2. Consider of the sweet and gracious nature of Jesus Christ: our thoughts of God are necessarily more strange than of Jesus Christ, because of our infinite distance from the Godhead; but in Christ, God is come down into our nature, and so infinite goodness, and mercy is incarnate; art thou afraid, O my soul, at his name Jah, and Jehovah! O remember his name is Emanuel; the Lyon is here disrobed of his garment of terror; his rough hair is turned into a soft wool; see thy God disrobed of his terrible Majesty, see thy God is a man, and thy Judg is a Brother; mince Jehovah with Jesus, and the Serpent will be a rod; O that Balsamy name, Jesus; that name that founds healing for every wound, settlement for every distraction, comfort for every sorrow: but here's the misery, souls in distress had rather be poring on hell than heaven; rather frighting themselves with the terrors of justice, than staying themselves with the flagons of Mercy. O my soul, how canst thou more contradict the nature of Christ, and the Gospel-description of Christ, than to think him a destroyer of men? b•t wherein appears the gracious nature of Christ? I answer, in his being incarnate, O how could Jesus have manifested more willingness to save, than that the God-head should condescend to assume our nature? surely this is ten thousand times more condescension, than for the greatest King to become a sly, or a toad, to save such creatures as toads and flies. 2. In his tender dealing with all sorts of sinners, he professed th t he came into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He wept over Jerusalem, saying, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 1how ⟨p. 104⟩oft would I have gathered thee as an Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings? but ye would not. I would, but ye would not And when his Disciples would have had fire come down from Heaven to consume tho•e that refused him, he reproves them, and tells them, they know not of what spirits they were of. 3. In his care of his own; not caring what he suffered, so they might be saved. Alas, alas, that the Lord Jesus should pass through a life of misery, to a death more miserable, to manifest openly to the world the abundance of his love; and yet that any soul should suspect him of cruelty, or unwillingness to show mercy! Ah my soul, believe; never cry out, my sins, my sins, my sins;
2. Consider of the sweet and gracious nature of Jesus Christ: our thoughts of God are necessarily more strange than of Jesus Christ, because of our infinite distance from the Godhead; but in Christ, God is come down into our nature, and so infinite goodness, and mercy is incarnate; art thou afraid, O my soul, at his name Jah, and Jehovah! O remember his name is Emanuel; the Lyon is here disrobed of his garment of terrour; his rough hair is turned into a soft wooll; see thy God disrobed of his terrible Majesty, see thy God is a man, and thy Judg is a Brother; mince Jehovah with Jesus, and the Serpent wi•l be a rod; O that Balsamy name, Jesus; that name that founds healing for every wound, settlement for every distraction, comfort for every sorrow: but here's the misery, souls in distress had rather be poring on hell than heaven; rather frighting themselves with the terrours of justice, than staying themselves with the fl•ggons of Mercy. O my soul, how canst thou more contradict the nature of Christ, and the Gospel-description of Christ, than to think him a destroyer of men? b•t wherein appears the gracious nature of Christ? I answer, in his being incarnate, O how could Jesus have manifested more willingness to save, than that the God-head should condescend to assume our nature? surely this is ten thousand times more condescention, than for the greatest King to become a sly, or a toad, to save such creatures as toads and flyes. 2. In his tender dealing with all sorts of sinners, he professed th t he came into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He wept over Jerusalem, saying, O Jerusalem, Je•usalem, 1how ⟨p. 104⟩oft would I have gathered thee as an Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings? but ye would not. I would, but ye would not And when his Disciples would have had fire come down from Heaven to consume tho•e that refused him, he reproves them, and tells them, they know not of what spirits they were of. 3. In his care of his own; not caring what he suffered, so they might be saved. Alas, alas, that the Lord Jesus should pass through a life of misery, to a death more miserable, to manifest openly to the world the abundance of his love; and yet that any soul should suspect him of cruelty, or unwillingness to shew mercy! Ah my soul, believe; never cry out, my sins, my sins, my sins;
- 1Mat. 23.37▪
