CHAP. Lord from the least to the greatest, (Jer. xxxi. 34.) XVIII. glad Tidings to all People; the Peace of God, Freaching Peace by Jefus Chrift; being faved, juftified finally; Foy, Eternal Life, &c. MAKING known what is the Riches of the Glory of this Myftery, that our Hearts may be comforted; and when Words fail of extolling the great Riches of that Grace, we are to abound therein with Thanksgiving *. Let the Peace of God rule in our Hearts, i. e. according to the Force of the Original, moderate and decide Controverfies; to the which Peace we are called, but not to doubtful Difputation in our Knowledge of Chrift. That Love of Christ passeth Knowledge, i. e. excelleth, furpaffeth, according to the Original, all other Knowledge; and that Peace' of God in like manner, paffeth all other Understanding or Science, being a Peace which the World cannot give. AND because we may fo well understand that Divine Science, the Powers of that Faculty (Simplex Apprehenfio, Judicium, Difcurfus) improving in that part of the Myftery, according to what is commanded, are faid to be most profitably filled with the Fulness of the Knowledge of God in Chrift, reconciling the World to himself, which is the Glory and Perfection of our Knowledge of them: Efpecially when they take into Confideration the Fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily for making him a complete Mediator of Redemption and Interceffion for us; and that Measure of the Stature of the Fulness of Christ to *Col. i. 27. ii. 2, 7: iii. 15. + Rom. xiv. 1. which they may grow and improve, and make a CHAP. perfect Man in the Knowledge of that Myltery. XVIII. The Love of God in fending his Son into the World, and the Love and Humiliation of the Son taking our Nature upon him, and by his Death, Refurrection, and Afcenfion perfecting our Peace and Reconciliation, is the wondrous Disclosure of the Mystery of Godliness, the Fountain of all Mercy and Pardon, Means of Grace and Hopes of Glory, the exciting Principle of Repentance and Prayer, and a perpetual Fund of Obedience, Thanksgiving, and Adoration. WOULD we be inform'd wherein he hath abounded towards us in all Wifdom and Prudence of the Mystery? It confifts in the Redemption we bave through bis Blood, the Forgiveness of Sins according to the Riches of his Grace*. Or would we be contented with St. Paul's own Knowledge of the Matter? he declares it to confist in the fame and confines himself to that Point ||; and calls his writing of it, the speaking the Wif dom of God in a Mystery . Would we know the great Article of Faith to which he would have all the Nations obedient, to whom the Myftery, the Preaching of Jefus Chrift is made. manifeft by the Scriptures §; he acquaints us in the begining of that Ep. + that it is, concerning his Son Jefus Christ our Lord, which was made of the Seed of David according to the Flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with Power, according to the Spirit of Holiness by the Refurrection from the Dead. СНАР. To the making known this Gospel of God, and of Chrift, he declares himself made an Apostle; and that it is the Power of God unto Salvation to all that believe *. The Son of God taking our Flesh, dying for our Sins, and rising again for our Juftification, being the Summary of the Gofpel; and the Proof of that Mystery of Chrift, as to both Parts of his Divine and Human Nature, Son of God, and Son of Man, he wifely reduces moreover to a prov'd Matter of Fact, to prevent all Philofophical Speculation about his being the Son of God. For as he was Son of Man κατὰ σάρκα ἐκ σπέρματος Δαβίδ, by taking our Flefh, (and dying) fo was it Matter of Fact, that he was Son of God alfo narà TVEŰμa ayioons, by the Refurrection from the Dead: There was the Power of the Proof of it, fufficient for any Christian, that the Holy one who faw no Corruption was the Son of God. All the after Miracles were wrought in the Name of Christ rifen, and to atteft that Truth; and what Truth, what Fact was ever fo well attefted by History? For he not only wrought many Miracles by his own Power, and in his own Name (doing others, fometimes as the Prophet, the Sent of God, anointed with the Holy Ghoft and with Power) the Abundance of which St. John, in the Close of his Gospel, makes a Cafe of Record, that be was the Son of God. But the Miracle of all was, his railing himself from the Dead, as he afferts of his own Power to do, Demonftration of Omnipotence! Therefore doubtless the Son of God. * Rom. i. 16. WOULD WOULD we laftly know, what the Apostle calls a great Mystery, (and then we fhall have gone through all the Scriptures, where Mystery is mentioned in reference to Chrift, or his Divinity) there are but two Places, Eph. v. 32. 1 Tim. iii. 16. And if all the other Paffages apply Mystery to practical Purposes and not to Theories, even thofe Places where great is fuperadded to Myftery, will be found ftill more in the fame Design. Eph. v. 32. The Spirit of Revelation condefcends to apply the Union be tween the Hufband and Wife to illuftrate the intimate Love and Relation between Chrift and his Church; but especially that Inftance of it in the preceding Verse, For this Caufe fhall a Man leave his Father, &c. and cleave to, &c. This is a great Mystery, but I speak concerning Chrift and the Church. That is, as the Man leaves his Father, &c. fo Chrift left, as it were, his Father to be joined to his Church: Prodigious Love, and Condefcenfion! And what better Argument for our Love, and Submiffion to him? 1 Tim. iii. 16. And without Controversy, great is the Mystery of Godliness: God was manifeft in the Flesh, &c. The Incarnation of our Lord and Saviour is worthily called a great Mystery, inafmuch as the real Divinity and Humanity of Chrift, as Son of God, and Son of Man, is the great Point and Corner-Stone of Chriftianity. The Creed commonly call'd Athanafian, fays nothing but the Truth, a Truth worth all the reft; "The right Faith is this, that we be"lieve and confefs, that our Lord Jefus Chrift "the Son of God, is God and Man." But how much is it our Prudence to obferve further, CHAP XVIII. for XVIII. CHAP. for what End is it divulg'd? to what Ufes appointed? and what fort of Myftery described? Not a Speculative, not a Notional one, devised for Difputation; but a truly quiet, religious, practical, and exceeding wife one; improveable to Godliness only, that is the Conduct of the Myftery, that is its very Propofal, that is the whole of its exprefs'd Contents, whenever we are fo wife as to lay afide vain Philofophy; tho' we know and believe, or think we know and believe many things concerning it, we know them all amifs, if our Knowledge does not confine itself to this Point. The inconceivable Part, the perpetual Theme of Controverfy, is not the Mystery of Godliness, but that which is intelligible and matter of Fact, plainly fet down, God manifefted in the Flefb: The Sum of that and the Scope of the Particulars following justified in the Spirit, &c. is GODLINESS; that is the great Aim of this great Myftery; confirm'd by and confined to the Neceffity of holding the Mystery of that Faith in a pure Confcience towards God and Man: next to the Being of God, the Apoftle would have it accounted the moft certain Thing in the World; and to be fo confeffedly plain, as to be without any Controversy among Chriftians. And it is the more obfervable, that this great Apostle, who was favour'd with the laft Knowledge and Discovery from the Lord Jefus himself, concerning the Myftery of himself, in his Directions to Timothy, fhould fix and afcertain the precife Meaning, fingle View, and entire Purpose of it, to Godliness, and a pure Confcience: To certain Godliness, not to doubtful Difputation; to Godlinefs and Honefty, tending to heavenly Felicity, not worldly Wrangling. This is the worthy Subject |