§. The Lord resolves to make you know more, Secondly, of his SON: What are all those Afflictions that make you groan? Truly, they are a few Chips and Splinters of a Redeemers Cross: They are, as 'tis said, in Col. 1. 24. That which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ; some Vinegar and Gall was left by him for us to pledge him by tasting of: God will thereby make you sensible a little of the Agonies and Anguishes that made him to Roar, when there were Laid on him the Iniquities of us all. We were never yet enough affected with the Kindness of our Lord Jesus in the dark ⟨p. 28⟩doleful day, when he endured the Cross, despising the Shame which was due unto us all. Art thou Poor? God will have thee call to mind the Poverty which thy Redeemer underwent for thy sake, the Poverty which when our Lord Inventoried his Estate, rendered the Sum Total of it only this, The Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head. Art thou Pained? God will have thee mindful of the strong Pains which thy Redeemer felt, when his Flesh was torn from his Bones, when from Head to Foot bloody Wounds and Stripes and Stabs were to be seen upon him. Art thou Fearful? God will have thee bear in mind, the horrible Consternation which caused thy Redeemer to Sweat clots of Blood, tho' in a cold Night he were grovelling on the cold Ground. Art thou Disgraced? God will have thee mindful of the Ignominy cast upon thy Saviour, when he was used as a Traitor, as all that was Vile, and when the basest fellow in the City was counted a better Man than he. Do thy Friends deal unworthily? Thou shalt then learn what the Exercise of thy Redeemer was, when even those of his own Family, all forsook him and fled: these things Affliction will make us Thoughtful of, and Thankful for: And as the Kindness of a Jesus, so the Value of a ⟨p. 29⟩Jesus, comes to be duly rated by such means as these. The Afflicted man is driven to call every Creature, A lying Vanity, and from hence he comes to call a Christ, The Pearl of great Price: It hath been said, Unto you that are Believers he is Precious; we may add, He is Precious to you that are Afflicted also. The Afflicted man finds that Gold it self will do him no good; whereupon a Saviour becomes more desirable than whole Mountains of Ophirs Gold unto him.
§. The Lord resolves to make you know more, Secondly, of his SON: What are all those Afflictions that make you groan? Truly, they are a few Chips and Splinters of a Redeemers Cross: They are, as 'tis said, in Col. 1. 24. That which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ; some Vinegar and Gall was left by him for us to pledge him by tasting of: God will thereby make you sensible a little of the Agonies and Anguishes that made him to Roar, when there were Laid on him the Iniquities of us all. We were never yet enough affected with the Kindness of our Lord Jesus in the dark ⟨p. 28⟩doleful day, when he endured the Cross, despising the Shame which was due unto us all. Art thou Poor? God will have thee call to mind the Poverty which thy Redeemer underwent for thy sake, the Poverty which when our Lord Inventoried his Estate, rendred the Sum Total of it only this, The Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head. Art thou Pained? God will have thee mindful of the strong Pains which thy Redeemer felt, when his Flesh was torn from his Bones, when from Head to Foot bloody Wounds and Stripes and Stabs were to be seen upon him. Art thou Fearful? God will have thee bear in mind, the horrible Consternation which caused thy Redeemer to Sweat clots of Blood, tho' in a cold Night he were groveling on the cold Ground. Art thou Disgraced? God will have thee mindful of the Ignominy cast upon thy Saviour, when he was used as a Traytor, as all that was Vile, and when the basest fellow in the City was counted a better Man than he. Do thy Friends deal unworthily? Thou shalt then learn what the Exercise of thy Redeemer was, when even those of his own Family, all forsook him and fled: these things Affliction will make us Thoughtful of, and Thankful for: And as the Kindness of a Iesus, so the Value of a ⟨p. 29⟩Iesus, comes to be duly rated by such means as these. The Afflicted man is driven to call every Creature, A lying Vanity, and from hence he comes to call a Christ, The Pearl of great Price: It hath been said, Vnto you that are Believers he is Precious; we may add, He is Precious to you that are Afflicted also. The Afflicted man finds that Gold it self will do him no good; whereupon a Saviour becomes more desirable than whole Mountains of Ophirs Gold unto him.
