Ver.24. the 8th Chapter to the ROMAN S. 23 3 them of án happinefs he never meant to give them; and if he meant it , is he not able to perform it ? Men break their word out of weaknefs ; they cannot do all that they would, their will exceedeth their power. Or out of imprudence;they cannot forefec what may happen ; or out of levity and inconftancy, for all men are lyars ? but none ofthefe things can be imagined of God. We haveGods Word and O.,th, Heb 6. r8.. We have his Seal, the fpirit, who bath wrought miracles without, to confirm this hope, and affure the world, Heb. 2. 4. God alfa bearing them witnefs with figns and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the holy eon. Within, preparing the hearts cf the faithful for this bleffed elate, Eph. 4. 30. And grieve not the holy fpirit, whereby ye are fealed to the day of redemption. And giving them Come beginnings of it, as an earneft, a Cor. t. 22. Who bath fealed ïts, and given us the earneft of the fpirit. Now fince we go not upon gueffes, but fuse grounds, the promife of the eternal God , thus fealed and confirmed, should not we hope ? 3. Our relation to God; He is our God and Father, John 20. 17. I sfcend to mfr father, andyonr father, and to my God, and yeur God. As our God, he will give us fomething like to himfelf5 fomething better than the world yeildeth, fomething fit for a God to give ; or elfe he could not with honour take that title upon him, Heb. a r. 16. Wherefore Cod is not afliamed to be called their God, for be lath prepared for ;hen a city. As our Father, he will give us the Heavenly inheritance, Luke r2. 32. Fear not, little fl >ck,'tis your fathers pleafuretogive you the kingdom. If God were a J'udg only, we might fear how it would go with us in the day of tryal; but if he will digni- fie us with the title of Children, we may expect a Childs portion, from. 8. t 7. And if children, then heirs ; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Chrifl, if fo we After w'th him, that wé May be alfoglorified together. Be lure that you be Adopted, Juftified, taken into the Family. 4. Chriß} merit and peon, Rom. 5. to. For if when we were enemies, we were're. conned by the death of his fon, much more being reconciled, we 'hall be fazed by his life. Surely the Blood of God was given for fome other thing than that little happinefs and lorry pittance of comfort which we injoy here. Do men that underftand themfelves, give vaft fumms fortrifles ? when wifemen lay a broad and large foundation, we expect a Building fuitable. If Chili be abafed, we may be exalted ; if he was apparelfd with our flefh, we may be cloathed with his Glory ; that which keepeth hope alive, is the confiderations of that ranfomd which Chrift paid to reconcile us to God, that we might be capable of the highe(b fruits of Chrifts Death, an affurance of his love, even eternal life. 5. His Reforreclion and Afcention, 1 Pet. t. a t. God bath railed him from the dead, andgave himglory, that your faith and hope might be in God. Chrift confirmed his Mediaiorfhip, and herein he is a pattern to us 5 taken poffeffion of Heaven in our name and nature; he did in our nature rife from the dead, and alcend into Heaven, to give us a real and vifible demonftration of a Refurreftion, and a life to come ;, that we might look and long for it, whil'ft we follow him in obedience and fufferings; Chrift is enered into his Glory, and (hall we be kept out? Some law him after he was rifen, and Tome law him afcending ; we have certain teflimony of it, that he is gone to Heaven before us; he that came to be an example of duty, is alto a pattern of fe- licity. 6. His potent interceffion. He is fate down on the right hand of Majefty, that he may apply his purchafe, and bring us into poffeffron of that happinefs which he bath pro- cured for us ; We have a friend at Gods Right hand, who cannot fatisfie himfelfto be there without us, John 17. 24. Father, 7 will, that they whom then ball given me, may be where I am, and may behold my glory. He is gone to Heaven, as our forerunner. Het). 6. 19, 10. Which hope we bave as an anchor of the Soul, both fore and ßedfafl, and which entretb into that within the vail, whither the forerunner is for us entered; even Jefas,made an high prieß for ever after the order of Meichifedec. Gone afhore, whither we leek to Land, Micha 2. 13. The breaker is come up before them. He bath taken all im- pediments out of the way; and prepared a fate lauding. place for us. 7. All our former experience of God ; He hath ever born us good will, never diC- covered any backwardnefs to our good ; he purpofed it in Chrift before the world was: fens his Son to die for us, before we were Born, or had a being in the world called us when we were unworthy, warned us of our danger when we did not fear it, offered this happinefs to us, when we had no t4ought of it g and left we fhould tiara our backs upon it, followed us with an earneft and unceflant importunity, till we came 9 G to
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