An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

Christ is the power and wisdom of God, and so is the Gospel,¹ but are they both in equal degree such? No surely, the Gospel is such organically, and in a way of subordination to Christ, and he is such principally, and in a ⟨p. 284⟩way of excellency above the Gospel: The Gospel is the wisdom of God, a Glass of it, and a Divine Medium to illuminate, and make us wise; but all this under Christ the brightness of his Fathers Glory, and great illuminator; from whom the unction or teaching anointing of the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation descends down upon us, to open our eyes & hearts upon the glorious things in the Gospel: The Gospel is the power of God, a Divine Sceptre, to subdue and overcome the wills and hearts of men; but this is under Christ, the eternal word and power of God, who by that Sceptre produces that great and supernatural effect. The Apostles, though earthen Vessels carried about the Evangelical treasure with them; but the [Greek or Hebrew], or the excellency of the power was of God, and not of them: 2 Cor. 4.7. The believing Corinthians were the Apostles Epistle, and Christ's too, 2 Cor. 3.2. & 3. but not in equal degree: They were (saith the Text) Christ's Epistle ministered by the Apostles; the Apostles were but as the pen, which the Almighty Fingers of the Spirit used to make the Impression or Divine Inscription upon their hearts: Hence the Text saith, ⟨p. 285⟩That the same was written, not with Ink, but with the Spirit of the living God: The Text quoted by the Author, (The Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them, which are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God; 1 Cor. 1.22, 23 and 24. is a very remarkable one; they all had the Gospel, the external call; yet, to show that all was in the Royal hand of Christ, the dispensation is very different: Those to whom Christ preached, was a Stumbling block or Foolishness, had not so much as any internal illumination; For it is not at all imaginable, that Christ the power of God, if truly understood, could be a stumblingblock to the Jews, who looked after signs; or that Christ the wisdom of God, if truly understood, could be Foolishness to the Greeks, who sought after wisdom;