Uses of All
1.Use. 1 Thus that which has been said may afford us the strongest consolations and encouragements against our sins of any other consideration whatever, and may give us the greatest assurance of their being removed off from us, that may be: for,
First, Christ himself suffers (as it were) at least is affected under them, as his enemies, which therefore he will be sure to remove, for his own quiet sake. His heart would not be quiet, but that he knows they shall be removed. As God says in the Prophet, so may Christ say much more, My Bowels are troubled for him, I remember him still. Jeremiah 31:20
Secondly, there is comfort concerning such infirmities, in that your very sins move him to pittie more than to anger. This text is plaine for it, for he suffers with us under our infirmities, and by infirmities are meant sins, as well as other miseries, (as was proved) while therefore you look on them as infirmities, (as God here lookes upon them, and speaks of them in his own) and as your disease, and complaine to Christ of them, and do cry out, O miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me? so long feare not. Christ he takes part with you, and is so far from being provoked against you, as all his anger is turned upon your sin to ruine it; yea his pity is increased the more towards you, even as the heart of a father is to a child that has some loathsome disease, or as one is to a member of his body that has the leprosie, he hates not the member, for it is his flesh, but the disease, and that provokes him to pittie the part affected the more. What shall not make for us, when our sins that are both against Christ and us, shall be turned as motives to him, to pity us the more? The object of pitty is one in misery whom we love; and the greater the misery is, the more is the pity, when the party is beloved: Now of all miseries, sin is the greatest; and while your selves look at it as such, Christ will look upon it as such only also in you: And he loving your persons, and hating only the sin; his hatred shall all fall, and that only upon the sin to free you of it by its ruine and destruction, but his bowels shall be the more drawne out to you; and this as much when you lie under sin, as under any other affliction. Therefore feare not, What shall separate us from Christ's love?
What ever tryall,Use 2 or temptation, or misery we are under, we may comfort ourselves with this, that Christ was once under the same, or some one like to it, which may comfort us in these three differing respects that follow, by considering
First, that we are thereby but conformed to his example, for he was tempted in all, and this may be no small comfort to us.
Secondly, we may look to that particular instance of Christ's being under the like, as a meriting cause to procure and purchase succour for us under the same now; and so in that respect may yet further comfort our selves. And
Thirdly, his having once borne the like, may relieve us in this, that therefore he experimentally knows the misery and distresse of such a condition, and so is yet further moved & quickned thereby to help us.
As the Doctrine delivered is a comfort,Use 3 so the greatest motive against sin; and perswasive to obedience, to consider, that Christ's heart if it be not afflicted with, (and how far it may suffer with us we know not) yet for certaine has lesse joy in us, as we are more or lesse sinfull, or obedient. You know not by sinning what blowes you give the heart of Christ: If no more but that his joy is the lesse in you, it should move you, as it uses to do those that are ingenuous. And take this as one incentive to obedience, that if he retaine the same heart and mind for mercy towards you which he had here on earth: Then to answer his love, endeavour you to have the same heart towards him onearth, which you hope to have in heaven; and as you daily pray, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
In all miseries and distresses you may be sure to know where to have a friend to help and pity you,Use 4 even in heaven, CHRIST; one whose nature, office, interest, relation, all, do engage him to your succour; you will finde men, even friends, to be oftentimes to you unreasonable, and their bowels in many cases shut up towards you. Well, say to them all, If you will not pittie me, Choose, I know one that will, one in heaven, whose heart is touched with the feeling of all my infirmities, and I will goe and bemoane my self to him. Come boldly, (says the Text) [illegible], even with open mouth, to lay open your complaints, and you shall finde grace and mercy to helpe in time of need. Men love to see themselves pityed by friends, though they cannot helpe them: Christ can and will do both.
FINIS.
