VEr.19.. the 8th Chapter to the R O, M A N S. L 91 cording to the intereft of the fíefh, and being blinded with malice and prcjitdice, they eenfure this effete pervorfly, and fo malign and oppofe it, 1 Pet. 4.4, 5. They bink. it orange you do not rim with them into the fame excefs of riot, fpeaking evil of )cu, who Pall give an account to hint, who is ready to judg the quick and the dead. They are unwilling any fhould put a difgrace upon theiriffefhly courfe of life ; therefore if they cannot draw others into a fellowlhip of their fins, they labour to blacken them with cenfitres, or root them out with furious oppofitions and perfecutions. But their perverlè judg- ment fhould be no difcouragement to us ; let us rather pity their ignorance, than be troubled at their malice; it is enough for us, that we have the favour of God and our hopes lye elfewhere. 2. In agreat meafure from our felves : What withcorruptious within, and temptations without, we havé much ado to be perfwaded, that God is our Father, and we his chil- dren, our condition being fo unfuitable, and our converfations fo much- beneath our rights and priviledges 5 fo that it needeth to be cleared by the fpirit of Adoption; no lefa Agent, or Witnefs, will ferve the turn, lkow. 8. 16. The. fpirit its felf beareth witneJs to our fpirit) that ware the children of God. When' that is done, yct the glory intended io be revealed in us is not fufficiently known, wetiave not now an heart to conceive of it, I Cor. 2.9. And Prophetic is but in part, 1 Cor. 12. g. And the Apoffle when wrapt up in Paradife, heard =it`sra P'tir *d, 2 Cor. 12. 4. Heavenly joys cannot be told us in an earthly dialeft; the Scripture is fain to hip to us, and to (peak fomething of it, as we can underftand and conceive of things to come, by things prefenr 5 therefore our glory is in a great meafure unknown, and will be,till the day of manifeftation, and then there (hall be a Crown of Glory prepared for us. 3. Why this Glory is hidden. . I. Becaufenow is the time of tryal, hereafter of recompence. Therefore now is the hi- ding time, hereafter is the day of the manifeftation of the tons of God; if the glory were too fenfible, there were no trial, neither of the world, nor of the people of God; Chrift himfelf might be d?°cerned by chofe who had a mind to fee him; yet there wes obfcurity enough in his Perron; to harden chore that were refolved tocontinuein their prejudices ; therefore'tis faid, Luke 2. 39. This child was fit for the rife and fall of many in Ifrael. So if the whole excellency of a Chriftian5 eftate -were laid open to the view of fence, there would be no trial ; Chrift had his bright fide and dark fide; a glory to be feen by thofewhofe eyes were anointed with fpiritual eye.falve, John 1. 14. Aid the word was made flefh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory as the glary of the only be- gotten of the father ; And of hiftion and meaner; enough to harden tholewhohad no mind; to fee : So God hath his chofen ones in the world, who keep up his honour and intereft . and he hath his ways to to expre4i his love to them, but not openly ; they are called his hidden ones, Pfal. 80. 3. They are under his fecret bid ing and proteelion, but not vilii- bly owned, but in luci; a way as may be heft for their trial, and the trial of the world. The Lord Jefuscame not with external appearance, his Divine Nature was hidden un. der the veil of his flefh, and his Dignity and Excellency under a bale and mean outride; in the outward effete there was nothing lovely to be feen by a carnal eye, Ifa. 43, 2. He hath no form and còmlinefi ;and when we Jball fee him, there is no beauty, that we /horrid defre him : Yet in himfelf,he was the brightnefs of the Divine Glory, and the exprefs image of his perrn, Heb. 1. 3. 2. God hath chafers this way tp advance his glory ; that he may perte& his power in our weaknefs, 2 Cor. 12. 9. By wants and weakneffes his fatherly love appeareth to us more than in an abloluteand total exemption from them ; God would not fooften hear from us, nor would we have filch renewed experiences to revive the fettle of his fatherly lore , and grace, which would otherwife be dead and cold in our hearts, were it not for there wants and affli &ions during our minority and nonage. 3. To wean and draw us of from things prefect to things to come : That we may be con- tented to be hidden from, and hated by the world, if the courfe of our fervice expofe us to it ; for we mull not look upon things as they are, or feem to now, but what they will be hereafter : Now is the trouble, t;.en the reward ; prefent time is quickly pad; and therefore we Ihould be dead to prefent profits, and prefènt pleafures, and pre- fent honours; and look to eternity, that is to come; 2 Cor. 4. 18. While we look not to the things which arefeen, but at the things which are not Peen; for the things which are feen are temporal, but the things which are not feen are eternal. Oh, how glorious will the deri- ded, vilified Believer be then? ft fhould be our Ambition to look after this honour; 'Lis the day of the manifeftation of the Sons of Cdr ; rho the wicked have a larger allow- ance
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