Isaiah 53:2 – “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness: and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.“
Continuing on from Part 4 of the series on desiring Christ, taken from Thomas Manton’s Isaiah 53 commentary.
You can read it here, or listen to the whole exposition here.
The new section below after the recap at the beginning starts here if you want to read it, or you can listen to it in this audio section.
From Thomas Manton:
Recap:
Doct. 4. That Christ is so outwardly mean [low], that the men of the world do not any way desire him, or that carnal men do see nothing in Christ wherefore they should desire him. To his spouse he is all beauty, ‘altogether lovely;’ but to them there was no beauty why they should desire him.
The reasons of the point are these:-
- Because carnal men neglect the study of Christ; their hearts are so taken with the things of sense, and the beauty of the creatures [all things created], that they do not look any further.
- Because they reject Christ; he is not for their turn; nay, he is quite contrary to their ends [purposes]. Carnal men have not all the same ends, but they all agree in this, their ends are carnal.
Use 1. It serves for information, to teach us the difference between God’s people and carnal men.
To God’s people he is all their desire; to carnal persons there is nothing desirable in him.
. . .
Wicked men feel no desires; they have some slight wishes, carnal and weak velleities [the lowest degrees of desire], but they have no serious desires, nor true volitions [will, or power to will]. Balaam may wish to die the death of the righteous, Num. 23:10. So they may desire Christ out of some general conceit [conception] of happiness; but they do not desire Christ for holiness.
. . .
But that you may not deceive yourselves in this matter, I will give you a few notes. I will not speak anything of the cause of desires. A high value and price set upon Christ, and a seeing rich beauties in him, of that I shall speak in the next verse. I shall only treat now of the effects of this desire.
If it be earnest and strong after him, it will be manifested by these things.
1. A holy impatiency in the want [lack] of Christ.
2. A holy indignation.
Passions usually serve and accompany one another. If there be a holy desire, there will be a holy anger. And this is at two things:-
[1.] At anything that would rival the affection.
[2.] At what would hinder the enjoyment of the object.
3. It will cause a holy waiting.
4. Another effect is a powerful command over the whole man.
[1] It will take up your thoughts.
[2] It will challenge more of your time and care.
[3.] It will put you upon endeavours.
Use 2. In the next place it serves for exhortation, to press you to do otherwise than the men of the world do, and to beware of their spirit.
Men see nothing in Christ why they should desire him, because they judge with a carnal spirit. Let not any such black note be found upon you: Do you make him the desire of your souls who is deservedly styled ‘the desire of all nations.’
This exhortation hints at three duties:–
1. Long to get him into your hearts.
2. Be careful to keep communion with him.
3. Labour to get more interest in him.
I shall prescribe a few means how you shall bring your hearts to desire Christ, to keep him, and to get further interest in him:–
[1.] Consider nothing is a fit object for your desires without Jesus
Christ.
Continuing on:
[2.] Look upon Jesus Christ alone as the only object upon which your affections should be exercised.
He has all the properties in him that a lawful desire looks to, though the world cannot see it.
He is an excellent good, a necessary good, and one that deserves the best of our desires.
(1.) Consider he is an excellent good.
Whatsoever is an attractive of love is to be found in Christ. Oh, display his glorious beauties before the soul! There is in him greatness, goodness, glory, mercy, peace, comfort, satisfaction: these are the beauties of Christ. Look over all the world and see if there be any that can do you so much good as he is able or willing to do.
Cant. 5:10-16, The spouse describes her beloved as a comely young man, as one of the greatest perfections. It would be too large to go over every particular of that description; only, in the general, observe that the Spirit of God uses such expressions as serve to discover outward beauty, to show us that whatever we admire in the creatures is, in a far more eminent degree, to be found in God and Christ.
I know not how to be particular in this large field; only I shall a little single out the name of God to you, as it is said, ‘Thy name is as an ointment poured forth; therefore do the virgins love thee,’ Cant. 1:3. And the desires of God’s people are always expressed to be towards his name in the scriptures.
I shall mention two attributes, and pour out the savour of them, and display the beauty of them, which shine most gloriously in Jesus Christ; namely, his power and his mercy,
(1st.) His power and might.
Christ is spoken of to be the desire of the nations, when he gave forth the greatest experiences of his power Hag. 1:7, ‘I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come.’ Who would not desire him that is able to secure him against all, fears, to keep him in the midst of all dangers, and to comfort him in all conditions? If a man would long after any person, he would after him that is able to shake the nations and to secure him against the common visible fears of mankind.
Men run after things for a little satisfaction and security, but still this troubles them; they must die, and then all their shifts will not serve the turn: Prov. 11:7, ‘When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish.’ Then all his desires — wife, children, friends – will not serve the turn, when his cold corpse must be laid in the grave.
But now Christ is so powerful, that he is able to secure us against this fear, to comfort us in death, and to raise us when dead.
(2dly.) His mercy is very great.
A man’s desire is restrained to things many times, which though otherwise allurable, yet he has no hopes to obtain.
Now here [with Christ] you may desire and be welcome, for your suit will be entertained: Ps. 111:8, ‘He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with, goodness.’ When the soul opens itself to God, he fills it; the longing soul is satisfied: Rev. 21:6, ‘I will give to him that is athirst of the water of life freely.’
You need not stand off upon terms or punctilios [a nice point of exactness in conduct, ceremony or proceeding; particularity or exactness in forms]; Christ will satisfy your longing freely; he hath passed his word: John 6:37, ‘He that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.’ They may have their comfort hindered and interrupted in their own thoughts, but he will in no wise cast them out.
(2.) Christ is a necessary good.
Things may be excellent, yet if they be not needful to us, the affections move but faintly after them.
Now Christ is unum necessarium, the one thing needful. It is not enough to choose that which is good, but that which is needful: Luke 10:42, ‘But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen the better part.’
Many follow after riches, pleasures, and honours, and outward comforts; these may be good in their kind, but they are not needful. What good will those things do us to all eternity? There the love of God will only stand us in stead.
The things of this world, according to that usual saying among divines, are temporal in their use, but the punishment for the abuse of them is eternal.
The most necessary and serviceable good to us is Jesus Christ; therefore get the judge to be your friend against the assizes [verdicts of the jury].
(3.) Consider, he has deserved that our strongest desires should be after him, not only as he is the being of beings, and the fountain of our lives and mercies, but as he laid down his life for us: John 12:32, ‘And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me;’ that is, I will do that which shall draw all men’s desires to me; he will leave such a debt of thankfulness upon them.
Though we could expect nothing from Christ, yet, by the law of thankfulness, our desires are due to him.
May God grant we see the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that He be all our desire, now and forever!
Psalm 73:25-26:
25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
— David
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