Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

44 Of the I(rJo'Wledg of Cjod the Father, ~ ver( 13. Th01t haft a mighty Arm: jlrong i1 thy Ha'nd, and high iJ thy right BooK I. Hand. ~ Fourth_!y; Hi< Faithfulnefl; that is, a conjlancy to h~ own RefolHt1onJ, lntentionr, 'Purpofts, and promifn ofMercy, that tn rae_rf. 8. lS fatd t? be round about him. In allufion flill unto a King on hiS Throne; m the foregomg verf 7· the Angds were [aid to be round about ~im ; as alfo the Revelation,, Bu~ here, hi~ own very Faithjit!nefi, is further fatd to be r01md ab011t htm. A tergo, a. fronte,, a Calvin. dextra, it Jinijlra; afore, behind, and every way, Fanhfulnefs envlfons h1m round ; no Decree, no Execution can pafs from h1m, but It muft. pafs through his Faithfulnefs. And it is for all furenets to us, and our full fecumy, that he is faid ro have placed it round about him as his Guard, that fo his FairhfulmiS might watch and obferve whatever ~affeth, as in o~r behal.f, that nothin~ fhould be done, or fall out, but m very Fanhfulnefs to hiS Promtfes made to hiS. H~ Fidelity bath an Eye upon him in ever~ thing, and he hat~ ~n Eye un~o it con– tinually ; for let htm turn hts Eyes whtch way he pleafeth,tt IS before htm. Thus in like manner you find a Rainbow round about his Throne, Rev. 4· 3· The Rainbow was Mercy's 'Jf..emembrancer, not to deftroy the World; and was typi· ea! therein of the Covenant of Grace, lfa. 54· 8,9. With everlajling f<jndnefi will I have mercy on thee; for thi1 i1 11< the WaterJ of Noah to me, &c. And this Rain– bow being thus continll<llly round about him, he can look no way but he is put in mind of Mercy, in the midfi of the moft ireful Difpenfations, as in the fame place of lfaiah you have it. And therefore he alfo faid, he will ever be mindjitl of hi1 Covenant, Pfal. 11 r. 5· and fo of thefe Mercies of his Cove– nant. Now all this which is faid of God's Kingdom, is all true of.Chrift; his own Perfections innate in him, ( being God's Son ) have an alike fufficiency in him ; his own Glory and Power,that flow from that Union, have Ability, Majefiy, &c. fufficient. The Apoftles fay of him, We Jaw hi1 Glory, tH of the only begotten So, of God, proper to him, and innate in him, as fuch. And the Angels they cry aloud, Rev. 5· 12. Worthy i1 the Lamb that rPM .f/ain, to receive Power, and Richu, and Wifllom, and Strength, and Honour, and Glory, and Blejfing. Vfe r. We !hould therefore praife and glorify God, That he is the King, the Great King, Bleffednefs in himfelf. You have them both joined, why we !hould praife him; Pfal. 95· 3· For the Lord i1 a great God, and a great King above all God1, You have them joined in the Lord's Prayer, Hallowed be thy Name, as he is God; and, Thy Kingdom come, as he is King. In J er. 10. 6, 7· Here, as he is God, 0 Lord, thOit art Great ; and thy Name i1 Great in Might ; And here he is as King, (and though there ~e forty other Reafons given, why he!hould be King of all the World), here IS one, Who would not fiar thee, 0 Kmg of Natio 111 ? for to thee doth it appertain: FortH m11ch tH among all the wife Men of the Natiom, and in all their KingdomJ, there i1 none lik,_e unto thee. (Arijlotle fays, A jirperex– cellency in a Man wa1 it that made him a King) ; as if he had faid, Lord, if thou lay down thy Place, there is no wife Man in the World can order and rule it as thou dofl, to thee it appertains. And, verf 10. he tells you plainly, He is both the True God, and the Living God, and an Everlajling King. You fee he bleffes him, for that he is bleffed in himfelf. Now, What is Blelfednefs ? A Confluence of all Happinefs and Glory that he bath, and that wholly in him– felf, he needs nothing; for this he gives Glory to him. So 'Paul cloth, Rom.r. when he had told them how the Gentiles di!honour God, and abufe him, chang– ing the Glory of the uncorruptible God into, &c. Ver( 25. His Spirit breaks out, Who i1 bkffid for ever ; And what does he add ? Amen, What is Amen? So be it; 0 let him be bleffed, let him :njoy it. A'!'"'• is a wifh, fo it may be. The hke you have Rom. 9· 5· fpeakmg of Chnft, Who i1 over all, God blejfid for ever. Allten. 2. As a King, we are to blefs and praife him; truly you will fay to,me, That his being a King, relates to what he is to the Creature not unto what he is in himfelf. I yield it, it refers unto what Relation he ha;h to the Creature : yet let me fay, That to be the King of all, is proper, it is elfential to him. To me that Scripture argues thus much, 'Pfol. 93· 1. The Lord reigm, he iJ clothed with

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