642 Book VI. 1Lrohtng unto 'jjtfus. Chap.z. Sea. 9 . Epher. 2. S· Rom. •· S· 2 Tim.t.9· 1\om. 3· 24. Rom.6. 23· Eph. •·7· Eph. 2, 7· Eph. 1.1o. 0 rhar fomerhing of rhe glory of Chrift might rdr upon us! oh rhar having rh· glory of Chrilt in our thought•, we could now feel a change from glory 10 glory 1 ~s it fo that the Lord J efus will be glorified in alll1is Saints? and /hall we have inglori~u~ fouls; b:lfe and unworthy affeCtions and converfations? or lhall we content our felve with a little meafure of grace? 0 be we holy, even as he is holy; !er our converfati~ ons be heavenly, let us punfie our felves even as be is pure; !er us refemble him .in fome high ~eafure of grace. And laftly, !er us glorifie him in bodies and fpirits; all our glory IS from h1m ; and therefore let all our glory redound to him; Jet us now begin tha.r Gofpel-tune of the eternal fong of free grace~ which one day we lhall more pei-fect– ly chant tn glory; .A/Ie/u;ah!.and agam .Ailel~;ah! and .Amen .AIIelujah! falvation, and glory, and power, and praife, and thank}gtvmg, and obedience; be unto him that j/ts on the throne, the Lamb bleffidfor ever and ever, .Amen. The Conclufton. And now (my brethrtn) I have done the errand which Chrifl fent me on I verily, believe., I have now delivered this work of the everlafling Gofpel , 0 ,' of ~hnft s .carrymg on the great 'York ?f man's falvat_ion , bath been fomewhat long m fpeak1pg, bur ob how long m a<'.l:tng ! may I g1ve you a thort view of what I have faid; and of what harh been aCted from eternity, and will yet be acted to eternity ; you may remember, that God in his er rnity laid a plot or defign ro glorilie rhe riches of his grace in faving finners; and to that purpofe firft he decreed a Chrifl:. '2. Prefeorly after the fall, he promifed the Chrifl he had decreed. 3. In fulnefs of time he exhibited the C!u·ifl.that he had promifed; then it was that the fame Chrill: rook upon him om·narure, and joyned it ro his Godhead to be one perfon; and in riJat per1 fon he was born, and lived, and died, and rofe again, and afcended into Heaven • 1 there now he hath bern litting, fending down the Holy Ghoft, and interceding for hi~ • Saints for above one thoulil.nd lix hundred years: And in this Iaft work he will continue till the end ef the World, and then he will come again to judge the World, and ro re:– ceive' his S;~ints to himfelf, that where he is they may be with him, to fee and enjoy him to all eternity. This is the epitome of all I have faid; onely in every particular I have fer down Chrill's actings towards us , and our aCtings towards Chrifl; in various formes, and our-goings of his love he bath aCted towatds us ; and in various formes, and our-goings of our fouls we have been taught fidy and fuirably to aCt towards him. Now in all rhefe actings how doth .the free grace of God in Chrill: appear? Tc are [aved by grace, faith the Apo[Ue, Eph. 2. 5· the decree, the means, the end of our falvarion is grace, and onely grace. The decree is grace, and therefore it is called the eltEfion of gr"ce ; the means are of grace, and therefore we are called according to hu grace; and we are iu.f/ijied freely by his grace. And the end is of grace, for ettrn•l life ;, the gift of God, both beginning, and progrefs, and execmion is all of grace. This is the riches of hisgrace, the excuding, the hyperbolical riches of hisgrace; the con– duiion of all is this, God's free grace which was firfl ddigned, will at !aft be mani– fefl:ed, and eternally praifed by Saints and Angels; rhe fame free grace which from the beginning of the age of God, from everhfl:ing,_drove on the faving plot, and fweet defign of our falvarion, wm at !art be glorified to purpofe; when Heav~ns .inhabi– tants will be ever digging into this golden-mine; ever "rolhng dm foul-dehghnng and precious ll:one; ever beholding, viewing, e~quiring~ and fearching into the excellency of this fame Clm!t, and tlus free grace. Now all 1s done, !ball I fpeak aword for Chrill:, or rather for our felves in relation to Chrifl:; and fo an end? tf I had bur one word more to fpeak in the World, it lhould be this; ~ Oh let all our f~irits be. taken up wirb Chrill! let us not bufie our {elves too much wuh royes, or tnfles, wuh ordt– nary and low things, bur look.. 11nto Jef~~<. Surely Ch.rift is enough to fill all our thoughts, defires, hopes, loves, joys, or whatever IS wnlun us, or wnl;out us; Chr~fl alone comprehends all the circumference of all. our happmefs ;• Chnfl: IS t~e pearle htd in the large field of God's Word ; Chnft 1~ the fcope of all the Smptures; all things and perfon• in the old World were Ttpes of htm; all the Pro~h,ers·forerold him, all God's love runs through him, all the gift~ andgraces of .the Splrtt .flow ~rom him, the whole eye of God is upon him, and all h1s deltgns both tn Heaven and Earth meet in bim; the great delign of God is this, That he might gather tog<lh<r tn on~ all · · thmgs
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=