divine justice required for their redemption, washing, and
cleansing, he as freely poured it out of his heart as if it had been
water out of a vessel; not sticking to part with his own life, that
the life which was laid up for his people in heaven might not fail
to be bestowed upon them.

3. The Father's giving of them to him to save them, declares that he
is and will be GENTLE AND PATIENT towards them under all their
provocations and miscarriages. It is not to be imagined, the trials
and provocations that the Son of God hath all along had with these
people that have been given to him to save. Indeed, he is said to be
A TRIED STONE; for he has been tried not only by the devil, guilt of
sin, death, and the curse of the law, but also by his people's
ignorance, unruliness, falls into sin, and declining to errors in
life and doctrine. Were we but capable of seeing how this Lord Jesus
has been tried, even by his people, ever since there was one of them
in the world, we should be amazed at his patience and gentle
carriages to them. It is said indeed, "The Lord is very pitiful,
slow to anger, and of great mercy." And indeed, if he had not been
so, he could never have endured their manners as he has done, from
Adam hitherto. Therefore are his pity and bowels towards his church
preferred above the pity and bowels of a mother towards her child.
"Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have
compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I
not forget thee, saith the Lord."

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 upon the earth. God gave them