* Great mystery.'
1. That is the adjunct. It is a ' great mystery.' And here I might be endless ; for it is not only great as a mystery — that is, there is much of it concealed — but it is a great and excellent mystery, if we regard whence it came, from the bosom of God, from the wisdom of God. If we regard all that had any hand in it — God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the angels attending upon the church ; the apostles, the penmen ; preachers and ministers, the publishers of it — it is a ' great myster}'.'
2. If we regard the end of it, to bring together God and man — man that was fallen, to bring him back again to God, to bring him from the depth of misery to the height of all happiness ; a ' great mystery ' in this respect.
3. Again, It is ' gren.i,' for the manifold tvisdom that God discovered in the puhlishinf/ of it, by certain degrees : first, in types, then after he came to truths ; first, in promises, and then performances. First, the Jews were the church of God ; and then comes in the Gentiles : a sweet, manifold,
* That is, = becomingly, suitably. — G.
THE FOUNTAIN OPENED.
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and deep -wisdom. It was a great mj'stery in the manner of conveying of it from time to time, from the beginning of the world.
4. Again, It is a great mystery, for that it icorks. For it is such a mystery as is not only a discovery of secrets, bnt it transforms those that know it and believe it. We are transformed by it to the likeness of Christ, of whom it is a mystery ; to be as he is, full of grace. It hath a transforming, changing power. It gives spiritual sight to the blind, and spiritual ears to the deaf, and spiritual life to the dead. Whatsoever Christ did in the days of his flesh to the outward man, that he doth by his Spirit to the inward man, even by the publication of this mystery ; wonders are wrought by it daily.
5. If we consider any part of it: Christ, or his church, or anj'thing, it is a mystery, and a ' great mystery.' It must needs be great, that the very angels desire to pry into, 1 Pet. i. 12.
G. If ive regard those that could not jmj into it ; as it is 1 Cor. ii. 6, 8, that the wise men of the world understood nothing of it : ' Where is the philosopher?' &c. There are no parts m the world that could ever enter into this. It is above the sharpest wit, the deepest judgment, the reach- ingest head. They are all nothing here. It is a ' great mystery.' It is a depth above all depths of natural parts whatsoever. It is a wondrous depth. It hath all dimensions, * the depth and height of the love of God in Christ,' and the ' unsearchable riches of Christ,' saith the apostle Paul.*
7. Again, it is a gi-eat mystery, because it makes us great. It makes times great, and the persons great that live in those times. What made John Baptist greater than all the prophets and others in those times ? Because he saw Christ come in the flesh. What made those after John Baptist greater than he ? They saw Christ ascend gloriously ; that John Baptist did not. So persons and times are more or less glorious, as they have greater or less manifestation of this mystery. Great is that mysteiy itself that makes all things great ; that makes times and persons great. What made the times of Christ so great ? ' Happy are the eyes that see that that your eyes see, and the ears that hear that that your ears hear,' Mat. xiii. 16. AVhy ? Because the Messiah was come. What made the second temple greater than the first ? The first, which was Solomon's temple, was more magnificent than the other. Oh it was because Christ came in the time of the second temple and taught there. So it is the manifestation of Christ's truth that makes times and places glorious. Will he not make the soul glorious then where he is ? Certainly he doth. What makes these times glorious ? But that we have unthankful, dark hearts, or else we would acknowledge they are blessed times that all of us have lived in under the gospel. What makes them so glorious ? The glorious gospel that shines in these times out of Egyptian darkness of popery. Little thankful are we for it, and that threateneth a removal of the gospel ; for, being great things, and disesteemed, and undervalued — men living under the gospel as bad as under paganism — will God continue these great things among us, to be thus vilified and disesteemed ?
Let us take heed therefore that we set a higher price on religion. It is a mystery, and a great mystery ; therefore it must have great esteem. It brings great comfort and great privileges. It is the ' word of the kingdom.' It is a ' glorious gospel ;' not only because it promiseth glory, but it makes the soul glorious, more excellent than other persons. Let us raise a greater esteem in our hearts of this excellent truth. It is a * great mystery.' * Cf. Eph. ill. 18, and ill. 8.— G.