Jesus. Art thou tempted to despair? Jesus is a name, in quo nemini desperandum, in which a faithful soul vanquisheth desperation. Despair is a sin that never knew Jesus. The drowning man would never sink, if he knew and felt an infallible stay in his hand. Desperation is like that beast, Dan. 7.7. that had no name given it. There were three specified, a Lion, a Bear, a Leopard: but the fourth hath no denomination. To those four terrible beasts are likened four heinous sins: Presumption to the Lion, Persecution, to the Bear, Oppression, to the Leopard: and to the nameless fourth, desperation. The Lion, presumption hath been conquered, in Mary Magdalen. The Bear, persecution subdued, in Paul. The Leopard, oppression tamed, in Zaccheus. But desperation without distinguishing the kind; is dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong: it had great iron teeth, it devoured and brake in pieces, and it had ten horns. It hath horns enow to push at God with blasphemy, at man with injury, at the own soul with distrust of mercy. Other sins are fearful enough and have the rage of Lions and Bears and Leopards, to make mans soul miserable. But the final ruin never to be recovered while there stands a seat of justice in heaven, is desperation. Well, yet before any man fall into this gulf, let him look up and know JESUS, Joh. 1.19. Behold that Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world. Behold the Lamb of GOD, ye that are Lions to your own souls! hath his death put sense into rocks and stones, and can it not persuade you? Is the blood of Jesus shed for you, and will you in an impatient fury throw your own blood into the air with Julian, or spill it on the ground with Saul, or sacrifice it on a tree with Judas? Shall he open heaven, and will ye shut it! He pull you ⟨p. 178⟩out of the fire, and you run into it again? He drunk to you in a cup of Passion, and you should pledge him in a cup of salvation; singing with that melodious Prophet, Psal. 116.13. I will take the cup of salvation, and bless the Name of the Lord. Will you then take a cup of death and despair, blaspheme his name, evacuate his merits, tread his blood under your feet, and dye past hope? God forbid it; and the prayers of your lips, the tears of your eyes, the groans of your hearts, and the hope of your souls heartily forbid it.
Iesus. Art thou tempted to despaire? Iesus is a name, in quo nemini desperandum, in which a faithfull soule vanquisheth desperation. Despaire is a sinne that never knew Iesus. The drowning man would never sinke, if he knew and felt an infallible stay in his hand. Desperation is like that beast, Dan. 7.7. that had no name given it. There were three specified, a Lion, a Beare, a Leopard: but the fourth hath no denomination. To those foure terrible beasts are likened foure hainous sins: Presumption to the Lion, Persecution, to the Beare, Oppression, to the Leopard: and to the namelesse fourth, desperation. The Lion, presumption hath beene conquered, in Mary Magdalen. The Beare, persecution subdued, in Paul. The Leopard, oppression tamed, in Zaccheus. But desperation without distinguishing the kind; is dreadfull and terrible, and exceedingly strong: it had great yron teeth, it devoured and brake in peeces, and it had tenne hornes. It hath hornes enow to push at God with blasphemie, at man with injurie, at the owne soule with distrust of mercie. Other sinnes are fearefull enough and have the rage of Lions and Beares and Leopards, to make mans soule miserable. But the finall ruine never to be recovered while there stands a seate of justice in heaven, is desperation. Well, yet before any man fall into this gulfe, let him looke up and know IESUS, Ioh. 1.19. Behold that Lambe of God, that takes away the sins of the world. Behold the Lamb of GOD, yee that are Lions to your own soules! hath his death put sense into rockes and stones, and can it not perswade you? Is the bloud of Iesus shed for you, and will you in an impatient fury throw your owne bloud into the aire with Iulian, or spill it on the ground with Saul, or sacrifice it on a tree with Iudas? Shall he open heaven, and will yee shut it! He pull you ⟨p. 178⟩out of the fire, and you runne into it againe? He drunke to you in a cup of Passion, and you should pledge him in a cup of salvation; singing with that melodious Prophet, Psal. 116.13. I will take the cup of salvation, and blesse the Name of the Lord. Will you then take a cup of death and despaire, blaspheme his name, evacuate his merits, tread his blood under your feete, and dye past hope? God forbid it; and the prayers of your lips, the teares of your eyes, the grones of your hearts, and the hope of your soules heartily forbid it.
