An Expofition of the Epiflle $-,.X.Vlli' highe!t expreffion, he fpeaks, you fee, the highe!t thing of it, [the exceeding ~ Riches of ~is Grace~ J becaufe it contains the utmo~of hi~ Ends moving him, or . Hfue. of' h~s De!ign mtended,) that mu!t n~ds re!t m nothtng but in the Utlllo!t thamfe!tatton of that <?rac~ ; and where ts that ? In Heaven, no where elfe. The Gofpel revealeth mfintte Grace to us, but the exceeding Riches of Ora !ball be broken up inthe World to come, there is a Referve of it for Eternit~e fuch as we cannot now comprehend. Therefore now here is intended the.actual enjoyment that thofe Saints, which God bath now quickned, and let in Heaven in Chpf!, fhall have m the Ages to come, of thole exceeding Riches of Grace which Chrift bath taken po!Teffion of for them in Heaven. The utmoft of God's Defigns in Man's Salvation, namely, to fhew forth the exceeding Riches of his Grace, ts not attamed, nil Heaven come : therefore thefc words, That in the AgCJ to come he nngbt j/Jcn> forth the exceedmg R1chcs of hi< Grace !hews the actual enjoyment of that which ChriO: bath now taken the po!Teffio~ of for us. And then let me alfo argue from this: Obferve hls Order in difcourfing of our Salvation, which is the fecond thing that he lets himfelf here to let out to us and the exceeding Riches of the Grace of God therein. He fets out Salvation i~ all the gradu~l acco~plifhments of it, till it is made.fully perfell: and compleat. As hts Scope m fhewmg our Mtfery was, to !hew tt m the utmo!t extent ofit, .in all the degrees of it; fo in laying open our Salvation alfo, he takes the fame courfe. Firft, he fhews what is begun upon our own Pcrfons, in quickning of us: He tells us, fecondly, bow Heaven and Rcfurrection is made Cure to us, tho we do not yet enjoy it; v. 6. He hatbraifod IIJ 11p toget!Jel~ and made 111 jt roge· tter in heavenly Plt~w ;, Cbrifl. Now then here in the 7th vcrfe, as the Clofe of all, to perfell: that Salvation, and to fill up what Jcfus Chrifi hath taken poifef– fion of, he !hews how that God will fpend to Eternity the exceeding, the utmo!t Riches of that Graee, there he will fhew it, and then he will bring it forth. God's utmo!t end is not attained, till you Come to this ; and •our Salvation (as I may fo Ipeak ) tbo it is made Cure in Clui!t, is yet uncompleat; but in thofe .Ag~s of Eternity, in the World to come, he will bring forth all his rich Treafure, and then !ball Salvation be compleat, and there fhall be the utmo!t demonfiration of it. So that the Aportle, take but his Scope, cloth clearly hold forth both God's utmoft Defign, of magnifying free Grace, which is not, till in Heaven \VC have had all the Riches of it broken open, and fpent upon us there; it is not · only by quickning of us, and letting us in Heaven in Chrift, which is done al· ready, but it is by fpending at1 Eternity in Heaven with God, and fitting with Chrift for evermore. -And now then (faith he) tho you Epbejans fee a World of Grace in what God bath done for you already, he bath quickned you through his Grace, be bath fet you in Heaven together in Chrift; he hath yet a further and a greater thing for you, which is the end and iifue of all, whereofthefe are the preparative, and that is, That he may ih Ages to come, (which quickning and all tendeth unto,) fhew forth the exceeding Riches of his Grace; the real performance cometh then, which thefe went before to make way for. And fo now having argued from the general Scope of what is in this Chapter, I !ball proceed in opening every part of the Verfe, and every word thereio, and !hew you that they all do give up themfelves to this Interpretation. In the firfi place, Do but take the Coherence with the words immediatly before; he tells us, that God bath fet ns in heavenly 'Places ifl Chrifl, that in the Ages tq come he might foew forth, &c. The meaning is to me clearly and plainly this, as if the Aportle had laid, Our Lord and Saviour Cbrift bath taken up your Rooms for you in Heaven, there he fits, and that degree of Glory wpich you !ball have at the Refurrell:ion, and for ever there, he bath taken it up for you; but. know withall, that he bath taken up fo much at once ( for he perfe'!:s every ~hmg he doth, as done in him for us, at once,) as it requires an Etcrntty "!f Ttme, for you to receive that which Chrift bath received for you. Jefus Chrt!t ( my Bre· thren) In Heb. 10. is faid to perfell: our Salvation at once, and fo he. hath re· ,ceived perfell:ly all the Glory we fhall have at once: but as what he dtd ~t once purchafe by his Death, he bath .Ages to come for to accomphfh ; fo fatth the * tot Aportle,
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