230 Epheffan.r, Chapa. V E R,7, with patience, know that all thefe are nothing worthy of the life to come. And as the heir withina monethof his lands, taketh fuch a delight in thought thereof, that it furprifeth all prefent extremities: So let the certainty and unfpeakable felicity of the life to come fo Reel thee throughout , that the frowning of all creatures may be fleighted offas matters of nothing. Yfe 4. Pray for the Spirit, which teacheth us to know what are our hopes Keep this hope kept for us in the heavens ; for wherea mans hope is, thither will in light. his foul look out, and be more there,then where he is bodily pre- t Joh.33. fens. This is it which will make us ?Urge ourfelves. It is the fpur of a&ion ; men work cheerfully when they know an ample reward Luke tß.4e. abideth them: o that you knew (faith Chrift) the things which concern Dm. t. lo. your peace! Prize the Gofpel,by it immortality isbrought to light.called riches of the Go/fiel. VERs. 7. VERB. 7. That he might 'hew in theages to come, the exceeding riches of his grace, through his kindneffe towards us in Chrifi lefus. The end followeth, [That he ?Wight fhew in tomes to come, 8-c.] We mutt here confider, r. the time, 2. the grace it felt, 3. wherein it ftaadeth ; in kindneffe manifefted through Chrift. The times] loth note out all the time infuing this infant wherein the Apoftle did write ; but efpecially thofe times wherein thefe things which Chrift hath purchafed for us, fhall be applyed in us : fo that taken thus, it doth let us fee a great difference twixt thefe times and the former. Thefe times which are to come,aretimes ofrefrcfh ing, the riches ofGods mercie, and Thall be more and more mani- c Corinth. 6.z felled: thefe are the dayes offalvation, the acceptable time; now the rt.z.tt. grace of God bath appeared ; now that love of God tomankinde hash appeared : the graceof God was hid in a myfterie before. The Law J°h' I' 17. was given by c tofes, but Grace and Truth came by lefus Chrift. Doff. Obferve barer, that the dayes finte Chrifl, andof the Geld, are the Dayes of the moll glorious,.bleffed, and happy dayes that did ever /hive onto the earth. óofpel, the happielt dayes Of ail that great bodyof time, which lyes between the creation and the end of the world, this is the beft. Time, as of it felf,is not any wayes aliveor produdlive of any real! effeas, becaufe it is a kinde of quantity ; -fo neither intrinfecally impreflioned with difference, or degrees of excellencie or illneffe, but according to thethings done in that time, good or bad. Theft latter times then, that are crowned with fo much honour and bleffedneffe, are naturally no better then the dayes of the Pro- phets, or the darker times of Sacrifice and Ceremony ; but it is the more reali, adluall,and vifible openingof the myfteries of Gods rich grace, which doth innoble,fweeten, and glorifie them. Now theex- cellencieof this time of Chrift is magnified with many high attribu- tions everywhere in the Prophets, Ifa. 24.21,2 3. chap.z s.6,&c. Ifa. 6o.9. and62.3. and 66.1o,$tc. But ofthis we Iball fpeakmore when we come to the r4, and r ç verfes. Dort. Again , confider the times to come, they are times wherein this fhall
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