The fifth Property of that Faith that accompanies Salvation, is this, It is soul softening, soul mollifying, O nothing breaks the heart of a sinner, like Faith. Peter believes soundly, and1 weeps bitterly, Mary Magdalen believes much, and weeps much. Faith sets a wounded Christ, a bruised Christ, a despised Christ, a pierced Christ, a bleeding Christ before the soul; and this makes the soul sit down and weep bitterly. I will pour upon the 2house of David, the Spirit of Grace, and of Supplications: And they shall look upon him, whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him (All Gospel-mourning flows from believing) as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born. O the sight of ⟨p. 394⟩those wounds, that their sins have made, will wound their hearts, through and through, it will make them lament over Christ, with a bitter lamentation. They say, nothing will dissolve the Adamant, but the Blood of a Goat. Ah, nothing will kindly, sweetly, and effectually break the hardened heart of a sinner, but Faiths beholding the Blood of Christ trickling down his sides. Pliny reports of a Serpent, That when it stings, it fetches all the blood out of the body; but it was never heard that ever any sweat blood, but Christ; and the very thoughts of this, makes the believing soul to sit down sweating, and weeping, That Christ should love man, when he was most unlovely; that mans extreme misery, should but inflame Christs bowels of love and mercy: This melts the believing soul, that Christ should leave the eternal bosom of his Father; that he that was equal with God, should come in the form of a servant; that he that was clothed with glory, and born a King, should be wrapped in rags; that he that the Heaven of Heavens could not contain, should be cradled ⟨p. 395⟩in a Manger; that from his Cradle, to his Cross, his whole life should be a life of sorrows and sufferings; that the Judge of all flesh, should be condemned; that the Lord of Life, should be put to death; that he that was his Fathers joy, should in anguish of Spirit, cry out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me. That that head that was crowned with honour, should be crowned with thorns; that those eyes that were as a flame of fire, that were clearer then the Sun, should be closed up by the darkness of death;
The fifth Property of that Faith that accompanies Salvation, is this, It is soul softning, soul mollifying, O nothing breaks the heart of a sinner, like Faith. Peter believes soundly, and1 weeps bitterly, Mary Magdalen believes much, and weeps much. Faith sets a wounded Christ, a bruised Christ, a despised Christ, a peirced Christ, a bleeding Christ before the soul; and this makes the soul sit down and weep bitterly. I will pour upon the 2house of David, the Spirit of Grace, and of Supplications: And they shall look upon him, whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him (All Gospel-mourning flows from believing) as one mourneth for his onely son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born. O the sight of ⟨p. 394⟩those wounds, that their sins have made, will wound their hearts, thorow and thorow, it will make them lament over Christ, with a bitter lamentation. They say, nothing will dissolve the Adamant, but the Blood of a Goat. Ah, nothing will kindly, sweetly, and effectually break the hardned heart of a sinner, but Faiths beholding the Blood of Christ trickling down his sides. Pliny reports of a Serpent, That when it stings, it fetches all the blood out of the body; but it was never heard that ever any sweat blood, but Christ; and the very thoughts of this, makes the believing soul to sit down sweating, and weeping, That Christ should love man, when he was most unlovely; that mans extream misery, should but inflame Christs bowels of love and mercy: This melts the believing soul, that Christ should leave the eternal bosom of his Father; that he tha was equal with God, should come in the form of a servant; that he that was cloathed with glory, and born a King, should be wrapped in raggs; that he that the Heaven of Heavens could not contain, should be cradled ⟨p. 395⟩in a Manger; that from his Cradle, to his Cross, his whole life should be a life of sorrows and sufferings; that the Judge of all flesh, should be condemned; that the Lord of Life, should be put to death; that he that was his Fathers joy, should in anguish of Spirit, cry out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me. That that head that was crowned with honor, should be crowned with thorns; that those eyes that were as a flame of fire, that were clearer then the Sun, should be closed up by the darkness of death;
- 1Matth. 26. ult. Luke 7.
- 2Zach. 12. 10, &c.
