The Fountain of Life Opened

How this gift of Christ was the highest and fullest manifestation of the love of God that ever the world saw?¹ And this will be evidenced by the following particulars. (1.) If you consider how near and dear Jesus Christ was to the Father. He was his Son, his only Son; saith the Text. The Son of his Love. The darling of his soul. His other self. Yea one with himself. The express Image of his person. The brightness of his Fathers glory. In parting with him, he parted with his own heart, with his very bowels, as I may say. Yet to us a Son is given, Esa. 9.6. And such a Son as he calls his dear Son, Col. 1.13. A late writer tells us that he hath been informed that in the Famine in Germany, a poor family being ready to perish with Famine; the Husband made a motion to the Wife, to sell one of the Children for bread, to relieve themselves, and the rest. The Wife at last consents it should be so, but then they began to think, which of the four should be sold. And when the eldest was named, they both refused to part with that, being their first born, and the beginning of their strength. Well, then they came to the second; but could not yield that he should be sold; being the very picture and lively image of his Father. The third was named, but that also was a child that best resembled the mother. And when the youngest was thought on, that was the Benjamin: The child of their old age And so were content rather to perish altogether in the Famine, than part with a child for relief. And you know how tenderly Jacob took it, when his Joseph and Benjamin were rent from him. What is a child; but a piece of the parent wrapped up in another skin? And yet our dearest children are but as strangers to us, in comparison of the unspeakable dearness that was betwixt the Father and Christ. Now that he should ever be content to part with a Son, and such an only one; is such a manifestation of Love, as will be admired to all Eternity.

How this gift of Christ was the highest and fullest manifestation of the love of God that ever the world saw?¹ And this will be evidenced by the following particulars. (1.) If you consider how near and dear Jesus Christ was to the Father. He was his Son, his only Son; saith the Text. The Son of his Love. The darling of his soul. His other self. Yea one with himself. The express Image of his person. The brightness of his Fathers glory. In parting with him, he parted with his own heart, with his very bowels, as I may say. Yet to us a Son is given,