Are you afraid you shall fall away, and be condemned at the last? he is our second Adam, a public person, in whose death we died, and in whose satisfaction we satisfied as there is no temptation or affliction, but some promise or other doth especially suit therewithal: so there is no condition, but some name, some title, some attribute of Christ doth especially suit with it: and as you do not look on Christ, but in reference to your condition, so you are not to look upon your condition alone, but with Christ's attribute suitable thereunto if you look upon Christ's attribute of love without your condition, you may presume if on your condition without Christ's attribute of love, you may despair: think on both together and you will not be discouraged. William Bridge A Lifting Up For the Downcast. Are you hungry or thirsty? he is called Bread and Water of Life. Are you in straits? he is called your way.
Are you afflicted with many enemies, inward and outward? he is called a King, and King of kings. Are you guilty of sin? he is called a Priest, and High Priest. Are you ignorant? he is called the Prophet. “Are you accused by Satan, world, or your own conscience? he is called your Advocate. “though your sin be great, is not God's mercy great, exceeding great? is not the satisfaction of Christ great? are the merits of Christ's blood small? Is not God, the great God of heaven and earth, able to do great things? You grant that God is almighty in providing for you and is he not almighty also in pardoning: will ye spoil God of his almightiness in pardoning? You say your sin is great, but is it infinite is there any more infinites than one, and that is God? Is your sin as big as God, as big as Christ is Jesus Christ only a Mediator for small sins will you bring down the satisfaction of Christ, and the mercy of God, to your own model? Hath not the Lord said concerning pardoning mercy, that his "thoughts are not as our thoughts, but as the heavens are greater than the earth, so are his thoughts (in this respect) beyond our thoughts." Hath not the Lord said, in Isaiah xliii, unto the people of the Jews, at verse 22, "But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel." Verse 23, "Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offering, neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices." Verse 24, "Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifice but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thy iniquity." Yet, verse 25, "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgression for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins." Here are sins, and great sins and if the Lord will therefore pardon sin because it is great, unto his people then surely they have no reason to be quite discouraged in this respect.”
So may you do though God hath forsaken you, though you want the sense of his love, yea, and are under the sense of God's anger yet at the same time you may say, The Lord is my Father, and you may go to him as your Father: and if you can say, God is my Father, have you any reason for your discouragements?” And I pray tell me, is it not sufficient to be as our Master was? Did not Christ want the sense of God's love, when he said, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Yea, had not Christ the sense of God's anger upon him when he did perform the greatest act of obedience that ever the sun saw: yet did he then say, I am not the child of God, because I want the sense of God's love, because I am under the sense of God's anger? No, but with the same breath that he said he was forsaken, he said, "My God, my God " and at the same time he called God Father, "Father, forgive them," &c.