of .SIN in BELIEVERS. 37 above us. Hence our faith, as was formerly obferved, is caned a /ding darkly as in a glafs : all that we know this way, (and all that we knowof God, we know this way) is but low -and dark and ob(cure. But you will fay, all this is true, but yet it is only fo to them that know not God; perhaps ashe is revealed in Jefus Chrift : with themwhodo fo tis otherwife. It is true, No man hathfeels God at any time, but the only begotten Son be bath revealed him, Jon. i. 17, i8. and the Son of Godis now come, and bath given us an under -' ftandmg that we may know him that is true, r yell. v. 20. The illumination ofthe glorious gofpel of Chrift, who is the image of God, thineth upon Believers, z Cor. iv. 4. yea and God who commanded light toAnte out ofdarkenef, Antes into their hearts togive them the knowledge of his glory in the face of his fon, v.6. So that though we were darknefs, yet we are now light in the Lord, Eph. y. 8. And the apof ie fays, We allwith openface behold the glory of the Lord, z Cor. iii. 18. and we are now fo farfr oes being in fuels darkenefs, or at fuch a dillance from God, that our communion andfel- low /hip is with the father and the Son, t Joh. i. 3. the light of the gofpel whereby now God is revealed is glorious; not a liar, but the fun in his beauty is rifen upon us, and the vail -is taken from our faces; fo that though unbelievers, yea and per- haps fome weals believers, may be in tome darknefs, yet thofe of any growth, or confderable attainments have a clear light and view.of the face of God in Jefus. Chrift. To which I anfwer, a. The truth is we all of us know enough of him to love him more than we do, to delightin himand ferve him, believe him, obey him, put our truft in him-above all that we have hitherto attained: Our darknefs and weaknefs is no plea for our ne- gligence and difobedience. Who is it that hash walked up- to the knowledge thathe ham had of the perfeftions, excellencies and will of God? God's end in giving us any knowledge ofhimfelf here, is that we may glorify him asGod; that is, love him, ferve him, believe and obey him, give him all the honour and glory that is due from poor finfui creatures, to a fin- pardoning God and Creator;, we muff all acknowledge that we were never throughly transformed into the image of that knowledge which we,have bad. Andhad we;ufed our talents well, wemight have been mulled with more. s. Comparatively ;- that knowledge which we have of God by the revelationofJefus Chrift in the Gofpel, isexceedingeminent and glorious. It is fo in comparifon ofany knowledge of God, that might otherwifebe.attaincd, or wasdelivered in the Law un- der the Old Teffament, which had but the fhadow of good things, not the exprefs image of .them, this the apotbe purfues at large, s Gr. iii. Chrift has now in there Taft days, revealed the Father from his own bofom, declared his name, made known his mind, will and council in a far more clear, eminent, dilhin& manner, than he did formerly, whilft he kept la's people under the padegogyof the law, and this is that which for the molt part is intended in the places before mentioned; the clear, perfpi- coonsdelivery and declaration of God and his will in the Gofpel, is exprefly exalted in comparifonof any other wayof revelation of. himfelf 3. The differencebetween believersand unbelievers as to knowledge,is not fo much in the matter of their knowledge, as in themanner ofknowing. .Unbelievers fome ofthem may know more,and be ableto faymore ofGod,hisperfeftions andhis will,than many be- lievers ; bucthey know nothingas theyought, nothingin a right manner, nothing.fpiri- tually andfavingly ; nothing. with an holy,heavenly light.The excellencyof a believer is not,that hebath a large apprehenfionofthings, but that what hedoth apprehend, which perhapsmay bevery little, he fees it in the light of the fpirit of God, in a Paving foul- s.ansforming light: and this is that whichgives us communion with God, and not prying thoughts, or curious raifed notions. 4. Jefus Chrift by his word and fpirit reveals ro the hearts of all his, God as a Fa- ther, as a God in covenant, as a rewarder, every way fufficientlytoteach us to obey him here, and to lead us ro his bofom, to lye down there in the fruition of him to eternity. But yet now, I. Notwithftandingall this, it is but a little portion we know of him, we fee but his back-parts. For (i.) The intendment of all gofpel revelation is not to unveil God's effential glory, that we fhould fee him as he is, butmeetly to declare fo much of him as he knows fufhcient to be a bottom of our faith, love, obedience and coming to him: that is, of the faithwhich here he experts fromus. Such fervices as befeem poor creatures
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