1 Peter 1:10-12
10. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired, and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come to you. 11. Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when he testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12. To whom it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to us they did minister the things which are now reported to you by them that have preached the Gospel to you, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into.
It is the ignorance, or at least the inconsiderance, of divine things, that makes earthly things, whether good or evil, appear great in our eyes. Therefore the Apostle's great aim is, by representing the certainty and excellency of the belief and hope of Christians to his afflicted brethren, to strengthen their minds against all discouragements and oppositions. That they may account nothing too hard to do or suffer, for so high a cause and so happy an end. It is the low and mean thoughts, and the shallow persuasion we have of things that are spiritual, that is the cause of all our remissness and coldness in them. The doctrine of salvation he mentioned in the former verse, at the end of our Christian faith, is illustrated in these words, from its antiquity, dignity, and infallible truth.
It is no more invention: for the prophets inquired after it, and foretold it in former ages from the beginning. Thus the prejudice of novelty is removed, that usually meets the most ancient truth in its new discoveries.
Again, it is no mean thing that such men as were of unquestioned eminency in wisdom and holiness did so much study and search after, and having found out, were careful not only to publish it in their own times, but to record it to posterity, and this not by the private motion of their own spirits, but by the acting and guidance of the Spirit of God, which sets likewise the truth of their testimony above all doubtfulness and uncertainty.
But taking those three verses entirely together, we have in them those three things, testifying how excellent the doctrine of the Gospel is. 1. We have the principal author of it. 2. The matter of it. 3. The worth of those that are exercised about it; namely, the best of men — the prophets and apostles — in administering it, and the best of all the creatures, the angels, in admiring it.
The first author is the absolutely first, the Spirit of God in the prophets (verse 11), in the apostles (verse 12). But verse 11, the Spirit of Christ there, is the same spirit that he sent down on his disciples after his ascending to glory, and which spoke in his prophets before his descending to the earth. It is the Spirit of Christ, proceeding jointly from him with the Father, as he is the Son of God, and dwelling most richly and fully in him as the Son of Man.
The Holy Ghost is in himself holiness, and the source and worker of holiness, and author of this holy doctrine that breathes nothing but holiness, and urges it most pressingly upon all that receive it.
This is the very life of divine faith touching the mysteries of salvation, firmly to believe their revelation by the Spirit of God. This the Word itself testifies, as we see, and it is really manifest in it — it carries the lively stamp of divine inspiration, but there must be a spiritual eye to discern it. He that is blind knows not that the sun shines at noon, but by the report of others; but they that see, are assured they see it, and assured by no other thing, but by its own light. To ask one that is a true believer, how do you know the Scriptures to be divine? is the same as to ask him, how do you know light to be light.
The soul is nothing but darkness and blindness within, till that same spirit that shines without in the Word, shine likewise within it, and effectually make it light. But that once done, then is the Word read with some measure of the same spirit by which it was written; and the soul is ascertained that it is divine, as in bodily sight, there must be a meeting of inward light — namely, the visual spirits — with the outward object.
The Spirit of God within, brings evidence with it, and makes itself discernible in the Word. This all arguments, all books, and study cannot attain to. It is given to believe.
No man knows the things of a man but the spirit of man (1 Corinthians 2:11). But how holds that here — for if a man speak out the things that are in his spirit, then others may know them. But the Apostle's aim is there, to conclude, that the things of God, even such as were revealed in his Word, could not be known but by his own Spirit. It is so, though revealed, yet they remain still unrevealed, till the Spirit teach within, as well as without: because intelligible by none, but by those that are the private scholars and hearers of the Holy Ghost, the author of them. And because there are so few of these, therefore there is so little real believing among all the noise and profession that we make of it. Who is there (if you will believe them) that believes not, and yet truly there is too much cause to continue the prophets' regret: who has believed our report?
Learn then to suspect yourselves, and to find out your own unbelief, that you may desire this Spirit to teach you inwardly those great mysteries, that he outwardly reveals and teaches by his Word. Make use of that promise and press the Lord with it: they shall be all taught of God.
But 2. There is here the matter of this doctrine, which we have in three several expressions. 1. That which is repeated from the foregoing verse — it is the doctrine of salvation, that is the end of it. 2. The doctrine of sufferings and glory of Christ as the means. 3. The doctrine of grace, the spring of both.
And 1. Salvation, the only true doctrine of true happiness, which the wisest of natural men have groped and sought after with much earnestness; but with no success. They had no other than the dark moonlight of nature, and that is not sufficient to find it out. Only the Sun of Righteousness shining in the sphere of the Gospel, brings life and immortality to light (2 Timothy 1:10). No wonder that natural wisdom, the deepest of it, is far from finding out the true method and way of cure, seeing it cannot discover the disease of miserable mankind, namely, the sinful and wretched condition of nature by the first disobedience.
Salvation expresses not only that which is negative, but implies likewise positive and perfect happiness; thus forgiveness of sins is put for the whole nature of justification frequently in scripture, it is more easy to say of this unspeakable happiness what it is not than what it is. There is in it a full and final freedom from all annoyance; all tears are wiped away, and their fountain dried up, all feeling, and fear, or danger of any the least evil either of sin or punishment banished forever, no invasions of enemies, no robbing nor destroying in all this holy mountain, no voice of complaining in the streets of the new Jerusalem. Here it is at the best but interchanges of mornings of joy with weeping of sad evenings, but there, there shall be no light, no need of sun nor moon, for the glory of the Lord shall lighten it and the Lamb shall be the light thereof.
Well may the Apostle (as he does here throughout this chapter) lay this salvation to counterbalance all sorrows, and persecutions, and whatever hardships can be in the way to it. The soul that is persuaded of this, in the midst of storms and tempests enjoys a calm, triumphs in disgraces, grows richer by all its losses, and by death itself attains this immortal life.
Happy are they that have their eye fixed upon this salvation, and are longing and waiting for it, that see so much of that brightness and glory as [reconstructed: darkens] all the luster of earthly things to them, and makes them trample upon those things which formerly they admired and doted on with the rest of the foolish world. Those things we account so much of are but as rotten wood, or glowworms that shine only in the night of our ignorance and vanity: so soon as the light beam of this salvation enters into the soul, it cannot much esteem or affect anything below it. And if those glances of it that shine in the Word and in the soul of a Christian be so bright and powerful, what then shall the full sight and real possession of it be?
The worker of this salvation, whom the prophets and apostles make the sum of all their doctrine, is Jesus Christ, and the sum of that work of redemption, as we have it here, is his humiliation and exaltation. His sufferings, and the glory that followed thereupon — now, though this serves as an encouragement to Christians in their sufferings, that this is the way by which their Lord went into his glory, and is true also of Christ mystical, the head with the members, as the scriptures often teach us. Yet I conceive it is here mainly intended as a summary of the work of our redemption by Jesus Christ, relating to the salvation mentioned in verse 10. And as the cause for the effect, so it is put for it here. The prophets inquired, and prophesied of that salvation — how? By searching out and foretelling the sufferings and glory of Christ. His sufferings then, and his after glories are our salvation: his sufferings are the purchase of our salvation, and his glory is our assurance of it. He, as our head having triumphed and being crowned, makes us likewise sure of victory and triumph. Having entered possession to glory makes our hope certain; this is his prayer, that where he is there we may be also, and this his own assertion: the glory which you gave me, I have given them (John 17:22, 24). This is his promise: because I live you shall live also (John 14:19). Christ and the believer are one; this is that great mystery the Apostle speaks of (Ephesians 5), though it is a common known truth, the words and outside of it obvious to all, yet none can understand it but they that indeed partake of it. By virtue of that unction their sins were accounted his, and Christ's sufferings are accounted theirs, and by consequence his glory — the consequent of his sufferings — is likewise theirs; there is an indissoluble connection between the life of Christ and of a believer. Our life is hid with Christ in God, and therefore while we remain there our life is there, though hid, and when he who is our life shall appear we likewise shall appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:4). Seeing the sufferings and glory of our Redeemer are the main subject of the Gospel and the causes of our salvation, and our comfortable persuasion of it, it is a wonder that they are not more the matter of our thoughts. Should we not daily consider the bitterness of that cup of wrath he drank for us, and be brought to repentance and hatred of sin, to have sin embittered to us by that consideration, and find the sweetness of his love in that he did drink it, and by that be deeply possessed with love to him? These things we now and then speak of, but they sink not. As our Savior exhorts, where he is speaking of those same sufferings — O that they were engraved on our hearts, and that sin were crucified in us, and the world crucified to us, and we to the world by the cross of Christ.
And then considering the glory wherein he is, and to have our eye often upon that, and our hearts solacing and refreshing themselves frequently with the thoughts of that place and condition wherein Christ is, and where our hopes are before long to behold [reconstructed: him] — both to see his glory and to be glorified with him. Is it not reason? Indeed it is necessary, it cannot be otherwise, if our treasure and head be there, that our hearts be there likewise.
The third expression here of the Gospel is that it is the doctrine of grace. The work of redemption itself, and several parts of it, and the doctrine revealing it, have all the name of grace, because they all flow from free grace, that is their spring and first cause.
And it is this wherein the doctrine of salvation is mainly comfortable, that it is free: you are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8). It is true God requires faith, it is through faith, but he that requires that gives it too — that is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. It is wonderful grace to save upon believing: believe in Jesus for salvation, and live accordingly, and it is done; there is no more required to your pardon but that you receive it by faith. But truly nature cannot do this; it is as impossible for us of ourselves to believe as to do. This then is that which makes it all grace from beginning to end, that God not only saves upon believing, but gives believing itself; Christ is called not only the Author and Finisher of our salvation, but even of our faith.
Free grace, being rightly apprehended, is that which stays the heart in all estates, and keeps it from fainting, even in its saddest times. What though there is nothing in myself but matter of sorrow and discomfort — it cannot be otherwise; it is not from myself that I look for comfort at any time, but from my God and his free grace. Here is comfort enough for all times: when I am at the best, I ought not, I dare not rely upon myself; when I am at the worst, I may and should rely upon Christ and his sufficient grace. Though I be the vilest sinner that ever came to him, yet I know he is more gracious than I am sinful — indeed, the more my sin is, the more glory will it be to his grace to pardon it; it will appear the richer. Does not David argue thus (Psalm 25:11): "For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great." But it is an empty, fruitless notion of grace to consider it only in the general and in a wandering way; we are to look upon it particularly, as addressed to us. And it is not enough that it comes to us in the message of him that brings it only to our ear; but that we may know what it is, it must come into us — then it is ours indeed. But if it comes to us in the message only and we send it away again, if it shall so depart, we had better never have heard of it; it will leave a guiltiness behind it that shall make all our sins weigh much heavier than before.
Inquire whether you have entertained this grace or not, whether it has come to you and into you or not, whether the kingdom of God is within you. As our Savior 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 entreating you daily to receive it, and 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 — indeed, you would endure none. Desire your eyes to be opened and light 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 today, and forever. Yesterday under the law, today in those primitive times nearest his incarnation, and forever 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 toward 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 of those who are employed about it, as well in administering to it as in admiring it. And those are the prophets and 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.
This disparages not their extraordinary visions and revelations, and that which is added — that the Spirit of Christ was in them and did foretell 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 — indeed, and by reading such holy writers as were already extant in their times, as in (Daniel 9 and 10). 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 to the Spirit of God, were imparted to them.
Prophecy resides 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 overcomes his affections continually; on such a man the Holy Spirit comes down. And his soul is associated to the angels, and he is changed to another man. Thus — Maimonides.
It was the way of the prince of darkness among the idolatrous Gentiles to speak either through senseless statues, or where they uttered his oracles, it was by such profane prophets as he had, to cause them in a fury tumble forth words 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 tended those things of the kingdom of Christ, which they by inspiration did foretell. Therefore they bent their thoughts this way, praying, and searching, and waiting for answers, studying to keep the passage open, as it were, for the beams of those divine revelations to come in at — not to have their spirits clogged and stopped with earthly and sinful affections, endeavoring for that calm and quiet composure of spirit in which the voice of God's Spirit might be the better heard. Thus (Psalm 85:8) and (Habakkuk 2:1), in both of 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 inquiry — they who had the Spirit of God not only in a high measure but after a singular manner? How unbecoming, then, is slothfulness and idleness in us? 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 labor, unworthy of ours? These are both so gross that we will be loath 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 does 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 (Proverbs 18:1). As they are called Angels, so ought they to be as much as they can attain to it, in a constant nearness to God, and attendance on him, like to the Angels, and look much into these things, as the Angels here are said to do, to endeavor to have their 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 vapors, 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 has 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 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 Savior (John 5). 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 you 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 inquiry, and search, there is here expressed their ardent affection to the thing they prophesied of, and their longings, and wishes for its accomplishment, namely 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 (John 8:36). 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, were his voice as afar off: but his incarnation was his coming near, and kissing his Church, with the kisses of his mouth, as (Song of Solomon 1:1). And to omit other expressions throughout the Song, the last chapter verse 1 is tender and pathetical. Oh that you were as my brother, etc. and the last words of it, Make haste my Beloved, and be like a roe, or a young hart upon the mountain of spices. And when this salvation came in the fullness 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 your servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation. Therefore our Savior says to his Apostles (Matthew 13:16), Blessed are your eyes for they see, for many Prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them. This is he whom we hold in low esteem 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.
Now the success is, in seeking they found the certainty, and the time of that his coming, they sought out till they found, and then they prophesied of that salvation, and grace, they searched what, and what manner of time, and the Spirit did manifestly foretell it to them.
They sought to know what manner of time it should come to pass, namely in a time of great distress, and bad estate of the people, as all the Prophets testify, and particularly that place (Genesis 49:10) gives an express character of the time, though there be some diversity of exposition of the particular words, yet the main sense is agreed on by all sound interpreters, and the Chaldean Paraphrase has it expressly, that that Shiloh, is the Messiah.
And of his sufferings, and after glories they prophesied very clearly as (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53), and our Savior himself makes use of their testimony in both these points (Luke 24:25-27).
Then there is the benefit of their search, and finding, in the extent of it, in verse 13, to the believers in the Apostles' times, and to the succeeding Christian Church, and so to us in these days; but in some peculiar sense the Prophets ministered to them of those times, wherein Christ did suffer, and enter into glory; for that they were the first that enjoyed the accomplishment of those prophecies, they being fulfilled in their own days.
They knew well that the things they prophesied were not to be fulfilled in their own times, and therefore in their prophesying concerning them, though both themselves, and people of God that were contemporary with them did reap the comfort of that doctrine, and were by faith partakers of the same salvation, and so it was to themselves as well as to us, yet in regard of the accomplishment, they knew it was not to themselves, it was not to be brought to pass in their days, and therefore, speaking of the glory of Christ's kingdom, they often foretell it for the latter days, as their phrase is. And as we have the things they prophesied of, so we have this peculiar benefit of their prophecies, that their suiting so perfectly with the event, and performance, serves much to confirm our Christian faith.
There is a foolish, and miserable way of verifying this: men ministering the doctrine of salvation to others, and not to themselves, carrying it all in their heads, and tongues, and none of it in their hearts, not hearing it even while they preach it, reaching the bread of life to others, and eating none of it themselves. And this the Apostle says, that he was most careful to avoid, and therefore dealt severely with his body, that it might not this way endanger his soul. I beat down my body, says he, and keep it in subjection, lest when I have preached to others I myself should be a castaway. It is not in this sense, that the Prophets ministered to others, and not to themselves. No, they had joy and comfort in the very hopes of the Redeemer to come, and the belief of the things that any others had spoken, and that themselves spoke concerning him, and thus the true preachers of the Gospel though their ministerial gifts, are for the use of others, yet that salvation they preach, they lay hold on, and partake of themselves, as your boxes wherein perfumes are kept for garments, and other uses, are themselves perfumed by keeping them.
We see how the Prophets ministered it, as the great and never failing consolation of the Church in those days, in all their distresses. It is a wonder when they are foretelling either the sorrows and afflictions or temporal restoration, and deliverances of that people of the Jews, what sudden outleaps they will make to speak of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and the days of the Gospel, that who considers not the spirit they were moved by, would think it were incoherence, and impertinence; but they knew well what they meant, that those news were never unseasonable, nor besides the purpose, that the sweetness of those thoughts, namely, the consideration of the Messiah was able (to such as believed it) to allay the bitterest distresses, and that the great deliverance he was to work, was the top and sum of all deliverances. Thus their prophecies of him were present comfort to themselves, and other believers then, and further, were to serve for a clear evidence of the divine truth of those mysteries in the days of the Gospel in and after their fulfilling.
These sweet streams of their doctrine do as the rivers, they made their own banks fertile, and pleasant as it ran by, and flowed still forward to after ages and by the confluence of more such prophecies grew greater as it went, till it fell in with the main current of the Gospel in the New Testament, both acted, and preached by the great Prophet himself, whom they foretold to come, and recorded by his Apostles and Evangelists, and thus united into one river, clear as crystal, this doctrine of salvation in the Scriptures, has still refreshed the city of God, his Church under the Gospel, and still shall do so, till it empty itself into the ocean of eternity.
The first discovery we have of this stream nearest its source, the eternal purpose of divine mercy, is in that promise which the Lord himself preached in few words, to our first parents, that had newly made themselves, and their race miserable: the seed of the woman shall break the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15).
The agreement of their predictions with the things themselves, and the preaching of the Apostles following, the other kind of men employed in this salvation make up one organ, or great instrument, tuned by the same hand, and sounding by the same breath of the Spirit of God, and that is expressed here, as the common authority of the doctrine in both, and the cause of their harmony, and agreement in it.
And all these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, the calling of Prophets, and Apostles, and Evangelists, and the ordinary ministry of the Gospel by pastors, and teachers, tends to that great design, that God has in building his Church; making up that great assembly of all the elect, to enjoy and praise him for all eternity (Ephesians 4:11). For this end sent he his Son out of his bosom, and for this end sends he forth his messengers to divulge that salvation, that his Son has wrought, and sends down his Spirit upon them, that they may be fitted for so high a service. Those cherubims wonder how guilty man escapes their flaming swords, and re-enters paradise. The angels see that their companions that fell are not restored, but their room filled up with the spirits of just men, and they envy it not, which mystery the angels desire to look into, and this is added in the close of these words for the extolling of it.
The angels look upon what they have seen already fulfilled with delight and admiration, and what remains, namely, the full accomplishment of this great work in the end of time, they look upon, with desire to see it finished. It is not a slight glance they take of it, but they fix their eye, and look steadfastly on it, namely, that mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh, and it is added, seen of angels.
The Word made flesh draws the eyes of those glorious spirits, and possesses them with wonder to see the Almighty Godhead joined with the weakness of a man, yea, of an infant. He that stretches forth the heavens, bound up in swaddling clothes. And to pass all the wonders of his life, this is beyond all admiration, that the Lord of Life, was subject to death, and that his love, and rebellious mankind, moved him both to take on, and lay down that life.
It is no wonder the angels admire those things and delight to look upon them, but it is strange that we do not so. They view them steadfastly, and we neglect them, either we consider them not at all, or give them but a transient look, half an eye. That which was the great business of the Prophets, and Apostles, both for their own times, and to convey them to us, we regard not; and turn our eyes to foolish wandering thoughts, which angels are ashamed at. They are not so concerned in this great mystery as we are, they are but mere beholders in comparison of us, yea, they seem rather to be losers someway, that our nature in itself inferior to theirs, is in Jesus Christ exalted above theirs (Hebrews 2:16). We bow down to the earth, and study, and grovel in it, take into the very bowels of it, and content ourselves with the outside of the unsearchable riches of Christ, and look not within it, but they having no will, nor [reconstructed: desire], but for the glory of God, being pure flames of fire burning only in love to him, are no less delighted than amazed with the bottomless wonders of his wisdom, and goodness shining in the work of our redemption.
It is our shame, and our folly that we lose ourselves, and our thoughts in poor childish things, and trifle away our days we know not how, and let these rich mysteries lie unregarded. They look up, upon the deity in itself with continual admiration, but that they look down to this mystery is another wonder. We give them an ear in public, and in a cold formal way stop conscience's mouth, with some religious performances in private, and no more. But to have deep and frequent thoughts, and to be ravished in the meditation of our Lord Jesus once on the cross and now in glory, how few of us are acquainted with this?
We see here excellent company, and examples, not only of the best of men that have been, but we have them fellow-servants, and fellow-students, if that can persuade us, we may all study the same lesson with the very angels, and have the same thoughts with them. This the soul does, that often entertains itself with the delightful admiration of Jesus Christ, and the redemption he has wrought for us.
