A57963:92
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.
4. In calling us out of the state of sin, to grace and glory; oh I must make this sad reckoning with Jesus Christ. Oh, Christ turneth his smiling face to me, in calling, inviting, obtesting, praying, that I would be reconciled to God, I turn my back to him; he openeth his breast and heart to us, and saith, Friends, Doves, come in and dwell in the holes of this rock; and we lift our heel against him. O what guilt is here to scratch Christs breast? when he willeth you to come, and lay head and heart on his breast; this unkindness to Christs troubled soul, is more then sin: sin is but a transgression of the Law. I grant it is an infinite But. But 'its a transgression of both Law and Love, to spurn against the warm bowels of Love, to spit on grace, on tenderness of infinite Love. The white and ruddy, the fairest of heaven, offereth to kiss Black-Moors on earth, they will not come near to him. 'Its a heart of Flint and Adamant, that spitteth at Evangelic love:1 Law-Love is Love; Evangelic love is more then love, 'its the Gold, the flour of Christs Wheat, and of his finest Love. Cant. 5.6. I rose up to open to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone, my soul passed away when he spake. There be two words here considerable, to prove how wounding are sins against the love of Christ. 21. My beloved hath withdrawn himself; the Text is, [Greek or Hebrew] and my beloved had turned about. Ari. Mont. circumj•rat, Pagnin. in the Margin, verterat see, the old Version, declinaverat. Christ being unwilling to remove, and wholly go away, he only turned aside, as Jer. 31.22. How long wilt thou go about, [Greek or Hebrew] O thou back-sliding daughter. This intimateth so much, as Christ taketh not a direct journey to go away, and leave his own children, only he goeth a little aside from the door of the soul, to testify he would gladly, with his soul, come in. Now what ingratitude is it to shut him violently away? 2. My soul was gone, the old Version is, My soul melted, at his speaking [Greek or Hebrew] my soul passed over, or went away; to remember his ravishing words, it broke my life and made me die: (so is the word elsewhere ⟨p. 19⟩