of the Law Heb. 7. 12. We have an High priest after a more excellent order then was Aaron's even after the order of Melchisedech and he is King of righteousness who hath brought in an everlasting righteousness and who is clothed therewith as with a robe Isa 61. 10. And hath it to confer upon and cloth with all that are born of him Heb. 7. 1 2. 1 John 2. 29. 3. 7. This was he whom Daniel in vision saw That certain or one man clohed in linen in White raiment whose Loyns were girded with fine Gold of Uphaz Dan. 10. 5. with Rev. 1. 13. And the same he speaketh off again Clothed in linen which was upon the Waters of the River c. Dan. 12. 6 7. with Rev. 10. 6 7. And he is girt about the Paps with a Golden girdle Righteousness is the Girdle of his Loyns and Faithfulness the Girdle of his Reins Rev. 1. 13. with Isa 11. 5. He is a more excellent High-priest then any of the former and answerably his raiment is more excellent then theirs Aaron had on when he ministred the Linen Coat Linen Breeches Linen Girdle and Linen Mitre outward Material white Raiment but he hath put on righteousness as his Garment Girdle Breast-Plate c. And all those that are born of and come unto him are made Priests be they Jew or Gentile wise or unwise male or female bond or free They are a Spiritual Priest-hood to minister unto him as all the males that were born of Aaron in former times were Priests so now Christ is actually in our nature glorified and become the father and begetter of Priests by a birth from above and no difference here between male and female for they are all one in Christ Gal. 3. 27. This priviledge of being Priests is not confined or limited to a mid-order of outward Officers between and distinct from Bishops or Elders and Deacons for there is no such order mentioned in the writings of the Apostles nor is it limited to any outward Church-chosen Officers whatsoever Nay men are so far from being the only Priests because chosen by the professed Church that they are not therefore Priests at all But all those that are born of Christ the Everlasting father and begetter of Priests whether in 〈◊〉 or out of outward Office in the Church are an Holy Nation and Gods Heritage or Clergy 1 Pet. 5. 3. Yea though those that were in former times born of Aaron and were of the Tribe of Levi were outward and bodily Priests to offer bodily Sacrifices in which they were Types of Christ and their Sacrifices of his Yet all Israel might then in obeying his voice have been Spiritual Priests according to that Exod. 19. 3-6 The Lord said to Moses Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob and tell the Children of Israel and not of Levi and Aaron only You have seen what I did to the Egyptians c. Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar Treasure unto me above all people for all the Earth is mine And ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests and an Holy Nation These are the Words which thou shalt speak unto unto the Children of Israel And now all that come unto Christ the living Stone disallowed indeed of men yea of the builders also but chosen of God and precious they also as lively Stones are built up a Spiritual house an Holy Priesthood 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. And there are none else that are Priests of Gods owning and approbation though there are many others that are called so but all these whether male or female in the flesh that so hear and learn of the father as to come unto Christ are joyned unto the Lord and so are Spiritual Levites and made one Spirit with him and partake of his Spiritual Blessings by faith and in a first-fruits of the Spirit according to their needs and capacities and they are Priests And that they may minister unto him and before men he washeth them in his own Blood Thus in our Types that the Priests might minister unto the Lord they were to be washed Exod. 29. 4. And when they came into the Tabernable or unto the Altar they were always to wash Exod 30. 17-22 And therefore the Laver was set between the Tent of the Congregation and the Altar that they might wash before they came to the Altar Exod. 40. 6 7. 29-32 So Christ who is the Laver and Fountain of living Waters through his Blood washeth those that come to and believe on him continually even the weakest as well as the strongest He forgiveth their iniquities even of the little Children also and they receive the remission of them through the opening of his name 1 Joh. 2. 12. Acts 10. 43. He sprinkleth their Hearts from an evil Conscience and their Consciences from dead works and their Bodies with pure Water He gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word Ephes 5. 25 26. Heb. 10. 22. And as in our Types of old the Priests had peculiar Vestments white Garments prepapared for them and put on to minister in Exod. 29. 5 6. 40. 13 14. So Christ clotheth his Priests also with more excellent Raiment He clotheth them with a robe of righteousness Isa 61. 10. Psal 132. 9. He is made of God to them righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30. And with the fruits of his righteousness as before Ephes 4. 23 24. Col. 3. 10-14 And he anointeth them not with Materal Oyntment as the Priests in former times were Exod. 29. 6. 30. 23-30 40. 9-13-15 But with the Spirit and with some useful gifts 2 Cor. 1. 21. And so they are prepared to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Christ as their High-Priest and Altar 1 Pet. 2. 5. Rev 1. 5 6. And the Sacrifices they offer are broken and contrite hearts broken off from all rejoycing in themselves or confidence in the flesh and filled with abhorrency of and sorrow for their sins Isa 66. 1-3 Psal 51. 17. And Prayers unto God in the name of Christ Psal 62. 8. 50. 14 15. 141. 2. And the Sacrifices of Praise continually that is the fruit of their lips confessing to his name and holding forth the Word of life Heb. 13. 15. Also to offer up their bodies a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable as moved and strengthened by the mercies of God Rom. 12. 1. And to do good and communicate For with all such Sacrifices God is well pleased being offered by Christ as the Altar Heb. 13. 15 16. Or as this counsel is given directly and expresly to the Angel that he should buy White raiment so there may be reference had to the Raiment the Angels those glorious Spirits were wont to appear in as it is said of that Angel that rolled back the stone from the door of the Sepulchre wherein
particularly he is called and compared to gold 1. Because as Gold is taken out of the earth before it becometh so precious and inriching to us Job 28. 5 6. So our Lord Jesus Christ fell into the ground and died and was taken out of the earth the heart of the earth that he might become inriching to us Herein indeed there is a dissimilitude between the natural gold and this spiritual as there are many between the old and new creation and things appertaining to both the earth is the original place of the former but it is not so of the latter Christ came down from Heaven from above he was in the form of God and was glorious with the father 's own self before the world was Job 3. 31. 6. 38 51. 17. 5. he is as to his divine consideration over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. from everlasting to everlasting he is God Psal 90. 1 2. But now that he might become unsearchable riches for us it was absolutely necessary that he should suffer and rise again from the dead Act. 17. 3. Luk. 24. 26. ye know saith the Apostle the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who being rich the proper and onely Lord and Heir of all things by divine and eternal generation for your sakes became poor that ye thorow his poverty might be enriched 2 Cor. 8. 9. So he faith of and concerning himself except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and dye it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit Joh. 12. 24. he might have remained alone in the injoyment of his own glory and glorious perfection though he had not fallen into the earth but he could not have brought us back to God but we must have remained in our miserable poverty for ever he could not have been communicable riches to us as we had departed from God and fallen by our iniquities if he had not died for our sins and been buried and if also he who was delivered for our offences had not been raised again and taken out of the earth in that same body in which he was put to death and laid in a Sepulchre he could not have been Gold for us we could not have been partakers of him and of that glory in him If Christ be not raised again we are yet in our sins preaching and hearing faith and hope is vain and they who are fallen asleep in Christ are perished and we must be banished from God for ever necessarily and so continue poor and miserable everlastingly But now Christ is risen from the dead and so truth substance and substantial riches is sprung out of the earth in his resurrection and righteousness looketh down from Heaven and God giveth us that which is good Psal 85. 10 12. and in him bodily even in that body which the father prepared for him and in which he bare our sins on the tree and was taken from Prison and from Judgment dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead and in him we are compleat compleatly provided for and furnished with all that may truly inrich us Colos 2. 9. 10. He is now ascended up on high and hath led captivity captive and received gifts in the man for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them He is ascended and gone up to a glorious place and to a glorious state in him it hath pleased all the fulness to dwell But in that he ascended what is it what is signified hereby and imported to us herein as needful hereto but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth into the womb of the Virgin and into a great abasement into many sorrows and sufferings he humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the cross yea he went down into the heart of the earth his soul was in hell and his flesh in the grave in the belly or womb of the earth He that descended is the same also that ascended farr above all Heavens that he might fill all things with the virtues and influences of his sufferings and sacrifice and fulfill all things Psal 68. 18. with Ephes 4. 9 10. It is through his falling into the earth that he hath exalted and advanced our nature so highly that he is in it become the great God and our Saviour the Lord and Christ the heir of all things and inheritour of God's holy mountain Because he humbled himself therefore God highly exalted him and gave him a name above every name And he is gone up into Heaven and and is on the right hand of God Angels Authorities and Powers being made subject to him Heb. 9. 12. Philip. 2. 6 9. 1 Pet. 3. 21 22. The Captain of our salvation is become perfect for us through suffering Heb. 2. 10. The Lord did in a wonderful and supernatural way create a new thing in the earth and it is this fruit of the earth which is excellent and comely for our escape Jer. 31. 22. Isa 4. 2. But this may be further spoken to in what is said and affirmed of this gold to wit that is tried in the fire 2. He is called and compared to gold because as natural Gold is the most excellent metal which God hath created so this faithful and true witness is the most excellent one there is none to be compared to him Gold is more precious then Iron Brass Silver or any other metal Isa 60. 17. Numb 31. 22. So he is precious excellent as the Cedars namely as the Cedars excel other trees so doth he other persons and things Cant. 5. 15. He is the beginning the principal one God's first born the first begotten from the dead that in all things and amongst all persons he might have the preeminence for it hath pleased the father that in him should all fulness dwell Psal 89. 27 Col. 1. 18 19. He is White and Ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand Cant. 5. 10. he is fairer then the children of men Psal 45. 2. Whatever beauty or comely proportion they may have their fairness is not to be compared to his he is fair with the beauty of holiness and there is no blemish or spot in him no sin in him or wrinckle of sorrow and infirmity upon him 1 Pet. 1. 19. He is more excellent then the Angels he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they for unto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son this day have i begotten thee All the Angels of God are required to worship him He who is raised from the dead even the man Christ Jesus is set on the right hand of God in the Heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come and God hath put all things under his feet and given him to be head over all things c. And therefore
this White raiment here commended to us Possibly this might cause Laodicea to be so Lukewarm and so much to shut the door against Christ and deny or refuse entertainment to him though he had stood at the door and still did knock vers 20. and however certain it is that not only our righteousness and our works shall not profit us Isa 57. 12. But it is hurtful also and hindereth from coming unto Christ being confided in it filleth men so with pride and boasting Rom. 3. 27. as that it leadeth men not only to despise and undervalue others and to say to them stand by thy self come not near unto me for I am holier then thou Luk. 18. 9-11 Isa 65. 5. but also to reject or not to accept of God's righteousness which is prepared in Christ for all and manifested so to be in the doctrine of Christ Rom. 3. 20-22 So much the Apostle giveth us to understand when he saith the Jews who had a Zeal of God yet seeking to establish a righteousness to themselves they submitted not humbled not themselves to the righteousness of God Rom. 9. 30-33 10. 2 3. with Jam. 4. 6 7. 1 Pet. 5. 5 6. This was that which was an impediment to the Pharisees and hindered them from coming to Christ they thought and conceited themselves to be whole and then they needed not a Physician Mark 2. 17. they had a righteousness and appeared righteous before men and knowing themselves hereby they were letted from coming to Christ Yea the Publicans and Harlots entred into the Kingdom â—f Heaven before them Nay they were the greatest enemies and most fierce opposers of Christ and his Gospel of any persons whatsoever and shut up the Kingdom of God against others neither entring in themselves nor suffering others that were entring to enter Matt. 5. 20. 21. 33 34. â—3 27 28. with vers 13. What a great enemy was Saul who had his life in his own works of righteousness to Christ and his Gospel He verily thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus and was exceedingly mad against the Gospel and its declarers He was concerning zeal persecuting the Church and concerning the righteousness of the Law blameless But after the kindness and love of God to man ward appeared to him he did count all but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Jesus his Lord that he might gain him and be found in him not having his own righteousness which was of the Law but the righteousness which is through the faith of Christ even the righteousness of God by faith We must suffer the circumcising efficacy of the grace of God to cut off this foreskin of the heart or otherwise we shall not be of the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3. 1-4-7-9 10. Matt. 13. 44. Gal. 2. 16. 3. 10-12 1 Cor. 1. 29 31. We must also abstain from and mortify our desires of the praise honour and glory of this World and of their favour friendship and approbation for this is a very great hinderance from coming unto and following after Jesus Christ from heartily believing in and confessing him How can ye believe saith our Saviour which receive honour or glory one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only Joh. 5. 40-44 While men are set for the praise and reputation of men and of them who have a form of godliness denying the power thereof they dare not they cannot singly cleave to the Lord lest they should displease and lose their favour This friendship of the World is spiritual uncleanness and enmity with God as the Apostle signifieth when he saith Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world of the prophane ones or of the Saints thereof is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the World he is the enemy of God Jam. 4. 4 5. Truly if a man will be a Disciple and follower of Jesus Christ He shall be hated of all men and have his name cast out as evil for the son of man's sake And that not only by profane ones but by many that appear righteous towards men yea by such as have a zeal of God but not according to knowledg Therefore that a man may come after Jesus Christ needful it is that he go out of the Camp bearing his reproch and be willing to be made the filth and off-scouring of all things Luk. 6. 22 23-26 Rom. 8. 28 29. with Isa 52. 13. 1 Cor. 4. 9-13 Heb. 11. 24-26 13. 12. This desire of vain glory is inconsistent with walking in the Spirit Hence the Apostle saith If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit let us not be desirous of vain glory Gal. 5. 24-26 And this will hinder from confessing Christ as it did the rulers who believed on Christ but did not confess him for they loved the praise and glory of men rather then the praise of God Joh. 12. 42 43. The grace of God must be therefore so received as to cut off this lust and desire that we may cleave to the Lord with full purpose and follow him in the regeneration He is a Jew who is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2. 29. We must also part with abstain from and mortify our covetousness our love of money and the riches of this World for this is a very hurtful and pernicious affection and lust of the flesh and is therefore to be mortified by us that we may seek Christ and those things that are above where he sitteth on the right hand of God Col. 3. 1-5 It is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a Needle then for a man that loveth and trusteth in his riches to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mark 10. 21-24 25. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2. 15-17 Money is also one of the great Idols of the World and the loving and lusting after that is the worshipping of an Idol Covetousness is idolatry and the covetous man is an Idolater Ephes 5. 5. Col. 3. 5. Yea this love of money is the root of all evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows 1 Tim. 6. 9-11 Matt. 6. 24. Needful therefore it is to be fled from us that we may be made partakers of Christ and that rich and inriching provision that is prepared of God for us in him Luk. 12. 15. Psal 119. 36 37. Yea we must mortify and abstain from our inordinate affection to our nearest and dearest relations and to our natural lives also that we may rightly come unto and be made partakers of and follow
after Jesus Christ Col. 3. 5. So much our Saviour signifieth in what he speaketh to the multitudes by occasion of the first bidden guests refusing to come to the Supper prepared for them when they were once and again invited He turned and said unto them if any man come unto me and in coming hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life also which is more then all to us and harder to be parted with Job 2. 4. he cannot be my Disciple c. Luk. 14. 24-27 He that loveth Father or Mother more then Christ is not worthy of him and he that loveth Son or Daughter more then him is not worthy of him And he that taketh not his Cross and followeth after him is not worthy of him Matt. 10. 37-39 Luk. 9. 59-62 Joh. 12 25 26. Those who will indeed be joyned to the Lord and be spiritual Levites and so be one spirit with him must be herein like to Levi of old who said unto his Father and Mother I have not seen him neither did he acknowledg his Brethren nor know his own Children Deut. 33. 8 9. 'T is needful to our partaking of and having fellowship with him in his riches and inheritance that we be like-minded in a sense with the Father he hath given unto Christ the pre-eminence in all things and amongst all persons so also it is necessary that we in our hearts loves and esteems should so honour him as to prefer him before our chiefest joy and before our nearest and most beloved friends injoyments and relations And if we so honour him not we shall be looked upon as despisers of him and such as set lightly by him and shall also be lightly esteemed of him Col. 1. 18. Isa 13. 11 12. 1 Sam. 2. 30. Yea Not to inlarge any further hereto particularly we must sell and part with all that we have as is before said all our own things that we may have and obtain this gold tried in the fire and this white raiment for clothing and covering the shame of our nakedness Our sins and idols must be let go and abstained from We must forsake and bid farwel to all we have that we may be the Disciples of Christ Luk. 14. 26-33 We must sell all that we have with the wise man and merchant that we may be made partakers of this Pearl of great price and treasure of invaluable worth Matt. 13. 44-46 We must deny and renounce our selves daily as Christ said to the People and his Disciples also our wisdom wills designs enterprises affections and lusts our own righteousness our confidences consolations hopes for Heaven our pride and desires of vain glory our covetousness intemperance uncleanness anger wrath c. We must lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness that we may receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save our souls We must cast off the works of darkness that we may put on the armour of light and abstain from rioting and drunkeness chambering and wantoness strife and envying that we may put on the Lord Jesus Christ Matt. 16. 24 26. Mark 8. 34-36 Luk. 9. 23-25 Jam. 1. 21. Rom. 13. 12-14 Titus 2. 11 12. 1 Pet. 2. 11 12. Col. 3. 1-5 6-8-12 And this is the first Reason why this winning Christ and obtaining this durable riches and righteousness in him is called and compared to buying here and elsewhere because we must part with and sell somewhat for him and those excellent treasures in him to wit all that we have 2. This gaining Christ and that preparation in him is also called and compared to buying because that which we must part with though it be indeed nothing worth yet we have naturally a goodly and high esteem thereof it is naturally highly valued by us and of very great account with us through our blindness and ignorance We are by nature and first birth empty and void of all spiritual understanding though we would be wise yet we are born like a wild Asses Colt hence we are ready to mistake to call evil good and good evil to put light for darkness and darkness for light To make an Idol of Christ and God in him and to prefer broken Cisterns before the fountain of living waters We are strongly inclined to be highly esteeming and valuing our own things which we must sell and let go that we may have Christ and those unsearchable riches of him especially such things as are commendable amongst men and which are the object of the desires of the mind as to say particularly The wisdom of this world is of high account amongst men and men are apt to glory herein as if it were some goodly thing Though it is and is declared to be foolishness with God and every man by his knowledg is bruitish and like a beast 1 Cor. 3. 3. 19. Jer. 10. 14. 51. 17. Yet this is unto a man in his natural condition as his right eye this is that which he is most tender of and most highly prizeth and he looketh upon it as a most useful and beneficial thing both for knowing and finding out God in the wisdom of God and for glorifying him to others though he is much mistaken herein 1 Cor. 1. 21. Matt. 18. 9. And those that have more of it then others and are rich in this wisdom and knowledg look upon themselves in the injoyment hereof as happy persons yea as the only blessed ones and judge and give forth others to be accursed Joh. 7. 47 49. And are ready to say as they did the law shall not perish from the Priest nor Counsel from the wise Jer. 18. 18. Doubtless as is before said this is one of the great Idols and Gods of the world and too much and too often set up also in the temple of God to the polluting and defiling it which men adore and worship and lift up themselves by and make their boast of and upon every occasion ask counsel of this stock and this staff declareth to them So also the works and doings of the flesh which are wrought by the wisdom and strength thereof our own righteousness according to the Law this is highly esteemed amongst men and men are apt to confide herein and think on this account eternal life appertaineth to them This is even their life their riches their gain though in truth it be nothing worth for we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs Isa 64 6. Thus it was with the Apostle Paul when he had his confidence in the flesh he was alive once without the Law he thought himself to be in a very good and happy condition Rom. 7. 9. His own righteousness which was of the Law was gain to him before the righteousness of God without the Law was believed and received by him Phil. 3. 4-7-9 And thus it was more generally with the Pharisees they trusted in themselves
it is needful That they anoint their eyes with this Eye-salve that they may see This is intimated to us in the counsel here given and in the end of it And indeed this branch of the counsel may give answer unto and remove a doubt that may be and arise in our jealous hearts on the hearing of this counsel given to such wretched piteous persons as these were For they might be ready to say Question How may we be perswaded to believe the contents of this Counsel This Counsellour threatneth to spue us out of his mouth and telleth us that we are poor miserable creatures and speaketh as if he were highly offended with us and greatly incensed against us How can we then believe that he should in earnest propose to us such enriching gold and such excellent raiment as is here commended to us Whence should such grace be to such unworthy ill deserving ones as we are It is possible that that which he here calleth upon us to buy is nothing else but counterfeit and not so excellent as he would perswade us it is how shall we know whether this be right gold or such excellent raiment as it is signified to be Answer To give answer to such a jealousie and suspicious thought this may be added or however it is proper to purge it out of us It is indeed admirable grace excellent loving kindness such as cannot be expressed or conceived and it may well be marvellous in our eyes if it be duly considered by us Psal 36. 7. But yet to the end we might be assured of and satisfied in the goodness and reality of the Treasures here commended to us before he requireth us to buy he first in order of nature willeth us to anoint our eyes with this Eye-salve that we may see He might upon his own authority as being our Lord have commanded us to buy and to have depended wholly upon his word for what he saith without seeing with our eyes but he condescendeth to us in a more gracious way and instructeth us to open our eyes that we might be satisfied And in some sort though not fully he dealeth with us as he did with Thomas when he was so slow of heart to believe yea resolved not to believe that Christ was raised again except he saw such things as might remove all doubtfulness out of him our Saviour was then pleased to give him such an evident demonstration and infallible proof of the truth of what he was doubtful concerning that he crieth out as one abundantly convinced of his former evil My Lord and my God So in some sort he dealeth here though he presenteth not himself to our bodily eyes yet he counselleth us to anoint the eyes of our understanding that we may see and might no longer have any doubtfulness remain in us John 1. 39-46 In this Instruction then let us consider these two things which are needful to be spoken to 1. What is that we should anoint our eyes for that we may see 2. Why is it needful to anoint our eyes herewith that we may see 1. What is that we should anoint our eyes for that we may see What is it that is needful to be seen by us To this we may say it is needful to our buying those excellent Treasures to see 1. The Lord Jesus Christ himself and that durable riches and righteousness in him and the means whereby he is become such a rich treasury and store-house of all the fulness of grace and truth that of his fulness we might receive and grace for grace to wit his humbling himself and becoming obedient to death the death of the cross for all this is the price of his blood and procurement of his sufferings for us This is needful for us to see even those heavenly and blessed commodities that are here to be bought by his Angels and Churches It is but a reasonable thing we should see what we are invited to buy in parting with all for And Christ and the unsearchable riches of him are discovered to us in and by this eye-salve the testimony of Jesus and we are thereby inabled to behold them As well as also here is shewn unto us the abasement of Christ where-through he hath obtained all things into his hand for us here we may see the great sufferings he indured for us so the Apostle signifieth that in this Gospel Jesus Christ was evidently set forth crucified before their eyes the eyes of their souls Gal. 3. 1. So the Author 〈◊〉 the Hebrews saith we see Jesus who was made a little lower then the Angels that by the grace of God he should tast death for every man Heb. 2. 9. Here we may see that he who was in the form of God and thought it no robbery to be equal with God made himself of no reputation and was made flesh Joh. 1. 14. That he bare our sins in his own body 1 Pet. 2. 24. And the great sorrows and sufferings which he indured for our sakes how he was tormented for our transgressions bruised for our iniquities how his soul was in hell and his flesh in the grave that he indured such great sorrows that there was no sorrow like unto his sorrow wherewith the Lord afflicted him in the day of his fierce wrath Lam. 1. 12. Here we may also see the preciousness of his sufferings and blood whereby he hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law and obtained into himself eternal life eternal redemption a full and compleat treasury of all things that pertain to life and godliness and his beauty and glory his excellency and comeliness is here presented to us that it might be seen by us Here we may see Jesus who was made a little while inferiour to the Angels crowned with glory and honour Heb. 2. 9. Here with open face as in a glass we may behold the glory of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Here we may see that he is become a good foundation of faith a rich fountain of all spiritual and eternal blessings wisdome and righteousness and sanctification and redemption That he is more precious then rubies and that all the things we can desire are not to be compared unto him Prov. 3. 15. That he is more glorious and excellent then the mountains of Prey Psal 76 4. That he is more precious then gold yea then the golden wedge of Ophir Isa 13. 12. That God hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name Phil. 2. 7-9 That he hath given him the preeminence in all things and amongst all persons Col. 1. 18 19. That the Father so loveth him that he hath given all things into his hand so as he that looketh up to and believeth in him hath everlasting life Joh. 3. 35 36. Matt. 11. 27 28. Here we may see that he is the chiefest of ten thousands that he is altogether lovely and that none are to be compared unto him Cant. 5. 11-16 And this we are called upon