Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BT300 .O9 1679

ofChrift in Heaven~ 359 it felf; for it had no.Ionger a Relation unto, or communion with them on Earth, nor was a receptacle meet for men who were finners to be received into. Wherefore by the, blood of the Crofs, God reconciled allthings unto himfelf, whether they be things in Earth, or things in Heaven, Col. I. zo. Or gathe· red all things into one in him, both ·which are in Heaven, and which are in the Earth, Ephef I. I o. Even the things in l:fea– ven,_ fo far fiood in need ofa reconciliation, as that they mtght be gathered together in one, with the things on Earth ; the Glory whereof is manifefl:ed in this Heavenly Miniil:rati· on. And the Apofile affirms that the Heavcn£y things them-.. felves were purified 6y the Sacrifice of Chrifl, Hel>.·9· 2 3. Not that they were aflual(y dejiled in themfelves, but without this purification they were not meet for the fellowfhip of this Myfiery in the Joynt-worfl1ip of the whole Society inHeaven and Earth, by Jefus Chrift. Hence therefore there is a .con· tinual maniteil:ation of the Glory of G0d unto· the Anr~els themfelves. They behold his manifold \Vifdom and Grace in the bleifed effecrs of it, -which were treafured up in the holy Counfels of his Will from eternity. Hereby is their owJJ Light and Ble.f{ednefs advanced, and they are filled with ad-.. mirations of God, afcribing praife, honour and glory unto ·him for evermore. For the beholding of the Myfiery of the Wifdom of God in Cbrifl:, which is 'here fo defpifed in the difpenfation of the Gofpel, is the principal part of the Blef– fednefs of the Angels in Hea·ven, which fills them with eter– nal delight, and is the ground of their afcribing praife ami glory unto him for evermore. This is that manifeflati-ve Glory wherewith God fatisfieth himfelf, until the end determined fl1a:ll be. On the account hereof he cloth and·will bear with things in this world, unto the appointed feafon For whi1£l: the Creation is in its pre– fent po11:ure,_a Re·venu& of Glory mufl: be taken out o~ it for - God))

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