Look unto me
And not to idols, nor to any creature, nor to the works of your
hands; to your own righteousness and doings; to your wounds; to
your tears and humiliations; to your own hearts and frames; to
your graces and the exercise of them; all must be looked off of,
and Christ only looked unto by a direct act of faith, for
righteousness, for pardon, for all supplies of grace, and for
glory and eternal happiness. He is to be looked unto as the Son
of God, whose glory is the glory of the only begotten of the
Father, full of grace and truth; as the Lamb of God that takes
away the sin of the world; as the only Mediator between God and
man; as the Saviour and Redeemer of lost sinners; and considered
in all his offices and relations: under all circumstances he is
to be looked to; when in the dark, look to him for light; when
dead and lifeless, look to him for life; when weak, look to him
for strength; when sick, look to him for healing; when hungry,
look to him for food; and when disconsolate, look to him for
comfort; for none ever look to him and are ashamed or
disappointed, they have what they look for; and as it is
profitable, so pleasant to look to Jesus, and he himself is well
pleased with it; and therefore here encourages to it, adding,
and be ye saved;
or, "ye shall be saved" F5: Christ is set up in the Gospel, and
the ministration of it to be looked at, that men may be saved by
him; and it is the will of God, not only that men should look to
him, but that whosoever sees him, and believes in him, should not
perish, but have everlasting life: the ministers of the Gospel
are appointed to show men the way of salvation by Christ, and to
assure them that he that believes in him shall be saved; and
saints in all ages have looked unto him, and have been saved by
him; and therefore this may be taken for a sure and certain
thing, that such that look to Christ, as the Israelites did to
the brasen serpent, the type of him, shall be saved, ( John 3:14 John 3:15 ) : all
the ends of the earth;
all that live at the furthest part of the earth; Christ has a
people there, the Father has given him for his possession, and
which are the purchase of his blood, and for whose sins he became
the propitiation; and to these he sends his Gospel and his
ministers, to find them out, and publish salvation to them, and
to assure them, that however distant they are, both as to place
and state, yet through looking to him by faith they shall be
saved, even though they are the worst and vilest of sinners:
for I am God, and there is none else;
and so mighty to save, able to save to the uttermost, all that
come to him, and to God by him, be they where they will; since he
is truly God, there is virtue enough in his blood to pardon sin,
and cleanse from it; and in his righteousness to justify from all
sin; and in his sacrifice to expiate it; and therefore sensible
sinners may safely look to him, and venture their souls on him.
The Targum is,
``look unto my Word, and be ye saved''
F5 (wevwhw) "salvi eritis", V. L. Pagninus, Tigurine version.