The mind may be calmed a little in this, that, though to speak highly of Christ, be, in poor men, who are so low under, and unequal to so great a Province, a marring rather of his dignity, and a flattering of Christ, then a real praising of, or pointing him out in all his virtues and loveliness, in regard that the foulness of the breath of a sinner may blacken the beauty of such a transcendent and incomparable flower, that Isaiah a high, eminent, and ⟨image 3⟩Gospel-Prophet is at his wits end, at a non-plus, a stand, and giveth over the matter as a high question; Who shall declare his generation? And another, What is his name, 1and what is his Sons name, if thou canst tell? All that ever wrote, lye down under this load, and though many now a days give out, they have so much of the Lord Jesus, that they are Christed and swallowed up in his love, yet should I think it all happiness, if I could but tell Christs name, and were so deep learned as to know how they call him. In truth, in regard of any comprehensive knowledge, we but speak and write our guessings, our far-off and twi-light apprehensions of him; and, in regard of coming up to the clear vision of a Gospel-noon-day light, as we are obliged; we but cast the blind mans club, and but play (as children do with the golden covering, and silken ribbons of an Arabic Bible that they cannot read) about the borders and margin of the knowledge of Christ? O how rawly do the Needle-headed School-men writ of Christ! O how subtle and Eagle-eyed seem they to be in speculations! Grave-deep, or rather hell-deep, touching his grave-linens, what become of them, when he rose from the dead, and the chess-nut colour of his hair, and the wood of his Cross, and the three nails that wedged him to the tree, and the adoring of any thing that touched his body, either wood, iron, or nails of the holy grave? And how far from that. Cant. 8.6. Set me as a seal on thy heart, as a signet on thine arm.
The minde may bee calmed a little in this, that, though to speake highly of Christ, bee, in poore men, who are so low under, and unequall to so great a Province, a marring rather of his dignity, and a flattering of Christ, then a reall praysing of, or pointing him out in all his vertues and lovelinesse, in regard that the foulenesse of the breath of a sinner may blacken the beauty of such a transcendent and incomparable flowre, that Esaiah a high, eminent, and ⟨image 3⟩Gospel-Prophet is at his wits end, at a non-plus, a stand, and giveth over the matter as a high question; Who shall declare his generation? And another, What is his name, 1and what is his Sonnes name, if thou canst tell? All that ever wrot, lye down under this load, and though many now a dayes give out, they have so much of the Lord Jesus, that they are Christed and swallowed up in his love, yet should I think it all happinesse, if I could but tell Christs name, and were so deep learned as to know how they call him. In truth, in regard of any comprehensive knowledge, we but speak and write our guessings, our far-off and twy-light apprehensions of him; and, in regard of comming up to the cleare vision of a Gospel-noon-day light, as wee are obliged; wee but cast the blind mans club, and but play (as children doe with the golden covering, and silken ribbens of an Arabicke Bible that they cannot read) about the borders and margent of the knowledg of Christ? O how rawly do the Needle-headed Schoole-men writ of Christ! O how subtile and Eagle-eyed seeme they to be in speculations! Grave-deepe, or rather hell-deep, touching his grave-linnens, what become of them, when hee rose from the dead, and the chesse-nut cullour of his haire, and the wood of his Crosse, and the three nailes that wedged him to the tree, and the adoring of any thing that touched his body, either wood, iron, or nailes of the holy grave? And how farre from that. Cant. 8.6. Set mee as a seale on thy heart, as a signet on thine arme.
- 1Ps••, 53 8.
