Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

Book VI. i!.ooltiug unto jjrfu.S'. Chap. 1. ~·ea. 4 • po~bly conceive: every foul will cry.out the~~ I-bcl~~-~uch glory.in Jefus Chrtft, when ever I f~w h•m 1 .I had fome tw•hght, or Moon-light glances of Chriil, on Earth; but 0 blind I ! .0 narrow I .! that. CQuld never have faith opinion thought, or imagination to fathom the th~ufand-thoufand part of the won'h, and in: comparable excellency that I now fee )n h1m. Why, •his cauferh admiration when we fee more than everwe could exped; the Saints .fhall then cry out, and fay, I fee more, ten. thoufa~d ttmes more than !ver I. ~~peded ; I fee all the beauty of God put .forth.m Chnfl, I fee the fubflanual ~dl~cbon of. the Fathers light and glory in J.efus Chnfl, I fee ~h~ufands of excellenCies 1n _lef?s Chrift that never were revealed fg me before. Th1s Js the very nature of admJraqon ; it is ever wondering or admi– ring at fome new and flraoge thing: the glory of.Cprill will then exceed all former appreh.enlion, 0 .the~ admire to ~ee the King in f~ch a bea11ty; tl);y admire to fee the Judge;n. fuch a glmenng and glonous robe of MaJefty, they admire, and they cannot but admue. . . 3· They adore, and magnifie the grace and glory of Jefus i::hrifl ; .as it is {aid of the twenty four Elders, that they fell down before him that fate on the Thro 11 e, and wor– Jbipped him that livethfor ever and ever, and cafftheirCrowns before ti1~Thrcl!e,faJing, Rev. 5· Io. thou art worthy 0 Lord to receive glory, and honour and power, for thou hair cre_ated all things, ~ndfor thypl<<tfuretheyareandw<recreattd. So all the Saints, now adv.anced to come up to Chrill:, and to frand before the Throne, they fall down before Chrift, and they worl11ip him that lives for ever, fhouting and linging about Jefus Chrifr, and fening Rev. 7· 9, Io, 011~ his glory, grace, and goodnefs. .After thi< I behdd ( faith John) and loa great 11 • 12 • multitude, whichnomancouldnumber, of ai/Nations,andkjndred, andpeople,,.,ll~tongues flood before the Throne, and before tht Lamb --- andcryed mth a loud v•ice, faying, Jalvation t• o11r God, which Jitmh upon the Throne, and Uillo the Lamb; and all th< .Angels flood round about the Throne, and about the Eld<rs, and the four Beajfs andfell/ufore the Throne on their Jaw, andworjhippedGod,faying,.Amm; blefflng and glory, and wifd•:n, and thankJgiv_ing, and honour, and power~ and might be unto ••r . Godfor ev<r, andever, .Amen. Satnts and Angels wtll both gtve glory 10 Jefus Chrifl that day; every defr man will then acknowltdge, here is Chri£1: that l11ed his blood for me, here is the Saviounhatlaid down his life for me, hereis the Savrifice that gave him– felf a propitiation for me, here is the Perfon that mediated, and interceded, and made Rev. , 9 , 7• peace for me, here is the Redeemer that delivered, and redeemed me from the wrath to come; and then they begin thofe Hallelujahs, that never fhall have end:, Hallelujah, a11d again Halldujah; and.A wen Hallelujah; for the marriag• of the Lamb u come, and hi< wife bath made her felf ready. - 4. Chri£1: welcomes them into his glorious prefence; if the Father could receive his P.rodigal but repenting with hugs and kilfes, how will Chrill: now receive his Saints, when they come as a_Bride to the folemnization of the marriage; his very heart fprings (as I may fay) at the light of his Bride; no fooner he fees her, and falutes her, but he welcot'Qes btr with fuch words as thefe: 0 my love, my dov<, my fair one, co ~e now and enjoy thy H.uband, many a thought I have had of thu, b•fore I mad, the flof. 2. 19,2o. )Vorld, J.JPent my infinite eurnlllthoughts on thy folvation, when the worl~ b<gan I gave · thee,. promife, that I 1vould betroth th<e unt• me in righuoufnefs, and m Judgme~t, in loving-kjndnefs, in merry, and i1l [Aithfulnefs; It was I that for thy fake was mcar– nat~, and lived, and died, and rofe again, and afcended, and. lince my afcenlion that luve. been interceding for thee, and making ready the Bnde-cl1~mber where thou and I mufl live for ever and ever : and now 1come hither into the clouds, to meet rhfe !l)ore than half the way; and my meaning is to take thee by the hand, and to ,briog thee to my Father· now do I take thee for my own; 0 my Sifler, my Spoufe, rhou,art as dear to me ;s my own dear heart; come, fee into my bofom, fee here Lpve written in the golden letters of free-grace; come near•. for I mufl h~ve thee. wirh me. and I will never more be fo flrange to thee as to thts day ; fomeumes thy Jins have' made a wall of partition between me and thee; fometimes I wirhdrew and was,gone, and Thid my felf beyond the curtains; and for a time tho~ haft layen hid rn the doffet of the grave: but now wee'll never pan more; anon I w1ll bnng thee to ,my Father, and I wiH fay 10 him, Father, behold here my Spoufe thar I have mar– ried unto my felf; in the mean time welcome to thy Jefus, 1have purchafed thee with my IJ!ood, 1havep3id dea-r for thee: and now I'll wear thee as a Crown, and orna– n~t. m fl)r ever. 5· Cbrifl

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