lo Chrijl the true andperfi'Etqaine. are indeed matter ofthe dung-hill. Four1hly, A or power ofthe godhead hee raifed himfelfe ifChrifl be our treali1re and gaine, our hearrs from death , and thereby acquit himfclfe of mufl be fet on him. Our minds vfe to be vpour finnes: and thisacqoitall or abfolution is on our penny, and we hunger after gainc : let his iuflification, whcrby l-e dcclareth himfelfe vs therefore hunger after Chrilt;ne isour pento be aSauicur pcrfeClly righteous, Forifheo ny,and he is our gaine. Nay, wee mul\ aboue had notC.tisficd the wrath ofGod to the full, all pleafures, honours, profits, loue him, and and brought perfeCl righteoufi;effo, hee had rcioycc in him: yea,wee fhould be fwallowed neuer rili.n againe, confidering he was iudged vp with loue ofhim. Laftly, here is matter of • and condemned for our finnes. comfort.In the loffe ofgoods and fritnds,and The third myflerie is, thefight of Angels, calamitiesofthis life,we maynotbedifinaied: who dcfired to looke intothe Incarnation of all theloffesofthishfe, are but pettY loffes,fo Chrifl:in which they fawthreethings,as Lnk! long as wehaue Chri{\forour gaine.Nothmg tdlifieth. The firfr, that it was a meanes to can be wanting vnto vs, in the m1dfl ofall our manifefr theglorieofGod: thefecond, that it lu~e :. lolfes and miferies,fo long as we receiueofhis brought peaceand good fucceffe to men vpon ••· fulneffe who is the fountaine ofgoodndfe, B earth:the third,that it was a meanes to r<ueale neuerd;iedvp. , I thegoodwiOofGodtothcworld. Thefourthis, 4 • To proceede further, thefecond part ofthe 1 thepreiiCbingofChrif/ to the Genules. This ap- Rom. 16 . comparifon[Chrif/ i; myg•ine]isamplified by / pearcrh to bee a great myflerie; becaufe the If. a gradation on this manr.en1•f/«metbek?Jow· kn~.VledgeofC!mfr was kept fecret from the ledgeoj'Chrif/1ef"' my Lord•nexcellent thing: I nauos,for the fpace ofmore then foure thoudefirt,.gmne Chrij/:1defire te"'foundinCbrij/. fand yeares. For from the creation to Mofes Oithefe inorder.By the knowledgof Chrtfl, the Church ofGod was lhut vp in a little f<lwe are to vnderfland the do(trir.cofthe Gofmily: from ..;1-/ifesroCbri!l,it was included pel, or the doctrine of the pdons and offices within the precin(ts ofiewry:which was not ofChrill, concciued and knowueofvs. To fo much as the fourth part of England, The this knowledg an excellency is afcribed, of \fifthmyfrerie was theconuerfioncftheworidto which I will fpeake a little. Tllisexcelleucie \the faith of Chrifl. And this is fo much the appcares partly in the matter and contents.. greater wonder; bc:caufc thisconuerfionwas and partly in the elfe(ls thereof. Touching I wrought by the preaching of the Gofpell the matter, it is full of excellent myfleries, which is flat againfl the naturall reafon and whichP••l reduceth to fixe heads in his Epi· C will ofman, aAd thereforevnfit toperfwade: frle to Timothie, 1 .T•m·J·I6. The firfl is,the I and the preachers hereofwere fimplcand filly Incarnati<>!l of rhe Sonne of God, in thtfc men to fee to: andfome ofthemwhichwcre words,Godmade rm<nifejl inthefofh. And here conuertod,werethe very Iewesthat crucified two wonders offer themfelues to be confide- ! Chrifl. The lafr myfiery was the afcenjion of red:the firft, whereas Adams flefh and Ad•ms Chrifl intoglorie,Thegreatneffeofthis myfre- /inne are infcparably ioyned together, in rery appeares in two things. Tile lirfr, thar fpeClof all that nature can doe; yet did the Chrifls afcenfion was a reall and-li1ll opening SonncofGod r.kevntohim mans nature and ' of the kingdome of heauen, which had for– llefh without mans finne: becaufe he was conmerly bin !hut by our fins. The fecond, that ceiuedof a Virginby theoperation cfrhe ho- 1 the afcenfion ot Chrifr, was noperfonall or ly Ghol\: whereas ifhe had beene conceiued priuateafcenfi6: for he afcended in the roome by namrallgeneration, hee had with Adams and l\cad ofall the Eie[l: and they afceaded flefh taken .Adams corruption. The other together in and with him, and now after a wonder in the IncarnationofChri!l is, that fort are together in and with him iil glory. the Aefh ofman is vnited to the_perfon ofthe ThuS>~< fee the excellency of th<,knowledge Sonne o.fGod 1 & thence hath hts fubfiflance, D ofChnlbn refpeClof the Myfrenes cotained otherw1fe haumg no fubfiftancc of hts owne. therem: the like excellency appearcs in the The like example is not to bee found in the elfeCls thereof;which are two,the knowledge world againe : fauing thatw<e haue fomc reofGod,and ofour felucs. fcmblancethereofin rheplantcalledU11ifc<iFor thefirfr,by the knowledge ofChrifr we to, whichhath norootofhis owne,but growes know God aright.Hence Chrifl is called Heb. •sa branch ofthe oake, or forre other tree I•J.Thehrightn•ffiofthegloryoftheFather:and an_d hath his life and fap from the rootrhere~ th<ingraumim•geofhi;perfon: and,the image if ot. The fecond mtl\ery m the knowledge ot thw111ijible G•d, Col.r .1 5. And Paulfairh noCbrifl, is the iu!lification of Chrifl, in thefe J tably, that when God fhineth in our hearts by words,Iuj/ified in theJPirit: and it was on this . I the light ofthe Go!pel, hi<glory is to befoenein manner: Chrifr made man become our fu.re- .the face oj'Chrijl, o,Cor.4. 6· The wifedome tie, and was made fubieCl to the law for vs. power, and goodnesofGod is made manifefr Hereupon our finnes were imputed to him, in Chrifr: aod that morefullythen euer it was ao.'d the punifhment due thereto !aide_ vpon in thecreation. In the creation Ad•mbeeing hun, that ts, the fir!l death wnh the pames of but a meere man was our head; but in theethe f~cond: yea further,death in the graue had frate ofgrace,Chrifl is ourhead, ~od& man. dommton ouerhim. Afterall this,hy his fpirit Bycreation we rccciue but a naturalllife to be Kk k 2 continued {;.
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