3. When be was going out of the world, he showed unparalleled meekness. He prays for his enemies. Father forgive them, Luke 23.34. When the soldiers came to take him by force, one would have thought h• should have called for fire from heaven, as the man of God did, 2 Kings 1.10. but behold, Grace was oured into his lips*; see what a mill answer he gives, enough to have made the hardest heart relent, Matt. 26.55. Are ye come out as against a thief, with swords and staves to take me? What wrong (I pray) have I done you? What have ⟨p. 360⟩I stolen from the world, but their sins? What have I robbed them of, but the wrath of God? Oh the mildness of this Saviour! surely had not the soldiers hearts been very hard *(for in the whole story of Christs passion, I do not read of one soldier converted; there was a thief indeed converted, but no soldier) Christs meekness would have melted them into tears of repentance. When he was led away to be crucified, he went as a Lamb to the slaughter*, He opened no his mouth, Isa. 53.7. He opened he sides, but not his mouth in repining; and was not Christ lovely in his meekness? No wonder the holy Ghost descended upon him in the likeness of a Dove; not a Lion, or Eagle, but a Dove, 4which is the emblem of meekness.
3. When be was going out of the world, he shewed unparallel'd meeknesse. He prays for his enemies. Father forgive them, Luke 23.34. When the souldiers came to take him by force, one would have thought h• should have called for fire from heaven, as the man of God did, 2 Kings 1.10. but behold, Grace was oured into his lips*; see what a mill answer he gives, enough to have mde the hardest heart relent, Matt. 26.55. Are ye come out as againsta thief, with swords and staves to tke me? What wrong (I pray) hae I done you? What have ⟨p. 360⟩I stolen from the world, but their sinnes? What have I robb'd them of, but the wrath of God? Oh the mildnesse of this Saviour! surely had not the souldiers hearts been very hard *(for in the whole story of Christs passion, I do not reade of one souldier converted; there was a thief indeed converted, but no souldier) Christs meeknese would have melted them into teares of repentance. When he was led away to be crucified, he went as a Lamb to the slaughter*, He opened no his mouth, Isa. 53.7. He opened he sides, but not his mouth in repinins; and was not Christ lovely in his meeknesse? No wonder the holy Ghist descended upon him in the likenesse of a Dove; not a Lion, or Eale, but a Dove, 4which is the emblen of meeknesse.
- *Psal. 45.2
- *O duri, & indurati quos non emollit tanta flamma mansuetudinis! Bern. in Cant. Ser. 20.
- *[Greek or Hebrew], &c〈non-Latin alphabet〉, &c
- 4Vita Christi in terris disciplina morum. Aug. de vera. rel.
