Christ Set Forth, Treatise · Part 1
I. PART.
HAving ſet forth our Lord and Saviour JESVS CHRIST in all thoſe great and moſt ſolemne actions of his, his Obedience unto death, his Reſurrection, Aſcenſion into heaven, his ſitting at Gods right hand, and Interceſsion for us, (which of all the other hath beene more largely inſiſted on) I ſhall now annexe (as next in order, and homogeneall thereunto) this Diſcourſe that follows, which layes open The HEART of Chriſt, as now he is in heaven, ſitting at Gods right hand, and interceding for us; How it is affected, and graciouſly diſpoſed towards ſinners on earth that doe come to him; how willing to receive them; how ready to entertaine them; how tender to pity them in all their infirmities, both ſinnes and miſeries. The ſcope and uſe whereof will be this, To hearten and encourage Beleevers to come more boldly unto the Throne of Grace, unto ſuch a Saviour and High-prieſt, when they ſhall know how ſweetly and tenderly his heart (though he is now in his glory) is inclined towards them; and ſo to remove that great ſtone of ſtumbling which we meet with, (and yet lyeth unſeen) in the thoughts of men in the way to faith, that Chriſt being now abſent, and withall exalted to ſo high and infinite a diſtance of glory, as to ſit at Gods right hand, &c. they therefore cannot tell how to come to treat with him about their ſalvation ſo freely, and with that hopefulneſſe to obtaine, as thoſe poore ſinners did, who were here on earth with him: Had our lot been (think they) but to have converſed with him (in the dayes of his fleſh) as Mary, and Peter, and his other Diſciples did here below, wee could have thought to have beene bold with him, and have been familiar with him, and to have had any thing at his hands; For they beheld him afore them, a man like unto themſelves, and he was full of meekneſſe, and gentleneſſe, he being then himſelfe made ſinne, and ſenſible of all ſorts of miſeries; but now he is gone into a farre Countrey, and hath put on glory and immortality, and how his heart may be altered thereby we know not. The drift of this Diſcourſe is therefore to aſcertaine poore ſoules, that his Heart (in reſpect of pity and compaſſion) remains the ſame it was on earth; that he intercedes there with the ſame heart he did here below; and that he is as meek, as gentle, as eaſie to be entreated, as tender in his bowels; ſo that they may deale with him as fairely about the great matter of their ſalvation, and as hopefully, and upon as eaſie tearmes obtaine it of him, as they might if they had beene on earth with him, and be as familiar with him in all their requeſts, as bold with him in all their needs: Then which nothing can be more for the comfort and encouragement of thoſe, who have given over all other lives but that of faith, and whoſe ſoules purſue after ſtrong and entire communion with their Saviour Chriſt.
Now the Demonſtrations that may help our faith in this, I reduce to two Heads: The firſt more extrinſecall and outward; The ſecond more intrinſecall, and inward: The one ſhewing the foreign of it, that it is ſo; the other the foreign, the reaſons and grounds why it muſt needs be ſo.
Firſt, for thoſe Extrinſecall Demonſtrations, (as I call them) they are taken from ſeverall paſſages and carriages of his, in all thoſe ſeverall conditions of his; namely, at his laſt Fare-well afore his Death, his Reſurrection, Aſcenſion, and now he is ſitting at Gods right hand. I ſhall lead you through all the ſame Heads which I have gone over in the former Treatiſe, (though to another purpoſe) and take ſuch obſervations from his ſpeeches and carriages, in all thoſe ſtates he went through, as ſhall tend directly to perſwade our hearts of the point in hand, namely this, that now he is in heaven, his heart remains as graciouſly inclined to ſinners that come to him, as ever on earth. And for a Ground or Introduction to theſe firſt ſort of Demonſtrations, I ſhall take this Scripture that follows; as for thoſe other, another Scripture, as proper to that part of this Diſcourſe: