n8 Of Elet1ion. ----------------------- ~ in a Cottage that was built but yefierday; and take that up for his-Eternal BooKH.. Habitation, Cages of fin ~nd Uncleannefs, and bring Eternity down with. ~ htm, the fullnefs of God mto fo narrow a Heart, yea, and to fill them, in theend, withallthejuttnefsofGod, as in thaqd to the Ephrj: Ver(: 19. you have it: That the whole blelfednefs of God fl10uld come down into thy Heart, who extondetb hitnfelfto fill all Eterniiy, both pafi and to come, irt one inftant: And becaufethou wert not extant then with him, during his E– te~nit}~, nor kneweft none of w~at his thoughts were then; For him to bring wtth htm down mto thy Soul all the thoughts of love and affedion , and all his dearefi delights he had then ofthee and in thee,during thatEtcrnity(where– of you read,. Prov. 8.)when he was alone, Father, Son , and Holy Ghoft together; and fo polfefs thee of his Eternity paft, as farr as it is 'poiiible for thee to be polfe!fed ofit : And to gratifie thee fo far as to open the full Miftery of his will, the intimacies of his Counfels fo farr as they do concern thee: To difcover the manifold contrivernents his Wifdom impregnated of Love, inten– ded aforehand; and forecafi , how to fhew his Love in the moll ample and gracefull way to thee, thereby to take thy heart : 1-'e will bring down, I fay, with him into thy heart, all thofe everlafiing tranfadions he had with Chrift about thee : All the Promifes he made to him forthee (as 7ii.I.2.) All the blef– fiogs which in his owo Gracious Putpofes' he had continually a dcfign of blcf– fing thee with in Cbrifi: That thefe and all other the dap things of God(the bottom of his Heart) as.the Apofile fiyles them; which Eye bath not j'een, nor Ear beard, but whtch God then was a preparing for them that were to love him , thefe be will Reveal ; whereof fome , and in part, his Spirit (who fearcheth the deep things ot God ) cloth now ia this Life upon fenfe of _ Union , begin to make known, as things freely given us. of God. And the whole tbutremains, will God himfelfio that otPer World, fully unfold and relate unto thee, for the fpace of another Eteroity yet to come, as being time little enough to do it in: 'For, Oh ! how many are thy thoughts to m-ward! If I would declart cmdJptalc of them, thty are mort than ea" be 1111mbrtd, (ays he, that was our Friend and his Counfellour , Pfa!. 40.5. and that That Pj'a!mwas penned for him, the next Verfe fhews. Agam 4ly, in lfai. 66. 1. you have this alfo mentioned : ThH4 .faith thr Lord, tht HraveH u my thro1Je, a1ld the earth is my foot-Jfoo!; a11dwhr~e it tht Houjtyebui!tlme, andwherr is my Rtjl? And in, lfai. 57· 15. I that dwelt In the hzgh and holy place, It is I that dwelt withyou and inyou: That is, that he, who hath built himfdf a Throne for himfelf; which is in Heaven, an high and holy place: as Nrbuchadnezzar forfooth, fays, he built him– fdf a Pallace, for the Glory of his Majefiy ( fo, he foolifhly boafied) that this God lliould choofe to build another Throne for himfelf to dwell in, in a poor and broken Spirit; arid therein by Grace to reign, as Rom. 5.21. as being a Spirit, of all other, fo difpofed and framed, as to give Grace the honour and Dominion of all. Kings ufe to fay, That the Hearts of thetr Subjects are their f~refi and belt Throne; and to fit in which, they moft delight. And be affured of it, that God accounts your hearts a greater Throne, than what that high and holy place, the local Heaven is to him, which is called Holy , becaufe t he Glory of the holy God cloth fo appear there, as no unclean thing did ever enter it, or can abide iri it; and rhat God Magnifies this place fo much that he hath holy Spirits with him there, and none other; whofe holy Hearts, and the Glory they give him therein, be accounts a farr more glorious Throne than the place; For it was for them he did build and prepare the place, as Chrifi fpeaks, Jolm 1-4. ~· And if I go mzd prrpart a place for you, I will comeagai11, tmdrrceive youmitomy (rif, that where lam, there yo11 maJ he flljo. and Heb. 11. 16. But now they dt/ire a betttr Comztrey, that is, an hrtJven!y: Whertjore God is 110t ajbrmud to be ca!!ed·their God: for he hath prtparedfor them" Cil~. An~ thus much is infinuated in Jj'ai. 66. 1. where God firfl asketh them the quefi10n, where zs the place of my rtf/, a11d abodr? He fpeal<s it to thefe Tempters (as I may call thofe Jews that cryed, Tht Temple of the Lord, The Templr of the Lord) where is it can you imagine ( fays God) I lhould have Room or Reil in ? A fullici~;~~t Dwelling, wherein I
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=