〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
OR A GLIMPSE OF Gospel Glory.  
Together with a short but pithy Treatise of Mr. E. D. showing tha● Peter was never at Rome; to which 〈◊〉 subjoined as an Appendix, some pregn●●● Collections, by that Grave and Reverend ●●vine Mr. H. Nelson, B. D. to a like purpo●●  
The First Part.  Hanc (scilicet) fallaciam scripturarum negle●● in Christianismum bodie de Antichristo intru●● Viricus Velenus Minhoniensis. 
LONDON, Printed by M. S. for Tho. Parkhurst, at the Th●●● Crowns against the great Conduit, at the lower end of Cheapside. 1661.   

Vere Honorabili, ac ter Reverendo Domino, Roberto Saundersono, S. S. Theologiae Doctori, & pridem in Celeberrima Accademia Oxoniensi, Regio Professori ornatissimo, jam vero Dioecesis Lincolniensis Episcopo Eximio, minutae hae ab indigno authore Evangelicae Gloriae, dantor humiliterque exhibentor scintillulae.   

To the Right Honourable and very Reverend Robert Lord Bishop of Lincoln, the Author of the ensuing Treatise, wisheth all Peace and Glory, through and according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Lord of all.  
My Lord,  
I Doubt not but your known worth for learning, soundness of judgement, piety, and conscience-satisfying skill and experience hath singled you out as a fit object of eminent honour, from the public Authority of this Nation, who yet do appear more honourable in the esteem of conscientious Christians, in regard of that truly Christian frame of Spirit remarkably in you, by your ready propensity in promoting of unity, manifest by your willingness to the taking away the hindrances thereof in these divided times; the like disposition of mind would also be justly honourable in all of your rank, that substantial good in Religion might more be advanced, but shadows and seeming appearances less, and the glory of Gospel grace above all other glories; for which, the Apostles rule is both general and peremptory, 1 Cor. 14. 26. Let all things be done to edifying: How might truth and peace by that means soon be settled in the Church, which ought of all men to be esteemed of far greater value, than all their worldly interests, yea, than a man's own dearest present life: And truly so much as I know my own heart in my most retired thoughts, I have often offered in these distractions amongst good men, even my life as an expiation unto God, if he would take it in any way of his faithful service upon that account, so that I dying, truth and peace might live and flourish in this our Israel; & yet I may happily amongst some be deemed an obstructer of both; but as according to my measure, I have been studious of the one, so according to your Honour's ancient testimony of me, I have followed the things that make for the other, to the utmost of my power, neither am I changed from my former principles, though now, in sundry respects, I may not (perhaps) have the same freedom: I confidently believe the sovereign hand of divine providence, in special favour, (not only to myself, but to many much better deserving persons) hath in this juncture of time given you the inspection over us; the consideration whereof, with other special favours, which you readily, & cheerfully, anciently vouchsafed unto me, with the observatioon of such your Christian frame of spirit still abiding in you, whom new and eminent honour, known learning, sound judgement, worldly interest or engagements appear not to have made either less humble, meek, peaceable, or charitable; and that man that is well moulded up from such materials, and in his better part (as it were) fitly compounded of four such elements, must needs be of a good constitution; such living Christians add a glory to Gospel glory: I would my small Mite here offered could add unto your store, yet if it do but occasion you better to weigh and value what you already have, to the praise of him that gives us all, it may prove some advantage to you, & then I should be well apaid, and shall thankfully return the praise to him, by whose remarkable grace I have been carried on therein; who as the Apostle speaketh, Colos: 1. 29. striving according to his working, who worketh in me mightily. Yet one thing more doth move me to this address: I have long since known you a strong champion of sound truth against Popish errors; witness your ancient conditions of dispute against Mr. Ford, well worthy of the world's view, and profitable for such use, which happily deterred him from proceeding: In the same general cause many times appeared your reverend father, and my worthy friend Mr. H. Nelson, to whom about thirty years now past, I communicated a short but pithy discourse of Mr. E. D. a reverend person related to him, from whom I received it, and since also to myself, which hereunto I have annexed, which your good father so well approved of (notwithstanding all Antichristian flourishes to the contrary) that he was pleased to write some notes of his own upon it, some of which I transcribed into the margin, I cannot say all; and whose collections to like purpose, as an Appendix, I have also subjoined thereunto, which after many years lying aside unthought of, upon my late removal, were offered to my view, upon the perusal whereof, I considering the known gravity and piety of both the Authors, with the worth of their works fit to antidote such weaklings (as are liable to that danger) against the strong contagion of that popish pestilence, by beating down the main pillar of that foundationless fabric; no wonder then the prophetical spirit, Rev. 8. 18. 1. reitterates her ruin, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, [ ingens pondus mole sua ruens] as an huge and mighty pile weltering downward by its own weight, since her supposed foundation fails her, yea is discovered to be but a lie; which I here likewise tender unto your Lordship, but not with further expectation from yourself, in respect of this or the other to be approved, then as they will endure the trial by the Touchstone of all saving truth, the written word of God, and consonant to sound judgement and reason; and answerably thereunto, a blessing from his divine Majesty thereupon, to whom (in that case) all the praise will be due; and to whom in the mean time, his prayer shall be presented before the throne of grace, in the behalf of yourself, your dear yoke-fellow, and all yours; that he would largely display the spiritual glory of Gospel grace, in and unto all your souls, to a greatertransformation of them into the same Image, by the Lord the Spirit, (as followeth) to the enlargement of all your eternal glory, who is,  
My Lord, Your Honours long obliged (though unworthy) servant in Christ, W. Sherwin. From my study, July 1661.   

TO THE CHRISTIAN READER, and more especially to my Honoured Friends and Kinsmen, Thomas Bowles of Wallington, Esquire, and Mr Tho: Bowles his eldest Son, with the rest of that Family, a choice and chief part of my late Charge; and to my present more sound intelligent or tractable hearers at my Lecture at Baldock, grace, truth, and glory, from God the Father, through his Beloved Son, and by the Lord the Spirit, now and for ever.  
CHristian Reader, who ever thou art, I wish thee a no less affecting discovery of Gospel glory unto thy Soul, in the reading of these Sermans, than I have found in the preaching and transcribing of them; for these are the times foretold, Isa: 11. 9 When the earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea, though men are such High-landers they care not for coming near the banks of such waters, nor the margins of such books, which as Conduit pipes would convey those waters to them; As unthankful Israel of old, they loath Gods heavenly Manna, though Angel's food, falling near their tents; be it never so strengthening, wholesome, or pleasant, their palates being distempered, they are not pleased with it, but they will have quails though they have a plague to boot with them, for while the meat was in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, Psal: 78. 30, 31. If men loath God's delicates, and begin to surfeit of their own superfluities, it may be expected that he come to them as a skilful Physician, and give them a strong purge, and make the chosen or young men of Israel to bow, (as the words signify) and well will it be with them on whom it works a cure, to rectify their taste, and affect their souls with the bread of life: I offer thee here but a small demensum or cantling of this bread, thou art not like to surfeit by it; and if thy taste agree with mine, I think thou wilt not loathe it, it was cordial to my own soul, as made of the kidneys of Gods own wheat (his glorious grace being the subject of it): And for you my well beloved, and worthy friends, who formerly had by my weak hand the substance of these delighting and enlightening truths, pointed out in some sort unto you, happily they were not (by means of the craft of Satan) then so much regarded, or since considered by you; and I am conscious to myself, that they were neither, than so largely or perspicuously set before you, as here you may have them, if God give them entrance into your souls; I hope you may say with me, you discern them better than you did before: And you my more late and more sound intelligent hearers, supposing you to be such as thirst after true grace, and upon that account desire your share in the discovery of gospel Glory; I must acknowledge there hath been a threesold obstacle thereof in my Late preaching of this, and other subjects to you, namely a dark pulpit, a dim sight, and a weak memory, though all graciously supplied both then and now by the assistance of a good God; to which I may add a fourth (perhaps the ground too) of all the former, to wit the great imbeeilitie and weakness of my animal spirits, and declining state of body by years and labours, with much variety of afflictions, troubles, and vanities of this present world, much decayed and wasted, were not my defects frequently supplied in my service, by my almighty and heavenly father; so that I might say with our Apostle, 2 Cor. 12. 10. That when I am weak, then am I strong, (namely, through my God) for otherwise I have unspeakeably more cause (with him) to say, though I be nothing, vers. 11. suitable to an observation of an old disciple declared in my hearing, in the presence of many grave, learned and religious persons, as found most remarkable from all his long experience, namely, that God was all, and he was nothing, which excellent lesson who so rightly learn, though they be nothing, yet they both are and shall be the better in God's account, because they so know this and acknowledge it; for if God be no loser at their hands, they may be sure they shall be no loser at his hands, who delights to put his most precious treasure in empty vessels, filling the hungry with good things, Luke I. whilst many wise in their own eyes, are mere fools in Gods, whilst many rich in their own conceit, are found by Christ (as the Church of Laodicea Rev. 3.) to be poor, naked, and miserable: But to you my more weak, but teachable hearers, let me say a word to prevent your prejudice, perhaps you may stumble at some passages expressed in unknown tongues to you, first let me tell you, sometimes such expressions by such as understand them, I doubt not but will be acknowledged as observable, or of special force; again, some are more pertinent and occasionally delivered, the Apostle Paul disdained not to quote Heathen Authors, recorded in the sacred Scripture in their own language, but more especially let me inform you (if you be indeed teachable) that I have endeavoured to prevent your disadvantage thereby, by explaining usually after them the words or sense in your native language, so that you need but pass by those unknown expressions, and still you have the sense, and then they will be in effect to you, as if they had not been at all: and so with my prayers for you, and all other right Christian readers of this my weak outward endeavour to promote the discovery of gospel Glory unto you, unto him who undertakes this work effectually (by blessing his own means) even the Lord the Spirit (as in the Text) that you and all they may have all the good thereby, which is intended unto those, upon whose souls God is pleased to set home such truths for their spiritual advantag, and godly edifying, by reducing them from error, convincing them of truth, inciting them to good, reclaiming them from sin, for the better information of their understandings, inflaming their affections with what is spiritually good, conforming their wills to his revealed will, reforming their whole conversations according to his appointment, and with, and above all, such a transformation of their souls into the same Image (as in the Text) that in the end, that real transformation in the state of Grace, in such souls, may in God's good time be perfected in the consummation of glory with him in his everlasting kingdom, there to be rendering to him that glory which is his due to all eternity, which will be the perfection of their happiness there; so prays  
Your souls weak (yet desirous to be their faithful) Servant in the things of the Lord. W. Sherwin.   

COurteous Reader,  
be pleased to take notice that this small Treatise being about to come forth divers months ago, was stopped by the sudden death of the first undertaker of the publishing thereof, by which means those into whose hands the Copy thereof did fall, not having the directions left by the Author with the deceased party, and another reverend and judicious friend that had promised the oversight of the press, who upon either the omission or mistake of some now employed about the printing, had no notice thereof, hence it comes to pass that many errors both in the words, sentences, and manner of Printing, have thus unwarily passed, some of the most remarkable upon a brief and short review, are here corrected to thy hand, in the rest thy candour and prudence is requested, either for the passing by or making up what thus falls out to be deficient.  
ERRATA.  
PAg. 6. r. of main concernment: p. 26. r. walking: p. 36. r. efficacy: p. 31. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 32. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 37. r. likewise: p. 4. Jer: Cyp. should have been in the margin, with divers quotations in other places: p. 68 r. corruptions: p. 79. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 118. r. when: p. 122. add truly graceful: p. 129. r. differre, p. 135. r. their.   

A GLIMPSE of Gospel Glory.  2 COR: 3. 18. 
But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass 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 seems to conceal 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 show no less; for had he not seen 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 unto 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 days, that corrupted or dealt deceitfully with the word of God, (as is the usual practice of such as fight for the Dragon and his Angels against Michael and his Angels) in opposition whereof he expresseth the sincerity 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 seem 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 shows that to be an Epistle of Christ in his behalf written with the Spirit of the living God in the fleshly Tables of their hearts, and that this was his great encouragement, ver: 3, 4. And then beating down 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 pass 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 fleshy 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 righteousness, ver: 9 The first less glorious and to be done away, the second excelling in glory and to remain, 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 veil that was in the ministration of Moses in the old Testament, as appears by the Adversative particle [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] But we all with open face, etc. Where we have the Introduction to this Gospel discovery, and the discovery itself: 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 glass the glory of the Lord. Secondly, the efficaciousnesle of that discovery upon them, [are changed into the same image, etc.] 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 again note a twofold modification; first, of illustration, with open face; the other of diminution or restriction, as in a glass, as the word [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] signifies: thirdly, in the object again observe, first, the excellency of the nature of it, glory; secondly, of the Author, owner, and dispenser of it, the Lord, the glory of the Lord.  
In the efficaciousness 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes. Secondly, the manner of the proceeding in this change, not at once but by degrees, [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] from glory to glory. Concerning the efficient, consider his dignity, 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 temporal, partial, and substituted Lords under him, who is not only spituall, but in the abstract and by an emphasis here styled 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, [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.]  
I shall now briefly (by God's assistance) add 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 [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] Some Divines, as Beza and Tremelius, and others, understand it restrictively unto the Ministers, that as Moses' face shined in the sight of the Israelites after he had been with God in the Mount; for the faithful 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 faithful Christians as well as Ministers of the Gospel, though not always 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 to God-ward, as Divines understand those words: and that being granted it is then [proprium quarto modo] essentially belonging to all faithful regenerate Christians, as such being both illuminated and sanctified by the efficacious grace of the Lord the Spirit; and therefore the note of Universality in the word all, was necessary to be annexed [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] with open face [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] a face uncovered: Whereas in Moses Ministry 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 veil is so taken away in Christ, that the wonderful grace of God is manifest and evident unto his people, etc. yet in reference to the metaphor, something might be observable in reference to the several optical uses of several forts of Glasses; as a Prospective to see the things of God a fare off, and small things great, or great things small; as a Multiplying Glass, showing the manifold wisdom of God; as a Burning Glass, to kindle holy fire in the soul; as a Spectacle or Reading Glass, to help our weak fight in discerning spiritual things; as a Cylinder Glass, gathering and uniting the scattered beams of glory in the Creatures into Christ their proper Centre.  
But yet with some restraint, for though with open face, yet they behold it but as in a glass [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] as the original word [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] seems to denote with some obscurity, with some mistiness: or as the Apostle, 1 Cor: 13. 12. But now we see as through a glass darkly [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] in a riddle, not perfectly and fully now as we shall hereafter, as follows in the same verse; For than we shall know eve● as we are known, 1 Cor: 13. 12. The glory of the Lord, not the essential glory of God, as Exod: 33. 18. which no mortal man can see and live, ver: 20. Not the glorious excellency of Christ's person, only revealed or discovered in man's nature (though that fundamentally) of which the Evangelist John speaks so gloriously, Chap: 1. The Word was made flesh, and dwelled 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. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The brightness of his glory, and the express 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 following Chapter shows, ver: 6. that by the Gospel God gives the light of his own glory in the face of Jesus Christ, showing by him his infinite wisdom, power, mercy, truth, justice, holiness, goodness, etc. But this beholding of the glory of the Lord doth not only contain Gratiam gratis datam, but also thirdly, gratiam gratos facientem, (as the Schools 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 certain knowledge and sense of our particular interest and participation of that wonderful 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 contains, First, the free and rich grace of God in himself towards his Church; Secondly, his wonderful & most glorious grace through Christ Jesus his only begotten Son revealed in the Gospel, as Chap: 4. 4. But also, thirdly▪ his most efficacious grace, where by the Holy Spirit the Lord, as follows in the Text, both, First, illuminateth; Secondly, sanctifieth; and Thirdly, comforteth, according to his own free and gracious dispensation to every faithful soul it's own measure and proportion, to make up the fullness of the body of Christ, as the Apostle excellently sets forth the resemblance, Col: 2. 19 Eph: 4. 16.  
Are changed [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] 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 Tigers 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 show afterward, being the effect or necessary consequent or fruit of true Gospel grace; and so though some seem 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 sound, of the successive growth of the knowledge and conformity of the image of God in such as are truly sanctified from one degree and measure of grace to another; not as celestial glory all at once, but by degrees, even as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 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, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from the Lord the Spirit; which Tremelius excellently renders, a Spiritu Dominatore, denoting remarkably God the holy Ghost, the third person of the blessed Trinity in the Unity of essence, who only, wholly, efficaciously, inwardly and spiritually changeth all his Saints truly sanctified by himself into that same image  in the Text.  
And thus briefly for Explication.  
Now for Observation, not to involve ourselves too much with those many foldings in some sort before hinted in the Text, but to keep 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 Son, 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 God's 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 ways,  
Observe; That though such persons do behold this Glory of the Lord with open face, yet it is but as in a Glass or Riddle.  
Fourthly, from the Efficient cause or author of such discovery,  
Observe; That in whatsoever manner or degree, all such persons do behold this Glory of the Lord, it is all from the most powerful 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 [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] But we all, etc. Whereby what follows 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 mystery of salvation under the New Testament, is a much more excellent and clear 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 faithful, he being no less the Author of that then of what he hath since more clearly exhibited in the New; and since the substance of the grace and salvation conferred upon all true believers, both then and since is the same; yea and the several ordinances (when he pleased) were aequè efficacious to the due attenders on them, though (happily) not aequaliter; yea since the Spirit of God gives an honour yea glory to them as such in their season, until his most Sovereign Authority laid them aside, we may not deny it, unless (as in the case the Apostle speaks of) they be sinistrously perverted to Eclipse 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 himself that received again the second time the Moral Law, than again restored for the use of God's people [after the first Sculpture thereof had (not without mystery) been broken by his own weakness] to be (as the Apostles phrase is) their Schoolmaster 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 in the 13 ver: speaketh, he put a veil, over his face for that the Children of Israel could not steadfastly 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 newborn 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 zeal and confidence to manifest himself eminently to be God's 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. shows, That he refused to be called the son of Pharoahs' daughter, and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season: And did not God do as great things by him in Egypt, in the red Sea, and in the Wilderness, both before and in his Legal Ministration. But I may not here particularise, but leave it to abler pens, or more skilful Pilots to steer that Ship in its right channel, with our Apostle here to advance true Gospel grace, though I must not forget the honour of his divine burial after the manifestation of his humane frailty, and that in such a compassionate and fatherly manner, admonishing and directing to the preparation thereof; Go up to Mount Nebo and die, (as if with David that other man after Gods own heart) he had been only to climb up to the usual bed of repose: But as this penman, so likewise that Law itself that he delivered, in the delivery of it seemeth to have in divers respects a Gospel glory put upon it, to show 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 appear that it was not a making a Covenant of works with the faithful 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 himself to be the Lord their God, according to the tenor of it. Secondly, in that he is said to deliver them out of the Land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; which mystically denoted the spiritual deliverance out of the spiritual bondage of sin and Satan, that he might wonderfully conduct them through the wilderness of this troublesome world, till he bring them to the possession of the celestial Canaan: And together with this Evangelicall delivery of the Law, he gave them many Ordinances holding out and conveying unto the faithful amongst them his Gospel grace by the Messiah that was to come: beside, the glorious manner and familiar way of delivering them such spiritual grace, talking with Moses face to face, as a man talketh with his friend; all which may abundantly set forth (if duly weighed) the gloriousness of that grace, even in that ministration; but if we compare it with the clearness, the excellency, the largeness, 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 Hebrews, where he treateth much of that subject, but more especially in the 9th Chapter of that Epistle, calling that (though it had Ordinances 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, until 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 carnal 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 eternal 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 discern both in this and the following Chapter.  
Now for some further illustration of the point, let us a little take notice of some few particulars, wherein the excellency and clearness of New Testament Gospel grace may further appear; as if we consider, that the first was the infancy or nonage of the Church, the second, the more grown Age thereof, I do not say the perfect Age, as some mistaken persons fancy of themselves, unless they mean that perfection of inward sincerity; with such perfect persons God will (indeed) show himself perfect, Psal: Now childish things agree best to an infant age, as comparatively the first were till as more suitable to a more grown 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 always growing towards its more perfect stature. But  
Secondly, The Ordinances and service of the first was much in shadows and types, and consequently less discernible, less satisfying, but the second more in reality and substance, and therefore more known and more comfortable; for as things delightful to the eye or outward senses, do not feed the body further than some secret nourishment may by them be conveyed unto it; so neither do carnal and bodily resemblances profit the soul, without God's institution and blessing upon them; who hath abundantly showed that he hath reserved the choicest of his glorious grace for more spiritual and better things: besides the end of typical worship is in a good degree perfected in the spiritual: 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 remain; a rose or violet may be more delightful to the senses than a precious stone, whereas the excellency of the one is soon gone, but the virtue of the other will long continue, and accordingly they are prized by men, and so it is in things that concern 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 hear those things that ye hear, and have not heard them.  
Fifthly, The first consisted much in bodily exercises, which little profit the soul in regard of any aptitude of their own, the other more of spiritual intendments of the soul, more suitable to the divine nature and revealed will of God.  
Sixthly, The first were ordinarily less efficacious, and the spiritual 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 plentiful 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 (unless now and then some few Proselytes came in) even our Saviour sometime restrained his Disciples, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, but go rather unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel, for they were naturally the inheritors of the promises of Grace; until (as the Apostle speaketh) they put away the word of Eternal life from them. But when the old Synagogue was to cease, the renders of Gospel grace were abundantly enlarged; Go Disciple ye all Nations, Math: Preach the Gospel to every creature, Mark. Then shortly by a great sheet (as it were) let down from heaven the Apostle Peter is taught to call no man common or unclean, 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.  
Use 1. To teach all good Christians hence to learn to praise God for all this Gospel mercy we enjoy in this kind, 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 kill letter, ours a life-giving grace; theirs in Tables of stone, ours in the fleshy Tables of the hearts; theirs old, ours new; theirs to be done away, ours to remain; theirs of condemnation, ours of righteousness; theirs less glorious, ours excelling in spiritual glory; theirs dark and obscure, ours open and evident; theirs burdensome and grievous, ours easy and delightful; and though in this respect the providence of God to them was very remarkable, for according to the multitude of sacrifices, offerings, and costliness of his service then, he gave them a plentiful Land to supply them, according to the appearance of hazard in attendance upon his worship three times in the year at Jerusalem, he gave them security by a special 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 God's people to wait upon him in the ways of his own service against all discouragements] again theirs was more suitable to an Infant state, ours more agreeing to a more grown 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 spiritual; theirs ordinarily less 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 Catholic Church: Oh! did but Christians duly weigh these things, and in some good measure were but suitably affected with them, according to the greatness and excellency of the glorious Gospel grace in all such respects vouchsafed by the free and abundant goodness of so glorious a God unto themselves above what he was pleased to grant unto his ancient people the Jews; how should it raise up their souls to large apprehensions of his goodness, and fill their hearts with strong affections, and earnest desires and endeavours both of thankfulness 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 bind our souls unto the right observance of the new Law of love given by him that hath purchased this liberty, and therefore shed it abroad into the hearts of his people, Rom: 5. 5. that none of his Commandments might be grievous unto them, Joh: 3. 5.  
But secondly, let this be as an impulsive motive to us to be answerable in our dutiful and faithful obedience unto our gracious God and heavenly father, in reference to all that rich mercy that in this kind particularly we receive at his hand, above many of those that lived in those dark days before us: now that his service is more spiritual, let ours be more so too; as his is more clear  
[shadowed and typical 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 evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water: It must be with the heart, else all seeming devotion is gross dotage, it must be from an heart fraught with all kind 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 evil conscience; the guilt and power of sin being taken from us by the improvement of our faith, specially when we perform 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 appear what great matter of deep humiliation and bitter mourning there is in our days, that when such bright beams of Gospel glory shines before men, there is so little enters into many of all sorts and conditions, which may appear by the rarity of such as show they behold it, by their right knowledge of it, high prising 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, own 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 room of it, rather than what the Spirit of God in the manifold evidences of Gospel grace clearly directs unto; but I must hasten; therefore  
Fourthly, To warn all sorts of men that live under such glorious discoveries of Gospel grace, to beware that because the burden of Christ therein is light, that therefore they should think lightly and slightly both of it and him; That they should either prefer transitory things before it, or conceive they can be happy 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 unto, and consequently, make not suitable improvement of it; it is such a talon as no man may think to wrap in a Napkin, and not to be called to an account for it: goodness will not bear neglect with equals, friends, familiars, much less with superiors, and by how much the goodness 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 goodness of the eternal Almighty and most glorious God, being despi●ed and neglected, turn into fury against all such vain and sinful 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 ways to obstruct and hinder the efficaciousness thereof unto the weak brethren, by casting stumbling blocks in the way. Let them but lay to heart that terror of the Lord the Saviour of such contemned despised little ones by the men of this present world, in that most dreadful 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 for him that a millstone 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 wiliness of Satan, that shows himself God's 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 work 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 do 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 splendour 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 charity and piety: And is not Satan his crafts-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 spiritual Enthusiasms, 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 spoke of the tything of Mint, anise, and Cummin, These things ye ought to do, and not to leave the other undone; while clear and manifest truths and duties are rejected and neglected.  
Proceed we now to the Text itself, the main subject where of is that glorious Gospel grace so excellently many ways 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 earth; Which first is to be understood of revealed glory, not his essential 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, wonderful grace of God through Christ communicated unto his Church by the holy Ghost [Et great is data et gratos faciens] as the Schools speak, both given freely and making men acceptable. Proceed we then to the proof and illustration of the point, which First may appear 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 voice should cry in the Wilderness, 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 Christ's 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 from the words; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now what this seeing this Gospel glory is, our Saviour teacheth, Joh: 3. 3. Except a man be borne again he cannot see the kingdom of God, not have true faith or grace, or be in a state of salvation, Again, all flesh shall see it together; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, namely, that the Gentiles together as well as the Jews should come together to see this glory at his revealing of his grace to them. Thus our Apostle calls the Riches of God's 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 other side we find grace put for glory, as 1 Pet. 3. 7. As heirs together of the grace of life; that is, heirs of life by grace, a phrase somewhat like to which he likewise hath, Chap: 1. 7. That the trial 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 styled his glory. Whence the Ark is called the glory, 1 Sam: 4. 22. So Rom: 9 4. To whom belonged the adoption and the glory. The like of the Tabernacle in the Kingly Prophet David's days, Psal: 26. 8. Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house: and as in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the place of the Tabernacle of thy glory, the manifestation of his grace being there. So again, 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 Solomon's 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 God's 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 wilderness, 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.  
First, We shall endeavour to show, that it hath been the great design of God to glorify himself 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 faithful people by this, then by any other or all other his glorious works besides, whereby he hath any ways 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 celestial 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 eternity: all which being done, I hope it may sufficiently appear, how emphatically Gospel grace in the Text is styled the glory of the Lord.  
First, that it hath been the great design of God by such Gospel grace to glorify himself from all eternity, is not only clear from all such Scriptures as speak any thing in reference to that grace as eternal [a part ante] for what is past: as that Christ's blood was shed, and that he offered himself unto God through the eternal Spirit, Heb: 9 14. and that the Gospel is called the everlasting Gospel, Rev: 14. 6. But we have a full declaration of God's great design 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 known 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 wisdom 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 eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord; read the place, it is full to our purpose. Now that this hath been God's design [a part 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 eternal salvation, Heb: 5. 9 Eternal life, 1 Tim: 12. Eternal glory, 2 Tim: 2. 10. Now God's design 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 God's great design 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 eternal Gospel (as it were his masterpelce) to manifest his greatest glory to all eternity, so he hath wonderfully glorified himself 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 dead stroke to mankind, by seducing our first parents from their obedience to God, God himself, when there was no other preacher, ordained to do it by an Hell-astonishing wonderful declaration of most free and rich grace toward lost man; even whilst he denounced against the Devil his own doom, he pronounceth in those great and ingrateful transgressors own hearing, the main discovery of Gospel grace, viz. The seed of the woman shall break the Serpent's head: and though it was by a new grace whereby the efficie of that good news must be applied, yet he had taught them such means to wait upon him, wherein his servants should not fail to obtain grace and acceptance with him: and this was seen in Abel's offering, when though he parted from that vain 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 eternal Gospel, so lately declared by the eternal God himself, and therefore obtained the honour of the Protomartyr of the whole world, and of a true type of the Long expected Messiah, and of that blessed seed that was to come now what a clear 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, until, as even wearied by their contumacy, God would not have his Spirit strive any longer with them? and than Satan, as if he had gotten a total and final 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 man's nature, and had likely so improved that the old world soon became so much his, that it could be no longer Gods; And therefore God will rather out of the seed and family of Noah alone, raise up to himself a new Church, and make their saving in the Ark (even at that time of Satan's seeming prevailing power) to be an evident type unto all the faithful, of their certain deliverance and safety in the time of the wicked world's worst calamities and destructions. And as the time of the coming of the promised Seed drew nearer, God more and more caused some beams of his glory to shine out in his Church, for the comfort of his faithful servants. Christ is promised to Abraham, typified in Isaac, revealed in vision to Jacob, shadowed in Moses person, ministry, 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 arm he got himself the victory over Pharaoh, Satan, and all the Cursed enemies of his Church in Egypt, in the red Sea, in the wilderness, in their entrance and possessing of the promised Land; all which in the substance was an actual 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 son borne, given, as the Prophet Esay foretells as already come, though mean and despised in his outward aspect, yet his name was called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Prince of peace; so prevalent in his power and prowess, that of the increase of his Dominion and power there should be no end; so everlastingly prevalent in his administration, that he should sit upon the throne of David, to order it, and establish it from thenceforth and for ever, Psal: 9 And when the Sceptre was departed from Judah, that he that was the Shiloh was indeed come, there was such darkness 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 world's vanity, lest Herod should lose his Kingdom, Caesar his Sovereignty, 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 Star to the Magis or Kings of the East, as Psal: 72. 10. Celebrated and proclaimed 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 spiritual 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 gifts: yet so was the glorious splendour of the rising of this daystar, yea of this Sun of righteousness with healing in his wi●gs, by the former or the like thick mists of darkness, obscured and clouded to the then darkened world, that they did not behold his rising, they did not discern his glory, yea not for long time after was it in any suitable manner taken notice of or displayed in public, till the Spirit of God in a  witness gave testimony of all these things, when after that by doctrine, by holiness, by miracles, by sufferings, by death, and a powerful raising of himself to life, [having slain all enmity thereby] he was powerfully declared to be the Son of God; yea so was the light of his appearing eclipsed in the world's eye, that after Ages could not find out the time or season when that his birthglory did first shine out, and therefore the Fathers, vid: Jerome, Cyprian, upon several 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 burial of Moses body by him, would prevent the Israelites adoring of his sepulchre, so, as some conceive, he would conceal the season of his nativity; neither do we read in Scripture any like celebration, but that of Herod de porcorum grege Epicurus: Nor is the day of a Conquerors taking up Arms 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 darkness, by himself substituted as his own, for a continual Christian Sabbath, to be observed and celebrated in his Universal Church, for the honour and glory of such their wonderful deliverance, then accomplished by him throughout all Ages, from Sabbath to Sabbath, so long as the Sun and Moon shall endure; and herein is the glorious mystery of God so accomplished to be admired, that the bleer-eyed world is not able to behold the divine brightness of it, and so it hath been since in the Apostles and after Ages, as the mystery of God hath been in fulfilling, the great things of Christ have been hid from their eyes; Christ crusified hath been to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness, 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 Christ's Embassy into the world, yet they went conquering and to conquer, by preaching, praying, improvement of all spiritual grace, even in suffering and dying, after the example of their great Sovereign, they greatly prevailed over the powers of the world, over the strength and subtlety of sin and Satan: And have not the two Witnesses, the contemporaries of Antichristian tyranny done so too? and shall they not more prevail still, and maugre all vain imaginations of any men, or counsels taken by them against Christ? Yet will not God set his King upon his holy hill of Zion? Yea, will it not be both the honour and happiness of the Greatest Potentates upon earth to kiss the Son, and give the glory of their Sceptres unto him, that as they reign by him, so they may reign for him, and in his good time may likewise reign with him in endless 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 little 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 souls of Gods faithful people, for the King's 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 Solomon's wisdom and magnificence, when she came to his Court to hear and see the truth of both, that she confessed the half thereof was not formerly showed 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 enjoyment 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 deciphered; 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 Glorify himself eminently by this in his Church in this life: For should I speak but of those resemblances in Scripture, which the Spirit of God showeth, but to shadow 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 God's 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 Flagons to keep them from sounding; Balm and Physicians from Gilead; Gold tried in the fire to make them rich garments of needlework; and wrought gold with jewels to adorn them; white raiment 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 men's Souls, a truly glorious change is wrought in them; of Bondslaves under Sin, and children of Satan, they 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 Sovereignty, 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 administered, until 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 fullness of glory with himself in the highest heavens, there with all the Celestial Angels, and perfected Saints, sing forth their hallelujahs to the eternal praise of his infinitely great, and glorious name.  
But Secondly, we have seen it hath been the design of God, by Gospel grace to glorify himself, etc. 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 other his glorious works besides, whereby he hath any ways discovered his glory in the world. Now that we may at least represent some glimpse of this spiritual glory in some measure suitable to what it is unto men's Souls, we shall by the gracious assistance of God endeavour 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 show some respective considerations, wherein this work is more glorious than any, yea, than 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 powerful he is, as Ps. 19 1, 2, 3. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handy work. Day unto day uttereth speech: night unto night showeth 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 they have lent either a deaf or a negligent ear thereunto, they would either not hear, 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 show, 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 virtues and benefits; and yet so as to have them communicable for all their several due intendments and purposes; 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 wisdom 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 ways, 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 than the other: All Creatures had no more power to preserve themselves of others in the State God hath made them, or preserved them, than they had to make themselves at first, or one another, did not he as well communicate a support to them in their Being, comfort & operations continually, as well as at their first subsistence: Creatures may by his order add an accidental form to God's 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 stays 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 consider, that in an ordinary way of support, God hath held up the whole Creation for now almost 6000. years in the whole, and all the main substantial parts of it, and that in so strangely different manners and ways. The great Ball of the Earth, to our understanding, hangs upon nothing, poised 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 air, wherewith they are encompassed 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 reigneth: yet the principles movable, the parts movable, all things in it and upon it continual changeable, and movable, and have been for so many thousand years, and yet the foundation remains , not of its own nature▪ but at the pleasure of him that upholds it; and that after all the transactings, concussions, successions, intercourses and change upon the earth, since the first Creation of it, yet those foundations are never the more shaking, never the more tottering, worn or decayed▪ yet all this time the upper part of this world, the material heavens, are upheld in a contrary course, in a strange unconceivable seemingly violent circumvolution and turning about, wonderfully continued, even for the preservation, use and benefit of all sorts of Creatures in the inferior Orb, 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 unweakened with their work and influence, so great, so efficarious, so long continued; as much undecayed in their beauty, in their glory, in their as primary excellency, 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 God's 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, wisdom to discern, memories to retain, and faith to believe as we ought ro do, what God hath done in his most Sovereign 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 unsteady things, as Ps. 148. 8. Fire and hail, snow and vapour, stormy wind, they all fulfil 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, voluntary 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, either 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 attained by humane capacity; they are a great deep, no reach of understanding creatures can fathom them; his paths are every where, as the Psalmist faith; in the seas, in the air, in the heavens, in the earth, amongst men, and amongst devils; 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 enlarge 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 excellency of the infinite and most glorious God, yet in the glory of Gospel 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, than 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 God's 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 Unity 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 comparable to it. It is for ordinary persons to make a useful medicine of wholesome and good ingredients, but it shows the skill of an expert and learned Physician, out of most dangerous poisons 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 than 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 God's 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 Soul; that then such a person at the instigation of such an enemy, upon such slight solicitation, for a purpose so vain & booteless, in a case that might appear so desperately dangerous, and of which he was most certainly forewarned by God himself, and fore-armed against it by a terrible threatening, which was wretchedly and woefully turned into a most sad prophecy; and all this to the great dishonour 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 itself before the face, and in the behalf of all creatures, men and Angels; when the Almighty God had been so rob 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 holy and most blessed Trinity, doth manifest himself in his own peculiar, most powerful, gracious, and most glorious work: God the Father reveals 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 mediator 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 stain and guilt and power of the sin of lost man on the other hand, he offers himself as a propitiatory sacrifice for man, to appease thereby his Father's 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 Father's incomprehensible goodness towards lost man, and that most gracious manifestation of 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 show from the last words of the Text.  
Now according to this threefold manifestation of the glory of the Lord, from the beginning have all the most glorious dispensations of the grace of God the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost, ever since been derived, revealed, communicated, applied, preserved, conserved, rewarded in the souls and persons of all Gods faithful servants in all Ages, and so will be to the end of the world: and was but men's Religion settled upon this foundation of Gods own laying, and steered in a right course to his own end, that as all grace is from himself, so the glory thereof might be given to him alone; how might the Church of God be settled in truth and peace? But let us a little view the most radiant beams of this incomprehensible love, this supernatural grace, this divine Glory of God the Father, Son, and holy Ghost, as from time to time they are darted out of Heaven, and powerfully sent home into the souls of poor sinners upon earth, together with the reflections of those radiant beams 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 stopped up; or such dark Lanterns that receive no light, though they be set in the bright Sunshine at noonday: but of such, as like burning or looking glasies, in the beholding of this glory, as in the Text, receive from the Sun of Righteousness that shines most gloriously in their Hemisphere only, as the light of old did in Goshen, when thick darkness was in Egypt; receive (I say) from him both light and heat and brightness, 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, it is celestial, it is divine, it is [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] it is from above, it is from God, so they are not only a truly noble or Royal, which the vain world is apt too much to prise alone, but they are also a real divine Race, 2 Pet. 1. 4. But this glory of theirs being that of the Queen's Daughter, is mainly within, this spiritual 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 conjoined 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 itself in an affectionate constant endeavour of all due thankfulness and obedience to his divine Majesty, 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 Kingdom, of which there shall be no end; whose Subjects shall never be traitors, nor revolters from his Divine Majesty; bribes shall not allure them, terrors shall not fray them, they are sworn feodaries to him, and will approve themselves his liedg Subjects; their Rule and Law is God's word, their Strength is his grace and joy, their Teacher and counsellor and comforter is his sacred Spirit, their Tower of defence and rock is the rock of Ages, their Guard the holy Angels, their Annuity or portion the good of the earth, the air, the Seas, here in their nonage; 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 ransom of the blood of Christ, needful for them in their pilgrimage here on earth, till they enter the possession of the heavenly and eternal Kingdom of Glory.  
And this constant course of glorious Gospel grace, God the Father, Son, 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 do so to the end of the world; and this glory of the Lord is so great in the eyes 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 Sun Moon and Stars, were united into one, it would seem 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 faithful Moses, and all the Martyrs in their times, would rather choose to suffer affliction with the people of God to enjoy this, than to have the pleasures of sin for a season; for oh the pearless worth of their secret, but certain enjoyment of the favour of God, their secured interest in Christ, the guidance, the teaching, the comfort of the holy Ghost, his life-giving grace, his grace-working Ordinances, the spiritual pleasures of his house, their communion with himself, the satisfaction, the security, the soul-ravishments of his love, with the reflections thereof, their love again to his Divine Majesty, that twofold righteousness of Christ's imputed, and theirs endeavoured, that peace of conscience that passeth understanding, that joy in the holy Ghost unspeakable and glorious, in which the Kingdom of Heaven doth consist, as the Apostle witnesseth, Rom: 14. 17. The Glory indeed of this Kingdom is not discerned, but by the spiritual eye of faith; the happinesle thereof is not enjoyed, but in the particular application of a truly believing soul; herein Christ shows wonders among the dead, as himself so strongly asserteth, Joh: 5. 25. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. Hereby Christ gains a sovereignty 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 prevail 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 highest place in the soul, in all he reveals himself 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 prosperity or adversity, 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, rejoiced in and delighted in above all that can be conceived of creatures, incomparably: This makes them measure all Glory by God's Standard, and weigh all comfort in God's Balance, and try all treasure by God's Touchstone, and none of these will be approved by them, but what hath his allowance: Hereby God overcomes darkness with light, corruption with sanctification, trouble with comfort, disquiet with peace, sorrow with joy, opposition with support, weakness with strength, assaults with victory, danger with security, 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 evils 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 them out of them all, Psal: 34. 19 And all this grace, in all the variety 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 wonderful 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.  
Secondly, In respect of the more glorious matter of the work.  
Thirdly, In respect of the many ways considerably more excellent foundation of the work.  
Fourthly, In respect of the most glorious structure, form, 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 wonderful glory of the Father, Son, 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 Angels hereafter in heaven.  
Eleventhly, In respect of the effect of all that concerns the manifestation of all the gloriousness of this work to good and bad men, and Angels, 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 do 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 kind and degree suitable to the Author, yet is this more excellent work of his in its own nature eminently many ways much more glorious, and particularly in these Considerations following.  
First, In that the Creation, Sustentation, & Gubernation of the world, are of corruptible principles and materials in continual transmutations and changes, generations and eruptions, increases and decreases, all in successions, nothing in continuance or stability, excepting Angels, and the souls of men, which though they be in the world, yet they are not of the world, as Christ said his Kingdom 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 nearer to him, the more perfect it is.  
Secondly, All the former great works of God respect inferior creatures, and the outward being and welfare of man, and directly reach no further; but this respects the inward and spiritual welfare 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 eternal being, and will remain in its use and excellency to all eternity.  
Secondly, 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 materials do 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 wonderful and incomprehensible excellency, which we must not understand [Materiam ex qua, as in worldly things, but circa quam] not corporeal, but notional and intellectual, not matter subjectiuè but objectiuè, as the Schools distinguish; that is to say, the matter of this work is so conceived, rather in respect of our understanding, than the reality 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 forenamed works, and that is in the many ways considerably more excellent foundation of this work: the more wisely, advantageously, and surely, any great undertaking hath its foundation laid, the more excellency it addeth to it; and if this be not provided duly for, the greater the undertaking the more hazard, the more cost and labour, the greater disappointment and loss; Hence because war is a great undertaking by men, therefore saith One, With good advice make war. Now the gloriousness of Gods laying the foundation of this work, will appear greater than of all the other, in these particulars following.  
First, The foundation of this is more profound, and more deeply laid than of all the other.  
Secondly, That it is more secretly and hiddenly laid, than of all the other.  
Thirdly, That it was a more difficult foundation to be laid in several respects, than of all the other.  
Fourthly, In that it is a foundation more surely laid, than of all the other.  
First, The commendation of the profoundness of a foundation, is, as it is laid in the due proportion to the greatness of the work undertaken, whereof it is the foundation; now the greatness of God's work in decreeing, revealing, carrying on, and accomplishing his glorious work of grace, is infinitely excellent in all dimensions, intensive, extensive, yea beyond all dimensions, mental or real, 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 carried on for this, they were and are but the Substrata for this, and it is their greatest excellency, that their being 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 until they cease to be: God makes use of all his inferior 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 chief 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 of 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 enlightened; but this was a secret hidden in Gods own counsel alone, when all the other foundations were open to men and Angels; yea this was not nor could be known, till himself made it known, nor any further, then as he was pleased from time to time to cause it to be further known by men or Angels, and only rightly known to those good men, to whom he himself and his holy Spirit are pleased to reveal it, and make it known unto: and it is not only in general 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 Godliness, nor the mystery of the kingdom of Heaven, though they often hear it and hear 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 Godliness, are mysteries indeed, hidden from their eyes: And hence things peculiar to the faithful 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 read 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 himself in his most wise counsels, that the secret issues of them cannot be discovered by any enemies, though he sees all their secret and foolish counsels to the contrary, and laughs them to scorn 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 counsel 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, than any of the other; not more hard in respect of God, for to his power and wisdom all things are alike easy, the greatest as well as 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 excellency which was therein to be showed, and infinite wisdom, power, mercy, justice, holiness, 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; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a received position, that excellent things are hard; here then being the greatest excellency, 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, subtlety of the devil to oppose it at every turn in the world; he perfectly knew the interest the devil would have there, to be for a time, by usurpation the God of the world, Eph. he 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 Sceptre of his Kingdom; 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 evil, while their eyes, their hearts, their lives are full of adulteries in God's sight; yea, he sees when they pretend most love to his dear son Christ Jesus, they mean to murder him in his living members, and so [sub nomine Christi militant contra Christum] under the name of Christ they fight against Christ (manibus pedibusque) as we say, with all their might; and no marvel, for all that while, heart and hand, tooth and nail, they are for the devil. Abundant 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 rank, in every thing. Oh would all sorts of such persons, but seriously weigh, how foolishly they go about to make Gods great design difficult, of which, notwithstanding, he hath laid the foundation most sure, as we shall endeavour to show; But yet here is not all, for thirdly, when God laid this foundation, he saw a greater difficulty than 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 virtuous Prince have his royal and dearly beloved consort, carried away by malicious 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 finds her affections so alienated, that she joins 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 join with our hateful enemies, and resist our greatest good, and this difficulty therein, he most graciously provided against; in his other works there was no such incapacity, much less resistance; when he spoke 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 Orb, 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 wisdom 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 than 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 suddenly lost. Now for such questions, whether man might not have stood longer in that Estate? or how long? or what should have become of 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 show, and the woeful experience of his whole race doth sadly declare, had not the infinite grace of the Almighty Jehovah, provided a firm basis of Gospel glory, Isai. 28. 16. Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, 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 arm brought salvation, upholds, applies, salvation to his people, to whom he is gracious, because he will be gracious, and shows compassion, because he will show compassion, in giving to them the sure mercies of David, Isa. 55. 3. Which the same holy Kingly Prophet David in his high rapture resolves us, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 God's 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 applied to this Gospel glory of the Lord, Heb. 7. 22. even through him who was after the power of an endless life, v. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 ways 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 structure, frame and form of this work; now though the frame and form of the world, as it is God's 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 form, as we shall endeavour to show, will appear to exceed theirs much more, even as much as an essential form exceedeth an outward shape or figure obvious to the eye; for as the Philosophers 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 Saviour's expression is, to all single-eyed beholders, is obvious to be discerned, yea, there is no part of the foundation or fabric of the whole work, wherein it doth not wonderfully shine out to such souls (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 the 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 entitled 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 eclipse 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 in our hemisphere, even so is the glorious form and beauty of this work transcendently above the other.  
Fifthly, The largeness of the time, or continuance allotted for this work, above all the other excellent illustrations of it. First, Creatio fit in instanti, so the Learned, Creation is done in an instant; the whole work was finished and celebrated in a week's space at first, sustentation is the continuance of that for a limited time; and Gubernation here, is but while this course of nature, or Creatures, or rather supportation in their ranks from God, is so variously disposed of in such wonderful manner, after the good pleasure of his will, but the time allotted for the contriving, effecting, applying, confirming, carrying on and perfecting this most glorious work of Gospel grace, is not only a long time, but all time, and not only time, but eternity too, yea, all eternity in reference to the eternal and coequal Trinity of persons, in the unity of the divine nature: Now this illustration of the length of time, for raising a work, may more clearly appear from a threefold evidence; First, of nature, the base sort of creatures soon come to their height of stature, as is observable in varieties of sorts of plants, and beasts, and fowls. Secondly, in Reason, the more excellent the nature of a work, and the more accurately it is to be wrought, the longer time is required to provide for it, to accomplish it. Thirdly, in experience, both of Nature & Art; by all which, the long continuance for the raising of this work, may be manifest above all the rest, which is an other of its excellencies; unto which let us now add the  
sixth, Namely, in regard of the way and manner of the raising of this work, by the constant shining out of the wonderful glory of the Father, Son, and Holy ghost, all the time it is in raising. Oh the unspeakable splendour of the wisdom and power, of the grace and goodness, of the mercy and truth, in reference to all the holy persons in that undivided Trinity, made evident therein, from the beginning of the world, and shall be to the end thereof, in such glorious mnnifestations, continually, breaking forth through all successions of Ages, as can never be sufficiently admired, nor much less celebrated with praises both from men and Angels, in all things that concern the way and manner of the revealing & exhibiting, as will be of the perfecting of that most precious grace, from and by those sacred persons derived. Whether we respect the sufficiency, the sureness, the efficacy, the happiness in such way and manner continually held out, and communicated unto the world; First, sufficient to make up all the Creatures wants, to answer all their doubts. Secondly, Sure to remove all their fears, & settle all desirable security to them. Thirdly, Effectually to carry on against all obstacles, and to accomplish all and more than they could hope for or desire. Fourthly, To administer what ever good they are capable of receiving, to make them perfectly blessed; let your thoughts be enlarged upon these particulars, I must leave them as the dry bones in Ezekiels Prophesy, till the Spirit causeth flesh to come upon them, to cover them; for I fear to be tedious, even in a subject so precious and pleasant, to such as have interest in it, but therefore not pleasant unto others, because they find not any to themselves, yea, they know it not, and therefore they desire it not, yea, they are not willing to know it, lest they must lose those Idols wherein they take more pleasure: But thus much at present, of Gods own undertaking, in the most suitable manner to all his own most blessed purposes, respecting both himself and his creatures, according to his own good pleasure, as we shall endeavour afterwards to show, and is evident from all passages to this purpose in holy writ, unspeakeably above what is to be found in any other his great and glorious works, here being a way for the magnifying of the riches of his free grace, only revealed in his word, which is therefore magnifyed above all his name, as the Psalmist saith remarkably, Ps. 138. in such a concurrence of all Divine excellencies as is no where else to be found, since there and there only, we have the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 4. 6.  
Seaventhly, In regard of the subordinate means of raising up this work, [not here to speak of the chief, the holy Spirit as proceeding from the Father and the Son] for we shall have occasion to speak of him afterwards, as the Lord the Spirit, the prime efficient cause of the efficaciousness of all other means; but only of his inferior means, such as Angels, men extraordinarily inspired, ordinarily qualified, ordinances sanctified, and providences, and many other means o● Creatures, sometime at his pleasure blessed, to be in some sort instrumental in this work; For sometimes to use Angels in it, was an honour to it, but to have used them always, would have been terrible to weak and frail Creatures, besides otherwise incommodious to them; when as to use man's ministry is natural, familiar, affecting, as being of the same nature, and liable to the same misery, capable of the same happiness, provided for by the same God, tendered in the same way, concluded in the same concernments, obliged by the same engagements, and yet at his pleasure to use other ways and instruments, shows the freness of all that grace; any of these [pro hio & nunc] in any particular case, he can use at his pleasure, but [ex instituto] by his appointment, the preaching of the word by men, is ordinarily his means, Ro. 10. 14. efficaciously to work this Spiritual grace in the Soul, yet natural, occasional, providential, moral means, he likewise sometime useth as helps thereunto, as natural affection, good examples, good institutions, good society, afflictions, judgements, dangers, troubles, as blessed by him to advance the same, and besides extraordinary working by men, what he doth ordinarily by them, he doth with great variety, to manifest himself a free and voluntary agent therein, and that means cannot do it alone; and therefore sometimes by babes and sucklings, by mean and unlikely instruments, in this kind, he sets forth his own praise, Ps. 8. 2. An other time he will use more eminent instruments, a Moses in the Law, an Esay amongst the Prophets, a Paul amongst the Apostles, learned, noble, eminent persons in gifts, in parts, in reputation with men, as better helps, that they may the better advance the grace or glory of this work of the Lord; and yet again, sometimes he denies the success to them, he gives to meaner persons, because he is bound to none; the Sacraments are likewise means to confirm and increase that grace, which yet is neither tied to them, nor yet cannot be had without them, yet not to be neglected, or much less contemned by men, because they are instituted and appointed by him: Again, prayer likewise is his own ordinary general means to be used by all persons, at all times, upon all occasions; Pray continually, Acts 6. 4. Pray without ceasing, 1 Thes. 5. 17. To which thanksgiving is to be annexed, and sometime fasting, vows, and the like; but prayer, I say, is his general means to promote the end of all the rest, and make them useful in his own work, the better to make all men to know and remember, that the efficacy of all the other, is only to be expected from himself, in the humble, faithful, and obedient useing of them all; so that all these means in their several times and kinds, are glorious, in reference unto the end of their chief Author, but all, and only, freely and voluntarily, according to his own good pleasure; and as all the means are his, so the effects must ever be acknowledged his, because they are not like other inferior means, merely natural, but altogether voluntary to him, and all their success from his free grace.  
But eighthly, for the object of this gracious work, for whom, and in reference unto whom, immediately it is by him contrived and raised, and that is man, by his defection corrupted in his original excellency, depraved in his miserable condition, forlorn, helpless, hopeless, and yet regardless of himself (the Epidemical disease of all his posterity) and less regarded of any or all other creatures, who if they had regarded his miserable condition, yet notwithstanding had been altogether insufficient for his rescue or relief; he being a creature that had abused such precious goodness, slighted such precious favour, so wickedly cast away such glorious excellence, foolishly lost so great happiness both for himself and all his posterity; and what must he then do? yea rather what must he needs in that case deservedly suffer? or whatsoever of wrath, woe, or misery so great a sin of ingratitude, unfaithfulness, rebellion, pride, emulation, envy, folly, yea such accumulated wickedness against a most gracious God, and most bountiful creator, had made him and all his posterity to all eternity justly liable to, namely, the infinite wrath of the infinitely glorious and good Jehovah: Oh where was then such an object of so glorious grace in the whole Creation to be found? Angels sinned in an higher rank and station, and with a more general and high attempt against God's Crown and Dignity, when man that was in a lower condition looked only to be like God in knowing good and evil, not to be equal in dignity to him; the Angels therefore are in Justice cast down lower, and so are become desperate damned Devils; Angels sinned without a tempter, but man's assaults were primarily set on by Satan's malice, secretly and subtly carried on by the Serpent and the Woman, his subordinate, or at least suborned Instruments: Angels sinned but individually, each for himself alone, they had no posterity; but man, the root of all his race hath worthily incurred both [Paenam Damnis & paenam sensus,] the punishment of loss, and the punishment of sense, both for himself and all them. How was then the Justice and mercy of the infinitely wise God, in appearance, at a great contest, which should prevail for or against man? Justice would be satisfied upon him, mercy would be glorified in him; Justice looks upon his sin against the infinite God, with all the aggravations of it; mercy looks upon the forlorn helpless state of man, with all such mitigations and extenuations of his fall, as she could discover; here were indeed the fire and the wood, wrath and the fit object of it, but where is the  offering, as Isaac once said unto his father, when his father expecting he should be the Lamb, answered him more truly than he knew or thought of, God shall provide himself a Lamb; and look what Abraham and Isaac here were but mystical types and shadows of, God had from everlasting really decreed, and in due time fulfilled, concerning that immaculate Lamb his only begotten Son, slain in the same decree of his Father, before the foundations of the world were laid; In him were Mercy and Truth so met together, Righteousness and Peace so kissed each other, Ps: 85. 10. And what from everlasting he so decreed, in fullness of time he accordingly accomplished: The true Isaac bears the full burden of his father's wrath, and yet enjoys the fullness of his love, whilst that he bears it not for himself, but others, not for any the least declining of his own, but to finish the work his Father had sent him for into the world; not ignorantly and unknowingly, as his type, nor with reluctancy, as ●eeding to be bound, but willingly and readily yielding himself, reckoning it even Satan's assault in a zealous Peter, when out of seeming love he adviseth him against it, saying, Get thee behind me Satan; nor was he forcibly constrained by his father's power, but resolved of himself to lay it down voluntarily, being in his own power; and yet not so as to cast himself away like a desperate helpless man, but still retained his power against all opposition to raise himself again. O wonderfully merciful Father! O wonderfully gracious Redeemer! how are all the discerning abilities of thy most excellent creatures swallowed up by this bottomless depth of thy infinite grace! When thou sawest there was none to deliver, that there was no Intercessor, therefore thine own arm brought salvation, and thy righteousness it sustained thee, Isa: 59 16. Here, here was an object fit only for the wisdom, power, and goodness of an infinite God to show itself, and in a way and means suitable to the otherwise helpless condition of such a wretched creature, who shall therefore have a wonderful deliverer; but yet his misery at present shall not altogether be taken away, but he shall yet continue in that world wherein he first had sinned, that shall be to him the place of his prison, where he committed his first his late most heinous offence, and that the more remarkably, in that his former happy Palace, is now by his sin become a stinking Dungeon to him; his Paradise of pleasure formerly, is now become a very Bridewell for his correction; his painless exercise before, is now exchanged for painful toil, manifest by the sweat of his brows; instead of his successful labour without weariness, he shall be vexed with much lost labour and weariness therewith, [Aethiopem lavabit, magno conatu magnas nugas aget,] he shall often endeavour to no purpose, and greatly endeavour to no purpose, and greatly endeavour to small purpose; but yet worse than this, in his prison he shall have a Jailor too, but the worst of creatures by defection, and his own worst enemy, his hateful and first murderer (at least in his hopes and purposes,) had not God then in such a case speedily, graciously, and unexpectedly stepped in for his rescue or reprieve: But before such deliverance particularly can come home, by reason this cursed Jailor, having man in some sort in his custody, endeavours to make him his perpetual vassal, and when in this he finds he doth prevail sometime, such shall have the privilege of his prisonhouse, but only for this most wretched end, to make them the more sworn slaves to himself, to others he will not vouchsafe the like liberty of their prison, but holds them fast in hard bondage, and because he would the more harden them for hell-torments hereafter, he gins to plague them with an hell upon earth, but not as men sometimes put in Bedlam by their friends to regain their wits, but to make them spiritually the more mad, and eternally the more miserable; any way to engage them the most temporally to his vassalage, and eternally to his torments, and the rather, because that enviously and spitefully, he yet surely knows, there is a year of Jubilee proclaimed from the most Sovereign and Almighty King, and that there is a Deliverer Come, by whose appointment Heralds at Arms, or rather Ambassadors of peace, are sent abroad to publish the same with the conditions thereof, upon abundant testimony under his hand and seals with sufficient authority and most certain evidence for man's security therein; but yet I say upon his own terms alone. But how doth the Devil their Jailor now play his pranks, to disappoint the purpose of such published grace, and to keep his prisoners either from hearing (if possible) the sound of this good news, by stopping it from their ears, or if he cannot do that, to stop their ears against it by many diversions of hopes, or ease, or pleasure, or profit, or else by prejudice, or danger, or reproach, or fear, or persecution, or any thing, or all (if it may be) to hinder the same, that they may not come near to hearken to those commissionated Heralds at Arms, or Ambassadors of peace; but if they must needs be within the hearing of them, he will disparage their terms, as too hard, impossible, not sure, not warrantable, or too damnifying, or the like; he will tell them false tales of golden apples, and sweet and pleasant grapes, which are growing for them in his Garden, when they are indeed but apples of Sodom, and grapes of Gomorrha, ashy apples, and bitter grapes; he will tell them much of great treasures and pleasures with him to be had, when they are, but as men say of Witches feasts in the caves of the earth, only fantastical, but nothing real; he will tell them of golden mountains they shall have by his service, when there is nothing but fire and flames of brimstone in the bowels thereof, belching forth continually beforehand their noisome stench, with flames and smoke and ashes of Gods wrathful displeasure against them; Yet all the Devil's prisoners will hearken more to his lies, than unto God's Ambassadors, or his truth, all the while they are in his bondage, and knowing nothing better than what they at present conceive they find, they will not be persuaded that there is any thing better than what they think they know; Neither will they believe that they shall find any thing worse hereafter, than what they at present feel; and so what with his charms and baits on the one hand, and what with his gyves, manacles, and chains on the other hand, their ears are either stopped like the deaf Adders that refuse to hear, or else bored through at his door, like voluntary slaves readily agreeing with him for their own perpetual bondage. But here the wonderworking God again appears, who having sealed some to the day of Redemption, and having given those unto the Redeemer, whom likewise the Redeemer hath particularly and fully ransomed, even those he will rescue out of that bondage, yea out of that death of sin and Satan; unto them are his Ambassadors specially sent, but they likewise will not hear, and therefore while he sends many times and often for a long continuance, (it may be) and importunately by them in his own name, beseecheth them to be reconciled to him for their own good, though (happily) they may be roused a little sometimes, yet they are not raised from that sleep, and death, till God the Father, and God the Redeemer, by the almighty power of the Lord the Spirit, speaks home to their souls, what outwardly, and only outwardly, they had heard before with their ears, many times (perhaps) only, but not regarded to retain, till he himself comes in, and sets on the impression of his grace-revealing truth upon their hearts, with a secret quickening spiritual life; Upon discovery or fear whereof in any of Satan's prisoners, their former Jailor attempts with speed to hinder (if he can) if not to consent, yet to divert or re●ard, but (if he cannot do that) he will still endeavour to make them drive on as heavily as may be, that, if at all, they will receive the offers of peace, yet they may do it, as late as may be, that they may have the less comfort, others the less benefit, and their spiritual blessed Lord and Sovereign the less honour or advantage thereby: But if they will, when once marked for Christ's sheep, be departing from his Wolves and Goats, range and walk, he will help them to as much bread and water of affliction (if he can) while they are passing on in their journey to their new Master, as may last them all the way thither. And what mischief he is kept any way from doing against them, he will send Herds of his graceless Wolves, and of his filthy Goats and Swine, to do for him, and against Christ's sheep, to destroy or defile them, or rend them for their pearls, or like his wild Boars out of the Woods to destroy them: But whilst they are passing a painful pilgrimage, and often fall into a Wildered condition in this world, the great Shepherd of his sheep, that will lose none of them that are of his fold, he readily seeks them out, not so much for the place where, (for his eye is always toward them, and upon them) as for the condition wherein, and the fit season of grace to be used for their advantage, they shall not then want needful comfort, or needful support, or necessary supply, oft they have all these largely allowed them, and if they have not at present, they have a store-house, a full treasure of all good to go unto at need, and in their worst times they have two good friends at hand that will not fail them then, to wit, a good Conscience, and the holy Ghost, who hath taken possession of their souls; and these are strong helpers against the fierce and fiery assaults of Men and Devils, yea, they have hereby more help with them, and for them, than they many times themselves discern; Their God is a God at hand, and not a fare off, Christ Jesus stands by them, being the grand Captain of their salvation, the Author and Finisher of their faith and patience; the holy Angels oft have a charge to keep them in all their ways, Psal: 91. 11. The Saints on earth assist them by their prayers, direct them by their counsels, excite them by their examples, and encourage them by their confidence; And though sometime they must needs forgo much, endure hard onsets, and combat long, yet this encouragement is inwardly given them, they shall have the victory infallibly in the issue; and so they come by degrees to know there are more with them, than with their enemies, and that therefore they shall have more strength to overcome, because their God is the Lord of Hosts, and commands (when he pleaseth) the Armies of their Adversaries, yea, when they least think of it, he then no less doth it, and when it seems the most unlikely, he makes them know it the most infallibly. But if from the World's wilderness, Christ at any time calls any of his servants particularly, for the exercise of any eminent grace he hath sent (as a love-token) into their souls, with Peter to walk towards Christ (when he calls them) upon a Sea of troubles, where there is no sooting, but what faith finds; if at any time their foot of faith should slip, or strength of grace begin to stagger, Christ is always near at hand to stay them, to hold them up; if they be weak, he will give them strength, if sick, he will be their Physician, if they mistake their way, or know it not well, he will show it, he will teach them; if they labour of any want, he will supply it; if they are liable to any danger, fall, or hurt, he will support them, he will deliver them, if they be any ways hardly bestead in their wo●● estate, he will rescue them, and never forsake them, even all the while he is bringing them through a red Sea of adversity, unto their everlasting celestial Canaan; but sometime likewise he dries up those waters, and when their implacable enemies pursue them most furiously and confidently, he makes those appearing raging Seas of troubles to become water-walls for their defence, whilst they speedily and safely pass through them unto a place of rest, and makes them inevitable executioners of their enemy's ruin; In such tried tracts of Grace, Christ walks on secretly but securely, with the Lot of his own inheritance, with the Camp of all his true Israel, that fight under his Banner, as with a pillar of a cloud to guide them by day, and a pillar of fire to enlighten their Camp in the might, all the time they are passing from Egypt to Canaan, from Babylonian bondage, to be made free Denizens of the New Jerusalem.  
Now for such an object, in such a condition, so to receive such mercy, from such an holy and glorious Creator, so dishonoured, so disobeyed, so provoked, in such a manner, by such a deliverer, so applied, so made effectual, and that against such opposition, otherwise invincible, and otherwise inevitably sinking into desperate misery, never to be ended, eased, or remedied, and this in a settled certain course continued and made effectual through all successions of Ages; may well be the wonder of mercy to all the world, and matter of admirable thanksgiving and praise, to all glorified Saints and Angels, through all eternity to render unto his great name; no object therefore of goodness like this to be found in all Gods other works, as man so wretchedly miserable, so gloriously delivered.  
Ninthly, For the ends wherefore it is contrived, carried on, raised, and to be perfected in reference both to God and man.  
First, The chief end is glory, to the God of all glory, the original fountain of it, the end and intendment of it, the dispenser and bestower of it, the primary and perpetual owner of it, which whatsoever Creature assumes without his allowance, is therein an highly sacrilegious robber of God; for no man hath any thing but what he hath received from him, 1 Cor: 4. 7. Now there is no way wherein God hath manifested himself unto the world, or in any kind in the world, comparably glorious unto this, and therefore this most excellent supreme end of his, must necessarily in the same proportion be advanced therein, to wit, in an higher degree by that work, than by any, or all others besides.  
Secondly, That the revealing and exhibiting the excellency and goodness of this work, unto intelligible creatures, in this way, might afford them always matter, and occasion, and the greatest enforcement to set forth his praise suitably to what is discovered to them or received by them; and because the discoveries here are sometimes so great and wonderful unto the Saints, they are therefore strangely carried on with divine and spiritual ravishment of soul, to magnify the soul-quickening, sanctifying, and saving grace of their most good God and merciful Father, and that many times upon renewed returns of his favours, after not only their troubles and afflictions, but after their manifold failings and sins, yea, sometimes after their heinous offences; & to others in the increase of spiritual endowments, experiences, gracious incomes of Spirit, heavenly communion and manifestations of Gospel glory to their souls, to the great dimming and obscuring of the lustre of all worldly glory in their eyes, and the beautifying of a very afflicted outward condition, in any way of the faithful service of their great and good God, and even in their very sufferings for their most blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which they by a gracious inward operation upon their souls, are not only enabled to think well of, and to observe favourable aspects of Divine grace in such seeming dark times, but much to rejoice many times and triumph in assurance of victory aforehand, yea, to esteem it their great honour, that they are counted by him worthy so to do him service, and suffer for his name; yea, to esteem it a peculiar favour, and sometime to find such strange support, and sometime to have such enlargement of comfort, to the stupifying (as it were) the sense of pain (as some of the Martyrs in their sufferings acknowledged) and sometime by the strong piercing sight of the eye of faith, through the greatest and heaviest Cross of Christ to discover the Crown; and strangely to beholders, to seem to neglect their contempt, and (with their Saviour Heb. 12. 2.) to despise their shame, and even to forget their sorrows, yea, and sometime (with Stephen, Acts 7.) to behold high and heavenly visions of glory in the lowest ebb of their temporal sufferings, and all this, many times, not only to the astonishment, but even to the confusion of the face of persecuting enemies, according to that promise of our Saviour, Luk. 21. 15. I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all our adversaries shall not be able to gainsay, nor resist, which is many times fulfilled by mean and contemptible instruments, which being the foolish of the world, God chooseth to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world, to confound the things that are mighty, and base things of the world, and things that are not, to bring to nought things that are, 1 Cor. 1. 27, 28. And thus in the manifold varieties of the dispensations of God towards his people, as they receive both good and evil at his hand here, which they willingly with holy Job always acknowledge to be from him, who or whatsoever be the instruments, there are continual springs and fountains, flowing forth with new matter of praise and glory, from the poor despised flock of Christ, in this their uncertain pilgrimage, from the manifold strong discoveries of the Gospel glory of God, in and towards them in all his ways, and from some comfortable apprehensions, from what a foundation of Free grace, all such dispensations toward them are derived, and unto what ends they tend, with frequent observations of Gods glorious appearances therein, so that they are sometime at a stand, whether they should more wonder at such God's appearances, and glorious operations, or praise him for his grace therein. Oh who is able to set forth the fathomless depth of God's mysterious mercy, in such sort to his faithful servants in all ages, that men are ordinarily capable of knowing in this kind? in regard of the innumerable varieties of godly men's experiences in all times, which have been matter of such glory to God in their own persons, or before others, through all generations in all places, of all conditions, upon all occasions, is but the least part [as we say of all knowledge] of that which in this kind might be known: but as the Evangelist John, chap. the last, v. the last, speaks in those high expressions of Christ's works upon earth: so may we say of these, the weak understandings, and memories of all men upon earth, are not able to reach or remember them; but when those manifold foldings of Divine wisdom, held out in so many great Folioes of undecyphered Characters, in such his dispensations of his grace and goodness, shall be, and before the glorified Saints and Angels fully explained, and opened, and the enjoyments of everlasting fullness of glory in clear vision, shall not only reveal the original spring of all such currents of flowing mercy to all sorts of men, but shall hold out in clear manifestations, how in all these, or what ever the like, or other, or greater actings, which have been towards themselves, in the wonder of the mystery of that glorious grace, revealed and exhibited in their temporal and spiritual being in the world, and afterward in their eternal happiness in the Kingdom of heaven, was from God the Father, through God the Son, and by God the holy Spirit, according to the eternal Gospel, given to the Saints throughout all Ages; the wonderful goodness whereof, and the glorious excellencies of God therein, and thereby shining out unto them in their full glory, in that most blessed vision and fruition of him, which all glorified creatures then shall obtain, will make them break forth with continual and unexpressible praises, and glory to the great God, and to the lamb, and to the Lord the Spirit, to all eternity.  
And herein, according as they have been appointed and exercised by those sovereign dispensations in the work, in the greater service, they shall be glorified accordingly with the greater measure of happiness in the world to come, and so much the more largely shall they discern the excellency of the glorious, and gracious workings of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the true Church, through all generations, and accordingly be enlarged with rejoicing therein to the everlasting praise of his, incomprehensibly glorious grace displayed thereby.  
So that God's ends in respect of man, is, to have his part in this great service, and to have his portion in the other great happiness, and both according to the measure and proportion dispensed, and conveyed in the way of Gospel glory, and both, and all to the eternal glory of the author thereof; we will not attempt to trace out here any of the more remarkable paths of such mercy of God, least even in them, we lose ourselves so far, as to forget that we have here much other work to do, and eternal vision will better, yea, perfectly discover it, and is allotted for it: but no such excellent end of any other works, saving in reference unto this, and so the drift of God's bounty is advanced higher to man hereby, then otherwise it could have been, for in stead of an earthly Paradise, he shall now be brought to the possession of an heavenly; instead of knowing God as a Creator only, he shall now both know and enjoy him as his Creator and Redeemer; instead of an uncertain and temporal happiness, he shall have a most certain and eternal happiness; instead of lower matter of praise, he shall have unspeakeably higher matter of praise, and consequently (through this free Gospel grace) the more enlargement of glory therewith: And hence let us pass to the 〈◊〉 Tenth Respective consideration, that is in respect of the many excellent uses, to be made here of by all men here, but especially by God's servants here and hereafter, above all the consideration of any other of God's glorious works in the world.  
First, For all men that hear of such a glorious Gospel discovery in the world above the rest.  
First, to admonish them to learn in the method of young Children, directed by their experienced Teachers, First, to know the letters and syllables, and then put together the words to know the sense of what they from time to time may read in any or all the books of God in this world, set forth for their learning, wherein God sets before all sorts of men, new lessons of all kinds, if they would not be such dullards and truants, that they will not take them out; look then upon the letters of God's great folioes in the world, the Creation, the upholding, the disposeing and ordering of it, and all things in it; Look first to the motions illuminations and influences of the heavens, look upon the successions of times, days and nights, winter and summer, seed time, and harvest; but thou wilt say, how shall I put these together, and make syllables and sentences of them, look unto the 19 Psalm, and there the word of God shall be thy schoolmaster herein, it tells thee, the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmaments showeth his handiwork; and day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth language, that is, they hold out matter for thy understanding, knowledge or experience to work upon such works of God to his praise and glory: so again Gen. 8. 22. God's word instructs us, that seed time, and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease, which is another syllable to spell the truth of God by in such things, how that he hath ever since the destruction of the old world fulfilled that his promise; in times of plenty, the Psalmist shows how he crowns the earth with his goodness, Ps. 65. 11: when all sorts of Creatures are full of rejoicing and comfort; the Scriptures informs us to spell out thereby, Ps. 145. 16. That God openeth his hand, and satisfieth the desire of every living thing: and so to come to thy own particular case and condition in outward things, thou mayest spell out words and sentences by the help of many instructers which God allows thee; as thy Reason, (if rightly regulated) thy own and others experience, observations, examples of others, God's judgements, providences, mercies, and all sorts of outward Dispensations of God, whereby thy capacity may be raised up toward the attainment of higher learning by degrees, upon thy well using thy first rudiments of Divine knowledge, for they should all discover God unto thee; and so thou mayest by degrees come to attain a good measure of skill in the truly liberal sciences in the school of spiritual and heavenly grace or glory; if the use of the former bring thee not nearer to God, they will make thee go further from him, as it was with the Gentiles, Ro. 1. 21. Because when they knew God (by his outward works) they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, therefore he gave them up; if such works of God discover him not more unto thee, they will cause him the more to hid his face from thee; as is observed of some skilful experienced Physicians, they know and see so much of the secret operations of Nature, that by that means they become more Atheistical, forgetting and neglecting the God of Nature; they poor so much upon the excellencies of the Creatures, which they think they know and make use of by their own skill & industry, for their temporal advantage, that they therefore forget and neglect the Creator, and the glory therefore due unto him; and doth not this Atheism grow upon men for the want of spelling the words and sentences of Gods ordinary Books in the world, by the teaching of his Word, whilst men would choose rather to be thought great Naturalists and Politicians in the world by others, when without that teaching they become mere naturals, fools, and Idiots, rather than sound judicious persons in that which mainly ought to be known, observed, and acknowledged by them, to the glory of the all-working God.  
Secondly, Let this direct such men as have learned to spell out God's names in his outward works, by the help of his Word, then to set themselves better to read him in his word of grace, let them know the principles of his Religion, and know the main foundations of his divine truth; especially, let them take notice of these two main principles of such excellent knowledge.  
First▪ That all glory is to be rendered unto God, as the only true Original of all good: And  
Secondly, That all emptiness is ever to be ascribed to the creature in itself, further than God makes it any way capable of goodness, and puts such goodness into it, or makes it communicative of that goodness unto others, or of further enlargement or longer enjoyment of goodness from himself, even as he pleaseth, unto whom the praise thereof is ever therefore to be ascribed; and if thou wilt but then take up that teaching word, and use those means which God thereby directs thee, to improve them, and continue therein, he will then more and more discover himself unto thee; yea, when once thou art set in such a serious seeking of him this way, it is evident thou wert sought of him before, and he hath begun already to make himself known unto thee, and so thou dost and wilt seek him still, and shalt find him more and more in that way, wherein thou shalt behold his glorious grace, which is the sure way for thee to become acceptable unto him, and shalt be truly blessed by him.  
Thirdly, But for others who have these glorious discoveries in any good measure already made unto them; Let them hence learn, with the most enlarged apprehensions that may be, to behold them, and with the most earnest bend of their affections to entertain them, and with the highest and fullest expressions of joy in their inward, and with their outward man, to mainfest and declare them to the everlasting praise of the Author of them; let them improve them to his glory, and the good of others; let them more be transformed into the image of them, that they may have the greater measure of true comfort, and glory by them.  
Again, Let men wisely hence observe the divine excellency of a truly gracious spirit, when once a transfiguration is made in it, what an excellent, yea, heavenly frame is put uponit, what glorious discoveries are made unto it, what celestial Joys are put into it, what everlasting happinesle is prepared for it: O that these things were settled upon men's souls, and that they could with such divine meditations, and spiritual Soliloquies (by the assistance of the Lord the Spirit) so rivet them into their own hearts, and keep them there, that they might still soar higher and higher in such heavenly contemplations, till they attain to the top of most glorious eternity, to receive in fullness what here in their measure only they can but taste of.  
Again, Let them hence learn to be thankful, above all things in this world, for such gracious discoveries, in any measure or degree, by their good God vouchsafed unto them; Let them be humbled in the sense of their unworthiness thereof, as great, as manifold, as continual (if Divine grace manifest towards them, did not otherwise order them some way or other) as is discernible in any others, who have hearts all alike, as face in water answers to face, Pro: 27. 19 And there is no difference, but what God himself makes in these ways of his grace, for who makes thee to differ from another, 1 Cor: 4. 7. Let them walk in the light and comfort of such discoveries, which amongst many Christians is often received in varieties of measures, and aught to be improved to varieties of purposes; Let them long more after them than any other things ; as the Spouse in Cant: 1. 2. Kiss me with the kisses of thy Mouth; thy love is better than wine. Let them pursue after them more earnestly, resolvedly, indefatigably, than for all things here besides, and with the due use of all other good means besides, ●ith humble, faithful and importunate prayer before the throne of the heavenly grace, for them; and ever to render the more glory and praise unto his divine Majesty, in the obtaining of such their request.  
Again; Let it be a strong Argument at all times in our spiritual approaches unto God, in the due sense and sight of such gracious discoveries, which we have received, to worship him in a manner suitable thereunto▪ As Moses, when he had been with God upon the Mount, the glory of God appeared very bright upon him; so in such duties let the glory of those discoveries more eminently appear; the heavenly flames kindled in a soul, set on fire from those divine graces of true faith and fervent love, when they are blown up as it were, by taking up the bellows of such discoveries, will much promote the sweet odours of spiritual incense ascending up to heaven, and be a special means, whereby all the soul oblations, sacrifices, and services in those ways offered unto God, become very acceptible to him in his beloved Son, as being sweetly perfumed with his spiritual grace, upon his own special dispensations, which he would not have neglected at any time, yea, which he would have improved at all times, but then especially in his Divine worship, when the Soul is chief to make her returns to God, for such incomes from him. How free then should the soul be in such service, which is so various in all men's souls, and so forcing and prevalent in many men's souls, and the chief part of acceptable service to God, consisting much therein; yea, and he requires thereby to be sanctified, as he instructed Moses upon a like occasion, Leu. 10. 3. But lastly, in respect of glorified Saints and Angels in the world to come. First, for glorified Saints; how will they by and from this glory be fully transformed into the same Image? How shall they then be filled with the fruition of all that goodness of God, which in such ways of his towards them in the world before, in some sort he had discovered himself unto them by: And how triumphantly will they rejoice, and glory in Gospel grace, in the fullness of that fruition, as being that great current, whereby the fullness of that fruition is conveyed and continued, yea, perpetuated unto them, so largely as no soul can sufficiently conceive of, nor all glorified Saints shall ever be able fully to comprehend: How shall such glorified Saints to the uttermost then apply themselves yet most delightfully and happily to sound forth his praise, upon this most blessed advantage, to all eternity, and that the more emergently when they come thither, in that regard; then all former mysteries, and dark proceed of God in the world before, will be clearly unmoulded, all difficulties resolved, all obstacles removed, all evil of sin, or punishment, or misery, with all the fear thereof, utterly abolished, all mists and darkness dispelled, all interruptions abandoned, all hoped for enjoyments perfected, and most securely possessed.  
And what then by glorified Saints will be done to their best ability, will be more amply accomplished by the glorious Angels who never sinned, who are of far higher and greater excellency, higher in degree, and therefore more eminent instruments of God's praise; they have larger capacities, and therefore fit to receive greater discoveries of his glory; they are faithful and ancient (though secret) Ministers of the Almighty, in all such willing and active service, as he hath at any time assigned them unto, even from the beginning, through the carrying on and perfecting of his Gospel glory; they are of long experience, and throughout all times, have had exceeding excellent discoveries thereof: upon all which considerations, they may then in many respects be happily helpful to saved Saints, to afford them their better assistance, and their more eminent examples, in doing that which is all their happiness, of which this is but the brief comprisal [All Glory to the God of Glory, and to the Lamb that was slain, sitting upon the Throne, and to the most holy Lord the Spirit, for ever and ever.] But what we can but now dimly hint at, in this Gospel glofirying grace, believing souls shall in their season fully and perfectly find by most happy experience accomplished: we come therefore to the last respective consideration, and that is  
Eleventhly, The blessed effects thereof above all other his works, which how great, how various, how many, how admirable, how strong, how glorious, how invincible, how comfortable, how delightful, how satisfying, even in this present pilgrimage, where nothing else is either sure or satisfying, how truly and really good in itself, where nothing is besides it, or without it, how largely it extends its force, how infallibly it will show forth its virtue, how prevalently it will carry on against all opposition, how most certainly it will attain its end, because the power of God, the wisdom of God, the holy Spirit of God, is always in the wheels of its motion, as in Ezekiel's Vision, Chap: 1. 20. So that time would fail me, strength would fail me, opportunity would fail me, (and much more able Heralds of the renown of this glorious grace) in any competent measure to display the same. I shall only advise all sorts of Christians at present, by the due uses (or the like) even now in some measure pointed out unto them, to labour to find in themselves, such effects, which by such due improvement, they may (through grace) in their times and seasons, discover or obtain; Concerning which the holy Prophet of old, and our Apostle here, 1 Cor: 2. 9 tells us, Eye hath not seen, nor ear, heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, not only what God hath prepared, and will confer in another life, but what he hath prepared and doth confer in this life too, according to the good pleasure of his own holy will, and likewise to the praise of his present so excellent Gospel grace, manifest in all his Saints, in all such varieties of the happy and glorious effects thereof. And so without any further enlargement at present, in this so vast a field of consideration of the manifold excellent effects of Gospel glory, in regard of men, and Angels, good and bad, here and hereafter, (a subject well worth weighing by the best men's best abilities) for as the contemplation thereof will be a spring of comfort and happiness to the one sort, so the abundant conviction and experience of the reality of the same, will be the sting of the misery of all the other sorts, it will so grind and gnaw and torment the damned spirits and persons, so to find what they have lost for a shadow, for nothing, yea, for that which is worse than nothing, even so unconceivable good, that it is Questioned in the Schools (and not without cause,) whether [Paena damni or paena sensus] that is, whether the punishment of the Damned in regard of what they have lost, or the punishment of sense and feeling, in regard of what shall be inflicted on them in Hell, shall be (as I may say) the greater Hell unto them hereafter: But I say at present, we shall pass from this head to the next, namely, The third demonstration of this excellent truth, in which, and in the rest, we purpose (if God will) to be more brief, and that is to manifest Gospel Glory to be the great Glory of the Lord, which his people discern in this world, in that regard it is the only and excellent, yet general means for them all, to bring them to the real participation of true spiritual glory here, and the fruition of eternal glory hereafter; and to make indeed grace and glory to be both graceful and glorious to them.  
Something we have spoken of this by way of comparison of its transcendent excellency with that which was less: But here we are to take notice, that as it is the efficacious way, and appointed by God unto that high and happy end; so it is the only means, no other to be expected, none else to be used directly in reference unto that end; for as there is no name given under heaven whereby we can be saved, but by the name of Christ; so no other means to convey that salvation to us, but by this Gospel of grace; If any would be changed from evil to good, Gospel grace must do it; if any would be freed from the evil One, and owned by him that is only good, Gospel grace must do it: if any would be freed from the mischief of sin, and obtain the blessing of Divine favour, Gospel grace must do it; If any man would ascend up to heaven, or descend down to hell, or take the wings of the morning, and fly into the utmost parts of the earth, as Psal: 139. 8. Either to escape God's wrath, or obtain his favour any other way, it were but all in vain; If any would try all the Mountebank Chirurgery that Satan hath used in all the Ages of the world, all his false Religions, all the multitudes of his Hell-devised ways of false worship, all his strong delusions, all his heartless, (except of seduced deceived hearts) fruitless, bootless ceremonies, constitutions, beggarly rudiments, bodily exercises, not warranted by the word of God, to cure the festered wounds of their sin-polluted defiled consciences, and that most industriously all their days, they would but miserably all that time, lose their own labour, defeat their own hopes, forsake their own mercy, obstruct their own happiness, remedilessly plunge themselves into eternal misery. So that by this, men must be both sanctified and saved, if at all, and without this, and besides this, there is no other means to attain the same. All God's brood of travellers have passed along in this road, till they came to appear before God in the heavenly Zion; and none can otherwise possibly attain to that only  issue of their pilgrimage here upon earth.  
I shall not here need to speak any thing of the freeness of this now most necessary means in regard of men, [for there is neither necessity of nature, or of any coaction from creatures in respect of God] but only the good pleasure of his most holy Will, is the prime original of all. I need not touch upon the proportionableness of the means, this only salve or Balsam so prepared by him, to cure the souls wounds, being every way fitted and suited for its sores. I shall not need to insist upon the easiness, the amiableness, the naturalness, the familiarness of the way of dispencing and bestowing this Gospel grace. I shall not need to insist upon the efficaciousness of this most gracious dispensation by the holy Ghost; all which tend to demonstrate this particular, that it is the excellent and only means to bring God's people to the real participation both of grace and glory here and hereafter; because under the former head we have touched upon divers things bordering upon these, and we likewise study brevity, though here may be large and excellent matter for Christian meditation; Only in a word, I shall endeavour to touch upon the other branch, namely, [that without this discovery of Gospel glory unto the soul, grace would neither be rightly graceful, nor true glory truly glorious in the eyes of men;] even as such men who are guided by sense, mainly live more like beasts than men, like the mill-horse in his tract, follow the desires of their own eyes, and are led on by every vain deludeing object, and neither regard to know, or pursue better things, but wholly in a manner proceed to prostitute their reasonable souls, to sensitive brutish pleasures, as if they were capable of no greater good; and as those men, that upon a better improvement of the like (it may be) a less, and yet again sometimes a greater ability, are raised up to an higher attainment; as many of the ancient Philosophers and Heathens Sages, who by study, contemplation, and industry in the use of pertinent means, attained to the discovery of an excellency of morality, in their kind, which they called (virtue) wherein they did sometime seem to behold such lovelyness, that it made them not only to commend it to others, but deemed that men could not know the beauty and comeliness of it, and not be in love with it: The like, and much more we may say of the excellency of Gospel grace, to such as obtain any competent discovery thereof; O how are they enamoured with it! How do their hearts run after it! How highly do they prise it! How earnestly do they pursue it! How unwilling are they to part with it! yea, what high resolution do they take up, not to part with it, upon any terms; they will buy the truth, but not sell it, as Pr. 23. 23. yea, and rather to part with all besides, then that; but as on the other hand moralists, for all their discoveries and commendadations, do not, cannot prevail with sensual brutish persons, to forsake their swinish lusts, to love or like, much less to pursue their virtues, and yet those Sages knew the worth thereof, to be incomparably above the other; even so it is with that much more excellent discovery of Gospel glory, though a truly regenerate and sanctified soul sees such beauty, such loveliness, such joy and solace, yea, true happiness in those Gospel gracious discoveries, that they not only like it, and commend it, but as some Ancients, concerning some amorous persons, were wont to phrase it, [perdite amant alias] they love others to the looseing of themselves: so it may be said of their loving of Gospel grace, but in a good and necessary sense, as our Saviour speaks, Mat. 10. 5. If any love Father or Mother, Wife or Children, more than me, he is not worthy of me [perdite amant gloriam Evangelicam,] they destructively love Gospel glory, that they will rather lose friends and credit, ease and possessions, liberty, life and all, then to suffer a divorce between that and their own souls: But for all other men, or any other man to desire it, to pursue it, upon a true Gospel account, as believing or seeing it to be so excellent and glorious, or upon such terms to pursue or retain it, by purchasing or suffering for it; the heathen Sages might much more easily have prevailed with any such beasts in the shapes of men, than any sanctified soul or Ambassador of Christ can prevail with any, to take right notice of, or much less to be so enamoured, of that most excellent object of soul sollacing grace, until they come to be transformed into the same image, by the spirit of God.  
Fourthly, But this will yet further appear in the next demonstration, namely; In that such Gospel grace in the souls of the Saints, differs not in nature from their heavenly glory, but only in degrees: A man that is in any good measure in heaven in his spiritual part, here upon earth, shall certainly inherit the kingdom of Heaven hereafter; and such within: whom (as our Saviour speaks Luk. ●7. ●1.) the kingdom of heaven is really here seated by Gospel grace, they shall infallibly obtain a Crown of glory, which will never fade to all eternity; and indeed heaven would not be heaven unto them then, when they should come to possess it, if that kingdom of heaven had not taken possession of their souls before, to fit them for it: a blind man may as soon be affected with the mere placing of pleasant sights before him, or a deaf man delighted with the sound of any music which he cannot hear, as men or women truly rejoice in the glorified Saints and Angels happiness hereafter, if they have not here their Celestial frame of spirit wrought upon their souls; yea, the very society of glorified Saints, would be a kind of hell to wicked men remaining such, if they had no other hell to suffer; for as it cannot be expected the wolf should lie down with the Lamb, until Gospel grace have wrought the change of nature here, as the spirit of God hath foretold, Is. 11. 6, 7. 8. so until that nature be changed, yea, a contrary put into the soul of a man, the Saints perpetual songs of praise to God, and the Lamb, and the Lord the Spirit, would not only be unsuitable and unpleasant, but a senseless subject to such a soul, that never had followed Christ in the regeneration, nor seen, nor felt, nor rightly known beforehand, the Divine power of Gospel grace, the mystery of the gospel, than the matter of the Saints everlasting rejoicing would be, such an hidden sealed mystery, that such unbelieving and disobedient souls would not understand it, saving only so far as to have convinced and self-condemned consciences thereby, little understanding what they may sometime seem to pray or hope for here, concerning the kingdom of heaven, who in their dispositions and depraved nature do [toto caelo defer] stand at the greatest distance from it; but when that nature is once changed, that Lions are at peace with the Lambs, and the hurtful creatures lie down with the harmless, Is. 11. 7. then grace shall appear glorious unto such, and as their measure thereof shall be greater, the more it will appear so; and the more they grow in such grace, the more they will delight in it; and the greater measure they shall obtain of it, the more heavenly glory hereafter will be allotted to them: It is true indeed, our heaven upon earth will have a mixture of vanity and corruption, and weakness together with it, till that which is perfect be come, then that which is imperfect shall be done away, 1 Cor. 13. 10. I shall not stand here to enlarge upon the many considerations, which might to this purpose be produced, in regard of the souls incapacity of glory till it be changed, and of its unsutableness unto such glory; besides the sense of the want of any right, title, or interest in such glorified Saints happiness, with their own self condemnation upon it; and the apprehension of that intolerable, eternal, infinite, divine displeasure against them; as also the utter detestation that perfected Saints with Angels, will have of the hateful qualities of all devils and unsanctified souls of men or women, and even the very heavens natural repugnancy, and antipathy against them, to the utter expulsion of all such, as poison, out of them, since into them no unclean thing shall enter, Rev. 21, 27. As Crystal glasses, rather than hold poison will break asunder; even so the most pure, Chrystaline heavens would rather break, than any devil or unsanotified persons should abide or inhabit in them. Here indeed the Honey Bee and the toad or spider have both their places and employments, and their enjoyments too, together; the one to gather up its honey, the other to suck up their poison, the one to lurk in the nasty corrupted or noisome corners of the earth, the other in their sweet and pleasant hives and honey; the one enrich themselves or feed upon their own destructive poison, the other enrich themselves with, and feed upon their own pleasant, wholesome, healing, and strengthening honey, which they have by diligent labour acquired: But when that woeful, poisonous, destructive nature of such men, is in any good measure subdued, by the prevalent power of Gospel grace, O how sweet will the spiritual kingdom of heaven be unto such souls? how will the true Citizens of the spiritual Zion be owned and embraced by them? How will their portion, their delicates be desired above all others? How will grace and glory be then longed for, sought for by them above other things, yet these [passibus aequis (as we may say) in their due proportions, when they are in their right frame] not glory more than grace, but grace as the right promoter of glory; and indeed, that which is only truly glorious in its own nature, and which will meet with glory as the consequent, the result, the reward of it; by grace we have the first fruits, Ro. 8. 33. the earnest penny, Eph. 1. 14. of glory and happiness, in the enjoyment of that, we enjoy the sanctifying spirits residence, the witness of our peace, the sealer of our redemption, the comforter of our souls, the teacher of all our sound wisdom and knowledge, the guider and orderer and preserver of our whole spirits, souls, and bodies in the way of truth, peace, and glory, unto the appearing of Christ; and from thence their preserver, in and unto eternal life, 1 Thes. 3. 13. So that since grace is of such near consanguinity, yea, of such Identity and oneness of the same essence and nature, with glory hereafter, and glory being not only the perfecting and consummation of grace, but the result, recompense and reward of it too, it is no wonder it is here dignified with the most excellent title of Glory in the text, and that as proceeding from the most excellent author and fountain of it, the Lord, the glory of the Lord; the greatest glory he hath manifested in this world, or greater, then to all other Creatures in the world, save his true Church therein, at least in that inward, spiritual, efficacious manner to their transformation into the same Image; and even greater than to his true Church under the old Testament, though transformed likewise, yet in these gospel times, it is more clear, more excellent, (as we formerly declared) and therefore such as now with those primative Saints spoken of in the Text, behold it, after the like manner, must needs (happily) behold the glory of the Lord, though but as in a glass, yet with open face. And thus much briefly of this particular likewise.  
The Fifth Demonstration is from the consideration, that it will be the everlasting fountain, and never failing spring, continually affording matter of the perpetual hallelujahs, blessings, and praises of the glorified Saints and Angels, unto the Lord God Almighty, & unto the Lamb, and unto the Lord the Spirit for ever and ever; In that perfect Estate of their happiness, all the greatness of this glory, in the particulars we formerly set before you, besides what ever else may most display it, I say, the greatness of it above all others, will then be most clearly unfolded, most largely discerned, most perfectly manifest unto them, to the infinite praise and glory of the Author, worker, and dispenser of all grace and glory; and their own happiness and glory will be so much the more enlarged, as they know and feel, and canperform this most glorious work of praise; and as there are such multitudes of such exexcellent companions and consorts in this soule-satisfying, celestial, divine, and perfectly happy harmony; the profound depth, the mysterious secrecy, the otherwise, then by an infinite God, insuperable difficulties, the most certain sureness, and most settled security, of the laying of that foundation, how will it be known and admired, to the honour of him, that from eternity had so laid it? How will the glorious nature, matter and form thereof be in like manner displayed & improved by them? How will all that they shall observe or discern of the time, durance and manner of raising such a glorious structure, be celebrated by them with their due praise? How will then the infinite wisdom, mercy, grace, compassion and riches of goodness, with the power, truth, holiness, justice, and all the excellencies of God, so gloriously shining out in the face of Jesus Christ, chap. 4. 6. and by the holy spirit discovered before unto the Saints, be continually in an happy measure obvious to the vision? How will the knowledge of such poor, yet suitable instrumental means, that had such treasure in earthen vessels, to convey such glorious grace unto such mean and unsuitable objects, as men in their lost Estate, so wonderfully, powerfully, and graciously, throughout all generations in the world, spring out unto them, with matter of continued, renewed melody, in that most blessed, and glorious, heavenly harmony? How will the uses then observed and improved by them to the uttermost, be completed? How will the blessed operations and effects of this glory, then be fully known, noted, declared, celebrated by them, with all due honour to the worker of them to all eternity? Here God's Saints, according to their discoveries in such contemplations; may adore, and admire, in some poor measure, and by the eye of faith, discern such things as God hath, both so wrought, revealed, and conferred, in and by the Gospel of his Son. But the most happy inlargements, beatifical vision, and perfect fruition of these things, both for their own most secure and satisfying happiness, and the infinite and eternal praise of the Almighty One, will be then the everlasting employment of all such glorified Saints and Angels to all eternity; then will the unspeakable excellencies of this glorious grace fully appear unto such: O that men would therefore labour above all things, to get their part in it here, that they may have their portion in that happy society hereafter, everlastingly, by these means to praise God with them, and in so doing to be perfectly blessed with them: And thus we have done with the proof and illustration of this glorious truth: Proceed we now to add some further improvements, than what we have formerly touched upon, and so to draw on to a conclusion of the point.  
Use. First, Let men above all turn their eyes, I mean the eyes of their souls and minds to the beholding of Gospel glory: glorious things are delightful things, to every discerning faculty [provided there be suitableness, & in a due proportion thereunto.]  
First, For the senses; it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to behold the Sun, saith Solomon, Ec. 11. 7.  
Secondly, For Reason. The contemplation of Moral, Natural, and Metaphysical objects, and subjects, was so pleasing unto the ancient Philosophers and Sages amongst the Heathen, that they were so inwardly ravished with the excellency thereof, that they conceived happiness consisted therein: but that soul that by the eye of faith, and by the efficacious grace of the Spirit of God, comes once to behold, in any good measure, this Gospel glory, finds by this a dim shade cast upon all seeming glories in the world besides; as the sun shining in his glory at noon day, upon the light of many small candles burning in the bright beams thereof.  
Qu. But thou wilt say, how shall I do this? Blind men cannot see pleasing objects, and deaf men cannot hear delightful music; the Scripture tells me, I am such by nature.  
Ans. And dost thou believe that is true? If many others did so too, they would be much nearer the cure, and so art thou like to be; for thou couldst not rightly have acknowledged that, but by the holy Ghost: But to help the good work forward, and to point out unto others, what course they should take, give me leave to set down a few directions.  
First, Go to Christ the true Physician of souls for his Collyrium, his spiritual eye salve, which he makes proclamation of, Rev. 3. 18. and buy it of him by prayer, by faith, by the use of all his means.  
Secondly, To cure thy deafness, let him put his fingers into thine ears, and say, (Mar. 7. 33, 34.) Ephphatha, be ye opened; but it may be thou art dumb too, and canst not speak unto him, get him to touch the tied strings of thy tongue likewise, that they may be loosed; but being blind, deaf, and dumb too, thou wilt say, how shall I find him? how shall I come at him? how shall I make any application to him for his help? Ans. Call for his ambassadors, or come to his stewards, his messengers, make thy case known to them, take their direction or advice, and use their help, and walk on in all the ways of Christ with them accordingly, they will bring thee to the place where Christ keeps his Mart, for the cure of all thy spiritual diseases and infirmities; they are thy brethren, they have love towards thy soul; they are compassionate, they have a fellow-feeling of thy condition; they are men that have like passions as other men's, and therefore know how to show compassion towards their brethren; they have had experience many times, both of the sense of thy condition, and of their own cure; they have sometimes frequented Christ's Marts long, and perhaps have much helped off with his commodities unto others; however, they are willing, and ready many times, to conduct thee; and it is their office to instruct thee in the way, and to entreat for thee, yea, and to plead for thee too, (if need be) that Christ should either take thee in hand, or go on and perfect his cure, begun upon thy soul; and to beseech the Lord the Spirit to make a right, home, and effectual application of all Christ's Physic to complete the cure; And remember that by the way, which even the better part of men in the world, have much forgotten of late years, [That they are an Ordinance of Christ, appointed by himself to be used, by all his people to the end of the world] and they are many times good friends in the Court of heaven, and may much prevail for thee, if thou wilt duly use them; they have authority from Christ, and therefore they may be bold and courageous in this work; besides the experience, they get and feel more and more of his goodness; Yea, let me tell thee, thou hast no other means, whereby thou mayst expect to be helped in the business of thy souls sound cure, if thou wilt neglect them, and reject them; For how canst thou hear without a preacher, Rom: 10. 14.  
Object: But times and places may not happily afford such, for many may not be qualified with gifts and graces, as such, if some have gifts, they may be depraved in their lives, yea ordinances may be disgraced with mixtures of heaven and earth together, of Gods and man's constitutions in the world.  
Answ: The case will then indeed be hard; for as the Eunuch in the case of his own conversion, said unto Philip, Acts 8. 31. How can I understand, except some man guide me; yet God can in such a case (as he did to him) send such a Messenger, one of a thousand, and indeed his grace never brings to the birth, but he will give strength to bring forth; by what ever way or means the seed thereof hath been sown, it will surely spring up; But for Messengers altogether unqualified, either with gifts, or graces, or both, where any such offer themselves, they are not Gods: Men will not employ a Physician, or Lawyer, so called, when they know they have no skill in their profession; and surely men ought to be more choice for the health of their souls, than of their bodily health, or the right of their outward estate: But if they be outwardly qualified, authorized, and have suitable gifts, They sit (as our Saviour said of the Scribes and Pharisees) in Moses chair, all therefore they say from God's authority, hear; but if they be depraved in life, than again do not after their works, (as he goes on) if they will bind burdens upon men not to be borne, Mat: 23. 2. as the teachers of the Law, Luk: 11. 46. There is a woe denounced against them by Christ himself for so doing. If there be mixtures of Ordinances, whilst they be but of circumstantial things, when all the essentials of God's institutions stand entire, neglect not duties upon small discouragements; but if persons, practices, Ordinances be so depraved, that God's rules are so infringed, his faithful servants so (justly) scandalised, that they have cause with those in the time of the Ministration of Elies' wicked sons, to loathe the offerings and services of the Lord; the people's condition is then very grievous, but such Teacher's condition is, if not altogether so desperate as Elies said sons, yet at least very dangerous, if reformation be not hastened; but in this kind there will be great need many times to seek for particular, special advice and counsel, both from God and his faithful Ambassadors, when he affords advantage for it, wherein who so humbly and faithfully seek unto him, are not like to be disappointed; For he that will do the will of God, shall know the doctrine, whether it be of him, or whether men speak of themselves, Jo: 7. 17. But when in Israel the contemptible of the people were made Priests, and the golden Calves, upon politic considerations, were set up in Dan & Bethel, so to busy Israel with homespun worship, that they might not go into Judea or unto Jerusalem, unto the true worship, and that they approved and practised it, did foreshow, and justly caused Israel to be led into captivity by the King of Assyria.  
But what ever discouragements thou meetest with from men, never give over thy humble and faithful addresses to Christ, to discover his Gospel glory unto thee; and if men hinder or fail, thou wilt find he will the more help, he can send an extraordinary Messenger, as Philip to the Eunuch; he can make a little means help much; in mixtures he can make the good profitable, and the mixture of men to vanish as nothing; he can speak himself unto thy soul, as to Saul in an evil course, and send thee to an Ananias to help thee, whom thou never knewest before; in seeking to behold this Glory, God will not reject thee, as he did Moses, in seeking to see his essential glory, Exod: 33. 20, 23. but seeking it earnestly and faithfully, as there is all reason thou shouldest, thou shalt be sure to find it effectually.  
Secondly, This is to discover the great condemnation of the world, that then when such light, such glorious Gospel light is come into the world, men yet love darkness more than light; yea they are such Moules burrowed in the bowels of the earth, that they cannot either see or desire, neither are they willing to see the bright beams of this light, shine they never so clearly, yea the brighter they shine, the less they desire them, the less they discern them; their owle-eyes cannot endure to behold the Sun, their delight is in darkness, in the ways of darkness in the works of darkness, and for the most part choose rather to fall (by death) into utter darkness, than to come to this light of life; so that such as put this light from themselves, or such as hinder, and cloud it, or hid it from others, they must needs fall into a sad condemnation; was there not only invincible ignorance, but obstinacy prevalent upon the souls of men? did they not willingly upon their own hearts and consciences [calum inducere] draw such a brawnish hardness, even to stand against the batteries which God many ways makes against the strong holds of Satan therein? so that they are not only Gospel-proofe, but Law-proofe too, so that neither the Boanerges or Barnabae, the sons of thunder, or the sons of consolation that are sent unto them, can either pierce them, or melt them, bow them or break them, but they will do as they have done; if they have made cakes for the Queen of heaven, they will do so still; if they have served God out of custom more than conscience, they will do so still; if they have added drunkenness to thirst, they will do so still; if they sacrificed upon the mountains, they will do so still; if they have hated such as bear the image of God upon them, they will do so still; yea though the greatest and forciblest of God's Ordinances play upon the Forts of their Hell-hardened Consciences, they remain impenetrable. What clear light hath shined long in this Nation above all her neighbours? how hath God poured his Spirit remarkably, upon many persons eminent amongst us for Divine endowments, being greatly enlarged with the gifts and graces of God's Spirit, and as willing as able to improve their talents, to their Master's advantage, and the salvation of the souls of all sorts of people! But if they come near the sores of their souls, how do men kick and spurn against them? then they are their enemies, because they tell them the truth; if they would take away the veil of ignorance from before their eyes, they will answer with the Pharisees, those blind leaders of the blind, that they see already; and therefore as our Saviour told them, so such likewise might be told, therefore your sin remaineth; if they would make them sensible of their lost estate, they have good hearts and meanings, and make many prayers, and it may be, if they were tried through the whole Law of God, as Christ tried the young man in the Gospel, they would be ready to plead for themselves not guilty, all these have we kept from our youth, when their plea is as false, as mistaken by them; If Gospel grace be never so much discovered to them, if the terms thereof be never so often and urgently pressed upon them, they hear them not, they receive them not, they observe them not; if Satan or men will offer any thing else, vain or foolish, senseless, or frivolous, a little countenance from men, a little engagement in the world will prevail for their seducement, when Divine truth hath been little regarded for a long time, in reference to their conversion, as our Saviour told the Jews, when they would not regard his heavenly counsel, If any shall come to them in his own name, him they would hear, Joh: 5. 43. And hath not Satan varieties of designs and agents, to Eclipse, or cloud, or hid, or even to guish (if possible) Gospel-glory, now for many years brightly shining amongst us? holding out varieties of strong and strange delusions, sometimes really gross and despicable to ordinary capacities, sometimes more refined, and seemingly more spiritual, and appearing more near to perfection, and yet still wandering from the way of truth, yea sometime to set up inquiry by Law, and to obstruct the most efficacious ways and means to promote the advancement of Gospel glory? Have there not been sad experiments of these things in our former and later Popish persecutions? And let all real and sound Christians earnestly pray, there may not be any the like again amongst us; for shall we Question it, That whilst with Capernaum we are lifted up unto heaven in Christ's special approaches and intercourses amongst us, so much neglected, and opposed too, by the generalities almost of men and women, that we shall not be equally with her cast down into Hell? Let not any persons deceive themselves, God is not mocked, but as each man sows, so let him look to reap at his hands, Mat: 6. 7. If men wove the Spider's webs, and hatch the Cockatrice eggs, may they not justly expect that their webs should fail to become garments, and that their eggs break forth into Vipers, to sting or destroy themselves or others? Isa: 59 5, 6.  
Thirdly, To admonish all good Christians, as they desire to have much glory in heaven, to labour much to behold the Gospel glory of the Lord in his Church upon earth, and so to behold it, as to be still more and more transformed into the same image, yea in being so exercised, heaven will more come down unto them, and enter into their souls, there will be such a glory as will make their souls truly delightful, comfortable, happy, such as they would not exchange, or part with for the whole world; let them be much taken up with the contemplation and admiration of such Gospel grace and glory, and let their hearts and mouths be filled with the high praises of God for it, in all respects of the shining glory of it, oh to what an height of divine excellency will it raise their spirits! what large possession will it give the Lord the Spirit of their souls? what earnest long will it cause after more of the same grace? what rejoicings and triumphings will it cause in the Lord of glory? what resistance will it afford against worldly discouragements, entanglements, engagements, and all obstructions and oppositions whatsoever against it? how will it sweeten troubles, season every condition, and administer unto them the oil of joy, even with the garments of heaviness? oh who would not drink well of the wine of such sweet consolation, to make them in ● good measure, to forget their sorrow, when (by faith) in the depth of sorrow they shall so see Christ a Saviour for them, sitting gloriously and triumphantly at the right hand of God, as Stephen did wonderfully, while he was in stoning to death, Acts 7.  
Fourthly, Let this incite and stir up all such as have any true spiritual discoveries of Gospel glory made unto their souls, hence to learn spiritually to exult and triumph in the name of the Lord, and in the power of his might, and in the evidence of his divine grace; for as our Saviour said unto his Disciples in another case, the like may be said unto such, Flesh and blood bathe not revealed this unto their souls, but the Lord the Spirit, who is from heaven. Do not the Stars standing in the clear aspect of the Sun, send forth their clear and bright shining rays in the view of the world? Doth not the earth when it receives its seasonable and sweet showers and influences from the heavens, send forth her tender sprouts and pleasant fruits; for the use of creatures inhabiting upon it? Do not the Valleys standing thick with Corn, laugh and sing, as the Psalmist speaketh, Psal: 65. 13. And do not all living creatures under the material heavens, when God opens his hand, and fills them with his goodness, sing and rejoice? and all of them materially praise the Lord, as showing forth unto man such ample matter of his praise and glory in all such respects, continually due unto his divine Majesty from Men and Angels? which either do, or aught to learn, that great lesson from them? But then above all, when that inward, secret, divine grace, and spiritual glory, hidden from the eyes of all creatures, which none else attain to know but those to whom such inward spiritual discovery is made, and none know their own, but they that have it; from whence there is gladness put into the hearts of such, as have this [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] prerogative to become the children of God, Joh: 1. 12. To be borne from above, Joh: 3. 3. yea to be borne of God, ver: 8. Being effectually changed into the same image, as in the Text, by the Lord the Spirit; not only above that when men's corn and wine and oil inoreaseth, as Psal: 4. 7. But as the Apostle speaketh, with joy unspeakable and full of glory; and indeed when the glory of God hath once filled their souls, it is no wonder if they triumph in the God of all glory. O how should this true sight of the spiritual heavenly Canaan upon the top of Mount Nebo, at some distance, make them with Moses to be willing to leave a Wildernesse-worldly condition, and gladly to go unto that God, whose glittering beams of glory, have not only shined upon their countenance, as visibly once on Moses, but into their souls, so seasoning, sanctifying, sweetening, supporting, comforting them, answerably to all that his most sovereign, divine, all-guiding and ordering providence shall dispense unto them; That neither life nor death, Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate them from his love, which is in Christ Jesus their Lord, Rom: 8. 38, 39 or it from them; Yea, upon this advantage, God, Christ, spiritual and eternal joy, is really and truly here, and perpetually and perfectly hereafter shall most infallibly be conveyed into, and for ever be continued unto their souls, and their whole man to all eternity: O then know thy worth, (O sanctified soul) that thou mayst here in some measure suitably praise thy God, which, as such, thou canst not but desire freely to do now, and shalt most certainly and most happily perform hereafter, incessantly, unweariedly, and most delightfully; Let thy name whereby thou mayest remarkably be known in the world, be [Barachiah] bless or praise the Lord, let his praise be ever in thy mouth, ever in thy heart, ever endeavoured after, and aimed at in thy life; so will thy name be truly glorious, so will thy end be truly blessed, but thy portion perfect beatitude, everlasting felicity.  
Fifthly, and lastly, Let none content themselves with an outward profession of Christ's Religion, unless with the regenerate and truly sanctified souls, they in some good measure likewise so behold the glory of the Lord, as to be therewithal changed into the same image, without which men may long enough bear the name of Christ, and yet never be owned by Christ, they may eat and drink often in his presence, and have him preached often in their streets, and yet notwithstanding hear him say unto them, Depart from me ye cursed, I never knew you, I never approved of you, nor your seeming service; yea, some also may preach Christ unto others, and that in many respects well too, and yet they themselves be mere castaways, if they do not aright behold this glory of the Lord. Were such truths well considered, owned, believed, applied, Christians would be less in seeming, more in substance, less in formality, more in reality, less in shows, and more in truth, Satan could delude less, grace would prevail more, the Devil should have fewer slaves, Christ would have more servants, sin would have fewer Subjects, grace would have more favourites, hell would have fewer everlastingly condemned prisoners, heaven would have more eternally enfranchised Citizens, to possess or inhabit them.  
Now for the better promoting of this great work, let me offer unto thee these ensuing Considerations, amongst many others which might be added.  
First, Consider that the obtaining of this Burgesship, or being so freeborn unto it, is the first thing that ought humbly, faithfully, and constantly to be sought for, by every Wise Virgin, and none but the foolish neglect it; It is to be sought for, first, in order, by the direction of our best Teacher, by the injunction of the best and infinitely greatest King; First seek the Kingdom of heaven, and the righteousness thereof, Math: 6. 33.  
First, in intention, with the converted Jailor, What must I do to be saved?  
First, in value and worth incomparable, What will it profit a man, saith our Saviour, (and he knows best that it profits nothing) for a man to gain the whole world (were it possible, as it is not) and to lose his own soul, Mark 8. 36.  
First, in necessity; For except (saith Christ) a man be borne again, or borne from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God, Joh: 3. 3, 5.  
First, In dignity or excellency, for it is incomparably more to be borne of God, (as all his Saints are) then to be borne of bloods, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, Jo. 1. 13.  
First, In truly comfortable fruition, without which the soul is like the needle in the mariners compass, till it be this way pointed at God for its rest, will always be in disturbed motion. It was not only more truly honourable for David, that he was the truly faithful servant of the Lord, and the sweet singer of Israel, the man after Gods own heart, then that he was the King of Israel, the renowned Conqueror of Gods and his own enemies; but it was more true comfort, sound satisfaction, unspeakable and glorious joy, over and above all the rest that he was, or did, or possessed in the world.  
Secondly, Consider that this is only the really, true, and the only heaven upon earth, whereas all others (supposed heavens) without this, are but Fantastical conceits, vanishing delusions, sweet poisons, putative pleasures, but intoxicating, and kill rejoicings.  
Thirdly, Consider what a great advancement it is in the world, yea, above the world, and that in respect, both of her frowns, and her favours.  
First, Saith the Apostle, yea are come unto the Mount Zion, and unto the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of Angels, to the general Assembly and Church of the first born, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the Spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, which speaks better things then that of Abel, Heb. 12. 22. Hence all things were esteemed in comparrison, but dross and dung, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but very loathsome garbage.  
Fourthly, Consider what an unparalleled match thy soul utterly looseth the opportunity of obtaining; if it be not thus in this life united unto Christ, in this Gospel discovery of the glory of the Lord unto her, for she must either be married to Christ in that way here, or else the Devil will carry her as his captive slave to his most wicked lust, and loathsome vassalage, without any hope of future respite, ransom or rescue: but if once it be so married unto Christ, how will she be dignified, not only received into a Royal Estate, but be partaker of the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4. happy in her own good quality, happy in her manifold interests in the Covenant, in all the promises of this life and a better, and thereby in Christ, in God, in Angels, in the Saints, in the good of both worlds, present and to come, happy in the present society, union, and communion, with any or many of these (at the present) as we shown even now, from Heb. 12. 22. but unspeakeably more for the future; and happy (above all persons that are void of this) in the present satisfaction, rest, and support they will find in, and from this, above all earthly vanities, which only by this become sweetened comforts, as the love, care, and goodness of this spiritual bridegroom is delightfully tendered to his spouse thereby: O what true Saints security in evil times, in all times, is there in this condition; what health, what wealth, what honour, what pleasure, what joy, what solace, what true contentment if such poor creatures would not unfaithfully, or foolishly be deficient to themselves! O that Christians would suffer their poor souls, yea, that they would by all good means afford them assistance, to make large comments upon every particular branch here offered to them, to the manifold advancement of their own good? I being now restrained by many circumstances from inlargeing in these, and divers other things, (as it were hinted only) in this subject, yet what is said, may point out many pleasant paths for thy soul, to expatiate and walk at large, in to her present great refreshment in this her earthly Pilgrimage; and I dare say, if she be but once well acquainted with them, she will never be willing to forsake them, and if upon error at any time, she lose her way, she will never be at rest, for quiet till she find it again. I can here only now like the Statues used in cross paths, but point out to thee the right way: if thou be once in it, let it be thy care to keep it, it will be thy safety, it will be thy security, it will by thy satisfaction; thou wilt never repent thee of thy walking long or far therein; yea, the further thou goest, the more thou gainest and advancest thy best designs thereby. O that men would consider these things, and improve their time, their talents, their opportunities, their abilities to this excellent advantage, while time and seasons of Grace continue, that God may have the glory of his Gospel grace at their hands, their own souls and consciences may thereby receive their sound peace and true consolation here, and eternally by the same means obtain their perfect happiness, which he grants of his infinite compassion to poor wand'ring souls, through him who hath fully paid the price of their iniquities, and purchased for them such a glorious grace, and sent his holy spirit to make it effectual to them of his own good pleasure; unto which undivided and most holy Trinity of persons, in the Unity of the divine essence, be all the praise of all such grace, by all his people, rendered and paid (as is most due) both now, henceforth, and for evermore,  
Amen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉   

AN Exemplification of a short, yet learned and pithy Treatise, written by Mr E: D: a faithful and zealous Servant of Christ, touching St Peter's Bishopric at Rome.  
FOrasmuch as to the issue all our Controversy is come, that what right or authority soever the Pope challengeth, he maketh his whole 
* Et wehee et Petro; Carion in vita Alex.  claim from Peter; and the Papists themselves will defend him no further, but so far as he succeedeth Peter. I will speak a little of Peter's Bishopric of Rome, so fare as the Scripture shall be my warrant. Consider thou of it good Christian Reader, and if thou see that all the glorying of Peter's being at Rome, 
Roffensis Cocleus, Tho: Waldensis, and others, have wasted their wits in this cause.  is but a facing of an impudent lie, than judge what is their other Religion.  
First, Here I must forewarn thee, that as a lie cannot long agree with itself, so in all this matter thou shalt hardly find in all points, two Popish Chronicles agree together; so that whatsoever 
Some writ that he came to Rome the first, some the second, some the fourth, some the thirteenth of Claudius: in this variety it may be no opinion is true, but it cannot be that all are true. In Christ's time Peter was neither young nor old, but of a perfect age, Theophylact: in Joh: 21. 18.  I writ as touching the exact Computation of years, there must needs be many against me, therefore in that I will not strive, I will only write that which is certain, and shall have (as I said) either some warrant of Scripture, or shall be agreed on by the consent of all Ages. Our Saviour Christ was crucified for our sins the 18th year of Tiberius, as by all Histories it is manifest. Peter is said to be put to death in Rome the last year of Nero; so Peter lived after Christ under Tiberius 5 years: Caligula 4 years: Claudius 13 years: Nero 13 years: in all 36 years & odd months, according to the Reign of the said Emperors: In these 36 years and odd months, they writ of Peter thus; He was Bishop 4 years in the East parts: 7 years at Antioch: and 25 at Rome, where at last he died. Here this fable doth almost bewray itself; such hasty installings, and so many translating out of one Bishopric into another, doth not well agree with our Saviour's words, That they 
Joh. 16. 2. 33.  should have affliction in the world: But let us search the Scriptures, and try how these Bishoprickes will stand. After that our Saviour 
Acts 1. 12.  is ascended, they go into 
Acts 2. 4.  Jerusalem, all the Apostles together, they choose Mathias the Apostle, after fifty days they receive the holy Ghost, Peter converteth many.  
After certain days, Peter 
Acts 4. 18.  and John go up into the Temple, 
Acts 5. 12.  they heal the lame, they are put in prison, they are forbidden to preach any more in the name of Jesus; then they return to the other Apostles, tarry many days together, working many miracles among the people, insomuch that the Cities round about resorted daily to Jerusalem, to have their sick and diseased healed; Then again the Apostles are put in prison, and the Lord delivered them, and many days they preach in the Temple, and in every house; after this came a great persecution against the Church at Jerusalem, insomuch as they were all dispersed, save 
Acts 8. 1. 14.  the Apostles: Then at the last, after many days, Peter is sent out of Jerusalem into Samaria, where he preacheth in divers Towns about it. Thus far good Reader, thou seest plainly, Peter is no Bishop, nor yet in any special authority, when as the other Apostles send him out to 
Acts 8. 25.  preach; then he returned again to▪ Jerusalem; and this is one year after the death of our Saviour Christ, as the Histories do all agree in reporting the conversion which was now done, as appeareth, Acts 9 This is the year of our Lord, 35.  
In the year of our Lord, 38. he dwelleth in Jerusalem, Gal: 1. 18. Likewise in the year of our Lord, 46. he is imprisoned at Jerusalem, Acts 12. 2. Again in the year of our Lord, 48. he is at the Counsel holden at Jerusalem, Acts 15. 7. From that day forward he giveth his faith unto Paul and Barnabas, that he will be an Apostle, not to the Romans, but to the Jews, Gal: 2. 9 which truly he accomplished even until his death, and doubtless never came to Rome. Now Christian Reader, seeing the Scripture lieth thus, that Peter's abode in Jerusalem after the conversion of Paul, An. Dom. 35. is recorded three several times, and after the last time, a Covenant made that he would continue amongst the Jews: If I shall prove unto thee, that these several times are rightly numbered according to the year of our Lord, that is, that the first time was the 38 year, the second time the 46 year, the third time the 48 year, and then in the mean while between the 35 year and the 38, likewise the 38 year and the 46. and between the 46 year and the 48. that Peter was not in Rome; last of all, that it was true of his promise, and after the 48 year came not at Rome, than I trust thou wilt confess with me that Peter was never 25 year's Bishop of Rome; but all Popery as it is in itself nothing but lies, so it is grounded wholly and altogether upon lies.  
First, it is agreed upon by all, and the thing is plain in itself, Paul was converted in the year of our Lord, 35. then Paul himself 
Gal: 1. 18.  writeth thus; after three years I came to Jerusalem to 
Acts 9 26.  see Peter, and abode in his house 15 days; so this was the 28 year of our Lord when Peter is first in Jerusalem, when he was after imprisoned at Jerusalem, Acts 12. 2. That it was the 46 year of our Lord, it is proved thus, the countries' about, that 
Acts 12. 20.  is, Tyre and Sidon were then nourished with the King's provision, but that provision Claudius made 
Suetonius in Claudio. Euseb: Beda.  in a great famine the 4th year of his Reign, which was the year of our Lord, 46.  
Again, immediately after the 
Acts 12. 23.  Scripture mentioneth the death of Herod, but Herod was made King in the first year of Caligula, and reigned seven years, so he died in the fourth year of Claudius, and consequently as is said the 46 year of our Lord, Peter being now in prison at Jerusalem: And thus the second time that Peter is mentioned to be in Jerusalem is the 46 year 
Others number these 14 years from his first going to Jerusalem, and so this Counsel is holden An: 51.  of Christ; afterwards when the Apostles held the Counsel in Jerusalem, that it was the 48 year of our Lord, it is proved by Saint Paul, who after he had mentioned his conversion, and his first going to Jerusalem, whereof we spoke before, he saith thus; Then after 14 years I went up again to Jerusalem, so it was the 48 year of our Lord, this being 14 years after his conversion, and he converted in the 35 year of our Lord: Thus it is proved that in the years of our Lord, 35, 38, 46, 48, Peter was in Jerusalem.  
Now it resteth to prove, that in the mean space Peter came not to Rome, that he was not at Rome between 35 & 38 years, I have this proof; In the year of our Lord, 37. Pilate wrote his Letters unto Tiberius the Emperor, of Christ, and of his doctrine, and how the Jews accounted him a God, whereby the Emperor was so moved, that he would needs make Christ a God in Rome: If Peter had been in Rome, Pilat's Letters had not been necessary, the Emperor should have had better instruction. Thus in these three years Peter was not in Rome, between the 38 year, and the 46 year, they say (such is their impudence) that Peter was Bishop all the while in Antioch; If it be so, then by their own confession he was not at Rome: but the Scripture is plain, he was neither at Antioch, nor yet at Rome, and how these seven years are passed, mark and thou shalt see.  
In the beginning of these seven 
Acts 9 32, 33. 35.  years, Peter goeth forth a preaching, first into all Jewry, Galilee, and Samaria, which would require some continuance; afterwards 
Acts 9 39 43.  he goeth up to the Saints at Lydda, and there tarrieth; from thence he goeth to Joppa, and there tarrieth (dies multos) a long while; from thence he goeth to Caesarea, and there converteth Cornelius, the first 
Acts 10 24.  Gentile that ever he converted, as is plain by the Scriptures▪ Then he abideth certain days at Caesarea, all this well nigh 400. 
Acts 12. 2.  miles from Antioch: And now for proof, he makes no haste to Antioch, he comes home again to Jerusalem, where he is again joined to the Apostles, and now the Apostles hear word that certain Gentiles at Antioch are converted, not by Peter, 
Acts 11. 20, 22.  but by certain Disciples that fled when Stephen was stoned, Acts. 7. 60. & 8. 1. Well did the holy Ghost here name them that preached this while at Antioch, or else here had been some colour for Peter's Bishopric. But mark further, when the Apostles hear this, to confirm the Gentiles, they send to Antioch; But whom send they, Peter? surely they would have done, had he been their Bishop; But Peter abideth still in Jerusalem, and Barnabas is sent to Antioch, where he abideth, afterward goeth into Tarsus to 
Acts 11. 26.  Paul, from thence they come again both to Antioch, and there tarrieth afterward one whole year; about this time saith 
Acts 12. 2. 4.  the Scripture, Peter was put in prison, which was, is proved, the year of our Lord 46. and that he continued in Jerusalem ever since Barnabas was sent to Antioch, we have this conjecture when he was delivered 
Acts 12. 15.  out of prison, and knocked at Mary's door, Rhoda the Maid knew him by his voice, and so well, that the Disciples said she was mad, or else it was Peter's Angel, yet were the thing never so incredible, she said she was sure it was even he; this perfect knowledge of a man's voice required some continuance of acquaintance. And thus we are come to the seaventh year of his Bishopric of Antioch, in which time he yet never came at Antioch.  
Now the year of our Lord 46. the 4. of Claudius, he goes from Antioch to Rome, and there is Bishop 25. years, 2. months and 8. days, from the 26. of January, to the 24 of March, such account I trow they make, that tell us how many miles to heaven; but be it so, he is gone out of the prison at Jerusalem, 2000 miles to Rome, to be made Bishop: If the story of dame Joan were so credible as this, Mr. Harding might have with some countenance written against it. But let us go forward.  
In the year of our Lord 48. Notwithstanding this posting to 
Acts 15. 7.  to Rome, he is yet at Jerusalem; 
Orosius lib. cap. 6. Suetonius. Navelerus.  and from henceforth that he meant not to go to Rome, but keep his promise that he would continue amongst the Jews, we have this proof: First, this 
Gal. 2. 9  Oath, where 
* The Son of Alpbeus.  James, Peter, and John do swear to Paul and Barnabas, 
Acts 12. 2. 15. 13. 21. 18.  that they would execute their Apostleship amongst the Jews, which surely Peter would not have done, if he had thought to have gone to Rome. And all the Papists in the world, 
Rhemists Ibid. acknowledge the charge divided into two parts.  shall never be able to answer it, jangle they how they will, that Peter was Bishop of Rome, he was not, he meant it not, he kept his promise; Paul calleth him the Apostle of Circumcision; he was afterwards amongst the Jews at Antioch; he writeth his Epistle to the Jews that were strangers, and scattered 
Gal. 2. 8.  abroad in Asia, even as James doth to the twelve Tribes 
Gal. 2. 11.  scattered among the nations; And John to them that had 
1 Pet. 1. 1.  heard, and seen from the beginning, which were the Jews. 
Jam. 1. 1.  Thus did those Apostles mind their promise, though we talk of Bishoprics we know not 
1 Joh. 2. 24.  what. But because there are yet 23 years behind, let us, as we may, examine them by the Scriptures.  
In the Acts we read that 
Acts 18. 2.  Priscilla and Aquilla, and all 
Orosius lib. 7. c. 6. Suetonius, Nauclerus & alii.  the residue of the Jews were banished out of Rome, but this was done the 9 year of Claudius, Anno Dom. 51. when now Peter should have been more than 5 years' Bishop of Rome: Thus ill may this Fable agree with the Scriptures of God. But let us examine further: About 6 years after this, and the beginning of the Reign of Nero, Paul writeth his Epistle to 
Rom. 15. 26.  the Romans, as appeareth for that he then carried up to Jerusalem, for the poor Saints there abiding, such distribution as they of Macedonia and Achaia had gathered, which was a little before Paul's last going to Jerusalem, as most Writers agree, in the last year of Claudius; and for proof it was so, now all things are quiet at Rome, Paul saluteth Priscilla and Aquilla, 
Acts 18. 3.  which in the 9 of Claudius were were both banished; and the Acts do specify certain years after, in which Paul and they were together: So, now being at Rome again, it agreeth well that the Epistle to the Romans was written about the beginning of the Reign of Nero, and the year of our Lord 56. at which time Peter was not at Rome, as may be proved above all guesses and conjectures, out of the word of God.  
First, He saluteth divers by 
Rom. 16. 3.  name, and yet he speaks not of Peter, a sure proof that Peter 
Rom. 16. 7. 1. Rom. 16. 16. Rhemenses are here very childish; it might be Paul knew Peter to be absent, or sent to him special Letters not saluting him in this common Epistle, or else sent this enclosed in Peter  was not at Rome. Again he saluteth Andronicus and Junia with this especial note [who are notable amongst the Apostles, and were in Christ before me,] how much more occasion had Paul thus to salute & commend Peter, whom he calleth otherwhere 
* Gal. 2. 9  a pillar of the Church? and who was not only before Paul, but before all men saving Andrew his brother, called to be a Disciple: nothing may be here answered, but that only which is true, Peter was not at Rome.  
If these Reasons seem not strong enough, then good Reader look in the 15 to the Romans, 
I Preached not where Christ was already preached and believed upon, but where he was altogether unknown, least upon the preaching and faith of others I should lay mine: Therefore the Apostle himself laid the faith, and himself erected the walls.  20. Thou shalt have another which by no means may be shifted off: thus he writeth; I enforced myself to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should have built upon another man's foundation, but as it is written, to whom he was not spoken of, they shall see him, and they that hear not shall understand him; then he added, therefore also I have been oft let to come unto you. By which words its manifest they had but weak maintenance of their faith, and the true Disciples had no long continuance among them. But how could this be if Peter was 25 years' Bishop there?  
Again he saluteth the house of 
Haymo Ibid.  Narcissus, who (saith Ambrose) was Presbyter ejus Ecclesiae, a chief ruler in that Church; and and how could Paul here have forgot Peter, being Arch-Presbiter, the chief of all rulers, and Pope himself? Thus are we passed 11 years of this Bishopric, and yet we cannot once find St. Peter in his 
* The Pope (they say) cannot be non Resident, because he is always in his charge.  Diocese.  
In the year of our Lord 58. and the 2. of Nero, Paul cometh to Rome, and then Peter is not at Rome, as appeareth by this saying of the Scripture; where the chief of the Jews in Rome spoke thus unto Paul; we will 
Acts 28. 21. 22.  hear of thee what thou thinkest, for as concerning this Sect, we know that every where it is spoken against; Then when Paul had preached unto them, and some believed; and some believed not, the Text saith, when he had said these things, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning amongst themselves.  
Is it possible that Peter should now have been 13 years' Bishop, and yet the chief of the Jews that were there when Paul came had soarce any understanding of Christ? they may believe it that needs will be deceived.  
Two years after this, until 
Acts. 28. 30.  the year of our Lord 60. the 4. of Nero, Paul abideth in Rome; All which while undoubtedly Peter came not once there, as may plainly appear, if you read the Epistles which Paul wrote in Rome.  
To the Galathians, he speaketh 
Gal. 2.  much of Peter, as of his conversation with him about 20. years past, but of his present being at Rome not one word, and yet he speaketh of him▪ to this purpose, to get the more credit unto himself; Why then doth he not name him, as now present with him?  
In like case writing to the 
Phil. 1. 1.  Philippians, he gins his Epistle thus; Paul and Timothy; why could he not here have begun, Paul and Peter? Nay, what folly was it to bring Peter's testimony 
Gal. 2. 9  many years past, which now might be doubted of, when he might have had his present and most certain witness, with subscription of his own hand to confirm his doctrine. Again, he writeth thus unto the Philippians, 
Phil. 1. 14.  That many brethren in the Lord, were boldened through his bands, and durst frankly speak the word; If bands would have made them faithful, no doubt Peter had long before confirmed them, surely he would not have shrunk neither for chains, nor prisons; It is his own doctrine, that hereunto 
2 Pet. 2. 21.  we are called; he could not so soon have forgotten his own 
Phil. 2. 20.  good counsel. Again, Paul 
Haymo saith, that when Paul sent that Epistle, he had none of the perfecter sort but him. Vide Theop. in illum locum.  writeth he had no man like minded as Timothy was; how could this have been, if Peter had been there?  
Again, He writeth he had only 
* Col. 4. 10, 11.  Aristarchus, his prison-fellow; sure Peter would have been in prison too, if he had been in Rome. Again, Mark, Aristarchus, 
Phiiem. 23, 24.  Demas, and Luke, are only my fellow-workers; And shall we think that Peter was now Bishop, yet would not help 
Great indignity to pretermit St Peter, or else a loud lie that Peter was then at Rome Primate. Ambros. in Col. 4. Quibus solis testimonium prohibet, qui ex circumcisione adjutorio fuevint. Circa finem vitae. Theodor. Dialog. 2. p 9 7. 2 Tim. 4. 11.  Paul in preaching? Read over all Paul's Epistles, written in Rome, and if the Spirit of truth be within thee, thou wilt say, Peter was not in Rome; Yet now he should have been even in the flower of his Bishopric. Now are there left only ten years behind, in which likewise it shall appear whether Peter was in Rome.  
At the latter end of this ten years, Anno Dom. 70. Neronis 14. Paul cometh again to Rome, and is again imprisoned, where he writeth his 2 Epistle to Timothy, as Jerome, and Eusebius, and divers others do think; Then Peter is not in Rome. Only Luke is with me, saith St Paul; if this be true, where then was Peter? Shall we think he would not once see Paul (2 Tim. 16.) a prisoner? Again, at my first answering, no man assisted me, 
Peter was not now dead, & therefore he must sustain the blot of the perfidious defection, or else lose his title of being the Bishop of Rome. Theoph. in 2 Tim. 4. 9 Solus relictus opus habeo praesentia tua. 2 Tim. 4. 17. De ore Leonis Neronem, intelligit Clarius ibid. Seneca. Orosius lib: 7. cap: 7.  but all forsook me.  
Unthankful wretches and deserving ill of Peter, that would now think Peter were Bishop. But here are now nine years in the mean season, in which it is soon proved, Peter could be no Bishop. Paul rejoiced that he had escaped out of the hands of Nero; but what needed he, if that Peter could sit quietly Bishop?  
Seneca writeth secretly Epistles unto Paul, but never a word of Peter. Nero made a Proclamation, that no man should speak either to Christian or to Jew; and how then could Peter be Bishop? When Nero had set the City on fire in the ninth year of his Reign, to avoid the envy of so great a mischief, he laid all the fault upon the Christians; whereof Tacitus that wicked 
Cornel: Tacitus lib: 15.  Heathen writeth thus; Repressa in prasens exitiabilis superstitio rursus erumpebat, that wicked superstition that was now well repressed sprang up again. But is it like if Peter had been then Bishop, that Charity should have been so quenched, that no man did scarce remember it? but be it that all this were true, that let Peter become unfaithful, let him forget to profess Christ, and feed his flock, were he never so unthankful, yet surely he could not be then Bishop of Rome, for in the tenth year of his Reign, Nero made such great persecution of all Christians, that in no place they could be sure, but every where were drawn forth unto most shameful deaths, and this persecution continued four years, without intermission; and how was Peter then a Bishop? they had Beast skin's put upon them, and then were worried with dogs; they laid them on heaps, and burned them, to give light in the night time; they hung them quick upon gibbets, they practised all kind of exquisite cruelty against them; and yet for all this shall we think that Peter was Bishop? I leave here to speak 
2 Pet. 1. 14.  of Peter's own Epistles, the last written, a little before his death, what time this persecution should have been in the greatest rage, yet Peter doth not so much as once mention any such thing, the former was written 
Euseb. lib. ●. c. 15.  about the twelfth year of Claud. and by express words dated from Babybon, which thing because it is an evident token that Peter was then no Bishop of Rome, therefore they make this gloss upon it (from Babylon) that is from Rome, 
So Rhemists in Appe. 17. 5. as it was the Seat of the Emperor, not of Peter.  and what a miserable shift is this, in defence of Peter's Bishopric, to confess Rome to be 
Sol. John Prophesieth not only of the terrene State of the City, but of the false Prophet and Antichrist, that is the Pope, Apoc. 1●. 16. & 17. 1. ● Eusebius Hieronimus Egyptus.  Babylon? but Rome as it is, it shall be Babylon, and their Religion as it is shall be the purple whore, and the Pope as he is shall be Antechrist, rather than they will lose this succession of Peter, and here to make the fable perfect they shut it up with two especial lies; the one, that Paul and Peter both died in one day; The second, 
Ambrose lib. 5. ●d Auxentium. & F. Causterus understandeth Babylon in Egypt. Euchirid pag. 1. 5. 9 Acts 7. 58.  that Christ met Peter flying away, and bade him go back and suffer death: as touching the first, we read of Paul when he was converted, he was a young man, and when he went to Jerulem to see Peter, Athanasius saith, that he went for reverence that he bore to Peter's age, so it seemeth Peter was grey headed when Paul was but young, and about twenty five years after Paul 
Phil. 9  writeth to Philemon, though I be as I am, even Paul an old man; then what was Peter at these years? yet liveth Paul after this 10 years, and then writeth of himself, that the time of his dissolution 
2 Tim. 4. 6.  was at hand.  
Paul had now finished even 
2 Tim. 4. 6.  his natural course; a very probable conjecture that he outlived Peter.  

† Conficta historia Possenius Apparat. Livius Egysip. lib. c. 2.  But this other untruth that we speak of, is above all conjecture, shameless and unreasonable; they say that Peter the night before he should suffer fled away, and as he was going, Christ met him, whom when he had seen, Peter said unto him, Domine quo vadis? Master whither goest thou? then Christ made answer, Roman iterum crucifigi, to Rome that I may be 
* St. Peter was martyred the Scriptures prove, but that he was crucified, or that he died at Rome cannot be proved. Acts 3. 22. Josephus remembering such as were slain by Nero doth not mention Peter's death. Bellarmine objecteth. Acts 9 3, 4. Sol. Acts 7. 55. 56. & Aug. in Ps. 54. Caput in coelis clamabat pro corpore interris.  crucified again; then Peter perceived that Christ spoke of him, and so he returned and was crucified.  
As if Peter himself had never taught us that the heavens must contain and keep Christ, until the time that all things be restored, which shall not be accomplished until the last day; and thus endeth the Fable of Peter's Bishopric in Rome.  
Hanc (scilicet) fallaciam scripturarum neglectus in Christianissimum hodie de Antichristo intrusit: Vlricus Velenus Minhoniensis.  
Quid si Episcopus, si Deaconus, si Vidua, si Virgo, si Doctor, si etiam Martyr lapsus a regula fuerit ideo Haereses veritatem videbuntur obtinere? Ex personis probamus fidem? an ex side personas? Tertullian de prescript. Heretic.  
Si qua est Ecclesia quae fidem respuat, nec Apostolicae praedicationis fundamentae possideat, ne quam labem possit aspergere deserenda est. Ambr. lib: 6. in Luc. cap. 9  
FINIS.   

THE CONTENTS.  

FIrst, The Coherence of the words. Secondly, The Exposition of the Text.  
Four Doctrines from them.  
Another from the Introduction, which is first handled, which is first proved.  
Secondly, Illustrated by eight particulars from the former Chapter, and six more added.  
Thirdly, Applied to three or four uses.  
The first point observed from the Text,  
Gospel Glory the greatest Glory in the World,  
Illustrated and proved:  
First, By Texts of Scripture many ways.  
Secondly, Demonstrated under five Heads.  
First, That it was Gods great design to glorify himself in this work above all others.  
Secondly, Accordingly his glory doth shine out, and ever will do, more in this, than any, or all others.  
Thirdly, In that it is the only way for God's people to obtain true and perfect glory, and whereby grace and glory are both gracious and glorious in their eyes.  
Fourthly, In that grace and glory differ not in nature, but only in degrees.  
Fifthly, That hence will be the chief ground of the Saints and Angels glorifying God for ever.  
The first of these considered, first, Historically; secondly, Spiritually, in many particulars.  
The second compared with the great works of Creation, Sustentation, and Gubernation of all things in the world.  
Secondly, Briefly hinted at in many particulars, in the nature, use, and effects thereof.  
Thirdly, By eleven respective considerations, wherein it excels all the former works of God.  
First, In respect of the many ways considerable foundation of this work, in four particulars.  
First, More profound; Secondly, More Secret; Thirdly, More difficult; Fourthly, More Sure.  
Secondly, In respect of the nature of this glorious work.  
Thirdly, The matter of it.  
Fourthly, The form of it.  
Fifthly, The way and manner of effecting it.  
Sixthly, The time for the raising and perfecting of it in a threefold disparity.  
Seventhly, The subordinate means for the publishing, promoting, carrying on, to the perfecting of this great work, viz. Angels; Men ordinarily qualified with eminent gifts, extraordinarily called, employed, followed with success.  
Eighthly, The immediate object of it, Man in his state of defection: How freely, wonderfully, gloriously delivered.  
Ninthly, The several ends in respect of God and Man, Angels good and bad, here and hereafter.  
Tenthly, Uses, for them both good and bad, here and hereafter.  
Eleventhly, The Effects manifold hinted at, exceeding excellent above all other; but to be applied profitably by Christians.    

AN APPENDIX TO The Former; By Mr. H. Nelson, B. D.  
Pregnant Testimonies out of the ancient Fathers, to prove that Peter was the Apostle of the Jews, and Paul of the Gentiles, as also that Peter was not Primate 
Nisi Petrus alios Apostolos, vel per so, vel per alios Episcopos ordinasset, nulla ratio est cur Romam Ecclesiarum Matrem esse dicamus. Bell: lib. 1. de Rom. Pontif: c. 23.  in Authority, or Head over his fellow Apostles, or did consecrate any of them to be Bishop, or settle and establish any state hierarchical at Rome.  
Origin in Math. Tract. 4. Peter and Paul gave right hand of fellowship the one to the other, that Peter should go to the circumcision, to preach unto the Jews living under the Law, as unto an Ass under the yoke, but Paul should go to the Gentiles as unto a Colt that had never been broken; Idem in Matth: 16. Tract: 1. 
Noveram ergo non matrem esse ex his testibus clarisime constat.   
Aug: in Epist: ad Gal: lib: they agreed that Paul and Barnabas should go to the Gentiles, and themselves, James Peter and John unto the Circumcision, who seemed contrary unto the Gentiles, Idem in Ps: 108. Tract. 50 in Jo: 12. et 124. De ago Christiano, c. 30.  
Jerome Epist. ad Gal: c. 2. 
The Primacy of Peter cannot stand, unless the Ordinance of the Holy Ghost, and the apponent between him and St. Paul be violated.  One God hath committed unto me the Preaching of the Gospel among the Gentiles, and to Peter among the Jews, he sent me unto the Gentiles, and placed Peter in Jewry; by God's providence, one Apostle is given to the Jews, another to the Gentiles, Idem, lib. 1. contra Jovinianum.  
Chrys: Ibid. one thing pleased them both; Peter and his side should preach to the Jews, and Paul and Barnabas to the Heathens: And after, speaking in the name of Paul in the office of preaching, we have divided the world between ourselves.  
Ambrose Ibid. Paul saith the grace which he had received of God was allowed of them, that he might be thought worthy to have primacy in preaching among the Gentiles, as Peter had in preaching among the Jews.  
Anselm: Ibid. These two principal Apostles were chosen to the salvation of two peoples; Peter to the salvation of the Jews, and Paul of the Gentiles; Petro commissa anthoritas ut predicaret Judaeis tantum, etc. Aquin: Ibid. in Gal.  
Theophilact: Ibid. Yea further; 
In age, gifts, zeal, order, being as Chrys. saith, Os reliquorum.  Paul in this place showeth himself to be equal with Peter.  
Chrysost. Vbi supra; Now Paul showeth himself to be equal in honour unto the rest, not only unto others but also unto (Peter) the chief of all the short Schoba in Jeroms name in Gal. 2. I am in nothing inferior to Peter.  
Hierom Ibid: Occulta hic oritur Quaestio: Here ariseth a secret Question; If Peter found any of the Gentiles, did he not train him to the faith? Or if St. Paul had happened upon any of the Jews, did he not exhort him to be baptised? we must say 
Idem in Ps. 44. Titul. Apost. ● Aequales principio Ecelesia.  that either of them had a special commission, the one over the Jews, the other over the Gentiles, that the Jews who defended the Law might have one to follow, and the Gentiles who chose rather the free gift of God, and left the Law, might likewise have a Teacher to go before them; but generally this purpose was common to them both, that out of all Nations as well Jews as Gentiles, they might gather a Church unto Christ.  
Petrus quia prevaluit in operatione miraculorum ad predicandum Judae is missus est, Paulus verò ad predicandum Gentilibus, quia prevaluit in profunditate ingenii, et Torrente eloquii. ● Hugo. Card: in Luc. 11.  
Synod: Ephes. Peter 
John was Survivor and belike subject to Linus, Cletus, Clemens, etc. or else personal succession is fallen to the dust.  and John were mutually of equal dignity, for which cause they are manifested Apostles and holy Disciples.  
Cyprian de simplic: Plat. doubtless the same were the rest of the Apostles that Peter was, endued with equal fellowship both of honour and power, but a beginning is made of unity that the Church may appear to be one.  
Ambrose in Ps. 38. What is said to Peter is said to the other Apostle.  
Chnysost: in Acts 15. Now consider this also, how that Peter doth all things by the common consent of the Disciples, nothing by his own Authority, nothing by Command.  
Idem in Gal. 22. Paul had no need of Peter's voice, neither of any helps from him, but in honour was equal to him. (I will say no more)  
Theophil: in Matth. 16. Although it was said to Peter alone, I will give it thee, yet the Keys were granted to all the▪ Apostles.  
Ambrose de incarnati●ue Dom: c. 4. Peter had the primacy of confession, not of honour; Idem. 2. Cor. 12. Paulus tempore non dignitate minor.  
Hillary lib. 6. de Trin. All the Apostles for the worthiness of their Faith, acknowledging his Divinity, received the Keys of Heaven, and authority of binding and losing in Heaven and in Earth.  
Aug: de Pasto: c. 13. The Apostles were many, and it was said to one, Feed my Lambs; and Peter himself commended unity.  
Idem de Ago Christi: c: 30. When it was said to one, it was said to all, Lovest thou me? Feed my Sheep.  
Origen in Matth: Tract: 1. These things as it were spoken to Peter are common to all.  
Hierome in Gal: Paul reproved Peter which he durst not have done, unless he had known himself not unequal.  
Cyrill in Esay lib. 4. c. 44. But why do we call them the Foundation of the Earth? for Christ is the Foundation of all, and stay of all, keepeth and holdeth all things to be sure and steadfast; in him are all built a spiritual house, compacted by his Spirit into an holy Temple and Habitation of himself, for he dwelleth in our hearts by Faith; The next and nearer Foundation unto it, may be understood the Apostles and Evangelists, being eye witnesses, and made Ministers of the Word, for confirmation of Faith; for when we know that their Traditions are to be followed, we shall keep a right faith, or not strange or erring from Christ, for by him it was said to Peter because he had confessed the Faith in him right sound, and had said, Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God; Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock will I build my Church; Calling a Rock (as I think) the  Faith of the Disciple, it is also said by the Psalmist, Her foundations are upon the Holy Hills; The Holy Apostles are rightly to be compared to Holy Hills, the knowledge of whom is established as a foundation to posterity, to the same effect, Lib. 5. cap. 54.  
Greg. Lib: 4. Epist. 32. Peter is not called universal Apostle.  
Hugo de Sancto Victore, lib. 1. de sac. c. 26.  
Greg. in Rus. lib. 4. c. 4. Paul obtained the principality of the whole Church, and was made the Head of Nations.  
Primasus produceth Paul speaking in his own name, I am not inferior to him (meaning Peter) because we both are of one ordained to one Ministry.  
Beda Hom: in Evang: Quem me dicunt, etc. Power of binding and losing, though it may seem given of the Lord only to Peter, yet without any doubt, it is to be advertised, that it was granted also to the other Apostles.  
Viz: Aug. Tract. 14. in Jo: Ideo unus per omnibus quia unit as in omnibus, Idem Tract. 124.  
Glossa in Gal. 2. I learned not of others as of my betters, but I conferred with them as with friends and equals: Item Lyranus in Math. 16.  
Lastly, To shut up all, the testimony of Jerome adversus Jovin: Lib: 1. is irrefragable: The firm ground and establishment of the Church is laid equally upon all the Apostles, all of them received the Keys.  
These ancient worthy Fathers, and the rest, as a cloud of witnesses do verify the parity or equality of Peter to all other the Apostles, which I have in this place purposely recited, for that they give strength and light unto some of mine assertions formerly set down against Dr. Kellison a mercenary Proctor for the Popedom.  
Let the conclusion be in the words of that eminent Preacher, and Opposer of Popery Dr. Still, in his usual prayer, frequently mentioned by that Reverend Mr. Nelson; God confound all hurtful errors or heresies; give victory to his Truth, and Glory to his holy Name; whereunto I cordially with all Gods faithful people say,  
AMEN.  
FINIS.   

Books lately Printed for Thomas Parkhurst, at the Sign of the three Crowns over against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapside.  
A Commentary upon the three first Chapters of Genesis, by Mr. John White, in fol.  
The humbled sinner resolved what he should do to be saved; or faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the only way of salvation, by Mr. Obadiah Sedgewick, in 4.  
The riches of grace displayed, in the offer and tender of salvation to poor sinners, by the same Author, in 12.  
The Fountain opened, and the water of life flowing forth, for the refreshing of thirsty sinners, by the same Author, in 4.  
Anatomy of secret sins, presumptuous sins, sins in dominion and uprightness, on Psal. 19 12, 13. together with a Treatise of the sin against the Holy Ghost, by Obadiah Sedgewick.  
Hidden Manna by Mr. Fenner, in 12.  
The hypocritical Nation described, with an Epistle prefixed, by Mr. Samnel Jacomb, in 4.  
The singular Actions of sanctified Christians, in several Sermons, on the 5. of Matth.  
An Exposition on the whole book of the Canticles, by R. R.  
An Exhortation of the Churches of Bohemiah, to the Churches of England, wherein is set forth the good of unity, order, discipline, and obedience, in Churches rightly constituted; With an Exhortation premised of the order and discipline used in the Churches of the Brethren of Bohemiah, Dedicated to His Most Excellent Majesty, Charles the IId. in Holland, at His departure for England, if possibly it may be for an accommodation among the Church of Christ; by J. Amos Comenius, the only surviving Bishop of the remains of those Churches.