but only in Chrift; but of this fully before. This then alfo is hid in him. 3. There mut moreover be a way wherein we must walk with God. God at the beginning affigned us a path to walk in with him, even the path of innocency and exact holinefs in a covenant of works. This path by fin, is so filled with thorns and briars, fo ftopped up by curfes and wrath, that no flesh living can take one step in that path; a new way for us to walk in, must be found out, if ever we think to hold communion with God. And this alfo lyes upon the former account. It is hid in Christ, all the world cannot, but by and in him, discover a path, that a man may walk one step with God in. And therefore the Holy Ghost tells us, that Chrift hath confecrated, dedicated, and fet apart for that purpose, a new and living way into he holieft of all, Heb. x. 20. a new one, for the firft old one was useless, a living one, for the other is dead; therefore faith he, ver. 22. let us draw near, having a way to walk in, let us draw near. And this way that he hath prepared is no other but himfelf, John xiv. 5. in answer to them, who would go to the Father, and hold communion with him, he tells them, I am the Way and no man cometh to the Father, but by me. He is the medium of all communication between God and us; in him we meet, in him we walk, all influences of love, kindness, mercy, from God to us; are through him; all our returns of love, deEight, faith, obedience unto God, are all through him. He being that one Way, God fo often promifeth his people, and it is a glorious way, Ifa xxxv. 8. an high way, a way of holiness, a way that none can err in, that once enter it; which i P furthe further fet out, Ifa. xlii. 16. All other ways, all paths but this, go down to the chambers of death, they all lead to walk contrary to God. 4. But fuppofe all this, that agreement be made, acquaintance given, and a way provided, yet if we have no ftrength to walk in that way, what will all this avail us? This alfo then must be added, of ourfelves we are of no ftrength, Rom. v. 6. poor weaklings, not able to go a step in the ways of God; when we are set in the way either we throw ourfelves down, or temptations caft us down, and we make no progrefs: and the Lord Jefus tells us plainly, that without him we can do nothing, John xv. 5. not any thing at all, that fhall have the leaft acceptation with God. Neither can all the creatures in heaven and earth yield us the least affistance. Mens contending to do it in their own power comes to nothing: this part of this wifdom alfo is hid in Christ. All strength to walk with God, is from him; I can do all things through Chrift that strengthneth me, faith Paul, Phil. iv. 12. who denies that of ourfelves we have any fufficiency, 2 Cor. iii. 5. We that can do nothing in ourselves, we are fuch weaklings, can do all things in Jefus Chrift, as giants; and therefore in him, we are, against all oppofitions in our way, more than conquerors, Rom. viii. 37. and that because from his fulness, we receive grace for grace, John i. 16. From him have we the Spirit of life and power whereby he bears us, as on eagles wings fwiftly, fafely, in the paths of walking with God. Any ftep that is taken in any way, by ftrength that is not immediately from Chrift, is one ftep towards hell. He first takes us by the arm and teaches us to go, until he lead us on to perfection. He hath milk and ftrong meat, to feed feed us, he ftrengthens us, with all might, and is with us in our running the race that is fet before us. But yet, 5. Whence fhould we take this confidence as to walk with God; even our God, who is a confuming-fire? Was there not fuch a dread upon his people of old, that it was taken for granted among them, that if they faw God, at any time, it was not to be endured, they muft die? Can any but with extream horror, think of that dreadful appearance, that he made unto them of old upon mount Sinai; until Mofes himfelf who was their mediator, faid, I exceedingly fear, and quake, Heb. xii. 21. and all the people faid, Let not God fpeak with us, left we die, Exod. xx. 19. Nay though men have apprehenfions of the goodness and kindness of God, yet upon any discovery of his glory, how do they tremble and are filled with dread and astonishment? Hath it not fo been with the choiceft of his faints, Hab. iii. 16. Ifa. vi. 5. Job xlii. 5, 6. Whence then, should we take to ourselves this boldness to walk with God? This the apostle will inform us, in Heb. x. 19. it is by the blood of Jefus; fo Eph. iii. 12. In him we have boldness, and access with confidence, not standing afar off, like the people at the giving of the law, but drawing nigh to God with boldnefs; and that upon this account. dread and terror of God, entered by fin. Adam had not the leaft thought of hiding himself until he had finued. The guilt of fin being on the confcience, and this being a common notion left in the hearts of all, that God is a molt righteous revenger thereof; this fills men with dread and horror at an apprehenfion of his prefence, fearing that he is come to call their fins to remembrance. Now P 2 The the the Lord Jefus by the facrifice and the atonement that he hath made, hath taken away this confcience of fin; that is, a dread of revenge from God, upon the account of the guilt thereof. He hath removed the flaying fword of the law, and on that account gives us great boldnefs with God; difcovering him unto us now, no longer as a revenging Judge, but as a tender, merciful, and reconciled Father. Moreover, whereas there is on us by nature a spirit of bondage filling us with innumerable tormenting fears, he takes it away, and gives us the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father, and behave ourselves with confidence and gracious boldness as children; for where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty, 2 Cor. iii. 17. That is, a freedom from all that dread and terror, which the administration of the law brought with it. Now as there is no fin that God will more feverely revenge than any boldness that man takes with him out of Christ, so there is no grace more acceptable to him than that boldness, which he is pleafed to afford us in the blood of Jefus. There is then, 6. But one thing more to add, and that is, that two cannot walk together, unless they have the fame design in hand, and aim at the fame end; this alfo in a word, is given us in the Lord Jefus. The end of God is the advancement of his own glory: none can aim at this end, but only in the Lord Jefus. The fum of all is, that the whole wisdom of our walking with God, is hid in Christ, and from him only to be obtained, as hath been manifeft by an enumeration of particulars. And fo have I brought my firft demonftration of what I intended unto a clofe, and manifefted that all true wisdom and knowlege is laid up in, and laid our out by the Lord Jefus; and this by an induction of the chief particular heads of thofe things wherein confeffedly our wifdom doth confift: I have but one more to add, and therein I fhall be brief. Secondly, then I fay, this truth will be further manifefted by the confideration of the infufficiency and vanity of any thing elfe, that may lay claim, or pretend to a title to wisdom. There be two things in the world, that do pafs under this account, the one is learning or literature; as fkill and knowlege of arts, fciences, tongues, with the knowlege of the things that are past. 2. Prudence and skill for the management of ourselves in reference to others, in civil affairs, for publick good, which is much the fairest flower, within the border of nature's garden. Now concerning both thefe, I fhall briefly evince, 1. That they are utterly infufficient for the compaffing and obtaining of thofe particular ends, whereunto they are defigned. 2. That both of them in conjunction, with their atmost improvement, cannot reach the true generaţ end of wifdom; both which confiderations will fer the crown in the iffue upon the head of Jefus Christ. And, 1. Begin we with the first of thefe, and that as to the first particular. Learning itself, if it were all in one man, is not able to compass the particular end whereto it is defigned, which writes vanity and vex. ation upon the forehead thereof. The particular end of literature, though not obferved by many, mens eyes being fixed on false ends, which compells them in their progrefs aberrare a fcopo, is noue orher, but to remove fame part of that curfe which is come upon us by P 3 Lenn |