I 44 c/1 Declaration ofthe Glorious MYSTERY of fatan thought, and now of himfelfcontinues to think otherwife, name: ly, that the way to be wife is to relinquifh thefe things. The world will not beperfuaded that the fear of the Lord is wifdom, and to depart from evil is underfanding. Yea there is nothing that the moll of men do more .defpife and from, than thoughts that true wifdom doth confilt in faith, love, fear and obedience unto God, fee Pfal. xiv. 6. Whatever elfe may be pleaded to be in it, yet fure enough they are, that thofe who count it wifdom, are but foolsi To call an everlaíting reproach of folly on this contrivance of the divel and man, and uncontroulably to evince wherein alone true wifdom doth conflit, God would glorify a flare of obe- dience. He would render it incomparably more amiable, defirable and ex- cellent than ever' it could have appeared to have been in the obedience of all the angels in heaven, and men on earth, had they continued therein: This he did in this wayof our recovery; in that his own eternal Son en- tted intoa bate of obedience, and took upon him the formor condition of a fervant untoGod. What more evident convi&ion could there be of the folly of mankind in hearkning unto the fuggeftion of fatan, to feek after ,wifdom in another condition.? how could that great maxim, which he laid .down in oppofition unto all vain thoughts of inan, be more eminently ex- emplified ; that thefear of the Lord that is wifdom, and to depart from evil that is underfanding? What greater evidence could be given, that the nature ofman is not capable of a better condition than that of fervice and .univerfal obédience unto God? How could any bate be reprefented more amiable, defireable and bleffed ? Inthe obedience of Chrift, of the Son of 'God in our nature, apoftate (inners are upbraided with their folly in re- ainquifhing that bate, which by his fufception of it, is rendered fo glorious. .What have we attained by leaving that condition, which the eternal Son of Goddelighted in? I delight, faith he, to do thy will, 0my God, yea thy law is in the midfi of myFómelr, Pfal. xl. 8. It is the higheft demonftra- tion, that our nature is not capable of more order, more beauty, more glory, than conffts in obedience unto God. And that bate which we fell into upon our forfaking of it, we now know to be all dark- 'nefs, confufion and mifery. Wherefore feeing God in infinite grace and mercywould recoverus unto himfelf; and in hisrighteoufnefs and holinefs would do this in a way of obedience, of that obedience which we had forfaken; it bath an eminent impreflion of divine wifdom upon it, that in this myflery of God manifeft in the flefh, the only means of our reco- very', he would raft the reproach of the mob inexpreffible folly on our apoftafy from a bate of it, and render it amiable and defireable unto all who are to return unto him. To bear the fhame_of this folly, to be deep- ly fenfible of it ; and to live in a confiant profpecb and view of the glory óf obedience in the perfon of Chrift, with a fedulous endeavour for con- formity thereunto, is the higheft attainment of our wifdom in this world; and whoföever is otherwife minded, is fo at his own utmoft peril. 7. God in infinite wifdom bath by this means fecured the wholeinheri- tance of this life, and that which is to come from a fecond forfeiture. Whatever God will bellowed on the children ofmen, he grants it unto them in the wayof an inheritance. So thelandofCanaan, chofen outfor repre- fentative of fpiritual, and eternal things, was granted unto Abraham and, his feed for an inheritance. And his intereft in the promife is expreffed by beingheir of the world. All the things of this life that arereally good and ufeful unto us, do belong unto this inheritance. So they did when it was vefl:ed in Adam. All things of grace and.:glory do fo alfo. And the whole of the priviledge of believers is, that they are heirs offalvation. Hence
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