Book Ill. THE WORD oF GOD coMPARED TO A GLASS. 57 I S I M I L E. P A R A L L E L. I. A Glafs is a Medium, that reI. THE Gofpel is the befr Medium which repreprefentsPerfons and Things fents God the Father, the Lord Jefus unto the Sight of our external Eyes. Chrifr, and Holy Spirit, Angels and Saints, with Things pafr, prefenr, and to come, to our fpiritual Sight, or to the Eyes of our Faith. . I!. Some Glalfes !hew us fuch Things, that we cannot fee, nor difcern without rhem, as common Experience !hews, which are called PerfpeClive Glaifes. H. The Word of God !hews us fuch Th1ngs and Myfreries, that with0ut it we could not ke nor have the leafr Knowledge of; as the Manner of the Creation of the World in rix Days; the Caufe why God fets his Bow in the Cloud ; the glorious Attributes of God, together with God's Manner of Being, or the glorious Trinity; the Conception, Birth, Life, Death, RefurreCI:ion, and Afcenfion of the Lord Jefus Chrifr; as alfo God's poficive Law and inflituted Worlhip. I II. A Glafs feems to bring fuch Things near to us that are at a great Difrance. Some by looking in a Glafs have difcovered Things and Perfons many Miles of, as if they were juft by them. IV. A true Glafs !hews or re– prefenrs unto a Man his own natu– ral Face; by looking therein he may fee what manner of Man he is, he may take a plain View of himfelf, whether fair or deformed. V. A Glafs is ufed by fome as a Thing to drefs themfelves in; by it they know how to put on their At– tire, and to deck themfelves with all their Ornaments: If any Thing be w•ming or amifs, which they would have on, they foon per– ceive it by looking in a Glafs. VI. A Glafs is a Thing that feme Perfons take much Delight to look into. VU. He that would have a full or plain Sight of a Perfon or Per– Ions that he bath a Defire to behold in a Glafs, mufr look therein with open Face, he mufr not look afquiut upon it. Ill. The Word and Gofpel of God brings Things that are afar oft: very near; it reprefents w our Faith theJudgment-day, and Jhews us how Mat– ters and Things !hall be managed then; who !hall be cleared, and who condemned; Jt bnngs near to the Eye of our Faith, the glorious Kingdom of Jelcts Chrifr, and many Things of like Nature. IV. So the Word of God !hews forth, not only the Glory of God in the Face of Jefus Chrifr, as alfo what this World is, what Sin is, &c. but it !hews what Man is before Grace, how wretch– ed, blind, naked, d~:formed, polluted! and al!b after Grace through Chrifr, how happy, adorned, beautiful and glorious! V. So the Word of God is abfolutely needful or necelfary for all Chrillians to look into, who would drefs and deck themfdves with the Orna– ments of Grace, that they may be comely in the Sight of God. By looking into the Word they may fee what Ornaments are wanting, and how to put them on fo as to be compleatly drefs– ed, and every way ready for the Bridegroom's Coming. VI. The Word of God is a Thing that all true Chrifrians take much Delight to behold, daily pry and look into, by Reading and Meditation: His Delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in his Lawhedothmeditate bothNightandDay, Pfal. i. 2. VII. So he that would have a clear Sight of God in his glorious Attributes and Perfections, mufr look into the Gofpel with open Face; he mufr look with a full and fingle Eye, as one that is refolved by the Help of the Spirit, according to the Nature of his Sight, to fee what may be beheld therein ; and not cafr a fquint Look as it were upon it, feem to look towards God, when his Heart is more upon other Things and Objects : We with opm Face, &c. If thy Eye be jingle, thy whole Body is full of Light. VIII. AMan that beholds his natural Face in a Glafs, and goes his way, loon forgets what manner of Man he was ; if he faw Spots, or Blemi!hes, or other Deformity in his Face, or any uncomely Fea– tures, he foon forgets them. 2 VIII. So he that doth cafr but a tranfient Look into rhe Word of God, or is bur a bare Hearer thereof, may, whilft the Word is a preach– ing, fee, or have fome Senfe of his Sin, and de– plorable Condition he is in by Nature, and be fomewhat troubled for it a while; but not put– ting into practice what he hears, but turning to his
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