VERS,Uo An Expo/itton, with Notes land of flowers and herbs, which foon faded; but we run for an incorruptible crown of glory: Or, as another Apofile calleth it, A crown of glory that fadetiJ not away, I Pet.). 4· Thus you fee why Heaven is expreffed by a Crown; now fometimes 'cis called acrown ()f glory, to note the JP!endor of it; "" fometimes a * :r. Tilll, 4 s. crown of righteoufne[s, to note the gro~nd and rife of it, which is Gods truth engaged by a pr9m1fe, called Gods righte– ou{nefs in Scrip~ure: fometimes it is called_a crown of life, as Rev. 2. ro. Be faithful unto death, apd I will give thee a crown of life; becaufe it is not to be had but in eternal or everlafiing life : Or elfe, to note the duration of it ; 'cis not a dying, withering crown, as the garland of flowers, but a living crown, fnch as will flourif.b to all eternity. . which the Lord bath promi{ed] This is added, parcly to ibew the certainty of it, we have the a!furance of apromife; partly to note thegroundofexpetfation, not by virtue of our own merits, but Gods promife : Now there is no particular promife alledged, becaufe 'cis the general drift of the whole Word of God ; in the _ Law there is apromife of mercy , To a thoufand generatioNs, ·to them that love him, Exod. 20. 6. When·all things were after the manner ofa carnal Commandment, the expref]ions of the promifes were alfo carnal ; and that's the reafon why, in the Old Tefiament, the bleffings of the Promifes are exprelied by a fat portion, long , life, and a blelfing upon poferity: for all thefeexpr ffions were not to be taken in the rigor of the letter, but as figures of heavenly joys, and eternal life: And therefore what was in the Commrt~.ndment, Mercy to a thoufand generations, to them that love him, is, in the Apoftle, a crown of life to them that Jove him, the myftery of the e.xpreffion being opened and unvailed. . To them that love him.] An ufual defcriptionof the people of God: But why them that lo?Je him, rather then them that ferve or obey him, or fome other defcription? I an!wer, I. Becaufe Love is the fum of the whole Law, and;he Hinge up– on which all the Commandments turn ;· this is the one word into which the Deca!ogue is abridged, therefore P~ttl faith, Rom. q. 10. that Lf7ve i.s '7f'll.n-s(~l'-~ vbfJ-'15, the fulft!lirzg ofthe L~w. 2. Be– caufe 'cis the great Note ofour interefi in Chrift : Faith giveth a right m the promifes, and Lrwe evidenceth it; therefore is it f~ often fpeci6ed~ as the Condition <f the Promifes, the Condi.tio1,1 · · - · · - --- · · that
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