254 Of COMMUNION with defign of this digreffion, is to evince, that all wifdom is laid up in him, and that from him alone it is to be obtained. I Cor. i. 24. the Holy Ghoft tells us, that Chrifi is the power of God, and the wifdom ofGod, not the effential wifdom of God, as he is the eter- nal fonof the father, upon which account he is called wifdom in the Pro- verbs viii. 20, 21, 22, 23. but as he is crucified, xsüi. as he is crucified, fo he is the wifdom of God; that is, all that wifdomwhich God layeth forth for the difcovery, and manifeftation of himfelf, and for the Paving of fin- rem, which makes foolifh all the wifdom of the world; that is all in Chrift crucified, held out in him, by him, and to be obtain'd only from him; and thereby in him do we fee the glory of God; 2 Cor. iii. 18. for he is not only faid to be thewifdom ofGod, but alro to be made wifdorn to us, r Cor. i. 3o. he is made not by creation but ordination and appoint- ment, wifdom unto us; not only by teaching us wifdom (by a metonymy of the effef for the caufe) as he is the great prophet of his church, but alío becaufe by theknowing of him, we become acquainted with thewif- dom of God, which is our wifdom ; which is a metonymy of the adjunft. This however verily promifed, is thus only to be had. The fum of what is contended for, is afferted in ternis, Col. ii. 3. In him dwell all the treafuree of wifdom and knowledge. There are two things that might feem to have force colour in claiming, a title and intereft in this bufinefs. Fill!, Civil wifdom and prudence, for the management of affairs. Secondly, Ability of learning and literature, but God rejeéteth both thefe as of no ufe at all to the end and intent of true wifdom indeed. There is in the world that which is called underftanding, but it comes to nothing, there is that-which is called wifdom, but it is turned into folly, t Cor. i. 19, 20. God brings tonothing the underllanding of the prudent, andmakes foolìfh the wifdom of the world. And if here be neither wifdom nor knowledge, as doubtlefs there is not, without the knowledge of God, ` erem. viii. 9. it is all flout up in the LordChrift, Joh. i. 18. No man bath feen God at any time, the only begotten fon which is in the bofom of the Father be bath revealedhim. He is not feen at any other time, 'bob. v. 37. nor known upon any other account, but only the revela- tion óf the fon, he hath manifefted him from his own bofom, and there- fore verfe 9. it is faid that he is the true light that lightneth every man that cometh into the world. The true light which hash it in himfelf, and none bath any but from him, and all have it who come unto him, he who doth not fo, is in darknefs. I. The fuin of all true wifdom and knowledge, may be reduced to thefe three heads. (s.) The knowledgeof God, his nature, and his properties. (2.) The knowledge of our felves in reference to the will of God con- cerning us. (3.) Skill to walk in communion with God. The knowledge of the works ofGod, and the chiefend of all, doth ne- ceffarily attend thefe. In thefe three is fmmned up all true wifdom and knowledge; and not any of them is to any purpofeto be obtained, or is manifefted, but only in and by the Lord Chris. God by the work of the creation, by the creation it felf, did reveal him- felf in many of his properties, unto his creatures capable of his knowledge; his power, his goodnefs, his wifdom, his all-fufflciency, are thereby known, this the apoftle offerts, Rom. i. tq, 20, 21. he calls it -ré yimfOi ,gS,g, verfe 20. that is, his eternal power and godhead, and verfe 21.a knowing of God, and
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