Bates - BT775 B274 1675

C4ntabóng at1' 3XQ1tCIl1ptlOit4 ill"" T59 'nets of Gods Love to Mankind, is in the Sufferings Chap. IX. of our Redeemer to obtain our Pardon. He is called çV in Scripture, A man of Sorrows, the title fignifies their Ifai, 53. number and quality. His whole Life was a continual Paffion : He fuffered the contraditlion ofSinners, who by their malicious Calumnies obfeur'd the luftre of his Miracles and moll: innocent Actions : He endured the Temptations ofSatan in the Defert : He was often in danger of his Life; But all thefe were nothing in comparifonof his ]aft Sufferings. 'Tis therefore Paid, that at the bare apprehenfion of them, He began to be forrowful, as if He had never felt any Grief till then : His formerAfiliCtions were like fcatter'd drops ofRain But as in the DelugeAll the Fountains beneath, and all' the Windows ofHeaven abovewere opened ; So in our Saviours laft Sufferings, the Anger of God, the Cruel- ty of Men, the Fury of Devils broke out together againfl him. And that the degrees of his Love may be meafured by thole of his Sufferings, it will he fit to confider themwith refpea to his Soul and his Body.. The Gofpel delivers to us the relation of both. r. Upon his entrance into the Garden, He com- plains, MySoul is exceeding forrowful, even unto Death.. There were prefent only Peter, lames and yohn his happy Favourites, who affured him of their fidelity ; there was no vifible enemy to afflict Him, yet his Soul' wasenviron'd with Sorrows. 'Tis eafie to conceive they injuries He fuffered'from the rage of Men, for they were terminated upon his Body; But how to under- ftand his inward Sufferings, the wounds of his spirit, the crofs to which his Soul was nailed, is very difficult.. Yet thefe were inexpreffibly greater, as thevifîble of feEts declare. Theanguifh of his foul fo affefted his, body, that his Sweat was as it weregreat drops ofBlood,, the miraculous evidence of his Agony. The terror. was;

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=