An Expojitionof the epijlle ~it from 6od ? A meer bel:towing, communicating Property and Attribut . "t Sn·m. XIX:. Imports nothing elfe but a communkation unto us. It is well therefore f~; 1 ~ that God bath made that to be the htgheft End ofour Salvation in Himfel£ whus, he will aim at Himfelf too, to be that which !hall communicate all to u;. ·t"!l (faith the Text) to Jbew forth the RicheJ of hi4 Grace. ' 1 Is bbferv. 3• '· . And then again,. the third Obfervation from this Interpretation is this : t told you, the Apoftle dtd tt to gtve an account~ fo as to fl:rengthen all Mens Faith in the matter of Salvatton; he was fam to brmg forth the Bottom-Reafon in God's ) Heart : Men would never believe, that the great God fhould ever do fo much for Men, and Sinners too. The Obfervation is this : .. T hat this !hould be the great Strengthner and Upholder of our Faith, to be· lleve that God bath done, and wtll do fuch things ~or Sinners, nomely this, be– caufe the fupreme End of favmg us ts, the glortfymg of the Riches of his own Grace. It comes in on purpofe to take off the Wonder of Unbelief, after he had told this !1:range Story of God's Love, and Man's Salvation ; and to this end t<i f\rengthen our faith, that b; Grace we are faved, as the words following have it. If Gcid had told us how much he had done for us, out of Love unto us meerly or chiefly, the truth is, we could never have believed it, when we are once humbled ; for we could never have feen that proportion between u~ and God in any kin~, that fhould have moved him for to have faved us, and par· cloned us fo much as he hath done. But when he !hall tell us, that the utmofl: thing that moved him, was the Manifefl:ing of the Riches of his own Grace; and that 111:! accounteth the Riches of his Grace his chiefefl: Riches, and the greateft Glory he affects is to be gracious,this lets a Man fee fo far into God'sHeart, as the Soul refl:eth fatisfied, fees a reafon why God may fave Sinners, fuch a rea(on as the Heart muft needs ref\ and acquiefcein it. And theTruth is, tumble up and down from one Doctrine to another, there is no other Doctrine will fatisfy the guilty Heart ofa Sinner in the point ofSalvation, but only this, that God's utmoft End w>S to !h~w forth the Riches ofhis Grace. My Brethren, this takes off all Objections; and the fl:ronger the Objections are (give me leave to fay it) it gives p. M2n the more hope ; he is the apter to believe it,when once Faith begins by the Beams of the Spirit to enlighten him ; why ? Becaufe all Objections become but matter for God's free Grace, to fhew forth more Riches of Grace upon him. Therefore you know the Scripture runs upon that altogether; Ifa. 54· Know that 1forgive your Sins for my own Nanm fof<!, I do it for my felf, not for any thing in ~011. And God !peaks this not only that his own Glory !houldbe advanced, but that our Hearts lhould be fetled and fatisfyed, and fee reafon why we lhould be lf.wed, in that God's own End, and highefl: End he could have, runs along with our Salvation. · The next Obfervation is this, You may fee here the Greatnefs and the exceeding Riches ofhisGrace. I remember when I handled the 4fh vcrfe, I made a referve, when I !poke of Riches ofMercy in God, to handle and fpeak further of that Riches, when I came to thisText, the exceeding RicheJ ofhis Grace. I handled it then caufally, thatis, as Riches ofMercy were the efficientCaufe in God ; I!hall handle it now demonftratively or manifef\atively; namely, that God intended to fhew forth the Riches of his Grace to th~ utmof\. YOll may fee, my Brethren,how that heretheexprellionsof the Apofl:le rife: he begins firfl: low, God (faith he) that was rich in Mercy, for the great Love wherewith he loved 111, bath quicftned tu, &c. But when he comes to {hew forth the utmof\ End God had in faving of Men, hts Stile fwells higher, Exceeding Riches ofGrace. Let me tell you this, when thou wert firfl: turned to God, and when thou wert quickned thou didfl: find him tobe rich in Mercy unto thee; he pardoned thy Sins beyond all that thou couldeft ima· gine, the Grace ofour Lord Jefus Cbrift (as 'FaH! faith of his own Converfion) was excee,ling abundant to thee; why, as the Apof\le herc,the further he goes on, the more he rifeth in his Exprellions, from rich i~t Mercy, to excerdtng RicheJ of Merry: f'o !halt thou find Goodnefs be; the furtherthou goef\ on, fiill the more gracious ; and thou wilt f\i\1 find that all God's contrivements and ways toward• * thee,
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