5o LADeclaration of the Glorious MYSTERY of heavenly light. How miferably did thofe among them who boafted themfelves to be rife, max foolifh in their imaginations ? How wofully did all their enquiries after the nature and will of God, their own (late, duty and happinefs, iffue in curiofity, uncertainty, vanity and falfhood? He who is infinitely good and compafhonate did from the beginning give fore relief in this woful ftate by fuch parcels of divine revelations as he thought meet to communicate unto them by the prophets of old, fuck as they were able to receive. By them he fet up a lightfhining in a dark place, as the lightof (tars in the night. But it was the riling ofthe fun of righteoufnefr alone that difpelled the darknefs that was on the earth, the thick darknefs that was on the people, bringing life and immortality to light by the gofpel. The divine perfon of the Sonof God, in whom were all the treafures ofwifdom and knowledge, who is 'in thebofom of the Fa- ther, bath now made known all things unto the church, giving us the per- fect Idea and certaintyof all facred truth, and the full affuranceof things invifìble and eternal. Three things are neceffary that we may have the benefit and comfort of divine light or truth. Firll, thefulnefs of its revelation; Secondly, the infallibilityofit, and Thirdly, the authority from whence it doth proceed. If either of thefe be wanting, we cannot attain unto ftability and affurance in the faith of it, or obedience unto it. Fiifi, Full it mull be, to free us from all attempts offear that any thing is detained or hidden from us, that were needful for us to know. With- out this the mind of man can never come to reff in the knowledge of truth. All that he knows may be ufelefs unto him, for the want of that which he neither dour nor can know, becaufe not revealed. And Secondly, it mutt be infallible álfo. For this divine truth whereof we treat, being concerning things unfeen, heavenly, eternal myfteries tranf- rending the reach of humane reafon, nothing but the ahfolute infallibi- lity of the revealer can bring the mind of man to affurance and acquiefcen- cy. And whereas the fame truth enjoyns unto us duties, many of them contrary unto our inclinations, and trots unto our feveral interefis, the great guides of corrupted nature ; the revelation of it mull proceed from lovereign authority, that the will may comply with the mind in the em- bracement of it. All thefe are abfolutely fecured in the divine perfon of the great prophet of the church. His infinite wifdom, his infinite good- nefs, his effential veracity, his fovereign authority over all, give the high- eft affurance whereof a created under(tanding is capable, that nothing is detained from us, that there is no poffibility of error or miftake in what is declared unto us, nor anypretence left of declining obedienceunto the com- mands ofthe truth that we do receive. Thisgives the foul afered refs and peace inthe beliefof things which eyebath notfeen, nor ear heard, nor can en- ter into theheart of manto conceive. Upon the affurance of this truth alone can it with joy prefer things invisible and eternal above all prefent fatisfadi- ons and defires. In the perfuafion hereofcan it forego the bell ofprefent en- joyments, and undergo the morfi ofprefent evils; namely, in the experience of its prefent efficacy, andchoice of that future recompence which it dour fecure. And he believes not the gofpel unto his own advantage, or the glory of God whofe faith refts not in the divine perfon of Jefus Chriff, the great prophet ofthe church. Andhe who there finds reff untohis foul, dares not admit ofany co-partners with him as to initrudion inthemind ofGod. Thirdly, It was requifite unto the office of this great prophet of the church, and the difcharge thereof, that he fhould have power and authori- ty to fend the holy fpirit tq make his revelations of divine truth effedual unto
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