or any thing in it take up the whole or the remain of your hearts so that your minds are little or nothing upon Christ and you are seldome or never thinking of him it is a sign Christ is not very precious to you Small is the value we have for that which we are seldome or never thinking of Secondly they to whom Christ is precious as they will be much and often thinking of him so they will set a high price and value upon him they will very highly prize him His worth with them is above Rubies and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to him Prov. 8. 11. Like St. Paul they will count all things but loss and dung in comparison with him Phil. 3. 8. Now Brethren is it so with you Have you such high thoughts of Christ Do you set so great a price upon him Do you apprehend a Divine nature and excellency an infinite worth and value in him Is there nothing that your heart can prefer before him It is then a sign he is precious to you But if your thoughts touching his nature and excellency be mean and low so that like the Arian Hereticks of old and the Socinian Hereticks of late you esteem him but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a meer man if his worth and value in your apprehension be scanty and little such as it was in his who sold him for thirty pence and it is sad to think how many there be at this day that matter not the selling of him at a much lower rate if there be any thing that you prize above him or prefer before him then it is a sign that in your eyes he is despised and you esteem him not that you make no great account of him that he is not precious to you Those things are not precious to us which we have but little value for Thirdly They to whom Christ is precious have a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. ad â—n very great desire after him They hunger after him they pant and breath after him even as the Hart pants and brays after the Water-brooks their Souls like Davids are athirst for God Psal 42. 1 2. for the living God they count all things like St. Paul but loss and dung that they may win Christ. Phil. 3. 8. O my Dove that art in the clefts of the Rocks in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy Countenance let me hear thy Voice for sweet is thy Voice and thy Countenance is comely So breaths the Spouse in the Canticles after Christ her beloved Cant. 2. 14. Christ is the desire of the souls of them that truly believe in him and their hearts do even run after him with the swiftest feet of the strongest affections Is it so with you Brethren Examine your hearts upon this Point Have you so fervent a love for your Lord Have you so passionate affections for Jesus Have you so strong desires after Christ Is the desire of all Nations the delight of your souls Answerable unto his preciousnesse to you will be your affections for your love to your desires after him But if your affection for him be small your love cold your desire weak it is a sign he is not precious to you That is not very precious to a man which he hath no great love for nor mind to nor desire after Fourthly they to whom Christ is precious will be very industrious in their Inquest after him they will seek him diligetly even as silver and search for him as for hidden treasures Prov. 2. 4. or as a Merchant seeks for goodly Pearls Mat. 13. 45. they will seek him like the Spouse in the Canticles by night upon their beds and by day in the streets and in the broad wayes Cant. 3. 1 2. in private duties in publick Ordinances any where every where wherever they may hope to find him neglecting no means refusing no pains missing no opportunities of coming to him Is it so with you Brethren Are you diligent in your search after Christ Can you find in your hearts to be at paines to sind him Do you think no labours no watchings no fastings no prayers no teares no attendance in duties and on Ordinances too great so you may win Christ It is then a sign Christ is precious to you But if you make little or no inquiring after him if you be lither and lazie in the seeking of him if you think much and grudge to be at paines to find him it is a sign you set small value upon him that you have no precious esteem for him It is not precious to a man that is not worth his seeking after Fifthly they to whom Christ is precious will be willing to purchase him at any rate though never so dear so they may but have him They will part even with all for him Like the Merchant in the Gospel that sought for goodly pearls when they have found this one Pearl of great price they will sell all they have that they may buy him They will forgoe their Liberties for Christ they will forgoe their estates for Christ they will forgoe their Honours for Christ they will forgoe their Friends for Christ they will forgoe their sins for Christ they will forgoe their righteousnesse for Christ and they will forgoe even their lives for Christ I have goods a Mr. Copin Wife and Children said a French-Confessor once and yet I have lost those affections which I formerly bore to them neither are they dear to me so I may gain Christ. I love my wife and children in the Lord said an English â—ich â—oodman Martyr and if I had ten thousand pound in gold I had rather forgoe it all than them but I have them as if I had them not and I will not for their sakes forsake Christ. What things were gain to me saith St. Paul those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all tbings and do count them but dung that I may winne Christ. Phil. 3. 7 8. It were easie to be very large even so as to tire you with such like instances as these of Persons who have been willing at any rate to purchase Christ weighing neither things visible nor things invisiblr as St. Ignatius said by himself â—p ad â—om 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the gaining of Christ. But how is it now with you Brethren Are you so fond of this great purchase Are you willing to part with any thing yea even with all thing for Christ Have you nothing but what you can readily forgoe for him however otherwise dear and delightful it be to you Then it is a sign that in your esteem of him Christ is precious But if there be any enjoyment whether of Liberty or Estate Honour or Friend Sin or Duty yea if it be even Life
That 's the thing I exhort you to labour for O labour to endear Christ to your souls Now if any would know how to do this Two Directions I shall give him in this case First let him study the worth that there is in Christ Secondly let him consider the need that he hath of Christ If there be any man to whom Christ is not precious surely it is upon one or both of these points either first because he is not sufficiently informed of the due worth of Christ or else secondly because he is not truly sensible of the great need that he hath of Christ That therefore he may be precious unto you be much and oft upon these Meditations First Study the worth of Christ consider the various excellencies that with most illustrious beams do shine forth in him and that whether you look upon him as God or as Man or as Meditator betwixt God and Man Look upon him First as man and how can ye but admire the exemplary holinesse of his life He knew no sin neither was guile found in his mouth How can ye but admire the insuperable patience of his Death He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and as a lamb is dumb before the shearer so opened he not his mouth Lastly how can ye but admire the incomparable charity which he shewed both in his life and death In his life he went about doing good and healing all manner of diseases and sickness of the people In his death he prayed to his Father for pardon for his very Crucifiers Secondly Look upon him as Mediator and acting in all his several offices And how can ye but admire the excellencies of his Teachings as a Prophet Gracious words proceeded out of his mouth Never man spake as he spake How can ye but admire the prevalency of his Sacrifice and Intercession as a Priest Thereby he made satisfaction unto God for our sins and makes our Persons acceptable unto God And how can ye but admire the magnificency of his Administration of the Regal Government as a King Thereby he rescues us from the power malice and injuries of all our enemies whether they be Sin or Satan Death or Grave World or Hell and both at present translates us into a Kingdom of Grace and will hereafter estate us in a Kingdom of Glory Lastly If you are able look upon him as God And how can ye but admire the incomparable greatness of his Power He is Omnipotent nothing too hard for him he can do all things How can ye but admire the incomprehensible deepnesse of his Wisdom He is Omniscient his understanding it is infinite he knows all things And how can ye but admire the unmeasurable largeness of his goodness He is Omnibenificent good to all and his mercy is over all his works Yea not an Attribute of his but may be a Subject for Angels to contemplate upon and even they too will come short of comprehending the full of it and lose themselves at laâ—â— into high admirings and holy adorings of him for it O meditate my Brethren much and oft upon these things And when you find that the Lord whom you serve the Jesus whom you believe in the Christ in whom ye put your trust is so glorious a God so gracious a Man so efficacious a Mediatour betwixt God and Man you will find your hearts carried strongly forth in high and lofty affections toward him so that his person will be dear his name sweet and the very thought of him precious to your souls Secondly Consider the Need you have of Christ which will appear by considering the utter undonness of your condition without Christ The want of this consideration is one cause why it is that to many men Christ is no more precious than he is They set no price upon him because they discern not their need of him O call yourselves to a strict account and commune with your own hearts diligently about this even what need you have of Christ And that as we noted you will quickly discern when once ye come to understand the miserableness of your estate without Christ And alas What is man without Christ An enemy to God a servant to sin a slave to Satan a Child of wrath a Captive to Death a brand of hell Now surely to be in this estate is a fearful thing And to him that rightly understands the fearfulness of this estate nothing can be imagined more needful than that by which he may be delivered out of and freed from this estate Why there is no deliverer of any from this estate but Chrlst there is no deliverance for any from it but by Christ O how precious then must Christ needs be to a poor creature that is terrified with the fearful apprehensions of his being in so woful a condition Never was sight more welcome to man that was blind never feet more acceptable to him that was lame never health more desirable by him that was sick never liberty more dear to him that was imprisoned never pardon more precious to him that was condemned than Christ would be to such a soul Let me put a few Queries into your mouths to ask your selves about this businesse when you are at your best leisures Have you given a perfect unsinning Obedience to the whole Law of God in every point of it If so then you may challenge life from God as due debt upon the score of his promise This do and live But if not as sure you have not for there is none that liveth and sinneth not then are you able to bear that curse of the Law which is due to him that continueth not in every thing that is written in the Book of the Law to do it Are you able to dwell to all eternity with devouring fire If not that for who is able to dwell with everlasting burning then are you able to free your selves from it either first by powerful resistance not suffering the sentence to be put in execution or secondly by perswasive eloquence softning the Judge to a revoking of the sentence of your condemnation Or thirdly by prevalent intercession of interposing friends men or Angels extorting from him a pardon for your transgression Or fourthly by giving unto Justice in some way of Commutation a full and valuable satisfaction If your deliverance from eternal damnation be neither to be wrought any one of these wayes nor be obtained any other way beside these but only through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ and that invaluable merit of his most precious blood there needs no more sure to tell you what need ye have of Christ How can a soul fully convinced of this but cry out for Christ as Rachel did for Children Give me Christ O give me Christ or else I die If ever there were any of you brought into that condition experimentally to understand the miserableness of the case of a man without Christ that is of a sinner without a Saviour I know your experience will confirm my sayings Let me yet add Which of you is able to overcome a temptation without strength from Christ Which of you sufficient himself to perform a good action yea even think a good thought without grace from Christ O what is the best of us but a withâ—red branch if separate from communion with Christ The all that we can do without him is just nothing at all In a word if all the hope of your acceptation with God of your Resurrection unto life and of your Reception into Glory be founded upon Christ and Christ alone then understand your need of Christ and accordingly as you need him so esteem of him If such extream need of Christ as in you added unto such exceeding Worth as in Christ be not enough to render him precious to you who is able to imagine what should be enough The Lord help you to such a frame of spirit as that Christ Jesus may be precious to you And yet I might further add First That to have a precious esteem of Christ is the way to be preciously esteemed of by Christ If Christ be in your esteem a pearl of great price you shall be in Christs esteem jewels of no little price Not the least drop of respect you shed on him but shall be showred back manifold upon your selves And this is comfortable There 's a sweet blessing pronounced on all those that are sincere lovers of Christ by St. Paul in the close of his Epistle to the Ephesians c. 6. v. 24. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Amen Grace what 's that here Why the love the favour the mercy the kindness of God expressing it self in blessings from God This grace the Apostle prays that it may and according to his prayer most assuredly it will be with the sincere lovers of Jesus Christ unto whom he is precious Secondly I might add That not to have Christ precious unto you is the next to your making light of Christ If he that is not a lover of his brother be in Gods account a murderer of his brother O take heed that your not having a high esteem of the Son of God be not in the account of God a treading of his Son under foot And as the other was comfortable so this is terrible There is a bitter curse denounced against all those that are not lovers of Christ by St. Paul also in the close of his first Epistle to the Corinthians c. 6. v. 23. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha Let him be Anathema Maranatha what 's that Why let him fall under the heavieâ—â— censures of the Church be excommunicated to the severest degree of excommunication cut off from all communion with the Church of Christ and consequently from all union and communion with Christ himself as he deserves to be that makes light of Christ And what more sad câ—â—â—â—tion than this can a man be in on this side hell 〈◊〉 But I am loth to draw away your minds too far from the two former considerations namely that of the worth of Christ and that of your want of Christ which alone are sufficient to endear him very much unto you and therefore to give you room for Meditation tâ—â—â—eon I shall here break off and conclude my â—â—â—â—ourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS
Tyndal the Geneva Interpreters and our own Bibles both of the Old and New Translation taking the word in the latter sense render it precious and our late learned Paraphrast in the abstract the preciousness I suppose in conformity to the Context where Christ is once and again namely in verse the fourth and sixth beside this third place styled precious According to whether acceptation we take the word the sense of the Text is unquestionably sound and Orthodoxal We will therefore not reject either but consider and handle the Text according to both beginning with that which renders it Honour And the Point delivered in the Text according to this Interpretation of it is this That Christ is an Honour unto those that believe on him Whereas those feigned Deities which the Heathen Idolaters worship for Gods whether they be creatures of Gods making or of their own making are a shame and a reproach to the worshipers of them as being but so many either nothings i. e. none of the things that they are believed to be and â—rus â—bserv â— 16. c. 9. worshipped for or stinking things dunghil-gods which it were a shame for any rational man to do any religious reverence and perform any sacred worship to Yet Christ Jesus the God whom we serve even that crucified Christ who to the Jews is a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness is so far from being any reproach or shame that he is an Honour and a Credit to the Believers on him to the Worshippers of him Such he is as in Himself Such he is in his Relations unto them and such also he is in that esteem which they have of Him And First Jesus Christ is an Honour unto them that believe on him if considered as such as he is in Himself And what is that Why the only begotten Son of God Joh. 3. 16. One with his Father Joh. 10. 30. The Power of God and the Wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. Whom God hath exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour Act. 5. 31. And hath made him Lord and Christ Act. 2. 36. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19. 16. The Judge of the World Act. 10. 42. The Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. The mighty God Isa 9. 6. The Head of all Principality and Power Colos 2. 10. Whom all things were created by and for and by whom all things do consist Col. 1. 16 17. Now Jesus Christ being such an one in Himself what an Honour can it but be unto those that believe on him that they do believe and trust in worship and serve such an one as he Secondly He is an Honour unto them that believe on him if considered in his Relations unto them What are they We may reckon many and all honourable He is their Brother Heb. 2. 1. their Husband 2 Cor. 11. 2. their Advocate 1 Joh. 2. 1. their Captain Heb. 2. 10. their Prophet Act. 3. 22. their Priest Heb. 8. 1. their King Rev. 15. 3. their Shepherd Heb. 13. 20. their Bishop 1 Pet. 2. 25. their Foundation 1 Cor. 3. 10. their Head Eph. 5. 23. Now what an Honour is there flowing from every of these Relations to every true Believer in Christ O what an honour is it to a a believing soul to have the onely begotten Son of God the Heir of all thing the first born of every creature to be its Brother To have the Lord of life and glory to be its Husband To have the Son of Gods love who is in the bosome of his Father to be its Advocate with the Father to have the mighty God to be the Captain of its Salvation to have the eternal wisdome of the Father to be its Prophet the Holy One of God to be its Priest the Head of all Principality and Power to be its King to be a Sheep in that Flock whereunto Christ is the Shepherd to be a Communicant in that Church over which Christ is the Bishop to be a Stone in that Building whose Foundation is Christ to be a Member of that Body whereof Christ is the Head Like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aarons beard that went down to the Skirts of his garments so the Honour of Jesus Christ descends upon and is derived unto evey member of his body even the lowest as well as the highest member of it the meanest as well as the grearest Christian in it Such honour have all his Saints from the Relations which he stands in unto them Such an honour he is unto them from those Relations Thirdly As in Himself and in his Relations unto his Saints so in that esteem which they have of him he is an Honour to them However he be disesteemed despised and rejected of other men to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness to Hereticks and Atheists a scoffe and scorn yet to the true Believers on him he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an honour in that account which they make and in that esteem which they have of him Hence proceeded their nameing of his name upon themselves calling themselves Christians and as it were glorying in that Appellation as did Sanctius the Confessor from whom no tortures could extort any other answer to whatever question was put to him but this I am a Christian. Hence their professing with a kind of delight to be related as Servants unto him and intimating that relation by a frequent respectful calling him their Lord and Master Christ Jesus my Lord so St. Paul Phil. 3. 8. Scarce would the devout Divine Mr. Harbert even in his ordinary speech mention the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ but he would adde unto it My Master How sweetly doth my Master sound My Master As Ambergre ese leaves a rich scent unto the Taster so do these words a sweet content An Oriental fragancy My Master So he begins one of his Divine Poems and goes on too in the same strain Hence again their free and bold confessing him even before Kings in times of hottest and sharpest persecutions for his name glorying in it and counting it an honour and an happiness to them to suffer shame and reproach yea torments and death it self for his Name If ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 4. 41. who together with the rest of the Apostles being beaten by the Council of Jerusalem for speaking in his name went away rejoycing that they were counted worthy or as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie had the honour done them to suffer shame 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be dishonoured for his name Act. 5. 14. In which expression St. Ignatius a follower of their faith and sufferings doth also follow them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so saith he of the chains wherewith he was bound for the name and faith of Christ I have been vouchsafed counted worthy or
men And O what an encouragement must this needs be unto holiness and goodness when the goodness of the creature shall be the glory of the Creator and the holiness of a Christian the honour of Christ As ever therefore ye desire not to be a reproach and shame but a reputation and honour unto Christ so be ye holy in your lives and godly in your conversatitions Let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity and him that saith he abideth in Christ so walk even as Christ himself walked denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts and living soberly righteously and godly in this present world and every day more and more perfecting holiness in the fear of God And thus far we have discoursed of the Text according to that acceptation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in it in which it is by some rendred Honour We will now in reverence to our own Translators who render it Precious and in reference to Authority which hath stamped that Translation for current amongst us and also out of respect unto the context wherein Christ is more then once termed precious we will now I say proceed to discourse of the Text according to that acceptation of the word also And the Point delivered in the Text according to that Interpretation of it is this That Jesus Christ is very precious to a true believing-Christian Vnto you therefore which believe saith our Apostle here he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even preciousness in the abstract that is very precious Now this we shall shew him to be in five respects Things are precious unto men in respect either first of their Rarity and Singularness or secondly of their Worth and Excellencies ot thirdly of their Pleasingness and Delightfulness or fourthly of their Usefulness and Profitableness or fithly of their Needfulness and Necessariness And upon all these considerations Christ is precious unto those that believe on him And First in respect of Rarity and Singularness Men use to account those things precious which are rare and singular besides which there are few or none other of the same kind in being as the Phoenix or other rare birds or beasts fruits or trees upon this account is Jesus Christ precious to a believing soul There is no such Saviour as he no Saviour but he Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 3. 11. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Act. 4. 12. Whence he is in Scripture styled by way of Emphasis The Saviour Joh. 4. 42. Phil. 3. 20. Now the believing soul being fully peswaded of this doth upon this account highly esteem of Jesus Christ He is very dear and precious unto it Secondly In respect of Worth and Excellentness Men use to account those things precious which are of great worth and excellency in any kind as Gold and Pearls and precious Stones And upon this account is Jesus Christ even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the preciousness to a believing soul as being of worth above its comprehension excellent beyond its imagination As there is no considerable light in the Stars but what is imparted unto them from the Sun so there is nothing of worth or excellency in any respect in any part of the Creation but what is a communicated ray of the worth and excellency that is in Christ by whom all things were created and do consist Colos 1. 16 17. What worth what excellency then must there needs be in Christ from whom all worth and excellency is communicated The particulars of his Excellencies are innumerable the nature of them unutterable the value of them inconceivable they are an Ocean which knows neither bank nor bottom every way infinite and incomprehensible And this the Believing soul being fully perswaded of sets a high price upon him counts him the chiefest of ten thousand as the Spouse in the Canticles did her Beloved yea worth ten thousand of us as Davids servants did their Lord. Yea were there ten thousand times ten thousand persons of more worth and excellency than any that ever yet lived upon the face of the earth yet in the esteem of the Believing soul they be all of no worth if compared with Christ which would say to him in Davids words Psal 73. 25. Whom bave I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire in comparison of thee In them could be but the finite worth and excellency of the Creature in Him is the infinite worth and excellency of the Creator Now betwixt finite and infinite there is no proportion and so there can be no comparison Thus precious is Christ Jesus unto the Believing Christian in respect of worth and excellency Thirdly In respect of Pleasingness and Delightfulness Men use to account those things precious wherein they find much pleasure and take great delight as beautiful flowers rich perfumes charming ayres c. And upon this account is Christ Jesus very precious to a Believing soul The Spouse in the Canticles first compares him to a Tree and then expresseth what delight she took both in his shadow and in his fruit I sate down saith she under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my tast Cant. 3. 3. O the rare pleasures the ravishing sweets of that Communion which true Believers have with Christ Those that truly believe in Christ are spiritually united unto Christ and have the spirit of Christ in-dwelling in them Now what inward joyes are at some times especially communicated unto their souls what secreet sweets are impressed upon their spirits by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in them cannot so well be told as felt 'T is indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as our Apostle tell us in the first chap. of this Ep. ver 8. joy unspeakable such as they that feel it within yet are not able to speak it out A believing soul enjoying inward actual communion with Christ is sometimes as it were emparadised on this side heaven not being with S. Paul wrapt into the third heaven but having with Christ on the Mount the third heaven brought down unto him yea and into him too so that he hath a heaven in the very heart of him O speak it when I am gone said one and preach it Mr. Holland at my Funeral God dealeth familiarly with man I feel his mercy I see his Majesty whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God he knoweth but I see things that are unutterable I am saith another Mr. Bolton by the wonderful mercies of Christ as full of comfort as my heart can hold and feel nothing in my soul but Christ with whom I heartily desire to be O crys out a third the joyes the joyes the joyes that I feel Mr. Kat. Brettergh in my soul O they be wonderful they be wonderful they be wonderful