unconceivable Mass of Mercy and Goodness in this it is contained and by this it is expressed to the World This Love set God on work to create a World and to set out his Excellencies therein to redeem the World out of the World and to bring to light those depths of his indeared affections to his in his Christ which the world could not conceive and would not believe That the world may know thou hast loved them as thou lovest me They did know and they would not beleeve it that there was such love in God or such love towards men By this God is admired in them that do beleeve 2 Thess 2.10 He is glorious in his Saints but his glory is beyond comprehension admirable when the condition of the Saints what they were and hereby are comes to be considered USE 1. Of Reprehension It Checks the opinion and carriage of the drooping and discouraged Saints who poar upon their own sins and sit down discouraged in the sight and sense of their own unworthiness and then begin to measure the Lord Christs affections according to their own disposition nourish secret Jealousies and surmises If there be any blessings which are of especial account that they want or Graces which they desire or Counsels which they need They secretly conceive that Christ who knows their weakness and wretchedness better than themselves he grudgeth the graunt of such high favors to such undeserving and sinful wretches as they be No say they it wil never be Happy they who are sit to receive but the Lord sees them too good and too much for me And the Devil is ready at hand to add fuel to the fire to help forwards such groundless misconceivings as they be That he may mint and maintain hard thoughts in the Soul against our Savior Christ and his intended compassions So he dealt with our first parents The Spark was no sooner stirring and appearing but he blows and increaseth it until it come unto a great Flame Yea hath God said ye shal not eat of every Tree He knows that ye shal be as Gods knowing good and evil Therefore he forbids you the meanes that ye may not attaine the end He envies the happiness otherwise he that knows what it is he would have provided for your spiritual good that ye might have knowledg as wel as provide the Tree Therefore the Lord professeth himself offended with this way ward distemper of his froward Children The Father cares not for me loves not me thinks al too good for me Isa 40.27 Why sai'st thou O Jacob speaks O Israel my way is hid from the Lord This is the dayly talk of al dismayed ones the speech they have in their meetings Jacob saies Israel saies This ye say but what saies the Lord Jesus Why speakest thou thus Christ cannot abide such unkind surmises and Jealousies To cast an Eye to such a wretched Creature as I my wants are such c. But the Lord knows how better to bestow his supplies That I should have peace or evidence or assurance c. Let it suffice thee that Christ wisheth thy welfare as he doth the most able and excellent Christian upon Earth He doth not grudge the greatest excellency in Heaven no not in the very heart of the Father He would not have a choice Sit but he would have thee to be partaker of it he would have thee share in the love of the Father with himself Sit down ashamed and confounded in thy self that ever thou should'st have a hard thought of Christ whose heart is so fully â—nlarged for thy good USE 2. For Instruction The Faithful shal certainly be made partakers of the Fathers love in Christ and when they have it its as certain they can never loose it 1. They may certainly expect it They may certainly expect that which Christ desires because he ever attaines his desires at the hands of God the Father Joh. 11.42 I know that thou hearest me alwaies he is sure to speed and therefore they are sure to possess But Christ desires this Therefore they may expect it Nay he not only desires but the strength of his indeavor is spent to this purpose and its the end he aimes at His desire is ever answered his labour ever blessed And therefore the faithful may undoubtedly expect this love The Lord Christ makes it the main work on Earth in Heaven what he hath done what he wil. I have made known I will make known thy Name He that hath al power he is improving al power for this end and purpose that this love may be setled and established Wil the Lord Christ loose his labor can he miss of his end can any thing oppose his power or prejudice his success 2. They can never loose it The love of the Father to Christ nothing can alter that The love of the Father to us is the same nothing can change it Our union as his nothing can separate or break Our communion as his nothing can interrupt it Hither Paul repaires and lands his heart and Hopes in safety Rom. 8.38 Nor things to come Obj. Somthing is yet to come Ans Come what wil come This is his aim to settle the conclusion of their happines and the certainty thereof To be beyond the reach of al the hosts in Heaven and Earth Therefore he musters up al what are what shal be If there were a thousand worlds to come and should set themselves to shake the comforts of the faithful it could not be The ground is hence Because of the love of God in Christ It was before al these things therefore they come too late to hinder it It was without any repect and therefore they could not work it It was only and wholly from God and therefore they cannot alter it The Devils and sin may as wel separate Christ from the Father as pul the love of the Father from his own heart and so from Christ as separate us from it 3. It s ground of greatest contentment to the hearts of al Gods people in al their conditions Christ cannot love thee better than he doth nor provide greater good for thee than he intends Thou canst have no more I had almost said God can give thee no more Be therefore content with what thou hast our Saviors desire is to interest thee in the heart and love of the Father as himself Not to love thee as a Creature as a friend a subject but as the Son of his love What me Yea thee poor weak silly worthless Worm that beleevest in him Go thy way therefore never quarel nor question any more never murmur nor repine any more It is enough nay it is too much I would not have thought it I durst not have desired it I could not have beleeved it but that our Savior hath said and done it What I beloved of the Lord Jesus miserable wretch who cannot but loath my self and Judg my self worthy to be condemned Yea thou Therefore rest
Dominion of the thing than to pass away a right by promise If it be said He becomes a Debtor to his own Fidelity so also he becomes Debtor to the Bounty and Goodness of his own Nature For it was from Gods Justice that he was made fit to execute and keep the Covenant and it was from the goodness of his Nature he made him so and therefore is only bound to the goodness of his own Nature in whatever Covenant he enters with him We cannot be profitable to God as a man is profitable to his Neighbor to give him somthing he wanted but we may be profitable in furthering Gods ends by that which we have received from God But I wil not meddle with this 2 To be righteous therefore in the Second place is to be just mour Promises when we do what we speak As in our ordinary Language he is a man that is just in his word he is a just man of his promise And thus the Scripture Psal 31.1 and 115.1 and 143.11 therefore the Promise is called the Word of his Righteousness Psal 119.23 In this lost Condition in which forlorn man is and in the Covenant of the Gospel in which lies al our Comfort we have nothing to plead in regard of our selves but the faithful Word of Gods Promise but in regard of Christ I find the Scripture joyns them together 1 John 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive where we have both joyned Faithful in regard of his free Promise made to us in Christ just in regard of that purchase which by Christ hath been laid down and paid for our sin and he hath merited by way of just payment ful satisfaction and forgiveness of our sin These two cannot be the same For the one cannot be put by way of exposition of the other because then the more dark should be used to explicate the more cleer and the improper to expound the proper if Justice should explicate what Faithfulness were So that in a true sense both are truly attributed to God but the Second is specially intended in this place Hence we have two Points 1 We must in our Prayer look at those excellencies in God from whence we may receive that good we pray for 2 God in Faithfulness dispenseth his Fatherly love to his To the First We must in our Prayer look at those Excellencies in God Point 1. from whence we may receive that good we pray for When our Savior would obtain the highest mercy that the Love of God might dwel in them he eyes him as a Father in which Relation there is the dearest and greatest Love of al. He eyes him in his Faithfulness and there is the freest and surest and never failing Love God was a Father to Adam in Creation in giving him his Being as one of his Generation which was brought out of his Wisdom Power and Goodness but this Love though it was dear and the greatest that God extended to any Creature in the World yet Adam fel from that Estate and became a Child of Wrath. But the Faithful look not to the Love of a Father meerly but to the Love of his Faithfulness and that wil not fail not shal they ever fal from it and therefore ye shal observe in the Description of our Savior which is laid forth at large in the first of the Revelation in the Sum and ful discovery of the excellency of Christ that the Lord appears and presents him to each Church in the expression of Excellency which answered the particular necessity of the Churches Condition Smyrna was under great pressures and the Devil cast some of them into Prison so that they were in a dying Condition therefore Christ appears to them as first and last who was dead and is alive Chap. 2.8 and therefore could ever preserve them and would recover them from death To the Church to Thyatira because they grew sluggish and tolerated the Woman Jezebel to set her Forgeries to sale and vent her Follies and Filth and Prophaness under the name of a Prophetess therefore Christ appears to that Church as one that hath Eyes like a flame of Fire who wil search into al Secrets verse 18. and Feet of Brass that wil trample al to dust against whom his indignation proceeds Vaunting Laodicea who mistook her own Estate and thought she was rich and yet was poor verse 17. he presents himself to her as a faithful and true Witness verse 14. They bear false Witness of their Condition but he would give in that which was true The Second Point follows now to be attended which was this Viz. God in Faithfulness dispenseth his Fatherly Love to his Point 2. That 's the aim of our Savior his Expression not only looks at God as a righteous faithful God but a faithful Father hath a Fatherly Love and Care of his People and Children and he is faithful in the communicating and expessing of his Love to them He bears a faithful Fatherly Affection to his Servants We shal open two Things 1. Wherein this Faithfulness and Fidelity of the Father consists 2. The Reason why he thus dispenseth his Love I. This Fidelity of the Father consists in Three Things 1. A full and free engagement of himself to procure and accomplish the good and welfare of his People Undertakes to see al good done for them that can be desired as needful al evil removed which they can fear as hurtful or dangerous to their Souls The Father as I may say laies al his excellencies and sufficiency to pawn that he wil see the Salvation of his shal not miscarry As he is said to swear by himself he cals his God-head as a Witness to see done what he saies So I may say he doth by Promise lay his infinite sufficiency to pledg that as Reuben said to Jacob I wil undertake thou shalt require him at my hand So God saies require what may be needful or helpful at my hand I wil answer it And this God hath left upon Record in his Word and under his hand and therefore as the wise man said of him that is become Surety for his Friend Thou art ensnared and taken in the words of thy mouth Prov. 6.2 3. Deliver thy self when thou art come into the hand of thy Friend He is now in the hands of the Creditor It was in his own hand and wil before if he would have paid if not he might have chosen but he is now in the hand of his Friend he hath him bound by Promise This is implied in that Phrase 2 Tim. 2.13 He is faithful he cannot deny himself q. d. If he should deny to do good he should deny himself for he hath laid himself to pawn 2. As a free Engagement so there must be a full Accomplishment and Performance of all that is promised and which he hath undertaken to see done in the behalf of his Psal 119.138 Thy Testimonies are Righteous and very faithful
him that sends to the ful accomplishment of this work for the procuring of the welfare of the humbled Soul and then his love may be in them and Christ in them also We have now got shore and gained thus much that we understand what this name is which is to be made known We shal open it in both the Particulars 1. The Name of the Father of mercies containes four things 1. That everlasting compassions are firstly and independently in him he is the Father of them al these yerning commiserations come out of his own Bowels Isa 63.15 Where are the sounding of thy Bowels We should father compassion upon nothing we have or do or deserve but only upon God No good we have or can do can cause these no evil we can do except the sin against the Holy Ghost can hinder these 2. There is a generation and succession of mercies which have been extended through al Ages to al conditions of men and that upon al occasions al which are of the same House and pedegree come from the same Father of mercies are of the same line and lineage Al the sins of al his which have been committed in all Ages and generations with al the heightning Circumstanceâ— thereof could never lessen weaken interrupt the course of these Fatherly compassions much less exhaust them and draw them dry The Psalmist finds no end of them Psal 136.23 24. For his mercy endureth for ever Though temptations endure which may annoy yet his mercy indâ—res for ever And that which is especially to be attended is that he works as the Father who hath been wronged and provoked and yet as a Father pities us .. 3. There be renewed and unknown Commiserations which were never heard of before yet may be expected and wil certainly be provided for the good of those that he wil do good unto He is the Father of mercies he begets fresh and new compassions every day and moment such as never saw light nor happily ever entred into the apprehensions of the sons of men Such things as wel looked mot for Isa 64.3 This props up the heart under overbearing pressures Thou saiest ordinary medicines wil cure ordinary and common diseases but thy rebellions are not to be matched no sinner no sin like thine Be it so either in truth or in thy conceiving yet here be unheard of compassions if thine be unheard of provocations Lam. 3.22 23. 4. He hath sent Christ on purpose to help those that cannot help themselves Hos 14.3 With thee the Fatherless finds mercy With this Father of merc es the most helpless Hopeless Orphane Fatherless Soul may find relief He was sent on purpose not to cal the righteous not the haughty and self confident who pride themselves in their excellencies conceive they can heal themselves with their own balsom and that their own abilities wil work their own welfare No but was sent to cal the sinner the broken-hearted and self-denying sinner And he is come on this Errand and wil not fail of his end or the effecting of that for which he was sent 2. There is yet another piece of this name of the Father which is his Faithfulness As he is the Father of mercy and of al good in himself so he hath freely and fully ingaged himself to accomplish the good and welfare of such as be truly humbled and he hath given to the Lord Jesus He hath passed his Word and signified his Wil to see al good done for them that can be desired as needful al evil removed which they can fear as hurtful and dangerous to their Souls And in this the Psalmist triumphs Psal 56.4.10 In God will I praise his Word c. In the Lord wil I praise his Word For what had it availed that God hath al mercy in himself unless he had ingaged his word to improve and imploy that for my benefit I had had no ground to claime any thing nor Hope to expect any thing at his hand Psal 138.2 Therefore herein God hath magnified his word above al other his Name he hath laid al his excellencies and sufficiency to pawn and improved al that the Salvation of an humbled sinner shal not miscarry This is the sweet that goes through all his names and gives a pleasing relish unto al When his word is in his Power it wil preserve not destroy c. As he sent Christ for to save so it is his wil which he hath expressed and its the end which he intended in furnishing our Savior with al fulness of power Joh. 17.2 Thou haft given him power over all flesh that he might give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him Now there is some ground for our hearts and Hopes to look unto that this wil shal be accomplished and this power improved See how all the work of life proceeds on pleasantly They who were thus given they shal come that is beleeve Joh. 6.37 and Joh. 17.8 When they come then Christ keeps them Joh. 17.12 Those whom thou hast given me I have kept and none of them is lost Nay he prayes the Father would keep them also Yea he wil not overly keep them himself but he intreats the Father Keep through thine won Name that is the Name of thy Fatherly mercies for in thy word those are also ingaged for their good Joh. 17.11 Nay not only kep't but quickned increased perfected in all Grace and not left til he see them Crowned in glory Joh. 6.39 No wonder therefore that our Savior should resolve ever to be making known this name of the Fathers mercy and Faithfulness since it comprehends the beginning continuance end and perfection of al we can have or Hope for here or hereafter Learn this and learn all Perfect this and perfect al. All that Christ wil teach returnes to this All that we can learn is Vertually contained in this As a Father of mercies he hath al begets all good Out of the Faithfulness of his word he dispenseth all Thus we see what the Name of the Father containes 2. How doth Christ make known this Answ This wil appear in a double work 1. The Lord Christ spreads all those glorious excellencies before the Eyes of the Soul darts in the Beams of those surpassing Beauties of mercies and compassions and causeth all this glorious good to pass before us as he speaks to Moses which at the first dazels and draws the Eyes of the Soul towards them to gaze at such an amazing sight 2 Tim. 1.10 Brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel Joh. 3.13 No man hath ascended up into these Heavenly apprehensions but the Son of man Who is in Heaven he brings Heaven down to the Soul Those were like dazeling Colors laid forth in the greatest perfections laid in a dark Room not discerned but the light came that acted them to the Eyes The strangeness of the sight takes up the understanding makes it stand wondering and gazing As Moses did
own he loved them to the end In love there is no lack of labor pains providence to be unweariable to further the good of that which is beloved 2. The Engagement of our Savior constrains him 〈◊〉 point of Faithfulness and Truth which are laid to pawn fully to accomplish whatever he hath undertaken for such who are committed to his care that at no time they do miscarry Oâ—her Sheep I have and those I must bring and they shall hear my Voyce It was the Fathers Wil that Christ should lose none that were given to him John 6.39 and it 's Christs All that thou hast given me I have kept and lost none of them John 17.12 So that he hath done the Wil of the Father according to Compact and Agreement between them Yea it 's Christs Wil and Request to the Father when he left the World That the Father would shelter them under the shadow of his Wings John 17.11 And now I am no more in the World but these are in the World and I come to thee holy Father keep through thine own Name those that thou hast given me It is the Wil of the Father which sent Christ that he should keep al his at al times that none should miscarry It 's the Wil of Christ and his Request to the Father that he should preserve al the Faithful that at no time none should 3. The Relation continues the same at al times and the Interest the Saints have in our Savior al his Wisdom Mercy Merits and kindness are theirs and therefore they claim it and so expect the benefit thereof at al times The Spouse may claim the constant care of her Husband to provide for her and supply her necessities The Child may look for the constant care of the Father to tender him in al his wants as he hath done in any So they plead Isa 63.16 Though Abraham forget yet thou art our Father He cannot forget himself and his Faithfulness USE 1. Of Instruction It teacheth us that Heavenly Skil and Dexterity to gather in upon the goodness and kindness of the Lord Jesus and from the proof and experience of former Favors to lay in a Reversion of Blessing for future time Lie at the catch and take the advantage of the Lords gracious dealing with the soul If we get but Gods Earnest fetch the whol Bargain by it If the Work of Saving Grace be an Engagement on Gods part get one and gain al. Paul is marvelous dextrous this way to work upon the graciousness and Truth of God 2 Cor. 1.10 He hath delivered and doth q. d. I have him sure I have got a Pawn and earnest Penny And he will deliver He hath delivered me from the mouth of the Lyon and he wil deliver me from every evil work When Naomi knew how Booz had acknowledged that Engagement to do the part of a Kinsman and knew the trust also and sincerity of the Man she thus concludes Sit stil my Daughter until you know how the matter wil fal For the man wil not be at rest until he hath finished the thing this day Ruth 3. and last So when thou hast Evidence of any work of Gods free Grace upon thy Soul and that he hath engaged himself thereby sit stil the Lord Jesus wil not rest until he hath finished the work of Conversion Sanctification and Salvation which he hath begun So the Prophet learns the Saints to make Inferences and Collections of Comfort unto themselves Psal 48.12 13 14. Go about Zion tell the Towers mark well her Bull-works take serious Consideration This God is our God and therefore collects and wil be our God unto Death He hath humbled and he wil humble us he hath comforted and he wil comfort us he hath strengthened and he wil enliven us for ever he hath taught us when we did not know him and he wil teach us stil when we do seek unto him USE 2. It 's a Ground of unspeakable comfort and sweet repose to al those who have an interest in the Lord Christ and are committed to his Charge Thou art the dayly Care of Christ therefore thou should'st be dayly comforted This was it that fetched up the fainting heart of the Prophet when he was at the lowest Eb and at the greatest under in regard of himself and al outward Comforts Psal 40.17 I am poor and needy destitute of the ordinary Comforts and the meanest Helps that might supply his famishing Condition so that he was fainting and dying away for want of relief no man looked after him or bestowed a thought about him Yet the Lord thinketh upon me his Eye is over me his heart is towards me and care for my good Yet God is good to Israel Psal 73.1 He begins to come to himself he was sinking in a fit of discouragement seeing al things to go cross and il with him yet God is good The World is naught yet God is good my heart is naught yet God is good It may be those that have most cause and reason and are most able do not care for thee or for thy good thou dost not or through thy weakness canst not care for thy self when thou art over-whelmed with distresses either ignorant doubtful or unable to put forth that Ability thou hast being under over-bearing pressures yet this may quiet That he cares for thee that can and wil help thee When my Father and my Mother cast me off then the Lord takes me up his Fatherly Mercy his Bowels of more than Motherly Compassion wil be instead of al yea better than al Psal 27.10 Nay be it that al helps are improved to the utmost al thy skil and care laid out to the best advantage to provide for thy good yet at some times yea many times they are too short and scanted to procure thine own Comfort either to prevent the evils that are approaching or supply or support thine own infirmities that do hinder in a Christian Course Quiet thine heart though thy Contrivements fall short that which is under the Care of Christ that cannot miscarry It 's the ground which the Apostle gives of encouragement in a Christian Course and that when Duties grow most difficult and the Spirit most hopeless in it self ever to reach them Heb. 13.7 Remember them who have the Rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of the Lord whose Faith follow considering the end of their Conversation Yea it might he replied There were able and eminent Leaders and Guides their Experience long their Graces glorious their Abilities choyce alas there is no hope for us to keep pace with them we are so weak feeble such Babes and Novices that cannot go alone hardly it 's a likely matter that we should go after them The Apostle ads Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever verse 8. q. d. It was not of themselves that they had any Grace or Abilities but Jesus Christ had al and gave al It was not
we grow skilful in the bearing of al trials we then out-bid al evils we meet with in others and in our own hearts meet with God in the exercise of al his rules injoy him in al and so our end and good in the bearing of it and therefore can want no good because we are not wanting to any rule nor exercise of any Grace or Duty 2. As the whole Soul doth put forth the exercise of al vertues to answer Gods wil and please him The Lord also he freely and fully lets in himself and communicates of al his glorious excellencies to the Soul and fils it ful of himself and the glorious expressions and operations of his Spirit pleaseth us and applies himself to us whereby the Soul is furnished and fitted to do more and have more of God Isa 64.5 Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness He that doth more for God God communicates more to him A good work is the reward of it self Do and live That is do and be inabled to do For to live is to put forth acts of Obedience And when Adam had pleased God and attained this his Chief good and end he could go no further nor have any better and therefore the reward was That God would immutably assist him that he should be inabled to love him and please him So that however the Lord God is the Objective happiness of the Soul and so the happiness of al is equal and the same as God is the same Yet the more the heart is inlarged for God and laies out it self in holy services for his honor The more the Lord wil be in the communications of himself and the more ful and effectual in lettings of his gracious presence and operations of his Spirit into the Soul And so the reward is proportioned to the work Shall I withhold any thing from Abraham for I know that he will command his Children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment c. Gen. 18.17.19 He that loves and keeps The Father and Christ wil come and manifest or shew themselves to him Joh. 14.21.23 And 2 Chron. 16.9 He wil shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him 3. The Soul acting upon God and meeting with him in al the acts and exercise of the whole man doth not only close with the operations and expressions of God let in But laies hold upon that infinite excellency and sufficiency in himself and sucks out a satisfactory sweetness therein through al eternity For though it be the end of the Soul being made for God to work for him and put forth al such operations yet I suspect the bare working is not al nor the ful end of the Soul But in this working to close with God and suck out a sufficiency of supply from him For no Creature that is finite can be the end of the Soul nor give satisfaction to it But all the expressions of God let in are such Therefore there is somthing more required Lament 3. The Lord is my portion Whom have I in Heaven Psal 73. Herein lies the pith of our happiness our pleasing of God our taking possession and so by fruition injoying of God But ever with this good wherein our blessedness doth consist There is ever a sweetness and pleasantness that doth accompany the fruition of this with a freedom and absence of any evil or grievance in the least kind or measure that may hurtfully annoy For where there is the fulness of an infinite good letting in it self suitable to our desires or wants there can be no grievance in reason possible The Aromatical sent of the Cordial is one thing the Cordial another The Posie is one the Smel another If a man were free from al Grievance in Heaven if the Soul should not close with God nor God let in the expressions of his Grace Heaven were a Hell Therefore this is not our happiness but an attendant upon it Psal 17.15 and 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than life 2. Member is This is done in so perfect a manner as our Human Natures are capable of That lies in two things 1. We shal see and injoy God immediately not by means And 1 Cor. 13.12 We shal see him as he is And therefore not darkly but clearly not as vailed and covered in the works of Creation but see him Face to Face Therefore not see him sparingly and little of him not as he drops himself in the means and therefore we can see nor receive him in no other measure than they wil communicate but we shal lâ—ve at the Wel and Fountain Head he shal let out himself fully We shal know as we are known 1 Cor. 15.28 God shal be all in all 2. As there is nothing to lessen the fulness of the communication of himself and goodness so there is nothing to abate and take off the sweetness of the good we do injoy And this is the priviledg of Heaven the unconceivable beauty and brightness of the place may dâ—zel us but that it is free from the presence of any evil Rev. 21.27 No evil thing was ever there to defile it nor can come there to annoy it Eph. 1.21 Far above al principalities and powers Whereas had we been in the world we should have been amongst Devils and his Angels wicked and ungodly men the presence whereof would have been grievous to us though they should never have prevailed against us through their Malice 2. How this Vnion and Communion comes to be the top of this happiness 1. If we receive more from God and do more for him by this then we are more happy For the more we have of our end the more happy we be But by this we receive more from God and do more for him 1. More for him Because it was a principle of Grace which Adam received when he was created and it was that which should have been increased in a greater degree if he had been glorified But when man was lost it was not the Creature nor any mutable principle in the Creature that could bring the Soul to God or keep it with him But God sent his Son and the God-Head of Christ in the Nature of man could only and did only bring back the Soul to himself Nay God did his best as I may say and put forth the highest strain of his excellency Here was wisdom above al the Wisdom of Creation to contrive this Almighty power above al the power of the Creature to work this Grace above al the Grace of Creation that must establish this for that Grace which Adam had he lost It was not now saying Let man be Redeemed But Christ must shed his Blood or Els it could not be 2. Thess 1.10 Admired in them that Beleeve Admiration presumes somthing not expected or we cannot tel what to make of it when the Devils and wicked men who knew
such men in their unbeleeving courses under the curse shal see them pardoned reconciled they that were Enemies to God made now one with God in Christ they wil be astonished at it 2 Thess 1.12 That the Name of Christ as he is made known in his word and work of Redemption may be made glorious he in the Father giving al and that meerly out of Grace Joh. 13.31 32. 2. We do more for God in Christ For as he doth al by man and he doth nothing So he receives al from man he takes nothing to himself Had Adam stood man by Grace might have purchased life and communicated it unto man in way of Covenant Now the Covenant of works is do and live It s God in Christ doth al and therefore he must through Christ receive al. We were formed to set forth his praise and so we do I live not therefore work not But Christ Gal. 2.20 We are his workmanship It s not ours of our selves Eph. 2.10 We are kept by the power of God through Faith 1 Pet. 1.5 And so sanctified by the power of God quickened by the power of God through Faith c. It s Christ is made of God Wisdom Justification Sanctification Redemption and so al the glory goeth to God in Christ 2. By the neerness of this Union we suck out the sweetness of our end and last good and so become happy thereby It s Pauls expression of the glory of Heaven 1 Thess 4.17 We shall ever be with him To be in Heaven doth not make us happy look we at the place Barely as a place but to be with Christ This is but the Suburbs or the verge and skirts of Heaven by this we get into the inmost Room Adam by Obedience and the Work of his Grace had met with him and communicated of Grace from him working as he wrought but here is the Crown of his Glory Not to be in Heaven nor glorious by Grace in us that is a Creature but we to be in Christ and by Christ in the Father and the Father through Christ in us Not with him but in him This is the Diamond in the Crown And therefore the Lord Jesus makes it one step into the innermost Room not to be in the sight but in the Arms of Christ Not to have Christ a Spectator but an In-dweller And therefore our Savior makes this the end of glory as in the foregoing verse and so better than glory The glory thou hast given me I have given them that thou mayst be it them and I in them We are in Heaven if glory may be in us and we in Christ 3. That which carries the first and most supream and deepest impression of the sweetness of the chiefest good that must cause our chiefest happiness Thou art in the bounds of Heaven but in the Bosom nay in the Bowels of the Father This is the lowest of al ye cannot go deeper The highest of al ye cannot go further This is somwhat beyond al Graces beyond al Creatures somthing above Heaven it self The first corner stone of our everlasting unconceivable happiness The first Out-going of the God-Head was He knew and conceived himself and so begot his Son as a lively Character and shine of his own person and thence he owned him and loved him and took him into that neerest union and communion And at the next turn and stroak he took a Creature neer to himself in his Son as his Son communicated with a Creature through his Christ as his Christ Herein is the deepest the deearest the first the choicest of al. The expression of common love in the communication of common good is of large extent He is the first being and gives being He is Power gives Power He is good doth good to al. But to be so nigh to him and not to have common courtesies but Fatherly kindness it s here firstly He is firstly a Father to Christ and so loves him and in Christ he loves thee as him Now thou art at the highest and furthest It was the first out-going of Gods love and the greatest that ever was More cannot be conceived nor indeed expressed unless we would have more and better love than Christ which is unreasonably and unconceivably absurd He is first and we second not in Heaven but in Gods heart USE 1. It s matter of Admiration we may here see and be swallowed up with everlasting wonderment at the mysterious and uncomprehensible depth of Gods dispensations in the covenant of Grace and the Redemption of a sinner by Christ where he brings the greatest good out of our greatest evil the greatest glory out of the depth of our greatest misery Advanceth us to the highest top of Heaven and happiness out of the lower-most Hel of sin and wretchedness out of the greatest estrangment from God To bring a sinner to the neerest union and communion with God Thus God comes to be admired in those that beleeve The Devils have seen one holy and gracious adorned and beautified with the Image of God But he that was a Rebel an enemy unto Christ and a hater of him as contrary to him as darkness to light to be neer to him one with him nay to be in Christ and Christ in him It is the wonderment of Angels and the astonishment of Devils And we should be amazed at this mysterious mercy And it is true Lord saies Solomon That thou wilt dwel amongst men 1 King 8.27 But to be in them to be one with them and they with thee Oh the depth of the riches of the Knowlegd and Wisdom of God How unsearchable are his waies and his paths past finding out To work our greatest gaines out of our greatest losses To bring us by the bottom of Hel into his own Bosom and Bowels USE 2. Examination We may hence know what interest we have in happiness how neer to Christ what Hopes of it As far as thou art from Union and Communion with God in Christ so far from happines 2 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not that Christ is in you unless ye be Reprobates Know ye not prove and examine Know ye not that Christ is in you ye should it concernes you els ye are Reprobates Is this the least part of thy care the furthest off thy thoughts Thou mayest beleeve it and conclude it thou art far enough from happiness as far as Hel is from Heaven It s a description of the wicked Job 21.14 15. They say to the Almighty Depart from us They say so to the waies the Grace the Laws the Government of God in Christ we wil not walk in those waies nor receive or be acted by those Graces or be ruled by that Scepter Dost thou dream of Heaven poor wretched Creature it would be a Hel to thee to have a Christ to redeem a God or mercy to tender and save thou wouldst be in Hel though thou wert in Heaven Thou shalt be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Thou hast said Depart God wil say Depart ye Cursed Christ came to bless and ye wil have no Christ We wil not have this man to rule therefore no blessing He that loves not the Lord Jesus loves him not as a Lord to rule as a Savior to save him from his sinnes let him be accursed Maran-atha to the coming of the Lord. Curse him al ye Angels of Heaven al ye Churches on Earth let him be accursed in life in death until Christ come to judgment and then let him hear that curse go ye cursed into Hel Fire Ye would no Union therefore ye shal have an everlasting Seperation FINIS