Third. He was sent as a Messenger to declare His Father's love and how dearly He loved sinners. What a heart He had to do them good, where He saith, "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me"; and let me tell you, MY heart too, saith Christ—"Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). As My Father is willing to give you unto Me, even so am I as willing to receive you. As My Father is willing to provide you with Heaven, so am I willing to make you fit for it by washing you with My own blood; I lay down My life that you might have life, and this I was sent to tell you of My Father.
Fourth. His message was further; He came to tell them how and which way they should come to enjoy these glorious benefits, also by laying down motives to stir them up to accept the benefits. The way is laid down in John 3:14,15, where Christ saith, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up," or caused to be hanged on the Cross, and die the death—" that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Therefore, thou shalt have the benefit and comfort of that which My Father and I have covenanted for, for thee, I am come down from Heaven to earth on purpose to give thee intelligence, and to certify thee of it. Know, therefore, that as I have been born of a woman. I have taken this Body upon Me, it is on purpose that I might offer it up upon the Cross a sacrifice to God, to give Him satisfaction for thy sins, that His mercy may be extended to thy soul, without any wrong done to justice; and this thou art to believe, and not in the notion but from thy very whole soul. Now the motives are many. 1. If they do not leave their sins, and come to Jesus Christ, that their sins may be washed away by His blood, they are sure to be damned in Hell; for the law hath condemned them already (John 3:18,19). 2. But if they do come, they shall have the bosom of Christ to lie in, the Kingdom of Heaven to dwell in, the angels and saints for their companions shall shine there like the sun, shall be there forever, shall sit upon the thrones of judgment, etc. Here is grace.
Methinks if I had but the time to speak fully to all things that I could talk to from these two heavenly truths and to make application thereof, indeed, with the blessing of God, I think it might persuade some vile and abominable wretch to lay down his arms that he hath taken up in defiance against God, and is marching Hellwards, post-haste with the devil; I say, methinks it should stop them, and make them willing to look back and accept of salvation for their poor condemned souls before God's eternal vengeance is executed upon them. O, therefore! You are upon this march, and I beseech you to consider a little. What! Shall Christ become a drudge for you, and will you be drudges for the devil? Shall Christ covenant with God for the salvation of sinners, and shall sinners covenant with Hell, death, and the devil for the damnation of their souls? Shall Christ come down from Heaven to earth to declare this to sinners, and shall sinners stop their ears against these good tidings? Will you not hear Christ's errand, although He tells you tidings of peace and salvation? How, if He had come, having taken a commandment from His Father to damn you and to send you to the devils in Hell? Sinner, hear His message; He speaketh no harm, His words are Eternal Life; all men that give ear unto them, they have an eternal advantage by them; advantage, I say, that never hath an end. Besides, do but consider these two things. It is like they have some sway upon thy soul—1. When He came on His message, He came with tears in His eyes and did even weepingly tender the terms of reconciliation to them; I say, with tears in his eyes. And when He came near the city—i.e., with His message of peace—beholding the hardness of their hearts, He wept over it, and took up a lamentation over it; because He saw they rejected His mercy, which was tidings of peace; I say, wilt thou then slight a weeping Jesus, One that so loveth thy soul that, rather than He will lose thee, He will with tears persuade with thee? 2. Not only so, but also when He came, He came all on gore blood to proffer mercy to thee, to show thee still how dearly He did love thee; as if He had said, Sinner, here is mercy for thee; but behold My bloody sweat, My bloody wounds, My cursed death; behold and see what danger I have gone through to come unto thy soul; I am come indeed unto thee and do bring thee tidings of salvation, but it cost Me My heart's blood before I could come at thee, to give thee the fruits of My everlasting love. But more of this anon.
