~I ··<fo the ·Reader.. . iiblerichesofChri{f,Eph.; .8. Minifters ought in 'duty moreabundant,y ~~preach Jefus Chriil Dr. Sibbs is dea.re,that rhe fPe• !>&iat office of the rmniftry of (hrift is to lay opm c hrift, to hold up tiJe t n,piftry, and to unfold the hidden myfteries ofChrift: and therefore · he exhorts 'that we jhould labour to be alwayesfpeakjng Jomewhat a- • . bout Chriff,or tending·that rMJ; when we jpudz.of the law, let it drive us to Chrift, whe;z of moral d-uryes, let them teach us to walk. . worthy ofChrift: Chrifr, or f cmewhat WJding to Chrift fh~uld be our ' theame, and mtdeto apneat. :. tb~ Cantic..p.428. And 1 may feelingly fay, !t is the fwe, teft fubjeB: that ever was preached · on; is it not Man oyntmerJt postrcd fe rth,whofe lmet.l is fo fragrant, and whofe favour is fo fweet, that therefore aH. the Yirgins love him? -is it not comprehenGve of all glory, beauty, excellency whether of things in heaven, or of things on earth ? is it not~ myftery fweet and deep ? furclyvolumes are writ ofJefusCbrif't, there is line upon line,Sermonupon Sermon,book upon book and :Tome upon Tome, and yet fuch is the myftery (as one fp~aks p1ainly}that we are ali but asyet at the ~rft fide of the Gngle catechifme of Jc:fus Chrift :yea,S olomon was but at what u hi.r .N amr? and I feare many ofus know neither Name nor thing. It 'is a worthy ftudy to make further and further difcoverye• of this bleffed myftery, and it were to be wifhed that all the Minifters of Chrift would fpend themfelves in the fpd!ing, & reading,& underftanding of it. Look as fome great poynt doth require the abilities of many scholars (and all little enough-when joyned co gether) .to .motke a good difcovery thereof ; fuch is this high poynt,this holy facred, glorious myftery ; w€lrthy of the paines of all the learned: and if they would all bring their notes togethe.r, &adde all their f\:udyes together (which l have in tome meafure endeavoured in the following treatife) they fhould finde {li\l but a little ofthis myftery known, in ~omparifon ofwhat remaines and is unknown· only this they (hou\o\ know, quod difficili inte!Mlu, di/eEtabil; inquifitu (as Bern4rd faid) that which u hnrd toundcrjldna, i.r d~ lightful to be divtd into ; and fo I found it. 2. For the act of look: i ~g unro 'fefus, as it is comprehenGve of k_no1J'ing , defiri.ng, hoping, be/reving, loving, fo alfo of joying;how then fhould I but be filled r with joy unfpeakable and glorious,whil'i\ I was ft udying,writing and efpecially acting my foul in the exercife of this looking ? If there be any duty on earth refembling the duty of the Saintsin heaven,l dare iay,this is it. Mr.R~ttherfwa in his Epil.Ue to Chrift ' dying,
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