yond all comparifon. Says the Chaldee paraphratt, Thy fairness, O King Meffiah, is more excellent than the fons of men. PULCHER ADMODUM PRAE FILIIS HOMINUM, exceeding defirable. Inward beauty and glory is here expreffed by that of outward fhape, form and appearance; because that was fo much efteemed in thofe who were to rule or govern, Ifa. iv. 2. The prophet terming of him the BRANCH of the Lord, and fruit of the earth, affirms that he fhall be beautiful and glorious, excellent and comely; for in him dwelleth the fulness of the God-head bodily, Col. ii. 9.

Cant. v. 9. The Spoufe is enquired of as to this very thing, even concerning the perfonal excellencies of the Lord Chrift her beloved. What is thy beloved, fay the daughters of Jerufalem, more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women, what is thy beloved more than another beloved and the returns this answer, ver. 10. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefeft among ten thousand. And fo proceedeth to a particular defcription of him by his excellencies, to the end of the chapter, and there concludeth that he is altogether lovely, ver. 16. whereof at large afterwards. Particularly he is here affirmed to be white and ruddy, a due mixture of which colours, compofes the most beautiful complexion.

1. He is white in the glory of his Deity, and ruddy in the precioufnefs of his humanity. His teeth are white with milk, and his eyes are red with wine, Gen. xlix. 12. Whiteness, I may fay fo, is the complexion of glory; in that appearance of the moft high, the ancient of days, Dan. vii. 9. it is faid, his garment was white as fnow, and the hair of his head as pure wool. And of Chrift in his transfiguration, when he had on him a mighty luftre of the Deity, His face did fine as the fun, and his

raiment was white as the light, Matth. xvii. 2. which in the parife of another Evangelift, is, as white as fnow, jo as no fuller on earth could white them. Mark ix. 3. It was a divine, heavenly, furpaffing glory that was upon him, Rev. i. 14. Hence the angels and glorified faints, that always behold" him, and are fully tranflated into the image of the fame glory, are still faid to be in white robes. His whiteness is his Deity, and the glory thereof: And on this account, the Chaldee paraphraft afcribes this whole paffage, unto God. They fay, faith he, to the houfe of Ifrael, who is the God whom thou wilt ferve? &c. Then began the congregation of Ifrael to declare the praises of the Ruler of the world, and faid, I will ferve that God who is cloathed in a garment white as snow, the fplendor of the glory of whofe countenance is as fire. He is alfo ruddy in the beauty of his humanity; man was called Adam, from the red earth whereof he was made. The word here used points him out as the second Adam, partaker of flesh and blood; because the children alfo partook of the fame, Heb. ii. 14. The beauty and comeliness of the Lord Jefus in the union of both thefe in one perfon, fhall afterwards be declared.

2. He is white in the beauty of his innocency and holiness, and ruddy in the blood of his oblation. Whiteness is the badge of innocency and holinefs. It is faid of the Nazarites for their typical holinefs, They were purer than Snow, and whiter than milk, Lam. iv. 7. And the prophet fhews us, that scarlot, red, and crimson, are the colours of fin and guilt, whiteness of innocency, Ifa. i. 8. Our Beloved was a lamb without spot or blemish. 1 Pet. i. 18. He did not fin, neither was there any guile found in his mouth, 1 Pet. ii. 22 He is holy, harmlefs, undefiled, feparate from finners, Heb. vii. 24.

as afterwards will appear; and yet he who was fo white in his innocency, was made ruddy in his own blood, and that two ways; naturally, in the pouring out of his blood, his precious blood, in that agony of his foul, when thick drops of blood trickled to the ground, Luke xxii. 24. as alfo when the whips and thorns, nails and fpears, poured it out abundantly, there came forth blood and water, John xix. 34. He was ruddy, by being drenched all over in his own blood. And 2dly, Morally, by the im putation of fin, whofe colour is red and crimson. God made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin, 2 Cor. v. 21. He who was white became ruddy for our fakes, pouring out his blood, an oblation for fin. This alfo renders him graceful; by his whitenefs he fulfilled the law, by his redness he fatisfied juftice; this is our Beloved, O ye daughters of Ferufalem.

3. His endearing excellency in the adminiftration of his kingdom, is hereby alfo expreffed. He is white in love and mercy unto his own; red with justice and revenge towards his enemies, Ifa. lxiii. 3. Rev. xix. 13.

There are three things in general, wherein this perfonal excellency and grace of the Lord Christ doth confift.

1. His fitnefs to fave from the grace of union, and the proper neceffary effects thereof.

2. His fulnefs to fave from the grace of communion, or the free confequences of the grace of

union.

3. His excellency to endear, from his compleat fuitableness to all the wants of the fouls of men.

1. His fitnefs to fave, his being a fit Saviour fuited to the work; and this I fay, is from his grace of union. The uniting of the natures of God and man in one perfon, made him fit to be a SaviG

our to the utterinoft. He lays his hand upon God by partaking of his nature, Zech. xiii. 7. and he lays his hand upon us, by being partaker of our nature, Heb. ii. 14, 16. and fo becomes a daysman or umpire between both. By this means, he fills up all the distance that was made by fin, between God and us, and we who are far off, are made nigh in him. Upon this account it was, that he had room enough in his breast to receive, and power enough in his fpirit to bear all the wrath that was prepared for us: fin was infinite only in respect of the object, and punishment was infinite in refpect of the fubject. This arifeth from his union.

Union is the conjunction of the two natures of God and man in one perfon, John i. 14. Ifa. ix. 6. Rom. i. 3, 4, 5. the neceffary confequences whereof are; 1. The fubfiftance of the human nature in the person of the Son of God, having no fubfiftence of its own, Luke i. 35. 1 Tim. iii, 16. 2. That communication of attributes in the perfon, whereby the properties of either nature, are promifcuously fpoken of the perfon of Chrift, under what name fo ever, of God and man, he be spoken of, Acts xx. 28. Acts iii. 21. 3. The execution of his office of mediation in his fingle perfon, in refpect of both natures, wherein is confiderable, the Agent, Chrift himself, God and man; he is the principium quo; the principle that gives life and efficacy to the whole work. And then 2. the principium quod; that which operates, which is both natures diftinétly confidered. 3. The effectual working itself of each nature; and lastly, the effect produced, which ariseth from all, and relates to them all; fo refolving the excellency I fpeak of, into his perfonal union.

2. His fulness to fave, from the grace of communion, or the effects of his union which are free, and confequences of it, which is all the furniture

that he received from the Father by the union of the Spirit; for the work of our falvation. He is able to fave unto the uttermoft them that come unto God by him, Heb. vii. 26. having all fulness unto this end communicated unto him: for it pleafed the Father that in him all fulness should dwell, Col. i. 19. And he received not the Spirit by measure, John iii. 34. and from this fulness he makes out a fuitable fupply unto all that are his; grace for grace, John . 16. had it been given him by measure we had exhaufted it.

-3 His excellency to endear, from his compleat fuitablenefs to all the wants of the fouls of men. There is no man whatever, that hath any want in reference unto the things of God, but Chrift will be unto him that which he wants: I fpeak of thofe who are given him of his Father. Is he dead? Chrift is life. Is he weak? Chrift is the power of God, and the wifdom of God. Hath he the fenfe of guilt upon him? Chrift is compleat righteouf nefs, the Lord our righteousness. Many poor creatures are fenfible of their wants, but know not where their remedy lies. Indeed, whether it be life, or light, power or joy, all is wrapped up in

him.

This then for the prefent may fuffice in general to be spoken of the perfonal grace of the Lord Chrift. He hath a fituefs to fave, having pity, and ability, tendernefs and power to carry on that work to the uttermoil and a fulnefs to fave, of redemption and fanétification, of righteoufnefs and the Spirit; and a fuitablenefs to the wants of all our fouls, whereby he becomes exceeding defirable, yea altogether lovely, as afterwards will appear in particular. And as to this in the firft place, have the faints diftinct fellowship with the Lord Chrift,