Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

34 Of the l(.,nowledg of (jod the Father, ~ for his glorious Connfels and Judgments in the World, ":hich wholly concern'd Bo o K I. the Glory of God, and not himfelf; yet he puts m, I ""Uexalt thee, 0 my God, ~ That is, be reflected upon thi.sWithal, that God, who was fo great a God, was his God, in that high ond near Relatton. Vji. Let us next view the high Privileges, and Divine Difpofitions cif fuch a Soul when raifed up unto this ble!fed Frame. I fo ftate the Terms of what is no~ to follow, in calling them his Privileges, as well as the Divine Out-goings or Dif'poGtions of fuch an Heart: But I !hall not handle thefe two apart, or ac– curately (eve them, but as one and the fame, fpeak promifcuouOy of them. It is the hi Privilege of fuch a Soul, to have all it doth,or can comprehend, to be in God himfelf, to give Glory to him for ; and in doing fo, therewith· all themfelves to glory and rejoice alfo therein, as that he is }itch, and fo great a God, fo ble!fed, fo. glorio111 in Himfelf; and al.though they cannot fee his Glory, and live in this Ltfe, yet all thofe Defcnpttons of htm, whereby he bath made himfelf fo wonderfully known, they have theft afore them, as far as in this Life they may or do comprehend them: Ephef.3. I 8, 19. there is a bei11g made able to comprehend, and to be filled with: all the folnef of God, prayed for by the Apoflle: And it is evidently fpoken of what the Saints may attain in this Life; for it is, whiljl qriji dwells in their Hearts by Faith. And that place !hews, that beyond the apprehenGon of the Love of God in Chrill, and of Chrift's Love, there is a being filled with the fulnef of God himfelf, in fuch a propor– tioi1 and fenfe as this Life is capable of; yet fo, as fuch a thing there is to be at– tained, as !hall juftly bear the Title of this. And becaufe they he writes to (as generally Chri(\ians do) find this to be too high (as indeed it is, if they reflell: upon their ordinary walking and common Experiments it is). Therefore he con– cludes his Prayer with this; Now unto hi11t that is able to do exceeding abHndantly above aU that we as4_, or thin~(_, according to the Power that workgih in 111, &c. For indeed the experience of fuch a frame of Spirit, is an heighth above what we ate able to ask or think, and yet is attainable by the Power that now workgth in us, as it follows.. And _becaufe the genuine ProdutJ, End, and Tendency of fuch an elevation of Heart is to wifh, and to give all Glory to God ; therefore it is he fo folemnly adds, verf. o I. Vnto hint be Glory in the Church, by Chrift ]e– f~~<, throughout all Ages, World withoHI end. Amen. For any ones being filled with all the fulnefSof God, cloth cooftrain the Spirit in whom it is, to give and wifh this Glory to him. As likewife he that is raifed up to that frame of Spirit, thus to give Glory for what is in.God himfelf, that Soul bath all the fulneG in God afore him, to give glory to him for. Now to incite us all to the feeking this high difpofition of Spirit, I !hall, for your encouragement, fpread before you many Inftances of Saints, who have had Hearts to glorify God for all the,fulnefS which is in himfelf. ~ofts, you know, ·delired to fee the Glory of God, Exod. 33· 18. and, fays God, verf.l9· I will makg all my Goodnef paji before.thee; and 1will proclai11t the Name of the Lord before thee. And God caufed bts Glory to ~:afs before htm, .v:rf. n. And according– ly, chap. 34· 5, 6, 7· God proclmms hts Name and DIVIne Nature, in thofe At· tributes of Merciji1l, Strong, Tme, and }if/: Upon which Mofts being filled with this Glory, adored God; verf. 8. Moles made hafle, and bowed his Head tmards the Earth. He made a return of Worfhip unto all this Glory he had feen and heard ; though hkewi[e he put up a Prayer with all, verf. 9· But he adores him purely, for that Glory whtch God had mamfefted to him to be in Himfelf, and in his Nature. ' We}nd many "Pfalms made to glorify God alone by his Works: But in fome other J>faf,m belides, over and above, and before they come to celebrate God for his Works, the "Pfalmifts began firft to celebrate him for what is in his Na– ture, what is in himfelf: Pfal. 10 4- I. 'Bieft the Lord, 0 my Soul· 0 Lord tnJ God, thou art very great, thtm art cloathed 1•ith Hono11r and Majejiy. 'Who coverefl tl>y ft!f w1th L1gbt, a< w1th a Garment. And then he fets him out by his Works tn the reil of the Pfalm, m fo glonous a manner, as in no Scripture more. Like– Wife Pfid. 145· 1, 2, 3· I will extol thee; I will bleft thy Name for ever ~11d ever: Ever}

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=