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WHEN AND HOW MEN SHOULD LOOK

UNTO JESUS.

HEBREWS xii. 2.

"Looking unto Jesus."

HE great error into which mankind fall is that of looking to self; and this error is perceptible, not only in the unconverted, but in those of whom we have reason to hope better things, and things that accompany salvation. That unconverted men should look principally to self is not so surprising; for they are ignorant of their own impotency, and of their insufficiency to do anything truly good and pleasant to God "without the grace of God by Christ preventing them, that they may have the good will, and working with them when they have it." That they do look to self is alike evident from Scripture and from observation. Are they not condemned as going about to establish their own righteousness? Are they not represented as trusting in self? What is more descriptive of such a trust than the language of the Laodicean church, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing"? And do we not see the same presumptuous dependence on their own knowledge, and strength, and judgment, and exertion?

Even in the servants of God this propensity is not always crucified it is often painfully perceptible.

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How many, for example, fail to attain to inward. peace, because they look for that perfection in self which can be found only in Christ! That the Christian should try and examine himself perseveringly and impartially—that he should be humbled and concerned that he does not find in himself a closer conformity to his Lord and Master, may be granted; but so long as his heart condemns him not, instead of dwelling on self, he should look to Jesus, and derive peace from the assurance that he is complete in Him. How many, in like manner, fall in the hour of temptation, because they have unnecessarily exposed themselves to it, from a presumptuous dependence on their own strength and resolution, and from a vain-glorious conviction that it would do them no harm! Instead of yielding to this besetting sin, all will act wisely and scripturally if they crucify self, and in everything act upon the principle commended to us in the expression, "Looking unto Jesus."

Let us consider, first of all, when it becomes men to look unto Jesus.

They should look unto Jesus in their transgressions. That all are transgressors we admit in our confession, "We have offended against Thy holy law: we have left undone the things which we ought to have done, and done the things which we ought not to have done;" and even those who have been renewed in the spirit of their minds, and created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works, know that in many things they offend all; and that if they say they have no sin, they deceive themselves, and the truth is not in them. But all transgression is sin, and the

wages of sin is death-eternal as well as temporal. To what quarter, then, must man look for relief and deliverance in his transgressions? The Socinian looks to his good works-his benevolence, and temperance, and chastity, and morality,-things most proper, commendable, and necessary in themselves—as amply sufficient to lead the Almighty to overlook his transgressions and to give him glory. But of this he loses sight, that every action is required to be perfect, that the very best action is not more perfect than God requires it to be, and that man is not allowed to set a good action against an evil one, seeing that every action ought to be good.

Without, therefore, taking into consideration the defective principle from whence the most imposing services of natural men spring, we may say that the Socinian, if he understood God's word, could not find any relief or deliverance in his transgressions from his own works and deservings. The Romanist may not rely entirely on his supposed good works-he may admit that the Saviour's merit is needful to supply what is lacking in his obedience, yet his hope is equally unscriptural and unsatisfactory; for salvation cannot be partly of grace and partly of works: those who rely on such a hope build on a foundation which will fail in the hour of trial, being partly strong and partly worthless. To what quarter, then, ought man to look in his transgressions? He must look unto Jesus, as He himself teaches us when He says, "Look unto Me, and be ye saved; for I am God, and there is none else." Yes; Jesus is able to save: for He is God, God manifest in the flesh, and therefore mightier than

the mightiest of man's foes. He has also authority to save, for the Father gave Him 'to be His salvation, even unto the ends of the earth. And He has made all things ready for their salvation; for He has fulfilled all righteousness, and "become the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." He has also borne our sins in His own body on the tree, and so become "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." Hence we are assured that there is salvation in no other; but that through Him is preached the forgiveness of sins, and that "by Him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which he could not be justified by the law of Moses." Well, then, may He say, "Look unto Me, and be ye saved." And surely on such terms we might expect to see men fleeing unto Him, as doves to their windows. Had the Lord said unto them, Do some great thing, they might well have been content to comply; how much more, then, when He says, "Look, and be saved"! May the Lord give us faith, that, instead of “spending money on that which is not bread, and our labour on that which satisfieth not," we may incline our ear, and go unto Him; and hear, that our souls may live.

Men should look unto Jesus also in their conflicts. When they enlisted amongst His soldiers they vowed to fight manfully under His banner against the devil, the world, and the flesh. If they are faithful to Him that hired them to be His soldiers, they will be continually fighting this good fight of faith, taking unto themselves the whole armour of God; for though long experience may have made the believer acquainted

with many of Satan's devices, yet the Lord has not yet bruised him under his feet; and though in profession he has come out from the world, yet there is danger of his being again entangled therein and overcome; whilst the infection of his nature, though it may be crucified, is ever rising in rebellion against the spirit; and gives rise to a conflict so harassing, that he may well exclaim, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

And to what quarter should the believer look when oppressed by his conflicts? Too many, as we have seen, "trust in man, and make flesh their arm ;" and whenever they do this they are sure to be worsted. This was the case with Peter. Satan had marked him out for his prey, and his Master had forewarned him of this; yet he entered into the conflict presumptuously, and without at all considering his own weakness, as we may infer from his declaration, "Though all men should deny Thee, yet will not I." The issue is well known; and though Peter did not make utter shipwreck of faith, it was of the Lord's mercy rather than of his prudence. Men may, however, look unto Jesus with confidence, for He can save them out of the hand of all their enemies; and He says unto them, as He said unto St. Paul, when oppressed by Satan's messenger, sent to buffet him, "Fear not: My grace is sufficient for thee." If believers were only sufficiently impressed with a sense of their own weakness, and of the Saviour's sufficiency, they would ever look up to Him for grace to help; and whilst they quitted themselves like men, they would have sentence of death in themselves, that they should not trust in