effects; vs. 14– 17, "Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength," &c. It may be inquired,
2. To whom he speaks? I answer,"To men,"vs. 4,"Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men; "sinful and ruined men, who stand in need of salvation.
3. It may be inquired, What he speaks? I answer, The sum of it all is to commend itself to their souls, from their eternal happiness, ver. 11, and downwards, "for wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired, are not to be compared to it," &c.
4. What is the application of this discourse? It is an exhortation to hear his voice, comply with it,and close with him, ver. 32, and downwards, "Now therefore hearken auto me," &c. In the two last verses is the conclusion of the whole matter.
(1.) Happiness is wrapped up in the enjoyment of him; ver. 35, "For whoso finds me, finds life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord."
(2.) Ruin is inevitable in the rejecting of him; ver. 36, "But he that sins against me, wrongs his own soul; all they that hate me love death." The former is the subject of our text; in which consider,
1. The connection with the preceding words, "For;" shewing them to be the reason of the blessedness pronounced on those that "hear him, watching daily at his gates," &c. These gates are the ordinances. It is supposed that he comes out at these gates, and so men being found watching at them, find him when he is pleased to come forth. It is a metaphor, which may be taken either,
(1.) From scholars, whose hearts being set on learning, wait on at the school-door, till they can get in; or,
(2.) From courtiers: Esth. 2:21, or others waiting for access to their prince.
(3.) Or from clients waiting on their advocates, or their judges late and early. Or,
(4.) From lovers, who will hang on, watching for a meeting; Job 31:9. They that thus watch and wait at Christ's gates,
till he come forth, for getting their errand, are made up for ever. Which is the import of,
2. The words themselves; describing the happiness of those that find Christ. Wherein there are two things:—
1st, The happy man in heaven's account, "Whoso finds me." It imports, that it is not every one that comes to his gates that finds him; many go as they came; but some do find him. The world counts him the happy man that finds riches, honors, pleasures, &c, like Ephraim, who said, "I am become rich, I have found me out substance;" Hos. 12:8; and therefore they watch and wait greedily where they may have them, saying, "Who will shew us any good?" Psalm 4:6. But when they have found what they were seeking, it often appears, that they have been seeking and have found their own rain. But he is happy indeed that finds Christ, for he finds an upmaking treasure.
2dly, The happiness of that man; which lies in two things,
(1.) He that finds Christ "finds life." Without him we are dead men; but falling on Christ the fountain of life,
as the man's dead body on the bones of Elisha; 2 Kings 13:21, the soul gets life, eternal life, that will never die out any more. [Heb. hath found;] in finding me, he hath found life; 1 John 5:12, "He that hath the Son, hath life."
(2.) He "shall obtain favor of the Lord;" for the Father is well pleased with Christ, and with all who are in him. He shall be accepted with the Lord; Eph. 1:6. The sky shall clear on him, which was lowering before. Heaven shall smile on him. Yea, he shall bring forth favor from the Lord, as out of a treasure now opened to him; so the word intimates.
From the connection of the text with the preceding context, we may observe the two following doctrines, viz:—
DOCTRINE I. The ordinances are the place where Christ is to be found of poor sinners.
DOCT. II. People may come to ordinances, and yet not find Christ.I shall discuss these two doctrines before I enter on the words themselves.
DOCT.I.The ordinances are the place where Christ is to be found of poor sinners. In handling this doctrine, I shall,
I. Shew what are the ordinances in which Christ is to be found.
II. Confirm the doctrine.
III. Lastly, Apply.
I. I am to shew what are the ordinances wherein, especially, Christ is to be found. If any of you have Job's desire; Job 23:3, "O that I knew where I might find him!" I would direct you to "go out by the footsteps of the flock;" Cant. 1:8, where to find him. These ordinances are,
1. The divine ordinance of meditation; Hag. 1:5, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ways." Here is the first sight ofttimes that a
sinner gets of Christ; as did the prodigal son; Luke 15:17, "When he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!"
Therefore David advises his enemies to this; Psalm 4:4, "Commune with your own heart upon your bed." And here the saints have often got renewed sights of him, to their soul's satisfaction; Psalm 63:5, 6,"My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; when I remember thee upon my bed,and meditate on thee in the night watches." What is it that keeps Christ and many sinners asunder, but that really they will not come near this gate of wisdom? They will not think on their case.
2. Christian conference about spiritual matters. Hence we read of this being practiced in a very declining time; Mal. 3:16, "Then they that feared the Lord, spoke often one to another. This was the gate at which the two disciples found and met with Christ; Luke 24:32, "Did not our hearts burn within us," say they, "while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to as the scriptures?" As two cold flint stones struck one upon another produce fire; so doth spiritual conference sometimes warm cold hearts; Cant. 5:8, 9, and 6:1.
Meetings for Christian fellowship have been meeting-places with Christ to many; the due consideration whereof might well encourage and stir up Christians to a more frequent attendance upon them.
3. Singing of the Lord's praises. This is a commanded duty; Eph. 5:18, 19—"Be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." What made David so frequently to wait on about this gate, but that he knew the King used to come forth that way? Here Paul and Silas got a joyful meeting with Christ even in a prison; Acts 16:25, 26. It is pity, that people should treat it as a blind gate, at which they never look for the Lord to come forth. But in the experience of the Lord's people he is to be found there. The heavenly melody sometimes melts hard hearts, elevates drooping souls, and
fills them with glowing affection to Christ.
4. Prayer. It is called seeking of God, and is the highway to find him. It has a large promise; Matth. 7:7, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you;" and it has been the gate of heaven to many a soul. It is a four-leaved gate, and at every one of the leaves the King has shewn himself to poor sinners.
(1.) Public prayer, at which Lydia got her heart opened; Acts 16:13, 14.
(2.) Private prayer, whether in one's family; Acts 10:30, or otherwise in society with others privately; Acts 12:12. This social prayer has a large promise made to it; Matth. 18:19, "I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth, as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven."
(3.) Secret prayer. Many a soul has found Christ there. There Jacob got the blessing; Gen. 32:24. There Daniel beheld the King in his glory, and obtained favor; Dan. 9:22. This has many a time made the corner of a barn, byre, or dyke-side, a Bethel, a Peniel; and these are more esteemed than a king's palace, by the children of God.
(4.) Ejaculatory prayer. This has many times suddenly opened, to the soul's finding of Christ. So it did with Moses; Exod. 14:15, "Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward;" and with Nehemiah, chap. 2:4. No wonder they do not find him, that watch not at this gate.
5. The word. This is the most patent door of heaven, at which the King usually comes forth to his attendants, that come to wait on him there. It is a two-leered gate.
(1.) The word read, Rev. 1:3, "Blessed is he that reads." Augustine hearing a voice, Take up and read, opened Rom. 13:12, 13, and was converted. Junius was brought to Christ by reading John 1.
(2.) The word preached, 1 Cor. 1:21,—"It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. This is a well of salvation at which three thousand persons at a time drank and lived, Acts 2:41. The eunuch met with Christ at this gate, where the one, viz. hearing the word, opened after the other, viz. reading the word; and be found favor with the Lord.
6. Lastly, The sacraments, baptism and the Lord's supper. These are sealing ordinances, in which many have had sensible communion with Jesus Christ. It is true, the first finding of him is not to be expected here; but though they are not converting, they are confirming ordinances; and as such, happy means of strengthening the believer's faith and love, and increasing his acquaintance with Christ.
II. In order to confirm this doctrine, consider,
1. The ordinances are by Christ's own appointment the trysting places, wherein he has promised to be found of those that seek him; Exod. 20:24, "In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee." So that coming thither to wait on him, they may expect to find him there. It is the divine appointment put upon them, which is accompanied with a blessing, that gives ground of hope in the case. By this they are,
(1.) Trysting places for sinners; where they may be convinced, converted, and regenerated; James 1:18, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth." These are the pools where the Spirit troubles the water for the cure of sinners of their deadly soul diseases. And there Christ and the sinner meet, for making up the spiritual match.
(2.) Trysting places for saints; where they may receive life more abundantly, 1 Pet. 2:2, 3. In them he keeps his lower table for the feeding of those to whom he has given life. They are the inns in the way to Immanuel's land; the pools in the way to Zion, the wells of salvation.
2. They are the places wherein his people seek him, who know best where he is to be found. When the spouse had lost sight of her beloved, she goes to the ordinances to seek him; Cant. 3:2, "I will rise now," says she, "and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth." And they are the places where his people have found him, and do find him; Cant. 7:5, "The king is held in the galleries." So it is even as natural to them to go to these duties and ordinances when they would see him, as for a child to seek out the mother, in the place where she is wont to be. And when they find him not in one duty, they go to another, till going the little further they find him.
3. They are what the Lord has allowed his people to supply the want of heaven, until they come there; the tabernacle set up in the wilderness, till they get the temple in Canaan. And therefore they must last till then and no longer; Eph. 4:11, 12, 13, "And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists: and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."
When John saw the new Jerusalem, he made that observe on it; Rev. 21:22,I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty,and the Lamb,are the temple of it." But they could not supply that place, unless Christ were there; but he is there; Matth. 28 ult., "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."Cant.4:6, Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
III. Lastly, I come now to apply this doctrine.
USE I. Of reproof. It reproves,
1. Those who slight attendance on ordinances, public, private, or secret. It is much to be lamented that there are so many who do so, and that so little prevails with many to do it. Ah! sirs, if ye look on this practice in its true colors, it is a slighting of Christ, and an opportunity of meeting with him. It is a breaking of the appointment which the Son of God has made with you; and if the appointment be broken must not the business you have with him stick?
2. Those who will come to ordinances to meet with some that they have worldly business with. They will come to the church on the Lord's day, because they have somebody to meet there, perhaps a servant to bespeak, &c. This is a grossly profane abuse of the ordinances of the Lord; a turning of that which Christ appointed for the service of your souls, to the service of your lusts; a turning of that which is appointed for your eternal interest into your carnal interests. What will these say, when Christ rises up to plead with them at the great day? when they shall hear, that his being to be found there, could not bring them there; but they would go for fellow-worms, to transact business with them?
3. Those who come to ordinances, but seek not to find Christ there; of such the Lord speaks; Isa. 29:13, "This people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do they honor me, but have removed their heart far from me." How many go to prayers, sermons,&c., who have it not in their view to meet with Christ in them? So they come away without him, and they do not mourn because they find him not; and how can they be so affected, since it was not their errand to meet with him?
4. Those who stand in the way of others attending on ordinances. The effect of this is to keep them out of Christ's way, and to hinder their keeping appointment with the Son of God; by which they become answerable for all the damage that thereupon ensues to the souls of such; Luke 11:52, "Wo unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge; ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in, ye hindered.
USE II. Seek Christ in ordinances, and come to them with a design to find Christ there. When ye go to read the word, to secret duties, or family duties, or public ordinances, think with yourselves, "I am going to wisdom's gates, O shall I not see the King's face? find the smell of his garments, get some communion with Christ?" When Mary missed him in his grave, she could not be satisfied with a vision of angels, but wept on, till she found him, John 20:11–16. O that there were such a heart in us! For motives to enforce this exhortation, consider,
1. He is well worth the seeking. "He that finds Christ, finds life." If his transcendent beauty and peerless excellencies were known, we could not but seek him till we had found him; John 4:10, "If thou knew the gift of God," says Christ to the woman of Samaria, "and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." They that find him are made up for time and eternity. When ye come to ordinances, know ye where ye are? Ye are upon a beautiful field, and it may be your own. Ye see the surface of it, but know ye what is in the bowels of it? A treasure, and Christ is that treasure, Matth. 13:44.
The ordinances are the earthen vessels, but there is a treasure in them, 2 Cor. 4:7.
2. That is what the people of God have been seeking, and are intent upon in ordinances, in all ages, however careless the blind world has been about it. And they sought always again, because they had once found; they still desired to drink of that fountain, after they had once tasted of it. Hence says David; Psalm 27:4, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. Psalm 63:2, "My flesh longs for thee, to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. When Jacob found himself engaged with Christ, how intent was he? Gen. 32:24, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." This has made them follow ordinances to the fields and the mountains, at the hazard of their lives by persecutors; and they thought all hardships little enough, to find Christ in them.
3. What avail ordinances, if ye do not find Christ in them? Upon this consideration, we should take Moses' protestation before we go to them; Exod. 33:15, "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence." They are but empty husks without him, and cannot feed the soul; he is the marrow and sap of them; John 6:63, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Mary met with a disappointment, when she saw two angels in the sepulchre, but Christ himself was away. Should the man that has a petition for life, be brought before the chair of state, but his prince not in; would he not say, "Alas! it is the king alone himself that can do my business;" so here, when the soul seeks Christ, ordinances alone will not satisfy it; no, the man wants to enjoy Christ in them, as he alone is suited to his case.
4. Lastly, It is a great pity ye should not meet, when the parties have come so far on the appointment. And,
(1.) Most of you come hither from a considerable distance; it is pity you should forget your errand when ye are come. Ye come too far for nothing; the pains and toil of waiting on ordinances, I think, should even stir you up to think with yourselves, "What am I at this pains for? what am I seeking? shall I make nothing for my soul by it?"
(2.) But Christ came farther for it than any of you to keep this appointment, and it cost him infinitely dearer than it does any of you. It cost him a long journey from heaven to earth; to sweat drops of blood, and to lose his precious life on a cross, ere there could be a possibility of your meeting with him in ordinances. And now when he is come, shall the meeting misgive betwixt him and your souls? But I must proceed to consider,
DOCT. II. People may come to ordinances, and yet not find Christ. One may be found at Christ's palace gates, and yet never see the King come forth; as Absalom did in another case. Here I shall give the reasons why it is so, and then apply the point.
I. I am to offer some reasons why sinners may come to ordinances, and not find Christ. And these are all on the sinner's side.
1. Some have no design of finding Christ in ordinances at all; they have no such thing as a meeting with Christ before their eyes. But the Sabbath-day is an idle day, and they will go to the church, and see and be seen, Isa. 1:12. May be they like to hear the preaching, as they would like a lovely song to divert them. But for a Christ in the preaching, a Saviour for their lost souls, manifested therein; that is what never comes in their head. They are like Ezekiel's hearers, of whom the Lord says, chap, 33:31, 32, "They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew
much love, but their heart goes after covetousness. And lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play very well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.
2. Many are indifferent whether they find Christ in ordinances or not. And by their indifferency they even court a denial from the King. They are not at pains to tryst with him, in earnest, before they come to public ordinances. They do not prepare for the meeting, by casting down the idols of jealousy, 1 Pet. 2:1, 2. Their spirits are very flat, and their desires languid when at ordinances; they are not fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. They stand at the palace-gate, but they do not ask, seek, and knock, Matth. 7:7, and go their way contented, though they do not find him.
3. Some desire not to see him at all; Job 21:14, "They say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways; they are well content he shew not himself to them. If his harbingers which go before him, namely, convictions of guilt and danger, once begin to appear, they quickly shut their eyes, and will be very desirous to get out of their way. They have no heart for the match with the Lord of glory, and so care not for coming to a treaty about it.
4. Lastly, Some who may have desires of meeting with Christ, yet cannot away with on-waiting at the gates, and going about from one gate to another, till they find him. We are naturally addicted to unbelieving haste, John 7:6. If the Lord do not keep our time which we set, we conclude he will never come, Psalm 116:11. But faith is a waiting grace, and sets no time, but persists in that exercise, Isa. 28:16, Lam. 3:49, 50. Now the King, to try of what metal people's desires after him are, delays long his coming forth; and by the time that he comes, as it were, the throng is away from about the palace gate, and there remains only here and there one whom the grace of God has endued with a principle of on-waiting. And O how heavy is it to think, that some who have gone far to find Christ, have lost him
for not going a little farther I Some have waited long, and have lost him for not waiting but a little longer. The Israelites waited for Moses till the thirty-ninth day; had they but waited the fortieth day, they would not have made sad worshipped the golden calf, Exod. 32:5. Saul waited for Samuel till the seventh day; had he waited a few hours longer, he had not offered sacrifices unwarrantably, and been stripped of his kingdom, 1 Sam. 13:8, I shall now make some short improvement of this point. Seek Christ so in ordinances, as ye may find him. That is,
1. Seek him sincerely and uprightly with all your heart, Deut 4:29.
They are blessed that so seek him, Psalm 119:2. Seeking from the teeth outward, may prevail with those who know not men's hearts; but not with him, who knows the language of the heart, without an interpreter. It is true, in a way of sovereignty, he may be found of those that seek him not, Isa. 65:1, and love may make a net for a false heart; but who can promise on that?
2. Seek him honestly and generously for himself, Psalm 105:4. Ye hear of his glorious matchless excellencies, let your hearts be caught in the net of his love. And let not his benefits be your only or main inducement, like those mentioned, John 6:26, of whom our Lord says, "Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled;" for that casts contempt on his person. Sovereignty sometimes comes over this indeed, as in the case of Zaccheus.
3. Seek him fervently, Rom. 12:11. How fervent was the Psalmist's heart, Psalm 42:1, "As the heart pants after the water-brooks, so pants my soul after thee, O God." Psalm 63:1, 2, "O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee: my soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longs for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary." Drowsy desires and lazy wishes will not find him out, Cant. 3:1, 2. Be warm and importunate in your addresses, and the King will come forth at length, Luke 18:7.
4. Seek him humbly, Psalm 10:17. The woman of Canaan is a noble instance of a humble seeker, Matth. 15:23, &c. Beggars most not be choosers. Humility teaches to be thankful for a crumb, for a passing view of the King.
5. Seek him diligently, Heb. 11:6. Careless seekers can hardly look to be finders. Seek diligently, as the spouse on considering her case did, leaving no corner of the city untouched, that she might find him, Cant. 3:2; as those who are searching for hidden treasure Prov. 2:4, 5.
6. Seek him mournfully, Luke 2:48. Mary did so, and found him, John 20:11, &c., and Jacob also, Hos. 12:4. When he withdraws, were one mourning for the want, it would be a hopeful sign. Lament after the Lord; there is good reason for it at this day.
7. Lastly, Seek him constantly, till ye find him, therein intimating the example of the church; Lam. 3:49, 50, "Mine eye trickles down and ceases not, without any intermission: till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven." Be resolute not to give over till ye have met with him, and be sure ye will not be disappointed in the end. I come now to the words themselves. The happy man is he that finds Christ. Finding of Christ is the upmaking of the soul, it is man's happiness; no wonder it be a big thing, comprehending much. I take it up in these two.
(1.) A saving discovery of Christ made to the soul; so the word is used, Matth. 13:46, in the case of finding the pearl.
(2.) An interest in him, yea, actual possession of him, as one's own obtained. So in our text, finds life, i. e. really gets life. So they find him, who get such a discovery of him, as terminates in their closing with him, whereby he is theirs, and they are his. The following doctrines offer themselves from the words now and formerly explained.
DOCT. I. Then do people find Christ, when, upon a saving discovery of Christ made to their souls, they close with him by faith.
DOCT. II. Sinners finding Christ, find life. I shall handle each doctrine in order.
For whoso finds me, finds life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord. PROVERBS 8:35,
THIS chapter represents to us Wisdom speaking openly and most earnestly to her hearers.
The discourse begins, ver. 4, and goes on to the end of the chapter. It may here he enquired,
1. Who or what is this wisdom that speaks?I answer, Jesus Christ, the personal Wisdom of God; Luke 11:49; 1 Cor. 1:24, in both which passages Christ is expressly called "the Wisdom of God." This appears from the personal properties ascribed to this Wisdom, as,
(1.) Subsistence, ver. 30, "Then I was by him, as one brought up with him; and I was daily his delight." Compare John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
(2.) The manner of subsistence, namely, eternal generation: ver. 22–24, "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there was no depths, I was brought forth; when there was no fountains abounding with water."
(3.) Personal attributes and effects; vs. 14– 17, "Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength," &c. It may be inquired,
2. To whom he speaks? I answer,"To men,"vs. 4,"Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men; "sinful and ruined men, who stand in need of salvation.
3. It may be inquired, What he speaks? I answer, The sum of it all is to commend itself to their souls, from their eternal happiness, ver. 11, and downwards, "for wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired, are not to be compared to it," &c.
4. What is the application of this discourse? It is an exhortation to hear his voice, comply with it,and close with him, ver. 32, and downwards, "Now therefore hearken auto me," &c. In the two last verses is the conclusion of the whole matter.
(1.) Happiness is wrapped up in the enjoyment of him; ver. 35, "For whoso finds me, finds life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord."
(2.) Ruin is inevitable in the rejecting of him; ver. 36, "But he that sins against me, wrongs his own soul; all they that hate me love death." The former is the subject of our text; in which consider,
1. The connection with the preceding words, "For;" shewing them to be the reason of the blessedness pronounced on those that "hear him, watching daily at his gates," &c. These gates are the ordinances. It is supposed that he comes out at these gates, and so men being found watching at them, find him when he is pleased to come forth. It is a metaphor, which may be taken either,
(1.) From scholars, whose hearts being set on learning, wait on at the school-door, till they can get in; or,
(2.) From courtiers: Esth. 2:21, or others waiting for access to their prince.
(3.) Or from clients waiting on their advocates, or their judges late and early. Or,
(4.) From lovers, who will hang on, watching for a meeting; Job 31:9. They that thus watch and wait at Christ's gates,
till he come forth, for getting their errand, are made up for ever. Which is the import of,
2. The words themselves; describing the happiness of those that find Christ. Wherein there are two things:—
1st, The happy man in heaven's account, "Whoso finds me." It imports, that it is not every one that comes to his gates that finds him; many go as they came; but some do find him. The world counts him the happy man that finds riches, honors, pleasures, &c, like Ephraim, who said, "I am become rich, I have found me out substance;" Hos. 12:8; and therefore they watch and wait greedily where they may have them, saying, "Who will shew us any good?" Psalm 4:6. But when they have found what they were seeking, it often appears, that they have been seeking and have found their own rain. But he is happy indeed that finds Christ, for he finds an upmaking treasure.
2dly, The happiness of that man; which lies in two things,
(1.) He that finds Christ "finds life." Without him we are dead men; but falling on Christ the fountain of life,
as the man's dead body on the bones of Elisha; 2 Kings 13:21, the soul gets life, eternal life, that will never die out any more. [Heb. hath found;] in finding me, he hath found life; 1 John 5:12, "He that hath the Son, hath life."
(2.) He "shall obtain favor of the Lord;" for the Father is well pleased with Christ, and with all who are in him. He shall be accepted with the Lord; Eph. 1:6. The sky shall clear on him, which was lowering before. Heaven shall smile on him. Yea, he shall bring forth favor from the Lord, as out of a treasure now opened to him; so the word intimates.
From the connection of the text with the preceding context, we may observe the two following doctrines, viz:—
DOCTRINE I. The ordinances are the place where Christ is to be found of poor sinners.
DOCT. II. People may come to ordinances, and yet not find Christ.I shall discuss these two doctrines before I enter on the words themselves.
DOCT.I.The ordinances are the place where Christ is to be found of poor sinners. In handling this doctrine, I shall,
I. Shew what are the ordinances in which Christ is to be found.
II. Confirm the doctrine.
III. Lastly, Apply.
I. I am to shew what are the ordinances wherein, especially, Christ is to be found. If any of you have Job's desire; Job 23:3, "O that I knew where I might find him!" I would direct you to "go out by the footsteps of the flock;" Cant. 1:8, where to find him. These ordinances are,
1. The divine ordinance of meditation; Hag. 1:5, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ways." Here is the first sight ofttimes that a
sinner gets of Christ; as did the prodigal son; Luke 15:17, "When he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!"
Therefore David advises his enemies to this; Psalm 4:4, "Commune with your own heart upon your bed." And here the saints have often got renewed sights of him, to their soul's satisfaction; Psalm 63:5, 6,"My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; when I remember thee upon my bed,and meditate on thee in the night watches." What is it that keeps Christ and many sinners asunder, but that really they will not come near this gate of wisdom? They will not think on their case.
2. Christian conference about spiritual matters. Hence we read of this being practiced in a very declining time; Mal. 3:16, "Then they that feared the Lord, spoke often one to another. This was the gate at which the two disciples found and met with Christ; Luke 24:32, "Did not our hearts burn within us," say they, "while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to as the scriptures?" As two cold flint stones struck one upon another produce fire; so doth spiritual conference sometimes warm cold hearts; Cant. 5:8, 9, and 6:1.
Meetings for Christian fellowship have been meeting-places with Christ to many; the due consideration whereof might well encourage and stir up Christians to a more frequent attendance upon them.
3. Singing of the Lord's praises. This is a commanded duty; Eph. 5:18, 19—"Be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." What made David so frequently to wait on about this gate, but that he knew the King used to come forth that way? Here Paul and Silas got a joyful meeting with Christ even in a prison; Acts 16:25, 26. It is pity, that people should treat it as a blind gate, at which they never look for the Lord to come forth. But in the experience of the Lord's people he is to be found there. The heavenly melody sometimes melts hard hearts, elevates drooping souls, and
fills them with glowing affection to Christ.
4. Prayer. It is called seeking of God, and is the highway to find him. It has a large promise; Matth. 7:7, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you;" and it has been the gate of heaven to many a soul. It is a four-leaved gate, and at every one of the leaves the King has shewn himself to poor sinners.
(1.) Public prayer, at which Lydia got her heart opened; Acts 16:13, 14.
(2.) Private prayer, whether in one's family; Acts 10:30, or otherwise in society with others privately; Acts 12:12. This social prayer has a large promise made to it; Matth. 18:19, "I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth, as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven."
(3.) Secret prayer. Many a soul has found Christ there. There Jacob got the blessing; Gen. 32:24. There Daniel beheld the King in his glory, and obtained favor; Dan. 9:22. This has many a time made the corner of a barn, byre, or dyke-side, a Bethel, a Peniel; and these are more esteemed than a king's palace, by the children of God.
(4.) Ejaculatory prayer. This has many times suddenly opened, to the soul's finding of Christ. So it did with Moses; Exod. 14:15, "Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward;" and with Nehemiah, chap. 2:4. No wonder they do not find him, that watch not at this gate.
5. The word. This is the most patent door of heaven, at which the King usually comes forth to his attendants, that come to wait on him there. It is a two-leered gate.
(1.) The word read, Rev. 1:3, "Blessed is he that reads." Augustine hearing a voice, Take up and read, opened Rom. 13:12, 13, and was converted. Junius was brought to Christ by reading John 1.
(2.) The word preached, 1 Cor. 1:21,—"It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. This is a well of salvation at which three thousand persons at a time drank and lived, Acts 2:41. The eunuch met with Christ at this gate, where the one, viz. hearing the word, opened after the other, viz. reading the word; and be found favor with the Lord.
6. Lastly, The sacraments, baptism and the Lord's supper. These are sealing ordinances, in which many have had sensible communion with Jesus Christ. It is true, the first finding of him is not to be expected here; but though they are not converting, they are confirming ordinances; and as such, happy means of strengthening the believer's faith and love, and increasing his acquaintance with Christ.
II. In order to confirm this doctrine, consider,
1. The ordinances are by Christ's own appointment the trysting places, wherein he has promised to be found of those that seek him; Exod. 20:24, "In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee." So that coming thither to wait on him, they may expect to find him there. It is the divine appointment put upon them, which is accompanied with a blessing, that gives ground of hope in the case. By this they are,
(1.) Trysting places for sinners; where they may be convinced, converted, and regenerated; James 1:18, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth." These are the pools where the Spirit troubles the water for the cure of sinners of their deadly soul diseases. And there Christ and the sinner meet, for making up the spiritual match.
(2.) Trysting places for saints; where they may receive life more abundantly, 1 Pet. 2:2, 3. In them he keeps his lower table for the feeding of those to whom he has given life. They are the inns in the way to Immanuel's land; the pools in the way to Zion, the wells of salvation.
2. They are the places wherein his people seek him, who know best where he is to be found. When the spouse had lost sight of her beloved, she goes to the ordinances to seek him; Cant. 3:2, "I will rise now," says she, "and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth." And they are the places where his people have found him, and do find him; Cant. 7:5, "The king is held in the galleries." So it is even as natural to them to go to these duties and ordinances when they would see him, as for a child to seek out the mother, in the place where she is wont to be. And when they find him not in one duty, they go to another, till going the little further they find him.
3. They are what the Lord has allowed his people to supply the want of heaven, until they come there; the tabernacle set up in the wilderness, till they get the temple in Canaan. And therefore they must last till then and no longer; Eph. 4:11, 12, 13, "And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists: and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."
When John saw the new Jerusalem, he made that observe on it; Rev. 21:22,I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty,and the Lamb,are the temple of it." But they could not supply that place, unless Christ were there; but he is there; Matth. 28 ult., "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."Cant.4:6, Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
III. Lastly, I come now to apply this doctrine.
USE I. Of reproof. It reproves,
1. Those who slight attendance on ordinances, public, private, or secret. It is much to be lamented that there are so many who do so, and that so little prevails with many to do it. Ah! sirs, if ye look on this practice in its true colors, it is a slighting of Christ, and an opportunity of meeting with him. It is a breaking of the appointment which the Son of God has made with you; and if the appointment be broken must not the business you have with him stick?
2. Those who will come to ordinances to meet with some that they have worldly business with. They will come to the church on the Lord's day, because they have somebody to meet there, perhaps a servant to bespeak, &c. This is a grossly profane abuse of the ordinances of the Lord; a turning of that which Christ appointed for the service of your souls, to the service of your lusts; a turning of that which is appointed for your eternal interest into your carnal interests. What will these say, when Christ rises up to plead with them at the great day? when they shall hear, that his being to be found there, could not bring them there; but they would go for fellow-worms, to transact business with them?
3. Those who come to ordinances, but seek not to find Christ there; of such the Lord speaks; Isa. 29:13, "This people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do they honor me, but have removed their heart far from me." How many go to prayers, sermons,&c., who have it not in their view to meet with Christ in them? So they come away without him, and they do not mourn because they find him not; and how can they be so affected, since it was not their errand to meet with him?
4. Those who stand in the way of others attending on ordinances. The effect of this is to keep them out of Christ's way, and to hinder their keeping appointment with the Son of God; by which they become answerable for all the damage that thereupon ensues to the souls of such; Luke 11:52, "Wo unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge; ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in, ye hindered.
USE II. Seek Christ in ordinances, and come to them with a design to find Christ there. When ye go to read the word, to secret duties, or family duties, or public ordinances, think with yourselves, "I am going to wisdom's gates, O shall I not see the King's face? find the smell of his garments, get some communion with Christ?" When Mary missed him in his grave, she could not be satisfied with a vision of angels, but wept on, till she found him, John 20:11–16. O that there were such a heart in us! For motives to enforce this exhortation, consider,
1. He is well worth the seeking. "He that finds Christ, finds life." If his transcendent beauty and peerless excellencies were known, we could not but seek him till we had found him; John 4:10, "If thou knew the gift of God," says Christ to the woman of Samaria, "and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." They that find him are made up for time and eternity. When ye come to ordinances, know ye where ye are? Ye are upon a beautiful field, and it may be your own. Ye see the surface of it, but know ye what is in the bowels of it? A treasure, and Christ is that treasure, Matth. 13:44.
The ordinances are the earthen vessels, but there is a treasure in them, 2 Cor. 4:7.
2. That is what the people of God have been seeking, and are intent upon in ordinances, in all ages, however careless the blind world has been about it. And they sought always again, because they had once found; they still desired to drink of that fountain, after they had once tasted of it. Hence says David; Psalm 27:4, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. Psalm 63:2, "My flesh longs for thee, to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. When Jacob found himself engaged with Christ, how intent was he? Gen. 32:24, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." This has made them follow ordinances to the fields and the mountains, at the hazard of their lives by persecutors; and they thought all hardships little enough, to find Christ in them.
3. What avail ordinances, if ye do not find Christ in them? Upon this consideration, we should take Moses' protestation before we go to them; Exod. 33:15, "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence." They are but empty husks without him, and cannot feed the soul; he is the marrow and sap of them; John 6:63, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Mary met with a disappointment, when she saw two angels in the sepulchre, but Christ himself was away. Should the man that has a petition for life, be brought before the chair of state, but his prince not in; would he not say, "Alas! it is the king alone himself that can do my business;" so here, when the soul seeks Christ, ordinances alone will not satisfy it; no, the man wants to enjoy Christ in them, as he alone is suited to his case.
4. Lastly, It is a great pity ye should not meet, when the parties have come so far on the appointment. And,
(1.) Most of you come hither from a considerable distance; it is pity you should forget your errand when ye are come. Ye come too far for nothing; the pains and toil of waiting on ordinances, I think, should even stir you up to think with yourselves, "What am I at this pains for? what am I seeking? shall I make nothing for my soul by it?"
(2.) But Christ came farther for it than any of you to keep this appointment, and it cost him infinitely dearer than it does any of you. It cost him a long journey from heaven to earth; to sweat drops of blood, and to lose his precious life on a cross, ere there could be a possibility of your meeting with him in ordinances. And now when he is come, shall the meeting misgive betwixt him and your souls? But I must proceed to consider,
DOCT. II. People may come to ordinances, and yet not find Christ. One may be found at Christ's palace gates, and yet never see the King come forth; as Absalom did in another case. Here I shall give the reasons why it is so, and then apply the point.
I. I am to offer some reasons why sinners may come to ordinances, and not find Christ. And these are all on the sinner's side.
1. Some have no design of finding Christ in ordinances at all; they have no such thing as a meeting with Christ before their eyes. But the Sabbath-day is an idle day, and they will go to the church, and see and be seen, Isa. 1:12. May be they like to hear the preaching, as they would like a lovely song to divert them. But for a Christ in the preaching, a Saviour for their lost souls, manifested therein; that is what never comes in their head. They are like Ezekiel's hearers, of whom the Lord says, chap, 33:31, 32, "They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew
much love, but their heart goes after covetousness. And lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play very well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.
2. Many are indifferent whether they find Christ in ordinances or not. And by their indifferency they even court a denial from the King. They are not at pains to tryst with him, in earnest, before they come to public ordinances. They do not prepare for the meeting, by casting down the idols of jealousy, 1 Pet. 2:1, 2. Their spirits are very flat, and their desires languid when at ordinances; they are not fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. They stand at the palace-gate, but they do not ask, seek, and knock, Matth. 7:7, and go their way contented, though they do not find him.
3. Some desire not to see him at all; Job 21:14, "They say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways; they are well content he shew not himself to them. If his harbingers which go before him, namely, convictions of guilt and danger, once begin to appear, they quickly shut their eyes, and will be very desirous to get out of their way. They have no heart for the match with the Lord of glory, and so care not for coming to a treaty about it.
4. Lastly, Some who may have desires of meeting with Christ, yet cannot away with on-waiting at the gates, and going about from one gate to another, till they find him. We are naturally addicted to unbelieving haste, John 7:6. If the Lord do not keep our time which we set, we conclude he will never come, Psalm 116:11. But faith is a waiting grace, and sets no time, but persists in that exercise, Isa. 28:16, Lam. 3:49, 50. Now the King, to try of what metal people's desires after him are, delays long his coming forth; and by the time that he comes, as it were, the throng is away from about the palace gate, and there remains only here and there one whom the grace of God has endued with a principle of on-waiting. And O how heavy is it to think, that some who have gone far to find Christ, have lost him
for not going a little farther I Some have waited long, and have lost him for not waiting but a little longer. The Israelites waited for Moses till the thirty-ninth day; had they but waited the fortieth day, they would not have made sad worshipped the golden calf, Exod. 32:5. Saul waited for Samuel till the seventh day; had he waited a few hours longer, he had not offered sacrifices unwarrantably, and been stripped of his kingdom, 1 Sam. 13:8, I shall now make some short improvement of this point. Seek Christ so in ordinances, as ye may find him. That is,
1. Seek him sincerely and uprightly with all your heart, Deut 4:29.
They are blessed that so seek him, Psalm 119:2. Seeking from the teeth outward, may prevail with those who know not men's hearts; but not with him, who knows the language of the heart, without an interpreter. It is true, in a way of sovereignty, he may be found of those that seek him not, Isa. 65:1, and love may make a net for a false heart; but who can promise on that?
2. Seek him honestly and generously for himself, Psalm 105:4. Ye hear of his glorious matchless excellencies, let your hearts be caught in the net of his love. And let not his benefits be your only or main inducement, like those mentioned, John 6:26, of whom our Lord says, "Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled;" for that casts contempt on his person. Sovereignty sometimes comes over this indeed, as in the case of Zaccheus.
3. Seek him fervently, Rom. 12:11. How fervent was the Psalmist's heart, Psalm 42:1, "As the heart pants after the water-brooks, so pants my soul after thee, O God." Psalm 63:1, 2, "O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee: my soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longs for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary." Drowsy desires and lazy wishes will not find him out, Cant. 3:1, 2. Be warm and importunate in your addresses, and the King will come forth at length, Luke 18:7.
4. Seek him humbly, Psalm 10:17. The woman of Canaan is a noble instance of a humble seeker, Matth. 15:23, &c. Beggars most not be choosers. Humility teaches to be thankful for a crumb, for a passing view of the King.
5. Seek him diligently, Heb. 11:6. Careless seekers can hardly look to be finders. Seek diligently, as the spouse on considering her case did, leaving no corner of the city untouched, that she might find him, Cant. 3:2; as those who are searching for hidden treasure Prov. 2:4, 5.
6. Seek him mournfully, Luke 2:48. Mary did so, and found him, John 20:11, &c., and Jacob also, Hos. 12:4. When he withdraws, were one mourning for the want, it would be a hopeful sign. Lament after the Lord; there is good reason for it at this day.
7. Lastly, Seek him constantly, till ye find him, therein intimating the example of the church; Lam. 3:49, 50, "Mine eye trickles down and ceases not, without any intermission: till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven." Be resolute not to give over till ye have met with him, and be sure ye will not be disappointed in the end. I come now to the words themselves. The happy man is he that finds Christ. Finding of Christ is the upmaking of the soul, it is man's happiness; no wonder it be a big thing, comprehending much. I take it up in these two.
(1.) A saving discovery of Christ made to the soul; so the word is used, Matth. 13:46, in the case of finding the pearl.
(2.) An interest in him, yea, actual possession of him, as one's own obtained. So in our text, finds life, i. e. really gets life. So they find him, who get such a discovery of him, as terminates in their closing with him, whereby he is theirs, and they are his. The following doctrines offer themselves from the words now and formerly explained.
DOCT. I. Then do people find Christ, when, upon a saving discovery of Christ made to their souls, they close with him by faith.
DOCT. II. Sinners finding Christ, find life. I shall handle each doctrine in order.