A57963:118
Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself
Christ dying and drawing sinners to himself, or, A survey of our Saviour in his soul-suffering, his loveliness in his death, and the efficacy thereof in which some cases of soul-trouble in week believers ... are opened ... delivered in sermons on the Evangel according to S. John Chap. XII, vers. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 ... / by Samuel Rutherford.Christ dying and drawing sinners to himself, or, A survey of our Saviour in his soule-suffering, his lovelynesse in his death, and the efficacie thereof in which some cases of soule-trouble in weeke beleevers ... are opened ... delivered in sermons on the Evangel according to S. John Chap. XII, vers. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 ... / by Samuel Rutherford.
London: printed by J.D. for Andrew Crooke, 1647
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
We have no reason to believe that David thought himself already a condemned man, and now in hell, though some sparks of hell's wrath and fire, not in any sort as satisfactory to divine justice, or as a fruit of Gods hatred and enmity, can fall on the children of God; yet its not imaginary, but real anger.1 God was really angry with Moses at the waters of strife. The thing that David did against Uriah displeased the Lord: not in David's opinion only. And though the hell for a time in the soul of God's children, and the hell of the reprobate, differ in essence and nature, in that the hell of the reprobate is a satisfactory pain, 2. and that i• floweth from the hatred of God; but the hell of the godly not so: yet in this materially they are of the same size; that the one as well as the other, are coals and flames of the same furnace; and neither are imaginary. Then again, Sins of youth long-ago pardoned, though sometimes dearly beloved, are like the ghost of a dear friend some years ago dead and buried, that re-appeareth to a man, as dead Samuel did to Saul; look how loving and dear they were alive, they are now as terrible and dreadful, when they appear to us living out from the land of death: so are sins of youth, when they rise from the dead, and were pardoned in Christ long-ago, they appear again to David, and Job, and the Saints, with the veil and mask or hew of hell, and sealed with temporary wrath. Psal. 99.8. Thou wast a God that pardonedst, or forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions. The same word [Greek or Hebrew] is given to God, when he taketh vengeance on his enemies, Num. 31.2. Isaiah 1.24. I will be avenged of mine enemies. 2 King. 9.7. That I may avenge the blood of my servants the Prophets. So is the word [Greek or Hebrew] vengeance used, Deut. 32.43. He will render vengeance to his adversaries. And if one and the same temporary judgement in the two Thieves that were crucified with Christ, be so differenced, that mercy is stamped on the same death to the one, and wrath to the other; we may well say there is a temporary vengeance and wrath, that befalleth both the Saints and the Reprobate in this life; and the difference is in the mind and intention of God, in both. And that God pardoneth sin, when he removeth temporary wrath: So