Now in the first place, for the holiness of his Nature, the Psalmist tells us, Thou art fairer than the Children of men, and grace is poured into thy lips. 1Which is all one with that description of Christ by the Spouse, My beloved is white and ruddy, 2the chiefest of ten thousands. As in the fairest beauty, there is a mixture of these two colours, white and ruddy, so in Christ there is a gracious mixture, and compound of all the graces of the Spirit; there is in him a sweet temper of gentleness, purity, righteousness, meekness, humility; and what not? In him are hid all the treasures of Wisdom, and Knowledge; 3and I may add, of all other gifts and graces; not a grace but it was in Christ, and that in an higher way than in any Saint in the World; and therefore he is called fairer than all the children of men. Observe, There was more habitual grace in Christ than ever was, or is, or shall be in all the Elect, whether Angels or Men. He received the Spirit out of measure; there was in him as much as possibly could be in a creature, and more than in all other creatures whatsoever. As the Sun is the Prince of Stars, as the Husband is the head of the Wife, as a Lion is the King of the Beasts, so is this Sun of Righteousness, this Head of the Church, this Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the chiefest of ten thousands; if we look at any thing in Heaven or Earth, that we observe as eminently fair, by that is the Lord Jesus in respect of his inward beauty set forth in Scriptures, he is the Sun of Righteousness, the bright Morning-Star, the Light of the World, the Tree of Life, the Lilly and the Rose; fairer than all the Flowers of the Field, than all the precious Stones of the Earth, than all the Lights in the Firmament, than all the Saints and Angels in Heaven.
NOw in the first place, for the holiness of his Nature, the Psalmist tells us, Thou art fairer than the Children of men, and grace is poured into thy lips. 1Which is all one with that description of Christ by the Spouse, My beloved is white and ruddy, 2the chiefest of ten thousands. As in the fairest beauty, there is a mixture of these two colours, white and ruddy, so in Christ there is a gracious mixture, and compound of all the graces of the Spirit; there is in him a sweet temper of gentleness, purity, righteousness, meekness, humility; and what not? In him are hid all the treasures of Wisdom, and Knowledge; 3and I may add, of all other gifts and graces; not a grace but it was in Christ, and that in an higher way than in any Saint in the World; and therefore he is called fairer than all the children of men. Observe, There was more habitual grace in Christ than ever was, or is, or shall be in all the Elect, whether Angels or Men. He received the Spirit out of measure; there was in him as much as possibly could be in a creature, and more than in all other creatures whatsoever. As the Sun is the Prince of Stars, as the Husband is the head of the Wife, as a Lion is the King of the Beasts, so is this Sun of Righteousness, this Head of the Church, this Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the chiefest of ten thousands; if we look at any thing in Heaven or Earth, that we observe as eminently fair, by that is the Lord Jesus in respect of his inward beauty set forth in Scriptures, he is the Sun of Righteousness, the bright Morning-Star, the Light of the World, the Tree of Life, the Lilly and the Rose; fairer than all the Flowers of the Field, than all the precious Stones of the Earth, than all the Lights in the Firmament, than all the Saints and Angels in Heaven.
- 1Psal. 45.2.
- 2Cant. 5.10.
- 3Col. 2.3.
