2. The only way of receiving supplies of spiritual strength and gi'ace from Jesus Christ, on our j)art, is by faith. Hereby we come unto him, are implanted in him, abide with him, so as to bring forth fruit. He dwells in our hearts by faith, and he acts in us by faith, and we live by faith in or on the Son of God. This, I suppose, wdll be gi'anted, that if we receive any thing from Christ, it must be by faith, it must be in the exercise of it, or in a way of believing; nor is there any one word m the Scripture that gives the least encourage- ment to expect either grace or mercy from him in any other way, or by any other means.
3. This faith respects the person of Christ, his grace, his whole mediation, with all the effects of it, and his glory in them all. This is that which hath been so much insisted on m the foregoing Discourses as that it ought not to be again insisted upon. This, therefore, is the issue of the whole : — a steady view of the glory of Christ, in his per- son, grace, and office, through faith, — or a constant, lively exercise of faith on him, according as he is revealed unto us in the Scripture, — is the only effectual way to obtain a revival from under our spiritual decays, and such supplies of grace as shall make us flourishing and fniitful even in old age. He that thus lives by faith in him shall, by his spiritual thriving and growth, " show that the Lord is upright, that he is our rock, and that there is no unrighteousness in him."
We may consider briefly, — first, how this is testffied unto in the Scripture ; and then, what are the ways whereby this grace or duty will produce this effect; and so put a close unto this part of the application of the sacred trath before declared.
1. This direction is given us, Ps. xxxiv. 5, " They looked unto him,
460 HOW TO RECOVER FROM SPIRITUAL DECAY,
and were lightened; and their faces were not ashamed." That it is Christ, or the glory of God in him, that is thus looked unto, I need not prove, — it will not be denied. And it is their faith which is ex- pressed by their looking unto him ; which is nothing but that behold- ing of his glory which we have described: for it is an act of trust arismg from an apprehension of who and what he is. The issue or effect hereof is, that they were lightened ; that is, received fresh com- munication of sj)iritual, saving, refreshing light from him, and, con- sequently, of all other gxaces, whence their faces were not ashamed : nor shall we fail in our expectation of new spiritual communication in the exercise of the same faith.
This is that which we are called unto, Isa. xlv. 22, "Look unto me, and be saved, all ye ends of the earth." On this look to Christ, on this view of his glory, depends our whole salvation; and therefore all things that are needful thereunto do so also : this is the way whereby we receive grace and glory. This is the direction given us by the Holy Ghost for the attaining of them.
So is the same duty described, Micah vii. 7, " Therefore I will look unto the LoRD ; I will wait for the God of my salvation : my God will hear me." The church knew not any other way of relief, whatever her distresses were.
A look unto Christ as crucified (and how glorious he was therein, hath been declared) is made the cause and. fountain of that godly sorrow which is a spring unto all other graces, especially in those who have fallen under decays, Zech. xii. 10; and it is so also of desiring strength from him, to enable us to endure all our trials, troubles, and afflictions, with patience unto the end, Heb. xii. 2.
2. The only inquiry remaining, is, how a constant view of the glory of Christ will produce this blessed effect in us : and it will do so several ways.
1. It will be effected by that transforming power and efficacy which this exercise of faith is always accompanied withal. This is that which changeth us every day more and more into the likeness of Christ, as hath been at large before declared. Herein all revivals and all flourishings are contained. To have a good measure of conformity unto Christ is all whereof in this life we are capable : the perfection of it is eternal blessedness. According as are our attainments therein, so is the thriving and flourishing of the life of grace in us; which is that which is aimed at. Other ways and means, it may be, have failed us, let us put this to the trial. Let us live in the constant contemj)la- tion of the glory of Christ, and virtue will proceed from him to repair all our decays, to renew a right spirit within us, and to cause us to abound in all duties of obedience. This way of producing these effects flesh and blood will not reveal, — it looks like washing in Jordan to