An Expojition of the Epiflle r-......J\/\ that the Angels have in Heaven, and that the Saints. have on Earth, what is it ? Semt. VI. lt is nothing to him. 'Job. ll'· 7, 8. If tbo11 /;eeft Rtghteotls, wbat grvejl tbo,. ~ bim? or wbat receivetb he of tbi11e hat~d1 Thy Righteoufiufs may proft a M ,m as tbo11 art; but it can never profit God, he is blelled in himfel!; Nay I go fur– ther; our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chri!t added nothing unto God by all that he did or fuffered. 'Tis true, he fets forth the glory of God, but he addeth nothing ro God. Pji11. 16. 1. My Righteoufi~ejs reacbetb 1101 to thee. It is Chri!t that fpeaks thofe words, for that Pfalm is a Pfalm of his Refurrection, and is quoted to that purpofe by the.Apo!tle, in Aefs2. 22,23. Now,fays he, my goodnefs ex– tends not to thee,O Father ; it only reacheth to the Saints that are on Earth, to do them good, but as for thee, thou art above it. Therefore it mu!t needs be God's own Will, and his meer Will that moved him to prede!tinate any. Fall we therefore down before this great God, in that he minded us to choofe us,notwith– lhnding he was compleatly happy in himfelf before the World was, and could have continued fo fiill; and all his works add nothing unto him, for if they did, he would have made them fooner, he would certainly have created them from everlafling. But he let almo!t an Eternity of time run out, ere he put forth his hand to make any of them, for indeed he had no need of them, The three Per– fon.s delighted one in another from all Eternity, and needed no companions elfe fave themfelves. God cared not for what the Creature could add unto him, no– thing moved him to Elect us, but meerly the good pleafure of his Will. Objerv. 4· IV. You fee here that God Prcdeflinated us; for the praife oftbe glory of hi& Grace. God's glory therefore is more interelled in our Salvation then our own good is, for not our benefit comes in here in the mention of what moved God , but the praife ofthe glory ofhis grace only.You thinkit fodifficult a thing to work God off to fave you; why,he hath that in him which moveth him now, and did move him fram everlaf\ing to do it? He bath the glory of his own grace to move him to it, This is to us the greate!t ground of fecurity in the World, that God's glory is intreifed with our good. Eph. r. 1 2. Tbat we fhouJd be to thepraif• of hhglory who frflbelieved 011 (briji.Wilt thou come and believe/ Thou can!t not do God a better turn, for this advanceth the praife of the glory of his grace; and God is for this reafon more moved to fave thee, then thy heart can be to be JilVcd thy felf. Obferv. S'. V. I told you it was the highefr pleafure ofhis Will ; nothing pleafed him fo as this. Obferve then, that of all things elfe which God purpofeth; this, even to fhew grace to poor Sinners, pleafeth him the mofl. He willeth many things,and he works all things by the counfel of his own Will; but this is according to the good pleafi1re of his Will, There are many Scriptures to this purpofe. fn tbeje tbi1Igs ([peaking of Acts of mercy,) 1deligbt, Jer. g. 24. Mercy i< hh delight, Micb. 7· Yea his delights are faid to have been in this before the World was Pro. 8. Jr. where betides this there is nothing elfe mentioned. > Obferv. 6. VI. Obferve, that God bath fer up his Son ([for bim] faith the). verfe,) and his own free grace( [1o tbfpraifeoftbeglory of bi<grace,]faith verfe 6.)thefe two are to fhare the glory between the_m; even Jefus Chrifr, and himfelf.If Chrift had not been his Son,and equal with himfelf,he would never have done it.No Creature fhall have a ll1are in this glory, but all things are ordained for, his Son and for the praife of the glory o! his own free grace. And accordingly, he bath wrought faith in our hearts to give all the glory unto free grace and to his Son. If youihad been faved by Love, that would have been diminifhing from free grace, and from Chri!t ; and fo would Works and Duties. But Faith, that is a principle fully fui– ted to God's own intent; which is, to fet up his Soo and free grace, and to mag– nifie thefe two. You fhalllind in Scripture, that God is faid to be an i11 all, and fo is Chri!t faid to be all i11 all too; {or thefe two ll1are all the glory between them, that fo men may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father, (as I [aid even now.) In the 1 Cor. 8. 6. the Apoflle fays, To tM there u lmt ollf Godthe Fatl~r, of whom.1re all tbings, a11d we for him, (as you have it in your Margins,) a11d o11e Lord Jefiu CbriJt, by whom are all tbi11gs, a11d we by him, Here(you fee) theyH1are it between them, only with this difference;- that all things are fa id to be of Godand by bim too; bt!t all things arc not faid to be of Jejits Chrij/, but only 6)• hmt. We
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