zoo Chrift fuffered°rely Vpon the Monday after bemirehe would. robe i 6, Mat. 2. Chrilh go. ing from ve, the greaten turfs. rob 14.13. Gen. 3:. all thofe otherwhich ye thall commit: for without faith in him,who I am,there is no remiflionof finnes,&c. Igoemy way, andyee_Pall feeke me . This phrafe of fpeech our Sauior Chrift did often vfe, to chew, That hee died meercly out of his owne proper will and pleafure. oLord (laid Abraham)Ilk& be eerie willingto die without leaning any children behindme,feeing that thou Emifenùs to this purpofe expoundeththofe words which our Sauior vttered on theCroffe tohis father, Inmantis tuns, Domine, commendoSpiritismmeum, Into thy hands, ô Lord;commend my Spirit : NowCommendare is all onewithPovere; I put not, ôLord, my foule into the hands ofdeath,nor into thofe ofmy enemies ; for neither their whips, nor theirthorns, nor their nayls,nor their fpeare,were able to take my life from me, ifI hadnot bin willing tofurrendér it vp into thyhands. Seneca faith, That abenefitconfiffs notfomuch in the thingthat is giuen asthe goodwill where- with it is giuen.And therfore when thegift is fmall, thegrearneffe ofit muff be meafured according to the goodneffe of the will. The death ofour Sauiour Chrift was thegreateft benefit that euerthe world enioyed, but the willingneffe wherewith he laid downehis life forvs was farre greater, ry aioremCharttatem, ¿c. Greaterlout bath noman,than this,that a man layesdownhis lifefor hisfriend. But hearenow thewofullef, the heauieft, andmolt lamentablecafe that can poffibly fallwithin the compaffeofthy imagination ; towit, That the death of his Sonne, which Godpromifed to the world as a Sea of mercies, as a Heauen of hopes, as a ranfomeof our flauerie,andas a reparationof all our miferies,he fhould now giueit as a threatningto this wretchedand vnfortunate Nation:and how raking his leaueof hisDifciples, in that Sermon of his Taft Supper , with tender teares trickling'down his eyes,andwithagreat manyother kind demon- flrations of his loue ;. hee fhouldmake fuch large promifes.vnto them after his death; one ofthe chiefeft whereofwas,Let not yourheart be troubled;foralthough rgofromyou,yetpalllfrillremain withyou ; Lo,1amwithyou tillthe endofthe world: yet hefhould faynowto the Pñarifees, Egovado, & qu.eretie me, I depart away fromyou, neuerto fee youmore. O,what a cruellblowwas this ! O,pvhata fad departure is this ! how comfortleffe,andhow hardto beendured t' Iffrom him that is dangeroufly ficke the Phyfition (hall goe his way, who is able to cure him ; if from the Thirftie the Fountaine (hail Riefrom hislips, whatis able to quench his thirft ; if from theBlind, thelight; from the child,his father;from the wife,her husband ;from thefouldier,his captaine;and from the fcholler,his matter (hall be taken away ; ofwhom (halltheyfeekehelpe r Turne not away thy face,neitherdeclinefrom thyferuant. lobheld Hell leffefearefull than Gods difplea- fure ; O, that thouwouldit hideme (faith he) in thegraue , that thou wouldeft keepeme fecretvntill thywrath be paff. But Dauidheld it the greaterharme of the two, that God fhouldhidehis face from him, Though thou beeftangrie with me, yet turne not thy face from me. The fame rob faith, Whydoor? thou hide thyface, this is to vfe meas anenemie. 'scab wreftling with God, although hee faw hee was difpleafed, yet hee would not let him goe till heehad bleft him. O Lord, I will endure thineanger but not thine abfence. BywayofHyper. bole S. Paulfaid tothofe ofEphefus, Tee were without Chrift , andwithout God in this world : Weighing thereinveniewell with himfelfe, what theworld is, and what God is. What then, fliallthis his departurebe eternall Itgoes hard withvs, when God (bal threatenhis going away, and we (hall not haue theheart toentreathim to flay. reremie lamenting his misfortunes,one while in the nameofhispeople, that
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=