GODLINESS COMPARED TO A TRADE. Book IV. nay, the ableft in the Wor,ld, who profeffes to know and teach fLich and fuch an Art ?r M yftery, is forced to confef.<, he fees and knows out little of it, or fees but in Part, 1t is fo hard and difficult to find out; all would conclude, that Art or Science was a M yftery indeed : But fo it is here; for the holy Apoflles, who had as great a Know– ledge of thefe My!ieries as any ever had in the World, nay, we may modeflly con– clude, a greater, yet they declare, they knew but in Part, and f,,w b~t in Part, they faw comparatively but a Httle Way into thefe My!leries, For we know but in Part.– Now we fee through 'a Glafs darkly.-Now I know in Part, 1 Cor. xiii. 9, 12.-Ergo, Thefe are g1·eat My.fteries. 8. That which the holy Angels defire to pry into, nay, look into with the greateft Earneflnefs and Defire imaginable, and are contented, the better to underftand, to learn of the Church; and yet, when all is done, do admire, and fland, as it were, aitonifned at, is a grelt Myflery : But the Angels do pry into thefe Myflcries with the greateft harneftnefs, and are contented to learn of the Church, that they may the better or more fully underHand them, and after all, fland and wonder, to behold the Depth of this Grace, of thlS Love, and rhe Strangenef; of this Myltery. Ergo, The Gofpel, or Doc– trine of Godlinef,, is a great Myftery. Now to make this Argument good, pray con– fider thefe Texts of Scripture, I Pet. i. 12. -Which 'Jbings the Angels dejire to look h11o. The Word, Dejire, fignifies the utmoll: coveting or longing after a Thing which a Man cannot be withom: Dejire to look into: ""e""".j."'• this Word fignifies bowing down to pry heedfully and nar-rowly into a Thing. I. The Angels are greatly taken with this Myftery, with this G1·ace and Love in Jefus Chri£l:, manifefted to faHen Man; they look and pry into it, according as it was npified of them, by the placing of the Che– rubims looking down towards the Mercy-fear, Excd. xxv. 20. 2. That they are con– rent to learn of the Church, fee Eph. iii. IO. 'l'o tbe Intent, lhat 110w unto the Princi– palities, and PowtTS in heavenly Places, might be known, by the Church, the manifoldWif– dom of God. 3· That they after all £l:and as it were amazed, and wonder at the Depths, Jee I 'J'im. iii. ;6.-Sem of Angels w~,S.~, it is not meant of a bare Sight, but a Sight w/lich aftonilhes the Underllanding, and takes up the Heart: He was feen with Ad– miration and Wondermml: Thus Dr. Sibbs. 9· That which the glorified Saints !hall admire, when they arrive to a perfect Know– ledge, mull: needs be a great Myftery : But the glorified Saints !hall admire at the Myf– tery of this Grace and Love, in the Day of Chrift, nay, it will be the Matter of their ,wondei'to all Eternity. See 2 Cor. i. 10. Therefore the Doctrine of Godlinefs is a great Myftery. 1 o. This will be further manifefl, by conf1dering wherein the ·Greatnefs of this Myf– rery cloth' conli£l:. Firjl; Now the My!l.ery of Godlinef.; principally conlifl:s in the Perfon ofChrift, God manifdl in the l'li:lh. Paul determined to know nothing fo much as Cbrijl, and him cru– cified, 1 Cor. ii. 2. When we know Chrift better, we lhall under(land this My!\ery better: Chri£1: is the Myflery wrapt up in all the Gofpel, he is the Scope of all the Scripture, the Pearl hid in the Field; every Line is drawn to him, as the proper Center; all the Types awd Shadowspointed to him, and all the Promifes run in him. Jefus Chrift is really and truly God, and yet very Man, God and Man in one Perfon, ·and is not this a Myflery? (1.) Is it not a Wonder, that a Woman.ihould compafs.a Man? (2.) That he that made the World, lhould be born of a Woman! 13.) That th.e Antient of Days lhould become a Child of a Day old! (4.) That Bleffednefs itfelf fhould be brought under a Curfe for Sinners! Cbrijl was made a Curfe for tts, as it is writtm, Curfed is every oue that hange:h oil a 'J'ree, Gal. iii. 1 3· (5.) That he that was the Heir of all Things, Heir of both Worlds, D10uld be laid >n a Manger! (6.) That he who was God over all, lhould have no where tO lay his Head! (7.) That he lhould become poor, who was fo rich, and by his Poverty make others rich! Is not this a Myflery? (8.j He by dying deflroyed Death; and unlef~ he had died, \ve could not live; and by.Death he brought us to Life! (9.) And -is it n0ta .My!lery, that a Per– _fon 010uld be capable to die, and yet by his own Power raikhimfelf up again from the Dead? ( 10.) Is not this a Myftery, that the Phylician fhould die to cure his Patient, nay, and unlefs he die, the Sin-lick Soul could not.live; and that his Blood lhould be the Balfam? ·Is it not a great Myflery, that the oftended Savior lhould fuffer to free the offending Sinner. 1 I. Is it not a 'Myftery, that the Nature of Man D10uld be fo joined 'to the divine ;Nature of God, that both..lhould make but one.Chrill:? and that our Nature lhould be .3 exalted
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