·r Cor.:.z. Ephel.3 .t8, l'llil.j 8. Jt.Pet.r.u; ' Book. I. L1okingunto :Jefus. Chap. z.Sett. I; k._now any thing among you (faith p IIU!) [ave refu.r Chriflllnd him crucified: he refolved with himfelf before he preached among the Curinthians , that this iliould be the only point of knowledge that he would profeffe himfelf to have skill in, and that in the courfe of his Minifiry he would labour to bring them to : this he made the bredth, and lefi'gth, and depth, and height ofhi.r knowledge; yea doubtlejfe (faith he) and I count all things but loffe (or the excellency ofthe knowledge of Chrift [efus my Lord: In this knowledge ofChrift there is an excellency above all other knowledge in the world; there is :nothing more pleafing and comfortable, more animating and enlivening, more ravithing and foul-contenting; -Vnly Chrift is the fumme and center ofall divine revealed truths, wecan preach nothing elfe as the object ofour faith , as the neceft1ry element of our foules fa! vation ,. which doth not fome way or other either meet in Chrift, or referre to Chrift; only Chrift is the whole of mans happineffe; the Sun to illighten him, the Ph~fician to healehim, the Wall offire to defend him; the Friend ·tO comfort him, the Pearle to enrich him, the Arke to fupport hitn. the Rock to fufiain him under the heavieft preffures; As a~ hiding place from the wind, 11nd a covert from the Temple, .rs river.s if WMer.r in a.dry place, and as thefhadow of agreat rcckJn aweary land. Only Chrifi is that ladder betwixt' earth and heaven, the Media tour betwixt God and man, a myfiery which th.e Angels of hea-r: en defire to pry,and peep, and look)nto. Here's a bleffed fubje8: 1ndeed, who wou'd not . be glad to pry into it, to be acquainted with it? Thi'J i.r life e- .fernlt! to ~now God, and [efu.r Chrijf whom he hath fent: Come then, let us look_en this Sun of righteoufneffe; we cannot receive harme , but good by fuch a look.; indeed by luoklng long on the . natural Sun we may ban our eyes dazled, and our faces blackned; but by loo~ing unto fefu! Chrirt, we !hall have our eyes dearer, and our faces fairer; if the light ofthe eye rejoyce the heart, how much more wben we have fuch a bleffed object to look_upon? As Chrift is more~xcellent then all the world, fo this fight tranfcends all other fights; it is the Epitome ofa Chriftians happineffe, the quinteffeuce of evangelical' duties , Lookjng unto {efm. . In the text we have the act and objed:; the act in the Original is ~ery emphatical , «?~f~r7es tt'>; ~~e Engliili ~oth not fulty e.xpre~~-
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