On COLOSS.l26,27. ANgr!s are invited tO fearch it for the precioufnefs of it, and yet thefe Riches are not Chrzjl i11them, but Chnfl in ) 'OU. But then do but know and fiudy your own Riches and Evidences for them; therefore in Eph. 5. where the end of re– vealing thefe Riches is laid open, verft 8. taere are two forts of Creatures, fays he, to whom God intended to reveal them, tirfl, Mm,v 9• fecondly,A11gds,v. 10 , but with this differing intent, that the At~ge!s m·gin know the Wifdom which was in the Gofpel, vrr, 'c, The Harmony in the Plot is what the Angels are taken with; and this, though men may alfo fee in the Gofpel, yet further the end was, that they mtght know the FrUowfhip of the Myflery; that is, that they miglu be made partakers of it. Fourthly, Property; As ir is a rich Myflery, fo alfo glorious, What is the Ricbes of the glory, (!Se. which words ( as other Hebraifms are convertible) rich Glory, orglorious Riches; fo as no man can fay, whether the Riches or the Glory of it be greater. Now, this glorious Title the Apoflle gives often unto the Gofpel,as 1 Tim.I.r 1~ And 2 Cor.4-4- Lejl the light of theg!orzotls Gofpel jhort!d /hitu wto them, And in the third Chapter of that Epi!lle, throughout he fully difplaies the glory of it, which the Apo!lle cloth by comparing it wltn the Law or Covmallt of Works. becaufe there was no que!lion of any other Knowledge never fo excellent, yet revealed, that could fland on terms of comparifon wirh it. The Law indeed, fays he, it was a glorious Law, though written but in Stones and dead Letters; and therefore when it was minifired, the Glory of God ap– peared 011 the Motmt, Exod: 24- 16, '7· to note out, That that Law was the glo– rious Image of his Will. And therefore al(o even the Face of Mofts, fays that 7th verfe, by whofc bands it was adminiflred, jhined, jo as the People could 11ot behold tt for theglory of hi< Countenance. And fo terrible was the fight, faith the Author to the Hebrews , that Mofes faid , I quuke mtd tremble, Heb, 12,2{. ' ButyetfaysPaul, verfe8.g. The Gofpelitexcteds i11glory, yea, and fo far · exceeds,as V.J o.as the Law which was thus made glorious,had no glory in refpe& of this glory which excelleth; but like as the Sun, when it•arifeth, puts out the leffer eyes of Heaven; dims, yea clean obfcures thefe otherwife glorious Tapers, fo as they have no glory in this refpett, fo the Gofpet exceeds the Law. And if you ask, Wherein it exceeds in Glory? The Anfwer is, Becaufe it is the Minifiration and difcoverer oi far more glorious things to the Saints, than ever the Law could do. If you ask, What glorious things are communicated and revealed therein? I Anfwcr out of the 5and 4thChapters, which explain the glorious work of the Gofpel on mens hearts, when they are brought to God. For when any man is converted at the preaching of the Gofpel, firfi, before the Word works, the Holy Gho!l falls on a man· as when Chrifi was baptized, Heaven opened, and the Ho{y Ghof/ de{cetided a~dref/ed on him: fo in .Afis 10.44· when the Gofpel was preached by Pet<r, the Hof:y Ghof/fe!J ott them; and of the Spirit, the Gof pet is the Mini!lration, and not the Law, Gal,j·>· I wottld ask ofyott, Received yo11 the Spirit by t he·works of the Law, or o the hearing of Faith? that is, the Gofpel, for fo Faith is taken for the DoCtrine ot Fairh. And this Minilha– tion of the Spirit, is by venue of a Covenant mode (Tfai.)g.ttlt.) with Chrifl; that Spirit that was in him, and Word that was in his mouth, to wit the Go(pe!, lhould not depart out of the mouth of his Seeds feed for ever, but it lhould ac– company his EleCt. And is not then the Gofpel a glorious Gofpel, that makes men partakers of the Holy Ghofl,and that for ever? which Spirit is a Spirit of Glory,' Pet:4 '4• wh1ch refis on his ; the Spirit of Glo>J•, becaufe it fills the man it dwells.in with Glory. Forlook, as when God dcfcended into the vifible Temple, it W'l filled with Glory, 2 Chron.7. 1• And by reafon of that Prefence, the .Ark icfelf was called the Glory, Rom, 9: 4• So when Goil fills the preaching ohbe Gofpel (whereof the Ark was a Type) with his glorious Spirit, and by it fills the heart of a man with that Spiritalfo; as Eph. )• 18.. There is anew gloryputuport ' that man. Bue 77
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