On C 0 L 0 SS. I. 25, 26. But you will ObjeCt, Tbu u11ot (o, fort his Knowledge i< made commo11 to all, God would /;,.ve the Gofpel preached to .very Creature; a11d fo it wmCololf. 1 ~ 23. I Anfwer, As when Alexander objeCted to Ariflotle, That he would make his Knowledge commo11, mu/ Jo debafe zt when he publifhed hzs Book" He An. fwered, They were Edita,f!J tJOit edita, for none would under!l:and them but his Scholars, and therefore entitled them mpld•es•"""'"'· SG> this, though publilhed to all the World, yet it is entituled a M)jiery, and a Mjflery hid, for none know it but the S•ints, who are taught of God, :tnd are his Scholars, Joh. 6. 45'• That place lhews, that there mull: be a fecret teaching by God, and a fecret learning, If they•have heard, a11dbeen taught of God. Now God teacheth none but Saints, for all that are fo taught come unto him; Every OIJt who bath heard, and lear11ed vf tht Father, c01neth tm(o me. Ayl But you will fay, Vo ttot ma11y Carnal men know the Gofiel,anddifcottrfe of things i11 it through Jfrmgth of Learnilzg? f!Jc. I Anfwerout of tl1e Text, That though they may know the things which the Gofpel reveals, yet not the riches and glory of them; that fame rzch Know– ledge fpokeo of in the Word, they want, and therefore know them not. As a Cluld and a Jeweller looking upon a Pearl, both look on it, and call it by the fame name ; but the Child yet knows it not as a Pearl in the worth and riches of it, as the Jeweller cloth, and therefore cannot be fa id to know it. NowMatt. 17. 2). a Chri!l:ian only is likened to a Mercbcmt mau, that fiittls •a Pearlof great price, that is, difcovered to be fo, lllid fold all ht had for it, for he knew the worth of it. But you will fay, 'Do tJot Car~Jal men imow the worth of the thittgs in the Gojptl, mtd ca11 d•ftourfe of the Rich Gract of Chri.fl, and worth of ~? ' I Anfwer, Yes, As a man who hath gotten an Inventory by heart, and the prices alfo, and fo may know it; yet never was he led into the Exchequer and Treafury, to fee all the Jewels themfelves, the Wardrobe qf Grace, and Chri!l:'s Righteoufnefs, to fee the glory of them; for th:fe are all Spiritttally difcerned, as the Apo!l:le fays expretly, t Cor.2. '4' VS E S. Ufe t. If it be a My fiery which God only makes known, as you fee it is, then go to him for it, you know how to deal with him. Jamts t. )· If mry ltJCk wifdom, let himask it, whofe Promife is in the New Covenant, to tearh all hJS to know him. As you cannot fee the Stm without the light of it felf, fo nor the Riches of the glory of Chrifl without his Spirit, who is called the Spirit of wifdomand revtlation; who only knows the deep things of God, i Cor.2,n. as the My!l:eries of the Gofpel are, as the context lhews, that lie all at the bottom of his Brea!l:. The Well is deep, we have nothing tbdraw, But you will fay, God bath reveald himfolf itt the Scriptures, attdI.t is 6ut readt11g them, atzd I have wit t11ough to underf/attdthem. · I Anfwer, It was the Spirit that wrote the Word, which is riot therefore (fays Peter) bf any private interpretation; th2t is no mans, nor mens privale under!l:anding, without the a!li!l:ance of that publick Secretary of fieaven, can under!l:and them, r He only hid the Treafures of K11owltdge in the field, and he only knows where they lie, What an advantage is it then by Prayer to unlock God's breaft, and obtain the Key of Knowledge there tl:tat unlocks God's Study, and can direct to all his Notes and Papers. Secondly)
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