James Fisher

“ There stands one among us all, who is the first born of every creature existant, or possible: Here is that man, in whom is visibly to be seen such glory, majesty, loveliness, sweetness compassion mercy, justice, wisdom, and all creatures of overflowing fulness of excellency in such an incomprehensible, transcendant, eminent and superboundant manner, as all the beholders are overwhelmed in a sea of delightsome ravishment for evermore. ”

“ What are you men and angels that you should thus stand beside him? That you should let your head within that word, he is pleased to dwell in? Did he not wonderfully condescend, you might run out without the very creation? What is our strength and beauty? On whose legs do we stand? Are we able for a moment, to persevere in our integrity without him? Should we not all become deformed in sin? Can he draw into himself what he darts forth How is the paradise of God planted with goodly trees, blossoming and flourishing with an eternal verdure? ”

“ Hide yourselves and be confounded, all lower excellencies; be ye silent, all creatures, when he begins to speak; cover your faces, all you little glories and beauties, when he doth shew his face; you are nothing, you are vanity compared to him, he is all things. Verily in him dwells all fulness Thou are not O heaven of heavens, worthy to be a footstool for his glorious feet. Infinite worlds erected above one another were low for him to tread upon. ”

“ Were not devils and wicked men fools, that imagined to bind him with any ties? What would chains greater then many worlds? What would infinite numbers of mountains of brass, be to hold him down that he rise not again. ”

“ Since the essential image of God standeth here clothed with the human nature, as our ‘everlasting king priest’ the great Lord ‘mediator of the new covenant’ the boundless treasure of all fulness, out of which we shall all be filled and satiated for evermore. ”

“ It is ten heavens of joy, O Well beloved to know that thy love is unchangeable and these that are united to thee by faith, in time, and immidiate beholding, in eternity, shall never be disjoined from thee ”

“ This is he, by whom the carnal and beggarly elements of the world were destroyed, the clear evident Gospel dispensation was brought in; the hand-writing of the law cancelled, the vail betwixt Jew and Gentile was rent assunder; the nations were ingrafted into the old stock of the peculiar people, the abstruse secrets of eternity were opened, the kingdoms were shaken the princes of the earth were set up and pulled down; the church was preserved, and flourished. in despite of all the world this is the man who ‘wounded the heads’ over many countries ”