Tenthly, Jesus Christ is an incomparable and matchless mercy ; " as the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved " among the sons," (saith the enamoured spouse) Cant. ii. 3. Draw the comparison how you will betwixt Christ and all other enjoyments, you will find none in heaven nor on earth to equal him : He is more than all externals, as the light of the sun is more than that of a candle : Nay, even the worst of Christ is better than the best of the world ; his reproaches are better than the world's plea- sures, Heb. xi. 25. He is more than all spirituals, as the fountain is more than the stream. He is more than justification, as the cause is more than the effect ; more than sanctification, as the person him- self is more than the image or picture. He is more than all peace, all comfort, all joy, as the tree is more than the fruit. Nay, draw the comparison betwixt Christ and things eternal, and you will
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find him better than they ; for what is in heaven without Christ, Psal. lxxiii. 25. " Whom have I in heaven but thee ?" If Christ should say to the saints, take heaven among you, but as for me I will withdraw myself from you ; the saints would weep, even in heaven itself, and say, Lord, heaven will be no more heaven to us, except thou be there, who art by far the better half of heaven.
Eleventhly, Christ is an unsearchable mercy ; who can fully ex- press his wonderful name ? Prov. xxx. 4. Who can tell over his unsearchable riches ? Eph. iii. 8. Hence it is that souls never tire in the study or love of Christ, because new wonders are eternally rising out of him. He is a deep which no line of any created un- derstanding, angelical or human, can fathom.
Twelfthly, and lastly, Christ is an everlasting mercy ; " the same " yesterday, to day, and for ever," Heb. xiii. 8. All other en- joyments are perishable, time-eaten things ; time, like a moth, will fret them out ; but the riches of Christ are durable riches, Prov. viii. 18. The graces of Christ are durable graces, John iv. 14. All the creatures are flowers, that appear and fade in their month ; but this Rose of Sharon, this Lily of the Valley never withers. Thus you see the mercy performed with its desirable properties.
Thirdly, The last thing to be opened is the manner of God's performing his mercy to his people ; which the Lord did,
1. Really and truly, as he had promised him.
2. Exactly agreeable to the promises and predictions of him. First, Really and truly ; as he had promised, so he made good
the promise. Acts ii. 36. " Let all the house of Israel know assu- " redly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye crucified, " both Lord and Christ."
The manifestation of Christ in the flesh was no phantasm or de- lusion, but a most evident and palpable truth. 1 John i. 1. " That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, " which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled." A truth so certain, that the assertors of it appealed to the very ene- mies of Christ for the certainty thereof, Acts ii. 22. Yea, not only the sacred, but profane writers, witness to it ; not only the evan- gelists and apostles, but even the heathen writers of those times, both Roman and Jewish, as Suetonius, Tacitus, Plinius the younger, and Josephus the Jewish antiquary, do all acknwledge it.
Secondly, As God did really and truly perform Christ the pro- mised mercy, so he performed this promised mercy exactly agree- able to the promises, types, and predictions made of him to the fathers, even the most minute circumstances thereof. This is a great truth for our faith to be etablished in: let us, therefore,
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cast our eyes both upon the promises and performances of God, "with respect to Christ, the mercy of mercies. See how he was re- presented to the fathers long before his manifestation in the flesh ; and what an one he appeared to be when he was really exhibited in the flesh.
First, As to his person and qualifications, as it was foretold, so it v,T as fulfilled. His original was said to be unsearchable and eternal, Micah v. 2. and so he affirmed himself to be, Rev. i. 11. "I am " Alpha and Omega, the first and the last." John vi. 31, 32. " Before Abraham was, I am."" His two natures, united into one person, were plainly foretold, Zech. xiii. 7. The man my Fellow ; and such a one God performed, Rom. ix. 5. His immaculate pu- rity and holiness were foretold, Dan. ix. 24. " To anoint the " most Holy ;" some render it, the great Saint, the Prince of Saints ; and such an one he was indeed, when he lived in this world. John viii. 46. " Which of you convinceth me of sin ?"" His Offices were foretold, the prophetical Office predicted, Deut. xviii. 15. and fulfilled in him, John i. 18. His priestly Office foretold, Psal. ex. 4. fulfilled, Heb. ix. 14. his kingly Office fore- told, Micah v. 2. and in him fulfilled ; his very enemies being- judges, Matth. xxvii. 37.
Secondly, As to his birth, the time, place, and manner thereof were foretold to the fathers, and exactly performed to a tittle.
First, The time prefixed, more generally in Jacob's prophecy, Gen. xliv. 10. When the sceptre should depart from Judah, as, indeed, it did in Herod the Idumean : More particularly in Da- niel's seventy weeks, from the decree of Darius, Dan. ix. 24. an- swering exactly to the time of his birth ; so cogent and full of proof, that Porphyry, the great enemy of Christians, had no other eva- sion, but that this prophecy was devised after the event : Which yet the Jews (as bitter enemies to Christ as himself) will by no means allow to be true. And, lastly, the time of his birth was exactly pointed at in Haggai's prophecy, Hag. ii. 7, 9. compared with Mai. iii. 1. He must come while the second temple stood ; at that time was a general expectation of him, John i. 19. and at that very time he came, Luke ii. 38.
Secondly, The place of his birth was foretold to be Bethlehem Ephrata, Micah v. 2. and so it was, Matth. ii. 5, 6. to be brought up in Nazareth, Zech. vi. 12. " Behold the man whose name is " the Branch." The word is Netzer, whence is the word Naza- rite. And there indeed was our Lord brought up, Mat. ii. 23.
Thirdly, His parent was to be a virgin, Isa. vii. 14. punctually fulfilled, Matth. i. 20, 21, 22, 23.
Fourthly, His stock, or tribe, was foretold to be Judah, Gen.
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xlix. 10. and it is evident, saith the apostle, " that our Lord sprang " out of Judah," Heb. vii. 14.
Fifthly, His harbinger, or forerunner was foretold, Mai. iv. 5, 6. fulfilled in John the Baptist, Luke i. 16, IT.
Sixthly, The obscurity and meanness of his birth were pre- dicted, Isa. liii. 2. Zech. ix. 9. to which the event answered, Luke ii. 12.
Thirdly, His doctrine and miracles were foretold, Isa. xvi. 1, 2. xxxv. 4, 5. the accomplishment whereof in Christ is evident in the history of all the eva?igelists.