The Glory of the Go.JPel, faid tok ourglory•,t Cor.2.7· being the priviledge we have above the Patriarchs who yet bad knowledge of the!-egal Covenant as clearly as we; yet in regard of this, the leaf/ in the Ki>~gdom of God is greater than Jolm the B ap 11 f1 though in regard of clearer infight into the Gofpd he was greater than any be: fore him, And this both adds to the excellency of it fo far, as to commend it to us the more, were any of thefe Secrets, which Philofo.phers and Wife men, in all Ages, had beat thetr Brains about, as Qud~atum circ11_ti, C!ic. and the Phllofopher's Stone, found out and revealed to us m thefe Ages: How would we therefore prize tt the more; as we c;lo Priflthtg, the Myfiery of which lay hid lrom the beginning, Nay, this Myfiery, and the Doctrine of it, is that which the Saints for Four thoufandyears fiudicd, and fought to God to know all of them one after another ; and fiill they cou!Q get no other anfwer but this, That 1101 unto them, bttt tu. Again, Where lay it hid all this while ? In God's breafi; dm .,;;;, .l&,.,, the S<tm!aJewl~rztm, before the World w.as, Gene~ations fincc; fo I Cor. 2. Jay bid inGod, and tn hts Mal\er-ptece, the chtefefi of lm works. If one bit of the Cnoice Books of Solomo11, which had lain hid till now, were yet found, a Book about the Nature of Trees, Birds, and Btafis, how would we prize it? Much more this of God's, But you will fay, When was it firlt re– vealed, it had this to commend ir; yet now it is I 6oo years fince it fprang forth, Itis not therefore fo new to us. I Anfwer ; It .is true, only confider rhar as the Law, which though delivered in Mofes's time, yet before Jojia!,'s time lay hid long; like fame Rivers, that run fome Leagues under ground, and then difcover themfelves again: fo did the Doctrine of the Gofpel, after the firfi difcovery of ;t, lie hid many Ages and Generations, as the Church her felf did in the Wilder– nefs, when Schoot-'1Jivi11ity and Popery, both wanting the light of the Gofpel, did cover the World with darknefs; when it might truly be faid, that the World was fpoiled through Philofophy and vaitJ 'Deait, Traditio11s of men, Rudi– mmts of the World, and 11ot tifter Chri(f. Whereas, but within the cornpafs of i:his Age we now live in, it bath been that the Kittgdoms of the World have become again the Ki~tgdoms of Chrijl, Rev. 1 r, I )• and the Tempif opnud, and the Ark of the Teflament, as it is in the la!l: Verfe, that is, Chrtf/; and all his Riches have been broken up and fearched into, and difcovered to"the eyes of alL That as to the Popijh part there bath been a New I11dies difcovered, full of Earthly Treafure, that had not been known before, which hath fo enriched them: fo a New !tidies of Heavenly Trea– fure, a New World of 'lJivittity bath been found out, that was but pri– vately known before, which hath enriched us; and happy were we, if we prized and defended ours, as they do theirs. And though much of the Heavenly Treafure was digged up at fir{\ , yet more bath fince, and may be, for God will find his Church digging and work of difcovery to the end of the World. And, my Brethren , thefe are the 'rimes. And Lanty, now it is revealed, it is but to the S.1ints. If the Secrets of it were known to all, they were no Secrets, and lefs-ro be regarded; but God is dainty of this Knowledge, tells it but to few, Father, I thank thee (faith Chrifi) that thouhafl bid thefe thi11gsfrom thewifermd prrtdmt, mtd revealed them to Babes, The Doctrine of Godls Free Grace, are the mof\ inward, pra– ctical, and experimental Secrets, and the deep things of God, as the things of the Gofpel, are called, I Cor.1..Io. Which fecrets are o11ly with tbem thatjl:ar him, ('PJ,•I.2)·'+) aJJd he will/hew them his Covmmtt. The things ol the Law may be known by Natural men as fully as by others, they hare a Copy of them in their Confciences. And this lhews the excellency of this Knowledge, for if there be any Know– ledge better than other, God will be fure to impart it to his Friends and Favow– rites; Job11 l) .I 5· Totl arf my Frimds, a11d all I have heard of my Fatber, I bave wade know11 to yott. Thi~ h_e will not tell to thofc who are barely Ser– vants, th~y know 11ot hu mind, as u IS there. Beltcvers only have the mmd of Clm!t, I (or,>,,rJ/t. But
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