How Chr° ifi is to be valued. bis cbiefefl joy, making it and the welfare therof the top,head &.flower of his joy;fo let us make Chrift our chiefeit joy,the head&crown of our ioy;in him let us rejoice,as the wife men in the Star which guided them, as old Jacob in theWaggons which carried him to Eg' pt,where was fulraes of bread in the fanain;as thelfraelits in theArk,frö whole pretence they pro- mifeefthemfelves vi&ory over the Phil,(ins :-in him let us rs.- joyce,as the Traveler in theSun which guides him,as ±the lick in the Phyfitian which heals him,as the captive in the ran o- nier which frees him,as the poor in the rich which feeds and cloathes him. As Chrift is the originali and fpring of all our comforts ; fo let him be the fripreame obje& of all our rejoycings : all joy betides this is but fadneffe. Bernard faith, :_That is true and high joy, which is not conceived of the creature, but of the Creator ; which when thou (halt receive, no man (hall take it from thee ; whereunto compared, all other joy is forrow, all fweetneffe griefe, all that is fweet is bitter, every comely thing is filthy, and laftly, whatfoever may delight is troublefome : all joy in comparifon of joy in Chrift, is but a cloud to this Sun, a midnight to this morn- ing, a Bramble to this Vine, Gall and Vinegar to this pre - cious Ne &ar : Therefore in all things value Chrift, and give him preheminence above all others according to his fulnefïe. Let not tha plainneffe of his do &rine, the meannefle of his naefl'engers, the fimplicity and want of externnall pomp in his Religion and fervice, nor the poverty of many of his fol- lowers, caufe us to undervalue and flight Chriftf, as it was fometime difputed among the Romans in their Counfell, ufing to deifie great men, Whether Christ having done many wonderfiull works, fhould be received into the number of gods . The Hiftorian faith, z It was at laf concluded, that he fhould not be received among the gods, becaufe he had no worfhippers, and becaufe he preached poverty which the world defpifeth. How many thimble and take offence at Chrill, flight and undervalue Chrift, for the -(mall numb.T and low e`tate of his follow °rs,and for that hurnility,nieek- nefhe,.fpirituall poverty which the Gofpell teacheth ! But let not us undervalue Chiift for this, but rather admire the ful- G nelfe 33 Matth, a. ro. Gen.4'.:.5. Sant.45. y Iliad e(l ye- rum ac flóin- m, tngaudiun$, quoit non de reatsra,fed dec cuture conci_ pitur; vod acccperts nano lollct ate ;; cui al:unde compa- rata omnis it as mce- ror-e(l, gyirirs f t.z vitas :alar ell owe dulce amz,km (t, omne circo .fcedum : /l, ..m ne po/irrma delea; á pote(1 mo'eAum c(l. z Et tandem definition eft, qt, id no ,aebe. et>ec pá ir,te, Dens p, n en q.rbdn n ba- be, et cult res : pr opter hocluod pauperta:e,m p, adicarit clrgát nuay,o m rnel rss con _ tern-ri#.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=