--------to-t~he~E~P~H~E~S~I~A~N~S-.--------~2~4-5~ Glory; but the exceeding 'R.jches of his Grace : how ? in befl:o~ing Co much Glory §"{v'i( as a God that is rich in Mercy, and bath nothmg but Lo~e m h1m to his Saints,~ and lets himlelfto love thern,can befiow; that look what R1ches ofGlory m God, fi1ch Riches ofGrace in him,can procure, you !hall have them alL It is the greatefl: Argument to.!hew the greatnefs ofGlory in Heaven, as could be imagined. My Brethren, Grace is at all the Cofl:, it is Purler of all his Expences, there is the Mine ofall: therefore he would have us now gather and coliell:, what a Riches of Glory mufl: needs be there, when God !hall begin to !hew forth fuch a Treafure as the Gofpel is almofl: mute about it, tells us of it, but cannot fpeak a Word of it, but !hall then be !hewn forth, and requiresan Eternity oftime to manifefl: it in. But it will be further Gid, !fit be meant of the !hewing forth of his Grace in the accomplifhrnent ofour Salva~ion in Heaven, why cloth he add [ill his ICind– mfs teward1 1fl ?] Thofe Words, you !hall find that they wilJ fuit as much and as fully God's Dif– penfation in Heaven, as they will fuit the other Sence of making the Ephejians the Example ofhis Grace to the Ages to come. I !hall make this plain and manifefl: to you, and thereby I !hall fulJy open every Word ofthis Text. And, Firfl, it is not [in his Kindnefs] in the Original, for the Word [his] is not there, but is inferred by our Tran!lators, as leaning to the other Sence. Now there are two Reafons why thefe Words are added, to !hew the Riches of his Grace; fiilll~eeping this Interpretation, that it is meant ofthe accompli!hment of our Salvation in Heaven. r. That Reafon which GrotiuJ gives, who indeed carries it in this Sence we are now upon. He adds, fai th he, this Word. [ill his Kindnefs] unto Grace; becaufe he knows not how to ufe Words enough. And it is the manner ofthe Scriptures, when they would magnify any thing, to inculcate with variety of Words, the fame thin~ again and again,and efpecially in magnifying ofGrace and Gifts thereof: the bleiTed Apofl:les, and other Writers, the Prophets, have done fo. There is that famous Infl:ance, in lfa. 63. 7- where (peaking to magnify the Love of God, in all the benefits he befl:ows upon us, fee how he multiplies Phrafes; I wiU menti– Oil tbe loving k.jndnefs ofthe Lord (that is, the Benefits which proceed from his lo– ving kindnefs) and the Praifh ofthe Lord, according to all that the Lord hath beftow– ed Oil "'• and thegreat Goodnefs towards the Ho11[e o[Ifrael which he bath beflowed on them, according to his ~erdes, and according to the multitude of /Jis loving KJndnejfes. You ~e here how he heaps up, loving KindneiTes to Mercy, and great Goodnefs to loving Kindnefs, and multitude ofloving Kindnefs to great Goodnefs; he can fcarce fill it up with Words enough: the Holy Prophets did fo abound,and truly fo doth the Apofl:le here, to magnify the Greatnefs ofthe Grace ofGod,he contents not himfelfto fay,tbe exceeding Riches ofh"Grace, but he adds, in his Kindnefs to-. ward11n. ' Thereis a fecond matter contained in this [Kindnefs] in the redition, ifit be referred to Heaven. For the Word Kindnefs fuperaddeth to Grace. I told you in opening the difl:erence ofMercy,and Love, and Grace, that there is a difference in all thefe three, fomething expreiTed by the one which the other did not. My Brethren, here is Kindnefs, which the Apofl:le puts in, and puts in, in a very good place, when he comes to fpeak of Grace befl:owing Heaven upon us. It is the fullefl: Word that can be,. it doth not only import Grace and free Favour, it cloth not only import Mercy, but it is a fweet Word, it imports fweemefs ofDif– pofition, it importS Friendlinefs in it, it is a f.;miliar Word,a condefcending Word. it is an overplus to Love, and to Mercy, and to Grace and all: for Grace imports a Sovereignty in God to !hew Favour, that he doth it freely like a Lord, and the great King ofthe World; for great Perfons are properly faid to be gracious. And Mercy, thatisagood Word too, butitisaDifpofition to !how Pity, and tore~ heve one in Mifery ; but xv,&..,;, the Word here,it implies all Sweetnefs, and aU Cand1dnefs, and all Friendlinefs, and all Hcartinefs, and alJ Goodnefs and Good– neiS ofNature. And he fuperaddeth this, to manifefl: thereby both the Root of, and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=