A85428:351
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.
First,1 Christ intercedes with his Father, who neither will nor can deny him any thing. To confirm this, you have a double Testimony, and of two of the greatest witnesses in Heaven: both a Testimony of Christs own, whilst he was on Earth; and Gods own word also declared, since Christ came to Heaven. The 1. in the 11. of John, whilst Christ was here on earth, and had not as then fully performed that great service which he was to finish; which since he having done, it must needs ingratiate him the more with God his Father. When Lazarus was now four days dead, Martha, to move Christ to pity her, first tells him, that if he had been there before her brother dyed, that then he had not dyed: and then (as having spoke too little) she adds, yea thou canst (if thou pleasest) remedy it yet. But I know (says she, ver. 22.) that even now (though he be so long dead) what ever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Here was her confidence in Christs Intercession, though this were a greater work then ever yet CHRIST had done any. And Christ seeing her faith in this, he confirms her speech when he came to raise him, and takes a solemn occasion to declare, that God had never denied him any request that he had ever ⟨p. 175⟩put up to him, first thanking God particularly that he had heard him in this, ver. 41. Father, I thank thee, that thou hast heard me: He had (it seems) prayed for the thing at her entreaty; and now, before the thing was done, he (being assured his prayer was heard) gives thanks; so confident was he of his being heard. And then secondly, shows upon what this his confidence at this time was grounded, his constant experience that God had never denied him any request; for it follows, ver. 42. And I know that thou hearest me always, (and therefore was so bold, as to express my confidence in this, before the thing was done) but because of them who stood by, I said it. As if he had said, Though I gave this public thanks for being heard only in this one miracle, and at no time the like so publicly; yet this is no new thing, but thus it hath been always hitherto, in all the miracles I have wrought, and requests I have put up, which made me so to give thanks before-hand: and this is not the first time that God hath heard me thus; which I speak, that they might believe. Thus he was never denied on earth, from the first to the last.
First,