A Godly Man Is a Christ-Prizer

7. A godly man is a Christ-prizer.¹ To illustrate this, I shall show;

8. That Jesus Christ is in himself precious.

9. That a godly man esteems him precious.

10. That Jesus Christ is in himself precious, 1 Pet. 2. 6. Behold I lay in Sion a chief corner-stone, elect, precious. Christ is compared to things most precious.

11. To a bundle of myrrhe, Cant. 1. 13. Myrrhe is very (Plin) precious, it was one of the chief spices, whereof the holy anointing Oyl was made, Exod 30. 25.

12. Myrrhe is of a perfuming Nature; so Christ perfumes our persons and services, that they are a sweet odour to God: whence is it the Church, that heavenly Bride, is so perfumed with (Cant. 3. 6) grace, but because Christ, that Myrrhe-tree, hath dropped upon her.

13. Myrrhe is of an exhilarating nature; the smell of it doth comfort and refresh the spirits: So Christ doth comfort the souls of his people, when they are fainting under their sins and sufferings.

14. Christ is compared to a Pearl, Mat. 13. 46. When he had found one Pearl of great price. Christ, this Pearl was little in regard of his humility, but of infinite value. Jesus Christ is a Pearl that God wears in his (John 1. 18) bosome; a Pearl, whose lustre drowns the worlds (Gal. 6. 1) glory; a Pearl that enricheth the soul, the Angelical part of² man; a Pearl that enlightens (Rev. 21. 23)heaven; a pearl so precious, that it makes us precious to (Eph. 1. 6) God; a Pearl that is cordial and (Luke 2. 25) restorative; a Pearl more worth than (Col. 1. 16, 17) heaven. The preciousness of Christ is seen three wayes.

15. He is precious in his person; he is the picture of his Fathers glory,³ Heb. 1. 3.

16. Christ is precious in his Offices; which are several Rays of the Sun of Righteousness.

17. Christs Prophetical Office is precious, Deut. 18. 15. He is the great Oracle of Heaven; he hath a preciousness above all the Prophets which went before him; he teacheth not only the ear, but the heart: He who hath the Key of David in his hand, opened the heart of Lydia, Act. 16. 14.

18. Christs Priestly Office is precious: This is the solid basis of our comfort, Heb. 9. 26. Now once hath he appeared to put away sin, by the sacrifice of⁴ himself. By virtue of this Sacrifice, the soul may go to God with boldness; Lord give me heaven, Christ hath purchased it for me; he hung upon the Cross, that I might sit upon the⁵ Throne. Christs Bloud and Incense, are the two hinges on which our Salvation turns.

19. Christs Regal Office is precious, Rev. 19. 16. He hath on his Vesture, and on his Thigh, a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Christ hath a preheminence above all other Kings for Majesty; he hath the highest Throne, the richest Crown, the largest Dominions, and the longest possession, Heb. 1. 8. Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever. Though Christ hath many Assessors, Ephes. 2. 6. yet no Successors. Christ sets up his Scepter where no other King doth; he rules the will and affections; his power binds the Conscience: The Angels take the oath of Allegiance to him, Heb. 1. 6. Christs Kingship is seen in two Royal Acts.

20. In ruling his people.

21. In over-ruling his Enemies.

22. In ruling his people. He rules with Clemency; his Regal Rod hath honey at the end of it: Christ displays the Ensign of Mercy, which makes so many Volunteers run to his Standard, Psal. 110. 3. Holiness without Mercy, and Justice without Mercy, were dreadful; but Mercy encourageth poor sinners to trust in him.

23. In over-ruling his Enemies. He pulls down their pride, befools their policy, restrains their malice, Psalm 76. 10. The remainder of wrath thou shalt restrain: Or as it is in the Hebrew,⁶ […] thou shalt girdle up. That stone cut out of the Moutains without hands, which smote the Image, Dan. 2. 34. was an Embleme (saith Austin) of Christs Monarchical power, conquering and triumphing over his Enemies.

24. Christ is precious in his benefits; by Christ all dangers are removed, through Christ all mercies are conveyed; in his bloud flows Justification, Act. 3. 9. Purgation, Heb. 9. 14. Fructification, Ioh. 1. 16. Pacification, Rom. 5. 1. Adoption, Gal. 4. 5. Perseverance, Heb. 12. 2. Glorification, Heb. 9. 12. This will be matter of sublimest joy to Eternity. We read, that those who had passed over the Sea of Glass, stood with their Harps, and did sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb, Revel. 15. 2. So when the Saints of God have passed over the glassie Sea of this world, they shall sing Hallelujahs to the Lamb, who hath redeemed them from sin and hell, and hath translated them into that glorious Paradise, where they shall see God for ever and ever.

25. The second thing to be illustrated is, that every godly man doth set an high value and estimate upon Christ, 1 Pet. 2. 7. Unto you therefore who believe, he is precious: In the Greek it is, […] an honour: Believers have an honourable esteem of Christ; the Psalmist speaks like one captivated with Christs amazing beauty, Psalm 73. 25. There is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. He did not say he had nothing; he had many comforts on earth, but he desired none but God; as if a wife should say, there’s no ones company she prizeth like her husbands: How did David prize Christ, Psa. 45. 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men: The Spouse in the Canticles looked upon Christ as the Coriphoeus, the most incomparable one, Cant. 5. 10. The chief among ten⁷ thousand. Christ out-vies all others, Cant. 2. 3. As the appletree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. Christ doth infinitely more excel all the beauties and glories of this visible world, than the appletree doth surpass the trees of the wild Forrest: So did Paul prize Christ, that he made him his chief study, 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined to know nothing among you save Iesus Christ; […]; I judged not any thing else of worth: St. Paul did best know Christ, 1 Cor. 9. 1. Have I not seen Iesus our Lord? He saw him with his bodily eyes in a Vision, when he was wrap’d up into the third heaven, 2 Cor. 12. 2. and he saw him with the eye of his faith, in the blessed Supper, therefore he did best know him; and behold, how he did slight, and vili-prize other things, in comparison of Christ, Phil. 3. 8. I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord. Gain he esteemed loss, and gold dung for Christ. Indeed, a godly person cannot chuse but set an high valuation upon Christ, he sees a fulness of worth in him.

26. A fulness in regard of variety, Col. 2. 3. In whom are hid all⁸ treasures. No Country hath all commodities of its own growth; but Christ hath all kind of fulness; fulness of Merit, of Spirit, of Love; he hath a treasure adequate to all our wants.

27. A fulness in regard of degree: Christ hath not only a few drops, or rays, but is more full of goodness than the Sun is of light; he hath the fulness of the Godhead, Col. 2. 9.

28. A fulness in regard of duration: The fulness in the creature, like the brooks of Arabia, is soon dried up; but Christs fulness is⁹inexhaustible, ‘tis a fulness over-flowing and ever-flowing.

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