First, if the reproaches of Gods people be the reproaches 1of Christ, then certainly Christ is wonderfully reproached in the world; none so reproached as Christ is, because he is not only reproached himself, but all the reproaches that fall upon all his people in the world, not only since Moses time, but from the beginning of the world, they are all the ⟨p. 411⟩reproaches of Christ, none suffers so much as he: consider we then with our selves, how we can love this Christ, a reproached Christ? Is Christ notwithstanding all his reproaches dear and precious to us? howsoever he be to the world, yet can your souls say with the Church, He is altogether lovely, as the Apostle Peter says, 1 Pet. 2. 7, 8. He is a rock, and a stone of offence to those that do not believe, but to you precious; and so Christ, though he be a reproached Christ, yet to you he is precious; to a godly and gracious heart how precious is Jesus Christ? There is a notable place concerning the reproaches of Christ, and yet of the high esteem that Gods people have of him, notwithstanding he is reproached, Isa. 52. 14, 15. His visage was so marred more then any mans, and his form more then the sons of men: what then, is there none therefore that shall prize him? yes; at the fifteenth verse, So shall he sprinkle many Nations: the Kings shall shut their mouths at him, for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider; that is, there shall yet come a time when as the Lord shall sprinkle many nations by the work of his Spirit, and draw many Kings, so as they shall shut their mouths; whereas they contemned him, and despised him, now they shall shut their mouths in a way of admiration, that that had not been told them which they see: as St. Paul, he knew Christ only after the flesh, but when he came to know him after another manner, he thought otherwise of him: So when God does sprinkle any with his Spirit, that they know Christ, though his visage he marred more then any mans, and he is reproached more then any man, yet they shall prize ⟨p. 412⟩him, and delight in him, and the more he is reproached, the more they shall delight in him: It is a notable 2speech of Bernard, By so much the more Christ is vile for me, by so much the more he is dearer to me.
First, if the reproaches of Gods people be the reproaches 1of Christ, then certainly Christ is wonderfully reproached in the world; none so reproached as Christ is, because he is not onely reproached himself, but all the reproaches that fall upon all his people in the world, not onely since Moses time, but from the beginning of the world, they are all the ⟨p. 411⟩reproaches of Christ, none suffers so much as he: consider we then with our selves, how we can love this Christ, a reproached Christ? Is Christ notwithstanding all his reproaches dear and precious to us? howsoever he be to the world, yet can your souls say with the Church, He is altogether lovely, as the Apostle Peter says, 1 Pet. 2. 7, 8. He is a rock, and a stone of offence to those that do not believe, but to you precious; and so Christ, though he be a reproached Christ, yet to you he is precious; to a godly and gracious heart how precious is Jesus Christ? There is a notable place concerning the reproaches of Christ, and yet of the high esteem that Gods people have of him, notwithstanding he is reproached, Isa. 52. 14, 15. His visage was so marred more then any mans, and his form more then the sons of men: what then, is there none therefore that shall prize him? yes; at the fifteenth verse, So shall he sprinkle many Nations: the Kings shall shut their mouthes at him, for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider; that is, there shall yet come a time when as the Lord shall sprinkle many nations by the work of his Spirit, and draw many Kings, so as they shall shut their mouthes; whereas they contemned him, and despised him, now they shall shut their mouthes in a way of admiration, that that had not been told them which they see: as St. Paul, he knew Christ onely after the flesh, but when he came to know him after another maner, he thought otherwise of him: So when God does sprinkle any with his Spirit, that they know Christ, though his visage he marred more then any mans, and he is reproached more then any man, yet they shall prize ⟨p. 412⟩him, and delight in him, and the more he is reproached, the more they shall delight in him: It is a notable 2speech of Bernard, By so much the more Christ is vile for me, by so much the more he is dearer to me.
- 1Use 1.
- 2Quanto pro me vilius, tanto mibi charius. Bern.
