Deut. vi. 4. Hear, O Ifrael, the Lord our God is one Lord. 1 Joh. v. 7. There are Three that bear Record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft, and thefe Three are one.

tance and Abfence from the Lord. There moft plain Truths, which re beyond all is almost nothing in Divinity, but it is a Controverfy, are the most neceffary, and Myftery in itself, how common foever it most profitable for our eternal Salvation; be in the Apprehenfions of Men: For it is but if there be any fecret Myftery in the Men's overlie, and common and lender Scriptures, which the Lord hath only Apprehenfions of them, which makes them pointed out more obfcurely to us, reservTook fo commonly upon them: There is a ing the diftinct and clear underftanding Depth in thein, but you will not know it, of it to himself, Deut. xxix. 26. that is ull you fearch it, and found it, and the more the Apple which our accurfed Natures will you found, you shall find it the more pro- long for, and catch after, though there be found: But there are fome Myfteries never fo much Choice of excellent faving Imall, and fome great, there is a Difference Fruit in the Paradife of the Scriptures be amongst them, all are not of one Stature, fides. If the Ark be covered to keep Men of one Measure: The Mystery of Chrift's from looking into it, that doth rather proIncarnation, and Death, and Refurrection, voke the curious Spirit of Man to pry into is one of the great Myfteries of Religion, it, 1 Sam. vi. 19. If the Lord Thew his God manifefted in the Flefb; yet I con- wonderful Glory in the Mount, and charge ceive there is a greater Myftery than it, his People not to come near, left the gloand of all Myfteries in Nagure or Divini- tious Prefence of God kill them, he muft ty I know none to this, the Holy Trini- put Rails about it, to keep them back, ty, and it must needs be greatest of all, and or elfe they will be meddling, fuch is the without Controverfy greatest, because it unbridled Licence of our Minds, and the is the Beginning and End of all, fons & perverfe Difpofitions of our Natures, that finis omnium; all Myfteries have their where God familialy invites us to Rife here, and all of them return hither. come, what he earneftly preffeth us to This is furtheft removed from the Under- fearch and know, that we defpife as trivial fandings of Men, what God himself is, and common: And what he compaffeth afor himfelf is infinitely above any Manifef bout with a Divine Darkness of inacceffible tation of himself: God is greater than Light, and hath removed far from the Aps God manifefted in the Flesh, though in prehenfions of all Living, that we will that refpect he be too great for us to con- needs fearch into, and wander into those ceive. There is, a natural Defire in all forbidden Compaffes, with daring BoldMen to know, and, if any Thing be fe- nefs. I conceive, this holy and profound cret and wonderful, the Defire is more in- Myftery, is one of thofe Secrets which famed after the Knowledge-of-it, the very belongs to God to know; for who know. Difficulty or Impoffibility of attaining it, eth the Father but the Son, or the Son but inflead of reftraining the Curiofity of the Father, or who knoweth the Mind of Man's Spirit, doth rather, incenfe it. Ni-God but the Spirit? Yet the foolish Minds Himur invetitum is the Fruit, the fad of Men will not be fatisfied with the beFruit we plucked and eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good, and Evil. If the Lord reveal any Thing plainly in his Word to Men, that is defrifed and fet at nought, becaufe it is plain, whereas the

lieving Ignorance of fuch a Mystery, but will needs enquire into thofe Depths, that they may find Satisfaction for their Rea fon. But as it happeneth with Mea who will boldly fare upon the Sun, their Eyes

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how can thefe Things be? Thou art efcaped from under the Power of Faith, and art fled unto the Tents of humane Wisdom, where thou mayeft learn Atheism, but no Religion: For the World through Widom knew not God, 1 Cor. i. And certam

Confcience, upon the bare Word of Truth in this Particular, but will call in for the Help of Reafon and Difputation, how to underftand and maintain it, I think he thall be further from the true Knowledge of God, and Satisfaction of Mind than before. There is no Way here, but to flee into Paul's Sanctuary, Who art thou, O Man that disputes? Whenever thou

are dazled and darkned with its Brighness; one, and yet there are Three in this one, or those that enter into a Labyrinth, which the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This they can find no way to come out, but the I fay you must believe, because the Wisdom further they go into it, the more perplex of God faith it, though you know not how ed it is, and the more intricate; even fo,it is, or how it can be, though it seem a it befalls many unfober and prefumptuous Contradiction in Reason, a Trinity in UniSpirits, who, not being fatisfied with the ty, yet you must lead your Reafon captive fumple Truth of God, clearly afferting to the Obedience of Faith, and filence it that this is, endeavour to examine it ac-with this one Anfwer, The Lord bath faid cording to Reason, and to folve all the Ob-it. If thou go on to difpute and to enquire, jections of carnal Wit and Reafon, (which is often Enmity to God) not by the Silence of the Scriptures, but by Answers framed according to the feveral Capacities of Men; I fay, all this is but daring to behold the infinite Glory of God with Eyes of Flesh, which makes them darkned in Mind, andly, whoever he be that will not quiet his vanishing in their Expreffions, while they feek to behold this inacceffible Light; while they enter into an endless Labyrinth of Dif. ficulties, out of which the Thread of Reafon and Difputation can never éxtricate them or lead them forth. But the Lord has fhewed us a more excellent Way, though it may be defpicable to Men. Man did fall from Bleffednefs, by this curious and wretched Aim at fome higher Happi-thinks within thy felf, how may this be, nefs, and more Wifdom. The Lord hath chofen another Way to raife him up again by Faith, rather than Knowledge, by behieving rather than difputing: Therefore the great Command of the Gospel is this, to receive with a ready and willing Mind, whatsoever the Lord faith to us, whatfoever it may appear to Senfe and Reafon; to difpute no more, to fearch no more into the Secret of Divine Myfteries, as if by fearching we could find them out unto Perfection, but to believe what is spoken, till the Day break, and the Shadows flee away, and the Darkness of Ignorance be wholly difpelled, by the rifing of the Sun of Righteoufhefs. We are called then to Festive this Truth, that God is one, truly

how can One be Three, and Three One, then withal let this of Paul found in thine Ears, Who art thou, O Man, who dif putes? Think that thou art Man, think that he is God. Believing Ignorance is much better, than rafh and prefumptuous Knowledge. Ask not a Reafon of thefe Things, but rather adore and tremble at the Myftery and Majefty of them. Chriftianity is Foolifhnefs to the World upon this Account, becaufe 'tis an implicite Faith (fo to speak) given to God; but there is no Fear of being deceived, though be lead the blind by a Way thou know not, yet he cannot lead thee wrong. This holy Simplicity in believing every Word of God, and trufting without more trying by Li Difputation,

Difputation, is the very Character of Chriftianity, and it would be found only true Wisdom; for if any will become wife, he muft be a Fool in Mens Account; that he may be wife, he muft quit his Reafon to learn true Religion, which indeed is a more excellent and Divine Reafon; neither is it contrary to it, though it be high above it.

17. This is my well-beloved Son, hear ye him; here's the Father's Testimony of the Son when he was baptized, which was given very folemnly in a great Congregation of People, and divinely, with great Glory and Majefty from Heaven; as if the Heavens had opened upon him, and the inacceffible Light of God had shined In this Place of Mofes, you have the down on him, which was confirnted in the Unity of God afferted, the Lord thy God Transfiguration, Mat. xvii. 5. where the is one Lord; and that is indeed engraven Lord gave a glorious Evidence, to the on the very Hearts of Men by Nature, Aftonishment of the Three Disciples, how that God is one: For all may know, that the he did account of him, how all Saints and common Notion and Apprehenfion of God, Angels muft ferve him; Him bath God is, That he is a moft perfect Being, the the Father fealed, faith John. Indeed, Original of all Things, moft Wife, moft the Stamp of Divinity, of the Divine Powerful, and Infinite in all Perfections. Image, in fuch an excellent Manner upon Now common Reafon may tell any Man, the Man Chrift, was a Seal fet on by God that there can be but one Thing moft Per- the Father, fignifying and confirming, his fect and Excellent, there can be but one Approbation of his well-beloved Son, and Infinite, one Almighty, one Beginning,and of the Work he was going about. Then End of all, one firft Mover, one firft the Son himself did give ample Teftimony Caufe, of whom are all Things, and who of this, this was the Subject of his preachis of none. ing to the World, I am the Light and Again, in this Place of Jobn, ye have a Life of Men, he that believeth on me Teftimony of the bleffed Trinity of Per-fball be faved; and therefore he may be fons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, in that holy Unity of Effence; the great Foint which Jobn hath in Hand, is this Fundamental of our Salvation, that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God, and Saviour of the World, in whom all our Confidence fhould be placed, and upon whom we fhould lean the Weight of our Souls; and this he proves by a two-fold Teftimony, one out of Heaven, another in the Earth: There are Three bearing Witnefs to this Truth in Heaven, the Father, the Word, (that is, Jefus Chrift,, the eternal Son of God, whom this Apoffle calls the Word of God, or Wifdom of God, Jo. i. 1.) and the Holy Ghoft. The Father witneffed to this Truth in an audible Voice out of Hea en, when Chrift was baptized, Mat. ii.

called the Word of God, and the Wif dom of God, Joh, i. 1. Pro, viii. Because he hath revealed unto us the bleffed Myftery of Wisdom concerning our Salvatie on. He is the very Expreffion and Cha racter of the Father's Perfon and Glory, Heb. i. in his own Perfon, and he hath revealed and expreffed his Father's Mind, and his own Office fo fully to the World, that there should be no more doubt of it. Out of the Mouth of these Two Witneffes this Word might be eftablished. But, for Superabundance, behold a Third, the Holy Ghoft witneffing at his Baptifm, in his Refurrection, after his Afcenfion, the Holy Ghoft. fignifieth his Prefence, and Confent to that Work, in the Similitude of a Dove, the Holy Ghoft teftifieth it