A85953:367
Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of…
Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of Christ. And, 3 The Excellency of mans immortal soul. By Jeremiah Burroughs, late preacher of the gospel at Stepney, and Giles-Cripple-gate, London. Published by William Greenhill. William Bridge. Philip Nigh. John Yates. Matthew Mead. William Adderly.Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of Christ. And, 3 The Excellency of mans immortal soul. By Jeremiah Burroughs, late preacher of the gospel at Stepney, and Giles-Cripple-gate, London. Published by William Greenhill. William Bridge. Philip Nye. John Yates. Matthew Mead. William Adderly.
London: printed for Nath. Brook, 1660
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Treatise 2 › Sermon 6: The Sixth SERMON ON The Excellency of Christ.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Many Notes of Trial there may be of Faith, but I know not any one more familiar than this is (at least negatively, it must needs be a true Note) that is, that there cannot be Faith without it, namely, if the heart hath not been taken up with the wonder of Christ, so as all the wonders in the world have been darkened in the soul in comparison of Jesus Christ.
Many Notes of Trial there may bee of Faith, but I know not any one more familiar than this is (at least negatively, it must needs bee a true Note) that is, that there cannot bee Faith without it, namely, if the heart hath not been taken up with the wonder of Christ, so as all the wonders in the world have been darkened in the soul in comparison of Jesus Christ.
Secondly, If Christ be so great a wonder, then O how vile a thing is it for the hearts of men to prefer any base filthy lusts before Jesus Christ? when God hath manifested him in that wonderful way unto the children of men, and so much of his glory in him, yet that their hearts should be taken off from him, and every base lust to be preferred before him, Oh how just must the condemnation of such be for ever! we may take up that complaint that there was in Psal. 106.7.1 Our Fathers understood not thy wonders, saith the Psalmist: So the truth is, as our Fathers did not, so few there are that understand the wonders of the Lord in Jesus Christ; and therefore every thing is preferred before him; with what infinite indignation must God needs look upon that wretched soul, that shall prefer every base lust before Jesus Christ? I remember a speech of Chrysostom, speaking of that Text, That our vile bodies shall be made like unto the glorious body of Christ, saith he, were all the world turned into tears, yet they were not sufficient to lament the misery of that soul that forsakes ⟨p. 152⟩Jesus Christ: his heart was so much taken with the excellency of Jesus Christ, that he thought it impossible to lament the misery of the creature that should forsake him: and so St. Paul having his heart filled with the glorious Mystery of Christ, he breaks forth with this dreadful curse, He that loveth not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha, as if St. Paul should say (having his spirit filled with the glory of Christ) Oh what shall God manifest so much of his glory in his Son, and shall base wretched vile creatures prefer their lusts before him, and have their hearts taken up with other vain things, and not love the Lord Jesus Christ? let that soul be cursed with a bitter curse, saith Paul; such a soul doth deserve indeed to be cursed with a bitter and an eternal curse, that shall hear so much of Jesus Christ, and how God hath revealed himself in that wonderful way in his Son, and yet that soul shall not be willing to forsake a base lust for all the good there is in Jesus Christ; let that soul be cursed with a bitter curse: It deserves above all creatures to have the most bitter curse to be upon it to all eternity: