Thirdly, In this State he was not liable to any of those sorrowful consequents, and attendants of that frail and feeble state of humanity, which he afterwards assumed, with the nature: as (1.) He was unacquainted with griefs: there was no sorrowing, nor sighing in that bosom where he lay; though afterwards he became a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, Isa. 53.3. a man of sorrows, as if he had been constituted and made up of pure and unmixed sorrows: every day conversing with griefs, as with his intimate companions, and acquaintance. (2.) He was never pinched with poverty, and wants, while he continued in that bosom, as he was afterwards when he said,1 the Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. Ah blessed Jesus! thou needest not to have wanted a place to have lain thine head,2 hadst thou not left that bosom for my sake. (3.) He never under-went reproach and shame in that bosom, there was nothing but glory and honour, reflected upon him by his Father, though afterwards he was despised and rejected of men, Isa. 53.3. his Father never looked upon him without smiles and love, delight and joy, though afterwards he became a reproach of men, and despised of the people, Psal. 22.6. (4.) His holy heart was never offended with an impure suggestion, or temptation of the Devil; all the while he lay in that bosom of peace and love, he never knew what it was to be assaulted with temptations, to be besieged, and battered upon by unclean spirits, as he did afterwards, Matth. 4.1. then was Jesus led up of the Spirit, into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil. It was for our sakes that he submitted to those exercises of Spirit, ⟨p. 17⟩to be in all points tempted like as we are, that he might be unto us a merciful and faithful high-Priest, Heb. 4.15. (5.) He was never sensible of pains and tortures, in soul or body, there were no such things in that blessed bosom where he lay: though afterwards he groaned and sweat under them, Isa. 53.5. the Lord embraced him from eternity, but never wounded him till he stood in our place, and room. (6.) There were no hidings or withdrawments of his father from him, there was not a cloud from eternity upon the face of God, till Jesus Christ had left that bosom: it was a new thing to Christ to see frowns in the face of his Father:
Thirdly, In this State he was not lyable to any of those sorrowful consequents, and attendants of that frail and feeble state of humanity, which he afterwards assumed, with the nature: as (1.) He was unacquainted with griefs: there was no sorrowing, nor sighing in that bosom where he lay; though afterwards he became a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, Isa. 53.3. a man of sorrows, as if he had been constituted and made up of pure and unmixed sorrows: every day conversing with griefs, as with his intimate companions, and acquaintance. (2.) He was never pinched with poverty, and wants, while he continued in that bosom, as he was afterwards when he said,1 the Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. Ah blessed Jesus! thou needest not to have wanted a place to have lain thine head,2 hadst thou not left that bosom for my sake. (3.) He never under-went reproach and shame in that bosom, there was nothing but glory and honour, reflected upon him by his Father, though afterwards he was despised and rejected of men, Isa. 53.3. his Father never looked upon him without smiles and love, delight and joy, though afterwards he became a reproach of men, and despised of the people, Psal. 22.6. (4.) His holy heart was never offended with an impure suggestion, or temptation of the Devil; all the while he lay in that bosom of peace and love, he never knew what it was to be assaulted with temptations, to be besieged, and battered upon by unclean spirits, as he did afterwards, Matth. 4.1. then was Iesus led up of the Spirit, into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil. It was for our sakes that he submitted to those exercises of Spirit, ⟨p. 17⟩to be in all points tempted like as we are, that he might be unto us a merciful and faithful high-Priest, Heb. 4.15. (5.) He was never sensible of pains and tortures, in soul or body, there were no such things in that blessed bosom where he lay: though afterwards he groaned and sweat under them, Isa. 53.5. the Lord embraced him from eternity, but never wounded him till he stood in our place, and room. (6.) There were no hidings or withdrawments of his father from him, there was not a cloud from eternity upon the face of God, till Iesus Christ had left that bosom: it was a new thing to Christ to see frowns in the face of his Father:
- 1Matth. 8.20.
- 2He that was in the bosom of the Father, an expression showing the intimate, close, and secret delight, and love he had from the Father: how unspeakable is it that he should deprive himself of the sense of it? to put himself as it were out of Heaven, into Hell; this is deeper love than ever we can imagine, or conceive: no wonder the Apostle calls it [Greek or Hebrew], and [Greek or Hebrew], the unsearchable riches of grace: we are never able to go to the bottom of it, but still there is more grace, and love behind. Mr. Anth. Bugs, Lect. in Joh. 17. p 503.He that was in the bosom of the Father, an expression shewing the intimate, close, and secret delight, and love he had from the Father: how unspeakable is it that he should deprive himself of the sense of it? to put himself as it were out of Heaven, into Hell; this is deeper love than ever we can imagine, or conceive: no wonder the Apostle calls it 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, and 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, the unsearchable riches of grace: we are never able to go to the bottom of it, but still there is more grace, and love behind. Mr. Anth. Bugs, Lect. in Ioh. 17. p 503.
