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He fhall eat of the hidden Manna, and I will give him a white Stone, and in the Stone a new Name, &c. Which refpecteth the Innocency and Purity of the Perfon who receives it, or the free Pardon, Acquittance, and Difcharge from all their Sins, by the Lord Jefus Chrift, that is represented here as a Judge fitting upon a Throne; and therefore fhews that it cannot but muft go well with all thofe who are interested in this Head; because he that is to be their Judge, is, and will alfo be their Advocate. To this agree thofe Words in Ifaiah i. ver. 18. Come now and let us reafon together, faith the Lord: though your Sins be as Scarlet, they fhall be as white as Snow; though they be red like Crimson, they shall be as #ool.

Secondly; His Hair is likened unto pure Wool, in refpect of its Fineness. Wool, fuch Wool as this Hair takes its Comparison from, is fine as well as white. The Beauty and Excellency of Wool confifteth not only of a white but of a fine Nature; all which agrees to this one Thing, (exprefs'd before) in fetting forth the Beauty, Glory, and Excellency of Jefus Chrift unto the Soul. This Hair npon Chrif's Head is not only of a white but of a fine foft beautifying Excellency. O what a Sight had the Old Teftament Saints of this, when the Spouse compared Chrift's Head to fine Gold ! She faith, his Locks or his Hair are bufhy, and black as a Raven; his Locks are bushy or curled : This Curling of the Locks fheweth that the Hair is of a fine foft Nature; which, as fome fay, argueth in a natural Body, one that is of an affable, loving, and gentle Difpofition. Sure I am that this Hair may well fignify fo upon Chrift's Head: Oh! what a sweet, loving, meek and gentle Na

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ture, Carriage, and Difpofition is Chrift of unto unto his People? Again, it is not only curled, but it is black as a Raven: Now, as fome inform us, a curled and black Hair doth denote Heat and Strength, or it is a Sign of a quick, ready, and fpirituous Brain, and argues in Nature, Quickness, and Dexterity of Wit, Strength and Courage in him upon whom it groweth : How ever this may be in Nature, certainly it is true in Chrift, as for Strength, he hath all Power in his Hands, and all Readinefs in his Heart, to do what he pleaseth both in Earth' and Heaven; what Strength and Courage, as well as Grace and Love, did Chrift fhew in his going through that great Work of our Redemption? And as for Wisdom, he is the Fountain of it, Wifdom in the very Abstract, called the Wifdem of God; Who of God is made unto us, Wifdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption; 1 Cor. i. v. xxx. which Wisdom, as well as Power, was, is, and will eternally be employed for the good of the Saints. Again, black as the Raven, fhews that it is not an artificial, but a natural Blacknefs; which undoubtedly fetteth forth the greater Excellency of it. But then here may be an Objection arife, how Chrift's Hair, which for its Beauty was li-, kened to pure Wool, white as Snow; fhould here be faid, to be black as a Raven, they being two Contrarieties: The Anfwer is, that black as well as white, are both beautiful in Chrift: Or as one opens it thus, He is white, in Refpect of his Evangelical Mercy to Believers; and black in Refpect of bis legal Fudgment unto Unbelievers. But I rather understand the Reafon to be, from the two different Administrations that the Saints and People of L

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God were under, both in the Time of the Law, and the Difpenfation of the Gofpel. The Time when the Spouses compare the Hair of Chrift's Head to be black as a Raven, was when the Glory of Chrift and his Grace were held forth unto them under Types, Figures, and Shadows of the Law: They had not fo clear a Sight of the Glory, Perfon, and Righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift, as we have under the Gofpel. As for the Sight which Daniel had of this glorious Perfon, at this Time, was in an extraordinary vifionary Way, and how he would appear when he shall fit upon the Throne of his Glory. Such was the Appearance of Chrift unto Fobn in Rev. 1. then it was that his Hair was like Wool as white as Snow. Therefore I take the Whitenefs of his Hair, in this Place, to be a Representation of Chrift, how he will appear at the Time of his perfonal coming from Heaven: And fo it fignifies, that Perfection of Beauty, Light, and Glory, that will then fhine forth in him: White carrieth fomething of a Refemblance of Light in it, and to me fhews what a glorious Light Chrift fhall appear with in that Day, and will break forth upon the Saints, in the Discovery of all the glorious Myfteries of the Kingdom. And if fo, then it is no Wonder that the Spouse reprefents his Hair to be bufhy or curled, black as a Raven, while fhe were under that legal Miniftration. The Myfteries of the Kingdom, or the glorious Doctrines of the Gofpel, were to them like the bufhy or curled Locks, fo dark, fo intricate, fo deep, and myfterious, as that they could not fee into the Depth of them; though it is true there was a Glory in the Difcoveries which they had,

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as it is in 2 Cor. iii. v. 7, 8, 9. But if the Miniftration of Death written and engraven in Stones, was glorious, fo that the Children of Ifrael could not ftedfaftly behold the Face of Mofes, for the Glory of his Countenance, which Glory was to be done away; how fhall not the Miniftration of the Spirit be rather glorious, and fo on. All which does fhew not only the great Difference there is betwixt the Display of divine Grace unto us by the Gofpel, and what it was to them under the Law; but it fhews what a far greater Glory there will ftill fhine forth through Chrift, when he fhall fit (together with them that shall be counted worthy) upon Thrones that are to be pitched down, or fet up, in the Time of that glorious Kingdom, which thefe Words have a Reference to, and the white Hair upon Chrift's Head doth fignify, or is a Representation of

Thirdly, This Hair is not only beautiful, excellent, and glorious, but it is ufeful, and that may be another Reafon why Chrift's Hair is compared to pure Wool: Now we know that Wool is exceeding useful among us upon many Accounts; Wool is look'd upon by fome to be one of the greatest Manufacturies in the Kingdom of Great Britain; and in dealing therewith, not only many thousands are maintained, but many are made rich. Sure I am that Chrift is the greatest Thing, that all Perfons ought to be concerned about; and by whom many thousands are maintained, For in him we live, move, and have our Being; Acts xvii. v. 18. And not only fo, but many are made rich, rich unto Salvation; nay, none can be rich without him; and the more we deal with Chrift in the Exercife of Faith,

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Faith, and what is fignified by his Hair that is like pure Wool, the more fpiritually rich fhall we grow in our Souls. Secondly, Wool is useful for Cloathing, for covering our Nakednefs; now tho' the Righteoufnefs of Chrift, which is our only Cloathing before God, may not be fo clearly fhadowed out in this, yet I may be bold to fay, that the Love and Grace of Jehovah, which was the Spring and Fountain of this glorious Righteouf nefs, and from whence it did proceed; was wrought out by that glorious Head, upon which this Hair like pure Wool did grow. Thirdly, Wool is useful for to warm, comfort, and refresh the Body; fo is this Hair upon Chrift's Head, useful for the warming, comforting, and refreshing the Souls of the Saints. Surely if we do but confider how many Myfteries of Grace there is held forth to us in this glorious Head, whofe Hair is like pure Wool,

afford Matter of Comfort and Confolation. 5, whatever Ufe this Hair is of to Chrift, the cannot but must be of Ufe unto us, who are ion with this Head. Fourthly and lastly, ol is made of Ufe in many Things for Beauty d Ornament, as well as for Neceffity. Now we now that a well grown Head of Hair, and of a beautiful Colour, is comely and ornamental, not only to the Head, but it beautifies the Body; andtherefore this Hair, like pure Wool that fo beauthe Head of Chrift, puts a Beauty and a upon this whole myftical Body the Church. The fourth Thing to be confidered in the Throne that this glorious Per11: His Throne was like the fiery Wheels as burning Fire. This

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