Looking Unto Jesus (1658) is Isaac Ambrose’s devotional guide to contemplating Christ’s person, offices, and redemptive work, systematically directing believers’ attention to the Savior as the focus of faith, hope, and spiritual meditation.
We have updated the entirety of this classic work into a modern, updated translation that is easier for anyone to read!
Written by the Puritan minister during England’s religious upheavals, this work provides practical instruction for spiritual exercises centered on Christ, showing how disciplined contemplation of the Redeemer produces both doctrinal understanding and devotional warmth, transforming Christian experience through intentional focus on Jesus in all His excellencies.
Ambrose methodically explores various aspects of Christ worthy of contemplation including His divine and human natures, His threefold office as Prophet, Priest, and King, His earthly life from incarnation through resurrection and ascension, His present heavenly ministry, and His promised return. For each theme, Ambrose provides both theological exposition explaining Christ’s work and devotional meditation demonstrating how these truths should affect believers’ hearts and lives. His treatment shows how doctrinal precision serves devotional purposes, with accurate understanding of Christ enabling proper worship and communion.
What distinguishes this work is Ambrose’s combination of systematic theological instruction with practical guidance for meditation, providing not merely information about Christ but method for communing with Him through disciplined spiritual exercises. Unlike purely academic Christology or sentimental devotions lacking theological substance, Ambrose demonstrates how rigorous doctrine fuels warm affection, with knowledge of Christ serving love for Christ. His treatment is especially valuable for providing structured approach to Christian meditation rooted in Scripture and Reformed theology.
The work extensively employs biblical imagery and typology, showing how Old Testament shadows find fulfillment in Christ while New Testament revelation displays His glory. Ambrose guides readers through Scripture’s presentation of Christ, demonstrating how patriarchs, prophets, ceremonies, and institutions all point forward to the Redeemer. His typological interpretation, while reflecting his era’s methods, demonstrates how whole Scripture centers on Christ, with meditation properly focused on Him as the sum of divine revelation.
Ambrose particularly emphasizes Christ’s beauty and loveliness, describing His excellencies in vivid language meant to kindle affection and desire for communion with Him. He presents Christ not merely as Savior from sin’s penalty but as altogether lovely object of believers’ supreme love and delight, with knowledge of His perfections producing spiritual desire surpassing earthly attractions. His treatment reflects Puritan conviction that proper understanding of Christ necessarily generates passionate devotion rather than cold formalism.
Author BiographyIsaac Ambrose (1604-1664) was an English Puritan minister known for his devotional writings combining theological depth with mystical warmth. Educated at Oxford, Ambrose served various pastorates in Lancashire despite persecution for nonconformity, maintaining ministry through England’s religious upheavals while developing reputation for exceptional piety and spiritual insight. His practice of annual month-long retreats for prayer and meditation in a wooded area he called “Helyvellyn” demonstrated commitment to contemplative spirituality within active pastoral ministry.
