[2.] It engageth Christ's care of you. He shall see his seed ; and
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you are his seed, and therefore he will look after you. He watcheth these great births, that they may not miscarry ; and is as it were bound that we may lack nothing. All his care is about his seed : Cant. ii. 17, Christ walketh in the gardens to look after the green figs and tender grapes, that he may apply himself to them. The apostle saith, he is ' worse than an infidel that provideth not for his own ;' not only beneath grace, but beneath nature. And certainly Christ will have a more tender regnrd to his own seed. The greatest ex- pression of love that Christ would have spoken to Peter was to feed his lambs, John xxi. 15. We may look to him for provisions : Isa. xlix. 1.5, ' Can a woman forget her sucking child ? 8he may, but I will not forget thee.' Men, by debauching their spirits, may wear out the impressions of natural affections, but Christ cannot forget his own. seed : ' The foundation of the Lord standeth sure.'
I come now to the second point.
Doct. That Christ shall see his seed, or an increase of the faithful through his word and Spirit. It noteth two things : —
First, The life of Christ. Many leave seed that do not see it, being snatched from their children and comforts as soon as they grow into any hopes : but Christ's seeing his seed implieth he should live to see it jiropagated throughout all successions of time.
First observation, That the seed of Christ have a living parent : ' He shall see his seed.' God's children can never be orphans. We say by many that their parents died too soon for them, because they were but young, and exposed to the hazards and uncertainties of the world. But believers cannot be left as orphans : John xiv. 18, ' I will not leave you comfortless ; I will come to you again.'
Well, then, to apply it: Lay up this comfort, though Christ be ascended and gone out of your sight, yet he seeth his seed, he liveth to take care for you. You have not his corporeal presence, but you have the presence of his Spirit to direct you : John xvi. 7, ' It is expedient for you that I go away ; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you.' Christ cannot die too soon ; his absence in the flesh is abundantly recompensed and made up in the Spirit. That more gene- rally and more particularly is the comfort that you have by the life of Christ as you are his .seed: and therefore I shall not handle it at large.
1. Yon may be sure you are still an object working upon his affec- tions. The sight of things worketh more vehemently upon us than the conceit of them. Imagination hath a great force upon the spirit, but not so great as the senses, as tasting, seeing, and the like. As you shall see in impure love : Gen. xxxix. 7, she ' cast her eyes upon Josejih, and said, Lie with me ; ' Mat. v. 28, Lusting cometh by looking. So in pure affection love is enkindled by the presence of the object. You may discern the workings of nature in these instances. As you shall see in another case ; when God would stir up or provoke the rage of his justice, it is said, ' And God looked upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt ' It is spoken after the manner of man. , It is true of the man Christ Jesns, who, looking upon us, and seeing our state and case, is the more touched with the feeling of our infirmities, Heb. iv. 15. It is said in Mat. xiv. 14, Christ saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion towards them. Christ's eye presented objects to his
394 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII. 10.
pity ; therefore the prophet speaketh to Christ : Isa. Ixiii. 15, ' Look down from heaven, and behold from tlie habitation of thy holiness and thy glory.' Clirist shall see his seed ; not only know their state by imagination, bnt live to look into their particular wants: ' Though Abraham be ignorant of us/ yet Christ liveth to see the several states of his seed.
2. You may be sure that he is able to give you a constant and sufficient suppl}'. Parents, that only leave a portion, cannot provide against all hazards. Christ doth not only leave you a portion, and so let you shift for yourselves, but you are still under his eye and care : Eev. ii. -2, ' I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience.' That was the ground of Chrisfs pity to her : he ever seetli his seed. It was the prodigal's comfort, tiiat though he had spent all, yet still his father was living: Luke xv. 17, ' There is bread enough in my father's house.' God doth not give us a stock of grace, and leave us to our- selves ; we are still in the family, and under the Father's eye and care. You have a parent that liveth for ever, that dispenseth his grace to you, and teacheth you how you may manage it without impair and loss. A father, whilst living, will not put the whole out of his own hands; it is best that our stock is still in Christ's keeping.