The Godly Man's Picture

2. The second thing to be illustrated is, that every godly man doth set an high value and estimate upon Christ, 1 Pet. 2. 7. Unto you therefore who believe, he is precious: In the Greek it is, [Greek or Hebrew] an honour: Believers have an honourable esteem of Christ; the Psalmist speaks like one captivated with Christs amazing beauty, Psalm 73. 25. There is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. He did not say he had nothing; he had many comforts on earth, but he desired none but God; as if a wife should say, there's no ones company she prizeth like her husbands: How did David prize Christ, Psa. 45. 2. Thou art fairer ⟨p. 58⟩than the children of men: The Spouse in the Canticles looked upon Christ as the Coryphaeus, the most incomparable one, Cant. 5. 10. The chief among ten ^*thousand. Christ out-vies all others, Cant. 2. 3. As the appletree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. Christ doth infinitely more excel all the beauties and glories of this visible world, than the appletree doth surpass the trees of the wild Forrest: So did Paul prize Christ, that he made him his chief study, 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ; [Greek or Hebrew]; I judged not any thing else of worth: St. Paul did best know Christ, 1 Cor. 9. 1. Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? He saw him with his bodily eyes in a Vision, when he was wrapped up into the third heaven, 2 Cor. 12. 2. and he saw him with the eye of his faith, in the blessed Supper, therefore he did best know him; and behold, how he did slight, and vili-prize other things, in comparison of Christ,