- ···-·- --~--------------=:-::------------- j.!,O)ltmg unto jjefu!). Book IV. 1 59 Chap. i- Sect. 7. unto all his Saims for ever; humane nature was never fo advanced before; what? to be ' glorified above the Angels? to be united in a perfonal union with the fecond perfon of the Godhead1 furely hence may be expected great matters; here's afair ftep for the bring– ing of our perfons up to the enjoyment of God; if God be come down m the likenefs of man, why, then he will bring us up into the likenef5 of God; look what was done to opr narur< in Chrif\, the very fame (as far as we are capable) /hall be done to our perfons in heaven. Think of it, 0 my foul, why bath God made fleflt fo ~l~rious, bur to /hew that he wiJJ by that make thee glonous aHo? Chnf\ ts the great Epuome of all the defigns of God, .fo that in him thou maifl fee what thou art ddigned unto, and how l1igh and rich thou Jhalt be in the other world. Beloved, no1v are we the fom of God, and J h it doth notyet appear what t~e Jba/1 be, but we k_notv when he fh~/1 "ppear, we Jhall be liks him; 1 0 n l· '· he is now like us, but then (faith the Apofile) we /hall be like unto him; he_will chawge Phi!. l• 21 • oltr vile body, that it may be fajiHOned liks unto h14 glortous body. Oh conllder what a frame of eternal comfort may we raife up from this ground of Chrift incarnate, God in the flelh? 5. God in the ilelh is the firfl opening of his eternal plot to do us good ; the feed of the womanwas the firil word of comfort tlm ever was heard in the world after man was fallen; the plot was of old, but the execution was not tiil after the Creation, and then was a dim difcovery of it , even in the beginning of time, though no dear manifellation till the fulnefs of time. Well, take it as we pleafe, whether in the beginning oftime, or in the fulnefs of fime, whether in the promife, or in perform~ ance, this difcovering of Chrift incarnate is the fir!t opening of all Gods heart and glo– ry unto the fons of men ; and from this we may raife aworld of comfort ; for if God in the ~xecurionofhis Decrees, begins fo glorioully, how will he end? if God be fo full of love, as to come down in llelh now in this world, Oh what matter of hope is laid up before us, of whot God. will be to us in that world to come? if the glory ofGod be lee out to our fouls fo fully at firfr, what glorious openings of all the Glory of God will be let out to our fouls at laft? Chrif\ians! what do you think will God do with us, or bring U5umo, when we JlJall be with him in h•aven? you fee now he i5 manifef\ed in fle/h, and he h1th laid our aworld 0f glory in that; but the Apol1:le tells us of another I John l· ~. manifeflation, for tve j/,a/1 fee him M h, i<; he lloall at lafr be manifefl: in himfelf; now we fee through ~tgla{sd.<rkj)', bmthm face to face; now we IQ.ow in part, bm then we Jbalt k_now even M alfowe are k_:1own. To what an h<ight of knowledge or manifeflation this doth arife, I am now ro feek, and fo I mull be whilfi I am on this lide heaven; but this I believe, the manifdl:ation of God and Chrifr is more in heaven, than is, or ever hath been, Ha. 3 3. , 7 , or ever lh:dlbe uponearth; thine eyes jha/1 feet he King in his beauty, or in hi<glory,faith Ef'}Y: there is a grear deal of difference betwixt feeiQg the King in his ordinary, and fee1ng him in his Robes, and upon his Throne, with his Crown on his head, and his Scep.ter in his hand, and his Nobles about him in all his glory: the fir!t openings of C~nJl are glorious ; but 0, what will it be to fee him in his gt;e~tdl: glory that ever be ~Ill mamfe~ hi~felf in? we ufqally fay that workmen do their me~nell: work at firf\, and If the glonous Incarnation of Chrifl be bu\ the beginning of Gods works, in reference to our fools falvation, what are thofe laf\ works? · · 0 my foul, w_eigh all th~fe palfages, and make an application of them to thy fdf; ~nd t~en. teil me tf yet thou hafr not matter ·enough to raife up thy heart, and to fill It w.uh JOY !Jnfpeakable and full of Glory ; when the wife men faw but the Star of Mat. •· to. fhrtfl, they re}oyced!Virhan exc~eding gre~t joy ; how much more when they faw Chri!t John s. 56 , f. ltmfdf? Your Father Abraham (fatd Chnf\ t\) th~ Jews) rejoyced to fee my day, and he . aw tt' _and w.uglad; f1e faw it-indeed, bur afar off, with the eyes of Faith; they a- • fore Chrtfr, had the promife, but we fee the performance. how then Owuld we rejoyce? ~owglad lhould~ thou be, 0 my-Soul , at the light anct' effect of Chrifls Incarnation? If John tbe Bapullcould leap for joy in his Mothers belly, when Chrif\'was but yet in the womb, howf!JOuld thy hearr leap for jtJf., who canl! fay with the Prophet, unto l uk••= 1 z, mea Cht'~ u. born,_ and unto me ~Son;. given? if Simeon waiting for the confolatio~ of lfrael, too.~ ht"!up m h14 armdor JOy, {'nd blef!ed God; how !pouldeil: thou With JOY e~brace h~m witbboth arms, whq knowef\ his coming in the flelll, and who haf\ heard hiJn come tn th~Gofpel, in tpe ri.chefland mpjl: alluringexpreffiom of his Love? If the Angels ~f God~ ,y~a, if multitudes of Angels could ling for joy at his birth, Glory Luke 1 • 1 ,, to God m the htghe.ft, _and on earth peace, and good tvi/1 towards men, how much more · lhouldef\ thou; whomtt concernsmore than the Angels, join with them in conforr, and ' - " ling
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