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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2017 with funding from 
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THE 
 
 Saints Treafury : 
 
 DISCOURS 
 
 Concerning the 
 
 Glory and Excellency 
 
 Perfon 1 of ^CHR 1ST; 
 
 SHEWING 
 
 What a Tranfcendeijit Excellency there is to be 
 found in him above all Created Excellencies. 
 From Cant. Iam the Rofe of Sharon, Cfc. 
 
 — . 
 
 By J OHN HU A T T , Minifter of the Golpel in 
 Northampton. 
 
 Rev. 22. 1 6. I am the Root and Ojfjpring of David, and the 
 Bright and the Morning Star. 
 
 Col. 3 . ii. But Chrijl is All , and in All. 
 
 Prov. 8. ii. For Wifdom is better than Rubies ; and all the 
 things that may be defired are not to be compared to it. 
 
 Pf. 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? And there is none 
 upon Earth that I defire bejtdes thee. 
 
 Phil. 3. 8. Tea, doubtlefs , and I do count all things but lofs for 
 the Excellency of the Knowledge of Chrijl JeJtts my Lord , for 
 whom I have fuffered the lofs of all things , and do count them 
 but Dung that I may win Chrijl. 
 
 London : Printed by R. Janeway , for Nath. Hillier, at the Princes 
 Arms'm Leaden-hall-Jtreet, and John Pajham, in Northampton, 
 Bookfelleu, 1704. 
 
THE 
 
 EPI S T L E 
 
 '1 
 
 
 
 TO THE 
 
 # 
 
 Chriftian Reader, .'Jl 
 
 I Doubt not buUsthe Enfuing Difcourfe will be 
 fweet to thy Spiritual Tajle , if Prejudice 
 in thee , or Weafnefs in me , doth not hinder. 
 What can be more Joyous to a Believing Soul 
 who is Married to Chriji,t ban to hear of the Ho- 
 nour , Glory , and Excellency , of her Well-beloved 
 Bridegroom? We have heard much of his 
 Shame y Ignominy and Contempt , while on 
 Earth , and that is Matter of our Sorrow $ but 
 to hear of his Glory now in Heaven is Matter 
 of our great ejl Joy. It will be the Work i>f the 
 Saints in another World , and foould be their 
 great Work while here , to Study and Admire 
 Chrijl : And if this is thy Work * he will be a 
 welcome Mejfenger that can make any farther 
 Difcoveries of him to thee. There are in this 
 Day a multitude of Books written , and I dotibt 
 
 A 2 nop 
 
j The EpifHe 
 
 not but among, them thou mayeji find fome that 
 have the fame Tendency with this , ft ho' I cannot 
 but fear not fo many as ought) but fuppofe all 
 the Booky that have been put forth were on the 
 fame Subject, yet I hope it will . not favour 
 of Preemption in me to add this f mall Piece 
 to the reft , fince when all that will be written, 
 and indeed all that can be written , comes to be 
 added to what is already written , all will come 
 far Jhort of fet ting forth the utmojl of the 
 Glory and Excellency of Chrijl. This is a 
 large Field , and ’tis not an eafie thing (jfpojfi- 
 ble j to glean it fo clean , but that he that comes 
 lafl may find fomething : And tho > by rcafon I 
 come after fo many , I may not gather fo large 
 a Sheaf as they that have gone before , efpe- 
 cially unlefs I fleal out of theirs, which I re - 
 folve not to do, ( unlefs to rub a few Ears , 
 which by wife Men never was judged a Crime) 
 yet if I can but fill my own Hand , or gather 
 fo much together as may comfort thy Heart, or 
 give thee one refrefhing Meal while thou art 
 travelling towards Sion, ’ tis enough. And 
 tho' I dare not pretend in this dim Glafs to 
 fhew thee all bis Beauty and Loveline fs 5 nor 
 yet in all that 1 can fay to fet forth all his 
 Perfections, but muft, after all , leave thee far 
 more jhort of the Knowledge of him than the 
 Queen of S eba was of Solomon .* Tet who 
 kgtows but while I am fpelling his Name, it 
 may be as Ointment poured forth. As it hath 
 
to the Reader. 
 
 been my great Work, to Preach Chrijl fince I 
 came into the Minijlry, and hope it Jhail he 
 while 1 continue in it 5 Jo I would gladly 
 leave fome fmall Legacy to my Brethren , 
 ivhofe Good and Welfare I hope I Jhail 
 feek both living and dying : And fince I 
 know nothing that will be more acceptable 
 to them than a Difcourfe on this Subjeff, I 
 have bequeathed them this to remember me by , 
 when my other Works may pojfibly be forgot- 
 ten by tl^m 3 not doubting , by the Blejjing 
 of God , but as it was Comfortable and Pro- 
 fitable to many in preachings fo this fweet 
 Rofie of Sharon will cafl forth fome refrefh- 
 ing Savour , when J, among all Flejh , Jf)all 
 fade as a Leaf (a). I remember what is faid 
 of Abel, Heb. 11 4. being dead, he yet 
 fpeaketh $ and I have reafon to think, fome- 
 time Minifiers Voice is more regarded in 
 their Books when dead , than ever it was 
 in their Pulpits while living. Paul’/ Letters 
 were judged weighty and powerfitl % tho 5 his 
 Bodily Prefence was thought weak , and his 
 Speech contemptible , 2 Cor. 10. 10. and who 
 knows but mine may be the fame .<? The Time 
 may come when there may be no open Vifion 5 
 and tho ’ now the Heavenly Manna Jails even 
 at our Tent Doors , yet the Time may come 
 when we may go many Days Journey and not 
 
 A 3 find 
 
 (a) Ifa. 64. 6. 
 
The Epiftle, &c. 
 
 find if. Ike Time may come when it may 
 he fiafer and eafier to conceal this final l Piece 
 than a Faithful Minifter of the Gofpelt, and 
 it will he comfortable to read fome things 
 when we can hear nothing of Chrijl , And may 
 this Book he ferviceable at fuch a Time ) or 
 at any Time x, may it be made ufe of by the 
 Blejfing of God (while the unworthy Author 
 is living , or when dead) for the Conversion 
 of one Souly I Jhall fee that Fruit of my 
 Labour which full fatisfie me for my weak 
 Endeavours : Which that it may , is the ear- 
 nejl defire of an unworthy Friend of the 
 Bridegroom , 
 
 J. h. 
 
 THE 
 
I 
 
 THE 
 
 Saints Treaiury, &c. 
 
 CANT. II. i. 
 
 I am the Rofe of Sharon, and the hilly of 
 the Valleys . 
 
 T I S nor without good Caufe that this 
 Song is Entituled 'The Song of Songs , it 
 being that which doth excel all others-, 
 not only the vain Songs of the World, 
 bat even thole many Spiritual Songs compos’d by 
 Solomon. In this we have the Incomparable 
 Beauty, and Tranfcendent Excellency, of Chrift 
 fet forth under divers Metaphors, to the end that 
 we may the better. conceive of him: In this we 
 have an Account of the dear Love Chrift bears to 
 his Spoule ; faith he. How fair is thy Love , my 
 Sifter, my Spoufe l Thou haft raviftfd my Heart, &c. 
 In this we have an Account of the Inward Breath- 
 ing of the Spoule after her Beloved ; and I had 
 almoft fa id there is no Love loft between Chrift 
 and his Spoufe ^ you will find both as it were 
 flriving who lhall exprefs their Love in the high- 
 eft Strains. I grant indeed the Saints Love to. 
 
 A 4 Chrift 
 
% Chrift the mofi Excellent : 
 
 Chrift is not commenfurate to the Love Chrift 
 bears to them, yet in fome things there is a dark 
 Refemblance. As the Saints are dearer to Chrift 
 than ail the World befide, fo is Chrift to every 
 Believing Soul. Doth Chrift greatly delight in 
 hisSpoule? Pf 45. ir. So doth the Spoufe in 
 Chrift, Cant. 2. 3. Tis plealant to hear thole 
 dear Lovers thus exprefling their high Efteem of 
 each other, but more pleafant to be the Obje£ts 
 of his Love, and to feel our Affe&ions drawn 
 out to him as a vehement Flame that many Waters 
 cannot quench (b). Oh ! howfweet is it to fay, 
 My Beloved is mine , and I am his ( c). To feel his 
 Left Hand under our Heads , and his Right Hand 
 embracing us ( d) and till then we (hall be no 
 more able to ling this Song, or to underftand the 
 meaning thereof, than Nicodemus could under- 
 ftand the New Birth j for the Natural Man re- 
 ceiveth not the Things of God, neither can he , 
 bccauje they are Spiritually dtfcerned , 1 Cor. 2. 
 14. You will find in reading this Song, how the 
 Daughters of Jerufalem (which fome underftand 
 to be only vilible ProlelTors) are brought in 
 wondering at the Spoule, to fee fuch impatient 
 Longings in her after Communion with Chrift, 
 Chap. 5* 9. What is thy Beloved more than another 
 Beloved , that thou doji fo charge its ? So may the 
 World fay, we fee no more in this Song than ?n 
 another-, and indeed ’tis no wonder ^ for as a blind 
 Man fees no Light when the Sun fhines in its Me - 
 ridiaif Splendor * fo no wonder that thole that ne- 
 ver were Spiritually Illuminated, do remain ig- 
 norant of Spiritual Myfteries : But tho 1 the Daugh- 
 ters could lee no more in her Beloved than in ano- 
 " : '• ; ther. 
 
 fbj Cant, 8. 7 , (c) Cant. 2 . 1 6. (<f) Cant. 2 . 6. 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrifl mvaiTd \ 3 
 
 tlier, yet we find the Spoufe was not at a lols foe 
 an Anfwer to that Queftion •, faitlj fhe, My Be- 
 loved is White and Ruddy , the Chief eft arfiong Ten 
 Thoufand (e). And when (he had particularly let 
 forth his Beauty, concludes, Verfe 16. This is my 
 Beloved and this is my Priend^ 0 Daughters of 
 Jerufalem. 
 
 The Saints have been made to fee fomewhat of 
 his Beauty, and fo cannot but admire him, while 
 others fee no Beauty in him, and fo do not defire 
 him. If a. 53. 3, the Saints only know the worth 
 of this Pearl of Price, and therefore they only 
 prize him, 1 Pet. 1. 7. To you therefore that 
 believe, he is Precious, while to others he is a 
 Stone of Stumbling •, the Saints are inabled for to 
 comprehend fomething of his Love to them, 
 which conftrains them to love him again. 1 John 
 4. 1 9. We love him, hecaufe he fir ft loved us. I 
 hope, my Brethren, I am fpeaking of that which 
 you have felt upon your own Souls, and that you 
 can fet to your Seal that this is true ^ and to you, I 
 hope, this Difcourfe will be pleafant and delight- 
 ful, vyhile others, whofe Eyes the God of this 
 World hath blinded, care for none of thefe things. 
 The Saints have Meat to eat which the World 
 know not of, and are fed with hidden Manna. 
 
 'And fince the Matter contained in this Song is 
 fo fweet to our Spiritual Tafte, to the end you 
 may have a full Meal of Chriffs Spiritual Dain- 
 ties in his Banqueting-houle, my Defign is in 
 Courfe to go through this whole Chapter, as the 
 Lord lhall enable me for fo great a Work. When 
 I call my Eye on the Chapter, and confider the 
 Truths contained therein, I may fay, Who is fuf- 
 ficient lor thefe things ? And as the bleffed Paul , 
 
 0 
 
 (e) Cant. 5. 10. 
 
4 Chrift: the ntoft Excellent : 
 
 0 the Depth (f ) ! But yet fince the Streams are 
 pleafant as well as deep, I (hall venture to wade 
 the farther into them. 
 
 In this Chapter I fhall meet with divers Meta- 
 phors, which I Ihall handle as I go 3 and bleffed 
 be God for fuch Metaphors, to help our weak Un- 
 derftandings ; each of them being as a Glafs to 
 give us the clearer view of what is in Chrift. We 
 fhould not know how to conceive aright of Chrift 
 if he was not thus fet forth unto us. Chrift’ s Ex- 
 cellency doth not fo much confift in his Humane 
 Nature as in his Divine-, and what dark Concep- 
 tions fhould we have had of that, if not thus fha- 
 dowed out unto us 5 and in no part of Scripture 
 do wg meet with more Metaphors than in thisSong, 
 and it may be becaufe it is lo Myfterious. 
 
 There is one thing neceffary for me to obferve in 
 my preaching on thisSong, and for you in reading 
 or hearing it, if you would rightly underftand it, 
 or receive any true Comfort from it, and that is 
 carefully to obferve who it is that fpeaks. 
 Now this Song is carry’d on between Chrift, 
 the Spoufe, and the Daughters of Jerufalem : 
 And tho 1 in fome places it feems fomewhat 
 difficult to diftinguifh the Voice of Chrift from the 
 Voice of the Spoufe ; yet in my Text it feems paft 
 all Difpute that it is Chrift that fpeaks; which 
 will appear, if weconfider the Perfonhere fpeak- 
 ing fpeaks in his own Commendation. Now 
 tho’ Chrift may without Pride or Prefumption 
 fpeak in his own Praife, and indeed is the htteft 
 Perfon fo to do, no Man, no, nor Angel, being fully 
 able to exprefswhat thofe Glorious Perfections are 
 which do concenter in him-, yet it no ways be- 
 comes a Saint to be the Trumpeter of his own 
 
 Praife, 
 
 (/) Rom. ii. 33. 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift mva.it d. 5 
 
 Praife, Prov. 27. 2. 'Let another praife thee-> 
 and not thy own Aloutb , &c. Prov . 25. 27. 
 
 24. 11. If you feardh the whole Book of God, 
 you will find all the Saints fpeaking by one con- 
 lent in another Dialect : We oft find Chrift in 
 this Song commending his Spoufe, and the Spoufe 
 admiring of Chrift, but no where ip fhe commend- 
 ing her felf, as in her feif, but ftiling her felf 
 Black ; and in the 14th Verfe of this Chapter file 
 is hiding her felf in the Clefts of the Rocks, and 
 in the fecret Places of the Stairs, as one athamed 
 of her own Deformity. 
 
 And tho 1 we find Job pleading in his own De- 
 fence in Oppofition to that Charge of Hypocrifie 
 brought in againft him by his Friends, yet when 
 he came to have to do with God, and to confider 
 how fhort he came of Perfection, fee how he 
 changes his Speech, Job 42. 6 . Wherefore I abhor 
 my felf and repent in Duft and Afhcs. David , 
 tho" a Man after God’s own Heart, yet oft com- 
 plains cf himfelf, and condemns himfelf, as in 
 Pf 51. I, to the 7th Verfe. So good Afaph , Pf. 
 73. 22. [ was as a Be aft before thee • nor had the 
 Prophet Ifaiah any better Opinion of himfelf 
 Jfi. 6 . 50. then Paid he, Woe is me , for I am un- 
 done, for I am a Man of unclean Lips , &c. nor 
 was the bleffed Paul otherwile minded, while he 
 owns himtelf le(s than the leaft of all Saints, 
 Ephef 3. 8. and how bitterly doth he complain of 
 a Body of Death > Rom. 7. fo that we can fee no 
 Reafon to fuppole thofe words in my Text to be 
 fpoken by the Spoufe. Had the Spoufe been 
 p fpeaking of herfelf, (he would much rather 
 have c mapared herfelf to the Thorns among tha 
 Lillies, than to the Rofe of Sharon : Rather to 
 the Nettle or Bramble, than to the Lilly in the 
 Valley j for tho’ the Saints have that in them by 
 
m 
 
 * 
 
 6 Chr/jl the moft Excellent : 
 
 Grace which is truly Excellent, yet withal they 
 have fuch Relicks of their corrupt Natures in 
 them, as may ftain the Pride of all their Glorying ; 
 and tho’ in one Place Vaul tells us, Jf any Man 
 hath whereof he may glory in the flejh , I more, Phil. 
 3- 4. yet mGal. 6. 14. faith he, God forbid that I 
 fhould glory, five in the Crofs of our hordjefus 
 Chrijl. The wife Man cannot glory in his Wifdom 
 (g\ becaufe he hath much Folly ; the ftrong Man 
 cannot glory in his Strength, becaufe he hath much 
 Weaknefs ; they fhine at heft but with a borrow- 
 ed Light, they have no Good but what they have 
 received, and fo cannot boaft (h) -, if they areCome- 
 ly his through theComelinefs that Chriftputs upon 
 them ; their own Garments are Moth-eaten, and 
 too Scanty to cover their Deformity. 1 
 
 But now Chrift may fpeak forth his own 
 Praife, becaufe all Perfections do concenter in him, 
 as the Beams in the Sun. He did no Sin, but 
 was a Lamb without Blemifh : He is the Chiefeft 
 among Ten Thoufand. He may fay (and that 
 without Prefumption ), I am the Bright and the 
 Morning Star -, I am Alpha and Omega. ( i) And 
 indeed, there is none fo fit to fpeak of him, as 
 he is of himfelf Alas, we know but in part, 
 we fee but darkly, as through a Glafs $ (k) our Be- 
 loved (hews himfelf but through the Lattefs, we 
 fee but his back Parts; our imperfeft Underftand- 
 ings cannot reach thofe PerFe&ions that are in 
 him -, and fince we know but in Parr, we can pro- 
 phefiebutin Part: We cannot fpeak of that with 
 our Mouths •, that we never could comprehend in 
 our Minds, but now Chrift knows not only what 
 is in us, but what is in himfelf ; and fo is moft meet 
 
 to 
 
 
 (0 Jtr. 9 . 23 .( 6 ) 1 Cor. 4 . 7 .(/) Rev. 1 . ii.'if) 1 Cor. 13 . 12 . 
 
 'I 
 
 4 
 
Or* The Glory of Chrift unvTil'd. J 
 
 to fpeak of what is in him •, and if he did not, his 
 Excellencies, tho* great in themfelves, yet would 
 lye coricealed from us for ever ; we can comprehend 
 no more of Chrift than what we receive, as being 
 taught by the Word and Spirit of Ghrift ^ we knovtf 
 but little of him now, but fhould have known no- 
 thing of him, ifhe had not thus revealed himfclftous* 
 Now fince we are fure it is Chrift that fpeaks, 
 we ought to give the more earned: Heed to what 
 is fpoken, he is worthy cf Audience j never Man 
 fpoke like him * his Mouth ismcft Sweet : I am 
 the Roje of Sharon, & c. Chrift thus commends 
 himfelf todraw out the Love of his Spoufe the 
 more to him •, and obferve, he doth not only fay 
 I am a Rofe, or a Lilly, but I am Sharon's Role, 
 and the Lilly of the Valley : And both lerve to fee 
 forth one and the fame thing : Sharon was a fruit- 
 ful Place, and more efpecially a Place Excellent 
 for Rofes, If a. 35. 1, 2. In other Places there 
 might be Roles, buc none like Sharon’s Rofe ; fo 
 Valleys being low Places, Lillies thrive there, when 
 thofe upon the Mountains ate fcorched and wi- 
 ther away : No Lillies are like thofe in the Val- 
 ley, fo that both hold forth the fame things that 
 as there is no Rofe fo Excellent as Sharon’s Rofe, 
 no Lilly like that which grows in the Valley-, fo 
 tho’ there are many excellent Endowments to be 
 found in the Creatures, yet there is a tranlcendent 
 Excellency in Chrift above all. In handling 
 thisfweet Subjeft, I lhall firft handle the Me- 
 taphor, and then infitt on the Do£ftine contained 
 therein. In handling the Metaphor, I lhall lhow 
 you how Chrift may be compared to a Role, and 
 and then Ihewin whatRefpe£l he excels a Role, 
 even Sharon’s Rofe : For fure I am, neither this, 
 nor all the borrowed Exprelfions in the World, 
 
8 Chrift the moft Excellent * 
 
 can fully fet forth all the Excellencies of Chrift 
 for look, as in the drawing of a Pifbure, the Lim- 
 ner doth all he can to draw every Feature exaftly, 
 efpecially fuch as are moft Beautiful, and yet af- 
 ter all iomething is wanting: Nay, the better Part 
 is wanting ; he cannot piQure the Soul, or the Ex- 
 cellencies of that rational Faculty. So we Mink 
 fters do all we can to fhew forth the Beauty 
 and Glory of Chrift by this and the othei Meta- 
 phor, and yetalterall we give you juft Caufe to 
 fay the half is not told you (/), he that would 
 know what is in Chrift, mult go to him, and not to 
 Creatures, to learn, for he is faid to have a 
 Name which no Man knows but himfelf. jRm 
 1 5>. 14 . So when I have ufeclall the Similitudes I 
 can, there will remain fome Excellency undifcerned 
 in him, the more we know of Chrift, the more we 
 fhall defire to know, and the lels we lhall think we 
 do know. Paul was no fmall Proficient in the School 
 of Chrift; he had been caught up to the Third 
 Heaven (/»), and no doubt but during that time 
 had glorious Manifeftations of Chrift as ever any 
 Man in the Body had •, and yet fee -his Language, 
 Phil. 3. 9, 10. mind, that 1 might, know him : 
 Why, Paul, doft thou count all things but Dung for 
 him, and yet not know him ? Doubtlefs be knew 
 him, or he could never have taught Us to know 
 fo much of him : And he exprefly tells us how 
 God revealed Chrift to him, Gal. 1. 15, lQ.Wben 
 it p leafed God, who feparated me jrom my Mother's 
 Tvomb, and called me by bis Grace , to reveal his 
 Son in tne ^mind, in me •, not only to me, but in me ; 
 that is fpiritually, and favingly : But why then did 
 he fo much defire to know him? Doubtlefs his 
 
 Meaning 
 
 ( ) 1 Kings 10 , 7 . (m) 2 Cor. 12.2. 
 
 1 
 
 ? 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrifi unmild. 9 • 
 
 Meaning is, that he might know him more, fee 
 more of his Excellency ; He that fo much exhor- 
 ted us to grow in the Knowledge of Chrift, was 
 defirous of the fame himfelf •, for tho 3 he knew 
 him fo well as to truft his Soul in his Hands, and 
 to rely upon him for Life and Salvation ; tho 3 
 he knew him lo well as to love him above all ; 
 tho 3 he knew him fo well as to fuffer much, and 
 to part with all things for his fake ( n ) $ yet he 
 was fenfible there was fomething more in him 
 than he had yet learned. Nor was this Spirit 
 peculiar to Paul only, but that which is common 
 to all Saints. Look as the Knowledge of Chrift, 
 when we have in fome meafure attained it, pro- 
 duces the rareft Effeffs, John 17. 3. Phis is Life 
 Eternal , to know thee the only true God, and Je- 
 fus Chrifi, & c. fo it is a Knowledge moft hard- 
 ly attained. Well, tho 3 I (hall not fo much as 
 pretend to (hew you all his Excellency from this 
 Metaphor, yet I (hall do the bed I can •, and tho 3 
 I cannot (hew you all hisGlory, (my dim Eye ha- 
 ving never feen it) yet if I can but make fuch 
 Difcoveries of him to you as may draw out your 
 Love to him, and Defires after him, above all 
 things in the World, I have gained my end ^ and 
 till then I have done nothing. I come after this 
 (hort Digreffion to the handling of the Meta- 
 phor, from which I am to fhew you in what 
 Kefpeffs Chrift may be compared to a Rofe, 
 which without playing with, or draining the 
 Metaphor, you may take in thefe following Par- 
 ticulars. 
 
 1. Refemblance between Chrift afld Rofes is 
 this, Rofes grow not common in everyplace; 
 
 y<* 
 
 (n) Phil. 3 8. 
 
• 10 Chrifl the mo ft Excellent : 
 
 you may go inro Woods and Defarts, and there 
 you may find Briars and Thorns, but no Roles * 
 Rofes grow in Gardens, yet not in all Gardens 
 neither • in Tome you may fee Trees full of Leaves, 
 and BlofToms, and fome Fruit too, and yet per- 
 haps no Rofes there : Thus with refpeft to Chrift, 
 this fweet Rofe of Sharon. As Chrift was not gi- 
 ven with an equal Defign to fave all, buttofave 
 the Hundred Sheep, that little Flock, to whom it 
 was the Father’s good pleafure to give the King- 
 dom (o) •, fo neither is Chrift to be found in all. 
 Alas, what do the poor Heathens know of Chrift > 
 This fweet Rofe grows not upon that bitter Stock 
 of Nature : The poor blind Heathen have neither 
 heard his Voice, nor feen his Shape 3 but are now 
 in the fame deplorable State ahd Condition that 
 thefe Ephefians were once in, Eph. t. 12. without 
 Chrift. It feems a ridiculous thing to them to 
 hear any talk of Salvation by a Redeemer 5 and 
 as I faid, Rofes grow not in every Garden, fo 
 there are many Profeffors that look upon them- 
 felves as feparated from the World, who are Bap- 
 tized • and would fcorn to be compared to Hea- 
 thens, and yet know nothing of Chrift in them, 
 the Hope of Glory : They live foberly, and wrong 
 no Man, but yet know nothing of the Prefence 
 of Chrift with them •, ftriCfc in performing fome 
 Duties, but Strangers to Chrift. Chrift dwells 
 only in a Remnant ; he is to be found only in his 
 Garden the Church. Cant. 5. 1. I am come into 
 my Garden , my Sifter , my Spcufe , &c. This Rofe 
 is to be ound only among Lillies, Cant. 6 . 2. My 
 Beloved is gone dozen into his Garden , to the Bed 
 of Spices j to feed in his Garden, and to gather Li/- 
 
 (0) Lu\e 12. 32. 
 
Or, The Glory ofChrijl unljaiid. 1 1 
 
 ks. Chrift hath an Inclofure, which he hath 
 taken out of the wide World, and there he de- 
 lights to be * to his own he Is pleafed to manifeft 
 himfelf, tho’ not to the World ( p and hath 
 promifed, Matth. 18. 20. that where Two of 
 Three are gathered together in his Name, there 
 he will be in the midft of them. Chrift is not 
 the Lot of every Man’s Inheritance ; many have 
 great Honour in the World, but have neither 
 Part nor Lot in this Matter ( g). Many have much 
 Wealth and Riches, but no Part in this Pearl of 
 Price. The Glory and Excellency of Chfift is oft 
 hid from the Wile and Prudent of the World, 
 and mean time revealed unto Babes ( r ). O 
 prize Chrift you that have him-, evefy one par- 
 takes not of your Bleflednefs. 
 
 2. Rofesarefweet and refrefhing to all, but fuch 
 as are deprived of their Natural Senfes every 
 one that comes into a Garden will be plucking a 
 Rofe,and will even put it into their Boldm* indeed, 
 to fuch as are deprived of their Smell, a (fink- 
 ing Weed may as much delight and reftefh them 
 as the fweeteft Rofe -, and thus it is as to Chrift 
 the Rofe of Sharon. One dead in Sins can take 
 no delight in Chrift, he is fenflels, and this pre- 
 cious Rofe of Sharon is nothing to him and as 
 the cleared Day and the darkeft Night are both 
 alike to one blind -, fo the God of this World hath 
 fo blinded the Eyes of Sinners (r), that they nei- 
 ther fee any Need of him, nor Beauty in him 
 (t), and therefore make light of him. Such as 
 thefe can find more fweetnefs in a Luft than in 
 Chrift the Lord of Glory. Sin and the Vanities 
 
 B of 
 
12 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 of this World fuit with their Natures, but no- 
 thing in Chrift fuits with their corrupt Inclina- 
 tions ; they fmell no fweetnefs, no, not in the Rofe 
 of Sharon. But now it is otherwife with the 
 Saints, Cant. 2. 8. ] fat down under his Shadow 
 with great delight , and his Fruit was fweet to my 
 Tafie ; as if fhe had faid, I know not what others 
 think of him, or fee in him, but this I can fay 
 from comfortable Experience, he is fweet to me. 
 Mind, ’tis faid (he fat down, as one lo refrelhed 
 with his fweet Shade and Fruit, that fhe knew 
 not how to ftir from that Place 5 like thofe Difci- 
 ples at Chrift’s Transfiguration, Matth. 17. 2, 3, 4, 
 ’Tis good for us to be here. So the Spoufe finding 
 fuch fweetnefs in this Role of Sharon , fits down 
 in full Contentment. So alfo Cant. 5. 16. his 
 Mouth is moft fweet * not only fweet, but moft 
 fweet : Or as in the Margent, Towers of Per- 
 fumes. Oh! theRavifhing,Soul-refrefhing, fweet- 
 nefs a believing Soul finds in Chrift ! All the 
 moft Odoriferous Smells, whether Natural or Artifi- 
 cial, being to the Body as fo many Stinks, if com- 
 pared with that Sweetnefs the Soul finds in Chrift, 
 this Rofe of Sharon. The Spoufe feems to want 
 Words to exprefs that fweetnefs fhe found in 
 Chrift * fometimes (he compares him to Ointment 
 poured forth, Cant. 1. 3. and thofe Ointments 
 they had in thofe Places were moft fragrant, efpe- 
 cially when poured, forth ; 2s you may fee, John 
 12. 3. ’tis faid The whole Houfe voas filled with 
 the Odour of that Ointment , when poured forth ; 
 and no doubt but to thofe fweet Ointments fhe 
 alludes. Sometimes fhe compares him to Myrrh, 
 Gant. 1. 13. A bundle of Myrrh is my Well-be- 
 loved unto -me, he [hall lye all Night between my 
 Breafts : Now Myrrh is known to be a fweet- 
 
 fmelling 
 
Or , The Glory of Chrift utwaird. 1 3 
 
 ftiielling Herb, and fure a bundle of it mu ft be 
 fweet indeed. Once more, Pf. 45.8. All thy Gar- 
 ments fmell of Myrrh , Alloes , and CaJJia ; which 
 were all fweet Perfumes, as you may lee, John 
 19. 39. And mind, 3 tis faid. All thy Garments,#.*:. 
 You know fweet Perfumes make every thing 
 fweet that they touch, fo every thing we enjoy 
 with Chrift is made fweet to us : Be our Enjoy- 
 ments greater or lefler, it makes them comforta- 
 ble, when we can fay, I have thofe and Chrift 
 too * I have thele Lands, thefe Houfes, this Mo- 
 ney, thefe Friends, and I have Chrift, which is 
 more worth than they all. How contemptible are 
 all the Delights in the World, if compared to 
 thole Delights the Saints find in Chrift ? Many 
 have forfaken the former for Chrift’s fake, but 
 never any forfook Chrift, that truly was in him, 
 to gain the Delights of this World-, fo Iweet 
 is this Role of Sharon. 
 
 Solomon that had tried what Delights the Crea- 
 tures could afford, after all* found them to be 
 Vanity and Vexation of Spirit (v) : All the De- 
 lights of this Carnal World being but Torments, 
 if compared to what a Believing Soul finds in 
 Chrift. We never knew what true Joy and Com- 
 fort means till we come to enjoy Communion with 
 Chrift, and then how do we even naufeare all our 
 former Delights. Let a Soul be never fo opprefled 
 and call down, if he is forrowful, as it were, even 
 unro Death, let his Cafe be fo defperate that all Phy- 
 licians are of no Value, but prove miferable Com- 
 forters, yet even then one View of Chrift by Faith 
 will afford fpeedy Eafe and Refrefhment to that 
 Soul. Oh ! how fweet is this Rofe of Sharon ! 
 
 B 2 3. Roles 
 
 CO Ecdef. 2. xi. 
 
14 Chrifi the moft Excellent : 
 
 3. Rofes, tho’ fweet and refrefliing, yet they 
 are not very delightful to the Eye * many Flowers 
 of far lefs Vertue and Excellency are much more 
 beautiful as to outward appearance. So as to 
 Chrifi, this Rofe of Sharon, tho’ in himfelf he 
 is moft Excellent, yet his outward appearance was 
 very mean in the Flefh 3 he was looked upon by 
 the Carnal World to be as a Root out of a dry 
 Ground , and he hath no Form nor Comelinefs , and 
 when we J, hall fee him , there is no Beauty that 
 we Jhould deft re him, Ifa. 53. 3. He did not appear 
 in that outward Pomp and Grandeur which ma- 
 ny do, of far lower Rank and Degree: His 
 Excellency was fo vailed that none but an Eye 
 of Faith could difcern it* he took upon him the 
 Form of a Servant (u), and appeared fo mean, 
 that when he came unto his own they received him 
 not (w). If we view him on the Crofs, numbted 
 with Trangreftors (x), how unlike did he teem 
 to be he that Ihould Redeem Ifrael (y)? If we 
 look to him as he is fet forth in the Gofpel, you 
 will find him fet forth in the plaineft Stile* he 
 requires no outward Pomp in his Worfhip, but 
 lather forbids it : He doth not approve that any 
 of Aaron’s Bells or Fringes Ihould be ftitched to 
 his Garments. Chrift loves not that any Ihould 
 preach him with inticing Words of Mens Wif* 
 dom * he knows there is fo much Excellency in 
 himfelf, and in the Truths of the Gofpel, that 
 there is no need for him or them to be adorned 
 with Humane Eloquence. He loves to wear a 
 feamleis Coat, and not to be drefs’d in a Gar- 
 ment fuited to the Times * he fought not Honour 
 
 from 
 
 (u) Phil 2, 7. (w) John 1. u. (*) Cfa. S 3 * I2 - 
 
 (}) Luke 24. 21. 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift: unv ail'd, 1 5 
 
 from Men. Oh, how was this fweet Rofe of 
 Sharon once, as it were, trampled under foot by 
 the blind World, becaufe he appeared fo mean ! 
 Tis dangerous judging of Ch rift’s Excellency by 
 his outward appearance. If we would judge of him 
 aright, we muft judge of him as Faith reprefents 
 him to be, and not according to the Dilates of 
 Carnal Reafon. Chrift was not like the Men 
 of the World, that love to put the beft fide out- 
 ward, that fo Men may judge them to be better 
 than indeed they are: No, he did not regard the 
 Commendation of Men, he well knew his mean 
 Appearance would render him very Contemptible 
 to the World, but he mattered none of thofe 
 things. 
 
 ' 4. A Rofe may be nearly refembled by Art by 
 that which really is no Rofe, as by Wax or Paper : 
 Yea, fo nearly may it be refembled, that it may 
 be hard' to diftinguifh between that which is 
 Natural, and that which is Artificial, excepting 
 in this, that which is Artificial will nor call: forth 
 that refrefhing favour which a Natural Rofe doth. 
 So as to Chrift, we feem to live in that Day fore- 
 told, when there fhould arife Falfe Chrifts, yet fo 
 like him, that they (hall deceive, if it were poffi- 
 ble, the very Elefl. The Pope he pretends to 
 be the Head of the Church, and fo vertually owns 
 himfelf to be Chrift. Others they feign a Chrift 
 in every Man, but this is a Falfe Chrift ^ there- 
 fore while thefe deluded Souls are faying lo here 
 is Chrift , and. lo there (z), take the Advice 
 Chrift gives, Matth. 24. 2?. believe it not , go 
 not after them ^ for tho’ fuch may by Signs and 
 lying Wonders deceive many, they fhall ne- 
 
 B 3 ver 
 
 (O Lukeij. 21, 23. 
 
1 6 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 ver finally deceive the Ele£t (a). And indeed it 
 may feem ftrange that any ftiould be deceived, 
 and that any Foot fhould be taken in that Snare 
 which lyes fo open, fince that Chrift that is in the 
 Wicked needs no other Mark to be known by 
 to be a Falfe Chrift. If Chrift is in every Man, 
 as thefe Deceived and Deceivers dream, it feems 
 needlefs Exhortation to examine and prove our 
 felves to fee if Chrift be in us, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Such 
 certainly are walking but in the Light which their 
 own Sparks have kindled. Such can have but lit- 
 tle Light in them, whatever they may glory of, 
 who cannot difcern the beautiful Jefusfrom deform- 
 ed felfj and whatever purblind Realon may 
 judge, 5 tis not all their Witneffings that will prove 
 to the fatisfaftion of a Believing Soul that this 
 is the Chrift -, the Spoufe knows her Beloved from 
 a Stranger, for he is known of his : And fuch as 
 do not know this Beloved from another Beloved, 
 ’tis an infallible Sign the Light in them is but 
 Darknefs, and then bow great is that Darknefs? 
 Matth. 6 . 23. The difference between the True 
 Chrift and felf, is not fo Email but it will eafily 
 be difcerned by any but thofe whofe Eyes the 
 God of this World hath blinded : The difference 
 between thefe Two being no lefs than between 
 Light and Darknefs, as you may fee by comparing 
 John 12. 4 6. with Eph. 5. 8. And they muft be 
 dimlighted that cannot difcern between thefe. 
 This pretended Light is no more to be compared 
 to Chrift than a Rofe made of Paper or Wax is to 
 a Natural Rofe-, nor doth it any more deferve to 
 be called Chrift than the Ear-rings with which 
 Aaron made the People a Calf deferved to be 
 
 called 
 
 (a) Matth, 24. 24. 
 
Or, The Ghry of Chrift unvaird. 1 7 
 
 called the God which brought them out of Egypt, 
 tho 3 falfly fo termed by thole Idolatrous Ifraelites 
 (b). In a word, tbofe People worlhip a God as 
 unable to fave them and help them in a rime of 
 Trouble, as had was to hear thofe Idolatrous 
 Priefts, when they cried to him from Morning 
 till Noon, and cut themf elves with Knives and 
 Lances till the Blood gufhed out upon them , 
 1 Kings 18. 25, 28. 
 
 And as I faid, tho* that which is Artificial, may, 
 to the Eye, nearly refemble that which is Natu- 
 ral, yet the former doth not call forth that fweet 
 and refrelhing favour that the latter doth ^ nor 
 is it lo much to be valued. So as to Chrift, tho’ 
 there may be that which may lomewhat refemble 
 him, yet it cannot afford that fweet favour to a 
 fenfible Soul that Chrift doth, nor is it to beefteem- 
 ed as Chrift is. Paul had been ftrift in obeying 
 this Light within, even when a Pharifee * but when 
 once he had feen the True Light Ihininginto him, 
 and God had revealed his Son to him, he throws 
 away ail his Confidence in this Arm of Flefh^.tnd 
 counts allLofs and Dung that he might win Chrift, 
 and be found in him, not having on hisovyu Righte- 
 oufnefs, Philip. 3. 8, 9. Mind, he doth not only 
 defire to find Chrift in him by his Spirit for his 
 SanQification, but defires that he may be found 
 in Chrift by Faith for his Juftification : He well 
 knew, that as he flood in need of the former to 
 make him meet for Heaven, fo he flood as much 
 in need of the latter to give him a. Right and 
 Title to Heaven 5 and that without it he was like 
 never to come there 5 no; doth he defire to be found 
 utterly devoid of any Righteoufnefs in him, but 
 he defires not to have it found upon him ; he 
 
 B 4 would 
 
 (fc) Emd, 32 4. 
 
1 8 Chrift the mofl Excellent : 
 
 would not have that his only Garment, left the 
 Shame of his Nakednefs ftiould appear (c). He well 
 knew he could only be comely through the Come- 
 Jinels which Chrift put upon him (. d ), and there- 
 fore, while he earneftjy defired a Righteoufnefs 
 of his own to be within him for his Santtificati- 
 on, hedelires the Righteoufnels of Chrift to he 
 ppon him for his Juftification. Sweet Saint, he 
 knew a vaft Difference between his own Righte- 
 oufnefs, or the Grace of God in him, and the 
 Righteoufnels of Chrift imputed to him-, and 
 judged it lafeft to put on the Lord Jefus Chrift, 
 while he made no Provifion for the flelh ( e ). 
 And as for fuch as do* not, I am verify perfwaded 
 that the Time is coming when they will be made 
 to fee that their own Righteoufnels, by vyhatfo- 
 ever Names or Titles dignified or diftinguilhed, 
 will no moTe be able to cover their Nakednels 
 from God’s avenging Eye, than our Firft Parents 
 Fig-leaves, which with fo much Labour they had 
 ditched together, could cover theirs (/). And 
 when they will be made to find that this Light 
 they have fo much boafted of, and gloried in, 
 will only ferve to let them fee their own Folly and 
 Madneft, and will leave them to lye down in 
 Sorrow, \fn. 50. 1 x. tyiftakes in this Cafe are ex- 
 ceeding dangerous. 
 
 5. Rofes are obfejved to grow upon pricking 
 JSulhes, and he that will gather the Role, muft 
 expefl fome Scratch, more or lels, in fiis Flelh. 
 So as to Chrift, Jome Thorn in the Flelh will be 
 ready to grieve thofe th^t enjoy the Sweet of 
 this Rofe of Sharon. Troubles and Perfections 
 
 i ■ ‘ 
 
 (c) Rev. 3. j 8. (d) Eytk; 16. 14- (e) Rom. 13. 14. 
 
 (f) Gen, 3. 7. 
 
 I ' ■ 7 * ' 
 
 y ; i f ’ 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 19 
 
 are called Briars and Thorns, Ezek. 28.24. which 
 is a Promife of their Deliverance from the Rage 
 of their Enemies ; and fuch Briars and Thorns we 
 muft expeH to meet with while we are travelling 
 through this howling Wildernefs. They that 
 will have Chrift, muft deny themfelves, and 
 take up their Crofs, Matrb. 16. 24. They that 
 will reign with him hereafter, muft fiiffer fome- 
 thing for him here ; we muft go through Tribu- 
 lations for Chrift in this World, before we can 
 enjoy thofe everlafting Confolations with Chrift 
 in that World which is to come (g). He that 
 will follow Chrift, and go Sion- ward, will find 
 the Way narrow ( h ). We muft go through a W ii- 
 dernefs to the Heavenly Canaan. The Saints are 
 Way laid, and muft fight the good Fight of Faith, 
 if they will lay hold on Eternal Life (/'). The 
 Way to Heaven isfafe, but rough 5 the Saints muft 
 expeft the World to deride them, and that they 
 Ihould be a Prey to the mighty Hunters of the 
 Earth, and to be made the Objefts of the 
 maeF s Scorn. Chrift tells his People they fhall be ha- 
 ted of all Men for his Sake(/e\ Nor will Satan 
 fufler them to go quietly to their Heavenly Inhe- 
 ritance, without letting fly fome fiery Dart from 
 his Quiver. He that meets with no Lets or Impe- 
 diments in his Way, hath Reafon to queftion whe- 
 ther his Way leads to the Nevo-Jerujalem : For 
 faith the Apoftle, all that will live godly in Chrift 
 Jefus fhall fuffer Perfection * either in their Per- 
 sons, by cruel Oppreffion •, or in their Eftates, by 
 unjuft Exa&ion * or in their Names, by flander- 
 ous Accufations. Such as only take up withaFonn 
 of Godlinefs, who can be content only to live fo- 
 
 _ -■ berly, 
 
 (i) J^n 1 6. %%, (b) Mat. 7 - 14 . 0 ) 1 Tim. 6 . 12. 
 (kj Mat. io. 22. 
 
20 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 berly, and wrong no Man, fuch may poflibly 
 efcape better * but if we will live godly, and live 
 godly in Chrift Jefus too, we rauft expert Perfe- 
 ctions. In a Word, there is no Chriftian that 
 truly believes in Jefus, but hath fome Crols to 
 carry after his Lord : They muft with their Fore- 
 runner drink of the Brook by the Way before 
 they lift up tbe Head (/). The Way to Heaven 
 and Happinefs lying through Perfection, Shame, 
 
 Scorn and Contempt. We muft (as it were) firft 
 wear a Crown of Thorns before we wear a Crown 
 of Glory. 
 
 Nor need any thing I have fpoken in the leaf! 
 difcourage any from following after the Lamb, 
 fince it is much better to have thefe Scratches in 
 the Flefh, than to be without this fweet Rofe. 
 
 The Troubles we muft undergo for Chrift, tho 5 
 they are certain, yet but fhort ; they are as 
 fhort as fharp. Thefe Wounds we get from ^ 
 thefe grieving Briars are but Skin-deep, and 
 will foon be healed. It will be but a while be- 
 fore the wicked will ceafe from troubling (w), 
 and when thou wilt be above the Reach of Men, 
 and beyond the Rage of Devils. Thofe mighty 
 Hunters will not know where to find thee, or at 
 leaf! how to come at thee, when once thou art 
 •got into the Paradiceof God: The Days of thy 
 ^Mourning will then be ended. Nor will it then 
 grieve thee that thou haft fullered fo much for 
 Chrift, when thou comeft to be with him where 
 jhe is, to behold his Glory. Yea, let me tell you, < 
 the more you fuffer for Chrift here, the more fweet 
 your Reft will be in the World to come : The more 
 deeply you figh here, the more loudly fhallyoufing 
 there. Chrift is a good Pay-mafter, and will not 
 let us lofe any thing for his Sake. Let me clofe 
 
 this 
 
 (/) Pfal. no. 7. (m) Job 3. 17. 
 
 ■* 
 
Or, The Glory of Chriji unvail'd . 2 i 
 
 this Head with that fweet Text, Mar. 10. 28, 29, 
 20. He (hall receive a Hundredfold now, and 
 in the World to come Eternal' Life ■, and that con- 
 tains much more. 
 
 6. Rofes are to be gathered but at fome certain 
 Seafons, as in the Summer ^ and if you come at 
 the right time, you may have them at a reafonable 
 Rate} fcarce any will refufe to give you aRofe 
 freely ; but if you flay till the Summer is gone, 
 if you would give all you have in the World a 
 Role cannot be had. So as to Chrift, this fweet 
 Rofe of Sharon , he is now held forth at a rea- 
 fonably Rate, yea, freely 3 IJa. 55. 1. Ho, every 
 one that thirtieth, come ye io*the Waters, and he 
 that hath no Money come ye, buy and eat \ yea , 
 come , buy Wine and Mjlk without Money , and 
 without Price. But if you have not Hearts to re- 
 ceive him, tho ; the Time will come when if you 
 would give all the World, you will not gain him. 
 Now the Door Hands wide open to returning Souls 
 to enter in •, but if once the Majier of the Houja is 
 rifen , and hath/hut to the Door , tho’ you may cry 
 you will find no Entrance (n) * all the Notice Chifift 
 will take of your Cry, will be to reply as inPrpv. 
 1.23, &c. Becaufe I called, and ye refufed , J 
 jir etched out my Hand, and no Man regarded , I 
 will even laugh at your Calamity , and mock when 
 your Fear cometh. And then you will cry out in 
 the Bitrernefs of your Souls, The Simmer is end- 
 ed, and we are not faved , Jer. 8. 20. Memorable 
 to this Purpofe is that Paflage of the Foolilh Vir- 
 gins, Mat. 25. 1, to the 10th Verfe, they came 
 too late, they flept away that Time in which they 
 fhould have got their Oii, and fo had it tp buy 
 
 When 
 
 (n; LhC 13. 25. 
 
2 2 Chrift the moft Excellent .* 
 
 when they wanted it to bum, and fo could find 
 no Entrance, the Door was (hut. Oh how ma- 
 ny fuch Foollfh Virgins are there in the World, 
 that fleep away their precious Time ! Nor pan we 
 with all the loud Calls of Grace and Mercy on 
 the one Hand, nor by the dreadful Threatnings 
 of the Law on the other Hand, awaken them : 
 But let fuch know, that as thole were counted 
 Foolilh in fo doing, fo it will be your greateft 
 Folly to negleft Chrift, and your own Soul’s 
 Good : And furel am, if you fleep away your 
 Time as they did, Chrift will take no more No- 
 tice of you than he did of them ; and how un- 
 Ipeakably dreadful to hear Chrift fay, I know 
 not whence you are * to hear Chrift begin to 
 laugh when you begin to cry. The Lord grant 
 that none that read thefe Lines may ever know 
 what it is. 
 
 Jerufalem once had her Time when Chrift was 
 freely preached to her; but Ihe finned it away, and 
 would none of him ; and how did it draw Tears 
 from the Eyes of the Blefled Jefus ? Luk. 19-41, 
 42. And when be was come near , he beheld the 
 Place , and wept over it, faying. If thou hadfl 
 known, even thou, at leaf in this thy Day , the 
 Things which belong unto thy fence ; but now they 
 are hid from thine Eyes. God waited Forty Years 
 on frael, but at laft f ware in his Wrath they 
 fhould not enter into his Reji, Pfal. 95. Now 
 is the Time, or never; tho’ this fweet Rofe wi- 
 thers not in it fell, yet your Opportunity to get it 
 will nor laft always. It is 3S to theSoul much as 
 it is as to the Body in another Cafe; you know 
 at feme certain Times, and in tame certain Places, 
 we have great Fairs, fome continue One Day, and 
 Ibrne more, where we may fupply all our Wants at 
 
 rea- 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail a. 2 3 
 
 reafbnable Rates ^ but if you flay till the Fair is 
 over, you can have nothing there at any Rate. 
 So now Chrift is preached to you, as one in whom 
 all Fulnefs dwells, as one that is able to fupply 
 all your Wants ; but if you refufe him, this Day 
 will foon be over, and then no buying, no, not 
 for Money or Price. Only let this Difference be 
 ever carefully obferved, he that will buy any 
 thing in a Fair muff give the full Worth of the 
 thing, or he cannot have’it •, but you may have 
 Chrift, and all Things with him, freely * yea, this 
 is the higheft Price that ever was fet upon the 
 Water ofLife, Rev. 22. 17. which Difference will 
 be Matter of Grief and Torment One Day to 
 fuch as reject him. How will it make the Worm 
 of Confeience gnaw in another World, for to 
 think, O Fool that I was, that had fuch a low 
 Price put into my Hand, and yet had no Heart to 
 improve it ( 0 ) ! That had Chrift fo freely and 
 fo frequently preached to me, and yet I flopped 
 my Ears, and would not hear his Voice. Oh Sirs ! 
 If ever you would have this Rofe of Sharon, 
 come in the Seafbn thereof, lofe no Opportunity, 
 be not more foolifhthan the Birds, Jer. 8. 7. Tea, 
 the Stork in the Heaven knoweth her appointed 
 Times , and the Turtle, and the Crane , and the 
 Swallow , obferve the Time of their coming. Yea, 
 the very Infers are faid to provide their Meat in 
 the Summer, and to gather their Food in the Har- 
 vefl. How fad is it to think that thofe filly Crea- 
 tures, which have no Guide or Overfeer to inftru£t 
 them, but do all from an Inftin£t in Nature, fhould 
 yet be wifer than Man, who is endewed with a ra- 
 tional Faculty, and moreover hath many Guides 
 
 and 
 
2 4 Chrifl the moft Excellent * 
 
 and Overfeers to teach and inftruft: him ! How 
 wife are Men in other Matters, to take the moft 
 feafonable time fof every thing ? How exaft and 
 critical to take the proper Time to fow their 
 Seed, and to gather in their Harveft ? How ob- 
 ierving are they of Market-Days, to buy and fell, 
 and loth to let flip any Opportunity that may any 
 Ways be advantageous as to the Body ? But yet, 
 alas! what Fools to let flip the Time, the only 
 Time, that fliould be improved for the Soul; 
 They ole forget or neglett to gather the Role 
 till the Summer is ended, and then it cannot be 
 found. They oft negleft Time till the Angel 
 fwears in their hearing that Time (hall be no 
 more. Nor do many only refule to improve their 
 Time for their Souls Good, but alfo fpend it in 
 fuch a Way and Manner as tends to the Defini- 
 tion of their Souls •, and when they Ihould be 
 laying up for themlelves a good Foundation for the 
 Time to come, they are treafuring up Wrath a- 
 gainft the Day of Wrath (p) 5 and when they 
 Thould be giving all Diligence to make their Cal- 
 ling and Eletfion fure , are doing all they can to 
 make Hell and Damnation fure 5 and when they 
 fhould be gathering this fweetRofeto refrefh them, 
 are, as it were, gathering Nettles and Brambles 
 to torment them. 
 
 7. Rofes are Things that have a great Vertue 
 in them $ and fliould I inflance in. all the Vertue 
 there is in a Rofe, it may make us think Chrifl: 
 had a Ipecial Eye to this, in comparing himlelf 
 to a Role * but leaving this to them that ftudy 
 the Body, I fhall Ihew you, as I am able, what 
 Vertues there are in this fweet Rofe of Sharon , 
 
 which 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrifi unvditd. 2 5 
 
 which are fuitable to the Difeafes and Maladies 
 of the Soul. And fure I am, tho’ there may be, 
 and doubtlels is, much Vertue in a Rofe, yet there 
 never was that Vertue in any Role, no, not in the 
 Rofe of Sharon , for the curing of the Diftempers 
 of the Body, that there is in Chrift, for the curing 
 the Diftempers and Maladies of the Soul. When 
 Chrift was on Earth he cured all manner of Sick- 
 nefs as to the Body, and healed all manner of 
 Difeafes, as Halt, Blind , Lame , 8tc. (q.) : So he 
 hath no lefs Vertue to cure the Soul now he is in 
 Heaven. Chrift was fitly typified by that Pool, 
 John 5. 1,2,3, & c ' an d may fitly be compared 
 to thole Trees, Ezek. 47. 12. whole Fruit was 
 good for Food, and whofe Leaf was good for Me- 
 dicine. The Diftempers and Difeafes of the Soul 
 are many in our lapfed State, Pfal. 103. 3. It 
 feems he had many Difeafes, yea, for ought I 
 know our Souls are fubje&t to as many Diltem- 
 pers as our Bodies. However, I am fure they are 
 more difficult to cure; but there is Vertue in' 
 Chrift to cure all. O Sirs ! were you all impo- 
 tent and infirm in Body, one of one Diftemper, 
 another of another Diftemper, and you were to hear 
 a Dilcourfe of the incomparable Vertue that was 
 in fome one thing to cure you all, and that thing 
 to be had freely • the Poor might have it as well 
 as the Rich ; what thronging would there be from 
 every Quarter, and with what Delight would 
 you hear of it, in hopes of getting Cure by it? 
 One would hope I may get Cure, and another I 
 may be Healed * and were we but as fenfible of 
 our Spiritual Maladies as we are of our Corporal, 
 it would be no fmall Delight to us to hear of the 
 
 Ver- 
 
2 6 Chrifi the tnoft Excellent i 
 
 Venues that are in Chrift, which you may take in 
 thefe following Particulars. 
 
 F/rfr, Chrift hath a quickening Virtue for dead 
 and drowfie Souls. 
 
 Secondly , An enlightening Vertue fuited to blind 
 Souls. 
 
 Thirdly , A cleanfmg Vertue for filthy, polluted, 
 Souls. 
 
 fourthly , A beautifying Vertue for deformed 
 Souls. 
 
 Fifthly, A pardoning Vertue for guilty and con- 
 demned Souls. 
 
 Sixthly, A healing Vertue for difeafed Souls. 
 
 Seventhly , A comforting Vertue for forrowfuL 
 dejefted. Souls. 
 
 Eighthly , A ftrengthning Vertue for weak and 
 feeble Souls. 
 
 Ninthly , A nourifhing Vertue for hungry Souls. 
 
 Tenthly , A fatisfying Vertue for thirfty Souls. 
 
 (1.) In Chrift, this Rofe of Sharon, there is a 
 quickning Virtue for dead, or for dull and drowfie. 
 Souls. Chrift is faid to have Life in himfelf, 
 John 5. 2 < 5 . Yea, he is Life it felf, and fo can- 
 not die. We poor Creatures are all by Nature 
 fpiritually dead; and tho 5 we have a natural Life, 
 whereby we are capable of moving from Place to 
 Place, and of converfing and afting as Men ^ yet 
 w<? have loft that Spiritual Life which did confift 
 in the Re&itude of the Soul, and whereby we 
 fhould have been capable of Communion with 
 God, and of fpeaking and a&ing for him. We 
 have now no more Ability or Inclination while inf 
 this State to do any thing fpiritually, than a dead 
 Man hath to perform any natural A£lion. Thus 
 
 m 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift Unvail d. if 
 
 We all of us lye in pare under that Curfe, Gen. 
 
 2. 17. In the Day thou eat eft thereof thou Jhalt 
 furely die. Arid no iooner did he eat thereof but 
 this Spiritual Death feized him, which Death he 
 hath conveyed to his Pofterity ^ and as we cannot 
 keep off this Death no more than we can prevent 
 our Corporal Death, fo neither can we quicken 
 our felves from it any more than we can raile the 
 Dead out of their Graves. We being fpiritually 
 Dead, cannot give Life to our felves, or to others. 
 But now Chrift having Life in himfelf, and (as I 
 laid) being Life it felf^ he is able to quicken us, 
 Ephef 2. 1. And you hath he quickened 
 who were dead in Trefpdjfes and Sins . 
 
 So Job. 5. 21. For as the Father raifeth up the 
 Dead , and quicknetb them, even fo the Son quick- 
 tieth whom he will. Mind, whom he will * if he 
 but will, it we fhall live ^ If he but breathes up- 
 on our dry Bones, we fhall awake out of our 
 dead State. Hence Chrift is ftiled a quickning 
 Spirit, 1 Cor. 15.45. The fir ft Adam was made 
 a living Soul , the laft Adam was riiade aquickning 
 Spirit. So Ver. 22. As in Adam all die , fo in 
 Chrift fhall all be made alive. Not that every 
 individual Soul that died in Adam fhall be made 
 alive by Jefus Chrift $ no, tho’ he had Life enough 
 in himfelf to have quickened all, as well as fome, 
 if he had pleafed fo to do •, but it denotes thus 
 much, that as Adam was the only Man by whom 
 Death entered into the World \ fo it is only by 
 Chrift, that any are made alive. Hence ’tis faid 
 in John ?. 3 6. He that hath the Sen hath Life, he 
 that hath not the Son fhall not fee Life. As no Man 
 can have Life that hath not the Son, fo no Man 
 can have the Son, but he miift have Life. As it 
 is impoffible for any to fee the Sun but he fnuft 
 C Its 
 
28 Cbri§l the moSl Excellent : 
 
 neceffarily fee the Light, becaufe its Nature is to 
 give Light-, fo ’ris impoflible for any to receive 
 Ghrift, but he muft receive Life, becaufe he 
 himfelf is Life. 
 
 Chrift can quicken one as well as another 3 for 
 look as to the Body, fome arfe lately dead, others 
 have long been rotting in their Graves, yet he that 
 tan quick, en one, may as well quicken another, 
 iince no lefs than a miraculous Power can do ei- 
 ther. So as to this, Spiritual Death, fome have 
 been longer in this dead State than others, yet 
 none have been (6 long dead but Chrift can quick- 
 en them. When Phyficians have to do with Sick 
 Patients, they find one more hard to be cured than 
 another ; a Medicine hnay take Place in one which 
 will not in another, but no Difference among the 
 ] )ead. Chrift quickens whom he will •, he that faid 
 to dead Lazarus, Come forth , when he had been lb 
 long dead and buried that his Sifter laid, Lord, by 
 this time be ftinketh , and yet he came forth (r), 
 can fay to a Soul that hath long lain in the Grave 
 of Sin, Come forth, and he fhall obey him. John 
 5. 25. Verily, verily, l fay unto you, the hour is 
 coming, and now is. when the Dead fhall hear the 
 Voice of the Son of God, and they that hear fhall 
 live. Which cannot be meant of the laft Refurre- 
 Hion only, becaufe ’tis faid the Hour now is. 
 
 Now in quickening the Dead there is a Vertue 
 in Chrift beyond wh 1 t is, or can be, in the Crea- 
 ture j when a Phyfician comes to vifit a fick Man, 
 he confults his Difeafe, feels bisPulfe, enquires 
 how long, goes home and prepares fome Medi- 
 cine fuitable to his Diftemper^ but if he finds the 
 Man dead, there’s no more he can do ; he confults 
 
 no 
 
 (0 Job. u. 43, 44, 
 
 
Or, The Glory of Christ unvail'd. 2 9 
 
 no more the Vertue of any thing in his Shop, 
 alas, the Man is dead : And tho’ lo long as there is 
 Life there may be Hope, yet when once Life is gone, 
 there is no Hopes of reftoringit by all the Art of all 
 the Phyficians in the World. So Minifters,who are 
 Spiritual Phyficians, we oft preach to dead Souls, 
 we give them the belt Advice we can, and yet, 
 after all, we leave them as we found them, unlefs 
 Chrift in our Miniftry put forth this quickning 
 Vertue, and fay unto them, Live-, alas, all that 
 we can do is to prophefie over thofe dry Bones, 
 while to one voe are the Savour of Life unto Life , 
 we are to another the Savour of Death unto Death 
 (f ). This differing Influence our Do&rine hath upon 
 Souls, evidently proves that we are not fufficient 
 for thefe Things: Was it from any Power in us, 
 we fhould be the Savour of Life to all, as well as 
 fome, fince all our Peoples Souls are equally dear 
 tousj fo that while the fame Sermon caufesLife 
 in fome Souls, and is an Occafion of Death to 0- 
 thers-, it doth appear that it is not from any Pow- 
 er in us that any are quickned. 
 
 But now, when all others are in this Cafe Phy- 
 ficians of no Value, Chrift alone can do the 
 Work-, have we not fometime feen this? Yea, 
 have not fome of us, through Grace, felt this quick- 
 ning Vertue in our own Souls, railing us from the 
 Death of Sin, unto the Life of Righteoufnefs ? 
 Have not we heard Chrift, as it were, calling us 
 out of our Graves ? Can we not fet to our Seals 
 to this Truth, that there is fuch a quickning Ver- 
 tue in this fweet Rofe of Sharon ? And if we have 
 found it thus, this may encourage us to pray for 
 others * for tho’ it is finful to pray for fuch as are 
 corporally dead, as the manner of fome is, becaufe 
 
 C 2 they 
 
 ( 7 ) 2 Cor. 2, if. 
 
go Chrift the mojl Excellent : 
 
 they are fixed in an unalterable State, yet ’tis no 
 Ways finiul, but highly commendable, to ptay 
 for dead Souls, becaufe Chrift is able to quicken 
 them, and we know not but he may do it. I have 
 Reafon to think fome of you, which read this 
 may have fome that are dear to you in this dead 
 State ; it may be a dead Husband, a dead Wife, a 
 dead Father, a dead Mother, or a dead Child, 
 and thou haft often called to them, but they have 
 given thee no Anfwer^ and haft Ihed many a Tear 
 over them, faying, Can thefe dry Bones live ? And 
 now haft given over all Hopes of their Life: But 
 flay, didft thou never hear of that quickning Ver- 
 tue that is in this Role of Sharon ? Haft thou 
 found the Vertue of it quickning thy own Soul, 
 and wilt thou delpair oi others in the fame Cafe ? 
 You once were as dead as they now are, and he 
 that quickned thee can as ealily quicken them : 
 And tho’ thou may’ft not live to fee it thus with 
 them, yet their Souls may be quickned, when thy 
 Carcals may be rotting in the Grave. It may be 
 thou may’ft part with them when thou comeft to 
 die with a fad Heart, faying, Alas, Husband! 
 Alas, my Child! To fee the Evil that is like to 
 come upon them, to think what will become of 
 their Milerable, Chriftlels, Souls, and yet may’ft 
 meet them glorified Saints in Heaven, whom 
 thou didft leave curled Sinners : And thy Pray- 
 ers may be anfwered when in Heaven ; and thou 
 may’ft have One Day Caule to lay. This, my 
 Husband, my Father, my Mother, my Child, were 
 all dead, but are alive again (r)-, they were loft, 
 but are now found. Thus may you meet thefe 
 with the greateft Joy, from whom you parted with 
 the greateft Sorrow. Chrift 
 
 (0 15. 32. 
 
 ■v 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift tmvaifd. 3 1 
 
 ' Chrift oft-times deferrs doing that for a long 
 time which he is able to do, and defigns to do * 
 as in that remarkable Pafiage of Lazarus^ as you 
 may read in John 1 1. at large. Obferve his Sifters 
 lent to Jefus to come with this prevailing Mo- 
 tive, He whom thou lovefl is fick. Chrift feems 
 to take no Notice, but flays Two Days in the fame 
 Place where he was before. He ftays till Lazarus 
 Was dead and buried, and had been fome Days in 
 the Grave. But behold when all their Hopes 
 were gone, and it feemed a thing impoflible to 
 his Sifters, that Chrift himfelf could revive him, 
 (for when Chrift commanded to take away the 
 Stone, his Sifter unbelievingly replies, Lord , by 
 this time he flinketh •, as if (he had faid, Lord, if 
 thou hadft come when I firft fent for thee thou 
 mighteft have prevented my Brother’s Death, but 
 now 'tis in vain to pretend to quicken his (linking 
 Carcafs) and yet obferve, even then Chrift fpeaks 
 but the Word, Come forth , and he came forth : 
 And obferve, he comes forth bound Hand and 
 Foot, that it might appear he did not rile by any 
 Power in himfelf . 
 
 You have another Pafiage much like the for- 
 mer, Mark 5. 35, to the 42th. You fee how the 
 Damfel’s Friends could only weep over her, they 
 could not put Life into her *, and as they could not 
 quicken her themfelves, fo they were fo far from 
 fuppofing that Chrift could, that in the midft of 
 their Sorrow they could laugh him to Scorn. Chrift 
 puts them all out, as ufelefs to him, and as un- 
 worthy to fee the quickning Vertue that was in 
 him, and then lairh he, Damfel , arife , and fhe 
 arofe , even to the Wonder of them all. Well 
 then, fince Chrift hath fuch a quickning Vertue 
 in him, fince he often deferrs doing that for a long 
 C 3 time, 
 
32 Chrift the moSt Excellent ; 
 
 tirtie, which he can do, and will do •, tho’ we 
 cannot quicken our dead Friends, let us hope that 
 Chrift may, and let us earneftly pray that he 
 would 5 let our fervent Prayers mounted on the 
 Wings of Faith be the daily Meflengers we fend 
 to Chrift, to tell him they whom we love are 
 dead. 
 
 I (hall further add under this Head, as Chrift 
 hath a quickning Vertue fuited to dead Souls, fo 
 alfo to dull and indifpofed Souls. When Chrift 
 hath infufed into any of our Souls a Principle of 
 Life, yet alas, how fubjeft are we to be drowfie ? 
 We read. Mat. 25. 5. how the wife Virgins, as 
 well as the foolifh, all /lumbered and flept 5 and 
 frequent are fuch Complaints as thefe, even a- 
 mong the Saints themfelves, I find fuch Dead- 
 nefs and Drowfinefs I know not what to do : 
 I dare not omit Praying, Hearing, or Receiving 
 the Sacrament, but alas, I find to little Life in 
 thefe Performances, that I am ready to faint in 
 iny Mind, and to give over all: But what is the 
 Caufe of this ? Doubtlefs becaufe thy Eye of Faith 
 is fo dim and weak, that thou canlt not fee afar 
 off ^ or becaufe thy Beloved, as to the Manifefta- 
 tions of himfelf to thy Soul, is withdrawn and 
 gone. Could we be looking to him more by 
 Faith, we fhould derive more quickning Influences 
 from him : The great Reafon why our Hearts are 
 fo cold, is, becaufe we are no nearer to this Sun 
 of Righteoufnefs. The Savour of this fweet Rofe 
 of Sharon would revive us were we but nearer 
 to it. When Chrift draws near to us, and fmiles 
 upon us, how do we run the Ways of his Com- 
 mandments '? How do our drowfie Souls imme- 
 diately mount up as on Eagles Wings? How 
 comfortable, fweet and delightful, are Duties, 
 y ’r * '• < s •' v • when 
 
Or, The Glory of ChritiunvaiN. 3 3 
 when we can meet our Beloved there. Now Oa? 
 Day in thy Courts is better than a T '° u f ' 
 When Chrift faith, Atoake thou that Jlee pc Jt, iaitti 
 the Spoufe, Cant. 5. 2. IfleepM my heart tm- 
 ketb. Why what’s the Matter? VVhat makes her 
 Heart wake? 01 faith (be, Yts the Voice of my 
 Beloved * and that (weet Voice reached to her very 
 Heart, and roufed her up. The Rea(on why tie 
 wife Virgins (lumbered, was becaufe the ri e- 
 groom tarried (v). Had he not been abfent per- 
 haps they had never dept. Chrift is to the Sou 
 in this Cafe, as the Sun is to the Earth, fo long as 
 that is at a great Diftance, and hath withdrawn 
 its wonted Influence, as in the V V inter Sealon, 
 the Earth grows bare, the Grafs withereth, blow- 
 ers fade, and lofe their Beauty, Fruits fall 0 , 
 and almoft all Things look in a decaying Pofture, 
 only the Roots remains alive and ireln under 
 Ground : But when the Sun returns again, as in 
 the Spring.and the Earth comes again to be warm- 
 ed by its l'weet Influence, O the fweet Change : . 
 Now all Nature feemsat once to (mile, the Earth 
 that grows frefh and green, the Trees bud and 
 bloflbm, Fruits ripen ; Birds (ing, and all Tm n 8 s 
 appear delightful. So if Chrift, the Son of Righ- 
 teoufnefs, withdraw from us, alas, what Decaysare 
 in the Soul ? Our Joy withers, Faith grows faint, 
 and ready to fail, and our Fruit falls ofr before 
 fully ripe: But when Chrift returns, as to his 
 fenlible Prefence, there is a Spring in the Soul. 
 Now the feeble Hands are lift up, now the 
 Sorrowful begin to throw away their mourning 
 Garments, and to rejoice. Saith the Spoufe, Wht le 
 the King fits at his Table my Spikenard Jendeth 
 . C 4 forth 
 
 (v) Mat. 25. 5. 
 
pf- Chrift the mtft Excellent : 
 
 forth the Smell thereof. One Word fpoken by 
 Chrift to a believing Soul is fo fweet, that it will 
 caufe even the Lips of thofe that are afleep to 
 J peak , Cant. 7. $. 
 
 Thus you fee how Chrift hath a quickning Ver» 
 tue for drowlie Souls, as well as lor dead Souls * 
 he that can do the greater, can . no doubt do the 
 lefler. Oh then! If you would be living and 
 lively Souls, if you would be rid of your Dulnefs 
 and Indifpofition, fee that you make ufe of this 
 fweet Rofe of Sharon , prize the Manifeftations 
 ofChrift’s Favour , efteem the fenfible Difcove?- 
 lies of his Love to be better than Life, Pfal. 63. 3 T 
 and labour to live by Faith under his Withdraw-? , 
 ings. Such a quickning Virtue is there in Chrift to 
 revive drowfie Souls, that he can doit when nothing 
 in the World can. Thofe wife Virgins that {lum- 
 bered $nd ftept while the Bridegroom tarried, 
 were foon awake, and ready upon his Return ( u ) j 
 no Spirits will fo revive our Bodies, as the Sa- 
 vour of this Rofe of Sharon will our drooping 
 Souls i and without him nothing can quicken 
 them. You go to Duties and Ordinances, and 
 hope to be quickned in them, and you do well, 
 they being the Means God hath appointed for qs 
 to wait upon him in $ but alas, if Chrift is 
 not there, thefe are but as a Funeral Feaft, where 
 there is much Meat, but no Mirth. The moft 
 powerful Ordinances will be hut as fair and dry 
 Breafts, as Wells too deep for us to draw, if 
 Chrift doth not let down our empty Pitchers, 
 They will be but as the Linen Cloths in the Se- 
 pulchre, without the Body of Jefus, which rather 
 caufed borrow than Joy. The moft lively Ordi- 
 nances 
 
 («) Mat . 25.(5, 7. 
 
 V 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 3 5 
 
 nances will not make us lo, uniefs Chrift put Lite 
 into theis Ordinances. Bat when Chrift draws, 
 we run-, the Prefence of Chrift to the Soul is as 
 Wings to the Bird, without which, tho’living, it 
 cannot mount from the Earth. It is as the Spring 
 to a Watch, or as Weights to a Clock, without 
 which, rho’ there is never fuch curious Art put 
 forth in making them, neither will move. It is 
 as Sails to the Ship: Sails did I fay ? Tis as 
 Wind and Sails both : For look, as a Ship, tho 2 * * 5 
 never fo well rigg’d, may yet lye Harbour- bound 
 for want of a fair Wind to fill the Sails; fo a Saint 
 may be bound, for want of this quickning Vertue; 
 but when the North Wind and the South Wind 
 blows, we move as with a full Sail. It may be 
 fome that never had the Experience of this, who 
 never were made truly fenfible of the Deadnefs 
 and Drowfinefs of their own Souls, may wonder 
 what thofe Things mean ; nor fhall I wonder if 
 . it be fo, for Men that are dead, as they do not 
 complain of Indifpofition, fo neither can they 
 judge of that quickning Vertue that is in Chrift 
 to remove it: But I a*n perlwaded'lhere is no 
 Saint but what can fet to his Seal to this Truth 
 not only that there is fuch a Vertue in Chrift, but 
 that they themfelves have felt this quickning Ver- 
 tue coming from him. This is the firft Thing. 
 
 2. There is in Chrift, this Rofe ox Sharon, an Em 
 lightning Vertue limed to blind Souls. The Eyes of 
 
 our Underftandings are by Nature darkned, yea, 
 
 we are faid to be Darknefs it lelf, Eph. 5. 8. For 
 ye were fometime Darknefs , &ic. but Chrift is come 
 Light into' the World, that whofoever believeth in 
 
 him might not abide in Darknefs , John 12. 4 6. 
 Chrift is compared to the Sun, and you know, if 
 
3 <5 Chrift the ntofl Excellent : 
 
 the Night hath been never fo dark, even fo dark 
 that we could not fee to take one ftcp, yet when 
 the Sun rifes the Darknefs vanifhes and difa- 
 pears : So when once this Sun of Righteoufnefs 
 fhines into our Hearts, tho 3 before our Souls were 
 confined under Egyptian Darknefs, our blind Eyes 
 will then fee out of Obfcurity, IJa. 29. 18. 
 Chrift is faid to be fent to open the blind Eyes. Ifa. 
 42. 7. So John 1. 9. That was the true Light 
 that light neth every Man that comet h into the 
 World ; not as if Chrift did equally enlighten eve- 
 ry individual Man that comes into the World, as 
 fome blind and deluded People do fuppofe } but 
 to (Lew that there is no one Man that cometh in- 
 to the World which doth receive any true 
 Spiritual Light, but what he hath from him. 
 When Chrift was upon Earth he opened the Eyes 
 of a Body which was Born Blind (rv), and he 
 hath eniightning Vertue forBliud Souls now he is 
 in Heaven ; remarkable to this Purpofe is that 
 Text, Rev. 5. 18. I counjel thee to buy of me 
 Gold , &:c. and then adds, and anoint thine Eyes 
 with Eye-falve that thou tna/jl fee. No . Lyes 
 are fo blind but he hath a Salve that will open 
 them 5 we are fo blind by Nature that we fee no- 
 thing as we ought to fee •, we fee no Deformity, 
 Ugiinefs, or Sinfulnefs, in Sin} we fee no Beauty 
 or Excellency in Chrift : So much hath the God 
 of this World blinded our Eyes. Man is clean in 
 his own Eyes, by reafon of which Chrift comes; 
 to be defpifed. /\h, but when once this true 
 Light comes to fhine into our dark Hearts, the 
 Day begins to break, and things appears quite 
 contrary to what they did before. Now Sin ap- 
 pears 
 
 {») John p. 7 . 
 
Or y The Glory of Chrift imvail'd. 37 
 
 pears to be exceeding Jinful ^ and tho’ before we 
 law not the Plague of our Hearts, yet when once 
 this Light fhines into our Hearts, then we eafily 
 difcern thofe Motes which before lay hid from us : 
 and tho’ before this, for want of Light, we faw 
 no Beauty in Chrilt, who is the Chiefeft among 
 Ten Thoufand, yet now he appears to the Soul 
 to be altogether lovely ( x). And now the Soul 
 cannot but ftand amazed that ever he fhould 
 flight him, and live contentedly fo long without 
 him i all the moft pleafing and delightful Objefts 
 in the World feem to be but Deformity, if com- 
 pared with him. Ourftedfaft beholding this glo- 
 rious Sun, will make dim our Views of things be- 
 low i and fince there is in Chrift fuch an Enlight- 
 ningVertue-, Sinners, why do you not make out 
 to him, fince you have all fuch need of him in 
 this refpeft ? Why fit you ftill in Darknels, when 
 a Light Ten Thoufand times brighter than the 
 Sun fhines fo near you ? Why fit you ftill among 
 the Egyptians in that Darknefs that may be felt , 
 when the Ifraelites have Light in all their Dwell- 
 ings ? Light, O how fweet and comfortable is 
 that ! Ecclef. 1 1. 7. Truly the Light is Jweet , 8 tc. 
 If you lofe but a Corporal Eye, how do you com- 
 plain ? How concerned are you? How do you run 
 to Phyficians, and care not what Smart you under- 
 go, nor what Coft and Charge you are at, rather 
 than be ever in Darknels ? And is not Spiritual 
 Blindnefs more to be bewailed, and Spiritual Light 
 more to be defired ? You may be happy tho’ your 
 Eyes fhould never behold the Light of the Sun. 
 Ah, but thou canft never be truly happy in this 
 World, or that which is to come, unlefs thine 
 
 (xj Cant. $. 16. 
 
38 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 Eyes are Spiritually Illuminated by the Ver- 
 tue of this Rofe of Sharon. Oh, do thou as thole 
 Two Blind Men,ALif. 20. 30. to the end, who hear- 
 ing that Jefus palTed by, tho’ they had no Eyes to fee 
 him, yet having a Tongue to fpeak, and believing 
 he was able to reftore Sight to them, cried out, 
 Lord^ that our Eyes may be opened : So tho’ thou 
 haft as yet no Spiritual Eye to fee him, yet fo long 
 as thou haft a Tongue, cry to him, that he would 
 open thy blind Eyes, and bring thee by a Way. 
 which as yet thou haft not known : Get into the 
 Way where Jefus is to come, I mean, get into his 
 Ordinances, and then lift up thy Voice as they, and 
 how knoweft thou, but that thou mayeft Ipeed as 
 they did ? It is faid, Jefus had CompaJJion on them , 
 and touched their Eyes , and immediately their Eyes 
 received Sight. One touch from this Rofe of Sha- 
 ron will caufe the Scales to fall off our Eyes, tho’ 
 we are Born Blind. 
 
 And as for you Saints, why do not you make 
 more life of this Rofe of Sharon ? You fee in- 
 deed, but ’tis but darkly, as through a Glafs; you 
 fee in Spirituals not much better than hefaw Cor- 
 porally, who faw Men as Trees walking (y X what 
 need then have you to go to Chrift to get your 
 Underftandings more and more enlightned in the 
 deep Myfteries of the Gofpel, that fo that little 
 Light you have received may Ihine more and 
 more clear till it be a perfe£l Noon-day. 
 
 3. In Chrift, this Rofe of Sharon , there is a 
 deanfing Vertue, Cited unto the Condition of fil- 
 thy and polluted Souls. Sin hath rendred us all 
 as an unclean thing, by reafon of which all our 
 
 Right eouf- 
 
 U ) Mark, 8 . 24 . 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unixxil'd. 39 
 
 Righteoufnefs is as filthy Rags , Ifa. 64. 6. We 
 were belmeared in our Blood in the Day that we 
 were Born, Ezek. 1 6. 5. Our Bodies did not then 
 ftand more in need of walking than our Souls ; 
 and fince this is all our Conditions, it highly con- 
 cerns us to enquire how we may be made clean, 
 fince nothing that defileth can enter into the New? 
 Jeryfalem, Rev. 21. 27. None but the pure irt 
 Heart Jhall fee God (z). Unlefs we are walhed 
 with the walhing of Regeneration, we fhall never 
 enter into the Kingdom of God. 
 
 And as our Souls ftand in need of being cleanled, 
 fo Chrift hath in himfelf a cleanfing Vertue. We 
 read, John 19. 54. when his Side was pierced 
 there came out Blood and Water • not only Blood, 
 for the expiating the guilt of Sin^ but Water alfo, 
 for the walhing away of our Filth •, and remarkable 
 is that Text to this purpole, Zech. 13. 
 (fpeaking of Gofpel-times) faith he, In that Day 
 there Jhall be a fountain opened to the Houfe of * 
 David, and to the Inhabitants of Jerufalem, far 
 Sin , and for JJncleannefs : And you know tho’ 
 ftanding Waters may grow muddy, and unfit to 
 cleanleany thing, yet a Fountain is always clear: 
 So this Lamb of God without Spot is able to take 
 away all our Spots. No Soul’s fo filthy but he 
 can cleanfe them 5 the Apoftie reckons up a black 
 Catalogue, 1 Cor. 6. 9. and in the nth Verfe 
 adds, And fuch were fome of ye , but ye are 
 voajhed , 8 cc. What, fuch as they wafhed ? Can 
 the Ethiopian change his Skin, or the Leopard his 
 Spots ? How could it be? Why, faith he, in the 
 Name of the Lord Jefm Chrift , and by the Spirit 
 of our God. Mind, the Spirit is the Efficient, 
 
 but 
 
 ft) Mattb. 5. 8. 
 
40 Chrijl the mofk Excellent : 
 
 but he doth it in the Name of Chrift 4 upon the 
 account of that cleanfing Vettue that is in him : 
 And Oh, the loathfom Condition the Spirit finds 
 all in when he comes thus to cleanfe us ! We 
 read, Mark. 5. 25, to the 30th, of a Woman <• 
 
 that had an ifiue of Blood, who had fpent all on 
 Phyficians, and yet rather worfe than better, and 
 yet upon one Touch of Chrift was cleanled : She 
 derived Vertue from him , and immediately 
 voas made whole. So when Chrift copies to a Soul, 
 tho 5 never fo unclean, and tho’ never fo long in 
 that Cafe, he can waft] it, and make it clean. 
 
 David bad finned a great Sin, whereby he had 
 much defiled himfelf; but faith he. Purge me 
 with hyjop and l Jhall be clean , wafh me and I 
 Jhall be whiter than the Snow , Pfal. 51. 7. allu- 
 ding to thofe Legal Wafhings by which Chrift was 
 Typified. Sweet Saint, he had before found by 
 Experience the cleanfing Veitue that was in Chrift, 
 and fo comes to the fame Fountain again, and that 
 with the greateft Confidence in its cleanfing Ver- 
 tue, believing that tho’ he was defiled, that Li- 
 ving Fountain remained clear. What a filthy 
 Wretch muft that be that Chrift cannot cleanfe ? 
 
 He muft be more unclean than Uncleannefs it felfi 
 Oh the fweet Encouragement this affords to 
 the vileft of Sinners, to be found waiting upon 
 Chrift j for tho 5 thou mayeft be too filthy to go to 
 Chrift by Faith in the State and Condition thou 
 art now in, yet not too filthy for him to come to 
 thee, to wafh thee with the Wafhing of Regene- 
 ration : And to enable thee to come, as filthy as 
 thou art, or canft be, have been cleanfed •, fome of 
 thofe many Thoufands which are now before the 
 Throne in White Robes, who now have neither * 
 Spot nor Wrinkle, did once, while on Earth, wear 
 
 Garments 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrifi unvaiFd. 41 
 
 Garments that w6re exceeding filthy : They are 
 not fo pure and fpotlefs now, but they were as 
 filthy and polluted once. Chrift wants not a Ver- 
 tue to cleanfe thee, if thou wanted not a Heart 
 to receive him, and to make ufe of that Vertue 
 that is in him. 
 
 And as there is this cleanfing Vertue in Chrift, fo 
 it is no where to be found but in him-, for it is 
 not enough undeT this, or any other, Head, to 
 fhew you what Vertue is in Chrift, unlefs I alfo 
 fhew you that thole Verities are to be found only 
 in him : For there was fomething more in Sha- 
 ron's Rofe than in other Rofes, as I hinted. This 
 cleanfing Vertue is not to be derived from Duties, 
 or any Performances of ours, tho* good in them- 
 felves. Could we live fo purely , that for the 
 time to come we could contraft no more Defile- 
 ment, yet we could not with Nytre or much Soap 
 wafh off that Defilement that is already upon our 
 Hands, nor yet the Filth that is in the Heart if 
 Chrift wafh us not we can have no Part in him. 
 Oh then, lince there is this Vertue in Chrift, and 
 only in him, thou that are yet in thy Blood, beg of 
 him to walh thee, and fay. Lord, If thou wilt 
 thou canft make me clean. Plead hard that graci- 
 ous Promile, Ezek. 5 6. 25. Then will I fprin- 
 kle clean Water upon you, and ye fhall be clean 
 from all your Eilthinefs , and from all your Idols 
 will l cleanfe you ; and know, ir will be but a lit- 
 tle while that this Fountain will be open the 
 Time is at hand when Chrift will fay, He that is 
 filthy , let him be filthy fill. Rev. 22. it. And 
 what a Wound will it be to thee to fee others 
 cleanfed, who once were as unclean as thou art, 
 whilft thou muft remain in thy Sins. 
 
 4.' There 
 
42 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 4. There is in Chrift, this Rofe of Sharon, a 
 Pardoning Vertue that is fuited to Guilty, Condem- 
 ned, Souls. So. long as we remain under the 
 Power and Dominion of Sin, we are under Con- 
 demnation for Sin * and in this State we Natural- 
 ly all of us are, as is clear . from Rom. 5. 18. A s 
 by the Offence of one Judgment came upon all 
 Men to Condemnation , &c. Who is that one? 
 Why, the Firft Adam •, he being a Publick Perlon, 
 nolooner brought Condemnation uponhimfelf, but 
 he laid all his Pofterity liable to the fame hence 
 we are (aid to be by Nature Children of Wrath , 
 Eph. 2. 3. that is, Inch as deferve Wrath as foon 
 as Born : But now. Chrift hath a Pardoning Ver- 
 tuein him, 1 John '1. 7. And the Blood of jefus 
 Chnfl his Son clean] eth us from all Sin. Chrift 
 law all the Race of Adam as Condemned Male- 
 labors, going to be Executed, and then laid, Lo, 
 1 come he died, T he Jujt for the Vnjujl (a), and 
 by his Blood fatisfied Divine Juftice, and fo pro- 
 cured a Ranfom. He was as the Ram caught in 
 the Thicket to Refcue us, who, like Ifaac , were 
 going to be Offered up (b ) he was wounded for 
 our Tranfgreffions 5 and O the Pardoning Vertue 
 that is in his Blood ! That’s a fweet Text, and full 
 to this Pufpole, Col. 2. 14. Blotting out the 
 Hand-writing of Ordinances that was again f ui, 
 iahicb was contrary unto us , and took it out of the 
 Way, nailing it to his Crojs. Our Sins weTe as a 
 Bond cr Hand-Writings but that it might not be 
 put to Suit, Chrift blotted out the Sum ; and left 
 that fhould not be fure enough, he took it out of 
 the Way ; and that nothing might yet be wanting 
 
 fot 
 
 (a) l Pet. 3. t8. 
 
 (b) Gen, 22. 13. 
 
Or 9 The Glory of Chrift unvaifd. 43 
 
 for the fecuring our Dilcharge, he nailed it to his 
 Crofs* In Allufion to the Cuftom in thole 
 Times and Places, of Cancelling their Writings, 
 by piercing them with a Nail, as we do by tear- 
 ing off the Seals > fo that it denotes thus much, 
 that if that Handwriting which he had blotted 
 out, and taken out ot the Way, fhould chance to 
 be found, and read too, yet being nailed through, 
 (hould be of no Force againft us. 
 
 When Chrift was on the Croft, he made a Ple- 
 nary Satisfaction to Divine Juftice for all the Sins 
 of all the EleCt to the World’s end j that when 
 they come by Grace to be enabled to believe in 
 him, they might have that applied to them which 
 before was purchafed for them, Hence faith the 
 Apoftle, Rom. 8. 1 . There n therefore now no 
 Condemnation to them which are in Chrift Jefus. 
 No Condemnation, as a Great Man Gloffes on the 
 Text, is as much as not one Condemnation •, there 
 is not one Sin we commit but delerves a Con- 
 demnation •, every vain Thought, every idle Word, 
 every foolilh and finful ACtion, deferves a Con- 
 demnation ; but fuch is the Pardoning Vertue that 
 is in the Blood of Chrift, that there is not one 
 Condemnation to them that are in him. Nay, 
 our Dear Lord, who belt knew the Vertue of his 
 own Blood, goes yet farther, and tells us, fuch 
 lhall not come into Condemnation (Vj. When a 
 Malefactor is pardoned for one Fault, he may af- 
 terwards commit another, for which he may die-, 
 and his former Pardon may do him no good, how- 
 ever dearly it might be purchafed: But when 
 Chrift gives us a Pardon Sealed with his own 
 Blood, it fecures us for the Time to come. And 
 
 D let 
 
 ft) John 5. 24. 
 
44 Chrift the mott Excellent : 
 
 let me fay this, for the Honour of Chrift, and 
 for the Comfort of you who are truly in him by 
 Faith, there is no more danger of your being Con- 
 demned for Sin, than if you had never committed 
 any Sin. Ido not lay you need not fear Sin, nor 
 yet that you need not fear God’s CorreQing Rod 
 for your Sins ; for he may Viftt your Iniquity with 
 the Rod , and your Sins with Stripes, and may 
 make you learn Obedience by the things you fuffer * 
 but you need not fear being Condemned for Sin *. 
 You may Challenge all your Enemies to bring in 
 an Indi&ment againft you, and fay, as in Rom. 
 8. 33, 34. Who Jball lay any thing to the Charge 
 of God s Eletf: That is, his Called Ones, as 
 Verfe 30. and then adds the Rea (bn, It is God that 
 jujiifieth , and Cbriji that died ; and that was 
 Security enough. Good Man, he was not without 
 his Failings no more than other Saints, as you 
 may read in Rom. 7. at large * and therefore it 
 was not his Inherent Perfe&ion that was the 
 Ground of that Challenge, but a firm belief of 
 his Intereft in the Pardoning Blood of the Lord 
 Jefus. Oh ! How many Thoufand Souls have 
 been Pardoned by this Blood, many of which ale 
 now before the Throne, finging to him that loved 
 them, and walhed away their Sins in his own 
 Blood ? Rev. 1. 5. And how can we once doubt 
 whether this Vertue is in him, when fo many 
 have received the fame Vertue from him ? 
 
 Neither is this Vertue to be fotind in any thing 
 but in Chrift, this fweet Rofe of Sharon. Never 
 was a Pardon difpenced to any Soul fince the 
 World began, but what was- Signed and Sealed 
 with his Blood, Heb. p. 22, for without fhedding of 
 Blood there is no Remijfion : Here, and only here, 
 it is that a Guilty Conlcience, preffed down under a 
 
 Senfe 
 
Or, The Glory ofChrift wwail’d. 45 
 
 Senle of Sin, muft betake it felf for Eafe, this is 
 the only City-of Refuge for fuch a Soul : Nothing 
 will truly pacifie a Guilty, Wounded Confluence, 
 but a Sight of a Wounded, Dying Jefus, dying 
 for him. Oh ! The fad Miftakes fome make ; iome 
 think, with Simon , to buy the Gifts of God with 
 Money (df), and go to Rome for Pardons j others, 
 under no lefs dangerous Miftake, think to work it 
 out with the hard Labour of their own Hands ; 
 and if God will Pardon what is paft, they hope 
 to be able fome time or other to make ^im a- 
 mends 5 but take heed of this Soul-damning Miftake, 
 to think there isVertue enough in their Prayers or 
 Tears, or in any Works of Righteoufnefs which 
 you have done, or can do, to purchafe Pardon for 
 the leaft Sin •, for tho’ fuch as do fincerely Repent, 
 . and turn from Sin, have good Evidence they are 
 Pardoned, yet thele are not the Cauleof their Par- 
 don, but rather the Effects. Take heed then of 
 going about to Eftablifli your own Righteoufnefs : 
 You may fancy of building a Tower whole height 
 may reach unto Heaven, of your own Btick and 
 Lime, to make your Name renowned on Earth, 
 and to fecure you from any after Flood that may 
 arile but alas, you’ll all be confounded before 
 your Babel's finished. Your Dagon cannot ftand 
 long before God’s Ark. Give over this foolifh 
 Building in time, left to thy ihame Men laugh at 
 thee e’er long, faying, this Man began to build, but 
 was not able to finifh, fince ’tis only for the fake 
 of Chrift’s Righteoufnefs imputed to us, and not 
 for Righteoufnefs in us, or done by us, that God 
 Pardons any Soul. You have one remarkable 
 Text for many, that may ferve to beat down all 
 
 D 2 our 
 
 00 Ms 8 . 1 8 . 
 
46 Chrift the mofi Excellent : 
 
 our Confidence in the Flefh, Rev. 7. 14, 15. Tbefe 
 are they which came out of great Tribulation , and 
 have wafhed their Robes , and made them white in 
 the Blood of the Lamb, therefore are they before 
 the Throne. You fee they had been great Suf- 
 ferers ; yet it was not for their Doings nor Suffer- 
 ings that they were before the Throne ^ but be- 
 caufe they had wafhed their Robes., and made 
 them White in the Blood of the Lamb; And 
 had it not been for this, thofe that fuifered fo 
 much in this World might have fuffered much 
 more in the . next. 
 
 The Confideration of this Grand Gofpel-Truth 
 made the Apoftle fay, Philip. 3. 8, 9, 10. Tea, 
 doubt lefs I do count all things but Lofs for the Ex- 
 cellency of the Knowledge of Chrift Jefus , wy Lord> 
 for whom I have fuffered the Lofs of all things , 
 and do count them but Dung that l may win Chrift, 
 and be found in him , not having my oven Right couf 
 nefs , &c. We may obferve in the foregoing Verfes, 
 he had been giving an Account, not only of his 
 Birth, Priviledge, but alfo how much he had done 
 concerning the Law blamelefs; and then gives us 
 an Account of his Sufferings; and indeed they 
 were very great ; he had fuffcred the Lofs of all, 
 and I am fure no Man can fuffer more • and counts 
 all but Dung for Chrift. He faw all his Doings 
 and Sufferings would avail him nothing in Point of 
 Juftification and if he durlt not expefl Pardon 
 and Lite for his Righteoufnefs, how dare we be 
 found inoUrs ? Had fomeone of us rheRighteouf-. 
 nefs of ail the Saints on Earth, if that was all, 
 we could no more anfwer the Demands of Juftice, 
 than he that wanted the Wedding Garment could 
 anfwer that Queftion, Friend \ how cam eft thou in 
 hither ? Matth. 22. 12. and ? tis fa id he was fpeccb- 
 
 Itft'y 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrifl unvaif d. 47 
 
 kfs\ and fo (hall we if we are not Cloathed with 
 that Wedding-Garment which he wanted. 
 
 Let me entreat thee therefore, whoever thou art 
 that readeft this, to fee if thou art interefted in 
 this Pardoning Blood and know, if juftice is not 
 fatisfied by this Blood, it will require thy Blood v 
 if thou d oft- not take hold onChrift, Juftice will 
 take hold on thee j andforNon-payment willcaft 
 thee into Prifon, where thoft muft lye till thou 
 haft paid the very laft Mire (e). Were we but 
 fenfible of the worth of Pardon, how highly 
 Ihould weefteem Chrift upon the account of this 
 Vertue that is in him? 
 
 5. There is a Healing Vertue in Chrift, this 
 Rofe of Sharon , fuited unto Difeafed, Sick, and 
 Wounded Souls. Oh the Difeafes our Souls la- 
 bour under ! There is no found Part in them ; T he 
 whole Head is Sick, and the whole heart is taint-, 
 from the Sole of the Foot unto the Head there is no 
 Sound nefs, but Wounds and Bruifes , and putrify- 
 ing Sores ( / ). And were we but fenfible of cur 
 Wounds, we fhouldmoft earneftly long for Cure, 
 Now Chrift hath a Healing Vertue inhimfelf: 
 Tisobiervedthat Roles have in them an excellent 
 Vertue to recover from inward Weaknefs and De- 
 cay 5 and fure I am, there is a Vertue in this fweet 
 Rofe of Sharon to Heal, when our Inward Man is 
 never fo Corrupt, and Impaired by Dileafes * yea, 
 when our Wounds even Stink and are Corrupr/and 
 all other Phyficians are of no Value. This Healing 
 Vertue in Chrift is excellently let forth in Two 
 Places Typically ^ one in Numb. 21. where you 
 lead how the ftung Ifraelites were to look to the 
 
 D 3 Brazen 
 
 '(0 *2, 59. 
 
 (/) If a. 1 . 
 
48 Chrift the tnoft Excellent : 
 
 Brazen Serpent-, and ’tis faid, When any Man 
 looked , he lived * tho v his Wound was never fo 
 Dangerous, and never fo full of Smart and An- 
 guilh, yet immediately upon looking, without 
 any Application of any Plaifter, or any other Me- 
 dicine, he was healed and this Chrift applies to 
 himfelf, John?,. 14. to Ihetv that by believing in 
 him we (hall be as certainly cured in our Souls, 
 as they were in their Bodies, by looking to the Bra- 
 zen Serpent. Another Text to the fame pur pole 
 you have, John 5. 3, &c. where you read of a 
 great Multitude , all of them impotent Folk, fome 
 Blind, lomeLame, fome Withered, and yet after 
 the Angel moved the Waters, wbo/oever jirfl 
 pepp'd in was made whole of whatfoever Difeafe 
 he had-, to denote, that whatfoever Difeafes our 
 Souls labour under, Chrift the Angel of the Co- 
 venant can cure all. Hence Chrift is called a Phy- 
 lician, Mattb. 9. 12. They that are whole need not 
 the Phyjician , ££c. And indeed he is a skilful one * 
 he better knows our Spiritual Difeafes in the true 
 Caule, Nature, and EffeHs of them, than the 
 moft skilful and experienc’d Phyfician doth the 
 Difeafes of our Bodies-, and as he knows them, 
 fo he hath a Plaifter for every Sore, and a fpeedy 
 Remedy for every Difeafe ; and the Vertue of all 
 is from himfelf So that we may fay in this Cafe 
 as Ihe in another, Mattb. 9. 21. If l may hut 
 touch has Garment I ft all be whole : So tho* our 
 Souls are languilhing, yet the leaft* touch by the 
 Hand of Faith will derive Healing Vertue from 
 him. ’Tis faid of Chrift in the Days of his Flelh, 
 That he healed every Sicknefs , and every Difeafe , 
 among the People , Matth. 9. 35. And fure Chrift 
 is able to cure all the Difeafes of ourSoulsnow in 
 Heaven. Chrift, when he heals, he will not do 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrifl unvail'd. 49 
 
 it (lightly ; he will not only Skin over the Wound, 
 but will make a thorough Cure of it: Yea, he fo 
 Cures, that his Patients (half never die of thofe, 
 or any Diftemper after. A Phyfician Cures his 
 Patients of one Diftemper, and anon is fent to for 
 another •, and at laft the Men dies, while the Phy- 
 iician (lands and looks on, and tells all about him 
 he can do no more for him. But now it is not 
 thus with Chrift j he never undertook any but he 
 cured them * he never had one Patient died in his 
 Hands : They may indeed after he had cured 
 them have fome ill Fits return for a while $ but 
 they (hall not prove unto Death, but for the 
 Glory of' God, John n. 26. tie that believethin 
 me Jhall never die \ his Soul fhall never die or pe- 
 rifh. You that have difeafed Souls, and who have 
 not, why do you not make ule of this Rofe of 
 Sharon ? Why do you not come to this Great 
 Phyfician ? If you find any Illnefs in your Bodies, 
 or Diftemper breaking forth there, how do you 
 fend for a Phyfician ? WhatCoft are you at? And 
 what bitter Potions do you drink down, and all 
 for Health ? Nor can any blame you in fo doing ; 
 for what Comfort can a Difeafed Perfon take in 
 all his Earthly Enjoyments? Health is more to be 
 prized than all thefe. But what Reafon can be 
 given why as much Care (hould not be taken of 
 the Soul ? As the Body is more than Raiment , fo 
 the Soul is more than the Body : And fure I am, 
 thou canft never take any true Comfort in the En- 
 joyments of this Life till the Difeafes of the Soul 
 are cured. O then make hafte unto this Spiritual 
 Phyfician, he will cure all that come freely •, nor 
 will he put you to any more Pain than needs 
 mufr. He is a Tender-hearted Phyfician, he will 
 bind up thy Wounds foftly, and will deal gently 
 
 D 4 by 
 
50 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 by thee ^ but if thou refufeft to make ufe of this 
 Rofe of Sharon , thy Wound will prove Incurable, 
 and thy Difeafe Mortal : If Chrift do not help 
 thee in this Cafe, others cannot. They may ap- 
 ply fomewhat proper to thy Body, but fo hard 
 a matter is it to Cure Spiritual Maladies, that 
 the moft Skilful Phyfician cannot prepare a Plai- 
 fter that will ftick here . 
 
 6-There is in Chrift, this Rofe of Sharon , a Beau- 
 tifying Vertue for Deformed Souls. When God 
 Created Adam , it was after his own Image - 9 and 
 O! how Lovely and Beautiful then was he while 
 that remained ? No Deformity in him •, God then 
 greatly delighted in his own Workmanfhip ^ but 
 no fooner did Sin enter, but he loft his Comeli- 
 nds. Every Sin being a Blemifh to the Soul, and 
 ,as Dirt thrown upon a fair Face, which marr’d 
 ail his Beauty 5 and as Adam^ had he not finned, 
 would have conveyed that Beautiful Image to all 
 his Pofterity ; (we being in his Loins) fo having 
 finned, and defaced that Image, we all partake 
 of the fame : Hence We are faid to hear the Image 
 of the Earthly , i Cor. 15. 4 9. And were we but 
 ienfible of our Deformity, and what ill-fhapen 
 Monfters we came into the World, it would make 
 us fay as Job 42, 6 . Wherefore I abhor my felf 
 The Spoufe herlelf, as fenlible of her Deformity 
 in her felf, hides her felf in the Clefts of the 
 Rock, as one afham’d that Chrift fhould behold 
 her Countenance, Cant. 2. 14. 
 
 But now Chrift, as he is moft Beautiful in him- * 
 felf, and altogether Lovely, fo he hath Vertue in 
 him to make us Beautiful too * and as by our 
 bearing Adam\, Earthly Image vye became De- 
 formed } fo by bearing the Image of the Second A- 
 dam , the Lord from Heaven, our Beauty is in fome 
 «?; . . : meafure ^ 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvdil'd, 5 1 
 
 meafure reftored. I have Ihewed you under the 
 laft Head* that Chrift had a healing Vertue for 
 wounded Souls, but to make us Beautiful is more. 
 Men may heal a Wound, and yet leave fuch a 
 Scar as may for ever fpoil all our Beauty * but 
 now Chrift not only heals our Wounds, but makes 
 us Comely and Beautiful. Saith the Spoufe, I 
 am Black , but Comely , Cant. 1.5. As if fhe had laid. 
 When I behold my natural Face in the pureGlals 
 of thy Word, I appear Black ■ but when I look 
 upon my fell as in Chrift, I am Comely, thro’ 
 the Comelinefs which he hath put upon me. Nor 
 did this proceed from an overfond Conceit the 
 Spoufe had of her own Beauty. But it is won- 
 derful to confider of what Chrift himfelf faith of 
 her in this refpefit, Chap. 6 . 4. Thou art Beauti- 
 ful, 0 my Love , at. Tirzah* and then adds, VerC 
 5 . Turn away thine Eyes from me , for they have 
 overcome me : So Chap. 7. 1. How Beautiful are thy 
 Feet with Shoes , 0 Princes Daughter ? The Feer, 
 you know, are the moft Contemptible Part, and 
 yet, faith Chrift, how Beautiful are thy Feet? And 
 left any thing (hould yet be wanting to let forth 
 her Beauty, laith he, Thou art all Fair , my Love, 
 there is no Spot in thee , Chap. 4. 7. And, as at 
 fir ft, fo long as we continued in that Image, in 
 which we were Created, God greatly delighted in 
 us : So now Chrift hath put this Comelinefs up- 
 on us, he again delights in our Beauty, and feems 
 very defirousof our Love, Chap. 4. p, 10. Thou 
 ' haft ravi/hed my Heart , my Sifter , my Spoufe 5 thou 
 haft ravifloed my Heart, with one of thine Eyes , with 
 one Ojain of thy Neck : How Fair is thy Love, my 
 Sifter , my Spoufe ? How much better is thy Love 
 than Wine l &c. Andfeven when the Spoufe was 
 hiding herfelf, as alhamed of her own Black - 
 
 nefsj 
 
5 z thrift the moft Excellent ’ 
 
 nefs, Cant. 2. 14. How kindly doth Chrift call 
 upon her to come out ? Let me jee thy Counte- 
 nance, let me bear thy Voice , for Sweet is thy Voice , 
 and thy Countenance is Comely : As if he had laid, 
 However Deformed or Contemptible thou may’ft 
 be in thy own fight, yet thou art Comely in my 
 fight. Hence this great King is faid greatly to de- 
 fire the Saints Beauty , Pfal. 45. 11. Their Beauty 
 indeed doth not appear to the World, the Saints are 
 looked upon by them to be as the very filth and ojf- 
 fcouring of all things (g). Tho 3 the King’s Daugh- 
 ter is all glorious, yet it is within, and out of the 
 fight ol the World •, that which renders them moft 
 Amiable in Chris’s fight, renders them moft Con- 
 temptible in the fight of the World ^ and no won- 
 der they fee no Beauty in us, when they faw none 
 in Chrift., If a. 53, 2. And if they were fo dim- 
 fighted that they could fee no Light in the bright 
 Sun, no wonder if they cannot difcern the Light 
 of a twinkling Star. But Chrift he fees the Saints 
 Beauty, and he will make others to fee it 100, 
 when he comes to prefent his Spoufe a glorious 
 Church , not having Spot or Wrinkle , or any fuch 
 thing ( h ) ^ then the Beauty of the Bride, rhe 
 Lamb’s Wife, will appear, when (he hath fully 
 made her lelf ready, and put on her beft Robes. 
 
 Thus you fee there is a beautifying Vertue in 
 this Sweet Role of Sharon ^ and one would think 
 every one fhould be defirous to partake of it : Oh ! 
 how induftrious are the Carnal World to render 
 ihemfelves Comely and Beautiful in the Eyes of 
 Men ? What Trimming and Decking, what Pow- 
 dering, Painting, Patching and Dreffing, and it 
 may be, more time fpent in beholding their Jeze- 
 4 befs 
 
 ( g ) i Cor. 4, 13. Epb . 5. 27. 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 5 3 
 
 beP s Faces in a Glafs, than in looking into the 
 Glafs of the Word. And yet, after all, they are 
 but as whited Walls, and painted Sepulchres, which 
 only appear Beautiful to Men (/) * they have De- 
 formed Leprous Souls within a Beautiful Body : 
 Nor can all their Time and Coft thus Ipent ren- 
 der them Beautiful in Chrift’s fight, but rather 
 Contemptible*, for be knows tbe Proud afar ojf^ Pfi 
 138. 6. If then you would be truly Beautiful, if 
 you would have the better Part Comely in God’s 
 light, throw away your Paint, and make ufe of the 
 Role of Sharon. 
 
 7. There is in Chrift, this Sweet Rofeof Sharo77 , 
 a Comforting Venue for Deje&ed, Sorrowful, 
 Souls : A Man out of Chrift can have no true 
 Comfort ; he may laugh indeed, but cannot be 
 laid to rejoice : He may fitly be compared to 
 ths Picture of a Man in a laughing Pofture. Of 
 fuch as thefe it may often be laid, as in Prov. 
 1 4. 1 3 . Even in laughter theHeart is forrowful , , and 
 fhe end of that Mirth is Heavinefs. So long as a 
 Man is out of Chrift, he is under Condemnati- 
 on, lying upon the Brink of Eternal Burnings : 
 And what Comfort can there be in this State ? 
 But now, when a Soul comes to receive Chrift, he 
 receives him whofe Confolations are riot final! 
 (k). This fweet Role will Comfort us } you 
 have a full Text to this purpofe, Ifa. 6 1. 3. To 
 appoint to them that mourn in Sion, to give unto 
 themBeauty for Afhes , the Oil of Joy for Mourning j 
 the Garments of Pratfe for the Spirit of Heavinejs ^ 
 which Words are evidently fpoken of Chrift, as 
 you may fee in Luke 4. 18. 21. And as it was 
 one great End of his coming to Comfort Mourn- 
 ers 
 
 0 ) Mat.. 23 . 27 . Jb ij.ii. 
 
54 Chrift the mft Excellent : 
 
 ers'in Sion •, fohe is well Qualified for that Work; 
 he is called the Confolation of Ifrael, Luke z. 25. 
 As if they had no Comfort belides. The Creatures 
 can afford a Soul no true and folid Comfort, if 
 Chrift is not enjoyed with them. But, Oh ! the 
 fweet Comforts that flow into the Soul, when 
 Cfifift is ours ; and when we can fay, My Be- 
 loved is mine , and I am his. Let a Soul be never 
 foDeje&ed, tho’ as it were Sorrowful, even unto 
 Death, yet if even thou, Chrift, will but fay, Son, 
 Daughter, be of Comfort, thy Sins are forgiv- 
 en, what Joy will it caufe ? Wemuft be forrow- 
 iiil indeed ; Who will not rejoice when Chrift 
 comes to put his Left Hand under our Head, and 
 when his Right Hand doth embrace us. And, 0 ! 
 what Dunghif Delights are the Delights of this 
 World, if compared to what the Soul finds in 
 Chrift ? Says the Spoule, Cant. 7. u. Come, my 
 Beloved \ let us go forth' into the Fields, let us lodge 
 voithi'n the Villages : As if (he had fa id, Let us re- 
 tire from the Noile of this vain World, let us 
 goafide more privately, and there folace our felves 
 in Love : As if fhe had Laid, f ftill find more 
 Comfort in thee, than in all I can leave for thee ; 
 therefore come, my Beloved, let us go forth, Cfc. 
 How hath the Comfort the Saints have found in 
 Chrift, fupported them under, and even lifted them 
 fometimes above, the Fear of Death, yea, of the 
 moft violent Death ? I doubt not but you have 
 read or heard of the Martyr that went droop- 
 ing to the Stake, but when in the Flames he clapt 
 his Hands, faying, He is come , he ts come. Ob- 
 lerve, he h3d more Comfort when in the Flames 
 with the Prefence of Chrift, than he had before 
 when without it ; and what ftrong Confolation 
 muft fuch Souls find, that could thus Tranfport 
 
 them, 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrifl unvaifd. 5 5 
 
 them, that in the Flames they fhould, as it were, 
 feel no Pain ? This calls to mind a Memorable 
 Paflage I have read of another Martyr, who “ when 
 u he felt the Fire begin to burn, began to ling j 
 u the Executioner bid him not to glory, he repli- 
 “ ed in the Words of the Apoftie, Gal. 6 . 14. 
 “ God forbid that I Jhoitld glory , fave in the Crofs 
 “ of my Lord ]efus Cbrift. But, faid he, I can- 
 4t not but tell you, that while you kindle the Fire, 
 methinks you ftrow Rofes under my Feet -, and 
 fure it was the Role of Sharon that lo Comfort- 
 ed him. You that are Saints, I hope I am not 
 fpeaking to you Myfteries, but that which you 
 can conceive of, and have in fome meafure found 
 in your own Souls ; the World, I know, cannot re- 
 ceive thofe Sayings, A Stranger doth, not inter- 
 meddle with his Joys, Prov. 14. 10. Bur, I am 
 perfwaded, there are bur few Saints but have at 
 leaf! tailed of thofe Comforts, and have found 
 them as far exceeding all the vain and frothy De- 
 lights and Comforts of this World, as the belt 
 tuned Mufick, managed by the moft Skilful Hand, 
 doth excel rhe unpleafar.t Noife of the howling 
 of Dogs. Saints, have not you been helped to 
 fay (at leaf! feme time, as in Hab. 3. 17, 18. Al- 
 lb o' theFig tree Jhall not blojfom , neither fhall Fruit 
 be in the Vine ; 8tc. yet will l joy in the Lord, and 
 rejoice in the God of my Salvation. 
 
 But methinks I hear fome deje&ed Soul reply- 
 ing thus, If the Saints d^. find fuch Comforts in 
 Chrift, I fear l am not in Chrilf, for I fcarce know 
 what thofe Comforts mean : I am oft Mourning 
 like the Doves. 
 
 • To which I Anfwer ^ Suppofe it is lb, yet this 
 no ways oppoles the Truth I have laid down; 
 there may be a Comforting Venue in Chtift, tho’ 
 
 all 
 
5 6 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 all do not derive it from him. The fweeteftRofe 
 will not refrefh us, tho 1 fweet in it felf, uniefs we 
 ufe it j fo if we would feel in our Souls the Com- 
 forting Vertue that is in Chrift, we mult lay hold 
 on him by a lively Faith But becaule poffibly 
 thou may’ft not from hence fo much queftion this 
 Vertue being in him, as whether thou thy felf art 
 by Faith united to him, .1 further Anfwer, Tho’ 
 there is doubtlefs fuch Vertue in Chrift, yet all. 
 the Saints do not equally partake of it. There 
 may be Mourners , even in Sion (/). There may be 
 true Faith, yea, ftrong Faith, where there is weak 
 Comforts : Thou may ’ft fear the Lord, and obey 
 the voice of his Servants, and yet fit in Darknefs, 
 and fee no Light, If a. 50. 10. and that, you 
 know, is an Uncomfortable State and Condition. 
 Thou canft not conclude thy State is nought, be- 
 caufe thou haft not the fame Meafure of Comfoit 
 which fome Saints have : For as one may be 
 wearied with hard Labour, another is carried at 
 the Sides and dandled upon the Knees, and yet 
 both belong to the fame Family, and be Children 
 of the fame Father : So in this Cafe, all the Saints, 
 tho’ equally fafe, yet have not all the fame frame 
 of Spirit ^ fome go Triumphing and Singing in 
 Sion's Way he loved me, and gave himfelf for 
 me, Gal. 2. 20. And faying with fob, I know 
 that jny Redeemer liveth , &c. (m), mean while 0- 
 thers go Sobbing and Sighing molt of their Way, 
 with Tears running down their Faces, fearing left 
 they fhouid fall fhort of Heaven, thro 1 an evil 
 Heart of unbelief, and yet doth at laft meet to- 
 gether in their Matter's Joy. And as one Travel- 
 ler may have a fmoother Way, and more clear 
 
 Sun- 
 
 (l) tfui. 6 f. 3. (m) fob i<?. 2$ e 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift mva.it d. 57 
 
 Sunfhine than another, yet both may get to their 
 Journeys end •, fo in this Cafe. But left forne 
 ihould from hence conclude themfelves to be bet- 
 ter than indeed they are, I muft tell you, That in 
 my Judgment there are but few (if any) that 
 are right in theWay, but what have fome Clutters 
 Tent them before they come to profefs the good 
 Land. If therefore thou art wholly a Stranger 
 to thole Confolations in Chrift, let it put thee up- 
 on the greater fearch into thy own Heart. 
 
 8 . There is in Chrift, this Tweet Role of Sharnn y 
 a ftrengthning Vertue for weak and feeble Souls ; 
 when any Soul hath received life from Chrift, it 
 ftill wants ftrength : For, as a weak and feeble 
 Perfon is not fit for Work, tho’ alive •, fo the 
 Work the Saints have to do for God here in this 
 World is fo great, and their ftrength to perform it 
 fo little, that they would even faint under Chrift’s 
 Burden, if wholly left to themfelves. O! the Dif- 
 ficulties Tome do meet with, and we may meet with, 
 in theWay to Heaven $ while theWay to Deftru&i- 
 on is broad and ealie, the Way to Heaven is nar- 
 row, the Gate ftraight, Hindrances many. Here 
 muft be fighting if we hope to overcome, wreft- 
 ling with Principalities and Powers ( n ) if we 
 will win the Piize, ftrivingif we will enter (o\ 
 running if we will obtain ( p ). T he Kingdom of 
 Heaven fuff'crs violence, and the Violent take it 
 by force> Matt. 1 1. 12. When the Saints look be- 
 fore them, and confider what they are like to meet 
 with, when they look within them, andfind their 
 own ftrength but to fit ftill, how are they fome- 
 times almoit ready to defpair of holding out ? 
 
 But 
 
 (n) Eph. 6. 12. (0) Lul^e 13. 24. (/>) I Cor. 9. 24. 
 
58 Chrift thenioft Excellent: 
 
 But now Chrift, this Role of Sharon, hath a 
 ftrengthning Vertue, and fuch as are in him fhall 
 he Conquerors, and more than Conquerors, Rom . 
 
 8. 37; He is not only the Lord our Righteouf- 
 nels to Juftifie us, but the Lord our Strength to 
 Support us, If a, 45. 24. Surely fhall cm fay , in 
 the Lord have I Right eoufncfs and Strength , Sic. 
 Alas, of our lelves .we have neither Strength to 
 do or to fuft'er, but yet we can do all things thro * 
 Chrift that fir eng the ns m, Phil. 4. 1?. S j that 
 we may fav as Paul, When I am weak , then am l 
 ftrong , 2 Cor. 12. 10. He need not fear being o- 
 vercome for want of Strength, that is fecured ni 
 thofe Everlaftirg Arms. O the ftrengthning Ver- 
 tue that many have derived from Chrift, thisRofe 
 of Sharon ! ’Tis Laid of fome, Heb. it. 34* That 
 out of weaknejs they were made ftrong ^ ’tis not 
 faid fuch as were weak, but out of weaknels were 
 made ftrong ^ and then mentions fome Women, 
 who, you know, are the weaker Veflels. Well, 
 but it may be there was no way for them to a- 
 void the fuffering^ yes, ’tis faid, not accepting De* 
 liverance, verf 35. But were they not Fool-har- 
 dy not to accept of Deliverance when offered to 
 them ? No, not on their Terms : They would ra- 
 ther honour Chrift by dying, than difhonour him 
 by living-, and all this they did by Faith. How 
 little did good Stephen regard the Stones that flew 
 fo thick about his Ears, when he faw Jefus litting * 
 at the Right Hand of God > Ails 7. latter end. I 
 fhall rehearfe a Palfage worth your remembrance, 
 that I have read of a young Man that fuffered 
 Martyrdom at Burntwood , in Effex, as I remem- 
 ber : He was Condemned at London , in Queen 
 Marys Days, and then fent down to be Executed 
 at his native Place, to be the greater Terror to his 
 
Or^TheOlory of Chrift urwaitd. 59 
 
 Aged Parents then living. Sometime before his 
 Execution, fome of his Chriftian Acquaintance de- 
 fired him, for their Encouragement, that if he 
 found the Torments tollerable, in his greateft Ex- 
 tremity, he would give this Sign, to hold up his 
 Hand ; he confented. They accompanied him to 
 the Stake, ftaid there till they thought he had 
 been dead •, but when all their hopes began to fail, 
 his Body being almoft Confumed, he then lift up 
 his Hand, to the great Joy of thofe that knew 
 what it meant. O ! What a fweet Encouragement 
 may thole things be to us who Band in the Strength 
 of Chrifi: ; we may be Lure as our Day is, fo fhall 
 our Strength be ; nor will he fujfer us to be temp- 
 ted above what we are able to bear (q ). He hath 
 promiled, Gen. 43. 2. When thou pajfefl thro' the 
 Waters, I voill be with thee •, and thro ’ the Rivers , 
 they fhall not overflow thee when thou walkejl 
 thro ’ the Fire thou (halt not be burnt, Sec. Great 
 Affli&ions are oft fet forth by Fire and Water, as 
 I might Ihew. Now fince there is fuch a ftrength- 
 ning Vertue in Chrift, the Saints may Sing in 
 the greateft Danger, as the Apoftle, Rom. 8. 35. 
 to the end Who fhall feparate us from the Love of 
 Chrift ? And then reckons up fuch things which 
 were as like to cool our Love to him as any thing: 
 Shall Tribulation , or Di ft refs, or Terfecutions , or 
 Famine, or Nakednefs, or Peril, or Sword , 8cc. 
 And adds, Verfe the 37th, In all thefe things we 
 are more than Conquerors , through him that loved 
 us. Hold on then, Dear Saints, in the Way, tho' 
 narrow for when thy Heart and thy Flelh fail, 
 Chrift will be thy Strength. 
 
 E 9 . There 
 
 (q) i Cor. i< 3 . 13. 
 
60 Chrift the mott Excellent : 
 
 p. There is in Chrifr, this fweet Rofe of Sharon , 
 a nouriftiing Verrue fuited unto hungry Souls ^ we 
 have Souls as well as Bodies, and the former muft 
 have Food as well a« the latter, or elfe they will 
 pine away, and grow lean from Day to Day : Now 
 tho 5 there are variety of Creatures for the nou- 
 rifhment of the Body, and fatisfyingofour Corpo- 
 ral Appetite, yet none of thofe fuit with the Soul 
 that being a fpiritual Subftance, muft have Food 
 fuited to its Nature * thofe things are of too in- 
 feriour a Nature to fatisfie a fpiritual Appetite. 
 How many have well-fed Bodies, and yet ftarving 
 Souls ? How many are like Dives , that fared fum- 
 pruoufly, and that every Day, and yet for want 
 of fpiritual Food, or at leaft for want of an Ap- 
 petite to relifh it, are like to fare no better than 
 he in the end, when in Hell he lifted up hk Eyes , 
 being Tormented in the Elames ? Luke 1 6. 23. Poor 
 Rich Man, had he had more Love for his Soul, 
 tho 5 he had fared as hardly as Lazarus , he had 
 been a Rich Man indeed. 
 
 Well, as fpiritual Food is neceflary, fo Chrift 
 is fuitable Food for us •, and blefled are they that 
 hunger after him, for they fhall be fatisfied ( r ). 
 That Tree of Life which grows in the midft of the 
 Paradice ofGod hath Fruit that is good for Food, as 
 well as a Leaf for Medicine, Ezek. 47. 12. Rev. 
 22. 2. Chrift is our fpiritual JoJeph * you know 
 Fharaoh committed all the Store of the Land in- 
 to the Hand of jofeph , and to him they muft go 
 for Food, or Starve. So all our Store of fpiiitual 
 Food is treafured up in Chrift, John 6 . 35. I am 
 the Bread of Life 5 and as Bread in Scripture con- 
 tains all Food neceflary for the Body, fo Chrift 
 
 contains 
 
 (r) Matt. 5 . 6. 
 
Or, The Glory of CbriSl unvail’d, 6 1 
 
 contains in him all Provifion fuitable for the Soul- 
 Chrift hath a Banqueting- Houle to Feaft his Be- 
 loved Spciufe in (s)\ he hath a Feaft of Fat Things 
 to Entertain his Guefs. You read in Luke 14. 1 < 5 , 17. 
 of a Feaft where all things are ready, and there can 
 be no want where all things are ready ^ and doubt^ 
 left this fets forth that abundant Fulneftof fpiritual 
 Provifion that is in Chrift for the Soul. Ah ! 
 Sirs, till we are nourilhed by this Food, we do 
 but with the Prodigal feed on Husks ; but when 
 we come to Chrift we lhall find Bread enough, 
 and to fpare ^ this Mafter of the Houfe is well 
 ftored with Provifion for all his Family, even 
 for the many Thoufands of Ifrael : He keeps a 
 Table richly decked •, he hath Food fuited to the 
 fpiritual Appetite of all his Children : He hath 
 Meat for ftrong Men : But if any are not able to 
 bear that, he hath Milk for Babes ( t ). O ! tafte 
 and fee that the Lord is gracious, and then you 
 Naufeate all the Delights of the World, if compa- 
 red to this Food 5 then you will fay, his Flefh is 
 Meat indeed {v). The Carnal World indeed, they 
 have no Appetite to this Food ^ they can tafte more 
 fweetneft in a Luft * that fuits beft with their 
 flelhly Appetite. When our Lord entered upon a 
 Difcourfe with the Pharifees concerning this Mat- 
 ter, as you may read, John 6 . at large, what grofs 
 Conceptions had they about it? How can this 
 Man give us his Flefh to eat (u) ? A Carnal Man 
 knows no more of this than Nicodemus of the 
 new Birth. Tis hidden Manna that the Saints 
 are fed with. You read in Judges 14. how Samp- 
 fon found Honey in the Carcafe of a Lion •, and 
 he put forth a Riddle to the FhilijUnes , which 
 E 2 he 
 
 (0 Cant. 2. 4. (*) l Cor. 3. 2. ( y ) John 6.55. («; John 
 
 tf.52. 
 
6 2 Chrifi the mofi Excellent : 
 
 he was confident they could never unfold, that out 
 of the Eater fhould come forth Meat, and out of 
 the Strong fhould come forth Sweetnefs ; and in- 
 deed, it was fuch a Riddle that Men fhould re- 
 ceive ftreogth from that which had deftroyed 
 fo many, that they had never found it our, if 
 they had not been taught by her that lay in his 
 Bofom. No lefs M-yfterious is it to the unbeliev- 
 ing World, that the many Thoufands of Ifrael 
 fhould be nourilhed out of the dead Lion of the 
 Tribe of Judah (w), and that the Death of ano- 
 ther fhould be the Means of Life ^ and that that 
 which is in it felf fo bitter, lhould afford fuch 
 fweetnefs : Nor will they, with all their Wifdom, 
 be able to unfold this Riddle. Do not we fee how 
 the Papifts, this Day, have as Carnal Conceptions 
 of this Myftery as the Pharifees had of Old ; 
 for, being Strangers to the Life of Faith, they not 
 only believe that hisFlefh is Meat indeed, which 
 the Scripture affirms, but alfo that the Bread, with 
 which the Saints are fed at Chrift’s Tablets his ve- 
 ry Flefh indeed : They cannot once conceive of any 
 other way of eating Chriffs Flefh but Corporal- 
 ly : So that tho" there is fuch a Vertue in Chrift to 
 nourifh the Soul, yet many know nothing of this 
 Feaft of Fat Things. 
 
 10. There is in Chrift a fatisfying Vertue, fuited 
 to thirfty Souls ^ our Hearts are naturally Thirfting 
 after this World, and the Delights and Pleafures 
 of it. And yet, after all, we find here are no 
 Enjoyments in this World, whether Lawful or 
 Unlawful, that can fully fatisfie the vaft Defires of 
 the Soul. When the Voluptuous Man hath drank 
 deepeft into the finful Delights and Pleafures of 
 
 (w) Rev. s. 5. 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvaiTd . 6 3 
 
 this World, he is ftill thirfting after more, cry- 
 ing, Give , give : He finds his Cifterns broken, 
 and that they can hold no Water (x) So the 
 Covetous Man, he joins Houfe to Houfe and\ 
 Field to Field, and calls his Lands alter his own \ 
 Name, and yet is, after all, as much unfatisfied, 
 and ofttimes more, than they which have not fo 
 much as to fet their Foot upon, Ecclef. 4. 8. and 
 Chop. 5. 10. 
 
 But now Chrift hath a fatisfyingVertue, and that 
 we (hall find when we do by Faith receive him : 
 His Blood is Drink indeed, as well as his Flelh 
 Meat indeed, John 6 . 35. He hath Wine on the 
 Lees to drink, as well as Fat Things to eat, ljai. 
 55. 1. Ho , every one that Thirfeth , come ye to 
 the Waters, See. So John 7. 37. In the great Day 
 of the Feaji Jefus food and cried , faying , If a- 
 ny Man thirfl , let him come unto me and drink. 
 Chrift is called a Fountain, Ezek. 13. 1. In that 
 Day there frail be a Fountain opened , &c. Yea, he 
 is an inexhauflable Fountain. It is obferved by 
 Phyficians, that in the tnoft vehement Thirft 
 which arifeth from Indifpofition of Body, the 
 Water diftilled from Rofes is of excellent ufe 
 to abate it : And,, fure l am, there is a Vertue in 
 the Rofe of Sharon for thirfty Souls. As fuch 
 are called to him to come and drink, fo when they 
 do come they (hall certainly find thisfatisfyingVer- 
 tue in him. John 4. 13, 14. Jefus anfwered and 
 faid unto her , Whofoever drinketh of this Water 
 fhall ihirji again •, but whofoever drinketh of the 
 Water that I fhall give him , fhall never ibirf&c. 
 
 1. e. He fhall find fuch a latisfying Vertue in me, 
 that he fhall never fo eagerly purfue after rhe Crea- 
 
 E 3 ture 
 
 (sc) Jer. 2. 13. 
 
64 Chrift the mo ft Excellent : 
 
 ture as before. I might have enlarged, but left 
 I fhould be thought tedious I proceed. 
 
 Thus I have fhown you, how Chrift tftay be 
 compared to a Role, and fome of thofe excellent 
 Venues that are in this fweet Rofe of Sharon : But 
 before I come to my DoHrine, there is one thing 
 more I mull do, or elfe I fhall come fbort of what 
 I may do, and ought to do, for the fetting forth 
 the Glory and Excellency of Chrift, and that is, 
 to fhew you wherein Chrift excels a Rofe, tho’ 
 it be the Rofe of Sharon $ and, as I hinted at firft, 
 in drawing a Pi&ure, when all is done that can 
 be, fomething will be wanting •, fo when I have 
 ufed all the Similitudes I can to fet forth the Ex- 
 cellency of Chrift, much more may be faid than 
 is faid. I remember a Pafiage I have read, re- 
 ported by Niceferus , that Agbar'us , a great Man 
 that lived in the Days of Chrift’s Flelh, who, , 
 hearing of his Miracles, fent a Limner to draw 
 his Pitlure ; but when he came, his Countenance 
 fo dazled his Eyes, that he could not perform his 
 Work : How true that is I know not, but fure I 
 am, all that is in Chrift cannot be fet forth by 
 the Creatures there being no Creature in Hea- 
 ven or Earth that can in every thing parallel this 
 King of Glory : We cannot rationably expe£V to 
 find as much in a mutable Creature, as is to be 
 found in the gloiious Creator * and was it not that 
 Chrift himfelf hath made ule of fuch Similitudes 
 to difcover fomewhat of his Excellency to us, I 
 lhould have thought it high Prefumption to com- 
 pare him to a Creature, tho' the beft of Creatures ^ 
 well knowing thofe GlafTes are too dim to let us 
 fee all his Glory. But tho’ Chrift is pleafed to 
 make ufeof Metaphors, and therein not a little con- 
 defcends to our Weaknefs, yet he doth it not that 
 , we 
 
Or 9 The Glory of ChriSt unvaiM. 6 5 
 
 we Ihould think thefe can fully let forth his Ex- 
 cellency •, for it would be no fmall Difparagement 
 to Chrift for us once to fuppofe, there can be as 
 much in the Work of his Hands, as is in himfelf. 
 He experts that when we have feen as much of 
 him in thefe as we can, we fhould ftill by Faith 
 believe that to be in him, which none of thefe 
 can dilcover of him. Now as there is no Simili- 
 tude among the Creatures, but what will come 
 Ihort in this Cafe, and can do no otherwife ; lo 
 tho’ perhaps a Role may as aearly refemble him 
 as any fuch Inferior Creature, yet in many things 
 this will come fhort alfo. 
 
 I told you the Rofes of Sharon excelled other 
 Rofes, yet not fo much as Chrift excels them. 
 
 I lhall therefore in a few Particulars (how you, as 
 I am able, fome Excellent Properties in Chrift, 
 which are not to be found in any Rofe, no, not 
 in the Rofe of Sharon. 
 
 1. Chrift excels a Role, yea, the belt of Roles, 
 in this refpeft * Roles, tho’ delightful, are yet fub- 
 je£t to fade, wither and decay : If you pluck 
 them frelh and fiourilhing in the Morning, they 
 wither and fade before Night : Or, if a cold and 
 churlilh blaft comes, how foon are they nipt, 
 and lofe their Beauty and fweet Savour, and, 
 in a Ihort time, their Vertue too * and are good 
 for nothing but to be trodden under foot. But 
 ’tis not fo with Chrift ; he is always Fiourilhing, 
 he hath no Wrinkle in his Beautiful Face, nor the 
 leaft lign of Decay : See what the Apoftle ftiles 
 him, Heb. 13. 8. Jef us Chrift, the fame Yefter day , 
 to Day , and for Ever. Mind, he is the lame to 
 Day, he was Yefterday, or in time paft, for that’s 
 the meaning ; and will be for ever what he is to 
 
 E 4 Day 
 
66 thrift the mft Excellent : 
 
 Day ; as his Years change not,fo neither doth he * 
 he is not capable of any Viciffitudes-, he is an 
 ever-flowing, as well as an over flowing. Fountain 5 
 ’tishe of whom it is faid, Rev. 1. 8. Who is , and 
 who was, and who is to come. No Rofe compara- 
 ble to him in this refpeft, I/a. 40. 7, 8. The Grafs 
 wit he ret/ the V lower fadetb, but the Word of our 
 God fhall Jiand for ever. The Apoftle Peter cites 
 thofe very Words, 1 Pet. 1. 24. and there ex- 
 plains what we are to underftand by the Word 
 of God, Verf 25. And this is the Word which by 
 the Gofpel is* preached unto you, that is, Chrift the 
 Eflential and Eternal Word : For ’tis he which 
 in the Gofpel is preached unto us ^ and ’tis faid he 
 abideth for ever. As for Man, he is a poor mu- 
 table Creature ^ ’tis faid, he cometh up as a Flower, 
 and is cut down ( y ) • but Chrift abideth the fame 
 ' for ever: Neither Time nor Eternity will make any 
 change in him. And further, I told you, a Rofe 
 is not only fubje£l to wither, but in time to lofe 
 its inward Vertue, as well as outward Beauty ; fo 
 is not Chrift. Chrift is fitly compared to» the 
 Sun, never to the Moon •, not only to fhow how 
 we have all our Light from him. but to teach us, 
 that as the Moon is, continually varying, fometime 
 a greater Light, and fometime a lefs, and fome- 
 time almoft none •, fometime in the Full, and 
 fometime in the Wain, while the Sun is always the 
 fame : So while Creatures fade, and at laft, as 
 a Taper burn out, Chrift is always the fame, and 
 hath the fame Vertue in him, faith the Apoftle, 
 1 Pet. 2. 9. But you are a chofen Generation , a 
 royal Priejibood, a peculiar People , that you fhould 
 fhew forth the Praifes of him, Stc. The wordPrai- 
 
 O) Job 1 4.2. 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 67 
 
 fes, is in the Greek , Vertues, and is the fame 
 Word you have, Phi/. 4. 8. If there be any Ver- 
 tue, Cfc. So that it feems one great End of the 
 Saints Calling, that they fhow forth the Vertues 
 of Chrift. Tis not enough to fhow what was 
 once in him, but what now is in him^ One 
 Thoufand Seven Hundred Years have made no 
 Change in Chrift, nor in the leaft diminifhed his 
 Excellency •, he cannot, or at leaft will not, come 
 down to die again ; Death hath no more Domini- 
 on over him : Yet this I dare boldly affirm, there 
 is the fame Vertue in his Blood now, that there 
 was when it ran frefh out of his bleeding Sides 
 on the Crofs, and that thou fhalt find, whoever 
 thou art that readeft, if thou haft but a Heart to 
 venture upon him. I may allude to what isfaid 
 of Abel, tieb. 11.4. Being dead , he yet fpeaketh. 
 Wicked Cain hated Righteous Abel, and he hated 
 him becaule he was Righteous, and therefore he 
 refolved to Murder him, and fo to rid the World 
 of him, thatfo there might be no more mention of 
 his Name nor Holinefs ^ and yet, contrary to his 
 Defign, his Brother left aVoice behind him, when 
 he lay in Silence Murder’d in the Grave. So when 
 our Lord Chrift was on Earth, he was fuch a 
 burning and fhinibg Light, that the dim Eyes of 
 the Carnal World could not bear it •, and, to be 
 revenged on him, refolved, by the Devil’s Af- 
 fiftance, to clear the World of him, and fo by 
 Wicked Hands they flew him. But behold, be- 
 ing dead, he yet fpeaketh •, his Blood cries as loud 
 as Abel's, but with a far fweeter Voice, Heb. 12. 
 24. And to Jefus the Mediator of the New Cove- 
 nant, and to the Blood of Sprinkling , that fpeaketh 
 better things than that of Abel. Abel’s Blood that 
 cried indeed, but it was for Vengeance 5 but the 
 
 Blood 
 
68 Christ the moft Excellent : 
 
 Blood of Chrift cries for Pardon : Abel's Blood 
 might damrt Cain, but could not fave him * but 
 many, even of Chrift’s Crucifiers, were faved by 
 the Blood they had fhed : In a word, the Blood 
 of Chrift, fo long ago fhed, is the great Plea which 
 he continually ufes in his lnterceffion at God’s 
 Right Hand for us. This is the firft thing. Roles 
 fade and decay, and at laft lofe their Vertue, 
 and become ufelefs ; fo doth not Chrift, who is 
 the fweet Rofe of Sharon. 
 
 2. Chrift excels a Rofe in this : Tho 5 Rofes 
 have a Vertue in them, yet it is fuited to fome 
 particular Cafes, and Diftempers of the Body, and 
 in fome Cafes they may rather do harm than good 
 but Chrift hath a Vertue in him fuited to all our 
 Spiritaal Maladies * he can cure one Diftemper as 
 well as another. You have heard of feveral Di- 
 ftempers he can cure, but you have not heard of 
 all. To what hath been fpoken, let me add, is 
 our Diftemper Spiritual Giddinefs ? He can cure 
 that by that Vertue that is in him. Alas, till we 
 are in Chrift we all reel to and fro like a Drunken 
 Man, faith the Prophet-, They are drunker . -, but 
 not with Wine they flagger, but not with firong 
 Drink, Ifa. 2 p. p. How many may we fee in this 
 giddy Age running from one Party to another, 
 from one Opinion to another, like Waves driven 
 up and down by every windy Doflrine : One 
 while crying out this is the right Way, and thefe 
 are the Men, and Wifdom will die with them ; 
 by and by, nay, but they deceive the People. 
 One while Chrift is here, anon lo he is there. 
 One while he is in the Defarts, and there is no 
 finding him, or pretending to any comfortable Af- 
 furance that he is mine, or that I am his, anon 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 69 
 
 he is in the Secret Chambers, and there is no 
 need to go out of our Doors to meet him in his 
 Publick Ordinances. Do but believe that you do 
 believe, and that is thought enough by fome. 
 Now what fhould be the Caufe of this Spiritual 
 Giddinefs? Why, to me it feems clear, ’tis for 
 want of being eftablifhed in Chrift ^ ’tis a fad 
 fign of a Chriftlefs Soul thus to be ever learning , 
 and never able to come to the knowledge of the 
 Truth , 2 Tim. 3 . 7. ChriJVs Sheep know his Voice , 
 John 10. 4. And as a Woman that is Married 
 will not eafily miftake her Husband’s Voice-, fo no 
 more will one Married to Chrift, take the Stam- 
 mering Language of other Lovers for the Voice 
 of her Well-beloved. The Believing Soul finds 
 an eftablifhing Vertue in Chrift: Now the Soul 
 fits down fatisfied, and can find a Place to reft in 
 the Ark, tho’ no where elfe. Or is our Diftemper 
 Hardnels of Heart > There is Vertue in Chrift to 
 mollifie that -, one look of a dying Jefus will break 
 the hardeft Heart, Zech. 12. 10. They Jhall 
 
 look upon him , whom they have pierced and 
 mourn , &c. In a Word, let thy Spiritual Diftem- 
 per be what it will, this Tweet Rofe of Sharon 
 hath a Vertue in him fuited thereunto, and there- 
 in excels all Rofes. 
 
 3. Chrift excels a Rofe in this, as Rofes are 
 ufeful for the Body only , and are fuitabie only 
 to fomc Diftempers * fo neither do they always 
 prove effe&ual fo cure fuch Diftempers * fome- 
 time Diftempers are fo prevalent, or of fuch a long 
 continuance, that no help can be had •, but now 
 in Chrift, this fweet Role of Sharon , there is- 
 fuch a Vertue that never any miffed of Cure to 
 whom it was applied -, it may be thy Sins have 
 
 x . been 
 
70 Chrift the mft Excellent : 
 
 been exceeding great, and the Ciy of them hath 
 reached even unto Heaven, and, as an overfpread- 
 ing Leprofie, have infefted thy whole Man, that 
 thou haft no found Part in thee •, it may be thou 
 haft been a Prophane Swearer, a Filthy Drunkard, 
 an Unclean Perfon, or a Great Backflider, and art 
 now bewailing thy felf thus, Sure there 
 is no hopes that my {linking Wounds can ever be 
 cured, that my filthy Soul fhould ever be wafhed 
 and made clean, no healing Medicine for my 
 deadly Difeafe: Well, fuppofe thy Cafe is la- 
 mentable, yet thy Wounds are not incurable ; for 
 if now God hath given thee a Heart to believe in 
 Chrift, and to apply this Rofe of Sharon , thy 
 Sicknefs fhali not be unto Death, but for the 
 Glory of God ^ for tho’ thou mayeft have been a 
 mighty Sinner, yet Chrift is mighty to fave , Ila. 
 63 1. Tho’ thy Sins have been as Scarlet , he can 
 make them as white as Snow, and tho 3 red as Crim- 
 Jon , he can make them as Wooll ( z ). And if any 
 more need to be faid, or can be faid, as to this, you 
 have it, Heb. 7. 23. Wherefore he is able to fave 
 them to the uttermojl that come to God through 
 him. The Pit thou’rt in cannot be too deep for 
 thefe Cords of Love to draw thee our. You 
 read of fome that once were afar off, and as un- 
 likely to find help as you can be, and .yet made 
 nigh by the Blood of Cbnf ?, Eph. 2. 13. Sinner, 
 thou canft not have done fo much to deftroy thy 
 felf, but yet in him thy help is to be found, Hof 
 13. .9 He thinks fcorn that it fhould be once faid, 
 that the Devil, or thou thy felf, fhould ever have 
 made thee fo Miferable, that it is not in his Power 
 for to make thee Happy. Therefore let me add 
 
 this 
 
 (0 *•. > 8 . 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 7 1 
 
 this for the Encouragement of fuch as labour under 
 a Senfe of Sin, and are heavy laden $ tho’ thy Sins 
 are many and great, yet if thou doft not add this 
 Sin to all the reft, of refufing to believe in him, 
 thou canft not mifcarry, or be finally loft, Heb. 3. 
 iS. None (hall be excluded but fuch as believe 
 not, that imply’d in the Words. Or hath thy 
 Diftemper been oh a long continuance? I mean, 
 haft thou long been a Slave to Sin and Satan, and 
 haft fpent many Years in Vanity, till Grey Hairs 
 are here and there, and the very Shadows of the 
 Evening are ftretched out upon thee ? Yet there is 
 help for thee in Chrift. We read of one whom 
 Chrift cured, when on Earth, that had been Infirm 
 Twelve Tears , Matth. 9. 20. another Eighteen 
 Tears , and yet at laft loofed from her Infirmity, 
 Luke 13. 12. Nay, we read of one Thirty and 
 Eight Tears , and yet cured, John 5. < 5 , 7, 8, 9. 
 And tho 5 thy Spiritual Infirmities have been of as 
 long continuance as any of them, and longer, yet 
 there is Virtue enough in Chrift to cure thee. I 
 fhall clofe this Head with that fweet Text, Heb. 
 4. 7. To Day, after fo long a time , as it is [aid 
 to Day , if ye will hear his Voice : In which Place 
 he is (as it were) anfwering fome troubled Soul 
 that might be reafoning with himfelf thus, Sure 
 there is no hopes for me; I have not only been 
 a great Sinner, but I have continued in it lo long 
 a Time, that fore my Day is over, and the Ma- 
 tter of the Houfe is rifen and hath Ihut too the 
 Door: God will never after his waiting fo long 
 a Time be gracious to fuch a provoking Wretch 
 as I have been. To which the Holy Ghoft doth, 
 as it were, reply thus; Seay, poor Soul, I have 
 better News to tell thee, than thou expeflett or 
 defervelt to hear ; and that is. To Day , if you 
 
72 Chrift the moft Excellent* 
 
 will hear bis Voice. But what might the poor 
 Soul fay after fo long a Time ? Yes, faith the 
 Holy Ghoft, after, fo long a Time. Sinner, do but 
 hear, and obey his Voice Commanding thee to Be- , 
 lieve, Repent, and to Turn from Sin unto God, 
 and thou canft not mifcarry, tho 5 it be after fo 
 long a Time. For tho’ fome Corporal Diftem- 
 pers maybe fo far-gone, that no Phyfician or-Phy- 
 fick can do any good, yet there is a Verrue in this 
 fweet Rofe of Sharon that never fails of Cure, 
 even in the moft Defperate Cafes, when rightly 
 applied to the Soul. 
 
 Thus have I at length gone thro’ the Meta- 
 phor, and have both fhewn you how Ghrift may 
 be compared to a Rofe, and wherein he excels 
 a Rofe, even the Rofe of Sharon. That which j 
 now remains, is, to confider what Truth is con- 
 tained in the Metaphor. You may remember I 
 told you Sharon was an excellent Soil, and this is 
 clear from \fa. 35. 2. The Excellency 0/ Carmel 
 and Sharon ; fo that Sharorts Rofes did excel 
 ail other Rofes, fo that the Words do naturally 
 hold forth this Sweet and Comfortable Do&rine. 
 
 4 
 
 Doff. Whatever there is which is deftrable , or 
 truly good ’, in. or appertaining to , the Crea- 
 tures , is to be found in afar more Transcen- 
 dent and Excellent manner in the VerJ'on of 
 Jefus Chrifl. 
 
 It was not without good caufe, as you will 
 hear, that Faul counted all things but Dung for 
 the Excellency of Chrift *, all Created Excellencies 
 are but as Twinkling Stars, which difappear be- 
 fore this rifing Sun, 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvai I'd, 73 
 
 In fpeaking to this DoUrine I {hall conlider 
 what things are Defirable or truly Excellent a- 
 mong the Sons of Men, and Ihow you as I go 
 how all are to be found in Chrift, in a far more 
 excellent Manner : For, fure I am, when all the 
 Glory of this World willvanilh and difappear, and 
 end as a Dream, the Glory of this fweet Role of 
 Sharon will be frelh and fiourilhing. It would be 
 time unprofitably fpent to prove more generally 
 that Chrift muft needs be the moft Excellent, lince 
 it can be no otherwife. There muft be more in the 
 Caufe than in the Effeft ; we have our All from 
 him ; ’tis of bpFulnefs have all we received , Joh. 
 
 1. 1 6. He it is that jilleth all in all , Eph. i. 25. 
 And as we have our All from him, fo he never be- 
 llows fo much upon us, but be hath more re- 
 mains in him than we have derived from him. 
 The Creatures all fhine with a borrowed Light; 
 and the Glory of the Sun doth not lo much out- 
 Ihine the Light of the leaft Twinkling Star, as 
 the Glory of Chrift doth outfhine all the Glory 
 of this World ; in thole the difference is between 
 one Creature and another, but in the other the 
 difference is between the Creator and the Crea- 
 ture, which is ^as great as between the Subftance 
 and the Shadow. There can be no Compan- 
 ion between Infinite and Finite, between him that 
 is the Mighty and Unchangeable God, and Frail, 
 Mutable Man. Hence Chrift being God, as well 
 as Man, he thinks it beneath him that any fhould 
 pretend to find that in the Creatures that Ihould 
 equal him •, there being thofe Excellencies to be 
 found in him, which are not to be found in the 
 bell of Creatures, whether Angels or Men ; and 
 from hence you may fee that it muft needs be a 
 degrading of Chrift to refemble him by Pictures, 
 
 as 
 

 74 Chrift the moft Excellent: 
 
 a s the Manner of fomeis : For tho’ Chrift is truly 
 Man, and, as fuch, may be nearly refembled ; yet 
 he is as truly God, and fohe cannot^ and look, as 
 no Wife Man will 'draw his Friend’s Pi&ure. and 
 leave out his moft Comely Parts, left they fhould 
 hereby render him Contemptible, ' rather than 
 Honourable •, fo one would think that no Friend 
 of the Bridegroom, who hath by an Eye of Faith 
 feen this King in his Glory, (hould ever fo Un- j 
 dervalue Chrift, as to refemble him by the Picture 
 of a Man ; fince when they have diawn the moft 
 Beautiful Picture, the Art of Man can invent, his 
 moft Comely Parrs wall be wholly Concealed, 
 even his Eternal Power and Godhead •, and fuch 
 Divines as love to pleafe themlelves with fuch 
 Childifh Toys, asto pretend to Picture Chrift in all 
 their Books, they do (in my Judgment) take the 
 ready way to render fuch Books ufelefs, while in 
 the very beginning they caft fuch a Slur upon 
 the Perfon they are to Treat of * and fhould the 
 Reader judge of him in this Cafe no otherwife 
 than according to the Refemblance the Writer 
 hath made, fhould he judge of him in his Heart 
 only, according to what he beholds with his Eyes, 
 he can never judge him a meet Objeft for his Faith 
 to reft upon : For, faith the Lord, Curjed is the 
 Man that'trujleih in Man, Jer. 17. 5. For, as had 
 he been only Man, he could never have finifhed 
 the Work of Redemption ^ fo if he is reprefented 
 to us by Pictures only, as a Creature, (and indeed 
 he can be no otherwife.) we can never judge of him 
 under that Reprefenration to be a meet Ob- 
 jett of our Faith : For until we come to conceive 
 of him as the Mighty God ', we can never faving- 
 ly rely on him as the Prince of Peace , Ifa. 7. 6. 
 
 But I return from this little Digreffion, and taking 
 
 it '1 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvaitd. 75 
 
 it for granted that all that profels themfelves Chri- 
 ftians, will own more generally that there is aTran- 
 fcendent Excellency in Jefus Chrift : Inftead of 
 Confirming this, I fhall come more particular’ 
 ly to Enquire what thole Things are which are 
 fo highly Effeemed among Men, or what is tru- 
 ly Excellent in the Creatures ; and (how yot*as 1 
 go along how there is that in Chrift that doth 
 far Excel all : For in all Things Chrift muft have 
 the Preheminence ; and when I have done this, I 
 hope Chrift will appear lovely in your Sight ; 
 and that you will no more have fuch low Thoughts 
 of him as the World have : Fortho’ they will in 
 Word own Chrift to be moft Excellent, yet for 
 want of knowing wherein his Excellency doth 
 conlift,they put the greateft Slight upon him, and 
 fo Contradift in their Lives, what they Profels 
 with their Mouths. 
 
 i . Honour is that which is highly Efteemed a- 
 mong Men, and looked upon as a thing very de- 
 finable ^ how greedily do Men purfue after it? And 
 not only the Men of the World, who know no 
 better Things, but even fome of thofe whom we 
 would hope are the Children of God, are Climb- 
 ing too high that Way who cannot be contented 
 unlefs they fit in the uppermoft Seats in the Coun- 
 fel, or in the higheft Seats in the Synagogues, 
 hearing Men crying, Rabbi , Rabbi. How is each 
 one Ambitious to have it faid to them in the Pre- 
 fence of them that ftand by, Friend, come up 
 higher ? Yea, how dearly will fomepurchafe Ho- 
 nour ? How will they fpend their Money, yea, 
 even hazard their Lives, and think themfelves 
 well Rewarded too *, tho' they lofe a Limb, if 
 thereby they may but Advance themfelves to 
 
 F fome 
 
7$, Christ the most Excellent : 
 
 fome higher Poll: of Honour? How deftrable a 
 thing is it to the World to hear Men Trum- 
 peting forth the Encomiums of their Piaife? And 
 yet, after all, alas, what is it to have the Honour 
 that this World can confer? Tis laid, Man be- \ 
 ing in Honour and abiding not , he is like the Beajts 
 that Per ifh, Pfal. 49. 12. We read, Alls 25. 23. 
 how *Agrigp a and Bernice came with great Pomp, 
 
 ’tis in the Greek , with a great Fanfie -, and in- 
 deed, the Honour of this World is no mote than 
 a Fanfie, or a Dream. Indeed, to be truly Ho- 
 nourable, to be Honourable in God’s fight, to have 
 fuch Honour as will abide, that is defirable ^ and 
 as Honour is highly efteemed •, fo Chrift is Honou- 
 rable, he is Truly Honourable, he is Tranfcendent- 
 ly Honourable ^ he not only excels the World in 
 Honour, as to the Truth of the Thing, theirs be- 
 ing but a Shadow, his a real Thing, but his 
 Honour infinitely exceeds theirs in Degree : Sup- 
 pofing the Honour of the World to be as Defi- 
 rable and Great as the Men of the World judge 
 it to be. I cannot deny indeed but his Honour 
 was once exceedingly Vailed with our Flefh , when 
 he emptied himjelj , and became of no Reputation, 
 Phil. 2. 7. during which time the blind World 
 defpifed him, and efteemed him not : Yet even 
 then he was Honourable, John 8. 54. It is my Fa- 
 ther which Honouretb me. Men Defpifed him, but 
 God Honoured him ^ and that is the true Honour 
 which is from God. Men oft miftake, and judge 
 luch Bafe and Contemptible, as are truly Honou- 
 rable, and fuch to be Honourable which are Con- 
 temptible } but the Judgment of God is always 
 according to Truth. It was in this Cafe with 
 .the World, as ufually in another Cafe, let a Man 
 that is Honourable but appear in a me3n Garb, 
 
 and 
 
 - '*'h J 1 
 
Or, The Glory of Cbri ft unvail’d. 77 
 
 and he will be by fome but little refpe&ed, be- 
 caufe the World judge according to outward 
 Appearance •, fo becaule Chrift, for a while, laid 
 afide his Royal Robes, and Cloathed himfelf with 
 our Flefh therefore the World defpifed him. 
 Well, tho 5 he appeared fo mean in this refpeH, 
 yet now he is Afgended on High, he is Cloathed 
 with Glory, and Honour, and Majefly : He is 
 now no more fubjeft to the Scorn and Contempt 
 of this World, as once he was : They can no 
 more Blindfold him, Buffet him, nor Spit upon 
 him (a). No more put a Reed in his Hand, nor 
 a Crown ,of Thorns upon his Head (b) \ they (hall 
 no more wag the Head at him (V), while he is 
 dying upon the Crofs : He'll no more be dreffed 
 in their Fools (d) Coat, to make them Sport * 
 no more carry a heavy Crofs upon his mangled 
 Shoulders (V), faith the Apofile Heb. 2. p. But 
 we fee jejus , voho wets made a little lower than 
 the Angels , for the Suffering of Death , Crowned 
 with Glory and Honour. He that was fo far above 
 Angels, was made a little while lower than they, 
 but now Crowned with Honour ; he was not fo 
 much below them in his greateft Sufferings, but 
 he is as far above them now 5 he was notfeem- 
 ingly fo Contemptible then, but he is as Honourable 
 now. He is now fet down on the Right Hand of 
 God, and hath Authorities and Powers made fub- 
 j ell to him , 1 Pet. 3. 22. The higheft Rank of 
 them are placed on a Seat far below him * thofe 
 Angels which once Comforted him in his Suffer- 
 ings', are now Vailing of their Faces, while they 
 behold the Brightnefs of his Glory (f). You have 
 
 F 2 a full 
 
78 Chrifi the tnoft Excellent : 
 
 a lull Text fetting forth the Glory and Honour 
 of Chrift, Fbil. 2.9, 10. Wherefore God bath high- 
 ly Exalt ed him , and given him a Name., which is 
 above every Name , that at the Name of Jefus e- 
 very Knee fhoutd bow , of Things in Heaven , and 
 Things on Earth , Things under the Earth, 
 
 You know bowing the Knee is a Token of Reve- 
 rence and Subjection, and mind, thisName is above 
 every Name; at his very Name every Knee muft 
 bow, of Things in Heaven, that is, Angels, of 
 Things on Earth, that is, Men, of Things under 
 the Earth, that is, Devils and Damned Souls. 
 This is not to be underftood of a Corporal Bow- 
 ing, as lbme Superftitious Zealots pretend, who 
 had rather bow the Head to him, than the Heart, 
 (Angels and Devils having no fuch Knees to bow) : 
 But it Denotes his Supremacy, and the Awful 
 Thoughts they all have of him, whom they bow 
 to. Thus you fee how highly Chrift is Exalted ; 
 he that Lay in the Manger, now Rules in the 
 Heavens. But I cannot pafs this Head lightly, 
 nor in fpeaking thus generally ; I (hall therefore 
 more particularly conlider what thofe things are 
 which render Men Honourable in the World’s E- 
 fteem, and (how you how they all meet as lb 
 many Badges of Elonour in the Perfon of our 
 Lord Jefus Chrift •, and in fuch a Manner as in 
 no other befide himfelf : And I (ha’ll the rather do 
 this became of the Falfe Conceptions the World 
 have of Chrift in this refpeCh For as the Jews 
 would not receive Chrift, becaufehe did not ap- 
 pear in Worldly Pomp and Grandeur ; fo the 
 great reafon fo many make light of him now, is, 
 becaufe they do not think him to be fo Honourable 
 as indeed he is: And I cannot but hope, if I can 
 but remove this Miftake, Chrift will have more 
 
 to 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvaiYd \ 79 
 
 to follow him than he hath had : The World are 
 ready to give their Attendance on Great and Ho- 
 nourable Perfons * Kings are wont to he attend- 
 ed with the Nobility and Gentry, wherefoever 
 they go ; who will leave their own Habitations 
 to attend them, becaufe Honourable ?Yea, the great- 
 eft Lord will think it no Difgrace to be a Servant 
 to fuch, and chiefly becaufe of their Honour ^ and 
 who knows but while I am particularly (hewing 
 how Chrift exceeds all in Honour, there may be 
 fome Mofes , who may prefer the Service, yea, 
 the Sufferings of Chrift, before a Court Life, and 
 may Efteem the very Reproaches of Chriji great- 
 er Riches than the Treaf tires of Egypt ? . Heb. i 1. 
 24, 25, 2 6. Who knows, but while I arnlhew- 
 ing the Honour of our Dear and Dy ing Redeemer, 
 the Offence of the Crofs may ceafe, and that it 
 may be with fome as it was with thofe that put 
 Chrift to open Shame-, who when they faw fuch 
 Infallible Signs of his being the Son of God, Smote 
 upon their Breafis (g) ? Had they known him 
 to be the Lord of Glory, they would not have 
 Crucified him (h) •, and if 1 may but convince 
 you he is certainly the Lord of Glory, you will 
 not Crucifie him afreflv, nor put him to open 
 Shame, Heb. 6 . 6 . but if you do, you rauft own 
 you are much worfe than his Bloody Crucifiers. 
 
 Firft Badge of Honour, fo efteemed among 
 Men, is to be right Nobly Defcended, and to 
 ftand related to fome Great Family $ and the great- 
 er the Family (is Good) the greater the Honour 
 to be Related to it : Tis counted no fmall Honour 
 to be related to a Knight, but more to be Re- 
 ' ' F 3 lated 
 
 (&) Luke 23. 47, 48. (h) 1 Cor. 2. 8. 
 
Bo Chri§l the mott Excellent : 
 
 lated to fome Lord, but rnoft of all to be Related 
 to a King ^ and the nearer Related to fuch, the 
 greater is the Honour. . Now if this is to be 
 Honourable, then Chrift is Honourable, yea, he is 
 moft Honourable-, and that both upon the ac- 
 count of the Greatnefs and Goodnefs of the Fami- 
 ly he Rands Related to, and alfo the nearnefs of 
 the Relation he ftands in to it. The Family he 
 is Related to, is Great and Good, Ms the only Fa- 
 mily of Heaven and Earth •, he Hands Related to 
 the Mighty and Omnipotent Jehovah , who is 
 PoflefTor of Heaven and Earth (J) : A very Anci- 
 ent and Renowned Family, a Family which ne- 
 ver in the Succeffion of Ages had any Blemifh 
 upon it, nor did ever any fpeak a Word againft 
 it, but fuch whofe Tongues were no Slander. He 
 ftands related to that God that is Juftice it felf, 
 Holinefs it felf, Wifdom it felf, who was al- 
 ways a Liberal Benefaflor, who hath maintained 
 Thoufands of Thoufands daily at his Door -, not 
 one Perfon from the riling of the Sun to the Pet- 
 ting of the fame but what hath partook more or 
 lels of his Kindnefs : His Servants fo many that 
 no Man can Number them, Rev. 7. 9. Their Li- 
 Very is very Rich, even of Cloath of Wrought 
 Gold • they fare Sumptuoufly every Day * the 
 Meanell of the Servants of this Family are Kings 
 and Priefts (f) ^ no Family in the wholeWorld to be 
 compar’d unto this, and therefore none fo Honoura- 
 ble as he is, on this Account-, and more efpecially if 
 we confider the nearnefs of the Relation he ftands 
 in to this Family : For the nearer Related w 7 e are 
 to any Honourable Family, the more Honourable 
 we are : ’Tis more Honourable for the Queen to 
 
 lye 
 
 (/) Gen. 14. i < j . (kj Rev. 1. 6; 
 
Or 5 The Glory cf Chrift unvail'd. 8i 
 
 lye in the Kjog’s Bofom, than to be a Servant 
 in his Family } why, my Brethren, Chrift lyes in 
 God’s Bolom, Jbn 1. 18. Did Chrift ftand but 
 barely Related to this Mighty God as a Servant, 
 it would be no Imall Honour to him upon this 
 Account. David was a Good Man and a King, 
 yet lee what he faith, Tfal. 84. 10. T bad rather 
 be a Doorkeeper in the Houfe of my God , than to 
 dwell in the Tents of Wickednefs. One would 
 'have thought to keep a Door had been too 
 Mean an Employment for King David-, and in- 
 deed, in any other Cafe it would, but not in this. 
 
 It was his Honour to be employed in any Place 
 for God, tho’^t was to keep a Door. Hence you 
 that are Saints know your Priviledge •, fo long 
 as you are Servants to the Mighty God, you are 
 highly Honoured. The World, in all Probability, 
 not knowing the Family you belong to, nor the 
 God whom you ierve, may judge you Contemp- 
 tible $ and miy be fo far from giving you the Ho- 
 nour due on this Account, that they may look 
 upon you as theFilth and Off-fcouring of all things 
 but yet God looks upon you as Honourable, 1 Sam. 
 
 2. 30. Tbofethat Honour me , I will Honour. Our 
 Lord Jefus Chrift did ftand thus Related to God 
 the Father, and he was a faithful Servant in all 
 he undertook, Heb, 3.2. and on this Account he 
 was Honourable ; but yet Chrift ftands in a near- 
 er Relation to God, Luke 1. 33. That holy thing 
 that fhall be Born of thee , fhall be called the Son 
 of God. Yea, he is called God’s Firft Begotten, 
 and ufually fuch are molt Honoured, Heb. 1. 6 . 
 Again , when he bringeth in the Firft Begotten in- 
 to the World , he faith , and let all the Angels of 
 God worfhiphim , even the higheft Rank * and the 
 ieafon is, becaufe he is God’s Firft Begotten. Nay, 
 
 F 4 yet 
 
02 thrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 yet further, he is called God’s only Begotten Son, 
 John 3. i &. /<? loved the World that he gave 
 
 bis only Begotten Son , life. But becaufe an own Son, 
 and an only Son, may prove Undutiful, and fo 
 ftaln his Honour, faith God, Matt. 3. 17. This is 
 my Beloved Son , in whom 1 am well pleafed ; hence 
 we are faid to be Tranflated into the Kingdom of 
 bis Dear Son , Col. 1. 13. or into the Kingdom of 
 the Son of his Dear Love, as it may be read ; and 
 jf any thing more can be added, you have it in 
 Heb. 1. 3. Who being the Bright nefs of his Glory, 
 and the Exprefs Image of bis Prefence, &c. Once 
 more, Phil. 2. 7. VVbo being in the Form of God , 
 thought it not Robbery to be Equal with God. Now 
 put thefe together, he is not only food’s Servant, 
 his Faithful Servant, but alfo his Son, his Dear 
 Son, his Own Son, his Firft Begotten Son, his On- 
 ly Son, and now judge if he is not Honourable. 
 
 And as he ftands thus nearly Related to God as 
 his only Begotten Son, fo he ftands in a nearer Re- 
 lation to God thaa Saints or Angels, and fo con- 
 fequently is more Honourable than either. The 
 Saints they are not fo nearly Related ^ they do 
 indeed belong to this Royal Family, Eph. 2. 19. 
 faith the Apoftle, Te are of the Houfhold of God , 
 yea, they are called Sons, 1 John 3. 1, but not as 
 Chrift is $ our Relation to God is by Chrift, who 
 is the Firft born among many Brethren, Rom. 8. 29. 
 He is God’s Natural Son by Eternal Generation, we 
 only adopted by Grace and Regeneration. Be- 
 tween which there is a wide Difference, efpecial- 
 ly in Point of Honour. Similitude, fuppofe fome 
 Nobleman takes a Beggar in Rags, nay, fup- 
 pofe him to have been a Thief, and every ways 
 as bad as can be, and he adopts this Man, and 
 fakes him as his Son, and makes him Heir of 
 
 all 
 
Or, The Glory of C hr ijl unvot'd' d. 83 
 
 all he hath : Now tho 5 by Vertue hereof he may 
 come to poflefs the Inheritance, as if he had been 
 the natural Son, (the Donor having Power to do 
 what he will with his ownj yet no Wife Man 
 will think him worthy of as much Honour, as if 
 he had been a Natural and Dutiful Son * and yet 
 much thus the Cafe Hands •, when God comes to 
 adopt us, and take us into his Family, he finds us 
 Poor and Mifeiable, Undeferving, IU-deferving 
 Creatures, defiled with Sin, Rebels againft him- 
 felf, belonging to the Family of Hell, and very 
 near akin to the Devil. Now tho’ by Vertue of 
 this his Grace towards us, we become Joint-Heirs 
 with him that is the natural Son, Rom. 8. 17. yet 
 none canluppofe us to be equally Honourable with 
 hirn^ Chrift muft in all things have the Prehemi- 
 nence, Col. 1. 18. 
 
 And as none of the Saints do Hand thus nearly 
 Related to God, fo neither do the good Angels 
 themfelves ; they are alfo called Sons ( 7 ), but not 
 as Chrift is : They are Sons only by Creation, but 
 he is the natural Son, he flood Related to this 
 Family long before any of them had a Being ; and 
 tho’ they are of the fame Family, and are with 
 him beholding and admiring his Glory, yet they 
 are far beneath him, as you may fee, Eph. 1. 20, 
 21. And Jet him at his oven Right Hand in hea- 
 venly Places Jar above all Principalities , and Pow- 
 er, and Might , and dominion, and every Name 
 that is named. \ not only in this World , but alfo in 
 that which is to come and bath put all things un- 
 der his Feet , 8£c. In which full Text no doubt 
 but Angels are Comprehended ; and he is faidnot 
 only tp be above them, but far above them 5 fee 
 
 orie 
 
 (0 Job 38. 7* 
 
84 Chrrft the mofl Excellent : 
 
 one Text more, Heb. 1. 5. For unto which of the 
 Angels f aid he at any time , thou art my Son ? &c. 
 Thofe Glorious Cherubims muft vail their Faces 
 while they are near him. Thus I have fhewn you 
 how Chrift Hands nearer related to God than 
 Saints or Angels, and fo is more honourable than 
 either. Chrift doth as much excel others on this 
 Account in Honour, as Sharon' s Rofe did excel 0- 
 ther Rofes ^ in a word, whatever Honour is due 
 to Saints or Angels, they derive all from him : 
 The Angels, in that they are made by him, and 
 are with him, and eftablilhed by him * lor con- 
 sidering them in their own mutable Stare, lo they 
 are charged with Folly ( m). The Saints, in that 
 they are fo nearly Related to him •, and was it 
 not for this the Saints would have been as Con- 
 temptible as now they are Honourable, r Pet. 2. 
 7. To you therefore which believe , he is an Honour . 
 So ’tis in the Original. 
 
 Second Badge of Honour, fo efteemed among 
 Men, is to have lome Title or Titles conferred 
 upon them : When a King hath a Son Born, he 
 hath immediately fome Title given him •, and O 
 what Honour ’tis counted to be called Prince, or 
 Duke, or Earl, or Lord of Rich a Place ; and the 
 higher the Titles are, the more Honourable on 
 this Account. How ready are the Common Sort 
 of People almoft to Adore fuch, as they did 
 Proud Herod, when they Ihouted and laid. It was 
 the Voice of a God, and not of a Man ■, but for their 
 bold Frel'umption to Equal him with God, the 
 Angel of the Lord fmote him ; and when they 
 faw him die fuch a Miferable and llnufual Death, 
 
 (w) yob 4. j8. 
 
Or, The Glory of Cbrift utwaiPd. 85 
 
 they knew h ; m to be but a Man, Ails 12. You 
 read how Good Men have even Trembled to 
 have luch Tides given them, as we ought to 
 , give to Cbrift: When the Man of Lyjira had 
 laid of Paul and Barnabz/s , that the Gods were 
 come down in the likenefs of Men, they Kent their 
 Cl oaths, crying out. Sirs, Why do you the/e things ? 
 We are alfo Men of like Paffions with you , A£ts 
 14. r r, 12, 13, 14, 1 5. Nor need this feem ftrange, 
 for if we confult the Scripture, we fhall find fuch 
 Titles given to Chrift, as neither the higheft Rank 
 of Men nor Angels can, without the higheft Prefum- 
 ption, pretend unto •, and therefore he muft needs 
 be the moft Honourable in this refpeft, Phil. 2. 9. 
 Wherefore God hath highly Exalted him , and 
 given him a Name above every Name. None of 
 the Sons of Men have fuch Titles, and fo many 
 Titles, as Chrift hath^ fee a full Text to this. Rev. 
 19. 1 6. And he hath on his Vejiure, and on his 
 Thigh, a Name written. King of Kings , and Lord 
 of Lords : Some are called Lords, others Kings * 
 but whoever among Men could lay juft Claim to 
 fuch a Title as King ot Kings ? The Pope indeed is 
 by fome ftyld Rex Re gum but he’s but a Ufurper: 
 But Chrift can lay a juft Claim to a Title above 
 Kings, for he is the Prince oj the Kings of the 
 Earth, Rev. 1. 5. Hence John, fpeaking of the 
 Heavenly Jerufalem , Rev. 21. 24. he there tells 
 us that the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glo- 
 ry and Honour into it : The meaning, I humbly 
 conceive, is, that when Kings get to Heaven, they 
 fhall fee all their Glory and Honour even fwallow- 
 ed up in the Glory and Honour of Chrift •, you have 
 a Parallel Text, Ifa. 52. 15. Kings fhall fhut their 
 Mouths at him, jor that which had not been told 
 them they fhall fee 9 and that which they had not 
 * heard 
 
86 Chrifi the tnojl Excellent : 
 
 heard they jhall confider : They fhall (hut their 
 Mouths at him, i. e. {hall be filent, as afhamed 
 to mention thejr own Glory and Honour in his Pre- 
 fence ; and ’tis added, when that which had not 
 been told them they fhall fee * Lfc. implying, 
 that tho’ ib long as they were ignorant of Chrift, 
 and his Honour, they might boaft of their own ; 
 yet when once they come to fee, and confider his 
 Honour, his Glory, and his Titles, they (hould 
 be filent, and boaft no more : Look as it was in 
 Jofepb's Dream, where you read, how all the 
 Sheaves flood up, and did Obeifance to his Sheaf 
 (n) \ fo, when all the Saints fhall meet together 
 in Heaven, they muft all throw down their 
 Crowns before him, forafmuch as he hath a high- 
 er Title than they ever had. Alas, Sirs, it will 
 be but a little while before all thefe Earthly Ti- 
 tles (how great foever ) will vanifh as Smoak ; 
 but it will be the Work of Saints to all Eternity to 
 Sing, Worthy is the Lamb that watt Slain to receive 
 Power , and Riches , andWifdom, and Strength , and ■ 
 Honour , and Glory ^ and Blejfing, Rev. 512. Thus 
 you fee how Chrift excels the Sons of Men in Ho- 
 nourable Titles. I muft add, he alfo excelstheAn- 
 gels in this refpe£t, Heb. v. 4. Being made fo much bet- 
 ter than the Angels , as he hath by Inheritance obtain- 
 ed a more Excellent Name than they: Mind, by Inhe- 
 ritance j you know among Men fbme have their ft 
 Titles by Birthright, others have Titles Conferr’d 
 upon them} but the former are raoft Honourable : 
 
 So Chrift having a more Excellent Name than 
 they, and having it by Inheritance too, he muft 
 needs be more Honourable than they. Chrift 
 is ftiled the Mighty God in IJ a. 5?. 6 . which is a 
 little too high for the higheft of them to pre- 
 tend 
 
 (») Gen. 37 . 7 . 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrifl unvail'd. 87 
 
 tend to. The Angels dare not pretend to that 
 Honour that is due to him on this Account. 
 When John would" have worshipped the Angel, 
 either through a Miftake, fuppoling him to have 
 been the Angel of the Covenant, or elle through 
 Humane Infirmity, but faith the Angel, See thou 
 do it not , 1 am thy Fellowfervant , Worjhip God 
 (oj. As if he had faid, Worlhip is due only to 
 him that is God, but I dare not prefume to lay 
 claim to fuch a Title, therefore fee thou do it 
 not : But I proceed to the next thing. 
 
 Third Badge of Honour fo efteemed among 
 Men, is to be Rich, to have great Pofifeffions, 
 or to be Heir to fome great Inheritance * and the 
 greater the Pofleflion, the greater the Honour of 
 the Poflefior •, a Man that is Rich Shall be often 
 Honoured and RefpeQed, tho 5 of a Mean, yea, 
 Bafe Defcent, when another that belongs to a 
 good Family (hall be defpifed for want thereof 
 O the Bowing and Cringing to fuch, either for 
 Fear or Lov^ So that we find to be true by Ex- 
 perience, Prov. 14. 20. The Poor is hated of his 
 own Neighbour , but the Rich have many Friends : 
 They which want Friends leaf!, ufually have moft. 
 Now if Riches and large Pofleffions will render 
 the Owners thereof Honourable, then Chrift is 
 Tranfcendently Honourable ; for herein he exceeds 
 the richeft Monarch on Earth. Indeed when he 
 was here on Earth he emptied himfelf, and be- 
 came Poor , that we through his Poverty might 
 be trade Rich , 2 Cor. 8. 9. and how did he com- 
 plain ? Matth. 8. 20. The Foxes have Holes , and 
 the Birds of the Air have Nefts , but the Son of 
 Man hath not where to lay his Head. O Poor and 
 
 Low 
 
 (o)^Rcv. 22 . 8 , 9 . 
 
88 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 Low Condition - How meanly did he fare ?We read 
 of fomethat Miniftred to him of their Subltance. 
 Well, tho’ it was thus with him then, ’tis other- 
 wife with him now^ though this Glorious King 
 once put himfelf into as mean a Condition, almoft 
 as themeaneft of his Subje&s, yet now he hath 
 all come into his Hand again, Heb. i. 2. Whom 
 he hath appointed Heirs of all things : ’Tis he 
 that is PoflefiTorof Heaven and Earth. His Poflef- 
 fions on' Earth are very great*, The Earth is the 
 Lord's, and the Eulnefs thereof Pfal. 24. 1. As 
 there is nothing but what was at firft made by 
 him, fo the Right of all ftill belongs to him: He 
 is the great Landlord of this Lower World * and 
 herein he exceeds the richeft Man on Earth. One 
 Man may lay this is mine, another this is mine, 
 thus far go my Bounds, and then begin the Bounds 
 of fuch a Man but who can lay claim to all ? 
 But Chrift hath a Pofieftron of a vaft extent, and 
 and beyond his there is nothing but Terra Incog- 
 nita , an unknown Land. If thou art one in 
 Chrift, thou canft never go off thy Father’s Land, 
 for Chrift is Abfolute Lord of all *, when Men 
 have bought Lands, and have fealed the Wri- 
 tings, and paid the Money, yet the Right of that 
 Inheritance belongs to Chrift; we are all of us but 
 Tenants at Will to this great Lord, and he may 
 turn us out when hepleales, and that without the 
 leaft Warning, and do us no wrong. He it is 
 that meeteth out the Bounds of our Habitation 
 (/>), and jpves, or rather lends, to one fo much, 
 and to another fo much, and to another, more 
 dear it mav be to him than either, not fo much as 
 sofet his Foot on, Deut. 2. 5. Thus you may fee 
 
Or, 1 he \JLory of Chrift unvail'd. 89 
 
 how Chrift exceeds all in Honour in this refpeft ^ 
 and more efpeciady if to what hath been fpoken 
 we do alfo confider what he poffeffe now in Hea- 
 ven, he will appear Honourable indeed •, fhe Hea- 
 venly Inheritance is the belt Inheritance j and he- 
 that hath never fo much here below, if he hath 
 not Treafure in Heaven, will be found in the End 
 to be Poor and Milerable^ he only is truly Rich 
 whohathhis Treafure laid up where no JVlotb cor- 
 rupt eth, nor Thief breaketh through to flea! • All 
 the Riches of this World are but Poverty and 
 the Honour thereof but Ignominy, if’ com- 
 pared to the Riches and Honour above. The 
 pooreft Saint above pofleftes more than the richeft 
 Sinner on Earth * What then muft Chrift poftefs 
 who is Lord of the Upper as well as of the Low- 
 er World ? We read of a. Glorious City defcribed 
 in the 21 ft Chapter of the Revelations , and 
 Chrift is Pofleflor of that! We read of a Kingdom, 
 and Crown of an exceeding weight of Glory, 
 and Chrift is Lord of all thole : But I can ifpeak 
 but little of thefe things. I grant the Saints aboye 
 are Partakers of a Glorious Inheritance, they 
 have received a Kingdom that cannot be moved,and 
 a Crown that fadeth not away but they do 
 not poftefs thefe as Chrift doth ; for all that 
 they poftefs is by free Donation, but Chrift is the 
 Natural Heir: They had never poftefled any 
 thing if it had not been Purchafed by him ; he 
 had poftefled all things if they had never been. 
 He is found worthy to receive Riches (r). It will 
 be the Work of the Saints forever, in the midit 
 of their greateft Enjoyments, to Praile. him for 
 what they do enjoy: S5 that if Riches and large 
 
 Pofteffions 
 
 (?) » p <*- 5- 4 * 
 
 0) Rev. 5 . 1 2. 
 
90 Chrijl themojl Excellent: 
 
 Poffeftions will render any Honourable, the* 
 Chrift much excels all on this account, as far as 
 Sharon's Role did excel other Rofes : As he ismoft 
 Nobly Defcended, he being from above, we 
 from beneath ^ fohe enjoys a far more Noble Pof- 
 feiiion than any Man in the World and indeed 
 than this World can produce. 
 
 A Fourth Badge of Honour fo efteemed among 
 Men, is to have a Governing Power committed 
 to them •, and this is diftinH from the former. A 
 Man may be Rich and no Governour, but when 
 both thofe meet together, they make a Man high- 
 ly Efteemed, and greatly Honoured, by the World. 
 We fee daily how Ambitious Rich Men are of 
 Governing, .as that which is an Addition to their 
 Honour i and indeed we are bound to honour 
 fuch as Rule and are in Authority and efpecially 
 fuch as Rule well; and if To, then Chritt is Ho- 
 nourable indeed •, for 'tis faid, Ifa. 9. 6. And the 
 Government J, hall be upon his Shoulders , which 
 Words are clearly fpoken of Chrift ; and obferve, 
 ’tis not faid he ihall be a Governor, but the very 
 Government it felf (hall be upon his Shoulders: 
 And he had need have broad Shoulders to bare 
 it. None can compare with Chrift in this refpeft, 
 either as to the Duration and Continuance of his 
 Kingdom, or with refpeft to the Extent of it, it 
 being both Endlefs and Boundlefs : If we compare 
 others with him as to the Duration of rheir Go- 
 vernment, alas, what are they to him > The 
 Greateft and-Beft of Kings muft die, and leave their 
 Crownsand Scepters to others ■, they are fometimes 
 tumbled off their Thrones by Violence, either 
 by Open War, or by Secret Confpiring: But there 
 is no Dethroning of Chrift this Way. You read 
 in the Second Ffalm how the Heathen raged, how 
 
Or, The Glory ofChrift unvaitd. cj i 
 
 Rings and Rulers plotted againft the Lord’s A- 
 ndirited, and yet they did but imagine a vain 
 thing * his Bands were too ftrong for them to 
 break , notwithftanding they were in filch a Rage, 
 faith God the Father, Verle 6 . Jet have I Jet my 
 King upon my holy Hill of Sion *, as if he had 
 faid, There he fits, and there he fhall fit, in fpight 
 of your Combined Power and Policy. But if 
 Kings are not thruft oft their Thrones by wicked 
 and violent Hands, yet they mult die* the Thread 
 of Life will foon wear out if not cut j they mull 
 die as well as their meaneft Siibjed. They who 
 have lived in the inOft Stately ralace, muft one 
 Day leave their Guafds, and lye doton in thedark 
 Chamber of the Grave •, and Death will have 
 Dominion over them that had the largeft Domini- 
 on over others. No (boner fcarce is the Governing 
 Power laid upon fome Shoulders, but it drops off 
 again, and they change their Royal Robes for a 
 Wiriding-fheer •, and oft they that never could be 
 deftroyed by all the Power and Policy of Men, 
 do fuddenly crumble into the Duft upon the leaft 
 touch of the Mighty Hand of God. A (ad In- 
 (lance we have in King William of Blefled Me- 
 mory _• How did Death Conquer him who had 
 been fuch a Conqueror \ And he that once triads 
 the Earth to tremble, now lyes Silent in Darknefs. 
 How doth God often deal with Kings as he did 
 with him you read of? Dan. 5. i, 2, &c. in the 
 midft of his Mirth fends him an unwelcome Mef 
 fenger to tell him his Kingdoiri is divided, and 
 given to others, Verfe 28. Thus this King of 
 Kings tumbles others from their Thrones in a Mo- 
 ment, changes their Countenance, and (endetft 
 them away : But now Chrift, he lives, Death hath 
 no more Dominion over him * Rev, 1. 18. 1 dm 
 
 Q he 
 
 I 
 
92 , Chrift the mott Excellent: 
 
 he that liveth and was dead \ and behold I am 
 alive for evermore , $ men , and have the Keys of 
 Hell and Death ; and as he lives always, fo he 
 govei.:s always^ I (hall give you Tome cleat 
 Texts to prove this comfortable Point, Dan. 7. 
 13, 14. And there was given to him Dominion , 
 and Glory , and a Kingdom, 8tc. and then adds, 
 His Dominion is an Everlajiing Dominion * which 
 J hall not pafs away , and his Kingdom that which 
 Jhall not be dejlroyed. And this is more than 
 ever was faid to any meer Man in this World 
 a Parallel Text you have, Dan. 2.44. And in the 
 Days of thofe Kings Jhall the God of Heaven fet 
 up a Kingdom which Jhall never be dejlroyed , and 
 the Kingdom Jhall not be left to other People, but it 
 Jhall break in pieces and confume all thoJeKingdoms ; 
 and it Jhall (land for ever. Thofe Scriptures as 
 they are full to my Purpofe, fo they are applica- 
 ble to none but unto Chrift : But left fome fhould 
 queftion this, they being in a dark Prophefie,! fhall 
 confirm this from the New Teflament, Luke 1. 
 31, 32, 33. And behold thou Jhalt Conceive in 
 thy Womb , and bring Jorth a Son , and Jhall call 
 his Name Jefus, and, 33, he jhall Reign over 
 the Houfe of Jacob for ever , and of his King- 
 dom there Jhall be no end. Once more, Heb. 1. 8. 
 But unto the Son he faith , Thy Throne , 0 God, 
 is for ever , and ever , &:c. Or if we confider 
 the extent of his Government, in this alfo he ex- 
 cels all others. Among Men one hath a Govern- 
 ing Power extends fo far, another fo far ; one 
 over a Nation, another over a Town only ; but 
 } tis not To as to Chrift, Dan. 9. 27. All Dominions 
 Jhall ferve and obey him. So Zecb. 9. 10. And his 
 Dominion Jhall be from Sea even to Sea , and from 
 the River even unto the Ends of the Earth. Once 
 
 more, 
 
Or, The Glory of Cbritt unvail’d. 93 
 
 more, Matth. 28. 18. All Power is given to me 
 in Heaven and in Earth. Chrift then you fee is 
 the Sole Monarch of the World, he is a Univer- 
 sal Governour both in Church and State, and lo 
 exceeds all in this refpeft. (1.) Over his Church-, 
 and here he hath a larger Dominion than any 
 Creature on Earth, the Pope himfelf not excepted : 
 Tis fa id, Epb. 1. 22. And hath put all things 
 under his Feet, and gave him to be the Head over 
 all things to the Church. He is the only Lawgiver. 
 Here Men have nothing to do to add to hisLaws, 
 nor hath he given a Difpenfing Power to any : 
 They are in danger of being curled that dare pre- 
 fume to add to. or take from, the Rule he hath 
 given to direft us. Chrift hath indeed ap- 
 pointed Officers to Rule and Govern in his 
 Church, but we are but Deputies under him,; we 
 are but Under-rowers, he is the Chief Gover- 
 nour : We are to feed his Flock, but he is the 
 Chief Shepherd, i Pet. 5. 4. We are but Stewards 
 of the Myfteries of the Kingdom, he is the Ma- 
 tter of the Family-, we are at beft but Ambaffadors 
 (s), and he our King to Command us, and to Re- 
 move us at his Plea fure : Thefe Stars are in his 
 Right Hand, and he will e’er long call us to Ac- 
 count (/) how we have demeaned our felves in 
 the Church of God, what Care we have taken 
 to feed his Lambs and Sheep in thofe Particular 
 Churches, over which the Holy Ghoft hath made 
 us Overfeers. As Chrift is the Purchaler of his 
 Church, fo he will be the Governour in the midft of 
 us ; and ’tis butReafon theSpoufe Ihould be in Sub- 
 jeftion to her Bridegroom. W e have Chrift fet forth 
 as walking in the midft of the Seven Golden Candle- 
 fticks (v) ; the Candlefticks were thofe $even 
 G 2 Churches *, 
 
 0 ) 2 Cor. $ 20. (f) Heb, 13. 17. (v) Rev, 2. 1. 
 
9 4 Chriji the mofl Excellent : 
 
 Churches-, his walking in the midft of them de- 
 notes his exatt Obfervation how things are mana-' 
 ged there : And ’tis well for us that he is thus 
 concerned in his Church } for was the Manage- 
 ment of thofe Matters left only unto Men, the 
 Bufh that is on Fire would be in danger of being 
 con fumed * did he not guide the Helm while we 
 are tugging at the Oars, we ihould be in continual 
 danger oi fplitcing upon the Rock on the one 
 Hand, or linking in the Gulf on the other Hand: 
 Tis comfortable having a Skilful Pilot in a Tem- 
 peftuous Sea. (2.) He is a Univerfal Governour 
 in Civil Affairs, Prov. 8. 15, 16. By me Kings 
 Reign , and Prince Decree JuJfice: And if they 
 make any unrighteous Decrees, if they do not 
 Rule for him, if they do not Execute their Power 
 for the Terror of Evil Doers, and for the Encou- 
 ragement of fuch as do well, he will bind fuch 
 Kings with Chains, and Nobles with Fetters : He 
 will make them feel the weight of his Iron 
 Rod, Pf. 2. p, 10. and will make them Cry 
 
 10 Rocks to fall on us y and to Mountains to cover 
 ns , as being unable to ftand when once the great 
 Day of his Wrath is come, Rev , 6. 15, 16. Thus 
 you fee how he excels all in Governing, and con- 
 sequently in Honour. And to all I have fpoken 
 I muft add one thing more under this Particular *, 
 as that which tends more to his Honour than any 
 thing I have yet fpoken, and ’tis this, Chrift hath 
 always Ruled well in th|e forementioned Refpe&s ; 
 as his Throne endureth for ever, fo his Sceptre is 
 a Righteous Sceptre , Heb. 1. 8. It is fpoken Pro- 
 phetically of Chrift, If a. 32. 1. Behold , a King 
 frail Reign in Right eoufnefs. Had his Kingdom 
 -been Endlefs, and the Extent of his Government 
 boundlels, yet if he had not Ruled in Righteouf 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrifi unvarfd. 9 5 
 
 nefs, he would have been worthy of the left Ho- 
 nour ; as thd Apoftle faith, fpeaking of Church 
 Officers, 1 Tim. 5. 17. Let the Elders which Rule 
 xpell be counted worthy of double Honour : Why, 
 Child he hath Ruled well, and fo as never Man 
 Ruled • he never took one wrong Step in all his 
 Proceedings. ’Tis true, indeed, this great Gover- 
 nourot his Church hath fometime led his Flock 
 $hro’ a Wildernels, he hath differed rhe Bufli to 
 be op Fire, hath differed his Church for a while 
 tp be as the Ground for the Enemies to go over, 
 and hath differed them to Plough deep and long 
 Furrows upon the Backs of the Righteous ^ he 
 hath thus given the Dearly Beloved of his Soul 
 into the Hands of them that hated them^ he hath 
 differed his Dear People to Wander in Defarts 
 and Mountains , being Dejlitute , AJjlifled , Tor- 
 mented, and yet hath done them Good by all •, 
 while the more they have been Afflifled, the 
 more they have Grown and Encrealed, Ex. 1. 
 12. So as to Commonwealths alfo, he hath dif- 
 fered Wars, he hath fent the Famine and Pefti- 
 lence, which have fwept away Thoufands, and 
 Ten Thoufands, yet never herein fwerved from 
 the Rule of Judice, but always Punilhed them 
 left than their Iniquif es deferved : Nor was he 
 any more to be blamed herein than a Prince for 
 Punilhing his Rebellious Subje£ts, dnce he ne- 
 ver brought any Judgments upon a Nation or 
 People, but for Sin, The Old World were not de-f 
 ftroyed till all Flefh had corrupted themfelves, nor 
 Sodom , till the Cry of their Sins had reached un- 
 to Heaven. Thus you fee Chrift is a Univerfal 
 and a Good Qovernour, and doth as far Excel all 
 in Honour on this Account, as Sharon’s Rofe did 
 Excel other Rofes j or, as the Lilly in the Fat Val- 
 
 G 3 le|y 
 
$6 Chrift the mo& Excellent : 
 
 ley doth that which grows upon the Patched and 
 Scorched Mountains or Hills. 
 
 A Fifth Badge of Honour, fo efteemed among 
 Men, is, to have a great Attendance of Servants 
 and others to Accompany them, or to Wait upon 
 them. We lee when Men would look Great, 
 they ufually do appear with a great Retinue, and 
 the more numerous their Servants are, aqd the 
 higher Degree they are ofj the more Honour to 
 them on whom they do attend. And if this is 
 to be Honourable, then Chrift is more Honoura- 
 ble than any of the Sons of Men * indeed, when 
 he appeared in the Flefh it was in a Mean Con- 
 dition, being chiefly attended with a few Poor 
 Fifhermen, and fome others of low Degree ; but 
 few of the Rulets believed in him, or attended 
 on him : But if we confider him as he is now 
 in Glory, or, as he will come at the Great Day to 
 Judgment, fo he is, and will be, more Glorioufly 
 attended than ever any of the Kings or Mighty 
 Men of the Earth ever were ^ he far Excels all 
 others, both as to the Number and as to the Na- 
 ture of his Attendance ■ what a great Number do 
 you read of ? Rev. 5. p. A great Multitude that no 
 Man could Number? Never was Man Attended with 
 fuch a Number •, and yet thefe all Wait on him 
 as Servants at his Command. Add to thefe thofe 
 many Thoulands of fwift-winged Cherubins which 
 are always Miniftring about his Throne, which 
 are all abfolutely at his Difpofal ^ he faith to 
 One, go, and he goeth ; and to Another, come, 
 and he cometh * and they do fo Excel in Strength, 
 that they never fail to accomplilh the Thing 
 whereunto he fends them. Were we but to fee 
 that vaft Number that minifter about him, we 
 
Or, The Glory of Chri&unvail'd. 97 
 
 fhould fay, he is Honourable indeed upon that 
 Account : And as he excels all others in Number, 
 lo alfo in the Nature of his Attendance ; Men 
 may be attended with Men, but Chrift is attend- 
 ed by Angels : And as Man is attended only by 
 Men, fo they are Sinful Men, and ofttimes the 
 worft of that Sort, which rather are a Difgrace 
 than Honour to them on whom they attend * but 
 Chrift hath ho worfe about him than Saints, and 
 thofe of a far more refined Nature than any here 
 below ^ they are all in White Robes, and with- 
 out Fault before his Throne, having no Spot, or 
 Wrinkle, or any fuch Thing ^ or if we look to 
 him as coming to Judge the World, O the Glori- 
 ous Retinue Chrift will then appear with ! He 
 will then have a great Company, and a good 
 Company, when every Eye (hall fee him, and 
 the Trumpet fhall Sound before him ; when all 
 the Saints that have been, are, or fhall be, fhall 
 meet together ; there will be no Filthy Drunk- 
 ards, no Swearers, no Damners among them ; none 
 but the Pure in Heart, who have wafhed their 
 Robes, and have made them White in the Blood 
 of the Lamb. Sinners in their Filthy Garments 
 muff not prefume to Hand before him * he will 
 then fever between the Righteous and the Wick- 
 ed. The Meaneft of his Attendance will be Kings, 
 all wearing Crowns, not of Gold, but of an ex- 
 ceeding Weight of Glory : Nor muft they wear 
 them on their Heads, but throw them down at 
 his Feet, in Token of their Subje&ion to him, 
 Rev. 4. 10, 1 1. They all know their diftance from 
 him, all fix their Admiring Eyes upon him, they 
 all join together in the loudeft Acclamations to 
 extol him. 
 
 G 4 
 
 A Sixth 
 
98 Chrifl the moft Excellent : 
 
 A Sixth Badge pf Honour, efteemed fo among 
 Men, is to attempt and effe& lome Nohle Enter- 
 prize j indeed barely to attempt fome Great 
 Work, and not be able to effeft it, gets one no. 
 Honour ; but when Men do accompliih their De- 
 fign in fome Great and Good Work, it renders 
 them Honourable i Many, by accompliih ing fome 
 Great Undertaking, or by their Ya|our in Fighting 
 with, and Conquering fome Subtil and potent E* 
 nemy, have hereby purchafed to therrjfelves fome 
 great degree of Honour ; and if fo, then Chrift is 
 Honourable, as none befide him are, for he hath 
 done fuch Works, and Conquered fuch Eneipies 
 as never any did, or dare pretend to ; as to 
 his Works, he hath formed the Stately ana Beau- 
 tiful Fabrick of this World, and that without a- 
 ny help from any Creature ; he did bvit Command 
 it, and it immediately appeared in its Beautiful 
 Form, John 1. 3. All Things were made by him , 
 and without him was not any Thing made that 
 Was made ; that him is Chrift, the Effential Word, 
 mentioned in the firft Verfe ; it is he that ftretch* 
 ed out the vaft Expanfion of the Heavens, and 
 that hath appointed the Sun, Moon and Stars in 
 that Order in which they move ; it’s, he that hath 
 fot Bounds to the raging Waves of the Sea, and. 
 faith , Hitherto Jhallye come , and no further , and. 
 they Obey his Sovereign Command ; it’s hp that 
 hath laid the Foundation ©f the Earth, and hang- 
 eth that Ponderous Bulk upon nothing ; and who- 
 ever did as he hath done ? Much hath been done 
 by Men by way of Imitation, but nothing of Crea- 
 tion. All the Cunning Artificers in the World can* 
 not make onefile of Grafs, nor a Hair, Matt. 5.3 6. 
 Ex nihjjo nihil ftyis a Maxim to be obfeived a- 
 l: ; .•/' # > ■ , mong 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvaitd. 99 
 
 mong the Creatures * they may Change Matter 
 into this and the other Form, but muft have fome 
 Rre-exifting Matter to Work upon, or they can 
 do nothing j but Chrift made all things out of no- 
 thing. 
 
 And as his Wprks are Glorious, lb his Vi&o- 
 rfes are moft Renowned •, I fhall only mention 
 one, for which he is worthy of the higheft Ho- 
 nour, and that is, the Glorious Victory he got o- 
 ver that Subtil and Potent Prince of the Power of 
 the Air, I mean the Devil, when he delivered 
 us who were taken Prifoners by him, and were 
 led Captive by him at his Will * Chrift beheld 
 US jn this Miferable, Helplels State and Conditi- 
 on, and in Love to us he refolved to Fight a Duel, 
 even with the Prince of Darknels, and God of 
 this World ^ yea, to engage alone with all the 
 Black Legions of that Infernal Lake, to the 
 End that he might divide the Spoil with the 
 Strong (u) and take the Prey from the Mighty 
 (w% that he might bind the Strong Man, and 
 then fpoil his Goods. But O how (harp was the 
 Conflift between the Seed of the Women, and this 
 Old Serpent! Here was bruifiog and breaking each 
 other. O ! How the Captain of our Salvation 
 Fought to bring us off? No fooner was Chrift 
 come into the World, but this Serpent began to 
 fpit his Poyfon : Satan ftirred up all his Strength 
 • to oppole him, fet all his Inftruments on Work, 
 muftered up all his Forces, employed all the Wit 
 ih his Seven Heads, that if poftible he might have 
 deftroyed the Blefled Jefus in his Infancy * and as 
 he began, fo he continued : He put it into the 
 Heart of Jutfas to Retray him } when all other 
 
 Attempts 
 
 («) ifu 53. 12. if a. 4 9. 34. 
 
ioo Lbnfr the mojt Excellent : 
 
 Attempts proved ineffe&ual. It was he that was 
 the chief Counfellor to the Jewt, to let them 
 know they had a Law by which he ought to die ; 
 not doubting but if he could perfwade them to 
 put him to Death as a MalefaHor, and that by 
 fuch a Witnefs too, it would turn to a better Ac- 
 count in the End, than if Aflaulted by open Vio- 
 lence, not fearing that any would believe in fuch 
 a One. At length he accomplifhes his Hellifh 
 Defign,. fees him fall Nailed to the Crofs, and 
 Numbred with Tranfgreflors * and now the De- 
 vil begins to laugh, and to hug himfelf, and Re- 
 wards Judat for the good Service he had done 
 him: Now, thinks he, the Work is done, now 
 the Day’s my own^ now I (hall enjoy my Goods 
 in Peace, and ftill lead Captive at my Will ^ now 
 I (hall be no more Tormented with his Preaching, 
 nox with the Miracles he hath Wrought ^ now I 
 have Conquered him, and am even with him for 
 all the Milchief he hath done me. But behold how 
 this Deceiver is Deceived ! How this Subtil Ser- 
 pent is Outwitted, while he eagerly catches hold 
 at the Bait of Ch rift’s Fle(h, he is held by the 
 Hook of the Divine Nature he thought to have 
 deftroyed One, as he had done All, and for that 
 One loft Many ; fee how the Captain of our 
 Salvation Beats him with his own Weapons. 
 And when Satan thought that hereby he had fo 
 EftablHhed his Kingdom, that it (hould never 
 have been moved, behold it falls like Lightning 
 from Heaven (x) ; and by Death Chrift defiroys 
 him that had the Power of Deaths Heb. 2. 14. Sa- 
 tan was refolved to have Chrift ’s Blood, Chrift 
 jfufters him fo to do, and by that Blood he pro- 
 cures 
 
 (x) Luke 10. 18. 
 
Or> The Glory of Chrifi unvaifd. ioi 
 
 cures a Ranfom for many, whom he had taken 
 Captive: He fuffers himfelf to be brought into 
 the lowed Condition, gives the Devil all the Ad* 
 vantage that might be, and even then gets a 
 Compleat Vi£tory over him, and breaks his Head 
 while he was nibbling at his Heel, Cell, 2. 15. 
 and having fpoiled Principalities and Powers, he 
 made a (hew of them openly, Triumphing over 
 them in it, that is, on the Crols * he there Rides 
 as in a Chariot of Triumph, (hewing to the World 
 the Glorious Vi£tory he had obtained 5 and not on- 
 ly Satan, but alfo his Inftruments, were Aihimed 
 and Confounded, who had been the Devil’s chief 
 A&ors in that Bloody Tragedy •, Poor Judas was 
 fo Wounded he went and hang’d himlelf : The 
 reft feared greatly^ faying , Truly this Man was 
 the Son of God , Matt. 27. 54. Another Evange- 
 lift faith. They fmote upon their Breads, as if they 
 had (aid. Lord, what is this that we have done ! 
 What will become of us one Day for killing the 
 Lord of Glory, and for putting him to fu^open 
 Shame ? And fo wiftred they had never meddled 
 with him. It was in thisdafe much as it was be- 
 tween Sampfon and the Philifiines •, Sampfon had 
 done them no little harm in his Life •, he had 
 burnt their Corn, and flew many of them : But 
 they refolve to be even with him, and fo per- 
 fwaded his Bofom Friend to betray him, to (hew 
 where his great Strength lay^ and having put out 
 his Eyes, they made him grilse in the Prifon but 
 being not content with that, they refolve to 
 latisfie their Revenge, and to expofe him to more 
 open Shame •, and to that End, when the Lords of 
 the Philiflines were met together, they fend for 
 Poor Blind Sampfon to make them Sport; and brave 
 Sport he made, for in the midft of their Mirth 
 
 ' he 
 
102 Chrift the mojl Excellent : 
 
 he throws down the Houfe upon them, and fp 
 did them more hurt at his Death than he had 
 done in his Life, Judges 1 6. Thus Chrift, he did 
 the Devil’s Incerett no little harm by his Heaven-? 
 ly Do&rine, by his Holy Life, and by the Miracles 
 he wrought ; he had no little vexed Satan in Dip 
 pofleffing him fo often, and by taking fo many 
 Prifoners from him * for which the Devil owed 
 him an Old Grudge, and refolved to bfc Reveng- 
 ed upon him, or he would want of his Will * and 
 as ttey firft put out Sampfon s Eyes, and made him 
 GriasS, fo the Devil firft begins to play a fmall 
 Game ; he is led into a VVildernefs, and there he 
 tempts him to Unbelief * after that would not 
 do, he fets him on a Pinnacle of the Temple, and 
 there tempts him to Worlhip him ; but not con- 
 tent with thefe, he refolves to have his Blood j 
 and as they made ufe of Da/i/ah , fo he of Judas. 
 But behold, when the Day comes that they were 
 to have lome Sport, Chrift takes hold of the very 
 PillO^ which fupported the Devil’s Kingdom, 
 and down it comes * and fo did him more harm at 
 his Death than in his Life. 
 
 A Seventh Badge of Honour, fo efteemed among 
 Men, is to be a great Sufferer in and for a Good 
 Caufe : And I add, for a Good Caufe ^ to fuller as 
 an Evil Doer, tho’ the Sufferings were never lb 
 great, was never though tan Honour, but a Shame $ 
 but to fuffer much, and to fuffer in a Good Caufe, 
 is Honourable indeed. How are the very Names 0/ 
 the Martyrs that fuffered fo much for the Truth 
 Renowned even to this Day ? But now if this will 
 render any Hononrable, then Chrift is Honourable 
 above all ; none ever fuffered like him. The Mar- 
 tyrs did but fip of that bitter Cup vyhich he drank 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 103 
 
 the very Dregs of! O ! How great were the Suf- 
 ferings of his Body, had that been all ? How was 
 he Defpifed , and Re jetted of Men, a Man of Sor- 
 rows, and Acquainted with Grief ? How was he 
 BufFetted, Blindfolded and Spit upon > How ma- 
 ny Stripes did he receive from thofe Mercilefs Sol- 
 diers, and at laft made to carry a heavy Croft up- 
 on his mangled Shoulders, till the Enemies fear- 
 ing it fhould be his Death, and fearing left they 
 fhould mils of their Defign in putting him to a 
 more Shameful Death, they compel Simon to bear 
 his Croft part of the Way 5 and O the Torment 
 he endured when upon the Croft 1 How many 
 Hours was he nailed to the Tree ? Let us take a 
 more exafl view of the Blefled Jefus hanging in 
 this Dying Condition. O! See his Head which 
 was as the moft Fine Gold, now wearing a Crown 
 of Thorns, and the Blood gulhing out * his Looks, 
 which were as Ravens, now wet with the Drops 
 of the Night * his Eyes, which had been as Doves, 
 and which had been lo often lift up to God in Pray- 
 er for thee and me, now fet, and the Eyeftfings 
 breaking * his Cheeks, which were as a Bed of 
 Spices, as fweet Flowers, now growing Pale and 
 Wan ; his Hands, which were as Gold Rings, fet 
 with the Beryl, now bored thro’ and nailed unto 
 the Croft 5 his Legs, which were as Pillars of 
 Marble, let upon Sockets of Fine Gold, now 
 having all the Bones, as it were, out of 
 joint •, his Countenance, which was as Leba- 
 non,. excellent as Cedars, now more marred than 
 any of the Sons of Men • his Mouth, which was 
 moft Sweet, and which had fpoke as never Man 
 fpoke (his Enemies being Judges) is now fpeech* 
 left, and only utters fome dying Sobs and Groans. 
 But O the Glorious Ignominy l O the Beauti- 
 ful 
 
104 Chrift the mofi Excellent' 
 
 ful Deformity, the lovely Palenefs, Leannefs, 
 Wannels, torafmuch as for our fake he endured 
 all I He was deeply Wounded indeed, but it was 
 for our TranfgrefTions $ he was forely Bruifed, but 
 it was for our Iniquities, he was l'everely Chafti- 
 fed, but it was for our Peace, 1/a. 33. 4, 5. But 
 you have not heard of all his Sufferings yet •, had 
 this been all, 5 tis poflible feme of the Martyrs 
 might equal him, who were Burnt at Stakes, Roll- 
 ed on Spits, Boiled in Cauldrons, Broiled on Grid- 
 irons, as fome were.* Let us therefore call an Eye 
 upon his Soul Sufferings, the Martyrs in the 
 Flames were filled with Joy by the fenfible Pre- 
 ienceof God, but Chrift cried out. My Go d, my 
 Go d, why baft thou for/aken me ? May we judge 
 of his Sufferings by the Sins he was to fatishe for, 
 we mull needs luppefe them to be exceeding 
 great, for all the Sins of all the EieCt met at once 
 on him, Ila. 53. 6. And the Lord hath laid on him 
 the Iniquity .of us all-, O heavy Burden ! Tho’ his 
 Corporal Sufferings were exceeding great, yet but 
 light Afflictions, if compared to his Soul Suffer- 
 ings, Matt. 2 6. 37. He began to be Sorrowful ’tis 
 faid he was a Man of Sorrows, as it were made 
 up of Sorrows, and yet now he began to be Sor- 
 rowful * to let us know, that he in all his Sor- 
 rows never met with fuch Sorrows before. Verfe 
 38. My Soul is exceeding Sorrowful , even unto 
 Death. How did this caufe him to fweat Clods 
 of Blood in the Garden ( z ) ? And who knows 
 what was within, when Clods of Blood appear 
 fo without ? How did he lye grovelling in the Dull, 
 Praying with Tears and ftrong Cries, 0 my father! 
 If it be pojftble , let this Cup pa/s from me (a) ( He 
 
 never. 
 
 CO Lu\e 22. 44. (a) Matt. 26. 39. 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvaifd. 105 
 
 never feemed lo concerned about his Corporal 
 Sufferings, he feemed to long for them j and when 
 he was led as a Lamb to the Slaughter, he opened 
 not his Mouth till his Father fetched another 
 Stroke at him, and then he cried with a loud Voice, 
 My God, my God, why baft thou forfaken me ? Matt. 
 
 27. 46. and to be forfaken at that time was lad. 
 And to all that I have fpoken under this Head, 
 
 I muft add, he fuffered all this in a Good Caule. 
 The Damned in Hell they fuffer in Soul with a 
 Vengeance, while the Smoak of their Torment 
 afcends up for ever and ever, and have no reft 
 Night nor Day : But they do not fuffer in a Good 
 Caufe,but as Traytors and Rebels againft the King 
 of Heaven •, and therefore inftead of being Ho- 
 noured on this Account, everlafting Shame and 
 Confufion covers them *, but Chrift fuffered all, 
 that his Father might be Glorified, John 12. 27, 
 28. that God might with Honour to his Juftice 
 and Holinefs lave loft Man ; he did it to Redeem 
 precious Souls, and that fuch as were afar off 
 might be made nigh, Eph. 2. 13. Thus you have 
 heard fomewhat of Chuffs Sufferings, and how 
 Honourable he is even above all the Saints and 
 Martyrs on this Account. 
 
 Eighthly , Old Age is Honourable * even God him- 
 felf hath Commanded us, Lev. 19. 32. to rife up 
 before the Hoary Head , and to Honour the Face of 
 the Old Man -and Solomon tells us, Prov. 1 6. 31. 
 T he Hoary Head is a Crown of Glory , if it be found 
 in the Way of Righteoufnefs ■, and if fo, then Chrift 
 is Honourable. The Age of Methufelah is but as 
 a Moment, if compared to this Ancient of Days 
 it was a long time from Abraham to the time of 
 . Chrift’s coming into the World, even T wo and For- 
 
I o 6 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 ty Generations, Matt. t. 17. and yet Chrift tells 
 the Jews^ Before Abraham was, lam , John 8. 58. 
 Tis partly on this Account that his Head and 
 his Hair is fet forth to be White like Woolly as 
 White as Sttoxo, Rev. 1.14. indeed, as to any Change- 
 ablenefs : So he is fet forth to have his Locks! 
 Black as a Raven, to fignifie how free he is from 
 any Decay ; but as to Age, fo his Hair is White 
 as Snow : In a Word, he is the Firft-born among 
 all his Brethren, he is from Everlafting ; as well 
 without Beginning of Years, as End of Days, Hcb. 
 7; 3. He had a Glory with his Father before the 
 World began j he made all Things, and fo mult 
 be before all Things. If we Compute the Thou- 
 iands of Years which have been from Adam to 
 this Day, they will all appear but as Yefterday, if 
 compared with Chrift. ‘ Now put ail thefe toge- 
 ther, and then judge if Chrift doth not excel all 
 in Point of Honour, as fat as Sharon's Role ex- 
 celled other Rofes j and if Chrift doth fo far ex- 
 cel others in each of the forementioned Particu- 
 lars, how much more when all thofe Badges of 
 Honour do thus meet together in him at once ? 
 And thus I have fp^ken to the firft thing which 
 is efteemed among Men -, and tho’ I have ipoken 
 enough, one would think, in his Praife, to fet e- 
 very Soul a longing after him, and to make every 
 Soul iick of Love for him, yet fince our Ears are 
 fo dull of hearing, and our Hearts fo flow to 
 believe this Report, I fhall briefly add a few 
 things more, to fhew you his Incomparable Ex- 
 cellency * for methinks ’tis fweet wading in thefe 
 Streams which fo plentifully do flow forth from 
 ^his Living Fountain. 
 
 Second Thing highly efteemed among Men is 
 
 VV ifdom v 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvctitd . 1 07 
 
 Wifdom * Solomon tells us in Ecclef. 8. i. A Mans 
 Wifdom makeih bis lace to fhine * that is, it is an 
 Excellent Ornament, and makes him admired by 
 others. Where fhall we find thatPerfon that would 
 not be thought Wife ? The greateft Fool will be 
 provoked to Anger if you tell him lb. And as 
 all are Ambitious to be efteemed Wile, lo 
 what Pains do fome take in ftudying fuch things 
 as will truly render them fo? And how highly e- 
 fleemed are fuch as have attained it, efpccially by 
 ail fuch as know the Excellency of it ? None but 
 Fools defpife Wifdom, Prov. i. 7. When Men 
 have dived deep into Nature’s Secrets, and have 
 more efptcially made fome good Progrefs in the 
 Knowledge of Divine Myfteries, what an Orna- 
 ment is it ? And if fo, how Excellent is Chrift, 
 fince he far exc«eds all in Wifdom ? He is laid to 
 btthe Wifdom of God , 1 Cor. 1. 24 How did his 
 Wifdom begin to fhine forth even in his tender Years, 
 when on Earth? 2. 46,47. And a// that heard 
 him were Ajlonifhed at bis Underfunding and An- 
 fwers \ and even his Enemies, which went with 
 a defign to take him, were themlelves fo taken 
 with him, that they return with this Report of 
 him, Never Man J poke like this Man , John 7. 4 6. 
 And oblerve, they are Officers that make this Re-, 
 port •, being none of the Meaner Sort they were 
 the better able to judge of his Wifdom. 
 If you Angle out the Wifeft of Men that ever 
 lived, you will find him come infinitely Ihort of 
 that Wifdom that is in Chrift. I fhall inftance 
 in Solomon , who was the wifeft of Men, God him- 
 felf bearing him Witnefs, 1 Kings 4. 30, 3 r. and 
 yet fee what Chrift faith. Matt. 12/ 42. The 
 Queen of the South fhall rife up in the judgment 
 with this Generation , and fhall Condemn it : for 
 
 H fhe 
 
1 08 Chrift the mo ft Excellent : 
 
 (he came from the uttermofl Forts of the Earth 
 to hear the Wifdom of Solomon, and behold a great- 
 er than Solomon is here. Chrift is not only Wife, 
 but Wifdom it lelt ^ and was it poftible that the 
 Wifdom of' Solomon , and all the Wildom of all 
 the Wife Men that have been, noware, or ever 
 (hall be in this World, was to meet in one Man, 
 yet the Wifdom of that, Man would not fo far 
 exceed the Wildom of a Babe, as the Wifdom 
 of Chrift would exceed the Wifdom of that Man * 
 the difference between the former being but be- 
 tween Finite and Finite, but the difference between 
 the latter is between Infinite and Finite, between 
 which there is no Compatifon to be made. All the 
 Wifdom of this World is but Foolifhnefs if compa- 
 red to him ^ there is no Secret in Nature but what 
 lyes open to him : He is thoroughly acquainted with 
 all the true Caufes and Effe&s of Things, even the 
 Heart of Man, which is fo hard to be known, is well 
 known to him, and far better than to himfelf, John 
 2. 25. And needed that any fhould t eft i fie of Man , 
 for he knew what wets in Man. And that which ren- 
 ders him far more Excellent, is his Wifdom in Spi- 
 ritual Myfteries, and in this he exceeds the beft of 
 Men. Faul acknowledged he faw but darkly, 
 as thro’ a Glafs ^ he faw but in part, and fo could 
 Prophelie but in part : But Chrift is a Compleat 
 Mailer of all thefe Divine Arts ; he is the great 
 Prophet of the Church, who is perfeftly acquaint- 
 ed with all the deep Things of God, and herein is 
 iroft Excellent •, even as Sharon * s Rofe did excel 
 all other Rofes. That is the Second thing where- 
 in Chrift excels all, even in Wifdom and 
 Knowledge j all the Wifdom of the Angels, whe- 
 ther Good or Bad, being fhort of his, 
 
 Third 
 
Or, The Glory of CbriSl unvai fd . 1 09 
 
 Third Thing which is highly efteemed by the 
 World, is Beauty. How much precious time is 
 fpent by fome in Patching and Painting by the 
 Jezebels of our Age? What Immodeft Garbs are 
 worn by both Sexes ? As if they were refolved to 
 oppofe at once, and that to the uctermoft, both 
 the Scripture and the Practice of the Saints of Old., 
 and all to fet off this Perifhing Carcafe to the bett 
 Advantage, that if poffible, by Arc they mightfuppiy 
 Nature’s Defers i that yet when all is donethatcan 
 be done, all the Beauty in the World, whether 
 Natural or Artificial, is but meer Deformity, if 
 compared to Chrift* Cant, 5. 1 6. His Mouth is mojl 
 Sweet , yea, he is altogether Lovely : And that per- 
 haps is more than can be faid of any of the Sons 
 or Daughters of Men. You may fee one hath 
 one Part Beautiful, another hath another, butlcarce 
 any that are altogether Lovely 5 or fo Beautiful 
 but they might ha\^ been more Beautiful : But 
 Chrift is altogether Lovely, and fo Compleat that 
 nothing can be added to make him more Corm 
 pleat -, and fo he far exceeds the Creatures in this 
 refpeff : And ’tis Marvellous to chink that all the 
 World Ihould not be lick of Love for this Lovely 
 and Beautiful Jefus. 
 
 ObjeQion. But is it not faid, Ifa. 53. 2. He hath 
 no Form nor Comelinefs , and when voe Jhall fee hint 
 there is no Beauty that we Jhould deft re him ? A 
 . like Text, Ila. 52. 14. As many were aftonied 
 at thee , his Vifage was fo marred more than any 
 Alan, and his Form more than the Sons of Alem 
 How can we reconcile tliefe Scriptures with what 
 hath been fpoken ? 
 
 Anfwer. Nothing is more cleur than that the 
 Prophet’s delign, in thofe Places* is to (hew what 
 manner of Entertainment Chrift Ihould meet with 
 
 H 2 from 
 
1 1 o Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 from the Carnal Jews, and to let us know how his 
 Beautiful Face Ihould be Vailed with the Flefh ; and 
 if fo, then this Knot may be ealily untied, by di- 
 ftinguifhing between what Chrift is in himfelf, 
 or to the Saints, and what he did once appear 
 to be, and even now is, in the Opinion of Sin> 
 ners •, for the Scripture fets forth the difference 
 to be very great between Sinners and Saints, as 
 to their efteem of Chrift, i Cor. i. 22, 23. For 
 toe preach Chrift Crucified unto the Jews a Stum- 
 bling-block^ and unto the G. reeks Foolijhnefs ■, but un- 
 to them which are called both Jews and Greeks,- 
 Chrift the Power of God , and the Wifdom of God. 
 The Beauty of Chrift, tho’ great, is not aifeern- 
 ed by the blind World ; Iris only the Eye of 
 Faith that beholds this King in his Glory : To 
 them that believe he is precious. 'Tis faid of him, 
 Rev. 1 . 1 6 . And his Countenance was as the Sun 
 Jhinctb in his Strength •, and ’tis only the Eye of 
 Faith that is able to look upon this Bright and 
 Glorious Sun. 
 
 Fourth Thing truly Excellent and Defirable, is 
 Grace and Holinels ; and tho’ I place this laft, 
 yet not as the leaft, but as that which in a more 
 efpecial manner deferves to be largely infifted 
 on ; for tho’ this is not indeed much efteemed by 
 the World, yet is it in it felf mod Excellent 
 and Defirable, as well as upon the account of the 
 Blefled Effe£b it produces. David pronounces the 
 Saints the Excellent of the Earth , Pfal. 16. 3. 
 And no doubtbut he calls them the Excellent of the 
 Earth as they were Saints ; yea, let me tell you, 
 this is that which is Excellent in the fight of God: 
 The more Holy we. are, the liker to God we are; 
 and he can as foon ceafe 1 to have any Efteem for 
 himfelf as to put a Slight upon Holinels; and he 
 
 hath 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvciiHd . III 
 
 hath told us, Prov. 12. 26. The Righteous is more 
 Excellent than his Neighbour : It' he is not efteem- 
 ed fo by Men, yet God efteems him fo ; for the 
 Lord hath fet apart him that is godly for himfelf 
 Pfal. 4. 3. The Righteous are his Jewels, which 
 he prizesabove all the World •, one Righteous Noah 
 is more to him than all the World befide ( b ). 
 God doth not value Men by their common En- 
 dowments whatfoever. If a Man hath never fo 
 much Worldly Honour and Wealth, if he hath 
 attained never fo much Wifdom and Knowledge 
 in natural Arts and Sciences, if he was as beau- 
 tiful as Abfolom , yet if he hath no Grace, God 
 matters him not upon any of thefe Accounts ^ if 
 he hath not the Image of God in his Heart, and 
 his Law Written there, tho’ he could fpeak with 
 all Tongues, he is but as a founding Brafs , and a 
 tinkling Cymbal, in the Ears of God : Nor will 
 he ever fuffer him to fee his Face with Comfort, 
 Heb. 14. 12. The Pooreft Beggar in Rags, who 
 hath neither Food to Eat, nor Cloaths to Wear, 
 nor a Houfe to lay his Head in, yet if he hath 
 but Grace, if he is but Holy, he is more dear to 
 God than the mod Puifiant Prince that wants it * 
 as you may fee in Luke 1 6. at large, concerning 
 Dives and Lazarus. The Wicked in all their 
 Pomp and Grandeur appear very Contemptible 
 in the fight of God, but he Honours them that 
 Fear him ; and as Grace and Hoiinefs is the high- 
 eft Excellency the beft of Creatures can attain to, 
 fo this is to be found in Chrift in a far more Ex- 
 cellent manner than in any of them. Chrift is the 
 Fountain, and all the Grace Communicated to us 
 is but as a Drop to the Fountain, John 1. 14, 1 6. 
 
 H 3 Grace 
 
 ( b ) Sen. 7 . 1. 
 
112 Chrift the mo ft Excellent : 
 
 Grace and Holinefs is in Chrift Effentialiy, fb is 
 it not in us Creatures, whether Angels or Men. 
 Thofe Angels which once were fuch Excellent 
 Creatures, yet when once they had Sinned, were 
 fent down to Hell, yet Angels ftill : The Angels 
 which ftill retain their Primitive Holinefs are 
 charged with F<^Jy, as being in their Natures ca- 
 pable of Sinning as well as the reft : So Adam\ 
 he was made after the Image of God, but he foon 
 defaced that Image, yet remained in his Being -, but 
 Chrift can as foon ceafe to be, as ceafe to be Ho- 
 ly, Harmlefs and Undefiled •; he brought no Seed 
 nor Spawn of Sin into the World with him, nor 
 was there ever any Sin in his Life committed by 
 him ; and becaufe the Glory and Excellency of 
 Chrift doth fo much confift in this, I (hall the 
 more enlarge upon it, and (hall Ihew you more* 
 generally and particularly how Chrift excels all 
 in this refpeSf, as Sharon* s Rofe did others. 
 
 If we confider his Obedience more generally, 
 fo it far excels 3ny Obedience performed by us, 
 and that in a Twofold refpeff, (i). As to his Delight 
 in ir, this as a Vein run thro’ ail his Performances. 
 Delight and Cheerfulnefs is the Life of all our O- 
 bedience, and that without which it is not worthy 
 of the Name: But alas! the Saints, yea, the 
 belt of Saints on Earth, come fliort in this. 
 Alas ! How heavily do we often drive > How rea- 
 dy are we to be w eary when wc fhould be run- 
 ning, and faint when we fhould be walking in God’s 
 .Ways ? If we engage in Duty how Sluggifh and 
 Slothful are we? And upon what light Occafions 
 do we let flip precious Opportunities, 1 which ar- 
 gues our Delight in fuch Works t0 be but little ; and 
 more efftecially do we hang back upon the appear- 
 ance of the Crois, and are ready to flip the Neck 
 
 out 
 
Or 9 The Glory of Christ unvail'd. II 3 
 
 out of the Yoak when once it pinches. Good 
 Peter, when once he apprehended any danger of 
 fuftering for Chrift, tho’ it would have been his 
 Honour fo to do, yet. Poor Man, to elcape the 
 Crols, he not only Lies, faying , I Anew not the 
 Man , but begins to Curfe and to Swear (c). Thus 
 you fee how backward we are to do and fuffer, 
 tho’ it be according to the Will of God-, and 
 whoever thou art that Readeft this, if thou art 
 not a Stranger to thy own Heart, 1 dare appeal to 
 thee if thou doft not find fad caufe to complain as 
 Paul , Rom . 7. 22, 23. Doft thou not oft find thole 
 Wings dipt with which thou (houldeft be mount- 
 ing up towards Heaven, and thofe Legs feeble with 
 which thou fhouldeft be running the Ways of God’s 
 Commandments ^ and that it is an ealier thing to 
 get the Body than the Heart to any Duty > But 
 it was far otherwife with Chrift, he performed 
 his Obedience with the greateft Delight, Pfal. 40. 6 , 
 7, 8. I delight to do thy Will, 0 God ’ &c. John 4. 3 1. 
 My Meat is to do the Will ofhirfl that fent me, and 
 tofinijh hts Work ; yea, how Chearfully did he go 
 where he knew he mult iufFer^ and charged his 
 Difciples that they Ihould not make it known that 
 he was the Son of God (d), left it Ihould dift 
 courage his Enemies from making any further At- 
 tempts to Crucifie him ? So fearful was he fif I 
 may fo fpe3k) left he Ihould efcape their Rage, 
 that when he knew it was for this End he came 
 into the World, and when Peter would have per^ 
 fwaded him to fave himfelf, tho’ he had a dear 
 Love to Peter, yet faith he, Get thee behind me 
 Satan (e). And, (2.) As to the extent of his Obe- 
 dience, fo he excels us : Alas, in many things we 
 
 H 4 offend 
 
 (c) Matt. 26, 74. (<0 Luke 9. 2®, 21. (e) Matt, 16. 23 
 
1 14 the mo ft Excellent : 
 
 offend all : Not a Day nor Duty bat fome Sin is 
 cleaving to us; but Chrilt did no Sin, he was a 
 Lamb without Blemijh , and without Spot (/). Pi- 
 lot e, that was Judge, could fay, 1 find no fault in 
 him at all , John 18. 38. And before I pafs this 
 Head, let us learn thus much front it, that fince 
 his Obedience doth fo far excel ours, it muft be 
 much fifer for us to rely upon that, than upon 
 any Obedience performed by us. No Wife Man 
 will venture to crofs the deep Ocean in a Leak- 
 ing Veffel, when he may have free Paffage in a 
 Ship that is Sea Proof God hath declared him- 
 felf to be well pleafed with his Son, Matt. 3. 
 17. But he may juftly find fault with the beft of 
 us, and pronounce us (when we have done all we 
 can) to be unprofitable Servants. 5 Tis only by 
 the Obedience of this One that any of us can be 
 found Righteous, Rom. 5. 18, 19. and Wo, Wo to 
 that Soul that is not found lnterefted in this perfect 
 Obedience. And as I have fhevyn you how far 
 his Obedience excels ours more generally, fo I 
 fhall more part ; cul>rly inffance in fome Graces 
 which were found in him, in fuch a manner and 
 meafure as never were found in any of the $ons 
 of Men. 
 
 F/V/f, Let us confider how eminently the Grace 
 of Faith difeovered it felf in Chrilt. That Faith 
 is ftrongsft which remains unfhaken under great 
 Difcouragements: 3 Tis no hard Matter to believe 
 Chrift is ours when his Left Hand is under our 
 Head, and his Right Hand Embraces us ^ or to be- 
 lieve God is our Friend when we have the fen- 
 fible Tokens of his Love in our Hands, and can 
 at the lame time lee the fvyeet Smiles of his Face : 
 
 But 
 
 (/) i Fet°l. 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrifl unvail'd. 1 1 5 
 
 But then Faith is ftrong indeed, when wecanfted- 
 faftly believe, tho’ all things feem to make againft 
 us •, and when that God, in whom we Truft, Teems 
 to threaten to deftroy us j and if fo, thenwefhall 
 find fuch Faith to have been inChrift in the Days 
 of his Flefh, as never was in any meer Man in 
 the Flefh. Alas, our Faith, tho’ true, is often 
 Weak, and our Hand fubjcft to Paralitick Sha- 
 kings j we are ready to flagger at the Promife 
 thro’ unbelief. We find it enough to do to keep 
 the Head above Water in a Calm 5 and no fooner 
 doth a Storm arile, but then with Peter , Lord , 
 fave me (g), while we feel our felves beginning 
 to fink, if God hide but his Face from us, and 
 doth but for a while fufpend the Comfortable 
 Manifeftations of his Favour, how ready are wc 
 to fear he hath forgotten to be Gracious, and will 
 be favourable no more ? How fubjeft are we, thro’ 
 unbelief, to have hard Thoughts of God, and to 
 queftion whether he intends our Good in fome 
 Difpenfations of his Providence towards us? And 
 even when our Faith is ftrongeft we havecaufe 
 to cry out with Tears, Lord , I believe , help thou 
 my unbelief (h). But now Chrift he was always 
 ftrong in Faith, giving Glory t<y God : For un- 
 der his greateft Trials, when God was dealing 
 with him as a Vindictive Judge, and was emp- 
 tying the Vials of his Wrath upon him, and hid 
 his Fatherly Face from him, yet even then, My 
 God , my God , Matt. 27. 4 6. Words, tho 5 few, 
 yet full of Faith ; obferve, here were Soul Trou- 
 bles and Bodily Troubles met together, and one 
 Deep called to another, and yet the proud Waves 
 could not go over him 5, but my God, my God, 
 
 ft ill. 
 
 Matt. 14 . 30 . (/;) Matt. $. 24 . 
 
II 6 Chrift the mojl Excellent : 
 
 fflll. Yea, when he lay Bleeding almoft to Death 
 in the Garden of thole Wounds he had received 
 from the immediate Hand of God, yet even then, 
 0 my Father. Matt. 7 6. 19. He earneftly prayed, 
 with Submiifion to his Father’s Will, that that 
 Cup might pafs from him, to let us fee how un- 
 pleafant his Sufferings were to the Humane Nature, 
 yet ftill owns him as his Father. His Faith was 
 ftrorg in his greateft Sufferings •, and even when 
 thelerroursof the Lord fet themfelves in Array 
 againft him, yet in the midlf of all his Faith re- 
 mained unlhaken. And if we compare his Faith 
 with the Faith of the belf of Saints, we fhall find 
 the ftrongeit Faith to be but weak to what the 
 Faith of Chrilt was. Let us conlider the Faith 
 of Abraham , who by reafon of that ACt of his Faith 
 in offering up Ifaac , and believing God was able 
 to raife him up another Seed, tho’ he was Old, 
 and Sarah in Nature palf Child bearing, was called 
 the Father of the Faithful (t). Now tho 5 his 
 Faith was herein great, yet riot to be compared 
 to the Faith that was in Chrift. It was far ea- 
 fier to believe that the lame God that had given 
 Abraham a Son, when he fo little expected fuch 
 a thing, could caufe Sarah to Conceive again, 
 tho’ Old, than for Chrift to believe God was his 
 Father when he hid his Face from him, and 
 wrote fuch bitter things againft him. We have 
 another Inflance of a ftrong Faith in Job. who 
 could fay under fore Afflictions of Body, yea, and 
 ©f Soul too, tho’ he flay me, yet will 1 trull in him, 
 Job 13. 13. Now tho* this was a ftrongACt of Faith 
 in Job (his Afflictions being at that time fo great) 
 yet not like that which was in Chrift : Job indeed 
 
 ' had 
 
 (1) Rom. 4. 16,17, 18, ip, 20, 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvaiPd. 117 
 
 had a bitter Cup put into his Hand, but not one 
 Drop of Vindictive Wrath in it : He never was fo 
 deeply wonnded within as to caufe him to fweat 
 Clods of Blood. So that forafmuch as his Suf- 
 ferings were far greater than Job' s, and of ano- 
 therkind,and yet his Confidence more firm, hence 
 we have reafon to conclude, that neither Faithful 
 Abrakom, nor Holy Job, had fuch flrong Faith 
 as Chrift. 
 
 Secondly , If you confider his Patience, you will 
 find this Grace ihining forth in Chrift in a won- 
 derful manner. If we confider the Nature of Pa- 
 tience, we ftiall find it to be in him as it never was 
 in any Man befidehim : For the clearing of which 
 confider, all bearing of Evil, tho’ it may be feem- 
 ingly without Difcontent and Murmuring , is 
 not properly Patience. If a MalefaClor be never 
 fo filent while Punilhment is infliCfing, no Wife 
 Man will call that Patience. Tistrue Patience to 
 bear Afflictions Chearfully, and without Murmur- 
 ing, which we have not deferved. And from hence 
 we (hall lee how far Chrift did excel all others in 
 the Exercife 'of this Lovely Grace. One of the 
 greateft Inftances of Patience among Men, which 
 we have upon Record in Scripture, is that of 
 Job ( k ) ■ yet Job ' s Patience is not worthy of the 
 Name, if compared to Chrift ; for tho’ he fiifter- 
 ed much both from God and Men, yet his Sin had 
 deferved that all thefe Things fhould come upon ■ 
 him. God himfelf had a fpecial Hand in his Suf- 
 ferings, and there was caufe why he fhould be 
 Dumb, not opening his Mouth, becaufe he did it, 
 VJal. 3 9. 9. It no ways becomes the Clay to fay 
 to the Potter, Why haft thou made me thus, when 
 
 it 
 
 - (k) Jam. 5 . 11 . 
 
1 18 Chrifl the mfi Excellent : 
 
 it might have been much w.orfe? If Job had re- 
 ceived fome Evil from the Lord, he had alfo re- 
 ceived much Good, and fo had no caufe to com- 
 plain j and we find that when his Wife came 
 to tempt him to Curie God becaufe he had lb 
 Afflffted him, he withftood the Temptation on 
 this very Conlideration, Job 2. 1 o. Shall voe receive 
 Good at the Hand of God , and Jhall we not receive 
 Evil? But now Chrift fuffered much from God 
 and Man, and yet never did offend God, but al- 
 ways did the things which pleafed him (/). Nor 
 had he given any juft caufe of Offence to Man ; 
 nay, be was the greateft Friend to Man that e- 
 ver was. He came into the World to fave fuch 
 as were loft ^ he took pity on Man when no Eye 
 pitied him, and brought help when no Hand could, 
 and coming on fuch a kind Errand, he might have 
 expected better Entertainment from them, and 
 that every Knee fhould have bowed to him, and 
 that by one confent they fhould have done their 
 utmoft to make his Life Comfortable but now 
 for Chrift to fuffer fo much from thofe that were fo 
 beholden to him, to be Buffered, Blindfolded, Re- 
 viled, Spit upon, and at laft cruelly Tormented 
 on the Crofs, and yet to be Patient under all, was 
 Patience indeed. And further, had Job been never 
 fo Impatient it would have availed nothing. 
 
 J am far from thinking this was the only thing, 
 or chief thing, that moved Job to be filent ^ no, 
 he law the Juft ice and Goodnefs of God in all, 
 and that moved him co be' Patient •, yet this muff 
 be acknowledged, all his Impatience, or any thing 
 he could have done in fuch 3 way to free him- 
 felf from his Sufferings, would have availed no- 
 thing. 
 
 (0 John 8 . * 9 . Matt. 3 . 17 . 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 1 1 9 
 
 thing. Nay, inftead of finding relief hereby, he 
 might but have made his Chain the moie heavy, 
 fince his Impatience would have provoked God to 
 add to his Affii&ions. The Way to have God 
 remove any Crols from us, is to be pati- 
 ent under it. But now Chrili, he had Power 
 to have eafed liimfelf of his Enemies, he cou’d 
 have avenged himfelf of his Adverfaries, he could 
 have crufhed them before the Moth, he could 
 have caufed the Earth to have opened her Mouth 
 and fwallowed them up, or he could have com- 
 manded Fire from Heaven to have confumed 
 them, but he- would not, he would not fuffer 
 Peter to fmite his Enemies, but reproves him, 
 and lovingly healed the Wound («?). We read 
 that when his Enemies came to feek him, to the 
 end they might know how able he was to defiroy 
 them, he did but fpeak, and beat them back- 
 ward even with his Breath, John 18. 6. and yet 
 notwithftanding be gave bis Back to the Smiters y 
 and bis Cheeks to them that plucked off the Hair 
 when he was Reviled, Reviled not again , i Pet. 2. 
 23. In a Word, Tho’ Job was Patient, he was 
 not free from Impatience wholly, as you may fee* 
 Chap. 3. 1. and 9. 17. but Chrift never uttered 
 one fuch Word, If a . 53. 7. He was Oppreffed, and 
 he was Afflitted , yet he opened not his Mouth ; he 
 is brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter , and as a 
 Sheep before her Shearers is Dumb , fo he opened 
 not his Mouth. Chrift never had one hard 
 Thought of his Father on this account: Nor 
 did he ever utter any railing Accufation againft his 
 Tormentors, but breathed out fome of his laft 
 Words in moft earneft Prayer to his Father for 
 
 their 
 
 (m) John 18 . 10 , Luke 22 . w, 51 . 
 
' 120 . Chrifl the tnoft Excellent : 
 
 their Pardon, Luke 23. 34. Father, forgive them , 
 they know not what they do. 
 
 Thirdly, If we confider his Holy Zeal, how 
 may it even lhame the belt of Saints living ? 
 Alas, we live as it were in the Frigid Zone, or 
 elfe often under the fame Climate with the Church 
 of Laodicea, Rev. 3. 16. But fee what is faid of 
 Chrift, John 2. 17. Ti be Zeal of thine Houfe hath 
 eaten me up. How great was his Zeal for 
 God and Goodnefs? We 5 alas, are often afraid 
 or afhamed to appear for God, and to be found 
 doing our Duty, and efpecially when we meet 
 with any oppofition ; we are oft mpre Zealous 
 in the things which concern our Pelves, than in 
 r the things which concern the Glory of God ^ 
 but , it was not thus with Chrift. ’Tis faid of 
 him, that he went about doing Good , A£ts 10. 38. 
 It feems it was his whole Work fo to do. We 
 find even in his Younger Years that he put a 
 flight as it were upon his Parents, if compared to 
 his Father’s Honour. Luke 2. 49. Wifi ye not 
 that 1 mujl be about my Father's Bufinejs ? He 
 loft no Opportunity of doing Good, he was not 
 ilothful in Buiinefs, but fervent in Spirit $ faith he, 
 I mujl work the Works of him that fent me 
 while it is railed to Day. John 9. 4. Or if we con- 
 fider his Zeal in oppofition to Evil, how far doth 
 he exceed us. Alas, we oft fee and hear Sin 
 committed, and are afraid to fpeak againft it by 
 Way of Reproof ^ and the greater the Perfons are 
 which commit fuch Faults, and the mGre Danger 
 we are in for reproving fuch, the more fearful 
 we are there are but few John Bapnjls that dare 
 reprove 3 Herod for his beloved Sin, Mat. 14. 
 4. but few Elijahs that dare reprove an Ahab\ but 
 now our Lord Chriflr feared not the Faces of Men $ 
 
 he 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrijl unvail'd. 1 2 1 
 
 he was no Flatterer, but a faithful Reprover •, he 
 boldly told his Grand Enemies the Fhar'ifees , 
 they were a Generation of Vipers (/?), and of 
 their Father the Devil {o ) •, but I (hall not en- 
 large on this. 
 
 Fourthly , And the (aft Grace I (hall mention, 
 is that Lovely Beautifying Grace of Humility : 
 
 As this Grace is Lovely in the fight of God and 
 good Men, fo it was vifible in Chnft when he 
 was here in the World, as it nisswas in any 
 befide him. Alas, how dimly doth this Grace 
 (hine forth in the beft of Saints? And how ready 
 is Pride to get the upper Hand? If one hath 
 Riches in the World, he is apt to be proud of 
 them, notwithflanding the uncertainty of them, 
 and the great account he muft give for them. 
 
 If another hath Beauty, he is ready to be proud of 
 that, and to forget it muft foon be turned in- 
 to Deformity. If another hath but Gifts and 
 Parts, or doth but fancy he hath, he is ready to 
 be Proud of them, and to climb up into the 
 higheft Seat in the Sinagogue, and hath not Pa- 
 tience to ftay till it be (aid to him, Friend, come 
 up higher: How are thefe as Wings to Lome, by 
 which they foar fo high in Admiration of their 
 own Excellencies, till all below fe’em as Dwarfs, 
 
 . if compared to themfelves. And I would to 
 God I could fay that the Saints are not proud 
 of their Grace which is beftowed fo freely up- 
 on them: How ready is he that is Strong to 
 defpife him that is Weak in the Faith ? But 
 fure I am, we (hall find nothing of this in 
 Chrift , but the greateft Humility in all 
 he did. Never did Sharon’s Rofe fo exceed 
 other Roles, as Chrift exceeds all in Humility. 
 
 And 
 
 (n) Mutt, 3. 7. ( 0 ) John 8. 44. ” = 1 
 
122 Chriji the moft Excellent : 
 
 And fince I have compared him to others in 
 other Graces, I (hall all'o (hew you how far he 
 excels the moft Eminent Saints we have upon Re- 
 cord in this Grace alfo. Mofes is the moft Emi- 
 nent Inftance Recorded in Scripture bcfide Chrift •, 
 almoft every Child can tell you Mofes was the 
 meekefl Man, Kumb. 12. 3. yet not to he com- 
 pared to Chrift. It we confider the Caule why 
 Mofes was (b (tiled, we (hall find him far (hort 
 of Onift. One great rea(on was, his leaving 
 the Honour Pharaoh's Court, to leap as it 
 were into the Furnace of Affliction ; and in going 
 to be a Guide to the Contemptible Ifraehtes that 
 were treading Clay ^ and indeed it was a won- 
 derful thing, and that for which he well de- 
 fended to be fo (tiled ; for where is the Man 
 that would have ftooped (o low, that would 
 defpife a Throne to embrace the Dunghil, that 
 would leave fuch Honour for Shame and Con- 
 tempt ? But alas, what was this to what Chrift 
 did? Mofes left a Kings Court indeed, but no 
 doubt a wicked Place, where he muft have feen 
 his God difhonoured, which could have been no 
 Advantage to his Soul, nor could he on this account 
 have taken any true delight in it: But Chrift left 
 the Court Royal in Heaven, where there was an 
 innumerable Company of Angels, and Spirits of 
 Juft Men made perfeCl (p Company far more 
 delightful to him than any that he could enjoy on 
 Earth. And further, Mofes was but a Man, and 
 Born in a low Condition $ and his Humility could 
 fcarce bring him to a meaner Condition than 
 once he had been in, when in the Ark 
 of Bull-rufhes: But Chrift was the mighty 
 
 (f) Heh. 12 . 23 , 
 
Or, The Glory ofChrifl unvail d. 123 
 
 God (q), and of a far more Noble Pedigree thanth e 
 moft Puifant Prince, being the Prince of the 
 Kings of the Earth (r). And yet further, as Mofes 
 was not fo High, fo neither did he Poop 
 fo Low as Chrift : God indeed led Mofes through 
 the Wildernefs to humble him, and it was a 
 mean Condition to lye fo long in Tents, to have 
 his chief Fare upon Bread and Water ^ yet we 
 do not read that Mofes gave his Back to the 
 Smiters, nor his Cheeks to them that plucked 
 off the Hair (s'), we never read in his loweff Con- 
 dition that he was Spit upon, Buffeted, or 
 Blindfolded, all which were true of Chrift: 
 Nor did he Die fuch a fhameful Death, God him- 
 felf Buried him in an extraordinary Manner, and 
 no Man knows of his Sepulchre ( t ). But Chrift 
 fuffered a Shameful, Painful, Ignominious Death, 
 by the Hands of Wicked and Mercilefs Men. 
 So that from hence you may fee how Chrift did 
 excel Mofes in this Lovely Grace. And next unto 
 Mofes, we may fuppole the bleffed Apoftles in 
 this refpe£l to have fat in the loweft Seat: But 
 yet we read of their Pride, as well as Humility, 
 as in Luke 22. 24. And there was alfo a Strife 
 among them , which of them fhould be accounted 
 the greateft. Scarce ever did Pride more ap- 
 pear in any Saints than in this Cafe ^ our Lord 
 had told them that one of them would be- 
 tray him •, now one would have thought that this 
 fad News fhould have been to their Pride, as 
 Water thrown upon a Flame, and that the 
 Thoughts of parting with their Dear Lord, and 
 the Juft Caufe each one had to fear left he 
 fhould have been the Inftrument to betray him, 
 
 1 fhould 
 
124 ChriSt the mo§l Excellent : 
 
 fhould have given their Pride a deadly Wound •, 
 but alas, alas, even while they were faying, is 
 it I? And, is it I ? They were alfo driviog which 
 of them fhould be the greateft. But I am 
 loth to Rake any farther into this Dud, fince 
 my Defign is not to degrade the Apoftles, but 
 to magnifie Chrift* for we do not find any 
 fiich Ambition in him to be above others, but 
 the contrary ^ and yet if he had, it would not 
 have been Pride in him, as it was in them. 0 ! 
 How did our Dear Lord lay himfelf as it were 
 below all, and while they were driving who 
 fhould be highed and greateft, he is driving 
 to be leaft. Remarkable is that Paffage, where 
 we read of his Walhing his Difciples Feet, 
 John 15.4, 5. O Humility! What, the Lord to 
 Wafh the very Feet of Servants ! Veter as A- 
 maz’d at his Humility, refolves he fhall never 
 Wafh his Feet, he thought it too mean an Office 
 for Chrift ^ and indeed fo it was, and yet he 
 performs it. Thus have I fhown you how he 
 excelled all the Saints in this Refpefh And 
 before I finifh this Head, I fhall confider the 
 greatnefs of his Humility abfolutely, for it is 
 fcarce fit to make any Comparifon between him 
 and any Saint that ever lived in this refpeft: 
 And to this End I fhall Confider him from his 
 Birth to his Death. 
 
 If we confider him in his Birth, how doth his 
 Humility lhine forth? O ! What an amazing 
 Confideration is it , that Chrid fhould put 
 himfelf into a Capacity of Dying, that he fhould 
 come from his Royal Seat of Glory, to dwell 
 in a Tabernacle of Clay, whofe Foundation was 
 in the Dud. 3 Tis judged Humility to a wonder 
 for a King to Lodge in a poor Cottage, tho’ 
 
Or, The Glory of ChriSl unvaifd. 125 
 
 but one Night ; how much more for Chrift, the 
 King of Kings, to take up his Abode for ever 
 in this Houle of Clay. O! What Humility 
 in Chrift, to lay afide his Royal Robes, to be 
 Cloathed with Skin! Had Chrift affumed a 
 Body far more Glorious than the Sun, and fo 
 dwelt among us, it would have been a great 
 Condefcention in him ^ but for the Word to be 
 made Flelh, and fo to dwell among us, is Humi- 
 lity to a wonder! Chrilt might have thought 
 this a reflection on his Honour, fince all Flefh 
 had Corrupted themfelves. But O! How low 
 did the Blefied Jefus ftoop to draw us up out 
 of the Pit ! It was a thing never heard of before 
 in the Succeflion of Ages, that the Son of the 
 Higheft Ihould relide in fo low and mean Built a 
 Tabernacle. Who could once have thought if 
 God had not Revealed it, that ever he Ihould 
 be Born in Time, that lay in the Father’s Bofom 
 before Time. When the Prophet had faid, unto 
 us a Son is Born, & c. he adds, and his Name 
 Jhall be called Wonderful , Ifa. 9. 6. And if we 
 confider him as Bom of fuch a Woman, we 
 (hall fee a greater Wonder: No doubt fhe was 
 Gracious, yet far below many in the World, 
 who might be as Gracious as (he. Now if 
 . Chrift would have fo far humbled himfelf as to 
 be Born of a Woman, yet he might have 
 chofe fome Queen for his Nurfing-mother, to 
 have Born him upon her Sides, and dandled him 
 upon her Knees. If Chrift would become a Sure- 
 ty for us, and Die a Sacrifice in our Room and 
 Stead, it was neceffary he Ihould aflume a Body, 
 the Divine Nature being impalfable * but this he 
 might have done and never have been Born. 
 He that at firft formed Man out of the Dult, 
 
 I 2 could 
 
126 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 could fo have' formed a Body for himfelf. Or 
 fuppofe him under a neceffity to be the Seed of 
 the Woman, this he might have been, and yet 
 Born of Noble Parents. But Chrift, to fhow 
 his^ Humility, chofe to be Born of a mean 
 Virgin, and to be the reputed Son of a Carpen- 
 ter: And we find how Contemptible this ren- 
 dred him in the Eyes of the World, Mat. 13. 
 
 5 5,. Is not this the Carpenter's Son ? Is not his 
 Mother called Mary ? Not Madam, no, nor Mi- 
 ftrefs, but Mary^ to denote her low Efteem in 
 the World. And we find that even Mary her- 
 felf was filled with Admiration upon this account, 
 Luke 1. 48. For he hath regarded the low EJiate 
 of his Handmaid , 3 tc. We, alas, are ready to 
 be afhamed of our Parents, efpecially if we are 
 brought to Honour, and they are Poor and Low 
 in the World ^ but Chrift aimed not at the 
 Pomp and Grandeur of the World, and there- 
 fore, tho’ he well knew how Contemptible this 
 would render him to the World, yet made this 
 his Choice. Nor is this all, but if we look to 
 the manner of his Birth we (hall fee more 
 of his Humility } for tho 1 the manner 
 of his Birth is well known to us, yet I 
 fear not duly confidered. What, the King of 
 Glory lye among Beafts ! What, muft a Manger 
 be the Cradle for the Holy Child Jefus! 0 ! 
 Whither hath his Love and Humility carried 
 him ! Here is the Lilly in the Valley in- 
 deed. J.' 
 
 Here we may fee the Son of the Higheft ta- 
 king the loweft Room. Chrift had no Stately 
 Building, no Ceiled Houfe, nor Hung Room to 
 lye in. Ah, Sirs, had any of us been Born in 
 
 fueh 
 
Or , The Glory of Chrijl unv ail'd. 127 
 
 fuch a Condition,' it would have made no Blufil, 
 as long as we had Lived when told of it. Then 
 judge what Humility it was in Chrift, that 
 he that before had the Heaven for his Throne, 
 and the Earth for his Footftool, and had 
 been lying in the Bofom of the Father, fhould 
 now come and lye in a cold nafty Stable, and not 
 be afhamed of it neither. 0 ! What a Vail 
 did he put upon his Honour, while he floops 
 aimoft below the Condition of the meaneft of 
 the Sons of Men ; and chofe to be Born in 
 a Stable, when he might have expelled the 
 moft Royal Palace, and that the Great Ones 
 of the Earth fhould have given their Attendance 
 at his Birth, 0 ! Humility. 
 
 And as at his Birth, fo if we confider his 
 Life, we fhall fee yet more of this Lovely 
 Grace. It was prophefied of him, 'Zech. 9. 9. 
 Behold thy King cometh unto thee , he is Juft , 
 having Salvation , Lowly , & c. And fo it came to 
 pafs* he came as a Pattern of Humility to us. 
 Mat. 11. 29. Learn of me , for l am Meek and 
 Lowly in Heart , &c. Every Step of his Life 
 difcovered his Humility, you may difcern it in 
 his Company. The Brave Spirits of our Age 
 chufe to keep Company with fome as great, 
 or greater than themfelves, and aimoft fcom 
 to be feen in the Company of fuch as are 
 Poor and Low in the World, left their Ho- 
 nour fhould be eclipfed hereby 5 but Chrift 
 chofe Poor Contemptible Fifhermen for his 
 Companions, fuch as were not Adorned with 
 Humane Literature. How Narrow was his 
 Pofleffion? How Mean his Food? Yea, how did 
 he difcover his Humility in his Subjeftion to 
 his Parents ? As Chrift was God, fo the Virgin 
 
 I 3 J "" that 
 
I a 8 Chrift the mo ft Excellent : 
 
 that bare him was tuft formed by him, and 
 in that refpeCt was more properly her Lord 
 than her Son, and yet he became obedient to her, 
 
 . "Luke 2. 51. 
 
 And Laftly, If vye look to him in his Death, 
 there we (hall find him Humbling himlelf It 
 was Humility in Chrift to put himfelf into a 
 capacity of Dying, but more, aHually to Die, 
 and efpeciilly to Die fuchaDeath as the Death of 
 the Crofs, it being reputed a moftfhameful Death, 
 |deb. 1 2. 2. Who for the Joy that was Jet before him % 
 (■ndured the Crop, defpifing the Shame , 8tc. It was 
 not only a painful but a fhameful Death, and 
 yet he was not afhamed to Die fuch a Death, 
 Phil. 2. 8. And being found in V'ajhion as a 
 Alan he humbled himfelf and became obedient 
 •unto the Death of the Crofs. We find that 
 Great Men when they Die as Malefa&ors, 
 tifually have the Honour to be Beheaded * but 
 Chrift fought no Honour at his Death. He 
 was put to open Shame, and yet defpifed ir, 
 judging it as nothing, if thereby he might but 
 finilh his Work, and preferve a Remnant from 
 everlafting Shame and Contempt. A King he 
 was indeed, but had no Honour (hown him 
 by Men at his Death : He had many Specta- 
 tors to attend, but it was to Secure him, and 
 hot to Admire him. Some bowed the Head 
 Indeed, but it was in Contempt and Derifion, 
 They fet a Crown upon his Head, but it was 
 of Thorns, rather to Torment him, than Honour 
 him * tfiey put a Scepter in his Hand, but it was 
 a contemptible {leed, as if that was good enough 
 for him. They gave him Wine to Drink, but 
 mixt it with Gall, as if his Cup had not been 
 r v v • 6 : ‘ " Bitte* 
 
Or, The Glory of C hr iff unvail'd. 1 29 
 
 Bitter enough j and fo denied him that Com- 
 mon Favour which they were wont to ihow to 
 the worft of Criminals : Nor did they give him 
 it in a Gold or Silver Cup, but in a Spunge. His 
 Company was mod Contemptible, he was num- 
 bered with Tranfgreffors , and died for Re- 
 bels, even the Juft for the Unjuft 5 O Humility! 
 
 Thus I have at laft finifhed my Do&rinal 
 Part, wherein I have given you only fome Tafte 
 of that which I might have fed you more plenti- 
 fully with, well knowing how ready the Old 
 Man is to naufeate even Angels Food, when, 
 like the Manna, it falls plenteoufly at our Tent 
 Doors i I have therefore only brought you fome 
 Clufters, which I pluck’d from the Tree of Life 
 with my own Hand, that fo you that are Saints 
 may fee ’tis a good Land you are going to, even 
 a hand flowing with Milk and Honey : And that 
 you might not be Faint or Weary in your Way 
 thither, or be difcouraged, either becaufe of the 
 Narrownefs of the Way, the Difficulties that 
 may attend you therein, or becaufe of the Evil 
 Reports you may hear of the Land of Promife. 
 All I fhali add, (hall be to apply this Truth to 
 our felves, which indeed is one great thing I 
 have aimed at ; there are feveral profitable Ules 
 will naturally flow from this Sweet DoUrine, 
 as Streams from a full Fountain. 
 
 USE 
 
 Fir/?, Of Examination. 
 
 Secondly , Of Reproof. ') 
 
 Thirdly, Of Information. 
 
 Fourthly , Of Exhortation. 
 
 hafily, Qf Confolation. 
 
 I 4 Is 
 
130 Chrifi the moft Excellent : 
 
 Is Jefus Chrlft fuch an Excellent Perfon as you 
 have heard ? How ihould this put us upon the 
 moft diligent Examination, to try whether he is 
 ours, whether we are Interefted in him, or not : 
 To try whether he that is the Chiefeft among 
 Ten Thoufand is our Beloved and our Friend. 
 If Chrifi was not thus Excellent, it would not 
 fo much Concern us to make fure of an Intereft 
 in him. Tis not enough for us to hear what Chrifi 
 is in himfeif, or what he will be to all his Members, 
 unlefs we are of that Number ; for as it is not e- 
 nough to fill us, that we hear of Food, unlefs we 
 eat * or to hear of Cioaths to cover us, unlefs we 
 put them on:, as it is not enough to Cure a 
 Wound, that we hear of a Healing Medicine, 
 unlefs we do apply it to our Sore ; as it is not 
 enough to enrich us, that we hear of a large 
 PofTeffion, unlefs we have a juft Right and Claim 
 thereunto ; fo no more is it enough to make us 
 happy, that we hear what Chrifi is, if we are 
 not interefted in him : For as a Poor Man may 
 Starve, living next Door to a Rich Man, for 
 want of being one of his Family; fo many 
 that have heard much of Chrifi, will yet Pe- 
 tifh for want of an Intereft in him ; whofe 
 Condemnation will be ruuch aggravated by their 
 Contempt of the joyful Sound. All will not 
 partake of the Benefits purchafed bv Chrifi, nor 
 foe found to be Related to him ; Chrift’s Flock 
 Is but a little Flock. The Way to Heaven is 
 Narrow , and but few will find it, and therefore 
 there is need to Examine our felves, 2 Cor. 13. 
 5 * Examine your felves whether ye be in the Faith , 
 prove your own felves ^ know ye not your own 
 felves , how that Jefus Chrifi is in you except ye 
 bs Reprobates l And no doubt but the Apoftle knew 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrifl unvail'd. 1 31 
 
 this Work to be neceffary, or he would never 
 have fo earneftly preffed to it 5 and tis obferva- 
 ble, he doth not exhort us to examine how oft 
 we Pray, Read, Hear, or Receive the Sacrament, 
 nor how much we give in Charity to the Poor ; 
 no, nor how much we have buffered in a good 
 Caufe •, well knowing, that though thefe things 
 were good, and highly commendable, yet all 
 thele would avail nothing without an Intereft in 
 Chrifl. . Nor doth he bid us Examine or Enquire 
 what is in Chrifl, or what is Purchafed by 
 him, but to enquire whether Chrift is in us, 
 knowing otherwife his Benefits would avail us, 
 nothing. Nor doth he exhort us to examine 
 others, but our own felves, knowing it could af- 
 ford but poor Comfort to hear that others were 
 happy, if we were milerable $ or to hear that 
 others were made nigh, if we remained afar 
 off. Nor doth he fpeak as if a light Exami- 
 nation would ferve in this weighty Matter, but 
 we mull examine, prove, know, all which do 
 denote the mofl diligent Scrutiny that can be 
 made. And indeed there is Caufe for it, not 
 only as it is that on which our Salvation depends, 
 (I mean our being in Chrift) but alfo foraf- 
 much as it is that in which poor Creatures are 
 fubjefl to be miftaken. Where lhall we find a 
 Man in this profeffing Nation, but what hopes 
 to be faved by Jefus Chrift? They have fome 
 general Notions of Chrift’s being a Saviour, and 
 them felves being Sinners, and io many take up 
 with a groundlefs Hope that he will fave them. 
 Now fince we are naturally fo apt to be de- 
 ceived, I fhall lay down fome fure Rules, to 
 try whether Chrift is ours, and we his: Only 
 let me entreat you faithfully to compare your 
 
 felves, 
 
I32 Chrift the mofi Excellent : 
 
 felves hereby. I (hall only mention Three fpe- 
 cial Marks and Signs of our being interefied in 
 Chrift, and they are not only peculiar to fome 
 ftrong Saints, but common to all that are united 
 to him; yea, fo common, that fuch as want 
 them can never make out their Intereft in him. 
 As Firft, A Cordial Reliance on him. Secondly, 
 a Dear Love to him. Thirdly, Sincere Delires 
 and Endeavours after a univerlal Conformity to 
 him. 
 
 1. Sign, is a Cordial Reliance and Dependance 
 on him for Life and Salvation. By Nature we 
 have high Thoughts of our felves, and being igno- 
 rant of God's Right eoufnejs, we go about to EJia- 
 blifh our own Right eoufnejs, Rom. 10. 3. We 
 fee no need of Chrift, but think our felves full 
 and rich : And if Conlcience at any Time begins 
 to fmite us, and to fet our Sins in order be- 
 fore us, the only Plaifters we ufe to heal this 
 Wound, is to reform our Lives, and to make 
 Vows and Promifes of living better for the 
 Time to come* and thus we fpend our Carnal 
 Days. Ah, but when once the Spirit comes to 
 Work favingly in us, he demolilhes this ftrong 
 Hold, leaves not one Stone upon another of 
 this Babe/, tho’ before we thought its Height 
 would reach unto Heaven. This Dagon falls 
 now flat to the Earth before the Ark, and only 
 the Stump remains. He now plucks down thefe 
 falfe Props on which we leaned, and removes 
 thofe Pillows on which we fb iong had fecurely 
 flept. He now rends the Vail from oft' our 
 Underftandings, that fo we may fee the Plague 
 of our Hearts, and may fee Sin to be exceed- 
 ing finful 5 and till this is done, we fhall never 
 
 come 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrijl unvail'd. 133 
 
 come to Chrift * we (hall never flee to Chrift, the 
 City of Refuge, till we fee the Avenger purfuing 
 11s at our Heels-, we ihall never come to the 
 Ark, till, like the Dove, we can find no Place 
 elfe to let our Feet on. But now when all 
 Confidence in the Flefh fails, and the poor Soul 
 fees no help at Hand, Lord, thinks the Soul, what 
 lhall I do ? What will become of me ? Where (ball 
 I fly for Help? Bat now the Spirit goes further, 
 and fhows the Soul, that tho’ there is no Help 
 to be had in it felf, yet God hath laid Help upon 
 One Mighty to lave, and now points the Soul to 
 a Crucified Jefus, fee yonder thy Help is to be 
 had in that bleeding, dying Sacrifice: He now 
 fhows the Soul the Infinite Value of his Blood, 
 and that he is the Father’s free Gift to loft Sim 
 ners j and that they may come to him without 
 Money, and without Price-, and that he that com 
 eth to him he will in no wife caft out: Well, 
 thinks the Soul, this is good News indeed-, this 
 is the good Samaritan indeed ; then there is hopes 
 for me: For tho’ I am unworthy, yet worthy is 
 the Lamb ^ and thus the Soul calls it felf wholly 
 on Chrift, and begins to rejoice in Chvift Jefus, 
 leaving others if they will to put Confidence in 
 the Flefh, The difference between one favingly 
 wrought upon, and one that is not, may in this 
 Cafe be fitly Illuftrated by the Raven and the 
 Dove, which Noah fent out of the Ark: The 
 Ark was a lively Type of Chrift ; and you read 
 how Noah firft fent forth the Raven, which re- 
 turned no mote-, afterwards he fent forth the 
 Dove, but finding no reft for her Feet, (he re- 
 turned to the Ark. But is it not ftrange, that 
 when the Waters were declining, the Raven that 
 Went out firft Ihould fray out, -and yet th e 
 
134 C htift the mfl Excellent : 
 
 Dove afterwards find no reft for her Feet ? Could 
 not the Dove ftay out as well as the Raven ? I 
 conceive the reafon why (he could not, did arife 
 from their different Natures : The Raven in all 
 probability might light and live upon the Dead 
 Carcaffes, which were floating upon the Water, 
 and that might keep her from coming to the 
 Ark •, and the Dove being of a pure Nature, . 
 could not feed on the fame Fare, nor reft upon 
 fuch filthy Carcafles, and fo returns to the Ark. 
 Thus a Carnal Man, he feeds upon the Carcafes 
 of his Dead Duties, goes from Duty to Duty, 
 and fo long as he can find thefe bear him up, 
 and keep him from finking, he will never return 
 to Chrift ^ but a renewed Soul cannot find any 
 reft in thefe, and therefore to Chrift he muft 
 go. Thus you fee how the Soul that is faving- 
 ly wrought upon is made to rely wholly on 
 Chrift : But the great Enquiry (hould be, Reader, 
 is it thus with me? For as it is not enough to 
 hear of Chrift, unlefs we find them in us : No 
 more then it was enough for Ifrael to know 
 that the Blood upon their Door Ports was 
 the Token of their Deliverance (t>), which 
 they might have known, and yet have died for 
 want of it. Canft thou then form an inward 
 Senfe and Feeling of thofe things upon thy 
 own Soul ? Set to thy Seal that this is true? Hath 
 God convinced thee that thou waft conceived in 
 Sin, and brought forth in Iniquity ? Hath he fo far 
 convinced thee of the Plague of thy own Heart, 
 as to make thee Cry out with the greateft Ab- 
 horrence of thy felf, unclean, unclean (u)> Hath 
 he made thee to fee Sin to be exceeding Sin- 
 ful 
 
 (v) Ex, 12 . 22 . («) Jfa, 6 . $. 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 135 
 
 fui (w), and thy felf near to Deftruflion for it ? 
 Hath he Emptied thee of all Confidence in the 
 Flefli, and made thee to fee that when thou baft 
 done all, thou art an unprofitable Servant (*), 
 and that all thy Righteoufnefs is but as filthy 
 Rags (y ). Hath God made thee to fee thy need 
 of Chrift, and thy undone State and Condition 
 without him-, .and how that either Chrift or Hell 
 muft be thy Portion ? Hafi thou been made to fee 
 his Excellency, and that he is the chiefeft among 
 Ten Thoufand ? Haft thou been made to come 
 to him weary and heavy laden, that fo thou 
 mighteft find Reft (2), and haft thou call: thy Bur- 
 den upon him ? Haft thou been made to Glory in 
 nothing but the Crofs of Chrift, as Vaul was, 
 Gal. 6 . 14. and to fay, I will make mention of 
 thy Righteoufnefs, and of thine only (a) ? Haft 
 thou been made to fee that neither Circumcifion 
 nor Uncircumcifion avails any thing, and that 
 Chrift is all (b) ? Haft thou been helped to rejoice 
 in Chrift Jefus, and at the fame time to have no 
 confidence in the Flefh (c) > Haft thou been made 
 to fee that without fhedding of Blood there is no 
 Rerhijfion (d) ? Haft thou been made to fee him 
 to be the only Ark that can fecure thee from the 
 Floods of God’s Wrath, the only City of Re- 
 fuge? And haft thou fled thither for fecurity 
 from the Avenger? If thou haft found it to be 
 thus with thee, chear up poor Soul, this fweet 
 Rofe of Sharon's thine ; thy Dependance on him 
 proves thy Intereft on him. But if upon Exa- 
 mination thou findeft that thou makeft Flefh thy 
 Arm, and that thy Heart departeth from the 
 
 Lord; 
 
1 3 6 Chrift the mo ft Excellent : 
 
 Lord, thou haft neither Part nor Portion in this 
 Matter, thy Heart is not right in the Sight of 
 God : By depending on any thing belides Chrift 
 for Life and Salvation, thou evidently dilcovereft 
 thy felf to be no true Friend to the Bridegroom. 
 
 2. Sign of anlntereft in Chrift, is a Dear Love 
 and Affc&ion to him : Faith in Chrift and Love 
 to Chrift are inlcparable. Hence Faith is faid 
 to work by Love in Gal. 5. 6. As nothing will 
 prove our Intereft in Chrift till we have Faith, 
 lo nothing will prove our Faith to be laving 
 if we have not Love accompanying it: And pro- 
 portionable to the Strength of our Faith 
 will our Love be. The Eye of Faith fees a 
 lovelinefs in Chrift, it fees what love Chrift 
 bare to the Soul, and hence the Soul cannot but 
 love, being tirft loved, 1 John 4. 19. We love 
 him becaufe he fifi loved us. What, Love me, 
 faith the Soul! What fuch an unworthy, finful, 
 undone, wretched Creature as me ! And now the 
 Soul having leen fomewhat of what is in him, 
 and of what it receives from him, cannot but 
 be Sick of Love for him: Now flay me with 
 Waggons, comfort me with Apples , for I am Sick 
 of Love (e). Now tarewel Father, Mother, 
 Sifter, Brother, and all, rather than Chrift. 
 Now the Soul looks on other things with a 
 Contemptible Eye, if compared to Chrift 
 and is alimft wholly taken up with the 
 Thoughts and Admiration of him. Now it re- 
 joices if he fmiles, and mourns if he frowns: 
 Now the Soul begins to love what he loves, and 
 hate what he hates: Now any thing of his 
 Image is Dear and Precious for his lake : Now 
 
 the 
 
 (e) Cant. 2. 5 . 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift mvaiPd. 137 
 
 the Soul begins to have Ibme Longings to be 
 with him, to behold his Glory. Bur, Reader, is 
 it thus with thee? Haft thou found him putting 
 in his Hand by the Hole of thy Door, till thy 
 Bowels have Moved towards him (/). What is 
 it that hath the greateft lhare in thy Affe&ions, 
 the World or Chrift? What wouldeft thou chufe 
 if it was left to thee ? Suppofe the Pomp and 
 Grandeur of this World was put into one Scale, 
 and Chrift, yea, a naked defpifed Chrift, in the 
 other Scale a , which wouldeft thpu chufe? Allure 
 thy felf, If none but Chrift will fatisfie thee, 
 thou fhalt have him : Yea, thou haft him alrea- 
 dy, thPu canft not mifs of an Intereft in him, 
 that haft fo Dear a Love for him: Whoever pe- 
 rilhes, thou canft not. Can we once think that 
 when Chrift comes to Judge the World at the 
 laft Day, that he will Sentence that Soul to 
 Hell, to be for ever feparated from him, who 
 bore fo Dear a Love to him, that he could have 
 almoft have leaped into Hell, if there he could 
 but have enjoyed more Intimacy with him ? Can 
 we fuppole that he caufed this Love-Sickneis, 
 that fo the Soul fhould Die of that Difeafe? 
 No fure, our deareft Love to him, is the 
 ftrongeft Argument of our Intereft in him* and 
 one that will not eafily be confuted. See then 
 if thy Heart is Single for Chrift, fee if thou 
 haft given a Bill of Divorce to all other Lo- 
 vers, and haft lent them away. Haft thou ta- 
 ken him for thy Portion and exceeding great 
 Reward ? Art thou refolv’d to abide with him, 
 and for him, and never to leave him? Iffo, chear 
 up fweet Soul, his Love is as Dear to thee as 
 
 thine 
 
1 3 8 Chrifi the moft Excellent : 
 
 thine can be to him, Hcf 3. 3. But if thou haft 
 mot feen him to be lovely, yea, moft lovelv, if 
 thou haftӣeen made to count all- things but Dung 
 for him (g\ thou haft Caufe to queftion whether 
 thou haft an Intereft in him •, for to them that 
 believe he is precious (h). The Carnal World do 
 not fo much Slight him, but the Saints do as 
 much Prize him •, and while to the former he is 
 a Stone of Stumbling, to the latter he is the 
 Foundation Stone ^ he that is nothing at all to the 
 one, is ail in all to the other: And tho : the one 
 will not part with a Luft for him, yet the other 
 had rather part with their Lives for him, thaa 
 lole him. 
 
 3. Try your Intereft in him by your earneft 
 Defires and Endeavours after a univerlal Confor- 
 mity to him. Chrift will be a King to Rule 
 where he is a Prieft to Save: The Blood and the 
 Water muft go together. I do not fay the Saints 
 are free from all Infirmities ^ yet for any to de- 
 light in Sin, or to be frequently overcome by Sin, 
 is a fad fign of a Chriftlefs Soul. Sin and Chrift 
 are thofe Two Mahers which no Man can ferve 
 at the fame time $ he that loves Chrift, cannot 
 but hate Sin, that is fo contrary to him. When 
 Chrift becomes fweet to a Soul, Sin will be bit- 
 ter : When once a Soul comes to look by Faith 
 unto a Dying Jefus, and fees how much he Buf- 
 fered, and for what, when it fees he was wound- 
 ed for Tranfgreflion, and bruifed for Sin, O! 
 How it fills the Soul with the greateft Abhorrence 
 of Sin, and with the ftrongeft Refolutions againfc 
 it. And now the Soul begins to reafon thus. Shall 
 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unwitd, 1 39 
 
 I fin and crucifie the Lord atre!b, and put him to 
 open Shame? Shall 1 give him more Gall and Vi- 
 negar to drink ? God torbid 5 how can I do this 
 and fin againft To Dear a Redeemer, and againft 
 fuch Dying Love ? How can 1 do any thing againft 
 him that hath done fb much for me? And thus 
 to hate and farfake Sin, is a Scripture Sign of a 
 Man in Chrift, and the contrary a black Mark of 
 one that is in the Gall of Bitternefs, and Bonds 
 of Iniquity. Such only are the Bleffed Ones, 
 which hear the Word of God , and keep it , Luke 
 ir. 28. If any Man be in Cbriji he is a new 
 Creature , 2 Cor. 5. 17. Chrift is afhamed of 
 fuch as profefs them Pelves Chriftians, and yet do 
 not walk as he walked. Luke 6 . 4 6. And. why 
 call ye me , Lord^ Lord , and do not the Things 
 which I fay ? As if he had laid. Either obey me * 
 as your Lord, or elfe do not mock me with fuch 
 a Title. And as Chrift is afhamed of fuch 
 here, fo neither will he own them hereafter, but 
 will fay. Depart from me , ye Workers of Iniquity 
 (i). I know not whence you are. As Chrift will 
 not fave any Soul for its Holinels, fo neither will 
 he fave any but fuch as he makes Holy. tieb. 1 2. 1 4. 
 Pollow Peace with all Men , and Holinefs , without 
 which no Man / hall fee the Lord. Such as are 
 not by Grace made meet for Heaven, will never 
 be found to have a good Tide thereunto. Such 
 as are not made in fomc Meafure conformable to 
 Chrift, fhall never come in for a Share of thofe 
 fpecial Priviledges and Benefits purchafed' by him. 
 Chrift the Righteous Judge will certainly reward 
 I every Man according to bis Work \ to them who 
 by patient Continuance in Well-doing feek for Glo- 
 
 K ry. 
 
 (0 13.35, 25,27.' 
 
140 Chri§l the moSt Excellent : 
 
 ry, and Honour , and Immortality, Eternal Life : 
 But unto them that are Contentious, and do not 
 obey the Truth , but obey TJnrighteoufnefs, Indig- 
 nation , and Wrath , 8tc (k ). The Wages of Sin it 
 Death ( /). Such as fovo to the Tlejh Jhall of the 
 Tlefh reap Corruption (m ). Let none therefore 
 deceive themfelves with Hopes that they believe 
 in Chrift, whofe Lives are not conformable to 
 him ; for Faith without Works is dead (n), and 
 evidently proves fuch to be in a dead State in 
 whom it is found. A good Tree cannot bring 
 forth evil Fruit (o') , nor dare a Saint continue in 
 Sin that Grace may abound (p) •, yea, let me add, 
 a Perfon who is truly gracious he will not only 
 obey God in fome Precepts, but will endeavour to 
 obey him in all things : He not only will hate and 
 forfake fome Sins, but will to his utmoft Power 
 oppofe all Sin, Pfal. 119. 104. As every Sin is 
 contrary to the Nature of Chrift, fo alio to the 
 Nature of every Chriftian, fo far as he is re- 
 newed j and as the Commiffion of One Sin lays 
 th2t Man obnoxious to Wrath, that is under the 
 Covenant of Works, fo the Approbation of One 
 known Sin proves that Perfon to be under the 
 Covenant of Works. Freely to confent to any 
 known Sin, proves there is in our Hearts a Love to 
 all Sins. A Saint who is truly interefted in 
 Chrift can fay as David, Pfal. 2 6. 12. My Foot 
 jlandeth in an even Place, to fignifie that he did 
 not halt in God’s Ways. Yea, let me fay this, a 
 Child of God dare not allow himfelf to live in the 
 lea ft Sin * for as we hate a Toad, not fo much for 
 itsBignels as its Nature * and the nearer it comes to 
 
 us, 
 
 ( k ) Rom. 2. 7, 8, p, 10. (/) Rom. 6 . 23. (m) Gal, 6 , 8, 
 
 (n) Jam. 2. 20. ( 0 ) Matt. 12. 33, 35. ip) Rom. 6. r. 
 
Or> The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 141 
 
 us, the more our Hearts rife againft it : So in this 
 Cafe a Saint hates Sin in others, but more in him- 
 felf : A Saint will tremble to fee this Viper fatten 
 on his Hand, but more to feel it creep into his 
 Bofom. This made the Blefled Paul fo cry out 
 of his Body of Death, Rom. 7. 24. Tho 5 none could 
 accufe him for that, yet he comes in as a Witnefs 
 againft himfelf. Thus you have heard how we 
 may judge of our Intereft in Chrift by our Con- 
 formity to him, by doing what he commands, 
 'and by hating and forfaking what he forbids. But, 
 Reader, is it thus with thee ? Art thou willing to 
 cut off a Right Hand, and to pluck out a Right 
 Eye (7), at Chrift’s Command ? Canft thou fay 
 in Sincerity to every Idol of thy Heart, Get ye 
 hence, what have I to do any more with Idols (r) > 
 Canft thou fay, Chrift is that One Lover thou haft 
 Efpouled, and after him will I go > And art thou 
 yielding thy felf to the Lord in a humble and 
 holy Walk ? Is the Law of God written in thy 
 Heart (f) ? And art thou conforming thereto in all 
 things in thy Life? If fo, thou haftReafon to 
 take Comfort as One that is interefted in this 
 Lovely Jefus ; but not elfe. But that I may not 
 wound them that God would have me heal, I mult 
 add One neceffary Caution, which is, that you 
 do not conclude you are Strangers to Chrift meer- 
 ly becaufe of fome Infirmities, which you are 
 mourning for, and groaning under: For if none 
 fhould be found to be in Chrift but fuch as are 
 wholly free from Sin, where is the Man that will 
 get to Heaven ? Even the Bleffed Paul not only 
 complains of his Body of Death, but alfo of a 
 Thorn in the Flelh, which perhaps might be 
 K 2 fome 
 
 (?) Matt. 5. 2?. (r) Hof, 14. 8. ffj Jer. 31. 35, 
 
142 , Chrift the mofl Excellent : 
 
 fome Infirmity or Sin he found himfelf in Dan- 
 ger to be overcome by. God is pieafed for wile 
 Ends to fuffer it thus to be * but know for thy 
 Comfort, if thou mourneft for thele Infirmities 
 as Paul did, if thou prayed and ftrivelt again!! 
 them, and Ihunneft all Temptations and Occafions 
 leading thereunto, thou may’ll be Dear to Chrift 
 norwith (landing : He may hate thy Failings, and 
 yet dearly love thy Perfon. When Peter through 
 the Violence of a Temptation had fallen into Sin, 
 tho’ the Sin was great, and attended with aggra- 
 vated Circumlfances, yet it being fo contrary to 
 his Defign, how tenderly doth Chrift carry it to 
 him i And inftead of threatening him with Hell 
 and Damnation, only looks upon him with a 
 loving and compalfionate Look (/). As if he 
 had laid. Poor Peter , is' this the End of thy 
 Vows and Promifes? Which Look melted poor 
 Peters Eleart. He that hath made it our Duty 
 to reftore fuch as are overtaken with a Fault, 
 will not calf off his People for every Fault $ no, 
 the Covenant of Grace is better ordered than fo. 
 I lhall Illuftrate the Point in Hand thus, A Ma- 
 iler goes a Journey, and defigniog to be ablent 
 fome time, he calls his Servant, and commits the 
 Care of his Goods unto him, and gives him a 
 ftri£l Charge to watch j the Servant does fo; but 
 by and by the Houfe is befet with Thieves * the 
 Servant cries out with, all his Might, Good 
 Neighbours help, or I lhall be overcome but 
 finding no Help come, he refolves to encounter 
 with them himfelf, and to make the moll Vigo- 
 rous Refinance he can in his own Strength, and 
 doth fo : But they being many to One, the Houfe 
 
 is 
 
 (0 Luke 22 . 6 r. 
 
Or , The Glory of Chrifi unvaiTd . 14 3 
 
 is broke open, the Matter receives much da- 
 mags', his Goods are rifled, and the Servant lyes 
 groaning and bleeding of the Wounds he hath 
 received, and almoft ready to give up the Ghoft : 
 At laft the Matter returns, who finds his Houfe 
 broke open, his Goods gone, his Servant forely 
 wounded^ who tells him a mournful Story, how 
 he cried for Help, but finding none, did theut- 
 rnoff he could to fecure his Matter’s Houfe and 
 himfelf} but being overpowered by the Enemies, 
 he received thefe Wounds. Now can we luppofe 
 this Matter to lay any more upon this Servant ? 
 How cruel would he be to beat fuch a Servant, or 
 to turn him out of his Service on this Account? 
 Nay, have we not Caufe to believe that any Ma- 
 tter in fuch a Cafe (efpecially a good Man) would 
 take Care to bind up his Wounds gently, and be 
 at any Charge for his Cure ? Have wenotGround 
 to believe that inttead of Correcting his Servant 
 he would highly Commend him, and fay, Well 
 done Good and Faithful Servant ? Would he not 
 judge him (fill fit to be in the Family, tho’ he 
 was overcome, lince he did his utmoft to preferve 
 his Matter’s Goods and himfelf from thefe 
 Wounds ? Sure if he fbould not carry it 
 he would difeover himfelf more cruel 
 ciful than the Thieves. "S^s, 
 
 To apply this now to ourjtoefent C 
 is gone to receive a Kingdom, with a Promife 
 after fome time to return •, me^a while he gives 
 the Soul a Charge to watch againft Sin, and to 
 fhun all Temptations : The poor Believer doth lp, 
 but by and by Temptations befet the Soul, and Siri 
 lyeth at the Door ready to get in upon every Oc= 
 cafion } the believing Soul being fenlible thereof, 
 and fearing he fhould be overcome, feeing himfelf 
 K 3 furrounded 
 
 : fo to him, 
 unmer- 
 
 Chrift 
 
144 thrift the mott Excellent : 
 
 lurrounded on every Side, begins to make moft 
 pitiful Moan, and earneftly, and with many 
 Tears, fends up ftrong Cries for Help : Saith the 
 poor Soul, I can go nowhere, do nothing, but I 
 am in Danger of being overcome by Sin : If I am 
 but employed in my Trade, in Buying or Selling, 
 I there meet with a Temptation to lie or to deal 
 unjuftly ; Lord, help! If I fee or hear Sin com- 
 mitted by others, inftead of reproving for it, and 
 being vexed and grieved for it, my wicked Heart 
 is ready to be pleafed with it j Lord, help ! If I 
 hear my felf but reviled by others, tho’ for Jefus 
 lake, /inftead of rejoicing that I am counted wor- 
 thy to futfer Shame for his Name, I am tempted 
 to revile again, or elfe ftudy to be revenged upon 
 them * and inftead of forgiving them, am ready 
 to rejoice at any Evil that befalsthem; Lord, 
 help ! If I find Providence fmiling upon me, and 
 worldly Wealth increafing, inftead of loving God 
 the more for his Goodnels, and improving my 
 Ipare Time for his Glory, and in his Service, I am 
 ready to be too much in Love with thefe Things, 
 and to grow flat and cold in my Love to God, -and 
 in the Performance of his Service ; Sweet Jefus, 
 help ! On the other Hand faith the Soul, If I 
 want but fuch Things as I fee others injoy •, if I 
 am Poor, and others Rich, inftead of being thank- 
 ful for what I have, and being contented in my 
 prefent Stare * inftead of believing all Things 
 fhall work together for Good, and that God will 
 never leave me, nor forfake me, I am ready at 
 once to envy others, and to have fuch Thoughts 
 of God as I ought not to have; Son of David, 
 help ! If God lay but his heavy Hand upon me 
 in fome AffliQion, as Pain, or Sickneis, tbo’ in 
 Love to my Soul, yet inftead of being patient 
 
 under 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail’d. 145 
 
 under his Rod, as knowing he hath afflifted me 
 lefs than my Iniquities have deferved, I am like 
 a Heifer unaccuftomed to the Yoak, and ready to 
 faint when tried-, Lord, help! If I excel but 
 Others in Grace or Parts, tho 5 1 have nothing but 
 what I have received, yet inftead of being thank- 
 ful to that God that made me to differ, I am 
 ready to difdain others, and to have high-fwel- 
 ling Thoughts of my felf ; Sweet Jefus, help ! 
 If 1 go to an Ordinance, and there hear a Sermon 
 Powerfully Preached, enough to break a Heart of 
 Stone, yet I fometimes come away cold and dead, 
 and forget almoft all within a few Hours, and re- 
 main an unprofitable Hearer \ Lord, help ! If 
 worldly Concerns crowd in, I am ready to omit 
 fome Duties, or to be hafty in the Performance of 
 them, and to make the greater Concerns, give 
 way to the leffer ; Lord, help ! If I fee (faith 
 the Soul) a dark Cloud gathering over the 
 Church, and that I am like to be called to a fuf- 
 fering Condition, I am ready through Unbelief 
 to be at my Wit’s End, for fear I fliould never 
 hold out j Son of David, help! And yet after all 
 thefe Cries for Help, the poor Soul is overtaken by 
 Sin : But will Chrift caft off fuch a Soul ? No, 
 Purely *, for tho’ fuch Pleas would avail nothing 
 under the Law, yet much under the Golpel, 
 which takes Notice of what is good, but over- 
 looks what is evil. But fo much by Way of 
 Trial. 
 
 2 . Ufe (hall be by Way of Reproof to Teveral 
 
 Sorts of Perfons. 
 
 1 . If Chrift is fuch a Glorious and Excellent. 
 Perfon as you have heard he is, this then reproves 
 fuch as are unconcerned about him, who neither 
 regard his Excellencies nor their own JNeceliities, 
 
 but 
 
1 4 6 Chrifi the moft Excellent : 
 
 but mike light of him, and flight thofe Means 
 which God hath appointed and in which he is 
 wont to reveal him unto the Soul. One would 
 think that every Soul which hath but heard of 
 what is in Chrift, and hath believed the Report 
 fhould be reftlels till they could lee them Pelves 
 mterefted in him, till they could find Chrift in 
 them the Hope of Glory, and that they Ihould 
 never give Sleep to their Eyes, nor Slumber to 
 their Eyelids (7;), till they could fay. This is my 
 beloved, and this is my Friend. One would 
 think that wherefoever the Gofpel is Preached 
 there fhould be flocking from every Quarter/# ) 
 like Dov s to the Windows (ttf $ and that every 
 Family Ihould come with their Young and with 
 their Old, and not One Hoof left behind ; and 
 that no Bufinefs fhould be a Hindrance from this 
 great Concern. One would think this Ihould put 
 every Chrifllefs Soul upon wreftling with' God, 
 wi h Tears and Supplication for an Int'erdt in 
 him : But alas! alas! we find the contrary. 
 How many are there in the World Strangers to 
 Chrift, and yet no more concerned about him 
 than if there was no Beauty or Excellency in him? 
 They Pearce think it worth the while to go' a 
 Mile or Two to hear a Sermon $ no, nor perhaps 
 to go out of their Door to wait upon him : They 
 care nor for hearing his Voice, or that he fhould 
 hear theirs, but think thfem&lves heft when fur- 
 theft from him, and them the only Fools that 
 r ?pend fo much Time in enquiring after him : 
 But Cure fueh are worthy of a fevere Reproof 
 who thus tra triple this Sweet Rode of Sharon un- 
 der Foot s who no more regard him than if he 
 
 wa$ 
 
 ' ’ ( v ) p f- 1 3 2 ‘ 2 > 3 A> 5 - 1. 45. (*; //a. <J 0 . g. 
 
Or, The Glory of Chri ft unvail'd. 147 
 
 was the very Filth and Off-fcouring of all Things. 
 Sure Chrift deferves better Behaviour from them. 
 How will the Queen of the South rife up againlf 
 fuch and condemn them, who came from the ut- 
 moft Parts of the Earth to hear the Wifdom of 
 Solomon , while thofe refuie to come out of their 
 Doors to hear of One far Greater and Wifer than 
 he ? Matt. 12. 42. v 
 
 2. It reproves fuch as are more concerned and 
 taken up about other Things than about Chrift. 
 
 It Men were as carelefs about other Things as they 
 are about Chrift, this would not excufe their 
 Negleft of him •, but to be fQ diligent in other 
 Matters, and mean while neglcft him, muft needs 
 be an Aggravation of their Crime. As there is 
 a Tranfcendent Excellency to be found in Chrift, 
 which is not to be found in any Thing befide 
 him, fo God requires that it fhould be Our greateft 
 Concern to make fure of an Interefi in him ; and 
 that we fhould firft feek the Kingdom of God, 
 and the Righteoufnefs thereof (x). But alas, 
 how few fuch are there? How many are like thofe 
 that were fo taken up about their Wives, Farms, 
 and Merchandize, that they had no time, or ra- 
 ther no Heart, to come to the Great Supper ? O! 
 how many have their Hands, Heads, and Hearts, 
 taken up about the World? They toil and labour 
 to grow Rich ; how do they rife early, and fic 
 up late, and eat the Br^ad of Carefulnefs, and 
 all to gain uncertain Riches which make them- 
 felves Wings, and fly away, and in the mean 
 time negleft the Pearl of great Prize. If they 
 thrive in the World, O how menv! if they de- 
 cay in the World, how deje&ed! and yer un- 
 •' ' ’ concerned 
 
 Math 6.7, 3 . 
 
1 48 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 concerned about the State of their Souls. If they 
 have but any Diftemper of Body, O how they 
 run to Phyficians ^ but care not for coming to 
 Chrift, the great Phyfician, for to cure their dif- 
 eafed Souls. And thus other Things are more 
 regarded than Chrift. But Oh! what egregious 
 Folly and Madnefs is this to be cumbered thus 
 about many ^Things, and to negleft one Thing 
 more neceftary than all thefe (y) ? Thus to la- 
 bour for the Meat that perifhes, and to negleft 
 that which endureth to Eternal Life (z) > This is 
 as if a Man having his Houfe on Fire, in which 
 there was One Jewel of great Prize, fhould negleft 
 that, and fpend all his time in getting out the 
 Lumber till the Jewel was loft. Surely fuch as 
 thefe do highly undervalue Chrift, while they 
 can find time to mind every thing but Chrift : As 
 if Houfes and Land, Silver and Gold, were of 
 more Worth than he. That which a Man is moft 
 concerned about, any one will fuppofe is of the 
 higheft Efteem to that Perfon * for common Pru- 
 dence will direct a Man to take moft Care of 
 that which he judges moft Valuable. And fhould 
 we judge fo in this Cafe, what Contempt do fuch 
 caft on Chrift who prefer thefe low and mean 
 Things before him •, as if thefe perifhing Enjoy- 
 ments had a greater Excellency in them, than is in 
 him •, while Chrift ftands by negle&ed, and thefe 
 are fo eagerly purfued. And more efpecially if 
 we confider that Chrift may in a Senfe be had 
 upon eafier Terms than the World. The World 
 often flees fb faft from them that do moft eagerly 
 purfue it, that they can never, while they live, 
 overtake it ^ while mean time Chrift ftands at the 
 
 Door 
 
 OJ Luk. e to* 41, 42. (0 J^ n & 2 7 * 
 
Or, The Glory of Chriji unvail'd. 149 
 
 Door and knocks (a). Chrift may be had for 
 putting out the Hand of Faith, without Money or 
 Price * yea, Sinners are earneftly wooed and be- 
 feeched (b) to embrace him : And therefore to 
 prefer thefe things before Chrift, when he may 
 be had upon fuch Terms, is a high Contempt caft. 
 upon him* and that for which they are worthy 
 ot‘ a fevere Reproof, efpecially if to what hath 
 been fpoken, I add the uncertainty of thofe En- 
 joyments which they prefer before him: When 
 they have gained them with the greateft Dili- 
 gence, they are not fure of their continuance 
 one Day. We Read of that Rich Man that had 
 fo much he knew not where to beftow his Goods, 
 unlefs he pluck’d down his Barns, and built gra- 
 ter-, but behold! While he is purpofing to pluck 
 them down, God plucks him down •, and that 
 which he thought would have fufficed for many 
 Years, cannot be enjoyed by him one Day. So , 
 faith Chrift, is be that layeth up Treafure for 
 bimfelf and is not rich towards God , Luke 1 2. 
 21. But now they that are once interefted in 
 Chrift, (hall always be fo ; they have chofen 
 that good Part which ftiill never be taken from 
 them. As this fweet Rofe of Sharon wither- 
 eth not, fo neither will he ever fail or forfake 
 them that truft in him : And yet for thefe 
 corruptible things to be Regarded and Efteem* 
 ed more than he, is high Contempt of him. 
 
 3. It reproves fuch as will not part with a, 
 Luft for him:, like thofe Gaderens , who preferred 
 their filthy Swine more (c ) than Chrift. Such as 
 thefe have a greater refpeft for the Devil than 
 for him. If they are fo worthy to be reproved, 
 
 who 
 
 (a) Rev. 3, ?o. (b) 2 Cor. 5 . 20. (c) Matt. 8. 32 . 33 . 34 . 
 
150 Chrift the mo ft Excellent : 
 
 who prefer things in themfelves lawful more 
 than Chrifh, how much more they who pre- 
 fer the greateft Evil rather than him. 
 The more Vile and Contemptible that 
 is which any do Efteem more than Chrift, 
 the greater is the Contempt fuch call: upon him. 
 Now what is viler than Sin ? What worfe than the 
 Devil > There is not fo much fpoken in Scripture 
 to fer forth the Glory and Excellency of 'Chrift, 
 hut there is as much fpoken to fet forth the 
 Vilenefs and Odioufnefs of Sin-, and yet many have 
 a greater Love for Sin than for Chrift. One will 
 not leave his Drunkennefs, another will not leave 
 his Swearing, and Uncleannefs, tho’ they are 
 feparated for thofe things from Chrift for ever. 
 If Chrift will fave them in their Sins he may, 
 but if they cannot have Chrift but they muft part 
 with their Sins for him. then farewel Chrift ; like 
 the Jews, who defired that Chrift might be Cru- 
 cified , rather than that Robber Barrabas 
 id). If the Devil doth but call, they run, 
 and are his Humble Servants ^ if he faith, do 
 this wickednefs, thev do it; if he ftirs them up 
 to do that which will ruin their Eftates, impair 
 their Health, and blaft their Reputation, and 
 without infinite Mercy bri .g them to Eternal Woe 
 and Mifery. yet they will readily obey him, 
 tho’ they Dfe f> r it. But if Chrift com- 
 
 mand, or intreats them to forfake Sin, they will 
 not do it, unlefshe puts forth a mighty Power to 
 caufe them fo to do. But what will fuch 
 
 Wretches fay in the Day of Account? What 
 palenefs of Face, what trembling of Joints, will 
 
 . feize 
 
 (d) John 18 . 40 . 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unveil'd. 1 5 I 
 
 feize fuch, when it is proved again# them that 
 they have had more Love for Sin, and Satan, 
 than for Chrift? Reader, is not this thy Cafe? 
 Art rot thou the Man I am fpeakirg to? Doth 
 not thy Confcience reprove thee in this Matter ? 
 Art thou not like that wicked Herod, , who pre- 
 ferred a wanton Dance before the Head of John 
 Baptijl (&)? Do# thou not hug lome DuUiat) 
 in thy Bofom, while Chrift ftands at thy Door 
 and knocks? Doft thou not hid more delight in 
 committing Sin, than thou doft in Chrift? If thou 
 doft, take fhame to thy Dlf for calling Con- 
 tempt in fo high a Manner upon this Glorious 
 Penon, and lee that you Honour Dim more 
 for the time to come, left overlaying Shame 
 and Contulion do at laft cover thee. 
 
 4. It Reproves fuch as do fet themfelves di- 
 re£tly to oppofe him, and who do feek the 
 Ruin of his Intereli here in the World. One 
 would think, conhdering what an excellent Per- 
 fon he is, that the World fhould not produce 
 fuch a Monfter; but with Lamentation be it fpo- 
 ken,. there are many fuch, and that even where 
 Chrift is Preached who not only make light of 
 him, and prefer other things before him, but do 
 all they can to oppofe him. Like thole Huf- 
 bandmen we Read of, who when they fa_w the 
 Son, r.ot only refuled to give him of the Fruit 
 of the Vineyard, but faid, let us Kill him. To 
 this purpole the Pfalmift fpeaks, Pfal. 2. 2, 3. 
 The Kings of the Earth fet ihemfelves , and the 
 Rulers take Counfel together again ft the Lord , 
 and againfl'his Anointed . , &c. There are Two 
 Ways whereby Sinners may be faid in_a fpecial 
 
 manner 
 
 (e) Matt* 14. 6 . 10. 
 
 nsr*i 
 
152 Chrifi the tnofi Excellent • 
 
 manner to oppofe Chrift, (i.j By a wilful tranf- 
 greifing of his Law. Chrift matters not Com- 
 pliments, he is a King, and expefts to be obey- 
 ed • nor will he own any as his Friends, but 
 fuch as do obey him. And as for any to 
 violate a Law Signed by a Prince, is to oppofe 
 rhe Prince * fo to Aft wilfully contrary to Chrift’s 
 Law, is to oppofe him, and to do all we 
 can to dethrone him. And yet how many fuch 
 are there, who not only for want of love to 
 Chrift, prefer Sin before him, but Sin out of 
 Spight and Oppofition to him ? Who love Sin 
 becaufe he hates it; and commit it becaufe he 
 forbids it. As ’tis faid, Luke 19. 14. But bis 
 Citizens hated him, and fent a Mejfage after him , 
 faying , we will not have this Man Reign over 
 us. Thus Sinners not only difobey Chrift, but 
 alfo hate him -, and their hatred is the Caufe of 
 their Difbbedience. ( 2. ) Such do oppofe Chrift, 
 as do oppofe the People of Chrift •, fuch as are 
 the Perfecutors, and the mocking Ifhmaels of 
 our Age, who not only refolve to be as Wick- 
 ed as they can themfelves, but Mock and Scoff 
 at fuch as will not run to the fame excefs of 
 Riot , freaking Evil of them , 1 Pet. 4. 4. Thefe 
 are not only Enemies to this King himfelf, but 
 to all his Friends; and would not have him 
 have one Loyal Subjeft in the World if they 
 could help it. How hard a Matter is it for a 
 faithful Servant of Chrift to pafs the Streets 
 without being Derided? But let fuch know they 
 do herein oppofe Chrift; and ’tis for his Sake 
 they meet with fuch oppofition from the World; 
 What is done againft the Saints in this Nature, 
 Chrift takes as done to himfelf, Ads p. 4. Saul, 
 Saul, why Rerfecutejl thou me ? A parallel Text, 
 
 Luke 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrifi unvaifd. 153 
 
 Luke 10. 1 6. He that De/pifeth you , Defpifeth 
 me. And Cure fuch as ihefe are worthy of 
 fevere Reproof from the Do&rine I am upon. 
 And tho’ God may fuffer theie things for a 
 while, yet he himfelf will at la ft reprove for 
 thofe Sins, and will fet them in Order before 
 fuch as are Guilty hereof, and will make them 
 know, tho’ Hand join’d in Hand, they (hall not 
 go unpunilhed. Such as fet themfelves thus 
 againft the Lord , and againft his_ Anointed, 
 may Read their Doom, Pfal. 2. 9. Thou Jhalt 
 break them with a Rod of Ire n, thou jhalt da(h 
 them in pieces like a Potters Veffel. And O ! 
 With what Weight will that Iron Rod fall? 
 How ftrong will the Bonds be that one Day 
 will bind thefe Mockers (/) ? Chrift will fure- 
 ly vindicate his own People, in the utter Ruin 
 and Deftru&ion of fuch as have been their 
 Perfecuters , except they Repent. Never any 
 thus hardened themfelves againft him, and his 
 People, and profpered. He will make his Ene- 
 mies know, that he which toucheth his People, 
 toucheth the Apple of his Eye (g). ’Tis plea- 
 fant to conlider how God hath Efpoufed his 
 Peoples Quarrels, and even in this Life hath 
 fingled out fuch as have Perfecuted or Re- 
 proached them. When even thofe little Chil- 
 dren Reproached the Prophet, what a Judgment 
 befel them? 2 Kings 2. 23, 24. Let this be a 
 warning to Children. 
 
 Thus you Read of that proud Enemy Pharaoh , 
 who opprefled the People of God, and laid hea- 
 vy Burdens on them j but what got this Wretch 
 in the end ? God Conquers him by contemptible 
 
 Flies 
 
 if) lf*> 28. 22. (,i) Zech. 2 . 8. 
 
1 5 4 Chrift the moftr Excellent : 
 
 Flies and Frogs, and at laft Drowns him and 
 his Holt in the Red Sea, when he thought him- 
 felf Cure of his Prey. Wh3t got thole Accu- 
 fers ot Daniel? Dan. 6. 24. We Read alio, 
 how that wicked Eelfhazzar , who was drinking 
 Wine out of the Veffels that were wont to lerve 
 at God’s Altar, while no doubt the People of 
 God were Mourning to' lee thofe Sacred V effels 
 put to fuch a prophane ufe, and to fee the Houfe 
 of God plundered : But oblerve, the lame Hour he 
 fees a Hand-writing on the Wall, which makes 
 him Itand Trembling, and his Joints fmite one 
 againft another, and that Night was he Slain, 
 Dan. 5. Thus God is wont to deal with his Peo- 
 ples Enemies in the rime of his Anger. One 
 lnlbnce more we have, Atts 12. at large; you 
 Read in the beginning how Herod had killed 
 James, and proceeded to take Peter, as if he 
 had fa id, I’ll warrant you I’ll clear the World 
 of ’em by degrees: But obferve, when he was 
 in the higheft of his Glory, the Angel of the 
 Lord fmote him : As if he had fa id, Take that 
 for Imprifoning my Dear Servant Peter , and for 
 Killing my Servant James. And it is obfervable, 
 that whereas others ulually give up the Ghoft 
 firft, and then are eaten of the Worms, he firft is 
 eaten of Worms, and then gives up the Ghoft, 
 that others might Hear and Tremble to do as he 
 had done. And fuch as will not take warning 
 by thofe things, let them beware left God take 
 them away wirh his Stroke, for he ordaineth his 
 Arrows againft the Perjecutors , Pfal. 7. 12, 1 3. 
 Chrift will oppole them that oppofe him and 
 his Intereft; he muft Reign rill all his Enemies 
 are made his Footftool: And if fuch as only 
 negleft Chrift lhall not go unpunilhed , what 
 
Or, The Glory ofChrifl unvail d. 1 5 5 
 
 will become of them that thus fpit as it were in 
 his Beautiful Face ? Sure fuch will fink even in- 
 to the very Loweft Place of the Bottomlels 
 p ir: 
 
 The Third life (hall be to draw fome Infe- 
 rences from the Doctrine. 
 
 tirji Inference. Is Chrift fuch an Excellent and 
 Glorious Perion as you have heard ? Then how un- 
 fpeakably, yea, unconceivably great is the Love 
 of the Father in beftowing fuch a Perfon, and in 
 fuch a Way and Manner, upon fuch unworthy 
 Creatures as we are i For look as among Men, 
 the greater the Kindnefs is, and the more valua- 
 ble the Gift which any bellows, the greater we 
 fuppofe his Love to us to be who bellowed it 
 upon us j and if this Rule may hold good, then 
 in this the Love of the Father doth exceedingly 
 appear ; yea, more than if he had given to any 
 of us the whole World. As there is nothing in 
 this lower World comparable to Chrift, fo the 
 love of the Father doth in nothing fo difcover it 
 felf as in giving Chrift to us •, here he opens his 
 moft tender Bowels towards us. And therefore, 
 tho’ I have hitherro been fpeaking of the Excel- 
 lency of the Son, yet now I muft fpeak a little of 
 the Father’s Boundlels Love in fending him into 
 the World * and in a more efpeciai manner, in 
 giving him to any of us in a laving manner. It 
 was the Father that laid Help upon this Mighty 
 One; the Father Chofe him, If a. 42.1. the Fa-, 
 ther lent him ; and O ! what Love is this, to 
 fend the Son of his Dear Love that iay in his 
 Bofom ? John 3. 16. God fo loved the World , 
 that he gave his only Begotten Son , &c. So; 
 how ? Nay, he makes no Companion, be- 
 caufe none could be found, but leaves it to 
 
 L us 
 
1 5 6 Chrift the mo ft Excellent : 
 
 us to judge. Chrift did not come to procure 
 his Father’s Love to his Ele& by his Suffer- 
 ings $ no, it was the Father’s Love to them 
 that was the Caufe of his coming, and not his 
 coming the Caufe of the Father’s loving : If the 
 Father had not loved us, the Son had not died for 
 us : He came to fulfil his Father’s Will, and to 
 redeem thole whom the Father in tender Love 
 had given unto him before the World began. 
 The Father’s Love is the Spring of all our Happi- 
 nels •, and O how ftupendious is it ! How loon 
 may we be loft in our Meditations ol it ! What, 
 will God bellow this Rofe of Sharon, theSweeteft 
 Flower in the Heavenly Paradife, upon any of 
 us? Sure Abraham's offering up l/aac was never 
 fuch a Token of his Fear, as this is of God’s 
 Love to us. i John 4. 9, 10. In this is mam - 
 fefted the Love of God towards us, becauje that 
 God fent his only Begotten Son into the World , that 
 we might live through him. Herein is Love , not 
 that we loved God, but that he loved us , and fent 
 his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins. And 
 that God fhould bellow him freely too. If he 
 had not thus bellowed him on us as a Free Gift, 
 we mult have been for ever milerable * we could 
 never have purchafed this Pearl of great Price 
 with our fmall Stores. And yet more efpecially 
 if we confider on whom he bellows this Gift. If 
 a King hath an only Son that is Rich, Wile, 
 Beautiful, and Gracious, he can fcarce find one in 
 the World that he thinks good enough to match 
 his Son unto : But the’ there is that Excellency 
 to be found in Chrift which is not to be found in 
 any Creature in the World, yet God gives him to 
 fuch zsjmjg Rebels and Traitors. God faw all 
 the Ra^JinKfng into Hell, as the full Reward of 
 
 their 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 157 
 
 their Sin and Wickednefs, and then lent his Son 
 as a Ranfom to deliver us from going down into 
 the Pit. He faw what Man would do •, he well 
 knew how Vile. he would make himfelf; and yet 
 all this could not prevent him fending ot his Son. 
 And O ! what a wretched State doth he find the 
 Soul in, when he gives Chrift to it ? We are fo 
 far from having any thing in us to move God to 
 beftow him upon us, that there is that in us that 
 might juftly provoke him to abhor us. O 1 let 
 us admire this Love, that God lhould be in 
 Chrift reconciling the World unto himfelf •, this 
 can proceed from nothing but pure Grace and 
 Love. It could be no pleafant Thing to the Fa- 
 ther ( to confider the Thing in it felf ) to fee his 
 Dear and Only Son defpifed and reje&ed of Men- 
 to fee the Obje&s gathering themfelves together, 
 and fpurning Dirt, as it were, on his Beautiful 
 Face, till his Vjfage was more marred than any 
 of the Sons of Men ; nor to fee him mocked and 
 derided in his greareft Sufferings on the Crofs. 
 Much lefs can we fuppofe it delightful to the Fa- 
 ther (coniidered limply in it felt ) to wound and 
 bruife him with his own Hand, till Clods of Blood 
 Tun down to the Ground-, no furely, he was his 
 Dearly Beloved Son, even then when he hid his 
 Face from him. But fuch was his Love unto poor 
 loft and per idling Man, that he would make his 
 Son, this Glorious and Excellent Perfon you have 
 heard fo much of, to be miferable for a while, 
 rather than we fhould be miferable to Eternity : 
 He would rather his Son lhould fhed his moft 
 Precious Blood, than we lhould for ever lye wel- 
 tering in ours. O! how great was his Love in 
 ftriking his Dear Son rather than us 5 he feems, as 
 it were, to an Eye of Reafon to have a greater 
 
 L 2 Love 
 
15b thrift the molt Excellent : 
 
 Love for us than for him, while he mud die that 
 we might live * h« muft be wounded, that by his 
 Stripes we might be healed. Such was the Fa- 
 ther’s Love, that for our Sakes it p leafed him to 
 bruife his Son, Ifa. 53. 10. O Boundiefs Love! 
 O Bottomlefs Ocean ! That God (hould give his 
 Son, his own Son, his only Son, his dearly beloved 
 Son, his dutiful Son, and that was fo Incompa- 
 bly Excellent and Glorious, and that to fuch un- 
 worthy Duft and A(hes as we are. 
 
 Second Inference. Is Chrift fuch an Excellent 
 Perfon as you have beard > Then how great is his 
 condefcending Love to do whar he hath done for 
 fuch as we are > I have hinted fomewhat of the 
 Father’s Love, but we cannot fpeak too diftinftly 
 of thofe weighty Concerns : Confidering the vaft 
 Diftance between us and him, it m3y make us ad- 
 mire that he (hould take any Notice of us, or 
 concern himfelf about us. We fee among Men 
 how fcornfully the great Men look upon the mea- 
 ner Sort; and if they give them any thing, they 
 ufually lend it by the Hands of fome Servant. 
 What little Notice did Dives take oi Lazarus? 
 His Dogs Ihewed more Pity than he (h) they 
 lickel h s Sores ; and yet the Difference between 
 the Richeft Prince that fitteth upon the Throne, 
 and the Pooreft Beggar upon the Dunghil, is not 
 the Thoufandth Part fo great as it is between 
 Chrift and the higheft Prince. In the former the 
 Difference is but between Finite and Finite, be- 
 tween Creature and Creature, both Clay, only 
 one a little more refined than the other ; but in 
 the latter the Difference is between the Creator 
 and Creature, between which no Comparifon can 
 
 be 
 
 (}) Lvk$ 16 . 21 . 
 
Or , The Glory of Chrift unvaiPd. 159 
 
 be made* and yet notwithftanding the Difference 
 b ween £he Creatures is far lefs. What great 
 Condefcention would it be thought for a King to 
 Marry a Beggar in Rags? Yet this, and all the 
 Similitudes we can ufe, will come far fhort in let- 
 ting forth the Condefcention of Chrift towards us, 
 in doing what he hath done for us. What coulcj. 
 Chrift promife to himfelf as to meet Reward fat 
 his Kindnefs to us? If one great Man doth any 
 thing for another, he may hope forfome Amends ; 
 but what could Chrift promile to himfelf from 
 fuch Contemptible Creatures as we are ? And 
 fince he was never like to receive any Reward from 
 us, it was Infinite Love and Condefcention to take 
 any Notice of us ; and the more he hath done for 
 us, the more is his Condefcention to be admired 
 by us. And fure I am, as the Diftance is great 
 between us, fo his Kindnefs is as great which he 
 extends towards us. He laid down his Life for 
 his Sheep ; and what could he do more? Was it 
 ever known, think you, that a King Ihould die 
 for his meaneft Subjeft ? Yet when we were 
 without Strength , in due time Chrift died for 
 us (i). It is not without good Caufe that the 
 Prophet fo oft repeats that little Word OUR in 
 ifa. 53. 4, 5 Tis but a little Word, "but it 
 contains a great Wonder in it ; for tho* it feems 
 ftrange that fuch a Glorious Perfon fhould ever 
 ftp -at fuch a bitter Cup, I mean, that he fhould 
 be expofed to the leaft Suffering $ but more 
 ftrange that he fhould fuffer fiich great Things \ 
 but moft ftrange to confider for whom he fuf 
 fered. Sure this is the good Samaritan to cure 
 thofe Wounds vve had received by rebelling againft 
 L 3 him. 
 
 0 Km. 
 
160 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 him. 0 Stupendous Confideration ! that ever 
 our Sins fhould be done away by the Blood of 
 him that was the Mighty God *, and as if to fuf- 
 fer fo much from Men, and to die, had not 
 been a fufficient Demonftratlon of his Condefcen- 
 tion and Love to us, he goes yet lower, and en- 
 gages to be a Surety for us, and bears the Wrath 
 of God due for the Sins of the E!e£L What, 
 Hand in the Room of Sinners! This is the greateft 
 Wonder we hare yet feen. It is wonderful to 
 think what he luffered ; more wonderful to think 
 for whom $ but molt wonderful to think of the 
 true Caufe of his Sufferings. 2 Cor. 5. 21. For 
 be hath made him to be Sin for us. who knew no 
 Sin , &c. He was look’d upon really to be a Sin- 
 ner by Men, and really dealt with as if he had 
 been fuch by God himlelf. Ifa. 53. 6 And the 
 Lord hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all. We fee 
 fometimes great Men, if good, are afhamed to ap- 
 pear to plead for the Lives of their Children when 
 they have committed fome fcandalous Fault, or 
 notorious Villany : And no Wonder then if this 
 Glorious Perfbn had difdained to have been num- 
 bered with Tranfgreffors, or to die a Sacrifice for 
 Sin; the Juft for the Unjuft, to bring us to God. 
 Nor do we yet fee the urmcft of his Condefcen- 
 tion and Love, till we conlider the Nearnefs he 
 takes his People in to himfeif; he looks not up- 
 on himfelf as compleat, myftically confidered, 
 as feparate from his El eft, or any one of them, 
 notwithftanding his Glorious Excellency. Hence 
 the Church is laid to be the Fulnrfs of him that 
 fillcth all in all , Eph. 1. 23. ThatChrift fhould be 
 our Fulnels is not fo ftrange, becaufe it hath 
 plealed the Father that in him Ihould all Fulnefs 
 dwell, but that we that are fo poor and empty, 
 
 fhould 
 
Or, The Glory ofCbritt unvail d. 1 61 
 
 fhould be the fulnefs of him, is Matter of admi- 
 ration indeed ^ only let us beware of undemand- 
 ing it, as if we were his fulnefs in the fame 
 fence he is ours, for fuch Thoughts would be 
 Blafphemous : He fills us as we are empty, poor, 
 and indigene Creatures, but thus we are not his 
 fulnefs : But fuch is the nearnefs the Saints Hand 
 in to Chrift, and the dear Love he bears to them, 
 that he looks upon himfelf as Maimed, myftical- 
 ly eonfidered, if any one of his Members fhould 
 be wanting. This Glorious Perfbn feems to 
 Glory in his Spoufe, as if he had got feme ad- 
 vantageous Match (/£). Well might the Apoftle 
 lay , the Love of Chrift pafleth Knowledge, 
 lince all he hath done for us, and bellowed 
 upon us, muft be refolved into his Love to 
 us. As it was Love in the Father that moved 
 him to fend his Son, fo it was only Love in 
 the Son that made him overlook that vaft di- 
 ftance we were at from him, and make us thus 
 nigh. O! How ftrong were thofe Cords of 
 Love with which he drew us out of that 
 horrible Pit (/) ? And how low did this High 
 and Mighty One ftoop to reach us, and to 
 faften them unto us, when our Feet were 
 linking into the Miry Clay, even in that Pit 
 where there was no Water? Was it a thing 
 poffible, it would make us think that at once 
 he had forgotten his own Glory and Excellency, 
 and our Poverty and Ignominy. O amazing Sight ! 
 To fee as it were Dirt thrown in his Beautiful 
 Face, that fuch deformed Creatures as we might 
 be made comely. To fee him that was the 
 Son of the moft High God lye grovelling in the 
 
 L 4 Duft, 
 
 »■ » ■ ■■ — wrnmmmmwm wmpma O—— — 
 
 00 ?• (0 40. 2. ' 
 
102 Cbrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 Duft, that we poor Contemptible Creatures might 
 lift up our Heads with Joy. To lee him who 
 was the exprefs Image of his Father’s Perfon, 
 and that laid in his Bofom, come to lye in a . 
 Manger; that we who lay gafping for Life, 
 and weltering in our Blood, might at laft come 
 to lye in Abraham's Bofom. To fee him that 
 was wont to wear the Crown Royal of Hea- 
 ven, now wearing a fhameful Crown of Thorps * 
 that fuch as we; who had debafed our feive$ 
 even unto Hell' might wear a Crown of in 
 exceeding weight of Giory. To fee him that waS 
 the Prince of Glory, and King of the Kings of 
 the Earth, as it were for a while Gripping of him- 
 felf of his Robes of Glory, that we who had 
 no better covering than filthy Rags, might have 
 change of Raiment given us. To fee him who 
 was Life it felf die, that we who had long 
 laid rotting in the Grave of Sin might have 
 Life^ and might have it more abundantly. O 
 whither hath this condelcending Love carried 
 him ! We cannot well conceive, how he that was 
 fo high could be made lower, nor how we that 
 were lo low could be made higher. O the vaft 
 Mountains and Hills that lay between us and 
 Chrift! And yet Love brought him over all, and 
 that with the gre'ateft Delight. Cant. 2. 8 . The 
 Voice of my beloved , ■ behold he cometh leaping 
 ■upon the Mountains, skipping • upon the Hills : 
 Thole Mountains could not “keep Chrift from 
 us. So that now it may be Id id of the Saints, 
 as in Eph. 2. 13. But now in Chrift Jefus , ye that 
 were fometime ajar off, are novo made nigh by 
 the Blood, of Chrift. The Heavens are not high- 
 er above the Earth, than Chrift is above us •, nor 
 js the Eaft farther from the Weft, than we are 
 C. . naturally 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrifl unvail'd. i 63 
 
 naturally fromChrift, yet now made nigh : Now in 
 him, now Heirs, and Joint-heirs with him * now 
 Flefh of his Flelh, and Bone of his Bone •, we were 
 not lb far off before, but now by Grace we are as 
 nigh. We are now no more Strangers, but of 
 the Family and Houfhold of God (m). We that 
 once were feeding on Husks, have now through 
 (Thrift a Right to the Childrens Bread, But O! 
 Where is the Man that can dive to the bottom 
 of this Ocean, and tell us the depth of thole My- 
 fteries ? The Confideration of Chrift’s Cordelcen- 
 tion to us, and that near Relation we ftand in to 
 him, will be one of Heavens Wonders to all 
 Eternity, Rev. 21. 9. I will Jhovo thee the Bride, 
 the Lamb's Wife. As if he had faid, Behold a Won- 
 der indeed! Thole Glorious Creatures with Ali- 
 ning Crowns on their Heads were once Poor and 
 Miserable: They that are now Feafting with 
 their Lord, were once lying under the Hedges, 
 and in the Highways: They that now are all 
 in White v , were once as Black as now they are 
 White : They that riow aTe Singing, were once Sor- 
 rowful, and - this is the Lamb’s Wife. 
 
 Third Inference. Is (Thrift fuch a Glorious Perlon? 
 How provoking miift it be to God when we 
 tefufe to believe in him, and fo put the greateft 
 flight upon him > This was one great End of God’s 
 fending Ghrift into the World, that welhould be- 
 lieve in him, and that by believing we might 
 have Life through his Name : And it muft needs 
 be provoking to God, that when he hath lb dif- 
 covered his LoVe, as to lend this Glorious and 
 Excellent Perfon on this kind Errand, he Ihould 
 be flighted, and his Meflage difregarded. Look 
 l A v ‘ as 
 
 '■ j(m) Epb. a. ip. 
 
. 1 x 04 Chrift the mo]} Excellent : 
 
 as among Men, for any to put a flight upon a 
 Prince, is more heinous than to put a flight upon 
 a common Su'bjeU, and efpecialiy when the 
 Prince is loving and kind. And may we judge 
 of the greatnefs of the Sin of Unbelief, by the 
 Dignity of the Perfon whom we flight, and offend 
 hereby, we muft needs look upon this Sin to be 
 exceeding and above meafure finful : For we 
 had better put a flight upon all the Kings of the 
 Earth, than flight Chrift, forafmuch as he is far 
 above them all-, they being but SubjeUs at beft 
 unto this Supream King. And yet 1 fear this 
 Sin is but little regarded, or laid to Heart by 
 many * they think if they do not Swear, Steal, 
 or commit Adultery, or fome grofs and fcanda- 
 'lous Wickednefs, and efpecialiy if they live 
 Honeftly, and Wrong no Man, and keep to their 
 Church, or Meeting, then all muft needs be well ; 
 as for the Evil of Unbelief they fee nothing 
 of that, nor are they concerned about it. But 
 whatever low or light Thoughts fuch may have 
 of this Sin, who know not the Excellency of 
 him whom they reje£l, yet God knows hts 
 Son’s Excellencies, and therefore will not hold 
 fuch guiltlefsi nor will he fo lightly pals by 
 this Sin as fome may fuppofe. And know this, 
 whoever thou art that readeft, if this Charge 
 be brought in againft thee at the great Day, 
 it will be in vain to plead, God, 1 thank thee 
 I am not as other Men 5 I am no Swearer, no 
 Adulterer, &c. this IndiUment alone will be juft 
 caufe of thy Condemnation. O. when the Spi- 
 rit of God comes to difcover this Sin unto a 
 Soul, how great doth it appear ! John 16. 9. He 
 will reprove the World of Sin , v. 8, and v, 9. j 
 becaufe ye believe not in me : It may be read Con- 
 vince, 
 
Of, The Glory of Chrifk unvait d. 165 
 
 vince, and it fignifies fuch a Conviction as when 
 a Man’s Mouth is flopped, and he hath nothing 
 to anfwer for himfelf : And yet here is no Sin 
 mentioned but Unbelief this will be looked up- 
 on as a heavy Charge in the fight of God, 
 God hath in his Word teftified his fore Difplea- 
 lure againft fuch as are guilty of this Sin, as we 
 may gather from Matt. 21.33, to 4 1 - which 
 you may read at leifure and obferve, God for- 
 bears thofe wicked Husbandmen, while one of his 
 Servants is Stoned, another Killed-, at laft he 
 lends his Son, and knowing him to be fitch an 
 Honourable and Excellent Perfon, concludes (as 
 well he might) they will Reverence my Son-, 
 but when they had Slain him, he can bear no 
 longer, but falls upon them, and miferably de- 
 ftroys thofe Husbandmen. A Parallel Text you 
 have Luke 14. 16, to 22. Mind, among thofe 
 Guefs that refufed to come, here were no Swear- 
 ers, nor Drunkards, nor Sabbath- breakers, that 
 we know of, but good Honeft Induftrious Men, 
 as the World judge : Nor were they any of the 
 Clowns of that Age, but Well-bred Perfons, who 
 gave a very courteous Anfwer. We pray thee 
 have us excufed? As if they had faid, We take 
 the Invitation kindly at your Mafter’s Hand, 
 and doubt not but the Entertainment is Sump- 
 tuous, but it is a bufie time with us-, we 
 have Farms and Merchandize which muft not 
 be neglected, and therefore we pray thee have us 
 exculed. And yet you fee their Fair anfwer 
 could not excufe them), the Matter refolves that 
 not one of them that were bidden fhould tafle 
 of his Supper. He fends to fuch as were in 
 the Highways , and under the Hedges , and 
 invites them to come: It feems he was better 
 1 pleafed, 
 
1 66 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 pleated with Beggars, and fuch Sort, who came to 
 the Feaft, than the rich Farmers and Merchants 
 that made light of it. God in much Mercy hath 
 fixed on this Way to fave Sinners, that by believing 
 we might have Life, but with a Refolve, that fuch 
 as believe not fhall not lee Life. Yea, he hath 
 given his Oath that fuch fhall not enter into 
 Heaven, Heb. 2. 18. Againft whom Sware he 
 that they fhould not enter into his Reft, but 
 againft them that believe not? Nor will he only 
 exclude fuch from Heaven, but to fhow his Ab- 
 horrence of their Sin, will cerrainly fend fuch 
 to Hell, Mark 16. 1 6 . He that believeih not , 
 j fhall be Damned. Any he, let him be who he 
 Will, or what he will, if he dier an Unbelie- 
 ver, he's gone. So Heb. 2. 3. How fhall we e- 
 fcape if we neglefi Jo great Salvation? Which 
 at the firft began to be fpoken by the Lord, 
 It implies, there can be no Way found out for 
 the efcape of fuch ; they are out of the Way of 
 Salvation, and in the broad Way to Hell and De- 
 iftruUion, that believe not in Chrift -, nor fhall 
 fuch efcape with an ordinary Punilhment. Great 
 Crimes have fevere Punifhments among Men; 
 io God will not only finely punifh, but alio fe- 
 verely punifh, fuch as are at the great Day found 
 guilty of this Sin: A iively Emblem we have 
 of this in the jews *, tbefe were they of whom 
 it is faid, he came unto his own, and his own 
 received him not; thefe were they that made 
 light of him, to whom he was a Stone of 
 Scumbling: It was once faid, Salvation was of 
 the Jews ; they had Chrift firft Preached to 
 them, but they Defpifed him, Crucified him, 
 and preferred a Thief before him; they wifh- 
 ed his Blood might be on them and their Chil- 
 
 ' 11 dren ; 
 
Or j The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 167 
 
 dren : And how clofe hath the Judgment of God 
 purfued them ever fince } What a Milerable Peo- 
 ple are they ? They are at once ftripped of their 
 former Priviledges, and are expofed to Shame 
 and Contempt : They which once were looked 
 upon as the Glory of all Nations, are now a Peo- 
 ple Robbed and Spoiled, and rightly termed De- 
 folate and Forfaken. And all this is happened to 
 them as the juft Reward of their Unbelief, and 
 becaufe they knew not the Time of their Vifita- 
 tion. And yet all thefe Things are tolerable, if 
 compared to what will befal them, and all others 
 that die in Unbelief, in another World. 
 Let me clear One awakening Text to you 
 to this Purpofe, heb. io. 2 6, 27, to 30. 
 For if we Jin wilfully after that we have received 
 the Knowledge of the Truth , there remaineth no 
 more Sacrifice for Sins , but a certain fearful look- 
 ing for of Judgment , and fiery Indignation , which 
 Jhall devour the Adverfaries : he that defpifed 
 Moles’* Law died without Mercy , under Two or 
 Three Witnejfes ^ of how much forer Lunifhment 
 fuppofe ye Jhall he be thought worthy who hath 
 troden under Foot the Son of God ? &c. By finning 
 wilfully Interpreters do generally underltand re- 
 jeUing of Chrift ^ and it muft needs be fo, be- 
 caufe they are faid to tread his Blood under Foot, 
 i. e. defpife it, and look upon it as ulelefs and 
 contemptible. And obferve, ’tis faid there re- 
 mains no more Sacrifice for Sins *, that is, when 
 Chrift, the Great and Only Sacrifice, is refuled. 
 Prayers and Tears will avail nothing in this Cafe. 
 And here is a certain and fearful looking for of 
 fiery Indignation, 65 c. Which Words, one would 
 think, (hould make every RejeUer of Chrift to 
 tremble. Obferve, here is Indignation and left 
 
1 58 Chrift the moji Excellent : 
 
 that fhould not be enough , here is fiery Indigna- 
 tion, or the Wrath of God blown up into a Flame 
 againft fuch, and that renders it fearful; for who 
 can (land when he is angry ? ’Tis a fearful Thing 
 to fall into the Hands of the Living God : But left 
 any Ihould think to efcape, there is one Heart- 
 finking Word added, and that is, Certain , which 
 makes it the more fearful * and left any fhould 
 think they are able to grapple with it, it is added, ; 
 which Jhall devour the Adverfaries. Thus you 
 fee how God declares his Abhorrence of this Sin 
 by the Severity of the Punifhment he infli&s on 
 fuch as are guilty of it ; nor have any juft 
 Caufe to find Fault with him, or accufe him of 
 Injuftice for fo doing. Suppofe a King having 
 lome poor Creatures condemned for confpiring 
 his own Death, fhould fend his only Son, and 
 ihould allure them under his Broad Seal, that if 
 they would but ceafe from their former wicked 
 PraUice, he would fpare their Lives, and take 
 them into his Favour : But to come yet nearer 
 to the Point in Hand, fuppofe his Son offers to 
 die for them, and yet after all they fhould fpurn 
 Dirt in his Son’s Face, and fhould tell him they 
 like neither him nor his Meffage * nay, fuppole 
 they lay violent Hands on him, and kill him, 
 could any Man juftly blame that King if he fpee- 
 dily and milerably deftroyed thole Murderers? 
 No fure. No more Caufe have we to find Fault 
 with God, or to charge him with Injuftice, in 
 executing fuch levere Punifhment upon Unbelie- 
 vers, lince Unbelief is Interpretively no lefs than 
 a Crucifying of Chrift. Heb. 6. 6. Seeing they 
 Crucifie to them/ elves the Son of God afrejh , and 
 put him to open Shame. They do fo, as much as 
 in them lyeth. As the Jews fhewed their Con- 
 tempt 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unv ail'd. 169 
 
 tempt of Chrift by Cr jcifyi g him, fo thefe by 
 reje£iii,g him now Crucified. And for any to 
 Crucifie Chrift under our Gofpel Light, muft 
 needs be a more aggravated Offence than that of 
 the Jews . in Crucifying him at JeruJalem ^ 
 for they did it ignorantly ^ the Do&rine of 
 Chrift had hoc gained much Credit than in 
 the World , he was judged to be an Impo- 
 ftor, and a Deceiver by lome, and efpecially 
 by them that Crucified him, till it was too 
 late to recal what they had done. That this 
 was done through Ignorance in them is clear 
 from 1 Cor. 2. 8. Which none of the Princes of this 
 World knew ^ for had they known it they would 
 not have Crucified the Lord of Glory. And you 
 read in the Second of the that wjien Peter 
 had convinced them that the fame Jefus whom 
 they had Crucified was Lord and Chrift, they 
 were pricked to the Heart 5 and when he had ex- 
 horted them to Repent, and to be Baptized in the 
 Name of Chrift, ’tis laid they gladly received his 
 Word : But now what can you fay who Crucifie 
 the Lord afrelh ? You own him to be the Son of 
 God, and yet Crucifie him. Ah, how many are 
 there that in Word condemn the Practice of the 
 Jews^ and are ready to fay, Away with them 
 from the Earth, ’tis not fit they ihould live, who 
 own God to be juft in his Judgments upon 
 them and their Children for their Sakes, and yet 
 are guilty of as bad a Sin themfelves, yea, far 
 worle, and yet not concerned about it ? They 
 blame the Jews , but not themfelves, who, like 
 thofe Hypocrites, garnifh the Sepulchres of the 
 Martyr’d Prophets, and yet fay. If they had lived 
 in their Day they would not have been Partakers 
 with them in their Bloody 'Deeds, Matt. 23. 2$, 
 
 '30. 
 
 1 
 
1 70 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 30. Hypocrites indeed * and believe ’em that 
 will. We may fay to thefe as Chrift to them, 
 Verf. 31. Wherefore ye be Witnejfes non your 
 /elves that ye are the Children, of them that killed 
 the Prophets. You think you may do as Pi- 
 late , who took Water and wafhed his Hands, 
 faying, I am free from the Blood of this Jufl Man ; 
 fee ye to that (»), and then goes and condemns 
 him, and delivered him to be Crucified. That 
 Wretch knows now it was not his' wafhing his 
 Hands in Water could free him from the Guilt of 
 that Sin v if his Heart had been as clean as his 
 Hands, why did he deliver him to them ? If he 
 thought as hefaid, that he was a Juft Man, how 
 dare he that was a Judge aft fo unjuftly, as firft 
 himfelf to Scourge him, and then to deliver him 
 to be Crucified? 5 Tis evident, when he pro- 
 nounced him Juft, he rather fpoke his Wife’s 
 Opinion than his own, Verf. 19. but when he 
 Scourged him, and Crucified him, he afted like 
 himfelf: So when Sinners do call him Lord and 
 Chrift, they have learned this from that common 
 Report of the World •, but when they tefufe to 
 believe in him, and fo Crucifie him, then they 
 ftiew what Efteem they have for him. Many do 
 not openly deny Chrift to be the Son of God, for 
 the lame Reafon that the Pharifees did not deny 
 the Baptifm of John to be from Heaven, becaufe 
 they feared the People 5 for all held John as a 
 Prophet. But if fuch do really think Chrift is 
 from Heaven, why do they not believe in him * 
 We have Reafon to think the Sin of the Indians 
 is far lefs, who openly deny Chrift, than theirs 
 is, who own him in Word to be both Lord and 
 
 Chrift, 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. IJi 
 
 Chrift, and yet refufe to believe in him. Saith 
 Chrift, And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do 
 not the Things which / fay ? Openly to own 
 Chrift, and yet to refufe to believe in him, is 
 Judas like, to betray the Son of’ Man with a Kifs. 
 Srith Chrift, Luke 22. 48. Betrayejl thou the 
 Son of Man with a Kifs ? As if he had laid, Art 
 thou fuch a Wretch to betray me while thou pre- 
 tended Kindnefs to me ? As if he had laid, I 
 take it better of thy Companions to fee them come 
 with Swords and Staves, than of thee to betray 
 me with a Kils. Little do Unbelievers think 
 what they do in rejecting of Chrift $ alas, when 
 we have let forth how evil an Heart of Unbelief 
 
 is, but few believe it to be lo •, or if they do, yet 
 do not think themfelves guilty of it, but are rea- 
 dy to fay in this Cafe as he in another, Is thy Ser- 
 vant a Dog that he Jhould do this ? And yet did 
 
 it, 2 Kings 8. 13. compared with Chap. 10. 32. 
 and Chap. 13. 7. They are oft ready to fay 
 a$ David to Nathan , The Man that hath done this 
 thing (hall furely die when it may be truly an- 
 lwered to them as Nathan to David , Thou art the 
 Man. And O that what I have fpoken might 
 have the fame Influence on you that Nathans 
 Words had on David! They rouzed him from 
 that fleepy Condition in which he had fo long 
 laid, and made him cry out, I have finned. And 
 fure I am, if you are not convinced of this Sin in 
 this World, you will be -in the World to come.- 
 But O how dreadful to be convinced of this Sin 
 when there will be no Help to be had. If you 
 are by the Spirit of God convinced of this Sin 
 here, there is Hopes you may be laved from it, 
 and that he that convinced you of Sin may alfo 
 convince you of Righteoufnefs : And that as they 
 
 M who 
 
172 Chrift the mo ft Excellent : 
 
 who had imbru’d their Hands in Chrift’s Blood 
 were many of them faved by Faith in it, fo tho’ 
 you may have Crucified the Lord afrelh, yet 
 when once you come to be pricked in the Heart 
 as they were, and have Hearts to believe in him 
 as they did, you may allure yourfelves from God’s 
 Word, this Sin, tho’ fo great and provoking in 
 God’s Sight, lhall not be mentioned againft you. 
 But as you love you Precious Souls, beware of 
 having light Thoughts of this Sin 5 for fo long 
 there' is little Hopes you will repent of it, or 
 turn from it. Thus I have Ihown you how pro- ' 
 voking the Sin of Unbelief is in the Sight of 
 God, and that upon the Account of the Dignity 
 and Excellency of that Chrift who is hereby de- 
 fpiled i and I have the« more enlarged on this 
 Head, not only becaufe the Inference is fo natu- 
 ral, but becaufe Men are naturally fo hard to be- 
 lieve the Danger this Sin expoles them unto. But 
 however, Men may flatter themfelves, and think 
 ’tis enough to make them Ghriftians to be fober, 
 and to pay every Man his own ; yet Wo, Wo, 
 to that Man that is found an Unbeliever. This 
 will be as a Stone where-ever it falls, that will 
 grinde to Pieces. Such will open their Mouths, 
 and curie their Day, when they come to Hand 
 before the Son of Man. 
 
 Fourth Inference. Is Chrift fuch an Excellent 
 Perlon as you have heard ? How Honourable are 
 the Saints, yea, the leaft of them, and even fuch 
 as fit on the loweft Form? The more Excellent 
 Chrift is, the more Honourable are they, and 
 that upon the Account of the Nearnels of their 
 Relation to him : They are Members of his Bo- 
 dy, and of hisFlcfh, and of hi* Bones, Eph. 5. 30. 
 ’Tis not without good Caule that the Saints are 
 
 faid 
 
Or> The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 173 
 
 faid to be the Excellent of the Earth, Pfal. 1 6 . 3, 
 For look as in Marriage, if a Woman Marry a 
 Contemptible Perfon, Ihe muft expert to lhare 
 with him in his Difgrace ; but if he be Honoura- 
 ble, fhefhares with him in that alfo : Soin this Cafe 
 Chrift being lb Honourable and Excellent, and 
 the Saints being fo near to him, they mull: needs 
 be Honourable on this Account: The greateft 
 Monarch on Earth, if not in Chrift, is not fo 
 truly Honourable as the pooreft Saint that lyes 
 upon the Dunghil. Lazarus was far more Ho- 
 nourable when he lay at the Rich Man’s Door, de- 
 firing to be fed with the Crumbs that fell from 
 his Table, than the Rich Man was who fared 
 Sumptuoufly every Day : And fo it loon appeared ; 
 the latter was only Honourable in the Sight of 
 Men, but the former was fo in the Sight of God ; 
 and that is the true Honour that cometh from 
 above. Well might the Apoftle lay, as in 1 Pet. 
 2.7. To you therefore which believe he is an Ho- 
 nour, (as it may be read) fince they are not only- 
 related to him, but nearly related to him. As it 
 is no fmall Badge of Honour to the Son that he is 
 lb nearly related to the moft High God, fo it is 
 a great Honour to the Saints that they ftand fo 
 nearly related unto the Son. He is their Elder 
 Brother, Heb. 2. 12. I will declare thy Name un- 
 to, my Brethren - t yea, they are Married unto 
 Chrift •, and therefore fo long as he is Honoura- 
 ble they cannot be Contemptible. They may in- 
 deed be defpifed by Men, as he was while his 
 Honour was vailed with our Flefh •, but as not- 
 withftanding all the Shame and Contempt he un- 
 derwent he was then truly Honourable, and will 
 appear fo at the Great Day, even to his Defpi- 
 fers j fo tho’ now the Saints are looked upon by 
 M 2 the 
 
1 74 Chrift the mo ft Excellent : 
 
 the Carnal World as the Filth and OfFfcouring 
 of all Things while they are bearing theirCrofs, 
 yet they are truly Honourable, and will appear 
 fo when they come to wear their Crowns, as the 
 Pfalmift fpeaks, Pfal. 68. 13. Tho* ye hay's lain 
 among the Pots, yet Jhall ye be as the Wings of 
 a Dove , covered with Silver , and her Feathers 
 with Telloin Gold. When Chriff, who is the Be- 
 liever’s Life, fhall appear, then (hall they alfo 
 appear with him in Glory (o') * and tho J their 
 Honour was vailed while they were appearing 
 for him, it will fhine bright when they come to 
 appear with him •, and their Enemies fhall 
 behold it: They do not feem to the World 16 
 Contemptible now, but they will appear as Honou- 
 rable then, when they fhall fit with Chrift at the 
 Great Affize to Judge the World, 2 Cor. 6.2. and 
 when they Jhall bind King in Chains , and Nobles 
 in Fetters ■, this Honour have all the Saints , Pf. 
 14 9- 8, 9. You that are Saints, bear a while 
 the Reproaches of Chrift j he will clear yourln- 
 nocency at that Day •, and the more you have been 
 defpifed for Chrift here, the more you will be 
 honoured by Chrift then : Thefe Reproaches will 
 be but as fo many Chining Jewels in your Crown, 
 as fo many Stars, while you have been Fighting 
 for Chrift, which will be your greateft Honour. 
 
 Fifth, Inference. Is Chrift fuch a Glorious and 
 Excellent Perlon as you have heard ? How worthy 
 is he to be imitated? We find by daily Experi- 
 ence how ready Perfons are to imitate Great Men 
 and the more Noble, the more Honourable, and 
 Wife, any are in the Opinion of the World, the 
 more ftriving there is to imitate fuch, even to a 
 Fault. How are the Modes and Fafhions of a 
 
 Court 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift urwaitd, 175 
 
 Court oblerved and imitated ? How much more 
 is Chrift to be followed ? This is the faireft Copy 
 we can write after : By imitating others we may 
 fin, tho’ they are the greateft of Men, yea, tho’ 
 the bef^ of Men. Jdence faith the Blelfed Apoftle, 
 Be ye followers of me , as I am of Chrift , i Cor. 
 11. 1. But’tis by not imitating of Chrift that we 
 fin ^ and yet alas, how few do follow Chrift, 
 and tread in the Steps of this Forerunner ? Moft 
 think it a Shame to ’em to be found walking 
 as he walked ; they had rather imitate the Devil 
 than Chrift. But if we own Chrift to be fo Ex- 
 cellent, let us take him as our Example * and in 
 all welfay or do, let us think thus with our felves, 
 Would Chrift fo fpeak, or aft, if he was now on 
 Earth ? Or hath he left us any fuch Example? 
 O what a Bleffed Time would it be if Chrift was 
 but more imitated * there would then be no more 
 fuch Swearing and Curling, fuch Sabbath-break- 
 ing, Cf c. fince we read nothing of thele in the 
 Life of the Bleffed and Holy Jefus : He did no 
 Sin, neither was Guile found in his Mouth (p): 
 There would then be no more fuch Want of Love, 
 fince he hath taught us to love one another (<7), 
 and hath given us the greateft Demonftrations of 
 his own Love to us in dying for us: There would 
 then be no more fuch cheating, defrauding, and 
 going beyond each other, as now is in the World, 
 lince he hath taught us to do to others as we 
 would have them do to us (r) : There would not 
 then be fuch immoderate Purfuit after the World 
 as now there is, lince he hath taught us, both by 
 his Example and Doftrine, to feek frji the King- 
 dom of God , and the Righteoufnefs thereof (f) : 
 There would then be no more fiich Difcoveries of 
 M 3 Pride, 
 
176 ChriSl the moSl Excellent : 
 
 Pride, as now there is among many, in their paint- 
 ed and patched Faces, and immodeft Dreffes, to 
 the great Scandal of Religion, fince we read only 
 of his leamlefs Coat ( t ): There would then be 
 no more fuch Murmuring and Difcontent under 
 the affiiQing Hand of God, as now there is, while 
 we hear him faying under his greatelt Trials, If 
 ibis Cup may not pafs from me unlefs I drink it, 
 tby Will be done (v ) : There would then be no 
 more Impatience among the People of God under 
 Reproaches and Perfecutions from Men, fince we 
 read how he gave his Back to the Smiters , and his 
 Cheeks to them that plucked off the Hair (u) : He 
 was led as a Lamb to the Slaughter (vo), and when 
 he was reviled , he reviled not again {x). He pa- 
 tiently endured the Crofs, and defpifed the Shame, 
 leaving us hereby an Example to tread in his 
 Steps : There would not then be fo many Prayer- 
 lefs Perfons as now there are, nor yet fo much 
 Coldnefs in the Performance of that Duty, fince 
 we read how he in the Days of his Flefh offered 
 up Frayers and Supplications, with Jfrong Crying 
 and Tears (y) There would not then be fo much 
 Pomp and Vainglory in the Worfhip of God as is 
 now to be found among many, fince he hath taught 
 us that God is a Spirit, and that they that 
 worfhip him mujl worfhip him in Spirit and 
 Truth ( z). O! What a new World would 
 this be if Chrift’s Law was more obferved, and 
 his Practice more imitated ? But alas, it feems 
 to be now with us as it was in Fharaob' s Dream, 
 to which I may allude, where you read how the 
 Ill-favour d devoured the Fat Kine and Well f a* 
 voured, Gen. 41 . 2 , 3 . So there are fo many 111- 
 favoured 
 
 dj Matt. 6 . 33. (t )John Jtp. 23. (v) Mat. 2 6. 42. Ija 50. 5 , 
 
 (ff) Ija. 57- 7* (*) l Pet. 2 . 22 . ( )J ffb. 5-7* (0 J of ' n 4- ?4» 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail’d. 177 
 
 favoured Inventions of Men in our Day, both in 
 DoHrine and Pra&ice, as have almoft eaten up 
 and devoured (if I may fo fay) both the Do&rine 
 and Example of our Lord Jefus Chrift. But tho* 
 it is thus, yet Chrift is moft worthy to beobferved 
 and imitated becaule of his Excellency. 
 
 Sixth Inference. Is Chrift fuch a Glorious 
 and Excellent Perfon > Then to be fure he will 
 never let fuch low and mean Creatures as we 
 are, be any Lofers for any Thing we can do or 
 fuffer for him : Our Labour fhall not be in vain 
 in the Lord , tho’ it may abound, 1 Cor. 15. 58. 
 For look as among Men, fuch as are right Ho- 
 nourable, Rich, and Noble, are not wont to let 
 fuch as are Poor and Indigent be Lofers by them j 
 they are fb far from fo doing, that ufually they 
 reward them far above their Deferts, and ufually 
 give according to their Rank •, and not fo to do 
 would be a Blemifh to their Honour. Such as 
 have the Title of Excellency are wont to reward 
 Bountifully. And let me tell you, Chrift’s Ho- 
 nour lyes at Stake to fee that none loles by his 
 Service. Hence ’tis faid, Zech. 9. 12. Turn ye 
 to the ftrong Hold, ye Prif oners of Hope , even to 
 Day do I declare that I will render double unto thee. 
 Not only barely fo much as they might lofe for his 
 Sake, but even double, and that upon the very 
 Day of their returning to him •, and left this 
 fllould not be thought enough, fee Mark 10. 28, 
 29, 30. Then Peter began to fay unto him , Lo, we 
 have left all , and have followed thee : And Jefus 
 anfwered and faid , Verily I fay unto you, there 
 is no Man that hath left Houfe, or Brethren , or 
 Sifters , or Father , or Mother, or Wife , or Chil- 
 dren , or Lands , for my Sake and the Gof pel's , but 
 hejhall receive an Hundredfold \ now in this Time , 
 
 M 4 Houfes , 
 
1 78 Cbrifi the woft Excellent : 
 
 Houfes , and Brethren , Sifters, nnd Mothers . 
 a fd Children, and hands , with Rerfecution and 
 in the World to come Eternal jLife. Thus you 
 fee how Chrift gives unto his faithful Servants 
 Ale after e prefed down , aifd running over. 
 You that are the Servants of Chrift have 
 much Work to do for him, and it may be 
 fortieth ihg to fuffer for him, but hold on 
 fweet Souls, you work for a good Matter, 
 you do not ferve/ Chrift for Nought : If an 
 Inheritance that fideth not away, if a Crown 
 of an exceeding Weight of Glory, and a King- 
 dom that cannot be moved, can recomperrce 
 your Labour of Love, you fhall be no lofers 
 for Chrift. As he infinitely excels all the 
 
 World in Honour, Majefty, and Excellency, fo 
 he fcorns that any ihould reward us like 
 
 him. All that the Great Men can give to 
 
 us, tho’ they vyould exhauft their Store, are 
 
 but pricertajn Riches, and but fading Enjoy- 
 ments, but Chrift gives unto his People Grace 
 and Glory , which is more than .the World 
 have to give. The Saints have much in Pof- 
 feftion here, but more in Reverfion. Paul, 
 when he had fuffered the Ids of all things 
 for Chrift, could fay, and I do count them 
 but Dung that he might win Chrift (a). He 
 knew if be could but win Chrift he fliould 
 be no lofer in the end : He Inew thoje 
 light Ajf/1 iff ions which were but for a Mo- 
 ment, were not worthy to he compared with the 
 Glory that fhould be revealed (/;). Thus the 
 Apoft/e took jofjully the .foiling oj their Goods, 
 knowing that in heaven they had better and. 
 more tnduring Sub fiance. This made good Mo- 
 fes eftcem the very Reproaches of Chriji grea- 
 ter 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrijl unvail'd. 179 
 
 ter Riches than the Treafures of Egypt, for he 
 had rejpeti unto the Recotnpence of Reward 
 Heb. 11. 2 6. Chrift doth not give all at once 
 to his People, he loves to be trufted; but he 
 is faithful who hath promifed, and within a 
 little while he will clear off all Arrears ^ when 
 he will open his Treafures of Glory, he will then 
 fay, Well done good and faithful Servant, enter 
 thou into thy Matter’s Joy. I may allude to 
 what we Read of Mordecai , Eflher 6. i, 2 2 
 &?. The King caufed the Records to be’ Read’ 
 and there it was found what good Service he had’ 
 formerly done the King * but when the King en- 
 quired what Honour and Dignity had been done to 
 him for it ; the Servants anfwered, nothing had 
 been done for him. Nay, notwithftanding this 
 good Service, there was by fome a Gallows 
 prepared to Hang him. But the King, to re- 
 quire his good Service, orders him to be 
 Cloa tiled with his own Royal Apparel and 
 to Ride on his own Horfe, and Homan 
 his implacable Enemy to be the Trumpeter of 
 his Praife, while to his unfpeakable Grief 
 he is forced as a Lackey to proclaim through 
 the City, thus (hall it be done to the Man 
 whom the King delighteth to Honour. Much 
 thus it is in this Cafe^ the Saints are doing 
 God Service here, they are appearing againft 
 fuch as feek to dethrone their Lord and Matter • 
 and this good Service, tho' it is carefully Re- 
 corded, is not yet fully Rewarded : Mean while, 
 the. wicked World, like Haman , are preparing 
 as it were a Gallows for them*, but when the 
 Heavenly Records come to be opened, and 
 it is iound what the Saints have done for 
 Chrift , and how little they have in this 
 World received from him, they will then 
 
1 80 Chrift the mofl Excellent : 
 
 March through the Streets of the Heavenly 
 Jerufalem in Royal Rohes, while their Enemies 
 at a great diftance lhall with Grief fay, thus 
 (hall it be done to the Men that Chrift will 
 Honour. 
 
 Seventh Inference. Is Chrift fuch an Excellent 
 Perfon? What an unfpeakable Blefling rauft the 
 Gofpel then be to any People where it is 
 faithfully Preached ? The more Excellent Chrift 
 is, the greater a Blefling is the Gofpel. The 
 great End of God’s giving the Gofpel, is to 
 reveal the Excellency of Jefus Chrift. He is 
 there declared to be the Son of God with 
 power ; here it is we have an account of his 
 Dignity, as well as of his Ignominy * and he 
 that doth not in all his Preaching exalt 
 Chrift, is no Gofpel Preacher. Paul was a great 
 Gofpel Preacher, and faith he, 1 determined 
 not to know any thing among you , fave Jefus 
 Chrift^ and him Crucified \ i Cor. 2. 2. If it 
 had not been for the Gofpel we had never 
 known Chrift’s Excellency * for look as in thofe 
 Parts of the World where the Gofpel is not 
 Preached, Chrift is not at all Regarded * fo if 
 we had not come to the Knowledge of Chrift 
 by the Gofpel, ’tis not Carnal Wifdom could 
 have found out his Excellency j ’tis only the 
 Spirit of God in the Gofpel that can take 
 of his, and fhew it unto us. Hence you Read, 
 that when Peter had confefled Chrift to be 
 the Son of the Living God, Jefus anfwered 
 and faid unto him , Blejfed art thou Simon Bar- 
 jona, for Plefh and Blood hath not revealed it 
 unto thee , but my Father which is in Heaven , 
 Matt. i< 5 . 1 6, 17. How fhould we fay then as 
 Pfal. 89. 15. Blejfed is the People that know 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvaifd. 181 
 
 the joyful Sound ? 8 tc. The Queen of Sheba could 
 fay, when (he faw the Glory, and heard the 
 Wifdom of Solomon , who was a Type of Chrift, 
 Happy are thy Men , happy are thefe thy Ser- 
 vants , which ftand continually before thee , and 
 hear thy Wifdom , i Kings io. 8 . How much 
 more happy are they who fit under the 
 dropings of the San£luary , and daily hear 
 thole things which the Angels ftoop down 
 to look into (c). We cannot now enjoy the 
 Gofpel without feme Expence ^ but bids God 
 for the Gofpel at any rate, and take heed of 
 putting a flight upon it, or the true Meflen- 
 gers of it^ tor Chrift takes fpecial notice of 
 fuch, and takes it as done to himfelf: As you 
 may fee Luke io. at large. He is there fend- 
 ing his Difciples to Preach the Gofpel , and 
 faith he, v. io, ii, 12. But into wharf oever City 
 ye enter , and they receive you not , go your 
 ways out into the Streets of the fame CzVy, 
 and fay , even the very Dujl of your City 
 which cleavetb on us , do we wipe off againji 
 you , 2 ic. and adds, it fhall be more tollerable 
 in that Day for Sodom, than for that City : 
 And gives the reafon, v. 16. he that defpifeth 
 you, defpileth me, &c. O take heed of fin- 
 ning away the Gofpel, for when the Gofpel is 
 gone, Chrift is gone ! 
 
 Eighth Inference. Is Chrift fuch a Glorious and 
 Excellent Perfon ? What Matter of Lamentation 
 is it that he is no more Preached * by reafen 
 whereof his Excellencies are fo little known. 
 How unworthy are we of the Name of Mini- 
 fters of Chrift if we do not Preach him ? And. 
 
 yet 
 
 |»- ■ " . .. - ■» ■». «l . I ' ■>« . ! H ■ — I ■ J I 
 
 (c) i Pet , I. 12. 
 
1 8 Z Chrift the mojl Excellent : 
 
 yet how little of the Sound of this Doftrine is 
 gone forth? I am not fpeaking only of thole 
 Dark Parts of the Earth, which are full of 
 the Habitations of Cruelty, but even of this 
 poor Land of our Nativity. 
 
 The time has been when almoft all the Cry 
 from.the Pulpits (by fome) was Loyalty, Loy- 
 alty, as if the Gods had been come down in 
 the likenefs of Men ^ and nothing elfe would 
 ferve but Obedience, even unto Death : But fince 
 the Reign of King William of bleffed Memo- 
 ry, and of our prelent Queen Anne, whom God 
 hath in much Mercy to this Nation raifed up 
 as a Nurfing-mother to his Ifrael , now there is 
 '«»fo much need of this Doftrine to be Preached f 
 thefe Oracles are ceas’d $ and that time that was 
 wont to be fpent in Preaching up Loyalty, now 
 is fpent in dancing about the Calf, which fome 
 have made to themfelves of their own Ear-rings : 
 Who like tbofe Idolatrous lfraelites of Old, 
 are ready to fay, Thefe are thy Gods , 0 Ifrael, 
 while in the mean time Chrift is but little re- 
 garded. 
 
 I confefs there are fome who feem to come 
 nearer the Mark, who yet miferably mifs it: 
 They feem Zealous to Preach againft Prophane- 
 nefs and Immorality, and to Preach up the 
 Excellency of Virtue, and how commendable ’tis 
 io be Sober, Juft, and Charitable ^ but feldom 
 any thing of Chrift, unlefs in the winding up 
 of all, in fome fingle Sentence, to let their Hear- 
 ers know they have not quite forgot him : But I 
 muft be bold to tell you, that the only way 
 to lay the one to the Root of Sin, is to Preach 
 up Chrift: When Chrift becomes fweet, Sin 
 will in courfe become bitter, and exceeding finful 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unv ail'd. 183 
 
 in our Sight. So that till Chrift is Preached, the 
 moft weighty Matter is omitted : And however 
 Sin may be difturbed, I am confident it will 
 never be fubdued till Chrift is received. We 
 do but (as we fay) beat about the Bulh till 
 we Preach Chrift : And while we think to re- 
 form from Sin, only by thundering out the 
 Threatnings of Hell and Wrath, we only white 
 Walls , and paint Sepulchres : Sin will oft 
 keep its Ground, notwithftanding all thefe 
 Storms. 
 
 There is much talk this Day how little Con- 
 verfion-work goes on, and I partly believe it, 
 but don’t much wonder at it; for if Ghrift is 
 not Preached, how Ihould Souls be Converted ? 
 What Ihould they be Converted to? And how 
 unlikely are they to Turn to him, if they do not 
 in fome meafure know the Excellency of him? 
 Rom. 10. 14. And bow jhall they believe in him 
 of whom they have not heard ? This is that ve- 
 ry Stone at which the Jews ftumbled, and 
 fell, and were broken ; they were exceeding Zea- 
 lous as to the Law, yet their Eyes being blind- 
 ed by the God of this World, that fo they 
 might not lee the Excellency of Chrift, with 
 what difdain did they look upon him? So that 
 if we would have our Hearers turn Chriftians 
 indeed, We muft not think to do it only by 
 preaching up, and prefling to fome External 
 Performances, much lels by our Eloquent Styles, 
 and Fine Starch’d Notions, which only can pleafe 
 the Itching Ears of our carnal Auditors; for 
 tho’ by this means we may much ftrengthen a 
 Party, and may be looked upon by many as 
 fome great Ones; yet if Chrift is not clearly 
 
 Preached, 
 
1 84 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 Preached, our Hearers are like to Perifh with 
 all their Wifdom and Sobriety. 
 
 Tis true indeed, many may Perifh under the 
 cleared Gofpel Light for want of receiving 
 that Jefus thus Preached to them-, yea, their 
 Condemnation may be aggravated hereby: But 
 what then fhall we think of others? If fome 
 of thofe may Perifh, all others certainly muft 
 Perifh to whom Chrift is not made known. 
 I further grant, that it is not in the Power of the 
 moft faithful and able Minifters of Chrift, tho’ 
 they fhould fpend and be fpent, by any Power in 
 them to reveal Chrift to the Souls of any of our 
 Hearers, this is God’s Work-, we cannot open the 
 Eyes of them that are Born Blind: Yet if we do 
 not our utmoft to hold forth the Excellencies o'f 
 Chrift in as clear a light as may be, God may iuftly 
 (yea, he will) require the Blood of fuch Souls 
 at their Teachers Hand; for what do we but 
 turn the Blind out of the Way, if we do not 
 do what we can to guide ’em to Chrift ? For 
 faith Chrift, John 14. 6. I am the Way , and the 
 Truth, and the Life , no Man cometh to the Fa- 
 ther but by me. 
 
 I humbly confefs I do not think my felf 
 worthy, nor indeed able, to advife the weakeft 
 of Chrift’s faithful Minifters how to Preach, 
 (except in more general Terms) yet I muft: 
 take leave to lament it that Chrift is no more 
 Preached; and that there are fo few like- 
 minded with Faul , who determined not to 
 know any thing but Chrift , and him Cruci- 
 fied. 
 
 And to think how many numerous Congregati- 
 ons there are, which are at beft but as Sheep 
 having no Shepherds; which fit ftaiving from 
 
 Day 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvaiFd. 185 
 
 Day to Day for want of the Heavenly Man- 
 na; and fo fee Chrift flighted, and fo many 
 Souls at the fame time ftarved, is a fad fight. 
 O then, feeing our Hearers ftand fo much in need 
 of him, and there are fuch Glorious and Incom- 
 parable Excellencies to be found in him, if we 
 have any Love to Chrift or Souls, let us make 
 the clea reft Difeoveries we can of him; let us 
 make it appear, that our great End in all our 
 Preaching is to lift up Chrift in the World: 
 And indeed, if we that are Minifters of Chrift, 
 and Ambafladors for him, fhould not fpeak well 
 of him, who fhall? How (hall we anfwer it 
 at the great Day, if it be there proved, that in- 
 ftead of Preaching of Chrift, we have been 
 Preaching only our felves? And if inftead of 
 fhewing how far he hath excelled all others, we 
 have only or chiefly aimed to fhew how far we 
 could excel others? And if inftead of being 
 Candlefticks our felves to hold forth this Light 
 of the World, we only make Chrift as the 
 Candleftick to fet forth our own Lights? What 
 is this but a robbing Chrift of his Glory, 
 and fetting his Crown upon our own Heads? 
 
 To conclude this Head * I doubt not but Chrift 
 hath many faithful Minifters both in City and 
 Country, who are Preaching Chrift (at leaft 
 once) every Sabbath-Day, and to thele I pre- 
 fume what I have faid (under this Head at leaft) 
 will be no offence ; but fure I am, there is (more 
 generally fpeaking ) too much Caufe among one 
 Party and another for this Lamentation I have 
 taken up. And as for fuch as admire Chrift, and 
 feem only to Preach Chrift, ’tis pity thefe few 
 Friends of the Bridegroom are no more employed 
 in this Work: One half Hour or Hour in a 
 
 Week 
 
1 8 6 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 Week is too little to fpe.nd on fuch a Copious 
 SubjeCt •, nor will it properly bring us under the 
 delerved denomination of Labourers: A little 
 lefs time fpent in Coffee-houfes, and a little 
 more fpent in the Pulpit, would do well. The 
 World (or at lead the Saints) will be ready 
 to fay ( do what we can ) that we have feen 
 but little Excellency in him, when we fpeak 
 fo fparingly of him. I am not in the lead 
 reflecting on our Fathers in Ifrael , who have 
 by long and hard Labours fpent almoft all 
 their ftrength in Chrift’s Vineyard, even till . 
 gray Hairs are upon them; but I am fpeak- 
 ing of thofe that are rifen up in the room 
 of their Fathers, and have done lefs and worfe 
 than their Fathers, who are willing to have 
 their Profits, „ but fcarce v willing to touch their 
 Burden with one of their Fingers: Sirs, if we 
 begin thus flothfully in the Morning, how 
 (hall we hold on till Night, efpecially if the 
 Day fhould prove hot? 
 
 In a Word, feeing Chrift is fo darkly Preach- 
 ed by fome, and fo fparingly Preached by 
 others, you cannot blame any Friend of 
 the Bridegroom for taking up a Lamentation. 
 
 Ninth Inference. Is Chrift fuch a Elorious and 
 Excellent Perfon? What a defirable Perlon then 
 is he ? Never let us blame the Spoufe for being 
 Sick of Love, but rather let us blame all that 
 are not fo. We fee in things natural, the 
 more Excellent any thing is, the more defirous 
 Men are of enjoying of it, while things of a 
 fmall Value are contemned. And if fo, one 
 would think that all that have heard of 
 Chrift (hould be flocking to him as Doves to 
 the Windows, not only upon the account of 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvaitd. 187 
 
 the need they ftand in of him, but alio upon 
 the account of thofe many incomparable Ex- 
 cellencies that are to be found in him. One 
 would think every Soul fhould be gathering 
 unto this Shiloh (</), crying our, none but 
 Chrift, none but Chrift: And that none (hould 
 reft fatisfied till th'ey could fay, This is my 
 Beloved , and this is my Friend $ ’tis laid of 
 him, Hug. 2. 7. And the dejtre of all Nations 
 Jball come. Indeed we find by fad Experience 
 but few comparatively do defire him, yet is 
 he in himfelf moft defirable •, and fo he will 
 appear at the great Day. O Sirs, when Chrift 
 comes to appear in his Glory, how will every 
 Eye be fixed on him, and every Tongue be 
 admiring him, faying. Is this he whom Man 
 defpifed? Is this he whom the Nations abhor- 
 red? But I proceed. 
 
 Tenth Inference. Is Chrift fuch a Glorious 
 and Excellent Perfon ? How Blind then are the 
 Men of the World, who can lee no Excellen- 
 cy in him ? Who after all that is faid of him, 
 are laying, as the Daughters to the Love-fick 
 Spoufe, What is thy Beloved more than ano- 
 ther Beloved ? What I have fpoken may be as 
 a Glafs to let fuch fee the Film upon their 
 ovtfn Eye, if they can fee nothing elfe : For if 
 Chrift is thus Glorious and Excellent, it muft 
 be grofs Darknefs and Blind nefs that muft be 
 the Caufe that they fee no Beauty in him 
 to delire him. If you take a Man into the 
 Sunfhine, when in its greateft Glory, and he 
 lhall fee nothing, you would conclude he was 
 Blind indeed: No fefs Caufe have we to iudge 
 
 N fuch 
 
 {Jt) Gen. 49. 10. 
 
1 88 Chrift the mo ft Excellent : 
 
 fuch fpi ritually Blind, who fee no Excellency in 
 Chrift, after fuch clear Difcoveries made of 
 him. Hence faith the Apoftle, 2 Cor . 4. 3, 4. 
 1 f our Gofpel be hid \ it is hid to them 
 that are left, in whom the God of this World 
 hath blinded the Minds of them that believe 
 not , left the bight of the Glorious Gofpel of 
 Chrift , who is the Image of God , fhould Jhine 
 unto them . The Devil knows Chrift is an Ex- 
 cellent Perfon$ and that if poor Sinners did 
 but fee what is in him, they would never 
 reft iatisfied without him \ and therefore he 
 blinds their Eyes, knowing fo long they are 
 fafe in his Cuftody. In a Word, as the 
 
 good Spirit opens the Eyes that the Soul 
 
 may admire him, fo 5 tis the Work of this 
 
 wicked One to keep Souls in Blindnels and 
 
 Ignorance. 
 
 Eleventh Inference. Is Chrift fuch a Glori- 
 ous and Excellent Perfon as you have heard ? 
 Then what a lad and difmal parting will Sin- 
 ners have with him at the laft and great 
 
 Day, when it will be faid, Depart from me > 
 Here Sinners are unconcerned about him, they 
 flight his Gracious Calls and Invitations, and 
 preferrs Sin and Satan before him j he that 
 is in himfelf all, and to his Saints all, is 
 to them as nothing at all: And what is the 
 reafon of this? Is it becaule he deferves no 
 
 better of them ? No fureiy, he that is fo 
 
 Excellent as you have heard Chrift is, muft 
 needs delerve to be more highly efteemed by 
 fuch contemptible Worms. But the great reafon is, 
 they do not fee his Excellency, nor do they 
 know the Virtue of this fweet Role of Sha- 
 ron: If they did , never did a Condemned 
 
Or 9 The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 189 
 
 Man more earnestly defire a Pardon never 
 did Efau more earneftly beg the Bleffing of 
 his Father, when he lift up his Voice and 
 wept, than thefe would beg for an Intereft in 
 Chrift ^ they would never be able to take any 
 Comfort in all the Injoyments of this World 
 till they could fee Chrift to be theirs. We 
 fee this Truth confirmed daily in the Works 
 of Converfion-, it is with many as with the 
 Goaler, who one Day was making faft the 
 Apofties in Prifon for Preaching of Chrift, 
 and the Night after cries out, 5 />x, what mujl 
 I do to be Saved ? And gladly did he re- 
 ceive their Advice, believe in the Lord jefus , 
 Able 1 6 . 30. Thus you Read alfo of Saul, 
 how he was fetting out for Damafcus in the 
 Morning to hawl all to Prifon, both Men and 
 Women that call’d on the Name of Chrift, being 
 exceeding mad againft that Way, and at Noon he 
 falls dawn to the Ground as one Dead, crying, Who 
 art thou , Lord ? And what was the Caufe of 
 this l'udden and wonderful Change, that he 
 who in the Morning was perfecuting of Chrift, 
 fhould at Noon cry out. Lord, what wilt 
 thou have me to do? Why, ’tis faid, A 3 s 9. 
 27. He had Jeen the Lord in the Way. O 
 Glorious fight! As- you may judge by his own 
 Words, for he tells us, he could not fee for 
 the Glory of that Light , A£ls 22. 11. Doubt- 
 lefs this Light was the Sun of Righteoufriefs * 
 and obferve, he could not fee for the Glory 
 of it-, but what, did Light hinder his feeing? 
 Had Darknefs hindred him, it would have 
 been no wonder-, but that Light which caufes 
 others to fee fhould hinder him from feeing, 
 is ftrange: We may learn from hence how 
 N 2 great 
 
190 Chrift the mofi Excellent : 
 
 great the Glory of Chrift is* and look a$ 
 Paul having feen this Light, could fee no- 
 thing elfe ; fo he that hath feen by Faith the 
 Excellency of Chrift, will fee no Excellency 
 in any thing elfe, if compared with him/ I 
 have hinted on thefe Texts, to let you lee how 
 impoftible it is for a Soul to be contented without 
 Chrift, that once fees what Glory and Excel- 
 lency is in him : And if fo, then Sinners muft 
 needs have a fad parting with Chrift at 
 Judgment, for as Chrift will then appear in 
 the brightnefs of his Glory, fo Sinners will 
 then have their Eyes fo far opened to fee 
 that in Chrift which they never faw before : 
 Then they will have other Thoughts of him 
 than now they have* and O the Sorrow of 
 Heart to think of parting from him! See a 
 xlear Text for this. Matt. 24. 30. And then 
 Jhall appear the Sign of the Son of Alan in 
 Heaven , and then (hall all the Tribes of the 
 Earth Mourn , and they fhall fee the Son of 
 Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with 
 Power and great Glory. By the Tribes of 
 the Earth 1 conceive we are to underftand 
 the Jeivs, who Reje&ed and Crucified Chrift * 
 but no fooner do they fee him coming in 
 his Glory to judge them, but they begin to 
 Mourn. O! What a Heart-breaking Sentence 
 will that be, Depart from me ? How will they 
 in Anguifh of Spirit reply, What from thee, 
 Lord ! This is a hard Saying, who can bare it > 
 If our Sentence may not^ be Reverfed, let thofe 
 Words ( from me ) be left out and we are fatisfied. 
 O ! How deep a Wound will it make in Sinners 
 to hear Chrift fay to his Saints, Come ye Blef- 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvdifd. 1 9 1 
 
 f ed> &c. To fee the many Thoufands of Jfrael 
 going up the Hill to the Height of Sion, with 
 Palms in their Hands, PraifingGod, and Singing, 
 This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend, while 
 they (of all Men mod Miferable) mud depart to 
 the Left Hand. If Chrift was not fuch an Excel- 
 Tent Perfon, it would not be fuch a Cut to depart 
 from him^ but the more Excellent Chrift is, the 
 Harder will Sinners find it to part with him. For 
 look as in other Cafes, if we lofe a Thing we 
 neither love nor want, wa matter not fuch LofTes, 
 but are wont to fay, Let it go-, but if it be a 
 Thing of great Value, or that which we cannot 
 live Comfortably without, how near doth fuch 
 a Lofs go to us ? If a Man lofe his Goods, or 
 Children, thefe LofTes being repairable may be 
 borne the more patiently -, the Injoyment of Chrift 
 may make up all thefe LofTes a Hundredfold : But 
 rhe Lofs of Chrift is an irreparable Lois, which 
 will make Sinners curie the Day in which they 
 were Born, when they come to be feparated from 
 the Prefence of the Lord ; if not for the Love 
 they bear to him, yet upon the Account of the 
 Glory they fee in him, and the Need they ftand in 
 of him. And that which will yet make this Cup the 
 more bitter, is, that this will be a parting with- 
 out the leaft Hopes of meeting again •, when they 
 muft for ever bid farewel to this Sweet Rofe of 
 Sharon , being fhut out of the Paradife of God. 
 With what a fad Heart, think you, was Adam 
 driven out of Paradife, where he had feen fo 
 much of the Glory of God ? And yet he was re- 
 ftored to a better State: How much more fad 
 may we fuppofe . they will be who are feparated 
 for ever from Chrift t When we part with Friends 
 without Hopes of meeting again it goes near; 
 
 N 3 Afts 
 
X 9 2 ChriSl the moSi Excellent : 
 
 Acts 20. 37, 38. And they all wept fore. , and fell 
 on Paul’j Neck, and kijfed him , forrowing mojl of 
 all for the Words which he [poke, that they Jhould 
 fee his Face no more. But it affwages our Grief 
 to think of meeting again. A Remarkable Paf- 
 fage you have concerning David , when he had 
 parted with his Young Child, he Comforts him- ’ 
 fell, I fall go to him , 2 Sam. 12. 23. He had 
 Hopes that he (hould meet his Child in Glory : 
 Ah, but when he parts with Ahfolom , who died 
 in the A£l of Rebellion, arid as one that he had 
 no Hopes to meet in Glory, how bitterly doth he 
 bewail him? 2 Sam. 18. 33. W ould God \ had died 
 for thee , 0 Abfolom, my Son , my Son ! Pie knew 
 he was fitter to die than Abfolom * and Chap. 1 9. 
 4. he renews his Lamentation, he covers his Face, 
 asdefirous neither to fee, nor be feen^ and cried 
 out with a loud Voice, 0 'my Son Abfolom ! &c. 
 As if he had laid, I fhail fee thy Fair and Beauti- 
 ful Face no more : It was not the News of Vi£>o- 
 ry that could remove his Sorrow. And from hence 
 we muft conclude it will be a doleful partirg 
 Sinners will have with Guilt, becaufe they will 
 have no Hopes to meet again, no more than Da- 
 vid had to meet Abfolom ■, and if David mourned 
 fo upon this Account, becaufe Abjoiom was mifo- 
 rable, when he himfelf was happy, how much 
 more Caule will Sinners have to mourn when 
 they mutf part from Chrili, to think bow Happy 
 and Blcfll'd he is, and how Miferable they mult 
 be ? To depart, and be curfed too, will be very 
 fad. And that the Wicked will have no Hopes 
 when in Hell ever to Enjoy Chrift feems clear 
 from that Puffage of Dives, Luke 16. 23, 24. He 
 there only begs that Lazarus taught be lent to 
 him to cool his Tongue, £?V. B it what, was it 
 
 not 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail’d. 193 
 
 not a more defirable Thing for him to be with 
 Lazarus in Abraham’s Bofom, than to have La- 
 zarus fent to him with a Drop of Water ? Yes, 
 furely it was * but why then did he not ask it > 
 Why, becaufe he knew it was in vain 5 his Ex- 
 tremity moved him to ask for a little Eafe ^ but 
 he well knew there was no Hopes of his Recovery, 
 and that the Gulf of Defpair that was between 
 him and Happinefs was too deep for him ever to 
 wade through, and therefore would not fo much 
 as once ask for that which he knew was fo im- 
 poflible to be obtained. And fince this parting 
 from Chrift will be fo fad, Sinners, beware of 
 this Day, and prevent your Mifery by a fpeedy 
 doling with Chrift \ fay as Elifha to Elijah , when 
 he heard he was to be taken into Heaven, and he 
 left behind, As the Lord liveth , and as thy Soul 
 liveth , 7 will not leave thee , 2 Kings 2. 2. Or as 
 Ruth laid to Naomi , Ruth 1. 16. Intreat me not 
 to leave thee , or return from following after 
 thee * for whither thou goeft 7 will go , and where 
 thou lodgefl 7 will lodge , Sec. fo do thou by earneft 
 Prayer intreat him that he would never leave thee, 
 nor forfake thee. 
 
 4. Ufe (hall be of Exhortation, Firft to Sinners, 
 then to Saints. 
 
 1. To Sinners. Is Chrift fuch an Excellent 
 Perfon ? Let me exhort you then to give up your 
 felves to him, to call your Care upon him, that 
 fo you may have an Intereft in him. One would 
 think this Ufe Jhould be ufelefs^ and that all that 
 have but heard of him Ihouid believe in him with- 
 out any more Arguments to this End, fince it 
 tends fo much to their Happinefs fo to do. Was 
 I to tell a ftarving Man of the nourifhing Vertue 
 of Food, and where it was to be had, I need fay 
 N 4 no 
 
1 94 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 5o more to him: But alas, alas, tho’ Sinners ds- 
 ! re to be happy, yet fo they hope they may be 
 without Chrift, or atleaft without fuch an inward 
 Work of Faith with Power as we prefs unto. And 
 on this Account nothing is more difficult i ban to 
 gain the Sinner’s Confent to receive Chfift, and 
 to rely alone upon him. And therefore to all that 
 i have laid I lhall lay down fome quickening Mo- 
 tives to this great and neceflary Work, that fo 
 all 1 have hitherto faid may not be ineffectual. 
 But alas, what can I fay ? Or rather what can 
 I do ? I have to do with dead Sinners, I am go- 
 ing to Prophecy, but his over dry Bones-, I may 
 as well go and call at the Graves for the Dead to 
 come forth, if the Spirit with the Word doth not 
 lay come. As there is nothing more eafie than to 
 talk of Faith, or to fancy we have Faith when 
 we have not ^ fo Icarce any thing more difficult 
 than to beget True Faith in the Soul, Epb. j. i p. 
 Well, tho’ this is God’s Work, yet, as P^r once 
 faid to Chrift, Cuke 5 . y, 6. Maffer , we have 
 toiled all the Night, and have taken nothing, ne- 
 ver tbelejs at thy Command I will let down the Net\ 
 and when they had this done, they enclofed a great 
 Multitude of hi fie s : So tho’ my Words, as com- 
 ing from me, can only reach the Ear, yet fince 
 Chrift hath commanded me to invite the Guefts, 
 | will do as I am bidden, and leave it to him to 
 compel them to come in. 1’U caft the Net, and 
 who knows but I may this once enclofe a Multi- 
 tude, and may from henceforth become a Fifher 
 of Men ? For tho J with Man this is impoifible, 
 yet with God nothing is impoflible. God can do 
 that in a Moment which we cannot do all our 
 Pays. And fince it B fo, I proceed to fome Mo- 
 |iv£S, hoping God vvill rpake fotye of them 
 
 !/ ” Arrows 
 
Or, The Ohry of Chrift unvail'd. 195 
 
 Arrows that (hall flick faft in the Hearts of his 
 Enemies, that fo they may be made to fail under 
 him j and that fome Wound may be made hereby 
 that may never be cured but by Chrift the Great 
 Phyfician of Souls. .1. 
 
 1. Motive to get anlntereftin Chrift, confider 
 you ftand in need of him, and are moft miferable 
 without him. If he was never fo Excellent in 
 himfelf, yet if you did not need him, it would be 
 no Wonder if I could not prevail with you to re- 
 nounce all for him. The full Soul loatheth the 
 honeycomb ( e). A Man that is in Health mat- 
 ters not the Phyfician : But now, you who are 
 Sinners, you need Chrift. A naked Man doth not 
 more ftand in need of Cloaths, nor a ftarving Man 
 of Food, nor a fick Man of the Phyfician, than 
 you do of Chrift. No Condition in this Worldcan 
 render you fo truly Miferable as to he without 
 Chrift. Hence when the Apoftle would fet forth 
 rhe Depth of that Mifery thole Ephejians were 
 in while in a Natural State, he tells them that at 
 that time they were without Chrift (f). O fad 
 Condition ! A Man may be without Honour 
 from the World, and be Happy •, he may be with- 
 out Friends and Relations, and yet be Happy he 
 rhay be without Riches and Wealth, and be Hap- 
 py ; he may be deprived of his Liberty, and yet 
 be Happy •, yea, he may lofe his Life by .the 
 Hands of wicked Men, and yet be Happy ; Chrift 
 will make Amends for all thefe Lofles : But Woe 
 to flrch as are without Chrift.; nothing but De- 
 ftruttiop and Mifery are in their Paths ; fuch can 
 take no tjue Comfort in any thing they enjoy in 
 
19 6 Chrift the mofl Excellent'. 
 
 this World, to think thefe are like to be all the 
 Portion that ever they (hall have. 
 
 2. Motive to beg of God to Intereft you in 
 Chrift is this, God will accept of no Service 
 from you, or Performances done by you, fo long 
 as you are not found in Chrift. It may be Sinners 
 think it now they are miferable they hope to free 
 themfelves from it-, they will now make Gocf'' 
 Amends for their former Sins, which were the 
 Caufe of their Mifery • they will now ceafe to 
 do evil, and will now learn to do well ; they will 
 now reform, pray, hear, read, and be charitable : 
 But let fuch know thefe are but a Cobweb Cover- 
 ing they build but upon a Sandy Foundation ; 
 for God will accept of no Offering at their Hands 
 till they receive Chrift, John 1 5. 5. Without me 
 ye can do nothing, or feparate from me, as it may 
 be read. Such do but labour in vain, and fpend 
 their Strength for nought, feeing the Sacrifice of 
 the Wicked n an Abomination to the Lord , Prov. 
 15.8. 
 
 3. Motive. Confider you can never poffibly 
 get to Heaven if you die out of Chrift. You have 
 heard, I doubt not, of Happinefs, of an Inheritance, 
 of a Kingdom and Crown that fadeth not away * 
 you have heard of thofe Rivers of Pleafure (g) 
 which run through the Heavenly Paradife, and 
 of that Fulnefs of Joy that is in God’s Prefence for 
 Evermore ( h ) ; and I doubt not but you defire 
 fome time or other to partake of this Happinefs 
 and Bleftednefs ; nor can I think you are altoge- 
 ther without Hope that you (hail fo do: And 
 tho’ it may be you. care not for Duties, or whe- 
 ther God accepts your Service, yet you hope your 
 
 Perfons 
 
 (g) Pfal. 3 6 . 2 . (h) PJaU 16. iu 
 
'Or, The Glory of Chrift unvait d. 197 
 
 Perfons (hall be accepted, and that your Souls 
 {hall be faved, and then you will be well enough 4 
 if you get but to Heaven, it’s no matter which 
 Ways But know, Sinners, if you die out of 
 Chrift you will find your felves miferably mi- 
 flaken -, you will then find there is 710 other Name 
 given under Heaven whereby you can be Javed but 
 by CbriJ } , Afls 4. 12. A Damned Soul may as 
 loon break his Chains, and come out of Hell, as 
 you can get to Heaven out of Chrift. As he is 
 the only Purchafer of Heaven and Happinefs, io 
 he will not bellow that which colt him fo Dear 
 on them that die in Enmity to him. Heaven is au 
 Inheritance, and the Children only can lay Claim 
 to it who are Heirs and Joint-heirs with Chrift, 
 As Chrift is the Purchafer, lo tis by a Covenant- 
 relation to him that we come to have a Right to 
 the Thing purchaled. He hath told us plainly 
 he is the Way, John 14. 6 . And fince it is fo, 
 what a forcible Motive fhould this be? Howcanft 
 thou think of coming fhort of that Reft above? 
 Thou hadft better never have heard of Heaven, 
 than to mils of it at laft. How lad will it be to 
 fee Abraham, Ifaac , and Jacob, (and it may be 
 fame of your near and dear Relations too) in the 
 Kingdom of Heaven,, and you your felves fhut 
 out (j) ? How lad to wade through the Howling 
 Wildcrnefs of this troublefom World ? To go 
 through a Vale of Tears, and Valley of Mifery,and 
 not to enter into the Good Land at laft ? And yet 
 thus u rnuft be with thee if thou comeft fhort of 
 an Inrereft in Chrift : Therefore if rhou haft no 
 Lc e to him, yet if thou haft any Defire after Hea- 
 ve and Happinefs, give up thy felf fpeedily to 
 
 (/) Luke 13 . 28 , 
 
198 C hr ift the mofl Excellent : 
 
 him, fince ’tis impoffible without doing the one, 
 that thou (houldeft partake of the other. 
 
 4. Motive. Thou canft never elcape Hell and 
 Eternal Vengeance if thou art not found in Cfirift. 
 It may be fome Prophane Wretch that hath read 
 the former Motive may think thus in his Heart, 
 Well, if I never get to Heaven, if I never am em- 
 ployed in Praifing and BLefling God, if this be all 
 I care not. Poor Soul, thou knoweft not what 
 the Lofs of Heaven will be •, but know this will 
 not be all, for be that believetb not fhall be damned , 
 Mark 1 6 . 1.6. If thou canft be fo well content to * 
 be fhut out of Heaven, canft thou dwell in de- 
 vouring Flames, and contend with everlafting ‘ 
 Burnings (k) ? If thou delireft not the Company \ 
 of Saints, doft thou not dread the Company of 
 Devils ? If thou doft not defire to hear the Melo- 
 dious Songs and Well-tuned Voices of the former, 
 art thou not afraid of the doleful Shrieks of the 
 latter ? If thou art not defirous to dwell in that 
 Land of Light, art thou not afraid to dwell in 
 the Blacknsfs of Darknefs for ever (/) ? If thou 
 dolt not defire to partake of the Saints Freedom, 
 art thou not afraid of thofe heavy Chains that 
 will be put upon thee ? Ah, fure if thou could’ft 
 but look in at Hell Gates, and there fee the Worm 
 that gnaws them, could’ft there fee them as a , 
 mid hull in a Net , full of the fury of the Lord 
 and the Smoak of their Torments afc ending 
 for ever and ever (, n ) : If thou could’ft there hear 
 their doleful Sobs and Sighing, Weeping and 
 Wailing, and gnafhing of Teeth, thou wouldeft 
 never (one would think) make light of Chrift 
 
 more. 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 1 99 
 
 more. Why, Sinners, this muft be the Portion 
 of your Cup if you get not into Chrift ; ’ris only 
 Jefus that delivers from the Wrath to come, 
 1 The/. 1. 10. If you will not flee to Chrift, you 
 cannot flee from the Wrath to come •, thou canft 
 no more efcape Hdl out of Chrift, than they that 
 were out of the Ark could efcape Death and De- 
 ftru&ion ; Hell or Chrift will be thy Portion. 
 
 5. Motive. And it follows as a natural Confe- 
 quence from what hath been fpoken: Confidet 
 Death will be very Dreadful upon this Account* 
 this Meflenger looks grim enough upon Saints, 
 but will look much more grim upon Sinners. It 
 may be while you only hear of thole Things, and 
 they feem at a Diftance, fo long as rhou art in 
 Health and Strength, none of thefe Things move 
 thee * but what wilt thou do in the Day ofVifita- 
 tion ? When Dearh comes to flare thee in the 
 Face, when thou feeleft the Bands of Nature un- 
 tying, and when Lovers and Friends can do thee 
 no good, when thou corned to fee Time cut off 
 from thee, and a vaft Eternity before thee, when 
 thefe Things which thou haft heard of draw near 
 to thee, Where wilt thou flee for Help ? And 
 where wilt thou leave thy Glory (o)? O how 
 Death will fling a Chriftlefs Soul! How dark 
 will the Valley and Shadow of Death be to thofe 
 who have not the Light of God’s Countenance 
 fhining upon them ! And how foon may all thefe 
 Things come upon thee ! It may be now thou put- 
 teft far from thee this Evil Day, and thinkeft if 
 thou muft be Miferable, yet it may be many Years 
 firft, and therefore ’tis time enough to be con- 
 cerned about it, or to feek to avoid it, when it is 
 
 at 
 
 ( 0 ) Ifa.io.i, 
 
2oo Chrift the mojl Excellent : 
 
 at hand. But how doft thou know, O Man, how 
 foon this Day may come upon thee ? It may be 
 when thou art crying, Peace, Peace. Chrift 
 calls fome at Midnight, which is a Time of the 
 greateft Security, and when Droufinefs moft 
 leizes upon us. Death cuts fome off in the i 
 Morning of their Years. God may fay to thee as 1 
 to that Rich Man, Thou Fool, this Night fhall 
 thy Soul be required of thee. When thou lyeft 
 down, thou doft not know whether ever thou 
 ihalt aril'e: When thou fhutteft thine Eyes to 
 fleep, thou knoweft not but thou may ’ft open 
 them in Hell. So long as thou continue!! out of i 
 Chrift, thy Precious Soul hang, as it were, by 1 
 a twined Thread over a bottomlefs Pit -, the Pit is ; 
 Hell., the Thread is thy Life, which is continually 
 drawing nearer to an End-, and when once this | 
 Thread is Inapt, thou art gone for ever : In that 
 Day all t'ny prefumptuous Thoughts of obtaining 
 Mercy will perifh ( p) y and thy Hope will be a* \ 
 the giving up of the Ghcji. But now methinks I 
 lee the Sinner begin to weep and to cry out, Is j 
 there no Hopes ? To which I anfwer. No Hopes 
 if thou dieft out of Chrift * but if thou haft now 
 a Heart to Embrace him there is Hopes * which 
 brings me to the next Motive. 
 
 6. Motive. Confider Chrift is able to lave 
 thee, if thou haft but a Heart to come to him, 
 and to rely lincerely upon him. And that thou 
 mayeft well fuppofe from what hath been fpoken 
 of him, Poor Soul, it may be thou leeft thy Sins 
 to be fo many, and fo great, that thou art ready 
 to fav. Sure there is no Help to be had for thee, 
 thy Wound is too deep to be cured : And indeed 
 
 (i>) Pfal. 146. j. 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvaifd. 201 
 
 if there was no other Help but what is from thy 
 felf thou mighteft well defpair. But hear what 
 God faith, Hof. it,. 9. 0 Ifrael, thou baft deftroyed 
 thy felf-, but in me k thy He Ip found. God hath 
 laid Help upon One that is mighty, and k able to 
 fave to the utmnft all that come to him through his 
 Son, Heb. 7. 25. And faith Chrifi, Matt. 1 1. 28. 
 Come unto me all ye that labour , and are heavy 
 laden , and I mil give you Reft. If Chrifi cannot 
 lave thee, it muft be either becaufe he cannot fa- 
 tisfie for Sin, or elfe becaufe he cannot refcue 
 from Satan : But know, he hath already made Sa- 
 tisfa&ion for Sin, yea, for as great Sins as thine, 
 yea, for thy Sins, if thou haft a Heart to come to 
 him, and believe in him. x God hath fromHea* 
 ven proclaimed him his Son, in whom he is well 
 pleafed, Matt. 3. 17. The great End of Chrift’s 
 coming into the World was to finifh Tranfgreflion, 
 and to make an end of Sins, and to make Recon- 
 ciliation for Iniquity, Dan. 9. 24. and he hath fi- 
 nifhed this Work he died a Bloody Sacrifice, the 
 Juft for the Unjuft •, he was made Sin for us that 
 knew no Sin. And as he hath fatisfied Juftice, lb 
 he hath conquered Satan * he hath bound the 
 Strong Man, and fo is able to lpoil his Goods. So 
 that there is no juft Caufe for thee to fear thy Sins 
 are too great to be pardoned by Chrift, if they 
 are not too dear to be parted with for him. 
 
 7. Motive to believe in Chrift is this, he is not 
 only able, but willing, to fave fuch as come to 
 him. And indeed if we could not be fure of this, 
 all that hath been faid would be but little Encou- 
 ragement for Sinners to venture on him. For look 
 as in another Cafe, a Rich Man may be able to 
 pay a Poor Man’s Debts, but for want of a Will 
 the Poor Man may go to Prifon ; But as Chrift 
 
 hath 
 
202 Chrift the moft Excellent! 
 
 hath Ability to fave, fo he hath a Will to lave 
 all that come to him. If thou art but unfeignedly 
 willing to receive him, thou may’ft be fure he 
 will receive thee, John 6 . 37. And bun that com- 
 et!) unto me I will iri no wife caji out. If thou de- 
 fireft nothing more than Chrift, thou fhalt be pyt 
 off with nothing lefs. Yea, let me further tell 
 thee, it will be the Joy of his Heart to receive 
 thee ^ for as it was the great End of his leaving 
 his Glory, and fuffering 16 much in the World, 
 that he might fave Sinners, 1 Tim. 1. 15. fo he 
 ihuft needs rejoice to fee his Seed, and to fee 
 this Glorious Work accomplilhed. This is clear- 
 ly held forth in thofe Two Parables in the lybof 
 Luke , concerning the Loft Sheep and the Pro- 
 digal Son- The Loft Sheep is fuch a Loft Sinner 
 as thou art, Chrift is the Seeker as well as a 
 Saviour * be feeks and finds Sinners before they 
 truly leek him : And obferve the Joy, Neighbours 
 and Friends are call’d in to rejoice, becaufe the 
 Sheep that was loft is found. And lie adds, V. 7. 
 1 fay unto you , that like wife Joy (l)all be in Hea- 
 ven over one Sinner that repenteth. A like In - 
 ftance in the Prodigal ^ a Prodigal indeed * he had 
 fpent all he had, and he could Ipend no more •, he 
 had gone fo far off he had worn the very Shooes 
 off his Feet : Now one would have thought there 
 had been no Hopes of his Father’s receiving him 
 into Favour again, or if he did, yet that it-muft 
 have been through much Perfuafion, and that he 
 Ihould have had but coarfe Entertaiment, and 
 that his Father Ihould never fo much as Smile 
 upon him, or take any Delight in him : But be- 
 hold ! For thy Encouragement, thou doubting Soul, 
 the Father fees him a great Way off', it may be 
 as far as thou arc j well, and what doth he do > 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvait d. 203 
 
 Gne would have thought the next News fhould 
 have been, he fell upon him, and killed him ; 
 but behold and wonder! He fell on his Neck and 
 kiffsd him •, and when he had Supplied his Wants, 
 and furnilhed him with all Things neceffary, they 
 began to be Merry : Here is Mufick, and Dancing, 
 and. all imaginable Demontlrations of Joy : And 
 notwithflanding the Elder Son did all he could to 
 fpoil the Mirth, the Father tells him, it was 
 meet that we fhould make merry, and be glad * 
 and then adds the Reafon, for this thy Brother 
 was dead, and is alive again ^ and was loft, and 
 is found. Obferve, here is not One Word of 
 upbraiding him with what he had done, or of the 
 low Condition he had been in when he would 
 have been glad to have eaten Husks, but all Joy 
 to fee him come fafe home. No doubt but this 
 Prodigal had once fome Fears, as it may be thou 
 may’ft, whether his Father would receive him, 
 as yve may fuppofe from the Method he refolved 
 upon to pacifie him but at his Return all his 
 Fears are at an End •, he finds better Entertainment 
 than he expended, or deferved. Let thole Things 
 encourage thee to return as he did, and thou wilt 
 certainly fpeed as he did. 
 
 And now methinks I hear Lome poor Sinner 
 lay. What you have faid is very encouraging ^ I 
 have now only One Thing that difcourages me 
 fitom coming to him, and that is the Confideration 
 of his Glorious Excellency which you have fpoken 
 fo much of in the Do&rinal Part •, for when I 
 confider what a Glorious Perfon he is, and what 
 a worthlefs and finful Worm I am, I fee my felf 
 lo unworthy of fuch a Priviledge, that I dare 
 fcarce lift up my Eyes to the Place where his Ho- 
 nour dwells 5 what lhall I do in this Cafe? To 
 O which 
 
204 ChriSl the moSi Excellent : 
 
 which I Anfwer, I grant indeed there is a vaft In- 
 equality between Chrift and thee, and that thou 
 art unworthy to have any Fellowfhip or Commu- 
 nion with him ♦, but fo were all that ever came 
 unto him. Thou art unworthy, but worthy is 
 the Lamb that was flain : Chrift hath Worthinefe 
 enough for himfelf and thee too. Chrift doth not 
 % he that cometh worthily, but he that cornet!^ 
 to me I will in no wife caft out. Thou fayeft 
 thou art unworthy, and lb did the Prodigal, 
 Luke 15. 21,22. And the Son f aid unto him , Ez* 
 ther , I have finned againji heaven and in thy 
 Sight , and am no more worthy to be called thy Son ; 
 but the Father faid unto- his Servants , bring forth 
 the beji Robe , and put it on him , &c. As if he had 
 faid, Neverthelels, or notwithftanding his Un- 
 worth inefs ; and not only a Robe, but the Beft 
 Robe j by which Interpreters do generally under- 
 ftand the Robe of Chrift’s Righteoufnefs ; this 
 muft be put upon this unworthy Prodigal to make 
 him worthy. So that you fee the deepeft Senleof 
 your Unworthinefs will be nolBarr to the Imputa- 
 tion of Chrift’s Righfeoufnefs. When God faves 
 any Soul, he will do it in fuch a Way as lhall 
 meft magnifie.the Riches of his Free Grace; and 
 therefore doth it not upon the Account of any 
 thing done by us, or any Worthinefs in us, for 
 lb to do would edipfe the Glory of his Grace ; 
 but he doth it purely and alone upon the Account 
 of the Worthinefs of Chrift ; fo that none have 
 Reafon to be difeouraged from coming to Chrift 
 upon this Account. And fure 1 am, if you are 
 now unworthy, your refuting to come to him, 
 and believe in him, will never make you more 
 worthy. This is a fure Rule to be obferved, the 
 longer any ftand off from Chrift, the more un- 
 worthy 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 205 
 
 worthy they will be at lad to come to him. But 
 if after all that I have faid thou yet refolveft to 
 ftand off from Chrift, let me give thee a Caution, 
 whoever thou art, and it may be a feafbnable one •, 
 and ’tis this, to beware left there is not Pride of 
 Heart at the Bottom of thy pretended Humility. 
 Should a King invite a Beggar to come to his 
 Koval Palace, and fhould promife to fupply all his 
 Wants, and he (hould refufe to go till he had bet- 
 ter Cloaths, I think in luch a Cafe every one 
 would fay it was his Pride that kept him back : 
 And I cannot- but fear thofe that pretend to have a 
 Beggar’s Puvfe, I mean, nothing to commend them 
 to God, have alfo a Proud Heart, which is like to 
 do them more Harm than their Poverty. Thou 
 layeft if thou hadft more Worthinefs then thou 
 wouldefl: venture to come : And why then more 
 than now ? Sinner, fpeak our, and tell the Truth, 
 is it not becaufethen thou couldeft come with more 
 Honour and Credit ? Is it not becaufe thou hadft 
 rather come as a Buyer thaq a Beggar > And is not 
 this the Pride of thy Heart ? I confefs fiich as go 
 with Money in their Hand are likeft to fpeed. 
 with Men, and are moft welcome ^ but he that 
 comes without Money is moft welcome to Chrift 
 (q). Our Jofeph fills his Brethrens Sacks, but re- 
 turns their Money to them again, Gen. 42. 25. 
 
 Let a Senfe therefore of thy Unworthinels ra- 
 ther excite thee to come to Chrift than difcourage 
 thee, fince it is that which he requires of, aud 
 works in all that do come to him •, and hadft thou 
 that Worthinefs thou feemeft fo much to delire, it 
 may well be queftioned whether ever thou 
 would’ft come •, for he that will not beg when he 
 
 O 2 hath 
 
 («; 55 - »• 
 
20 6 Chrift the tnofl Excellent : 
 
 hath neither Meat nor Money, will never beg 
 when he hath both. ’Tis a foolilh Opinion of 
 Self-worthlnefs that keeps fo many from Chrift; 
 and how that Ihould further tby coming, which 
 hinders others, I fee not. You read how thole 
 that lay under the Hedges, and in the Highways, 
 came to the Supper, while the Rich Merchants 
 and full Farmers made light of it, and went their 
 Way. So the Prodigal came to himfelf ( r ) be- 
 fore he had any Thoughts of coming to his Father : 
 He wanted to be fed with the Husks before he 
 came home to partake of his Father’s Bread. In 
 a Word, take heed of complimenting your felves 
 out of your own Happinels ; if your Unworthinefs 
 in this Cafe refle&s on any, it is on Chrift. Do 
 then as Abigail did, who, when David's Servants 
 had told her their Mailer’s Defign to take her to 
 Wife, Jhe rofe up , and bowed herf elf on her Face 
 to the Earth , and /aid \ Let thine Handmaid be 
 a Servant to wafh the Feet of the Servants of my 
 Lord, 1 Sam. 25. 40, 41. but yet for all her 
 low Thoughts of herlelf, Ihe had more Manners 
 than to deny him, and more Wit than to refule 
 fuch an advantageous Match : For in the very next 
 Verle ’tis faid fhe became his Wife . So do thou 
 think as meanly, and fpeak as lowly of thy lelf 
 as thou canft, yet Ihew more Manners to Chrift, 
 and Love to thy felf, than to refule that which 
 tends fo much to thy Advantage. 
 
 The Second Exhortation lhall be to Saints in a 
 few Particulars. 
 
 i. Is Chrift fuch a Glorious and Excellent Per- 
 fon > And is he yours ? Then fee that you praife 
 God for this fo great a Bleffing. Great Mercies 
 
 call 
 
 (r) Lv\e 15. 1, 17. 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unva.it d» 207 
 
 call for Loud Praifes : O how ftiould it enlarge 
 our Hearts to praife God, to think that he fliould 
 ever beftow fuch a Perfon on us \ To praife God 
 for Chrift will be our great Work in Heaven, let 
 us begin it now on Earth. When Chrift appeared 
 on Earth, we read of a Multitude of Heavenly 
 Hofs praifing God , and faying , Glory to God in 
 the Higheft, 8tc. Luke 2. 13, 14. And if God 
 hath Revealed Chrift to our Souls, we have Caufe 
 to join with them. If Praife is, due to God for 
 any thing more than other it is fftr Chrift, fince 
 he is fo Incomparably Excellent ; and God expefts 
 this from' us who are his own People-, we only 
 are Interefted in him, and know his Excellency, 
 How can we but praife God for this Gift, when 
 many as good as we by Nature have neither Part 
 nor Lot in this Matter ? The more Excellent and 
 Diftinguifhing the Gift, and the more Unworthy 
 the Receiver, the more Praife and Thanks is due 
 to the Giver. When Good Simeon had taken 
 Chrift into his Arms, he BlefTed God, Luke 2. 28. 
 fo let us do who have received him by Faith. 
 When our Lord was on Earth, you read how they 
 praifed God with a loud Voice for all the Mighty 
 Works they had feen, faying, Blejfed be the King 
 that cometh in the Name of the Lord ’ Luke 19. 37, 
 38. But fome of the Pharifees delired Chrift to 
 rebuke his Difciples * and he anfwered and faid 
 unto them, I tell you , if thefe fhould hold their 
 Peace , the Stones would immediately cry out ; ei- 
 ther to carry on that Work which they gave over, 
 or elle to fhame them for their Ingratitude in io 
 doing. 
 
 2. Let me exhort you to Fruitfulnefs in good 
 Works, that fo you may not only praife God 
 with your Lips, but with your Lives. Let us not 
 O 3 be 
 
2 ©8 Chrift the mo ft Excellent : ^ 
 
 be barren while we profefs our felves ingrafted 
 into him. ’Tis by your receiving of Chnft mat 
 you become capable of doing that which is plea- 
 fing in God’s Sight •, and now he experts your 
 Fruit fhould remain (f), and that while he hath 
 done fo much for your Good, you fhould do fome- 
 thing, yea, all you can, for his Glory. You that 
 (land fo nearly related to this Glorious Perlon had 
 need to take heed hew you walk, left you more 
 difgtace him by you Walk than you honour him 
 by your Words * which you may foon do. Our 
 Conformity to him will be the moft convincing 
 Demonftration of our Love to him, and of the 
 Efteem we have for him. The World will more 
 regard our Lives than our Lips. And fure I am, 
 the Honour of Chrift buffers much when you fin. 
 If an open Enemy to Chrift be Drunk, or 
 Swears, & c. the World take little Notice of that 
 but if a Saint’s Foot flip, then, Ah, Ha, fo we 
 would have it ! Therefore it ftands the Saints in 
 Hand, while they admire his Excellency, to walk 
 as he walked (t)~, and ’tis only fuch that Chrift 
 will own to be his Friends, John 15. 14. Te are 
 my Friends if ye do vohatfoever l command you . 
 
 3. Is Chrift fuch an Excellent Perfon ? Then be 
 not afhamed of him. What, be afhamed of him 
 that is King of Kings? Sure I am it was not 
 without good Caufe that Mofes ejieemed the Re - 
 preaches of C'nrift greater Riches than the Trea- 
 fares of Egypt, Heb. 11. 2 6 . The World indeed 
 are afhamed of Chrift-, when they fee how far 
 his Worfhip is from being drefled according to the 
 Modes of the Time, they are afhamed to follow 
 him y and many at beft are like Wicodemvs, that 
 
 came 
 
 CD Jdm 1 5* 1 V) 1 frbn 2. 6 . 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvaifd. 209 
 
 came to Jefus by Night (v). But let me tell fuch, 
 their greateft Shame is to be thus aihamed of 
 Chrift. Sure I am there is no juft Caufe for us 
 to be aihamed of Chrift ; we (hall not (if we are 
 Saints) be aihamed to appear with Chrift, why 
 fhould we be aihamed to appear for Chrift here ? 
 Let us remember what Shame he underwent for 
 us, and yet he hid not his Face from Shame and 
 Spitting , Ifa. 50. 6. i. e. He was not aihamed of 
 his Shame ; and lhall we be aihamed of him ? 
 
 * Tis enough for the Servant to be as his Lord (u ) : 
 The more Glorious a Perlon Chrift is, the lels 
 Caufe we have to be aihamed of him. . 
 
 4. If Chrift be fuch an Excellent Perlon, then 
 do not finfully decline any Sufferings you may be 
 called to for his Sake. O what a Shame is it for 
 us, and a Dilhonour to Chrift, when we turn our 
 Back before the Enemy, and cowardly run when 
 we Ihould be fighting the good Fight of Faith ? 
 How do we hereby undervalue Chrift, and give 
 the World Occafion to think that his Glorious Per 1 - 
 Ion we talk fo much of, and feem to glory lo 
 much in, is not able to requite a few Days Suf- 
 fering for him * and that that Glory that lhall be 
 revealed, that Inheritance and Kingdom above 
 which Chrift hath promifed for them that fuffer 
 for him, and are faithful unto Death, are not all 
 worthy to be compared with thefe light Afflicti- 
 ons, nor able to make us Amends for them ? But 
 on the other Hand, what an Honour is it to 
 Chrift when we can ling in the Prilon (w), and 
 take joyfully the fpoiling of our Goods (x) ? Yea, 
 when we can lay as PW, I am not only ready to 
 be bound, but to die for the Name of Jefus ? 
 
 O 4 When 
 
2 1 o Chnft the moft Excellent : 
 
 When we can leap for Joy to hear our Names 
 caft out for the Son of Man’s Sake ( y J, and when 
 with the Martyr we can for Joy clap our Hands 
 in the Flames. Chrift takes this well at our 
 Hands, and laughs at the Trial of his Innocent 
 Ones ( s), to fee them Fight fo Valiantly. My 
 Brethren, we know not what Times fome of us 
 may live to fee, nor how heavy a Crofs we 
 may carry after him, before we come to wear our 
 Crown i we know not how bitter a Cup God may 
 put into our Hands before we come to drink of * 
 the Rivers of his Pleafures. Our Brethren beyond 
 the Seas are fuffer ing Hard Things, and are bearing 
 the very Heat and Burden of the Bay : And as it 
 is not long fince we were drinking of the fame 
 Cup, fo it may be but a while before the fame 
 Cup, or One more Bitter, may pafs again unto 
 us. We fee thole mighty Hunters, which fome 
 Years ago had run themlelves almoft out of Wind 
 in purfuing Chrift’s Innocent Lambs, (being forced 
 to reft awhilej are now ready for their Game 
 again * they long to be hawling Men and Women 
 to Prifon, and to be again enriching themfelves 
 with the Plundered Goods of the Poor Ifraelites ; 
 they only flay for the Word of Command : And 
 fhould our God, for Wife Ends, leave us once 
 more to the Will of our Enemies, I know nothing 
 than can more animate and incourage us to fuffer 
 than to confider for whofe Sake we are to fuffer. 
 
 • If Ge/cir could fo animate his Soldiers in a Storm, 
 faying. Fear nor, you carry Ccefar ; much more 
 may it incourage us under the greateft Storm of 
 J^erfecution that can arife, to think we fuffer for 
 Jefus, who will never leave us hqre, nor fuffer us 
 
 to 
 
 ( y.) Luke 6 . 23 . Atty 5 . 41 . (0 Job 23 . 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. &ll 
 
 to go unrewarded hereafter. The only Way to 
 endure, and not to fear the Wrath of thole Ene- 
 mies, is to look to him that is invifible (a) : This 
 Excellent Perfon will fureiy avenge his People on 
 their Enemies, tho’ he may bear long, and then 
 he will lay heavier Burdens on them than ever 
 they could on Is. 
 
 Lajlly , Let me exhort you to Contentednels in 
 every Condition. If Chrift is but thine thou canft 
 want no good Thing. Sure I am, all thole Things 
 thou doft want, or canft wifti for, are not to be 
 compared to what thou doft enjoy. ’Tis unbe- 
 coming to fee the Saints envying the Rich Man, 
 or the Honourable Man, when God hath bellowed 
 more on them than all that they have can amount 
 to : The Richeft Mifer on Earth, if not in Chrift, 
 will be glad e’er long to change his Condition 
 with the pooreft Saint ; as is clear in that Inftance 
 of Dives and Lazarus. A Saint that is interefted 
 in this Glorious Perfon, at the loweft may fayjts 
 Hah. 3. 17, 18. Although the Figtree Jhall not 
 blojjom , neither Jhall Fruit be in the Vines , the 
 Labour of the Olive Jhall fail, and the Fields Jhall 
 yield no Meat , the Flock Jhall be cut off from the 
 Fold , and there Jhall be no Herd in the Stalls , yet 
 will I rejoice in the Lord , I will joy in the God of 
 my Salvation. A Saint hath no Caufe to murmur 
 under Loffes and Afflictions, not only becaufe all 
 Things lhall work for his Good, but becaufe in 
 his loweft Condition he hath that which will In- 
 finitely outweigh all the Enjoyments in this World, 
 and that which he can never lofe * for tho’ he may 
 lole hisSubftance, he may lofe his Reputation in the 
 ' World, he may lofe his Health, yea, his Life, but 
 
 can 
 
 (a) Hib. 11 . 27 . 
 
212 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 can never lofe his Chrift * he will have this Pearl 
 of Price in his loweft Condition. What is laid 
 of Mary , Luke io. 42. may be laid of each Saint, 
 She hath chofen that good Part that Jhall never be 
 taken from her ; and this will ballance againft all 
 other Things. I remember a Paflage I have read 
 of an Ambaffador from Spain , that told Henry the 
 Fourth , that Magnificent King of France t of the 
 Ample Dominions of the King of Spain \ laid the 
 Ambaffador, My Matter is King of Spain j is he 
 fo, laid Henry 1 And I am King of France. But, 
 faid he, my Matter is King of Portugal *, and, 
 faid Henry, I am King of France. My Matter is 
 King of Naples , faid the Ambaffador •, and I am 
 King of France , faid Henry. My Matter is King 
 of Cicily -, and, faid Henry , I am King of France. 
 But my Matter is King of Nova Hifpania * and, 
 faid Henry , I am King of France. But, laid the 
 Ambaffador, my Matter is King of the Wefi-Indies ; 
 and, faid Henry, I am King of France : To let 
 him know he efteemed that One Kingdom of 
 France to be Equivalent to all the Petty Kingdoms 
 belonging unto Spain. To apply this to our pre- 
 lent Purpofe, One Carnal Man hath great Wit and 
 Learning •, but a Believer hath got Chrift : Another 
 hath Honours * but the Believer hath Chrift : Ano- 
 ther hath great Riches, and large Dominions ; but 
 the Believer hath Chrift. And if the Men of the 
 • World are lo well content with this, the Believer 
 hath much more Caufe to be contented, feeing 
 Chrift is far better than all thele ; . for when all 
 thele will fade as a Leaf, this Sweet Rofe of Sha- 
 ron will be frelh and flourilhing. All the Enjoy- 
 ments of this World will avail nothing at Death, 
 they will all then appear to be but Vanity and Vexa- 
 tion of Spirit. I may allude to thofe Words of 
 
 Haman 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrifl unvail'd . 213 
 
 j Hainan to his Friends, when he told them of all 
 his Riches, and how he was advanced above the 
 Princes, and how he was invited with the King to 
 the Banquet, yet faith he, All this availeth me no- 
 thing Jo long ax l fee Mordecai the Jew Jit in the 
 King's Gate (/;). So may a Chriftlefs Soul lay, I have 
 fo much Honour, lb much Wealth, fo much of the 
 Delights of this World, yet all thefe avail me no* 
 thing fo long as I am without Chrift in the World 5 
 I want the Pearl of great Price. But how may 
 the Saints ling in the Valley and Shadow of 
 Death ? The Wicked have a learning Advantage 
 of the Saints now, but the Saints will have a real 
 Advantage of them then : For as there is a far 
 greater Excellency in Chrift than is, or can be, in 
 any Creature, fo they mull needs be more happy 
 who are interefted in him', than they can be who 
 have the greateft of the Enjoyments of this World 
 without him. Better to be a Beggar upon a Dung* 
 hil, if in Chrift, than to be a King upon a Throne, 
 if without him. So that there can be no juft 
 Caule of Difcontent to the Saints in their worft 
 Condition, lince their Worft is much better than 
 the Wicked’s Belt : The Saints Sorrow is better 
 than their Joy ; and they are far more happy 
 when dying than the others are in their greateft 
 Profperity : They may fay in their loweft Condi- 
 tion, The Lines are fallen to me in a pleafant 
 Place , I have a Goodly Heritage. Pf. 1 6.6. 
 
 The Laft Ufe Ihall be of Confolation to the 
 Saints. 
 
 Is Chrift fo Excellent ? And is he v yours ? This 
 may be Matter of Comfort to you living and dy- 
 ing •, you need not be afraid to die. 0 the com- 
 fortable 
 
 (b) Eli. 5,n, J2, l|, 
 
214 Chrift the mfl Excellent : 
 
 fortable Meeting that will be e’er long between 
 Chrift and you: Tho’ now he is thine, it may be 
 he (lands behind thy Wall ; he (hews himfelf but 
 darkly as through the Lattifs ; but when thou 
 goeft to Heaven thou (halt fee him as he is, and 
 (halt know even as thou now art known. And O 
 the Hugging and Embracing each other ! Then 
 thou wilt find far more in Chrift than I have 
 told, or can tell you of him. When once thou 
 art got into the Heavenly Paradife, how Sweet 
 will this Rofe of Sharon be ! As nothing will be 
 more Dreadful than for Sinners to part with him, 
 fo nothing will be greater Caufe of Joy to the 
 Saints than to meet with him. When the Apo* 
 file had been fpeaking of meeting the Lord, and 
 of being ever with him, he adds, Wherefore com- 
 fort one another with thefe Words , i Theft 4. 17, 
 18. Comfortable Words indeed. When the 
 Queen of Sheba had heard of the Glory and Wit 
 dom of Solomon , (he was not latisfied with the 
 bare Report, but went to fee him, and found 
 much more in him than ever (he had heard of 
 him: So one would think you who are Saints, and 
 who have heard the Report I have made of Chrift 
 from this Text, (hould with Haul be in a Strait 
 between Two , ’ having a Define to depart , and be 
 with Chrifi , which is far better (c) ^ and th'at you 
 (hould long to meet him in his Robes of Glory. 
 If it is fo Sweet to hear of this Rofe of Sharon , 
 it will be much more Sweet to be within the Reach 
 of it. The nearer we come unto, this Rofe, or 
 that unto us, the Sweeter it will be to us. If fo 
 Sweet to be in Chrift, what will it be to be with 
 him? This will be the Top of the Saints Happi- 
 
 ne(s, 
 
 (0 Phil. 1 . 23 . 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrijl unvail'd. % 1 5 
 
 nefs, and the Fulnefs of their Joy. When Chrift 
 was about to leave his Difciples, he tells them he 
 will not leave them comfortlefs * and what Way 
 will he take to prevent it > Why, faith he,. I will 
 come again, and. receive you to my felj, \ John 14. 
 18. As if he had faid, I well know it will put 
 an End to all your Sorrows when you come to be 
 where I am: And how earneftly doth Chrift 
 pray to his Father ? John 1 4. 24. Father , l will 
 that thoje whom thou hajl given me may be with 
 me where I am, to behold my Glory which thou 
 hajl given me. And if Chrift did lo defire this, 
 fure we fliould. Then Chrift will appear in his 
 beft Robes. Sweet Soul, let me ask thee. Was 
 not this the Prize thou at firft didft fet out for, 
 and the Mark thou haft ever fince been aiming 
 at ? If thou art a Saint I know it was, Chrift be- 
 ing the Center of a Believing Soul : And if it 
 was, how fhouldft thou long to be at thy Journey’s 
 End ? O how will the firft View of this Glori- 
 ous Perfon make thee Amends for all the Labour, 
 Sorrow, and' Sufferings that ever thou didft un- 
 dergo for him all thy Days ! He will then wipe 
 off all Tears from thine Eyes (d), and fo wipe 
 them off that they fhall return no more : And 
 tho’ while thou art in this Wildernefs State, and 
 many a dark Cloud intervenes between thee and 
 him, Sorrow is ready to fill thy Heart; yet 
 when once thou art got within the Doors of thy 
 Father’s Houfe, and haft got thy Well-beloved in 
 thy Arms, with Aflurance thou (halt part with 
 him no more, how will Sorrow and Sighing then 
 flee away ? And how can you that have this Hope 
 be contented without this Happinefs ? One would 
 
 think 
 
 (<0 Rev. 21 . 4 . 
 
2 1 6 Chrift the moft Excellent : 
 
 think Death (hould be the moft welcome Meflen- 
 ger that ever your Eyes faw, and that you (hould 
 rejoice to feel any Decays in Nature, and to fee 
 how quick your Sands run, and to fee gray Hairs 
 upon you, knowing thefe are but Symptoms of 
 this Happy Day approaching. O with what 
 Joy do you think good Old Jacob went down to 
 Egypt to meet his Beloved JoJeph , that was ad- 
 vanced to be the Second Man in the Kingdom, 
 while he came from a low and mean Condition ! 
 O the Joy to that good Man, to fee that Son 
 which be had confidently concluded was torn to 
 Pieces, now highly Exalted, and every Knee bow- 
 ing to him! Gen. 41.43. And with what Joy did 
 they meet ! How welcome did Jofepb make his 
 Father and Brethren! He placed them in the bell of 
 the Land. So with what Joy (hould the Saints 
 go to meet that Jefus that was once Defpifed and 
 Reviled, but now highly Exalted! And how wel- 
 come will this Glorious Perfon make his poor Bre- 
 thren ! Never did the Father of the Prodigal 
 more rejoice at the Return of his Son than thy 
 Jefus will rejoice over thee. If there is fuch Joy 
 in Heaven at the Converfion of a Sinner, what 
 may we fuppofe there will be at the Salvation of 
 a Saint ? How will the very Heavens Eccho with 
 Joyful Acclamations at the good News that our 
 JoJepJr s Brethren are come ? 
 
 Methinks I fee the Bleflfed Jefus with Joy run- 
 ning to meet his Brethren to the very Gates of the 
 New JeruJalem , and falling on their Necks and 
 Killing them, and Saluting them on this Wife, 
 Welcome, Thrice welcome, my Dear Friends, in- 
 to your Mailer’s Joy * welcome to the PolTellion 
 of that Kingdom prepared for you from before the 
 Foundation of the Word ; Welcome, you weary 
 
 Pilgrims, 
 
Or, The Glory of Chrift unvail'd. 217 
 
 Pilgrims, into your Everlafting Reft. Methinks 
 I hear the Friends of the Bridegroom replying. 
 Sweet Jefus, is this the End of Believing ? Is this 
 the Prize I have been running for ? O Blefled 
 Day when I kneyv thee! But Thrice Blefled Day 
 when I came to be with thee \ Blefled be the In- 
 ftrument that converted me j but Thrice Blefled be 
 the God that made life of that Inttrument. Me- 
 thinks I fee them fit down on their Thrones with 
 Crowns on their Heads, and hear them tuning their 
 Harps, and moft Melodioufly beginning to fing 
 that Song which they refolve never to end, Rev. 
 5. 33. BleJJing, and Honour , and Glory , and 
 Power , be unto him that fittetb upon the Throne , 
 and to the Lamb , for ever and ever. Amen. 
 
 •w 
 
 FINIS. 
 

 ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 T H E fame Author hath fome time fince put 
 forth a Book, proving fome Infants to have 
 Faith, and a Right to Baptifm $ and alfo fhewing 
 what Stare the Soul is in, in the very Aft of com- 
 ing toChrift. To be Sold by the aforefaid Mr. Wi- 
 lier and Mr< Rajham. 
 
 ERRATA, 
 
 Ag. 45. lin, 13. for their, read your. p. 49. I. 6. for Men, r. 
 
 JL Man. 1 . 1 1. for bad, r. hath. p. 50. 1 . 8. add 6. p. 56 . 1 32. 
 for doth r. both. p. 5 7. 1. 7. for profefs, r. poffefs. p. 61. 1. 19. f >r 
 you, r. you'll, p. 71. 1 . 7. for. that, t. that's, p. 101. J. 30. for 
 grieve, r. grinde. j. 31. blot out not. p. 102. 1. 12. for grieve, r. 
 grinde. 1 . 21. for Pillows f r. Pillar t. p. 107. f. 6. for tell, r. call. 
 p. 121. 1. io. for now, r. never, p. 127. 1. 1. for no, r. ui. p. 138. 
 1 . 3. after baft, r. not. p. i$6. 1 . 36. after Race, add of Man. p. 
 157. 1 . 17. for Objetfs, r. Abjefls. p. 159. !. 8. for to, r. a. p. 
 170. 1 . 3. for now, r. unto. p. 174. 1.2 6. for Stars, r. Stars, p. 
 182. 1. 1$. blot out not. 1. 34. for one, r. axe. p. .200. 1. 14. for 
 bang, r. hangs. 
 
 Some few leffer Miftakes in Letters and Mifpointingi the Rea- 
 der is defired to reftifte with his Pen. 
 
, • 
 
 V ' • 1