rv{n Expojition _of the Epi{lle ~ Serm. X.IX. A d h · · h h" d I h" be" d h fi ~ n t en agam 111 t e t 1r p ace, t 1s mg ma e t c nal caufe of all . nam • ly, the glorifYing the Riches ofthe Grace of God, is mentioned here ;fter t~ Defcription offo greil'i a SinfulnefS in-the Pemons faved, and aflcr fo g;cat a Sal~ vation in all the parts of1t, defcnbed in the verfesbefore, to that end to make this S:1lvation ~redtble._ The next Words are, For byGraceye arefaved, and that thrrmgh Faith : H1s fcope 1s, tomake Men believe that God indeed had done, and would do, fo great thmgs for Smners,that had deferved nothing at his Hands,yea the con– trary: and therefore giVes _you the bottom reafon that was in God's Heart, to take offthe wonder ; and tt ts, C1tth he, meerly to !hew forth the exceeding Riches of!llS own Grace; and to that End ttwas that he_contrived this depth ofMifery, .ami tlus greatnefs ofSalvauon, to fet forth the Riches ofGrace inhimfelf,fo much the mbre. My Brethren, wheL1 Men hear of fo great a God, that bath done fo great thmg,, for the Salvauon of h1sown finful Creatures, either they are apt to think that there is fomething in themfelvcs for which he !hould do it or elfe in– deed and in truth their Hearts believe it n~t. Now theref<;>re the Apo!Ue cloth gtve a .rlam acc~:mnt of tt, to work behe_fm them,and he d1fcovereth the fupream end, Which he mculcateth agam and agam, that all was \Omanifeft the GlorJ'. of b1s own Gtace to the full : So although you fee no rcafon, and God himfelt'o.(lid not, why he !hould thus Cave them, yet faith he, he faw full reafon in his own Heart, he had a full, adequate Motive in his own Breaft to do all this, which in it felfis fo incredible. · ' And then Fourthly, the Words themfelves do give up themfelves readily to this Sence alfo. , . Fh:ft, The Words [to fhew forth] is the Antecedent put for the Confequent,_ asoftentimes in Scripture it is. The meaning is this; he puts that which !hall be tbe occafion ofgl<lrifying ofhim, for glorifying of him; the occafion and the way ofglorifying ofhirtl is!hewin~forth the R!ches of his Grace: So that ind~d t)le mclmngcomesto this, that hts fcopeand mtent was, that Men !hould glortfY h1tn by his !hewing forth the exceeding Riches ofhis Grace, it being known to that End that it might be glorified. And in 'R_om. 9· 22. thefe two are made equiva– lent, ID f!Jew forth /Ji.r Wrath, and mal<! his Power kp~m>n : fo here, to jhewforth the Riches of hi1 Grace, or, tomakg it k_nown, to that end it may be glorified. . Seco11d/y, The Phrafe [Ages to come] implies thus much (take it as it'refpell:s fimply the GloryofGod) that it is fuch Riches ofGrace which God mahifefieth in the Salvation of Men, as deferveth in all times, in this World, and in the World to come, to be celebrated, to be magnified, and glorified, even by all <;:reatures, and !hall be laid open to the full at the day ofJudgment, by Jefus Chrift himfelf; and deferveth cfpecially to be magnified and glorified and celebrated even toE– ternity, by the Perfons themfelves who are the Subjell:s of this Grace. Thirdly, [in his Kindneflt~m>ardJ tu] cloth fuit even to this Sence alfo. It bath been quefiioned by fome, whether yea or no,the firft moving Caufe to move God to go forth to Cave Men, was the manifefting ofhis own Glory, or his KindneiS and Love toMen which he was pleated to take up towards them? I have beard it argued with much appearance of Strength, that however God indeed in the way ofCaving Men, carries it as becomes God, fo as his own Glory and Grace !hall . have the preheminence ; yet that which firft moved him, that which did give the occafion tohim, to go forth in the manifefiation ofhimfelf, which elfe be needed not, was rather Kindnefs to us, than his own Glory : yet fo, as ifhe refolved out of Kindnefs and Love to usto manifeft himfelfat all,bewould then do it like God, and hewould fo !hew forth the exceeding Riches ofhis Grace, as that !hat alone !hould be magnified. Now the Truth is, this Text compounds the butmefs, and cloth tell us plainly and truly, that the chief End .is that,God fhould glorify h!s own Grace, (for I affent not to that which I mentioned) 1t puts thechtefand ort· git1i!l End upon the !hewing forth the e!'c~eding Riches ofhi: Grace ; yet fo, as he bath attempered and conjoyned therewith the greateft Kmdnefs, the grea~efi * lovmg
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