Keach - Houston-Packer Collection BS537 .K4 1779

Part I. AN AN T H R 0 P 0 P A THY. He is called a S'I'RONG 'l'OWER, Pfal. 1xr. 3· Prov. viii. 10. becaufe of his Di– vine Protection alfo; for as in high and well-fortified Towers we are fafe fr9m the Alfaults of the Enemy; fo much more eminently does Jehovah place them in Safety, who truft in him, 2 Sam. xxii. 5'· He is the 'l'ower of Salvation, (fays David of God) which is called great Deliverance, Pfal. xviii. 50. The Tower is fortified, 1 • With warlike Engines, which are his Divine Virtue and Power, and all the Crea– tures wl1ich he makes ufe of to the Deftiuction and Overthrow of his Enemies, Pfal. cxlviii. 8. Fire and Hail, Snow and Vapor, jtormy Wind fulfilling his Word. 2. With Provijion, as the Bread and Drink of Life, Pfal. xxxvi. 8, 9• 10. '!'bey jhal! be abU>:dantly Jatisfied with the Fatnejs of thy Houfe, and thou fhalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy l:'leafurcs, &c. 3· With a Garrifon of brave Defendants, which are the Holy Angels, Pfal. xci. 12. Dan. vii. 10. So that this Tower is impregnable, &c. The L ord God Almighty and the Lamb are called the 'l'EMPLE of the heavenly City, Rev. xxi. n. by Way of Oppof1tion to the outward and earthly Temple, as if he had faid, in Eternity there will be no Need of thofe vifible and external Signs, by which God manifefted himfelf to his People under the Old Teftament Difpenfation, in the Temple and in the Ark of the Covenant ; for God will exhibit himfelf to be feen by his Elect, Face to Face, that in this fpiritual Temple they may give him eternal and celeftial Pratfe, celebrating a Feftival of everlafting Joy, &c. · John xiv. 6. Chrifl: calls himfelf theW;/ r, viz. by which there is a Palfage to the Father; as Verfe 2, 3, 4· The Words of the Verfe, I am the Way, and the 'I'ruth, and the L ife, no Mmt cometh unto the Father but by me, that is, you fay you know not the W ay to the Father, and heavenly Felicity; why I myfelf, whom you know am the Way, by which you can arrive there, nor am I only a Way, but a Guide alfo, by the Truth which I teach, and together with the Father, am the End of your Journey, that is, Life which the Blelfed enjoy. Calixt. in Harmon. Evangel. John Hujfe (as Wo!fius cites him, 'l'om. 1. left. Memor. p. 750.) fays, Let the humble Pajfenger behold Chrijt, who Jays, I am the Way, the Truth and Life; here is a Way for him that will go, for Chr~1 is the Way: A Way whit/m he would go, for Chrijt is 'l'ruth : And where he wotdd tarr)', for Chrijt is Life. 'l'ho. a Kempis, Lib. 3· de Imit. Chrijti, Cap. 56. I am the Way, 'l'ruth 'tlnd Life, none can go without a Way, nor know without Truth, nor live without Life. I am the Way which you ought to follow, the Truth which you ought to believe, and the Life which you ought to hope for. I am the inviolable Way, the infallible Truth, and indeterminable Life. I am the moft right Way, the mofl: fupreme Truth, and mofl: certain, blelfed and increated Life; if thou tarry in my Way, thou fhalt know my Truth which fhall deliver thee, and in it thou fhalt find eternal Life. The Light and Trmh of God leads us, Pfal. xliii. 3· Which Chrifl: applies to himfelf, John viii. 12. and xiv. 6. for he leads us to himfelf who is eternal Life, 1 John v. 11, 12. in whom we have all Things, Rom. viii. 32. How he leads to the Father is fairly expounded, Heb. x. 19, 20, &c. 1. The W ay of the Lord God fignifies his heavenly Doctrine, Pja!. v. 8. xxv. 4, g, 10. lxvii. 2. and cxix. 3• 14, 2 6, 30, &c. Ifa. ii. 3· Hof xiv. 10. Matt. xxii. 16. AEls xiii. to. and xviii. 25, &c. H ence comes the l:'hrafe to keep the Ways of the L ord, Pfal. xyiii. 21. that is, to lead his Life according to his Word and Precepts. 2. His Providence and Divine Government, more generally as the whole Courfe of his Will, Counfels, Endeavors, and Actions, as Pjal. xxv. 10. and lxxvii. '3· Ifa. lv. 8, 9· Hab. iii. 6. More particularly it figni6es fomefingular AClions of God, Exod. xxxiii. '3· Pfa!. ciii. ?·.. Yob xi. '4: Prov. viii: 22. ]ohn Baptijt is faid_ to prep~re !he Way of the Lord, Mal. 111. 1. I-uke 1. 76. that 1s, to bear a fenous Teft1mony ol lm fpeedy Comino-, by preach111g the Word, and adminiftring the Holy Ordinance of Baptifm. A Met~phcr taken from great Men, at whofe Coming the 'vVays are wont to be made plain and level. See Ifa. xi. 3• 4, &c. God

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