Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v1

An Expofttion of tbe Epiftle ~ Now think with your felves this; it is riot a fmall deal of Glory that will Ser. XXI. conttnt.God as his Inheritance, for if he mean to ma.nifeft himfelf, he will do it ~likeGod. . Ahajiurus, when he made a Feaft' , he would d<? it like a King, to jhew forth the richrs of his glorious Ki11gdo1n, and the ho~zou~ of his exceO~nt .Majefly, as Eflb.1.4. . Now therefore, when God lhall fet htmfelf.to glonfie himfelf to the uttermoft, .and all that Glory that he meaheth to·glonfie hunfelf in, fhall be in the Saints, and their glory ll1all be his Inheritance; what will this rife to ? To explain this to you in a word, There is an Elfentia! happinefs and Glory in God, which none can fee; Thou canjl not fn my Glory, faith he, Exod.33.2o. And there is a manifeftative Glory that arifeth out of his works, Now this Manifeftative Glory he counteth his Inheritance, as well as the other; .My Glory I wilt 110t give to a11otber. He hath formed all for his Glory, that is, for the manifeftation of his Glory, he counteth it his, his incommunicable; it is his Inheritance. . Now then, if that God will fhew how glorious a God he is, by lhewing how glorious a Creature he can make; how glorious muft thofe Creatures be! Efpe• cially when their Glory muft tome up to be an Inheritance to God, that he may fay, La, I have a goodly heritage. He that is the great God, and bath fuch vaft delires of Glory, fhall fay, I am fatisfied, here I will reft; this is mlne In– heritance that I will live upon for ever, even the Glory that I have beftowed ttpon thefe Souls in Heaven. Think with your felves what thefe things are; \I' hat the ricbts of thtglory of his Inheritance is in tke Sai11ts. ' My Brethren, It is the !aft of his works : He takes this World here for none of his inheritance, he will butn it to Alhes, confume it, turn it to its old Chaos 1 he takes Devils and Wicked men and flingeth them to Hell, they are loft, they are cut off from his hand, they are none of his Inheritance. He takes Chrift and the Saints up to Heaven and glorifieth them; Here is mine Inheritance, faith he, here is my reft. As when he had made this World, which was to be but atype.of this which is to come; he looks overallthathemade, and\heText faith, He was rtfrefhed, El!Od.p. 17. Now God will fling this World away, he flings wicked Angels and Men away, they are loft, they are gone from him, he hath no more to do wi.th them ; he teckorrs not of them, he reckons them as tifufe things, as Lumber which he only layeth by for the fire. Then he takes the Saints up to Heaven, and there he te!leth, keepeth ap eternal Sabbath; therefore it is called Entri11g into his rtfl, that is the phrafc Pfal,g).). Oh, my Brethren, what is thatthink you, what Glory muft that be that muft come up to be an Inheritance for God to reft in for ever! In all thefe fenfes this particle here, His Inheritmzu, or Inheritanct of him, what doth it atile to? 'the Lord open the eyes of ouru>Jtlerjlandilzg, that · we may know what the riches of the glory of his Inheritance is, I hav'e but one thing more to handle, and that is, In the Saillts; He meanethj ils Camera bath well obferved) Sai11ts per[ef1, for they are the Subjeds of this Glory. It is plain he meaneth fa by what followeth in the next Verfe, for when he fp_eaks of Saints below on Earth, he changeth his phrafe, That; ·ou may k11ow, that 1s, here below, tht greatne(I of hu power to ·us-ward thc1t believe. So that !'ere_may be this cafi in lil~ewife to make Heaven a glorious condition, That. ~en s Spntts, to polfefs all th1s, lhall ~e made peyfedly holy. The Spirits of ;ujl men (fmh he) madt pe~fet1, It 1s an Inhentance in the Saints; I Jbatl 6eho!d (fa1th he) thyfa.ce mrztthteoujnefl, when I awakt, at the Refurrection, Pjai.I7·'r· There 1s nothtngbutperfeCl:Holinefs there. . Ilt'n that is not the thing I aim at. But let us confider He~ven from hence too, what the riches of hu glory muft needs be that God hath provided for Saints; take an Argument from them. I will give you an inftancc of ir. You heard before, that the Earth God bath given to the Children of men, but the Heaven of Heave~s he. hath referved for his Saints: vyell, raife up your thoughts now, Th1s J,::arth here hath many good thtngs m 1t, there is abun· dance of Glory and fl.iches in it, fo much as the truth is, it draweth all the hearts of the Sons of men after ir, To whom hath he given this Earth? To the

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