(2.) Without this, no man can secure his love and faith from being selfish, or from beginning and ending in self. For if we regard only those things whereof we have advantage, so that we may have our sin pardoned, our iniquities done away, and our souls saved, we would not care whether there were a Christ to trust in or no. But as this tends not to the glory of God, so neither will it tend to the advantage of our own souls. So that if we intend any interest in Christ, we must begin with his person, and the knowledge of it : " Thou art fairer than the children of men."
The use of this point is, —
First, To show how few real GJiristians there be in the world, — seeing there are so few that have an acquaintance with, and a love unto, the person of Christ. Some deny him. We have a generation among ourselves that pretend to be Christians (I mean the Quakers), who deny the person of Christ, — leave him neither the perfection of the Deity, nor humanity, nor the union of his natures; and have framed to themselves a religion without Christ, — a carcase without a soul or life to quicken it, or enable it to be of any use. And there are others that evidence how little it is they value Christ. 1 Cor. ii. 8, " Had they known him, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." Do ye think, if men knew Christ, whatsoever they pre- tend, they would so despise his ways, his ordinances, his worship? — prefer their own inventions and imaginations before them, and pro- secute and persecute all that truly fear him, according to the power of their hand ? Had they known him, they would not have done so. And the greatest part are perfectly sottish, — brutishly ignorant con- cerning the person of Christ: yea, many to whom he hath been preached, it is to them like the wind, — they hear a sound, but know not whence it comes, or what it means; perhaps they never had one serious thought in all their lives what Christ is, or who he is? — wherein his excellencies do consist, or what they expect from him. 0 how few labour to have a familiar intercourse with this Saviour ! How few say to wisdom, " Thou art my sister, and call understanding their kinswoman," as in Prov. vii. 4, speaking of Christ, who is the wisdom of God. They that know Christ, will make him as near and familiar to their souls as they can
Secondly. This shows what great cause they have to rejoice, unto
THE EXCELLENCY OF CHRIST. 479
whom God hath revealed Christ. Matt. xvi. 13, etc., " Whom do men say I am?" saith Christ to his disciples. "And they said, Some say thou art John the baptist ; some, Elias ; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am ? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." The world has very dark notions concerning Christ, — like the blind man, that saw men like trees walk- ing: but as for those who have the knowledge of Christ, they are blessed; " for flesh and blood hath not revealed it." It is the greatest spiritual revelation, and the greatest evidence that we have received any spiritual revelation from God, when we know the person of Christ. Let us be thankful for any revelation God hath made of Christ unto our souls; that we behold his person, and know him; that he is not a stranger unto us, but that our souls have some holy acquaintance with him.
And if God hath thus revealed Christ unto us, let us be manifesting to all the world that we are Christ's, when others are ashamed of him. How? By our prizing, valuing, preferring him above all other things; above the world, and all the satisfactions and enjoyments of the world ; above its ways, pleasures, converse : we have better satisfaction, better acquaintance to converse with and retire unto.
2. Observe from the words, that, in the knowledge of Christ, what we should chiefly consider are the things wherein he is fairer than the children of men, wherein he is more excellent, and to be pre- ferred above all other persons and things whatsoever.
Now, wherein is Christ fairer than the children of men?
I answer, In three things: — (1.) In the dignity of his person; (2.) In the excellency of his work; and, (3.) In the power and heavenliness of his doctrine. Many other instances may be given, but things may be gathered to these three heads ; whereby we may make answer unto the question, that is tacitly asked of us by nominal professors in the world, which was asked of the spouse by the daughters of Jerusalem, Cant. v. 9, "What is thy beloved more than another beloved?" — " What is there in Christ more than in other persons and things, that there is such a stir made about him?" I say, " He is fairer than the children of men."