An Expojition of the EpijUe $.;;;;:x)l chofe us in ~hrifi at firfi, w~en he ordained us t~is Glory in Heaven, and there– ~ fore he conunues to fhew Kmdnefs towards us m Heaven, and that in Chri!l: to everlafimg. ' . The fecond Head ofObfervations I make out of thefe Words, upon that third Interpretation, is this, To fhew you from hence how great a Glory Heaven is. I fhal! do tt exceedmg bnefly. Firfl; You fee it is cailed Richer. When the Scripture fpeaks of Heaven it flill fpeaks of the Glory there under the Notion of Riches, un~er the Notio~ of a Treafury: I Tim. 6. r9. Laying "Pin jlore for themfllves, agood Foundation for the Time to come. When our Lord and Saviour Chri!l: fpeaks of Heaven flill he expreffeth it under the Notion of Treafure and Riches: Mat. 6. ~o. 'Thou foalt have Treajitrer in Heav_en. And,_ Mat. 19. 21. Luk,! 12. 33· anti Mark. ro. 31. and Luk,! 18."33· It ts the famthar Languageof'Chri!l:, ~nd flillhe calls them Treajitrer, in the Plural Number. Secondly ; They are called, Exceeding Richer of his Grace, to be !hewn forth then, in comparifon of what God hath done for us here; for in the clear natural Coherence of thefe Words with the former, the Scope is this: God, faith he hath pull"d you ou~ ofthat natural Con?ition you were in; he bath quickned y~ together wtth Chnfi already, he hath m Chnfi reprefentauvely raifed you and [et you together in Heave?, Chrifi. having taken. poffeffion of that for' you, whtch for ever you fhall enJoy. Thts ( fatth he) ts but a Foundation, it is all but a Preparation, tbat he may fhew forth the exceeding Riches of his Grace in the Ager to conte. He had faid, God was rich in Mercy, in guickning them : God, faith he, 1~ho it rich in Mercy, for hit great Love wherewitb he loved 111, even when we were dead inSi11S, hath quickped t11 together with Chrifl, v. 4,5. And in chap.r.v.7. That our Sins are forgiven, he C1ith, it is according to the Riches ofhis Grace. But what doth all this tend to, that is done here in this Life ? It is but a Foundati– on, it is but ~ Preparation, that he may foew forth the exceeding Riches of his Grace. He puts that in, when he comes to fpeak of Heaven, that altho God hath done much for us already, yet he hath hidden Riches to fhew forth then. Do but then confider with your felves, my Brethren, by what God hath done for us here, and by what he had be!l:owed and expended upon thefe Ephejians, what a World of Riches of Grace, what a Treafure that is, that mull: be then broken up, and fhewn forth. Did it cofi God nothing to pardon your Sins? What Expences do you put him to every day ? What Riches of Grace is there, in pouring forth of his Spirit, in Jufiification, in Sanctification, in Adoption? And yet what are all thefe? What is Pardon of Sin to Heaven ? It is but fo many Riches b1.uied in the Foundation. What is the Spirits pouring forth here ? It is but the Earnefi of that Riches which is to come, All that he hath done here, it is but that he might foew forth the exceeding Richer of hit Grace on 111, in Ages to come, in Kindnefs towardr t11 in Chrij/Jef111. All that IS done for us here, it is but like a lighter Metal; as always in Mines you !hall have a lighter Metal, before you come to the Mine it felf: All the Riches of Grace expended upon us here, they are but that lighter Metal, to that great Mine that is then to be broken up: That he might mak,! /e1own (faith the Apofile, Rom. 9· 23.) the Rich~r of his Glory on the Vcjfels of Mercy, which he had before [Prepared] 1mto Glory : All that is done here, it is but a Preparation to thofe Riches of Glory, that are to be made known on the Vdfels of Mercy. As the Sorrows of this Life, they ore unto the Wick~d but the beginning of Sorrows ; fo all that God cloth for his Saintsin this Life, it is but the beginning, and the fprinklings of thofe Riches he will expend to Eternity, and which he hath l•yed up for them in Heaven, as the Apof\le phrafeth it, in Col. r. 5· Saith the Pfalmifl, Pfal. 23. 6. fpeaking of this Love, Mercy a11d Loving-kjndnefs fbaU [oUow me a/lniJ da!'· !ake any of the EleCt Children of God, what a World of Mercy and Lovmg-kmdnefs cloth. follow him, and purfue him ! Even as we are bid to follow after Peace, and to purfue it; [o cloth God purfue thee with Loving-kindne!fes,one after another; but when thoucome!l: to Ager to come, Loving-kindnefs (ball overwhelm thee, !wallow ~* . ~
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