A Glimpse of Gospel Glory, Sermon (1 of 2)

A Glimpse of Gospel Glory · Sermon (1 of 2)

A GLIMPS of Goſpel Glory.

2 COR: 3. 18.

But we all with open face, beholding as in a glaſſe the glory of the Lord, are changed into the ſame Image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

ALthough the holy Apoſtle Paul in modeſty and humility ſeemes to conceale his rapture up into the third heaven, Chap: 12. 2, 3. yet the excellency of his divine and heavenly doctrine, ſet forth in this text, and in all this Chapter, doth plainly ſhew no leſſe; for had he not ſeene ſuch Glory he could not have been ſo affected with it; had he not been ſo eminently affected with it, he could not in ſuch an excellent manner have diſcovered p. 2unto others the illuſtrious nature and efficacy of it, as in the Text.

Our Apoſtle from the 14th verſe of the former Chapter, celebrates the ſongs of his triumph in Chriſt for the Great efficacy of his Goſpel Miniſtry in every place towards all ſorts of perſons; ſince he was the ſweet ſavour of God in Chriſt, in them that are ſaved, and in them that periſh, ver: 15, 16. Which occaſions him to touch upon the bad practice of many Teachers in his dayes, that corrupted or dealt deceitfully with the word of God, (as is the uſuall practice of ſuch as fight for the Dragon and his Angells againſt Michael and his Angells) in oppoſition whereof he expreſſeth the ſinceritie of his own preaching as of God in the ſight of God in Chriſt, ver: the laſt.

Now in the beginning of the Chapter he prevents an objection, as if he might ſeeme to be vainglorious, or ſought his own praiſe, or needed teſtimony from any man, ver: 1. He declares againſt both from what was wrought by his Miniſtry upon the Corinthians own ſouls, and what all men read and knew thereby, ver: 2. And ſhews that to be an Epiſtle of Chriſt in his behalfe written with the Spirit of the living God in the fleſhly p. 3Tables of their hearts, and that this was his great encouragement, ver: 3, 4. And then beating downe all ſelfconfidence and acknowledging all his ſufficiency from God, ver: 5. From thence to my text he falls upon a large compariſon of the New Teſtament Miniſtry with the Old in many particulars, which we ſhall only mention briefly, and ſo paſſe to the Text; As that the firſt was of the letter, the ſecond of the Spirit, ver: 6. The firſt was that that killeth, the ſecond that that giveth life, ver: 6. The firſt was written in Tables of ſtone, the ſecond in the fleſhie Tables of the heart, ver: 3. The firſt of the Old Teſtament, ver: 14. the ſecond of the New Teſtament, ver: 6. The firſt of that which was to be done away, the ſecond of that which remaineth, ver: 11. The firſt of condemnation, the ſecond of righteouſneſſe, ver: 9. The firſt leſſe glorious and to be done away, the ſecond excelling in glory and to remaine, ver: 9, 10, 11. The firſt dark and obſcure, ver: 13, 14, 15. the ſecond open and evident, as in the Text.

So that theſe words are an aſſertion of the clearneſs of the Goſpel miniſtration & grace, in oppoſition to the obſcure vaile that was in the miniſtration of Moſes in the old Teſtament, p. 4as appears by the Adverſative particle [foreign] But we all with open face, &c. Where we have the Introduction to this Goſpel diſcovery, and the diſcovery it ſelfe: in the latter we have the deſcription of that diſcovery, and to whom it is made, in theſe words, We all with open face, beholding as in a glaſſe the glory of the Lord. Secondly, the efficaciouſneſle of that diſcovery upon them, [are changed into the ſame image, &c.] the efficient cauſe both of the diſcovery and the ſaid change, by the Spirit of the Lord, or, by the Lord the Spirit.

In the firſt branch obſerve firſt the perſons; ſecondly, their exerciſe; thirdly, the object about which they are exerciſed: concerning the perſons note who they are, and how many they are, we, and we all generally. In the exerciſe note the excellent way of diſcovery, not ſeeking or conjecturing, but Beholding; where againe note a twofold modification; firſt, of illuſtration, with open face; the other of diminution or reſtriction, as in a glaſſe, as the word [foreign] ſignifies: thirdly, in the object againe obſerve, firſt, the excellency of the nature of it, glory; ſecondly, of the Author, owner, and diſpencer of it, the Lord, the glory of the Lord.

p. 5In the efficaciouſneſſe of the diſcovery, obſerve firſt the nature thereof, it is a change; where note the reſtriction, not into the ſubſtance, into the ſame thing, but into the tranſfiguration of it into the ſame image, as the word foreign denotes. Secondly, the manner of the proceeding in this change, not at once but by degrees, [foreign] from glory to glory. Concerning the efficient, conſider his dignitie, power, and dominion, the Lord; Secondly, his diſtinction from all other by any participation or ſubſtitution of his made to be Lords by him or for him, as all others are but temporall, partiall, and ſubſtituted Lords under him, who is not only ſpituall, but in the abſtract and by an emphaſis here ſtiled the Spirit, who is originally, eſſentially, incomprehenſibly ſo, and the father of ſpirits, and here by an excellency and incommunicably here called the Lord the Spirit, [foreign.]

I ſhall now briefly (by Gods aſſiſtance) adde ſomething for the explication of the words: and ſo endeavour to proceed to the moſt pregnant obſervations from thence, and ſome pertinent improvement thereof.

But we all [foreign] Some Divines, as Beza and Tremelius, and others, underſtand p. 6it reſtrictively unto the Miniſters, that as Moſes's face ſhined in the ſight of the Iſraelites after he had been with God in the Mount; for the faithfull Miniſters of the Goſpel that are acquainted with God, and are the light of the world, ſhould ſhine out in the glorious light of the Goſpel into the ſouls of their people: but on the other part, Calvin and ſome others, underſtand [we all] largely 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 p. 7to 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 [foreign] with open face [foreign] 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 p. 8Creatures into Chriſt their proper Center.

But yet with ſome reſtraint, for though with open face, yet they behold it but as in a glaſſe [foreign] as the originall word [foreign] 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 [foreign] 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. foreign 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 p. 9following 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 p. 10moſt 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 its 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 [foreign] 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 p. 11and 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 foreign, 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 foreign, 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, foreign, 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 p. 12keep 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, p. 13all 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 [foreign] 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; p. 14yea 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 p. 15in 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 p. 16that 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 p. 17to 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 that grace, even in that miniſtration; but if we compare it with the clearneſſe, the excellency, the largeneſſe, the affecting efficacy of Goſpel grace now, we may ſay with our Apoſtle, ver: 10. That which was made glorious, had no glory in this reſpect, by reaſon of the glory that excelleth. And this is further manifeſt in many parts of the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes, where he treateth much of that ſubject, but more eſpecially in the 9th Chapter of that Epiſtle, calling that (though it had p. 18Ordinances of Divine ſervice, yet) a worldly Sanctuary, and paſſeth through many particulars, whereby was myſtically held out divine and ſpiritual grace, from the firſt to the 9th verſe, where he tells them, That all this was but a figure for the time then preſent, untill the time of reformation, ver: 10. And thereupon takes advantage to advance the glory of more perfect & greater Tabernacle, of which Chriſt was become an high Prieſt, by how much the blood of Chriſt was above the blood of Bulls and Goats, and the purging of the conſcience from dead works to ſerve the living God, above thoſe carnall Ordinances that only ſanctified to the purifying of the fleſh, ver: 13, 14. And ſo Chriſt is become the Mediator of a better Teſtament, that by means of death, for the redemption of tranſgreſſions that were under the firſt Teſtament, they which are called might receive the promiſe of eternall inheritance, ver: 15. And ſo goes on largely to illuſtrate many particulars of the glorious grace of the new Teſtament above the old, as is obvious to the duly obſervant reader to diſcerne both in this and the following Chapter.

Now for ſome further illuſtration of the point, let us a little take notice of ſome few p. 19particulars, wherein the excellency and clearneſſe of New Teſtament Goſpel grace may further appeare; as if we conſider, that the firſt was the infancy or non-age of the Church, the ſecond, the more growne Age thereof, I do not ſay the perfect Age, as ſome miſtaken perſons fancy of themſelves, unleſſe they meane that perfection of inward ſinceritie; with ſuch perfect perſons God will (indeed) ſhew himſelfe perfect, Pſal: Now childiſh things agree beſt to an infant age, as comparatively the firſt were till as more ſuitable to a more growne eſtate God was pleaſed to put away ſuch childiſh things, and conſtitute others more agreeable thereunto; for his Church in this world is not of a dwarfiſh nature, but alwayes growing towards its more perfect ſtature. But

Secondly, The Ordinances and ſervice of the firſt was much in ſhaddows and types, and conſequently leſſe diſcernable, leſſe ſatisfying, but the ſecond more in realitie and ſubſtance, and therefore more knowne and more comfortable; for as things delightfull to the eye or outward ſenſes, doe not feed the body further then ſome ſecret nouriſhment may by them be conveyed unto it; ſo neither doe carnall and bodily reſemblances p. 20profit the ſoul, without Gods inſtitution and bleſſing upon them; who hath abundantly ſhewed that he hath reſerved the choyceſt of his glorious grace for more ſpirituall and better things: beſides the end of typicall worſhip is in a good degree perfected in the ſpirituall: but I muſt but touch on theſe things.

Thirdly, [That which depends upon the former] is in reſpect; the former was of old things that were to vaniſh away (as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh) the other of things that will remaine; a roſe or violet may be more delightfull to the ſenſes than a precious ſtone, whereas the excellency of the one is ſoone gone, but the vertue of the other will long continue, and accordingly they are prized by men, and ſo it is in things that concerne the ſoul.

Fourthly, By the firſt were in a great meaſure denoted good things that were to come, but by the ſecond are held out good things that are preſent; a little good in poſſeſſion, is better then much (many times) in reverſion; Your fathers, ſaid our Saviour, deſired to ſee thoſe things that ye ſee, and have not ſeen them, and to heare thoſe things that ye heare, and have not heard them.

p. 21Fifthly, The firſt conſiſted much in bodily exerciſes, which little profit the ſoul in regard of any aptitude of their owne, the other more of ſpirituall intendments of the ſoul, more ſuitable to the divine nature and revealed will of God.

Sixthly, The firſt were ordinarily leſſe efficacious, and the ſpirituall grace ſeemed more reſtrained under them, but the ſecond have been many times more efficacious with the powerings out of the Spirit in a more plentifull manner, as was propheſied by Joel, Chap: 3. and promiſed by God, and according to both fulfilled, Acts 2. and ſo along in after times.

Laſtly, The ordinary tenders of grace under the Old Teſtament were more reſtrained and circumſcribed within the bounds of the Jewiſh Church (unleſſe now and then ſome few Proſelytes came in) even our Saviour ſometime reſtrained his Diſciples, ſaying, Goe not into the way of the Gentiles, but goe rather unto the loſt ſheep of the houſe of Iſrael, for they were naturally the inheritours of the promiſes of Grace; untill (as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh) they put away the word of Eternall life from them. But when the old Synagogue was to ceaſe, the renders of Goſpel grace p. 22were abundantly inlarged; Goe Diſciple ye all Nations, Math: Preach the Goſpel to every creature, Mark. Then ſhortly by a great ſheete (as it were) let down from heaven the Apoſtle Peter is taught to call no man common or uncleane, Acts 11. And whatſoever our Apoſtle in thoſe noted compariſons in the middle of this Chapter further obſerveth to theſe or ſuch like purpoſes, may hither be reduced. But I haſten to Application, having ſtayed longer than I intended in the entrance into my Text.

Ʋſe 1. To teach all good Chriſtians hence to learne to praiſe God for all this Goſpel mercy we injoy in this kinde, above what the Church of God did under the miniſtration of the Old Teſtament; theirs was much in the letter, ours more in the Spirit; theirs a killing letter, ours a life-giving grace; theirs in Tables of ſtone, ours in the fleſhie Tables of the hearts; theirs old, ours new; theirs to be done away, ours to remaine; theirs of condemnation, ours of righteouſneſſe; theirs leſſe glorious, ours excelling in ſpirituall glory; theirs dark and obſcure, ours open and evident; theirs burthenſome and grievous, ours eaſie and delightfull; and though in this reſpect the providence of God to them was very p. 23remarkable, for according to the multitude of ſacrifices, offerings, and coſtlineſſe of his ſervice then, he gave them a plentifull Land to ſupply them, according to the appearance of hazzard in attendance upon his worſhip three times in the yeare at Jeruſalem, he gave them ſecuritie by a ſpeciall promiſe, Exod: 34. 33, 34. and not only from the hands, but even from the hearts of ſuch enemies as were round about them, [a ſtrong engagement to all Gods people to waite upon him in the ways of his own ſervice againſt all diſcouragements] againe theirs was more ſuitable to an Infant ſtate, ours more agreeing to a more growne eſtate; theirs much in type, ours more in ſubſtance; theirs denoted good things to come, ours good things that are preſent; theirs much in bodily exerciſes, ours mainly in ſpirituall; theirs ordinarily leſſe efficacious, ours uſually more efficacious; theirs for the moſt part reſtrained within the narrow bounds of that Jewiſh Church, ours largely extended to the utmoſt bounds of the true Chriſtian Catholique Church: Oh! did but Chriſtians duly weigh theſe things, and in ſome good meaſure were but ſuitably affected with them, according to the greatneſſe and excellency of the glorious p. 24Goſpel grace in all ſuch reſpects vouchſafed by the free and aboundant goodneſſe of ſo glorious a God unto themſelves above what he was pleaſed to grant unto his ancient people the Jewes; how ſhould it raiſe up their ſouls to large apprehenſions of his goodneſſe, and fill their hearts with ſtrong affections, and earneſt deſires and endeavours both of thankfulneſſe and obedience to his divine Majeſty! and how ſhould it ſet all the parts and powers of the inward and outward man on work to act both diligently and faithfully therein! how would this as a ſtrong cord binde our ſouls unto the right obſervance of the new Law of love given by him that hath purchaſed this libertie, and therefore ſhed it abroad into the hearts of his people, Rom: 5. 5. that none of his Commandements might be grievous unto them, Joh: 3. 5.

But ſecondly, let this be as an impulſive motive to us to be anſwerable in our dutifull and faithfull obedience unto our gracious God and heavenly father, in reference to all that rich mercy that in this kinde particularly we receive at his hand, above many of thoſe that lived in thoſe darke dayes before us: now that his ſervice is more ſpirituall, let ours be more ſo too; as his is more cleare

p. 25[ſhaddowed and typicall ſervice being ceaſed] let ours be ſuitable to Goſpel light, and therein let us walk as children of that light; whereas the other was more agreeing to a childiſh ſtate, let us ſeek after that which is more ſuitable to a manly ſtate in Chriſt, Let us (as the Apoſtle exhorteth, Heb: 10. 22.) draw nigh with a true heart, in full aſſurance of faith, having our hearts ſprinkled from an evill conſcience, and our bodyes waſhed with pure water: It muſt be with the heart, elſe all ſeeming devotion is groſſe dotage, it muſt be from an heart fraught with all kinde of truth, a true heart, it muſt be in full aſſurance of faith, we muſt be ſufficiently warranted and ſatisfied in all that concerns it in all our performance of it, having our hearts ſprinkled from an evill conſcience; the guilt and power of ſin being taken from us by the improvement of our faith, ſpecially when we performe religious worſhip unto God; and our bodies waſhed with pure water, let not there be a purifying of the ſoul only, but let our outward converſation alſo be agreeing to the Goſpel in the ſight of God and men.

Thirdly, Hence likewiſe may appeare what great matter of deep humiliation and p. 26bitter mourning there is in our dayes, that when ſuch bright beames of Goſpel glory ſhines before men, there is ſo little enters into many of all ſorts and conditions, which may appeare by the raritie of ſuch as ſhew they behold it, by their right knowledge of it, high prizing of it, walk in the light and comfort of it: improving the grace and excellency of it, and by the multitude of ſuch as underſtand it not, regard it not, owne it not, improve it not, yea would it might not be truly ſaid, deſpiſe it, reſiſt it, oppoſe it, and would ſubſtitute any thing in the roome of it, rather then what the Spirit of God in the manifold evidences of Goſpel grace clearly directs unto; but I muſt haſten; therefore

Fourthly, To warne all ſorts of men that live under ſuch glorious diſcoveries of Goſpel grace, to beware that becauſe the burthen of Chriſt therein is light, that therefore they ſhould thinke lightly and ſlightly both of it and him; That they ſhould either preferre tranſitory things before it, or conceive they can be happie enough in them without any true intereſt in it: or are not affected with this choice mercy afforded to us above what the Church in the Old Teſtament attained p. 27unto, and conſequently, make not ſuitable improvement of it; it is ſuch a talent as no man may think to wrap in a Napkin, and not to be called to an account for it: goodneſſe will not beare neglect with equals, friends, familiars, much leſſe with ſuperiours, and by how much the goodneſſe is greater, or the ſuperiory the more eminent, ſo much the more is the neglect thereof offenſive and provoking; then how much more will the infinite, free, rich, incompatable, yea incomprehenſible goodneſſe of the eternall Almightie and moſt glorious God, being deſpi…ed and neglected, turne into fury againſt all ſuch vaine and ſinfull wretches, that ungratefully ſhut their eyes againſt ſuch excellence and clearneſs of Goſpel grace, & much more if they ſeek to Eclipſe and cloud it, or any wayes to obſtruct and hinder the efficaciouſneſſe thereof unto the weak brethren, by caſting ſtumbling blockes in the way. Let them but lay to heart that terrour of the Lord the Saviour of ſuch contemned deſpiſed little ones by the men of this preſent world, in that moſt dreadfull denunciation of his, and woe annexed upon that account, Math: 18. 6, 7. Who ſo ſhall offend one of theſe little ones which believe in me, it were better p. 28for him that a milſtone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea: And v: 7. Woe unto the world becauſe of offences, for it muſt needs be that offences come; But woe to that man by whom the offence cometh.

Laſtly, Hence take notice of the wilineſſe of Satan, that ſhews himſelfe Gods Ape in this by ſeeking to promote an outward or ſeeming inward glory in any falſe way of Religion, as God doth in the true. Thus if God would worke wonders by Moſes, the Egyptian ſorcerers ſhall do ſo too; if God reveals ſecrets to Saul by his Prophet Samuel, the Witch of Endor muſt doe ſo too; if Judah have a coſtly Tabernacle and Temple, Iſrael ſhall have Golden Calves to worſhip: yea ſometimes outward and inward too, as in the Antichriſtian Church of Rome, ſince that golden Prieſts and wooden Chalices were changed into wooden Prieſts and golden Chalices, with all other outward ſplendor in the whoriſh Idolatry and ſuperſtitions, accompanied with an inward ſeeming humble devotion and reverence, with multitudes of prayers & offerings frequent and macerating penances and pilgrimages, metorious works of charitie and pietie: And is not Satan his p. 29crafts-maſter like wiſe, when in Goſpel times too, he will lay aſide an outward appearance of glory, to ſeek to delude by an appearing glory in inward ſtrong deluſions of ſpirituall Enthuſiaſmes, Raptures 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 p. 30earth; 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 p. 31from the words; foreign 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; foreign 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 p. 32adoption 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 foreign 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.

p. 33Firſt, 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 p. 34from 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 ver; 10. he more explicitly informeth them, that the intent was not only that the manifold wiſdome of God ſhould be known to the Church, but by the Church unto Angels, unto principalities and powers in heavenly places; and ver: 11. he ſets forth as clearly, the foundation whereupon this diſplaying of ſuch glory is accompliſhed; according to the eternall purpoſe p. 35which he purpoſed in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord; read the place, it is full to our purpoſe. Now that this hath been Gods deſigne [a parte poſt] likewiſe unto all eternity, I ſhall need to ſay little; the current of the Goſpel runs directly in that channel: Chriſt is the Author of eternall ſalvation, Heb: 5. 9. Eternall life, 1 Tim: 12. Eternall glory, 2 Tim: 2. 10. Now Gods deſigne in this is moſt evident, Eph: 1. 12. That we ſhould be to the praiſe of his glory, who firſt truſted in Chriſt▪ And again, ver: 14. after many excellent diſcoveries he adds, unto the praiſe of his glory: And now we have a little taken notice of the foundation and drift of Gods great deſigne in his Church; let us likewiſe a little obſerve, how ever ſince he had a Church upon earth he hath carried it on: Firſt, as God had decreed to make his eternall Goſpel (as it were his maſterpelce) to manifeſt his greateſt glory to all eternity, ſo he hath wonderfully glorified himſelfe in the Goſpel of grace ever ſince the world and time had a being, and as the contemporary myſtery of God was in fulfilling, as it's called, Rev: 10. 7.

So that ſo ſoon as the Arch-murtherer from the beginning, thought he had given the p. 36dead ſtroake to mankinde, by ſeducing our firſt parents from their obedience to God, God himſelfe, when there was no other preacher, ordained to doe it by an Hell-aſtoniſhing wonderfull declaration of moſt free and rich grace toward loſt man; even whilſt he denounced againſt the Devill his own doom, he pronounceth in thoſe great and ingratefull tranſgreſſors own hearing, the maine diſcovery of Goſpel grace, viz. The ſeed of the woman ſhall break the Serpents head: and though it was by a new grace whereby the efficie of that good newes muſt be applyed, yet he had taught them ſuch means to waite upon him, wherein his ſervants ſhould not faile to obtaine grace and acceptance with him: and this was ſeen in Abels offering, when though he parted from that vaine life that ſin before had forfeited, yet ſince his perſon and Sacrifice were accepted with God, through that ſeed of the woman promiſed not long before to his immediate parents, he not only received the firſt fruits, but the firſt & ſpeedy poſſeſſion of the benefit of that eternall Goſpel, ſo lately declared by the eternall God himſelfe, and therefore obtained the honour of the Protomartyr of the whole world, and of a true type of the Long expected Meſſiah, p. 37and of that bleſſed ſeed that was to come now what a cleare evidence of Goſpel grace in a ſhort time was here ſet forth from the beginning, to be known and read of all men! and did not God raiſe up in ſucceſſion eminent perſons adorned with grace to be preachers and patterns of piety unto men, and with his Spirit move them, untill, as even wearied by their contumacy, God would not have his Spirit ſtrive any longer with them? and then Satan, as if he had gotten a totall and finall conqueſt, like a wild horſe with the bridle-bit between his teeth, runs on in ſo full a carreire, with the world upon his back, towards Hell, that by reaſon of his intereſt he had formetly gotten in mans nature, and had likely ſo improved that the old world ſoone became ſo much his, that it could be no longer Gods; And therefore God will rather out of the ſeed and familie of Noah alone, raiſe up to himſelfe a new Church, and make their ſaving in the Arke (even at that time of Satans ſeeming prevailing power) to be an evident type unto all the faithfull, of their certain deliverance and ſafetie in the time of the wicked worlds worſt calamities and deſtructions. And as the time of the coming of the promiſed Seed drew nearer, p. 38God more and more cauſed ſome beames of his glory to ſhine out in his Church, for the comfort of his faithfull ſervants. Chriſt is promiſed to Abraham, typified in Iſaac, revealed in viſion to Jacob, ſhaddowed in Moſes perſon, miniſtery, conduct, miracles, worſhip, Ordinances, even in the Evangelicall reſtoring, penning, giving of the Law, and what not. Oh who is able to ſet forth the Goſpel grace of God, when by his ſtrong power and mighty arme he got himſelfe the victory over Pharaoh, Satan, and all the Curſed enemies of his Church in Egypt, in the red Sea, in the wilderneſſe, in their entrance and poſſeſſing of the promiſed Land; all which in the ſubſtance was an actuall providenciall publiſhing of Goſpel grace. And after good old Jacob had propheſed of the time of Shiloh's coming, Gen: 49▪ by degrees, the Tribe out of which, the place where, the manner how, the perſon by whom, by a Virgin conceiving a ſonne borne, given, as the Prophet Eſay foretells as already come, though meane and deſpiſed in his outward aſpect, yet his name was called Wonderfull, Counſeller, the mighty God, the Prince of peace; ſo prevalent in his power and proweſſe, that of the increaſe of his Dominion and power there ſhould be no p. 39end; ſo everlaſtingly prevalent in his adminiſtration, that he ſhould ſit upon the throne of David, to order it, and ſtabliſh it from thenceforth and for ever, Pſal: 9. And when the Scepter was departed from Judah, that he that was the Shiloh was indeed come, there was ſuch darkneſſe upon the world, yea even amongſt that ancient people of God the Je…s, by reaſon of an expectation of ſome outward glory at his coming, that when he came unto his own, his own received him not: And ſo by the worlds vanitie, leaſt Herod ſhould looſe his Kingdome, Caeſar his Soveraigntie, the Rulers of the people their place and Nation; though the place of his birth was gloriouſly pointed out in the Heavens by the conduct of a Starre to the Magi or Kings of the Eaſt, as Pſal: 72. 10. Celebrated and proclamed by an heavenly Hoſt of Angels, rendering to God his glory, and man his conſolation; though both great men and mean men heard and ſaw the truth of that great wonder in the world; though due adoration and homage was given to that heavenly and ſpirituall Infant King of Kings, by thoſe Kings of the Eaſt, as was foretold, Pſal: 72. 10. The Kings of Tarſhiſh and the Iſles, ſhall bring preſents, the Kings of Sheba and Seha ſhall offer p. 40gifts: yet ſo was the glorious ſplendor of the riſing of this day-ſtarre, yea of this Sunne of righteouſneſſe with healing in his wi…gs, by the former or the like thick miſts of darkneſſe, obſcured and clouded to the then darkened world, that they did not behold his riſing, they did not diſcerne his glory, yea not for long 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; p. 41neither 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 p. 42block, 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 p. 43little 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 p. 44by 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, p. 45they 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 to glorifie himſelf, &c. So let us now conſider that he hath been, is, and will be more glorious in the eyes of all his people by this Goſpel grace, then by any other, or all p. 46other his glorious works beſides, whereby he hath any wayes diſcovered his glory in the world. Now that we may at leaſt repreſent ſome glimpſe of this ſpiritual glory in ſome meaſure ſutable to what it is unto mens Souls, we ſhall by the gracious aſſiſtance of God indeavour to tender it in this enſuing method. Firſt, to offer ſome conſiderations of the glorious works of God in Creation, Suſtentation, and Gubernation of all things in the world. Secondly, to tender ſome repreſentations of the more glorious works of his Goſpel grace diſplayed in his Church in the world. Thirdly, to ſhew ſome reſpective conſiderations, wherein this work is more glorious then any, yea, then all the other.

Firſt, God hath by all the three former great and glorious works preached unto loſt mankind, how great, and how good, and how powerfull he is, as Pſ. 19. 1, 2, 3. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament ſheweth his handy work. Day unto day uttereth ſpeech: night unto night ſheweth knowledge. There is no ſpeech nor language where their voice is not heard. And though that his preaching to them hath been very clear, loud, and conſtant, yet uſually p. 47they have lent either a deaf or a negligent ear thereunto, they would either not heare, or not regard it.

Concerning the firſt, of Creation, the Apoſtle Paul gives us a clear evidence, Ro. 1. 20. The inviſible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly ſeen, being underſtood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, ſo that they [viz. the Gentiles] are without excuſe. That his power was infinite, the nature of the work doth ſhew, ſince only an infinite power can create, that is, make ſomething, any thing, all things, out of nothing; that he could make them without pains, labour, or trouble; and that he could with the ſame facility make multitudes of worlds if he pleaſed, as well as one.

That his Wiſdom was wonderful therein, was manifeſt in the manner, order, and quality of the work, ſo to command creatures to be ſo ſucceſſively in their order, to ſupply in their uſes the wants of each other, ſo to diſpoſe of their nature, qualities, properties, uſes, as in Storehouſes to Treaſure up all their ſeveral vertues and benefits; and yet ſo as to have them communicable for all their ſeveral due intendments and p. 48purpoſes; and yet this work ſo vaſt, ſo various, yea, not only in the want of order in things before, but in want of being of things to be ordered, doth abundantly publiſh the wiſdome of the maker and diſpoſer of them.

His goodneſs in that work is as largely evident; for they were not only good as God firſt made them, and his word witneſſed of them, but even he filled (as the Pſalmiſt ſaith) with his goodneſs every living thing, and to make them in their ſeveral courſes as ſo many conduit pipes of goodneſs to all ſorts of creatures in the world, and by all theſe wayes, and in what ever reſpect elſe the world was capable, to have diſcovered his wonderful glory unto it, in a work of Creation.

Now Secondly, for the work of Suſtentation, whereof the Apoſtle Heb. 1. 3. declares, he upholds all things by the word of his power; that is in him, no leſs great, no leſs wonderful and glorious then the other: All Creatures had no more power to preſerve themſelves of others in the State God hath made them, or preſerved them, then they had to make themſelves at firſt, or one another, did not he as well communicate a p. 49ſupport to them in their Being, comforte & operations continually, as well as at their firſt ſubſiſtance: Creatures may by his order adde an accidental form to Gods matter, but God by his glorious work of Suſtentation, by the ſame efficatiouſneſs wherewith at firſt he made all Creatures in their kinds, keeps all, both their matter and eſſential forms together; to which purpoſe, the Apoſtle in that excellent diſcourſe of his (Acts. 17. 24.) of all theſe temporal works of God, brings in this forcible reaſon, ver. 28. in ſome ſort acknowledged by very heathens: in him we live, and move, and have our being. If God ſhould but withhold his powerful ſuſtentation from any or all Creatures in the world, they would ſuddenly be reſolved into their firſt nothing. For what is the order, or courſe, or ſtrength of nature in all ſorts of Creatures, but what God firſt aſſigned to them, and ever ſince at his pleaſure preſerveth in them, but altereth when he pleaſeth; the Soul muſt needs guide and act the body, as God appointeth it, while it ſtayes therein, becauſe a natural agent, but God as a free and voluntary agent, can withdraw his ſupport and actings from the Creatures, or ſtop them as he pleaſeth; But now to p. 50conſider, that in an ordinary way of ſupport, God hath held up the whole Creation for now allmoſt 6000. years in the whole, and all the main ſubſtantial parts of it, and that in ſo ſtrangly different manners and wayes. The great Ball of the Earth, to our underſtanding, hangs upon nothing, poyſed with its own weight; the Pſalmiſt tells us that God hath founded it upon the floods. Pſ. 24. 2. Yea, but the waters and the earth are two heavy bodies, that now make up one Globe; and there is nothing contiguous to them but the thin adflitting penetrable ayre, wherewith they are incompaſſed round about: and yet this Globe ſtands ſo firmly, that it cannot be moved, Pſal. 93. 1. & 96. 10. In both which places, the Holy Spirit would have men know from this, that God raigneth: yet the principles moveable, the parts moveable, all things in it and upon it continual changeable, and moveable, and have been for ſo many thouſand years, and yet the foundation remains immoveable, not of its own nature▪ but at the pleaſure of him that upholds it; and that after all the tranſactings, concuſſions, ſucceſſions, intercourſes and changings upon the earth, ſince the firſt Creation p. 51of it, yet thoſe foundations are never the more ſhaking, never the more tottering, worne or decayed▪ yet all this time the upper part of this world, the material heavens, are upheld in a contrary courſe, in a ſtrange unconceiveable ſeemingly violent circumvolution and turning about, wonderfully continued, even for the preſervation, uſe and benefit of all ſorts of Creatures in the inferior Orbe, which I can now only hint at, (being not my direct buſineſs in hand) yet thoſe heavens are as much unworn with their motion, though ſo quick, ſo conſtant; ſo fracil as much unwearied or unweakned with their work and influence, ſo great, ſo efficarious, ſo long continued; as much undecayed in their beauty, in their glory, in their as primarie excellencie, though they have been as long invected with it: So that by this little touch of this matter we may ſee 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, p. 52wiſdome 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, p. 53either 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 p. 54Goſpel 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 p. 55comparable 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 p. 56dangerous, and of which he was moſt certainly forewarned by God himſelf, and forearmed 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 p. 57holy 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 p. 58of 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; p. 59how 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 noonday: 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, p. 60it is celeſtiall, it is divine, it is [foreign] 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; p. 61bribes 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 p. 62eyes 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 lifegiving 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, p. 63that 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 p. 64higheſt 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 p. 65them 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.

p. 66Secondly, 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.

p. 67Eleventhly, 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 p. 68principles 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.

p. 69Secondly, 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 clean thing out of an unclean? ſaith Job, not one. God put at firſt a living ſoul into a body made of clay, but the body did not thereby become of the ſame excellency with the living ſoul: but this work of Goſpel grace hath ſuch a matter, as is of a divine wonderfull and incomprehenſible excellency, which we muſt not underſtand [Materiam ex qua, as in worldly things, but circa quam] not corporeall, but notional and intellectual, not matter ſubjectivè but objectivè, as the Schools diſtinguiſh; that is to ſay, the matter of this work is ſo conceived, rather in reſpect of our underſtanding, than the realitie of the thing, which is beyond meaſure glorious.

Thirdly, But to come to the third reſpect, wherein it is more glorious than all the other fore-named works, and that is in the many wayes conſiderably more excellent foundation of this work: the more wiſely, advantageouſly, and ſurely, any great undertaking hath its foundation layd, the more excellency p. 70it addeth to it; and if this be not provided duly for, the greater the undertaking the more hazzard, the more coſt and labour, the greater diſappointment and loſſe; Hence becauſe warre is a great undertaking by men, therefore ſaith One, With good advice make warre. Now the gloriouſneſſe of Gods laying the foundation of this work, will appeare greater than of all the other, in theſe particulars following.

Firſt, The foundation of this is more profound, and more deeply layd than of all the other.

Secondly, That it is more ſecretly and hiddenly layd, than of all the other.

Thirdly, That it was a more difficult foundation to be layd in ſeverall reſpects, than of all the other.

Fourthly, In that it is a foundation more ſurely layd, than of all the other.

Firſt, The commendation of the profoundneſſe of a foundation, is, as it is layd in the due proportion to the greatneſſe of the work undertaken, whereof it is the foundation; now the greatneſſe of Gods work in decreeing, revealing, carrying on, and accompliſhing his glorious work of grace, is infinitely excellent in all dimenſions, intenſive, extenſive, p. 71yea beyond all dimenſions, mentall or reall, eternally infinite, which cannot be ſaid of any or all his other works, as may thus be evidenced.

Firſt, In that this moſt glorious work was not undertaken for them, but contrarily, they were all undertaken and are carryed on for this, they were and are but the Subſtrata for this, and it is their greateſt excellency, that their beeing is in reference unto this.

Secondly, In that this moſt glorious work is not ſubſervient unto them, but they all along unto it, ever ſince their firſt beginning, and muſt be ſo untill they ceaſe to be: God makes uſe of all his inferiour actings in the world amongſt all ſorts of creatures in all times, as ſubſervient one way or other to this glorious Grace.

Thirdly, In that they, or any, or all of them, are not the end of this moſt glorious work, but contrarily this is the very end, every way chiefly conſiderable, wherefore they were or may be done hereafter, it is their finis operis & operantis, it is their finis intentionis & durationis, that is, this is the end they were done for, the end why God did them, he purpoſed them for this, and no longer to continue but for this, viz. till this great myſtery p. 72of God ſhould be finiſhed, as in Rev:

Secondly, The next particular conſiderable, which we named in the excellency of Gods laying the foundation of this moſt glorious work, is the ſecrecy of it, it is an hidden foundation; this follows in ſome ſort from the other, yet all foundations that are deep are not ſecret, they may be ſearched out, they may be diſcovered, they may be revealed, they may be inlightened; but this was a ſecret hidden in Gods own counſell alone, when all the other foundations were open to men and Angells; yea this was not nor could be known, till himſelfe made it knowne, nor any further, then as he was pleaſed from time to time to cauſe it to be further known by men or Angells, and only rightly known to thoſe good men, to whom he himſelfe and his holy Spirit are pleaſed to reveal it, and make it known unto: and it is not only in generall in that reſpect of the great myſtery of God, but in reſpect of particular perſons; all men know not in this ſenſe the great myſtery of Godlineſſe, nor the myſtery of the kingdome of Heaven, though they often heare it and heare of it, but they only to whom it is given, Mar: 4. 11. Yea to all others the myſtery of God, and the myſtery of Godlineſſe, are p. 73myſteries indeed, hidden from their eyes: And hence things peculiar to the faithfull are ſaid thus to be hidden, they have an hidden life with Chriſt in God, the hidden Manna, the name in the white ſtone, that none can reade but he that hath it, Rev: 2. 17. Hidden waters of life, drawn by the ſecret hand of faith out of the Rock Chriſt; they have the hidden man of the heart, which is acceptable unto God, 1. Pet: 3. 4. And yet all theſe, though they be hidden from the world, are well known to them: and herein God wonderfully glorifies himſelfe in his moſt wiſe counſells, that the ſecret iſſues of them cannot be diſcovered by any enemies, though he ſees all their ſecret and fooliſh counſells to the contrary, and laughs them to ſcorne in all things, for he hath determined to diſappoint them all in all they mainly drive at; and what ever devices are in their hearts, his and only his counſell ſhall ſtand, Pro:

Thirdly, The next particular we ſhall conſider, in the laying of this moſt glorious foundation, is, that it was a more difficult work to lay it, in ſeveral reſpects, then any of the other; not more hard in reſpect of God, for to his power and wiſdome all things are alike eaſie, the greateſt as well p. 74as the leaſt; but in regard, firſt of the nature of the work, ſecondly of the oppoſition that was, and is, and will be made againſt it while the world ſtandeth, all which time, Michael and his Angels fight with the Dragon, and his Angels.

Firſt, The laying the foundation of this work was hard, in regard of the wonderful excellencie which was therein to be ſhewed, and infinite wiſdome, power, mercy, juſtice, holyneſs, goodneſs, faithfulneſs and truth; and ſo tranſcendently, that nothing in the whole world in any of theſe reſpects is to be found like it, nothing to be compared with it; foreign is a received poſition, that excellent things are hard; here then being the greateſt excelency, muſt needs be the greateſt difficulty.

Secondly, Hard, by reaſon of the great and ſtrong oppoſition, that would ever be made againſt any appearance of any thing of this work in the world; when God laid the foundation of it, he perfectly knew what would be the hatred, violence, ſubtilty of the devill to oppoſe it at every turne in the world; he perfectly knew the intereſt the devill would have there, to be for a time, by uſurpation the God of the world, Eph. p. 75he 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 p…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 pedibuſ que ) 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 p. 76fooliſhly 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 p. 77againſt; 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 p. 78of 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, p. 79Iſa. 55. 3. Which the ſame holy Kingly Prophet David in his high rapture reſolves us, foreign 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. foreign 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 p. 80ſtructure, 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 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 p. 81the 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 p. 82in our hemiſphere, even ſo is the glorious forme and beauty of this work tranſcendently above the other.