2. It reproveth that satiety that is apt to creep upon us. Why should we be weary of searching into these holy mysteries ? What is the reason of this satiety? (1.) We search for them out of curiosity, or content ourselves with mere speculations, which is an adulterous love to truth, not to get an interest in them : John iv. 10, ' If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked, and he would have given thee living water.' (2.) We do not look upon them with the eye of faith : Eph.
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iii. 17, 18, ' That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.' Our embracing by faith is a good means to make this study effectual. (3.) They content themselves with a superficial view, but do not make an accu- rate inspection. We do not know it so as to stand wondering at it in all its dimensions : Eph. iii. 18, ' That ye may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height.' Breadth, whereby it is extended to men of all ages and ranks : Mat. xxviii. 20, 'Lo, 1 am with you always, to the end of the world;' 1 Tim. ii. 4, ' Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.' Length, whereby it reacheth from eternity to eternity : Ps. ciii. 17, ' The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting.' Depth ; it stoopeth to our lowest misery. Christ deli- vered us from the depths of misery and sin: Ps. Ixxxvi. 13, 'Thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.' And there is height in it, whereby it reacheth to heavenly joys and happiness : John xiv. 3, ' If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.' Study those several respects and ways wherein it is manifested, till you are ravished with the thoughts of it ; draw solid comfort, hope, and quickening from it : Ps. xxxix. 3, ' While I was musing the fire burned.'
3. It reproves those that only study it, but do not get an interest and experience of the comfort of it, otherwise it is a cold story : 1 Peter ii. 3, ' If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.' There is Christ revealed to us and Christ revealed in us ; then is there sweet- ness in these truths : Gal. i. 16, ' It pleased God to reveal his Son in me.'
4. It reproves those that mar their savour with fleshly lusts, and are distracted with hunting after the pleasures and profits of the world : Rom. viii. 5, ' For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh.' They that were invited to the feast, ' They made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise,' Mat. xxii. 5. They do not value the glory of God and the true inte- rest of their own souls.
Use 3. Is to persuade us to search into and meditate upon tliese blessed and glorious mysteries. Surely if the angels desire to look into these things, they much more are propounded to our admiration and delight, because we have more need, by reason of the imperfection of our knowledge, and these things do more concern us, because we are the parties interested. Needless speculations we may well spare ; the things which concern our redemption by Christ are our own affairs, and our greatest and most necessary affairs. To know our threatened misery to prevent it, and our promised happiness to obtain it, what wc must do, and what we must be for ever, is that business which we must most attend upon.
Here I shall inquire— (1.) What; (2.) How; (3.) Why.
First, What ? The person of our Redeemer and the work of redemp- tion.
1. The person of our Redeemer is a point of great concernment, to
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be often thought upon. The frame of nature is set as a glass, wherein to behold and admire God: Eom. i. 20, 'For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead.' Much more the person of our Kedeemer, for we best behold God in the face of Jesus Christ : 2 Cor. iv. 6, ' God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ ; ' wherein we see God in our nature, and as head over all things to the church, and as our Lord and Saviour. God is most honoured in his greatest works, as the sun doth more honour him than a star, and a star than a plant or herb and pile of grass ; so the person of Christ doth more set forth God than either man or angel, or anything be- sides : Heb. i. 3, ' Who being airavyaa^a tyj^ 86^^'^, the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.' As God sets forth more of his glory in him, so he expecteth it from him and by him. We are always looking at our own benefit, but we do not look at God's glory, nor what of God is discovered in Christ, in whom his goodness, wisdom, and power doth eminently shine forth. Certainly the know- ledge of Christ is the christian's wisdom, the true and proper feast of a rational mind. Two things are most considerable in Christ — his relation to God, and his relation to the universal church.