A57963:443
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.
1. We are to prefer the Lords glory to our own life and salvation: no point of self-denial, and renouncing of self-pleasing ⟨p. 167⟩can reach higher then this, when Christ is willing to be the passive object of the glory of God; Put me, Father, 1to shame and suffering, so thou mayest be glorified. Paul and Moses are not far out, but they are far out of themselves, when the one for the glory of the Lord, in saving the people of God, willeth his name may be razed out of the book of life: and the other, to be separated from Christ, for the salvation of his kinsmen, Gods chosen people. When Abraham is willing that Glory to the Lord should be written with the ink of his son Isaac's blood; and the Martyrs, that their pain may praise God, they then level at the right end; for that must be the most perfect intention, that comes nearest to the most perfect. This is nearest to Gods intention; for he created, and still worketh all for this end, that he may be glorified. Pro. 16.4. Revel. 4.11. Rom. 11.37. Now if Christ put all to sea, and hazard all he hath to guard the Lords Name from dishonour, and made his soul, his life, his heaven, his glory a bridge to keep dry and safe the Glory of God, that it sink not; and if God would rather his dear Son should be crowned with the Cross, and his blood squeezed out, with his precious life, then that any shame should come to his Name, then are we to interpose our selves, even to sufferings, and shame, for the glory of God. Suppose a Saint were divided in four, and every member with life in it, and torment of pain, fixed in the four corners of the heaven, East, and West, and South, and North, and the soul in the convexity of heaven, under the pain of the torment of the gnawing worm that can never die,2 these five were obliged to cry with a loud voice, in the hearing of heaven, of earth, of hell, of Men, and Angels, and all creatures, Glory, glory be to the spotless and pure justice of the Lord, for this our pain: and when the damned are noted to speak against their sentence of condemnation, When saw we thee hungry, and fed thee not? &c.