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8. Again, It is a great mystery, // compared to all other viysteries. Creation was a groat mystery, for all things to bo made out of nothing, order out of contusion ; for God to make man a glorious creature of the dust of the earlli, it was a great matter. But what is this in comparison for God to be made man ? It was a great and wondrous thing for Israel to be delivered out of Egypt and Babylon ; but what are those to the deliverance out of hell and damnation by the gospel ? What ai'o the mys- teries of nature, the miracles of nature, the loadstone, &c., to these super- natural mysteries ? There are mysteries in the providence of God, in governing the world, mysteries of Satan, mysteries of iniquity, that deceive the world. ' The wise men of the world all wonder at the beast,' Rev. xiii. 3, a great mystery. But what are all mysteries, either of nature or hell, to this ' great mystery ' ? I might be endless in the point.
Use 1. First of all, learn hence from blessed St Paul how to be affected ivheii ive speak and think of the (jlorioiis truth of God ; that we should work upon our hearts, to have large thoughts and large expressions of it. St Paul thought it not sufficient to call it a mystery, but a great mystery. He doth not only call it ' riches,' but unsearchable riches.' So when he speaks of the fruits of the gospel, what strange words the Scripture hath : ' Peace of conscience that passeth understanding,' Philip, iv. 7 ; and, 'joy unspeak- able and glorious,' 1 Peter i. 8 ; 'we are brought out of darkness into marvellous light,' 1 Peter ii. 9 ; as if all things were full of wonder in the gospel, both the thing and the fruits of it. Surely all that have the same spirit, and have their eyes open to see in any measure these excellent mysteries, they are in some measure so disposed as the blessed apostle was ; that is, they have full hearts, and answerable to that, they have full expressions. Out of the riches and treasure of the heart the mouth will speak. Therefore let us be ashamed of the deadness, and dulness, and narrowness of our hearts, when we are to conceive or speak of these things, and labour to have full expressions of them.
(1.) And that we may the better do this, let us labour to have as deep conceits in our understandings as we can of that mijsterij of sinfulness that is in ^ls, and that mystenj of misery. It is not to be conceived the cursed state we are in by nature. It is not to be conceived what a depth of cor- ruption is in this heart of oui's, and how it issues out in sinful thoughts, and speeches, and actions every day. Indeed, there is a height, and breadth, and depth of corruption in man's heart ; and there is a height, and breadth, and depth of the misery of man. For as it is said of this blessed estate, ' neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor hath entered into the heart of man to conceive the things that God hath prepared for those that love him,' Isa. Ixiv. 4. So indeed, neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor hath entered into the heart of man to conceive the misery that men are in by nature ; only there are some flashes of con- science, to give a little taste in this world, of that misery that men in the state of nature fall into, when they go hence. Therefore the more clear knowledge we have of the mystery of corruption — how prone our hearts are to deceive us — and of the great misery we are in by nature, the more we shall wonder at the boundless and bottomless goodness of God in the mystery of our salvation. The one will sharpen the appetite of the other. And, indeed, we ought to have views of these two every day, to look to the state we are brought out of if we believe. If we be not yet in the state of grace, consider but what we are, how little there is between us and eternal destruction, that we are ready to drop into hell irrecoverably ; and withal,
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consider again the infinite love of God in Jesus. Tliese be things fit to take up our thoughts.
(2,) Again, If we would have large and sensible thoughts and apprehen- sions of these things, such as the blessed apostle, let us set some time apart to meditate of these things, till the heart he uarmcd ; let us labour to fasten our thoughts, as much as we can, on them every day ; to consider the excellency of this mystery of religion in itself, and the fruit of it in this world and in the world to come. It is a good employment ; for from thence we shall wonder at nothing in the world besides. What is the reason that men are taken up with admiration of petty mysteries, of poor things ? Because their thoughts were never raised up to higher considera- tions. A wise man will wonder at nothing, because he knows greater things than those objects presented to him, he hath seen greater measures than those ; so it is with a wise Christian. Do you think he will stand wonder- ing at great and rich men, at great places and honours, and such things ? Indeed, he knows how to give that respect that is due. Alas ! * he hath had greater matters in the eye of his soul, and hath what is great in this world to him, to whom the world itself is not great. What is great in this world to him to whom Christ is great; to whom heaven and the mysteries of religion are great ? All things else are little to him to whom these things are great. Christ took up his disciples, when they said, ' 0, Master, what kind of stones are here ? ' Here are ' goodly stones and buildings ' indeed. ' Oh,' saith Christ, ' are these the things you wonder at ? I tell you, that not one stone shall be left upon another,' Mat. xxiv. 2. So it is the nature of shallow men to wonder at the things of this world, to be taken with empty vain things. Are these the things we wonder at ? If we would wonder, let us come to religion. There we have him ' whose name is Wonderful,' Isa. ix. 6. Christ's name is Won- derful, because all is wonderful in Christ. He is wonderful in his person, in his ofiices, in the managing of them ; to bring us to life by death, to glory by shame. He is wonderful in his government of his church, to govern by afllictions, by conforming us to himself, to bring us to glory ; to perfect his work in abasement ; to bring it low that he may raise it after. There are wonders every way in Christ, not only in himself, but in all his courses. There is ' peace that passeth understanding,' joy unspeak- able and glorious. Eeligion will teach us what to admiref at. We see those that are under antichrist, under the mystery of iniquity, it is said, Eev. xvii. 8, ' They wonder at the beast.' Oh what a goodly order they have among them, one under another ! What a wise fabric it is ! What a linking together of things ! All is wonderful. Indeed, it is fit for them to wonder at, that have not seen these wondrous mysteries of the gospel ; but those that have spiritual eye-salve to enlighten the eye of their souls, to see these blessed mysteries how great they are, they will be far from wondering at any earthly thing, much less at the mystery of antichrist. It is a ' great mystery,' therefore.