with whom our Reason is now happily acquainted. CHA P. For none can fay that Jefus is the Lord but by the XVIII. Holy Ghoft; who fearcheth the deep things of God, and revealeth them to us. It belong'd to God only, to conftitute the Mediator between himself and Man; and the Revelation of him; and the things of his Kingdom, muft neceffarily therefore come unto Man, as it did, from Heaven. In that Senfe the Myftery was certainly above or beyond the Reason of Man to have found out without an Information from above, by a Delegation from Heaven. ALL the collective Wifdom and Prudence of the Wife and Prudent of this World, could never have found out that Abyfs of God's Love and Wisdom in fending his Son into the World, for reconciling it to himself. And this very well explains Job. vi. 44. No Man can come unto me except the Father draw him, i. e. as the next ver. fhews, unless he is taught of God. As the Words were addrefs'd to the Jews, it is peculiarly true of them, that none will receive Jesus for their expected Meffiab, unless they are firft convinced out of the Old Teftament, wherein they are taught of God concerning him: but it holds good in general, that none other will come to Chrift as their Saviour, except they are taught of God, or drawn by the Teaching of that Spirit which reveals Chrift in the Scriptures: And hereby know we the Spirit of God: Every Spirit or Doctrine commanded to be tried, that confeffeth that Jefus Chrift is come in the Flefb, is of God, I fob. iv. 2. This Faith cometh only of bearing the Word of God; not the natural, but the Spiritual Man is inform'd of it, 1 Cor. ii. 14. i. e. one who receiveth the Revelation of the Spirit. M 3 CHAP. Spirit. By comparing Scripture with Scripture, XVIII. the few might arrive at the true Knowledge of their Meffiah; but the Greek had no tafte left but for his modifh Wisdom, whatever prefented itself, not having the current Stamp, was fcorn'd as Foolishness, and difrelifh'd as babling: depending wholly upon his natural Reason, Philofophical Deductions, and vain Philofophy, he cannot poffibly know them that way, before Revelation discovers them; they are spiritually difcern'd, knowable only by Revelation from the Spirit; nor can he receive them, as long as he rejects that way of knowing: But admit that way of Knowledge, his natural Reafon plainly difcerns them, the Cafe is alter'd, and the natural Man becomes a fpiritual Man. THE Myfteries of the Heathen Superftition were dark Frauds and Artifices of certain Confederates carrying on Imposture for wicked Ends ; often placing Devotion in Impurity behind the Scenes, and therefore fwearing the Initiated to Secrecy, but always holding it unlawful to give the prophane common Worshippers any written Knowledge of their Myfteries ; thus it was among the ancient Druids, once the Oracles of this Kingdom*. But thofe of our holy Religion. all tend to Holinefs and Purity, and are written *Non fas effe exiftimant ea, quæ de facris docent, literis mandare. Cæf. de Bell. Gall. Lib. 6. That the Heathen Myfteries were filed Stoppna uushed, full of deteftable Iniquity, vid. Whitb. Eph. v. 12. Cicero was both Philofopher, and Prieft, and he joins both together in faying, Illum quafi parentem hujus univerfitatis invenire difficile: & cum inveneris, indicare in vulgus nefas. Lib. de Univers. pag. 2. 'Twas hard to difcover the true God, the Parent of the Universe, and if you should discover him, 'twould be unlawful to apprife the common People of him. for for the Information and Edification of all; be-CHA P. cause it is generally neceffary for all to under- XVIII. ftand plainly the principal Truths they import. And fo much, in Fact, is disclosed to common Apprehenfions, as is of beft Ufe to their Repentance towards God, and Faith in our Lord Jefus Chrift, for Pardon of Sin, and Access to worship God through his Mediation; holding the Mystery of Faith in a pure Confcience and the practice of all good. Works. II. THE Myfteries of the Gofpel, the eternal Purpose (Eph. iii. 11.) eternal Covenant, (Heb. xiii. 20.) were gradually revealed and unfolded from Faith to Faith. The Series of Tv ivv, Ages and Generations may be reduced to three, 1. Wherein a Saviour was promised from the beginning, upon the firft Occafion, to FALLEN Adam, The Seed of the Woman shall break, &c. and again renewed to Abraham, that in his Seed all Nations fhould be bleffed. Faith in this Promife faved, and was in force till Faith in the actual Performance of it; and that Promife was the latent Gospel of the old World, and of the Mofaick Difpenfation. When 2. It was further typified and painted out (in claro-obscuro) by Sacrifices, and Rites: The Old Teftament being as the Moon fhining, by the Light of the unfeen Sun. 3. When the Sun of Righteousness actually arofe, the Meffiab, called the last Age, Days, &c. Hence it appears that true Salvation, i. e. Remiffion of Sins through the one Mediator, whom God ordain'd, is in Substance and Efficacy one and the fame faving Truth from the Beginning of the World to the End thereof; from fallen Adam to the laft Man; only the Knowledge thereof is more explicite at fome time, CHAP. than others; and to fome People and Nations, XVIII. above others. The Revelation in its laft Per fection was according to Jok. i. 16. Grace for Grace, or Favour unto Favour; the Law of Mofes a Shadow of good things to come, being Favour under a Veil; to uncover which came the valuable Favour and open Mercy of moft gracious Truth by Jefus Chrift, properly meriting the Name of the Grace of God, (Tit. ii. 11.) A DISCOVERY by Degrees, till the Effufion of the Holy Ghoft after Chrift's Afcenfion, has all along been the Economy of God. The Patriarchs and Profits faw comparatively to what the Apostle faw, and we have read, but thro' a Glafs darkly; yet with their lefs Know ledge were, nevertheless, holy Men. Whence it may be inferr'd, that a general Conception, or obfcure confufed Notion of the faving Myfteries of Faith, is in fome Cafes a faving Knowledge; at leaft, when and where farther Degrees of a diftinct Understanding is not attainable, with refpect to the Capacities, and Opportunities of feveral People. Tho' the Evangelical Mysteries are revealed, and in that Respect fo far as they are fo, not hid to fome Part of the World, they notwithstanding retain the Vulgar Acception of the Word, i. e. unintelligible to a great Part of it; fo much of it as the Gospel has yet to instruct concerning thofe Truths. But bleffed are our Eyes, for we fee, &c. III. IT is to be obferved, that the MYSTERY of God and the Father, or God the Father, and of Chrift -of Chrift of the Gospel the Riches of Chrift (Eph. iii. 8.) of the Glory of this Mystery - of full Affurance all the Trea- CHAP Affurance of Understanding fures of Wisdom and Knowledge. the Riches XVIII. of his Grace wherein he hath abounded towards us in all Wisdom and Prudence-the Myftery of his Willand St. Paul's own Knowledge of that Mystery difplay'd unto others, all confift, if we will let the Apoftle explain himself, (Eph. iii. 3-7. compared with ch. i. 7, 8, 9.) in the Knowledge of the Redemption we have thro bis [Chrift's] Blood, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS; revealed to Gentiles, as well as Jews. Other Scriptures make the Notion of the Name Jefus, i. e. Saviour and Redeemer, to confift in faving his People from their Sins, and the Knowledge of Salvation [from Enemies, the Devil and his Works] to his People, to be in, by, or for the Remiffion of their Sinst. And confequently the Salvation, which the Scripture is able to make wife unto, through Faith which is in Chrift Jefus 1, and the Salvation, which is the END of our Faith, in the Mystery of Chrift, and the Gofpel, are the fame thing with the Forgiveness of Sin; the Revelation, Knowledge, or Mystery of one, is the Revelation, Knowledge, or Mystery of the other. This is the prime Fundamental of our Knowledge therein, therefore called the Word §, the Gospel +, the Way **, of Salvation, New Testament, or Covenant; wherein God will, upon that Faith, Repentance, and Amendment, remember Sin and Iniquity no more; declar'd alfo to be the very Way of knowing the + Luke i. 77. § Acts xiii. 26. ↑ 2 Tim. iii. 15. Pet. i. 9. ** Aɛs xyi. 17. which explains thofe Expreffions, any of this Way, ch. ix. 2. fpeak evil of that Way- no fmall ftir about that Way, ch. xix. 9, 23call, &c. ch. vi. 14. - after the Way which they Lord |