A85428:100
Christ Set Forth
Christ set forth in his [brace] death, resurrection, ascension, sitting at Gods right hand, intercession, [brace] as the [brace] cause of justification. Object of justifying faith. Upon Rom. 8. ver. 34. Together with a treatise discovering the affectionate tenderness of Christs heart now in heaven, unto sinners on earth. / By Tho: Goodwin, B.D.Christ set forth in his [brace] death, resurrection, ascension, sitting at Gods right hand, intercession, [brace] as the [brace] cause of justification. Object of justifying faith. Upon Rom. 8. ver. 34. Together with a treatise discovering the affectionate tendernesse of Christs heart now in heaven, unto sinners on earth. / By Tho: Goodwin, B.D.
London: printed by W.E. and J.G. for Robert Dawlman, 1642
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.
Now then a second Direction for faith towards Christ as dying, Direction. 2 is, Faith is principally and mainly to look unto the end, 1meaning, and intent of God and Christ in his sufferings, and not simply at the Tragical story of his death and sufferings. It is the heart, and mind, and intent of Christ in suffering, which faith chiefly eyeth, and which draweth the heart on to rest on Christ crucified. When a Believer sees that Christs aim in suffering for poor sinners, agrees and answers to the aim and desires of his heart, and that that was the end of it that sinners might have forgiveness,2 and that Christs heart was as full in it, to procure it, as the sinners heart can be to desire it; this draws his heart in to Christ, to rest upon him: And without this,3 the contemplation and meditation of the story of his sufferings, and of the greatness of them, will be altogether unprofitable. And yet, all (or the chief) use which the Papists, and many carnal Protestants make of Christs sufferings, is to meditate upon, and set out to themselves the grievousness of them, so to move their hearts to a relenting, and compassion to him, and indignation against the Jews for their crucifying of him, with an admiring of his ⟨p. 29⟩noble and heroical love herein: and if they can but get their hearts thus affected, they judge and account this to be grace; when as it is no more then what the like tragical story of some great & noble personage, (full of heroical virtues and ingenuity, yet inhumanely and ungratefully used) will work, and useth ordinarily to work in ingenuous spirits, who read, or hear of it: yea and this oft-times, though it be but in the way of a fiction: Which when it reacheth no higher, is so far from being faith, that it is but a carnal and fleshly devotion, springing from fancy which is pleased with such a story, and the principles of ingenuity stirred towards one who is of a noble spirit, and yet abused. Such stories use to stir up a principle of humanity in men, unto a compassionate love; which Christ himself at his suffering found fault with, as being not spiritual, nor raised enough in those women who went weeping to see the Messiah so handled; Weep not for me, (says he) that is, weep not so much for this, thus to see me unworthily handled by those for whom I dye.