And when He was called unto it, He would not be put out of His way. If they cast water upon Him, it made Him flame the more;1 Get thee behind me Satan. In all His sufferings, He had an especial eye to other mens good: then He went very quietly; and meekly: As a Lamb dumb before the shearers, so He opened not His mouth. And He was more sensible (which I pray mark) of Gods withdrawing from Him in His sufferings, than of all the pains, disgrace, and misery that He did undergo. And therefore, when He was upon the Cross; says He, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? 2The Sun did forsake Him too; the Sun did withdraw his light; and yet He does not say, ⟨p. 127⟩Oh! Sun, why doest thou thus forsake me? The Disciples all forsook Him: and yet He does not cry out, Thomas, Why doest thou now forsake me? Peter, why doest thou now forsake me? He cries not out of them His body was nailed to the Cross: and he does not cry out and say, Oh! my hands; Oh! my body; Oh! the pain that I endure: but here he cries out of this: Oh! My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? He was more sensible of Gods withdrawing from Him, than of all the other miseries that He did endure. Oh! my beloved, that you would labour now, for to be like unto Jesus Christ; in your Doing: in your Suffering for to be like to Him. The sight of a gracious Christ, will make us gracious, if any thing will do it. Labour now, to be like unto Him, more and more. This is your duty that does flow from hence. You that are Saints, you that are Christ's, you that have received Grace for Grace; Christ expects, work for work, and doing for doing; that you should shine as He shined; and that you should live as He lived; that you should so walk, and be in the world, that those that do live with you may say; Here's a man, or woman that is like to Christ, that hath received Grace for Grace: now we see this Doctrine true; I cannot think of any Grace of Christ, but I see it shining forth in this man and woman. This is your Duty.
And when He was called unto it, He would not be put out of His way. If they cast water upon Him, it made Him flame the more;1 Get thee behind me Satan. In all His sufferings, He had an especial eye to other mens good: then He went very quietly; and meekly: As a Lamb dumb before the shearers, so He opened not His mouth. And He was more sensible (which I pray mark) of Gods withdrawing from Him in His sufferings, than of all the pains, disgrace, and misery that He did undergo. And therefore, when He was upon the Cross; saies He, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? 2The Sun did forsake Him too; the Sun did withdraw his light; and yet He does not say, ⟨p. 127⟩Oh! Sun, why doest thou thus forsake me? The Disciples al forsook Him: and yet He does not cry out, Thomas, Why doest thou now forsake me? Peter, why doest thou now forsake me? He cries not out of them His body was nail'd to the Cross: and he does not cry out and say, Oh! my hands; Oh! my body; Oh! the pain that I indure: but here he cries out of this: Oh! My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? He was more sensible of Gods withdrawing from Him, tnan of all the other miseries that He did indure. Oh! my beloved, that you would labor now, for to be like unto Jesus Christ; in your Doing: in your Suffering for to be like to Him. The sight of a gracious Christ, will make us gracious, if any thing will do it. Labor now, to be like unto Him, more and more. This is your duty that does flow from hence. You that are Saints, you that are Christ's, you that have received Grace for Grace; Christ expects, work for work, and doing for doing; that you should shine as He shin'd; and that you should live as He lived; that you should so walk, and be in the world, that those that do live with you may say; Here's a man, or woman that is like to Christ, that hath received Grace for Grace: now we see this Doctrine true; I cannot think of any Grace of Christ, but I see it shining forth in this man and woman. This is your Duty.
- 1Mat. 16.23 Isa. 53.7
- 2Mat. 27.6.4
