Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

No bird (saith Austin) expresseth such tender love to her young ones as the hen doth; no fowls so discover themselves to be mothers, as hens do; other birds we know to be mothers, when we see them in their nest, but no other way; only the hen discovers her self to be a mother, when her chickens do not follow her; for then her feathers stand up, her wings hang down, she clocketh mournfully, and goeth feebly; now in respect of this singular love, Christ compares himself to an hen; As an hen gathers her chickens, so would I have gathered Jerusalem. 4. In that he adds so dolefully, but ye would not; I would, but ye would not; q. d. in me no care so great as to save your souls, in you no care so little as your souls Salvation; I strove towards you in acts of love, and you strove towards me in acts of ingratitude; I would have done you good, but you would not receive it; I would, yea how often would I? but ye would not.

2. Christs reception of sinners appears yet more in his practise. How welcome were all sorts of sinners unto him? He casts out none that acknowledged him for the Messiah, he turned none away that gave up their souls to be saved by him in his own way. This he manifests: 1. Parabolically. 2. Really.

1. Parabolically, especially in those three Parables, of the lost Groat, and of the lost Sheep, and of the lost Son; I shall instance in this last,¹ which may well serve for all the rest.—When the Prodigal was yet afar off, his Father saw him, and had compassion on him, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. In these words, observe, 1. His Father sees him before he sees his Father; no sooner a sinner thinks of Heaven, but the Lord spies him and takes notice of him. 2. The Lord sees him whiles he was yet a great way off; he was but in the beginning of his way: his Father might have let him alone till he had come quite home to his house, and it had been a singular mercy to have bid him welcome then; but he takes notice of him yet a great way off: sinners may be far off from God in their own apprehensions, and yet the Lord even then draws near, whiles thus they apprehend. 3. His Father had pity or compassion on him; the Lords bowels even yearn, and work, and stir within him at the sight of his returning prodigals; when Ephraim had bemoaned himself, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised,