Works of John Bunyan: The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; The Father's Intent In Giving, 248.

 

God did once give Moses, as Christ’s servant, a handful of his people, to carry them in his bosom, but no further than from Egypt to Canaan; and this Moses, as is said of him by the Holy Ghost, was the meekest man that was then to be found in the earth; yea, and he loved the people at a very great rate; yet neither would his meekness nor love hold out in this work; he failed and grew passionate, even to the point of provoking his God to anger under this work. “And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant?” But what was the affliction? Why, the Lord had said unto him, “Carry these people in thy bosom as a nursing father bears the suckling child, unto the land which thou swore unto their fathers.” And how, then? Not I, says Moses, “I am not able to bear all these people alone, because it is too heavy for me. If thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, and let me not see my wretchedness” (Num 11:11–15).

God gave them to Moses, that he might carry them in his bosom, that he might show gentleness and patience towards them, under all the provocations wherewith they would provoke him from that time till he had brought them to their land; but he failed in the work; he could not exercise it, because he had not that sufficiency of patience towards them. But now it is said of the person speaking in the text, “That he shall gather the lambs with his arm, carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are young” (Isa 40:11). It was intimating that this was one of the qualifications that God looked for, and knew was in him when he gave his elect to him to save them.

Fourth, The Father, giving of him to save them, declares that he has sufficient wisdom to wage with all those difficulties that would attend him in bringing his sons and daughters to glory. He made him to us to be wisdom; yes, he is called wisdom itself (1 Cor 1:30). And God says, moreover, That “he shall deal prudently” (Isa 52:13). And, indeed, he who shall take upon him to be the Saviour of the people, had to be wise because their adversaries are subtle above any. Here they are to encounter the serpent, who, for his subtilty outwitted our father and mother when their wisdom was at its highest (Gen 3). But if we talk of wisdom, our Jesus is wise—wiser than Solomon, wiser than all men, and wiser than all angels; he is even the wisdom of God. “Christ is the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:24). And hence it is that he turned to sin, temptations, persecutions, falls, and all things, for good unto his people (Rom 8:28).

Now these things thus concluded do show us also the great and wonderful love of the Father, in that he should choose out one every way so well prepared for the work of man’s salvation.

Herein, indeed, we perceive the love of God. Huram gathered, that God loved Israel because he had given them such a king as Solomon (2 Chron 2:11). But how much more may we behold the love that God has bestowed upon us, in that he has given us to his Son, and also given his Son for us?

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