170 Book IV. JLroamg unto jlefu!). Chap. r . .)ed.2. nGw in comparifon of what have been formerly? h-o-w-do_r_h_rhe L;;rd fer forti~!; free Love and free Grace in the Churches of Chrif\ ? no quefiion bur many former ages have enjoyed their difcoveries in fome fweer meafure, and yet after-ages wonder that they have known no more ; and how much of th: Kingdom of h•aven do Saints find in this Age, as if there were a new mantfefiation of God unto the world? and yet I moll: tell you, that the ages to come lhall kflow more of this Kingdom, there fl 1 aH be further and further openings of this great myftery of Grace unto the fons of men _. Mark the Apof\le, that in the ages to come ht might fhew the excuding riches of his grace, in hu kj_ndnefsto~vards m thrMgh refm Chrijf, Eph. 2. 7 0 How IS this? had not God revealed Grace enough in the former ages? or had not God revealed Grace enough in that pref<nt age? did he not then call in the Gentiles? were not maoy thoufands con– verted at one only Sermon ? what a deal of that Grace had Paul himfelf received? he tells us that th• Grace of our Lord {e(iu Chrift WM e.~ceeding abundum to him-wards– and is there yet more Grace to be revealed? 0 yes! herein lies the myftery of Grace' that he bath referved exceeding riches of Grace for the ages to come ; Grace that never~ faw Light before ; and I believe there is yet afuller Magazine of the Riches of his Grace forlatter ages, even forthe ages 10 come, to be difcovered, than ever was yet. Oh then repent, repent; why? for the J(ingdom of heaven u at hand. The very openings of Gods 'love and grace unto fouls, is away and motive to draw our fouls lilltO God. Or, take the Kingdom of heaven forthe preaching of the Gofpel to all Nations, Jews and Gentiles, what fears and jealoufies may this breed in us as well as the Jews: 0 boaft not againft the Branches! it may he thou wilt fay, th• Branches rr<re brokgn off, that I might be grafTed in : well; buaufo of unbelief they were brokgn of[, and thou jfandejf by f~>ith ; be not high-minded, bm fear: For if God [pared not the natural Branches, takg heed l<jf he alfo (pare not thee. Behold therefore the goodnefs and fcverity of God; on them whichfelt foverity: but torV<trds thee, goodnefs, if thou contimte in hugoodnefs; other– wife thoJt fhalt becnt off, But I will not dwell on this : my defign is to conlider of Je– fus, and of the tranfadions of Jefus in reference to our fouls health: now John's Ser– mons were only a preparative to the manifeftation of Jefus; he w~s only the Forerun– ner of Chrift, and not Chrif\ himfelf, as himfelf wirneffeth. ..z 'fim~ r. 14. S E C T. III. Of the Baptifm of {efru. 2.fOr the Baptifmof Chrill:. He that formerly wascircumcifed, would now be baptized . he was circumcifed to fandifie his Church that was, and he was baptized tofandifiehi'sChurchthat lhould be; we find him in both Tdlamenrs opening a 1vay into heaven. This was the firfi appearing of Chrifi in reference to his Minif\e.riai Of– fice; he thatlay hid in the counfel of God from all eternity, and he that lar lud tn the wombofhisMotherforthefpace of fony weeks, and he that lay lnd m Nt!Z.arethfor the fpace of thirty years ; now at !ail: be begins to iltew himfelf to the world, and he comes from Gali/ee to Jordan, to John io be hdftiz.ed •f him. The day was but a lmle broke in {ohn the Baptift, but Chrift the Son ofrighteoufnefs foon entred upon our Hemifphere, indeed now was the full time come, that jefus took hts leave ?f Ins Mo– ther, and his Trade, to begin his Fathers work, in orde: to the RedemptiOn of the World. For the clearer underftanding of Chrifts B•pufm, we il1all examtne thefe Particulars.-- 1. What reafon had ChrHl to be baptized? 2. How was it that {olm knew him to be Chrifi? 3. Wherein was the glory of Cbrifis Baptifm ? . +· What was the Prayer of Chrift, at, or after his Bapufm ? 5· Why was irthattheholyGhof\defcendedon Jefus? . . _ ) 6. Upon what account was it thatthe holy Ghof\ lhould reveal htmfelf at thtsnme. and why in the form of a Dove rather than fome other form? . . . 1 • What reafon bad Chrift to be baptized? we find John lumfelf wondenng _at r!HS; !have ncedtobebaptiz.cdof thee, and comejl thou to me?. Many Re~fonsare gtven for Chrifls Baptifm: As, r. That by this fymbole he mtght enter htmfel_f mto. the fo– ciety of Chriftians · jufllike a King to endear himfelf tO any City of hts SubJeCt;, ldte ' ' - - conde~cen s
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