Book IV. 1L001Ung unto 'jjdu.S. Chap. 2.SeCl:. 1. 499 this work of comfort and joy is of the nature of fuch priviledge> as God vouchfaferh at one time and not at another; and hence it is that a Chriftian may have grace, and a Chrillian may know himfelf to be in the flare of grace, and yet m regard of comfort God may be gone. Thu~ it wa~with Job, he knew his Redeeme~ hved, and he ~efolved to truft in him though he ktlled htm; he knew he was no hypocnre, he knew Ins graces were true • notwith!hnding all the objections and imputations of his friends, they could not difpure him Ollt of his fincerity, My righteoufnefs /hold faft, and will n~t let Job>7.6. itgo; yet for the prefent he faw no l•ght f~omheaven, b_ur he was tn a fore and aHitcte_d condition till it pleafed the lord to reveallnmfelf m fpeml favour umo htm. Now thts wo~kof joy ufually comes not till after faith; and many experien~e>of God's love, and much waiting upon God. Thcfe are the fevera! works of the Spmrs fealmg. . But why isit that we can nenher actually beheve, nor can know that we beheve, nor can enjoy peace and joy in believing, without a fref11 and new aCt of the Spirit? I anfwer, becaufe the whole carriage of a foul to heaven is above nature, where the Spirit makes a ftand, we ftand, and can go no farther; wit~ol!t the hel~ of the Spir!t we can neither make prem•ffes, nor conclude for our felves; Jt ts the Sptrtt that fanctl" lies, and wirneffes, and feats our fouls ltntothe day of redemption. Many other Reafons may be rendred, but I Jhall fpeak of them in the end of rhe Spiritsmiffion. Thus far we have propounded the .object, viz.. the Afcen!ion of Chrift, the Seffion of Chrift at God's right hand, and Chrift1s million of the holy Gholl · our next work is to direct you how to look unto Jefus in thefe refpects· ' r C H A P. II. S E C T. I. Of ftno"IJ'ing jefus as carrying on the great_ worlz of our falvation in his Afcen.fton, Sejfion, and Mij]ion of the Spirit, I. LET us k_no_w .(eft« carry~ng?n the great wo~k _of our falvarion. for us in his .A,fcenfion mro Heaven, mhts SeJiion at Gods rtght hand, and m hisMiffion of rJle holy Gho!l; thefe are points of great ufe, if thefe rranfaetions had not been, where had we been? rhefe are points of highefi [peculation if thefe tranfactions had nor been, where had Chrill been? after his humiliation, her~in lay i:he exaltation of his glorious Perfon, he was exalted above the Earth, above rhe Clo.uds, above the Stars, above the Heavens, above the Heavtns of Heavens. 0 rhe glorious Maje!ly of our King Jefus, as fitting down at God's right hand! our falvarion is the greareft myftcry that ever was, it being made up of the various workings of rhe glory of God; for us men, and for our falvarion Chrift was incarnate, and came down from Heaven ; and for us men and for our falvation Chrift was exalted and wem up in– to Heaven. Here is an object of admiration indeed, the very Angels at the light of it flood ad,miring and adoring ; it rook up their heart, aflonilbed their underflanding; furely it was the bleffedfl fight that ever the Angels did, or could behold; come then, a~d 0 my foul do rhou rake aview of rhar whic~1 they admire, the defign is nor fo p>in– ctpally concerning P.ngels, as thy felf; they are in it only as afar off, and in general • bur it conc~rns thee in fpecial aqd particular ; and therefore ftudy clofe this Argamenr: and know tt forrhy felf. Study firft the Afcen!ion of clu·ift, how, and whither, and why he afcended. 2. Study the Sefilon of Chri!l at God's right hand; 0 the mines, the riches of that fpiritual heavenly knowledge! 3. Study the Miffion of the holy Gho!l; not a circumftance in it, but deferves rhy fiudy; worlds of wea_lrh (ten rhou– fand umes. berterthan gold, or lilver, or precious !lo?es, "_'•Y be found m the diggings of thefe mmes; have nor many Students bear out thm brat~s on leffer fubjects? what endeavours have there been to dive inrothe fecrersof Nature? What volumes have bd:n written of Phylicks, Met~phyficks, Marhematicks? and is not this fubject, Chrifi? is nor every of the~e fubjeC!s, Chrift's Afcen!ion, Chrill:'s tdiffion of the holy Spirit of G g g more
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