4. Because they do not know what it is to want Christ. Men make other things serve instead of him, and therefore they do not care for Christ. Now when the soul looks upon the insufficiency of all things else to give rest and quiet to it, then it will prize him. When a man extremely wants a thing, nothing will satisfy him until he obtain it. As Abraliam, for want of a child, though he had much, yet he crieth out, ' What wilt thou give me, since I go childless ? ' Such is the language of the soul — What is all this, since I have not Christ ? Sampson his victory could do him no good when he had no water to quencli his thirst : Judges xv. I'J, ' Thou hast given me a dqliverance, and MOW I shall die for thirst' Tiius carnal men have other things, but they shall die and be damned for want of Christ. If men were Ijrought to this, to see tliat there were satisfaction nowhere else for them, they would value him.
5. They do not know what it is to have an interest in Christ ; they never had experience of him. Here is the dillerence between Christ and other comforts : The more experience we have had of them, the less satisfaction we ]ierceive to be in them ; but the more experience we have of Christ, the more we desire to have. Taste Christ once, imd there will be no room left for any other desire. Though you ^tant other thiii:::s, this maketh amends for all. As Austin crieth out,
ISA. LIII. 3.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 257
Quam suave mild suhito factum est caveve suavitalihus nnrjarum ! A man may be weaiy of other comforts, of the greatest comfort of life, but you never lieard of any that complained they had too much love for Christ. Men are easily prejudiced against Christ that never tried him. They that familiai-ly conversed witli him among the Jews, they saw his miracles, the others saw only his meanness.
Object. But you will say, Do not carnal persons think Jesus Christ worthy of any esteem from them ? How is it, then, that they think and speak so honourably of him, and count it a dishonour to them not to profess him ? A Turk, or a Jew, or a pagan, they are terms of reproach among us.
Ans. To solve this doubt I shall show you —
1. Affirmatively, in what manner they do esteem him.
2. Negatively, how they do not esteem him.
1. Affirmatively, how they may esteem him.
[1.] Hypocritically in their words : Titus i. 16, ' They profess they know Christ, but in works they deny him.' It is not Avhat a man speaketh out of a little traditional knowledge. A man's carriage is the best measure of his esteem. When the judgment determineth aright, the conversation is proportionable in some measure ; that foUoweth ulti- mum diciamen, the last determination of the heart. Men may thus profess they know Christ, and value him, who live in a habitual neglect of what he commands, and indulge and allow themselves in a continual practice of what he hath forbidden.
[2.] Indefinitely they may esteem him, that is, in some nice and bare speculations, when they do not look upon him as commanding what is contrary to their carnal desires ; they consider Christ in an indefinite way, not such a person as he is set forth in the word. Speculative truths and general apprehensions do not thwart our corrupt desires. A man may love Christ in general, but not in a particular way.
[3.] They may have some partial esteem for him, as conceiving him to be able to bring them to happiness : John vi. 34, ' Lord, evermore give us this bread.' And with Balaam they may wish, ' Oh that I might die the death of the righteous, and that my last end may be like his.' They would esteem Christ were it not for his hard terms of duty and obedience.
[4.] Customarily, in a traditional way. They esteem Christ so far as he is commonly esteemed of in the world. If anything recede from the general form and usual rate of duties, it is base in their eyes, not being honoured with the common custom and practice of men. Carnal professors will despise others that do more than they. Singing of psalms, repeating of sermons, Christian conference, these meet with a scoff from them. Men of Michal's spirit will scoff at what is more than ordinary, as she did at David when he danced before the ark : 2 Sam. vi. 20, ' How glorious was the king of Israel to-day ! ' But David replieth, ' If this be to be vile, I will be yet more vile.'
2. Negatively, how they do not esteem Christ. "1.] They do not esteem all of Christ.
2.] Nor always. These two will somewhat clear it. 1.] They do not esteem all of Christ. If Christ be truly precious to the soul, then all of Christ must be precious ; not only his name, and
VOL. III. R
258 A rnACTicAL exposition upon [Isa. LIII. 3.
offices, and sufferln<j:s, but also his ordinances, ministers, members, and _2;overnment. You must esteem every one of these. Many esteem Christ in one tliinjjj, but not in another ; they may delight in his mercy, but not in his holiness ; they may love him as a priest to die lor them, but not as a king to rule over them ; they will not submit to the laws of his kingdom ; they find no sweetness in his ordinances ; they despise his servants, they do not love a whole Christ. It is a fancy of their own making ; they think they esteem Christ, but they esteem him not as he hath set forth himself in his word.