An Expofition of the Epiflle ~ ~~ Fom-thly, It is fo much Riches of Grace that God bath defigned to bellow upon us in that _World, as requires Ages to come to exhau!1: it. It is a Notion of the htghe!1: Comfort to us, .that God bath taken up fo much Love, the fir!1: moment he loved us, as reqmres Etermty to manage it. Here you have a. Scnpture for tt, That he m1ght fbe'!' forth, even to Eternity, the exceedmg '7:?!cheJ of /m Grace. It was fo much Rtches as reqmred an Eternity to manifcO: and to expend ; fo much Riches as though we iliall ever be fpending, they !hall never be fpent. We fay of Hell, that the demerit of Sin is fuch, that therefore Hell is to Eternity, becaufe that the Creamre. cannot in a !hort time undergo all that Wrath that ts due to htm for h!S Sm, and therefore there is an Eternity of time for him to fi1ffer in. So it is here, we may truly fay of Heaven, of the Riches of God's Grace which he hath laid. up for us, to fpend upon us, it is fo infinite a Treafure, that the Creature bcmg not able to take it in at once mull: have Ages to come to take it in. ' My Brethren, this is one of the highe!l: Exaggerations of the Glory ofHeaven to us, that it is not only to Eternity limply, but that it requires Eternity 10 expend that which God bath defigned to us. When thou come!l: to Hea– ven, thou maye!1:, and thou mayeO: now by Faith fay, So11/ ta~ thy refi, thou hall: Goods laid up for many years, thou hall: Riches of Grace laid up for Ages of Ages; which cannot be fpent, fpend as fa!1: as thou can!l:. In Tjal. 0 6. ~· Speaking of Heaven, and of drinking of the River of God's Pleafqres, he calls God there the Fountain of Life, and why the Fountain of Life ? Becaufe the Fountain is continually bubling up new fre!h Water, it is ever doing of it. God himfelf bath infinite Goodnefs in . him which the· Creatures cannot take in at once, they are taking of it in eternally. All that God cloth for us for ever is but the fulfilling of his good Pleafiue, as you have it, in 2 Thejf. 1. H. it is but filling up that good Pleafure ofhis, which he hath conceived towards us. There are two things in God. Simplicity of Being ; and Infinitenefs of Being. Now although by reafon of the Simplicity of his Being, we fee God at once every Moment, and as his E!fence is fimple, fo that Beatifical Vifion is one fimple aCt. Yet by reafon of the Infinitenefs of his Being, it is like Sayling over an eternal Sea, where you fee nothing but Sea, and yet you are to Eternity Sayling it over, you have a new Horizon e– very Hours Say! you Say!. So is it here, therefore they are called Rivers of Pleafure, becaufe ·in God and from God by reafon of his Infinitenefs they are continually freili. The PapiO:s fay that the Saints in Heaven fee all things here below in God. What do our Divines fay to that~ No fay they it cannot be, though they fee God in whom all things are, and in whom all things may be feen, yet they do not fee all things in God at once. The Saints (even as AquinM himfelf fpeaks, and reafon acknowledg– eth it too) fee in God frill things frefi1, which they faw not in the beginning of their BleiTednefs. The Angels that fee God's Face in Heaven, yet they !!retch outtheir Necks to learn continually even ofthe Churches below theMyfre– ries ofChri!1: ; much more in Heaven. My Brethren, It is for Ages to come, the infinitenefs of this Being of God holds us feeing, and knowing, and viewing over afreili even to Eternity, and yet it is not, it cannot be comprehended by us, therefore Ages to cOfJJC, are appointed. Fifthly, It is in Kindnefs towards [Vs] My Brethren, when God {ball have fimt out all the World, !hut up all wicked Men in Hell, when he and his Children {ball be alone, and all the World befides excluded, and none elfe there but his Children, and they all together with him,. then will h~ break up the exceeding Riches of his Grace, and he hath referved It unto that ttmt;. Laftly,
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