38 c/L Declaration of the Glorioú.r M r ST E R Y affeaed with the gofpel, notwithftanding the continual preaching of it unto them, and their outward profeffion of it. It doth not inwardly af- fea them, it producethno bleffed effe&s in them. Some fenfe theyhave of the power of God in the works of creation and providence, in his rule and government; and inthe workingsofnatural confcience. Beyond thefe they have no real fenfe of him : the reafon is, becaufe they have not faith, whereby alone the reprefentation that is made of God in Chrift, and de. Glared in the gofpel, is made effedual unto the fouls ofmen. Wherefore 3. It is the higheft degeneracy from the myftery of chriftian religioni formen to fatisfy themfèlves in natural difeoveries of the divine being and excellencies, without an acquaintance with that perfed declaration and re- prefentationof them, which is made in the perfon of Chrift, as he is reveal- ed and declared in the gofpel. It is confeffed that there may be good ufe madeof the evidence which reafon gives, or takes from its own innate prin- ciples, with the confiderationof the external works of divine wifdom and power, concerning the being and rule ofGod. But to reit herein, to efteem it the befi and moft perfective knowledge ofGod that we can attain, not to rife up unto the more full, perfed and evident manifeftation of himfelfthat hebath made in Chrifl is a declarationofour unbelief, and a virtual renun- ciationofthe gofpel. This is the fpring of that declenfion unto a meer na- tural religion, which difcovers it felfin many, and ufually ends in theex- prefs denial of the divine 'perfon ofChrift. For when the proper ufe of it is defpifed, on what grounds can the notion of it be long retained ? But a fuppofition ofhis divine perfon is the foundation of this difcourfe. Were he not the efential image of the Father in his own divine perfon, he couldnot be the reprefentative image of God unto us, as he is incarnate. For if he were a man only, however miraculoufly produced and glorioufly exalted, yet the angels above, the glorious heavens, the feat and throne of God, with other eff its of creating power and wifdom, would no lefs re- prefent Ins glory than it could be done in him. Yet are they no where joyntlynor feparately ftiled the image of the invifihle God; the brightnefr of his glory, and theexprefs image ofhisperfon; nor sloth God Thine into our hearts togive us the knowledge of hisglory in theface of them. And it argues the woful enmity of the carnal mind againft God, and all the effects of his wifdom, that whereas he bath granted us filch a glorious image and reprefentationofhimfelf, we like it not, we delight not in the contemplation of it, but either defpife it, or neglect it, and pleafe our felves in that which is incomparably beneath it. 4. Becaufe God is not thus known, it is that the knowledge of him is fo barren and fruitlefs in the world, as it manifefts it felf to be. It were eafy to produce, yea endlefs tonumber the teffimonies that might be produced out of heathen writers, given unto the being and exillence of God, his au- thority, monarchy and rule : yet what were the effefts of that knowledge which they had; betides that wretched idolatry im wherein they were all - merfed? as the apoftle declares, Rom. i. it refcued them from no kind of wiçkednefs and villany, as he there alfo manifefts. And the virtues which were found among them, were evidently derived fromother caufes, and not from the knowledge theyhad of God. The Jews have theknowledge of. God by the letter of the old Teflament. But yet not knowinghim in Chrift and having'loft all fenfe and apprehenfon of thofe reprefentation whichwere madeof his being in him in the law, they continue univerfal- ly a people carnal, obffinate and wicked. They hove neither the virtues o, the heathens among them, not the power of the truth of religion. As it was with them of old, fo it yet continueth to be; theyprofifr that they know
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