Heavenly merchandiseHeavenly merchandize

3. Every Truth tends to empty and abase man. The infinite Wisdom of God, having contrived the advancement of the Salvation of Man in such a way, as that the whole honour of it should entirely redound to his own great Name, hath thereupon so ordered the way of bringing it about, as that there shall not any room at all be left for man to crowd in any thing that may be an occasion for his boasting, or leave him the least place to be seen, or any thing of himself to be taken notice ⟨p. 116⟩of in the management of this whole affair: Man by the Fall (though it hath given him no Cause at all for it) is become an exceeding proud creature, and is very loth to be brought to shrink up to nothing in himself; and this makes him always ready to hearken after any thing which may blow him up with self conceitedness; such things therefore that tell him he is some body, and would make his condition something better than it really is, less dependent upon God, and more self sufficient, do wonderfully tickle his fancy: But such notions as these are, are directly contrary to the whole tenor of Scripture Doctrine: That Doctrine therefore, which makes discovery of Mans Guilt, Misery, Impotency, and represents him to himself, a creature every way depending upon the Sovereign Grace of God, for his whole Salvation, that so God may be acknowledged to be all in all, is consonant to the mind of God in the Scriptures; whereas that which dares to pluck any one flower out of his Royal Diadem, and devest him of any part of his Prerogative, rather than man should lose the privilege of being considerable in his own Salvation, is directly against the Truth. He that is acquainted with the Book of God cannot but acknowledge that the whole current of the ⟨p. 117⟩Word of God carries on the design of making Fallen Man very low and vile; that no Flesh might glory in any thing of their own, but that he who glories might glory in the Lord only, Jer. 9. 23, 24.

3. Every Truth tends to empty and abase man. The infinite Wisdom of God, having contrived the advancement of the Salvation of Man in such a way, as that the whole honour of it should entirely redound to his own great Name, hath thereupon so ordered the way of bringing it about, as that there shall not any room at all be left for man to croud in any thing that may be an occasion for his boasting, or leave him the least place to be seen, or any thing of himself to be taken notice