CHAP. XVIII. How we shall make use of Christ, as the Truth, that we may win to right and suteable thoughts of God.

This is a case, that much troubleth the people of God. They cannot get right and sutable thoughts of God, which they earnestly desire to have; nor know not how to win at them. And certane it is, He only who is the Truth, and came out of the bosome of the Father, can helpe here. Therefore, for our use making of Him for this end; It would be remembered.

1. That the minde of man, through the fall, is nothing but a masse of ignorance and blindenesse; that the understanding is darkned Ephes. 4: 17, 18. And naturally we are in darknesse 1 Iohn. 2: 9, 11. Yea under the power of darknesse. Col. 1: 13. And, which is more, our mindes naturally are filled with prejudice against God and enmity, through wicked∣nesse, naturally resideing there, and which the Prince of the powers of the aire, the Spirit that worketh in the children of disobediance, increaseth and stirreth up.

2. That this evil is not totally taken away, even in the godly, but helped only in pairt: for they see Page  278 and know but in pairt. 1 Cor. 13: vers. 13.

3. That hence it cometh to passe, that through the working of corruption, the soul of a beleever can sometime win to no right thought of God at all, or at best to some very narrow, and unsutable con∣ceptions of Him and his wayes: yea sometimes, all the thoughts that they can get of God, are vaine and idle, if not misshapen and blasphemous.

4. That as we are, we cannot see God: for no man hath seen Him Mat. 11: 27. Iohn. 4: 46. for He is an invisible God, 1 Tim. 1. 17. Heb. 11: 27. He dwelleth in light, which no man can approach unto. Him no man hath seen, nor can see 1 Tim. 6: 16. 1 Iohn. 4: 12.

5. That all that knowledge of God, which i•… saveing, is to be found in Christ, who is the bright∣nesse of his glory, & the expresse image of his person. Heb. 1: 2. and the image of the invisible God Col. •…. 15. and is for this end come out from the bosome of the Father, that He might acquant us with Him, and with all his secrets Iohn. 1: 18. Mat. 11: 27. so far as is needful for us to know. He is God in∣carnate, that in Him we may see the invisible. Thus God is manifest in the flesh 1 Tim. 3: 16. and the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us Iohn. 1: vers. 14.

6. That therefore, if we would see and know God we must go to Christ, who is the temple, in which God dwelleth and manifesteth his glory; and in and through Him, must we see and conceive of God. The light that we get of the knowledge of the glory of God, must be in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4: 6, that is, in the manifestations, that Christ Page  279 hath made of himself, in his Natures, Offices, Ordi∣nances, Works, Dispensations of grace, mediate and immediate &c. And thus doth God, who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse, cause this light of the knowledge of his glory shine into our hearts, viz. in the face of Iesus Christ, that is, in the dispen∣sations of grace in the gospel, which is the glorious gospel of Christ 2 Cor. 4: 4. and, as it were, the face of Iesus Christ: for, as by the face a man is best known, and distinguished from others; so Christ is visibly, discernably, and manifestly seen and known, in and by the gospel dispensations; there are all the lineaments and draughts of the glory of God, which we would know, lively and clearly to be seen.

So then, if we would make use of Christ for this end, that we may win to a right sight of God, and suteable conceptions of his glory, we would con∣sider those things.

1. We would live under the sense and through conviction of the greatnesse and incomprehensible∣nesse of God, as being every way past finding out: and also under the conviction of our own darknesse, and incapacitie to conceive aright of Him, even as to what He hath revealed of himself.

2. We would know, that what the works of Creation and Providence declare and preach forth of God, though it be sufficient to make Heathens and others, that do not improve the same to a right acknowledging of him, inexcuseable; as Paul teach∣eth us, Rom. 1: 20. yet all that is short of giving to us that saving knowledge of Him, which must be had, and which is life eternal▪ Iohn. 17: 2.

Page  2803. We would know, that what of God is to be found-out by the works of creation and providence, is more distinctly seen in Christ, and in the gospel. Here is a greater and more glorious discovery of God, and of his glorious attributes, his Iustice, Power, Wisdome, Goodnesse, Holiness, Truth▪ &c. than can be found by the deepest diveing na∣turalist, and most wise moral observer of providen∣ce, that is not taught out of the Gospel.

4. Yea, there is something of God to be seen in Christ, in the gospel, which can be observed •…o none of his works of creation, or common provi∣dence: there is the grace of God that bringeth sal∣vation, that is made to appear only by the gospel Tit 2: •…1. and there is a peculiar kindenesse and love of God toward man, which is only discovered by Christ in the gospel, Tit. 3: 4. There is that manifold wisdome of God, that mysterie, which was hid from the beginning of the world in God; that Principalities and powers in heavenly places, the greatest and wisest of naturalists, must learne by the church, wherein that is preached and proclaim∣ed, by the dispensations of the gospel Ephes. 3: 9, 10. His mercy pardoning poor sinners, justice being satisfyed, can not be cleared by nature. Nature cannot unfold that mystery of justice and mercy, concurring to the salvation of a sinner, only the gos∣pel can cleare that riddle.

5. We would remember, that all the beames of that glory, which are necessary and useful, for us to know, are, to speak so, contracted in Christ and there vailed, to the end that we may more stea∣dyly look upon them. We may go to our Brother, Page  281 who is flesh of our flesh, and there, through the vaile of his flesh, see and behold what otherwayes was invisible: as we can look to the sun better shine∣ing in a pale of water, than by looking up im∣mediatly; so can we behold God and his glory better in Christ, where there is a thinne vail (to speak so) drawne over that otherwise blindeing yea kill∣ing, glory, than by looking to God without Christ: for alas we could not endure one glance of an immediat ray of divine glory, it would kill us out right.

6. We must then go to Christ, and there see God: for He who seeth Him, seeth the Father also. Iohn 14: 9. Particularly, we must go to the face of Iesus Christ, that is, that, whereby He hath made him∣self known, the noble contriveance of the glorious gospel; wherein all things are so carryed on, as that God is glorified in his Son, in the salvation of poor sinners. The whole work of salvation is laid on Christ, and the Father is glorified in Him, who is his servant and his chosen, whom He up∣holdeth and furnisheth for the work Esai. 42: 1, 2. He is called the Covenant it self: He is the underta∣ker in the covenant of Redemption, and in the cove∣nant of Grace: all is founded on Him: all the good things of it are given out by Him: all the grace, by which we close with it, and accept of Him, ac∣cording to it, is given by Him. Now, in this gospel contrivance are all the lines of the glorious face of Christ to be seen: and in that face must we see and discerne the glory of God; all the rayes of which are centred in Christ, and there will we get a noble prospect of that glorious object. So that Page  282 all such, as would make use of Christ for this end, that they might come to have right and suteable thoughts and apprehensions of God, must be well acquanted with the whole draught and frame of the gospel; and so acquanted therewith, as to see Christ the substance, ground, and all of it, and to see Him in every part of it.

7. Whatever we know or learne of God, by his works of Creation or Providence, in the world or about ourselves, we would bring it in here, that it may receive a new tiucture, and a deeper impressi∣on. That is done, when we finde and learne some∣thing of Christ there; and are brought nearer Christ thereby; and made thereby to discover something more of the glory of God in the face of Christ; or are made to understand better something of the re∣velation, that is made of God in the gospel; or moved thereby to improve it better.

8. In all this matter, we must not go without our guide, lest we wander in this wildernesse, and it prove a labyrinth to us. We must take Christ with us all alongs: He must teach us to un∣derstand his own face: and to read the glorious cha∣racters of that excellent glory, which is to be seen in his face: He must be our interpreter, and teach us, how to read this book, and how to un∣derstand what is written therein; He must give the discerning eye, and the understanding heart: even the Spirit of wisdome and understanding, to take up the mysteries of God.

9. And for this cause, we would by faith lay hold upon the promises of the Spirit, whereby we may be made spiritual, and have our understand∣ings Page  283 enlightened more and more, to understand the mysterious characters of divine Majesty and Glory.

10. In all this exercise, we would walk with fear, & carry with us impressions of the dreadful Majesty and Glory of God, that we may tremble and feare, and stand in awe, and read what we read of this glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, this glori∣ous bible, with reverence, and godly fear.

And thus may we be helped to win to right and suteable thoughts of God; yet with all we would, for