4.0 c.ADeclaration ofthe Glorioi c My s T ERy of the Father, be bath declared him, John i. 18. He is fo fubflantialy in oppofition unto the types and Ihadowsof the Old Teftament; for in him dwelt thefullnefs of the Godheadbodily, Col. ii. 9. The body is of Chrift, v. t7. He is fo fubjeEiively; for all divine truth relating to the faving knowledge of God is treafured up in him. In himarebidall the treafures of wifdom and knowledge, Col. ii. 3. That is, the wifdom and know- ledge of God in his counfels concerning the vocation, fandification and falvation of the church ; concerning which the apoftle falls into that holy admiration; O the depths of the riches both of the wifdom and knowledge ofGod, Rom. xi. 33. And they are called treafures in a twofold account both mentioned together by the Pfalmifl. Howprecious are thy thoughts unto me 0 Lord, howgreat is the fum ofthem? They are treafures be- caufe precious and unvaluable, andare thereforeufually preferred above all earthly treafures which men molt highly efteem, Prov. iii. 1405. And they are fo becaufe of the greatnefs of the fum of them; and therefore alfo called unfearcbable riches Ephef. iii 8. Thefe precious unfearchable treafures of the wifdom and knowledge of God, that is, all divine fuperna- tural truths, are bid, or fafely depòftted in Chrift, in and from whom a- lone they are to be learned and received. So are we faid to learn the truth as it is inyefus, Eph. iv. a1. And the knowledge of all evangelical facred truth, is in the fcripture molt frequently expreffed by the knowledege of bairn Johnviii. 19. chap. xvii. 3. 2 Cor. ii. 14. chap. iv. g, 6. Ephef. i. 17. Phil. iii. 8, -- lo. 1 John i. t, 2. chap. ii. ¢,-----13, 14. chap. v. 20. 2 Pet. ü. 20. Setting afide what we have difcourfed and proved before concerning the layingofthe Foundation ofall the counfels ofGod in theperfon ofChrifi, and the reprefentationof ehem in the ineffableconflitution thereof; I (haul give force few inftances of-this relation ofall fupernatural truth unto him; ma- nifefting that we cannot learn them, nor know them, but witha due ref- peel thereunto. 1. There are two things wherein the glory oftruth dbtla confift; (i.) Its light. (2.) Its efficacy. or power. And both thefe do all fupernatural truths derive from this relation unto Chrift. (1.) No truthwhatever brings anyfpiritual light unto the mind but by virtue thereof. In bim is life, and the life is the light ofmen, John i. 4. He is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world, v. 9. Wherefore as truth is the only means of illumination, fo it cannot communicate any light unto the mind, but only as it is a beam from him, as it is an organ to convey it from that fountain: feparated from him and its relation unto him, it will not retain, it cannot communicate any real fpiritual light or underftanding to the fouls of men. How Ihould ir, ifall light be originally in him, as the fcripture teftifieth? Then alone is the mind irradiated with heavenly truth, when itis received as proceeding from, and leading unto the Sun of righteoufnefi, the bleffed fpring of all fpiritual light which is Chrift himfelf. Whatever notional knowledge men may have of divine truths, as they are doctrinally propofed in the fcri- pture, et if they know them not in their refpect unto the perfon ofCbrifl asthe foundationofthe counfels ofGod; if they.difcern not how they pro- ceedfrom him, and center in him, they will bring no fpiritual facing light unto their underftanding. For all fpiritual life and light is in him, and from him alone. An inftance hereof we have in the Jews. They have the fcriptures of the Old Teftament, wherein the fubftance of all divine trurla is revealed and expreffed. And they are diligent in the Rudy of theist. Howbeit their minds are not at all illuminated, not irradiated by the rrutlis contained
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