Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BT300 .O9 1679

of Cl)rifl in Hea)Jen. 35) :Glory ofGod in them would be an high difhonour tlnto him. And God may at any time begin to manifefl: his Glory, by .fuch waies and means as he did not formerly make ufe_ of unto thatpurpofe. .So is it with all Go.fpel Ordinrmces, wh1ch . fiate will be continued unto the confummation of all things here below, and no longer, for then !hall they all ceafe, God. will be no more glorified in them or by them. So hath God diofen to glorify himjelfi nHea·ven by this Adminifiration of all things in and by Jefus Chrifl:, whereunto alfo there is an end determined. · · , · And in the continuation of this holy wori11ip in theSancru~ ary above, God cloth manifefi his Glory on many accounts, . , 'and refieth therein. (1.) Hedoth it in and unto the Saints who departed this life under theOldieflament. They came ilJOrtin . Glory of what they now enter into, who die in the Faith of our Lord Jefus Chrifr. For not to difpute about, nor deter– mine pofitively, what was their fl:ate and condition before t heAjcenjion of Chrifl into Heaven, or what was the Nature of the bleifed receptacle of their fouls; it is manifefl: that they didnot, they could not behold the Glory of God, and the ac– complijhment of the Myflery of his Wifdom and Will, in Jeftts Chrifl:, .nor was it perfectly made known unto them. What -. ever was their Reil:, Refrefhment and Bleifednefs; vyhatever :were their ·enjoyments of the Prefence of God; yet was there no Throne of Grace ereCted in Heaven, .no High Priefl appea~ ring before it; no Lamb as it had been ilain, no j o_)'nt afcrip– t ion of Glory unto hirn that fits on,the Throne and the Lamb for ever; God having, ordainedfome /;etter thintt,sfor us, tbat · t hey without us Jhoulcl not /;e macle perfeEt. SeeEphef ~. 9, I o. ·~ This was that,and this was that alone fo far as in the Scrip– ture it is revealed, wherein they came i11ort of that Glory w hich is now enjoyed in Heaven. .And herein confiils the ~dvanta ge of the Saints abdve them, · who now die in Faith. - Z z Their

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