Book II. CHRlST TH~ EXPRESS IMAGE OF TliE FATHER. 3 r 5 (r.) Is it not great Ingratitude to pour fuch Contempt upon Chrift? Do not they that refufe him, and flight the Offers of his Grace, derogate from him? Do not fuch vilify his Perfon? Do you not fay in your Hearts, 'I' here is no Beauty in him, Form, nor Comelinefs P lfa. liii. 2. (2.) Do you not pour contempt upon his Undertaking, and undervalue liis Blood and Sufrerino-? We read of fome that tread under foot the Blood of the Son of God, and judge;;' to be a Thing of no Worth nor Excellency, Heb. x. 29. and what dofl: thou lefs, who doft not believe in him, embrace him, and apply his precious Blood and Grace for Help and Healing? Exhort. If this be fo, then labor, whoever thou arc, to accept of Chrift. Doft thou think ro do better? what Object canft thou find, that more deferves thy Affection? 1. He is great, honorable, a King, the King of Kings; all other Kings are his Sub– jects ; he is King of Heaven, Earth, and Hell. 2. Great in Power: He has led captive the King of Darknefs, has fpoiled the Principalities of Sin, that fo long tyrannized over Thoufands, yea, Millions of Thou– fands ; hath over,come Death, the King of Terrors, that none of the Mighty could ever encounter with. 3· He is the moft amiable Object in the World, his Beauty far exceeds the Beauty of the Luminaries, much fairer than the Children of Men. 4- He is rich, unfearchable in Riches. What wouldft thou have, or can£1: thou defire, but it is in him ? Would£1: thou know the ready Way to be efpoufed unto him ? Then, I. Firft of all, break off that Affinity thou holde£1: with Sin, and get thy Heart off from the inordinate Love of this World. 2. Thou muft become dead to the Law, and thine own Righteoufnefs. 3· Labor to fee an abfolute Neceffity of marrying with him. 4· Get thy Judgment well enlightened in the Myfteries of Grace and Glory, that come by Jefus Chrift. 5· Hearken to the Motions of thy own Confcience; for Confcience is employed, when thoro·ughly awakened, and rightly informed, as a Spokefman for Chrjft. 6. Take heed of a divided Heart; never re£1: till thy Will is brought over to accept of Chri£1:, and the Offers of Grace. 7· Labor to chufe Chrift fingly a naked Chri£1:. Chrift is able every way to make thee happy, and fully anfwer all b,y Defires; take heed therefore of going after other Lovers, give not his Headjhip and Sovereig11ty away. IV. This fhews what a happy State the Godly are in. Can the Soul be poor, that has fuch a Friend and Hufband as Chrift is ? If David concluded he fhould not want, becaufe the Lord was his Shepherd ; be fure thou fhalt not, becaufe Chrift is thy Hufband: The Bridegroom takes more care, and is more tender of his Bride, than any Shepherd of his Sheep or Lambs, Pfa!. xxiii. 1. V. This fpeaks great Terror to the Wicked, that opprefs and mifufe God's People, and make a Spoil of his Church. What will ci,Jey do, ~¥hen the Bridegroom rifes up to r-Iead the Caufe ofhis Darling? He will not fpare his Arrows, but tread them down in his Fury. Laftfy, Be prepared,- you that are Virgins, the Bridegroom is coming, the Mid– night-Cry will foon be heard ; get your Lamps trimmed, and Oil in your Veffels. CHRIST TH!l EXPRESS IMAGE OF THE FATHER. K•• x•e•<!.p T., U71'0>"M<W< """· .l!nd the Charafler of his Subftance: We tranfiate it, . 7'he exprefs Image of his Perfon, Heb. i. 3· THE Term Charafler, is a Metaphor taken from the Image, Figure, or Impreffion of a Seal, reprefencing the Proto-type, or firft Pattern, in every Thing. The Word is derived of x«e«r?uv, which fignifies to ingrave; the Father having (as it were) moft indelibly engraven his whole Effence and Majefly upon this his .Eternal Son, and drawn his own Effigies upon him from everlafting, being his fubftantial Image and exact Reprefentacion. Which Explication fairly agrees with this Myftery, leading our Mind to fuch Difcoveries,as will ftir us up to defire the gracious Participation · of
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