120 An Expojition ofthe Epifi!e .--.,J\._/\ Jlhould likewife !hew you that it is a Myfiery for the depth that is in it; but l Serm. IX. /hall let that pafs. For an Obfervation. ~ Objerv, Let all that live tmder the Gojpel, aud Sailtts e{pecially,ackuowledge what'"' mjimtefavottrofGodttuto know tbu Myffery of hu .Wt/1 (as ;·ottdo) · th.ll God will fave jimurs, a11d that ; •ou fee the reafolt of tt too. For it is brought down to you in a plain manner; you fee fuch a fatisfaClion in Chrifi as will fatislie a man's reafon, blefs God for that wfin1te Mercy. You fee how dainty God hath been of his Gofpel, he kept itbidden from all Ages and Generations till the Apof\les time•, above four thoufand years. And faah our Saviour, Lttk. 10. 24. Bte[Jedare your E;•es that )'Oil fee, aud your Ears that y·ou hear fuch thmgs M all the Prophets and Kiugs did dejire to frr rmd hear,aud could 11ot; I tellJOt< (faith he) mauy Prophets mtd Kmgs br~ve defired to fee thofe thiugs which )'Otl fee, a11d bave uot .ffm them, and to he<~r thoft tbittgs whichJOU hear, aud have ttot heard them. Thou wouldfi w11l1 thy felf to be a King, if thou defirefi to be happy, or thou wouldfi wilh thy felf· to be a Prophet, an old Prophet, fuch a one as E!ias was, or l[:t, or Jrremy, or fome of them ; nay, wilh thy felf as Solom01t and 'Davidwas, both Propnet and King: TJ,inc eyes and ears are more bleffed than they. For thefe Kings (faith he) and thele Prophets neither could fee nor hear tbofe things which you both fee and hear; Why 'I Becaufe you bear and know the myfiery of his W1ll, My Brethren, it is the greatefi priviledge in the World. Our Saviour Chrift was a man of for– rows, we feldom find him rejoycing, but once, and Uf'On what occalion was it? Look in the 21 Verfe of that Tenth of Luke, jufi before thefc words, /11 that hour Jefiu rejoyced i11 Spirit, mtdfaid, I th,wk thee, 0 Frtther, Lord of Hea– ven mtd Earth, that th?tt hctf/ hid tbeje thmgs from the wife mtd prttdmt, muJ h4f revwled them to Ba6es; And fo he goeth on in his difcourfe, Bleffedare j•our eyes, &c. that is the Coherence of the words. Doth our Saviour Chrifi our Head, blefs God for revealing the Gofpel to us poor finners, for to fave ou: Souls, and accounts it the greatefi mercy of all others befiowed upon us, and !hall not we? Doth Chrifi bimfelf thus, as it were, fall down upon his knees and thank God for it, and ll~all not we? You will Object and fay to me, But it is a common Mercy, we fee many wick– ed men partake of it. I anfwerfirfl, Why do wicked men partake of it? becaufe there are Saints among them, and live in the places with them, therefore the Gofpel comes to them: I bavt mtteh people;, thiJ City, faith God, fpeaking of Cori1ttb, and therefore he fent Paut to Preach amongfi them. And fo, 2 Cor. 4· IS'. For a/Jtlnngsarejoryour fakes. ThatPau/hadallthatknowledge, and all thofe gifts, it wos for their fakes, it was for the Elect, and therefore you have reafon to be thankful for it, wicked men lhould not know a word of it elfe. Secoudty, Wicked men, though they hear the Gofpel, yet they hear, but un– derfiand not, there is a Myfiery in the Gofpel, which wicked men hear, and know not: There is, Ifay, a Myfiery in it; I pafi it over before, I will fpeak but a word of it now, M ,itth. '3· 1 r, 12, 15, 14. To J'Otdt isgivm to kuow the My·– flenes of the !(111gdom of Heavm, 6ut totbem zt" 11otg:vm: Here Ch~ifi fpeaks ?f the Myfienes of the Gofpel; a man mufi have 1t giVen lum to know 1t, which IS not done to wocked men; here both heard the fame Parables; Chrijl, faith he Jpake i11 Para6tes,and fo he goeth on; faith he,Seeing,theyfee 11ot; a11d heariltg' t hty hear 11ot, neither do they u11derflmJd, that is, they do not underftand favingly. In 1 Cor. ~_. 7· (the place I quoted but now) Wt (ptak (faith he) the wif dom of God m a M;•f/er;•;. It 1s call~d \!V1fdom in refp.ecr that wicked men may fee and underfiand a rauonahty m It ; but there IS a Myfiery in this Wifdom which godly men only fee, and it mufi be given them to fee it; The fecret of the Lord" wzth them-th111 fear hzm,Pfa1.2)·I4• So that now, though you think it a common nJercy, yet it is a peculiar mercy to know the Myfiery of the Gofpel, to know the riches and the glory of it, it is a peculiar mercy to the Saints.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=