15. The matter entreated of in holy Scripture is divine and wonderful. It explicates unto us, th• nature, properties, and high acts of God, purely and holily. It describes the person of Christ, so fitly, excellently, and conveniently, that if the mind of man consider it attentively, of necessity it must acknowledge, that it doth exceed the reach of a finite understanding. It discovers unto us the misery and corruption of man by nature, incomprehensible love of God in Jesus Christ towards man, that happy reconciliation (if we may so speak) of his justice ⟨p. 26⟩and mercy by his infinite wisdom, ordaining Jesus Christ to be our Mediator, and it unfolds the covenant of grace which God made with man after his fall; all which can be drawn from no fountain but divine revelation. 1. Cor. 2. 7. 8. Eph. 3. 4. 5. Col. 1. 26. The Scripture also contains the law of God, which teacheth the duty of man, and that is wise and just, the Gentiles themselves being judges. Deu. 4. 5. 6. 7. In the precepts, diverse notes of divinity may be observed; as 1. The surpassing excellency of the act, requiring that we should deny our selves, and lead our lives according to the appointment of the Lord. Matth. 16. 24. 25. Rom. 8. 12. 13. 2. The wonderful equity that doth appear in every commandment. 3. The admirable strangeness of some acts, which a natural man would count foolishness, yet prescribed as necessary. Jo. 3. 36. and 8. 24. 4. The manner how obedience is required, viz. that it proceed from a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned. Deut. 6. 5. 1. Cor. 13. 2. 1. Tim. 1. 5. 5. And the perfection of the law commanding and allowing all good, but forbidding and ⟨p. 27⟩condemning all sin and wickedness, of what kind soever. Take a brief view of the ten commandments, are they not plain, pure, brief, perfect, just, extending to all, binding the conscience, and reaching to the very thoughts? and do not all these things commend unto us the justice, wisdom, holiness, omnipotency, omniscience, perfection, and absolute sovereignty of the lawgiver? The promises and threatenings annexed to the law, will suffer us to acknowledge none other author of them but the Lord alone: for none can make them but he, he only can give eternal life, and inflict eternal condemnation.
15. The matter intreated of in holy Scripture is diuine and wonderfull. It explicats vnto vs, th• nature, properties, and high acts of God, purely and holily. It describs the person of Christ, so fitly, excellently, and conueniently, that if the mind of man consider it attentiuely, of necessity it must acknowledge, that it doth exceed the reach of a finite vnderstanding. It discouers vnto vs the misery and corruption of man by nature, incomprehensible loue of God in Iesus Christ towards man, that happy reconciliation (if we may so speake) of his iustice ⟨p. 26⟩and mercy by his infinite wisedom, ordaining Iesus Christ to be our Mediator, and it vnfolds the couenant of grace which God made with man after his fall; all which can be drawn from no fountain but diuine reuelation. 1. Cor. 2. 7. 8. Eph. 3. 4. 5. Col. 1. 26. The Scripture also containes the lawe of God, which teacheth the dutie of man, and that is wise and iust, the Gentiles themselues being iudges. Deu. 4. 5. 6. 7. In the precepts, diuerse notes of diuinity may be obserued; as 1. The surpassing excellencie of the act, requiring that we should denie our selues, and lead our liues according to the appointment of the Lord. Matth. 16. 24. 25. Rom. 8. 12. 13. 2. The wonderful equity that doth appeare in euery commaundement. 3. The admirable strangenes of some acts, which a naturall man would count foolishnes, yet prescribed as necessary. Io. 3. 36. and 8. 24. 4. The manner how obedience is required, viz. that it proceed from a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith vnfained. Deut. 6. 5. 1. Cor. 13. 2. 1. Tim. 1. 5. 5. And the perfection of the law commaunding and allowing all good, but forbidding and ⟨p. 27⟩condemning all sinne and wickednes, of what kind soeuer. Take a briefe veiwe of the ten commaundements, are they not plaine, pure, briefe, perfect, iust, extending to all, binding the conscience, and reaching to the very thoughts? and doe not all these things commend vnto vs the iustice, wisedome, holines, omnipotencie, omniscience, perfection, and absolute soueraignty of the lawgiuer? The promises and threatnings annexed to the law, will suffer vs to acknowledge none other author of them but the Lord alone: for none can make them but he, he only can giue eternall life, and inflict eternall condemnation.
