Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

Of the I(nowledg, of (jod the Father, ~ilie~anage of the Words import. He fays nor, there is no God li% 1mto the,Lord, Boo K I. (as yet ellewhere we have ir) but who can be compa,.ed and lr%ned .2 &c. God 1s ~ [o much and fo ;infinitely beyond them all. I fa1d~ there 1s not the leaf!: Shadow for them to enter into the Lijls ofthis Companion. And the Dutch have tranflated thole Words [Who can be compared?] thus, [Who can be fbadowed with him ~] that is, they are not worthy to be accounted Shadows unto fuch a corn– pariion with him. . . . . . The intent ofwhich, is to ftt forth how great a Krng m h1s own Perfon hers that is our King, as God (as he is in himftlf confidered) IS underltood to be: As alto to magnify that infinite Grace and Condefcenfion of a God fo great, to be the gracious Founder offo wonderful Mercies, and offuch a Covenant of Grace to the Sons ofMen: For that is the Argument he drives on all along. This for the firlt, how great a God and King he is in his own Perfon limply confidercd. VERSE 7· 2. From his extolment of him in his Perfon, fo far above all Kings, &c. He proceeds to his Kingdom. And in the feventh Ver[e he begins that with a deli– neation of his Co11rt : And how he bath ereCl:ed a Palace, and fo pref<nrs h1m as furrounded with Co11rtiers, and Attendants rc11nd abo11t him. God is greatly to be feared in the Ajfembly of the Saints: and to be had in reverence of aU them that are abo11t him. This is exaCl:ly done in Similitude to the mode and manner of Kings on Earrh, and correfpondent unto the Scheme or DeCcription here. You find, (if you compare it) that ofGod"s Throne [et forth in the 5th and 7th Chapters of the El.cvelarion, where the Lamb had his Commiffion given him, to be God"s King, or God"sViceroy, where you fee how his Angels and Saintsftand round about him. The like Polture ofthis Affembly you read in the Old Teltament, I l(jngs 22. 19. and more fully and exprefly ofwhom it confilts in the New, Heb. 12. 22, 2 3, 24- B11t;e are come unto Momt( Sion, and 1mto the City of the living God, the hedve111] Jerufalem, and to an immmerable Company of Angels, to the General Ajfemblj, and Ch11rcb ofthe Fir(l-born, which are written in Heaven, and to God tbe 'Jt:dg of,dl, and to the Spirits of jujl Men made perjccl, and to Jefw the Mediator of tle New CtnJtnam, and to the BloodofSprinf<!.ing, that JPea%tb better fhings than tl>t1t ofAbtl. And that as from thence he adminilters the grand Affairs ofhis Kingdom, the Scriptures do abundantly teltify. And by letting out this Solemnity ofhis C011rt in Heaven,he declares how great a King he is, and how greatly dreadfol he is unto thole glorious Spirits that are neare!t to him ; however he is difregarded by Men on Earth, yet in Heaven he is greatly feared and in reverence of them that know him·belt; that ltand round about him, beholding his Face, beingalfo ready prelt to execute his Will, when it is Ggnificd by the lealt :J(,utw, or Calt, and Difcovery ofhis Countenance. And yet though he ufeth thele Angels as miniflring Spirits, fent forth to minijler fOr them who fbaUbe Heirs ofSalvation, Heb. I.lalt. yet the Pfalmift further pre– fents h1m as Potent of h1mfelfalone, to execute and do all whatever, which for thefe Heirs ofhis Covenant he bath a mind to do, an~ withal a faithfulnefs joined t~erewuh to move htm thereunto, as verf 8. bath tt, But unto the Son hefaith, T/;y Tlrone, 0 God, isfor ever and ever, a ScepterofRighteouJi;efs is the Scepteroftby J(mgdom. Who ;ret ." pleafed to employthat glorrous Coml'any of Angels that <1re round about h1m, m the outward Adm1mltrat1on and Affam belonging tothi~ Krngdum, wlnllt h1mftlfby hiS Spmt works and cloth all as to the inward EtfeCl:s in lm Childrens Spirits: But this external Kingdom (vifible to thole that are with h1m .m Heaven) he manageth as Kings, at and from their Courts, u[e to do: Wh1ch courfe and way,as for other reafons he chofe to do, becaufe his Son whom he would give it unto, beingtobe a Son ofMan, and a vifible King, he provi– ded for lHm,. to !hew hrs Sublmmy, the State and Grandure ofa vifible King: Wl.o "gone 11110 He11ven, and u ou the "t,bt Hand ofGod, Angels, 11nd.d11thorities, and Powers being madeji1bjellunto him, I Pet. 3· 2 2. An<l hath p111 all thi11gs in fol.jemon under bts Feet, Heb. 2. From

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