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Christology #3
The Heart Of Christ
The Heart of Christ in Heaven towards Sinners on Earth was first published in 1651, and it soon became Thomas Goodwin’s (1600-1680) most popular work. It is a fine example of his Christ- centredness and his mix of theological rigour and pastoral concern. In it he aims to show from Scripture that, in all his heavenly majesty, Christ is not now aloof from believers and unconcerned, but has the strongest affections for them.
Goodwin begins with the beautiful assurances given by Christ to his disciples, taking as an example of that love Christ’s washing of his disciples’ feet (John 13). The heart of his argument, however, lies in his exposition of Hebrews 4:15, in which Goodwin shows that in all his glorious holiness in heaven, Christ is not sour towards his people; if anything, his capacious heart beats more strongly than ever with tender love for them. And in particular, two things stir his compassion: our afflictions and—almost unbelievably—our sins.
How we need Goodwin and his message today! If we are to be drawn from jaded, anxious thoughts of God and a love of sin, we need such a knowledge of Christ.
Goodwin begins with the beautiful assurances given by Christ to his disciples, taking as an example of that love Christ’s washing of his disciples’ feet (John 13). The heart of his argument, however, lies in his exposition of Hebrews 4:15, in which Goodwin shows that in all his glorious holiness in heaven, Christ is not sour towards his people; if anything, his capacious heart beats more strongly than ever with tender love for them. And in particular, two things stir his compassion: our afflictions and—almost unbelievably—our sins.
How we need Goodwin and his message today! If we are to be drawn from jaded, anxious thoughts of God and a love of sin, we need such a knowledge of Christ.
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1642
423 people are currently reading
2194 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Goodwin
211 books49 followersThomas Goodwin known as 'the Elder', was an English Puritan theologian and preacher, and an important leader of religious Independents. He served as chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, and was imposed by Parliament as President of Magdalen College, Oxford in 1650. Christopher Hill places Goodwin in the ‘main stream of Puritan thought’.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
August 21, 2019
I absolutely loved this book. In classic Puritan style, it’s not the easiest read with regard to structure, with semi colons and dependent clauses galore. However, this book just radiates a Christ-centred warmth and profundity so rarely found in modern books.
Things I especially love from this book include:
1. The reminders of the security of Christ’s love towards us. Goodwin compares it to the love between the Father and the Son as well as explaining that the spirit which unites us to Christ is the same spirit that united Christ’s divine and human nature’s in Mary’s womb!
2. How Goodwin constantly reminds the reader that Christ, though now in heaven, is still a man. A man who is infinitely qualified to empathise and intercede for fellow humans who are afflicted here below. Though even more so, as he possesses the fullness of love and compassion as God himself. He is the best high priest we could possibly have.
Things I especially love from this book include:
1. The reminders of the security of Christ’s love towards us. Goodwin compares it to the love between the Father and the Son as well as explaining that the spirit which unites us to Christ is the same spirit that united Christ’s divine and human nature’s in Mary’s womb!
2. How Goodwin constantly reminds the reader that Christ, though now in heaven, is still a man. A man who is infinitely qualified to empathise and intercede for fellow humans who are afflicted here below. Though even more so, as he possesses the fullness of love and compassion as God himself. He is the best high priest we could possibly have.
June 15, 2024
Second read:
I LOVE THIS BOOK.
Sinfully prone as I am to hard thoughts of God, Goodwin helps, more than any other author, to melt the protective ice I tend to build around my heart. Goodwin exposits the Upper Room Discourse and Hebrews in ways that are true to the texts but that are so gloriously good of Jesus that the Gospel preached here feels shocking and too good to be true (but also TRUE!) all over again. This time I was struck more and more with the fact that Jesus has, by the responsibilities He has faithfully undertaken in Heaven, obligated Himself to be merciful. By which I mean that mercy is not just a feeling He has, but that He's so committed to mercy that He's made it part of the proof of His success and goodness that He be merciful and faithful to us in all our infirmities (sin being included as the worst infirmity of them all). This book completely reframes my view of Jesus to be more accurate and more wonderful than my hard heart ever imagined possible.
**********
First read:
Jesus on earth is one thing, but there's a temptation we have to think of Him as more distant, less "for us," now that He's enthroned (much like we might not expect an old friend, once he's famous, to take any further notice of us). If you've ever felt that way, or if you've ever had that vague sense He's disappointed with you, Thomas Goodwin will shake you up in the best way.
Drawing from all over Scripture and doctrine with an expert hand, Goodwin shows how warm Christ's heart is toward us, how utterly invested He is in our joy, how scandalously He wants us to be with Him. Reading what he had to say, I saw how I read my own spiritual coldness into Christ's promises--that if I stopped filtering it through my cynical heart, I would see the genuine affection and even yearning that Christ has for the ones who believe. I mean, just check this out: "It is as if he had said, The truth is, I cannot live without you, I shall never be quiet till I have you where I am, that so we may never part again. . . . Heaven shall not hold me, nor my Father's company, if I have not you with me, my heart is so set upon you; and if I have any glory, you shall have part of it."
Doesn't that feel so unbelievable? Like, surely that's sacrilegious--beneath His dignity! But no, Goodwin says--the proof is everywhere in Scripture that this is the case, and not only this, but Christ's heart now He is enthroned has even MORE capacity to love, pray for, and comfort you. He has made it part of His own job description, so that the very proof of His success and kingship is His goodness to you.
Full of gracious comfort (and grammar that I would call "loosely structured"), this book helped me see the whole world new. It has made Christ breathtakingly beautiful to me, like I want to laugh with joy when I consider the Gospel.
I LOVE THIS BOOK.
Sinfully prone as I am to hard thoughts of God, Goodwin helps, more than any other author, to melt the protective ice I tend to build around my heart. Goodwin exposits the Upper Room Discourse and Hebrews in ways that are true to the texts but that are so gloriously good of Jesus that the Gospel preached here feels shocking and too good to be true (but also TRUE!) all over again. This time I was struck more and more with the fact that Jesus has, by the responsibilities He has faithfully undertaken in Heaven, obligated Himself to be merciful. By which I mean that mercy is not just a feeling He has, but that He's so committed to mercy that He's made it part of the proof of His success and goodness that He be merciful and faithful to us in all our infirmities (sin being included as the worst infirmity of them all). This book completely reframes my view of Jesus to be more accurate and more wonderful than my hard heart ever imagined possible.
**********
First read:
Jesus on earth is one thing, but there's a temptation we have to think of Him as more distant, less "for us," now that He's enthroned (much like we might not expect an old friend, once he's famous, to take any further notice of us). If you've ever felt that way, or if you've ever had that vague sense He's disappointed with you, Thomas Goodwin will shake you up in the best way.
Drawing from all over Scripture and doctrine with an expert hand, Goodwin shows how warm Christ's heart is toward us, how utterly invested He is in our joy, how scandalously He wants us to be with Him. Reading what he had to say, I saw how I read my own spiritual coldness into Christ's promises--that if I stopped filtering it through my cynical heart, I would see the genuine affection and even yearning that Christ has for the ones who believe. I mean, just check this out: "It is as if he had said, The truth is, I cannot live without you, I shall never be quiet till I have you where I am, that so we may never part again. . . . Heaven shall not hold me, nor my Father's company, if I have not you with me, my heart is so set upon you; and if I have any glory, you shall have part of it."
Doesn't that feel so unbelievable? Like, surely that's sacrilegious--beneath His dignity! But no, Goodwin says--the proof is everywhere in Scripture that this is the case, and not only this, but Christ's heart now He is enthroned has even MORE capacity to love, pray for, and comfort you. He has made it part of His own job description, so that the very proof of His success and kingship is His goodness to you.
Full of gracious comfort (and grammar that I would call "loosely structured"), this book helped me see the whole world new. It has made Christ breathtakingly beautiful to me, like I want to laugh with joy when I consider the Gospel.
October 16, 2025
As for content, this little book is excellent from start to finish. It's abundant in comfort and consolation -- a treasure trove of ideas for a pastor! Goodwin's proclamations are bold, yet also carefully reasoned from Scripture. His discussion of the nature of Christ's "perfected passions" in heaven are a perfect illustration of this:
Christ continues, Goodwin argues, to be moved by compassion and pity in his humanity. But since his humanity is glorified, these feelings are not painful to him as they were during his earthly ministry. Yet at the same time, we can say that he has less joy now, as he sees his saints suffering and sinning, than he will in eternity when we are all glorified with him.
The only downside, as plenty of other readers have remarked, is that Goodwin's prose is seriously difficult. His sentences are lengthy; abounding as they are in semi-colons, and dependent clauses (not to mention parenthetical statements); in addition, also, to simply awkward phrasing to that our modern sensibility, which is known to abhor all such manner of convolutions in written prose, no less than in our spoken conversations.
Basically, this is an incredible book that's unfortunately inaccessible to most modern readers. Those that feel up to the challenge ought to read it. It's worth noting that I got used to it after a while and was reading pretty fluently by the end. Those that don't feel up to the challenge, I imagine, will benefit from one of Dane Ortlund's books.
Christ continues, Goodwin argues, to be moved by compassion and pity in his humanity. But since his humanity is glorified, these feelings are not painful to him as they were during his earthly ministry. Yet at the same time, we can say that he has less joy now, as he sees his saints suffering and sinning, than he will in eternity when we are all glorified with him.
The only downside, as plenty of other readers have remarked, is that Goodwin's prose is seriously difficult. His sentences are lengthy; abounding as they are in semi-colons, and dependent clauses (not to mention parenthetical statements); in addition, also, to simply awkward phrasing to that our modern sensibility, which is known to abhor all such manner of convolutions in written prose, no less than in our spoken conversations.
Basically, this is an incredible book that's unfortunately inaccessible to most modern readers. Those that feel up to the challenge ought to read it. It's worth noting that I got used to it after a while and was reading pretty fluently by the end. Those that don't feel up to the challenge, I imagine, will benefit from one of Dane Ortlund's books.
May 3, 2025
This profound little book written in 1651 gives a glimpse of the mercy and kindness of Christ toward his suffering people. It will be a joy to discuss this with a small group of women in July. To see and know his heart toward us is a great gift!
January 21, 2024
4.5⭐️
Beautiful and worth rereading frequently. Especially for those who struggle with assurance.
"Love descends better than ascends, and so does the love of Christ, who indeed is love itself, and therefore comes down to us himself; "I will come again and receive you unto myself" (says Christ), "that so where I am, you may be also." That last part of his speech gives the reason of it, and also divulges his entire affection."
Beautiful and worth rereading frequently. Especially for those who struggle with assurance.
"Love descends better than ascends, and so does the love of Christ, who indeed is love itself, and therefore comes down to us himself; "I will come again and receive you unto myself" (says Christ), "that so where I am, you may be also." That last part of his speech gives the reason of it, and also divulges his entire affection."
January 14, 2025
One of the best books I’ve ever read, hands down. Got emotional a few times.
Dane Ortlund based his popular book “gentle and lowly” on this book by Thomas Goodwin and it’s easy to see why. You would be hard-pressed to find a book that’s more comforting to you in times of fear, sin, lacking assurance, and suffering than this one
Your sins, sorrows, and sufferings do not cause Christ to cast you off or being angry with you. Rather, dear Christian, he pulls you closer to himself, since he gave himself for you. In the same way a father doesn’t hate his child for a disease that afflicts them but seeks to heal them, Christ does not despise you for the disease of sin & affliction that still marks your life. He has united you to himself and will save you in the end. “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it”
Dane Ortlund based his popular book “gentle and lowly” on this book by Thomas Goodwin and it’s easy to see why. You would be hard-pressed to find a book that’s more comforting to you in times of fear, sin, lacking assurance, and suffering than this one
Your sins, sorrows, and sufferings do not cause Christ to cast you off or being angry with you. Rather, dear Christian, he pulls you closer to himself, since he gave himself for you. In the same way a father doesn’t hate his child for a disease that afflicts them but seeks to heal them, Christ does not despise you for the disease of sin & affliction that still marks your life. He has united you to himself and will save you in the end. “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it”
April 10, 2020
I agree with Michael Reeves who in the forward writes, "[Goodwin's] writings, while not easy, always pay back the reader..." So yes, this was an encouraging read in many ways, but also a little bit more difficult to follows along-at least for me! I am so glad I read it with a group of friends!
June 29, 2022
So good, but honestly I think I only understood the big picture and not any of his nuances. I would appreciate if this could be somewhat updated. 😅
June 2, 2025
SO GOOD!! The OG Gentle & Lowly 👏🏼👏🏼
January 6, 2025
This was so good im converting to puritan
March 12, 2019
Christ loves his bride more than we can fathom. I, as a believer in Christ, as someone *in* him, am loved more than I can imagine.
That's what this book is about. Just look at the three chapter titles: 1) Outward demonstrations of the tenderness of Christ's heart toward sinners; 2) Internal demonstrations of the tenderness of Christ's heart toward sinners; 3) Christ's affectionate compassion for sinners in their infirmities. In other words, *Sinner, Christ really is tender toward you!* Or most simply, Oh how he loves you!
Many stereotype the Puritans as staunch and dry. Goodwin proves that wrong here. This book overflows with grace. I read it in one day and I left feeling so loved by Jesus.
And here's especially what's great about it: It's full of deep theology, and it's precisely that theology that leads to you feeling loved. We tend to think that books that make me feel loved by God are the devotional ones, the ones that aren't that 'deep' but are inspiring. But after reading this, I think we're robbing ourselves of delight when we think this way. Why? Goodwin shows that so much of Christ's love, tenderness, and compassion for his people is rooted in who Christ is and what he's doing right now (so, theology).
For example, to make this personal, I feel more loved maybe than ever by Christ after reading this specifically because Goodwin so clearly explained 1) what Christ's priestly work means, and 2) what it means that he has a Bride, and 3) how this relates to him being both God and man. He dug into these deeply, talking about Christ's natures, his obedience to God, his calling as a priest, his work as a priest, his desire for his Bride, etc. *But all of that then explained his love!* That's the point. Without theology, love is mushy and undefined. But when you dig into who he is, what he's doing, love takes on substance.
It did have drier moments, but overall, I can't help but feel overwhelmingly loved by the God-man, high priest, husband Christ because I read this. I have much more appreciation for his work, but I especially appreciate how his work leads to his tenderness toward me, even as a sinner. Thank you, Jesus.
That's what this book is about. Just look at the three chapter titles: 1) Outward demonstrations of the tenderness of Christ's heart toward sinners; 2) Internal demonstrations of the tenderness of Christ's heart toward sinners; 3) Christ's affectionate compassion for sinners in their infirmities. In other words, *Sinner, Christ really is tender toward you!* Or most simply, Oh how he loves you!
Many stereotype the Puritans as staunch and dry. Goodwin proves that wrong here. This book overflows with grace. I read it in one day and I left feeling so loved by Jesus.
And here's especially what's great about it: It's full of deep theology, and it's precisely that theology that leads to you feeling loved. We tend to think that books that make me feel loved by God are the devotional ones, the ones that aren't that 'deep' but are inspiring. But after reading this, I think we're robbing ourselves of delight when we think this way. Why? Goodwin shows that so much of Christ's love, tenderness, and compassion for his people is rooted in who Christ is and what he's doing right now (so, theology).
For example, to make this personal, I feel more loved maybe than ever by Christ after reading this specifically because Goodwin so clearly explained 1) what Christ's priestly work means, and 2) what it means that he has a Bride, and 3) how this relates to him being both God and man. He dug into these deeply, talking about Christ's natures, his obedience to God, his calling as a priest, his work as a priest, his desire for his Bride, etc. *But all of that then explained his love!* That's the point. Without theology, love is mushy and undefined. But when you dig into who he is, what he's doing, love takes on substance.
It did have drier moments, but overall, I can't help but feel overwhelmingly loved by the God-man, high priest, husband Christ because I read this. I have much more appreciation for his work, but I especially appreciate how his work leads to his tenderness toward me, even as a sinner. Thank you, Jesus.
November 23, 2021
This is one of the best books I have ever read. It tested my faith in a way other books do not. It made me look at Christ, not just in history or in a text, but to look at Him as He is now in Heaven toward me. I was often brought to tears. I often wrote in my notes, "This is too wonderful for me, do I really believe it?"
This book brings much needed attention to the present and ongoing work and heart of Christ in Heaven. It helps us to conceive of Christ as He truly is. It helps us to think practically about the relevance of the doctrines of the Trinity and the two natures of Christ as they come to bear on Christ's heart now. It helpfully develops the doctrines of Christ's present intercession and advocacy. It helps us to accept our Savior's invitation to go boldly to His throne of grace, for He is gentle and lowly, and able to sympathize with our weaknesses.
The main challenge of the book is that it is written in a style that is repulsive to modern readers. It takes work to understand what is being said. But I found that this forced me to slowly meditate on the thoughts, so that key parts hit with even greater force.
This book brings much needed attention to the present and ongoing work and heart of Christ in Heaven. It helps us to conceive of Christ as He truly is. It helps us to think practically about the relevance of the doctrines of the Trinity and the two natures of Christ as they come to bear on Christ's heart now. It helpfully develops the doctrines of Christ's present intercession and advocacy. It helps us to accept our Savior's invitation to go boldly to His throne of grace, for He is gentle and lowly, and able to sympathize with our weaknesses.
The main challenge of the book is that it is written in a style that is repulsive to modern readers. It takes work to understand what is being said. But I found that this forced me to slowly meditate on the thoughts, so that key parts hit with even greater force.
July 4, 2025
Wonderful content in the correctly published versions.
Do not purchase ISBN 978-1800402119 due to MULTIPLE errors in verse references and typos including a reference to Hebrews 2:28 WHICH DOESN'T EVEN EXIST (last verse in Hebrews 2 is verse 18).
I have contacted Banner of Truth as well as Michael Reeves with no response.
Incorrect citations:
Page 24 John 11:16, correct verse John 11:15
Page 25 John 10:6, correct verse John 10:16
Page 29 1 Timothy 1:18, correct verse 1 Tim 1:13
Page 38 Ephesians 1:15, correct verse Eph 1:21
Page 55 John 1:38, correct verse John 1:33
Page 76 Hebrews 2:28 (doesn't exist), correct verse Heb 2:18
Page 76 Hebrews 3:3, correct verse Heb 3:2
Page 96 Hebrews 2:13, correct verse Heb 2:14
Page 99/100 Luke 15:25, correct verse Luke 16:25
Page 103 Luke 24:29, correct verse Luke 24:39
There are a few other spots where one verse is referenced though it should be two or three in the citation as well as several typos including, on page 117 thy will *he* done instead of thy will *be* done.
Do not purchase ISBN 978-1800402119 due to MULTIPLE errors in verse references and typos including a reference to Hebrews 2:28 WHICH DOESN'T EVEN EXIST (last verse in Hebrews 2 is verse 18).
I have contacted Banner of Truth as well as Michael Reeves with no response.
Incorrect citations:
Page 24 John 11:16, correct verse John 11:15
Page 25 John 10:6, correct verse John 10:16
Page 29 1 Timothy 1:18, correct verse 1 Tim 1:13
Page 38 Ephesians 1:15, correct verse Eph 1:21
Page 55 John 1:38, correct verse John 1:33
Page 76 Hebrews 2:28 (doesn't exist), correct verse Heb 2:18
Page 76 Hebrews 3:3, correct verse Heb 3:2
Page 96 Hebrews 2:13, correct verse Heb 2:14
Page 99/100 Luke 15:25, correct verse Luke 16:25
Page 103 Luke 24:29, correct verse Luke 24:39
There are a few other spots where one verse is referenced though it should be two or three in the citation as well as several typos including, on page 117 thy will *he* done instead of thy will *be* done.
March 9, 2020
Perhaps the best treatment of Christian Assurance ever penned by uninspired man. This is a book that every Christian will have great need of at some point, and one I could not commend any more heartily. Goodwin--whose style is charitably called prolix most of the time--is at his best and most accessibly pastoral here, encouraging believers to understand that Jesus Christ is as full of kindness, mercy, and empathy to them now in his risen and exalted state as he was to them during his earthly life and ministry. This book will be a great gift to the Christian struggling for assurance, but really any believer would profit greatly from it regardless. The Kindle edition has some unfortunate formatting errors that can be a distraction; not so the Banner of Truth edition in the Puritan Paperbacks series.
November 8, 2022
I wanted to read this because it was quoted so heavily Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers. Honestly, there is a reason most of these books aren't read much today. It isn't that they aren't any good, it's because the wording is so archaic that it's hard to follow at times. That doesn't mean Goodwin wasn't a good writer, or that the book is bad, it just takes more effort to follow.
I would say Gentle and Lowly is honestly better for how modern people think and talk. If you like reading older theology books, and have time to sit down and dig in, this is a good choice.
I would say Gentle and Lowly is honestly better for how modern people think and talk. If you like reading older theology books, and have time to sit down and dig in, this is a good choice.
November 24, 2025
This book has got to be one of the most beautiful works that I have ever read. Goodwin paints a picture of the tender and loving heart of Christ, and His gracious and abundantly kind disposition towards sinners in our infirmities and misery. There is so much comfort and praise to be found from reading this book.
5/5 read and know your saviour more.
“Love descends better than ascends, and so doth the love of Christ, who indeed is love itself.”
“If when tried in adversity (and that is the surest and strongest love), and the greatest adversity that ever was; if it then held, will it not still do so in his prosperity much more?”
5/5 read and know your saviour more.
“Love descends better than ascends, and so doth the love of Christ, who indeed is love itself.”
“If when tried in adversity (and that is the surest and strongest love), and the greatest adversity that ever was; if it then held, will it not still do so in his prosperity much more?”
November 20, 2021
Feeling loved by God has never been a steady, reliable thing for me (though the fact of it is), so the flashes of realization in this book were the sparklingest jewels. I'm afraid I wasn't entirely attentive here on my sickbed (swollen preauricular lymph nodes have me rather chipmunk-faced... chipmunks are cute, right?), and some of Goodwin's arguments whooshed by a bit too fast, so I'll need to revisit this again sometime.
David Cochran Heath does not help in the inspiring attentiveness department. I've listened to computer-generated voices with more affect.
David Cochran Heath does not help in the inspiring attentiveness department. I've listened to computer-generated voices with more affect.
June 22, 2025
I have been meaning to read this book since I saw it oft quoted in Dane Ortland's Fantastic work "Gentle and Lowly." Having not read it, the verdict is in: Thomas Goodwin is officially my favorite Puritan. This is a must read, especially, for contemporary Christians who identify with the historic tradition of puritanism. Unlike some others, who teach a harsh God and distort perseverance of the saints into a performance-based model of sanctification, Goodwin lays the strong biblical and theological foundation for eternal security (though he does not use this exact terminology) and assurance based on Christ plus nothing. Those who claim such ideas are antinomian or began int he twentieth century really need to spend time with this Westminster divine. He reclaims election as a glorious doctrine that provides the believer assurance that Christ will never forsake him or her, rather than a basis for constantly questioning "am I really in?" This is a book that every pastor must read and every Christian should read.
January 9, 2023
Absolutely incredible. Goodwin’s insights to the heart of who Christ is for sinners was massively encouraging. This book is “gentle and lowly” on steroids haha. I originally wanted to read this because Dane Ortlund had quoted him many times in his work.
A puritans knowledge of the Scriptures is some to imitate!
A puritans knowledge of the Scriptures is some to imitate!
December 18, 2024
A precious little book on Christ’s heart for sinners and sufferers. Goodwin has some deeply wonderful insights in here that the reader can soak in. I struggled to follow his train of thought in certain parts, but overall Goodwin is certainly one of the easier to read Puritans (not quite Thomas Watson easy, but far more straightforward than John Owen!)
April 19, 2020
A lovely meditation on the affections of our Lord and Savior for his people. Goodwin’s emphasis upon the hypostatic union demonstrates that because Christ became truly one of us, salvation in his name and his sincerity in sympathizing with us are both sure.
May 16, 2025
Short read, but not a quick or easy read; a great read, nonetheless.
Recommend this for all who want to gain a deeper appreciation, praise, and thankfulness for the love of Christ as our Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14-16).
Recommend this for all who want to gain a deeper appreciation, praise, and thankfulness for the love of Christ as our Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14-16).
August 20, 2018
Beautiful. Stirring. Paradigm-shifting. Read this book, and believe it!
May 20, 2020
Amazing
June 18, 2024
Don’t let this small book fool you! The language of the day caused me to read this book extremely slowly and usually needing to repeatedly read a part to understand it. The writings of the Puritans are full of gems and are an encouraging read to all who are Christs.
May 5, 2024
A small booklet on the affections of Christ for His church. It is very rich and details reasons why Christ has continued affection for sinners even though He is now seated in heaven. And it details how that same affection that He had for them while on earth continues through eternity.
The old English really got me sometimes and I would not recommend reading this book while tired or unable to really focus. It's almost on the level of John Owen in my opinion.
The old English really got me sometimes and I would not recommend reading this book while tired or unable to really focus. It's almost on the level of John Owen in my opinion.
May 7, 2021
A beautiful book that explains how Christ, now that He is ascended to the right hand of the Father, is no less merciful and loving and cares about our suffering no less than He did while on earth. He is still our gracious High Priest who felt all our temptations and cares about our woes.
This particular printing is rubbish. So many typos. The book doesn't even have page numbers.
This particular printing is rubbish. So many typos. The book doesn't even have page numbers.
May 11, 2016
Long. Plodding. Very few gems, and perhaps it's because I don't wrestle with this concept, but it just seemed repetitive and unnecessary, even for the Puritans. The last 3 pages were really good; I underlined a lot. Otherwise I was just reading to finish.
March 7, 2025
4.75. Simply beautiful and moving.
What is the heart of Christ toward his body, bride, and church on earth now that he is in heaven? Goodwin exposits John and Hebrews among other Scriptures to demonstrate the mercy and compassion Christ demonstrates toward us in our suffering and sin. The result is beautiful. There were a number of points where I wanted to underline entire paragraph after paragraph and page after page (like pages 43-50).
There are a couple places where in my view he is misinformed. He states that priests *only* serve to show mercy and that this is true of Christ, and yet Christ in Revelation 1-3 is pictured as a high priest tending the candlesticks and threatening to remove them. He states that priests help those who are presumptuous in their sin (p. 89), and yet there is no sacrifice for presumptuous sin in the OT and NT.
I will also add that his third section for me was very underwhelming, so I would recommend skipping it altogether save the final 3 pages where he summarizes the application of the whole book.
This book is nearly 400 years old, so the English is antiquated. This unfortunately makes it inaccessible to most.
This challenges should not deter those who are able to read this little book and share its truths in more accessible language.
What is the heart of Christ toward his body, bride, and church on earth now that he is in heaven? Goodwin exposits John and Hebrews among other Scriptures to demonstrate the mercy and compassion Christ demonstrates toward us in our suffering and sin. The result is beautiful. There were a number of points where I wanted to underline entire paragraph after paragraph and page after page (like pages 43-50).
There are a couple places where in my view he is misinformed. He states that priests *only* serve to show mercy and that this is true of Christ, and yet Christ in Revelation 1-3 is pictured as a high priest tending the candlesticks and threatening to remove them. He states that priests help those who are presumptuous in their sin (p. 89), and yet there is no sacrifice for presumptuous sin in the OT and NT.
I will also add that his third section for me was very underwhelming, so I would recommend skipping it altogether save the final 3 pages where he summarizes the application of the whole book.
This book is nearly 400 years old, so the English is antiquated. This unfortunately makes it inaccessible to most.
This challenges should not deter those who are able to read this little book and share its truths in more accessible language.
April 23, 2022
"The scope and use whereof will be this, to hearten and encourage believers to come more boldly unto the throne of grace, unto such a Saviour and High Priest, when they shall know how sweetly and tenderly his heart, though he is now in his glory, is inclined to them." (p. 1)
"God often orders it, that when he is in hand with the greatest mercies for us, and bringing about our greatest good, then we are most of all sinning against him; which he doth, to magnify his love the more." (p. 10)
"There is comfort concerning such infirmities, in that your very sins move him to pity more than to anger. . . . Christ he takes part with you, and is so far from being provoked against you, as all his anger is turned upon your sin to ruin it; yea, his pity is increased the more towards you, even as the heart of the father is to a child that hath some loathsome disease, or as one is to a member of his body that hath the leprosy, he hates not the member, for it is his flesh, but the disease, and that provokes him to pity the part affected the more." (p. 52)
"God often orders it, that when he is in hand with the greatest mercies for us, and bringing about our greatest good, then we are most of all sinning against him; which he doth, to magnify his love the more." (p. 10)
"There is comfort concerning such infirmities, in that your very sins move him to pity more than to anger. . . . Christ he takes part with you, and is so far from being provoked against you, as all his anger is turned upon your sin to ruin it; yea, his pity is increased the more towards you, even as the heart of the father is to a child that hath some loathsome disease, or as one is to a member of his body that hath the leprosy, he hates not the member, for it is his flesh, but the disease, and that provokes him to pity the part affected the more." (p. 52)
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