The best have not light enough to look through all the darkness and obscurity that is in the Works and Word of God. I do not affirm this, to cast that reproach of obscurity upon the Wo•d of God, which the Papists do: The Word of Go• hath in it abundance of light, yea, 'tis a light; there is enough in it so plain, that any who have any •rue light, may see much of it, and be able to order their speech, com•o••ably and competently, that is, acceptably, before God ab•ut it. Yet there is a mysterious da•kness in many parts of the Word and Works of God, which our light is not clear enough to master and get through. God hath purposely done and spoken some things, which stand as secrets, which our ⟨p. 587⟩eye cannot pierce into, that he might keep us low and little in our own eyes. As there is enough in the Word, which the si• plest may understand and spe•k of to •alvation, so there are some things there to po•e the wisest, and hold them in a silent admiration. The Apostle Peter (2 Epist. 3.16.) speaking about the Epistles of Paul, saith, In them there are some things hard to be understood: He doth not say, all things in the Epistles of Paul are hard to be understood, but some things a•e, and they are so for our exercise and trial. As those things are altogether secrets to us, which God hath not revealed, so some things are in a great degree secrets to us, though God hath revealed them; and if so,
The best have not ligh• enough to look through all the darkness and obscurity that is in the Works and Word of God. I do not affirm this, to cast that repro•ch of obscurity upon the Wo•d of God, which the Papists do: The Word of Go• hath in it abundance of light, yea, 'tis a light; there is enough in it so plain, that any who have any •rue light, may see much of it, and be able to order their speech, com•o••ably and competently, that is, acceptably, before God ab•ut it. Yet there is a mysterious da•kness in many parts of the Word and Works of God, which our light is not clear enough to master and get through. God hath purposely done and spoken some things, which stand as secrets, which our ⟨p. 587⟩eye cannot pierce into, that he might keep us low and little in our own eyes. As there is enough in the Word, which the si• plest may understand and spe•k of to •alvation, so there are some things there to po•e the wisest, and hold them in a silent admi•ation. The Apostle Peter (2 Epist. 3.16.) speaking about the Epistles of Paul, saith, In them there are some things hard to be understood: He doth not say, all things in the Epistles of Paul are hard to be understood, but some things a•e, and they are so for our exercise and tryal. As those things are altogether secrets to us, which God hath not revealed, so some things are in a great deg•ee sec•ets to us, though God hath revealed them; and if so,
