There is a lawful use of feasting* and comely recreations ; but to come
with unjustifiable vanities, that are not fit at any time, when we should
honour God for the gi-eatest gift that ever was, for the incarnation of his
Son ; to be more profanely disposed then, and to give ourselves to more
* In margin here, ' Application to the Feast of Christ's Nativity.' — G.
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466 THE FOUNTAIN OPENED.
loose courses than at other times, how can it but provoke the justice of God, especially it being common ? Amongst other things wo may justly look for the vengeance of God for this, not only upon this or that place, for it is the fault of Christendom. Shall wo carry ourselves thus profanely at these times, when we should walk in a holy disposition ? Is this the way to be thankful to God ? Let us labour to entertain and eml)raco these mysteries of the gospel as we should, with a suitable carriage to them ; for the gospel will no longer tarry than it hath suitable love and affections to the greatness of the thing. The gospel may leave us, we know not how soon, and go to people that are as barbarous as wo were before the gospel came to us. The llomans thought they had victory tied to them, but we have not these mysteries of the gospel tied to us. If wo labour not for an answerable carriage, as God hath removed the gospel from the Eastern churches of Asia, that are under the tyranny of the Turks now, so he may, and we know not how soon, take away these blessed and glorious mysteries. Let us reverence these mysteries and bless God for them, and labour to express our thankfulness in our lives and conversations, that God may delight to continue with us, and continue his blessed truth among us. Do but conceive in your own selves what equity is it, that truths should be obtruded to men that care not for them ; that live under the mysteries of the gospel with as much liberty to the flesh as if they had never heard of it ; that their lives are not better than pagans, perhaps worse. When these things grow general, will God continue these mysteries to us, when there is such a disproportion of affection and carriage ? Judge of these things. God should deal justly with us if he should leave us to the dark- ness of Gentilism, and popery, and confusion, and carry the gospel further west still, to a people that never heard of it, where it should have better entertainment than it hath had of us. I beseech j'ou, let us labour to carry ourselves answerable to this blessed and great mystery, if we would have it continued longer among us.
Use 8. Again, Ai-e these things mysteries, great mysteries ? Let us Mess God, that hath revealed them to vs, for the glorious gospel. Oh, how doth St Paul, in every epistle, stir up people to bo thankful for reveahng these mysteries ? What cause have the Gentiles, that were ' in the shadow of death' before, to be thankful to God ? What kind of nation were we in Julius Csesar's time ? As barbarous as the West Indians. The cannibals were as good as we (c). We that were so before, not only to be civilized by the gospel, but to have the means of salvation discovered, what cause have we to be enlarged to thankfulness ? And shall we shew our thankfulness in provoking his majesty ? There is nothing in the world that is a ground of that thankfulness, as the glorious gospel, that brings such glorious things as it doth. Men are thankful to men for teaching and discovering the mysteries of their trades, and shall God discover the great mysteries of the gospel of Christ, and shall not we be thankful ? Ai-e there not thousands that ' sit in darkness ?' Is. xlii. 7. The Romish Church, is it not under the * mystery of iniquity ?' 2 Thes. ii. 7. And that we should have the glorious mysteries of the gospel revealed to us ; that the veil should be taken off, and we should see ' the face of God in Christ,' 2 Cor. iv. G ; what a matter of thankfulness is it to all gracious hearts that ever felt comfort by it!
Use 4. Again, It is a mystery. Therefore it should teach us likewise 7wt to set -upon the kiwniedge of it uith any xdts or parts ofouroini, to think to search into it merely by strength of wit and study of books, and all human
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helps that can be. It is a mystery, and it must be unveiled by God him- self, by his Spirit. If we set upon this mystery only with wits and parts of our own, then what our wits cannot pierce into, we will judge it not to be true, as if our wits were the measure of divine truth ; so much as we con- ceive is true, and so much as we cannot conceive is not true. AVhat a pride is this in flesh, in worms of the earth, that will make their own apprehensions and conceits of things the measure of divine truth, as heretics heretofore have done ? It was the fault of the schoolmen in later times. They would come with their logic only and strong wits, and such learning as those dark times afforded, to speak of grace, of the gospel, of justification. They spake of it, and distinguished in a mere metaphysical and carnal manner. Therefore they brought only human learning. They were furnished with Plato and other natural learning, and with these they thought to break through all the mj'steries in religion. We must not struggle with the difficulties of religion with natural parts.