Heaven Upon Earth, Sermon · Application 1
USE 1.
Firſt, Is there to be an acquaintance between the ſoul and God? Let us then ſtand and wonder at the great condeſcention of God! This may ſurpriſe our ſouls with an extaſie of admiration, that God ſhould dwell with man; that the mighty Jehovah ſhould have ſuch reſpect to the work of his hands, Pſal. 113.5, 6. Who is like unto the Lord, who dwelleth on high, who humbled himſelf to behold the things that are in heaven, and in earth? The Pſalmiſt admireth God, that he humbled himſelf to behold things that are in heaven; and how much more then is he to be admired, that he humbled himſelf to acquaint himſelf with man? Let us than be filled with admiration, that God ſhould take us ſo nigh unto himſelf. As Pſal. 8.4. What is man that thou art mindful of him! or the ſon of man that thou ſhouldeſt viſit him! And Joh. 7.17, 18. What is man that thou ſhouldeſt, magnifie him! and that thou ſhouldeſt ſet thy heart upon him! and that thou ſhouldeſt viſit him every morning! Man in the pride of his heart ſeeth no ſuch great matter in it, but an humble ſoul is filled with aſtoniſhment, Iſa: 57.15. Thus ſaith the high and lofty One, which inhahiteth eternity, whoſe name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place: with him alſo that is of a contrite & humble ſpirit, to revive the ſpirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Oh ſaith the humble ſoul, will the Lord have reſpect unto ſuch a vile worm as I am? will the Lord acquaint himſelf with ſuch a ſinful wretch as I am? Will the Lord open his arms, his boſome, his heart to me? ſhall ſuch a loathſome creature as I find ſavour in his eyes? In Ezek. 16.15. We have a relation of the wonderful condeſcention of God to man, who is there reſembled to a wretched infant caſt out in the day of its birth in its bloud, and filthineſs, no eye pitying it; ſuch loathſome creatures are we before God, and yet when he paſſed by, and ſaw us polluted in our bloud, he ſaid unto us, live. It is doubled, becauſe of the ſtrength of its nature, it was the time of Love, verſ. 8. This was love indeed, that God ſhould take a filthy, wretched thing, and ſpread his skirts over it, and cover its nakedneſs, and ſwear unto it, and enter into a covenant with it, and make it his; that is, that he ſhould eſpouſe this loathſome thing to himſelf, that he would be an husband to it; this is love unfathomable, love unconceivable, ſelf-principled love; this, is the love of God to man; for God is love: Oh the depth of the riches of the bounty and goodneſs of God! How is his love wonderful, and his grace paſt finding our! How do you find and feel your hearts affected upon the report of theſe things? do you not ſee matter of admiration, and cauſe of wonder? Are you not, as it were, lanched forth into an Ocean of goodneſs, where you can ſee no ſhoar, nor feel no bottom? Ye may make a Judgement of your ſelves by the motions and affections that ye feel in your ſelves at the mention of this. For thus Chriſt judged of the Faith of the Centurion, that ſaid unto him, Lord I am not worthy that thou ſhouldeſt come under my roof, Mat. 8.8. When Jeſus heard this, he marvailed, and ſaid to them that followed him, I ſay unto you, I have not found ſo great faith, no not in Iſrael. If then you feel not your ſouls mightily affected with this condeſcention of God; Say thus unto your ſouls, What aileth thee, O my ſoul, that thou art no more affected with the goodneſs of God? Art thou dead, that thou canſt not feel? Or art thou blind, that thou canſt not ſee thy ſelf compaſſed about with aſtoniſhing goodneſs! Behold, the King of glory deſcending from the habitation of his Majeſty, and coming to viſit thee; heareſt not thou his voice, ſaying, Open to me my ſiſter: behold, I ſtand at the door and knock. Lift up your ſelves, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up ye everlaſting doors, that the king of glory may come in. Behold, O my ſoul, how he waits ſtill while thou haſt refuſed to open to him! O the wonder of his goodneſs! O the condeſcention of his Love! to viſit me, to ſue unto me, to wait upon me, to be acquainted with me! Thus work up your ſouls into an aſtoniſhment at the condeſcention of God.