The Fountain of Life Opened

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,