A53699:49
The glory and interest of nations professing the Gospel preached at a private fast,…
The glory and interest of nations professing the Gospel preached at a private fast, to the Commons assembled in Parliament / published by their command, by J. Owen.
London: printed for Philemon Stephens, 1659
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. Because this presence of Christ makes men comely and excellent in themselves, with what eye soever the world may look upon them. The whole world out of Christ ⟨p. 11⟩lies in evil, under the curse of God, and defilement of sin: in all the glittering shows of their wealth and riches, in the state and magnificence of their governments, the beauty of their laws and order, (as they relate to their persons) they are in the eye of God a filthy and an abominable thing, a thing that his soul loatheth. Curse and sin will make any thing to be so: but now Christ is to them and in them beautiful and glorious. Isai. 4. 2. Christ is so in himself, and he is so unto them: and makes them to be so. There is through him beauty and excellency and comeliness, every thing that may make them lovely and acceptable. That the world looks not on them as such, is not their fault, but the worlds misery: it looked on their master Christ himself, the brightness of his fathers glory, who is altogether lovely, the chiefest of ten thousand, with no other eye. Isa. 53. 2. They are so in themselves, and are so to Christ; being exposed indeed to many temptations, oftentimes they are made black and sully by them: but yet they are comely still. Cant. 1. 5. The ways whereby they are made black for the most part, we have expressed v. 6. when the Sun shines on them, and they are made keepers of the Vineyard it comes upon them. Prosperity, and public employment oftentimes so sully them, that they are made black to the reproach of the world: but yet to Christ who forgives, and washes them, they are comely. Yea this is all the excellency that is in the world. Sin with honour, with wealth, with power, with wisdom, is a deformed and contemptible thing: it is grace only that is beautiful and glorious: it is the gracious only that are excellent in the earth. Psal. 16. 3.
2. Because this presence of Christ makes men comely and excellent in themselves, with what eye soever the world may look upon them. The whole world out of Christ ⟨p. 11⟩