The true Christians love of the unseen Christ, or, A discourse chiefly tending to…

2. Consider Christs Holiness and Purity, some great Persons who abound in Wealth and Honour, who have some kind of amiable natural qualities, and acquired accomplishments which might render them very useful in their Countries, yet through their wickedness and debauchery, their filthiness and impurity, their impious and vicious lives, they stain all their other excellencies, and render themselves the objects of contempt and scorn, unto those who otherwise would bear great respect and love to them.

But Christ is most amiable for his Holiness and Purity; he was holy in his birth; although born of a sinful woman, yet he was born without sin; when he lived amongst impure sinners he kept his garments from all stains and spots, his heart and life were free from all pollutions, and never was he guilty of the least transgression ⟨p. 64⟩either in action or the least inclination. O what an excellent Person was Christ when here upon the Earth! how glorious in holiness, what bright beams of perfect purity and exact innocency did Christ scatter in those dark places of the Earth where he lived, and amongst those dark sullied sinners with whom he did converse! how then doth Christ shine in holiness, now he is entered into the Holy of Holies, which is above; and there doth converse with none but such as are Holy? I know because of Christs Holiness and Purity, he is the object of the hatred and enmity of the wicked and ungodly; because Christ is an enemy unto their darling and beloved lusts, they have an enmity against Christs Person: when he was here below he telleth his brethren, John 7. 7. The World hateth me, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil, and the hatred of the world doth still abide upon the same account; Christ doth reprove the world of sin, and this the world cannot endure and away with; the beams of Christs Holiness do offend their Sore Eyes, his holy precepts do offend their carnal hearts; yet notwithstanding this, he is a most suitable object for the love of Saints upon the account of his Holiness: such as ⟨p. 65⟩