:28 2 An ExpofttiOil of the Epift!e -----:---- -::--:--;:--;-·- ----- - ----- ~ I Anfwer, Herein lieth t~eiruttermo!l:knowledge of it, by. that little they Ser,XXll. feel and believe, for they fee lt paffeth the1r knowledge,and that IS lt wh1ch takes ~ their heart fo much. The very Objefrion cloth prompt matter to my anfwer, 1 Anfwer that Objefrion with that which the Apo!l:le faith, Ephtj. 3· 18, 19: He prayet1 1 that they may be able to comprehend wuh a119auits, what 1s the breadth the length and depth and height, and to know the love of Chri!l:; (but he ad. deth,) which paffeth ktwwledge, So that now to fay that Heaven palieth know. ledge, that it is the Hiddm Mamza, the Mmmam the Pot, (for that is meant by the Hiddm M,mms, the Manna that was h1d m the Ark, wluch 1,10 man ever faw after it was put there,) to fay that 1t 1s wtthJO the Valfe, unto wluch no man entred, (as the Apo!Ue's allufion is in the Hebrtws.) .Their knowledge lieth in this, that it palfeth knowledge, and yet they are fa1d to know tt, wt know i11 part faith he, but they know fo much of it, that it fwalloweth up all their thoughts in the tall: and apprehenfion they have about 1t. And fo much for the Fir!l: Obfervation concerning this knowledge, what is the rzchrs of his[,;. herita11ce the Apojlleprayethfor. • The Second Obfervation I make about it is this. That to have a ta!l:ing know• ledge what Heaven is, is one ot thofe things that have the greate!l: efficacy to carry on the heart to holinefs. Why cloth the Apo!l:le mention that when he would fet himfelf to pray? His aim is to pray them holy, and to fit them for Heaven; you fee he inferteth this, he prayeth that they may know wha.t the glo· ry ofHeaven is, and have working thoughts filling their hearts continually about it. I will only give you one,ana that the highe!l: iil!l:aoce for this. It is the in!l:ance of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chri!l:. What was it that had a mighty power up– on his heart to beat out all his fufferings, to be obedient to the death,to the deatli of the Crofs? The Apo!l:le telleth us in Heb. 12.2. Looki11gto Jrfusthe Author andfitti}her of ot/Y Fatth, who, for thejoy that was [et btfore him, mdttrtdthe Cro[s, deJPifingthejhame, and ts Jet down at the right h,md of the Throne of God. I know that the words may be read as well,that m!l:ead of the joy which he might have had, he did indure the Crofs; but this Interpretation futeth moft with the Coherence, with what went before! that for tht joy, apprehending what joy that was that wa~ fet before him, he 1ndured the Crafs, and defpifed the !hame; it was that wluch bore h1m up. That th1s IS the fcope of the Apo!l:le appearetlt by the connefrion of this Chapter with the former. In the former Chapter he had !hewed'how by faith all the Saints had lived; he in!l:anceth how they fought a Countrey, profe!l: themfelves !hangers, their eyes were upon Hea– ven !l:ill; he in!l:anceth in all the Patriarchs, in Mofes who did choofe rather to fuffer affiifrion with the People ofGod, e!l:eeming the reproach of Chrifi grea– ter riches than the treafures of Egypt: for he had rcfped to the recompence ofre– ward. Now, intheconclufion, ofall, when he had broughtinallhiscloudof witne!Tes that liv.ed thus by faith,and eyed the recofnpence ol reward; he brincr. eth in loll: ofall Chri!\ himfelf, whO/ikewife (faith he,) for the joy that wasJ~t before him, e11dt1red the Crofs, ~c. My Brethren , when our Saviour Chrift came to die, when he flood before the Htgh-Priefl to anfwer for his life; the Higb-Pritf/ asked h1m~hether he were the Son of God or no? He lmew the words would condemn h1m, yet he would fpeak them, Nevtrthe!e[s, ( faith he,) )'OtJjhtl~ Jet the So11 of Matt come i11 hisglory. It upheld ~im in his fuffering, he fpeaks 1t as to da!h them, fo to comfort htmfelf: For that ;oy which he had then in his eye, he indured the Crofs, and he defpifed the fltame. Our Saviour Cbrifl: he had a reprefentation made him of all the glory of the world, fo as never yet man hael of it, either before him or lince; Satan that is the God of the world, took him up into a high Mountain, on.purpofe to make Land-sl>ips in the Air, of th~ glory of the world, a!];d caufed 1t all to pafs before him ; it !'loved him ~ot tillS, But God fetteth the glorJ of Heaven before lum, and tills rrtoveth h1m, and for that glory, and forth~t joy, he endured the Cr·ofs,.. he defpifed the flume, fo great an incouragement IS lt. Nay. I Willgo further With you Brethren , un– der enduring the Crofs is not meant only bod1ly death,but it is enduring the wrath of his Father, he was content to endure hell it fclf, fo far forth as the Son of God was
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=