Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .O8 1721

240 Of COMMUNION with bath afcended up into heaven or defcended ? Who hath gathered the wind in his fift ? whohath bound the waters ina garment ? who bath eflablifhed the ends of the earth ? what is his name, and what is his fun's name, if -ye can tell ? Prov. xxx. 2, 3, 4. If any one fhould ask now with themin the Canticles, what is in the Lord Yefus our beloved, more than in other beloveds, that fhould make him fo defirable, and amiable, andworthy of acceptation ? what is he more than others ? I ask what is a King more then a beggar ? Much every way. Alas ! this is nothing ; they were born alike, mutt dyealike, and after that is the judgment. What is an Angel more then a worm? a -worm is a creature, and an Angel is no more, he that made the one to creep on the earth, made alfo the other to dwell in heaven. There is ffill a proportion between thole, theyagree in fomething. But what are all the nothingsof the world, to the God infinitely bleffed for evermore? fhall the duff of the balance,or the drop of the bucket be laid inthe fcale againft him ? this is he of whom the Gnners in Sion are afraid and cry,. Who among,/l us fball dwell with that devouring fire, who among/! us !ball inhabit with everlafling burnings? I might now give you a glimpfe of his excellency in many of thofe proper- ties and attributes, by which he difcovers himfelf to the faith of-poor fin ners. But as he that goes into a garden where thereare innumerable flow- ers in great variety, gathers not all he fees, but crops here and there one, and another ; I shall endeavour to open a door, and give an inlet into the infinite excellency of the graces of the Lord Jefus, as he is God bleffed for evermore, prefenting the reader with one or two inflames, leaving him to gather for his own ufe, what farther he pleafeth. Hence then obferve, a.) The endlefs, bottomlefs, boundlefs grace and compafliotl that is in him, who is thus our husband as he is the God of Sion. It is not the grace of a creature, nor all the grace that can poffibly at once dwell in a created nature, that will ferve our turn. We are too indigent to be fuited with fuch a fupply. There was a fulnefs of grace in the human nature of Chrift, He received not the fpirit by meafure, Joh. iii. 34. a fulnefs like that of light, in the fun, or of water in the fea ; I fpeaknot in refpe&of communication, but fufficiency. A fulnefs incomparably above the meafure of Angels, yet it was not properly an infinite fulnefs; it was a created, and therefore a li= !rifted fulnefs. If it could be conceived as feparated from the deity, furely fo many thirfty guilty fouls, as every day drink deep and large draughts of grace and mercy from him, would (if I may fo fpeak) fink him to the very bottom, it could afford no fupply at all, but only in a moral way. But when the conduit of his humanity is infeparably united to the infinite inex- hauftible fountain of the deity, who can look into the depths thereof?. If now therebe grace enough for Gpners in anall-fufficient God, it is in Chrift. And indeed in any other there cannotbe enough. TheLord gives this rea- fon for the peace and confidence of (inners, Ifa. liv. 4, q. ThouJbalt not be afraid, nor confounded, thou (halt not be put to flame, but how fhall this be? fo much fin and not afhamed? fo much guilt and not confounded?Thy maker, faith he, is thine husband, the Lord of hofls is his name, and thy re deemer, the holy one of Ifrael, the God of the whole earth f/sall he be called. This is the bottom of all peace, confidence and confolation, the grace and mercyof our maker, of the God of the whole earth. So are kindnefsand power tempered in him ! he makes us and mars us ! he is our God, and our god, our redeemer. Look unto me, faithhe, andbe Paved, I am God and none elfe, Ifa. xlv. 22. Surely one !hall fay, In Jehovah have I firength and righteoufnefs, v. 24. And

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=