~ Then is ~ime faid to be full , when all Ages are run out , that God /hall Serm. Xll. come to turn the Glafs, and fet the lower end upwards, as I may fo exprefs it. ~Or if you will have it inGal. 4• 2, the ttme appomted 6y the Father, fo it is called there; it is called the julnefs oftime, in the Fourth Verfe. There is a time faith he, that God bath fer, fo many Ages lhall run out, and when they are run out I will turn the Glafs, and beginanew difpenfation and admini!\rarion of things i;, the World, I will fend my Sell. When umes appointed by God are run out, then is a fulnefsof times, I will give you a Scripture for that Phrafe, it is Luke 2I. 24. he faith, ,7erttfalem jha/1 be troddm dw.m, till thttimes ofthe Gmtiles 6e fillfilled; that is, till the times be expired , that God bath given to rhe Gmtiles to enjoy the Gofpel alone; and when that rime is expired, he will call the Jewr, and till then Jerufalem /hall be trodden down. So that this is the Fir!\ fignificatinn of.it, it is till all times be run out that God bath appointed. Thereisas youknow, theFirflAgeoftheWorld, and the latter Age of the World, you may jullly compare it to your Hour.glafs, when the former Age was expired, when all is run out, and the bottom glafs is filled, then God cometh and turneth up a new Adminiflration, and beginneth another Difpenfarion. In the Second place, It is not only a fulnefs ofTimes, bur is a fulnefs ofSeafons; fotheText barb it. Chrifl came into the World in the Center of Seafons, when the World was ripe, when as all things called for him, the condition both of ,7ew and Gmtile, the full time was come, the Harvefl was ripe, as our Saviour Chrifl cloth exprefs it to his Apoflles. When Chri!\came into the World to begin a new Adminiflra– tion and dif)xmfation of things, it is called a due time, Rom. 5. 6. in due time (or in due feafon, as the word is,) Chrifi dyedfor the tt11godl)·. Nuw, why was it a fulnefs oftime Firfl, and Secondly; why was it a fulnefs of Seafon? It was a fuloefs of Time, why? For the World had fiaid long for it, they had flaid Four Thoufand years, before the ~/]iah of the World came, Great Actions have long delaies, fo God cloth order things in his Difpenfations, great Mercies havelongdelaies; the greatefl Mercy that ever was, had Four Thou– fand years after it was promi(ed, and then came the fulnefs oftime. But why a fulnefs of Seafon? Why my Brethren, it was a fit Seafon for the Jews, and it was a fit Seafon forthe Gmtiles that Chrifllhould come into the world when he did, and that he lhould flay long before he came, It was a fit feafon for the Jews, for the Church of God, (which was only confined to the Jews,) they were as a man to grow up by degrees, to be a Child firfl, and tl1en to grow up to Youth; and when a full Age was come , then to receive their Inheritance. This is the very reafon the Apoflle givcrh, Gal, 4· 2, 3· which refpeCl:eth the ."fews; he compareth the .7ewijhChurcl1 there,God's firH Church, to a Child, though an Heir, but an Heir under age. This Heir, fattb he,fo long as he 11 aChz!d,dtlforeth11othmg from a Servant,6ttt be iS1mder T11tors mtdGover~tortrs. He is under the government, under the difpenfarion of what? Under the elements of the World, under his A 6 c ; for fo was Mofes Law. :rhe Churc!J of God was an Infant, and was to grow.uf by degrees; firfl to learn Its letters, Its A be; for fuch,Ifay,was the Ceremoma Law,the types ofit, And then came 'David and the Prophets, and led them up further; but the Church was not grown to Man's eflate till Chrifl came: what followeth then ? Whm theftillle{s of time was come ( ver(e 4.) God Jent his So11, madeof a Wo– wtall, t:!Sc. It was fit that the Jewijh Church, or whoever was a Church, it was fit they lhould forawhtle be under Non-age, and have a difpenfation, anOeco– nomv, a difpenfation that was fit for a Child; but when they were come up unto Man's ellatc, then the great Heir of the World, Chrifi himfelf, their elder Bro– ther, ~ometh into the World to bellow their Inheritance upon them. In the Second place, It was a fit feafoo in regard of theGelltiles too: For you know I fn id, it was to gather together all thi11gs o11 Earth, not .7ews only, but Gmtiles, as I have expounded. Now God ordered, that Chrifllhould not come into the world, till about the time he meant to have t he Geutiles called; and there was great rea[on that he lhould flay the Expenmcnt of many thouf.1nd years,
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