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

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⟩are truly judicious will love them most who are best, and such are really the best Men and Women in the world, as are most holy; if you are Christ's disciples indeed, you love holiness where ever you see it, and can you love the imperfect holiness which is in Gods people, and will you not love Christ who is perfectly, Infinitely holy himself, and the spring of all that holiness, which is to be found in any of the Children of Men? if there be such a wonderful lustre in the derived holiness of some, that it makes them to shine as lights in a dark World, what a wonderful transcendent lustre is there in the original holiness which is in Christ! which as it is matter of great admiration, so it calls for great affection, Psal. 119. 140