7.7 had been in the third Heaven, and was in danger of being puffed up, and exalted above measure through the abun2 Cor.12 dance of Revelations, excludes not himfelf; we know in part, faith he, and we Prophefie in part; even we who have had the greatest advantages above others. So that all the Apostles extraordinary Revelations left him ftill in a ftate of imperfection. Notwithstanding all his eminent Gifts and Attainments above the generality of Christians, he ftill knew but in part, and Prophefied but in part. In handling this Subject, I fhall endeavour to fhew, 1. In 'what refpects we know here only in part. 2. Whence 'tis that we know but in part. 3. Make fome Application. For the First of these, our Knowledge is only in part in fundry refpects. 1. Tis but a part only of what we shall know hereafter, that is revealed to us here. The things which God hath prepared for them that Love him are fuch as we shall never fully understand until we come to enjoy them. Now we are the Sons of God, but it doth not yet appear what we shall be, faith the Apostle, 1 John 3. 2. How Glorious and unspeakably Happy we shall be in the World to come, God hath not thought fit to discover to us fully in this Life. Some glimpses of Heaven he lets us have, by which we may darkly guess at the Glory and Bleffednefs of our future Eftate, but a clear view and distinct Knowledge of it he hath not thought fit to afford us here. Our Life is hid with Chrift in God, Coloff. 3. 3. Which tho' it be in fome Sense true of the Life of Grace here, yet is it chiefly to be underftood of the Life of Glory, and therefore the Apostle presently adds, When Christ who is our Life Shall appear, then Shall ye alfo appear with him in glory. Something of those unfeen things of the other World was imparted to St. Paul when he was caught up into the third Heaven; he heard unfpeakable words; words by which strange and wonderful things were discovered; but the dif covery of them was only for himself; divers of them were fuch things as it was not lawful for him to utter, and make difcovery of to any other. 2. Much of what is revealed, is not eafily understood. Much of the Holy Scriptures the moft inquifitive, the most Wife, the most Knowing, and most Holy Men could never by all their search and Prayers attain to understand. In many places they are enforced to acknowledge their ignorance, and in many more they can only make fome conjectures and gueffes at the meaning, but dare not affirm this or that to be the true Sense, and none other. Befides how many depths are there in Divinity, that no Man can fathom! How many knots that no Man can untie ! How often are the Persons that are of greatest Abilities, of the foundest Judgment, and most piercing understanding puzzelled! 3. We understand but in part even what we do in some measure understand. We have but dark and confused apprehenfions of many of the things which we know; and our weak and imperfect Knowledge is mixed with many miftakes and errors. 4. If we know the things because they are so often and fo clearly revealed in Holy Scripture, that no queftion can be made of them, yet concerning the manner how those very things are, we are wholly ignorant: Inftances hereof may be the Doctrine of the Trinity, the Do Doctrine of the Union of the Divine and Humane Nature in the Person of Christ, the Refurrection of the Dead, and the like; thefe things and fuch like, being clearly revealed in Scripture we know to be fo as they are revealed, but as to the manner how they are, we are in the dark. 5. Though we know many things in themselves with a good measure of clearness and certainty, yet our inferences and deductions from them are fubject to much uncertainty. For here we make use of our Reafon to collect and gather one thing from another. And nothing is more eafie than to think we have rightly inferred and concluded that which doth not follow upon those premises which we have in Scripture. Our Reason is much weakened and darkened by the fall; and therefore though Truths be plainly laid down and given us in Scripture, yet many of our deductions from them being remote and at a good distance, it often falls out that there is some mistake or other in our way of Arguing and Inferring one thing from another. So eafie is it to Argue amiss, and from true premises to draw falfe conclufions, that nothing is more ordinary than than that from one and the fame Truth 'divers Perfons fhould draw oppofite conclufions. So I pafs on to the fecond thing, namely, to fhew whence it is that our Knowledge here is but in part. Some of the Reasons hereof refpect God,fome our felves, and fome refpect the objects or things to be known. The Reafons hereof with reference to God are. 1. Because it hath feemed good to the Wisdom of God not to reveal all things alike clearly. Some things are fo plain to every understanding as none can choose but apprehend them, unless they wilfully fhut their Eyes; other things again are more obfcurely and darkly revealed, the clearer Revelation ofthem being reserved for hereafter. This every Man obferves and acknowledgeth who hath any acquaintance with the Scriptures. What St. Peter faith of the Epiftles of St. Paul, 2 Pet. 3. 16. That in them there are fome things hard to be understood, the fame may be faid of many other parts of the Holy Scriptures. 2. Whereas it is by the Teachings and Illumination of the Holy Spirit that we attain to the right understanding of Spiritual things, it feemeth good to the |