of men, Ps. xlv. 1, 2 ; Cant. v. 10, 'My beloved is white and ruddy; the chiefest,' or, the standard-bearer, ' among ten thousand.' You prize others for their strength; why, the Lord Jesus Christ hath in him ever- lasting strength : Isa. xxvi. 4, ' Trust in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength ; he is the rock of ages.' You prize others for bearing their father's image ; why the Lord Jesus bears the image of his Father : Heb. i. 3, ' He is the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person.' ' You prize others for their wisdom and knowledge ; such a one is a very wise man, you say, and therefore you prize him ; and such a one is a very knowing man, and therefore you prize him ; why, all the treasures of wisdom and know- ledge are in Christ : Col. ii. 3, ' In whom,' saith he, speaking of Christ, ' are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.' The truth is, all those perfections and excellencies that are in aU angels and men, they all centre in Christ, they are all epitomised in Christ. All the angels in heaven ha\'e but some of those perfections that be in Christ. All wisdom, and all power, and all goodness, and all mercy, and all love, &c., is in no glorified creature, no, not in all glorified creatures put together. But now in Christ all these perfections and excellencies meet, as all water meets in the sea, and as aU light meets in the sun. Others you prize for their usefulness ; the more useful persons and things are, the more you prize and value them. The Lord Jesus Christ is of universal use to his people ; why, he is the right eye of his people, without which they cannot see ; and the right baud of his people, without which they cannot do, &c. He is of singular use to all his people. He is of use to weak saints, to strengthen them ; and he is of use to doubting saints, to resolve them ; and he is of use to dull saints, to quicken them ; and he is of use to falling saints, to support them ; and he is of use to wan- dering saints, to recover them. In prosperity he is of use to keep his saints humble and watchful, spotless and fruitful ; and in adversity he is of use to keep them contented and cheerful. All which should very much engage our hearts to prize this Christ.^
Again, we prize things as they suit us; why, Christ is not only a good, but a suitable good. Christ is light to enlighten us, John i. 8, 9 ; and he is life to enliven us, Philip, v. 14. He is riches to supply us, and he is raiment to clothe us ; he is a staff to support us, and he is a sword to defend us; he is bread to nourish us, and he is water to refresh us, and wine to cheer us ; and what would we have more ?
[4.] FouHhly, Yet once more, that this may stick upon us, let us con- sider, that where we are highly frized there tve highly prize?
Why, the Lord Jesus Christ doth exceedingly prize every believing soul ; yea, even such poor weak saints, that many swelled souls shght and despise as persons of no worth, because they want that light and knowledge, and those parts and gifts, that others have. Well, Chris- tians, remember this, Christ prizes you as the apple of his eye, Zech. ii. 8 ; he prizes you as his jewels, Mai. iii. 17 ; he prizes you as his por-
' The character of his siibsistence. A comparison from the seal of a ring, the form of which is imprinted in the wax.
2 Christ is quicquid appetihile, as Origen speaks, whatever we can desire. If we hunger and thirst, he is pabulum anivKe, the food of the soul.
^ Christ may well be compared to the trees of the sanctuary, Ezek. xlvii. 12, wliicli were both for meat and for medicine.
198 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
tion, Deut. xxxii. 9, ' The Lord's portion is his people;' he prizes you as bis glory, Isa. xlvi. 13 ; he prizes you as his ornaments, Ezek. vii. 20 ; he prizes you as his throne, Jer. xl. 21 ; he prizes you as his diadem, Isa. Ixii. 3 ; he prizes you as his friends, John xiv. ; he j)rizes you as his brethren, Heb. ii. 11, 12; he prizes you as his bride, Isa. Ixii. 5 ; he prizes you above his Father's bosom, for he leaves that to do you ser- vice, John xvi. 28 ; yea, he prizes you above his very life, he lays down his bfe to save your souls, John x. Now, oh who woidd not highly prize such a Christ, that sets such an invaluable price upon such worth- less souls !
[5.] Fifthly and lastly, consider, That your high jynzing of ChHst will work you to value the least things of Christ above the greatest worldly good.
It will make you value the least nod of Christ, the least love-token from Christ, the least good look from Christ, the least good word from Christ, the least truth of Christ, &c., above all the honours, treasures, pleasures, and glories of this world : Ps. cxix. 72, ' The law of thy mouth is better than thousands of gold and silver.' Luther would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible. And oh that a serious considera- tion of these things might work all your hearts to a high prizing of the Lord Jesus !
Use. 7. The next use that we shall make of this point, is this,
If Christ be so rich, then trust to Christ.
Who will not trust a rich man ? Every one strives to trust a rich man : ' The rich hath many friends,' Prov. xiv. 20. Why, the Lord Jesus Christ is very rich ; will you be persuaded to trust him ? Oh trust him with your best treasures, with your choicest jewels, with your names, souls, estates, relations ! The apostle was excellent at this : 2 Tim. i. 1 2, ' I know him,' saith he, ' in whom I have believed, that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him, until that day.'* I have committed my soul to him, and my life to him, and my name to him, and all my mercies and enjoyments to him. The child cannot better secure any precious thing it hath, than by putting it into the fatlier's hands to keep. Our mercies are always safest and surest when they are out of our hands, when they are in the hands of God. We trust as we love, and we trust where we love ; where we love much, we trust much. Much trust speaks out much love ; if you love Christ much, surely you will trust him much.
That was a notable bold expression of Luther, ' Let him that died for my soul, see to the salvation of it.' I have committed my soul to liim, I have given it up into his hands, who is my life, wlio is my love, and let him look after it, let him take care of it. In securing of that, he secures his own glory. Oh that Christians would trust in this rich Christ for a supply of necessaries ! Is Christ so rich, and will you not take his word that he will not see you want ? Will you trust a rich man upon his word, and will you not trust a rich Christ upon his word? Do you believe he will give you a crown, and will you not trust him for