in his Kingdom over the Children of Men: fuch as nev fell under the discovery, or fo much as the difquifition the wifest Philofophers; and fuch as the very Angels Heaven defire to look down into, 1 Pet. 1. 12. And b hold with admiration that manifold Wifdom of God which is revealed unto us, poor worms, in Chrift Jesus.

4. As the matters are wonderful high, and fublime, 1 they are of most fingular Ufe to be known. There be man pieces of Learning in the World that are converfant abou high Subjects; as, that part of Natural Philofophy concern ing the Heaven and the Soul; the Metaphyficks; the ab ftrufer parts of the Mathematicks that are not in order to Practice. But as it may fall out that the knowledge of the Subject is unacceffible in any certainty, fo if it were ne ver fo exactly known, it goes no farther; and when it i known there's an end, and no more use of it. Whereas many times Subjects of an inferior nature are more useful in their knowledge; as practical Mathematicks, Mechanicks, Moral Philofophy, Policy; but then they are of inferiour Nature, more ufeful but perchance lefs noble. But here is the previlege of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus that as it is of Eminence and Height, fo it is of Use and Convenience, and that in the higheft meafure; as it is a Pearl for Beauty, fo it is for Value. This knowledge is a kind of Catholicon, of univerfal ufe and convenience. In reference to this Life: Am I in Want, in Contempt, in Prifon, in Banifhment, in Sicknefs, in Death? This Knowledge gives me Contentedness, Patience, Chearfulnefs, Refignation of my felf to his Will, who hath fealed my Peace with him, and favour from him, in the Great Covenant of his Son; and I can live upon this, though I were ready to ftarve; when I am affured that if it be for my Good and the Glory of his Name, I fhall be delivered; if not, I can be contented, fo my Jewel, the peace of God and my own Conscience, by the Blood of Chrift be fafe. Am I in Wealth, Honour, Power, Greatness, Efteem in the World? This knowledge teacheth me Hu mility, as knowing from whom I received it: Fidelity, as knowing to whom I muft account for it; Watchfulness,

as

as knowing the Honour of my Lord is concerned in fome measure in my carriage; and that the higher the employment is, the more obnoxious I am to temptation from without, from them that watch for my halting, and from within, by a deceitful heart: And in all it teacheth me not to over value it; nor to value my felf the more by it or for it; because the knowledge of Chrift Jefus prefents me with a continual Object of a higher value, the price of the high calling of God in Chrift: It teacheth me to look upon the glory of the World as ruft, in comparison of the Glory that excelleth, and the greatest of Men as Worms, in comparison of the great God. And as thus in reference to the temporal condition of my life, this knowledge of Chrift is of fingular ufe, and makes a man a better Philofopher than the beft of Morals in reference thereunto. So it guides me in the management of all Relations: 1. To God; it prefents him unto me in that representation that is right, full of Majefty, yet full of love which teacheth me Reverence,and yet Acceís with Boldnefs, Love and Obedience. 2. To Man; Juftice, giving every man his due, for fo the Knowledge of Chrift teacheth me ; Do as ye would be done by; Mercy to forgive; Compaffion, to pity; Liberality, to relieve; Sobriety, in the ufe of creatures, and yet comfort in the enjoying of them; a right ufe of the World, and yet a contempt of it; in comparison of my hope. It makes death not terrible, because a moft fure paffage to Life: Here I find a way to get all my Sins pardoned, whereas without this, all the world cannot contrive a Satisfaction for one; I find a way to obtain fuch a Righteoufnefs as is valuable with God, and perfect before him, even the Righteoufne's of God in Chrift. And here I find, the means, and only means, to avoid the wrath to come, the terror of the judgment of the great day, everlafting life unto all Eternity, with the Bleffed God, and our ord Jefus Chrift, and all the Bleffed Angels, and the Spirits of juft men made perfect. Thus this knowledge is ufeful for this life,and that which is to come, and that in the highest degree; which all other Knowledge come fhort of, and attains not to any one of the leaft of thefe ends.

5. In

5. In the Duration and Continuance of it. Many fubjects of knowledge there are, wherein by time, or at least by death, the knowledge proves unufeful, or at leaft, the labour therein unprofitable and loft. For instance, I ftudy to be very exact in natural Philofophy, the mixtures or conjunctions of qualities, elements, and a thousand fuch enquiries; What ufe will this be when the World with the works thereof fhall be burnt up? Or if it fhould not, what great benefit would this be to a feparated Soul? which doubtlefs fhall either know much more therein, without any pains, and fo the labour here loft, or it fhall be fuch a knowledge as will be inconfiderable or unufeful to it: And fo, and much more for the studies of Policy, Methods of War,Mechanical Experiments, Languages, Laws, Cuftoms, Hiftories; all these within one minute after death will be as useless as the knowledge of a Taylor or Shoomaker: they are all dated for the convenience and use of this Life, and with it they vanish. But here is the privilege and advantage that this knowledge hath; as it ferves for this life, fo it ferves for that to come; and the more it is improved here, the more thall it be dilated hereafter; the higher measure thereof I attain here, the greater measure of Glory hereafter. As the more knowledge I have of the Myftery of Chrift here, the greater is my fight and admiration of the Wisdom, and Goodness, and Love of God; the greater my Joy and Complacence, and delight in that fight and fence, and the more my Soul is carried out in Love, and Praife, and Obedience unto him: So in the life to come, that Knowledge fhall improve, and confequently the Senfe of the Wisdom, Mercy and Love of God, and confequently the Flame of the Soul, of Love, and praife unto him, and Delight, and Joy in him, fhall increase unto all eternity.

2. As thus the Knowledge of Chrift Jefus and him Crucified, excells all other Knowledge, and fo in comparison thereof, all other knowledge, upon a right Judgment, is as nothing; fo the Soul being rightly convinced thereof, fets a higher price upon that knowledge, than upon all other knowledge befides; it prizeth it highly in it felf and others; rec

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fons all other knowledge without it but a curious Ignorance, or an impertinent knowledge, and contents it felf abundantly in this knowledge though it want other.

3. Because that which is of moft concernment requires my greatest diligence to attain it, I am contented and gree dy to spend more time in attaining this than that; and I will rob other studies and difquifitions of the time that otherwife might be conducible to attain the knowledge of them rather than thofe ftudies fhould confume that time that hould be allotted to this. My time is part of that Talent, which my Maker hath put into my Hand, and for which he will at the great day demand an account; and if I have fpent that Talent in unprofitable employments, or in less profitable than I fhould, my Arrear is fo much the greater: If I have confumed my time in ftudying my preferment, honour, or wealth, in this world; in ftudying howto please my felf with vainand unneceffary recreations, in unlawful or exceffive pleasures; in unlawful and inmo derate curiofities; which I might better have fpent in the ftudy of the Mystery of Chrift, or the conformity unto that Will and Teftament he left me, or improving my intereft in him. I have committed two Follies ar once. 1. Loft my Talent of Time and Opportunity, for which I am accountable, as mifpent. 2. Loft that Advantage which I had in my hand to improve my intereft in God, and Favour from him, and Love to him; and though I have done fo much, as may perchance preferve the main, yet I have omitted fo much as might have more encreafed my ftock of Grace and Glory; and my Talent might have gained ten, and at most it hath gained but two And furely when Death comes, the most comfortable hours that can return to our Memories, will be thofe we fpent in improving the true and experimental, and practi cal knowledge of Chrift Jefus, and him Crucified.

4. Confequently where this knowledge and the other knowledge of an inferiour rate juftle and cross one another, it is the best wisdom to fide with this, and to deny the o ther, to become a Fool that he may be wife. 1 Cor. 3. 18. II. Thus concerning the first Confideration : I determis

ned not to know any thing, viz. nothing in comparison of this knowledge of Chrift, nothing rather than not that; fave Christ Jesus. And truly well might the Apoftle make all other knowledge give place to this; firft, for the Excellency of it, whereof before: fecondly, for the Amplitude and Compafs of it; for though it be fo excellent, that a fmall dram of it is fufficient to heal and fave a Soul, if it be a right knowledge as is before obferved, yet it is fo large that when the best knowledge hath gone as far as it can, yet there is ftill aliquid ultra: One confideration of it, even the Love of God hath a breadth, and length, and depth, and height, paffing knowledge, Epb. 3. 18, 19. and yet there be other depths and heights in it than this; fo that well might the Apostle conclude as he doth, 1 Tim. 3. 16. Without controverfie great is the mystery of Godliness, God manifest in the flesh. Therefore for the prefent we fhall confider,

1. The wonderful Wisdom of God in contriving and ordering the redemption of Mankind by Jefus Chrift; and it is manifefted in these particulars among others: 1. Though he made Man the eminenteft of all his visible Creatures, for a molt eminent manifeftation of his Power and Glory, and to be partaker of everlasting Bleffedness, and yet in his Eternal Counfel refolved to leave him in the hands of his own liberty, and did moft certainly forefee that he would fall; yet he did fubftitute and provide, even from the fame Eternity, a means whereby he might be reftored the Honour and Glory of his Creature, and his Creature to the Bleffedness and the Vision of his Creation. 2. That he fo ordered the means of Man's Redemption, that a greater Glory came even by that Redemption, than if a man had never fallen, and a greater benefit to Mankind: For the latter it is apparent, that if there had been no Mediator fent, the leaft fin that any of the Sons of Men had committed, had been inexorably fatal to them, without any means of pardon and as Adam, though in his full Liberty and Power, was mifled by Temptation, fo might he have been, or any of his pofterity,though he had ftood that shock which now is admirably provided againft, by the fatis

faction