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Infinite excellency!
The following is from Jonathan Edwards sermon,
"Safety, Fullness, and Sweet Refreshment in Christ"
The inquiry of the soul is after that which is most excellent.
The excellency of Christ is such, that the discovery of
it is exceedingly contenting and satisfying to the soul.
The carnal soul imagines that earthly things are excellent-
one thinks riches most excellent, another has the highest
esteem of honor, and to another carnal pleasure appears
the most excellent.
But the soul cannot find contentment in any of these
things, because it soon finds an end to their excellency.
Worldly men imagine, that there is true excellency and
true happiness in those things which they are pursuing.
They think that if they could but obtain them, they would
be happy. But when they obtain them, and cannot find
happiness, they look for happiness in something else,
and are still upon the pursuit.
But Christ Jesus has true excellency, and so great
excellency, that when they come to see him they
look no further, but the mind rests there.
It sees a transcendent glory and
an ineffable sweetness in Jesus!
It sees that until now it has been pursuing shadows,
but that now it has found the substance.
It sees that before it had been seeking happiness in
the stream, but that now it has found the ocean!
The excellency of Christ is an object adequate to the
natural cravings of the soul, and is sufficient to fill the
capacity. It is an infinite excellency, such
a one as the
mind desires, in which it can find no bounds; and the
more the mind is used to it, the more excellent it appears.
Every new discovery of Jesus makes his beauty
appear more ravishing, and the mind sees no end-
here is room enough for the mind to go deeper
and deeper, and never come to the bottom.
The soul is exceedingly ravished when it first
looks on his beauty, and it is never weary of it!
The mind never has any satiety, but Christ's excellency
is always fresh and new, and tends as much to delight,
after it has been seen a thousand or ten thousand years,
as when it was seen the first moment!
The delight and contentment that is to be found in Jesus
passes understanding, and is unspeakable and full of glory.
It is impossible for those who have tasted of this
fountain, and know the sweetness of it, ever to forsake it.
The soul has found the river of water of life,
and it desires no other drink!
It has found the tree of life, and it desires no other fruit!
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