Chapter IV: That the knowledge of the gospel is a most excellent wisdom, because, as a peculiar favo
Chapter IV:
That the knowledge of the gospel is a most excellent wisdom, because, as a peculiar favour, it is communicated by God only to some persons.
But now is made manifest to his saints.—COL. 1:26.
Here is the rarity and scarceness of it, when it cometh to be revealed; 'but now is made manifest to his saints.' And this is the subject which I shall insist upon.
In the handling of this, I shall do two things.
1. Give you an explication of the words.
2. Enlarge upon that theme, to shew from thence the excellency of the gospel.
1. For explication. If you mark it, the apostle doth not say, which is now made manifest to me, although Paul makes the manifestation of it unto him to be the means to manifest it to all the saints; for as elsewhere he saith, it was a treasure in an earthen vessel committed unto him; and therefore, in the 23d verse, and the last words, he saith, 'Whereof I Paul am made a minister;' and in the 25th verse, the first words, 'Whereof I am made a minister.' But how is he made a minister? For to reveal it to the saints. Therefore he doth not only say, is revealed unto me, but, 'now is made manifest in the saints.'
The gospel, although it was at first revealed unto apostles and prophets, yet the end and intent of it was, that it should be revealed to all the saints. You have this expressly in Eph. 3:5, comparing it with this. In the 4th verse he had called it (as here) 'the mystery of Christ;' in the 5th verse, he saith, 'which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.' One would think now that the apostle here should only intend, that this gospel is revealed to the doctors and teachers of the church, to the holy apostles and prophets. No; read the 9th verse. It is (saith he) 'to make all men see' (that is, as these words restrain it, all the saints see) 'what is the fellowship of the mystery, which hath been from the beginning of the world hid in God.' It was not revealed only to apostles and prophets, 'but now,' saith he, 'is made manifest to the saints.' And therefore in the 23d verse of this chapter, saith he, 'If you continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature under heaven.' So that not only the holy apostles and prophets of the New Testament received it, and it was manifested unto them, but to the saints also. Therefore in the 25th verse of this chapter, 'I am made a minister of it,' saith he, 'according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you.' So that indeed it was given to the apostles, but only that they might make it manifest to the saints; and hence therefore he saith, 'But now is made manifest to his saints.' I shall not need to enlarge more upon this, in the way of opening it.
2. I shall come therefore to the thing itself, viz., the rarity of this gospel, and of the mysteries of it, and shew you the excellency of it in this respect. 'But is now,' saith he, 'made manifest to his saints.'
He speaks as if God were dainty of this knowledge. He reveals it to saints, and to saints only; and to his saints. There is a revelation of it,
which the saints only have, as I shall shew you anon, and answer objections to the contrary. In 1 Cor. 1:24 he saith, that 'to them that are called, both Jew and Greek, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. We all say that he is the power of God only to them that are called, for he only works effectually in them: but that scripture also tells us that he is the wisdom of God only to them that are called; they so understand the mystery of it as none else.
And then, if you mark it, he commends the knowledge of the gospel to us by this, that it is revealed to his saints; his whom he had chosen, whom he had singled out. Certainly, if there had been any knowledge better than another, he would have reserved it for his saints. There is an emphasis in that. You know God chose a man beloved of him (for so Solomon was called), and as a testimony of his love to him, he gave him, above all things else, knowledge; so that he abounded therein above all that were before him, or shall be after him. And Daniel, that had great mysteries opened to him, is called, 'a man greatly beloved.' I quote these examples for this, to shew that that which is a more special excellent knowledge of all others, God would reserve it for them. 'To you,' saith Christ, 'it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God,' speaking to his disciples; 'to you it is given,' it was a gift, and a special gift. And therefore in Mat.
11:25, we read of that great thanksgiving which Christ makes to his Father, 'I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.' He revealed them to his saints, and those whom he had chosen.
My brethren, God reserved the gospel to reveal it first unto his Son (you shall see the order of it), so you read, in John 1:17, 18, 'The law came by Moses, but grace and truth,' that is, the gospel, 'came by Jesus Christ.' 'No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten
Son, that is in the bosom of the Father, he hath revealed him.' The Lord reserved this knowledge, which was hid from ages and generations, for his Son to declare it first; it came by him, he brought out the gospel first. And you have the like in Heb. 2:3, 'Which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.' You see that God prized this gospel so much, as he revealeth it first to his Son.
And then, next to his Son he chose out holy apostles. Had not they been holy men, he would not have revealed it to them, to be the broachers of it, as they were: 'Holy apostles and prophets,' saith he,
Eph. 3.
And then, lastly, the end of the revealing of it to all these, is that his saints may know it. It is to his saints in distinction now under the gospel from the saints in the Old Testament. The saints then were infants in knowledge, and they took up their faith much upon trust.
But God under the gospel doth so reveal the gospel by his Spirit, that saints themselves see into the mystery of it, understand it, take in the comfort of it. And I take that to be the meaning of the promise of that covenant, in Heb. 8:11, where he saith, 'They shall not need every man to teach his neighbour, but they shall all know me, saith the Lord, from the least to the greatest.'
Now then, to answer some objections that will be brought about this; by which this truth will be the more clear.
Obj. first, You will say unto me, Is this knowledge so much commended to us, that it is reserved thus, and made manifest to his saints? Why doth not all the world know it? Is not the gospel preached to every creature under heaven? There is an objection lies not far off the text, for, ver. 23, he saith, 'It hath been preached to every creature under heaven.'
I answer, When our Saviour Christ, in that Mat. 11:25, 'gave thanks to his Father, that he had hid these things from the wise and prudent of the world, and revealed them unto babes;' yet in the verses before you shall read that these things had been revealed to the wise men of the world, and yet hid. Read ver. 23: 'And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted up to heaven, shalt be brought down to hell.' Christ had preached to Capernaum more than to all the cities that were in Judea or belonging to it. It was Capernaum in Galilee of which the prophecy went, that Galilee should see a great light. It is recorded by the evangelist Matthew, upon Christ's going to Capernaum, because he made that the principal seat of all his preaching. But yet, though
Capernaum were lifted up to heaven, in respect of all those glorious truths of the gospel that were preached by Jesus Christ thereunto, there were but a few babes that were therein that did receive it; and he thanks his Father that he had concealed it from all the wise and prudent, and revealed it only unto those babes. It is true, indeed, that the gospel is preached unto every creature, and God is free* of it; insomuch as the apostle saith, Rom. 10., 'Have not they all heard?'
But then he asketh withal another question, 'Have they all believed?'
And therefore saith Christ in Mat. 13:11, 'To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to them it is not given,' though they heard it. And therefore I may say of the gospel, as the great philosopher Aristotle spake of his writings. When he had published the lectures which he had read to his scholars unto the world, Alexander found fault with him; for now, saith he, you have debased all your knowledge by making it common. No, saith
Aristotle, for they are edita, non edita, though they are published, yet they are not published; for none will understand them now they are published, but only my scholars whom I have read them unto, and are privy to my scope in them. So it is true of the gospel, that though the mystery of it is made known unto every creature, yet it is editum,
non editum; though it be published, yet it is so published as only those that are taught of God understand it in the mystery of it.
Again, to answer this, that you may see the privilege of the saints herein. Although the gospel is published unto every creature under heaven, yet it was the manifestation of it to his saints that was the motive and ground of publishing it. The world should never have known one tittle of it, had it not been for his saints in the world, unto whom he meant to convey his mind and meaning. And therefore you read in Jude, ver. 2, that it is called, 'the faith once delivered unto the saints.' It was delivered unto them, and delivered for their sakes; the world had never known it else. And therefore the apostles themselves, so far as they knew it, are called holy apostles; they had not thus known it else. And when they did know it more than other men, they were but stewards, for so you know they are called in 1
Cor. 4:1, 'Let every man account of us as stewards of the mysteries of God.' Now, though the steward receive money for his own expenses, yet the chief of the money he receiveth is for the expense of the household. Go, take St Paul, with all his knowledge, and the most of that knowledge he did receive, it was not for his own sake chiefly, it was for the saints; and therefore he saith, 'To me it is given, who am less than the least of all the saints, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.' To what end? 'To make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,' &c. Hence, therefore, you shall find in Scripture that where God had abundance of people, there the apostles were guided and instructed by the Holy
Ghost to stay long. 'I have much people in this city,' saith God unto Paul, when he came to Corinth, and therefore he continueth there a year and six months, teaching the word of God amongst them; and when he would have gone unto one place, he was hindered, and carried unto another. Why? Because still the preaching of the gospel went where God had his elect saints. Therefore, in the words before
my text, he saith, 'According to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you.' The apostle had a great deal of knowledge, but, saith he, 'I am a debtor;' so he calls himself in Rom. 1:14, I am but a steward, I have received it for you. It is the saints that God principally aimeth at. Therefore, if he did give it to the apostles but for the saints, then the world, carnal men, come only to hear of it by the saints, because the saints are amongst them, unto whom God would make it known.
Obj. second. But again, you will say unto me, Do not carnal men know it as well as the saints? Why, then, is it made their privilege?
Ans. first. I answer, first, that carnal men do know the gospel, and know much of it, and they know it to their cost. Say the Pharisees unto Christ, 'Are we blind also?' Aye, saith Christ, 'If ye were blind, you had no sin.'
Ans. second. But, secondly, the knowledge that carnal men have of the gospel is by hearsay. There is no truth of much moment, if you take the matter of truth, that is revealed first to them. You shall find, in Eph. 3:5, that the men that God revealed it first unto were the holy apostles and prophets; and in Peter it is said the Scripture was written by holy men. Had they not been saints, holy men, God had not revealed it unto them. Others may receive it as by tradition from hand to hand, but the men to whom God doth reveal any further light of the gospel are holy men.
But you will say unto me, Now it is given by those holy apostles and prophets, and laid up in the Scriptures, may not all men, or any man, understand it? No; for, as you have it in 2 Pet. 1:20, the Scripture is not of private interpretation (and he speaks especially of the gospel), that is, it is not in the power of any man's understanding to apprehend or know the meaning of the word. 'But,' saith he, 'holy
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost;' and, therefore, as the Scripture was written by the Holy Ghost, so it must be the Holy Ghost that must interpret it. Take all the wise men in the world, they are not able to understand one Scripture: it is but private interpretation. The Holy Ghost, therefore, the same Spirit that guided the holy apostles and prophets to write it, must guide the people of God to know the meaning of it; and as he first delivered it, so he must help men to understand it.
But you will say yet further, Do not carnal men understand the mysteries of the gospel, and that by the Spirit of God?
I answer, Yet still there is a mystery that all the carnal men in the world do not understand. In 1 Cor. 2:7, 'We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery.' He doth not only say it is a mystery in itself, but he saith it is still spoken in a mystery. And what is the reason? Because that carnal men, even when it is spoken, yea, when it is apprehended by themselves in a notional way, yet they do not know and apprehend that mystery that still is in it. You shall find that the Scripture speaketh of all the knowledge that carnal men have of the truths of the gospel as of no knowledge. In 1 Cor. 8:1, 2, speaking to those among the Corinths that were puffed up, carnal spirits that thought they knew all things, saith he, 'We know that we all have knowledge,' so ver. 1; but what saith ver. 2? 'If any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.' So that now a man may have all knowledge, and yet, notwithstanding, he may know nothing as he ought to know. In Prov. 9:10, he had spoken before of Wisdom (and by Wisdom still is meant Jesus Christ revealed, for that was the title they gave the Messiah in those times), now saith he, 'the knowledge of the holy is understanding;' there is no knowledge or true understanding in the matters of the gospel, but only the knowledge of the holy. You know there is a form of godliness
in the world; so you have it in 2 Tim. 3:5, 'Men shall come having a form of godliness, and deny the power of it.' As there is a form of godliness that is not true godliness, so it is as certain there is a form of knowledge that is not true knowledge. I will give you a Scripture that is fully answerable to it, it is in Rom. 2; saith he, 'Thou knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed in the law;' and ver. 20, 'hast a form of knowledge, and of the truth.' Mark the expression; as there is a form of godliness which is not true godliness, so there is a form of knowledge that is not true knowledge, that is but the picture of it.
And therefore, my brethren, know this, that there is no man that is become a saint, but as for the truths he doth know out of the gospel, knows that of them which no carnal man in the world knows. I will give you but this instance for it. Go take any man that hath never so much knowledge both in law and gospel, and if God turn this man to him, you shall have him say, that all things he knew before are known anew by him; he that had all knowledge before, he now professeth he had none as he ought to have had. And therefore, by the way, will you know what it is to be converted? It is to know over all anew, that you knew by education. It is plain by that of the apostle, in 2 Cor. 5:17, 'If any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.' What doth he speak this of? He speaks it especially of knowledge, and that is clear by the verses before, for saith he,
'Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet henceforth we know him no more so;' all our knowledge of him is new, 'therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.' What is the effect of that?
'Old things are passed away, all things are become new;' old things become new in this knowledge.
But you will say unto me, How can this be? for carnal men speak the same things of the gospel that others do.
But yet let me say this unto you, although a godly man can express no more in words than the other doth, yet he knows that of the gospel which the other doth not; yea he hath such a knowledge of it, as, in comparison of his, the other's is no knowledge. I shall first say this, that the notions and apprehensions that are in the heart of a saint of spiritual things, never entered into the heart of any carnal man in the world. It is the apostle's expression in 1 Cor. 2, and I will give you the reason of it. It is a received truth and acknowledged by all, that we have no knowledge in our minds, but that which we receive, and which we have by the images of things which our mind conceiveth. All knowledge which the mind hath, it is by forming of some image of a thing within itself. Now if the image which is formed up in the mind differ in one man and in another, then the knowledge differeth. As, for example, if I have seen the picture of a man, I have an image in my mind of that man according to his picture; but if I have seen the man himself, why, here is another manner of image formed up in my mind that have seen him, which is not formed up in the mind of any man else, which hath but seen his picture. Now all the knowledge that carnal men have of the gospel, is but by images received from the hearsay of it only; but the knowledge which holy men have, is by the impress and image received from the thing itself made known unto them by the Holy Ghost. I remember one once said of the late Queen Elizabeth, I have seen her picture, saith he, but I have one picture of her that I will not sell for all the pictures of her in the world. And what was that? I saw her but once, saith he, and the image of her remains still in me; which image he could convey to no man living. Even so the image and impress, that which entereth into the heart of a spiritual man of the things of the gospel, is a different image to what is in the heart of a carnal man. And yet now,
if the one should go and describe, and speak of the things of the gospel, he would express it no otherwise than the other, for there is something still that cannot be expressed. As, for example, take the sun, there is something in the sun that can never be pictured. And what is that? The life, and glory, and heat of it, and yet therein lies the excellency of the sun. So there are those things in Christ, and in the gospel, which can never be pictured out by words, that unless
Jesus Christ hath by his Spirit manifested himself to a man's heart, he is never able to take it in. And therefore, now when a carnal man, and a godly man speak both of the same thing, he that is a godly man can speak no more than what the other can take in notionally; yet he understandeth further, he hath seen that which no words can paint out or picture forth. Therefore, now, if you ask me what it is the saints know, which another man knows not? I answer you fully, he himself cannot tell you, for it is certain, as to that impression which the Holy Ghost leaves upon the heart of a man, that man can never make the like impression on another; he may describe it to you, but he cannot convey the same image and impression upon the heart of any man else. Therefore two men shall talk of the same things, and yet mean different things in matters spiritual. Why? Because the gospel runs in a mystery, revealed to his saints, and to none else.
Ans. third. But further, in answer to this objection. Though carnal men do know the gospel, yet you shall still find that they will divert to other things, and not make this the main of their knowledge. You shall find (and it is a thing to be wondered at) that in the times of the gospel, when it shone most gloriously, still men that were of corrupt minds they diverted to questions about the law, and to chronologies and genealogies, and to a thousand other such things. So you find it in Tit. 3:9, and 1 Tim. 6:4, and 1 Tim. 1:7; and this, I say, they did when the gospel did shine most gloriously about them. Men will run out into criticisms, and the duties of the law, and knowledge of sin,
and a thousand such things; they will tithe mint and cummin, but the great things of the gospel they neglect. Our Saviour Christ, therefore, doth tell it as a wonder in his answer to John the Baptist, 'the lame are healed, the blind restored to sight, and the poor receive the gospel;' for men's spirits to be taken by the gospel, he makes it a mighty thing. You shall find, if you compare Mat. 11:12 with Luke
16:16, that when the gospel began to be preached, all those good souls that were holy and godly were infinitely fired with it. Saith he in Luke 16:16, 'The law and the prophets were until John, but since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth unto it,' that is, the saints did. Now compare it with Mat. 11, and he tells us there, that 'from the days of John, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.' That is, the gospel did so mightily fire the spirits of men, of those that were holy and godly, that they did climb up, for so the word signifies; it is the same word that is used in Exodus, forbidding the people to climb up to the mount when the law was given. Now, saith he, since the gospel is preached, they climb up to it with all violence—so he expresseth it, both in respect of multitudes that press to it, and in respect of the fire in their spirits.
Again, though carnal men do take in the gospel, and many of the truths of it, yet they are apt to mingle it, and embase it, and practically in their own hearts to turn it to another gospel, as the expression of the apostle Paul is, Gal. 1; when their notions and speculative judgments are orthodox about it, they will build their faith and their hope as well upon what is in themselves, as upon what is in Christ. You shall therefore find in men that profess the gospel
(as the Jews and the Gentiles did), those of the circumcision and uncircumcision, that as 'those that are after the flesh savour the things of the flesh, and those that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit' (as the apostle elsewhere speaks), so those that have legal
spirits and are still carnal, they savour the things of the law.
Therefore in Gal. 3 7th, 9th, and 10th verses compared, you shall find that the apostle gives a different title in respect of their cleaving to the gospel. Saith he, ver. 7, 'They which are of faith,' that is his phrase; and so, ver. 9, 'They which are of faith.' He names them as if they were a sect, a different kind and strain of men. He means those which follow the gospel, and their hearts closed with it; for, saith he, ver. 2, 'Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?' that is, by the hearing of the gospel. And hence he denominateth a company of men, 'they which are of faith,' saith he, ver. 7; and oppositely he describeth another gang of men, ver. 10, 'As many as are of the law,' that is, that are of that strain; let them know never so much of the gospel, yet still (as the apostle saith, Rom. 9:32) they will seek righteousness, as it were, by the works of the law. They will turn the gospel into law, and turn faith and all duties else into a form, and make it as a law; that as the Jews of old, that had the gospel given them in types and sacrifices, turned all that gospel into mere law, as merely commanded as duties of works, not viewing
Christ in them, so will carnal men do with the things of the gospel, and will do it to the end of the world. They desire (as he saith. Gal.
4:21) to be under the law; they will run that way still, and nothing but the grace of God can draw them off.
It is a great matter, my brethren, what truths they are that a man's heart closeth with and pitcheth upon, and maketh the eminent and top of his religion. Mark what I say, it is the greatest thing in the world, and doth as much distinguish carnal men and spiritual men as anything whatsoever. I shall give you but an instance or two. In Mark
12:31, there comes a scribe unto Christ, and he doth express the height of his religion, and Christ acknowledged that he went very far, and he expresseth it with a great deal of difference from the common gang of men in the world. 'Master,' saith he, 'thou hast said the truth'
(for he asked Christ which was the first commandment of all); for, saith he, 'there is but one God, and there is no other but he; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love a man's neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.'
Here is a man now that, being under the law, doth pitch upon the most inward spiritualness of it; whereas the common ordinary
Pharisees put all their religion in fasting twice a week, in paying tithes, in offering sacrifices when they sinned, and all this they did in a formal way. Why, saith this scribe, they are all deceived in this. The main of religion lies not in this; but, Master, I say as thou dost, the main of religion lies in loving God with all a man's soul; and although it is true a man must offer sacrifices, yet here lies that which I pursue after. What saith Christ upon it? He doth not give such a testimony of all the Pharisees or of that sort of men, the scribes, as he doth of this man. 'When Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he saith unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of heaven.' It is pity now; he pitched upon the most spiritual part of the law, to the height of it, but wanted the gospel; yet Christ told him that he was not far from the kingdom of heaven. I quote it for this, that this man he was so far enlightened, that he knew where to put the height of the legal religion, and he put it right; to love God, saith he, is more than all sacrifices. Now as this man doth pitch upon that which is the most spiritual part of the law to put religion in it, so the saints are taught to do in matters of the gospel. There is an outward form, as it were, of the gospel, you may easily turn it into a form. But see what Paul saith, and what the height of his gospel religion was. Phil. 3:3, 'We are the circumcision,' saith he. Who? 'Which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.' We are taken off of anything in ourselves. This is my religion, and this is the true circumcision; let them pursue after the other circumcision that will, I pitch upon this. Therefore it is a great thing
to see what it is that men contend for in their own spirits, as the main, and spirit, and life of religion. When the apostle Paul did come to Corinth, he tells us, that he 'determined not to know anything among them save Jesus Christ, and him crucified' (so you have it in 1
Cor. 2:2); and he would have spent the main of his epistle (and so likewise when he wrote this to the Colossians) in holding forth the gospel to them; but he was put by his scope, for, he saith, they were carnal, and they put him upon deciding of I know not how many things, about covering and uncovering, and about all the orders of the church, which they had either violated or neglected; but, saith he,
'I determined to know nothing save Christ and him crucified,' for here lies the height of my religion. And he complains that he was forced to spend a whole epistle (as he doth the main of that) in nothing but in resolving such cases. And therefore, my brethren, the saints still close most with Christ and the pure gospel, make that the height, the top of their religion; and though they may be put upon other things in the several times they live in, various duties that are to be done, yet there is something else in their eye which is more than burnt-offerings and sacrifices, namely, the knowledge of Christ and him crucified; and to worship the Lord in the Spirit is more than all these, though religious duties are evangelical too.
Ans. fourth. Again, to add an answer or two more which are in the text, Col. 1:27, and in the context, the saints only know the gospel in the riches and in the glory of it. They only know it so as to value it; 1
Pet. 2:7, 'To you, therefore, which believe, he is precious.' They only know the riches and the preciousness of it. Go bring a jewel to a child and to a jeweller; they both know it, but the jeweller only is able to value it; and so are the saints only capable of prizing the gospel. And therefore in Mat. 13:25, he only is said to be the wise merchantman, that, when he hath seen the pearl, knoweth the worth and value of it, so as that he sells all for it.
Ans. fifth. In the fifth place, The saints only know it so as to have their hearts comforted by it, and by all the riches in it. You have thus much expressed in the next chapter, Col. 2:2. He desired, he saith, 'to see them, and those of Laodicea, that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.' Though others are brought to see the mystery in the letter of it, yet none else but the saints come so to see the riches of the glory of it, as to have their hearts comforted thereby. And what is the reason? Because the saints, when they know the mystery of the gospel and the riches of it, do but know what themselves are worth. All the riches which they see to be in it, they see to be their own, and if they attain to the riches of assurance of the understanding of this mystery, they attain to the assurance of the knowing of their own comforts and of their own riches; and so (as the apostle saith) their hearts are comforted. Go take other men, though they are able to count and cast up these riches, yet they are but as learned lawyers that study other men's estates; or as surveyors of lands that set out what other men possess, and what their titles are to them, or cash-keepers for merchants that tell over other men's moneys; but for the heir, the possessor himself, for him to tell over all this, is all the while to study his own riches; and so his heart is comforted according to the value that is in them. And therefore, saith the apostle here, 'which riches is Christ in you,' it is your Christ.
Therefore now a believer, the more knowledge he hath of the gospel, the more his heart is comforted. To another man all the truths of the gospel are but as flowers plucked off the stalks, they do not grow upon his heart, therefore they die and wither; but a saint hath a root within, upon which all these are engrafted, and therefore he continually feels the fresh savour of them, there is still a fresh scent and verdure and sweet arising from them, whereby his heart is comforted.
Ans. sixth. And then, again, though other men may know the mysteries of the gospel, yet the saints only know them with the riches of assurance. 'That your hearts,' saith the apostle, 'may be comforted, being knit together in love, unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of Christ.' If other men do know and understand the mysteries of the gospel, and the harmony and correspondency of one thing with another therein, it is but as the knowledge of mathematicians, as I may so express it. You shall have in the mathematics a supposition given, that if this and this be true, then all the following conclusions do harmoniously and naturally follow thereupon, and answer thereunto. As to give you an instance. There are two sorts of opinions: the one holds that the earth standeth still, and the heavens move; and another opinion, that the earth moves about continually, but the heavens, the sun and moon, and all these stand still. Now suppose which you will of them, the one makes out their opinion in a way of harmony and correspondency as rationally as the other. So now carnal men, that want faith in the principles and foundations of Christianity, can yet say with themselves, if these principles be true, why there is a glorious correspondency of one truth with another, all truths do harmoniously kiss each other. But now a saint, he hath riches of assurance of understanding of the principles themselves; he apprehends them by faith, and doing so, he vieweth all the conclusions that are built thereupon with an assurance of faith, and this no carnal heart in the world doth.
Ans. seventh. Lastly, The saints do so know the mysteries of the gospel, that the things they know of it are to them the hope of glory.
This also the text suggesteth, 'which is Christ,' saith he, 'in you, the hope of glory.' They do begin to know, and to conceive what heaven will be by that prelibation, by that taste which they have of what truths and things the gospel reveals to their faith. The savour and
relish they have of communion with God and with Jesus Christ, and the things revealed in and by the gospel, doth give them a hope of that great glory which shall be revealed. And so much now for those differences that are between the knowledge of the saints, and the knowledge of carnal men, of the things of the gospel.
Use. My exhortation shall be unto all, to procure and heap up to themselves what of spiritual knowledge possibly they can in these mysteries of the gospel, for you increase your riches. The truth which by it I speak unto all, but especially unto you that are scholars, who come* hither to furnish yourselves as scribes fitted for the kingdom of heaven, to bring forth out of your treasures and store acquired here both new and old, as Christ speaks, to buy the truth, as Solomon, so as to be able to teach it to others; you come as wholesale men to buy by the great. Therefore treasure up as much and as many precious truths as you can, and grace withal to vent by retail in the country, when you are sent abroad.
First, Inquire and learn where these treasures are to be had, even in the Scriptures. The merchant who knew the pearl was fain to buy the field, there the pearl lay. Timothy from a child had read the Scriptures, and so should you do; they are 'able to make a man wise unto salvation,' and 'make the man of God perfect.' As the book of nature, when thoroughly known, makes a perfect physician for the body, so doth this book of the Scriptures make a perfect divine.
'Search the Scripture,' says Christ, 'for they speak of me;' as Christ is the treasury of all knowledge, so the Scriptures of Christ. These scriptures lie scattered in all the veins of the prophets and apostles; dig for them as for silver, take pains and travel to understand them: as Daniel's phrase is (Dan. 12) 'Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.' Do as merchants, who travel from
place to place, so do you from scripture to scripture, comparing one with another; and knowledge will be increased.
Secondly, Go to the markets and warehouses of those that have laid in or discovered much of this treasure; that is, use the helps of godly men's writings and conferences, the help of saints both dead and alive. Why? Because it is made manifest to the saints. The angels do learn of the church, and why not we? Even Paul desires to see them at Rome, that they and he might be mutually comforted by their mutual faith; therefore exchange and truck one with another. The knowledge of any one man is imperfect; some have more skill in one point, some in another, and so in several ages several truths have been delivered and revealed πολυμερῶς, by fragments and pieces; therefore use the help of all. Why? Because it is 'made manifest to his saints;' and it is not made manifest in all points unto all saints, but they have it amongst them. 'We know but in part,' saith the apostle, much more thou. Therefore saints should truck and exchange one with another. There is no man in the world that is as Paul was, whom the apostles themselves could add nothing unto, who yet professeth that he knew but in part. The angels themselves they learn of the saints, they learn of the church, therefore do thou so too. In Eph.
4:11–13, and so ver. 16, a place that falls fully in with this, he saith that Christ hath given to the body—and he speaks of the universal church—apostles and prophets, and teachers and pastors, from his time to the end of the world. For it is until all be come to keep to the unity of the faith, and to cause them to grow up to a fulness of stature in Christ; the meaning of which to me is this, that the whole body is fitly joined together and compacted by that which every part supplieth the whole universal church, from the times of the apostles downwards to this very day; the ministers and the saints that have been in former ages being tied unto us by bands and ligaments, have propagated the truth unto us. So as indeed it is every part of the
church that helpeth forward the other; it is the church in one age that helpeth forward the church in another, and one soweth and another reapeth. And the body (take the whole compass of it in all ages) is fitly joined together, that it may cause every age and every saint to increase according to his proportion. Therefore if God have revealed this mystery unto his saints, we must acquaint ourselves with saints, not only with saints living, but dead; and we may have a great deal of knowledge from their writings, for it is the ordinance of God that the body in all ages fitly joined together should increase by that which every part supplieth. We have had a great deal of knowledge from the age before, and that which is coming shall have much knowledge from us; and so one age being fitly joined to another, doth cause the body to grow to the fulness of the stature of Christ. And this is that which Christ also says, John 4:37, one age sows and another reaps, that all may be one together.
Thirdly, Go to him above all, who hath the key of knowledge, Jesus Christ, Rev. 3:7. Pray to him, as you have it, 1 Pet. 1:10, 'They searched and inquired; i.e., they studied and prayed. Use both, as the apostles were to spend the time in both, Acts 6. It is a mystery which God only makes known, and you know how to deal with him; James
1:4, 5, 'If any lack wisdom, let him ask it of God,' whose special promise in the New Testament is to teach all that are his to know him. As you cannot see the sun without the light of itself, so not the riches of the glory of Christ without his Spirit, who is called the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, who only knows these deep things of God,
1 Cor. 2:11, as the mysteries of the gospel are, that lie at the bottom of his breast. The well is deep, we have nothing to draw with.
But you will say, God hath revealed himself in the Scriptures, and it is but reading them, and I have wit enough to understand them.
I answer, it was the Spirit that wrote that word, which is not therefore (says Peter) of any private interpretation; that is, no man's or men's private understandings, without the assistance of that public secretary of heaven, can understand them: optimus mentis suæ quisque est interpres, he only hid the treasures of knowledge in that field, and he only knows where they lie; what an advantage is it then by prayer to unlock God's breast, to obtain the key of knowledge that unlocks God's study, and can direct to all his notes and his papers!
Fourthly, Look to it that thou art a saint, to whom 'God will make known the riches,' &c., otherwise you cannot receive them; you will count them foolishness, as has been shewed, you will take them but as upon trust, you will not be able to see the particular secrets that are revealed in the gospel. The saints are they that first find out and do preserve the truths of the gospel in the world. It is certain, if there were none but carnal professors in the world, this gospel would soon be lost, 1 Tim. 3:9. The mystery of the faith is preserved in a good conscience, and without a good conscience it leaks out. And, 2 Tim.
2:13, 14, 'If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.' It was once delivered unto the saints, and it is the saints that preserve it, and shall do to the end of the world. In Isa. 35 you have a prophecy of the kingdom of Christ and of the times of the gospel (as you shall find it to be by reading that chapter), and he says that there shall be a highway, and it shall be called the way of holiness, and the unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be a way for wayfaring men, and, though fools, yet they shall not err therein; that is, if they be men that have a mind to go to heaven, whose hearts God doth sanctify, though otherwise they are men of low parts and mean understandings, they shall not err. Why?