Demonstrations From the Disposition of Christ's Heart, and his Carriage upon Earth
(3.) Their delight herein is mentioned, and in no other work of theirs; not the angels, nor the world, nor anything in it.
(4.) This their delight is mentioned next to their delighting in each other.
(5.) And fifthly, this delight he took beforehand, whilst his heart was only in the expectation of it, and his mind but laying the plot of it. He delights in it ere he does it. And if all this joy of his be only in the thoughts of it, how much more will it delight him when he comes to do it? All this argues how great a matter this was in his esteem, and how much his heart was in it, and that from everlasting.
Demonstrations From the Disposition of Christ's Heart, and his Carriage upon Earth.
—As also some engagements since his death.
2. In the second place, when Christ had assumed our nature, and whilst he remained upon earth, how did this disposition of his abound in him? It would be endless to give all the instances that his story and sermons do afford hereof. See but how welcome all sorts of sinners were at all times to him. He cast out none that acknowledged him for the Messiah; he turned none away that gave up their souls to him to be saved his own way. He was indeed most reserved to that rich young man of any other, yet he
used him courteously—the text says, 'he loved him.' Christ turned him not away, but directed him the right way to follow him; and he went away of himself, undervaluing Christ to his possessions. And another time Christ indeed seems to discourage the Canaanitish woman, and put her away, calling her dog. But it was only in words; for underhand he strongly draws her heart to him by his Spirit, and suggests thereby to her heart by way of answer, a consideration of the highest faith towards him, that dogs might partake of the crumbs that fall from their master's table. I instance in these, because I would prevent and remove any exception which might be taken from them. For otherwise Christ's professed entertainment of all sinners was so open and notorious, as it was turned into his disgrace and opprobrium, that he was 'a friend to publicans and sinners;' which yet he owns and glories in, professing that he
'came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' And how glad he was when any such came in to him, he sufficiently expresses by those parables on purpose taken up, of the joy of the prodigal's father for his return, and of the rejoicing for the finding of the lost groat, and likewise of the lost sheep, more than of the ninety and nine.
We read of Christ's joy but seldom, and when it is at any time recorded, it is at the conversion of souls. He had little else to comfort himself in, being a man of sorrows; and he had nothing else on earth which he took delight or pleasure in. When he was converting the poor woman of Samaria, which he does as a pleasure and recreation to him, he forgets his meat, although before he had been very hungry, and tells his disciples that he had 'meat which they knew not of,' which was indeed the saving that poor woman's soul. In Luke
10:21, we read that Jesus rejoiced in his spirit; but observe the occasion. He had sent out his disciples to preach the gospel, and they
had in his name and through his power cast out devils. He bids them not rejoice in that, ver. 20, but shows them what they should rejoice in, by his own example, and by what most comforted him. 'Father'
(says he) 'I thank thee that thou hast revealed these things to babes.'
This in the next words following recorded to be the matter of his rejoicing, he saw now a handsel, and an experiment of the fruit of his disciples' ministry, and comforted himself beforehand, in that as their souls had, so others of the poorer and meaner sort should thus come in to him.
We find him at another time in like manner rejoicing, namely, in the story of his raising Lazarus, John 11:15. And what was it for? Not that himself should be glorified by so great a miracle, even the greatest that ever he wrought, but, says he, 'I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the end that you might believe.' He rejoices if any of his got a little more or further degree of faith. And on the other side, as sorry was he when men came not in. Witness his tears over Jerusalem, and those speeches of his, John 5:34, 'These things I speak, that you might be saved.' And thereupon in the ensuing verse he complainingly utters himself, 'You will not' (says he) 'come to me, that you may have life.' He speaks as one eager to win souls, and as sorry that any customers or hearers of his should pass by, and not turn in; 'You will not come to me,' &c. And he relieves himself with this, that there were others that would, though they would not. So here in this place, when in the verse before my text he had complained of them, that they would not believe, he comforts himself with this in the words of the text, 'All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me.' And the like you have, John 10:25, 26, 'You believe not; but my sheep, they hear my voice,' &c.
And then at his death, when he was upon the cross, he then converts a thief that was crucified with him, and prays for those that crucified
him. And after his resurrection his last words recorded in Luke 24:47 are, 'That remission of sins should be preached in his name, beginning at Jerusalem;' that so those whom he had prayed for, though they had crucified him, might be converted and saved. Thus stood his heart all the while he was on earth, both before and after his death.
3. And then, in the third place, now that he has died and laid down that price which was to purchase the salvation of sinners, he must needs be much more willing, if it were possible he should be, than ever. Many demonstrations there are from those obligations which Christ's sufferings and death do put upon him, which I have already given in a treatise upon this very argument,
'The Heart of Christ in Heaven, Part II'. Only I have reserved one or two for this place. As, (1.) It was the aim and utmost intent of Christ's soul, in his being crucified, to have sinners saved, and saved effectively. It was that travail which his heart was then big with. And certainly, Christ would not that so many and so great sufferings, now that they are past and over, should be in vain. The apostle makes a motive of it unto the Galatians, 'Are ye so foolish?… Have ye suffered so many things in vain?' Gal. 3:3, 4. To be sure Christ's death shall not be in vain; he will not lose the end of his sufferings (as the same apostle intimates but four verses before, chap. 2:21). A business that a man has prayed for much, how does he long to see it accomplished and fulfilled! And how glad is he when it falls out as he has prayed! And why but because it is the fruit of his prayers? Now, much more glad is Christ to see the fruit of his death, 'the travail of his soul,' and thereby is
'satisfied,' Isa. 53:10, a place I often quote to this purpose. I will add but this to it. When a woman has been in travail, she forgets all her pains for joy that a man-child is born, which is the fruit of that her
travail; and so does Christ. And then again for that other word, that Christ is said to be 'satisfied;' satisfaction is the accomplishment of desire, or the fulfilling of one's longings. So in that speech of Christ,
'Blessed are those that hunger, for they shall be satisfied.' So that this does argue and presuppose the most vehement desires and longings in Christ for the salvation of souls, and his having died must needs increase them.
And (2.) add this engagement unto that former, that his death can be put to no other use than for the pardon of sinners. So as if he should not expend it that way, he should utterly lose the fruit of it, or let it lie useless by him. For divert it to any other use he cannot. And yet if he knew how to improve it to any other purpose, yet his love (he having intended it for the sons of men) would not suffer him to do it.
But besides, if it be not employed and bestowed this way, it will be wholly in vain; for the good angels, though they stand in need of his personal mediation, to confirm them in grace, yet his blood was not requisite thereunto. And for the bad angels, they are utterly excluded the benefit of it. And then Christ himself, he stands in no need of it, nor can he have any benefit by it, all that personal glory which now he has in heaven being due to him by that hypostatical union. So that his death serves for no end if not for this. Christ indeed has an honour in heaven besides the glory of the personal union; but then it arises to him from the salvation of sinners through his death, which salvation is the purchase of his blood; as you have it, Eph. 1, which might afford a third engagement, in that Christ should not only lose the fruit of his death but that glory that is ordained him by the salvation of men. So that he should be a loser not only of his sufferings by-past but of all that glory that is to come from the salvation of believers, which is no small thing to him. As officers in courts of law, or in universities, get the more fees, the more clients and the more commencers there are, so it is the more for Jesus
Christ's gain that many sinners get out, and are received to grace and mercy.
Some extrinsic demonstrations of God's and Christ's willingness to pardon sinners.
And to all these secret engagements both of God and Christ mutually to each other, and to us, we may add all the professed publications of their minds herein to us, which have been made upon all occasions and by all means possible. As, First, This news has been published by all three persons: first, God the Father he began to preach it to Adam in paradise, and has renewed it again and again, as with his own immediate voice from heaven when Christ was baptized, 'This is my well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear him;' which the apostle Peter records and confirms, as spoken a second time upon the mount, as a matter of highest moment to be known by us, 'which voice he heard' (says he), 'and is no fable,' 2 Pet. 1:16, 17.
Secondly, Christ who is 'the faithful and true witness,' Rev. 1:5, he came from the bosom of his Father, and preached peace, Eph. 2:17.
Yea, and it was one of his first texts he preached upon, Luke 4:18, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel, to preach deliverance to the captives.'
Thirdly, The Holy Ghost he also herewith bearing witness, that 'God has exalted Christ to be a Prince and Saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins,' Acts 5:31, 32. And so Heb. 2:4. And these are these 'three witnesses in heaven,' 1 John 5:7, whose record as it follows is this, 'that there is life to be had in his Son Jesus Christ,' ver. 11.
Secondly, God has published this news both by all creatures reasonable, and to all creatures reasonable.
First, The angels came and preached it, singing, 'Peace on earth, goodwill towards men,' Luke 2:13, 14.
Secondly, By men; and to that end, he has given gifts to men, powerful and full of glory, Eph. 4:8, &c. And a commission with those gifts, a most large and gracious one. 'And he has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself,' 2 Cor. 5:20.
Yea, and thirdly, he has maintained this ministry in all ages, even to our times, all times have rung of the news hereof, and the world is still full of his ambassadors to treat with men about this peace, and they are to proclaim that he is fully willing; and upon that ground, to beseech men to be reconciled, and so long as lieger ambassadors reside uncalled home or not sent for away, so long the treaty of peace holds.
Fourthly, He has proclaimed this by these his ambassadors in all places; he bade them go and preach it to all the world, 'to every creature,' Mark 16:15. And his disciples did accordingly. Now he would not have had it spoken so openly and generally, if he were not most serious in it.
Fifthly, Add to this, that he has declared it by all ways and means that do argue faithfulness and seriousness.
(First.) Not by bare word of mouth, but we have it under his hand, he has left his mind in writing. This book, which is dropped from heaven, the title of it is, 'The word of reconciliation,' 2 Cor. 5:19, the main argument of it being reconciliation. In this book, we find
proclamation sent forth after proclamation, book after book, line after line, all written to this end, that we sinners 'might have hope and strong consolation,' as the apostle witnesses.
(Secondly.) He has added to this writing those seals of the sacraments, and further, an oath to both, and that made advisedly with the greatest earnestness and deliberation that might be, Heb.
6:17, 'God willing' (the text says) 'more abundantly to manifest this his intent, the immutability of his counsel, he confirmed that promise with an oath; that by two immutable things, his word and oath, we might have strong consolation.'
(Thirdly.) If this be not sufficient, he has pawned heaven and earth, the 'covenant of day and night,' in mortgage to forgive iniquity and pardon sinners. Thus, Jer. 31:34, 35, 36, 'This is my covenant (says
God there), that I will forgive their iniquities, and remember their sins no more.' So ver. 34, and then it follows, ver. 35, 'Thus saith the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and stars for a light by night: if those ordinances depart from before me, then the seed of Israel,' &c. The like you have, chap.
33:25, 26. Day and night we see stand still, and therefore this covenant holds good still. But we have a greater pawn than this, the death of his Son.
And lastly, let his actions and courses, which he has taken from the beginning of the world, speak for all the rest; as Satan has been a murderer from the beginning, so God has been a Saviour from the beginning, and Christ is the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world. God began with the first of mankind, even with Adam and Eve, the ringleaders, the heads of this rebellion, who drew all the rest of the world into that enmity, these were yet reconciled. Kings usually hang up the heads and chief in treasons, for examples of their
justice, though they pardon others; yet these did God save and pardon as examples of his mercy, to all that should come of them; and it is observable that the first thing he did, after the world had fallen, was this act of mercy, both in preaching this gospel and in pardoning them, he began to do that soon, which he meant to be always doing to the end of the world: it argues he delights in it, yea, and according to Christ's last promise on earth, that he would 'be with us to the end of the world.' God is to this day reconciling the world of men to himself; some that walk in your streets by you, live among you. And he will have thousands when you are gone, and what are these but as flags, and patterns of mercy, hung forth by God to toll and bring others in, as Eph. 2:7.
Use. What should the consideration of these things work in our hearts, but what the scope of the text itself puts men upon, even that they would come in unto Christ, and believe on him, and give up their souls unto him? 'He that believes shall in no wise be cast out.'
As Christ therefore is willing, so should we be 'a willing people.' That which keeps men off is, that they know not Christ's mind and heart.
Think it not to be an indifferent thing to him whether you believe or not, as if he came into the world to do this duty of dying for sinners singly in obedience to his Father, so that men might be redeemable if they will; and that however, if they will not, he yet has enough to satisfy and quiet himself with, even this, that he shall be glorified in what he has done, though few or none of the sons of men be saved. It is a prejudicial doctrine this to the salvation of men, and derogatory to Christ's free love. What, do we think that Jesus Christ is gone to heaven, there to complain to angels of the unkindness and hardness of men's hearts, that will not turn to him notwithstanding he has done so much, and to tell what he had done for them, and what they would not be persuaded to do for themselves; and that so he can sufficiently please himself with such just complaints? No, surely; our
effectual salvation concerns him more than so; and his heart is more fully bent upon it than thus to leave it. Of what he has bought he will lose nothing. The truth is, he is more glad of us than we can be of him. The father of the prodigal was the forwarder of the two to that joyful meeting. Hast thou a mind? He that came down from heaven, as himself says in the text, to die for thee, will meet thee more than half way, as the prodigal's father is said to do, by his Spirit: he will send him from heaven to thee, and at the latter day himself will come again to fetch thee and receive thee to himself. If among the angels in heaven there be joy at the conversion of a sinner, how much more joy is there in Christ's heart? If there be joy in the bedchamber-men (as John speaks) what joy is there in the bridegroom's heart? Or if among the standers by, when a man-child is born into the world, how much more doth the mother that was in travail for it, as Christ's soul was, how much more doth she rejoice? O therefore come in unto him. If you knew his heart you would. As they that crucified him knew him not, so neither do those who believe not in him. If you had been on earth with him, or if he were now here, and had this day preached these things unto you, and uttered these his own desires and longings after you; how would you in troops go all thronging after him when the sermon were done, and each of you come about him, as those that had diseases did, and beseech him to pardon and save you, and not leave him till you have obtained some word of comfort and favour from him! Let me tell you, he had preached this day, but that he had other business to do for you in heaven, where he is now praying and interceding for you, even when you are sinning; as on earth we see he did for the Jews when they were a-crucifying him. Now because he could not for this other business come himself, he therefore sends us his ambassadors, and we in Christ's stead do beseech you; and it is as if 'Christ by us did beseech you;' and we preach but such things as were 'first spoken by the Lord himself,' as it is in Heb. 2:3. And he sends his Spirit, and continues to give gifts
unto men to this very day; and in all these respects, whenever the gospel is preached, he is said to 'speak from heaven.' Refuse not him that speaks from heaven, Heb. 12:25. And though you have not his bodily presence, as they had who heard himself preach here on earth, yet you may by faith have as free an access unto him, and know as surely that he hears you, as if he were in the same room with you.
Retire, therefore, into your closet, and treat with him in private, and there press these things on him; say them all over again unto himself, and ask him if they be not true; get the match struck up between thy soul and him, which if once made will never be undone again. Say unto him, Lord, why may it not be made up now? Only let me add this: see you come not to him without a wedding-garment, and without wedding affections. Take up a resolution to love him. For if thou comest to him, what dost thou come for? Pardon of sins. And what is it in him that must procure that? His having died for thee; that was it. And what was it that moved him to die? An infinite love; such a love, as were the thing yet to be done, he would certainly do it, and die to satisfy God for thee. Now then, seeing he hath already done it out of such a love, with what face canst thou ask pardon of him, as the effect of such a love, and not love him again, and obey him in all things? But to make short with you, know this, that if you will not come in to him, thou wilt be damned. So saith Christ, 'He that believes shall be saved, but he that believes not shall be damned.' And I could tell you another, and as large a story of Christ's wrath against those that refuse him, as I have told you of his love.
The Lamb can be angry, for he is a Lion also. 'O consider this therefore, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you.'
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Encouragements to Faith by Thomas Goodwin, Copyright © 2019 All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright
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Table of Contents A Preface The Words of the Text Opened The Main Observation Out of the Words.
Demonstration of Christ's Willingness to Receive Sinners that Come to Him Demonstrations From the Disposition of Christ's Heart, and his
Carriage upon Earth