~hap.z.Seet.6 · Lookingunto:jt'[us. Book. 1V. be had yet a further reach of Jove, anq opt of this dark c)oud he lets fall fome g!impfes of another . difcpvery: thefe glimpfes were fweet, but ala.> they were fo dark th~t very few could fpell . them or make any fenfe, or comfortable application of them: but by degrees God hints it out more, pe points it out with the, 'finger by types and tbaddowes, he makes fome models of it in outward cer6monies, and yet fo·hid and dark, that in four thoufand years, men were but gueffing, and hoping through promift>s for a manifefiation of Gods love; this is the meaning of the Apofilc, wl~o tells u~ of !he myftery ~hat was.hid f:om ages, and Co!. 1 , 16 from gene,·arsons, butnow fS made ;manifeft to /,zJ Satms : thiS love • of God wasclud.in the brefi of God from the fons of men for many an age, fo that they k-;.;ew not what to make of thi·s gre.tt deflgne; · I fpeak of the genera!ttyof men, for in refpect of iome · particulars as to Adam, and Abraham, and Mofes, and David, and the Patriarchs, you have heard the Lord made his loves clear to them · in a Covenant way ; and fi,!l the nea·rer to Chri.ft, ~he clelj~er .and demr was th<: Cove~ant of grace. . , 4· At lafr Gnd fully opens himfelfe; in the .fulneffc oftime · God takes the flefb of thofe poore finners which he had fo loved, \ )o ' and joynes it co pimfelfe, and he calls it C hrift, aSaviour; 0 now was it that God defcended,and lay in the womb ofa Virgin; now was it that he is borne as we are borne ; now was it chat he joyned our flefh fo nigh to himfelfe, ~s th~c there is a communicatton of properties betwixt them both, that being attributed co God which is prope to fleili, as,to be.borne, to fuffer; and that / being attr ibuted co fletb which is proper co God, as to create, to redeem : who can choofe but wonder when he chinks of this phraze, that a piece oL fle{h fhould be called God? 01nd. chat God fhould be made fl.t:fh and. dwell amongfi us ? that fleili • tbould infinitely provoke God, · and yet God in the fame flefh fhould be infi nite!} plea fed ? that God fhould veile himfelfe and darken his glorywith our fl::{h, and yet unveile at the fame time the deepefl: and darkefi of his defignes in a comfortable way co our fou!s ? 0 my foul how fhoul J fl: thou conta_ine thy fdfe wi thin thy fd te? how fhouldfl: thou but leap out of thy felfe (ifi may fc) fpe.lk) as one rhac is loft in the admiration of this. love? furely God never manifefted himfelfe in fuch afireine of ' love.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=