Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

'-----------=,----~---~'---:=...:.::-'-------· ---- Chap. 1. sea. 4· _ 1iookmg unto ']Jtfu.S'. :Book VI. 585 5,Ciuill: fets them o-;;-hls -;ight hand ; Vp~n~y right hanido;li jfnr1d the 0f:m ;,; Pf.tlm -10gold of Ophir. This is the fign of Ghr_ill:'s love, and refpecr to his Saints; when he !Jimfelf afccnded up into Heaven, then fatd the Father to !urn; Son, fit tholl do1w1 at my right hand; and no fooner the SJints are afccnded up to Chrift, but he fpeaks the fame to them, Sit thou dowt1 at my right hand; Chrift entertains them, as God the Fatber entertained him; he at the rigbt hand of God , and they at the right l10nd of Chrift . And herein is fet forth the great exaltation of the Saints; as Chrill: being fet at God's right hand , God highly exalted him, and gave him a 11ame above every name, fo now a\·e the Saints highly exalted by Jefus Chrifr, now .are they filled with unmatchable perfections, now is the .,.,.r,lwf«', the fulncfs of perfection, and fulnefs of honour and glory conferred upon them ; V pon hi; ri; IJt hand i; fit the ~teen in gold of Ophir, ( i. c.) in the bell, richcll:~_fine!l ~old ; the Lord now puts upon his Saints hea~•ens glory ; he adorns them wuh all Ius ornaments fit for the marriage day; and indeed here is the beginning of the folemnity of the marriage of the Lamb; oot but that the contract was before, but the folemnity was referved for this day, and all the glory of this day is for nothinf elfe but to fet out the folemnity of the mll'riage. As rhe Bridegroom on the day of Nuptials comes forth in his glory, and as. the Bride on t!\e marriage-day comes forth in her belt array ; and as the fervants, and parents, and friends, and all appear on the marriage-day in as much glory at they can; fo Chrift on this day comes forth in his glory, with all his ,\ngels in their glory ; and the Saints, the Lambs wife, !he Kings da~<ghttr, is allgl.rious, without and withitl, Pfalm 45· i;. Though Stars may lofe their fl1ining when the Sun arifeth, yet the glory· of -the Saints fl1all be no lrfs, becaufe of the Sun of righteoufnefs, but rather more. This is th_e day that Chri!llhall honoqr his Saint~ before all the worid; come (will he fay) and lit you down at my riglit ·hand; as a Shepheard divideth his Sheep from the Goats, fo will I feparate you from wicked reprobates, why you are they for whom the eternal councels of my Father did work, you are they in whom I am now to be glorified for ever; and therefore now will I exalt, and advance, and honour you; lit here, or !land here on my right hand: 0 come, come hither to the right hand of your Saviour. . 6. Hereupon Chrill: fully and actually joysin them, and they _in him; he joys m them, becaufe now he fees of the travatl of h1s foul; he f~es the tffue of .all his doings and fufferings here on earth, l1e fees now the great work he hath brought about, to wit, the glory of his Saints; and he cannot but rejoyce therein. As aman that makes a work that is very curious, and glorious, he takes ·abundance of delight to look upon it; when God made the world, he look't upon what he. made, and hefaw it was good', and he delighted in it : So Chrift looks on his Saints, and when he fees wl1at he bath done, in raifing fo poor aworm to fo high an e-l(cellency, he takes infinite delight therein ; now he fees that he hath attained his end in that great defign, and deepell councels that he had before the :world : he 'was then rc!Olved to fave a number- of !inners, .and to bring them at lafl to himfelfi that they might behold him in his glory, and manife!l the riches of his grace; and to that purpofe hath he frill been carryiog on the great ,,~ork of fouls falvation , as we have heard; and now that he fcer it accomplilh<d . and fulfilled in them, he mu(\ needs delight:, In that day it Jhall be faid Ephcf. 3·1 ;. to {emfalem,fcJzr rho# uot, and to Zion,let not thy hand; be faint, for the Lord thy Cod £n the midfl: of thee is Mighty, be willJttve, he will rcjoyct over thee with Joy, he rvi/1 refl: ill hu love, hewill joy over thee with jinging . And as he joys in them , fo they cannot but rejoyce in him; as he delights in their glory, fo they cannot but delight in his glory: are they not at Chrill: s right hand I and ts not that the place of pleafure, the paradife of God I f>t thy prefence i; .ful- Pt.1lm r6. r ,; mfs of JO)', "nd ot thy right hand are ple~fures for evermore : The v~ry fetting them on Ch_nll:s ngh\ hand, is the beginning of Heavens joy, 'fhe_ prifence of Chrifl Judc 2.f. :makes JO)', -cxcecding joy, faith Jude· oh but what joy? ,wh;tt fulnefs of joy? what exceeding joy will it be to be fet at'Chrill:'s right hand? _now begins that joy, tha~: ·never, never lhall have end. .Q the complacency \vhicll the bleffed feel in their feeing, knowing, loving, and beingbelovedofJefus Chrifl_, .Q m_y Chriff, let me have trzbnlatr~n h~rc, .let me h.erc [pend my days in JorrQW, and my bread; inftghirigs ; punijl.• me here, ~ut mem puccs here, b"rn me hcre,Jo that Jmay the':e be pl•ccd at thy right hand, for then JOY ;vlil come, and forrow will vanifl1 ;· forrow 1~ but for a njght, this night of !Jfe _; but JOY will come tn thiS morning of the refurred,wn, and it never lhall&e night agatn. Rrr SECT,

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