Fifthly, and lastly. That profession alone is acceptable to God, and useful in the church, which proceeds from the fulness of the heart. It is to no purpose to have our tongue " as the pen of a ready writer," if our hearts be not full. It must come from the boiling or medita- tion of our hearts, if our profession be good and acceptable.
This is the preface of the song.
SEKMON VIII.1
"Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: there- fore God hath blessed thee for ever." — Ps. xlv. 2.
I HAVE given you an account of the general design and scope of this psalm already, and spoken something from the title of it, " To the chief Musician," etc.; and opened the 1st verse, and spoken something to that also, — which is the preface to the whole psalm.
I shall now speak something to you from the 2d verse : " Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever." You know who it is that is intended in these words, — namely, our Lord Jesus Christ, the King, the Messiah ; and this is a description of him, which the psalm- ist gives in prophecy.
There are three parts of the verse: — I. A description of Christ's person, " Thou art fairer than the children of men." II. An account of his endowments that were bestowed upon him to enable him to his work, " Grace is poured into thy lips." III. God's acceptance and approbation of him in his work, " Therefore God hath blessed, thee for ever."
I. Here is a description of Christ's person, " Thou art fairer than the children of men."
1 This sermon was preached at Stadham, June 14, 1674.
THE EXCELLENCY OF CHRIST. 477
You may consider it, — 1. Absolutely, that Christ is fair. 2. Com- paratively, that he is fairer than the children of men.
1. Absolutely: Christ is fair. He ascribes beauty to him. There is mention of the beauty of God in Ps. xxvii. 4, "To behold the beauty of the Lord;" — that may concern his worship. But it is directly spoken of God himself, in Zech. ix. J 7, " How great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty!" As beauty among men consists in the symmetry of parts, so in God it is the harmony of all the divine perfections. The infinite harmony, agreeableness, suitable- ness of all divine perfections, I say, is this beauty. Christ is called fair, to denote his glorious perfections.
2. Comparatively: "Thou art fairer than the children of men;" that is, — (1.) Than all worldly men. There is more excellency, more desirableness in Jesus Christ than in all the men of the world. (2.) More than in all those who were employed in the church, which is peculiarly here intended; more excellent than Moses and Aaron, — than any of the kings and prophets of old, who yet were so desirable. Aaron had his garments made for beauty and for glory. But saith he, " Christ is more beautiful, more fair, than any of the children of men."
I told you the design of the psalm was, to speak of the kingdom of Christ, and to set forth the mutual love that is between Christ and his church ; but yet, in the first place, he lays down this descrip- tion of his person as the foundation, " Thou art fairer than the chil- dren of men."
I say, — 1. Absolutely, Christ is fair; and we may observe from hence, that, in the consideration of Jesus Christ, if we intend any interest in him, and any benefit by him, the first thing we ought to know and consider, is his person. So the psalmist here, when he had designed the description of his kingdom and benefits, begins with his person. And if we know not the person of Christ we have no interest in him. The apostle, in Phil. iii. 10, shows what our design should be, " That I may know him, and the power of his re- surrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, "etc. First "know him," says he, before he speaks of the benefits of his mediation; which is consequential to the knowledge of himself. So he tells you, of the subject of his preaching, 1 Cor. ii. 2, " I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified;" — first Christ, and then him crucified; first his person, and then his mediation.
The reasons are, —
(1.) Because Jesus Christ will be loved and preferred above all for his own sake. He tells his disciples, Matt. x. 37, " He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me." If we intend to have any benefit by him, he must be valued above all for his own
478 THE EXCELLENCY OF CHRIST.
sake, or for the sake of what he is in himself He puts it as a mark upon them that followed him, " Because of the loaves," John vi. 26. And if, without the knowledge of Christ, without a due consideration of his person, we think to follow him only for his benefits, for the advantage which we hope to have by him (which is to follow him for the loaves), we shall be found strangers to him, when we think we are in a better state and condition.