VOL. III. P
22G A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LI 1 1. 2.
in the world ; men look upon it as some humorous, misshapen conceit, that looketh enviously upon their pleasures, contrary to their natures, and unbefitting their quality. That you may not thus despise the things that any way concern the kingdom of Chriist for theii* meanness, I shall give you these four directions : —
(1.) Beg the Spirit of God that he would suggest to you his will and counsel iu all things. The spirit of the world or your own spirit will make you judge amiss, and that nothing is Gods but what is out- wardly glorious ; and so even Christ may become a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to you, and you may despise the greatest truth. The things of Christ's kingdom are carried in a secret way. The Spirit telleth us what things are given us of God, Plain things must be set on by the demonstration of the Spirit, or else we shall see no beauty in them : 1 Cor. ii. 4, A Christian sucketh marrow out of that which is dry bones to a natural man. Do not trust to your own rea- son. Leave a man to his reason, to the mere considerations of flesh and blood, and he can perceive no beauty in the glorious ways of Clirist. This is the cause why great scholars are so much mistaken in the things of his kingdom
(2.) Walk in the ways of God, in his fear and love — keep commu- nion with him and he will direct you: Ps. xxv. 13, ' The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him ; he will show them his covenant.' God discovereth himself particularly to his own people. They are his friends, and you know friends reveal themselves mutually to one another in the greatest secrets ; as Christ giveth the reason : John XV. 1.5, 'I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have revealed to you.' Those that keep up a continual acquaintance with God, by manifesting their love and fear of him, shall have divine mysteries manifested to them : Col. i. 2G, ' The mystery that was hid from ages is made manifest to the saints.' Truths that have long lain hid through many successions and revolu- tions of ages, are at length made known to holy persons. Where there is purity, there is revelation : ' The pure in heart shall see God,' Mat. V. 8. They shall see more of his truth and mind in those things which if they should judge of by their own reason, they would con- temn. So also it is said, Prov. iii. 32, ' His secret is with the right- eous.' They have not only other kinds of knowledge, but knowledge of the secret of such a way as is veiled with contempt, reproach, and un- likelihood to the world. Blind and carnal men sometimes stumble upon the despised ways of Christ ; but they do but plough with the saints' heifer, and light their torch at the altar. Their self-ends and by-interests make them borrow from truth ; but it is with them as it is with parrots, they speak the words of men not of reason but custom ; they learn a truth when it is delivered, they have been used to such notions.
(3.) Exercise faith ; that is, the evidence of things not seen, Heb. xi. 1 ; that is, not seen by natural sense or reason. It is 6(f>da\fMo^ Trj<; yp-vxH^i, — the eye, the discovering i)art of the soul. As reason is to a natural nmn, so is faith to a godly man. It carrieth a man within the veil : what cannot be made out to sense and reason is made out to faitL Ideo credo quia est tmpossibile, — therefore I be-
ISA. LIII. 2.] THE FIFTY-THIKD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 227
lieve, because it is impossible. Though, in your own thoughts, you would fain have things otherwise, yet, if there be revelation to the contrary, believe it ; as that there is happiness in sufferings, — that the reproach of Christ is better than all the treasures of the world, — that there is life in death. Faith seeth that easy and plain which is the greatest contradiction to reason and sense. See what a riddle St Paul telleth you by faith : 2 Cor. vi. 9, 10, ' As unknown, yet well known ; as dying, and behold we live ; as chastened, and not killed ; as sorrow- ful, yet always rejoicing ; as poor, yet making many rich ; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.' Faith maketh us see that in. a thing which reason would tell us were the greatest absurdity and inconsistency in the world to believe ; as that Abraham should see Christ before he was extant. The Jews were ready to stone Christ for saying so : ' Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.' Faith captivates reason to scripture, and maketh a man close with the revelation against his own conceits and prejudices. Only take this caution, — though faith seeth things im- possible and improbable, yet they are only such things as are revealed by God.