know what there is in Christ that can succour, comfort and relieve in the worst of times? Look I say whatsoever good thing the world can either give or take away, that is in Christ in great abundance.

There is in Jesus Christ the greatest excellency, under the best propriety. The greatest excellency; for,

If the knowledge of Christ be the most excellent knowledge, then surely Christ himself must needs be most excellent; the knowledge of Jesus Christ is the most excellent knowledge.

It is the most certain knowledge; you know other things by their shapes and species, you know Christ by the Spirit; you know other things by the testimony of men, you know Christ by the testimony of the Spirit; and as the testimony of the Spirit is more certain than the testimony of any man, so the knowledge of Christ is the most certain knowledge in the world.

It is that knowledge that gives you possession of the thing you know; by my knowledge of Christ, I am possessed of Christ; surely therefore it is the most excellent knowledge in the world, and therefore Christ himself must needs be most excellent.

He is called "The desire of all nations," in Hag. ii. 7. Some nations desire one thing and some another, but Christ is the desire of all nations. What is most desirable that is not in Christ? Is gold and silver most desirable? says he, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire,” Rev. iii. 18. Is wisdom most desirable ? "He is the wisdom of the Father," 1 Cor. i. 24. "In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom," Col. ii. 3. He is wisdom in the abstract; "Wisdom hath builded her house," Prov. ix. 1. and it is in the plural number, wisdoms hath builded her house; he is not only wise, but wisdom, and wisdoms. And he is called, that good thing, Jer. xxxiii. 14 : "Behold, the day is come, saith the Lord of Hosts, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel, and unto the house of Judah." That good thing, with an emphasis, what is that?" At that time will I cause the branch of righteousness to grow up unto David, and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land." Christ is that good thing; He is the excellency of Jacob, the greatest excellency.

And this excellency is under the best propriety, insomuch as you may challenge it with a double my: "My God, my God," says David, Psalm xxii. 1. " My Lord, and my God," says Thomas, John xx. 28. There is such propriety in this excellency as you may challenge it with a double my. And it is such a propriety as can never be lost; None shall take them out of my Father's hand," John x. 28, 29. Would you then know what there is in Christ that can comfort, succour, and relieve in the worst of times? I say there is the greatest excellency, under the best propriety.

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There is in Jesus Christ the greatest fulness joined with the most communicativeness: some things are empty, and not full: some things are full, but they are full of wind, as the bladders of the creatures are, that the least prick melts them down into nothing; full, but not communicative; and some things are communicative, but not full; as springs, little water springs: but Christ is both full and communicative; he is the "rose of Sharon, and the lily of the vallies," Cant. ii. 1. The rose of Sharon, not the rose of a garden, that only some can come and take the sweetness of; but the rose of the field, that every one may come and smell on; his blood is a fountain opened, not a fountain enclosed, but opened; he is the tree of life, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations. So that there is not only plenitudo abundantiæ, sed redundantiæ; a fulness of abundance, but a fulness of redundancy; flowing over in Jesus Christ; would you therefore know what there is in Christ that can comfort and relieve in the worst of times? I say there is the greatest fulness joined with the most communicativeness.

There is in Jesus Christ the sweetest love, under the greatest engagement: the sweetest love; "thy love is better than wine; thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee," Cant. i. 3. "Greater love than this hath no man," saith Christ concerning his death, John xv. 13. There is love in Christ beyond all dimensions; there is height, and breadth, and length, and depth of love in him, Ephes. iii. 18, 19. There is giving love in Christ, "who loved us, and gave himself for us," Gal. ii. 20. Ephes. v. 25. There is forgiving and pardoning love in Christ; witness Peter, whom Christ forgave when he had denied him. There is in Christ condescending love, witness Thomas;

"Come Thomas (says he) reach hither thine hand, and thrust it into my side," John xx. 27. I condescend to thee. There is in Christ accepting love; "I tell thee (says he) wheresoever this gospel is preached, that which this woman hath done, shall be told for a memorial of her," Matt. xxvi. 13, accepting of what she did. And there is in Christ a sympathizing love; "For he is not such an High Priest as cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities," Heb. iv. 15. There is the sweetest love in Christ.

The

And it is under the greatest engagement; for, is not a brother engaged to help his brother? "He is not ashamed to call them brethren." Heb. ii. 11. Is not a father engaged to help his children?" He is the everlasting Father," Isaiah ix. 6. Is not a husband engaged to help his wife? church of Christ is his spouse, Cant. iv. 9. And now suppose there were one person that could stand under all these relations; a brother, a father, a husband; how much would that person be engaged to help, that should stand under all these relations? Thus Christ doth; he stands under all these relations. Therefore there is in Christ the sweetest love under the greatest engagement.

There is that in Jesus Christ that suiteth to all conditions: what condition can you come into but there is a promise suited to it; and what are the promises but the veins wherein the blood of Christ doth run? There is no condition but hath a promise suited to it, and so there is that in Christ that suits to all conditions. To instance a little :

Are you poor and needy? "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich," Rev. iii. 18. Are you naked? says he, "I counsel thee to buy of me white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." Are you out of the way, wandering? "I am the way," John xiv. 6. Are you in the dark in reference to any business or your condition?" I am the light, (says he) and the light of life,” John viii. 12. Are you hungry?" I am the bread of life," John vi. 48. Are you thirsty? "I am the water of life? He that drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst more," John iv. 14. Do you need justification? He is "the Lord our righteousness," Jer. xxiii. 6. Do you need sanctification? "For this cause do I sanctify myself that

they also may be sanctified," John xvii. 19.

Do you

need consolation? "I will send the Comforter," John xvi. 7. Do you need protection? "He is the Rock of ages; the Lord Jehovah," Isa. xxvi. 4. Are you in a paradise of Life," Rev. xxii. 14. Are

prosperity? He is the "Tree of

you in a wilderness of adversity? He is "the Manna that came down from heaven," John vi. 50. So, that then, there is that in him that is suited to all conditions.

There is that in Jesus Christ that doth answer to all our fears, doubts and objections. Hearken, if there be ever a poor doubting soul here, there is that in Christ that doth answer to all thy fears, doubts and objections.

Will you say, I am a poor lost creature? Then saith Christ, "I came to seek and to save that which was lost," Luke xix. 10. Will you say, Oh, but I am a sinner, a great sinner? Saith Christ, "I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance,” Matt. ix. 13. Will you say, Oh, but I cannot repent? Then see what the apostle saith, Acts v. 31, concerning Christ, "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel, and remission of sin;" not only remission of sin, but repentance: it is Christ's work to give repentance as well as forgiveness of sin. Will you say, Oh, but I cannot leave my sins, I cannot turn away from my sins? Then read what the apostle saith, Acts iii. 26, "Unto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." Will you say, Oh, but I cannot come to Christ? Then he tells you that he is come to you: "I came to seek and to save that which was lost:" he brings the lost sheep home upon his shoulder, as in the parable. Will you say, Oh, but his sheep follow him, and I cannot follow him? Then he tells you, "He will carry the lambs in his arms, and gently lead those that are with young," Isa. xl. 11. He will drive you at your own pace. Will you say, Oh, but I have provoked Christ, and he is angry, and will cast me off? You know what he then; says 66 Those that come unto me I will in no wise cast out," John vi. 37. He is meek and lowly: he is meek, and therefore will not be angry with you; he is lowly, and therefore will not disdain you: "Learn of me," says he, "for I am meek and lowly," Matt. xi. 29. Will you say,

Oh, but I have sinned to the very utmost? Then the apostle tells you, that "He is able to save to the uttermost," Heb. vii. 25. So that there is plainly that in Christ that answereth to all our fears, doubts and objections.

Yet one thing more. There is that in Jesus Christ which doth and will supply all our wants. What is there that you want; do you labour under desertion? Then saith he, "I will lead you in a way that you have not known," Isa. xlii. 16. "And I will never leave you nor forsake you," Heb. xiii. 5. Do you labour under corruption and bondage to sin? There is freedom in Christ; "Those the Son makes free are free indeed," John viii. 36, indeed really, indeed eminently; "Those the Son makes free are free indeed;" indeed and indeed. Do you labour under great temptations? It is he that "treads down Satan under our feet," Rom. xvi. 20; and says he, "My grace is sufficient for thee," 2 Cor. xii. 9. Do labour under the want of the means of grace, or the you ministry of the word? "He hath received gifts for men ;" and what those gifts are the apostle tells you, Eph. iv. 11, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Do you labour under weakness, spiritual infirmity? Then he hath seven horns, and seven eyes, as you find him described, Rev. v. 6, answering to your infirmity or weakness. Or do you labour under any affliction, outward or inward, under persecution from enemies? Then see what is said concerning Christ, Micah v. 5, " And this man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land." Are you afraid of an enemy coming into the land ? "This man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land." This man; what man? See at verse 2 it is plainly spoken of Christ: "But thou Bethlehem-Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting, and he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God, and this man shall be the peace:" this man, that is Christ; he shall be our peace when the worst of enemies come into our land.

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Aye, but you will say, we see no likelihood of this; mark then what is said at ver. 7, " And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, and