176 An Expoftaon ofthe CHAP. I. Nature become a meansof fupportment untous, as confidered in the Perfon of the Son of God. And this is, a. Agreat encouragementunto Believing;TheLord Chriff as the Wifdom of God in- viting fsnnets to come in unto him, and to be made partakers of him, layes down all his Divine Excellencies as a motive thereunto, Prov. 8. t4, 15, &c. For on the ac- count of them, he affures us that wemay find Reg Satisfahion and an abundant Re- ward in him. And the like invitation doth hegive to poor tanners, Ifa. 45.22. Look unto me, and be favedall the ends of the Earth, for I am God, and there is none elf. Theymay juf}ly expcEf Salvation in him who isGod, and in whom all Divine Attri- butes arepropofed to their Benefit > as they find who comeunto him, v. 24.25. The conlideration hereof prevents all the Fears, and.anfwers all the Doubts of them that lookup unto him. . 2. An inerudlionhow to confider the Properties ofGod by faith for our Advantage , that is, as engaged in thePerfon. of the Son of God for our Good. Abfolutely confide- red they may fill us withdread and terror, as they did them of old, who concluded when they thought they had feen God, or beardhis voyce, that they fhoulddye. Confi- dered as bit Properties,who is our Redeemer, they are alwayts relieving and com- forting Ifa. 54. 4, 5 lI. The whole OldCreation, even themoff glorious parts of it, hafiening unto. its pe- riod, at leafy of our prefent interelt in it, andlife of it, ed.'s, upon us not to fix'our hearts on the (mallperifhing f/ogres which we bave therein, effeciaby finewe have hint who is Omnipotent and Eternal for our Inheritance. The Figure cr fafhicn of this world, the Apo& tells us, is palling away; that lovely Appearance which it hath at prefent unto us; it is battening unto its period , it is a fading dying thing, that canyield us no truefatisfad`fion. III. TheLord Chriji the Mediator, the Head and Spoilfe of the Church ; is infinitely exaltedabove all creatures whatever, in that he is Godover all, Omnipotent and Eternal. I V. Thewhole World, the Heavensand Earth, being made by the Lord Chriff, andbeing to be *heel byhim, is wholly at bis difpofal, to beordered for the goodof them that dobe- lieve. And therefore, V. There is no juff caufe of fear unto Believers, from any thing in Heaven or Earth, feeing they are all of the making, and at thedifpofal ofJefusChriff. V I. Whateverour changes may be,inward or outward, yet Chriffchanging not,our eter- nal condition is fecured, and relief providedagainff all prefent troubles andmiferies. The Immutability andEternityof Chriff is the fpring of our confolation and fecurity in every condition. The fumm of all is, that, V I I. Such is the frailty of the nature ofman, and filch the perifhing condition of all created things, that none can ever obtain the leafy frill le confolation, but what arifeth from an intereff inthe Omnipotency Soveraigntyand Eternity ofthe LordChriff. This I fay is that which the words infffed on as they are ufed in the Pfalmdo inflru!l us in ; and this therefore we may a little farther improve. This is that which we are inûrutfed in by the Minjry of John Baptift, Ifa.40. 6, 7, 8. The voyce cryed, all flefh ih grays, and all the goodlinefs thereof k as theflower of thefield ; the grafs withereth, and theflower fadeth, becaufe the Spirit ofGod bloweth up- onit; furely thePeople is grafs : The grafs withereth, theflower fadeth, but the word of ourGod (hall ffandfor ever. All is grafs, fading graft ; though it bloom and appear goodly for a little feafon, yet there isno continuance, no confllency in it. Every Wind that paffeth over it,caufeth it to wither : This is the bell of flefh ; ofall that in and by our Alves, we are, we do, we enjoy, or hope for. The Crown of the Pride of man, and hisglorious Beauty, is but a fading flower, Ifa. 28. t. What Joy, what Peace, what Refl can be taken in things that are dyingaway inour hands, that perifh before every breath ofWind that paffeth over them ? Where then lhall this poor Creature, fo frail in its Celf, in itsA lings, in its Enjoyments, feek for Reff, Confolation and fatisfad`ti- on ? in thisalone, that the Word of the Lord abides for ever; in the eternally abiding Word
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=