OCR Text |
Show I - ~ ~ ~. .... ") ~ . ' .cbrifls 'B.tttqJtrlting b~ufc into -n~hich ./;e ·twlt h1f spo11fo. his Glory in tha Salvation of his peopli:~ Th~t Cbti!\ {hou)d be ·held out to the Jews, only io dark Prop-blJj l . Significant Rites and ·Ccren:omes;Types and Sacrifices. It may be we cannot undedhnd .how_ It more tended to the ad vantage of thde great m ds, that ·Chnll lliould oot be incarnate tillalmoll4ooo years of the World were pall; than that he lliould have be~n Incarnate and have died a!Toon as Adam was fallen: But it is moLl certain,o'r the Wifedom ,of God would have otherwile difpoled it. So rnany a poor Soul" ,canno_c underfland ?ow it more conduceth to the Glory of God, .and hts own Salvatton, that he (hould be exercifcd under varie. ties of _Aillittions, and with the Spirit of bondage acd dark di· f~enlatto?s ; bur moll certainly it is fo. But yet I fay fome -dtfpenfartons,aremore fwect than others. Concerning Gods dif~ enfation to the Church, l fuppofc none doubreth, b ut that Gods dtfpcnfations under the Golpcl are far more fweec than under the -Law_; they faw but in a g13fi darkJy, wef~ce lo f• ce. And as to ,particular Souls it is as much beyond difpute: The fenlible confoJations oft he-Spirit of Grace are of all others doubtlefs the moll f weer and pleafant; fomerimes God caufeth his people to walk in ·the.dark and to Ice no light; fomctimcs he calJfcrh them to walk in !he light of hi! Coumenance,aU the day-l011g. This Variety is evident !~ the.ca.fe of Davzd, and Paul, and 1ob,and other Servants of God tn ~'npture;and it is evident in the daily experience of thofe that dehre to walk clofc with God. 3 • The dif'penfotion of the Gnfrel to tbe Church in tbt Geueral· and the l•lightniltg, fi<!!ic~ening, Strmgtbenhtg, Confolatory, Influ: ~nces of the Sfml of Grace to particular So111J, m•y be fitly compared t• • BanquetttHg· hou[<-, or to an boufe ofWillt. We are come now to fpwfy the houfe of Wine into which Chtill hath led his Church, and into which he leadeth the Souls of his Saints : As to the r.Ch ur~h 10 G~neral, I fay it is the Gnfpel-difpen{ation, By rhe Go.pel-dtfpenlatwn; I underltand,botl'l Gods Revelations of him· felf ro his Churc~1 under the Gofpel, and alfo, the whole way of <J:ods peoples havmg communion" !th him in the way of his Or· ?mances, ~or the tirll which was God1 Rrvelatinn of bim[ilf t• h>< peoplr; tn two things it excelled Grds former Revelation of htmfelf. r . .A1 to tl•e m>ttrr rroealed. The matter of old re vealed <ould be no more than that A Virginjhottld conceive, that the M;f[t· as lliould cc~e, and m•ke hts Soul an offering for Sin : ~ut we preach a Ch. dl ; !ready come, Crt<cifitd, Durd, buried, rifin again, and .' -... ,.. €liriflf BaHtJNetti1fg·E~Nfofor h'ji Spoufc. and' afcended, this is much more [weer ; by how much any good is more f weer in the po!Teffion than in the hopes of it. And 3 • .Attot he manner of the Revelatio~:The way of old was in a glafs dark· ly, the believer might fcc a Chrill hid under the pafchal Lamb, the Go•t (/1in, &c. But we preach plainly the great myfi crics "of Sal· vation. And as Gods Revelation is much more fweet ; fo the· whole way of our Communiou with God under the Gofpcl is far more fweet than under the Law. Their Communion with God was far more coftiy,burdenfoine,carll•l, &c. The Apofl\c faith, they had carnal O,.dinancer, our way. of Communion with God is more I! lain, Simple, Free, Sweet , than the Jews ever was. Chri fl hath b.( ought us into his boufo of JJiine; and .h~ hath kept his bejhvine· unto the la{t-. Look as rhat which dilferenceth a Banquet from an . otdinary Meal, is the delicacy and fweetnefi of what is provided there to·entertain the pa\lats oft he Gut fis : s ·o in the Golpd,thcre are thofe Influences and Revelations of God, which are more de- 11ghtfu\ and·[ wect to the Souls of Gods people than any were to · the Jt ws. And as 1- fay for the dilpenfation of the Gofpel to the ~hur~h In general, fb-I fay for. the particular difpcnfations of the Spirit ofGod. 17here are many Jnflllences of the Spirit of Grace · Qpon the Souls of Saints: four are fwe~t above or hers; Inlightening, ~ickfning,Strmgtbming, Comfortint In{luencu. r. The Enlightening Influences of the Spirit : Thole influences by which the Soul is ina bled to underfiand and comprehend' the ScriptyreS·and the great Myfleries of mans Salvation which are contained in them. As light is a pleafant thing to the eye, fo is· Knowledg to the underflanding, and· the Knowledg of God and €brill more incomparably fweet to the Soul, than any thing in . the world can be bdides. 2. The Strengtbrning I•f/.IIenm of I he Spirit &re fo alfo. How doth the Soul rejoyce when it findeth· itlelf eHabled andftrent then• ed to refljl ''' lufts; to overcome a Temptation; to perform a du-· ty,&c. 3· The !!J.!!ick[ning Injlrmtcu ;ofGrace ; . tHele are allo fweet. Ho"':' doth tbe Soul even leap for joy, when it finds within ltfelfa. 1eadrne~s ofheart for-th~ fervke of God, and a largenefs ofheart in the fervtce of God, that tt can pray. and'hear<witb.a Spiritual Lifi, Freedom and ChearMmf}. · 4• Finally,.the &aling, Comforting, Infiuencu of 1be Spirit of' Gr~!· • are alfo exceeding fweet.to the Soul. what I$ that but an•' Jlc;wen• |