The Fountain of Life Opened

First, His putting the Lord Jesus into such a condition. There is none of us would endure to see a Child of our own lie panting, and thirsting in the extremity of torments, for the fairest inheritance on earth. Much less to have the soul of a child conflicting with the wrath of God, and making such heart-rending complaints as Christ made upon the Cross; if we might have the largest Empire in the world for it: yet such was the strength of the love of God to us, that he willingly gave Jesus Christ to all this misery and torture for us. What shall we call this love! O the height, length, depth, and breadth of that love which passeth knowledge! The love of God to Jesus Christ was infinitely beyond all the love we have to our children, as the Sea is more than a spoonful of water: and yet as dearly as he loved him, he was content to expose him to all this; rather than we should perish eternally.

First, His putting the Lord Jesus into such a condition. There is none of us would endure to see a Child of our own lie panting, and thirsting in the extremity of torments, for the fairest inheritance on earth. Much less to have the soul of a child conflicting with the wrath of God, and making such heart-rending complaints as Christ made upon the Cross; if we might have the largest Empire in the world for it: yet such was the strength of the love of God to us, that he willingly gave Jesus Christ to all this misery and torture for us. What shall we call this love! O the height, length, depth, and bredth of that love which passeth knowledge! The love of God to Jesus Christ was infinitly beyond all the love we have to our children, as the Sea is more than a spoonful of water: and yet as dearly as he loved him, he was content to expose him to all this; rather than we should perish eternally.

Secondly, As God the Father was content to expose Christ to this extremity; so in that extremity to hear his bitter cries, and dolorous complaints; and yet not relieve him with the least refreshment till he fainted, and died under it. He heard the cries of his Son. That voice, I thirst, pierced heaven, and reached the Fathers ear; but yet he will not refresh him in his agonies, nor abate him any thing of the debt he was now paying, and all this for the love he had to poor sinners. Had Christ been relieved in his sufferings and spared, then God could not have pitied or spared us. The extremity of Christs sufferings was an act of Justice to