A57963:430
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.
Hence we learn;1 1. To imitate and follow our pattern Christ, in voluntary obedience, delighting to do Gods will, and to suffer Gods will. Its said of Christ, Hebr. 5.8. Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience through suffering. He was the excellentest Scholar among all his School-fellows, and yet the rod of God was heaviest, and most frequent on him; he learned his Lesson beyond them all. He was quick in understanding, in the fear of the Lord, Isaiah. 11.3. He had in him an excellent Spirit; The Spirit of Wisdom, of Counsel, 2of Knowledge, and of the Fear of the Lord; And was holy and obedient to the death, the death of the Cross. Its much to learn to be active for God, but more to learn to be passive. That is a profound science. Phil. 4.12. I know how to be abased, — I am instructed to be hungry, —and to suffer need. It's the singular art of Grace to know how to love, fear, and obey God, under death, pain, and hell. It is a high lesson to learn the Mystery of that deep Science, of hunger, want, suffering, stripes, and torment, and death for Christ. This is high, Hebr. 10.34. Ye, took patiently the spoiling of your goods, knowing that in heaven ye have a better, and more enduring substance. They are but accidents we have here, and these very separable. Heaven is all substance. Our obedience passive is not willing, its constrained. We might by Grace turn clay into gold, hell into heaven: if we could look in faith and patience,3 on the persecution, and reproaches of men, as on the brutish and irrational motion of a staff, or an axe that beats and cuts us; suppose we knew no hand under God that wronged us; he curseth, because the Lord hath bidden him. For the freedom of Christs kingdom, and the right government of his house, and for opposing blasphemies, and reproaching of Christ, his Word, Scripture, Ordinances, We are killed all the day long, and counted the off-sourings of men; could we over-look