The Excellency of Christ, Section 2
SECT. 2. Of Chriſts faireneſſe, uſefuleſſe, Deſirableneſſe.
FOr application. 3Proſecution. The application of this poynt.Now as Roſes and flowers are good for the head, for the braine, for the heart, and for many things: ſo is the Roſe-like Doctrine or flower which this next affords good and uſefull
1. For the underſtanding of man to informe it.
2. For the conſcience to ſatisfie and to convince it.
3. For the affection or heart to moove it.
4. For the will to incline it.
Of theſe in order.
Firſt, Ʋſe 1.it is uſefull for the underſtanding to helpe it, and to informe it, and that of 3. things.
1. Of Chriſts faireneſſe; 2. uſefulneſſe; 3. deſirableneſſe.
Firſt I beginne with the firſt of theſe, to informe you of Chriſts admirable faireneſſe, Chriſts faireneſſeforaſmuch as himſelfe compares himſelfe to a Roſe, which is one of the tVnde Roſa olim propter pulchritudinem & ſuavem odorem veneri ſaera fuit Calepin. Thomſon in loc.faireſt flowers among all flowers, yea to a Roſe of Sharon, which of all roſes are held to bee the moſt faire and fragrant, by reaſon of the ſunne which ſhineth ſo much upon that ſoile, and heateth it, and maketh the roſes proſper as Authors write of it, ſee Pſal. 45.2. How David in that ſong of loves (for ſo that Pſalme is intitled) ſets forth the beauty of this ſweeteſt roſe, ſaying thou art fairer then all the children of men, uPulcher admodum fuiſti.yea thou art exceedingly fairer then the children of men. For the originall importeth ſo much and more too; even more then I able to expreſſe, for aſmuch as the Holy Ghoſt doth even ingeminate the ordinarie word heere, ſpeaking of a more then ordinary-beauty to make it more ſignificant, and it muſt needs bee ſo, whether wee doe reflect the eyes of the minde upon his Deity, or upon his Humanity.
I. To beginne with his Deity, how can hee but bee fairer then all the children of men, who is not onelyonly a ſonne of man, but alſo the naturall ſonne of God, even God of God, and coequall with God his father, who as God himſelfe maketh all men, and all things faire that are faire, for the ſons of men, and therefore muſt needs be infinitly fairer then all; for it is a true ground in Philoſophie that that thing for whoſe ſake an other thing is thus qualified or ſuch and ſuch, muſt needs be more ſuch, and more ſo qualified, ſo as that we may truely ſay of Chriſt that ſweetſt roſe of Sharon, that hee is not onelyonly fairer then all men but even Beauty it ſelfe.
I. As man ſo he is moſt faire, firſt in regard of his ſoule, Col. 2.9. for in him dwelleth all the fulneſse of the Godhead bodily, ſo that needs he muſt bee xDurand. Rat. Div. offic. l. 6. f. …06.void of ſinne and full of grace and therefore all faire.
III. Chriſt is fairer then all the ſons of men in reſpect of the exact beautifulneſſe and comly lineaments of his body, whether wee looke upon it as it was in the ſtate of humiliation, or as now is in the ſtate of exaltation.
Firſt in the ſtate of humiliation: for all deformities of the body proceede originally from enormities of the ſoule, & therefore Chriſt being exemped from the one, muſt needs be far too from the other, as in his minde ſo in his body, whoſe glorious & moſt excellent beauty even yEutropius in Annal. Senatorum Roonr. Cent. 1. l. 1 c. 10. p. 34. Caſſanaus in Catalog. part. 4. Conſid. 6.Lentulus a Romā in his Epiſtle to Tiberius the Romane Emperour deſcribeth after his manner; that hee was a man goodly to behold, having a reverent countenance, his ſtature ſome what tall; his haire after the colour of the ripe hazelnut, from his eares downeward ſomewhat curled, parting it ſelfe in the middeſt of the head, and waving with the winde, after the manner of the Nazarites; his face without wrincle mixed with moderate red; his beard ſomewhat copious, tender, and divided at the chin; his eyes gray, various & cleere; but what need we goe ſo farre as to alledge the Roman writers, having a farre more ample and ſurer deſcription of Chriſts moſt admirable beauty nearer home, even in this ſame ſweeteſt love-Song, out of which my text is taken, the words are theſe. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefeſt among ten thouſand; his head is as the moſt fine gold, his locks are buſhie and blacke as a raven; his eies are as the eies of doves by the river of water waſhed with milke, and fitly ſet; his cheekes are as a bed of ſpices, as ſweet flowers; his lips like Lillies, dropping ſweet ſmelling myrrhe; his hands are as gold-rings ſet with the Beryll; his belly is as bright yvory overlaid with ſaphires; his legs are as pillars of marble ſet upon ſockets of fine gold; his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars; his mouth is moſt ſweet, yea he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend O daughters of Ieruſalem. Now I am not ignorant of that ſenſe which ſome put upon theſe words, underſtanding them altogether of Chriſts ſpirituall and inward beauty, and I doe willingly aſſent unto them in this, that that faireneſſe is zAnd therfore I doe ſo expound it in the firſt let or impedimēt, that keeps men from Chriſt, where this whole deſcription is largely …pened. Sect. 12.chiefly meant: But yet I hope I ſhall be ſuffered to extend the largeneſſe of ſo rare an expreſſion to his body alſo in ſome ſort, even ſo farre forth as to conceive that his body alſo muſt needs be paſſing faire, as well as his ſoule, even by vertue of this deſcription, which his faire Spouſe ends with this Epiphonema; or ſententious cloſe: Hee is altogether lovely, or throughout and wholly lovely, or delectable, forſomuch the aTetus ipſe & in univerſum delactabilis & deſiderabil…s.original doth more ſignificantly import; he is throughout and wholly lovely ſaith ſhe, whereupon it followeth neceſſarily, that his body muſt be ſo lovely too: for elſe it cannot be ſaid that he is wholly lovely, and throughout delectable; and hence it is, as I conceive, that Tremellius who hath been a Jew converted, being moſt expert in the holy language doth underſtand many paſſages in this deſcription literally, and not he only, but others alſo, who yet in many things are very myſticall.
If it be objected that in Eſa. 53.2, 3. Tomſ in ver 13.he is ſaid to have neither forme, So Chryſ in Pſal. 45.nor beauty.
I anſwer firſt with Saint Hierome, that the Prophet ſpeaks ſo of Chriſt, as he was abaſed and abuſed upon the croſſe, and before, when Pilat brought him forth, and uttered theſe words: Ecce homo, Behold a man; and I adde, bTheodoret. in text.that in regard of ſome he is ſaid to have no forme, becauſe they then could not, nor would not ſee any ſuch beauty in him; cHieron. Epiſt ad Pri…cip.for otherwiſe the godly ſee comlineſſe enough in him, as I noted before out of the 45. Pſal. 2. Thou art fairer then the children of men, on which words one of the dAugsin l….ancient paraphraſts moſt ſweetly: VntoUnto us who beleeve, the heavenly bridegroome ſeems to be every way moſt faire; faire in heaven, faire on earth, faire in the wombe, faire in his mothers armes, faire in his miracles, faire in his ſtripes, faire upon his croſſe, faire in his very grave.
2. But eſpecially in the ſtate of Exaltation, his body muſt needs be fairer then the ſons of men: for if the face of Moſes did ſhine ſo, after he had been with God upon the mount, where nothing but lightening and thundering was to be expected, how muſt needs the precious body of the ſon of God now ſhine with incomprehenſible ſplendor, being next to Gods owne right hand in that holy hill above, where there is nothing but light; and bliſſe, brightneſſe, and bleſſedneſſe to be enjoyed for ever and ever. See Phil. 3.20. How therefore that holy and bleſſed Apoſtle cals his body a glorious body, *foreign.or, a body of his glory, which is more, according to the originall, as if he ſhould ſay, a body all full, or made of glory; and of his glory, which is the glory of the only begotten ſon of God, whoſe bright ſhining Deity doth ſo illuſtrate, clarifie, and glorifie all his body, as that every part and member of it muſt needs be infinitely more reſplendent and bright then that of the ſun, which yet is farre more gliſtering and glorious then the burniſhed gold of Ophir; And therefore, O my ſoule, doe thou elevate and lift up thy ſelfe above thy ſelfe, and conſider this raviſhing and tranſcendent beauty of thy moſt deare and glorious Saviour, ſo as that no creature under the ſun may be fairer and dearer in thine eies then he, who is fairer then all.
2. This informes us of Chriſts uſefulneſſe. The ſecond thing.Seeing he compares himſelfe to A Roſe, which how uſefull and medicinall it is all men know in ſome ſort; but Phyſicians, and ſuch as have any skill in herbs know it in an eſpeciall manner. Petr. Andr. Matth. l. 1. Dioſc. c. 112.There is ſcarce any herb or flower to be named, which for its vertue and uſefulneſſe goes beyond it. Now Chriſt is like it, as he ſaith himſelfe, yea tranſcendently more medicinall and uſefull then it: For he can heale all our inward and outward, ſpirituall and corporall diſeaſes, Pſal. 103. when Roſes though never ſo faire and good, yet cannot cure ſo much as one ſin, which is a moſt dangerous gangrene and leproſie of the poore ſoule. And therefore O that the beſotted ſoules of men were but ſenſible of ſo great a worth and ineſtimable good, as is to be had in ſo precious a Roſe, as Jeſus Chriſt is, bleſſed for ever! and ô that they did but weigh it, and firmely beleeve it; for then they could not, nor would neglect ſo great ſalvation.
3. And muſt not Chriſt be very deſirable, The 3. thing.ſeeing he compareth himſelfe to a Roſe (which is as deſirable a flower as any) both for her faireneſſe, and uſefulneſſe formerly mentioned. See Iohn 1.47. how deſirous therefore Nathaniell was to ſee him; and Luke. 19.4. how Zacheus climbed upon a tree to looke downe upon him that was higher then the heavens; and it was the chiefeſt of Saint Auſtines three wiſhes, that he might have ſeen Chriſt in the fleſh, whom he now beholdeth in glory. And therefore, O that men were but wiſe, and had eyes to ſee, and eares to heare! for then would they reſort, and flocke from all parts to Ieſus Chriſt the roſe of Sharon, to he are his voice with gladneſſe, and to ſee his faireneſſe, and to taſte of his goodnes; yea then would they out of ſome experience doubtleſſe ſay with his▪ faire ſpouſe, Cant. 5.16. His mouth is moſt ſweet, yea he is altogether lovely *foreignor deſirable.