An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

Let us now enquire, ¹how they express their love to the person of Christ, and that consists in preferring Christ above all, they value him above all other things and persons, above their lives, above all Spiritual Excellencies, and other Righteousness whatever; he is their Joy, Crown, Life, Food, Health, Strength, Desire, Righteousness, Salvation ⟨p. 613⟩Blessedness; The meaning of all is, that they prefer the person of Christ, which hath such a perfect righteousness for them, and will save them without requiring any legal conditions of them, infinitely before the Religion and Gospel of Christ, before Obedience to his commands; before the Love and Fear of God; So that the foundation of their love to Christ is a fond imagination, that he will save them by his Righteousness, without any Righteousness and Holiness of their own: This makes them so fond of the person of Christ, because they look on him as a refuge and sanctuary for the wicked and ungodly, where the greatest, oldest, stubbornest transgressor, may shelter himself from the wrath of God, and I have some reason to think, that Christ will not much prize such Devoto's as these, nor their obsequious flatteries or praise.

Let us now enquire, ¹how they express their love to the person of Christ, and that consists in preferring Christ above all, they value him above all other things and persons, above their lives, above all Spiritual Excellencies, and other Righteousness whatever; he is their Joy, Crown, Life, Food, Health, Strength, Defire, Righteousness, Salvation ⟨p. 613⟩Blessedness; The meaning of all is, that they prefer the person of Christ, which hath such a perfect righteousness for them, and will save them without requiring any legal conditions of them, infinitely before the Religion and Gospel of Christ, before Obedience to his commands; before the Love and Fear of God; So that the foundation of their love to Christ is a fond imagination, that he will save them by his Righteonsness, without any Righteousness and Holiness of their own: This makes them so fond of the person of Christ, because they look on him as a refuge and sanctuary for the wicked and ungodly, where the greatest, oldest, stubbornest transgressor, may shelter himself from the wrath of God, and I have some reason to think, that Christ will not much prize such Devoto's as these, nor their obsequious flatteries or praise.