The Passover was always eaten with sour herbs, because it should add a relish to the feast. So Christ, the true Passover, we never relish truly without sour herbs, the consideration of sin, with the desert of it. Christ savours otherwise to a man humbled for his sins than he doth to another man not touched therewith ; otherwise to a poor man than he doth to a rich ; otherwise to a man that the world goes not well on his side than to a prosperous man. One savoury discoui'se of Christ relisheth more to an afflicted soul than seven discourses with such as are drunk with prosperity, not having a brain strong enough to conceive, nor an appetite to rehsh heavenly things.
Therefore why do we murmur at the cross, when all is to recover our spiritual taste and relish ? Solomon had lost his taste and relish of Christ. He never made his song of songs when he was in his idolatrous way, nor was so in love with Christ and his excellencies when he doted so much upon his wives. No ; but when he had recovered his spirit's taste and relish of heavenly things once, then made he the book of the preacher. When he had run through variety of things, and saw all to be nothing but vexation of spirit, and besides that vanity, then he passeth his verdict upon all things, that they were vanity. So it is with us, we can hardly prize Christ without some afflictions, some cross or other. Therefore here the church is fain to endure a spiritual desertion, to set an edge upon her affections. Now, when she is thus in her desertions, ' Christ is white and ruddy, the chief of ten thousand.'
We value more, and set a higher price on things in the want of them — such is our corruption — than in the enjoying of them. And if God remem- ber us not with affliction, then let us afflict, humble, and judge ourselves ; enter into our own souls, to view how we stand affected to Christ, to heaven, and to heavenly things. How do I relish and esteem them ? If I have
Cant. V. 10-13.] ' the chiefest among ten thousand.* 147
lost my esteem and valuing, where have I lost it ? Consider in what sin, in what pleasure, in what company I lost it ; and converse no more with such as dull our afiections to heavenly things.
4. And let iis make xise likewise of our infirmities and sins to this purpose, to set an high price on the excellencies of Christ. We carry about us always infirmities and corruptions. What use shall we make of them ? Not to trust to our own righteousness, which is ' as a defiled cloth,' Isa. Ixiv. 6, but fly to Chi'ist's righteousness, which is the righteousness of God-man, all being as dung and dross in regard of that. Often think with thyself, What am I ? a poor sinful creature ; but I have a righteousness in Christ that answers all. I am weak in myself, but Christ is strong, and I am strong in him. I am foohsh in myself, but I am wise in him. What I want in myself I have in him. He is mine, and his righteousness is mine, which is the righteousness of God-man. Being clothed with this, I stand safe against conscience, hell, %vrath, and whatsoever. Though I have daily ex- perience of my sins, yet there is more righteousness in Chiist, who is mine, and who is the chief of ten thousand, than there is sin in me. When thus we shall know Christ, then we shall know him to purpose.
THE SIXTEENTH SERMON.
My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. His head is as fine gold; his locks are bushy and black as a raven; his eyes are as the eyes of doves, by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set, d-c.—GAUT:. V. 10, 11, 12, 13.
Obj. Hence likewise we may answer some doubts that may arise ; as why the death of one man, Christ, should be of value for satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. How can this be ?
Ans. 0 but what kind of man was he ? * The chief among ten thousand,' especially considering that his excellency ariseth from the grace of his personal union of God and man. The first Adam tainted thousands, and would have tainted a world of men more if there had been more ; but he was mere man that did this. And shall not Ckrist, God and man, the second Adam, advance the world, and ten thousand worlds if there had been more ? He is chief among ten thousand.
' His head is as most fine gold ; his locks are bushy and black as a raven,' &c.
1. Positively, 'He is white and ruddy.' 2. Comparatively, 'He is the chiefest of ten thousand.'
The church doth not think it siifiicient, in general, to set out Christ thus ; but she descends into a particular description of him by all the parts of a body that are conspicuous. First, in general observe hence, that it is the nature of love upon all occasions to reflect upon the thing loved. As the church here, from things that are excellent in the world, boiTows phrases and comparisons to set out the excellency of Christ, exalting him above any other thing. Whatsoever the soul of a Chxistian sees in heaven or earth, it takes occasion thence to think of Christ*