Book IV. GODLINESS COMPAR RD TO A TRADE. Vine, to a Shepherd, &c. The Spirit is compared to the Wind, to Oil, to vVater; and Grace, to ::Oeed, to Gold tried in the Fire, &c. The Mylleries of Religion and Godlinefs are fo hard to underftand in their own Nature, that God condefcends to open them eo us by earthly Things: Jn this God fi1ews what Children we are, and how dif. ficult it is for us to underll,md thefe Things. And though they are thus explained, yet how little is it that we are able to underiland of them ! Now that which the Chil– dren of Men are nor able fully to take in, or comprehend, though God makes ufe of the bell Mediums he in his Wifdcm fees good to make ufe of, is a great Myflery: But the Children of Men are able to rake in bur little of the Myileries of the Gofpel, not– withi'tanding rhefe gracious Mediums God is pleafed to make ufe of: Ergo, &c. 5. That wbich the Children of Men are not able to rake in or receive the Knowledge of at once, bur when God fees neceffary to difcover by degrees, by little and little, not· wichllanding all rhofe proper and fit Medicines he condefcends to make ufe of, is a great Myllery: Hut the Myileries of the Gofpel, and Godlinefs, God fees the Children of Men, norwirhftanding all rhofe Mediums he is pleafcd to make ufe of, cannot take in or receive at once, bm thar there is need for hirn w open and difcover them by degrees, by lirele and little. Ergo, lr is very myllerious, fo vall a Depth, fo great a Light, fo frran"e a Myllery is this Myil:ery, that God reveals it now a little, and then a little. Aden~ had rhe firlt D ifcovery of it: 'The Seed of tbe Woman jhall break the Serpent's Head. Abraham had more of it made known to him; Mofes had a greater Revelation of it than the Prophets: And then, John Baptijt, who law more than all that went before him, and upon that Account was called tile greareft Prophet that ever arofe amongfr them that were born of Women; and yet he law but a little of this great Myf– rery, comparatively to what thofe faw who were in the Kingdom of Heaven, viz. the Gofpd·Church, after the Death and RefurreC\ion of J efus Lhrilt, Luke vii. 28. 6. That which all the wife Men of the World, meerly by all their natural Wifdom, Arts, and Sciences, could never find om, nor arrive at the true Knowledge of, is a great Myll.ery: But all the w.ile Men ofrhe Wo.ld, meerly by all their Arts and Sciences, and human Learning, could never arrive to the trm: Knowledgt: of Chri(l, and real Godlinefs: Ergo, the Principles of true Godlinefs, and the Myileries thereof, are out of the reach of meer human Realon; though not again!t or contrary to Reafon, yet they lie above Reaion : Reafon muft lloop to Faith 111 thefe Things. The Gofpel is called W ifdom, as oppofire to the W1laom of Men; and the Apo!tle faith pofirively, T hat it was Wifdom in fuch a Myllery, tllat none of the Princes of this World knew. Nay, the Spirit, lays one; jeers all the Learned of the World in this very Thing, be. callfe of their grof.< Ignorance. Where is the Scribe? Where is the Wife? Where is the Difpllter of this World> Hath not God made foolijh the Wijdom of this World? Hence the Preac!Jing of the Gofpel was accounted b)' the leamed Greeks but Foolijhnefs, 1 Cor. i. t8, 20. Natural Men may underiland natural Rtlig10n ; but true Godlinels .confilts in the Light of divine 1'r11th, and in the Lite of Goace, God manifeil:ing him– felt' in the Light of Truth, and working the Life of fllpernatural Grace by his Spirit in the f-1-eart. True Godlinds doth nor confill in the Knowledge of the Letter of the Gofpel. A natural Man may have the hiiloricJI or notional Knowledge of the Gofpd and Chriilianity, he may arrive to the moll exaCt underflanding of Things, as far as Letcers and Words can exprefs them; that is, he may know ·rhe rrue fenie and mean– ing of Things in the Golpel, according to what eirlre~ the Hiflory, or Tenor of fuch Words will import, and know the grammatical Senfe ot Words, b::aer than many true ChriHians: But this is not th·~Jpiriwal and tru~ Knowledge (I[ Religion anti Godlinefs-; for that confiil:s in the favi ng and experimental Knowledge of. God, and Jefus Chri!t. The Myfrery of the Gofpel, and Power of G·Jd!inef;, is the D ifcovery of God's Glory in irfelf, and the workino- of it gloriouny in the Soul ; it lies not in the bare Expreffion, or Knowledge of Words~ ~or in the extern;] Form of l'rofefiionof rhefe \Vorc.ls; but .it lies in the divine Glory of God, which is wrapped up 111 thefe Words, ,and the gra– cious Conformity, Difpofirion, and A ffections of t!:e Soul to rhefe Things. It is an 'eafy matter to mnfefs J eflls Chriil: to be the Son of God, and to read the Scriptures, to pray, &c. but to fee the Myil:ery of that Glory which is in this, that Chriil is God's Son, and to have the powerful Influences of it upon the H eart, whereby the Soul is brought inro the Image or Likenefs of Chriil:'s Death and Refurreftion; this is a Myftery. . 7· That·which the moll: wife and knowing in the fame Art or Myllery, can reach or underlland bur Part of, mull: needs be a great Myllery : As fuppofe a School-maller, u A nay,
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