62 The Glory of the Gofpel, . For Fir!\, It is commended by the Original Author and Revealer of it with his intent therein; God himfelf who 1s bd! able to dift<rn what knowled e is the Julle!l of nches and glory,chofe to reveal and make known this meerly fo~ the worth of it, Namely becaufe the nches of glory were revealed by it. The ~r!l fays God would or was delirous to make known the riches of glory that were m It that moved nun to !t, Secondly, It the worth of the Subjcd matter revealed doth enoble a know– ledge, then mu!\ this be glorious, for Chrifl is the fubjed matter of it which riches are Ct.rifl the Lord ofglory. ' Thirdly, If all thepropmiesthat are excellent in any ·knowledge will add worth to it they centre 10 th1s. Firfl, If depth and profoundnefs, it is a Myflery. Secondly, If P:etioufnefs and Abundance, it is full of Riches and Glo– ry, Thirdly, Tf profitablenefs and ufefulnefs, it not only reveals riches of glory ro the kno;-vers ot it, the Saints,. out of themfdves, but makes them polleJlors of all the nches 1t reveals,. and g1ves them certam hope.of all the glory it fpeaks, wh1ch nches areChnfl m you, made) ourChnfl wnh all Jus nches for the prefent and to you the hope of glory. ' Fourthly, lf {ecrecy commends a knowledge, as it dot,h, ithath been hid long from the begmnmg of the World tn regard of the clear revealwg of it, but now in the end of the World 1t 1s revealed. And Laflly, If rarenefs, now it is revealed, it is not mad~ common, it is re– vealed only to the Saints, who only know it iu the riches and glory of it, To whom God would make know11, t!ic. You have the fcbpe.and meaning of the Apoflle, mine at this tim~ is. by en– largeing on thefe particulars to fet out the glory of the Gofpel; that part of the word which in {\rid fenfe reveals the dodrine of God's free grace , the work of Chrifl's Redemption, and the riches of it, Juflification, and Sandilication, and the fecrets hereof, for this is the Gofpel. But you will fay, to what end will all th.is bel I wifh there were no need of it, [o I never preached more, and that both in regard of the People and Miniflers themfelves; for the People of this Land, it were well 10r E~gltmd, if the contempt of this Glorious Gofpel' and the Mioiflry of it were not their greatefl lin; Happy were we, if the meafure of our Iniguities "·ere made fo much lighter by the want of it , I {hould then expect to rr.e many more years paf\ ere it were filled than now are like to be; And is there no need to fet forth the Glory of it? And for the Miniflers, they might add more beauty to their own feet, and Souls to God, if in their Speculations, and Preachtngs, they d d not as the Pharifes of Old did in their pradice, (if w.e may judge what is in the Cif\ern , by what otdinarily cometl1 in and out,) negled the great things of the Gofpel forementioned , and Tithe Mint, and Cummine, pick truths of Jefs moment, boult and lift them to the bran, but leave the other unfearched into and uninfifled on. But, My Brethren, however we may ef\eem this Dodrine of the Gofpel, and what other knowledge we may pride our felves in, and weare out our brains in; yet it is this which is the riches of the Gtntilts and Saints, as this place fhews and many more: The Pearl o( the World, Matt. I~· 4'i·The Glory of the Mi– tnflr;•, r Cor. 2. 7· Whtch Godordaitudfor 011r glory, namely .Apojlles, and Mtm{lers the Preachers of it. The clear revealing of which was the delire and longing of the Patriarchs and Prophets, who though they knew the legal Covenant as fully as we, yet this Dodrine of falvation Chri!!'s fufferings, God's grace was it they enquired into that is, fought to God by prayer, and fearched diligently, that is, fenrched u– fing all means of reading and meditating to att-ain the knowledge of it;. and. all this dil:gently: Spent, and thought it worthy of the. chiefefl of thm pa1.ns, wh1ch when it came to be revealed the Apoflles counted It the1r Glory, whtch Paul
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