Of tbe l(ztoTPledg of (jod tbe Fatber, ~ 10 4 24. ' But above all, for his Wifdom, that hiddenWifdom, manifelled in the BooK I. Gclpel in the Salvation of Men; To God only W1fe, who bath revealed the 1...FV""'U Myfiery which was kept fecret fince the World began; To God only Wift be Glory, through ]ejr1.1 Chrift for ever. Amen .. RPm: I6. till. Of bleffing h1m for his Decrees 1!hall \peak afterwards. In bJS ordmary Works, blS Thoughts are very deep; F[al. 92. 5· 0 Lord, how great ere thy Worl<f! and thy ThoHghts are very deep : B11t, 0 the depth of the Riches, both of _the Wifdom and Knowledg of God! cries the Apoftle out, when he fpeaksrof hts Contrtvements of Mercy m the Gofpel, Rom. 1I. 33· Fifthly ; He gives Glory to him, for that he is Eternal; That he ~ad all this Bleffednefs Wi\dom en. from Everlaftmg: Such a Soul can bleis htm then for ·that he bath been fo bleffed a God from Everlarting, and enjoy'd this Happinefs, and then to be fure, we enjoy'd nothing from him, for he was alone. You have the f. 1me in 'Pjal. 41. Ij. '131e.ffid be the Lord God of Ifrael, from Everlafling to Everla}ing ; and there is an .Amen for either of them, .Amen and Amen ; An .Amen for what he bath been from Everlarting, and .Amen for what he !hall be to Everlarting; And it is here, in the Apo((le's words likewife, that he is Eter– nal, in the Ijl Chapter, as for time part. And only having Immortality, in the 6th Chapter. You have the fame, Rev. 4· 8. The ft!ttr Beafls ref1 not Day nor Night, Ja;ing, Holy, HolJ', Ho!;·, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. They praife him for his Holinefs, and for his Power ; they praife him for all he bath been, for what he was, and bath been for time part, is for the pre– fcnt, and is tocome. One would think, what bath a poor Creature to do to blefs him,for what he was from Everlarting, all which is paft ? Yet they herein would !hew their good Will, I will caft in my Shot, and Congratulation, faith the Soul. Sixthly; For that he only is, and bath alone all thofe Bleffedneffes and Per– fe/J:ions: This is three times, in thofe two Doxologies of the Apofile, whilll: he calls him the Ble.fficl and only Potentate, and that bath only Immortality, and that is only Wift; To him be Honour. Pfal. 86. 9, 10. .AUNations fhaU come and glorijj thy Name ; for thou art great, and dojl wondro1H Things; Thmt art God alone. PC1l. 72. 18. Ble.fficl be the Lord Goclof lfrael, who only does wondrom Things. Oh, fays that Soul, let him have it, and he alone, and none !hare with him. This large and ample Field bath this Soul afore him to expatiate in. I might extend the amplitude of this Soul; That he bath all in God's Works; All in his Decrees; All in his Word, to give Glory to God for. Firft, all his Works, part, prefent, and to come: We have this oft in the Pfalms; Pfal.66.2. Sing forth the Honour of his NanJe ; n1ak! his Praife Gloriot#, Praife was too low a word ; }yf"k! his proife gloriom. Say rmto God, How terrible; or how reverent art tho~t in thy Worl<f ! .AU the Earth jha/1 worfhip Thee, and Jing in thy Name. Come and fie t/,e Worl<f of God I &c. Pial. 92. 1, 4· it's a good thing to Jing Praife to thy Name, 0 mojl High; for thou Lord hofl made me glad, thorow thy Worl<f; 1will triumph in the Work.. of thy hands. It rejoiced his Heart to fee what a Glory fhined forth in all he had done : Oh Lord, How great are thy Wor~s! and thy Thougf.ts are very deep. And this he cloth with delight; Pfal. 77· I2, I will Vte– ditate alfo of all thy Work.., and talk.. of thy Doings. He bath alfo all God's Decrees and Counfels afore him to rejoice in, and to praife him for, his Counfels that contrived all about his Works, both of Judg– ments and Mercies : Ifa. 2 5· I. 0 Lord, thmt art my God, I will exalt Thee, I will praife thy Name; for thmt hajl clone wonderfttlTbings; oncl thy Counjils of old are Foithjidnefi and TrHth. As likewife that in 'Pjal. 92. 5· 0 Lord, How great are thy Worl<f! thy 7hougbts (that is, thy Counfels) they are very deep. For his Decrees of Ele/J:ion efpecially, yea, and Reprobation alfo. When the Apoftle had difcourfed both thefe Do&rines out, and juftified God therein, Rom. 9· and I I Chapters; Chewing how God had once chofen the Jews, but then caft them off; then, taken the Gentiles whom before he had fuffered to walk in their own Ways, who in time paft have not believed ; and then at lafr, ho\v he will have Mercy, both upon the one and the other. And the fulnefs of the Gentiles fhall come in, as well as of the Jews; but God bath concluded them all in Unbelief, that he might have Mercy upon all : For this Counfel of his, he cries out, Oh the depth of the Riches, both of the Wifdont and ICnowledg of Got(!
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=