man to appease thereby his Fathers wrath against him and restore him into a State of grace And that such his goodness might not be cast away as that before conferred by Creation upon him was God the Father and the Son will send the holy Spirit who proceeds from both by whose all-powerful efficacious grace that most glorious manifestation of God the Fathers incomprehensible goodness towards lost man and that most gracious manifestation of God the sons most tender love and compassion towards lost man this work of salvation should be irresistably and most effectually carried on by informing the mind reforming the will conforming his heart and soul to the will of God and confirming the whole man in his reformed condition and all this by bringing home this gospel discovery of the Glory of the Lord spoken of in the Text and by that his peculiar work and undertaking as we shall endeavour by the assistance of the said Lord the spirit in due time to shew from the last words of the Text. Now according to this three-fold manifestation of the glory of the Lord from the beginning have all the most glorious dispensations of the grace of God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost ever since been derived revealed communicated applyed preserved conserved rewarded in the souls and persons of all Gods faithfull servants in all Ages and so will be to the end of the world and was but mens Religion setled upon this foundation of Gods own laying and steered in a right course to his own end that as all grace is from himselfe so the glory thereof might be given to him alone how might the Church of God be setled in truth and peace But let us a little view the most radiant beames of this incomprehensible love this supernatural grace this divine Glory of God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost as from time to time they are darted out of Heaven and powerfully sent home into the souls of poore sinners upon earth together with the reflexions of those radiant beames in and upon those poor sinners souls for I speak not here of those close stopped bottles that will suffer no good liquor to fall into them though much fall upon them yea though cast into a sea of water yet none can enter because they are close stopt up or such dark Lanthorns that receive no light though they be set in the bright Sun-shine at noon-day but of such as like burning or looking glasies in the beholding of this glory as in the Text receive from the Sunne of Righteousnesse that shines most gloriously in their Hemisphere only as the light of old did in Goshen when thick darknesse was in Egypt receive I say from him both light and heate and brightnesse and are transformed into the same Image Where should I begin to speak of the glory of their transfiguration or when should I make an end Look upon their birth it is celestiall it is divine it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is from above it is from God so they are not only a truly noble or Royall which the vaine world is apt too much to prize alone but they are also a reall divine Race 2 Pet. 1. 4. But this glory of theirs being that of the Queens Daughter is mainly within this spirituall life of theirs is hid with Christ in God Col. With this new birth and life is conveyed a divine and spiritual illumination into their souls with this is inseparably conjoyned a particular spiritual application of every sacred truth by that illumination discovered out of the word of God by any means whereby God sets it before them from this application proceedeth love which labours to manifest it selfe in an affectionate constant endeavour of all due thankfulnesse and obedience to his divine Majestie in the improvement of all grace received and all gracious dispositions and affections and in the performance of all duties toward God and man and so when the holy Spirit hath taken possession Christ sits regent in all their souls where he hath a spiritual and invincible Kingdome of which there shall be no end whose Subjects shall never be traytors nor revolters from his Divine Majestie bribes shall not allure them terrours shall not fray them they are sworne feodaries to him and will approve themselves his liedg Subjects their Rule and Law is Gods word their Strength is his grace and joy their Teacher and counseller and comforter is his sacred Spirit their Tower of defence and rock is the rock of Ages their Guard the holy Angells their Annuitie or portion the good of the earth the ayre the Seas here in their non-age their present inheritance the grace of God the favour of God the peculiar providence of God the promises of God the Covenant of God with all the benefits of redemption purchased for them by that infinite ransome of the blood of Christ needfull for them in their pilgrimage here on earth till they enter the possession of the heavenly and eternal Kingdome of Glory And this constant course of glorious Gospel grace God the Father Sonne and holy Spirit have manifested and magnified themselves by to the true and invisible Church throughout all generations to this very day though in different manners and degrees and still will doe so to the end of the world and this glory of the Lord is so great in the eyes of true believers that if all the excellency of temporal glory not only of the Kings and Kingdoms of the world but the Glory of the Sunne Moone and Starres were united into one it would seeme to them obscure and contemptible in comparison of this and so full of sound comfort is their interest in this glorious grace that were they offered the wealth the pleasure the honour the favour of men the confluence of all the seeming worth of the world without this they would in their right temper refuse and reject them all as an incompetent offer yea faithfull Moses and all the Martyrs in their times would rather chuse to suffer affliction with the people of God to injoy this than to have the pleasures of sin for a season for oh the pearless worth of their secret but certain injoyment of the favour of God their secured interest in Christ the guidance the teaching the comfort of the holy Ghost his life-giving grace his grace-working Ordinances the spiritual pleasures of his house their communion with himselfe the satisfaction the securitie the soul-ravishments of his love with the reflections thereof their love againe to his Divine Majestie that twofold righteousnesse of Christs imputed and theirs endeavoured that peace of conscience that passeth understanding that joy in the holy Ghost unspeakeable and glorious in which the Kingdome of Heaven doth consist as the Apostle witnesseth Rom 14. 17. The Glory indeed of this Kingdome is not discerned but by the spiritual eye of faith the happinesle thereof is not injoyed but in the particular application of a truly believing soul herein
shining forth of Gods most free and infinite grace unto men and Angels here and hereafter which as our Saviours expression is to all single-eyed beholders is obvious to be discerned yea there is no part of the foundation or fabrick of the whole work wherein it doth not wonderfully shine out to such soules in their better temper at least which if it do not unto any at least when they are themselves it is because they are not as in the Text transformed into the same Image if the glory shining in the work of the Creation when that was finished was the reason then wherefore the Lord blessed the seaventh Day Sabbath and hallowed it that his people might have a weekly opportunity to worship and celebrate his praise for the innumerable benefits conferred on them by Creation then how much more may the glory shining much more brightly when Christ Jesus our Lord having finished the whole work of redemption by his resurrection gloriously triumphed over all adverse powers of darkness occasion him the Lord of the Sabbath to put it over to the first day and is justly therefore by his holy spirit intitled to himself the Lords day our Christian Sabbath Rev. 1. 10. even when in the highest raptures he communicated so divinely to that beloved Disciple the great things to be accomplished in reference to the Church and her enemies to the end of the world now as the perfected glory of the Saints hereafter shall swallow up the inchoate glory here or as the glory of the Lord our redeemer seems to ecclypse the lustre of the glory of the Lord our Creator as the shining light of the sun doth the brightness of the Moon when they appear both together in our hemisphere even so is the glorious forme and beauty of this work transcendently above the other Fifthly The largeness of the time or continuance allotted for this work above all the other excellent illustrations of it First Creatio fit in instanti so the Learned Creation is done in an instant the whole work was finished and celebrated in a weeks space at first sustentation is the continuance of that for a limited time and Gubernation here is but while this course of nature or Creatures or rather supportation in their rankes from God is so variously disposed of in such wonderful manner after the good pleasure of his will but the time allotted for the contriving effecting applying confirming carrying on and perfecting this most glorious work of Gospel grace is not only a long time but all time and not only time but eternity too yea all eternity in reference to the eternal and coequal Trinity of persons in the unity of the divine nature Now this illustration of the length of time for raysing a work may more clearly appear from a threefold evidence First of nature the baser sort of creatures soon come to their height of stature as is observable in varieties of sorts of plants and beasts and fowls Secondly in Reason the more excellent the nature of a work and the more accurately it is to be wrought the longer time is required to provide for it to accomplish it Thirdly in experience both of Nature Art by all which the long continuance for the raysing of this work may be manifest above all the rest which is an other of its excellencies unto which let us now adde the Sixt Namely in regard of the way and manner of the raysing of this work by the constant shining out of the wonderful glory of the Father Son and Holy ghost all the time it is in raysing Oh the unspeakeable splendor of the wisdome and power of the grace and goodness of the mercy and truth in reference to all the holy persons in that undivided Trinity made evident therein from the beginning of the world and shall be to the end thereof in such glorious mnnifestations continually breaking forth through all successions of Ages as can never be sufficiently admired nor much less celebrated with praises both from men and Angels in all things that concern the way and manner of the revealing exhibiting as will be of the perfecting of that most precious grace from and by those sacred persons derived Whether we respect the sufficiency the sureness the efficacy the happiness in such way and manner continually held out and communicated unto the world First sufficient to make up all the Creatures wants to answer all their doubts Secondly Sure to remove all their fears settle all desirable security to them Thirdly Effectually to carry on against all obstacles and to accomplish all and more then they could hope for or desire Fourthly To administer what ever good they are capable of receiving to make them perfectly blessed let your thoughts be inlarged upon these particulars I must leave them as the dry bones in Ezekiels Prophesie till the Spirit causeth flesh to come upon them to cover them for I feare to be tedious even in a subject so precious and pleasant to such as have interest in it but therefore not pleasant unto others because they find not any to themselves yea they know it not and therefore they desire it not yea they are not willing to know it least they must loose those Idols wherein they take more pleasure But thus much at presenâ— of Gods own undertaking in the most sutable manner to all his own most blessed purposes respecting both himself and his creatures according to his own good pleasure as we shall indeavour afterwards to shew and is evident from all passages to this purpose in holy writ unspeakeably above what is to be found in any other his great and glorious works here being a way for the magnifying of the riches of his free grace only revealed in his word which is therefore magnifyed above all his name as the Psalmist saith remarkably Ps 138. in such a concurrence of all Divine excellencies as is no where else to be found since there and there only we have the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 6. Seaventhly In regard of the subordinate meanes of raising up this work not here to speak of the chief the holy Spirit as proceeding from the Father and the Son for we shall have occasion to speak of him afterwards as the Lord the Spirit the prime efficient cause of the efficaciousness of all other meanes but only of his inferior means such as Angels men extraordinarily inspired ordinarily qualified ordinances sanctified and providences and many other means oâ— Creatures sometime at his pleasure blessed to be in some sort instrumental in this work For sometimes to use Angels in it was an honour to it but to have used them alwayes would have been terrible to weak and fraile Creatures besides otherwise incommodious to them when as to use mans ministry is natural familiar affecting as being of the same nature and lyable to the same miserie capable of the same happiness
for all both Ministers and people that have this discovery made unto them which I conceive more consonant to the Text for these reasons for it is of many concernments in the Text. First all those that are said to behold the glory of the Lord are said to be changed into the same image which is a benefit ad omnes fideles Christianos pertinens licet non for san aequaliter ac ad Ministros Evangelii equally belonging to all faithfull Christians as well as Ministers of the Gospel though not alwayes in the like way manner or degree equally Secondly because it is in both respects said to be the work of the Lord the Spirit Thirdly because the Apostle in the beginning of this Chapter speaks of the Corinthians as having such a work of the Spirit wrought upon them concerning which he said ver 4 he had such trust through Christ to God-ward as Divines understand those words and that being granted it is then proprium quarto modo essentially belonging to all faithfull regenerate Christians as such being both illuminated and sanctified by the efficacious grace of the Lord the Spirit and therefore the note of Universalitie in the word all was necessary to be annexed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with open face 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a face uncovered Whereas in Moses Ministery his face was covered ver 13 14. so that the Children of Israel could not look unto the end of those things which are abolished Now in Gospel times the vaile is so taken away in Christ that the wonderfull grace of God is manifest and evident unto his people c. yet in reference to the metaphor something might be observable in reference to the severall Opticall uses of severall forts of Glasses as a Prospective to see the things of God a farre off and small things great or great things small as a Multiplying Glasse shewing the manifold wisdome of God as a Burning Glasse to kindle holy fire in the soule as a Spectacle or Reading Glasse to help our weak fight in discerning spirituall things as a Cylinder Glasse gathering and uniting the scattered beames of glory in the Creatures into Christ their proper Center But yet with some restraint for though with open face yet they behold it but as in a glasse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seemes to denote with some obscuritie with some mistinesse or as the Apostle 1 Cor 13. 12. But now we see as through a glasse darkly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a ridle not perfectly and fully now as we shall hereafter as follows in the same verse For then we shall know eve◠as we are knowne 1 Cor 13. 12. The glory of the Lord not the essentiall glory of God as Exod 33. 18. which no mortall man can see and live ver 20. Not the glorious excellency of Christs person only revealed or discovered in mans nature though that fundamentally of which the Evangelist John speaks so gloriously Chap 1. The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth Whence he is called Heb 1. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The brightnesse of his glory and the expresse image of his person But secondly more especially in respect of the glorious grace of God manifest through Christ of which our Apostle in the following Chapter shews ver 6. that by the Gospel God gives the light of his own glory in the face of Jesus Christ shewing by him his infinite wisdome power mercy truth justice holinesse goodnesse c. But this beholding of the glory of the Lord doth not only containe Gratiam gratis datam but also thirdly gratiam gratos facientem as the Schooles distinguish not only grace freely given but which makes effectually the receivers of it acceptable unto God And not only all these but in the fourth place there must be likewise added to make up this true and right Gospel discovery of this Divine glory spoken of in the Text The certaine knowledge and sence of our particular interest and participation of that wonderfull Gospel grace which God one time or other in one good measure or other usually vouchsafes to all true believers in this life So that we are to understand this object of the discovery complexive and extensive to the largest and utmost dimensions as it containes First the free and rich grace of God in himselfe towards his Church Secondly his wonderfull most glorious grace through Christ Jesus his only begotten Son revealed in the Gospel as Chap 4. 4. But also thirdly his most efficacious grace where by the Holy Spirit the Lord as followes in the Text both First illuminateth Secondly sanctifieth and Thirdly comforteth according to his owne free and gracious dispensation to every faithfull soul it s own measure and proportion to make up the fullnesse of the body of Christ as the Apostle excellently sets forth the resemblance Col 2. 19. Eph 4. 16. Are changed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are metamorphosed or transformed as men and women of old feigned to be into beasts so contrarily by this men and women from worse to better from Wolves and Tygars to Lambs and Doves yea from a depraved polluted devilish nature into an holy gracious Divine nature after the same image of the glorious Gospel and of Christ Jesus as the next words import From glory to glory glory put for grace as we shall shew afterward being the effect or necessary consequent or fruit of true Gospel grace and so though some seeme to understand it from the glory of Moses to the glory of Christ or as others from glory inchoate to glory consummate or from grace to glory yet modern Divines more soundly of the successive growth of the knowledge and conformity of the image of God in such as are truly sanctified from one degree and measure of grace to another not as celestiall glory all at once but by degrees even as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non similitudinem significat sed congruentiam saith Beza Identitatem saith another that is this even as here is to note the same thing namely that it is the Spirit of God that works all this in the like manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh 1. 14. As the glory of the only begotten of the father that is being indeed the glory of the only begotten of the father Lastly By the Spirit of the Lord or as Learned Beza more emphatically 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Lord the Spirit which Tremelius excellently renders a Spiritu Dominatore denoting remarkably God the holy Ghost the third person of the blessed Trinitie in the Unitie of essence who only wholly efficaciously inwardly and spiritually changeth all his Saints truly sanctified by himselfe into that same image fore-mentioned in the Text. And thus briefly for Explication Now for Observation not to involve our selves too much with those many foldings
in some sort before hinted in the Text but to keep to those that are more pertinent and more naturally held out in it And first from the object of this Discovery The Glory of the Lord Observe That the grace of God revealed in the Gospel of his Sonne and conveyed to and conferred upon his Saints by the holy Ghost is Emphatically his Glory That is the greatest manifestation of his glory in this world or Thus more briefly Gospel grace is Gods greatest glory manifest to his true Church upon earth None in the earth like it to none is it discovered like as unto them which affords unto us our next Observation from the subjects in whom this discovery is made we all namely Secondly Observe That all they and only they that are renewed after that same image fore-described have this discovery rightly made unto them Thirdly from the modification of this discovery to them both wayes Observe That though such persons doe behold this Glory of the Lord with open face yet it is but as in a Glasse or Ridle Fourthly from the Efficient cause or author of such discovery Observe That in whatsoever manner or degree all such persons doe behold this Glory of the Lord it is all from the most powerfull and gracious work of the Lord the Spirit Before we come to speak of any of these we shall first take notice of the reference of these words to the Context unto which we are led by the Adversative particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But we all c. Whereby what followes in the Text is brought in by way of dissimilitude of what was found in Moses Ministration that whereas that was inglorious and dark in respect of this under the Gospel this is otherwise whence observe That the discovery of the mysterie of salvation under the New Testament is a much more excellent and cleare discovery then what was under the Old Testament Although God even in the Ministration of the Old Testament gave then unto his people what ever was necessary for the salvation of all the faithfull he being no lesse the Author of that then of what he hath since more clearely exhibited in the New and since the substance of the grace and salvation conferred upon all true beleevers both then and since is the same yea and the severall ordinances when he pleased were aequè efficacious to the due attenders on them though happily not aequaliter yea since the Spirit of God gives an honour yea glory to them as such in their season untill his most Soveraigne Authoritie laid them aside we may not deny it unlesse as in the case the Apostle speaks of they be sinistrously perverted to Eclypse the just glory of Gospel grace but as the account was given by the Ancients why the Jewish Sabbath was for a time observed together with the Christian Sabbath Quia vetus Synagoga cum honore erat sepelienda so of all Ordinances under the Old Testament in their ceasing yea the Apostle in this Chapter though he justly ascribes a greater glory to the Ministration of the new yet he acknowledgeth the due glory that was in the former as is evident it was glorious saith he ver 7. yea glory in the abstract ver 9. was made glorious ver 10. Yea Moses himselfe that received againe the second time the Moral Law then againe restored for the use of Gods people after the first Sculpture thereof had not without mysterie been broken by his own weaknesse to be as the Apostles phrase is their School-master even then to bring them to Christ yet then even Moses had such an outward glory remaining upon his face Exod 34. 29 33. that as our Apostle in the 13 ver speaketh he put a vaile over his face for that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look unto the end yea this Minister of this Moral Law was all along glorious by eminent corruscations of divine grace towards in upon and by him First being wonderfully delivered from killing and drowning being a new-borne babe Secondly honourably liberally and learnedly educated in his youth that as he in the old and this our Apostle in the new Testament might afford some honour unto such ordinary helps under both administrations according to their subordinate nature and use But more especially in him when he was carried with zeale and confidence to manifest himself eminently to be Gods means to bring them out of Egypt and so selfe-denying in such a cause that by the strength of his faith as the Apostle Heb 11. shews That he refused to be called the son of Pharoahs daughter and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to injoy the pleasures of sin for a season And did not God doe as great things by him in Egypt in the red Sea and in the Wildernesse both before and in his Legal Ministration But I may not here particularize but leave it to abler pens or more skilfull Pilots to steere that Ship in its right channel with our Apostle here to advance true Gospel grace though I must not forget the honour of his divine buriall after the manifestation of his humane frailtie and that in such a compassionate and fatherly manner admonishing and directing to the preparation thereof Goe up to Mount Nebo and dye as if with David that other man after Gods own heart he had been only to climbe up to the usuall bed of repose But as this penman so likewise that Law it selfe that he delivered in the delivery of it seemeth to have in divers respects a Gospel glory put upon it to shew that Gospel grace was then to make it up and perfect it because otherwise it was weak by reason of sin and it to be subservient to Gospel grace whence may appeare that it was not a making a Covenant of works with the faithfull people of God but an advancing of the old Covenant of works in what it was weak to the promoting of the perfection and excellency of the new Covenant of grace and this will be further manifest First in that God owns his people as Abraham's Isaac's and Jacob's Posterity and himselfe to be the Lord their God according to the tenour of it Secondly in that he is said to deliver them out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage which mystically denoted the spirituall deliverance out of the spirituall bondage of sin and Satan that he might wonderfully conduct them through the wildernesse of this troublesome world till he bring them to the possession of the celestiall Canaan And together with this Evangelicall delivery of the Law he gave them many Ordinances holding out and conveying unto the faithfull amongst them his Gospel grace by the Messiah that was to come beside the glorious manner and familiar way of delivering them such spirituall grace talking with Moses face to face as a man talketh with his friend all which may abundantly set forth if duly weighed the gloriousnesse of
and Revelations as a more plausible way with some under the New Testament and among some by denying the lawful comfortable use of outward good things as meats and decent apparel and civil respect with too much insisting upon trivial matters scruples in some things where God makes none though of some things it may haply be said as our Saviour spake of the tything of Mint Annise and Cummin These things ye ought to doe and not to leave the other undone while cleare and manifest truths and duties are rejected and neglected Proceed we now to the Text it selfe the maine subject where of is that glorious Gospel grace so excellently many wayes deciphered therein and first by that excellent title the Spirit of God here ascribeth to it The glory of the Lord whence after some short explication of the words premised our First Observation was Obs 1. That Gospel grace is the greatest Glory of God manifest to his true Church upon earth Which first is to be understood of revealed glory not his essentiall glory which no man can here behold and live yet this revealed glory is to be understood complexive and extensive containing all the rich free wonderfull grace of God through Christ communicated unto his Church by the holy Ghost Et grat is data et gratos faciens as the Schools speak both given freely and making men acceptable Proceed we then to the proofe and illustration of the poynt which First may appeare that the excellent title of Glory is so often ascribed in holy Scripture to the grace of God that they are often put one for another as by comparing this Text with others may be evident in 40 Chap of Isa ver 5. The Prophet having foretold ver 3. of the coming of John Baptist whose voyce should cry in the Wildernesse prepare the way of the Lord he adds in this 5. ver concerning this Gospel grace That the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together which though it was in a great degree fulfilled in Christs coming in our flesh whose glory was the glory of the only begotten of the Father though as being full of grace and truth Joh 1. 14. yet that that was not all the meaning may be evident from the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now what this seeing this Gospel glory is our Saviour teacheth Joh 3. 3. Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God not have true faith or grace or be in a state of salvation Againe all flesh shall see it together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it namely that the Gentiles together as well as the Jewes should come together to see this glory at his revealing of his grace to them Thus our Apostle calls the Riches of Gods grace the riches of his glory Rom 9. 23. that is his grace freely given and in like manner he speaks of his grace viz. that makes them acceptable Eph 3. 16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man And so the othe◠side we finde grace put for glory as 1 Pet. 3. 7. As heires together of the grace of life that is heires of life by grace a phrase somewhat like to which he likewise hath Chap 1. 7. That the tryall of your faith might be found to glory Hence likewise it is observable that the gracious manifestations of God both in Old and New Testament are stiled his glory Whence the Arke is called the glory 1 Sam 4. 22. So Rom 9. 4. To whom belonged the adoption and the glory The like of the Tabernacle in the Kingly Prophet Davids dayes Psal 26. 8. Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and as in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the place of the Tabernacle of thy glory the manifestation of his grace being there So againe Psal 63. 2. To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Thus the gracious manifestation of God in the Temple in Solomons time though it was but by a cloud is called the glory of the Lord 1 Kings 8. 11. So that the Priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord yet in the very next words before it was said the cloud filled the house of the Lord so in that the cloud was a manifestation of Gods gracious presence and acceptance it was therefore the glory of the Lord and hence the pillar of the cloud by day as well as the pillar of fire by night were equally the glory of the Lord before the Camp of Israel in the wildernesse because they were both manifestations of his gracious presence with them Now further to demonstrate and illustrate this soul-satisfying truth in its wayfairing condition First We shall endeavour to shew that it hath been the great designe of God to glorifie himselfe by Gospel grace from the beginning of the world yea from all eternity unto all eternity Secondly that he hath been is and will be more glorious in the eyes of all his faithfull people by this then by any other or all other his glorious workes besides whereby he hath any wayes discovered his glory in the world Thirdly that by means of this only men are made capable of glory and true glory made truly glorious in their eyes Fourthly that Gospel grace and celestiall glory differ not in nature but in degrees and the first shall be perfected in the other when grace shall be swallowed up of glory .. Lastly that from this Gospel grace shall be infinite cause for all glorified Saints and Angels to celebrate the glory of the Lord to all eternitie all which being done I hope it may sufficiently appeare how emphatically Gospel grace in the Text is stiled the glory of the Lord. First that it hath been the great designe of God by such Gospel grace to glorifie himselfe from all eternity is not only cleare from all such Scriptures as speak any thing in reference to that grace as eternall a parte ante for what is past as that Christs blood was shed and that he offered himselfe unto God through the eternall Spirit Heb 9. 14. and that the Gospel is called the everlasting Gospel Rev 14. 6. But we have a full declaration of Gods great designe herein from all eternity plainly set down by the holy Apostle Paul Eph 3. who having minded them in the former part of the Chapter that the mystery of the Gospel was by revelation made knowne to him and that he should be the Minister thereof to the Gentiles and as ver 9. that they might see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world had been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ who is the beginning of the creation of God Rev 3. 18. But
time after was it in any suitable manner taken notice of or displayed in publique till the Spirit of God in a four-fold witnesse gave testimony of all these things when after that by doctrine by holinesse by miracles by sufferings by death and a powerfull raising of himselfe to life having slaine all enmitie thereby he was powerfully declared to be the Sonne of God yea so was the light of his appearing eclypsed in the worlds eye that after Ages could not finde out the time or season when that his birthglory did first shine out and therefore the Fathers vid Jerome Cyprian upon severall grounds have anciently argued for different seasons as likewise later times have differed therein divine Oracles being particularly silent as if of old God by the buriall of Moses body by him would prevent the Israelites adoring of his sepulchre so as some conceive he would conceale the season of his nativity neither doe we reade in Scripture any like celebration but that of Herod de porcorum grege Epicurus Nor is the day of a Conquerors taking up Armes celebrated as glorious but the day of his victory and conquest nor was the first day of the Creation appointed by God to be observed at first for his Sabbath but the day when his work was finished and by the same Law upon Greater enforcement is the day of the Lord his Resurrection day as the day of his victory conquest and triumph over sin death and hell with all the powers of darknesse by himselfe substituted as his own for a continuall Christian Sabbath to be observed and celebrated in his Universall Church for the honour and glory of such their wonderfull deliverance then accomplished by him throughout all Ages from Sabbath to Sabbath so long as the Sunne and Moone shall endure and herein is the glorious mysterie of God so accomplished to be admired that the bleer-eyed world is not able to behold the divine brightnesse of it and so it hath been since in the Apostles and after Ages as the mysterie of God hath been in fulfilling the great things of Christ have been hid from their eyes Christ crusified hath been to the Jewes a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishnesse while to them that believe it is the power of God to salvation The Apostles were mean in the eyes of the Great ones of the world when they went on Christs Embassie into the world yet they went conquering and to conquer by preaching praying improvement of all spirituall grace even in suffering and dying after the example of their great Soveraigne they greatly prevailed over the powers of the world over the strength and subtiltie of sin and Satan And have not the two Witnesses the contemporaries of Antichristian tyranny done so too and shall they not more prevaile still and maugre all vaine imaginations of any men or counsells taken by them against Christ Yet will not God set his King upon his holy hill of Sion Yea will it not be both the honour and happinesse of the Greatest Potentates upon earth to kisse the Sonne and give the glory of their Scepters unto him that as they reigne by him so they may reigne for him and in his good time may likewise reigne with him in endlesse glory But what is this Historical hint as it may be called of this mystical manner of gradual fulfilling of gospel Glory somewhat observable indeed in the eyes of the Saints but little in the eyes of Men of the world But if we come to speak of the inward glory of true gospel Grace spiritually glorious in the soules of Gods faithful people for the Kings daughter is all glorious within We may say of this as the Queen of Sheba after she had heard in her own Country the same of King Solomons wisdome and magnificence when she came to his Court to heare and see the truth of both that she confessed the half thereof was not formerly shewed unto her So much more may it be said of inward Divine glorious Grace shining from Christ into the souls of his servants in his spiritual manifestations of himself unto them the injoyment of which soule-chearing solace is incomparably beyond what any Historical narration thereof can represent it to be and not to go about to speak of that consummate glory belonging to them reserved for another world here not to be conceived much less competently decyphered but only to touch upon that incoate glory here transmitted by the holy Spirit into the souls of the faithful as that which is more particularly intended in our Text the subject now in hand which is so great that it may well appear to be the design of God to Glorifie himself eminently by this in his Church in this life For should I speak but of those resemblances in Scripture which the Spirit of God sheweth but to shaddow out unto our weak sight the radiant beams of spiritual Gospel glory the expressions will appear much below the matter though in themselves they be very high as namely the hidden Manna The water of life for food yea the fat things and pleasures of Gods house the marrow and fatness there and wines on the lees well refined Isa 25. 6. for their feasting eye salve for medicine to make them see Rev. 3. 18. App'es and Flaggons to keep them from sounding Balme and Physitians from Gilead Gold tried in the fire to make them rich garments of needlework and wrought gold with jewels to adorn them white rayment to make them pure the white stone with the new name written in it that none can read but they that have it to secure their interest Rev. 2. 17. with others of the like nature which are spoken to the capacity of other men but what the inward efficacy and glory of these things is is only rightly and really known to such as have them by this inward work of God upon mens Souls a truly glorious change is wrought in them of Bond-slaves under Sin and children of Satan they are made free indeed and the children of Abraham yea the Image of God is restored in them and they are partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Their Souls are made Temples of the holy One where God the Father vouchsafes his presence Christ holds his Soveraignty and the Holy Ghost his Residence and hereby they have Communion with the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost by which means great discoveries great consolations and great security unto such poor Souls upon all good occasions from time to time are happily administred untill from strength to strength in grace here they be by the Almighty power and grace of God their heavenly Father brought into possession of the fulness of glory with himself in the highest heavens there with all the Celestial Angels and perfected Saints sing forth their Halelujahs to the eternall praise of his infinitely great and glorious name But Secondly we have seen it hath been the design of God by Gospel grace
devill would have there to be for a time by usurpation the God of the world Eph. he knew what great and how many subjects he would have there how loyal they would be to him their Liege Lord resolving to forsake all others to cleave to his service to be subject to his commands to his pleasure to the Scepter of his Kingdome and he knew well long before how many great and hypocritical nations in a great pâ—â—t Satan would have though sometimes more and sometimes less under such his Dominion that with the whore in the Proverbs would say they have done no evill while their eyes their hearts their lives are full of adulteries in Gods sight yea he sees when they pretend most love to his dear son Christ Jesus they mean to murther him in his living members and so sub nomine Christi militant contra Christum under the name of Christ they fight against Christ manibus pedibusque as we say with all their might and no marvail for all that while heart and hand tooth and nayle they are for the devill Aboundant discovery might be made of this difficulty that God fully knew and in every particular fully discovers every moment in every place in every person of every ranke in every thing Oh would all sorts of such persons but seriously weigh how foolishly they go about to make Gods great design difficult of which notwithstanding he hath laid the foundation most sure as we shall indeavour to shew But yet here is not all for thirdly when God laid this foundation he saw a greater difficulty then all these from the devil or the world he saw in respect of them for whom that great undertaking immediately was there was not only incapacitas but repuguantia objecti not only an uncapableness but a resistance by such as should receive the benefit If a most noble and vertuous Prince have his royal and dearly beloved consort carried away by malitious and most hareful enemies this would but incite him the more to lay out his interests for her rescue but if when all is done he findes her affections so alienated that she joynes all her Interests with his enemies not only to avoid but also to resist her Royal and most loving husband this deadens the design makes the business much more hard this and much worse was the case when God laid the foundation of his most gracious work he knew we would joyn with our hateful enemies and resist our greatest good and this difficulty therein he most graciously provided against in his other works there was no such incapacity much less resistance when he spake the word they were made when he commanded they were created and ever since what ever the Lord pleased he hath done in heaven and in earth in the seas and in all deep places only man is the untunable string in the harmony of the Creatures in this inferior Orbe and so foolishly wicked he will not only resist his God but his own good this was indeed exceeding hard to provide against and a difficulty invincible in regard of all creatures but not too hard for the infinite wisdome and goodness of a most gracious God to provide against and overcome by Gospel grace Fourthly As the foundation of this work of God was harder to lay then of any other of his great works in the world so likewise it is more excellent then the rest in that it is most surely laid above all the rest what respected man in the Creation though an excellent Creature then yet was on so unstable a foundation that it was suddainly lost Now for such questions whether man might not have stood longer in that Estate or how long or what should have become of him when the world should end or the like we shall not meddle with them being secret things belonging to God and not revealed which only belong to us and to our children that in his greatest perfection he did not stand and therefore was not upon a sure foundation while his happiness was in his own keeping the Scriptures plainly shew and the woful experience of his whole race doth sadly declare had not the infinite grace of the Almighty Jehovah provided a firme basis of Gospel glory Isai 28. 16. Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tried stone a precious corner-stone a sure foundation a Text often recorded and expounded of Christ in the New Testament but very fully by the Apostle Peter 1 Ep. 2. 6 7 8. who is therefore called the Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 8. 6. and the surety of a better Testament Heb. 7. 22. Because in that God hath not left the security thereof in any hand but his own his arme brought salvation upholds applies salvation to his people to whom he is gracious because he will be gracious and shews compassion because he will shew compassion in giving to them the sure mercies of David Isa 55. 3. Which the same holy Kingly Prophet David in his high rapture resolves us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he hath put or set for me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire 2 Sam. 23. 5. And this is Gods sure mercies to him and if it was possible to make it more sure God adds his oath to it Psal 110. 4. Concerning him that was to be the Mediator of it The Lord hath sworn and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec which is specially applyed to this Gospel glory of the Lord Heb. 7. 22. even through him who was after the power of an endless life v. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a life not to be loosed And our Apostle to declare the sure laying and remaining too of this everlasting all-ordered sure covenant of God to David and sworn to Christ adds the seal thereof 2 Tim. 2. 19. and plainly assures us That this foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his And thus at present of that many wayes considerable foundation of this most excellent and glorious work We come now in the fourth place a little to take a view of the more glorious structure frame and forme of this work now though the frame and forme of the world as it is Gods Creature made upheld and ordered by him hath a great glory in it yet that glory as the Apostle in somewhat a like case speaketh is not glory compared with this for as the nature and the matter of this did exceed the other so the forme as we shall indeavour to shew will appear to exceed theirs much more even as much as an essential forme exceedeth an outward shape or figure obvious to the eye for as the Phylosophers say of the Soul it is tota in toto tota in qualibet parte so we may say of the form of this wonderful glorious work which seems to be this the glorious
Christ which they by a gracious inward operation upon their souls are not only inabled to think well of and to observe favourable aspects of Divine grace in such seeming dark times but much to rejoyce many times and triumph in assurance of victory afore-hand yea to esteeme it their great honour that they are counted by him worthy so to doe him service and suffer for his name yea to esteeme it a peculiar favour and sometime to finde such strange support and sometime to have such inlargement of comfort to the stupifying as it were the sence of paine as some of the Martyrs in their sufferings acknowledged and sometime by the strong piercing sight of the eye of faith through the greatest and heaviest Crosse of Christ to discover the Crowne and strangely to beholders to seeme to neglect their contempt and with their Saviour Heb. 12. 2. to despise their shame and even to forget their sorrows yea and sometime with Stephen Acts 7. to behold high and heavenly visions of glory in the lowest ebbe of their temporal sufferings and all this many times not only to the astonishment but even to the confusion of the face of persecuting enemies according to that promise of our Saviour Luk. 21. 15. I will give you a mouth and wisdome which all our adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist which is many times fulfilled by mean and contemptible instruments which being the foolish of the world God chuseth to confound the wise and the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty and base things of the world and things that are not to bring to nought things that are 1 Cor. 1. 27 28. And thus in the manifold varieties of the dispensations of God towards his people as they receive both good and evill at his hand here which they willingly with holy Job alwayes acknowledge to be from him who or whatsoever be the instruments there are continual springs and fountains flowing forth with new matter of prayse and glory from the poor despised flock of Christ in this their uncertain pilgrimage from the manifold strong discoveries of the Gospel glory of God in and towards them in all his wayes and from some comfortable apprehensions from what a foundation of Free grace all such dispensations toward them are derived and unto what ends they tend with frequent observations of Gods glorious appearances therein so that they are sometime at a stand whether they should more wonder at such Gods appearances and glorious operations or praise him for his grace therein Oh who is able to set forth the fathomless depth of Gods misterious mercy in such sort to his faithful servants in all ages that men are ordinarily capable of knowing in this kind in regard of the innumerable varieties of godly mens experiences in all times which have been matter of such glory to God in their own persons or before others through all generations in all places of all conditions upon all occasions is but the least part as we say of all knowledge of that which in this kind might be known but as the Evangelist John chap. the last v. the last speaks in those high expressions of Christs works upon earth so may we say of these the weake understandings and memories of all men upon earth are not able to reach or remember them but when those manifold foldings of Divine wisdome held out in so many great Folioes of undecyphered Characters in such his dispensations of his grace and goodness shall be and before the glorified Saints and Angels fully explained and opened and the injoyments of everlasting fulness of glory in clear vision shall not only reveale the originall spring of all such currents of flowing mercy to all sorts of men but shall hold out in clear manifestations how in all these or what ever the like or other or greater actings which have been towards themselves in the wonder of the mistery of that glorious grace revealed and exhibited in their temporal and spiritual being in the world and afterward in their eternal happiness in the Kingdome of heaven was from God the Father through God the Son and by God the holy Spirit according to the eternal Gospel given to the Saints throughout all Ages the wonderfull goodness whereof and the glorious excellencies of God therein and thereby shining out unto them in their full glory in that most blessed vision and fruition of him which all glorified creatures then shall obtain will make them break forth with continual and unexpressible praises and glory to the great God and to the lambe and to the Lord the Spirit to all eternity And herein according as they have been appointed and exercised by those soveraign dispensations in the work in the greater service they shall be glorified accordingly with the greater measure of happiness in the world to come and so much the more largely shall they discern the excellency of the glorious and gracious workings of the Father Son and Holy Ghost for the true Church through all generations and accordingly be inlarged with rejoycing therein to the everlasting praise of his incomprehensibly glorious grace displayed thereby So that Gods ends in respect of man is to have his part in this great service and to have his portion in the other great happiness and both according to the measure and proportion dispensed and conveyed in the way of Gospel glory and both and all to the eternal glory of the author thereof we will not attempt to trace out here any of the more remarkable pathes of such mercy of God least even in them we loose our selves so far as to forget that we have here much other work to do and eternal vision will better yea perfectly discover it and is allotted for it but no such excellent end of any other works saving in reference unto this and so the drift of Gods bounty is advanced higher to man hereby then otherwise it could have been for in stead of an earthly Paradise he shall now be brought to the possession of an heavenly instead of knowing God as a Creator only he shall now both know and injoy him as his Creator and Redeemer instead of an uncertain and temporal happiness he shall have a most certain and eternal happiness instead of lower matter of praise he shal have unspeakeably higher matter of praise and consequently through this free Gospel grace the more inlargement of glory therewith And hence let us pass to the 〈◊〉 Tenth Respective consideration that is in respect of the many excellent uses to be made here of by all men here but especially by Gods servants here and hereafter above all the consideration of any other of Gods glorious works in the world First For all men that heare of such a glorious Gospel discovery in the world above the rest First to admonish them to learn in the method of young Children directed by their experienced Teachers First to know the letters and sillables
in prison they are forbidden to preach any more in the name of Jesus then they returne to the other Apostles tarry many dayes together working many miracles among the people insomuch that the Cities round about resorted daily to Jerusalem to have their sick and diseased healed Then againe the Apostles are put in prison and the Lord delivered them and many dayes they preach in the Temple and in every house after this came a great persecution against the Church at Jerusalem insomuch as they were all dispersed save Acts 8. 1. 14. the Apostles Then at the last after many dayes Peter is sent out of Jerusalem into Samaria where he preacheth in divers Townes about it Thus far good Reader thou seest plainly Peter is no Bishop nor yet in any speciall authoritie when as the other Apostles send him out to Acts 8. 25. preach then he returned againe to Jerusalem and this is one yeare after the death of our Saviour Christ as the Histories doe all agree in reporting the conversion which was now done as appeareth Acts 9. This is the yeare of our Lord 35. In the yeare of our Lord 38. he dwelleth in Jerusalem Gal 1. 18. Likewise in the yeare of our Lord 46. he is imprisoned at Jerusalem Acts 12. 2. Againe in the yeare of our Lord 48. he is at the Counsel holden at Jerusalem Acts 15. 7. From that day forward he giveth his faith unto Paul and Barnabas that he will be an Apostle not to the Romans but to the Jewes Gal 2. 9. which truly he accomplished even untill his death and doubtlesse never came to Rome Now Christian Reader seeing the Scripture lyeth thus that Peter's abode in Jerusalem after the conversion of Paul An. Dom. 35. is recorded three severall times and after the last time a Covenant made that he would continue amongst the Jewes If I shall prove unto thee that these severall times are rightly numbred according to the yeare of our Lord that is that the first time was the 38 yeare the second time the 46 yeare the third time the 48 yeare and then in the meane while between the 35 yeare and the 38 likewise the 38 yeare and the 46. and between the 46 yeare and the 48. that Peter was not in Rome last of all that it was true of his promise and after the 48 yeare came not at Rome then I trust thou wilt confesse with me that Peter was never 25 yeares Bishop of Rome but all Popery as it is in it selfe nothing but lyes so it is grounded wholly and altogether upon lyes First it is agreed upon by all and the thing is plaine in it self Paul was converted in the yeare of our Lord 35. then Paul himselfe Gal 1. 18. writeth thus after three yeares I came to Jerusalem to Acts 9. 26. see Peter and abode in his house 15 dayes so this was the 28 yeare of our Lord when Peter is first in Jerusalem when he was after imprisoned at Jerusalem Acts 12. 2. That it was the 46 yeare of our Lord it is proved thus the Countreys about that Acts 12. 20. is Tyre and Sidon were then nourished with the Kings provision but that provision Claudius made Suetonius in Claudio Euseb Beda in a great famine the 4th yeare of his Reigne which was the yeare of our Lord 46. Againe immediately after the Acts 12. 23. Scripture mentioneth the death of Herod but Herod was made King in the first yeare of Caligula and reigned seven yeares so he dyed in the fourth yeare of Claudius and consequently as is said the 46 yeare of our Lord Peter being now in prison at Jerusalem And thus the second time that Peter is mentioned to be in Jerusalem is the 46 yeare Others number these 14 yeares from his first going to Jerusalem and so this Counsell is holden An 51. of Christ afterwards when the Apostles held the Counsell in Jerusalem that it was the 48 yeare of our Lord it is proved by St Paul who after he had mentioned his conversion and his first going to Jerusalem whereof we spake before he saith thus Then after 14 yeares I went up againe to Jerusalem so it was the 48 yeare of our Lord this being 14 yeares after his conversion and he converted in the 35 yeare of our Lord Thus it is proved that in the yeares of our Lord 35 38 46 48 Peter was in Jerusalem Now it resteth to prove that in the meane space Peter came not to Rome that he was not at Rome between 35 38 yeares I have this proofe In the yeare of our Lord 37. Pilate wrote his Letters unto Tiberius the Emperour of Christ and of his doctrine and how the Jewes accounted him a God whereby the Emperour was so moved that he would needs make Christ a God in Rome If Peter had been in Rome Pilate's Letters had not been necessary the Emperour should have had better instruction Thus in these three yeares Peter was not in Rome between the 38 yeare and the 46 yeare they say such is their impudency that Peter was Bishop all the while in Antioch If it be so then by their own confession he was not at Rome but the Scripture is plaine he was neither at Antioch nor yet at Rome and how these seven yeares are passed mark and thou shalt see In the beginning of these seven Acts 9. 32 33. 35. years Peter goeth forth a preaching first into all Jewry Galilee and Samaria which would require some continuance afterwards Acts 9. 39. 43. he goeth up to the Saints at Lydda and there tarrieth from thence he goeth to Joppa and there tarrieth dies multos a long while from thence he goeth to Cesarea and there converteth Cornelius the first Acts 10 24. Gentile that ever he converted as is plain by the Scriptures Then he abideth certain dayes at Cesarea all this well nigh 400. Acts 12. 2. miles from Antioch And now for proof he makes no hast to Antioch he comes home again to Jerusalem where he is again joyned to the Apostles and now the Apostles hear word that certain Gentiles at Antioch are converted not by Peter Acts 11. 20 22. but by certain Disciples that fled when Stephen was stoned Acts. 7. 60. 8. 1. Well did the holy Ghost here name them that preached this while at Antioch or else here had been some colour for Peters Bishoprick But marke further when the Apostles heare this to confirme the Gentiles they send to Antioch But whom send they Peter surely they would have done had he been their Bishop But Peter abideth still in Jerusalem and Barnabas is sent to Antioch where he abideth afterward goeth into Tarsus to Acts 11. 26. Paul from thence they come again both to Antioch and there tarrieth afterward one whole yeare about this time saith Acts 12. 2. 4. the Scripture Peter was put in prison which was is proved the year of our Lord 46. and that he