First, Of the Greatness of this design of God; we little understand what a marvellous thing is done in the Earth, when the heart of a Sinner is brought to close with Christ by Faith. It would transport us with admiration, did we throughly consider it. Well may the Apostle place it in the first rank of all the glorious and wonderful works of God, as he doth 1 Tim. 3. 16. Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the fl•sh, justified ⟨p. 324⟩in the Spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the World. Observe with what works of wonder Faith is here ranked and associated. It is an astonishing work of God that ever God should be manifested in flesh, that he that thunders in the Clouds should be heard crying in a Cradle; that he who is over all, God blessed for ever, should become a man. It is astonishing, that when he was taken down dead from the Cross, laid in the Sepulchre, and the Stone sealed upon it; he should rise on the third day from the dead by his own power. That ever the Gospel should be preached to such a miserable and forlorn people as the Gentiles were, the scorn and contempt of the Jews. And no less marvellous is it to see the hearts of such poor Creatures glued so fast to Idolatry; so perfectly dead in sin, to open to Christ upon such self-denying terms, as to let go all they had in the world for a blessed Inheritance which they never saw. And were not this a marvellous work of God indeed, there would never be such joy and triumph in Heaven among the holy Angels, as there is upon the opening of every Sinners heart to Christ, Luke 15. 7. the whole City of God is moved with it. Heaven rings again with the joyful tidings; as soon as ever the Will begins to bow and open to Christ, the news is quickly in Heaven, and all the Angels of God rejoice at the tidings. As when a young Prince is born, the Conduits run with Wine, there is Joy in every City throughout the Kingdom: So also there is in Heaven when Christ hath gotten a new habitation in the Soul of any Sinner upon Earth. Moreover, the greatness of this design appears from the great Rewards promised by the ⟨p. 325⟩Lord to every Servant of his who hath but the least hand to help it on. God would never reward the Instruments so richly, if the success of the work were not of great value in his eyes.
First, Of the Greatness of this design of God; we little understand what a marvellous thing is done in the Earth, when the heart of a Sinner is brought to close with Christ by Faith. It would transport us with admiration, did we throughly consider it. Well may the Apostle place it in the first rank of all the glorious and wonderful works of God, as he doth 1 Tim. 3. 16. Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the fl•sh, justified ⟨p. 324⟩in the Spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the World. Observe with what works of wonder Faith is here ranked and associated. It is an astonishing work of God that ever God should be manifested in flesh, that he that thunders in the Clouds should be heard crying in a Cradle; that he who is over all, God blessed for ever, should become a man. It is astonishing, that when he was taken down dead from the Cross, laid in the Sepulchre, and the Stone sealed upon it; he should rise on the third day from the dead by his own power. That ever the Gospel should be preached to such a miserable and sorlorn people as the Gentiles were, the scorn and contempt of the Jews. And no less marvellous is it to see the hearts of such poor Creatures glued so fast to Idolatry; so perfectly dead in sin, to open to Christ upon such self-denying terms, as to let go all they had in the world for a blessed Inheritance which they never saw. And were not this a marvellous work of God indeed, there would never be such joy and triumph in Heaven among the holy Angels, as there is upon the opening of every Sinners heart to Christ, Luke 15. 7. the whole City of God is moved with it. Heaven rings again with the joyful tydings; as soon as ever the Will begins to bowe and open to Christ, the news is quickly in Heaven, and all the Angels of God rejoyce at the tydings. As when a young Prince is born, the Conduits run with Wine, there is Joy in every City throughout the Kingdom: So also there is in Heaven when Christ hath gotten a new habitation in the Soul of any Sinner upon Earth. Moreover, the greatness of this design appears from the great Rewards promised by the ⟨p. 325⟩Lord to every Servant of his who hath but the least hand to help it on. God would never reward the Instruments so richly, if the success of the work were not of great value in his eyes.
