Enquire whether you have entertained this grace or not, whether it be come to you, and into you, or not; whether the kingdom of God is within you, as our Saviour speaks". It is the most woeful condition that can be, not to be far from the kingdom of God, and yet to fall short, and miss of it. The grace of God revealed in the Gospel, is intreating you daily to receive it, is willing to become yours, if you reject it not, Were your eyes open to behold the beauty and excellency of this grace, there would need no deliberation; yea, you would endure none: desire your eyes to be opened, and enlightened from above, that you may know it, and your hearts opened, that you may be happy by receiving it.

The Apostle speaking of Jesus Christ, as the foundation of our faith, calls him the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever". Yesterday, under the law, to day, in those primitive times, nearest his incarnation, and for ever, in all succeeding ages. And the resemblance holds good between the two Cherubims over the mercy-seat, and the two testaments; those had their faces towards one another, and both toward the mercy-seat; and these look to one another in their doctrine, agreeing perfectly; and both look to Christ the true mercy-seat, and the great subject of the scriptures. This we see here, the things that the prophets foretold to come, and the Apostles reported were accomplished, were the same, and from the same spirit, they were the sufferings of Christ, and his after glory, and in them our salvation by free grace. The prophecies look forward to the times of the Gospel; and the things then fulfilled, look back to the prophecies; and each confirms the other, meeting all in Christ, who is their truth and center.

We have spoken already of the author, and subject of this salvation. Now we come to say something, III. Concerning the worth of those who are employed about it, as well in administring to it, as in admiring it. And those are, the prophets and

m Luke xvii. 21.

Heb. xiii. S.

Apostles; the first foretold what was to come, the second preached them when they came to pass.

In the prophets there are three things here remarked, 1. Their diligence. 2. The success of it. 3. The extent of its usefulness.

1. This their diligence disparages not their extraordinary visions and revelations, and that which is added, that the Spirit of Christ was in them, and did foretel the things to come.

It was their constant duty, and they being sensible of their duty, made it their constant exercise, to search into divine mysteries by meditation, and prayer; yea, and by reading such holy writers as were already extant in their times, as Daniel ix. 3. x. 11. For which cause, some taking the word actively, conceive Daniel, to be called there a man of desires, because of his great desire, and diligent search after the knowledge of those high things. And in this diligent way, they constantly waited for these revelations, which sometimes, when it seemed good unto the Spirit of God, were imparted unto them.

"Prophecy resideth not (say the Hebrew doctors) "but in a man that is great in wisdom and virtue, "whose affections overcome him not in any worldly things; but by his knowledge, he overcometh "his affections continually; on such a man the Holy Spirit cometh down, and his soul is asso"ciated to the angels, and he is changed to another man." Thus Maimonides.

It was the way of the prince of darkness amongst the idolatrous Gentiles, to speak either through senseless statues, or where he uttered his oracles, by such prophane prophets as he had, to cause them in a fury to mumble forth words which they understood not, and knew not what they said. But the Spirit of God being light, and the holy prophets inspired with it, they being diligent attendants on its motions, and searchers of the mysteries of salvation, understood well what their business was, and to what purpose those things of the kingdom of

Christ tended, which they by inspiration did foretel; and therefore bended their thoughts this way, praying, and searching, and waiting for answers, studying to keep the passage, as it were open, for the beams of those divine revelations to come in at; not to have their spirits clogged, and stopt with earthly and sinful affections, endeavouring for that calm and quiet composure of spirit, in which the voice of God's Spirit might be the better heard'. In both which places follows an excellent prophecy concerning Christ, and that salvation which he wrought for his people.

Were the prophets not exempted from the pains of search and enquiry, that had the Spirit of God not only in a high measure, but after a singular manner? How unbeseeming then is slothfulness and idleness in us? Whether is it, that we judge ourselves advantaged with more of the Spirit than those holy men? Or that we esteem the doctrine, and mysteries of salvation on which they bestowed so much of their labour, unworthy of ours? These are both so gross, that we will be loth to own either of them; and yet our laziness, and negligence in searching after those things, seems to charge us with some such thought as one of those.

You will say, this concerns those that succeed to the work of the prophets, and Apostles in ordinary, the ministers of the gospel. And it doth indeed fall first upon them. It is their task indeed to be diligent, and as the Apostle exhorts his Timothy, to attend on reading, but above all to study to have much experimental knowledge of God, and his Son Jesus Christ; and for this end, to disentangle, and free themselves as much as is possible, from lower things to the search of heavenly mysteries'. As they are called angels, so ought they to be, as much as they can attain to it, in a constant nearness unto God, and attendance on him, like unto the angels, and look much into these things, as the angels here are said to do; to endeavour to have their P Psal. lxxxv. 8. and Hab. ii. 1. 9 1 Tim. iv. 13. Prov. xviii. 1,

r

souls purified from the affections of sin, that the light of divine truth may shine clear in them, and not be fogged, and misted with filthy vapours; to have the impressions of God clearly written in their breasts, not mixed and blurred with earthly characters, seasoning all their readings and common way of studies with much prayer, and divine meditation. They that converse most with the king, and are inward with him, know most of the affairs of state, and even the secrets of them, that are hid from others and certainly those of God's messengers that are oftenest with himself, cannot but understand their business best, and know most of his meaning, and the affairs of his kingdom. And to that end it is confessed, that singular diligence is required in them; but seeing the Lord hath said without exception, that his secret is with them that fear him, and that he will reveal himself and his saving truths to those that humbly seek them; do not any of you to yourselves so much injury, as to bar yourselves from sharing in your measure of the search of these same things, that were the study of the prophets, and which by their study, and publishing them, are made the more accessible, and easy to us. Consider that they do concern us universally, if we would be saved; for it is salvation here that they studied. Search the scriptures, says our Saviour, and that is the motive, if there can be any that may be thought in reason pressing enough, or if we do indeed think so, For in them ye think to have eternal life, and it is there to be found. Christ is this salvation and that eternal life; and he adds further, it is they (those scriptures) that testify of me. These are the golden mines in which alone the abiding treasures of eternity are to be found, and therefore worthy all the digging, and pains we can bestow on them.

Besides their industry in this enquiry, and search, there is here expressed their ardent affection to the thing they prophesied of, and their longings, and

wishes for its accomplishment, viz. the coming of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, the top of all their desires, the great hope and the light of Israel. No wonder they desired his day, that had so much joy in the seeing it: so far off, as over the head almost of two thousand years, faith overlooking them, and foreseeing it so in Abraham, his heart danced for joy", Abraham saw my day and rejoiced.

And this is conceived to be the meaning of those expressions in that mystical song, as they suit those times of the Jewish church, breathing out her longings for the coming of her beloved. His speaking by the prophets, was his voice as afar off; but his incarnation was his coming near, and kissing his church, with the kisses of his mouth, and to omit other expressions throughout the song, the last chapter, verse 1, is tender and pathetical, Oh! that thou wert as my brother, &c. and the last words of it, Make haste my beloved, and be thou like a roe, or a young hart upon the mountain of spices. And when this salvation came in the fulness of time, we see how joyfully good old Simeon embraces it, and thought he had seen enough, and therefore upon the sight desired to have his eyes closed, Now let thy servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen thy salvation. Therefore our Saviour says to his Apostles', Blessed are your eyes for they see, for many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them. This is he whom we disesteem and make so small account of, being now so clearly revealed that they studied, and sought, and wished so much for, so many ages before.

2dly, The success of their search is remarked in seeking they found the certainty; and the time of his coming, they sought out till they found: and then they prophesied of that salvation, and "John viii. 56. * Cant. chap. i. ver. 1. z Matth. xiii. 16.

y Luke ii. 29, 30.