Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

Of the I(t]oTPleig of {jod the Father, ~ BooK Ill Scconly, Whilfl: the World fl:ands, he governs it, eafeth God ofthat Burthen ~ and is his 'Prorex for him: All Judgment is committed to the Son, Job. 5· 22 : For the Father jndgeth JJO Man; but bath committed all 'Judgment unto the Son: And the Government is upon his Shoulders, !fa. 9· 6. For unto"' aChild is born unto"" a Son if given, and the Government fhall be upon his Shoulders : and hi; Name jhall be called, Wonderjit!, Counjellor, The Mighty God, the Everlafling Fa– ther, the 'Prif;ce of'Peace. He entr~d upon the Kingdom when Man fell,. for by virtue of the Covenant of Works gtven by the Father, at the Creauon, tt mu!t have been deflroyed ; but he undertook it, to order things fo, that a greater Re– venew of Glory fbould in the end arife to God, out of the Confufions and Sins of Men in the World, and in executions of Punifbments, and by Providences meeting with Men according to their own Ways, then fbould have rifen to God out ofthe State oflnnocency in a direct way; and what infinite Wifdom,Power, Providence, Juflicc, Patience, &c. even all forts ofglorious Perfecrions cloth he {hew forth in this Adminifl:ration, and Ordering Things, and the Affairs of this finful World. This Lord raigneth, though the Earth be never fo unquiet, as the Pialmill fpeaks, J>fol. 99· I. Rev. 5· 2. there is a Proclamation made, who would take that Book out of the Hand ofhim that fate upon the Throne, and that Book is a Commiffion to execute the Things decreed and written therein, and the taking of it was an undertaking fo to do; and Cbrirl: the Lamb having ftvcn Horns ofPower, and feven Eyes ofProvidence, fent out into all the Earth, by which be both views and governs all, he undertook it, and is God's King and the Executioner of all God's Decrees. · . And then, Thirdly, When he bath thus governed the World with a greater Advantage tmto God, then this Man Chrifi Jefus will judg it alfo at the lalt, and give all Men their Accounts, At1s 17. 3I. He bath appointed a Day in the which ht will judg the World, by tbat Man whom he hath ordained. The Decree or Ordain· ing Chrifl: Gqd-Man fervesfor this a\fo; the Father, 'Job. 5· 22. is faid to judg no Man, that is, vi!ibly, fob perfona j11dicis, but bath committed all to this Man Chrifl Jefus, who at prefent is ready, lays the Apofile 'Peter, to judg the quick and the dead, having all the Accounts ofthe World afore him, I Pet. 4· 5· God would not employ a meer Creature in this Work, it was too great an Honour; and yet it was meet it !hould be done vifibly and audibly, and to the Satisfaction of all Men's Confciences, both concerning themfelves, and others. God would have a Pcrfon in the Trinity, manifefl in a Creature like unto us, to do it, armed with Power and Authority, becaufe he is God, that every Knee fhall bow afore him, both ofThings in Heaven and Earth, and under the Earth (which to a meer Creature had bten too much ;) and yet a Man, that {hould deal with Crea– tures in judging them in their own way, in a rational and audible way convince them, and vilibly fentence them, fo as they !honld be able to fee aAd hear their Judg as Man, and yet fear and dread him as being God. And this is an high and great Service, which Cbrifi as Man fball do for God, for a Man in a vocal manner to be able to cleJr the Accounts of the World, which, how entangled are they ! and punClually to give every Man his due in Righteoufnefs. A Man that !hall be able to convince all God's Enemies of all their hard Speeches they have fpoken againft him, as Enoch the feventh from Adam prophefied, able to give a full and f.1tisfacrory account of all God's Ways and Proceedings, which Men cavd at, to jnUify God's Decrees, which Men <JUarrel with, and think much at, and his Children whom Men defpife and bear down: One able to bring to Light the Secrets of all Hearts, fo a• all Men !hall judg of every Man, I Cor. 4- 5· Therefore judg notl-ing before tbe Time, until tbe Lord come, who both will bring to Liglt tl'ehidden Thiugs ofDarlzneji, and will mak.§ manifdl the Counfels of the HcariJ: tmd thm foal/ cveryM•n have J>raife of God. One able to fearch the deep Things of God, and bring forth his Counfels, (for the Books are then opened, 1/ev. 20. I2.) and lay open the Depths ofhis Wifdom, in fuffering thts and that to fall out; this Man to be puni!h'd,and another,a greater Sinner than he, to dcape; this Kingdom to be ruin'd, and another, as finful, to f!ourilh; and to make th>t glorious Comment upon the obfcure Text of this World's Providence, which

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