Owen - BS2775 O8 1668

ZZZ éAn Expofittonof the C Iii A P. II. (hall abideuntoEternity ; and the glory of God therein. This is the foundationof Heaven, as it is aflate andcondition; as it denotes the Glorious Pretenceof God among hisSaints and holy ones. Without this there wouldbe no Pub Heaven; all that is there, and all the gloryof it, depends thereon. Take away this föundation, and all that beauty and glory difappears. Nothing indeed would be taken from God, who ever was, and ever will be eternally bleffd in his own Selffufhciency. But the whole Theatre which he hath erected forr the manifeflation of his glory unto Eternity, depends on this his holy Condefcenfion and Grace; which affuredly render them meet for ever to beadmired andadored. This then let us exercifeour felves unto.. Faith having infinite, eternal, incom- prehenfible things propofed unto it, ads it felt greatly in this Admiration. We.ate every where taught, thatwe now know but imperfectly, in part, and that we fee darkly as in a glafs ; riot that the Revelationof thefe things in the Word, is dark and obfcure; for they are fury and clearly propofed ; but that filch is the nature of the things themfelves, that we are not in this life able to comprehend them ; and therefore, faithBothprincipally exerciCeit felt in anholyadmiration ofthem. And indeed no Love orGrace will fuit our condition, but that which is incomprehenfi- hle. We find our felves by Experience to fland in need of mote Grace, Goodnefs, Love and Mercy, than wecan look into, fearch to thebottomof, or fully underhand. But when that which is infinite and incomprehenfible is propofed unto us , there all fears are overwhelmed, and faith finds yell with Affurance. And ifour admiration of theftthings, bé an Aél, an Effe h, a fruit of faith, itwill be of fingular rife toen- dear our hearts untoGod, and toexcite them unto thankfulobedience. For who would not love and delight in the eternal fountain ofthis inconceivableGrace? And what (hall werender unto him who hath done more for us, than we are any way able tothink or conceive. I I. Obferve alto, thatfucb was the inconceivable Love of7efus ChriJi the SonofGodun- to the fouls of men, thathe wasfree andwilling to eondefcendunto any condition for their good and falvation. That was theend of all this difpenfation. And the Lord Chrift was not humbledand made lefs than the Angels, without his own Will and content. HisWill and good likingconcurred unto this work. Hence when the Eternal Coun- fel of this whole matter is mentioned, it is Paidof him as the Wifdomof the Father, that he rejnyced inthe habitable part of the earth , and bit delights werewith the Sons of men,Prov. 8.31. He delighted in the cotrnfel of redeeming and faring them , by his ownHumiliation and fuffering. And theScripture makes it evidext, upon theft two confiderations. Firft, In that it (hews, that what he was to do, andwhat he was to undergo in this workwas propofedunto him, and that he willingly accepted of the terms and con- ditions of it, Pfalm 40._6. God (ayes unto him, that facrifice and wringwould not do this great work ; burnt-offering and fn.offering wouldn'ot effect it ; that is, nokind ofOfferings orSacrifices inflituted by the Lawwere available to take away fin, and to fave (inners ; as our Apoftle expounds that place at large, Heb. 10, 1, 2, 3, 4. con- firming his Expoltionwith fundry Arguments taken from their nature and Effecfs ; What then doth God require of him, that this great defign of the falvation of ¡in- ners may be accompli(hed ? even that he himfelf(hould make his ownfoul an offering for fn; pourout hisfoul untodeath, and thereby bear the fin of many, Ifs. 53. ro.r2. That firing the Law was weak through the ffefh, that is, by reafon of our fins in the flefh, that he himfelf(hould take uponhim the likenefl offinful ffefb, and become an of- fering for fin in the (frfh, Rom. 8.3. That he fhould be made of a woman madeun- der the Law, if he would redeem them that were under the Law, Gal. 4.4, 5. that he fbouldmake himfelf of no reputation, but take upon him the form of a fervant , and be made in the likenefs ofman, and being found in fafbion as a man to humble himfelf and to become obedient unto death, the death of the Croft, Phil. 2.7, 8. There things were pro- pofedunto him, which he was to undergo, if he would deliver and fave mankind. And how did he entertain this propofal ? how did he like thefe Conditions ? I war not, faith he, rebellious, I turned not away back; Ifa. 50. 5. He declined them not ; he refutednone of the terms that were propofed unto him, but underwent them in a way ofObedience; and that withWillingnefs, Alacrity and delight, Pfal. 40. 6, 7,8. Thou, faith he, haft opened my ears; or preparedabody for me; wherein I mayyield this obedience ; ( that the Apolile declares to be the fenfe of the expreffion, Chap. ro. ) This

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