184 (4Declaration of the Glorious My s T E 1tY Heaven itfelf was not what it is, before the entrance ofChrift into the fan luary for the stdminiftration of his office. Neither the faints departed, nor the angels themfelves, were participant of that glory which now. the y are. Neither yet doth this argue anydefeft in heaven, or the flare thereof in its primitive conftitution. For the perfecîion ofany ftate hath refpe& unto that order of things, which it is originally fuited unto. Take all things in their order of the firft creation, and with refpe& thereunto, hea- ven was prrfe& in glory frotn the beginning. Howbeit there was ítí11 a relation and regard in it unto the church of mankind on the earth, which was to be tranflated thither. But by the entrance of fin, all this order was difturhed, and all this relation was broken. And there followed thereon an itnperfe&ion in the flare of heaven it felf; for it had .no longer a relation unto, or communion with them on earth, nor was a receptacle meet for men who were (inners to be received into. Wherefore by theblood of the crofs, God reconciledall things unto hinrfelfç whether they be things, inearth or things in heaven, Col. i. 2o. Or, gatheredall things into one in him, both which arein heaven, andwhich are in the earth, Ephef. i..re: Even thethings in heaven fo far flood inneed ofa reconcilation, as that they might be gathered together in one, with the things on earth; the glory whereof is manifefted in this heavenly miniftration. And the apatite affirms that the heavenly things themfelves were purified by the facrifice of Chrift Heb. ix. 23. not that theywere aitually defiled in themfelves, but without this purification they werenot meet for the fellowlhip of this myftery in the joynt wotihip ofthe whole fociety in heaven and earth, by jefus Chrhft. Hence therefore there is a continual manifeftation of the glory of God unto the angels themfelves. They behold his manifold wifdom and grace in the bleffed effects of it, which were treafured up in the holy counfels of his will from eternity. . Hereby is their own light . and bleffednefs advanced, and they are filled with admirations ofGod, af- crihing praife, honour and glory, unto him for evermore. For the behold- ingof the myftery ofthe wifdomofGod in Chrift, which is here fo defpifed in thedifpenfation of the gofpel, is the principal part of the bleffednefs of the angels in heaven, which fills them with eternal delight, and is the ground of their af.ribing praife and glory unto him for evermore. This is that manifeftative glory wherewith God fttisfieth himfelf, until the end determined fhall be. On the account hereof lae doth and will bear with things in this world, unto the appointed feafon. For whilft the creation is in its prefent pofture, a revenue of glory mull be taken out of it for God, and longer titan that is done it cannotbe continued. But the world is fo full of darknefs and confufhon, of fin and wickednefs and of enmity againft God, is fo given up to villany, unto all the ways. whereby God may be difhonoured, that there is little or no appear- ance of any revenue of glory unto him from it. Were it not on the fecret account of divine wifdom; it would quickly receive the end of Sodom and Go,norah. The fnall remnant- of the inheritanceof Chrift, is that up in fuch obfcurity, that as unto vifible appearance and manifef- tation, it is no sea to be laid in the ballance againft the dilhonour that is done unto- him b whole world. But whilft things are in this pofture here below, God bath a folemn honour, glory and worshipabove in the prefenceof all his holy ones, wherein he refteth and takes pleafure. In his fatisfa&ion herein, he will continue things in this world unto all the ends of his wifdom, goodnefs, righteoufnefs and patience, let it rage in villany and wickednefs as it pleafeth. And fo when anyof the faints'who are wearied end even worn out with the ftate of things in this world, and it
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