Of Eleflion. 18 5 ------------------ ~~~·~--~-~~----~-= or the refledion of that to him and upon him , which they receive from him,~ glory for glory, not onl) given and recei vcd, butfor glory given, as the in;- Chap. 7· mediate r.aufe of th at glorl: received. And th_erefore be provoked ro give ....,--...r--~ glory to God, as vrr(. 25. for hts pnfentmg you t;> the prefcnce ~~ hJs glory , t ile Fountain of them and all, as the defign of Ills pure Love and Heart to· wards you , as out of vrr(e r. I fhewed. . · , The third thing to blcfs God for is, That htmfelf will prefent you (o himfclf with exaedm!( great jo;•; which joy is inutual, not on your parrs only; but on his alfo: (What joy will be on yqur parts, I handled in the tlfe of: Dire– dion). For as it is his joy he admits you into, E11ttr into thy Mafler's joy; fait is the joy of ~is heart to admit you into it, as well as yours to be admitted. And to tef\ifie this, he prefenrs you to hi17ifr!f, and rejoyceth with infinite joy ( when that time comes) in doing of it. You may meafure what this joy on God's part will then be; . 1. By what joy is in his heart at their Coverfion, which is indeed the firfi Calling of you into glory, as Peter bath it, 1 Pet. 5. ro. There is one whole Chapter on purpofe fpent upon it, to declare the joy that is in God's heart at that time. Both in the Pmillelof the !of/ Shtfp and Groat, which is fpoken of the Lord hirnftlf, and Shepherd of that loll Sheep : Who a!fo, verfe 6, fays unto his Friends, Rt}O)'Ce wit/1 mt. So as it is God and Chrin himfel.f that are the .~rraf Rrjaycers: For ho calls upon his Friends to tejoyce with him. The Brtdegroom tb.u bath thr Bridtt·t}O)ulh more than the Fritwds oft he Bride– groom. Secondly, In the Parable of the Jofl SotJ, verf 22. The Father faid to his So·vants, ltt U! rat and 6e merry. 'Tis the Father fays it, verfe '2l· And thefe l'aral>les are opplyed unto what jgy is in Heaven upon the Converfion of a fioner here in this world, v~r{ 7• Thus in that Parable, Jfc;y tmto y•otl; 1h,1t jo;•zs !Jktwi(e ;, He.1vm: And the Scope in both is therefore, chiefly to let forth what is the heart of God rhe Fathtr, under the rel5refentation of the Fa· ther of a Prodigal. Now if this joy be at the iuitiatio11 and birtb of an heir of Glory, how much more is there in the heart of God and Chrifl upon his Coronation, and upon his lirfl arrival in Heaven, afore the prefend: ol God's glory, to be for ever made partaker of it. T hirdly, There is this further maniftfl Reafon for it, becaufe the (ttlnt[! of time, fo long afore defigned and waited for, is now come, and alfo the coc~ fummation of that which all his Decrees (about us ) from everlaf\ing had center'd in, and primarily pitcht upon, as that which was the end of ali aimed at, and that which he had from before the \\•arid fo much pleafed him· felf in with the thoughts of that day: ('For his delights a: orehand were in them, asProv. 8, even folongago, and i\ill continued.) :\nd to delight fd long beforehand, mufl needs produce full and compleat joy, when the thing delighted in is accomplithed, and did begin the firfi confummation of all them delights, as this lirfl j>refenting us alore him is. Moreover, between his ele– lting of them and this confummation, he had called them; \\ hich is indeed a kind of new Eledion , and tit e firf\ beginning of the execut\on of the firfi Eledion, ond bears the Image of it. Look as a Merchant having launched a Shtp ro Sea, (and fuch our Calling is) for a great,long,and dangerous Vo) age, wtth certatn hopes of great returns of Profit, if he come home fafe in her, and proves alfo a Ship that hath run through many haz.ards and dangers of Ship'• wrack and Pyracies; ( as we through manvfold temptations, ~c.) And look as the Merchant or Owner rejoyceth whrn his Ship doth come home fo rich laden, through fuch great .'ldvenrurcs , fo doth God at our fafe arrival in the Haven, to which Metaphor the Scripture once and twice alludes. Now that God will entertain -you with fuch an exceeding ;~y and tri11mph too, ( as the word here imporrs) affords the highefl ground anto you to blefs him, and give glory unto him in the faith and confidence hereof alorehacd1 For nothing can more argue, that this glory was the deGgo and longing de– ~re of hts heart, and delight of his foul from eternity, than that he fo exceed• tngly r.joyceth when it is perfeded. And it is a true and certain moafme we Il'b tnay
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=