old rejoiced when whipped, fcourged, put to shame for his fake, Acts v. 41. Heb. xi. all is welcome that comes from him, or for him. The lives they have to live, the death they have to die, is little, is light upon the thoughts of him, who is the stay of their lives and the end of their death. Were it not for the refreshment which daily they receive by thoughts of him, they could not live; their lives would be a burden to them, and the thoughts of enjoyment of him make them cry with Paul, Oh that we were diffolved: the ftories of the martyrs of old, and of late, the sufferers in giving witness to him, under the dragon, and under the falfe prophet, the neglect of life in women and children on his account, contempt of torments whilst his name fweetned all, have rendred this truth clear to men and angels. 3. They value him above all spiritual excellencies and all other righteousness whatever, Phil. iii. 7, 8. Thofe things which were advantage to me, I esteemed lofs for Chrift. Yea alfo I account all ⚫ things to be lofs for the excellency of the knowlege ' of Christ Jefus my Lord; for whofe fake I have loft all things, and do esteem them common that I may gain Christ, and be found in him.' Having recounted the excellencies which he had, and the privileges which he enjoyed in his judaifm, which were all of a spiritual nature, and a participation wherein, made the rest of his country men defpife all the world, and look upon themfelves as the only acceptable perfons with God, refting on them for righteousness, the apostle tells us what is his esteem of them in comparison of the Lord Jefus, they are lofs and dung, things that for his fake, he had really fuffered the lofs of; that is, whereas he had for for many years been a zealot of the law, feeking after a righteousness as it were by the works of it, Rom. ix. 31. inftantly ferving God day and night to obtain the promife, Acts xxvi. 7. living in all good confcience from his youth, Acts xxii. all the while very zealous for God and his inftitutions, now willingly cafts away all these things, looks upon them as lofs and dung, and could not only be contented to be without them, but as for that end for which he fought after them, he abhored them all. When men have been strongly convinced of their duty, and have laboured many years to keep a good confcience, have prayed, and heard, and done good, and denied themselves, and been zealous for God, and laboured with all their might to please him, and so at length to come to enjoy him: they had rather part with all the world, life and all, than with this they have wrought. You know how unwilling we are to part with any thing we have laboured, and beaten our heads about, how much more when the things are so excellent, as our duty to God, blamelesness of conversation, hope of heaven and the like which we have beaten our hearts about? But now when once Chrift appears to the foul, when he is known in his excellency, all these things as without him, have their paint washed off, their beauty fads, their defireableness vanisheth, and the foul is not only contented to part with them all, but puts them away as a defiled thing; and cries, In the Lord Jefus only is my righteousness and glory, Prov. iii. 13, 14, 5. among innumerable teftimonies may be admitted to give witnefs hereunto, Happy is the man that findeth wifdom, and the man that getreth understanding. For the merchandize of it, is better than the merchandize of • filver filver, and the gain thereof than fine gold; fhe is more precious than rubies and all the things that thou canst defire, are not to be compared to her. It is of Jefus Chrift, the wildom of God, the eternal wisdom of the Father that the Holy Ghoft speaks, as is evident from the description which is given hereof, chap. viii. He and his ways are better than filver and gold, rubies, and all defireable things.. As in the gospel he likens himfelf to the pearl in the field, which when the merchant-man finds, he fells all that he hath to purchase. All goes for Chrift, all righteoufnefs without him, all ways of religion, all goes for that one pearl. The glory of his Deity, the excellency of his person, his allconquering defireablenefs, ineffable love, wonderful undertaking, unspeakable condefcenfions, effectual mediation, compleat righteousness, ly in their eyes, ravish their hearts, fill their affections, and poffefs their fouls. And this is the fecond mutual conjugal affection between Christ and believers, all which on the part of Chriit, may be referred unto two heads, 1. All that he parted withal, all that he did, all that he fufered, all that he doth as Mediator, he parted withal, did, fufered, doth, on the account of his love to, and efteem of believers. He parted with the greatest glory, he underwent the greatest mifery, he doth the greatest works that ever were, because he loves his fpoufe; because he values be-. lievers. What can more, what can farther be fpoken? How little is the depth of that which is fpoken fathomed? how unable are we to look into the misterious receffes of it? He fo loves, fo values his faints, as that having from eternity undertaken to bring them to God, he rejoices his foul in the thoughts of it; and purfues his design through heaven and hell, life and death, by fuffering and doing, in mifery and with power, and ceaseth not until he bring it to perfection. For, 2. He doth fo value them, as that he will not loose any of them to eternity, though all the world fhould combine to take them out of his hand. When in the days of his flesh he forefaw what oppo❤ fition, what danger, what rocks, they should meet with all, he cried out holy Father keep them, John xvii. I. let not one of them be loft; and tells us plainly John x. 28. that no man shall take his Sheep out of his hand. And because he was then in the form of a fervant, and it might be fuppofed that he might not be able to hold them, he tells them, true! as to his prefent condition of carrying on the work of mediation, his Father was greater than he and therefore to him he committed them, and none fhould take them out of his Father's hands. John x. 29. and whereas the world, afflictions, and perfecutions which are without may be conquered, and yet no fecurity given, but that fin from within, by the affiftance of Satan may prevail against them to their ruin; as he hath provided against Satan in his promife, that the gates of hell fhall not prevail against them, fo he hath taken care that fin itself fhall not deftroy them. Herein indeed is the depth of his love to be contemplated; that whereas his holy foul, hate every fin, it is a burden, an abomination, a new wound to him, and his poor fpoufe is finful; believers are full of fins, failings, and infirmities; he hides all, covers all, bears with all, rather than he will loose them; by his power preserving them from fuch fins as a remedy is not provided for in the covenant of grace. Oh! the world of finful follies, that our dear Lord Jefus bears T withal withal on this account? are not our own fouls aftonished with the thoughts of it? infinite patience, infinite forbearance, infinite love, infinite grace, infinite mercy are all fet on work for this end, to anfwer this his valuation of us. 2. On our part it may alfo be referred to two -heads. 1. That upon the discovery of him to our fouls, they rejoice to part with all things wherein they have delighted, or repofed their confidence for him, and his fake, that they may enjoy him. Sin and luft. pleasure and profiit, righteousness and duty in their feveral conditions, all hall go fo they may have Chrift. 2. That they are willing to part with all things. rather then with him, when they do enjoy him. To think of parting with peace, health, liberty, relations, wives, children, it is offenfive, heavy and grievous to the beft of the faints. But their fouls cannot bear the thoughts of parting with Jefus Chrift. Such a thought is cruel as the grave. The worst thoughts that in any fear in defertions that they have of hell, is that they fhall not enjoy Jefus Chrift. So they may enjoy him, here, hereafter, be like him, be ever with him, ftand in his prefence; they can part with all things freely, chearfully, be they never fo beautiful in reference to this life, or that which is to come. 3. The third conjugal affection on the part of Chrift is pity and compaffion. As a man nourisheth and cherisheth his own flefh, fo doth the Lord his church, Eph. v. 29. Christ hath a fellow feeling with his faints in all their troubles as a man hath with his own flesh. This act of the conjugal love or Chrift, relates to the many trials and preffures of |