A Praflical Exp.ojition and Power of the Devil and our Spiritual Enemies. And therefore we may well pray Lead u.r not into Temptation, but deliver us fro• f. vi!, fur tbint it the. Glory be~ caufe it is the Honour of God to defend his Servants from the ln<utfions of h~ and their Enemies. ,Thus we have treated on Three ofGod's Attributes afcribed to himiin this Doxology ~is Dominion, his Power, and his Glory. It rema_-ins ?OW to confider the Amplifica ~ t10n of all rhefe by that Expreffion, For ever, wh1ch ts to be refeued and accomm~ dated ro the foregoing Titles, The Kingdom is thine for ever, thf Power is thine for ever, arid the Glory thine for ever. Now this Application of ir 'denotes to us the Eternity of God~s Attributes~ and confequently his Nature. ·. . Indeed this Particle, for ever, doth not always in Scripture fignific a llril.l and pro' per Eternity, tor it is often applied to Things of various Duraticns: ,. Firll, Sometimes ( moft improperly) thofe Things which have ·both beginning and end are fa id to be for ever. So the Mifaical Pa:dagogy, and thofe Rites and Obfervances which were impofed upon the Jews bjrthe. Levitical Law, are faid to be e\•erlafting, although they were not to con~inue any longer than between A1ojer and Chrijl, which Space was nor compleatly Fifteen Hundred Years. Thus the Prieft. hood is faid to be Eternal, 1-lumb. 25. 13• where it is called, T/u Covenant of an evtrlajfing Prieflhaod. So the Sprinkling of the Blood of the Pafl'o'Ver is to be corn. manded to be ohferved for ever, Exod. 12 . 24. So Grcumcifion is called, .A.n everldfl· ing Covenant, Gen. •7· 13· And many more fuch lnftances might b.: given. Yea, Things of a far fhoner Duration than thefe, fuch as are only to continue du· ring Life, are yet faid to be eternal. The Servitude of him that refofed Freedom was to be for ever, Exad. 21. 6. that is, during his Natural Life. And fo the Pfal· mijl often refolves himfelf, and exhorts others to Praife 3nd Magnifie God for ever. An~ indeed it is very ordina.ry in Scripture that t~ofe Thing~ a~e fa id to be for ever, whtch were not to alter thetr State for fome Conunuance of T1me, nor to be difufed till the Date prefixed to them were expired. Secondly, Some Things which bad no beginning, but !ball have an end, are yet faid to be {or ever. And fuch (as they tefpea their Objeils) are the Decrees or Fore1mow!edg• ofGod, which !ball in their due time be fulfilled . Thus, Eph. l· r r; they are c~lled, The 'Eternal Purpofe <I[ God, and yet they ceafe under the Notions of Decrees and Prefcience, when that which was from all Eternity Decreed and Fore· known takes its Accomplifhmc:nt. , Thirdly, Thofe Things which had a beginning, but never !ball have an end, are fa id to be far ever. And fuch are the Angels, all of them Created in the beginning of Time,_but their future Continuance is whbout bou·nd or period. And the Saints after the Refuneaion are fa id to be made equal to tht Angtls, becaufe they thall not die, Luke 20. ;6. And Chrift is fa id to be madt a li{tlt lower than tbt Angels, in tbat he tafied ofDeath, Heb. 2. 9· The good Angels live in eternal Beatitude, they almays behold tbe face of God, Matth. rS. 10 . And the E¥il Angels live in eternal Torments, and a never·dying Death; They ore rt/trlJtd in everlafling Chains, under Darknefs, Jude Verfe 6. And thus the Souls of Men are everlafting. For being Spiritual Subo flanc~, and free from all Principles of Decay and Corruption, they !ball for ever continue in that Eflate and Condition for which their Aaions in this Life have prepa· red them. And not the Soul alone, but the Body alfo, !ball be eternally. preferved in its Being ; Tbis Ji!ortal m•fl put an Immortality, 1 Cor. r 5· 51· And rhonfball we for ever be witb tbe Lard, r Tbef. 4· •7· And yet all thefe had once their ·beginning by the Creating Wcrd of God, hut are eternal, J partt poft, and !ball alwaysretain thole Natures and Beings. Four1hly, That is moll ftril.lly and properly faid to be eternal, and for ever, whicll neither hath bel!jinning nor end, whofe Profpea both Ways is infinite and boundlefs. And rhus God only is for ever, and it is an incommunicable Anr,ibute of his Divine Effcnce to be fo. Bin becaufe all the <Pet'feaions and i'r6perties of God are God him· felt; therefore this'Evcrlaftingnefs here in the Doxology alcrihed to his Kintdom, his Power, and his Glory, are fa id to be for ever. Yet nOt only rhefe, but whatfOever is in God, is abfolutely Ererr.al. His Rigbteaufnefi ir an everJafling Rigbteoufneji, Pfil. 119. 142. flis TruJ!J enduretbfor evn-, Pfal. 117. 2. f.IH .Mercyil for ever, Pfal. 136• r. His Mercy tlldureth for ever, which is there made the Burden of that moft ex· cellent Song, and the fweet cl0feof every Verfe in it. liis iL!Jve is farevtr, Jer. > t. 3· 1bave h.rurd tbre '"irb an evtrlafring Love. Now
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