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
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
that there is a wonderful glory in Gods work of Sustentation and upholding the world His third glorious work in the world which is no less wonderful and powerful namely his Gubernation and ruling thereof concerning which if we had but eyes to see and understandings to conceive aright wisdome to discern memories to retain and faith to beleeve as we ought ro do what God hath done in his most Soveraign Administrations in the world ever since it had a being not in smaller things but in the greatest not in some things but in all things not at sometime only but at all times most powerfully fulfilling his own word even in the most unsteadie things as Ps 148. 8. Fire and hail snow and vapour stormy wind they all fulfill his word most irresistably acaccomplishing his own purpose most infallibly fulfilling his own counsel most unchangeably establishing all his decrees in all things fully perfectly irresistably fulfilling all his own pleasure in all things past present or to come ordinary or extraordinary whatsoever they be whether natural or supernatural voluntarie or unwilling reasonable or unreasonable they are all his subordinate constituted regulated actuated instruments and inferior agents by themselves with under or from others in what way soever they work or by what means soever they are acted it is all to fulfil his holy just wise and good pleasure and that infallibly through all the world though some self-will adorers and Reason-admirers either for the want of true faith or at least the due improvement of it as is to be feared to their own prejudice and others insnarement do not fully acknowledge all this because by their own principles they cannot reach it but why should little Cives expect to contain the whole Ocean the works of Gods glorious Gubernation are a great altitude never sufficiently to be attain'd by humane capacity they are a great deepe no reach of understanding creatures can fathome them his pathes are every where as the Psalmist faith in the seas in the ayre in the heavens in the earth amongst men and amongst devills and yet his footsteps are not known as the Psalmist goes on how glorious then would this work of God being duly weighed appear likewise for we must not now inlarge upon it but proceed to our main work which is the second thing we mentioned to be done under this head viz. To tender some glimpses of Gods more glorious work of Gospel grace displayed in his Church in the world though all the other are very glorious in their kind and order such as are agreeing to the wonderful excellencie of the infinite and most glorious God yet in the glory of Gospel grace it shines out more eminently then in all the other some may by the view of a weak sighted discoverer be pointed out to see much more then otherwise that undiscovered to them they might have observed and being in the way may discover much more children and weak persons where they know the way may sometimes well direct strong and skilful travellers advantageously in their journey Should we proceed to speak of this Glory of the Lord it is the wonder of wonders the miracle of miracles the greatest astonishment of men and angels in the greatest perfection of their understanding and capacity in which for which and by which God will everlastingly be admired adored and magnified by all of them that shall be blessed to all eternity you heard before it was not only Gods design through all time but likewise his eternal purpose before time was and when time shall cease to be in reference unto this not only a counsel of the blessed Trinity of persons in the Unitie of of the divine essence is not only called but most wonderfully gloriously powerfully manifested exercised more and more so that never any thing in the world appeared comparable to it It is for ordinary persons to make a useful medicine of wholsome and good ingredients but it shews the skill of an expert and learned Physitian out of most dangerous poysons and minerals and the like to compound a forcible restorative in a seemingly desperate cure so it was consonant to created capacities to conceive excellent things of the outward works of God but how to conceive of such a work of restauration much more to contrive it and most of all to accomplish it was unspeakably above them When man that was made little lower then the Angels and crowned with glory and worship and all things put in subjection under his feet as the Psalmist excellently Ps 8. When God had put him into possession of a whole world and allowed him the comfortable use of all good things given him dominion over all the creatures in it had Gods Image upon him might have near communion with him and had his favour towards him which would have been the very life of his then living Soule that then such a person at the instigation of such an enemy upon such slight sollicitation for a purpose so vain booteless in a case that might appear so desperately dangerous and of which he was most certainly forewarned by God himself and fore-armed against it by a terrible threatning which was wretchedly and wofully turned into a most sad prophesie and all this to the great dishonor of so gracious a Creator so bountiful a God and Father Now had not God in this case wrought salvation himself none would none could none durst none knew how to go about the work now therefore there is a way for a glorious Trinity in a unity of essence most wonderfully and gloriously to manifest it self before the face and in the behalf of all creatures men and Angels when the Almighty God had been so robbed of all that glory due to him by that great and good work of his Creation he will now take occasion more wonderfully and more graciously yea most wonderfully and most graciously to discover himself unto his formerly so excellent and so happy but now so vile and so miserable depraved creature as a Father not only unthought of but also altogether unsought for by a most powerful work of redemption and restauration and in this each of the three most glorious persons in the most holy and most blessed Trinity doth manifest himself in his own peculiar most powerful gracious and most glorious work God the Father reveales himself in a way of relation to his natural and only begotten Son that by a free grace then revealed but long after to be accomplished by him he might to man his now lost creature again become his Father through grace The son of God as a mediatour betwixt God and man is a middle person betwixt both and having on him the natures both of God and man that he might remove those partition walls of the infinite wrath of God on the one side and the stayn and guilt and power of the sin of lost man on the other hand he offers himself as a propitiatorie sacrifice for
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
Christ shews wonders among the dead as himselfe so strongly asserteth Joh 5. 25. Verily verily I say unto you the houre is coming and now is that the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare shall live Hereby Christ gaines a soveraigntie above all that is called God as the Father promised Psal 2. 8. He hath the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession neither can he be deprived of his Subjects the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against them no not of the weakest by the strongest none shall be able to pull any one sheep from his fold for hereby the soul of a converted sinner is inseparably united unto him By this Gospel grace the taste and discerning of divine and spiritual things is made truly cordial and comfortable unto believing souls Hereby God is set up in the highest place in the soul in all he reveals himselfe to be Hereby he is sought unto for all acknowledged in all what ever means or instruments he useth believed in all he saith honoured in all he doth in prosperitie or adversitie in particular or in general to themselves or others praise returned unto him for all mercies how or what way so ever conferred feared above all rejoyced in and delighted in above all that can be conceived of creatures incomparably This makes them measure all Glory by Gods Standard and weigh all comfort in Gods Ballance and try all treasure by Gods Touchstone and none of these will be approved by them but what hath his allowance Hereby God overcomes darknesse with light corruption with sanctification trouble with comfort disquiet with peace sorrow with joy opposition with support weaknesse with strength assaults with victory danger with securitie sufferings with rescue death with life and this not only once but often not sometime only but at all times not in some respects only but in all not against some evills only but against all not for some continuance only but unto the end for though every way many be the troubles of the righteous yet the Lord delivereth them out of them all Psal 34. 19. And all this grace in all the varietie of the glorious manifestations thereof is in the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ Chap 4. ver 4. And in the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ v 6. And now in the third place for the further illustration of this greatest glory of the Lord manifest to his Church in this world let us come to those respective considerations wherein it will be yet more evident that this Gospel glory is the greatest glory of all that in the world God hath or doth or will manifest yea or any living in it can behold Now for manifestation of the many more glorious excellencies of Gospel grace above all the other glorious works of the most blessed God wherein he hath discovered his wonderfull excellencies in and for his true Church upon earth as revealed carried on to be accomplished here and fully perfected in heaven We shall further endeavour by his most gracious assistance to display the transcendent glory of this work above all the other in these ensuing particulars First In respect of the more glorious nature of the work Secondly In respect of the more glorious matter of the work Thirdly In respect of the many wayes considerably more excellent foundation of the work Fourthly In respect of the most glorious structure forme and frame of the work Fifthly In regard of the long continued time for the raising of the work Sixthly In regard of the way of the raising of this work by the constant shining out of the wonderfull glory of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost all the time it is in raising Seventhly In respect of the subordinate means of raising up this work Eighthly In respect of the object for which and in reference to whom it is immediately contrived and raised Ninthly In regard of the ends wherefore it is contrived carried on raised and to be perfected in reference both to God and Man Tenthly In respect of the many excellent uses to be made by all men here of the contriving carrying on and raising of this work and what will be made of it by glorified Saints and Angells hereafter in heaven Eleventhly In respect of the effect of all that concerns the manifestation of all the gloriousnesse of this work to good and bad men and Angells here and hereafter And if the Lord the Spirit shall be graciously pleased to carry us along in any competent manner but to hint or point out unto any Arts of men the manifold transcendent glory of this Gospel glory of the Lord I hope some men by his blessing may have the transforming glory thereof if not altogether wrought yet in some measure increased in them by the same Spirit by whose guidance as we endeavour to doe it so we shall endeavour to pray unto him for it First therefore of the first viz. the respective consideration of the more glorious nature of the work above the nature of the works of Creation Sustentation and Gubernation or Providence which though they be the Works of the All-glorious God in their kinde and degree suitable to the Author yet is this more excellent worke of his in its own nature eminently many wayes much more glorious and particularly in these Considerations following First In that the Creation Sustentation Gubernation of the world are of corruptible principles and materialls in continuall transmutations and changes generations and irruptions increases and decreases all in successions nothing in continuance or stability excepting Angells and the souls of men which though they be in the world yet they are not of the world as Christ said his Kingdome was not of which in great part they are but the great work of Gospel grace is of a spiritual and incorruptible nature suitable to the Author of it and as the nature of a thing is neerer to him the more perfect it is Secondly All the former great works of God respect inferiour creatures and the outward beeing and well-fare of man and directly reach no further but this respects the inward and spiritual well-fare of man and tends directly to the advancing of that now as the use and improvement of a thing is more excellent and glorious much more is that which is the cause of it Thirdly As the first works consisted of corruptible principles so their continuance and use will be but for a time and shall have their periods and cessations but this divine Gospel grace is of an eternall being and will remaine in its use and excellency to all eternitie Secondly And as in respect of the nature of the work so this Gospel grace is more glorious than all the other in respect of the matter of the work Base and mean materialls doe obscure and not illustrate the glory of a work Who can bring a
of our redemption the comforter of our souls the teacher of all our sound wisdome and knowledge the guider and orderer and preserver of our whole spirits soules and bodies in the way of truth peace and glory unto the appearing of Christ and from thence their preserver in and unto eternal life 1 Thes 3. 13. So that since grace is of such neer consanguinity yea of such Identitie and oneness of the same essence and nature with glory hereafter and glory being not only the perfecting and consummation of grace but the result recompence and reward of it too it is no wonder it is here dignified with the most excellent title of Glory in the text and that as proceeding from the most excellent author and fountain of it the Lord the glory of the Lord the greatest glory he hath manifested in this world or greater then to all other Creatures in the world save his true Church therein at least in that inward spiritual efficacious manner to their transformation into the same Image and even greater then to his true Church under the old Testament though transformed likewise yet in these gospel times it is more clear more excellent as we formerly declared and therefore such as now with those primative Saints spoken of in the Text behold it after the like manner must needs happily behold the glory of the Lord though but as in a glass yet with open face And thus much briefly of this particular likewise The Fifth Demonstration is from the consideration that it will be the everlasting fountain and never failing spring continually affording matter of the perpetual Halelujahs blessings and prayses of the glorified Saints and Angels unto the Lord God Almighty unto the Lambe and unto the Lord the Spirit for ever and ever In that perfect Estate of their happiness all the greatness of this glory in the particulars we formerly set before you besides what ever else may most display it I say the greatness of it above all others will then be most clearly unfolded most largely discerned most perfectly manifest unto them to the infinite praise and glory of the Author worker and dispenser of all grace and glory and their own happiness and glory will be so much the more inlarged as they know and feel and canperform this most glorious work of praise and as there are such multitudes of such exexcellent companions and consorts in this soule-satisfying celestial divine and perfectly happy harmony the profound depth the misterious secrecy the otherwise then by an infinite God insuperable difficulties the most certain sureness and most settled security of the laying of that foundation how will it be known and admired to the honour of him that from eternity had so laid it How will the glorious nature matter and forme thereof be in like manner displayed improved by them How will all that they shall observe or discern of the time durance and manner of raysing such a glorious structure be celebrated by them with their due praise How will then the infinite wisdome mercy grace compassion and riches of goodness with the power truth holyness justice and all the excellencies of God so gloriously shining out in the face of Jesus Christ chap. 4. 6. and by the holy spirit discovered before unto the Saints be continually in an happy measure obvious to the vision How will the knowledge of such poor yet suitable instrumental means that had such treasure in earthen vessels to convey such glorious grace unto such mean and unsutable objects as men in their lost Estate so wonderfully powerfully and graciously throughout all generations in the world spring out unto them with matter of continued renewed melodie in that most blessed and glorious heavenly harmony How will the uses then observed and improved by them to the uttermost be compleated How will the blessed operations and effects of this glory then be fully known noted declared celebrated by them with all due honor to the worker of them to all eternity Here Gods Saints according to their discoveries in such contemplations may adore and admire in some poor measure and by the eye of faith discerne such things as God hath both so wrought revealed and conferred in and by the Gospel of his Son But the most happy inlargements beatifical vision and perfect fruition of these things both for their own most secure and satisfying happiness and the infinite and eternal praise of the Almighty One will be then the everlasting imployment of all such glorified Saints and Angels to all eternity then will the unspeakable excellencies of this glorious grace fully appear unto such O that men would therefore labour above all things to get their part in it here that they may have their portion in that happy society hereafter everlastingly by these means to praise God with them and in so doing to be perfectly blessed with them And thus we have done with the proofe and illustration of this glorious truth Proceed we now to add some further improvements then what we have formerly touched upon and so to draw on to a conclusion of the point Vse First Let men above all turne their eyes I meane the eyes of their souls and minds to the beholding of Gospel glory glorious things are delightful things to every discerning faculty provided there be suitableness in a due proportion thereunto First For the senses it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to behold the Sun saith Solomon Ec. 11. 7. Secondly For Reason The contemplation of Moral Natural and Metaphysical objects and subjects was so pleasing unto the ancient Phylosophers and Sages amongst the Heathen that they were so inwardly ravished with the excellency thereof that they conceived happiness consisted therein but that soul that by the eye of faith and by the efficacious grace of the Spirit of God comes once to behold in any good measure this Gospel glory finds by this a dim shade cast upon all seeming glories in the world besides as the sun shining in his glory at noon day upon the light of many small candles burning in the bright beams thereof Qu. But thou wilt say how shall I do this Blind men cannot see pleasing objects and deaf men cannot here delightful musick the Scripture tells me I am such by nature Ans And doest thou beleeve that is true If many others did so too they would be much neerer the cure and so art thou like to be for thou couldest not rightly have acknowledged that but by the holy Ghost But to help the good work forward and to point out unto others what course they should take give me leave to set down a few directions First Go to Christ the true Physitian of souls for his Collyrium his spiritual eye salve which he makes proclamation of Rev. 3. 18. and buy it of him by prayer by faith by the use of all his means Secondly To cure thy deafness let him put his fingers into thine eares and say Mar. 7. 33 34.