Grosse - BV4500 G76 1640

Foure things in Chrift tobe lightly prized I. knowledge of Chrift. y t Cor z. . y E phef. 3. 4 Phil. 3.8. 2. Love of Chrift. b Cant .z.3: 2. am 14.32. d1'rov,YS.=S Chrifis knowledge highly to be prized'. neffe of Ch rirt, in putting fuch power into the plain preach- ing of his Word, and fuch efficacy into thelabours of his defpifed meffengers, as thereby to convince and covert the hearts, and rai e the fouls of men ; and by weak things, poore things, and things which are not, to confound the things that are : The weakne.ffe of the inftrument commends the power of the .itpreame agent ; the more we look upon the emptineffe of ale inffruu nts which Chrift ufeth, the- more canile we !hall have to admire the fulneffe which he communicatetb. Four things there are among many, in Christ, which we fhould very highly prize : F'irft, the knowledge of Chrift :' The wildome of ;Solomon was fo greet, that the Qlieen of the South accounted his men happy that they might daily !land before him to heare his wi:rdóme : As Chrilt is greater then Solomon, fo is their happineffe greater that may !land before hint and heare his wiînome. It is Chrii that puts a f ilneffe into our knowledge, as the íhining of the Sun in the ayre, puts a fulneffe of light into the eye ; therefore Paul made Chrift crucified the center and circumference of his knowledge determining to know y nothing among them, but Chrift cru- cified : this he made the z bredrh and length, depth and height of his knowledge : this was the full latitude of his knowledge, to know Chrill ; and this is a excellent knowledge, for the in- ftrument, author, matter, fubje&, fruits and effeEts of it ; Saving knowledge, John 17. 3. Secondly, we fhouid highly prize the love of Chrift Jefiis, it is better then Wine Wi ; nothing fo folaceth, reviveth and che- riíheth the foule, nothing is Tweet, nothing is fatisfa &ory without it. It could not c content Abfolon that he was recal- Ied from his exilement, and had his dwelling at 7eruf alem, unlcffe he might alfo fee the Kings face : The pretence of all things is as nothing, unlefle man -fee the Kings face, feel the Iove ofCheift : this is the life of a good mans life, as Solomon faith of the light of the Kings d countenance, In the light of the Kings countenance is life, and bit favour is as a cloud of the latter raine. Chrifts love is life quickning, a cloud watering and abundandly refrefhing the foules of all that enjoy him : There-

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