On COLOSS.I.26,27. And in the Incarnation of his Son, and the fatisfaction of his Juflice, fa many more alfo meet in this one Myflery, Things of fuch a feemmg contradiction, as the Wits of men know not how to reconcile. And this in every part ot it, as in Election, that God at once loves the Sinner with an everlafling unchangablo. Love, and yet a Child of wrath. Which the RemoJJflrauls therefore quarrel ; in the work of Redemption, that]Yet Grace, and richefl Merry, and fullef/ Sa– tufaeliou, fhould meet together; which the Soci11imts therefore are blinded in. In the work of Juflification, That one in whom God works inhermt Rlghte– oufrufs, fl10uld not !land righteou• before God's Tribunal, but be juflified by the Rtghteot~jiufs of another, which the P llptj/s flumble at, as did the ./ews to their defiruction. In Sanctification; How ~ffeC111al Cal/mg, i11fallible Cortver– ftoll, fhould !land with man's Fru-will, is. a riddle to the Anni11iaus and Pa– pifls, who therefore cut the knot, not bemg able. to unty It. All thefe are Myfleries, which God bath revealed and made up m tlus, on purpofe to thew his Wifdom, and to make\nfe his own, and to befool the World. A Myflery! Then it is of fuch depths of wifdom, as take all the poor petty plots of accommodating great difficulties, wherein the Princes and Wife men of the World fpend their thoughts away to vanity, and yet magnifie and pride themfelves in; and this plot, and any one Myflery in it, when once difcovered, confotmdeth and 6ri11gs to1tothi11g all theirs, r Cor.r,19. r Cor. 2.8. It all vanifh– eth as meer folly; nothing. And there are not only depths of Wifdom, but depths of Love in it alfo, Epb. ~.16. It reveals a breadth, height, depth of Love in Chrifi dying for Ene– mies, and God giving his Son for Enemies, aspaffeth knowledge. Si11 is a great depth, therefore the Apofllefaith, it doth a6ormd, Rom.).20. and is .t6ove mea· ji<rtftnful, Rom.7.q . and fo you will find it when you gage it to the bottom. And fo the Devils and damned Spirits in Hell fl1all find it, whil!l: they are a {\udying their fin fulnefs in Hell to all eternity, (that being their bufinefs,) and · can never fathom ir. But yet this of God's Free grace and Chrifl's Love is a depth, which (wallows · up this of Sin, more than the Heavens do the Earth. That place feems to com– pare it to a mighty Sea fo deep,_ as i~ wa~ts a bottom; fo as though the thoughts of Men and Angels !hall bediVIng IntO It, to all Etermty they !hall not come to ground: Of the length and breadth alfo, that it knows no fl10ar, that though they !hall be failing over it with that fmall compafsof their Capacities for ever, yet they fhall never come to Land ; it paffeth knowledge. And indeed, my Bretliren, thefe are great incitements, efpecially to Large underflandings to fearch into them. For men of Large underfrandings feek after depths, as good Swimmers do after deep Waters, and refufe to go into the Shallows, becaufe they cannot have fcope enough to exercife their skill, and prefently frrih a– ground. And befides, This having fuch depths in it, may frill further be fearched into with pleafure, for !\ill it pafieth knowledge. The mofl hidden things in other knowledge, and the caufes of them, as the caufe of the Eclipfe of the Stm and Moo11. They are like Riddles, which though admired, before revealed , yet then become trivial, and as it were below the Under!l:anding, and when you fee the furthefl of them they grow flale. But there are depths in this Knowledge, which for ever may be dived into with pleafure ; and by reafon of their depth, the knowledge 6f them to a rmewed V11derflmtdi11g will be alwaies frefh and new; every new degree makes all feem new, as if not known before, 1 Cor.t.)• 10 . Still as Knowledge grows more perfect, that which was before is done away and (wallowed up, as if you had not yet known it, and fo flill it is new, And to frudy and hear News all the day, the minds of men arc led along with Plea– fure. And withal this bids men, be fure they come with reverence • nd fear, to hear and read them. Thirdly, [t was a Myfrery hid and kept long fecret in regard of clear reveal– ing of it, TheProphets,r Pet.t,ll. had enquired it into it, a!ld fearchcd dili– gently, unto whoru it Was revealed, not unto them but us ; which therefore is faid
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