tion and complacency in the object beloved; and this was in the most perfect manner in the nature of CHRIST; hence we find that he faid unto his parents, when they fought him for rowing, Wift ye not that I must be about my Father's business?. 2d, The law requires this love to be with all thine heart; which denotes the thoughts, affections, and defires, that they be every way anfwerable in their purity and fpirituality, to the demand of the law, For we know, faith the Apoftle, that the law is fpiritual. 3d, It requires that this love fhall be with all thy foul; i. e. that this love muft continue in every action throughout our life, which was found to perfection in CHRIST, as faith the Apoftle, he did no fin, neither was guile found in bis mouth; and faith our dear LORD, Father, I have finished the work thou gavest me to do; and he fealed this with his dying groan, and faid, It is finished, and gave up the ghoft. 4th, It requires that this love be with the utmoft fervency, with all thy ftrength; i. e. that all these acts of love and obedience be done with the utmost ardency and affection, not as a tafk, with dread and legal fear, but with the ftrongest complacency, which was found,to the highest perfection in CHRIST, therefore he faid, It is my meat and my drink, to do the will of him that fent I delight to do thy will, O my God. In fhort, the law requires to be kept purely, perfectly, and perpetually; which requirements it found to perfection in the obedience of the Son of GOD, who thereby became the end of the law for rightoufness to every one who believeth. Thus his being white may denote his fpotless obedience.

me,

Third, His being ruddy may denote his fufferings and facri fice, for which he was ordained from everlasting in defign and appointment, as the Lamb flain from the foundation of the world, He was ruddy in the types and flain facrifices under the law, which were a fhadow of him which was to come. He wE ruddy in the predictions of his perfon and office, as faith the Prophet, Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garment from Bozrah. And again he faith, He was wounded for car fins, he was bruifed for our iniquities. But more especially was he ruddy, when he poured out his foul unto death, and made his foul an offering for fin; for being in an agony, he prayed the more earnestly, and his fweat was as drops of blood falling to the ground. He was ruddy when he gave his back to the fmiters, and his cheeks to them which pulled off the hair; when the Roman foldiers fcourged him, and platted a crown of thorns, and preffed it upon his facred head; ruddy in his hands, and in his feet, when he was nailed to the crofs; ruddy in his

bleeding heart, when the foldier with a fpear pierced his fide, and forthwith came blood and water. Thus CHRIST being ruddy may denote his fufferings and facrifice.

Fourth, CHRIST being ruddy may denote his interceffion, as he appears with his own blood before the throne, and wears those wounds and fears, thofe dear teftimonies of his dying love, as the Lamb in the midst of the throne, as one that had been flain. Now when the poor believer can view CHRIST as his forerunner for him already entered within the vail, with the ruddy marks of his death, facrifice, and blood, it revives his faith, invigorates his hope, and gives him ground of expectation for glory. Under this ruddy character he appeared to John, upon the Ifle of Patmos, faying, I am he that liveth and was dead, c. Rev. xix. 13. And he was clothed with a vesture dipt in blood: and his name is called, The Word of God.

Friendly. What are the fweet advantages that arise from this defcription of CHRIST?

Truth. Firft, We learn from this defcription that the Chriftian's love is fixed upon the greatest perfection and beauty in heaven or earth; as faith Solomon, when fpeaking of the things touching the King, Thou art fairer than the children of men. The word in the original fignifies, furpaffingly fair, or a beauty beyond compare. So the fpoufe, when fpeaking of her beloved, fays, My beloved is white and ruddy, fpiritually denoting CHRIST to be the life and furpaffing beauty of all in nature, grace, or glory. This makes him of high account to his faints, and inflames their affections to him; therefore they fpeak of, and embrace him with fuch high esteem. Thefe two colours, when united, generally are the prelude of an excellent conftitution, are frequently attended with great gracefulness in the perfon, especially if young, in whom they meet; and this ruddinefs is commended in David, 1 Sam. xvi. 12. The two colours fet off the beauty of the object, for when the prophet would defcribe the gracefulness of the Nazarites of Zion, he fays, they were whiter than milk; they were more ruddy than rubies.

The Prophets faw his glory, and fpake of him; the Evangelift, beheld his glory, as the glory of the only begotten of the Fa ther, full of grace and truth; in which his face fhone as the fun. But if we, by his being white and ruddy, understand his divine and human nature, then it defcribes his perfection. and beauty, as the GOD-Man, in whom, dwells all the fulness of the God-head. Gop appeared glorious in our flesh, shining

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forth in his glorious beams through his Son. CHRIST is glorious by the indwelling of the God-head; which commands glory to appear in his righteoufnefs, wisdom, power, good. nefs, and fupply of his love, to his people. CHRIST is the fum of all glory, and the life of all perfection. Adam in his first created glory, innocency and moral righteoufnels, was but a type of the Son of GoD, a figure of him which was to come. Adam in his ftate of innocence only enjoyed the perfection of all creatures, but CHRIST has all the perfections of the God-head effential to himself, therefore he infinitely exceeds all others, and his titles are, The Lord from Heaven;the Lord of Glory—the Glory of Ifrael,-the Glory of God;the brightness of Glory;-the Image of the invisible God;-the Life manifefted; the Word of God;-the Alpha and Omega ;— Immanuel, God with us.

Secondly, But if we understand by his being white, the purity of his human nature, then from hence we learn the fountain of holiness and purity to the Chriftian, that it all flows from the holiness of CHRIST'S nature, the foundation of their fanctification, and in which they are accepted before GOD, as perfectly holy, without fpot and blemish, fair and compleat therein; who of God is made unto us fanétification : his holiness is made over to us for fanctification, as well as his obedience for juftification. And this idea is fo far from rendering perfonal holiness and heart-purity unnecessary, that it lays a proper foundation for, and without which there could be no enjoyment of them; what is CHRIST's holiness, but a purity of nature in union with a fulness of grace to make us holy, in which perfection of holiness we are accepted with joy before GOD, as without spot or wrinkle? And from this perfection in CHRIST all the vital communications of holines flow to us by vite of our union with him, confifting in our fpiritual life, love, zeal, and heavenly obedience: Indeed all our nearness and communion with God flow from the fulnefs of CHRIST's grace and holiness; thereby we are made partakers of the divine nature, transformed into CHRITS's likenefs, and predeftinated to be conformed to his image.

Friendly. But if this idea of our fanctification in CHRIST, being compleat in him, be eftablished as a truth, may not fome

abuse it?

Truth. Yes, fome may, and no doubt do; but what fhall we fay of fuch, that make CHRIST the Minifter of fin, that fin that grace may abound? why, they have juft as much grace as the devil wines them to have; to lead them to hell in triumph,

whofe damnation is just. If you mark thefe perfons, they are fuch, enemies to the cross of Chrift, whofe God is their belly, whofe glory is their fhame, who mind earthly things. And fuppole there are fuch unhappy perfons in being, this does not at all deftroy the truth of our compleat fanctification in CHRIST; neither does their abuse of this doctrine arife from the nature of the doctrine, but from the vileness of their nature, and unfanctified difpofition. As for inftance, Suppose you, with others, were invited to a feaft, and your companions should abuse the favour, either by gluttony, drunkennefs or unthankfulness, does this abufe arife from the favour given them? No, but from their fordid difpofition. Neither would their abufe of it be any argument why you should not improve it.

Friendly. But I have heard fuch perfons talk of the riches of grace in the most exalted ftrain?

Truth. I have heard fome perfons defcribe the plentiful treasures and riches of the Indies in the moft engaging and elegant manner, yet poffefs nothing therefrom. But to me poffeffion appears to be the life and beauty of Chriftianity. However, I am for that grace in the head and heart that fhines with the beauties of holiness, and I make no doubt, but the end thereof will be everlasting life.

Thirdly, Another advantage arifeth from CHRIST being white, as we understand it of the perfection of his obedience to the law; and that is where the foul fhould reft for its perfect justification before God. This is the foul's ftay, rest, and fupport; here the mind may take up its eternal repose and fecurity, though ever fo guilty and polluted in itself. This dependance ftands fecure; it is the pillar of the Church, and foundation of our hope. Here fafety and falvation reigns, it gives us a right to eternal life, and finally and eternally frees us from all wrath, curfe, and condemnation; it is a rightousness that is every way anfwerable to the demands of the law, fatisfactory to divine juftice, honourable to GoD, and fecures life and falvation to the foul, Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect? it is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth?

Fourthly, The advantage that arises from CHRIST's being ruddy, is the foul's fanctuary and refuge under a fense of guilt, wrath, and diftrefs. CHRIST's death is a fanctuary from wrath, a refuge from the ftorm, removes the weight of guilt from the mind, opens a path of pardon, and gives life and

peace to the guilty foul, by the blood of his crofs. And hence the diftreffed foul finds releafe from its fears, cleanfing from its guilt, because God has fet him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood: Healing, reftoring, and peace-speaking blood; blood that has power in heaven, and a voice upon the confcience; that fpeaks a fweet release from fears, wrath, and distress, and gives new hopes of life, reconciliation and glory; we joy in God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom we have received the atonement.

Laftly, We from hence fee how worthy the LORD JESUS is of our warmeft love; there is every thing in him engaging, lovely and fatisfying; all created beauties wither and fade, but CHRIST's beauties never decay, and they will bloom with im mortal youth through endlefs ages. Other lovers are fubjec to change in their affections, but JESUS CHRIST is the jame yesterday, to-day, and for ever; his heart knows no change, and his love runs one eternal round. In whofe favour there is life, and whofe loving-kindness is better than life.

Friendly. To whom is CHRIST fo precious, because I find the Prophet fay, Ifa. liii. 2. When we shall fee him, there is no beauty in him that we should defire him?

Truth. The Prophet is there defcribing the language of the unbelieving and blinded Jews, who vainly expected the MasSIAH to appear in the pomp and grandeur of a great Potentate, because he was predicted of, under the character of a Prince and a King; therefore their ideas of him were carnal and earthly; and faith John, He came to his own, but his own received him not; they defpifed him, as the Prophet describes; and the reafon of this is, because man by nature is fpiritually blind. A blind person can difcern no part of beauty and per fection, though it be ever fo near him; fo a foul, fpiritually blind, fays, There is no beauty in him, that I should defire him; and this is one of the fatal deceptions of fin. But then, to whom is CHRIST thus precious? To thofe who fee their want of, and the worth that there is in him. Now those are such as are under the teachings of the Spirit of God, and are thereby made light in the Lord, by which they fee their own mifery by fin, loft eftate, and the want of CHRIST, as a Saviour. Then the awakened finner cries out, Lord, fave, or I perifh! He then feels, from a fenfe of guilt and wrath, a real want of his perfon, as a Saviour and Mediator between GoD and his foul; one that can plead and prevail for him, before GoD, as an Advocate with the FATHER: he then feels a real need