Book II. -C I-IRIS T . rrn£ ·e-o RN ER- S T"D NE. 437 ME .TA PHO R. •away, be defaced, lofe its Beauty, and peri-fu. VU!. · Other:precio~s Swnes -are ·of a fmalJ.Dimenfion, aod of. fmall ·Weight; you may put many of ' t-hem, the largei1: that -w.re ever :feen, in a fmall.Veffd or Cabinet. DISPARITY·. ·is the fame Yeflerday, to Day, and for Ever, Heb. xiii. -8. VIII. Chri£1: j'efus, the fpirirual precious Srone, . is exceeding·great: As ·God, he is .of infinlre Oi. m<:nfion, filling-Heaven and Earth with his Pre– ~ fence. .He is large enougi-} for the whole f'oun– dariem, ·and every·Corner; this one t:ntire Stone ·ftrves for all. ·IX. Another preciousSrone may JX. All manner of Perfections, 'Virtues, choice thave many excellent Properties· in and adrnirable Excellencies, meet together in tht · it; but no one hath all -Virtues, Lord Jefus; ·his Hrightnefs is far above the Bright- ·Excellencies, F<>rms, .and Colours ·nefs ef Diamonds, ·his Whitenefs excels the ·in it. '-Vhitenefs of Pearls ; and there is no medical . Virtue or Q,lality· in any precious Stone, but in a •fpiritual ·Way is far more tranfcendent in him. He cures the Sight, llrengthens anJ · cures the Heart, makes fruitful, -reli£l:s -Poifon., &c. See the-Metaphors, Pearl of Gredt Price, and.FoundatiiJ.lJ. '1 N 'F 'E 'R 'E N C E S. 'l. FROM'·hence we may infer, that the Church of God is a very rich and glorious Building, as it was foretold it fhoold be : 0 thou a.Jflifted, toffid with 'l'empejfs, . and not comforted; behold, I will lay tpy Stones with fair Colors, and thy-Foundation •with Sapphire, Ifo. liv. 1 t, ,12. II. Afcribe all the Beauty and·Glory of the -Church, and of the Saints, to the cLord_. J efus. 111. Blefs•God .for this ·choice and •precious Srone of·the Corner. The more ex– ' cellent-Chrifi i•, the more it fuould draw our •and enlarge our Hearts to blefs and praife •God ·for· him. IV. ,for Trial. Is Chri!l: preeious to•you? <I !hall 'lay down a few Rules, whereby ~-you may try yourfdves. 1. Do£\ thou own Chri!l: to' be•very God? He cannot be ·valued nor e!l:cem~d by ·<~ny, as he is •in himfelf, till they thus account of him, and believe in him. 2 •. !)oft thou honor, adore, and obey him, as thou doll: honor, adore, and obey tthe Father? Ail Menjhoutd--honor the Son, :even as they lronor the-Father, ,Jobn -v. -2<:J. 3· ·Is there nothing here below, which thou valueft and prizeft above Chrifl? An .Hypocrite hath always fomething thatlies .in his .Bofom, which he efteems and prizes ' more than Chri£1:: '!'heir Hmrts go afJer iheir Covetoufnefs, Ezek. xxxiii. 3·I. The young Man ·wem aw•y .forrowful, becaufe the World wa~ uppermolt in his Affection. ·If •Chri£1: be tmly precious to any, he is fupeclatively P'"cious tO them, Matt. xix. -22. 4· If 'God lbould bid thee afk what thou wilt, as he did Solomo>:, what wouldcft: thou requeft Qf him? Would it be, thinkelt thou, this precious Srone, this -Chri£1:, thts .Pearl of great Price, to have a Right to him, -to be -like him, to enjoy him, to be ·with him for ever"? 5· Is Chri!l: much in your Thoughts? Where your 'J.'rtafure -is, there your Hearts wilt be alfo, Matt. vi. 2 I.- 6. Haft thou denied thyfelf of all Things, I" art thou ready .fo to do, and to follow ·him? .For whom I havefuffered the Lpfs of all 'l'hings, and do account them but Dung, .that I may win Clrifl, Phil. iii. 8, 9, 10. 7· Canft thou be fatislied with any Thing thou do£\ enjoy wi'thout him? Canfl: •thou fay, with one in another cafe, Yet all this availeth me nothing, fo long as [ ice •not, or have not ·a clear Evidence of.my lntereft in Jefus Chri!l? 8. Do£\ thou build wholly upon him? Is he All to thee i Doll thou fee him All in Pacification ? It was he that appea.fed the Wrath of the Father, fatisfied both Law and Juftice. He is All in Ju!l:ification: Who is the Lord, our Righteoufnefs. He is All in Election, the Fir!t and Chief of his Father's Choice, the Way of ~t; He bath ehofm us in him, .Eph. i. 4· and v. . J r. Is he A !I to thee for Acceptation : Who ha:b made <115 accepted in the Beloved, Rom. v. 5· He is All in Converfion: It is he that fi1ews us the Neceffity of it, that doth 4uicken and beget us by his Word and Spirit; it is •he that forms a new ~pirit in us. .!she All to thee for Pardon of Sin? -He .purchafed :5 T Pardon.
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