le to the I-I EB a EW s. 7 Z about ; even by the.. working.of Godin Jefas Chrifi in his Humiliation,'when he dyed ; and his Exaltation, in his Refurreftion, putting all things under his feet, crowning bim with glory and honour, which theApofile (hews by a citation of this place of Pfalmif; for all this is out of Gods regard untoman ; it is for the Church, whiéh 't the body ofChrift, and his fulnefs. So fullofglory, fuch an object of eternal Ad- miration is this work of the Love and Grace of God : which as Peter tells us, the veryAngell them(elves defire to look into, 's Pet. r. t z. And this further appears, Fitts, Becaufe all Gods regardof man in this way is a fruit of meerSoveraign Grace and condefcenfton. And all Grace is admirable ; efpecially the Grace of God ; and that fo great Grace, as the Scripture expreffeth it. There was no confideration ofany thing without Godhimfelf, that moved himhereunto. He had glorified himfelf as the Pfalmiffthews in other works of his hands ; and he could have refted in that Glo -, rye Man deferved no fuch thing of him, being worthlefs and fnful. It was all of Grace ; both in thehead and members. The Humane natureof Chrilt neither did, nor couldmerit the HypojfaticalVnion.. It didnot, becaufe being made partaker of it, from the inttant of his Conception , all antecedent Operations that might pro- cure it, were prevented ; and a thing cannot be merited by any after it is freely granted antecedently unto any deferts. Nor. could it do fo s Hypoftatical. Union could be no reward of obedience ; being that which exceeds all the order of things, and Rules ofRemunerativeJuflice. The Affumption then of our nature in-. toPerfonal Union with the Son of God, was an Ad of mar, free, fiveraign, roncon- ceivable Grace. And this is the foundation of all the following fruits ofGods regard unto us ; and that being ofGrace, fo muff they be alto. What ever Goddoth for us, in and by Jefas Chrift as made man for us, which is all that he fo Both, it mutt I fay be all ofGrace, becaufe his being made man was fo. Had there been any merit , any defert on our part, any Preparation for, or Difpoution unto the Effet$s of this re- gard; hadour nature; that portionof it which wasfan&iled and fparated to be united unto the.Sonof God, any way procured, or prepared itfelffor its Union and Affumption,things had fallenunder fome rules of Jollier and Equality' , whereby they might be apprehended and meafured ; but all being of Grace, they leave place unto nothing but eternal Admiration and thanktulnefs. Secondly, Hadnot Godbeen thus mindful of man, and vifited him in the Perfon of his Son incarnate; every one partaker of that nature mull have utterly perifhed in their loft condition. And this alfo renders the Grace of it an objeEf of Admiration. We arenot. onlyto look what God taker us unto by this Vi citation, but toconfider .alfo what he delivers usfrom, Now this is a great part of that vile and baje conditi- on which thePfalmill wonders that God fhould have regard unto; namely, that we hadfinned and come Jhort of his Glory; andthereby expofed ourfelves unto eter- nal mifery. In that conditionwemull have perifhed for ever had not God freed us by this Vifitation. It had beenGreat Grace tohave taken an innocent, a finlefs man into Glory ; Great Grace to have freed a ftnner frommifery; though he fhould never be brought to theenjoyment of the leanpofitive Good. But to free a finnerfrom the utmolt andmoll inconceivable mifery, in eternal ruine, and tobring him unto the higher( happinefs, ineternal Glory,and allthis ina way ofmeet Grace ; this is to beadmired. Thirdly, Becaufe it appeareth that God is more glorified in the Humiliation and Exaltation of the LordChrifi, and the falvationof mankind thereby,than in any of, or all the Works of the Unit Creation. How glorious thofe works are, and how mightily they fet forth the glory of God, we have before declared. But as the Pfalmift intimates, God relied not in them; He had yet, a farther defrgn, to manifefl his Glory in a more eminent and ungular manner, and this hedid, by mindingand vifiting of man in Chrifi Jefus. Nonealmoll is fo (cupid, but on the urlt view ofthe Heavens, theSun, Moon andStars, but he will confefs, that their Fabrick, Beauty and Order, is wonderful, and that the Glory of their framer and builder is for ever to.be admired in them a But all this comes Jbort of that Glory which arifeth unto God fromthis Condefcenfion and Grace. And therefore it may be the day will come, and that fpeedily, wherein thereHeavens, and this whole oldCreation, (hall be utterly ditfolved andbrought to nothing. for why fhould they abide as a monument of bis power unto them, who enjoyingthe blef ed v(ion of him, (hall fee and know it far more evidentlyand eminently in himfelf. However they (hall undoubtedly in a (hors timeceafe as to theirVfe, whereinat prefent they are principally fubfervient unto. the manifettation of the glory ofGod. But the Effects of this regard of God to man,; A a á a 2 (hall
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