Of Eietlion, ~ a compleat work for kind, of all forts of Graces, bearing the whole Image of ~God himfelfin that refped : And thntashimfelt; the God of all Grace, is the Author ofit, from hence alfo he is the more engaged to perted it. If you lh•ll fee a great and withal a wife Mafler-builder, to have laid a compleat and Univerfal Model, or Area, (as Builders call it) though yet but in the foundations ofir, perhaps nor a foot high, yet univerfally and enr1rcly compleat, and fo rich for the matter ofit, as to be fuppofed ofPearls, and pre– cious Stones, laid m every part 'Qf that Foundation, and alfo fo intire in rho parrs ofit, that it will fe.rve for the foundation ·work ofall, and the whole of a Glorious Pile, and Fabrwk, whereof that ts the Model and beginning; fo as all that is ro follow, or !hall be erected, and fuper!\ructed over it hath a full Foundation of it: You would in this cafe conclude, that certainly'be that had laid fuch a Plat-form, and beflowed fuch a colt on this Foundation, will not Jofe all this, but carry it on, and will build it (though the Builder which he Employs in it, which are our particular [elves, /;uild wllh a Trowel ill o•Jt hand. and a Swordin th'othtr, as Nehemiah did , leafl it lhould be faid )le was ~ foolilh Builder,that w•s not able to linilh it. This is the cafe here upon Called Ones, for not the wife God O>i!J•, but he -who is the God ofattGrace, bath begun a good work in you, he will not lofe the Glory of his Wifdom, but be much more a!Tured, he will never lofc the glory of hi4 Grace, much lefs the glory ofhis being the God ofall Grace, who as fuch hath laid this foundation; 'TwtU the glor7 of hi4 Grace carried on to perfection the Fabrick ofthe Temple (which was one Type of this very Build– ing) ofZertt6ba/;el his building of it with a multitude of difficulties, and inter– ruptions; it is faid, Zach, 4· 9· Tbat he having laid the hundatiDTJ Jlotu of it. (Though it were but one fione for all the refl) (as you know the mannerofMafler Builders is) that he lhoald have the honour to lay the Top– fione, SoVerf. 7· And why 1 That in the end and final iinilhing' ofall, the people all mightlhout, and ~ry, Grace, Grace to it,. That is, Grace had begun it, and Grace had perfected it, and Grace had earned it all along throughout thofe difficulties: Now Brethren, fo 'tis here, you !hall one day have each of you a /;uitding made without ha11ds in the Heavens, 2 Cor.)· 1, 2, And in the mean time the foundations of it are laid in your hearts, according to what the Prophet foretold, lfai, 'i4· ti, 12. 0 that• ajJMted, toffrd withtempeJis, mzd tJOt co1lfttmed: Behold I wz/1 Jay thy.flonts wllh fair Colours, a11dlay thy Fotmdatiom with Saphirs, and I wilt make thy Windows of .Agats, avd thy Gates of Carbmzc/es, a11d all thy Borders of pleafant Hones, fpeakingof the Church of the New Teflament : And fuch every Grace, and the exercifes and encreafes of them are, and fo it is reared and arifeth up above ground in this World, and the whole work and Fabrick of it is undertaken and carried on by God, the God of at/ Grace, who laid not one, but every Foundation-!lone with his own hands immediately, and bath left out no onf of faving Graces, having done it as a God of at/Grace. Oh ye Called Ones, lhout, and lhout aloud for joy, and cry not only GR.ACE, GR.ACE TO IT, as they at the iinilhingofthe Temple, which was but the fhadow of the Temple of God within you. But cry you this Note, ifany, THE GOD OF .ALL GRACE, THE GO'D OF .ALL GR.ACE; that's the New Teflament language, fo far exceeding that of the Old, arid therein blefs him for his All· Juflifying Grace, blefs him for his All-Sanctifying Grate, blefs him for his All-Glorifying Grace whichhe bath catledyott into,as theText bath it thereby, and by all thefe he bath given you the full right and fecurity ofhis Eternsl Glory already. CHAP.
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