8. to know our selves in reference unto these three is a main part of true and sound wisdome for they all respect the supernaturall and immortall End whereunto we are appointed and there is none of these that we can attaine unto but only in Christ. 1. In respect of sinne there is a sence and knowledge of sin left in the Consciences of all men by nature To tell them what is good and evill in many things to approve and disapprove of what they doe in reference to a Judgement to come they need not goe farther then themselves Rom. 2. 14 15. But this is obscure and relates mostly to greater sinnes and is in summe that which the Apostle gives us Rom. 1. 32. they know the Judgement of God that they which doe such things are worthy of Death This he placeth among the common Presumptions and notions that are received by mankind namely that it is Righteous with God that they who doe such things are worthy of Death And if that be true which is commonly received that no Nation is so barbarous or rude but it retaineth some sense of a Deity then this also is true that there is no Nation but hath a sense of sinne and the displeasure of God for it For this is the very first notion of God in the World that he is the Rewarder of good and evill hence were all the Sacrifices purgings expiations which were so generally spread over the face of the Earth but this was and is but very dark in respect of that knowledge of sinne with its appurtenances which is to be obtained A further knowledge of sinne upon all Accounts whatever § 24 is given by the Law that Law which was added because of transgressions This revives doctrinally all that sense of good and evill which was at first implanted in man and it is a glasse whereinto whosoever is able spiritually to look may see sinne in all its uglinesse and deformity The truth is look upon the Law in its Purity Holinesse Compasse and Perfection its manner of delivery with dread terrour thunder Earthquakes fire the sanction of it in death curse wrath and it makes a wonderfull discovery of sinne upon every account its pollution guilt and exceeding sinfullnesse are seen by it But yet all this doth not suffice to give a man a true and thorough conviction of sin Not but that the Glasse is cleare but of our selves we have not eyes to look into it the Rule is streight but we cannot apply it and therefore Christ sends his Spirit to convince the World of sinne Joh 16 8. who though as to some ends and purposes he makes use of the Law yet the work of conviction which alone is an usefull knowledge of sinne is his peculiar work And so the discovery of sinne may also be said to be by Christ to be part of the Wisdome that is hid in him But yet there is a twofold regard besides this of his sending his Spirit to convince us wherein this wisdome appears to be hid in him 1. Because there are some neere concernments of sinne which are more clearly held out in the Lord Christs being made sinne for us then any other way 2. In that there is no knowledge to be had of sinne so as to give it a spirituall and saving improvement but only in him 1. For the First There are Fower things in sinne that clearly § 25 shine out in the Crosse of Christ. 1. The Desert of it 2. Mans Impotency by reason of it 3. The Death of it 4. A new end put to it 1. The desert of sinne doth clearly shine in the Crosse of Christ upon a twofold account 1. Of the Person suffering for it 2. Of the Penalty he underwent 1. Of the person suffering for it This the Scripture oftentimes very emphatically sets forth and layes great weight upon Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the World as that he sent his only begotten sonne It was his only sonne that God sent into the World to suffer for sinne Rom. 8 32. he spared not his only sonne but gave him up to death for us all To see a Slave beaten and corrected it argues a fault committed but yet perhaps the demerit of it was not very great The correction of a Sonne argues a great provocation that of an only sonne the greatest imaginable Never was sinne seen to be more abominably sinfull and full of provocation then when the burthen of it was upon the shoulders of the son of God God having made his sonne the sonne of his Love his only begotten full of Grace and Truth sinne for us to manifest his indignation against it and how utterly impossible it is that he should let the least sinne goe unpunished he lays hand on him and spares him not If sinne be imputed to the deare sonne of his bosome as upon his own voluntary assumption of it it was for he said to his Father Lo I come to doe thy will and all our iniquities did meet on him he will not spare him any thing of the due desert of it Is it not most cleare from hence even from the blood of the Crosse of Christ that such is the demerit of sinne that it is altogether impossible that God should passe by any the least unpunished if he would have done it for any he would have done it in reference to his only Sonne but he spared him not Moreover God is not at all delighted with nor desirous of the blood the teares the cryes the unexpressible torments and sufferings of the sonne of his Love for he delights not in the anguish of any he doth not i afflict willingly nor grieve the Children of Men much lesse the sonne of his bosome only he required that his Law be fulfilled his Justice satisfied his wrath atton'd for sinne and nothing lesse then all this would bring it about If the debt of sinne might have been compounded for at a cheaper rate it had never been held up at the price of the blood of Christ. Here then Soule take a view of the desert of sinne behold it farre more evident then in all the threatnings and curses of the Law I thought indeed mayst thou say from thence that sinne being found on such a poore worme as I am was worthy of death but that it should have this effect if charged on the sonne of God that I never once imagined 2. Consider also further what he suffered For though he § 26 was so excellent an one yet perhaps it was but a light Affliction and triall that he underwent especially considering the strength he had to beare it Why what ever it were it made this fellow of the Lord of Hosts this Lion of the Tribe of Judah this mighty one the wisdome and power of God to tremble sweat cry pray wrestle and that with strong supplications Some of the Popish devotionists tell us
iniquities he is astonished to think that God should do so and admires that he did not take the Advantage of his provocations to cast him out of his presence He finds that with infinite wisdome in all long suffering he hath mannaged all his dispensations towards him to recover him from the power of the Devill to rebuke and chasten his spirit for sinne to endeare him unto himselfe there is I say nothing of greater sweetnesse to the soule then this and therefore the Apostle saies Rom. 3. 25. that all is through the forbearance of God God makes way for compleat forgivenesse of sinnes through this his forbearance which the other doth not 3. They differ in their Ends and aymes What is the ayme and designe of God in the dispensation of that forbearance which is § 15 manifested and may be discovered out of Christ the Apostle tells us Rom 9. 22. What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much longsuffering the vessells of wrath fitted for destruction It was but to leave them inexcuseable that his power and wrath against sinne might be manifested in their destruction And therefore he calls it a suffering of them to walk in their own wates Act. 14. 16. which elsewhere he holds out as a most dreadfull judgement to wit in respect of that issue whereto it will certainly come as Psal. 81. 12. I gave them up to their Lusts and they walked in their own counsells which is as dreadfull a condition as a creature is capable of falling into in this world And Act. 17. 30. he calls it a winking at the sinnes of their ignorance as it were taking no care nor thought of them in their dark condition as it appears by the Antithesis but now he commandeth all men every where to repent He did not take so much notice of them then as to command them to repent by any cleare Revelation of his mind and will And therefore the exhortation of the Apostle Rom. 2 4. and despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and longsuffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance is spoken to the Jewes who had advantages to learne the naturall tendency of that goodnesse and forbearance which God exercises in Christ which indeed leads to Repentance or else he doth in generall intimate that in very Reason men ought to make another use of those things then usually they doe and which he chargeth them withall v. 5. but after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart c. At best then the patience of God unto men out of Christ by reason of their own incorrigible stubbornesse proves but like the waters of the River Phasis that are sweet at the top and bitter in the bottome they swimme for a while in the sweet and good things of this life Luk. 16. 25. wherewith being filled they sinke to the depth of all bitternesse But now evidently and directly the end of that Patience and forbearance of God which is excercised in Christ and discovered in him to us is the saving and bringing unto God those towards whom he is pleased to exercise them And therefore Peter tells you 2 Pet. 3. 9. that he is long suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance that is all us towards whom he exercises forbearance for that is the End of it that his Will concerning our Repentance and Salvation may be accomplished and the nature of it with its end is well expressed Isa. 54. 9. This is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more cover the earth so have I sworn that I would not be wroth c. it is Gods taking a course in his infinite Wisdome and goodnesse that we shall not be destroyed notwithstanding our sinnes and therefore Rom. 15. 5. these two things are laid together in God as coming together from him the God of patience and Consolation his patience is a matter of the greatest consolation And this is another property of God which though it may break forth in some ray's to some Ends and purposes in other things yet the treasures of it are hid in Christ and none is acquainted with it unto any spirituall advantage that learnes it not in him 3. His Wisdome his Infinite Wisdome in mannaging things for his own Glory and the good of them towards whom he hath § 16 thoughts of Love The Lord indeed hath laid out and manifested infinite Wisdome in his Works of Creation Providence and governing of the World in Wisdome hath he made all his Creatures How manifold are his works in Wisdome hath he made them all the Earth is full of his riches Psal. 104. 24. So in his Providence his supportment and guidance of all things in order to one another and his own glory unto the Ends appointed for them for all these things come forth from the Lord of Hosts who is Wonderfull in Counsell and excellent in working Isa. 28 29. His Law also is for ever to be admired for the excellency of the Wisdome therein Deut. 4. 7 8. but yet there is that which Paul is astonished at and wherein God will for ever be exalted which he calls the depth of the riches of the Wisdome and Knowledge of God Rom. 11 33. that is only hid in and revealed by Christ. Hence as he is said to be the Wisdome of God and to be made unto us Wisdome so the designe of God which is carried along in him and revealed in the Gospell is called the Wisdome of God and a Mystery even the hidden Wisdome which God ordained before the World was which none of the Princes of this world knew 1 Cor. 2. 7 8. Ephes. 3. 10. it is called the manifold Wisdome of God and to discover the Depth and Riches of this Wisdome he tells us in that verse that it is such that Principalities and Powers that very Angells themselves could not in the least measure get any acquaintance with it untill God by gathering of a Church of Sinners did actually discover it Hence Peter informes us that they who are so well acquainted with all the works of God doe yet bow downe and desire with earnestnesse to look into these things the things of the Wisdome of God in the Gospell 1 Pet. 1. 13. It askes a man much Wisdome to make a curious work fabrick and building but if one shall come and deface it to raise up the same building to more beauty and glory then ever this is excellency of Wisdome indeed God in the beginning made all things good glorious and beautifull When all things had in innocency and beauty the cleare impresse of his Wisdome and Goodnesse upon them they were very glorious Especially man who was made for his speciall Glory now all this beauty was defaced by sinne and the whole Creation rolled up in darkenesse
that one drop the least of the blood of Christ was abundantly enough to redeeme all the World but they erre not knowing the desert of sinne nor the severity of the Justice of God If one drop lesse then was shed one pang lesse then was laid on would have done it those other dropps had not been shed nor those other pangs laid on God did not cruciate the dearly Beloved of his soule for nought But there is more then all this It pleased God to bruise him to put him to griefe to make his soule an offering for sinne and to powre out his life unto death He hid himselfe from him was farre from the voyce of his cry untill he cryed out my God my God why host thou forsaken me He made him sinne and a Curse for us executed on him the sentence of the Law brought him into an Agony wherein he sweat thick drops of blood was grievously troubled and his soule was heavy unto death he that was the power of God and the Wisdome of God went stooping under the burthen untill the whole frame of nature seemed astonished at it Now this as I said before that it discovered the Indignation of God against sinne so it clearly holds out the desert of it Would you then see the true demerit of sinne take the measure of it from the Mediation of Christ especially his Crosse It brought him who was the Son of God equall unto God God blessed for ever into the forme of a Servant who had not where to lay his head it pursued him all his life with afflictions and persecutions lastly brought him under the rod of God there bruised him and brake him slâ—w the Lord of Life Hence is deep humiliation for it upon the account of him whom we have pierced And this is the first spirituall view of sinne we have in Christ. 2. The Wisdome of understanding our impotency by reason of § 27 sinne is wrapped up in him By our impotency I understand two things 1. Our disability to make any Attonement with God for sinne 2. Our disability to answer his mind and will in all or any of the Obedience that he requireth by Reason of sinne For the First that alone is discovered in Christ. Many enquiries have the sonnes of men made after an Attonement many wayes have they entered into to accomplish it After this they enquire Mich 6. 6 7. will any manner of Sacrifices though appointed of God as burnt offerings and Calves of a year old though very costly thousands of rams and ten thousands Rivers of oyle though dreadfull and tremendous offering violence to nature as to give my Children to the fire will any of these things make an attonement David doth positively indeed determine this businesse Psal 49. 7 8. none of them of the best or richest of men can by any meanes redeeme his Brother nor give to God a ransome for him for the Redemption of their soules is precious and it ceaseth for ever It cannot be done no attonement can be made Yet men would still be doeing still attempting hence did they heap up Sacrifices some costly some bloody and inhumane The Jews to this day think that God was atton'd for sinne by the sacrifices of Bulls and Goats and the like and the Socinians acknowledge no Attonement but what consists in mens Repentance and new obedience In the crosse of Christ are the mouthes of all stopped as to this thing For 1. God hath there discovered that no Sacrifices for sinne though of his own appointment could ever make them perfect that offered them Heb. 10. 11. Those Sacrifices could never take away sinne those services could never make them perfect that performed them as to the Conscience Heb. 9. 9. as the Apostle proves Chap. 10. 1. and thence the Lord rejects all Sacrifices and offerings whatever as to any such end and purpose v. 6 7 8. Christ in their stead saying Lo I come and by him we are justified from all from which we could not be justified by the Law Act. 13 34. God I say in Christ hath condemned all Sacrifices as wholly insufficient in the least to make an attonement for sinne And how great a thing it was to instruct the Sons of man in this Wisdome the event hath manifested 2. He hath also written vanity on all other endeavours whatever that have been undertaken for that purpose Rom. 3. 24 25 26. by setting forth his only Sonne to be a propitiation he leaves no doubt upon the spirits of men that in themselves they could make no attonement For if Righteousnesse were by the Law then were Christ dead in vaine To what purpose should he be made a propitiation were not we our selves weake and without strength to any such purpose so the Apostle argues Rom. 6. 6. when we had no power then did he by death make an Attonement as v 8 9. This Wisdome then is also hid in Christ men may see by other helpes perhaps farr enough to fill them with dread and Astonishment as those in Isa. 33. 14. But such a sight and view of it as may lead a soule to any comfortable settlement about it that only is discovered in this treasury of heaven the Lord Jesus 2. Our disability to answer the mind and will of God in all or any of the Obedience that he requireth is in him only to be discovered This indeed is a thing that many will not be acquainted with to this day To teach a man that he cannot doe what he ought to do for which he condemnes himself if he doe it not is no easy taske Man rises up with all his power to plead against a conviction of impotency Not to mention the proud conceits and expressions of the Philosophers how many that would be called Christians do yet creep by severall degrees in the perswasion of a power of fulfilling the Law and from whence indeed should men have this knowledge that we have not Nature will not teach it that is proud and conceited and it is one part of its pride weaknesse and corruption not to know it at all The Law will not teach it for though that will shew us what we have done amisse yet it will not discover to us that we could not doe better yea by requiring exact obedience of us it takes for granted that such power is in us for that purpose it takes no notice that we have lost it nor doth it concerne it so to doe This then also lyes hid in the Lord Jesus Rom. 8. 2 3 4. The Law of the spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sinne and death For what the Law could not doe in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Sonne in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us The Law can bring forth no
the advancement of his own Glory None can ayme at this end but only in the Lord Jesus The summe of all is that the whole Wisdome of our Walking with God is hid in Christ and from him only to be obtained as hath been manifest by an enumeration of particulars And so have I brought my first Demonstration of what I § 41 intended unto a close and manifested that all true wisdome and knowledge is laid up in and laid out by the Lord Jesus and this by an Induction of the chiefe particular heads of those things wherein confessedly our Wisdome doth consist I have but one more to adde and therein I shall be briefe Secondly then I say this Truth will be further manifested by the consideration of the insufficiency and vanity of any thing else that may lay claime or pretend to a title to Wisdome There be two things in the World that doe passe under this account The one is Learning or Literature 1. Skill and knowledge of Arts Sciences Tongues with the knowledge of the things that are past 2. Prudence and skill for the mannagement of our selves in reference to others in civill affaires for publique good which is much the fairest flower within the border of Natures garden Now concerning both these I shall briefly evince 1. That they are utterly insufficient for the compassing and obtaining of those particular Ends whereunto they are designed 2. That both of them in conjunction with their utmost improvement cannot reach the true generall end of Wisdome both which considerations will set the crowne in the issue upon the head of Jesus Christ. Begin we with the First of these and that as to the First particular § 22 Learning it selfe if it were all in one man is not able to compasse the particular end whereto it is designed which writes vanity and vexation upon the forehead thereof The particular end of Literature though not observed by many mens eyes being fixed on false ends which compells them in their progresse aberrare a scopo is none other but to remove some part of that curse which is come upon us by sinne Learning is the product of the Soules strugling with the curse for sin Adam at his first Creation was compleatly furnished with all that knowledge excepting only things not then in being neither in themselves nor any naturall causes as that which we now call tongues and those things that are the Subject of story as farr as it lyes in a needfull tendency to the utmost end of man which we now presse after There was no streitnesse much lesse darknesse upon his understanding that should make him sweat for a way to improve make out those generall conception of things which he had For his knowledge of Nature it is manifest from his imposition of suitable names to all the Creatures the particular Reasons of the most of which to us are lost wherein from the Approbation given of his nomination of things in the Scripture and the significancy of what yet remaines evident it is most apparent it was done upon a cleare acquaintance with their natures Hence Plato could observe that he was most wise that first imposed names on things yea had more than humane wisedome Were the wisest man living yea a Generall collection of all the Wise men in the world to make an Experiment of their skill and learning in giving names to all living creatures suitable to their natures and expressive of their qualitys they would quickly perceive the losse they have incurred Adam was made perfect for the whole end of ruling the Creatures and living to God for which he was made which without the knowledge of the nature of the one and the will of the other he could not be All this being lost by sinne a multiplication of tongues also being brought in as a curse for an after Rebellion the whole design of Learning is but to disintangle the soule from this Issue of sinne Ignorance darknesse and blindnesse is come upon the understanding acquaintance with the workes of God Spirituall and naturall is lost strangnesse of communication is given by multiplication of tongues Tumultuating of Passions and Affections with innumerable darkning prejudices are also come upon us To remove and take this away to disintangle the minde in its reasonings to recover an Acquaintance with the workes of God to subduct the soule from under the Effects of the Curse of division of tongues is the aime and tendance of Literature This is the aliquid quo tendit And he that hath any other aime in it passim sequitur corvum testaque lutoque Now not to insist upon that vanity and vexation of Spirit with the innumerable evills where with this enterprize is attended this is that I only say it is in it selfe no way sufficient for the attainment of its end which writes vanity upon its forehead with characters not to be obliterated To this purpose I desire to observe these two things 1. That the knowledge aymed at to be recovered was given unto man in order to his walking with God unto that supernaturall § 43 end whereunto he was appointed For after he was furnished with all his Endowments the Law of life and death was given to him that he might know wherefore he received them Therefore knowledge in him was spiritualized and sanctified even that knowledge which he had by nature in respect of its principle and end was spirituall 2. That the losse of it is part of that curse which was inflicted on us for sinne What ever we come short in of the state of the first man in innocency whether in losse of good or addition of evill it is all of the curse for sinne Besides that blindnesse ignorance darknesse deadnesse which is every where ascribed to us in the state of nature doth fully comprize that also whereof we speake On these two considerations it is most apparent that Learning can no way of it selfe attaine the end it aymeth at For § 44 1. That Light which by it is discovered which the Lord knows is very little weake obscure imperfect uncertaine conjecturall for a great part only enabling men to quarrell with and oppose one another to the reproach of Reason yet I say that which is attain'd by it is not in the least measure by it spiritualized or brought into that order of living to God and with God wherein at first it lay This is wholy beyond its reach As to this end the Apostle assures us that the utmost Issue that men come to is darkenesse and folly Rom. 1. 21 22 Who knows not the profound enquiries the subtile disputations the accute Reasonings the admirable discoverys of Socrates Plato and Aristotle and others What as to the purpose in hand did they attaine by all their studdys and endeavours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Apostle they became fooles He that by Generall consent beares the Crown of Reputation for wisedome from them all with whom to have