1. In our minds; we then have Christ, when we have him in high estimation, Cant. 5.10. My Beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand, who is like unto thee among the gods? Psal. 8.7. Exod. 15.10, 11. when the soul prizeth Christ above all, then we have him; this is the difference between spiritual and earthly things: a man may prize gold, and silver, and riches, and yet not have them; but we never prize spiritual things, especially Christ, but we have them; and this is worship, for all worship stands in exalting another, and debasing my self: now if I give Christ divine esteem, its divine worship; now when the soul thus esteems Christ as the highest, and debaseth himself to the lowest, it hath Christ. John 1.27. John the Baptist he so advanceth Christ, that in comparison of him, he thinks himself unworthy to loose the latchet of his shoe: no mortal man so great, but another may be worthy to loose his shoe; but Christ is so highly advanced, that we are not worthy to do him the meanest service; when a mans heart thus advanceth Christ, and thinks himself most unworthy of the meanest service about him, much more of having Christ himself; when once we have Christ in such high esteem, we have him indeed, and this high prizing of Christ may a poor soul have, when it can express little else; and this is an evident argument of our having Christ, when we can think the worst thing in Christ honourable and precious; this was Moses his faith, that he looked at the very reproaches and afflictions of Christ as greater riches, then the treasures of Egypt, Heb. 11.25, 26.
1. In our mindes; we then have Christ, when we have him in high estimation, Cant. 5.10. My Beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand, who is like unto thee among the gods? Psal. 8.7. Exod. 15.10, 11. when the soul prizeth Christ above all, then we have him; this is the difference between spirituall and earthly things: a man may prize gold, and silver, and riches, and yet not have them; but we never prize spirituall things, especially Christ, but we have them; and this is worship, for all worship stands in exalting another, and debasing my selfe: now if I give Christ divine esteem, its divine worship; now when the soul thus esteems Christ as the highest, and debaseth himselfe to the lowest, it hath Christ. John 1.27. John the Baptist he so advanceth Christ, that in comparison of him, he thinks himselfe unworthy to loose the lachet of his shoe: no mortall man so great, but another may be worthy to loose his shoe; but Christ is so highly advanced, that we are not worthy to doe him the meanest service; when a mans heart thus advanceth Christ, and thinks himselfe most unworthy of the meanest service about him, much more of having Christ himselfe; when once we have Christ in such high esteem, we have him indeed, and this high prizing of Christ may a poor soul have, when it can expresse little else; and this is an evident argument of our having Christ, when we can think the worst thing in Christ honourable and precious; this was Moses his faith, that he lookt at the very reproaches and afflictions of Christ as greater riches, then the treasures of Egypt, Heb. 11.25, 26.
