GODLIP<ESS COMPAR!lD TO A .TRADE. .Bock IV. we come to the father. Chrifl: is a Saint's only Correfpondent ; he receives all our ,Prayers and Duties, and makes returns of Mercies. V. A Man who begins a Tr11de, ought to ·be well infl:ruCled, and to know every particular Art and Myfl:ery in it: Some Trades or Profeffions are hard to learn, thev .are full of Myfl:ery, and very intricate; and if they underfl:and them not, or are no't Crafts-Maflers therein, they will never live comfortably of them, as Experience cam. manly theweth: So every Chnfl:tan ought to learn the Myflery of Godljnefs; this hea· venly Calling is noteaGly learned; there is no Trade that is more myfl:erious.than the ·Trade or Art of Godlinels, as .we fhall fully evince, and make appear, J. By plain Texts of Scripture. ' 2. By Arguments and Demonfl:rations drawn therefrom. As to the Firft, fee thefe Scriptures : · 1 Cor. ii. 7. But we [peak the Wifdom of God in .a_.Myflery, .eve11 the bidden fof7_ifdom, &c. compared with Rom. xvi. 25. Eph. i. 9· anti 111. 3• 4· Col. 1. 26. 1 'rim. m. 16. Wzthaut Controverfy great.is the Myjlery of Godlimfs; God manifejl in the Flejh, &c. Godlinefs is twofold, 1. The Doftrinal Part. 2. The Practical P4rt. A Myfl:ery is a Thing hidden, hard to find out, that which few underfl:and, which lies not open to the Sight and Apprehenfion of Men. Many Arts ufed amonofl: Men are full of Myfl:ery. If a Man goes into a Chymifl:'s Shop, pollibly he may f~e there feveral ExtraC\.ions of Minerals, but he may not know how he extraCted thofe Spirits, ·nor cloth he underfl:and the Nature and Operation of them, that is a Myfl:ery. There are divers other cmious Arts and Devices very hard to learn, they are fo myfl:erious ,; ·but all come fhort of thefe heavenly Myfteries. The Myfl:eries of Godlinefs are ex– .ceeding gre.at. r. ThefeTiiings are hi8den Things from the Eyes of Men. 'See Nlatt. xi. 25. The Gofpel is read daily, every Man hath the Hifl:ory of it in his Houfe; but alas t very few underftand it; it is a Myfl:ery; it is not known, but by fuch only who fed its Power, and bleffed EffeEts and Operations of it upon their Hearts. 2. The Gofprl, and great Things of Chrifl:ianity and Godlinefs, are the rare Con, trivance of God's eternal Wifdom, and therefore full of Myfl:ery. If any J\.fan think.s .he knows any 'I'bing, he knoweth nothing as he ougbt to know, 1 Cor. viii. 2. Thefe Things .are not eafily found out. 3· The .Hifl:ory of the Gofpel, and Principles of Chriftianity and Godlinefs, could not be known without Revelation ; had not God afforded us the written 'Nord, what lhould we, or· could we have known of thefe Mvfl:eries? What do-che Heathen know of them, that have not the holy Scripture? J ohn xx. 31. R om. xvi. 25, 26. Doth the Light within difcover the Incarnation, Birth, Life, Death, RefurreC\ion, Afcenfion, aod Interceflion ofJefus Chrifl:? Doth that teach the Myflery of Faith and Regene– ration? It is true, fame have affirmed, that they fhould hav.e known all Things the .Gofpel reveals, if they had never had the written Word: But how falfe that is, appears to all; and rhey themfdves have been ftlenced, by putting one ·~efl:ion to them, which is this : lt is fa id in 'John xx. 30. Many otber Signs did 'jefus, in the prefence of his Difciples, which are not written, &c. Now let diem !hew us what thofe other Signs were : But alas ! they can tell us nothing but what the Scripture relates·.; neither had we or they known them, bm by the .Record thereof. . That which we have the Hifl:ory of, and yet cannot :underfl:and, or make our own, ~mlefs the Spirit of God opens and explains it to us, is a great Myfl:ery: But we can· not underfl:and the Myflery of Religion and Godlinefs, without the Spirit's Teaching and Explanation : Ergo, &c. As theBiflor.y mufl: be revealed by the written Word, fo the Myftery mufl: be revealed by the Spirit: For what Man knoweth the 'Ihiugs of a Man, fave the Spirit of a Man, which is in -him; even fo rhe 'Ihings of God knoweth no Man, but the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. ii. 11. 4· That which needs or requires feveral Gradations and Mediums, to open and ex– plain it from time to time, is a great Myfl:ery: But the Gofpel, or MyH:ery of Godli– nefs, requires [uch feveral Grada-tions and Mediums, to open it unto the Children of Men. (1.) God underthe Law revealed thefeThings by di~ers Sacrifices, Walhingsi .and other Rites, whilft Perfons remained in their Non-age. (2.) !t"Cequires the Ufe of divers earthly Similitudes, to open and explain it to the Underfl:anding of Men. -God is compared tO a Father, to an Hufbandman, to a Judge, to a CreditOr, to a Por· ,tioo, .to an Hou010lde(, &c. ChriG;, to a Lamb, to L~ght., to an Huibanc\,.Vto a ' ,111<;,
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