2004-08-09 - Father Sending the Son

1 Peter 1:16, "For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the prayer and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty."

This is a selection from Thomas Adams. It may be almost 400 years old, but it is amazing how little things change concerning the human heart. Think about how relevant this quote is to us today, and thank God that truth never changes.

"We have heard much of God's Son, and of his dearness to the Father. Now join with it another text, 'God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,' John 3:16 Here meditate, wonder, and weigh the sentence; who, what, how, to what end. Who loved? God; that made us his friends by creation; whose enemies we made ourselves by prevarication. What did he love? The world; a bad world, a mad world, a blind world, a bloody world; that hated him and all his, John 15:19. It was no wonder that he should love the angels, for they serve him; or the very reasonless creatures, for they obey him. But that he should love the rebellious and hateful world, this is boundless mercy! How did he love it? So that he gave his only begotten Son.

If, like Gideon, he had had threescore and ten sons, Judg. 8:30, it had been much to part with one of them; but his only Son! Jacob rent his clothes, and went mourning in sackcloth many days, for losing one son of twelve, Gen. 37:34. Even a harlot pitied the fruit of her womb, and her bowels yearned upon her son; 'O my lord, give her the living child, and in nowise slay it,' 1 Kings 3:26: but God gave the only Son of his love. To what end? 'That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Where observe two things; the felicity that is gotten, and the facility to get it. The felicity consists in two things; a deliverance, and an inheritance. He shall not perish; there is the deliverance. He shall have everlasting life; there is the inheritance.

For the facility; it is not to keep the law, but only to believe. Lord, what is man, that thou shouldst so regard him? Psalm 8:4. Yea, that to regard him, thou didst not regard thyself? It is reported of a great soldier, that the very jingling of his spur was a terror to his enemies. So the very sound of this text makes all the devils in hell roar, and the foes of man's salvation to quake. This is the Christian's armory, that 'tower of David, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, and shields of mighty men,' Song of Solomon 4:4. If thy conscience be assaulted with guiltiness of thy sins, remember first that this Christ was the Son of God, and then that this Son was given for the world. God gave not a servant, but a Son; not another's, but his own Son; not one of many, but his only Son.

If Satan now object, Yes, but he have him only for the holy and just; answer, Nay, so love the world; mundum immundum; mundum, therefore mundanum: he gave him not for the righteous, but for sinners. I am of that number, therefore I have my part in that favor. Paul says, 'Put on the whole armor of God,' Eph. 6:11; and 'Put on the Lord Jesus Christ,' Rom. 13:14. In the one place, all those pieces of armor are but the Lord Jesus taken asunder; in the other, the whole armor is but the Lord Jesus put together. 'Kiss the Son, lest he be angry,' Psalm 2:12. To make peace with the Father, kiss the Son. 'Let him kiss me,' was the church's prayer, Song of Solomon 1:2; let us kiss him, that be our endeavor.

Indeed the Son must first kiss by his mercy, before we can kiss him by our piety. Lord, grant us these mutual kisses and interchangeable embraces now, that we may come to the plenary wedding supper hereafter; when the choir of heaven, even the voices of angels, shall sing epithalamiums, nuptial songs, at the bridal of the spouse of the lamb."

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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