Manton - BX8915 M26 1684 v1

4 S E R NI O N S upon Serin. I, of the Clouds, and Wings of the Wind, and that Majefly and State that God keep - eth in the Heavens ? 3. It noteth Confidence in God,cor a difclaiming of all fublunary Confidence. The Godly, in all their Prayers and Cries, look up unto the Heavens, to note their Con- fidence in God, and not in flefhly Aids; as Pfal. 127. T. I mill lift up mine Eyes unto the Hills, from whence cometh my Help; meaning, his Relief and Deliverance fhould come from God alone. A Chriftian looketh round about him, and feeth no ground of help, but in the tops of the Hills. So Pfal.1 a 3. r. Veto thee I lift up mine Eyes, 0 thon that dwellefl in. the Heavens. The Thrones of Princes, are Places flippery and unfafe; but our Supports are out of Gun -(hot. Lam. 3.41. Let no lift up our Heart with our Hands, unto God in the Heavens : We muff not reft upon any thing in the World. He that made the Heavens, can accomplifh our Defires. The confiant Courfe of the Hea- vens, noteth God's Faithfulnefs. A Man may forefee Come natural Events fome hun- dred Years before. The glorious Fabrick of the Heavens, is a Monument of his Power. 4. To (hew that their Hearts are taken off from the World, and from Carnal De- fires. Chrift's Eyes were to Heaven ; there his Father was : and Chriftians lift up their Eyes to Heaven, becaute they 'mainly feek thofe things that are Above, where God's Throne is, and where Chrifi is now fitting at his right Hand, Col. 3. r. It is for Beaus to grovel, and look downward : Our Home is Above, in thofe upper Regions : there is our Chrift, our pure and fweet Companions. Their Heart cannot be fevered from their Head. When we expel one, we turn our Eyes that way 5 as the Wife looks towards the Seas, when the expels her Husband's return : It doth them good to look towards there vifible Heavens, remembring, that one day they (hall have a Place of Refi there. God bath fixed his Throne, and Chrift hath removed his Body out of the World, that we may look upward. There things from the Gefture. [ Ind faid.] The word noteth a vocal expreffion of the Prayer. Moles cried, Exod. 14.15. which noteth an inward fervency. There are no words mentioned, but Chrift faid; that is, with an audible Voice. I (hall from'this word inquire : Firfl, Why he prayed. Secondly, Why he pronounced bis Prayers in the hearing of the Apoftles. Firfl, Why he prayed : For it feems ftrange that Chrift fhould be brought upon his Knees ; and that he, who was the exprefs Image of his Father's Glory, fhould needdthe Comfort of Prayer ; and that the Heir of Heaven, who hath the Key of David, and openeth, and no Man Ihutteth, fhould ftand knocking at the Father's Door. I Anfwer. r. This was the Agreement between God and Him, that he was firft to eftablifh a Right, and then to fue it out in Court ; Pfal. 2.8. Ask of me, and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance, and the utmofl parts of the Earth for thy Pofgion. This Prayer is nothing elfe, but Chrift's prefenting his Merits before the Tribunal of God. In the whole Tranfaftion of Man's Salvation, God the Father would fuflain the Per - fon of the Ruler, and Governor of the World ; and Chrift was to come and make his Plea before him, to give an account of his Work, and to fue out his own Right, and the Right of his Members. O wonder at the Bufinefs of our Salvation ! the Love of God ! the Condefcention of Chrift ! when he took'the quality of our Suretyup- on him ; he is to make a formal Procefs, to plead his own Merits and our Intereft ; for fo he is left than the Father, as Mediator ; My.Father se greater than I. Not only as Man, but as Mediator, Chrift fuftained a leffer Place. a. That we might have a Copy of his Intercef &on. Chriftis good at interceding; he gave theWorld a talle in his laft Prayer : It is a Pledg of thofe continual Groans,which, as Mediator of the Church,he putteth upfor us in Heaven.We have an excellent Advocate; 1 Joh.2.a.If any Man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrß the Righteous. When thou art in anger of Temptation, he faith, They are in the World ; keep them from the Evil of the World. When thou art pra&ifing Holinefs, Chrift fpeaketh a good word of thee behind thy back 5 Father, they keep thy Word. He. is a good Shepherd, that knoweth

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