Chap. z .Se&.7 Looking u1:1to 1eft14, Booic IV· 3·\7 ven ? you fee now he is manifefl:ed in flefh, and he hath laid out a world of glory in that ; but the Apoftle tell us ofanother manifeftation, for we foal! fee him as he is; he {hall at !aft be manifeft 1 John J. :.1 in himfelfe, now we fee through aglaffe dark.§ly ,but then face to face, now we kpow in part, but then fo,zl! we k_now even ds "'fo we are k._nown. To what an height ofknowledge or manifefiation this doth arife,I am now to feek, and fo 1muft be whill.l: I am on this fide heaven;but this I believe,the manifefl:ation of God and Chrifl: is more in heaven, then is, or ever hath been, or ever !hall be uponearth; thi"neeyesfoa!lfee theKing in his beauty, orin hinra.n17 glory,faith Efay; there is agreat deal of difference betwixt fl!eing the King in his ordinary, and feeing him in his robes, and upon his throne, with his Crown on his head, and his Scepter in his hand, and his Nobles about 4im in all his glory; the fir!l: openings ofChrift are glorious, but, 0 what will it be to fee him in his greateft glory that ever he will manifeft himfelfe in ? we ufually fay that workmen do th'eir meaneft work at firft, and ifthe glorious incarnation of Chrift be but the begi·nning of Gods works in reference to our fouls falvation, what are thofe !aft works? 0 my foul weigh all thefe palfages, and make an applicatio·n of them to thy felfe, and then tell me if yet thou hail: not matter enough to raife up thy heart, an4..to fill it with joy unfpeakable, and full ofglory; when the wifemen faw but the ftttr of Cbrift, Mmb. z: xo ~ they rejoyceri with an exceeding great joy, how much more when they faw Chrifi himfelfe? your father Abraham ( faid Chrift to Johns. $6 theJewcs) rejoycedto{eem7day, ar1dhejawit and wasglttd; he · faw it indeed, but afar off with the eyes of faith ; they afore • Chrifr had the promife, but we fee the performance, how then fhould we rcjoyce? how glad fhouldfr thou be,O my foul,at the fight, and the effeCl: ofChrifts incarnation? if 'fohn the Baptift could leap for joy in his mothers belly when Chrifr was but yet in t1ie'womb, how fhould thy heart leap for joy, who canft fay with the Propliet, unto me a child is berne, and unto me a Jon is ~;v~n ? if Simeo;: \yaiting for the con(olarion of lfrael took_ him. up Luke :.. 1~ 1n h1s armes for JOY, and blefJed God; how fhoulddl: thou W!th · joy imbrace him with both armes who knowe£1: his coming in the flefh, and wl1o haft heard him come in the Gofpel, in the richeft and moft alluring exprdfions ofhis love? If the Angels of God, Yy .z Y~~
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