Consider him passing over the brook Cedron. It signifies the wrath of God, and
rage of men. Through many tribulations must they go, that will follow after him to
the kingdom of glory. Consider him entering into the garden of Gethsemane: in a
garden Adam sinned, and in this garden Christ must suffer. Into this garden no
sooner was he entered, but he began to be agonized: all his powers within him
were in conflict. Consider, O my soul, how suddenly he is struck into a strange
fear. Never was man so afraid of the torments of hell, as Christ, standing in our
room, is of his Father's wrath; nor was he only afraid, but very heavy. "My soul is
exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." His sorrow was deadly, it melted his soul
as wax is melted with heat; it continued with him till his last gasp; his heart was
like wax burning all the time of his passion: nor was he only afraid and heavy, but
he began to be sore amazed. This signifies an universal cessation of all the faculties
of the soul from their several functions. We usually call it a consternation. It is like
a clock stopped for the while from going, by some hand or other laid upon it; such
a motion of the mind as whereby for the present he was disabled to mind anything
else, but the dreadful sense of the wrath of God. O what an agony was this ! what a
struggling passion of mixed grief! "O, my Father! Sinner, thou hast bent thy bow,
lo here an open breast! fix herein all thy shafts; better I suffer for a while, than that
all men should be damned for ever: thy will is mine: lo, I will bear the burden of
sin: shoot here thy arrows of revenge!" And thus, as he prayed, he sweat, "and his
sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." O what man
or angel can conceive the agony, the fear, the sorrow, the amazement of heart, that,
without all outward violence, bled through the flesh and skin; not some faint dew,
but solid drops of blood! O my soul, consider this; and if thou wilt bring this
consideration home, say, thy sins were the cause of this bloody sweat.
PSALM 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:
for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. Happy and gracious conclusion of every truly regenerate soul, convinced of an interest in CHRIST, and a personal union with him. The beloved of the LORD shall dwell safely. Isaiah 32:18. REFLECTIONS READER! let you and I never lose sight of the LORD JESUS while reading this Psalm. He is the LORD our righteousness. And, therefore, in all our approaches to the mercy-seat, let us go there in a language corresponding to this, which calls JESUS the GOD of our righteousness. And while men of the world from the world are seeking their chief good, let us desire his favor which infinitely transcends corn and wine, and all the good things which perish in using. Yes! LORD, thy favor is better than life itself. Thou causest them that love thee to inherit substance, and fittest all their treasure, yea thou thyself art their treasure. And oh! thou gracious GOD and FATHER, hast thou in such a wonderful manner set apart one in our nature for thyself? ...
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