The Sifford Sojournal

‘He is altogether lovely.’

To conclude this point, let us try our affections by the church’s affections in this place, whether Christ be so lovely to us or not. It is said, ‘There is no beauty in him when we shall see him, and he was despised of men,’ Isa. 53:2.

He was so, in regard of his cross and sufferings, to the eye of the world and of carnal men. Herod scorned him; when Pilate sent him to him, made nobody of him, as the word in the original is. They looked upon the outside of Christ in the flesh when he was abased. ‘There was no form nor beauty in him,’ saith the Holy Ghost, that is, to the sight of carnal men; but those that had the sight of their sins with spiritual eyes, they could otherwise judge of Christ. The poor centurion saw an excellency in him when he said, ‘He was not worthy that he should come under his roof,’ Mat. 8:8. The poor thief saw the excellency of Christ upon the cross in those torments. ‘Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom,’ Luke 23:42.

So those souls that were enlightened, that had the sight of their misery and the sight of God’s love in Christ, had a high esteem of Christ in his greatest abasement. Therefore, if we have a mean [low] esteem of the children of God as contemptible persons, and of the ordinances of God as mean [low] things, and of the government of Christ (such as he hath left in his word) as base, it is an argument of a sinful, unworthy disposition. In such a soul Christ hath never been effectually by his Spirit; for everything in him is lovely, even the bitterest thing of all. There is a majesty and excellency in all things of Christ. The censures of the church are excellent when they proceed and issue forth with judgment, as they should do, ‘to deliver such a man over to Satan, that he may be saved in the day of the Lord,’ 1 Cor. 5:5.

Now, if the ordinances of Christ, the word and sacraments, and the shutting sinners [the notorious ones, as noted in the last paragraph] out of the church, if these things be vilified as powerless things, it shews a degenerate, wicked heart, not acquainted with the ways of God.

If we have a mean [low] esteem of men that suffer for Christ and stand out for him, if we account them so and so, shall we think ourselves Christians in the mean time? When Christ is altogether lovely, shall they be unlovely that carry the image of Christ? Can we love him that begets, and hate them that are begotten of him? Can we love Christ, and hate Christians? It cannot be.

Now, that we may get this affection and esteem of Christ that is so lovely,

Let us labour to make our sins bitter and loathsome, that Christ may be sweet.

Quest. What is the reason we set no higher a price of Christ?

1. Ans. Because we judge not of ourselves as we are indeed, and want [lack] spiritual eye-salve to see into ourselves rightly.
   
   
2. And let us attend upon the means of salvation, to hear the unsearchable riches of Christ. What makes any man lovely to us, but when we hear of their riches, beauty, and good intent to us? In the word we are made acquainted with the good intent of Christ towards us, the riches of mercy in forgiving our sins, and riches of glory prepared for us. The more we hear of him, of his riches and love to us, the more it will inflame our love to Christ.
   
   Those that live where the ordinances of Christ are held forth with life and power, they have more heavenly and enlarged affections than others have, as the experience of Christians will testify.
   
   
3. Again, if we would esteem highly of Christ that he may be lovely to us, let us join with company that highly esteem of Christ, and such as are better than ourselves. What deads [deadens] the affections so much as carnal, worldly company, who have nothing in them but civility?
   
   By converse with them who have discourse of nothing but the world, if a man have heavenly affections, he shall quickly dull them, and be in danger to lose them. They may be conversed with in civil things, but when we would set to be heavenly and holy minded, let us converse with those that are of an heavenly bent.
   
   As we see here, ‘the daughters of Jerusalem’ are won to love Christ. By what? By conversing with the church. Upon the discourse that the church makes of his excellencies, in particular, they begin to ask, Where is Christ, as in the next chapter [of Song of Solomon]; and so are all brought to the love of Christ.

‘He is altogether lovely.’

Use 4. And let us make an use of trial, whether he be thus lovely to us, or no. We may see hence whether we love Christ or no. We may judge of our love by our esteem.

1. How do we value Christ? what price doth the church set on him? ‘He is the chief of ten thousand.’ What place, then, should he have in our hearts? If he be the chief of ten thousand, let us rather offend ten thousand than offend him.
   
   Let us say, with David, ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee?’ etc., Ps. 73:25. And when the soul can say to Christ, or any that is Christ’s (for I speak of him in the latitude of his truths, promises, sacraments, and communion with his children), ‘What have I in heaven but thee?’ etc., then it is in a happy condition.
   
   If these things have the same place in our esteem, as they have in respect of their own worth, then we may say truly, without hypocrisy, ‘He is altogether lovely to us,’ that we truly love him.
   
   
2. In the next place, are we ready to suffer for Christ? We see the church here endures anything for Christ. She was misused of the watchmen. They scorned her, and her ‘veil is taken away,’ yet notwithstanding, she loves Christ still. Do we stand ready disposed to suffer for Christ? of the world to be disgraced and censured? and yet are we resolved not to give over? Nay, do we love Christ the more, and stick to his truth the faster? Certainly where the love of Christ is, there is a spirit of fortitude, as we may see in the church here, who is not discouraged from Christ by any means. He is still the chief of ten thousand.
   
   When she was wronged for seeking after him, yet he was altogether lovely. Whereas, on the other hand, you have some that, for frowns of greatness, fear of loss, or for hope of rising, will warp their conscience, and do anything. Where now is love to Christ and to religion? He that loves Christ, loves him the more for his cross, as the Holy Ghost hath recorded of some, that they ‘rejoiced that they were thought worthy to suffer for Christ,’ Acts 5:41.
   
   So the more we suffer for him, the more dear he will be to us. For indeed he does present himself in love and comfort most, to those that suffer for his sake; therefore their love is increased.
   
   
3. Again, where love is, there it enlarges the heart, which being enlarged, enlarges the tongue also. The church hath never enough of commending Christ, and of setting out his praise. The tongue is loosed, because the heart is loosed. Love will alter a man’s disposition.
   
   As we see in experience, a man base of nature, love will make him liberal; he that is tongue-tied, it will make him eloquent. Let a man love Christ, and though before he could not speak a word in the commendation of Christ, and for a good cause, yet, I say, if the love of Christ be in him, you shall have him speak and labour earnestly in the praises of God. This hot affection, this heavenly fire, will so mould and alter him, that he shall be clean another man.
   
   As we see in the church here, after that there was kindled a spirit of love in her, she cannot have done with Christ. When she had spoke what she could, she adds, ‘He is altogether lovely.’ Those that cannot speak of Christ, or for Christ, with large hearts in defence of good causes, but are tongue-tied and cold in their affections, where is their love?
   
   Put any worldly man to a worldly theme that he is exercised in, and speaks of daily, he has wit and words at will; but put him to a theme of piety, you lose him: he is out of his theme, and out of his element. But ’tis not so with those that have ever felt the love of God in Christ. They have large affections. How full is Saint Paul! He cannot speak of Christ, but he is in the height, breadth, length, and depth of the love of God in Christ, and the knowledge of God above all knowledge. Thus we may discern the truth of our love by the expressions of it here as in the church.
   
   
4. Again, the church here is never content till she find Christ; whatsoever she had, nothing contents her. She wanted [lacked] her beloved. As we see here, she goes up and down inquisitive after him till she find him.
   
   So it is with a Christian. If he have lost, by his own fault, his former communion with Christ, he will not rest nor be satisfied; but searches here and there in the use of this and that means. He runs through all God’s ordinances and means till he find Christ. Nothing in the world will content him, neither honour, riches, place, or friends, till he find that which he once enjoyed, but hath now for a season lost, the comfort and assurance of God’s love in Christ.

Now, if we can sit down with other things, and can want [lack] Christ and the assurance of salvation, that sweet report of the Spirit that we are his, and yet be contented well enough, here is an ill sign that a man is in an ill condition. The church was not so disposed here. She was never quiet, nor gives over her inquisition and speaking of Christ (that by speaking of the object she might warm her affections), until at the last she meets with Christ. These and the like signs there are of the truth of the love of Christ.

But where there is a flaming love of Christ there is this degree further, a desire of the appearance of Christ, a desire of his presence. For if Christ be so lovely in his ordinances, if we find such sweetness in the word and sacraments, in the communion of saints, in the motions of the Spirit, what is the sweetness, think you, which the souls in heaven enjoy, where they see Christ face to face, see him as he is? Hereupon the spouse saith, ‘Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.’ Oh, that I might live in his presence. This is the desire of a Christian soul when the flame of love is kindled in any strength, ‘Oh, that I might see him.’

And therefore it longs even for death; for as far as a man is spiritual, he desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ; as Simeon, when he saw him, though in his abasement, ‘Now I have enough; let thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,’ Luke 2:30.

The presence of Christ, though it were but in the womb, when Mary, the mother of Christ, came to Elizabeth, it caused the babe that was in her womb to spring. Such comfort there is in the presence of Christ, though he be but in the womb, as it made John to spring.

What, then, shall be his presence in heaven? How would it make the heart spring there, think you? For that which is most lovely in Christ is to come. Therefore the saints that have any degree of grace in the New Testament, they are set out by this description. They were such as loved the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. How can it be otherwise? If they love Christ, they love the appearing of Christ, wherein we shall be made lovely, as he is lovely.

Here we are not ‘altogether lovely;’ for we have many dregs of sin, many infirmities and stains. Shall we not, then, desire that time wherein, as he is ‘altogether lovely,’ so shall we be made a fit spouse for so glorious a husband?

‘He is altogether lovely.’

Altogether desirable; as if she should say, What should I stand upon particulars? he is altogether, from top to toe, amiable, lovely, and delectable.

‘He is altogether lovely.’ Lovely to God, to us, to the soul; lovely to him that can best judge of loveliness. The judgment of God I hope will go current with us; and what does God the Father judge of Christ? ‘This is my beloved Son,’ Mat. 3:17. He is the Son of God’s love, Col. 1:13, as God cannot but love his own image.

He is lovely also as man, for he was pure and holy; lovely as mediator by office, for he was anointed by God to convey the Father’s love to us. He must needs be lovely in whom all others are loved. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; out of him I am well pleased with nobody. And indeed he was filled with all graces that might make him lovely. All the treasures of wisdom are in him, and of his fulness we all receive grace for grace. He is made a storehouse of all that is good for us.

He is lovely to God in whatsoever he did. He carried himself lovely, and pleased his Father in all his doings and sufferings. God loved him especially, ‘because he was obedient, even unto the death of the cross. Therefore God gave him a name above all names; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, both in heaven and in earth,’ Phil. 2:8–10.

As for the angels, they look upon him with admiration. They attended him, and accounted it an honour to wait upon him. He is lovely to all above us, and shall he not be lovely to us?

Obj. But you will say, Was he lovely when he was nailed on the cross, hung between two thieves, when he wore a crown of thorns, was whipped, laid grovelling on the ground, when he sweat water and blood? What loveliness was in him when he was laid in his grave?

Ans. Oh! yes; then he was most lovely of all to us, by how much the more he was abased for us. This makes him more lovely that out of love he would abase himself so low. When greatness and goodness meet together, how goodly is it! That Christ, so great a majesty, should have such bowels of compassion! Majesty alone is not lovely, but awful and fearful; but joined with such condescending grace, is wondrous amiable. How lovely a sight is it to see so great a person to be so meek and gentle! It was so beyond comparison lovely in the eyes of the disciples, that they stood and wondered to see him, who was the eternal Word of the Father, condescend to talk with a poor Samaritan woman, John 4:6, seq.

And what loveliness of carriage was in him to Peter, undeserving, after he had denied and forsworn him, yet to restore him to his former place that he had in his heart, loving him as much as ever he did before! In a word, what sweetness, gentleness, bowels of meekness, pity, and compassion did he discover to those that were in misery! We cannot insist upon particulars.

There is a remarkable passage in the story of Alphonsus the king, not very well liked of some. When he saw a poor man pulling of his beast out of a ditch, he put to his hand to help him; after which, as it is recorded, his subjects ever loved him the better. It was a wonderful condescending. And is it not as wonderful that the King of heaven and earth should stoop so low as to help us poor worms out of the ditch of hell and damnation? and that, when he hath set us in a state of deliverance, he should not leave us there, but advance us to such a state and condition as is above our admiration, which neither heart can conceive nor tongue express? Is not this wonderful condescending?

Use 1. That we may further improve this point, Is Christ altogether lovely; so lovely to us, and so beloved of God the Father? Let us then rest upon his obedience and righteousness; build upon it, that God cannot refuse that righteousness whose whole subject is altogether lovely. Let us come clothed in the garments of our Elder Brother, and then doubt not of acceptance; for it is in Christ that he loves us. In this well-beloved Son it is that God is well pleased with us.

If we put on Christ’s righteousness, we put on God’s righteousness; and then how can God hate us? No more than he hates his own Son. Nay, he loves us, and that with the same love wherewith he loves him; for he loves whole Christ mystical, Head and members, John 17:23. Let this strengthen our faith, that if Christ be so altogether lovely in himself and to the Father, then we may comfortably come before the Father, clothed with the garments of him our Elder Brother, and so rest ourselves on the acceptation of his mediation, that is so beloved a mediator.

Use 2. Again, if Christ be so lovely, ‘altogether lovely,’ then let us labour to be in him, that so we may be lovely to God; because he is the first amiable thing in the world, in whom we are all lovely. All our loveliness is in beloved Christ.

Use 3. Again, if Christ be so lovely, here only we have whereupon to spend the marrow of our best affections. Is it not pity we should lose so much of our affections as we do upon other things? Christ is altogether lovely; why should we dote upon other things so much, and set up idols in our hearts above Christ? Is he altogether lovely, and shall not he have altogether our lovely affections, especially when we are commanded, under pain of a curse, to love the Lord Jesus? Anathema Maran-atha to those that love not Christ, 1 Cor. 16:22.

Let us therefore labour to place all our sweet affections that are to be exercised upon good, as love, joy, and delight, upon this object, this lovely deserving object, Christ, who is ‘altogether lovely.’ When we suffer a pure stream, as it were, to run through a dirty channel, our affections to run after the things of the world, which are worse than ourselves, we lose our affections and ourselves.

Let, therefore, the whole stream of our affections be carried unto Christ. Love him, and whatsoever is his; for he being altogether lovely, all that comes from him is lovely. His promises, his directions, his counsels, his children, his sacraments, are all lovely. Whatsoever hath the stamp of Christ upon it, let us love it. We cannot bestow our hearts better, to lose ourselves in the love of Christ, and to forget ourselves and the love of all. Yea, to hate all in comparison of him, and to account all ‘dung and dross’ compared with Christ, is the only way to find ourselves.

And indeed we have a better condition in him, than in the world or in ourselves. Severed from him, our condition is vain, and will come to nothing; but that we have in him is admirable and everlasting. We cannot conceive the happiness which we poor wretches are advanced to in Christ; and what excellent things abide for us, which come from the love of God to us in Christ, who is so altogether lovely. Therefore let us labour to kindle in our hearts an affection towards Christ, all that we can, considering that he is thus lovely.