c H R I s T THE c 0 R N E R- s T 0 N E. Book II. METAPHOR. V. Other Buildings mull: have many Stones for the Corner, ce– mented and joined together to complete and finilh the Superfl:ruc– ture, and thole Stones that are laid for one Corner, will not ferve for every Corner of the fame Houfe. VI. It is rare to fee a material Building to have Corners laid with precious Stones, as ']afper, Onyx, Diamond, &c. D IS PAR IT Y. V. Chrifl: the Corner-Sane is but one whole entire Swne, yet every Corner of God's Houfe bath the fame Stone; and thouoh the Buildina be railed never fo high, yet he"fully fuppliet~ each Corner from the Bottom to the Top, and there needs no other Corner-Stone be/ides himfelf. VI. Chrifl: the Corner Stone of the fpiritual Butldmg, rs a precwus Stone: Behold 1 lay in :Z:ion a chief Corner-Stone, cleft and precious, I Pet. 11. 6. No J afper, Onyx, Diamond, or Sapphire, is to be compared to him. He is of infinite Worth and Value, not only fo in the Opinion and Efl:eem of others, but reallv fo in himfelf· hence called ihe Pearl of great Price, Matt. xiii. 46. ' ' I. He is precious in himfelf, being God co-equal and co-eternalwith the Fa– ther; '.(he exprefs Image of his Perfon, Heb. i. 3· 2. That he is fo, it appears, in that he is the choice Diamond, the Deliaht and Jewel of his Father's Heart, his only begotten Son, who lay in his Bofom. 0 3· He is moll: precious, in that he is preferred fo much above Angels, and in his being able to undertake the Work of our Redemption, which none in Heaven or Earth had Worth enough m them to do. Nothing lefs than this choice and valuable Jewel or precious Stone would be rece1ved, as a fufficient Price to fatisfy the Ju!l:ice of God or make full Compenfation for Sin, the Breach of God's holy Law. ' 4· He is moll: precious in refpeEt of his Qcralifications; he bath the Fulnefs of the Godhead in him. It pleaJed the Father, that"in him all Fulnefs jhould dwell, John i. 14, 16. Hence fatd to be full of Grace and'.Truth; God, even thy God, bath anointed thee witb the Oil of Gladnefs above thy Fellows, Heb. i. 9· He hath not, fay Divines, the Fulnefs of Parts, but the Fulnefs of Degrees : There may be fame Addition made to that Fulnefs that is in Believers ; but there can be no Addition made to his. There is in Chrifl:, not only enough, the Fulnefs of Sufficiency, but alto the Fulnefs of Redun– dancy. Angels may have no Want, but in Chrifl: is an Overplus to redound to others. He hath enough to fill Thoufands and Millions of Thoufands. Of his Fulnefs we ha<-e all received, and Grace for Grace. 5· Chrifl: is precious in tl1e Efl:eem of the holy Angels; the angelica! Hall:, to ha– nor and fhew their high Efl:eem and awful RefpeB:s to him, at his Birth fang with a loud Voice, Glory to God in the Higheft. They adore and worlhip him continually. All the Godly regarded, and will for ever efteem him as the moll: precious and inef– timable Jewel in Heaven or Earth. The Saints in Heaven for ever proclaim his glorious Worth and Praife; they cry, Power, Riches, Wifdom, Strength, Honor, Glory and Blejjing to the Lamb for ever and ever, Rev. v. 1 I, I 2. To all the Saints on Earth he is precious. Paul accounted all Things as Dung, that he might win Chrifl:, Phi!. iii. 8, 9• 10. The Spoufe cries out, He is white and ruddy, the chiefeft amongjl ten '.Thou– Jand, Cant. v. ro. Believers have parted with all Things in this World freely for his fake; nay, in love to hun, and to fhew how they d1d adore and honor hrm, have been made Sacrifices in dreadful Flames, rather than they would undervalue or deny his holy Name. Chri!l: is precious, very precious, moll: precious, always precious, a!coo-ether precious; precious in his Nature, precious in his Name, that is as precious Oin~ment poured forth; precious in all his Offices; his Spirit, Grace, Word, Ordi– nances and Promifes are precious. Can Believers value him enough, who is their Life Life external, Life inrernal, and Life eternal ? Chrifl: is their Light, he is thei; Mediator, Surety, Friend, Food, Clothing, Ornaments, Portion, &c. in a Word, !;re is All in All to them. · VII. An Houfe though its CorVII. Chrifl: being a precious Stone, never lofes ners lhould be laid with precious his Strength or Beauty, as he cannot be dcfaarl Stones, and Pearl, and all the by Men nor Devils; Eternity itfelf cannot dif~ SrruB:ure fuitable, and fo thereby folve this Stone, nor diminilh its Brightnefs. may be more glorious and duraChri!l: is durable: Heaven and Earth !hall fade ble than Corner-Stones of other away, and wax old, like a Garment, bm Jefus Buildings, yet may it moulder aChrifl: is fl:ill the fame, and his Years fail not ; he 2 is
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