V E R.9. Ephefiana,Chap. t, 107 And needes it muffbe fo, for the great volume ofthe whole creature hath not one letter or fyllable in it of this wifdome : They reveale a wif. dome, for in wifdome God madethe heavens, and founded the Earthin underflanding ; but thole who knew this wifdome beff,learned nothing P:.: ofthis faving wifdome in Chrift, r Cor. r. Againe, there is no fparkeof light in man by nature,able toconceive this fecret:The wifdome ofthe Law, the light of nature reacheth not,forthe lightof reafon difcerneth that God is tobe loved &honoured;that I am to doe,as I would be done to,andnot afterithat meafure I would not receive;Butoffàving mankind lofl,by faith on Chrifl,& repentance,there is nolight left which can trace any lepof thisdofrrine.Thirdly; theknowledge it fell is of that height, that from what time we have the fpirit which doth teach it , we cannot in this mortality know it any thingas we fhould, we feebut in a glaffè, know but inpart, like Children, whichknow not fully the things they know : Now that which ishid in fo great meafure from us,whoare now light in the the Lord ; how great a fecret is that in it felfe But to open this a little further. The Gofpell of falvation may be a: called a Myflery in three regards: r. abfolutely, becaufe it is athing ofit felfe within the will of God, which no creature by it felfe is able to know : Ifa thing within my miede be fuch, that no creature can know it, further then I make it knowne ; nonedoth know the things in Man, but the fpirit ofMan; how great adeepe and fecret is that whichis with- in-God himfelfe . a. Thus it ceafed when God did firff reveale it,but yet 2> a Myflery frill in regard of the fpare revelation, and (mall number of thofe to whom it wasmanifefted. For a thing is not onely hid while I keep it in my felfe, but while I thew itonely rofome few perfons more Deereme,it is a fecret matter fill. Ifthe King acquaint force two or three of his molt neere favorites with a fecret, it remaineth hid frill, and a fe- cret,in comparifonofthings commonly knowne : Thus was the Gofpell a Myflery, when it was made knowne to the peopleof the Jewes onely ; but continued no longera cíMyftery inthis fenfe, when now it was no- torioufly publifhed toall nations. Thirdly,thewifdome ofthe Gofpell, 3; is frill a uvyftery, when it is now divulged,in regardofthofewhofe eyes are not opened to fee it, and their earesboated toattend to it : as newes focommon every where,that theyare no newes, are frill fecret to fuch, whobeing deafe, have never heardofthem ; thus it is at this day,a hid- den riddle to many Chriffians by outward profeffion. Now the Vfe of it is, to rebukethe prefumption ofmen,who thinke fo of their underffanding, as if a word were enough for them in thefe matters;who hope they are not to learne this point now:yea,fome proud fhallowheads, who can findeno things in the Scripture eloquent for phrafe, or profound for matter : but this knowledge ofChrift is fohid- den ina deepe, that nothing is to be compared for fecrecy with itin the whole world ; and when humane Artsare foabtirufe, that we cannot conceive themwithout forcereading and explaining of them ; howcan we findeoutthis deepe riddleofGod, ifwe plow not with his Heyferr Howcan we underiland the myferyofhis Word, ifwe havenot an In- terpreter r This
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