Use 2. Let us bring great endeavours to learn it, and great respect towards it, and great love to God for it. Let every thing in us be answer- able to this ' great mystery,' which is a ' great mystery.'
' Without controversy.' ( It is so under the broad seal of public confession, as the word o/ioXoyou- fisvui in the general signifies ; by the confession of all, it is ' great.' It is * Another example of Sibbes's peculiar use of ' Alas ! ' — G. t That is, ' wonder at.' — G.
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a confessed truth, thttt tho ' mystery of f,'Otllinoss is great.' As if the apostle had said, I need not give you greater confirmation ; it is, without question or controversy, a great mystery.
Obj. What is more opposed than the mystery of godliness?
Ans. AVe must therefore take St Paul's meaning in a right sense. It is therefore ' a great mystery,' because it is controverted by so many great wits.* Were it altogether obvious and open, they would never controvert it. Upon these two reasons it is without controversy.
(1.) First, In itself, it is not to be doubted of. It is a great grounded truth, as lightsome and clear as if the gospel were written with a sunbeam, as one saith (c). There is nothing clearer and more out of controversy than sacred evangelical truths.
(2.) And as the}"- are clear and lightsome in themselves, so they are apprehended o/ all GmVs pcojile. However it be controverted by others, yet they are not considerable. All that are the children of the church, that have their eyes open, they confess it to be so, and wonder at it as a ' great mystery.' They without all doubt and controversy embrace it. Things are not so clear in tho gospel that all that are sinful and rebellious may see whether they will or no. For then it were no great matter to have faith ; it were no great matter to be a Christian ; and then men could not be I'ebellious, because things woiild be so clear. Things are not so clear in the gospel that they take away all rebellion ; and that it is not a grace to see that they are clear ; to those that are disposed and have sanctified souls, they are ' without controversy ; ' and things are said to be in Scrip- ture as they are to those that are holily disposed. The immortality of the soul, it is clear by reason from nature, yet notwithstanding, ill-disposed souls will not be convinced of the soul's immortality, but live and die like atheists in that particular. The reason is clear ; but it is not clear to a lumpish, ill-disposed, perverse soul. Therefore God doth carry the manifestation of evangelical truths especially, that they may be clear to those whose eyes are open, and not to others : not because they are not clear to them if their eyes were open, but because they oppose them, and raise up rebellion and stubbornness of heart against them. It is an undeniable argument to prove the Scripture to be the word of God, to a well-disposed soul, but come to another, and he will never leave cavilling. Yet a man may say, ' without controversy,' it is the word of God, because it is so to a sanctified soul. Other persons are not considerable in divine things. Therefore the apostle speaks of them, as they are to God's people, ' without controversy.' Hence then, we may know who is a true Christian ; he that brings a firm assent to evangelical truths, that they are ' great without controversy.'
Quest. But is there no staggering, is there no formido coiUmrii?] Is there no fear that it may be otherwise ?
Am. Yes. But in faith, as far as it is faith, there is no doubting, no contrariety ; for staggering and wavering is contrary to the nature of faith and believing. But because there are two contrary principles always in a believer, therefore there is doubting in a believer, and wavering. There- fore we are exhorted to grow more and more ; and the end of the ministry is not only to lay the foundation of a believer at the first, but to build them up, that they be not carried away with every vain doctrine. It is a truth, confessed to be true ; for divine truths are conveyed in an history, in the
* That is, ' wise men,' i.e., in self-estimate. — G-. t That is, ' no fear of the contrary.' — Gr.
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history of the gospel ; and what ground have we to call them in question, more than the story of Thucydides, or the story of Livy, or such like ? We take them, because they are the histories of such times. So the mystery of the gospel is ' without controversy,' because it is a mystery in a history. In this respect a man is more unreasonable that denies it, than he that denies Livy's book to be Livy's, or Tacitus to be Tacitus. No man calls these into question. Why should we question this that is the ' mystery of godliness,' set down in the history of Christ, of his birth, his life, and death ? &c. But not to press that further.