to the E PH E S I A N S. it. Nay the Churches know it be.ore the Angds know it, and the Angels do ~ learn of the Churc:1es, that 1s part ofthe h1dmg mentioned, Eph. 3·' o. ft waf Serm .I X. bidden iu God, to tbe intent, that flOW mz~o tbe Pn1tCJp.tzltties aud Powers i!t ~ He, 1 ve 11 tyTiaces, (rhatis,toAngeis,) mJght6ekiiOW11 6ythe Chterch, thema111fotdWsfdom of God. They learned the Gofpel ol the Ctwrch, therefore they come to bear Sermons. rrethrcn, the Churches are full of Angels, they love to bear the Gofpel preached_. and you kn~w l'eter tels us they pne,rhey bow down their necks, 1t 1s m r Pet, r. 12. H h;ch thwgs the A11gels dejite to look illt.'f:hus the bidqen Gofpel is a myflery fo hidden, as ~one could have known it. Admn knew the Law, 1t was wntten m Ius heart; we have pnnciples of the knowledge of the Law in our Confc1~nces; when we hear the Law preached, we have a principle in our own Confc1ences w1thm us, that goes along with what we bear, andaniwcrstoit; we cannot deny it.. 13ut there isnotrhelea!l: footflep ol the Gofpel in tl1e wifdorr: of all r:1e me?. m the World , there is nothing in the heart of man to anfwer to it. It the Go,l.'cl b~ revealed, God mufl create light; when it was fir!l: d1fcovered , he created ilght 10 the1r hearcs, to whom it was revealed: We were notlung but darknefs, fa1th the Apoflle of himfeJf as well as others, 2 Cor,+ 6. God t!Jilt commanded the light to jhi11e ottt ofdarlmejs, hath/binedillourhmrts, togJVetuthe lrghtof the kMwledgeof the gloryof God"' the {<Ice of Chrif!. God mu!l: bnng m a light (faith he,) or elfe not we nor any of the Apoflles c~uld ever have found it out. What is the reafon of this? Becaufc it is the M;f/ery ofGod's wilt, which Reafon we have in the Text, Who could have known that God would ever have faved Sinners? who could ever have thought it? He had fa id, he had pronounced it as his wi!l,it was gone out of his mouth, lit the day thot# ~atejl tbtreof, thottjhalt dy the death, Here was a Riddle now for all the Angels m Heaven: How could they have known the myflery of God's will, that he would favc Sinners. Adam he flood trembling voor man, and the Divil he thought all cock fme, I fhall damn them (thought he,) as fure as I have damned mr felf; And all the Angels flood mute, till God himfelfcame and makes_ the prom1fe to us, Rom. 1 r. 32• S01th the Apoflle, God hathjb11t 11p all ill uJ!ileltef, that he mtght have mercy ttpoll all. That Gqd fhould )et man fin, and permit fin to fpoil his Creature; and when he had done, fhould mean to fave it, and have mercy upon thofe that are fhut up under Unbelief· Oh, the depth (faith he) of the riches 6oth of the Wtfdom a11d K11owledgt of God! (foitfollowsmthenextwords) How mifearchable are his Judgments, and hi<_ waies pajl (indi11g out! Who hatb k110W1t th: mi11d of God, or who hath 6ew hu Cormfellor? Who could ever have known tlm, had not God revealed i.t that this was his Will ? No Counfellor (my Brethren) but one, that is rh; wonderful Counfellor, the mighty God, as he is called, l(a, 9· 6. Therefore in 7oh. r. 1 g. where the Apofl!e fpeaking of the Gofpel of Grace and Truth thn came by Jefus Chri!l:,_ as the Law came by Mofes (he fpeaks of the revelation of this Gofpel m oppofiuon to the Law) fa~th he, No man bath ./tell God at any time, th~t is, hath known the mind of God, that is meant by feeing God there it is a Jewifh Proverb of knowing God's mind, Tht only 6tgottnt Son which ~ i11 the bo(om of tht Rtther, he hath declared it; None in the World could have declared this Will and Mind of God, but only he that was in his bo– fom; that was familiar with him, his only Son, therefore he came down from Heaven, and fir!l: broached the Gofpel; Which was jirf! 'Preached6y the Lord himfeif (faith the Apoflle, He6. r.) Mofes, my Brethren, St. . 7ohn fpeaks of him in the Verfes before and he f.oith the Law was given by Mofes; Mofes was very intimate with God, 'he faw God fact to face, fo the exprelllon is, and God fhewed him his Glory The Law (faith he) was Givm by Mo(es, yea, but Grace a11d Truth, the Go( pet, came by Je(m Chnf/. Though Mo(es faw God face to face, he wa~ noG in h1s bofom, as Jefu_s Chrift onlywas, and he only could·reveal it, he only knew this Myflery and m:nd of God. · I fhoul4
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